Disclaimer : I do not own Sailor Moon.
"talking" memories/flashbacks
A World Apart
Makoto was confused about Usagi's behavior. "Usagi, I haven't changed at all. It is you guys that have changed."
"Changed? Us?" Rei asked. "You're horribly wrong Makoto!"
"How can I be wrong?"
"You spend all your time at work or with Riley! We barely even see you!" Minako exclaimed.
Riley couldn't believe that she had been dragged into their fight. "I can't believe you guys. Why are you being so mean to Mako?"
"Why does some second rate princess care?!" Rei barked.
Riley didn't understand why they were acting like this. "Second rate?!" She slowly walked towards Rei. "You know nothing about me. Don't you dare say that again!"
Once again, Haruka grabbed Riley by her waist and pulled her back. It was an attempt to keep a fist fight from starting. "You need to just stay out it."
Riley sighed. "I don't want to." She didn't want to let them get away with everything that they had been saying.
Makoto was furious. "Look Riley is my best friend too and she needed me."
Ami sighed. "Needed you for what?" She wanted to get this issue out of the way.
"When the memories come back." Makoto wasn't going to lie to them about that.
"Why does she need you?" Seiya asked. "Why can't she just go to her sister or Michiru or Setsuna?"
Makoto sighed. "The memories range from good to bad. I'm usually with her when the memories happen, but unlike you guys I try to hang out with her."
Ami sighed. "I'm just going to say what is happening."
"Then what is it?!" Makoto wasn't sure if she really wanted to hear what they thought.
Ami walked over to face Makoto. "Everyone agrees that you have changed and not for the better. Before Riley came, you were off drinking and who knows what else." Ami paused. "Since Riley has come here, you have changed again. No one here likes it." Ami grabbed Makoto's hand. "I'm worried about you. You should just let your other friends and Riley go. Go back to the old Makoto."
Makoto snatched her hand away from Ami. "I'm still me. Nothing has changed!" With that said, Makoto ran off.
Riley just stood there and watched Makoto run off. "I can't believe you guys. You all feel like this?" Riley saw everyone in front of her nod. She turned around to see Haruka and Michiru nod. She smiled when she saw Hotaru shake her head no. "The only one who doesn't feel like this is Hotaru. What does that possibly say about you guys? Hotaru trusts Makoto. Hotaru is the Senshi of Destruction and she trusts Mako."
"That doesn't matter, Riley." Minako said. "Hotaru is five."
Riley shook her head. "Age doesn't matter."
"It does." Michiru stated. "She doesn't understand what Makoto is doing."
"I thought that the Senshi were the best of friends. If you guys were her friends, you would see that Mako is just fine. That there isn't anything wrong with her." As soon as Riley said that, she took off to find Makoto.
Riley ran several blocks. She wasn't even sure if she was going in the right direction. All she knew was that she had to find Makoto. Riley breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Makoto sitting on a bench with her head in her hands. Riley walked over and sat on the bench.
"Mako?"
"What?!" Makoto shouted.
Riley jumped when she heard Makoto shout at her. "I'm sorry about them…about what they said."
"That's nice."
Riley sighed. She figured that Makoto would have been happy to see her, but instead Makoto was being cold. "Mako?" When she didn't get an answer, she peeled Makoto's hands away from her face. Riley felt her heart break when she saw that Makoto had been crying. "Don't cry." Riley hugged Makoto. "They are just jealous of you. Jealous of relationship that you and I have."
"Re-Rel-Relationship?"
Riley smiled. "Our friendship."
"Oh…yeah…"
"They are just jealous. Don't let them bother you."
Makoto broke down crying in Riley's arms. After about ten minutes, Makoto pulled out of the hug. "Thanks Riley."
Riley just smiled. "It's fine. Just consider it pay back for the times that I have cried on your shoulder."
Makoto rubbed her eyes. "Ok."
"So are we still going tout for ice cream?" Riley asked. "Because I'm still willing to spend my time hanging out with you."
Makoto just stared at Riley. "You're only hanging out with me because you don't want to be around Ruka right now."
"That's not true."
"I know it is."
"No, Makoto, it isn't. I want to spend time with you. You know maybe I don't want to go back home right now, but that doesn't mean that I'm hiding from my sister by being with you. Hell, if I wanted to hide from her I would walk around the city."
Makoto smiled. "I'm sorry, but I'm really mad at them right now."
"I know that." Riley looked at Makoto and wiped away a few tears. "Instead of going out for ice cream, do you just want to go hack to your apartment? I'm sure that there is ice cream there."
"Ok." Makoto stood up and said, "There isn't any ice cream at my place. Is that ok?"
Riley laughed. "That's just fine. I'm sure that you have something else to eat."
"Are you gonna sit on that bench or come with me?"
"I don't know." Riley thought for a moment before standing up. "Ok, I'll go with you."
Makoto grabbed Riley's hand and led her back to her apartment. Makoto had been glad that Riley wasn't mad at her. When they got back to Makoto's apartment, Makoto said, "If you want to stay the night, I'll go get you something to sleep in."
"That would be nice, but you don't have to do that." Riley said as she walked over and sat on the couch.
"Yes, I do." Makoto looked at the answering machine. "I wonder if they called to apologize."
"Well, you could push the button and find out." Riley looked at Makoto. "Or you can come sit here with me?" Then looked back at the blank television screen.
Makoto walked over and sat next to Riley. "I'm too upset right now to deal with them."
"Do you want to flirt or something?" Riley hated to see Makoto so upset.
"I don't really want to flirt right now." Makoto laid her head on Riley's left shoulder. "I'm not sure what is going to help me."
"Me either." Riley sighed. "I still can't believe it."
"Ditto." Makoto grabbed Riley's hand and began to play with it. "Do you think we should play the messages?"
"No…I don't think so."
"Then what are we going to do?"
"I dunno."
"Hungry?" Just as Makoto said that, her stomach growled.
Riley laughed. "Sounds like you are."
"I'm always hungry." Makoto sat up and said, "It might be the one downside to having Senshi powers."
Riley smiled. "Well, then I guess being hungry all the time is worth it then."
"It is." Makoto found herself staring into Riley's blue eyes and unable to look away from them.
Riley shifted nervously. "Mako why are you staring at me?"
"I'm sorry. I didn't even realize that I was." Makoto lied. "I'll go see if there is something we can eat." Makoto got up and walked to the kitchen.
Riley sat there on the couch. "I wonder what is Mako's problem." Riley whispered. She got up and walked to the kitchen. When she got there, she saw Makoto staring at the sink. "Whatcha doing?"
"Go home Riley."
"What? How can you say that?" Riley
Makoto turned around and looked at Riley. "Just get out of my apartment!"
Riley shook her head. "I'm not leaving!"
Makoto pushed Riley against the wall. "You should leave now before I do something that I'll regret."
That scared Riley. So she just nodded and walked out of the kitchen. She grabbed her purse and ran out of the apartment.
As soon as Riley was out of Makoto's apartment, she walked to the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, she turned around to see if Makoto had followed her. Seeing that Makoto hadn't come, Riley got on the elevator.
When the elevator doors open, Riley walked out and dialed Ami's phone number. "Ami? It is Riley." Riley took a deep breath to keep her tears back and said, "Can you some get me? Please? I don't want to call Ruka."
"Sure…I'll come get you. Where are you?" Ami couldn't say no to Riley.
"Makoto's."
Ami felt bad. "Ok…go outside and we'll be there in a little bit."
"Ok." Riley ended the call. She stood at the curb waiting on Ami and whoever else was coming with her.
I would like to clear up any confusion about a certain part in the last chapter. Michiru doesn't want Hotaru to get the wrong idea about relationships since Makoto and Riley tend to flirt a lot and Hotaru is only five years old. Hopefully that clears that part up. I know that I found it confusing myself. Anywho…Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I start school on Thursday and updates might be a little slow. Just to let everyone know. Let me know what you guys think of the chapter! Bye!