5 | Bad News, Good News
"Owww… What the hell? It feels like my head is about to explode."
Massaging her scalp with her fingertips provided little comfort in face of debilitating pain that made her nearly fall from her low-lying bed. Instead, it merely resulted in a tangled mess of damp blonde hair. She winced again as her agony intensified with time.
It was a rarity for Sazaratha to use the bed tucked away in a corner of that bleak chamber when she never needed to sleep. In fact, the sheer amount of exhaustion she felt was unprecedented. Yes, everything would have been worth it in the end, but it did not mean she had to enjoy suffering through the occasional downsides of having to occupy a human body to do her bidding. That was when the strain of intense mental contemplation transformed into raw, undulating pain. Her hands slid to the sides of her head and her eyes slammed shut as she attempted to suppress her sudden nausea. She felt as though she was on the verge of getting a migraine, though she only knew about them through her research and the misfortune of once choosing a victim who was susceptible to them. Needless to say, that body was quickly discarded, but her memory of the agony remained.
Nevertheless, no such explosion of her cranium occurred, to the chagrin of her foes. Instead, something even more unexpected happened. Intensely negative energy, a sinister aura more powerful than any she had ever wielded or even experienced, pervaded the room. The already dim and gloomy space fell into an inky blackness that blinded her. That side effect alone was unprecedented, but most amazing of all was that she felt her spirit slowly depart the body she had inhabited. Under normal circumstances that occurred solely upon swapping existing disguises or obtaining a new one from some hapless victim of her myriad schemes. Otherwise, she needed to occupy a human body to survive until she regained her former strength. Only two beings in the entire universe had that capability, and it was not the one resting incapacitated in another part of that subterranean lair.
"Do you wish to speak to me, my master?"
Her tone, though contained to her thoughts, was incredibly meek. On the other hand, the booming voice that replied within her mind was anything but. It forced the demon to cringe, an unusual event considering her history.
"Who are you? I can sense you are not my Metalia. So, I ask again, who are you?"
"My master, I am Sazaratha, viceroy and governor-to-be of System W-0599-3, Galaxy XC-14087M, within your glorious empire." Subservience plainly was not a huge part of her personality, but when it mattered most she could kowtow with the best of them.
"Heh. So you are that underling of Metalia's that she had mentioned so frequently." The voice's tone was slightly softer, yet never far from imposing. "She has said so many good things about your ability, which was why she chose you to govern that crucial location. However, I have not heard from her since she had begun her conquest."
"My master, I regret to inform you that we encountered a small problem in the execution of our plan. We had successfully managed to induce one of the main leaders of W-0599-3 to attack the satellite garrison orbiting it on our behalf. However, the leader of that garrison was far more formidable than we had anticipated and managed to deal a great amount of damage to my superior."
"So, are you saying my Metalia is dead?" Its fury had returned, and it was an order of magnitude greater than before.
"No, no, NO, my master! She is very much alive at this moment."
"Well, then, why am I speaking to you and not to her?"
It took her a few moments to judiciously formulate the words she hoped would draw the least amount of ire from the owner of that voice. "Because… she is extraordinarily weak from the attack she had sustained. I am currently in the process of gathering energy from the inhabitants of this planet so that I can revive her."
Raw ferocity subsided, only to be replaced by concern. "How long has she been so debilitated?"
"Just over three farsecs, my master, though I am sure it will require less than one system orbit—not even one tenth of a ferasec—for Metalia to rise again."
Sazaratha and her cohorts measured time in units that differed drastically from those used on Earth, ones that were based on practical manners. For example, it took one farsec to traverse one-thousandth of the span between regions of the universe controlled by the originator of that ominious voice. In human terms, it meant a lengthy 1630 years, though it was a mere pittance for truly advanced space-traveling beings such as Sazaratha. By that same token, one of her kind could blink the rough equivalent of an eye and miss the passing of a ferasec, yet in her frail human form those seven years became more of an eternity.
"And what makes you so certain that her resuscitation will occur so quickly? I have heard the stories of the kingdom that orbits W-0599-3, and I have seen evidence of the tremendous power its leaders wield. It was why I ordered Metalia and not any other of my subordinates to take that region, and I assume it was the same reason she trusted you to govern it thereafter. I hesitate to believe that whatever attack the progeny of Selene had used could be overcome so quickly."
"But it is true, my master," she quickly replied. "Beryl, the creature Metalia chose to be her puppet, and her minions had utterly destroyed the forces of that kingdom. Serenity the Fourth, the kingdom's monarch at the time, was not at her full strength when she attempted to use the renowned sealing attack against Metalia, possibly because she was grieving over her daughter's death. Because of that, both she and Beryl had managed to break the seal."
"And what is this Beryl doing right now? Is this—" there was a short pause as the voice attempted to recall the term for that planet's main life forms— "human a threat to my Metalia?"
"Actually, Beryl still is under Metalia's influence and is working to gather energy for her as well, but her ultimate goals differ from mine."
"Are you suggesting you no longer desire to dominate and govern W-0599-3?"
"In all honesty, my master, given the length of time I was forced to endure living on this wretched planet, I only seek its destruction and that of the entire system upon Metalia's resurgence."
"Well, I only require the suppression of the so-called Moon Kingdom, as that force is the greatest threat to my conquest of its galaxy. Whatever happens afterward is the choice of you and Metalia. From what you've told me, it appears she had successfully completed that part of the mission."
"Unfortunately, the princess of the Moon Kingdom was reincarnated along with her protectors, and they are working to prevent Metalia's revival. However, I do have a plan for dealing with them, and they are far weaker now than they were during that era."
"Very well. I hope not to hear any more about them when I arrive in the region."
That statement palpably surprised Sazaratha. "Y- You-you're coming here, my m-master?"
"As I said earlier, I have received no communication from my Metalia for quite a while, so I decided to establish for myself the cause of this disturbing silence." The voice was strangely calm. "I am pleased to hear that she will recover quickly by your estimation, but if she is remains incapacitated by the time of my arrival then I will take it upon myself to revive her."
A menacing smirk would have crept upon her lips had she been in her human body, but the lack of that form did not minimize her joy. "You need not worry, my master. She will be at her full strength long before you see any hint of XC-14087M."
"I am already well within that galaxy. You don't have one-tenth of a ferasec to play around. You have less than a quarter of that time. You had better succeed in reviving Metalia by then. I can promise right now that you will face especially severe punishment for your failure if you don't."
"A-a-absolutely, my m-master!" Just like that, her confidence vaporized. "I will work doubly hard to ensure you can speak to Metalia before your arrival."
"Then do so."
That forceful command abruptly ended the conversation. The absolute murkiness that surrounded her gradually faded, and at the same time she felt her spirit slowly seep back into her indigenous host body. It was a figure that was curled up into the fetal position upon the soft duvet. As she gingerly opened her eyes and gazed at her dim world she once again felt sincere gratitude that no other being could have witnessed her moment of apparent weakness. However, that thought was short-lived as she realized her far greater concern.
"It looks like I'll have to strike soon if I want any chance of getting rid of the damned princess," she said in an annoyed whisper. "As much as I hate that stupid Beryl her actions are helping me greatly, so I'll leave her alone for now."
She brushed away the wayward strands of hair from her face and firmly pushed herself off of the bed. There was no time to waste, not when she had only three months in which to work an absolute miracle. She was as good as dead if Metalia was not revived by then. To make matters worse, none of the youmas would be ready for use in that short time. Yet, she already had a plan brewing in her mind to overcome that hurdle. All she needed was a few unwitting allies and a little bit of luck. That couldn't have been too hard to come by, right?
—|1|2|3|4|—
To an outsider, the scene mimicked the idyllic look and feel one expects of retirement. For the short-haired brunette playing the starring role, it was anything but. Sure, part of that image came from her relaxed posture, with her feet propped atop an ottoman while she reclined back into the soft cushions of her chair. The book she held in her hands was a heady romance novel, a far cry from the somewhat dry medical journals she was used to reading. She did not have to worry about being on call for work, and she had an entire house to herself. Well, herself and the cat lying at her feet. Save for the soft pattering of raindrops against the roof, it was quiet and it was peaceful.
It was also the furthest thing from the truth.
Saeko sighed as she grabbed a bookmark and stuck it between the pages before casually tossing the book onto the nearby table. As much as she liked the story, it was not nearly enough to staunch the nervousness that welled within her—that and a whole host of other emotions she deemed unnecessary and unwanted. She stood from her chair and meandered toward the kitchen. A quick glance at the digital print displayed on the oven's clock told her it was time for dinner, and she figured Luna was hungry as well.
"I hope you like udon." Her tone was flat. "There's not much of an option here, and if you want anything else I'd have to go out shopping."
"I'm fine with that." Luna jumped from the ottoman and followed the doctor into the kitchen.
Saeko prepared two bowls of noodles, giving herself the larger portion while saving the smaller one for her tinier guest. Luna wasted no time in leaping onto the table and digging in. On the other hand, she was a lot less enthusiastic about eating despite her obvious hunger. After a few minutes, she was only halfway done with her meal. Luna could sense the growing consternation billowing from the woman.
"I can feel that you're worried about something," she said upon pulling her nose out of the bowl.
Saeko shook her head and turned away. Try as she might, however, she could not maintain her silence for very long under the heat of the feline's intense stare.
"I… I just received a call from Daichi-kun regarding the hospital's investigation into my misuse of the clandestine patient transfer protocol."
Watanabe Daichi was a manager at her former hospital who was involved in that very same scheme. More importantly, she considered him a very close friend. Yet, that wasn't at the forefront of her mind as she absently drummed her fingers against the table and spoke in a pensive whisper.
"Personally, I don't care what happens to me if I lost my job. I've lived a fairly privileged life and I'm grateful for that, but at the same time I could lose all of that tomorrow and not care one whit. However, I'm not willing to put my Ami through that. She has enough troubles to deal with to have to go through such instability."
Luna slowly padded closer to Saeko and gazed tenderly at the woman. "What are you going to do?"
"It's not a big deal right now," she said while anxiously smiling. "I currently still have a job, though I'm officially on a paid vacation from it. Given that I'm living here in Kyoto now and there's no way I'm making the daily commute to Juuban, I'll have to find a new job here no matter what they plan to do to me."
"Do you have any offers from hospitals here?"
"Not yet. Depending on what happens with the investigation, there might not be any takers. Nobody wants to hire someone who flagrantly flouts such serious regulations. But, it could be much worse after all, so pending unemployment is nothing compared to the end of the world."
"Is there any way I could help you if you can't find a job?"
Saeko's chuckling gradually morphed into full-blown animated laughter. Her amusement subsided a few seconds later, the time when she reached over and gently patted Luna's head. The black feline squirmed in response.
"Thank you, but I'm afraid there's not much a cat can do, even if you are magical and possess the ability to speak. Besides, I'm not that cruel."
Luna pouted. "You know that's not what I meant."
"Oh, I know. But, the thought did get a nice laugh out of me, and that's what counts." She stood and began to pace aimlessly about the dining room. "I'm trying to maintain a positive attitude about what you could rightly call a dismal future. As I said, there's much worse that could happen, and I willingly broke the rules while knowing the consequences. But, I can't stop myself from fretting about what it means for my daughter. At the time, I was convinced that she was dead and I was doing whatever I could to ensure Usagi did not suffer the same fate. Now she's very much alive, and the consequences I was perfectly willing to endure alone might now affect both of us."
"That's why I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you," Luna said more impassionedly. "Both Ami and you are very important to me, and I can't just sit by and let you two suffer. I might not be able to do anything myself. And, even if we manage to find Artemis—and for Selene's sake I hope we do—the two of us still may not be of too much help. After all, we are just cats, as you said. But, I'm sure I can think of something to take the pressure off of you. I can be pretty crafty when necessary."
"So you say, and I greatly appreciate it. I really do." She walked to the table and picked up the empty bowl, sighing as her gaze lingered on her own bowl and the half-eaten meal within for an extra moment. "But, I still would rather deal with this myself. I'm not in dire straits yet, and I still have a few tricks of my own, even if I don't land a job at a hospital. I mean, I am still a doctor, and becoming a general practitioner remains an option as much as I hate it."
A smile came to her lips, one that was far brighter than any she had given thus far that night. She heard a contented purr from Luna when she carefully lifted the cat from the table and cradled her in her arms.
"If Ami decides to become a doctor, and I'm positive she'll be a wonderful doctor someday, then I'll be sure to inform her that the GP route is not the way to go."
"That wouldn't surprise me at all. She is Sailor Mercury for a reason, and it's not just due to her magical skills. I remember some old saying; something akin to an apple not falling far from the tree."
Saeko gently caressed Luna, who had taken the opportunity to lie across the woman's stomach. She didn't mind as she could barely feel the feline's weight, and the warmth from her tiny body only further brightened her mood.
"You know, I could definitely get used to looking after you more often if you keep acting like this."
—|1|2|3|4|—
"Good evening, Shinohara-san."
Only the tiniest amount of excitement infiltrated Makoto's tone when she delivered her greeting. The target of her words was a woman a few years older than herself, someone who she had never seen before that evening. In that regard, the woman might as well had been a complete stranger. Someone whom Makoto typically would pay absolutely no mind.
The elder brunette sat upon one of the plush sofas that occupied the building's lobby, waiting patiently for Makoto to make her way down from her apartment. A clock on the far wall next to a bank of elevators displayed a few minutes past four o'clock when the girl finally appeared. While it was later than the time upon which the pair had agreed, Makoto's tardiness failed to sully her mood. Besides, she was accustomed to being the cause of the occasional delay, so what right did she have in harassing others for the same? As such, she stood from the sofa and nodded toward Makoto.
"Good evening to you, Kino-san. How are things going for you?"
"About as well as can be expected, given the circumstances."
"That is wonderful news." She smiled warmly, which prompted the younger brunette to do the same. "Shall we go up to your place for a bit before heading out?"
Makoto stuck her arm out and pointed back toward the elevator doors and the nearby stairwell entrance. "After you."
The two walked to the door, which was locked and only accessible by a keycard. As a resident of the complex, Makoto had the required card and thus took the impediment in stride. However, her older acquaintance was merely a visitor, and the delay had clearly peeved her.
"Why does this building have to be so difficult?" Her tone was littered with annoyance. "We'd be in your apartment by now if they didn't require those stupid cards."
Makoto chuckled as she and her companion entered the stairwell, the door locking shut behind them. "They're there for security. Or at least, that's what they say."
She had barely finished speaking when a brilliant explosion of white light forced her to cover her face lest it blind her. When it finally dimmed, the woman who had accompanied her had completely disappeared. She was not frightened by the event, for she knew the woman was never really there in the first place—at least, not as a real entity. Not only was she prepared for the illusion, but she was wholly familiar with it. As much as she enjoyed being around the tall brunette for that short time, it paled horribly in comparison to what she ultimately desired from the shorter, younger blonde who emerged from the glow.
"Sorry about that, Mako-chan. I should have warned you before removing the disguise."
"Usagi-chan!" Makoto pulled her princess into a tight embrace, her emotions starting to overwhelm her. Fortunately, Usagi did not hesitate in returning that hug, though with a looser grip.
"Calm down, Mako-chan. We still have to actually get up to your place."
"Right, right." She slowly released the smaller girl and used her freed hands to wipe away the tears that welled within her eyes.
"Now, my plan is to go up to your apartment and have a nice, long discussion about what happened last Friday and before that." It lasted only for a moment, but there was no mistaking the sternness in her voice. "However, I think we need to do a bit of shopping first."
"Shopping?"
"Grocery shopping. There are a few things I want to get for later tonight. It's not an awful lot, however, so it won't take very long."
"O-okay." The reply failed to alleviate Makoto's confusion.
"Obviously I'm going to need a new disguise for that, which I'm going to do right now." A wry grin played with Usagi's lips. "Consider that a warning."
She withdrew her Disguise Pen and held it high above her head. "Moon Power, change me into a well-off college student."
A bright flash of pink and white light heralded yet another disguise. Shorter green hair and more stylish fashion replaced her blond pigtails and dowdy school uniform.
"I thought you were already a well-off college student."
Usagi responded to the teasing with an equally playful huff. "Well, this is a different one. Clearly I can't go back out looking the same way I came in. It'll be too obvious."
The levity faded away, and there were a few seconds of silence before Makoto asked the question that, though not always at the forefront of her mind, had been bothering her ever since Ami's call that morning.
"Why are you hiding behind a disguise?"
Usagi sighed wistfully while shifting her gaze to her feet. "I'll tell you much more later tonight, I promise, but for now I think it's enough to say that it's for my own good… and yours as well." Even more silence passed before either girl spoke again. "Anyway, let's go before it gets dark."
Thirty minutes later the pair returned to Makoto's dwelling within the apartment complex, with Usagi cradling the paper bag in her arms. Her eyes widened the moment she walked through the door and saw the decorative interior for the first time. The Jovian senshi's strong connection with nature was evident throughout the residence, as were her tasteful choices in artwork. Furthermore, while it was not quite as immaculate as Mamoru's apartment, the fact that Makoto took great care in maintaining a relatively clean home was blatantly obvious.
"Wow! Your place is so beautiful!"
"Thanks." Makoto's cheeks flushed slightly as she pointed her princess toward the dining room area immediately abutting the kitchen. Usagi sat the bag down upon a small table that occupied that space. "I'm glad that you like it."
A friendly nod was Usagi's only warning before she quickly fell into a somberness that startled her hostess. With a brilliant flash of light her second disguise of the day disappeared, leaving a petite blonde who leveled an intense stare at an anxious brunette.
"Now with that done, I think we need to get to the true reason why I'm here."
"O-okay." Makoto blanched as various thoughts swam through her mind.
"There's no need to be afraid, Mako-chan. I think it's obvious that I don't have many hard feelings toward you, unlike I unfortunately still do with the other girls. Also, it may help you to know that I forgive you and that I'm close to considering you a friend once again."
That comment elicited a warm smile from Makoto and restored her confidence. She opened her mouth to respond, but quickly shut it as she heard the more distressing continuation.
"However, we're not quite there yet. I'm frustrated by the question I keep asking myself when I think back on what happened that day, and that's why you did it." She took a few steps closer to the taller girl while holding her focused gaze. Even as her voice softened, it never lacked fearsome resolve. "Why did you attack me along with the others? I could tell that you were not as committed as they were in trying to kill me, but that doesn't erase the fact that you attacked me. So, why?"
Makoto gradually took in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds before releasing it just as steadily. She felt absolutely sick to her stomach as she was reminded of her prior actions, but she fought the urge to break down and sob or do anything equally dramatic. That would have gotten her nowhere. Besides, it was an easy question to answer once she took a few moments to reflect on her past mindset.
"It's because, at that time, I was convinced that you had sold us out, as Minako had suggested," she calmly replied, albeit in a voice that barely was louder than a whisper. "After Ami died—or we thought she was dead at the time—and you didn't arrive in time to save her, I thought that you didn't care about her, or about any of us. I didn't want to think that you were working against us at the time, but… it was hard trying to maintain my belief in you as Ami kept getting worse." She paused for a few moments as she took another deep breath. "I hope you believe me when I say that I didn't hate you personally. Before that happened, I hoped we could maintain some sort of friendship, even though I thought—incorrectly, I know—that you weren't our princess. But when Ami, um, disappeared after what Zoisite did to her, it was hard to think of anything other than the idea that you were a traitor. The last thing I ever wanted was to have someone I deeply liked and trusted betray me again. Ironically, I ended up betraying your trust instead."
Usagi lifted an eyebrow and tilted her head slightly to one side. "Again? What do you mean by that?"
Makoto's sigh was tinged with sadness and frustration, though that latter emotion was directed more at herself than her princess. She flopped down onto the nearby sofa, making it easier for Usagi to direct her attentive gaze without craning her neck upward.
"It pretty much has everything to do with what happened to me after my parents died. Neither my mom nor my dad really had any siblings to speak of, so there weren't any aunts or uncles I could stay with. Well, there actually was one, my aunt Kimiko, but in hindsight I'm probably more fortunate that I was tossed into the system as much as I hate it."
Usagi sat at the other end of the sofa next to Makoto, never breaking her stare. "I already know that you're an orphan."
"Yeah, but I never bothered telling anyone what I had to go through while being a ward of the state. Maybe other kids had a much better time at it, but those five years of my life had been an absolute hell. I would never wish such a fate on anyone, not even my worst enemies."
Usagi blanched and visibly shuddered as thoughts filled her mind of what might have ensued. "D-did someone try to hurt you while you were in there? You know, I've heard some stories about—"
"No. Goodness, no. It wasn't anything like that." An emphatic shake of her head accompanied the denial, and the combination seemed to swiftly put the blonde at ease. "Even at that age I wouldn't have ever let something as horrible and disgusting as that happen to me."
"Somehow, that doesn't really surprise me."
"Well, obviously I was a little smaller then, but I was no less fearsome. In a sense, I had to act that way to make sure nobody would mess with me, though a lot of that was fueled by my anger at suddenly losing my family."
Usagi's blinked as her jaw dropped in disbelief. "I honestly can't imagine you being a bully, not even with what you did to me that night."
"I wasn't, and I'm not, but there were others who gladly played the part. I hated them with a passion. They learned quickly not to mess with me, but that lesson didn't necessarily translate when it meant bullying the other kids." She lifted a hand and waved it in front of her in a gesture of dismissal. "But, that's not the reason I had felt so angry at you and want to attack you—at least, not by itself."
"What is it then?"
Makoto did not immediately answer. Instead, she remained silent and ensconced within her own thoughts for several seconds before a miserable sigh signaled her willingness to speak.
"Pretty much anyone in the system was eligible for adoption as long as anyone actually wanted them. In my first few months there I wasn't really worried about that because I still desperately missed my parents and didn't quite fully understand that they would never come back to pick me up and take me away from that place. Then, for about a year after that, I didn't want to go to any other family as I couldn't imagine replacing the mother and father I had loved so much with anyone else. However, I soon began to come around to the idea of having parents who loved me and wanted me, even if they weren't my original parents. Of course, the older you are, the more difficult it is to find anyone who wants you."
Usagi nodded in understanding. "I remember Mamoru-san saying something like that when we were still together. It was very hard for him to get noticed, and eventually he ended up leaving the system on his own."
"It sucks, but it also makes sense, right?" She chuckled, but it was utterly mirthless. "Anyway, when I was ten years old, I met a couple who was interested in adopting older kids like me. They had already adopted two other kids and were interested in a third and, somehow, I had caught their eye. I don't know how but it seemed like they really liked me, despite the record for so-called violence I had. I really liked them as well. The more we met and talked during those horribly brief visits, the more it felt like I was developing a bond with them. It eventually came to the point where they all but promised me I was the one and that they would adopt me instead of the other kids."
"What happened to make them change their minds?"
Makoto saw her vision blur as her eyes began to fill with tears. She turned away from Usagi, but it was too late to conceal her growing sorrow.
"There was a girl I knew at the time who had entered the system a little more than a year after I did. Her name was Yukari. Matsumoto Yukari. In almost no time we became very close. In fact, she was the closest thing to a true friend I had before meeting you, Usagi-chan, if not even more like actual family. Since she was a year younger than me, I treated her like my little sister and she treated me like an older sister. It was almost perfect. When that couple had come looking for someone to adopt, I wished hard that they'd pick both of us. However, they could only choose one, and by some strange luck they were more interested in me than in her."
"I imagine that created bad blood between the two of you." Her gaze was more compassionate than merely curious when she leaned closer to Makoto, apparently ready to tenderly embrace the girl at any moment.
"Everything seemed perfectly fine at the time between us, as far as I knew. She appeared genuinely happy for me. All of that was a lie though, and it wasn't just from her. A few months later, right about when that couple was about to make a decision, I found Yukari being physically threatened by another girl who was about my same age. I knew that girl had been a problem with some of the other kids before, and because of that I never really liked her. There was no way in hell I was about to let her get beat up by some stupid bully, so I did what I had done several times before. Only later did I find out how huge a mistake that was."
By then, Makoto had stopped trying to muffle her tears, and they streamed down her cheeks unabated.
"It turned out that the family interested in adopting me was also interested in adopting someone else, despite their promise to me. That someone else just happened to be that idiot girl I had beat up for trying to hurt Yukari. As you might imagine, that little act did not go over very well with them, and they ended up adopting her instead of me."
"Mako-chan…"
"The worst part about all of that is… Yukari knew. I don't know how she found out, but she knew. She was so jealous that they wanted to adopt me that instead of her that she sabotaged my chances. The whole attack was a set up to get me in trouble, and I was stupid enough to fall for it. I should have known something like that was going to happen. After that, nobody paid any interest in me again."
Makoto was fortunate to get to the end of her explanation before she was completely overcome by her uncontrollable sobbing. Usagi wasted no time in sliding closer to her friend so she could wrap her in a tender hug. Her own depression grew, borne from seeing the unabashed tears fall from a girl she considered to be far stronger, but she resisted the impulse to join her. Instead she continued to embrace the brunette for as long as she needed to do so. Her shoulder slowly became a damp mess during those few minutes, but she paid it no mind. It merely was the price of ensuring that Makoto fully recovered from the pain brought forth by recalling such a dreadful episode from her childhood.
"I-I'm sorry." Her crying had subsided, mainly because she had practically run out of tears, but Usagi's soothing touch was just as vital.
"Don't be. I understand now why you did what you did, and I don't hold it against you. I probably would have been just as hurt and angry if I were in your shoes and thought somebody close to me had destroyed my trust. And, anyway, I forgive you."
"I'm glad." A few more quiet sniffles finally marked the end of her crying spell. "It's just, I sometimes wonder how my life would have turned out had that never happened and they adopted me after all. Would it have been better than being ignored and shuffled around in the system for a few more years? Maybe. Maybe not. I don't really know. But, what I do know is that I eventually got to meet you, and that alone more than makes up for everything. You're my friend as well, my best friend, and I promise you that I will never, ever, do anything to hurt you like I did before."
This time it was Makoto who initiated the tight hug in which she wrapped Usagi. The blonde wholeheartedly returned the favor as a broad smile tugged at her lips. "I absolutely believe you, Mako-chan. "
The two separated once again, sharing a light chuckle between them as they did so. Makoto peered over her shoulder and spotted the paper bag that had rested on the table. Usagi saw her movement and stared in confusion at the girl for a few moments before realizing what she was looking at.
"Oh… that's for later, I guess. There're still a few things we have to discuss—or rather, that I have to tell you—that are very important."
"Well, I'm listening."
Usagi started with the events of her capture and the conclusion of the battle within Beryl's throne room, both cases during which the other girls were absent. The realization that her princess was horrifically tortured depressed Makoto, as she blamed herself for enabling her capture. It took Usagi many attempts to calm the brunette during and after her account. The subsequent stories were less dismal but were equally terrifying in what they portended. Makoto cringed when she learned of Sazaratha's existence, her plans for Earth, and what happened to the people whose guises she took for her own. She had a similar response upon hearing about the network of youmas dedicated to monitoring the guardian senshi.
"Now I see why you were disguised."
"I had to do that to prevent them from finding out I was here in Juuban and visiting with you."
"And… how did you get here?"
"I had Kunzite-san teleport us here. Ami-chan is here as well, but she's with Luna at the special training room in Crown working on a new communicator to replace the one that broke."
Makoto's brain nearly went numb from the multitude of brand-new information contained within that one sentence. "Wait… So, Ami-chan's here as well? And she's in a what-kind-of room?"
"A special training room. It's a room that Luna controls where she can create any scene she wants for the purpose of training. That's where I found out I actually knew how to fight as a senshi instead of just cowering and waiting for you all to do the work for me." She could not help but to smirk at that. "I'd strongly suggest using it whenever you get the opportunity, though it's a good idea to let Luna know ahead of time so that she can show you where it is."
"Right. But, then what is Ami-chan doing there again?"
"She's making me a new communicator to replace the one that broke while I was fighting Kunzite-san."
"I see." Makoto could not bear looking at her friend as an immense bout of melancholy swiftly consumed her. The floor became far more appealing to her. "That's why you didn't tell us that you were late, because you couldn't."
"Yes, but… that's nothing you have to worry about now!"
"Yeah…" She slowly returned her gaze to the blonde and gave her the faintest of smiles. "I'm okay. Really, I am. It's just… It's hard to suddenly realize why we all were so horribly wrong." Her smile grew larger, although Usagi could blatantly tell it was forced. "Anyway, I'm sure there's more you wanted to say."
"Um, not really." A shrug accompanied her uncertain words.
"Oh."
Usagi turned her head over her shoulder and stared at the bag of supplies sitting on the dining room table. "You know, I wanted to finish our talk by saying some silly thing along the lines of, 'Now, the last thing you have to do to fully earn my friendship is to teach me how to cook.' I know… pretty stupid, right? However, everything turned out way different from what I planned, and now I feel horrible that I even had such a thought."
A much larger and sincerer smile graced Makoto's face. "You know, Usagi-chan, in all honesty I was thinking about what to bake for you in celebration of your arrival and our renewed friendship." She gently placed a hand on her princess's shoulder. "I don't know if you like lemon meringue pie, but I do know that I would like nothing more than to teach you how to make one, or anything else you want."
The promise of a delicious dessert was all she needed to say to pull Usagi from her funk. "Actually, that would be perfect."
—|1|2|3|4|—
With the proverbial clock ticking in her mind, Sazaratha bolted toward the wall, teleporting out of her personal chamber at the last moment with her typical flourish. Emerging into a hallway she continued her rapid pace until she saw something—or rather somebody—at the end of the corridor. Her stride ground to a halt.
Wait… what the hell? She blinked a few times to ensure her eyes were not deceiving her. I don't believe it.
They were not.
Approaching her down that same hallway was a person she had never expected to see alive, let alone walk freely through the passageways of the Dark Kingdom. He was as good as dead. She had personally witnessed his demise, an unyielding form of mental and physical torture that had no end and from which nobody ever escaped. Had he somehow managed to break free of that eternal sleep?
No… that's impossible. She felt the anger boiling within her as each slowly approached the other. This has to be that bitch's doing. Somehow, I figured Marakof could not have been running the whole show by himself. I just didn't know if "her highness" was personally involved, but now I know she isn't. She brought him back just because she would be completely useless without her Shitennou. The ultimate expression of irony, really.
Her growing infuriation, however, had nothing to do with the idea she unwittingly had to compete for some lead role in Beryl's force. She never held any true loyalty toward the self-styled queen of the Earth. Instead, his mere presence complicated all of her burgeoning schemes and frustrated her true goal. He had to disappear or else she would lose everything she worked hard to attain. Her eyes narrowed upon her target, and her hand discretely slipped into a camouflaged pocket on her dress and tightly clutched at one of the two black crystals she had concealed within.
There's nobody around. That fact alone brought forth a grin that she fought hard to suppress.
The distance between the blonde demon and the fair-haired general in that narrow stone corridor gradually diminished. By then he clearly recognized her presence, as his woefully blatant glare told her. But it did not matter. One quick jab and one-third of her problems would have been eliminated in an instant before anyone else even acknowledged his absence. Her fingers reflexively tightened around that stone. She mentally replayed the precise motions she would need to make to assassinate Beryl's prized lapdog despite his heightened defenses. Very soon the two powerful beings were mere feet away from one another, and though he was extremely wary there was no possible way he could have guessed what was to befall him. As he entered her striking range she made one final calculation and concluded the planned assault had only one possible downside.
