SAILOR JOURNEYS: SECRETS OF AN UNKNOWN PAST
Chapter 19: Aftershocks
The next day...
4:10 p.m.
Robin was almost running towards the hospital. For her, the classes
had been almost eternal, being barely able to contain her anxiety.
She still wanted to confront Yohann for his past actions, but her
main drive was to check his health. Also, she was intended on asking
her father what he meant with what he said the other day.
"Huff, huff Robin, wait! Take it easy! The hospital won't move, you
know?"
Robin stopped, lightly embarrassed. She almost had forgotten that
Usagi, Ami and Minako were coming with her. Turning around, she
lowered her gaze. "Sorry, Usagi. I just... well..."
"Don't say a word, girl." Interrupted Minako. "But it won't do you
any good to arrive exhausted to the hospital."
"She's right, you know?" added Ami after regaining her breath. "Also,
remember that you're not alone on this. We're curious too."
"Sorry." Said Robin, her voice barely audible.
"Don't be." Said Usagi. "Now, let's go!"
The four young women went on their way on a more sedate pace,
commenting the different things they did at school. After arriving at
the hospital, they asked at the reception about Yohann's whereabouts.
"Oh, yes..." began the receptionist. "Mr. Starr was transferred from
the ICU to room 215, west wing. But I'm afraid you all can't visit
him. Only one visitor per day, per orders of Doctor Redwing."
"He's in good hands, at least." Said Minako. "Your father is his
personal physician!"
"You're Doctor Redwing's daughter?" asked the receptionist. "You must
be so proud of him! He and Doctor Mizuno are the best doctors we have.
It's such a pleasure to work with them!"
"Yes... I guess so." Murmured Robin, hopping nobody heard her.
However, Usagi had been able to hear her clearly, causing her to
frown slightly.
"Oh, I almost forgot... Ami? Your mother wants to talk with you as
soon as possible. I'll page her to let her know that you're here."
Continued the receptionist.
"Thank you." Said Ami. She then turned around, and addressed the
other girls. "You all go ahead. I'll join you as soon as I talk with
mom."
"Very well, Ami. We'll keep you posted, but don't take too long, ok?"
said Minako, smiling brightly. When Ami nodded in agreement, she took
Usagi's and Robin's hands in hers, and literally dragged them to the
elevator, to the surprise of Ami and the receptionist, not to mention
the other patients and orderlies that saw the strange happenings.
A minute later, the three girls were in front of room 215. Robin
looked nervous, not knowing if she should enter the room or not.
"Go on, friend!" said Usagi. "We'll wait here until you finish your
business there." She then smiled coyly at Robin. "Besides... that's
what you've been waiting all day, right?"
"She's right!" added Minako, smiling playfully as well. "Now, go! And
don't forget to tell us everything about it!" Without waiting for
Robin to answer, she grabbed the stunned girl's arm and, in one fluid
movement, opened the door and shoved Robin inside, closing the door
immediately. She then addressed Usagi. "She'll thank me later, you'll
see!"
Usagi's only answer was a low moan, while an impressive sweatdrop
appeared on her head.
Robin didn't really understood how Minako was able to sent her inside
without resisting, but in the end, decided to let it pass. After
regaining her bearings, Robin looked around, taking mental notes of
the room. It wasn't too big, but it was comfortable. A vase for
flowers was on a table next to the bed, as well as some medicines.
The curtains were closed, the sunlight passing through them giving a
warm effect in general. Robin then looked at the bed, and her heart
skipped a beat.
Yohann seemed asleep, his respiration regular. The different apparatus
hooked to his body showed that his heart rate and brain activity were
normal, although a little slow. Two IV's were next to the bed, one
connected to each arm. His face looked still a little pale, but
nothing to be alarmed. Still, he presented a little bit of a beard,
but to Robin's eyes, it gave him somewhat of a 'rough' look. She
liked it.
Slowly, she approached the bed, and taking with her a nearby chair,
she seated next to Yohann, taking good care not to disturb anything.
She stood quiet and immobile for a few moments, looking at his
sleeping form. Suddenly, she couldn't contain herself any more, and
with tremulous fingers, she caressed his forehead, barely touching
his skin. When Yohann sighed at her contact, she removed her hand
immediately; after regaining her composure, she smiled at him, happy
to see that he responded to her touch. Her smile broadened when she
saw that Yohann's eyes began to twitch, and a moment later, he opened
his eyes.
"Hello, Tiger." Said Robin, leaning a little closer to him. "How are
you feeling?"
Very slowly, Yohann turned his head in the direction of her voice,
and looked at her smiling face. For a brief moment, his heart soared
to the skies at such a lovely vision... but too soon, he remembered
the real reasons behind his escapade. He felt physically as if his
soul was plunged to the darkest pits of Hell when he decided the
course of action he had to take. Bracing himself for what he had to
do, he used his coldest tone of voice. "Robin... why are you here?"
Robin was taken aback by his answer and cold voice. That wasn't the
answer she was expecting. Blinking rapidly, she continued. "Well... I
was worried for you. You disappeared so suddenly, and leaving all of
us in the dark..."
"It had to be done. After all, it's my duty." Interrupted Yohann.
"Besides... taking you with me would have been a hindrance to my
mission." He almost choked at such a blatant lie. 'Robin... you can't
imagine how many times I wanted to have you by my side... please
forgive me.' He added mentally.
Robin gasped at such words, deeply hurt. 'No... he can't be serious!
Surely, he doesn't mean it!' regaining her composure, she asked.
"You're joking, right? You are the one that asked for our help!"
"This is no joke, Miss Redwing. After I analyzed the past performance
of us working as a group, I reached the conclusion that it had to be
for my best interest to work alone. I only took control of the
situation."
Robin didn't know what to say... this wasn't the Yohann she knew! The
man she loved surely couldn't say such a thing! She remained fixed in
her seat, incapable to stop him to continue.
"I also reached another conclusion. Our engagement is over." At the
moment he said those words, Yohann felt like if a part of his soul
died, leaving a terrible void in its place. "You are inexperienced,
almost a baby compared to me or anyone else. You don't know how to
use your knowledge, therefore rendering you almost useless in a combat
situation. I can't take you with me to my homeworld, nor be able to
stay on this planet once my mission is over." He spoke emotionlessly,
his face resembling a stone mask. But internally, he wanted nothing
more than to praise her for her bravery, her kind heart, and her
beautiful soul. He hated himself for doing this to such a marvelous
woman, and wanted nothing more than crawl under a rock and die. Still,
it was as if he was a passenger on his own body, watching helplessly
as his venomous words hurt the woman he loved more than life itself,
and not being able to do a thing to stop.
Robin was shocked beyond words. She couldn't believe the things she
heard, but the evidence was right in front of her. Yohann had never
lied to her, but still... The only thing she could do was deny with
her head, unable to say anything.
"Believe it." Continued Yohann. "It will be better for all concerned
if we don't see each other again." 'Robin... please, forgive me.' He
thought, crying internally.
When Robin left the room, Yohann closed his eyes. A lonely tear ran
down his temple. 'Technuma... I hope you're happy now. She's alone...
again, and so am I. There's nothing else for me... but to finish my
part of your request.' He then concentrated on a technique he had
learned back at the Academy. A technique he hoped never to use, but
found adequate under the light of what he had done...
Extremely pale, Robin stood up and walked out of the room. All of a
sudden, the day had turned into a full-fledged nightmare, and she
wanted nothing more to wake up. Shaking, she closed the door behind
her, barely listening to the worried questions of Usagi and Minako.
Unable to contain the tears any longer, she only said, her voice
cracking. "It's over... it's not him... it's over." After that, she
turned around, and ran down the corridor, almost crashing with a
nurse and bowling down Ami, who was heading to Yohann's room.
"Ami, are you all right?" asked Minako, helping Ami to stand up.
"Yes... I guess so. What happened?" asked Ami, after she rearranged
her clothes. "Why did Robin run like that?"
"I don't know." Said Usagi, looking the way Robin ran. "I'll go and
check her out. You two, get in there and find out what Yohann told
her!" without waiting for an answer, Usagi went in pursuit of Robin.
Ami and Minako looked at each other, and nodding at the same time,
they entered the room. Minako was furious at Yohann, and wanted
nothing more than to grind him to a bloody pulp. She walked directly
next to the bed, and began to talk. "Very well, mister. Cut the
innocent act right now, and pay attention! You are going to explain
to me, right here, right now what you told to Robin, and you better
have a good explanation!"
Ami could only watch Minako's efforts at getting an answer from
Yohann, not daring to interrupt her. She, too, was looking at
Yohann's prone form, when out of the corner of her eye, she looked at
the instruments monitoring his condition. Out of reflex, she turned
her gaze and looked at the ECG machine, and gasped. The machine was
indicating that his heart was steadily slowing down! She then turned
her attention to the EEG monitor, and looked that his brain activity
was becoming weaker by the second!
"MINAKO!!" Her scream stopped the blonde's tirade abruptly. "Go to
the nurse's station, and tell them to come here immediately!" When
Minako didn't react immediately, she screamed one word. "GO!!" That
last word mobilized Minako, who went out of the room in full sprint.
As soon as the blonde was gone, Ami took the small buzzer that
summoned the nurse, and began to press it frantically, all the time
looking at the monitors. Each one of them indicated that Yohann was
dying slowly.
Ami didn't know how much time passed before a nurse entered the room.
But before she could tell the new arrival what was going on, a series
of alarms began to sound. She turned around, and gasped, shocked.
According to the monitors, Yohann was dead.
'Young lady, get out of the room, now!" said the nurse. Walking
hurriedly to an intercom next to the bead's head, she spoke.
"Emergency unit, code blue. Room 215. Emergency unit, code blue. Room
215." She then began to unplug the IV's and the different sensors
from Yohann's body, preparing him.
Ami walked out of the room, still in shock. She didn't pay attention
when a group of nurses and doctors entered the room. She only reacted
when Minako put a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Minako's
worried expression; not being able to contain herself, she embraced
the blonde and began to cry quietly on her shoulder.
Minako embraced Ami gently, her thoughts in chaos. Stroking gently
Ami's hair, she listened at the doctor's hurried orders, barely
grasping some of them. Alternating looks between Ami and the open
door, one thought emerged from the whirlwind that was her mind.
'What happened in there??'
* * * *
4:15 p.m.
Usagi ran as fast as her legs allowed her as soon as she left the
hospital. After asking a few people the whereabouts of Robin, she
finally got her track and began to follow her. Soon, she found Robin
in a nearby part of the hospital, seated under a tree. Slowly, Usagi
approached her friend. Robin didn't look at her; she had her head
between her knees, sobbing. The sight crushed Usagi's heart; without
saying a word, she took a seat next to her friend, thinking on a way
to help her.
After a minute, Usagi asked very softly, "Robin... do you want to
talk about it?"
Robin didn't respond immediately. Instead, she began to sob even
louder. Usagi didn't say anything else; instead she put her arm
around Robin's shoulder, offering her support. A minute later,
Robin's sobs subsided, and lifted her head to look at Usagi. She then
addressed her friend, her voice shaking. "He... he doesn't... want
to... to see me again... he... he says... I'm a... a failure..."
Usagi gasped when Robin said that. Surely, that wasn't the Yohann she
knew! "Are... are you sure he said that?"
Robin nodded, sobbing again. When she controlled herself again, she
continued. "He... also said... that he... did this because of his
mission... and... and..." suddenly, she embraced Usagi, crying.
Between her tears, she finished her phrase. "He also broke our
engagement!"
Usagi embraced her friend, trying to comfort her. Suddenly, she got a
feeling of 'déjà vu'... No, not 'déjà vu'... She had lived something
like that, and knew the feeling painfully well. The only think she
could do at the moment was to offer her support, and let Robin cry
out her sorrow. They remained in that position for a few minutes,
until Robin finally calmed down. 'Yohann is really going to get a
piece of my mind.' She thought.
"Come on, Robin." Said Usagi, helping Robin to stand up. "Let's go
somewhere else. Hey, let me invite you an ice cream. That always
help."
Robin only nodded in agreement, looking down at the floor.
Unresisting, she began to follow Usagi, but they hadn't taken more
than a few steps when Usagi's communicator began to beep. 'Oh, no...
let it not be more bad news! I don't think Robin or myself would be
able to support it.' Thought Usagi. Moving behind some bushes, she
opened her communicator. "Usagi here. What happened?"
"Usagi!" said Minako. "How's Robin?"
"She's shaky, that's all I can tell for now. What's going on,
Minako?" asked Usagi, a sense of dread squeezing her heart.
"Usagi... I... don't know what happened... but... but..."
"Minako, say it! Don't keep me in suspense here!" said Usagi.
"It's Yohann... he..." Minako couldn't continue. She began crying in
that moment.
Usagi's head began to spin, fearing the worse. "Minako... what
happened? Is he all right? Talk to me!"
Ami's replaced Minako's face on the small screen. Usagi gulped when
she noticed the fresh marks of tears on her. "Usagi... a minute ago...
Yohann... Yohann died."
Usagi stood immobile as soon as she heard that, her mind unable to
accept those news. What took her out of her trance was a soft-spoken
word behind her. "No..."
She turned around, and noticed for the first time that Robin was
standing right behind her. She then realized that her friend had
listened to the whole verbal exchange, and she didn't notice it!
Before she could react, Robin paled dramatically, and fainted. Usagi
closed the communicator, and rushed to her friend's side.
"Robin, Robin! Wake up, Robin!" Not knowing what to do at the moment,
the only thing Usagi could do was to scream for help, scared by the
sudden turn of events...
* * * *
Cherry Hill Temple.
4:05 p.m.
Sonya was kneeling in one of the empty rooms at the temple, trying to
meditate. She was wearing a Shinto robe the elder Hino had borrowed
her. Setsuna's words still echoed in her mind, but she still couldn't
find how to apply them to her. She still thought of herself as a
failure, no matter what Setsuna told her before, but still...
Sonya's meditation was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
Without opening her eyes, she said. "Come in."
The door slide open, and the small frame of Grandpa Hino blocked the
light. "Sorry for the intrusion, but I wanted to ask you if you
wanted some tea."
Sonya considered the offer for a few seconds, not sure if to accept
or not. The sour taste in her mouth made the decision for her. "Yes,
thank you. You're very kind."
The elder man entered, carrying a tray with two cups and a teapot.
After placing the tray on the table and serving the tea, both began
to drink in silence. After a few sips, Grandpa broke the silence. "I
understand you're pretty disturbed by yesterday's occurrences." He
took another sip, giving Sonya the chance to say anything. When she
remained silent, he continued. "You have to be aware that it wasn't
your fault, that there was nothing you could have done to prevent it.
There's no reason for you to punish yourself like that."
"What do you know about that?" said Sonya, her tone of voice sour.
"You haven't failed like I did."
"I know more than you can imagine, my dear." Said the old man. "At
one point of my life, I felt like I failed to myself and the ones
that I love dearly." His voice became distant, lost in thought. "I
made too many mistakes in my life, but the one that took me too long
to forgive myself for, was when my daughter died. And afterwards,
when that useless son-in-law of mine abandoned Rei with me to pursuit
his political career."
"Rei was abandoned?" asked Sonya, surprised. "I didn't know..."
"That's something we don't like to talk with others, but in your
case, it seemed appropriate." Said Grandpa, a faint smile on his
lips. "For what I understand, you feel pretty confused by what Rei
can accomplish with her fire readings. And since you come from a
place that uses technology to solve every day's problems, that
mystified you. Perfectly understandable, if you ask me."
"But I shouldn't have let my curiosity get the best of me! I left my
post, and look what happened." Said Sonya, lowering her gaze.
"Judging with what your current foe did to me and the others to
defeat you all, I seriously doubt that your presence could have made
a difference, my child." Said Grandpa Hino. "Even more, I think that
you could have been seriously injured, if not died in the spot."
"How could you know? You weren't there." Said Sonya, looking at him
straight in the eyes.
"Exactly. So weren't you." Answered the old priest, unfazed, but
smiling at her. "You see, the important thing here is not to dwell in
what happened, or what could have been. The point is, that you have
to go on, and try to make amends to put things back in working order."
Sonya kept silent after that, pondering his words. Suddenly, the door
slide open again, and Rei entered the room. "He's right, Sonya." Said
Rei. "There's nothing to gain moaning about what happened. Why do you
think Usagi and I discuss so often?"
Sonya smiled at the mental picture. She had been witness of one of
those infamous fights, and noticed immediately that the raven-haired
lady next to her only tried to make Usagi see that looking into past
mistakes and doing nothing to correct them was useless. Suddenly, the
real meaning of everything that had been told to her during the past
hours became crystal clear to her.
"You are right... Rei, Mr. Hino..."
"Please, call me Grandpa. That's how my friends call me." Said the
old priest.
"Very well... Grandpa. You two are right. I've been submerging into
self-pity for far too long, and it's time to correct my mistakes."
Smiling at them, she added. "Thank you very much."
"You know, Rei?" said Grandpa all of a sudden. "You shouldn't listen
behind doors. It's bad manners."
Rei blushed heavily at that, not saying a thing. Both Grandpa and
Sonya laughed gently at her reaction, the tension that permeated the
atmosphere evaporating with each laugh. After a moment, Rei joined
their mood, laughing as well.
It was in that moment that Rei's communicator began to beep.
Immediately, Rei activated it, and the face of Usagi appeared in the
small screen. "What's the matter, Usagi? Another attack?"
"Rei, it's worse!" said Usagi, fighting to control her ragging
emotions. "First Yohann, now Robin! I don't know what to do!"
"Usagi, calm down! Where are you??" asked Rei, suddenly alarmed.
"We... we're at the hospital where Yohann is. Rei, it's horrible!"
was Usagi's answer.
"We're on our way. Rei out." Addressing Sonya, she added. "Playtime's
over. Let's go!"
Nodding her agreement, Sonya stood up as well as Rei, and nodding at
the older Hino in thanks, both left the temple. Behind them, the old
priest only closed his eyes, and began a silent prayer for them...
* * * *
Makoto's apartment.
3:50 p.m.
Makoto had been trying to concentrate in cleaning her place a little,
in order to help her relax before starting her homework. But when she
was about to start with the kitchen, someone knocked at the door.
'Figures. Always when I'm busy with something.' Thought Makoto.
Putting the cleaning utensils aside, she cleaned her hands on the
apron she was wearing, and went to open the door. Leaning on it, she
asked. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Hogosuro. Can I come in?"
Makoto smiled slightly, and opened the door. The first thing she
noticed was that the Guardian's pseudo-flesh had no markings on it,
and he was wearing a trenchcoat. The later puzzled her, but decided
to let it pass for the moment. "Come in! And watch the ceiling!
You're not precisely a compact model, you know?"
The Guardian raised an eyebrow at her comment, but seeing her smiling
at him put him a little more at ease. Taking good care not to bump
his head on the low ceiling of the entrance, he followed Makoto to
the living room. Before kneeling in front of the table, he opened his
trenchcoat slightly, and addressed Makoto. "I know it's not much, but
I wanted to give you this as a small token of my gratitude." He then
took out three roses; one red, one yellow and one white.
Makoto looked at the roses, amazed. She hadn't received flowers for a
very long time, and having handed them from the Guardian was something
she never expected. Still, she felt touched by the detail. "Thank you,
but you shouldn't have done this. Excuse me for a moment." She then
took the roses, and gently, placed them in a crystal tall vase. After
filing it with water, she placed the small arrangement on the living
room's table. Looking at the Guardian, she asked him. "Why are you
wearing that? It's not raining."
The Guardian lowered his gaze, looking a little... meek. Makoto
raised an eyebrow, surprised at his reaction. 'That's interesting.'
She thought, in a very Ami-like curiosity way. 'I wonder....'
Extending her hand towards the now embarrassed Guardian, she added.
"Let me put it somewhere else. That way, you'll be more comfortable."
The Guardian's shoulders dropped a little, in a clear sign of defeat.
Standing up, he removed the trenchcoat. That's when Makoto's eyebrows
hit the ceiling... quite literally.
The Guardian was wearing one of Technuma's jumpsuits, which is
needless to say, didn't fit him that well. The outfit was clearly at
least two sizes smaller than he needed, distinctly showing that the
designers of his android body were painfully accurate in ALL aspects
of his anatomy. Instead of covering the scrupulously exact design of
his muscles and other... bodily appearances, all that jumpsuit did
was to enhance them. It was as if the fabric was painted on his body.
Makoto had to fight the sudden urge to whistle at the sight, instead
settled with extending a trembling hand and took the trenchcoat,
heading almost running to her bedroom. Inside, she dropped the
trenchcoat on her bed, and began to breathe deeply, in an attempt to
control her emotions. 'Oh, my... what happened?' she thought. 'Why
did I reacted like that?' Feeling her self-control returning, she
returned to the living room, where the Guardian had kneeled again.
When he removed the trenchcoat, Makoto's reaction didn't go unnoticed.
Even without using his sensors, it was obvious to the Guardian that
his appearance made quite an impression in her. He had half-expected
that, but seeing it happening certainly was different from theory.
'Now, things are going to be harder. How am I going to do it without
causing a mess?' He stopped his musings when Makoto returned,
obviously in more control of herself. That helped him a lot to calm
himself. Smiling faintly, he waited for her to take her place back.
He was surprised when Makoto kneeled next to him.
After a moment of awkward silence, Makoto began the conversation.
"Well... you wanted to talk about something?"
"Yes." He said, closing his eyes. "First, I wanted to thank you for
putting me back together. And ask you why you did it. You shouldn't
have risked your life just to recover my head. That was certainly not
like you."
"Well... for me, it was ok." Said Makoto. "You risked your life
intercepting Cauldron's attack, despite that you were almost melting
in that moment. By the way... thank you for saving me. I didn't have
the chance to say it before."
"It seems that we are even in that respect." Said the Guardian,
smiling faintly. "But still, what I can't understand, is why you did
what you did. I mean, I'm nothing more than a defective piece of
machinery. I allowed the enemies to penetrate the base, and worse...
put you all in unnecessary danger. That by itself claims for my
immediate deactivation."
"How could you say that?" asked Makoto, shocked. "You performed at
the best of your capabilities. Even more, you risked your very own
LIFE protecting us! Haven't you been listening to anything we have
discussed since we found you in that underground bunker??" finally
losing her temper, she added. "what is wrong with you?? Do you have a
death wish or something?? Are you so EAGER TO DIE that you want to
grab any opportunity that presents?? You want to leave everything
behind??"
The Guardian didn't answer immediately, remembering his long
existence. He began to wonder if what Makoto was saying was true.
After revising his memories in microseconds, he reached a conclusion:
What he wanted before, was end his hollow existence. When the girls
found the Nova bomb and retrieved it, the only thing that gave
meaning to his continued functioning was lost. By all rights, he
should have remained at Rainbow II when he activated the self-destruct.
But then a memory surfaced, overriding all the others that made him
reach that conclusion.
It was the very first time he faced Makoto as Jupiter. He was
impressed at the moment by her ability to fight, the loyalty she
showed for her friends. But what really made an impression, was when
he had her literally under his control, and she asked him to 'finish
it quickly' without a trace of fear in her eyes. That by itself spoke
well of her, but when he looked at her eyes in that moment, he
realized something else. In that determined, brave look she gave him,
he noticed something that he knew extremely well: A deep loneliness
that echoed his own. He felt attracted to that, his own sense of
solitude and isolation making contact with hers. In that instant, a
link between the two was forged, none realizing it. That link was
reinforced when Makoto feed his repair mechanisms with her powers
when Mars and Chibi-Moon almost blew him to pieces.
That's why he accepted the position the Lieutenant offered him as
security officer in the base. Not because he truly needed it... but
because he wanted to remain next to Makoto. He wanted to comfort her,
to remove that terrible look of loneliness from her eyes, at the same
time he wanted to find a reason to continue functioning. Coming out
of his trance, he looked at Makoto's flustered and furious expression.
At the sight, something inside his mind quivered, afraid.
Reaching a decision, he settled with the truth. He decided to be
sincere with her, and accept the consequences. "At first... that was
what I wanted."
Makoto looked at him, aghast. She couldn't believe what she heard;
she was about to say something when the Guardian raised a hand.
"please, let me explain." She nodded slowly, at the same time her
hands gripped the table, a sudden urge to break it on his head slowly
gaining strength in her mind.
Seeing that Makoto had calmed for a moment, the Guardian continued.
"however, I encountered a reason to continue existing. Something far
more important for me than my previous assignment. That is why I
risked my existence, and I'd do it again if necessary." He then
looked directly at Makoto's eyes, and added. "that reason... is you."
Makoto felt her body going numb. She certainly didn't expect that
kind of answer, and her reaction showed it. Very slowly, her hands
dropped to her sides, all her strength leaving her. She only could
look at the Guardian, shocked.
"That's right... you are the main reason for me to stay functional."
Said the Guardian, oblivious to her reaction. "When I saw you for the
first time that day in Rainbow... I don't know. Somehow, it seemed
that I knew you for a long time. When you faced me, I was deeply
impressed by your skill, strength and combat ability. But... do you
know what was the thing that made me feel... attracted to you?"
Makoto only said no with her head, unable to say a word.
"Your kind spirit. The way you helped me after that first fight. The
care and concern you showed for me, always telling me that I was more
than a simple machine. Your... complains when I couldn't eat your
dishes, always forgetting I am an android. Always making me feel...
human." He then looked at her directly in the eyes, and smiled a
little wider. "Also... you remind me... of an old girlfriend."
That last phrase was the catalyst that unfroze Makoto. Without being
able to control herself, she began to laugh. The Guardian only looked
at her, puzzled... and afraid. 'I should have known...' he thought.
'I ruined everything. I shouldn't have said that. Now she's laughing
at me... and with good reason.' Feeling terribly uncomfortable, he
hesitated, but helped Makoto to seat on an armchair. Without saying a
word, he considered going to retrieve his trenchcoat, but stopped.
Thinking that such action would be impolite and a complete intrusion,
he decided to leave it there. Without looking back, he began to walk
towards the exit, feeling terrible and ashamed of himself.
He was about to open the door when Makoto's voice stopped him. "Where
are you going?" Under his current mental state, he wasn't able to
notice that her question was without any trace of sarcasm.
"Looks like I overdid my welcome." Said the Guardian in a low voice.
"I'm sorry. I won't bother you again." He then tried again to open
the door, when he felt Makoto's hand on his forearm, stopping his
motion.
"No..." she said, faintly. "Don't go... I'm sorry, I didn't want to
laugh like that." Very gently, she then began to guide him back to
the living room. Once they took their places again, both remained
silent for a few moments, waiting for the other to speak first.
The Guardian was the first one to speak. "I apologize deeply, Makoto.
I shouldn't have said that... I don't know what came over me."
"No, it's not your fault, it was mine..." said Makoto, looking at the
rug. "It's just that... well, what you said... made me realize... why
my friends always groan when I mention that someone reminds me of my
old boyfriend." She smiled impishly, looking at the Guardian through
her hair. "They were right all the time, you know? It DOES sound
silly."
The Guardian couldn't help but to smile as well. He had said that
without truly thinking that he was almost saying the same thing she
always said.
Both kept silent again for a few minutes, not knowing what else to
say. This time, Makoto was the first one to talk again. "So..."
"So..." repeated the Guardian as well. "It seems... that we can't be
just... friends like before."
"Looks like you're right." Said Makoto, smiling. "And personally... I
don't mind at all." She then took one of his hands on hers, drawing
closer to him. "We have a lot to talk."
The Guardian returned the smile, closing the distance between them a
little more. He marveled at the warm he perceived in Makoto's eyes,
feeling something stir in him in response to that look. "Yes... we
have to talk..."
Makoto also looked deeply into his eyes, idly thinking that Technuma
had made a good job. Under the light of the current discussion, she
noticed that, deep in them, was a spark... a point of light that
didn't look artificial, but something that confirmed to her that the
Guardian, despite being an artificial humanoid now, once was human,
and that his spirit still remained.
None of them noticed that their faces were only a couple of inches
apart, and the distance was closing with each passing second. It was
precisely at that moment that Makoto's communicator began to beep,
breaking the moment.
Both immediately sat straight, Makoto blushing furiously, the
Guardian looking somewhat unhappy. Makoto opened her communicator,
and all her sudden embarrassment turned into apprehension when the
worried face of Usagi appeared on the small screen. "Usagi, what's
the matter?" asked Makoto.
"Makoto, you have to come! I don't know who else to call!" said Usagi,
almost hysterical.
"Usagi, calm down! What happened? Another attack?" Makoto idly
noticed that the Guardian was immediately standing up and walking to
her bedroom to retrieve his trenchcoat.
"No, no attack, but everything is falling apart! I don't know what to
do!" was Usagi's answer.
"Where are you?"
"At the hospital where Yohann is. Please, hurry!" With that, she
closed her communicator.
When Makoto stood up, the Guardian was already standing behind her,
ready to go. "Looks like we have to suspend our conversation." He
said.
"We can continue later. Right now, our friend needs us." Said Makoto,
walking to the door. "You didn't come on your jeep, right?"
"Afraid not. Cauldron damaged it, so I walked here." Said the
Guardian, grimacing.
"Damn..." muttered Makoto. "And taking the bus will take too long
from here."
"I have an idea. But we have to go to the roof first." Said the
Guardian. Looking at Makoto, he added. "Trust me, I know what I'm
doing."
Makoto only nodded, and in a minute, they were standing at the edge
of the roof. "Well, what's your big idea?"
"Just this." Said the Guardian, and without more preambles, he took
Makoto in his arms, and jumped to the next building's roof. He heard
clearly Makoto gasp, and secured her even more in his arms, taking
care not to jar her with his movements. "Don't worry, I'll be careful.
Besides... this is faster than running on the streets, and we draw
even less attention this way."
Makoto didn't say anything; her only reaction was putting her arms
around his neck to secure herself even more. She then thought. 'Now I
know what Usagi felt each time Mamoru took her in his arms to get her
off harms way! No wonder she went all gaga!'
She would have enjoyed the ride if it wasn't for the memory of the
worried look of Usagi...
* * * *
Emergency Room. Hospital.
4:12 p.m.
Technuma had finished his round in the hospital, and was walking back
towards the resting rooms. The comfort he drew from seeing his
patients recovering was still slightly marred by the look Robin gave
him the other day. When he left the elevator, he noticed that Ami was
walking towards Akane's office. Smiling, he decided to follow her,
hoping that whatever Akane was going to tell her daughter wouldn't
take too long. Fortunately for him, Ami didn't take too long in her
mother's office and exited one minute later.
"Oh, hello Dr. Redwing." Said Ami, noticing him. "Busy day?"
"You could say that." Answered Technuma. "I swear, with all the work
we got here every day, I wonder how the hospital still have empty
rooms." Sighing at the thought, he asked Ami. "Is your mother busy?"
"Not that much." Said Ami, raising an eyebrow. "Before I left, she
was reading some files. Do you want to ask her something?"
"Something like that." Said Technuma, trying his best to keep calm.
Trying to change the subject, he asked. "So, what brings you here?"
"I came with some of the others to pay a visit to Yohann." Said Ami.
"Especially Robin. She almost couldn't wait for classes to end to
come here."
Technuma frowned a little, but said nothing. Instead, he said.
"That's good. Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"Can you tell Robin, when she finishes her visit, that I want to talk
with her? It's... important."
"I'll give her your message, Dr. Redwing." Before going to the
elevators, Ami couldn't help to ask him. "Excuse me... is something
wrong? You look... preoccupied."
Technuma didn't answer immediately, thinking what to say. Settling
for something simple, he forced a smile, and said. "Hopefully not.
Now, don't worry; this is a family matter that can be solved with a
frank conversation." Looking at a nearby clock, he added. "You'd
better hurry, or you'll miss visiting hours."
"You're right! Thank you for reminding me, and don't worry. I'll give
Robin your message. See you later." With that, Ami hurried to the
elevator.
As soon as she left, Technuma relaxed. Shacking his head, he cleared
his thoughts and knocked at Dr. Mizuno's door. After a muffled "come
in", he entered the office. He couldn't help but sigh at the sight
that presented in front of him. There was Dr. Mizuno, reading
intently a patient's file, a look of deep concentration on her eyes.
The sunlight was pouring from the window on the back wall, causing
the effect as if she was glowing by the intensity she was displaying.
'She never looked more beautiful', he thought. After savoring the
moment for a minute or so, he cleared his throat delicately, just
enough for her to know he was there.
"Oh... sorry. I didn't know you were there." Said Akane, looking up
from the file. She then indicated him to take a seat, and asked.
"So... what can I do for you?"
Once Technuma was comfortably seated, he tried to say clearly what he
intended to discuss with her, but instead, he began to babble.
"Well... you see... I don't know where to start, since this is a
delicate matter. And because you have more experience in those
matters, and know how to deal with this situations better than
myself, you... well... I..."
"Hmm-hmmm..." said Dr. Mizuno. Half-smiling at Technuma, she said.
"It's about Robin, isn't it?"
Technuma's eyes suddenly found his hands extremely interesting, all
the while he began to fiddle his fingers. "I can't hide anything from
you, can I?"
"Not in your life." Said Dr. Mizuno matter-of-factly. "Now, what is
it? It's not that she's sick, or you wouldn't be asking me anything.
Also, since you are the doctor in charge of her boyfriend, everything
indicates to me that you want to discuss something about their
relationship. Therefore, you want to ask my parental advice in that
matter."
Technuma sighed deeply, trying to regain his focus. "And Technulis
always wondered why Ami was so insightful and bright in this life..."
he muttered. Raising his head, he addressed Akane. "Am I that
obvious?"
"To me... yes." Said Akane, smiling. "Very well... what do you wanted
to consult me about?"
Technuma returned the smile, albeit a little sadly. He then began to
talk. "To make a long story short... I'm going to prohibit Robin to
continue her affair with Starr."
Akane lost her smile, a shocked expression settling on her face. "You
have to be joking! At first, you were happy that Robin finally found
someone that loved her that much, and now you're saying that you want
to keep them apart? What are you thinking!?"
"Do you think I'm happy with that decision?" countered Technuma. "I
thought deeply about it, and that's the only logical course of action
to take."
"All right..." said Akane, trying to keep her surging emotions in
check. "Tell me your reasons."
"Fair enough. The main reason is that I don't want to see her hurt.
All this crazy missions are a constant risk for her life, and I don't
care how well constructed those so-vaulted techno-armors of Starr
are... The girls are relying too much on them, instead of on their
own powers. Besides, looking back at what their current enemy did to
all of us..." he swallowed hard, trying to swallow the sudden lump on
his throat. "Not to mention when Cauldron abducted Robin... and the
little respect Starr shows for the security of all involved..." He
then looked intently at Akane's face. "Don't you see? What happened
recently only confirms what I'm saying! He, running away from
everyone and everything, and the recent invasion that his oh-so-secure
base underwent, almost costing Shingo his life! No, I don't want to
see Robin sharing her life with such a... person!"
Akane stared at him, her expression neutral. However, her eyes
betrayed the intensity of her own emotions. "I see... ain't selective
memory and self-denial wonderful things?"
Technuma blinked, never expecting such an answer. "What?"
"You heard me. Agreed, Cauldron has been a terrible enemy so far,
being smarter and more cunning than any aggressor the girls have
faced in the past. But who says that they rely that much in the
equipment Yohann gave them? As far as I can see, they have been
improving tremendously since they began to use them, not only on
handling such equipment, but on their own powers as well! As for what
Cauldron did to all of us to destroy our daughters..." She shivered
unconsciously at the memory. " If you recall, it was Yohann's
equipment the responsible for healing us! My goodness, it were HIS
medical facilities the ones that got you out of your own coma, as
well as Minako's!
"No, let me finish first!" said Akane when Technuma tried to
interrupt her. "It has been plainly obvious to everyone that Yohann
and Robin love each other deeply. Geez, Yohann risked his life on
England when you tried to blast you own daughter when you were under
Cauldron's influence! Not mentioning that he was about to DIVE ON AN
ACTIVE VOLCANO to save her when Cauldron sent her down there inside
that insect! And if you didn't notice before, HE-DIDN'T-RUN-AWAY!! He
went on that solo mission because he didn't want to risk anyone
anymore, knowing that the girls could very well defend themselves.
That much was proven when Laurella and Makoto defeated Cauldron and
MerLynn on their own base!"
"Those are very valid points, but..." tried to counter Technuma, but
he didn't have the chance.
"BUT NOTHING!!" exclaimed Akane, slamming her fist on the desk,
startling Technuma in the process and effectively silence him again.
"Do you know that, after having talked with the girls, I know that
those two were in love with each other the very moment they met? And
now you are bent in destroying that love??" She then took a deep
breath to control herself. "Now, I ask you: why do you want to deny
your own daughter the happiness she found?"
Technuma stood still on his seat, still surprised at Akane's reaction.
He was expecting for her to take his side, not the other way. He then
tried to recover his mental footing. "All right... if what you say is
true, then answer this. Why didn't Starr say a thing when I told him
the same things? That only confirms my suspicions that he doesn't
love Robin as much as you say."
Akane closed her eyes, her body going taut. "When... did you talk...
with him?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.
"The day before he... went on that solo mission." Answered Technuma.
Akane didn't answer immediately, the only sign she listened was her
steady breathing. "So... that's why he did that. I was wondering what
made him took that decision." She then opened her eyes, her body
relaxing a bit. "You know? For being a medical genius, you can be
pretty stupid at times... No wonder I fell in love with you. That
combination can be so rare."
No, to say that Technuma was shocked is a gross misunderstanding. His
mind froze, not knowing what to say or think. Akane noticed that, and
finally giving up some of her tension, she decided to put him out of
his misery. "I understand perfectly your reasons for what you did all
that. My God, when it became clear to me that Cauldron was intent on
capturing my own daughter for his nefarious purposes, I considered
locking her on her room. I know that's useless, but that is what I
felt was right at the moment.
"Don't you see? You are reacting like all parents do. And personally,
I can't blame you for that. We don't want to see our children hurt,
but you also have to realize that they have chosen their own paths,
and have a destiny to fulfill. Robin especially, since you gave birth
to her with the purpose to take the place of the last Sailor Saturn.
We can't stop them, no matter how hard we try. And even more, in
matters of the heart."
Technuma looked down again, slowly digesting what Akane told him.
Without looking up, he asked softly. "So... what do you suggest,
then?"
"All right. Here is my professional diagnosis to your case." Began
Dr. Mizuno, smiling at him. "First... you have to talk with Yohann
and Robin when he gets better. Discuss everything, and listen to what
they have to tell you. Second, you'll give them your blessings, and
support their relationship. They are going to continue it, no matter
how hard you try to stop it." She then stood up, and walking next to
him, she put her hand under his chin, gently lifting his face until
he looked directly at her. "And third... you have to invite me for
dinner tonight, so I can beat some sense on that thick skull of
yours."
Technuma couldn't help but to smile back at her. "Very well... I'll
do as you say, Doctor." He then took her hand in his, and added.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. And now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to
work." Said Akane, gently releasing her hand from his grasp. On an
impulse, she patted him on the head. "And don't forget. Eight o'clock,
and bring your biggest wallet." With that, she left the office.
Technuma only smiled in return, and remained in her office for a
little while. After sighing one last time, he exited the office and
headed towards the ER admittance desk. He was examining some charts,
when the speaker on the desk blared. "Doctor Redwing, to room 215.
Code blue. Doctor Redwing, to room 215. Code blue."
Technuma's eyes went impossibly wide, and without wasting one more
second, he rushed to room 215. Without waiting for the elevator, he
used the stairs, climbing two steps at a time. During the time he
took to arrive, he couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt and dread
filling his being...
* * * *
Hospital. Main entrance.
4:25 p.m.
After paying the taxi, Sonya and Rei hurried towards the hospital. On
their rush to get there, they didn't change their clothes, so when
they arrived they were still wearing Shinto robes. When they were
about to reach the door, they were mildly shocked to see the Guardian
landing behind a nearby set of bushes, carrying a dazzled and
slightly disheveled Makoto on his arms. When the four got together in
front of the hospital's doors, Sonya couldn't help herself.
"Now... that's an interesting way to travel. Care to discuss it?"
"We can talk later." Said the Guardian, for once happy that he could
control his facial expressions so well... preventing a rather
uncomfortable blush to appear. "Right now, our friends needs us."
"That's right." Said Rei, eyeing quizzically in Makoto's direction.
"Let's separate. While you and Sonya check on Yohann's condition,
Makoto and I will check on Robin and Usagi."
"Sounds like a plan." Said Sonya, nodding. "Well, let's go."
With that settled, the two couples first went to the reception desk.
Once they got the information they needed, Sonya and the Guardian
headed towards the second floor, while Rei and Makoto went to the
Emergency Room. When the later couple reached their destination, they
saw Usagi in the waiting area, looking completely miserable. Deeply
worried for their friend, Rei and Makoto rushed to her side, seating
next to her.
"Usagi..." began Rei, but she didn't have time to say anything else.
Usagi embraced her as soon as the blonde saw that her friend was next
to her.
"Rei, thank you!" said Usagi, a new flow of tears pouring down her
face. The new arrivals noticed that Usagi had been crying non-stop
since she called them. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face flushed
by the exertion. "Thank you for coming. Why? Why did this day end up
like this?"
Rei didn't know what else to say, neither Makoto. Both settled for
embracing their friend and hoping against hope that everything would
settle soon.
But internally, they suspected that such hope was becoming
increasingly dim by the second...
Sonya and the Guardian emerged from the elevator and hurried towards
room 215. Before reaching the room, they saw Ami and Minako standing
about three doors away from the aforementioned room. With a nod,
Sonya indicated to the Guardian to go to check on her Lieutenant's
condition, while she remained with the two girls. Once the Guardian
moved, she approached the two girls, noticing that Minako was holding
Ami, as if the petite girl was about to collapse any second now.
Worried at seeing them like that, Sonya put a hand on Minako's
shoulder. The blonde looked up and noticed that it was Sonya, who was
watching them with a look full of worry and concern. She tried to
smile, but it came very faint. Ami, when she felt Minako's slightly
change of position, raised her head, and saw Sonya too. With some
effort, she wiped her tears away.
"Girls..." began Sonya, trying to control the sudden urge to join
them in their grief. "What happened?"
Gulping, Minako began to tell Sonya what had happened since they
first arrived at the hospital. When she finished telling her story,
Ami filled the gaps, describing what she saw in the instruments right
to the moment the nurse asked her to get out of the room.
Sonya felt a lump in her throat, threatening to choke her. For what
she could figure out from Ami's accurate description, she had a
fairly good idea of what happened in there. She KNEW what had
prompted such event.
It was general policy for the Exploration Corps in the Agency to
learn a technique, in case they encountered a hostile race and weren't
unable to escape. In the event an explorer was captured, and the
possibilities to escape were next to zero, such explorer had to apply
a special meditation technique that caused the vital functions of the
body to slow down... to the point to cause the clinical death of the
subject. Such extreme measure was reserved for events when the
prisoner was forced to reveal the nature of the Agency, and to prevent
the misuse of the technology that could fall in the wrong hands.
Such measure had only been used by six explorers in the whole history
of the Agency, and in five cases, when the enemy forces realized that
they had nothing more than a corpse and gained nothing, they simply
dropped the bodies, allowing the retrieval and subsequent
resurrection of the explorers. The sixth case, however, the enemy
disposed of the body mutilating it. Nothing could be done.
Sonya remembered all that in a second, and decided not to mention a
thing to the girls. But she couldn't help but to feel that Lieutenant
Starr was about to become the seventh case... and since they had no
way to contact anyone else from the Agency, and their own medical
facilities were gone...
Sonya joined the two Senshi in their embrace, trying to offer some
comfort. However, she couldn't stop a lonely tear escape her control.
* * * *
At the Gate of Time...
Setsuna and Galos had been watching the whole of the events. Setsuna
showed no emotions, except for her gripping on Eternity. If it
weren't for her gloves, it would have been obvious that her knuckles
were white. Galos' only reaction was that his fingertips were
slightly trembling.
Galos was the first one to break the silence. "I was hoping this
scenario didn't happen."
"I understand how you feel." Said Setsuna. "But you know as well as
myself that nothing can be done now. I already did too much, and so
far, I'm still not sure what will be the effects on the Timeline
because of my actions."
"You did enough, Setsuna. And for that, I thank you." Answered Galos.
He turned around slightly, looking at Setsuna from the corner of his
eye. "Are you sure you can't do anything else?"
"If it were in my power, I assure you that I'd return Yohann to
life." Said Setsuna, looking at Eternity. "However, there are factors
that could have hindered such effort."
"Such as?"
"First, I can't risk more interference with the Timeline. Too many
unknown factors could be introduced. Second, the only way for me to
help him, would be to reverse the time flow, and you know what would
happen if I used my powers in such way." Galos only nodded, not
daring to put his thoughts in words. Setsuna continued. "And third,
Yohann did this on his own account. I doubt he would like to return
on his own volition. You saw with your own eyes what happened."
Galos nodded again, sighing. He closed his eyes, trying to focus his
thoughts. Unconsciously, he took his golden watch from his pocket,
and began to move his fingers all over its surface. It pained him
that his adoptive son had to resort to such a method. Not for the
first time, he doubted the wisdom of his decision for sending him in
that mission. He wished again to having offered more assistance in
this entire affair. To have talked with Yohann and offered guidance.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, an idea forming in his mind. 'Yes...'
he thought. 'It can be done... if only...' He lowered his gaze, and
observed his clock as if for the first time. Slowly at first, he
opened the back of it, and began to fidget with the mechanism. It
didn't take too long for him to begin moving his fingers in a
feverish way.
Setsuna noticed his reaction, but said nothing. Instead, she settled
with dividing her attention between the Commander and the Gate. She
was curious about what he was doing with his clock, but she wasn't
going to ask him.
A few minutes later, Galos closed the clock with a snap. Looking
intently at the Gate, he said. "You are wrong, Setsuna. There IS a
way to fix this situation..." without saying anything else, he began
to walk towards the Gate, at the same time, he pressed the buttons on
the clock in a certain pattern that Setsuna hadn't seen before.
When he began to walk, Setsuna moved immediately in front of him,
blocking his way. "What do you think are you doing?"
"You already said it. You can't interfere with the Timeline any
further, but that doesn't mean I can't do it." Said the Commander.
Setsuna took a fighting stance as soon as Galos said those words.
Aiming Eternity at his chest, she said. "I can't allow you to
interfere in this. You are letting your personal feelings to cloud
your rational mind Galos. You are not looking at the situation
objectively."
"Perhaps you're right, Setsuna." Said the Commander without
flinching. "Perhaps I'm allowing my feelings to interfere. But you
seem to forget that, as well as yourself, I'm conscious of what would
happen if this situation isn't corrected."
"And that gives you the right to play God here?" countered Setsuna,
aiming Eternity at his throat. "I don't want to hurt you, so stand
back."
"Setsuna..."
"No, Galos. You know that I'm right. So, I ask you one last time...
move away from the Gate."
No one moved for an undetermined amount of time, neither one giving
to the other. Without looking at the sharp edge of Eternity almost
touching his skin, the Commander looked directly at Setsuna's eyes
and spoke calmly. "So... this is it? You want to repeat what happened
during our first encounter?"
Setsuna's body tensed, closing her eyes very slightly.
Slowly, Galos took Eternity with his free hand, and placed its tip
right on his throat. Setsuna couldn't stop a gasp to escape her lips.
Seeing her reaction, Galos spoke softly. "Setsuna... believe me when
I say that I fully understand your reasons, and that I don't want to
fight you." Removing his hand from Setsuna's weapon, he closed his
eyes, and continued. "However, this is something that I have to do."
Straightening, he breathed deeply only once, and finished his
statement. "I only see three options: Do this yourself... Allow me to
do it... Or kill me.
"Your choice."
Setsuna didn't react immediately. After a couple of seconds, she
reaffirmed her grasp on Eternity, and clenched her jaw. She tried to
'read' the Commander's body language, trying to see if what he said
was a bluff. Not surprised, she noticed that he was serious. Dead
serious.
Although her body didn't show it, she was having wagging an internal
battle, running all kind of scenarios in her mind. The only evidence
that she reached a decision, was a frown.
Slowly, she began to withdraw Eternity, and cleared the path towards
the Gate.
When he couldn't feel Eternity against his skin, the Commander opened
his eyes. When he saw that Setsuna wasn't blocking the way anymore,
he nodded at her, and resumed his way.
"Galos..." The Commander stopped when he heard her voice. "Don't make
me regret this decision."
"I won't" was his only answer. Without saying anything else, the
Commander crossed the Gate.
As soon as he crossed, Setsuna lowered her gaze, and sighed. "Galos...
Good luck." She muttered.
* * * *
Rei and Makoto were still trying to comfort Usagi when Dr. Mizuno
came out of the Emergency Room. When she approached the young women,
Makoto asked her. "Doctor... how is Robin?"
"We're still not sure." Said Akane. "She suffered a severe shock, and
so far, she hasn't regained consciousness. I already arranged for her
to be transferred to a private room as soon as possible." She then
addressed Usagi, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Usagi,
dear... you should go home and rest. There's nothing more you can do
for now."
"Doctor Mizuno is right." Said Rei. "Worrying will only make you
sick."
"I don't wanna!" said Usagi, looking at Rei, then at Makoto and
finally at Dr. Mizuno. "It's my fault that Robin is like this!"
"Usagi, what are you talking about?" asked Makoto.
"It's my fault! I should have seen her standing behind me when Minako
called! I should have prevented Robin from listening!" Usagi began to
sob again, leaning against Rei.
"It wasn't your fault..."Said her raven-haired friend. "You couldn't
have known that she was standing right behind your back..." She
couldn't say anything else, since in that moment the rest of the
group joined them. Rei strengthened her embrace towards Usagi when
she saw that Ami and Minako were crying on Sonya's shoulders. She
wasn't surprised when her own tears began to flow...
Makoto turned around, her own blood freezing in her veins when she
saw the same thing. Standing up, she hurried towards the new arrivals.
Putting her hands on her chest, she only dared to say one word.
"Yohann...?"
When Ami and Minako began to cry louder, and Sonya only said 'no'
with her head, Makoto felt as if the floor had opened, and she was
falling. She didn't realized how she returned back to the waiting
area and joined Rei and Usagi. What snapped her back to attention was
the arrival of Technuma. She noticed that he was carrying a small
folder.
Technuma looked aghast and slightly pale. When he saw the group of
assembled friends, he gulped. Still, he had work to do, and the
sooner he finished it, the better. 'If only I could convince myself
of it...' he thought. He then addressed Sonya. "Excuse me... but I
need to talk with you."
Sonya nodded at him, and after making sure that Ami and Minako were
seated, she followed Technuma to the reception desk. "Yes? Anything I
can do for you?"
"Yes... I need you to sign this forms..." said Technuma, opening the
folder in front of her. "We can't proceed with the autopsy without
your authorization..."
"Excuse me?" They turned around, and saw that Makoto was standing
behind them. "Autopsy?"
"Yes." Said Technuma. "It's policy of this hospital to perform an
autopsy to determine the cause of death of anyone that... passes
away."
"You can't be serious..." mumbled Makoto. "You want to... to chop him
like an animal? Don't you think he has suffered enough, so you want
to mutilate his body now?"
"Makoto... I'm sorry... but it has to be done..." said Technuma, his
voice equally soft. "Believe me, if there were a way to avoid it, I'd
take it. Unfortunately, there isn't."
"He's right." Said Sonya, "I don't like it as well, but it's the
law... and we can't go against it." She then addressed Technuma.
"Where do I sign?"
Makoto stood there, stunned. She couldn't believe that Sonya agreed
to that... that... ignominy against Yohann! When Sonya finished
signing the last paper, she said. "I can't believe you... what would
Hogosuro have said?"
"He already signed." Said Technuma. "Makoto... please understand...
we did all we could but... in the end..."
Makoto lowered her gaze, her fists clinched. Without looking at them,
she asked. "Where's Hogosuro?"
Technuma sighed, but answered her anyway. "He followed the orderly
that carried Yohann's corpse to the morgue, in the basement. You
can't go there, though, since that place is only for authorized
personnel and..." He couldn't finish, since Makoto was already
heading towards the elevators.
"Let her go. " Said Sonya. "She has to sort things out by herself,
and this is her way to deal with this."
"I guess..." said Technuma. "Do you think... you can handle the
others for me?"
"Go ahead. And... thank you. I'm aware you did your best."
'I wish that was true.' Thought Technuma. Answering with a nod, he
walked away.
Makoto arrived at the basement, slightly trembling by the force of
her own emotions. Her mind was in chaos, a thousand thoughts trying
to run at the same time. She had already had to send a couple of
orderlies to receive medical attention when they tried to stop her,
but she didn't stop her search.
'This darn place is a labyrinth!' she thought when she passed the
same corner for the third time. 'This is going to take me forever.'
Makoto was about to try to find the elevators when she heard someone
talking in the distance. Out of reflex, she began to follow the voice.
A few moments later, she was able to discern the words.
"But sir... you can't stay here! It's against regulations!" said a
voice she didn't recognize; however, the second voice was one she
would recognize anywhere.
"You're not the first one that tells me that." Said the Guardian.
"But I already talked with your administrator. I can remain here as
long as I want."
"I'll have to ask for confirmation, you know?"
"Whatever... but I'll stay here, and that's final."
Makoto was still trying to understand what she had heard, when an
orderly suddenly went by in front of her. Fortunately, he didn't
notice her, but she could see that the orderly was fuming. Once he
was out of sight, Makoto turned around the corner.
Standing in front of the morgue's doors, was the Guardian. He had his
arms crossed in front of his chest, his eyes closed. He was really
looking imposing, his expression grim. It looked like nothing short
of an armored car could move him away from where he was standing.
Makoto wasn't impressed. She walked in front of him, and stood firm.
Without opening his eyes, the Guardian asked. "What are you doing
here?"
"I should ask you the same question. " returned Makoto. "But that's
not the point here. What I want to know is why?" When he didn't say a
thing, she continued. "Dammit, Hogosuro! You could have at least
tried to use your healing thing-a-majing on his body! But no, you had
to betray him and give your authorization for that... that... see, I
can't say it!"
The Guardian remained silent for a few more seconds, his expression
unchanged. Softly, he talked again. "I couldn't."
"But why?" asked Makoto in turn, disheveled.
"Two reasons... one, my healing ray doesn't work on death tissue." He
then opened his eyes, and looked at Makoto directly in the eyes. His
look was full of sadness. "And two... my unit is destroyed. It doesn't
work."
Makoto didn't answer to that, noticing for the first time that the
Guardian was deeply hurt by what she told him before.
The Guardian then closed his eyes again, and continued. "Makoto...
don't you think that, if I were fully operational, I wouldn't have
tried that already? Dammit, do you think that I wasn't going to try
it the very moment I entered his room and saw those doctors pumping
all kind of drugs in his body, and giving him electric shocks strong
enough to send his body flying up in the air?"
Makoto looked down at the floor, feeling sick. The Guardian didn't
notice it, and continued.
"When I saw that, my first thought was to send all of them flying
through the air. Only the sight of Dr. Redwing attending him stopped
me." He then closed his fists, the only concession he made to show
his frustration. "I own the Lieutenant my very existence... he gave
me a purpose, a new mission. And more importantly... thanks to him, I
met you."
No one said a word for a minute, both remaining still in their places.
Without saying anything, Makoto moved closer to the Guardian, and
placed a hand on his arm. When he opened his eyes, she said. "I...
I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight... it's just that... with all
that happened... and I felt so frustrated to see everyone pained..."
She couldn't continue, fearing that her voice would crack in any
moment. She then looked down, not wanting to see him in the eyes.
Makoto released her holding on his arm, and embraced herself.
The Guardian, seeing her reaction, unfolded his arms, and very gently,
put his right hand under Makoto's chin and made her raise her face
until they were looking at their eyes again. He then tried to finish
what she was saying. "... And since I was a convenient target, you
lashed on me, right?"
"I'm sorry..." said Makoto, softly.
The Guardian didn't say a word. Instead, he moved his hand away from
her face, and opened his arms in a silent invitation. Makoto didn't
hesitate, and accepted, embracing him and finally releasing the tears
she had fought all that time. The Guardian embraced her gently,
offering his support. They remained in that position for a few
minutes, not paying attention to their surroundings. When Makoto's
tears subsided, the Guardian spoke softly. "I truly envy you." When
Makoto raised her face from his chest, he looked down at her, his
expression painfully sad. "At least, you can cry..."
Makoto didn't say a thing; instead she looked at one side, leaning
against his chest. For a moment, she expected to hear to his heartbeat,
but then she remembered his constitution. Sighing, she finally spoke.
"Don't worry... I can cry for both of us."
"Thank you..." said the Guardian.
"So... what will happen now?" asked Makoto.
The Guardian took his time, thinking what to answer. Absentmindedly,
he began to gently caress her hair. Makoto didn't mind the attention,
remaining still.
"I don't know, Makoto." Finally said the Guardian.
"I don't know."
TO BE CONTINUED.
Chapter 19: Aftershocks
The next day...
4:10 p.m.
Robin was almost running towards the hospital. For her, the classes
had been almost eternal, being barely able to contain her anxiety.
She still wanted to confront Yohann for his past actions, but her
main drive was to check his health. Also, she was intended on asking
her father what he meant with what he said the other day.
"Huff, huff Robin, wait! Take it easy! The hospital won't move, you
know?"
Robin stopped, lightly embarrassed. She almost had forgotten that
Usagi, Ami and Minako were coming with her. Turning around, she
lowered her gaze. "Sorry, Usagi. I just... well..."
"Don't say a word, girl." Interrupted Minako. "But it won't do you
any good to arrive exhausted to the hospital."
"She's right, you know?" added Ami after regaining her breath. "Also,
remember that you're not alone on this. We're curious too."
"Sorry." Said Robin, her voice barely audible.
"Don't be." Said Usagi. "Now, let's go!"
The four young women went on their way on a more sedate pace,
commenting the different things they did at school. After arriving at
the hospital, they asked at the reception about Yohann's whereabouts.
"Oh, yes..." began the receptionist. "Mr. Starr was transferred from
the ICU to room 215, west wing. But I'm afraid you all can't visit
him. Only one visitor per day, per orders of Doctor Redwing."
"He's in good hands, at least." Said Minako. "Your father is his
personal physician!"
"You're Doctor Redwing's daughter?" asked the receptionist. "You must
be so proud of him! He and Doctor Mizuno are the best doctors we have.
It's such a pleasure to work with them!"
"Yes... I guess so." Murmured Robin, hopping nobody heard her.
However, Usagi had been able to hear her clearly, causing her to
frown slightly.
"Oh, I almost forgot... Ami? Your mother wants to talk with you as
soon as possible. I'll page her to let her know that you're here."
Continued the receptionist.
"Thank you." Said Ami. She then turned around, and addressed the
other girls. "You all go ahead. I'll join you as soon as I talk with
mom."
"Very well, Ami. We'll keep you posted, but don't take too long, ok?"
said Minako, smiling brightly. When Ami nodded in agreement, she took
Usagi's and Robin's hands in hers, and literally dragged them to the
elevator, to the surprise of Ami and the receptionist, not to mention
the other patients and orderlies that saw the strange happenings.
A minute later, the three girls were in front of room 215. Robin
looked nervous, not knowing if she should enter the room or not.
"Go on, friend!" said Usagi. "We'll wait here until you finish your
business there." She then smiled coyly at Robin. "Besides... that's
what you've been waiting all day, right?"
"She's right!" added Minako, smiling playfully as well. "Now, go! And
don't forget to tell us everything about it!" Without waiting for
Robin to answer, she grabbed the stunned girl's arm and, in one fluid
movement, opened the door and shoved Robin inside, closing the door
immediately. She then addressed Usagi. "She'll thank me later, you'll
see!"
Usagi's only answer was a low moan, while an impressive sweatdrop
appeared on her head.
Robin didn't really understood how Minako was able to sent her inside
without resisting, but in the end, decided to let it pass. After
regaining her bearings, Robin looked around, taking mental notes of
the room. It wasn't too big, but it was comfortable. A vase for
flowers was on a table next to the bed, as well as some medicines.
The curtains were closed, the sunlight passing through them giving a
warm effect in general. Robin then looked at the bed, and her heart
skipped a beat.
Yohann seemed asleep, his respiration regular. The different apparatus
hooked to his body showed that his heart rate and brain activity were
normal, although a little slow. Two IV's were next to the bed, one
connected to each arm. His face looked still a little pale, but
nothing to be alarmed. Still, he presented a little bit of a beard,
but to Robin's eyes, it gave him somewhat of a 'rough' look. She
liked it.
Slowly, she approached the bed, and taking with her a nearby chair,
she seated next to Yohann, taking good care not to disturb anything.
She stood quiet and immobile for a few moments, looking at his
sleeping form. Suddenly, she couldn't contain herself any more, and
with tremulous fingers, she caressed his forehead, barely touching
his skin. When Yohann sighed at her contact, she removed her hand
immediately; after regaining her composure, she smiled at him, happy
to see that he responded to her touch. Her smile broadened when she
saw that Yohann's eyes began to twitch, and a moment later, he opened
his eyes.
"Hello, Tiger." Said Robin, leaning a little closer to him. "How are
you feeling?"
Very slowly, Yohann turned his head in the direction of her voice,
and looked at her smiling face. For a brief moment, his heart soared
to the skies at such a lovely vision... but too soon, he remembered
the real reasons behind his escapade. He felt physically as if his
soul was plunged to the darkest pits of Hell when he decided the
course of action he had to take. Bracing himself for what he had to
do, he used his coldest tone of voice. "Robin... why are you here?"
Robin was taken aback by his answer and cold voice. That wasn't the
answer she was expecting. Blinking rapidly, she continued. "Well... I
was worried for you. You disappeared so suddenly, and leaving all of
us in the dark..."
"It had to be done. After all, it's my duty." Interrupted Yohann.
"Besides... taking you with me would have been a hindrance to my
mission." He almost choked at such a blatant lie. 'Robin... you can't
imagine how many times I wanted to have you by my side... please
forgive me.' He added mentally.
Robin gasped at such words, deeply hurt. 'No... he can't be serious!
Surely, he doesn't mean it!' regaining her composure, she asked.
"You're joking, right? You are the one that asked for our help!"
"This is no joke, Miss Redwing. After I analyzed the past performance
of us working as a group, I reached the conclusion that it had to be
for my best interest to work alone. I only took control of the
situation."
Robin didn't know what to say... this wasn't the Yohann she knew! The
man she loved surely couldn't say such a thing! She remained fixed in
her seat, incapable to stop him to continue.
"I also reached another conclusion. Our engagement is over." At the
moment he said those words, Yohann felt like if a part of his soul
died, leaving a terrible void in its place. "You are inexperienced,
almost a baby compared to me or anyone else. You don't know how to
use your knowledge, therefore rendering you almost useless in a combat
situation. I can't take you with me to my homeworld, nor be able to
stay on this planet once my mission is over." He spoke emotionlessly,
his face resembling a stone mask. But internally, he wanted nothing
more than to praise her for her bravery, her kind heart, and her
beautiful soul. He hated himself for doing this to such a marvelous
woman, and wanted nothing more than crawl under a rock and die. Still,
it was as if he was a passenger on his own body, watching helplessly
as his venomous words hurt the woman he loved more than life itself,
and not being able to do a thing to stop.
Robin was shocked beyond words. She couldn't believe the things she
heard, but the evidence was right in front of her. Yohann had never
lied to her, but still... The only thing she could do was deny with
her head, unable to say anything.
"Believe it." Continued Yohann. "It will be better for all concerned
if we don't see each other again." 'Robin... please, forgive me.' He
thought, crying internally.
When Robin left the room, Yohann closed his eyes. A lonely tear ran
down his temple. 'Technuma... I hope you're happy now. She's alone...
again, and so am I. There's nothing else for me... but to finish my
part of your request.' He then concentrated on a technique he had
learned back at the Academy. A technique he hoped never to use, but
found adequate under the light of what he had done...
Extremely pale, Robin stood up and walked out of the room. All of a
sudden, the day had turned into a full-fledged nightmare, and she
wanted nothing more to wake up. Shaking, she closed the door behind
her, barely listening to the worried questions of Usagi and Minako.
Unable to contain the tears any longer, she only said, her voice
cracking. "It's over... it's not him... it's over." After that, she
turned around, and ran down the corridor, almost crashing with a
nurse and bowling down Ami, who was heading to Yohann's room.
"Ami, are you all right?" asked Minako, helping Ami to stand up.
"Yes... I guess so. What happened?" asked Ami, after she rearranged
her clothes. "Why did Robin run like that?"
"I don't know." Said Usagi, looking the way Robin ran. "I'll go and
check her out. You two, get in there and find out what Yohann told
her!" without waiting for an answer, Usagi went in pursuit of Robin.
Ami and Minako looked at each other, and nodding at the same time,
they entered the room. Minako was furious at Yohann, and wanted
nothing more than to grind him to a bloody pulp. She walked directly
next to the bed, and began to talk. "Very well, mister. Cut the
innocent act right now, and pay attention! You are going to explain
to me, right here, right now what you told to Robin, and you better
have a good explanation!"
Ami could only watch Minako's efforts at getting an answer from
Yohann, not daring to interrupt her. She, too, was looking at
Yohann's prone form, when out of the corner of her eye, she looked at
the instruments monitoring his condition. Out of reflex, she turned
her gaze and looked at the ECG machine, and gasped. The machine was
indicating that his heart was steadily slowing down! She then turned
her attention to the EEG monitor, and looked that his brain activity
was becoming weaker by the second!
"MINAKO!!" Her scream stopped the blonde's tirade abruptly. "Go to
the nurse's station, and tell them to come here immediately!" When
Minako didn't react immediately, she screamed one word. "GO!!" That
last word mobilized Minako, who went out of the room in full sprint.
As soon as the blonde was gone, Ami took the small buzzer that
summoned the nurse, and began to press it frantically, all the time
looking at the monitors. Each one of them indicated that Yohann was
dying slowly.
Ami didn't know how much time passed before a nurse entered the room.
But before she could tell the new arrival what was going on, a series
of alarms began to sound. She turned around, and gasped, shocked.
According to the monitors, Yohann was dead.
'Young lady, get out of the room, now!" said the nurse. Walking
hurriedly to an intercom next to the bead's head, she spoke.
"Emergency unit, code blue. Room 215. Emergency unit, code blue. Room
215." She then began to unplug the IV's and the different sensors
from Yohann's body, preparing him.
Ami walked out of the room, still in shock. She didn't pay attention
when a group of nurses and doctors entered the room. She only reacted
when Minako put a hand on her shoulder. Looking up, she saw Minako's
worried expression; not being able to contain herself, she embraced
the blonde and began to cry quietly on her shoulder.
Minako embraced Ami gently, her thoughts in chaos. Stroking gently
Ami's hair, she listened at the doctor's hurried orders, barely
grasping some of them. Alternating looks between Ami and the open
door, one thought emerged from the whirlwind that was her mind.
'What happened in there??'
* * * *
4:15 p.m.
Usagi ran as fast as her legs allowed her as soon as she left the
hospital. After asking a few people the whereabouts of Robin, she
finally got her track and began to follow her. Soon, she found Robin
in a nearby part of the hospital, seated under a tree. Slowly, Usagi
approached her friend. Robin didn't look at her; she had her head
between her knees, sobbing. The sight crushed Usagi's heart; without
saying a word, she took a seat next to her friend, thinking on a way
to help her.
After a minute, Usagi asked very softly, "Robin... do you want to
talk about it?"
Robin didn't respond immediately. Instead, she began to sob even
louder. Usagi didn't say anything else; instead she put her arm
around Robin's shoulder, offering her support. A minute later,
Robin's sobs subsided, and lifted her head to look at Usagi. She then
addressed her friend, her voice shaking. "He... he doesn't... want
to... to see me again... he... he says... I'm a... a failure..."
Usagi gasped when Robin said that. Surely, that wasn't the Yohann she
knew! "Are... are you sure he said that?"
Robin nodded, sobbing again. When she controlled herself again, she
continued. "He... also said... that he... did this because of his
mission... and... and..." suddenly, she embraced Usagi, crying.
Between her tears, she finished her phrase. "He also broke our
engagement!"
Usagi embraced her friend, trying to comfort her. Suddenly, she got a
feeling of 'déjà vu'... No, not 'déjà vu'... She had lived something
like that, and knew the feeling painfully well. The only think she
could do at the moment was to offer her support, and let Robin cry
out her sorrow. They remained in that position for a few minutes,
until Robin finally calmed down. 'Yohann is really going to get a
piece of my mind.' She thought.
"Come on, Robin." Said Usagi, helping Robin to stand up. "Let's go
somewhere else. Hey, let me invite you an ice cream. That always
help."
Robin only nodded in agreement, looking down at the floor.
Unresisting, she began to follow Usagi, but they hadn't taken more
than a few steps when Usagi's communicator began to beep. 'Oh, no...
let it not be more bad news! I don't think Robin or myself would be
able to support it.' Thought Usagi. Moving behind some bushes, she
opened her communicator. "Usagi here. What happened?"
"Usagi!" said Minako. "How's Robin?"
"She's shaky, that's all I can tell for now. What's going on,
Minako?" asked Usagi, a sense of dread squeezing her heart.
"Usagi... I... don't know what happened... but... but..."
"Minako, say it! Don't keep me in suspense here!" said Usagi.
"It's Yohann... he..." Minako couldn't continue. She began crying in
that moment.
Usagi's head began to spin, fearing the worse. "Minako... what
happened? Is he all right? Talk to me!"
Ami's replaced Minako's face on the small screen. Usagi gulped when
she noticed the fresh marks of tears on her. "Usagi... a minute ago...
Yohann... Yohann died."
Usagi stood immobile as soon as she heard that, her mind unable to
accept those news. What took her out of her trance was a soft-spoken
word behind her. "No..."
She turned around, and noticed for the first time that Robin was
standing right behind her. She then realized that her friend had
listened to the whole verbal exchange, and she didn't notice it!
Before she could react, Robin paled dramatically, and fainted. Usagi
closed the communicator, and rushed to her friend's side.
"Robin, Robin! Wake up, Robin!" Not knowing what to do at the moment,
the only thing Usagi could do was to scream for help, scared by the
sudden turn of events...
* * * *
Cherry Hill Temple.
4:05 p.m.
Sonya was kneeling in one of the empty rooms at the temple, trying to
meditate. She was wearing a Shinto robe the elder Hino had borrowed
her. Setsuna's words still echoed in her mind, but she still couldn't
find how to apply them to her. She still thought of herself as a
failure, no matter what Setsuna told her before, but still...
Sonya's meditation was interrupted by a soft knock on the door.
Without opening her eyes, she said. "Come in."
The door slide open, and the small frame of Grandpa Hino blocked the
light. "Sorry for the intrusion, but I wanted to ask you if you
wanted some tea."
Sonya considered the offer for a few seconds, not sure if to accept
or not. The sour taste in her mouth made the decision for her. "Yes,
thank you. You're very kind."
The elder man entered, carrying a tray with two cups and a teapot.
After placing the tray on the table and serving the tea, both began
to drink in silence. After a few sips, Grandpa broke the silence. "I
understand you're pretty disturbed by yesterday's occurrences." He
took another sip, giving Sonya the chance to say anything. When she
remained silent, he continued. "You have to be aware that it wasn't
your fault, that there was nothing you could have done to prevent it.
There's no reason for you to punish yourself like that."
"What do you know about that?" said Sonya, her tone of voice sour.
"You haven't failed like I did."
"I know more than you can imagine, my dear." Said the old man. "At
one point of my life, I felt like I failed to myself and the ones
that I love dearly." His voice became distant, lost in thought. "I
made too many mistakes in my life, but the one that took me too long
to forgive myself for, was when my daughter died. And afterwards,
when that useless son-in-law of mine abandoned Rei with me to pursuit
his political career."
"Rei was abandoned?" asked Sonya, surprised. "I didn't know..."
"That's something we don't like to talk with others, but in your
case, it seemed appropriate." Said Grandpa, a faint smile on his
lips. "For what I understand, you feel pretty confused by what Rei
can accomplish with her fire readings. And since you come from a
place that uses technology to solve every day's problems, that
mystified you. Perfectly understandable, if you ask me."
"But I shouldn't have let my curiosity get the best of me! I left my
post, and look what happened." Said Sonya, lowering her gaze.
"Judging with what your current foe did to me and the others to
defeat you all, I seriously doubt that your presence could have made
a difference, my child." Said Grandpa Hino. "Even more, I think that
you could have been seriously injured, if not died in the spot."
"How could you know? You weren't there." Said Sonya, looking at him
straight in the eyes.
"Exactly. So weren't you." Answered the old priest, unfazed, but
smiling at her. "You see, the important thing here is not to dwell in
what happened, or what could have been. The point is, that you have
to go on, and try to make amends to put things back in working order."
Sonya kept silent after that, pondering his words. Suddenly, the door
slide open again, and Rei entered the room. "He's right, Sonya." Said
Rei. "There's nothing to gain moaning about what happened. Why do you
think Usagi and I discuss so often?"
Sonya smiled at the mental picture. She had been witness of one of
those infamous fights, and noticed immediately that the raven-haired
lady next to her only tried to make Usagi see that looking into past
mistakes and doing nothing to correct them was useless. Suddenly, the
real meaning of everything that had been told to her during the past
hours became crystal clear to her.
"You are right... Rei, Mr. Hino..."
"Please, call me Grandpa. That's how my friends call me." Said the
old priest.
"Very well... Grandpa. You two are right. I've been submerging into
self-pity for far too long, and it's time to correct my mistakes."
Smiling at them, she added. "Thank you very much."
"You know, Rei?" said Grandpa all of a sudden. "You shouldn't listen
behind doors. It's bad manners."
Rei blushed heavily at that, not saying a thing. Both Grandpa and
Sonya laughed gently at her reaction, the tension that permeated the
atmosphere evaporating with each laugh. After a moment, Rei joined
their mood, laughing as well.
It was in that moment that Rei's communicator began to beep.
Immediately, Rei activated it, and the face of Usagi appeared in the
small screen. "What's the matter, Usagi? Another attack?"
"Rei, it's worse!" said Usagi, fighting to control her ragging
emotions. "First Yohann, now Robin! I don't know what to do!"
"Usagi, calm down! Where are you??" asked Rei, suddenly alarmed.
"We... we're at the hospital where Yohann is. Rei, it's horrible!"
was Usagi's answer.
"We're on our way. Rei out." Addressing Sonya, she added. "Playtime's
over. Let's go!"
Nodding her agreement, Sonya stood up as well as Rei, and nodding at
the older Hino in thanks, both left the temple. Behind them, the old
priest only closed his eyes, and began a silent prayer for them...
* * * *
Makoto's apartment.
3:50 p.m.
Makoto had been trying to concentrate in cleaning her place a little,
in order to help her relax before starting her homework. But when she
was about to start with the kitchen, someone knocked at the door.
'Figures. Always when I'm busy with something.' Thought Makoto.
Putting the cleaning utensils aside, she cleaned her hands on the
apron she was wearing, and went to open the door. Leaning on it, she
asked. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Hogosuro. Can I come in?"
Makoto smiled slightly, and opened the door. The first thing she
noticed was that the Guardian's pseudo-flesh had no markings on it,
and he was wearing a trenchcoat. The later puzzled her, but decided
to let it pass for the moment. "Come in! And watch the ceiling!
You're not precisely a compact model, you know?"
The Guardian raised an eyebrow at her comment, but seeing her smiling
at him put him a little more at ease. Taking good care not to bump
his head on the low ceiling of the entrance, he followed Makoto to
the living room. Before kneeling in front of the table, he opened his
trenchcoat slightly, and addressed Makoto. "I know it's not much, but
I wanted to give you this as a small token of my gratitude." He then
took out three roses; one red, one yellow and one white.
Makoto looked at the roses, amazed. She hadn't received flowers for a
very long time, and having handed them from the Guardian was something
she never expected. Still, she felt touched by the detail. "Thank you,
but you shouldn't have done this. Excuse me for a moment." She then
took the roses, and gently, placed them in a crystal tall vase. After
filing it with water, she placed the small arrangement on the living
room's table. Looking at the Guardian, she asked him. "Why are you
wearing that? It's not raining."
The Guardian lowered his gaze, looking a little... meek. Makoto
raised an eyebrow, surprised at his reaction. 'That's interesting.'
She thought, in a very Ami-like curiosity way. 'I wonder....'
Extending her hand towards the now embarrassed Guardian, she added.
"Let me put it somewhere else. That way, you'll be more comfortable."
The Guardian's shoulders dropped a little, in a clear sign of defeat.
Standing up, he removed the trenchcoat. That's when Makoto's eyebrows
hit the ceiling... quite literally.
The Guardian was wearing one of Technuma's jumpsuits, which is
needless to say, didn't fit him that well. The outfit was clearly at
least two sizes smaller than he needed, distinctly showing that the
designers of his android body were painfully accurate in ALL aspects
of his anatomy. Instead of covering the scrupulously exact design of
his muscles and other... bodily appearances, all that jumpsuit did
was to enhance them. It was as if the fabric was painted on his body.
Makoto had to fight the sudden urge to whistle at the sight, instead
settled with extending a trembling hand and took the trenchcoat,
heading almost running to her bedroom. Inside, she dropped the
trenchcoat on her bed, and began to breathe deeply, in an attempt to
control her emotions. 'Oh, my... what happened?' she thought. 'Why
did I reacted like that?' Feeling her self-control returning, she
returned to the living room, where the Guardian had kneeled again.
When he removed the trenchcoat, Makoto's reaction didn't go unnoticed.
Even without using his sensors, it was obvious to the Guardian that
his appearance made quite an impression in her. He had half-expected
that, but seeing it happening certainly was different from theory.
'Now, things are going to be harder. How am I going to do it without
causing a mess?' He stopped his musings when Makoto returned,
obviously in more control of herself. That helped him a lot to calm
himself. Smiling faintly, he waited for her to take her place back.
He was surprised when Makoto kneeled next to him.
After a moment of awkward silence, Makoto began the conversation.
"Well... you wanted to talk about something?"
"Yes." He said, closing his eyes. "First, I wanted to thank you for
putting me back together. And ask you why you did it. You shouldn't
have risked your life just to recover my head. That was certainly not
like you."
"Well... for me, it was ok." Said Makoto. "You risked your life
intercepting Cauldron's attack, despite that you were almost melting
in that moment. By the way... thank you for saving me. I didn't have
the chance to say it before."
"It seems that we are even in that respect." Said the Guardian,
smiling faintly. "But still, what I can't understand, is why you did
what you did. I mean, I'm nothing more than a defective piece of
machinery. I allowed the enemies to penetrate the base, and worse...
put you all in unnecessary danger. That by itself claims for my
immediate deactivation."
"How could you say that?" asked Makoto, shocked. "You performed at
the best of your capabilities. Even more, you risked your very own
LIFE protecting us! Haven't you been listening to anything we have
discussed since we found you in that underground bunker??" finally
losing her temper, she added. "what is wrong with you?? Do you have a
death wish or something?? Are you so EAGER TO DIE that you want to
grab any opportunity that presents?? You want to leave everything
behind??"
The Guardian didn't answer immediately, remembering his long
existence. He began to wonder if what Makoto was saying was true.
After revising his memories in microseconds, he reached a conclusion:
What he wanted before, was end his hollow existence. When the girls
found the Nova bomb and retrieved it, the only thing that gave
meaning to his continued functioning was lost. By all rights, he
should have remained at Rainbow II when he activated the self-destruct.
But then a memory surfaced, overriding all the others that made him
reach that conclusion.
It was the very first time he faced Makoto as Jupiter. He was
impressed at the moment by her ability to fight, the loyalty she
showed for her friends. But what really made an impression, was when
he had her literally under his control, and she asked him to 'finish
it quickly' without a trace of fear in her eyes. That by itself spoke
well of her, but when he looked at her eyes in that moment, he
realized something else. In that determined, brave look she gave him,
he noticed something that he knew extremely well: A deep loneliness
that echoed his own. He felt attracted to that, his own sense of
solitude and isolation making contact with hers. In that instant, a
link between the two was forged, none realizing it. That link was
reinforced when Makoto feed his repair mechanisms with her powers
when Mars and Chibi-Moon almost blew him to pieces.
That's why he accepted the position the Lieutenant offered him as
security officer in the base. Not because he truly needed it... but
because he wanted to remain next to Makoto. He wanted to comfort her,
to remove that terrible look of loneliness from her eyes, at the same
time he wanted to find a reason to continue functioning. Coming out
of his trance, he looked at Makoto's flustered and furious expression.
At the sight, something inside his mind quivered, afraid.
Reaching a decision, he settled with the truth. He decided to be
sincere with her, and accept the consequences. "At first... that was
what I wanted."
Makoto looked at him, aghast. She couldn't believe what she heard;
she was about to say something when the Guardian raised a hand.
"please, let me explain." She nodded slowly, at the same time her
hands gripped the table, a sudden urge to break it on his head slowly
gaining strength in her mind.
Seeing that Makoto had calmed for a moment, the Guardian continued.
"however, I encountered a reason to continue existing. Something far
more important for me than my previous assignment. That is why I
risked my existence, and I'd do it again if necessary." He then
looked directly at Makoto's eyes, and added. "that reason... is you."
Makoto felt her body going numb. She certainly didn't expect that
kind of answer, and her reaction showed it. Very slowly, her hands
dropped to her sides, all her strength leaving her. She only could
look at the Guardian, shocked.
"That's right... you are the main reason for me to stay functional."
Said the Guardian, oblivious to her reaction. "When I saw you for the
first time that day in Rainbow... I don't know. Somehow, it seemed
that I knew you for a long time. When you faced me, I was deeply
impressed by your skill, strength and combat ability. But... do you
know what was the thing that made me feel... attracted to you?"
Makoto only said no with her head, unable to say a word.
"Your kind spirit. The way you helped me after that first fight. The
care and concern you showed for me, always telling me that I was more
than a simple machine. Your... complains when I couldn't eat your
dishes, always forgetting I am an android. Always making me feel...
human." He then looked at her directly in the eyes, and smiled a
little wider. "Also... you remind me... of an old girlfriend."
That last phrase was the catalyst that unfroze Makoto. Without being
able to control herself, she began to laugh. The Guardian only looked
at her, puzzled... and afraid. 'I should have known...' he thought.
'I ruined everything. I shouldn't have said that. Now she's laughing
at me... and with good reason.' Feeling terribly uncomfortable, he
hesitated, but helped Makoto to seat on an armchair. Without saying a
word, he considered going to retrieve his trenchcoat, but stopped.
Thinking that such action would be impolite and a complete intrusion,
he decided to leave it there. Without looking back, he began to walk
towards the exit, feeling terrible and ashamed of himself.
He was about to open the door when Makoto's voice stopped him. "Where
are you going?" Under his current mental state, he wasn't able to
notice that her question was without any trace of sarcasm.
"Looks like I overdid my welcome." Said the Guardian in a low voice.
"I'm sorry. I won't bother you again." He then tried again to open
the door, when he felt Makoto's hand on his forearm, stopping his
motion.
"No..." she said, faintly. "Don't go... I'm sorry, I didn't want to
laugh like that." Very gently, she then began to guide him back to
the living room. Once they took their places again, both remained
silent for a few moments, waiting for the other to speak first.
The Guardian was the first one to speak. "I apologize deeply, Makoto.
I shouldn't have said that... I don't know what came over me."
"No, it's not your fault, it was mine..." said Makoto, looking at the
rug. "It's just that... well, what you said... made me realize... why
my friends always groan when I mention that someone reminds me of my
old boyfriend." She smiled impishly, looking at the Guardian through
her hair. "They were right all the time, you know? It DOES sound
silly."
The Guardian couldn't help but to smile as well. He had said that
without truly thinking that he was almost saying the same thing she
always said.
Both kept silent again for a few minutes, not knowing what else to
say. This time, Makoto was the first one to talk again. "So..."
"So..." repeated the Guardian as well. "It seems... that we can't be
just... friends like before."
"Looks like you're right." Said Makoto, smiling. "And personally... I
don't mind at all." She then took one of his hands on hers, drawing
closer to him. "We have a lot to talk."
The Guardian returned the smile, closing the distance between them a
little more. He marveled at the warm he perceived in Makoto's eyes,
feeling something stir in him in response to that look. "Yes... we
have to talk..."
Makoto also looked deeply into his eyes, idly thinking that Technuma
had made a good job. Under the light of the current discussion, she
noticed that, deep in them, was a spark... a point of light that
didn't look artificial, but something that confirmed to her that the
Guardian, despite being an artificial humanoid now, once was human,
and that his spirit still remained.
None of them noticed that their faces were only a couple of inches
apart, and the distance was closing with each passing second. It was
precisely at that moment that Makoto's communicator began to beep,
breaking the moment.
Both immediately sat straight, Makoto blushing furiously, the
Guardian looking somewhat unhappy. Makoto opened her communicator,
and all her sudden embarrassment turned into apprehension when the
worried face of Usagi appeared on the small screen. "Usagi, what's
the matter?" asked Makoto.
"Makoto, you have to come! I don't know who else to call!" said Usagi,
almost hysterical.
"Usagi, calm down! What happened? Another attack?" Makoto idly
noticed that the Guardian was immediately standing up and walking to
her bedroom to retrieve his trenchcoat.
"No, no attack, but everything is falling apart! I don't know what to
do!" was Usagi's answer.
"Where are you?"
"At the hospital where Yohann is. Please, hurry!" With that, she
closed her communicator.
When Makoto stood up, the Guardian was already standing behind her,
ready to go. "Looks like we have to suspend our conversation." He
said.
"We can continue later. Right now, our friend needs us." Said Makoto,
walking to the door. "You didn't come on your jeep, right?"
"Afraid not. Cauldron damaged it, so I walked here." Said the
Guardian, grimacing.
"Damn..." muttered Makoto. "And taking the bus will take too long
from here."
"I have an idea. But we have to go to the roof first." Said the
Guardian. Looking at Makoto, he added. "Trust me, I know what I'm
doing."
Makoto only nodded, and in a minute, they were standing at the edge
of the roof. "Well, what's your big idea?"
"Just this." Said the Guardian, and without more preambles, he took
Makoto in his arms, and jumped to the next building's roof. He heard
clearly Makoto gasp, and secured her even more in his arms, taking
care not to jar her with his movements. "Don't worry, I'll be careful.
Besides... this is faster than running on the streets, and we draw
even less attention this way."
Makoto didn't say anything; her only reaction was putting her arms
around his neck to secure herself even more. She then thought. 'Now I
know what Usagi felt each time Mamoru took her in his arms to get her
off harms way! No wonder she went all gaga!'
She would have enjoyed the ride if it wasn't for the memory of the
worried look of Usagi...
* * * *
Emergency Room. Hospital.
4:12 p.m.
Technuma had finished his round in the hospital, and was walking back
towards the resting rooms. The comfort he drew from seeing his
patients recovering was still slightly marred by the look Robin gave
him the other day. When he left the elevator, he noticed that Ami was
walking towards Akane's office. Smiling, he decided to follow her,
hoping that whatever Akane was going to tell her daughter wouldn't
take too long. Fortunately for him, Ami didn't take too long in her
mother's office and exited one minute later.
"Oh, hello Dr. Redwing." Said Ami, noticing him. "Busy day?"
"You could say that." Answered Technuma. "I swear, with all the work
we got here every day, I wonder how the hospital still have empty
rooms." Sighing at the thought, he asked Ami. "Is your mother busy?"
"Not that much." Said Ami, raising an eyebrow. "Before I left, she
was reading some files. Do you want to ask her something?"
"Something like that." Said Technuma, trying his best to keep calm.
Trying to change the subject, he asked. "So, what brings you here?"
"I came with some of the others to pay a visit to Yohann." Said Ami.
"Especially Robin. She almost couldn't wait for classes to end to
come here."
Technuma frowned a little, but said nothing. Instead, he said.
"That's good. Can I ask you a favor?"
"Sure."
"Can you tell Robin, when she finishes her visit, that I want to talk
with her? It's... important."
"I'll give her your message, Dr. Redwing." Before going to the
elevators, Ami couldn't help to ask him. "Excuse me... is something
wrong? You look... preoccupied."
Technuma didn't answer immediately, thinking what to say. Settling
for something simple, he forced a smile, and said. "Hopefully not.
Now, don't worry; this is a family matter that can be solved with a
frank conversation." Looking at a nearby clock, he added. "You'd
better hurry, or you'll miss visiting hours."
"You're right! Thank you for reminding me, and don't worry. I'll give
Robin your message. See you later." With that, Ami hurried to the
elevator.
As soon as she left, Technuma relaxed. Shacking his head, he cleared
his thoughts and knocked at Dr. Mizuno's door. After a muffled "come
in", he entered the office. He couldn't help but sigh at the sight
that presented in front of him. There was Dr. Mizuno, reading
intently a patient's file, a look of deep concentration on her eyes.
The sunlight was pouring from the window on the back wall, causing
the effect as if she was glowing by the intensity she was displaying.
'She never looked more beautiful', he thought. After savoring the
moment for a minute or so, he cleared his throat delicately, just
enough for her to know he was there.
"Oh... sorry. I didn't know you were there." Said Akane, looking up
from the file. She then indicated him to take a seat, and asked.
"So... what can I do for you?"
Once Technuma was comfortably seated, he tried to say clearly what he
intended to discuss with her, but instead, he began to babble.
"Well... you see... I don't know where to start, since this is a
delicate matter. And because you have more experience in those
matters, and know how to deal with this situations better than
myself, you... well... I..."
"Hmm-hmmm..." said Dr. Mizuno. Half-smiling at Technuma, she said.
"It's about Robin, isn't it?"
Technuma's eyes suddenly found his hands extremely interesting, all
the while he began to fiddle his fingers. "I can't hide anything from
you, can I?"
"Not in your life." Said Dr. Mizuno matter-of-factly. "Now, what is
it? It's not that she's sick, or you wouldn't be asking me anything.
Also, since you are the doctor in charge of her boyfriend, everything
indicates to me that you want to discuss something about their
relationship. Therefore, you want to ask my parental advice in that
matter."
Technuma sighed deeply, trying to regain his focus. "And Technulis
always wondered why Ami was so insightful and bright in this life..."
he muttered. Raising his head, he addressed Akane. "Am I that
obvious?"
"To me... yes." Said Akane, smiling. "Very well... what do you wanted
to consult me about?"
Technuma returned the smile, albeit a little sadly. He then began to
talk. "To make a long story short... I'm going to prohibit Robin to
continue her affair with Starr."
Akane lost her smile, a shocked expression settling on her face. "You
have to be joking! At first, you were happy that Robin finally found
someone that loved her that much, and now you're saying that you want
to keep them apart? What are you thinking!?"
"Do you think I'm happy with that decision?" countered Technuma. "I
thought deeply about it, and that's the only logical course of action
to take."
"All right..." said Akane, trying to keep her surging emotions in
check. "Tell me your reasons."
"Fair enough. The main reason is that I don't want to see her hurt.
All this crazy missions are a constant risk for her life, and I don't
care how well constructed those so-vaulted techno-armors of Starr
are... The girls are relying too much on them, instead of on their
own powers. Besides, looking back at what their current enemy did to
all of us..." he swallowed hard, trying to swallow the sudden lump on
his throat. "Not to mention when Cauldron abducted Robin... and the
little respect Starr shows for the security of all involved..." He
then looked intently at Akane's face. "Don't you see? What happened
recently only confirms what I'm saying! He, running away from
everyone and everything, and the recent invasion that his oh-so-secure
base underwent, almost costing Shingo his life! No, I don't want to
see Robin sharing her life with such a... person!"
Akane stared at him, her expression neutral. However, her eyes
betrayed the intensity of her own emotions. "I see... ain't selective
memory and self-denial wonderful things?"
Technuma blinked, never expecting such an answer. "What?"
"You heard me. Agreed, Cauldron has been a terrible enemy so far,
being smarter and more cunning than any aggressor the girls have
faced in the past. But who says that they rely that much in the
equipment Yohann gave them? As far as I can see, they have been
improving tremendously since they began to use them, not only on
handling such equipment, but on their own powers as well! As for what
Cauldron did to all of us to destroy our daughters..." She shivered
unconsciously at the memory. " If you recall, it was Yohann's
equipment the responsible for healing us! My goodness, it were HIS
medical facilities the ones that got you out of your own coma, as
well as Minako's!
"No, let me finish first!" said Akane when Technuma tried to
interrupt her. "It has been plainly obvious to everyone that Yohann
and Robin love each other deeply. Geez, Yohann risked his life on
England when you tried to blast you own daughter when you were under
Cauldron's influence! Not mentioning that he was about to DIVE ON AN
ACTIVE VOLCANO to save her when Cauldron sent her down there inside
that insect! And if you didn't notice before, HE-DIDN'T-RUN-AWAY!! He
went on that solo mission because he didn't want to risk anyone
anymore, knowing that the girls could very well defend themselves.
That much was proven when Laurella and Makoto defeated Cauldron and
MerLynn on their own base!"
"Those are very valid points, but..." tried to counter Technuma, but
he didn't have the chance.
"BUT NOTHING!!" exclaimed Akane, slamming her fist on the desk,
startling Technuma in the process and effectively silence him again.
"Do you know that, after having talked with the girls, I know that
those two were in love with each other the very moment they met? And
now you are bent in destroying that love??" She then took a deep
breath to control herself. "Now, I ask you: why do you want to deny
your own daughter the happiness she found?"
Technuma stood still on his seat, still surprised at Akane's reaction.
He was expecting for her to take his side, not the other way. He then
tried to recover his mental footing. "All right... if what you say is
true, then answer this. Why didn't Starr say a thing when I told him
the same things? That only confirms my suspicions that he doesn't
love Robin as much as you say."
Akane closed her eyes, her body going taut. "When... did you talk...
with him?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.
"The day before he... went on that solo mission." Answered Technuma.
Akane didn't answer immediately, the only sign she listened was her
steady breathing. "So... that's why he did that. I was wondering what
made him took that decision." She then opened her eyes, her body
relaxing a bit. "You know? For being a medical genius, you can be
pretty stupid at times... No wonder I fell in love with you. That
combination can be so rare."
No, to say that Technuma was shocked is a gross misunderstanding. His
mind froze, not knowing what to say or think. Akane noticed that, and
finally giving up some of her tension, she decided to put him out of
his misery. "I understand perfectly your reasons for what you did all
that. My God, when it became clear to me that Cauldron was intent on
capturing my own daughter for his nefarious purposes, I considered
locking her on her room. I know that's useless, but that is what I
felt was right at the moment.
"Don't you see? You are reacting like all parents do. And personally,
I can't blame you for that. We don't want to see our children hurt,
but you also have to realize that they have chosen their own paths,
and have a destiny to fulfill. Robin especially, since you gave birth
to her with the purpose to take the place of the last Sailor Saturn.
We can't stop them, no matter how hard we try. And even more, in
matters of the heart."
Technuma looked down again, slowly digesting what Akane told him.
Without looking up, he asked softly. "So... what do you suggest,
then?"
"All right. Here is my professional diagnosis to your case." Began
Dr. Mizuno, smiling at him. "First... you have to talk with Yohann
and Robin when he gets better. Discuss everything, and listen to what
they have to tell you. Second, you'll give them your blessings, and
support their relationship. They are going to continue it, no matter
how hard you try to stop it." She then stood up, and walking next to
him, she put her hand under his chin, gently lifting his face until
he looked directly at her. "And third... you have to invite me for
dinner tonight, so I can beat some sense on that thick skull of
yours."
Technuma couldn't help but to smile back at her. "Very well... I'll
do as you say, Doctor." He then took her hand in his, and added.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. And now, if you excuse me, I have to get back to
work." Said Akane, gently releasing her hand from his grasp. On an
impulse, she patted him on the head. "And don't forget. Eight o'clock,
and bring your biggest wallet." With that, she left the office.
Technuma only smiled in return, and remained in her office for a
little while. After sighing one last time, he exited the office and
headed towards the ER admittance desk. He was examining some charts,
when the speaker on the desk blared. "Doctor Redwing, to room 215.
Code blue. Doctor Redwing, to room 215. Code blue."
Technuma's eyes went impossibly wide, and without wasting one more
second, he rushed to room 215. Without waiting for the elevator, he
used the stairs, climbing two steps at a time. During the time he
took to arrive, he couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt and dread
filling his being...
* * * *
Hospital. Main entrance.
4:25 p.m.
After paying the taxi, Sonya and Rei hurried towards the hospital. On
their rush to get there, they didn't change their clothes, so when
they arrived they were still wearing Shinto robes. When they were
about to reach the door, they were mildly shocked to see the Guardian
landing behind a nearby set of bushes, carrying a dazzled and
slightly disheveled Makoto on his arms. When the four got together in
front of the hospital's doors, Sonya couldn't help herself.
"Now... that's an interesting way to travel. Care to discuss it?"
"We can talk later." Said the Guardian, for once happy that he could
control his facial expressions so well... preventing a rather
uncomfortable blush to appear. "Right now, our friends needs us."
"That's right." Said Rei, eyeing quizzically in Makoto's direction.
"Let's separate. While you and Sonya check on Yohann's condition,
Makoto and I will check on Robin and Usagi."
"Sounds like a plan." Said Sonya, nodding. "Well, let's go."
With that settled, the two couples first went to the reception desk.
Once they got the information they needed, Sonya and the Guardian
headed towards the second floor, while Rei and Makoto went to the
Emergency Room. When the later couple reached their destination, they
saw Usagi in the waiting area, looking completely miserable. Deeply
worried for their friend, Rei and Makoto rushed to her side, seating
next to her.
"Usagi..." began Rei, but she didn't have time to say anything else.
Usagi embraced her as soon as the blonde saw that her friend was next
to her.
"Rei, thank you!" said Usagi, a new flow of tears pouring down her
face. The new arrivals noticed that Usagi had been crying non-stop
since she called them. Her eyes were red and puffy, her face flushed
by the exertion. "Thank you for coming. Why? Why did this day end up
like this?"
Rei didn't know what else to say, neither Makoto. Both settled for
embracing their friend and hoping against hope that everything would
settle soon.
But internally, they suspected that such hope was becoming
increasingly dim by the second...
Sonya and the Guardian emerged from the elevator and hurried towards
room 215. Before reaching the room, they saw Ami and Minako standing
about three doors away from the aforementioned room. With a nod,
Sonya indicated to the Guardian to go to check on her Lieutenant's
condition, while she remained with the two girls. Once the Guardian
moved, she approached the two girls, noticing that Minako was holding
Ami, as if the petite girl was about to collapse any second now.
Worried at seeing them like that, Sonya put a hand on Minako's
shoulder. The blonde looked up and noticed that it was Sonya, who was
watching them with a look full of worry and concern. She tried to
smile, but it came very faint. Ami, when she felt Minako's slightly
change of position, raised her head, and saw Sonya too. With some
effort, she wiped her tears away.
"Girls..." began Sonya, trying to control the sudden urge to join
them in their grief. "What happened?"
Gulping, Minako began to tell Sonya what had happened since they
first arrived at the hospital. When she finished telling her story,
Ami filled the gaps, describing what she saw in the instruments right
to the moment the nurse asked her to get out of the room.
Sonya felt a lump in her throat, threatening to choke her. For what
she could figure out from Ami's accurate description, she had a
fairly good idea of what happened in there. She KNEW what had
prompted such event.
It was general policy for the Exploration Corps in the Agency to
learn a technique, in case they encountered a hostile race and weren't
unable to escape. In the event an explorer was captured, and the
possibilities to escape were next to zero, such explorer had to apply
a special meditation technique that caused the vital functions of the
body to slow down... to the point to cause the clinical death of the
subject. Such extreme measure was reserved for events when the
prisoner was forced to reveal the nature of the Agency, and to prevent
the misuse of the technology that could fall in the wrong hands.
Such measure had only been used by six explorers in the whole history
of the Agency, and in five cases, when the enemy forces realized that
they had nothing more than a corpse and gained nothing, they simply
dropped the bodies, allowing the retrieval and subsequent
resurrection of the explorers. The sixth case, however, the enemy
disposed of the body mutilating it. Nothing could be done.
Sonya remembered all that in a second, and decided not to mention a
thing to the girls. But she couldn't help but to feel that Lieutenant
Starr was about to become the seventh case... and since they had no
way to contact anyone else from the Agency, and their own medical
facilities were gone...
Sonya joined the two Senshi in their embrace, trying to offer some
comfort. However, she couldn't stop a lonely tear escape her control.
* * * *
At the Gate of Time...
Setsuna and Galos had been watching the whole of the events. Setsuna
showed no emotions, except for her gripping on Eternity. If it
weren't for her gloves, it would have been obvious that her knuckles
were white. Galos' only reaction was that his fingertips were
slightly trembling.
Galos was the first one to break the silence. "I was hoping this
scenario didn't happen."
"I understand how you feel." Said Setsuna. "But you know as well as
myself that nothing can be done now. I already did too much, and so
far, I'm still not sure what will be the effects on the Timeline
because of my actions."
"You did enough, Setsuna. And for that, I thank you." Answered Galos.
He turned around slightly, looking at Setsuna from the corner of his
eye. "Are you sure you can't do anything else?"
"If it were in my power, I assure you that I'd return Yohann to
life." Said Setsuna, looking at Eternity. "However, there are factors
that could have hindered such effort."
"Such as?"
"First, I can't risk more interference with the Timeline. Too many
unknown factors could be introduced. Second, the only way for me to
help him, would be to reverse the time flow, and you know what would
happen if I used my powers in such way." Galos only nodded, not
daring to put his thoughts in words. Setsuna continued. "And third,
Yohann did this on his own account. I doubt he would like to return
on his own volition. You saw with your own eyes what happened."
Galos nodded again, sighing. He closed his eyes, trying to focus his
thoughts. Unconsciously, he took his golden watch from his pocket,
and began to move his fingers all over its surface. It pained him
that his adoptive son had to resort to such a method. Not for the
first time, he doubted the wisdom of his decision for sending him in
that mission. He wished again to having offered more assistance in
this entire affair. To have talked with Yohann and offered guidance.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, an idea forming in his mind. 'Yes...'
he thought. 'It can be done... if only...' He lowered his gaze, and
observed his clock as if for the first time. Slowly at first, he
opened the back of it, and began to fidget with the mechanism. It
didn't take too long for him to begin moving his fingers in a
feverish way.
Setsuna noticed his reaction, but said nothing. Instead, she settled
with dividing her attention between the Commander and the Gate. She
was curious about what he was doing with his clock, but she wasn't
going to ask him.
A few minutes later, Galos closed the clock with a snap. Looking
intently at the Gate, he said. "You are wrong, Setsuna. There IS a
way to fix this situation..." without saying anything else, he began
to walk towards the Gate, at the same time, he pressed the buttons on
the clock in a certain pattern that Setsuna hadn't seen before.
When he began to walk, Setsuna moved immediately in front of him,
blocking his way. "What do you think are you doing?"
"You already said it. You can't interfere with the Timeline any
further, but that doesn't mean I can't do it." Said the Commander.
Setsuna took a fighting stance as soon as Galos said those words.
Aiming Eternity at his chest, she said. "I can't allow you to
interfere in this. You are letting your personal feelings to cloud
your rational mind Galos. You are not looking at the situation
objectively."
"Perhaps you're right, Setsuna." Said the Commander without
flinching. "Perhaps I'm allowing my feelings to interfere. But you
seem to forget that, as well as yourself, I'm conscious of what would
happen if this situation isn't corrected."
"And that gives you the right to play God here?" countered Setsuna,
aiming Eternity at his throat. "I don't want to hurt you, so stand
back."
"Setsuna..."
"No, Galos. You know that I'm right. So, I ask you one last time...
move away from the Gate."
No one moved for an undetermined amount of time, neither one giving
to the other. Without looking at the sharp edge of Eternity almost
touching his skin, the Commander looked directly at Setsuna's eyes
and spoke calmly. "So... this is it? You want to repeat what happened
during our first encounter?"
Setsuna's body tensed, closing her eyes very slightly.
Slowly, Galos took Eternity with his free hand, and placed its tip
right on his throat. Setsuna couldn't stop a gasp to escape her lips.
Seeing her reaction, Galos spoke softly. "Setsuna... believe me when
I say that I fully understand your reasons, and that I don't want to
fight you." Removing his hand from Setsuna's weapon, he closed his
eyes, and continued. "However, this is something that I have to do."
Straightening, he breathed deeply only once, and finished his
statement. "I only see three options: Do this yourself... Allow me to
do it... Or kill me.
"Your choice."
Setsuna didn't react immediately. After a couple of seconds, she
reaffirmed her grasp on Eternity, and clenched her jaw. She tried to
'read' the Commander's body language, trying to see if what he said
was a bluff. Not surprised, she noticed that he was serious. Dead
serious.
Although her body didn't show it, she was having wagging an internal
battle, running all kind of scenarios in her mind. The only evidence
that she reached a decision, was a frown.
Slowly, she began to withdraw Eternity, and cleared the path towards
the Gate.
When he couldn't feel Eternity against his skin, the Commander opened
his eyes. When he saw that Setsuna wasn't blocking the way anymore,
he nodded at her, and resumed his way.
"Galos..." The Commander stopped when he heard her voice. "Don't make
me regret this decision."
"I won't" was his only answer. Without saying anything else, the
Commander crossed the Gate.
As soon as he crossed, Setsuna lowered her gaze, and sighed. "Galos...
Good luck." She muttered.
* * * *
Rei and Makoto were still trying to comfort Usagi when Dr. Mizuno
came out of the Emergency Room. When she approached the young women,
Makoto asked her. "Doctor... how is Robin?"
"We're still not sure." Said Akane. "She suffered a severe shock, and
so far, she hasn't regained consciousness. I already arranged for her
to be transferred to a private room as soon as possible." She then
addressed Usagi, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Usagi,
dear... you should go home and rest. There's nothing more you can do
for now."
"Doctor Mizuno is right." Said Rei. "Worrying will only make you
sick."
"I don't wanna!" said Usagi, looking at Rei, then at Makoto and
finally at Dr. Mizuno. "It's my fault that Robin is like this!"
"Usagi, what are you talking about?" asked Makoto.
"It's my fault! I should have seen her standing behind me when Minako
called! I should have prevented Robin from listening!" Usagi began to
sob again, leaning against Rei.
"It wasn't your fault..."Said her raven-haired friend. "You couldn't
have known that she was standing right behind your back..." She
couldn't say anything else, since in that moment the rest of the
group joined them. Rei strengthened her embrace towards Usagi when
she saw that Ami and Minako were crying on Sonya's shoulders. She
wasn't surprised when her own tears began to flow...
Makoto turned around, her own blood freezing in her veins when she
saw the same thing. Standing up, she hurried towards the new arrivals.
Putting her hands on her chest, she only dared to say one word.
"Yohann...?"
When Ami and Minako began to cry louder, and Sonya only said 'no'
with her head, Makoto felt as if the floor had opened, and she was
falling. She didn't realized how she returned back to the waiting
area and joined Rei and Usagi. What snapped her back to attention was
the arrival of Technuma. She noticed that he was carrying a small
folder.
Technuma looked aghast and slightly pale. When he saw the group of
assembled friends, he gulped. Still, he had work to do, and the
sooner he finished it, the better. 'If only I could convince myself
of it...' he thought. He then addressed Sonya. "Excuse me... but I
need to talk with you."
Sonya nodded at him, and after making sure that Ami and Minako were
seated, she followed Technuma to the reception desk. "Yes? Anything I
can do for you?"
"Yes... I need you to sign this forms..." said Technuma, opening the
folder in front of her. "We can't proceed with the autopsy without
your authorization..."
"Excuse me?" They turned around, and saw that Makoto was standing
behind them. "Autopsy?"
"Yes." Said Technuma. "It's policy of this hospital to perform an
autopsy to determine the cause of death of anyone that... passes
away."
"You can't be serious..." mumbled Makoto. "You want to... to chop him
like an animal? Don't you think he has suffered enough, so you want
to mutilate his body now?"
"Makoto... I'm sorry... but it has to be done..." said Technuma, his
voice equally soft. "Believe me, if there were a way to avoid it, I'd
take it. Unfortunately, there isn't."
"He's right." Said Sonya, "I don't like it as well, but it's the
law... and we can't go against it." She then addressed Technuma.
"Where do I sign?"
Makoto stood there, stunned. She couldn't believe that Sonya agreed
to that... that... ignominy against Yohann! When Sonya finished
signing the last paper, she said. "I can't believe you... what would
Hogosuro have said?"
"He already signed." Said Technuma. "Makoto... please understand...
we did all we could but... in the end..."
Makoto lowered her gaze, her fists clinched. Without looking at them,
she asked. "Where's Hogosuro?"
Technuma sighed, but answered her anyway. "He followed the orderly
that carried Yohann's corpse to the morgue, in the basement. You
can't go there, though, since that place is only for authorized
personnel and..." He couldn't finish, since Makoto was already
heading towards the elevators.
"Let her go. " Said Sonya. "She has to sort things out by herself,
and this is her way to deal with this."
"I guess..." said Technuma. "Do you think... you can handle the
others for me?"
"Go ahead. And... thank you. I'm aware you did your best."
'I wish that was true.' Thought Technuma. Answering with a nod, he
walked away.
Makoto arrived at the basement, slightly trembling by the force of
her own emotions. Her mind was in chaos, a thousand thoughts trying
to run at the same time. She had already had to send a couple of
orderlies to receive medical attention when they tried to stop her,
but she didn't stop her search.
'This darn place is a labyrinth!' she thought when she passed the
same corner for the third time. 'This is going to take me forever.'
Makoto was about to try to find the elevators when she heard someone
talking in the distance. Out of reflex, she began to follow the voice.
A few moments later, she was able to discern the words.
"But sir... you can't stay here! It's against regulations!" said a
voice she didn't recognize; however, the second voice was one she
would recognize anywhere.
"You're not the first one that tells me that." Said the Guardian.
"But I already talked with your administrator. I can remain here as
long as I want."
"I'll have to ask for confirmation, you know?"
"Whatever... but I'll stay here, and that's final."
Makoto was still trying to understand what she had heard, when an
orderly suddenly went by in front of her. Fortunately, he didn't
notice her, but she could see that the orderly was fuming. Once he
was out of sight, Makoto turned around the corner.
Standing in front of the morgue's doors, was the Guardian. He had his
arms crossed in front of his chest, his eyes closed. He was really
looking imposing, his expression grim. It looked like nothing short
of an armored car could move him away from where he was standing.
Makoto wasn't impressed. She walked in front of him, and stood firm.
Without opening his eyes, the Guardian asked. "What are you doing
here?"
"I should ask you the same question. " returned Makoto. "But that's
not the point here. What I want to know is why?" When he didn't say a
thing, she continued. "Dammit, Hogosuro! You could have at least
tried to use your healing thing-a-majing on his body! But no, you had
to betray him and give your authorization for that... that... see, I
can't say it!"
The Guardian remained silent for a few more seconds, his expression
unchanged. Softly, he talked again. "I couldn't."
"But why?" asked Makoto in turn, disheveled.
"Two reasons... one, my healing ray doesn't work on death tissue." He
then opened his eyes, and looked at Makoto directly in the eyes. His
look was full of sadness. "And two... my unit is destroyed. It doesn't
work."
Makoto didn't answer to that, noticing for the first time that the
Guardian was deeply hurt by what she told him before.
The Guardian then closed his eyes again, and continued. "Makoto...
don't you think that, if I were fully operational, I wouldn't have
tried that already? Dammit, do you think that I wasn't going to try
it the very moment I entered his room and saw those doctors pumping
all kind of drugs in his body, and giving him electric shocks strong
enough to send his body flying up in the air?"
Makoto looked down at the floor, feeling sick. The Guardian didn't
notice it, and continued.
"When I saw that, my first thought was to send all of them flying
through the air. Only the sight of Dr. Redwing attending him stopped
me." He then closed his fists, the only concession he made to show
his frustration. "I own the Lieutenant my very existence... he gave
me a purpose, a new mission. And more importantly... thanks to him, I
met you."
No one said a word for a minute, both remaining still in their places.
Without saying anything, Makoto moved closer to the Guardian, and
placed a hand on his arm. When he opened his eyes, she said. "I...
I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking straight... it's just that... with all
that happened... and I felt so frustrated to see everyone pained..."
She couldn't continue, fearing that her voice would crack in any
moment. She then looked down, not wanting to see him in the eyes.
Makoto released her holding on his arm, and embraced herself.
The Guardian, seeing her reaction, unfolded his arms, and very gently,
put his right hand under Makoto's chin and made her raise her face
until they were looking at their eyes again. He then tried to finish
what she was saying. "... And since I was a convenient target, you
lashed on me, right?"
"I'm sorry..." said Makoto, softly.
The Guardian didn't say a word. Instead, he moved his hand away from
her face, and opened his arms in a silent invitation. Makoto didn't
hesitate, and accepted, embracing him and finally releasing the tears
she had fought all that time. The Guardian embraced her gently,
offering his support. They remained in that position for a few
minutes, not paying attention to their surroundings. When Makoto's
tears subsided, the Guardian spoke softly. "I truly envy you." When
Makoto raised her face from his chest, he looked down at her, his
expression painfully sad. "At least, you can cry..."
Makoto didn't say a thing; instead she looked at one side, leaning
against his chest. For a moment, she expected to hear to his heartbeat,
but then she remembered his constitution. Sighing, she finally spoke.
"Don't worry... I can cry for both of us."
"Thank you..." said the Guardian.
"So... what will happen now?" asked Makoto.
The Guardian took his time, thinking what to answer. Absentmindedly,
he began to gently caress her hair. Makoto didn't mind the attention,
remaining still.
"I don't know, Makoto." Finally said the Guardian.
"I don't know."
TO BE CONTINUED.