The weather was rainy that day. The rain pounded
gently on the roof, falling from the dense, dark clouds
that hung thickly overhead. Makoto despised rain, but today
it seemed like a nice change from the humid weather they
had been having in Tokyo earlier that week.
Makoto loved the feeling right before a thunderstorm,
despite that she hated rain. The intense feeling always
rushed through her body. She loved how the clouds would
brew darker and darker and the sky would take a gray tint,
and how then the clouds would turn black. She loved the
echoing thunder that pounded through her ears, and the way
the streaking lightning would bright up the sky. She loved
the harsh break of light that the lighting would bring and
the way the thunder seemed so perfectly fitting for it.
Makoto stretched out, yawning, thinking quick and
hard. She supposed that it was a good thing it was raining,
not only because the plants needed it, but because of what
had happened yesterday. Rei and Usagi had gotten into
another fight. That had started it.
Late afternoon light streamed through the shrine
windows, the light a warm yellow. Around the low table sat
all the inner senshi, at a study session. Usagi had been
sitting on a low, pale pink cushion, her pale hair
streaming to the floor. The loose curls had been pulled
into their usual odango style, but a few stray strands had
been pulled behind her ears. Her brilliant blue eyes had
been open wide with shock. Her lips, blushed with pale
pink, had been opened in surprise. Her cheeks were flushed
as she stared at Rei.
The usually tranquil girl was aflame with anger. Rei
had donned her priestess attire. Her dull raven's wing
black hair had been pulled back loosely with a tie to hold
it back. Her indigo eyes danced, looking fiercely at Usagi,
daring anyone to say anything. Her face, too, was flushed,
as she hissed words out at Usagi, accusations, like water
dropping on a hot skillet. The other senshi looked at Usagi
and Rei in equal stun as Usagi.
Minako looked uneasily at the two senshi. Ami looked
flustered, trying to stop Rei with almost silent protests
that fell on deaf ears. Makoto closed her eyes, silent,
clearly thinking.
A soft voice cut through the harsh words that had come
out of Rei's mouth. "Why are you wasting time on this
argument? Why do you waste your breath, when it may be the
last you will ever take? Why do you scold Usagi, Rei, for
ruining your good dress if there is no use for it unless
you wear it, not just saving it for that "someday"? Have
you ever thought that this might be your last day in your
body, that at any second you might just be snatched away? I
had not seen my parents before they died. How was I to know
that in one moment, they would be gone, just like that? My
strong mother and father, emotionally as well as
physically, had just been snatched by death in a second.
Why do you scold if those words may be your last?
"My mother had bought a dress about two years before
she died. It was beautiful, a cream dress that was made for
her, and she never wore it. She was always saving it for a
special occasion. Is not everyday a special occasion, Rei
and Usagi? Is not everyday you are blessed to be able to
look at the flowers, smell the rain, hear a child's
laughter; is it not that that is a special occasion? I
never save anything; I never know when the day might not be
my last. Why should you argue, if it is not entirely
important?"
Makoto's speech shocked everyone. Rei recovered
quickly though. "So I suppose I shouldn't save my
friendship for a person who thinks that my things aren't
good enough for her?"
Makoto gasped; that was unfair and both Rei and Makoto
knew it. Rei couldn't apologize; Makoto couldn't forgive.
"It will rain soon," Makoto, said, "I can feel the
thunder and I should get home." She ran out the door.
Makoto breathed in the scent of her favorite flower,
lilac, and relaxed again. She walked over to the CD player
and pushed the play button. The liquid music washed over
her in a tide and rush of deep soothing noises of violins
and cellos. A string quartet played her favorite song:
Canon in D. Michiru had first introduced her to classical
music.
Hesitantly, Makoto walked into Michiru's apartment.
"Hi," she said nervously to the senshi of water. She had
once been so cold, and Makoto still remembered the sting of
her insults from before the war against Mistress 9 had been
finished.
"Welcome, Makoto," Michiru greeted her warmly. "I just
wanted to share and beautiful piece with you. I know you
can appreciate this."
Michiru pushed a play button and the music rushed out
and Makoto breathless. She looked out into space, crying
softly, tears gently running down her face. Michiru
noticed, and waited until the song was over to rush over to
Makoto. "I am sorry to upset you, I hoped you would like
the song. You are the person, emotionally; that I knew you
would appreciate this song. You like it, don't you? You
wouldn't be crying otherwise."
"It's so beautiful." Makoto said, a lone tear running
down her face while she laughed merrily. "It makes me want
to laugh and to cry and to remember everything that has
happened to me and to appreciate all I have. And look, I am
doing all!"
A light knock pounded the door, abruptly whisking the
memory away and sending Makoto into reality again. She felt
so whole when she listened; she felt like she knew who she
really was. Makoto opened the door, to find Rei.
Rei had a dark dress on that matched her eyes. It was
had spaghetti straps and a high waistline. At the knees, it
frocked out into a semi-full skirt. Rei's hair fell to her
shoulders. She looked frail, her skin pale, her image not
the tranquil, strong self Makoto was used to seeing. "Hi."
Makoto opened the door wider, blushing. "Hi."
Rei hesitated. "I like your pajamas." Makoto was still
in pajamas, a pants set that had little ducks carrying
umbrellas and dancing in the rain.
Makoto blushed again and smiled. "Thanks," she said
sheepishly. "Come in."
Rei leaned her umbrella next to a stand. "I love your
apartment. You've redecorated." Makoto's apartment had been
changed to all white. A thick white carpet covered a deep
oak wooden floor. White whicker covered with thick white
cushions sat as couches in the living room. The living room
connected to a white tiled kitchen with a high ceiling that
had white counters. Screen doors that could be pushed to
cover the sink, oven, and fridge. Huge vases of lilacs lay
scattered about the entire apartment. The whole effect was
very soothing. Both senshi relaxed a little.
Rei fidgeted. "I'm really sorry about yesterday. I've
been thinking about what you said, and I realized that it's
true: I haven't been taking time to tell you guys how much
I love you all. We are the senshi; we are eternally
connected forever. I've really got to apologize to a lot of
people. I am really sorry, Makoto. I've kind of been having
trouble lately, and I've taken it out on you and Usagi."
Makoto looked away from Rei, out over her
neighborhood. "Rei, I've noticed. You seem...distant all the
time. I don't want to root into your troubles. I'm just
glad that you are thinking about what I said miss my
parents, more than ever lately. You guys are the only
family I have left now."
Rei looked at Makoto. "You're my family, too, Makoto."
They looked out over Tokyo together, in a beautiful, deep
silence. The rain pounded on the roof; the healing rain.
Author's notes: Let's see here...well first I want to mention
that I have two little personal touches in this story.
First, the ducky pajamas are real *smiles* I made them with
fabric my Grandma bought me. Second, Canon in D by Pachbel
is my favorite song, or at least my favorite classical
song. Though Anita's Dance by Greig comes close. I would
like to thank all the reviewers and the readers who have
bothered to read this, though half of you who read this
won't review. *whispers* I don't always review, if I'm not
in a good mood. Thank you for reading. Comments are
accepted directly to UmbrellaKitty@hotmail.com.
gently on the roof, falling from the dense, dark clouds
that hung thickly overhead. Makoto despised rain, but today
it seemed like a nice change from the humid weather they
had been having in Tokyo earlier that week.
Makoto loved the feeling right before a thunderstorm,
despite that she hated rain. The intense feeling always
rushed through her body. She loved how the clouds would
brew darker and darker and the sky would take a gray tint,
and how then the clouds would turn black. She loved the
echoing thunder that pounded through her ears, and the way
the streaking lightning would bright up the sky. She loved
the harsh break of light that the lighting would bring and
the way the thunder seemed so perfectly fitting for it.
Makoto stretched out, yawning, thinking quick and
hard. She supposed that it was a good thing it was raining,
not only because the plants needed it, but because of what
had happened yesterday. Rei and Usagi had gotten into
another fight. That had started it.
Late afternoon light streamed through the shrine
windows, the light a warm yellow. Around the low table sat
all the inner senshi, at a study session. Usagi had been
sitting on a low, pale pink cushion, her pale hair
streaming to the floor. The loose curls had been pulled
into their usual odango style, but a few stray strands had
been pulled behind her ears. Her brilliant blue eyes had
been open wide with shock. Her lips, blushed with pale
pink, had been opened in surprise. Her cheeks were flushed
as she stared at Rei.
The usually tranquil girl was aflame with anger. Rei
had donned her priestess attire. Her dull raven's wing
black hair had been pulled back loosely with a tie to hold
it back. Her indigo eyes danced, looking fiercely at Usagi,
daring anyone to say anything. Her face, too, was flushed,
as she hissed words out at Usagi, accusations, like water
dropping on a hot skillet. The other senshi looked at Usagi
and Rei in equal stun as Usagi.
Minako looked uneasily at the two senshi. Ami looked
flustered, trying to stop Rei with almost silent protests
that fell on deaf ears. Makoto closed her eyes, silent,
clearly thinking.
A soft voice cut through the harsh words that had come
out of Rei's mouth. "Why are you wasting time on this
argument? Why do you waste your breath, when it may be the
last you will ever take? Why do you scold Usagi, Rei, for
ruining your good dress if there is no use for it unless
you wear it, not just saving it for that "someday"? Have
you ever thought that this might be your last day in your
body, that at any second you might just be snatched away? I
had not seen my parents before they died. How was I to know
that in one moment, they would be gone, just like that? My
strong mother and father, emotionally as well as
physically, had just been snatched by death in a second.
Why do you scold if those words may be your last?
"My mother had bought a dress about two years before
she died. It was beautiful, a cream dress that was made for
her, and she never wore it. She was always saving it for a
special occasion. Is not everyday a special occasion, Rei
and Usagi? Is not everyday you are blessed to be able to
look at the flowers, smell the rain, hear a child's
laughter; is it not that that is a special occasion? I
never save anything; I never know when the day might not be
my last. Why should you argue, if it is not entirely
important?"
Makoto's speech shocked everyone. Rei recovered
quickly though. "So I suppose I shouldn't save my
friendship for a person who thinks that my things aren't
good enough for her?"
Makoto gasped; that was unfair and both Rei and Makoto
knew it. Rei couldn't apologize; Makoto couldn't forgive.
"It will rain soon," Makoto, said, "I can feel the
thunder and I should get home." She ran out the door.
Makoto breathed in the scent of her favorite flower,
lilac, and relaxed again. She walked over to the CD player
and pushed the play button. The liquid music washed over
her in a tide and rush of deep soothing noises of violins
and cellos. A string quartet played her favorite song:
Canon in D. Michiru had first introduced her to classical
music.
Hesitantly, Makoto walked into Michiru's apartment.
"Hi," she said nervously to the senshi of water. She had
once been so cold, and Makoto still remembered the sting of
her insults from before the war against Mistress 9 had been
finished.
"Welcome, Makoto," Michiru greeted her warmly. "I just
wanted to share and beautiful piece with you. I know you
can appreciate this."
Michiru pushed a play button and the music rushed out
and Makoto breathless. She looked out into space, crying
softly, tears gently running down her face. Michiru
noticed, and waited until the song was over to rush over to
Makoto. "I am sorry to upset you, I hoped you would like
the song. You are the person, emotionally; that I knew you
would appreciate this song. You like it, don't you? You
wouldn't be crying otherwise."
"It's so beautiful." Makoto said, a lone tear running
down her face while she laughed merrily. "It makes me want
to laugh and to cry and to remember everything that has
happened to me and to appreciate all I have. And look, I am
doing all!"
A light knock pounded the door, abruptly whisking the
memory away and sending Makoto into reality again. She felt
so whole when she listened; she felt like she knew who she
really was. Makoto opened the door, to find Rei.
Rei had a dark dress on that matched her eyes. It was
had spaghetti straps and a high waistline. At the knees, it
frocked out into a semi-full skirt. Rei's hair fell to her
shoulders. She looked frail, her skin pale, her image not
the tranquil, strong self Makoto was used to seeing. "Hi."
Makoto opened the door wider, blushing. "Hi."
Rei hesitated. "I like your pajamas." Makoto was still
in pajamas, a pants set that had little ducks carrying
umbrellas and dancing in the rain.
Makoto blushed again and smiled. "Thanks," she said
sheepishly. "Come in."
Rei leaned her umbrella next to a stand. "I love your
apartment. You've redecorated." Makoto's apartment had been
changed to all white. A thick white carpet covered a deep
oak wooden floor. White whicker covered with thick white
cushions sat as couches in the living room. The living room
connected to a white tiled kitchen with a high ceiling that
had white counters. Screen doors that could be pushed to
cover the sink, oven, and fridge. Huge vases of lilacs lay
scattered about the entire apartment. The whole effect was
very soothing. Both senshi relaxed a little.
Rei fidgeted. "I'm really sorry about yesterday. I've
been thinking about what you said, and I realized that it's
true: I haven't been taking time to tell you guys how much
I love you all. We are the senshi; we are eternally
connected forever. I've really got to apologize to a lot of
people. I am really sorry, Makoto. I've kind of been having
trouble lately, and I've taken it out on you and Usagi."
Makoto looked away from Rei, out over her
neighborhood. "Rei, I've noticed. You seem...distant all the
time. I don't want to root into your troubles. I'm just
glad that you are thinking about what I said miss my
parents, more than ever lately. You guys are the only
family I have left now."
Rei looked at Makoto. "You're my family, too, Makoto."
They looked out over Tokyo together, in a beautiful, deep
silence. The rain pounded on the roof; the healing rain.
Author's notes: Let's see here...well first I want to mention
that I have two little personal touches in this story.
First, the ducky pajamas are real *smiles* I made them with
fabric my Grandma bought me. Second, Canon in D by Pachbel
is my favorite song, or at least my favorite classical
song. Though Anita's Dance by Greig comes close. I would
like to thank all the reviewers and the readers who have
bothered to read this, though half of you who read this
won't review. *whispers* I don't always review, if I'm not
in a good mood. Thank you for reading. Comments are
accepted directly to UmbrellaKitty@hotmail.com.