REUNION
Chapter 2: "Paths Not Taken"
By Bill K.
"Usagi?" Ami said, poking her head into the door. The door was
one more entry to one of many suites in the business district office
building. She wasn't sure it was the right one because it was marked
with a sign that said "Happy Eskimos Production". But this was where
Usagi said to meet her.
To her surprise, she found the inside of the suite to be an art
studio. There were three wall-less cubicles that contained drawing
boards, chairs, tables with art supplies, mirrors and bulletin boards
with drawings tacked to them. Hunched over the boards nearest to her
were two women working on manga art.
The nearest one, a chubby young woman of about twenty wearing
jeans and a floral print blouse, was carefully printing lettering in
word balloons on a page of pencil drawings. Farther from her was a
thin, average looking woman of twenty-eight with short black hair and
owlish round glasses drawing figures into panels in pencil. She wore
a loose navy skirt and a short sleeve white blouse. Neither woman
acknowledged Ami physically, but the woman drawing in pencil said,
"Usagi, you have a visitor," while maintaining intense concentration
on her art.
Two familiar yellow odangos popped up from behind the board at
the far end of the room. Ami smiled and crossed over to where Usagi
was working.
"Is it six already? I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Ami," Usagi
mumbled as she worked, "but I'm almost finished. Just give me a few
more moments."
"That's all right," Ami said. "May I peek?" Ami peered at
Usagi's work from one side. Usagi was going over pencil lines on a
page of art with a brush dipped in India ink. Recalling her father,
Ami noticed the steady, sure hand Usagi used to hold the brush and
ink in the lines. The caption at the top of the art told Ami it was
a page from a "Love Sorceress" story. "Usagi, it's very good!"
"Give the praise to Himeko," Usagi smiled shyly as she
continued to ink. "It's her pencils. I'm just trying not to mess it
up with my inking."
"Don't let her fool you," said Himeko while she continued to
draw. "She's good. I don't have to pencil as tightly with her
inking me. That lets me get more done." Himeko stretched. "Not
that it's helping. I'm still behind. Looks like another late
night."
"Not for me," chirped Usagi. "I'm done. Besides, I've got a
dinner date and a very tired husband to take care of."
"Sure, rub it in, Usagi," chuckled Mika, the letterer. "Tell
me, ma'am, does she go on and on about her husband to you?
"Before she was even married," grinned Ami.
"Girls, leave Usagi alone," a gentle voice said from the other
room. "She can't help it that she's blessed with a happy marriage."
A small, frail, but stylish woman nearing forty emerged and smiled at
Usagi and Ami. Ami was struck by how in command she seemed, even
though she was only five feet tall and leaned on a cane for support.
The most prominent features on her face were her huge round-framed
glasses and her huge, loving smile. She was dressed smartly in a
very expensive business jacket and skirt and seemed to dominate the
room unconsciously. She turned politely to Usagi. "May I see the
page, Usagi?"
Usagi gulped and handed her the page. The woman looked it
over, nodding.
"Very nice, Usagi," she said. "I love your subtle line. It's
so delicate. It's just the sort of line half a million teenage girls
want to see. I just hope the printers can reproduce it adequately."
She handed the page back to Usagi. "Ah, I'm going to be so sad the
day you leave."
"What makes you think I'm going to leave?" Usagi asked.
"You've got too much talent to stay," the woman smiled
maternally. "You and Himeko both. Someday soon you're both going to
sell your own features and become big stars and everyone will buy
them and forget all about 'Love Sorceress'. And Mika has the chance
to be better than both of you - - although she's going to have to put
in a lot more work to get there."
"Yes, ma'am," Mika replied, smiling to herself.
"And then I'll have to get new assistants. So I'm going to
enjoy you and Himeko as long as you're here."
"Pardon me, ma'am," Ami said. "Are you Marie Baishaku?" The
woman nodded. Ami bowed immediately. "I'm very honored to meet you,
ma'am. You're very famous."
"Thank you," Marie smiled. "Although I don't know why. I'm
just a modestly talented cartoonist and my girls do most of the work
now. Are you a fan of 'Love Sorceress'? Or perhaps 'Aurora
Wedding'?"
"Um, well," hesitated Ami, "truthfully, I've never read either
one. Mother never let me read manga. But Usagi and Rei always spoke
very highly of 'Aurora Wedding'." While Usagi was in the process of
dying of embarrassment, the other artists giggled.
"I'll take any compliment I can get," Marie smiled. "Thank you
for stopping by. And Usagi, you take care going home."
"Yes, ma'am," Usagi replied sheepishly. She gathered her
things and headed out with Ami.
"I never knew Marie Baishaku was so frail," Ami commented as
they walked to the subway.
"She had leukemia a few years ago," Usagi told her friend.
"She survived it, but it left her hands too weak to draw. That's why
she has to use assistants now. She still writes all the stories and
does some quick thumbnail layouts for Himeko, but it's all she can
manage. She's lucky her husband Shinrou dotes on her so much."
"How did you come to work for her?"
"Minako introduced us. She knew Baishaku-san from her Sailor V
days. So the day I graduated from art school, she marched me over to
her studio and asked Baishaku-san if she could help find me a job.
Oh, Ami, I was so embarrassed! But she looked at my samples, based
solely on Minako's recommendation, liked them and took me on right
there. She cut back on her penciling, gave that work to Himeko and
let me ink for her. She would have let me letter, too, if I weren't
so bad at it. And I've been there ever since. Oh and Ami, it's just
the dream job! And I get to read 'Love Sorceress' before anyone
else!"
"She seems very kind, particularly to worry about your health
like that," Ami observed.
"Oh, that?" Usagi asked, then grinned shyly. "Well, I was
saving it for tonight, but I guess I can tell you now." Usagi took
in a breath to steady herself. "Ami, I'm pregnant."
Ami stopped and stared, her eyes lighting up.
"Usagi, that's wonderful!" she cried, hugging her friend. Then
she pulled back, puzzled. "But how is that possible? Chibi-Usa
isn't supposed to be born until the thirtieth century!"
"I don't know," Usagi shrugged helplessly. "I don't know if
something's changed the time line or if Chibi-Usa just didn't know
about her way older sister. And right now I don't care."
"Sister? Are you hoping for a girl?"
"I don't care, as long as it's healthy. But if it is, I've got
a name all picked out."
"What?"
"Kousagi," Usagi smiled shyly.
"Oh, that's cute! How far along are you?"
"About two months. I'll start showing soon." Usagi suppressed
a shiver. "Ami, I'm scared to death, but at the same time I haven't
been this excited since Mamo-chan asked me to marry him!"
The pair got on the subway car and headed for Juuban.
"Can you afford a baby right now?" Ami asked.
"Well, money is a little tight. I've been supporting us while
Mamo-chan finished medical school. He's interning now and interns
don't make that much. But we'll manage. I mean we're much better
off financially than when we first got married."
"How does Mamoru feel about it?"
"He was surprised at first, just like I was. But he loves the
idea now." Usagi looked down for a moment. "Ami, this is a great
omen. You don't know how much Mamo-chan's suffered the last few
months."
"I've heard some of the intern horror stories - - twenty-four
hour shifts, grueling study, being constantly on call."
"I've been so worried about him, Ami," Usagi said. "He's so
tired when he gets home. He never does anything but sleep and study.
I was afraid for a while he was killing himself with work." Usagi
anxiously wrung her hands. "And our sex life went out the window."
"I'm sorry," Ami said. "That's something I'm going to be
facing in two years and you make it sound even less attractive."
"Well one day I did something about it. I, well," and Usagi
blushed like she did in her schoolgirl days, "used the crystal and
made our apartment look like the inside of this Arabian tent. And I
changed my clothes into this, well, harem girl's outfit."
"Usagi, really?" Ami gasped happily. She noticed Usagi
blushing didn't stop.
"And I did this little dance that Rei showed me - - and I
didn't trip or stumble once! And Mamo-chan was so entranced. Half
way through, he changed his clothes into the Moonlight Knight's, just
to get into the spirit!"
"Oh, my," smiled Ami.
"And, well, it was a very nice night. And Mamo-chan told me he
was so grateful that I'd go to so much trouble for him, as if I
wouldn't move the whole world to please him. And it made him so
happy. It seemed to re-energize him." Usagi grinned
self-consciously. "And two months later I'm pregnant."
"Well I'm glad for you both. You both deserve all the
happiness you get."
"Thanks, Ami. It's been tough from time to time. But
Mamo-chan works hard at keeping us together. He's so terrified of
being alone again," Usagi said, then looked down timidly, "and it
doesn't exactly thrill me either. It's sort of the perfect formula
for staying together: one part want to be together and one part need
to be together."
* * * *
"Hi, Rei," Makoto said upon entering the main prayer room of
Hikawa Shrine. "Just stopped by to check on the last minute
details." She noticed the woman, in her white and light blue
priest's robes, digging wax from a candleholder. "Don't you have a
shrine maiden for that?"
"I gave Yuki the night off. She had family in town," Rei
replied. She wiped her hand across the bandanna tied across her
forehead. "Somebody had to do it. I guess old habits die hard."
"Sometimes I wonder how you do it?" Makoto asked. "How do you
keep this place going? It's just you and Yuki, isn't it?"
"Her sister helps out on weekends," Rei offered as she attacked
the wax. "You remember Nanako, don't you?"
"The little Rei wannabe? Sure, she was a good kid. How's she
doing?"
"She's in college - - business major," Rei said. "Top five
percent of her class. She says Fuji is already recruiting her - -
promised her an entry level management job if she keeps her grades
up. And she's going out with a guy - - sounds serious." Makoto
noticed the melancholy in Rei's face and voice.
"Is something wrong, Rei?" Makoto asked, disturbed by what she
saw. Rei obviously sensed this and instantly withdrew into herself.
"Nothing," Rei said quickly. "I'm just tired."
"You know, if you want to talk, I've got the time."
"No . . ."
"Come on. You listen to people's problems all the time. It's
your turn to unburden on somebody else."
"I'm fine. You're getting married. You don't need to listen
to me whine."
"I don't mind. After all we've been through?" Rei remained
silent. "I'll sic Usagi on you."
Rei glared. Then she sighed in defeat.
"It's just," she began, then hesitated for the longest time.
"I'm not complaining, you understand. This is the path I ended up on
and it's a good path. There are worse things a person can do with
their life." Rei bit her lip as she searched for her next words.
"It's just - - well, this isn't exactly where I thought my life would
be ten years ago."
"And that bothers you?"
"It shouldn't. I'm doing good being here. But sometimes I
wonder if I'm strong enough to keep this place going. We're
understaffed - - and not everyone trusts a woman priest." Rei
pondered whether to make her next statement. "And every so often I
wonder if I really want to keep this place going." She heaved a
guilty sigh.
"Don't you like being a priest?" Makoto asked.
"A lot of the time. But there are times that I want more. I
know I'm just being selfish. It's just that I see Nanako on the fast
track to becoming a successful businesswoman and I get jealous. I
see Ami go to England and I wish I could go with her. I see Usagi
pregnant and I wonder why not me? And now you're getting married."
Rei sighed. "Makoto, I love this place, but there are times when it
feels like a cage."
"Wow."
"Yeah. I'm beginning to envy Minako!"
"Don't get drastic!" Makoto considered her next words
carefully. "If you're not happy, maybe you should quit."
Rei quickly shook her head. "I can't do that. Grampa gave his
life to this place. I can't dishonor his memory just two years after
he died. This place was important to him. Besides, he took me in
when my 'Kaa-san' died and my father didn't want anything to do with
me. He fed me, he clothed me, he cared for me - - loved me. And he
humbled himself before my father to get the money to pay for my
education, both high school and my priest training. His happiest day
was when I graduated." Rei sniffed loudly. "Not a lot of people
understand obligation anymore, Makoto, but I do. This is the path he
wanted for me and I owe him too much not to walk it. But sometimes
- - I do wish I had the chance to pursue my dreams."
"I think he'd understand if you did," Makoto suggested.
"That's the easy way out. You can't shun your obligations for
the sake of your own personal desires. That's the one good think I
learned from my father."
"Well, if you'd bring in some other priests to share the
duties, it'd leave you time to pursue other things and still maintain
a presence here to honor Grampa."
"Well," Rei said, looking down, "that's easier said than done.
I just can't bring myself to bring in just anybody. They have to
care about this place as much as I do - - not look at it as a
stepping stone to someplace else. And this may come as a shock to
you, but I'm not the easiest person in the world to work with."
Makoto feigned surprise. "Maybe I'm being too picky, but I can't
help it. So for now I'm all this place has."
"It doesn't mean that it's all you should have. Do you still
write music?"
"When I can. I've got a notebook full of songs. Most of them
are junk, but there are a few I'm actually proud of."
"Have you sent them to a publisher?"
"Yeah. Nobody seems to be interested in anything from 'the
singing priest'. But I keep writing - - mostly because it keeps me
from going crazy."
"I still say you need someone to share your burden around
here," Makoto told her. "If you won't bring in another priest, how
about a husband? Do you still think about getting married? You're
allowed now that you're a full priest."
"Well the cute guys that come here usually have women with
them," Rei replied. "Besides, it's kind of hard to flirt during a
purification rite."
"Grampa could do it."
Rei smiled in spite of herself.
"Maybe you should have married Yuuichiro when you had the
chance," Makoto suggested.
"That would have been 'settling'," Rei replied. "I'd never
marry a man I couldn't respect." She smiled wistfully. "The only
smart thing Yuuichiro ever did with his life was get fed up with me
and leave. I'm not the easiest person in the world to live with,
either. And I didn't love him enough to marry him. I only loved him
enough to miss him." A small sigh escaped her ruby lips. "I wonder
what he's doing now."
"I don't know what else to tell you, Rei," Makoto said
helplessly.
Rei smiled at her gratefully. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with
me that a big, happy wedding reception won't help. Just promise me
you won't beat me up if I dance with Sanjuro more than once."
"I'll try real hard," grinned Makoto.
"And maybe you and Usagi can talk your daughters into being
shrine maidens here. I could use the help."
* * * *
"This is very good, Mamoru," Ami smiled after tasting her meal.
She, Usagi and Mamoru sat at a modest table in the kitchen of the
Chiba apartment. Luna sat on the countertop with a dish of food so
she could be at eye-level and participate in conversation. "Did you
make it yourself?"
"Um hmm," nodded Mamoru. "I'm glad you like it."
"I'm sorry the place isn't much, Ami," apologized Usagi. "It
can be really cozy, but there isn't a lot of room to entertain."
"Usagi, you said that when she came in," fussed Luna.
"It's all right, Usagi," smiled Ami. "I'm used to small
spaces. It's actually a little bigger than my apartment in Oxford.
Besides, it's the company, not the surroundings. Does Mamoru do all
the cooking?"
"We take turns," Mamoru answered. "Sometimes it's convenient
for me to do it, but other times I'm just too tired." He reached
over and grasped Usagi's hand.
"And I can cook a few things now," smiled Usagi.
"She makes a delicious omelet."
"That's only because it involves breaking things," Usagi joked.
"Has your internship been tough?" Ami asked.
Mamoru let out a deep breath. "A lot tougher than I thought it
would be. I thought I had a handle on it, but those shifts wear you
down. If I'd been alone, I'm not sure I could have gotten through
it."
"He's exaggerating," smiled Usagi. "He'd have gotten through
it."
"Having her here made it a lot easier. And, of course, we have
to give due credit to Usagi's father, too."
"Oh?"
"Daddy loaned us money the first few years of our marriage,"
Usagi explained. "Mamo-chan was just starting medical school and I
was starting art school. Daddy helped support us until I could get
my job with Baishaku-san."
"I admit I wasn't too keen on the idea at first," then Mamoru
glanced at Usagi, "but it's hard to say 'no' to her sometimes."
Usagi grinned back.
"So how are you doing at Oxford?" Luna asked.
"I'm on schedule," Ami replied. "The competition is a lot
tougher than it was in high school. But that only makes me work
harder to succeed."
"Have you decided on a specialty yet?"
"General Practice," Ami said. "I still haven't completely
gotten Microbiology out of my system, but perhaps I can continue my
studies later. Right now, though, I just want to finish school and
come back home for good. I'm missing too much of life."
"That's good," Mamoru nodded. "Maybe we can open up an office
together."
"I," Ami said, a smile growing on her face like a flower in
springtime, "I think I'd like that."
"Usagi," Luna began, "is something wrong? You've hardly
touched your dinner."
"I-I just don't feel like it," Usagi shrugged meekly.
"Are you nauseous?" Mamoru asked, his medical instincts
snapping into place.
"Not really. I just don't feel right." Mamoru reached over
and felt her forehead.
"Temperature's elevated," he mumbled. "Do you feel any
abdominal cramping?"
"Some," she replied. "Nothing really major." She saw Mamoru
and Ami exchange concerned glances. "Mamo-chan, what is it?"
"I don't know," he told her, pushing up from the table. "But I
think we should take you to the hospital."
"Hospital?" gasped Usagi. "What's wrong?"
"I just want to be safe, Usako. You may have picked up an
infection and they're better equipped to treat it at the hospital.
Do you feel well enough to walk?"
Usagi tried getting up. "My legs feel a little weak, but I
think I can make it."
"I'll be there to catch you in case you falter."
"I'll phone for a cab," Ami said as she hurried for a phone.
"Never mind, Ami. I've still got my car."
"Mamoru, she's going to be all right, isn't she?" Luna asked
with concern dripping from her voice.
"Yes," he replied resolutely, as much for himself and Usagi as
for the cat. "I swear it."
* * * *
Makoto leisurely descended the steps from Hikawa Shrine to the
street, taking in the dying light of dusk. She was glad for the time
she'd spent with Rei. The woman put up a brave front, but she knew
her friend was lonely. Once she and San-san were settled in, Makoto
vowed to try to do something to help Rei.
The sound of her name being called shook Makoto from her
reverie. She turned back to see Rei running down the steps toward
her, wearing hastily thrown on street clothes.
"What happened, did I forget something?" Makoto asked. Then
she saw the look in Rei's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"It's Usagi!" Rei gasped out. "Something's wrong with Usagi!
I can feel it! Something bad!"
continued in part 3
Chapter 2: "Paths Not Taken"
By Bill K.
"Usagi?" Ami said, poking her head into the door. The door was
one more entry to one of many suites in the business district office
building. She wasn't sure it was the right one because it was marked
with a sign that said "Happy Eskimos Production". But this was where
Usagi said to meet her.
To her surprise, she found the inside of the suite to be an art
studio. There were three wall-less cubicles that contained drawing
boards, chairs, tables with art supplies, mirrors and bulletin boards
with drawings tacked to them. Hunched over the boards nearest to her
were two women working on manga art.
The nearest one, a chubby young woman of about twenty wearing
jeans and a floral print blouse, was carefully printing lettering in
word balloons on a page of pencil drawings. Farther from her was a
thin, average looking woman of twenty-eight with short black hair and
owlish round glasses drawing figures into panels in pencil. She wore
a loose navy skirt and a short sleeve white blouse. Neither woman
acknowledged Ami physically, but the woman drawing in pencil said,
"Usagi, you have a visitor," while maintaining intense concentration
on her art.
Two familiar yellow odangos popped up from behind the board at
the far end of the room. Ami smiled and crossed over to where Usagi
was working.
"Is it six already? I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Ami," Usagi
mumbled as she worked, "but I'm almost finished. Just give me a few
more moments."
"That's all right," Ami said. "May I peek?" Ami peered at
Usagi's work from one side. Usagi was going over pencil lines on a
page of art with a brush dipped in India ink. Recalling her father,
Ami noticed the steady, sure hand Usagi used to hold the brush and
ink in the lines. The caption at the top of the art told Ami it was
a page from a "Love Sorceress" story. "Usagi, it's very good!"
"Give the praise to Himeko," Usagi smiled shyly as she
continued to ink. "It's her pencils. I'm just trying not to mess it
up with my inking."
"Don't let her fool you," said Himeko while she continued to
draw. "She's good. I don't have to pencil as tightly with her
inking me. That lets me get more done." Himeko stretched. "Not
that it's helping. I'm still behind. Looks like another late
night."
"Not for me," chirped Usagi. "I'm done. Besides, I've got a
dinner date and a very tired husband to take care of."
"Sure, rub it in, Usagi," chuckled Mika, the letterer. "Tell
me, ma'am, does she go on and on about her husband to you?
"Before she was even married," grinned Ami.
"Girls, leave Usagi alone," a gentle voice said from the other
room. "She can't help it that she's blessed with a happy marriage."
A small, frail, but stylish woman nearing forty emerged and smiled at
Usagi and Ami. Ami was struck by how in command she seemed, even
though she was only five feet tall and leaned on a cane for support.
The most prominent features on her face were her huge round-framed
glasses and her huge, loving smile. She was dressed smartly in a
very expensive business jacket and skirt and seemed to dominate the
room unconsciously. She turned politely to Usagi. "May I see the
page, Usagi?"
Usagi gulped and handed her the page. The woman looked it
over, nodding.
"Very nice, Usagi," she said. "I love your subtle line. It's
so delicate. It's just the sort of line half a million teenage girls
want to see. I just hope the printers can reproduce it adequately."
She handed the page back to Usagi. "Ah, I'm going to be so sad the
day you leave."
"What makes you think I'm going to leave?" Usagi asked.
"You've got too much talent to stay," the woman smiled
maternally. "You and Himeko both. Someday soon you're both going to
sell your own features and become big stars and everyone will buy
them and forget all about 'Love Sorceress'. And Mika has the chance
to be better than both of you - - although she's going to have to put
in a lot more work to get there."
"Yes, ma'am," Mika replied, smiling to herself.
"And then I'll have to get new assistants. So I'm going to
enjoy you and Himeko as long as you're here."
"Pardon me, ma'am," Ami said. "Are you Marie Baishaku?" The
woman nodded. Ami bowed immediately. "I'm very honored to meet you,
ma'am. You're very famous."
"Thank you," Marie smiled. "Although I don't know why. I'm
just a modestly talented cartoonist and my girls do most of the work
now. Are you a fan of 'Love Sorceress'? Or perhaps 'Aurora
Wedding'?"
"Um, well," hesitated Ami, "truthfully, I've never read either
one. Mother never let me read manga. But Usagi and Rei always spoke
very highly of 'Aurora Wedding'." While Usagi was in the process of
dying of embarrassment, the other artists giggled.
"I'll take any compliment I can get," Marie smiled. "Thank you
for stopping by. And Usagi, you take care going home."
"Yes, ma'am," Usagi replied sheepishly. She gathered her
things and headed out with Ami.
"I never knew Marie Baishaku was so frail," Ami commented as
they walked to the subway.
"She had leukemia a few years ago," Usagi told her friend.
"She survived it, but it left her hands too weak to draw. That's why
she has to use assistants now. She still writes all the stories and
does some quick thumbnail layouts for Himeko, but it's all she can
manage. She's lucky her husband Shinrou dotes on her so much."
"How did you come to work for her?"
"Minako introduced us. She knew Baishaku-san from her Sailor V
days. So the day I graduated from art school, she marched me over to
her studio and asked Baishaku-san if she could help find me a job.
Oh, Ami, I was so embarrassed! But she looked at my samples, based
solely on Minako's recommendation, liked them and took me on right
there. She cut back on her penciling, gave that work to Himeko and
let me ink for her. She would have let me letter, too, if I weren't
so bad at it. And I've been there ever since. Oh and Ami, it's just
the dream job! And I get to read 'Love Sorceress' before anyone
else!"
"She seems very kind, particularly to worry about your health
like that," Ami observed.
"Oh, that?" Usagi asked, then grinned shyly. "Well, I was
saving it for tonight, but I guess I can tell you now." Usagi took
in a breath to steady herself. "Ami, I'm pregnant."
Ami stopped and stared, her eyes lighting up.
"Usagi, that's wonderful!" she cried, hugging her friend. Then
she pulled back, puzzled. "But how is that possible? Chibi-Usa
isn't supposed to be born until the thirtieth century!"
"I don't know," Usagi shrugged helplessly. "I don't know if
something's changed the time line or if Chibi-Usa just didn't know
about her way older sister. And right now I don't care."
"Sister? Are you hoping for a girl?"
"I don't care, as long as it's healthy. But if it is, I've got
a name all picked out."
"What?"
"Kousagi," Usagi smiled shyly.
"Oh, that's cute! How far along are you?"
"About two months. I'll start showing soon." Usagi suppressed
a shiver. "Ami, I'm scared to death, but at the same time I haven't
been this excited since Mamo-chan asked me to marry him!"
The pair got on the subway car and headed for Juuban.
"Can you afford a baby right now?" Ami asked.
"Well, money is a little tight. I've been supporting us while
Mamo-chan finished medical school. He's interning now and interns
don't make that much. But we'll manage. I mean we're much better
off financially than when we first got married."
"How does Mamoru feel about it?"
"He was surprised at first, just like I was. But he loves the
idea now." Usagi looked down for a moment. "Ami, this is a great
omen. You don't know how much Mamo-chan's suffered the last few
months."
"I've heard some of the intern horror stories - - twenty-four
hour shifts, grueling study, being constantly on call."
"I've been so worried about him, Ami," Usagi said. "He's so
tired when he gets home. He never does anything but sleep and study.
I was afraid for a while he was killing himself with work." Usagi
anxiously wrung her hands. "And our sex life went out the window."
"I'm sorry," Ami said. "That's something I'm going to be
facing in two years and you make it sound even less attractive."
"Well one day I did something about it. I, well," and Usagi
blushed like she did in her schoolgirl days, "used the crystal and
made our apartment look like the inside of this Arabian tent. And I
changed my clothes into this, well, harem girl's outfit."
"Usagi, really?" Ami gasped happily. She noticed Usagi
blushing didn't stop.
"And I did this little dance that Rei showed me - - and I
didn't trip or stumble once! And Mamo-chan was so entranced. Half
way through, he changed his clothes into the Moonlight Knight's, just
to get into the spirit!"
"Oh, my," smiled Ami.
"And, well, it was a very nice night. And Mamo-chan told me he
was so grateful that I'd go to so much trouble for him, as if I
wouldn't move the whole world to please him. And it made him so
happy. It seemed to re-energize him." Usagi grinned
self-consciously. "And two months later I'm pregnant."
"Well I'm glad for you both. You both deserve all the
happiness you get."
"Thanks, Ami. It's been tough from time to time. But
Mamo-chan works hard at keeping us together. He's so terrified of
being alone again," Usagi said, then looked down timidly, "and it
doesn't exactly thrill me either. It's sort of the perfect formula
for staying together: one part want to be together and one part need
to be together."
* * * *
"Hi, Rei," Makoto said upon entering the main prayer room of
Hikawa Shrine. "Just stopped by to check on the last minute
details." She noticed the woman, in her white and light blue
priest's robes, digging wax from a candleholder. "Don't you have a
shrine maiden for that?"
"I gave Yuki the night off. She had family in town," Rei
replied. She wiped her hand across the bandanna tied across her
forehead. "Somebody had to do it. I guess old habits die hard."
"Sometimes I wonder how you do it?" Makoto asked. "How do you
keep this place going? It's just you and Yuki, isn't it?"
"Her sister helps out on weekends," Rei offered as she attacked
the wax. "You remember Nanako, don't you?"
"The little Rei wannabe? Sure, she was a good kid. How's she
doing?"
"She's in college - - business major," Rei said. "Top five
percent of her class. She says Fuji is already recruiting her - -
promised her an entry level management job if she keeps her grades
up. And she's going out with a guy - - sounds serious." Makoto
noticed the melancholy in Rei's face and voice.
"Is something wrong, Rei?" Makoto asked, disturbed by what she
saw. Rei obviously sensed this and instantly withdrew into herself.
"Nothing," Rei said quickly. "I'm just tired."
"You know, if you want to talk, I've got the time."
"No . . ."
"Come on. You listen to people's problems all the time. It's
your turn to unburden on somebody else."
"I'm fine. You're getting married. You don't need to listen
to me whine."
"I don't mind. After all we've been through?" Rei remained
silent. "I'll sic Usagi on you."
Rei glared. Then she sighed in defeat.
"It's just," she began, then hesitated for the longest time.
"I'm not complaining, you understand. This is the path I ended up on
and it's a good path. There are worse things a person can do with
their life." Rei bit her lip as she searched for her next words.
"It's just - - well, this isn't exactly where I thought my life would
be ten years ago."
"And that bothers you?"
"It shouldn't. I'm doing good being here. But sometimes I
wonder if I'm strong enough to keep this place going. We're
understaffed - - and not everyone trusts a woman priest." Rei
pondered whether to make her next statement. "And every so often I
wonder if I really want to keep this place going." She heaved a
guilty sigh.
"Don't you like being a priest?" Makoto asked.
"A lot of the time. But there are times that I want more. I
know I'm just being selfish. It's just that I see Nanako on the fast
track to becoming a successful businesswoman and I get jealous. I
see Ami go to England and I wish I could go with her. I see Usagi
pregnant and I wonder why not me? And now you're getting married."
Rei sighed. "Makoto, I love this place, but there are times when it
feels like a cage."
"Wow."
"Yeah. I'm beginning to envy Minako!"
"Don't get drastic!" Makoto considered her next words
carefully. "If you're not happy, maybe you should quit."
Rei quickly shook her head. "I can't do that. Grampa gave his
life to this place. I can't dishonor his memory just two years after
he died. This place was important to him. Besides, he took me in
when my 'Kaa-san' died and my father didn't want anything to do with
me. He fed me, he clothed me, he cared for me - - loved me. And he
humbled himself before my father to get the money to pay for my
education, both high school and my priest training. His happiest day
was when I graduated." Rei sniffed loudly. "Not a lot of people
understand obligation anymore, Makoto, but I do. This is the path he
wanted for me and I owe him too much not to walk it. But sometimes
- - I do wish I had the chance to pursue my dreams."
"I think he'd understand if you did," Makoto suggested.
"That's the easy way out. You can't shun your obligations for
the sake of your own personal desires. That's the one good think I
learned from my father."
"Well, if you'd bring in some other priests to share the
duties, it'd leave you time to pursue other things and still maintain
a presence here to honor Grampa."
"Well," Rei said, looking down, "that's easier said than done.
I just can't bring myself to bring in just anybody. They have to
care about this place as much as I do - - not look at it as a
stepping stone to someplace else. And this may come as a shock to
you, but I'm not the easiest person in the world to work with."
Makoto feigned surprise. "Maybe I'm being too picky, but I can't
help it. So for now I'm all this place has."
"It doesn't mean that it's all you should have. Do you still
write music?"
"When I can. I've got a notebook full of songs. Most of them
are junk, but there are a few I'm actually proud of."
"Have you sent them to a publisher?"
"Yeah. Nobody seems to be interested in anything from 'the
singing priest'. But I keep writing - - mostly because it keeps me
from going crazy."
"I still say you need someone to share your burden around
here," Makoto told her. "If you won't bring in another priest, how
about a husband? Do you still think about getting married? You're
allowed now that you're a full priest."
"Well the cute guys that come here usually have women with
them," Rei replied. "Besides, it's kind of hard to flirt during a
purification rite."
"Grampa could do it."
Rei smiled in spite of herself.
"Maybe you should have married Yuuichiro when you had the
chance," Makoto suggested.
"That would have been 'settling'," Rei replied. "I'd never
marry a man I couldn't respect." She smiled wistfully. "The only
smart thing Yuuichiro ever did with his life was get fed up with me
and leave. I'm not the easiest person in the world to live with,
either. And I didn't love him enough to marry him. I only loved him
enough to miss him." A small sigh escaped her ruby lips. "I wonder
what he's doing now."
"I don't know what else to tell you, Rei," Makoto said
helplessly.
Rei smiled at her gratefully. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with
me that a big, happy wedding reception won't help. Just promise me
you won't beat me up if I dance with Sanjuro more than once."
"I'll try real hard," grinned Makoto.
"And maybe you and Usagi can talk your daughters into being
shrine maidens here. I could use the help."
* * * *
"This is very good, Mamoru," Ami smiled after tasting her meal.
She, Usagi and Mamoru sat at a modest table in the kitchen of the
Chiba apartment. Luna sat on the countertop with a dish of food so
she could be at eye-level and participate in conversation. "Did you
make it yourself?"
"Um hmm," nodded Mamoru. "I'm glad you like it."
"I'm sorry the place isn't much, Ami," apologized Usagi. "It
can be really cozy, but there isn't a lot of room to entertain."
"Usagi, you said that when she came in," fussed Luna.
"It's all right, Usagi," smiled Ami. "I'm used to small
spaces. It's actually a little bigger than my apartment in Oxford.
Besides, it's the company, not the surroundings. Does Mamoru do all
the cooking?"
"We take turns," Mamoru answered. "Sometimes it's convenient
for me to do it, but other times I'm just too tired." He reached
over and grasped Usagi's hand.
"And I can cook a few things now," smiled Usagi.
"She makes a delicious omelet."
"That's only because it involves breaking things," Usagi joked.
"Has your internship been tough?" Ami asked.
Mamoru let out a deep breath. "A lot tougher than I thought it
would be. I thought I had a handle on it, but those shifts wear you
down. If I'd been alone, I'm not sure I could have gotten through
it."
"He's exaggerating," smiled Usagi. "He'd have gotten through
it."
"Having her here made it a lot easier. And, of course, we have
to give due credit to Usagi's father, too."
"Oh?"
"Daddy loaned us money the first few years of our marriage,"
Usagi explained. "Mamo-chan was just starting medical school and I
was starting art school. Daddy helped support us until I could get
my job with Baishaku-san."
"I admit I wasn't too keen on the idea at first," then Mamoru
glanced at Usagi, "but it's hard to say 'no' to her sometimes."
Usagi grinned back.
"So how are you doing at Oxford?" Luna asked.
"I'm on schedule," Ami replied. "The competition is a lot
tougher than it was in high school. But that only makes me work
harder to succeed."
"Have you decided on a specialty yet?"
"General Practice," Ami said. "I still haven't completely
gotten Microbiology out of my system, but perhaps I can continue my
studies later. Right now, though, I just want to finish school and
come back home for good. I'm missing too much of life."
"That's good," Mamoru nodded. "Maybe we can open up an office
together."
"I," Ami said, a smile growing on her face like a flower in
springtime, "I think I'd like that."
"Usagi," Luna began, "is something wrong? You've hardly
touched your dinner."
"I-I just don't feel like it," Usagi shrugged meekly.
"Are you nauseous?" Mamoru asked, his medical instincts
snapping into place.
"Not really. I just don't feel right." Mamoru reached over
and felt her forehead.
"Temperature's elevated," he mumbled. "Do you feel any
abdominal cramping?"
"Some," she replied. "Nothing really major." She saw Mamoru
and Ami exchange concerned glances. "Mamo-chan, what is it?"
"I don't know," he told her, pushing up from the table. "But I
think we should take you to the hospital."
"Hospital?" gasped Usagi. "What's wrong?"
"I just want to be safe, Usako. You may have picked up an
infection and they're better equipped to treat it at the hospital.
Do you feel well enough to walk?"
Usagi tried getting up. "My legs feel a little weak, but I
think I can make it."
"I'll be there to catch you in case you falter."
"I'll phone for a cab," Ami said as she hurried for a phone.
"Never mind, Ami. I've still got my car."
"Mamoru, she's going to be all right, isn't she?" Luna asked
with concern dripping from her voice.
"Yes," he replied resolutely, as much for himself and Usagi as
for the cat. "I swear it."
* * * *
Makoto leisurely descended the steps from Hikawa Shrine to the
street, taking in the dying light of dusk. She was glad for the time
she'd spent with Rei. The woman put up a brave front, but she knew
her friend was lonely. Once she and San-san were settled in, Makoto
vowed to try to do something to help Rei.
The sound of her name being called shook Makoto from her
reverie. She turned back to see Rei running down the steps toward
her, wearing hastily thrown on street clothes.
"What happened, did I forget something?" Makoto asked. Then
she saw the look in Rei's eyes. "What's wrong?"
"It's Usagi!" Rei gasped out. "Something's wrong with Usagi!
I can feel it! Something bad!"
continued in part 3