Six

The street light above the girls shattered.

Ami and Makoto ducked and civilians ran to move out of the way of the falling pieces of glass.

The two girls recovered with a shake.

'I'm getting sick of this.'

'It's not my fault.'

'Once in the hospital might have been a coincidence, but that's the third time,' Makoto removed her hat and shook her hair out. A few pieces of thick glass fell out and she resumed walking as though it was the most normal thing in the world to do.

'Fourth,' Ami corrected. Makoto stopped and gave Ami a disbelieving look. 'This morning, before I came to you,' Ami said reluctantly.

Makoto shook her head. 'This is freaking me out, why you? I'm the –'

Ami's glance silenced Makoto.

'You're the one with the affinity to electricity?' Ami asked in a hushed voice, both girls hurrying past a neon sign.

'Exactly,' Makoto hissed, and stopped again.

'Well, not exactly,' Ami's brow furrowed again. 'Your element is earth, the trees, plant life. The thunder…well, it doesn't matter, but it can be connected to Mercury as well as Jupiter. Anyway, we need to talk to Luna and get the others to the Games Center, see if anything else has-' Ami turned back to Makoto quickly.

'Mako-chan?'

Makoto's eyes were wide and her hand was on her chest. She looked horrified.

'No,' Ami rushed back to her, rubbing the girl's arms. 'Breathe normally.'

Makoto shook her head, as though she wanted to say something to correct the situation.

'Here,' Ami fumbled with her bag and produced the ventilator a nurse had given Ami for Mako's sake.

Makoto didn't protest and just about devoured the tube, breathing in as the spray pumped out.

Another puff, and Makoto began to calm. Ami politely turned the people away asking if the girl was all right, and put her arm around Makoto's shoulders, leading her along their former path.

'We should get you to Rei,' Ami said in a low voice. 'If anyone saw this coming, she would have. The others can meet us there.'