Stray Thunder
By, GothicDJ
YamiMuse: How come I'm not in this story
SetoMuse: Cause it's a Sailor Moon story you dumbass.jeez...
YamiMuse: HA! Well, you're not in it either
*Both start fighting*
Me: Do you mind, I'm trying to write some angst here and you're ruining the whole mood.
Muses: We're sorry
Me: *grins* Now, this is my first angst story so please don't kill me ^^;
YamiMuse: *pincher her* aren't you forgetting something..
Me: *sigh* fine. I was stalling.. I don't own Sailor Moon. The genius Naoko Takeuchi does.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`
Chapter 1: Harsh Reality
The cold wind and the rain combined made her shorter-than-necessary skirt cling to her like a second skin. Not to mention the tight white blouse that was slowly letting the cold water through and chill her skin to the bone. It was another one of those nights. Another night in that horrible strip club she had to work in the get food on her plate. She wasn't actually one of the strippers, just a waitress. Although, having to show an extra three inches of cleavage just to get a decent tip was not one of her favorite things to do. Her emerald eyes looked out bleakly as she trudged her way home in the slums of New York. A slum was a good word for where she lived at this point of her life. She could find druggies who broke into her shoddy apartment from time to time just to have a place where the smoke wouldn't drift away and they could stay on an eternal high. There was almost always someone pissing on the side of the building where she lived and catcalls and cocaine were as common as the rats that inhibited the area. She lived in the worst part of skid row, and could barely afford to pay her rent and get decent food in her stomach. She wasn't always like this though, there was a time when she was happy. Makoto Kino had once lived in Japan. Unknown to anyone but a small group of people, she was the sailor suited soldier, Sailor Jupiter. Her life was wonderful once she had met Usagi and the rest of the girls. There was never a bleak day and yet, something was missing. One day, after a vicious fight with a youma, she asked the scouts to return with her to her apartment. When they arrived there, she fixed them food and drinks while they bandaged their cuts and such. What shocked them, though, was that almost everything in her apartment was boxed up. Returning from the kitchen with their drinks and some sandwiches, she was faced with the question of why everything was in boxes. ~*flashback*~
"Mako-chan," inquired Usagi gently, "why is everything in boxes. Are you moving or something?" There was a slight tremor in her voice. What was going to happen to their tall brunet friend? Makoto sighed; she knew this was going to happen some time or another. "You guys, being with you has been.. no.is and will always be the best time of my life." She paused to scan the crowd of ten or so people. They all sat there contemplating what would happen when she spoke up again. Gathering her courage, she opened her mouth again. " I love you guys to death but I really need to do this." Taking one more deep breath, she announced, "I'm moving to America." Everyone took a sharp intake of breath. Their friend, Makoto Kino...no, Makoto-Chan, was moving HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD. No more going to the arcade, no more ogling guys, no more staying up late eating one of her scrumptious meals, and no more senshi fighting. Her leaving was like taking a piece out of a puzzle. Just as soon as you finish it and bask in the happiness of having the complete product, you loose a piece, breaking the image and the purpose. The puzzle would still be there but never be fully complete. Hearing no response of encouragment or negativity, her hands flew to her mouth and she suppressed her tears as she ran out of the room. Later, she heard a knocking on the door. Mumbling that the door was open, Minako slowly inched herself into the room. Makoto lay on her bed, eyes staring lifelessly into the ceiling. Walking around the room, she fingered the one-way ticket to Manhattan, New York. Makoto's weak voice broke her thoughts. " How come you can't be happy for me?" Minako stared at the pitiful form that lay curled up the mass of starch white blankets like an infant. She settled herself on the bed next to her. "We are happy for you, just a little startled that you wanted to move to America on such short notice," she finally said in an unsure voice. Makoto picked up the twinge in it. " I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT ME TO GO, BUT I HAVE TO. I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY BECAUSE I HAVE TO GO THROUGH HELL THE MOST PART OF MY LIFE! I NEED SOMETHING, CRAVE SOMETHING, WANT SOMETHING NEW! AND NO ONE HERE IS GOING TO STOP ME!" Almost immediately after her outburst, she broke into uncontrollable sobs. Minako just rubbed her shaking back and soothed her that it was all okay. "No...No, I didn't mean that. I just." her voice broke off into sobs once again. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Minako soothed. " Don't force yourself to go because we are certainly not forcing you to go. Makoto's sadness suddenly halted and her voice was bitter and cold. " There is nothing you can do to stop me from going. This is what I need to do, I can feel it. One day I may return to Japan, but not until I fulfill the need inside of me." ~*End Flashback*~ Unlocking the door in her filthy apartment, she once again found the same druggies, Tom and Bruce, smoking something and standing up every 3 seconds to inhale the circling cloud of smoke in her apartment. Too high to realize that she was standing there, she walked behind the both of them, long used to the smell of drugs, and tweaked them both in the neck. In their drug- induced state, it didn't take much to knock them out. Grabbing their lifeless forms, she hauled them both out of the apartment and tossed them on the ground, packets of heroin and crack fell out their pockets but she paid no heed and slammed the apartment door. Forcing one of her windows open, she slammed her room door closed, thankful that it wasn't filled with smoke as well, and changed her clothes as the silent tears fell. Looking at her life and what it was before, it wasn't supposed to happen like this. She wasn't supposed to be living in Skid Row with meager meals and druggies. She should be living in a penthouse near Time Square.it shouldn't be like this. As she lay herself down to sleep, the tears slowly making their way down her face, the resounding question through her head: why?
Chapter 2: Why did it have to end up like this
It had started out nice. Life in New York was wonderful. She was living in a penthouse on Broadway and her resteraunt was doing wonderful. She could shop at Sax Fifth Avenue all day without making a dent in her credit. She could dine well every night she didn't make her won dinner and lived in the lap of luxury. Yes, everything was going well.no well.everything was perfect. Perfect. A word that almost seemed foreign to her now. She knew there were people who didn't like her. Maybe it was because she was so successful. Or maybe her charm, beauty, and athletic figure. She had that in Tokyo as well. But she never though that someone hated so much as to do everything in their power to ruin her life.
Even if it meant her death. Even if was the death of others.
This person hated her so much; all would go on the line to make her miserable. I was a regular day for her going to work. She was the manager and head chef of a top Restaurant called "Zeus' Throne Room (A/N: hehehehe, I couldn't help myself)." She had just unlocked the doors and was walking into the kitchen. Taking a whiff of her surroundings, she noted that something smelled slightly off. Although, she had recently just recovered from a cold so she really didn't trust her nose and dismissed it as nothing. If she had checked, she would have found small drops of liquid slowly seeping into all of the food. In about twenty minutes, the liquid would be unable to wash out or be killed off by the oven. It would be tasteless and no longer smell. {*}
Someone had poisoned all the food in the restaurant.
True to the warning, in about twenty minutes, the smell did go away and it was completely unnoticeable. Even when some of the staff tasted the food, they couldn't taste a thing. Makoto was not working in the kitchen that day because of her recovering cold. She didn't want to contaminate to food.
The food was served. The people ate and enjoyed. They left the money and left. They got sick in a few days. Within the month they would die and the autopsy always led back to "Zeus's Throne Room" The lawsuits came and Makoto's picturesque life fell to shambles. She couldn't believe that someone had poisoned her food. She had no evidence to show that someone else did it, but she also had no evidence that she didn't do it. All her money, clothes, her fancy penthouse, all her admirers.gone. Gone like her restaurant, friends, dignity. All gone. She was forced to take her meager belongings, get a crappy ass job, and live in the Skid Row of New York. She knew she could survive there physically, with her fighting skills and survival knowledge from all those years on her own, my emotionally was another story. Even in Japan, she had better living conditions that the old smelly apartment she had to live in. If she ever found this person who would do such a thing.
They would die. By her hands, and by no other. (A/N: that makes the think of the Prophecy from the Dark Crystal *that movie is the bombness* Single Shines the triple sun. What was sundered and undone. Behold, the two make one. By gelfling hand or else by none. Hehehehehehehe) {*} If anyone wants to know where I got this poison idea from, it's kind of like arsenic, maybe even arsenic, I'm not sure yet.
Chapter 3: Firm Resolution
Makoto woke up in her dank room of her apartment with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. As soon as she saw her surroundings, though, it quickly faded into something more along the lines of resignation for her shitty life. Getting out of her bed, she made her way to the corroded bathroom. She had tried for weeks to get the rust and scum off of the sink, toilette, and tub, but it held fast. Knowing she would probably never get it off, she left it as is and avoided touching it at all costs. After finishing her business, she took a good look at herself. One thing she could afford to keep clean was her mirror, as it reminded her of what she used to be and what she had become. Bags hung under her eyes and the glimmer that used to sparkle with life had died down to nothing. Something flashed in the back of her mind as she remembered the good days in Tokyo with her friends. She still spoke fluent Japanese as well as English. It wouldn't be impossible for her to go back. She could always make amends with her father's side of the family and they could help her get an apartment in Tokyo. It wasn't like she was leaving anything behind here. Just a few druggies who had some interesting stories and a strip club that had come to know her as 'Lightening.' Not to mention her perverted landlord who was always trying to make a pass on her and went so far as to grope her on a few occasions. She could leave. She never talked to her landlord if she didn't have to so some of the druggies could stay there until he kicked them out. Plus, she could see all her friends again. But, the question is:
Do they want to see her?
She pushed the thought out of her mind. They would never abandon her like that, would they? If they could accept that brat Chibi-Usa at all times, I think they would be able to stand her. She genuinely smiled at the thought of the blond and the pink haired girls in pigtails scratching and biting each other over something stupid. That was it, she made her decision. She was going to go back to Tokyo. All she needed was a sign to make this scheme all the more perfect. Walking out of the bathroom, as if on queue, her scout communicator went off. She left it on the table so that every time she left the house she was reminded of whom she was. Once and while her friends would call her, but very rarely. Hearing the light beep of the communicator lifter her spirits higher than they had been in the past four years.
Chapter 4: A Beacon of Light
Snapping out of her reverie, she reached over for her communicator and switched it on, looking at the symbols and colors that she had grown accustomed to. The screen gave a little fuzz, and then focused on the smiling face of Haruka. "Hey Mako-Chan, how's it going?" Haruka asked, grinning a bit. The scouts had soon learned not to have sad faces that their thunder senshi was gone, but to have happier ones because she was ok. Makoto grinned back, knowing that today would change her life around for the better. "I'm doing wonderful Ruka-Chan, and I have great news. Now, don't tell the others yet, but I'm coming back home. I just need to make a few phone called and I might be on a plane by six o clock tonight. I just can't wait to see you guys again! I want to stay permanently there, life is just fuck here." Makoto watched as Haruka's already huge smile, widened into something that threatened to split her face in half. "Mako-Chan, this is the best news in months. There have been no youma attacks, no one threatening to take over the world, Hotaru hasn't even broke anything major (A/N: I got this from Sailor Moon SuperS comic book #3 when Hotaru broke Michiru's Royal Copenhagen dishes). Plus, I think Usako has lost about ten pounds due to the loss of your cooking. It's gonna be great to have you back." Makoto wasn't aware that the tears were gently spilling down her face until one splattered on her hand. Haruka just smiled knowingly and let the young woman shed her tears of freedom. Her chains of restriction were slowly being broken away by the time and rust that weakened them. After letting her cry for a moment, Haruka's head snapped up. "Hey, if you want to keep this a secret, I got to go now. Michiru and Hotaru are coming in and it would be best if they didn't know yet. Much love but I got to go. See you soon, our little stray thunder." And with that, the communicator switched off and Makoto gently placed it down. With renewed hope, she picked up the phone and started calling a few of her contacts that she had left. This was going to be one very interesting day for Makoto Kino.
Hey, I tried to spell check the best I could but if there's anything wrong, please tell me. Also, I would love to have a pre-reader for my story. It would be a tremendous help for me. Thanks to all who sent me reviews, this part of the story goes out to you. ^^
YamiMuse: How come I'm not in this story
SetoMuse: Cause it's a Sailor Moon story you dumbass.jeez...
YamiMuse: HA! Well, you're not in it either
*Both start fighting*
Me: Do you mind, I'm trying to write some angst here and you're ruining the whole mood.
Muses: We're sorry
Me: *grins* Now, this is my first angst story so please don't kill me ^^;
YamiMuse: *pincher her* aren't you forgetting something..
Me: *sigh* fine. I was stalling.. I don't own Sailor Moon. The genius Naoko Takeuchi does.
~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~` ~`~`
Chapter 1: Harsh Reality
The cold wind and the rain combined made her shorter-than-necessary skirt cling to her like a second skin. Not to mention the tight white blouse that was slowly letting the cold water through and chill her skin to the bone. It was another one of those nights. Another night in that horrible strip club she had to work in the get food on her plate. She wasn't actually one of the strippers, just a waitress. Although, having to show an extra three inches of cleavage just to get a decent tip was not one of her favorite things to do. Her emerald eyes looked out bleakly as she trudged her way home in the slums of New York. A slum was a good word for where she lived at this point of her life. She could find druggies who broke into her shoddy apartment from time to time just to have a place where the smoke wouldn't drift away and they could stay on an eternal high. There was almost always someone pissing on the side of the building where she lived and catcalls and cocaine were as common as the rats that inhibited the area. She lived in the worst part of skid row, and could barely afford to pay her rent and get decent food in her stomach. She wasn't always like this though, there was a time when she was happy. Makoto Kino had once lived in Japan. Unknown to anyone but a small group of people, she was the sailor suited soldier, Sailor Jupiter. Her life was wonderful once she had met Usagi and the rest of the girls. There was never a bleak day and yet, something was missing. One day, after a vicious fight with a youma, she asked the scouts to return with her to her apartment. When they arrived there, she fixed them food and drinks while they bandaged their cuts and such. What shocked them, though, was that almost everything in her apartment was boxed up. Returning from the kitchen with their drinks and some sandwiches, she was faced with the question of why everything was in boxes. ~*flashback*~
"Mako-chan," inquired Usagi gently, "why is everything in boxes. Are you moving or something?" There was a slight tremor in her voice. What was going to happen to their tall brunet friend? Makoto sighed; she knew this was going to happen some time or another. "You guys, being with you has been.. no.is and will always be the best time of my life." She paused to scan the crowd of ten or so people. They all sat there contemplating what would happen when she spoke up again. Gathering her courage, she opened her mouth again. " I love you guys to death but I really need to do this." Taking one more deep breath, she announced, "I'm moving to America." Everyone took a sharp intake of breath. Their friend, Makoto Kino...no, Makoto-Chan, was moving HALFWAY ACROSS THE WORLD. No more going to the arcade, no more ogling guys, no more staying up late eating one of her scrumptious meals, and no more senshi fighting. Her leaving was like taking a piece out of a puzzle. Just as soon as you finish it and bask in the happiness of having the complete product, you loose a piece, breaking the image and the purpose. The puzzle would still be there but never be fully complete. Hearing no response of encouragment or negativity, her hands flew to her mouth and she suppressed her tears as she ran out of the room. Later, she heard a knocking on the door. Mumbling that the door was open, Minako slowly inched herself into the room. Makoto lay on her bed, eyes staring lifelessly into the ceiling. Walking around the room, she fingered the one-way ticket to Manhattan, New York. Makoto's weak voice broke her thoughts. " How come you can't be happy for me?" Minako stared at the pitiful form that lay curled up the mass of starch white blankets like an infant. She settled herself on the bed next to her. "We are happy for you, just a little startled that you wanted to move to America on such short notice," she finally said in an unsure voice. Makoto picked up the twinge in it. " I KNOW YOU DON'T WANT ME TO GO, BUT I HAVE TO. I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY BECAUSE I HAVE TO GO THROUGH HELL THE MOST PART OF MY LIFE! I NEED SOMETHING, CRAVE SOMETHING, WANT SOMETHING NEW! AND NO ONE HERE IS GOING TO STOP ME!" Almost immediately after her outburst, she broke into uncontrollable sobs. Minako just rubbed her shaking back and soothed her that it was all okay. "No...No, I didn't mean that. I just." her voice broke off into sobs once again. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Minako soothed. " Don't force yourself to go because we are certainly not forcing you to go. Makoto's sadness suddenly halted and her voice was bitter and cold. " There is nothing you can do to stop me from going. This is what I need to do, I can feel it. One day I may return to Japan, but not until I fulfill the need inside of me." ~*End Flashback*~ Unlocking the door in her filthy apartment, she once again found the same druggies, Tom and Bruce, smoking something and standing up every 3 seconds to inhale the circling cloud of smoke in her apartment. Too high to realize that she was standing there, she walked behind the both of them, long used to the smell of drugs, and tweaked them both in the neck. In their drug- induced state, it didn't take much to knock them out. Grabbing their lifeless forms, she hauled them both out of the apartment and tossed them on the ground, packets of heroin and crack fell out their pockets but she paid no heed and slammed the apartment door. Forcing one of her windows open, she slammed her room door closed, thankful that it wasn't filled with smoke as well, and changed her clothes as the silent tears fell. Looking at her life and what it was before, it wasn't supposed to happen like this. She wasn't supposed to be living in Skid Row with meager meals and druggies. She should be living in a penthouse near Time Square.it shouldn't be like this. As she lay herself down to sleep, the tears slowly making their way down her face, the resounding question through her head: why?
Chapter 2: Why did it have to end up like this
It had started out nice. Life in New York was wonderful. She was living in a penthouse on Broadway and her resteraunt was doing wonderful. She could shop at Sax Fifth Avenue all day without making a dent in her credit. She could dine well every night she didn't make her won dinner and lived in the lap of luxury. Yes, everything was going well.no well.everything was perfect. Perfect. A word that almost seemed foreign to her now. She knew there were people who didn't like her. Maybe it was because she was so successful. Or maybe her charm, beauty, and athletic figure. She had that in Tokyo as well. But she never though that someone hated so much as to do everything in their power to ruin her life.
Even if it meant her death. Even if was the death of others.
This person hated her so much; all would go on the line to make her miserable. I was a regular day for her going to work. She was the manager and head chef of a top Restaurant called "Zeus' Throne Room (A/N: hehehehe, I couldn't help myself)." She had just unlocked the doors and was walking into the kitchen. Taking a whiff of her surroundings, she noted that something smelled slightly off. Although, she had recently just recovered from a cold so she really didn't trust her nose and dismissed it as nothing. If she had checked, she would have found small drops of liquid slowly seeping into all of the food. In about twenty minutes, the liquid would be unable to wash out or be killed off by the oven. It would be tasteless and no longer smell. {*}
Someone had poisoned all the food in the restaurant.
True to the warning, in about twenty minutes, the smell did go away and it was completely unnoticeable. Even when some of the staff tasted the food, they couldn't taste a thing. Makoto was not working in the kitchen that day because of her recovering cold. She didn't want to contaminate to food.
The food was served. The people ate and enjoyed. They left the money and left. They got sick in a few days. Within the month they would die and the autopsy always led back to "Zeus's Throne Room" The lawsuits came and Makoto's picturesque life fell to shambles. She couldn't believe that someone had poisoned her food. She had no evidence to show that someone else did it, but she also had no evidence that she didn't do it. All her money, clothes, her fancy penthouse, all her admirers.gone. Gone like her restaurant, friends, dignity. All gone. She was forced to take her meager belongings, get a crappy ass job, and live in the Skid Row of New York. She knew she could survive there physically, with her fighting skills and survival knowledge from all those years on her own, my emotionally was another story. Even in Japan, she had better living conditions that the old smelly apartment she had to live in. If she ever found this person who would do such a thing.
They would die. By her hands, and by no other. (A/N: that makes the think of the Prophecy from the Dark Crystal *that movie is the bombness* Single Shines the triple sun. What was sundered and undone. Behold, the two make one. By gelfling hand or else by none. Hehehehehehehe) {*} If anyone wants to know where I got this poison idea from, it's kind of like arsenic, maybe even arsenic, I'm not sure yet.
Chapter 3: Firm Resolution
Makoto woke up in her dank room of her apartment with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. As soon as she saw her surroundings, though, it quickly faded into something more along the lines of resignation for her shitty life. Getting out of her bed, she made her way to the corroded bathroom. She had tried for weeks to get the rust and scum off of the sink, toilette, and tub, but it held fast. Knowing she would probably never get it off, she left it as is and avoided touching it at all costs. After finishing her business, she took a good look at herself. One thing she could afford to keep clean was her mirror, as it reminded her of what she used to be and what she had become. Bags hung under her eyes and the glimmer that used to sparkle with life had died down to nothing. Something flashed in the back of her mind as she remembered the good days in Tokyo with her friends. She still spoke fluent Japanese as well as English. It wouldn't be impossible for her to go back. She could always make amends with her father's side of the family and they could help her get an apartment in Tokyo. It wasn't like she was leaving anything behind here. Just a few druggies who had some interesting stories and a strip club that had come to know her as 'Lightening.' Not to mention her perverted landlord who was always trying to make a pass on her and went so far as to grope her on a few occasions. She could leave. She never talked to her landlord if she didn't have to so some of the druggies could stay there until he kicked them out. Plus, she could see all her friends again. But, the question is:
Do they want to see her?
She pushed the thought out of her mind. They would never abandon her like that, would they? If they could accept that brat Chibi-Usa at all times, I think they would be able to stand her. She genuinely smiled at the thought of the blond and the pink haired girls in pigtails scratching and biting each other over something stupid. That was it, she made her decision. She was going to go back to Tokyo. All she needed was a sign to make this scheme all the more perfect. Walking out of the bathroom, as if on queue, her scout communicator went off. She left it on the table so that every time she left the house she was reminded of whom she was. Once and while her friends would call her, but very rarely. Hearing the light beep of the communicator lifter her spirits higher than they had been in the past four years.
Chapter 4: A Beacon of Light
Snapping out of her reverie, she reached over for her communicator and switched it on, looking at the symbols and colors that she had grown accustomed to. The screen gave a little fuzz, and then focused on the smiling face of Haruka. "Hey Mako-Chan, how's it going?" Haruka asked, grinning a bit. The scouts had soon learned not to have sad faces that their thunder senshi was gone, but to have happier ones because she was ok. Makoto grinned back, knowing that today would change her life around for the better. "I'm doing wonderful Ruka-Chan, and I have great news. Now, don't tell the others yet, but I'm coming back home. I just need to make a few phone called and I might be on a plane by six o clock tonight. I just can't wait to see you guys again! I want to stay permanently there, life is just fuck here." Makoto watched as Haruka's already huge smile, widened into something that threatened to split her face in half. "Mako-Chan, this is the best news in months. There have been no youma attacks, no one threatening to take over the world, Hotaru hasn't even broke anything major (A/N: I got this from Sailor Moon SuperS comic book #3 when Hotaru broke Michiru's Royal Copenhagen dishes). Plus, I think Usako has lost about ten pounds due to the loss of your cooking. It's gonna be great to have you back." Makoto wasn't aware that the tears were gently spilling down her face until one splattered on her hand. Haruka just smiled knowingly and let the young woman shed her tears of freedom. Her chains of restriction were slowly being broken away by the time and rust that weakened them. After letting her cry for a moment, Haruka's head snapped up. "Hey, if you want to keep this a secret, I got to go now. Michiru and Hotaru are coming in and it would be best if they didn't know yet. Much love but I got to go. See you soon, our little stray thunder." And with that, the communicator switched off and Makoto gently placed it down. With renewed hope, she picked up the phone and started calling a few of her contacts that she had left. This was going to be one very interesting day for Makoto Kino.
Hey, I tried to spell check the best I could but if there's anything wrong, please tell me. Also, I would love to have a pre-reader for my story. It would be a tremendous help for me. Thanks to all who sent me reviews, this part of the story goes out to you. ^^