****TO GO, PLEASE****
Chapter 10: Up in Flames
Rating: PG
Author: Adrial
E-mail: adrial_06@yahoo.com
****TO GO, PLEASE****
helloOooOO again! This is chapter 10 of "To Go, Please". This is manily a fill-in chapter, just to lead into the next big thing to happen. Hope ya like! l8a!
PS: Thanx to "kate" for your *ahem* twelve reviews...nice to know you've kept up!
and thanx to everyone else who's supported this fic!
Disclaimer: i don't own it, i don't want it, i just write about it.
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Perhaps the devilish smirk stained across her face was not meant for me. Perhaps her knarled, red-nail polished finger was not pointing stiffly in my direction.
Perhaps I was wrong.
My insides contracted, suffocated by both fear and the thick tension which clogged the air.
Me...?
I swallowed hard and forced my legs to stay still, "What do you want with me?" My voice stayed tight and emotionless, a complete contrast to my real feelings at the moment.
"You should know, dear princess of Mercury," Her scarlet eyes were laughing at me.
"What are you playing at, witch?" Jupiter stood defiantly, her tiara crackling dangerously with rising agitation. Tuxedo Kamen appeared behind her, having just transformed.
Myora's gaze shifted to her and eyed her critically.
"A witch, am I? Let me show *you*, sailor brat, what this witch can do," Her hands shot up violently and a massive ball of blood red erupted from her palms. Before I could collect my thoughts or rationalize a plan of action, Jupiter's body collided with the stark, white wall with a sickening 'smack', staining it with her crimson blood as she slid down slowly.
"NO!" We all shouted and ran to our fallen senshi. Matt was already kneeling next to her, cradeling her limp head gently.
I bit back my tears and put on a serious face. Makoto's body was mangled and charred from the attack; her head trailed streams of blood onto Matt's hands and the marble floor. She was gazing at us through painfilled eyes.
"I n-never...could keep m-my mouth sh-shut, could I?" Her smile was rueful and barely recognizable.
Her head rolled to the side. I felt my heart collapse to the pit of my stomach. But I couldn't lose concentration. I had to stay focused.
All eyes turned to me, save for Matt, who rubbed his thumb over Makoto's cheek silently.
I shakily reached for her neck. A weak, barely even there pulse tapped irregularly beneath my finger tips.
"Sh-she...she's going to be alright..for now," I gulped, "We have to get her out of here--now." My lips trembled slightly, and my bent knees quaked beneath me.
"Keep something behind her head to slow the bleeding," I intstructed, looking into Matt's stricken and terrified eyes.
He brushed a wisp of hair from her bloodied forehead and picked her unmoving body up from the floor.
I couldn't have healed her. I would have been too weak to help the other senshi in battling Myora, and I was the one she wanted anyway. If I was going down, I refused to be beaten while weak and defenseless.
"Aw, are the poor wittle senshi sad because I hurt their wittle fwend?" Myora cackled loudly, and Mars whisked past our huddle in a firey rage.
"I'm going to make you eat your words..." She gathered a ball of fire in her hands, her violet eyes sizzling dangerously with intent to kill.
"No, Mars! We have to beat her together. You're just going to end up like Jupiter," Venus' eyes were slightly saturated over the rock-solid determination shining beneath.
Mars relented, her eyes softening slightly, "Right."
After I made sure Matt and the others would be okay with Makoto, I joined the circle of senshi and focused my energy.
Without Jupiter we didn't stand a chance at destroying Myora, but if we gathered enough energy we could certainly render her helpless.
"For Makoto-chan," Moon glanced at each of us and we nodded.
"VENUS PLANET POWER!"
"MARS PLANET POWER!"
"MERCURY PLANET POWER!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
In unison we cried, "PLANET POWER ATTACK!"
Myora looked amused as we cried our planet's names, but as the ball of luminous energy burst through her defensive shield, she looked on in shock and bewilderment. Her deafening screech permeated the air, reaching our ears as we pushed our powers into our attack.
We let go of the attack agonizingly slow. Our illuminated bodies faded, and I opened my eyes.
Myora appeared hunched over and in vast pain. Through furious eyes she looked up at us, "This is not over, senshi!" she gripped her mid-section and gritted her teeth, "I *will* avenge my father's death!"
A swirl of black enveloped her form, taking her away with it into whatever dark dimension she'd emerged from.
We had no time to rejoice in our victory. The deafening silence which had filled the room after Myora's disappearence was broken with the sharp clicking of our heels as we raced to the exit.
"Let's go!" Usagi cried, and we followed her through the doors.
Matt and the others knelt on the frozen grass, hovering over Makoto's unconcious body. A tuxedo jacket was behind her head, damp with blood.
I pushed my way through and forced myself not to look at Zach. I ignored the frozen ice as it sent needles of pain through my exposed legs.
I made sure she was still breathing and without hesitation, reached my hands over her chest and concentrated. I was weak from the planet attack but would be able to heal enough of the internal bleeding my visor informed me she was suffering from, without maxing out my powers.
It was my fault she'd be attacked. I had a chance to deflect Myora's attack, but I let her distract my train of thought. Guilt knawed at my heart as I looked at her half-lidded eyes, hollow with unconciousness.
"No, Ami-chan!" Venus grabbed my hands, "You're still weak from the planet attack, if you heal her you could--"
I thrust her grasp away, "And if I *don't* heal her, SHE will die."
We stared intently at eachother for a moment; I could feel her cerulean eyes boring into my own as we silently battled gazes. Her eyes dropped their lock on myine and turned away. I returned my hands to Makoto's chest and concentrated my energy.
Mercury Remefy!
Waves of energy lapped like foaming waves through my body, taking what energy was needed and transmitting it into the limp form beneath my hands. Makoto's body glowed with the light of my powers.
I felt the tap on my energy drastically plummeting and urged it to keep going. Makoto's face remained in my vision, driving me forward. My lungs contracted, desperately trying to find the energy to breathe as it rapidly disintegrated.
"Mercury, stop!" A blurred voice yelled in my ear. I couldn't hear anything any more. I felt serenely calm for a moment...drifting in some place inside of myself. My final memories were of the cold, frozen earth colliding with my body, and two shining pools of the emerald ocean in front of my eyes before they fluttered shut.
A dull, rythmic ache pounded behind my eyes.
I am SO over this fainting thing.
White sunlight filtered into the room, illuminating Rei's bed and dresser, still covered in beauty products and curlers.
After one failed attempt to rise, I tried again and succeeded. An intense wave of dizziness hit my head unmercilessly, and I gripped her nightstand to support myself as it slowly passed. My head swam. Nausea was soon to set in, I thought, and remained on her bed, too weak to venture anywhere at the moment.
A glance at the clock informed me that I had slept through the night. Ten minutes passed and luckily, the afore-mentioned nausea failed to claim body. I stood again.
I walked unsteadily into the living room, absently twisting the hem of Rei's Juuban U sweatshirt in between my fingers. Makoto sat in an arm chair, staring into space while Minako absentmindedly fiddled with a strand of hair from her perch on the couch.
A wave of relief washed over me at the sight of Makoto's healthy and very alive face, but I didn't fail to notice the bandages poking out from beneath her shirt sleeves and around her neck.
"Ami-chan!" Makoto half limped, half ran to me and gathered me in a hug, "We were so worried you wouldn't make it!"
I gasped. Wouldn't make it?
"What do you mean, Mako-chan?"
She stiffened slightly and drew back from me, "Well, after you...healed me," She looked away, "You fainted and stopped breathing. One more minute and you would have been gone, Ami-chan."
I was slightly shocked at having had a near-death experience. Not that I experienced anything at all since I was unconcious, but still--I felt completely stupid for having put myself and the senshi in that position. But then again, what choice did I have?
I felt like fainting again, but stood shakily.
"I feel so guilty...you shouldn't have healed me, Ami-chan; you should have just taken me to the hospital. And after you did a PLANET ATTACK!" She looked at me sternly, "Aren't you supposed to be the SMART senshi?"
I smiled softly, "I did what any of you would have done for me and you know it."
She smiled and stepped aside so that Minako could have her turn.
"What were you thinking, Ami-chan?" She said, more forcefully than she'd intended to, I guessed when her rigid expression softened slightly, "You *knew* how fast your energy was draining; I could practically see you straining against it. If Usagi hadn't given you a boost of energy, we could have lost *two* senshi last night. You should have--"
I placed my hand on her forearm, "Minako...I understand, and I'm sorry. But you and I both know that with the extent of her injuries, I had no choice," We engaged ourselves in another staring battle.
Her arms wrapped themselves tightly around me suddenly, catching me off gaurd, "Just...don't do it again, alright?"
"Thanks for worrying," I replied. There was no possible way I could agree to do what she asked.
Only at that moment did I take notice of the absences of two familiar faces.
"Hey, where are Usagi and Rei?" I looked around me.
Minako glanced at the hall towards the fire room. "Rei's in there with her trying to find any presence of Myora's power. Luna's worried that Usagi might be connected in some way. They've been at it for a while now," She bit her lip, "Maybe we should go check on them?"
"No need, Mina-chan," Usagi smiled from the hallway with an exausted Rei on her heels.
"Ami-chan! You're up!" Usagi enveloped me in an embrace, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She and I went through a similar dialogue to what Minako and I had engaged in before.
"Hey, Zach left a few hours ago. He fell asleep by your bed," Minako added with a devious grin.
"How romantic," Usagi sighed and fell back on to the couch.
I blushed and turned to clock. 1:05.
"Don't worry, he said he'd be back around 3 to check on you again," Rei said, wiping a film of sweat from her forehead.
"You know, Ames, you really gotta quit passing out on that poor guy. He's gonna have a heart attack worrying about you one of these days," Makoto munched on a sandwhich and let out a muffled laugh.
I tried to hide my blush and laughed with her.
"So, Rei-chan, what'd you find?" Minako asked, indicating the Usagi-search.
"A whole lotta nothing," Rei sighed. Usagi looked annoyed.
"She made me sit in front of that HOT fire for 45 minutes, and we found ZIP," Usagi huffed.
"YOU weren't doing all the WORK, Usagi!" Rei seethed.
"Well, you should have KNOWN, Miss Pyschic, whether or not I had some evil WITCH vacationing in my BODY!" Usagi turned red.
"ALRIGHT, you two. We still have a mystery on our hands. We know what this Myora woman is capable of doing, and I'm not willing to lose any of you to some chick with a bad attitude," Minako stood in front of the squabbling college students.
They sobered quickly.
"So, what we have to do is figure out WHY she has taken an interest in Ami-chan," Makoto said.
I was still a little uneasy about having all the attention drawn on me all of a sudden. Villains were usually after Usagi's ginzoushou.
"And how she knew who we were. She must have known beforehand if she picked us out that easily--Luna perfected our disguise powers," Rei looked deep in thought.
I pondered it for a moment. Nothing.
"Minna-chan, I don't understand any of this," I admitted, frustrated, "She has to think that I have the Hikari Gem. There's no other logical explanation, is there?" I rationalized.
"But you don't, do you?" Usagi questioned.
"I think we would have known, Usagi-chan," Minako said.
"But I didn't know about the ginzoushou until that fight with Zoicite," Usagi's face lit up, "And it was when I cried over Mamo-chan that it came out! All we have to do is get her to CRY hard enough and it might just...pop out?" Her voice lowered and seemed quizzical about her solution.
"Sure, Usagi-chan, that'll work," Rei mutttered sarcastically.
"Well, I don't hear YOU--"
"ANYWAY, if the Hikari Gem hasn't appeared yet, then maybe we could make a fake one, give it to her, and THEN trash her," Makoto seemed satisfied with her own plan of action. She cracked her knuckles with a look of pure malice.
"But remember what she said before she left? She said 'I will avenge my father's death,'" Minako reminded us.
Rei looked quizzical, "Do you think Sarius was her father?"
"Luna never said he had a daughter..." I muttered.
"It's a possiblity, isn't it, minna-chan?"
"Sure it is, Minako-chan, but until we find out for certain we're still right where we began," I was getting irritated.
"Shimatte!" Usagi gasped, "I'm supposed to be home in ten minutes to go to my aunt's wedding!" She rose quickly.
"SorryminnaI'llseeyoulater!" She whirled through the room and out the door.
"Figures," Rei murmured.
"Minna-chan, I should be going, too. I have drama workshop in thirty minutes, and I still haven't finished studying for my Bio final," Minako rose, followed by Makoto.
"Yeah, I have to find something to kill this massive migraine," she massaged her temples,"and I'm meeting Matt later. He's still a little freaked about the whole super heroine thing--OH yea, and the whole nearly dying bit didn't smooth over too well with him either," She laughed weakly and limped behind Minako. I cringed.
"Mako-chan, at least let me heal you a little bit more, just so you can--"
"No way, Ami-chan! You think I can't handle a little pain? Come on! I'm Super Senshi!" She flexed her arms to emphasize her point and winced.
"Or maybe not, but I'll be fine. I'll be 100% better in a couple of days with our healing abilities," She smiled reassuringly and went out the door behind Minako.
I was silently thankful that I didnt have any more exams to fret over. They'd flown by the week before, and I was pleased to see that despite my temporary aloofness, I managed to acquire no less than a 99% on any of them. One of my professors was a stickler for never handing out perfect scores. He'd made a lame remark that my name was written too sloppily and docked one point. Damn him.
With no where else to go, my thoughts drifted to Zach. I had to talk to him. There was no telling what thoughts were running through his mind. I felt utterly guilty for dumping everything on his head at once and then nearly dying before I could explain it to him.
But I couldn't deny the feeling of relief that washed over me. I wouldn't need feeble lies and excuses every time my communicator went off at the wrong time, which it almost always had a way of doing.
Rei sighed and plopped down on her couch, lines of wariness scetched on her forhead. She looked utterly exausted.
I walked to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm going call Zach and tell him to meet me at the park. Are you going to be alright?" I asked softly. Rei nodded, smiling reassuringly.
"I'll be fine after a few hours of sleep," She stood and stretched, "It's a good thing I got my finals over with already."
"And you," She paused, "Better not do anything like that to us again."
I gave an exagerrated sigh, "Alright, alright, I get it."
She laughed and touched my elbow as I left for the phone, "Ami-chan, could you come back a little later? I want to do a fire reading on you to see if there's a sign of any foreign energy," I nodded, smiling.
After I hung up the phone, I hurried down Hiwaka's steps, saying goodbye to Rei along the way and rushed home to change. I clutched my gown beneath my arm, slowing my pace to avoid slipping on the hazardous ice that blanketed the sidewalk.
I'd called Zach and frowned when Jason informed me of his absence. He assured me he'd relay my message for him to call A.S.A.P., and I promised to tell him where I learned to transform into a "Super Hero Chick" and rise from the dead later.
I reached my door twenty minutes later and threw it open. My mother was sitting at her computer desk, typing hurriedly. She rose quickly as I entered the den.
"Oh, Ami-chan! I heard what happened, and I was so worried when you didn't call!" She gathered me in a hug and I cringed.
The first minutes of Myora's unscripted cameo at the ball had undoubtedly been broadcasted live all over the world.
"I'm fine, Mom. The girls and I were outside getting some...fresh air when it happened so we managed to get out safely," I prayed she'd buy it.
She did.
She smiled and pulled a strand of silver hair from her head.
"Do you see what you're DOING to me?" We laughed together for a moment. I then regailed her with details of the night prior to Myora's interruption.
Her warm, grey-blue eyes sparkled with pleasure as I babbled about Zach and Zach and Zach and the ball and Zach.
"I'm so happy for you, Ami-chan," She'd said as she hugged me tightly. Her cool fingers brushed some hair away from my forehead and replaced it with a kiss.
"Now, go on," She shoved me in the direction of the bathroom, "Zach called a few minutes before you came in to tell you to meet him at the lake in an hour!" She shouted as I disappeared behind the door.
I took a quick shower to refresh myself and rummaged through my closet for an outfit. As a mountain of discarded clothing accumulated in the space behind me, I silently wondered why I never had anything decent to wear since Zach and I began dating.
At ten minutes of three, I bid my mother goodbye and entered the clutter of afternoon traffic. The wind bit unmercilessly at my face and snow whirled around the holiday shoppers who were huddled together in a mass of shopping bags and packages.
Digging my hands further into my coat pockets, I ignored the freezing air and focused on the frozen ground beneath my feet that would lead me to Zach.
As the entrance to the park came into view I suddenly felt a cold bucket of fear drop to the pit of my stomach. I didn't know how Zach would react to my being a senshi, and I had a gut feeling he'd be mildly upset at how I'd nearly killed myself the night before.
Biting my lip, I took a deep breath and searched for his familiar blonde head. I caught sight of him sitting on a bench near the frozen lake where people randomly skated across its surface. He showed no sign of movement, and I ventured towards him.
I stood for a moment, taking in his profile. He didn't seem to notice the mound of snow accumulating on his jaket, nor the wind lashing at his hair and around his face. His eyes were set dead ahead, but I doubted he was admiring the winter foliage surrounding him. I almost didn't want to disturb him, but forced myself to approach his form.
When I neared the bench, his head whipped around to face me, and he just stared for a moment. I felt slightly unnerved by his gaze, and looked at the white ground.
Shakily, my legs pushed me closer to him, and I stood in front of him, trying to read his stoic eyes as they looked into mine.
I jumped slightly when he rose and gathered me into his arms. My fear flew out of my mind and into the swirling snow around us, and I sighed into his embrace.
His face felt frozen and stiff against my cheek and his lips were slightly blue. I grew worried and pulled back slightly.
"How long have you been out here?" I brushed a gloved hand over his reddened cheek.
"A while," He muttered.
"Let's go somewhere else. You look completely frozen," I tugged out of his embrace and grabbed his arm.
He didn't budge, "No, I'm fine, let's stay here."
I couldn't read his expression any more than if it was in a foriegn language, and followed suit when he sat down on the bench again.
His arm was still around my waist, and I waited for him to speak.
His silence was deafening and extremely nerve-racking on my part.
"So...my girlfriend is a sailor senshi?" He said finally, his eyes portraying his befuddled mind.
I smiled weakly, "Yeah..."
He leaned back on the bench, his eyes turning a shade darker, "And do you always try to kill yourself like that or is it a newly developed hobby of yours?" He looked angry and frustrated as he stared at me.
I was taken aback by the biting chill behind his words, and tears filled my eyes. I couldn't believe his reaction.
At the sight of my tears, his eyes softened, "I'm so sorry, Ami-chan, I didn't mean that," He brushed my cheek.
"You just...you scared me to death last night when you did that," He admitted.
I looked at my hands, and formed the words to make him understand, "I had to heal her. She would have died, and I couldn't have let that happen, even if it meant..." I trailed off.
"Even if it meant you...died?" He forced the last word and looked away. I pulled his chin back towards me.
"And you would have done the same for Kyle or Jason or Matt," I reasoned.
His stone face melted slowly, "You have a point...but I still don't like the idea of you risking your life every day warding off psycho villians," He reached for my cheek.
I laughed softly, sighing, "I don't have a choice. The girls and I...we've been doing this for a long time. If we stopped, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. The whole world would be in danger."
He sighed, "Just...be careful," He stared at me, "If I lost you, *I* wouldn't know what to do with myself."
Like I had been unable to promise Minako I would never drain myself in the same way to heal, I couldn't promise Zach that I wouldn't die the next time the senshi were called to battle.
Every time we entered a fight, none of us knew whether we'd make it out alive or not. It was not ideal, I knew, but the safety of the world came before our own.
I kissed his lips softly, and they warmed beneath my own. Large puffs of white air flew from our open mouths as we parted. Something stirred in my heart, like chains rattling from a prisoner who pleaded to be set free.
"Zach, I--"
"MERCURY! COME IN!" My communicator blared loudly from my coat pocket, and I retrieved it quickly.
"Venus?" I inquired. Smoke clouded the screen, and I could barely make out an orange fuku.
"Get here NOW, Merc! We've got one nasty--Venus Love and Beauty SHOCK!--one nasty youma on our hands! We're at the Tokyo Art Museum!"
"I'm on it," I stashed it back in my pocket and turned to Zach apologetically.
He settled his lips on mine, and I forgot about the battle for a fleeting moment.
As we seperated, I felt dazed.
"Be careful, Angel," He whispered against my ear.
I smiled, "I will."
I stood from the bench and ran off to find a place to transform. I'd cover the 10 mile run a hell of a lot faster as Sailor Mercury.
Pushing back a thick patch of brush, I entered a cluttered section of the powdery wood and transformed.
In a flash, I was off, leaping buildings like I was playing hopscotch.
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"
Jupiter?! How could Makoto be out fighting in her condition?
"I'm super senshi!"
Whatever.
I shook my head and took a moment to observe the damage done. Sailor Moon was favoring her left ankle and shouting out attacks as Venus tried to deflect flying discs of murky brown that exploded in to some foreign, extremely slimy substance on contact.
The instigator stood a few meters in front of Jupiter and Mars, trying to fan out its burning arm as the other seven shot discs of grime in every direction.
Venus cried out in pain. A disc nailed her in her left leg and it was dissolving her skin like an acidic substance.
"MECURY AQUA RASPHODY!" The youma thrashed around as my attack hit him on his right side, freezing it.
"Venus, are you alright?!" I ran to her side, taking advantage of the youma being distracted with its ice-incased side.
She gritted her teeth, "Of course, I...am," Her leg was steaming and of trails of blood saturated her fuku skirt.
"Don't even THINK about--MERCURY!" She was too late. My powers were healing her leg, and she tried to push me off. I wouldn't budge until it was healed enough to walk on. As I finished, I rose and helped her up. My head was foggy, but I wouldn't pass out.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, SENSHI!" The youma cried. He flung an army of discs in my direction spanning about 25 meters wide. I ducked and winced as one sliced my right arm slightly, making a layer of skin dissolve and fade away.
Clutching my arm, I whirled on it and ducked again as it shot another set at me.
Well aren't I just everybody's favorite little senshi, lately?
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!" Venus held on to his torso where she had pinned its arms to its sides.
"Now!" She yelled. Mars, Jupiter, Moon, and I combined our attacks, and the repuslive youma ceased to exist.
I fell to my knees, panting. Moon limped to me, and looked at my arm.
"Man, that looks nasty," She winced.
"Yeah, how's your ankle?" I nodded to her bent ankle as she favored it.
She gritted her teeth, "I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt like hell."
I stood shakily and looked at the others, "Alright, these things are getting worse."
"Tell me about it," Mars held up a chunk of singed hair.
"Mercury, WHY in the HELL did you heal me when I said not to?" Venus looked sternly at me.
"Because, VENUS, if I hadn't you wouldn't have been able to hold the youma while we did a combined attack," The logic was always there, but no one seemed to ever realize it but me. Oh well.
She sighed and looked at her partially healed leg. The grainy section where her skin had partially reformed would be gone in a few hours, perfectly healed and as good as new. Our ability to heal extremely fast definitely had its perks. My arm had sealed my wound already, but the excruciating pain sent intensified with every move I made.
"Let's detransform, already. People are starting to come around, and I'm FREEZING in my fuku!" Jupiter exlaimed, and we followed her to an alley.
As soon as Moon's power was gone, she collapsed against the frozen ground.
"Usagi-chan! Are you alright?" She was biting back tears as Minako looked at her swollen ankle.
I pushed towards her, and inspected the damage. About 24 hours and it would be healed quite nicely. I resisted the urge to speed up the process as Minako and Rei looked at me threateningly.
"It'll be better in a day or so; we have to get some ice on it, though," I helped her stand and Rei supported her other side. My arm was killing me, but it'd have to wait until later.
Usagi nodded and gritted her teeth. I felt proud that she was being strong. Rei couldn't even pick on her about it.
Makoto made sure we'd all be fine and backtracked to finish her date with Matt. Minako came with us, and limped a little. I offered her my injured arm to hold on to but she refused.
"I'm fine," She said and turned her gaze back to the road. I didn't push her.
I'm sure we made an unusual sight. A girl with a volley ball sized chunk of raven hair missing, a limping blonde supported by a bleeding, blue-haired girl, and another blonde favoring her left leg.
It comes with the job, I guess.
Usagi sighed as I laid a pack of ice on her ankle, and Minako happily accepted ointment for her burned thigh from Rei.
"Much better," She said.
Rei gestured to the fire room, and I left Minako and Usagi to follow her.
A massive fire blazed steadily in the middle of the room, casting shadows along the walls. I could feel the spirituality of it thicken the air.
Rei and I sat cross-legged, juxtaposed in front of the flames. She bent her head, a cascade of midnight hair falling around her.
Beads of sweat trickled on her forehead as she prayed silently. I waited for her to finish her search, expecting nothing to turn up.
Abruptly, the flames shot up towards the ceiling, roaring loudly with the message they held.
I jumped back and looked on, waiting for something but unaware of what it was. Rei remained still, her head twitching every now and then as if she weren't there at all.
In the middle of the flames a bright blue light flickered to life and enveloped me in its intense illumination. I shut my eyes tightly against the blinding rays.
What felt like a blanket of warm energy flowed through my viens, and when my eyes cracked open, I was no longer staring into the scarlet flames of Rei's fire.
There were now two fires--both blue and calm. Realization dawned on me and I rose from my kneeling postion to gaze into the eyes of my mother, Queen Aiya.
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How'dya like it? It was really a lot of fill-in, like I said.
And *wince* I've been editing a LOT lately. I started with chapter 1 and cut a bunch of things I felt were too lame to be included, and added a LOT of extra information. heh heh...and I'm deciding whether or not I'll replace the chapters I've gotten up already with it or not. I'm afraid that there are certain parts that you guys have that I cut and the rest of the chapters to come won't flow.
For instance, I changed Zach's last name. :-D
It's been a crazy week, people! Bear with me for now! And no matter what changes I make, I'll definitely bust my butt getting a new chapter out every week.
ja!
--Adrial
Chapter 10: Up in Flames
Rating: PG
Author: Adrial
E-mail: adrial_06@yahoo.com
****TO GO, PLEASE****
helloOooOO again! This is chapter 10 of "To Go, Please". This is manily a fill-in chapter, just to lead into the next big thing to happen. Hope ya like! l8a!
PS: Thanx to "kate" for your *ahem* twelve reviews...nice to know you've kept up!
and thanx to everyone else who's supported this fic!
Disclaimer: i don't own it, i don't want it, i just write about it.
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Perhaps the devilish smirk stained across her face was not meant for me. Perhaps her knarled, red-nail polished finger was not pointing stiffly in my direction.
Perhaps I was wrong.
My insides contracted, suffocated by both fear and the thick tension which clogged the air.
Me...?
I swallowed hard and forced my legs to stay still, "What do you want with me?" My voice stayed tight and emotionless, a complete contrast to my real feelings at the moment.
"You should know, dear princess of Mercury," Her scarlet eyes were laughing at me.
"What are you playing at, witch?" Jupiter stood defiantly, her tiara crackling dangerously with rising agitation. Tuxedo Kamen appeared behind her, having just transformed.
Myora's gaze shifted to her and eyed her critically.
"A witch, am I? Let me show *you*, sailor brat, what this witch can do," Her hands shot up violently and a massive ball of blood red erupted from her palms. Before I could collect my thoughts or rationalize a plan of action, Jupiter's body collided with the stark, white wall with a sickening 'smack', staining it with her crimson blood as she slid down slowly.
"NO!" We all shouted and ran to our fallen senshi. Matt was already kneeling next to her, cradeling her limp head gently.
I bit back my tears and put on a serious face. Makoto's body was mangled and charred from the attack; her head trailed streams of blood onto Matt's hands and the marble floor. She was gazing at us through painfilled eyes.
"I n-never...could keep m-my mouth sh-shut, could I?" Her smile was rueful and barely recognizable.
Her head rolled to the side. I felt my heart collapse to the pit of my stomach. But I couldn't lose concentration. I had to stay focused.
All eyes turned to me, save for Matt, who rubbed his thumb over Makoto's cheek silently.
I shakily reached for her neck. A weak, barely even there pulse tapped irregularly beneath my finger tips.
"Sh-she...she's going to be alright..for now," I gulped, "We have to get her out of here--now." My lips trembled slightly, and my bent knees quaked beneath me.
"Keep something behind her head to slow the bleeding," I intstructed, looking into Matt's stricken and terrified eyes.
He brushed a wisp of hair from her bloodied forehead and picked her unmoving body up from the floor.
I couldn't have healed her. I would have been too weak to help the other senshi in battling Myora, and I was the one she wanted anyway. If I was going down, I refused to be beaten while weak and defenseless.
"Aw, are the poor wittle senshi sad because I hurt their wittle fwend?" Myora cackled loudly, and Mars whisked past our huddle in a firey rage.
"I'm going to make you eat your words..." She gathered a ball of fire in her hands, her violet eyes sizzling dangerously with intent to kill.
"No, Mars! We have to beat her together. You're just going to end up like Jupiter," Venus' eyes were slightly saturated over the rock-solid determination shining beneath.
Mars relented, her eyes softening slightly, "Right."
After I made sure Matt and the others would be okay with Makoto, I joined the circle of senshi and focused my energy.
Without Jupiter we didn't stand a chance at destroying Myora, but if we gathered enough energy we could certainly render her helpless.
"For Makoto-chan," Moon glanced at each of us and we nodded.
"VENUS PLANET POWER!"
"MARS PLANET POWER!"
"MERCURY PLANET POWER!"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
In unison we cried, "PLANET POWER ATTACK!"
Myora looked amused as we cried our planet's names, but as the ball of luminous energy burst through her defensive shield, she looked on in shock and bewilderment. Her deafening screech permeated the air, reaching our ears as we pushed our powers into our attack.
We let go of the attack agonizingly slow. Our illuminated bodies faded, and I opened my eyes.
Myora appeared hunched over and in vast pain. Through furious eyes she looked up at us, "This is not over, senshi!" she gripped her mid-section and gritted her teeth, "I *will* avenge my father's death!"
A swirl of black enveloped her form, taking her away with it into whatever dark dimension she'd emerged from.
We had no time to rejoice in our victory. The deafening silence which had filled the room after Myora's disappearence was broken with the sharp clicking of our heels as we raced to the exit.
"Let's go!" Usagi cried, and we followed her through the doors.
Matt and the others knelt on the frozen grass, hovering over Makoto's unconcious body. A tuxedo jacket was behind her head, damp with blood.
I pushed my way through and forced myself not to look at Zach. I ignored the frozen ice as it sent needles of pain through my exposed legs.
I made sure she was still breathing and without hesitation, reached my hands over her chest and concentrated. I was weak from the planet attack but would be able to heal enough of the internal bleeding my visor informed me she was suffering from, without maxing out my powers.
It was my fault she'd be attacked. I had a chance to deflect Myora's attack, but I let her distract my train of thought. Guilt knawed at my heart as I looked at her half-lidded eyes, hollow with unconciousness.
"No, Ami-chan!" Venus grabbed my hands, "You're still weak from the planet attack, if you heal her you could--"
I thrust her grasp away, "And if I *don't* heal her, SHE will die."
We stared intently at eachother for a moment; I could feel her cerulean eyes boring into my own as we silently battled gazes. Her eyes dropped their lock on myine and turned away. I returned my hands to Makoto's chest and concentrated my energy.
Mercury Remefy!
Waves of energy lapped like foaming waves through my body, taking what energy was needed and transmitting it into the limp form beneath my hands. Makoto's body glowed with the light of my powers.
I felt the tap on my energy drastically plummeting and urged it to keep going. Makoto's face remained in my vision, driving me forward. My lungs contracted, desperately trying to find the energy to breathe as it rapidly disintegrated.
"Mercury, stop!" A blurred voice yelled in my ear. I couldn't hear anything any more. I felt serenely calm for a moment...drifting in some place inside of myself. My final memories were of the cold, frozen earth colliding with my body, and two shining pools of the emerald ocean in front of my eyes before they fluttered shut.
A dull, rythmic ache pounded behind my eyes.
I am SO over this fainting thing.
White sunlight filtered into the room, illuminating Rei's bed and dresser, still covered in beauty products and curlers.
After one failed attempt to rise, I tried again and succeeded. An intense wave of dizziness hit my head unmercilessly, and I gripped her nightstand to support myself as it slowly passed. My head swam. Nausea was soon to set in, I thought, and remained on her bed, too weak to venture anywhere at the moment.
A glance at the clock informed me that I had slept through the night. Ten minutes passed and luckily, the afore-mentioned nausea failed to claim body. I stood again.
I walked unsteadily into the living room, absently twisting the hem of Rei's Juuban U sweatshirt in between my fingers. Makoto sat in an arm chair, staring into space while Minako absentmindedly fiddled with a strand of hair from her perch on the couch.
A wave of relief washed over me at the sight of Makoto's healthy and very alive face, but I didn't fail to notice the bandages poking out from beneath her shirt sleeves and around her neck.
"Ami-chan!" Makoto half limped, half ran to me and gathered me in a hug, "We were so worried you wouldn't make it!"
I gasped. Wouldn't make it?
"What do you mean, Mako-chan?"
She stiffened slightly and drew back from me, "Well, after you...healed me," She looked away, "You fainted and stopped breathing. One more minute and you would have been gone, Ami-chan."
I was slightly shocked at having had a near-death experience. Not that I experienced anything at all since I was unconcious, but still--I felt completely stupid for having put myself and the senshi in that position. But then again, what choice did I have?
I felt like fainting again, but stood shakily.
"I feel so guilty...you shouldn't have healed me, Ami-chan; you should have just taken me to the hospital. And after you did a PLANET ATTACK!" She looked at me sternly, "Aren't you supposed to be the SMART senshi?"
I smiled softly, "I did what any of you would have done for me and you know it."
She smiled and stepped aside so that Minako could have her turn.
"What were you thinking, Ami-chan?" She said, more forcefully than she'd intended to, I guessed when her rigid expression softened slightly, "You *knew* how fast your energy was draining; I could practically see you straining against it. If Usagi hadn't given you a boost of energy, we could have lost *two* senshi last night. You should have--"
I placed my hand on her forearm, "Minako...I understand, and I'm sorry. But you and I both know that with the extent of her injuries, I had no choice," We engaged ourselves in another staring battle.
Her arms wrapped themselves tightly around me suddenly, catching me off gaurd, "Just...don't do it again, alright?"
"Thanks for worrying," I replied. There was no possible way I could agree to do what she asked.
Only at that moment did I take notice of the absences of two familiar faces.
"Hey, where are Usagi and Rei?" I looked around me.
Minako glanced at the hall towards the fire room. "Rei's in there with her trying to find any presence of Myora's power. Luna's worried that Usagi might be connected in some way. They've been at it for a while now," She bit her lip, "Maybe we should go check on them?"
"No need, Mina-chan," Usagi smiled from the hallway with an exausted Rei on her heels.
"Ami-chan! You're up!" Usagi enveloped me in an embrace, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She and I went through a similar dialogue to what Minako and I had engaged in before.
"Hey, Zach left a few hours ago. He fell asleep by your bed," Minako added with a devious grin.
"How romantic," Usagi sighed and fell back on to the couch.
I blushed and turned to clock. 1:05.
"Don't worry, he said he'd be back around 3 to check on you again," Rei said, wiping a film of sweat from her forehead.
"You know, Ames, you really gotta quit passing out on that poor guy. He's gonna have a heart attack worrying about you one of these days," Makoto munched on a sandwhich and let out a muffled laugh.
I tried to hide my blush and laughed with her.
"So, Rei-chan, what'd you find?" Minako asked, indicating the Usagi-search.
"A whole lotta nothing," Rei sighed. Usagi looked annoyed.
"She made me sit in front of that HOT fire for 45 minutes, and we found ZIP," Usagi huffed.
"YOU weren't doing all the WORK, Usagi!" Rei seethed.
"Well, you should have KNOWN, Miss Pyschic, whether or not I had some evil WITCH vacationing in my BODY!" Usagi turned red.
"ALRIGHT, you two. We still have a mystery on our hands. We know what this Myora woman is capable of doing, and I'm not willing to lose any of you to some chick with a bad attitude," Minako stood in front of the squabbling college students.
They sobered quickly.
"So, what we have to do is figure out WHY she has taken an interest in Ami-chan," Makoto said.
I was still a little uneasy about having all the attention drawn on me all of a sudden. Villains were usually after Usagi's ginzoushou.
"And how she knew who we were. She must have known beforehand if she picked us out that easily--Luna perfected our disguise powers," Rei looked deep in thought.
I pondered it for a moment. Nothing.
"Minna-chan, I don't understand any of this," I admitted, frustrated, "She has to think that I have the Hikari Gem. There's no other logical explanation, is there?" I rationalized.
"But you don't, do you?" Usagi questioned.
"I think we would have known, Usagi-chan," Minako said.
"But I didn't know about the ginzoushou until that fight with Zoicite," Usagi's face lit up, "And it was when I cried over Mamo-chan that it came out! All we have to do is get her to CRY hard enough and it might just...pop out?" Her voice lowered and seemed quizzical about her solution.
"Sure, Usagi-chan, that'll work," Rei mutttered sarcastically.
"Well, I don't hear YOU--"
"ANYWAY, if the Hikari Gem hasn't appeared yet, then maybe we could make a fake one, give it to her, and THEN trash her," Makoto seemed satisfied with her own plan of action. She cracked her knuckles with a look of pure malice.
"But remember what she said before she left? She said 'I will avenge my father's death,'" Minako reminded us.
Rei looked quizzical, "Do you think Sarius was her father?"
"Luna never said he had a daughter..." I muttered.
"It's a possiblity, isn't it, minna-chan?"
"Sure it is, Minako-chan, but until we find out for certain we're still right where we began," I was getting irritated.
"Shimatte!" Usagi gasped, "I'm supposed to be home in ten minutes to go to my aunt's wedding!" She rose quickly.
"SorryminnaI'llseeyoulater!" She whirled through the room and out the door.
"Figures," Rei murmured.
"Minna-chan, I should be going, too. I have drama workshop in thirty minutes, and I still haven't finished studying for my Bio final," Minako rose, followed by Makoto.
"Yeah, I have to find something to kill this massive migraine," she massaged her temples,"and I'm meeting Matt later. He's still a little freaked about the whole super heroine thing--OH yea, and the whole nearly dying bit didn't smooth over too well with him either," She laughed weakly and limped behind Minako. I cringed.
"Mako-chan, at least let me heal you a little bit more, just so you can--"
"No way, Ami-chan! You think I can't handle a little pain? Come on! I'm Super Senshi!" She flexed her arms to emphasize her point and winced.
"Or maybe not, but I'll be fine. I'll be 100% better in a couple of days with our healing abilities," She smiled reassuringly and went out the door behind Minako.
I was silently thankful that I didnt have any more exams to fret over. They'd flown by the week before, and I was pleased to see that despite my temporary aloofness, I managed to acquire no less than a 99% on any of them. One of my professors was a stickler for never handing out perfect scores. He'd made a lame remark that my name was written too sloppily and docked one point. Damn him.
With no where else to go, my thoughts drifted to Zach. I had to talk to him. There was no telling what thoughts were running through his mind. I felt utterly guilty for dumping everything on his head at once and then nearly dying before I could explain it to him.
But I couldn't deny the feeling of relief that washed over me. I wouldn't need feeble lies and excuses every time my communicator went off at the wrong time, which it almost always had a way of doing.
Rei sighed and plopped down on her couch, lines of wariness scetched on her forhead. She looked utterly exausted.
I walked to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm going call Zach and tell him to meet me at the park. Are you going to be alright?" I asked softly. Rei nodded, smiling reassuringly.
"I'll be fine after a few hours of sleep," She stood and stretched, "It's a good thing I got my finals over with already."
"And you," She paused, "Better not do anything like that to us again."
I gave an exagerrated sigh, "Alright, alright, I get it."
She laughed and touched my elbow as I left for the phone, "Ami-chan, could you come back a little later? I want to do a fire reading on you to see if there's a sign of any foreign energy," I nodded, smiling.
After I hung up the phone, I hurried down Hiwaka's steps, saying goodbye to Rei along the way and rushed home to change. I clutched my gown beneath my arm, slowing my pace to avoid slipping on the hazardous ice that blanketed the sidewalk.
I'd called Zach and frowned when Jason informed me of his absence. He assured me he'd relay my message for him to call A.S.A.P., and I promised to tell him where I learned to transform into a "Super Hero Chick" and rise from the dead later.
I reached my door twenty minutes later and threw it open. My mother was sitting at her computer desk, typing hurriedly. She rose quickly as I entered the den.
"Oh, Ami-chan! I heard what happened, and I was so worried when you didn't call!" She gathered me in a hug and I cringed.
The first minutes of Myora's unscripted cameo at the ball had undoubtedly been broadcasted live all over the world.
"I'm fine, Mom. The girls and I were outside getting some...fresh air when it happened so we managed to get out safely," I prayed she'd buy it.
She did.
She smiled and pulled a strand of silver hair from her head.
"Do you see what you're DOING to me?" We laughed together for a moment. I then regailed her with details of the night prior to Myora's interruption.
Her warm, grey-blue eyes sparkled with pleasure as I babbled about Zach and Zach and Zach and the ball and Zach.
"I'm so happy for you, Ami-chan," She'd said as she hugged me tightly. Her cool fingers brushed some hair away from my forehead and replaced it with a kiss.
"Now, go on," She shoved me in the direction of the bathroom, "Zach called a few minutes before you came in to tell you to meet him at the lake in an hour!" She shouted as I disappeared behind the door.
I took a quick shower to refresh myself and rummaged through my closet for an outfit. As a mountain of discarded clothing accumulated in the space behind me, I silently wondered why I never had anything decent to wear since Zach and I began dating.
At ten minutes of three, I bid my mother goodbye and entered the clutter of afternoon traffic. The wind bit unmercilessly at my face and snow whirled around the holiday shoppers who were huddled together in a mass of shopping bags and packages.
Digging my hands further into my coat pockets, I ignored the freezing air and focused on the frozen ground beneath my feet that would lead me to Zach.
As the entrance to the park came into view I suddenly felt a cold bucket of fear drop to the pit of my stomach. I didn't know how Zach would react to my being a senshi, and I had a gut feeling he'd be mildly upset at how I'd nearly killed myself the night before.
Biting my lip, I took a deep breath and searched for his familiar blonde head. I caught sight of him sitting on a bench near the frozen lake where people randomly skated across its surface. He showed no sign of movement, and I ventured towards him.
I stood for a moment, taking in his profile. He didn't seem to notice the mound of snow accumulating on his jaket, nor the wind lashing at his hair and around his face. His eyes were set dead ahead, but I doubted he was admiring the winter foliage surrounding him. I almost didn't want to disturb him, but forced myself to approach his form.
When I neared the bench, his head whipped around to face me, and he just stared for a moment. I felt slightly unnerved by his gaze, and looked at the white ground.
Shakily, my legs pushed me closer to him, and I stood in front of him, trying to read his stoic eyes as they looked into mine.
I jumped slightly when he rose and gathered me into his arms. My fear flew out of my mind and into the swirling snow around us, and I sighed into his embrace.
His face felt frozen and stiff against my cheek and his lips were slightly blue. I grew worried and pulled back slightly.
"How long have you been out here?" I brushed a gloved hand over his reddened cheek.
"A while," He muttered.
"Let's go somewhere else. You look completely frozen," I tugged out of his embrace and grabbed his arm.
He didn't budge, "No, I'm fine, let's stay here."
I couldn't read his expression any more than if it was in a foriegn language, and followed suit when he sat down on the bench again.
His arm was still around my waist, and I waited for him to speak.
His silence was deafening and extremely nerve-racking on my part.
"So...my girlfriend is a sailor senshi?" He said finally, his eyes portraying his befuddled mind.
I smiled weakly, "Yeah..."
He leaned back on the bench, his eyes turning a shade darker, "And do you always try to kill yourself like that or is it a newly developed hobby of yours?" He looked angry and frustrated as he stared at me.
I was taken aback by the biting chill behind his words, and tears filled my eyes. I couldn't believe his reaction.
At the sight of my tears, his eyes softened, "I'm so sorry, Ami-chan, I didn't mean that," He brushed my cheek.
"You just...you scared me to death last night when you did that," He admitted.
I looked at my hands, and formed the words to make him understand, "I had to heal her. She would have died, and I couldn't have let that happen, even if it meant..." I trailed off.
"Even if it meant you...died?" He forced the last word and looked away. I pulled his chin back towards me.
"And you would have done the same for Kyle or Jason or Matt," I reasoned.
His stone face melted slowly, "You have a point...but I still don't like the idea of you risking your life every day warding off psycho villians," He reached for my cheek.
I laughed softly, sighing, "I don't have a choice. The girls and I...we've been doing this for a long time. If we stopped, we wouldn't know what to do with ourselves. The whole world would be in danger."
He sighed, "Just...be careful," He stared at me, "If I lost you, *I* wouldn't know what to do with myself."
Like I had been unable to promise Minako I would never drain myself in the same way to heal, I couldn't promise Zach that I wouldn't die the next time the senshi were called to battle.
Every time we entered a fight, none of us knew whether we'd make it out alive or not. It was not ideal, I knew, but the safety of the world came before our own.
I kissed his lips softly, and they warmed beneath my own. Large puffs of white air flew from our open mouths as we parted. Something stirred in my heart, like chains rattling from a prisoner who pleaded to be set free.
"Zach, I--"
"MERCURY! COME IN!" My communicator blared loudly from my coat pocket, and I retrieved it quickly.
"Venus?" I inquired. Smoke clouded the screen, and I could barely make out an orange fuku.
"Get here NOW, Merc! We've got one nasty--Venus Love and Beauty SHOCK!--one nasty youma on our hands! We're at the Tokyo Art Museum!"
"I'm on it," I stashed it back in my pocket and turned to Zach apologetically.
He settled his lips on mine, and I forgot about the battle for a fleeting moment.
As we seperated, I felt dazed.
"Be careful, Angel," He whispered against my ear.
I smiled, "I will."
I stood from the bench and ran off to find a place to transform. I'd cover the 10 mile run a hell of a lot faster as Sailor Mercury.
Pushing back a thick patch of brush, I entered a cluttered section of the powdery wood and transformed.
In a flash, I was off, leaping buildings like I was playing hopscotch.
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"JUPITER OAK EVOLUTION!"
Jupiter?! How could Makoto be out fighting in her condition?
"I'm super senshi!"
Whatever.
I shook my head and took a moment to observe the damage done. Sailor Moon was favoring her left ankle and shouting out attacks as Venus tried to deflect flying discs of murky brown that exploded in to some foreign, extremely slimy substance on contact.
The instigator stood a few meters in front of Jupiter and Mars, trying to fan out its burning arm as the other seven shot discs of grime in every direction.
Venus cried out in pain. A disc nailed her in her left leg and it was dissolving her skin like an acidic substance.
"MECURY AQUA RASPHODY!" The youma thrashed around as my attack hit him on his right side, freezing it.
"Venus, are you alright?!" I ran to her side, taking advantage of the youma being distracted with its ice-incased side.
She gritted her teeth, "Of course, I...am," Her leg was steaming and of trails of blood saturated her fuku skirt.
"Don't even THINK about--MERCURY!" She was too late. My powers were healing her leg, and she tried to push me off. I wouldn't budge until it was healed enough to walk on. As I finished, I rose and helped her up. My head was foggy, but I wouldn't pass out.
"YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, SENSHI!" The youma cried. He flung an army of discs in my direction spanning about 25 meters wide. I ducked and winced as one sliced my right arm slightly, making a layer of skin dissolve and fade away.
Clutching my arm, I whirled on it and ducked again as it shot another set at me.
Well aren't I just everybody's favorite little senshi, lately?
"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!" Venus held on to his torso where she had pinned its arms to its sides.
"Now!" She yelled. Mars, Jupiter, Moon, and I combined our attacks, and the repuslive youma ceased to exist.
I fell to my knees, panting. Moon limped to me, and looked at my arm.
"Man, that looks nasty," She winced.
"Yeah, how's your ankle?" I nodded to her bent ankle as she favored it.
She gritted her teeth, "I'd be lying if I said it didn't hurt like hell."
I stood shakily and looked at the others, "Alright, these things are getting worse."
"Tell me about it," Mars held up a chunk of singed hair.
"Mercury, WHY in the HELL did you heal me when I said not to?" Venus looked sternly at me.
"Because, VENUS, if I hadn't you wouldn't have been able to hold the youma while we did a combined attack," The logic was always there, but no one seemed to ever realize it but me. Oh well.
She sighed and looked at her partially healed leg. The grainy section where her skin had partially reformed would be gone in a few hours, perfectly healed and as good as new. Our ability to heal extremely fast definitely had its perks. My arm had sealed my wound already, but the excruciating pain sent intensified with every move I made.
"Let's detransform, already. People are starting to come around, and I'm FREEZING in my fuku!" Jupiter exlaimed, and we followed her to an alley.
As soon as Moon's power was gone, she collapsed against the frozen ground.
"Usagi-chan! Are you alright?" She was biting back tears as Minako looked at her swollen ankle.
I pushed towards her, and inspected the damage. About 24 hours and it would be healed quite nicely. I resisted the urge to speed up the process as Minako and Rei looked at me threateningly.
"It'll be better in a day or so; we have to get some ice on it, though," I helped her stand and Rei supported her other side. My arm was killing me, but it'd have to wait until later.
Usagi nodded and gritted her teeth. I felt proud that she was being strong. Rei couldn't even pick on her about it.
Makoto made sure we'd all be fine and backtracked to finish her date with Matt. Minako came with us, and limped a little. I offered her my injured arm to hold on to but she refused.
"I'm fine," She said and turned her gaze back to the road. I didn't push her.
I'm sure we made an unusual sight. A girl with a volley ball sized chunk of raven hair missing, a limping blonde supported by a bleeding, blue-haired girl, and another blonde favoring her left leg.
It comes with the job, I guess.
Usagi sighed as I laid a pack of ice on her ankle, and Minako happily accepted ointment for her burned thigh from Rei.
"Much better," She said.
Rei gestured to the fire room, and I left Minako and Usagi to follow her.
A massive fire blazed steadily in the middle of the room, casting shadows along the walls. I could feel the spirituality of it thicken the air.
Rei and I sat cross-legged, juxtaposed in front of the flames. She bent her head, a cascade of midnight hair falling around her.
Beads of sweat trickled on her forehead as she prayed silently. I waited for her to finish her search, expecting nothing to turn up.
Abruptly, the flames shot up towards the ceiling, roaring loudly with the message they held.
I jumped back and looked on, waiting for something but unaware of what it was. Rei remained still, her head twitching every now and then as if she weren't there at all.
In the middle of the flames a bright blue light flickered to life and enveloped me in its intense illumination. I shut my eyes tightly against the blinding rays.
What felt like a blanket of warm energy flowed through my viens, and when my eyes cracked open, I was no longer staring into the scarlet flames of Rei's fire.
There were now two fires--both blue and calm. Realization dawned on me and I rose from my kneeling postion to gaze into the eyes of my mother, Queen Aiya.
***************************************************************
How'dya like it? It was really a lot of fill-in, like I said.
And *wince* I've been editing a LOT lately. I started with chapter 1 and cut a bunch of things I felt were too lame to be included, and added a LOT of extra information. heh heh...and I'm deciding whether or not I'll replace the chapters I've gotten up already with it or not. I'm afraid that there are certain parts that you guys have that I cut and the rest of the chapters to come won't flow.
For instance, I changed Zach's last name. :-D
It's been a crazy week, people! Bear with me for now! And no matter what changes I make, I'll definitely bust my butt getting a new chapter out every week.
ja!
--Adrial