P.O.V: Rei
"Where can they be?" Minako shouted frantically, running her hand through her hair.
"I don't know Minako! I can't sense their presence anymore. It's as if they disappeared!" I shouted back my concentration shattered.
"Well try harder! They have to be around somewhere, you can't just disappear!" She screamed standing.
"How the hell do you expect me to concentrate with your god forsaken screaming, not to mention that damned tapping!" I screamed my face beat red and doing an about face to yell at Ami.
"Listen. I am trying to find Usa-chan and Mako-chan ok? According to this their energy signals just...vanished after that explosion downtown. I am trying to track their signals somehow. Like Minako so elegantly put it they couldn't have just disappeared." Ami spoke in a strained voice. She was just barely managing to hold onto her temper and emotions, but of course neither Minako nor I noticed dealing with our own emotions.
"Damn it! Even in civilian form your computer should be able to pick up their energy signatures! The only way that it wouldn't is if they were..." Minako shouted her voice trailing off.
"Don't say it Minako. Don't even say it. They are ok, they have to be." I whispered my anger evaporating, only to have the worry and guilt surfacing to take anger's place.
"Damn it all!" Ami screamed snapping. She threw her mini data computer against the wall with as much force as she could muster. The little thing never stood a chance, as soon as it meet the wall it broke apart exposing the silicon inside. "What good is that damn computer if it can't even tell me where Usa and Mako are?" She shouted fiercely holding back sobs. After a moment she gave into the tears and placed her head in her hands. We hesitated for a split second; we weren't use to seeing our Ami-chan in tears after all, before running over to her and crying with her.
"I'm s...s...sorry guys! I didn't mean to yell at you!" Minako wailed in-between sobs.
"It's ok Mina! We're all upset." I wailed back my tears falling into Ami's hair.
"Where can they be? I just don't understand what could have happened to them." Ami stated sadly out tears dripping down her face.
"I know! Mamoru-san! He might be able to find Usa!" I shouted joyfully disentangling myself from Ami and Mina. Running to the phone I began to dial Mamoru-san's number.
"That's right! Their soul-bond! Why didn't I think of that?" Ami questioned gently leaving Minako's embrace.
"Don't bother guys. He won't be any better off then we are." Minako stated sadly placing the phone back onto the receiver.
"What do you mean? Their soul-bond is much stronger then the bond we share with Usa-chan, he could find her!" I insisted reaching for the phone once more.
"That's just it, a soul-bond would be stronger then our bond with Usa. Except Mamoru-san and Usa-chan do not share a soul-bond." Minako said in a tired voice.
"What?! What do you mean they don't have a soul-bond Mina? How else would Mamoru-san know when Usa-chan was in danger or not if they didn't have a bond, hmm?" I exclaimed in disbelief dropping the phone.
"We must have heard you wrong. You couldn't possibly have said that they didn't share a soul-bond." Ami whispered ghostly pale.
"I'm sorry, I should have said something before but Usagi and Mamoru-san do not share a soul-bond. They aren't soul mates. It's true that Endymon and Serenity loved one another, but it was the love of an elder brother and sister. It was this love that gave Mamoru-san to sense when Usagi is in danger in our time now. It is also true that Mamoru-san and Usagi love one another, but this is also a love of siblings. They are not soul-mates." Minako explained sitting down once more. Our reactions were similar to that of being told a loved one had died. Ami had to take a deep breath and take a seat while trying to assimilate this new information. Minako turned to me a deep sadness in her eyes.
"I am truly sorry Rei, but well you see, Mamoru-san is your soul-mate. I should have said something! I really should have, but I was afraid I'd screw up the future if I did. I was afraid about Chibi-Usa and messing up Crystal Tokyo! You saw the future as well as I, I just didn't want to mess with the future is all..." I fell straight to the floor. My legs no longer wanted to support my body so I ended up on my ass. My vision became slightly blurred and Ami's gasp echoed in my ears.
"What do you mean he's my soul-mate?" I asked slowly forming each word carefully before letting it leave my mouth.
"I know it's awful of me to not tell you but it's true, Mamoru-san is your soul-mate. And I am really incredibly sorry that I've never told you." Minako pleaded. I could only shake my head speechless at her. How dare she not tell me that my soul mate was going out with my best friend? And that my friend only loved him as a brother? I can't understand how she could keep this from me. She allowed me to believe that the man I could find happiness with was destined to love and marry another.
"Ok, I know this is a very delicate situation at the moment but we have to remember that Usagi may be in trouble. I'm afraid we'll have to discuss this later, for now we must concentrate on finding Usagi and Makoto." Ami said taking control of the situation. I tore my eyes away from Minako's pleading face to set them on Ami's determined one. I slowly stood up and placed the phone back on the hook.
"Right, we need to find our princess and our friend. So what now?" I asked pushing the topic of soul mates to the back of my mind to discuss another day.
"Well, we still should tell Mamoru-san, by now he has to know something has happened to Usagi." Minako said softly avoiding my eyes.
"And what exactly happened to her Minako-san?" Mamoru's voice drifted over to us from the doorway. Looking over I saw his body framed in the doorway of the room, one hand posed on the door. I let my eyes drift over to Ami, the usually collected member of our group. Now though she was pacing the room and by the look on her face her mind was going a mile a minute.
"Usagi and Makoto's energy signatures just disappeared after that explosion downtown. And Rei-chan can no longer sense their presence's anywhere. Ami-chan was attempting to locate them but that didn't get anywhere..." Minako's eyes traveled over to the remnants of the Mercury Data Computer.
"So you can't find them?" He questioned taking a seat at the table.
"No." Minako replied not quite meeting Mamoru's eyes.
"So, how do we find them?" Mamoru asked looking at each of us in turn. Somehow his presence had a calming effect on all of us and Ami and I both took our seats at the table.
"Well, we need to contact the outers. If anyone knows what happened it would be Setsuna, and the other three deserve to know about this too. Besides we'll have more of a chance to find them with everyone looking." Ami said in a strained voice.
"Ok then, we'll contact the outers and together figure out what happened." Minako stated visibly gaining strength from the knowledge that we were doing something, to find them. That we're doing something to get rid of the quilt.
R&R please, and sorry for the wait. As I explained in my profile I was away for a month without access to my stories and the internet. And the polls are closed. It will be a Mako/Trunks fic, I think I'll put Usagi with Goten but that's up to debate. Hope you enjoyed your stay please come again.
MoonlitChaos