Chapter 7

The next morning was rainy. Makoto buttoned up her forest green rain jacket and pulled the hood up over her head. The rain wasn't hard just a constant drizzle. She knew if she remained out too long it would start to drip from her nose. Never a good way to intimidate a victim, but there wasn't much she could do about it.

Carmela had called her last night. The woman had yelled for an hour on Makoto's lack of work efficiency. Makoto thought about digging the communication chip out of her skull. Thus why Makoto again found herself at the Hikawa Shrine.

Upon reaching the top steps Makoto looked for Rei's android grandchild. Midori was under one of the building over hangs trying to stay as dry as possible. Makoto walked over to her and slowly pulled down her hood. When Midori noticed Makoto she smiled. The smile traveled to her eyes, she seemed genuinely pleased to see Makoto. Makoto had to remind herself that this beautiful girl wasn't human. "Of course your humanity could be questioned." Makoto's inner voice laughed.

"Hello, you probably don't remember me but…"

"You are a friend of my grandmother who visited not too long ago." Midori interrupted her. Makoto nodded.

"I was wondering if I could ask you some questions?" Midori nodded and smiled. Makoto had to take a moment to enjoy her smile. She was a beautiful woman, too bad she wasn't real. "Yes, I was wondering if she had been visited by any other friends?"

"That's it ask her about Fujiwara so we can get back to fuckin' that Carmela girl. I liked her."

"Perhaps a blonde girl with odangos?"

"WHAT? No don't ask about that blonde twit." Makoto ignored her little voice.

"She use to visit grandmother often, but now it is grandmother that visits her." Makoto looked at Midori with confusion.

"I don't understand. What do you mean she visits her?"

"Oh, the blonde woman's mind became sick, though grandmother never told me why. She visits her almost every day. She will be going there today in fact so she will be unable to see you for long." Makoto shook her head and pulled the hood back over her head.

"Don't worry. You have answered all my questions today." Midori beamed at her. Makoto stepped from under the overhang and back into the rain. She walked back down the steps and waited in her car for Rei to descend from the shrine.

"What the hell are you doing?" the inner voice yelled. "You are going to get us killed. I know we're self-destructive, but this is too much shit. Come on my friend lets not do this. I say we go to one of the bars, get drunk, find some young chick, and forget about today. Anyways it's raining. We HATE the rain." Makoto continued to ignore the voice. She had to know what had happened to her princess. She had to know if she had killed her princess as well.

Makoto's ramblings were stopped as she watched Rei walk down the stairs. She wore a red rain jacket with the hood pulled over her head. Makoto could faintly see the bulge that her hair made under the jacket.

Makoto stepped out of her car and followed her. Rei entered a bus and Makoto had to run to catch it. Makoto stayed behind people on the bus, becoming invisible among the other passengers. Makoto watched as Rei pulled the rope for the next stop. Makoto waited until Rei had left the bus until she too departed from it. Makoto stayed far enough away from Rei to appear none threatening, but close enough that if she bolted she could keep up with her.

Makoto stopped at a crosswalk down the street acting as though she wished to cross the street as she watched Rei enter a building. Once Rei was inside Makoto walked down to the building. Makoto read the golden plaque on the wall.

"Tokyo Mental Institute." Makoto sighed. What was her princess doing in a place like this.

Makoto entered the building and after some negotiation with the nurse at the desk found where Usagi's room was located. Makoto was almost to the room when she noticed that the door was opening. Makoto quickly ducked into one of the darken corridors. Using the shadows to hide herself. She watched as Rei passed her than stopped. Makoto feared that she would turn around and find her; however, Rei did not turn.

"Our princess is ill." Rei simply said. "After Ami's death and your disappearance she fell into depression. She had become pregnant and believed it to be Chibi-Usagi, but there was a problem and she had a miscarriage. She was so convinced that the birth of her future daughter meant that she would become queen and that you and Ami would return that the miscarriage destroyed her mind. If you wish you may visit her, but I warn you she is no longer the princess she once was." With her story told Rei continued her walk down the hall. Makoto waited in the darkness for a few moments.

"So what. The twit went nuts, so did you and no one came to visit you. Come on, I'm sure that nurse at the desk gets off soon she was cute. We don't have to do this. We can walk away now and go back to the way things have always been. This is your old life. We left that remember. What these people do now is their own business."

Makoto walked out of the darkness. She went down to Usagi's room and put her hand on the cold knob. She could feel her heart in her throat. Why was she so scared. It was just Usagi after all. Her princess that loved her, that…she had abandoned. Makoto swallowed hard. She closed her eyes as she turned the knob.

When she opened her eyes the room inside was dark except for the stripe of light that the open door created. Sitting in that stripe on the twin bed with her back toward Makoto was Usagi. Her odangos still in place. The light blue hospital gown was open slightly in the back. Makoto cleared her throat and pulled down her hood.

Usagi turned her head to look at her new visitor. So many visitors today. First her husband, then her best friend and now this woman. So many people for the queen to see, so little time. She had so much planning to do with her daughter on the way and a world to rule. This woman must have something important to say or she would have to leave.

Usagi smiled at Makoto. Makoto almost fell to her knees, it was the smile of her princess. Just like the one from her dreams. Usagi tilted her head at her new visitor. This visitor seemed familiar. Usagi turned around completely toward the door and sat on the bed.

Makoto looked at her princess' arms and saw the scares across her wrists. Makoto felt a tear slide down her cheek. She raised her gaze back to her princess' eyes, and suddenly Usagi knew who her visitor was.

"My lost Senshi has returned to me. I forgive you of all your transgressions and welcome you into my light once again." Makoto's eyes widened. "No, not the dream." She thought. Makoto stepped back and slammed the door and started running.

Running out of the hospital into the rain. Away from that place. She kept running until she felt she couldn't run anymore. She had finally stopped at a water fountain in one of the many parks.

Makoto stopped and screamed. She screamed and cried, the storm around her becoming more violent. The wind howling and wrapping around her. The raindrops becoming larger and soaking her clothes. The tree becoming bent and losing branches in the onslaught of Makoto's pain. Makoto collapsed to her knees and started to cry. What had Pluto done to her. She couldn't stop crying. Then suddenly the rain stopped hitting Makoto's back. She looked up and into concerned blue eyes.

The blue eyes belonged to a short woman with blue hair. She had an umbrella that she was holding over Makoto. She wore a pare of blue slacks and a white blouse that she was trying to keep dry under her blue rain jacket. Makoto looked into those concerned eyes and said the only thing she could think of in that moment.

"Ami, forgive me."

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You see this is the part where you kick and scream and get mad at me for leaving you with such a cliff hanger, but come on you should know I do this by now. I hope that y'all are still enjoying this and please review.