The Sailor Senshi live to protect their beloved Princess, especially a certain Amazonian member of their ranks. But is she strong enough for the task? Can she truly protect those she loves? Written for the 30th Anniversary of Makoto.
Rated: T - Friendship - Words: 6,215 - Makoto K./Lita/Sailor Jupiter, Nephrite/Neflite, Usagi T./Serena/Bunny/Sailor Moon, Ittou A.
A/N: This fic was graciously betaed by Lin_Lamont. Find her on FFN, AO3 and tumblr under the same username.
"Back off, now!"
The short, blond Earth soldier whirled around, his kind blue eyes wide with shock. As he moved, his scabbard brushed the stems of the roses he'd been facing. With a few long, powerful strides, all 5'6'' feet of Sailor Jupiter was towering over the young man, his cheeks flushing fuschia as he stared up at the curly brown-haired Amazonian.
"I-I was just admiring these flowers and-"
"Admire with your eyes –not your hands," she reprimanded, her gaze darting to the thin, red cut on the soldier's thumb. "What're you even doing in this part of the Moon Castle? Aren't you Earth boys supposed to be in barracks?"
"I was part of Prince Endymion's entourage as we toured the castle grounds," began the soldier, "But the Prince went missing so we began to search for him. I came out here and thought he might be in this maze." He gestured to the high hedges behind him that were the same shade of green as the Senshi's eyes. "Then I got distracted by these flowers. They're rather… breathtaking." As his voice grew softer, the pink roses dotting the maze wall bobbed in the breeze.
Sailor Jupiter remained stern, though there was a slight twinkle in her eye and less edge to her next words. "It ought to be breathtaking. This is Princess Serenity's private garden."
"I suppose that means we are both in trouble."
The soldier and the Senshi's attention were drawn to a man with a long mane of similarly curly brown hair. His crisp, white uniform and cape stood stark against the green and pink of the maze entrance.
"Commander Nephrite!?" The Earth soldier exclaimed, hastily saluting. Sailor Jupiter however remained still and stoic, though the corner of her mouth seemed to twitch slightly.
"Head back to the barracks," ordered Nephrite firmly, though not unkindly. "I think Sailor Jupiter and I have to unpack this situation."
The soldier gave a curt bow to Nephrite, then a similar (though slightly longer) bow to Sailor Jupiter before marching off. As he departed, Jupiter noticed he shot one last glance over his shoulder at them.
Her own attention was however diverted to the approaching Shitennou. "Forgive him. That boy is naturally inquisitive."
"Good thing I hid the picnic basket then," Jupiter replied quietly, permitting herself a small, cheeky smile.
Once they were sure they were alone, the pair retreated to a bush further back in the garden and found the carefully concealed basket.
"Allow m-" Nephrite cut himself off as he tried and failed to lift the basket, visible strain breaking across his handsome face. "Um, just how much food is in this thing."
Jupiter repressed a chuckle and, with a cocked eyebrow, bent down and lifted the heavy basket with a hooked pinkie.
"Hope we don't have anymore incidents like that," Jupiter said, casually walking away and back towards the maze. She took pleasure in noting the pause before Nephrite replied and caught her up, and a wry smile crossed her face as she imagined the shock on the Shitennou's face.
"Ahem, we won't," he said with a tiny, faux cough. "Kunzite and the other Shittenou will make sure the other soldiers stay away from the maze."
Jupiter nodded her head. "So, is your Prince here yet?"
"Indeed he is, right at the centre of the maze. Your directions were impeccable."
"Well," shrugged Jupiter, "I did grow this maze myself, you know."
Nephrite's pace slowed. "You did?"
"Yeah. I grew this whole garden."
"Incredible." The soft surprise in Nephrite's tone threatened to make Jupiter's cheeks turn the same shade as the roses. "It must have taken you-"
"About fourteen years," interjected Jupiter. "The key is having patience and making sure you pay attention to how each flower is doing. That's the only way you ever get them to bloom." Reflexively, her eye drifted to a rosebud, its petals only starting to come through. She moved the picnic basket from her right hand to her left to avoid brushing against the young plant. For a moment a dreamy look came over her eyes as she imagined the vivid pink hue the plant would have soon enough. And Serenity's delight when she saw it.
Nephrite's features composed themselves into a soft, knowing smile. "The Earth palace gardens are beautiful, too. But these, I must admit, put them to shame."
Jupiter's cheeks flushed again. "Thank you. I'd love to see them someday."
"And I…" Was it her imagination, or had Nephrite's own cheeks gone red for a moment? "...would like to show them to you someday."
Jupiter smiled. "Perhaps if the Moon Kingdom ever 'returns the favour' and has a diplomatic visit to Earth, you'll have your chance?"
"That would be nice. Then our Prince will be able to keep your Princess waiting for him," Nephrite chuckled.
Jupiter brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
Nephrite raised his eyebrow; a gesture that sent a slight tingle through Jupiter's body. "The Prince is waiting at the centre of the maze as arranged."
Jupiter came to an abrupt halt. "Hold on, are you saying he's still waiting?"
"Er… yes," Nephrite replied, baffled.
Something caught in Jupiter's throat and horrible possibilities flashed across her mind.
"The Princess went into the maze hours ago!"
"You mean she's-"
Nephrite's sentence died as Jupiter sped off.
As she twisted and turned through the maze, so too did horrible possibilities twist and turn through her mind. Though a part of her knew she was probably overreacting, she couldn't help but think of the rumours of rising tensions between the Earth and Moon kingdoms. She trusted their prince well enough, and (for now) even his personal guard. But might there be another rogue soldier who found their way into the maze? Or an assassin hidden amongst the Terran visitors? Through rows, walls, and dead ends she searched, looking for the faintest trace of white, silver, or gold, and praying there would be no red in sight.
After fifteen minutes that felt like fifteen years, she at last found a rather beautiful, bun-headed flower at an intersection. Her head was bowed so her pigtails fell over her shoulders and dangled down, momentarily making her resemble a great drooping silver-white flower.
"Princess Serenity!" Jupiter huffed out in relief.
"Oh, Jupiter!" Serenity whirled around, revealing flushed rosy cheeks, and hugged the green uniformed warrior. "I tried following your directions, then I got lost. Then I used your map and that made it more confusing. Then I tried using the stars to navigate but that just led me to one deadend after another. Then I realised it was the same dead end and I-"
"Don't worry, Princess," Jupiter said soothingly, automatically picking twigs and leaves out of her charge's hair, "I'm here now." The words were spoken consolingly, but a tiny part of Jupiter noted the touch of pride in her tone.
Serenity began to calm down enough for Jupiter to lead them to the centre of the maze. There, beneath a massive oak tree, Nephrite and his own charge were waiting for them. Like lightning, Jupiter unpacked the hamper and laid out the veritable banquet across the nylon blanket.
A soft breeze rustled the leaves above them and scattered loose rose petals in the air like pink snowflakes, their aroma mingling with that of the food. A handful of the smaller petals landed in Nephrite's brunette mane. The sight transfixed Jupiter momentarily, finding her breath had disappeared, not unlike the Earth soldier's earlier. She was sorely tempted to reach out and pick out the petals from Nephrite's hair. Just as a courtesy to her fellow royal guard, of course.
" Mmmm." Endymion's delighted moan brought Jupiter back to senses. "My compliments to whoever baked this cake."
Serenity threw a wink at Jupiter.
"Hmmm, I should try a slice." Nephrite reached for the knife that lay in the cake plate.
"Oh, allow me." Jupiter reached for it too.
As their hands met, each recoiled, a jolt of static passing between them.
"Careful now," Jupiter said softly, the corner of her mouth twitching up in synchrony with Nephrite's.
Somewhere in the distance, there was the faintest rumble of thunder.
"SERENITY!" Boomed Jupiter.
Her cry was drowned out by the storm of battle unfolding before her.
Realising her words were useless amidst the thunder of swords upon shields, she desperately scanned the crowd. She saw no gold, no silver, no white. Through the smoke and dust, everything seemed black; save the scarlet stains adorning the floor and walls.
Fear threatened to paralyse her, but she marshalled her strength and beat it down. Serenity wasn't here. She might be outside. And she would need her.
Jupiter threw herself into the chaos. Rage at the Earthlings and panic for her princess crashed and clashed within her as she relentlessly weaved between battalions of Lunarian warriors, shoved aside Earth soldiers out her way and smashed through obstructing debris. However, even her super strength could not move several collapsed pillars blocking her exit from the castle interior.
Like lightning, Jupiter doubled back and made for a side door that led her out to…
Her heart froze.
The maze, the oak tree, the entire garden. It had been transformed into a crimson hatchet of searing reds and oranges, the once proud tree now a blazing beacon at its centre. Jupiter choked on the embers and putrid ash dancing in the air and catching in her long locks. As Jupiter galloped through the inferno, tears began to sting her eyes; though not because of the smoke.
Finally, she made it through the labyrinth, past the shattered pavilion, and rounded the corner to the promenade, now flanked by twin rivers of blood. The battle was more intense here and Jupiter found it hard to distinguish friend from foe as she fought her way through the cacophony up to the battle ravaged steps that led to the castle entrance.
It was only as she neared them that her heart froze again. Then shattered.
She was no longer running. She advanced slowly, mechanically. She was numb to everything around her. Everything but the sight she beheld upon the steps.
"Careful now!" Snarled a familiar voice.
As her knees buckled, she dimly registered a cackle of laughter emanating from a blurred figure with a mane of curly brown hair.
Despite the stabbing agony in her chest and coursing through the rest of her body, Jupiter did not scream. She could not bring herself to scream, or shout, or utter a single word. The stabbing pain she felt was if anything dull; irrelevant even.
Like a gentle breeze, her life's breath began to leave her. And, as it did so, she found her final thoughts consumed by a single wish.
A wish that burned brighter and far hotter than the entire garden had.
A wish that she had been stronger.
Strong enough to save the crumpled mass of silver, white and gold, that lay limp upon the steps.
As Makoto adjusted the humidity in her apartment, she thought she heard someone coming up the steps outside. Her lips formed into a thin line, but then she shrugged it off. It was probably nothing.
Picking up her watering can, she delicately poured water into the plant pot, making a point of avoiding the rose's leaves. Collecting the fallen pink petals, she placed the pot on the windowsill, opening the blinds all the way.
Though the plant hadn't lost its lustre, the poor thing was drooping over, as if it had been through quite the ordeal. The same was true of most of the plants in her apartment. She made a mental note to water them all again when she got back later today, and to pick up some stimulants tomorrow from the store. Mercifully, she hadn't lost too many plants whilst she'd been 'away,' but the survivors were going to need a whole lot of extra love and care if she was to save them.
Makoto let out a deep sigh. Between caring for her plants, cleaning, cooking, homework, and bills she had to catch up on, Makoto felt slightly overwhelmed. But if she could endure her Star Seed being ripped from her body and taken to the edge of creation, she was sure she was strong enough to manage a few chores. Well, a few chores, and making sure Usagi was properly fed, especially in light of what Makoto suspected was quite the ordeal.
Checking the timer on her oven, she proceeded to open up one of the letters she'd picked up earlier that day, no doubt another bill for her to pay. To her surprise though, the letter was handwritten. Her surprise transformed into a veritable shock as she read the beginning of the letter.
Dear Makoto,
It's me, Tomoko. I know it has been a while since we've spoken-
That was putting it mildly. Before transferring to Usagi and Ami's middle school, Makoto and Tomoko were inseparable. Tomoko had been a little younger than Makoto, and a lot smaller. That, plus being so honest and straightforward, (not to mention short), made her easy pickings for bullies. Particularly those who enjoyed making fun of the stories she liked to write. 'Shrimp has a new story!' was practically their catchphrase.
Makoto had put a stop to that early in their middle school careers and had endeared Tomoko to her as a result. But what had really won the girl's real adoration was when Mako had asked to read Tomoko's stories for herself. They, like Tomoko, were just about the kindest, sweetest things Makoto had ever known. In that sense, they reminded Makoto of a certain blonde bun-head Makoto knew and loved.
Thinking of Usagi suddenly made Makoto feel guilty, and she wasn't quite sure why. Ruminating on it for a minute, she tried to remember if Usagi and Tomoko had ever met. As far as she knew, they hadn't.
Makoto's train of thought inevitably reminded her of how she'd first met Usagi, and how she had abruptly transferred to Jûban middle school. Makoto hadn't understood then, but she had been compelled by a millennia-old urge to protect the bouncing, blonde bun-head.
Of course, that hadn't been the only reason. A handsome, dark-haired fifteen year old danced in Makoto's memory, accompanied by an all-too-familiar ache in her chest that pulsed mechanically like the dim ticking of a clock.
Nichogi-sempai's face was supplanted by Tomoko's bright, cheery features, and guilt hit Makoto again. It was then that things finally clicked.
Up and leaving without telling Tomoko hadn't been one of Makoto's best moments. She had always intended to write or call her, but within a few days of transferring, she had awakened as a Senshi and been thrust into a war with the Dark Kingdom. Before she'd had a chance to decompress from that, Usagi and Mamoru's daughter had dropped out of the sky, pursued by the Black Moon Clan. Makoto had hoped after they'd returned from the 30th century, she might have time to process the reality of seeing the future, but then she was studying for the high school entrance exams, fighting Death Busters, entering high school, and contending with Dead Moon nightmares, and that'd all been before Gala-
To Makoto's frustration, there was a knock at the door.
Like lighting, Makoto crossed the apartment, letter still in hand, and stepped into the genkan.
"Oh, hi, Asanuma?"
The far shorter blond boy stared up at all 5'6'' feet of Makoto with wide, kind blue eyes.
"Mako, I'm so glad you're back. Mamoru told me a little about what happened with…what were they called again?"
"The Shadow Galactica," Makoto said somewhat impatiently. "To be honest, I don't know all the details myself. That's why we're having a meeting in, like, twenty minutes to go over everything."
Makoto hoped Asanuma, inquisitive as he was, would catch the hint. It was nice to see him, and nicer still that he'd wanted to check on her, but really, she was far too busy to chit-chat right now.
"Oh, sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were o-"
Ding.
Without pause, Makoto sped back inside and removed her cake from the oven before it could burn. Then she set about preparing it, shooting the odd glance at the clock as she worked, and less frequently noting that Asanuma was still standing in the doorway.
In under a minute, the cake and rest of the food, (including all Usagi's favourites), was packed up and ready to go. She spared a mere half-second to secure Tomoko's letter beneath a bowl so she wouldn't lose it.
By the time she had returned to the genkan, Asanuma was staring at her with something that seemed to resemble awe.
"Sorry, Asanuma, we'll catch up another time. Right now I gotta rush, see ya!"
"Bu- yow!"
Static had passed between them, not that Makoto would have noticed; electricity didn't tend to bother her after all.
"Careful now!" She called over her shoulder as she jogged down the stairs and headed for the Crown.
So focused was she upon making the meeting in time, she failed to notice the rumbling noise in the distance.
Though it was just two o'clock in the afternoon, all daylight had been drowned out by the storm raging above. The only light that penetrated the apartment came from sporadic flashes of lightning, the effect casting a long shadow from the rose pot on the windowsill.
Despite the darkness, Makoto stared down at the letter, having read it so many times the words were scorched upon her soul.
-but I needed to write to you now.
Mako, I don't know why you left. Two years ago I thought maybe it was because I had done something. Then for a while, I blamed Nichogi-sempai.
One day, maybe a month or two after you left, I even threw it in his face. He told me you leaving had nothing to do with him. That you broke his heart when you left.
I didn't believe him at first, but then after that, he was so nice to me I started to think he really was hurting just as badly as I was. That we were 'kindred spirits,' even.
It got so that I started being nice back to him. We started seeing each other within the year and I felt so guilty, like I was betraying you. But you weren't here. You never called. You never wrote. It was like you had died.
Except you hadn't. You'd just abandoned me. So I didn't feel guilty for long. But I kept hearing your voice in my head during all those dates with Nichogi-sempai, all the wonderful things you used to say about him I was seeing for myself now.
I told him about the stories I liked to write, he even listened to me read some of them out, and then to borrow them to read himself. It was like a wonderful dream.
Then it became a nightmare.
We were given a creative writing assignment for class so I used one of the stories I had written before. I thought I could save myself some time and maybe go on another date with sempai, but he was sick that weekend. Then on Monday, I was called into the principal's office. He said I was guilty of plagiarising another student's work, because Nichogi-sempai had turned in an almost identical assignment last year. I tried to tell him it was a mistake, but the principal showed me sempai's other assignments, too. They were all things I had written. All the things I had shown him, read to him!
Then, when I tracked him down by the bike shed, I found him there with another girl. They were talking about their date over the weekend. They were laughing about me, Mako. About sempai's 'silly little side shrimp'.
I went to a bad place after that, Mako. My grades slipped and I even failed the high school entrance exams. But the worst part? I can't write anymore. Every time I try, I see Nichogi-sempai, I hear him laughing about me.
So I tried writing something else and this letter was the result. I wasn't going to send it at first, but then I thought, if this is the last thing I ever write from my heart, somebody should read it. And it seemed to make sense that somebody should be you. You always seemed to like reading what I wrote.
Makoto crumpled the letter and gripped the countertop so hard the linoleum groaned, the material threatening to give beneath her grip.
How could she have let this happen? How could she have let someone so kind and sweet get hurt like that? How could she have so disastrously failed to protect her?
The answer was simple: because she'd chosen Usagi.
She'd had the strength to protect Tomoko, but hadn't because she'd decided to use that strength to protect Usagi instead. A strength that had failed her when it'dreally mattered.
First, she hadn't been strong enough to protect Serenity when the Dark Kingdom had invaded the Moon.
And mere months ago…. Mere months ago she'd discovered that she hadn't been strong enough to protect Usagi from the anguish Galaxia had forced her through. Just like she'd failed to protect her from harm when all their other enemies had…had…
Outside, another flash of lightning cut through the black sky, casting the rose pot's shadow over the kitchen once more, and reminding Makoto of her self-promise to water her plants again.
Mechanically, she motioned for the watering can, paused, and let out a slow, gentle, yet rattling breath. Then her knees began to buckle and she slumped onto the floor, tears flowing down her cheeks and onto her bent knees as she sobbed.
She sobbed until night came, though the storm obscured the moonlight as it did the daylight. She knew, come tomorrow, she would pick herself back up. That she would press on as she had before, because it was all she knew to do; it was who she was.
And she knew, in some secret, horrible part of herself, that there might come at least one day when Usagi…no…when Neo-Queen Serenity would need her again. She would live for that day. She would try to be stronger, she would try to make up for her weakness.
But not tonight.
Tonight, she didn't even have the strength to tend to her plants. And even, in the days thereafter, when she did, the pink roses went noticeably uncared for.
Staring out the window, Jupiter beheld black clouds marshalling in the sky. The clouds were so thick they created a dark sheet that blocked out most of the meagre light the day had offered. The effect was as immediate as it was depressing. Lowering her eyes, Jupiter saw the sparkle vanish from Crystal Tokyo's spires. Except, of course, for the vast, flat swathes of the city.
They had remained dark ever since the Black Moon Clan's attack. What little light reached them served only to illuminate the devastation of the invasion, giving the ravaged areas the appearance of shattered glass. Looking at them stimulated a numb ache through Jupiter, her arms and legs feeling heavy from the hours she had spent clearing debris and providing aid to survivors.
But it was a far deeper ache that compelled her to turn away from the window and back to her private chamber. The place was a mess, with damaged furniture and broken ornaments littering the floor. Jupiter's legs quivered for a moment as she considered what to clean up first. Eventually, with a dull, mechanical quality, she picked up a watering can and crossed the room towards a drooping fern plant in the corner, the lone plant occupying the chamber. However, halfway towards the plant she changed her mind and lethargically crossed back to return the watering can.
"Not interrupting anything, am I?"
Jupiter looked over her shoulder and beheld a tall, white and lavender clad man in her doorway.
"No, my King. Feel free to come in."
Endymion entered the chamber and approached Jupiter, who noted his right arm was concealed within the folds of his cape.
"Serenity told me your chamber was hit pretty badly in the attack, that you lost a lot of your plants?"
Jupiter gave a dull shrug.
"Well, I thought…" Endymion flourished his cape revealing his right hand; and the item within it.
Jupiter's heart froze. She hadn't had one of those in her living space for a very long time. All of a sudden she was sixteen years old again, sitting on the floor of a dark, lonely apartment.
"You shouldn't have," she said, in what she hoped wasn't a polite tone. However, when she reached out and took the pot from Endymion, she realised she must have been too obvious as a frown had crossed his features.
"Mako…what's wrong?"
Jupiter blinked. Then shrugged again. "Nothing."
Slowly, Endymion withdrew his hand and gave her a small wave. It was only then, with an internal groan, that Jupiter realised that Endymion was not wearing his gloves.
"Psychometry, remember?"
Like lightning, half a dozen lies and excuses began to race through Jupiter's mind. However, she found that she simply didn't have the strength to pretend. She didn't have the strength to…
"I wasn't strong enough, Endymion," she said huskily, her head hanging low.
"Strong enough for what?" he asked gently, coaxingly.
"Strong enough to protect her."
Jupiter's legs began to shake again and she moved over to her bed, reaching it just before her knees buckled. Endymion followed her a moment later and sat a respectful distance from her.
"How could you say that, Mako? You and the others, especially you if anything, you all live to protect Usa."
"Exactly!" Jupiter half-snapped. "Protecting her? It means almost everything to me. But when it really mattered to her, I let her down. I let her down in the Silver Millennium when Beryl invaded! I let her down in high school when Galaxia attacked! I let her do-"
"Mako!" Jupiter shut herself up, surprised by Endymion's outburst. "You've been feeling guilty all this time about those things?" Endymion's voice carried the authority of a doctor who had just discovered his patient had been regularly harming themselves.
"I…no. Yes. Not exactly." Jupiter's head hurt. Anguish and guilt gathered, crashed, clashed and then gathered again within her. "When my memories awoke back in middle school, I was just so relieved that she was alive, that I could be with her again. And, I suppose, I thought I could make up for my past weakness. Then that cycle, that belief, kept repeating itself until after she told us what she went through with Galaxia. After that, I-"
Tomoko's kind face flashed in Jupiter's mind.
"I realised how weak I had been. How I had failed to protect her time and again! How she'd had to save me and herself! But I kept going, I kept doing what I had always done, because it was all I knew how to do. I knew, someday, maybe I could actually help her. So I forgot, I let it go. I vowed to make up for my weakness. But now the attack has come and gone and…and now I'm thinking about what will happen the next time she needs to be protected. If I'm going to be useful once in a while again, or if I'm going to let her down like I already have too many times."
Jupiter gave herself over to her tears. As such, it was a moment or two before she noticed there was a comforting hand upon one of her balled up fists.
"Mako, I know how you feel."
Rage flared within Jupiter and began to crash forth from her lips "How could you- ... Oh… "
Endymion gave her a rueful, yet sad smile. "I live to protect her, too. And Chibi-Usa. And…" Jupiter suddenly saw a great invisible weight upon Endymion's shoulders. "And I've let them down too."
For a moment, Jupiter felt an odd sensation towards Endymion. A kinship. She imagined it was perhaps what it might have felt like to have a brother.
"How…How do you deal with it?"
Endymion didn't answer for a moment. Jupiter could practically see the wheels turning behind his eyes.
"I… I try to keep a lot of things in perspective. The first is that we all make mistakes no matter how hard we try to avoid them. Second, no matter how close you are to someone, we all have our own lives that we have to live and be responsible for. I can't stop Serenity or Chibi-Usa being who they are anymore than I can stop the wax or wane of the Moon itself. People are always going to want to hurt her, and she is always going to want to jeopardise herself to help people."
A light breeze wafted through the room, causing a page from one of the scattered books to turn.
"...And…is there a third thing?" Jupiter asked tentatively.
"The third thing," Endymion began slowly, "and the thing that really matters, is knowing that there is more than one way to protect someone. And the best of those ways is to just be there for them. That you are behind them all the way, that they can rely upon you to give them strength. The strength to ultimately protect themselves."
"Protect… themselves…" The idea was at once simple and yet revolutionary to Jupiter.
Endymion nodded. "But at the same time, you make them understand that they don't have to always look after themselves. That you will always be there to help them as much as you can. Even if, in the grand scheme, they might not need you to do that, or even if you can only ease their burden a little bit. That little bit still matters, Mako. That little bit helps give them that strength. That's what I try to keep in mind, anyway."
Endymion smiled at Jupiter and, though it might have been her imagination, she thought she saw a faint golden aura in his eyes and about his body.
He said nothing more, merely squeezing Jupiter's hand once again and then departing.
For a long while, Jupiter remained motionless. Her mind was blissfully still. Wonderfully quiet. Then, from the corner of her eye, she glanced at the window.
It might have been her imagination, but she thought she saw the clouds begin to part.
The storm clouds were as thick as night, their darkness interrupted only by the occasional flash of lightning. Crystal Tokyo was consumed by the dischodance of descending rain and booming thunder.
The storm, however, went utterly unnoticed by the green-eyed, brunette (though slightly greying) Amazonian woman. At least until she heard the backdoor click and a short, similarly greying man with kind, blue eyes entered the room.
"What're you doing here?"
"Making sure a certain someone has a decent meal, since she works late on Thursdays."
"I eat on Thursdays," Makoto said huffily, placing her hands on her hips and raising herself to all 5'6'' feet of her height.
"Late night chowing down on stock doesn't count," chided Asanuma.
"It's just practical, is all; I'm feeding myself and testing out our new recipes."
"Well, rest assured I got one of your new recipes in h-" Asanuma cut himself off and strain crossed his face as he tried and failed to lift the basket.
"Oh, here, let me."
Makoto leant down towards the basket. But before she could reach it, Asanuma had hoisted it up and onto the work bench.
"Don't worry. You just relax, I've got it."
Makoto's heart froze for a split second. Then, like lightning, she moved in close to the man who was so much smaller than she, and tenderly kissed him on the forehead, a satisfying tingle of static coursing across her lips.
"What was that for?" muttered Asanuma.
"For keeping me strong," Makoto whispered back.
"Speaking of which, I also brought this?"
Asanuma reached into the basket and withdrew a beautiful blue and gold embossed book. Taking the book, Makoto opened up to the page Asanuma had indicated for her.
'Dedicated to my friend Makoto, who helped me see that I needed to find my own inner strength.'
A small smile creased Makoto's lips. "I don't know why Tomoko keeps mailing these to us. We see her every other week."
BOOM!
Makoto cocked an eyebrow. Sheltered as they were from the storm, that hadn't sounded like a thunderclap.
BOOM!
BOOM!
Makoto exited the backroom and crossed the store floor before finally opening the front door. There in the doorway, she beheld a large, soaking silver, white, and gold flower.
"Ah, sempai!" Asanuma said from behind her, "What brings two retired royals to our door?"
"Inquisitive as always, Asanuma," Endymion replied somewhat irritably, shielding his head from the rain with his cape.
"Mako! We dropped the grandkids off and were heading back home when this storm came out of nowhere. Cou-"
Before Serenity could utter another word, a strong, firm hand had grasped her shoulder and ushered her and Endymion inside.
"There're towels in the backroom, although if you dried off here you might be able to save me watering my stock." Makoto chuckled as she weaved between the veritable jungle of leaves, branches, and a rainbow of petals occupying the store.
The trio entered the back room where Makoto began preparing them tea and unpacking a cake, followed by the rest of the picnic basket's contents. Soon, the circular oak table in the middle of the room was positively heaving with food.
"Makoto, you really don't need to-"
"Yay! I'm starving!"
As Serenity began to chow down, Endymion rolled his eyes and, with a small laugh, shook his head.
BOOM!
This time it really had been a thunderclap. Serenity jumped, being caught by Makoto.
"Careful now," Makoto chuckled, patting her friend's back consolingly. Casually, she removed a stray twig from her hair and deposited it into a flower pot. It was an old pot containing several lush, and very well cared for, pink roses.
The roses were placed at the very centre of the table around which the quartet sat together, Jupiter's home keeping them safe and protected from the storm outside.
A/N: Apologies for the quality of this (and consequent fics). I wasn't able to write for over a month for various reasons. I had 2 exhausting weekends for stag parties, then work, got unwell, major hayfever, real life family/work drama, etc. Consequently I majorly got out of the swing of writing/Sailor Moon.
Not only did this make this story the hardest to write but even before all that stuff simply planning it out was a challenge, not least because Makoto technically has 2-3 different elemental powers unlike the other Inners.
I knew I had to skew more towards flowers since lightning was kinda covered in my other Makoto anniversary fic last month, but it took me awhile to figure out what to do with it.
Also Makoto's friend. So in Act 17 of the manga she references an unnamed friend from her old school. In the SuperS season of the manga we learn animeMako had a friend at her old school called Tomoko. So I just kinda connected the two. My approach has always been to use anime canon to fill in manga canon gaps and vice versa.
Also, also just to let you know I am involved in a discord called 'Moonlight Legends' which is dedicated to sharing all sorts of Sailor Moon fanworks, including other fanfics. If you would like to join so you can share your own work, get help with your current projects or just connect to other fan creators shoot me a PM and I'll send you an invite. All are welcome!