It was a warm spring morning and Makoto and Minako were on their way to school. Usagi was running late as usual and when she saw Makoto and Minako a broad smile formed on her lips. "Mako-chan, Minako-chan wait up!"
Makoto stopped and looked over her shoulder and smiled "Hurry up Usagi-chan." A slight giggle escaped the tall brunette's lips as she watched her blonde friend push herself to run faster. Usagi ran as fast as she could, but of course her curse of being a klutz made itself known. She tripped on a crack in the side walk. She closed her eyes and braced for the impact of her hitting the pavement. Instead she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her. She sighed in relief. "Thanks Mako-chan I owe you."
"You're welcome odongo atama but who's Mako-chan?"
Usagi opened her eyes wide and pulled away from the person that had saved her from falling. She looked up at her savior and smiled softly. In front of her stood a tall girl wearing a guy's uniform from her school. She had deep emerald eyes that reflected only sorrow. Her thick rainbow hair reached between her shoulder blades. "Arigotu, my name is Tuskino Usagi."
The taller girl smiled "Doo itashimashite, my name is Melanie Chase but please call me Mel."
By now Makoto and Minako had walked over to Usagi. Minako walked to Usagi's side and put a hand on her shoulder "are you ok Usagi-chan?"
Makoto just stood there and smirked "I hate to be a bummer but um we're all gonna be majorly late if we don't get a move on. You guys can talk on the way to school ne?"
Usagi looked and Makoto and frowned "You're such a downer Mako-chan."
Makoto shook her and sighed heavily. "Fine you stand here and talk I've had enough detentions for being late this week. Besides it's Friday and I'd rather hang out at the arcade after school then in detention. Ja ne." Makoto turned and slowly walked away.
"That was Mako-chan, and this is Aino Minako." Usagi smiled
"Nice to meet you Minako-san the names Mel. But um your other friend is right. Being new I might skate with being late my first day but um I don't wanna risk it." Mel smiled softly and winked at Minako and Usagi as she turned to leave. "Ja."
It didn't take Mel long to catch up to Makoto. "Wait up will ya." Mel chuckled slightly.
Makoto slowed her pace till Mel caught up. Makoto's voice was cold and void of emotion. "What do you want?"
Mel blinked a few times and looked at Makoto and a faint smile crossed her lips you haven't changed one bit Princess. "You looked like you could use someone to talk to that's all."
Makoto glared at Mel. "I'm fine." Her gaze then fell back to her feet to conceal her slight blush. "So please just go away."
Mel caught the blush and smiled. "I'm not going anywhere till you give me a good reason to."
Makoto clenched a fist and swung at Mel. Mel grabbed her fist and spun her around and carefully pinned her to the wall. Mel looked at Makoto and her eyes met hers. Mel slowly let Makoto go and backed away from her. "Your eyes were never that sad." Mel sighed "Gomen nasai I'll go now."
Makoto watched as Mel walked away. After a few seconds what Mel said finally sank in. "W-wait up a second."
Mel slowed her pace and let Makoto catch up. "I'm sorry I pinned you to the wall like that I-"
Makoto cut her off by putting her index finger to Mel's lips and shook her head no. "Doo itashimashite, I'm the one that should be apologizing not you. I really had no reason to swing at you. You were only trying to be nice. I'm Kino Makoto by the way, but Mako works." She smiled softly at Mel.
"I'm used to people talking swings at me, so please don't apologize. I'm Melanie Chase, but please call me Mel."
The four girls all walked into their first class just as the late bell rang. The teacher told Mel to go and sit in the empty seat next to Makoto. Mel walked to the back of the room and sat down. Makoto blushed slightly as Mel sat down. Mel looked at Makoto and smiled "wake me when class is over k." At that Mel put her head down on the table.
After a few minutes the teacher glared at the back of the room to see why Mel wasn't answering him. He walked to the back of the room and slammed a huge book down on the table in front of Mel. Mel jumped and stood up with a very upset look on her face but realized she towered over the teacher and grumbled a few choice words as she sat back down.
Lunchtime rolled around and Usagi, Ami, Minako and Makoto were just walking out onto the campus grounds when they heard shouting.
"What the fuck did you jus say boy?"
"You heard me you stupid dyke. Now why don't you jus go?"
"Fuckin make me you little pussy." Mel threw off her blazer revealing a white muscle shirt that was loose in the chest but hugged the rest of her. Her exposed tattoo's glistened with sweat. The muscles in her arms twitched as Mel tightened them.
"Fine I will. Ain't no damn dyke gonna get away with what you said." He to threw off his blazer. Mel was clearly stronger then him.
He ran at Mel full boar. Mel smirked and flipped him over her. He ran at her again but stopped short and punched Mel in the face hard breaking her nose. Mel shook the punch off and punched the guy back square in the jaw. The guy shook his head a few times and motioned to his one buddy who came up behind Mel and held her while the other guy punched her hard in the ribs.
Makoto saw the other guy grab Mel and went running over there with fists clenched. "Why don't you guys fight fair?" Makoto then grabbed the guy punching Mel and punched him hard in the gut. Mel broke the hold the other guy had on her and spun around and punched him hard in the stomach. Causing him to hunch over. Mel then grabbed his head and rammed it hard in to her knee as she brought it up, breaking the guy's nose.
As he fell Makoto walked over to Mel who had her head hung and eyes closed. Makoto slowly put a hand on Mel's shoulder as she spoke softly "Are you alright Mel?" Mel opened her eye's and looked at Makoto and smiled softly. "Yea I'm fine. Nuttin like a good fight to get the day moving huh."
By now teachers were out there talking to witnesses about the fight. The dean walked over and saw the two guys moaning on the ground and Makoto holding Mel up. The dean asked Mel what happened and after she told her everything, leaving out the fact Makoto laid the one guy out; the dean sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry Miss Chase but policy on fighting is a 10 day suspension. I'll see that they stay out longer for the manor in which they picked the fight. Get your assignments for the next ten days and go home ok."
As she turned to walk away Makoto called out to her "Wait she didn't tell you everything."
Mel shot Makoto a 'don't you dare' look and then sighed as the dean walked back over "And just what did she leave out Miss Kino?"
"The fact that they double teamed her and I came over and laid Jake out."
"Well then your punishment is the same get your assignments and go."
"Makoto-san why did you do that?" Mel sighed heavily
"Call me Mako-chan please; Makoto-san makes me sound old ok." Makoto smiled "I did it because it was only fair. If you have to be punished for defending yourself then I should be for hitting Jake right?"
Mel looked at Makoto and sighed. "If you say so."
The girls gathered their assignments and left. Mel invited Makoto over to her place so they could talk. Makoto accepted and when they got there Makoto's jaw hit the floor. Mel chuckled and opened the door to her loft apartment. Makoto looked around in awe.
Mel smirked as she hung her blazer on the coat hook by the door. "Make yourself at home I'm gonna go let my dog and cat out of my room." Mel stopped and looked at Makoto. "You don't mind either of them do ya?"
Makoto smiled. "No please by all means let them out."
Mel smiled and as she turned to walk down the hall she turned the light on in her 100 gallon aquarium and fed the fish. Makoto soon heard the dog come running down the hallway and smiled. Makoto sat in a chair in a well lit room. One side of the room had art supplies scattered about. There was an easel with a sheet over the picture. On the other side of the room were 2 guitars, one electric and the other acoustic, drums, and a keyboard attached to a synthesizer. Makoto smiled and turned the keyboard duo on. After she adjusted the volume she found a techno beat on the snyth and played the Mission Impossible theme. Mel leaned on the door jam and listened to Makoto play. Half way through the song Makoto looked up and saw Mel standing there with a smile on her face. Makoto quickly stopped playing and turned everything off.
"Gomen nasai Mel-chan I didn't m-"
"Don't worry about it Mako-chan please. It's nice to see someone playing it for a change. I don't play keyboard. Just guitar and drums. Please feel free to play the keyboard all you want. Shit take it all its doing is gathering dust here."
Makoto's eyes went wide. "I-I can't. I have no room in my place. I can barely afford rent let alone pay you for this."
Mel smiled "Well you can leave it here, but please say you'll take it." Mel held her hand out to Makoto.
Makoto blushed and looked at Mel confused and reached into her bag for her wallet
Mel chuckled "I don't want any money Mako-chan. I want to show you something though. Please take my hand." Mel chuckled again as Makoto blushed deeper.
Makoto smiled and took Mel's hand. Mel led her to the balcony. "Best view of the Bay in town. I like to sit out here and watch the sun set."
Makoto looked out at Tokyo Bay and then looked over at Mel such sad eyes "H-hey Mel may I ask you a question? You don't have to answer if it's too personal."
"Sure ask away Mako-chan."
"Well um I noticed you have no pictures of your Mom or Dad and I was just wondering why."
A small tear ran down Mel's cheek. "They um. Well you see they died when I was 2. I lived in an orphanage till I was about 5. Then after 8 years of being given to one abusive foster home after another I ran away from there and lived on the streets till I was about 17. Then finally the orphanage owner Miss Star found me and took me back there and let me stay there till I was 18. Before releasing me my like super rich uncle stopped by and gave me the lease to this place and a shit load of cars and money. I don't only own this loft I own the building so." Mel sighed "I hope that answered your question Mako-chan."
Makoto looked at Mel and sighed. "Yea it did. One more question and that's it ok I promise. What did you mean when you said earlier that my eyes where never this sad?"
Mel looked at Makoto and smiled softly. "I knew you didn't remember when I had you pinned to the wall today."
"Remember what Mel?"
"Your past before you took your place as Sailor Jupiter."
Makoto's eyes went wide. "What makes you think I'm Sailor Jupiter?"
"Your ear rings. Your mother gave them to you before you went to protect Princess Serenity or should I call her Usagi?"
Makoto backed away slowly from Mel clutching her henshin pen. "W-who the hell are you?"
Mel looked at Makoto "Please don't back away Mako-chan I'm not going to hurt you. I'd never hurt you. You were my angel I-I would never hurt you. Please don't run off I'll finish telling you how I know all this." Mel looked at Makoto uncertain of what Makoto might do.
"H-how do you know all this Mel? And what do you know of my past?"
"Back on Jupiter I was your royal guard assigned to protect you. I was sent from my home planet of Descillian. My planet is known for its fierce army. It was even stronger than Jupiter's. So to form an alliance between our two planets my father sent me to Jupiter."
"W-why you?"
"What better way to form an alliance then to send the princess of Descillian to Jupiter right? Not only that I was the best on my planet, and your father requested a female be sent to guard you. So your mother came to see me before I left for Jupiter. We were pretty close, but then your destiny called."
Makoto took a few steps closer to Mel. "So w-what you're saying is that I knew you before I was a Senshi?"
Mel nodded and looked at Makoto. "Yea you can say that."
"By close you mean we were more than just friends huh?"
"You can say that."
Makoto went to say something, but fainted into Mel's arms instead. Mel carried her into the house and took her to her room and gently laid Makoto down on the bed. Mel brushed Makoto's hair from her face and kissed her forehead lightly "Remember angel, please." Mel stood up and slowly walked out of her room closing the door behind her. Mel walked slowly to her studio and turned the light on. She took the sheet off the picture she was working on and sighed. It was a picture of Makoto in her princess gown combing her hair. Mel had her surrounded by roses. Mel picked up the pencil she had sitting on the desk and started to sketch more roses on the background. After about 30mins of that she covered the picture back up and grabbed her acoustic guitar and started to play Time in a Bottle she sat there and sang the lyrics softly as she played. Half way through the song Makoto had walked to the studio and leaned on the door jam. The tracks of her tears still present on her cheeks. Mel looked up from her guitar still playing and smiled softly at Makoto. "Feel any better Mako-chan?"