FATE AND FRAILTY
What is left of me?
Broken pieces on the ground.
Tiny, littered shards...
Haiku 10: Fragments of Defeat
Katsuhiko was exhausted. Who knew that an hour's concert could take so much out of him? His back and shoulders were stiff from sitting in the sound booth throughout most of the gig. The added stress of making sure that the musical scores and the sound effects were carried out perfectly did not help his stamina any. The song director was ready to join the rest of the crew at the little party they had set up at the executive office. A couple of beers and some good female company ought to loosen him up.
He was whistling a happy tune as he walked down the corridor. When he reached the office, the music died from his lips. He stood in front of the closed door and stared at the black, plastic surface for a long, long time. Something was wrong... Darkness practically reeked through the edges of the barred entrance. He did not know how he sensed it or why he could, but the sinister aura was strong enough for normal people like him to feel it.
He reached out for the doorknob. His fingers shook as he closed them around the smooth and cold metallic handle. Then he twisted it and jerked the door open. The moment his eyes took in the sight of lifeless bodies spread around the room, he scrambled backwards in terror. "Holy mother of--!"
After the smoke cleared, the field was finally empty save for four very stunned women and one very unconscious teen idol. Rei could still not believe what just happened had happened. Yet, the reality of the situation was clear and real no matter how bizarre it was. Now the question was what was she going to do about it? Looking at the comatose Minako, she only wished she could afford THAT alternative instead of wondering whether she was starting to go insane or not.
She was brought out of her unsettled musings when Ami propelled herself across the field towards her fallen best friend. "Mina-chan!" The blue-haired girl cried out tearfully.
"She's alright, Ami-san." Makoto assured her from her position beside the blonde's head. "She's just out of it." Ami nodded, and carefully hovered over Minako to check her body for any injuries. The brunette rose and began to pace around restlessly. Like Rei, she had trouble taking in what had just happened to them. But unlike her calmer counterpart, the events only served to agitate her. If there was one thing Makoto hated, it was being thrust into a situation that she had no control over.
"Please calm down, Kino-san." Michiru suddenly spoke up, her tone gentle yet stern. "We're safe at the moment. But we need to find some help."
"You're right, Kaioh-san" Rei agreed and cast a troubled glance at Minako once more. "We need to get Aino-san to the hospital first though. Then we should contact the police. I think with those things gone, Time should go back to normal."
"Actually," Ami interjected quietly, "I think it already is. Can you feel the air moving?"
Michiru was relieved to hear the newfound news. It was a sure-fire bet that those strange and deadly people were not here now, or waiting around to ambush them. Hopefully... "One of us should call for help, and check if the others are alright."
"I'll do it!" Makoto exclaimed. What the twins had told them earlier was making her heart sick with worry, and she desperately wanted to go back to the executive office and make sure they were still alive.
"I'll go with her." Rei added, stepping beside the other brunette. "I'm worried about Haruka-san."
Michiru nodded and went over to stand beside Ami. She laid a hand on top of the blue-haired girl's head and smiled at the antsy pair in front of her. "It's settled then. I'll watch over Mizuno-chan and Minako-chan. But please hurry back with help, alright?"
Makoto nodded back; and without another word, she and Rei ran off towards their destination. As they retraced their steps back to where they had left their friends they noticed that the corridors they were rushing through were deserted.
'Why isn't anyone here?' Rei thought with a sinking feeling and glanced at the taller girl running ahead of her in frantic strides. Makoto did not seem to care about anything else, so driven was she to see if her friends were alright. Then finally, they were there. They came to an abrupt halt and breathlessly watched in dismay as a crowd of people milled around the open doorway of the office. The security guards were trying to push the persistent reporters aside as the paramedics tried to roll their smiling patient through the door. The person on the gurney was...
"Sei-chan..." Makoto gasped and rushed towards her friend. As she neared her, she noticed that the mannish girl's eyes were blank and lifeless. But what was odd was that Seiya looked like she was lost in ecstasy. The brunette tried to reach out for her friend only to have one of the guards block her way.
"Please step back." He warned her. "You are interfering with an emergency procedure."
"That's my--!" Makoto began, but was cut off when Rei grabbed her by the elbow and forcefully pulled her back. The brunette shifted her outraged eyes towards the other girl and growled, "What do you think you're doing! My friends are--"
"Look," Rei interrupted angrily, "if you tell them you know them, these stupid reporters are going to swarm all over you." 'Did this big buffoon ever stop to use her common sense?' She thought with an exasperated sigh. But she could not blame her, she was worried about Haruka too. Softening her voice, Rei went on, "Let's pull a guard aside and explain the situation to him-- well, at least the believable version of the story. Then we can ask him about your friends and Haruka-san."
The rigidness left Makoto's shoulders and sagged in defeat. "You're right." She stepped aside to let the other girl approach one of the guards. She watched them go off to one unobtrusive side to talk before she returned her attention to the paramedics who were wheeling her friend away. She balled her quivering hands into tight fists before she looked away-- finding the proceedings too painful to witness.
Hours later the girls, except Michiru who was talking quietly over by the pay phone and Minako who was being looked at by a doctor, were found sitting in the hospital's lobby in silence. Makoto was hunched over the chair, cradling her head in her hands. Ami sat beside her, watching her worriedly. This was the first time she had seen the other girl like this. Makoto had always seemed so strong and aloof, and this uninhibited display of weakness caused Ami's heart to ache with sympathy. She wanted to comfort the other girl, to reach out and touch her and show her that she was not alone. Then she sensed someone watching her.
She looked up at Rei who stood across from them and was leaning against the wall. The dark-haired girl met her gaze unflinchingly. Ami quickly ducked her head. She felt like she had been caught doing something wrong. But technically she hadn't, so she fought down the blush that was creeping up to her cheeks. She was being paranoid... It's not as if Rei was judging her, it's not as if her feelings were that obvious-- were they?
"You care for her a lot, don't you?"
Ami jumped in surprise then she started to panic. She could not believe that Rei would ask her such a question directly, especially when the object of her affections was within hearing range. What was she going to do? What was she going to say?
"Yeah..." She suddenly heard Makoto say. "Sei-chan is my best friend. Ya-chan and Ta-chan too." The brunette untangled her fingers from her hair and clasped them together in front of her, resting her chin on the knuckles. She still did not take her eyes away from her intense scrutiny of the floor. "They're my family."
Ami peeked up at Rei through her eyelashes and saw the knowing smile directed her way. Had the other girl just baited her? But she did not feel anything malicious about her intentions. Rei seemed so very aware of everything around her-- like she could sense things no matter how hard one tried to hide them. To be honest, it made Ami feel a bit uncomfortable because she was the type of girl who had a lot of things to hide.
Michiru was done with her phone call and hung up. She walked back to the others and sat down on the chair beside Ami. "What a long night..."
"Was that Mamoru-san?" The blue-haired girl asked her.
"Yes." Michiru answered and rubbed the sides of her temples with her fingers. The tension headaches were rearing their ugly heads. She just wanted to go home and forget this night ever happened. "Have you girls contacted your parents yet?"
"Mother knows I'm already here." Ami told her quietly.
Rei snorted and looked off to one side. "No way... My dad's insane. I don't want him to cause a scene."
Makoto did not answer.
Then the door to the emergency room opened, and a young and handsome doctor strode towards them. Not too far behind him, Haruka followed in a slower and careful hobble with dazed-looking Minako beside her. When Rei saw her guardian, she moved away from the wall and started towards her. "Haruka-san!"
"Hiya." The mannish blonde grinned at her weakly.
"Good evening, Mizuno-chan." The doctor greeted Ami first, recognizing the girl as the famous Mizuno Kaori's daughter. Then he looked down at his clipboard before continuing, "Good evening everyone. My name is Doctor Iwasaki. Is there anyone here who is related to the Kou sisters?"
"I am!" Makoto shot to her feet. "I'm not related to them by blood, but I'm the only family they have!"
"I'm their boss." Michiru added, rising to her feet as well. "My name is Kaioh Michiru."
Doctor Iwasaki made a small noise before tearing his eyes away from his medical dossier to look at them somberly. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this... But they have been diagnosed with Gaudium Syndrome."
"W-what's that?" Makoto had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"It is an... illness that we have yet to understand," he explained, "Basically, the victims of this syndrome are all locked in a 'happy' catatonic state. They do not seem to be aware of anything or anyone else around them."
"Can't you snap them out of it?" Minako asked him, after a long and silent pause. "I mean, have you found a cure for this kinda thing?" The doctor shook his head.
He was surprised when the tall brunette grabbed the lapels of his lab coat and shook him. "What do you mean there's no cure! Are you saying they're going to be stuck like that for the rest of their lives!"
"Kino-san!" Michiru retorted sharply.
"Makoto-san..." Ami touched her shoulder and was astonished to feel how taut it was. But she was resolved to try and do her best to comfort the other girl, and let her hand stay where it was. "Makoto-san, it's going to be alright."
The brunette jerked around to face her, her face full of pain and desperation. "'Alright!' How can you say that! Didn't you hear what he just said! There is NO CURE! So do me a favor and keep your opinions to yourself!"
Ami flinched away. But her best friend was having none of it. Minako stepped forward and slapped Makoto across the face. The sound echoed in the suddenly silent lobby. Everyone stared at the blonde in shock. Makoto reached out to cup her injured cheek, the hard impact still made her ears ring. "How dare you!" Minako yelled at her. "Don't act like your friends are already dead! They're not, aren't they? So snap out of it!"
"I..." Makoto looked down shamefully. Minako was right. She shouldn't be acting like this. She glanced at Ami at the corner of her eyes and saw her looking back at her worriedly. There was no judgment in her regard, just concern. Makoto felt guilty, she shouldn't have yelled those horrible things to Ami. "I'm sorry..." She told her softly.
Doctor Iwasaki cleared his throat awkwardly and decided to address Michiru concerning the matter at hand. He hated to interrupt, but it had been a traumatizing night for these people, and he figured that most of them wanted to go home or resolve the matter already. So he had to get this over with as soon as possible. "Kaioh-san, about the Kou sisters..."
"Yes Iwasaki-sensei?" Michiru turned to him.
"Well, people with the Gaudium Syndrome can be monitored in their homes if their relatives or their caretakers are capable of doing so. Actually, it is the ideal option... presently."
"Why so, sensei?" The aqua-haired woman frowned. "And what do you mean by 'presently?'"
He cleared his throat again. "This is not the only recent case we have, Kaioh-san." He could feel all of the women focus on him intently. "In fact, we have people coming in with Gaudium Syndrome almost everyday. There is no more room in the ICU, and we've reserved the private rooms for... special cases only. That's why," he paused to gaze at Makoto kindly, "I was wondering, if you're able to take them in? If not, do they have any other relatives somewhere who would be willing to take this responsibility?"
"No, they're orphans... like me." Makoto revealed and swallowed hard. The situation was getting worse by the minute. And she did not know if she could take it anymore. But she had to be strong. There was no one she could depend on but herself, and her friends depended on her too. So, like always, she pushed her negative feelings down forcefully and locked them away inside her. Her heart felt cramped and heavy. "I can take care of them."
"What are you saying, Kino-san?" Michiru looked at her incredulously. "Don't you have school? And what will your-- your foster parents say?"
"It's not a problem." The brunette went on bravely, jutting her chin out defiantly. "I live alone. I'll stop going school and find a way to work things out."
"But you can't do that alone, Kino-san." Iwasaki protested. "We're talking about taking care of three people 24/7. It's better if you pay for their private rooms instead."
"How much is one room, sensei?" Haruka suddenly spoke up while moving behind him.
"Seventy thousand yen per night. And that's the cheapest one we've got."
Makoto practically staggered at the amount. Minako and Ami quickly caught her from behind, and held her by the arms. "S-seventy thousand!" Even Rei paled at that. She wondered if that was how much her father spent on her when she was still in a coma. But someone like Makoto could not possibly pay that kind of money. She felt bad for the other girl.
'Poor Makoto...' Minako thought, noticing how shaken the brunette was at the news. "We'll pay for it!" She exclaimed, causing everyone to perk up at that. "Right, Kaioh-san?"
"Of course." Michiru agreed. "They are our employees after all. Their health is insured by our company."
"Right!" The blonde went on confidently and patted Makoto's back in a reassuring manner. "So don't worry about your friends, Makoto-chan! I'll make sure they're taken care of!"
'Makoto-chan?' Both Ami and Makoto thought in surprise. But the tall girl did not care at this point. In fact, she was immensely grateful for the really generous offer. So unable to help herself, she twisted around and gathered the startled blonde in her arms. "Thank you, Minako-san..." She whispered against her forehead.
Minako shivered slightly, feeling herself melt in the other girl's strong arms. She was a little amazed at how deeply Makoto cared for her friends to the point that it would affect her this intensely. She could not imagine feeling like that for someone, nor could she know how it felt to be on the receiving end of it. She ached for someone to love her like that. Maybe... Makoto could feel like that for her someday? Oh no! What was she thinking! This was not the right time for her to think about such things!
Unnoticed by both girls, Ami was staring at them with an unreadable expression on her face. She shook her head and turned to doctor Iwasaki. "Iwasaki-sensei, have you seen my mother? I'd like to ask her a few questions."
"About the Gaudium Syndrome, I presume?" The other man smiled slightly. "You can ask me anything about that subject, Mizuno-chan. Your mother is unavailable at the moment."
The blue-haired girl did not look surprised. "Gaudium is Latin for happiness-- am I correct?" She watched Iwasaki nod. "So other than what you've told us about it so far, can you tell us more about the symptoms of the illness?"
People who don't know her completely-- like Makoto, Rei and Haruka for example-- always assumed she was a completely timid person. In fact, she really was... especially when she was around people she had to interact with personally, and when she was in situations where she was forced into the limelight. But when it came to matters where her intellect or her expertise was needed, she would suddenly turn into a completely different person-- she would become unemotional like her mother. The others did not know that so the blue-haired girl didn't really mind how oddly they looked at her.
"From what we've studied about it so far, we could only conclude that it's a psychological disease." Iwasaki went on. "The disease does not affect the body except to render it immobile. The person is not aware of his surroundings. So no matter how you try to engage them in any sort of activities, they will not be able to feel it or notice it, nor could they respond to it. It is kind of like being under a coma, except that they would be awake the whole time."
"And you say there are other people like those coming in everyday?"
"That's right. We have yet to find out the cause of this strange disorder." The doctor looked troubled. He did not notice the women exchange furtive looks. "Do you have any more questions?"
"No, thank you Iwasaki-sensei." Michiru spoke up and the others concurred soundlessly.
"Very well... If that is all, I would like Kaioh-san to come with me, please. There are papers to be signed for the Kou sisters' room and maintenance."
"In a moment doctor." Iwasaki nodded and walked ahead towards the receptionist's desk to give them their privacy. The aqua-haired beauty turned to the rest of the girls and smiled at them. "You girls need to go home and rest. We'll... talk about this tomorrow or the next time we meet. I think I'm not alone in the belief that the situation needs to be discussed?"
"No you're not, Kaioh-san." Rei answered first, looking at the others grimly. "We ALL need to talk about what happened."
"I just want to forget about it..." Minako grumbled. "But yeah, I'm game."
"We can meet in my house tomorrow afternoon, at three-ish. Is that alright?" Michiru saw everyone nod in agreement and went on. "I can arrange for my husband to take Taru-chan to the mall. We'll have all the privacy we need. Both Minako-chan and Mizuno-chan know where I live. You can discuss it among yourselves how to get there. Now if you'll excuse me..."
"You want us to wait for you, Kaioh-san?" Haruka queried before the other woman had the chance to walk away.
"No, no. It's late and the girls need their rest." Michiru was referring to the teenagers. "You go on ahead. I'll take the taxi home." She smiled at her before she approached the doctor.
"A woman who likes to be in charge..." Haruka mused with a small smirk. "Alright, ladies. Anybody want a ride home?"
"If you don't mind..." Ami let the sentence trail off.
"It's Ten'ou Haruka. And it'll be a pleasure." The handsome woman winked at her, and was rewarded by a small blush. Everyone walked out of the hospital and followed Haruka to the parking lot.
Rei moved beside her and asked, "What happened when we were--?"
"If you don't mind, Rei-dono, I don't want to talk about it right now." Haruka answered without looking at her. "We have all the opportunity to do so tomorrow."
"Yeah, about that," this time the dark-haired girl craned her neck to look at Minako. "Haruka-san and I don't know where Kaioh-san lives. Can we all meet up somewhere and go together?"
"Sure!" The blonde chirped. "We can meet up at Kusanagi Hotel."
"Or," Rei sighed, "we can meet at Anna Miller's." She really was not up to tolerating snooty people who frequent high-class establishments like that. Everyone replied with varying sounds of agreement.
A few moments later, they finally reached Haruka's yellow convertible. Rei sat at the front seat while Makoto was sandwiched between Minako and Ami at the back. "Where to?" Haruka asked them as she turned the ignition and gunned the engine.
"Just drop me off at the train station." Makoto spoke first, sounding very subdued and far away.
"Why?" The older woman queried neutrally. "You can tell me where you want to go and I'll drive you there. It's no trouble at all."
"Shibuya." The brunette answered flatly. "Look, it's too far and if you don't take me to the station I can just walk."
"But why do you need to go there anyway, Makoto-san?" Ami asked her.
Makoto wanted to snap at her, to tell her to mind her own business... to tell "everyone" to mind their own "damned" business. She just wanted to be left alone right now. But she bit back her intended sharp retort. Ami was just concerned for her, there was no need for her to get angry at her friend. "I don't want to go home tonight. My apartment would feel too empty without the others."
"Makoto-san..."
"You can come over to my place." Minako interjected impulsively, then paused. 'Do I dare?' She thought, feeling her insides start to flutter at the thought of having Makoto over at her suite. She still could not believe that she was attracted to a girl. But that was not the point. She was also worried about Makoto being left alone to her own devices. And what if those monsters came back?
"I don't know Aino-san..." Makoto mumbled unsurely.
"You should accept her offer, Makoto-san." Ami suddenly spoke beside her. Minako looked at her best friend who was smiling brightly up at the taller girl, but she noticed how white her knuckles were from clutching at her knees too tightly. "Minako-chan lives in a hotel. I'm sure that whatever you're supposed to do at Shibuya, you can do it there."
"I don't want to impose..." The brunette replied unassumingly. "But if it's really okay with Aino-san, then I won't refuse."
Minako tore her eyes away from Ami's rigid hands and forced a smile at the taller girl. "Hey, I offered in the first place, didn't I? Of course I don't mind!"
"It's settled then," Haruka said. "Who am I dropping off first?"
Unbeknownst to the others, Rei had been watching the whole conversation in the rearview mirror. She looked away and closed her eyes with a heavy sigh. 'What a night...'
The cavern was tinged with pink light. The atmosphere seemed to ring as the energy surrounding this place vibrated across the rocky walls. The source of these things came from the large, glowing magic circle where the twins lay in the center of it. Just near the edges sat Pillar in a cross-legged position and was holding out her hands, her index fingers and thumb forming a triangle, in front of her. She was obviously the one controlling the energy release of the circle. She had her eyes closed. But one could not tell whether she was trying to concentrate on her task or if she was just savoring the taste of ashes from the cigarette that was stuck between her lips.
Deedee looked lost and troubled, and was unusually quiet for once. Questions where whirling inside her head. Did the queen really order Cheshire to do the things she had just done earlier? If so, why did she even ask them to kill the senshis if she really had no intentions of having them killed? But what if Cheshire had been lying and was really trying to betray them? Then why didn't the queen punish her for it?
Suddenly, she felt her sister's hand wrap itself around hers. The burns still hurt but the black-haired little girl did not pull away.
"Do not look so troubled, Deedee-onee-chan." Dumdum told her. "The queen knows what she is doing. Don't you trust our queen?"
There was a long, long pause before Deedee muttered, "Idiot. You know I do."
"It's funny..." Pillar suddenly mumbled. "This isn't the first time Cheshire has done this to us. But you act like it is."
"It's different this time." Deedee protested. "She actually helped awaken a senshi!"
"This is the last takeover. She can do whatever she wants. We still win. She's actually doing us a favor. She makes the game a little more interesting for all of us."
"Your feelings for that traitor have blinded you, Pillar." The little girl hissed back.
"And you're acting too human for your own good, Deedee. You're showing waaaay too many human emotions." The older woman bemused. Suddenly, she dropped her hands and the circle stopped glowing. The children began to twitch and groan in agony. Pillar spat out her used cigarette to the side and lit another one before resuming her position. The circle glowed again, and the twins settled down as the pain from their burns subsided. "Now, as I was saying... Cheshire is doing her job without question. You should do yours withOUT question."
Deedee was silent again. Her sister turned her head to look at her with a worried frown. 'Please don't do anything rash, onee-chan...'
+Author's Note+
Ugh... I had my wisdom tooth pulled out, so sorry for the delay. I'd also like to apologize because the colored pic I promised to give you guys along with this chappie is not finished yet. But I will upload it, in the next one. I hope you liked the latest installment! It's a little short, but only because the next one will be very long and satisfying.
