Listen to the Rhythm of the Falling Rain

Chapter 5: Broken Home

Makoto

Makoto woke with a choked off scream. She could still see the bodies of her friends lying on the ground. She could still feel the cold heat of the daemons attack, could still hear it's horrible laughter emitting from the body and throat of her once best friend. The brunette could feel moisture running down her face but she couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears.

She slowly peeled the covers off her drenched body and stumbled to the bathroom with only one thought on her mind.

'I have to see Ami. I have to make sure she's ok. I have to see that this was only a dream.'

She made her way to the sink and slowly raised her gaze to take in her reflection. She was paler then normal, her eyes were wide and wild, and the unrelenting fear from the dream was still present in her eyes.

The monster's laughter ran like a ghost through her mind. She shuddered and turned the cold water on.

"It was just a dream."

Her own voice startled her. It grated against the quiet. She bent down and splashed her face with water a few times, then looked back up at her reflection.

"It was just a dream." She said again.

Her eyes stared back at her, unbelieving. Makoto shook her head and moved back to the bedroom. She got back in bed and closed her eyes.

Just a dream.

Dream

Ami dragged her broken and beaten body through the front door. All she wanted to do was clean and bandage her wounds, eat something, and sleep for a few days. That's all.

"Ami, can you come into the Living Room please? We need to talk."

The you girl cringed at her mother's words, and the cold tone they were said in. She quickly dropped her bags and went in to where her mother was. One did not keep the doctor waiting.

When she entered the living room, Ami gave a small smile and bowed to her mother. The doctor just glared at her daughter.

"Ami, I have noticed that you haven't been studying as much since you've been hanging out with that group of girls. I also noticed that you're grades have dropped some. This is entirely unacceptable. What do you have to say about this?"

Ami looked down at the carpet for a second before straightening her shoulders and staring straight ahead.

"I am sorry Mother. I know that my studying has slowed and my grades have dropped slightly, but I would like to point out that I am still at the top of my class. My grades are still A's, just not perfect A's."

Her mother was silent for a moment before she slammed her hand down on the table. Ami flinched, and winced when one of her half healed cuts reopened. Her mother stood up from the chair and stalked over to where Ami was standing. The slap was expected, so Ami was able to brace herself. It didn't hurt, she had been hit harder before, and it wasn't the first time her mother had gotten drunk and took it out on Ami.

"It's not good enough! It's never been good enough! You've never been good enough! That's why your father left. He couldn't stand to see you, couldn't stand to look at something so imperfect. You're the reason I'm stuck in this stupid city! If you hadn't been born, my husband would never have left me!"

Each sentence was punctuated with a slap. Ami stood there, knowing that she could stop this, knowing she was stronger than this woman who she called mother. But the Ice Senshi stood there, allowing the blows to land. The last blow that hit was strong enough to force the young girl to her knees. Her mother stood over her, chest heaving.

"You worthless piece of shit. Get out of here. I don't want to see your face for awhile."

Ami nodded, quickly stood up and exited the room. She could feel her wounds, old and new, humming and pulsating. This was new.

'You could have stopped her. You could have caught her hand and broke all the bones one by one.'

Ami closed her eyes.

'You could have made it so she would never hurt you again. you're powerful, Ami. Even more powerful than you're friends. Now that I'm here, you could be invincible.'

The young girl grabbed her bag and ran up to her room, trying to ignore the voice in her head. She needed to talk to someone. This day was just too much. She picked up her Senshi communicator and hit the sequence for Makoto. The brunette would make this all better. She always did. Ami knew she could tell Makoto everything.

Including being attacked on the way home and being..

Ami frowned when her comm. wouldn't go through. She tried again, only for the same thing to happen. Absolutely nothing. She tried her next option.

"Usagi, I tried to get a hold of Makoto, but she didn't answer. What's going on?"

The blonde looked off to the side.

"I think we need to have a meeting Ami. Makoto.. She's gone."

And Ami's world went black for the second time that day.

Ami

The impact of the double dream was evident on Ami's face the next day. The dark circles under her eyes and her abrasive attitude warned everyone to stay away. But unfortunately, Makoto was never one to take warnings seriously. The brunette had been bugging Ami for a conversation all day.

Ami sighed as the brunette appeared next to her. Again. The blue haired woman rolled her eyes and refused to acknowledge Makoto.

"Ami, I know that you are probably pissed at me right now. I know I shouldn't have left the way I did. I know I shouldn't have left at all. But I'm back now.. Can we talk please?"

Ami gave a small humorless laugh.

"You are talking Makoto. So talk."

"But will you listen?"

Ami turned sharply.

"I said talk. Say your piece and then leave me to mine. I'm not in the mood to hear anybody prattle on. Today is not a good day."

"Does it have anything to do with the day I left?"

Ami froze and Makoto knew she had it.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But you've never talked about it. And it's sitting inside of you and festering. It's slowly killing you Ami. And I think there's more to it than that."

Ami's eyes were distant as she stared at Makoto. After a second they hardened to an intensity that the brunette had only seen in the mirror after a especially hard battle.

"Go to hell Makoto."

Makoto was taken aback.

"What? Ami.."

The Ice Senshi exploded then.

"I said go to hell! You think you can just leave without telling us, your friends, your 'family', not contact us in five years, no form of communication telling us you're ok or anything. Then, you decide to waltz back into our lives after six years, SIX years, and start trying to be the best friend you were when you left. Well newsflash, I've moved on! I don't need you anymore! I don't need or want you 'friendship'. so go to hell. And get over yourself. I have."

With those words, Ami turned and walked away from a stunned and speechless Makoto.

See! I'm not dead! And I moved forward in the story!

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