Bonded in Dreams
Bonded Series: Book One
Prologue:
Terror Night
***Mamoru***
"Tell me again," Minako whined, tugging Mamoru's sleeve as he tried to put his homework in his bag. She looked adorable, her blonde curls ringing her face and lines in her cheek from resting on her pillow. "I can't read it," she put her book on the table and put both hands under her chin.
Grinning, Mamoru picked up the book. Minako was irresistible as she opened her azure eyes wide and batted her little lashes. He knew very well that she could read. He had taught her himself. Laughing at her antics, he sat in the center of the couch and opened the book. In seconds she had crawled up beside him.
"Do you want to hear it too, Jadeite?" he asked her twin, who was playing with his trains across the room. Jadeite nodded and dropped his toys to sit on the couch. Once they were both settled down, Mamoru opened the book and looked at the picture on the inside. It was a painting of their many-times-great grandfather, who had helped to save the drakkonlings in Atlantis on the day it sank.
"Atlan'ni'ti'oca was the jewel of the Atlantic, and the place of our rebirth," Mamoru read. "The greatest city ever built by drakkon kind was erected there. It was a place of science, and of magic, and of wonder." He could see his siblings eyes trained on the incredible paintings that had been added to the book as illustrations.
"Look," Jadeite whispered, when Mamoru had turned the page, his voice full of awe as he looked at the domed spires of the massive library that had once stood in Atlantis. It had been nearly as tall as the mountain it stood before.
He ran his eyes over the school, where young drakkonlets and wita'hum were making their way through an obstacle course that had been built for them. He continued to read, telling his siblings of the daily lives of those ancestors who had lived in the city. He turned the page.
"Then, on a cold winter day, the worst happened," he read. "The followers of Toma attacked the city, breaking the dams and the support structures under the city before anyone knew they were there. The city watch was caught unaware, and most of them were killed in moments. Hundreds of people, human, wita'hum, and drakkon alike, were killed in the initial wave."
There was a painting of the dams that had been built to keep out the rising sea water. He could see the flames on the page, and in his mind, as memories of other ancestors raced forward. He could see his siblings were affected the same way. Some memories affected all, or most, drakkon. Usually those memories were disasters. It was a way they could learn from their forebears mistakes, he supposed, but it was frustrating when they popped up unexpectedly.
Minako's fingers traced over the scattered nests on the beach sand, her eyes wide. Though drakkon no longer made nests in such a way, it was natural for drakkon to feel drawn to warm sands. She cooed over the young ones there, making Jadeite and Mamoru grin.
As he looked at them, he remembered flashes of fire and the screams of drakkon, humans, and wita'hum that had been caught in the wave when the walls were shattered. His memories were linked to his own ancestor, who had played a much different role than the painter's ancestor had. While he could see the paintings, his memories supplied other visions that superimposed themselves over them.
His ancestor had been hardly more than a child himself, returning to his birth nest to see his mother, who had just hatched nearly a dozen young. His mother and her two mates had barely managed to save his siblings in time, and he had seen the nests of other drakkon that were unattended, because their parents had risen to fight Toma's Wing, and the followers of the human warlord Diroc, who had aligned with him.
His ancestor, named Mamoru, had rushed to collect as many of the young drakkonlets as he could. They had climbed all over his arms and legs, until he had been so weighed down, he could hardly take flight. But he had rushed them to safety and immediately returned, as the water was rushing into the nesting grounds. He saved as many as he could, other drakkon helping him, mostly the youngest of the mothers who had stayed behind. They had saved every single drakkonlet and then had all risen together to join their parents and friends in fighting.
Mamoru heard the sound of shattering glass and bit back a scream of terror as he realized it was not a sound from his ancestor's memories. Something was wrong inside his own house. He quickly stood, unsure how to react. His brother and sister looked scared, and he didn't know how to make it better.
Mamoru gulped, looking around automatically for his parents. He thought they might still be in the kitchen. He was too young to transform, and he didn't know any of the fighting skills.
"What's happening?" Minako asked, her little hand clutching his fingers so tightly they turned white. Azure eyes peered up at him, and he saw her swallow heavily.
"I don't know Mina," he whispered, pulling her to her feet.
Jadeite shot up after her, his silver-grey eyes open wide. He put himself on Minako's other side. The twins could rarely stand to be separated, and now they were both afraid, which meant they clung even tighter than before. Both of them were looking to him for answers. Mamoru wasn't sure what to do.
::Get down children,:: Mamoru heard his mother's mental voice whisper in his mind. He had been able to hear her voice, and his father's, inside his head from the first moment he remembered, while he was still in her womb. It was a soothing sound, and it reminded Mamoru that he was not alone. That calmed him enough that he began to think more clearly.
He tugged on his brother's and sister's hands and knelt behind the couch, watching as his parents entered the room, turned off the lights, and immediately turned to look outside. They were staring through the windows and whispering nervously. Mamoru pulled his younger siblings into the alcove beside the back door and waited.
"We have to go," Mamoru heard his mother whisper. "I feel something."
"I do too," his father answered, pulling out his phone. "We need to get the children to safety Demeter. Let me call the Amsilvers, you get the statue."
"Be careful, Endymion," she whispered, rushing to grab something from the mantle.
His father dialed the phone, but even as he whispered into it, he was moving towards the kids. In only seconds he had grabbed Mamoru's bag, thrown something inside it, and had wrapped his arm around Mamoru. He heard his father speaking rapidly into the phone as they moved, but didn't understand what was happening. "I'm worried Pontus. We think it's the Enclave. It's time to evacuate. Get Serenity and the girls."
Mr. Amsilver replied, but Mamoru couldn't hear what he was saying. His father hung up, opened the back door, and pushed Mamoru gently out into the yard. His mother followed a moment later, seven-year-old Minako and Jadeite clinging to her hands. She looked frightened, which made Mamoru feel like the world must be ending. He had never seen his mother afraid before.
"Mamoru," his father spoke softly, turning him around. "I need you to listen to me. Do you remember what I told you about Pushing?" He passed Mamoru's bag to his wife, clutching her hand briefly as she turned to speak quietly to Jadeite and Minako.
Mamoru nodded. He knew that young drakkon usually could not transform until they reached second puberty, around the time they were eighteen. Drakkonlings, when in danger, could push back this element of their protection in times of great distress. Did his parents want him to transform now? He was too young!
"I can't," Mamoru admitted, his eyes trained on his father's suddenly-serious ones.
"You can son," his father said, midnight blue eyes boring into Mamoru's. "I need you to take your brother and sister to safety. Can you do that for me? Can you protect the children?"
Mamoru nodded, but he wasn't sure he could do it. He knew he had to be brave, but he wanted to sniffle and cry. He wasn't big enough to fly. Especially if he had to carry his brother and sister. They were heavy. He was frightened, and he didn't want to leave his parents. He didn't know if he was as strong as his ancestor.
Suddenly his dad glowed black and sapphire and his body began to change, until standing before him on four thick legs was a great black drakkon, his mane and ridge crest luminescent sapphire blue, the rest of him a deep obsidian. He was a drake in form, with thick back legs, and strong but agile front limbs separate from the thick wings that unfolded from his back.
Large, shining sapphire eyes stared into Mamoru's. He could hear his father's voice in his head. ::Transform Mamoru,:: he ordered, stirring an innate need for his son to obey.
The deep, rumbling timbre of his father's voice filled the night and vibrated the ground under Mamoru's feet. Everything went warm inside him, and then, with what felt like a sneeze that had been trapped in his belly, his eyes were suddenly higher from the ground and a tail was wrapped around his much bigger legs. His arms had changed, claws forming instead of fingers. He lifted one, to look at it, and almost stumbled.
"Oh, he's beautiful," Mamoru heard his mother whisper. He looked over at her and saw that tears were pouring down her cheeks.
Then she was climbing up one of his legs and placing his brother and sister on his back. He felt them snuggle in, each settled between one of the ridges on his lower crest. She hugged him hard around his thick, long neck, and he heard her stifling a sob.
"My beautiful son, you are strong enough. You have the strength of all your mothers and fathers. Call to them in need and they will guide you," she breathed. "You are a child of Mamoru. His strength will be yours."
Mamoru didn't understand. It felt like she was saying goodbye. He felt her hug each of his siblings and she ordered Jadeite to hold Mamoru's bag and not lose it. A moment later, his mother was before him, beginning her own transformation. She was smaller than her mate, golden in color, with a bright amber crest that reflected the moonlight.
She moved closer, her incredible amber eyes boring through him. "Take your brother and sister. Fly north, toward the moon for the length of the First Lullaby, and then stop. Find a place to hide and do not come out until you hear our call."
"I can help," Mamoru answered, surprised that while his drakkon voice also rumbled the ground, his words seemed to project mentally, as his parents' had. "I don't want to leave you."
"I know," she soothed, rubbing her scent gland over his shoulder in a gentle caress. "But you must protect your brother and sister. That is how you can help us. We will follow you as soon as we can. The Amsilver girls are too young to fly. We have to help them." She leaned forward and brushed his cheek with her own. "Take them and go. Your memories will guide you."
Instinct led Mamoru to shift upright before he used his back legs to push into the air and his large wings to add lift by pressing off from the ground with force, like a spring. He swiped them down rapidly and pushed off from the ground, leaping for the sky. It was difficult to gain speed when he was carrying the twins, and Mamoru was afraid they would fall.
::North:: he heard his father remind him. ::You can do this, my son.::
Mamoru turned his face toward the moon and began to fly, his wings working hard to keep him aloft as he struggled with the weight of his siblings. Instinct and ancestral memory took over and he quickly grew used to the feeling of the air pushing back against his wings. Though he was still terrified, he loved it.
Humming the lullaby his mother and father had taught him, he sped away, unsure if he would be chased, and his mind filled with questions he could not answer. Who was the Enclave, and why were they after his parents? He could feel Minako and Jadeite, both silent as they stared back toward home. He had no idea what to tell them.
:: . worve drakkon ling . kata fyra giri . worve drakkon ling . Ovahom ahi ' worve . ::
Mamoru was circling around a clearing, ten minutes later, as the final notes of the short lullaby ended, when he heard his mother's voice one last time, full of fear, anger, and desperation as she sent out a mental call. ::FLY Mamoru! Fly, and don't stop until you can't fly anymore!::
Instead of landing in the clearing, Mamoru hurried to gain altitude and sped away, keeping north. He felt a sob rise up in his long neck and tried to hold back the bugle of anguish. Were his parents going to die? Minako and Jadeite were both crying loudly and calling out for their parents, but Mamoru kept silent, afraid the Hunters would hear and follow him.
A few moments later, sweeping emptiness seemed to overwhelm Mamoru, and he realized he could no longer feel the presence of his parents minds. Minako let out a scream, and nearly fell from his back before Jadeite caught her and held her in place. Mamoru could not begin to process what had happened, and so he began to sing the lullaby once again, and simply repeated it through his mental connection with his younger siblings, over and over until the sun began to rise.
Before morning his wings were aching and burning, and he could feel his siblings shivering, but he didn't dare to land. Where could he go? Who was after them? Would his grandfather find him now? Was he already looking?
And what about the Amsilver girls? Were they safe? Had their parents survived? He wasn't sure if he should turn back to find them, or if he should keep flying toward the north.
It was exhaustion that finally made Mamoru's decision. He knew he could not fly another mile, and so he found a small clearing in the most densely forested area he had passed since the sun had crested the horizon, and he landed there, far from roads or people, and waited for his brother and sister to climb wearily down from his back and slide down his legs.
Minako and Jadeite stumbled, unable to walk right after so long clinging to his crest. Mamoru heard Minako start to sniffle and the need to wrap his arms around her triggered the drakkon side of him to melt away, leaving a very human eleven-year-old to hold his brother and sister close.
"Mommy and daddy are gone!" Jadeite sobbed, still looking back in the direction of their old house. He sniffled and wiped his nose with his sleeve. "What do we do?" he asked.
"I don't know," Mamoru admitted. "I don't even remember how to get back home," he added sadly. "I don't know how to reach anyone, or even if they're still alive."
"Can we get to grandpa?" Minako asked, looking hopeful. "He lives on the island."
"I don't know how to get there either Minako," Mamoru whispered, feeling like a failure. "I'm sorry."
Jadeite bit his lip and looked around them nervously. "I hear something," he whispered. Mamoru turned to look where his brother was now pointing and saw three men wearing bright orange vests standing at the edge of the clearing, staring at them.
Mamoru grabbed his brother and sister and pushed them behind him, unsure what to do. Had the men seen him transform? One of the men handed his bow to another and stepped forward. Mamoru stepped back, tugging the others with him. The man was human. Completely human. And he didn't smell like magic.
Mamoru frowned. He had never smelled magic before, that he knew of, but he could remember the smell of it. He was sure he would be able to smell it now, even in human form. A benefit he supposed.
"Are you kids supposed to be out here?" the man asked, taking another step. "There are hunters all over these woods."
"Hunters?" Panic raced up Mamoru's spine and he looked around for a terrified moment before he realized the man was wearing orange, so he was talking about people hunting animals, not people hunting drakkon. He let out his sigh quietly, trying not to look too relieved. But what should he tell these men?
"Are you kids lost? You must be hungry." The man reached into his pocket and pulled out several protein bars.
Mamoru was hungry, and his brother and sister were too. The attack had happened right before dinner, so they hadn't eaten anything since lunch the day before. But he wasn't sure it was safe to trust the man. Would the man try to take him and his siblings to the Enclave? He was a true human, and they sometimes worked for the Enclave.
It was Jadeite' growling stomach that decided him. "Stay here," Mamoru whispered. "Hold hands. If they try something, run and I'll find you."
"Don't go," Jadeite argued. "We can wait to eat."
"It'll be okay," Mamoru said, hugging both of them. He approached the man nervously, not really wanting to get close. The other two had kept their place, but one of them had taken out a radio and was talking into it. Still terribly unsure, he stepped forward and reached for the wrapped bars.
"Thank you," he whispered, stepping back immediately.
"I'm Hank," the man said, crouching down in front of Mamoru. "What's your name?"
For just a moment, Mamoru panicked. Then he remembered what his mother had taught him. "My name is Mamoru," he answered, not giving his last name. His parents had told him never to do that, even if he was lost. They had told him that it would lead the Enclave right to them. But what last name could he give?
"Well it's nice to meet you Mamoru," Hank said, holding out a hand.
Mamoru stared at it for a moment before shifting the protein bars into one hand and reaching out to shake it. "Nice to meet you too," he managed, his voice cracking embarrassingly.
"Where are your parents Mamoru?" the man asked. "Are you kids lost?"
Heat rose up in Mamoru's throat and it seemed to swell closed. He swallowed hard and whispered, "they're gone." The pain of their loss was still a hollow he couldn't let himself feel.
"Do you have any other family?" the man asked. "Who has been taking care of you?"
Mamoru didn't know what to say. How could he get help without leading the Enclave right to them? What should he do? His mind suddenly calmed and he heard an echo of his mother's voice telling him what to do if something happened to them. "We lived in the hills. I've been taking care of us," he said softly. "But we ran out of food and had to find more."
"How long have you been alone?" the man asked.
Mamoru knew enough to lie. He didn't know how far he had flown, but if the Enclave was looking for missing children he didn't want to be obvious. "Three weeks," he answered.
"What happened to your parents."
Jadeite and Minako suddenly appeared at Mamoru's sides. Minako snagged one of the bars and handed it to Jadeite, then opened another and handed it back to Mamoru. Then she opened her own and began eating silently, staring at the hunter.
Another of the men approached and Jadeite hid behind Mamoru, looking terrified. Hank stood, moving between him and the other men. "It's alright," he said softly. "These are my friends Mike and Mark. We come out here hunting every year. They're okay."
Mamoru nodded, but he wrapped his arms around his brother and sister. He was very afraid these men would separate them. He needed to protect them. They were in real danger being away from their parents so young, and Mamoru no longer had the protections of magical enchantment. Any magical being would be able to sense him if they got close now, even one enslaved by the Enclave. And because he could transform, they could take his drakkon blood. He shivered.
"You kids must be cold," one of the other men said. "Here. I have an emergency blanket." He pulled a shimmering piece of material out of a plastic bag and wrapped it around all three of them. "Doug said he can be here in ten minutes. He's got Joe with him. They can take the kids to the police station."
Mamoru held more tightly to his siblings, undecided. He wasn't sure what would happen to them, and he felt like everything was falling apart. He missed his parents, had no idea if his friends, the Amsilver girls, were even alive.
He didn't know what to do. Part of him wanted to run away, while part of him was convinced they needed the help of grown-ups. He didn't have money, and he couldn't ask a human for help getting to the island, because they didn't know it existed. He had nowhere to take his brother and sister. And Hank seemed very nice.
"I think I'll go with them," Hank said, surprising Mamoru. He looked up at the man suspiciously, and found himself being studied.
"Why?" his friend asked, looking confused. Mamoru wasn't sure whether it was Mark or Mike.
Hank shook his head and moved closer to Mamoru. "Not sure," he answered softly. "But I'm going." He smiled. "You kids look like you could use some help," he said finally. "My wife would skin me if I didn't offer." He grinned to show he was only kidding, and Mamoru felt relieved. Somehow he knew this man was safe.
"Thank you," he whispered. He finally lifted his own protein bar and took a huge bite, his stomach growling furiously.
Hank laughed, sounding relieved, and he settled on a large rock. Mamoru noticed a tree had grown around it, bent through the middle, and then becoming straight again after it crested the top of the stone. He had never seen anything like it before.
"Where are we?" Mamoru asked, trying to be casual. "We've been walking for a while,"
Hank frowned. "You're in New Hampshire," he said softly. "We're a bit away from the major towns here. Where did you say you lived?"
Scrambling, Mamoru tried to think of a response, but Minako was faster. She shrugged her shoulders and crawled onto Hank's lap trustingly. "We don't know," she said. "We lived in a pretty house in the woods." She held up both hands. "I'm seven," she explained. "How old are you?"
Hank's face was a wash of surprise as he answered. "Well, I'm twenty-nine," he said. "I'm a fireman."
"A fireman?" Jadeite breathed excitedly, his silver-grey eyes open wide. "Do you get to ride in the truck?"
Mamoru grinned as his siblings surrounded Hank, and his two friends, who also turned out to be firemen, and pestered them with questions. His own mind he turned to creating the perfect lie to give to the authorities. He thought perhaps it might be best to take his cue from Minako, and simply act confused. Whatever happened, he had to protect his brother and sister from the Enclave. He would do anything to keep them safe.
***Usagi***
Looking up, she saw a massive dragon, amethyst with an obsidian crest, standing above her, his roar shaking the earth as he swung his massive tail in defense of his young daughters. "Daddy," she whispered, reaching her hand up to touch the familiar scales of his legs. He looked angry, and afraid, and his roar vibrated through her feet as he snapped with his fierce jaws at the men who had tried to grab her.
Blinding agony filled her head, her vision went white, and she blinked heavily, then turned on the soft mattress, groaning as she rolled over onto her right arm. More pain shot through her shoulder and she let out a startled shriek and lay back again. Why did her arm hurt?
Sitting up, the little girl brushed back her hair, which was honey blonde, and looked around the unfamiliar room. There was the bed that she was sitting in, a book shelf across from it, a tall dresser, and the nightstand beside her. The patterns on everything were gold and maroon, and almost hurt her eyes. Even the walls were papered to match.
"Where am I?" she wondered, looking around her in confusion. She looked down at her hands, and found one of them was in a cast. "What happened to me?" she asked, even more confused than before.
Finding herself a little unsteady on her feet, she pressed her fingertips into the mattress as she made her way to the long dresser and the mirror standing on top of it. Looking into it, she saw the same blonde hair she had seen over her shoulder, too-pale skin, and a pair of cerulean blue eyes she didn't recognize. A moment of panic hit as she realized she couldn't remember her name.
"Who am I?" she yelled, staring in confusion and fear at the face that mirrored her.
The bedroom door flew open and a woman stood there, her long blueish hair caught up in a clip at the back of her head, she wore a long apron over a pair of jeans and pink sweater. "Goodness," she exclaimed. "You're finally awake. And just in time too. It's your birthday."
The girl, shocked at the sight of the unfamiliar woman, shrank back and hid behind the dresser, peering out at her. Who was she and what did she want? A brief image of a woman with long silver hair hung in her mind for a long moment, and then disappeared like smoke.
"Usagi?" the woman asked, kneeling on the ground by the door. "What's wrong, sweet girl?" she asked. "You look scared."
"Usagi?" she questioned, the name feeling familiar. She peeped her head further out from behind the dresser, looking at the unfamiliar woman. "Why don't I remember anything?"
The woman let out a soft sigh. "The doctor said that might happen. You've been asleep for a few days, but you are alright now." She held out a hand. "You were in a terrible car accident. Your uncle and aunt were bringing you and your cousin Ami back from the water park. They are all okay, though Ami also bumped her head pretty badly."
Usagi let all the new information swirl through her head, and finally nodded in acceptance. She didn't understand it all, but this woman seemed nice, and said she was Usagi's mother. She crept out from behind the dresser and moved towards her. The woman pulled Usagi into her arms and hugged her close.
"Don't worry Usagi. I'll protect you," she whispered softly.
Comforted, she let her eyes slip closed. Her head ached, and she desperately wanted to take a nap. Nothing was as she thought it should be. For some reason, Usagi had expected a woman with long silver hair. She had looked for a man whose hair was black with a sheen of purple in certain lights. She had been thinking of two little girls as well.
"Rest a while longer, little one," the woman said, her voice soothing as she rocked slightly from side to side. "I will make you a nice birthday lunch. It's not every day a girl turns ten."
"I'm ten?" Usagi asked.
"Yes. It's been a few days since the accident. We were worried you wouldn't wake up before the move." She shook her head as she stood and carefully put Usagi back into her bed. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Would you like me to leave the door open?"
"Please," Usagi whispered, twisting her lank blonde hair around her finger as her mother bent to kiss her forehead and then quickly left the room. She lay back and stared at the ceiling, wracking her brain for a memory, any memory of the room she was in, or the woman she had just spoken to. How could a person forget her entire life?
Somewhere in the house a phone rang twice before the sound cut off in the middle of a third ring. She heard the voice of a man speaking, but couldn't hear what he said. Was the man her father? Did she have two little sisters downstairs?
Usagi shook her head, then groaned and clutched it as pain made her vision swim. She wasn't sure if her memory would ever come back, but she didn't want to forget anything else. Carefully, she moved to the side of the bed and stood for a second time. Her body ached, as though she had been shaken by something huge. She supposed that was what a car accident felt like.
Usagi searched her room for a picture, but found none. There were no toys meant for a little girl either. The shelf held books, but none of them had pictures inside, like children's books. She made her way to the closet and opened it, to find it full of boxes and broken things.
"This isn't my room," she thought to herself. She remembered pink and silver walls, and three pretty canopy beds all in a row. She remembered doll houses and toy horses, and all sorts of other toys.
After making her way out into the hallway, Usagi discovered that the room was off the living room, and that her mother was puttering in the kitchen. She followed the smell of peanut butter to the table and pulled out one of the chairs.
"Are you hungry?" her mother asked, putting a plate with a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich in front of her.
Usagi nodded, careful not to move her head too fast, and picked up the sandwich. Her mother placed a big glass of milk beside the plate and kissed the top of Usagi's head. "Eat sweetheart," she said. "I'm sure you'll feel better when you've finished."
While Usagi ate, a man entered the room. He had dark blond hair, and glasses were perched on his nose. "Ace called. He said Ami woke up and is looking for Usagi." Then he stopped, staring at Usagi for a long moment. "You're awake!" he said in a startled voice as he stared at her.
Unsure why her father hadn't rushed over to hug her, Usagi clambered off the chair and moved closer on her own. He took a step back, which confused her more, but then quickly hurried to hug her, holding her tightly for several long minutes.
"I'm glad you're alright, little one," he said. Then he stood with her, and put her back on the chair. "Eat," he added. "You're too thin,"
Usagi smiled at him and turned back to her sandwich. The peanut butter was thick and gooey when she took a bite, and she found it hard to chew the bread. Taking a big gulp of the milk, she swallowed heavily and watched her mother and father, who were speaking in whispers on the other side of the kitchen.
"Your cousin is coming to visit," her mother said when she turned back to the table, "Won't that be nice?"
Usagi nodded, though she couldn't remember having a cousin. It wouldn't be polite to say anything else. She wondered if her cousin was one of the little girls she had dreamed about. Maybe her aunt had silver hair, and her uncle had black hair. Anything was possible.
A few minutes after finishing her sandwich, and her glass of milk, Usagi started to feel sick. Her belly cramped and she ran to the bathroom. Her body wasn't handling the milk well, and she was ill for several moments. By the time she emerged, feeling slightly better, her cousin had arrived.
Her aunt and uncle were nothing like the adults Usagi had been expecting. Her aunt had hair almost identical to her mother's, and her uncle had bright red hair. But Ami was exactly the girl Usagi had pictured in her mind.
"Ami!" Usagi said, full of excitement when she saw the other girl. She recognized her cousin with her dark blue hair, and bright blue eyes. But where was the other girl she remembered. Where was Makoto? "Where's Mako?" she asked as she hugged her cousin, the question triggering fear in her mind.
Ami sniffled. "Mom and dad told me there is no Mako," she said sadly. "They said she's a 'maginary."
"Imaginary?" Usagi wondered. She noticed the adults watching them with nervous expressions. Hugging Ami closer, she wondered what was happening. Why did she and Ami both remember Mako if she was imaginary?
"I don't know," Ami sobbed. "I thoughted you were dead."
Usagi clung more tightly to Ami and closed her eyes. She could picture Makoto, with her bright red curls and her big blue eyes. She could remember the three freckles across her nose, and the childish giggle when she had done something fun. She remembered Makoto.
"It's okay," she whispered finally.
She felt Ami nod against her shoulder. Then she turned and looked at her parents. "Can we go play in my room?" she asked.
"Of course," her father said.
Usagi took Ami's hand and began walking to the room where she had woken up, but her mother stopped her. "I forgot you don't remember anything," she said softly. "Go upstairs. Your room is the second door on the right. I only had you downstairs to keep an eye on you."
Nodding, Usagi headed up the stairs, Ami only a pace behind as she climbed up and turned at the top. When she opened the door she found a bright pink room, with a white canopy bed. Along one wall were three miniature canopy beds with little dolls in them. Little dolls that looked oddly like the two of them, and the girl they both remembered. Drawn to them, Usagi knelt beside the third doll, with red curls, and picked it up.
"She's not a doll," Ami said, her lips drawn into a frown. "I amember her."
"Me too," Usagi answered. "She's real, and we'll find her together."
"My mom and dad said we hafta move," Ami added. "Dad has a new job in Vermont and we're all going there. Mom said we're leaving in three days." She held up her fingers to show Usagi.
"My mom said we're moving too."
"Maybe we can live together!" Ami said excitedly. "Like in my dream."
