Chapter 8: Night Angel
ナイトエンゼル
Ami knew she was dreaming when the darkness of her mind lifted and she found herself walking through a wooded area at night. It was unlike anything to be seen today, so thick and lush that it was better described as a forest. She couldn't feel the cold although the ground, the bushels, the bare hanging branches - they were all caked with snow. Just seeing them made her feel stronger but she still did not feel the cold.
That was how she knew she was asleep and she was Mercury again.
Sailor Mercury, Princess of the Water Planet, was not unlike her human reincarnation in that she drew her strength from all things water based but it went one step further. A pure blooded Mercurial could stand freezing cold temperatures of negative 200 degrees Celsius – far beyond that of any human being and far below that of any temperature found on Earth. The blustering winds of a fierce winter on Old Earth were like a gentle breeze on a summer day to her. As a result, Sailor Mercury had ventured out without a cloak or anything covering her shoulders.
She stopped to check her dress - the royal dress of the Princess of Mercury. Perhaps she should have worn her senshi outfit after all? she thought to herself.
Looking up again she realised there was someone in front of her, leading the way. Her heart quickened as this shadowed figure without a face turned, whispering something that fell on death ears for Ami yet made Princess Mercury feel all the more excited.
The spectre held out his hand for her. With only a dash of nervousness, Mercury smiled and took it, allowing him to lead her up a tall, grassy slope towards their goal.
Staring at their entwined fingers, she realised he wasn't wearing gloves. His digits were like icicles against her palm, a rather lovely feeling for Mercury but it caused her concern all the same. Once they were at the top, she pulled him closer, encasing his one hand between her two, she lorded and lamented how it must feel to him.
'Your hand is freezing!' she whispered woefully. 'Is it not painful?'
'Not anymore.'
His clasp tightened on her hold. Mercury met his gaze, she felt she might melt and turn to water here and now. Still, she did not let go and looked at his hand again.
She tried to breathe on it.
It had to be below freezing right there and then yet her breath was not warm – a Mercurial's body temperature always matched that of her surroundings, within reason: it was virtually impossible for them to freeze to death, or burn to death for that matter. There had yet to be found a temperature on any planet unsuitable for a Mercurial. In fact, the Princess of the First Planet hypothesised once that nothing short of a trip to the centre of the Sun would burn her, though naturally she was never tempted to test the theory. A somewhat more painful comment that floated around the Solar System was that Mercurials were "true cold bloods," owing to their temperature resistance.
These words floated through her mind as she looked at those ungloved, milk white fingers. 'I... wish I could warm them for you.'
'They do feel warmer.'
'Liar,' Mercury chuckled despite herself before she began to pity his poor hand once again. 'It must feel like it's being encased in by an ice block!'
His hand took hold of one of hers and squeezed it gently. 'Nope,' he said humorously. 'You are definitely made of flesh and bone.'
True, that was something the supposed ethereal demi-goddess and this beautiful spectre seemed to have in common – they were organic. Strong yet fragile. However, Mercury felt all the more aware of how fragile this night angel was. Though he seemed more comfortable in the cold than most human beings Mercury had encountered, his body was built for warmth and stability. Too long in this cold would be the end of him.
Knowing this, she felt all the melancholia for his mortality. As cold as her body was it was he who most resembled a snowflake – enchanting, unique and fleeting. Her heart twisted in agony at the thought.
She lifted his icicle fingers close to her mouth again, wondering if she dared to do what she most desired – to kiss them. Too frightened to follow through, she closed her eyes and thought quietly to herself:
Even though you are freezing cold,
…you still feel so warm to me.
He felt warmer than any Venusian or Martian. Of all the living creatures in the solar system, nothing Mercury had every encountered compared to the warmth of a human being. His warmth. It drew her in like the sun melting the snow in late spring. Every fibre of her body reached out for him like a spilled goblet of water spreading out further and further…
Until her mind caught up and reminded her of the vow. Not so much hers – his vow.
His free hand lifted her chin, shocking her out of silence. 'Much obliged, my lady.'
She gasped at this touch. Like with the feel of his hand still clasped between her eternally frigid fingers, the moment he took her chin to lift her head a burning shot through her body.
So cold, yet so warm.
He stepped closer to her, a longing sigh escaping her lips as he turned her slightly to look over the horizon. 'Look, it's started,' he told her.
That was when her breath was truly taken away. She was greeted by what only could be described as a ribbon made of pure light slowly flittering across the evening sky. The stars were already looking clear and crisp in the pitch black landscape yet these lights seemed to eclipse them all. Green and deep pink flickered like the inside of a bubble.
'I… have heard Earth had these.'
'We call them aurorae,' he whispered. 'I know other planets have them but Earth's magnetic field makes them some of the most colourful, I believe.' His chin rested on the top of her head, 'I suppose it pales compared to Mercury's solar trail, though.'
She swallowed hard. 'We call it the Night Solace on Mercury. Every night, amber lights blaze across the sky as our thin atmosphere is pelted and blown out into space… proof that even though our planet was all but destroyed by the disaster, it is never truly dark on Mercury.'
She looked up at her shadow prince.
'Yours is stunning. The pinks, greens and reds – your planet is so strong and healthy… and beautiful,' Mercury muttered wistfully, leaning her back gently against his chest. She was surprised at how intimate she was letting herself be. She felt completely content, to stay like this for a while to come. 'I never realised how beautiful Earth was until you showed me these things.'
'Well,' he chuckled, speaking into her hair, 'this place is all I've ever known.'
'You haven't missed much,' Mercury said sadly. 'None of the other planets are what they used to be. They all look down at Earth with envious eyes…just like they did one thousand years ago. I know we Mercurials do. Our planet... it is a skeleton, dead and dying. Yours... it is so very much alive.'
'Hey, hey, Mercury is magnificent in my eyes,' he assured her. 'It made you after all.'
Her heart fluttered in her chest.
She turned away from the sights to look up at him. Even now, his face was shadowed. 'Thank you for bringing me here.'
His response was a boyish laugh filled with uncertainty, betraying his youth. It let her know that he was just as nervous as she was. Without even realising, Mercury's hands were clasping his forearms while his hands lay precariously on her elbows, ready to fall away should she choose to retreat.
She did not.
Then it happened. One of them had boldly done what the other had been too frightened to do - to kiss the other. It had to have been him who finally broke, Ami thought to herself. Mercury would never be so forward.
'You are so beautiful.'
'So are you.'
The gates were open and Mercury melted into his hold as if her bones had turned to liquid. Never had she felt so immersed in such a primal action.
It was extraordinary.
Ami woke steadily from the dream. She went from clutching to the shadowy masculine figure to burying her face into her pillow. Upon opening her eyes fully and seeing the streetlight shining in through her bedroom curtains the embarrassment set in.
She rolled into her back and touched her lips.
There were times when Ami wondered just how much of these Silver Millennium dreams were fictional jumbles of her own feelings. She also wondered why they were happening now, after all this time. Even when she first awakened she was never bombarded with these dreams, then once she remembered her past life they were few and far between.
It made her consider Guardian Mercury, her crystal sprite, the last remaining connection between herself and the original, true Princess Mercury. Was it the one her sending these dreams?
Sitting up, a sharp pain suddenly pierced her skull. She groaned a little, clasping her crown and closing her eyes again. Feeling terribly thirsty, she reached for her water bottle and gulped from it to try and ease the pain. It would not subside, though.
Opening her eyes again; they were clouded with black blotches.
'A migraine?' she whispered.
She reached into her bedside draw for some tablets to dull the pain when she suddenly thought to check the crystal. It was sitting, inactive in the glass container. Then she reached to unscrew the top. The moment the lid was opened, the aura shot through it and it began to glow.
Ami couldn't contain a small cry.
Doesn't the Phantom ever take a break? she thought to herself. Even talking inside her own head felt like an assault on her forehead. Is he the one doing this to me?
She slowly tried to climb out of bed. If she could boot up her supercomputer, she could find where the aura was coming from this time. First, she contained her Goshenite again - not that it would make her feel any better - and got to her feet, barely. Just the feeling of being vertical made her feel nauseous.
Am I... just feeling sick? Ami contemplated. No, it was easier to blame the Phantom. Perhaps she would feel better if she transformed? Somehow she doubted it.
She shuffled towards the window. Fresh air - that would be perfect to make her feel better. Water and fresh air. In fact, it looked like it had been raining outside. That would make her feel better... some lovely rain.
She tried to open the window but it felt too heavy. It took all her strength to open it. Everything feels so compressed inside my head, Ami whimpered, now clutching her forehead. What is wrong with me...?
The window was open but Ami stumbled backwards onto the floor. She landed with a thud, hearing the glass container bounce on the carpet and roll away out of reach. Thankfully, she avoided hitting her head. Lying down again felt better but she couldn't stay down here. She had to get out there, pull herself together and confront the Phantom. This had to be a way of getting her to stay away but she wouldn't let him!
The fight was over, though.
After one attempt to lift her head and get to her feet, Ami blacked out.
It was dark but she could hear large crowds all around her. Smoke filled her nostrils, blood was running down her arm, everything felt hot, stifling and she was trapped.
Shoved to the ground, she still couldn't see. Even her scream falls on deaf ears.
Then she hears it.
'Mercury!'
Ami woke up with a panicked start.
There was sunshine streaming in through the window and painting her blank walls with a healthy morning glow - but that was no concern to her. She sat up straight away to scramble to her feet... only to realise she was lying safe and sound in bed.
She stared at the floor, as if to prove to herself that was where she was.
Next, she felt her forehead. It was all better, no pain or problem. Not even the after affects of a headache remained. In fact, she felt fresh as a spring shower.
Had it... been another dream? Ami wondered.
But it couldn't have, it had felt so real! The dream of being Princess Mercury had been vivid but Ami had known from the off she was asleep. That pain and panic – that had all been real. It had to have been!
She turned her head towards her bedside table so quickly she almost cracked her neck. Everything was as it was when she first fell asleep. Her draw was closed, medication and supercomputer safely tucked away inside. Even the Goshenite was sitting there in the glass container. She definitely remembered dropping that but there it was...
It was a dream, then?
It was hard to believe after everything that happened in it but there it was. All the evidence pointed to it being a hallucination, right?
Then she opened her draw again and stared at her supercomputer. I never keep it in this draw.
Immediately Ami jumped out of bed to check the window. It was unlocked. That was when it dawned on her what had really happened: someone had been in her room.
Her first instinct was to check her bedroom door to ensure it was locked, which it was. They wouldn't have come in that way – so that left the window. It would make sense seeing as the intruder had not been able to lock the window properly, only close it.
Her thoughts then turned to her possessions. The supercomputer was still there, as was the crystal. A quick check of her bag with her purse in it proved that they hadn't been touched since yesterday. It seemed all this "intruder" had done was tuck her back in bed and tidy the room, as if he wanted her to think it had all been a dream.
Very quickly Ami began to doubt her own memories.
Deadlocking her window, she decided to get the day started with her usual routine. Thinking as she brushed her teeth, she was surprised at how healthy she felt. The pain from that headache was so real that it felt like the only part that had to have been real but she felt nothing. Better than she felt when she fell asleep.
Why did she feel so well and yet so off at the same time?
At that moment her communicator began to ring. It's alarm pierced the eerie calm of her room and made her heart burst through her chest as she scrambled for the wrist watch. Fingers shaking a little from the unnerving situation that she had found herself in. Even at that moment she wondered if someone was watching her. The Phantom had warned her he was always watching. She only hoped the container the Goshenite was in would block its signal.
Cautiously, she answered the call. At least she knew it could only be one of the girls, Luna, Artemis, or-
'Ami here,' she answered.
'Good morning, Ami. Hope I'm not catching you too early.'
'Mamoru-san!' she gasped, a little surprised he of all people was calling her. Usagi had promised to get in touch with him to help her father information on Earth magic; clearly she had done exactly that the moment she got off the phone with her. 'No,' she finally answered, sitting down on her bed. 'I imagine it's much earlier for you, isn't it?'
He was studying in America so he was a good four hours behind Greenwich Mean Time and it was eight in the morning for her!
'I'm flying out to Japan for a few days leave,' he replied. 'I have a plane first thing but I wanted to call you before I got in the air with what I know. I presume Usagi told you she was going to be asking me about you-know-what?'
'Why are you being so cryptic?'
'That "object of significance" - is it contained?'
She presumed he meant the Goshenite. 'It's in a glass container.'
'I see,' he said slowly. 'This may sound like an odd request but, just to be safe, try wrapping something around it.'
'Around it?'
'Yeah, like a blanket or a towel, something opaque.'
Ami did just that, strange as his suggestion was, grabbing her towel and securing it inside, even tying it up. 'Why did I just do that, Mamoru?'
'My memories of Earth culture is hazy, as shameful as that is to admit,' he began immediately. 'But I distinctly recall that when Goshenite was concerned, it was a custom to keep it covered with thick cloth after usage. It stopped anyone using mirror magic to spy on you using the stone.'
'Because Goshenite is a seer stone correct?'
'Yes, keeping it contained inside glass will only stop someone from hearing you,' he warned her. 'It won't stop someone from seeing you.'
That was a nasty thought. That meant that the Phantom could have been watching her while she slept. It made her skin crawl.
Ami let out an audible 'Ugh!' before glancing over at the towel beneath which the crystal lay. 'Then it looks like I'll have to find something else to contain it in.' She then returned her attention to the conversation, 'So, you do remember the significance of Goshenite?'
'Not quite,' Mamoru admitted. 'I must admit, I'd never given it much thought until Artemis mentioned it. After that, I put two and two together. My memories are fragmented, even now, but I remember how important gemstones were to the people of Earth; they were the source of great power.'
'So, could it that the Phantom is a being - or reincarnated person - from the Golden Kingdom.'
He hummed skeptically. 'If there is one thing I remember clearly, it is the shady individuals that caused trouble back then… and I can't think of a single person who matches the Phantom's description. Well, not that I have much to go on, mind.'
'Neither do I.'
'How frustrating! So, you can't even see his face?'
'He doesn't just wear a mask. He wears a hood. Every part of his body his covered - all except his nose, really.'
'Well, I can't be certain unless I know what he looks like.'
'But what about his use of Goshenite? What could that mean?'
'There were many uses for Goshenite. One of the uses, if it is the crystal I remember, was as a reflective surface. It allowed those without particularly strong magical powers to use the powers of others. The reason Beryl loved them so was that it allowed her to share her magic with others.'
'…Which made it ten times worse considering she was being controlled by Metalia, right?'
'Yes, well, not that she was always under Metalia's control but it probably didn't help once she was.'
Ami bit her lip anxiously. 'So, the Phantom could be using these stones to reflect his magic… but what kind of magic can turn people into droning zombies?'
'That I do not know. I'm sorry.'
She heaved out a big sigh. 'I was hoping you would know more than that.'
A long pause followed where he said nothing, to a point where Ami wondered if they had lost contact. Then he spoke again, 'It's a long story, Ami. A lot of the reason my power, memories, all of it is so limited is because, unlike you and the others, I am not as… "complete".'
'Complete?'
'Earth magic is and always will be different from Moon magic and there is a lot that I'm willing to bet Queen Serenity did not know about this planet,' Mamoru explained slowly, choosing his words carefully. 'As a result, when she destroyed life on Earth in order to stop Metalia, a lot of Earth knowledge went with it. It was a sacrifice that had to be made but it leaves us at a disadvantage. Now it seems someone with access to that magic has returned. And now we have been remade for a third time, since Sailor Moon restored us, I have lost even more of who I once was…'
'But what about this Core? Don't you have any memory of that?'
'…Core?'
'Yes, that is what the Phantom is looking for, it's what the zombified people were screaming for. Just that one word: core.'
Quiet.
'Mamoru?'
'I'm sorry, I don't know anything.'
Such a blunt response, more so than anything else he had ever said. Ever.
'Nothing at all?'
'No.'
Another silence, now because Ami was at a loss on how to proceed. She had secretly hoped that Mamoru would have all the answers but no. Even now though she wondered whether he was hiding something still. The slow, reluctance in his voice made her wonder. He would never put any of them at risk, she knew that. He would die for Sailor Moon especially, and he knew how much friendship meant to Usagi…
But she wondered still.
'Are you sure that is all you know, Mamoru?'
'It's all I know that will be of any use to you,' he said immediately. It was as if he could sense she was suspicious of him. Maybe he could? He was a bit like Hugo in many ways, he had a strong intuition about people. 'I'm sorry, Ami.'
'It's… fine. You've told me all you can. Thank you.'
She might have hung up there and then, feeling oddly angry with him for some reason. Then he called out to her, 'One thing you have to do though, somehow, someway, is unmask the Phantom.'
Ami tensed up slightly, now whispering as she became weary of the crystal again, 'How am I supposed to do that? I can barely get near him.'
'Whatever it takes. If I could look at him, even for a moment, it might spark a memory. Things like that tend to be what helps me recall things from the Golden Kingdom.'
It was a logical request. Truth was if she was going to get anywhere with finding out what the Phantom's game plan was, they would need to know who and what he was. If history had told her anything, it was that baddies from the past tended to come back with a vengeance one way or the other.
'Then that is what I will do,' Ami said conclusively, as if it would be an easy undertaking.
'Be careful out there,' Mamoru stated. 'We still don't know what you're dealing with. I'll call again once I'm back in Japan. Keep us all posted.'
'I will.'
She had to. Finding out who the Phantom was and hoping that Mamoru's inner Endymion might twig something was her only hope of getting the answers she really needed.
Once she was dressed and finally ready to face the world, Ami finally remembered it was Sunday. There was never anything to do on a Sunday except try and fill the time - so might as well fill it with some reading.
Still, there was a craving for coffee in her soul and all she could think about was the dreamy serving she had got from Tile Cafe. They were open on Sunday and would hopefully be quiet this time of the morning, so Ami decided to relent to her desires and get a Chai Latte. Now she knew where it was, it wouldn't be much of a walk.
Ami packed her book into her bag and set off immediately.
She breathed in the cool and slightly damp air of the autumn. There was nothing better than a Sunday morning walk when the rest of the world was having a lie in. It made Ami feel like she was the only person left on Earth, and that could be a peaceful feeling sometimes. She had always enjoyed her own company from time to time and being left to take in the glory of morning dew made her feel so content.
Tile Cafe seemed as mellow as Ami had expected and she didn't even bother to peak through the window, she just walked straight in. But as she caught the tale-end of a sentence, she was shocked by the only other patron there that early morning.
'You know he won't go, mum!'
'But if I take him home, I can keep an eye on him there—' the middle aged blonde woman said, immediately turning to look at the door when she heard the bell chime.
Ami froze still. 'Dr. Roser?'
'Oh, Ami!' the good doctor smiled, changing her tone straight away, trying her best to hide the concern from earlier. 'Good morning. It's always a little strange to see my students out and about.' Then she quickly presented her hand, 'This is my daughter, Helen, by the way.'
'Y-yes, we've briefly met,' Ami spluttered, only thinking how awkward it would be to sit and read a book with her own teacher nearby. What if she started asking questions she didn't know the answer to yet?
Then she looked up and saw Helen. 'Good morning.'
'Hiya, Ami,' Helen murmured, not trying to hide her tone as the good doctor had done. 'What can I get you, my honey?'
It was odd to think that Dr. Roser was Helen's mother, too. Up until this moment they had both still felt like extensions of Hugo alone.
That was when it hit her.
'Hm, a chai latte, thank you. Um, but sorry — has something happened?'
Mother and daughter looked at each other before Helen turned to make the coffee while Dr. Roser directed Ami to sit down.
Her heart felt heavy in her chest.
'It's nothing,' Dr. Roser began with a reassuring smile. 'Hugo isn't feeling well. I'm trying to convince him to let me look after him for today but, typically, he won't have it.'
'Hugo's unwell?' Ami repeated. 'Is he still feeling tired or is it something else?'
'He's just very lethargic,' the mother sighed. 'Nothing strikes me as serious else I'd have dragged him kicking and screaming to the hospital. He just doesn't take care of himself. He never has.'
'His trouble is,' Helen cut in, bringing Ami's coffee over herself, 'is he has always put other people before himself. Very uncharacteristic for the youngest child, especially the only boy. Then, when he gets sick, he pushes through it rather than stepping back and taking a proper rest. He's just that sort of person.'
Utterly selfless sprung to Ami's mind, as if it were an automatic reaction. If there was something she had noticed about him, it was his tendency to avoid talking about what he felt. He never wanted anyone to worry about him, always protested he was fine even when he clearly wasn't and jumped to the aid of anyone else who might be in trouble.
The bottom line was that Hugo was a sweet-natured young man. His imperfections, while difficult to navigate as they almost all boiled down to family or coma, were minor compared to the moments of kindness and gentleness. Thinking of it made her smile yet knowing he was unwell made her anxious.
'Maybe I should check on him,' Ami whispered to herself.
'That might be a good idea!' Helen said, managing to overhear her. Ami blushed when she realised but smiled nonetheless. 'He seems pretty keen on you.'
Dr. Roser's eyes widened at that while Ami was certain her cheeks were getting even redder. Still, the kindly mother just smirked as she sipped her coffee. 'Ah, I see,' she said blithely. 'Then you might be the best person to reason with him.'
Ami looked down, 'I-If you say so.'
After a moment she realised she was staring at a very small necklace around Dr. Roser's neck. The chain was so short it was practically a choker but it gave her a good look at the centre piece. It was two birds taking flight, entwined as their beaks touched as if to kiss. Each bird had a blue gemstone embedded into it, yet they were clearly different stones.
'That's a pretty necklace,' she finally said, trying to distract them from the elephant in the room that was the peculiar relationship between herself and Hugo.
Dr. Roser immediately grasped it and regarded it with affection. 'Why, thank you! It was a birthday present from my children. Well, I say them, it was their father that actually paid for it.'
'We did pick it though,' Helen protested. 'And argued about it too.'
'What sort of stones are they?'
Ami leaned forward to look at the necklace. Thinking about it, this was likely something Kris would have liked too. She was the resident expert in stones, it seemed, when her uncle Cole wasn't about. 'I'm going to guess one of them is a sapphire.'
The elder woman nodded, and held her necklace out again to point out the correct stone. 'Indeed, this one is a sapphire,' she said, fingering the distinctly deep blue gem. Then she indicated the deeper, darker blue stone. Seeing it up close, flashes of violet revealed itself, like streaks in an evening summer sky, 'And this is tanzanite,' she finished.
'It's very beautiful.'
'Well, they have always been two of my favourite stones,' Dr. Roser sighed, letting the necklace go and looking up to face Ami again. The moment their eyes met the subject changed back to Hugo, 'If what Helen says is true you really are the best person to talk to him. He seldom bonds with anyone.'
'Oh, that's not true!' Ami protested immediately. 'He's close with Kris and Dan, too.'
'Who?' Helen said, a little comically.
Ami remembered that Hugo had said neither of them had expressed an interest in his "haunts" but it surprised her that his own sister knew nothing of his other friends. 'They're in the same lab sessions as us for pathology and gross anatomy. We… formed a study group together.'
Dr. Roser nodded, 'Yes, Hugh said something about that before. Kris… that would be Christabel Dunsten, correct?'
'That's her,' Ami affirmed.
Helen thought for a moment, 'Um, I know Colbert Dunsten in the square. Any relation?'
'She's his niece.'
'Oh, her!' Helen gasped. 'Wow, I didn't know they were friends. Yeah, I've seen Christabel about. She usually helps her uncle run the shop at the weekend. Never spoke to her though. Like I said, you're kinda the first friend Hugo has ever "brought home".'
'Well,' Ami said shyly. 'It's not quite "bringing home", is it?'
She took a sip of her latte.
Dr. Roser and Helen looked at each other, smirking before looking back. Helen pointed upwards, 'This is where Hugo lives.'
Ami nearly spat out her coffee.
'O-oh,' she mumbled, blinking twice slowly. The ramifications of that sentence finally started to dawn on her. 'So, he's… upstairs right now?'
Helen smirked, 'That's right. He hasn't lived there long. Literally, he just moved in.'
'I see,' Ami whispered.
Knowing he was upstairs made her heart beat ever so slightly faster and she was certain she was blushing. A tiny gasp escaped her lips as she realised she was having this reaction right in front of his mother and sister.
Sitting up as straight as she could, hands in her lap, she looked them both in the eye and said, 'If you want me to speak with him, I will.'
'Don't feel obligated if you would rather not,' Dr. Roser chuckled, seeming to notice Ami's unease. 'We're only teasing. We can deal with Hugo ourselves.'
'Yeah, it's fine,' Helen agreed. 'We've been dealing with him for the last nineteen years, it'll be fine.'
'No, really,' Ami said firmly. 'I'd like to speak with him.'
They mother and daughter looked at each other. Just from the expressions of their faces, Ami knew they were feeling pleased with themselves for one reason or another.
Dr. Roser took one last sip of her coffee and gathered up her bag. 'Well, it seems that we're agreed Hugo won't come home with me,' she sighed. 'I think convincing him to actually rest for one day will be enough.' Then she shot a more serious look at Helen, 'But do let me know if you have any reason to think he's getting worse.'
'You know I will, mum,' Helen said, rolling her eyes. 'It's Hugo. He'll be fine.'
The elder woman nodded.
For the first time since this discussion begun, Ami truly saw the mother behind the doctor. Just looking at Dr. Roser's face she could see the years of fear she must have lived through when her young teenage son had fallen into a coma and remained in one for years. The way she was fiddling with her car keys, staring firmly at her daughter, it revealed that a part of her - even now - feared that her son could collapse and never wake up again.
Ami's heart tightened. She wondered if that was truly possible…?
She managed to smile, 'I'll talk to him, doctor. I promise.'
Dr. Roser gave her a grateful look. 'I do appreciate it, Ami, and I apologise for this rather unusual request.'
'Not at all.'
She watched as Helen walked her to the door and saw her off. Once Dr. Roser was gone, the younger woman let out a deep breath of relief and turned back to Ami. 'Sorry, she does worry sometimes,' she explained.
'She seemed pretty controlled to me,' Ami assured her. 'Well, until just now.'
'Generally, yes, she's pretty calm,' Helen agreed. 'But as soon as she remembers—um, well, anyway—sometimes she gets sensitive.'
Ami leaned in closer, 'I'm guessing it has something to do with… the coma.'
The moment she said that, Helen relaxed. 'So, you know about that?'
She nodded.
'That's good,' Helen breathed. 'Then I can speak frankly — whenever Hugo gets like this, we always wonder, worry… you know?'
'I understand,' Ami said. 'It happened so suddenly, didn't it?'
'There was no warning at all,' Helen said distantly, the events of that time coming back to her fresh as if they were yesterday. 'I was only eighteen, just beginning my Pre-Medicine Course… you can't imagine how terrifying it was to be called home after a fortnight to be told your baby brother had collapsed suddenly. They didn't even know why!'
She swiftly rushed back towards the counter, feeling herself getting worked up. Ami watched her with nothing but sympathy. Seeing reactions like this were so wonderfully human. Hugo had a family who loved him and never wanted to relive those torturous years ever again. She wondered if he realised how frightened his family were for him. Well, she would find out soon — she decided she would ask him straight.
Or in a round about way.
Ami returned to the counter as well and got out her purse.
'I'll take his usual up too,' she said lightly. 'I'm sure we can coax his door open with coffee.'
Helen winked, 'Good thinking.'
Ami made her way up the narrow, curved stairs with the two cups in hand while Helen stayed downstairs to serve the customers. She would be facing Hugo one-on-one, and her chest felt tight as she approached the landing.
Coming to the black painted door with a metal "1B" nailed to it, she rested one of the mugs on the banister. With just a second of hesitancy, she knocked firmly on the door. The wood felt painful against her knuckles. It likely wasn't helped by the fact she was shaking ever so slightly.
Her hand withdrew and she heard movement on the other side. It stopped right in front of the door, waited and then called out.
'Helen,' Hugo's cracked voice rang out, 'Please tell mum to go home. It's just a freaking virus! I'm awake and-'
'It's, um, not Helen,' Ami's own voice creaked out. 'It's... me.'
She felt no need to say her name; the moment Hugo heard her voice his shadow seemed to recoil in shame and embarrassment.
'O-oh,' Hugo finally eked out.
He stepped back further.
'Right. Um, g-give me a moment,' his voice shook. 'I'm, um, not quite... ready to open the door...'
All Ami could imagine in that moment was Hugo in nothing but boxers. She licked her top lip before biting down hard on it, ashamed of her thoughts. She looked down at the shadow again as it swiftly retreated, leaving her in silence to warm her hands on the still steaming coffee cup. This was a fairly cramped accommodation here - she wondered who lived in "Flat 1A" down the landing.
Finally the shadow of Hugo returned and she heard the latch rattle. Before he physically opened the door, he paused. 'I'm sorry… I'm not looking all that great today.'
'Your sister said you were unwell. I came to check you were alright.'
She could practically hear his nod as he finally opened the door.
Her gaze fell on him. He was wearing a very thin, white, short-sleeved shirt and a tired looking pair of PJ bottoms that were not fully tied. It seemed Ami's previous thought about the boxers was not too far off the mark. His hair was disheveled and wild, more so than usual. He had wild blond curls that Ami found beautiful on his better days; right now they were barely contained. He had likely rushed off to cover his legs and tie his hair back, which was probably loose seeing as he was at home and not expecting company.
Ami held up the coffee mug with a smile. 'I bring a gift.'
'The gift of caffeine!' Hugo joked groggily, stepping aside. 'You may enter, then.'
She turned to pick up her own coffee and walked into the tiny little room.
His front door led straight into the living room and dining area, which had a kitchen to the left side, two doors in front, and a small window to the right. All in all, the room she was standing in couldn't be more than 3 metres across from kitchen wall to tiny, dim window. With all his furniture crammed inside, it felt very cluttered. A lot of items were still in boxes but then again, Helen had said he had only recently moved in. His coffee table alone was covered in books and papers, and she spied a fleecy blanket unfolded on the sofa. She guessed that's where he had been until now — studying, not lying in bed catching up on sleep.
She caught a glimpse of a copy of the Sunday paper, though:
MASKED KNIGHT SEES OFF ANOTHER HEIST.
Immediately, she tilted her head to have a look.
"The Guardian of Old London Town saves the day again as three caught in jewellery shop heist."
The article went on to describe how a group of thieves had broken into a jewellery shop on Bond Street. They were apparently trying to steal several priceless, uncut jewels kept in the workshop there. It was then the young hero arrived to restrain the criminals and call the police "as if he were the Silver Knight from the popular video games series in the flesh."
Ami took a moment to take it all in.
The Phantom was active last night! she realised, scowling. And this mysterious masked guardian, is he the guy I saw outside Cole's shop two nights ago?
'It's a real mystery, huh?' Hugo's voice suddenly chimed out. He spoke so loudly she nearly dropped the coffee cups in shock. He nodded towards the paper, 'I wonder who he is. It's been a year since he first appeared. They've never been able to get a decent picture him.'
Ami looked at the article: they had a picture of the shop that was broken into but not the man himself.
She then looked at the astray blanket. 'I see you've been studying,' she said, changing the subject.
He rolled his eyes comically and beamed.
'Don't you start! I can't sleep during the day so might as well get some reading done.'
Ami walked over to the tiny kitchen counter to put the cups down. 'Tiny kitchen,' she giggled. It was small to the point of being cute.
'It suits me well seeing as I don't do a lot of cooking*,' Hugo confessed immediately. 'I tend to just have sandwiches.'
She stared at him, 'Everyday for every meal?'
'No,' Hugo smirked. 'Sometimes I have a roll, a baguette, or ciabatta. Then, if I really want to make an effort, I pop it under the grill and have it warm.'
He sounded like he was joking so Ami laughed, but she imagined there was a hint of truth in that.
Time to get back on topic. 'I'm guessing your mother has been telling you to rest.'
'Like a true doctor,' he sighed. 'And too but you already know that, don't you?'
'I ran into Dr. Roser on my way in,' she explained. 'She and Helen told me this was where you lived.'
Hugo nodded, slipping his hands into his pyjama bottom pockets. 'I was going to tell you myself. You know, once I'd tidied up a bit.'
She looked around, 'It doesn't bother me. If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind…'
'Of what then, is an empty desk a sign?' Hugo finished, chuckling. 'Albert Einstein.'
Ami could feel her whole brain light up song with her eyes. 'He's always been one of my heroes.'
'And mine,' Hugo agreed, walking over to the other side of the counter to face her. 'He was a great example of a man loved for his mind and wit and brilliance. Bit of a player despite it all, too.'
She looked down, 'When I first read The World as I See It, I was only ten. I wanted to marry him — he had such a brilliant mind.'
'That's funny,' Hugo chimed in. 'When I was twelve and first read Relativity, I wanted to be him.'
'Maybe in a previous life?' Ami joked.
Hugo, it had to be said though, was a bit too beautiful to have been a reincarnation of the man.
He sighed and picked up his mug of coffee, gesturing over to the "living room", if it could be called that. 'I'd be happy just to have been his student in a previous life.' He sat down at the table. 'Come on, before they get cold.'
Ami grabbed her own mug and sat down in the chair to the side of him. 'Wrap up in the blanket if you're feeling cold,' she said, looking at it still cast aside.
'Nah, I'm okay,' Hugo said quickly. 'And, um, sorry again for the mess I'm in. I didn't think I'd be seeing anyone today.'
She shook her head, 'I'm the one who should be sorry. I dropped in unannounced but… when I heard you were ill I was a bit worried. Helen thought it would be a good idea if I spoke to you…'
There was no point in adding Helen's reasoning. He's pretty keen on you. It would just embarrass him. Just thinking about it made Ami embarrassed too.
'I guess she knows I'm more likely to listen to you…' Hugo said quietly, speaking into the rim of his cup.
She could feel her heart dodging a few beats. 'She did say something like that.'
A silence past them by.
'I was worried about you,' he finally said.
She blinked, 'Worried about me?'
He glanced up at her coyly. 'Yes, I just mentioned it in passing to Hel after I got back last night that you hadn't been well and… I was worried.'
'You were the one who had that sudden attack!' Ami stressed, gripping the hot mug so tightly that were she Makoto or Haruka she probably would have smashed it. 'I was fine after what happened at Cole's shop. But you—'
Hugo scratched the back of his head. 'I don't know, I was just worried about you. I never think about my attacks, seeing as they happen so…'
His voice trailed off. Now it was Ami's turn to finish his sentence. Her brow creased with worry, 'Because they happen often, you mean? Hugo, is that true?'
He moved a few papers aside to put his mug down and placed his palms together. 'I don't want to worry you.'
'It's too late for that,' she said firmly. 'I'm already worried, and I'll keep worrying until you tell me the truth so please just tell me!'
There was a moment of understanding between Hugo and Ami. He looked in her eyes and his face softened as he realised how much she truly seemed to care. It felt natural to her though. From the moment they started to bond and become friends, a part of her felt drawn to Hugo, like she had been waiting to meet him her whole life.
With a deep sigh, he twisted his mug around in circles, bit by bit. 'It's a slog of a story. Sure you want to know?'
'What is "slog"?' Ami questioned, then abandoned that query immediately. 'Whatever it means, I need to know, Hugo. I… I'll just worry if you keep it from me any longer.'
Hugo chuckled, 'Okay, okay. I'll tell you.'
Guess I'll never know what "slog" is, she thought jokily, knowing she didn't care.
'It means "annoyingly slow",' he answered, giving her a cheeky look. Mind reader. 'Here goes: truth is when I was a kid I was always a little weak. It wasn't really illnesses I would catch, just feeling weak in the mind and body. Not just that either — I got a lot of headaches and two-second blackouts. Even before… what happened happened… I had hundreds of body scans and blood tests but they never found anything physically wrong with me. It's just something beyond the body, like I'm missing a metaphysical kidney…or fully functioning immune system.'
They both chuckled at the joke.
Ami tilted her head, 'Your doctors never found out why?'
He shook his head, 'My dad is a neurosurgeon, as you know. Every couple of months he would have me checked with MRI and CAT scans galore. Never found anything but he was paranoid he was missing something.' After a moment's contemplation, he added, 'Perhaps he did, considering what happened.'
'Didn't the doctors ever have a clue for what caused your coma?' she asked delicately.
'Never,' Hugo said. 'I don't even remember what happened the night I collapsed and next to nothing about the years I was asleep. They said I should have just been dreaming, judging by my vitals but, like most dreams I remember very little.'
'How long did it last for?'
He shrugged, 'Two years, maybe? I… I really don't remember. I don't care. All I knew when I woke up was that I had to make up for lost time. I had to. I just wanted to forget any of it had happened but… no one would let me.'
Ami looked down at her coffee. 'No wonder you "bit my head off" when we first met.'
He smiled, 'Getting used to the Britishisums?'
'The what?'
'Never mind,' he assured her. 'And I'm sorry again I was so standoffish when we first met. I guess my social skills still leave a lot to be desired. I'm… a bit of a nasty piece of work when I go on the defence.'
'I think you're very charismatic,' Ami promised. 'It's one of your strong points. You make people feel comfortable very easily.'
'You think so?'
'Yes,' she said, her smile widening. 'After how I acted towards you, you made me feel at ease straight away…' Another pause as she looked up at him, 'You just have that gift about you. You're the one who makes everyone smile.'
Hugo burst out into a creaky laugh. 'Ha! Well, I wouldn't go that far.'
'You make me smile,' Ami admitted, her cheeks pinking. 'When I came here to England I was worried that I would miss my friends too much and while I do miss them, I still smile.'
He looked down, hiding a shy and nervous smile. 'I'm glad… but Kris deserves some credit too, right?'
'Oh, of course,' Ami agreed quickly. 'And Dan too.'
He said nothing, just nodded.
'But,' she went on, a little surprised she was saying this at all. 'There is something about you, Hugo. Something that makes me feel happy, maybe even happier than when I am at home.'
He looked at her, tickled pink.
It was true. Her life with the girls - with Usagi and the other said senshi - it was a life of contentment, not complete happiness. A part of her felt guilty for admitting that to herself, let alone another person. It wasn't that she loved her friends any less, just that she felt happy to have a life and existence that was hers alone.
Her eyes met Hugo's to see an expression that was brand new; flattered, moved and a little thrilled to hear this. Like he had been feeling the same way too. The room felt a lot warmer after this. Ami had to put her mug down and brace her hands against her knees. 'I hope I haven't embarrassed you.'
He smirked, 'Not at all. In fact, I feel better than I had before.'
Nothing but a small, kittenish smile crossed Ami's lips.
The whole atmosphere was changing to something different, something like her dream last night. Realising this made her heart quicken.
Had this been a romantic novel or one of those ecchi books* Ami kept hidden under her bed (and would never admit to owning), this may well have been the moment where the two leads would kiss. A part of her thought back to her dream last night, when she kissed the shadowy night angel whose face remained hidden, and she imagined just for a second that it had been Hugo.
They seemed to fit perfectly.
These thoughts seemed to be going through Hugo's head as his eyes glazed over. He was about to open his mouth to speak but then Ami realised something — oh God, he can read minds!
She shrunk away, clutching her cheeks and turned her whole body away from him. 'I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry I—' and she glanced over to see him looking at her, bewildered. 'I didn't mean to… think those things…'
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, saying nothing.
Ami pulled herself together and turned back to him. 'I'm… not very good at this sort of thing…'
'It's fine, Ami,' he assured her softly.
Hugo adjusted his position to sit cross legged on the sofa. 'It's completely fine,' he assured her. It seemed he needed to recover from whatever the tension in the room had been too. 'I… didn't really hear much.'
He had probably heard enough but he didn't seem put off. If anything he seemed more concerned that she was so embarrassed she would never come near him again. This thought must have been shooting through Ami's mind and he quickly added.
'I didn't hear anything you need feel embarrassed by.'
She made a tiny smile.
'And for what it's worth,' he uttered. 'I'm no good at this sort of thing either. I'm fine when it comes to my friends but… I get pretty weird and anxious when it comes to… expressing my real feelings in… situations like this.'
He was struggling for words as much as Ami was for breath. This really was a new situation for her.
Their eyes met.
He looked serious. 'Does… what I said bother you?'
She shook her head. 'Not at all.'
'Okay,' Hugo struggled out. He was the same way he was the other day when he asked her out for coffee. 'So, tomorrow I'll probably be feeling better — if you're not doing anything…'
'No!' Ami replied immediately. 'I mean, yes, I'm not doing anything.'
Nothing important.
'Well, do you want to… do something?'
She felt her heart quicken. 'Something?'
'Well,' Hugo went on. 'My sister Sophie sent me some tickets to a preview to an exhibition at the NKM that her too-old-for-her boyfriend is heading up.'
'Too old for her?'
'He's, like, thirty something,' Hugo responded. 'She's twenty-one.'
'Ah, quite a gap then. What is the exhibition?'
'I'm not entirely sure,' Hugo confessed, reached over to his desk to try and find the leaflet. 'However he has been excavating a previously unknown territory in Iceland for the last five years. He discovered two abandoned villages under a glacier, thought to be thousands of years old.'
Indeed, the front of leaflet was a diptych with a very beautifully crafted from a white material, probably ivory. It was tagged: "The collection that has turned history on its head. The 15,000 year old civilisation of Northern Europe." History was not Ami's strongest suit but it seemed interesting nonetheless. Plus, frankly, she was not going to turn Hugo down.
'It sounds interesting,' Ami said. 'What time does it start?'
'At about half-five,' Hugo replied. 'We can get there after pathology.'
'If you're happy to take me, then I'm happy to come.'
His smile widened.
'Great!' he said cheerfully. 'Truth was I was dreading going but now it'll be worth while.'
Ami blushed yet again, 'Why were you dreading it?'
'Because all three of my sisters will be there,' Hugo replied. 'And my mum.'
She chuckled at that, 'It seems my "bingo card" is filling up.'
It took a moment for him to remember the joke he had made the other day. Once he did, he just sniggered and gulped down the last of what was probably lukewarm coffee. 'Good luck catching a glimpse of my dad,' he warned her. 'He's as rare and elusive as a unicorn… or the Masked Knight.'
*A common fan theory is that Zoisite can't cook, to the level Usagi or Minako can't cook or perhaps worse. I tend to agree so Hugo can't cook either. If he had a choice, he would just eat toasties all the time.
*Naoko Takeuchi confirmed that Ami reads ecchi books in a picture she drew for the 3rd Artbook. For those who don't know, ecchi is a rude to refer to non-graphic erotica (usually manga or graphic novels) where sex is eluded to but not shown.