ACT 9 – SOUNDS, KISSES AND COFFEE

A gentle tune behind the tree. Soft whistling. Sweet and gloomy melody.

Mars walked to the tree and stared at Jadeite, "This is sweet. But sad."

Jadeite suddenly opened his eyes, coming back from his inner world; he stopped his whistling and blushed, "Uh… Mars."

Mars placed her hand on her mouth and had a soft laugh, "Sorry. I didn't want to disturb you." She sat by his side, "Please. I want to listen to it again. I like it."

Jadeite scratched his nape, "Really?"

Mars nodded, "Really!"

Rei stared at the flames.

Was it just a dream or a memory?

She closed her eyes and tried to catch that melody, singing it softly, just few notes. Unable to recall it, she finally had a sigh and stood up.

In the yard in front of the Shrine, she looked up at the sky, wrapped her arms around her chest and shivered, "It's cold."

Usagi entered the kitchen and rested her back against the doorpost; she smiled, "It's the first time I hear you singing, Mamo-chan."

Mamoru blushed and placed his hand on his mouth, "I didn't realize I was singing. Sorry."

Usagi had a soft laugh, "Sorry for what? If you are singing, it means you are happy." She walked closer him, "I am happy to see Mamo-chan happy. You know, I think it's the first time I see you so happy."

Mamoru opened his eyes wide in surprise, "Really?" He handed her a cup of coffee.

Usagi grabbed the cup and walked to the kitchen's table; she sat down and rested the cup on the table, "Yes. I think you are happier than ever. I think this is thanks the guys."

Mamoru reached the table and sat in front of Usagi, "Yes. Maybe you are right. Now that Kunzite, Zoisite, Nephrite – and hopefully Jadeite, soon – are back, I feel … " he had a soft smile " … happy. You are right, Usa."

Her forefinger slowly slid along the cup's edge, circle after circle, "Mamo-chan, why did you keep it secret?"

He blinked, "Secret?"

A nod, "About the stones and the Shitennou's spirits. You kept secret that you missed them and you wanted them back. 'Cause you missed them and wanted them back, didn't you? But I couldn't help you, and you didn't want to upset me."

A sigh, "Usako."

Her forefinger stopped its sliding along the cup's border and wiped away a tear, "Mamo-chan. If I had been able to revive the Shitennou after Metalia killed them, I would have brought them back to life. For you. And for the girls."

Mamoru nodded, "I know, Usako. Nobody blames you for not being able to revive them. Even now, we don't know how and why they have been revived. But they are back, and this is the most important thing." He had a sweet smile.

Usagi stood up and moved close the window. She wrapped her arms around her chest and stared at the gray, rainy, sky, "You know, Mamo-chan, along these years I felt responsible for not being able to bring the Shitennou back to life. I know how much important they were for you and the girls, in the past, and I know you have never blamed me for my inability to revive them; but I also know that you all avoided to name them because you didn't want to upset me. In order to prevent my sense of guilty, you avoided talking about how much you missed the Shitennou; and your avoiding this topic made me feel even worse, even more guilty. I was happy with you whereas Ami-chan, Rei-chan, Mako-chan and Mina-chan couldn't be happy with Zoisite, Jadeite, Nephrite and Kunzite; I was happy with the girls whereas you couldn't be happy with the guys. But you never showed me how much you were missing the Shitennou. I wanted to help you but I didn't know why. Besides, I didn't know how to talk about it with you all."

His arms wrapped around her as he hugged her from behind, "Usako!"

Usagi smiled and rested her head against his shoulder, "This is what I prayed for, in the Galaxy Cauldron. I prayed for having you back to life, any of you, finally happy, so we all could be happy."

He kissed her cheek and held her tight.

She smiled, "Maybe … maybe, in that moment, I managed to bring the Shitennou too back to life. I don't know exactly how but I hope it happened also for my desire. I owed it to you all, because you have always been by my side, helping me. I am silly, don't you think?"

He whispered in her ear, "You owed us nothing. I love you, Usako."

She turned round and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you, too, Mamo-chan."

They kissed.

They kissed.

His hand slid along her spine, making her shiver. She kissed his neck, making him moan.

He suddenly parted from her, closed his eyes and scratched his forehead in frustration, "We aren't here for this, Mina. You should study. Your grades are really bad."

Minako folded her arms and frowned, "Kazuo! Did you really ask me to come to your place just for private lessons?"

Kazuo smirked, "Not just for this, OK, but also for this." He pointed at the couch and at the book on it, "Come on."

She snorted, grabbed the book and sank into the couch, "How annoying." She rested the book on her lap and remained silent, her eyes zoning out.

"Mina-chan, are you OK?"

"Did you watch me? Did you know about me?"

Kazuo blinked, "What?"

"When Mamoru summoned you, did you ask him about me? About what was happening to me? Or were you able to see me, through Mamoru's eyes and mind?"

He remained silent.

"I needed you. You don't know how many times I would have called you for advice. Being a leader, and being afraid of not being able to be a leader. Few after losing you, I saw Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and then Sailor Moon too being taken by the Black Moon Clan. I felt useless, unable to save you and unable to save my friends. And after the Black Moon Clan … " She shook her head, "if I had known Mamoru was able to summon you I – "

"You faced a lot of things, I know, Mina. But I think it was better for you not knowing about me. Better for you thinking I was definitively gone. You have reached your Eternal Form 'cause you have learnt to trust yourself. You didn't need me; you just thought that you needed me. It's why Mamoru and I - any of us, Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite – decided to keep our existence secret."

Minako nodded, "I know. You wanted me, Ami, Rei and Makoto to move on: this is what Mamoru said." She smiled and stared at him, "Are you proud of me?"

Kazuo caressed her cheek, "Of course, but you don't need my approval, Mina. You need just your approval, and you have it. And, NOW, please, stop trying to avoid your studying session!"

Minako sighed in despair, "You are really annoying, Kazuo!"

Makoto poured the coffee in the cup, placed the cup on the table and rested her hands on her hips, "Why don't you get dressed? It looks like you are moving to my apartment, lately."

Nobuo tightened the bathrobe's belt and sat down, "Why not? Don't you want to have me always around you?"

She sipped her coffee as her cheeks tinged a soft red, "I am not saying I don't want you here. But … what would the others say if they saw you this way?"

Nobuo smirked, "They would get used to this. They'll get used to this. Next year you are going to graduate and I am going to become a lawyer. We should get married. Don't you think?"

A crash, pieces of a cup at Makoto's feet, coffee on the ground.

She simply nodded, unable to voice a single word.

Nobuo raised his right eyebrow, "I think I owe you a new set of plates and cups." He smiled sweetly, stood up and walked to her.

They hugged.

Tapping of pencils on books. Ticking of rain against the window.

Ami averted her eyes from her book and glanced at the paintings on the walls.

"Do you like my paintings?"

Ami smiled and nodded, "Yes. I love blue. So many shades of blue."

Satoru stirred and lay down, resting his head on Ami's lap, "Blue is your color. This is why I love blue."

Ami blushed furiously.

He caressed her cheek and smiled, and her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him.

Jun gently plucked the guitar's strings.

The music filled the small apartment, sweet and gloomy melody.

When his fingers froze, the melody faded. He slowly opened his eyes and reemerged from the song. He watched the gray sky, his eyes absorbing that gray.

It was raining.

Rei wrapped her arms around her chest and shivered, "It's cold. And it's starting raining."

She turned round and entered the house.

From the kitchen's window, a cup of steamy coffee in her hands, she looked at the sky, a mix of dark blue and gray, and she thought of Jadeite's eyes.

She tuned the song trapped somewhere in her mind.