Author's notes- Everything is coming together surprisingly well. I hadn't much
direction when I started this piece, but now that I've written an outline,
I've found inspiration much more easily. Also, this story has been a lovely platform for probing characterisation I had been dying to do in pieces for a while now. I hope you all are enjoy it!
As always, if you have any criticisms, please leave a review or email me! They are always welcomed.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vessels of Fate- Blood of the Mountains By Monikku
Makoto sat at a large circular table, a glass of red juice shimmering in the sunlight, generously shining in through the large glass windows of the teahouse. Trepidation tugged at her face; she pondered. She fiddled with the corner of the page of her book. As she built the courage to address- no,
confront- the girl before her, she found another reason to keep her thoughts and feelings hidden.
Ami read her newspaper with usual studiousness. Had she been with anyone other than one of her trusted friends, her partners, her fellow senshi, she might feel rude by the act. She may have felt an obligation to pay overt attention to the one in her presence. However, over the years, the casual nature of her relationships with her friends granted them these kinds of small freedoms. These small gestures that showed, truly, how close they all had grown.
"Hey, Ami-chan?" Makoto began, the unsteadiness of her voice readily apparent.
Ami looked up from her newspaper to eyes that seemed questioning and unsure of themselves. Ami hadn't often seen Makoto look this way, though she knew the girl to be self-conscious in the past, what would cause this look to arise now? She suspected she would find out soon enough.
"Yes, Mako-chan?"
"Well, uhm, I'm not certain how to say this. I'm probably going to sound like a terrible person." Makoto hesitated briefly, "Maybe I am."
Ami's puzzlement overwhelmed her, she had never seen Makoto look so guilt-ridden in the many years she had known the girl. "Mako-chan?"
"It's just," Makoto continued on, ignoring Ami's response, "well, I'm appreciative. I really am! We've fought so hard for so many years, and this time is what we've longed for! I am so grateful to have achieved it with my friends, it's just that... all of this peace. I dunno, Ami-chan. Something in me feels kind of... restless or empty. I feel..."
"Like a warrior with no war?" Ami interrupted.
"Something like that. I guess I feel like, I am a protector with nothing to protect against. We've fought nonstop for so long, and now that there is peace, sometimes, I guess it feels really foreign. I would rather never fight again, but at the same time... something within me feels that... I should be.
I am a senshi, right?" Tears began to well in Makoto's eyes as she continued on, "I mean, you're reading that paper, and all they talk about on the front page is the fires. The news reports it constantly, everyone is in a panic,
and part of me..." Makoto's tears begun slowly to shed, "Part of me just wants it to be the cause of a youma!" Makoto then sobbed quietly, "I am such a horrible horrible person, Ami-chan!"
Ami felt her chest clench, Makoto was not a horrible person, she was one of the most sweet, giving, and caring people Ami had ever met. How could she ever possibly convey to Makoto the gorgeous person she was? There were no words for her to grasp at, there were no words to give justice to any of her beloved friends.
Ami's pain heavily shadowed her features as she reached to hold Makoto's hand. Ami was hesitant with her words, as she carefully selected and weighed the gravity of each one spoken, "Makoto, you... are the very antithesis of horrible." Ami paused, searching desperately for the right words, and chose simply, as any hopeless child would, "You are beautiful."
"The way you feel, Mako-chan, sometimes... I feel similarly, as well. It is surreal, the peace before us, it is too surreal."
"I have dreams, of fighting youmas, sometimes. Sometimes they are nightmares," Makoto's voice was only a murmur, the agony of her words bore such a heavy burden in her heart, "Sometimes they feel... good."
"I have dreams, also, Mako-chan." Ami's hold on Makoto's hand loosened a bit, but never wavered, "I do not believe they feel... good... because we relish fighting. I think they feel that way, because we love protecting.
Because protecting this planet didn't just give us a purpose, it set the course for what will be a millennia of our existences'. Because we love this planet, we love its people, and we love each other, and nothing feels better ... than ensuring its future. Our future."
Ami punctuated her thoughts, "Parents may not desire their children to hurt, but they must feel pleased at being able to extinguish their children's' pains, don't they?"
Makoto smirked as her tears lessened one by one to a mere drizzle, "Are you suggesting we're parenting the world, Ami-chan?" She even managed the smallest of giggles at the thought.
"Perhaps not," Ami paused, a smirk crept upon her face, as well, "But this may be good practice."
Makoto closed her eyes, tightened her grip on her friend's hand, and let out a deep sigh. The kind that sigh that spoke volumes of torment and relief.
Makoto opened her eyes once more, then gave Ami the gift of a smile of pure appreciation. Ami's eyes averted for a short moment, as she felt a flash of embarrassment fill her. Though she had come so far, she still was not expert at dealing with emotions, muchless appreciation. She brought her eyes back to Makoto's and returned her smile with one that spoke simply, "No gratitude necessary."
Both girls, to outsiders' eyes, seemed they were sharing a touching,
loving moment together. Their fingers intertwined, smiling and exchanging meaningful looks, minutes had passed, and no words were spoken. And to any bemused outsiders who might know these particular girls, the suspicions were no different, but the chance for good natured (or, perhaps ill natured) fun was ready and prepared for pouncing.
"I'm heart broken." a deep, silken voice broke the two girls from their reverie.
"Good afternoon, Haruka-san!" Ami greeted, as she pulled her hand from Makoto's. A slight blush crept across her visage, one which Haruka found charming.
Haruka bowed her head slightly and responded "Good afternoon, Ami-chan,
Mako-chan."
Makoto steeled herself before she took the bait proffered from Haruka, "Why are you heart broken?"
Haruka slipped her right hand into the pocket of her slacks, one of her many insinuating, hard-polished, heartthrob gestures, as she spoke, the expression she wore was a mask of heart ache, "Here I was, torn between which charming koi my heart would mate an eternity with, the fiery auburn or the soothing blue, and here they have gone and fallen in love with one another."
Haruka looked away, embellishing the joke to timed perfection. Both girls blushed furiously at the innuendo.
"Haruka," the melodic voice chastised good humouredly, "play nice." A soft arm wove itself around Haruka's as the aqua haired vision stood beside her. To the trained eye, one could easily see how the minute gesture, the proximity, made Haruka stand firmer, she always appeared more grounded in Michiru's presence.
Haruka stared at Michiru undauntingly, asserting her innocence, "I was."
"Good afternoon, Michiru-san." Makoto greeted.
"Good afternoon!" Michiru responded cheerfully. "Do the two of you, by chance, have any plans for the rest of the afternoon?"
Makoto shook her head in the negative. Ami responded, "My archeology club is having a meeting at five o'clock, but I am free until then."
Removing her arm from Haruka's, Michiru pressed her hands together before her, a smile spread across her face, "Perfect! Would you like to come to the house for some tea and socialising? Usagi and Mamoru will be arriving shortly."
"Hotaru and Chibi-Usa have been tormenting Setsuna all day." Haruka interjected, snickerering at the memory of her last image of the three,
Setsuna having been bombarded by the two with manga and school yard gossip.
"That would be wonderful!" Makoto responded.
"Ah, I should see if Minako and Rei are free as well, we could make an event of it!" a light glimmered in Michiru's eyes, being the hostess was something she always enjoyed. Haruka watched on bemused.
"Should we order more cakes?" Haruka asked.
"Oh, I hope you don't find this forward of me, but what kind of tea are you serving?" Makoto rose from her seat to stand next to Michiru, "Not a forward question at all, Mako-chan, I was thinking a blend of black and spices." Michiru responded. "A light white European cake might go really well with your selection!" Makoto replied with delight, both women left for the counter, leaving Haruka and Ami behind.
Haruka watched on as the two figures walked on into the distance... to spend her money. Haruka shrugged in defeat and looked over to Ami, then, in monotone, spoke, "Women."
Ami smiled at Haruka with condolence.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Minako climbed into the F-1 racing machine. She ignored as boys ogled her. Clothed tightly in active wear, her body still shimmered with the barest sheen of sweat. Rei was not here. For the first time, perhaps ever, the attention of the boys around her annoyed her.
She wanted them to disappear.
She stared at the list of top players. Haruka's initials were still at the top from that day, the day she and Usagi followed her around, thinking stupidly that Haruka was a boy. It never phased Minako to find the truth. "So what if Haruka is a girl? She's still cool. She's still attractive, right?"
Minako was still attracted.
For years.
Minako inserted her yen and extended a deceptively delicate index finger to press "Start." The same finger from which her deadly "love me chain"
attack springs forth.
"Haruka," Minako declared to herself, "Today, you are going down!" She then blushed at the silliness of her own accidental innuendo. "Maybe you are right now." she giggled to herself.
Minako revved the engine of her F-1 car, and waited impatiently for the count down. Her left hand throttled the gear shift, her mind focused solely on speeding ahead to victory. As "Go!" flashed across the screen, Minako pressed the gas pedal down, and changed the gear shifts with the pressure of her foot, her hands and feet moved in synchronicity, she felt she was one with her car, with the machine. This kind of focus felt overwhelmingly familiar to her; This dance, this game.
One by one, she passed the cars, then lapped them.
One by one, her obstacles were removed, then battered for good measure.
As she neared the finish line, she found that victory... Minako sighed.
"Haruka is the wind, afterall." Three and a half seconds, it didn't seem much, but as Minako knew, in a race, it was everything. "I came close to rivaling the wind, that must count for something." Minako took second place,
once again. This time, with some amount of pride. Three and a half seconds was closer than most racers ever get to comparing with Haruka, as far as she was concerned, she had done magnificently.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Rei-chan," her grandfather called from outside the door of the fireroom.
His face was one of concern as he entered the room. There, his grand daughter sat close to the fire, her hands clasped together, she was rapt in meditation. As far as he had known, Rei hadn't moved since last night. No food, no water, she only consumed the fire, it was her only driving force.
This worried him.
"Rei-chan," he called again, and again, she did not acknowledge him, she did not even flinch.
Her grandfather laid a plate of rice balls and a large glass of water by the door, he spoke softly before exiting, in a voice that sounded nearly like one of prayer, "Be careful of what you search for, sometimes it is best to allow things to come to you as they are ready to be found."
The caring old man sighed, then left his grand daughter to her own devices, and wished her well.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
End o' chapter four. Yeehaw.
email me if you have questions or suggestions or wish to lavish me with praise (the latter prefered, of course)- l0vecat
Oh, and I'm in South Florida, so, uh, if I don't post for a while, my house might, like, not be here anymore. Whee! Good times.
Monikku.
I've found inspiration much more easily. Also, this story has been a lovely platform for probing characterisation I had been dying to do in pieces for a while now. I hope you all are enjoy it!
As always, if you have any criticisms, please leave a review or email me! They are always welcomed.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Vessels of Fate- Blood of the Mountains By Monikku
Makoto sat at a large circular table, a glass of red juice shimmering in the sunlight, generously shining in through the large glass windows of the teahouse. Trepidation tugged at her face; she pondered. She fiddled with the corner of the page of her book. As she built the courage to address- no,
confront- the girl before her, she found another reason to keep her thoughts and feelings hidden.
Ami read her newspaper with usual studiousness. Had she been with anyone other than one of her trusted friends, her partners, her fellow senshi, she might feel rude by the act. She may have felt an obligation to pay overt attention to the one in her presence. However, over the years, the casual nature of her relationships with her friends granted them these kinds of small freedoms. These small gestures that showed, truly, how close they all had grown.
"Hey, Ami-chan?" Makoto began, the unsteadiness of her voice readily apparent.
Ami looked up from her newspaper to eyes that seemed questioning and unsure of themselves. Ami hadn't often seen Makoto look this way, though she knew the girl to be self-conscious in the past, what would cause this look to arise now? She suspected she would find out soon enough.
"Yes, Mako-chan?"
"Well, uhm, I'm not certain how to say this. I'm probably going to sound like a terrible person." Makoto hesitated briefly, "Maybe I am."
Ami's puzzlement overwhelmed her, she had never seen Makoto look so guilt-ridden in the many years she had known the girl. "Mako-chan?"
"It's just," Makoto continued on, ignoring Ami's response, "well, I'm appreciative. I really am! We've fought so hard for so many years, and this time is what we've longed for! I am so grateful to have achieved it with my friends, it's just that... all of this peace. I dunno, Ami-chan. Something in me feels kind of... restless or empty. I feel..."
"Like a warrior with no war?" Ami interrupted.
"Something like that. I guess I feel like, I am a protector with nothing to protect against. We've fought nonstop for so long, and now that there is peace, sometimes, I guess it feels really foreign. I would rather never fight again, but at the same time... something within me feels that... I should be.
I am a senshi, right?" Tears began to well in Makoto's eyes as she continued on, "I mean, you're reading that paper, and all they talk about on the front page is the fires. The news reports it constantly, everyone is in a panic,
and part of me..." Makoto's tears begun slowly to shed, "Part of me just wants it to be the cause of a youma!" Makoto then sobbed quietly, "I am such a horrible horrible person, Ami-chan!"
Ami felt her chest clench, Makoto was not a horrible person, she was one of the most sweet, giving, and caring people Ami had ever met. How could she ever possibly convey to Makoto the gorgeous person she was? There were no words for her to grasp at, there were no words to give justice to any of her beloved friends.
Ami's pain heavily shadowed her features as she reached to hold Makoto's hand. Ami was hesitant with her words, as she carefully selected and weighed the gravity of each one spoken, "Makoto, you... are the very antithesis of horrible." Ami paused, searching desperately for the right words, and chose simply, as any hopeless child would, "You are beautiful."
"The way you feel, Mako-chan, sometimes... I feel similarly, as well. It is surreal, the peace before us, it is too surreal."
"I have dreams, of fighting youmas, sometimes. Sometimes they are nightmares," Makoto's voice was only a murmur, the agony of her words bore such a heavy burden in her heart, "Sometimes they feel... good."
"I have dreams, also, Mako-chan." Ami's hold on Makoto's hand loosened a bit, but never wavered, "I do not believe they feel... good... because we relish fighting. I think they feel that way, because we love protecting.
Because protecting this planet didn't just give us a purpose, it set the course for what will be a millennia of our existences'. Because we love this planet, we love its people, and we love each other, and nothing feels better ... than ensuring its future. Our future."
Ami punctuated her thoughts, "Parents may not desire their children to hurt, but they must feel pleased at being able to extinguish their children's' pains, don't they?"
Makoto smirked as her tears lessened one by one to a mere drizzle, "Are you suggesting we're parenting the world, Ami-chan?" She even managed the smallest of giggles at the thought.
"Perhaps not," Ami paused, a smirk crept upon her face, as well, "But this may be good practice."
Makoto closed her eyes, tightened her grip on her friend's hand, and let out a deep sigh. The kind that sigh that spoke volumes of torment and relief.
Makoto opened her eyes once more, then gave Ami the gift of a smile of pure appreciation. Ami's eyes averted for a short moment, as she felt a flash of embarrassment fill her. Though she had come so far, she still was not expert at dealing with emotions, muchless appreciation. She brought her eyes back to Makoto's and returned her smile with one that spoke simply, "No gratitude necessary."
Both girls, to outsiders' eyes, seemed they were sharing a touching,
loving moment together. Their fingers intertwined, smiling and exchanging meaningful looks, minutes had passed, and no words were spoken. And to any bemused outsiders who might know these particular girls, the suspicions were no different, but the chance for good natured (or, perhaps ill natured) fun was ready and prepared for pouncing.
"I'm heart broken." a deep, silken voice broke the two girls from their reverie.
"Good afternoon, Haruka-san!" Ami greeted, as she pulled her hand from Makoto's. A slight blush crept across her visage, one which Haruka found charming.
Haruka bowed her head slightly and responded "Good afternoon, Ami-chan,
Mako-chan."
Makoto steeled herself before she took the bait proffered from Haruka, "Why are you heart broken?"
Haruka slipped her right hand into the pocket of her slacks, one of her many insinuating, hard-polished, heartthrob gestures, as she spoke, the expression she wore was a mask of heart ache, "Here I was, torn between which charming koi my heart would mate an eternity with, the fiery auburn or the soothing blue, and here they have gone and fallen in love with one another."
Haruka looked away, embellishing the joke to timed perfection. Both girls blushed furiously at the innuendo.
"Haruka," the melodic voice chastised good humouredly, "play nice." A soft arm wove itself around Haruka's as the aqua haired vision stood beside her. To the trained eye, one could easily see how the minute gesture, the proximity, made Haruka stand firmer, she always appeared more grounded in Michiru's presence.
Haruka stared at Michiru undauntingly, asserting her innocence, "I was."
"Good afternoon, Michiru-san." Makoto greeted.
"Good afternoon!" Michiru responded cheerfully. "Do the two of you, by chance, have any plans for the rest of the afternoon?"
Makoto shook her head in the negative. Ami responded, "My archeology club is having a meeting at five o'clock, but I am free until then."
Removing her arm from Haruka's, Michiru pressed her hands together before her, a smile spread across her face, "Perfect! Would you like to come to the house for some tea and socialising? Usagi and Mamoru will be arriving shortly."
"Hotaru and Chibi-Usa have been tormenting Setsuna all day." Haruka interjected, snickerering at the memory of her last image of the three,
Setsuna having been bombarded by the two with manga and school yard gossip.
"That would be wonderful!" Makoto responded.
"Ah, I should see if Minako and Rei are free as well, we could make an event of it!" a light glimmered in Michiru's eyes, being the hostess was something she always enjoyed. Haruka watched on bemused.
"Should we order more cakes?" Haruka asked.
"Oh, I hope you don't find this forward of me, but what kind of tea are you serving?" Makoto rose from her seat to stand next to Michiru, "Not a forward question at all, Mako-chan, I was thinking a blend of black and spices." Michiru responded. "A light white European cake might go really well with your selection!" Makoto replied with delight, both women left for the counter, leaving Haruka and Ami behind.
Haruka watched on as the two figures walked on into the distance... to spend her money. Haruka shrugged in defeat and looked over to Ami, then, in monotone, spoke, "Women."
Ami smiled at Haruka with condolence.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Minako climbed into the F-1 racing machine. She ignored as boys ogled her. Clothed tightly in active wear, her body still shimmered with the barest sheen of sweat. Rei was not here. For the first time, perhaps ever, the attention of the boys around her annoyed her.
She wanted them to disappear.
She stared at the list of top players. Haruka's initials were still at the top from that day, the day she and Usagi followed her around, thinking stupidly that Haruka was a boy. It never phased Minako to find the truth. "So what if Haruka is a girl? She's still cool. She's still attractive, right?"
Minako was still attracted.
For years.
Minako inserted her yen and extended a deceptively delicate index finger to press "Start." The same finger from which her deadly "love me chain"
attack springs forth.
"Haruka," Minako declared to herself, "Today, you are going down!" She then blushed at the silliness of her own accidental innuendo. "Maybe you are right now." she giggled to herself.
Minako revved the engine of her F-1 car, and waited impatiently for the count down. Her left hand throttled the gear shift, her mind focused solely on speeding ahead to victory. As "Go!" flashed across the screen, Minako pressed the gas pedal down, and changed the gear shifts with the pressure of her foot, her hands and feet moved in synchronicity, she felt she was one with her car, with the machine. This kind of focus felt overwhelmingly familiar to her; This dance, this game.
One by one, she passed the cars, then lapped them.
One by one, her obstacles were removed, then battered for good measure.
As she neared the finish line, she found that victory... Minako sighed.
"Haruka is the wind, afterall." Three and a half seconds, it didn't seem much, but as Minako knew, in a race, it was everything. "I came close to rivaling the wind, that must count for something." Minako took second place,
once again. This time, with some amount of pride. Three and a half seconds was closer than most racers ever get to comparing with Haruka, as far as she was concerned, she had done magnificently.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
"Rei-chan," her grandfather called from outside the door of the fireroom.
His face was one of concern as he entered the room. There, his grand daughter sat close to the fire, her hands clasped together, she was rapt in meditation. As far as he had known, Rei hadn't moved since last night. No food, no water, she only consumed the fire, it was her only driving force.
This worried him.
"Rei-chan," he called again, and again, she did not acknowledge him, she did not even flinch.
Her grandfather laid a plate of rice balls and a large glass of water by the door, he spoke softly before exiting, in a voice that sounded nearly like one of prayer, "Be careful of what you search for, sometimes it is best to allow things to come to you as they are ready to be found."
The caring old man sighed, then left his grand daughter to her own devices, and wished her well.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
End o' chapter four. Yeehaw.
email me if you have questions or suggestions or wish to lavish me with praise (the latter prefered, of course)- l0vecat
Oh, and I'm in South Florida, so, uh, if I don't post for a while, my house might, like, not be here anymore. Whee! Good times.
Monikku.