Standard disclaimers apply. Most of these characters were created by Naoko Takeuchi, and rightfully belong to her. I'm only borrowing them for a while. New characters, and this story, belong to me. Ask before you use them. :)

AN: And here it is, the long-awaited (or not) confrontation between Makoto and her sempai! And...yeah, I suck at announcements, so I'll just leave it at that. Also, I will be going away on vacation in about a week, and unfortunately, will not be back for about a month and a half. There are only two chapters left after this one, though, and I'll have them uploaded before I leave. So all's good. Now, on to the story...

Hearts of Darkness

Part 7: Tears in the Rain

by JG Chan

Ryo sat across the table from Ami, watching as she flipped through a small book with a look of concentration on her face. They were in a quiet corner of the public library, which was mostly empty at the moment. A small stack of larger books rested next to them, patiently awaiting their turn.

"Ami-chan..." he began quietly. Absorbed in her reading, the girl genius didn't respond. Clearing his throat, he tried again, a bit louder this time, and she raised her head.

"Yes, Ryo-kun?"

"Well..." he said uncomfortably. "Are you sure you should be doing this?"

"What do you mean?" Ami gave him a confused look, then glanced down at her book. "I'm pretty sure the Art of War is a good place to start studying battle strategy..."

"That isn't what I meant, Ami-chan...I mean, are you sure you should be looking at fighting this way, as something to study and plan for?"

Ami frowned slightly. "Ryo-kun, I told you before, didn't I? I want to do everything I can do protect my friends, and this is how I can help most. I know it's a bit late to be doing this, but I still want to do as much as I can before we leave..."

She was watching Ryo as she spoke, and could tell something was still bothering him. On impulse, she reached for his hand, but stopped short of it with a blush.

'Well, no one else is here...' she thought. Working up her courage, her hand moved the rest of the way and took hold of Ryo's. Startled, he looked up at her.

"Ryo-kun, what's wrong?" she asked him, and managed a small encouraging smile through her blush. His own cheeks flushed to match hers, and for a moment he just stared at their joined hands. Then, he sighed.

"I...I'm not really sure how to say it, Ami-chan," he answered. "I guess...I'm worried that you might change..."

"Change?"

"Knowledge changes people," Ryo continued pensively. "After I found out I was carrying a Rainbow Crystal, I began to see everything around me differently. So...I'm worried that, if you begin to go too deep, to think like some kind of military tactician, that you won't be the same you anymore..."

Ami was silent as Ryo finished with a frustrated expression, evidently struggling with how to express his feelings. His eyes came up to hers, searching for an answer, and she nodded.

"I know what you mean, Ryo-kun," she said. "To tell the truth, I've thought about it, too. And my answer is...I don't know." He opened his mouth to say something, but she shook her head, indicating that she wasn't finished. "I don't know if I'll ever change because of this...but I'm going to do it anyway." She smiled. "Because I know that my friends will be there for me. They'll keep me from becoming someone I couldn't live with, I'm sure. And..." Her blush returned. "...you will too, won't you?"

Ryo smiled and nodded, relieved. 'You'll never cease to amaze me, Ami-chan,' he thought fondly. He was about to say something more when there was a commotion coming from the entrance. Frowning, Ryo went to the edge of the bookshelves and peered around. He turned back to Ami, his face tense, and mouthed the word 'youma'. She nodded and headed to the back.

Ryo turned his attention back to the scene at the front. The youma was standing there, randomly breaking things. It was obviously waiting for a Senshi to show up. Its body was sleek, vaguely humanoid, and green, with an oily sheen about it. It had no face as such, only two red eyes on the top of where its head should be. As Ryo watched, it pointed at the checkout counter. A stream of liquid came out from its 'hand' and melted its way through the wood. 'Acid,' Ryo thought.

"Hold it right there, creep!"

The youma turned and saw Sailor Mercury. She faced it with no hint of fear. "The library is a place of knowledge and learning, and I will not allow you to deprive us of it. For love and wisdom, I am Sailor Mercury! Douse yourself in water and repent!"

The youma made a gurgling sound and raised both arms, sending twin streams of acid at Mercury. She dodged behind a table, summoning her visor even as the table melted. The youma sommersaulted and landed where it thought Mercury was hiding, only to find nothing.

"SHABON SPRAY!"

Mercury watched the youma as it spun around, trying to locate her. With her visor on, she had no trouble pinpointing it.

"Sailor Mercury? Where are you?" Sailor Moon's voice came through the mist. The youma turned and launched a spray of acid. There was a surprised 'Huh?' and a thud, but no scream of pain. Mercury quickly took out her computer and placed herself in line with the youma and Sailor Venus.

"Venus!" she called out. "Aim this way!" She raised her computer, revealing its flashing screen. An instant later a beam of light briefly illuminated the mist, followed by a grunt. Mercury checked her computer. 'Four percent damage. This isn't working,' she thought frantically.

The youma retaliated with another stream of acid. Venus leapt out of the way, but only barely. By now, the mist was dissipating.

Mercury hesitated a bit, then stepped forward. 'Acids are harmless without water,' she reasoned. 'Water freezes or boils. But if it becames vapour, there's no telling whether it can still attack us, or what happens if we inhale it. So...' Gathering all her resolve, she reached within herself, searching for the source of her power. 'Please, let me be able to do this...' She felt a rush of strength, spreading from the core of her being to every part of her body. She called on it wordlessly, feeling the waves of cold gather about her. Droplets of water froze as they neared her, blurring her image with a thousand sparkles. She crossed her arms before her chest.

"SHABON SPRAY...FREEZING!"

A blast of cold bubbles surrounded the unprepared youma. Within seconds, it had turned into a solid block of greenish ice.

Recovering from her surprise, Sailor Moon gave Mercury a thumbs up, then snatched Tuxedo Kamen's cane and proceeded to smash the ice to pieces. "Take that, you monster!" Everybody else sweatdropped. Mars de-transformed and took the cane away from Sailor Moon.

"We don't have time to play around, Odango-atam," she scolded the blonde. "We need to go after Mako-chan."

"Huh?" Sailor Moon de-transformed as well and looked around. "Wasn't she with you?"

Minako shook her head. "We were at the mall, and this guy came up to us and started to talk to her about taking over some dojo or something. When he left, she called Kenta-kun and told him to meet her at the train station. Then she ran off, and Mercury called, so we couldn't go after her."

Usagi blinked. "Huh?"

"She called him 'sempai'," Rei said. "I guess he's the famous sempai she keeps talking about, but something about him feels wrong. I think we should follow her in case anything happens."

"But how?" Mamoru asked. "Did she say where she was going?"

"That's not a problem," Ami interjected. She had kept her computer out after de-transforming, and typed a few commands into it. "There, I found her. She's on the Chuo Line right now, heading west."

"Alright then, let's go," Usagi said, and they started off towards the train station.

Makoto and Kenta stepped out of the station and looked around. They were at one of the smaller stops between Hachioji and Mt. Takao, facing one of the few wooded areas around Tokyo. A road led from the station to the nearest cluster of residences, but the two soon turned onto one of the smaller paths branching off of it.

"It's been a long time since you've been back, hasn't it?" Kenta remarked, his voice hushed.

"Yeah," Makoto replied in the same tone. These woods held many memories and special significance for the two of them, so much so that they felt loud conversation to be disrespectful.

They followed the path into the woods. Makoto glanced around, taking in all the familiar sights that she thought she wouldn't see again for a long time. Over on one side, there was that crooked tree that she used to climb on to look at birds' eggs. And ahead of them was the small creek with the worn stepping stones that she used to cross every day. Her eyes moistened, and she rubbed at them absently, her hand straying briefly to the barely noticeable curved scar on her jawline.

"It's too bad we had to come back for something like this," Kenta said. "Are you sure Kyogo-sempai was serious?"

Makoto nodded. She had known Kyogo very well, and she had been a bit surprised that he would go this far. Still, she'd realized that her sempai had only broken up with her because of their sensei's apparent preference for her. Of course, back then, she still had a lot of respect for him, and was so upset by the break-up that she ended up injuring someone in a fight. That's when she had decided to go live on her own, away from the memories of this place.

'So now I'm finally back,' she thought wistfully. 'But why are you doing this, sempai? After so long, why can't you just let it go?'

They reached the end of the path and stood in a clearing. It was littered with a variety of martial arts training props, and across it stood an old-fashioned dojo. The words 'Shiina Dojo' were displayed proudly above the wooden gate.

Makoto and Kenta exchanged a glance and walked through the courtyard to the main doors. Inside, there were about ten young men and boys gathered in groups and talking quietly. A few of them saw Kenta and waved to him.

"What's all this about?" he asked one of them.

"Some guy came in half an hour ago asking to speak with Shiina-sensei. They went out back."

Kenta nodded, and he and Makoto headed for the door to their sensei's private training area. It was another clearing behind the dojo, smaller than the one in front. In the middle of it stood Kyogo and an older man. Makoto stepped forward.

"Shiina-sensei..." she said, her voice trembling with emotion. The old man turned around. His white hair was tied back in a short ponytail, and his face was wrinkled. Otherwise, he showed no signs of his age as he stood tall and unbowed. His training gi was baggy, but Makoto knew that underneath them he was all muscle. The hard, keen eyes softened when he saw her.

"Makoto! I'm glad to see you again," he called out in a gravelly voice, stepping forward with arms open. She ran to him and embraced him, the man who was almost a second father to her.

"Don't I get a hug, Makoto-chan?" Kyogo asked mockingly. She let go of her sensei and glared at the auburn-haired youth.

"Why don't you just go back home, sempai?" she said. "You have no business here."

"Actually, I'm told our dear sensei here neglected to cross out my name from the student rolls when I left. That means I have the right to succeed him as master of this dojo."

"I was going to give you a second chance," Shiina-sensei growled angrily. "I thought you would come to your senses eventually. It looks like I was mistaken."

Kyogo smirked. "Nevertheless, I have issued my challenge. By your own antiquated rules, there's no turning back. Now, who's going to fight me."

"Sempai, stop it!" Makoto yelled.

Kyogo ignored her, instead unwrapping the bokken he had been carrying. Before she could say anything more, however, Kenta stepped in front of her, holding his own bokken in a ready stance. The fight was about to begin...

"Are we there yet?" Usagi whined.

"No, Usako," Mamoru answered patiently. The four girls, along with Mamoru, were on the train heading west, with Ami tracking Makoto on her computer. The sky was overcast, threatening to rain at any moment.

Five minutes later, Usagi looked around. "Are we there yet?" she asked. Behind her, Rei snapped.

"THAT'S IT!" she almost screamed. "I CAN'T STAND IT ANYMORE! STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD, USAGI!" Usagi watched as smoke seemed to come out of Rei's head, then burst out laughing. Rei's face turned redder.

"Stop it, you two," Ami pleaded. "Everyone's staring at us."

Rei sat back down, sulking. Usagi buried her face in Mamoru's shoulder, trying to muffle her giggling. The others just sighed, and hoped that they would get where they were going before someone got hurt.

"Ken?" Makoto asked. "What are you doing? You aren't taking him seriously, are you?"

"It'll be fine, Mako-chan," Kenta replied. He threw a challenging gaze at Kyogo. "I'll just beat some sense into him, and then we can all get on with our lives like normal, non-obsessed people."

"Weak, Shinozaki," Kyogo countered. "I do hope you fight better than you bluff, or I might fall asleep."

Makoto was about to protest, but Shiina-sensei shook his head in warning. She gritted her teeth and moved back to stand with him, noting that Kenta had brought another pair of bokken for the two of them. "Why didn't you stop him, sensei?" she asked under her breath.

"Kenta knows what he is doing...and Kyogo is behaving strangely. Let us watch what happens..."

The two youths had already bowed and were now circling each other. Occasionally, one would lash out with a sudden swing or thrust, gauging the other's reactions. From the side, Makoto watched them as well, drawing her own conclusions.

Kenta handled his bokken with the certainty of much practice. With Shiina-sensei teaching him, she had expected as much. His strikes were methodical and precise, wasting no energy. His eyes were locked onto his opponents, steady and intense.

Kyogo, on the other hand, surprised Makoto a lot. He seemed almost nonchalant in his posture, yet his attacks were surprisingly powerful, more so than she'd expect from him even with hard training. She frowned, wondering if she was reading him correctly.

Suddenly, Kyogo sprang forward with his bokken held low, moving so fast that Makoto almost missed it. Kenta raised his weapon to block, but the older boy ducked under his guard and slammed the bokken into his midsection. He flew backwards to the ground, the breath knocked out of him.

Smirking, Kyogo stepped back as Makoto rushed to Kenta's side. He directed his gaze at the old master, whose eyes had narrowed suspiciously.

"What have you done, Kyogo?" the elder asked evenly.

"I've realized my potential, sensei," Kyogo replied with a bitter sneer. "Something you never wanted me to do, because then I'd surpass your precious Makoto..."

"Sempai?" Makoto looked up at him, startled. Shiina-sensei just shook his head.

"Is that how it seemed to you?" he asked sadly.

"Seemed? That was how it was!" Kyogo spat. "You trained her personally, as if she were your own daughter. No matter how hard I worked, she would always win, and you'd heap praise on her." He turned his glare to the kneeling brunette. "And worse yet, you never cared much about winning, did you? All you wanted was to play in the kitchen, or pick flowers, while the rest of us who did care about our art were stuck beneath you!"

"Sempai..." Makoto whispered disbelievingly. "Is that why you're doing this?"

"Of course it is." His eyes were wild now, full of rage and bitterness. "Shinozaki might have been too lovestruck to care, but I could never forgive you! You don't deserve to be here, and I will prove it once and for all! Now fight!"

He pointed his bokken at her, waiting for her to respond. Numbly, she picked up Kenta's bokken and stood, the weapon hanging loosely at her side.

"I don't want to fight you, sempai..." she said in a pained voice. "Please..." Those words only served to infuriate Kyogo, however, and he snapped. With a snarl, he charged forward with bokken raised, and brought it down towards Makoto's unprotected face.

"It's starting to rain," Minako said worriedly. "Do you think Mako-chan is alright?"

"She stopped moving a little while ago," Ami replied as she led the way into the woods. "We should reach her soon."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rei said.

"Do you think it might be a Dark Kingdom trap?" Usagi asked worriedly. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she reflexively moved closer to Mamoru.

"We're almost there, Usako," he reassured her, then turned to the rest of the girls. "Come on, let's hurry." They nodded, and the group picked up the pace as they followed the path to the Shiina Dojo.

Far behind them, a pair of deep black eyes watched in silence. As the rain came down more and more steadily, the shadowed figure moved out from under the trees and headed for the dojo as well.

There was a resounding clack of wood on wood as Shiina-sensei's bokken appeared in front of Makoto, blocking Kyogo's attack. The brunette, however, still did not move. "Please, sempai, don't do this," she begged.

"FIGHT ME!" Kyogo growled, pushing against the old man's bokken. Makoto shook her head, her tears falling with the first drops of rain. Dropping the bokken, she stepped forward and grabbed Kyogo in a fierce hug, burying her face in his shoulder. Stunned, the auburn-haired youth dropped his arms to his sides. Shiina-sensei kept silent, watching for what would happen next, while behind him Kenta was starting to recover.

"Why...why won't you fight?" Kyogo asked suspiciously.

"Because..." she answered softly. "I don't ever want to fight unless it's to protect my friends. Sempai, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I never realized how you felt." Her tone became firm. "But I won't fight you like this. Please..."

Kyogo seemed to shake himself as he stared down at Makoto. The hand holding his bokken wavered, as if torn between conflicting orders. Suddenly, a bolt of rainbow light struck him in the side, knocking both him and Makoto to the ground. A second bolt collided with Shiina-sensei as he rushed towards them, knocking him out cold.

"Mako-chan! Sensei!" Kenta screamed, struggling to rise. Makoto sat up as well, having not been hit directly by the blast. There was a shimmer of light under one of the nearby trees, and a purple-haired woman wearing a Dark Kingdom uniform appeared.

"Who the hell are you?" Makoto demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the woman replied haughtily. She walked over to Kyogo and looked down in mock pity. "And he was so promising, too. Such a shame he wasn't able to kill you."

"You made him do this!?"

"Why, yes, I did." The woman grinned and raised her arm. Casings of light appeared around Shiina-sensei and Kenta, trapping them.

"Let them go," Makoto shouted. "They have nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, don't worry, my dear. I'll release them after I kill you...not that it matters much anyway." She raised her hand again, and Makoto was encased in shimmering light as well. Smiling, she withdrew a cruel-looking knife from her belt...and dropped it as a red rose hit her wrist. "What...!?"

"Your evil plan will never succeed as long as we are together!" The Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen landed in the clearing. Sailor Moon struck her pose. "We will never let a friend fight alone! For love, justice and friendship, I am the pretty sailor-suited soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I'LL PUNISH YOU!"

"FIRE SOUL!"

The stream of fire scorched the ground where the woman had stood before she teleported away. The Senshi looked around, but couldn't see anyone. Suddenly, a larger barrier of light formed around them, trapping them as well. The woman reappeared next to Kyogo. "This is almost too easy," she gloated.

"You're Amethyst, aren't you?" Venus asked, stalling for time as Mercury worked on her computer.

"Very perceptive of you," Amethyst replied, picking up her knife. "And surprisingly fast, too. I expected my youma to keep you busy for a lot longer."

"You underestimate us, Amethyst," Tuxedo Kamen taunted. "You Dark Kingdom people never learn, do you?"

She didn't reply, instead kneeling next to Kyogo, her eyes fixed on Makoto. "Now, my dear, I would like to demonstrate what I will be doing to you. I think this boy here will be perfect as an example." Shackles of light bound Kyogo's limbs to the ground. Amethyst smiled, and stabbed the knife through his left wrist. He screamed in agony.

"Stop that!" Sailor Moon yelled. "Doesn't he work for you?"

"So?" Amethyst walked around to Kyogo's other side and sliced his other wrist, careful not to cut a major blood vessel. He screamed again. "Enjoying the show, dear?" she asked Makoto.

The brunette had her eyes closed against the tears threatening to come out again. Her fists were clenched and her knuckles slightly bruised from punching the barrier. "Why are you doing this?" she asked through clenched teeth.

"To hurt you, of course. Don't worry, your friends are next." The purple-haired woman then knelt next to Kyogo's right foot. "Besides, he's your enemy, isn't he? He even tried to kill you."

"You monsters would never understand! He's a person too, and I respected him. He doesn't deserve this! No one does!"

"Respect? For this wretch?" Amethyst snickered, drawing the knife along Kyogo's leg towards his ankle. "All he cares about is being the best. Given a chance, he would even kill the old man over there. What is there to respect?" She plunged the blade into his ankle, severing the Achilles' tendon. This time, he fainted.

"Mako-chan!" Mercury suddenly shouted, looking up from her computer. "You've got to save him! None of this is his fault. He's carrying a Heart of Darkness!"

"What?" Makoto stared at Kyogo's silent, bleeding form, and Amethyst standing over him with a smirk. Her mind flashed back to the memories of her childhood. After her parents died, Shiina-sensei had taken her in as a favour to her father, a close friend of his. She had become fast friends with Kyogo and Kenta, and they would often sneak out together to have fun. Kyogo would protest that it was wrong, but he always came along anyway. Even after he had started tensing up every time their sensei complimented Makoto, he had still been nice to her. And she could have sworn she had seen tears in his eyes as well, on the day they had broken up.

"So this is all your doing?" she asked in quiet rage.

"Looks like I've been found out," Amethyst admitted nonchalantly. "Still, what are you going to do about it?"

Makoto ignored her. She pulled out her wand and transformed into Sailor Jupiter. Behind the Senshi, Kenta gasped.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

The lightning bolt hit the barrier from above, but it resisted. Jupiter glared at the smiling general, then started to focus her will. The air around her started to crackle with static electricity as she drew on the strength of her own spirit to create her attack.

"I won't ever let you get away with this, Amethyst! He had his entire future in front of him, and you took it all away! You used him, destroyed his honour, and in the name of Jupiter, I WILL PUNISH YOU!!" She could feel every atom in her body being charged with electricity, making her tingle all over. With a single thought, she willed all of this power to gather in her hands.

"SUPREME THUNDER...DRAGON!"

Her attack emerged and coiled into a vast lightning dragon. It pushed against the barrier, shattering it into a thousand shards of light. Roaring fiercely, it surged towards Amethyst. The surprised general raised a shield in defense, but the force of Jupiter's wrath broke through easily. She screamed as the lightning hit her and threw her back against a tree.

The casings around the others faded, and Sailor Moon rushed over to Kyogo's side. With a second thought, she detached the Silver Crystal and held it over the unconscious youth.

"MOON HEALING ESCALATION!" She called out her old attack, and smiled hopefully when it responded. The chain around Kyogo's neck glowed and dissolved as the positive energy overwhelmed the Heart of Darkness. His wounds closed as well, stopping the bleeding. Sailor Moon sat down on the wet ground, feeling drained.

"You little brats..." Amethyst snarled angrily. "Youmas!"

The Sailor Senshi braced themselves to fight...but nothing happened. Shocked, Amethyst looked around wildly. Seeing no reinforcements coming, she beat a hasty retreat back to the Dark Kingdom.

Jupiter rushed over to Kyogo's side, kneeling down next to Sailor Moon, and Mercury joined them after checking on Shiina-sensei.

"He'll be alright," she told Jupiter. "He's very healthy for his age."

"Of course," Jupiter replied absently. "How about sempai?"

Mercury knelt next to him and ran a program on her computer. She frowned and repeated it, and her expression became somber. She turned to Jupiter.

"I'm sorry," she said, "but his injuries were too severe. He's in no danger now, but he won't be able to use his hands and foot for some time..."

"No...this can't be," Jupiter cried disbelievingly. Her transformation faded, and she sank down over Kyogo's chest, weeping. "I'm so sorry, sempai. I'm sorry..." Kenta came over and held her, his own eyes misting over. Above them, the rain fell harder, washing away the blood, leaving only painful regret behind...

Amethyst stumbled into the throne room and limped forward painfully to kneel before Adamantite. The shadowy figure on the throne did not stir, but his eyes burned brightly. Amethyst risked a glance upwards, and immediately lowered her eyes.

"Please, my Lord," she begged, "allow me another chance!"

"But my dear," Adamantite said in a mocking tone, "you do know the price for wasting my time and resources, don't you?"

The female general's eyes widened, and she whirled around, throwing up her shield against the expected spear thrust. The blast of power that hit her in the back took her by complete surprise. She fell down on her hands and knees, gasping for breath.

"Selenite isn't here right now," the dark lord told her in a deceptively pleasant tone. "So I'll be taking care of this. You should be happy, general; my way is much less messy."

Before Amethyst could scream, she was engulfed in hellish black flames and reduced to nothing. Adamantite's cruel laughter rang out in the dark hall, the only testament to her demise.

MONDAY

Usagi sat in the shade of a tree to the side of the schoolyard with Ami and Naru. It was lunch period, and she was picking absently at her bentou, her mind seemingly elsewhere. Her friends were watching her worriedly.

"Usagi-chan, are you okay?" Naru asked.

"Yeah..." The blonde turned to Ami. "How's Mako-chan?"

"Okaa-san said she spent the night at the hospital," Ami replied. "I think she wants to make sure Kyogo's alright. Shinozaki-kun is there with her."

"Poor Mako-chan," Naru commented. She looked uncertainly at the other two girls. "Are you really sure you want to attack those monsters today? If they can hurt people like that..."

"I know, Naru-chan," Usagi answered. "I'm afraid too...but we have to go, or something like this could happen again..."

Ami and Naru didn't reply, but both reached out and squeezed Usagi's hand reassuringly. The blonde smiled at them, and they went back to eating in silence, each occupied with their own thoughts.

"Mako-chan..."

Makoto stirred and shifted her position a bit. Dozing on and off on a chair all night had left her entire body as one big cramp.

"Mako-chan."

"Hmm?" Her eyes opened slightly, crusty with sleep. Kenta was in front of her, shaking her by the shoulder.

"Kyogo-sempai's awake," he told her. She nodded and went into the washroom to freshen up. A minute later she was sitting at her sempai's bedside. Kyogo looked a bit pale, and his wrists and wounded ankle were wrapped in bandages.

"How're you feeling?" she asked him.

"It doesn't hurt much, at least. The doctor was totally mystified about that, but I'm guessing it had to do with the Sailor Senshi..." He looked up at her face. "How about you, you look terrible."

"I didn't get much sleep last night," she admitted. "And...I feel kinda empty, like I let everything out and have nothing left inside." She smiled faintly. "I haven't cried that much in a long time..."

"I'm sorry, Makoto." He sighed regretfully. "I just keep hurting you, don't I?"

"Sempai..." she started to say.

"No, Makoto, don't make excuses for me. I let my emotions run out of control, and for all the wrong reasons, and got you all in danger. I don't know why the Senshi even bothered to save me..."

"Because you deserve a chance, sempai," Makoto said. "Everyone does." Behind her, Kenta nodded in agreement.

"Will you forgive me, then?" Kyogo asked.

Makoto nodded. "For everyhing," she said softly. "We'll always be friends."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"So what are you going to do once you get out of here?" Kenta asked him. He looked up thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"I guess...since I've been given a chance, I should make good use of it, right?" He smiled at Makoto and Kenta. "Don't worry about me. One day, I'll be able to use a sword again, and I'll beat you, Makoto, fair and square. Don't you dare run off before then!"

Makoto smiled and nodded. 'I'm so glad you're alright, sempai,' she thought. 'And I won't give up, either.' She stood up. "I've got to go meet my friends now. I'll be back to visit as often as I can!" she promised. Kenta followed her outside the room and closed the door.

"Be careful, alright?" he cautioned.

"Don't worry, Ken, I'll be fine," she replied. "And when I come back, we'll have a good, long talk..." She winked at him, then turned and headed for the elevator. She was only slightly surprised to see Minako waiting for her there;
the blonde knew just how much this part of her past meant to her, after all.

"Will you be okay, Mako-chan?"

"Yep," Makoto replied simply. "Let's go."

"Are you still up for this, everyone?" Artemis asked. They were gathered in front of the Hikawa Shrine, as they had before going to face Beryl. Makoto and Minako had just arrived to join them, and one look at the brunette's face told everyone that she was back to her old self again. The girls nodded and raised their hands.

"MERCURY POWER"
"MARS POWER"
"JUPITER POWER"
"VENUS POWER"
"MOON CRYSTAL POWER"
"MAKE UP!"

Mamoru picked a rose out of subspace and spun around, summoning his disguise. The Sailor Senshi gathered around him and linked hands, forming a circle. Ryo and the guardians stood to the side, watching.

"Is everyone ready?" Luna asked.

The Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen all nodded, and the Senshi then concentrated on their individual planets.

"SAILOR TELEPORT!"

Beams of light rose from each of the girls into the sky. A sudden wind rose up around them, and the light brightened. Then they were all gone, leaving only a ring of blasted tiles behind.

"Good luck, guys..." Ryo said quietly, and he and the cats went back inside to wait.

To be continued...