Chapter 11
Sirens blazed on in the dark distance as Rei picked up trash around the grounds of Hikawa Shrine. Any real commotion in their area had died down, but the mayhem could still be heard, a constant reminder of something that could have gone a lot worse. Rei, Yurichiro and her grandpa had all come out to the front steps when they heard an enormous roar from inside the shrine. Standing atop the stone stairs they watched in stunned apprehension as countless people stormed through the streets, rioting and looting. Fights broke out as people threw fists and feet at one another others gabbing anything they could and throwing it into the crowd. Most people had left the shrine alone, preferring to rob places that had items of value, but the occasional small group would charge up the steps and just cause havoc. Turning garbage cans upside down and making a mess or ripping out small flowers planted in beds that were placed around the shrine.
Rei's grandpa got rowdy with one group of young men and a small scuffle ensued. Yurichiro fought beside the old man clumsily as her grandfather darted in and out between their legs, punching and kicking the would-be hooligans. Shortly after, the crowd had mostly died down and Ami and Minako came hustling up the steps, breathing heavily with dismayed looks on their faces. She was glad the other girls came and were helping clean up, as the night was entering the small hours of the morning. Tiredly she combed the grounds picking up trash and righting downed figurines or idols. She must have filled five garbage bags by now, and there was still a lot of work to do.
Picking up some flowers that lay out of their beds Rei heard the approaching footsteps behind her before they spoke. "I just got a call from Usagi-chan on the communicator. I told her what happened and she's on her way with Mamo-chan to help clean up." The humble voice of Ami informed her. Standing up with the plant in her hand she walked over to the small square flower bed that wasn't far away. Delicately she placed the exposed roots into one of the tiny craters left in the deep brown dirt. Sliding her hands through the moist earth, she pulled more to where the pretty yellow flower was until she was confident it could stand on its own. Now that this beautiful small flower was safe, she turned her attention to her blue haired friend. "Let's take a break until they get here. We've all been working pretty hard. When Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san get here we can start again."
Minako had approached as they were talking and heard what Rei said. Smiling brightly she raised one gloved hand and declared cheerily "You know what they say 'Working your nails to the bone' as we've been doing since we got here." Rei sighed and hung her head as she heard Ami reply "Fingers Mina-chan. Work your fingers to the bone."
"Hmm? Well I suppose some people say that too." Rei couldn't help but laugh as Minako started to turn red from embarrassment. Since they were taking a break Rei decided it was a good time to thank Yurichiro for keeping true to his promise to protect her grandfather. He was accident prone and whimsical but she knew he was also reliable and had a big heart. He always came through when she needed him, so she was grateful for that.
She strolled tiredly from one end of the large shrine to the other. Tall trees decorated the outskirts of the grounds and she would often come here to search for some alone time, away from the duties of a shrine maiden and even Sailor Mars. She found the quiet peacefulness refreshing as she sat under the shade of one of the large trees, daydreaming about the future. Finding Yurichiro waist deep inside the furnace that heated the bath house pulling out debris she tapped his ankle with her foot. He tried to stand up while still inside which resulted in a dull thud followed by a grimace of pain. He carefully crawled out backwards, one hand on the back of his head, standing once he was clear. Standing head and shoulders taller than Rei and she always had to crane her neck back to speak to him face to face.
"Thank you for keeping true to your word and protecting my grandpa. He's getting old and I'm glad you're someone I can rely on." Still rubbing the back of his head he nodded and grinned slightly.
"Well it was like I said, I don't really know if he needs my protection. When those punks tried to start a fight, he was like some inter-galactic space night being guided by some unseen force. The way he flipped and spun was amazing. I only hope one day I can be half the man he is."
"If you keep training with him, I'm sure you will. We're all going to take a break now; Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san are on their way so we can continue when they get back." Rei expressed warmly. She held her hand out to him but he shook his head no, long brown hair that covered his eyes waving across his forehead. "I must work like your grandfather if I'm to become his master pupil. As long as he works tonight, so shall I" he voiced triumphantly holding his fist in front of him. Rei chuckled quietly to herself and walked away so he could get back to his duties. Finding Ami and Minako sitting at the front entrance on the small wooden walkway, she joined them as they continued their conversation.
"...She looked really concerned but I told her nothing happened. You know how Mako-chan is though, she wants to protect everyone. I wouldn't be surprised if she beat Usagi-chan here. Plus if we have her, the cleanup will go that much faster." Minako was explaining to Ami. The blue haired girl looked up as Rei approached and slid a little closer to Minako to make room.
"You're right Mina-chan. Even if we told her not to come she would anyway" Ami agreed. Turning her attention to Rei she filled her in that Makoto was on the way as well. That's good. Now we can discuss what happened tonight and come up with a plan going forward. They sat in the darkness waiting for the rest to show up in silence, each alone with their own thoughts. Was this the beginning of what Rei had seen a few nights ago? Was darkness descending on them this quickly? From what she had seen on the news, riots were happening all over the world and now they've come here as well. The video of Sailor Moon ordering one of the creatures to attack someone was disturbing also. When they found out who was behind that video, Rei was sure they would find their true enemy.
She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of approaching footsteps. She had trained long enough to discern certain observations without using her eyes, so she knew before they came into view that all three were showing up at the same time. Mako-chan must have caught up to Usagi and Mamoru-san. Usagi is too lazy to run somewhere unless it's because she's late for school. Everyone greeted warmly and expressed their gratitude that no one was hurt. Rei couldn't hold back the anger that burning inside her towards her blonde haired friend.
"Usagi-chan why didn't you have your communicator with you?" She asked coldly. Usagi instantly recognized the tone as her eyes went wide with fear and she tried to hide behind the taller Mamoru. "Well how do you know it wasn't Mako-chan's idea to leave them behind" she replied meekly. Rei felt like she was going to explode and she balled her fingers into a fist at her side. "Because Mako-chan is responsible and would never leave it at home. This has your bad idea written all over it." Usagi retreated even further behind Mamoru for protection, hiding from the black haired girls scorn.
"I didn't disagree with Usagi-chan, so I'm just as much to blame here" Makoto voiced in Usagi's defence. It was these qualities that Rei admired most about Makoto. She would never let a friend fight alone, and wasn't afraid to admit when she was in the wrong. With her anger cooling off, she changed the subject "So any ideas about what's going here?"
"First there is something else we need to discuss" everyone's attention turned to Mamoru. "We all need to accept that Sol is going to help us. Whether we like it or not Minako" he added as Minako was already shaking her head in disagreement. "Two days ago, he saved your life Rei. Last night I heard a scream and before I could get to it, he had already saved some other woman. Tonight if he hadn't been there, who knows what would have happened to Makoto. End up in a hospital or worse. Now we can either use this new found asset to our advantage, or let him run around by himself and possibly get hurt. He is choosing to do this, whereas you all had this forced upon you. We could give him some training; help him understand these powers he has now. With these riots breaking out, that only strengthens my belief that we need his help."
Makoto stepped forward, tears filling her big green eyes "He still has a chance at a normal life! If we bring him into this mess, any chance of that disappears! What if-what if he dies trying to help us?!"
"If he is doing it anyway, we can't stop him. I agree with Mamoru-san. Sol would be in more danger on his own, than if he was fighting alongside us. At least if we bring him into the group we can keep a close eye on him." Ami retorted. Rei didn't like the idea of forming an alliance with him, but she knew deep down Ami was right. "Besides, it's not like he is just some normal guy off the street. He's been infused with power from the Silver Crystal, so if we teach him how to channel that power, he could become invaluable. And after this is over, he can go back to being normal Mako-chan" she continued, the last part directed at Makoto.
Usagi had come out from her hiding spot behind Mamoru and looked at each one in turn. "Is everyone in agreement?" Ami nodded her head right away, with Minako and Rei shortly behind. Makoto stared at the ground, refusing to give in. No one was trying to change her mind so Rei stood in front of her friend, peering up into her face. She saw that Makoto was fighting back tears; the sparkle at the corner of her eyes was unmistakable. "Just think of it like you get to spend more time with your new boyfriend Mako-chan. He could be your Tuxedo Kamen" Rei consoled softly. Minako appeared at her side as well. "You're a lucky girl now, like Usagi-chan. Your hero can come and save you romantically like Tuxedo Kamen does all the time for her." Rei watched a small smile start to appear on her brave friends face. Finally she let herself relax and nodded silently. "Alright, now that that's settled, lets finish cleaning this mess" Rei almost yelled. The process went much quicker with the added help of Makoto and Mamoru. Usagi mostly whined, but Rei was still glad she came to show her support. When the shrine was back to its usual splendor they all went inside to lay down to get some rest. It wasn't the first time they had all spent the night together at Hikawa Shrine so none of the girl's parents minded.
Sunrise came much too quickly for Rei. She blinked her tired eyes at the rays of sunlight peeking through her flower printed curtains. Sitting up while stifling a yawn with the back of her hand, she heard murmured voices outside her traditional Japanese sliding door. Pulling the blankets off, she stood and quietly crossed the room. Pressing her ear against paper like material she still couldn't make out what they were saying. Deciding this was her home and she wouldn't tip toe around for anyone, she grabbed hold of the vertical handle and pulled it open quickly. Mamoru and Usagi looked back at her from the other side. "Oh good you're awake" Usagi beamed brightly. She was never this alert in the morning and Rei eyed her suspiciously. "We wanted to come tell you that Mamo-chan and I dropped a note off at Sol's house last night. We told him to meet with us so we can discuss this new alliance." The short blonde haired girl continued. She raised a mug of steaming coffee to her lips and gingerly took a small sip. That's why she's awake. Rei hadn't even noticed the other mug in her hand when Usagi slowly held it out to her. "This should help" she giggled to herself.
Rei took the mug gladly and brought it to her lips, blowing softly into the steaming beverage. "Is anyone else awake yet?" She asked. Mamoru and Usagi both nodded, but it was Usagi who spoke, much too cheery for Rei this early in the morning "You're the last one to get up. We were trying to decide whether or not to wake you up since you were still sleeping." The restless nights were catching up to her. She hadn't slept well since her vision, constantly worried what it really entailed. Now she knew. At least knowing what you had to face made the situation a little easier to deal with. The unknown scared Rei more than anything else. "Alright, I'll get dressed quickly and meet you outside" she informed them. They both nodded and walked in the other direction as Rei closed the door for some privacy.
She crossed the room to where her dresser stood and opened the top drawer. Spotting some neatly folded red shorts at the top of the pile; she grabbed them and closed the drawer, opening the second. White socks should do today. Throwing the two items of clothing down onto the bed that sat on the floor, she went to her closet. Opening the doors, she was greeted with the inviting scent of freshly cleaned clothes. Hanging from the hangers were mostly grey school uniforms, but she also had some casual wear inside here too. Not wanting to waste any time trying to assemble an outfit, she reached for the plain white button up T-shirt. As she was getting dressed, her eye drifted to her small alarm clock sitting on the floor beside the bed. Shocked that it was almost afternoon already, she hurriedly finished getting dressed and rushed outside to where the others were waiting.
The sun was high when she went outside, beaming brightly on the large trees reaching way up into the sky, leaves extending out like fingers. "What time are we supposed to meet with Sol?" Rei probed. Luna jumped off of Ami's lap and faced the dark haired girl, tail straight up in the air "I still don't think this is a good idea. We have no idea what his true intentions are."
Usagi bent down and stroked her hand through the cats soft fur, blue eye's taking on a sympathetic quality "I know he has good intentions. Whatever pain that poor soul is going through now, he has the strength to push it aside for something nobler than himself. We need that kind person as our ally." Everyone let the words hang in the air, each with their own thoughts about what Usagi had just said. She really has grown more mature. Mamoru checked his watch and told the girls they needed to get going or else they would be late for this important meeting. Deciding it was probably better to roam the streets as civilians they picked their way through rubble and debris that littered the usually clean bustling roadways. Not many people were out today and the ones that were, were busy repairing damage to their own investments, nailing ply word boards to where windows once stood. Usagi informed them the place they chose was close to the shrine, but on the roof for more privacy.
They hadn't gone far when Rei almost bumped into Usagi who had stopped in her tracks. "Let's try and keep this going Usagi-chan. Not everyone enjoys being late for everything" the blonde haired girl seemed not hear as she turned instead to Makoto, a wondering look on her face.
"Mako-chan, why didn't you run in your high heels yesterday? When you transform into Sailor Jupiter you have heels, so were you secretly hoping Sol would carry you?" Makoto froze mid step, emerald eyes going wide. She looked around nervously as the red hue in her cheeks deepened. Standing up straight and placing her hand behind her head, she laughed "Well the truth is those boots have ankle support and the heel isn't that long. The shoes I had on yesterday were tied to my foot by one small strap of leather." Her gaze left Usagi and trailed to where Rei was standing beside her. "I honestly don't know how you can run around in those heels of yours Rei-chan. It's something that I've always admired. The mark of a true Lady." Now it was Rei's turn to blush. She had never thought Makoto would admire anything about her; the girl was so strong and confident all the time. Usagi's eyes filled with stars, clasping both hands in front of her chest "Romantic" she whispered to herself.
After a few blocks, Mamoru waved them towards an ally, scanning the streets to make sure no one else was watching. They all walked in cautiously, searching behind the trash cans and empty boxes piled up for anyone in the dark recesses. Satisfied they were alone; each girl looked to one another and gave a silent nod to carry on. Minako went first, jumping to a window ledge on one side. Without waiting to find anything to hold on to, she quickly spun on her toe, leaning closer to the solid wall now at her back. Spotting the next foot hold, she jumped the length of the ally to the other building, this time on a sturdy looking pipe that came out of the wall, bending down toward the ground a short distance from where it protruded. One more jump and she was on the roof, waving her other friends up to follow.
One by one they quickly made their way up, with Mamoru being last. Now that they were away from prying eyes, they transformed into their Sailor Senshi personas. Rei called the fire of Mars to her, holding her pen high into the air. In a whoosh of sound that filled her ears, fire leapt forth out of thin air, surrounding her. It danced around her body, the occasional flame licking her skin, never burning her delicate features as they formed her Sailor Mars uniform. "The building we need is actually a few doors down from here. I figured it would be better to transform a little way off from the rendezvous point." Tuxedo Kamen informed them. Sailor Moon gushed as her knight spoke, holding her hands together beside her head "That's my Tuxedo Kamen-sama. Always prepared."
They proceeded over the lifeless roof tops comfortably. The varying heights made little difference to them, being no strangers to running atop these same surfaces as they chased down evil. They passed locked doors that led back down into probably empty business, picking their way around ventilation fans. Tuxedo Kamen stopped as he looked to one side. Rei followed his gaze and was met with the sitting figure of the tall Irish boy they had come to meet. He stood up and met Tuxedo Kamen's gaze with his own. He looked refreshed and clean, dirty blonde hair shinning in the sunlight. He wore a long brown trench coat that covered most of his body, stopping short midway between his knees and ankles. Rei thought this strange as the sun beat down on them. Giving the other man a slight nod, he turned his attention on the other girls that had gathered. Stepping forward out of the small recess he narrowed his eyes "So what's this about. I found this" holding up a folded piece of white paper, the text too small to read from where Sailor Mars stood "under my door this morning. What is it you want to talk to me about?"
Sailor Moon moved closer, holding her hands out to her sides, palms facing him to show that she meant no harm. "We want to be allies. Tuxedo Kamen-sama told us of your heroic deed the other night. We were worried of you getting hurt before, but now we see that you are reliable. We said no because we feared for your safety." Nodding slowly as he accepted her explanation he opened his mouth to say something but was cut short as Sailor Venus spoke first. "We all have some questions we would like to ask you first. I want to know if you have any training. Do you know how to defend yourself if you got attacked?"
"I took boxing for a year when I was younger. Almost went competitive, so I know how to throw a punch" he replied unfazed. Rei saw a small crooked smile appear on the blonde girls face. "Show me." Stepping forward, she confidently closed the distance between them. Moving with fluid grace as Sol put his hands up, closing them into fists. Once she was in range, he jabbed his left hand out quickly, Sailor Venus easily ducking and standing tall again. Sol let his hands fly, throwing punches into the air that never met their target, Sailor Venus easily dodging them all. Once she was satisfied with what she had seen, she stepped back. "You do know how to throw a punch, I'll give you that."
She walked back slowly, grinning to herself, always the competitor. Sailor Jupiter was up next, intense eyes staring into his as her brow knitted together. "Why are you doing this?" Was all she asked. Sol let his head fall back, looking up to the clear blue sky, pondering. He shortly leveled his head and faced Sailor Jupiter with an intense gaze of his own. "You all know I lost both my parents. I'm doing this to help others not suffer like I have. If I can help even one person, it will be worth it." Sailor Mars watched as the features on Sailor Jupiter's face softened. She nodded and left it at that.
Sailor Moon held the last question, one they had all agreed on the night before. They had all felt this would help to start a bond between them.
"What is your dream?" Sol was visibly taken aback by the question, clearly caught off guard. "My dream?" He repeated.
"Yes, what is you dream Sol?" Sailor Moon asked again. He furrowed his eye brows at the question, mouth open slightly as his breathing increased. "I want to be remembered. Remembered for something. Anything. Even if it's only my children who remember my name." He didn't say anything else. Sailor Moon nodded, a gentle smile on her face.
Sailor Mars had taken it all in silently so far, but decided herself that there was one more thing she needed to know. Before Sailor Mercury could start what she was going to tell him, she blurted out "Are you afraid?" Everyone turned to her then, not expecting this question. Regaining their composure quickly, they all faced Sol to see what his response would be. He looked afraid now. He even looked smaller, like a scared child, worry painted across his face.
"I am afraid. Not afraid of the Forsaken-"
"Forsaken?" Sailor Mercury interrupted. Sol shrugged his shoulders "Gotta call them something. If you don't like the name, we can change it, that's just what I call them. I'm not afraid of the Forsaken. I'm afraid that I'll have the chance to help someone and fail. I'm afraid that I don't have the strength to really make a difference. But if you're asking if I'm afraid to fight, well I think my actions so far speak for them self." Sailor Mars was glad to hear his answer. We often fear the same thing.
Now it was Sailor Mercury's turn. She walked close to him and asked "Have you noticed sometimes you can move faster or feel stronger?" He nodded slowly in response to the question. "That's because the powers you have are directly influenced by your emotions" she continued. "The stronger and more pure the emotion, the more the power flows through you. Whether it is affection or not, the level in which you feel that emotion carries itself with your power. But I'll warn you against using rage or hate to fuel this power. They will work, but it will slowly taint what resides inside you. Believe it or not, we use our powers with love. Love for one another and even sympathy for our enemies." She finished, smiling up at the taller boy.
He seemed to recall a moment when emotion fueled his fight as what she said sunk in. Pulling himself out quickly, he had a question for the Senshi now. "Do you want to know who framed you?" The words hung in the air, everyone going tense. "You- you know who did this?" Sailor Moon whispered, blue eyes searching his.
"Not personally, but Tuxedo Kamen and I have both met her. She was the woman I 'saved' the other night. She also gave me this" pulling his hand out of the pocket it rested in, he produced a small crumpled business card. "She said I should give her call sometime. I think this is a good time."
A/N: Thank you everyone for following and adding to your favourites, it really means a lot to me. I would like to shout out to LoveInTheBattleField for all your support. I hope, as always, that you've enjoyed this chapter. Also I realized that Sailor Jupiter runs around everywhere in high heels *facepalm* so I threw in a quick excuse in this chapter why she couldn't do it last chapter.