A/N: Another update! YAY! Lots of time went into this one and I hope this looks as good as it did in my head. As always, thank you to all who are reading and following this. It makes me happy that y'all are enjoying this deranged story.
WARNING: DARK THEMES, RAPE, PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA, ADULT THEMES, AND ADULT LANGUAGE. You know how I will feel if y'all say something while on this chapter. It will be lots of rage and likely tons of explicit language.
With love,
Korrupted
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON.
Ami woke up when Makoto happened to snore particularly loudly in her ear, turning a dark red when she realized that she was using her friends' remarkable chest as a pillow. Slowly, as to not wake the slumbering girl under her, the blushing senshi of wisdom sat up and moved herself off of the futon. Rei had been gone all night for her temple duties, leaving Ami to care for the mostly healed Makoto; not that the bluenette minded in the least. She enjoyed spending time with the girl she wanted to be with. At the current stage of Makoto's recovery, all she needed was just someone there in case she re-injured herself. However, Ami had been noticing strange behavior from the powerful girl in the weeks following that crazed youma; she would claim to see things moving in the corner of her eye, hear people talking, and other odd things. The sapphire eyed girl was hoping it was just exhaustion from her once again fighting as a senshi and not anything more serious.
As much as she wanted to cook, the brilliant girl knew that she would only cause a culinary disaster if she tried to make anything. Ami sat down on the couch, thinking about the tall warrior in the bedroom, glad that she was handing the slowly returning memories as best as she could. It hurt her to see Makoto still so vulnerable when not Sailor Jupiter, but in time she hoped things would return to normal for them. Until then, she would do all she could to help her.
Makoto woke up with a start, the feeling of someone watching her every move so powerful that it had invaded her dreams. Small motions in the corner of her eye caused her to turn her head, sighing as she realized it was just her mind playing tricks on her once again. "Is it, now? But do you really believe that?" A quiet voice questioned, the senshi of courage sitting up and clutching the blankets over her body tightly in worry; if she didn't know any better, Makoto would have said it was her voice talking.
"What makes you so sure it isn't?"
She felt her breath catch in fear, her green eyes wide as they darted all over the room, looking frantically for the source of the sound. Makoto shuddered as the room went silent again, taking deep breaths to calm herself back down. Shower. She needed a shower. The thunder senshi stood, trying to purge her mind of the eerie words she couldn't have heard as she walked to the bathroom. 'I really need to get more rest... Maybe I am pushing myself too hard...' She mentally scolded herself, tugging the black shirt over her head to expose the black bra with a single green bow that rested between her ample breasts.
"Awwwww, did you wear that for your nurses? I bet if you asked Ami-chan very nicely she would be happy to give you a check up."
Makoto's hands flew up to cover her chest, looking around wildly for the speaker. "Where are you...?" Her voice was shaking as she spoke, the warrior clearly afraid. She could hear laughter taunting her from all directions, trying to find the exact location when she heard the distinct sound of tapping on glass. Slowly, she moved towards the sound, finding herself in front of the mirror and staring at her own frightened reflection, her green eyes slowly calming as she spoke in a whisper, "It's just my imagination... There is no one in here with me... I'm just jumpy... It's to be expected..." She reasoned that as more memories of the attack came back to her, the jumpier she would be. It seemed logical, even to her. The senshi looked at the sink as she took deep breaths, reclaiming her rational thoughts as she did so.
"See, this sort of denial is why people think you're crazy."
The voice had been so close, she could have sworn the speaker was in front of her, Makoto's head snapping up to see only her reflection before her on the mirror's surface. Except the image on the glass was grinning at her, it's emerald eyes sentient and full of barely suppressed rage. The senshi took a step back, knowing full well that her actual expression was of utter terror with not a hint of a smile.
"Boo." It mocked her, watching the other girl stagger into the wall, shaking violently. "Look at you. This is why they can't trust you on the field. You're practically falling to pieces!" It scolded, Makoto unable to voice herself.
This couldn't be real. This had to be a nightmare, or anything other than reality. Reflections couldn't interact with people, this was impossible. "Makoto? Everything alright in there?" She heard Ami call through the door, her green eyes darting to the image that was still standing at the mirror as if she had never moved. She needed to tell Ami about this. Ami could help her.
"Go on, then. Tell her you can't hear her over all the voices in your head. You know what she'll do, right? She'll have you locked away. Both her and Rei. You'll be trapped behind four walls in a padded cell and never get out again."
'They wouldn't do that... They wouldn't be that cruel, would they?' She questioned herself, the image laughing at her, the sound of her own voice so full of malice making her shudder. "You think they wouldn't?! Ami is going to be a doctor, she would do it just on principal. And Rei..." The image spat out her name like venom. "She claims to care so much. You know she lied to you before about what happened. They all did. How the hell can you really be sure they won't betray you again?"
Makoto couldn't deny the truth in her reflections words, responding aloud to Ami, "Y-yeah... Just tripped on my sleep pants is all. Gomen." Hearing the bluenette speak, "Okay. If you need me, please let me know." Before the sounds of her footsteps faded away.
She turned her attention back to the mirror, no longer seeing the image there as she stood and walked over. Makoto saw her own pale, fearful face staring back at her, the green eyes no longer cruel and full of their own life as she panted. Maybe she really was snapping, but she refused to simply give up; her friends counted on her and they needed her. As she yanked off her black pants and boxers, the senshi of storms gently touched where that insane youma had hit her, recalling the feedback of own electricity as it went back into her body. It had felt slightly off, but that was expected after coming in contact with such a crazed creature. A part of her feared that the warped energy had taken root inside of her and was growing off of her own turmoil and suppressed feelings, unclasping the bra and walking to the shower in the corner instead of her large tub.
She had to keep this a secret, to protect her friends. She couldn't admit to them that she was scared she was losing her mind.
Ami turned to see Makoto walking out of the bedroom, her baggy jeans and basketball shirt complemented the air of tom-boyishness that the taller girl seemed to constantly have about her. "Mako-chan, do you want me to have Nephrite-kun get us breakfast?" The bluenette inquired, smiling at her kindly. "I know I am a disaster in the kitchen."
"See? She even is trying to get with Nephrite. I hate cheaters. I hate liars."
The voice was whispered in her ear, Makoto shivering as the breath ticked the sensitive skin there. 'This isn't real. This isn't real. This isn't real.' She mentally reminded herself, repeating the words over and over again. That wasn't her voice, and she wasn't hearing anything. "Iie. I will cook for us, Ami-chan." She plastered on a grin and tied her damp hair back, heading to the kitchen to start on some onigiri and fish for them both. She was busy setting the rice into the cooker and the fish to steam when Ami walked in, her expression as inquisitive as ever. "You have a question, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked as she glanced to the other girl and then back to the counter to keep setting out the nori.
"Hai. How would you like to die, Makoto?"
The question startled the green eyed senshi so badly that she whirled around to stare at Ami in open shock. "N-nani...?" She could barely utter, seeing the smaller girl's face become filled with concern. "I asked if you needed help. You look pale, Mako-chan. Do you feel okay?" Makoto swallowed and nodded, trying to calm down again. "H-hai. Just misheard you. Everything is okay, no help needed." Was the shaky reply.
"Oh man. Shit's going down."
The brunette turned to face the kitchen counter across from her, seeing herself leaning against the counter. The other Makoto's expression was colder, evil, full of spite and a hint of insanity. In her hand was a pear, the other her watching Ami with a deranged smirk. "I say we kill her before she tries anything. C'mon, it will be easy. After all, who knows what she will do when your back is turned." She took a bite of the fruit, the emerald eyes glaring as she chewed and finally spoke again. "She's playing you. I bet you she had Nephrite promise to keep busy when you were being fucked up in that alley."
Ami took another step closer, watching the color drain from her friend's face. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. "Makoto...?" Her voice was hesitant, blissfully unaware of the other Makoto that was watching her, a cruel snarl on the face of the woman she couldn't see.
"Bet you she's sleeping with him. I fucking HATE cheaters." Another bite of the fruit, the other Makoto still leaning against the surface, her ankles crossed. Enraged green eyes met terrified ones, the evil vision speaking in a voice filled with rage, "I want her dead." Looking back at the senshi of wisdom.
The warrior of thunder couldn't take any more of her doppelgangers' words, turning to face the counter away from the other two while gritting her teeth and speaking in a low growl. "Get out of my kitchen." She commanded, not caring which of them listened. Either way, it would keep Ami safe. "Oh... I... G-gomenasai..." She heard Ami mutter, Makoto trying to remain strong and not cry at the tone of the timid girl's voice as she walked out of the kitchen.
"Awww, c'mon! We can take her! This place needs more red, anyways!"
She clapped her hands over her ears, trying to keep out the other her's voice. She had to ignore this. It wasn't real, it was all in her head. This was only a bad dream.
After a few minutes, the feeling of someone watching her finally went away, Makoto slowly turning to see that the other her was gone. She exhaled a shuddering breath before returning to the meal she was preparing, her entire form trembling in fear. She truly was losing her mind. There was no doubt about it. After shaping the rice balls and wrapping them, Makoto put the fish on a plate and added a few chocolates as a sort of apology to the bluenette; she would have to tell her about the other Makoto.
Lifting up the tray, Makoto walked out of the kitchen and into the living room, setting it on the coffee table and looking at the sniffling girl sitting across from her. She had to make things up to Ami. She really did care about the shy bookworm, and so she whispered, "Ami...? I... I think I am hallucinating... Something has been messing with me all day..." For some reason she didn't have the courage to look into her friend's blue eyes as she spoke, fidgeting nervously. "I'm scared..."
She could hear Ami shift and stand, the girl sitting next to her as she brushed away the tears that fell from her smooth, pale face. "Was... Was that who you were yelling at...?" Makoto nodded silently, chewing on the inside of her lower lip to keep from crying, looking at her hands as they remained in her lap. Ami was so close, but she was afraid to reach out to her. Not when the other Makoto could make good on her threats. She had to protect the bluenette from harm, she had to keep the gentle senshi of ice safe.
Soft fingers cupped under her chin, green eyes slowly being forced to look into kind sapphire hues, a blush spreading across the powerful fighter's cheeks at how affectionate a gesture it was. She felt her heart thrumming harshly in her chest, the brunette feeling a bit hazy as she whispered, "A-ami-chan...? Nani... Mmmpphhh?!" Any other words she had been planning on saying were swallowed up in a kiss, the brunette stunned for a few moments before relaxing a bit, her eyes sliding shut. She could taste a bit of the salt from Ami's tears on her lips, feel the warmth of her body as she hesitantly rested her arms around her waist, the smaller female tracing her tongue along her bottom lip as if to request entry. Makoto yielded to the desire, feeling Ami press into the kiss more as she deepened it. After a few minutes, Makoto pulled back, breathless and beet red as she panted.
Ami leaned in to place her mouth a scant inch from the other girl's ear, whispering huskily, "How would you like me to kill you?"
Makoto felt her blood run cold moments before the icy sword was thrust deep into her stomach, her scream of pain laced confusion escaping her as a choked squeak of air, her green eyes staring at Ami in utter confusion, her expression full of betrayal. The blade was jerked out as the bluenette stood, the tall girl coughing and groaning loudly as she clasped her hands over the wound, feeling the warm fluid spilling out of her body with each passing second. "D-d...dous...sh...hite...?" She managed to question, her voice wrought with pain as blood began to dribble from the corner of her mouth.
Ami turned back with a sadistic grin, and simply laughed at her insanely, Makoto's vision dimming as her blood slipped from between numbing fingertips to soak the couch below her, the color red saturating the floral pattern.
"MAKOTO! Wake up! Wake up!"
Makoto could hear her own hysterical shrieking, her eyes snapping open to see Ami above her still in sleep clothes, attempting to firmly hold her arms down to keep the flailing girl from hitting her. The green eyed warrior slowly stopped screaming, jerking her arms out of the smaller woman's grasp to feel her stomach for the stab wound, blood, anything, only to find nothing. Her green eyes were wild in unrestrained terror, her chest rising and falling with her panicked breathing, flinching when Ami reached out to brush away several locks of her wavy brown hair out of her face. "Shhhh... You were having a nightmare... It's okay, you're safe, Mako-chan..." Ami insisted gently, her gaze both worried and reassuring.
She was shaking so badly that it felt like the bed was trembling, staring at her friend as one shuddering deep breath was followed by another. "J-just a dr-dream... Oh, Kami-sama..." Makoto put her head in her hands, fighting back hysterical tears that threatened to spill out of her eyes, the fading memory of her nightmare clinging to her mind. "I had another dream..." It was all she could manage to say, the bluenette replying with a simple, "Hai."
Cautiously, as if afraid of the slowly calming fighter lashing out, Ami touched her shoulder and the embraced her. It had been a few weeks since Makoto had started getting progressively more vivid dreams; it started off with just mildly unpleasant images, but now it was becoming clear that it had become so real and terrifying she would scream and fight in her sleep. She didn't know how to help the beautiful warrior in her arms, she couldn't protect her from her dreams. "It's okay, everything is okay now..."
Makoto kept taking deep breaths, finally speaking in a soft, breathless voice. "It's... It's getting worse... Ask Rei-chan if... If she can do that scry thing..." Ami was hesitant to ask the miko to go into the still recovering girl's mind, but she nodded anyways. If Rei could help, then for Makoto's sake Ami would swallow her pride. "I will call her. May I get up?" Instead of releasing her, she felt the powerful woman's arms tighten around her in a silent plea for her to stay, the warrior of water simply reaching for her communicator and dialing the shrine maiden while still holding her friend. She had heard her friend talking in her sleep from the living room and rushed back to sit next to her worriedly, trying to wake her up when it was clear it was turning into a nightmare.
As the phone rang, Ami tried to think of how to tell Rei about the request, hearing the other girl picking up. "Moshi moshi?" Ami worried her bottom lip before speaking. "Rei-chan? Makoto wants you to... She needs you to scry her dreams for her." There was a pause that felt like a year passed before the reply was spoken. "Hai. I will be there in thirty minutes." After a hurried thanks they both hung up, Ami once again trying her best to soothe the other girl. Whatever she had dreamed must have been terrifying, the trembling body in her arms a testament to that fact. Very little scared Kino Makoto, and this was something no one could fight against.
Rei set down the communicator to look at Minako once again, her violet eyes stern and sharp. "Are you certain?" The senshi of flame demanded, the leader of Usagi's guardians nodding as she frowned. "Hai. I spoke to Ichiri myself yesterday. He and the band didn't attend, nor does he match the description you gave me. And No Romance is a five member group. Someone had given them those fake passes to get into my album launch party. They have to work for the studio, but I will keep looking for exactly who they are." The blonde idol looked both angry and worried; if these men had been able to sneak into that party, then there was no telling what they were willing to do to stalk Makoto. They were a threat to her teammate that had to be dealt with.
"Arigatou, Minako-chan. Ano, I have to go. Mako-chan had another nightmare." The miko stood, brushing off her red hakima as she did so. "You really care for her, don't you?" The question forced Rei to look at Minako in shock before her gaze softened at the smile she found on her friend's lips. "Very much. Hai. She says she needs time and I will give her as much as she needs." "In a way, I'm sorry that I couldn't return your feelings for me." Was the quiet confession voiced by the senshi of love, blue eyes apologetic to confused amethyst.
Before Rei could question, Minako continued. "I know it sounds hollow, but I know you would have done all you could to make me happy. A part of me is sorry that I just don't feel the same about women as you do. But, at the same time, if I had returned your feelings..." A smirk grew on the gentle face of the famous singer. "Then you wouldn't have found your affections for Makoto. Just, promise me that you won't break her heart? Please, Rei-chan?"
The raven haired miko grinned back with a blush, "Hai. I would never hurt her, Minako-chan." The nod from the warrior of Venus both an acceptance of her words and a gentle dismissal to go attend to the guardian of Jupiter. As Rei hurried to gather some items, Minako sat in thought as how to catch the three men who were still free. The one the Americans had pummeled was in the hospital still, but apparently wanted for robbery. He would see prison time, and with any luck not make it back out.
Rei had rushed to the condo as quickly as her feet could carry her, carrying a few herbs in her pocket. She fished out the key to open the door to the stairwell, hurrying up to her friend's home and entering that as well. Kicking off her shoes, the miko walked to the kitchen to grab a marble mortar bowl and paper towels, spotting a plate of burnt eggs on the counter and tossing it into the waste bin deftly before carrying her trove of items to the master bedroom to see Ami cradling a sleeping Makoto. "Gomen, I can wake her." The timid bookworm offered, Rei shaking her head. "Iie. This is better since it's her dreams I must scry into."
The shrine maiden started bunching the paper in the bowl, igniting it with a match before looking at Ami curiously. "Would... Would you please have a trash bin close by. Just in case it's like last time." Rei softly pleaded, the other girl nodding in agreement.
After taking a deep breath, Rei closed her eyes and chanted, "Rin, pyou, tou, sha, kai, jin, retsu, zai, zen!" Her eyes snapping open with the final word to stare into the flames. The warmth drew her happily into its core, the flames tugging her mind into that of the sleeping young woman, growing, shifting, burning brighter and hotter until they engulfed ever inch of her sou, Rei feeling their power and passion flowing through her veins as images appeared.
-She could see the house clearly constructed of flames, herself, Ami, and Makoto all talking in the living room happily. She could see the three of them all crafted from the fire grinning and at ease until Makoto suddenly stiffened, her mouth unmoving as her voice was heard. "Look at them, just playing you like this. It's disgusting."
Rei looked around just as wildly as the tall warrior, seeing a dark form crafted of black lightning standing amid the flames. 'This... This is impossible...' The soldier of Mars thought slowly, staring at the sharpening form until it took on Makoto's appearance, the image folding her arms under her generous chest as the one created of fire stared on in open horror. "Make them pay for lying. Don't give them the chance to strike first." It told her, the tone cold, sadistic, Makoto turning back to the two girls who seemed to be oblivious to the exchange.
The dark version of her friend was pure black lightning edged in an electric shade of green, a vivid contrast to the fire that made up everything else in the vision. Her stance was cold, closed off, suspicious, her voice echoing that with an added edge of rage and insanity. Her expression was both infuriated and excited, a smirk growing on her lips. "Don't fight it. You're violent, you're powerful, you're evil. Kill them. C'mon, DO IT!" The evil lightning female shouted the final two words at the flame Makoto, Rei watching the real one cover her ears to try to block out the other's voice.
The dark Makoto seemed to flare with power at the display of weakness, green lightning sparking off of her body as she moved closer to the fiery woman, her hands reaching out like claws to grab at her. But the moment the black energy touched the flame skin, the fire moved like electricity to force the other one back, the dark version of the senshi of courage vanishing. The other Makoto seemed to calm, the Ami and Rei in the vision trying to see what was wrong but clearly unaware of the creature that had tormented their friend. As they spoke, she could tell the brunette was still on edge, clearly certain that the voice and other her would return. Rei longed to try to hold Makoto and tell her it was alright, but she couldn't interact with the vision, forced to stand by and watch.
"So, here you are. I knew you would come sooner or later."
The voice was next to her, Rei whirling around to see the black lightning edged with green form beside her, looking directly at her. "Im...possible..." She breathed, her violet eyes wide as the dark Makoto's electric green outlined eyes glared at her cruelly. "Not as impossible as you think. You have some nerve coming here."
Rei took a step backwards at the tone of Makoto's voice, shocked at how evil and crazed it sounded. 'No, not Makoto. That isn't Mako-chan...' She reasoned, trembling. "I... I am here for Makoto." Eyes narrowed further at her words. "No. You aren't. You are here for your own gain. Maybe, if you can get her head cleared, you can get her all to yourself." The miko shook her head, part of her wondering if that was true. "I... It's not like that! She's important to me." The sound the cruel illusion of the woman she loved snarling making her step back again. "Don't fucking lie to me. I hate liars. You don't even understand anything, do you?" The raven haired priestess grit her teeth and glared back at the creature. "I don't have to understand anything, youma! All I have to know is that I have to get rid of you! Makoto needs my help!"
The reply an insane laugh that made her shudder visibly. "'Help'?! I need YOUR help?! You LEFT me that night! You went home and LEFT me! ALL of you did!" Tears of that same green lightning moved down the black electric cheeks of the other Makoto.
The words hit Rei as hard as a punch to her gut, realizing that this was not a foreign creature at all, but a part of Makoto. That crazed youma must have somehow warped some of that attack with its power and the feedback embedded it into the tall warrior. That warped electricity sought out the darkest depths of her most dark thoughts and feelings to create this Dark Makoto; possibly ones that even Makoto herself was unaware of. "But... Makoto... I... We didn't know about it until it was too late..." The evil young woman shoved the miko backwards, the sparks making Rei hiss in pain. "IIE! You all DID NOTHING to help me! When I get control, you will all pay..." Her eyes glared at the flame version of herself, giggling madly. "Soon, she will give in to our nature and I will be in control. All it takes, is one... little... push."
After the final word had the sounds of airplane engines blaring from all sides, the Makoto in the vision clapping her hands over her ears and screeching, falling to the floor and curling into a ball. Rei stared in horror before shoving herself out of the vision as fast as she could, the voice of Dark Makoto following her, taunting her. "RUN REI! RUN FOR YOUR DEAR LIFE AND PRAY TO YOUR GODS YOU CAN SAVE HER FROM ME! PRAY TO THOSE GODS I CAN'T WIN, REI! IT WILL MAKE IT THAT MUCH SWEETER WHEN I DO!"-
Rei threw herself at the now screaming Makoto, holding her back as Ami called for the tall fighter to wake up. After what felt like an eternity, she did wake, her green eyes wide and full of fear, her skin soaked with sweat. "Shhh... It's okay... You're safe now..." The bluenette whispered, Makoto locking eyes with Rei as the miko uttered very softly, "You can't let it win... Please, promise me you won't."
The panting senshi nodded, taking several deep breaths before Rei pulled her into a tight hug, silently crying. The soldier of Mars held Makoto against her body, blocking out everything but the girl in her arms as she whispered to the girl alone, "I promise... I will do all I can to protect you, Makoto. I promise." She felt arms wrap around her in return, the powerful senshi holding her just as tightly as she sobbed openly, Rei almost certain she could hear laughter and the words, "It will be so sweet when I win..."
A/N: WOOT! Makoto is losing her damn mind~! So, stay tuned for the next chapter. I promise it will be super intense.