Notes: Episode 154, "Confrontation in Dreams! Minako and Makoto's Broken Friendship". Or, "The one where Mako and Minako fight and power up."

Episode 154

She leapt from the building ledge, landed easily on the next roof several storeys down, and kept running. It was dark and the streetlights didn't reach this high, but the sky was clear and the moon was full. What she lacked in sight she made up in confidence. Her blonde hair streamed behind her like a war banner. She was Sailor Venus, and she was on a mission.

There were no signs or markers to point the way, but she knew the way all the same. The rooftops and skyline of Tokyo were as open to her as any map. But tonight she didn't need them. Tonight, her heart was her guide. The travesty committed, this affront to love, to FRIENDSHIP, cried out for justice. Villainy could not hide. Her pure maiden's warrior spirit would … Spirit was … Dammit, where am I?

Venus' run slowed to a jog as she turned first in one direction and then the other. She'd gotten all turned around. Navigating from rooftops was HARD. Nobody ever thought to label stuff up here! She walked to the edge of the building and peered over, hoping to recognize something. Luckily this was a busy part of town, and after seeing a few familiar shops, Minako's mental map reoriented itself. Not too far off, then, that was good. She'd gotten so caught up in the internal monologue that she missed a turn. Not the first time. At least Artemis wasn't here to poke at her about it for the next month.

The building she wanted was a few blocks way. Not really worth getting back into the narrative, which might be the REAL crime in all this. She had real good stream going, too. Venus growled to herself. He'd also pay for this.

Finally she had the correct apartment complex. If she was right, and of course she was, the apartment was south-facing on the third floor. She was still too high to make a good study of it though, and so hopped to a nearby tree and down its branches until she was on the ground, staring up at the suspected window.

Her target was in there, she could feel it. Even now, thinking a victor's thoughts, not realizing that—

"Minako-chan?"

Venus jumped (this was a bad night for monologues) and whirled toward the voice. The denial, the one she had practiced every other week for years was already on her tongue. "Who? Sorry, I'm Sailor—"

Then she saw who it was. "Mako-chan?"

Mako was leaning with her shoulder against the tree trunk. Her arms were crossed and she looked thoroughly unsurprised to see Venus. "Whatever you're thinking, you can't."

Instantly, Venus bristled. "Yeah, I CAN. Not that I'm thinking anything, because I'm not. But if I WERE, then I COULD."

With a sigh, Mako pushed away from the tree. "Minako, he's a child."

"He's a horrible little troll in the shape of child!"

"But still a child."

"Technicality!"

"Don't you think you're—"

Venus took a determined step forward, and clasped her friend's shoulder. She peered intently into Mako's eyes, first one, then the other. "Mako-chan," she said, and her voice had a low and dangerous quality that held Mako captive, "he took our bear."

Mako made a noise at that. It was a short, quiet thing. A less observant person, a person who didn't know the girl in front of them so well, might have missed it. That person was not Minako Aino. She leaned forward, standing on tips of her toes to better try and reach Makoto's eye level.

"He called it a BLOWFISH."

The strength of the memory struck Mako so hard she gasped and recoiled like it was a physical blow. She stumbled back, her arm reflexively coming like a shield. Venus stayed where she was, eyes wide and nodding slowly.

"How could he?" Mako asked in a tight whisper.

"EVIL," answered Venus without hesitation. She continued to nod, slowly and relentlessly.

Hypnotically.

"Yeah …" Mako's own head began to nod in time with Venus, but the accompanying thoughts seem to snap her out of it. "No! Well, maybe he's a little evil, but still! We can't steal from him, he's not right!"

Venus made a frustrated noise and all but stamped her foot. "Come ON. You know he doesn't deserve our— Wait." She narrowed her eyes and stared at Mako.

Mako tried not to squirm. She was not successful.

"Why were you already here?" Venus wondered aloud. She turned her head but kept her pointed gaze locked on Mako.

"Ha! I, ah …" Mako rubbed the back of her head and looked at the grass, at the trees, at the sky, at absolutely everywhere that was not Minako. "I felt you transform! Of course! And figured where you were going! You probably shouldn't be so predictable." She laughed, weakly, and let it trail off and die a painful death.

Venus bent forward, and Mako leaned away to match. "You aren't transformed. You couldn't have gotten here before me."

"I- I changed back? When I got here? Ah fuck." Mako gave up and threw her hands in the air. "Okay I was thinking about the damned bear too."

"And stealing it?" Venus asked eagerly.

"And knocking on the door and offering to buy it back," Mako said, waving a few notes. And also glaring.

Venus stuck her bottom lip out. "You're no fun."

"Yeah yeah. C'mon, let's see if we can save Bear-chan."

Mako took a step toward the apartment building when Venus grabbed her arm. "Actually, you know what would be way more satisfying than the bear?"

"Are you going to say pizza?" Mako asked immediately.

"I am absolutely going to say pizza."

"Oh thank god." Mako's whole posture relaxed. "I was really afraid we were going to start fighting about who would get the bear and when. Nobody needs that."

There was a brilliant golden shimmer, and Minako stood in Venus' place. "That's the best thing about pizza," she said philosophically. "No custody battles."

Minako looped her arm through Mako's, and steered her away from the apartments. She'd spotted a pizza place from the rooftops earlier. Karma! Or something!

They walked in happy silence for a few moments.

"Minako, you can't go back and steal the bear later, either."

"Aww."