Blueeyeddevil06, thank you for being my beta!
The werewolves and Ami had left. Usagi was excited to get to know her so much better. Something about Ami felt like fate. Oddly enough for her, all of the people still in the apartment did too. She had a prophecy to tell her about Mamoru, the others had surprised her. She at least had an explanation for Makoto and Rei after Rei's powerful visions. That was until Rei spoke up after they left. "Ami is Mercury. She's one of us."
Mamoru roughly ran his fingers through his hair. "These visions of yours are really ticking me off!"
"Because they're garbage?" She sassed.
He sighed and frowned at his feet. "No, because I believe them. And I don't want to believe anything that can bring Usako into the realm of danger."
Usagi sat in his lap and kissed his cheek. "You're so sweet, my love."
He frowned at her, "and you're excited Ami is part of this."
"I am. And sorry, but yes, I trust her. I know you don't want to trust anyone with me."
"I don't," he grumbled. "No one matters to me like you do."
"And I would never risk that. I told you. I spent four centuries without you. I won't leave you now."
He pulled her close and held her in his arms. "Good, because losing you would destroy me."
Rei rolled her eyes at him. "Don't you realize it would destroy Makoto and me too? You might be her destined love, but we'd sacrifice our very lives for her without blinking. She's important to a lot of people."
He looked at Rei steadily. "If I didn't get that, I would object even more. I know, and appreciate, that you both feel that way. Still, she's my everything, and I can't fathom not objecting. I won't stand in her way, though. I trust her too much."
If Usagi could blush, she would have, all the way to her ears. "You're all so good to me. I haven't had a group like this who knew who I was since I was about fifty years old. It's been so long since I trusted people to know my true self. It's amazing." She then looked at Mamoru, "and to be loved so completely. I didn't even like the idea until I met you. I was so afraid to rely on a man after my father. And with you, it was as easy and as natural as breathing had been to me when I was alive."
Rei stood and stretched. "I hesitated to say it before, but the precursor to a vision that rocked me before was so strong. I've never felt one like that before. I should go to the Great Fire."
Usagi stood. "I'm coming with you and waiting outside. I refuse to let you do this all on your own." Makoto blushed at the thought of the power of Usagi's friendship.
Makoto stood resolutely and looked directly at Mamoru. "You aren't the only one who needs her. I would rather die than let a single hair on her head be harmed. And dammit, I knew who she was before all this—she's the amazing Usagi. But now that I know her, her amazing past doesn't matter to me. It did only a few days ago. Luna's right. She's so loving and accepting. That's all I need, the moment she smiled and accepted me, I would die for her."
Rei leaned back in her chair, stretched, and said, "so would I. I'm sure more would than you know." She looked at Usagi. "I just know I have to soul-walk for this next vision. And somehow I already knew you would want to come to the shrine and wait for me. You want to verify my soul returns. I would die for you too, without hesitation." She looked at Mamoru. "We all need her. I've seen how important she is."
Mamoru frowned. "I do trust you, and I believe you. That doesn't make me feel better about the danger. Only because, any danger at all, even the slightest, would upset me."
Usagi wrapped her loving arms around him and looked deep into his eyes as she spoke to the girls. "Never accept anything less than what I have right now. Deep, true love like his, is what you deserve." Mamoru smiled lovingly at her. He never believed he could be an example of deep, abiding love, but he was. Looking into her loving eyes, he accepted it all.
Usagi stood on the roof of one of the buildings at the shrine. She impatiently waited for Rei to soul-walk. When her new friend, and witch, had said that, she kept her mouth shut. One, she didn't know how the woman knew the word, and two, Usagi's mother was the last witch she knew who could do that.
Soul-walking, it was powerful and was beyond a prophecy. They could see past events and things with absolute clarity.
When Rei walked out from the Great Fire with her soul returned, Usagi grew still. She knew whatever Rei saw would change her whole world.
Minako flopped on the couch in her London apartment. She had a great view at night, but now, she was too frustrated to care. That name came up again when she was helping the police track down yet another werewolf that had gotten a taste for human flesh. This one shot himself with a silver bullet in front of them. He was terrified of being caught. Right before he killed himself, he said, "this is better than disappointing Beryl."
And now, what had been a suspicion, one she hoped was bred out of paranoia, was fact. Beryl was back and making her move.
It just frustrated her even more that all the ties the organization seemed to have were to Japan. She was going to need to make a move in about a month. She knew she needed time to research things in England first. After all, Beryl seemed to still be there and influencing the werewolves, or manipulating them into attacking. She still had a job to do.