Previously...
While on the run from the Sailor Senshi, a rogue demon manages to
elude them, severely injuring Makoto in the process... leaving Makoto
hospitalized with a case of amnesia and Usagi tormenting herself with
the belief that it is her fault her friend was hurt.
Patient's Full Name: Kino, Makoto Age: 15 Gender: Female
Notes: Patient suffered from concussion, moderate loss of blood from
head wound (requiring three stitches) due to severe head trauma.
Aftereffects include temporary case of traumatic amnesia.
(Excerpt taken from official hospital records.)
Sailor Moon
Thanks for the Memories, Conclusion
written by Mike Koos
'This is your life.'
I do remember hearing someone say that before. Now, can someone
tell me where?
I gave my reflection in the mirror a good long look. For some
strange reason the girl staring back at me looked like she knew a lot
more than I did.
My hair was still down; but at least they'd repositioned the
bandages wrapped around my head so that I could do a little something
with my hair. Maybe I'll braid it... then again, Usagi-chan did say
I always wear my hair in a ponytail.
I've got a temporary case of traumatic amnesia, according to the
doctor. What, do they have more than one type of amnesia? I sure
hope it's temporary... I don't want to go around the rest of my life
wondering exactly what it is I can't remember!
Some of my memories are returning, though. Usagi Tsukino, a
friend of mine, helped fill in some of the blanks last night. I'll
ask her some more questions when she comes to pick me up later. I
don't know why, but she's acting a little weird around me, sort of
like she's afraid to touch me or tell me something. I guess that's
understandable. They say I did have a severe accident, after all. I
just hope Usagi's not hiding something really bad from me, although
she doesn't seem like the type to flat-out lie.
I have a small group of friends: Ami Mizuno, Rei Hino, Minako
Aino, Usagi... and a girl who sits behind me in class, Akemi
Takeshima. Either I'm too shy to talk to anyone or Usagi's right and
people stay away from me because I'm a tomboy. Well, I'll have to do
something about that, if it's true...
The thing with beads I'm supposed to use to keep my hair in a
ponytail's on the sink by itself underneath the mirror. I never did
bother to find out exactly what they're called. What difference does
it make? It's two plastic beads attached to a rubber band. Sheesh.
After giving it the silent stare treatment for a few seconds,
too, I pick it up, wrapping it around my thumb and fingers so that I
can open it wide, reach up and thread my hair through it, twisting
the band and threading a couple more times for good measure. There...
I'd already finished putting the clothes I'd been admitted with
back on. Slip-on loafers. A long brown dress. A sweater or
something that reminds me of a jacket or jersey, that laces up in
front.
Whoever took care of my clothes while I was out didn't get all
of my blood off the collar.
There's an anxious feeling coming up somewhere in my throat, so
I move on.
Earrings that look like roses in full bloom...... I can see
myself in a room full of plants - home, maybe? - lovingly taking
care of each one by one... I love taking care of plants. Usagi-chan
was right!
My uniform was complete. Uniform? Yeah, it does look like a
uniform! A school uniform. I did have my bookbag with me. But it's
different from the uniform Usagi was wearing... Maybe I go to a
different school. No, Usagi said I go to the same school she does.
Rei and Minako are the ones who go to different schools. Maybe
they've got different uniforms for different homerooms...? Doesn't
make sense. I'd better remind myself to ask Usagi-chan about it.
"Kino... Makoto-san?"
Huh? There's an orderly at the door. He's been trying to work
up the nerve to speak to me all day, I think... Kinda cute. Reminds
me of someone, though I don't know who. "Yes?"
He paused. "Your friend wanted me to let you know she's here."
"Usagi-chan?" He nodded. "Tsukino Usagi?" She's early.
Don't want to forget the questions I want to ask her... let's
see... oh, wait.
He's still watching me.
I make up for it by offering him a 'cute-girl smile.' You
know, the ones where you smile with your eyes closed and your head
tilted slightly, sometimes throwing in a little giggle or two. It's
not meant to be seductive or anything and doesn't last long, but it's
good for driving people straight up the wall.
Now where did that thought come from? "Tell her she can come
in. I'm ready to go."
He managed a nod, and left. I think I saw a look of relief
cross his face...
"Promise me you'll wait till we're on the bus to start asking
questions," Usagi said. She still had that hint of nervousness - I
can see it in her eyes whenever she looks at me.
Not wanting to argue, I agree with her. "Do you have all your
stuff?"
I glanced down at my bookbag for a second. It almost didn't
seem like mine. "Yes. I've got everything."
"Okay; let's go." I followed her out of the room. The room,
the first of my new memories...
Usagi was rushing for some reason; it took less than twenty
minutes for us to check out at the front desk and get onto the first
bus headed where we wanted to go. We probably would have taken less
time if there wasn't a message from my uncle waiting for me at the
front desk. He was glad to hear I was going to be all right - sure,
everyone keeps saying that - and looking forward to hearing from me
after I get home. I'll give him a call later tonight.
I don't recognize anyone else on this bus. Of course, I've got
to expect that. It scares the you-know-what out of me. Hope no one
else notices that not recognizing people in here is scaring the pants
off a girl who's supposed to be a tomboy.
Usagi was holding her pet cat Luna in her arms. I can't help
noticing that Luna looks a little miserable. I thought they didn't
allow pets on buses unless they were seeing-eye dogs - but the driver
didn't pay any attention to Luna at all. Usagi took me to the empty
chair in the very back of the bus. I sat down - the seat's a little
hard for my comfort - and gave Luna a finger-rub under the chin.
Usagi was certainly surprised, but Luna's attitude didn't
change. I didn't know cats could frown...
There's a whole world outside this window that I want to
remember...
"You're in our seats. Move."
What? "These seats aren't yours. They belong to everyone."
Now I was the one who was surprised. There were three
tough-looking girls standing in front of us. Guess I had been too
interested in the scenery outside to notice them coming. Usagi was
standing up to them. Luna looked pretty worried. I don't blame
her... thank goodness I'm not a tough. I couldn't picture myself
acting like that.
"They're our seats." They seemed to be enjoying the thought of
beating up Usagi and me. Usagi still refused to give them what they
wanted.
I can't let Usagi-chan get hurt!
Maybe if I get up and let them have our seats, they'll leave us
alone. That's why I stood up. "Go ahead. Take our seats."
I could sense Usagi and Luna looking at me. "Mako-chan..."
That was when I realized the girls were also looking at me
strangely. One even took off her sunglasses to get a closer look.
"You..."
They backed away a couple of steps. "We-we're sorry,
Kino-sempai! We didn't realize it was you!"
Huh? ...I can't let them see me hesitate. "Fine. Don't let it
happen again. Now get out of here."
"Kino-sempai?"
"You heard me. If there's an open seat somewhere on this bus,
you can take it. Other than that, I don't want to see you trying to
take anyone else's seat away from them. Got that?" I found I'd
instinctively made a fist for good measure.
"Y-yes, Kino-sempai." The girls scrambled out of the bus while
everyone on the bus applauded - I guess in my favor, because they're
all looking straight at me. I sat down next to Usagi and turned my
eyes away.
I didn't let my breath out until after the bus got going. What
have I done? I said I wasn't a fighter and I meant it...
Usagi and Luna were looking at me again. "Mako-chan? You okay?"
I blinked. "I'm not sure. Did I just do what I think I did?"
"I think so."
I knew it! I buried my face in my hands, no matter who might be
watching. Why? "Why would I do that? I'm not that type of girl!"
I suddenly thought of something, bringing my head back up. "I'm like
them, aren't I? A bully. Picking on people, stealing bus seats..."
"No! Of course not!" she tried to reassure me. "You are not
like that. You've got a kind heart, Mako-chan. Like I said, you do
know how to fight, but you only do it for a good reason."
I looked straight at her. "There is no good reason for
fighting."
She didn't have a reply for me, but I wasn't ready to let the
issue drop. "Do I know those three?"
Usagi shook her head no. "Not that I know of."
Luna's stare was making me nervous. It was the only thing she
did all the way home.
The bus let us off a few blocks away from my house, and we
walked the rest of the way. Nothing happened. Why should it?
They're all afraid of me...
I pulled the key out and unlocked the door. "I've been doing my
best to take care of your plants," Usagi told me while I set my
bookbag on the table and turned on the light. The group of plants
farthest from the window were brown and wilting. I went to them
first. "But I had a few problems." Usagi set Luna down on the
couch, hoping I wouldn't mind.
Poor things... you haven't been getting enough water, have you?
"It's okay. I can see you've been trying hard to take care of them.
Thanks." I go to the sink to get more water. "I'm sorry to be such
a burden. You've been so kind to help, after I went and got myself
hurt."
Usagi walked up to the other side of the counter. "It wasn't
your fault," she said softly.
"Sure," I frowned. Who's to say I wasn't thinking of fighting
that monster who hurt me all by myself, with my bare hands? All
fighting does is get someone hurt, and I guess I'm living proof of
that.
I changed my mind. "Okay. It wasn't my fault." I carefully
gave my plants the water they were waiting for, sprinkle a little
plant food here and there. "There you go..."
"Oh, before I forget," Usagi pulled up her bookbag. "I picked
up all your homework for the days you were out. Your math teacher
wanted me to remind you of that major math test we've all got coming
up tomorrow. She said she'll postpone it until next week if you
want."
Something in Usagi's tone made me stop to think. "Do you think
you're going to do good on the test?"
"I sure hope so," she sighed. "If I mess this test up, Mom's
really gonna kill me."
I laughed. "It can't be that bad. I'm sure that as long as you
study and know your material, you'll pass."
She gave me an uneasy smile. "Uh... yeah." The clock on the
wall chimed the hour. "Uh-oh. I'd better get going. I need to get
home and get started on my homework."
"Are you sure you'll be safe walking home alone?" I ask,
putting the watering can back in its place.
Usagi scooped up Luna, trying to balance her and the bookbag
while heading for the door. If Luna wasn't miserable earlier, she
sure was now. "I'm going by Mamo-chan's apartment. He's going to
take me home on his motorcycle."
Just mentioning Mamoru's name caused her heart and mind to
flutter. I don't remember exactly who Mamoru-san is or what he looks
like, but it's obvious Usagi's deeply in love with him. Does he
return her affection in kind?
She put a hand on the doorknob to turn it. "Wait!" I called,
rushing to catch her before she left. "I forgot to ask you... We go
to the same school, different homerooms, right?"
"Right."
"Why is my school uniform different than yours?"
Usagi relaxed. "You're wearing the uniform of the school you
went to before ours."
I am?
"You always said that you did get one of these uniforms," Usagi
pulled at her uniform, "when you came here, but it didn't fit you."
"I never got another one that fit?"
"No. Besides, you said that you were more comfortable wearing
that than any of the other school uniforms you've had, and I suppose
no one's wanted to argue with you about it."
Are the teachers afraid of me, too? What next?
"I really ought to get going. It's getting late."
"Okay," I smile. "Good night, then. I'll see you at school
tomorrow."
The worried look came back to Usagi's face. "Are you sure you
want to come back to school right away? You really ought to stay
home and rest. You know, get... accustomed to everything here before
going back to school. And anyway, you've got a lot of homework in
that pile. I'll bet you have to stay up all night just to finish it."
"Perhaps. I really shouldn't be neglecting my studies, however.
I know it's not a good idea to stay up all night... but let's just
say it's something I have to do."
"...Yeah. Okay." Usagi backed toward the door again. This
can't be easy on her. Or me. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Tomorrow. Good night."
"Good night." I know what I have to do.
Usagi waited until she had walked at least a block from
Mako-chan's home to relax. "You shouldn't have rushed out of there
like that, Usagi," Luna whispered, checking to make sure no one else
was around to hear her speak. "It was impolite."
"I can't help it! I'm not sure how to behave around her right
now! I mean, she's even starting to sound like Ami-chan, and it's
scaring me!"
Luna held her gaze, taking this into consideration. "Still, you
shouldn't have abandoned your friend in her hour of need."
Usagi stopped stone-dead, causing the cat to look up into
Usagi's face in curiosity. She didn't know whether or not to like
what she saw.
"I did NOT abandon her!" yelled Usagi in a tone that sent a
lone chill shooting down Luna's spine. "How dare you think that!
If that's what you think, maybe you should just walk home!!" So
saying, she turned Luna loose and ran off into the night, almost on
the verge of tears.
Luna had no idea what had set Usagi off. "Ah... Usagi-chan..."
I really wish Usagi wasn't so quick to leave. Especially now
that I need the help of all my friends more than any other time I can
remember.
That wasn't a joke. I'm not smiling.
All alone again, I decided to walk around my house reacquainting
myself with everything. Did I keep a journal, or diary? That would
help, if I knew where I put it. Light switch. Chairs. Table.
Dishes. Candles. Books. Television. Couch, endtable, plants,
picture...... picture of...... Mom and Dad......?
I picked up the picture with both hands, falling like a lead
weight into the couch. It felt like it would break under the force.
I doubt it'd matter to me right about now.
Mom. She looks so beautiful, so innocent. They both do...
Neither of them aware of that plane trip somewhere in their future...!
I sat there for the longest time. Holding their picture close
to my heart and sobbing.
Mom, Dad. Wherever you are... I'll make you proud of me. I
promise!
I had no luck finding a journal; guess I don't keep one. I did
find the school uniform I'm supposed to be wearing, though.
I carefully changed into the newer uniform. It was a bit too
much on the tight side. Elastic bands for the sleeves and all, I'm
still too big for these clothes. I'd have to safety-pin the hem of
my shirt to my dress, unless I want everyone to see my
belly-button. Do they even make school uniforms in my size? Well...
that's a stupid question. My old uniform fits me.
So will my new one, after some alterations.
Trianna pushed herself away from her keyboard. No good... the
ultimate tune of all time was as yet unwritten, and the inspiration
just wasn't coming to her tonight.
She'd cooped herself up in an apartment loft in a surprisingly
little-occupied apartment house on the outskirts of Tokyo, changing
her skin and hair colors to look like a mortal long enough to fool
the landlord and everyone else. The walls, she had magically
soundproofed. No sense in letting mortal ears hear imperfect and
unfinished musical arrangements. The floors needed to be reinforced
magically as well - all that sound equipment might have been fine for
a ground-level studio, but a loft? Perfect sound quality always came
at a price.
She had had to raid an electronic-parts store for the parts to
fix her precious boom box after the Sailor Senshi took a fairly big
chunk out of it. How in the Plane was she to expose the world to the
power of her music if she had no way to carry it with her?
Worse still, Trianna's ultimate composition was nowhere near
being finished. Until the moment of completion, she had decided to
lock herself up in her loft. Until the moment her music blew the
mortals away, made them experience exactly what they were missing in
those drab little lives of theirs. And those music critics who
called themselves the 'Sailor Senshi,' too... She'd show them.
They'd never doubt the power of music again.
There! All done!
I held the blouse up to the light. Looks okay. There's only
one sure way to tell: try it on.
Soon - I wasn't keeping track of the time - I modeled the
uniform in front of the only full-length mirror in the house. Not
bad. Some of those alterations were a little risky, though, and I
want to make sure.
I spun around. Hmm... I try the spin again, and one more time,
putting more effort into it. Do I have a talent for this? It's fun!
Maybe I've got the heart of a dancer in me... Not in this uniform,
though. School uniforms aren't made with dancing in mind.
They're made with school in mind. Schoolwork. Like the kind I
have waiting for me on the table in the other room.
* * * * *
The news had spread throughout the entire school by the time she
pushed her street shoes into her small cubbyhole: Makoto Kino was
back in school, although still recovering from her 'accident.'
But something was... well, different about her. For starters,
she'd shown up dressed in a Juuban uniform rather than the
brown-toned uniform everyone was accustomed to seeing her wear. She
kept quietly to herself, which wasn't out of the ordinary for Makoto
- but her gentle, polite demeanor was. That, coming from a girl whom
you certainly didn't want to start a fight with... a girl who could
pick someone up and carry them over her shoulder while dashing across
a busy street... was a surprise all by itself.
It didn't take long for the news and rumors to reach Usagi and
Ami.
"Is it true?"
Having momentarily forgotten to pay attention, Usagi brought her
head up. "Is what true?"
"Usagi!" Ami let the urge to lecture Usagi on the merits of
paying attention pass. "You know, the rumors about Mako-chan.
They're saying she's changed. Drastically, as in a personality
shift."
Usagi wished she were wearing jeans so that she could hide her
hands in her pockets. "If the way she acted when I took her home
last night's any sign, then maybe..." She didn't want to tell Ami
that she'd compared Mako-chan's 'new personality' to Ami's. Even
worse, she hadn't seen or talked to Luna since running away from the
cat the night before. She refused to think about it now, forcing the
thought from her mind.
Good thing, too, because Makoto was approaching.
Ami started in shock at the sight of Makoto's new uniform. "My
goodness... is she wearing what I think she's wearing?"
Usagi couldn't believe her eyes either. True, Mako-chan did
show some concern over her uniforms last night but Usagi hadn't
expected it to come to this... Guess no one had thought that Makoto
wearing the regular school uniform counted as big news. That Usagi
or Ami had been told, anyway.
Was Mako-chan's uniform any indication of her state of mind?
Makoto's face lit up as she noticed Usagi and Ami waiting for
her. "Ah, Usagi-chan, good morning," she spoke in a gentle caliber
of tone reminiscent of Ami's. "And you must be Mizuno Ami," Makoto
turned to face Ami. "Usagi told me that you were there with her when
they brought me into the hospital. I'm sorry I don't remember you
all that much at the moment."
"I understand," replied Ami. Usagi wondered if she should have
a fit right on the spot - the same tone coming from two different
people in stereo... "Does looking at us stir any memories?"
Makoto searched her thoughts. "A few... images, faces,
voices... but nothing I would call a complete memory. I'm not
worried, though. The doctor said my memory would return after a
little while."
Usagi was waiting for Makoto to say the words, 'everything's
going to be back to normal again.' What Mako-chan had left out was
that the doctor also said Makoto's case was the most unusual he'd
ever seen.
It wasn't Makoto's fault. It was hers.
Makoto saw the tension in the air and decided to change the
subject. "So, Usagi-chan... are you ready for the math test?"
She'd managed to catch Usagi off-guard. "What? Um... hmm...
I... no! Uh, yeah! I'm ready!" Makoto laughed.
"You're taking the test?"
Makoto switched her attention to Ami. "Yes," she said. "I
stayed up all night to finish every last bit of my homework and study
for the test. I know it was at the last minute, but... I really
didn't have much of a choice."
"You could always have stayed home and taken the test later,"
Usagi thought to point out.
"I know. But it's best that I get reacquainted with everything
right away than," she searched for an appropriate metaphor, "sit at
the edge of the pool only getting my toes wet. I'm bound to recover
faster that way."
Ami didn't agree. "You're bound to risk damaging your mind if
you're not careful. You can overload yourself if you happen to come
across something for which you aren't completely prepared."
"I'll take your word for it," Makoto nodded. "I just wish I had
more information on amnesia and its treatment at my house. My
parents had so few reference books... and all I have has to do with
either cooking, plants or bridal ceremonies."
"You're welcome to borrow any of the books I have at my
apartment," Ami told her. "And I'm sure Mother will let you borrow
some of hers if we ask."
"Thank you," said Makoto. "That's very kind of you."
"I'm glad I could be of some help. Now," Ami cast a gaze at the
corridor around them and then at her watch, "we had better get to
class before the late bell rings."
I walked into my homeroom with the best self-assured attitude I
could muster. And why not? This is the exact moment I stayed up all
night preparing for. It startled me to find out how much of the
material I knew without looking it up in the books. Hope I haven't
forgotten any of it... Too bad the rest of me doesn't feel anything
like the way I'm acting. I guess I feel kind of like a baby learning
about the world, except I'm fifteen and supposed to know all this.
I sighed. Amnesia can be so much fun.
Everyone's eyes are on me. I can feel it. That goes for the
teacher, too - omigosh, is this dress really as short as it looks in
this light? Maybe I went a little too far with the hem... uh, they
must not have expected me to come back so soon. Just to make sure, I
turn a withering gaze on everyone else, although I haven't had much
practice at it. They all turned away, probably intending to talk
about me once I wasn't looking.
Kazemi-sensei continued to stare at me blankly even after I
placed my small stack of homework on the desk before her. Heh, I
must really know how to make an entrance. "This is the homework I
missed," I said, because someone had to say something. I'm the one
who was out, so it might as well be me. Unfortunately, I'll have to
go through this exact same scene for all the rest of my classes.
She paged through the papers. "You've done all of it?"
"Yes."
I knew she wanted to be sure when she checked a few of the
problems to see if the numbers came out correctly. I should have
double-checked all the answers while I was at it... why didn't I?
Stupid, stupid...
"These are all correct."
She sounded surprised; I said as much. "No, I'm not
surprised... it's just that this is not quite what I was expecting of
you."
"I'm sorry," I hurriedly apologize. "I'll do better next time."
That look was back. "Yes. Well... you had better take your
seat. Class is about to begin."
I blink. "Hai, sensei."
Okay! Thank goodness THAT was over with, now I can get to my
seat and......
More than one seat was empty. Big problem. Which one is mine?
I started to walk uneasily into the rows - I think my face must
have shown everyone exactly what I was feeling. They wouldn't mind
if I just picked out a seat and took it, would they?
They would. Anyway, these desks are assigned. I can't just
take someone else's seat... it's not right.
A girl with short black hair - her hair reminds me of Ami's,
except Ami's hair isn't that short - stood up. "Mako-chan! Over
here!"
Eh? Well, okay...
I walk over and cautiously sit in the desk she pointed out to
me. "Kino Makoto." My name's on the paper pad in the desk, and all
the other stuff! Yes, this is my desk, all right! I can breathe
easy now.
"Psst!" The girl with the black hair tried to get my attention.
She handed me a note.
[Mako-chan:
Usagi and Ami-chan told me everything. Are you sure you should
be here? If you're sure you're okay, I'll see you during study
break.
-Akemi]
Akemi. Takeshima Akemi, my friend.
It's good to know I have so many friends. Looking around my
house and listening to some of the stories about me almost gave me
the impression that I was some kind of loner.
The class began.
Kazemi-sensei took her time getting from her desk to the podium.
I'm not the only one waiting, anticipating those words... the same
ones Usagi-chan was dreading hearing today. Ami-chan wouldn't mind
as much. I'll bet she studied well in advance. I only started last
night.
"Okay, class - put your books and study sheets away, and get out
your Number Two pencils. It's time for the big test."
There was a lot of groaning while everyone put away their books.
Maybe it was just me, but it almost sounded like Akemi's groan was
one of the loudest. Maybe she hadn't studied all that much. That's
okay, I haven't either.
Sensei passed a test book and answer card out to everyone in
turn. She explained it this way - if for my benefit, I don't know:
dropping by everyone's desks helped her catch cheaters or keep them
from cheating. Well, I can't cheat! How can I be sure of the
correct answers when I'm not that sure of the correct questions?
Then it was my turn. "Makoto?"
"Yes?" She'd arranged it so that she gave me my test last.
"You couldn't have had much time to study for this test or to
reacquaint yourself with all this material. If you like, I can
arrange for you to take this test at a later date."
I thought about it. I know I'd told Usagi that I had to do
this. Now that I'm about to take the test, am I sure I really want
to?
"No, thank you. I'd rather take the test now." Akemi stared at
me as if she couldn't believe what I was saying. Sure, I believed
it; I had to.
"Are you sure?" For some reason I felt more conscious of the
bandage around my head.
"Yes. I am."
She handed me a test book and answer card. It was thin, with
green print and those tiny rectangle bubbles we're supposed to fill
in with the right answers.
The answer card, I mean. Not the test book.
I never really liked these tests. Computer-graded tests may be
easier for the teachers to grade, but never for those of us actually
taking the tests. Not only that, when you make a mistake and try to
erase it, no matter how hard you try it never completely comes out,
and you spend the rest of the day wondering if the computer'll see
that mistake and choke on it. Do they make the paper that way on
purpose?
Whoa - another memory flash. Wish I had some warning.
I shouldn't be worried! I DID study, didn't I? Okay, I
crammed, so what? Yesterday morning I was in a hospital bed with an
almost blank mind. If I'm lucky having a blank mind will have helped
all those equations stay in my head...
The test, Makoto. The test.
Test book number 4-D. Sensei said to write the number of the
test book we get next to the date. Okay, there. Now for the easy
part.
Question one: (2a-3)^2=18. I think I can do this...
* * * * *
I met Usagi and Ami in the courtyard after school. We were
going to walk home together.
"Usagi-chan?" I ask. "How do you think you did on the test?"
I've always wondered why people ask you how you did on a test when
you won't know that until you get the results back. I was more
interested in Usagi's reaction.
She bit her lower lip. "I don't wanna talk about it." Ami
smiled briefly. I could tell she was thinking about asking me the
same question.
"Where's Luna? I thought she went everywhere you did. I'm
surprised she wasn't waiting for you at the front gate."
Usagi snorted in response to my question. "I'm not talking to
her."
This startled both Ami and I. "Usagi-chan?" Ami stopped
walking.
Usagi stopped, too. "Uh... heh-heh. She's at home with
Chibi-Usa by now, I guess." Why would Usagi say she wasn't speaking
to Luna? You'd almost think Luna could talk back, like one of those
cartoon cats. The image of Luna arguing with Usagi brought a smile
to my face.
She caught it. "Is something funny, Mako-chan?"
"Er, no!" I nervously brought my hands up. "I was just
thinking of something."
Ami cut in. "Really? What?"
I had a cat once. A kitten.
One winter, when I was little, I was out with a friend who lived
next door to me. I think we were out walking around when we wound up
in the vacant lot down the block.
I found her there, struggling to walk. She didn't have anywhere
to go; she was still small - maybe less than a few days to a week old
- barely able to walk as it was and shivering. Without thinking I
picked her up and opened up my jacket so she could warm up inside.
Who in the world would leave a poor little thing like this
little girl wandering in a vacant lot? I was too upset to think
clearly... no way would I abandon a kitten or a puppy like this. It
was too cruel!
Maybe that's why I took her home. Mom and Dad finally gave in
and let me keep her. I don't recall asking them about it at all, so
whether or not they caved because I was too stubborn, the kitten was
too cute or something else I'll never know.
We immediately went out and bought a bed, a pet dish and a kitty
litter box... oh, and some cat food. She looked happier to me,
trying her best to walk on the carpet and getting better at it. Mom
and Dad made sure to walk around her. And me. I'd laid down on the
floor with her inches from my face, watching her. After a while I'd
pick her up and carry her away to another place.
I got up one morning to find her walking that stiff walk of hers
on top of the blanket next to me. After I'd picked her up to make
sure she didn't fall off the bed, I found out that Mom and Dad
thought it would be cute to stick her next to me while I was
sleeping. Later they wished they'd taken a picture of the scene.
I'm sure it would've been cute... not as cute as a picture of her
climbing on my head while I was asleep, but at the time I wouldn't
have cared either way.
It was the last day I'd ever see her.
Mom woke me up that night. I was tired. I'd fallen asleep on
the floor while playing with my kitten. Mom was afraid to let her
roam around the house at night without anyone watching her - that
someone might step on her or she'd make a mess - so she put my little
kitten out in the garage for the night. Because I was too sleepy, I
didn't think about it and let Mom carry me off to bed.
In the morning Mom woke me up late. She told me she didn't know
how to tell me what she had to tell me. Like an idiot, I asked her
what was wrong. "What's wrong, Mommy?"
She told me. Dad hadn't realized my kitten was in the garage,
so when he started the car to go to work, he...... he...
I went to school that morning wondering what had happened. I
should have been watching her in my room! I can't believe this
happened to me...!
I'd had her as a pet for less than a week and I hadn't even
given her a name.
"Aww, that's so sad!" Usagi offered. I wiped the tears that
were beginning to form in my eyes away. "But that didn't have
anything to do with why you were smiling, did it?"
"N-no, of course not," I sniffled. "It's something I just
remembered, I don't know why."
"Another one of your memories has come back? That's a good
sign," murmured Ami. "You've never shared that with us, though."
"I haven't?"
Usagi shook her head. "No."
Oh, I see. I'm too tough to cry. Is that it?
Ami began talking before I could think about it. "I think
there's a point here, Usagi-chan. If you're having an argument with
a friend - say, Luna, for example - you really should apologize to
her something happens, you never get the chance and you wind up
regretting it for the rest of your life."
Cartoon reference number two: I imagined me and Usagi standing
there, looking at Ami-chan with those huge drops of sweat falling
down the backs of our heads. "Uh... yeah," Usagi said.
I still felt down. "If you don't mind, I think I'll head home.
I think I ought to be alone." I had, after all, remembered another
lost family member.
"No!" Usagi exclaimed. "That's one thing you shouldn't do
right now!" She grabbed my wrist while Ami protested. "Usagi-chan!"
But Usagi wasn't listening. "We thought we'd arrange a surprise
for you down at the Game Center! Rei and Minako are waiting there
for us!"
"They are?" Stop thinking in two-word questions, Makoto... Rei
and Minako? I was almost beginning to think I wasn't going to meet
them again for a while.
Usagi led me away. I looked back to see Ami-chan chasing after
us.
* * * * *
At first glance, there wasn't much to set the Crown Game Center
apart from other buildings in the vicinity. The whole block had seen
better days; the weathered buildings weren't up to the same level of
architectural flash seen in the newer buildings lining the shopping
district. Nowadays, most people walked by on their way to anywhere
else, not giving the buildings much thought.
The Game Center stood in the middle of the block, only a painted
sign to announce its presence, for even the Center's automatic
sliding glass doors kept a lot of the games' noise from spilling out
into the open. Those same glass windows also reflected the sun
during the mid-afternoon hours and made it hard to see the fun inside.
Because the sidewalk was far too narrow to set a UFO Catcher or
other game machine outside like other stores did on occasion, the
Center resorted to taping advertisement posters for new games and
other promos in the windows, like the sun-faded poster for the Sailor
V game... although the fighter someone had put together based on the
Sailor Senshi as a whole was by now more popular. Usagi and the
other Senshi left the game to everyone else. Every time they played
the game, they usually wound up arguing over its inaccuracies and
wondering if the programmer who'd put together a shareware game
revolving around the Senshi couldn't be convinced to put his talents
into an arcade game instead.
By that time Makoto had already confessed her preference for an
RPG or other long, complicated game she could lose herself in. Oh,
sure, she showed interest in many of the new games when they came
out, like that driving game she and Minako had convinced Usagi to
try, but when it came down to personal choice, she didn't falter.
She often had more than enough reason to lose herself in a game...
"Now, remember, when she gets here you should be on your best
behavior. And that means no fighting with Usagi," Minako stated from
the stool in front of a sit-down first-person shooter. Her game
character paid the price for that lapse in attention.
"Give me a break," Rei took on a bitter tone. "You sound like
someone's nervous mother or something. Mako-chan knows us. She
knows you, she knows me, and she knows I argue with Usagi! Big deal.
She's just temporarily forgotten it all. It's not like she's meeting
us for the first time."
Rei was one step away from calling her 'obaachan,' Minako
figured, because Rei knew the sort of negative images the word called
up in Minako's thoughts, one of the very reasons why Minako wanted no
part of it. She couldn't admit it to anyone, least of all Artemis,
that she was afraid to imagine herself growing older. Over time she
had let herself lapse more and more into immaturity, her rock-hard
Sailor V front falling to the side. Now that she wasn't the lone
fighter for justice any longer, things were different. She had many
more friends, friends with whom she wouldn't have to part company
from at a moment's notice. She'd allowed herself the luxury of
having friends in the past and it always hurt to have to leave them
behind.
"It might be. You never know. None of us are what I'd call
'normal' Human beings. I'd rather not risk upsetting Mako-chan or
anything that might hurt her in her current condition."
Rei took a seat, wondering if she should take issue with Minako
saying the Senshi weren't 'normal.' "I hadn't thought of that."
Across the room the glass doors parted to let Usagi through.
Rei gave the signal to Minako. "But I'm not through with this game
yet!"
"Now," Rei yanked the gamer away from the controls. All those
months of prying Usagi away from games were coming in handy after all.
Minako watched her ship go up in orange-hued pixels. Game over.
"I was three hundred and twenty-five points away from getting the
high score! Three hundred and twenty-five points! Couldn't you have
waited?"
"What do you think?" Rei exhaled. "I don't know who's worse,
you or odango-for-brains over there." What with Haruka being the
latest to liken Usagi's hairstyle to the dish, Rei insisted on a
whole new wave of odango references.
Guess this means she's not going to be civil. On the game
screen an underscore flashed next to Minako's score. "At least let
me enter my name on the top ten list," she pleaded.
Rei glanced at the screen and then back at her friend, noting
the insistent look in Mina-chan's blue eyes. "You're so pathetic."
She tugged at the collar of her private school uniform with a single
finger. "C'mon, they're coming this way."
"Hey," the fairer-haired of the two girls thought to point out.
"Is that a Juuban uniform Mako-chan's wearing?"
"Yeah. I think it is. Isn't that the one she said was too
small for her?" All she got was a shrug in return.
Makoto stepped out in front. "Minako? Rei?" she asked in a
dry voice.
"I'm Rei," Rei gently corrected Makoto. "She's Minako."
"Oh. Sorry."
"You don't have to apologize."
"I insist."
A long pause followed. "So," Minako said at last.
"So."
"So, uh, what have you been up to, Mako-chan?"
"I--"
"Nothing much," Usagi admitted in Makoto's place. "She turned
in her back work and took the big math test."
Rei shook her head. "She was talking to Mako-chan, not *you*!"
"I'm only trying to help," Usagi made a customary face.
"She doesn't need help."
"She's been hurt! Someone has to help her."
"Please, don't argue," interrupted Makoto. "Not on my account."
They both looked at her. Time to call a truce. "How about a
round of Super Transwarp Warriors?" Minako cut in.
Makoto repeated the name to herself. "I don't know - it sounds
violent. I don't think I'm much of a video game player."
Had they heard right? Mako-chan, not a gamer? It would only be
less believable coming from, say, Minako...
"But you are!" Usagi blurted without thinking, earning her
another dirty glare from Rei. Why, she wondered, didn't she end it
all here and tell Mako-chan the complete, honest-to-goodness truth?
She felt she owed Makoto that much after being the one who'd left
Mako-chan behind to get injured by a monster and all. Except that
the word for it she insisted on using was 'abandoned.' Here she'd
had a vision of her future Princess self coming back through time or
whatever to tell her to try to do better in school. Oh, and a
warning about never abandoning her friends. Was she jeopardizing the
future through her foolishness? "You're a great gamer!"
Minako threw in a rushed laugh before striking a Sailor V pose,
hands on hips. "Not as good as me, but you're getting there." The
mere statement caused Rei's belief to fall. Minako was making a
pitiful attempt to goad Makoto into a game. What was that
expression? Gant... gent... She's thrown down the gauntlet. Let's
hope Mako-chan picks it up.
Part of the girl's former instinct resurfaced. She raised an
eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be a challenge?"
"Why, I guess it is. C'mon, I'm paying. What d'ya say?"
"I don't know..." repeated Makoto. "I suppose I could give it a
try."
"That's the spirit!" Rei joined in.
"You can do it!"
Before the game began, Minako defensively claimed the Player One
side for herself; Makoto sat at the other side. "The game's simple.
All you have to do is shoot the bad guys, grab the power-ups and
don't get hit. Ready?"
Makoto seemed a bit uncomfortable at the controls. "Another
violent game," she said to no one in particular. "I'm not sure
about--"
She didn't have time to finish, as Minako slapped the Two Player
Start button in front of Makoto, giving her friend an abrupt shock.
Makoto's hands reacted on instinct again, taking the controls and
holding on tightly. If she was a gamer like Minako, then so be it!
Electronically working off some frustration might not be such a bad
idea after all...
Minako tuned out everything to either side. She'd have to go
all out on this one... it wouldn't do for Mako-chan to be blown out
of the game right at the start. No, not at all. Normally Makoto would
put up more of a challenge. Now... Minako wasn't sure. Neither was
Makoto.
But Usagi, peering over Makoto's and Minako's shoulders at the
game screen while Ami and Rei stood patiently off to the side, saw
differently. "Yeah! Go, Mako-chan! You can do it!" she cheered.
Both Makoto and Minako kept their attentions set on the game,
having forgotten about the world around them. Makoto, to Minako's
amazement, was playing as dedicated a game as Minako. So much so,
that...
Frustrated, Minako slammed the palms of her hands against the
console, pushing herself away from the machine. She'd lost her final
life trying to wrench some power-ups away from Makoto and wasn't very
happy about it. "Ah, mou--" she cried, turning toward the taller
girl. "What happened to playing fair!? How am I supposed to get
anywhere if you keep swiping all the power-ups?"
"I didn't swipe any of the power-ups," frowned Makoto.
"You did! I sat here and watched you do it!"
Usagi wasn't sure how to break this argument up. "Uh...
Mina-chan..." she fumbled. Neither of them were listening anyway.
"I did not!" Makoto's eyes flashed. "I was too busy trying
to keep those guys off your tail!"
"Who said I needed anyone to cover my tail?" retorted Minako.
Her voice grew louder with every turn.
"If I hadn't, you would've been shot down a lot sooner!"
"Oh, yeah!?"
"Yeah! I--" Makoto froze. "I-I'm sorry," she finally
stammered. With a horrified look to her eyes she ran for the door.
Usagi ran after her. "Mako-chan!"
Usagi caught up with Makoto some five blocks away... or so she
thought. Physically, Makoto outclassed Usagi in size, strength and
speed. The best Usagi could manage was to keep pace with Makoto from
about ten to fifteen feet away.
Remind me to get a head start next time, Usagi told herself in
between gasps for air. "Mako-chan! ...Please! ...Wait! I just...
want to... talk!"
Her quarry slowed, yet didn't stop. "I want to be left alone!"
"...Why? ...What happened back there?"
"...Nothing. I don't want to talk about it. I just want to be
left alone."
Unable to stand the stress of running full-tilt after Makoto any
longer, Usagi put a foot out in front of her to help her skid to a
halt. Makoto disappeared into the horizon. "Mako-chan..."
Dejectedly, Usagi began her long walk back to the Center.
"What d'ya mean, you let her get away?"
Usagi ignored the typical venom in Rei's voice and went back to
sipping her soda. "I'd like to see you try to keep up with her for
that long. She's fast!"
"You could be, too, if you cut back on all the snacks," Rei
poked an index finger into Usagi's stomach. "Hmm, I think it's about
ripe."
Ami and Minako pretended not to be paying attention. "Then why
are you the one eating a banana split where all I've got is this
soda?"
"Because I know all about moderation and staying in shape."
"That's enough!" With an audible sigh of displeasure Ami set
her soda and books aside. "It always amazes me how you two can break
into a loud argument at an instant's notice. I really think we
should concentrate on the issues at hand rather than insult each
other!"
The two rivals were left speechless. "Hey, it's fine with me,"
Minako broke the silence. If anything, she didn't want Rei and Usagi
to pick up where they left off. "But let's do it someplace else,
okay? You know how I feel about discussing Senshi business in
public. You never know who's listening."
"Aino Minako, super-secret agent double-oh-zero," Usagi couldn't
resist cracking. This time everyone glared at her. "What?"
Luna and Artemis joined the team by the time the Senshi
regrouped at the Hikawa Shrine. "Now, does anyone think they know
what upset Mako-chan so? Usagi?" Ami asked. The four had already
briefed the cats on the incident at the Center.
All eyes turned to Usagi. "I'm not sure, but I think she's a
little worried about being some kind of super-violent tomboy bully or
fighter."
"Of course! That might explain her radical shift in behavior.
She did worry about the game being violent, as I recall."
"Yeah. She gets kinda worried every time she thinks she's a
violent person. I told her she's not a tomboy, that she only fights
for things she believes strongly in... but I don't think she believes
me."
"You haven't told her that she's Sailor Jupiter yet, have you?"
"Of course not! She's not ready for that yet!"
Minako absently let her gaze drift out past the stratosphere.
"I wonder if she thinks the accident was her fault."
"It couldn't have been her fault. Remember, we were chasing
that demon... she only had enough time to push Mako-chan into the
wall and run."
"Now, we shouldn't come to assumptions yet," warned Luna. "None
of us were there when it happened. It's entirely possible Mako-chan
may have tried to take on the demon by herself and was hurt in the
process."
"But the eyewitnesses..."
"...Were likely panicking and may not have seen everything."
Rei sat back. "I guess it's possible."
"Speaking of demons," Usagi said impatiently, "Are we going to
do anything else about that demon that hurt Mako-chan?"
Her indignance had brought the meeting crashing back down to
reality. Luna wondered why Usagi was so intent on catching this
demon. Usagi had almost been acting a little strange, herself...
"You know we haven't seen any sign of her since the accident,
Usagi-chan. It's entirely possible she may be gone for good."
I won't accept that!
"We also can't afford to lose sight of the daimon menace," Luna
reminded her. "If we don't remain on our guard, the entire Human
race could be put to a risk much greater than the one Mako-chan is
facing." Trust Luna to bring everything into perspective.
Anticipating Luna's next decision, Ami brought out her Senshi
supercomputer and ran several scans on the whole of Japan. "No sign
of any daimon activity."
"They're sure being real quiet lately," observed Minako. "I
don't like it. They may be planning something big."
"That's the assumption we shall start with," Artemis announced,
from his perch on top of Minako's lap, "until we discover any new
information."
Luna checked the time by Ami's digital watch. "It's getting
late. We should break for the night so that all of you can have a
chance to finish your homework for the weekend. After that we can
resume our discussions - or before then, should anything happen."
"And Mako-chan?"
"Usagi will continue to look in on her every so often. Other
than that, we should let her have some time alone."
The frown returned to Usagi's face. They'd told her that at the
hospital, too.
* * * * *
I'm glad everyone gave me the weekend to myself. While it
would've been good to have someone around to talk to, or tell me more
about who I'm supposed to be, a little time alone never hurts.
Frankly, after blowing up at Minako I'm afraid of what might happen.
I've been giving serious thought to keeping a diary. There are
plenty of times a diary would come in handy - like now, for instance.
Many people don't realize how important keeping track of their lives
can be. I sure never did, I think.
I had to dig a little to find the memories Mom and Dad kept of
me. After the accident in which I lost them both, I stored most of
their stuff away. Must have been trying to hide their things just
like I tried to hide their memories.
I can understand that. At the time I didn't think there was any
end to the pain. The last thing I'd want would be to break down in
tears every time I passed Mom and Dad's room on the way to mine, or
saw all of Mom's little touches in the kitchen, or...
Not that I want to forget Mom and Dad. Far from it.
Is it common for parents to not record very many details of
their daughter's... um, their child's life after a certain point? I
think a lot of my childhood is here in these scrapbooks and pictures,
though they don't tell me much about who I am now... That's what I
really want to know!
Report cards. Hah! ...exactly what I want to see... looks like
I did okay in school until I got to my current school level. 'We
regret to inform you that your daughter, Makoto, has received too
many demerits for fighting and has therefore been expelled from
Hoshizora Middle School. Please contact our school counselor at the
number listed below to discuss the matter further with us.'
I wonder... if I called them, would they be able to tell me
anything? On second thought, better not.
Fighting. It's as bad as I thought. No, there's still time. I
can fix it.
* * * * *
The end of the weekend found Makoto returning to school with two
cautious new shadows: Luna and Artemis. Their plan was to keep an
eye on Makoto for most of the day. Having no previous engagements as
the Senshi did, the cats could easily remain close to watch their
errant Jupiter.
However, following Mako-chan around school most of the day was
destined to be less easy than following, say, Chibi-Usa around her
school, which Usagi had attempted to do once when playing matchmaker
for the younger Chibi-Usa. Luna grimaced; Usagi's attempts at
matchmaking almost always backfired or failed.
The girls were right to worry about Mako-chan. If Makoto's
behavior toward everyone else was any clue, her personality shift was
getting worse. Personality shifts weren't considered normal even for
people who had access to all their memories. Makoto was
intentionally straying from her true personality, scaring the
daylights out of nearly the entire school. How else to explain
Makoto's transformation from a girl with a tough exterior to one who
greeted everyone with a gentle, soft-spoken cheerfulness? True, the
cheerfulness had been there before for anyone willing to stay on
Makoto's good side - but combined with her new, more reserved
personality, something didn't feel right.
Something Usagi had said after bringing Makoto home from the
hospital came to mind. "I mean, she's even starting to sound like
Ami-chan, and it's scaring me!" Ami-chan, of course! That was who
Makoto's new personality reminded Luna of. Usagi had guessed
correctly... had Makoto unconsciously found Ami's personality in her
mind and gravitated toward it?
That couldn't be the only reason. Surely Makoto must be
terribly frightened as a result of her encounter with the demon who
called herself Trianna... scared at having been hurt, and by the
thought that she might have caused the accident to begin with all
because she was supposed to be tough... now that Luna thought about
it, who wouldn't be upset?
If not for meeting Usagi, who knew where Kino Makoto might have
ended up? They first met the year before when Makoto happened upon a
few thugs who were about to set upon Usagi for accidentally running
into one of them. Makoto easily took care of the thugs, and continued
on her way.
It is said that 'curiosity killed the cat,' an adage which Luna
solidly disbelieved in. Did that apply to rabbits as well? Or
better yet, moon princesses? Usagi was intrigued, and despite
Umino's warnings to stay away from Makoto - because the transfer
student had been expelled from her previous school for fighting and
was long since branded as a tough - Usagi nonetheless went on to
become friends with Makoto, learning that she wasn't quite the girl
everyone made her out to be.
Later, Makoto would help Sailor Moon by picking Zoisite's latest
unwilling Human-turned-youma up with her bare hands. The power of
Jupiter had always made her strong... now, she was denying it.
From the safety of a tree branch above the school courtyard, the
cats watched Makoto enter the main building.
Usagi checked for her name on the list of posted test scores.
Ami, standing next to her, did the same, though she didn't have far
to look - she ranked at number one, as always. Hmph. Wait...
Tsukino Usagi, rank twenty-six. She sighed, and Ami caught it.
"Usagi-chan, Ami-chan, good morning," Makoto politely made her
way over to them. Her Juuban uniform was still a tight fit, Ami saw.
"Good morning," returned Ami. Oh geez, not again... Usagi
thought.
"Is my test score up there somewhere?"
Neither Ami nor Usagi had thought to look up their friend's
score. By force-of-habit Usagi scanned the ranks near her name. For
the most part Mako-chan's 'study habits' were suspiciously like hers,
which meant Makoto often had similar grades. But Makoto's name wasn't
there this time.
"Ah, there it is. Number fifteen." Number fifteen!? Yes,
there it was. Kino Makoto, rank fifteen. Compared to Usagi, eleven
ranks down the line...
While Usagi was busy being surprised, Ami congratulated Makoto.
"See what you can accomplish when you study and set your mind to your
work, Usagi-chan?"
Makoto wasn't quite convinced. "I should have done better. I
didn't study hard enough." And with a hasty apology, she headed off
to her homeroom class.
"She's definitely changed, all right." Ami cast a peripheral
glance around the yard to see if she could find Artemis and Luna.
To herself, Usagi whispered, "Yeah, and it's all my fault."
* * * * *
Later that afternoon the sun began to set in the distance, past
the walls of the Hikawa Shrine. Sunset was one of Rei's favorite
times of the day. If there was no Senshi business to tend to or if
she was in the courtyard sweeping, she often took time out to watch
the sun descend through a sea of clouds and sky that changed,
blending warm colors as the Sun drifted through it. Once in a while,
recalling her science lessons, she'd wonder how a sunset might look
from other planets in the Solar System. Moon, Mercury, Jupiter,
Venus. Pluto, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn. Mars.
On Earth, Jupiter was drifting out of alignment.
A thought struck Usagi. "Luna?" You restored our memories
before, right? Could you restore Mako-chan's memory that way?"
Artemis' eyes widened at the suggestion.
"It might," Luna sat up. "However, since Mako-chan's amnesia is
a result of a physical trauma, such an attempt might do more harm
than good."
A visible look of disappointment crossed Usagi's face. "Cheer
up, Usagi," Ami said brightly. "I'm sure her memory will return
soon, just as the doctor said. Besides, she isn't really hurting
herself by becoming more dedicated to her studies all of a sudden--"
Minako scoffed. "The only reason you're saying that is because
you'd like a study partner out of all of us who'll understand all the
material offhand."
Missing the sarcasm in Minako's joke, Ami swiveled to face her.
"How could you say such a thing?" To which Minako flashed another
one of her world famous, patent-pending grins.
"I hate to point this out, but Makoto is a different person now.
If she remains on the path she's chosen, she probably won't want to
be Sailor Jupiter anymore."
Everyone had to admit that Rei had a valid point. It only
succeeded in driving Usagi's guilt home further, however. I really
have ruined Mako-chan's life. "We've got to do something!"
Ami shook her head. "What are we going to do? Return her
memories to her by force and tell her that this is the way she has to
be? It's true that the Sailor Senshi will be incomplete without
Jupiter, but we cannot risk hurting her in a misguided attempt to
heal her! This is something we must take slowly and cautiously, one
step at a time."
Already used to not getting her way, Usagi conceded. For the
moment. "All right, we'll give it a shot."
Trianna forced her fingers up the note scale, then down, then up
again. Days of self-imposed solitude with only the best in audio
equipment, and what did she have to show for it? A base melody that
sounded too much like it came from one of those commercials she'd
taken to watching for inspiration, along with all those other shows -
car chases worked wonders with composer's block... Television was a
strange mortal affair, indeed, but for some reason she enjoyed
watching it. Even the show they ran in prime time two days ago... a
talent contest, no less. To think those judges had the gall to pick
a ventriloquist act over any of the music acts in the lineup...
Was she wasting the ultimate composition of the millennium on
poor mortals who had a lousy sense of taste? She'd let them decide.
They'd have nothing to compare it to, that was for sure. Her song
would be the last thing anyone heard. The mortals would hum it on
their way to the beyond.
Ah, that was inspiration enough. Trianna cracked her knuckles
over the keyboard and set to work like a mad organist.
* * * * *
Three days later, Makoto stepped around a corner into a new
corridor. She had yet to notice how most of the other students gave
her a wide berth as she walked past, unconcerned. Their reasons for
doing so had less to do with her current 'condition' than with the
reputation that had preceded her before coming to Juuban and
remained to the day.
A lot of that reputation was Makoto's own fault, particularly
since she'd done little to discourage it. She'd grown used to the
act of independence, the isolation... of rarely letting anyone get
close enough to see her actual feelings. Except when it came to
matters of love. Here, she was on a quest - she thought that was as
good a word as any, given a fondness for role-playing video games -
to find love. It pained her that every relationship she'd involved
herself in to date always had one reason or another to fail. Over
time she'd become quite the wistful one, habitually associating boys
she saw or met with her 'sempai,' or rather, her vision of the man of
her dreams, a habit which unnerved her Senshi friends. Though, she
wasn't doing it as much of late. She kept the sense of impending
doom to each relationship, however. Every once in a while when she
stopped to think about her relationships her thoughts strayed to
imagining how her current one might end. Minako, her one-time rival
in love, once told her that 'if you believe you're going to be
doomed, then you will be doomed.'
Minako's advice was lost to Makoto now. All Makoto knew was
that nobody had stepped forward in at least a week claiming to be her
boyfriend. Her former self had viciously crossed out every one of
the guys' phone numbers on the notepad next to her kitchen phone
using a permanent black marker so that she couldn't read them now
when she tried.
Yes, it had been one week since she awoke in the hospital. So
why had her memories not returned? She no longer had the bandage
wrapped around her head; it only got in the way. Instead, she combed
her hair over the not-yet-fully-healed wound, which was harder than
she thought it would be because of her permed hair. Curly hair could
be a real curse at times...
A call to the hospital told her they were as confused about her
condition as she was. Enough, already! Time to stop feeling sorry
for herself...
She thought back to lunch. Ordinarily, she ate lunch with
Usagi... and Ami, when Ami-chan wasn't using the time to study or
research. Today, she had invited both of them to drop by her house
after school. Then she'd show them how much she was recovering, even
if she didn't believe it all herself.
Ami put a hand on Usagi's arm, stopping her short of ringing the
doorbell.
Unlike the interior of Makoto's house, the outside was more or
less modestly understated. Makoto always believed in keeping up the
appearance her parents had started. She liked keeping all her plants
indoors where she could make sure the environment was just right.
"I want you to promise me you'll keep your wits about you while
we're in there," Ami said. "Mako-chan's trying to show us how much
she's recovered and we shouldn't do anything or say anything that
might upset her."
By 'we,' she means me. "I won't do anything." Usagi
reached out again for the doorbell.
Ami, unfortunately, knew better. "No offense, Usagi-chan, but
you have been allowing yourself to get rather worked up over
Mako-chan's well-being. Am I right, Luna?"
"Yes," admitted Luna, purposely avoiding Usagi's eyes.
Usagi rolled her eyes. Was she being that obvious?
She pressed the doorbell button, triggering the muffled chime
inside the house. Thirty-seven seconds after that - Usagi made sure
to count every second - the door opened to reveal Makoto anxiously
standing there, apparently having forgotten she still had the pair of
reading glasses she'd taken to wearing attached to her face. They
made her look strikingly intellectual.
Usagi figured she had better stop obsessing over all of the
trivial details. The last thing she needed was for someone like Luna
to tell her she was being a little on the uptight side.
"Please, come in," smiled Makoto, offering to take their jackets
and bookbags. "I was hoping you would come."
"You're our friend," Ami sat next to Luna and Usagi on the couch.
"There's no reason why we shouldn't come. Oh, by the way, they say
at school that you're doing so well in algebra class you answer
almost every question the teacher asks the class."
Makoto blushed. "They?"
"Well... okay, Akemi told us. She said that if you keep doing
this well, she's going to have to start copying off your papers more."
"She copies answers off my papers?" Makoto hesitated. "That's
not right. I'm going to have to have a talk with her about that."
One of the pots on the stove began bubbling. She excused herself in
order to turn the temperature down on that corner of the stove.
Usagi leaned closer to Ami. "Blabbermouth," she whispered.
Wielding a pair of oven mitts Makoto hefted another pot onto a
potholder. "I apologize for not being completely prepared, but I'm
experimenting with a new dish and I'd be grateful if you gave me your
honest opinions of it."
Usagi and Ami stood. Ah - a taste test? The mere thought of
having to endure a taste test often gave people internal fits. Not
so with Makoto Kino; cooking was one of her favorite pastimes. She'd
inherited her mother's affinity for cooking at a young age. Mom had
worked off and on as a caterer, and young Makoto took to cooking like
an artist to a blank canvas. To her it was a means of bringing
herself closer to her mother, ever more important now to her than
ever. Besides, it kept her busy.
Not that anyone minded, for Makoto was probably the only person
never completely satisfied with what she cooked. It was the artist
in her surfacing - a smidge too much perfectionism, perhaps? What
was wrong with wanting your dishes to taste and look perfect to you
as well as everyone else?
Both Ami and Usagi offered each other a smile. Some things
never changed.
Usagi shuffled over to the dining table. Their friend's
homework lay spread out all over it. This, too, was Makoto's usual
style, yet... All her questions were completed. Usagi withdrew her
breath - sure, she finished her homework in one night, too, but it
generally took her until bedtime to do so.
Ami looked over the answers with a better trained eye.
"Mako-chan? You've made a small transposition mistake on this
problem. The answer should be twenty-four, not twelve."
"Really? Let me see." Makoto came over to check for herself.
"...You're right! Thank you," she said politely. "I think I was a
bit tired when I worked on that problem at the end of the school day."
The end of the school day? Usagi thought. Oh, this is too
much!
Makoto quickly and quietly put all her schoolwork back into her
faithful old bookbag. She had a lot of studying to do, but that
could wait until later this evening. Her life didn't revolve
entirely around academia, after all...
Usagi again leaned close to Ami. "Bet you're glad she's not
doing as well on her work as you are."
Ami's face and emotions didn't betray what she was thinking.
She bit her lower lip. "I don't know about that... she's obviously
putting more effort into her schoolwork and studying than I am. As
for her mistake, it was a simple error; I could and have made similar
mistakes."
The revelations came as a shock to Usagi. Luna, meanwhile,
decided to pay closer attention. "It wouldn't hurt you to put more
effort into your studying, too," Ami concluded. Luna agreed, briskly
nodding. "Remember, your future self even suggested that you
should--"
"Don't remind me," sighed Usagi. She was glad she hadn't let
any anger or annoyance show. No matter how much Ami-chan tried to
sugar-coat everything and make it seem that everyone was okay,
Mako-chan had changed! And Rei's belief that Makoto wouldn't want to
be a Sailor Senshi any longer at this rate just might become
reality... What could she do?
One of the things Makoto hadn't cleared from the table was the
daily newspaper. And on that paper... a front page article about the
Sailor Senshi! Usagi snatched up the paper and read it. The Sailor
Senshi - Chibi-Usa included - had saved a reporter from a daimon the
night before. Guess the newspaper thought that was worth a
front-page story. Where had they gotten that picture of her and Rei,
though? Must be a stock photo... she hadn't even paired off with
Rei-chan last night. Ami and unofficially, Chibi-Usa, yes. It
certainly would have been nice to have Makoto along, too...
If anyone had taken a picture of them, she figured she would
have noticed.
Hey, wait... that's it! "Nee, Mako-chan," Usagi brought the
article over to Makoto before Ami - or perhaps Luna - could protest.
"Have you heard about the Sailor Senshi? Wouldn't it be great to be
like them?"
Unfortunately, Usagi had taken little time to choose her words
wisely. "Usagi!" Ami started.
Makoto took the newspaper and read the article. "Oh, yes. The
Sailor Senshi... I've seen some of the articles about them lately.
They're supposed to be some sort of superheroes, aren't they?" She
sets the newspaper on the countertop. "I suppose it would be
interesting... but I'm not that type of person. I'd rather read a
book than fight someone."
"You--" Usagi blurted, before Ami and Luna silenced her.
"There are other ways to settle a fight than violence," Makoto
headed back toward the stove.
"You have to admit, however, that there are those out there who
recognize nothing but violence," Ami pointed out.
"A violent confrontation can still be avoided if you take the
time to stop and think."
Usagi frowned. How did these 'rules' apply to fighting monsters
and demons?
Five minutes later, Makoto had made the transition from stove to
plate. She had even gone to the trouble of putting together a small
dish for Luna. Luna wished she weren't on the floor underneath the
table so that she could get a look at Usagi and Ami's expressions
before sampling the food herself.
Usagi gingerly pushed her fork into the food, thin strips of
pasta bathed in a specially-seasoned sauce. There were small slivers
of peppers and green onions and other seasonings Usagi didn't
recognize. She twirled up a forkful of pasta. It clung to her fork.
"What do you call this?"
"I haven't thought of a name yet." How comforting. Oh, well,
shouldn't let it get cold...
Usagi gathered her courage and nibbled at the tip of her pasta
ball. Hey, this isn't bad!
"So?" Makoto asked excitedly. "What do you think?"
"It's great!" Ami assured her. "You've always had a talent for
cooking."
"Thank you," beamed Makoto. "I'm glad you like it."
Elsewhere, Trianna, too, felt she had good reason to celebrate.
She was in the process of polishing the final touches on her ultimate
melody. The one the mortals would be absolutely dying to hear.
She laughed. So what if it was a terrible joke? It applied,
didn't it?
Now that the song was theoretically complete, all she had to do
was take care of a few things. Like a certain group of music
critics, for example.
* * * * *
"Are you positive you want to join our study group, Kino-san?"
Saeko asked. Flanking Makoto on her other side was Saeko's friend
and co-chair of the study group, Kaori. Neither girl seemed
altogether comfortable walking alongside Makoto. "It involves a
great deal of work."
Out in front, Makoto simply continued walking. School was out
for the day, and Makoto was anxious to get home to finish her
homework. "Yes. I'm prepared to work hard if it's necessary. I'm
already trying to determine which juku I should attend." She knew
attending a juku would take up even more of what little free time she
had now, but that was a tradeoff she was willing to make.
Needless to say, Saeko and Kaori were impressed. They, too had
heard of Makoto's sudden improvement in her schoolwork and were
taking advantage of the opportunity to verify that this wasn't just a
temporary phase. Or perhaps some sort of practical joke she and that
Tsukino girl had cooked up. "Have you decided on a specific juku
yet? We can help you decide."
"I'm thinking about attending the one Ami attends. I can't
remember its name, though."
Name-dropper... "It's the same juku we attend. You might want
to start with a lower level class and work your way up, however."
"Good point. I'll keep that in mind."
The trio rounded the corner of the school building.
Someone was waiting for them. "Hey, Kino. Glad you could come.
I'd hoped you'd be here." It was a boy, roughly the same age as the
girls, with all the menacing air of a punk surrounding him. Now,
where had Makoto seen that type of look before?
Saeko and Kaori turned to Makoto. "Do you *know* him?"
Makoto shook her head. "Not that I remember."
"I've heard about your amnesia, Kino," the boy nonchalantly
stated. "It's a real shame. But then, you probably didn't know me
before, either, did you? We never remember the ones we beat up..."
"Beat up!?" Makoto tried to convince Kaori and Saeko that she
had no idea what the boy was talking about.
"I promise you that you'll remember me from now on! I'm going
to pay you back for what you did to me!" The boy charged Makoto.
For some reason, she stood her ground while Saeko and Kaori screamed
in fear and ran away.
"Now no one can save you, Kino!" the boy snarled.
Makoto wanted to move, even yelling it in her thoughts, but her
legs refused to carry her anywhere.
The boy thought he had her by the look of fear on her face. He
threw his first punch; all Makoto could see was the blur of his arm in
motion. No...!!!
The punch went wide. What? To her surprise, Makoto found
herself staring at the broad side of the boy's forearm. She had
dodged the punch!
Makoto stepped back. "Um, uh, look, can't we talk this one
over?"
"What kind of idiot are you?" the boy drew back his arm. "No
one TALKS their way out of a fight!"
Another punch. Makoto managed to dodge it. "Lots of people do!"
Punch, dodge. "Pity you're not one of them!!" Terribly
frustrated now, he wound up for a series of strong, quick jabs aimed
for Makoto's head. No way was some amnesiac girl gonna make a fool out
of him... no way was Kino Makoto going to make a fool out of him,
again!
Oh, really? Understanding that her instinct seemed to have a
better idea what to do in this situation, Makoto willingly let it
take over, pulling away from three more shots then ducking the
fourth... and coming back up with a solid punch of her own right into
the boy's gut.
As she hopped back, only barely aware of what she had done, he
doubled over in pain. Eyes tightening shut enough to show how much
pain he was feeling, he sent a look of pure anger her way. "I'll get
you for this!" the boy retreated. "I promise!"
Had Makoto not been staring down at her hands in pure horror, as
though they were no longer a part of her body, she might have paid
attention to the threat. "What have I done?" Where had that come
from? Why? "I'm not that type of person!" she wailed. "I
can't be!"
She ran, not caring where her feet took her as long as it was
far enough away. Away from the scene of the crime, away from her
guilt...
From her perch in one of the overhanging tree branches, Luna had
witnessed the entire thing.
I ran all the way home without stopping. Well... almost. I
stopped to catch my breath once, and somehow I found I'd wound up at
the Game Center.
A blond-haired guy wearing an apron came through the doors while
I stood there. He started to sweep the walkway. Hmm... must be
Motoki, Furuhata Motoki. Usagi told me about him before we went in
last time. Good looking, but taken.
He noticed me. "Ah, hello, Mako-chan! Good afternoon... what's
wrong?"
"Nothing." I didn't believe it when I said it, so why should he?
"Come on," he offered in a friendly tone. "I can see that
something's bothering you."
"Nothing's wrong!" I repeated, my voice growing louder and a
slight bit hoarse for some reason. Nope, nothing's wrong. Nothing
at all. Just my worst fears coming true...
I ran away again. Motoki knew me. I don't want him to see me
like this.
When I got home I threw my bookbag onto the couch - I think it
actually landed on the floor or in the corner - and immediately
locked myself in my bedroom, forgetting to take off my shoes along
the way. Oh, well, who's gonna know?
The mirror. My mirror-image was ruffled - hair and uniform out
of place - and scared. I have to admit, I can see it in my eyes.
Did Motoki see it, too?
I took several deep breaths, but my heart didn't want to
cooperate at first.
"I... I hit that boy. How could I do such a thing? It's not
me. It's not me at all...!"
Makoto Kino, tomboy.
"Take that back!"
Huh? My voice...
"Take that back!"
"It's true; Hiro doesn't love you. He's just leading you on.
Stringing you along."
"You LIAR!" I snarled, readying my fists. C'mon, one more lie
about Hiro-kun and...
The girl closed her eyes. Must feel pretty sure I won't do
anything - ha! "Hiro really loves me, and me only."
I let her have it.
The next thing I know, two teachers pull us away from each
other. "What's going on here?"
My opponent was busy checking her face. "She started it!" she
pointed angrily at me. In that moment I knew all the witnesses were
going to side with her.
Both teachers looked at me. "Kino Makoto. I might have known."
The memory faded. "No!" I held my head tightly within my
hands, collapsing onto my bed. "Why am I seeing these images?"
"Don't worry, it's usually only a temporary condition." Okay,
fine. It's been a week and I'm still not back to normal. Not even
my doctor has a good explanation for it. All he has to offer is that
amnesia can last a long time. That doesn't tell me a thing.
Of course, the big question is, do I want to remember? Most
of what I remember's not the person I should be. And no matter how
much my friends dance around the issue, that's who I was, I just know
it!
I cried. What can I do? What am I going to do?
"I'm really worried about Usagi," admitted Rei.
Minako raised her eyes from Rei's broom. It wasn't that often
Rei let her defenses down and admit she cared about what happened to
Usagi. Minako was also worried; Usagi was so concerned with
Mako-chan's change in personality that she didn't notice her own
change. Both girls know Usagi cared deeply about all her friends and
would do anything she could to help them - but Usagi's new behavior
went beyond normal. "She'll probably return to normal once Mako-chan
does." If she does...
"I don't know," Rei's tone told Minako she didn't quite believe
the assumption either. A cold breeze blew through the leaves in the
yard. Minako shivered. Rei's head perked up, eyes scanning the sky.
A premonition, of approaching evil...
The Senshi had learned to recognize Rei's reactions to senses or
premonitions as best they could. They had no choice; Rei never gave
a thorough explanation of any of her premonitions. She enjoyed
being vague. It gave her words an intriguing weight.
"What is it? Did you sense something?"
Rei nodded slowly. "Something evil."
"A daimon?" Minako asked, getting to her feet.
"I'm not sure."
Oh, boy... Minako reached into her jeans pocket for her
transformation pen. Whatever Rei sensed wasn't likely to be a
pushover.
"ATTENTION ALL MUSIC CRITICS!!" a voice boomed. To Minako it
sounded more like a voice broadcast over an expensive stereo system
than a bullhorn. "I know that voice!" she tensed her muscles.
"So do I." Instead of her pen, Rei brought up her communicator.
"I WILL GIVE YOU ONE LAST CHANCE TO NOT INTERFERE WITH THE
RELEASE OF MY ULTIMATE SONG! THE WHOLE WORLD WILL ENJOY IT WHETHER
THEY WANT TO OR NOT!"
It would be the last thing they hear.
"Gee, you think she means us?" smirked Minako.
"There's one way to find out."
"Usagi and Ami-chan?"
"They're on their way, with Chibi-Usa."
"Okay!" Both Senshi raised their pens to the air. "Venus Star
Power..."
"Mars Star Power..."
"...make up!!"
In the streets outside the Hikawa Shrine, Trianna was satisfied
she had made her message. If those Sailor Senshi music critics
hadn't heard it, she'd made a tape of it. She'd walk all over the
districts broadcasting it if she had to, starting with this edge of
the district.
But they wouldn't leave her alone to do what she wanted. Oh,
no. She knew better than that. They'd pop up and try to interfere,
like all 'good guys' did. It was their job or something.
And they had such wonderful timing, too. "Destroying other's
lives in the name of music is a no-no."
Ah, there they were. Trianna turned to face Sailor Mars and
Sailor Venus. Only two? Oh, well. "It's art. You don't know much
about art, do you?"
"More than you do," Venus answered. "We know art - and you
aren't it." Oops. Her slip, because Trianna had changed her
appearance since they had seen her last. She'd dyed her magenta hair
an almost full violet, accenting her sunken eyes and cheekbones with
pastel-lime green makeup. She had removed all traces of leather from
her outfit and most of the gold jewelry as well.
"D'you like the look?" the demon mock-modeled for them. "I had
it done because... Musicians in my line of work can't risk lettin'
their images go stale, ya know. Guess you don't have to worry about
that."
"Of all the nerve--"
Venus drew Mars back. "Mars!" She shifted her attention back
to Trianna. "You didn't come here just to trade insults, did you?"
Trianna sniffed. "No, I guess not. I was kinda hopin' you'd
leave me alone and let me do what I came here to do?"
"Destroy someone else's life?" a familiar voice asked. "Not
very likely."
Sailor Moon, Sailor Chibi-Moon and Sailor Mercury - along with
Luna and Artemis - approached Trianna from behind. "Sailor Moon!"
Mars and Venus exclaimed. "I won't let you hurt anyone else this
time," declared Sailor Moon.
"You're not interfering this time!" Trianna grit her teeth.
She triggered an intense sound and light show with a single touch of
the Play button on her new and considerably improved deluxe boom box.
Psychedelic colors and sounds forced each of the five backward.
The Senshi cried out, shielding their eyes and ears. When it was
finally safe to lower their arms Trianna was no longer standing
between them. "She's gone!"
Determinedly, Sailor Moon wasted no time in checking in every
direction. "Ami-chan - can you pick up where she's gone?"
Mercury activated her faithful visor. "It'll take a couple of
seconds." Even Senshi technology didn't work at the speed of light.
Her visor's targeting crosshairs converged in one spot. "That way,"
she pointed.
Sailor Moon began to run in the direction Mercury had specified.
"All right, let's go!"
It didn't take long for the others to notice Sailor Moon was a
great deal more eager to catch Trianna than anyone else. "Sailor
Moon!" Luna called. "Wait for the rest of us!" The Sailor Senshi
were far more powerful working together as a team, after all...
"There's no time!" Sailor Moon yelled in return. "She's
getting away!"
Mars caught up with Sailor Moon. "What do you think you're
going to do, odango-brain? Take her on all by yourself?"
There was an intensity to Usagi's eyes Rei hadn't expected.
"Yes! Don't you understand? I have to. It's my fault Mako-chan
got hurt. I abandoned her. I'll never forgive myself if that
monster wins!"
Mars slowed to a halt, followed by Mercury, Venus, Chibi-Moon,
Artemis and Luna, Sailor Moon's confession having caught them all
like a slap in the face. "Usagi-chan..." Rei watched her friend race
off.
They picked up running after Sailor Moon. "So that's what's
been bugging her!" Venus commented. "How could she think she's
responsible for Makoto getting hurt? It doesn't make sense!"
Mercury thought about it. Actually, it was starting to make a
little sense. Usagi believed that she had abandoned Mako-chan. That
could only mean one thing. Instead of waiting for Makoto to get out
of detention the fateful day of the accident, Usagi had chosen to
follow Rei, Minako and Ami to the shopping district.
It was likely that had they waited for Makoto, she probably
would have been somewhere else at the time of the accident. But that
did not justify placing the blame for Makoto getting hurt on Usagi's
shoulders, Ami thought out loud. If anything, they were all to blame.
Unseen by the others, Luna broke away from the group, padding as
fast as her cat legs could take her in a different direction. With
her single-minded attitude Usagi-chan was bound to get herself in big
trouble. Luna figured she knew what had to be done.
* * * * *
C'mon, Makoto, concentrate! Europe's political structure is...
blank.
Concentrate!
I'm trying to bury myself in my schoolwork. Something,
anything! If I don't, I'll start thinking about my past again, and I
don't want that to happen! I'm scared!
Again. Europe's political structure... political structure... I
know this one...
No good.
"Makoto, wherever did you get that defiant attitude of yours
from?" Mom asks, waving the expulsion notice directly in front of my
nose.
"But Mom, I--" I say. I didn't start the fight! It was
Hiroko's fault - her and all those lies about Hiro-kun. She thinks
that just because he's 'Hiro-kun' and she's 'Hiro-chan' they're meant
for each other...
Mom didn't let me finish. "This is the second school you've
been expelled from for fighting! Would you like to try for three,
young woman? We can travel the country seeing how fast you can get
expelled from all the schools!"
"But Mom, it wasn't my fault!"
"Makoto, your principal... excuse me. Ex-principal - says
that it was your fault. Who do you think I'm going to believe? It
isn't like this is the first time this has happened! Now go on up to
your room. I doubt your father will be very pleased when he finds
out why you're being expelled again."
I know she won't listen to anything else I have to say, so I run
up the stairs to my room and slam the door. I fall onto my bed,
crying......
Crying.
My World History book is wet. It's happened again! Mom...
Dad... how could I have brought you so much shame? It will never
happen again, I promise!
"Mako-chan."
I look up. No, not another memory! Wait...... I don't think it
is. I'm not envisioning anything else. Seeing things... that's one
of the signs you're losing your mind, isn't it?
"Mako-chan?"
That voice. Don't I know it from somewhere?
Where did that voice come from? If not my thoughts, then where?
I decided to get up and look around. Maybe it'll keep my mind
off my memories, at least.
Luna was standing behind my chair. "Luna-chan! How did you get
in here?"
"I came in through the window."
Yes, I'd left the window open. "Oh," I relaxed. "What are you
doing here? Usagi-chan will be worried..."
I picked Luna up and looked into her eyes. Maybe Luna's stare
had something to do with it, but my mind went distant again.
A young woman, dressed in an elegant gown stands before me, her
warm smile almost melting into the long tails of blond hair framing
her face. "Princess Serenity," I bow in respect. "I swear on my
life to protect you and keep you safe, no matter what the cost."
Princess Serenity's face reforms into Luna's, crescent-moon mark
and all. Luna?
What was that memory from? A fairy tale? A princess I've sworn
to protect...? Still holding Luna, I sat back down in my chair.
"Great," I say. "Now my imagination wants in on the act."
"Mako-chan, please... it's important that you remember who you
really are."
"No!" I insist. "I don't want to be that type of person!"
I'm not a tomboy. I'm not, I'm... wait a minute! I'd just
realized what was wrong with this conversation.
"You... spoke!" I left Luna on the table, scrambling backward
over my chair to distance myself from her. "Cats don't talk!"
Luna sighed. "Regular cats, perhaps." She cleared her throat.
I've never heard a talking cat sound so well-educated before...
"Makoto, I wish I didn't have to tell you this ahead of time, but
Sailor Moon - the Princess - is in trouble, and we need your help to
save her."
"M-m-me? What can I do? I'm not a fighter." If I say it
enough times, I'll believe it...
Luna hesitated. "You are Sailor Jupiter, one of the Sailor
Senshi, sworn to protect Princess Serenity of the Moon since the time
of the Silver Millennium. Along with Usagi, Ami, Rei and Minako, you
have been defending justice and preventing Evil from realizing its
goals."
"Uh...... okay. I'm imagining all this." I stood up and went
over to the window to shut it, turning away from Luna. "My mind is
punishing me for not listening to my memories."
"I don't know about that," I heard Luna say. Persistent talking
cat, isn't she? "Please, search your mind. The truth is there."
When I turned back around Luna was staring up at me again. That
stare... More images pass through my thoughts... I'm wearing a Sailor
Senshi costume - no, uniform. White, green, pink...
Panicking, I clutch at my temples. "What have you done to me?"
This afternoon I wasn't even sure the Sailor Senshi were for real...
"The Sailor Senshi are real. You are real, Sailor Jupiter. If
you don't believe me, your Sailor Senshi pen should be in your
bookbag. It's a green pen with a gold cap."
My Sailor Senshi pen? So that's what that pen is? I'd thought
it was special since I found it in my bookbag. So special, I haven't
dared use it at all. Just a pencil and a cheap ball-point pen that
keeps leaking ink all over my papers.
I take the pen out of my bookbag. "Is this it?" Maybe Luna
knew what she was talking about...
"Yes. That's your Senshi transformation pen. Does holding it
now trigger any memories?"
I glance down at the pen in my hands, but my thoughts are so
much of a blur I can't tell anymore. If Luna's right and this is my
'Sailor Senshi transformation pen,' what am I supposed to do with it?
Vague memories...
Luna had the answer. "I'm going to tell you what to do, but you
must do it of your own free will, Mako-chan. You must believe. Are
you ready?"
The thoughts in my head and feelings in my heart agree. I want
to be myself again! "I'm ready."
"Good. Now stand up straight." This, I did. "Hold the pen
high and say the words--"
The words formed in my mind; I spoke them at the same time Luna
did.
"Jupiter Star Power...... make up!"
I... I remember now. Everything! It's all coming back to me.
I'm Sailor Jupiter.
My transformation took less than ten seconds. I don't know how
long for sure, even though Ami got curious enough one day to time our
transformations. Seems longer to me when I'm transforming, anyway.
Hey, I do remember everything! This means my amnesia's gone!
Great!
Let's check... lace-up ankle boots, green skirt, white bodysuit
and gloves, emerald brooch on a pink ribbon, green collar, choker...
and the golden tiara buried in my hair.
Yeah, it's cute little me, all right. Jupiter-chan! Eh-heh...
"Mako-chan?" Oh, yeah! I almost forgot.
I grinned, propping myself against the table with gloved hands.
"Call me Sailor Jupiter."
Luna's face brightened. "Then you remember everything?"
"I guess so." I hope! "What happened to me?"
"You were on the verge of becoming a different person entirely.
We..." Luna paused. "We almost lost you." She leapt off the table
on her way to the door. "But we'll deal with that later. Usagi-chan
believes it's her fault you were hurt, and she's decided to take on
the demon that hurt you all by herself to make up for it."
That doesn't sound like Usagi. I do kinda remember what I was
like while suffering from amnesia, but... Everyone was too busy
tiptoeing around me. "That's crazy! Where'd she get the idea it was
her fault?"
"I'll tell you on the way. We've got to help Usagi!"
I straighten, tugging at the slack in my bodysuit. Don't know
if that rumor Ami-chan read on the Internet about some sick people
wanting to look up our skirts is true, but I'm not taking any chances!
Another cool thing about these uniforms is that I never have to
wash or sew them. Yeah, I know how that sounds, but all I need to do
is change back and transform, and they're like new again!
"Lead the way." I followed Luna out of the room. Oh - better
lock the door. One last look back at the room... I can't believe how
close I came to becoming someone else.
* * * * *
Sailor Moon came to glare face-to-face with Trianna in the park.
This was the chance she'd waited for... The one that would make up in
part for some of the guilt she felt for abandoning Mako-chan and
letting her get hurt. For letting Makoto abandon her memories for a
different personality.
"Well, well, well!" the demon smirked. "If it ain't the chief
music critic!"
Sailor Moon scowled. "No! Don't you get it? I'm NOT a music
critic. I'm Sailor Moon!"
Trianna only laughed. "If you have a problem with me
broadcastin' my music for the whole world to hear, then you're a
critic!"
Fine. Believe what you want. Sailor Moon showed no signs of
backing down. "What, and let you hurt everyone like you did my
friend?"
"Your friend? Music's all about pain. If you can't hack it,
well..."
"Music is not meant to be used as a weapon, to hurt people!
You've taken it and turned it into something dark, evil and hateful!"
"Yeah," sighed Trianna. "Isn't it wonderful?"
"No, it's not! I can't allow you to go on hurting others for
your own entertainment! In the name of the Moon," Sailor Moon
brought her Heart Moon Rod forth. "I shall punish you!"
Trianna seemed amused. "How cute. Didn't we wake up on the
self-righteous side of the bed this morning! But I'm afraid I can't
let you do that. Y'see, I've got a schedule t'keep." She shoved her
boom box scant inches from Usagi's face and blasted her.
But Sailor Moon was determined, and she wasn't about to be taken
out of the fight that easily. She pushed back against the sound
blast, struggling to get close to her demon opponent.
"Unnnh.........!"
Trianna stopped the music short. Without the music to buffer
her up, Sailor Moon fell forward onto her face, flapping her arms
frantically as though she thought she could avoid falling by flying.
She'd been on the ground less than a full second before
springing back to her feet. I'm not out yet!
Mercury, Mars, Venus and Chibi-Moon arrived on the scene as
Sailor Moon scrambled to engage Trianna again. Artemis was lagging
behind - Luna had disappeared, and it troubled him. What could she
be up to?
Mercury watched Sailor Moon try to bat Trianna's boom box out of
her hands with the Heart Moon Rod. "We're too late," Mercury
acknowledged.
Mars obstinately decided otherwise. "I don't think we're too
late." She readied her hands. "Burning--"
"No!" Venus placed herself in front of Mars. "They're too
close together. You might hit Usagi!"
"She's got enough sense to move."
"Not when she's set on taking care of that demon by herself,"
Mercury reminded her. "We have to get closer. Maybe there's a way
we can separate them."
Chibi-Moon was listening to the debate while keeping an eye on
the fight. Sailor Moon, step back and let the others take over? It
wasn't going to happen. Not the way Usagi was behaving.
"Give it up," Trianna told Sailor Moon. "You're not gonna win
with all that anger and single-minded determination. You'll be
tripping yourself up."
Luna had warned Usagi about such dangerous behavior in the past.
To fight with a clear mind and a clear conscience. Do not let anger
color your actions. Above all, keep in mind how a true Princess
should act or react.
Of course, Usagi was disregarding all of this. She readied the
Heart Moon Rod for a Moon Spiral Heart Attack. "What do you know
about it? Moon--"
That was as far as she got, for Trianna reached in and batted
the Heart Moon Rod out of Sailor Moon's grasp, forcing her to the
ground. "What did I tell you?" Trianna shook her head. "Now I'm
goin' t'have to take care of you."
"Sailor Moon!" her teammates cried, running to her aid. But
before they could reach her, another familiar voice cut through the
evening air like one of Tuxedo Kamen's roses. "Sparkling......
Wide... Pressure!"
Sailor Jupiter's Sparkling Wide Pressure caught the demon
off-guard, knocking Trianna out from under her boom box and away.
The boom box remained in midair for an instant, then succumbed to the
laws of gravity. It fell onto a concrete walkway like an expensive,
electronic brick and crumbled.
Six hopeful eyes sought out the newcomer. How...... it couldn't
be. Could it? There, on the slope at the other end of the
battlefield... yes, it was! Sailor Jupiter, Luna by her side! But
how?
"Sailor Jupiter," Sailor Moon repeated the name, relieved. Luna
dashed to Usagi's side. "I hope you see now how foolish you were
behaving."
"Scold me later!" Usagi tried to see where the Rod had landed.
"We're still in danger!" Especially Mako-chan; it appeared to Usagi
that Makoto was who she was supposed to be, by the intent look on
Jupiter's face and the way she carried herself. Mako-chan was back -
and if Usagi could help it, she wasn't going to lose her friend again!
Trianna shrieked, stumbling over to the remains of her boom box.
"My radio...... my precious radio... How could you have done this? I
had three more payments left on that! It would've been mine, all
mine... And the only recordin' of my song was in there, too!" She
looked up at Sailor Jupiter with her liquid-void eyes. All at once
she recalled exactly where she had seen Jupiter before. "You... so
you're the friend." Jupiter started in response. "You're gonna pay
for busting up my radio! You should've stayed down!"
Mars beat Jupiter to the punch with a Burning Mandara. Trianna
sidestepped the projectiles, returning fire by way of energy blasts
from her hands. The Senshi fanned out.
Chibi-Moon felt confident enough to send a Pink Sugar Heart
Attack Trianna's way. It hit, but did little damage. Venus took
over, using her Wink Chain Sword to keep Trianna on the move... until
the demon's blasts took out the ground in front of her. If the demon
was this strong, Venus wondered, why was she wasting her time with
stereo equipment and music?
For an encore Trianna blazed a path through Sailor Mercury's
Shine Aqua Illusion, mostly by luck. It was then that Jupiter called
in a Supreme Thunder.
After the attack passed, Trianna picked herself up. Not moving
out of the puddles of water left behind by Mercury's attack had been
a bad idea. Of course, standing up directly in the path of half a
dozen Burning Mandara shots didn't help either.
She continued to retaliate. However, because she was torn by
the loss of her boom box, she wasn't as effective a match for the
Sailor Senshi as she would have liked. Two more Burning Mandara
shots and a Sparkling Wide Pressure conspired to send her skidding
across the wet grass into a brick wall.
Even Chibi-Moon's Pink Sugar Heart Attack was having more of an
effect now. Not much, though, which was the main reason she wished
she had a much more powerful attack that worked every time she called
on it, without fail.
"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" Makoto's Dragon caught Trianna by
surprise for the last time. Trianna fell to her knees, too weak to
stand.
Sailor Jupiter walked closer to Sailor Moon, who was in the
process of picking up the Heart Moon Rod where it lay waiting for
her. "Your turn, Usagi-chan!"
Usagi nodded, raising the Heart Moon Rod and going through the
motions. "Moon... Spiral... Heart...... Attack!"
The Attack was the final blow. Trianna shattered like fragments
of fine glass in the wake of a giant pink heart, screaming a word no
one would have expected her to utter.
The Senshi regrouped. "Sailor Jupiter?" Sailor Moon put the
question to her friend. "How are you? Uh... are you okay? I
mean..."
"Don't worry," Jupiter said, relaxing. "I'm back to normal now,
thanks to Luna."
"So that's where you went," Artemis whispered to Luna.
The girls began to head for home. "And your amnesia?" Venus
asked.
"All gone. Um, I want to apologize for all the trouble I've put
you all through. I know it probably wasn't easy putting up with me."
"Nonsense!" Usagi said. "You're our friend. You'd do the same
for any of us!"
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "Get myself worked up and go out on a
personal vendetta?"
Usagi blushed. "Oops." Everyone laughed.
* * * * *
I sat there, looking up at the building for a second. Everyone
must be thinking about how strange I'm acting... but when I think
about the way I was acting last week, it couldn't be that weird.
Funny how strange it feels. I get that cold tingle all over, like
I've been here before or think I have and don't really remember it or
something. What did they call it? I'll figure it out later.
Well, time to go in. Don't wanna be too late for school.
Street shoes in my cubicle, a quick wave to Usagi and Ami-chan -
geez, am I that late already? Better run...
I made it just before the bell rang. Akemi gave me a funny
look. I went ahead and returned it. "What happened?" she asked.
"Huh?"
She pointed to my uniform. "You're wearing your brown uniform
again. Your blue one in the wash?"
I hadn't realized my uniform was such a big deal. "No, this is
the one I usually--"
Oh, I know. "My amnesia's gone," I pointed to my head. "I'm
back to normal."
Akemi laughed. "Since when were you normal?"
Old joke. I laughed, too. "Don't start with me."
People were starting to look at us. "Okay, okay," Akemi
pretended to be intimidated. Guess we'd better cut it out before
Kazemi-sensei tells us to.
"Kino-san?" Uh-oh. Kazemi-sensei was coming down the aisle
toward us. "Sensei?"
"Are you all right? You're not wearing your Juuban uniform..."
I blinked. "I'm fine. It's just that my amnesia's gone and I'm
back to normal."
"Oh." Sensei went back to the front of the class. Was she
disappointed?
It bothered me all the way into class. Did people actually like
me better as a bookworm? Er... no offense to Ami-chan. It's just
not me.
Later, sensei wrote some problems on the board. I was the first
person she called on. "Makoto? Can you solve problem A on the
board, please?"
Oh, no - I knew I should've studied this morning. "Umm... X
equals......... thirty-two?"
"I'm sorry," Sensei was definitely disappointed this time.
"Kyouko?"
I felt something in the pit of my stomach drop as Kyouko
answered the question.
Later that week, the rankings for the newest math test were
posted. Makoto had high hopes for her score, since she'd done well
on the previous test.
"That was while you had dedicated yourself to studying," Ami
said. She had already found her test rank and was helping Makoto and
Usagi find theirs.
Usagi found hers, in the late twenties yet again. Maybe she was
getting better... thank goodness for Ami-chan's help... "C'mon, it
can't be worse than mine," she offered.
Makoto smirked. "Gee, thanks."
"There!" pointed Ami. "I've found it."
"Where?"
"Right there. See, number twenty-four." Better than Usagi's,
but nearly ten ranks lower than Makoto's earlier score.
"I don't believe it," Makoto braced herself against a wall. "It's
not fair! I'll never need to know all the useless stuff they're
forcing me to remember!"
Ami gave Usagi a knowing smile. Everything was indeed back to
normal.
CREDITS:
Written by: Mike Koos
Creative Consulting/Prereading: Richard Beaubien, Artemis & Luna,
Tom Williams
Special Thanks: Ed Little
All characters, names, places, storylines, etc., are the properties
of their respective owners. Everything else, I created. :)
Notes: I apologize to everyone who's been waiting for the conclusion
to this story. I knew the entire story was going to take a while to
complete, and I didn't want anyone who read my stories to wonder why
I was taking so long to release anything new (^_^) - besides which, I
always seem to wind up working on more than one fanfic project at a
time - so I split the story into two parts and rushed Part 1 out.
I came up with the idea for this story around the time I was
writing Digital Moon, if I remember correctly, but there were many
things holding the story back, least of which was that hard drive
crash I mentioned in Part 1, when I was beginning to write the story.
Thanks to all those who wrote me with comments and questions
about this story and the others I've worked on. Your comments and
questions are appreciated. :)
| Mike "Ranma Saotome" Koos |
| (AKA "Makoto Kino") |
| Email:
|
| |
"I can do nothing to stop you. Your
background music is too strong for
me."
---Whose Line is it Anyway?