A Twist - M&N Chapter 2
So here's the second installment. Thanks again to mrcrybrilliance for setting me straight when I started heading off course. ^_^
A/N: Standard disclaimer applies. I don’t own these characters; I’m not making money off of them. Please don’t sue!
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Makoto woke with a start. Her heart was pounding, and she was drenched in sweat. As the dream slowly turned into actual memory, the images began flowing freely through her mind again. She clutched at her sheets and pulled them over her head. She turned over and squeezed her pillow with a vice like grip and cried. After all the progress she’d made with Nephrite, learning to trust him again…
Hours passed as her emotions shifted from sadness to anger, disbelief to questioning her sanity. She cried, screamed into her pillow, threw things and tore papers into shreds. Her hair stood on end, static electricity building up within her. She needed a release, but transforming into Sailor Jupiter and letting loose with several thunderbolts was not exactly the best way to go about it while cooped up in her bedroom. Instead, she allowed a small amount of pent up electricity to escape from her fingers. It was nothing more than a few smallish sparks, but enough to get the power out of her body. Feeling empty, she collapsed back onto her bed.
As the clock approached the noon hour, there was a knock on the door followed by a soft voice. “Mako-chan? Are you alright, hon?”
It was Ami. Makoto attempted to speak up, but all that came out was a whisper.
Another knock, a louder voice… Apparently they hadn’t heard her, and now it was Rei’s turn. “Mako-chan? Is everything OK?”
She didn’t even attempt an answer. It wasn’t worth it. She just wanted to be alone and hoped they’d get the idea and leave. Unfortunately, that was not to be.
“Mako-chan, I’m coming in.” She heard Rei grab the handle and then… “OUCH! What the hell Mako?! Did you booby trap the door or something?”
Makoto groaned and decided to pull herself off the bed. She kicked away several books and other tossed items that had landed by the door before yanking it open with a growl. “No Rei, I did not ‘booby trap’ the door. I had a rough night that has lead into a horrible morning, and I needed to let off some energy.”
Rei’s annoyance at being shocked turned to sympathy at the tone of Makoto’s voice and at seeing past her sister and into her thoroughly trashed room. Ami craned her neck around Rei and also frowned at the sight of Makoto and her surroundings. The three stood in silence for a few moments before Makoto retreated back to the safety of her bed, leaving the other two at the door. Rei and Ami exchanged a knowing glance and nodded.
Ami spoke first. “I’ll get the coffee going.” She offered a small smile before heading off to the kitchen.
Rei entered the room and looked about before sitting on the bed beside Makoto. She frowned at the mess that surrounded the two, but could understand the frustrations at having bad memories return. They had all suffered nights like that before, and she knew it would still be a while longer before they ended.
The pair sat quietly for another few moments. Makoto lost in her memories; Rei trying to find the right words to console her sister. She knew Makoto rather liked being alone after a bad night, but could not help wanting to remind her that they were all there to support her.
“Do you want to talk about it?” She knew what the answer would be, but it was her duty to ask.
“No.”
And there it was. She couldn’t help but laugh on the inside at the predictability of that response. She moved to get up from the bed, but was stopped when Makoto placed a hand on hers.
“Wait.”
She looked at her sister. Her green eyes shone despite the redness that surrounded them. She could see the electricity dancing about, the spark that Makoto always held no matter her mood. Rei took Makoto’s hand in her own. She was never good at showing physical affection, but hoped that the small gesture would suffice for now. “What is it, Mako-chan?”
Makoto sighed and looked down as Rei took her hand. She knew the question she wanted to ask, but didn’t know how to ask it. She should have kept her mouth shut and just let Rei leave, but she did need answers. It pained her to have to talk about it, to rehash the things she’d seen in her dream.
About that time, Ami came back into the room with a mug of coffee. She offered Makoto a smile as she handed her the mug. “Extra cream and sugar, just how you like it.”
“Thank you, Ami-chan.” She took a small sip then held the warm mug between her hands, maintaining a firm grip. Looking up at Ami she continued, “I was about to ask Rei, but now that you’re here maybe you can answer too…”
Ami took a seat on the other side of Makoto, so that she was now sandwiched between herself and Rei. “I will answer anything to the best of my ability, Mako-chan.”
Makoto nodded. “I was wondering… Do either of you know… I mean… Have there been any signs that…” She looked down at her feet, her elbows on her knees. It was a stupid question, really. But she knew what she saw in her dream, or more specifically who she saw in her dream. “You’ve known her longer than I have, so I don’t know if I’ve just missed something…”
Ami looked over Makoto at Rei and raised an eyebrow. Rei only shrugged. Ami decided to ask first. “We’ve known whom, Mako-chan?”
“Osaka Naru.”
Both Ami’s and Rei’s eyes widened at the name. They exchanged a knowing look, though neither knew what to say next.
Makoto continued nonetheless, “Last night I dreamt of another woman with Nephrite. I saw the two of them at a Terran ball. She said something about a wedding… Their wedding.” She paused, trying to hold back more tears, yet one escaped and slid down her cheek. “It was Naru.”
Rei gave Makoto’s hand a light squeeze while Ami softly patted Makoto’s back. “Oh Mako-chan, I’m so sorry.”
She looked to both her sisters, gaining strength from their caring touch. “Nephrite was killed before I became Sailor Jupiter. But she’s still alive. And if he weren’t trapped in a stone…” She trailed off.
Taking a deep breath, she began again. “I guess what I’m getting at is… Has she shown any signs of remembering her past life?”
Ami shook her head. “I really don’t think so. At least, she hasn’t let on about it. Usagi-chan spends more time with her than any of us, and she’s never mentioned anything either….”
Rei nodded along with Ami’s response. She frowned, though, as another issue came to mind. There was still the matter of Sanjouin Masato. Makoto knew Naru mourned his death. However she did not know that Masato was, in fact, Nephrite.
That was not their place to share with Makoto. She was having a hard enough time as it was. No, that was something that needed to be left up to Nephrite to explain.
She gave Makoto’s hand another soft squeeze. “Mako-chan, perhaps you should speak to Nephrite about this tonight. As much as it hurts right now, he really is the best place for you to get your answers.”
Makoto looked to Rei, with tears in her eyes. “I know. I just…” She looked back down and wiped her face with her hands. “I know there must have been a resolution to this at some point after I found out in the Silver Millennium, which is fine. I can deal with that. But this girl, this woman, she’s still very much alive. Who’s to say that she won’t remember him if he weren’t in the stone? What do I do then?”
“I’m sure things will be fine, Mako-chan. Rei is right. You need to talk this over with Nephrite. I know the two of you will work things out, and it will be okay again. It may take time, but I’m sure the two of you will find out what you need to do to make it right.” Ami gave Makoto another pat on the back and a slight smile.
Makoto sat back up and looked to both of her friends. She forced a smile to each of them before standing. “I know. You guys are both very right. I’ll go to the meeting tonight, and I will talk to him.” She looked around her room and frowned again. “Though for now, I think I need to get to cleaning up this mess I made. Maybe it’ll help clear my mind.”