Fan Fiction / Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Yamato Gun IV ❯ Everybody's Fool ( Chapter 2 )

"Look, here she comes now... Bow down and stare in wonder... Oh,
how we love you... no flaws when you're pretending... but now I
know..."

Two days have passed since the clones have disappeared, and the original Senshi have all but forgotten them. Minako and Rei are about to go hit the mall. Rei is finishing up her chores as she waits for Minako, who is late. But still fashionably late. "Hi, Minako!" Rei said as she saw the blonde walking up the steps to the shrine.

"Hi, Rei... I swear, we... have got to meet... somewhere that doesn't... involve as many steps." Minako said in between exaggerated breaths.

"Ah, the exercise'll do you good." Rei said, drawing a stuck-out tongue from Minako. "So you want to go storm the mall now, or catch your breath, come in and watch TV or whatever for a while?"

Minako sat down on the bench and made a great show of falling backwards, resting on the bushes behind it. "So tired... Can't... go on..." Minako said, then dropped the overtired facade. "Yeah, I guess I could stand to rest for a while. Kinda comfy here, anyway."

"Hi, Rei. I don't know how you stand going up these stairs every day." A second Minako said, walking up the steps, slightly offbalance.

"Oh, here we go again." Rei said, exasperated. "Will the real Minako please stand up?"

"Too... tired..." Minako One, the Minako lying on top of the bushes, said in mock exhaustion.

"What's... uh, what's my problem?" Minako Two asked before shaking her head, as if to get the cobwebs out.

"She made a joke involving going up all those steps and she's just milking it for all it's worth and then some." Rei replied. "You know how you are."

Minako started laughing at that, and kept laughing harder until she was almost rolling on the floor. "It wasn't that funny, was it?" Rei asked nobody in particular.

"I didn't think so." Minako One said.

"Neither did I. You alright, Mina Two? And what happened to your eyes?"

"What, she got that color thing?" Minako One asked.

"No, nothing like that... they're just really red."

"Sorry... hee hee hee... I'm just completely an-anviled. That's- that's why I'm la-ha-haughing so much..."

"'Anviled'?" Minako One and Rei said at the same time.

"Yeah... you never heard of it, have you?" Minako Two said, more a statement than a question, seeming to sober up a little. "Don't suppose you did, since Mako coined it in my universe. I'm high, ladies and-well, ladies. Sss... stoned out of my gourd." Minako Two knocked her knuckles on the side of her head to emphasize the point.

"I'd say something about either wood or hollowness, or both, but I'm trying to cut back on self-depreciation." Minako One said, making Minako Two laugh again.

"You're what!" Rei said, sweatdropping. "High! Hey, Mina-baka! Snap out of it!" She added to try to calm the still laughing Minako.

"Give the lady a cigar! Better yet, give-give her a joint!"

"Uh, no thanks to either, actually." Rei said slightly indignantly as she sat down on the bench beside Minako One, rubbing her temples. "You do pot in your universe?"

"Me and the rest of the Senshi... You know, your doppelganger is a lot more fun."

"I'd bet, if she's in half the condition you're in."

"Speaking from personal experience, I don't think it'll do any good to lecture me." Minako said. "Man, did that sound weird."

"Didn't it, though?" Rei said with a smirk as she turned back to the stoned Minako Two, who had burst into a fresh bout of laughter from Minako One's last statement. "Look, how's about we send you back to your original universe again. Forget this ever happened."

"Forget-hee hee-forget what ever happened?" Minako Two asked.

"That's the spirit."

"...No, really, what happened? I, uh, I can't remember what we were talking about." Minako Two shook her head again. "Man, am I just too stoned for interaction of any kind..." She added to herself quietly.

"Oh. Well, it's not important, don't worry about it." Minako One said as she flipped out her communicator. "Hey, Rei? While I'm talking to Raynor, how's about you page the others, see if they've found any other clones."

"What am I, your secretary?" Rei said in mock anger as she got out her communicator, making Minako Two laugh again.

"Thanks." Minako said, pressing a few buttons on hers. "Hello, Raynor? We've got another clone."

"You do? Who this time, the cats? That Mamoru guy?"

"Me again."

"Didn't we get you already?"

"Deja vu, I guess."

"Didn't we get you already?"

"Deja vu, I guess."

This again doubled Minako Two over with giggles. "She sounds like she's having fun."

"Tell me about it."

"Bring her up, I'll get this sorted out again."

"Will do."

"And see if the others are free, I think it'd be good to try out the new attacks."

"What? You mean the eye thing isn't just cosmetic?" Minako asked.

"No, not by a long shot. I take it Ami didn't tell you?"

"Would I be asking if she did?"

"Probably not, unless you simply forgot it, but I doubt you're that devoid of brain cells."

"Considering the state of my clone..."

"What's this about your clone?"

"Well, apparently the alternate universe Senshi are a bunch of stoners, and she's, as she put it, 'anviled'."

"Oh. Interesting phrase... just so long as she isn't sick or injured or anything."

"That sounded far too calm."

"Hey, when you've seen what I've seen, you make Dorian Gray look like Usagi on a bad day. Besides, it's not my place to judge anyone. Anyway, I got really really accurate with the Rifle when I had my color change happen, and the 6 that got stuck here each got a new attack or upgrade."

"Man, imagine if Zeratul becomes a DigiDestined."

"I figured he was already."

"No, he couldn't see the eye thing."

"Oh... and if that's what he's like normal then-man, I shudder to think. Good thing he's on our side, ne?"

"Hai. Venus out."

Minako One turned to Rei. "That's taken care of... any other clones?"

"I couldn't reach Makoto, but Ami and Usagi haven't seen theirs." Rei replied. "And Ami's going over to Makoto's now. She said she'd call us if anything happened."

¯¯¯---

"Never was and never will be, you don't know how you've betrayed
me, and somehow you've got everybody fooled..."

¯¯¯--- ¯¯¯--- ¯¯¯---

"Hey, Ami." I say, opening the door for her to come in.

"Hey, Makoto." She says as she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me. I can feel my cheeks get hot. Someone explain to me why she's doing this, especially since she hasn't even hinted at liking me this way? Not that I mind. Much. I just like a little warning, is all.

When I don't lean into the kiss right away she pulls back. "My, someone's happy to see me." I say with a smirk.

"...Oh, shoot, don't tell me I'm in a different universe again." She replies.

"Alright, you got me. I'm not your Mako."

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Makoto..." Ami says, blushing profusely and clutching a hand over her mouth.

In other circumstances, this would be incredibly kawaii. All that's missing is those glasses... Snap yourself out of it, Mako. Focus on what's happening. "In my universe... well, you and I are lovers..." Ami Two continues.

"I figured that."

"...And I never noticed I was in a different universe, and-"

"It's alright, Ami. No harm, no foul."

"Now I feel like such a baka..."

"Yeah, I would too..." I comment to myself, then immediately regret it. "Uh, I-I mean don't feel like a baka... it was an honest mistake." I amend hastily.

"I guess it was..." She agrees reluctantly. "Well, I guess I'll go back to Rei's, see if any others have shown up with me again."

"Alright." I say. "Hey, Ami?"

"Yeah?"

"Just because I didn't return that kiss doesn't mean I didn't enjoy it." I say with a smile and a wink.

Despite her blush deepening another five shades, which probably isn't too healthy, she smiles back and nods. "Bye, Makot-Mako-chan."

"Bye." I say as she walks out the door and down the hallway. "Well, that'll be the weirdest thing that happens today." I say to the empty apartment as I close the door. "Enjoyable, but weird."

As if to disprove myself, my brain gives me a small headrush as I sit down, but doesn't let it go away. "Fine. Don't be the weirdest thing that happens today. See if I care."

¯¯¯--- ¯¯¯--- ¯¯¯---

I walk quickly down the street to Makoto's apartment, thinking I'm late, I'm late, I'm late over and over. Now, this wasn't my fault at all; My watch stopped and I didn't notice. And now I've got to be on the lookout for my-or possibly the others'-clones as well. This day is not turning out as well as I'd expected.

Why do the fates love to mess with scheduling?

I get to the apartment and I'm about to go in the door when someone opens it from the inside and walks out. My eyes widen to saucers as I realize that I'm the one walking out the door!

My clone winks at me and gives me this little predatory grin that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. Something's wrong. Very wrong. What's happened? What has she done to Makoto?

As she casually strolls down the street, I start to panic. Makoto or the clone? I flip open my communicator and choose the former. "Hi, Rei? I just saw my clone going west out of Makoto's apartment. I'm going to go make sure she's alright."

"Alright. We'll try to catch up to your clone."

"If Makoto's out of commission I'm taking her to the hospital or the Hyperion so it's a safe bet that anyone with blue hair around isn't this me."

"Will do. Mars out."

I close the communicator and toss it back into Hammerspace as I give the mental command to transform and sprint up the four flights of stairs, then down the hall to Makoto's apartment. I quickly open the door and see Makoto, lying on the couch, watching TV. "Am-er, ah, Mercury! What are you doing here?" She says, bolting upright.

I breathe a sigh of relief as I close the door behind me and detransform. "Sorry for startling you, Mako... I--whoa, you alright?"

"Yeah, just a headrush..."

"Oh." I say, my paranoia agin laid to rest."I saw my clone walking out and she gave me this evil grin that put me completely on edge."

"Oh? Yeah, she's on her way to Rei's right now. That's a weird thing to do."

"Really? ...Maybe I was wrong. She seemed to be smirking at me like she did something to you and I was too late or something."

"What? I think you're just paranoid, Ami. She did nothing of the sort. We had no idea she was a clone until she kissed me, and after some red-faced explanations and an apology or thousand she left."

I raise an eyebrow. "Seems your clone has a love life." She adds.

"Seems like it, doesn't it? ...Hey, what are you implying?"

"Nothing at all." She says with a mischevious grin.

I stick my tongue out at her in reply. "You up to going to Raynor's universe then? since you, Minako and Rei got the eye thing, Raynor wants us to go field-test our weapons, to see how they w-hold on..." I say, a piece of metallic material on the carpet catching my eye. I pick it up by its sides, like a CD.

"Looks like some metallic plate or something." Makoto comments.

"Yeah. What's that symbol, though?"

The symbol is a red forearm with a whip in its hand, the actual whip lash making a circle around the forearm. "I've never seen it before... Hmm..."

"Neither have I... Think Raynor'd know? It looks like a war emblem or something of that nature." Makoto says, then shakes her head, almost as if to get the cobwebs out.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, I think so... I've just felt weird since Ami Two left."

"Weird? How?"

"I don't know. If I had to describe it... 'Buzzy' is the best I can come up with. Kind of like a permanent headrush. And it's gotten stronger since she left."

"Don't say that. Please don't say that."

"Sorry. Probably imagining it, anyway."

"Yeah. Anyway, It's definitely worth a shot to page Raynor." I flip open my communicator and page him.

"Y'ello?" He answers. "Hi, Ami."

"Hi." I reply.

"Another clone?"

"Only part of it this time."

Raynor's demeanor changes to one of pure business. "I'm listening."

"My clone just walked out of Makoto's apartment, and we think she dropped this patch. "I hold the patch to the communicator window, the symbol-printed side towards Raynor, and his eyes almost bug out of his head.

"You found that in Makoto's apartment! Dropped by the clone!"

"Yeah. What does this symbol mean?"

"First thing's first-did either of you touch the side without the symbol?"

I look at Makoto, and she shakes her head as her expression changes to one of slight fear. "Not to our knowledge, I picked it up off the ground by its side, like a data disk."

"Good. Wrap it in something non-porous and bring it here."

"Ok... be there in a second." I shut off the link and look worriedly at Makoto.

"She never touched me with that thing." She says quickly. "God damn, we've got an evil twin on our hands."

"Correction. We have five."

¯¯¯--- ¯¯¯--- ¯¯¯---

"West from Makoto's apartment..." Venus says as we jump along the rooftops on the way to Mako's. May as well start the search at the origin, right?

"Where would she be going?" I reply. "Makoto's is the westmost of any of our homes or hangouts."

"Maybe that's the point." Minako says, springboarding on a chimney and flying ahead a rooftop or so.

"So that's the way you want to play, eh?" I mumble to myself as I vault myself over a ledge and even myself out with her.

"You need me to slow up for you?" She says, taunting me. Ooh, she's in for it now.

"No thanks, I'm fine-" I say before I do a series of jumps and springs off of various walls and rooftops, turning on the proverbial afterburners. Hell, in my case, literally.

Now it's on, an all-out sprint to the apartment complex. And it's Mars in the lead with Venus coming up fast on the outside...

I see a flash of blue and white and then something hits me in the back in mid-jump and springs off of me, killing my momentum and doubling theirs. I land on the edge of the next building, barely. "Ow." I say of my knees, my palms and my back.

Wait. Whatever kicked off of me was sharp.

Heels.

That was Mercury!

"You alright?" Venus says, landing beside me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I reply hastily. "We gotta move, that was Merc that just kicked off of me."

"Wha-? I just saw a blue streak and next thing I know you almost don't make it on the-"

"No time, Venus!"

"-Right." She says and we both pick up the chase.

In everyone there's a certain amount of ego put in whatever they do. I'm no different. She thinks she can outdo me? Especially after possibly injuring, or doing something worse to, Makoto?

I'm probably leaving a smoke trail in my wake, not to mention Venus, as speed after her like a forest fire jumps from tree to tree. Buildings become almost a continual blur. I leap over one or two buildings at a time as I open up the Nitro. I'm catching up quickly. She's about ten buildings ahead-eight-

I do another vault, the largest yet, and if she continues on straight I'll deliver the biggest flying tackle I've ever even attempted. I'm almost there... one more building...

She drops down into the metre-or-so hole in between the buildings. Shoot, I'm going headfirst into gravel if I don't do something fast. I try to flip around and land on my feet, but don't quite make it, and end up sliding on my butt the length of the apartment's roof, only stopping when I hit a ledge on the other side. Man, is this going to hurt in the morning.

I get up and immediately feel a sharp pain in my tailbone, powerful enough to buckle my knees. I end up falling on my face. Damn, I hope it's not broken.

"Mars!" I hear Venus say, skidding to a stop about five feet from me. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so. My tailbone's the major question mark, but I don't think it's broken." I reply, rolling over to my back. Ow ow ow.

"Alright. Mercury's probably long gone by now."

"Really? I thought she'd just stop and see if I'm alright before getting away." I reply sarcastically, a little more venomous than I meant. This has not been a very good day so far. "Of course she's gone." I add in a defeated tone.

"Uh... yeah." Venus backs off. "So now what do we do?"

"We should probably detransform, let ourselves rest and heal some, and wait for our Ami and Makoto to finish at Raynor's."

"Works for me. We have to get Usagi, too. Where's the closest meeting place from here?"

"Minako looks over the edge of the building to get her bearings. "Probably the Crown Arcade, unless we want to wait at Makoto's. First thing's first, though-we should probably get off this rooftop."

"Makes sense. How far to the ground?"

Venus looks down from the edge. "Oh, about eight stories. Nothing we haven't handled before."

"Not with a tailbone screaming at us we haven't."

"Point. Can you walk?"

I shakily get to my feet. "One foot in front of the other." I sing from Avalanche as I try to walk around. No pain, that's a good sign. "I'm fine with walking, but I don't want to risk that jump."

"Easy enough." Venus says, picking me up in her arms.

"Hey, Venus! This wasn't what I had in miiind!" I say as she jumps off of the ledge, landing perfectly on the ground below.

"Hey, you're down now, aren't you?" She says, putting me down.

"You ever do that again and-" I say, trying to find something evil enough to do to her. "I don't even know what I'll do. I'll probably start with the Extra Crispy recipe, though."

"I could put you back up there." She half-threatens as we walk to the Crown Arcade.