Fan Fiction / Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Yamato Gun IV ❯ Hello ( Chapter 8 )

A distorted guitar note fades in and out, and then a kind of angsty and depressing piano piece starts. "Playground schoolbell rings again... rain clouds come to play again... has no one told you she's not breathing?"

"Oh... no... Makoto..." I say softly, suddenly filled with an intense sadness. I feel like I just heard her last breath. Tears start to flow.

"Hello, I'm your mind giving you someone to talk to... Hello..."

The song is one of the most depressing songs I've ever heard, even without the context hitting so close to home. "If I smile and don't believe I know I'll wake from this dream... Hello, I'm the lie, living for you so you can hide..."

Even though I'm still trying to regain some semblance of composure, I'm trying to figure out the lyrics. Everything from this verse only serves to confuse me. What does it mean?

The song goes into a crescendo, only really marked with the singer's voice hitting what must be the high note of the song, and the addition of a violin during the bridge and what must be the last verse. "Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping... Hello... I'm still here, all that's left of yesterday..."

The song goes finishes its piano solo and ends. "Your findings, computer?" Raynor says softly.

"Makoto will die in the near future, or at least worsen in her condition. This event will either force Ami into insanity or she will go back to the Imaginary world again, talking with Makoto's spirit. This may be preceded by a period of denial, as is mentioned in the second verse. The 'lie living for you so you can hide' is an unknown; its meaning, if any, in this situation is unclear."

"I only hope it's wrong... Computer, what is the chance of what you are saying to be correct?"

"There is approximately a 42 chance of Ami going insane and a 63.6 chance of her talking to Makoto's spirit, but Makoto's demise or the worsening of her condition is definite given the parameters."

"This is surreal." I comment, staring out into space, my voice a whisper, the tears still flowing. I feel like everything I ever wanted, everything I ever could hope and dream for, is gone. It all doesn't matter.

"I wish it were surreal, Ami. I wish these things didn't happen and that everyone could just... just coexist peacefully." A long pause. What use is there for more words? "I was a pacifist during my teenage years."

"What changed you?"

"My father was killed by the Confederates. Through some digging I found out he was going to expose a lot of corruption in the old Terran Confederacy, but never got the chance. I joined them to sort of pick up where he left off."

"That's quite the noble cause, Raynor."

"Thanks, Ami."

My watch beeps. "Oh, shoot. I have to go. Prior engagements."

"Alright then. Any developments-"

"I'm the first to know."

Raynor nods. I get out my minicomputer. "DigiPort open!"

¯¯¯---

Another day has passed and I'm starting to wonder if the song's lyrics really do predict Makoto's demise. The Camo virus is still in her system. Raynor says it's the longest it's stayed in a person's system with no change in their state, and I believe him. It's been an eternity to all of us.

I now dream about that place that Makoto and I shared. It haunts me, in a way. I'm not actually there. I know this in my dreams. It feels different. I'm there now, and there's still the paper flowers, the blue grass, the purple sky with cotton candy clouds... it's just not the place I know.

Makoto's there, and we're both lying on the grass, staring up at the sky, watching the clouds go by. Peaceful.

The purple sky turns black. Makoto disappears. A 2-D whip like the one on the symbol cracks and I see a flash of light before I wake up with a scream.

What I need is another good pipeful of marijuana. Yes, I am saying I would enjoy stoning myself again.

Always the ones you least expect, I think with a smile as I log on to MSN this morning, at 10:56. I wonder if I could replicate some quickly while I'm at the Hyperion next and smoke it back here. Get a little bottle of that White Formula while I'm at it. That'd work, wouldn't it?

Rei's online. I've got to talk to someone about this.

¯¯¯---

Ami Mizuno: Hi.

Pyromaniac #216: Hi! How's my favorite suicidal maniac?

Ami Mizuno: Hey... --;

Pyromaniac #216: Sorry. Last I'll speak of it.

Ami Mizuno: Don't worry about it. It's the least I deserve.

Pyromaniac #216: What makes you say that?

Ami Mizuno: Sigh

Ami Mizuno: Because I let myself be tricked.

Ami Mizuno: Because I wasn't strong enough.

Ami Mizuno: Because I gave in.

Pyromaniac #216: Now that's not the Ami I know. You're not yourself.

Ami Mizuno: I don't want to be myself. Being myself hurts too much.

Pyromaniac #216: Yeah. I can relate to that.

Ami Mizuno: There's something Raynor didn't tell you about me when I tried to kill myself, though.

Ami Mizuno: It wasn't just the Confusion Card acting on my emotions and thoughts.

Pyromaniac #216: What? What else was there?

Ami Mizuno: Let's just say I know how Makoto felt before she fell asleep.

Pyromaniac #216: ...

Pyromaniac #216: You were on pot when you... whoa.

Ami Mizuno: I know.

Ami Mizuno: I thought it'd clear my system, you know, start fresh the next morning.

Ami Mizuno: Something in my subconscious, or simply the Confusion card, made me have a nightmare I don't remember, and made me wake up not four hours later.

Ami Mizuno: Then it started talking to me, and I couldn't stop myself.

Ami Mizuno: ...Rei? You still there?

Pyromaniac #216: Yeah, I'm here.

Pyromaniac #216: I'm just trying to find what I need to say, because I know I've got to say something to avoid putting you in the Rei Ayanami cloistered mood you were in a day ago.

Ami Mizuno: Oh.

Ami Mizuno: Sorry about that, by the way. I was doing a lot of soul searching and introspective thought and all that...

Pyromaniac #216: Perfectly understandable.

Pyromaniac #216: Are you still in danger of going back to that frame of mind?

Ami Mizuno: That's the least of my problems.

Ami Mizuno: I'm seriously contemplating continuing to do marijuana.

Pyromaniac #216: You're WHAT!

Ami Mizuno: I know. If I take a step away from the situation and see the big picture I say the same thing.

Ami Mizuno: But I guess it had a certain appeal even back when I did the project on it two years ago.

Ami Mizuno: Now I know what it's like.

Pyromaniac #216: And?

Ami Mizuno: Sorry, Rei. One of those je ne sais quoi things.

Pyromaniac #216: I hate those. --;;;

Ami Mizuno: Lol.

Ami Mizuno: Closest thing is... hmm... a layer of fog around your brain and feeling like your entire body fell asleep.

Ami Mizuno: Ordinary things become fascinating. Blood vessels open up.

Pyromaniac #216: I see.

Ami Mizuno: And then the je ne sais quoi... That little something that makes being, well, stoned, worth it.

Pyromaniac #216: There's always that je ne sais quoi, isn't there?

Ami Mizuno: Seems to be the prevailing thing in everything, ne?

Pyromaniac #216: Hai. So how tempted are you to do pot again?

Ami Mizuno: Pretty damn tempted, if I may say so.

Ami Mizuno: But there's still that little feeling in the back of my head that says "this is wrong, I shouldn't be doing this".

Pyromaniac #216: I hate that guy. Always so righteous about everything, it's always got to be the "right" thing to do.

Ami Mizuno: Lol. I hear that.

Ami Mizuno: Whatever the outcome, I hope it is the "right" thing to do.

Ami Mizuno: Even if it isn't to anyone else.

Pyromaniac #216: Ami, I've never seen you this depressed.

Pyromaniac #216: Are you still feeling guilty about Makoto?

Ami Mizuno: Not exactly.

Ami Mizuno: I met up with her.

Pyromaniac #216: You... met up with her? Like, her spirit met yours?

Ami Mizuno: Yes.

Pyromaniac #216: Where?

Ami Mizuno: Makoto called it the place between living and dead, where people go when they're in transit between this life and the next.

Ami Mizuno: It's too surreal to be an actual place.

Ami Mizuno: Purple sky with cotton-candy clouds... light blue grass... origami flowers... Makoto first appeared as a beige tree with auburn leaves.

Pyromaniac #216: ...

Pyromaniac #216: Wow. I really don't know what to say.

Ami Mizuno: Then don't. I have no idea as to my sanity levels right now.

Pyromaniac #216: Understandable, even without all the context. Wait... paper flowers, candy clouds and a purple sky...

Ami Mizuno: The Imaginary reference?

Pyromaniac #216: Yep.

Ami Mizuno: Most of the album save for Bring me to Life seems to correspond to what happened since the clones came in.

Pyromaniac #216: Oo so where are we?

Ami Mizuno: "Hello".

Pyromaniac: Oh... no... don't tell me...

Ami Mizuno: Yeah, me and Raynor heard that lyric too.

Pyromaniac #216: I hope they can do something for her.

Ami Mizuno: I do too. Hey, Rei?

Pyromaniac #216: Yeah?

Ami Mizuno: You got the Imaginary reference... that mean you have Fallen?

Pyromaniac #216: Indeed I do.

Ami Mizuno: Could you wire over an mp3 of Imaginary for me?

Pyromaniac #216: Sorry. Don't have anything to rip the tracks.

Pyromaniac #216: No iTunes like Mako.

Pyromaniac #216: Oops...

Ami Mizuno: Nono, It's alright.

Pyromaniac #216: You sure?

Ami Mizuno: The pain has to stop soon. And when it does I'll be myself again.

Pyromaniac #216: Yeah, I understand.

Ami Mizuno: Oh, shoot. I gotta go, Rei, I've got some errands to run.

Pyromaniac #216: Alright. Will you be back on later today?

Ami Mizuno: Yeah, or I'll page you and the others. I've got to get out of this house before I go insane.

Ami Mizuno: (Read: More insane than I already am.)

Pyromaniac #216: Lol. See you later.

¯¯¯---

"Oh, Mako... why you? Why now?"

I sit on a chair beside Makoto's bed. Still no change, and it's been five days. Something should have happened. Nobody knows what to do in this situation, simply because it's never came up. They're just leaving her alone, making sure she doesn't get worse. I just hope, if she dos get worse, they can do something for her. I pray.

"I'm going to find out who's at the top of this twisted pyramid, and I'm going to kill them myself." I whisper to the comatose Makoto lying before me.

"I'll save you the research. I know who's behind this." A voice says from behind me.

I turn around and look at the sad-eyed Jim Raynor. "You do? Who is it? Why did they do this?"

"That last one is anyone's guess, but the first and second I can help you with. Yes, and 'Emperor Arcturus Mengsk I', leader of the Terran confederacy."

"He's at the top? How do you know it's him?"

"The red whip symbol. It's his trademark from the Sons of Korhal. He only uses it for a high-profile calling card now."

"It's all so senseless... and why this method? Why not something easier and not so needlessly complicated?"

"Who knows what the power-mad tyrant was thinking when he ordered it done that way? The man's been crazy even back when I knew him, before the emperorship he lied, cheated and stole his way to the top. It all got to his head."

"You knew him?"

"I knew him. Worked for him at one point, thinking we were going to take down the confederation and make a better system, not something so... so corrupt. I was wrong. he backstabbed me, took over, and then generally did whatever the hell he wanted because hey, he was Emperor, who was going to stop him? And ever since I've been plotting my revenge on the bastard." His tone of voice got more bitter with each passing sentence. Lots of bad blood yet to be spilt here.

I nod. "We'll get him back, Raynor. I promise, whether it be you or me, we'll get our revenge."

"Yeah, we will."

An awkward silence follows. How do you go from there in a conversation? What's supposed to follow a promised end to a tyrannical regime? "Hey, weren't you supposed to be back in your home universe now?"

I look at my watch. "Oh yeah! I forgot about that! Shoot, I'm late again!"

"Don't worry, you'll be alright. The turbolift'll get you to the Transporter room fast."

"I'm sure it will. Bye, Raynor."

"Bye. And don't forget the promise."

"I won't."

I turn and walk out the door to the Sickbay and then into the nearby Turbolift, which is blessedly empty. One major problem I don't have to deal with. "Deck 5." I say.

¯¯¯---

I open the package of incense sticks and take one out, putting it in its holder. I take the lighter and light it, letting the top of the stick burn until it glows red, then blow it out. There, I think as it starts filling the room with its scent. Dragon's Blood, it's called.

Now to take care of why I lit the incense in the first place.

I take the largish bag of ground pot and put some in the pipe. My hands are shaking slightly. Will this time be any different?

Too late to argue with myself now. I light the contents of the bowl and inhale, holding the smoke in for as long as I can. I exhale, and nothing comes out. Good. No smoke, no smell, no problem.

Another hit. Same result. I take hit after hit, and by the time I'm done...I'm done. Done as in finished, and done as in ridiculously high.

I look at the clock. 8:35. Would it seem that suspicious if I just fell asleep now? Probably. I log onto my computer again and see if anyone's online. Rei is, and so's Usagi. I decide to talk to Rei. She listened to me before.

¯¯¯---

Ami Mizuno: Hi! n.n

Pyromaniac #216: Hi!

Pyromaniac #216: So? What of the green?

Ami Mizuno: I'm on one of the candy clouds as we type.

Pyromaniac #216: o.o... you're high now?

Ami Mizuno: I'm about at what Minako Two was.

Pyromaniac #216: That coherent, eh? Aren't you worried about your mom finding out?

Ami Mizuno: No, not really. Very little smoke escaped my lungs so very little is there to have any smell in the air.

Ami Mizuno: Besides, she's not here and I've got some Dragon's Blood incense lit.

Pyromaniac #216: Dragon's Blood? That's my favorite one!

Ami Mizuno: Yeah, me too!

Pyromaniac #216: So is there anything you left out in that list you typed earlier today?

Ami Mizuno: Refresh my slightly-less-than-working memory... what list?

Pyromaniac #216: You know, that one about what happens when you're high.

Ami Mizuno: Oh yeah. ; <<;

Ami Mizuno: Creativity sometimes spikes, red eyes, case of the munchies, your mouth gets really dry sometimes...

Ami Mizuno: I think that's it.

Pyromaniac #216: All from one chemical. Insane.

Ami Mizuno: Which brings me to why I'm high in the first place.

Pyromaniac #216: What?

Ami Mizuno: Sanity. To keep it, I've got to drive these thoughts out of my head. And this weed's sure doing the trick.

Pyromaniac #216: Lol.

Ami Mizuno: You know, this'd be a lot more fun with company...

Pyromaniac #216: ...

Pyromaniac #216: Are you asking what I think you're asking?

Ami Mizuno: Yeah.

Ami Mizuno: If you say no I completely understand.

Pyromaniac #216: ...And you're sure nobody'll know?

Ami Mizuno: Mom's on an overnight shift today, and she's going to be pretty tired when she gets home. We could have the Red Eyes from Hell and she'd not notice.

Ami Mizuno: Besides, you sleep off the effects to get rid of them, so when we fall asleep it'll be like nothing happened.

Pyromaniac #216: ...I guess I could, I mean, you seem fine, right?

Ami Mizuno: Do I?

Pyromaniac #216: I mean you're not all evil or anything.

Ami Mizuno: Oh. No, I'm not evil. Plotting revenge on the guy who ordered the hit on Makoto, but not evil.

Pyromaniac #216: How's that coming along?

Ami Mizuno: So far I've got 'I'm going to kill him'. I think I'm just going to play it by ear most of the way.

Pyromaniac #216: Ok...

Ami Mizuno: Work in progress.

Pyromaniac #216: I see.

Pyromaniac #216: Be there in a bit.

Ami Mizuno: See ya!

Pyromaniac #216: See you!

¯¯¯---

"Hi, Ami." Rei says as she comes in the door.

"H-hi, Rei. How's life?" I reply.

"Not bad, considering. So where did you...?" she trails off.

"In my room."

"Alright then."

"Onwards." I say as we both walk up the stairs to my room.

"Does everything feel surreal to you?" Rei asks.

"Kind of... I think... uh, I think it's a novelty effect at the moment, but on the other hand it doesn't sss... eem to be going away."

"Well, one thing that seems to be going away is the red eyes. I never saw any redness."

"I got some of the StarCraft equivalent of Visine with the pot. Takes out the redness and the stretchy feeling you get in them."

"So that's where you got it."

"Yeah... you think I just happen to know a drug dealer?"

"True." She says as we both walk into my room and I flop down on my bed. She takes the computer chair.

"You want to just talk for a while, get it over with... what's your pleasure?"

"Get it over with, I guess."

"That's the answer I was looking for." I say as I sit up and pick up the already-packed pipe from the dresser. "Packed it while you were on your way here."

"Well, you're prepared, if anything... don't I need a lighter to light this?"

"I thought you'd just look at it and it'd spark." I say with a giggle.

"Funny." She says as I hand her the lighter. "Thanks. " She takes it, sparks the bowl and inhales.

"Keep it in for as long as you can. If you have to, inhale some normal air to dilute the smoke." I instruct. She nods.

Ten seconds pass and she finally exhales, then starts coughing. I hand her a bottle of ginger ale I've already opened for her and she downs a good third of it. "...I don't feel anything." She says.

"It takes a minute or so to kick in. Take another hit, it speeds it up a little."

"Isn't it your turn?"

"I had one of those to myself already. It's all yours."

"Ah. Thanks."

She takes another hit. While she's holding the second in the first seems to catch up with her because she shakes her head like she's trying to get the cobwebs out. Another few seconds pass, and she exhales. "Whoa. This... this is weird." She says lazily, making me smile.

"Fun though, isn't it?" I reply.

"Yeah, kinda..."

I mentally count off ten seconds. "What were we talking about?"

"How fun this feeling is." She replies.

"Yeah, you definitely need more."

"Why do you say that?"

"You could answer the question."

"Oh." She says, starting to chuckle. "Bottoms up."

Another hit. "Go ahead and take the whole thing, I'm done."

"Alright." She says, then powersmokes the rest like I did.

"And?" I ask.

"And I'm stoned dead." She says, making a great show of slumping down in the chair. "Wow, this is fun."

"Yeah..." I reply.

I resume my position flopped down on the bed. "So now what?" She asks.

"Now what what?"

"What happens now? What do we do?"

"Whatever. I wouldn't operate anything dangerous, otherwise we're free to do anything."

Rei's communicator blipped. "Does this count as dangerous?" I shake my head. "Good. Hold on." She says as she flips it open. "Hai?"

"Fitting greeting." I mumble, making her giggle.

"Hi, Rei. Just making sure you didn't spontaneously combust just now. Where are you?"

"I'm at Ami's. Why?"

"Because a second ago you were here and-oh my god, I was next."

"You were next? Damn, Minako, you've got to get to Raynor now. We need to get you some... uh... some security."

"You alright, Rei? You're acting like my clone last time we saw her... no, you're not... are you?"

"I am."

"Like Mako?"

"Nonono, nothing as deadly as that-but I am pretty up there."

"Wow. Always the people you least expect."

"That's what I said." I reply to Minako's portrait.

"Was my clone baked when she saw you?" Rei asks.

"No... at least, I don't think so. Her eyes weren't red."

"That doesn't mean anything. There's this StarCraftian Visine stuff that instantly clears your eyes. Watch." She focuses on me again. "You got any more of that?"

"It's called The White Formula, and yes. Here." I hand her the hypospray and she delivers the solution in both eyes, holding the communicator so Minako could see.

"There. Clear as crystal, ne?"

"Hai. So she could have been anviled. What does it mean?"

"It means she's from the same universe, I suppose, and that if she was there's probably some correlation between being high and having clones in universes."

How did her brain get to that so frigging quickly? "Hey, and I didn't even have to explain it to you!" I exclaim.

"What? You mean I'm right? I guessed!"

"Yeah. There's this thing that has it that if one clone is high and one not they can coexist, but if both are sober or baked one cancels out the other."

"I get what you're saying. You got that, Mina?" Rei says to Mina.

"I heard it, yeah. We going to Raynor?"

"We're going to Raynor. Unless you feel safe sleeping there for one night so me and Ami could sober up a little before bringing this new info to the table."

"Uh, no, I'm paranoid out of my wits. I-YAAAH!" She screams, and I hear a high-pitched thud as the communicator hits the floor.

One or two thwacking sounds, and then a good 15 seconds of garbled whiny apologetic-sounding speech. "Told you. I almost kicked Artemis out the window."

"Send him our condolences, unless you're bringing him with you. We're calling ahead, so in the meantime try to find anything the clone may have dropped and for God's sake if you find anything with a red symbol on it pick it up like a CD and put it in something plastic."

"Yeah. Venus out."

"Alright then... To, uh... to Raynor."

"We gotta page, girl." I remind her, getting out my D3 as I do. "I got it."

¯¯¯---

Ami Mizuno: Yo, Rayn.

RynØr: On second thought I'm not asking.

Ami Mizuno: Short form. I'm in a hurry.

Ami Mizuno: Minako almost met the same fate Makoto did. The Rei Clone came to her house.

RynØr: Døk'Sha. Bring her here.

Ami Mizuno: She's on her way and so are we.

RynØr: Alright, see you here. I'll be in the conference room.

Ami Mizuno: Done. Bye.

¯¯¯---

"Alright then, we're gone." I say, getting out my minicomputer.

"And not just to Raynor's. DigiPort Open!"

¯¯¯---

"Now that you're here..." Raynor says as we DigiPort in. "Minako?"

"...She's not here?" Rei says. "Oh shit, what if-"

I'm already flipping open the communicator. "Y'ello?" a very red-eyed Mina says from the communicator.

"Oh... no... Mina... you didn't..."

"It was symbol-side down on Artemis's fur. I t-tried to take it off of him and it got me. I was too gone to get to my communicator b-by the time I realized... uh... realized... wh-what was going on..."

"No..." Tears are welling up in my eyes. "Damn it... Damn it all!"

"She's got the Camo/THC thing too?"

I nod. "Then we're coming back to get you." Raynor says to my communicator.

"I'll be here, Raynorbow."

"We're coming. Mercury out." I close the link.

Raynor mouths 'Raynorbow?' "Don't look at us, you can be pretty creative when you're baked. I think she's trying to make a pun off of Rainbow."

"Whatever. Let's go."

"DigiPort Open!"

¯¯¯---

We DigiPort directly to Minako's bedroom. Raynor brought his rifle, but loaded it with nonlethal sleeper shots and fitted a silencer on it. "Minako!" I say, rushing to her side.

She never even made it back to her bed. She had collapsed in the middle of her floor, her head thankfully landing on the throw rug. No damage from the fall, but what's done is done. She's permafried like Mako. "That'd be me." She says, an inhuman, almost demented grin on her face.

"We're here, Minako." Rei says softly.

"Hey, Ami? My computer crashed." Minako rambles. "Do you have a patch for Windows? Maybe in the closet?"

"What?" I ask confusedly.

Raynor seems to get this stoned ramble more than the rest of us because he immediately turns and perforates Minako's closet with the sleeper shots, making me and Rei jump. My clone's unconcious form falls from what's left of the door and hits the ground, another black patch in her hand. "Damn, Raynor!" Rei says. "Warn us about that next time!"

"Even stoned she knows when to use subterfuge. She was warning us about someone in the closet with another patch for one of us."

"Yeah." Minako mumbles. "Good thing you picked up on it. Now, about fixing the bug in Windows..."

Raynor points to the window. "No... my computer's really crashed."

"Oh." He says flatly.

"So's your brain." Rei observes.

"You try being coherent while high..."

"Here I am, in that case."

"You're-" Raynor starts. "-You know, never mind. What you do on your own time is your business. But I think we've got to go, and soon."

"Why is that?"

"Well, unless Minako's parents are out, and even if they were, I think we're going to have a hell of a time explaining the closet..." I explain.

"Oh. Yes." I agree.

I turn around to ask Minako if her parents are out, but she's already asleep. "Let's go, then." I say, getting out my minicomputer and D3 and throwing an arm around the supine Minako.

Kinda reminds me of the other Minako. I giggle a little at the memory of her comments in that alley at the Crown... and aside from the murderous intentions and, er, active love life, I guess now I am her Ami.

"DigiPort Open!"