Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Happily Ever After or Something Like That ❯ Things Fall Apart ( Chapter 19 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: deadlydiva 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.05.2005 | Updated On: 08.20.2006 | Pages: 6 | Words: 9.1K | Visits: 246 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.05.2005 | Updated On: 08.20.2006 | Pages: 6 | Words: 9.1K | Visits: 246 | Status: Work In Progress
AN: Here I go again. This is the second half of the Makoto chapter. I know a few of you are waiting to see what happens so I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.
DISCLAIMER: Still don’t own BSSM
“Calm down. Tell me what happened.” Jadeite was the first person Nephrite was able to contact. He attempted to calm the tall man to no avail.
Nephrite took a deep breath. His mind told him that nothing would be accomplished if he continued this irrational behavior. Nephrite was scared beyond reason. Everything pointed to a less than voluntary exit on Makoto’s part. Nephrite knew that she would not just leave without letting someone know. This was bad, very bad.
“I came home, expecting to see Makoto standing over the stove cooking dinner. Instead, all I see is an empty kitchen and the charred remnants of a meal.” Nephrite nervously ran his fingers through his hair. Every fiber of his being told him that Makoto was in grave danger. Nephrite just could not figure out how to convey those feelings logically to his friend.
“Maybe this would be a good time to read the stars,” Jadeite suggested.
Nephrite slowly raised his head to look Jadeite in the eye. “At a time like this, you would mock me?”
Jadeite quickly shook his head. That was not his intention. He knew how much Nephrite was hurting inside. If Rei just vanished one day, Jadeite would be utterly lost. He comprehended the gravity of the situation, and therefore gave the most sincere suggestion that he could think of.
“Screw Setsuna and her warnings. This is an emergency. We have to find Makoto and we have to find her soon.”
Just as Nephrite was about to go cosmic, Mamoru, Kunzite and Zoicite walked into his office. Jadeite put one hand up to indicate that Nephrite was in the middle of something. The four men watched as Nephrite slipped into a trance-like state. He rolled his head around, as if searching for something embedded in the ceiling. Nephrite eyelids fluttered as he regained consciousness.
“Anything?” Kunzite asked.
Nephrite shook his head. “All I know for certain is that she’s alive.”
* * * * *
Makoto looked warily at the tray of food in front of her. It had been two days since she was abducted and she was starving. Part of her wanted to devour the squid rice on the metal tray. Part of her could not be certain that Naru would not poison her food. Makoto stirred the rice with her chopsticks. Nothing looked amiss. She took a whiff and nothing smelled off. If Naru was poisoning her, she had chosen an odorless, colorless method. Makoto decided that if she ate the food and it was tainted she would be in the same condition if she let herself starve. Her carnal needs won out and she ate the bowl of squid rice.
“I see that you finally decided to eat something.” Seiya entered the dimly lit room.
Makoto looked up at the man who she once considered a friend. She wondered what had driven him to participate in such a heinous crime. Seiya looked as he always did. He did not appear to be under the influence of any drug. Nor did he appear to be acting under duress. Seiya was as calm and as cool as ever.
“Why are you doing this Seiya?”
Seiya glanced at Makoto out of the corner of his eye. “I already told you; Naru wants to clear a path to Nephrite.”
“No Seiya. Why are YOU doing this? As a sen--”
The gleam in Seiya’s eye let Makoto know that it was not wise to openly discuss their extra-curricular activities. Choosing her words more carefully, Makoto continued her attempt to decipher Seiya’s motives.
“As a sensei, you should have a sense of honor and duty that prevents you from doing something like this. I just don’t understand why you’d do this to me? I thought that I was your friend.”
“Makoto, you don’t understand. I never expected that something like this would happen.”
Makoto looked at Seiya strangely. What did he mean that he didn’t expect this? As a matter of fact, she did not know how he had managed to get away from the Lighthouse.
“Seiya,” Makoto whispered.
“Listen, I have to go. Don’t worry about the food. I won’t let her poison you.” Seiya cast a regretful glance at his one-time friend. He walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. Seiya tried to remember how to get upstairs.
‘Damn it. She would have to have a labyrinth as a basement.’
Finally he found the staircase that lead out of the underground cavern. As he entered the main part of the house, Seiya saw Naru sitting at her kitchen table. She was drinking a cup of coffee as if nothing was wrong, as if she did not have Makoto held captive in her basement.
“Is she eating?” Naru asked, not even looking up at Seiya. She wanted Makoto alive to see Nephrite come back to the woman he should have been with in the first place. Naru had no intention of killing Makoto. Naru intended for Makoto to live the life to which she had been condemned. Living out the rest of her days knowing that Nephrite was so close, yet so far away would destroy her. Like it was destroying Naru.
“Yeah.”
Naru was not pleased with Seiya’s tone of voice. There was a hint of regret. Naru could not afford for Seiya to go soft and tell Usagi where Makoto was. Right now Naru still had a chance to win Nephrite’s heart. If he discovered her part in this, that chance would disappear. Naru eyed Seiya suspiciously. A deliciously evil idea came to mind.
“I’m going out. Don’t leave, I highly doubt that anyone would be pleased to see you.” Naru picked up her purse and dashed out the door.
Seiya watched as the front door closed behind Naru. He placed her half-empty cup in the sink. “What is that woman up to?”
* * * * *
Usagi, Rei and Minako were distraught. Sitting in their usual booth at Crown, they tried to figure who would do something like this to Makoto. Usagi refused to touch anything that was put in front of her. Her nerves would not allow her to eat. Minako twirled her hair into dreads. Rei held onto a friendship scroll hoping that she would get something, anything that would lead to Makoto.
“Any news?” Motoki asked. Even though he was not as close to the girls as he used to be, he still considered them friends. This situation was taking its toll on him as well.
Minako shook her head indicating the negative. Motoki sighed. He knew the statistics. If Makoto hadn’t been found already there was a good chance that she would not be found. Motoki placed a plate of burgers and French fries in front of the girls, knowing that they were not going to eat it. It was just his way of showing some kind of support. Motoki looked back at young women huddled in the booth. His heart ached as he thought of what they were going through. Hopefully this would end well, for everyone’s sake.
“Has anyone talked to Ami?” Usagi asked as she pushed the plate of food away from her.
“I left a message with her hosts in Lyon for her to call as soon as she could. I didn’t feel comfortable telling Mr. Lemieux about this,” Rei replied.
Minako looked confused. It had been a long time since any of them had actually seen Ami. As a matter of fact, it felt like she was avoiding everyone.
“Hey guys, when was the last time either of you saw Ami?” Minako asked.
Both Usagi and Rei said that it had been about a month since they saw the elusive Mizuno Ami. They had been playing an intricate game of phone tag. Whenever one of them mentioned meeting up with her, Ami always had some excuse, usually work related. No one thought anything of it until Minako mentioned it. Usagi tapped the tabletop with a spoon.
“I wonder what Ami-chan is trying to hide.” Usagi’s eyes lit up as the prospect of digging into Ami’s life presented itself. She turned to ask Makoto what their plan of action should be when Usagi realized that Makoto was not with them. Usagi’s eyes darkened when the gravity of the situation hit her once again.
“Guys, are we going to get Makoto back? I mean, none of us knows where to begin looking.” Usagi’s voice was starting to break.
“Usagi don’t even think like that. We will get her back. Makoto has gone through too much to get to where she is to let something like this stop her.” Rei was trying to convince herself as much as Usagi. Rei, of all people, should have seen something like this coming. They had to find Makoto. They just had to.
Naru walked into Crown and looked around for Usagi. Ever since she had met the upbeat blond, Naru knew that Usagi sought the solace of Crown whenever things got hectic. True to form, Usagi did not disappoint. She was seated at her customary booth with Rei and Minako. You would think that she would have found somewhere else to hang out in the last seven years. Naru studied the group of young women carefully. Ami was nowhere to be seen, but that worked in Naru’s favor. That girl always had a way of filtering out bullshit. Naru slowly approached them.
“Hey Usagi,” Naru tilted her head slightly, “What’s wrong? You look sick.” Naru was trying her hardest not to smirk at the pain in all of their faces. For the longest Naru watched as Usagi and her friends waltzed through life. Everything came easily for them. She was never able to figure out how they came to be close friends with not only Tenoh Haruka Kaioh Michiru, but also the Three Lights. Naru was not only envious of their individual attributes, but their cohesion as a group. Ami was brilliant. Minako had a beautiful voice. Rei had a mysteriously exotic beauty that called to men like a siren. Even Usagi, in her clumsiness, managed to land a ridiculously handsome and talented husband who was madly in love with her. And Makoto, that oversized Amazon got her claws into Nephrite. It was as if fate perpetually shone upon those women.
Usagi looked up to see Naru standing at the end of the table. “Oh, hi Naru. I didn’t realize that you were standing there.”
Naru slid in next to Usagi. “I just came by to say hi.” She looked at Rei and Minako. “It seems like I came at a bad time. I’ll just leave you all alone.”
“No Naru, don’t go.” Rei placed her hand on top of Naru’s. “We’ve just been on edge.” Rei slowly removed her hand. She gave Minako a questioning look. Minako responded with a nod and Rei continued to speak.
“Makoto is missing.”
Naru gasped, feigning concern. “What happened?”
“We’re not sure,” Minako answered. “Nephrite came home one day and found dinner burning.”
Naru looked down at the table, attempting to make herself appear concerned. “When did this happen?”
Usagi replied, “Two days ago.”
Naru jerked her head up. “Did you say two days?”
Usagi and the others nodded. All three women inquired as to why that mattered. Naru had no vested interest in Makoto’s well being.
“It’s probably nothing, but I saw Seiya outside my mom’s shop a couple of days ago. Then again, I must have been seeing things. It couldn’t have been him. Why would he come back after everything that happened?” Naru looked at her watch. “Well, I have to go. I must re-open the shop. I hope everything works out.” Naru was halfway out of the door when she looked back at Usagi and her friends. “Let me know if there is anything that I can do.” She then swiftly exited Crown.
Rei watched through the plate glass window as Naru walked down the street. She turned back to her friends. “What do you make of that?”
“What do you mean?” Usagi asked.
“Come on Usagi. Since when did Naru care about Makoto’s well-being?” Minako interjected.
“Minako, that’s not fair. She was heartbroken when she found out about Makoto and Nephrite. How would you react if Kunzite came to you with another woman on his arm?”
Minako sighed audibly. Usagi was too close to Naru to see that she was never fond of any of them. Before Usagi’s powers awakened, she and Naru were as thick as thieves. Naru was Usagi’s confidante, her study partner, her co-conspirator. It became increasing difficult to maintain that level of intimacy when Usagi always had to run off to battle. Then, when the other girls were discovered, it was just easier to hang out with them since they had a secret in common. Minako could see from the beginning that Naru felt shut out. As Usagi grew older, the distance between her and Naru grew as well. Minako did not have the heart to tell her beloved princess that she may not know Naru as well as she thought.
“That’s not what Minako is talking about and you know it.” Rei inserted.
Usagi appeared puzzled. She could not figure out why they bore such a grudge against Naru. “I don’t get it.”
Rei was beside herself. She saw what Minako did. Naru was resentful, plain and simple. The incident with Nephrite was only the latest in a long string of events that pitted Naru against one of them. Whether Usagi wanted to admit it or not, Naru was an outsider.
“Naru’s contempt of Makoto goes back farther than last August. She has always been a bit jealous of your relationship with us. Before we came along, you and she were inseparable. Then we showed up and everything changed.” Rei stared at Usagi, hoping that she would finally understand what they were trying to tell her.
Slowly understanding crept over Usagi. She recalled incidents when Naru questioned her loyalties. At the time, Usagi did not fully appreciate the significance of her inquiries. How could Usagi? She was only 14 at the time. There was so much going on. How could she have seen that in the midst of all the chaos, Naru was being left in the dust?
“What about Seiya?” Usagi asked.
“What about him?” Rei retorted.
Usagi rolled her eyes. She knew Rei was not that absent-minded. “Naru mentioned seeing him outside Crown around the time Makoto was abducted.”
“She saw Seiya, but he’s just one piece of the puzzle.” Rei said easily.
“Huh?” Minako and Usagi said in unison.
“You mean to tell me that Seiya is back?” Minako questioned. “Why haven’t any of us seen him?”
“That I don’t know. I just have a feeling that Naru knows more than she’s letting on.” Rei fingered a room temperature French fry. As she popped it into her mouth, she looked at the hand that touched Naru. “She’s involved, I just know she is.”
* * * * *
Taiki paced around Ami’s apartment. It hand been two days since he felt that familiar pull. Another from Kinmoku had arrived on Earth. ‘Damn it where is he?”
<<BUZZ>>
“Taiki-san, Yaten-san is here to see you.”
“Thank you Jin. Please send him up.” Taiki released the button on the intercom.
Taiki unlocked the apartment door and waited for the arrival of his silver haired compatriot. Before he knew, the door to Ami’s apartment swung open. Yaten entered, looking disgusted.
“This better be good Taiki. I had to divert more than one flight to get here so fast.”
Taiki, a man who had never been at a loss for words, was struggling to express what was going through his head. He decided to tell Yaten what happened with the letter Naru wrote to Seiya. Yaten went from disgusted to furious.
“You mean to tell me that those fools let that maniac loose! It’s only been nine months! I’ve seen people serve longer sentences for stealing food. What the hell was in that letter that persuaded them to release Seiya?” Yaten wanted to punch something. Age taught him how and when to vent his anger.
Taiki excused himself. He walked into the guest bedroom that had become his home away from home. He rummaged through his desk drawer to find the copy of Naru’s letter that he kept. Taiki was grateful that he had the foresight to make the copy. It seemed like he would be needing it. Once he found the letter, Taiki went back to the living room so Yaten could read it.
“Here,” Taiki shoved the letter in front of Yaten’s face. “Read it and you tell me.”
Yaten snatched the paper from Taiki and began reading. Yaten’s jade eyes began to widen as he read the letter. He looked up at Taiki’s worried faced and continued to read. This girl was as insane as Seiya. Naru found a way to justify every despicable thing he did that day. How anyone could rationalize Seiya’s actions was beyond belief. Yet somehow she did it. Upon reading the last line Yaten crumpled up the cursed letter and threw it across the room.
“I don’t believe it,” Yaten mumbled. “After all the damage he has done, with all that he is capable of, they let him go.” He slumped down into Ami’s couch. “Do you know where he is?”
Taiki, looking out of the window, replied, “One would expect that he’d be at Naru’s house.”
<<CHIRP CHIRP>>
“Taiki, you haven’t changed that punk-ass ring tone yet?”
Taiki glared at Yaten as he removed his phone from his belt.
“Speak to me.” Taiki listened in horror as Usagi told him of the goings-on of the last two days. “Have you talked to Ami…I see. I’ll come by the shrine later. I think I have some information that might prove useful.”
Yaten watched as Taiki held an intense yet brief conversation with someone. Once Taiki had put his phone back in its holster, the inquisition was set to begin.
“Before you say anything Yaten, Makoto has been kidnapped.”
Yaten sighed as the wind has been taken out of his sails. He was not expecting to hear that. Once again, he sank into the cushions of Ami’s couch. Things could not get any worse. First Seiya gets released, and now this. Yaten’s thoughts immediately went to Usagi. If Seiya did come back to Tokyo, she would be on his to do list.
* * * * *
Nephrite and Makoto’s apartment had become mission control since her disappearance. Everything had been left exactly how it was the day she went missing. The only thing that was different was the layer of dust that was accumulating. Nephrite walked through the domicile for what had to be the millionth time searching for any clue as to Makoto’s whereabouts. As he entered the kitchen, the smell of old burnt food overpowered his senses.
‘Makoto won’t mind if I get rid of this,” Nephrite thought.
As he picked up the scorched pot, Nephrite contemplated cleaning the charred mess from its bottom. Not eager to be up to his elbows in suds, Nephrite decided to put the mistreated piece of cookware out its misery.
It had only been an hour since the last of his friends left. Nephrite was climbing the walls. When his surrogate family unit was around, he felt like he was suffocating. When he was alone, he felt like he was drowning. Nephrite’s world was crumbling around him and he was powerless to stop it. Without any clues, he may never see his beloved again. If he did not find Makoto soon, Nephrite would be joining Seiya.
<<BUZZ>>
Nephrite sighed. He appreciated all the support his important people gave him, but he did not like the suicide watch-like vigil they were undertaking. He was not that unstable…yet. Nephrite forcefully opened his door, intent of giving the misguided soul a long overdue tongue-lashing.
“For the last time, go home!!” He hadn’t even bothered to look to see who he was verbally assaulting. Just a he was about to slam his door in frustration a small still voice stopped him.
“Nephrite-sama…I just came to see how you were doing.” Naru batted her eyes, doing her best Bambi-impression.
* * * * *
Rei gathered the necessary materials for a senshi meeting. It had been so long since a situation was urgent to warrant one. In vain, Rei hoped that meetings such as these would become obsolete. All she, all any of them wanted was to live their lives peacefully. Deep down Rei knew that as long as the sun shone upon the face of the Earth, there would be some malevolent presence lurking in the shadows. She looked over the table one last time. It was stocked with chips, pretzels, cookies and soda. Just like old times. Rei was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn’t realize that she had company.
“Are we in the right place?” A deep throaty voice pierced the silence that enveloped the shrine.
Rei spun around to see Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru. Rei knew that this was much worse than any of them anticipated. Whenever Hotaru was brought in, disaster loomed around the corner. The ebony-haired priestess stared incredulously at the quartet. No one had told them about Makoto’s situation. Neither were they informed of the impromptu meeting.
Hotaru eyed Setsuna curiously. Rei was acting strangely. Never had Hotaru seen the fire senshi so speechless. Michiru nudged Haruka in the ribs.
“Rei-chan, we’re worried about you guys. I felt Nephrite searching the stars for answers, so we thought we’d come and see what’s going on.” Setsuna said.
“Since when have the whole lot of you shown up when Setsuna felt a change in the fabric of time,” Mamoru interjected. Once again, Rei did not notice that someone had entered the shrine.
Hotaru ran past her future king to find Usagi. The teen embraced Usagi with a ferocity to rival Mamoru. Hotaru was overly protective of the woman who would be giving birth to her best friend. She loved Usagi, plain and simple.
“How ‘bout we dispense with the chit-chat and get down to business?” Haruka, as usual had a low tolerance for idle chatter. Something was brewing on the horizon and she was determined to halt its progress. Haruka motioned for Michiru to take a seat while she stood guard behind her. The stoic warrior crossed her arms as she heard footsteps approaching.
“Are you expecting anyone else Koneko?” Haruka asked. Before Usagi could answer, Kunzite, Zoicite and Jadeite walked into the room. Haruka barely managed to suppress her chuckle. She knew that her fellow senshi were not going to be able to fight the urge to reunite with Mamoru’s generals.
“Where’s Nephrite?” Mamoru asked, even though he knew that Nephrite was not up for another ‘Where’s Makoto?’ session. The raven-haired prince hoped that would come. Mamoru did not like the thought of Nephrite sitting in that apartment with nothing but reminders of Makoto. It could not be good for his state of mind.
“He threw me about a couple of hours ago,” Zoicite answered. “I don’t think that it’s good for him to be alone right now. He’s falling apart and he doesn’t see it.”
Haruka relinquished her post behind Michiru. The tension that she felt when she entered the shrine had increased ten-fold. There was something seriously wrong, yet she knew nothing of it. If there was one thing Haruka hated, it was being the last to know. She walked up to Zoicite and looked straight in his eyes. “What the hell is going on?”
Zoicite shot a surprised look at Usagi and Mamoru. “She doesn’t know?”
Frustrated by the lack of information being dispensed, Haruka pulled out her Space Sword. Brandishing it, she growled, “Somebody better tell me what’s going on.” Michiru grabbed Haruka from behind. She forcefully sat Haruka in the chair that she herself had been sitting. Michiru gave Haruka a look that only the two of them understood. The wind senshi yielded to her beloved’s will and sat quietly, keeping her sword in her lap. Michiru stood next to her.
“Maybe it would help if I told you why we came,” Michiru began. “I saw a tree falling a couple nights ago while I was looking in my mirror. Then Setsuna called about a shift in the framework of time…”
Michiru let her sentence trail off as she noticed tears welling up in Usagi’s eyes. This did not go unnoticed by Haruka. Instead of throwing another self-indulgent fit, she pulled a handkerchief from her jacket pocket. Polishing her sword was all that Haruka could do to keep herself from having another outburst.
There wasn’t much to tell Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru. Kunzite explained that they did not know much about Makoto’s disappearance. It obviously was not random, as there were no signs of a struggle in the apartment. It was as if Makoto were handpicked, but no one knew why.
Upon hearing Kunzite’s version of events, Haruka clenched her sword. She was madder than anyone expected. Ever since the day she nearly ran Makoto over with her motorcycle, Haruka had a soft spot for the auburn haired woman. Haruka felt like Makoto could understand some of what she went through. They were unconventional women in their own way. Haruka chose a lifestyle that most believed was more suitable for a man. Makoto was merely physically imposing. Nonetheless, both struggled with society’s perception of what a woman should be. Unknown to the others, Haruka truly thought of Makoto as her little sister. In Haruka’s eyes, this situation was unacceptable and had to be rectified quickly.
“You mean to tell me that with our combined resources we have no information as to who took Makoto or where she is being held! I don‘t care why they did it. I just want her back!” Haruka’s thunderous voice echoed the frustration felt by all in attendance. She began to tap her sword against the table in front of her. Before Haruka could bore a hole in the defenseless table, the soft voice of Aino Minako halted the assault. Minako looked over at Rei who nodded her head.
“There is one thing.”
“Well… what is it?” Haruka asked.
“I, we think Naru has something to do with this.”
“Minako-chan!” Usagi exclaimed.
“Usagi, we have to consider every possibility. I got a flash of red when I touched Naru today. We can’t afford not to consider this.” Rei was uncharacteristically calm. Somehow, Usagi had to made to understand that Naru was not all that she seemed. “For Makoto’s sake.”
Usagi silently shook her head. She could not believe that Rei and Minako thought Naru was involved with Makoto’s disappearance. Usagi let them do what they thought best. She knew that she was too close to both Makoto and Naru; she was not able to be objective. After they did their little investigation everyone would know the truth. They would see that they were wrong about Naru. She could never do what they were suggesting. Naru was too kind of a soul for this brand of treachery.
Rei went to the sacred flame, closely followed by Michiru. As Rei chanted, Michiru meditated. It was not long before both were overwhelmed by the images they saw.
Michiru saw a falling star descending toward Earth. It was going toward what seemed to be a safe house. There were flowers growing in the yard. A white picket fence surrounded the property. However, when the star landed, the scene changed. The star found that it had landed in red quicksand. The little star struggled to get free from the quicksand. It was covered in the thick soil, thus rendering its motions ineffective. Then an acidic rain began to fall. Each drop that landed on the star stripped away more and more of its shine until all that was left was a black stone.
While Michiru was troubled by what she saw in her mirror, Rei was contending with the increasingly turbulent experience she was having. Rei was surrounded by darkness. She could taste the stale heat in the air around her. The oppressive thickness began weighing her body down. As she struggled to find a reprieve from the pressure, Rei found herself in the midst of a meteor shower. Rei extended her hand and gasped as the brilliant display attempted to bleed her slowly. The fire senshi watched as the blood fell as rubies on a concrete floor. Each ruby shattered as it met the floor. The gems changed into small multihued snakes that pierced the flesh at her ankles. Several of the smaller snakes consolidated into one giant serpent. The creature lunged at Rei, attempting to devour her. Instantly, an eagle swooped down, killing the snake.
Almost simultaneously, both women were released from their encounters.
Jadeite was pacing the room where the rest of them had been left. He was worried about Rei, Makoto, himself. They were taking too long. Haruka noticed the fear surrounding the sandy-haired man.
“Jadeite, don’t worry. Michiru won’t let anything happen to Rei,” was all Haruka said. She did not dare to try to say anymore for she too was worried. Ever since Rei and Michiru discovered that their abilities complemented each other, they often joined forces when things got complicated. Never had the two of them taken so much time.
Jadeite was not as sure as Haruka. He wanted to see for himself that the woman he loved was safe. Just as Jadeite was going to investigate, Rei and Michiru emerged. They were covered in sweat and appeared quite fatigued. Rei’s jet-black hair was plastered to her face. Michiru’s flowing dress now clung to her like a second skin. Each step the seers took cost them energy they did not have to spare. Seeing the state that their lovers were in, Jadeite and Haruka rushed to their sides. Being the stronger of the two, Michiru told the group of what she and Rei divined.
“Seiya and Naru have taken Makoto. She is being held in a small space, but she is alive.” Michiru could say no more as a coughing fit took over.
Usagi became hysterical. Why would Seiya and Naru do this? What would they gain? Mamoru tried all he knew to calm his wife, but she was inconsolable. Two of her best friends had committed a heinous crime. Mamoru never thought it would come to something like this.
“Now that we know who has her, how do we find out where she is?” Mamoru asked everyone and no one.
“I think I may be able to answer that.” With all attention focused on Rei and Michiru, Taiki and Yaten arrived at the shrine unnoticed. Taiki approached Mamoru and handed him the crumpled paper that incensed Yaten earlier. Mamoru loosened his hold on Usagi to read what had been given to him.
“What is this Taiki?” Mamoru was intent on keeping his temper in check. What he read reinforced the divinations of Rei and Michiru. From what was contained within the letter, Naru offered up her home as a solace for the misguided Starlight, if he were ever foolish enough to come back to Tokyo.
Taiki bowed his head in shame. He was torn over his part in Seiya’s release and Makoto’s kidnapping. It seemed innocent enough. Taiki remembered that February evening well. All he intended to do was pick up some take out. He was unprepared for Naru’s request. Nothing sinister seemed to be going on. Naru simply wanted to know how Seiya was doing. So, he took what appeared to be an innocuous letter. Taiki had even read it to ensure that it was what it seemed to be. How could he have known that he council would release Seiya after reading that letter? How could he have known that in a mere three months, Naru would orchestrate the disappearance of Kino Makoto? If only Taiki hadn’t forwarded that letter. Then, Naru would not have been able to manipulate the release of Seiya, her accomplice. The lavender eyed man fell to his knees. Tears began to fall as Taiki came to the conclusion that this was entirely his fault.
Usagi went to her friend’s side. “I know what you’re thinking. This is not your fault. Even without Seiya, Naru would have tried to hurt Makoto.”
Usagi placed her hand over Taiki’s. She understood the torment in his eyes, for she felt it as well. These were people that they thought could be trusted. Usagi knew Naru since she was enough to remember. Seiya held a special place in her heart. Usagi never thought either was capable of this. She should have seen something like this was going down.
“If you are at fault, then so am I.”
Taiki jerked his head up. “But Usagi, you couldn’t have known --”
“My point exactly.” Usagi, pleased with the way that she handled the situation, returned to her husband.
Kunzite and Zoicite were huddled in a corner. They were having an intense conversation. Kunzite was doing a lot of grumbling. Zoicite was shaking his head at everything Kunzite was saying. Their voices increased in volume slowly until the two blondes caught the attention of all the room’s occupants. Minako walked up toward Kunzite. She placed her hand on his chest.
“Sweetheart, would you like to tell me what’s going on?”
Kunzite turned to Minako. “Zoicite and I have figured out a way to get Makoto back.”
* * * * *
Naru had made herself right at home in Makoto and Nephrite’s apartment. Nephrite felt bad about screaming at her when he opened the door three hours ago. He had invited her in for a drink, if for no other reason than to apologize for his boorish behavior. So deep in his own sorrows was Nephrite that he never considered how Naru knew where he lived. The young woman was more than willing to be a sounding board for his troubles. Naru seemed to be so concerned about Makoto’s well being. All the while her mind was struggling to keep control. Listening to Nephrite go on about Makoto was becoming too much for her to take.
<<BRRRINNG>>
Nephrite excused himself to answer his ringing telephone. Out of habit, Nephrite left Naru in the living room while he took the call in the bedroom.
“Yeah.”
“Neph, what are you doing right now?
“Talking to Naru, why?” Nephrite heard commotion in the background. “Jadeite, what’s going on?”
Jadeite sighed. How does someone tell one of their closest friends that the woman he is currently entertaining abducted his fiancée? “We know who took Mako-chan.”
Nephrite’s heart stopped. This ordeal would soon be over. “Damn it Jadeite! Who?!”
“Naru.” Jadeite waited for Nephrite’s response, but heard nothing. He was certain that the man had a heart attack on the spot. “Nephrite…Nephrite.”
“I let her in my home. I lamented the loss of Makoto, and she knew. She knew.” Nephrite was furious. Naru had gone too far. “I’ll handle this.”
“Nephrite don’t!” Jadeite was afraid that the calm star reader would separate Naru’s head from her body. “We have a plan. All I need if for you to keep Naru occupied until Kunzite gets there.”
Nephrite emitted a low growl. “Jadeite…”
“Don’t worry, we’re going to bring her home. Just keep Naru there.”
Nephrite shook his head and silently hung up the phone. He sat down on his bed. Placing his head in his hands, Nephrite sought a way to keep from strangling the wench in the living room.
* * * * *
Setsuna and Hotaru were on the rooftop of the building across the street from the building Nephrite called home. Setsuna was unsure if Hotaru had enough control to do what they proposed. Sure, Hotaru was powerful, most likely the most powerful of Usagi’s senshi. Nonetheless, this was a huge undertaking. Hotaru looked at her surrogate mother and sighed.
“Setsuna-mama, I can do this. I’m eighteen now. It’s amazing the difference a few years makes.” Hotaru smiled, trying to ease Setsuna’s mind.
“Hotaru, are you sure? You’ve never used your power like this before.”
Hotaru winked at the senshi of time. The teen had a few tricks to which the others were not privy. With a flourish of her Silence Glaive, Hotaru erected a transparent dome over Nephrite’s entire building. She did it with an arrogant ease. “Any questions?”
Hotaru’s Silence Dome would not allow anyone in or out of the building. She realized that might be problematic. Hotaru modified her dome with the utterance of a few simple words, begrenzter Zugang. Now only Naru was restricted to the building.
“It’s up to them now.” Setsuna uttered hopefully.
* * * * *
Haruka and Michiru sped down the highway. Naru’s house was just outside of the city limits. Kunzite and Zoicite followed as best they could on twin motorcycles. They were working under tight time constraints. Once Taiki and Yaten got Seiya out of the house, the four would only have a few minutes to find Makoto. Michiru wasn’t sure how long Hotaru could keep the dome up, so better to act fast.
Taiki and Yaten teleported to Naru’s house. It wasn’t difficult to find since Seiya’s life force was acting as a beacon. They stood on the porch. Taiki looked through the living room window. Seiya was sitting on the plaid couch watching television. He was clicking through the channels. Frustrated, Seiya turned off the television. He walked out of the living room and out of Taiki’s line of sight. Knowing that even in their presently transformed states they could not physically overpower Seiya, Yaten decided that an ambush was in order.
“Are you sure about this Yaten? It seems a bit juvenile.” Taiki expressed his uneasiness. Yaten’s plan come across as too simple. It could not possibly work.
Yaten glared at Taiki. “Do you have a better idea? Kunzite and the others will be here soon. Do you want Haruka to get rid of Seiya?”
Taiki shuddered at the thought of the hostile wind senshi going head to head with Seiya. Taiki shrugged. He had no choice but to go along with Yaten’s strategy. He and Yaten each stood one side of the door. Yaten rang the door be repeatedly. They could hear Seiya yelling for whoever was ringing to bell to stop. Seiya opened the door, but he saw no one. He stepped out on the porch in order to see if any bored teenagers were running down the street. Once again he saw nothing. Seiya chalked it up to a damned good practical joke. As he turned to go back in the house, two familiar faces confronted him.
“Taiki, Yaten, how did you --” Before Seiya could complete his sentence, all went black.
“Did you have you hit him with the planter?”
“What, did you think I was going to use my hands?” Yaten looked down at Seiya. He shook his head. “You just don’t know when to quit.” The white-blond man took out the pair of handcuffs Setsuna gave him and bound Seiya’s hands behind his back. They teleported back to the rooftop where Hotaru and Setsuna were stationed.
As Haruka pulled into Naru’s driveway, she saw a now-familiar flash of light. Kunzite pulled up next, closely followed by Zoicite. The latter was mumbling under his breath about women drivers. It was a comment that either Haruka did not hear or chose to ignore. The foursome hesitantly crossed the threshold into Naru’s home.
“You two check the basement, Michiru and I will check upstairs.” Haruka and Michiru sprinted up the stairs before the men had a chance to object.
“I guess we go to the basement,” Zoicite deadpanned. He and Kunzite cautiously descend the stairs leading to the cellar. It was filled with tower upon tower of cardboard boxes. The boxes arranged in a manner that made the immense space look more like a maze than the average basement. As Zoicite made his was through the jungle of cardboard, he found a steel door.
“Hey Kunzite, I think I found something.” Zoicite tapped the steel door to see how thick it was.
Makoto was laying on the twin bed when she heard the tapping on the door. She sat up slowly. “Is someone there?” Makoto warily asked.
“Makoto, is that you?” Zoicite was ecstatic. He had found her. “Yo, Kunzite get over here. I found her!” Zoicite tried to open the door when he realized that there was a lock preventing access. The blond man examined the lock and released it. He uttered a few words that were impossible to interpret and the lock fell to the floor with a loud clank. Makoto heard the lock fall and moved toward the door. She placed a nervous hand on the door. Slowly, Makoto applied enough pressure to open it. What she saw on the other side put a smile on her face.
“Zoicite, I never thought I’d be so glad to see you.”
* * * * *
The ride back to her home was quite uneventful. Makoto sat in silence as Haruka drove her home. Before they left Naru’s house, Kunzite told Makoto everything that was going on. She knew that her beloved was sitting in their apartment with Naru, the very woman who held her against her will. Makoto also knew that Taiki and Yaten had taken Seiya to a safe location until he could be transported back to the Lighthouse. The auburn haired young woman leaned her head against the window of Haruka’s sports car. As Makoto watched the streetlights pass in rapid succession, she let herself rest for the first time since the nightmare began.
* * * * *
Nephrite was in his kitchen refreshing Naru’s drink. As he poured another glass of wine, Nephrite realized that without Makoto he wouldn’t even have had that in his apartment to offer. Kunzite had contacted him, letting him know that they were en route to the apartment. The anger that was building threatened to engulf Nephrite. He was determined to see this through to the end, if only for Makoto’s sake. Nephrite was so entrenched in thought that he nearly spilled the wine. He shook his head and put the wine bottle safely in the refrigerator.
“Here you go Naru.” Nephrite paused as he handed Naru the wine. She had come out of the button down shirt that she was wearing when she arrived. The black camisole that remained seemed like it was two sizes too small. Nephrite was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, like a fly caught in a web. He looked away from her scantily clad form. He began walking toward the window.
“Nephrite-sama, is something wrong?” Naru took Nephrite’s reaction to mean that he was still attracted to her. She came up to him from behind and snaked her arms around his waist. She put her head on his back and drew in a deep satisfied breath. Nephrite’s body stiffened. It was another reaction that Naru misinterpreted. Just as Nephrite placed his hands on top of Naru’s, there was a welcome interruption.
<<BUZZ>>
Nephrite wriggled out of Naru’s grasp. “I took the liberty of ordering take-out.” Thankful for the intrusion, he sped to the door. He opened it slowly, not wanting to get his hopes up. Looking at the floor, he saw a small freshly pedicured foot. Nephrite’s line of sight traveled up the foot to a pair of long shapely legs. A small waist made way to an ample bosom. A graceful neck lead to the face that he had been waiting more than two days to see. Makoto smiled meekly. Neither had words that could sufficiently articulate what they were feeling. The fatigued woman fell into Nephrite’s arms. Nephrite looked around her and saw that his hall was filled with people. It seemed that everyone decided to congregate in front of his apartment. Nephrite ushered Makoto and the others in. He put his finger to his lips; he did not want Naru to become aware of what was going on.
Naru was wrapped up in her thoughts. She was holding a framed photograph of Nephrite that Makoto had taken. The faint hint of a melody could be heard coming from Naru. She seemed so pleased with her situation at that moment, so sure of herself. After placing the picture back in its proper place, Naru stretched her arms over her head and leaned her head back.
“Makoto, you -- you’re alright?” Shock and confusion laced Naru’s words.
“It’s amazing what a two and a half days in a cellar will do for the complexion.” Makoto deadpanned. She was not going to let Naru know that she had managed to rattle her.
“A cellar…interesting. How did you manage to escape?” Naru was trying to figure out where Seiya was and what he was doing while Makoto made her escape.
Kunzite emerged from the shadows behind Makoto and Nephrite. “It was a funny thing. We came across a letter that told us everything that we needed to know.”
Naru looked around the room nervously. “A letter you say?” She knew that her plan was crumbling to pieces, but she refused to admit anything. She would not give them the satisfaction. While thinking up a million ways to torture the absent Seiya Kou, Naru searched for her discarded shirt.
“Are you looking for this?” Naru’s pink and gray button down shirt was dangling from Usagi’s index finger. Contempt was dripping from the blond woman’s voice. Somehow, Usagi and her husband got behind Naru without her noticing.
“Thank you,” Naru said in a voice barely above a whisper. As she retrieved her shirt, Naru realized that she was surrounded. Haruka, Michiru, Jadeite and Rei joined Usagi and Mamoru. Kunzite, Minako, and Zoicite stood around Nephrite and Makoto, who were standing directly in front of Naru. Hotaru and Setsuna blocked the exit, just in case Naru decided to get brave.
“What’s going on here?” Naru sought a way out the crowded apartment. There were just too many of them.
Mamoru reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the folded, crumpled letter. “Would you have any idea who wrote this?” He handed the letter to Naru, who treated it like nuclear waste.
“What does this have to do with me?” Naru maintained her innocence. Unfortunately, she did not hear the door open. Taiki and Yaten slipped past Setsuna and Hotaru. Behind them, a shackled Seiya shuffled his feet.
“Whoever wrote this must being trying to frame me. I don’t even know Seiya. Why would I open my home to him?” Naru looked directly at Usagi. “You know me. What would I gain from writing this?” Naru continued her protests until she saw Seiya standing at the door flanked by Setsuna and Hotaru. Her eyes flickered as she attempted to keep anyone else from noticing his presence.
“I seem to recall you wanting to know how Seiya was doing when you gave me this letter three months ago. You insisted that I get it to Seiya. I didn’t know then, but I do know now that you were setting this plan in motion.” Taiki stared at Naru until she yielded to the intensity of his glare.
“You came to us earlier today, knowing that you were responsible for Makoto’s disappearance. You even tried to frame Seiya. Have you no shame?” Minako was disgusted with the half-dressed woman. She was so angry that she began to shake. Kunzite placed his arm around her, pleased that this trial had come to a swift end.
Usagi tried to read the emotions in Naru’s eyes. Her turbulent pools of green revealed nothing put anger and pain. Usagi followed her gaze to the front door. There Seiya stood with his head bowed. His coal bangs hid his eyes from view.
“You did it. Everything they said…you did it.”
Naru slowly turned to face Usagi. “What right do have you to judge me?” She hissed. “We were friends and as soon as they came along you forgot about me. While you climbed the social ladder I was stuck at the losers’ table with geeks like Umino.”
“Naru, I never meant --”
“Spare me Usagi. I already know what you’re going to say. I don’t care what your intentions were. You never were a real friend to me. If you were, you would not have let them come between us. If you were, you would not have let her take Nephrite from me.”
Naru fought to hold her tears back. She had decided long ago that they were not worthy of her tears.
“All of you had it so easy. You had the friends. You got invited to the parties. You got to travel the world. Who did I have? Where did I go?” Naru was exhausted by her cathartic exposition. She sat on the couch in a daze. Naru was so out of it that she didn’t notice a man lifting her from the couch.
“Pardon me, but exactly who are you and what are you doing in my home?” Nephrite asked the unknown man.
“My apologies. Setsuna called me earlier and told me that there may be a need for one of Tokyo’s finest.” He placed Naru’s hands behind her back and handcuffed her.
“You’re the cop?!” Zoicite exclaimed.
“Enough! Daisuke, get her out of here please. We’ll come to the station tomorrow to make our statements.” As Daisuke passed Setsuna, he whispered something in her ear that made the time senshi blush. Setsuna grinned impishly and shook her head. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders and left.
With the return of Makoto and the arrest of Naru, all was right with the world. One by one everyone left until only Nephrite and Makoto remained. He wrapped his arms around Makoto’s waist.
“I missed you. Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again,” Nephrite playfully chided.
“I’ll try.” Makoto broke free from Nephrite’s embrace. She walked toward the bedroom. “I was thinking of taking a long hot shower. What about you?”
“I was thinking the exact same thing.”
AN: This turned out to be hella long. I mean WAY longer than I intended. Let me know what you think of it. Don’t be afraid to be brutal. I take all forms of criticism. It helps me develop as a writer.
Until next time,
The Deadly Diva
DISCLAIMER: Still don’t own BSSM
“Calm down. Tell me what happened.” Jadeite was the first person Nephrite was able to contact. He attempted to calm the tall man to no avail.
Nephrite took a deep breath. His mind told him that nothing would be accomplished if he continued this irrational behavior. Nephrite was scared beyond reason. Everything pointed to a less than voluntary exit on Makoto’s part. Nephrite knew that she would not just leave without letting someone know. This was bad, very bad.
“I came home, expecting to see Makoto standing over the stove cooking dinner. Instead, all I see is an empty kitchen and the charred remnants of a meal.” Nephrite nervously ran his fingers through his hair. Every fiber of his being told him that Makoto was in grave danger. Nephrite just could not figure out how to convey those feelings logically to his friend.
“Maybe this would be a good time to read the stars,” Jadeite suggested.
Nephrite slowly raised his head to look Jadeite in the eye. “At a time like this, you would mock me?”
Jadeite quickly shook his head. That was not his intention. He knew how much Nephrite was hurting inside. If Rei just vanished one day, Jadeite would be utterly lost. He comprehended the gravity of the situation, and therefore gave the most sincere suggestion that he could think of.
“Screw Setsuna and her warnings. This is an emergency. We have to find Makoto and we have to find her soon.”
Just as Nephrite was about to go cosmic, Mamoru, Kunzite and Zoicite walked into his office. Jadeite put one hand up to indicate that Nephrite was in the middle of something. The four men watched as Nephrite slipped into a trance-like state. He rolled his head around, as if searching for something embedded in the ceiling. Nephrite eyelids fluttered as he regained consciousness.
“Anything?” Kunzite asked.
Nephrite shook his head. “All I know for certain is that she’s alive.”
* * * * *
Makoto looked warily at the tray of food in front of her. It had been two days since she was abducted and she was starving. Part of her wanted to devour the squid rice on the metal tray. Part of her could not be certain that Naru would not poison her food. Makoto stirred the rice with her chopsticks. Nothing looked amiss. She took a whiff and nothing smelled off. If Naru was poisoning her, she had chosen an odorless, colorless method. Makoto decided that if she ate the food and it was tainted she would be in the same condition if she let herself starve. Her carnal needs won out and she ate the bowl of squid rice.
“I see that you finally decided to eat something.” Seiya entered the dimly lit room.
Makoto looked up at the man who she once considered a friend. She wondered what had driven him to participate in such a heinous crime. Seiya looked as he always did. He did not appear to be under the influence of any drug. Nor did he appear to be acting under duress. Seiya was as calm and as cool as ever.
“Why are you doing this Seiya?”
Seiya glanced at Makoto out of the corner of his eye. “I already told you; Naru wants to clear a path to Nephrite.”
“No Seiya. Why are YOU doing this? As a sen--”
The gleam in Seiya’s eye let Makoto know that it was not wise to openly discuss their extra-curricular activities. Choosing her words more carefully, Makoto continued her attempt to decipher Seiya’s motives.
“As a sensei, you should have a sense of honor and duty that prevents you from doing something like this. I just don’t understand why you’d do this to me? I thought that I was your friend.”
“Makoto, you don’t understand. I never expected that something like this would happen.”
Makoto looked at Seiya strangely. What did he mean that he didn’t expect this? As a matter of fact, she did not know how he had managed to get away from the Lighthouse.
“Seiya,” Makoto whispered.
“Listen, I have to go. Don’t worry about the food. I won’t let her poison you.” Seiya cast a regretful glance at his one-time friend. He walked out of the room, locking the door behind him. Seiya tried to remember how to get upstairs.
‘Damn it. She would have to have a labyrinth as a basement.’
Finally he found the staircase that lead out of the underground cavern. As he entered the main part of the house, Seiya saw Naru sitting at her kitchen table. She was drinking a cup of coffee as if nothing was wrong, as if she did not have Makoto held captive in her basement.
“Is she eating?” Naru asked, not even looking up at Seiya. She wanted Makoto alive to see Nephrite come back to the woman he should have been with in the first place. Naru had no intention of killing Makoto. Naru intended for Makoto to live the life to which she had been condemned. Living out the rest of her days knowing that Nephrite was so close, yet so far away would destroy her. Like it was destroying Naru.
“Yeah.”
Naru was not pleased with Seiya’s tone of voice. There was a hint of regret. Naru could not afford for Seiya to go soft and tell Usagi where Makoto was. Right now Naru still had a chance to win Nephrite’s heart. If he discovered her part in this, that chance would disappear. Naru eyed Seiya suspiciously. A deliciously evil idea came to mind.
“I’m going out. Don’t leave, I highly doubt that anyone would be pleased to see you.” Naru picked up her purse and dashed out the door.
Seiya watched as the front door closed behind Naru. He placed her half-empty cup in the sink. “What is that woman up to?”
* * * * *
Usagi, Rei and Minako were distraught. Sitting in their usual booth at Crown, they tried to figure who would do something like this to Makoto. Usagi refused to touch anything that was put in front of her. Her nerves would not allow her to eat. Minako twirled her hair into dreads. Rei held onto a friendship scroll hoping that she would get something, anything that would lead to Makoto.
“Any news?” Motoki asked. Even though he was not as close to the girls as he used to be, he still considered them friends. This situation was taking its toll on him as well.
Minako shook her head indicating the negative. Motoki sighed. He knew the statistics. If Makoto hadn’t been found already there was a good chance that she would not be found. Motoki placed a plate of burgers and French fries in front of the girls, knowing that they were not going to eat it. It was just his way of showing some kind of support. Motoki looked back at young women huddled in the booth. His heart ached as he thought of what they were going through. Hopefully this would end well, for everyone’s sake.
“Has anyone talked to Ami?” Usagi asked as she pushed the plate of food away from her.
“I left a message with her hosts in Lyon for her to call as soon as she could. I didn’t feel comfortable telling Mr. Lemieux about this,” Rei replied.
Minako looked confused. It had been a long time since any of them had actually seen Ami. As a matter of fact, it felt like she was avoiding everyone.
“Hey guys, when was the last time either of you saw Ami?” Minako asked.
Both Usagi and Rei said that it had been about a month since they saw the elusive Mizuno Ami. They had been playing an intricate game of phone tag. Whenever one of them mentioned meeting up with her, Ami always had some excuse, usually work related. No one thought anything of it until Minako mentioned it. Usagi tapped the tabletop with a spoon.
“I wonder what Ami-chan is trying to hide.” Usagi’s eyes lit up as the prospect of digging into Ami’s life presented itself. She turned to ask Makoto what their plan of action should be when Usagi realized that Makoto was not with them. Usagi’s eyes darkened when the gravity of the situation hit her once again.
“Guys, are we going to get Makoto back? I mean, none of us knows where to begin looking.” Usagi’s voice was starting to break.
“Usagi don’t even think like that. We will get her back. Makoto has gone through too much to get to where she is to let something like this stop her.” Rei was trying to convince herself as much as Usagi. Rei, of all people, should have seen something like this coming. They had to find Makoto. They just had to.
Naru walked into Crown and looked around for Usagi. Ever since she had met the upbeat blond, Naru knew that Usagi sought the solace of Crown whenever things got hectic. True to form, Usagi did not disappoint. She was seated at her customary booth with Rei and Minako. You would think that she would have found somewhere else to hang out in the last seven years. Naru studied the group of young women carefully. Ami was nowhere to be seen, but that worked in Naru’s favor. That girl always had a way of filtering out bullshit. Naru slowly approached them.
“Hey Usagi,” Naru tilted her head slightly, “What’s wrong? You look sick.” Naru was trying her hardest not to smirk at the pain in all of their faces. For the longest Naru watched as Usagi and her friends waltzed through life. Everything came easily for them. She was never able to figure out how they came to be close friends with not only Tenoh Haruka Kaioh Michiru, but also the Three Lights. Naru was not only envious of their individual attributes, but their cohesion as a group. Ami was brilliant. Minako had a beautiful voice. Rei had a mysteriously exotic beauty that called to men like a siren. Even Usagi, in her clumsiness, managed to land a ridiculously handsome and talented husband who was madly in love with her. And Makoto, that oversized Amazon got her claws into Nephrite. It was as if fate perpetually shone upon those women.
Usagi looked up to see Naru standing at the end of the table. “Oh, hi Naru. I didn’t realize that you were standing there.”
Naru slid in next to Usagi. “I just came by to say hi.” She looked at Rei and Minako. “It seems like I came at a bad time. I’ll just leave you all alone.”
“No Naru, don’t go.” Rei placed her hand on top of Naru’s. “We’ve just been on edge.” Rei slowly removed her hand. She gave Minako a questioning look. Minako responded with a nod and Rei continued to speak.
“Makoto is missing.”
Naru gasped, feigning concern. “What happened?”
“We’re not sure,” Minako answered. “Nephrite came home one day and found dinner burning.”
Naru looked down at the table, attempting to make herself appear concerned. “When did this happen?”
Usagi replied, “Two days ago.”
Naru jerked her head up. “Did you say two days?”
Usagi and the others nodded. All three women inquired as to why that mattered. Naru had no vested interest in Makoto’s well being.
“It’s probably nothing, but I saw Seiya outside my mom’s shop a couple of days ago. Then again, I must have been seeing things. It couldn’t have been him. Why would he come back after everything that happened?” Naru looked at her watch. “Well, I have to go. I must re-open the shop. I hope everything works out.” Naru was halfway out of the door when she looked back at Usagi and her friends. “Let me know if there is anything that I can do.” She then swiftly exited Crown.
Rei watched through the plate glass window as Naru walked down the street. She turned back to her friends. “What do you make of that?”
“What do you mean?” Usagi asked.
“Come on Usagi. Since when did Naru care about Makoto’s well-being?” Minako interjected.
“Minako, that’s not fair. She was heartbroken when she found out about Makoto and Nephrite. How would you react if Kunzite came to you with another woman on his arm?”
Minako sighed audibly. Usagi was too close to Naru to see that she was never fond of any of them. Before Usagi’s powers awakened, she and Naru were as thick as thieves. Naru was Usagi’s confidante, her study partner, her co-conspirator. It became increasing difficult to maintain that level of intimacy when Usagi always had to run off to battle. Then, when the other girls were discovered, it was just easier to hang out with them since they had a secret in common. Minako could see from the beginning that Naru felt shut out. As Usagi grew older, the distance between her and Naru grew as well. Minako did not have the heart to tell her beloved princess that she may not know Naru as well as she thought.
“That’s not what Minako is talking about and you know it.” Rei inserted.
Usagi appeared puzzled. She could not figure out why they bore such a grudge against Naru. “I don’t get it.”
Rei was beside herself. She saw what Minako did. Naru was resentful, plain and simple. The incident with Nephrite was only the latest in a long string of events that pitted Naru against one of them. Whether Usagi wanted to admit it or not, Naru was an outsider.
“Naru’s contempt of Makoto goes back farther than last August. She has always been a bit jealous of your relationship with us. Before we came along, you and she were inseparable. Then we showed up and everything changed.” Rei stared at Usagi, hoping that she would finally understand what they were trying to tell her.
Slowly understanding crept over Usagi. She recalled incidents when Naru questioned her loyalties. At the time, Usagi did not fully appreciate the significance of her inquiries. How could Usagi? She was only 14 at the time. There was so much going on. How could she have seen that in the midst of all the chaos, Naru was being left in the dust?
“What about Seiya?” Usagi asked.
“What about him?” Rei retorted.
Usagi rolled her eyes. She knew Rei was not that absent-minded. “Naru mentioned seeing him outside Crown around the time Makoto was abducted.”
“She saw Seiya, but he’s just one piece of the puzzle.” Rei said easily.
“Huh?” Minako and Usagi said in unison.
“You mean to tell me that Seiya is back?” Minako questioned. “Why haven’t any of us seen him?”
“That I don’t know. I just have a feeling that Naru knows more than she’s letting on.” Rei fingered a room temperature French fry. As she popped it into her mouth, she looked at the hand that touched Naru. “She’s involved, I just know she is.”
* * * * *
Taiki paced around Ami’s apartment. It hand been two days since he felt that familiar pull. Another from Kinmoku had arrived on Earth. ‘Damn it where is he?”
<<BUZZ>>
“Taiki-san, Yaten-san is here to see you.”
“Thank you Jin. Please send him up.” Taiki released the button on the intercom.
Taiki unlocked the apartment door and waited for the arrival of his silver haired compatriot. Before he knew, the door to Ami’s apartment swung open. Yaten entered, looking disgusted.
“This better be good Taiki. I had to divert more than one flight to get here so fast.”
Taiki, a man who had never been at a loss for words, was struggling to express what was going through his head. He decided to tell Yaten what happened with the letter Naru wrote to Seiya. Yaten went from disgusted to furious.
“You mean to tell me that those fools let that maniac loose! It’s only been nine months! I’ve seen people serve longer sentences for stealing food. What the hell was in that letter that persuaded them to release Seiya?” Yaten wanted to punch something. Age taught him how and when to vent his anger.
Taiki excused himself. He walked into the guest bedroom that had become his home away from home. He rummaged through his desk drawer to find the copy of Naru’s letter that he kept. Taiki was grateful that he had the foresight to make the copy. It seemed like he would be needing it. Once he found the letter, Taiki went back to the living room so Yaten could read it.
“Here,” Taiki shoved the letter in front of Yaten’s face. “Read it and you tell me.”
Yaten snatched the paper from Taiki and began reading. Yaten’s jade eyes began to widen as he read the letter. He looked up at Taiki’s worried faced and continued to read. This girl was as insane as Seiya. Naru found a way to justify every despicable thing he did that day. How anyone could rationalize Seiya’s actions was beyond belief. Yet somehow she did it. Upon reading the last line Yaten crumpled up the cursed letter and threw it across the room.
“I don’t believe it,” Yaten mumbled. “After all the damage he has done, with all that he is capable of, they let him go.” He slumped down into Ami’s couch. “Do you know where he is?”
Taiki, looking out of the window, replied, “One would expect that he’d be at Naru’s house.”
<<CHIRP CHIRP>>
“Taiki, you haven’t changed that punk-ass ring tone yet?”
Taiki glared at Yaten as he removed his phone from his belt.
“Speak to me.” Taiki listened in horror as Usagi told him of the goings-on of the last two days. “Have you talked to Ami…I see. I’ll come by the shrine later. I think I have some information that might prove useful.”
Yaten watched as Taiki held an intense yet brief conversation with someone. Once Taiki had put his phone back in its holster, the inquisition was set to begin.
“Before you say anything Yaten, Makoto has been kidnapped.”
Yaten sighed as the wind has been taken out of his sails. He was not expecting to hear that. Once again, he sank into the cushions of Ami’s couch. Things could not get any worse. First Seiya gets released, and now this. Yaten’s thoughts immediately went to Usagi. If Seiya did come back to Tokyo, she would be on his to do list.
* * * * *
Nephrite and Makoto’s apartment had become mission control since her disappearance. Everything had been left exactly how it was the day she went missing. The only thing that was different was the layer of dust that was accumulating. Nephrite walked through the domicile for what had to be the millionth time searching for any clue as to Makoto’s whereabouts. As he entered the kitchen, the smell of old burnt food overpowered his senses.
‘Makoto won’t mind if I get rid of this,” Nephrite thought.
As he picked up the scorched pot, Nephrite contemplated cleaning the charred mess from its bottom. Not eager to be up to his elbows in suds, Nephrite decided to put the mistreated piece of cookware out its misery.
It had only been an hour since the last of his friends left. Nephrite was climbing the walls. When his surrogate family unit was around, he felt like he was suffocating. When he was alone, he felt like he was drowning. Nephrite’s world was crumbling around him and he was powerless to stop it. Without any clues, he may never see his beloved again. If he did not find Makoto soon, Nephrite would be joining Seiya.
<<BUZZ>>
Nephrite sighed. He appreciated all the support his important people gave him, but he did not like the suicide watch-like vigil they were undertaking. He was not that unstable…yet. Nephrite forcefully opened his door, intent of giving the misguided soul a long overdue tongue-lashing.
“For the last time, go home!!” He hadn’t even bothered to look to see who he was verbally assaulting. Just a he was about to slam his door in frustration a small still voice stopped him.
“Nephrite-sama…I just came to see how you were doing.” Naru batted her eyes, doing her best Bambi-impression.
* * * * *
Rei gathered the necessary materials for a senshi meeting. It had been so long since a situation was urgent to warrant one. In vain, Rei hoped that meetings such as these would become obsolete. All she, all any of them wanted was to live their lives peacefully. Deep down Rei knew that as long as the sun shone upon the face of the Earth, there would be some malevolent presence lurking in the shadows. She looked over the table one last time. It was stocked with chips, pretzels, cookies and soda. Just like old times. Rei was so consumed with her thoughts that she didn’t realize that she had company.
“Are we in the right place?” A deep throaty voice pierced the silence that enveloped the shrine.
Rei spun around to see Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru. Rei knew that this was much worse than any of them anticipated. Whenever Hotaru was brought in, disaster loomed around the corner. The ebony-haired priestess stared incredulously at the quartet. No one had told them about Makoto’s situation. Neither were they informed of the impromptu meeting.
Hotaru eyed Setsuna curiously. Rei was acting strangely. Never had Hotaru seen the fire senshi so speechless. Michiru nudged Haruka in the ribs.
“Rei-chan, we’re worried about you guys. I felt Nephrite searching the stars for answers, so we thought we’d come and see what’s going on.” Setsuna said.
“Since when have the whole lot of you shown up when Setsuna felt a change in the fabric of time,” Mamoru interjected. Once again, Rei did not notice that someone had entered the shrine.
Hotaru ran past her future king to find Usagi. The teen embraced Usagi with a ferocity to rival Mamoru. Hotaru was overly protective of the woman who would be giving birth to her best friend. She loved Usagi, plain and simple.
“How ‘bout we dispense with the chit-chat and get down to business?” Haruka, as usual had a low tolerance for idle chatter. Something was brewing on the horizon and she was determined to halt its progress. Haruka motioned for Michiru to take a seat while she stood guard behind her. The stoic warrior crossed her arms as she heard footsteps approaching.
“Are you expecting anyone else Koneko?” Haruka asked. Before Usagi could answer, Kunzite, Zoicite and Jadeite walked into the room. Haruka barely managed to suppress her chuckle. She knew that her fellow senshi were not going to be able to fight the urge to reunite with Mamoru’s generals.
“Where’s Nephrite?” Mamoru asked, even though he knew that Nephrite was not up for another ‘Where’s Makoto?’ session. The raven-haired prince hoped that would come. Mamoru did not like the thought of Nephrite sitting in that apartment with nothing but reminders of Makoto. It could not be good for his state of mind.
“He threw me about a couple of hours ago,” Zoicite answered. “I don’t think that it’s good for him to be alone right now. He’s falling apart and he doesn’t see it.”
Haruka relinquished her post behind Michiru. The tension that she felt when she entered the shrine had increased ten-fold. There was something seriously wrong, yet she knew nothing of it. If there was one thing Haruka hated, it was being the last to know. She walked up to Zoicite and looked straight in his eyes. “What the hell is going on?”
Zoicite shot a surprised look at Usagi and Mamoru. “She doesn’t know?”
Frustrated by the lack of information being dispensed, Haruka pulled out her Space Sword. Brandishing it, she growled, “Somebody better tell me what’s going on.” Michiru grabbed Haruka from behind. She forcefully sat Haruka in the chair that she herself had been sitting. Michiru gave Haruka a look that only the two of them understood. The wind senshi yielded to her beloved’s will and sat quietly, keeping her sword in her lap. Michiru stood next to her.
“Maybe it would help if I told you why we came,” Michiru began. “I saw a tree falling a couple nights ago while I was looking in my mirror. Then Setsuna called about a shift in the framework of time…”
Michiru let her sentence trail off as she noticed tears welling up in Usagi’s eyes. This did not go unnoticed by Haruka. Instead of throwing another self-indulgent fit, she pulled a handkerchief from her jacket pocket. Polishing her sword was all that Haruka could do to keep herself from having another outburst.
There wasn’t much to tell Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna and Hotaru. Kunzite explained that they did not know much about Makoto’s disappearance. It obviously was not random, as there were no signs of a struggle in the apartment. It was as if Makoto were handpicked, but no one knew why.
Upon hearing Kunzite’s version of events, Haruka clenched her sword. She was madder than anyone expected. Ever since the day she nearly ran Makoto over with her motorcycle, Haruka had a soft spot for the auburn haired woman. Haruka felt like Makoto could understand some of what she went through. They were unconventional women in their own way. Haruka chose a lifestyle that most believed was more suitable for a man. Makoto was merely physically imposing. Nonetheless, both struggled with society’s perception of what a woman should be. Unknown to the others, Haruka truly thought of Makoto as her little sister. In Haruka’s eyes, this situation was unacceptable and had to be rectified quickly.
“You mean to tell me that with our combined resources we have no information as to who took Makoto or where she is being held! I don‘t care why they did it. I just want her back!” Haruka’s thunderous voice echoed the frustration felt by all in attendance. She began to tap her sword against the table in front of her. Before Haruka could bore a hole in the defenseless table, the soft voice of Aino Minako halted the assault. Minako looked over at Rei who nodded her head.
“There is one thing.”
“Well… what is it?” Haruka asked.
“I, we think Naru has something to do with this.”
“Minako-chan!” Usagi exclaimed.
“Usagi, we have to consider every possibility. I got a flash of red when I touched Naru today. We can’t afford not to consider this.” Rei was uncharacteristically calm. Somehow, Usagi had to made to understand that Naru was not all that she seemed. “For Makoto’s sake.”
Usagi silently shook her head. She could not believe that Rei and Minako thought Naru was involved with Makoto’s disappearance. Usagi let them do what they thought best. She knew that she was too close to both Makoto and Naru; she was not able to be objective. After they did their little investigation everyone would know the truth. They would see that they were wrong about Naru. She could never do what they were suggesting. Naru was too kind of a soul for this brand of treachery.
Rei went to the sacred flame, closely followed by Michiru. As Rei chanted, Michiru meditated. It was not long before both were overwhelmed by the images they saw.
Michiru saw a falling star descending toward Earth. It was going toward what seemed to be a safe house. There were flowers growing in the yard. A white picket fence surrounded the property. However, when the star landed, the scene changed. The star found that it had landed in red quicksand. The little star struggled to get free from the quicksand. It was covered in the thick soil, thus rendering its motions ineffective. Then an acidic rain began to fall. Each drop that landed on the star stripped away more and more of its shine until all that was left was a black stone.
While Michiru was troubled by what she saw in her mirror, Rei was contending with the increasingly turbulent experience she was having. Rei was surrounded by darkness. She could taste the stale heat in the air around her. The oppressive thickness began weighing her body down. As she struggled to find a reprieve from the pressure, Rei found herself in the midst of a meteor shower. Rei extended her hand and gasped as the brilliant display attempted to bleed her slowly. The fire senshi watched as the blood fell as rubies on a concrete floor. Each ruby shattered as it met the floor. The gems changed into small multihued snakes that pierced the flesh at her ankles. Several of the smaller snakes consolidated into one giant serpent. The creature lunged at Rei, attempting to devour her. Instantly, an eagle swooped down, killing the snake.
Almost simultaneously, both women were released from their encounters.
Jadeite was pacing the room where the rest of them had been left. He was worried about Rei, Makoto, himself. They were taking too long. Haruka noticed the fear surrounding the sandy-haired man.
“Jadeite, don’t worry. Michiru won’t let anything happen to Rei,” was all Haruka said. She did not dare to try to say anymore for she too was worried. Ever since Rei and Michiru discovered that their abilities complemented each other, they often joined forces when things got complicated. Never had the two of them taken so much time.
Jadeite was not as sure as Haruka. He wanted to see for himself that the woman he loved was safe. Just as Jadeite was going to investigate, Rei and Michiru emerged. They were covered in sweat and appeared quite fatigued. Rei’s jet-black hair was plastered to her face. Michiru’s flowing dress now clung to her like a second skin. Each step the seers took cost them energy they did not have to spare. Seeing the state that their lovers were in, Jadeite and Haruka rushed to their sides. Being the stronger of the two, Michiru told the group of what she and Rei divined.
“Seiya and Naru have taken Makoto. She is being held in a small space, but she is alive.” Michiru could say no more as a coughing fit took over.
Usagi became hysterical. Why would Seiya and Naru do this? What would they gain? Mamoru tried all he knew to calm his wife, but she was inconsolable. Two of her best friends had committed a heinous crime. Mamoru never thought it would come to something like this.
“Now that we know who has her, how do we find out where she is?” Mamoru asked everyone and no one.
“I think I may be able to answer that.” With all attention focused on Rei and Michiru, Taiki and Yaten arrived at the shrine unnoticed. Taiki approached Mamoru and handed him the crumpled paper that incensed Yaten earlier. Mamoru loosened his hold on Usagi to read what had been given to him.
“What is this Taiki?” Mamoru was intent on keeping his temper in check. What he read reinforced the divinations of Rei and Michiru. From what was contained within the letter, Naru offered up her home as a solace for the misguided Starlight, if he were ever foolish enough to come back to Tokyo.
Taiki bowed his head in shame. He was torn over his part in Seiya’s release and Makoto’s kidnapping. It seemed innocent enough. Taiki remembered that February evening well. All he intended to do was pick up some take out. He was unprepared for Naru’s request. Nothing sinister seemed to be going on. Naru simply wanted to know how Seiya was doing. So, he took what appeared to be an innocuous letter. Taiki had even read it to ensure that it was what it seemed to be. How could he have known that he council would release Seiya after reading that letter? How could he have known that in a mere three months, Naru would orchestrate the disappearance of Kino Makoto? If only Taiki hadn’t forwarded that letter. Then, Naru would not have been able to manipulate the release of Seiya, her accomplice. The lavender eyed man fell to his knees. Tears began to fall as Taiki came to the conclusion that this was entirely his fault.
Usagi went to her friend’s side. “I know what you’re thinking. This is not your fault. Even without Seiya, Naru would have tried to hurt Makoto.”
Usagi placed her hand over Taiki’s. She understood the torment in his eyes, for she felt it as well. These were people that they thought could be trusted. Usagi knew Naru since she was enough to remember. Seiya held a special place in her heart. Usagi never thought either was capable of this. She should have seen something like this was going down.
“If you are at fault, then so am I.”
Taiki jerked his head up. “But Usagi, you couldn’t have known --”
“My point exactly.” Usagi, pleased with the way that she handled the situation, returned to her husband.
Kunzite and Zoicite were huddled in a corner. They were having an intense conversation. Kunzite was doing a lot of grumbling. Zoicite was shaking his head at everything Kunzite was saying. Their voices increased in volume slowly until the two blondes caught the attention of all the room’s occupants. Minako walked up toward Kunzite. She placed her hand on his chest.
“Sweetheart, would you like to tell me what’s going on?”
Kunzite turned to Minako. “Zoicite and I have figured out a way to get Makoto back.”
* * * * *
Naru had made herself right at home in Makoto and Nephrite’s apartment. Nephrite felt bad about screaming at her when he opened the door three hours ago. He had invited her in for a drink, if for no other reason than to apologize for his boorish behavior. So deep in his own sorrows was Nephrite that he never considered how Naru knew where he lived. The young woman was more than willing to be a sounding board for his troubles. Naru seemed to be so concerned about Makoto’s well being. All the while her mind was struggling to keep control. Listening to Nephrite go on about Makoto was becoming too much for her to take.
<<BRRRINNG>>
Nephrite excused himself to answer his ringing telephone. Out of habit, Nephrite left Naru in the living room while he took the call in the bedroom.
“Yeah.”
“Neph, what are you doing right now?
“Talking to Naru, why?” Nephrite heard commotion in the background. “Jadeite, what’s going on?”
Jadeite sighed. How does someone tell one of their closest friends that the woman he is currently entertaining abducted his fiancée? “We know who took Mako-chan.”
Nephrite’s heart stopped. This ordeal would soon be over. “Damn it Jadeite! Who?!”
“Naru.” Jadeite waited for Nephrite’s response, but heard nothing. He was certain that the man had a heart attack on the spot. “Nephrite…Nephrite.”
“I let her in my home. I lamented the loss of Makoto, and she knew. She knew.” Nephrite was furious. Naru had gone too far. “I’ll handle this.”
“Nephrite don’t!” Jadeite was afraid that the calm star reader would separate Naru’s head from her body. “We have a plan. All I need if for you to keep Naru occupied until Kunzite gets there.”
Nephrite emitted a low growl. “Jadeite…”
“Don’t worry, we’re going to bring her home. Just keep Naru there.”
Nephrite shook his head and silently hung up the phone. He sat down on his bed. Placing his head in his hands, Nephrite sought a way to keep from strangling the wench in the living room.
* * * * *
Setsuna and Hotaru were on the rooftop of the building across the street from the building Nephrite called home. Setsuna was unsure if Hotaru had enough control to do what they proposed. Sure, Hotaru was powerful, most likely the most powerful of Usagi’s senshi. Nonetheless, this was a huge undertaking. Hotaru looked at her surrogate mother and sighed.
“Setsuna-mama, I can do this. I’m eighteen now. It’s amazing the difference a few years makes.” Hotaru smiled, trying to ease Setsuna’s mind.
“Hotaru, are you sure? You’ve never used your power like this before.”
Hotaru winked at the senshi of time. The teen had a few tricks to which the others were not privy. With a flourish of her Silence Glaive, Hotaru erected a transparent dome over Nephrite’s entire building. She did it with an arrogant ease. “Any questions?”
Hotaru’s Silence Dome would not allow anyone in or out of the building. She realized that might be problematic. Hotaru modified her dome with the utterance of a few simple words, begrenzter Zugang. Now only Naru was restricted to the building.
“It’s up to them now.” Setsuna uttered hopefully.
* * * * *
Haruka and Michiru sped down the highway. Naru’s house was just outside of the city limits. Kunzite and Zoicite followed as best they could on twin motorcycles. They were working under tight time constraints. Once Taiki and Yaten got Seiya out of the house, the four would only have a few minutes to find Makoto. Michiru wasn’t sure how long Hotaru could keep the dome up, so better to act fast.
Taiki and Yaten teleported to Naru’s house. It wasn’t difficult to find since Seiya’s life force was acting as a beacon. They stood on the porch. Taiki looked through the living room window. Seiya was sitting on the plaid couch watching television. He was clicking through the channels. Frustrated, Seiya turned off the television. He walked out of the living room and out of Taiki’s line of sight. Knowing that even in their presently transformed states they could not physically overpower Seiya, Yaten decided that an ambush was in order.
“Are you sure about this Yaten? It seems a bit juvenile.” Taiki expressed his uneasiness. Yaten’s plan come across as too simple. It could not possibly work.
Yaten glared at Taiki. “Do you have a better idea? Kunzite and the others will be here soon. Do you want Haruka to get rid of Seiya?”
Taiki shuddered at the thought of the hostile wind senshi going head to head with Seiya. Taiki shrugged. He had no choice but to go along with Yaten’s strategy. He and Yaten each stood one side of the door. Yaten rang the door be repeatedly. They could hear Seiya yelling for whoever was ringing to bell to stop. Seiya opened the door, but he saw no one. He stepped out on the porch in order to see if any bored teenagers were running down the street. Once again he saw nothing. Seiya chalked it up to a damned good practical joke. As he turned to go back in the house, two familiar faces confronted him.
“Taiki, Yaten, how did you --” Before Seiya could complete his sentence, all went black.
“Did you have you hit him with the planter?”
“What, did you think I was going to use my hands?” Yaten looked down at Seiya. He shook his head. “You just don’t know when to quit.” The white-blond man took out the pair of handcuffs Setsuna gave him and bound Seiya’s hands behind his back. They teleported back to the rooftop where Hotaru and Setsuna were stationed.
As Haruka pulled into Naru’s driveway, she saw a now-familiar flash of light. Kunzite pulled up next, closely followed by Zoicite. The latter was mumbling under his breath about women drivers. It was a comment that either Haruka did not hear or chose to ignore. The foursome hesitantly crossed the threshold into Naru’s home.
“You two check the basement, Michiru and I will check upstairs.” Haruka and Michiru sprinted up the stairs before the men had a chance to object.
“I guess we go to the basement,” Zoicite deadpanned. He and Kunzite cautiously descend the stairs leading to the cellar. It was filled with tower upon tower of cardboard boxes. The boxes arranged in a manner that made the immense space look more like a maze than the average basement. As Zoicite made his was through the jungle of cardboard, he found a steel door.
“Hey Kunzite, I think I found something.” Zoicite tapped the steel door to see how thick it was.
Makoto was laying on the twin bed when she heard the tapping on the door. She sat up slowly. “Is someone there?” Makoto warily asked.
“Makoto, is that you?” Zoicite was ecstatic. He had found her. “Yo, Kunzite get over here. I found her!” Zoicite tried to open the door when he realized that there was a lock preventing access. The blond man examined the lock and released it. He uttered a few words that were impossible to interpret and the lock fell to the floor with a loud clank. Makoto heard the lock fall and moved toward the door. She placed a nervous hand on the door. Slowly, Makoto applied enough pressure to open it. What she saw on the other side put a smile on her face.
“Zoicite, I never thought I’d be so glad to see you.”
* * * * *
The ride back to her home was quite uneventful. Makoto sat in silence as Haruka drove her home. Before they left Naru’s house, Kunzite told Makoto everything that was going on. She knew that her beloved was sitting in their apartment with Naru, the very woman who held her against her will. Makoto also knew that Taiki and Yaten had taken Seiya to a safe location until he could be transported back to the Lighthouse. The auburn haired young woman leaned her head against the window of Haruka’s sports car. As Makoto watched the streetlights pass in rapid succession, she let herself rest for the first time since the nightmare began.
* * * * *
Nephrite was in his kitchen refreshing Naru’s drink. As he poured another glass of wine, Nephrite realized that without Makoto he wouldn’t even have had that in his apartment to offer. Kunzite had contacted him, letting him know that they were en route to the apartment. The anger that was building threatened to engulf Nephrite. He was determined to see this through to the end, if only for Makoto’s sake. Nephrite was so entrenched in thought that he nearly spilled the wine. He shook his head and put the wine bottle safely in the refrigerator.
“Here you go Naru.” Nephrite paused as he handed Naru the wine. She had come out of the button down shirt that she was wearing when she arrived. The black camisole that remained seemed like it was two sizes too small. Nephrite was becoming increasingly uncomfortable, like a fly caught in a web. He looked away from her scantily clad form. He began walking toward the window.
“Nephrite-sama, is something wrong?” Naru took Nephrite’s reaction to mean that he was still attracted to her. She came up to him from behind and snaked her arms around his waist. She put her head on his back and drew in a deep satisfied breath. Nephrite’s body stiffened. It was another reaction that Naru misinterpreted. Just as Nephrite placed his hands on top of Naru’s, there was a welcome interruption.
<<BUZZ>>
Nephrite wriggled out of Naru’s grasp. “I took the liberty of ordering take-out.” Thankful for the intrusion, he sped to the door. He opened it slowly, not wanting to get his hopes up. Looking at the floor, he saw a small freshly pedicured foot. Nephrite’s line of sight traveled up the foot to a pair of long shapely legs. A small waist made way to an ample bosom. A graceful neck lead to the face that he had been waiting more than two days to see. Makoto smiled meekly. Neither had words that could sufficiently articulate what they were feeling. The fatigued woman fell into Nephrite’s arms. Nephrite looked around her and saw that his hall was filled with people. It seemed that everyone decided to congregate in front of his apartment. Nephrite ushered Makoto and the others in. He put his finger to his lips; he did not want Naru to become aware of what was going on.
Naru was wrapped up in her thoughts. She was holding a framed photograph of Nephrite that Makoto had taken. The faint hint of a melody could be heard coming from Naru. She seemed so pleased with her situation at that moment, so sure of herself. After placing the picture back in its proper place, Naru stretched her arms over her head and leaned her head back.
“Makoto, you -- you’re alright?” Shock and confusion laced Naru’s words.
“It’s amazing what a two and a half days in a cellar will do for the complexion.” Makoto deadpanned. She was not going to let Naru know that she had managed to rattle her.
“A cellar…interesting. How did you manage to escape?” Naru was trying to figure out where Seiya was and what he was doing while Makoto made her escape.
Kunzite emerged from the shadows behind Makoto and Nephrite. “It was a funny thing. We came across a letter that told us everything that we needed to know.”
Naru looked around the room nervously. “A letter you say?” She knew that her plan was crumbling to pieces, but she refused to admit anything. She would not give them the satisfaction. While thinking up a million ways to torture the absent Seiya Kou, Naru searched for her discarded shirt.
“Are you looking for this?” Naru’s pink and gray button down shirt was dangling from Usagi’s index finger. Contempt was dripping from the blond woman’s voice. Somehow, Usagi and her husband got behind Naru without her noticing.
“Thank you,” Naru said in a voice barely above a whisper. As she retrieved her shirt, Naru realized that she was surrounded. Haruka, Michiru, Jadeite and Rei joined Usagi and Mamoru. Kunzite, Minako, and Zoicite stood around Nephrite and Makoto, who were standing directly in front of Naru. Hotaru and Setsuna blocked the exit, just in case Naru decided to get brave.
“What’s going on here?” Naru sought a way out the crowded apartment. There were just too many of them.
Mamoru reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the folded, crumpled letter. “Would you have any idea who wrote this?” He handed the letter to Naru, who treated it like nuclear waste.
“What does this have to do with me?” Naru maintained her innocence. Unfortunately, she did not hear the door open. Taiki and Yaten slipped past Setsuna and Hotaru. Behind them, a shackled Seiya shuffled his feet.
“Whoever wrote this must being trying to frame me. I don’t even know Seiya. Why would I open my home to him?” Naru looked directly at Usagi. “You know me. What would I gain from writing this?” Naru continued her protests until she saw Seiya standing at the door flanked by Setsuna and Hotaru. Her eyes flickered as she attempted to keep anyone else from noticing his presence.
“I seem to recall you wanting to know how Seiya was doing when you gave me this letter three months ago. You insisted that I get it to Seiya. I didn’t know then, but I do know now that you were setting this plan in motion.” Taiki stared at Naru until she yielded to the intensity of his glare.
“You came to us earlier today, knowing that you were responsible for Makoto’s disappearance. You even tried to frame Seiya. Have you no shame?” Minako was disgusted with the half-dressed woman. She was so angry that she began to shake. Kunzite placed his arm around her, pleased that this trial had come to a swift end.
Usagi tried to read the emotions in Naru’s eyes. Her turbulent pools of green revealed nothing put anger and pain. Usagi followed her gaze to the front door. There Seiya stood with his head bowed. His coal bangs hid his eyes from view.
“You did it. Everything they said…you did it.”
Naru slowly turned to face Usagi. “What right do have you to judge me?” She hissed. “We were friends and as soon as they came along you forgot about me. While you climbed the social ladder I was stuck at the losers’ table with geeks like Umino.”
“Naru, I never meant --”
“Spare me Usagi. I already know what you’re going to say. I don’t care what your intentions were. You never were a real friend to me. If you were, you would not have let them come between us. If you were, you would not have let her take Nephrite from me.”
Naru fought to hold her tears back. She had decided long ago that they were not worthy of her tears.
“All of you had it so easy. You had the friends. You got invited to the parties. You got to travel the world. Who did I have? Where did I go?” Naru was exhausted by her cathartic exposition. She sat on the couch in a daze. Naru was so out of it that she didn’t notice a man lifting her from the couch.
“Pardon me, but exactly who are you and what are you doing in my home?” Nephrite asked the unknown man.
“My apologies. Setsuna called me earlier and told me that there may be a need for one of Tokyo’s finest.” He placed Naru’s hands behind her back and handcuffed her.
“You’re the cop?!” Zoicite exclaimed.
“Enough! Daisuke, get her out of here please. We’ll come to the station tomorrow to make our statements.” As Daisuke passed Setsuna, he whispered something in her ear that made the time senshi blush. Setsuna grinned impishly and shook her head. Daisuke shrugged his shoulders and left.
With the return of Makoto and the arrest of Naru, all was right with the world. One by one everyone left until only Nephrite and Makoto remained. He wrapped his arms around Makoto’s waist.
“I missed you. Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again,” Nephrite playfully chided.
“I’ll try.” Makoto broke free from Nephrite’s embrace. She walked toward the bedroom. “I was thinking of taking a long hot shower. What about you?”
“I was thinking the exact same thing.”
AN: This turned out to be hella long. I mean WAY longer than I intended. Let me know what you think of it. Don’t be afraid to be brutal. I take all forms of criticism. It helps me develop as a writer.
Until next time,
The Deadly Diva