Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Power Of Fire ❯ Chapter 1

The wind rocked the windows of the Temple as the thunderous rain drummed on the roof, a sharp crack of thunder echoing into the night with the shocking brightness of the lightning strike throwing into definition the scowling features of the raven-haired beauty bathing in the darkness.

Rei angrily soaked back into the water until just her mouth was above the surface, feeling the soft, wafting flow of her hair about her in the water.

"Damn storm. I'll probably have to get up early and mop the floors again now," she murmured as the soft glow of the few candles in the bathroom flickered in the gentle breeze that was swept from underneath the door.

Holding her arms to her chest she sighed, listening to the rain pummelling the roof as another crack of thunder tore through the night, only to be surpassed in sound by the loud thrumming of footsteps outside the bathroom and a high-pitched squeal of fear that moulded into a broken wail.

"Rei!" The high-pitched voice interrupted Rei's thoughts. Great, Usagi's here.

"What is it Usagi?!" called out Rei, sighing as she heaved herself out of the temperate water and wrapping the thick, woollen towel around her as she pulled across the screen door to face a rain-soaked Usagi silently blubbing.

"I went to go see Mamo-Chan but he wasn't there and then I got stuck in the middle of the rain and then I took the wrong bus and got lost and then the lightning and thunder started!" wailed Usagi, more tears running down her already wet face as she clung to herself, the wet clothes caressing each curve of her body with the sodden material.

"Usagi," sighed Rei as she quickly grabbed another towel with her spare hand and thrusting it over the blonde's shoulder.

"Thanks Rei," sniffled Usagi, collapsing into another set of tears onto the raven-haired girl's shoulder. Rei scowled again, placing her spare hand on the blonde's right shoulder and pushing her away gently.

"Listen, let me get dressed and then you can have one of my spare robs to wear and you'll have to call your mother because she'll be worried, but considering the weather I think you better stay here tonight Usagi. Okay?" Rei looked at the emotional girl as she nodded in agreement and turned to sit against the wall and wait for Rei to get dressed.

Rei wasn't in the mood for the drama that was the Usagi-Mamoru-Chibiusa family. Usagi had been uptight about Chibiusa returning from the future for awhile, especially since it usually cut into her time with Mamoru, but Usagi had been oddly emotional about it recently and it worried Rei. Although she was harsh on Usagi she was her friend and could tell that something was really bothering her.

"This is going to be a long night," murmured Rei to herself as she pulled on her robe and tightened it around her waist.

"Usagi?! What's the matter?" The soft, caring voice of Ami floated through the door as Rei tied back her hair, too tired to do anything more with it.

"It's just…" began Usagi, continuing into the long-winded story that she had already given Rei and finishing it off with a very defiant sniffle.

"Okay, you can get changed now Usagi," said Rei as she opened the door again, almost tripping over the crouched form that was the blue-haired, blue-eyed beauty.

"You look tired Rei," commented Ami as a greeting, smiling up at Rei as she helped Usagi to her feet.

"Yeah, a little bit I guess," replied Rei, yawning widely as if making Ami's point all the more factual.

Usagi closed the door behind her, leaving Rei and Ami in the frosty hallway as the windows again rattled with the torrential rain that seemed to be trying to flood Tokyo.

"Not that you aren't welcome, but why are you here Ami?" asked Rei as she stretched out to lean against the wall while Ami stood closer to the windows, two books held at the front of her chest like a barricade.

"I was over at Mako-Chan's for dinner and I thought I'd stop in since your place is on my way home. I thought you might like the company since your grandfather is still in hospital from his fall and with Yuichirou still away." Ami looked downcast as she spoke, obviously feeling a little regretful that she had come over unannounced and disturbed Rei.

"Oh, your mother's been away for a month now hasn't she Ami?" replied Rei suddenly catching onto Ami's sullen mood. "Well you can come over anytime!" concluded Rei with enthusiasm just before another yawn escaped her, followed by the sudden crash of another lightening strike.

"It's cold," squealed Usagi, hugging herself in the borrowed robe as she closed the door to the bathroom, scuffing her feet on the hallway floor.

"Okay, you two go ahead and I'll get you some sheets and pillows," said Rei, shooing her tired friends ahead of her as she made her way to the linen closest.

Rei could almost curse herself for forgetting that Ami's mother was on an extended business trip. Ami's mother had never gone away for so long before so it was natural that Ami would feel a little bit lonely. "Stupid Rei, I should've bit my bloody tongue," she murmured to herself as she collected the sheets and pillows in her arms, using her foot to the close the linen closet.

 

~~~~~

 

Ami stood at the western window in Mako-Chan's lounge room. The rain was pelting down into the glass angrily as Ami sighed, picking up the two books she had brought along and silently dreading the long walk home.

"You alright Ami?" asked Makoto as she came through the door from the kitchen, her arms behind her back untying her apron. Makoto had been worried about Ami for a while now, Ami could see it in the questions she asked and in the way she invited her over to dinner almost every other night.

"I'm okay really. You don't need to worry so much Mako-Chan," replied Ami, forcing a small smile onto her lips as she turned towards her friend.

Makoto pursed her lips as she placed the apron on the armrest of the closest lounge chair, clearly still not entirely satisfied with Ami's answer, "Well if you ever need anything, don't be afraid to ask Ami-Chan. You know we all care about you a lot."

Ami tried to smile brighter but she was unsure about whether or not it actually came out as a smile or a grimace. "I know, but I really must be on my way now. I should be able to get another two hours study in before bed tonight."

Makoto sighed, looking out at the rain; she obviously didn't want Ami out in that. Too bad, thought Ami as she grabbed her coat and umbrella and headed towards the door.

"I'll guess I'll see you tomorrow for our study group then. Bye Ami-Chan." Makoto walked Ami to the door, holding it open to watch her friend walk away with slumped shoulders.

What are we going to do with her? Thought Makoto as she finally closed the door, her eyes no longer able to follow Ami's movements that were being blocked by the ever-falling rain that made the world shimmer as if it were in a permanent heatwave.

 

~~~~~

 

Usagi awoke just after the storm broke at 3a.m. Her whole body felt a little too big until she realised it was just the robes she had slept in. Remembering where she was Usagi turned over to her left where Ami was sleeping, but her eyes didn't find her friend's figure next to her.

Usagi sat up, whipped her head around to the bed where Rei was sleeping to find the raven-haired beauty still fast asleep. Usagi bit her bottom lip, she was sure that if she got up and tried to find Ami in the dark she would most likely trip over something and wake up Rei but she was worried about Ami. If she isn't in bed, then where is she? Thought Usagi as she sat still undecided in her makeshift bed on Rei's floor; she listened to the few drops of water that were still overflowing from the guttering and onto the steps outside the temple, the gentle rhythm was soothing and brought back Usagi's tiredness and desire to sleep.

"Usagi," the soft whisper came from Rei as she too was awoken by the sudden lack of noise around her. "What's wrong?" asked Rei as she too sat up. She was still horribly tired but she couldn't help but feel a little maternal to Usagi.

"Ami-Chan…" whispered Usagi back, turned her head to Ami's empty bed as if to give the whisper more emphasis.

Rei turned to look at the empty bed, her eyebrows knitting together as she wondered where Ami could've gone.

"How long has she been gone?" asked Rei, her worry for Ami overshadowing any other feeling at that moment, even the crippling weariness she felt.

"I don't know. Should we go find her?" asked Usagi, her voice quivering as she felt the wetness well up in her eyes.

"Yes," replied Rei, suddenly pulling herself out of bed she grabbed her robe she had been wearing before and wrapped it over her pyjamas. "Come on," she whispered as she walked past the makeshift beds and opened her bedroom door.

Usagi followed, not so quietly down the hallway, giving a few quick glances outside. It's completely flooded, she thought as she followed Rei.

Still looking out the window she hadn't noticed Rei stop and fling her arms out across the entrance to the sitting room. Usagi walked chest-first in the arm which caused her to stagger ever so slightly.

"Usagi, pay attention to where you're walking," hissed Rei, her voice slightly annoyed.

"Ami-Chan…" whispered Usagi as she caught the figure that was huddled under a thin, woven blanket, still holding a book in her hands.

"The poor thing, she mustn't have been able to sleep," whispered Rei, walked over to Ami and kneeling beside her. Pulling the book from her hands Rei realised that it wasn't one of the books that Ami had brought with her.

"A comic book?!" Questioned Usagi is disbelief as she too crouched down beside her sleeping friend.

"That's not like Ami at all," murmured Rei as she sat the comic book on the lamp table. "Usagi, help me to get her back in bed will you?" asked Rei as she jadedly rose to her feet again.

Usagi followed and carefully grabbed Ami's lower-half off the lounge while Rei lifted her around the torso so that Ami's head was resting on her shoulder.

"Careful Usagi," whispered Rei as she tried not to jolt Ami awake with her small steps.

Walking down through the hallway Ami stirred slightly, but her eyes never opened as her friends continued to carry her back to her makeshift bed.

Oh, Ami! Why won't you let us help you? Asked Rei to herself, as she carefully placed her friend back into her bed, saying a swift goodnight to Usagi again and returning to her own comfort to listen to the little droplets of water that were running down her window from the gutter above.

 

~~~~~

 

"Ami-Chan? Reading comics?!" asked Minako in disbelief. Ami never read comics; instead she had always said how comics rot your brain.

"Yeah. I'm really worried about her. She's been down a lot lately but she won't talk to anyone about it. I don't know what to do anymore," replied Rei as she poured the tea for her three friends all sitting at different points of the table.

"But what time did you say she got here?" questioned Makoto as she sipped the tea, grabbing one of her recently made muffins from the huge platter of them in the centre of the table.

"Around 11p.m. just after Usagi got here," said Rei as she sat back down, placing the now almost-empty teapot back in its holder.

"She left my house at 9p.m. last night. She said she wanted to get some extra study in before bed." Makoto's eyes instantly went downcast; that meant that Ami had been walking around the rain for two hours before she had gone to Rei's, even though it was only a 10 minute walk to Rei's from her house.

"What on earth could she possibly be doing for two hours in the rain?" thought Minako aloud.

"She didn't look that wet when she got here, in fact it looked as though she had just run from the bus-stop straight the front door, she was barely even damp," included Rei taking a swig from the scolding tea but paying no attention to the burning she felt alight in her throat.

"Maybe she wasn't out in the rain," supplied Usagi as she picked apart one of Makoto's muffins in her fingers. Usagi had taken Ami's depressed state onto herself and she hadn't been able to return to sleep after she and Rei had carried Ami back.

"What do you mean?" enquired Makoto, tipping her head to the side to look at the friend to her left.

"Well I saw Haruka and Michiru driving around, in fact they asked me if I wanted a ride anywhere," stated Usagi, slowly devouring the muffin she had decimated between her fingers.

"You think maybe she went for a drive with them or something?" said Minako, quirking her right eyebrow to the idea as if it didn't seem very likely to her.

"You never know," murmured Rei as silence descended upon the group.

 

~~~~~

 

Haruka again, like yesterday, watched the slow-moving figure of Ami Mizuno. Why is that girl out aimlessly wandering around again? Thought Haruka, scowling slightly and barely paying attention the aqua tresses that were teasing the skin of her neck as Michiru leant over the table to follow Haruka's line of sight, a small sigh coming from the woman.

"I'm being replaced am I? Moving to a newer model, Haruka?" said Michiru faking hurt.

"Huh?" replied Haruka, continuing to twist her neck to try and follow the movements of the girl around the corner.

"I see how it is," giggled Michiru, grabbing Haruka's free hand with her own.

"I'm just worried about her. I've seen her a lot. She just wanders around aimlessly for hours. Did I tell you I picked her up last night? We drove around for about an hour and a half before I picked you up and gave Usagi a lift," stated Haruka, finally returning her gaze to her lover in front of her.

Her fingers were burning from the heat that was emanating from the ceramic cup holding her newly made coffee but she paid no attention, her mind was still wrapped around the mystery that was Ami Mizuno.

"I thought I saw you drive past a couple of times," mused Michiru as she took as sip of her own coffee, making a face at the extreme bitterness. "Ergh, needs sugar," she said, grabbing three of the sugars available on the table and emptying them into the coffee.

"You always had a sweet tooth Michiru," chuckled Haruka as she watched Michiru stir the coffee until the sugar had dissolved in it.

"You would know," teased Michiru back lightly, before they both fell quiet.

Haruka drank her coffee, her eyes straying back to the window every now and then, hoping to catch a glimpse of the blue-haired beauty who seemed to be completely lost.