Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Power Of Fire ❯ Chapter 6

Ami sat in Rei's bed, her arms wrapped tenderly around her torso. Rei had asked her yet again if she wanted to come out with her into the lounge room but Ami felt as if she couldn't be near Rei anymore at all. All the safety Rei had once given Ami had disappeared with the kiss.

Shifting her body to lay back down she shivered into the stack of blankets she was underneath, it felt as if her whole body was stuck in ice with no way to get out. "Ami…" called out Rei from the lounge room, obviously hearing her stir.

Ami quickly delved under the blankets and faked sleep again, for the third time that day.

"Ami…" was the whisper that came from Rei's lips as Ami heard her make the short walk from the lounge room and into her bedroom.

"I wish we could help you," she murmured as she stopped at the door frame, hugging her robes tight around her body.

Ami tried to keep her body from shaking under the blankets, another slash of cold-ice shivers seeming to make its way through her body. Maybe this is what it feels like to die, Thought Ami as she lay there, listening to the soft, even breathing of Rei.

Ami was careful to make her breathing slow and deliberate as Rei moved across the room to sit on the edge of her bed.

Unthinkingly Rei reached over and pushed a loose strand of Ami's hair back, placing a small kiss on Ami's forehead. What are you doing Rei? Her thoughts interrupting her, Rei instantly pulled back from Ami but as soon as she removed her hand from Ami's soft, silky hair a quick wash of loss enveloped her.

Testing herself Rei again brushed her fingers through Ami's hair, the loss seeming to dim and evaporate. How… The word rolled her, her stomach lurching uncomfortably…

I can't have feelings for Ami, can I? Rei asked herself but she knew the answer before she had even asked the question. Of course she did, she had always had a different disposition to Ami then the rest of her friends, she had just never known how different.

Oh god… What am I going to tell the girls? Thought Rei, a horrible feeling of dejection rearing up inside her as she bent over herself, her hair rolling over her head to tinkle the sensitive skin on her feet.

But are you sure? Another, smaller voice in Rei's brain replied, obviously hoping to give her some salvation from the depths of torrential rain she had just drenched herself in.

Taking a deep breath Rei sat back up, turning to look at Ami, her fingers shaking as she ran them from Ami's right temple down to her collarbone in experimentation. The action burnt her fingertips, forcing her to draw them back but her whole body rebounded and Rei suddenly found herself repeating the motion again and again.

This is wrong, thought Rei, suddenly realising she sounded just like Ami. No wonder she reacted the way she did, reasoned Rei as her body both pushed her forward and wrenched her back in a continuous motion of rocking.

I've got make sure, concluded Rei, removing her hand from Ami's face and touching it to her own. Her lips were quivering and her breath came in more ragged movements then she was sure it was meant to. Leaning over hesitantly Rei, yet again, pressed her lips ever so gently to Ami's and although Ami's lips were weathered and cracked they felt incredibly soft and feminine to Rei's own.

Closing her eyes, Rei let a small tear slip from her eye and onto Ami's cheek as she slowly pulled away from the kiss.

What have I done? Asked Rei to herself, more silent tears rolling down her face as she put her face in her hands, bent over on the side of the bed. Letting a small roll of pain shake her body she slid off the bed and onto the floor.

This is all wrong, thought Rei, the words repeating themselves over and over again until they no longer made any sense at all.

 

~~~~~

 

Chibiusa's nose was pressed up against one of the windows of the Temple.

"Small Lady, you shouldn't be doing that," said Setsuna, standing a few feet behind her with Hotaru.

"But…" begin Chibiusa, being cut off as she let out an amazed sigh. Her eyes stared at the two girls she had known as friends. Why is Rei bending over Ami like that, it looks as though she's going to kiss her. But Rei's not like that… Thought Chibiusa as she pushed herself further up against the glass.

"Hotaru, wait," called Setsuna as Hotaru ran over to were Chibiusa had her face pressed very un-ladylike against the glass, staring into Rei's room where both she and Ami were.

"You two shouldn't be doing that, we came to talk to Rei remember," said Setsuna as she came to stand behind them, a sharp intake of breath stopping her from saying anything further as she watched Rei pull away from Ami's lips, a few small tears rolling over her cheeks.

"I think we should leave girls; now," said Setsuna putting a hand on each of the girl's shoulders and pulling them backwards so they wouldn't be noticed if either Ami or Rei were to look out the window.

"What was that?" asked Chibiusa her eyes wide not daring to believe what she had just seen.

"They care for one another," murmured Hotaru looking at Chibiusa first and then to Setsuna as she spoke, her eyes seeming to accept the news better than either of the other two.

"Like I said, I think we should leave girls. Come on, we can talk to Rei some other time," said Setsuna as she finally got the girls to move away from the window.

As she walked outside the Temple grounds Setsuna furrowed her eyebrow as she replayed what she had just seen in her head again. Michiru and Haruka were right, she concluded as she walked Chibiusa and Hotaru back to Usagi's for the afternoon.

 

~~~~~

 

"Mamoru, come on, tell me what's going on!" Usagi pouted as she sat with her arms crossed glaring at Mamoru.

"I can't Usagi, you'll just have to wait," replied Mamoru unfazed by his girlfriend's actions or attitude, "Now come on, I bought this cake especially for you."

"Well, can't you tell me just a little bit? Michiru and Haruka told us just to leave it for awhile," stated Usagi, trying to plead the information out of Mamoru instead.

"And they were right to tell you that. Ami needs some time alone," said Mamoru as she sliced up the chocolate mud in front of him, handing Usagi the biggest piece.

Taking the cake Usagi continued, "Well does time alone include Rei? We're her friends Mamoru; we just want to help her. Why does it have to be so difficult?"

Mamoru sighed, but smiled at Usagi. You have such a big heart, thought Mamoru as he took his own piece of the cake and bit into it. "Because it's a difficult situation Usa-ko. You want Ami to feel better, don't you? Just give her some time and soon you'll all be together again," replied Mamoru as he slowly chewed his cake.

Usagi pouted again and gave in and moved to sit close-by Mamoru, basking in his warmth.

"I just hope she gets better soon. I miss her, it's just not the same without her smile," said Usagi, taking two huge bites of her cake.

"I'm sure she'll be better soon, remember, just give her time, and also, speaking of time, when is Minako coming over to pick you up for Mako-Chan's?" asked Mamoru as he wiped a bit of icing off of Usagi's cheek affectionately, causing Usagi to blush.

"Um… soon I think, but she'll probably stay for some of this cake too," laughed Usagi, taking the next largest piece she could find.

"Good thing it's a big cake then," replied Mamoru, smiling down at Usagi as he remembered the time when Minako and Usa-ko practically demolished his kitchen in the pursuit of food.

"Anyway, have you spoken to Setsuna lately? She was really worried today when she dropped Chibiusa and Hotaru off at home," chewed out Usagi, almost swallowing her piece of cake whole.

"Not really, she came over a few nights ago with Michiru and Haruka but other than that she's basically been invisible," replied Mamoru, thinking as he again pictured the horribly worried faces of the three eldest soldiers in his mind.

 

~~~~~

 

Ami rolled over in her turbulent sleep, her dreams replaying for her the hesitant kiss that had been bestowed on her by Rei several hours before.

Why would she do that? The words were echoing in her dreams everywhere but she couldn't quite grab a hold of them in any way that might be helpful.

As her answers evaded her she felt the soft brushing of fingertips running down her face again, over and over.

Rei… The name taking over the other words, seeming to become louder and louder in her dreams, finally disrupting her slumber all together and thrusting her back into reality.

The reason why the name had woken her was because Ami had been speaking it, the word echoed on her lips one time more as she finally opened her eyes to be fully awakened by the vision of a mass of raven-hair beside her in the bed.

It didn't look like Rei had noticed that she had awakened as the fingers continued to trace patterns over her cheek.

Ami had the urge to take Rei's hand, but another urge came to push it away again.

"I can do this," Rei's voice was soft and gentle, she was obviously murmuring the phrase to herself but it caught Ami's emotions off guard as she listened to the mantra being muttered by her friend.

You can do this, The words morphed themselves in Ami's mind and the mantra felt oddly familiar to her. It unexpectedly reminded her of the time when she had tried to teach herself to ride a bike. She had been small, she always was, but that hadn't stopped her. She never knew exactly why she had wanted to ride the bike, but she had. Her mother had obliged when Ami asked for it, even allowing her to have the most expensive bike in the store. The words, "I can do this," were etched into her brain for the three weeks she spent learning to ride the bike. When she had finally done it, the words had faded away; she didn't need the push anymore because she had found it herself. Rei was trying to find the push, and Ami had the feeling that if she could just roll over and place herself in Rei's arms that she could somehow give Rei that push she needed.

But what would that make me then? Ami asked herself, but the feeling of safety had returned to Rei and it meant everything to Ami just to keep that feeling alive, at least until she could find another way to survive.

Letting a quiver race down her spine Ami gently rolled over, Rei's hands instantly stopped stroking her cheek and pulled back in on themselves.

Opening her eyes to her friend Ami slowly moved into the empty space between her and Rei, leaning her face into the crook of Rei's neck.

Rei took her time to recollect herself before she could so much as make a movement. "Ami," the word was savoured on Rei's lips as if the word itself gave her enough pleasure.

"Rei," whispered Ami back, qualifying her with a gentle, barely-there kiss on her collarbone.

This is wrong, came the self-programmed thought into Ami's brain that usually made her lash out in an unruly, emotional state but this time Ami pushed it back, relishing in the safety that she had found.

Slowly Ami felt the words change as she forced them back. Those words weren't that important anymore, she had only thought them of dejection and loneliness but when she felt unafraid of it, the words changed. They didn't necessarily change into any positive but it gave Ami a brief glimpse beyond her own negative, doubting emotions. This is normal…

 

~~~~~

 

"Hey Makoto!" Usagi's voice was loud and obscene in the usually quiet interior of Makoto's kitchen.

"Not so loud Usagi!" called Makoto back, smiling at her friend's boisterous behaviour. At least Usagi seems to have cheered up then, thought Makoto as she tipped the spaghetti into three separate bowls.

"Sorry we're late," said Minako stepping into the warm interior of the kitchen and watching as Makoto dished out dinner for the night.

"It's okay, if you had been any earlier it might have taken another twenty minutes," laughed Makoto, handing Minako two of the bulging bowls.

"Can you grab the glasses and water for me Usagi?" asked Makoto was she put the now empty pan on the side of the sink.

"Sure thing," replied Usagi, thrusting open the kitchen cupboards with really more force than was necessary, especially since the kitchen wasn't all that big.

Picking out the forks from the cutlery draw Makoto frowned, she usually made this dish for five, sometimes even six if either Mamoru or Chibiusa decided to come along, but now there were only three of them this week.

"You alright Makoto, you look sad," stated Minako, sucking a noodle out of her bowl as she stood her, a slap of the homemade tomato paste and mince sticking to her cheek in the process.

"I'm fine, just… Have you seen the weather report lately? The whole thing has gone whacko," said Makoto, changing her strategy as she took the forks to the dining table and placing them in the top three spots.

"Yeah, it's completely insane. I've never seen that much rain expected in summer, in fact it barely ever rains in summer and if it does it's usually only a sun-shower type-thing," replied Minako, attempting to lick the tomato sauce and mince off of her cheek and appearing very comical as she did so.

"What about the weather report?" asked Usagi, following the girls from the kitchen and looking completely out of it.

"Don't you ever watch the news Usagi?" asked Minako, glancing over her shoulder at her friend.

"Yeah but just the cool stuff like celebrities and all that," replied Usagi, clearly in a dream of her own as she sat down the glasses and water.

"Ah, Usagi, you got too many glasses," pointed out Minako as Usagi carefully put down the five glasses on the dining table.

"Ooh," replied Usagi, her face dropping sadly, "I forgot."

"It's alright, we'll put the glasses out for them and just pretend they're really late," joked Minako, poking her tongue out at Usagi, trying to cheer the blonde girl up.

Makoto's own frown went unnoticed between the two joking friends, and instead of hearing their foolish chatter instead she listened to Haruka's voice in her head, repeating over and over again the last thing she had said to her, 'It probably won't be pretty.'