Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Power Of Fire ❯ Chapter 9

Haruka flung the huge volume back onto Mamoru's dining table, her patience wearing thin.

"You know Haruka, if you tell me what you're looking for I might be able to help," said Mamoru, his eyes bulging at the huge pile of books that Haruka had already discarded sitting recklessly on his dining table.

Haruka growled, "I don't even know what I'm looking for. It was Michiru's idea," replied Haruka as she leant back in the chair to pick another volume of off Mamoru's bookcase.

"Well you could tell me the idea then," said Mamoru, trying to find a place to sit down the coffee he had made for Haruka, "I mean, you've been at it all day."

Haruka tapped her fingers on the cover of the newest volume she had picked up, scowling slightly, "It's hard to explain; it was just an idea Michiru had about why the weather has been so… different, I mean we're basing this on a legend after all. I just can't find the legend!"

Mamoru looked at Haruka worriedly, it looked as though she had barely slept the night before and he was sure that all this stress couldn't be very good for her. "What legend is it?"

Haruka rubbed her temples, "Its… old. Michiru heard of it in her Philosophy lecture the other day, it was about the Eight Guardians of the Cosmos and how they endowed certain humans with supernatural powers."

"You mean like the Greek gods and such?" asked Mamoru, quirking an eyebrow at the turn of the conversation.

"Something like that, if I could just find the legend then we'd be able to understand it a bit better!" exclaimed Haruka, clearly disgruntled about the futile search she had been leading the entire day.

"Where is Michiru anyway?" asked Mamoru, personally hoping that it wasn't far, he was expecting Chibiusa over for dinner tonight.

"She's with Setsuna at the local Theology Centre," replied Haruka, opening the volume in front of her.

"Do you know what mythology it was under?" asked Mamoru as he scoured over the names of the volumes that Haruka had been reading.

"No idea," replied Haruka, flicking through the pages of the book in front of her.

"Well I'm sorry but I seriously doubt it's in Classic Antiquity," stated Mamoru, pointing to several of the huge, bulging volumes she had already discarded.

"Why do you say that?" asked Haruka, clearly dumbfounded.

"Well I've read all of them and haven't come across anything close to what you tried to describe. Anyway, do you know what time era it was from?" asked Mamoru, taking a drink of his coffee in the process.

"B.C. sometime…" replied Haruka distractedly.

"Maybe you're better off looking in books about mythology from Africa or South America or something like that. They're known to have some of the oldest civilizations, and some of the most outlandish ideas," said Mamoru, putting his thoughts aloud.

"I don't know; this is doing my head in. I don't see a point in following this but Michiru really thinks we've got something. I think it's a load of waste if you ask me," replied Haruka closing the latest volume and pushing it forward into the pile of already eliminated books.

"It reminds me of the Titans and how it was said that the Greek gods were originally humans but we given super-human strength and will to fight the Titans and reclaim the land," said Mamoru, sipping his coffee thoughtfully.

"That is why I've never studied Theology or Philosophy. It's all such a waste of knowledge," said Haruka, slumping in her chair.

"It's not a complete waste, obviously Michiru thinks there is something there," replied Mamoru as Haruka took a swig of her coffee.

"Michiru's been acting a bit weird lately," stated Haruka, leaning back in her chair and rubbing the back of the neck with one hand.

"You mean, weirder than with the freaky weather?" questioned Mamoru, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, weirder… It's like something's wrong but she just keeps telling me that everything's okay!" Haruka slammed her fists on the table in frustration, "I just wish she could tell me what's going on, is that too much to ask?!"

 

~~~~~

 

"You okay? You know, with having to wait another week before he can come home?" asked Ami as she sat across from Rei at the table.

Rei shrugged, she was completely worn out from yesterday and even the welcome change from thunder and rain couldn't bring her spirits up.

"Come on Rei, the doctors say he's going to be better in no time! You shouldn't worry so much," Ami leant over the table, her hand hovering above Rei's, unsure whether it would be alright to grab her hand.

"Ami, I have a question," said Rei, looking up into Ami's eyes sorrowfully.

"Okay…" replied Ami a little confused by Rei's look.

"It's about those pills," continued Rei, watching Ami's reaction carefully.

Ami curled back from Rei, her shoulders hunching over as she shamefully looked to the ground.

"Ami, how many have you taken?" asked Rei, her voice coming out stronger than she thought it would.

"I don't know, I lost count," replied Ami, she would never admit to Rei just how much she had needed those pills. Even now, when her sleeping patterns had returned to normal for the past two nights she still felt unbearably drained each day, like she was living two people's lives, not just hers.

"But there was only 10 or 11 missing from the bottle," murmured Rei, trying to reason that Ami could not lose count over such a small number.

"There were two more bottles," said Ami, twisting her hands over and over in her lap, somehow unable to lie to Rei.

"But how…" Rei's voice stuttered slightly and she instantly dropped her fork that she had previously held.

"They were for one of my mother's patients, but when her patient died Mama kept them in her draw. I don't know why but… I just needed to sleep," said Ami, recalling how overwhelming the past two months had been and how sleep-deprived, how hungry and just how thirsty she had constantly felt.

"Was it that bad Ami?" asked Rei, her brow creasing as she tried to understand her friend and the extreme actions she had taken, "Something could have happened to you."

"Something did happen to me Rei," murmured Ami, not sure if Rei heard her or not.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN AMI?" Rei's temper exploded, startling even herself as she threw back the chair and stood, bringing her face mere centimetres from Ami's.

"You wouldn't understand Rei," replied Ami, looking up to glare at Rei.

"If this has anything to do about… To do about IT I think I can say I have some idea!" exclaimed Rei back, shocked by Ami's reaction.

"Not everything was about that Rei! And you're just like the rest of them on this matter, you haven't FELT it yet!" yelled Ami uncharacteristically.

"Haven't felt what?" asked Rei suddenly concerned, she had never heard Ami yell before and to be truthful, it was a horrific sound.

"I can't explain it, you'll have to find out for yourself," replied Ami, getting up from her half eaten meal and leaving Rei sitting dumbfounded at the table.

Why can't you explain it? Thought Rei, barely able to comprehend Ami's actions but a sharp peal of lightening suddenly crashed through the sky, causing all the electricity to short-out. Great.

 

~~~~~

 

"Have you found anything yet Michi-Chan?" asked Setsuna, looking over her shoulder to the bouncy mass of marine blue hair that was bent over another book.

"Not quite," replied Michiru hesitantly as she continued to read the book in front of her.

"Not quite?" repeated Setsuna, coming over to sit beside Michiru on the floor, looking at the massive volume Michiru had in her hands.

"I'm looking pre-classical mythology, and it said something a few pages back about the 'Astrological Soldiers' or something but I couldn't find anything more," replied Michiru, her eyes still coursing through the huge amount of words on the page.

"Oh well. Why are you so bent on this anyway Michi-Chan, it all seems a little childish," said Setsuna raising her eyebrows as Michiru flicked the page over and continued to scan.

"I don't know; it's just something… Something I feel… I think I'm more attuned to it than everyone else," replied Michiru, biting her bottom lip as she finally put down the huge volume.

"Are you sure that's it? You've been worked up for awhile now," said Setsuna, still holding her own books in her hands.

"I don't know. It seems… It all feels connected, or maybe I'm just misinterpreting everything," sighed Michiru, placing the book back in its place on the bookshelf.

"The Theology Centre will be closing in 15 minutes. Could all students and visitors please make your way to the exits," the voice came over the loud speaker and startled Michiru, causing her to jump slightly off the floor.

"Haruka's probably waiting outside," said Setsuna as a pelt of lightning swung across the sky in a glorious arc, "And it looks like the weather's back."

Michiru stood up, looking uncharacteristically confused.

"Setsuna," started Michiru, "You went and saw Ami and Rei the other day didn't you?" Michiru furrowed her brow as if trying to remember something.

"Ah, in terms, yes," replied Setsuna as she tried to figure out what Michiru was getting at.

"In terms?" repeated Michiru as she started walking towards the Library door, looking as though she were in a trance.

"I decided not to speak to them. Apparently we had found them at an intimate moment," replied Setsuna, looking down at Michiru trying to gauge her reaction. Setsuna had noticed that Michiru had been oddly sensitive about the relationship between Ami and Rei for awhile.

"That was the night that we only had light showers, wasn't it?" questioned Michiru, trying to fit all the pieces of the puzzle she had together.

"Yes, it was. What are you getting at Michiru?" asked Setsuna, placing a hand atop Michiru's shoulder and stopping her.

"I don't know," replied Michiru, again furrowing her brow as a thunderous crack shook the building, "It's hailing."

 

~~~~~

 

Ami tried to sleep, but the sound of the hail on the roof was too loud and for the umpteenth time that night she wished she had taken up Rei's offer of sleeping in her bed.

Her teeth chattering loudly Ami finally gave in, thrusting herself off the lounge, still wrapped up in her blankets and shuffled down the hall and into Rei's room.

Through the flashing of the lightning Ami could easily see the glassy stare of Rei's eyes.

Without speaking Ami climbed into bed with Rei, wrapping her arms around her and pulling in close.

"I'm sorry," whispered Rei into Ami's ear, planting a small kiss on her blue-haired beauty's forehead.

Ami just pulled Rei closer, pressing her lips onto Rei's softly before breathing in Rei's scent.

Rei instantly reacted, pressing her lips firmly back onto Ami's, a strange overwhelming feeling overtook her causing her hands to reach out, under the blankets and reach into Ami's shirt, feeling the soft skin of her stomach and back.

Ami shivered at the unexpected touch but responded by letting her own hands acquaint themselves with Rei's torso.

As Ami took another deep breath of Rei's scent in a chorus of the same three words suddenly thundered in her head, This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong…

Ami flinched and felt herself thrust from Rei's hands and onto the floor. It wasn't until she was on the floor that she realised that the force that had thrust her back was her. She had pushed herself from Rei, so forcefully that Rei had been pushed back into the wall on the other side of the bed.

"Ami," whispered Rei, out of breath as she pressed herself against the wall, terror alight in her eyes.

"Rei…" stuttered Ami as she tried to force herself upwards but all the power had been abruptly drained from her body.

"Ami-Chan!" yelled Rei as she watched Ami's body slump, the dark blue eyes rolling back into Ami's head.

Rei wasn't quick enough to move to stop Ami's head from hitting the floor, breaking Ami away from the unconsciousness she had been so close to.

"Ami! What's wrong? You have to tell me!" Rei's voice was high as she struggled to keep Ami's head up.

"It's okay Rei," murmured Ami as she tried to grab Rei's hands.

Rei, realising what Ami was reaching for gave them to her, but as soon as they touched Ami's body had thrown her backwards again, straight through the glass of her window and into the cold of the hail outside.

Ami's own body had been thrown so forcefully that she had broken through Rei's bedroom door and into the wall of the hallway.

Ami's energy dissipated and she slumped against the wall again.

Rei sat up, raising her hands to keep the hail from hitting her as she looked through her broken window to see Ami keel over onto her hallway floor.

Trying to stand Rei felt the sharp pains of the glass in her body, defiantly ignoring the pain Rei begin to walk around to the front of the Temple, intent on helping Ami, but it only occurred to her when she was halfway around that she had no way of getting back into the Temple, except through the broken window.

Not discouraged, Rei turned around, keeping as close to the wall as possible. Reaching the broken window Rei hesitantly reached her hands over so that the rested on her bed. It's too springy, thought Rei as she tried to push herself upwards using the force of her hands against the bed.

The wind was blowing so furiously that the hail had been shot into her room, the rain which had since joined it had already soaked majority of her bedroom and it was slowly reaching Ami's exposed body as the wind continued to turn into a horizontal hurricane of power.

Ami flinched as the first of the hail and rain reached her feet, a pained expression reached her face and it gave Rei the force she needed to push herself through the window, ignoring the deep cuts she was receiving from the broken glass that was still in the window.

"Ami," called out Rei as she was catapulted into the wall beside her, the wind having caught her in her movements and ramming her through her broken bedroom door.

Just as Rei went to reach out and lift up Ami's head, another pair of hands shifted Ami's face, instantly giving her windpipes access to the air. The hands were white and horribly scarred; though Rei could barely tell they were there as they seemed so transparent. When Rei reached out to grab the hands, they disappeared, carrying the storm, hail and rain with it.

The wind had changed direction.