Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Power Of Fire ❯ Chapter 10

Rei sat on the plastic chair, watching her Grandpa's chest rise and fall as he slept contentedly. Why can't I sleep like that? Rei asked herself as she quirked her head to the side, the sound of the door opening bringing her from her reverie.

"Rei," Ami's voice was soft and seemed to echo in the large white room of the hospital. Rei looked over, still somewhat afraid to look into the other girl's eyes as she took in the bedraggled appearance of her friend.

"You're awake," replied Rei, not letting any emotion run loose in her voice. A small tear slipped down Ami's face and Rei looked back to her Grandpa, she didn't want to see Ami cry.

"You didn't wake me," whispered Ami, her voice choked with tears as she stood in the doorway still.

"I didn't know if you'd want me too," replied Rei, she didn't want to admit to Ami what had happened; it was too complicated for even her to understand at this point.

"I don't know what happened Rei, I swear," Ami shuffled forward as she spoke before completely crumpling forward onto the ground.

Rei was quick to move, catching Ami in her arms softly. "It's okay Ami," murmured Rei, unable to leave her friend hurting in anyway.

Ami pulled Rei in closer, hugging her tightly causing Rei to flinch and let out a small groan of pain.

Instantly pulling back Ami took a closer look at Rei. There were cuts all over her face, all up her arms and even on the bits of her ankle that Ami could see.

"You're hurt," whispered Ami, running a finger over a small cut on Rei's cheek.

"You should see my torso then," joked Rei, a small cough escaping her as she smiled at Ami. Why can't I stop this? Thought Rei; she had meant to stop it, not because it was wrong, but because she knew it couldn't happen, not now at least.

Ami smiled back slowly, a few stray tears still running down her cheek before her smile faded and turned into a heart-breaking grimace.

"Ami? What's wrong?" asked Rei hurriedly, she hadn't inspected Ami when she had put her to bed in the spare room, Rei wasn't sure if she would be allowed too. Those hands… Rei's thoughts crossed to the hands, the hands that couldn't have been there because there was no body to connect them, the hands that made no sense.

"I'm fine, it's just, my head hurts," replied Ami, leaning into Rei gently for some support, Rei automatically putting her arms around her smaller friend.

"Maybe you should get a nurse to look at it," said Rei, "They seemed quite obliging when I got stitched up this morning."

Ami looked at Rei shocked, "Stitched? Up?" Her mind didn't seem to be able to comprehend anything too quickly this morning.

"Ami, don't you remember what happened last night?" asked Rei concerned, watching as Ami's pupils continually dilated back and forth, in and out.

"Ami, do you remember the window?" questioned Rei, the look on Ami's face easy to read. She doesn't remember that…

"What do you remember, Ami?" Rei's eyes search Ami's but they didn't seem to find much, only confusion.

"I remember us… the bed… and then I was on the floor… and then it's black…" The words crept out of Ami's mouth slowly as she tried to relocate her memories, tried to bring them to the surface.

"You don't remember pushing me back the second time?" Rei's eyebrows shot upwards as something dawned on Ami's face.

"I didn't push you back," said Ami resolutely, her voice hard but the expression on her face betrayed some kind of shock.

"What do you mean, it was you Ami," said Rei, one eyebrow arching high as Rei tried to understand what Ami was saying.

"I don't remember it at all, I just remember being there and then not…" Ami then looked confused as she tried to explain what she had just felt at Rei's words, as she tried to make Rei understand what inspiration had just struck her.

"You aren't making any sense Ami," murmured Rei just as the door to the room swung open again.

"Miss?" asked one of the nurses looking down at the closely entwined pair.

"Oh, sorry," said Rei climbing to her feet and helping Ami up in the process.

"It's okay; I'm just here to check on your grandfather. Are your stitches alright?" The nurse looked worriedly down at Rei, and it took Rei a moment to realise that this was the same nurse that had helped to stitch her up that morning.

"Oh, they're okay, just itch a little," said Rei assuredly, still holding tightly onto Ami, afraid she might collapse again.

"Alright then, this shouldn't take a minute," said the nurse as she walked over to flick around the machines, writing down the readings on Rei's grandfather's chart in the process.

Ami leant heavily on Rei, Rei leaning back onto Ami and somehow finding the contact so comforting.

"There we are, all done," said the nurse, turning back to leave the room, giving Rei a small smile as she did so.

"Wait!" called Rei, pulling Ami's arm for her to follow, "My friend hit her head, the one I was telling you about. I was wondering if we could have it looked at, I'm just worried, I'm sure it's nothing but…" Rei's voice faltered at the end, she sounded just like a mother.

"Of course, I'll just have to grab a doctor. What's your name?" asked the nurse, looking at Ami oddly.

"Ami Mizuno," said Ami, still clinging onto Rei's arm tiredly.

"Not the daughter of Saeko Mizuno?" asked the nurse, one eyebrow hitching skywards.

"Yes, actually," confirmed Ami, looking at the nurse, trying to figure out if she should recognise her.

"I've heard a lot about you Ami," said the nurse, giving Ami a bright smile, "Come on, we'll get you checked out quick smart."

Rei kept her arms tenderly around Ami, one at the shoulders and the other at the waist. Even in her concern for her grandfather and Ami, Rei still noticed how slender Ami's waist was and how it seemed to fit perfectly into her hand.

 

~~~~~

 

Makoto heard the distant rustlings of Usagi as she awoke. Geez, it's almost noon… Thought Makoto as she stirred the batter for the pancakes, Chibiusa standing on a stool to look over her shoulder.

"See how you have to mix it so that there are no lumps Chibiusa?" said Makoto, taking a look at the small pink-haired girl who was standing precariously on a very flimsy stool. Chibiusa nodded, "Can I stir it Mako-Chan?" she asked, reaching her hands over Makoto's shoulders.

"Sure, but ah, maybe we should get you a new stool. I don't think Usagi would like it if I injured her first born," joked Makoto, walking from the kitchen into the spare room and picking up one of the newer stools she had recently won at a bake-off.

"Here you are," said Makoto as Chibiusa stepped from one stool to the other without stopping her constant stirring motion.

"Well you aren't entirely like your mother then," said Makoto just as Usagi slouched into the kitchen, collapsing the stool that Chibiusa had previously been standing on.

Just as Usagi had thrown herself on the stool, the three legs cracked and gave out under the weight, a sickening 'crash' and 'thud' echoing in the kitchen as the sudden fall perked Usagi up.

"Oww! Why did you have this bloody stool out Makoto!" Usagi's voice penetrated her ears and made Makoto wince, helping her golden-haired friend off the floor.

"Sorry, Chibiusa was standing on it before," said Makoto as Chibiusa shook with laughter on her sturdier stool.

"Stop laughing Chibiusa! And what are you doing here anyway? You were meant to be at Mamo-Chan's," said Usagi, glowering at her daughter.

"Mamo-Chan had to go out with Haruka for something," stated Chibiusa, holding her head high as she look down at her mother from her higher vantage point, "So he dropped me off here."

"Mamo-Chan had to go out with Haruka?" repeated Usagi dumbfounded as she stared at Chibiusa.

"Yes, it had something to do with the weather because they were talking about the hail last night," stated Chibiusa matter-of-factly as she continued to furiously stir the pancake batter.

"Ah, Chibiusa I think that's stirred enough, how about we put some into the pan now," said Makoto as she stood by Chibiusa, taking the bowl from her hands.

Usagi left the kitchen, rubbing her backside as she walked into the lounge room. "Damn brat," said Usagi to herself as she pursed her lips irritably. "I wonder what Chibiusa meant about the weather? Surely Haruka can't be that worked up over a few storms," said Usagi, thinking aloud and picking up the comic book she had discarded the night before when the hail had started.

The loud 'ding' resonated around the room as a few knocks were flung against the wood of the door.

"Usagi, can you get that?" called Makoto from the kitchen, soon followed by a horrible 'splat'-ing sound.

Usagi got up from the lounge, mumbling under her breath, "I was just comfortable, why couldn't Chibiusa have answered the stupid door."

"Hey Buns-head," said Haruka just as Usagi opened the door.

"Hey Haru-Chan and Michi-Chan, ah, why are you here?" asked Usagi, staring at the pair, wondering if something was wrong.

"Just wanted to talk to Mako-Chan about something," replied Haruka, walking past Usagi into the lounge room.

"How are you Usa-ko?" asked Michiru as she went by, grabbing the young girl's arm and giving it a gentle squeeze as she spoke.

"I'm good, a little tired," replied Usagi as Michiru let go of her arm, wondering what the action meant.

"I doubt anybody could have slept through that storm," said Michiru, giving a soft laugh, "Except Haruka," she corrected herself.

"What about me?" asked Haruka who already had her feet up on small table in the middle of the room, reclining back in one of the lounge chairs.

"Nothing much," replied Michiru cheekily, smiling wickedly at Haruka.

Haruka furrowed her brow, causing Michiru to sigh loudly, "Don't start that again Haruka!"

Haruka's eyebrows instantly shot upwards, "I'm not starting anything," replied Haruka heatedly before returning to being calm.

Usagi stood shocked, she had never seen Michiru and Haruka act like that, it was like something had shifted their relationship.

Taking a seat on the armrest of the lounge chair that Haruka was reclining in, Michiru glanced to the left tiredly, Haruka's arm snaking around Michiru's waist but the action didn't look the same as it usually did, this time it seemed as if it were just there through habit.

Usagi took a seat on the lounge chair, hearing the loud squeal from the kitchen, quickly followed by the "Chibiusa! Don't touch the pan!"

Makoto walked out of the kitchen with a defiant Chibiusa following, holding the fingers of her right hand tightly in a dishcloth.

"Haru-Chan, Michi-Chan, I wasn't expecting you till later," said Makoto, startled slightly by their presence.

"We weren't as busy as we thought we were," replied Michiru, a hint of coldness in her voice as her eyes flicked down to Haruka.

"Oh well, I'll be there in a second. Usa-ko, do you think you can watch the pancakes for a minute I have to get some cream for Chibiusa's fingers," said Makoto, continuing on her way to the bathroom.

"Sure," said Usagi, instantly getting up, using any excuse to get away from the tension that was emanating from Haruka and Michiru.

 

~~~~~

 

Omani-Kaye stared into the waves, she was the only one sitting on the coastline today, everybody else had evaded the momentary sunshine and stayed indoors, some hail still sat on the ground bearing witness to the terror of the night before.

"Where are you Ami?" thought Omani-Kaye aloud, sighing as she closed her eyes tightly, the waves creating a soft, soothing sound for her to calm herself with.

Opening her eyes again, she watched the surf as it tore away at the land, "I know you could explain the weather," said Omani-Kaye, pursing her lips together as a soft breeze buffeted her hair about her face.

The few seagulls that braved the icy winds circled above her, hoping she had some food to spare. Omani-Kaye's arms wrapped around her torso protectively, she had no food to spare and even if she did she would eat it herself. The thoughts of food brought her incessant hunger to the forefront of her mind. She was tired again today; she hadn't slept well last night. The hail and the cold had kept her awake well into the morning and when she had fallen asleep it was only for a few hours.

Shivering in her ragged clothing, she again hummed the unfamiliar tune to herself; it sent waves of comfort through her as she listened to the words in her mind that seemed to fit so easily with the indescribable music that was flowing through her body.

Shifting her body uncomfortably, she turned to lie down on the frosty bench, the cold barely noticeable anymore. Omani-Kaye had spent much of her life in the cold so it barely phased her anymore but the recent flash of winter, even though it was summer, was more icy than the winds had hope to bear. The cold brought with it melancholy and despair, all of which swept down on her more-so as she thought of kind-hearted blue-haired girl who had, until recently, come to see her and bring her food.

The waves crashed angrily, hungrily against the coastline. "There's going to be no coastline left at this rate," whispered Omani-Kaye, trying to keep the cold from entering into her skin, huddling herself into a tight ball and feeling her own inner warmth slowly spread throughout her body and shift out any of the melancholy and despair that might have stuck itself to her throughout the night.

Breathing in deeply, she felt no pain at the horribly, frosty air that entered her lungs, basking in the inner fire that burnt inside of her, the overwhelming power that had somehow kept her alive until now, even though she had been living on the streets her whole life and should rightfully be dead by now.

Mhmm, this is so nice… Thought Omani-Kaye, a small voice answering back to her in its sweet, dulcet sounds, Yes, it is nice.

Smiling at the voice she delved in deeper to the few rags that still hung about her body, giving her protection. This could be perfect, reminded Omani-Kaye to herself, I just need Ami.

Smiling, Omani-Kaye whispered to the day, "I know you're alright Ami, I'll take care of you."