Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ The Power Of Fire ❯ The End ( Chapter 24 )

Usagi sat in her bed, trying to figure out how exactly all her friends had fit into her bedroom.

Mamoru held her hand on her left as Chibiusa sat leaning against her bed to her right, looking around Usagi took in all the faces of her friends.

Ami and Rei were sitting squished up in one lounge chair that Mamoru had lugged up to her room in an effort to make room for everyone. Ami's face was light and cheerful just how Usagi used to always remember it, but now there was a difference. Ami's face was light and cheerful for a different reason, that reason being the raven-haired friend who was sitting by her with her arms wrapped tightly around Ami's small waist, laughing and joking with the blue-haired beauty.

Makoto and Minako were sitting uncomfortably side-by-side on the floor, looking complete opposites of one-another. Minako was the picture of ease as she rested back while Makoto looked as though something was paining her deeply as she sat with her back abnormally straight.

Michiru and Haruka were both lounging in the middle of the floor, leaning back and using their hands for support, their legs and feet entwined as Michiru talked animatedly, making Haruka laugh at irrelevant periods.

Usagi sighed sadly, although she had so many of her friends around her she was still missing two of them.

"I'm sure they're fine Usako," said Mamoru, obviously knowing what was going through Usagi's mind as he too looked around at their friends.

"I can hardly believe what we've been through again," said Usagi, her voice sounding aged as she spoke.

"And it's not over yet either," said Mamoru, his eyes skimming over to Rei and Minako, both of whom were still in the dark about their pasts.

"I wish it was," said Usagi as she shifted in her bed, wincing as the two halves of her torn skin pulled against each other.

"You shouldn't move Usagi," said Rei, looking over at her recovering friend with concern as Ami raked her fingers through Rei's hair.

"It's not as easy to do as you might think," teased back Usagi giving Rei a small smile.

"Well none of us have been stabbed before have we?" joked Minako, giving Makoto a little elbow in the side, trying to perk her up a bit.

Usagi frowned, Makoto had been down lately and she was being fairly tight-lipped about it.

"Stop worrying!" exclaimed Haruka playfully, picking up one of the small pillows on the floor and throwing it at Usagi.

Michiru laughed as Usagi tried to deflect the pillow but failed.

"The same old Usagi," joked Ami lightly with a glorious grin on her face.

"I thought you were all meant to be cheering me up!" said Usagi, feeling a little bit happier with all her friends around her.

"The weather should make you happy enough," said Michiru as the warm sun shone through Usagi's window in the centre of the room.

"Yeah, now it's actually summer," said Rei, giving Ami's cheek a little poke, Ami giving her a playful scowl back for the action.

Usagi consider over the past week and how everything had suddenly changed from the final showdown they had had with their counterparts. I can't believe all that happened in such a short amount of time. I can't believe the whole confrontation only spans two nights and one day! Usagi's thoughts ran through her mind rapidly, as she let the natural flow of the memories overwhelm her.

And I've been under house-arrest ever since! Usagi thought, frowning inwardly. This was the first day since she left the hospital four days ago that she'd been allowed to have all her friends around.

Usagi's eyes wandered, again falling on Ami and Rei and how clearly they were taken by each other. I'll never understand it but I'm happy for them, they're so cute together, thought Usagi happily, And I'm so glad Ami's better. No wonder she was acting so out of character before, she must have been exhausted over trying to continually fight the other counterparts' attacks on the city.

"Usagi!" Another pillow was thrown across the room, hitting Usagi fair in the face again.

"Don't throw things at me!" cried out a disgruntled Usagi as she angrily threw the pillow to the ground causing all her friends to break out in laughter.

"Definitely the same old Buns-head," laughed Haruka giving Usagi a warm smile in the process.

"The same old Haru-Chan too!" retorted Usagi back, poking out her tongue at her blonde friend.

"She's got you there Haru-Chan," said Michiru stoutly giving Haruka a very serious look.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" questioned Haruka with a wicked grin on her face as she began to tickle Michiru on the floor.

Michiru tried to respond but only her laughter made it out of her mouth. All of them laughed along at the playful couple but Usagi's mind strayed again, too concerned for her two missing friends to pay much attention to anything else.

Shifting in her bed again as watched all her friends, Ami had her hands down the back of Rei's t-shirt, obviously cooling down the healing burns with her cool hands, Michiru was trying to escape Haruka's tickling attacks and failing, Mamoru and Chibiusa were smiling down at the warring pair on the floor but it was Minako and Makoto who caught Usagi's eye most of all.

Minako was trying to gather Makoto's attention but Makoto looked all the more uneasy at Minako's advances.

Makoto shifted away from Minako slightly though her whole body still seemed to lean into the strawberry-blonde-haired friend who was preaching animatedly about the next hot pop idol that had recently hit the top 10.

Usagi's eyebrows furrowed as she watched her friends; she was terrified that Makoto was falling into the same trap that Ami had been in.

"What the?" came Haruka's surprised gasp, looking at the door in awe.

"Hotaru," said Chibiusa happily, bounding over to her friend and pulling her into a tight hug.

Hotaru returned the hug with a small smile before she looked around the group.

"We've been worried about you Hotaru," said Minako warmly, a bright smile still alight on her face.

Hotaru's face looked grim as she took in Minako's and Rei's relaxed composures.

"It would do more good to be worried about you," replied Hotaru seriously.

"What do you mean?" questioned Michiru, her eyebrows furrowing.

"I've sensed Mars's and Venus's counterparts," said Hotaru, "And it looks like they want something," continued Hotaru looking around at all her friends' faces.

"What do they want?" asked Rei, the concern evident on her face.

"You," replied Hotaru simply.