Usagi stood there a moment, and Rei was struck by how.. lonely
the young woman looked. 'Of course she's lonely,' Rei reminded
herself, 'she's lost so much, her family, the boy she loves.' Without
thinking she said softly, "We're ready to help you, Usagi."
Usagi smiled slightly, and it was almost like seeing the sun
rise. "Thank you," she said softly. They began to walk away from what
was left of the youma and she asked Luna, "What was that youma talking
about?"
"There is a prophecy," Luna said, seemingly reluctant to go
on. The combined glares of three young women soon spurred her on
however, "It speaks of a band of champions that would oppose the
rising of the youma. The Princess out of Shadow, the Seer of Fire, and
the Wise Woman of Frost are some of those mentioned."
"Well, the seer fits me," Rei said softly, "and Ami could be
the frost woman. But why would they call Usagi the Princess out of
shadow?"
"I don't know," Luna admitted quietly, "I was raised for the
purpose of the fulfillment of the prophecy, but I can't say that I
fully understand it."
"I guess we'll find out when we track the leader of the youma
down," Usagi said, giving Ami a not so casual glance.
"Using the data I acquired when you fought Zoisite, I've
confirmed that there is a central location in Tokyo that the youma use
to transport themselves," Ami said. "Once we find it, we'll be able to
access the youma's home dimension," she finished.
Usagi smiled slightly, "I sense there's a but in there
somewhere."
Ami smiled back, "But I'll need the data from at least another
portal opening, maybe more, before I can narrow down the location with
any accuracy."
"So we get to keep on picking fights with random youma until a
high ranking one uses a portal to get away," Rei summarized.
"Simply put," Ami nodded, "but basically accurate."
Usagi looked over at Luna, "Anyone else mentioned by name in
that prophecy?"
"Strength of Oak," Luna volunteered, "and Heart's Champion are
the remaining two of the five. The prophecy also speaks of the Four
who came before, but nothing more detailed."
Am odd look crossed Usagi's face as she heard the first
description. "Then Strength of Oak will have to be our next recruit,"
she said firmly.
"But, how will we find her? Will the magic of the sword help
us?" Rei blinked in surprise.
"No," Usagi actually grinned as she produced a business card
from her shirt pocket, "I have her phone number."
There was an extended moment of surprised silence as the two
young women and one cat looked over at her oddly.
"How?" Ami started weakly.
"I'm not entirely certain that it's her," Usagi admitted, "but
the coincidence is just a bit much, don't you think?"
Rei took the card from Usagi's hand and looked it over.
'Makoto Kino,' it read simply, a pager number underneath and it was
decorated with oak leaves. "Makoto," Rei murmured as if trying to
remember something, then her eyes grew wide. "Her?!" she said weakly.
Ami looked between the two of them thoughtfully. "I take it
she has some reputation?" she finally ventured to ask.
Rei sighed, "You could say that."
In an dark alleyway on the other side of the city, a young man
cowered against the wall as a pair of bullies rifled through his
wallet. "Is this all that you have?" the first scowled.
"Not even enough to pay the toll," the second smiled
dangerously as he flexed his hands.
"Leave me alone," the bow whimpered, using his bookbag as a
shield.
"I'd do what he says," an cheerful voice startled them from up
the alley. The two men quickly turned around to see a tall girl
leaning up casually against the alley wall, looking at them with an
very amused expression.
"Don't interfere, bitch," the leader growled.
A much more serious expression crossed her face at that
remark. "And here I was, just offering you some friendly advice,"
Makoto shook her head mournfully. Somehow she seemed to disappear from
the mouth of the alley to reappear right in front of them, grabbing
the leader by the collar and hoisting him up against the wall with
surprising ease.
"Lemme go," he squeaked out fearfully.
"AAAH!" the other boy ran forward to swing a pipe down at her
head, but Makoto just reached back and casually caught it in one hand.
With frightening suddenness Makoto head-butted the boy that
she was holding on to, knocking him out cold. She gracefully turned
even as her leg came up in such a powerful kick that it sent the other
boy flying into the far wall of the alley with a loud thump!
"You all right, kid?" Makoto walked over to ask the badly
shaken young man. He nodded weakly, looking at her with almost as much
terror as he had the bullies. She casually picked up his wallet and
handed it back to him as she said more gently, "You'd better get out
of here before someone comes to check this out."
She watched him go just a bit regretfully, as Makoto rather
liked the shy, intellectual type, then she shook her head firmly. 'To
business,' she thought, and bent down to collect the two bullies
rather fat wallets. "Not bad," she murmured aloud at the amount of
cash they were carrying around, "you've been very busy."
Makoto took the yen note that was worth the least and wrote on
it with a black marker, "Don't mess around in my territory."
Underneath she signed it, then pinned it to the leader's coat. 'That
ought to get the point across,' she thought.
Makoto nodded to some of the working girls on the corner who
smiled at her happily. There were no pimps in this part of town, they
didn't dare, not with her here. She had broken both the arms of the
last one to try it, and that had pretty much scared all the others
away.
She felt the vibration of her pager, and noted it was a new
number. Makoto went to the nearest payphone and dialed, waiting a
moment for it to pick up. The woman's voice was pleasant, and
strangely familiar, though Makoto couldn't quite place it.
"Yes? You'd like to meet? When and where. Thank you, I'll see
you then," Makoto finished her side of the conversation and put the
phone down. "Well," Makoto stretched with a smile, "maybe I'll get a
good fight today after all."
With that much more cheerful thought in mind Makoto headed off
down the street with a spring in her step.
Later that day, three young women and a cat waited rather
nervously in front of Rei's shrine. Usagi smiled over at Rei, "Thank
you for offering this place for our meeting."
"You're welcome," Rei smiled back. 'Hopefully, this woman
won't try something here,' she thought to herself nervously.
Usagi seemed to pick up on it as she said softly, "I think
it'll be all right, Rei. I've met her before, and Makoto's not as bad
as the stories say."
"You've met her too?" Ami looked thoughtful. "Interesting,
likely while fighting youma. Statistically, it seems to me that it's
quite improbable that all three of us would merely by chance have been
attacked by the various youma," she noted.
Luna saw the slightly baffled looks on Rei and Usagi's faces
and offered, "It's probably not all a coincidence."
"That's what I said," Ami smiled.
Makoto Kino came up the steps with a slight smile on her face,
wearing a different style of school uniform than Usagi's. Her long
brown hair was held back in a ponytail, and her eyes were the deepest
of forest green. She paused there, studying them intently.
Makoto's eyes narrowed as she recognized the slim blonde.
Usagi had helped her, when a goon she had been fighting had
transformed into a monster. She still wasn't sure she had really
needed the blonde's help, but it had felt kind on nice fighting beside
her.
To one side a woman with long black hair looked at her
steadily, dressed in the traditional garb of a shrine maiden. Makoto
frowned slightly, she had heard there was a real miko out here, with
visions and everything. If this was her, she could be trouble.
Then the other girl caught Makoto's eye, and she gulped
softly. The blue haired woman pushed her glasses up, sitting there
comfortably in a woman's suit, almost looking like a school teacher.
She noticed Makoto's gaze and looked down, blushing slightly.
'Kawaii,' Makoto thought with a sigh.
"Makoto Kino?" Usagi asked with a smile.
Makoto shook herself, trying to focus on business. "Yes?" she
asked.
Usagi smiled, "I'd like to hire you."
Back to Senshi: the Gathering of Five Index - Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction