“Because we’re human” – x.
“Where you think y’goin’?”
“A place called bed,” she meekly replied.
He grunted in retort.
“We’re gonna talk about this tonight,” the insistence was apparent in Terry’s voice. Confrontation was inevitable. And it couldn’t have come at a worse time. Minako’s head began to throb, which only meant the onset of another headache was closer than expected.
Minako pressed her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose, forcing the dull pain back. Unsteadily, she traversed the dimly lit courtyard of Hikawa. Terry continued to press his case, but his words were nothing more than faded babble. She didn’t want to face him. Nor…face the fact that she was…IS imperfect. Minako wished the dank surroundings would swallow every single one of his assaulting words. Mental degradation of another had always been Terry’s forte.
“Thought I’d never find out? Christ Minako, I know everything about you.”
Spearing out his hand, Terry whirled her around. The force rocked her on the ball of her feet. His free paw grappled the upper half of her right arm, holding her steadfast; his fingers began to dig into Minako’s flesh, biting with insane abandon.
“Then you know that I’m hurting right now, Terry – Let. Go. Of. Me,” she rasped.
Minako didn’t want to appear as if she were pleading. She was above that. So she thought. But the way Terry burrowed his gaze on her, affirmed otherwise, Aino Minako was a terrified soul. Where was that infamous strength that she carried so long ago, as the leader of the Senshi? No amount of her struggling rekindled that. The only place that held it was along side her compliment. The Yin to her Yang. Her frantic search in Hikawa’s shadowed expanse with her naked eyes berthed no savior. Rei wouldn’t be coming.
“Shut the hell up! You have no fucking right to say you’re hurting…You…you have to right, Minako…none.”
Terry let his grip tautly bound about her wrists, forcing her arms and folding it to the small of her back. She had never seen this part of him come to fruition – there were instances, but because they were one of Tinsel Town’s IT celebrities, the limelight sedated him, holding that part of him at bay. Terry’s once serene Hazel flecked eyes turned dour, it stripped her to her core even before his words of broken trust were spewed.
“…you forget who you promised yourself to? HUH? I ain’t playin’ your fool, Minako.”
“Please…just let me go,” her plea came straight from her heart, and she had hoped Terry listened. If he truly loved her, he would have granted her this one request. All she was hoping for…was her happiness.
Isn’t that how most of her romance novels ended?
He was burning from the inside, he couldn’t understand why she would do this, why would she treat him this way. After walking the ends of the world to be with her, to protect her for so long…She had to see. There was no logical reason in the world that they aren’t to be together. Terry loosened his grip. He wouldn’t be like the last asshole she was with.
Terry loved her. Terry needed her like he needed to breathe.
She just needed to be reminded.
Stuffing his mammoth paw into the pit of his jeans pocket, Terry fished for the thing that bound her to him. As it goes…the best defense is to give THE best offense. The tiny object glinted in the available moonlit night. Its austere was impeccable. Pristine in its Silver-Gold shine he recalled the sales woman tearing at the mere site. But in hindsight, she may have been crying for utter rapture with the commission she was about to make. Adorning the trinket was a perfectly cut diamond that was born in the mineshafts of India – According to the sales woman.
“…For some reason – this was hiding in your makeup kit.”
Minako’s eyes instantly glistened and the full impact tackled her and left the Singer winded. A few months before, she was asked a question. And under the expectant media glare her tentative answer was whispered. It was everything she wanted, the excitement of being asked on bended knee, the way she was romanced; the Senshi of Love and Beauty had her happy ending... it was all she had looked for, all she needed. At that time.
Got you. Terry should have been an actor. He injected the right amount of raspy hurt mixing it with a glob of accusation. Furthering the guilt that began seeding its way into the Singer. He continued, pulling her left hand towards him then he slipped the ring unto her finger.
“Wouldn’t want you to forget your promise, Minako…”, The Football player, was a soldier of the grid-iron a profession that forced its combatants to understand and execute specified strategy. No holds barred, where only the reaping of your victory wins the coveted prize. You need to know your opponent. You need to know how to dominate them. You need to KNOW their weaknesses.
Hers was her word, her loyalty…and the fact that she loved the spotlight – Everyone knows that to maintain that important status quo…There would be sacrifices. Minako met the rigors of life under the lens. She was…the media darling that never did wrong. There was no way…Aino Minako would misstep now. Terry knew this.
His actions laid down the ultimatum and put her Japanese honor on the line as well as her selfworth. Chastely…he feathered a kiss to her temple and whispered,
“…I gave you a second chance at life, baby…you owe me this.”
In little more than a glance, the Football star left Minako standing there in the middle of Hikawa’s lonely courtyard, only her shocked silence and the dread of the unknown was her companion. The ring was heavy on her hand, it was so cold….so unfeeling. And she realized…most chains that bind, are.
Artemis witnessed everything from the shrubbery that lined the walkway of the temple. Words failed him for the first time in his proud tenure as the Senshi Leader’s council – he offered nothing more than his steadfast presence. He always would. So long as she would allow it. Treading softly to Minako’s side, the now slightly ecru colored plushie quietly watched his charge. He saw that her eyes shifted ever so slightly towards his direction. Minako had an uncanny ability to pinion where Artemis was.
“…Artemis…” The common greeting that she had always given her one-time guardian, slipped absently passed her lips - shakily.
“Hai, Minako?”
“…Who am I?”
An odd question, thought Artemis, but quietly he offered his answer, “Aino Minako.”
She nodded slightly, refusing to shed tears for this situation she created for herself. With furrowed brows, Minako stared at the precious gemstone hugging snugly about her left ring finger.
“I haven’t been her for a while…
“...then don’t you think it’s high time you were?”
Her nod was barely perceptible in the wee hours of midnight, but it was there. Somehow – the motion wasn’t comforting to the cat. Minako scooped him up, tucking him gingerly at her side. She wouldn’t meet his glazed eyes, but tentatively offered an overshadowed smile,
“…Maybe the next time around…I will.”
This night wasn’t any better. Within the first instances of REM, her inner mind was wrestled from reality. In her dreams, Rei walked with no form of her own. Malformed images dissipated with her fingertips spearing into their bodies, only to reform in her wake. They spoke to her constantly, sometimes with frantically mouthed words. Words she never heard. All she was ever given were images to interpret.
This time, the images were crystal clear.
They assaulted her with freeze frames, sepia in color.
The miko recognized them for what they were. Photographs.
Stills of life made to look as if they were dated. One after the other they lobbed themselves at her from the dark corners of her mind. Easily she plucked them from the air. They were of her temple. The surrounding bushes, the pathway…and the wooden plank slats that served as the stairway to the main foyer of the temple. Snapshots showed two of the current occupants.
Man and woman.
Patiently Rei siphoned through the ‘pictures’. She felt her annoyance spark, “So? WHAT? It’s them, I get it alright!”
Behind rice-paper doors, she saw their definitive forms, she was cupping his face, she drew closer to him…Rei threw the rest from her. She didn’t want to see any more as they continuously spilled, portending what was to come. Not until a batch later…one particular shot flittered into view, tumbling slowly in the air, turning in full color. Carelessly it finally came to a stop at where her feet would have been. Where the pool of pictures should have been piled, this picture remained. Rei grasped it.
It was of a little child, waving goodbye. The child’s demeanor was familiar to her.
But before she could scrutinize it further a scream inundated her mind, one that was sure to have destroyed her eardrums, and one that Rei knew.
It was Rei’s voice.
Rei jolted awake and found her left hand had gone knuckle-white from clenching her fist. The miko’s body felt heavy, becoming uncooperative. She heard her breath coming in ragged spurts; shaking the last vestiges of Morpheous’ grip on her, Rei lapped at her lower lip, tasting the salt of her sweat clinging to her plump flesh.
Her attentions were drawn with the tender pads of someone’s fingers at her temple, eventually leading to her cheek. The one time priestess forgot where she was. Embarrassed eyes regarded the woman she rested against.
Ami began to work Rei’s fingers loose from the front of her crumpled blouse.
“I…I’m sorry.”
A soft smile, “You should be, this was my favorite blouse, Rei-chan.”
Rei retracted her hand immediately drawing her body upright just as quickly. The miko refused to meet Ami’s curious gaze.
“how long was I…?”
“Only ten minutes,” offered the doctor softly, “But you slipped into REM quickly. Understandable really. You’ve had a trying few days….”
Raking her splayed fingers through her hair, Rei exhaled before pulling her weary frame from the comforts of the couch. Ami pressed a hand down the front of her wear attempting to alleviate the wrinkles that set in. She leaned forth bringing her body at the edge of the seat. Ami watched the woman stand just a few feet from her warring with herself. No doubt for the doctor, the inner soliloquy of the miko blocked everything out at the moment.
Minako may have been the Senshi of Love and Beauty, holding the title rightly so – none, at least to Ami, held a candle to the World Icon….But in little more than a stab of lightening and that quiet intensity Rei could steal the limelight from the Star in a heartbeat. There was a dark beauty that the only the soldier of passion possessed.
Ami was suffocating under it.
Clearing her throat, the doctor managed to garner a look from Rei’s eyes. She stole a breath to feed her starving lungs.
“You were in pain…”, murmured Ami.
Rei furrowed her brows in askance.
“…When you cried out to her. In your sleep.” When Ami didn’t get a reply, she pressed gently, “Was Minako-chan in danger in your dream?”
“It wasn’t a dream, Ami.” grunted Rei. “And..from what it looked like, she was far from danger…”
“I sense…a ‘but’ somewhere under there.”
Rei chuckled, whirling about to face the doctor. Her perfectly sculpted brow twitched upward, “…Since when did you become psychic, Ami.”
Nestling back once more feeling that the ambiance changed, the slightly younger woman folded her arms over the full of her modestly sized chest.
“I’m a woman with many talents, Rei-chan.”
She laughed. Ami was drawn that much further into the Hino mystique. If the miko asked right now, the doctor would have foregone men in a breath of a word. Ami Mizuno wasn’t gay, just like she wasn’t snow-virgin white. Yet…she’s never received any of these sensations as she did whenever in the shadow of the miko. Ami stymied the irritance of those feelings. ‘Flights of Fancy.’ Easily categorized for the scientific mind and shunted aside. Like they should be.
“…You make it easy for someone like me, to read you,” announced Ami quickly.
“It would make you the only one then.”
“I’m a doctor by profession and trained to know such things – I’d better be, otherwise…I’m out of a job.” Ami answered with a touch of humor, before lifting herself from the couch.
Rei watched her friend quietly, a comfortable silence, that hadn’t lasted long. Soon that dream flooded back and set the raven headed woman on edge.
“But.”
Ami scrutinized her gaze on the miko.
“I…could feel everything. Taste the air…,” spat Rei. “These images were clearer than my hearth, Ami.” She shook her head abysmally. “I saw them, a child, my voice…the panic, pictures on pictures, they wouldn’t stop coming, I couldn’t look, I couldn’t bring myself TO look – something, Ami is going to happen.”
Rei didn’t realize she was pacing, nor that her ramble came out in such a way that it seemed as if Rei were sputtering rather than explaining the images that came across. Taking Rei’s hand into her own, Ami reassuringly squeezed it.
“The anxieties you went through here, coupled with a restless sleep aided and abetted to the dream, Rei-chan. You’re under an extreme amount of stress. All you need…is some time away from the cause of it.”
Ami paused to let her assessment sink in. The reality of it was, Minako was a star…and a star accustomed to being loved from afar and having intermittent lovers, it was a common Psyche for someone in that stature. At least, common for stars before settling with another. As Minako did with Terry Lapps. Ami’s logic believed that Rei was being toyed with.
“No…no no no, Ami! If you’ve ever heard me before, listen tome now! I need you to listen.” Rei pleaded, cupping Ami’s face between her hands, she forced the young doctor to look at her.
“Talk to me like your god damned friend, Ami. I’m not one of your patients…”
The fire in Rei’s eyes caused her knees to give beneath her. Violet flecks of color shone in the miko’s gaze – Ami knew the woman was torn. And asking her to keep from Minako, was…a silent, selfish wish. She pulled both hands that cupped at her face from her, Ami remained standing under her own will – amazingly. In a move that surprised even her, the doctor found her hands listing from holding Rei’s own and coursing her arms about the miko’s neck in a gentle hug.
She held her close insofar that the doctor could feel the rapid, desperate pummeling of Rei’s heart against her own chest. Rei needed a friend and not a lecture, Ami failed in that. Ami didn’t realize how long they had been standing there, nor did she care. Just this moment in her time, her life – Rei needed her.
Despite her inner nay-sayings her own selfish wants, Ami tenderly whispered against Rei’s cheek…
“Go…I should know better than to question your talents, Rei-chan…If she’s going to be hurt…”
“Which is why you need to come with me, Ami. We’ll call the others en route and…”
Ami pulled back and effortlessly averted Rei’s eyes.
“Are we seriously going to debate this You need to leave…now. Time Rei-chan…TIME. It’s something you can ill-afford.”
“But…”
“Don’t make that your new catchphrase,” Ami dared a glance, “The worse thing for a human to go through…is never knowing the ‘could have beens’. Go.”
Rei’s eyes flicked with acquiescence and sorrow. “Ami…”
“…We’ll be there for you.”
The miko barely gave a nod before moving towards Ami’s entry-way. The doctor followed quietly, obediently. Outside, Mother Nature decided a light misting of rain just wouldn’t do, as if feeding on all the lonely souls out there, the soft rainfall, turned into a burgeoning maelstrom. Bucket loads of water blanketed the road. Ami’s field of vision caught the faint outlines of the cab that Rei had come in. Its lights were still cutting through the darkened ala X-Files-like night sky.
“I had him wait.”
Ami realized then, that Rei hadn’t intended to stay.
“Thank you.” Rei paused looking quietly to her friend and confidant. “If the circumstances were different…”
“…It still would have been Minako-chan,” Ami afforded a knowing smile of sincerity, adding in a hushed tone, “Get out of here.”
With a slight forced shove to Rei’s arm, the miko whirled about. She was swallowed instantly in the downpour. Ami watched her leave before shunting the door to her domicile closed. The obsidian haired doctor heard the cab putter off; listlessly her forehead touched against the smooth surface of her door. Ami’s eyes affixed themselves on her perfectly manicured toenails and beyond them – she saw her now distant past.
A smile twitched over her rosy lips.
“I took my chance…no regrets. Rei-chan – ganbatte ne?”
The lanky woman chuckled, murmuring to no one in particular, “I could be the Elephant Man’s twin…I’ll give you that much Hino - That was a hell of a back hand.”
Just adjacent to the room Makoto was in an audible snore was heard, soon accompanied with a tinny of a whine. Splashing her face with a handful of lukewarm water, the brunette peered out the doorway. Lumped in the middle of the tatami floor, her fiancée was balled into a fetal position on a futon. He had been, albeit naively, gallant that night. Wanting to ‘avenge’ the injustice dealt to her. Unfortunately, Makoto had been the first to snort her surprise. She had meant no offense but it did cause a little friction between the pair. It made Motoki near depressed that Makoto hadn’t had faith in him.
The truth of it was…she had nothing BUT faith and the purest love for the man. His spirit was admirable, physically though…she wore the pants in their soon-to-be family. Motoki rustled under the layer of futon blankets, drawing her from her reverie. Makoto knelt beside her slumbering fiancée and began to tuck him comfortably into the mesh of beddings. Just like a burrito, which is exactly how he preferred – something she could never truly understand. Nor, she realized that she wanted to.
A soft blue light flickered at the corner of her eye, tearing her attentions away from her still sleeping lover. Quietly as she could muster, Makoto made her way over towards the nightstand. The object pulsed once again, revealing in bold print Ami’s number. Curiously the brunette answered her cellular.
Motoki laid silent for sometime allowing his eyes the occasional listing before he forcibly refocused them on his girl’s back. She didn’t have to say much, but by the tone of her acknowledgments and bobbing of her head – it only meant that one of her friends had called. Motoki had always known that if he wanted a relationship with Kino Makoto, it would also mean marrying the rest of her ‘extended’ family. And with Usagi in the picture…Privacy was an idea of the past.
The phone clicked off.
“…Usagi-chan?”
Makoto shook her head.
“Ami-chan,” he reasoned.
It obviously had to be the good doctor. Usagi and Ami had always been the closest to Makoto. Minako was always on the go and seemed to never have time, even for herself. It amazed him that she even made it back to Japan. Much less FOUND time to be with her friends. Rei…Just the fleeting thought of the raven haired woman caused him to shudder in apprehension. She seriously scared Motoki.
Rising to her feet, Makoto made her way towards her clothes bureau, pulling out a rather worn pullover. With a bit of a struggle, Motoki wormed his way loose from his binds, albeit with a regretful sigh.
“Mako-chan? What are you doing...it’s late.”
“Which is why you should go back to sleep – I’ll be back, shouldn’t take more than a half-hour.”
She regarded him from over her slender shoulder, with a truly lop-sided smile thanks to that bulge of misshapen flesh. Motoki wiped the remnants of sleep from his eyes, while his innards were tied up in knots. He knew what Makoto’s stand-offish comments always stood for.
“What is it this time? Usagi-chan having problems with soy-milk again? Or is it Ami-chan calling for companionship other than her wine bottles.”
Makoto sensed that behind the mask of prodding sarcasm, Motoki was tired of this schtick. She never blamed him. How can anyone not develop an inferiority complex? The woman knew she needed to be careful in how she handled her pyche challenged lover.
“You’re not being fair, Motoki-kun…”
A sigh, “sumimasen.”
“Anyway,” Makoto slighted with an air of careful indifference, “it’s not as if we’re fighting youma again, we haven’t had that capability since we were younger,” she paused, “you know I won’t turn my back on them…any of them.”
“Did you ever think that they can help themselves, that you’re not obligated to be there every single moment?”
She pulled her luxurious mane into a loose ponytail, sparing a shadowed profile-glance to Motoki.
“I have.”
“And?”
“…That would be like saying, you’re not obligated to share your life with me... To tell me you love me.”
He sat there, shaking his head and chuckling after the realization was presented to him.
“I’ll keep your side of the futon warm.”
“Thanks,” she smiled coyly.
“I hope Ami-chan will be okay…though I have to say…She has been hitting that wine bottle a lot lately.”
“Ami-chan can handle anything, she always could; it’s not about her, it’s not about any of us except...”
“Ano?”
Her hand touched the malformed side of her face and Motoki didn’t need to hear the explanation. He nestled into the many layers of the beddings he shared with Makoto. Then an unsettled sigh wrestled from his lips.
“She hit you, I don’t understand why you’d want to help her.”
“Because…physical pain can heal. What I did to her…was unforgivable."
Because now, she sat in his midst, wringing her raven locks of the access rainwater that soaked it. The woman flicked her eyes towards the rearview mirror, meeting his errant gaze.
“Can you please keep your eyes on the road.”
“H-hai.” Ishikawa gave pause, swallowing. Her voice alone sent waves of nerves alight in him. The cabbie needed to hear more from her. “We’ll be there shortly, miss. It’s a little late, do you think anyone will be awake to greet you?”
“This is early for her…She’ll be awake.”
He arched his brow in evermore curiosity. “She?”
Her eyes danced towards the window. The passing scenery was now nothing more than a Monet like blur. “Someone that I need to see.”
Ishikawa’s fingers involuntarily flexed. His eyes shifted towards the mirror. The woman looked distant and lost, suddenly her lips twitched at a memory. “Must be someone very important to you,” he heard his gruff voice reply.
Rei laughed softly, “The most important person in my life…I just wanted to tell her that.”
His breathing caught at the pit of his throat. Someone MORE important than me? I brought you everywhere you needed to go, -I- gave you that escape you needed! NO ONE ELSE did that for you!
“A-ah, soo.”, he replied simply, but the cab driver could feel it. The jealousy began to eat at him from the inside out. Surprisingly, his demeanor remained composed.
“Family member?”
There was a pause before her contralto purr broke above the turning of the Daihatsu’s engine. So delicate in sound, so welcoming…So perfect that he started to wonder, how it sounded as she begged for forgiveness from him…
“I could be arrested then, if I thought about family in any other way than just relation,” a chuckling scoff was proffered, “No…Minako’s more than family to me.”
“Is that so…Aino Minako…? The star?”
“That would be she, yeah….We’re here, just pull behind the base of the hill here…right.”
As soon as the car came to a coasting halt, Rei promptly jettisoned herself from the backseat. As her eyes darted towards the solitary edifice on Hikawa Hill, she could see the light still on. There would be no way that the miko would go without a fight for Minako. Especially if her instincts were correct. Tearing her glance from the temple yonder, Rei drew her gaze back towards the darkened pit of the driver’s side of the cab.
“Ishikawa-san…arigato for your time and hel…he…hel..”
There was a pop.
It was a struggle to get that final word out, even more difficult to get past the initial shock…Rei gulped for oxygen, which seemed to refuse to feed her lungs. She stumbled backward eventually losing her balance and landing unceremoniously on her back. The miko tried in vain to lift her right arm, but it was suddenly immobile. Her eyes shot up towards the night-sky, and her first thought was how beautiful it was. Soon her field of vision was eclipsed as her watered eyes stared into the barrel of a quaking gun.
She didn’t notice, she didn’t have TIME to notice, what with her worrying about other innocuous things that was romantically detrimental to her future. With all her talent, the priestess couldn’t even use them to foretell her own fate. All for naught.
The word finally free-fell from her lips, clinging on to her raspy breath,
“…help…”
He stood there, holding the gun that hadn’t ceased it’s erratic quaking, the cabbie’s chapped lips twisted into a smile as he murmured,
“You’re welcome…”
It seemed like he watched her for eternity before her head lolled flushed to the asphalt ground. She was his possession. And when you don’t want to share your possessions you hold on to it with a deathlike vise…
Because, it’s human nature.
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