Stormchaser
'I'm not sure I'll ever look at rainy days the same way,' Makoto
thought.
"Wow! Isn't this wonderful, Mako-chan?" asked Ami, running ahead of
her brown-haired traveling companion.
The Tokyo sky was completely overcast, one big blanket of light-gray
clouds. A light rain issued forth from the heavens, strong enough to
leave small puddles on the sidewalk, but light enough to feel cool and
pleasant when it touched your face. Nevertheless, Makoto had her
large, green umbrella with her in case it picked up and became
uncomfortable. But right now, she was just wondering why she brought
it in the first place.
"Don't you love this weather?" Ami said. "Not too warm, not too cool,
with just the right amount of rain."
"Actually, I'm not quite sure why I'm standing here holding this thing
if you'd be happier without it," Makoto said.
"Come on, Mako-chan, live a little!"
Makoto shook her head. Ami was probably the last person she would
expect to use that expression.
-----
And in the morning light I saw her standing there
Marine reflections playing out across her hair
She looked at me with midnight's laughter in her eyes
She gave to me, my cynic's heart, one last surprise
-----
She watched Ami dancing in the rain. It was nice to see this side of
Ami, who spent so much of her time working and studying that Makoto
sometimes worried if she really knew how to have fun, how to live, how
to love...
The tiny droplets clung to Ami's blue hair like morning dew on the
grass, and when the sun's rays poked through the clouds, it gave off a
prismatic effect, making Ami look like she was wearing a halo. As she
twirled in place, the joy in her eyes and her smiling face struck
Makoto with more power than she thought was possible. It almost made
her feel like falling to her knees and crying with unknown,
conflicting emotions.
"Makoto? Mako-chan? Hello?"
"Huh? What?"
And all of a sudden Ami was right in front of her again, blue eyes
meeting their reflection in green. That was when Makoto realized she
really was crying, at least a little bit.
"Is something wrong?" Ami asked.
Makoto rubbed her eyes. "No, nothing. I'm all right."
-----
Stormchaser
I know I'm not as strong as you
My stormchaser
It's not as much as you're used to
Stormchaser
But I need you tonight
And when your gaze is cast through darkness
Then all you see is light
-----
They were walking again, under Makoto's umbrella again.
"It was awfully nice of you to walk home with me," Ami said.
"It's no problem," Makoto replied. "We don't live that far from each
other."
"And it was a good idea to bring that," Ami said, gesturing toward the
umbrella.
"This? I thought you liked the rain," Makoto said, running her hand
lightly through Ami's moist hair. Ami blushed and looked at her feet.
"I used to do that when I was little," Ami mused. "But with entrance
exams coming up, not to mention all the Senshi business we've had to
take care of, I haven't had much time to enjoy myself for a while."
"I know what you mean," Makoto said, even though her attitude was
totally different from Ami's. Senshi business and schoolwork were
Makoto's life. Her real life was the chore, and she was always trying
to find her way away from it whenever she could. Sailor Jupiter didn't
worry about being lonely and alone; she was here to fight.
"Are you sure you're OK, Mako-chan?"
"Fine, Ami-chan. Just fine." Makoto wanted to change the subject. "You
know, you would make a pretty good meteorologist."
Ami laughed, and Makoto's heart flew. "I already know what I want,"
she said.
'So do I, Ami-chan, so do I...'
-----
And when she's sad the heavens darken with black rain
When she's gone the world's haunted with silent refrain
You know I'd hold her if I could
But it won't do me any good
When she's already on the next cloud, a step ahead of mine
-----
It wasn't long before the rain started to pick up and the wind grew
stronger. Ami drew closer to Makoto, trying to get under the umbrella
as much as she could. The wind pushed the rain forward, soaking their
bare legs, and their conversation was put on hold as they ran as fast
as they could toward Ami's house.
A few minutes later Ami was opening her front door and Makoto was
folding up the green umbrella. The warmth of the house was a welcome
change from the cold and wet outside.
"Mom? Are you here?" Ami called. "Makoto's here with me."
"Hello, Mizuno-san," Makoto echoed.
But no one answered them. In the kitchen Ami found a note from her
mother, saying she would be working late again tonight. She took the
note to Makoto, who read it with her.
"I guess we'll have the place to ourselves for a while," Ami said.
"Don't even think of going back out there until the rain dies down."
"Trust me, I wasn't."
"Are you still cold?"
"A little."
"Here, let me get a fire started. That should help," Ami said, and
went looking for some matches.
A few minutes later, they were each sitting on a couch in front of the
fireplace, the fire warming the two weary Senshi. Makoto gazed into
the jumping flames and thought of Rei, sitting in front of her shrine,
and laughed.
"What is it?" Ami asked.
-----
Stormchaser
I know I'm not as strong as you
My stormchaser
It's not as much as you're used to
Stormchaser
But I need you tonight
And when your gaze is cast through darkness
Then all you see is light
-----
"Oh, I was just thinking about Rei and her sacred flame," Makoto
answered. "And about something else..."
"What?"
"Well, even though they argue so much, do you think Rei loves Usagi?"
Ami looked at the ground. "I think we all love Usagi..."
Makoto sighed quietly. "I know, but I think it might be a little more
than that for Rei. Like she might love Usagi in a different way,
stronger than the rest of us do."
Ami seemed to catch on. She put her hand to her mouth and thought for
a moment. "I don't know... I suppose, maybe."
Makoto glanced at her.
"What got you thinking about that?" Ami asked.
"I don't know," Makoto said. "I guess I just want everyone to find
love, somehow, some way or other. "I just want to find it myself. I
want to find it so much, Ami..."
"Mako-chan..."
-----
They say she walks like a hurricane
And she leaves the same way she came
And when she blows away the sadness
And all my self-doubt
Then when the next storm comes, we can ride it out
-----
On the radio there was a local artist's version of an American song.
"Don't it always seem to go that you don't know what you've got till
it's gone," said the singer.
Makoto felt that she was living something similar. It always seemed to
go that she didn't know what she could have had until she couldn't
have it anymore. Before her parents had died, she hadn't realized the
relationship she could have had with them. And until recently, she
hadn't considered that she didn't have to live alone. But this time
she knew what she wanted, and she was going to try to get it.
"Sometimes I just feel so alone, Ami-chan," she said. "Like there's no
one there for me."
"You're not alone, Mako-chan," Ami said, concern evident in her voice.
"You've got us, all of us. We care about you."
"I know...but, maybe it's selfish of me, but I feel like I need
something more. Like I need someone to need me, someone who I'm more
to than just part of a team. Someone who I can be more than a friend
to."
Ami got off her couch and walked over to Makoto's. She took the
brown-haired Senshi's hand in both of hers and looked her in the eye.
"You know how important you are to me, Mako-chan. How much you mean to
me."
"Of course I do..."
"I don't think you do," Ami said. "But I can tell you. I can show you,
if you'll let me."
Makoto looked into Ami's hypnotic blue eyes, eyes that were incapable
of lies or deceit.
"What do you want right now, Makoto?"
"I-I don't want to be alone right now. I want someone to be with for a
while..."
Ami held Makoto close. "You don't have to go home alone tonight,
Mako-chan. Not to an empty apartment. I'm here, and I'll be here with
you."
Makoto held Ami as well. She didn't even notice she was crying again.
"Arigato, Ami-chan..."
And the two of them rode out the raging storm in each other's arms,
safe from the loneliness outside.
-----
Stormchaser
I know I'm not as strong as you
My stormchaser
It's not as much as you're used to
Stormchaser
But I need you tonight
And when your gaze is cast through darkness
Then all you see is light
------------------------------------------------------------
"Stormchaser" copyright 2002.
Lyrics reprinted with permission.
Written by "Evil Eric" Sharp and EASTside Four.
Back to Sailor Moon Shoujo-Ai Fanfiction