Disclaimer: Sailormoon - Takeuchi, Toei, et al. Story - me. Got it? Good. Let's wrap this up!
Ikimashou!
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Love is Blue - by MadPanda
Chapter 6 - In Too Deep
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The red convertible tore through the city streets like a hot knife through butter. The driver, a proven professional, weaved effortlessly through the Tokyo traffic, while her passenger gripped her seat, wondering what she would be in her next life. The car finally screeched to a stop in front of what seemed like a new movie theater..
"Here we are. Kondo Theater," Haruka announced. "Time to go, Mako-chan....Mako-chan?" The chestnut-haired woman was still grasping the seat, eyes dazed. "Aw, come on. It wasn't that bad, was it?"
"Remind me to send you my hospital bill, after I recover from my heart attack!" Makoto jumped out of the car, not waiting for Haruka to open it for her. "Okay...so how do we get in?"
"Through the front entrance, naturally!" Haruka produced a set of keys and held the door open for Makoto. "After you,' she said with an exaggerated bow. She followed Makoto's form as she passed with her eyes, not lifting from the bow. 'Dangerous curves,' she thought to herself.
Making their way through the lobby, Makoto wondered what she was getting herself into...and why she didn't just wait for Ami outside. Haruka led Makoto to the auditorium door, and then tossed her the keys to the theater. "Go on in, and find a good seat," she told Makoto. "I'm picking up Michi and we're going out. Lock up when you're done, okay?"
Makoto was confused. "But wait! What do you mean 'lock up'? And where's Ami-chan?"
"You'll find out soon enough," Haruka smirked. "Go on in and enjoy the show. See ya later!" With that, she turned and headed up the stairs to the balcony.
Makoto stared at the keys with curiosity. "Could this have to do with what she had to talk to Michiru about?" She took a deep breath and headed inside.
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"Now just do what I've shown you, and you'll be fine," Michiru instructed Ami as she prepared to leave.. "If you run out of ideas, just do what comes naturally. That might work out even better."
"But Michiru-san," Ami protested weakly. "It's getting late, and I have to meet Mako-chan soon. Maybe I should be going."
Michiru waved her hand in dismissal. "No need to worry about that. It's like I told you before. If she cares about you, she'll wait for you This will only take a few minutes, and I'm sure she'll understand. Now, just have fun and let me know how it goes. I have to meet Haruka-chan soon.. Everything's all set for you. Oh, and when you're ready to leave, go through the audience exit. Someone will be there to let you out and lock up. Have a good time!"
Ami sat by the edge of the tank for a moment and practiced her breathing. "Please be patient, Mako-chan.. I won't be long." She then hit the buttons on the remote and slipped into the cool water.
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Makoto found a seat near the center of the theater. "I wonder what kind of show they're gonna put on here...and what Ami-chan has to do with it." With a swell of dramatic music, the house lights dimmed and the stage curtains parted, showing the large water tank. "Oh yeah, I've heard of this," Makoto whispered to herself. "Is she gonna--" Her thoughts were interrupted by the vision she had seen.
A mock-up of a large tree stood in the center of the tank. At the base of the tree sat Ami in a white flowing robe with scarves of various shades of blue. She seemed to be very much in thought. As the music softly began, Ami began to rise to her feet, facing the tree and smiling. She bowed to the tree and began to float, then swim around it in circles. With every pass she seemed more and more relaxed, eventually using more and more of the tank. She began to twirl and flip in the water, letting the scarves trail behind her. It felt right - she was having fun, so mush so that she almost didn't notice the one person in the audience...almost.
Makoto was standing, staring in disbelief. "Is that really Ami? She's so...so...beautiful!" She moved to the aisle, and then walked towards the stage.. She tried not to disturb the routine, but her movenents caught Ami's attention.
The blue-haired performer stopped in mid-twirl, panicked for a secomd, and then swam up to the surface of the tank. "Oh no! Michiru must've let her in...what am I going to do now?" She stuck her head back in the water to see if Makoto was still there.
Makoto cursed herself for ruining Ami's performance. "If I'd just stay where I was, she'd still be in there. Where did she go?" She pressed her face up against the glass, trying to look up to the surface. She was surprised to see Ami looking at her. Makoto tried her best to coax Ami back into the tank, wearing her warmest smile and waving her to come back.
Ami climbed out of the tank and was ready to leave, but seeing Makoto's smile changed her mind. "She wants me to do this...she didn't seem angry or upset. She was happy....I made her happy, if even for a little while." Ami smiled, turned off the music, and jumped back into the tank.
Makoto was disappointed when she saw Ami leave the tank, and more so when the music stopped.. "Oh great, I scared her off. She looked like she was having so much fun, too." Her smile returned when she saw Ami return in a plume of bubbles. Ami swam up to the glass and put her hands up against it, and nodded for Makoto to do the same. Makoto got the hint, and placed her hands across from Ami's. Both girls smiled and Ami swam away, putting her hand up to signal Makoto not to move.
"What's she gonna do now?" Makoto said, entranced by Ami's movements. She watched Ami swim behind the large tree, and after a burst of blue light and bubbles, she saw Sailor Mercury emerge on the other side. "Whoa," was all Makoto could manage.
'Michiru was right,' Mercury thought. 'In a way, this is my element as much as it is hers. So I should be able to do some interesting things here.' She swam to the center of the stage. First, she tried using her Shabon Spray attack to lower the water temperature and give it a misty appearance. Then she tried to manipulate the water itself, forming two perfect spheres of ice, one in each hand.
Makoto was like a child at a magic show, completely in awe of Mercury's 'tricks'. She clapped and waved for her to continue.
Emboldened by Makoto's cheering, Mercury let the spheres rise to the surface, and then began to work on something a bit more complex. She concentrated for a moment, then knelt down and placed her hands about a foot apart. She watched, no studied Makoto's form, and set to her task. She formed a cylindrical column of ice, a bit taller than she was, and began to swim around it. As she did, the column started to change shape, almost following Mercury's movenemts. It became more and more defined with each pass.
Makoto watched Mercury's performance with sheer wonder, marveling at her grace and beauty, as well as her new-found ability. She noticed the bottom of the column had now become a small pedestal, with a pair of ankle boots atop it, She followed the ice statue up as it became more and more defined; the long legs, the short skirt, the delicate bows.. one arm across her chest, and the other raised to the heavens. The statue's face was strong yet serene, lips pouted, as if she was waiting for a kiss from an angel. Makoto watched as Mercury put the finishing touches on the statue, the trademark ponytail and the extended lightning rod in her tiara. Standing before her was an ice version of Sailor Jupiter.
Mercury swam back and examined her work, and looked to Makoto for approval. She was surprised to see Makoto standing in tears, smiling. She swam to the glass and tried to get Makoto to come closer, but she wouldn't - she just stood there, awestruck. Mercury decided she'd have to do the next best thing. She swam above the statue, leaned down and kissed it on the lips.
The image was burned in Makoto's memory. She saw it, but she didn't believe it. It was too incredible for her to think someone would love her that much. She sat back in one of the seats and tried to breathe.
Mercury saw Makoto's reaction, and quickly swam to the surface, trailing bubbles as she de-transformed. Ami climbed out of the tank and rushed down to the audience level, where she saw a still-shocked Makoto sitting. "Mako-chan, please answer me! Mako-chan!" She shook Makoto out of her stupor as tears ran down her face.
"Beautiful," Makoto said lazily. "Big and blue and beautiful..." She was looking at, no, into Ami's eyes.
"Mako-chan? Are you alright? Mako-chan? Ma..ko..." Ami's words were silenced by Makoto's lips pressing against hers. Her mind didn't know how to react to this - it was what she wanted, but she was more worried about Makoto than about her own desires. She broke the kiss and asked Makoto once again. "Are you alright?"
"Oh yes," Makoto purred. "More than alright. I'm in love...in love with you, Ami-chan!"
The words reached Ami's ears, yet she was too surprised to accept it - she thought that, maybe Makoto was in some kind of shock, or that she herself was hallucinating after being in the water so long. Whatever the case, here she was with the woman she loved, and she wanted to be sure it was real. "Mako-chan...are you sure?"
Makoto gently took Ami's head in her hands, stroking her damp cheeks with her thumbs. "Ami-chan...Ami...I love you." The words came from her heart, from her soul. There was no denying her feelings anymore, no reason to hold them back. She kissed Ami as if her life depended on it, deeply and passionately, making sure Ami knew exactly what she felt.
Ami got the message loud and clear. She returned Makoto's kiss in kind, and wrapped her wet arms around the toller girl's neck. Looking into Makoto's emerald eyes, she softly said, "I love you too, Mako-chan...more than you'll ever know."
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"Well, show's over. Shall we be going?" Haruka was already reaching for her car keys.
"In a minute, dear," chimed Michiru, as she dreamily watched the new lovers from the Owner's Box.
Haruka walked over to Michiru and put her arms around her. "You think she'll join?"
"No, unfortunately. She's much too busy. Besides, she now has something else to occupy her free time. Who am I to come between them?"
"Well, at least you have an image to go with your fantasies." Haruka felt Michiru's playful jab.
"Not yet..." Michiru walked over to the digital camcorder and removed the DVD. "Now I do. Shall we go?"
"Sure, my little voyeur." Haruka closed the door behind them, and they left the theater.
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Later that evening, Ami stood on Makoto's balcony, overlooking the city. She was enveloped in Makoto's arms, and enjoying every second of it.
"Ami-chan?" Makoto whispered.
"Mmmm..."
"I have a...a confession to make."
Makoto's hesitation brought Ami back from her own personal heaven. "Confession? What about?"
"Remember when I told you that Mina-chan and I had talked?"
"Yes..."
Makoto wasn't sure she should continue, but she wanted to start things off with Ami without secrets. "We were talking about you...about my feelings for you. She knew before I did that I was in love with you. I just refused to admit it, because I was afraid to love you...to love anyone again."
"Oh Mako-chan. You didn't have to be afraid to love me. I would never hurt you...I couldn't." Ami turned to face Makoto, laying her head on Makoto's chest. "You mean so much to me."
"Please let me finish," Makoto said, trying not to lose her nerve. "She tried to help me to see that I could love again, but I wouldn't listen. That's when...that's when she kissed me." She saw Ami's shocked expression and thought it best to explain before Ami train of thought took the express track. "She is the Senshi of Love, Ami-chan...she kissed me, and my heart's desire spoke to me, directly to me. It was blue..it was you, Ami-chan. She helped me to see that I wanted you, wanted to love you, but in order to do so, I had to open my heart to you. It was so hard, but somehow you made it so easy. You are my heart's desire, Ami-chan. I'm just sorry it took Mina-chan's kiss to bring it to light."
Makoto was clearly embarrassed, but Ami kissed her softly on the lips. "I'm not sorry at all. It's unorthodox, to be sure, but if she hadn't done so, we would not be standing here together right now. You have nothing to apologize for, Mako-chan. If that's what it took to get you to love again, I don't mind at all...i'm grateful, and admittedly, a bit jealous."
"Only a bit?" Makoto joked.
"Well, all she did was kiss you, right...Right?"
Makoto paused, and then broke out in a gentle laugh, earning a pout from Ami. "Right. That's all it was. I don't think she wanted more than to help." Makoto looked off into the distance. "Thank you again, Mina-chan...."
"Yes, thank you, Mina-chan," echoed Ami, wrapping her arms tightly around Makoto.
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At a small restaurant across town, Minako sneezed into her drink, sending the contents all over a none-too-happy Rei.
"Oh Rei-chan! I'm so sorry!" The blonde was equal parts apologetic and giddy. "I don't know what came over me!"
"Forget about it, Mina-chan," the dark-haired young woman sighed. "Someone's probably talking about you...again!"
A thought crossed Minako's mind at that moment, and a very satisfied look crept onto her face. Rei noticed the odd yet serene expression, and cocked her head to the side. "What's that all about?"
"Oh, nothing," Minako sighed happily, licking her lips. "Nothing at all."
END