Well, this was written as a responce to a suggestion/challenge in the
a.h.s-m. about what the senshi would do on a "snow day"
I still am unsure of a title but have a few suggestions...
"Snow Daze" is not one of them :)
well maybe.....
Anyway C&C is greatly appreciated....
I totally understand my own limits (or rather my errors) in conversation
and have doubts in my ability to improive in that area but you necver
know...
If you feel the urge to MST3K it I'dd prefer you asked me first...
BUT, if you think you are being original and cute if you suggest
"a winter's tail (or any derivation) well, I hate to dissapoint you.
BUT, like I said any amount of constructive info helps...
o.k.
well, here we go....
Snowed in
a winter tale.
by
Robyn, Duke of Amber
aka Neil Sinclair
seraphim@sentex.net
cm784@torfree.net
The snow fell softly like a large fluffy cotton blanket. -But it
wasn't.
It was snow.
Gentle fluffy snow turned to thick cold blanketing mounds and more
continued to fall.
The wind, although light was enough to tuck in the snow blankets
around buildings and then to add little whipped-cream curls.
"Baka, it's all your fault."
"It is not!"
"It is."
"Rei, How could the snow be Usagi's fault?" Makoto asked.
"Makoto is right." Ami agreed. "The snow is something we couldn't
anticipate. It's an environmental occurrence... Usagi didn't do it."
"Well, it is winter." Said Minako thoughtfully.
"Of course it's winter idiot. You're as bad as Usagi."
"I am not."
"Ya," Usagi said jumping to her friend's defense. "She is not....Hey
wait, I'm not an idiot."
"Well if the shoe fit's." Rei said crossly.
"Shoes?" Minako sounded confused,
"That's it." Makoto said rising. "I'm outa here!"
The chestnut-haired girl began to rise and then glanced out the window.
Drifting snow had already blown up to the halfway point of the
frost-covered pane.
"Or not." She slumped down wrapping her green-sweatered arms about
herself.
Rei sighed, She hated to apologize but if she left things the way they
were she knew that her temper would get the better of her even more.
She closed her eyes for a moment and composed herself while offering a
brief prayer to Kami-sama.
"I'm sorry." She said to Usagi as the other girl first pouted and then
hesitantly smiled.
"It's just that I REALLY wanted to go skiing and now
here we are." She gestured broadly about the small lodge. "Stuck here.
We don't even have a phone and our skis are at the bottom of the
mountain *somewhere*"
"And my books." Ami added.
Rei sighed and finally gave in to the inevitable. She took off her
red and black ski-jacket and tossed it in a chair and pulled the
ring down opening the front off her overall-like ski pants.
(It was the wrong type of snow anyway she thought.)
"Trapped." Usagi sighed and shucked off her bulky blue sweater.
Underneath she wore an oversized Bugs Bunny T-shirt.
"Trapped" Makoto agreed."And not even a host to take care of this
little resort."
"Honadea-san said that she expected to be back hours ago." Ami said
with a touch of worry in her voice.
Makoto corrected her.
"What she said (before the phone died.) was if she didn't show up in
an hour we were supposed to make ourselves at home. She said that if
she wasn't back by then it meant that the roads had pretty much had
it and she'd probably be spending at least the night in the village
before they could even thinking about clearing the road."
Ami nodded slowly. "I guess she is probably alright then."
"Trapped." Minako's voice had an edge to it.
"Doomed."
"Huh?" Usagi looked confused.
"Here we are lost in the wilderness." Minako said.
"In a hotel." Rei corrected.
Minako continued like she had not heard the other girl. "Lost in the
wilderness and all alone." She clutched her hands together as if in
prayer and looked soulfully upward, her innocent blue eyes
impassioned.
"This would be the perfect time for our innocent maidenly souls to be
devoured by Snow Women."
"Or." Her voice rose higher. "What about those people in the movie?"
"Movie?" Ami asked confused by where Minako had decided to travel on
this particular train of thought.
"They were trapped just like us and then as time passed and the hunger
grew they were forced to devour each other."
The light flicked and then went out.
Loud screams were soon rising from the throats of both Usagi and Minako
as they dove under comforters and clutched at their friends in fear.
Amid the clamber Makoto's fatalistic "Great." could be heard along with
Ami's surprised "Oh My."
***
After a few seconds (and an abrupt slap from Rei) it was found that the
largest contributing factor to Minako's fear was she had closed her
eyes.
Rei muttered a few words and the fire in the fireplace burst into
brighter flame. Taking advantage of this Ami and Makoto lit some
conveniently placed oil lamps.
"Rei, how could you!" Usagi demanded.
"She startled me." Rei defended. "All of a sudden she was screaming and
grabbing and I just hit her. I'm sorry Mina-chan."
Minako sniffed a little and held her cheek where it glowed pink.
"it's...it's okay."
Rei sighed. "I guess I should be used to the noise by now with Usagi
around."
"Hey!" Usagi protested.
"You guys." Ami said in a warning tone.
"Friends?" Rei asked.
"Friends." Mina nodded slowly.
"Well." Makoto said. Now that all that crap is over who's hungry?"
"Let's see what's in the kitchen."
"Food!" Usagi said and with a bemused Ami in tow she headed for the
kitchen at top speed.
Makoto followed quickly after muttering. "Please don't walk in the
walk-in freezer."
Rei threw another stick of wood on the fire (which was burning like a
normal fire now.) And dusted her hands off.
She rose and reached for her jacket.
Fumbling in her pockets she finally gave a satisfied sigh.
She approached the still-sniffing Minako and gently took her hand away
from the other girl's face.
Leaning forward she brushed her lips on the flushed skin of the other
girl's cheek. "I am sorry." Rei whispered.
"Ah...ah, it's alright." The flustered girl stuttered.
"Hold out your hand." Rei said.
Minako tentatively opened her hand and Rei placed a chocolate bar in
it.
"I've got two." Rei whispered and her voice was even lower.
"Usagi finds out and she'll kill both of us."
Minako giggled.
"Hey." Usagi stuck her head out of the kitchen. "Makoto says she can
make cookies...uh...what are you doing.?"
Rei and Minako jerked away from each other and Minako's' chocolate-bar
filled hand slipped guiltily behind her back.
"Nothing." Rei said flushing. "Uh...we should help, right Mina?"
"Uh...ya..You know what they say 'too many eggs make more batter'"
"Ya." Rei said slowly. That girl, sometimes she... "Well, let's go."
***
"I ate to many cookies." Usagi groaned rubbing her slightly rounded
tummy.
"You did." Ami said.
"You did." Rei, Minako and Makoto agreed.
"You could have told me." Usagi whined.
"We did." Minako said.
"We did." Makoto, Ami and Rei chorused.
"I guess we won't open that bag of those marshmallows up then." Rei
said with an evil glint in her eyes.
"Marshmallows?" Usagi said.
"Later odango-atama." Rei said grinning.
"I wish you wouldn't call me that."
"I know." Rei said. "Which is why I do it."
"I wish." Usagi pouted (or at least pretended to.) "That nobody would
call me that."
"Nobody?" Makoto, asked raising and eyebrow, a twinkle in her green
eyes. "Not even the future Mister King of Crystal Tokyo?"
"Nobody." Usagi repeated sticking out her tongue -something she usually
saved for Sailormars.
"Sometimes I think you two would be more dysfunctional if you actually
got along." Ami observed.
"It makes me tired." Minako said, yawning.
"It makes me want to scrub myself..." Makoto said. "And as a matter of
fact I think I will."
She got up picked up a lamp and headed toward the back rooms of the
hotel.
"Mako-chan! No hot water remember?" Usagi said quickly remembering the
other girl heating water for the dishes on the gas stove.
"Usagi-chan, we are at an Onsen remember?" Makoto gave a rich laugh and
the others joined at the sight of Usagi's flushed and open-mouthed
look.
After this the girls quickly changed out of their normal garments to
the yukata which had been provided in the guest rooms. Usagi had
unbound her trademark odango and her hair had fallen around her haori
(which she had insisted in wearing saying she was cold. Ami suspected
she simply liked the pattern on it.)
"You know." Makoto started.
"Don't say it." Said Rei anticipating her.
"You know. Makoto repeated after smirking and quickly sticking her
tongue out at the Raven Senshi.
"Usagi, with your hair like that you and Makoto look like sisters...
twins even."
"Really?" Minako snatched up a haori which she slipped over the
yukata and tied the sash on the jacket-like piece of clothing.
"More now?"
"More now." Ami confirmed and her eyes were full of mischief.
She knew that this was one of Rei's favorite grumbles
that "one of each was bad enough but two of either....Madness."
"Well." Rei sighed. She had been trapped into something
that had become formula. Somehow it was just to silly and she fought a
smile as she voiced her complaint. "Great. One of each is bad enough
but two of either of them...."
"...is something that would make the Kami's tremble!" All of the
girls chanted out in unison.
Rei put her hand up to her forehead in mock suffering and Minako
and Usagi danced hand in hand in front of the mirror as the
others watched.
Finally after spinning about they fell to the floor where the
futons lay rolled.
"Ne, Usagi?" Minako asked with a suspiciously sweet tone.
looking at her friend through a tangle of spun gold.
"Nani, Mina-chan?"
"Do you think Mamoru could tell us apart?"
"Don't even think such things." Usagi's voice dropped to a growl.
Minako blinked slowly startled at what the sound said about the
emotion in the response.
"Ummm....." Usagi realized how she had responded and her skin glowed
with a fiery pink blush.
The other senshi began to laugh at the girls discomfiture.
"Hey! It's not funny." The regal Princess of the Moon,
Queen of future realms and worlds savior almost lit up the night
with her embarrassment.
***
The water was hot but not burning hot.
Comfortable hot.
Relaxing hot.
"Ahhhh."
Usagi sank down into the till her nose was just above the water.
She burbled water for a moment and then ducked her head under.
She rose sputtering and giggling. A study in pink.
"Having fun?" Makoto asked smiling at the other girls antics.
"Ya." The blond girl nodded, looking much younger than her 17 years.
Steam rose from the water into the chill air of the Onsen outside of
the hotel. Snow fell and vanished in the heated air before it came near
the girls.
The bathing area was large and surrounded by a high bamboo fence. The
Onsen itself was a roughly circular pool and the naturally heated water
overflowed into a nearby stream. It was traditionally "Mixed" as
opposed to the more modern separations for men and women.
The girls had brought bathing suits anticipating this but had
decided to forego them .
- After all, they were the only people there.
The pool had large natural-looking water-rounded rocks of various
shapes and sizes set randomly about it's edges and the floor of the
pool was fine dark sand.
In the middle of the pool was a cluster of these like a small island.
Ami had found a cache of small floating candles and several of the
long-lasting votives bobbed up and down.
-yellow stars in their silver-water sky.
"Now this is Heaven." Rei said, her words muffled by the wet cloth
which covered her face. Her dark hair floated about her like a
storm cloud.
"Mmmmm-ha. This is the life." Makoto said.
She forked her fingers and ran them like large combs
through the wetness of her long chestnut hair.
"That is so neat." Usagi watched as Ami watched the candles. Her brow
had a slight furrow formed from concentration but a smile played upon
her lips.
The other senshi could tell she was using her abilities as the candles
moved in a slow dance about them.
Rei removed the cloth from her face and smiled herself.
The flames on the candles began to burn with the faint light of
different colours.
Through experimentation the girls had all found that they had been
able to use their older and more established senshi abilities in
"civilian" form.
Ami could manipulate water to some degree and call up mist.
Minako, an athlete from the beginning could put on an extra
"burst" to accomplish a physical action (although if she did this at a
school even she considered herself to be "cheating."
Rei as she had always been able to do could manipulate fire
- but now she had much more control.
Makoto did as she had always done as well, tending and nurturing
the growth of plants, (Minako had suggested that she had
been "born with two blue thumbs". ) and could also create "static"
sparks which if used effectively could defuse a situation with
another before her temper got the better of her.
Usagi was simply Usagi.
She was alternately clumsy and graceful foolish for the things she
did herself and wise for others. She was simply the reluctant
princess who more and more grew into the mantle of Queen. -However,
Rei had once snidely remarked (producing much amusement from the others
but not Usagi.) that she was practicing her "Honeymoon Therapy Kiss."
on Mamoru.
"Ooooh!" Minako murmured. watching the lights. She had earlier
frolicked in the water like a young pink seal until she had risen
dripping to flop on her towel. Now she was Sitting in lotus on one of
the inn's floor cushions on the engawa (veranda). She had been
attempting to replicate Usagi's distinctive hairstyle. Although it
probably "should" have been simple she had at least temporarily given
up with what she had now - three "dumplings" one standing up like a
topknot.
"I wanna do something." She said entranced.
"Me too." Agreed Usagi.
"Are you enjoying it." Rei asked.
Both girls nodded not realizing that the Senshi of Mars could not see
them.
The Flame Senshi had already assumed their response.
"Then you are already doing it." She said and her violet eyes
glowed with simple pleasure.
"I think this is what it should be what it's all about." Usagi said
watching the dancing lights.
"Hot Springs?" Makoto asked wryly.
"Pretty lights?" Mako suggested.
"No silly." Usagi laughed and then corrected herself. "Actually yes,
- well, in a way. What I mean is we should all be able to do
what we want. We should all be able to do what we do best and
enjoy ourselves. I mean." She tried to find the right way to frame
her ideas.
"We all have these things we can do, these special powers an'
all but sometimes we forget the other things. Mako-chan can cook
and she's so great with growing things.
Naru-chan's got no powers but she knows all about gems like
she learned from her mother and even Umino knows about bugs.
Someday I want things to be different.
I want to have a place where we all do what we do best with all
our friends and everybody can be happy all the time."
"There will be." Minako said and despite the oddness of her hair she
projected a sober happy spirit. "And guess who'll be Queen?"
"Who?" Usagi asked curiously and the moment was broken.
Makoto made an odd choking sound and sank beneath the water.
Ami staggered forward full of giggles and candles flaring
candles skidded across the surface like speedboats.
"Baka." Rei snorted her eyes full of tears of mirth.
"It's you."
***
After the girls had stopped laughing (and freed Minako's legs from the
lotus position) Investigation of the kitchen produced some bottles of
sake which Makoto had seen earlier.
"This is the life." Usagi sighed echoing Makoto and hiccuped.
She was partially submerged in the water and was "tapping" her breasts
watching her nipples dance under the water and giggling at their
motion.
"So true, So true." Minako agreed absently and took another sip from
her almost empty sake-cup.
"Drunks." Rei said, her face was flushed red, with the rose hue spreading
towards her breasts.
"Silly Senshi." She giggled.
"Usagi?" Ami asked tentatively. "Usagi-chan? don't you think
that..."
"What?" Usagi asked. "Ami-chan sweetie-bug?"
Ami giggled at this. She briefly became distracted from her concern
over Usagi's drinking and seemed to be playing pat-a-cake with the water.
She traced circles and watched the ripples make the light dance.
Ami shook her head gently to clear the cobwebs.
She regained her train of though and began again. "I think that
maybe...."
"You know what we need?" Makoto asked abruptly.
"What?" Rei asked blinking as if it would clear her head.
"Boys." Makoto answered.
"We need boys."
"But we're noooode!" Minako giggled her hands mocking protective
gestures.
"Mamo-chan." Usagi said dreamily.
"And what would you do if he was here Usagi-chan?" Mina asked.
"My Mamo-chan would take me in his arms and then...." Usagi hugged
herself and giggled.
"Oh please." Rei said. "I don't think I want to here more of this."
"He'd hold me tight and slowwwwwwly cover me all over with kisses
then...."
"To much information." Makoto said but Usagi was oblivious.
"He'd stroke me all over like little fires..all over me.." Usagi
continued.
"That's it." Rei said splashing the other girl with a slash of her
arm through the water. "You're grossing us all out!"
"How far have you gone with Yuuichiro?" Ami asked in absentminded
curiosity.
"What?" Rei asked in surprise, her dripping arm frozen in mid-air.
"Um...I mean Usagi was just telling us about her and Mamoru-san I was
just wondering how you and your grandfather's apprentice
were....um... getting along?"
"Heh heh heh." Usagi laughed. "Getting along."
Makoto and Minako giggled.
Ami flushed, her whole body getting even pinker in the heated water.
"Fine." Rei said not looking at any of the other girls.
Her arms were crossed defensively in front of her.
Suddenly she looked up . An evil look was on her face.
"Usagi-chan" Her voice held a terrible sweetness.
The other girls sensed the danger in the tone and waited to see what
would happen.
"Uh...ya?" Usagi asked hesitantly not knowing exactly what to expect.
"I was just thinking of something." Rei said. Minako watched like
fascination. If Rei had been an adder it was most likely Usagi
probably would have been full of venom. As it was it was probably
going to be better...worse, she corrected herself.
Ami watched Rei her eyes narrowed in speculation.
The other girl was submerged to just above her navel and her hair
spread on the water like silk.
Her skin was flushed and her violet eyes seemed to glow.
An angel. Ami thought.
An Angel of Death for Usagi.
She hoped that the girls had forgotten about her.
Makoto felt some of the tension that had flowed away into the water
come back to her. She was getting ready to separate the girls if
something nasty happened.
She remembered quite vividly that once Rei had dated Usagi's "Prince"
- the details were hazy as it was another life ago after all.
But, she wondered what had gone on between the two of them.
She also remembered that in "this" life Rei had popped in on Mamoru
when he had been in the bath once.
Involuntarily she wondered what Chiba-san looked like without the tuxedo.
He did look pretty good in a pair of jeans.
She was glad none of her friends could read minds.
"I was thinking." Rei said. "Of you and Mamoru "getting along." I was
wondering how long it would take before....."
"Before....?" Usagi asked faintly.
"Before your lovely daughter." Rei said.
"Akk." Usagi want goggle-eyed.
"Oh my." Makoto sad.
"Oh dear" Ami and Minako echoed.
Usagi clutched at her throat and gagging sank underwater.
"Gotcha." Rei said smugly.
Suddenly Usagi erupted to the surface.
"That's mean!" But she could not help giggling herself.
She suddenly stopped.
"Hey! This whole thing is Ami's fault."
Rei tilted her head thoughtfully, index finger upon her chin.
"Unusual as it is...you're right." She said thoughtfully.
"And..." the tone was as sweet as the one that had faced Usagi
and Ami looked appropriately intimidated.
"She's never told us exactly how she and Urawa-kun are "getting along".'
"Um." Ami said flushing deeper red.
"Get her!" cried Usagi.
Like water-nymphs the girls splashed towards their friend.
Ami shrieked.
Although she was the Senshi of Water she could do nothing
against her attackers and the candles, washed by the waves went out.
***
Some of the floating candles had been re-lit. They had shifted away
from the building in a loose ring and floated around the clumps of
smooth rocks which stood out in the middle of the bath.
The snow had stopped falling and the cold light of the stars and
moon made the swirling mists look eerier than earlier.
Makoto shifted slightly.
She felt more relaxed than she had in a long while and felt totally
loathe to move herself any time soon.
While Minako and Usagi had consumed a similar amount of sake she was
both larger and had paced her drinking
...savoring the taste of the blend.
She expected both of the girls were well asleep.
She and was glad that despite all her complaints Rei was constantly
looking out for Usagi and her other friends.
They had decided to sleep in the living-room that evening as the fire
assured them toasty warmth.
Rei had told her that she doubted she would do any more soaking that
evening and would make sure "the idiots" were taken care of.
Ami (!) had noticed the empty sake bottle and had gone to refill it.
The door slid open and closed behind her and she opened her eyes and
turned her head slightly.
Ami had returned.
She set the clay decanter down after first pouring a cup for Makoto
and then one for herself.
Ami set the cups and decanter down and then slipped out of her yukata.
She carefully folded it and put it well away from the water.
She wrapped a pale blue towel about herself then knelt
at the water's edge, legs folded under herself demurely.
With smooth movements Ami passed one of the ceramic cups
to her friend and picked up her own.
Nodding the chestnut-haired senshi had accepted the cup and took a
slow sip savoring the cool almost-creamy taste on her tongue.
She was glad she had taken the girls on that little sake-tasting
adventure last month. At least Ami knew that the best blends were
served cool.
"Domo Arigato Ami-chan."
Ami smiled shyly. " Kochira koso - It was my pleasure. I
remembered that it was better cold."
She sipped. "it is. I can actually taste it. Before...before, well,
it was warm and went down smoothly but it really had no taste."
"Ami." Makoto took another small sip and then held her sake-cup up
in a toast.
"Some people think I'm a rough person and I can be but you know what?"
"Nani, Mako-chan?"
"I may indeed be those things but also I'm a snob. A food snob but
still a snob and I'm corrupting you... pulling you down to the dark
deviant world of "the right wine" and the "proper fork"."
"To snobs." Makoto tossed back her sake.
Ami giggled and did the same.
She refilled the cups and took a small sip from hers.
Makoto carefully placed her cup on rim of the pool.
She looked up and watched the curling mist merge with the sky.
"I love this." She said. "It's so peaceful."
"Mmmmm." Was Ami's thoughtful reply.
There was a slight splash and a few ripples as Ami shifted her
position and slipped her slim legs into the water.
They sat in silence and time passed.
"Makoto-san?"
Ami's face was flushed with the heat and perhaps a little from the
sake she had been sipping slowly. She sat on the side of the pool
her towel wrapped neatly around her. Her legs dangled in the water
paddling back and forth gently.
"Yes?" The taller senshi replied looking up from the water.
"Ano,This is a little...awkward but...?"
"Yes?"
"Well, It isn't any of my business but..."
Makoto frowned slightly in puzzlement. She brushed a wet chestnut
curl from her face.
"Usagi." Ami said. "Usagi is our princess and we
protect her and generally what makes her happy makes us happy."
"Well possibly except for Rei." Makoto replied jokingly.
Ami gave a small giggle.
"You know what I mean." She said.
Makoto nodded.
"Well, Usagi has Mamoru-kun. Rei has Yuuichiro."
"That's subject to debate I think from both of them."
Makoto suggested.
Ami laughed at this and continued.
"Well anyway, they sort-of have each other....depending on
Rei's mood. And Minako, well there's that boy who plays volleyball
who she sees and thinks nobody knows about."
"Uh-huh." Makoto nodded and recalled her friends sadly funny
attempts to sneak about.
She idly wondered where Ami was going with this.
Frankly, giving everything due consideration she though she was
probably just a little bit to drunk to care.
"Well I was thinking..."
"Don't forget yourself Ami-chan...we can't forget about Urawa-kun
can we?"
"No!" The word came out quickly and Makoto turned to see her friend
holding a hand to her lips and blushing.
"That protest came out awfully quickly." she said enjoying
the other girls discomfiture.
"Um...."Ami's eyes were downcast but her voice was strong.
"I DO care for him, - a lot. and that's why I'm asking this."
"Asking what?"
"Well, we all seem to have somebody except you. It's not fair."
Ami looked up and her blue blue eyes were full of caring
almost as if she was going to cry.
"You had your Sempai long ago and he hurt you didn't he?"
"He hurt you badly."
Makoto was shocked. No matter where she had thought this
conversation was going she hadn't seen it going there.
She was sober now. Sober but confused.
"I know, or at least I'm pretty sure there was someone else
after him but that was different wasn't it?"
Makoto had no idea what her friend was doing or saying or rather
she did and it stunned her.
"That friend of yours, the writer Takase-sensei. She
was more than your friend wasn't she? She was your lover."
Ami's voice had nothing but compassion in it when she spoke.
Makoto knew that if she had said the same thing she would have
sounded judgmental.
In fact, she, Makoto HAD been judgmental.
She felt her mind begin to file the events of the past
move forward with a crystal clarity.
At the time things had just happened.
Her parents were gone and although that was no fault of theirs
she blamed them for her being alive and alone.
Sempai had also hurt her and had then left her to deal
with that hurt.
Then she had met Tomoko Takase.
Or rather she had rescued her from some want-to-be bullies who
were tormenting her as she frantically tried to reach her notebook.
Somehow the pain of being left behind, the newness and the coldness
of the new school had made her want to lash out. But, she had also
wanted to protect others from that kind of hurt.
The gentle shelter of her heart had begun to emerge from it's
acorn shell then when she protected the weaker girl.
She had been both attracted to both the vulnerability that Tomoko
projected and also wanted to make an end of it ...to allow
Tomoko to stand alone in ways she herself had not been
able to. She wanted Tomoko to get the love she had lost.
Then *it* had happened.
They had been in Tomoko's room. Makoto had been leaning
over her shoulder reading the words as the other girl read them.
Makoto had, for no reason she could understand began to become
acutely aware of the other girl, the way she breathed as she spoke,
the smell of her shampoo and the faint trace of perfume.
Tomo-chan must have noticed.
She must have.
But, she kept reading page after page onward towards the end of her
story.
Makoto had felt herself drawn by the words and by the
voice... she hadn't felt this way since....since.....
Tomoko finished reading. She slowly turned her head and Makoto,
almost without knowing she was doing so kissed her.
It wasn't a soft kiss full of tenderness but a hard bruising kiss
full of need.
She had seen Tomo-chan's eyes widen but she did not pull away and
she had felt as well as heard her welcoming moan as she had
closed her eyes becoming lost in the moment.
From there, things had progressed awkwardly, fumblingly as the
two moved to the bed spilling stuffed animals off in their abandon.
Although Makoto knew what she herself needed and felt she was unsure
how to treat another woman - Her experiences and reactions
had all revolved around boys.
This made things both strangely new and yet familiar.
She had pushed Tomoko down and pushed the other girls'
Midi-blouse up. Kissing up Tomoko's flexing belly she had covered
the curves of of her bra-covered breasts with wet kisses. The lace
had grown even more transparent and soon she had pushed the cups
upward and attacked the other girl's swelling nipples. Tomo-chan had
grabbed hand-fulls of her chestnut-hair, pulled her even closer
and sobbed Makoto's name.
After this, the two girls had maintained their "friendship" for
several months and although it filled a void for the Senshi of
Jupiter it had never seemed quite "right". She had often heard boys
snickering over such relationships and she had in time convinced
herself it was wrong. Also although Tomo-chan had wanted her
touch she had also desired that of a young ball player - a man
who although in the same homeroom did not know the girl existed.
Later, when they had been reunited again She had been
reluctant to go into any detail about her friendship with
Tomoko to Usagi and the others. It seemed that this hadn't
made any difference to her perceptive friend Ami.
"Yes, she was my lover." Makoto agreed slowly a confession
and admission to herself as well.
"And now?"
"And now...." Makoto wasn't sure what Salormercury wanted her to say.
Did she want her to say. "Yes, that's it. Now I'm alone." ?
She doubted it.
There was a splash as Ami's lithe form slipped into the water,
towel cast aside.
Ami stood before her and she couldn't help but admire her friends
petite but athletic form. She rose up from her seat.
"And now." Ami said continuing for the other girl. "Now you have us."
She moved forward and Jupiter took an unsteady step back only
to be stopped by the wall of the pool.
"Ami! What are you doing?"
"I'm showing you that you aren't alone." Her blue-haired friend
replied softly.
Ami reached out and her arms encircled her taller
friend drawing her close.
"Minako may be the Senshi of Love but as the Senshi of Wisdom
I think I have seen things she has not."
"But..." Makoto stammered.
Ami interrupted her with a finger-tip upon her lips.
"Mako-chan, you have at least 300 years to find a boyfriend
and there's no rush for that.
We all know you will.
But." She said. "This does not mean that you should wait that
long for another's touch."
Ami's finger-tip moved downward lightly touching Makoto's chin,
her throat and down further between her breasts to where her
friends' upper abdomen met the waterline.
Makoto shuddered at the touch, inhaling sharply.
Her legs felt weak.
The whole thing had made her feel so unstable and in the
situation she found herself in she was unprepared for the advance
of her friend.
(Ami must be standing on her toes, that 4 inch height difference
DID make some difference.) Some part of her thought absently
as she felt her friend's breasts begin to press against her own.
Although they were moderately small they were shapely and buoyant in
the water.
The nipples of those breasts were pressing hard against her causing
electric tingles in her own.
She had briefly noted earlier that they were a much more pale pink
in hue than her own -sakuranbo.
- Like cherry-blossoms.
Although Makoto had made love with another woman before it
was the first time that her partner was the aggressor.
It was disconcerting - more disconcerting because it was the
usually shy-acting Ami.
Ami pressed tightly up against her friend, the only thing
separating them the water of the hot-springs. - and in some
cases not really that.
(It was funny) some part of Makoto thought, -the part that could
look at such things, (that the water seemed to be nowhere near as
hot as her own body.)
She thought she heard the faint noise of the Amado (rain door) but
dismissed it.
She simply wasn't thinking clearly.
Makoto sighed.
Ami's slick skin pressed into her and she could do nothing to stop
it. Nothing she really wanted to do about it.
"Please." The taller girl begged weakly. "Please."
"Please stop?" Ami questioned. "Or please continue?"
Makoto tried to speak but before she could answer she felt Ami's
firm grasp upon both of her shoulders.
Ami pushed herself up on her out-spread hands and their
lips met.
The tip of Ami's tongue darted quickly between Makoto's
slightly parted lips and then out again. Ami sank downwards with a
splash and a giggle.
"Wha... wha?" Makoto managed to stammer. Ami's sea-blue, ice-blue,
spring-blue flashed with something that Mako could not quite name.
It was a look she had seen flicker briefly across the features of
the other girl other times but this time it remained.
A look of joy but also of hunger.
Makoto was speechless as she felt the Water Senshi's lips and
fingers tracing their way downward nuzzling the curve of
her jaw, tasting her throat and hollow of her collarbone.
"Ami." Makoto moaned. "Wait...the others...and.. and
what about Urawa-kun?"
"The others are asleep." Ami whispered nibbling the lobe of
Makoto's ear. "And...Urawa.
Mako noted that there was no "-kun" added to his name.
"I love him with all my heart. But right here,
right now, you need me."
Her breath was hot on Makoto's skin and ticked her ear.
"We may never do this again but you will always know that
we DID do this. When you are lonely think of this.
Think of my touch and my words."
Ami flicked her tongue into Makoto's ear causing the other
girls' legs to grow weak.
Ami pulled back a little and looked into the taller senshi's eyes.
"You understand don't you? You know we all love you don't you
Mako-chan?"
Makoto nodded. The look on the face of the slender blue-haired girl
was so serious and so enticing.
"I know my dearest little Ami." Makoto murmured.
"Then you understand why I'm doing this right?"
"So..So I won't feel left out?"
Ami nodded. "That and everyone needs to feel the touch of another
once person and a while.
Even if you can satisfy some feelings you need to share with
someone to be really happy. I'm sharing with you Mako-chan."
"But." She paused with a smile.
"You can't share My Urawa. He's mine."
"Alright." Makoto laughed. "Although..."
Ami cut her off with a kiss.
This time Makoto responded and reaching around she brought her arms
around her sister senshi.
Her hands slipped lower and lower till they cupped Ami's buttocks.
They were more muscular than Mako had suspected and they flexed
convulsively in her touch.
Ami moaned into her mouth.
She could taste Ami as the blue-haired girl probed her mouth.
Makoto's tongue explored the smaller senshi's mouth but she pulled
back surprised when the other girl nipped it's tip.
"That." Ami said. "Is for wanting my boyfriend."
"Now." Ami's look became wicked again. "The Senshi
of Wisdom tells you to get over to those towels and
lie down. Although I hate to leave the water there are some
things I want to try which I would feel a little safer with on
dry land."
As the girls got out of the hotsprings and lay down upon the fluffy
towels Makoto considered what Ami had said.
With Sempai things had always been a little awkward.
Her eagerness to please as she felt him drifting always seemed to get
in the way of her feeling good.
Likewise, it was the same with Tomoko.
When she was with her Makoto had always felt there was
something slightly wrong. She was always standing in for the boys
that Tomoko fantasized about. She had always dominated the other girl
and although Tomoko never protested (and even seemed to enjoy
this mild domination.)
Their feelings were never exactly mutual.
She decided that for good or ill she was going to make a happy
memory of this.
Ami gently pushed the taller girl down on the soft towels.
Makoto lay back, her hair on the towel a dark curling halo.
She could feel her fingers twitching in anticipation.
She longed to feel Ami's touch again.
The blue-haired girl knelt down slowly in front of Makoto her hands
extending outward and stroking the taller girls legs,
coaxing them slowly apart with the scrape of her nails.
She moved forward in a gilding shuffle and Mako involuntarily parted
her legs and opened herself to the view of the other girl.
She wanted to see her - to feel Ami touch her there, to be
spread apart like an opening flower -her Kashin.
For Ami to taste the nectar within.
- Kanojo no kaben wa nurete ita (the dew upon her petals.)
Ami bent further forward. - and then stopped,
her body rising upward.
"What?" The chestnut-haired girl asked and the single word
was a plea.
"A second." Ami raised a finger indicating the time.
Ami clasped her hands in front of her.
She concentrated and her brow furrowed. Briefly the symbol of Mercury
flashed.
Ami pulled her hands slowly opened. Her half-cupped hands held a
glowing ball of light. Her lips moved almost soundlessly.".... Blast!"
She opened her hands and the area around the engawa was flooded with a
thick concealing warm mist.
Surprised that the other girl could make the mist warm Makoto wagged
a chiding finger.
"You've been practicing haven't you."
Sitting before her was the girl who seduced her and Makoto felt surprised.
Despite the mist she could see that the other girl was blushing.
***
Afterwards Makoto lay flopped on her stomach breathing heavily.
She felt a chill wind begin as Ami's released control of the warm
mist gave way slowly to another winter storm.
She felt a tingle from her extended senses as Jupiter.
In a few hours it would get nasty.
It looked like the plans for a ski vacation were dead and they would
have to improvise. She had a few ideas but most of them right now
made her want to squirm.
She glanced over at where Ami lay upon her back gasping as she to
slowly regained her wind. The Senshi of Waters hair was tousled
and slicked back with sweat.
"Ami-chan." she gasped. "I think I'm going to feel that for a while."
Ami looked over at her. "Are you alright Mako-chan?"
"More than that Ami. Where on earth did you learn how to do those
thing?"
Ami surprised Makoto by blushing again.
"Well, I do read a lot." She said.
"Just reading?" Makoto asked.
"Well, I really shouldn't say anything...Promise you won't tell?"
"And I'dd be believed by whom exactly?" Makoto laughed.
Ami wished the other girl had been lying on her back.
She had the urge to start tickling the other girl.
She suspected that the other girl would squeal and wake the others.
perhaps if this happened another time...
Maybe this wouldn't be a one-time thing but Urawa might have to
be let in on this "little secret" -eventually.
"Well, like I said I DO indeed do a lot of reading." Ami said
defensively and decided she would tell Makoto her other
"little secret" . " Remember last summer vacation?" She asked.
"When you re-met Urawa? Then?"
"Well sort-of. It was after that actually. Urawa-kun
DID remember me - well as if the whole thing had been a dream.
We kept writing and our letters were....ah...detailed."
"Um-hum."
"And so we HAD to see each other. So, on Christmas vacation he came
here and we...."
"You said you had the flu and were contagious!" Makoto burst out.
"I was." She said. "I sorta got it from him."
"But if you had the flu for a week and your mother was
home how...?"
"How were we able to...?"
Makoto decided she enjoyed the other girl's constant blushes.
"This is the part you really really can't tell." Ami said
her expression serious.
"I swear. I'll even pinky promise." Makoto said.
"It was you... well sort-of. In November Setsuna-san came to
my house."
"Pluto?" Makoto asked confused.
"Hai. She came one day when my mother was out.
"She said she was repaying a favor. She told me what I was
going to do with Urawa and how and when I was going to do it.
I was so embarrassed. I couldn't believe what she was saying.
She's so... so beautiful and cold and she scares me a bit."
"A bit? She spooks me totally." Makoto said.
Ami giggled and then continued.
"She was...she was so nice and that scared me as well.
I don't understand what she does with time. She shouldn't be
able to do what she does...Science doesn't allow it."
"You're a fine one to talk Sailormercury....Warrior of
the Moon."
Ami shrugged she had no response to that.
"I don't know. sometimes all the rationality and reasonableness
gets washed away and leaves only the simple things."
"Like making a cake?"
"Like making a cake." Ami confirmed.
"Anyway, Pluto said that we could have time together.
Time to get back what we had lost.
She said that she could take us away for a while and that we
would be in a place - a romantic place.
I thought it meant that I would never see Urawa again
-that he was going to die.
- that maybe I was going to die -again.
She actually laughed when I started to um...panic a bit.
She...well, then she hugged me.
Then I knew that I was going to die."
"Ami!"
"I was wrong." Ami said. "It took Setsuna-san a while to convince
me but I was wrong. She also made me promise not to tell
anyone - anyone but Urawa and you.
She said she would know and then gave me that look."
Makoto knew "that look" well. She wondered if the Elder Senshi
Practiced it in the mirror or just got it naturally.
She nodded.
Ami continued her story. "Pluto-san said that she was doing a
favor for one of us - in the future. She said that this would
"fix things nicely." for all parties involved, and also that
"She couldn't understand why she hadn't thought of it."
You know how she's always saying things like that as well.
Anyway, She did and we did and when we got back about a month
later only a day had passed and I had the flu.
She also gave me something. She said I had to give it back
when she asked later. She said she knew I was worried about you
and that this was to say things were going to be o.k."
Makoto looked confused.
"Here, I'll show you."
Ami got up and Makoto watched her move in a way she had not really
watched her before.
She knew that Ami was right, that even if they
were never like
this again it would be a memory to keep her strong.
Ami bent down and got the small bundle that she had pinned inside
the sleeve of her yukata.
She was unwrapping it as she returned. She bent over and held out
her friend.
"I can only show you." She said. "Pluto-san said that the owner
would like her to give it back."
Makoto held out her hand and into it Ami gently placed
a rose blossom earring.
***
The oil-lamps had been turned down and extinguished.
Pale blue-white light shone through the frosted window and the fire
had been banked low.
Rei stared into the red-orange of the coals and saw only questions.
She had been about to rejoin the other two in the hot-springs but
had stopped in the doorway first.
She had overheard the conversation which had started and then when
the words had become moans she had returned.
She understood the comfort the senshi of Mercury was giving
her friend. Some people might have thought that what the two girls
were doing was wrong. It wasn't.
Moving from one private girls' school to another as she had suffered
her fathers' displeasure due to the simple fact that she so closely
resembled her mother she had seen many girls form special friendships
and often more.
it wasn't odd or unusual and she had long ago come to terms
with the fact that she herself could feel as much affection and
desire for another girl as a boy. She also knew that sometimes (as
with any relationship no matter what gender) you just could not let
those feeling show.
Sometimes you cared for the person so much that to tell them would
*...would simply wash you away...*
The fire whispered her thoughts.
"Yes." she said. "Exactly."
*...but what if they feel the same way...*
That was a question as well.
Once, another lifetime ago she had loved a Prince.
And the Prince had loved a Princess.
*...And the Princess loved you both...*
The fire reminded.
*...She still does...*
- Long ago (or at least it sometimes seemed that way)
when Rei had first ended up sobbing on the stone steps of her
Grandfather's Shrine.
- Long ago when she had first begun training as a Miko she had
learned that sometimes the things she heard and saw in the sacred
fire were secrets from her own heart.
Sometimes it was otherwise.
- The voice she heard now was both.
No matter how much anxiety she felt over this dual affection and
what it possibly could mean in the future she knew at least
that it was true.
She looked at the assortment of limbs which protruded from the tangle
of bedding in the center of the room.
Both Minako and Usagi had hair unbound and in the faint light it
looked like soft coverlet of gold.
Both girls were also (wonder of wonders) snoring softly.
The wonder was that the snoring was so soft.
Rei knew that both girls could with no provocation produce dreadful
sounds. Not that they really needed to be asleep to do that.
She felt her lips curl in a gentle smile.
Idiots. She thought kindly.
She moved over and knelt next to Usagi.
Rei had often watched the girl sleep when Usagi had slept
over at her home at the Shrine.
She looked so vulnerable sleeping like this, so delicate.
This girl had done so much both for Rei and for the world yet while
asleep she looked so *untouched* by it all.
Rei knew that just a glimpse of Usagi like this and she would forgive
the girl any wrong she could conceivably do.
She was so innocent yet so desirable and sensual as well.
Seeing Usagi there lying with Minako , both girls limbs splayed
and entangled Rei imagined passion in the innocence.
She wondered what Usagi would look like with her back
arching in orgasm.
Rei's mind filled with an overwhelming number of images and
feelings and the Senshi of Fire burned.
-In her mind It was her making love to Usagi in the Onsen.
It was her lips covering the fair haired girl, tasting and teasing
her.
-In her mind Mamoru Chiba forced her roughly against a brick
wall and ravished her, tore at her clothes and kissed her tasting
faintly of blood.
-She dreamed of lying in the tender arms of her Dearest,
stroking his roughly shaven face and feeling his gentleness.
Sometimes she could do this for what seemed like hours and drift in
and out of sleep in her pleasure. Other times she almost raced, hard
and fast with her fingers plunging deep inside to a loudly moaning
rapid finish.
Other times she took the "middle ground" like now.
Satisfaction like warm waves upon her body.
She had pulled her left arm back leaving the sleeve of her
haori empty, and slowly worked the front of the yukata open.
She began to caress herself in slow movements,
her touches becoming rougher as her need increased.
From her belly her hand moved up to caress her breast her
fingernails tickle-scraping her way upward tickling the fine
invisible hairs on her body.
From a kneeling position she slumped over absorbed in gaining her
pleasure.
As Rei touched herself her movements caused the fabric she was
wearing to hold her tighter, binding and constricting her movements -
increasing the impact of each little movement.
From a kneeling position Her hand moved back and forth cupping
her right breast and rubbing it, almost kneading it.
The other breast wrapped in it's cotton was stimulated as she moved
and she pressed down upon it, the same slow circular pressure.
Under the cloth her finger tips and nails teased at her flesh and
caused her nipples to ache.
Each almost-pinch caused a pulling in her belly, the muscles of
her abdomen clenching and releasing.
Her left hand slid down her front and past the cotton ties of the robe.
Rei's hand came in contact with her mound and she slowly ran her
fingers through the silken hair till she cupped the wet warmth below.
She tightened her thighs on her hand and hooking her ankles
ground her legs together rhythmically.
The pressure and the friction, the circular rubbing brought
forth another surge of moisture.
She tried to control her breathing but heard every rustle she
made as abnormally loud.
She was so close to Usagi.
All she had to do was reach out.
All Usagi had to do was wake.
Rei's mind was full if impossible ideas and she breathed
heavily through open lips and clenched teeth.
-She was discovered by Usagi and was punished.
Usagi holding her down, humiliating her.
Usagi across her lap squirming in a mixture of confused pain and
passion as Rei both spanked and pleasured the other girl.
Her hand, rubbing gently parted her lips probed with shallow
fingertips.
She had to quell the urge to plunge one
-then another into herself and rise screaming to her climax
but this was the wrong time for this sort of thing.
Rei's eyes watered and her eyes clenched closed. She moved to
her own inner visions. Suddenly she was overwhelmed. Her body
bucked and shuddered and finally she lay still, panting heavily.
Slowly she removed her hands from her body.
She lifted her wet hand.
She tasted the salty wetness from her hand and felt a echo of
the passion she had just felt go through her body.
The taste of her desire upon her lips she smiled.
She straightened her robes and rising on her knees shuffled
closer to the sleeping forms.
Rei then snuggled closer to the two others.
Before she slept she leaned over
and kissed the rose-petal lips of her princess.
***FIN***
__________________________________________________________________
"The Pink-Haired Goddess, the Blue-Haired Goddess, I can't decide....
I must have them both!"
(Me in Kuno mode thinking about Mizumo Ami and Nene)
_______________________
Robyn, Duke of Amber. Agent of Chaos. Part-time-God. Monkey-Boy
***************************************************************************