The Dragon's Thunder ---------------------------- by Element Of Desire Where both deliberate, the love is slight: Who ever lov'd, that lov'd not at first sight? -Christopher Marlowe (Hero and Leander) When this world began it was Heaven's plan, There should be a girl for ev'ry single man; To my great regret someone has upset, Heaven's pretty program for we've never met; I'm clutching at straws, just because I may meet her yet. Somebody loves me I wonder who, I wonder who she can be Somebody loves me I wish I knew, who can she be worries me, For ev'ry girl who passes me I shout, Hey! maybe, You were meant to be my loving baby; Somebody loves me I wonder who, Maybe it's you… -Ballard MacDONALD and B.G. DeSYLVA Somebody Loves Me (from "She Loves Me") ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You say I'm stubborn, and you're right, I am that. You say I'm strong, and you're right about that too. But sometimes when you're not watching me, I let go of my strength and stay weak and frail, so that when you turn back, you may see me as who I am, not strong, not stubborn, but me for me. For you have already shown me yourself, and I believe you to be always strong no matter what. I love you for your strength and compassion, I just want to know one thing, can you love me without them? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I remember how Rei used to tease us about how we were getting too idle in our old age, whether or not we look it. She was perhaps right about that, being that no one was ever on time for meetings now, and Usagi-chan tend to be one of the first. Rei, had at first yelled at us, but time and time again it happened, even Ami sometimes was late as well, till Rei just gave up, until she herself was no longer on time. Now it was Usagi who was always there waiting for us, had we been told this a thousand or so years ago, we would've laughed at the thought of Usagi, Serenity, ever being on time for anything, and especially since the thought of our own selves being late sounded lame and surreal. But time had proved us wrong, instead we wait at the gates of Paradise for something else, watching the storm roll in from the horizon and wonder, could the storm touch us again? Can this fragile barrier against its roaring thunders and unending lightenings, truly move its unmerciful ways? Serenity had always hated the storm, while I, her bodyguard, one of her most loyal subjects, as well as best of friends, loved the storm, watched it open its jaws, even to paradise, and scream out in piercing, unending screams of rage and sorrow. For somehow, the storm always seemed to mirror my own soul, and until it is complete, the storm will forever rage within me, let it be rain or snow, thunder or lightening, the dragon is out there, and I, it's lightening forever wait for it, hoping for him to return to the lair he had abandoned so long ago. The streets of Crystal Tokyo, somewhere during 2857… The city traffic roared on its own, sounds of car horns and excited shouting filled the damp, cool air. Spring was coming to an end, and summer was finally coming, as the leaves rustled under the gentle breeze of late spring, Rei's birthday was coming up and everyone was talking about it except Rei, who had seemed to all but forgotten her own birthday. She's been under a lot of stress lately haven't she? The woman pondered to herself and smiled wearily, poor Rei, I just wish she'd talk about all her problems with us instead of being so stubborn and trying to hid it, its so obvious that she's distressed over her last encounter with Jadeite, Minako even said so, speaking of which Minako also seemed to be distressed about something. Shaking her head sadly, the woman stopped as she turned into a store and disappeared, only to step into a darkly lit room, wooden boards creaking under her weight, and dark-rich, chocolate colored walls peeked at her from behind rows of bookcases, display cases and boxes. The smell of fresh pine wafted to her nose, wrinkling her brow slightly at the thought of a memory from the past, I wonder why I keep returning here in the first place, she thought, a thought that almost became a ritual, being that she had it ever time she visited the old shop. Tokyo city, sometime around the 1990s… "Do you like to watch the stars?" He looked startled at her question, and smiled ever so slightly, making her heart skip a beat. "Why do you ask?" He questioned, as he moved up next to her and wrapped his arms around her slim, muscled form, making her feel slightly dazed and out of breath. "Hm…no reason in particular." She finally replied, her voice slightly breathless. "Well then, in that case, I guess I never really thought about it, I have better things to look at." He replied and looked up into the sky. She frowned at his answer, it was somehow disappointing that he said it that way, which was strange, as if all of her love depended on that simple, and insignificant question. "Freddy, it's late, I should be heading home now." She finally said after a long stretch of silence, which to her was seemingly unbearable. "Huh? Oh yeah, sure." He quickly pulled away, and grinned slightly. "Daijobu, Mako-chan?" He asked worriedly, as he glanced at her still frowning face. "Oh, hai, hai, don't worry about me." She replied quickly, to the dark haired boy, "I'm quite alright." Blushing she forced a smile onto her lips and lightly pecked him on the cheek, "I'd like to thank you for the wonderful night, tonight Freddy." She smiled as she pulled away, "It was very romantic." From then on she started to withdraw into herself, unconsciously pushing him away, perhaps from that night on, she knew the answer to her true question, he wasn't the one that she was looking for. "Mako-chan, why have you stopped speaking to me?" He asked her angrily, as he stomped into the gazebo, "You've been like this since that…" He looked amazed for a moment, before finishing his sentence. "…night, when you asked me if I liked the stars." He frowned, slightly agitated at the conclusion his head was giving him, but his heart didn't want to accept. "Is there someone else Mako-chan?" He finally asked. Her eyes widened in surprise, "How can you say that?" She turned to him, and tried to walk toward him, "I would never-" "Then why did you change when you found out that my world doesn't revolve around the stars in the night?" He looked jealous then, but suddenly his look cooled, "You're lying to me Makoto," his face was like that of stone, his eyes hidden in shadows. "We're through, you hear me? I can't deal with this right now, I can't deal with you playing behind my back!" Before she could say anything else he spun away and ran out of the gazebo, the same gazebo that they first met in, the same one he first told her how much he loved her, and now, the same gazebo he broke her heart in. Dumped, she hated that word, oh, how she hated it. How could he accuse her of cheating on him, she suddenly realized from deep within her dazed mind that he was gone, gone! No, it can't be, he can't leave me all alone! Freddy! Her mind cried, desperately she nearly tripped over her own umberella, After dropping it onto the ground from the shock and hurt of his accusations. "Freddy! Don't leave me!" She stumbled outside, as she watched the last of his shadows disappear, not even noticing the rain that wetted her hair, soaking her shirt, not even realizing the shadow of a boy beside her, shielding her from the pounding rain. "Freddy, don't leave me…" She whispered, before realizing a presence other then herself beside her, glancing over startled, she saw him, her best friend since grade school. "Kenji-chan?" "Daijobu, Mako-chan?" He smiled at her worriedly, yet soft and understanding, waiting patiently for her reply. "Why did he leave me, Kenji-chan? What did I do wrong?" The tears began to flow then, the shock was now wearing off to total weariness, hurt washed throughout her body. Kenji looked at her in dismay and surprise, he never seen Makoto cry before, nor was he ready to see her cry now, he simply didn't know how to deal with it, but slowly, hesitantly, he put an uncertain arm around her trembling shoulders. She broke down then, clinging to him, as she wept in the rain, in his arms, against his chest, as her body trembled at the continuing pressure of her emotions, seemingly to strong too hold back, so she cried and screamed softly, whimpering against him, trying to let go. Like the rain, like the storm, it to would soon end and dissipate, but there would be puddles to remind us that storms never end until it has cried all of its tears, it will keep going till it has finally found the root of its sadness, until the sun could finally reach it or it the sun. But at this moment, Makoto did not care; all she wished to do was cry and join the storm in its ritual spirit wails and haunting remembrance, until the sun comes back again. Three years later… "Mako-chan, daijobu?" The odango-blond bent over her friend with a worried expression on her face. "Hai…" She replied absent-mindedly. "Mako-chan?" The dark-haired priestess walked up to her and looked deeply into her eyes, "What's this you're trying to hid from us?" "Rei-chan, look who's talking." Another blond-haired girl with a red ribbon in her hair said, grinning foolishly as Rei gave her a glare. "I'll show you who's talking!" Rei said darkly under her breath. "Guys, please, stop this fighting and just let Mako- chan speak for herself." The blue-haired genius said with a weary sigh as she stood beside the odango-haired blond, looking equally worried at the auburn-haired Makoto. "Nothing's the matter, okay?" She quickly stood up, startling the odango-haired girl so much that the blond fell backwards, knocking into the blue-haired girl. "Mako-chan, don't lie, we know something's up." The blond-haired girl frowned. "Minako-chan, don't pry." Makoto said tiredly. Rei and Minako looked to each other worriedly, and then the dark-haired priestess finally looked to Makoto with a serious face. "Mako-chan, I know at times it's hard to put down your walls, but we're your friends, and we can see something is wrong, so please, let us help you." The rest of the senshi all leaned forward and looked at her anxiously. Makoto in turn glared at them all, "Leave me alone will you?" She said, and shoved the startled Rei and Minako aside as she stormed passed them, "I have nothing to say to you guys, got it?" She didn't even wait for an answer before she raced down the temple steps. "Oh dear, that didn't go very well at all." The blue- haired girl sighed, as she helped the odango-haired blond to her feet. "Talk about being in a bad mood, I thought that was your department Rei-chan." Minako joked, trying to lighten up the mood. "Hai, so did I." Rei said softly, as she walked over to the odango-haired blond, surprising everyone for not yelling at Minako. "Daijobu, Usagi-chan?" The dark-haired priestess asked, as she pulled on one of odango-pigtails. "H-hai, Rei-chan." Usagi said shakily, before turning to look at where Makoto had last been before disappearing, "I just hope Mako-chan is alright though." "Whatever it is, she's not going to tell us willingly." The blue-haired genius stated quietly. "Which means-" an evil grin appeared on three of the four faces of the senshi team. "Oh no guys, we shouldn't!" The blue-haired girl tried desperately to intervine. "Shouldn't what?" The blond-haired girl asked innocently. "Hai, what shouldn't we do Ami-chan?" The odango- haired girl joined in with a pout. "Well-" Ami begun. "Well, then, let's go!" Rei cut in, and the three girls all beamed. A chorus of "Hai!" stopped all arguments, as Ami sighed in exasperation. "Where are Luna and Artemis when you need them?" She asked sadly to herself, just as she was dragged in the direction where Makoto was last and the search was on. Crystal Tokyo Palace, present times… "Ami-chan, let me see that!" A squeal rang out. "Hey, move over Usagi-chan!" The auburn-haired woman shoved at the odango-haired queen. Silver hair went flying, whipping a tail into a blond-haired woman's face. "Hey! Watch where you're aiming that thing Usagi- chan!" The blond complained, as she shoved the silver strands from her face with disgust. "I'm the queen, you'd think I'd get more respect because I'm royalty!" Usagi said turning her nose in the air, as the rest of the women twitched slightly at the haughty comment, too bad Rei wasn't there to deflate her, Makoto thought wickedly. "Usagi-chan, we've known you for over a span of thousands of years now." A blue-haired woman said with a sigh. "Yeah, we've known you in a time when you'd unwittingly step on anything and everything well you walk and tripping or falling all over yourself doing it!" The blond joined in. "Hai, and now you're expecting preferential treatment because all of a sudden your royalty?" The auburn haired woman said, nodding her head as the other two women looked at her strangely. "Uh, Mako-chan, Usagi's been queen for quite some time now." Ami finally said after a stretch of silence. "Oh," Makoto said, laughing nervously at her mistake as her three friends crashed to the floor, startling her, "Daijobu?" She asked looking down at them, puzzled.