Chapter Eight: "My bit of heaven…"

Makoto stood up. In front of her was a stone marker with the earth symbol on it. "Mamoru Chiba. Earth’s Champion. Our future King, comrade and friend. You will be missed. Rest in Peace," it read. She placed a red rose on the grave mournfully. "I failed you. Your princess is dead. It’s my fault. I should be dead for my disgrace and failure," Makoto whispered. She felt a breeze behind her and saw Mamoru in his prince outfit (armor, cape and stuff but with wings). Makoto kneeled down in front of him, expecting for Endymion (a.k.a. Mamoru) to behead her. "Mako-chan please get up," he said. Mako didn’t get up. "Fine, I order you to get up," he said. Makoto got up hesitantly. "It wasn’t your fault. Fate decided it was our time to leave this plane. When the outers and you join us (except Pluto) after living life to it’s fullest (he stressed ‘after’) then we will all be reborn again and again until the Crystal Tokyo," Endy (that’s what I’ll call him) explained.

"But-but Endymion I failed my duty to you and your lover. My life should be yours," Mako stuttered. "If its forgiveness you want you aren’t going to get it. You did nothing wrong. Cheer up," Endy said. This lightened the weight on Makoto’s heart. She gave him a small smile. "That’s the Makoto we all knew. You will live your life to its fullest. You will find something or someone to live for," Endy said cryptically. "Wait Endymion. Who will-" she stopped as Mamoru smiled, bowed and faded away, effectively evading her question. "I’ll have to re-think their advice later," she thought ruefully.

Makoto turned to the next grave. She would rather fly on an airplane then see the ghost Usagi. But that would be cowardice and being a coward (and the fact she had been knocked unconscious) put her in this situation. Makoto inched over to Usagi’s grave. It was plain like the others and had a crescent moon on it. "Tsukino Usagi. Rabbit of the Moon. Our innocent hime, destiny and loyal friend. We miss you. Rest in Peace," it read.

Makoto put the white rose by the marker with trembling hands. "You’re disappointed at me huh? You have every right to be. If things hadn’t happened-" Makoto stopped as she felt a familiar presence behind her.

She turned and knelt in front of Princess Usagi’s winged glowing ghost. "If things hadn’t happened you’d be with Mamoru again," she continued. Makoto stood. "Mako-chan you did no disservice to me or yourself. Fiercely loyal, you always were. What happened to you? You changed into this whimpering baby! You can’t destroy the enemy. Look at how much you’ve been whining!" Usagi scolded. This brought Makoto to tears. "I am not," she thought between sobs. "Then prove it. Show me, show us all you can take the enemy down without our help!" Usagi said strongly.

"I will! I am the Senshi of strength I can do anything!" Makoto said. "Well not anything," Usagi said bringing her back down to earth. It dawned on Makoto that Usagi was messing with her mind and was being slightly hypocritical about the whining part. "Tsk, tsk, tsk. Even as a ghost Usagi, you are scheming. Reverse psychology will not work on me. I love you anyway. I will not let your deaths be in vain. This new enemy will be destroyed then I will join guys. I guess you right its not all my fault but are you happy though?" she asked. Makoto attempted to hug Usagi but she passed right through her. Makoto turned and faced Usagi a little down about not being able to hug her. She felt that burden in her heart again.

"I am content if that’s what you mean. There is no sadness or happiness here. But something else…it’s hard to describe. But anyway, that’s the spirit Mako-chan. I think you will find something to live for," she said casually. Makoto cursed in her mind, more stuff to think about later. "Makoto come closer. I have one last gift for you," Usagi said. Makoto trusted her friend and stepped closer. She was now a foot away from the ghost. The ghost’s kanji, her golden crescent moon on her forehead, glowed brightly. Usagi reached up (A.N.-Usagi’s shorter then Mako-chan remember?) and pressed a translucent (all of the ghosts were) finger on the center of Makoto’s forehead. Mako closed her eyes as Usagi did. Makoto’s kanji - the Jupiter symbol- glowed a pure, bright green.

Both of the Senshi, dead and alive, now engulfed in a bright light. As soon as Makoto felt her kanji flare up she felt inner peace, contentment (like Usagi described), and all of her negative feelings evaporated. She still felt guilty but she knew that feeling would dissipate when she defeated the enemy and fulfilled her promise. But she felt Usagi’s presence gone most of her worries returned. Makoto opened her eyes and saw a few white feathers float downwards. "If you concentrate you can find your own peace. Share that peace. Never loose hope," a voice whispered as the feathers that were floating disappeared. Makoto closed her eyes and felt that same peace wash over her.

She opened her eyes again but with a positive, if only a little, look on life. "I have my own bit of heaven," she whispered as she looked to the full moon.

1.3 Chapter Nine: "Can you do it again…"

They saw Makoto look to the moon. The assassins were speechless at what they just saw. "We don’t deserve this. After all the blood…we don’t deserve to see angels," Aya thought. Tenshi was the one word that came into Omi’s mind. Ken couldn’t even form a coherent thought. They both shook out of their daydreams. It was time to initiate the plan. Aya elbowed Youji in the ribs. Youji nodded and stepped out from behind the tree. The other assassins followed. This movement didn’t go unnoticed. Makoto spun around, startled.

She knew she couldn’t fight as a senshi seeing as she wasted her power the night before but she relaxed briefly as she recognized the florists. "Youji-kun? Ken-kun? Aya-san? Omi-san? What are you guys doing here at this time of night? Wait…how much did you see?" she said cautiously, tensing again. Youji and Ken were glad that they were now considered friends. "…We just saw you do the magic with the feathers. Can you do it again?" Omi said knowing that they saw the whole thing. Makoto let out the air she was unconsciously holding. "Maybe when you’re older Omi…Wait what are you guys doing here?" Makoto answered the question with another, although Omi was only a year younger then she.

"We were coming to invite you for dinner and we didn’t think you should be alone after what happened earlier," Aya said calmly. Makoto didn’t believe the excuse, she knew that something was going on. She thought for a moment. "I know that something’s going on but I don’t see any dark mist rising from them…I should play along. If they try to touch me, I’ll transform…but I’m don’t have much elemental power left…" she thought. The boys were exchanging looks…did she know something was amiss? When she broke out of her reverie the boys relaxed.

Makoto used the clueless and innocent person she was before life a Senshi, a task that took most of her self-control. "So Makoto do you want to come over for dinner?" Youji asked cautiously. Makoto struggled to keep her façade in place as they continued the charade. "Sure? Why not Youji- kun." Youji smiled and offered her his arm. Makoto didn’t take his arm but walked past them. Youji caught up and saw Makoto’s smug smile.

The other three men caught up and walked along either side of the two. "They are just going to stab you in the back. We however know how to treat friends. They are assassins you know," Schuldich’s voice said in her mind. Makoto ignored him. The Schwarz assassin didn’t probe her further and his presence in her mind vanished. "Humor them Makoto. Maybe they aren’t lying. That doesn’t explain why they were following me," she though to herself. "Why?" She heard Omi ask. "Huh? You asked me something. Gomen, I was daydreaming," she told Omi. "I was asking you why you were in the cemetery. I thought you had to visit friends," Omi said cheerfully to start conversation although he knew the answer as well.

Makoto silently cursed the boy for being so damn genki when she wasn’t in the mood to talk especially with her present paranoia. "I visited my friends that died last year…they were…murdered," she said softly. "Oh," Omi said. That ended the discussion. For the next few minutes of their walk back to the flower shop the group trailed into light conversation on safer topics. They stopped in front of the steps that led to the apartments of the flower shop. "How can they try to hurt me? They don’t seem evil. Not even Aya…he is just sad like me," she thought as she walked up the steps.

Her freshly healed wounds were aching by the time she got to the top. Makoto waited impatiently for them to open the door. When they did open the door she found a spacious apartment, but not as glorious as she imagined. "Nice place," she commented as she walked in. Makoto turned and found herself surrounded by the four men. They had expressions of guilt and hope on their face. Makoto saw that they had weapons in their hands, for self- protection as they didn’t quite sure what side she was on. They were trying to convince her to help them take down the enemy. Her mind screamed, "How dare they back stab me!" "I think they are on to you hime. Don’t let them damage the goods," Schuldich whispered in her mind adding a chuckle.

Makoto held out her hand, her henshin wand appeared. It was knocked out of her hand. She did the same with the henshin stone, but it too was confiscated. "We don’t want to hurt you Makoto. Just listen to us," Youji said. Makoto looked at his wire and was aware she was weaponless. She couldn’t get her henshin stone out of her subspace pocket for fear that they would get a hold of a major source of pure power. "You don’t have any weapons left. We just want you to listen," Aya said agitated. "I’m sick of people telling me what to do. You all have frozen hearts. Just leave me alone," she whispered. Makoto realized she hadn’t tried to go Super and it was all was a foolish plan, she had no power left (A.N.- no cosmic guys. Sorry).

"Jupiter Star Power!" she screamed with her hand in the air. The assassins watched shocked. They hadn’t expected more transformations. <Insert transformation sequence>

Makoto opened her eyes after her pose. "I am Super Sailor Jupiter," she whispered out of weakness. She felt really lightheaded. Staggering, she leaned against the wall. "Nooo," she whispered as her fuku flickered between senshi and normal. Finally, her fuku disappeared. Her mind and facial expression screamed of betrayal, anger, and fear as Makoto slid down the wall, unconscious after all the energy she had used up.