Ami couldn't help the heat rising in her cheeks at seeing Makoto in the jeans. They definitely looked good on her, and it was nice seeing Makoto being so comfortable. Ami was starting to feel much better as they left the store, but her happy mood was sent plummeting to the ground when Haruka and Michiru pulled up just outside of the store. Her stomach began to feel strangely empty to the point where it ached, and Ami had no idea why. She kept a friendly smile on her face as she bowed respectfully to Haruka and Michiru, despite wanting to drag Makoto away on the inside.

"We were just cruising by. You wanna hop in, Makoto-san? I need to ask you something," Haruka said, nodding her head towards the backseat. Michiru just stared at Ami, making her feel antsy and uncomfortable. But that wasn't Ami's major concern - right now she was just hoping Makoto would decline the offer. Seeing Ami's face, Haruka added, "You can come along too, Ami-san. There's plenty of room."

Ami glanced from Makoto, to Haruka, to Michiru, then shook her head. "Um...I've seen the way you drive a motorcycle, so...I think my answer is no. Thank you for the offer, though," she replied, trying to sound as pleasant as possible. Here she was, enjoying a nice afternoon with her best friend, and of course charming Ms. Haruka had to come ruin it.

"Ask me something?" What could Haruka possibly want with her? She was still surprised that she even showed up on the older girl's radar. The thought of getting to be driven around by two people that she looked up to for being so mature was difficult to turn away from, but... Makoto's eyes shifted to Ami. She really did want to spend time with her today.

But Ami didn't want to come with her, something she understood after that near miss with the motorcycle. And Haruka's offer was so tempting.

"Ami-chan, would you mind if we... ended this a little earlier than we planned? I'll see you tomorrow, I promise!" she said. Makoto knew she was blowing her off, but she was trying to do it as gently as possible.

Ami felt her heart break at Makoto's words, but forced herself to smile and nod her head. 'You're overreacting,' she told herself 'Mako-chan can do as she pleases. You can't keep her all to yourself.' But what about the last daimon attack? What if it came after Makoto again, and Ami wasn't there to help her? She knew Haruka was strong, but would that be enough? 

"Yeah, don't worry about it!" she said, waving her hand as if it was no big deal. "Be safe, okay? Contact me if anything happens." she said quietly, hoping only Makoto could hear.

Makoto nodded at Ami's warning. "I've got my communicator on me," she said, dropping her voice as well. She pulled her friend into a quick hug and said good bye before sitting in the back seat of Haruka's red convertible. A minute later, they were driving again, though the destination wasn't clear. 

"So...what did you want to talk to me about?" Mako asked, after a bout of silence. She had been excited at the prospect of spending time with Haruka, but what would they do?

"I just wanted to get to know yo a little better as friends," Haruka said. "If that's alright with you of course. We weren't interrupting anything back there, right? I'd hate to come between you and Ami-san. I got the impression you two were close."

"Close?" Makoto repeated. In a way they were, now that she thought about it. It was hard to explain what was going on between them now, with the dreams and all, but it certainly wasn't bad. "Yeah, I guess so..." she said, smiling slightly. 

Michiru glanced back and caught the blush on Mako's face, but held back her comment. Well this was certainly interesting...
____________________________________________

Haruka parked the car in a nearby park, and the three got out to enjoy the view of a river as the sun set. The older girls had prompted Makoto to talk about herself, which she cheerfully did, up until a strange rustle in the bushes caught their attention. Haruka turned to look at the treeline just as the Daimon burst though them. Makoto's eyes widened as she recognized the monster from her first encounter, and fumbled to click the signal on her communicator to warn the other senshi. 

"Stay behind me, Makoto-san!" Haruka said, stepping in front of her before she could make a move against the Daimon. "We'll protect you!" It growled and lunged at them, knocking Haruka away like she was nothing. She fell out of sight, and Michiru yelled her name. The daimon pushed Michiru aside next, and she could only watch as it closed in on Makoto. 

Mako was stuck between running away in fear and staying to fight, but she couldn't transform in front of Michiru, leaving her helpless as the Daimon pinned her down and revealed the black star on it. The tattoo glowed as Makoto struggled under the Daimon's weight, terror and panic in her eyes. 

She grit her teeth as her chest hurt, like something was being pulled out of it, and almost screamed as it intensified. After the excruciating process of removing her heart crystal was complete, the Daimon let Makoto fall to the ground, eyes dull and lifeless. As she fought to not pass out, she could see the glittering gem in its hands as it went to give it to Kaolinite

Mercury had never run so fast in her life. She had literally been sitting in the coffee shop, staring at the watch on her wrist, waiting for it to go off. And just as she had feared, it did. After registering the location in her brain, she had bolted out of the cafe and sprinted as fast as she could to Makoto's location. She transformed on the way, making sure she was out of sight of civilians. Her legs pumped faster with each second that passed until she was practically a blur along the rooftops. She was more than surprised when the rest of the senshi had caught up to her - they must have been closer, she deduced - and ran at her speed. No one asked questions, no one even spoke. Makoto was in danger, and that was more than words could explain.

They finally turned onto the street where Haruka's flashy red car was parked. Not too far away, Mercury spotted Makoto's lifeless body on the asphalt, and the daimon carrying her heart crystal to a waiting Kaolinite. Mercury was just about to scream for them to stop when a bright orange sphere caught her eye, soon followed by an aqua one. 

Of course.


Sailors Uranus and Neptune appeared in a flash, scooping Makoto's precious heart crystal up as the daimon screamed in agony. A rough hand on her shoulder pushed Mercury forward. "Mercury, go!" Venus shouted. Without responding, Mercury sprinted forward, running past Makoto's body and the daimon. She knew her friends would take care of it. 

"Stop right there!" she shouted, her voice at its loudest. The image of a broken Makoto lying lifeless on the ground played over and over again in her brain, and it was all Mercury could do not to burst into tears. Makoto didn't deserve this. She should have gotten in that stupid car to begin with. 

This was all her fault.

"You give that back to me right now! You can't just go around taking things that don't belong to you! That is the heart of a beautiful girl who has a long life ahead of her! You have no right to steal that! She has worked so hard for the life she lives, and I'll be damned if I let anyone mess that up!"

Mercury's blazing blue eyes locked with Sailor Uranus, who was standing several feet away with Makoto's heart crystal in hand. And the stupid senshi of orange balls smirked. 

Red streaks clouded Mercury's vision, filling her with rage and disgust. How could someone be so heartless? Were these women even senshi? Hot, angry tears began to spill from Mercury's eyes as she sprinted forward, fist raised. She threw her punch, knowing deep down that it would never collide, but ignoring the logic. Just as her brain told her, Sailor Uranus sidestepped and lifted her knee, hitting Mercury in the abdomen and knocking the wind out of her. A raspy cry escaped the senshi of water's lips as she fell to her knees, gasping for air. But she wouldn't give up.

"Give...it...back," she wheezed, struggling to stand. She could hear Uranus's chuckle above her, ridiculing her. 

"Quite the crush you've got there, Sailor Mercury," Uranus said. The blonde senshi turned her head to Sailor Neptune, who had been watching the scene with a pained look in her eyes. "She's not the one," the senshi of winds called. Neptune nodded, signalling for Uranus to return the crystal. Kneeling down, Uranus took Mercury's chin between her fingers and pulled her head up so they were eye-to-eye. "Here's your precious crystal. But be warned. If you or your useless little friends ever try to get in our way again, it'll be more than my knee coming your way. Do you understand?"

Mercury glared, not even bothering to respond. Instead, she released a wad of spit onto Sailor Uranus's cheek. The other woman didn't even flinch, but the fury in her eyes was clear. Before Mercury could move, a hard slap had landed on her cheek and she fell backwards. 

"Mercury!" she heard Sailor Moon call. Shaking the stars from her eyes, Mercury turned her head just in time to see Makoto's heart crystal floating towards her. With shaking hands, she caught the glittering object between her palms. Holding it as if it were the most precious thing in the world, Mercury allowed her friends to help her to her feet. "Are you okay?!" Sailor Moon asked. Mercury only nodded, moving as fast as she could to Makoto's limp body. 

"Mako-chan..." she whispered, falling to her knees at her friend's side. Tenderly, she released the crystal and let it float back into its owner's body. "I am so sorry...this is all my fault."

Makoto could only watch from her position on the ground as her friends arrived at the park, already transformed. Her vision and hearing blurred out and back in, giving her flashes of what was going on. Uranus and Neptune attacking the Daimon and taking her Heart Crystal. Mercury yelling at Uranus and throwing a punch. Mercury being kneed and slapped to the ground. A dull sense of anger came over her as she processed the events, though she was too cold and empty at the moment to react much to it. 

She should have been there to help them...to help Ami.

She finally blacked out completely, and after what felt like a long time, then there was warmth in her chest again. Mako gasped for air as she sat up, like a weight had lifted off of her, and her senses fell back into place. She could feel things again as well instead of in that weird detached way. Was that what dying from losing your soul felt like? Giving her life at D-Point was less terrible. She realized that Mercury was next to her, having just revived her as her other friends watched in anticipation.

"Ami-chan," Mako said, turning to look at her. Despite being whole, she was still a little weak. "It's okay, I'm alright now." Her eyes fell on the mark on Ami's face from being struck, and her fingers went to touch it gently. Senshi healed fast, so it wouldn't bruise for long, but it still looked painful. 

"You're hurt..." Hurt by Uranus, Makoto reminded herself, and she frowned slightly. "Why did you fight her?"

Mercury didn't know why she was filled with so much emotion - she would have liked to blame it on being the senshi of water - but she suddenly threw her arms around Makoto's neck and hugged her rightly, tears pouring down her face. "Thank Serenity you're alright," she whispered, breathing in the familiar flowery scent of Makoto's hair. She pulled away slightly, hands on the taller girl's shoulders as their eyes met. "I...was so scared I had lost you, and I...I couldn't forgive them for trying to take what wasn't theirs. You have such a wonderful life ahead of you, Mako-chan, and I can't let them do that!" Mercury sniffled, forgetting that the rest of the girls were still watching them as she wiped the tears from her face.

"I fought her because she was trying to take you away from me - from us - and I will never let that happen."

Makoto almost fell over as Mercury hugged her, but caught the smaller girl in her arms and remained sitting up. She could tell she was crying even without seeing her face, and her suspicious were proven correct when Mercury pulled away. She hated making Ami cry like that.

Mercury's words shocked her as she talked about being scared of losing Mako and trying to save her Heart Crystal. She was willing to go that far, just for her? She blushed and a lump formed in her throat. It took a few moments to steady her voice and smile instead of taking a shaky breath and tearing up. She didn't need to start crying too, and right in front of the other girls. Minako would tease them for ages.

"Maybe you're supposed to be the Senshi of Protection," she said, taking Mercury's hand and moving it away from her face to hold in her own. She kept her gaze down though, finding it easier to talk when she wasn't staring into watery blue eyes. "Because you were definitely braver than me today. Thank you..." Makoto squeezed Mercury's hand gently with her own.

About a week had passed since the attack on Makoto, and Ami couldn't help but think about her taller friend constantly as the days went by. She was always worried, always wondering if Makoto was doing okay. She was grateful for the time they did share together, and today was one of those times.

They had just arrived at the indoor pool of their high school. Plans had been made to spend the afternoon together, and this was the activity that they both agreed on. The familiar scent of chlorine filled Ami's nose and she smiled. The pool always made her feel relaxed and at home.

Without wasting any time, Ami set down her things and peeled off her shorts and t-shirt, revealing her blue one-piece swimsuit beneath. In seconds, Ami was diving into the water, swimming a lap to warm up her body.

After that day with Haruka and Michiru and the attack on her Pure Heart, Makoto was starting to reevaluate exactly what her feelings were regarding Ami. She knew they were friends, or at least Ami thought of her as a close one, considering that they often planned things together even if the rest of the group wasn't around. The part that was starting to concern her was that she found herself looking forward to their outings even more than their more regular meetups with Usagi, Rei, and Minako.

Did she place Ami above the rest in terms of friendship, or was she so happy around her for another reason? That was the question that stuck with Makoto for the entire week, and she just couldn't find an answer that satisfied her. But then again, she wasn't that great with this kind of self reflection either. Maybe she should ask Rei to help her meditate on it....

The pool was a place she didn't usually visit, being more interested in the Home Economics and Gardening clubs, but she knew that Ami was great at swimming, and she had nothing against it either. Before Makoto could even start taking off her regular clothes, Ami was already doing laps. 

"Hey, wait for me!" Mako said, though the smile on her face showed she wasn't very serious about it. It was amazing how Ami came to life whenever she got into the pool, and she was so good at swimming too. She placed her duffle bag next to Ami's and started to strip off her own shirt and pants, leaving her in a two piece green bathing suit. She took her time getting into the pool, sitting on the edge and then sliding in.

Unlike Ami, she wasn't a strong enough swimmer to do relays, but she was fine at a normal pace, or even just floating aimlessly. 

"Don't expect me to do laps like that with you," she said jokingly, treading water near the pool's edge.

Ami stopped swimming and laughed at her friend's plea. "Sorry, I just..." Ami paused, her eyes taking in Makoto's beauty. Even in a swimsuit Makoto was the most beautiful woman Ami had ever met. Ami could feel her cheeks warming up, and had to dive back under the water to regain her composure. By the time she had popped back up, Makoto was in the water. Ami swam over, smiling mischievously. Without warning, she splashed Makoto and giggled. 

What had come over her all of a sudden? This wasn't typically how Ami acted towards her friends, but...something about being with Makoto made Ami relax and let loose. She wasn't afraid of who was watching or the expectations she had to meet. She was just...Ami. And she was happy.

Makoto flinched back and sputtered as she was hit with a small wave of pool water, having failed to catch the look on Ami's face before it was too late. Ami was usually the last person to initiate this kind of thing, so it caught her off guard, but Mako was competitive enough to play along.

"Very sneaky..." she said, pushing her wet bangs out of her eyesight. "But you've made one fatal mistake!" She grinned, and then made a much larger wave of water with both her arms, soaking Ami when it hit her. "Never start a splash war with someone bigger than you!" Anticipating a retaliation, Makoto took a deeper breath and dived, swimming underneath her to get to the other edge of the pool. The lifeguard was probably giving them glares for being "disruptive", but she didn't care at the moment.

Ami shrieked in both surprise and glee when Makoto splashed her with a huge wave of water. She should have been able to predict that happening, but for some reason Ami's mind just didn't feel like rationalizing today. She wanted to let go and just have a good time. Water had that effect on her.

She rubbed her eyes free of water and splashed back, laughing at their water fight. But her laugh suddenly died when she realized Makoto wasn't there anymore, and her attempt at retaliation was a complete failure. Looking around, Ami searched for the chocolate brown hair that was nowhere to be found.

"Mako-chan...?"

Makoto quietly surfaced behind Ami's back, and taking advantage of her confusion, crept towards her as well as she could in the water. 

"I'm right here!" Mako grabbed Ami by around the waist in a hug and lifted her almost entirely out the water. Though she was pretty sure she could still do it on land, the pool made it a little easier. They tipped backwards and both fell over into the pool again, sinking under with their combined weights. She smiled at Ami underwater, confident that she had won that contest, but then she realized how...elegant her friend looked. She personally felt clumsy and slow in the pool, but Ami was practically built for it. 

Makoto's chest tightened as her mind wandered, and she realized that she really needed air. Kicking off the bottom of the pool, she gasped and grabbed the sidewall a she she caught her breath, flushed. She had been so distracted she'd almost drowned in the 6 feet deep section, how embarrassing...

As they were swimming, another pair of girls entered the gym pool, though only one intended to swim. Haruka sat down on the bleachers and watched as Michiru revealed her own swim suit, and slipped into the pool to start a set of laps in an empty lane. Her hair was tied up, and she looked comfortable and serene even at the pace she was setting. 

Makoto spotted Haruka from her position and brightened up, waving at the older Mugen Academy student. Haruka gave her signature half grin and waved back.

Ami squealed in surprise as Makoto's strong arms wrapped around her, lifting her into the air and pulling her backwards into the water. She found herself laughing beneath the water, eyes open so she could look at her best friend. It was moments like these that Ami wished she could press pause and just stay here for a while, in her own world with the person that meant the most to her.

She didn't even realize how long they had been under water until Makoto rose to the surface. While her own lungs weren't burning just yet, she could only imagine how desperate Makoto must have been for air after being under for so long. Following her friend, Ami pushed herself to the surface and swam over to the edge. "Thanks for that," she laughed, after Makoto had caught her breath.

Seeing Makoto's attention directed elsewhere, Ami turned to find Haruka sitting in the bleachers, and Michiru swimming laps nearby. A cold feeling washed over the pit of her stomach. She knew that with Haruka and Michiru here, her afternoon with Makoto was over.

"Ah, how lucky to run into you both again..." Michiru said to them, having finished her last lap. Her gaze fell on Ami. "I had no idea you were a competitive swimmer, Ami-san." Having calmed down from her underwater experience, Makoto nodded. 

"Yeah, Ami-chan's the fastest swimmer I know!" she said proudly. Since Ami never really flaunted her skills, Mako was more than happy to brag for her. 

"Is that so?" Michiru looked intrigued. "Then if you're not busy, would you mind.... if we had a quick race? With nothing serious on the line, of course. Only for fun." Makoto's eyes sparkled at the thought of seeing Ami in an actual contest. She'd never really seen her go all out before, but she was certain it'd be amazing to watch.

"Oh, I'm not really, I-" Ami tried to protest, but of course Makoto spoke up. While the last thing Ami wanted was to stoke the fires of Michiru's competitive nature, she felt her heart swell at Makoto's compliments. 

But just as she suspected, Michiru asked for a race.

Ami didn't swim competitively very often. She wasn't on the school swim team and she didn't have many friends who could/would swim with her. But she was in too deep to back out now, literally.

"A-alright...." she said, making her way to the 'start' side of the pool. She felt nervous with both Makoto and Haruka watching, and she didn't think she could beat Michiru. After all, the woman looked like she was practically born from the water. 

But then again, Ami did too, in a way.

Haruka, who somehow managed to get a hold of a megaphone, began to yell, "Ladies, start your engines!" Ami and Michiru climbed out of the pool and onto the starting block, both girls stretching before doing so. "On your mark!" The girls bent down, both of their bodies in sync. "Get set!" Ami looked up, her eyes finding Makoto for a brief confidence boost. "GO!" 

Ami soared off of the block, her body forming the perfect position for a flawless dive. She plunged into the water, its cold temperature driving her body to move. She rose to the top of the water, beginning the freestyle motions. Her body moved as if it had done this thousands of time - perhaps it had - and Ami was flying through the water. Her arms and legs moved in perfect harmony, and she was already halfway finished with the race. 

Ami narrowed her eyes, trying to see Michiru through the water that was spraying all around her. She could see that she had pulled just a few inches ahead, and if she kept this pace, she would win.

But what if winning wasn't the right thing to do here? If she won, would Michiru be angry with her? The last thing she wanted was to lose her as a potential friend - Ami had few of those as it was. She didn't want to embarrass Michiru, this person who was flawless at everything she did, or upset her in any way. And so Ami slowed her pace just a tad, so that her and Michiru were neck-and-neck.

Their hands slapped against the wall at the exact same time. They had tied.

"Good...race..." Ami breathed, holding one hand out to Michiru. She was met with a cold stare, sending shivers down Ami's spine. Michiru wordlessly pulled herself out of the water and met Haruka, who was waiting with a towel. "Did...I do something wrong...?" 

Nervous, Ami looked around for Makoto, needing her friend's support.

Makoto climbed back out of the pool and grabbed her towel to dry off as she sat down on the bleachers to watch. She could tell Ami wasn't very confident in her chances, but Mako just knew she could win this. 

"I can tell that you have a lot of faith in your friend," Haruka said, standing up. "But I'll warn you that my Michiru has never lost a race before. Not one that I've seen, anyway..." She grinned and picked up a megaphone before heading to the starting blocks. The comment barely shook Mako's belief, and when Ami looked up at her, she met her eyes and tried to convey some of that resolve to her.

Haruka called for them to start, and she was not disappointed. She could tell that Ami was really pushing herself, and the race was too close for her to tell who was winning from this distance. She wanted to stand up and cheer, but was afraid of breaking Ami's concentration at the worst time.

By the time they were on the last lap, she was biting her lip, and her fingers were gripping the seat hard enough to hurt a little. Ami could still do this!

"It's....a tie!" Haruka said, as soon as their hands met the wall. Makoto couldn't get off the bleachers and over to Ami's side fast enough, picking up another towel for her.

"Ami-chan, that was so cool! You almost won!" she said, none of her enthusiasm dampened by the draw. Before she could pull her into a celebratory hug, Michiru walked off to meet Haruka, ignoring Ami completely. It didn't seem to make sense that Michiru would be angry about not winning a friendly match, so what was going on?

"I don't appreciate being given a handicap," Michiru said icily, answering her question. She took the towel and walked off to the locker room. Haruka looked just as confused. She turned and gave them an apologetic shrug.

"Sorry about that," she said, before excusing herself to go check on Michiru.

"Wait...what did she mean by that?" Makoto asked Ami. Was it not really a draw?

Ami felt a cold feeling wash over her as her stomach dropped to the floor. Here she was, trying so hard not to upset Michiru, and she did the exact opposite. A lump formed on the back of Ami's throat, and she tried not to let her emotions show as she accepted the towel from Makoto and wrapped it around herself. She held onto it tightly, as if it were her life ring, and looked down at her wet feet. She felt ashamed, but she wasn't quite sure why. Would Makoto be angry with her too?

Finding it difficult to talk through the lump in her throat, Ami struggled to say, "I...may have slowed down a bit...so I wouldn't win. I was afraid that she would be upset with me if I beat her, so..."

Ami couldn't meet Makoto's eyes, afraid of what she would find.

Ami had...purposely lost the race? It was so close that Makoto could not have seen it for herself, but that would explain Michiru's behavior. But Ami would never try insult someone's skills, and the way she had explained it, it was clear that she had been trying to avoid a conflict, not start one. 

"Ami-chan..." Makoto tilted her friend's head back up with her hand. "It's alright, you were just trying to be kind. Maybe a little too kind this time, but you didn't commit a crime or anything," she said, giving her a soft smile. If anything, this was partially her own fault. What if Ami didn't want to race in the first place, and Makoto had inadvertently pushed her to do it? Sometimes she just couldn't bring herself to say no. "I don't think Michiru-san took it the same way, but I'm sure she'll forgive you if you talk it over. Maybe we should give it a day before trying though..."

It took Mako a moment to realize that her hand was still on Ami's face, and she removed it and took a step back, her own face slightly redder. "Um, you want to go get something to eat?" Mako asked. Maybe she could distract her from the entire pool thing for a while...

Ami felt her face heat up when Makoto's hand touched her chin, and the tears that were in her eyes started to dwindle. "Yeah...you're probably right..." she said, her eyes meeting Makoto's. Ami didn't even realize just how long she and Makoto had been standing there until Makoto's hand was suddenly off of her face and they were standing there awkwardly. For some reason, Ami giggled just a bit. "That sounds lovely," she said, taking off her towel and going to her bag of clothes.

After both girls were completely dry and in regular clothes, they proceeded to head to Crown to get a bite to eat. Ami had her usual cheeseburger and was chowing down, her stomach craving some good food after all of the swimming. She had been mostly quiet, still thinking about how she would approach Michiru the next time they ran into each other. But Ami was at a loss, not sure how she could apologize for trying to be nice. But she was pretty good with words, so perhaps when the time came, she would be okay.

She wasn't sure what Ami had found funny, but Makoto was just happy that she wasn't as upset anymore. Not really thinking about where exactly she wanted to drag Ami other than "out of the pool area", her feet led them to the Crown Cafe, their usual hangout. They sat down, and as always, Unazuki was there to take their orders. But now that Ami was lost in thought with her food, Makoto's mind was left to wander back to its earlier subject: sorting out her own emotions.

Even now, she never really stopped paying attention to the girl across from her, and Makoto's plate was nearly untouched. She was mostly sipping on her soda, trying not to get caught looking at Ami for too long. Just why did she get almost skittish whenever she got too close to her? She'd almost started drowning in the stupid pool when Ami distracted her for too long, and that had never happened before. And even thinking back to when her Pure Heart was almost stolen, seeing Ami fight so hard for her was a memory she had started to treasure. Right along with their almost daily study sessions, now that she thought about it more.

But why...? Just why was she so attached to Ami lately? The sound of her straw pulling in air jolted her out of her contemplation, and she realized that she'd finished her drink. Had she spaced out for that long? Makoto cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Uh...sorry if I...forced you into anything today," she started, pushing her bowl to the side. The guilt still sat in her stomach like a rock, killing any appetite she might have had. "I should have seen you weren't comfortable with it, and I know I can get a little enthusiastic." She rubbed the back of her head, knowing it wasn't the first time she'd gotten swept up in her own feelings.