Chapter 3

 

 

"I don't like it." "You've said that Makato." Minako said wearily. "We should never have let her go alone." "You've said that too." A small white cat said from his perch on Minako's shoulder. "I told you something bad . . ."

"Would . . .you . . .just . . . SHUTUP!" Kino Makato opened her mouth . . . then shut it with a snap under the glare from the priestess. "I have had enough." Rei hissed. "Enough of your complaining. Enough of your doom-saying. ENOUGH of YOU!" "Listen you . . ."Makato started for Hino Rei, her lips drawn back in a snarl. "Stop it." Aino Minako put herself between the two angry girls. "We don't have time for this. Save it for Beryl." "Oh yeah . . . that's great advice . . . from a fake princess." A cloud passed over Minako's face at the accusation. "You know why I did it. And I told you as soon as . . ." "As soon as you got found out." Makato sneered. "Well I'm tired . . .tired of getting my but kicked. Tired of looking for a princess that doesn't exist." She wrapped a large hand in Minako's fuku and lifted her off her feet. " Tired of your . . ." Her tirade cut off abruptly as a row of needle sharp claws suddenly snicked into existence beside her right eye. "Put Minako down . . .slowly." Artemis growled from his position between Makato's shoulder blades. "How . . .?" "I'm a cat. I'm fast . . . when I need to be." Slowly . . .carefully Makato lowered Mianko to the ground. "You don't want to be a senshi . . .you don't have to be a senshi. I'll find someone else to be Sailorjupiter. I just hope I can be there when you try to explain to Zoisite that you're . . .retired. I'm sure it will be a fascinating . . .if short conversation. Makato's jaw clenched. She and Zoisite had a . . . history.

 

If Zoisite ever caught her . . . "You made your point. I still don't like it." "None of us do. It was just bad luck that Ami's transfer came through so much faster that ours." "Huh. I should have been the first." Makato snorted. "It's not like I haven't changed schools before." "How did. . . " "Same as always . . . I belted someone." She looked down at Rei. "How 'bout you? How'd you get out of that fancy private school?" Rei gave a twisted smile. "I convinced the provost that I was of . . . suspect morals." "YOU!" Makato was incredulous. "How . . ." "Don't ask." "Uhhh. OK. How 'bout you. What'd you do to get kicked out?" "Uuuum." Mikako looked embarrassed. "Actually they asked for me . . . their volleyball team made it to the finals last year and they . . ." "Ahhhh jeeeez" Makato groused. "How come you always come out looking so good?" Minako , Rei and Artemis all chuckled, relieved that Makato had forgotten her earlier anger. "I know you worry about Ami." Artemis started pacifically. "But we would have heard something if anything had happened. And there hasn't been a peep out of Beryl in weeks."

"That just means she's up to something." "Time to get off Artemis, we're here." Artemis looked up to see the school gates. "I'll do a little scouting of the neighborhood and meet you at lunchtime with a report. You guys stay out of trouble. And say hello to Ami for me." With that, Artemis flowed to the ground and disappeared like a morning mist. "Well, this is it." Minako looked up at the bell tower and took a deep breath. "Our new school." "Let's get registered, then look for Ami." Makato looked at Rei in surprise. "I'm worried about her too." Rei said simply. Registration was tedious and lengthy. It was lunchtime before they finished and the three grabbed their bentou and headed outside to look for Ami. "I still say we should have started in the Library." Makato argued. "I bet she's in there, with her nose stuffed in some book. If somebody doesn't remind her to eat she'll starve to death." "Probably." Minako replied absently as she constantly scanned the grounds. "But we have to meet with Artemis. Otherwise he might think something's happened to us. And he might have found something." "Plus we need to check out the school." Rei added looking around. "I don't like the . . .feel of this place." Makato's head snapped around at this. "It it . . .?" She whispered. "N . . .no. No, it doesn't feel like . . .that. But . . . there's something . . . something." She repeated. "Something, but I don't know what." Minako came to a quick decision. "OK. We find Artemis, fast. Then we find Ami. She may know what Rei is sensing." "Or she may be in trouble." Makato muttered. "Or she may be in trouble." Minako agreed.

As it happened, Artemis found them. "Guys . . .hey guys." Minako looked up in the trees on hearing the whispered call. "Artemis?" "Who else?" Artemis dropped from the tree onto Minako's shoulder with a small ooomph from both. "Come on . . .you've got to see this." "What . . .see what?" Artemis just hopped off Minako's shoulder and headed off with the three girls in pursuit. "Quick . . .behind here." They followed the white cat behind some bushes. "Be quiet . . .keep down." following the whispered instructions the three girls crawled and squirmed through a tangle of brambles and sadly neglected shrubbery. Following Artemis's lead they came to a break in the dense tangle and peered out. "What in the world?" Makato and Minako could only silently agree with Rei's amazed whisper. Before them on the school grounds was a scene from a Samurai epic. A three sided screen had been placed in one corner of the school grounds and topped with a brightly colored canopy to keep off the sun. Several large boys were stationed around the perimeter in obvious guard positions while other students, male and female scurried back and forth; some bearing trays of food and drink, other's on more enigmatic errands. " . . .of his personal emptiness, Enters trouble-tossed seas in the great karmic ocean. Homage to the Great Merciful One who takes on our suffering In a hundred million . . ."

"That's AMI." Makato whispered excitedly. "What's goin' on!" "quiet!" Artemis admonished. "Now this commentary by Hakuin is a little more obscure than most. At least I've always had trouble with it. Of course the Heart Sutra is very advanced and I'm just a novice at . . ." In amazement the four listened to the soft clear voice of their friend expound on Hakuin's commentary on the Heart Sutra. " . . .Universal vows:'Sentient beings are numberless, I vow to save them; the deluding passions are inexhaustible, I vow to destroy them; the Dharma gates are manifold, I vow to know them . . ." "The Buddha Way is supreme" Interrupted a low raspy voice. "I vow to master it." "Yes, yes; that's exactly right." Delight was clearly evident in Ami's voice. "Now in the next passage . . ."

"That's enough." "Oh, but were not nearly through." "Yes . . .we are. Put down the book." The command was evident . . . to every one but Ami." "Please, can't we just . . ." Ami was pleading. "I can make you . . .you know that I can." "NO . . .I mean no, no. I . . .I'll stop . . .I'll stop." Dimly through the screen they could see the shadowy figure of their friend as she hastily handed her book to another figure. "Come with me." "But, I have to go to class." "Wrong! You HAVE to come with me." "Wait . . .where are we . . .' "The gym." In disbelief the four hidden watchers saw their friend . . .or as least her shadow . . .dragged swiftly out the front of the small pavilion and swiftly out of sight around the side farthest from them. "Why that . . ." Makato started to her feet in anger, only to be yanked back down by Minako as Artemis spoke in low urgent tones. "Quiet . . .keep quiet. I know where they're headed. Come on." Quickly and quietly the odd quartet scuttled through the undergrowth in pursuit of Ami.

 

 

 

" . . .never cut class before. I don't . . ." "Think of it as a learning experience." The raspy voice was amused. "You don't need that class. You know more than the sensei." "That's not the point. There are rules . . ." "Rules to keep you in your place . . .rules to keep the rule makers on top." The voice was no longer amused. Ami turned to Soban in exasperation. The scarred face was no longer such a shock. "If there weren't any rules there would be chaos. Nothing would get done." "How do you know? Maybe MORE would get done . . .maybe RULES slow down progress." Ami refused to be drawn into an argument. She had learned, over the past days, that Soban liked to provoke her. "Never mind. We're here. Now what?" "Now you go swimming." "SWIMMING?"

"Yeah. You like to swim, doncha?" "Well, yes." Ami looked wistfully at the cool, clear water in the Olympicsized pool. "But I can't cut class to go swimming." Even to her own ears she sounded doubtful. "Besides, I don't have my suit. So I can't go swimming." She added with the tones of a righteous martyr. "I'll just go to class and . . ." "Take off your clothes." "WHAT! I just told you I don't have . . ." " Take off your clothes." "Look, I don't have my swim-suit. How am I . . ." Horrified realization dawned, confirmed by the "I-see-you-finally-get-it- stupid" look on Soban's face." "Y . . .you mean I'm supposed to swim . . . to swim . . ." Ami choked. She couldn't force the word past her suddenly constricted throat. Soban had no such problem. "Naked? Nude? In your birthday-suit?" Ami nodded jerkily. "Good. I'm glad you agree." "AGREE!" Ami sputtered. "Agree. I never . . ." "You know the penalty for disobedience." Soban stalked forward, her lurching gait making her scarred features all the more menacing.

******************************************************

"What's going on." Rei hissed. "I can't see." "Quit shoving, quit shoving." Artmis whispered, paws scrabbling on the slick roof. "There's room for every . . . .aaaaaaa" The whispered shriek was surprised out of him as he missed his footing and slid for the edge of the roof. Minako grabbed him by the tip of his tail as he skidded toward eternity in a casual gesture that bespoke hundreds of similar incidents. "Hush Artemis. Some one will hear." Panting from fear Artemis could only glare at his partner. Suddenly a soprano shriek blasted through the slate roof, almost knocking the crouching figures from their perches. "AMI!" Makato's involuntary cry was drowned by the rising and falling wail. "My God. She's being tortured." Her henshin stick appeared in her hand and words of power started to summon her thunder.

 

 

"Please . . .aaaaaaaaaa . . .pppplease . . .ppppleas . . .no more. No more. I'll be good .aaaaaaaaaaa. Nonononononoooooo." Soban studied the twisting pleading weeping Ami as a pathologist might study a particularly difficult tissue section. "I don't believe you. I think you would say anything to get me to stop." This was in fact true. At this point Ami would have disavowed the Emperor and violated the laws of thermodynamics to get Soban to stop.. "Aaaaaaaa . . .wait . . .waaaaaitttttt.aaahhhhhaaaa.Here . . . here." Frantically Ami snatched off her shoes and threw them across the room with such force they hit the opposite wall and bounced halfway back.

 

"oh my." "I . . .I . . .I ." "That's the most. . . ." "WHAT! What's going on?" Makato shoved her way forward to the sky light. "Quit wasting time! We've got to save Ami from . .?" Unnoticed her henshin stick fell from her suddenly slack hand and automatically returned to sailor-space. "WHAT THE HEL . . .!?!" Two pairs of hands and a pair of paws clamped themselves over Makato's mouth.

 

"You really should be more careful with your uniform. Even if you are rich you should set a good example." As she spoke Soban calmly gathered up the scattered pieced of Ami's clothing and folded them neatly over her arm. "C . . .c . . .care . . .full! I . . .I . . .should . . .be . . ." Ami sputtered in outrage. Or at least in as much outrage possible standing naked and disheveled in the middle of an empty gymnasium arms wrapped around her aching ribs. "Into the pool." Soban poked Ami in the tummy which caused a sensitized Ami to jump back a meter. Unfortunately she was only standing about half that distance from the edge of the pool. Her squawk of dismay was abruptly cut off as she hit the water. "Aaaaaaa!!!. Coldcoldcoldcoldcold!!!." Soban hastily stepped back from the edge of the pool as Ami's flailing sent great surges of water over the lip of the pool. "And now for some water polo."

"Huh?" Ami's bewilderment turned to dismay as four figures appeared form the shadowy recesses of what she had thought to be an empty gymnasium. She could feel her body heat from embarrassment at being naked in front of strangers. She's had nightmares like this . . .of being naked at school. Only this was real. " . . .some changes in the game. Mizunosama . . .are you listening?" "What . .. what ?" Soban's raspy voice sighed in resignation. "I ASKED if you were listening. Obviously not. I'm explaining the modifications I've made to this game of water polo." "Where's the ball?" "There is no ball. It just gets in the way of the game." "No ball? But . . .but how can you play water polo without a ball? And what about teams? There are four of them" Ami pointed to the girls standing behind Soban. "and with me that makes five so how are . . ." "IF you will listen." Soban said with such exaggerated patience that Ami flushed. "First, the object of water polo is to maim, mutilate and drown as many of the opposition as quickly as possible. The ball is just an excuse. And since I'm the referee . . ." Ami started to object to that definition of water polo but Soban was still talking. " . . .no teams. It's them against you."

"That's not fair!" "Well, no . . . but I could only get four senior players right now. The rest or in jail or hospital. Their last match was a little overly enthusiastic." The four girls, all of whom Ami noticed resentfully were wearing swim suits, grinned nastily at her. "Now for the object of the game. And the rules. It's really very simple . . ." "I'm sure it is." Ami muttered "Mizuno Amisama has to get from this end of the pool" Soban pointed to the far end, clouded in shadows in the darkened gymnasium. "to the other end." "That doesn't sound to bad." Ami thought in relief. "Before this timer goes off." Soban brought out a simple kitchen timer and made a great show of winding and setting it. "Ummmm. How much time do I have." "Oh, I can't tell you that. It would spoil the surprise." Ami didn't like the sound of that. "So . .. all you have to do is hit the far wall before the timer rings . . .and you WIN!" "Win? What do I win?" "Why . . . you get your clothes back." Soban held out the neatly folded bundle. Ami sank a little in the water as she reflexively wrapped her arms around her bare chest. "And . . .if I . . .lose?"

"Oh, in that case " Soban took a video camera from one of the four swimmers. "the girls take you in the back and fuck you while I take pictures. Should sell quite well." Two of the four girls launched themselves into the water. While they were still air born Ami kicked off from the side of the pool toward the far end and safety. She sensed, rather than saw the shadowy bulk dropping from the sky. Desperately she twisted aside as one of the two girls who had remained at pool side slammed into her like a bomb. The force of the blow drove her almost to the bottom of the pool and left her half paralyzed. A strong arm looped under her chin and she felt herself being dragged to the surface. Moments later they broke surface and Ami dragged a choking gulp of air into her abused lungs. "Hey, hey. Look at the cutie I caught." Ami twisted feebly in the girls grasp. "None of that!" The hand under her chin shifted to tighten around her throat while the girls free hand roamed suggestively over Ami's nude body. "Be nice to me . . .and I'll be nice to you." The voice chuckled in her ear. "Boy this was easy. I thought you were supposed to be a swimmer." The free hand pinched her nipple and the girl laughed again when Ami whimpered in pain. "Swim! Ha! You're a real hammer girl." There is an old saying about enumerating incubating fowl. There is no similar saying about pinching nipples . . .but perhaps there should be. Abdominal muscles trained by years of swimming bent Ami's body double as she brought her legs out of the water to cross her ankles behind the obnoxious girls head. The remaining girls had only a moment to admire a view that would have made a stone Buddha weep, before Ami wrenched her captor up and over to slam her into the water.

Ami had a momentary satisfaction of seeing her erstwhile captor floating half stunned and helpless in the water before two torpedo shapes hurtled through the water hitting her from opposite sides. Ami grunted as the two girls smashed into her. They had learned from their predecessor and were taking no chances. Ami quickly found that there was an advantage to being nude; two really. She was harder to grab, hands slipped from water slick skin that would have found purchase in clothing. And she was faster without the drag of a swim suit. Hands wrapped around her body, trying to trap her; she twisted like an eel, small white teeth sinking into a half seen hand. The copper taste of blood filled her mouth and the hand vanished with a shriek of pain. Arching backward in the water Ami flipped over her second attacker. Coming up from behind Ami slammed her open palms against the girls ears. The girl screamed and sank under the water; appearing again in moment choking and coughing with her hands clasped to her head. Gasping from a combination of fright, adrenalin, and excitement Ami spun in the water looking for her last opponent. "Pretty good girly." Ami looked to see the last girl watching her from the pool side. Behind her Ami could see Soban, watching impassively. Irrationally Ami had a moments desire to ask Soban how she was doing. " Pretty good . . .but not good enough." The fourth girl launched herself from pool side and Ami braced for the impact. Instead she was blinded by a tremendous splash. When she could see again the pool was empty except for expanding circles of ripples that slapped against pool side. "Where is she." Ami spun frantically.

"Where is . . ." Ami realized where the girl was just as a hand wrapped around her bare ankle and yanked her under water. She was in real trouble now. This girl was strong, fast and smart while Ami was tired from her previous fights, and short on air. Every time she tried to get to the surface her opponent would grab her and yank her further under, then move back before Ami could retaliate. The hunger for air was overpowering. Black shadows closed over her vision spotted with flashes of light as her brain was starved of oxygen. Her chest burned and her muscles turned to jelly. Her struggles slowed; purposeful action changed to pitiful , desperate lunges to the surface and finally died out as her body sank limply to the bottom of the pool. The last girl, circling like a shark with blood in the water, noted Ami's flaccid body with satisfaction and surfaced for a quick breath before descending to claim her prize. As her head broke surface and she drew in a life giving breath she was totally unaware as Ami's 'body' coiled her legs under just as she touched bottom. On the surface the remaining antagonist had only then filled her lungs and started her dive to the bottom . . .just in time to catch a shoulder in her belly as Ami surged off the bottom like a submarine launched missile. The force of the blow emptied the girls lungs with a single explosive 'OOOOF' as she folded in two like a broken fan. The force of Ami's surge lifted both girls almost completely clear of the water before Ami twisted the other girl underneath her as they both landed back in the pool with a tremendous crash. Catching her semi-conscious opponent under the chin before she could drown, Ami dragged the girl with her the remaining length of the pool. There the walking wounded of Ami's previous opponents grabbed their stunned friend and lifted her from the pool. Ami found she was too exhausted to pull herself out and could only hang on the edge of the pool gasping, when suddenly she was lifted from the water with the sensation of an express elevator.

"Aaaaaaaaa." Blindly she clutched for support and found herself wrapped, drIpping, around Soban; or more precisely found herself wrapped in a large towel Soban had brought from somewhere. Ami sagged, gasping, while Soban roughly toweled her hair dry with the free end of the towel. Behind her she could hear snatches of conversation from the four departing girls. ". . .join the team. She's got possibilities." " . . .worry about that. What are we going to do with all that whipped cream. And the hand-cuffs?" "You've been looking at THOSE magazines again, haven't you Sakachan?" "Hey, I only read the articles. They're very cultural. Did you know that gaijin men . . ." The voiced faded in the distance and Ami relaxed a little as Soban dried her hair. Suddenly she felt a tickling sensation behind her knee. She twisted in the towel realizing two things almost simultaneously. The large towel trapped her arms as effectively as a straight jacket yet left her bare from the waist down. A fact which Soban seemed intent on exploiting. "S . . .stop that." "Stop what?" Soban managed to continued drying her hair with one hand while the other . . ."

"Eeeeep!" Frantically Ami twisted away from the hand which left the back of her knees for . . .higher . . .ground. "Stop that. St . .st . .stop it right now." "I don't think you mean that." Soban said calmly as she tucked the ends of the towel tightly in place, freeing BOTH hands for a renewed assault. "I do mean it. You just keep your GOSH DARN hands to yourself!" Soban stopped stunned and Ami's cheeks flushed in horrified realization. "I . . .I'm sorry. I don't usually use such strong language, but you made me so . . ." "Gosh . . .darn?" Soban dropped her head and sighed. "Gosh darn. Well, I suppose it's a start." With that cryptic comment Soban yanked the ends of the towel loose and Ami grabbed the falling towel with an embarrassed squeak. "Let's get you dressed. Your favorite class starts in about fifteen minutes . . .Sadistical calculus." "That's Statistical calculus." "That's your opinion." Soban handed various articles to Ami as she tugged and pulled until she was again fully dressed. As the two girls walked toward the door headed for the outside Ami turned to Soban.

"Ummmm. Would you really have let those girls . . .I mean if I had lost would you have . . .let them?" "The question is" Soban stared directly into Ami's eyes. "Would YOU have let them?" Ami fell silent for a moment as she digested that. "Why . . .?" "Why what?" "Why . . .everything?" Ami waved her hands to encompass the world at large. "Why the . . .water polo?" Ami's voice indicated she still had doubts about that appellation. "Why have you been so nice to me? I mean you saved me from those boys, and you've made sure I got the best teachers and . . .and so many other things. And then you do stuff like today." Ami paused a moment. "And why was I . . .naked?" She added in a whisper. "Maybe I like watching a blush go all the way up." Ami frowned a moment, puzzled. Then she could feel a flush spread over her body as the meaning of Soban's words sank in. "Ummm . . .heh,heh,heh. Aaaaa. Well . . .why . . .ummm . . .why the water-polo?" Soban shrugged a shoulder. "Why not? You like to swim."

"That wasn't swimming, that was a mugging . . . in a solution." Soban's scarred lips twitched in what almost might be considered a smile. "But you enjoyed it." "I did NOT! I would never enjoy . . ." Ami protested indignantly. Her protest died under Soban's knowing gaze and she faltered as she realized she HAD enjoyed it; enjoyed the competition, the clash. Pitting her skills against those four girls . . .and WINNING. Unconsciously her lips drew back in a feral grin. Oh yes, she'd enjoyed the winning. She came back to reality under Soban's interested gaze and felt another flush building. "You're going to be an important person someday Mizunosama." Soban looked up and Ami was startled once again to realize she was several centimeters taller than Soban. "And when you are . . .you will be in my debt." Soban scooped Ami's book bag from the corner and held open the door for Ami. "Now let's get to class." As the two girls walked to class Ami realized that Soban was right. The incident on the first day, with those boys was enough by itself. Everything that had happened since just added to the debt. Even the water polo . . .Ami realized she'd never felt so strong so . . .ALIVE. She WOULD be in Soban's debt . . .for the rest of her life. Looking down as the slight, scarred figure walking beside her Ami realized that she didn't mind. She didn't mind at all.

 

Kino Makato was angry. However anger was such a natural state for her that she did not really notice. Only the rare moments of peace intruded sufficiently on her consciousness; very like the keeper of the clock tower who for twenty years slept through the tolling of the bell, until one night the clock failed to strike and he sat bolt upright in bed crying . . .'what was THAT?'. In the same way Makato woke agitated, went through her day embittered and finally slept . . .seething; occasionally being wakened from her sleep by an unknown and therefore uncomfortable feeling of . . .peace. So Makato did not really notice her anger. Not the way other people noticed. She did notice the way they acted; the whispers, the gestures, the way conversations would die out as she approached and begin again as she went away. THIS she did notice, and noticing reacted . . .badly.

"You laughin' at somehin' . . .laughin' at ME?" Makato dangled the boy from one fist, like a new caught carp. "Nnnn . . .nuuuu . . ." "I ASKED YOU . . ." Makato snarled, twisting her fist in the boys collar. "Ya wanna' put down the upper classman?" Makato whipped around at the unexpected voice. A calloused palm struck sharply just behind her elbow, numbing her arm and dropping the now purpled faced boy to the ground. "Who the hell are you!" Makato shook the pins-and-needles sensation from her arm as her former target scuttled, crab like, for the door and safety. "I know it's awfully temptin' to squish the little snots. But we got a catch-and-release program at Juban." the intruder ignored Makato's question. "If I let you kill one idiot, then every body else is gonna' want to kill one, an' pretty soon they're ALL gone . . . an' that ruin's the huntin' for everyone." Makato stared at the newcomer. "I asked you who you were." Makato stared at the scarred face and white-blond hair cropped in a buzz cut, contrasting oddly with the very feminine school uniform.. " An WHAT are you?" Makato added nastily The figure shrugged carelessly. "I'm a lotta things. Right now I'm the one tellin' you the late bell is about to ring an' you better hustle if you don't want to spend the afternoon in detention." "You gotta big mouth" Makato didn't like people telling her what to do. "Maybe I ought to shut it for you."

"Yeah, yeah. Later." Makato seethed at the dismissive tone. " Right now . . ." Makato reached out and grabbed the smaller girl by the collar, intending to shake a few manners into her. As she did so the scarred girl placed her left hand on top of Makato's grasping hand. Makato had a moment to marvel at how TINY the hand was. The moment passed as the small girl stepped back, her right hand sweeping forward to cup and lift Makato's now hyper-extended arm. Makato suddenly found herself face down on the floor, her arm locked behind her back and a small knee pressing into her spine. Makato lay, stunned for a moment. Snickers and whispers from the rapidly growing crowd of students spurred Makato into a frenzied struggle to escape but the tiny girl on her back easily controlled her wild thrashing, holding her helpless and humiliated. "Look." The raspy voice was calm and even, as if the speaker were sitting down to tea, not holding a girl over twice her size in an arm lock. "We both got better things to do than roll around in the dirt. Why don't . . ." A bell rang, cutting off the rough voice. "That's the bell." Makato felt the slight weight roll off her back as her arm was released." Come on. You gotta hurry . . ." She reached out a hand to help Makato up. Makato slapped the hand aside with a snarl and surged to her feet. "This isn't over!" The small girl watched the angrily departing figure of Makato for a moment then shrugged dismissively and turned away, the incident already forgotten. Makato continued to simmer through three classes; real and imagined slights combining until when the lunch bell rang Makato was a bomb with a smoking fuze.

"Makato . . .hey Makato. We're going to go drag Ami out of the library for lunch. Grab your bentou and . . ." Minako's cheery voice died when she finally got a good look at Makato's face. "Uhhhhh . . .Makato? What's wrong?" "NOTHIN'! . .. I . . . uhh . . .mean . . .I just haveta do something. I'll meet you guys . . . uh . . .I'll meet you guys." Makato dashed off leaving a puzzled and worried Minako behind. "Where's Makato?" Minako turned to Rei. "She said she had something to do. But I'm worried about her. She's been acting strange for the past few hours . . .even for her." Rei shrugged. "This is only our second day at school. How much trouble could she get into?" Minako wanted to agree with Rei, but something about the expression on Makato's face bothered her. An intensity . . . an anger . . .unusual even for Makato. "I don't know. Let's go get Ami, she can usually calm Makato down." The two girls headed for the library, from long experience already planning their combined strategy to lure/coerce/bribe/extort their friend away from her beloved books.

 

" I want to talk to you!" Makato stood belligerently over the slight figure sitting against a tree in a quiet corner of the school yard. The small girl continued to quietly eat her bentou, ignoring the angry amazon. "HEY . . .I said I want to talk to you!" The small girl finished her simple lunch, neatly put away her things and looked up at the angry Makato. "All right." Makato could feel the pulse pounding in her temples as the small girl sat calmly watching her. "You think you're pretty tough!" The small girl sighed and rose awkwardly to her feet on her scarred and twisted legs. "Is there a point to all this? Or just a prelude to trying to beat my brains out?" Makato snarled and a big right hand shot toward the small girls head. Soban leaned aside from the blow, the stepped inside the larger girls perimeter landing a solid one-two combination just below the heart with enough force to rock a fire hydrate. Makato ignored the blows and returned one of her own, a solid left that caught Soban just under the sternum and emptied her lungs with an explosive crack, dropping her to the ground. "Not so tough now, are you? I think . . ." Makato's thought remained unspoken as Soban dumped Makato with a leg sweep and followed that with an elbow strike to the diaphragm that would have stunned a cape buffalo. Makato grinned as Soban's arm bounced off a steel hard abdomen with no effect.

"My turn." Makato rolled to her feet and lashed out with a side kick that lifted Soban off the ground and threw her thirty meters to land in a crumbled heap on the ground. Makato stalked over to the fallen girl and stood, hands of hips, until Soban groaned and rolled over onto her back. Shakily Soban rose to her knees, then fell forward onto all fours spewing her lunch on the ground in a spray of bile. For several long moments she remained, gasping and choking. Then, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand she struggled to her feet. Swaying she stood half crouched with one arm wrapped around her sore belly. "You give up?" Makato demanded. Soban took a deep breath, wincing before her lungs half filled. She took another, slower breath, then lifted her face to Makato's. Makato hissed in surprise and took a half step back at the expression she saw there. "Is that what this is all about?" Soban grimaced again and her eyes closed against the pain. "Who's the toughest? OK . . .you're a tough girl . . .tougher than me . . ." Soban turned away and Makato's face lit with a glow of triumph. " . . .This time." Makato's face fell at this parting comment and she started after the departing girl when she was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned angrily at this interruption. "AMI!" Makato cried delighted to see her friend, especially in her moment of triumph. " Did you see me? Did you see what I. . ."

Makato's head rocked back as a small, hard fist smashed into her eye. She stumbled back, more in surprise than anything else, blundered over an exposed root and fell to the ground. "AMI! What's wrong? Why . . ." "You're transformed." The enraged girl hissed. "What?" Rei came up from behind Ami. "What do you mean?" "Look." Ami hooked the edge of Makato's uniform skirt and lifted it to show the edge of a much shorter brightly colored skirt that shimmered with an unearthly light. "Neat trick." Minako said flatly . "How?" Makato looked up at the three girls standing in a semi-circle in front of her. "Uhhhh . . . I took off my school uniform, transformed, then got dressed again, over the fuku." "Next question . . .why?"

"Why? How can you ask that. You know what she did . . what she did to me." Makato was seething. She struggled to her feet, to be knocked back as Ami hit her again. "Coward! Bully!" Ami was enraged. Rei and Minako each took a half step back from her, so great was her anger . . .and so unexpected. "But Amichan . . ." Makato half reached for her. "DON'T . . .YOU . . .TOUCH ME!!" Ami half screamed, stepping back from Makato's hand as if from something unclean. "Don't you ever , ever touch me again." She turned away from Makato, the turned back. "And my name is Mizunosama . . .to you my name is Mizunosama." Ami stalked off, Rei and Minako hurrying to catch up. Makato was left . . .alone.

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Makato leaned against the tiles in the girls shower feeling the hot spray pelt against her skin. Usually a hot shower was her favorite luxury. She pressed her pounding head against the cool tiles fighting back threatening tears trying to figure out how things had gone so wrong. First she'd lost that fight and everybody laughed at her. She could hear them, see them looking at her; looking at the looser. So she'd made sure she wouldn't loose. Then she'd won . . .and things only got worse. Makato shuddered as she remembered the look on Ami's face. Remembered how Rei and Minako had walked away from her. Didn't they understand that fighting was all she had. If she didn't win . . .she wasn't anything. She wasn't like them . . .wasn't smart or popular or anything. All she was, was big. She was big and strong and had a temper . . .she had to win . . . she HAD to win.

Twisting the shower handle Makato upped the temperature . . .feeling the scalding water beat against her back. Her first inkling of trouble was a stunning blow against her head. She reeled back, bringing her hands up in a feeble defense. A flurry of blows from all sides knocked her down and bleeding on the shower floor. Half blinded Makato looked up to see a gang of boys standing over her, each holding a broken broom or mop handle. "W . . .what . . ." Makato forced past smashed lips. "What's goin' on?" "You beat Soban." The biggest boy sneered. "An when I beat you . . .that'll make ME, Toboro Chai, boss of Juban." He started forward to finish Makato off when a raspy voice interrupted. "I'm gonna be pissed if you use all the hot water." Makato turned her head to see Soban, naked except for a towel standing in the entrance to the shower. "Heh." A bark of laughter was surprised from Chai. "What you doin' here.. You lost to this bitch. You ain't nuthin' no more Too weak to be boss, too ugly to fuck. So what . . ."

A bar of soap in the toe of a sock smashed against Chai's temple, dropping him to the floor like a broken doll. Soban side stepped a wild rush by a second boy, grabbed him by the collar and accelerated him into the tile wall face first. She plucked his club from suddenly slack hands and stepped back as the boy slid down the wall in a smear of blood. Soban turned to face the remaining toughs, twirling the improvised staff in her hands until it disappeared in a blur that hummed with an evil sound.

"You little shits are interrupting my shower." She stepped forward and the gang of boys moved back against the wall, huddled together like sheep against the storm. "Take that." Soban indicated the two unconscious boys. "and get out." She tossed her staff to one of the gang who hurriedly threw it down along with his own. The other boys quickly followed suit, picked up their comrades and fled the shower. "Boy, you're a mess." Makato looked up blearily to see a mist shrouded figure standing over her. Feebly she tried to fight off what she thought was an attacker. The figure batted her hands away, grabbed her under the arms and hoisted her too her feet. Makato swayed, almost falling until she was caught under the arm and led to a bench. "OK, let's get you cleaned up." Small hands mover over her battered figure with a delicate touch cleaning and soothing.

"Why?" Makato finally forced between mashed lips. "Why are you helping . . .thought you'd be glad to see me . . .see me . . ." "Beaten? Raped?" Makato shuddered but nodded her head. "Yeah, thought you'd be glad to see me get mine." Soban ignored the comment, small strong fingers digging into knotted muscles. The warm steamy air and expert massage relaxed Makato. Against her will she felt her anger and tension seep away. "Why are you so pissed?" Soban asked huskily. Muzzily Makato tried to focus on the words. "What . . .do you . . .mean?" "You've been pissed since you got here. At the school . . . the students . . . me . . .your friends. Now I can understand some of that . . .most everybody at Juban would be improved if you kicked the snot out of them every now and then. But you're trying for queen bitch of Japan. And you got Mizunosama mad at you. THAT takes some doin' . . .so why? Why're you tryin' to pick a fight with the whole world?" "You wouldn't understand." Makato muttered. "You wouldn't understand . . .about the whispers, the laughs . . .people pointing at you. Talking behind your back. Always being alone. You wouldn't . . ." A strong hand yanked back on her pony tail, pulling her head upright. Soban twitched the ends of her towel, dropping it to the ground. Makato stared briefly at the naked girl in front of her, looking like a doll that had been torn apart by an evil child and put back together by a blind madman; before ducking her head as nausea threatened to overwhelm her. "Don't give me that crap." The husky voice dropped to a harsh rasping growl. "Don't you EVER give me that crap" Soban yanked Makato's head up.

"You . . .you're tall, strong . . .beautiful." Makato shivered as Soban delicately traced the curves of her body with a gentle finger. "Your skin is so soft, your hair . . ." Soban gathered a fistful of auburn tresses and let them slide through her fingers. " . . .like a silk water fall." Makato stared, captivated by the caressing voice and gentle hands. "I . . .I . . ." Makato gulped as Soban cupped her face in both hands pinning her in place with her single brilliant blue eye. "YOU . . .ARE . . .BEAUTIFUL." Makato felt her insides melt and get all squishy. The backhanded slap was completely unexpected. Makato brought a hand to her cheek and stared at Soban through tear filled eyes. Soban twisted her hand in Makato's hair, forcing her head back and exposing the vulnerable line of her throat. Soban traced a delicate line from beneath Makatos ear, down her throat to the tender hollow of her collar bone. "And I bet" Soban leaned close to whisper, her warm breath tickling Makato's ear. "you . .. don't . . .HURT . . .EVERY . . . FUCKING . . .DAY!!"

Makato reeled back from the enraged voice. She struggled to bring Soban's face into focus, then wished she hadn't." "I hurt . . .all the time." Soban snarled. " I make people puke just to look at me. So don't give me any of your crap." Soban looked at Makato for a moment. "I'm gonna' give you 'till the end of the day to make up with Mizunosama. Otherwise I'm gonna beat the snot out of you for being a shit head." Makato stared stunned for a moment, then managed a watery chuckle. "Me you're gonna' knock around . . . You're not gonna' tickle me like you did Amichan?" Soban paused on her way to the showers. "That only works when you're tryin' to make someone do something they WANT to do." She quirked a scar twisted lip at Makato. "Besides . . .YOUR head is solid rock. It needs to be pounded on a daily basis to make room for a thought or two." Makato sat for a moment after Soban disappeared into the shower. As she struggled to pull her clothes over her battered body she thought about how she would make up with Ami, Minako and Rei. And about making a fifth bentou.

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