disclaimer: PGSM is not mine it is the property of Naoko Takeuchi and the writers of TOEI
Prologue: Another Brick in the Wall
"I don't need no arms around me
and I don't need no drugs to calm me
I have seen the writing on the wall
Don't think I need anything at all
All in all, it was just bricks in the wall."
Aino Minako pursed her lips in frustration as she kneeled over
a box labeled "fitness tools", as she mustered all of her strength
into the effort of moving the box. Her strawberry lips turned down
slightly into a pout as the box clearly was oblivious to her objections.
Huffing indignantly her slim fingers grappled at the bottom of the
box and then...tug....tug.....pant....TUG...
"F-fuck...."
Her voice rebounded off of the huge empty manor the loudest sound
that could be heard. The obscenity had been said outloud and with no one
around to catch it. The slip she shrugged off as she nursed her aching shoulder
thinking that as a senshi she had gotten more merciful workouts protecting
the world from imminent destruction. Of course those days were long since
dead and over, Minako had reached the brink of her stardom at the age of
21 now becoming a bit more settled, and doing less of her country trolloping,
and more smaller concerts.
That of course didn't stop her agent from thrusting upon her a 500 acre
mansion equipped with swimming pool, jacuzzi, pool table, and absolutely
nothing to do but rearrange furniture. Which she was in the midst of doing.
Minako wondered if this was a sign of early retirement from show business
when you had enough time on your hands to waste away an entire day
feng-shueing your 500 acre mansion.
Having given up entirely on moving the what seemed like 6 ton box, she
sat on the floor lotus-style, and counted the number of little dots of color
she could see in her vision. Suburban life did not sit well with her. She had
always been used to a life of danger, living life like you were going to die
the next day...that's what she regretted that she didn't die after having lived,
at least like she wanted. The mediocracy of all this domestic living irked her
to no end, and even though the concerts and the countless interviews took
its toll physically and mentally on her, she always enjoyed them.
Letting go of all restraint, Minako allowed her body to flop across
the tiled floors of the living room, and then allowed herself to take
joy(somewhat) in her favorite childhood pastime, sleeping.....
A myriad of feelings ran through her, and she felt an electric current
a wave of numbness pass through her, coaxing and wrapping her eyes
into the white. She had a dream. Minako rarely had dreams now after the
world was no longer in threat and their past live's 'mission' was complete,
but something was missing. She dreamt that she was running through the
mansion as the tiles were falling underneath her.
She kept running until she saw her reflection across the pool's edge...
she looked thin, pale, and weak. Her tan from the Cuban islands had faded
and in place of her once wiry and lithe frame, seemed just skin and bones.
She looked like shit. Minako touched her bony face and tried to recall when
she had last stopped for a meal while attempting to renovate her mansion,
or when she had even taken the time to actually walk outside for a bit.
Bile rose up in her throat threatening to heave out the contents of what
she did eat....nothing came out. She just stood there stooped over the edge
of the pool retching.
Coughing Minako watched her spittle make patterns in the cool reflection
that stared back at her mocking all of her existence for the world to see
what the Aino Minako had become. She wanted to drown it all out....
in her head, she could hear the buzzing static of the tv she had left on,
while she slept sprawled out across the floor haphazardly. The small
flickering flame that burned in her heart grew fainter, as she plunged
face-first into the pool's surface, and gave herself up to the jaded life.
"MINAKO!"
A voice snapped her out of her fitful dreaming as she bolted straight up
hands flying to her hair in an attempt to regain some semblence of self.
Artemis had a flat-pan look as Minako smirked absentmindedly as she
picked up the cord phone where it was tangled around Artemis' head.
Now who could be calling at noon?
"Aino Minako, what can I do for you?" she replied crisply in english
while playing idly with the nails of her left hand.
"Oh my god! Minako! Why didn't you pick up on the first ring?" the voice
replied in Japanese.
Stunned silence settled around Minako for a few moments but quickly
realizing who it was that called her by simple deduction that only few
knew her direct phone number. Switching back to her native tongue
she tangled the cord between her fingers mouthing the words "it's
Usagi" to a rather frazzled Artemis.
"Usagi, how did I not guess that you'd be the one to call me at noon?
Don't you have anything better to do over there?" Minako teased Usagi
good-naturedly of course.
"Huh, what are you talking about? It's 8:00 pm over here," Usagi stated
quizzically.
Minako silently deducted the time zones from england over to Japan. There
was an awkward pause until Usagi broke it once again.
"Anyways, I'm sorry for calling you like this but...I didn't know who else to
call. I don't have Rei's number so I thought it'd be best if you knew first, and
you could tell Rei. It's urgent that you come back home."
Come back home? When had Japan ever been her home? The place that
she sought refuge in....memories of the other senshi filled her especially one
of a certain fire senshi one that had pleased and infuriated her at the same time.
Circumstances had made it so that they never clicked on a certain level, but
on some levels, it felt like the fire senshi had understood her at some point.
Even that small promise of a friend brought the color back a little to Minako's
cheeks and without missing a beat Minako answered back...
"Yes. I'll book the fastest flight....but what's wrong?"
there was another long pause and the only sound that Minako could hear
was the soft cooing cries of the baby on the other line....ChibiUsa....
"....it's Motoki....he's dying," Usagi replied her voice controlled and not like
the Usagi that Minako had become associated with, but a much more mature
woman, one who's hope seemed to dwindle on a line.
After that the only thing Minako was greeted with was a dial tone to mark
the end of the conversation. Releasing the breath that she didn't even know
she had held she gathered Artemis into her arms unconsciously and squeezed.
Artemis, doing his best to comfort Minako despite not knowing what the problem
was, bowed his head and prayed....
TBC