View source for 1617/Jupiter and Mars are Not Aligned

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/06/17
|Location=Pikarigaoka/Uminari City - Hikawa Shrine
|Synopsis=Rei gets a visit from Makoto... only to start to suspect that she isn't Makoto at all.
|Cast of Characters=47,64
|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Makoto Kino has spent most of her time in various states of rampaging. Rampaging through her house, rampaging through her pantry, rampaging through her kitchen in a cooking spree, and generally stomping through the streets. She hasn't been cooling off, and she hasn't been going to school, and she hasn't been talking. To anyone. Friends, enemies, anyone. It's been a lonely experience.<br /><br />But today she seems at least... a little better. She doesn't seem to be picking as many fights, she had a normal-sized breakfast, and she seems to maybe be coming down off of it. Or she would if it wasn't for the occasional physical outbursts.<br /><br />But she finds herself at the Shrine, and it's empty, so there's at least no one to pick a fight with. So far. She's looking at one of the trees with a very strange look on her face.

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei Hino walks out of the shrine's main building, dressed in her miko clothes, sleepily stretching her arms over her head. A hand covers her mouth to stifle a yawn, violet eyes blink a couple of times, and her other hand rests on her hip. That was a nice nap, and a needed one.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then she notices the Senshi of Thunder, smiles, and begins to approach her. "Mako-chan! How have you been?" Rei takes a few steps towards Makoto, and then suddenly hesitates. Hm. Didn't Ami say that there might be something strange about Makoto? Rei remembers receiving a text along those lines.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, whatever. It's Mako-chan. How bad can it be?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei again walks towards her, this time without hesitating. "Nice weather we're having, yeah?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The way Makoto turns and the glare she gets is enough to tell Rei that she's ready for a fight. That she's ready to ''pick'' a fight, which is probably very un-mako-channy. It fades a little bit, because it's Rei Hino and not a random civilian, but she's still tense, and her hands clench and unclench.<br /><br />"I've been pretty bad, Rei." she says, through nearly gritted teeth. "You know, the weather isn't really something I'm worried about. I think it'd be better if it was storming. Storming a lot. Then I would feel at home." she says, looking up at the clear blue sky. "The world is happy, but I'm not happy inside. I keep thinking about all of this duty thrust upon me without my asking, this whole past life I really never asked for."

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well that was unexpected. Rei blinks at Makoto. What is this, all of a sudden? What is she even talking about? Why is she so... confrontational?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei frowns, and her hands rest on her waist. "Nobody asks to be born, Mako-chan. Nobody asks to exist. We just are who we are." She leans forward, looking up at the taller senshi. "You haven't been eating Agera-san's chocolates, have you?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She spends a moment looking at Makoto, evaluating her friend. Rei always thought of her as the gentle giant of the group, and not the kind of person who would wish for a storm. What's wrong here?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Do you want to go inside and talk about it?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Makoto looks at Rei. "I was fine with being born." she says, slumping quickly. "But... nobody asked me if I wated to take on all of this responsibility. Maybe I just wanted to find a nice guy, fall in love, open up a bake shop or a florist, and be happy. Not watch the people I love throw themselves into danger over and over again."<br /><br />"Don't you feel that way, sometimes? I heard you wanted to be an idol. What are you going to do - cancel your concert because you have to save the world? We can't be normal. We have to burn ourselves out, watch the people we love get hurt, get hurt ourselves, so everyone around us can."<br /><br />Makoto hugs herself a little. "It doesn't seem right."

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh. So it's like that. Rei stands back up straight, one arm falling to the side. "You know, Ami-chan said something similar." Ami has also been dealing with dark energy. Still, it's not that unreasonable to have those kinds of doubts. Rei takes her eyes off Makoto and starts to look into the trees.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It'd be inconvenient, cancelling a concert suddenly like that. I think my managers would hate it." She chuckles. "Who knows? Maybe I'll be so good that they'll just learn to put up with it. Obviously I'd need to go save the world, though. So... I guess my life would have to fall in line with that."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her body stays facing the trees, but she turns her head slightly to look at Makoto again. "I can see how that would be upsetting, but I mean... aren't you and Nephrite doing well? You already have a guy who would understand your situation, don't you?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It's the bringing up of Nephrite that seems to really set her off, and she slams her fist backwards and into the tree. ''Hard''. The leaves shake and a few fall away.<br /><br />"You might think so, but it's actually really frustrating sometimes having a guy who prioritizes someone and something else over you." she says, but then she quickly falls back and sighs. "Like. I understand. He's got Mamoru-san like I have Usagi-chan. He's a guardian, I'm a guardian. But... seeing him go out and take such a stupid risk for him - a STUPID risk. I can see it now. After seeing it two, nearly three times now. I'm not going to get any of that.<br /><br />"One of us is going to watch the other die after diving in front of our charge. Or be crippled for life. I mean, he's died twice already, so I guess I'm just waiting around. Unless I can change fate. But I can't change fate."<br /><br />"That's why I'm Sailor Jupiter, right? Because that's my fate, my duty, my destiny." she says, but her eyes don't seem to agree. "No matter what ''I'' want."<br /><br />"Rei, did you ever wonder why all of us are so... family limited? Like... Ami's father's away, her mother never sees her. Your parents. Minako's.... and what happpened to Mamoru's and mine."

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whoops. Nephrite was a sore point. Rei winces as Makoto punches a tree, watching as leaves fall. Well! Things seem to be going swimmingly well there.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei shrugs. Stupid risks don't surprise her, especially not from the guys who thought that signing up with Beryl was a good idea. "I don't think our fate is that simple. Sure, we've died a couple of times, but we've also come back, haven't we? We've even completely rebuilt one person, so I think it would take quite a lot to cripple one of us for good."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She walks up to the tree, leaning towards it, running her fingers against where Makoto punched it. "... I never really noticed that about our families, but Usagi-chan has one. As much as I miss my mother, I'm glad my father isn't around. I don't need him."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She stands up straight. "Do you think that's because of fate? We aren't supposed to have many ties except for the princess?"

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Makoto shrugs. "I don't know. It does seem like it sometimes, but you'd have to ask Ami-chan about that maybe. Or Mamoru, or Kunzite. Not me. All I know is that it seems like misfortune has really befallen us. Or me. I don't know anymore." she says, sadly.<br /><br />"I just want to feel like I have some destiny that maybe isn't tied to Usagi-chan? Maybe I can have my own hope. Instead of putting it all in her. Maybe I can do something for ''me'' as Sailor Jupiter, rather than accept a destiny I never asked for."<br /><br />"Do you think that would really be so wrong, Rei? That my destiny as a Sailor Senshi also manages to make me happy too - that I use that power I was granted to grab a little slice of my own happiness?"

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This is wrong. Mako-chan doesn't talk like this. Rei spends a long time looking at Makoto, and listening to her speak. She listens to the taller girl say things that... don't really make sense to her, and don't really sound like her friend.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It bothers Rei, on a fundamental level. There's a dissonance in her mind between how Makoto is acting and how she ''normally''' acts. It doesn't add up. It doesn't make sense. The Makoto that Rei knows has always been kind and caring, and has never hesitated to stand up for what she believed in. The Makoto that she's seeing now...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... is feeling sorry for herself, and seems angry, and is looking for a fight.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, maybe she's just not feeling well. Rei can assume that, for now. Still, Ami-chan did say something about this earlier, which means that Rei isn't the only one thinking that something is up.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei reaches up to pat Makoto on the back, to reassure her, but once the hand touches the taller girl's shoulder Rei yelps and withdraws. She stares at Makoto, wide eyed, confused and maybe a little angry. Angry at who...? She doesn't know. All Rei knows is that she doesn't like what she's seeing.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Mako-chan... what's wrong?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No, she's not asking about destiny this time.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Makoto looks at Rei as the girl withdraws her hand from the shock of the energy coursing through her - that raw electrical current that's been dragged forth by her combative mode, so ready for a fight that even out of henshin both sides - both Makoto and Sailor Jupiter - are armed and ready.<br /><br />"Nothing's wrong, Rei." she says, but then catches herself and clarifies. "Nothing's wrong with me. Some things are wrong with the world, with destiny, with duty. But I've been thinking about this for a long time. It's been eating at me, Rei-chan, deep down."<br /><br />"I just didn't realize until recently how much, and that I had to ''do'' something about it. Because seeing Nephrite like that - seeing the things he'd go to for his Prince... I knew I'd do the same for my Princess. But I don't know if I ever got a chance to choose that life. And maybe I want to choose something else. Maybe I don't. But it should be my choice."<br /><br />"I am nobody's puppet, Rei." she says, her eyes full of a dangerous spark.

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'You're lying to me,' thinks Rei, plain and simple. 'Or you're hiding something. One or the other.'<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It has to be. Sure, once in a while one of them questions whether or not they want to go along with destiny or fate, but none of them get so violently angry about it. Something is ''wrong'', and Rei can feel it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What else would you choose?" she asks, eyes wary, taking a step back from the obviously angry and admittedly scary Makoto Kino. "If you had a choice, who would you choose to be? What would you do?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei squints her eyes at Makoto. "I don't believe you when you say that nothing's wrong. I can't. I couldn't possibly believe that. If you want to make your own choice, fine, but why be so upset about it? None of us are putting a gun to your head and forcing you to fight with us."

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I don't know what I'd choose." she admits. "But I'm starting to think it wouldn't be this. What if that's why the plane... why..." she chokes herself back for a moment. "What if this is why I spent so long alone? What if it kills Nephrite, or me, or both of us, ''yet again''? I've already sacrificed so much and when I look into the future I only see myself sacrificing more." The tears only escape for just a moment before she blinks them away.<br /><br />"None of you have forced me to fight ''yet''. But this is our destiny, remember? Our duty? Not just mine, but Nephrite's, too. This isn't a room I can just walk out of. It's a prison cell, and I'm locked inside, and Usagi and Mamoru have the keys - and that means all of you - you might all be the guards."<br /><br />"I don't even know why I came here today. Maybe I wanted the peace of the shrine grounds, or maybe I wanted to talk to you..." she sighs. "Or maybe I'm just here to ask the impossible of you, to ask you to let me be free, and not try to push me back in the cage if I decide it's not where I want to be."

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei closes her eyes, and turns away from Makoto. "I don't think that's very fair. I think that's paranoid. I don't think that Usagi-chan or Mamo-kun chose this any more than we did, and I don't think they have the means of freeing us, either."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She raises a hand over her chest, clutching over her heart, back turned to Makoto. "... and I think you overestimate the inescapability of fate, and you aren't giving enough credit to the feelings that ''really'' bind us. We care about each other. That's why we're here. We aren't just obligated bodyguards. We're friends."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shakes her head, long black hair waving behind her. "It would be one thing if you really wanted to leave. It would be one thing if you said you couldn't do it anymore, or if you were scared, or if you wanted to move on with your life. I could accept that, but that's not what I'm hearing. You are talking about Usagi-chan being an enemy to you. About all of us being an enemy to you. You don't sound like the Mako-chan I know."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You're important to me. Maybe I don't say that enough, but you are. To all of us."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns around suddenly, a thin slip of paper in between her index and middle fingers. "... and that's why I won't excuse anything that tries to hurt you! AKURYO TAISAN!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei flings the exorcising talisman at Makoto without a moment's hesitation.

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"You may not think it's fair, but that's because you're a prisoner who's happy with her jail." she says, quietly. "And maybe until recently so was I. But I realized I deserved more. I'm not just a solider. I'm a princess too - I'm the Princess of Jupiter, aren't I?"<br /><br />"...friends don't always have to agree with each other. And there have been other situations that have put friends and more against each other. Maybe I'm in the wrong here, but how will I know unless I have the courage to put that to the test?" she asks. "I don't want you to be an enemy - that's why I'm trying to warn you not to make yourself one."<br /><br />And that's about when the ofuda hits Makoto square in the forehead, as it so often does. And when it connects, the reaction is an immediate scream, a howl of pain as black smoke wafts off of it, wafts away from her body, and she scrambles to remove it. But she can't, and soon she sinks to her knees, still obviously in pain.<br /><br />It's the defiant look in her face that's most clear when she looks at Rei, maybe even before the dark red pupils that now make up her eyes. "J...J...Ju" she says, her hand slowly reaching away from the painful talisman and to the sky.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;JUPITER POWER!<br /><br />It looks like Makoto will get the stormy weather one way or another, as the sky turns grey, rumbles, and a great, blinding burst of lightning erupts from the sky, envelops Makoto, and the energy from it shatters the talisman.<br /><br />Standing up, Makoto seems weak, weaving back on one leg. "So... you've picked your side then!" she shouts, eyes full of redness - but also rage, and not the least of which include tears. "For you, the duty is more important than friendship." she says, before she vanishes in another burst of now-green lightning.

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rei watches as black smoke comes off of Makoto. She shrieks. "Who ''are'' you?!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is this really Makoto Kino? Is this really the brawny girl that Rei's always known? Either she has been thoroughly soaked in dark energy, or Rei is looking at a Youma.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Jupiter henshins right in front of her, ripping apart the talisman. Rei watches with wide eyes, her own hand reaching into a fold on her outfit, clutching her Star Power Stick. If this is a copy, it's a very convincing one.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Dark energy isn't freedom of choice, Mako-chan! It's a sickness! That's what's imprisoning you!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Makoto is gone before she can even say much else, and Rei is staring at where she once was. Violet eyes dart left and then right, before the miko turns around to run inside. She finds her cell phone and immediately starts texting Ami, since she was the first to ask her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'I just hit Makoto with an ofuda, and she had a ton of dark energy in her. How did this happen?'

:'''{{#var:47|Takashi Agera| (47)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>It was... so easy, to escape that way. To jaunt through the Dusk Zone, like she'd be doing it all her life. Not like the Sailor Teleport at all. Just casually slipping between dimensions.<br /><br />This must be how the villains escape so easily. Casually. While hurt, while bound, while nearly purified. Makoto looked down at her hands, still trying to catch her breath in her own kitchen, surrounded by the results of her furious cooking - boxes and cartons of food. Even in her current state she'd figured who she'd give the results to. She knew where she intended every stack to end up.<br /><br />She looked down at her hands, singed in places by the lightning, by Rei's ofuda. She could feel it, and clenched her hands, watching the green, unnatural lightning run between her fingers. "Is this what I have to do to be free? To be happy? To get what I want?" she asks of no one.<br /><br />Then, she walks over to the sink, washes her hands. Leans down, pulls a trashbag from its place under the sink. And, opening it, begins to throw the food away.

:'''{{#var:64|Rei Hino| (64)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There are so many questions on Rei's mind right now. What's going on with Makoto? How did she just vanish like that? What was with all of that dark energy?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She is just frantically texting. Usagi and Minako get texts, too. Her henshin item is in her hand... but without Makoto here there really isn't much reason to use it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;'Something bad is happening to Mako-chan! She's full of dark energy!'
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