Chapter 12: Friends
Friends
“How long was I asleep?” the girl asked cautiously. “And who are you?”

“Gomen,” Celeste cried. “You've been in the hospital for nearly a week. My name is Celeste and I'm a friend of Setsuna’s from America. Your friends have been worried about you. Mamoru had to drag Usagi out of here for break so she wouldn't make herself sick."

"That's just like her," Makoto said.

"If you will excuse me, I'll let them know you're awake.”

Celeste pulled the communicator from the depths of her purse. She began speaking as soon as Usagi appeared on the communication screen. The girl’s confused look grew until Mamoru appeared instead.

“You're speaking English,” he said in that language. “What is going on?”

Celeste flushed profusely. “I am so sorry. It’s just that . . .”

“Let me talk to him,” Makoto said, cutting Celeste off. Her hand reached for the communicator. Celeste gave it to her immediately.

Makoto talked quickly with Mamoru before Usagi was given back her communicator. The blonde’s voice blared from the device. Her happiness and tears easily detected in her voice.

Makoto closed the communicator, smiling. Turning her attention to Celeste, she returned it. “Arigato. Where did you get it?” she asked casually.

“Luna gave it to me,” Celeste replied, noticing the other girl’s surprised expression. “I am Sailor Sol.”

“Sol?”

“It is a long story,” Celeste said. “However, there are others eagerly awaiting to hear that you are now awake. If you don’t mind . . .”

Makoto shook her head. “I would do it myself, but I don’t know where mine is.”

“Ami-chan has it,” Celeste said. “I believe she has it in working order again.”

“She wouldn’t be Ami-chan if she didn’t,” Makoto replied, leaning back against the pillows. She listened eagerly as Celeste contacted the others.

* * * * *



Celeste smiled at the crowd of people. All of the scouts and a guy named Motoki formed a tight circle around Makoto’s hospital bed. The constant talk made a small roar in the tiny room.

The doctor had given Makoto a clean bill of health, and she would be able to leave the hospital in a few days. The girls were chattering furiously, planning Makoto’s release from the hospital.

Since Makoto’s apartment was still being investigated, it was decided that she was stay with Minako and her family. What valuables they had be able to retrieve from the apartment were divided between the group, the majority in storage at the temple. Rei had volunteered to send Makoto’s clothes and other necessities to Minako’s as soon as possible. Mamoru said that he would help by driving the items over, instead of making Rei use the bus.

Satisfied that everything was taken care of, Celeste quietly slipped out of room. ‘They need this time with Makoto,’ she told herself. ‘I'm just a stranger in the way.’

“Celeste! Wait up!” Celeste turned and was surprised to see Mamoru running down the hall to her. “Where are you going?”

“Just for a walk,” Celeste replied, thankful for another conversation in English. “Everyone is so happy that Makoto is awake and they need to be with her. They are her friends. I’ll just be in the way.”

She bowed. “If you will excuse me, I'm going to take my walk.”

He grabbed her wrist before she could turn away completely. “Don’t be gone too long. Usa-chan and your other friends will notice your disappearance,” he said, dropping her arm.

Celeste mutely nodded. Satisfied that he had made his point, he turned and headed back to Makoto’s room. ‘Your other friends’ repeated itself in her mind over and over again. Despite herself, Celeste had to smile.

* * * * *



Celeste’s mood dampened once she began her wandering of the streets around the hospital. The thoughts of her friends in Makoto’s hospital room turned to thoughts of the one friend she had back home. ‘Why am I letting this get to me?’ Celeste fumed silently. ‘So what if he didn’t write me back?’

Yet the fact that Jonathan still hadn’t replied hurt her deeply. The time that they had spent together before she had left had altered the way she looked at Jonathan. ‘Maybe I am expecting more from him than I should,’ she thought, hugging herself.

However, seeing Usagi and Mamoru together had rekindled an ache that Celeste usually managed to repress. In the face of their love for each other, Celeste realized how much she wanted that. The return trip home, whenever she decided to leave Tokyo, seemed to be that much more lonely.

She found a small public garden and walked inside, hoping that the plants could dispel the darkening mood she was in. The garden was immaculate and soon Celeste found herself more serene than she had been when she entered. Glancing at her watch, she decided it was time to head back.

As she rounded a corner, a jolt hit her. The sensation drew her breath in with a hiss, drawing looks from the passers-by. ‘There’s going to be an attack,’ she realized, ‘if there's not one already.’

“Gomen. Gomen,” she chanted, pushing her way through the people. She caught parts of comments about reckless youths and pushy Americans, but she ignored the grumbles as she ran up the street.

* * * * *



Despite the part of her mind that was screaming she was crazy, Celeste followed the feeling until she came to a large park. She realized with a sinking feeling that she had only had a vague idea where she was in relation to the hospital. Putting that worry aside, she ran to the center of the park.

Gypsum and Galena were flinging energy balls with abandon, sending the park’s visitors running for cover. However, there seemed to be no plan to this attack. “Is it a trap?” she whispered aloud.

She grimaced as an energy ball barely missed a young mother and child. She couldn’t wait for the others and chance someone getting hurt. Having no choice, she transformed.