Sailor Moon Silver Legacy

Act IV: Choices (Part 4)

As the door to Minako's apartment was closed with such force that Makoto's hair flapped behind her, she was tempted to kick it back open. In truth, though, she was too stunned. It took a moment for the realization to settle in, but Minako had been right. Makoto had shown up looking for someone to blame for her own failure. Instead, she was leaving feeling like a fool as well as a coward.

Makoto exited her old friend's apartment building but didn't feel like driving home just yet. As a strange mood took her over, she decided to visit the dimly lit, tree-lined park across the road. Inside, she made her way to the deserted playground and sat down on one of the swings, enjoying the solitude as she rocked back and forth while contemplating her actions.

"Hello again, human," a voice called out from the shadows.

Makoto looked around in time to see a portal close behind the unmistakable figure of the doll monster from earlier that day. "You!" she cried with a mixture of alarm and disgust. "H-how did you find me?"

"I've been keeping an eye on you," the creature quipped with glee as one of its numerous eyeballs detached itself from the back of Makoto's dress, floated toward its owner, and settled itself in an empty plastic socket.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" said a second voice.

Behind the large monster that Makoto recognized, another emerged. This one was feminine and more humanoid in appearance. However, its torso resembled a big car battery, from which, cables coiled down its arms, leading to a pair of alligator clips in lieu of hands.

Makoto wanted to run, but her legs wouldn't move. Whether due to fear or a desire to confront the vile creature that had targeted Ren and the children, she wasn't entirely sure. "What do you want?" she challenged them.

"Why, you, of course," the doll monstrosity replied. "I must atone for my mistake, and Jadeite was most impressed with your energy."

Makoto's eyebrows raised in recognition. When the monster had mentioned Jadeite before, she had been dizzy and close to blacking out, so she had chalked it up as a figment of her imagination. This time, though, she heard the name clearly, and it was hardly a common one. She hadn't ever met the man herself, but it seemed that Jadeite of the Dark Kingdom, one of the Sailor Soldiers' oldest nemeses, was somehow alive.

"You seem to be a valuable commodity, and poor Maladoll can be a little reckless, so Lord Jadeite asked me to assist with your capture," the feminine creature explained, her pincer-like hands sparking dangerously. "I can't imagine we will have any trouble, though. I'm Jumpstart by the way, but you may call me, Master."

Makoto gritted her teeth. "Like hell I will!" she retorted, but her heart began to race, and her body started to shake at the very thought of a confrontation. Even if she could bring herself to try, her Crystal Change Rod was lying where she had left it, at the bottom of her desk.

It occurred to Makoto, though, that not having powers didn't mean she was powerless. As the two Youma advanced on her, she thought back to her youth. Following the untimely death of her parents in a plane crash, Makoto had been forced to learn how to take care of herself.

With no other relatives to take her in, she had to prove herself self-sufficient in order to live alone and avoid the foster care system. So, she learned to cook, clean, and manage her finances. When she quickly outgrew her clothes owing to her impressive height and build, she taught herself to sew, and when bullies targeted her and labeled her a delinquent, she learned to fight.

Studying Karate became a source of serenity for Makoto. She used it to channel her emotions and put her natural strength to good use. Labeled a prodigy by her sensei, Makoto quickly progressed to brown belt. However, when her destiny as a Sailor Soldier was revealed to her, she found less and less time for training.