Transformations of Time
A Sailor Moon fanfic by Beholder

Standard disclaimers apply.  I do not own Sailor Moon, those characters are owned by 
Naoko Takeuchi.  All other characters are owned by me.

Thanks go to:
DQBunny, Lady Snowbreeze, Lady Amethyst, and many others for editing/critiquing
DQBunny, Ajax, Elizabeth Turkwood, Tim Nolan, and John "P-chan" Laughlin for 
writing some very good stories that inspired me to write this, and some ideas which I 
borrowed from those stories, changed and incorporated into mine.

Notes:  I am using the Japanese names.  On a character info site, I have read that Makoto 
lives above a restaurant her aunt owns.  This was the source for bringing in the aunt.  
Also, the restaurants "Homework's", "Coxtop" and "Spago" are all real restaurants, 
located in or near Minato-ku.  The "three million yen" and "five million yen" amounts 
mentioned in the chapter are roughly US$30,000 and US$50,000, respectively.

Please send any comments and criticism to:  beholder@icwf.org




Chapter 1b:  Makoto's Dreams

	The sound of a man announcing over the loudspeakers, "Kino Makoto," 
interrupted Rei's thoughts.  She looked back up and focused on the tall brunette with the 
ponytail as she slowly walked up the stairs, walked to the podium, accepted her diploma, 
shook hands with the headmaster, then walked to the other staircase for the photo 
opportunity as she walked down.
	Rei thought back to every surprise announcement Makoto made over those two 
years, and the joys and disappointments that resulted.

	"Guys, I'm seriously thinking about getting a job," Makoto announced.
	Ami, Rei, Minako, and Usagi looked up from their homework and glanced over to 
Makoto's side of the small table they used for their senshi and study sessions at Rei's 
shrine.  Ami had a look of pleasant surprise on her face, while everyone else was 
dumbstruck.
	"A job, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.  "What do you need a job now for?  You have 
your own apartment, you provide for yourself very well, what do you need to work for?  
You should just take it easy and enjoy your final years of high school."
	"Don't listen to her, Mako-chan," Ami interrupted.  "I think it's wonderful!  What 
was it you were thinking of doing for a job?"
	"Well, I had considered asking my aunt for a job as a cook at her restaurant."
	"You'd be perfect for that, Mako-chan!" Rei added.
	"Yeah, well, you see, my family and I don't get along real well.  After my parents 
died and I got my inheritance, everyone has treated me like an outsider."
	"I'm sorry, Mako-chan," Usagi said, "but still, why not just relax and enjoy your 
last couple of years of high school, care-free?"
	"Usagi-chan, my inheritance money isn't going to last forever.  I want to try and 
stop spending it all so that someday, I'll have the money to open up a restaurant, or a 
bakery, or a flower shop.  I want to have my own business someday, but I need the 
money I have to make my dream come true," said Makoto.
	The room went silent for a bit.  "Um, Mako-chan," Minako began, "just how 
much money do you have?"
	Makoto raised an eyebrow to her, indicating it was a question that she would 
rather not answer.  Minako didn't get the hint immediately, but it was driven home when 
Ami smacked her on the thigh under the table.  "Let me put it this way, I'm not going to 
be going hungry for a few more years," Makoto volunteered.
	This seemed to satisfy everyone, and the issue wasn't pushed further.  Then Usagi 
piped up, "If you do get a job at a restaurant, does that mean we could get free food?"  
Usagi's eyes lit up, and Makoto could already see what luscious desserts and pastries of 
hers that Usagi was dreaming of.
	"Sorry, Usagi-chan, but I couldn't make a promise like that."
	Usagi's hopes deflated, but Rei poked her in the side and said, "You know, if 
you'd learn how to read the recipes, maybe you could make some of her desserts 
yourself.  Besides, as Mamo-chan's future wife, you're supposed to be able to cook 
delicious meals for him."
	Usagi's face started to turn red.  Minako then piped in, "You know that they say 
Usagi-chan, 'The way to a man's spleen is through his stomach!'"
	Ami dropped her head to the table and sighed.  "That's 'heart', not 'spleen', 
Minako-chan."
	"Oops! Sorry, minna!" Minako said, blushing.
	The next day after school, Makoto walked to her aunt's restaurant and asked her 
for some work.  Not only did Makoto's aunt offer her a job, but she made Makoto the 
head cook, when she wasn't at school.  And Makoto's aunt even offered her friends free 
meals whenever they came in.  From that point on, Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Minako always 
came to the restaurant for lunch and after-school snacks.
	Over the following months, Makoto took full advantage of her position as head 
cook to develop some new dishes at her aunt's restaurant, and used the other senshi as 
guinea pigs.  They didn't mind a bit, because Makoto's experiments were much more 
edible than anything that Usagi tried to cook in order to make Makoto feel like she wasn't 
being taken advantage of.  Makoto never minded cooking for her friends, in fact, that was 
a skill that they all looked up to her about, especially Usagi.
	Many of Makoto's experiments turned out to be huge hits at the restaurant and 
business picked up more and more.  There were some evenings that people would come 
in, ask if Makoto was working, discover she had the night off, and promptly left.  This 
didn't bother Makoto's aunt a bit, because she knew how skilled her niece was and any 
other meal they had that night would never be as good as one of Makoto's creations.  And 
while the other cooks at the restaurant were more than capable of recreating Makoto's 
dishes, most people wanted to eat Makoto's dishes, only as Makoto could prepare them.  
Comment cards were left on the tables saying how delicious Makoto's meals were and 
that they would recommend the restaurant to everyone they could.  This filled her with a 
tremendous sense of pride.
	Then, early in January of Makoto's junior year, her aunt promoted her.  Makoto 
never expected to become this important to her aunt's business and was reluctant to 
accept it, but when she found out her aunt was offering to make her a co-owner of the 
restaurant, she was too thrilled to turn it down.
	Makoto's duties increased tremendously, and there were several nights out of the 
week that she would work late hours and barely have time to do her homework and get a 
decent amount of sleep.  Makoto's attendance at senshi study sessions diminished, but 
everyone understood and they re-arranged their meeting schedules to allow Makoto to 
attend as much as she could.  They realized that Makoto felt this was something she had 
to do, and from what they could tell, she was enjoying it immensely.
	Then in March of that year, things began to change at the restaurant.  Makoto and 
the other employees had always been rewarded with weekly paychecks in the past.  
Suddenly, they had gone three weeks without a check.  Makoto, at the behest of the other 
employees, questioned her aunt.
	"The accountant suggested that I withhold checks for a while," was the answer 
Makoto got.
	"Why?" she inquired.
	"We did the books at the beginning of the month.  Food costs, insurance costs and 
the rent bills have gone up a lot, Makoto-san.  I've had to hire on additional people to 
help with the popularity of the place after you came on board?but I don't blame you for 
that.  That was a simple oversight on my part, however, the enthusiasm of the other cooks 
to capture the magic you have in the kitchen has also led to a huge increase in waste 
when they fail to recreate your dishes with the same quality as you are able to," Makoto's 
aunt explained.
	"Just how bad are things?" Makoto asked.
	Her aunt sighed.  "Unless I can find a way to balance the books, the restaurant 
could go belly-up within four months."
	Makoto was shocked.  "How can I help?" she asked, anxiously.
	"Would it be too much to ask for a loan from you?"
	Makoto paused for a second and deliberated.  She had never had someone ask her 
for money, and part of her hesitated.  The other part was thinking, this is my aunt and she 
has given me so much, surely a small loan wouldn't hurt anything.  "How much do you 
think you need?" Makoto asked.
	"Three million yen?" her aunt asked, apprehensively.
	Makoto was stunned at first, but upon considering it, agreed.  The next day, 
Makoto brought a check in to her aunt for the money she requested.  Everyone got their 
paychecks that weekend, including all back pay.
	Things were going well again until July when again, everyone failed to get checks 
for two weeks.  The employees once again called on Makoto to investigate and when she 
did, she got the same response from her aunt that she got in mid-March.  The 
conversation went almost verbatim the same way, but this time, Makoto's aunt asked for 
a loan of five million yen.  Makoto, not thinking anything wrong with helping her aunt's, 
and her, business, loaned her the money once again.  Everyone got paid and things were 
happy once again, but it didn't last long.
	One day in late August after Makoto began her senior year, she walked to the 
restaurant after school and discovered it was closed.  She felt this was odd because at this 
time of the day, the loyal patrons were lined up, ready to devour one of Makoto's famous 
creations and the restaurant would be packed.  In fact, she was not the only one outside 
the restaurant curious as to why the always-packed eatery was suddenly closed at 4:30 in 
the afternoon on a weekday.  Dozens of regular patrons were outside, looking in the 
windows, looking for signs of activity.  When they saw none, they turned to Makoto, 
wondering what was up, but Makoto was just as baffled.
	Several minutes later, Usagi, Rei, and Minako arrived for an after school snack, as 
was their tradition by this time, but were surprised by the crowd outside the restaurant, 
which included Makoto.
	"What's going on, Mako-chan?" Rei asked.
	"I'm not sure.  My aunt didn't tell me anything about us being closed today, and 
it's not a holiday."
	"Can you get inside?" Minako asked.
	"I've tried the back door as well.  This place is locked up, tight."
	"Hmmm.  Maybe your aunt just ran somewhere real quick?" Usagi said, puzzled 
just like everyone else.
	"No, she wouldn't close up.  She'd put one of the cooks in charge and run her 
errand.  No, something's wrong," Makoto said.  "I'm going to go to the back and try to 
break down the door."
	"Won't you get in trouble, Mako-chan?" Usagi asked.
	"Hey, I'm co-owner.  I think that means I can legally break in."
	Usagi, Rei, Minako, and Makoto quietly slipped away, around the block to a back 
alley that led behind the restaurant.  Makoto immediately started trying to shoulder block 
the door down.  After four solid attempts and the door failing to give an inch, not to 
mention Makoto's shoulder getting very sore, they re-thought their strategy.
	"Damn!  I forgot about the brace on the inside of the door," Makoto said.  "We 
have a solid two-by-four of wood that blocks the entire doorway and attaches to the door.  
Since the door opens out into the alley, it can't open while the brace is in place.  If we 
transformed, which of us could discreetly open the door?"
	"I don't have any precision attacks," Usagi said, shrugging.
	"If I did anything, I'd probably wind up burning the building down," Rei offered.
	"Well, I could try a Sparkling Wide Pressure, but I could demolish the door, and 
I'd rather not do that.  My aunt would have a fit!" Makoto said.
	"Crescent Beam!" announced Minako.
	"Good thinking!" Usagi said.
	Minako pulled out her henshin wand and cried, "Venus Crystal Power, Make 
Up!"  Within seconds, the transformation was complete and Sailor Venus was there with 
Usagi, Rei, and Makoto.  Usagi and Rei took lookout positions to each side of Venus, 
also to block anyone from seeing Venus there.
	Minako leveled her gaze at the door frame.  "Where should I cut?" Minako asked.  
Makoto walked to the doorjamb and drew an imaginary line along the border between the 
door and the frame, right where the latch would be, but also four inches above and below 
that point.  "OK, stand back," Minako commanded and Makoto complied.  Minako 
closed her eyes and cleared her mind.  "Crescent Beam!" she cried as she put her hands 
together, index fingers pointed out in front of her.  The beam fired from her fingertips 
right at the top point that Makoto indicated.  Minako slowly brought the beam lower, 
lasering her way along the line.  Halfway through, beads of sweat were beginning to 
appear on her brow from the concentration this precision use of the Crescent Beam was 
requiring, not to mention the energy usage.  After a couple of minutes, Minako ceased the 
Crescent Beam.
	Makoto approached the door carefully.  Smoke and soot were coming from the 
cut and the metal of the door was red-hot.  Makoto knelt down to a nearby puddle formed 
from a storm a couple of days back, cupped her hands together and got two handfuls of 
water out of it.  She brought the water to the door and splashed it against the cut which 
suddenly billowed a great deal of steam as well as smoke.  Makoto got another two 
handfuls of the water and splashed the door knob, to be sure it was safe to touch, then put 
her hand around it and pulled.  The door opened easily and the section of brace Minako 
sliced off dropped to the floor and tumbled outside.  The four girls looked around and 
carefully went inside the building.
	Everything was dark, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first.  To Makoto, 
this is exactly the way the place looks when she would come early on weekend mornings 
to open the restaurant and begin the day.
	Makoto found the light switches and turned them on.  As the lights came on, she 
could hear a collective sigh come from the crowd outside the front door, but she was not 
about to open it.  Something was wrong here and her first duty was to figure out what 
was wrong.
	Usagi, Rei, and Minako began to search the counter and kitchen areas as Makoto 
went to the office.  Usagi, Rei, and Minako found everything to be in order.  All the 
dishes, cups, silverware, and glassware were clean and ready for use.  The kitchen was 
well-stocked and looked to be perfectly ready for another day's business.  Suddenly, a 
voice came from the back.  "Minna!  Come here!"
	"Mako-chan?" Rei queried.
	"Hai!  Come here, quick!"  The three girls quickly ran to the back to join their 
comrade.
	Makoto was seated in an old rotating chair in a small, dingy office.  Papers lined 
the walls, and aside from an old desk, the chair, a three-drawer filing cabinet and a safe, 
the room was empty.  Usagi, Rei, and Minako appeared in the doorway.
	"What is it, Mako-chan?" asked Minako.
	Makoto did not answer, but the expression on her face was of immense 
disappointment.  She spun the chair around to the safe, and swung the unlocked door 
open to reveal?
	"What the--?" Usagi began.
	The safe was totally empty.  "You've been robbed, Mako-chan!" Usagi added.
	"No, it's worse than that.  I just called our bank.  As of 8:39 this morning, all of 
the restaurant's accounts have been closed out."
	"Do they know who did it?" Rei asked, shocked.
	"Hai.  My aunt."
	An hour later, Ami was studying hard in her bedroom, as usual, when the doorbell 
rang, not once but about a dozen times in as many seconds.  Ami looked up from her 
Advanced Calculus book and thought to herself, "Someone sure is impatient!  Who could 
that be?"
	Ami walked out into the living room and opened the door to the apartment that 
she shared with her mother.  She was surprised to see Rei, Minako, Usagi, and Makoto 
outside.  "Konnichi wa, minna-chan," Ami said, a bit bewildered.
	"Is your mother home?" Usagi asked, not even returning Ami's greeting.
	"No, she had the graveyard shift?"
	The four girls burst through the door and into the living room.  Ami shook her 
head in puzzlement and closed the door.
	"Ami-chan, we need your help," Usagi began.
	"Okay, what do you need?"
	"We need you to hack into a bank."
	"NANI???"
	"Please, Ami-chan," Makoto began.  "My aunt has closed all the accounts for the 
restaurant and has apparently cleaned out the restaurant safe.  I need you to get into the 
bank computers and bring up the activity on the restaurant accounts, and if possible, her 
personal account as well."
	Ami pondered for a moment, then went to her bedroom, indicating everyone to 
stay put as she left.  A minute later, she returned, carrying her mini-computer.  She sat on 
the couch and everyone else sat around the coffee table in front of Ami and the couch.
	"Do you have the restaurant account numbers handy, Mako-chan?" Ami asked.  
Makoto handed her a slip of paper.  Ami read it quickly, then began to type away on the 
computer for a couple of minutes.  Then she announced, "OK, I downloaded the account 
history for all of the restaurant accounts into my mini-computer.  Is there something you 
want to look for, specifically?"
	"Yes, can you see if there were two deposits to any of the accounts in the amounts 
of three million and five million yen?" Makoto asked.
	Ami typed on the computer for a few seconds, then watched the screen for a long 
time.  Finally, she shook her head.  "Nope, no deposits were made that were that large 
since the account was opened, Mako-chan."
	"I was afraid of that.  OK, Ami-chan, can you access my aunt's personal 
accounts?"
	"Yes, just a second," Ami said as she began to type some more, then a look of 
puzzlement crossed her face.  "Your aunt has two accounts and they are both closed as of 
this morning as well."
	Makoto looked like she was about to scream, but held back.  "OK, can you search 
her personal accounts for those same two deposits?"  She cringed as though she knew 
what the answer was going to be.
	"I'll check," Ami said.  After a bit of typing and a few seconds of pondering the 
screen, Ami suddenly snapped her fingers.  "Got them!  The deposit of three million yen 
was in last March and the deposit of five million yen was just last month."
	Makoto jumped to her feet and started to pace, furiously.  She approached the 
living room wall and hauled off, like she was going to punch a hole in the wall, but held 
back, remembering where she was.  She turned back to the others and very flustered, 
said, "I gotta get out of here before I break something."  She quickly turned and ran out 
of the apartment.  Usagi, Rei, and Minako leapt to their feet.
	"Arigato, Ami-chan," Usagi said, then turned to follow Makoto, along with Rei 
and Minako.
	"Hey!  Wait for me!" Ami called out, grabbed her keys from the coffee table, and 
left as well, locking the door behind her.
	The four girls chased after Makoto for several blocks, then finally caught up with 
her at the park they frequently visited and found Makoto sitting along the outer rim of the 
fountain there.  She was staring off into the trees, facing away from the others and did not 
turn as they approached.  Usagi sat down next to her as the other girls stood around them.
	"Mako-chan?" Usagi said, hoping she'd turn and face them.
	"I'm ruined," was all Makoto said, not moving at all.
	"Gomen nasai, Mako-chan.  How bad are things?" Usagi inquired.
	"Let me put it this way, if I pinch my pennies, I might be able to live and eat until 
the end of the year.  Come January, though, I'm on the streets," Makoto replied, still 
staring off into the trees.
	"What can we do to help, Mako-chan?" asked Ami.
	"Look," Makoto said as she finally turned to face them and reveal the tears on her 
face, "I don't want any of you guys to feel sorry for me.  I screwed up, let myself get 
suckered, and this is my punishment.  My aunt stole a huge amount of my inheritance, 
and I need to accept that I'm a foolish girl."
	"Mako-chan, I don't want to see you living on the streets," Usagi said.  "We all 
care about you far too much to allow that to happen."
	Makoto looked to each of them and saw them smiling reassuringly to her.  She 
began to feel better and let a hint of a smile show on her face, although a pained one.
	"Mako-chan, if you need to, you're more than welcome to stay with grandfather, 
Yuuichiro, and I at the shrine," Rei offered.  "We have an extra room, and I am sure you 
and grandfather could work out an arrangement for your room & board."
	"Thanks, Rei-chan," Makoto replied, "but I'll need some time to decide.  I 
wouldn't want to intrude on you."
	"I understand, Mako-chan," Rei said, reassuringly.
	The group fell silent for a second.  "Hey, minna-chan, I feel like cooking!  How 
about some cookies?"
	"Yum!" Usagi cried, jumping up and down, rubbing her stomach.  "I'm starving!"
	"Yeah, we never got our after-school snack from you today!" Rei added.
	"Hai!  Let's go!" Makoto said as she stood and started leading the senshi away 
from the park and to her apartment.
	The girls finally arrived at Makoto's apartment building and it was a good thing, 
because almost all of them had gotten so hungry, their tummies were rumbling loud 
enough to be heard clearly.  They went up the elevator to Makoto's apartment.  She let 
them in and they all spread out and got comfortable.  Usagi headed straight for the 
kitchen as Makoto noticed her answering machine was blinking.  "Can I help?" Usagi 
asked the distracted Makoto.
	"If you like.  I'll there in just a second, Usagi-chan," Makoto said as she pressed 
the button on the machine.
	= BEEP!  Kino Makoto, this is Mr. Tanaka, the owner of the building your aunt 
was renting for her restaurant.  I wanted to inform you that you are three months behind 
in your rent for the restaurant space.  If you are wondering why I am calling you about 
this issue, your aunt instructed me to contact you as she was going out of the country for 
a while and had put you in charge.  Anyway, the back rent is due immediately.  If you 
cannot or do not pay by the end of the week, I will be forced to take possession of all the 
equipment in the restaurant and will auction it to the highest bidder.  As the rental 
property owner, I am entitled to the proceeds that will cover the back rent and any 
appropriate late fees.  Any monies above and beyond that amount will be issued to you in 
a check.  If you have any questions, please contact my office.  BEEP! =
	Makoto stood at the machine, staring down at it, saying nothing.  The other girls 
overheard the entire message and were staring at Makoto, waiting for some sort of 
reaction from her.
	"It just keeps getting worse.  Not only have I lost my inheritance, but I've lost the 
restaurant, too," she finally said after a very long silence.
	Usagi silently walked up behind Makoto and put a hand on her shoulder.  The 
other girls followed Usagi's lead and stood around their friend.  "I know how much the 
rent is and there is no way I can pay it," Makoto said, the tears starting again.
	"Mako-chan," Usagi whispered and gently squeezed Makoto's shoulder.  Makoto 
looked up and behind her, trying to smile through a tear that had run down her face to 
acknowledge Usagi, but then stared down at the answering machine again.
	"So much for my dreams of running my own business," Makoto said.  Suddenly, 
she grabbed the answering machine, yanked it off the table and hurled it across the room, 
pulling the cord from the wall.  It startled everyone, but she needed to vent somehow.
	"Mako-chan, come help me in the kitchen," Usagi said softly.
	"I suddenly don't feel like cooking," she said back as she hung her head again.
	"Then come out and watch me make a fool of myself," Usagi said with a 
sympathetic smile.  Makoto looked up to see all of her friends gathered around her, all 
smiling warmly, trying to ease Makoto's pain the best they knew how.  The smiles were 
infectious.  Makoto found herself starting to smile as Usagi's comment echoed in her 
head a few more times.
	"Hai," she said, quietly.
	Usagi grabbed Makoto's hand and started dragging her into the kitchen.  "OK, 
Mako-chan, what kind of cookies should I make?  Do you have chocolate chips?  Or 
oatmeal?"
	They disappeared into the kitchen and the door swung closed behind them.  Ami, 
Rei, and Minako sat back down.  A few minutes later, a thud came from the kitchen that 
made them all look up.  Seconds later, they began to hear hysterical laughter.  They 
jumped up out of their seats and ran to the kitchen door and pushed it open.  A huge 
cloud of white powder flew out at them, causing them to cough and wave their hands 
around to clear the view.
	Sitting in the center of the kitchen on the floor was a one-pound sack of flour that 
looked like it had fallen and exploded when it hit the floor.  To each side of the ruptured 
sack sat Makoto and Usagi on the floor, covered in flour, laughing so hard they were 
crying.
	"The master of disaster, Tsukino Usagi, strikes again," Rei muttered, but couldn't 
help but chuckle.
	A few days later, the restaurant's contents were auctioned off and Makoto 
received her check a week later for the extra cash above and beyond what was used to 
cover the back rent.  It was only 750,000 yen, hardly enough to compare to the eight 
million yen she gave her aunt and definitely would not get her out of her financial 
difficulties.  Once again, Rei offered to let Makoto stay at the shrine and this time, 
Makoto felt she had no choice but to accept.
	  The last weekend of August, just days before they were to begin their senior 
year, the senshi gathered at Makoto's apartment and began the task of packing all her 
belongings.  Mamoru rented a moving van to help haul to the Hikawa Shrine.  Between 
the six of them and the cats, it took until later afternoon to pack boxes, tear down and 
carry out items of furniture, go through the check-out inspections which Makoto passed 
with flying colors, and turn in the apartment keys.  The group then drove across town to 
the shrine and unloaded the van into Makoto's new room at the shrine.
	It took several days for Makoto to get accustomed to the daily routine for Rei, 
Yuuichiro and her grandfather.  They got up very early in the morning, usually beginning 
with exercises on the courtyard, then tending to the grounds.  Rei and Makoto were able 
to skip this chore because of school, but Rei's grandfather always made sure that there 
was something left undone for when Rei and Makoto got back.
	Life at the shrine slowly became routine for Makoto as well, although she never 
felt very welcomed by Rei's grandfather or Yuuichiro, but chalked it up to the fact that 
she was a sort of outsider.  The girls continued to hold frequent senshi study meetings at 
the shrine, and in time, the incident with the restaurant was forgotten.
	Or was it?  Shortly after Makoto moved to the shrine, she began to get her 
finances in order.  Because she was living with her friend, and because Rei's grandfather 
graciously offered to waive any rent as long as Makoto did her chores well, rent was no 
longer an issue, and neither was food.  In fact, Makoto slowly became the full-time chef 
for the shrine inhabitants.  She didn't mind, it was a way for her to earn her keep, and 
keep her cooking skills tuned up for a later opportunity.  Makoto also had transferred all 
of her remaining inheritance money and the auction money into a high-interest savings 
account, at Ami's suggestion.  With some luck, after a couple of years, she could go out 
on her own again once her finances recovered.  Her final goal was to put the incident with 
her aunt as far into the past as she could shove it.
	For about a month, Makoto did very well in shutting out the past.  But one night, 
after a particularly baffling set of homework questions, Makoto snapped.  She hurled her 
books off the small desk in her room, put her shoes on, threw the sliding door open, 
walked outside to the main courtyard and screamed into the night sky.
	"Such passion," a small voice came from behind her.  Makoto turned and saw 
Rei's grandfather standing in the doorway of his quarters.
	"Gomen nasai, Hino-san," Makoto said, turning to him and bowing slightly.  "I 
needed to do that."
	"I can see that," he replied.  "Rei tells me you have had some martial arts 
training?"
	"Hai, Hino-san," she answered.
	"How far did you get?"
	"I did earn a black belt, Hino-san, but I haven't been keeping up on my training."
	"That's a pity," he said to her, walking toward her.  "Perhaps I could help you?"
	"I'd like that, Hino-san."
	"Do you have school tomorrow, Makoto-san?"
	"No, it's a teacher workday tomorrow."
	"Excellent.  Why don't we begin?"
	"Now, Hino-san?"
	"Ah, that's Hino-sensei, and yes, now," he said, flatly.  He opened his robe 
slightly and handed Makoto a karate uniform.  "Please change into this and return in five 
minutes."  Makoto looked at the uniform, then to him, bowed slightly, and ran back in to 
her room to change as the night closed in further.
	A few minutes later, Makoto returned to the courtyard and found Rei's 
grandfather had lit several torches around the courtyard and was standing in the center 
with two bo staves in each hand.  Makoto walked out to him and bowed.  He handed her 
one of the staves and motioned for her to take a few steps back.  Makoto complied and 
once he was satisfied with where she was standing, he motioned for her to attack.  
Makoto charged and thrust the staff in front of her, right at his head, but in a fluid motion, 
he slapped the staff up with his own, twirled his for a second, then sliced it down and 
swept Makoto's foot out from under her.  Makoto fell to the ground with a thud, slightly 
dazed.  Rei's grandfather took a few steps away, then turned to Makoto and motioned for 
her to attack again.  Makoto was clearly upset and charged in recklessly.  She swung the 
bo staff down at Rei's grandfather, but he held his staff parallel to the ground and with a 
quick upward motion, blocked the blow.  Makoto swung the end she held with her left 
hand at him, but he swiftly shifted the bo to be perpendicular to the ground and once 
again blocked her attack.  Makoto tried again to follow up and lunged at him with the end 
of the staff in her right hand, but this time, he spun around his staff so he was along 
Makoto's left side, knelt and placed the staff right behind both of her knees.  Makoto 
realized what he was going to do, but before she could do anything, he pulled on the staff, 
taking Makoto's legs out from under her and dropping her to the ground once again.  She 
stayed there, sprawled out for a few seconds, regaining her thoughts as he walked a few 
steps away and turned to her.
	"How did I beat you?" he asked, looking at his fingernails.
	She pulled herself back up to her feet, using the staff for assistance.  "Because I 
am too easily enraged, sensei.  I know this."
	"Then maybe we should work on it?"
	All through the night, Makoto and Rei's grandfather sparred, giving Makoto a 
chance to work out her aggressions as well as refine her fighting skills and helping her to 
control her temper.
	Early the next morning, Rei awoke to the sounds of wood striking wood.  She at 
first thought that Yuuichiro was chopping down a tree or something, but there were no 
trees on the grounds that needed pruning or removal.
	Rei put on a long, heavy bathrobe and walked outside.  What she saw surprised 
her and gave her a warm feeling at the same time.  Makoto and her grandfather were 
sparring still, but this time, Makoto was doing much better at anticipating the movements 
of the smaller man and was able to block his attacks, then attack back.  While he was able 
to block all of her attacks as well and attack back, she did get him into a few tight spots 
that he had to really work out of.  "She's a formidable fighter," he thought to himself, 
"when she is focused."
	Rei watched the two spar for what seemed like an hour, but in reality was only 
about ten minutes.  Her grandfather suddenly leapt away from Makoto and put his staff 
down at his side, a sign that they were done.  Makoto recognized it and did likewise.  
They exchanged bows.  "Do you feel better, Makoto-san?" he asked her.
	"Much, Hino-sensei.  Arigato," she answered, smiling and breathing heavy, beads 
of sweat dripping from her face and hair onto her drenched uniform.
	"Remember, if you ever need to vent, just let me know and we'll do this again."
	"Hai, Hino-sensei."
	He walked into the building, but stopped as he walked up to Rei.  "I think she'll 
be better now.  She got a lot out last night."
	"Arigato, grandfather," she said back as he walked inside.
	Makoto was exhausted and could only manage a brief greeting to Rei as she 
walked in, entered her room, and flopped onto the bed, spent.  Rei appeared in the 
doorway and saw that Makoto was asleep, and probably was before her head ever hit the 
pillow.  Rei slowly slid the door closed as she noticed the smile plastered on Makoto's 
sleeping countenance.
	Later that afternoon, Makoto awoke with a purpose.  She quickly cleaned up, 
dressed in her job interviewing clothes and left the shrine.  For the next several hours, she 
walked to every restaurant in Juuban and put applications in as a cook at each one.
	She returned to the shrine early in the evening, an hour before they were to have a 
senshi study session.  Makoto dragged herself to her room, but passed Rei's on the way.  
Rei was busy with homework and was sitting at her desk.
	"Hey, Mako-chan!" Rei called out, looking up.
	Makoto reappeared in the doorway with heavy eyelids, looking a lot like death 
warmed over.  "Hai, Rei-chan," she said in a low, exhausted voice.
	"Um, someone called for you while you were gone, Ito-san from Homework's.  
He said to call back as soon as possible."
	"Hai," Makoto grunted in response, then turned and walked away.  Rei, feeling 
puzzled by her friend's reaction, closed her book and walked into Makoto's room after 
picking up the portable phone from the desk that she used earlier to call Ami and ask a 
question.  Makoto was laying on her bed, facing up at the ceiling.
	"Want to talk about it?" Rei asked, sitting on the bed next to her.
	"Not really, Rei-chan," she said.  After a long pause, she sat up and said, "Job 
hunting sucks."
	"I'm sorry, Mako-chan, but what about this Homework's place?"
	"I went there in a moment of desperation and put an application in.  It's a burger 
joint, nothing more."
	"But it's a paycheck."
	"Hai."
	"And you need the money."
	"Hai."
	"Give him a call."  Rei handed Makoto the portable phone.
	She looked at the phone for a second, then sighed, took it from Rei, turned it on, 
punched the number in that Rei told her, and put the phone to her ear.
	"Hello?  Ito-san, please???Ito-san?  This is Kino Makoto?..Yes, we spoke 
earlier??.You do???.You will???.Saturday afternoon?  I'm free?..Great!  
Arigato, Ito-san!"  Makoto punched the "off" button and looked up to Rei with a big grin 
on her face.  "I got a job!"
	"Hooray!" Rei cried and gave her friend a huge hug.
	Saturday afternoon, Makoto went to Homework's and was in for a shock.  Not 
only did Mr. Ito hire her, but put her to work right there and then!  Makoto was no ready 
for that, but adapted quickly and worked there until midnight.  At the end of the night, 
Mr. Ito told her to come back tomorrow and that she did a terrific job.  Makoto walked 
home with a smile on her face the whole way.  She told Rei all about her first day and 
how exciting it was to be cooking for a living again.
	The novelty of it wore off pretty quickly, though.  She began to feel herself falling 
into a similar trap to the one her aunt used on her.  Mr. Ito promoted her quickly, both on 
her skills and on the fact that the restaurant had a huge turnaround.  People who couldn't 
handle work in a fast-food joint were in and out real fast.
	By December, Makoto had had enough of the blazingly fast pace, the tremendous 
responsibilities, and was feeling burned out.  Besides, it wasn't a real test of her culinary 
skills to be able to slap a hamburger together.  She took a few days off and put out new 
applications to all of the more-upscale restaurants surrounding Juuban.  After a week of 
waiting to hear from one of them, she finally received a call.
Makoto came home late on a Thursday night from a long shift at Homework's.  It 
was well past midnight and everyone at the Hikawa Shrine was in their beds, sleeping.  
She gently walked in and through the hallways to her room, passing Rei's on the way 
again.  She peeked in and saw Rei was fast asleep.  She really wanted to talk about her 
shitty day, but thought better of it and would tell her tomorrow at school.
Makoto stripped the required uniform off, wearily, then realized that she felt like 
someone had dipped her in grease.  She stripped completely and took a quick shower.  
After her shower, she walked back into her room, put on a clean nightshirt and jumped 
straight into bed.  She thought about the homework that she really should've done, but 
she was far too tired.  Fortunately, it was due later in the day, so she could work on it in 
the morning, and maybe even get a little help from Ami at the same time.
She snuggled into her warm bed and had just closed her eyes when she heard the 
door slide open just a crack and heard a girl's voice whisper, "Mako-chan?  Are you 
awake?"
Makoto looked up and saw Rei peeking in through the crack in the door, wearing 
her favorite bathrobe and slippers, the ones that had little puppy faces where the toes 
went.  Makoto always thought they were cute on her.  "Hai, Rei-chan.  I didn't want to 
disturb you."
Rei slid the door open fully and slowly walked in and knelt by Makoto's bed.  
"It's OK, Mako-chan.  I tried to stay up and wait for you, but I just couldn't.  Someone 
called for you while you were at work, Tanaka-san from something called the Coxtop."
Makoto sat up straight in bed.  "NANI??" she cried, then realized how loud she'd 
said it and covered her mouth.  "Nani?" she asked again.
"He said to give him a call tomorrow as soon as possible.  He wants to schedule 
an interview."  Makoto started to bounce up and down on the bed, puzzling Rei.  "What's 
wrong, Mako-chan?"
"Nothing's wrong, Rei-chan!  My dream is finally coming true again!"
"Huh?"
"Coxtop is one of the best restaurants in the Juuban district, Rei-chan!  Kino 
Makoto is moving up in the world!"
Rei grinned as her friend continued to bounce on the bed for joy, both girls 
starting to giggle.
The next day at lunch, Makoto made the call to the Coxtop and scheduled to see 
the owner, a Mr. Tanaka, for an interview.  He was delighted that she returned his call 
and wanted to speak to her as soon as possible after she got out of school.  She eagerly 
agreed and after school, walked with Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Minako to Coxtop.  They 
waited in the restaurant while Makoto went in for her interview.
Mr. Tanaka opened the door to his office and led Makoto in.  He sat behind a 
large glass-top wooden desk and she sat in a small leather chair opposite him.
"I'm glad you were able to come on such short notice, Kino-san."
"It wasn't a problem, Tanaka-san."
Tanaka began looking over Makoto's application.  "I see here you have been 
working for the last few months at Homework's."
"Hai, Tanaka-san.  It's an all-right job, but I want something more.  You can only 
do so much slapping hamburgers together."
"Indeed," Tanaka said, registering little amusement as he continued to read over 
her application.  "It also says here that before that, you used to be head chef and co-
owner of a little restaurant in Juuban?"
"Hai, Tanaka-san."
"Wait a moment.  Kino Makoto.  Wait a second!  You're the girl that had the 
entire ward talking about that restaurant in Juuban!"
"Hai?!" Makoto said, confused, having no knowledge that her reputation had 
spread that much in such a short time.
"Young lady, if that restaurant hadn't closed up, I would've gone belly-up!"
"Gomen," Makoto said, sadly, both for him and for the problems at her aunt's 
restaurant.
Tanaka looked the application over a bit more, then put it back on his desk and 
looked Makoto straight in the eye.  She seemed a little edgy from this kind of a stare.  He 
just sat there for several seconds, like he was looking right through her.  Makoto was 
about to stand up and excuse herself when?
"Congratulations!  Kino Makoto, you're hired!"
Makoto jumped at Tanaka's sudden announcement and jumped again when he 
leaned over the desk and thrust a hand out in a Western greeting.  As she relaxed, the 
words finally sunk in and a huge smile stretched across her face as she confidently stood 
and shook his hand.
"It's a real pleasure to have such a fine cook as yourself on my team, Kino-san."
"Arigato, Tanaka-san!"
"When can you start?"
"I'd need to give my notice to Homework's, so should we say, two weeks from 
today?"
"Excellent!  I'll be looking forward to seeing you again, getting your paperwork 
done and get you busy!  If you can bring me half the fortune you brought to that little 
restaurant, I think we will have a very profitable relationship!"
"Arigato!  Arigato, Tanaka-san!"
They shook hands again, and Makoto left the room and rejoined her friends.
"Well?" Usagi asked, impatiently.
Makoto looked to each of them, trying to build the tension.  "I got it!" she finally 
announced.
"Great!  Let's celebrate!" Minako said.
"A double chocolate fudge sundae sounds great to me!" Usagi said, already 
licking her lips in anticipation.
"I agree!" Ami said.
"What are we waiting for?  Girls, there's ice cream to eat in honor of our Mako-
chan!" Rei declared.  With that, all five girls ran down the street to their favorite snack 
bar and celebrated Makoto's good fortune.
The two weeks passed quickly and Homework's was history.  Makoto started 
work at Coxtop with a renewed vigor and enthusiasm for cooking that had been absent 
for a long time.  Mr. Tanaka trained his new chef how to make the restaurant's existing 
menu of dishes, and was impressed how quickly she caught on.  It took a couple of 
months, but by early March of her senior year, Makoto had mastered all of the Coxtop's 
dishes and even improved on several of them, adding her own flair to them.  The 
Coxtop's business soared as soon as everyone learned that Kino Makoto was once again a 
chef.  Many patrons became regular diners, coming once or twice a week, to taste 
Makoto's delicious dishes.
Tanaka, so proud of his newest chef, decided to take advantage of her celebrity 
and encouraged her to develop new dishes.  She did so with immense pleasure, once 
again using Usagi, Ami, Minako, and Rei as her guinea pigs, and once again, they didn't 
mind a bit.  Tanaka also encouraged his star chef to come out into the dining room and 
talk with the customers, especially when Makoto released a new recipe, in order to get 
immediate feedback.
In early April, Makoto had just come up with another hit at the Coxtop, when she 
noticed a man in a business suit, sitting by himself in a far corner of the dining room.  
Normally, that wouldn't be anything to be alarmed by, but Makoto could've sworn that 
same man had been in every day that week.  Not even the Coxtop's most loyal customers 
came in that often.  Something was up.  The next night, she found out what it was all 
about.
It was ten o'clock.  The Coxtop had closed after another very successful night.  
Everyone was busy cleaning up, except for Makoto and Tanaka.  Tanaka had instructed 
Makoto to stay in the kitchen once they had closed the doors, prepare her latest creation, 
and come out when it was ready.  She did as she was told, and when she brought the 
piping hot plate of food out into the living room, she was surprised to see Mr. Tanaka and 
the strange man that had been eating there all week, sitting at a table together, talking.  
Tanaka saw Makoto out of the corner of his eye and motioned for her to come to the 
table.  She complied.
Tanaka said to her, in English, "Kino-san, this is Mr. Greg Mitchell.  He runs the 
Spago restaurant in Roppongi."
"Pleased to meet you, Mitchell-san," she said in her best English, albeit a bit slow.
"Thank you, young lady.  Let's see what you have there," he said as he took the 
plate from her, picked up his utensils and began to eat.  After two or three bites, he 
looked at Tanaka and said, "Delicious."
Makoto felt her heart soar.  This kind of praise coming from someone who ran a 
Spago's was the ultimate compliment.  She suddenly felt the presence of another person 
behind her.  A hand reached to the table, holding a fork and took a forkful of food from 
the plate.  He heard a satisfied, "mmmmm" from behind her, but was too surprised to 
turn.  The person behind her then spoke in a very strange accent, "Such a wonderful 
flavor."
Makoto turned to see who was behind her and when she did, her face turned as 
white as a sheet.  "You're?..you're?.." she stammered.
The man sat down next to Mitchell.  "I believe the name you are searching for is 
Wolfgang Puck," he said.  Makoto let out a sigh, like she'd been holding her breath for 
the past five minutes once he said who he was.
"Kino-san, Wolfgang Puck is the owner of all the Spago restaurants, both here 
and in America.  He came to see you."
"ME?!" she asked, bewildered.
"Yes, Miss Kino.  Mr. Mitchell called me and told me of some of the fabulous 
food coming from the kitchen here.  And I'd like to make you an offer, if your Mr. 
Tanaka will permit it."
"Of course, Puck-san," Tanaka said, then looked up to Makoto with a smile as if 
to say to her, "Wait until you hear this."
Makoto was dumbstruck.  Wolfgang Puck?  One of the greatest chefs in the world 
wanted to see her?  It was something that she was having a hard time comprehending, but 
faked it well enough that no one at the table could see her confusion.
"Miss Kino, quite simply, I would like to offer you a position at either the Spago 
here in Roppongi, or work with me at my Spago restaurant in Beverly Hills."
Makoto's jaw dropped.  Her mind went blank.  She tried to speak, but nothing 
came out.  Finally, she shook the cobwebs out of her head and managed to squeak out, 
"Arigato, Puck-san.  Wow!"
Puck and Mitchell looked at each other with smiles on their faces.
Makoto finally gathered her thoughts together and spoke.  "Puck-san, Mitchell-
san," she began, in English, "the offer sounds absolutely delightful and I would love 
nothing more than to one day become as famous a chef as you, Puck-san.  But the truth is 
that I still have to finish high school, and I have other obligations that I must consider.  I 
am afraid I must respectfully decline your offer?"
A collective sigh came up from the table as everyone exchanged puzzled glances.  
"?for now!" Makoto added, emphatically.  "Perhaps after I have graduated, I can accept 
your offer, but for now, I am very content working for Tanaka-san."
Puck carefully took in Makoto's very respectful refusal for the job and smiled.  It 
wasn't a smile of disappointment, just one of appreciation for her candor.  He and 
Mitchell stood up, then Tanaka did as well.  Puck reached into his back pocket and pulled 
out one of his business cards and gave it to Makoto.  "I hope one day we can work 
together.  But, if we can't, then show that card to any future employers and feel free to 
use me as a reference.  You have a talent that should flourish.  Don't forget that, Miss 
Kino.  Good evening."
"Goodbye, Miss Kino," Mitchell said as he and Puck walked out of the dining 
room and out into the parking lot.
Makoto looked at Tanaka.  He seemed a bit disappointed, but not really.  She 
could tell by his expression that he was inwardly pleased that she wanted to stay on.
She tucked the card away and thought to herself that one day, she would take 
Puck up on his offer.  First things first, though.  She had to graduate!