The Legend of the Phoenix -Epilogue ------------------------------------- "There." Terra smiled, "All done." Chris touched the arm where she had just laid her hand on, "That's it? I can eat stuff like a normal person now?" "Ami designed an antipsionic for the PIR weapons. They won't bother you again." "Thank you!" "Thank Ami when you see her. She did all the work, I was just following directions." "Well... Thank you anyway!" Chris got ready to head over to work when Terra stopped him, "Could you do me a favor?" "Of course! What favor?" "Check up on Mina, I've asked her several times if she's all right after this incident with John and she says she's fine but...." "You think there's something that maybe only I can get out." Chris nodded, "All right. I probably would have done it anyway but I'll make sure to tell you my answer." "Thanks Chris!" "And good luck with John." Terra put her head in her hands, "Please, don't mention it." Chris laughed as he turned the corner out of the school and began his trek towards Mina's school. He thought about what had happened just the other day when the biggest threat to his life had just been knocking on his door. Not some small time Negamonster, or a wimpy bully from his past, but a hero, a guy from the moon kingdom. Chris shivered, he had come all too close to death that night, all that stood between him and it was Mina. Then it was all over, John used his identity as a phoenix to give himself a clean slate. And his education back into the living world had been going rather smooth, despite Terra's recent frustrations with his manners. What did she expect? A gourmet in three days? Then again, he hadn't been the one to get a black eye from a flying ear of corn. Mina on the other hand had been more sullen afterwards, Chris wasn't entirely certain what had happened in the few hour separation between them but it seemed to have made an impression on her. It hadn't worried him all that much, but between her frustration with John and Mina's aloofness she Chris could tell she was losing sleep. This caused Chris to worry, because Terra's premonitions had a sick way of becoming realities which might mean that Mina was actually worse than he thought. Chris continued to think about this, nearly walking past the school as he did so. He then realized he'd been practically dashing down the street for the past three blocks. Shaken a little by this fact he went off to find Mina. --------------------------------- He found her sitting under a tree, reading a book. Mina didn't read all that often, but she had recently gone through about one a day it seemed. Chris put his bag down and kneeled down in front of her. "Hello." No response. "HALLO!!! Earth to Min! Come in please!" Mina slowly lowered the book, "Hi." "Are you all right?" "Yeah... I feel fine." "That's not what I meant." Chris sat down, "I mean are you feeling alright in a psychological sense." Mina looked confused. "You haven't been yourself recently. You haven't talked to anybody and you're acting very spacey, way more than Serena. You're really worrying me." "Oh." Mina looked down at the book again. "Well....?" "Pardon?" "Are you?" Mina smiled weakly, "I'm fine." Chris smiled back, "Good. Keep it that way." Chris got up, he was already five minutes late for his class. But something caught his sleeve, "Chris I...." A tear rolled down Mina's cheek. Chris turned back around, "Are you sure you're all right?" She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, "No, I'm fine really. They-th-they just won't stop!" Chris put a hand under her chin moving her to look him in the eyes, "Are you sure." "I.... I... I.." Tears began to collect again her lip trembling, "OH CHRIS!!!" Chris was taken by surprise as she threw her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. He kept enough sense about him to place his arms around her and support her head. For the first time Chris heard what she was like when she wasn't crying softly, she didn't bawl like Serena did, but instead made small short cries, like a small child who had lost it's mother and felt lonely. Chris felt a tear coming into his own eyes as he tried to comfort her, he opened his mouth to speak but found he was at a loss for words. Mina did it for him, "It's been terrible Chris! I don't know what's going on! I blew up at my parents yesterday for no reason, and I can't sleep at night! It's... it's all like a recurring bad dream! I can barely think anymore! I... I...." Chris just listened, he knew no words were necessary, she just needed him right now. He turned his head looking into his class which appeared to have started without him. At it's head he could see a small green head leading the exercises which turned around and winked at him. Had Terra known all along? Or had she just done this out of spontaneity? Anyway, she was teaching it now, so Chris did his job. What Terra had asked him to do before. -------------------------------- "I believe what your are experiencing is PTS." Mina looked at the doctor, "PTS?" "Post Traumatic Shock, PTS for short. Did you go through something that would warrant it recently?" Mina nodded, "Sort of..." "Well there you have it." "Is there anything I can do about it?" "In time it should pass." The doctor smiled and got up, "But in the meantime you should get plenty of rest and drink lots of fluids. Stay away from strenuous activities as well. The same thing you would do if you had a small cold." "Thank you doctor." "Anytime Mina, I've treated your family since you moved back to Japan. Stay well." Mina got up and went to the waiting room where Chris, Terra, and John were waiting for her. "NO! Don't chew on that! It's not real!" "But it smells real Terra..." "It's artificial John! Like the fruit in Chris' apartment!" "But they don't smell like it..." "THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S MADE OF WAX!" "Ohh....." Mina giggled as Terra tried to bring John under control, "She's acting like a mother, it's funny." Chris put a hand on her shoulder from behind, "I guess she doesn't look like the motherly type." "When will he be back to his own age?" "Terra said it would be two weeks at most. Presuming he's going at about a year a day that would figure..." "Well, he certainly learns fast." Terra sighed, "Please don't chew on things anymore, you're getting to old for that!" "Really?" "If you want to be mature and protect the world like the the Sailor Scouts you have to act mature!" "Okay Terra!" "Thank the gods." Chris laughed, "What did the doctor say Min?" "He thought it was Post Traumatic Shock. After you know..." Chris nodded, "If that's so you should probably try to not to think about it. Look at him now! Probably couldn't hurt a fly." "Didn't Terra say she was going to teach him how to fight again?" "She did, but she's going to teach him to be a bit more stable this time." "Magic too?" "Magic too. He can already cast little fires. It's sort of cute in a way." "I hope he hasn't singed your furniture." "No, but he's lit a paper cup aflame." "Terra seems to be having quite a time though. He's acting like a big three-year-old." "I guess we should expect as much, if she can teach him a year's experience in a day, we probably shouldn't ask for more." "What keeps him going?" "She keeps on telling him that one day he'll be like the Neptune Ninja if he works at it." "That's cute! He idolizes you!" "I hope it stays that way. I have a feeling he was in love with you at one stage, before it turned rotten." "If Terra's right about love being a predestined thing, then shouldn't there be someone for him too?" "I don't like taking chances. But maybe it will be different this time around." "Yeah." --------------------------------- FIN End Epilogue Terra- Sailor Earth (+) mstephen@pop.erols.com or on weekends if preferable Terra7@prodigy.com