"Nooo! Not again!" the pigtailed girl shrieks, clutching her face.
'GAME OVER' blinks on the screen.
"I can't do it Mina, I'm just no good!" she mopes. The other blonde, stands up, enraged.
"You can't give up Serena! You just need to keep practicing! I need a racing opponent! You need to practice!"
"Speaking of practicing," Serena says, turning towards her friend, "shouldn't we be getting to Raye's? We're going to be late for Study Buddies.."
Mina clenches her fist, shouting, "No we should not we should be getting to DRIVING! My racing career is going to be over if you don't help me!"
"I'll race you," they both hear, and look up, "I'll even let you have a head start."
Their jaws drop. Before their eyes is the most beautiful creature- a dusty blonde haired, green eyed god. Dressed in checkered slacks and a red blazer, a mischievious grinned god.
Neither Serena or Mina had ever seen such a beauty; it was as if time had stopped and the only thing moving was the person in front of them.
Mina shoves Serena out of her seat, onto the floor. "Absolutely!" she says to the third blonde, returning the smile. She motions to the seat Serena once occupied. The green eyed looker turns to Serena, holding out a briefcase.
"Could you hold this for me?"
Serena returns the question with a groan, accepting.
Mina and her opponent put their quarters into the machine and wait as the game begins.
'How lucky am I?!' Mina says in her mind, 'This guy is so dreamy!'
Though she can't get over the fact this beau approached her, there was no way she'd be beat at her own favorite game.
The game begins. Ready: 3, 2, 1, go!
Mina's foot hits the pedal, her yellow car speeding faster than all the others. For whatever reason, though, the car on the other screen didn't move.
"Uh, hello?" Serena says, "Earth to Player B? The race started.."
"I know," says 'Player B', though directing it towards Mina. "It's only fair if I had some sort of disadvantage- I wouldn't want to embarrass you right from the start."
Mina's jaw drops, in disbelief of what was just said.
'What!? Does he even know who he's talking to!? Embarrass ME?!' she says furiously to herself. Before she finished her thought, though, her question is answered.
"I guess I'll start now." The person beside her's foot slams the pedal, and the red car on her screen starts moving faster than the screen can even pick up. Serena watches as the speed rises as laps are sped through. Her eyes widen. Over 300km? Was that even possible?
The smug smile on Mina's adversary said yes, as the bright red car blasted past Mina's yellow one. Mina's eyes practically shoot out of her head, and her heart drops.
"How did you pass me!?" She shouts, "I was flying!"
"Wow.." Serena slips in, still staring at the screen. She clutches the briefcase to her chest. "You're really good."
"Yes I am." is the reply, the speed on the screen still rising.
Mina's frusteration grows as she tries to push the pedal down more, trying to mimic the person next to her. There is no way she can be beat at this! Racing games were her specialty and she's not about to be beaten by some stranger with an attitude problem! She whips around a corner, passing one more lap. She tries not to pay any attention to anyone around; she cannot be beaten!
Suddenly, the red car passes her yellow one, lapping her a second time. This time, her car is flipped over and off the track.
"That is NO fair!" she screams, "There is NO way you passed me twice!"
GAME OVER blinks on her screen as WINNER blinks on the one to the left.
Sulking, she mutters, "How embarrassing.."
"Don't be," replies the stranger, "with a little practice, you could be the prettiest race car driver around."
Mina's head perks up, "Really, you think so?" she blushes. The prettiest! "Would you maybe wanna give me some lessons..?"
Serena catches on to what Mina is trying to do, and scowls.
"You'd learn from the best." They hear, and all turn to look.
It's as if time stops once more as the most beautiful girl they have ever seen steps up.
Her hair is like the color of the ocean, her eyes the same. Her porcelain skin mimics that of a doll's, her elegant features are that of a model's.
She, too, is dressed in a red blazer, this time with a checkered skirt, rather than slacks.
Serena and Mina stare in amazement as she approaches.
"Sorry, Amara, my errands ran late," she says to the dusty blonde, who returns her apology in saying, "Don't worry about it, I had a good time."
Before walking out, Mina's new racing rival turns and says, "See ya, good luck with your game. Both of you keep practicing, maybe we can all play together next time."
"That sounds great!" Serena says, a bit overexcited. Mina rolls her eyes. "Absolutely."
The two girls stare as the most beautiful people they've ever seen leave the arcade together.
"You sure do make friends fast, Amara." says the aqua-haired beauty, once out of hearing distance.
"I suppose. Jealous, Michelle?" Amara replies smugly.
"Not a chance, I'm just saying, they definitely liked you!" she chuckled.
"They were nice. Awful drivers, but good kids."
"If this is a dream, I don't ever want to wake up!" says Serena, standing in the doorway of the arcade with Mina and Andrew, their friend who works there.
Rather than competing for Andrew's attention, this time, both girl's were ogling at the sight walking away.
"Wherever he came from, I wanna go!" Mina drools. "Please, someone pinch me."
Andrew pinches her.
"Ouch! I didn't mean really! Oh, hi Andrew."
The three of them laugh together and the girls snap back into reality and out of the fantasies they were both concocting in their heads.
Two figures sat in a coffee shop; their normal routine. Deep in conversation, they noticed nothing and no one around them.
"The sea is acting up, Amara," says Michelle, hushed. "I fear something is near.. I just can't tell if it's good or bad."
"Let's hope it's not bad" Amara replies, just as quiet, but not as calm. After sipping from the cup, continues, "I know you said you felt something about this town, let's hope for the best." Pushing short blonde hair from concerned emerald eyes, stands up. "Let's get out of here."
They had no idea they were being watched.
"Look how dreamy they are," Serena says, "so perfect!" Mina pulls her back around the corner to whisper.
"I have to tell you something, Serena.. I think Amara and I have a connection.. I think he's my soulmate."
"WHAT?" Serena exclaims, Mina's hand immediately covering the open mouth. "Shh! They can hear us!"
"Are you blind, Mina? He's totally with Miss Perfect over there, are you not looking at the same two people?"
"Oh c'mon Serena, you know there was something going on between us!" she looks at a waitress and says, "Okay, what's going on with those two in the corner?" to no one in particular, but the waitress answers anyway.
"Aren't they adorable? They seem to be really close!"
Mina looks at her with a straight face. "I don't think so."
She waitress giggles, oblivious, and walks away as the two girls look back around the corner to see that both Amara and Miss Perfect were gone. They run outside to find them.
"Michelle, meet me here later, I'm going to check in with Anthony." Amara says to her ocean-eyed friend. Michelle nods and walks away in the opposite direction.
Amara feels a prescence, already knowing who it is before even having to think. Someone's watching.
Serena and Mina crouch behind the corner of the bridge Amara and Michelle just crossed.
"Mina.. isn't spying a bit much?" Serena says, already bored of what's going on. They watch as Amara walks into a warehouse.
"We're not spying, Serena, I'm keeping an eye on the man of my dreams! Okay, let's go."
They both scurry over to the entrance of the warehouse as quietly as possible, so Amara doesn't hear them. They peek inside.
Amara's walking over to a blue convertible, a man working beneath it. Curious, the girls listen in.
"Hi, Anthony," Amara says, "it's me." The man rolls out from under the car. "Oh hey Amara, how are you?"
"I'm great. Did you fix it up yet?" motioning to the car.
"Pretty much, she's gonig to be as good as new when I'm done with her!"
"Awesome, I can't wait."
What none of them know is somewhere, evil is rearing it's dark head.
In the depths of his lab, Doctor Tomoe is once again creating a seed for heart snatchers.
"Kaori Night, have you any news?"
"Target found, Doctor. Is your new creation ready?"
"Ready and waiting. At last, the pure heart crystal will be our's!"
He lets the seed in his hand fly into the air. "Fly free my darling!" he shouts, and cackles evily to himself.
Kaori Night leaves him in his glory.
Little do the girls know, that beauty of a car is the Heart Snatcher's seed's target.
"Serena, you should get to Raye's! She'll kill you if you don't get there for Study Buddies!" Mina offers.
"Uh, I'll take my chances. Plus, they wouldn't want me to leave you here all alone! What if something happened to you?"
Mina rolls her eyes and they both hide as Amara walks over to the entrance of the warehouse. They stay hidden as Amara leans against a wall.
"So," Anthony says, "what do you do with yourself while your car's in the shop? I bet you've resorted to other things."
Amara shrugs and chuckles, knowing the two are behind the wall. "Yeah, I guess. I've been keeping busy, virtual racing down at the arcade."
"Did someone say arcade?" Mina says, showing herself. Serena laughs, uncomfortably as Amara looks at them and walks outside.
Amara leans against the barrier of the bridge, back to the girls, and looks out into the sky.
"If you're curious about something, you can stop following me, or spying on me, and just ask." The girls eyes pop.
"No, we weren't following you!" Mina exclaims, hand on her head.
"We're way more mature than that!" pipes in Serena, "We don't follow people around!"
"Oh," says Amara, "then I wonder why two pretty girls would all of a sudden be exactly where I am.."
"I know," Mina raises her hand from her head into the air. Serena follows suit.
"Maybe they want to know how important perfect skin and hair means to you!"
"And beautiful eyes!" Serena chimes in once again.
Amara is puzzled, not understanding what's going on. "Huh?"
Mina keeps rambling. "I mean, is that what you want? Are things serious with her?"
"Yeah!" the peep comes from Serena, curious, but not wanting to get in the way.
Amara raises an eyebrow. "Serious with who? Michelle? Is that who you're talking about?"
"Yes," cries Mina, "are you two.. an item?"
Amara smiles, and chuckles. "You two are funny, but no, we're no item."
The girls are hopeful, and Amara continues, "You two are very sweet, and I know you'll both find your prince charmings someday."
"Or, today." Mina says, her hope soaring through the roof.
"Amara, the love guru," Michelle says, appearing out of almost nowhere, "Amara has this fantasy of people finding true love, and living happily ever after." she says to the girls.
"And there's nothing wrong with believing in that." Amara almost pouts. The girls look back and forth between the two.
"Oh, no, except for it's not even realistic. Anyone who sits around waiting for their knight in shining armor is living in a fake fairytale." Michelle argues.
Amara's eyes roll, "Not again."
The more Michelle puts in her input on love, the more and more outraged Mina gets. How could someone just think love doesn't exist? Everyone has a soul mate, everyone can find true love if they try. True love is real! True love is amazing! People like Michelle are the one's living in a fake world. A world where love exists isn't a real world, love is everywhere.
"I have a question for you, Michelle," Mina says, face red with anger. "If you don't believe in fairytales, does that mean you don't think Amara is your prince charming? Yes or no!"
"Definitely a no."
The girls turn around to consult with each other. "She said no!" Serena says excitedly, "That means Amara is fair gaaaame!"
"Yeah but you aren't, are you forgetting about Darien? How do you think he'd like hearing that you've found a new man for yourself?"
"No no! I would never leave my Darien..we are meant to be!" Serena gets starry-eyed, and starts daydreaming about her handsome prince.
"Exactly, so keep your hands off! Amara is mine!"
They turn back around, and they Amara sits up onto the barrier. They all look in on Anthony, working on the car.
"Anthony is an great mechanic," Amara says, getting excited, "his dream is to be the best mechanic and work for a professional racing team.. I could only imagine how amazing that would be, to be able to listen to the roar of those engines every day, and watching those cars speed around the track.. there is nothing better."
The three girls could see Amara begin to fantasize, those dark green eyes getting dreamy. They all begin to envision the racetrack described, in their heads.
Amara keeps rambling. "It must feel so magical to be behind the wheel of one of those perfect machines."
"Wow," Mina says, "you really love it, don't you?"
Michelle answers, "Amara has always dreamed of being a famous driver-"
Amara cuts her off. "Dreamed. Once. It'll never happen. I'm just not good enough."
"What?" Michelle becomes concerned. Since when did Amara feel this way? Amara has always loved driving, and was faster than the wind that blew. Was something wrong? Maybe their current mission was clouding Amara's hopes for the future.
"You can't give up," says a concerned Mina, "you're so great."
"You can't say that!" says Amara. "You've only see me play a video game. Video games aren't real life you know. They're not real."
"You can't give up Amara!" Serena shouts back immediately, "you have to hold onto your dreams whether or not they're difficult! Giving up is just too easy."
Amara's face becomes grave. "I have come to accept the fact that I can never fufill the dreams I once had. It's just time for me to find a new dream. It's unrealistic to think my old plans can come true now. Racing just isn't my destiny; my destiny has changed."
Michelle puts her hand on Amara's for comfort. Why wasn't this discussed with her before? Why was Amara keeping all this from her? They were so close, and everything was always open between the two.
Feeling she let Amara down, Michelle frowns. What a failure, not being there. How could she not notice something was wrong? Was she blind? She could read the ocean's emotions like words on a page, but why could she not see Amara's sadness? She squeezes Amara's hand.
Inside the garage, Anthony finishes with the car. He gets up, wipes his brow, and grins to himself. This car turned out great. He was so happy at the way everything was working for him.
"Alright beautiful, let's hear you sing." he says, and grabs the keys. Suddenly, everything around him turns black, and he screams, jumping back. The car begins beeping, not the song he expected. Amara and the girls snap into attention.
Seeing, what's happening, Serena wails. Amara jumps up and shouts Anthony's name, but Michelle tightens their hand's grip. Amara looks back.
"Be careful." Michelle whispers, and Amara nods.
The car jumps upright onto it's front, and begins a transformation as Anthony still cries out. It starts screaming just as loud, if not louder. The light coming from it becomes brighter and brighter, in such a dark way. Anthony is terrified, and covers his eyes. The car begins to take shape, into a mutated form of a human being. It's skin becomes pink, eyes form on it's face, below a helmet and above a scowling mouth. In it's hands is a steering wheel; from it's sides four tires. It was a heart snatcher.
"Let's go for a drive!" the heart snatcher bellows, Anthony jumps back again. "What are you!?" he asks, scared out of his mind.
"I'm your creation of destruction and you look ready for some action!" it replies, throwing four restraints at him. They grab all four limbs, lifting Anthony into the air. He screams for help again, and Serena and Mina run after the beast.
"Stop right there!" shouts Serena.
"You leave him alone!" Mina exclaims, and clumsily slips on oil, sending them both crashing. The heart snatcher heads toward Anthony, unphased. Underneath him, the same way he was just underneath the car she inhabited, let's her black star show, sucking his heart from him. He falls unconcious.
"This is what I was after?" She exclaims, somewhat bored. "It's pretty I guess, but what does it do? Who am I to say, I did my job. Off we go!"
She revs her engine and jets off, dust flying behind.
The girls jump out of the mess of gas cans they tumbled into, and Serena sees Anthony's heart has been stolen.
"A mechanic who dreams of fixing cars needs his heart to do that!" she exclaims, as Mina leaps up.
"Amara! Don't worry, I'm okay! Amara?" her face drops. "He ran away? He didn't save me?"
"Uh, hello!" Serena checks her back into reality, "You're a Sailor Scout, YOU'RE supposed to be doing the saving here!"
"Oh, right! I forgot about that," Mina chuckles, and thrusts her hand into the air.
"Venus, Star, Power!" she clutches her pen.
A bright light engulfs Mina, sending her into transformation. Stars surround her, forming her uniform. When she emerges as Sailor Venus, Serena follows her lead and shouts, "Moon, Cosmic Power!"
Her brooch opens, revealing her silver crystal, which emits her power. She too is englufed in a bright light, and completes her transformation quickly. They run out of the garage.
As the heart snatcher is driving down the road, she quickly realizes she is not alone. Shouting "Vroom vroom!" to herself, she tries speeding up to no avail.
Amara and Michelle are hot on her heels on a motorcycle. "Are you ready to put this car out of commission, Michelle?" Amara shouts, and Michelle nods. Amara steers the motorcycle up the side of the barrier, right onto the heart snatcher, who let's out a loud screech as it crashes.
"I hate motorcycles!" she exclaims, "And your's is no acception!"
"Hey, you!" the heart snatcher hears, and looks up. There, standing atop the barrier, is Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus.
"It's the end of the line for you!" shouts Sailor Venus.
Sailor Moon continues where Sailor Venus left off. "Looks like a dead end!"
They both jump down to the heart snatcher's level as she stands up from the crash. She looks around. Amara and Michelle are again nowhere to be found.
"I'm Sailor Moon, the champion of justice! I will right wrongs, and triumph over evil motormouths like you!"
The heart snatcher just cackles. "You're crazy if you think you can stop me! You're right in the middle of my track!" Suddenly, huge spikes emerge from the four tires attached to her sides and the girls get nervous.
"How about you take us on you crazed piece of junk!" comes from nowhere, and the heart snatcher jumps, startled. The two girls look over and see two figures, and are shocked: sailor scouts?
"I'm Sailor Uranus, I'm here to send you back to where you came!" says the short-haired soldier.
"And I'm Sailor Neptune, you better give back that heart crystal or you'll be done for!" is shouted out by the blue-haired scout.
"Sailor Scouts?" questions Sailor Venus, "Who are they!"
"I don't know," replies Sailor Moon, "how many of us are there?"
"Too many of you!" shouts the heart snatcher. She revs her engine once more, but before she has the chance to move, Sailor Uranus released her attack.
"Uranus World Shaking!" A large, massive, orange ball of power comes from the hands raised above her head, and she directs it towards the heart snatcher. A direct hit, and the heart snatcher screams. Sailor Neptune continues the barrage with her own attack:
"Neptune, Deep, Submerge!" the same ball of planet power, this time blue, is shot at the heart snatcher, surrounded by waves. The heart snatcher screams again, and Sailor Venus calls out to Sailor Moon. "Finish her off!"
Sailor Moons nods in agreement, and raised her scepter. "Moon Spiral, Heart Attack!" she exclaims, and the power of beauty that comes from her shatters the heart snatcher's body as it lets out an earpiercing scream.
Amara's car takes form once again, and the seed that had been implanted disappeared.
Sailor Uranus and Neptune examine the heart crystal they hold in their hands.
"It's not a pure one," says Uranus, "it's no good to us."
"I figured," says Neptune, and shouts to the other scouts that they can have the crystal.
"Give it back to who it belongs." says Uranus, and they disappear as quietly as they came.
Sailor Moon and Venus are puzzled. Why wouldn't they be able to have it? And why weren't the other scouts sticking around? Putting aside their questions, they focused on the safety of the heart crystal.
They got back to the garage and returned the crystal to Anthony, making sure he was alright.
Amara and Michelle were nowhere to be found.
"I have a feeling those Sailor Scouts are going to be getting in our way, Michelle."
"Yes I know. I don't like to think they will be too much of a problem, but maybe I'm just being hopeful."
Amara leans back and sips from her cup. Michelle does the same.
"Well, I'm glad you skipped out on Study Buddies to go chase some boy!" shouts Raye, the girl with the raven black hair, crossing her arms.
"It wasn't just a boy!" protests Mina, "He is the man of my dreams!"
"But, we haven't seen Amara or Michelle since the incident at the garage, and they just disappeared.." says Serena quietly. Her curiosity was rising as each minute went by. Where could they have possibly gone, did they not see the trouble right in front of them? Did they maybe get hurt while everything was happening?
Hopefully they got away safely, but that doesn't make anything make any more sense. Nothing makes sense at all, especially those new scouts. Who were they, and where did they come from?
"And what do you think about those scouts you came into contact with?" asked Amy, the smarter, more logical one, "Where do you think they came from?"
"Artemis and Luna are looking into it right now, but they have no idea so far. Either way, I'm psyched to find out what Sailor Uranus and Neptune are like!" Lita pipes in.
Mina is moping on the seat of the racing game that began this fateful day with Amara. Where could he have gone? Her prince charming, her beautiful racing rival. Those beautiful green eyes, that dreamy hair. He was probably off with Michelle somewhere, the girl who didn't even think he was right for her!
All of them stood in the arcade, wondering to themselves their own different questions, especially Serena. She just couldn't stop wondering why Uranus and Neptune didn't stick around.
All Mina cared about was where Amara could possibly be.
"Oh, hello there." they all hear, and look to the arcade entrance. Mina lights up. It's Amara and Michelle! In the same attire as before, Amara has that same red blazer in hand, rather than wearing it, revealing a button up, and some not-so-manly features. Mina is shocked. "Amara! Is that you?!"
Michelle laughs, "Of course it is."
All the other girls jump up. "Where!?" shouts Raye, jumping on Mina's back. Lita leans on their backs, "Where's the cute guy?"
Amara blinks, and laughs. "I guess that would be me."
All the girls look at Mina, and Amara laughs, shrugging. "Sorry if it ruins everything that I'm a girl!"
Mina and the other girls sulk, depressed that there was no hunky prince charming after all. Amy looks at Mina, then at Serena. "I guess that's what happens when you blow off Study Buddies!"
Serena slaps her own forehead. "I guess so, but I can't help when Mina doesn't listen to me."
Amara laughs again. "We just wanted to check in, but we're going to get going. Sorry for the let down, girls."
Without waiting for an answer, the two leave.
Michelle laughs. "I knew something was up with they way they were interested in you."
"I guess, I think you were just jealous." Amara smirks, looking down at her beautiful friend.
"Either way, I think you just broke that poor girl's heart. I think she actually believed you could be her prince charming."
They both get into the blue convertible, and Michelle finishes what she was saying as Amara drives off.
"We both know true love doesn't exist."
"We don't have the time for true love to exist."
Later on that night, Amara is sitting at the table in their kitchen when Michelle walks in. After making herself a cup of tea, she sits down.
"Amara, what's on your mind?" she says, thinking about how earlier that day, Amara expressed how she had given up her dreams of being a race car driver.
"What do you mean? All that's on my mind is our mission, Michelle, you know that."
Michelle nods, and blinks slowly. She looks straight into Amara's eyes.
"Yes, I know, and our mission is our top priority right now. But that doesn't mean you can't still have a bright vision for your future. It doesn't mean you have to give up your passion."
Amara tried not to get angry. What was Michelle trying to accomplish? Ever since they started this journey together, Amara had to constantly be reminded by Michelle that the mission was the only thing they had time for. They were a team that needed to fight together with no distractions. How could she sit here and say that Amara needed to keep hold of the dreams she once had? It made no sense.
Holding in anger was never Amara's strong point. Looking everywhere except Michelle's face, and sighs. Michelle was never one to ever push hopes and dreams on people. Michelle was always the one who had to bring Amara back to reality when it came to the dreams she had. Racing, true happiness, freedom.. true love. All of these things were just not realistic, not anymore. Michelle let her know every day. Every time any of those things ever came up, especially between the two.
"You know that our mission of the pure heart crystals is more important than anything. You remind me all the time, Michelle, don't do this to me. It's not logical to have dreams of being a race car driver; it's just not going to happen. I know I'm good, but it will just never happen. I'll just stick to the video games."
Michelle sips her tea, her heart frowning. Yes this mission needs to be their priority, but that doesn't mean things can never happen for the two of them. Michelle was living her dream as a musician, it was only fair that Amara could do the same. But what could she do? She couldn't allow Amara to be distracted when it could so easily be done. Amara was a dreamer, she lived for things that made her feel a rush: speed, risk, all of that. She was unpredictable when she wanted to feel free. That was why Michelle was so afraid to give her room to run; she may never come back. And, not only could Michelle not lose her, but she knew it would just mess with Amara's head. Once Amara knew what she has to do, she usually sticks to it, but once something comes along that she knows will make her feel that freedom, even for a moment, she's gone. She's after it.
Amara breaks the silence. "You always tell me to keep my focus on our mission. That's what I'm doing. I'm doing it for our future, for the greater good of everybody. I know our duties Michelle.. I know my duties."
Knowing that arguing with Amara would be pointless, Michelle nods in agreement. "Maybe it's best you let racing go."
Amara nods back, but doesn't speak. In her heart, speed is everything. That rush, that feeling is everything. Ever since Michelle came into her life, ever since this mission had been brought before her, speed has been on the backburner, begging Amara to reveal her true self.
But that couldn't happen. In Amara's mind, pushing those feelings to the deepest depths of her heart was the only way to cope.
She had to concentrate on the pure hearts.
The world depended on her.