Hi,
Before getting to the story, I would like to take a few moments to explain why this story was written. Like you, I am a fan of Sailor Moon and enjoy the show. I also enjoy reading fanfics. Well of all the stories on the show in North America and the fanfics there has always been one topic that has never been broached. Why Mina or her Japanese name Minako has never had a boyfriend on the show or even had one mentioned in her past. Of course, Serena has Darien, Rei has a relationship of sorts with Chad, Ami and Greg looked to be serious, and finally Lita has Ken who she does not call a boyfriend but is obviously close to (when she is not chasing after some guy who reminds her of an old boyfriend). This leaves Mina who in my opinion is the most charming, naturally beautiful and endearing of all the scouts. Now you fans of the other scouts this is not meant as a slam against your favorite this is simply my own personal opinion. So this leaves the following question unanswered, why has Mina never had a boyfriend? She seems interested in guys especially Tuxedo Mask and The Moonlight Knight so it is obvious she likes guys. So why hasn't she ever had a boyfriend? It is in this vein that I write this story. I hope you enjoy it.
First Love
By
Louis J. Gagliano
Chapter 1: The Laff Factory
When there weren't enemies that needed to be defeated, it was always a pleasurable experience when the Sailor Scouts would get together. They always enjoyed each other's company not withstanding the occasional fights Serena and Rei would eventually get into. Eventually calmer heads would prevail and everything would be well again. They're individual talents made them a formidable force but their greatest advantage was their friendship.
In the kitchen of her apartment, Lita stood before the pots, pans, and various food items like a samurai warrior in the middle of battle. Reattaching the headband with a sun in the middle of the cloth on her forehead added to the effect while in her baking apron covering the green long sleeved shirt she wore. Chopping vegetables, stirring the pots, tenderizing meats, going to the refrigerator to pull out the food she had prepared earlier for Luna and Artemis so it would still be fresh but not too cold for their taste buds. Stirring one of the pots, again Lita reached out for a small saucer that was barely dipped in a sauce. Bringing it up to her lips she let her educated taste buds go to work. She let the sauce swirl around her tongue before letting it enter her throat. She was not satisfied with its quality and knew what was needed. Going to her spice cabinet, she pulled out a small jar of basil adding two tablespoons and stirred in.
Lita was as proud of her ability to cook as she was thrashing negamonsters and even though the people she was having over tonight were not known as fussy eaters, especially Serena, it did not matter. She wanted to give them a meal fit for a king or in their cases princesses.
The doorbell rang to break Lita's concentration. After stirring a little more she put a lid on the sauce and lowered the temperature. She wiped her hands on her apron before grabbing the doorknob to answer the door. She was surprised to see the diminutive Ami at the door
"Ami, I thought you'd still be at computer class.", Lita commented as she allowed the brains of the Sailor Scouts inside.
"Well I would have but there was a blackout at the school this evening. After a while, the teacher decided to simply let us out for the evening. I hope my coming over early isn't a problem.," explained Ami in her high-pitched voice.
"No problem at all. Make yourself comfortable." Lita assured her.
Ami took in a deep whiff letting the aroma of Lita's cooking wash over her. She licked her lips in anticipation of the meal knowing it would be as wondrous to the palate as it was to the nose. Smiling with satisfaction Lita made her way back to her cooking while Ami sat down to break open one of her study books.
"This sleep over idea of yours was a brilliant idea. I've been getting so excited about it that I had a great deal of difficulty concentrating on my history test today."
Lita kept her head down trying to stifle a laugh. Everybody knew how brilliant Ami was and the very idea of her getting an answer incorrect was almost inconceivable. The girl behind the pots knew that Ami's took her schoolwork very seriously. Every test Ami ever took always seemed to end with a perfect score that was the result of her hard work. It was also why the thought of getting even one answer incorrect bothered her so much.
She decided to let the subject of school drop for the moment, preferring to discuss the business at hand.
"It'll be great. A good meal by yours truly. An all night gossip session. Tomorrow some mall trolling.",Lita contemplated in anticipation.
"Well let's not let our guard down for a second. After all that new threat from the negaverse might show up. We still need to be ready to drop what we're doing if they show up.", Ami fussed.
"They do anything to spoil this weekend and I'll give them something to be sorry for.", muttered Lita to herself even if she knew that Ami was right.
"Don't get too involved in that book Ami. I expect everybody to be here on time tonight." Lita warned.
"Everybody? Even Serena?" ,Ami asked in surprise.
"Uh huh." ,Lita nodded .
"How in the world are you going to pull off that miracle? Being on time is not one of Serena's strong points. ",Ami quizzed.
"Perhaps not normally but let's just say I made her an offer she couldn't refuse." ,Lita smirked with a slightly devilish grin.
The streets starting to turn a golden dusk orange as Serena ran down the street. Her backpack bouncing between the shoulder blades of her pink sweater with each step. Each breath came out quick and labored, her legs were getting weary from the sprint she had put herself through since she left the house. Beside the girl her faithful companion Luna struggled to keep up with her. At one time Luna would have easily outrun the blonde pigtailed girl but as the sailor scout training took their effect Serena's speed and endurance had increased.
"Slow down Serena." ,implored Luna.
"I can't. Lita said if I wasn't there by 6:30 they'd start dinner without me and I'm already late." ,huffed Serena.
In her mad dash Serena turned around the corner around the large building without slowing down, not knowing that there was somebody on the other side. Serena tried to stop her momentum when she saw the eyes of another person who was getting off the bus grow in size in proportion to the mouth gapping open but the speed she had built up was too great. In spite of all efforts Serena crashed into the figure. Luna nearly crashed into the person as well but was able to check her velocity. Serena got up quickly and began bowing wildly.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." ,she repeated over and over as she bowed repeatedly, not able to look into the persons eyes.
"Serena. I think the mailbox accepts your apology?" ,came a familiar but still pained voice.
Serena stopped bowing long enough to open up her eyes and looked up to see that she had been indeed bowing in front of a blue mailbox. Remorse turned into embarrassment and then mortification as she got a good look at the women she had really knocked down. Even though her back was towards Serena as she tried to get up, the familiar long blonde hair tied in the back with a big red bow gave her identity away as well as the sound of her voice. Even from the rear if there had been any doubt as to the identity of her unintended prey it would be confirmed by the white cat near her body. Coming to her side Serena helped her friend up.
"Oh Mina, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me."
Mina looked into the sad eyes of her friend, there was no doubt of the sincerity of the apology for while Serena was many things, vicious or cruel was not among them. She smiled tenderly in the manner that showed there was no ill feelings towards her friend as she wiped off some of the dirt that had gotten on her blue jeans and pink blouse attire she was wearing.
"It's all right, don't worry about it." ,Mina assured her," So why were you running so fast?"
"Lita said...",Serena stopped for a moment as she realized something. Reaching out to grab Mina by the arm she panicked, "Oh no we're going to be really late for dinner now!"
Too stunned at first from being pulled along at a breakneck speed that nearly caused her to lose her balance Mina couldn't react. When her wits returned she began to pull back in an attempt to stop before Serena pulled off yet another calamity.
"Slow down. We've got plenty of time. Dinner isn't until 7.",informed Mina.
"I know and it's...",Serena stopped her sentence short when she realized that Mina thought dinner was later. Letting go of her arm Serena turned around and queried," 7? I was told it was 6:30."
Mina reached into her handbag for the scout transmitter. To most people it was a simple calculator capable of adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and several other calculations but for the Sailor Scouts it had the capacity of voice and visual message transmission Looking around to make sure nobody could eavesdrop on their conversation Mina pressed the activation button. At the upper right of the calculator/communicator video waves weaves back and forth.
"Lita, this is Mina come in please." ,speaking in a hushed tone.
A few seconds passed before the image of Lita appeared in the window.
"This is Lita. Go ahead."
"I seem to be a little confused at what time dinner is tonight. When was I suppose to be there?"
"Seven. Is there something wrong?"
Serena moved her face in front of Mina's to answer that question.
"Only that a certain somebody told me to be there at 6:30 and that if I didn't you'd start dinner without me that's all."
Seeing Serena's angry look, Lita tried to figure out a way to extract herself from the situation gracefully.
"Well Serena... I mean...Well it's like this..."
Not believing what she was hearing Luna shook her head at Artemis lamenting, "If only Serena had the same passion when it came to being a Sailor Scout.".
A taxi cab was making it's way through the evening rush hour traffic. It's driver trying to get the passenger to his destination. Looking briefly in his rear view mirror above the dashboard the driver looked yet again at his fare who sat quietly in the back seat looking out of the side of the cab. At first glance he was amazed by how young he looked. The lad didn't look old enough to be able to produce one whisker. His baseball cap and jacket made him look like he was still in college. A traveler on vacation, an easy target for a cab driver to make a few extra bucks by taking the long way to where he wanted to go. The cab driver lost count of how many fare's he had taken advantage of in this manner. It didn't take long though for the driver to realize that the youth talked with the authority of an experienced traveler who wouldn't be easily conned by the drivers subterfuge. The patron wouldn't even participate in the usual banter the driver had honed over the years to distract the passenger from seeing his deceit. The passenger looked down at his watch, not the first time he'd done that the cabby thought.
"Is that the station?" ,the passenger asked pointing to an extremely tall building with some satellite dishes visible on the rooftop.
"Yes sir. We should be a kilometer or two away from it. You'll be there soon."
As the cab neared the building it pulled over to the curb. The passenger went into his blue jeans for the money to pay the fare plus a considerable tip. It wound up being a much more profitable trip than he would had made with the scam. The passenger got out of the vehicle, and waited. The driver got out of the vehicle to get the passenger's luggage from the trunk. A garment bag with a hook ready to hang up and a traditional piece of travel luggage. The passenger gave a hearty thanks to the driver before grabbing his travel gear to head inside. The driver looked at his passenger one more time. There was something about him that looked familiar but couldn't figure out what. The driver got back into his cab when it struck him who that passenger was.
The young man took the elevator up. He stood among the men and women who came on and off the lift. Among the high priced suits and dresses of the others he looked woefully out of place. If his looking like a comparative vagrant bothered him though it didn't show. He put up with their stares in silence. When the last person got off he was still several stories away from his destination. At the top floor he exited, making his way down the long hallway to the only door on the floor.
On the door was the logo of KJPN one of the television stations of Tokyo. He opened it and walked into the plush office making his way towards the receptionist sitting behind her desk. Because she was in the middle of typing a letter that had been dictated by tape earlier, her headphones prevented her from noticing the presence of the young man. He was willing to wait until she notice him. It gave him the chance to put down his items and look around. Great works of art were on every wall, the seating area looked to be of leather. A rug so plush that his sneakers nearly disappeared beneath it. The business would appear to be doing quite well to afford such a lavish room. It was elegant and done in good taste.
He looked again at the secretary who in his mind was equally elegant and dressed in good taste. Dark hair done up in a bun, the one eye he could see in profile was brown. The dress was a simple white blouse with what appeared to be a dark skirt. An equally dark blouse jacket hung on the back of her chair. From the look of her small hands typing away he guessed that height wise she was on the petite side. The receptionist noticed his presence finally and took off her headphones.
"Yes, can I help you?" ,she asked.
The young man removed his hat and sunglasses to reveal his short brown hair and blue eyes. He nodded to the secretary and replied
"Hi. I'm Shawn Foley. I believe I am expected.".
The secretary's eye's opened wide. Getting up from her chair her embarrassment was obvious as she tried to make up for her lack of speed in greeting him earlier.
"Oh I'm sorry. I didn't recognize...Of course you are expected Mr. Foley."
As the secretary reached for the telephone Shawn gave her a kind smile trying silently to assure her that he took no offense to the perceived faux pas. She pressed down some buttons and waited.
"Mr. K., Mr. Foley is here to see you." ,she announced. A few seconds passed before she spoke again, "Yes sir."
The receptionist hung up the phone then looked up to the young man. She pointed to the door behind her informing him, "Mr. K will see you now."
The young man picked up his items. Part way to the door the secretary asked, "I hope you're not angry with me for not recognizing you right away."
"I'll think about it." ,Shawn teased pretending to look like his pride was injured. He looked straight into her eyes while flashing a smile and a wink. Part devilish, part mischievous, indicating the decision was already made and that she had nothing to worry about.
She smiled back thankful for his understanding nature. She had heard that Shawn wasn't like many of his peers but until that moment she wasn't sure if that was true or just hearsay. He was a refreshing change of pace from the normal clientele that normally came through the door. A bit of a flirter with the ladies to be sure but did so with respect.
Shawn entered the door he was instructed to go through. He expected the new room to be even more glamorous than the waiting area but was disappointed to see that this office was designed for practicality as opposed to any esthetic value. A man sitting down put down some papers he had been looking at on the small end table, got up from his chair as Shawn entered to shake his hand.
"Mr. Foley, nice of you to come by.", The man said.
"A pleasure Mr. Kowhj... Kow...",Shawn struggled trying to properly pronounce the man's real name.
"Just call me K., everybody else does. My own countryman have trouble saying the name right so don't feel bad if you can't. I wish you would have told us you had arrived at the airport. I would have gladly sent one of the members of my staff to pick you up." ,Mr. K said.
"It worked out much better this way. I didn't attract attention and got here with plenty of time to spare. I could use a favor though. After the show I've got to catch the flight back to Honolulu. I'll be cutting it kind of close as it is. Could you make sure a cab would be waiting when we are done tonight?" ,Shawn asked.
"I'll do better than that." ,Mr. K assured him as he moved to the phone. Pressing the button down he called, "Nikki. Mr. Foley has to catch a flight after the show. Make the special transportation arrangements to Tokyo International." ,he commanded.
Shawn waited for his host to hang up the phone so they can get to his real purpose for being in Tokyo.
"So have you seen the building yet?" ,Shawn wanted to know.
"Yes, they just completed the construction two weeks ago. The only thing they haven't gotten to yet is the blessing. We've been waiting for your arrival on that. Since you won't be in town for very long today we'll just wait for when you and the others return from America next week. I want to get as much publicity as possible by having you there." ,Mr. K supplied.
" You'll get no argument from me. I want to open the factory to a full house if at all possible. At least with your company sponsoring the first three years, the factory be able to eliminate any financial difficulty before it can get itself established." ,Shawn concurred.
"It simply made good business sense to do so. We sponsor The Laff Factory for 3 years, plug the appearances so people will come to see them and as new talent gets noticed we'll have first rights to them appearing on my show. Speaking of the show you don't plan on going on like that do you?" ,Mr. K asked.
Shawn pointed down to the garment bag, "I've got a change of clothes with me. After the last show there was only enough time left to shower so I wouldn't have a smell that would offend skunks while the others got what I needed for the show tonight from the hotel."
Mr. K nodded his head understanding before suggesting, "Well you certainly must be hungry after such a long flight. Airline food never does seem to fill the bill does it. I suggest you get some dinner before going through makeup and wardrobe. There is a lovely restaurant down the block from here."
"You'll get no arguments from me." ,smiled Shawn.
"You lied to me Lita! How could you do such a thing!" ,demanded Serena who was still upset and wasn't satisfied with the explanation Lita gave of," I needed you here on time and thought it was the best way to do it."
"And you are on time for a change. I'll have to remember that the next time we need you at the temple." ,Rei chirped in obnoxiously
Lita gave a hard look to Rei, she wasn't helping matters at all. While she had expected a little heat for her deception Lita wasn't ready for the verbal barrage Serena was putting on her. Normally her significant height advantage over the other scouts, not to mention her amazon features was enough to make them think twice before confronting her even if she had been wrong. Rei's smile quickly disappeared deciding to simply become a spectator again.
"Well what do you have to say for yourself?" ,Serena directed.
"You're right." ,Lita finally conceded, feeling a little ashamed of herself.
In her rage Serena almost didn't realized that Lita had agreed with her assessment of the situation given that the mahogany haired spitfire was not known for giving up so easily from a fight, physical or verbal. Mouth wide open about to spit her venom further the blonde girl stopped, recognizing that she had won. Her eye's popped wide open as her mouth shut indicating her stunned reaction.
"I am?" ,Serena prompted.
"I should have been honest with you from the start about dinner, the sleep over and everything. After all we're suppose to be able to trust each other all the time right? If we can't trust each other with something like this how can we trust each other when we're fighting as the Sailor Scouts and..."
The others watched while Lita struggled to come up with the proper apology that was turning into a speech. Admitting that she made a mistake was not one of her strong points and trying to make amends for them was an even weaker skill.
Ami who had been laying on the sofa trying to stay out of the fight decided now was the time to intervene. She closed the study book resting against her updrawn knees and suggested, "If you're trying to apologize why not simply say 'I'm sorry Serena, please forgive me.' "
From the kitchen Lita heard Ami's proposal and like any other answer she had given in the past it was usually the correct one. She took a deep breath, looking Serena straight in the eye to hopefully erase any possible doubt of sincerity and said it.
"Serena, I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
Serena was too stunned by the turn of events to say anything which Lita interpreted as a lack of acceptance. Turning to a nearby cupboard Lita opened it to remove one of her homemade muffins. She offered it to Serena as a peace offering.
"Please Serena I don't want this weekend to start off on a wrong foot." ,she implored.
Serena accepted the muffin from her friends hands but tried to look as if she was angrier than she really was.
"Oh...I guess I can forgive you." ,letting a smile of satisfaction cross her lips.
Glad that the fight was over Lita moved back to the final preparations for the nights dinner while Serena moved over to the couch next to Mina holding an icepack against the bruise on her left hip from the incident. Splitting the muffin in half she offered a share to her blonde friend.
"Here. You deserve this as much as I do." ,Serena stated.
Eating the muffin Mina thought to herself that this was almost worth the pain of getting wiped out by Serena.
Rubeus looked intently at the blueprint of the future Crystal Tokyo from the 24th century. Next to it was a citywide map of the Tokyo of the present. Still feeling the sting from the latest defeat at the hands of the Sailor Scouts he endeavored to find another crystal point in the future and cross reference the current map to determine it's location in this era.
"Rubeus!" ,a deep ghostly voice called out.
He turned around to see the apparition. It's two glowing eyes staring at him. As usual there was no expression from the figure which under normal circumstances would make it difficult to determine the reason for the visit but with the visit coming so soon after their most recent loss this was definitely not a social call.
"Wiseman...",Rubeus started to say.
"You have disappointed me again! Don't give me any more of the excuses you've continually provided me. If we are to change the outcome of the future was with Crystal Tokyo, the past must be changed. You have not helped matters with the continual loses by you and the four sisters. You have captured no crystal points, nor the 'rabbit'."
"It's those accursed Sailor Scouts. They are as bothersome in this time as they've been in yours." ,Rubeus stated in his defense.
"I said no more of your excuses!" ,the Wiseman bellowed.
Rubeus was taken aback from the force of his statement realizing that silent submissive servitude was called for in this instance.
"I've got a special mission for you and the sisters. This is more than just the simple conquering of a crystal point. This will devastate the morale of the citizens of Crystal Tokyo changing the tide of our battles. I'm sending you the information now."
Rubeus looked at the data the wiseman sent. Computing the information to his current map coming up and comparing it to the map of the Tokyo of the present he scrutinized the facts.
"The Laff Factory?" ,he quizzed.
"Yes. It is a place where people go to be entertained. To laugh. A place that will keep the spirits of those who go there high and happy. In our time even during the heaviest attacks it stands there keeping the populace from understanding the futility of resisting the Dark Moon. Destroy it in the past and it will not be a part of our future. I want the Laff Factory filled with negaenergy then burned."
Another image began to overlay on the map. The picture of a young man.
"And who is this?" ,asked Rubeus.
"His name is Shawn Foley. He is responsible for bringing The Laff Factory into Tokyo. A fool who seems to feel that laughter can overcome anything. He is called by some "The Prince of Comedy."
"And what do you want us to do with him?"
A big red "X" scrolled down across the facial image.
"Kill him."
Serena put the last bite of the pie on her plate in her mouth. Her tastebuds still relishing the confectionery talents of her amazon friend.
"Oh Lita. That was the best dinner I've ever had." ,she complimented
"I started getting that feeling you thought that. After all you only had three helpings of pie and seconds on dinner. You keep this up and you won't be able to fit into your uniform." ,teased Lita.
Serena put her head down and blushed in embarrassment as her friends started laughing. She knew that the giggles were not meant in a mean way but it still flustered her.
Lita got up from her chair to start cleaning up the table. She put a few plates on top of each other before taking them into the kitchen. The others took her lead and started bringing in glasses, forks, knives, and so forth. Each item was placed into the dishwasher.
"So Lita, what's new in your life?" ,asked Mina who because she went to a different school from Lita, as well as Serena and Ami, didn't always have a chance to catch up on the gossip of the day.
"Well I did meet this boy yesterday and...",she started to say
"and he reminds you of your old boyfriend.", the rest of the group quickly chimed in having heard the phrase from her time and time again. They all laughed.
"I just wish we could have met that old boyfriend you are always talking about so we can see what it is about him that has you seeing other hunks and seeing him in them. He must have really been something." ,stated Rei.
"Actually he was something." ,Lita confirmed before muttering under her breath," Even if he was a big jerk when he dumped me."
Once the topic of boys was brought up it was all that the girls would talk about. Serena discussed how was still as upset as she was befuddled by the actions of Darien. She still could not understand why he kept saying he didn't love her anymore yet whenever she was in the slightest danger he would come to the rescue. Rei talked about the love/hate relationship she was having with Chad. That the ex rock and roll drummer was a hunk but how he did two things that constantly irritated her. The fact the he didn't know when she was playing hard to get which he interpreted as a refusal but even that was minor to the times when he would sing. She wished there was a way she could bottle the sound that comes out of his mouth. It would drive away any evil spirit within 100 meters. Lita talked about the new guy she met but also talked quite a bit about Ken too.
Ami shared some good news with the group. She had gotten an E-Mail from Greg that he was coming back to Tokyo with his parents next weekend. The young man who she had fallen in love with a while back had continued to keep communicating with her to the best of his ability, but with the constant moving around dictated by his fathers business sometimes put a strain on the relationship.
"So Ami have you let him kiss you yet?" ,boldly asked Rei.
She knew the question would make Ami blush and the smallest member of the scouts did not disappoint her. The crimson on her cheeks showed the degree of embarrassment she was feeling. That didn't stop Rei from making her even more embarrassed.
"I take that as a yes. So how good a kisser is he? What does he do?" ,she continued to heckle.
Rei noticed that there was a lack of laughter suddenly at her jokes. Looking around she noticed that the other scouts looked at her offended. They were letting her know without saying a word that she was going too far . Rei began to feel quite uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting and decided it was best to change the subject. She cleared her throat before speaking.
"So Mina, how is everything on the boyfriend front for you?" ,she quickly said then stayed quiet.
The girl with the big red bow just shrugged her shoulders.
"Same as usual, same as usual."
"You know Mina its a shame that you don't have a guy of your own. I mean look at you. You should have guys chasing after you left and right." ,observed Lita.
"Oh some have tried to chase but I wouldn't let them catch me. I just...they just wasn't what I wanted." ,Mina confessed.
"Oh!" ,said the girls collectively in surprise. While Mina was always kind, gentle, and supportive, she didn't talk about herself much.
"So what would your dream guy be like?" ,pressed Lita not wanting to let the window of opportunity pass to learn more about her golden haired friend.
Mina looked for a moment like she didn't want to answer the question. While always willing to hear what others had to say she didn't feel quite as comfortable talking about herself. Even now in the presence of her closest friends she was hesitant to talk of her wants and desires. She put her best face forward and answered.
"Well...First of all he'd be somebody I can talk to comfortably. He'd make me feel warm and at ease when we're together. That he'd like a lot of the things I do. He'd be understanding since there would be times we couldn't be together because of scout business. Of course being a hunk certainly wouldn't hurt, but above all else he'd have to be able to make me laugh."
As she was describing her dream guy she was unconscious of the fact that her arms started to cross across her chest. Her hands started to caress the upper arms up and down. The eyes while looking in the direction of the other scouts were not registering their presence. Her lips turned upward in a sparkling smile while her mind was deep in thought dreaming of such an individual.
"Looks like you have somebody in mind there Mina." ,noted Lita.
"Not really." ,she responded," It just a dream that I've often had of how he would look, and behave. Who knows maybe someday I'll run into him."
"Well I hope so Mina. You deserve a guy who is nothing less than great." ,offered Serena in support.
"I'm willing to wait." ,Mina spoke optimistically.
Rubeus paced back and forth in the stealth aircraft that hovered over the Tokyo of the present. With each step his anger continued to grow, seething with each stride. He arrived expecting the four sisters to be there and their disappearance made an already rabid Rubeus even angrier.
Prizma was the first to come through the teleportation mirror carrying a small bag of items, Avery followed with a smaller bag. Catsy and Birdy concluded. They noticed their leader's presence.
"Rubeus!" ,they all happily exclaimed as one.
Their boss kept his back towards them to keep his temper in check.
"So where have you been? As if I didn't know."
"Well you know a girl needs a few things from time to time. Lipstick, mascara. After all a girl has to look her best at all times." ,Prizma explained.
"But we didn't forget about you. We found something you are just going to love." ,added Catsy.
Reaching into her bag Catsy pulled out a small box which had been wrapped and bowed. Presenting it to Rubeus the girls noticed for the first time his angry mood. He snatched the box from Catsy not so gently and ripped off the bow then the wrapping. Opening the box he pulled out a rounded crystal with impressions within it. As he held it towards the light Rubeus recognized it as the moon. He turned the crystal until he could see the area where the Dark Moon Kingdom was, in a place where human beings had never discovered.
"We saw it and thought it would be something you'd like." ,offered Birdy as a means of explaining the gift.
Rubeus walked away from the girls holding the gift in his hands while the girls began to breath a collective sigh of relief that they had appeased his anger.
Relief turned to surprise as Rubeus whirled around and threw the crystal at Catsy's head. The sphere missed by only the narrowest of margins when she ducked the throw. The crystal impacted itself against the wall shattering into many pieces. The ladies were stunned and unable to respond as their leader began to bellow. He pointed to the now demolished orb.
"You see that! That is what is happening to the dark kingdom right now. It is being destroyed piece by piece and what are you doing about it? You're shopping! You want to get me a gift? Then get me either the silver imperial crystal, get me a crystal point or get me that blasted 'rabbit'!"
He had the full attention of his subordinates who didn't dare move, or attempt to defend what happened.
"I just got a little visit from Wiseman. To say he has been displeased with us is putting it mildly and I can not blame him. The wiseman has been patient with us but that patience isn't infinite. He is at the end of his composure and so am I. You either start getting your act together or pretty soon the 4 sisters will be no more."
Rubeus looked at the foursome. Their silence spoke volumes. He had their attention totally and he was determined to make sure he kept it. He lowered the volume of his rage several notches as he continued.
"Now, you have another chance to do this right. The wiseman has sent us a very special mission. Now lets get it right."
Rubeus began to describe the mission exactly as the wiseman had given it to him. He made sure that there was no misunderstanding what had to be done. The fact that the ladies asked him many questions gave him a good feeling about the success of this mission. Rubeus finished the meeting by showing a clip of Shawn Foley from the same time frame they were in so the ladies could recognize him on sight.
The area was referred to as the "green room". It was the place where people sat and waited until such time as they were called to come on the show. Shawn Foley looked with amusement noting that of all the green rooms he had been in this was the first time in his memory that it was painted green. He sat alone in the room watching the television set where the talk show was in progress.
The door of the room opened up where a young lady popped her head in.
"Five minutes, Mr. Foley." ,she announced.
Nodding his head, he stood up and grabbed the cup of water from the end table and a bag that was next to him. The pair walked silently through the backstage area until they were behind the curtain to the stage. The sounds of the show still in progress could be heard.
Trying to keep quiet Shawn began to pace nervously back and forth. The women noticed the serious expression on his face. Head bent down, eyes focused on the floor as he took 5 steps in one direction then 5 coming back, hands shaking around trying to keep them loose. He took a deep breath then threw his head from side to side.
"Are you all right? Is there something I can do for you?" ,his escort inquired with a whisper.
"No, but thanks. Just getting ready." ,he explained.
The women continued to watch as pacing turned into a semi-jog, followed by running in place at the fastest speed he was capable of. Putting one leg on the table he leaned forward stretching the hamstring so a muscle won't get pulled, then doing the same with the other limb. Small amounts of sweat started forming on his forehead when he finally stopped. His eyes had a focused look similar to a boxer before a fight.
From the other side of the curtain music was heard playing then a voice yelling, "Clear!"
The women wiped the sweat off his brow and touched up the area with makeup so as to prevent his forehead from coming across shiny with the hot lights when the camera started transporting the signal to the airwaves. A small microphone was picked up nearby and the women started to attach it to the side of his shirt collar when he pulled back.
"Wait a minute. I almost forgot something."
The women started to get a little nervous. The break would only last a minute and she had to make sure to get the microphone in place or else his voice would not get picked up. She looked on as the man pulled a black T-shirt out of the bag and started to put it on being very careful not to smear any of the makeup that had been put on. The women quickly attacked the microphone to the T-shirt.
"We need a sound check Mr. Foley." ,she asked as she signaled the technician in charge of the sound.
"O. K. here I go. I have come here to chew bubble gum and kick butt, and I'm all out of bubble gum."
"30 seconds!" ,yelled a voice from the outside of the curtain.
"I hear 30. Do I hear 35? 35, 35, 35, 35. Yes we've got 35. Going for 40. Do I hear 40, 40, 40. 35 going once, 35 going twice. Sold to the gentleman in the yellow hat for 35." , Shawn spoke doing a an impersonating an auctioneer. until given the thumbs up from the technician.
"We've got good sound here." ,the man said.
While trying to stifle her giggling the women gave a final spot check to Shawn pulling a few pieces of lint from the shoulder of his T-shirt. Even though it was so small it was doubtful they would be seen by the camera the women was paid to made sure all the guests on the show looked his best.
"All right. Now when we pull the curtain back the stage will be three steps to your right and the platform will be there. Be careful to step up when you get to the platform or you may fall. The other guests will have been moved over to the other seats so that you'll be sitting next to 'K' for your interview. ",the women instructed.
"Now this will be live right?" ,Shawn inquired.
"Right so if something goes wrong we can't yell cut and start over. Just keep going. If there's a problem follow 'K's lead. He'll know how to handle it.
"10 seconds."
"And will this be going out live to all of Japan?"
"Yes."
Shawn waited just behind where the curtain would open up. Kicking his left leg forward slightly then the right. His arms being shaken to keep himself loose and his energy level high.
"Break a leg Mr. Foley." ,the women encouraged.
Shawn put out his left hand in a fist. The women put her right hand in a fist and tapped the offered grip over the top. Shawn replied in kind as the women knew from her experience that this was considered a form of good luck by certain superstitious performers. As the man from the other side of the curtain counted down from 5, Shawn was ready to make an impression on the people of Tokyo.
The Sailor Scouts were watching the television set tuned to " 'K' Hour." Their gossip session caused them to miss the first part of the hosts monologue but they didn't miss the interview with a sumo wrestler who had won a tournament, followed by a skit, and then a singer who was releasing her new CD. As the show came out of commercial 'K' sat behind his desk.
"Well its been pretty wild here tonight and something tells me that things are about to get a lot wilder when we bring our next guest out. He comes to us from The United States via England and is considered one of the hottest young comics in the world today. He has already been dubbed the prince of comedy, and will be appearing at the grand opening of the Tokyo branch of The Laff Factory. Ladies and Gentleman here is Shawn "The Flake" Foley!"
The curtains pulled back and Shawn raced out with a shopping bag hugged in his left arm like a football. The crowd was surprised by the T-shirt he was wearing. It was a shirt to promote the opening of The Laff Factory. On the otherwise solid black shirt there was the design of a cream colored factory with white smoke billowing from the smokestacks where they would eventually form into the Greek mask of comedy. Dropping the bag he began pumping his arms showing how excited he was to be there and the audience responded wildly. He grabbed the bag and started running into the seated crowd. A portable camera followed him as he found an empty seat in the gallery where he promptly sat next to a women who was caught off guard by his actions. She laughed though was a little embarrassed as he put his arm around her and started pointing to the stage pretending he was just part of the audience and her date. Shawn noticed the women's chagrin so he let her off the hook quickly by pulled out an identical T-shirt from the bag, handing it to her and whispering something to her that only she would ever hear. He snatch the bag again and made his way back down to the main floor where he threw 3 more shirts into the audience who grabbed them. Finally he ran full speed to the main interview area where the guests and the host were laughing at his bold actions. A bow to the audience, a wave, and Shawn sat down to the ovation of the crowd.
At Lita's house the other scouts laughed just as wildly with Serena's hyena laugh the loudest of all. Even the normally formal Luna found amusement in the antics of this brazen individual. Artemis however went to Mina who wasn't joining in the laughter. He saw her freeze up the moment the gentleman's name was mentioned. Sitting farther away from any of the other scouts her actions were not noticed by the others but Artemis knew there would be some reaction from the lady who he was the guardian of and most likely it wouldn't be the one the other scouts had.
Mina picked up Artemis and started petting him. He purred trying to help her as the other girls continued to watch.
"First of all Shawn, I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have you on our show tonight. Words just can't express the gratitude I feel towards your being here and I don't know what I could do to make your being here more pleasurable."
"Well a little money wouldn't hurt." ,Shawn humorously deadpanned.
The audience responded positively to the humor as the host tried to bring the show back on track.
"So have you been enjoying yourself here?"
"Oh I've been having a great time in...",Shawn stopped.
He rolled his eyes upward as if trying to remember something, then went into the back pocket of his slacks for a piece of paper which he pulled out and unfolded. He peeked at the paper.
"Tokyo." ,he finished.
The crowd again laughed, which made the young superstar bolder in his approach. For the next ten minutes Shawn delighted the audience with his brand of humor. Sometimes irreverent, often bizarre, with answers that made little sense but were done with an attitude that brought the crowd enjoyment. Every question posed to him by the host was greeted with an offbeat answer which led to more laughter from the throng. Eventually the host finally gave up trying to keep the discussion serious when he realized that the audience was enjoying the insanity and babbling so he let Shawn take the questions on whichever tangent he decided to take it. Only at the last possible moment when the host brought the levity down to earth.
"I could talk with you all night long but we have to stop for a moment for a commercial. We will be back in a moment to continue with Shawn "The Flake" Foley.
"Well let them go to commercial and you and we'll just keep on talking here.", Shawn suggested.
All the guests sat forward so the camera could see them all but the camera began to push forward to begin getting a close up of the host. The crowd and those at home saw Shawn with his hands on his lap suddenly lift his right wrist up and crook his pinkie finger up and down appearing as if it was a mini wave.
Back at Lita's place, Mina's eyes were starting to water and her breathing ragged as her emotional buttons were being pushed. She couldn't show this in front of the others though. Letting go of Artemis she got up, making her way to the bathroom and closed the door gently. There alone in the room she began to let her feelings express themselves in tears overflowing her eyelids and going down her cheeks. Slowly at first then the emotional dam cracked, then shattered.
"Mina?" ,came the soft gentlemanly voice of Artemis.
It took her a moment to realize that there was a second presence in the room. She saw her guardian jump up from the floor to the sink counter. He looked at her with concern in his eyes and not just because she was a sailor scout. They were more than owner and pet, even more than friends. They had a bond that nobody else could understand. He knew more about the young blonde girl than anybody including things that she would rather not remember.
"No Artemis, I don't want to talk about it."
"You may not have much of a choice much longer. He's coming here and obviously you still haven't dealt with what happened the last time. You have to talk about it."
"No...",she stubbornly insisted,"...and don't you dare tell the others. Remember you promised that you'd never tell."
Artemis stood there feeling like an idiot. How could he have known when he made that promise in England that their paths would ever cross again. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw that the crying had made her eyes redden so she turned on some cold waters and splashed her face with it.
"He used the signal. How could he do such a thing." ,she muttered to herself as she dried her face with a towel.
"So what are you going to do about this?" ,Artemis quizzed.
The young women stared into the mirror but the white tabby wondered if she was really seeing anything at that moment.
"Nothing." ,she answered then paused for a moment before continuing, "Lets get real here. He's a star now. He's going to be so busy with what he's doing I'll bet that we never meet. The odds of us meeting are so remote I bet not even Ami could compute it. Besides I'll bet he's forgotten all about me. He's probably even forgotten what that signal he gave meant."
Sitting there he knew that certain aspects of what the young girl had said was true but the last sentence shocked him. He also realized that this was not to time to dredge up the past, especially with the other scouts just outside the door in the other room. This called for timing and tact. Characteristics that were not Artemis's strong suit but he would try his best for her sake.
Lita announced that the commercial was almost over and that the show would begin soon. Mina snatched a tissue from nearby and blew her nose to finish her preparations for being seen by the others again.
As she came out the show had come out of commercial. 'K' was getting last minute comments from his guests from the show before thanking the audience and saying good night before the show finished for the night.
"Oh that Shawn Foley is just wicked cool." ,praised Serena.
"And so quick, he must be really smart to be able to come up with all those witty remarks right off the top of his head." added Ami.
"What a hunk." ,admitted Rei.
"He was something else, wasn't he Mina?" ,asked Lita
For a moment Mina was trying to clear her throat to hide her emotions. Trying to pass the comment off as casual she said, "Yeah he's something else."
"Cut and Clear! That's a wrap folks. Great show tonight." ,came a voice from over the speakers of the stage.
Shawn quickly took off his mini microphone and placed it on the table where it was quickly scooped up. His face only moments ago at ease was now showing pressure and stress. Shaking the hands quickly of the other guests and a few well wishers on the crew he turned to his host for the evening and shook his hand as well.
"Thanks for tonight. Had a great time. Wish I could stay but I've got about half an hour to catch my flight." ,he hastily spoke.
"Relax, everything has been taken care of. Your valise is already checked on and we've got a helicopter on the roof fueled and ready to take you to the airport."
The women who had brought him from the dressing room to the stage walked up to gently grasp him by the arm.
"This way sir." ,she asked.
The pair walked to an exit and made their way up the stairs to the roof where the helicopter was waiting and running . At the top step the women handed Shawn a clipboard.
"We need you to sign a couple of forms before you go. They are the travel vouchers for the helicopter. Please sign here, here and here."
Shawn did as instructed on the forms. As he pulled the third form over, before the women could stop him he found a picture of himself underneath the third form. The signature on the third form pushed down and made an impression on his picture. The women looked worried that he would be angry at her subterfuge and tell her boss. She tried to explain her actions.
"I'm sorry. I just had to get your autograph. I've been following your career since I first saw you on television via the BBC. Please don't tell them what I did." ,she implored.
He looked at her trying to determine if she was being honest with him or was running a scam behind the scenes. He looked deep into her eyes which flickered with fear and apprehension. This was not the first time somebody had tried such a stunt and her remorse seemed genuine.
"What's your name?" ,he requested.
"Mina." ,she shakily said.
He smiled at the women warmly and then started writing on the picture. Handing to the women she looked at it. Over the original impression was his penned signature and the message," Mina, Keep on laughing. Shawn"
Relieved and without thinking she threw her arms around Shawn and hugged him in thanks , then remembering her status she pulled back embarrassed. Looking up she found him smiling at her.
"I'd like to get seconds on that, but I've got to go." ,he joked.
Shawn went through the door and entered the helicopter. As the blades began to turn Shawn waved to the pretty assistant who watched from the safety of the other side of the door. The helicopter began to pull upward towards the sky as the women went down the stairs with the picture and the memories she had.
It wasn't until the chopper was no longer visible that the women bounced down the stairs happily. She had a momento that she would keep for the rest of her life and a memory that would last just as long.