A/N: Again, crappy, but it gets interesting around here... trust, me, if you keep reading, the rest will get better. R&R! The Epic of Starburst-Part Three- Birthday Battle It's been a week since I first came here. I've met all the Sailor Scouts, and everything has been explained. I love my powers, they're so cool! I'm strong like Uranus and Jupiter. I can have premonitions, like Mars. I have knowledge of the future and past like Pluto. I'm smart like Mercury. I'm in tune with the ocean like Neptune. I can also use any of their attacks, if I need to, when I'm transformed, but I also have my own attacks. They're really powerful. I'm living at the shrine for now. Serena has decided that I should have a birthday party, and make the day I changed, my new birthday (June 21). So today I'm having my birthday party, even though my birthday was a week ago. "Wow, this is so cute!" I exclaim, as I open my present from Serena, a little stuffed bunny dressed in a kimono covered with stars. So far I had gotten a new shirt, new pants, an encyclopedia (from who else, but Ami), a subscription to a fashion magazine and a cake (yum!) from Lita (she baked it herself). "You guys really shouldn't have gotten me anything. You've given me so much already," I said, referring to their power. "You still have one more gift," Trista said. "My gift to you is I will take you back to your old home, for however long you want." "Is that possible?" I asked. Trista nodded. "Thanks, really! That's so cool! When can I go?" I wanted to see Pheobe's house again. I know it wasn't a part of me, but I kind of missed it. I never even said goodbye to it. "We can go tomorrow. We should at least finish the party first!" Trista replied. I thought that was a great idea. So we hung out and partied for a while. Trista decided to spend the night at the shrine, so that we could go tomorrow in the morning. I couldn't wait. The next morning, after breakfast, Trista opened the portal. She took me to Pheobe's room. "I'll be back when you need me," she said, before leaving back through the portal. I couldn't believe it. But here I was, lying on my old self's bed in her room. I was looking at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had happened since I had last been in this room. It was incredible, so much had happened in only one week. Meanwhile, back at the Shrine..... The group was gathered at the front steps of the shrine. "Well, she came," Amara said, "now we wait for this horrible enemy." Rei shivered, she was getting a bad feeling. Then, out of nowhere, a creature jumped out at them. "That wasn't a long wait," Serena noted, only half joking. It resembled a human, except it had really long arms, legs, and fingers, with long nails that were made of sharp metal. It was black and definitely evil. Four more appeared, a total of five. The girls transformed, ready for battle. Pheobe's house........ "Phoebe, where have you been?" I was startled to hear my old name. My parents had entered the room. "What...who?" my mom couldn't speak. My dad looked as if he were ready to have a heart attack. To see their daughter after she's been missing for a week, except with silver eyes and hair, gave them quite a shock. I thought that they would have reacted worse. I never thought that they would actually be here. This would cause a few problems. Trista said that if I encountered them, I would have to tell them some of the story, but leave out the parts about me being a Sailor Warrior, my destiny, the other scouts, why I left, and that kind of stuff. "Uh, hi, I'm Euclea," I began, extending my hand to my former parents. They stared at me in confusion. "Pheobe, what are you talking about?" my dad asked. I flinched. I hated being called by that name. It was no longer a part of me and when someone called me that, it made me remember Eden and the life I lived before I became a Sailor Warrior. "I'm Euclea. Maybe we should go downstairs to talk in the living room," I suggested. As I followed them down the stairs and to the living room, I mentally started forming what I was going to say to them. They sat down on the armchairs. I sat opposite them, on the couch. "Pheobe's personna died when she first disappeared," I explained, "you are never going to see her again." Gee, I thought to myself, aren't I sounding sooo optimistic. "I'm sorry," I continued, "When she disappeared she became me, Euclea. Then I had to go help some friends of mine, and that's where I belong now." I paused. They looked blankly at me. Not only did I keep giving them depressing news, I was also really confusing. "Does that make any sense?" I asked, receiving no response. "I guess not, but that's all I can tell you. I hope it has answered at least a few questions for you." My mom started to cry. I didn't know what else to say. Back to the battlescene....... "GROUND SHAKING!" Uranus shouted, taking down the last of the odd creatures. They hadn't even said anything, the creatures simply jumped right into battle. Now they all lay on the ground, obviously in much pain. "Who are you? Why have you come?" inquired Sailor Jupiter. "The Dark Queen, she looks for the Pandorean Energy. It will help her take over the universe. All will be dark and evil, and good shall exist no more. We are the dark soldiers, we are one of her strongest units, but not the strongest. She commanded us to come to do battle, to see where the energy lies. We have not found it, we have failed," explained the dark creature in a raspy voice. The creatures left in a swirling mist. This was a frightening bit of news for them. They had no idea what this was about. Clearly, their newest enemy had found them. Pheobe's house.......... "I'll be leaving soon. Could you thank Eden for me?" I asked, remembering Pheobe's love. They nodded a yes. Apparently they were at a loss for words. "I'll spend the rest of my time here in Pheobe's room." I got up, smoothed out my skirt, and walked to the door. "Thank you," my mom whispered, "for explaining. Take care of yourself." I turned around and smiled. "Your welcome," I said softly, and returned to Pheobe's room. As I had expected, Trista had known about everything that would happen and was waiting in Pheobe's room beside the portal for me. "'I'm sorry about what happened down there," she said. "Don't worry about it. I'm not that close to them, anyways. Thank you, it was a great birthday present, even if it didn't turn out too great," I replied. Before we entered the portal, I took one last look at my room. Then we entered the portal and began to walk back home. The shrine........ The girls sat around the room, back in their normal form. They had gotten some scrapes and cuts during the battle. Though the creatures claimed not to be the strongest, they had certainly put some damage on them. This new enemy was strong. "What do you think they mean?" Mina asked. "Whatever they mean means we have to watch our backs again. Any idea about what the energy could be?" Amara asked the cats. They were the ones that usually had information on the enemies. "It probably is a great and powerful energy, which our enemy wants to take over the universe with and extinguish all good. That's all we know, and that's what we got from the creatures. Don't worry, we'll be able to beat this enemy. I mean, it's not like some person trying to take over the universe with something we have is something that we haven't dealt with before," Artemis replied, not really giving them any information. "But what could it be? Even with Uranus and Neptune using their talisman's, and me using my scpeter during the battle, the creatures still said that they hadn't found what they were looking for. We don't really have any other objects that they would want," Serena said. That fact really got them confused. "At least Trista and Euclea are coming back soon. Maybe they know something?" Rei suggested, trying to be helpful. But all they could do was wait for their return, which wouldn't be long. Through the portal.......... We walked in silence. I didn't even have to ask the question, "Did anything happen while I was gone?" to know that something obviously had. I could tell by Trista's quick stride that she was anxious to get back. I was worried. I also had a vague sense of what was to come, like Trista, and what I saw was not good. But that wasn't all of it. Something had happened a short while ago that was also not peachy keen. Our footsteps echoed in the silence. "We're almost there," Trista said. I tensed, knowing that I was going to find out something I didn't want to find out once I left the portal. What choice did I have? I exited the portal, following Trista. The girls looked up as we entered the room. The sight I saw was not pretty. They had been in a battle, I could see their wounds. Nothing major, I noted, but enough to know that this was a strong new enemy. "So I take it our new enemy has arrived?" I asked, "They are strong, did you beat them?" "Yes, for now. It wasn't too hard, but they can do damage. They are looking for the Pandorean Energy," Ami explained. "Who are they?" Trista asked. "They are the dark soldiers, commanded by the Dark Queen. We can't figure out what the energy that they want is. Do you guys know anything?" Lita asked. "No. Tell us exactly what happened," Trista said. I half listened to what happened at the battle. My mind was already putting together a suspicion of what the energy is. I knew it was entirely likely, but I didn't want to tell anyone. So I stayed silent while they discussed what the energy might be, how strong the enemy's attacks might be, and how to fight them. Luckily, just as Luna turned to ask me something, Serena's stomach saved me. "Hey, I have a great idea! We should go out for ice cream! Food for thought, you know!" she exclaimed. We all groaned. How typical of Serena. Always thinking about food. Still she had a point, so soon we were all sitting in the park, eating ice cream. I went off to explore the gardens. I hadn't noticed that Amara had followed me. She put her hand on my shoulder, making me jump and almost cry out. Slowly my heart returned to normal. Amara had been so quiet in approaching me, that I had thought I was alone. "You know something about the energy. Tell me," she said. I felt trapped, as if I had run into a dead end and I had to answer her. In a way I felt compelled to. The outer sailors were more cut off from the inner sailors, and I had felt more like I belonged with the group of outers. For some reason, I trusted them more. If I told Amara, she might tell Michiru and Trista, but not the rest of the group.. It started to rain. I decided to take a chance, and tell her. The rain increased. "I think that the energy is me," I said quickly, my face turned up to the sky. Tears started to fall from my eyes. Thank god for the rain, I thought, now it's not as noticeable that I'm crying. Amara's hand fell limply from my shoulder. I looked at her. She was frozen to the spot. She didn't look scared or anything, her face was passive. It was in her eyes that I saw her shock. "I don't know what to say," she said, not even trying to convince me that I was wrong. "You know as well as I do that it's completely true. Think about it. I am all the Sailor Warriors combined. I am the strongest, the most powerful. I have the most energy. It's true," I said. We just looked at each other in the rain. I could tell that she was accepting that fact, and that the shock was wearing off. It was true, what else could I say? The rain had let up, so we started walking back to the others. "Are you going to tell them?" Amara asked me. "No, I don't want them to know. You can tell Michiru and Trista if you want to, just promise me you won't mention anything to the Inner Scouts," I replied. "We won't say anything. It's better for the Inner's not to know, anyways," Amara said. I agreed with her. They wouldn't be any better off. It had to remain a secret. Back at the shrine, the talk about the enemy continued. I noticed that Amara didn't say much, keeping silent when the talk turned toward the energy. Michiru and Trista behaved similarily. Nobody seemed to notice our lack of contribution. That was good. I zoned out again. What would the Queen do to me if she found me? Would I be able to protect myself against her armies? Would anyone have to get hurt? I hoped that none of the Inner's would find out about me. They would probably do something stupid in battle, like try to protect me or something. I couldn't let that happen. If they died and I lived....... I couldn't even think about it. I just hoped I wouldn't find the answers to these questions any time soon.