The Second Chance
Serena Tsukino's entire world is thrown upside down when she wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of anything to do with being Sailor Moon. Amy and Raye have to help Serena recover her lost memories in order to defeat their new enemy, Nephlite. In the meantime, Darien is on his own mission to make Serena fall in love with him using her lack of memories to his advantage.
A/N: Confession time, the next 11 chapters are my absolute favorite ones, so I am super excited to finish off editing them and getting them posted! eee! I just love them so much, but if you are a newer reader and never read the original, I don't want to spoil them! Obviously, I have changed much in the first season. Lol! So, here we go. Thank you so much for reviewing the last chapter James Birdsong, Eleana003, karseneau1, phillynz, and panda173a! Sending love to you all!-Natasha
Chapter 4
I awoke this morning feeling more alive and vibrant than I have in years. Today was going to be my first day back at school and Molly agreed to show me where class was. It seems like forever since I've gone to school. I actually missed learning.
Looking at the clock, I realize I'm on time for once. I hop out of bed to dress in a "new " school uniform and sit at my vanity, fussing over my now shorter, waist length hair.
"I didn't bring this up before, but I miss your buns."
If Darien likes my hair like that, maybe I should keep it that way. Sure, my hair is shorter now, but that doesn't mean I can't keep wearing my signature look.
As I brush my hair and wrap my buns, I think of Darien. All night I dreamt of him, wondering if he was thinking about last night? I remember the way he smiled so wide when I was wearing the earrings he bought me.
"My earrings!" I hurry to put the pearl hearts on and admired them as they dangled from my ears.
The earrings signified a new relationship, a new beginning ready to bloom, a fresh start from whatever my and Darien's past had been.
I hear a loud knock from the front door downstairs. My mom answers, welcoming Molly and ushering her inside.
I raced out my bedroom door and down the stairs to greet her. "Hey Molly!"
"Hey, Serena!" She waved.
Mom stood next to Molly, wearing her apron and holding the scrub brush she uses to wash dishes in one hand. My lunch is in the other. She gives me a stern look. "Serena, you better not come home late again. Your dad nearly had a heart attack when he saw the boy in the driveway last night!" she scolds, handing me my pink lunch sack.
"Sorry, mom!" I take my lunch and kiss her cheek. "I'll be home by seven o'clock tonight, I promise!"
When I reach for my shoes I notice Sammy sitting on the couch in his pajamas with his head wrapped in his arms.
Molly notices too. "Serena, what's wrong with your little brother?"
"I dunno," I shrug. I put my shoes on and grab my schoolbag. Molly and I are about to walk out the door, but I can't leave knowing he's upset. "Sammy, are you okay?"
"No," He glares coldly at me. "I don't want to talk about it. Just leave me alone!"
Sammy runs upstairs to his room, slamming the door behind him. Molly and I turn to mom for an answer.
"His friend Mika is in the hospital."
Molly pipes up, "Isn't Mika the girl who won that contest for her doll?"
Since when did Sammy have a friend named Mika? I can't recall him bringing her around.
"Yeah, Sammy feels horrible because he accidentally broke her doll. When he finally worked up the courage to apologize yesterday, she had gone to the hospital! The doctors have no idea what is wrong."
Typical. The doctors were useless with a little girl's case too.
Molly frowned. "That's strange." She points a finger in the air, as if remembering something. "You know, the same thing happened to our sewing teacher, Miss Lambert. She was supposed to get married to this really geeky guy, but she dumped him out of nowhere and passed out at a sewing contest. No one at the hospital knows what's wrong with her either!"
Molly continued, "And what's really weird is Miss Haruna has been missing all week! We had to get a substitute teacher. Ever since Peter Fisher's modeling contest, all the girls who participated went missing, even Peter did! There was just a bunch of photos of all these girls and Miss Haruna next to the swimming pool." She shudders. "I'm so glad I didn't go to the contest and decided to visit Serena instead!"
I place a hand on her shoulder sympathetically. "Are the police doing anything about it?"
So much seems to have changed from what I can remember. I can't help but think something sinister is happening in Tokyo, Japan.
Mom answers my question with a finger raised in front of her face, pointed at me. "Well, of course they are. They are trying to find Sailor Moon. It's all over the news! It's all your dad can talk about. Apparently, she solved all these weird mysteries before with her friends, Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury."
"Oh yeah! Sailor Moon saved me and my mom when our jewelry shop was under attack!" Molly exclaims- "She's so pretty and brave! Ever since she vanished though, all these weird things keep happening."
I look at the clock on the wall. My eyes widen. "Molly, we're gonna be really, really late!"
I grab Molly's hand, and wave goodbye to mom as we rush out the door. I run as fast as I can towards the school. If we were late, the Principal would close the gates. That would be really embarrassing, and I didn't want Molly to get in trouble on my account.
We're running so fast that when Molly's hand slipped from mine, I barely noticed. As I turn the corner I slam into someone, right into their chest. Before I know it, I've landed on the cement sidewalk butt first. "Oww!" I moan, rubbing my bruised bottom.
"Serena!" Darien offers me his hand. "You fixed your hair back into buns! Here, let me help you up. Bet you're late again, just like old times, huh?"
When I accept his hand, he pulls me into his arms and gives me a warm hug. I look up into his eyes, smiling. Seeing Darien was possibly the best part of my morning. I don't think anything else could make me happier.
Someone screams.
They scream again, piercing my ears. I hear a sob, and then a shriek, "Help me!"
I squirm as Darien clings to me. There is a sickening crunch from where I had been running from. My eyes widen, Molly was still back there! I tear myself out of Darien's arms and run towards where the crunch came from.
"Serena, where are you going?" Darien shouts, chasing after me as I sprint back.
"That was Molly!" I yell. I bite my lip to hold back a cry. "She must have fallen behind. Something's wrong!"
I'm scared. Molly has never screamed in all the time I've known her...at least not that I can remember.
"Oh, somebody help me!" Molly cries out at the top of her lungs.
When Molly is finally in view, I see her webbed up in a ball against the side of a building. There is a huge black spider with a human torso and female head covered in ragged black hair. there are red and orange markings all over her body. She clicks her feet as she creeps on the street beside Molly. Behind the spider are several cars, crushed and mutilated. That explained the crunching sound. I look back at Molly, thankfully she wasn't hurt.
Darien catches up. His breath hitches when he sees the spider. "Serena, what is that?"
When the spider scurries towards Molly and widens its large pincers, Molly squeezes her eyes closed and turns her head to the side. I tremble, unable to hold back my shriek.
Immediately, the black widow switches her attention from Molly to me. She scurries to me, quick as a fly.
"Serena, run!" Darien yells. I hear his feet hit the ground, running away, but I can't move. I'm stunned with fear. My body is completely numb.
The spider is getting closer.
My heart races. All I want is to follow Darien's command, but I can't even will myself to drop to the ground.
"Serena, what are you doing?" Molly shouts from the wall. "Run away! Serena, RUN AWAY!"
Before I know it, I'm on the ground, bleeding from my scratched knees. The black widow pins Darien to the wall with webs next to Molly.
"I will drain your energy!" the black widow hisses.
Why did Darien do that? Why didn't he run away like he told me too? And why didn't I feel him push me away? I didn't even hear him come back.
"Stop right there!" A mysterious voice calls from my left. I turn to see a girl with long raven hair wearing a white leotard with a red skirt and heels standing on top of a car. She points at the black widow, who for some reason is giving this girl the time of day.
"Yeah! We won't let anyone attack the people we care about," another voice exclaims from behind the spider. She is in a similar outfit, but with blue on the skirt instead. Since this girl is closer, I notice the tiara on her forehead. "My name is Sailor Mercury, and in the name of Mercury, I will punish you!"
"And I will punish you in the name of Mars!" The other girl jumps and lands next to Sailor Mercury. "I am Sailor Mars!" she announces.
What a waste of time.
Instead of announcing themselves, they could've just attacked! I look past the sailor scouts and the scary monster, looking directly at Darien and Molly. The webs are glowing pink and purple. "No! Molly! Darien!"
They cry out in pain as the webs enclose tighter and tighter around their bodies. Molly passes out. I turn to Sailor Mars, who stands in pose, pointing at the black widow. I force myself off the ground. "Help them! They're suffocating!"
"Oh no!" She drops her pose, looking at Darien in alarm. "Darien, I'll save you!"
She puts her index fingers together in front of her forehead and aims them like a gun in front of her at the black widow. "Mars Fire Ignite!"
A small bright flame bursts from her fingers at the black widow, turning into a huge trail of fire. The black widow scurries away before the fire gets near. Within a second, I see the flames are heading towards Molly and Darien.
I cry out, running to Molly and Darien. I yell, "Stop your attack!"
"What? Why?" Sailor Mars calls back, oblivious.
Sailor Mercury shakes her head. She crosses her arms in front of her. "Mercury" She pulls her hands together in a swift motion towards the fire. "Bubbles Blast!"
The bubbles that cascade from her hands turn the fire to ice. I feel cold. I see Darien shivering, and although Molly is knocked out, I'm sure she is, too. I'm frustrated. These supposed "superheroes" weren't doing anything to help us.
The black widow launches a surprise attack on Sailor Mercury with her pincers. "Give me your energy!"
"Mercury, look out!" hollers Sailor Mars, repositioning her attack. "Mars Fire Ignite!"
This time the attack hits the spider on her back, and the large arachnid drops Sailor Mercury.
"Mars Fire Ignite! Mars Fire Ignite! Mars Fire Ignite!"
Three more fire blasts slam into the black widow before she tumbles to the ground. The webs around Molly and Darien slacken, and they fall to the sidewalk. I manage to catch Molly in time, but Darien slams to the ground, hitting chest first.
"Darien!" Sailor Mars cries, shaken. She rushes to Darien's side, holding him close to her.
I feel a pang of anger. What right did she have holding my guy? Well, he wasn't my guy exactly, but that doesn't mean he can't be.
Darien groans, then he whispers, "Serena."
At that moment, the black widow is up again and ready to attack.
"I thought I killed it!" Sailor Mars groans, releasing Darien from her arms. "Mercury, try your bubbles."
"On it." Sailor Mercury says, pulling her arms in front of each other once more. "Mercury Bubbles Blast!"
It is cold yet again, but there is a fog this time. I can't see anything. I guess Sailor Mars' attack had made it possible for us to see ice the first time.
"It's freezing!" The black widow complains.
Suddenly, a realization hits me. They can't defeat her.
They keep using the same attacks again and again, but it does nothing. They can only weaken the creature.
I laid Molly on the ground and crawl over to Darien. I'm careful to stay under the fog. If the fog stays up and Darien can help me, we could at least try to escape. "Pst, Darien!" I whisper in his ear.
"Serena?" Darien asks, clutching his stomach. His cheeks are blue.
I feel guilty. If he hadn't followed me when I ran off to find Molly, he would have never gotten hurt.
"Darien, we have to get out of here." I tell him, "I need your help with Molly."
"I'll try." Darien struggles as he uses his hands and knees to crawl towards Molly. Darien groans in pain, pulling himself into a squat, and carries her weight on his side. I take Molly's other arm, slowly standing. The fog is starting to dissipate. We have to hurry to safety before we lose our chance!
"Go as fast as you can," I urge Darien. "We have to get Molly to the hospital."
"Yeah, and me too." Darien stumbles, using his free hand to hold his side. We limp as quickly as we can from the battle scene.
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
"Mercury Bubbles Blast!"
The black widow cackles.
"It's no use, Mars! We have to get them out of here!"
Sailor Mars' and Sailor Mercury's voices fade away as we get closer to the Crown Arcade.
"Darien, we're almost to the arcade. We'll have Andrew call the ambu-"
I'm cut off as Darien crumbles to the ground with Molly falling right on top of him. We are close enough, I decide. I rush to the arcade alone.
I shove the glass door open and see Andrew. "Call the ambulance! Call the police! We need help!"
Andrew looks up from the bar. When he sees me in hysterics, he grabs the phone and starts dialing a number. "What's going on Serena?"
"A huge spider monster attacked Molly. Darien and I tried to help, but they're hurt!"
I know Andrew will make the necessary calls, so I turn and hurry back to Molly and Darien. "Don't worry guys. I'm right here."
The black widow's evil laugh echoes all around me. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest as I stand over Molly and Darien, looking from side to side. Where is she?
I look up and scream when her large body jumps from the roof above me, pinning me down with her sharp legs. I squirm under her, trying to get away. She smirks at me, raising her pincers.
"You can't help your friends. You are only a weak, measly human!"
Tears prick my eyes, so I close them. I know this is the end for me. All I want is to protect my friends. I just want them to be safe and sound, but there is nothing I can do to save them.
I open one eye to see the black arachnid readying her pincers to dig into my flesh. I raise my arms to protect myself and scream at the top of my lungs when she reaches down towards my neck, "NOOO!"
White light surrounds Darien, Molly, and I. The spider shrieks in pain as a leg burns off her body. I watch her limp away from me, retreating to safety.
My body feels weak. My sight blurs. I must stay awake for Molly and Darien, just in case the spider comes back.
I wrap my arms over my friends, keeping watch until my vision darkens and I can't stop myself from falling asleep like Darien and Molly before me.
Please review! Let me know what you think happens next? -Natasha
