Chapter IX
An: Little side note, many of you are probably wondering where they live and I'll explain that right now. They live in Washington. There's a huge Japanese population there believe it or not. That and Dusseldorf is the Japanese capital of the European continent. Told you it was a side note. That's why so many Japanese people are intermingling with English names. However it is confusing me so Usagi or Motoki might pop in every once in a while by accident. Just ignore it. It's supposed to be Darien, Serenity and Andrew, not the Japanese names. Also I apologize if I get a little speechy in this chapter. I'm trying to pass time so it places an effect on the story instead boom, boom, boom, done. That's not to say that this chapter is not important, because it is. It needs a timeline. So back to:
IX
"School's going great for me actually, I'm really surprised." Serenity was relaying to Andrew as she drank her fruit smoothie.
"Now why would you say that?" Andrew questioned as he cleared away a pile of dishes. "You aren't dumb."
"I know but school's always been a little hard for me because I can never remember things unless they are based on real life events that are happening now, not a what-if."
"You'll find College is like that. It's based more on what you can see and what is happening than something you're not interested in, but you have to make it past the basics." He warned as she finished her glass. She nodded. "Don't you have a date with Darien?"
"I'm used to him being late." She confided. "But I might get worried if he doesn't show up in the next hour."
"Isn't he already an hour late?"
"Not so late." She chided as she shook her head. "Just twenty minutes."
"Why do you put up with him? He's my best friend and all but even I get annoyed by his disappearing and showing up late habits that he's had since oh a good seven years ago. He used to be punctual almost to a fault."
Serenity fell into silence as she thought about that little tidbit she didn't know. It seemed there was a lot about Darien she thought she knew but found out she really didn't.
"Oh Serena, I'm sorry- I didn't mean to upset you." Andrew apologized covering her hands with his larger one. "Darien doesn't do a lot of things he used to but he's forgotten them I think because his life has so radically changed."
"Not his basic core though. When he can help it he's always on time, that's in him, he won't change that, because he values it."
"Then why doesn't he call when he's going to be late if he values our time so much as to not hope to waste it?"
"He probably forgot or he's tied up and he can't call." Serenity hadn't realized how true her words were, especially this evening. For in fact, Darien was tied up, he was tied in sticky yellow glue that wrapped around him and Lita firmly connecting their backsides together."
She would probably never learn how close one of her best friends and her love were and how much they learnt through that feeling tonight. Nor would they want to remember, and least of all, her finding out.
An hour passed and Serenity was getting itchy in worry as she played the sailor v game near some of the deserted tables. People knew she was a regular and was wise enough to stay away when she was playing because she could get quite loud and obnoxious the closer you were to her the worse it was.
She didn't even notice as she beat the top score and annihilated the game. She just left after punching her initials in, SKG. "I'll be back Drew!" She called as she neared the arcade doors.
Andrew tried to warn her but she was always too quick for him that it was no use running after her. Especially after the day she seemed to vanish after his refusal for a tip, which she left in generous size, too generous. He was still thinking of a way to get her back for that one.
His warning would have fallen on deaf ears anyways as she careened into a boy not much younger than her as she rushed through the door. They toppled in a heap and Serenity's arm managed to go on the ground first at a weird angle with the boy's head falling on it but it hardly stopped it from hitting the ground with a thud. One of his elbows wound up crashing into her stomach and the rest of their bodies were just a jumbled up mess.
Andrew jumped over the counter and ran to help them but Serenity managed to untangle herself and jumped to her feet and held out her hand to the boy. When he put his hand in hers it seemed as if things were going in slow motion. Serenity's eyes locked onto the green ones and she frowned as he stood, slightly shorter than herself but she had a feeling he wouldn't always be. "I'm-"
Serenity was cut off as Andrew pulled her to him and checked her injuries. "Are you all right Serena?"
Serenity blinked at him as if seeing for the first time and snapped out of it. "Yeah, sure, I'm fine. I've had a few crashes in my life before."
Andrew chuckled, he d seen a few before but it was always Darien's and Rei's fault when they happened but they managed to blame her. Serenity wasn't a clumsy person, just quick. "Yeah, but I've never seen one quite so… lethal."
Serenity shook her head and turned back to the boy. "I'm sorry I ran into you, I was in a hurry and I wasn't thinking straight."
"Hey no problem Meatball head." The boy looked flabbergasted at what came out of his mouth. "I'm so sorry, I have no idea where that came from."
"It's all right, I deserve it." Serenity cocked her head to the side as she looked at the almost mini Andrew but in his own way cuter, be it a sin to ever think such a thing. "Do I know you?"
"I'm afraid not, I've never been here before. I'm an only child and I've been attending a private school and nobody wanted to come over here but I met a girl who when to a public school here and she wanted to show me it." The boy looked stunned again. "I'm sorry, I have no idea why I keep spouting random facts to you."
"It's all right. What's your name?"
"Tsukino Shingo." He told her. "And you?"
"Serenity King-General."
Their eyes caught again and this time it was Shingo who questioned. "Why do I feel as if we've met?"
"I feel the same way." Serenity bought him a smoothie and as she reached for it from the counter she caught a glimpse of her watch. She swallowed hard; Darien was almost two hours late. She pushed down her irrational fears and brought the drink to Shingo. "It's as if us knowing each other is déjà vu."
"As if it had been any other circumstance we would have."
"Exactly." His hand accidentally brushed hers and Serenity had an image of him as a little boy pulling on one of her pigtails and her sticking her tongue out at him before running to a tall woman with wavy purple-black hair and being picked up.
She was more taken by surprise at the location she found her flash image than having one. She'd had quite a few and it was what usually threw her into silent reflection that people had often walked into. But she couldn't do that now. She figured the images were the people she ran into by accident and how her life would have been or a situation that would have included them if she had met them earlier.
"Shingo!" A girl the same age as the younger boy squealed as she threw herself into his arms.
"Mika!" Shingo laughed as he caught her. Another image played in Serenity's mind. This one of the girl holding a doll in her hand, poorly crafted but there were tears in the girl's eyes of happiness. The doll was of a blond warrior in a blue skirt white bodice and red boots and a bow. Another senshi Serenity concluded, but a real one or one of an imaginative child, hoping to be one?
Her question would never be answered but Serenity excused herself now that Shingo's 'date' came. He smiled at her and promised to talk another day. She agreed as she ventured back over to the counter.
"How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Serenity was slightly more defensive than she should have been. "What do you think hurts?"
"You're arm." Andrew pointed out to the bruised area that was turning a light shade of brown from where Shingo's head landed on it.
Serenity flexed and relaxed it. It hurt slightly but it wasn't unbearable. "It's just a bruise, I will live."
"Ok, I just don't think I could stand it if you got hurt." Andrew ruffled her hair, it didn't matter, it was ruined anyways."
"Hey!" Serenity ducked, it was still annoying. She never got images from Andrew, as if their relationship was exactly the way it was supposed to be in any lifetime. "Why was I in such a hurry anyways?" As soon as the words left her mouth she remembered. "I gotta go, I might be back, I don t know." Serenity booked out of there so fast that Andrew wasn't sure if she was even here.
Serenity would never know that if Jadeite hadn't found her, she would have been Tsukino Usagi, Shingo's older sister and they would have been living in Japan after they adopted her later that summer when her headmaster died and they both would have gone to a public school. With that upbringing so many other things would have been different but at the same time slightly the same. She would never know what that different life would have entitled her, nor would she know if she would have liked it. It was among the things that could have, been based on choices. There'd be choices in the future that would effect her destiny as well and none of these really had been hers but she could sculpt other's choices by just sticking to her own choices.
Andrew shook his head as he cleaned up the mess and noticed the too large tip she left again. He grumbled as he had to put the money into his pocket instead of just leaving it out. He knew why she did it though, the first day she was here she hadn't a dime on her and she had stared as her friends played the games without realizing that she didn't join in or why. He dropped two quarters into her hand and smiled at her when she refused it but he wouldn't take it back.
Ever since then she'd be leaving him large tips, first reason was for thanks, second for his good service and third for other kids in her position when she couldn't be there to pay it forward personally.
Andrew chuckled and sauntered over to the young couple of which the boy had been speaking to Serenity. He gave the boy a dollar in change. "Have fun on the video games for a while, ok? I think it'd be a nice thing being your first time here and all." This was one way he could pay it forward; give it to the kid that Serenity seemed to suddenly have affection for. Plus this is what she'd want, to give it to a needy, unknowledgeable kid who probably never played a video game in his life, Serenity if she was there, would have been so proud to see him play.
Serenity was running so fast that nobody saw her; it was like she was morphing from one spot to the next a hundred feet away only to repeat the action time and time again. In a way she was, but in many ways it was the sheer speed she possessed that only Jadeite knew about.
She couldn't find Darien anywhere. "Where is he!" She screamed to the heavens but muted it so it'd only be her that heard.
She skidded to a halt when she saw a man limping in the direction of Darien's apartment and Rei's temple. She jogged over to him and past him to turn and seeing Darien's face bloodied she fell when her feet stopped moving.
"Hey" He shouted and knelt down next to her. "Serenity?" He whipped ferociously at the blood dripping into his eyes and no more took its place. The wounds seemed to be healing as they spoke. "What are you doing here?"
"Darien." She sat up, the shock wearing off. "What happened to you?" Her fingers gingerly touched his face. The slight wince hand her pulling her hand away. He took her hand back and put it onto his face and he leaned into it.
"What are you doing here Ren?" This was a new pet name for her and her fingers grazed with a little more pressure than she meant to. Blood came back with her but where the wound should have been was completely bare, as if the skin was perfect.
"I was worried. You were over an hour late." Serenity didn't care about her clothes, seeing the love of her life like this, as if he had been in grave danger shut down her thought process and threw herself around him. "What happened?"
"You might as well come with me." He picked the both of them up and when Serenity refused to budge he swept her feet out from under her with his arm and carried her to Rei's temple.
When they arrived to the steps leading to the great priestess herself, Serenity seemed to snap out of her shock and turned angry, which was a surprising emotion on the girl he loved.
"Where the hell were the rest of the senshi when you were being mauled? How dare they abandon you?"
"Ren." He soothed but she stood her ground in front of him. "Ren." He tried again and took her shoulders in his hands. "I wasn't alone in the attack, they were all there. We were closest to my apartment after the attack and so we went there first and then we went to Lita's then we separated and now we're heading to Rei's to discuss what was going on. I was checked out by Ami before she left to make sure there weren't any serious wounds and be able to make it myself. I didn't have time to clean my face. I stopped bleeding at least ten minutes ago, that's why it's caked on and flaky. It's also on you." He pointed out because he knew she was going to get her clothes bloody but couldn't stop her, it was her decision.
Serenity melted. Her arms fell to her sides and looked at him sadly. "I was worried about you, I'm sorry if I was out of line."
Darien s arms found his way around her before she could blink and she was in a half hug and her arms slid up and hugged him back. Her face, now full of silent tears buried into his chest. "You were in the right to be upset." He whispered into her hair. "I wouldn't have taken it so well if it had been you in my position." His right hand rubbed her back, he knew she was crying. He tightened his hold and just held her for a few more minutes. She removed her hands and scrubbed at her face before she pulled back, he dropped his hands to rest at her waist and allowed her to move back and look up at him.
Her lashes were clumped and her slight makeup was a little runny but she still looked beautiful. She smiled at him. "You sure you're all right? How did you carry me? When I found you, you had a limp."
"Ah, yeah, that." He smiled sheepishly. "I was in a way exaggerating it, it got better the longer I walked."
"Why were you exaggerating it?"
"Because, Rei was harassing me earlier on how I never got as injured as the rest of them."
"Remind me to have a talk with her about wishing harm onto my boyfriend." Serenity managed to joke.
Darien chuckled and shifted so his left arm was on her shoulders and the other was by his side. "Let's go in, hmm?" He asked already walking up the stairs and dragging her with him. Serenity shifted her blood covered short blue slip dress with wide shoulder straps and a big bow in the back. She nodded as she sped up to keep in step with him. "I'm sorry about your outfit and our date." He seemed to finally notice as her actions caught his attention.
"It's fine, blood washes out fairly easy." She reassured. "As for our date, you couldn't help it, and I accept that, it comes with the territory."
"You shouldn't have to worry about me, it isn't fair."
"Hey, you're not going to break up with me because of this. If we weren't dating I'd still worry about you, and the girls. In fact I think I'd worry more, because I wasn't there to reaffirm it every day that you were all alright."
"I wasn't breaking up with you." Darien was looking down at her as they continued to mount the steps; Rei had a lot so there were still quite a few left to climb.
"Oh." Serenity giggled. "It sounded like it."
"I love you, but it isn't fair, I wish there was some way to protect you from the fear." He dragged her closer to his warm body and she snuggled in, wrapping one arm around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder.
"Would the two of you cut it out? Some people up here are trying to retain their breakfast." Lita's teasing voice called down to them. "What's Serena doing here?"
"She was worried."
"Oh." Lita blushed. "Sorry. We forgot about the date the two of you had planned."
"It's all right Lita!" Serenity tore out of the embrace and rushed up the stairs, her long strong legs moving gracefully. Darien could only watch in appreciation before he mounted the stairs after her. When Serenity reached the landing, she flung her arms around Lita. "Are you alright? I heard what happened!"
Lita hugged Serenity back before nudging the girl away. "Wow you're filthy. Somebody would think you were in the fight instead of us." Lita wished she could retract her words as she said them; the images were too painful to imagine.
Darien wrapped his arm around Serenity's waist, he was panting lightly after the exertion of the steps, he didn't know how Serenity did it. He was Tuxedo Mask, he could run full pace and bound rooftops for miles, but Rei's steps at a run always left him slightly out of breath, Serenity didn't seem effected at all.
Lita sighed and turned, the three of them went into the room. Lita pulled at her shorts before she sat, she was wearing a green one piece that had yellow ribbing that outlined the tops of the pockets as well. The shorts themselves were flared and rested mid thigh the waist hugged her thin waist and the top was a stiff half collar and she had no sleeves. Lita crossed her arms and Serenity giggled as Lita realized what that emphasized and she dropped her hands to her sides. Lita was a little self-conscious, but she was amazing. "Look guys, I've got a class in a few hours, and these two have been interrupted long enough, can we get on with it?"
"Well, sure." Rei was going to say something on the matter but held her tongue. "We should actually reconvene at another time, we've all got things to do. Nice to see you Serenity, but-"
"I'm sick of this, I know I'm not a part of this thing, but you don't have to alter this because of me, I'm a grown up and if you don't want to discuss this in front of me, just say so."
"It isn't that Serena!" Rei yelled and stomped forward, Darien took a step forward, Rei had never yelled at Serenity before. "Back down Darien!" She grated and took Serenity's hands in hers. "I wasn't trying to get rid of you, it's just that I felt the details may be too gruesome for you sometimes, and I wanted to spare you our horror!"
"What happened this time? Will it be on the news?" Serenity's eyes suddenly flashed around them.
"There's a new General." Rei sighed and dropped her head onto their combined hands. "He's not as clean as the first one. Nor is he as straight forward."
"Were you hurt?" Serenity asked gingerly, lifting her friend's head and Rei shook her head.
"Nothing more than usual, a few scratches and bruises. In fact the one he seemed after this time was Darien. Lita pushed him out of the way as the youma shot something and the two of them got stuck together. That probably saved his life."
"Because of the substance?" Serenity questioned.
"No." Rei shook her head. "Not because of the substance, because they were stuck together, she managed to push them both out of the way when the new general attacked."
"The first general is still around?" Serenity wondered.
"Yes, but we haven't seen him for a few days." Rei responded and sank into a chair; she seemed utterly destroyed at today's events.
Mina asked a question, seeing that they were actually going to discuss this today, and not at some other time as previously discussed. "Why were they after Darien today? I mean, yes he's our leader, but they don't know that, and Darien sorry, but you don't have very many powers that you've chosen to show yet."
"I have more, but for some reason I can't unlock them yet. I know they are there, but something's holding me back." Darien had his roses and the tuxedo la smoking bomber and the use of his cane with a knife at the end when he willed it to be there, but his actual powers, refused to surface. Serenity hand slipped into his, and he looked up at her.
"It'll be all right, I'm sure you'll figure it out." She said with a small smile.
"As for your question Mina, it's a very good one, why would he chose Darien who manages to do actually very little but annoy them?" Artemis surmised for them all. "I can only guess that they'd hope to knock out who they thought was physically the strongest because he is the only male in your group."
"That makes sense." Mina mused. Serenity noticed for the second time how mature Mina seemed when dealing with senshi business, wasn't she the leader? If only behind Darien until the truth came out about everyone? The only reason Mina would have to defer to Darien, Serenity figured out, was because he was a member of earth and thus they were on his territory, so hence, he was the leader as long as they were his planet's guests. Serenity was proud of her ditzy friend; it showed even blonds had their moments.
"Could it be because he's an Earth, um, representative?" Serenity asked, biting her bottom lip as she put the idea out there.
"It could be, I hadn't thought of that." Artemis settled down as he thought next to Luna.
"If they get rid of him, then there's one less person who has a claim to Earth, and a reason to protect it." Ami put the pieces together.
Luna turned her garnet eyes to Serenity in a thoughtful expression. "What is it Luna?" Lita asked, looking between the cat and the only member here that wasn't special in abilities.
"I was just wondering." Luna jumped up onto Serenity's lap. "Has anyone told you have a sharp mind?"
"A few, why?" She asked curiously.
"You put together a lot of pieces and asked a very important question."
"That wasn't an important question." Serenity brushed it off. "The important question I'm going to ask, is why is Rei so morose?"
Rei's head bobbed up at the mention of her name and she smiled wryly to Serenity, the girl was always concerned about people s feelings. "I was depressed by the fact that we've been fighting the first general for over seven years, thinking he was the only one we really had to defeat, and then we learn recently that there's a second one, and not only that, but they can both be on Earth at the same time." Her next breath shuddered through her body. "We barely had a handle on the first one. How many more of them could there be? And will we be fighting them the rest of our lives, missing out on the happiness other people experience?"
"I don t think so." Serenity said gently. "I'm sure you'll find a way to defeat this enemy, all of them. You'll find your prince and princess as well."
"I'm beginning to think they don t exist."
"Maybe you're not looking in the right places." Serenity suggested. "You have a pretty good life now, look at all the people you've met because of this, the people in this room included. A lot of people don't go on to the corporate offices for the day, as an intern, to investigate a possible youma occurrence, and a lot of people don't do a lot of things you did before you fought a youma. You might not have bothered if it wasn't for the possibility of an attack. Some of the leads even proved to be false, didn't they?"
"We'll never have boyfriends." Lita muttered.
"Darien has me, I'm sure boys would flock to you if you let them in. If they don't accept your disappearing act, then let them go. Eventually somebody will accept it, without knowing the truth, because they'll trust you."
"Not everybody will accept it when we come around with bruises, they'll just be caring for us when they demand to know. They'll probably think it's Darien's fault too."
"I'm sure they won't, I don't get bruises or cuts, and I'm the one dating him, so they won't blame him. Plus, I only notice it once in a while, like the one on your cheek Ami. Did it hurt?" Serenity's questions and reassurance was so gentle that they felt at peace talking to her, and Luna and Artemis, who were wearier of her were almost being lulled to submission.
"I didn't even notice." Ami's fingers glanced over the bruise, it had been a lie, if she knew exactly where to go, but Serenity forgave her of that, she wasn't trying to concern Serenity.
Serenity wandered the room as they continued their senshi meeting. She picked up Rei's broom from the couch to set it against the wall in hopes to creating more space and tidiness. As soon as she lifted it though, a shooting pain echoed through her elbow and upper arm before the broom clattered to the floor without any action from her, the hand automatically dropped it even though her muscles were gripping it.
Everybody's attention turned to her, even though it hadn't been that loud of a clatter or that big of a deal. Serenity dropping the broom was out of normalcy for her. "Are you all right?" Lita asked moving next to her friend.
"Yeah, I saw that cringe of pain just now." Mina moved to the other side. Serenity felt like she was being boxed in as the rest of the occupants came near her. Ami was scanning her and Serenity grabbed the computer from her and closed it. She didn't want their concern and she didn't want Ami scanning her with that computer, she wasn't their enemy but if Ami s computer could detect the anomaly that was her body, then they wouldn't trust her as much. For Serenity was far from normal.
Darien grabbed Serenity's arm, just below the elbow and looked at it closely, he could see the slight bruising and the slight swelling, how he didn't notice it earlier, was beyond him. "What happened to you?"
"I fell, and somebody landed on my arm when I took them with me."
"First you drop something then you fell?" Rei questioned intently. "What's wrong with you?" She held up a hand to Serenity s forehead. "You don't feel sick."
"Well, ok, I guess the fall wasn't my fault. I was leaving to find Darien when it was a collision course with a little boy; the impact sent us both to the floor and his head landed on my arm. I must have pinched a nerve or something so when I picked up the broom, it reacted?" Serenity surmised, a little unsure herself but believing the story.
Ami nodded, agreeing with the thought. "I should check you out anyways." Ami struggled to get the computer back because Serenity had the surprising ability to keep it away.
"I'll be fine Ami, I don't need you to use this thing on me." Serenity waved the gadget in front of her before handing it over.
"It's not going to do anything to you." Ami felt a little hurt at Serenity's reaction to the technology.
"We should get going Darien." She knew their senshi meeting wasn't over, but it was as far as she was concerned.
"Yeah." Darien agreed in bashfulness, a wry smile crossing his features. "We should have gone to our late lunch at least four hours ago."
"That's all right, we'll just have dinner now for our date." Serenity linked her uninjured arm. She shied the side of her body that was injured when Darien's eyes kept straying to it. His concern was getting to be too much sometimes. "I'm fine." She told him after they said goodbye to the girls and headed down the stairs.
"I could take the pain away for you, and the swelling."
"No." Serenity stated firmly. "Pain is the body's way of saying back off and the swelling helps protect and heal on its own. If it doesn't by itself then bigger injuries don't have a chance."
"There'll never be a bigger injury." He growled.
"You can't be with me every second of every day." Serenity pointed out.
Darien merely grunted, he wasn't acknowledging it but rather disagreeing.
"Don't you think if you could be with me every second of every day you already would be and not out of concern for me but because you want to be?"
"But Sere-" He was cut off by her stopping in front of him and planting her hands on her hips.
"No Darien. Look at today, you had obligations to be somewhere else. I accept it. I do, so you can't beat yourself up. There'll always be freak accidents. I could be crossing the street and get hit by a car."
At Darien's eyes narrowing in anger she knew she said the wrong thing, but she had to finish her point.
"You can't protect me at every minute, and frankly I don't want you to. Just like I can't be there to protect you of every minute either. Hence, quit being so concerned about me! I'm not going to be bowled over from the wind! I'm stronger than you've been giving credit for recently. Where is the man who knew I was stronger than I looked when the rest of the world thought I was a china doll?" She had stamped her foot and her anger was a reminiscent of who she would have been, and who she was, both present and past.
Darien wasn't used to this attitude and he took notice of what she was saying and then relented his position. "All right. But don't even say you're going to get hit by a car." A shiver went through his body and Serenity melted. "My parents were killed in a car wreck."
Serenity bit her bottom lip; he'd never told her how his parents died before. All she had found out from the girls was that his parents were dead.
"I was with them. I lost my memories of the first few years. Not that most kids remember their first six years anyway, but the fear and loneliness I felt was forever ingrained in my being. I didn't even have dreams of a better future or anything to fight for and find until recently when I learned I had to find the moon princess and help the senshi."
Serenity put a hand to the side of his face and an image flashed through her mind. She was wearing a pink dress about the same age she had been when Jadeite found her and in her hands was a dozen red roses but one was separated from the rest and she held in up to a dark haired boy who had drying tears on his cheeks, his hand was reaching out to take it from her. Serenity shook her head to clear it of the image. That had never happened, she had never met that little boy, and she didn't know why it just happened. What was with today and all these strange flashes of nonexistent memories? Sure it'd happened before, but never more than once a day and never more than one day a year.
"Darien?" She questioned when he seemed lost in thought.
"Sorry." He shook his head. "I just had a strange imagination pass through my mind. I was sitting in the hospital room that I had been in when I woke up and a little girl was giving me a flower, it would have been a relief to my soul, but it hadn't happened, and my loneliness would have been lessened earlier, had I met her. Does that make any sense?"
Serenity nodded and leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I just remembered I have to go home." She whispered. "I'm sorry, but I need to go."
"It's all right. Maybe the girls haven't left yet and we'll finish our meeting." Darien crushed Serenity to him before he let her go and watched her saunter around a corner. He turned around and called Rei at the temple. Sure enough, all four girls were there.
Serenity reappeared outside her house and wandered through the door. She found Jadeite standing by the window overlooking the bay. His back was to her as she came into the room. "Jadeite, I have a few questions for you… regarding what you do, and me."
Her question was cautionary, as if she was unsure if she really wanted to know what was going to happen.
Jadeite turned to her slowly, this was it, it was going to be a time when he would either have to face her and lie, blatant or well, or he'd tell her the truth. It was shame she'd been involved with the youma attacks, she would never have cared before.
"That man you warned me about, and the others as well, what are they?"
"They are generals of the negakingdom."
"What is the negakingdom?" Serenity hadn't heard that word before. The girls had explained about the moon kingdom, and the fact that there was a prince and princess but they didn't talk about how it fell or whom they fought against.
"It is an evil organization that's soul purpose is to follow their queen's order in quest to rule this solar system, not giving heed to the fact the rest of the ones in this galaxy will wage war on her once she gains control, as it is, it's up for grabs."
Serenity thought for a moment, then. "Why do you know this?"
"Because its my purpose to stop them."
"You're mission, and hence, why you live forever, because of them, as long as they are around, you're around." Jadeite nodded, it was close enough, if she wanted to think of it that way, it was fine. "Then why on earth would you ever adopt me?"
"Because I love you." Jadeite didn't have to scrounge for an answer to that one.
"How do I fit into this? Me, a strange girl among the normal ones, how did you run across me?"
"I don't know, but I don't care, you are perfect the way you are." Jadeite hesitated. "What brought about all these questions?"
"I had two flashes this afternoon, one was about a boy, and one was Darien, I believe, when he was younger, because he had it too. I was a little girl, about the same age when you took me in, in both those flashes."
"I don't know what those are about. Maybe what your life would have been, had I not taken you under my wing. Maybe an illusion."
"Hmm… why was there two in one day though?"
"Emotional day for you?" Jadeite suggested.
"I guess." Serenity mused, Darien's flash had been emotional, and Shingo, Shingo had been while she was on a high-energy spiel as well. "What, by the way, are the generals' names?"
"Nephrite, is the one you've seen in person. Zoicite is this one." Jadeite waved his hand, and an image of Zoicite appeared in a halo gram, he was moving his arms up so he could read a book. "This one is Kunzite." Another image appeared, this time of a man lifting his arms and lowering into a fighting stance, a sword in his hands, wielding it well.
"Do you fight against them personally?"
"No. I figure out what is the best way to bring them down." Jadeite didn't add that he'd been trying to figure out exactly how to do it for the last eight years or so and all of last lifetime during the great millennium.
"Ok." Serenity wrapped her arms around Jadeite's neck and hugged him. "Just don't get hurt in your hunt for the best way to bring them down."
"I won't." Jadeite replied, although he couldn't promise, he wouldn't let himself do it, because he very well could not keep it. He hugged her back then looked at her clothing. "What the hell happened to you?"
"It's not mine." Serenity shook herself and the blood flakes disappeared so her clothing was perfect. "I'm ok."
"How did it get on you?" Jadeite questioned sharply.
"It's- it doesn't matter." If she said whom she got it from, Jadeite could match who Darien was, eventually. She couldn't do that to him, even if Jadeite was her uncle, he was too closely involved with the Negakingdom as it was.
"And your arm?"
"That was from a little boy that ran into me and we both fell down."
"Oh." Jadeite's hand ran over it and the pain lessened, and the bruise remained a light brown, it wouldn't get any darker, but lighter in a few days before it was gone.
"Why'd you do that?" Serenity questioned. "I was thinking of letting it heal by itself."
"It will, I just relieved the pain so it's not as strong and made sure that there wasn't anything broken. The bruise will go away as if it was natural."
"All right. I'm going to go call Darien, I had to cancel lunch with him this afternoon, maybe we can swing a movie or a dinner."
"All right, enjoy your evening." Jadeite watched her leave to call Darien in another room and he headed back to base. His mission was not until tomorrow, and he needed to make sure Beryl had no reason to doubt his loyalties, so she would honor her bargain and keep Nephrite on base.
"Serenity, what's up?" Darien asked when he answered the phone; the meeting had officially ended because they no longer had anything else to say.
"Nothing much, just wondering if you'd like to go out for dinner now, my family obligations are over." Serenity wrapped a strand of hair around her finger as she waited for his response.
"Stop doing that." And she stopped, mostly in confusion. "Thank you, it was distracting, because I knew you were doing it. I would love dinner with you, shall I pick you up?"
"I'm actually not at home right now." She made a face; she hated lying to him. "But you could pick me up at the mall if you'd like."
"Sure, where are you located in the mall?"
"By Nordstrom's." She responded.
"I'll see you in a few."
"Ok." Serenity beamed.
They hung up and Serenity transported herself to the bathroom in Nordstrom's." She exited and headed out of the store. One of the clerks turned to another one. They were stationed towards the front door. "Did you see her come in?"
"No, did you?"
"No, she must have come in through the mall."
"Too bad she didn't buy anything, she'd have been a perfect customer."
"Yeah."
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This chapter is long overdue, but give me some credit, I did manage to salvage this chapter from the wreckage of my life. I'm working on the next chapter, so don't worry, I actually started the next chapter today. So... keep your fingers crossed. It might be out this weekend, but I do have a lot to work on when I am trying to post other chapters to stories that I thought might have been discontinued, but yay me! Yay you! Now you can go review. Kind of lost focus somewhere in this paragraph...