A/N Hey everybody! I got another update ready for you in a week. Aren't you proud of me? I just want to say thank you to everybody who sent me congrats and condolences after the last chapter. It was sad to say goodbye to a member of my animal family, but he was almost 18, so he led a long life. And my own sweet old dog is still doing well. It was cool to become an aunt again (for the fifth time). This makes baby number 3 for my sister (shudders…I have my hands full with the 1 I have) and this is my younger sister I'm talking about. I guess me being the oldest of four kids made me the smartest one after all.
Anyhow, I loved reading all of your guesses about who my new mystery player is. Some of you were really close if not dead on with your choices, but I'm not telling. At least not yet. I've got a lot of writing on my plate right now with this story and my prequel to What If, Rekindled. To those of you reading that, I hope to have chapter 2 up in a few days. I also have several other projects I'm working on. I want to give a shout out to xo Usako ox, who gave me an excellent story idea. I've already started on it as well and I love it. Thanks for inspiring my already overworked muse…lol. Okay, moving on to the hugs for my fabulous reviewers. BIG HUGS TO:
Atem's Sister Atea
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Thank you guys! You know I love you. Now I'm sure you're tired of hearing me rambling, so I'm going to shut up and let you read.
ENJOY!
The Galactic Trinity
Chapter 10
Jealousies and Mysteries
"Okay, that's enough for today," Nebula called out to her young charges.
"Finally!" the fuku clad girl moaned as she fell back on the ground. She shimmered for a moment as her clothes returned to jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt.
"What's the matter, can't you keep up with me anymore, sis?" said a boy in black as he sat next to her.
She pushed him with her foot. "You wish, Alex! I can hang with you any day. I'm just not feeling it today."
Alex snorted as he let his transformation fade. "What happened to the Sailor Eclipse that spent her every free moment training until she was ready to drop? You're slacking."
Katie scrunched her nose up at him. "I'm not slacking. I've just found better things to do with my time."
Dark blue eyes rolled at her. "Yeah, like making out with my best friend all the time. Do you know how disgusting it is to see the two of you groping each other every time I turn around?"
"Then don't watch us, you voyeur!" she snapped. "I've always respected your privacy when it comes to you and Emma, and I expect the same respect in return. What goes on between DJ and I is between us."
"I know that," the brunette boy growled. "But the two of you don't exactly have the best history together. If he does anything to hurt you I'll have to break his face."
"And I don't need you to take care of me!" she shot back. "I'm a big girl and can take care of myself. Geez, I'm not some fragile little china doll that's going to shatter into a million pieces at any moment. Give me some credit. And besides, DJ has been nothing but a perfect gentleman for the last few weeks."
That much was true. In the three weeks that had passed since Valentine's Day the two of them had gotten along great. Sure, there had been a few spats between them, they wouldn't be them if they didn't bicker some, but they had been minor and short lived.
Alex eyed his sister slyly. "So you don't mind him spending so much time with her?"
"Not at all," Katie ground out between clenched teeth.
"Ha!" Alex crowed. "You can't fool me. You're so jealous that you can't see straight."
"I am not!" she protested. "She is his lab partner for biology and they are working on a project together. That's all."
Katie tried to sound like it really didn't bother her, but in reality her brother was right. Ever since DJ had pulled the girl from the burning building, Susan had become a fixture in their lives. It had started out with exchanging friendly words between classes, before they knew it she was sitting with them at lunch. From there she had begun joining them after school to study and now she was working with DJ on a biology project.
She didn't know why she felt so uncomfortable. Susan was a very nice girl and had never given her any reason to dislike her. She spoke with love and devotion about her parents and her long time boyfriend who was away at college right now. The two girls had even gone mall cruising together. And while Katie had to admit that she'd had a good time, there was still something about the girl that rubbed her the wrong way.
"Hey! Wipe that look off your face," Alex said, waving a hand in front of her to get her attention. "I didn't mean to get you all depressed by bringing it up. You're probably right. They're just lab partners. I think you get irritated because you resent the fact that she's so much like you."
Katie's head snapped up. "What do you mean she's like me?"
Alex plucked a blade of newly grown grass and twirled it between his fingers. "Look at the facts, Kat. Susan has almost the same color hair and eyes as you. She's even the same height. And the two of you have a lot of the same interests and similar personalities. So of course you would be leery of your boyfriend spending so much time with her. It's only natural that you would see her as a rival."
Katie pushed the disturbing images of DJ and Susan together out of her mind. "It's all just coincidence. What it all boils down to is that I trust DJ and Susan doesn't seem to be all that bad. But if the bitch decides to make a move on my man she'll become closely acquainted with my fist."
Alex lay back with a chuckle. "You're always so blood thirsty. Sometimes I wonder how dad and I have survived for so long living in the same house with you and mom. One of you alone is bad enough, but when the two of you are together it's scary."
She stuck her tongue out at him. "Shut up! It's not like you wouldn't stomp the shit out of any guy that dared to try something on Emma."
He thought about it for a moment. "Touché."
Katie pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "Hey Alex. Why do you think it's been so quiet the last few weeks? There haven't been any attacks since that night in the park when Jack and Sasha showed up and it's beginning to bother me. Do you think they figured out that we've been staying here?"
Alex stared up at the sky. "I don't know why they haven't acted, but it does seem strange that they just suddenly stopped. And I wouldn't think that they know for sure that we're here. I pretty certain they would have come after us if they did."
"And that's why you need to be in top form," Nebula said as she jumped down from where she had been perched in a nearby tree. "The enemy could strike at any time, so you must be prepared to fight at a moment's notice. You did well today, but I believe you can do better. You need to focus your energy on training right now, not worrying about your relationships. Now I want you back here tomorrow at the same time, and you better bring DJ with you. I don't care if you have to hogtie and drag him here. I understand that schoolwork is important, but he must not neglect his training. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll see the two of you at home."
"Psychotic animal," Katie mumbled as she watched the rust colored cat walk away. "She's treating us like rookies. I guess the fact that her future self has been riding our asses like a freaking drill sergeant since we could walk doesn't impress her. I nailed every move she gave me to do today and it still wasn't good enough for her. Would it kill her to compliment us on a job well done for once?"
"Okay, you need a change of scenery," Alex said as he pushed up from the ground and then reached down to pull her up next to him. "I say we go drag DJ away from his boring books and then head for the Crown. Maybe we'll do some ice skating or something."
A wolfish grin appeared on Katie's lips. "You mean let's drag him away from Little Miss Goody Two Shoes. She's had him all morning, and I'll be damned if I let her monopolize his entire Saturday."
"Okay, I'm here," Serena grumbled around a yawn as she walked into Mina's boutique. "Now what was so important that you had to call and get me out of bed for? I was planning on sleeping in and catching up on the rest I've missed. It's been a hell of a week."
"Oh stop being such a grouch!" Mina scolded her lightly. "I promise that the trip down here will be totally worth it. Now come with me."
Serena rolled her eyes at her friend's enthusiasm, but followed her without any more complaints as she was led through a door and down a hall to a large workroom where Mina worked at designing her own line of clothing. It was usually a mess with bolts of cloth and hastily sketched designs everywhere, but today it was immaculate. A long curtain draped off one end of the room.
"Am I finally going to get to see what has made you such a recluse the past few weeks?" Serena asked curiously. "The other girls and I were beginning to think that Kunzite was keeping you tied to the bed."
"Oh please!" Mina scoffed. "I'm the only one that does any tying up in our bedroom. Let's just say that the strength of my Love Chain has been tested on many occasions and hasn't failed me yet."
Serena slapped a hand over her eyes, trying to block the disturbing images that were now racing through her head. "That was way too much information, Mina. Thanks a lot!"
The goddess of love waved a dismissive hand. "Whatever! Now let's get to the good stuff. And please feel free to tell me if I'm overstepping the line here. After your mom agreed to turn the decision making about your wedding back over to you she came to see me. She figured that I would be in the know about what kinds of dresses you would want your wedding party to wear. So I threw together some things, and I want your honest opinion on them. If you don't like them you can go somewhere else and not hurt my feelings. I promise."
She swept the curtain aside to reveal five dresses. "This is all I have so far. I didn't have time to finish any of the outers or Rini's yet, but I already have my ideas sketched out."
Serena's eyes filled with tears as she looked at the dresses that Mina had come up with for the four bridesmaids and the maid of honor. It was just like she had always pictured them. They were all floor length, but each one had been tailored to fit the wearer's individual style.
Amy's was ice blue with a modest neckline and short sleeves while Raye's was strapless and bright red. Lita's was forest green with wide shoulder straps and Mina had made her own in a warm orange with spaghetti straps. After many hours of bickering that one of the others should be the maid of honor, Jess had finally agreed to do it. Mina had made her dress in a rich royal blue in an off the shoulder design.
Mina watched her princess's reaction carefully. "You don't like them, do you? That's okay, I'm sure we can find something you like somewhere else. I was just playing around with these. I'll scrap them."
"Don't you dare," Serena whispered softly. "They are absolutely perfect. I should have known that you of all people would know exactly what I would want my closest friends to wear for my wedding."
Mina's face brightened. "So you like them?"
Serena shook her head slowly. "Like is to tame a word to describe what I'm feeling right now. I adore them! Now who do I have to kill to get you to make one for me?"
Mina's face turned sheepish. "Well actually, I've already made yours. I just wanted to see how you reacted to these before I showed it to you."
"Well where is it?" Serena demanded. "I want to see my dress!"
Mina pushed the curtain the rest of the way open to reveal a dress more elegant than anything Serena could have come up with in her wildest dreams. It was a brilliant white that could rival a new fallen snow with a skirt that was full without being too wide. It was simple in its design with a slim fitting bodice and inch wide shoulder straps. But the most amazing thing of all was the string of red roses that had been embroidered around the hem of the skirt.
Serena couldn't help herself. She broke into tears as she hugged Mina tightly. "Thank you, Mina. You have made my dream wedding seem like more of a reality. I would be proud to wear one of your designs when I stand up to take my vows."
Mina pulled back, blinking rapidly. "Don't you dare make me cry and ruin my mascara, Serena! I have an image to uphold. Now get a hold of yourself before we both start blubbering like the blondes we are."
Serena wiped her eyes carefully. "I can't believe you did this. They are everything I could have wished for and more. So what else do you have planned?"
Mina rushed to a table to grab a sketchbook that she flipped open. "Rini's and Hotaru's have the same design with short poofed sleeves. Rini's will be pink, of course, while Hotaru's will be purple."
Serena looked over the drawing with approval shining in her eyes. Rini and Helios would be acting as ring bearers and Hotaru was the flower girl. "What about Amara? She would rather die than be caught wearing a fancy dress."
Mina turned the page. "I thought about that. But since she will be accompanying Michelle's violin on the piano I knew she would still need something dazzling to wear, so I decided this might work for her. It's a pantsuit in butter yellow with wide flowing legs. I think it will make her look amazing without cramping her less feminine style. And Michelle's dress will be a Grecian style in aquamarine. Now Trista is the one I'm stumped on. I know she said that she didn't want to be part of the wedding party, and we don't even know if she will be at the ceremony, but I would still like to make something for her."
Serena was thoughtfully silent for a moment as she thought about the quiet and mysterious time guardian. "I say keep it simple. That's just Trista's style. But whatever you come up with, do it in wine red to match her eyes. I don't care if she isn't going to be actually standing up with me, she's still a part of our family and I won't exclude her."
"I figured you'd say that," Mina said with a grin. "One thing's for sure, you're going to have one of the most colorful weddings that anyone has ever seen. But you don't think that we're going to be too obvious by wearing our planetary colors, do you? I can't help but think that we may as well all wear signs around our necks announcing that we are the sailor scouts."
The reincarnated princess sighed. "I really don't think it makes a whole lot of difference anymore, Mina. The future is coming up on us faster than we think. When we went to Crystal Tokyo during the fight against Wiseman, King Endymion said that I became queen at the age of twenty-two. That's only a little over a year away. I can't help but think that things will soon begin changing. We don't know exactly what happens to cause the Earth to freeze over, but I don't think it happens overnight. The future we caught a glimpse of all those years ago is almost here, so I don't think that secret identities are all that important anymore."
Mina laughed nervously. "Wow! That's deep coming from you. So what if our grand future is on the way. That's no reason to not live for the moment. Your wedding is going to be the biggest event of the millennium. No sneaking off to have secret ceremony in Elysian for you two this time. We are going to have a party that will put those stuffy old balls we had on the moon to shame."
Serena giggled. "It is going to be great, isn't it? Now if I could just get Lita to make my cake for me that will be one less thing for me to worry about."
"It's funny you should mention that," Mina drawled. "The other part of your surprise for the day is that Lita wants you to come down to the restaurant to sample some cakes. I never knew that there were so many different kinds of chocolate cake, but she had at least ten that she was baking when I was down there earlier. She wants you to choose which one you want for the wedding."
"Are you serious?" Serena screeched. "What are we sitting here for? Let's go!" She grabbed Mina by the hand and dragged her from the room.
"Hey man, you look dead on your feet. What gives?" Andrew said as he set a cup of coffee in front of Darien.
A pair of tired, bloodshot blue eyes looked up at him in surprise. "What are you doing working behind the counter? Isn't that a waste of your college degree?"
Andrew rolled his eyes. "Ha ha! Very funny! We were short handed today, so I decided to fill in. There's a nasty flu bug going around and Lizzy and a few other waitresses have come down with it."
"I know what you mean," the ebony haired doctor said as he rubbed his bleary eyes. "I saw at least five cases of it last night in the emergency room. Three of them had to be admitted for dehydration."
"What were you doing working last night?" Andrew asked. "I thought you were on the day shift yesterday."
Darien yawned widely. "I was, but I pulled a double. This virus has taken its toll on the hospital staff too and we have several doctors and nurses that are out of commission right now."
The sandy blonde head shook back and forth. "Are you saying that you were on duty for twenty four hours?"
A shrug. "Pretty much. I think it ended up being something like twenty-six hours. The chief of staff finally told me to go home and get some sleep. I tried to catch a few naps in my office, but we were swamped."
Andrew watched his friend in amazement as he guzzled down the steaming coffee. "I don't see how you do it. I can't function without at least six hours of uninterrupted sleep a night. Jess says I sleep like the dead. Of course she's up and down all night. I don't think she'll ever get used to being able to sleep normally. I guess that's from having nightmares for so many years. She'd sit up in her studio all night if I didn't force her to get some rest."
"Speaking of her, where is she? Aren't you two usually attached at the hip?" Darien said as he held his cup out for a refill.
Andrew topped it off. "She went to some extra credit lecture on art history or something. Like she needs the extra credit. The woman practically has a perfect GPA. She could skive off for the rest of the semester and probably still graduate at the top of her class. I don't see how she can be so fine and smart at the same time."
Darien snorted into his cup. "Perhaps it's just good genes."
"Rigghht," Andrew drawled. "Well I guess all the credit would go to her parents then, because you certainly can't claim any of it in this lifetime. No genetic bond, remember."
Darien shrugged it off. "That may be true, but she hasn't really changed all that much from the Silver Millennium. So what if she's older. She was still the sharpest child I have ever seen back then, and I don't think she inherited all those brains from Serenity."
"Well excuse me Mr. Valedictorian," Andrew said with a smirk. "You better not ever let Serena hear you say that. From some of the things I've heard her say since DJ's arrival I think she is convinced that she is single handedly responsible for the way every one of her kids, including Melody, has turned out."
Darien really didn't feel like getting pulled into this conversation. He knew that anything he said would eventually get back to Serena, and sound ten times worse than what it actually was. So he looked around for a change of subject and found it as he looked out one of the large windows of the arcade.
"Speaking of your genius fiancé, here she comes," he said nonchalantly before a frown appeared on his face. "Who's that guy she's with?"
Andrew's expression turned dark as he followed his friend's gaze. He saw Jess walking toward the arcade with a tall, brunette man at her side. The man seemed to be closer to her than was necessary and their sleeves brushed as they walked.
"Chance Donovan," Andrew snarled. "He's a classmate of hers that transferred here from America. He's from San Francisco. When he found out that Jess had grown up in Los Angeles, he felt that opened the door to become her new best friend. She claims that he's gay, but I think the little prick just uses that as an excuse to get close to women. Jess thinks I'm overreacting, but I really believe he's trying to make a move on her."
A growl rumbled in his chest as he saw Jess give Chance a quick hug as she said goodbye to him outside, and he was still glowering as she came in to sit next to Darien at the counter.
"Hey guys! What's up?" she chirped cheerfully.
Darien remained silent, staring down into his coffee cup. He wasn't about to get pulled into whatever was about to blow up between his best friend and his past daughter's reincarnation.
"The sky!" Andrew ground out in a nasty tone as he turned his back to her and began preparing a fresh pot of coffee.
Jess turned to look at Darien with wide, ocean blue eyes that were burning with questions. He just shrugged.
She turned her gaze back to Andrew, or at least his back. "Drew? Baby, is something wrong?"
He shot a quick glance over his shoulder, a bitter smile on his face. "Wrong? Nope! Nothing's wrong. How was your lecture?"
"It was fine," she answered in a hesitant tone.
"Oh good, good," Andrew said coolly as he turned back around. "Did you and Chance have a good time?"
"On no! Not this again!" Jess moaned in exasperation. "How many times do I have to tell you that it's not like that? Chance doesn't think about me that way. You're more his type than I am."
"That's just what he wants you to think," Andrew retorted. "It wouldn't be the first time a man pretended to be gay just to worm his way into a woman's affections. I don't trust him. I saw how close he was walking to you. The bastard was using every opportunity to touch you. I bet he's plotting in his head the right moment to make his move."
"Hey!" Serena said as she entered the arcade and joined them, missing out on the tension that hung thick in the air. "What's going on?" Darien quickly pulled her to his side and out of the line of fire. He silenced her with a couple of fingers against his lips.
Jess ignored her. She stood up from her stool and slammed her hands down on the counter as she leaned across it to glare at Andrew. "Let's get something straight right now! Chance is gay. G-A-Y! Got that? I have met his partner and I've seen how devoted they are to one another. And even if he didn't swing that way, I would think that you would have enough trust in me to know that nothing would happen."
Andrew leaned against his side of the counter, visibly deflating. "You've met his partner? You mean he really is…"
"Yes!" she shrieked. "I tried to tell you that weeks ago, but you swell up like a puffer fish every time I even mention his name so I figured it was just best to avoid the subject."
"Whoa, whoa! What's going on here?" a strong, feminine voice broke into the middle of the heated conversation. "Andrew Furuhata! Are you giving that sweet girl a hard time? I raised you better than that."
Andrew paled beneath his tan as he turned to the owner of the voice. "Mom! What are you doing here?"
Kathleen Furuhata eyed her son critically. "I came in to help out. With your sister and half the staff out with the flu I figured you could use another set of hands."
"But I've got everything under control," Andrew protested.
Kathleen pulled herself up to her full height that was still several inches shorter than her fully grown son. But with her fiery red hair and snapping hazel eyes, she proved to be a commanding presence.
"Don't you try to pull that crap over on me, my boy," she snapped. "I was working this arcade before you were ever even thought of. I may not be as young and hip as I once was, but I can guarantee you that I can still make the meanest milkshake in Tokyo."
Jess giggled and sat back down, snatching up the glass that Andrew, even in a pissed off mood, had automatically set in front of her. "I always knew I liked your mom."
Kathleen smiled and patted her hand. "You go right ahead and stand up to him, honey. I always knew my Drew would need a strong woman to keep him in line. He's just like his father. Just don't let him run you off before you've had a chance to marry him and give me a couple of grandkids."
Jess choked on her drink and began coughing while Andrew looked like he was about to pass out. "Mom!"
"What?" Kathleen asked innocently as she rubbed Jess's back to help her catch her breath. "I just want some grandchildren to spoil while I'm still young enough to do it. If I have to wait on your sister to do it I'll be waiting a long time. I don't know if that girl will ever settle down into a steady relationship. So it's up to you two to humor this old lady."
Andrew smiled fondly at his mother, who looked many years younger than her actual age. "You're hardly old, mom. I'm sure there's plenty of people out there that have mistaken us for brother and sister instead of mother and son."
Kathleen beamed a smile. "That's my boy, always a charmer. Now pass me an apron and I'll make a sweep through the tables. It may have been a while since I've done this, but I'm sure that the dramas of teenage life haven't changed all that much. As a matter of fact, I think I see my first victims walking in right now."
The automatic doors slid open to admit a stomping, infuriated looking Katie. DJ followed closely behind her with a confused look on his face. Alex brought up the rear, grinning like a Cheshire cat.
Katie made her way to the counter where she slammed herself down on the stool next to Jess. She fixed her angry eyes on Andrew. "I'll have an iced caramel latte with four shots of espresso. And don't try to hold out on me!"
DJ leaned up against the counter next to her with an irritated frown on his face. "So are you going to tell me what I did this time? I'm tired of playing guessing games. Just tell me what's got you so ticked off."
She hissed out a furious breath as her eyes flared. "You know exactly why I'm pissed! And if I have to spell it out for you, then you're a bigger idiot than I thought. Now if you value your life I would suggest that you back off until I have a chance to cool down before you find my foot planted squarely in your ass!"
His blue eyes blazed in anger. "Fine! Be that way! I've got other things I could be doing instead of playing twenty questions with you. Let me know when you're ready to rejoin reality." He turned toward the door.
Katie spun on her stool. "That's right! Go running back to your little lab partner. Don't think I don't know what that conniving little snot has planned. You better tell that bitch to back off or she's going to get introduced to two of my close personal friends! This is friend number one," she held up one fist. "And this is friend number two," she clenched the other tightly.
"You're being irrational!" DJ shot back as he paused to look at her.
She jumped up from her seat. "I am not being irrational! I can see right through that innocent façade of hers. She's trying to get her hooks into you and you're completely oblivious."
He finally lost the last bit of control over his temper. "Drop it, Tinkerbell! I'm not in the mood to deal with a flippin, overemotional fairy."
Her face flamed red. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that, you stupid egomaniac?"
"Okay," Alex said, finally intervening and stepping between the two combatants. "I think it's time for both of you to chill out before you say something you may regret later."
"Stay out of it!" DJ and Katie yelled at him in unison. Then they glared at one another. "Jinx!" Another glare. "Stop that!" Then grins appeared on both of their faces.
"What are we fighting about again?" DJ chuckled.
Katie answered with a giggle. "That damn hussy that keeps eying you like a piece of meat."
The ebony haired prince walked back to her and slung an arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about her. I've got you, and that's more than enough for me. Now didn't you say that you wanted to go ice skating?"
The pale blonde head nodded eagerly. "You bet! Never mind the latte, Drew! I have other plans."
"Well I stand corrected. It seems my advice wasn't needed after all," Kathleen said as she walked away toward the tables full of high school and college students.
"Idiots!" Alex grumbled as he took Katie's abandoned seat. "I don't know which way I prefer them, when they're kissing each other or trying to kill each other. I'm just glad my relationship isn't that complicated."
"What happened this time?" Jess asked curiously.
A goofy grin appeared on his face. "It was actually quite funny. I wish I'd had a video camera with me. I might have won ten thousand dollars if I had. DJ skipped practice this morning to work with Susan on their project. After Kat and I got done with Nebula we decided to go get him and drag him here for some fun. When we got to the apartment we found poor, clueless DJ studying his heart out while Susan was trying to be sneaky and hang all over him without being obvious. I thought the top of Kat's head was going to blow off, but she kept her cool and didn't say anything. But then DJ screwed up big time. Susan got excited when we mentioned ice-skating, and the moron invited her along. Luckily the bimbo had enough sense to say no when my dear sister sent her a look that would blister paint."
Serena let out a laugh. "It looks like the green eyed jealousy bug has gone on a rampage today. I'm just glad I don't have anything to worry about."
Darien tugged on her ponytail. "I wouldn't be so sure about that, Sere. There is this one nurse at the hospital that I've been getting weird vibes from. I think she spends a lot of time staring at my ass."
"What!" Serena shrieked. "Who is she? What's her name? I'll rip every piece of hair from her head. I'll have Raye broil her and Lita sizzle her skin off. And then I'll…"
Darien silenced her with a quick kiss. Then he chuckled. "I was just joking, love. But I couldn't resist it. You're so cute when you're angry. It reminds me of the good old days."
"Yeah, the good old days," Serena muttered darkly. "And you're still the world's biggest jerk sometimes, Darien Shields. I thought you might have finally matured enough to stop picking on me."
His eyes, though tired, gleamed mischievously. "Now why would I want to give up my favorite pastime, Meatball Head?"
She planted her hands on her hips. "So you want to relive the past? That's fine with me. Andrew, pass me that can of whipped cream, please."
Darien scrambled off his stool with a horrified look on his face. "You wouldn't dare!"
Andrew clutched the can in question to his chest tightly. "No way! I'm not cleaning up after you two again!"
Jess and Alex fell off their seats, howling with laughter.
Crystal Tokyo – Fifteen years in the future from Rini, DJ, Katie, and Alex's time
A portal opened in what had once been the grand courtyard of the Crystal Palace and a dark cloaked figure stepped through. The hooded head swept around taking in the abandoned city. The buildings had begun to crumble from neglect and the long years of fighting.
A sigh came from the depths of the hood as their feet began moving in the direction of a small area that was fenced in with black wrought iron. A pale hand reached out to pull open the gate, and they walked in to sit next to a stone marker.
"I miss you," a soft voice whispered to the stone. "More so than I would have ever thought humanly possible. My life is so empty now without you."
A hand passed over the dry, barren ground. And under the touch fresh emerald grass sprang to life along with a shower of wildflowers in every color imaginable. It was a beautiful sight that seemed sadly out of place in such gloomy surroundings.
"What are you doing here?" a quiet voice asked in the darkening gloom.
The hooded head snapped up. "Emma?"
The golden blonde woman was leaning against the fence. "You know you shouldn't be here. He will kill you if he finds you."
A cold voice sneered. "He can try. In fifteen years of fighting he has been unable to touch me, nor I him. We are too evenly matched. And if by some chance he did manage to kill me, it would be no less than I deserved."
Emma shook her head. "I just wish that there was some way for me to understand why you've done what you've done. What happened in the past wasn't your fault, it was Discord's. And yet you joined him and have been fighting at his side all of these years."
"I have my reasons," the black-cloaked figure answered as it stood and hopped over the fence easily. They paused when they felt a hand on their arm.
"Look at me!" Emma demanded, reaching up to sweep the hood back. She flinched from the sight of angry, swirling, pain filled eyes, but she stood her ground. "We all lost a piece of ourselves that day, but you were never to blame. I know you, and you are not evil. I also know that you probably have some grand master plan ticking away in that head of yours, but you don't have to do it alone. Come back home. We all miss you."
Lips twisted up in a smirk. "You mean all except him. He would rather see me bleeding to death at his feet than listen to anything I have to say. And I feel the same way about him. So I'm flying solo on this one. I've put too much time and energy into this to give up on it now. I have one chance at righting the wrongs of the past, and nobody is going to stop me."
Emma found her hand clenched around nothing but air as the person she was holding teleported away in a puff of smoke. She turned her china blue eyes to the gray sky and whispered, "Good luck". But there was no one to hear her except the cold stone now covered in a riotous display of flowers.
The black clad figure reappeared on the front lawn of Discord's compound far outside the city. They heaved a defeated sounding sigh before straightening their shoulders and pulling the hood back in place.
A large, striped, tiger like sentinel growled as they approached the door.
"Pipe down hairball, before I turn you into a fur rug!"
A large, muscularly built guardian blocked the entrance. "The master doesn't wish to be disturbed at this time."
The cloaked person swung a hand out, and the guardian gasped as he found himself slammed into a wall and held there, dangling several feet off the floor. "Are you questioning my right to be here, you sniveling sap?"
"N..no. N..not at all. Pl..please continue." He fell to the floor with a crash.
"That's what I thought."
Discord looked up as the large double doors to his sanctuary were flung open with an echoing boom to admit the only protégé that he had ever had that actually succeeded in helping him in his quest. He had never put up with this kind of blatant disregard from any of his other subordinates, but this one was special.
"Well I see you have returned," he began. "Were you successful in your assignment?"
"Of course! What do you take me for, an imbecile?"
His eyes narrowed as he watched his prized possession throw themself casually across an armchair. "No. Never an imbecile. I had complete faith in you. Now tell me what has you so on edge. You visited Crystal Tokyo again, didn't you?"
"It was just a quick stop. It helps me to keep my priorities in order to revisit the pain of the past from time to time."
Discord templed his fingers. "And yet you return to me without a scratch. You must have been denied the presence of your friend this time. You usually come back with a few souvenirs after daring to venture into enemy territory"
A hollow laugh rang out. "No. I didn't see him today. Not that it would have been that big of a deal. I've dealt him a few blows over the years as well."
"Yes you have," Discord agreed. "But moving on to business. So you made contact with my past self. Are you prepared for your ultimate mission? It won't be easy on you trying to maintain your strength while there are two of you in the same time, but I'm sure you can handle it. Your presence there is crucial to our goal."
"Don't worry. You can count on me."
"I sure hope you are right. If you attempt to betray me I will gut you like a pig. Remember what happened to the others that sought to turn on me." He waved a hand toward two skeletons that hung on the wall. Strips of old, moth eaten cloth barely covered the bones and only a few strands of long black and reddish blonde hair remained clinging to the skulls. This was all that was left of Jack and Sasha.
He swept from the room, leaving his right hand behind. So he didn't see the eyes that began glowing under the hood or hear them mutter. "We'll just see about that, old man. The Trinity may be gone in this time, but you still have me to reckon with. I don't care if it costs me my life, I will see you sent to hell where you belong."
Katie shoved the folder containing her sheet music into her bag as the last bell of the day rang. It had been a great day. For some reason none of the teachers had given out any homework for the weekend and Nebula hadn't scheduled any training sessions for them either. Spring had finally come to stay, and the weather was absolutely gorgeous. There had still been no attacks, so that bothered her some, but other than that life was great.
DJ and Susan had presented their project a few days before and the other blonde girl had been hanging around less since then. Katie was thrilled to not have to suffer through the presence of her rival as much as before. Things had gone almost back to normal. Sure, Susan had still joined then for lunch a couple of times and she had come by the apartment to get some help from DJ on a Calculus assignment, but Katie had made sure to stay close by her boyfriend's side the entire time. She wasn't going to give the bitch a chance to make a move on him.
"Katie, can I speak to you for a minute?" Michelle asked as she gathered her own belongings together.
"Sure," Katie replied, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"
"No, no. Not at all," Michelle hastily reassured her. "I was just wondering, are you going to the hospital fundraiser gala tomorrow night?"
She nodded her head. "Yeah. Darien got all of us tickets to go to it. Mom…damn, I mean Jess, I've really got to break that habit. Anyway, she donated a few paintings for the auction. I heard that you were performing also. I can't wait to hear it."
Michelle smiled gently at her. "Thank you, but that brings me back to what I wanted to ask you. I've found myself in a little bit of a predicament, and I was wondering if you might help me out a bit."
"Of course," Katie agreed hastily. "What do you need me to do?"
"Well you see, it's like this," Michelle began slowly. "I do several pieces that are for the violin alone, but I have a couple that are meant to be accompanied by the piano. Amara always plays with me at these functions, but she's going to be away at a race this weekend and will be unavailable. I was wondering if you could fill in for her."
"Me!" Katie squeaked in surprise. "Why me? I'm sure you could find someone else that could do it better than I could."
Michelle shook her head. "I might be able to. But with you I know that I would be getting a sure thing. You have an amazing talent, and what's more you already know the songs. You listed them in your repertoire when we first met. I know this is short notice, but I could really use your help on this. I'm only asking for ten minutes of your time."
Katie's head spun as she thought back to her one and only other public performance she had given and the immense anxiety she had suffered from leading up to it and wanted to turn down the offer. But playing her music professionally was her lifelong dream, and she was going to have to get over the stage fright at some point if she wanted to succeed. Not to mention that Michelle had been her teacher and her idol her entire life, and she couldn't find it in her to turn her down.
"Okay. I'll do it," she said quietly.
"Wonderful!" Michelle cried, clasping her hands together. "Why don't you come out to the house tonight and we'll practice a little? As a matter of fact, I'll call Serena and see if she, Darien, Jess, and Andrew want to join us. We'll do dinner and then they can visit with Amara and keep her entertained while we practice. The boys are invited too, of course. And don't forget to bring a swimsuit. I don't have an Olympic sized indoor pool for nothing, you know."
"Sure," Katie replied automatically. "I'll see you later."
She left the room and walked robotically down the halls and outside into the courtyard. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts she passed right by DJ, who was leaning up against a tree waiting for her, without even seeing him.
"Hey!" he exclaimed, reaching out to touch her arm. He grew concerned when she turned anxiety-ridden eyes on him. "What's the matter?"
She thought quickly about what the upcoming night and the performance the next night might entail, and she made a quick decision. "I need your help," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him swiftly behind her.
"Where are we going?" he asked as he trotted along after her.
"You'll see," she said over her shoulder.
It took about ten minutes, but she finally stopped when she reached the secured clearing that they used for training.
"What are we doing here?" DJ asked. "We're not scheduled to train today."
"I know that," she answered. "But this is the only safe spot for what I have planned." Then she filled him in on her and Michelle's conversation.
His eyes lit up. "So you're going to perform? That's great! And we get to go to dinner at the outer's house? Sweet! For all of her brash ways, Amara's a great cook. And swimming too? It's going to be a great weekend! But that still doesn't explain why you dragged me here."
"Because I have a favor to ask you," Katie said in a quietly desperate voice.
"Hey! Whatever it is, I'll do it. You know that," he reassured her quickly. But he almost passed out a few seconds later when she threw her bag to the ground and pulled her shirt off over her head. He sighed in relief when saw that she wore a camisole underneath.
She held her arms out in front of her. "I want these to go away. I don't want the reminders anymore and I sure as hell am not going to go parading around in a bathing suit where everybody can gawk at how hideous I am. Not to mention the fact that the weather in turning warm and I'm tired of bundling myself up like it's still the middle of winter."
DJ eyed the scars that ran up and down her arms and the few that crisscrossed her chest. "Kat, I don't know if I can do it. I've never been able to heal anyone before. I only started being able to heal myself in the last year. You should probably get my dad…"
"I don't want Darien to do it!" she interrupted. "You are the only one I have ever trusted to see what I really look like. I don't want anyone else to look at how disfigured I am and see the pity in their eyes. I know you say that my scars don't matter to you, but they matter to me. I want to be me again, and you're the only one I can trust to do it. So please try, for me. If it doesn't work then I'll go to your dad."
He sighed in defeat. "Okay. I'll try." He took off his school blazer and laid it on the ground. "Lie down."
She smiled brightly at him and lay down on the jacket. He sat next to her and held his hands so that they hovered a few inches above her skin.
"This may get a little warm," he warned her as his hands began to glow a light gold.
Katie closed her eyes and held her breath as a not unpleasant warming sensation began to wash over her. After a minute of this she heard DJ's breathing turn harsh and she squinted her eyes open to look at him. He was panting and sweat had popped out across his forehead. His eyes were clenched shut in concentration.
"DJ! Stop!" she cried in alarm. She hadn't realized what a strain this would be on him when she asked.
He just shook his head and continued pouring the healing energy from his crystal over her in soothing waves. After about another twenty seconds, the power finally faded and he fell forward on his hands so that he was draped over her.
"DJ, are you okay?" Katie asked frantically as she reached up to push his sweaty bangs out of his eyes.
"I'm fine," he answered, opening his eyes to look down at her and grin. "And you look great."
She studied the arm in front of her that was still raised toward his face. All traces of the scars had disappeared, leaving nothing but lightly tanned skin behind. She ran her fingers down her upper left arm, but instead of feeling the raised, jagged scar that was usually there she felt smooth, unblemished skin.
"You did it!" she shrieked, throwing both arms around his neck and hugging him. "I knew you could! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
He chuckled. "You're welcome. Even though I thought you were fine the way you were. But if this makes you happy, I'm more than willing to oblige."
She bumped her forehead with his. "I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. I love you."
"I love you too," he replied before leaning down and kissing her. Suddenly realizing that she was lying beneath him and very scantily clothed, the kiss quickly heated up. He decided to take a chance and be more bold than usual. He slid his hand up her leg and under her skirt to her thigh and was elated when he felt her moan into his mouth. His other hand was inching down her collarbone toward her chest when a voice suddenly broke through the haze they were in.
"Well, well, what are you naughty little children doing? Don't you think you are a little young to be indulging in such…adult pleasures?" a rather rough, yet amused sounding voice asked.
Both heads snapped up and they stared in disbelief at the hooded, black-cloaked form that was leaning casually against a tree. DJ scrambled off of Katie and jumped to his feet, pulling her up beside him. No one other than themselves and their friends were supposed to be able to pass through the barrier that Amy had set up.
"Who the hell are you and how did you find this place?" DJ demanded.
A dark chuckle echoed from the hood. "Who I am is unimportant at the moment. Call me whatever you want. I haven't answered to any particular name in a long time."
"Oh yeah! How about we call you psycho, because you seem nuts to me," Katie snapped.
Their mystery visitor seemed unfazed by the malice in her voice. "Cool your jets, hothead. I'm not here as a threat, at least not yet. I'm here to give you some much needed advice. You can take it, or leave it. I would suggest you take it. Trust me. I've seen you're future and it isn't pretty."
"How would you know what our future is like?" DJ retorted. "Sailor Pluto is the only one who can authorize time travel, and judging by your sorry attitude I seriously doubt she sent you here."
"Use your brain, you stupid boy!" the voice sneered. "Is Pluto the one in charge of the time gate right now? I think not. Fifteen years in your future the world is in total upheaval. Crystal Tokyo has become nothing more than a ghost town while Discord has run rampant over the rest of the Earth. The only reason why the planet hasn't been totally obliterated is because the Crystal Palace was never breached. A resistance was built against him that thwarts his every attempt."
"So you're from our future?" Katie asked quietly. "Does that mean that we failed; that we never measured up to the god's standards to receive the power we needed to defeat Discord? We must have if we are still fighting him fifteen years from now. Are we destined for failure?"
"Look, a lot of stuff went down that I can't tell you about," their guest said, but in a softer tone than before. "I'm not here as your friend, but to tell you that you better get your shit together. If you don't the world is bound for the future that I have lived. Beware of deceit and betrayal. It can come from you at any angle; even from those that you thought you could trust. There are those that would seek to drive a wedge between you and open a void so wide that it will never be able to be closed again. If that happens, there will be pain and suffering the likes that neither one of you could ever imagine. I wish Alex were here as well so that I could tell him this too. In my time the Trinity was never fulfilled. It was fractured through loss…and death. Don't make the same mistakes that were made in my past."
"How do we know we can trust you? For all we know you may be one of the people out to sabotage us." DJ pointed out.
"True enough. But can you really afford to not at least think about what I've told you? And a word to the wise, if you see me again run as fast as you can in the opposite direction. I made this little trip here on my own, but Discord will soon send me after you."
"You're working for him!" Katie exploded, her hand reaching for her transformation pendant.
An eerie laugh rang out. "Please! You are an infant compared to me. You don't stand a chance. But make no mistake, Discord likes to think that he's the one that pulls my strings, but I became the puppet master long ago. I'm offering you the chance to change the future, but I have my own agenda. Whether or not he is destroyed by my hand or yours remains to be seen."
There was a strong gust of wind that kicked up a cloud of dust that caused DJ and Katie to cover their eyes. When it died down the mysterious figure in black was gone.
"So you're leaving early in the morning, Amara?" Serena asked as she accepted the cocktail offered to her and took a sip.
"Yep!" the shorthaired blonde answered as she took a seat in one of the lounge chairs next to the pool. "I already sent the car ahead, but I want to get down there in time to make a few practice runs and fine tune it. Are you sure you don't want to come with me, Kitten? We could have some fun."
Serena laughed at her flirtatious friend. "I'm sure we could. But I'm afraid that I already have a prior engagement."
The tall scout of wind scowled at her prince. "I think I liked it better when you were gone to school in America. She was always available when I called and asked her if she wanted to do something. Now she's turning all prim and proper."
Darien held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, it's all her. I don't have anything to do with it. But if you were the one that had to try and boot her lazybones out of bed every morning you may change your mind."
Amara took a pull from the bottle of beer she was drinking. "Ah, but that's where you and I differ. I know there's no better place for a beautiful woman to be than in bed."
"Amara, behave!" Michelle admonished her lightly. "Remember that we have young ears present."
Amara glanced over to where the group of teenagers were and shrugged. "They're not paying any attention. And even if they were, I'm sure it's not anything they haven't heard before. Kids learn early nowadays."
"Especially if they grow up around you. Remind me to keep my two away from you during their formative years," Jess said cheekily.
Amara wagged a finger at her. "You won't have control if the two of them are anything like you, missy. I seem to remember a certain little girl in the Silver Millennium that was as curious as a chipmunk. I never knew what question would come popping out of your mouth."
"She has a point," Andrew agreed. "Do you know how many lectures I got from my parents back then about how I shouldn't aid and abet you and your indecent behavior? I was grounded for two weeks after that little stunt when you decided that it would be funny to swap all the salt and sugar in the castle around."
Dark blue eyes glared at him. "That wasn't my idea! It was yours! And I didn't exactly come out of that stunt unscathed either."
Serena laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. "I remember that! By the time I found you hiding in a closet I was so mad all I could do was pull you across my lap and spank you. That was the only time I ever used physical punishment on you, but you had pushed me past my limits at that point."
Jess crossed her arms in a huff. "I'm glad you find it so amusing now. My ass still stings when I think about it."
"You spanked her?" Darien asked in shock. "You actually spanked her? I never heard about that. How could you have spanked her?"
"At least somebody's on my side," Jess grumbled.
"You would have too if you had been there," Serena retorted. "Of all the days to pull an evil trick like that, those two hellions decide to do on the day of a council meeting when all of the kings and queens from the other planets were there. The entire dinner was ruined."
"Yeah, but the looks on everyone's faces was priceless. A total Kodak moment," Jess sighed. Then she let out a startled squeak as her past mother pinned her with reproving blue eyes. She grabbed Andrew's arm and dragged him out of his chair. "Come on, sweetie. I feel like taking a dip in the pool."
Amara chuckled at the reaction. "You are plumb evil when you want to be, Kitten. But spankings aren't always a bad thing. Especially given in the right time and place."
"Amara!" Michelle hissed. "What did I tell you? Keep it PG. There are children present."
"Children my ass!" Amara snorted. "They are almost adults. I bet there's not a single virgin among them. Well I'm on the fence about two of them. But I saw Alex when his girlfriend was visiting, and they seemed really close if you know what I mean. And don't even get me started on Hotaru and Sammy."
"No! Let's not go there," Serena hastily agreed. The last thing she wanted to hear about was her little brother's possible sex life. That was just too much for her to take in.
Darien saw Serena's face turn slightly green and decided to intervene. "Let's go for a swim, Sere. I see Michelle has a volleyball net. Maybe we can get a game started."
Serena sighed in relief and quickly followed him to the pool. She saw that Andrew and Jess had joined Rini, Hotaru, and Sammy in the water, but her gaze lingered on the three sitting on the edge of the pool.
DJ and Alex had their legs dangling into the water while Katie sat with her knees pulled up to her chest. They all had their heads close together and seemed to be conversing in hushed tones.
"So you have no idea who this person was?" Alex asked incredulously.
"Not a clue," DJ answered. "I'm not even sure if it was a man or a woman. The clothes made it hard to tell and their voice kept changing like they were trying to disguise it."
"I think it was a woman," Katie said quietly. "I don't know why, but I just do. And she seemed familiar for some reason."
"And she was inside the training barrier? How can that be?" Alex wondered.
DJ shrugged. "Beats me! But she walked right in like she owned the place and began talking to us. At first I thought she was on something, but she actually made sense. It was kinda creepy."
"Creepy my ass!" Katie fired off. "That bitch was just plain crazy!"
"So you're convinced it's a woman?" Alex muttered.
DJ thought about it for a moment before saying. "Oh yeah! I'd bet my motorcycle on it."
Alex's eyes widened. "Wow! You must be pretty sure if you're willing to stake your ride on it. That thing is your baby. So are you going to tell Serena and the others about this new development?"
"What good would it do?" DJ asked. "They already know that Discord's gunning for us. For all we know this could have just been a trick of his to try and confuse us. I don't want to worry them any more than we have to. But all three of us need to be on high alert. This proves that he hasn't given up and he definitely knows where we are."
"Right," Alex agreed with a nod. "But you guys never got around to telling me what you were doing at the clearing in the first place. Did you two get into another fight and decide to pound each other's faces in."
DJ's cheeks flushed red and he looked away while Katie grinned impishly at her brother. "Don't you notice anything different about me?"
Alex studied her, taking in her hair that was pulled back in her usual ponytail before trailing his eyes over the rest of her. All she wore was a black, one-piece bathing suit. "Not really, unless you count the fact that you're showing an awful lot of skin while sitting next to a boy. Dad would burst a blood vessel if he were here. And…"
He paused as a shock registered on his face. "Wait a minute. You're fixed. I mean you're better. You don't have any scars. But, but…" he stammered to a stop.
Katie patted the top of his head. "Take deep, even breaths before you start hyperventilating, Lex."
"But how?" he choked out.
Katie rolled her hazel eyes. "Duh. Prince of Earth with a magic crystal that has healing powers. Hello! How did you think it happened?"
Alex's eyes froze over until they resembled cold, blue steel as he glared at his friend. "Did you see my sister without her shirt on?"
DJ let out a startled yelp and jumped to his feet, Katie right beside him. She met her brother's glare with one of her own. "It wasn't like that, Alex. I had a camisole on underneath. And it covered more than what this bathing suit does. Get over it!"
Alex surged to his feet. "I don't care how much was covered. Those camisoles are practically see through." But his voice was beginning to lose its edge and the anger in his eyes shifted to humor.
To DJ, that was scarier looking than the fury that had been on his friend's face only moments before. He backed up a few steps. "Uh, hey. Lex, man I…"
"Prepare to get wet, Shields," Alex said as he sprang at him.
There was a scuffle and then a huge splash that showered both boys with water. Their blue eyes widened as they stared at the waves and ripples that danced across the surface of the pool where Katie had just fell in when she had gotten caught between them.
Several long, agonizing seconds passed before her blonde head came back up. She swiped the water from her eyes before turning a murderous look on the two responsible for her unexpected dunking.
From the look on her face they knew that they should be fearing for their lives right then. But she looked liked such a drowned rat with long pieces of straggling hair clinging to her wet cheeks that they couldn't help themselves. They doubled over as they burst into gut wrenching laughter.
Katie swam back over to the edge where she propped her arms on the side of the pool in an attempt to catch her breath. She had experienced a moment of panic when she had felt the water close in over her head. All of the events from that night she had almost died in the cold waters of the bay had come rushing forward in her mind and had paralyzed her for a moment.
She was proud of herself though. When her common sense had kicked in and told her that this situation was completely different her arms and legs had responded immediately and she was able to swim back to the surface. She had avoided anything that had to do with water, other than bathing, since her near death experience. Maybe now she could put that fear behind her. She had to admit, the water felt soothing. But she wasn't going to let them off easy.
She kept the furious look on her face. "Are you two quite done laughing at me? I wouldn't be in this position if you hadn't decided to act like a couple of kindergartners bickering over a ball on the playground. And now you have the nerve to stand there and find it funny that I'm the one suffering from your juvenile behavior? You guys suck!"
Her chastisement was enough to wipe the grins from their faces. "Sorry," they mumbled together before each reached down a hand to help her out.
She grasped the waiting hands and put her feet against the wall of the pool before smirking at them. "You better take a deep breath boys." She pushed away from the side of the pool with her legs while she pulled hard with her arms. DJ and Alex teetered unsteadily on the edge for a moment before they both fell into the water.
Katie let out a peal of giggles, and was still laughing when the two boy's heads popped up a few seconds later. "Payback's a bitch, isn't it?"
"I'll show you payback." DJ growled as he began moving toward her.
She let out a squeak and headed to the right, only to find her path blocked by Alex.
"You are so getting dunked for that," he told her menacingly.
"Nooo!" she wailed as she dove to the left and began swimming for all she was worth toward the other end of the pool where the others had been watching their little spectacle. She was a fast swimmer, but they were faster. She could outrun both of them in a race on land, but they possessed an upper body strength that she could never hope to achieve no matter how much she trained. And that gave them the advantage in the water.
She saw Andrew several yards away and had the childish thought that her daddy would protect her, so she made a beeline for him. She was only fifteen feet from her goal when she felt fingers grab her ankle and she was pulled backward through the water.
A pair of arms clamped around her and a low voice whispered, "Are you ready for your punishment?"
"No DJ, please don't dunk me again," she pleaded. "I'll do anything you want. I'll be your slave for the day. Anything!" She might have made a giant step in conquering her fear of the water, but she didn't know if she would ever feel comfortable with her head under water again. And once tonight had been enough.
DJ looked down into her slightly fearful eyes and felt her shiver as he cursed himself for being an idiot for not remembering her near drowning before. Of course she was probably scared shitless of the water, and he had stood there and laughed at her when she fell in.
"Okay," he said softly. "No more dunking. Do you want to get out?"
Relief flooded her face, but she shook her head. "Not yet. I just don't want to go under anymore."
"Hey, you okay?" Alex asked as he touched her arm lightly. He had also remembered her ordeal when he had sensed a brief panic in her aura a minute before.
"I'm fine," she reassured them both.
"Hey guys!" Serena called out to them. "Come join the game! We'll have six people on each side if you do. We're doing the Shields/Tsukino clan vs. the Furuhatas. We're adopting Hotaru for our side while the other side can have Amara and Michelle as honorary members of the family."
"Well this will be an easy game," Alex said with a grin. "I know Darien, DJ, and Sammy can play, but Serena, Rini, and Hotaru are hopeless. Plus we have Amara on our side. Time for the Furuhata's to kick some ass!"
Crystal Tokyo – The Far Future
Emma's heels clacked on the crystal floor as she strode quickly down the hall. She had thought long and hard about whether or not to say anything about her encounter in the courtyard the other day before deciding that it would be wise to pass on her suspicions.
She paused in front of a door and had just raised her hand to knock when it opened and Skye stepped out.
"How is he this evening?" she asked the tall, auburn haired woman.
Skye shrugged. "Same as always, brooding and quiet. I just brought him some of the dinner that mom made since he didn't come down to the dining room. He didn't say a word. I know he's messed up inside, but fifteen years is an awful long time to mourn. The only time he shows any sign of life anymore is when he's fighting."
"Let me talk to him," Emma said, patting her friend's arm.
Skye shook her head. "Maybe you can get through to him. You seem to be the only person he'll even attempt to listen to." She walked away dejectedly.
Emma pushed the door open without knocking and stepped into the darkness before closing it behind her. She stood there for a moment to allow her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. It wasn't long before she could make out the dark shapes of furniture, and the figure of the man that was slumped over the desk.
She made her way carefully across the room and reached for a small lamp that sat on the corner of the desk. She wasn't surprised when she felt strong fingers clamp around her wrist.
"Leave it off," a gruff voice demanded.
She pulled gently on his grasp and he let her go. "And I've told you before that I prefer to see you when we talk. So either you let me turn on the lamp or I'll open the curtains. There's a beautiful full moon out tonight."
She heard a snarl building in his throat and clicked the lamp on. "That's what I thought." She sat down in a chair and looked at the man she could now see. His hair was disheveled and he looked as if he hadn't shaved in days.
He blinked his eyes against the soft glow of the lamp before pining her with a hard look. "So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit to?"
She snorted back a laugh. "You had to have known that I would come looking for you when you didn't show up for dinner tonight. Bad day?"
"When is it ever a good day anymore?" he asked sullenly as he reached for the bottle of amber liquid nearby.
Emma looked mildly repulsed. "How much of that crap do you drink a day now?"
He knocked back a healthy slug of his drink before saying harshly. "What the hell does it matter? If you came here to lecture me again you can march your prissy little ass right back out that door. I don't want to hear it. "
She watched him through narrowed eyes before deciding to take the plunge and tell him what had been burning inside of her. "I saw her."
The glass hit the desk with a resounding thud. "When?"
She shivered a little at his tone. "A few days ago."
"And you're just now telling me?" he growled. "What were you doing outside the palace grounds? You could have been in danger."
She swallowed convulsively. "I wasn't outside the grounds. She came here. I found her in the courtyard. I…I talked to her."
He clenched the glass in his hand so hard that it cracked. "What could you possibly have to talk to her about? She chose her side when she decided to betray us all and run off to join Discord. If she hadn't done that we might have had a chance at the bastard. Instead we find ourselves in the same position all these years later. She is nothing but a traitor, and one day she'll get what's coming to her."
"Do you ever stop and listen to yourself?" Emma snapped. "You used to be caring and compassionate. But now I don't even know you anymore. You have become cold and unfeeling. You lock yourself away for days on end, drinking your whiskey and plotting death. There has been enough killing and it's time for it to stop! You are not the one that died that night, and you need to stop acting like it. Wake up and rejoin the living!"
"Are you quite done?" he asked in a cold tone.
Her cheeks flushed red with anger as she jumped up and slammed her hands on the desk. "As a matter of fact I'm not! I have suspected for a while that there was more to her leaving than meets the eye. I was certain that she had something planned and I confronted her about it. She didn't deny it when I asked her. She could probably use some help, but you're too bitter about past events to do anything. I'm sorry I even came here tonight."
She spun on her heel and stomped to the door, wanting to make a grand exit, but was stopped when she heard the voice behind her ask quietly, "What do you think she's planning to do?"
She looked back over her shoulder at him. "I think she's going to try to change the past. And if she is, and Discord finds out, he'll kill her."
A/N Ooo…and the plot thickens once again. Now we have not one mystery player, but two. Who could they be? You'll find out soon enough. The woman in the black cloak seems to have a serious conflict of interest, doesn't she? I'd say she needs a heavy dose of Xanax. No one can be sure which side she's playing for. Well that's all I have for now. Don't forget to tell me what you think. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I go gaga for reviews! I'll see ya guys next update! Lots of love!
~Sere~