Bye Bye Love

THANK YOU MEPHIBOSHETH

Chapter 21: Uncertainty

Ruined Moon Kingdom Palace – Computer Room

"Damn you, just tell me where she is!" a man shouted at a tiny hologram.

The form of a dignified woman with dumpling pigtails crossed her arms. "I don't know why you keep coming here, Phoebus. I'm not telling you where I sent her. It's certainly none of your business."

"She's my daughter!" Phoebus hollered. His long golden yellow hair flopped into his eyes as he bent down to her level and looked into her holographic eyes. "Of course it's my business."

"You didn't seem to care about a thousand years ago," Serenity replied. "If you had cared, you would have been with us during the last battle."

"You wouldn't let me be there, remember?"

"Only because you had to side with him, traitor!" Serenity snapped back. "You betrayed the Silver Alliance!"

"What you and the rest did to he and his family was wrong. You know it," Phoebus shoved a digit at her. "I couldn't just sit back and watch. I was hardly siding with him; I was doing what was right. And because of that you banned me from even seeing my baby girl one last time. Next thing I know she's dead and you've sent her spirit, with her guardians and that Earth prince, to be reincarnated. And now, you're refusing to tell me where she is. I'm not taking no for an answer any longer. You tell me, Serenity or so help me…"

"You'll do what? I'm just a hologram, Phoebus."

Just as Phoebus was about to spit back a retort, static and it's annoying buzz appeared on the screen behind Serenity's tiny form. The static cleared to reveal a lovely young girl with a hairstyle that Phoebus would recognize anywhere. Tears poured down her cheeks.

"Serena," another young girl, blue hair framing her face, said wrapping her arms around her.

"It's alright, Serena. It's going to be okay."

Three more girls, trailed by three handsome men, joined the blue haired one.

"Yeah Serena, we won't let him hurt you,"another young woman, the tallest said.

Phoebus smirked, but only for a brief moment as his face became creased by a concerned frown. "That's the Earth isn't it?" He wanted to kick himself. The one place he had not thought to search. He had searched other Solar Systems, even other galaxies with no trace of his daughter. Serenity had hated Earth for so long, the possibility that their child would choose there had not even crossed his mind. No one else would tell him where Serenity had sent his daughter and her court; he supposed those were her orders. Royalty did, after all, pull a lot of strings. "She's sad…" He remembered with an aching heart the last time he had seen his daughter. Now here she was again, not quite his little girl anymore. "I'm going to Earth."

An hour later found the five girls at the temple. A quick call let the Tsukinos know that Serena was with them for a sleepover.

"Serena, are you alright?" Mina asked her friend for the tenth time.

Serena looked away. "Yes, Mina, I'm fine." They all knew she was lying but let it be. None of them were really "all right" at the moment.

Lita was in nearly the same shape as her friend, devastated by Tommy's, that is Sapphire's deception. "You know, I wouldn't be so mad at him… I mean them, if they had just come out and told us who they were. I know we've had problems with the Black Moon, but we can forgive and forget right? But no, they had to lie. That's what really makes me mad."

"Yeah," Serena agreed. "And Reenie was really getting to like him too…" Suddenly her head snapped up. "Reenie! She's still over at their house!"

Raye was the first to her feet. "We have to go get her then. Who knows what they'll do to her!"

On the way, Serena couldn't help thinking that Reenie had been alone with the Wise Man a lot. The man had plenty of opportunity to do whatever he wanted to her. If the man had the magic to give them human disguises, identities and everything, surely he could have taken Reenie away and made them forget all about her. Yet, he hadn't. What did it mean?

At the "Sage" home, Raye took the lead and knocked on the door. Reenie answered it.

"Hey guys," she greeted, a little too perky. Clearly, she'd had a lot of sugar in the past few hours.

"Did you have a good time at the party? Did Erik and Serena have a fight, he came back all alone and he looked very sad." The words all came out in a rush.

"Reenie," Raye began, trying to stay calm for Reenie's sake. "It's time for you to come home."

Reenie shook her head. "No it's not. Auntie Ellen and Uncle Ken said I could stay the night with Grandpa."

"Reenie, he's not really your grandpa. Remember those bad people who were after you? He's with them," Ami explained. "You have to come with us, quickly."

Reenie cocked an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Grandpa isn't bad, are you Grandpa?" She turned around as Wise Man wheeled himself in.

"Little Rabbit, I have something I have to tell you," Wise Man began and he let his disguise fall. He levitated just at eyelevel with the little girl. "I am Wise Man of the Black Moon."

The little girl's face lit up with pure unadulterated joy as she launched herself at the old wizard. "GRANDPA! It really is you!"

Only instinct made Wise Man open his arms to catch her, lest she fall. Surprise colored the faces of all five girls.

"Reenie, get away from him," Raye ordered. "He's dangerous."

"He's not!" Reenie insisted. "And you can't tell me what to do! You're not my mommy!"

"No, but it's our job to protect you," Raye told her.

Wise Man held the little girl tighter. "You really are quick to judge, Miss Hino, Sailor Mars. Am I hurting her now? Have I done anything to harm her since we've been here?"

Raye had no answer for that.

Serena did. "He's got a point. He hasn't done anything, even before. It was Rubeus before. We never even heard of Wise Man until tonight. And he's had a lot of chances since he's been here."

She looked at Reenie. "Reenie are you sure you can trust him?"

"Yeah, I am. So can I please stay?"

She looked at Wise Man then at the girls.

"Serena, you're not really thinking…" Raye asked.

"I have to know," she looked back at Wise Man. "I'm going to give you a chance. Tonight, I'm going to be at the temple, but I'll be home early tomorrow and she'd better be there when I get back. If she has so much as a scratch on her, your butt is mine."

Wise Man nodded. "I accept your conditions and your threat is duly noted. Now I think it is a little late for this little one to be up. She should be getting to bed."

Reenie groaned. "But I don't want to go to bed yet."

Serena looked at the girls. "Come on guys. Let's let Reenie get to bed." As they were walking out, she turned back around and added as an afterthought. "And no more sweets. She's hyper enough."

AN: Okay I know Serena gave into Wise Man a little easily, but logically, she had no real reason to ban him from seeing Reenie. He has done nothing to give her such reason and obviously, Reenie trusts him.