With Friends Like These
Chapter 37
Serena lay in her large comfortable bed, looking apprehensively at the window. She hated being unable to help Ami. She hated being stuck in this bed. She was tired of being so weak. She wanted to be better at that very moment so that she could go and help Malachite rescue her best friend. But she could do nothing.
"This stinks!" she declared to no one in particular. She punched the mattress as hard as she could, although not satisfied at how little effect it had. After all, it was just a down mattress, it didn't hurt. She wished it had.
Luna looked on at her with worry. She too wished that she could do something to help Sailor Mercury, Ami. But she could do nothing, nor could she do anything help Serena feel better. With a sigh she turned out of the small bedroom and went out into the main suite to face the many stares of Mr and Mrs. Tsukino and Dr. Mizuno. Her insides became ice under their weight.
"I suppose the three of you have something to say to me," she ventured.
Ken's glare was darkest. "According to Serena, you were the one who ordered her and the others to keep this double life of theirs a secret. Is that right?"
Luna nodded, "Yes, it is. I am sorry, but it was necessary, for everyone's own good!"
"No, it wasn't!" Ellen insisted. "When children are putting their lives on the line, it is never in anyone's own good for them to keep it a secret from their parents."
"If I had known what I know now, I could have better protected my daughter." Dr. Mizuno told Luna. "I don't know how, but just by knowing, I would have been better prepared."
"Your daughter is Sailor Mercury, Dr. Mizuno. It is her job to protect you and the rest of the universe. That is why she was born."
"Who told you that lie? It is the parent's job to protect the child. That is why we are here. That is the whole idea behind a parent." Ken told Luna. "Whoever told you that doesn't know anything about being a parent."
Ellen touched her husband's shoulder. "When you forbade them to tell us about this, you took away something vital. You took away a lifeline. They couldn't come to us when the stress of this part of their lives got to be too much. You took away the trust they had in us. If a child can't trust her own parents, who can she trust? You effectively made them believe that there was something that they could not come to us about. And I think you know that isn't true."
"She's right." came a calm voice. Nephrite had arrived with Lita and Mina. "You, feline, know as well as any of us do that the families of the scouts should have been immediately informed. No, scratch that. You should have gotten their permission first. It is their family that was being threatened, their daughters. Others would have to be on a need-to-know basis, but family has the right to know and be allowed to have a say in such things."
Luna sighed. She was outnumbered, and she realized just how wrong she had been. Just how wrong her orders had been. She had been willing to endanger children. True, they were teenagers, but they were still children by this world's laws. And whether they knew or not, they were involved. She couldn't count how many times Serena had to lie to her mother and father about her whereabouts whenever there was a battle or how many times Ami had been forced to cut Cram School for the scout business. It could be argued of course, that the fate of the world was much more important. But a smart person would just point out that the parents did not know this. Perhaps if things had been handled differently, none of this would have ever happened. Maybe.
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Rubeus sat in shock. Wise Man had lied to them, all of them. Because of that he had taken innocent lives. He had been wrong, a fool. And he would pay for it. He was just glad that he had sent the girls down to Earth. They shouldn't be punished for his foolishness.
"Raye, no!" Ami shouted. "Say it's not true! Don't tell me you've joined the enemy, please."
Sailor Nemesis sneered, "Alright, I won't. I'll show you instead. Dark Crystal Arrow Fire!"
A black-fiery arrow flashed towards Ami. Ami braced herself for the impact.
"FIRE WALL!" an angry voice shouted, a wall of fire erupting between Ami and the arrow. With a crash it dissipated.
When the wall vanished, a strange man stood before her. She couldn't see much about him except for a red hood and cape. "I see we were just in time for the fun, huh?"
Another man, white cape covering his face, stepped out of the shadows to align himself with Malachite and Jadeite. "I would say so. The Time Keeper set us down in just the right place to do some good." he looked at the two generals. "I am sorry for butting in, but we can't let this go on any longer. It's no good to fight in such a volatile area. So we'll be leaving now." he held his arms above him, a shield forming around them. "Get Mercury in here, quickly."
Red-Cape turned and grabbed the bars of the cell holding Ami. Without even a sound, he bent the bars out of shape enough for one to pass through easily. "Come on, Milady. It's time to get out of here." he picked up the shell-shocked scout.
"I don't think so!" Nemesis/Raye cried. "DARK ARROW!" the arrow flew at them. Red-Cape simply raised his hand, a smaller version of the Fire Wall raising up to deflect it back at her.
"You're a hundred years too early to even be considered a decent match." Red-Cape told her. "You would do well to come to your senses and soon."
Nemesis clenched her fists. "And who do you think you are. You were only able to do that because I underestimated you. It won't happen again. You can bet on it. Next time, I'll be the winner." she teleported away.
Rep-Cape chuckled ruefully. "Their cowardice is contagious I see. Are we ready."
"Wait!" Ami snapped out of her stupor and leapt from his arms. She walked over to the resigned Rubeus. "Come with us." she held out her hand to him. "To Earth."
Rubeus looked at her in confusion. "Why would you let me do that? Why would you save me? I did everything I could to destroy you and your Eclipse friend, and your precious Earth. I am a killer…I deserve to die"
"If Princess Mercury wishes you to survive, then I am sure she has a good reason for it. She is the one you abducted, therefore, she is the one who can decide your fate." Red-Cape told him. He looked back at Malachite. "Isn't that right?"
Malachite was also in a slight state of confusion. Who were these two? Where had they come from? "Yes, that sounds reasonable."
"Besides," White-Cape added. "If you die then you won't be able to make amends for your wrongs."
Rubeus thought about what he said. "I suppose you make a good point. Very well, I will come with you. And I will aid you all in your fight against the Wise Man, until my debt to society is repaid."
Red-Cape, Ami, and Rubeus joined the others within the shield. "Are we ready?"
"Yep." White-Cape answered. With a flash the entire group vanished from the ship.
AN: I know that was a bit choppy and could have been better. I wonder if you can possibly guess who these two strangers are. We'll get to know them better next chapter. Hope you enjoyed it.