Discovery
The entire group of friends was at the racetrack. Haruka had a race that day and they had all decided that they needed a break from searching for Serena. They hadn't been able to find her in almost four months, but none of them voiced their worst fear. That whatever had happened to her… that she hadn't survived.
But to ease themselves out of the black mood, they were all ready for some car racing, popcorn, hot dogs, and soda!
But as the entire group of women wished Haruka good luck and sat down waiting for the race to begin, buying all the necessary food, their mood was still dark. Each one of the Starlights was waiting for the words from a familiar voice to say, "All right! Salted-chocolate covered peanuts! How absolutely delish! Hey! Don't you guys want some?"
But not one word was spoken as the group waited for the race to begin.
Hotaru couldn't take it anymore. She may be the youngest of the group but she was fed up! The dark haired girl marched to the front of the group, scowling at the whole lot of them.
"Will all of you lighten up! How is Haruka supposed to win with all of you looking so down? We'll find Serena! I'm not giving up! How are we supposed to help each other find her if we get so easily discouraged? We can't give up! Snap out of it all of you!" She stomped her foot. "Serena wouldn't want us to do this to ourselves!"
The group smiled at the young girl before them. Lita jumped up. "Hotaru is right! Serena wouldn't us want to be so depressed! Especially not when we're about to see Haruka race! This one of the only times we get to be maniacs! So let's give Haruka all our support for Serena!"
Mina jumped beside Lita. "You're right Lita! What would Serena say right now?"
Rei grinned. "'Oh, come on you guys! Cheer up! I'll be back before you know it and you guys wouldn't have missed me at all!'" Rei nodded. "Yep. That's what the Meatball-head would say."
Michiru stood up along with Ami. They marched to Hotaru and nodded. Ami smiled. "Serena would also say, 'Hey guys, lighten up! At least we aren't doing any chores!'"
Michiru nodded. "Let's give Haruka all of our energy so she can win! For Serena!"
The group cheered and marched to the front and stared down at the racecars beneath them, hooting and shouting encouragement to an emerging Haruka. She looked up and her sad face spread with a smile, knowing why the sudden change. This win would be for Serena!
Lily heard the sudden uproar and shook her head tuning to a curious Crystal. Lily shrugged and smiled. "Those group of girls are for Tenou Haruka. She's my brother's toughest competition on the track, Crystal. Those are her best friends I think. They're always here, shouting their lungs out. Usually there's a louder person with them, but I guess she's sick or something. They always make it to the races." Lily giggled. "They're the loudest group in the stadium!"
Crystal grinned and watched the bellowing girls cheer on their friend. She had the sudden urge to join them, screaming her head off, rooting for her friend. Crystal's eyes snapped open with shock. Friend? Do I know these people? But the tiny bit of light she had had was suddenly closed off with a brick wall and darkness once more. She sighed. I'm only those little glimpses of memory would stay with her for a while.
Suddenly the speaker went on and the racers were announced. The group of young women bellowed louder when Haruka was announced. Why did Crystal feel as if she should scream for that girl racer as well?
The racers got into their cars and within seconds the race began!
Crystal's pulse speeded up as she saw the cars move… she knew she had been to one of these before! Lily's brother was in the lead but the girl, Haruka, was closing in on him. Go! Go! Go! But Crystal had no idea for whom she was rooting for.
Suddenly as the racecars went around for the second lap, there was a tremendous crash! The entire stadium shook and a huge winged monster appeared into the air. The people in the stadium began to scream and rush out, crashing into each other in their haste and in their fear. Crystal could feel Lily pulling on her, urging them to get out of there. Crystal saw the racecar drivers screeching to a halt, crashing against the walls and each other in their desperation to escape. Crystal saw Lily's brother and turned to her.
"Lily get your brother and get out of here! I'll be right behind you!"
Lily stared at Crystal as if she was insane. "Crystal! What are you planning to do? Come with me now!" Crystal tore her arm free and gazed into the older woman's eyes in desperation.
"Go! Lily, go! I'll be right behind you! Trust me!"
Lily stared at the young woman before her and nodded. She ran out of the stadium and Crystal headed toward where the huge beast was attacking… and she had no idea why.
The girls had already transformed into the Sailor Starlights and were attacking the humanoid winged monster. Its cackling laughter resounded as its fingers transformed into tentacles and grabbed every single one of the Starlights. All of them screamed as they were jolted with dark energy. Yet they still tried to fight.
Jupiter twisted against the tentacle and screamed, "JUPITER ELECTROCUTION!"
Saturn called upon her Silence Glaive and tried to slice through the tentacle, but the monster moved to quickly. The other Starlights tried to fight but could not perform their powers beneath the constriction and the dark energy being blasted at them.
Crystal stared at the situation in horror. She had to do something! She reached for chest but touched nothing. Her eyes snapped open. What was she going to do? How is she going to help these poor girls! How was she going to defeat this thing! She couldn't do this! But something inside herself snapped when she saw Sailor Saturn's attempt fail. She had to do something now!
Saturn had no idea what happened. One minute she felt as if she was going to pass out from the dark energy, but the next she was free from the tentacle and her glaive was beside her. She looked up and saw a young woman in a nurse's outfit—a nurse's outfit!—attacking the beast at the neck. Saturn didn't understand what was going on but she wasted no time freeing the other Starlights. She had only cut a few free when they were released by the creature. It used all of its free tentacles to grab the girl at its throat. But by the time they were all free from the tentacles and had their wits about them, they were all staring in shock as a blast of energy came from the girl wrapped in the tentacles. Her scream and the creature's scream echoed across the track. The thing tossed the girl against the stadium wall and she collapsed to the floor in a terrible thud. But the Starlights didn't waist any more time.
"MERCURY AQUA RHASPODY!"
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"VENUS CRESCENT BEAM SHOWER!"
"JUPITER THUNDER REVOLUTION!"
"SATURN SILENCE RIBBONS!"
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"
"URANUS WIND BLAZE!"
"PLUTO DEAD SCREAM!"
All the attacks at once made the creature's scream echo across the entire city. It shriveled away; becoming no more than dust that the wind began to whistle away. The group then turned to the fallen unconscious girl. Blood was dripping down her forehead and her flesh was pale. But as the Starlights began to approach her a tall woman with bright red hair appeared, screaming her head off as she ran to the fallen girl.
"Crystal! What did you do? I shouldn't have let you stay! Damn it, Crystal!"
A young man appeared behind the hysterical woman and lifted the unconscious girl in his arms. He turned to the weeping woman, "Which hospital, sis?"
"The one I work at dumb-ass! I've got to get her to Takani! Oh, goodness, he's going to kill me! I could have killed poor Crystal! Hurry, Lee! We've got to get her Wakamoto Medical!"
And the trio hurried off, not paying attention to the listening Starlights.
They all stared at each other in confusion, until Mars' eyes narrowed. "That girl has major energy vibes."
Saturn nodded. "Especially after what she did to the monster and how she freed me."
Mercury stared after them. "They said they were going to Wakamoto Medical. That is a hospital for the people in intensive care or have special diseases."
Uranus nodded. "That was Lee. He's a friend of mine and one of my toughest competitors. That was his sister, she works at that hospital he's told me, but I've never seen her with anyone else at the races. This is the first time she's had someone with her."
Jupiter stood in front of them all. "Then what are we waiting for! Let's find out who this girl is and why is in this special hospital!"
Pluto nodded in agreement. "And find out how she has such high energy vibes."
Venus smiled. "We should pick up Darien first, he'll want to go."
Neptune ran beside Uranus and said, "Well, then, let's go!"
"Right!" they Starlights said at once and left heading to Darien's and then toward the strange powerful girl that saved their lives.
* * *
Crystal awoke with a pounding headache and a lot of confusion. There were many faces hovering above her. That was strange. She didn't have visitors. No one knew who she was… A sudden hope burst through her heart. Maybe they recognized her and they could tell her who she was!
The group stared down at the girl fighting to focus her eyes. They saw her trying to wake up and saw the wince as her hand came up to her head. Dr. Takani went to the side of the bed and gave the girl something to drink.
"There you go, Crystal. Now look. You've got plenty of visitors for a change."
Darien winced. Poor girl. She was had no memory, if he had heard the doctor correctly, and she had no one to tell her who she was. No one had come to 'claim' her, per se. Darien felt terrible as he watched her drink the water and stare at group around her. But when her huge blue eyes settled on him, he could have sworn he was gazing into Serena's eyes. Her cheeks flushed and Darien turned his face away in shame. What's wrong with me! Of course that's no Serena! He sighed. I just want to see Serena again so bad I'm seeing her in any blond, blue-eyed girl.
The doctor then left the visitors the patient, but he couldn't help but wondering where this huge group had come from… He hoped one of them recognized her. He couldn't bear to see Crystal alone anymore.
Once the doctor had left, the girl dubbed Crystal grinned at them.
"I'm so glad to see that all of you are all right."
The group passed a strange look among themselves. Ami smiled. "What do you mean if we're all right? We came here to see you!"
Crystal nodded. "Oh, I figured as much, but you don't have to thank me. I just sort of did it. It was pure compulsion. Because, you see, I don't have a memory."
Rei's eyes widened and sweat began to build in the Starlights… Was she talking about…?
"Heh, heh. What are you talking about?" Mina said with a forced smile.
Crystal blinked in confusion. "Well aren't you the girls in the sailor outfits that were trying to fight the monster?" She turned to Haruka. "And aren't you Lily's brother's competitor, Haruka?"
The scouts paled. Darien groaned and shook his head. How had this girl recognized the group? After what they had told him, he had wanted to meet her as well, but he didn't know that she knew—or had figured out—their identities.
Unlike the others, Hotaru was much too curious to hide the truth especially when they needed information out of the girl before them. "How did you know that was us?"
"Hotaru!" the scouts bellowed together.
The girl shrugged. "Well, it'll do us no good trying to confuse her when she already knows the truth! Especially when we don't want her confused!"
The light sea-green haired girl leaned forward. Michiru smiled. "Heh. You're right, Hotaru." She turned and smiled at the girl in the bed. "Hello! My name is Kaiou Michiru."
The tall blond smiled and gave a small wave. "Tenou Haruka, otherwise known as Haruka. But you already knew that."
The small dark shorthaired girl with the big smile waved and sat on the bed beside Crystal. "I'm Hotaru Tomoe, like these bunch of ninnies just bellowed."
The tall brown haired woman rolled her eyes, but smiled at Crystal. "I'm Lita Kino, and it looks like to me you need a real cook in this joint." She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the meal on the table beside the bed.
A tall dark-green haired woman emerged from the shadows with a small smile. "They call me Setsuna, for Meiou Setsuna."
Mina sat down beside Hotaru and Crystal stared at the beautiful blond in awe. "I'm Aino Minako, otherwise known as…Mina." She smirked at Haruka. The tall blond scowled playfully. Crystal giggled and turned to the blue-haired girl, and the dark longhaired girl and the man between them.
The blue-haired one spoke first. "My name is Ami Mizuno."
"I'm Hino Rei." Crystal turned to the dark haired girl and her eyes were scrutinizing. Crystal shifted uncomfortably as her cheeks heated up as she stared at the man amidst the group of girls. There was something about him that just… Crystal couldn't pin point it.
"I'm Darien."
Crystal started… that name… Where have I heard that name before?
The group looked expectantly at her. What was she supposed to say? "…I…I…" Crystal shrugged. "I don't know my name, but the hospital nicknamed me Crystal… So I guess then that I'm Crystal."
Rei's eyes narrowed as she stared deep into the confused blue eyes. "Now tell us, Crystal, what made you attack that monster and how do you know it was us fighting it before you interrupted?"
Crystal's eyes narrowed. Why how incredibly rude! "Look! If it wasn't for me you'd all probably be dead now so don't start! I just wanted to help! It's my—"
Crystal's expression reminded the group of someone crashing into the wall and wondering why it was there. Hotaru winced. Poor girl.
The blonde in the bed stared down at her hands and clenched them on the sheet. "I don't know why I helped you… or why I interrupted…" she spat out. "I don't know anything about myself. But as for knowing whom you are, well how couldn't I? You looked exactly like the girls cheering on Haruka and the ones fighting that monster." Her head shot up and her eyes narrowed at Rei. "And I'm sorry I helped you! I was just doing what I… felt like I had to do."
By now everyone was wondering where they had seen this girl before. She was so damn familiar…
Suddenly there was a crash outside of the room and in the hospital hallway. Everyone turned and Haruka rushed to the door opening it crack. Her eyes widened as she saw another monster, like the one they had destroyed earlier attacking the doctors and patients in the hospital. The other girls crowded around her peering through the door.
Lita clenched her fist and reached into her pocket. The others turned to her and she nodded. Ami's eyes widened as she saw Jupiter's wand in her hand. "Lita, are you sure we should do this?"
Rei nodded and pulled out her own as did the other Starlights. "We don't have any other choice. We have to help these people."
"Right!" they shouted together and began the transformation.
"MERCURY STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" Waves of icy blue water surrounded the girl as it pressed against her flesh and transformed into the blue on blue sailor outfit Crystal had seen before.
The other girls followed and did the same.
"VENUS STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" A beam of stars erupted from the small wand and twirled around her, flashing, as she was clothed in an orange, yellow and blue sailor outfit.
"MARS STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" Rings of fires surrounded the girl until they seeped into her skin, clothing her in a red and violet sailor outfit.
"JUPITER STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" Atom rings of lightning surrounded the tall brown-haired girl as her clothing transformed into a green and pink sailor suit.
"SATURN STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" A black mist came from the ground spreading like tentacles as it surrounded the young girl, transforming her in a sailor suit of purple and black with a huge glaive in her hand.
"URANUS STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" Winds whipped the tall blond girl from behind, lifting her into the air as her clothing faded away and she became clothed in blue and gold… a sword shining in her hand.
"NEPTUNE STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" Like from a waterfall, glowing green liquid poured from nowhere and showered the girl until her clothing became a sea green and marine blue sailor suit, a glowing mirror blazing in her palm.
"PLUTO STAR CRYSTAL POWER!" A dark vortex appeared enveloping the woman until she appeared once more, clothed in dark green and red, a large key-like staff in hand.
The entire group rushed out of the room, and as Crystal stared in dumbfounded amazement the man followed them, transforming himself into another being with a tuxedo for a uniform. "Stay here," were his whispered words as he ran out as well, but Crystal could not pay attention. All of this seemed so familiar, but she couldn't pin point from where.
She peaked through the door as she watched the girls call out for the monster.
"I AM SUPER SAILOR MERCURY!"
"I AM SUPER SAILOR VENUS!"
"I AM SUPER SAILOR MARS!"
"I AM SUPER SAILOR JUPITER!"
"I AM SUPER SAILOR SATURN!"
"I AM SUPER SAILOR URANUS!"
"I AM SUPER SAILOR NEPTUNE!"
"I AM SUPER SAILOR PLUTO!"
The man floated above them. "I am Tuxedo-Mask."
The women cried out in one voice. "Together we shall defeat you! We are the Sailor Starlights!" The monster only cackled and resumed its attack, making the girls begin to fight viciously in return. Crystal watched in stunned amazement as they fought the creature with all they had. She still felt as if she had to do something. But when the tables turned and the monster had the entire group within its grasp, none of their powers working she knew she had to do something!
Crystal ran from the room and slid on the waxed floor, knocking the feet from beneath the creature, making it release the entire group of females. It then reached for her, knowing she was the cause and wrapped its terrible dark cold energy around her. Crystal's scream echoed as the Starlights came to their senses and resumed the attack once more. But just as they were about to perform their attacks…something happened.
A crescent moon formed on the forehead of the girl with amnesia, on Crystal, and power radiated from her as she returned in full force the pain that the monster was distributing. The creature's screams and her own were drowned out by the intense humming of her power crashing through the evil being.
"It's Serena!" the Starlights cried out with one voice, finally realizing who the girl named Crystal was. They had finally found Serena!
But as the monster released Serena, trying to get away from the pain her power was inflicting, the Starlights knew what they had to do.
"URANUS WORLD SHAKING WINDS!"
"JUPITER THUNDER REVOLUTION!"
"MARS FLAME SNIPER!"
"MERCURY AQUA RHAPSODY!"
"NEPTUNE DEEP SUBMERGE!"
"VENUS LOVE AND BEAUTY SHOCK!"
"PLUTO DARK DOME CLOSE!"
"SATURN SHADOW SILENCE SURPRISE!"
Among the blasts of power and rage was a single red rose, spiraling with its deadly purpose. The creature screamed in agony and faded to dust as the girl with the crescent moon birthmark fell unconscious once more.