Chapter 3
Rini slammed her locker shut, then heard the tinkling of glass. She hit her head on her locker, and thought, Oh, great. Now I have to buy a new mirror. "Hey, sup?" Rini's friend Macala asked. Macala was an American exchange student. She and Rini had become friends almost instantly. Macala knew something was wrong, and was determined to find out what was weighing her friend down. "Hey, what's buggin' ya? Fail math? I heard that almost everyone bombed it." Macala was almost 100% sure it was something to do with school. "No. I got a 70." "C'mon? What up? You're usually jumping around and laughing with your friends. What gives?? Hey - have you seen Hotaru? I haven't -" The late bell interrupted her. "Well, gotta go! See ya in gym!" Macala said as she ran off toward the science lab. Rini tuned the corner and walked into class. "Late," Mr. Flatiron said in his usual monotonous tone of voice. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Rini muttered as she plopped down into her seat between Peaches and an empty seat where Hotaru would sit. "Rini - Macala said something about you being REALLY mad. Or at least upset. What's the scoop?" Peaches asked. "Well, Macala doesn't know everything, ok?!? Just because she said that doesn't make it true," "Ok... Well, anyway, where's Hotaru? And have you se-" "LEAVE ME ALONE OK?!?!?!? I'M JUST IN A BAD MOOD!!!!"Rini took a deep breath, and saw that everyone was staring at her. "Hi,"she said, waving that stupid-annoyed wave. "So Peaches, what were you saying again?" "Well, have you seen Anthony? You know that new kid? Isn't he HOT?" "Yeah. I've seen him-" Finally, she thought, something to take my mind off of Hotaru's current situation! * * * Serena walked into the 'hideout' underneath the Arcade. "Luna? What's the status on Hotaru's whereabouts?" she asked. "Well, we've gained only a few bits of information. Here they are: She's at least 5 miles underground, in a dark cavern made of an impenetrable, crystal next to-" Luna stopped short, as if she had said something she wasn't supposed to. "Next to what, Luna?" Serena queried. Now she was interested. "Well," she sighed."When you were on the Moon, you had a younger sister named Serene. You were the best of friends. But when Beryl attacked and your mother sent your spirits to earth, Serene's was never found. We never told you because we thought the memories might be too painful. Your sister's soul was trapped in a crystal cavern near where Hotaru is being held captive.' "Serene..." Serena groped for a memory of her. Then, all of them flooded in. Ones of her and beautiful Serene laughing and playing together. Ones of her and the Scouts together. "Oh, Serene-!" Serena shouted, on the verge of tears. "Are you sure she wasn't born on earth?' "Yes." "Can we rescue them? I mean, Serene and Hotaru?" "Well, Hotaru and Serene will more likely that not, find each other." "What do you mean?" "If I remember correctly, they had a sort of telepathy thing. You see, if one was in trouble, the other could hear and come to rescue them. They were best friends in the time of the civilization of the Moon." "Ok, so when can we rescue them?" * * * Hotaru, can you hear me? thought Serene, trying to get the hang of the telepathy connection that they had so many years ago. Oh my gosh! thought Hotaru. This is freaky!! Ok, who's talking to me? It's me, Serene. Your best friend? I have NO idea what you're talking about. Well, try to remember something about me. Please. Ok. I'll try- Hotaru nearly thought her brains out until she could finally remember Serene. Serene-! It's sooo good to talk to you again! Same to you! Well, where are you? You're help call woke me up. I'm in Aquilla and some other person's dungeon. The man won't come into the light, so I can't find out who he is. I'm at a loss to who they are - maybe my sister would know. Who? Sailor Moon? No - Serenity! Well, now she's a super heroine, and so am I . . . but I can't morph. I'll bet you could morph too, since you have a Crystal, too, right? I did, but I don't know where it is. When we get out of our prisons, will you help me find it? Sure. But what are we going to do about getting out of here? Well, I think I have a plan that just might work. * * * In the misty room where Aquilla and the cloaked man were talking, a tiny bell rang. "Master, what does that bell mean?" "No! She's awake! What am I going to do?" the cloaked figure was very upset now. "Aquilla. Go down to the Dark Crystal Cave. Guard the entrance with your life. Take some Mist Warriors with you." "Yes, my liege," Aquilla said bowing. This is it! If I could only get out of this cell, I could rescue Serene! thought Hotaru. So she she pulled and tugged at the doorknob, and suddenly, the door flew open. Yes, I did it! Serene, here I come! Hotaru ran quietly through the corridors. She saw Aquilla and the Mist Warriors, and followed them to Serene's cell. Suddenly one of the Mist Warriors turned around and started walking toward her! "What's the matter, my pet? Do you smell something?" asked Aquilla. Oh, no! They're gonna find me and put me in the cell, too! Hotaru thought, groping for something to hide behind, but no such luck. "Aha! I found you, you little brat! You thought that you could rescue her, now didn't you? Well, you're wrong! The whole thing was just a plan to get rid of you - the only one who could make Serene's power come back!! Mist Warriors - GET HER!" the Mist Warriors almost had her, but then - "Saturn Crystal Power! MAKE UP!!" Whoa! How come I can morph all of a sudden? thought Hotaru. "Silence Glaive SUPR-" Hotaru was suddenly unmorphed, and was caught by two of the Mist Warriors. "Let Me GO!!" "Put her in the Cave with Serene. We will hold her for ransom as planned," commanded Aquilla. "Sailor Moon won't let you get away wi-" yelled Hotaru, but the Cave closed before she could finish her sentence. "Soon, Sailor Brats, you ALL will be our prisoners!" Aquilla laughed devilishly, and left the Mist Warriors in charge of guarding the Cave.
Rini slammed her locker shut, then heard the tinkling of glass. She hit her head on her locker, and thought, Oh, great. Now I have to buy a new mirror. "Hey, sup?" Rini's friend Macala asked. Macala was an American exchange student. She and Rini had become friends almost instantly. Macala knew something was wrong, and was determined to find out what was weighing her friend down. "Hey, what's buggin' ya? Fail math? I heard that almost everyone bombed it." Macala was almost 100% sure it was something to do with school. "No. I got a 70." "C'mon? What up? You're usually jumping around and laughing with your friends. What gives?? Hey - have you seen Hotaru? I haven't -" The late bell interrupted her. "Well, gotta go! See ya in gym!" Macala said as she ran off toward the science lab. Rini tuned the corner and walked into class. "Late," Mr. Flatiron said in his usual monotonous tone of voice. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Rini muttered as she plopped down into her seat between Peaches and an empty seat where Hotaru would sit. "Rini - Macala said something about you being REALLY mad. Or at least upset. What's the scoop?" Peaches asked. "Well, Macala doesn't know everything, ok?!? Just because she said that doesn't make it true," "Ok... Well, anyway, where's Hotaru? And have you se-" "LEAVE ME ALONE OK?!?!?!? I'M JUST IN A BAD MOOD!!!!"Rini took a deep breath, and saw that everyone was staring at her. "Hi,"she said, waving that stupid-annoyed wave. "So Peaches, what were you saying again?" "Well, have you seen Anthony? You know that new kid? Isn't he HOT?" "Yeah. I've seen him-" Finally, she thought, something to take my mind off of Hotaru's current situation! * * * Serena walked into the 'hideout' underneath the Arcade. "Luna? What's the status on Hotaru's whereabouts?" she asked. "Well, we've gained only a few bits of information. Here they are: She's at least 5 miles underground, in a dark cavern made of an impenetrable, crystal next to-" Luna stopped short, as if she had said something she wasn't supposed to. "Next to what, Luna?" Serena queried. Now she was interested. "Well," she sighed."When you were on the Moon, you had a younger sister named Serene. You were the best of friends. But when Beryl attacked and your mother sent your spirits to earth, Serene's was never found. We never told you because we thought the memories might be too painful. Your sister's soul was trapped in a crystal cavern near where Hotaru is being held captive.' "Serene..." Serena groped for a memory of her. Then, all of them flooded in. Ones of her and beautiful Serene laughing and playing together. Ones of her and the Scouts together. "Oh, Serene-!" Serena shouted, on the verge of tears. "Are you sure she wasn't born on earth?' "Yes." "Can we rescue them? I mean, Serene and Hotaru?" "Well, Hotaru and Serene will more likely that not, find each other." "What do you mean?" "If I remember correctly, they had a sort of telepathy thing. You see, if one was in trouble, the other could hear and come to rescue them. They were best friends in the time of the civilization of the Moon." "Ok, so when can we rescue them?" * * * Hotaru, can you hear me? thought Serene, trying to get the hang of the telepathy connection that they had so many years ago. Oh my gosh! thought Hotaru. This is freaky!! Ok, who's talking to me? It's me, Serene. Your best friend? I have NO idea what you're talking about. Well, try to remember something about me. Please. Ok. I'll try- Hotaru nearly thought her brains out until she could finally remember Serene. Serene-! It's sooo good to talk to you again! Same to you! Well, where are you? You're help call woke me up. I'm in Aquilla and some other person's dungeon. The man won't come into the light, so I can't find out who he is. I'm at a loss to who they are - maybe my sister would know. Who? Sailor Moon? No - Serenity! Well, now she's a super heroine, and so am I . . . but I can't morph. I'll bet you could morph too, since you have a Crystal, too, right? I did, but I don't know where it is. When we get out of our prisons, will you help me find it? Sure. But what are we going to do about getting out of here? Well, I think I have a plan that just might work. * * * In the misty room where Aquilla and the cloaked man were talking, a tiny bell rang. "Master, what does that bell mean?" "No! She's awake! What am I going to do?" the cloaked figure was very upset now. "Aquilla. Go down to the Dark Crystal Cave. Guard the entrance with your life. Take some Mist Warriors with you." "Yes, my liege," Aquilla said bowing. This is it! If I could only get out of this cell, I could rescue Serene! thought Hotaru. So she she pulled and tugged at the doorknob, and suddenly, the door flew open. Yes, I did it! Serene, here I come! Hotaru ran quietly through the corridors. She saw Aquilla and the Mist Warriors, and followed them to Serene's cell. Suddenly one of the Mist Warriors turned around and started walking toward her! "What's the matter, my pet? Do you smell something?" asked Aquilla. Oh, no! They're gonna find me and put me in the cell, too! Hotaru thought, groping for something to hide behind, but no such luck. "Aha! I found you, you little brat! You thought that you could rescue her, now didn't you? Well, you're wrong! The whole thing was just a plan to get rid of you - the only one who could make Serene's power come back!! Mist Warriors - GET HER!" the Mist Warriors almost had her, but then - "Saturn Crystal Power! MAKE UP!!" Whoa! How come I can morph all of a sudden? thought Hotaru. "Silence Glaive SUPR-" Hotaru was suddenly unmorphed, and was caught by two of the Mist Warriors. "Let Me GO!!" "Put her in the Cave with Serene. We will hold her for ransom as planned," commanded Aquilla. "Sailor Moon won't let you get away wi-" yelled Hotaru, but the Cave closed before she could finish her sentence. "Soon, Sailor Brats, you ALL will be our prisoners!" Aquilla laughed devilishly, and left the Mist Warriors in charge of guarding the Cave.