Chapter 18

"So what did you want?" Serena asked disdainfully. Her mother had told her that she had a phone call. She was caught by surprised when she learned that on the other end was India-the audacity. India had asked her to meet with her at the park. Serena was ready to declined the offer more than rudely, but she couldn't help being curious.

"I thought we should talk about some things," India answered.

"What could we possibly have to talk about? I thought everyone got their messages across clear as day, just the other day. I really have nothing to say to you."

"How can you be so cold? You know this isn't just about you. Can't you see passed your own nose?"

"I'm being cold. I really didn't think I would ever hear those words out of your mouth, especially after all of this. And the fact that you can say I can't see past my own nose, I bet that's really easy for you to say. You came and destroyed my whole world, so everything must be peachy keen for you, huh?"

"No, it's not, Serena. Even though you think that I'm happy, I'm far from it. I still think of you as my sister, even if you hate my guts. I just want to apologize for everything that might have hurt you."

"Might have hurt me is the understatement of the millennium!" Serena yelled at India. "Let's review, shall we? Numero uno, you took Darien, Darien from me. Number two, you are trying to steal the throne from me. Last, but not least, you ruin my life-which is pretty obvious."

"My gosh, Serena. This isn't about you. It's about all of us. What about the Scouts? What about Rini? What about the whole, damn world? Even, what about Darien? Right now, I could really care less about how you fell about me. You keep attacking me, but you won't even try to let me help you if I could."

"How would you help?" Serena retorted. "Would you rub your relationship in my face? Would you patiently stand by to see how long it would take for Rini to disappear? Would you stab me in the back when I least expect it? I could never forgive you."

"At least I'm not the one who stabbed Darien-literally-am I?" India asked without thinking, and immediately wishing she hadn't said it.

Serena immediately brought her hand up and slapped India. "That was a very bad mistake," Serena cried. "You know something, I wonder if our relationship was as good as everyone thought it was on the Moon. I mean, I barely ever really find myself, not in a battle, slapping someone. I wonder what it is about you that makes my hand so ready."

"Go ahead and say what you want, Serena. They didn't reach me until it was too late, at least I don't think so-I still have some things to work out with that. Oh, I'm not sure. But I don't want to reach you too late, Serena. You don't want to accept me only in the end when you have no choice."

"What are you talking about?" Serena asked cruelly. "Why would I accept you? You must be the one who is crazy because you are the last person I would let into my life. I hate you with a passion. It will be a cold day in hell before I ever except your help."

"Serena, do as you want," India said smiling with tears in her eyes. "Soon, Serena, soon it will be a cold day. I just hope by then it won't be too late for your heart to defrost. You've been encased in ice every since Darien came back to me. I just want one answer."

"And what is that?"

"Do you think you showed me any sympathy when you took Endymion from me? Even though we were the best of friends, sisters, you showed very little sympathy. I went into years of isolation without you giving me a second thought. You just had to move in on Endymion. I wished back then that you would give me at least half the sympathy I am trying to give you now."

"You know what, I think I'll just tell you the truth of what I can remember about that time. I envied, even hated, you, but I'm not going to lie and say I didn't love you. I loved Endymion, but you were always there, always in his mind. I mean, even though you weren't in the kingdom, and definitely not in his bed, anymore you were still in his mind-even when he gave me the Star Locket and told me he would be back. I couldn't show you sympathy because I hardly got any in my love for him. As luck would have it too, I had him first, but you came and everything was just like old. I wonder why there is never any sympathy for you here."

"Fine, Serena. Don't show sympathy now, then, or ever. Just please, when the time does come accept me for whom you always knew me to be first. I hope in your heart there is room to let me in to save billions of lives."

"I guess we'll see how much you mean to me when the time comes, but until then, you're dead to me." With that, Serena pivoted on her heels and walked away.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

"How did it get this far?" Darien asked lamentably.

"Because no one ever expected it maybe," Ami answered, "maybe because no one remembered mostly."

"It's always little too late, isn't it?" Lita asked. "I wish this whole mess could have been avoided earlier."

"Talking about little too late," Mina said, "isn't it a little too late to come and ask for forgiveness and help, Darien? How could you have done this? I always thought you were such a nice guy. What is wrong with-"

Rei placed her hand over Mina's mouth. "Don't you know how to think before you say something. Anyway, this isn't about that."
"It's okay," Darien insisted. "I know all of you feel the same way. It was the same way the last time, too. Being torn between good friends isn't easy at all. I believe each of us has gone through that at least once in our lives."

"I just have one question," Mina said.

"What?" Darien asked.

"Why?" Mina responded.

"It just happened that way," Darien answered. "I loved India way before Serena. Being with Serena made me forget about India, but when she showed up, even before I knew who she was, I seemed to start remembering everything. I don't know why or how, but it happened. Even though after all that has happened, I'm glad it did happen."

"But why was Serena the one you remembered and not India?" Ami asked, now curious.

"Maybe it was because of the goal we all shared at the time," Darien answered, "finding the Imperium Silver Crystal, and the true Moon Princess. Since Serena is the princess and we had a relationship together it would only be natural for me to remember her. But, then, I always had this feeling that there was someone else."

"That does make since," Lita replied.

"Enough about me," Darien said. "How are you doing, Rei?"

"I'm fine," Rei said. "Don't worry about me. It was just a couple of cuts and bruises, but I'm healing nicely. Anyway, this isn't about how hurt I am. It's about what I saw. This is all very important."

"Tell us, Rei," Ami said.

"It was very weird to begin with," Rei commenced. "It was horrible. Before the vision even came, the fire became out of hand. I was burned by it and forced back to the wall."

"That explains the burns," Lita said.

"Shouldn't we wait for Serena and Rini before we tell what you know?" Mina asked. "I mean, just look at what they were thinking, you being attacked by India and Nanashi."

"They weren't the only ones thinking that, were they Mina?" Ami asked. Mina smiled, embarrassed. "We can't possibly tell Serena and Rini with Darien here, now could we?"

"Well, I guess not," Mina answered.

"Anyway, It was really weird," Rei said, interrupting them before they said anything else. "And guess where the last battle will take place? Twilight Tower. I mean, it's like we didn't get our fill of it with Queen Beryl and Zoisite. I don't know what happened in the beginning, but when I got there the place was in ruins. Everyone was hurt pretty badly, too."

"Was I right?" Darien asked. "Is Nanashi going to try to kill India?"

"Yes," Rei replied. "That was the first thing I saw. I was arguing with Nanashi, asking her why she was doing what she was doing. She said it was because she was evil. Then, she started talking about how she was going to kill India because she would be too weak to defend herself. She also said some private things that were really hurtful. I don't care to repeat all of it."

"She's coming after me," Darien said. "After Serena and India, I'm next."

"He's right," Rei said, informing the others. "She wants you in her bed. She's looking to turn you into a mindless zombie. She is going to do exactly what Beryl did to you.

"Next, on her list was Serena after me. Serena fought a losing battle. Serena was soon at her mercy. I jumped in the way of the blast, but I don't know if it was me or the me in the future. Either way, I don't know if either one made it.

"The last thing I saw was Darien, Meilin, and Yukito badly wounded and on the ground. You had been stabbed a few times by Nanashi with a dagger she had to kill India. It seemed the dagger was specially made to kill India.

"Nanashi started to tell India about all the things she had planned to do. She told her how she always meant to betray her and everything. India was taking it pretty hard, too. Nanashi told India how she had been playing with her mind, and she started to say some crap about being India's savior. And then it came-the end to everything-Nanashi stabbed India straight through the heart with the dagger she had.

"Nanashi seemed pretty satisfied with herself. I mean, she wore this horrible smile on her face. You, Meilin, and Yukito were there to lay witness to India's death. She almost got to the Twins, but she was stopped dead in her tracks."

"How?" Lita asked.

"And by whom?" Mina chimed in.

"She was stopped by Meilin. I mean, Meilin prevented Nanashi from killing anymore, but she didn't kill her. Meilin transformed again into a princess to gather more energy. I don't know if she made it."

"What do you mean?" Darien asked. "What happened?"

"She used an attack called Time's Gate. After that, I lost the vision. I don't know what happened after that. This great light came, and then I just woke up. That's what is so horrible-these visions only leave more to question!"

"I know what you mean," Ami said. "Like, did we all make it? Did Meilin survive? Was Nanashi defeated, and by whom?"

"No," Darien cried. "This isn't how it's supposed to happen. No one should die. Why would she do this? How could anyone be so cold and horrible? All India does is believe her and trust her. Then, all Nanashi can do is betray her time after time. This isn't fair or right. And then Meilin goes and maybe sacrifices herself. Not to mention, every one of us is going to be left there to die."

"It's okay, Darien," Mina said. "All of us feel bad too. We're too young for this. I wish I could have had a decent singing career before I died." She threw her arms up, forming her hands into little fists and bringing them down on the table.

"Calm down, Mina," Lita said. "We all have our own dreams. We just have to stick together and make sure we achieve those dreams."

"I have worked too hard not to become a doctor," Ami declared with venom in her voice and tears in her eyes. "Almost every free minute of my life was spent to studying so I could become a doctor. I couldn't die just to know I had wasted all my life for a dream I was never going to achieve."

"Yeah," Rei voiced. "I still hope to become a businesswoman someday. We just have to make sure we get the goals."

"We need to find a way to prevent all of this from happening," Lita said. "We could all just take down Nanashi at once, but we would have to have India with us."

"That would be kind of a problem to get her to help," Ami said.

"She isn't ready yet to face the truth about Nanashi," Darien said. "She is beginning to see the truth, but it's still fresh on her mind. I think India wants to handle this herself, but maybe we need to help her see things a little more."

"How?" Rei asked. "Are we just going to bust in on her and tell her everything and make her choose right then and there. There is a fine word called subtlety."

"We might not have a choice though," Mina said. "What if the final battle comes and she doesn't know anything?"

"She will be going into the battle as a blind person," Lita answered. "She won't know who to fight with all the doubt in her mind."

"Maybe what was in Rei's vision is what is supposed to happen," Ami suggested. "What if we try to spring this on her only too late? Then we'll be back to the beginning."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see won't we?" Darien asked, slamming his fist into the wall. "This is all just a lost cause."

"Don't say that, Darien," Rei said. "It isn't too late to save the people you care about."

"Yeah," Lita said. "We all need India just as much as you do. It wouldn't be right for us just to turn our backs on her. We do need her almost just as much as you do, Darien."

"Yeah," Ami said. "We will help you."

"We are your friends, Darien," Mina said. "We won't let anything happen to India. Besides, even if we hated her guts, we would still have to help because she is our only way out of this mess." Obviously, Mina's little joke didn't help out the conversation from the way everyone was looking at her. "Sorry. I was just trying to lighten the mood."

"Right now, Mina," Darien said, "with all that's happening, I don't even think that's possible."