Yay! O.O … Thank you for the reviews! n_n And the thing with Irene and Ken? You'll find that out in later chapters. That's another big secret between those three.
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Serena stood slowly, keeping her gaze on the people in the room. She could feel Darien behind him, looking around in confusion. Luna was standing near her feet, not knowing what to make of this situation. How did they arrive here?
Without a word, she turned and tried to run. A few feet away from the door, strong arms grabbed her waist and she screamed out in fear. This had happened to her before. Struggling, she was devoid of all emotion but fear ignited by the sudden grab.
"Serena! Stop!" Darien kept his grip on her, trying to prevent himself from getting hit. He had absolutely no idea why, but it seemed that the more she ran the more trouble seemed to come to her. "It's me. Calm down."
"Let me go! Let me go …" Tears trailed down her faces as she grew lax, and leaned against the man. His words had floated over her like a balm, calming her down. Irrational thoughts slipped away as her sanity returned. "Darien … please let me go. I can't stay here."
"No, Serena. You can't run anymore. You have to face your past." Turning her around, he forced her to face the people in the room, including the men.
The girls in the room ran up to her and tried to comfort her. All she did was smack their hands away and glare at them. "How could you? I thought you guys cared for me …" Betrayal struck through her heart as she backed away from them. "…traitors…"
"Us-- … Serena. You don't have to run anymore. They told us what happened and Nephlite's dad and your dad isn't going to force you to marry, probably. You don't have to hide anymore." Mina grinned slightly, thinking that she had told the girl the right thing.
"IS THAT WHAT THEY TOLD YOU?! THAT WAS REASON I RAN AWAY?! WHY WOULD YOU ASK THEM ANYWAY?! THIS WAS SOMETHING I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO FIND OUT!" Fury burned in her lilac eyes as a silver light surrounded her. "If you had given me time I would have told you! You believed them, did you? Well, how about I show you what really happened?!"
"No! Serena, don't! Think about Serenity!" Jed's cry echoed through the room as he ran across the room and grabbed the girl by the shoulders.
The silver light around her burst brighter and the blow threw Jed back a few feet. "Stay away from me, Jed. I swear I'll kill you the next time you come near me." Then, the silver light engulfed the room, swallowing everyone … taking them into Serena's hidden memories.
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"Serena Thomson, where in heavens are you, child?!"
She giggled as she heard the nurse calling her name. Today was her thirteenth birthday and she wasn't about to spend it on getting ready for a boring party. As soon as the woman passed by, she jumped up from behind the bushes and ran into the house, only to crash into something hard.
"Nice to bump into you, Michael." She groaned and ripped her flattened nose away from his chest.
"Well little one, I see you're running from Mrs. Dickinson again. That woman is fifty-three years old, do you think she can keep up with a little imp like you?" Sixteen-year-old Michael glanced down and smiled at the girl.
"Oh, don't be a bore, Michael. All she wants me to do is wear skirts and act like a snob. Oh, you're a Thomson, you have to uphold the honor!" Serena wrinkled her nose in disgust and sighed.
Michael laughed at the perfect imitation of the slightly snooty woman. "Nonetheless, you love her."
"Unfortunately. Are you here visiting Jed?" She blinked curiously and tilted her head.
His smile disappeared at the question, turning his handsome features into a cold frown. "Actually, no. You're father called me here."
"…Oh…what did he want?" She didn't hate her father she just dis-liked him strongly. Being the spawn of a night of careless passion, everybody looked down her, including her father.
He frowned and dragged her over to a chair, placing her on it. Then, he bent down on his knees and grasped her hands. "Serena …" He stared into her violet eyes, trying to think of a way to tell her.
"Michael … what is it? Is Zachary sick? Can I help with anything?" She bent forward and tugged at his hand, trying to get his attention.
"No, that idiot's healthy as a horse. What I'm trying to tell you is that … your father has decided it's time you meet Nephlite Star." He held his breath and his heart almost broke as her tiny hands slipped away from his. "He … he wanted me to talk to you about this."
Bitterness echoed in her tone as she spoke, sparks shooting in her soulful eyes. "He wanted you to tell me that this was the best for the family and I should be grateful that he had chosen a wonderful husband for me. After all, he did take me in when my own mother didn't want me. I know why he asked you to talk to me. You're the one with the most influence in my life. Well, screw all that! I'm not marrying any pompous, spoiled brat!"
He placed his hands on her shoulder, forcing her to look at him. "No, your father wanted me to talk to you because I'm close friends with Nephlite. He wanted me to tell you that Nephlite wasn't a bad guy … and he isn't. But what I'm going to tell you is … follow your heart Serena. Marry for love, 'kay? Don't listen to that overbearing father of yours. Meet Nephlite tonight. Maybe you might actually like him." He stood up, about to leave the girl to think.
"Will you and Zachary be there at the dance?"
"Of course, little one." With a sad smile, he slipped out of the house and headed home, trying not to think about his Serena married to another man.
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"Serena, this is Nephlite Star and his father, David Star. This is my lovely daughter, Serena." Her father beamed as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
Serena winced at the sudden show of affection and wanted to rip away from his touch. Instead, she forced a smiled and curtseyed. "It's a pleasure to meet you." Her voice was low and trembling, refusing to look up at the two tall men.
"Ahh, Diamond, you are the luckiest man alive to have a strong son and such a beautiful daughter. My dear …" David Star took Serena's hand a placed a soft kiss on the back of it, disgust crossing the girl's face. "If I were but twenty years younger, I would ask for your hand in marriage." His brown eyes swept over Serena's form, admiring her young body. Mature for her age, her body had filled out quite nicely and was still filling out. She was wearing a long, slim fitting mid-night blue dress with silver designs in them. Her hair was loose and hung around her like a silver cape and whenever she moved the light glinted off of the silver, creating a un-earthly aura around her.
Pulling her hand away from the man's tight grip, she smiled and bowed her head. "Thank you." The older man nodded and dragged her father away from her, leaving her alone with Nephlite. She looked up and frowned at the sixteen-year-old boy, seeing that he had the same brown eyes as his father, but there was a kindness that radiated from them.
"It is a pleasure to meet you finally, Serena." He moved slightly and leaned against a wall, crossing his arms.
She growled and moved up to him, standing but a foot away from him. "Listen, if you think I'm going to marry you then you're out of your mind. I'd rather marry a pig." With that she lifted a tiny foot and lashed out, catching him in the knee. She watched as his face contorted in pain, but he remained silent.
Nephlite held back the urge to cry out and hold onto his knee. With a tight smile, he tilted his head, ignoring the throbbing in his knee. "I understand. It is not my idea too, but unfortunately … our fathers seem set on it."
"I know …"
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Everybody except for Serena cried out as they felt all of the feelings that Serena through in a rush. It coursed through their hearts and squeezed making it hard to breath. Serena was floating in the middle of the room now, hair floating all around her. Tears trailed down her face as she recalled her memories. Then, she heard a small voice cry out in pain. Serenity's voice.
"Mally! It hurt! Stop!"
Serena groaned and tried to stop the onslaught of the next memory, knowing that it would cause more pain, but the power was too great. Even now she had no control over it.
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"Serena!" Her drunken father stormed into her room, light blue eyes ablaze with fury. With a gasp of fear, she shot out of her bed and ran towards the window, ready to jump out to safety but she felt him grab her and pull her back.
Throwing her on the bed, he smacked her on her right cheek, making her head snap back. Tears fell down from her cheek as she tried to run. Jed. Where was Jed? She needed her brother! …He was away. He had gone away on a school trip! Panic ran through her as she clawed at the sheets of her bed and tried to gain her balance back.
Her body was lifted and thrown against the wall, a sickening crack heard as her wrist landed in a strange position. Her scream erupted, but was cut off as a large hand covered it. "You ungrateful brat! You refuse to marry Nephlite?! You have no choice! I have no use for you but to give you away! Your brother isn't here to save you. You are going to marry Nephlite Star and make me richer, got that?!" The smell of alcohol stung her nose as her father hissed the warning out.
She nodded to the best of her advantage, but it was not enough. His fist slammed into her stomach knocking the wind out of her. Her muffled cries were no use to her and she grew relaxed … accepting the pain as life.
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"Stop! Stop!!" Serenity's cry was heard over the other as her shrill scream echoed through Serena's conscience. Oh, and Serena did try. She never wanted to cause her daughter more pain. With one last burst of power, the silver radiance died away, leaving a roomful of shocked people and two agonized silver-haired girls.
Serena fell to the floor, as bruises appeared on her body her wrist burning with pain. Everybody was lying on the ground, gasping for breath and trying to ease the pain away. Serenity was on the floor, curled into a little ball, rocking back and forth, crying.
"…Serenity…" She was lying on the ground, her purple eyes gazing at the pained child. Slowly getting up, she crawled over to the child and took her into her arms. Ignoring the hot shot of pain in wrist, Serena stroked her daughter's soft hair. "…Serenity…" All she could do was repeat the child's name, emotions from the memory and emotions from meeting her daughter again clogging her throat.
Jed stood, trembling. He had never known. Never. "Why … why didn't you ever tell me?!" His demand rang out through the room in Japanese. Oh, dear god … why had she never told him?
She turned her head, holding the shocked girl. "You couldn't have done anything. Besides, you know as well as I do that that was not the reason why I left. It doesn't make a difference. Father always made it so that I was never bruised on my face and my powers … they healed me fast enough. But … of course you know everything about my powers." She said her words as if memorized from a play. She was rocking her daughter rocking her daughter back and forth, eyes looking at nothing.
"Serena … I … ne--"
"Of course, you never knew, Michael. How could you have known? But as I said … what does it matter?" She didn't care about what her father had done to her, all she cared about was holding onto her child. She could feel the child whispering something, but she couldn't make it out. "What is it, sweetie?"
"Mally… Uncle Jed … Zap … Nep … want them." The girl struggled against Serena's grip and ripped away, running to the nearest person, which just happened to be Zachary. The feminine man opened his arms and held the child, breaking Serena's heart.
"You stole her from me. All four of you!" Her soft whisper felt like thunder raging trough the room. The effects of the outburst of power were ebbing away, giving everybody a chance to return to normal, all except for Serena. "You tortured me for three months and then you took her from me!"
Darien, Luna, and the four girls watched in horror as Serena and the men revealed the hidden past. There was more? They had tortured Serena? How?
"Serena … we never meant to …" Zachary trailed off as he realized he had no idea what to say. As his gaze landed on the woman's form, he recognized the first stages of shock. "We're sorry, Serena." He bowed his head, hiding his face on Sere's head. There was so much to explain … so much to apologize for.
"What do you mean they tortured you, Serena?" Darien's tenor voice floated through the room, soothing Serena's heart.
"I … I'll tell you later." She looked down and stood up now that the pain had gone numb. "I should have known … I should have known the instant my hair turned silver. No one can ever escape their past." Her grief-stricken moan rang in their ears.
"Serena … and Serena's friends." Nephlite stood up and closed his eyes. "We must discuss what happened to Serena, or else none of us will have peace in our life-times. Please, come back tomorrow. We can discuss everything then. Please promise us that."
"Will anyone explain to us what Serena just did? What was that silver light? And when did Serena turn her hair back into silver?" Rei, still in a state of shock, listed her questions, not giving anybody a chance to answer.
Jed slowly stood up and walked over to Zachary, wanting to hold his niece. As he held the child, he refused to look into Serena's eyes, knowing that pain that would be reflected in there, among the betrayal and anger. "We will explain everything when you guys come. Or just Serena can come. It does not matter as long as my sister comes."
"I'll come." Her cold voice echoed in the room and Jed turned to see her violet eyes empty of emotions. She was trembling, but that was all she did. "I'm not going to allow you to have Serenity any longer. She is MY daughter. I will have her back." With that, she walked painfully slowly over to the door, ignoring the stares she received from everyone. Warm hands wrapped around her waist and guided her towards the door. "Darien … can I stay at your apartment. Irene and Ken … they…"
He didn't ask any questions, having all ready to many questions to ask. He nodded his head and steered her out the door with Luna following behind. The girls stood, stunned by all that had happened. Wordlessly, they left the room and headed towards their home, leaving the men to contemplate what was going to happen tomorrow.
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"Generals, approach." The four generals approached before Beryl, wondering what she wanted. They kneeled on one knee and awaited their instructions. "A sudden burst of power appeared in Tokyo. It disappeared before I could pinpoint it exactly, but it was located somewhere in the northern part of the city. What I'm interested in is that it was remarkably similar to the Crystal's energy signature. I want you to keep your eye on that part of the city. Forget about the crystals and scouts for now, concentrate on this. If we get a lead, we might not need the rainbow crystals."
"Yes, your majesty." With a swirl of energy all five men disappeared, leaving a smirking queen of darkness.
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Umm … Like? No Like? Tell, me please? Review! Oh and I won't post the next chapter until my friend Kaiken Kitty gets at least five reviews on her story Written in the Stars. Please read it if you like Fushigi Yugi, because if you like my story, you'll definitely love that story!!