CHAPTER 5
Amy's P.O.V. :
"Wow, that was fast," Mina commented. She was right. We had gotten to our destination quickly, much faster than I'd anticipated. I didn't mind. The sooner we got here, the sooner we could find Darien and go home. I still had a physics test to study for. I only had four weeks so I was especially anxious to get started.
Still, that didn't mean that we couldn't have a look around to see where we were. I decided to observe our surroundings, that way I could get some clue as to where we were.
"Where are we?" Raye asked.
"Yeah, what is this place?" Serena echoed. The girls all turned and looked at me expectantly.
I looked around and almost instantly I could tell where we were. After a last glance, I finally rested my sights on the girls.
"From the looks of it, we're in ancient China," I said calmly.
"Ancient China?!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"I do not believe this."
"This is just great..."
We all fell silent after that outburst, but I wasn't thinking about the situation as I knew the other girls were. I was more worried about the attention we were getting. I mean, we were totally out of place. Why? Because we were not dressed like the throngs of people streaming around us. Jeans and t-shirts don't exactly blend with kimonos. Serena had better use the Luna Pen or else we were going to be in a lot of hot water. Luckily, I wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Hey you guys," Mina began slowly, "why are all of these people staring at us like we're some kind of circus freaks?"
"It's probably because we stick out like a bunch of sore thumbs dressed the way we are," Raye said sarcastically, obviously annoyed (but at what I don't know; most likely at Serena).
"Don't you think it's time to use the Luna Pen, Serena?" Lita said, poking her in the arm.
"Oh, right. Sorry guys!" She pulled the Luna Pen out of her pocket, and bit her bottom lip in thought of how to use the Luna Pen to disguise us. Finally she grinned and thrust the pen into the air.
"Luna Pen, turn us into beautiful members of the inner seraglio of the Imperial Palace!" she shouted. Quick as a wink, a light engulfed us all. We emerged dressed just as Serena had ordered, and wouldn't you guess that each of us had been dressed in our signature color. Serena had on a pink and gold kimono, I had one in shades of blue and turquoise, Raye had red and gold, Lita had green and gold, and Mina had peach and orange. Rini was dressed to look like a young royal; I guess she was to young to actually be allowed permanently into the inner seraglio.
We were all speechless as Serena gloated over her efficiency. I couldn't believe that Serena had done something like this. If we were dressed like royals, then we'd be even more conspicuous to the public. Even worse, I was fairly sure that one of the palace guards would spot us and take us to the palace where we would be questioned. Then what would we do once they realized that we were definitely not from here? Besides, how would I explain my blue hair? I was getting more than a little paranoid. It may not be noticeable, but trust me, I'm a huge worrier. Finally Raye spoke. Actually, shrieked is more like it.
"SERENA!!!"
"Whaaaat?"
"What did you do?!"
"Duh, Raye. I just thought up a great disguise for us." Serena sounded as if the reason for her pea-brained action should have been obvious. That, for some reason, made something snap inside me.
"Serena, just how much do you know about the inner seraglio?" I asked, surprised at how cynical and sarcastic my voice sounded. I didn't even give her a chance to respond as I plunged on. "Members of the inner seraglio are not, under any circumstances, allowed out of the palace. If we look like we belong there, then we'll be taken back to the palace, questioned by who knows what kind of authority, and then what will happen?"
Serena swallowed meekly and squeaked, "I didn't think about all of that. Sorry guys."
"Well," I snapped, "you had better start thinking or we'll never find Darien. Now hurry up and change us back to something normal, at least make us look like the people around us. So we can blend in."
The other girls were staring at me, eyes wide and mouth open. I guess I can't blame them for that. I don't usually have an attitude, but apparently I had one today, and a really bad one at that. Still, if things were going to get done, I had to make sure of it. Luna and Artemis were counting on all of us to be sure, but I was the one whom they would trust the most. I made it my business right then and there to make sure that we found Darien as quickly as possible. To do that, we had to actually get things done. And that's what I do best.
Pulling out the Luna Pen, Serena changed us all into clothing that made us all blend in perfectly with the crowds around us. Just as I had thought, people paid us no mind. We were deciding which way to go in order to start searching for Darien when things took a turn for the unnatural.
It all started when Serena stopped in the middle of a casual glance around her and froze, a look of disbelief crossing her face. Then it lit up like a house at Christmas as she pointed at something in the distance.
"Oh... my... god! It's HIM! It's Darien! Darien! Hey, wait up!" she shrieked and took off running before any of us could stop her. While the others stared at the trail of dust Serena left behind, I took off after her with a speed I didn't know I possessed until then.
"Amy, where are you going?" I heard Lita yell.
"Someone has to stay with her!" I tossed back over my shoulder.
"Be careful then!" This came from Mina. I nodded my head in response. I'm going to have to, if Serena's going to be so reckless, I thought.
When I caught up to Serena and saw who she was talking about, I stopped dead in my tracks. The guy she pounced on looked just like Darien. I'm not kidding. If Darien had had a twin, this would be him. They were even the same height. I couldn't believe that it had been this easy to find him. Something told me that I was right. It wasn't Darien. Couldn't be. Besides, if the guy was Darien, then why was he looking at Serena as if he hadn't the slightest clue as to who she was? I frowned. Amnesia was a possibility, but I dismissed it. So then what was the matter?
Before I could do anything else, a brown haired girl with dark green eyes stormed towards Serena and Darien's twin and tapped Serena on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but will you please let go of my boyfriend?" she asked, clearly irritated by Serena's behavior.
I raised an eyebrow. This was certainly an interesting little development.
*
AND SO ENDS ANOTHER CHAPTER. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT!!! STAY TUNED FOR CHAPTER 6, WHERE THE SCOUTS CROSS PATHS WITH SOME VERY UNLIKELY CHARACTERS (ALTHOUGH SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED BY NOW). HINTS OF CROSSOVER NEXT CHAPTER! UNTIL THEN, I'LL SAY LATER!!!
"Wow, that was fast," Mina commented. She was right. We had gotten to our destination quickly, much faster than I'd anticipated. I didn't mind. The sooner we got here, the sooner we could find Darien and go home. I still had a physics test to study for. I only had four weeks so I was especially anxious to get started.
Still, that didn't mean that we couldn't have a look around to see where we were. I decided to observe our surroundings, that way I could get some clue as to where we were.
"Where are we?" Raye asked.
"Yeah, what is this place?" Serena echoed. The girls all turned and looked at me expectantly.
I looked around and almost instantly I could tell where we were. After a last glance, I finally rested my sights on the girls.
"From the looks of it, we're in ancient China," I said calmly.
"Ancient China?!"
"You've got to be kidding!"
"I do not believe this."
"This is just great..."
We all fell silent after that outburst, but I wasn't thinking about the situation as I knew the other girls were. I was more worried about the attention we were getting. I mean, we were totally out of place. Why? Because we were not dressed like the throngs of people streaming around us. Jeans and t-shirts don't exactly blend with kimonos. Serena had better use the Luna Pen or else we were going to be in a lot of hot water. Luckily, I wasn't the only one who noticed.
"Hey you guys," Mina began slowly, "why are all of these people staring at us like we're some kind of circus freaks?"
"It's probably because we stick out like a bunch of sore thumbs dressed the way we are," Raye said sarcastically, obviously annoyed (but at what I don't know; most likely at Serena).
"Don't you think it's time to use the Luna Pen, Serena?" Lita said, poking her in the arm.
"Oh, right. Sorry guys!" She pulled the Luna Pen out of her pocket, and bit her bottom lip in thought of how to use the Luna Pen to disguise us. Finally she grinned and thrust the pen into the air.
"Luna Pen, turn us into beautiful members of the inner seraglio of the Imperial Palace!" she shouted. Quick as a wink, a light engulfed us all. We emerged dressed just as Serena had ordered, and wouldn't you guess that each of us had been dressed in our signature color. Serena had on a pink and gold kimono, I had one in shades of blue and turquoise, Raye had red and gold, Lita had green and gold, and Mina had peach and orange. Rini was dressed to look like a young royal; I guess she was to young to actually be allowed permanently into the inner seraglio.
We were all speechless as Serena gloated over her efficiency. I couldn't believe that Serena had done something like this. If we were dressed like royals, then we'd be even more conspicuous to the public. Even worse, I was fairly sure that one of the palace guards would spot us and take us to the palace where we would be questioned. Then what would we do once they realized that we were definitely not from here? Besides, how would I explain my blue hair? I was getting more than a little paranoid. It may not be noticeable, but trust me, I'm a huge worrier. Finally Raye spoke. Actually, shrieked is more like it.
"SERENA!!!"
"Whaaaat?"
"What did you do?!"
"Duh, Raye. I just thought up a great disguise for us." Serena sounded as if the reason for her pea-brained action should have been obvious. That, for some reason, made something snap inside me.
"Serena, just how much do you know about the inner seraglio?" I asked, surprised at how cynical and sarcastic my voice sounded. I didn't even give her a chance to respond as I plunged on. "Members of the inner seraglio are not, under any circumstances, allowed out of the palace. If we look like we belong there, then we'll be taken back to the palace, questioned by who knows what kind of authority, and then what will happen?"
Serena swallowed meekly and squeaked, "I didn't think about all of that. Sorry guys."
"Well," I snapped, "you had better start thinking or we'll never find Darien. Now hurry up and change us back to something normal, at least make us look like the people around us. So we can blend in."
The other girls were staring at me, eyes wide and mouth open. I guess I can't blame them for that. I don't usually have an attitude, but apparently I had one today, and a really bad one at that. Still, if things were going to get done, I had to make sure of it. Luna and Artemis were counting on all of us to be sure, but I was the one whom they would trust the most. I made it my business right then and there to make sure that we found Darien as quickly as possible. To do that, we had to actually get things done. And that's what I do best.
Pulling out the Luna Pen, Serena changed us all into clothing that made us all blend in perfectly with the crowds around us. Just as I had thought, people paid us no mind. We were deciding which way to go in order to start searching for Darien when things took a turn for the unnatural.
It all started when Serena stopped in the middle of a casual glance around her and froze, a look of disbelief crossing her face. Then it lit up like a house at Christmas as she pointed at something in the distance.
"Oh... my... god! It's HIM! It's Darien! Darien! Hey, wait up!" she shrieked and took off running before any of us could stop her. While the others stared at the trail of dust Serena left behind, I took off after her with a speed I didn't know I possessed until then.
"Amy, where are you going?" I heard Lita yell.
"Someone has to stay with her!" I tossed back over my shoulder.
"Be careful then!" This came from Mina. I nodded my head in response. I'm going to have to, if Serena's going to be so reckless, I thought.
When I caught up to Serena and saw who she was talking about, I stopped dead in my tracks. The guy she pounced on looked just like Darien. I'm not kidding. If Darien had had a twin, this would be him. They were even the same height. I couldn't believe that it had been this easy to find him. Something told me that I was right. It wasn't Darien. Couldn't be. Besides, if the guy was Darien, then why was he looking at Serena as if he hadn't the slightest clue as to who she was? I frowned. Amnesia was a possibility, but I dismissed it. So then what was the matter?
Before I could do anything else, a brown haired girl with dark green eyes stormed towards Serena and Darien's twin and tapped Serena on the shoulder. "Excuse me, but will you please let go of my boyfriend?" she asked, clearly irritated by Serena's behavior.
I raised an eyebrow. This was certainly an interesting little development.
*
AND SO ENDS ANOTHER CHAPTER. I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED IT!!! STAY TUNED FOR CHAPTER 6, WHERE THE SCOUTS CROSS PATHS WITH SOME VERY UNLIKELY CHARACTERS (ALTHOUGH SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE GUESSED BY NOW). HINTS OF CROSSOVER NEXT CHAPTER! UNTIL THEN, I'LL SAY LATER!!!