K.H.: I do not own Sailor Moon. When is it all gonna end??? It's boring
typing up all these disclaimers & notes! *checks computer* Great, THREE
more chapters! This is just so FUN!
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A flash of lightning strikes the ground & the house vibrates just as the loud boom is heard coming from nearby.
Rini's eyes snap open after being awakened by thunder & her heart thumps wildly. She looks out of her window & sees that there's still a faint trace of daylight. She listens & hears the rain hitting the roof rather hard. She curls up & trembles when she realizes that she's not alone.
"Rini? Are you awake?"
She recognizes the voice & stops trembling, "Peruru?"
Peruru looks over at her in the darkness, "Yeah, I couldn't sleep through this storm."
Rini turns around & looks at Peruru, "Me neither. How about we go find everyone else?"
Peruru nods & sits up slowly, still injured from the tangle with Badiyanu. They both walk down the hallway limping a little from the pain, but they continue on.
Serena suddenly jumps out in front of Rini, "Got ya!"
Rini screams until she realizes who it is, "Serena...."
Serena laughs insanely while Rini just frowns & sweat drops.
Mina comes up behind Serena, "BOO!"
Serena screams & runs until she sees whom it is, "Mina! That was a cruel joke!"
Mina, Rini, and Peruru laugh at Serena.
"Well, you did it to Rini!" Mina exclaims in between laughs.
Serena crosses her arms & scowls at the three. They walk into the living room where everyone else is watching television to pass the time.
Rini lies down in front of the television & watches the program.
Diana hops on top of Rini's head as Peruru looks around & wonders where to sit.
Rini looks back at him smiling, "Peruru, come sit up here & relax!"
Peruru blinks & walks over towards her, "Ok."
He lies on the floor next to her & watches television. He has never really watched TV before, so he stares at the moving screen through wide eyes.
Rini looks over at him & giggles, "You're silly!"
He looks over at her & starts laughing, "Yeah! I've never watched television before. We don't have televisions back in the dream world."
Rini stops & frowns, "I feel sorry for you, television is what us humans rely on for entertainment."
Raye grins evilly, "Yeah, that & Serena."
"HEY!" Serena shouts angrily before glancing uncomfortably to the side & pushing the tips of her pointing fingers together, "That wasn't a very nice thing to say..."
Lightning strikes nearby & causes the power to flicker, then go out.
Raye creates a small fireball on top of her finger & looks around, "Is everyone ok?"
Everyone replies & complains about the storm. Raye walks into a room & comes out with a flashlight. She extinguishes the flame on her finger & clicks on the flashlight. Raye walks around the room with the flashlight & finds some candles around the room. She lights the wicks on fire & the room brightens enough to see. She clicks the flashlight back off & plops down in a chair.
Everyone is facing the middle of the room in some semblance of a circle. The light from a candle shines through Peruru's wings & creates a rainbow on the floor. All of the scouts look at the rainbow, including Rini.
Rini reaches out into the rainbow & looks at her hand, "Wow... pretty...."
Peruru stares at Rini's hand, then he looks at the expression of wonder on her face. He gives her the same clueless, innocent, look that he always does.
She looks at his wings & realizes how beautiful they are. She wants to touch his delicate wings, but she is afraid that she might break or tarnish them. Rini looks down at floor & sighs sadly.
Peruru looks at her concerned, "What's wrong Rini?"
Rini looks back up at Peruru, "Um... I realized how beautiful your wings really are...."
Peruru seems to read her mind & slowly smiles, "It's alright if you touch them, you just have to be very gentle. I know that you're gentle Rini, that's the type of person you are, nice, brave, and strong, but yet gentle. I trust you...."
She smiles a little & slowly reaches out towards his wings. She trembles slightly as she extends her arm before her fingertips touch his wings. She runs them over his smooth wings lightly & smiles. Everyone watches, smiling from Rini's excited look about her.
Peruru smiles warmly at Rini, enjoying Rini's childhood excitement, "Don't be afraid, you're not hurting me at all. It actually tickles a little...."
Rini grins & stops after awhile, "That was neat! It made my fingers tingle!"
Diana hops over onto Peruru's head & meows cutely.
Peruru looks up at Diana, "Huh? What's up Diana?"
Diana curls up on top of his head, closes her eyes, and with each breath she takes, she purrs.
Everyone laughs & comments on Peruru's new 'hat'.
Peruru starts laughing, "Diana!"
Rini looks up at Diana grinning, "Diana, you silly kitten!"
Peruru chuckles as he looks at Diana, but then he notices that his pipe was left on the table. He reaches up & picks Diana up off of his head. He pets her then sets her down on the floor next to Luna & Artemis. He stands up & walks over to the table staring at his pipe. Everyone is talking, so they don't notice him at first. He stares at his pipe for a moment before actually picking it up. He inspects his pipe while holding it in both of his hands for old time's sake.
Rini appears behind him without him knowing, "So... are you going to play it for everyone?"
He whirls around & looks at her startled, but then continues staring at his pipe, "I guess...."
He walks over to a recliner & sits on the arm of it with his left leg bent up on the arm. He closes his eyes, raises the pipe up to his lips & starts playing a melody. Everyone quiets down & watches as the candles float up into the air. The candles dance around & form into shapes such as stars & circles. The scouts & the cats watch in a trance-like state, dazed by the melodious tune. He opens his eyes & looks around at everyone.
~They're starting to remind me of those children my brother kidnapped for Badiyanu last year... so many children pried away from their loved ones to come serve Badiyanu's purposes. I can't steal their freedom away like my brother did... That would make me just as bad....~
He stops playing & the candles slowly touchdown back where they originally were before he started playing. Everyone snaps back into reality & look around confounded. He has both of his feet on the arm of the chair & his knees bent. He rests his forehead on his knees & just looks down blankly.
Lita walks over to Peruru & rests her hand on his shoulder, "What's wrong? You should be happy!"
Peruru shakes his head & sighs in a depressed tone, "When I played, you guys were in a trance like the children that night. It was like... I stole your freedom. My brother did that to those kids, I didn't want the same thing happening to you. It was evil the way my brother, Pupulan, did that to those children. I was reminded of my brother & how, one day, I might grow up to be evil like him."
He shudders at the thought of one day turning on the scouts & closes his eyes.
Lita frowns, "How about we take this to another room?"
He nods & stands up while looking down at the ground. Lita rests her arm across his shoulders & walks with him through a hallway.
Rini looks at them, "Where are you going?"
Lita looks back at Rini & gives her a reassuring smile, "We're going to have a little talk, that's all. Stay here..."
Rini nods & watches them until they disappear into another room. Lita grabs a lit candle & walks into the room. The lights in the house flicker & come back on.
She looks up at the light, smiles, & blows out the candle, "We don't need this anymore."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A flash of lightning strikes the ground & the house vibrates just as the loud boom is heard coming from nearby.
Rini's eyes snap open after being awakened by thunder & her heart thumps wildly. She looks out of her window & sees that there's still a faint trace of daylight. She listens & hears the rain hitting the roof rather hard. She curls up & trembles when she realizes that she's not alone.
"Rini? Are you awake?"
She recognizes the voice & stops trembling, "Peruru?"
Peruru looks over at her in the darkness, "Yeah, I couldn't sleep through this storm."
Rini turns around & looks at Peruru, "Me neither. How about we go find everyone else?"
Peruru nods & sits up slowly, still injured from the tangle with Badiyanu. They both walk down the hallway limping a little from the pain, but they continue on.
Serena suddenly jumps out in front of Rini, "Got ya!"
Rini screams until she realizes who it is, "Serena...."
Serena laughs insanely while Rini just frowns & sweat drops.
Mina comes up behind Serena, "BOO!"
Serena screams & runs until she sees whom it is, "Mina! That was a cruel joke!"
Mina, Rini, and Peruru laugh at Serena.
"Well, you did it to Rini!" Mina exclaims in between laughs.
Serena crosses her arms & scowls at the three. They walk into the living room where everyone else is watching television to pass the time.
Rini lies down in front of the television & watches the program.
Diana hops on top of Rini's head as Peruru looks around & wonders where to sit.
Rini looks back at him smiling, "Peruru, come sit up here & relax!"
Peruru blinks & walks over towards her, "Ok."
He lies on the floor next to her & watches television. He has never really watched TV before, so he stares at the moving screen through wide eyes.
Rini looks over at him & giggles, "You're silly!"
He looks over at her & starts laughing, "Yeah! I've never watched television before. We don't have televisions back in the dream world."
Rini stops & frowns, "I feel sorry for you, television is what us humans rely on for entertainment."
Raye grins evilly, "Yeah, that & Serena."
"HEY!" Serena shouts angrily before glancing uncomfortably to the side & pushing the tips of her pointing fingers together, "That wasn't a very nice thing to say..."
Lightning strikes nearby & causes the power to flicker, then go out.
Raye creates a small fireball on top of her finger & looks around, "Is everyone ok?"
Everyone replies & complains about the storm. Raye walks into a room & comes out with a flashlight. She extinguishes the flame on her finger & clicks on the flashlight. Raye walks around the room with the flashlight & finds some candles around the room. She lights the wicks on fire & the room brightens enough to see. She clicks the flashlight back off & plops down in a chair.
Everyone is facing the middle of the room in some semblance of a circle. The light from a candle shines through Peruru's wings & creates a rainbow on the floor. All of the scouts look at the rainbow, including Rini.
Rini reaches out into the rainbow & looks at her hand, "Wow... pretty...."
Peruru stares at Rini's hand, then he looks at the expression of wonder on her face. He gives her the same clueless, innocent, look that he always does.
She looks at his wings & realizes how beautiful they are. She wants to touch his delicate wings, but she is afraid that she might break or tarnish them. Rini looks down at floor & sighs sadly.
Peruru looks at her concerned, "What's wrong Rini?"
Rini looks back up at Peruru, "Um... I realized how beautiful your wings really are...."
Peruru seems to read her mind & slowly smiles, "It's alright if you touch them, you just have to be very gentle. I know that you're gentle Rini, that's the type of person you are, nice, brave, and strong, but yet gentle. I trust you...."
She smiles a little & slowly reaches out towards his wings. She trembles slightly as she extends her arm before her fingertips touch his wings. She runs them over his smooth wings lightly & smiles. Everyone watches, smiling from Rini's excited look about her.
Peruru smiles warmly at Rini, enjoying Rini's childhood excitement, "Don't be afraid, you're not hurting me at all. It actually tickles a little...."
Rini grins & stops after awhile, "That was neat! It made my fingers tingle!"
Diana hops over onto Peruru's head & meows cutely.
Peruru looks up at Diana, "Huh? What's up Diana?"
Diana curls up on top of his head, closes her eyes, and with each breath she takes, she purrs.
Everyone laughs & comments on Peruru's new 'hat'.
Peruru starts laughing, "Diana!"
Rini looks up at Diana grinning, "Diana, you silly kitten!"
Peruru chuckles as he looks at Diana, but then he notices that his pipe was left on the table. He reaches up & picks Diana up off of his head. He pets her then sets her down on the floor next to Luna & Artemis. He stands up & walks over to the table staring at his pipe. Everyone is talking, so they don't notice him at first. He stares at his pipe for a moment before actually picking it up. He inspects his pipe while holding it in both of his hands for old time's sake.
Rini appears behind him without him knowing, "So... are you going to play it for everyone?"
He whirls around & looks at her startled, but then continues staring at his pipe, "I guess...."
He walks over to a recliner & sits on the arm of it with his left leg bent up on the arm. He closes his eyes, raises the pipe up to his lips & starts playing a melody. Everyone quiets down & watches as the candles float up into the air. The candles dance around & form into shapes such as stars & circles. The scouts & the cats watch in a trance-like state, dazed by the melodious tune. He opens his eyes & looks around at everyone.
~They're starting to remind me of those children my brother kidnapped for Badiyanu last year... so many children pried away from their loved ones to come serve Badiyanu's purposes. I can't steal their freedom away like my brother did... That would make me just as bad....~
He stops playing & the candles slowly touchdown back where they originally were before he started playing. Everyone snaps back into reality & look around confounded. He has both of his feet on the arm of the chair & his knees bent. He rests his forehead on his knees & just looks down blankly.
Lita walks over to Peruru & rests her hand on his shoulder, "What's wrong? You should be happy!"
Peruru shakes his head & sighs in a depressed tone, "When I played, you guys were in a trance like the children that night. It was like... I stole your freedom. My brother did that to those kids, I didn't want the same thing happening to you. It was evil the way my brother, Pupulan, did that to those children. I was reminded of my brother & how, one day, I might grow up to be evil like him."
He shudders at the thought of one day turning on the scouts & closes his eyes.
Lita frowns, "How about we take this to another room?"
He nods & stands up while looking down at the ground. Lita rests her arm across his shoulders & walks with him through a hallway.
Rini looks at them, "Where are you going?"
Lita looks back at Rini & gives her a reassuring smile, "We're going to have a little talk, that's all. Stay here..."
Rini nods & watches them until they disappear into another room. Lita grabs a lit candle & walks into the room. The lights in the house flicker & come back on.
She looks up at the light, smiles, & blows out the candle, "We don't need this anymore."