Destiny's Sorrow
4— Far, Far Away
Raye saw Serena approaching the temple with the rest of the Scouts for today's meeting and instantly turned and whirled back inside. No way was she going to face Serena, that no-good, lying, cheating, backstabbing witch. "I'm never going to look at her again," Raye vowed. "Never, ever."
She knew exactly how to do it. Slamming the door to her bedroom, Raye yanked a big, red bag from her wardrobe and ferociously jerked at the zip until it gave and the bag had a big, gaping hole in the top, ready to be packed. "Okay. Here we go."
In went her overalls. In went three sweaters, two pairs of jeans, one long, flowing maroon skirt, four t-shirts, underwear, and female products... she couldn't very well leave without those. How embarrassing it would be if she got her periods and had no means of protection. Well, it wasn't going to be happening now.
With a colossal effort, Raye managed to wrench the zip closed on the red bag. Now she was all ready to go. Then her big violet eyes caught sight of the lone picture of beautiful Darien on her dresser. With one quick motion, she stuffed it into the bag and again managed to do it back up.
No sense leaving a note. Raye didn't want to be found. She was leaving for a reason, and being found was not part of the plan. Hesitantly, Raye picked up her transformation stick and her Scout communicator, wrapped them in a soft pink tissue and put them in her baggy jeans pocket.
One last look in the mirror and Raye was out the window, running as if it was for her life. Down the road she went, running, running. Far away from the pain and tears, the heartbreak and sorrow that had ripped her apart for days on end. Finally she was going to be free of it. Once she got away from this place. But first she had to go somewhere. Then it was onto the bus, away, far, far away.
***
"Well, I never expected her to show up. I mean, she is heartbroken... about Darien..." Serena pushed away the guilt harbouring in her stomach and pushed open the front door leading into the Tsukino house. Luna lazed on her left shoulder, thinking deeply about Raye's absence from the meeting. What on Earth was happening to her Sailors? There had been massive tension between Serena, Mina, Amy and Lita. What WAS all this rubbish about, Luna wondered?
"Serena, dear, can you PLEASE check the mail?" Serena's mother put her hands on her hips and glared at her fair-haired daughter in exasperation. "I have asked you five times today! Please do it right now."
Serena had been halfway to the fridge to get something to eat when her mother's announcement forced her to turn away. She dropped her backpack and made a big show of stalking outside to the mailbox. Irene Tsukino simply shook her head and continued making dinner, ignoring her daughter's theatrics.
Luna still basked on Serena's shoulder, enjoying the balmy light of the sun. When Serena jumped, Luna almost fell from her comfortable perch. "What on Earth?" Luna sputtered.
"Sorry, Luna," Serena croaked.
Luna saw that Serena's face was deadly white. "What is it? Serena, speak to me!"
Silently Serena held up the pink tissue-wrapped package. "This."
"Well, that's not a help to me. What's inside it?" Luna asked logically.
Serena pulled out Raye's Sailor Mars transformation stick and the Scout communicator. "Luna, I think Raye's left," she stammered.
"LEFT? What for?" Luna was shocked.
"I—don't know," Serena stammered.
"Serena." Luna fixed stern eyes on the blonde. "Don't think I haven't picked up on all this tension between you and the other girls. I get the feeling it's because of something you've done, as well. I'm not accusing you of anything. I just want to know the truth. If it's going to affect the Sailors—which it already has—then I want the real story, and I want it now."
Serena sank onto the concrete, cradling the transformation stick and communicator. "This is all my fault," she wept, hot, thick tears trickling down her pale face. "I can't believe what I've done... Raye, I'm so sorry..."
Luna jumped onto Serena's lap, looking at her right in the face. "Serena, what HAVE you done? What could you have possibly done that would drive Raye away like this? Tell me now, because this is serious."
"I know," Serena moaned. "I can't fix this unless I leave. Anyway, the Scouts would be a better team without me, huh? No sense denying that." She tucked her knees to her chest and rested her head on them.
"Don't be ridiculous. You are going nowhere until you've explained this mess," Luna lectured. "Now. Start right from the beginning."
Serena let out a long, shaking breath. "It all started the night of the ball."
"The ball?" Luna blinked at Serena.
"Yeah, remember the one I used the Disguise Pen to make myself a dress for?"
"Yes, Serena, but that was a while back, wasn't it?"
"Just let me finish, Luna!" Serena shouted.
Luna sat in silence while Serena spilled out the whole sordid story, growing madder by the minute. Then when Serena got to the part about telling Darien who she was, Luna exploded.
"Serena! Do you think that this is all a game? Do you think you can just go around telling whomever you want about your true identity? Do you realise you can trust nobody expect your fellow Scouts? This could get back to the Negaverse and we'd all be toast!" she addressed the young girl heatedly.
"No, it won't." Serena lifted her chin.
"What do you mean? You don't know that!" Luna argued.
"I said, no it won't! And I do SO know that!" Serena stood up, towering over the cat.
Luna narrowed her eyes. "How could you possibly know that?"
"If you'll let me finish, I will tell you, Luna," Serena said, trying to remain calm.
Luna almost fainted. "You mean there's more to this rotten debacle? Oh, Serena, you really don't stop at anything, do you?"
"Well, here's why my identity will not get out... Darien is Tuxedo Mask." Serena sat back and awaited Luna's response.
Luna sat stunned. "How do you know this?" she asked faintly. "Because he showed me. He also knows that Raye is Sailor Mars... well, he knows all our identities," Serena admitted, referring to herself and the rest of the Scouts bar Raye.
Luna sat in silence once more as Serena continued right up until the end of the story. Then she dropped her head. She was trying to process everything but it was all too much to get through at once. She did know one thing, though.
"Well, Luna?" Serena looked anxious and upset.
"Oh, Serena." Luna shook her head slowly in utter consternation. "You really know how to mess things up."
"Do you think I don't know that?" Serena objected, tears in her voice.
"Right now, I have nothing to say to you. What I will order you to do is call the Scouts around, as I presume they know about this, and work out a way to find Raye." Luna swished her tail.
"But they don't want to talk to me!"
"Much wonder, but if you care for Raye at all, and I really do have to wonder, Serena, whether you have any care in the world left for the poor girl, you'll help to find her. If you can't get them here as Serena, you'll do it as Sailor Moon, leader of the Scouts, is that clear?" Luna questioned coldly.
"Fine." Serena got out her communicator. As she waited for someone to come in, she felt a cold, numb fear seeping into her body. Where was Raye? If anything were to happen...
4— Far, Far Away
Raye saw Serena approaching the temple with the rest of the Scouts for today's meeting and instantly turned and whirled back inside. No way was she going to face Serena, that no-good, lying, cheating, backstabbing witch. "I'm never going to look at her again," Raye vowed. "Never, ever."
She knew exactly how to do it. Slamming the door to her bedroom, Raye yanked a big, red bag from her wardrobe and ferociously jerked at the zip until it gave and the bag had a big, gaping hole in the top, ready to be packed. "Okay. Here we go."
In went her overalls. In went three sweaters, two pairs of jeans, one long, flowing maroon skirt, four t-shirts, underwear, and female products... she couldn't very well leave without those. How embarrassing it would be if she got her periods and had no means of protection. Well, it wasn't going to be happening now.
With a colossal effort, Raye managed to wrench the zip closed on the red bag. Now she was all ready to go. Then her big violet eyes caught sight of the lone picture of beautiful Darien on her dresser. With one quick motion, she stuffed it into the bag and again managed to do it back up.
No sense leaving a note. Raye didn't want to be found. She was leaving for a reason, and being found was not part of the plan. Hesitantly, Raye picked up her transformation stick and her Scout communicator, wrapped them in a soft pink tissue and put them in her baggy jeans pocket.
One last look in the mirror and Raye was out the window, running as if it was for her life. Down the road she went, running, running. Far away from the pain and tears, the heartbreak and sorrow that had ripped her apart for days on end. Finally she was going to be free of it. Once she got away from this place. But first she had to go somewhere. Then it was onto the bus, away, far, far away.
***
"Well, I never expected her to show up. I mean, she is heartbroken... about Darien..." Serena pushed away the guilt harbouring in her stomach and pushed open the front door leading into the Tsukino house. Luna lazed on her left shoulder, thinking deeply about Raye's absence from the meeting. What on Earth was happening to her Sailors? There had been massive tension between Serena, Mina, Amy and Lita. What WAS all this rubbish about, Luna wondered?
"Serena, dear, can you PLEASE check the mail?" Serena's mother put her hands on her hips and glared at her fair-haired daughter in exasperation. "I have asked you five times today! Please do it right now."
Serena had been halfway to the fridge to get something to eat when her mother's announcement forced her to turn away. She dropped her backpack and made a big show of stalking outside to the mailbox. Irene Tsukino simply shook her head and continued making dinner, ignoring her daughter's theatrics.
Luna still basked on Serena's shoulder, enjoying the balmy light of the sun. When Serena jumped, Luna almost fell from her comfortable perch. "What on Earth?" Luna sputtered.
"Sorry, Luna," Serena croaked.
Luna saw that Serena's face was deadly white. "What is it? Serena, speak to me!"
Silently Serena held up the pink tissue-wrapped package. "This."
"Well, that's not a help to me. What's inside it?" Luna asked logically.
Serena pulled out Raye's Sailor Mars transformation stick and the Scout communicator. "Luna, I think Raye's left," she stammered.
"LEFT? What for?" Luna was shocked.
"I—don't know," Serena stammered.
"Serena." Luna fixed stern eyes on the blonde. "Don't think I haven't picked up on all this tension between you and the other girls. I get the feeling it's because of something you've done, as well. I'm not accusing you of anything. I just want to know the truth. If it's going to affect the Sailors—which it already has—then I want the real story, and I want it now."
Serena sank onto the concrete, cradling the transformation stick and communicator. "This is all my fault," she wept, hot, thick tears trickling down her pale face. "I can't believe what I've done... Raye, I'm so sorry..."
Luna jumped onto Serena's lap, looking at her right in the face. "Serena, what HAVE you done? What could you have possibly done that would drive Raye away like this? Tell me now, because this is serious."
"I know," Serena moaned. "I can't fix this unless I leave. Anyway, the Scouts would be a better team without me, huh? No sense denying that." She tucked her knees to her chest and rested her head on them.
"Don't be ridiculous. You are going nowhere until you've explained this mess," Luna lectured. "Now. Start right from the beginning."
Serena let out a long, shaking breath. "It all started the night of the ball."
"The ball?" Luna blinked at Serena.
"Yeah, remember the one I used the Disguise Pen to make myself a dress for?"
"Yes, Serena, but that was a while back, wasn't it?"
"Just let me finish, Luna!" Serena shouted.
Luna sat in silence while Serena spilled out the whole sordid story, growing madder by the minute. Then when Serena got to the part about telling Darien who she was, Luna exploded.
"Serena! Do you think that this is all a game? Do you think you can just go around telling whomever you want about your true identity? Do you realise you can trust nobody expect your fellow Scouts? This could get back to the Negaverse and we'd all be toast!" she addressed the young girl heatedly.
"No, it won't." Serena lifted her chin.
"What do you mean? You don't know that!" Luna argued.
"I said, no it won't! And I do SO know that!" Serena stood up, towering over the cat.
Luna narrowed her eyes. "How could you possibly know that?"
"If you'll let me finish, I will tell you, Luna," Serena said, trying to remain calm.
Luna almost fainted. "You mean there's more to this rotten debacle? Oh, Serena, you really don't stop at anything, do you?"
"Well, here's why my identity will not get out... Darien is Tuxedo Mask." Serena sat back and awaited Luna's response.
Luna sat stunned. "How do you know this?" she asked faintly. "Because he showed me. He also knows that Raye is Sailor Mars... well, he knows all our identities," Serena admitted, referring to herself and the rest of the Scouts bar Raye.
Luna sat in silence once more as Serena continued right up until the end of the story. Then she dropped her head. She was trying to process everything but it was all too much to get through at once. She did know one thing, though.
"Well, Luna?" Serena looked anxious and upset.
"Oh, Serena." Luna shook her head slowly in utter consternation. "You really know how to mess things up."
"Do you think I don't know that?" Serena objected, tears in her voice.
"Right now, I have nothing to say to you. What I will order you to do is call the Scouts around, as I presume they know about this, and work out a way to find Raye." Luna swished her tail.
"But they don't want to talk to me!"
"Much wonder, but if you care for Raye at all, and I really do have to wonder, Serena, whether you have any care in the world left for the poor girl, you'll help to find her. If you can't get them here as Serena, you'll do it as Sailor Moon, leader of the Scouts, is that clear?" Luna questioned coldly.
"Fine." Serena got out her communicator. As she waited for someone to come in, she felt a cold, numb fear seeping into her body. Where was Raye? If anything were to happen...