Chapter 8: Concert Fun. Trouble in Paradise...
"Ooooohhh!!!! Look at that huge stage!!!!" Mina screamed, trying to be heard over the noise of the other audience members, as the four girls walked down the aisle.
"Man! Haruka and Michiru really got us some good seats!" Makoto said, looking down at the ticket stub she held in her hand. "They're front and center!"
"Yeah!" Rei agreed. "These seats are awesome, alright."
Ami walked in front of Makoto and Rei, and behind Mina who was loping ahead of them, eager to see the concert. "Well, we DID ask Haruka for them," she said in exasperation, shaking her head. She looked down at her clothes and sighed.
Ami was dressed differently tonight. Usually, she would have just worn jeans, a plain T-shirt, sneakers, and a jacket, but the girls had forced her to wear more flattering clothes for the concert. She couldn't say no after they blackmailed her with her laptop. Ami thought, 'Threatening to delete important information on my laptop is just not playing fair,' as she tugged down her short skirt.
She was dressed in a navy blue mini-skirt, pale blue pumps, a light blue spaghetti-strap shirt that hugged her figure, and a blue sweater over her shoulders. She wore a tiny amount of pale blue blush and mascara. Ami was feeling extremely conscious in the outfit that her friends had taken an hour to pick out for her, while Mina threatened to turn on Ami's laptop if Ami tried to make a run for it. With Mina, disasters happened even without her meaning to.
Ami looked over at her friends. Their outfits were even more attention catching than her own.
Rei was dressed in a very-short hot red dress with large silver, hoop earrings that almost reached her shoulders. Her shiny, jet-black hair was loose around her shoulders. Her four-inch black heeled sandals made her seem really tall. There was no doubt about it; she was dressed to kill, and the guys around them knew it.
Mina was dressed in a short pale blue skirt and a pale yellow tee that had the words 'Boy Magnet' on it. Her shirt revealed her slim midriff and her smooth shoulders. She wore two-inch, white heels. Her make-up was natural- looking and she glowed with excitement. She was attracting the attention of some of the awed males in the crowd, as were Rei, Makoto, and to her dismay, Ami.
Makoto wore long, loose, black pants; black heeled (almost stilettos) boots; a dark green button-up, no-sleeve vest; and small hoop earrings. Her hair was pulled up in its usual ponytail and she wore a little bit of make- up.
"So what kind of concert is this?" Mina asked Ami.
"It's a joint-concert," Ami told her. "They're going to be singing American songs."
"Really?! Cool!" Mina exclaimed. "I love American songs!"
"Yeah, I love Kelly Clarkson's 'Miss Independent'! I hope they perform that!" Rei told her friends just as they reached the front row. They followed the seats all the way to the middle and sat down.
About ten minutes later, the lights dimmed and the colored beams of light spun on stage, focusing on nothing on the darkened stage. The audience quieted as they anticipated the beginning of the concert.
Suddenly the music started as the beams of lights
Rei said excitedly to her friends, "'This is Miss Independent'!!"
A female voice came over the speakers:
Miss independent Miss self-sufficient Miss keep your distance, mmmm
Miss unafraid
Miss out of my way
Miss don't let a man interfere, no
One of the spotlights landed on a slim figure standing on the center side of the stage. The person was Serena. The crowds of people screamed and whistled, cheering for the idol.
Serena was dressed in black, punk clothes. Her tight black jeans had holes cut into them stylishly, as well as her black tank top. A silver chain hung from her belt and on her wrists were black studded bracelets. She wore black high platform boots that made her even taller than Rei, and she wore black knuckle gloves that looked worn out. Her hair was down with thin and smooth waves and icicles, but with shocking blue streaks now running through them. She had a black bandanna over her forehead and disappeared under her stylish hair.
Serena sang to the audience in perfect English with plenty of attitude to match the lyrics,
Miss on her own
Miss almost grown
Miss never let a man help her off her throne
So, by keeping her heart protected
She'll never, ever feel rejected
Little miss apprehensive
Said ooh, she fell in love
Suddenly, the lights on the stage shot on and the rest of the Four Lights band were in view. The crowd screamed their enthusiasm as Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten played the music for the song.
What is this feeling taking over?
Thinking no one could open the door
Surprise, it's time, to feel what's real
What happened to miss independent's no longer need to be defensive?
Goodbye, old you, when love, is true
Misguided heart
Miss play it smart
Miss if you wanna use that line, you better not start, no But she miscalculated
She didn't wanna end up jaded
And this miss decided not to miss out on true love So, by changing a misconception
She went in a new direction
And found inside, she felt a connection
She fell in love
What is this feeling taking over?
Thinking no one could open the door
Surprise, it's time, to feel what's real
What happened to miss independent's no longer need to be defensive?
Goodbye, old you, when love, is true (when love, is true)
When miss independent walked away
No time for love that came her way
She looked in the mirror and thought today
What happened to miss no longer afraid?
It took some time for her to see
How beautiful love could truly be
No more talk of why can't that be me
I'm so glad I've finally seen
What is this feeling taking over?
Thinking no one could open the door
Surprise, it's time, to feel what's real
What happened to miss independent's no longer need to be defensive?
Goodbye, old you, when love, is true (when love, is true) Miss independent
The audience screamed and whistled as the song ended. Everyone in the large concert hall was on their feet and had been moving to the beat of the song.
"That was so amazing!!!" Mina screamed to her friends over the loud noise as Serena waved to the crowd. "Serena's singing is awesome!"
"Yeah!" Makoto agreed and Ami smiled.
Then the spotlights on the Three Lights faded slightly and two new spotlights lit up on either side of Serena. The one on her left had Haruka, dressed in a tuxedo and sitting at a grand piano that matched the color of his suit. The one on her right had Michiru who had her violin ready and who was dressed in an elegant blue dress. The two began to play and the crowd continued their cheering for the three of their favorite idols.
After all you put me through, You think I despise you? But in the end, I wanna thank you, 'Cause you made me that much stronger...
The lights on Michiru and Haruka faded out to blackness while the lights on Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten grew brighter, just like the music (AN: you've gotta hear Christina Aguilera's - "Fighter" to know what I'm talking about).
Well I thought I knew you, Thinkin' that you were true..
And Serena continued to sing...
Serena sang the song "Ultimate" by Lindsay Lohan afterwards with the rest of the Four Lights, and then the guys of the Four Lights sang in the song "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" by Nine Days while Serena jammed it out on the electric guitar.
Then the Four Lights faded away, and Michiru and Haruka appeared. Michiru sang and played her violin in Mandy Moore's "Only Hope" as Haruka played the piano in duet with the violinist.
After they had performed beautifully, Seiya showed up with the song "Greatest Story Ever Told" by Oliver James, and his guitar.
As Seiya's guitar-ing ended, Haruka and Michiru appeared in the spotlights, dressed in fresh clothes, and ready to sing the ballad version of "What Dreams Are Made of" in the American movie "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." Haruka played his piano as the couple sang duet.
When they faded out, Serena walked on to the stage, singing the lyrics of "What's Good for Me" by Lucy Woodward. This time, she was dressed in a long denim skirt and a nice-patterned bell-sleeved shirt. Haruka and the rest of the Four Lights played the music for that song.
And then following right after that, Haruka and the males of the Four Lights performed "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon.
Then Serena appeared again to sing Mandy Moore's "Cry." She wore a figure hugging, flowing pale blue dress with bell-sleeves and her hair its beautiful waves, flowing down her back, and icicles framing her face. She sat on a stool and played an electric guitar while Seiya accompanied her on the drums, Yaten with his bass guitar, and Taiki on the keyboard.
Michiru performed next with Haruka and his piano, Seiya with the drum set, and Taiki with his keyboard. She sang the song "Only Hope," also by Mandy Moore.
Haruka sang on the next song, Oliver James's "Long Time Coming" with his piano. He was accompanied by Michiru playing her violin and the Four Lights with their instruments.
Serena and Michiru performed duets with the songs "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch and "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey. Michiru played her violin in the introduction of the song, and Serena played her electric guitar for the song. They were accompanied by the rest of the Four Lights.
Michiru, still dressed in her turquoise, figure hugging formal dress from the other songs, performed Richard Marx and Donna Lewis's duet "At the Beginning" with Haruka, with the Four Lights playing their instruments.
Finally, the Four Lights and the two other idols ended the concert with a great group performance of an upbeat "Sundown."
The audience was in an uproar with the great performances that had gone on all throughout the concert. They called for more, but it was already past the planned ending time. The idols gave their last bows and waves and the lights faded.
When the lights came back on, the idols were gone from the stage and the audience began to exit the concert hall. Some eager fans of the six idols rushed to the doors that led to the backstage, hoping to convince or bribe the stern security into letting them meet the famous young people, without backstage passes.
Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Mina, who had each received a pass from Haruka and Michiru, were let through, the which caused them to receive jealous glares from the other girls. The girls made their way towards the dressing rooms, dodging the stage equipment that were already being packed up and hauled away.
Mina knocked on the door of the Four Lights' dressing room and Seiya answered the door. He was dressed in dark blue pants and a pale-blue collar shirt with the collar unbuttoned casually.
"Hey girls," Seiya grinned at the four smiling girls. "Enjoy the concert?"
"You bet!" Rei and Mina exclaimed in unison.
"It was awesome," Makoto agreed.
"Yes, it was wonderful," Ami replied.
"Glad you did. Come on in," Seiya invited and stepped back to give them room to enter. What they were greeted with surprised them. Instead of a regular single-room dressing room, there was a main room with couches, a big-screen (flat-screen) TV, a stereo, and a snack bar. Off to both sides of the large, spacious room were two doors, each leading to separate dressing rooms for the four idols.
"Wow! You four have it made here!" Makoto said, looking around the room in awe, as were the other girls.
"Yeah! You could live here!" Mina added.
"Sei-" one of the doors on the right side opened and Serena appeared, dressed in her pale blue dress, but without her platform-heeled blue sandals. She saw the girls. "Oh hi you guys. Glad you could make it," she smiled.
"Serena, your singing was awesome-yours was too Seiya-but Serena, how'd you learn to sing like that?" Mina asked in a rush. "You were like a genuine American singer!"
Serena giggled. "I just had a lot of practice-and I mean a LOT." She walked over to Seiya, "Hey Seiya, could you get this zipper for me? It's stuck."
"Oh, yeah," Seiya loosened the zipper from the cloth that was stuck in it and unzipped it halfway for her. "There you go."
"Thanks," Serena gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and said to the girls, "I'll be right out," before hurrying into her dressing room and shutting the door.
"You girls can sit down if you'd like. There're drinks and food in the frig and under the counter," Seiya told them. He took a seat in the lazy-boy chair.
As they sat down, Rei said, "Um, Seiya, not to be nosy or anything, but how did Serena and you meet? I mean, you guys started dating before you all formed the Four Lights, right?"
"Yeah, Serena and I met when we were little kids. We were about seven years old. Serena moved to my neighborhood with her little brother and her parents and they lived right next door to Yaten, Taiki, and I," Seiya told them. "We didn't start dating until we were about fifteen, but we both started dating other people when we were 13 years old."
"Oh, that's so cute! So Serena was like the girl-next-door," Mina said. "And you two were the best of friends, right? You guys did everything together?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Seiya was surprised.
"Oh, I just read a lot of teen romance novels and manga," Mina laughed. The other girls shook their heads in exasperation.
"'A lot'?" Rei said. "Try way more than that," she told Mina. "You're still borrowing half of my manga and anime collection from since four years ago. And that's over a hundred of them!"
Mina looked sheepish as Seiya, Ami, and Makoto chuckled.
"So, what'd I miss?" Serena appeared out of the door and sat down on Seiya's lap, leaning back comfortably. Seiya put his arms around Serena. Serena was dressed in a knee-length denim skirt and a white shirt that bore a bit of her midriff when she leaned back. She had slipped on large silver hoped ears and a silver necklace with two silver rings on the chain. Her hair was still in its waves and icicles with its streaks.
"Nothing much," Mina said quickly. The others laughed.
"Hey, aren't Taiki and Yaten done yet?"
"They are. They just headed over to Haruka and Michiru's dressing room to thank them for the concert, even though I told them you already did," Seiya frowned when he said Haruka's name.
"Oh Seiya. You're still not mad about that, are you? I mean, come on, he's way too old for me AND he's Michiru's boyfriend."
"That probably never stopped him before," Seiya muttered grumpily.
The girls giggled when Serena made a show of rolling her eyes. "Whatever," Serena replied and rested her head in the curve of his neck.
"Hey Serena, what do those rings on your necklace say?" Makoto asked interested.
"Oh these?" Serena looked down at her chain. "This one," she held up one, "has the Japanese characters for Devotion and Tranquility engraved on it, and this other one has the characters for Love and Seiya on it."
"Oh, how sweet!" Mina practically cooed. "So it basically means that you're tranquil and have devotion and love for Seiya?"
"Yeah, something like that." Serena said and she glanced at Seiya, who looked back at her.
Just then, the door to the room opened and Yaten and Taiki entered; behind them, followed Michiru and then Haruka. The four had already changed into their street clothes.
"Hi Michiru, Haruka," Serena greeted as did the girls. Seiya just gave them a curt nod. Serena nudged him when that's all he did.
"Hello, we just came by to see if you all would like to go over to the Zone," Michiru said.
"We'll go," Makoto said after she and her friends looked at each other.
"We'll go also," Taiki said for Yaten and himself.
"Sorry, Seiya and I are going to have to pass. He made reservations at the 'Catch of the Day' sushi restaurant for us," Serena told them.
"Oh, all right. We-"
Suddenly there was a loud shattering sound, followed by an ear-shattering explosion that shook the room.
"What was that?!" Rei exclaimed. "It sounded like a bomb or something."
Serena and Seiya jumped up. "Well, we'll be going now. Don't want to be late for our reservations. Have fun you guys," Seiya said hurryingly and the two quickly made their way out of the room.
"Uh, I forgot something in my dressing room. I'll be right back," Haruka said and hurried out the door.
"I'll go with you. I left my purse there too," and Michiru quickly exited after him.
"What was that all about?" Yaten asked the girls.
"Oh-uh-um, n-nothing," Rei replied, stuttering over the words in her haste to get them out. "Th-They're always doing that."
Then there was a shout, "Star Rapid Strike!" followed by another explosion.
"What's going on?!" Yaten shouted as he and Taiki ran out the room and towards the sound, followed quickly by the girls.
When they reached the stage, the group stopped short. There in the center of the stage were Sailor Star Striker and Sailor Star Fighter both in fighting stances, facing a man dressed in all white. Even the man's long hair was pure white.
Fighter sprang forward, flipping into the air and shooting off her attack when she had reached the peak of her leap, "Star Serious Laser!" Her attack flew out at the man, only to collide with a silver force field.
The man lowered the hand that he had put up. His voice was deep and gloomy as he spoke, "Sailor Stars Fighter and Striker, you two are as pathetic as always."
"You should talk, Ice. After we beat you up that last time, we thought you'd be too ashamed to show your face-but I guess you're much more stupid than that," Striker spat back.
"Tsk tsk. You still have that contempt for me? Was Hawk not the one who deceived you?" the man said. The white orbs that were his eyes gleamed as he grinned maliciously.
"You both are equal loads of scum," Fighter shouted.
"Hey!" The three turned to look at the person who had shouted.
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune stepped out of the shadows.
"Well well well, if it isn't the arrogant Earth Scouts, Uranus and Neptune," Fighter told them angrily, "interfering just like last time."
"Excuse me? This is our solar system! Why don't you go back to whatever black hole you crawled out of?" Uranus retorted.
"Hey! If you two don't mind, I WOULD like to kill these two Sailor Star brats," said the man who looked back and forth at the two "spitting felines."
"Who are you?" Uranus demanded, glaring hard.
"I am a top general of Empress Fero. I go by the name of White Ice," the man gave a low bow.
"Well glad to meet you White Ice. I'm Sailor Uranus and this is Sailor Neptune," Uranus told him sarcastically, in a cheerful voice.
"And you're trespassing on our territory by coming into this solar system," Michiru told him frostily.
"Well, excuuuuuse me!" Ice said with some of his usual attitude. "Who died and made you the queen of this solar system? Oh, that's right, your ruling queen."
"Hey! You leave our queen out of this! You have no right to even speak of her!" Uranus shouted.
"Well, now that we've gotten through the introductions, let's get down to business," Fighter said.
Striker jumped high into the air as Fighter rushed straight at Ice. Striker aimed for Ice as she let off her attack in mid-air, "Star Rapid Strike!"
Her energy attack shot at Ice. Striker wasn't far behind it. Ice blocked the attack using his force field but he couldn't hold it up when Fighter and Striker reached him at the same time. He shot backwards, levitating off the ground and Striker landed in a crouch, but was off again, shooting towards the enemy.
She moved with lightning fast speed as she kicked and punched at Ice. Ice was able to block all her attacks, but suddenly, Striker faked a punch and went for a low cut. Ice's head flew up and he staggered backwards. Striker took that moment to gather her energy.
To the Earth senshi's (plural) astonishment, Striker had a ball of silver energy gathered in the palm of her hand in less than a few seconds. "This is your end, Ice!" she shouted and flew at the man. As she reached him, she flung the ball straight at his heart and it exploded into him.
Ice shrieked and as he fell backwards, clutching his chest, his body exploded into a glistening white pile of...something. It looked a lot like snow.
Everyone thought that Striker and Fighter would be glad that she had destroyed the man, but Striker was frowning and her body was tense. She looked like she was preparing to defend herself over an attack. After a couple minutes, when it didn't come, she looked around cautiously and then stood up straight.
"Hey! Now that that loser's gone, you have to answer our questions," Uranus demanded, taking a menacing step towards the two "aliens."
"Like we said before, we don't have to tell you anything. Our mission is our business and none of your concern," Striker said firmly. "Now, we have to be leaving. Let's go Fighter."
"Laters." Fighter said with an easygoing wave over her shoulder. Before Uranus or Neptune could do anything, the two walked into thin air and disappeared. Impossibly, the air seemed to ripple like water, and then settled back into its "normal self" again.
"What?!" Uranus, Neptune, and Rei, Ami, Mina, and Makoto all exclaimed in surprise.
"How'd they do that?!" Mina said, awe in her voice.
"I guess they're Sailor Senshi so they can do that too. Can't you do that?" Yaten asked Uranus and Neptune, amusement upon his face.
Uranus just glared at him and stalked off into the shadows. Neptune hurried after her.
There was silence after the two Earth senshi left. Suddenly Makoto quickly said, "Wow! That was awesome wasn't it?"
The other girls replied quickly with nods and mumbles of agreements. They had answered a little too quickly but no one seemed to notice and the girls were relieved.
"Well, why don't we all head over to the Zone now?" Yaten said, changing the subject casually.
"Yeah, let's go everybody. We'll probably meet Michiru and Haruka there," Rei agreed. The others followed her out the door while Yaten and Taiki hung back a few moments. The two looked at the stage and smiled at each other, then followed the girls who were already halfway down the hall.
***
Fighter and Striker had been teleported a few blocks down from the auditorium and were now walking down the street with other pedestrians in the cool night. Seiya pulled Serena close to him as he slid on his sunglasses. Serena had slipped on her white baseball cap and a thin jacket that she had taken from her dressing room, after they had disappeared from the stage using Serena's skills at teleportation. She also slipped on a pair of pale-blue sunglasses.
Serena slid her arm around her boyfriend's waist as they walked, and was glad to feel his warm arms around her. She looked up at him. "Seiya, he's still alive."
"Yeah, I know. I felt his presence on that stage after you 'dusted' him," Seiya replied said, pulling Serena gently, but protectively, closer to him.
"We have to find him and destroy him before he can harm the Earth senshi," Serena said, her voice quiet.
"Why are you so interested in them?" Seiya asked her, looking down at the top of Serena's head.
"I just feel like I know them somehow," Serena replied, her voice thoughtful
"Hm," Seiya thought for a moment. "Well, Queen Kakei did say that she knew you had the potential to be a Sailor senshi. It could be possible that if you had never left Earth, you would have been a senshi of this planet."
Serena nodded slightly. Then she looked up into Seiya's intriguing and loving blue eyes. "But if I had never left Earth, I might not be alive today. And I might never have met you."
Seiya smiled slightly, sorrow in his smile. "I could never imagine not meeting you Sere. I couldn't even believe that it's possible for me to live without you."
Serena smiled. "You're so sweet. And you're so good to me, Seiya." Serena laid her head against Seiya's jacket contently.
"That's because I love you," Seiya told her softly.
"I love you too, Seiya," Serena kissed Seiya deeply. When they ended the kiss, Serena laid her head against Seiya's chest again. The couple walked down the street to the sushi restaurant that Seiya had made reservations at that morning.
"Ooooohhh!!!! Look at that huge stage!!!!" Mina screamed, trying to be heard over the noise of the other audience members, as the four girls walked down the aisle.
"Man! Haruka and Michiru really got us some good seats!" Makoto said, looking down at the ticket stub she held in her hand. "They're front and center!"
"Yeah!" Rei agreed. "These seats are awesome, alright."
Ami walked in front of Makoto and Rei, and behind Mina who was loping ahead of them, eager to see the concert. "Well, we DID ask Haruka for them," she said in exasperation, shaking her head. She looked down at her clothes and sighed.
Ami was dressed differently tonight. Usually, she would have just worn jeans, a plain T-shirt, sneakers, and a jacket, but the girls had forced her to wear more flattering clothes for the concert. She couldn't say no after they blackmailed her with her laptop. Ami thought, 'Threatening to delete important information on my laptop is just not playing fair,' as she tugged down her short skirt.
She was dressed in a navy blue mini-skirt, pale blue pumps, a light blue spaghetti-strap shirt that hugged her figure, and a blue sweater over her shoulders. She wore a tiny amount of pale blue blush and mascara. Ami was feeling extremely conscious in the outfit that her friends had taken an hour to pick out for her, while Mina threatened to turn on Ami's laptop if Ami tried to make a run for it. With Mina, disasters happened even without her meaning to.
Ami looked over at her friends. Their outfits were even more attention catching than her own.
Rei was dressed in a very-short hot red dress with large silver, hoop earrings that almost reached her shoulders. Her shiny, jet-black hair was loose around her shoulders. Her four-inch black heeled sandals made her seem really tall. There was no doubt about it; she was dressed to kill, and the guys around them knew it.
Mina was dressed in a short pale blue skirt and a pale yellow tee that had the words 'Boy Magnet' on it. Her shirt revealed her slim midriff and her smooth shoulders. She wore two-inch, white heels. Her make-up was natural- looking and she glowed with excitement. She was attracting the attention of some of the awed males in the crowd, as were Rei, Makoto, and to her dismay, Ami.
Makoto wore long, loose, black pants; black heeled (almost stilettos) boots; a dark green button-up, no-sleeve vest; and small hoop earrings. Her hair was pulled up in its usual ponytail and she wore a little bit of make- up.
"So what kind of concert is this?" Mina asked Ami.
"It's a joint-concert," Ami told her. "They're going to be singing American songs."
"Really?! Cool!" Mina exclaimed. "I love American songs!"
"Yeah, I love Kelly Clarkson's 'Miss Independent'! I hope they perform that!" Rei told her friends just as they reached the front row. They followed the seats all the way to the middle and sat down.
About ten minutes later, the lights dimmed and the colored beams of light spun on stage, focusing on nothing on the darkened stage. The audience quieted as they anticipated the beginning of the concert.
Suddenly the music started as the beams of lights
Rei said excitedly to her friends, "'This is Miss Independent'!!"
A female voice came over the speakers:
Miss independent Miss self-sufficient Miss keep your distance, mmmm
Miss unafraid
Miss out of my way
Miss don't let a man interfere, no
One of the spotlights landed on a slim figure standing on the center side of the stage. The person was Serena. The crowds of people screamed and whistled, cheering for the idol.
Serena was dressed in black, punk clothes. Her tight black jeans had holes cut into them stylishly, as well as her black tank top. A silver chain hung from her belt and on her wrists were black studded bracelets. She wore black high platform boots that made her even taller than Rei, and she wore black knuckle gloves that looked worn out. Her hair was down with thin and smooth waves and icicles, but with shocking blue streaks now running through them. She had a black bandanna over her forehead and disappeared under her stylish hair.
Serena sang to the audience in perfect English with plenty of attitude to match the lyrics,
Miss on her own
Miss almost grown
Miss never let a man help her off her throne
So, by keeping her heart protected
She'll never, ever feel rejected
Little miss apprehensive
Said ooh, she fell in love
Suddenly, the lights on the stage shot on and the rest of the Four Lights band were in view. The crowd screamed their enthusiasm as Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten played the music for the song.
What is this feeling taking over?
Thinking no one could open the door
Surprise, it's time, to feel what's real
What happened to miss independent's no longer need to be defensive?
Goodbye, old you, when love, is true
Misguided heart
Miss play it smart
Miss if you wanna use that line, you better not start, no But she miscalculated
She didn't wanna end up jaded
And this miss decided not to miss out on true love So, by changing a misconception
She went in a new direction
And found inside, she felt a connection
She fell in love
What is this feeling taking over?
Thinking no one could open the door
Surprise, it's time, to feel what's real
What happened to miss independent's no longer need to be defensive?
Goodbye, old you, when love, is true (when love, is true)
When miss independent walked away
No time for love that came her way
She looked in the mirror and thought today
What happened to miss no longer afraid?
It took some time for her to see
How beautiful love could truly be
No more talk of why can't that be me
I'm so glad I've finally seen
What is this feeling taking over?
Thinking no one could open the door
Surprise, it's time, to feel what's real
What happened to miss independent's no longer need to be defensive?
Goodbye, old you, when love, is true (when love, is true) Miss independent
The audience screamed and whistled as the song ended. Everyone in the large concert hall was on their feet and had been moving to the beat of the song.
"That was so amazing!!!" Mina screamed to her friends over the loud noise as Serena waved to the crowd. "Serena's singing is awesome!"
"Yeah!" Makoto agreed and Ami smiled.
Then the spotlights on the Three Lights faded slightly and two new spotlights lit up on either side of Serena. The one on her left had Haruka, dressed in a tuxedo and sitting at a grand piano that matched the color of his suit. The one on her right had Michiru who had her violin ready and who was dressed in an elegant blue dress. The two began to play and the crowd continued their cheering for the three of their favorite idols.
After all you put me through, You think I despise you? But in the end, I wanna thank you, 'Cause you made me that much stronger...
The lights on Michiru and Haruka faded out to blackness while the lights on Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten grew brighter, just like the music (AN: you've gotta hear Christina Aguilera's - "Fighter" to know what I'm talking about).
Well I thought I knew you, Thinkin' that you were true..
And Serena continued to sing...
Serena sang the song "Ultimate" by Lindsay Lohan afterwards with the rest of the Four Lights, and then the guys of the Four Lights sang in the song "Absolutely (Story of a Girl)" by Nine Days while Serena jammed it out on the electric guitar.
Then the Four Lights faded away, and Michiru and Haruka appeared. Michiru sang and played her violin in Mandy Moore's "Only Hope" as Haruka played the piano in duet with the violinist.
After they had performed beautifully, Seiya showed up with the song "Greatest Story Ever Told" by Oliver James, and his guitar.
As Seiya's guitar-ing ended, Haruka and Michiru appeared in the spotlights, dressed in fresh clothes, and ready to sing the ballad version of "What Dreams Are Made of" in the American movie "The Lizzie McGuire Movie." Haruka played his piano as the couple sang duet.
When they faded out, Serena walked on to the stage, singing the lyrics of "What's Good for Me" by Lucy Woodward. This time, she was dressed in a long denim skirt and a nice-patterned bell-sleeved shirt. Haruka and the rest of the Four Lights played the music for that song.
And then following right after that, Haruka and the males of the Four Lights performed "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon.
Then Serena appeared again to sing Mandy Moore's "Cry." She wore a figure hugging, flowing pale blue dress with bell-sleeves and her hair its beautiful waves, flowing down her back, and icicles framing her face. She sat on a stool and played an electric guitar while Seiya accompanied her on the drums, Yaten with his bass guitar, and Taiki on the keyboard.
Michiru performed next with Haruka and his piano, Seiya with the drum set, and Taiki with his keyboard. She sang the song "Only Hope," also by Mandy Moore.
Haruka sang on the next song, Oliver James's "Long Time Coming" with his piano. He was accompanied by Michiru playing her violin and the Four Lights with their instruments.
Serena and Michiru performed duets with the songs "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch and "When You Believe" by Mariah Carey. Michiru played her violin in the introduction of the song, and Serena played her electric guitar for the song. They were accompanied by the rest of the Four Lights.
Michiru, still dressed in her turquoise, figure hugging formal dress from the other songs, performed Richard Marx and Donna Lewis's duet "At the Beginning" with Haruka, with the Four Lights playing their instruments.
Finally, the Four Lights and the two other idols ended the concert with a great group performance of an upbeat "Sundown."
The audience was in an uproar with the great performances that had gone on all throughout the concert. They called for more, but it was already past the planned ending time. The idols gave their last bows and waves and the lights faded.
When the lights came back on, the idols were gone from the stage and the audience began to exit the concert hall. Some eager fans of the six idols rushed to the doors that led to the backstage, hoping to convince or bribe the stern security into letting them meet the famous young people, without backstage passes.
Rei, Ami, Makoto, and Mina, who had each received a pass from Haruka and Michiru, were let through, the which caused them to receive jealous glares from the other girls. The girls made their way towards the dressing rooms, dodging the stage equipment that were already being packed up and hauled away.
Mina knocked on the door of the Four Lights' dressing room and Seiya answered the door. He was dressed in dark blue pants and a pale-blue collar shirt with the collar unbuttoned casually.
"Hey girls," Seiya grinned at the four smiling girls. "Enjoy the concert?"
"You bet!" Rei and Mina exclaimed in unison.
"It was awesome," Makoto agreed.
"Yes, it was wonderful," Ami replied.
"Glad you did. Come on in," Seiya invited and stepped back to give them room to enter. What they were greeted with surprised them. Instead of a regular single-room dressing room, there was a main room with couches, a big-screen (flat-screen) TV, a stereo, and a snack bar. Off to both sides of the large, spacious room were two doors, each leading to separate dressing rooms for the four idols.
"Wow! You four have it made here!" Makoto said, looking around the room in awe, as were the other girls.
"Yeah! You could live here!" Mina added.
"Sei-" one of the doors on the right side opened and Serena appeared, dressed in her pale blue dress, but without her platform-heeled blue sandals. She saw the girls. "Oh hi you guys. Glad you could make it," she smiled.
"Serena, your singing was awesome-yours was too Seiya-but Serena, how'd you learn to sing like that?" Mina asked in a rush. "You were like a genuine American singer!"
Serena giggled. "I just had a lot of practice-and I mean a LOT." She walked over to Seiya, "Hey Seiya, could you get this zipper for me? It's stuck."
"Oh, yeah," Seiya loosened the zipper from the cloth that was stuck in it and unzipped it halfway for her. "There you go."
"Thanks," Serena gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and said to the girls, "I'll be right out," before hurrying into her dressing room and shutting the door.
"You girls can sit down if you'd like. There're drinks and food in the frig and under the counter," Seiya told them. He took a seat in the lazy-boy chair.
As they sat down, Rei said, "Um, Seiya, not to be nosy or anything, but how did Serena and you meet? I mean, you guys started dating before you all formed the Four Lights, right?"
"Yeah, Serena and I met when we were little kids. We were about seven years old. Serena moved to my neighborhood with her little brother and her parents and they lived right next door to Yaten, Taiki, and I," Seiya told them. "We didn't start dating until we were about fifteen, but we both started dating other people when we were 13 years old."
"Oh, that's so cute! So Serena was like the girl-next-door," Mina said. "And you two were the best of friends, right? You guys did everything together?"
"Yeah, how'd you know?" Seiya was surprised.
"Oh, I just read a lot of teen romance novels and manga," Mina laughed. The other girls shook their heads in exasperation.
"'A lot'?" Rei said. "Try way more than that," she told Mina. "You're still borrowing half of my manga and anime collection from since four years ago. And that's over a hundred of them!"
Mina looked sheepish as Seiya, Ami, and Makoto chuckled.
"So, what'd I miss?" Serena appeared out of the door and sat down on Seiya's lap, leaning back comfortably. Seiya put his arms around Serena. Serena was dressed in a knee-length denim skirt and a white shirt that bore a bit of her midriff when she leaned back. She had slipped on large silver hoped ears and a silver necklace with two silver rings on the chain. Her hair was still in its waves and icicles with its streaks.
"Nothing much," Mina said quickly. The others laughed.
"Hey, aren't Taiki and Yaten done yet?"
"They are. They just headed over to Haruka and Michiru's dressing room to thank them for the concert, even though I told them you already did," Seiya frowned when he said Haruka's name.
"Oh Seiya. You're still not mad about that, are you? I mean, come on, he's way too old for me AND he's Michiru's boyfriend."
"That probably never stopped him before," Seiya muttered grumpily.
The girls giggled when Serena made a show of rolling her eyes. "Whatever," Serena replied and rested her head in the curve of his neck.
"Hey Serena, what do those rings on your necklace say?" Makoto asked interested.
"Oh these?" Serena looked down at her chain. "This one," she held up one, "has the Japanese characters for Devotion and Tranquility engraved on it, and this other one has the characters for Love and Seiya on it."
"Oh, how sweet!" Mina practically cooed. "So it basically means that you're tranquil and have devotion and love for Seiya?"
"Yeah, something like that." Serena said and she glanced at Seiya, who looked back at her.
Just then, the door to the room opened and Yaten and Taiki entered; behind them, followed Michiru and then Haruka. The four had already changed into their street clothes.
"Hi Michiru, Haruka," Serena greeted as did the girls. Seiya just gave them a curt nod. Serena nudged him when that's all he did.
"Hello, we just came by to see if you all would like to go over to the Zone," Michiru said.
"We'll go," Makoto said after she and her friends looked at each other.
"We'll go also," Taiki said for Yaten and himself.
"Sorry, Seiya and I are going to have to pass. He made reservations at the 'Catch of the Day' sushi restaurant for us," Serena told them.
"Oh, all right. We-"
Suddenly there was a loud shattering sound, followed by an ear-shattering explosion that shook the room.
"What was that?!" Rei exclaimed. "It sounded like a bomb or something."
Serena and Seiya jumped up. "Well, we'll be going now. Don't want to be late for our reservations. Have fun you guys," Seiya said hurryingly and the two quickly made their way out of the room.
"Uh, I forgot something in my dressing room. I'll be right back," Haruka said and hurried out the door.
"I'll go with you. I left my purse there too," and Michiru quickly exited after him.
"What was that all about?" Yaten asked the girls.
"Oh-uh-um, n-nothing," Rei replied, stuttering over the words in her haste to get them out. "Th-They're always doing that."
Then there was a shout, "Star Rapid Strike!" followed by another explosion.
"What's going on?!" Yaten shouted as he and Taiki ran out the room and towards the sound, followed quickly by the girls.
When they reached the stage, the group stopped short. There in the center of the stage were Sailor Star Striker and Sailor Star Fighter both in fighting stances, facing a man dressed in all white. Even the man's long hair was pure white.
Fighter sprang forward, flipping into the air and shooting off her attack when she had reached the peak of her leap, "Star Serious Laser!" Her attack flew out at the man, only to collide with a silver force field.
The man lowered the hand that he had put up. His voice was deep and gloomy as he spoke, "Sailor Stars Fighter and Striker, you two are as pathetic as always."
"You should talk, Ice. After we beat you up that last time, we thought you'd be too ashamed to show your face-but I guess you're much more stupid than that," Striker spat back.
"Tsk tsk. You still have that contempt for me? Was Hawk not the one who deceived you?" the man said. The white orbs that were his eyes gleamed as he grinned maliciously.
"You both are equal loads of scum," Fighter shouted.
"Hey!" The three turned to look at the person who had shouted.
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune stepped out of the shadows.
"Well well well, if it isn't the arrogant Earth Scouts, Uranus and Neptune," Fighter told them angrily, "interfering just like last time."
"Excuse me? This is our solar system! Why don't you go back to whatever black hole you crawled out of?" Uranus retorted.
"Hey! If you two don't mind, I WOULD like to kill these two Sailor Star brats," said the man who looked back and forth at the two "spitting felines."
"Who are you?" Uranus demanded, glaring hard.
"I am a top general of Empress Fero. I go by the name of White Ice," the man gave a low bow.
"Well glad to meet you White Ice. I'm Sailor Uranus and this is Sailor Neptune," Uranus told him sarcastically, in a cheerful voice.
"And you're trespassing on our territory by coming into this solar system," Michiru told him frostily.
"Well, excuuuuuse me!" Ice said with some of his usual attitude. "Who died and made you the queen of this solar system? Oh, that's right, your ruling queen."
"Hey! You leave our queen out of this! You have no right to even speak of her!" Uranus shouted.
"Well, now that we've gotten through the introductions, let's get down to business," Fighter said.
Striker jumped high into the air as Fighter rushed straight at Ice. Striker aimed for Ice as she let off her attack in mid-air, "Star Rapid Strike!"
Her energy attack shot at Ice. Striker wasn't far behind it. Ice blocked the attack using his force field but he couldn't hold it up when Fighter and Striker reached him at the same time. He shot backwards, levitating off the ground and Striker landed in a crouch, but was off again, shooting towards the enemy.
She moved with lightning fast speed as she kicked and punched at Ice. Ice was able to block all her attacks, but suddenly, Striker faked a punch and went for a low cut. Ice's head flew up and he staggered backwards. Striker took that moment to gather her energy.
To the Earth senshi's (plural) astonishment, Striker had a ball of silver energy gathered in the palm of her hand in less than a few seconds. "This is your end, Ice!" she shouted and flew at the man. As she reached him, she flung the ball straight at his heart and it exploded into him.
Ice shrieked and as he fell backwards, clutching his chest, his body exploded into a glistening white pile of...something. It looked a lot like snow.
Everyone thought that Striker and Fighter would be glad that she had destroyed the man, but Striker was frowning and her body was tense. She looked like she was preparing to defend herself over an attack. After a couple minutes, when it didn't come, she looked around cautiously and then stood up straight.
"Hey! Now that that loser's gone, you have to answer our questions," Uranus demanded, taking a menacing step towards the two "aliens."
"Like we said before, we don't have to tell you anything. Our mission is our business and none of your concern," Striker said firmly. "Now, we have to be leaving. Let's go Fighter."
"Laters." Fighter said with an easygoing wave over her shoulder. Before Uranus or Neptune could do anything, the two walked into thin air and disappeared. Impossibly, the air seemed to ripple like water, and then settled back into its "normal self" again.
"What?!" Uranus, Neptune, and Rei, Ami, Mina, and Makoto all exclaimed in surprise.
"How'd they do that?!" Mina said, awe in her voice.
"I guess they're Sailor Senshi so they can do that too. Can't you do that?" Yaten asked Uranus and Neptune, amusement upon his face.
Uranus just glared at him and stalked off into the shadows. Neptune hurried after her.
There was silence after the two Earth senshi left. Suddenly Makoto quickly said, "Wow! That was awesome wasn't it?"
The other girls replied quickly with nods and mumbles of agreements. They had answered a little too quickly but no one seemed to notice and the girls were relieved.
"Well, why don't we all head over to the Zone now?" Yaten said, changing the subject casually.
"Yeah, let's go everybody. We'll probably meet Michiru and Haruka there," Rei agreed. The others followed her out the door while Yaten and Taiki hung back a few moments. The two looked at the stage and smiled at each other, then followed the girls who were already halfway down the hall.
***
Fighter and Striker had been teleported a few blocks down from the auditorium and were now walking down the street with other pedestrians in the cool night. Seiya pulled Serena close to him as he slid on his sunglasses. Serena had slipped on her white baseball cap and a thin jacket that she had taken from her dressing room, after they had disappeared from the stage using Serena's skills at teleportation. She also slipped on a pair of pale-blue sunglasses.
Serena slid her arm around her boyfriend's waist as they walked, and was glad to feel his warm arms around her. She looked up at him. "Seiya, he's still alive."
"Yeah, I know. I felt his presence on that stage after you 'dusted' him," Seiya replied said, pulling Serena gently, but protectively, closer to him.
"We have to find him and destroy him before he can harm the Earth senshi," Serena said, her voice quiet.
"Why are you so interested in them?" Seiya asked her, looking down at the top of Serena's head.
"I just feel like I know them somehow," Serena replied, her voice thoughtful
"Hm," Seiya thought for a moment. "Well, Queen Kakei did say that she knew you had the potential to be a Sailor senshi. It could be possible that if you had never left Earth, you would have been a senshi of this planet."
Serena nodded slightly. Then she looked up into Seiya's intriguing and loving blue eyes. "But if I had never left Earth, I might not be alive today. And I might never have met you."
Seiya smiled slightly, sorrow in his smile. "I could never imagine not meeting you Sere. I couldn't even believe that it's possible for me to live without you."
Serena smiled. "You're so sweet. And you're so good to me, Seiya." Serena laid her head against Seiya's jacket contently.
"That's because I love you," Seiya told her softly.
"I love you too, Seiya," Serena kissed Seiya deeply. When they ended the kiss, Serena laid her head against Seiya's chest again. The couple walked down the street to the sushi restaurant that Seiya had made reservations at that morning.