Richforce: My family will be moving soon so it could be a while for me to
update after this. All characters belong to their respective owners.
~*~
Chapter 3: Cousins by Birth, Sisters at Heart
Astra's flaming image addressed Merlor and the Vanguard at his lab. "Merlor, all of your attempts to find the vault have ended in failure and your relatives' incompetence continues to stupefy me!"
"Is that a good thing?" asked Axel.
"Great Astra." said Merlor. "We have narrowed down the location to two possible areas, we will find it soon."
"Like, why are even helping this face anyway?" asked Prim.
"I am more than a face!" said Astra. "You stand in the presence of a goddess! I once brought order where there was chaos, peace where there was war and civilization where there was savagery. But my worshipers turned against me and sealed me in this accursed prison!"
"Whoa, you got jacked!" said Axel.
"Release me and I will give you what you desire, but judging from your current track record I shall remain imprisoned here for all eternity!"
"Relax great Astra." said Scorpio. "I will make the nightmare stone needed, provided that Merlor has chosen a candidate."
"I have." said Merlor. He conjured an image of a man in a white restaurant uniform. "And even if he should be defeated we will be able to zero in on the vault."
"I hope so." said Astra. "For your sake." She then disappeared.
Looks like we have our work cut out for us Altair." said Aquila.
~*~
The scouts had a meeting at the shrine. "So you've all been enjoying your stay here?" asked Raye.
"It's been ok." said Daisy. "I'm glad that Maggie is here with us now, but we really miss home."
Gloria got impatient. "What are we doing just sitting around here?! We should be looking for those Blackstar creeps and saving our future!"
"First of all." said Mina. "We don't know where they are, unless any of you remembered." The kids shook their heads. "Second, we know that they are looking for something, we don't what it is but we have to find it first."
Serena then ran up. "Guys we've got serious situation!"
Everyone got in a fighting stance. "We're ready to kick butt!" said Lita.
"What's the problem?!" said Annika.
"Amara and Michelle are fighting!" said Serena.
Everyone fell down. "That's your serious situation?!" yelled Raye.
"We're talking about Amara and Michelle, they NEVER fight!"
"It is a little unusual for them." said Amy. "But even the best of friends have arguments."
"This isn't just a spat; they practically declared war on each other and they're more like sisters than cousins!"
"Serena." said Mina. "I've read that family relationships are too close for there not to be fighting."
"She's right." said Ariel.
"Yeah." said Rini. "You wouldn't believe some of the fights our parents had, they could be so loud that the whole palace could hear them yelling." The scouts gave her a look that said "You'd better be exaggerating!"
"Well maybe I should check on them just to be sure." said Serena. She was worried about them and she didn't want to hear exactly how bad those fights were going to be.
~*~
"Explain to me why I'm helping you again." said Darien.
"They won't tell me why they're fighting if I just ask them." said Serena. "I figure that if we just work it into a conversation about asking them to come with us while we're on a date they'd be a little more willing to tell since we would already be talking for a while."
"Alright, but I'm going on record saying that this is not how I want to spend a day off from work."
They first went to the auditorium to talk to Michelle. They walked in as a theater group was ending rehearsal. "Hey Michelle!" said Serena. "I didn't know that you also acted."
"I don't." said Michelle. "I came to watch Walter rehearse."
"Who?"
At that moment a young man with sky blue hair and green eyes wearing a shirt and vest came up. "Michelle, I want to thank you again for coming." said the young man with an air of sophistication.
"I enjoy watching you perform it was no trouble at all." said Michelle.
"Care to introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh Darien, Serena, I'd like you to meet Walter Cole, my boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you Walter." said Darien.
"The pleasure is all mine." said Walter.
"So how long have you two been dating?" said Serena.
"For about two months." said Michelle. "We met when I wanted to try my hand at playing in an orchestra and it turned out to be for an opera he was playing the leading role in. He heard me play the violin asked me if he could play along on his flute and that's pretty much how we ended up here."
"Well I consider myself a man of culture and the Michelle way paints and plays her music moves the soul." said Walter.
"I could say the same way about your acting and poetry."
"That gives me an idea." said Serena. "How about the four of us go out for pizza tonight?"
"Sorry, but Michelle and I were going to La Papillon for dinner tonight." said Walter.
"I've heard of it." said Darien. "It's a very high class restaurant, how could you afford it?"
"My family has been wealthy for a few generations and the owner is a good friend of mine. Wait, why don't you come with us, my treat?"
"Oh we couldn't impose." said Serena.
"I insist we were going to celebrate the success of a friend of mine so two more reservations should be no problem. However it is a formal attire establishment, you can come in the proper form of dress right?"
"I can barrow a gown and Darien has a tuxedo."
"Good then, is seven a good time for you come?"
"Yes, oh Michelle you think Amara can come?"
Michelle had a sour look on her face. "Um, we already have six people coming including you, could get a little crowded. I have to get ready see you all tonight." She then left.
"Well we better get going too." said Darien. "We have to meet up with another friend."
"Very well." said Walter.
As they left Darien had a talk with Serena. "Why did you accept? I thought we were going to ask about what this fight is about."
"So she's a little closed up on it right now, we'll ask her at dinner and besides it would be nice to rub elbows with the rich."
~*~
Later they found Amara at the garage were she worked. "Hey guys!" said Amara as she was coming out from underneath a car she was working on. "What brings you out here?"
Serena decided to start off on a topic that would seem normal. "I wanted to congratulate you on winning that extreme sports thing on your motocross bike."
"You mean the X-1 grand prix? It wasn't just motocross; it was a relay triathlon of extreme sports; I was the motocross racer for the winning team."
"What were the other two parts?" asked Darien.
"Rock climbing and mountain boarding."
At that moment a brown skinned young man came. He had hazel eyes black hair and small beard covering his chin. "Hey Amara, we're good for tonight." He said with Spanish accent.
"Thanks for taking me out Miguel."
Serena did a double take. "You have a boyfriend?!"
Amara blushed. "Must be weird for the tomboy to have a boyfriend, huh? Well now that you know let me introduce you to Miguel Cortez, he's a Mexican expatriate, his father came here on business."
"Nice to meet you." said Miguel.
"I always expected you Mexicans to wear sombreros and play the guitar." said Serena.
"And before I came here I always expected you Japanese to wear black pajamas and jump around rooftops with Katana swords, but that's cultural stereotypes for you."
"So how did you two meet?" asked Darien.
"I rode motocross back home since I was ten so I started racing here two months ago and that's where I met Amara, she beat me of course."
"You would have won if you weren't so busy showing off." said Amara.
"Guess I'll always be a freestyle guy at heart."
"Anyway, a few days later I needed to call a repairman to fix a sink, imagine my surprise when Miguel showed up at the door; he's really quite the handyman. So we've been dating for a while and Miguel won the X-1 for us on mountain board."
"And to celebrate a friend invited us to eat at, what was the name of that restaurant again?"
"La Papillon."
"Hey, were eating there tonight too!" said Serena. "You can look for us and Michelle!"
Amara turned up her nose. "I'd rather not."
"What's your problem with her?" asked Darien.
"In a word, everything; I'll go but I don't want to see her."
"Ok, we'll see you tonight then."
~*~
After they left Darien spoke his mind. "Well that was a wasted afternoon."
"Wasted?" said Serena.
"We didn't find out why Amara and Michelle are fighting."
"At least I tired to help!"
"And that's your problem! You always stick your nose in to help and you never even ask if anyone wants it!"
"Well sorry if I'm a caring enough person to think of someone other than myself, unlike you Mr. Scrooge!"
"But you're not thinking about them, you're thinking about you!" Darien then got sarcastic. "Here comes Queen Serena, the answer to the question no one asked!"
"Creep!"
"Brat!"
Serena then had horrified look on her face. "Oh my god, Rini was right!"
Darien became concerned. "Right about what?"
"She said that when the Scouts and Knights got married they would yell so loud that the whole palace would hear them when they fought. And here I am the bickering hen!"
"I'm sorry, but I guess friction between couples is just natural at times, no matter how close they are."
"I'm sorry too, but I guess a relationship without fighting can be boring sometimes and being angry at someone means that you care about them enough to give them a nudge in the right direction."
"If you ever think I need it, nudge away."
"We better get ready for tonight. Put on a good tuxedo like you used to."
"And you better put on very beautiful gown."
~*~
As the sun was setting two young girls talked to each other in the shadows. "I'm worried about our moms."
"They'll be fine; we saw that they met our dads, right?"
"But I'm afraid that if they keep fighting like they are now, we may never become friends!"
"They can't stay mad at each other forever, and even if they do we would still be secret sisters. Nothing can change that."
"You're right! We'll show ourselves when the time is right."
"I miss my mom and dad a lot."
"I miss my mom and dad too."
~*~
That night Darien and Serena were dressed and standing in front of the La Papillon, the building had a big pink neon sign in the shape of a butterfly; it was the kind of restaurant that Lita dreamed of running some day. Darien had a tuxedo that looked a little familiar on him and Serena wore a white evening gown she barrowed from her mother. They came up to a doorman who was checking a book. "Do sir and madam have a reservation of course?" he said with a French accent.
"Were with the Cole party." said Serena.
"Ah Cole, party of six, he is expecting you now."
"Thank you."
Amara and Miguel came up right behind them. Miguel also had a tuxedo but what surprised Serena was that Amara was wearing a stunning gold colored evening gown, high heels, a purse and makeup. "Amara, I almost didn't recognize you!"
"Well this is a special occasion and I thought Miguel would like it if I prettied myself up." Amara said with a blush.
"And I do." said Miguel.
"Just don't expect me to do this everyday!" she said in scolding yet playful voice. "The only reason I got the purse was because the gown didn't have any pockets and I'm never wearing these heels again, they're killing me!"
"Should we go in?" asked Darien.
"Of course." said Miguel. The doorman asked for their reservations. "We've been invented here by a friend of mine. He would put his name in as Cole.
Serena did a double take. "Cole?"
"Yes Walter Cole, we were friends ever since I moved here when I was fourteen."
"He was the one who invited us."
"Then why are we keeping him waiting?" said Amara. "I would like to know how you both met him."
"Darien I don't think..."
"Wait Serena, this just might work out." said Darien.
They went in and were escorted to the table Walter and Michelle were sitting at. Michelle was wearing a sparkling aqua colored dress and a fancy necklace that had to have been a gift from Walter. "Serena, Darien, I'm glad you could..." she then saw Amara who was equally surprised. "What are you doing here?!"
"Celebrating with Miguel and trying to avoid you, though the latter has been a failure!"
"And what's this? Where did you get this stuff and why are you wearing it?!"
"I bought the gown, shoes and purse myself and I barrowed the makeup from you!"
"You should have asked, not that I would have said yes!"
"It's not illegal for me to look feminine every once in while!"
"I didn't think you had a feminine side!"
"I'm lost here." said Walter.
"You two know each other?" asked Miguel.
"Unfortunately yes, this is my snake in the grass cousin!" they both said at the same time.
"Now, now." said Serena. "We're all adults here, so let's just try to enjoy a nice dinner."
They all sat down Amara and Michelle shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. A waiter with a small black moustache came. "Bonjour, I'll be your waiter this evening. May I suggest the cordon blue?"
"That sounds good." said Michelle.
"Chicken or ham?"
"Ham is ok."
"I'll have chicken." said Amara wanting the opposite of what Michelle had.
"For an entrée, would you like soup or salad?"
"Salad."
"Soup."
"Red wine or white?"
"White."
"Red."
"And you Madam?" the Waiter asked Serena.
"Gee I don't know. All these names are in French. Oh, I'll have the Jean Louis Picard."
"Madam has just ordered the name of one of our chefs."
Serena blushed. "I thought that the chef owned the restaurant and had named it after himself."
"Papillon is the French word for butterfly." said Walter.
"Oh, then I'll just have what Darien is having."
The waiter left after taking the guys orders leaving the six to make conversation. Walter and Miguel had no problem though Miguel felt a little uncomfortable. Darien entered in when it turned to things like politics or work. Serena was mostly quiet having no one to talk to since Amara and Michelle weren't speaking at all. It wasn't long until the waiter came with the entrées. It was a little longer for the main course. Soon Serena was taking part of a conversation with Darien, Miguel and Walter. "I couldn't imagine my life now without Michelle. I don't care what my parents may think about her being middle class."
"They would care if they don't want to see their family fortune go down the drain." said Amara as she took a bite of her meal.
"Excuse me?"
"Not this again." said Michelle.
"She would be what you would call a starving artist, not because her paintings are trash but because she always blows her money on stupid things like her nails, hair, and clothes first. I think that one belt is enough but she has forty or fifty belts and a lot of them are the same color. If she had access to your family's money it would be gone in two months time at most."
"My paintings are trash?!" said an enraged Michelle. "I put everything I have into those paintings!"
"Including your half of the rent! I'm always bailing you out of trouble with the landlord!""
"At least I spend more time and money on keeping that place clean!"
"Oh, now you're fighting dirty!"
"Dirty?! That doesn't even begin to describe the dump I have to work like a slave to clean up every single day without her help! Miguel if you chose to go out with her because you think she's a good housekeeper then I hate to disappoint you but if you two got married in a week the government would have to officially declare your home a toxic waste dump!"
"Toxic waste dump?!"
"I don't know what else to call that mix of mud and motor oil you always track in from your stupid little races! It wouldn't kill you to do your own laundry!"
"Stupid?! Is that what you call every race I work hard to win?!"
"If you call my paintings my paintings trash, then yes!"
"Gee, have any of you seen that new movie 'The Rose and the Ghost'?" said Serena trying to change the topic. However she was ignored. The argument continued for a little while and went on to incidents that went backward in time and had now reached kindergarten.
"I still haven't forgiven you for flushing my favorite dolly down the toilet!" yelled Michelle.
"And I still haven't forgiven you for scribbling your icky pink crayon all over the walls of my room!" yelled Amara.
"This has been building up for while." said Serena.
"Its natural." said Darien. "They had to blow sometime."
"Here's the plan." Miguel said to Walter. "We leave the country, change our names, shave our heads and join a group of Tibetan monks, take a vow of silence and no one will ever talk to us about this again."
"I have a better idea." said Walter.
The Waiter came back as Walter whispered it Miguel. "Madams are disturbing the other customers! Stop now or I will have to ask you to leave!" he said to Amara and Michelle.
"We'll handle this." said Walter. "Michelle we have to talk somewhere private."
"And we're going with them Amara." said Miguel. The guys left tugging the girls by the wrist.
"So what do you have in the way of desserts?" Serena asked the waiter.
"Tonight I recommend the tarte f au fromage a la flambé."
"And that is?"
"Cheesecake that is set on fire for a short time before you eat it, really adds to the presentation."
"Bring a slice for all six of us!"
"But of course."
"You're ordering dessert after what just happened?!" asked Darien.
"I'm sure that the guys are helping them settle things down, I say that is cause for a treat."
~*~
They took the girls over to the restrooms to talk with them. "Ok we are going to settle this right here, right now!" said Miguel.
"Do you know how childish you two looked back there?" said Walter.
"I guess we did let this get out of control." said Michelle.
"Yeah, we were acting like a couple of jerks." said Amara.
"It's obvious that you really care about each other, so it's best to bury the hatchet now." said Walter.
"I'm sorry, about everything." said Amara. "I don't really think that your paintings are trash."
"I'm sorry too." said Michelle. "And I don't think your races are stupid."
"Do you even forgive me for flushing your doll?"
"If you forgive me for drawing on your bedroom wall."
"Consider it done."
"Here too."
"Isn't that sweet?" said Miguel.
"Miguel, I also have to say I'm sorry to you too." said Amara. "I drug you into this."
"Walter, I'm sorry that I ruined our evening." said Michelle.
"How could it ruined?" said Walter. "I still have you and that's all that matters. I'd stand by you no matter what."
"And I don't hold anything against you Amara." said Miguel. "Meeting you and being with you are the best things about me coming to this country. You mean more to me than I thought anything would."
At that moment something started to glow from both of their purses. "What is going on?" said Walter.
"This is getting weird!" said Miguel.
Amara and Michelle took out their lockets and each produced a ring. One had an aqua stone with the symbol of Neptune on it, while the other had a gold colored stone and had the symbol of Uranus. The aqua ring went to Walter and the gold ring went to Miguel. "It can't be." said Amara.
"It is." said Michelle. "Even though I never thought it could happen to us."
Walter then realized what happened. "Let me guess, you're Sailor Neptune and you're Sailor Uranus."
"Yes we are." said Michelle.
"And these rings must somehow make us the Uranus and Neptune Knights." said Miguel.
"That's right." said Amara.
"The question I have is why?"
"It's a long story." said Michelle. "It all started a long time ago..."
After they gave an explanation. "...And that brings us to now. So will you help us?"
"I'm in." said Miguel. "I can't let Amara do this alone anymore now that I know."
"I'll also fight." said Walter. "Violence is not something I relish, but if the fate of the world is at stake there is nothing I'd rather do than fight alongside you Michelle."
"We should get back to our table." said Amara. "Serena and Darien might be getting worried."
~*~
Back in the Kitchen there was a lot of work going on. Jean took a cheesecake he made earlier and added the final touch by striking a match and briefly moved it against the surface of the cake. "Perfect." He said as a flame rose from the cake.
Just then a cold breeze came in from an open door to the alley and blew the flame out. Prim, Axel and Aquila came in. "Do you guys do take out?" said Axel.
"Hey you're not supposed to be in here!" said Jean.
"And we're not supposed to do this either." said Prim.
"NIGHTMARE GO!"
Jean's nightmare was a half-man half-squid that had two large tentacles coming from the squid-shaped head.
"Alright." said Aquila as the rest of staff fled in terror. "What is your name?" The Nightmare responded with a series of grunts and squeals. "That's a little hard to pronounce, you two have any ideas?"
"How about Octosquid?" said Axel. The Nightmare sprayed ink at Axel from its mouth. "Guess not."
"We need something more vicious." said Aquila. "Altair, what do think about Killermari?"
Altair screeched and the Nightmare jiggled in apparent approval. "I think he likes It." said Prim.
"Good. Now go forth and do damage Killermari."
~*~
Back at the table Serena and Darien were wondering why a lot of cooks were rushing out of the kitchen and then out the door. "Hey, what about my cheesecake?!" said Serena.
"What could be scaring them?" thought Darien. He got his answer as Killermari stepped into room scaring everyone else out.
"That is one ugly Nightmare." said Serena.
"I hope you don't mind if we stop by for an in-between battle snack." said Aquila with her usual haughty laugh.
"You always have to ruin everything don't you?!"
"Hey, like it's a living." said Prim.
The others came back at that point. "You creeps have picked the wrong night to mess with us!" said Amara.
Axel smacked his palm on his forehead. "Don't tell me those guys are..."
"Yes, our knights." said Michelle.
"Great then let's show these guys out!" said Serena.
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"
"MOON REGAL POWER!"
"URANUS ASTRAL POWER!"
"URANUS NOBEL POWER!"
"NEPTUNE ASTRAL POWER!"
"NEPTUNE NOBEL POWER!"
Uranus Knight's armor was a gold color and had a sledgehammer for a weapon while Neptune Knight's armor was an aqua green and his weapon was a light trident.
"It's wrong to terrorize people innocent people who are just trying to enjoy a nice dinner! I am Sailor Moon and on behalf of the moon I will punish you!"
"I seriously doubt that." said Aquila. "Killermari, I'll fight these three myself you can have the rest of them." Aquila then separated them with an energy barrier.
"You expect us to be impressed by this?" said Sailor Uranus.
"No, all I expect you to do is to die!"
"AIR SLICE!"
Sailor Neptune managed to dodge the attack. "You can't beat us together!" she then turned to Sailor Uranus. "Let's show her what we can do together!"
"I'm behind you all the way!"
"NEPTUNE OCEANIC MAELSTROM!"
"URANUS TECTONIC UPHEAVAL!"
The two attacks caught Aquila off guard. "You struck me. Only one person has ever struck me before, and I didn't like it then either!"
"LIGHTSPEED BATTALION!"
"Heads up!" said Sailor Moon as the after images appeared. "Her eagle is going to attack!"
"That's what you think!" Aquila said as her voice came from all directions.
"AIR SLICE TIMES TWENTY!"
Twenty attacks came from all directions. The scouts had no time to react. "I thought that you couldn't attack while using that move." said Sailor Moon."
"A little trick I acquired recently; do you like it?"
~*~
Meanwhile the knights had their hands full. Killermari grabbed and threw them with his tentacles and spat ink at them.
"I'm not gonna be beat by a piece of sushi in my first battle!" said Uranus Knight.
"Allow me to assist you." said Neptune Knight.
"URANUS STONE HAMMER!"
His hammer's head changed from gold to stone gray as he struck Killermari.
"NEPTUNE HYDRO JAVELIN!"
Water surrounded the head of the trident as he threw it, after it struck it teleported back to Neptune Knight.
Killermari has harmed by the attacks but kept on fighting.
"Maybe this will stop you!" said Moon Knight.
"LUNAR SABER CUT!"
Killermari was separated from Jean and his nightmare stone was shattered. "Now we have to find a way to get the Scouts out of that energy shield."
Just then two voices shouted out.
"URANUS MUDSLIDE BURIAL!"
"NEPTUNE PIERCING RAIN!"
A wave of mud hit the energy shield and at the same time a ball of water appeared above it and drops of rain fell from it.
The shield collapsed and shown the others were still holding up against Aquila. "What?" said Aquila.
They looked at the direction of the attacks and saw two girls both with blue hair and blue eyes wearing scout uniforms. One had her hair done up into a ponytail and wore a yellow uniform with a navy ribbon. The other's hair came down to her shoulders and a blue uniform the color of sea water and a dark blue ribbon. "I am Sailor Mini-Uranus!" said the one in the yellow uniform.
"And I am Sailor Mini-Neptune!" said the other.
"I should have tried to make my shield stronger." said Aquila. "But losing here just brings us one step closer to victory." She then teleported away.
"I think I lost my appetite." said Prim.
"Check please!" said Axel. Then they also vanished. At the same time police sirens were heard.
"We better leave before they get here, we don't wanna take the blame for this." said Sailor Moon surveying the damage.
~*~
Later they talked by a riverbank. "So you're the children of our future selves." said Walter.
"Yes." said the girl who wore her hair down. "I'm the daughter of you and Michelle, my name is Hope."
"And I'm Amara and Miguel's daughter, my name is Faith."
"I could have sworn you were twins." said Miguel.
"Not in the strictest sense." said Faith. "But we were born on the same day and we felt so close to each together that we made a pact that made us secret sisters."
"And everyone just calls us twins back home." said Hope. "Well everyone except our parents." She got a little sad. "I miss how the three of us would play music together."
"And I miss Mom and Dad watching me play baseball and soccer." said Faith.
"Don't worry." said Serena. "We'll find a way to save the future for you and the others."
"For now we better get home." said Darien.
"You can stay with us." said Michelle.
"Ok." said Hope. "And I'm glad you and Aunt Amara aren't fighting anymore."
"Me too."
"I just wish my mom's past self wasn't wearing a dress when we met." said Faith.
"I'm just considering this a once in while thing." said Amara. "And who knows, someday..."
"'Someday I'll probably meet a guy who will make me want to do girly stuff.' My mom says that every time I have to wear my princess dress or she and Dad are going to do something mushy."
Serena laughed on the inside. "Hope and Faith are a lot like Michelle and Amara. Not only in how they act but how they treat each other. Like their mothers they were born cousins but at heart they're sisters."
~*~
Merlor meditated in his lab. "It won't be long now." He thought. "Soon the vault will be in our possession and then we only have to find the keys in order to unleash the most powerful force the universe has ever seen!"
~*~
Richforce: Is the Blackstar Empire on the verge of getting the vault? Stay tuned for further updates to find out!"
~*~
Chapter 3: Cousins by Birth, Sisters at Heart
Astra's flaming image addressed Merlor and the Vanguard at his lab. "Merlor, all of your attempts to find the vault have ended in failure and your relatives' incompetence continues to stupefy me!"
"Is that a good thing?" asked Axel.
"Great Astra." said Merlor. "We have narrowed down the location to two possible areas, we will find it soon."
"Like, why are even helping this face anyway?" asked Prim.
"I am more than a face!" said Astra. "You stand in the presence of a goddess! I once brought order where there was chaos, peace where there was war and civilization where there was savagery. But my worshipers turned against me and sealed me in this accursed prison!"
"Whoa, you got jacked!" said Axel.
"Release me and I will give you what you desire, but judging from your current track record I shall remain imprisoned here for all eternity!"
"Relax great Astra." said Scorpio. "I will make the nightmare stone needed, provided that Merlor has chosen a candidate."
"I have." said Merlor. He conjured an image of a man in a white restaurant uniform. "And even if he should be defeated we will be able to zero in on the vault."
"I hope so." said Astra. "For your sake." She then disappeared.
Looks like we have our work cut out for us Altair." said Aquila.
~*~
The scouts had a meeting at the shrine. "So you've all been enjoying your stay here?" asked Raye.
"It's been ok." said Daisy. "I'm glad that Maggie is here with us now, but we really miss home."
Gloria got impatient. "What are we doing just sitting around here?! We should be looking for those Blackstar creeps and saving our future!"
"First of all." said Mina. "We don't know where they are, unless any of you remembered." The kids shook their heads. "Second, we know that they are looking for something, we don't what it is but we have to find it first."
Serena then ran up. "Guys we've got serious situation!"
Everyone got in a fighting stance. "We're ready to kick butt!" said Lita.
"What's the problem?!" said Annika.
"Amara and Michelle are fighting!" said Serena.
Everyone fell down. "That's your serious situation?!" yelled Raye.
"We're talking about Amara and Michelle, they NEVER fight!"
"It is a little unusual for them." said Amy. "But even the best of friends have arguments."
"This isn't just a spat; they practically declared war on each other and they're more like sisters than cousins!"
"Serena." said Mina. "I've read that family relationships are too close for there not to be fighting."
"She's right." said Ariel.
"Yeah." said Rini. "You wouldn't believe some of the fights our parents had, they could be so loud that the whole palace could hear them yelling." The scouts gave her a look that said "You'd better be exaggerating!"
"Well maybe I should check on them just to be sure." said Serena. She was worried about them and she didn't want to hear exactly how bad those fights were going to be.
~*~
"Explain to me why I'm helping you again." said Darien.
"They won't tell me why they're fighting if I just ask them." said Serena. "I figure that if we just work it into a conversation about asking them to come with us while we're on a date they'd be a little more willing to tell since we would already be talking for a while."
"Alright, but I'm going on record saying that this is not how I want to spend a day off from work."
They first went to the auditorium to talk to Michelle. They walked in as a theater group was ending rehearsal. "Hey Michelle!" said Serena. "I didn't know that you also acted."
"I don't." said Michelle. "I came to watch Walter rehearse."
"Who?"
At that moment a young man with sky blue hair and green eyes wearing a shirt and vest came up. "Michelle, I want to thank you again for coming." said the young man with an air of sophistication.
"I enjoy watching you perform it was no trouble at all." said Michelle.
"Care to introduce me to your friends?"
"Oh Darien, Serena, I'd like you to meet Walter Cole, my boyfriend."
"Nice to meet you Walter." said Darien.
"The pleasure is all mine." said Walter.
"So how long have you two been dating?" said Serena.
"For about two months." said Michelle. "We met when I wanted to try my hand at playing in an orchestra and it turned out to be for an opera he was playing the leading role in. He heard me play the violin asked me if he could play along on his flute and that's pretty much how we ended up here."
"Well I consider myself a man of culture and the Michelle way paints and plays her music moves the soul." said Walter.
"I could say the same way about your acting and poetry."
"That gives me an idea." said Serena. "How about the four of us go out for pizza tonight?"
"Sorry, but Michelle and I were going to La Papillon for dinner tonight." said Walter.
"I've heard of it." said Darien. "It's a very high class restaurant, how could you afford it?"
"My family has been wealthy for a few generations and the owner is a good friend of mine. Wait, why don't you come with us, my treat?"
"Oh we couldn't impose." said Serena.
"I insist we were going to celebrate the success of a friend of mine so two more reservations should be no problem. However it is a formal attire establishment, you can come in the proper form of dress right?"
"I can barrow a gown and Darien has a tuxedo."
"Good then, is seven a good time for you come?"
"Yes, oh Michelle you think Amara can come?"
Michelle had a sour look on her face. "Um, we already have six people coming including you, could get a little crowded. I have to get ready see you all tonight." She then left.
"Well we better get going too." said Darien. "We have to meet up with another friend."
"Very well." said Walter.
As they left Darien had a talk with Serena. "Why did you accept? I thought we were going to ask about what this fight is about."
"So she's a little closed up on it right now, we'll ask her at dinner and besides it would be nice to rub elbows with the rich."
~*~
Later they found Amara at the garage were she worked. "Hey guys!" said Amara as she was coming out from underneath a car she was working on. "What brings you out here?"
Serena decided to start off on a topic that would seem normal. "I wanted to congratulate you on winning that extreme sports thing on your motocross bike."
"You mean the X-1 grand prix? It wasn't just motocross; it was a relay triathlon of extreme sports; I was the motocross racer for the winning team."
"What were the other two parts?" asked Darien.
"Rock climbing and mountain boarding."
At that moment a brown skinned young man came. He had hazel eyes black hair and small beard covering his chin. "Hey Amara, we're good for tonight." He said with Spanish accent.
"Thanks for taking me out Miguel."
Serena did a double take. "You have a boyfriend?!"
Amara blushed. "Must be weird for the tomboy to have a boyfriend, huh? Well now that you know let me introduce you to Miguel Cortez, he's a Mexican expatriate, his father came here on business."
"Nice to meet you." said Miguel.
"I always expected you Mexicans to wear sombreros and play the guitar." said Serena.
"And before I came here I always expected you Japanese to wear black pajamas and jump around rooftops with Katana swords, but that's cultural stereotypes for you."
"So how did you two meet?" asked Darien.
"I rode motocross back home since I was ten so I started racing here two months ago and that's where I met Amara, she beat me of course."
"You would have won if you weren't so busy showing off." said Amara.
"Guess I'll always be a freestyle guy at heart."
"Anyway, a few days later I needed to call a repairman to fix a sink, imagine my surprise when Miguel showed up at the door; he's really quite the handyman. So we've been dating for a while and Miguel won the X-1 for us on mountain board."
"And to celebrate a friend invited us to eat at, what was the name of that restaurant again?"
"La Papillon."
"Hey, were eating there tonight too!" said Serena. "You can look for us and Michelle!"
Amara turned up her nose. "I'd rather not."
"What's your problem with her?" asked Darien.
"In a word, everything; I'll go but I don't want to see her."
"Ok, we'll see you tonight then."
~*~
After they left Darien spoke his mind. "Well that was a wasted afternoon."
"Wasted?" said Serena.
"We didn't find out why Amara and Michelle are fighting."
"At least I tired to help!"
"And that's your problem! You always stick your nose in to help and you never even ask if anyone wants it!"
"Well sorry if I'm a caring enough person to think of someone other than myself, unlike you Mr. Scrooge!"
"But you're not thinking about them, you're thinking about you!" Darien then got sarcastic. "Here comes Queen Serena, the answer to the question no one asked!"
"Creep!"
"Brat!"
Serena then had horrified look on her face. "Oh my god, Rini was right!"
Darien became concerned. "Right about what?"
"She said that when the Scouts and Knights got married they would yell so loud that the whole palace would hear them when they fought. And here I am the bickering hen!"
"I'm sorry, but I guess friction between couples is just natural at times, no matter how close they are."
"I'm sorry too, but I guess a relationship without fighting can be boring sometimes and being angry at someone means that you care about them enough to give them a nudge in the right direction."
"If you ever think I need it, nudge away."
"We better get ready for tonight. Put on a good tuxedo like you used to."
"And you better put on very beautiful gown."
~*~
As the sun was setting two young girls talked to each other in the shadows. "I'm worried about our moms."
"They'll be fine; we saw that they met our dads, right?"
"But I'm afraid that if they keep fighting like they are now, we may never become friends!"
"They can't stay mad at each other forever, and even if they do we would still be secret sisters. Nothing can change that."
"You're right! We'll show ourselves when the time is right."
"I miss my mom and dad a lot."
"I miss my mom and dad too."
~*~
That night Darien and Serena were dressed and standing in front of the La Papillon, the building had a big pink neon sign in the shape of a butterfly; it was the kind of restaurant that Lita dreamed of running some day. Darien had a tuxedo that looked a little familiar on him and Serena wore a white evening gown she barrowed from her mother. They came up to a doorman who was checking a book. "Do sir and madam have a reservation of course?" he said with a French accent.
"Were with the Cole party." said Serena.
"Ah Cole, party of six, he is expecting you now."
"Thank you."
Amara and Miguel came up right behind them. Miguel also had a tuxedo but what surprised Serena was that Amara was wearing a stunning gold colored evening gown, high heels, a purse and makeup. "Amara, I almost didn't recognize you!"
"Well this is a special occasion and I thought Miguel would like it if I prettied myself up." Amara said with a blush.
"And I do." said Miguel.
"Just don't expect me to do this everyday!" she said in scolding yet playful voice. "The only reason I got the purse was because the gown didn't have any pockets and I'm never wearing these heels again, they're killing me!"
"Should we go in?" asked Darien.
"Of course." said Miguel. The doorman asked for their reservations. "We've been invented here by a friend of mine. He would put his name in as Cole.
Serena did a double take. "Cole?"
"Yes Walter Cole, we were friends ever since I moved here when I was fourteen."
"He was the one who invited us."
"Then why are we keeping him waiting?" said Amara. "I would like to know how you both met him."
"Darien I don't think..."
"Wait Serena, this just might work out." said Darien.
They went in and were escorted to the table Walter and Michelle were sitting at. Michelle was wearing a sparkling aqua colored dress and a fancy necklace that had to have been a gift from Walter. "Serena, Darien, I'm glad you could..." she then saw Amara who was equally surprised. "What are you doing here?!"
"Celebrating with Miguel and trying to avoid you, though the latter has been a failure!"
"And what's this? Where did you get this stuff and why are you wearing it?!"
"I bought the gown, shoes and purse myself and I barrowed the makeup from you!"
"You should have asked, not that I would have said yes!"
"It's not illegal for me to look feminine every once in while!"
"I didn't think you had a feminine side!"
"I'm lost here." said Walter.
"You two know each other?" asked Miguel.
"Unfortunately yes, this is my snake in the grass cousin!" they both said at the same time.
"Now, now." said Serena. "We're all adults here, so let's just try to enjoy a nice dinner."
They all sat down Amara and Michelle shooting daggers at each other with their eyes. A waiter with a small black moustache came. "Bonjour, I'll be your waiter this evening. May I suggest the cordon blue?"
"That sounds good." said Michelle.
"Chicken or ham?"
"Ham is ok."
"I'll have chicken." said Amara wanting the opposite of what Michelle had.
"For an entrée, would you like soup or salad?"
"Salad."
"Soup."
"Red wine or white?"
"White."
"Red."
"And you Madam?" the Waiter asked Serena.
"Gee I don't know. All these names are in French. Oh, I'll have the Jean Louis Picard."
"Madam has just ordered the name of one of our chefs."
Serena blushed. "I thought that the chef owned the restaurant and had named it after himself."
"Papillon is the French word for butterfly." said Walter.
"Oh, then I'll just have what Darien is having."
The waiter left after taking the guys orders leaving the six to make conversation. Walter and Miguel had no problem though Miguel felt a little uncomfortable. Darien entered in when it turned to things like politics or work. Serena was mostly quiet having no one to talk to since Amara and Michelle weren't speaking at all. It wasn't long until the waiter came with the entrées. It was a little longer for the main course. Soon Serena was taking part of a conversation with Darien, Miguel and Walter. "I couldn't imagine my life now without Michelle. I don't care what my parents may think about her being middle class."
"They would care if they don't want to see their family fortune go down the drain." said Amara as she took a bite of her meal.
"Excuse me?"
"Not this again." said Michelle.
"She would be what you would call a starving artist, not because her paintings are trash but because she always blows her money on stupid things like her nails, hair, and clothes first. I think that one belt is enough but she has forty or fifty belts and a lot of them are the same color. If she had access to your family's money it would be gone in two months time at most."
"My paintings are trash?!" said an enraged Michelle. "I put everything I have into those paintings!"
"Including your half of the rent! I'm always bailing you out of trouble with the landlord!""
"At least I spend more time and money on keeping that place clean!"
"Oh, now you're fighting dirty!"
"Dirty?! That doesn't even begin to describe the dump I have to work like a slave to clean up every single day without her help! Miguel if you chose to go out with her because you think she's a good housekeeper then I hate to disappoint you but if you two got married in a week the government would have to officially declare your home a toxic waste dump!"
"Toxic waste dump?!"
"I don't know what else to call that mix of mud and motor oil you always track in from your stupid little races! It wouldn't kill you to do your own laundry!"
"Stupid?! Is that what you call every race I work hard to win?!"
"If you call my paintings my paintings trash, then yes!"
"Gee, have any of you seen that new movie 'The Rose and the Ghost'?" said Serena trying to change the topic. However she was ignored. The argument continued for a little while and went on to incidents that went backward in time and had now reached kindergarten.
"I still haven't forgiven you for flushing my favorite dolly down the toilet!" yelled Michelle.
"And I still haven't forgiven you for scribbling your icky pink crayon all over the walls of my room!" yelled Amara.
"This has been building up for while." said Serena.
"Its natural." said Darien. "They had to blow sometime."
"Here's the plan." Miguel said to Walter. "We leave the country, change our names, shave our heads and join a group of Tibetan monks, take a vow of silence and no one will ever talk to us about this again."
"I have a better idea." said Walter.
The Waiter came back as Walter whispered it Miguel. "Madams are disturbing the other customers! Stop now or I will have to ask you to leave!" he said to Amara and Michelle.
"We'll handle this." said Walter. "Michelle we have to talk somewhere private."
"And we're going with them Amara." said Miguel. The guys left tugging the girls by the wrist.
"So what do you have in the way of desserts?" Serena asked the waiter.
"Tonight I recommend the tarte f au fromage a la flambé."
"And that is?"
"Cheesecake that is set on fire for a short time before you eat it, really adds to the presentation."
"Bring a slice for all six of us!"
"But of course."
"You're ordering dessert after what just happened?!" asked Darien.
"I'm sure that the guys are helping them settle things down, I say that is cause for a treat."
~*~
They took the girls over to the restrooms to talk with them. "Ok we are going to settle this right here, right now!" said Miguel.
"Do you know how childish you two looked back there?" said Walter.
"I guess we did let this get out of control." said Michelle.
"Yeah, we were acting like a couple of jerks." said Amara.
"It's obvious that you really care about each other, so it's best to bury the hatchet now." said Walter.
"I'm sorry, about everything." said Amara. "I don't really think that your paintings are trash."
"I'm sorry too." said Michelle. "And I don't think your races are stupid."
"Do you even forgive me for flushing your doll?"
"If you forgive me for drawing on your bedroom wall."
"Consider it done."
"Here too."
"Isn't that sweet?" said Miguel.
"Miguel, I also have to say I'm sorry to you too." said Amara. "I drug you into this."
"Walter, I'm sorry that I ruined our evening." said Michelle.
"How could it ruined?" said Walter. "I still have you and that's all that matters. I'd stand by you no matter what."
"And I don't hold anything against you Amara." said Miguel. "Meeting you and being with you are the best things about me coming to this country. You mean more to me than I thought anything would."
At that moment something started to glow from both of their purses. "What is going on?" said Walter.
"This is getting weird!" said Miguel.
Amara and Michelle took out their lockets and each produced a ring. One had an aqua stone with the symbol of Neptune on it, while the other had a gold colored stone and had the symbol of Uranus. The aqua ring went to Walter and the gold ring went to Miguel. "It can't be." said Amara.
"It is." said Michelle. "Even though I never thought it could happen to us."
Walter then realized what happened. "Let me guess, you're Sailor Neptune and you're Sailor Uranus."
"Yes we are." said Michelle.
"And these rings must somehow make us the Uranus and Neptune Knights." said Miguel.
"That's right." said Amara.
"The question I have is why?"
"It's a long story." said Michelle. "It all started a long time ago..."
After they gave an explanation. "...And that brings us to now. So will you help us?"
"I'm in." said Miguel. "I can't let Amara do this alone anymore now that I know."
"I'll also fight." said Walter. "Violence is not something I relish, but if the fate of the world is at stake there is nothing I'd rather do than fight alongside you Michelle."
"We should get back to our table." said Amara. "Serena and Darien might be getting worried."
~*~
Back in the Kitchen there was a lot of work going on. Jean took a cheesecake he made earlier and added the final touch by striking a match and briefly moved it against the surface of the cake. "Perfect." He said as a flame rose from the cake.
Just then a cold breeze came in from an open door to the alley and blew the flame out. Prim, Axel and Aquila came in. "Do you guys do take out?" said Axel.
"Hey you're not supposed to be in here!" said Jean.
"And we're not supposed to do this either." said Prim.
"NIGHTMARE GO!"
Jean's nightmare was a half-man half-squid that had two large tentacles coming from the squid-shaped head.
"Alright." said Aquila as the rest of staff fled in terror. "What is your name?" The Nightmare responded with a series of grunts and squeals. "That's a little hard to pronounce, you two have any ideas?"
"How about Octosquid?" said Axel. The Nightmare sprayed ink at Axel from its mouth. "Guess not."
"We need something more vicious." said Aquila. "Altair, what do think about Killermari?"
Altair screeched and the Nightmare jiggled in apparent approval. "I think he likes It." said Prim.
"Good. Now go forth and do damage Killermari."
~*~
Back at the table Serena and Darien were wondering why a lot of cooks were rushing out of the kitchen and then out the door. "Hey, what about my cheesecake?!" said Serena.
"What could be scaring them?" thought Darien. He got his answer as Killermari stepped into room scaring everyone else out.
"That is one ugly Nightmare." said Serena.
"I hope you don't mind if we stop by for an in-between battle snack." said Aquila with her usual haughty laugh.
"You always have to ruin everything don't you?!"
"Hey, like it's a living." said Prim.
The others came back at that point. "You creeps have picked the wrong night to mess with us!" said Amara.
Axel smacked his palm on his forehead. "Don't tell me those guys are..."
"Yes, our knights." said Michelle.
"Great then let's show these guys out!" said Serena.
"MOON INFINITY POWER!"
"MOON REGAL POWER!"
"URANUS ASTRAL POWER!"
"URANUS NOBEL POWER!"
"NEPTUNE ASTRAL POWER!"
"NEPTUNE NOBEL POWER!"
Uranus Knight's armor was a gold color and had a sledgehammer for a weapon while Neptune Knight's armor was an aqua green and his weapon was a light trident.
"It's wrong to terrorize people innocent people who are just trying to enjoy a nice dinner! I am Sailor Moon and on behalf of the moon I will punish you!"
"I seriously doubt that." said Aquila. "Killermari, I'll fight these three myself you can have the rest of them." Aquila then separated them with an energy barrier.
"You expect us to be impressed by this?" said Sailor Uranus.
"No, all I expect you to do is to die!"
"AIR SLICE!"
Sailor Neptune managed to dodge the attack. "You can't beat us together!" she then turned to Sailor Uranus. "Let's show her what we can do together!"
"I'm behind you all the way!"
"NEPTUNE OCEANIC MAELSTROM!"
"URANUS TECTONIC UPHEAVAL!"
The two attacks caught Aquila off guard. "You struck me. Only one person has ever struck me before, and I didn't like it then either!"
"LIGHTSPEED BATTALION!"
"Heads up!" said Sailor Moon as the after images appeared. "Her eagle is going to attack!"
"That's what you think!" Aquila said as her voice came from all directions.
"AIR SLICE TIMES TWENTY!"
Twenty attacks came from all directions. The scouts had no time to react. "I thought that you couldn't attack while using that move." said Sailor Moon."
"A little trick I acquired recently; do you like it?"
~*~
Meanwhile the knights had their hands full. Killermari grabbed and threw them with his tentacles and spat ink at them.
"I'm not gonna be beat by a piece of sushi in my first battle!" said Uranus Knight.
"Allow me to assist you." said Neptune Knight.
"URANUS STONE HAMMER!"
His hammer's head changed from gold to stone gray as he struck Killermari.
"NEPTUNE HYDRO JAVELIN!"
Water surrounded the head of the trident as he threw it, after it struck it teleported back to Neptune Knight.
Killermari has harmed by the attacks but kept on fighting.
"Maybe this will stop you!" said Moon Knight.
"LUNAR SABER CUT!"
Killermari was separated from Jean and his nightmare stone was shattered. "Now we have to find a way to get the Scouts out of that energy shield."
Just then two voices shouted out.
"URANUS MUDSLIDE BURIAL!"
"NEPTUNE PIERCING RAIN!"
A wave of mud hit the energy shield and at the same time a ball of water appeared above it and drops of rain fell from it.
The shield collapsed and shown the others were still holding up against Aquila. "What?" said Aquila.
They looked at the direction of the attacks and saw two girls both with blue hair and blue eyes wearing scout uniforms. One had her hair done up into a ponytail and wore a yellow uniform with a navy ribbon. The other's hair came down to her shoulders and a blue uniform the color of sea water and a dark blue ribbon. "I am Sailor Mini-Uranus!" said the one in the yellow uniform.
"And I am Sailor Mini-Neptune!" said the other.
"I should have tried to make my shield stronger." said Aquila. "But losing here just brings us one step closer to victory." She then teleported away.
"I think I lost my appetite." said Prim.
"Check please!" said Axel. Then they also vanished. At the same time police sirens were heard.
"We better leave before they get here, we don't wanna take the blame for this." said Sailor Moon surveying the damage.
~*~
Later they talked by a riverbank. "So you're the children of our future selves." said Walter.
"Yes." said the girl who wore her hair down. "I'm the daughter of you and Michelle, my name is Hope."
"And I'm Amara and Miguel's daughter, my name is Faith."
"I could have sworn you were twins." said Miguel.
"Not in the strictest sense." said Faith. "But we were born on the same day and we felt so close to each together that we made a pact that made us secret sisters."
"And everyone just calls us twins back home." said Hope. "Well everyone except our parents." She got a little sad. "I miss how the three of us would play music together."
"And I miss Mom and Dad watching me play baseball and soccer." said Faith.
"Don't worry." said Serena. "We'll find a way to save the future for you and the others."
"For now we better get home." said Darien.
"You can stay with us." said Michelle.
"Ok." said Hope. "And I'm glad you and Aunt Amara aren't fighting anymore."
"Me too."
"I just wish my mom's past self wasn't wearing a dress when we met." said Faith.
"I'm just considering this a once in while thing." said Amara. "And who knows, someday..."
"'Someday I'll probably meet a guy who will make me want to do girly stuff.' My mom says that every time I have to wear my princess dress or she and Dad are going to do something mushy."
Serena laughed on the inside. "Hope and Faith are a lot like Michelle and Amara. Not only in how they act but how they treat each other. Like their mothers they were born cousins but at heart they're sisters."
~*~
Merlor meditated in his lab. "It won't be long now." He thought. "Soon the vault will be in our possession and then we only have to find the keys in order to unleash the most powerful force the universe has ever seen!"
~*~
Richforce: Is the Blackstar Empire on the verge of getting the vault? Stay tuned for further updates to find out!"