Chapter 2

"Do you think that they're back yet?" a tired Sailor Jupiter asked as they turned a corner.

Sailor Venus shrugged, and leaned back against a wall.
"Has it been four years already?" Sailor Mercury asked, trying to catch her breath.
"I think so," Jupiter replied, turning her head to see whether or not anyone was still following them.
"You're the one so good at sensing things, Raye," Sailor Venus said. "What do you think? Are the four years up?"

Sailor Mars shrugged, but didn't say anything.
"Raye, what happened back then wasn't your fault, you know?" Sailor Jupiter said, trying to comfort their friend.

The other two nodded in agreement. "Lita's right, Raye," Sailor Venus said, "There's no way you could have saved her. None of us could have. We just weren't close enough."
"Raye, you know that they're right," Mercury said. "None of us could have saved her. We were spread too thin trying to defend Crystal Tokyo."

Sailor Mars sighed and looked at her friends, the pain in her eyes showing that she wasn't comforted by what they were saying.

Sailor Jupiter was just about to open her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by a shout from behind them.
"There they are!"
The Scouts turned to look who had shouted at them.
"Damn it!" Sailor Venus cried, recognizing the soldiers of Nemesis.
"Jupiter Lightening Bolts!"
Two lightening bolts formed in Sailor Jupiter's hands, and Sailor Jupiter hurled them towards the soldiers. Before Jupiter's attack even hit, all four Scouts were up and running down the alley, away from the Nemesis' soldiers.
"I thought we had lost them," Sailor Mercury said as they turned into another alleyway.
"I guess not," Sailor Venus said bitterly.
"Don't worry guys," Salior Jupiter said, trying to cheer her friends up. "Reenie and the others should be coming home any day now. As soon as they're here, we can start our plan to win back Crystal Tokyo and destroy Nemesis. Until then, we just have to keep out running them."
"I'm not sure if I can take one more day of this," Sailor Mercury confessed.

Sailor Venus nodded as they ran. "I know," she said, "Two and a half years of running away and hiding out."
"We have to you guys," Sailor Mars said, speaking up for the first time in a long while. "We can't give up. We weren't able to help Serena, but we should at least be able to help Reenie and the others. Don't forget: Serena's children may be without a mother, but ours aren't."

The Sailor Scouts ran into a sheltered area and stopped. They were all silent, thinking about the things Raye had just said.
"Serena," Sailor Jupiter said, breaking the silence. "I was so used to calling her Serenity, that I almost forgot what we used to call her."

Sailor Venus and Mercury nodded, both agreeing with Jupiter. "You're right, Raye," Mercury said. "We can't give up. We must help our children and Serena's children. We must win Crystal Tokyo back."

Reenie walked around town, in shock. A lot of places in Crystal Tokyo were completely ruined. Blasted to bits by Nemesis. Not only that, but everywhere she looked their were wanted posters for the Elder Sailor Scouts. Reenie was just walking into the busy center of Crystal Tokyo, when she suddenly recognized a familiar voice. Quickly, she turned in the direction of the voice and was surprised to be looking into the window of an electronics store.

In the window were several television sets, each one with the same channel. Reenie stared at the screens for a few seconds, trying to place the face with the voice when the reporter's name finally showed up on the screen. Reenie's eyes widened in recognition. Melissa Austin! The name suddenly clicked into her brain. Reenie smiled as she stared at the screen, remembering what Melissa had told after their graduation ceremony. Melissa had told Reenie that she was planning on getting into journalism.

You made it, huh, Lissa? Reenie thought. Reenie stood there for a few minutes, listening to Melissa's report.
"The Sailor Scouts narrowly missed capture today, leaving this destruction as they fled for their lives." The screen moved away from Melissa's face to show burning wreckage of two of Nemesis's army cars. Reenie could hear the sound of ambulances in the background. "The search for the Scouts is still on," Melissa continued. "This is the Scouts' fifth narrow escape this week alone."

Reenie tuned out and began walking away from the electronics store a plan already formulating in her head.

Kirstein, Kara and Megan had been walking around Crystal Tokyo for a while. All three of them a bit dazed and in shock at what they saw. They were walking in the residential area and on every pole there were wanted signs for the Elder Scouts. "Kirstein," Kara began, her voice low, "Megan, I've seen enough."
"I know, princess," Kirstein agreed, "So have I." Kirstein turned to look at Megan, a questioning look in her eyes.

Megan nodded. "I think it's time for us to try and find the others," she said, "I don't want to see anymore of this."

Kirstein nodded and was about to talk out her communicator but Megan stopped her. "No," Megan warned her friend. "If Nemesis was powerful enough to do this" Megan gestured around them, where everything was darkened and black "then they can surely track our communicator signals if we use them. And being tracked down is something that we just can't afford. We'll walk to the park and see if the others have had enough of all this. If no one else is there, then we'll stay there and wait for them. Is that okay, princess?"

Kara looked at Megan and nodded. "Kirstein?"

Kirstein looked to Kara, then to Megan and nodded.

Megan smiled. "Good," she said. "Let's go."