Chapter 5

"I'm really starting to worry," Lillian said.

The group of seven had been in the park for about fifteen minutes and their leader still hadn't shown up. The others nodded in agreement.

"This isn't like her," Kara said. "Something must have happened to her, otherwise she wouldn't be this late."

Kenneth nodded, supporting his younger cousin. "Kara's right," he said. "As much as I hate to say it, I think that Nemesis was too much for her by herself."

Kirsten shook her head. "No way. The princess would've known to contact us with her communicator for help."
"Unless she didn't want them to know that the rest of us were here in the past," Chantal argued.

Kirsten sighed and leaned her back against the bench, knowing that what Prince Kenneth and Chantal were saying was probably true. "Should we g-" she began, but was interrupted by Princess Kara shouting, "There she is!"

Everyone turned their heads to where Kara was looking. Their eyes widened in relief to see Reenie walking towards them. Kenneth frowned as he noticed that she wasn't alone. On either side of Reenie was one adult that he didn't recognize and he could tell that there were another two adults behind them.
"Kirsten," Kenneth asked, as he watched Reenie approach them, "Do you have any clue who those people with Reenie are?"
"No. But I don't sense any evil energy coming from them."

Kenneth sighed, kind of relieved that the people coming with Reenie didn't have anything to do with Nemesis.

"But I do sense some kind of energy coming from them," Kirsten said, as Reenie and the four others neared them.
"Hey guys." Reenie smiled once she and the four others were just ten feet away.
"Hey, Reenie," Kara greeted her sister.
"Hey, Kar," Reenie said smiling at her little sister. Then, turning to look at the others, "Sorry, I'm late. But you'll never believe what I learned or who I've found."
"Who?" Chantal asked, curious but also a bit suspicious.
"Chantal, learn some respect," the one with the long brown hair ordered.

Hearing her speak, Chantal frowned. She recognized the voice and knew who it belonged to, but it couldn't be. Could it? "Mom?"

The person with the long brown hair smiled and nodded.

Kirsten looked at Reenie. "You found them?" she asked, surprised that the princess had been able to find them so quickly.
"Not really. They kind of found me."
"We have something that we must tell you all," the one with the shoulder-length brown hair spoke.
"Lita's right," Reenie agreed. "They have to tell you what's happened to Crystal Tokyo. Why our home is like it is."

Everyone turned to look at Lita and the three other Elder Scouts. They all wanted to know what had happened to their home. Raye was the only one who couldn't look at the younger Scouts. Instead, she kept her head down and looked at the ground.

Quickly, Lita cleared her throat and began to explain what had happened to their beautiful home. "It all started around two and a half years ago, on the anniversary of Prince Diamond's death. That was when Nemesis attacked us. Of course, we had all thought that Nemesis had been destroyed when your mother had killed Prince Diamond.

Unfortunately, we made a mistake thinking that, and our mistake cost people their lives. Each one of us were sent to different areas around Crystal Tokyo and around the city, to try and protect it. But we were spread out too thin. Even Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion had to transform to fight against Nemesis. However, as you can see, despite our best efforts, we were unsuccessful and Nemesis won."
"But why didn't you contact the others in the past, like you did the last time?" Lillian asked, curious as to why none of their parents had thought to do that.
"We tried," Mina said. "But we couldn't even contact Sailor Pluto to open the time portal back to the past. Nemesis had apparently figured out how to break through. They captured Sailor Pluto before they even bothered attacking us. Pluto never had time to warn us. With her captured, there was absolutely no way that we could have opened the time portal to get Sailor Moon and the others here."
"But where are Her Magesty, Neo-Queen Serenity and, His Magesty, King Endymion?" Megan asked. "Has something happened to them?"

Reenie turned her head to look at the Elder Sailor Scouts. The look in her eyes told them that she already knew what Lita was about to tell the others. "Kara," Reenie began, her voice gentle "Can you come with me for a second?"

Kara looked to her older sister, her eyes asking why? Seeing the expression of sorrow and sadness on Reenie's face, the question in the younger princess's eyes vanished and she nodded.
"Are you sure that you want to do this?" Amy asked, softly.

Reenie smiled a sad smile at her mother's trusted old friend and nodded. "I think it would be better," she said, her voice just as soft.

Amy nodded. "Very well then."
"Come on, Kara," Reenie said. Then, "Maybe you should come too, Kenneth."

Kenneth looked at his cousin, then to Lita (who was the leader of the Elder Sailor Scouts), who nodded in response to the question in his eyes. Kenneth turned back to Reenie and began to walk towards her. Kara followed him.

When the two of them were beside Reenie, Reenie spoke. "We'll be over there," she said, motioning to a large tree a couple of feet away.

The Elder Sailor Scouts nodded and two princess and one prince walked away from the group, towards the tree.

"Not to sound rude or disrespectful," Jordan spoke up, "But what has happened to Their Majesties, King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity? Why are they not here? As a matter of fact, why are King Terence and my father not here with you?"
"We were just getting to that, Jordan," Mina said, then looked to Lita and nodded for her to explain to the Younger Sailor Scouts.

Lita looked to Amy and Raye. Each one nodded slowly, showing that they, too, wanted her to tell them. Lita took a deep breath and began, "As we said before, because of our mistake in thinking we had destroyed Nemesis the first time around, many lives were lost in the war..."
"Including those of Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, King Terence, and Jordan," Lillian finished for her mother.

Lita nodded.

"We tried our best to protect them and the city, but we couldn't," Mina told them. "We were spread too thin. The only one of us who was even close to them was Raye and she tried her best, as you can tell by the scars she has all over her back, legs, and arms. When she saw the trouble they were in, she ran to protect them using her body as a shield while shooting her attacks. But it didn't matter. They had already been hit by two many blasts of dark energy. King Terence and Jordan were already dead by the time she reached them. Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion died a short while later. It was a miracle that Raye survived."

Hearing that last part Kirstein looked to her mother, her expression a mix of fear and disbelief. "Mother?" she asked, hoping Raye would tell her something different.

For the first time since they had met up with the Scouts, Raye lifted her head. Looking directly at her daughter, she said, "We swore to protect them any way we could. You know that, Kirstein. You took the same oath."
"Does Princess Reenie know?" Chantal asked, in shock.

Lita nodded. "She knows. We don't know who told her, but she knows."
"That's what she's telling Princess Kara and Prince Kenneth, isn't it?" Megan asked, motioning towards the tree where the three royals were standing by.
"Yes," Amy admitted.
"It looks like she's finished telling them," Lillian said, looking as the three members of the royal family who were just walking towards the group. Quickly, they turned to face Reenie, Kara and Kenneth. Immediately, the group felt sorry for the three of them realizing that the only family they had was each other and the huge responsibility that was now on their shoulders.
Once the royal family members were beside the others, Reenie opened her mouth to speak. "I think it is time to plan our attack on the palace," she said. "We must free Sailor Pluto during the attack."
"We also have to save Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune, princess," Amy pointed out.

Reenie turned to look at her, a look of confusion on her face. "Who?" she asked.
"Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune," Amy repeated.
"Otherwise known as Michelle Kaiou and Alex Ten'ou," Mina said.

Again Reenie repeated her question, the look of confusion still on her face. "Who?"
"Uranus and Neptune are two Sailor Scouts that rarely fight with us, princess," Lita explained. "In the past, they used to help us out and now they only help us out when we are in a lot of trouble."
"Then why didn't they try to help us the first time around?" Lillian asked her mother.

"They were far away from here," Amy replied. "They tried to make it here in time to help us, but arrived only a few hours after you had been sent to the past to start your training."
"Why have we never been told about them?" Megan asked. "Why didn't we know that they even existed?"

Lita sighed. "Truthfully Megan," she began, "We thought it unimportant for you to know before the others received training. Mostly because they rarely fought with us. You would have learned about them eventually."
"And they were captured, too?" Kirstein asked.
"Yes," Mina replied, "Like the other time, they tried to make it here in time. However, this time they made it an hour after the battle ended. Unfortunately, they arrived at the palace. Nemesis automatically captured them and locked them up somewhere in the palace, along with Sailor Pluto."
"So, now we have to save three people," Reenie said, not seeing what difference it made. Either way they were going to get Crystal Tokyo back. "Fine. We have to figure out a plan of attack. Hopefully one that will not only rescue the three Scouts, but that will destroy Nemesis in the process or at least weaken them drastically. Lita, do you have any idea how we'd be able to get into the palace without Nemesis knowing?"
"Princess, I don't think we should be talking about this here," the older Sailor Scout replied. "We should find a secure place where we know that no one can overhear us. In the park there are just too many people."

Reenie nodded, understanding what Lita was saying. Discussing their plan out in the open would make it easier for Nemesis to find out about it. Who knew who were spies for Nemesis and who weren't?
"But where could we go?" Chantal asked. "It's not like there are that many options open."
"Maybe back to Molly's shop?" Mina suggested.

Right away, Lita shook her head. "Too open. People can walk in and out any time of the day and hear what we're saying. Besides, we can't ask Molly to shut down her shop because of us. We need some place else."
"I think I might know of some place," Reenie spoke up. "And it should be able to fit all of us."
"Where?" everyone except Kara and Kenneth asked. They were still in too much shock after hearing what Reenie had told them.
"I have this friend from the past," the older princess explained. "Well, two of them actually, but I've only talked to one so far. They share an apartment. I'm sure that they wouldn't mind if we used it. I know they want Nemesis gone as much as we do. They might even be able to help us out."
"Are you sure that these friends of yours will not mind us using their apartment to plan out our plan of attack, princess?" Lita asked.
"I'm sure," Reenie assured the older Sailor Scout, "They will not mind."
"And you're sure that they can be trusted?" Kirstein asked, not certain that they should trust anyone who was not a Scout.

"Yes, Kirstein," Reenie said, no doubt whatsoever showing in her voice. "We can trust these friends. Now I suggest we start heading to the apartment separately. All of us standing here might seem kind of suspicious considering how many of us there are. Besides, I think that if we headed to the apartment together it might seem kind of out of place. The building is 1092, apartment 369. We should go in groups of three. I was thinking Megan, Chantal and Kirstein would go together. Amy, Mina, and Raye. Then Lita, Kenneth and Jordan. And lastly, Kara, Lillian and me. Any objections?"

Quickly, they shook their heads. There were no objections.

The older princess smiled. "Good. I think it would be best if Kara, Lillian and I headed to the apartment first so I could kind of warn them ahead of time and to explain why we need to use their apartment. Then maybe Megan, Chantal, and Kirstein could head over. After them, I think that Lita, Kenneth and Jordan should follow them. Last to head over to the apartment would be Amy, Mina, and Raye. I was also thinking that maybe we should allow five minute intervals before showing up at their door."
"Okay," Lita said. "So you three should get going to your friend's apartment now. How long do you think it should take to reach it?"

Reenie shrugged. "I don't know," she replied honestly. The first time she had been going to the apartment from a different direction. She had just been walking around searching for her friend's home. And the last time she had been running away from the apartment as fast as she could because of Nemesis. Reenie had never been allowed to walk around by herself when she had lived at the palace. She had always been driven to wherever she had to go and even then, never to the residential areas.
"Not too long," Lillian said, knowingly. "I've been around that area before. It should probably take us about ten to fifteen minutes to get there. Another five to find the building and apartment. Altogether about twenty minutes from here."

Her mother nodded. "Okay then," Lita said, "You three" looking at Lillian, Kara, and Reenie" will head off first. Twenty-five minutes after you three leave, Megan, Chantal, and Kirstein will head to the apartment. The next three will wait thirty minutes. And finally the last group will wait thirty-five minutes."

Reenie nodded. "We'll see you there," she said then quickly, along with Kara and Lillian, walked away from the group towards Melissa's and Kristy's apartment.

Once Kara, Lillian, and Reenie were out of hearing range quietly, Amy said, "We should separate. I don't think it's too safe for us to gather in public for too long. Who knows who're spies and who aren't? We all know the times when we're supposed to head to the apartment, so we can just start counting the minutes now."

Mina nodded. "Amy's right. We should all get going. People may start suspecting something if we stay here for too long."
"Okay," Lita said. Looking to the younger generation, "Do you all know what time you're supposed to head over to the apartment?"

Kirstein nodded. "Yes," she replied for everyone.
"We'll see you at the apartment then," Lita said. Then she began walking away from the group. When she noticed that the two young men weren't following her, she turned around and eyebrows raised, asked, "Are you not coming, Kenneth? Jordan?"

Quietly, both of them started after the Elder Sailor Scout.

After Lita, Kenneth and Jordan had left from the group, the others quickly separated into their groups of three and left the park.