Chapter Sixteen: Changes and Respects.
AN: Sorry for the late chapter. Semester Test..getting outta school and..well..everything else. All in all..I realized a very important fact about myself...I am the laziest procrastinator in the WORLD...or at least in Arkansas. I'll try my best in the next few chapters. Bare with me. I am almost done...and secrets will be reveals..hehehe..cough Okay...I'll end the blabbering and go on with the story.
It was well into the night before Kumori could sneak out of the hotel room. After Miki found her in the park earlier, he forbid her to leave the room. She huffed at his decision and sat in front of the t.v. until Miki was sound asleep. Kumori had changed into jean and a sweater that Miki had bought her when they first arrived. The crew wanted to make sure that they blended in with humans. They would change their hair color, or style, and mix a lot of clothes up to mix in with their own fashions. Miki was the stubborn one out of all ten people. He didn't want to lose his long silver hair, he was very proud of it, and that had always been his trademark. It took a LOT of force to sit him down and redo almost everything about him. First, the stylist chopped off all his long strands. His hair came right below his ears and rounded his head, the back was shaved so that his new hair layered over his naked neck. With banks clinging to his eyes, not revealing them (He looks like Yoshito Endou in PGSM..without the Zoicite outfit on). The next thing the girl did, was color it a dark shade of brown, almost a shade of black. Everyone noted that he gave off the appearance of King Endymion. Miki didn't take it all that well.
Kumori didn't need that much of a make over. The stylist only cut a few inches off of her hair, now only at her shoulders. Miki insisted that she put contacts in, so that her blue eyes didn't show as much. He couldn't have anyone recognizing her because them. He also insisted that she not wear any of her black leather outfits. Everything piece of her clothing turned into skirts and dresses in the most HIDEOUS coloring...PINK! Kumori nearly gaged as she saw the bright girly color. It was bad enough that some strands in her tiny braids had a shade of pink in them, but now she had to wear the color as clothing.
The silver headed woman changed into her usual black attire in the bathroom and made her wait downstairs. She threw on a leather skin tight trench coat to go over the outfit so that no one saw what she wore. As soon as she stepped outside her breath fogged and her skin was covered in bumps. Kumori reached into her coat pockets and laced her hands through leather, elbow length gloves. She zipped up the last little part of her coat and snuggled in it. Usually her senses were on high alert, but tonight she only wanted to release herself from engagement. She left her intuition sink low within her thoughts that she didn't even noticed a man drinking a cup of coffee watch her go. Once she was out of hearing sight the man lifted up the collar of his jacket and spoke into a star shaped pin.
"Captain Miki, the subject has left the area.. Would you like us to follow her?"
There was a silence for a moment and then the voice of the once silver headed leader spoke.
"Yes, stay close. I'm sending Sumi and Aiden with you. Be sure not to be noticed. I want to know where she is going."
"Aye. I'll report back within an hour."
The man waited until he saw a neon blue haired woman step out of the alley way. She wore a silk sky blue shirt and purple jeans. She had a navy scarf on with matching cotton gloves and a black thin jacket on. Her blue hair were in high braids on either side of her head (imagine Serena's hair style, only shorter and in braids). Another man appeared from on the other side of the street on a bench. He appeared to be reading yesterday's newspaper. He was short for a man, maybe 4'9 in height. His hair was a light sandy brown color, pixie style. He wore a business suit and old thick glasses. The first man made eye contact with them and nodded. Sumi and Aiden walked towards him for their instructions.
"Okay, here it is. Captain wants us to follow her and find out where she sneaking off to. In about an hour I am going to report back. Sumi I want you to head east of her. Keep a good 20 feet away from her. Make sure she does NOT see you. Aiden, I want you to head west of her. Same thing applies to you."
The two nodded and started walking off. The other young man headed to where their target was and follow from behind. To what he could make out of it, she was heading for the Cherry Hill Shrine. What would she be going their for? Late night fortune.
Finally everyone had arrived at the shrine. Darien was the last to appear around nine. The Scouts noted that he had been acting, well to put it in nice terms, a 'little out of it'. Rei decided to wait until the Tsukinos and Andrew were asleep before confronting him out his behavior. Rei smiled as Sammy walked passed her to get to his room, holding a glass of milk. No matter how old he looked, he was still the same old Sammy as always.
Once everyone was secured, Rei searched for Darien. After about ten minutes of walking around the temple, she spotted him outside. In the moonlight, he sat on the top stairs of the hill. His knees were held against his chest with his arms wrapped around them in place. Rei sighed and slowly waltzed over to him and sat next to him. For a while, they didn't speak. Only sat there and gazed up at the stars...the moon. Both thinking of their lost princess. Rei was the first to break the silence. Her voice sounded razor sharp in Darien's ears, but it was better than that annoying silence.
"How is Cindy?"
"She's good."
"That's good. Work?"
"You know me..I love children...so it's great. I just seem to have no energy lately."
"I know what you mean. I think all of us have been going through a weak spell."
"Listen Rei, I want to cut to the chase. Mina called me while I was in New York. She mentioned that something was up? Mind feeling us in?"
Rei sighed and looked away from the sky. She wanted to wait until later to do this. But apparently Darien had other things in mind. Being Endymion, she had no rite to refuse his request. Darien watched as Rei stood up and wipe the dirt off her jeans. She held out her hand for him to get up. He took it and wiped off his jeans.
"Call the Scouts out of their rooms. Make sure you don't disrupt anyone else."
Rei began to walk away, when Darien called out to her. The question in his eyes, and she saw it. The priestess smiled.
"Going to the Meditation Chamber. Bring everyone in there. I will prepare the fire."
Rei walked away and Darien stared out at her then shook his head. The others worried about how strange she had gotten over the past years. Darien knew better though. After what they had been through, she was his best friend and he knew her better than anyone...well there was Mina..but that was it. Darien made his way to each of the Scouts' rooms and rounded them up. They were all in their pjs and wiping away sleepy from their eyes. The girls and Darien silently made it to the Meditation Chamber. Lita slid open the door and revealed Rei in her priestess outfit, near the fire. She was chanting quietly, rocking back and forth on her knees. Everyone raised their eye brows and nodded in agreement to just walking in and leaning against the wall. Mina was the last to come in, so she was the one to close the door. Without looking at them, Rei spoke clearly.
"Sit behind me. Clear your thoughts and focus on the fire."
"What's this all about, Rei?" asked Lita.
Rei chose not to speak, but start chanting again. They girls glanced at each other and shrugged. Each sat behind Rei in a line. Ami and Lita sat at her left, while Mina sat next to her, and Darien to Rei's far right. For ten minutes they sat this way, on their knees, clearing their minds, watching the fire. Ami looked up and passed glares with Lita and Mina. Lita opened her mouth to say something when the fire caught every ones attention. Their eyes locked onto the flames that began to grow larger. Rei opened her eyes and relieving a breath she had caught at the beginning of the ritual. A shadowy silhouette formed within the fire. The girls were in awe at this image and concentrated harder to make out the figure. As they did this, the image became larger, until it was on the face that needed to be revealed.
"Who is it?" called out Ami.
The flames grew wider and hotter. They started to shoot out at the Scouts making a whipping sound. It made them jump back a bit, only Rei sat there watching the image grow clearer. Darien's eyes rounded themselves as the images came into view. A silvered headed woman with violet eyes. She appeared to be sad and unhappy. It was the woman from the park, Darien realized. As if Rei heard his thoughts, she turned to him with a questioning expression.
"You know this woman, don't you?" Rei sounded, almost accusingly. The other girls turned from the image to Darien. He sunk back as a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Rei took one last glance at the image in the fire, before throwing water on it. She walked out of the room, beads of sweat running down her face. She hadn't realized how close she was to the fire or how hot it had gotten. her vision blurred for a moment and she placed a hand on the wall. Arms wrapped around her waist to hold her up. She turned to face Mina holding her up and smiled. Grateful for the blond's support. The feeling was replaced with an overwhelming emotion she hadn't quite figure out. Rei stood tall again and began to move to her room. The Scouts in a straight line, tailing behind her. Darien at the end, his head bowed, the image of the woman flashing in his mind.
The group made it to Rei's room. She walked around the table and sat down at the end. Like old times, the girls got in their same spots at the table. Darien feeling like an odd ball, stood at the door. The silent priestess poured already made tea into the girls cups. Just like old times, Mina noted and then smiled. Rei motioned for Darien to come sit by here. She poured him some tea and then herself. She drank slowly. Everyone watched her as she sat there in silence, as usual, finishing her cup, then pouring more. After her third cup of tea, Rei placed it in her lap and glanced down at it.
"Serena is alive."
Ami's mouth dropped, Lita choked on her tea, and Mina spit her tea out. Rei gave the girls a moment to take in the news. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Darien sat as she did with the tea in his lap. What she didn't noticed was that he had completely froze and his shaking hands were the only part of him moving. He had sat the cup in his lap and held onto as if it were his life jacket.
"WHAT!" The girls shouted in union.
"Hush! You'll wake them up!"
The room went silent again, the theme of tonight's events. Darien attempted to place the cup on the table, but failed by dropping it. The glass tea cup crashed to the floor, making echoing sounds, while the tea splashed on the floor and wall. Not even realizing what happening, he held his hands up near his face, watching them tremor. No one made a move to clean up the mess. Taking in only the surprising fact that their princess was..alive. Rei now knew this was the time to explain her assumption.
"A few weeks ago. I received a dream..or premonition..or whatever it was. A woman..the woman in the fire...came to me. She gave me a message. The very next morning I wanted to consult it with the fire. The woman appeared again in the flames..as it did tonight. Then an odd thing happened. The woman turned into the princess and then back again. Again I recieved the same message...only it was earlier today. I heard her voice in the wind. When Mina arrived, it was as if I was looking at HER. This makes me believe that she is alive on some level and that this silver headed woman KNOWS where to find here. Serena is trying to warn us through this young lady.:
"Warn us? Of what?" Lita interupted.
"...of a new enemy...one that supposably will rule Earth..."
"What exactly did this silver headed woman tell you?" added Ami.
Rei recited the exact words that the woman had given her, and then what she heard from the princess. Everyone was, yet again, in awe. The very fact that Serena was alive brought back a new hope in their hearts.
"So..she's somewhere out there...?" sang Mina happily.
"...no..." Darien finally said within a low whisper. The girls turned to face the man with his head bowed. All but Rei, who had expected it.
"She's not somewhere out there. She's right here. In town no less."
"How do you know this?" chimmed in Lita
"I saw her..talked to ..her..I didn't know who she was at first..but the vibe I got...I coulda sworn it was the same as Serena's."
Darien recollected his memories of arriving in Tokyo, buying flowers, sitting by the lake, and then running into the mysterious woman. He told them that she was standing RIGHT where Serena had stood last. That she mentioned paying respects to the dead. They were astonished that they had a lead, after seven years, of knowing where their beloved princess was. That she was not dead, as they thought. Although why wouldn't she come to them directly? Why did the other woman have to confront them?
The three of Miki's crew followed Kumori for more than an hour. The leader had stopped behind a tree as Kumori went through the park. He reported to the captain of her whereabouts and asked for more instructions. Miki only told him to follow her, if she got into any trouble to bale her out. The man nodded as though his boss was in front of him. He began to follow her again. They found her standing in a particular spot in the park. Just standing there, stiff as a board. Images and flashes that weren't her own.
"YOU LIE!"
The stranger laughed whole hearty , if he even had one at all. Endymion grew angrier. Venus narrowed her eyes suspecting something from this man. She spoke up.
"Then who killed her? You?"
Tuxedo mask nor the scouts could hold it any longer They powered up as the prince charged. The silver headed man merely smiled as he held out his cape. Endymion neared him he held out his sword to get a clear shot of the man's chest. As if everything were going in slow motion Endymion aimed. The stranger lowered his cape to reaveal Serena in her princess dress and hair down. She held an almost heartbreaking expression. The scout's attacks had hit her all at once, yet she still stood. Before he could stop himself, his sword went straight in her. The man smiled watching the sight from the side.
"No...YOU killed her?"
The scouts gasped in fear and ran towards their falling princess. The strange man had vanished silently. Serena stood their with her hands placed on his shoulders not even looking at anyone, only open space. Her eyes slowly met Endymion's as a single drip of blood streamed down the side of her lips. She curled her lips into a smile and thrusted herself closer to him in a hugging embrace. Serena grunted at the full length of the sword in her. Endymion began to cry and held her tightly calling her stupid for doing that. She lowered his head with her hands and whispered.
"...Thank You..."
FLASH
Within a dark room Serena woke up with a gasp. It took her a few minutes to register where she was at and what had just happened. Her hands roamed over her abdomen where Endymion's sword had went through. She had wanted to cry at the pain she had experienced, but remembered why it HAD to happen.
"Forgive me, Love...forgive me everyone."
FLASH
In the same dark room, Serena was preparing herself for the ritual. She wore a dark black dress and her hair down. A servant knocked on the door and walked in.
"Miss? It's time."
Serena turned to him and nodded. She took one more look at herself in the mirror. After a moment of this she shook her head. Refusing to cry and feel sorry for herself. She chose this for herself and she wasn't backing down.
"...I'm so sorry my love...it is for the sake of good..."
FLASH
A new kind of light formed from her tears and a pink sparkle rose. She understood what it was and nodded as it took a figure. The sparkle grew from her tears and soon formed. An exact copy of her, only it was warm, happy, and full of love. The opposite of the form she took now. The pink, sparkling version of herself placed her hands on Serena's face. She wiped away her tears and then disappeared. Last, but not least, the final spirit came forth: The Butterfly. It swirled around Serena and then flew into her mouth, making her gasp. Serena's eyes grew dark and cold, her hair turned into a white color. The animal Spirits traced along her hair placing a rainbow tint to it, only to be seen in the light of the moon. One by one, they undressed her and gave her new gifts. Serena lifted her head up and screamed as the darkness faded and became one with her.
"Do you know who you are?"
"It will take a while before you can take a hold of what is going on. I will guide you."
The man motioned for them to walk up the flight of stairs. As they reached the top, the woman stopped in her tracks. The man stopped noticing her absence and turned.
"...m-..my name is...Ku...Kumori Mika."
This time the woman stood straight up and held a superior presence. The man smiled and nodded.
"Welcome home."
END OF FLASHES
But it wasn't home. This was not her. This woman which she possessed wasn't her. She was someone else. Someone important. But not Kumori Mika. She wasn't Kumori.
Kumori gaped at the hole in the concrete. This wasn't the key to her memory, she had to find out where though. The anger in her had been building up for some months now. The women in her mirrors had warned her of the secretcy that Miki had kept from her. He had never told her about the body she possessed. Unlike the other times in history, her spirit was informed of the person she was. Miki only told her of her mission. He was cold and stone hearted. The mission was alway on his mind and nothing else. There was something wrong with that. Kumori felt it in the very bones she had in the body. She shouldn't be here. This person's soul had a strong power to it. Whatever her future held, she needed no help from the Butterfly spirit. Nor anyone else. The power surged through her body and a small faint glow surround Kumori. The silver headed woman held up her hand and observed how her own traits become something else. Then the snapping of twigs caught Kumori's attention. The glow shimmered down into nothing and stopped. Kumori turned around and narrowed her eyes. She listened closely for the sounds around her.
"Whoever's out there, you have ten seconds to leave." Kumori pulled out one of her guns and unlocked the safety. "Or else."
The sounds ceased. Kumori aimed her gun out at arms length and pointed into the dark. She heard heavy breathing and a familiar stench. The smell of a street hot dog with everything on it. The only person that was sick enough the have everything on that hot dog was...
"RAID! You sorry son of a..." she stopped her sentence to sniff the air more. Two more were out there. "Sumi! Aiden! Get your assess out of those trees now!" It was quiet for a minute before more twigs started to snap and then foot steps were heard. Raid was the first, walking up behind her. She swung around to aim her gun at him. Aiden and then Sumi appeared after, Kumori doing the same. She scuffed and rolled her eyes. Raid sighed and cocked his head to the side.
"What gave us away?" he said smugly.
"You nasty breath. Seriously, when you stop to get those hot dogs, bring a breath mint."
The other two bowed their heads and snickered and Raid shot them a death glare. The sounds stopped. Kumori narrowed her eyes and then shook her head at the three. She switched the safety on her gun and put it away.
"Miki sent you didn't he?"
The three bowed their heads guilty and Kumori rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms on her chest and tapped her foot. Damn Miki for treating her like some child. This proved her point. He was hiding something from her and didn't want her to find out. Kumori turned around in the direction she was going. The Cherry Hill Shrine was maybe five blocks from here. What was at the shrine, she wondered. Deciding not to think about it too much tonight, she turned to the three crew memebers. Another day, tomorrow, yes, tomorrow she will go on a journey. Rather they followed her or not, she was going to find out what was at the shrine. Kumori slid her hand in her trench coat and pulled out a single white rose. She studied the beautiful flower before she placed it in the hole.
"You can tell Miki, I was only paying my respects to the dead. He should too."
