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Chapter 4: Where's Serena!
It was late when they all met back at Rei's. They'd waited for Luna as long as they could, but strangely she hadn't shown. When Darien arrived, he and Rei checked the Train Station and Mina, Lita and Ami had gone to look for Serena in her favourite places. They'd also been constantly calling her on the communicator watch with no answer.
"Any luck?" Ami asked Rei as they moved into Rei's room. Rei nodded.
"As we we're leaving one of the guys working there said a girl with long blonde hair in pigtails, with meatballs, boarded a train about ten o'clock this morning." Rei said sadly. They sat in silence for a moment. "You guy's seen Luna?" She asked. As if on cue the black cat leapt through the window, Artemis in tow.
"Luna!" Said Lita, gratefully. "Where have you been?" Luna dropped some pieces of paper from her mouth.
"I had to sneak these away from Serena's family, they've been ringing around looking for Serena for an hour, and your parents are worried too." She said accusingly. She stood on the papers and wouldn't let the girls touch them until they had informed their families they were okay.
"So what's with the papers Luna?" Mina asked curiously. Luna's face grew saddened at this.
"There letters, from Serena." She said. "I found them with her communicator watch where her comic collection is hidden." Ami who was closest reached over and picked up one of the two sheets. She began reading silently, until the girls told her to read aloud.
"Hey Girls!" She said. "I guess you've been missing me huh? Otherwise you wouldn't've found these. I left a whole bunch, because I stuffed up a few copies and wanted to make sure you could get the message. Well so you know, I'm gone. I'll be gone for a while. I really can't explain why. It would cause too much trouble. But don't worry about me. Just move on with your lives, it'll be okay in the end. Say bye to Darien for me!" Ami's voice was breaking as she spoke. "It's signed Serena." She said.
"That'd be the easiest bit to read." Rei attempted as a joke, she saw the faces around her though and apologised.
"Where's she gone?" Lita mumbled blankly. Mina had taken the paper from Ami and was reading it to herself.
"What's the other one Luna?" Darien asked quietly. Luna looked puzzled for a minute then looked at the other piece of paper.
"It's to her family." She said. "I'll have to take it back soon." She added. Artemis looked sadly at Luna. She's so sad…He knew how close Luna had gotten to Serena. It must have hurt to not have been told what was going on.
"Well there's got to be some way to find her." Rei said, lying on her back staring at the ceiling.
"I don't know…" Luna said quietly. "I'd better go home." She said leaping out of the window.
"We all should." Ami said. "We need sleep, maybe we can figure this out tomorrow when we're well rested." The others agreed quietly and off they went in their separate directions.
The train ride went long into the night. Serena only slept a little. A lot of her time was spent wondering what her friends were doing. Wether they were missing her. A few more tears fell. She felt as though those tears would never stop. They'd been falling all day. She missed them all, already. She felt as if she had betrayed them, and all she wanted was to get off the train, and run all the way back, to hug them all and apologise with every breath in her fragile body. She knew it would be hard, but she had to do this. This was bigger than her, and than the love she felt for her friends and family. Hopefully one day she would return to them. All these thoughts passed through her mind several times. But now there were other things to think about, her mind must stay on her task. As she stepped off the train into unfamiliar territory she cursed everything. Her past, her future and the one who had given her this task. Her last tear of the night fell with the thought, why me?
As Serena wandered through the streets of this cold unfriendly place she'd been sent. All of the girls lay unsleeping in their beds. They all were worried for Serena. How can we continue without her? Ami asked herself. A few tears leaked from her eyes and slid onto her pillow. When will she come back? A soft lump landed gently on Ami's tummy and curled up.
"Sorry Ami, but I can't stay at Serena's. Her family found the note and are devastated; they've called the police and are going crazy over her disappearance. It's very lonely in Serena's room." She finished with a whisper. Ami grew even sadder over that last note, but managed to give Luna permission to stay.
Rei had managed to put her sadness and grief away in a chest and locked it tight. She wanted to be angry with Serena. But every time she thought how could you! You're so selfish! She lost her grip on her grief and shed a few tears. She really wasn't very angry; she was more confused and upset. She just wanted to wake up and find Serena hadn't left and she could go back to teasing her.
The smells from the kitchen still lingered in the house. As the brunette sat on her bed, she wished she hadn't cooked so much. Upon arriving home Lita cooked almost anything she could get her hands on. She threw her passion into it all. It managed to take her mind off Serena, but left her with an odd arraignment of dishes and smells. There was no-one to comfort her so she just lay down and didn't think at all, hoping this would make sleep come.
"Mina, I know you're upset, but you're going to pat my fur off." Artemis said without much force. Mina had an old teddy under one arm and was staring at the wall across from her as she continued to pat the cat.
"Sorry Artemis, I'm just anxious. I want to know what's going on…" She trailed off. It was no use, Artemis knew as much as her. They just lay in silence.
Darien lay in bed, trying to mentally make Serena come back. He would find her not matter what.