Everyone let out a simultaneous gasp, as all of the senshi's gazes fell on the brown-locked princess of Jupiter. Surely, innocent Kino Makoto couldn't have done such a thing!
"Left the scouts?" Jupiter cried, rising to her feet.
Luna skillfully jumped from her lap just in time to avoid Lita's alarmed reaction. The black cat's large eyes focused on her then flashed over to Sharon.
"Yes, partners in crime."
Rei slammed her fist on the ground.
"Damn it Kino, I knew you'd be the sell out! I knew you'd be the one to leave us."
She entered a brief murmuring of Japanese curses, including chikusho and several words that would've made a soldier blush.
"Calm down Hino. This is not the time for your overreactions." Mamoru cried, stepping back into the room.
Obviously he was quite shocked by the news as well, but none quite as understandably as Lita. After all, she had no intention of ever leaving the scouts. These were her friends, her mates connected by past and future. She would never leave them.
"Luna, conscious or not, we're going to have to forget Sharon. We need an explanation now." Minako's voice was incredibly high-pitched, always going squeaky when excited.
Artemis jumped onto the bed.
"No need, she's stirring now."
Sharon moaned, sitting up slowly on the bed. Her eyes blinked several times, trying to adjust to the light and take in her surroundings.
She grabbed her head, which felt as if it was full of water, and then looked around her through narrowed eyes.
"Mom?" she whimpered out, obviously delirious from her collapse.
Mamoru squatted down next to her, propping up her back so she didn't fall backwards. Her body tilted slightly into his palm, but she bounced back, finally keeping steady.
She glanced over to her side.
"Darien?" she questioned, in a voice that sounded extremely flustered.
"Yes," Mamoru answered gently, sitting down beside her, "You just had a little fall is all."
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"I had this horrible nightmare that the cat was talking to me."
All the girls watched in silence. Mizuno bit her lip in anticipation, her short blue hair felt as if it was standing on ends.
"Actually," he began, "That was no nightmare."
To which Luna added, "Not a nightmare at all."
Sharon's eyes rolled back into her head and she nearly passed out again, but Rei quickly jumped to her feet.
"Oh no you don't!" she shouted, dodging next to her and shaking her violently. "Snap out of it Spitz!"
Lita looked horrified.
"No don't do that Rei-chan!"
She dashed over to Sharon's protection, ripping her shoulders away from Rei. Sharon breathed heavily in Makoto's arms, still very much conscious.
"Th-thanks." She managed to choke out between heavy gasps.
Kino-san simply nodded.
"Okay Luna. She's up. Now spill!" Rei commanded, taking her seat again.
"Wow, Rei, is there anything you won't do?" Mamoru hollered at her.
Rei growled heavily.
"Yes Darien. I won't go behind my friend's back when she isn't here."
Both the eyes of Mamo-chan and Mars blazed with fury, sparking defiance in the other. Neither planned to go down so easy.
"Quit it you two!" Luna hissed, stepping in between them, "You're acting childish."
Both kept silent, glaring at the other. Sharon groaned.
"What's going on?" she muttered, burying her head into Makoto's well-developed bosom.
Luna sauntered over to Sharon and rested a paw on her lap.
"Do not worry Sharon-san. The answers will come soon enough."
Sharon lifted her head and stared down at Luna. She couldn't believe she was talking to a cat.
"Let's start from the beginning shall we?" Artemis suggested, and Luna nodded.
There wasn't a better place to start.
"Let's start with the scar." Ami suggested, pointing to the place where the scar was hidden, "How come it's a scar and not an actual moon?"
Luna nodded. And Minako turned to Mizuno and smiled.
"Good question."
Luna looked up at Sharon.
"How'd you get the scar Sharon?"
Sharon looked down at Luna, then the rest of the group. She knew exactly what scar they were talking about. The one she just assumed was her special birthmark. The doctors just figured the umbilical cord had sliced the scar in Sharon's head, but in a perfect crescent shape? What were the chances of that?
"I don't know." She mumbled and Luna smirked.
"Of course not."
She turned to face the others.
"You see, Sharon's real name is Keiko, sister to Tsukino-chan, and fellow heir to the throne. The younger, but more mature sister to Usagi, they both shared so much in common, but at the same time, were so different."
Artemis continued for Luna.
"They got along exceptionally well, especially with you scouts, but Makoto and Keiko had the closest relationship."
"You see," explained Luna, "Jupiter was always somewhat shunned from the group. Kept in the back and the least admired. But Keiko saw her for what she really was."
"A great friend." Ami whispered.
Artemis's eyes flashed over to her.
"Exactly."
"So," Minako raised her hand as if in school, "What does that make Makoto and Sharon? Best friends?"
Luna smiled.
"Oh, much more than that. Queen Serenity, seeing their close relationship, made Jupiter Keiko's personal guardian. Whatever happened to Keiko, Makoto would be there."
"But that still doesn't explain why Spitz went evil." Mars snorted, glaring at Sharon.
"No," Artemis sighed, "No it doesn't."
"So what happened?" Minako's eyes cast to the floor after speaking. She was just too curious.
"Well…"
Luna glanced back at Sharon. She hoped she could handle all this information so soon.
Usagi squeezed her arms tighter to her chest as she strolled down the sidewalk.
Helen, Sharon's mom, had finally gotten sick of seeing Serena inside, and kicked her out of the house as politely as she could. A girl so new to the United States should be out experiencing it, not Americanizing her self by being a lazy bum on the couch all day.
Serena sighed, propping herself down on the sidewalk as a car passed by. She was so worried about what she would do next. If Alden knew her secret, he could easily tell, and her classified identity as Sailor Moon could be easily exposed.
She picked up the pebble that lay next to her, tossing it into the middle of the road.
"Hey Tsukino!"
She looked up and groaned, her head falling into her knees. She was the last person she needed at a time like this.
"What's up Nina?"
Her English was becoming better she noticed. She never really liked the subject; her friends were much better at it then she, but slowly she was learning their slang.
"Hey Tsukino, what are you doing messing around with my boyfriend?"
Serena raised a brow.
"Your boyfriend?"
Nina snorted, flipping back her long red hair.
"Alden is mine! I know you went to the skating rink with him last night. I was there!"
Usa shrugged.
"Just because I was with him does not mean I'm trying to thieve him."
Ok, maybe her English wasn't THAT good. But it was improving!
"Well," Nina warned, "If I ever see you with him again, you'll regret it got that?"
Serena grabbed a pebble and squeezed it, rising to her feet.
"Got it." She replied, swirling away from Nina, who was staring after her with a nasty gleam in her eye.
A long slender hand rested on the back of the moon princess's neck. She had faced some pretty tough enemies, but Nina was definitely the most threatening. She tossed the pebble behind her.
"OW!"
She looked behind her and gasped.
"Oh Alden I'm so sorry!"
Alden rubbed his forehead and smiled weakly.
"Surprise." He chuckled half-heartedly.
-every heart yume wo fumidasereruyo hitowa kanashimi no mukou ni
-Every heart has a habit of receiving its dreams. Sadness has no effect on us
A/N: Ok, that's it for now. Hope you enjoyed that and I hope it answered a few more questions for you. Thanks for reviews in the last chapter from: Seren Lunar Echo. Arigatou, you rock! Remember to R&R all who read this, and I'll try and update soon. I'm so sorry it took so long to update. But I've been busy. Check out my other fics too! THANKS! Arigatou gozaimasu!