Disclaimer: as usual I own nothing so don't bug me!
Semi-Isolation
(By Mae-E)
Chapter: 2
As the three stood in the middle of the empty space that normally served as the dance floor. Serena saw as her friend Raye turn towards the stage.
"Something catch your eye Raye?" asked Serena in a slightly amused tone remembering how one of Raye's dreams was to sing.
"Wonder what it be like to be standing up there, looking out over the sea of people?" said Raye so softly that it almost sounded as if she said it more to her self than to anyone else.
Raye stood lost within her own thoughts for a few moments until she was snapped out of them by a sudden jerk on her arm.
"One way to find out." Commented Serena in an almost mischievous tone as she proceeded to drag Raye towards the stage.
"O No! Serena! No way! Not going to happen?" exclaimed Raye. But her protests went unheeded cause in a matter of moments Serena had managed to Drag Raye over to the stage and up on to it. Serena stood blocking the bottom of the staircase to prevent Raye from bolting.
"Now what meatball head?" Snapped Raye at her friend.
"Live the dream." Answered Serena.
"Funny Serena!" Said Raye as she tried to walk off the stage and back down the stairs but Serena stood there unmoving, with a serious expression on her face.
"Your serious?" asked Raye when she finally realized Serena wasn't joking.
"Yeah, now go on!" Urged Serena.
So Raye walked out to the center of the stage, while Serena walked back over to her husband.
" So what should I do now?" Raye asked Serena from center stage.
"Do Oh, Starry Night." Suggested Serena.
"Ok" muttered Raye. Seeing that their was no way out of this she closed her eyes took a deep calming breath then opened her eyes and started to sing. After she finished there was applause from her friends. But what they all heard next startled them all.
"Wow! That was very good. You are really talented." Said a female voice from over by the bar.
All three of them quickly turned in the direction of the voice. They saw a woman with brown hair past her shoulders that looked to be in her mid to late 20's. She had a flawless porcelain complexion and was dressed in a pair of dark blue denim Capri pants and a teal silk camisole top trimmed in black lace. And black sandals.
"I thought that the club wasn't open yet?" Serena had asked her husband. Who just shrugged his shoulders in reply, he looked just as puzzled as His wife was.
Raye just stood rooted to her spot, red faced in the embarrassment of being caught up on the stage, acting silly in front of her friends.
Seeing the small group looking her with that deer caught in the headlights look on all their faces. She quickly figured the best thing to do would be go over and introduce herself, seeing that she must have startled the small group.
"O, sorry if I startled you. My name is Paige Matthews. My sister Piper owns the club." Said Paige in a confidant yet sincere tone as she walked over to the group.
She then extended her right hand out to shake. There was an awkward silence that hung in the air for a few seconds while the small group just kind of stared at her. Serena being the first one to snap out of it and find her voice Decided to make introductions for her and her friends.
As she reached out and griped Paige's outstretched hand she said, "Hi my Name is Serena Chiba." Remembering to put her first name first while making introductions. Serena carried on to say, as she released Paige's hand and used it to point to each person, "This My husband Darien Chiba and my good friend Raye Hino."
As Serena introduced each of them the both shook Paige's hand. Raye doing so after hopping down off the stage and walking the short distance to where everyone else was standing. Paige smiled warmly at the small group, as another awkward silence seemed to descend upon them shortly after introductions were finished.
Finally not being able to stand the silence any longer Paige deiced to break the ice by asking Raye, "That was beautiful song you sang. What is the name of it?"
"Thank you Miss Matthews. The song is called Oh, Starry Night" Responded Raye in a polite manor.
"Please call me Paige." Paige commented; not caring for how old being called Miss Matthews sounded. "I've never heard it before who it by?" Paige asked politely in attempts to keep the conversation going.
"Raye actually wrote that herself, for a school festival, back when we were in middle school." Commented Serena in a very cheerful, energetic tone.
Paige could tell that by the way Serena had made that statement that she was very proud of her friend.
"Wow! That's impressive. You really are talented." Remarked Paige in a genuinely impressed tone. Raye smiled at Paige and thanked her again.
Before the conversation could carry on any further the sounds of a door off to the side being opened and closed followed by footsteps and the chatter of various voices of a moderate sized group of people could be heard coming towards the center of the club. Seconds later the group appeared and then proceeded to disperse until only Three people were left. The three walked over to the group in the center of the club's dance floor.
"What brings you here? I thought you were busy this afternoon Paige." Asked the woman with very long brown hair and similar features to Paige.
"Some time opened up in my schedule and I stopped by to see if you wanted to grab some lunch together Piper." Asked Paige.
"I don't know Paige it might have to wait a little while, I still need to go over a few things here." Answered Piper.
"It's ok we can finish discussing things later if necessary Mrs. Halliwell." Commented a lady with long, wavy, sea green hair, and a yellow sleeveless sundress, standing to piper's right.
"No, That's alright it shouldn't take to long. And I'm sure my sister doesn't mind waiting do you Paige?" asked Piper.
"It's ok with me, I've got time. O, By the way my Name is Paige Matthews." She said as she introduced herself to the two people standing next to Piper.
"Nice to meet you my name is Michiru Kaioh." Said the girl in the sundress as she shook Paige's hand.
"Nice to meet you my name is Haruka Tenou." Said the person next to Michiru as she too shook Paige's hand.
"Miss Kaioh and Miss Tenou are going to be performing here at the charity benefit a few weeks from now." Said Piper to her sister.
"Really, that's cool! What exactly will you be doing?" asked a rather interested Paige.
"I'll being playing the violin, while my close friend here accompanies me on the piano. Mostly classical music." Michiru answered Paige.
"Miss Kaioh is a famous violinist in Japan." Piper told Paige. Paige looked a bit surprised to hear this.
"Whoa, you came all the over here just to play P3?" Asked Paige in amazed tone of voice.
Both Michiru and Haruka smiled at Paige's question then Michiru answered, "We both felt that the cause, that the charity who is having the benefit supports, Was a most worthy and noble one so we had no problem committing our time to it."
"Besides it gives a chance to spend some time with friends who we have not seen in a long time. So we brought them along." Commented Haruka.
"That's really great." Said Paige, she then continued on to say "We meet a few minutes earlier." As she gestured to the three people She had been talking to. " In fact we were just discussing Raye's talent for singing." Commented Paige.
Everyone's attention suddenly turned to Raye, only to find that she had seemed to tuned out the conversation. Her attention seemed to be focused on a spot in the back of the rather large room. Her face seemed to hold a very worried expression and she appeared to be a bit paler than a few moments ago.
"Is something wrong Raye?" asked a concerned Serena.
"I'm getting a really bad vibe from over there all of a sudden." Said Raye in an almost small sounding tone of voice. Everyone looked over to where Raye was starring.
"There isn't anything over there Raye." Said a confused sounding Paige.
"Can't you feel it? Such negative energy!" Said Raye a little stronger this time.
Everyone one looked at each other in a weird mixture of surprise and confusion. Serena, Darien, Haruka, and Michiru all tensed after Raye's last statement. They all knew that Raye was hardly ever wrong about these kinds of things. They also knew that the last time Raye had a feeling like this that they ended up having to fight, so they stood there waiting, ready for almost anything.
They did have to wait long, a few seconds later two creatures suddenly appeared in the empty space they had all been starring at moments ago. One was dressed in black suit with broad white stripes running diagonally across his suite. The areas of exposed pale skin, mainly his face and hands, had intricate black designs on them and he had black hair. The other was dressed in a white suit with similar broad black stripes on it. The areas of exposed tan skin, mainly his face and hands, had intricate white designs on it and he had white hair. Both had eyes as black as night.
Suddenly the creature on the left raised his had and threw an energy ball at the group of people. It hit the top of the bar right over their heads. The crowd scattered in different directions. Then the two creatures started bombarding the small group of people in the club with energy balls and other forms of attacks.
"What was that?" Serena asked her husband in a frantic tone. As they took up hiding behind a wall that was off to the side of the stage's left.
"Do you think we should transform?" asked Serena over the sounds of the damage being done to the room.
As the both peered out from behind the wall just in time to see Piper stand up and raise her hands in front of her and then flick them in a forward motion. Seconds later the creature in the white suit exploded. Letting out one last agonizing scream before disappearing completely.
"Did she just do that?" asked Serena. "I think so. I don't know how, but I think so." Answered Darien.
"Look over there." Said Serena as she quickly pointed in the back left corner of the room. There behind a barricade of tables were their three friends. And they looked like they were arguing with each other, trying to make the same decision as Serena and Darien was at the moment.
Then they heard Paige shout, "Chair!" and saw a chair that was lying on its side disappear in a swirl of blue lights and float into the air. They then saw Paige move her arm from its position with her hand out palm up to where her hand was shoved forward facing the creature. The blue swirls then suddenly changed direction from heading towards Paige to heading towards the creature at a very fast pace. It then reformed and crashed into the creature really hard. The chair shattered upon impact.
The creature was thrown back and dazed a bit. Long enough for Paige to call out "Knife" a knife disappeared from the top of the bar in the same way the chair did and reformed and appeared in Paige's hand. Paige then threw the knife at the creature. But just before it would have impacted with the creature it disappeared. The knife logged itself in the wall behind where the creature had been standing.
It then reappeared a few feet from Paige's left. The creature threw another energy ball at Paige but she dodged it. The creature then charged at Paige. As soon as it came into range Paige, who was still in a crouching position from having to dodge the creature's attack, was able to sweep the feet out from under him, causing the creature to land flat on it's back on the floor. Just as Paige was going to strike again, the creature disappeared again. It reappeared a few feet behind Paige. Without thinking Serena shouted "Paige, Behind you!" Due to the warning Paige was able to turn just in time to narrowly dodge the creature's attack. The creature disappeared again just as the table he was standing next to exploded. As Paige and Piper were busy fighting the last pesky creature, a few flashes of different colored lights went unnoticed.
Then as the creature reappeared a few feet behind Piper, as she went over to check on her sister. The creature who was quickly approaching unnoticed behind Piper was stopped shortly after a female voice shouted "Mars Flame Sniper!" Everyone turned to see the creature's arm enflamed. The creature then disappeared again.
"I guess that answers that question." Said Serena to her husband as they both watched what was going on from where they were. They both then transformed and then vacated their hiding spot. They made their way over to where the two sisters and the other scouts had gathered.
"Is it over?" Asked Sailor Moon
"For now most likely." Said Piper.
As both her and Paige took a good look at the people they had being talking to a few minutes earlier, Paige was the first one to say something, "Looks like we not the only ones with some explaining to do."
"No kidding!" said Piper.
"What was all that?" asked Sailor Moon. "How were you two able to do all that?" Sailor Moon asked before they had a chance to answer her first question.
"Give them a chance to answer!" Shouted Sailor Mars.
Living with two sisters for as long as she had, Piper knew the start of a fight when she saw one, So she decided to speak up now in attempt to stop it before it got started.
"I'll answer your questions if you tell me what it is your wearing Serena?" Piper asked, smiling as she did so.
The rest of the scouts looked at her.
"Don't you give me those looks!" said Piper.
"Obviously we all have secrets we would have rather kept hidden but since that is no longer an option, how about we explain ours and you explain yours." Said Paige.
The Scouts looked at each other then deciding that it was the best option they agreed.
"Okay. Agreed, but you go first." Said Serena.
"Okay that's fair enough." Said Piper.
Taking a deep breath before speaking again. "It's a long story, but the short answer is that Paige, myself, and my sister Phoebe who you haven't meet yet, are powerful witches called The Charmed Ones. Protectors of the innocent." After Piper finished talking she stopped to see how they were taking the news. She found them surprisingly accepting of it.
"So what where those things that appeared out of nowhere?" Asked Raye.
"Either demons, or warlocks." Said Paige.
"How that one able to keep disappearing and reappearing?" Asked Haruka
"It's called Blinking. It's a bad guy power." Answered Piper.
"What did they want?" asked Michiru
"Most likely to destroy us. That is usually the case. But with out researching who they were it hard to know for sure." Answered Paige this time.
"Okay Our turn." Said Piper who went on to ask, "What is with the outfits? And when did you have time to change your clothes?"
" Well our story is a very long story, but without going into too much detail the outfits are normal for those in our position. And we didn't as much change clothes, then transform into them." Answered Serena. "Does that help at all?" she went on to ask when she saw looks of confusion.
"Not really, what exactly is your position?" Asked Paige.
"We are the Sailor Scouts. We are protectors of this planet and universe." Explained Serena.
"Wow!" said Paige.
"Is this all of you?" asked Piper.
"O, no. There is one of use for each planet in the solar system. So all in all there is ten of us." Answered Serena.
"Ten? I thought there were 9 planets?" Asked Paige slightly confused.
"Well counting the moon it makes ten. We each go by our planet name, with the exception of Darien." Answered Serena.
"And what is he called?" Asked Piper
"Tuxedo Mask" Answered Darien.
"You said your was a long story, exactly how long?" asked Paige
"About a thousand years worth." Said Serena.
At this both Sisters looked shocked.
"How is that even possible? Are you really that old?" asked an astonished Piper.
" Well that's where the story gets complicated. Because it's a yes and no kind of answer." Responded Serena.
"Are you ok Raye?" Asked Paige who noticed that Raye had slipped back into that same distant look that she had earlier.
"No, It's not over! That thing I think its coming back." Said Raye in an almost shout that caught everyone's attention.
Just then the same creature in the back suit from earlier appeared a few feet in front of them. The sleeve of his right arm had a rather large hole burned into it. He threw an energy ball directly at them but Piper was able to blow it up. He then proceeded to blink around the room taking random shots at them with his different attacks. After about ten minutes or so of this each side started to get tired.
The creature appeared A few feet in front of Piper almost taunting her to try something. Then started mumbling something to himself and his hand started to glow purple. He then shot the energy at Piper. She managed to dodge the energy he threw at her but it hit a mirror hanging up behind the bar and was actually reflected off of it. The purple energy was headed straight at Paige who couldn't see it cause she facing in the other direction. Seeing this Serena, who was in closest proximity to Paige, did the first thing she could thing of to save her. She Shoved Paige as hard as she could out of the way. In the process she lost her balance and fell over as well. There was a scream heard. Which cause a distraction just long enough for Piper to finally blow up the creature.
As Paige and Serena hit the ground there was a blinding flash of white light. When it subsided Serena laid there on the floor next to Paige, in her un-transformed state. On Serena left leg was a large burn mark that went from knee to her shin. As Paige started to get up she looked over at Serena next to her. She first noticed how pale Serena looked, then saw the burn on her leg. "Piper Serena's hurt!" Shouted Paige in and almost panic. That simple phrase brought everyone in the club rushing towards her. Darien and Raye were the first people at Serena's side. Followed shortly by Haruka and Michiru, then Piper who had to really push her way through the crowd of Serena's friends to see what had happened.
"What happened?" Asked Piper.
"Serena pushed me and we landed on the floor." answered Paige.
Piper Looked over to were Paige was standing and saw the broken mirror behind the bar and pieced together what happened.
As she knelt down next to her sister she got a good look at the burn on Serena's leg.
"LEO!" Piper Yelled loudly and urgently.
With in a minute or two Leo orbed in holding a toddler in his arms and a baby strapped to his back.
"What is it?" asked Leo as he sat the little boy down on the floor next to him and walked over to his wife.
"Two demons appeared in the club. Serena must have gotten hit trying to Protect Paige." Answered Piper who sounded very upset.
Nobody even bothered to ask who he was, or how he got there. It just wasn't important at the moment. All that mattered at the moment was that somehow he could help.
He knelt down next to Piper, and looked at the unconscious girl on the floor. Then put both his hands directly over injury without actually touching the girl. He closed his eyes and suddenly his hands started to emit a soft but bright golden glow. Very slowly the burn on Serena's leg started to shrink in size and heal up. After about 15 minutes the burn mark completely disappeared on her leg, and looked like it was never there to start with. Her color improved slightly but not much. The glowing from Leo's hands started to grow dim then stopped all together. He opened his eyes and looked at her. Her leg was healed but she was still out cold. After she didn't awaken after the first few moments, her friends started to call her name. Then Serena's husband tried to gently shake her to awaken her and still nothing. That is when everyone started to get worried.
"What's Wrong with her?" Asked Paige.
"I don't know" answered Leo, then continued on to say, "I healed her. She should be fine."
"Well obviously she not!" Snapped a very agitated Haruka.
"Haruka!" Shouted an upset Michiru. She continued on to say, "This is not the time to be snapping at each other."
" Since you were focusing on her leg, is it possible you missed something?" asked an upset Raye.
"Is it possible she has other injuries? Like a concussion or something?" Asked Darien.
"It's possible, but not likely. I'll try again anyway." Said Leo.
He stuck his hands out right over her forehead and closed his eyes. A minute passed, then a second, then a third, and nothing happened. Two minutes more passed and still nothing. Then Leo opened his eyes and looked at them.
Took a deep breath then in an almost defeated tone said "I can't."
"What do you mean you can't?" Asked both Piper and Raye at the same time.
"There nothing left needing to be healed. Physically she completely fine, totally healthy." Answered Leo.
"What does that mean? Physically she fine? There is obviously something wrong with her!" Shouted a very upset Raye.
As if understanding broke over her, Paige's features tensed as she looked up at them all and then spoke, "What he means is that Whatever the problem is, it's a magical one."
The room went silent for a few moments as they all tried to process Paige's news flash.
"It was a spell." Said Piper.
"What was?" asked Leo.
"The attack the demon threw at me." Said Piper. "It bounced off the mirror over the bar and must have hit Serena when she pushed Paige out of the way." Piper continued on to say.
"But what about that flash of light?" Asked Paige.
"The Crystal!" Said Raye.
"What crystal?" asked Piper.
"The imperium Silver Crystal. Long story short, its Serena's strongest weapon. It must have reacted to what hit Serena." Said Raye.
"It must have tried to counteract the effects of what hit Serena." stated Michiru who caught on to what Raye was saying.
"Must have taken a lot of power to cause her to detransform like that." Said Haruka who seemed to finish out the train of thought started by Raye.
"Were going to need Phoebe's help on this." Said Piper.
"Paige, you go and get Phoebe and bring her back to the manor." Ordered Piper
"Leo you take everyone back to the house, then you accompany Raye back to where the rest of her friends are staying and bring them back to the manor. I'll meet you there as soon as I take care of things here." Was Piper's second order.
Before anyone could argue, Paige orbed out to get phoebe, and Leo managed to orb everyone else back to the house. Then Piper Set off to what she had to do before meeting back up with everyone at the manor.