Dear Readers,
Greetings! SailorLeia here with a pipping hot new chapter for you. So tickled to finally be getting these chapters posted, and we're inching closer and closer to the finale. I love this story so much and can't believe how many years it's been. But enough of my yakking, let's get back to this party.
Special Thanks to the two new followers of this story! Thank you so much!
And my one Guest reviewer, I translated your review and appreciate the positivity. Thank you so much!
Dedicated to Penny, our puppy that we were able to get the day after Black Friday (2021). She has brought so much more joy light and laughter to our everyday. Which we needed after losing so many of our dear pets. She looks like a beagle with very icy blue eyes. But she's a miniature Australian shepherd/lab mix. Her favorite toys are balloons and she's just turned a year old this past September. She was an early Christmas present last year that we will always cherish.
"A Memorable Christmas"
Chapter 12 - Decked Out
This Place Has Got To Go!
(Ann's Perspective)
After I finished eating the cracker what-cha-ma-call-it, I realized I need three things before I could blow this place away. Three things before I could exact some revenge. So I made my boss station invisible and returned to the ground. I ran back into that god-forsaken building. And ran through the crowds looking for two faces. The first one I saw was Garrett, So I stopped him and asked him, "Hey? What was that thing you got me to eat?"
He looked at me strangely and asked, "You've never had a s'more before? Never?"
"A what?" I asked him.
"A S'more?" He repeated slowly and spelled for me. "It's fire-roasted marshmallow and chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers. We used to eat them every Christmas Halloween and Summer camp growing up. I thought everyone did," He explained.
Then he asked, "Did you not like it?"
"No. I loved it! I just didn't know what it was." I told him.
"Oh." He said, sounding relieved. "Glad you liked it then."
That had been one of the things I needed to be sure of, now came number two. I asked Garrett, "Were you passing on brotherly advice out there at that bonfire? Like your brother always does? Or were you flirting with me? Or Trying to hit on me?"
"Pfft!" He smiled, "Well, if you have to ask me. I mustn't have been doing a very good job of either."
"No, it's not like that," I told him, being real. "You're the only person I talked to at this thing that didn't make me regret coming here. Really. I was just curious since my crush is tripping and my relationship before that seemed neverending. I feel like I don't trust my own judgment anymore."
Before he said anything or I could say anything else, he caught me by my waist and planted a kiss on my unsuspecting lips. I don't know what surprised me more. The fact that he kissed me, or the fact that I kissed him back and even clung to his shoulders and closed my eyes. Alan was always so safe and careful with me. Protective even, I'd always imagined Darien to be the same way. I thought that was my type. But this moment with Garrett felt completely wild and I didn't hate it.
When we pulled apart,he winked at me and said, "It's like I told ya Annie, you are the most beautiful woman at this party. If you're at that Ball tomorrow night, you'll probably smoke that crowd too. All an all, don't let it ruin your Christmas that one guy, or multiple men let you down. Own it. You're a Queen, act like one."
I think it's safe to say he was flirting, don't you?
Anyway, I'll have time to think about all of that tomorrow. For now, I just need to find Alan and ask him for help again. But Alan wasn't even hearing me, he was sitting in a circle of people talking all things Christmas. Learning recipes, crazy traditions, kooky myths and something about how "Frosty" came to life. Yet his snowman sat melting on our balcony. So I swiped his deck of Cardians from his pocket and left before he could notice.
Then I ran back outside and flew back up to my command stand. Which I made visible again as I turned into my true self again. I couldn't awaken them the same way Alan did, with music. He really uses a little too much T.L.C. if you ask me, but they would follow my commands. I told it to attack that house, that party, but it bombarded the empty house next door instead. Leave it to me to pick the dud card of the deck when I'm a solo act.
Just as I had regained control of my beast, a fireball the size of a car wizzed past me. To kill my cardian, before I could even get it to serve its purpose. So I turned around and screamed into the darkness. "Who in the HELL threw THAT?"
The Flame-Thrower…
(Mars Perspective)
I answered the David Bowie wannabe, "That would be me."
She spat, "Who the hell are you?"
I love it when they ask me that. "I'm Sailor Mars, one-fifth of the most kick-ass batch of bitches on this planet."
Pinky (she means Ann) seethed, "If that's true then how come I've never heard of you?"
"Complicated story arc," I shrugged. "Probably too complicated for you're little over-bleached mind to grasp. Let me clue you in, the 80s are over, your monster is toast and if you bring out another one. I just might cook you along with it."
She sent an attack at me that missed me and slammed into an innocent person in Andrew's backyard. I shouted, "Hey! Pick on someone your own size. Leave civilians and bystanders out of this."
"Aww, but where's the fun in that?" She claimed awakening another card in her demented deck.
The moment this monster was towering over us. I used, "Mars… Fire… IGNITE!"
The thing was ash on the clean white snowy ground. When the pink demon (Ann, again) looked over at me in shocked hostility I crossed my arms and boasted, "It may have been a while since I fought but let me assure you. I'm still hot."
Miss-Pink-Lady Lovely Locks wasn't impressed, she let out a shriek so shrill. So frustrated and anguished I almost felt remorse for the little hellion. ALMOST. But then she shuffled her deck and started to deal out cards awakening every single one. I tried to keep count but I was running too fast to keep at it after ten beasts were on my hot little red high heels. I blasted two of the bastards but there were just too many, I couldn't do this on my own. I tried to lead them off a ways from the party. But these creeps were good about separating their jobs. Half the crowd was chasing me another mass was heading for the party I was supposed to attend. Just when I had been about to be owned by the small army targetting me-
Familiar attacks of green lightning and blue ice bubbles took out all of my foes. I called out, "MERCURY? JUPITER? GUYS?"
That was when I saw them, all three of them standing in the moonlight. Misty-eyed and smiling brightly, Sailor Moon was the first one to ask, "Mars? Is that really you?"
I threw my arms out and said, "Get over here and quit crying, Meatball Head."
Then we group hugged, just before a huge explosion brought us all screeching back to reality. I told them, "We'll get back to this later. When there's time, right now we've got a lot of ass to kick and so little time."
"RIGHT!" My teammates agreed in stereo.
Before Serena felt the need to tell me, "I know this is a little hard to wrap your mind around but the Generals are reformed and teammates of ours now-"
"I know." I waved her off, "I know all about that."
"YOU DO?" They asked me incredulously.
"Yes!" I maintained, "I'll tell you how later. Right now they need our help. I lost count after Totally 80s Barbie up there with a bad dye job awakened ten of these freak tarot card rejects. We need everyone doing all we can, and someone has got to take that deck of cards away from her. She's a loose cannon."
Sailor Moon said, "I'll see if I can get her stack. You all help the boys."
"RIGHT!" We all agreed with our leader.
I know it's dangerous, scary, and I can imagine how crazy I sound. But I was having a blast out there running in the freezing cold with my team again. After months of not being able to see what I was missing. Being with all of them again like this was such a relief. Such a treat, and I hoped for three big things. I hoped that we all get through this fight alive and without injury. I hoped Jadite would let me explain and hear me out. Even if he wants to remain separated. And I hoped that I will never face a day again where I've lost this part of myself and my friends.
The next corner I rounded, I saw a beast with curling ram horns coming out of its head. Ramming Jadeite into a wall. I blasted the brute, but it was still too strong to die. The Monster just ended up blasting its own ally. A hulking figure stood nearby and freed Jaden. He locked eyes with me, but before anything could be said, completely different monsters crashed into both of us. Jaden was just knocked over, but my adversary took me with it and then pitched me airborne and into a deep snow bank left by a plow.
When I couldn't manage to climb back out, I blasted my way out with flames. The first ally I saw from our side was Kunzite. He had three monsters contained in a dome of energy above his head. He was spinning the ball-like prison on his finger like a basketball. As he greeted me, "Welcome Back Sailor Mars. Really your flames are a welcome necessity to this frozen battlefield."
I asked him, "Have you always been able to do that?"
He smirked, "Nuh, I spent a minute on it. But it looks cool, right?"
I almost laughed but then that Ram-neanderthal was back and digging its stomping foot like it was about to charge. It let out a malice billy-goat "bah!" But it was so distorted it sounded demonic, or autotuned the bad way.
Before it could take a run at us, Nephrite leaped high into the air above it and slammed it hard into the ice. With a supercharged pointed elbow. They left a crater in the thick snow that you could have landed a small plane in. The monster disappeared and a tarot card-looking thing appeared where it had been slain. Nephrite picked up the card and waved it at me saying, "Good to have ya back, Flames."
I had to admit, "It's good to be back."
Zane asked, a bit strangled, "Is it really?" As he tried to break outta the chokehold he was in hanging a good foot above the iced ground. Mercury blasted his aggressor, and they both walked over to our little gathering group. Jupiter was thrown into the general direction and walked the rest of the way to join us. Jadeite stated obviously when he joined, "It's no use we're surrounded."
"What?!" I asked incredulously.
While Lita beat me to it, "That's Bull-Sh*t! We've still got this. We just need to focus our attacks and keep knocking them off one by one by ONE! It's not over. What kind of heroes are you? Quitting so easy?"
Mercury agreed, "Right, girls. I think it's time we show these boys who have been stuck with our job all year. Just how potent and fatal girl power can be in times like these."
Jupiter laughed, sounding like she was enjoying this already. "I got you, Mercury! Everybody form a circle, standing back to back, and allow me to kick off this strike." Then her arms crossed and her antenna rose from her tiara. "Jupiter… Thunder… Dragon… CRASH!" Her usual lightning attack took the form of a dragon and flew in a zig-zag motion killing some monsters and weakening others.
Mercury was so empowered by her attack it lifted her two feet off the ground as she added, "Mercury… Ice-Bubbles… Yeti… FREEZE!" Her misty ice bubbles took shape of a giant snow monster and thrashed the gathered enemies into frozen statues.
I don't know how I knew this would work, I just said what came to me. I felt my powers update as my power lifted me the way it had Mercury. And I said, "Mars… Fire… Phoenix…THRASH!"
My typical flames were bigger than ever, forming a huge flaming bird that took out even more monsters.
All Four Kings of Heaven stood with their mouths hanging open. If our crazed boss hadn't been able to keep awakening monsters. I know our fight would have been over right there. But since she had been replacing everyone we killed with a new foe. We were still drowning in invaders coming from all sides.
Kirk announced, "The girls are right men! They took the first wave, now it's our turn."
"And we've spent a year honing our talents." Zane pointed out, Before all four men unleashed their powers. Nathan was super strong and star power that shot from his forehead like a beam of straight starlight. Kirk was really talented at forcefields trapping and crushing things if not an unbelievably strong blast of blue power. Zane was either still using his blast of petals, poisonous burs, and pointed crystal shards or using a touch-screen computer. That looked like something outta Star Trek. At one point he used a magical keyboard of piano keys that appeared in front of him and played a tune that brought all monsters within a certain span to their knees.
Jaden's attacks were somehow mixing fire and ice, just as I remembered. He could make weapons out of both, or blast an enemy away. I know we all had so much to do, so much at stake, our lives were still on the line.
But I kept looking back at him, wishing for a sign or an inkling. A look my way, a glance that could assure me that he still cared. I was so wrapped up in my own thoughts. I almost missed it when Amy made the next command.
"YOU-GUYS!" She called over all of the noise. "There's a lull in enemies right now. Let's see if we can take back the advantage and group the enemies in one place instead of surrounding us."
SO that became the new game, Roundup! And Hold um! We needed to get all of the monsters trapped and together. So that when Sailor Moon tried to end this, hopefully, she wouldn't need to overdo so much. That seemed to be a major concern for all four of our kings. I was afraid to ask what had given them that impression. So we Scouts and Kings all focused on this new plan. All the while hoping Serena had managed to steal our enemy's deck of Cardians.
"Come on Sailor Moon!" I think I said out loud. "Get that deck."
Botching a Boss
(Serena's Perspective)
Being a Sailor Scout definitely has it's set lists of pros and cons. When you're Sailor Moon you are the leader. While I can do amazing things one of the things I can't do is attack like all of my teammates can. So while I let them banter with the beasts running amuck on the ground level. I took on the hefty task of taking out our current boss. She was sitting like a turkey, just waiting to be gobbled up. I was surprised to discover it was just one of the twisted twins overseeing everything tonight (usually it's a set that we can't decide whether they're siblings or lovers). I noticed that each time a monster was defeated. As if on cue a new one came to life, and her stack of cards she drew from never appeared to get any lighter somehow.
I'd managed to figure all of that out just fine. The thing that I was having a difficult time deciphering was how in the hell was I gonna reach where she was. She was sitting in the sky, watching everything from a glass box of energy that sat there suspended high in the air with nothing holding it up. As I climbed the tallest tree I could find, I was still nowhere near her dwelling and my team was running out of steam.
Thankfully one of the other things we Sailor Soldiers can do is jump really high. I had decided to try my luck, when I heard a rustling in the tree next to mine. It gave me pause, and it was a good thing that it did too. It had been a monster set on shooting down one of my teammates. It's barrels had been aimed at Jadite, then another aiming for Nephrite. Thankfully I took them out easily using my tiara before anyone was hurt. (I was a little amazed my tiara had worked, it hasn't for several battles. It was like it needed to store up a charge or something)
It was gonna be time to end this with my Imperium Silver Crystal soon. I needed to know this fight would end when I did. Everyone has already been on my case about using the crystal too much and the risks involved (I could die if I'm not careful and I already have died a few times. I don't want to add to that tally needlessly).
As I stood there mind racing, someone appeared right behind me.
"Princess?" A familiar voice inquired. At first I thought it was Darien. But no, it was the Moonlight Knight.
"Apologies for startling you," he inclined his head. "But how can I be of service in this scrimmage?"
My brothers-in-arms (and probably the Scouts too now) hate him. They say I shouldn't trust him, and they think he has ulterior motives. But something about him, I can't help but trust him. So I shared that I was "Trying to reach where our boss was sitting to steal her deck of Cardians." But I confessed honestly, "I have no idea how to get up there, it's not like I can fly or anything. I mean I might be able to leap up there but-"
"Thy will shall be done, your highness." He bowed perfectly, even though we were both hardly balancing on tree limbs. Then he took out a grenade-looking device, pulled the pin from it, and pitched it perfectly so it landed in the floor of the box the alien boss was standing on. It flooded her little area with knock-out gas, that she immediately started to choke on the fumes before rendering her unconscious. Passed out on the floor of her floating cubby.
He made a white rose appear from thin air and used it to shatter the box of energy like glass. She was dropped along with her deck of cards. The Moonlight Knight didn't even bother to really go after the deck. He didn't concern himself with where it or how our enemy landed either. He just waited for the cards to fall into his outstretched palm before handing them gallantly over to me.
I was so tickled I kissed him on the cheek and thanked him before rushing off to end this hell. Or more like I kissed where I think his cheek was, it was aggressively shrouded in a white cloth so it's hard to tell and even less likely to count as a kiss. I hope it just showed my appreciation.
By this time my squad had done a good job of rallying all monsters in the street. Far enough away from everything so that this could end quickly and painlessly as possible. I could see Kunzite had contained them all in a forcefield. I locked eyes with him and told him to release the shield at the right moment. He nodded and I started to use my scepter to finish the confrontation. Which did take out more than half of them, but the remaining monsters were still too strong and wouldn't go down. So the last six or so creatures had to be taken out by my legendary silver crystal power. It hadn't been easy at all, but finally, this game was over.
I thought I was okay, I started to head toward my team. Huddled right by Andrew's front yard, but as I tried to walk back. The ground rushed up toward my face and everything went black.
In retrospect, I think I had just over-exerted for like the millionth time since my reawakening. If it had been one monster left. I would have been fine. A few, I could still do well, I know it. I really think it was because there were six. Six remaining monsters had completely tapped me out. As the cold crush of the snow surrounded me. I hoped that someone had seen me go down, I tried to shout but nothing came out. That was the last I remember seeing for a while.
Meanwhile in the Furahata Family Room…
(Darien's Perspective)
I have no idea where Serena went.
I feel like I've looked everywhere and no sign of her.
Nearly everyone was in the back of the house still dancing on the 'dancefloor.' Though the ballroom here was really a repurposed laundry room. Hey, it was a wide open space with music blaring, and a fancy light dimmer. That's where nearly everyone was.
The rest were singing carols around the piano, loudly and off-key. (Probably a little more than tipsy too)
As I started to worry, I found a compact gathering of familiar faces around the family room sofas. Andrew sat with an arm around Rita, while talking to Lizzie and Garrett. I asked the four of them had any of them seen my date. But none of them had…
I was really starting to worry and all of the alarm bells in my mind were going off for some reason. Rita, Garrett and Lizzie all headed back to rejoin the festivities. Leaving just Andrew and me.
Andrew said, "Duuuuuude!"
"What?" I asked.
"Take it easy," He advised. "She's here somewhere, she's probably just having fun. Date her, don't commandeer her, that's not gonna earn you points."
"I'm not trying to do anything like that." I shot back at him, before trying to verbalize. "I've just got a bad feeling like something terrible is happening or something bad is about to happen."
"Uh oh!" Andrew exclaimed, "That feeling of yours is pretty accurate sometimes." Then he decided on another course of action claiming. "Pfft, but hey, it isn't ALWAYS right. Right?"
Then he started to open the blinds on the window and swear. "It's not like we're gonna peek outside and see armageddon or anything."
But when the blinds did open a blinding light hurt our eyes. A light that overtook everything like nothing I'd ever seen before. After that I was blind and so was Andrew. Just as soon as we were able to focus our eyes again and not see blotches of painful inkiness in our sight. Someone was knocking at the front door, connected to the family room. Andrew deftly flung the door open to reveal the same turban-wearing nut-job that saved me in the park the night after the Arcade party.
He addressed us both as, "Citizens? A battle has just taken place in your street. This young heroine has swooned after saving us all again."
Andrew asked him, "Is that Sailor Moon you're carrying or am I still blind?"
I rushed forward thinking it was Serena for a moment… but no. It couldn't be, I was just acting crazy. We let him bring her in and lay her on the couch. Rita rushed back in and said, "Oh dear! What happened to her?"
"She saved the world." The Knight said proudly, he ran a finger down the girl's cheek swearing. "Once again, Sailor Moon has triumphed over evil, and given everything she had to do so." Before locking eyes with me and telling me. "I had to bring her back to the one she truly belongs to."
That was when Kirk, Jaden, Nate and Zane all came rushing at the Arabian Knight to pin him up against the nearest brick wall. All of them were sporting nearly matching military-looking outfits. I wondered where or why they'd changed when Kirk demanded of the Knight, "What happened to her to piece of sh*t?"
While Nathan added, "Why is she always like this whenever you bring her back from a fight?"
Andrew tried in vain to defuse the situation, tugging at Kirk's arm. While I was pulling back Nathan. Saying, "There had to be a better way of talking this out." But Kirk wasn't deterred, he practically growled waiting for an explanation.
The masked man all clad in white smiled appreciatively at Kirk's snarling face. As he complimented, "The princess is very lucky. To have the four of you, as well as her Scouts, in her corner. But Alas, I am not the one at fault in this instance. She simply has overdone it once again. Using her crystal as a last resort and overusing it. I was simply returning her to the place and person where she belongs."
"Here?" Andrew questioned, but no one heard him.
Jaden stepped toward Kirk to bark at the Knight, accusingly. "No, what you did was endanger her and shot her secret identity all to hell. That's what you just did!"
Kirk threw the knight towards the door swearing "That's enough! Get the hell outta here and thanks for nothing."
But the man in too much white, didn't leave immediately. He rushed toward Sailor Moon, he took one of her hands in both of his and kissed it. But since she was wearing gloves and he was concealed by all of that headdress. I'm not sure it counts or anything. His pointer finger brushed the silver crystal sitting in the center of Sailor Moon's bow before the man disappeared before our very eyes like magic. Apparently, he deactivated the heroine's transformation because first, her uniforms reverted to ribbons, then normal clothes.
To my complete bewilderment, in the place where Sailor Moon had been a moment ago. Serena was laying right now and she didn't look well at all, she was ice cold and white as a sheet.
Beside me, I numbly remember Andrew saying, "Serena's… Sailor Moon… Did you know?"
I couldn't speak, I was too shocked. I think I did manage to shake my head at him, but I'm not sure. You know how people talk about the world feeling like it stops during important or unforgettable moments? Well in this moment, my whole world came to a screeching halt. I sat next to her, I held her hand and I tried to make my mind work. But everything froze for a little bit there and when I resurfaced again. Kirk was the one to snap me out of it. He'd grabbed me by the shoulders and said, "HEY!"
"Huh?" I'd answered.
He'd explained the importance of getting Serena somewhere safer. Just before telling me that I had to let go of her. So that they could take her via teleportation. She was too cold and sick to go on mobile and she wouldn't be able to hang on. As soon as I let go of her hand she was gone, and my panic was back in full. I turned to Nathan and asked him. "Where is he taking her? The Mansion?"
"Yeah," Nathan confirmed. "This isn't the first time we've dealt with this. She'll be fine, Darien. All she needs is rest and a steady stream of moonlight."
"Moonlight?" I heard myself ask at the same time as Andy and Rita who pat me on my shoulder.
"Yep, Serena's sheeeee's- well, I don't have to tell the three of you how special she is." Nathan smiled. "She's one of a kind."
"She sure is," Rita nodded.
Andrew marveled, "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it… Serena's Sailor Moon. But of course, she is. She'd have to be. It makes too much sense."
"It does?" Rita asked him but their words began to get further and further away. They were still standing right by me, I just couldn't hear them.
Everything after that was a total blur, all of the commotion. Of escorting people back to their homes and then finally when we were done with that. A bunch of us are heading back to the Mansion. I can't remember who rode with who, I can't remember if anyone was racing or throwing snowballs like before. All I do know is Ann's brother Alan had ridden back with me. Ann had been hurt during whatever battle had just taken place. She'd been found laying somewhere in Andrew's yard knocked out. She was supposedly still asleep, but Kirk and Company had taken her back to their home to look after her. She was being taken care of there and Alan seemed just as desperate to get to Ann as I was to reach Serena.
All that I can think when I try to remember details about it is that it all took far too long. All of it was grueling and felt like it would never end. Till the growing familiar gargantuan house came into view and I parked my mobile in the garage. Alan popped off the back of my mobile and raced in the house. As I climbed off myself I was overcome with the same sensation I had been suffering the other day. When I had to get to her… I HAD to. I just felt like I couldn't even take a full breath till I saw her again.
When I reached the head butler Jeeves I asked him, "Do you happen to know where your guys could have taken Serena? She wasn't feeling well."
The older gentlemen smiled assuringly and nodded. "Yes young sir, my masters had an inkling that you would feel this way. They will take you to her, but they have asked that this small group of persons follow me. For I have been informed of the little mishap that took place during the party."
"A mishap?" The girl standing behind me asked. "My best friend is Sailor Moon, and her secret identity was outed. I'd figured it out ages ago and it was merely a formality to me. But you're calling that a mishap?"
Rita asked her, "You figured it out? And your Serena's best friend?"
"Since Kindergarten." The girl (Molly)nodded proudly. Her boyfriend Melvin with coke bottle glasses so thick you couldn't see his eyes. Confirmed that he too had known and cared for Serena that long too. The same guy even embarrassingly admitted that he'd used to have a little crush on Serena too. But he was long over that since he'd realized that Molly was the keeper of his heart. This painfully ridiculous conversation lasted our whole walk to the place where Zane and Nate were waiting for us.
I couldn't tell you most of what they said or asked. I had tunnel vision, I just did and said what I had to. Whatever it took to get me to Serena. They wanted to make certain that none of us would announce the secrets we'd learned tonight, to the world. Stressing that it wouldn't simply endanger Serena, their team, or cause. It could also throw all of us into considerable danger.
I really didn't care about any of that, I knew I wouldn't tell. All I cared about was getting to see her and know that she was alright. When the last time I had seen her she'd been knocked out and white as snow.
Shitennou Panel [minus Jadeite and Kunzite]
(Nathan's Perspective)
I know that there were next to a million other things I was supposed to be doing right now. I know we were close to being ready for everything happening tomorrow. But there was still a mountain of things waiting for my last word or approval. Things that I really needed to get locked down tonight rather than tomorrow. But because of a certain turban sporting malcontent, I could name. Purposefully revealing our leader's identity to a small party of people. I had to drop everything and deal with the repercussions of this latest blow.
All while Serena's still asleep from her overuse of the Imperium Silver Crystal and overuse of her Scepter as well. Mercury, Mars and Jupiter are all helping her warm up and change into sleepwear. All while she's still knocked out, thank GOD we have girls for all of this now. Before we had to hire female waitstaff just to deal with things like this.
Mina (Venus) was one of the people who we should be briefing right now. Thankfully she was too drunk to notice anything was amiss. Kunzite is helping her, by maintaining her mostly till she passes out (Which judging by the number of empty cups we'd counted around her… it wasn't if she faints, it a when she faints).
Jadite has volunteered to keep watch over Serena after the girls are through. And till Darien takes over, we all know that's where he's heading. I'm amazed he hasn't started snapping at all of us yet for holding him up. Back during the Elysion era, he would have pitched a fit and already hauled ass up to where ever we were keeping her. I guess Darien does have better mastery of his emotions.
Luckily the few people who were involved, are all dear friends of Serena's (and ours). Zoisite had thought ahead and drawn up all of these pages upon pages of data. About how Serena would want things handled. In case anything like this ever happened and she was not around to give her opinion. Zoisite had a pile of color-coded sheets of paper in front of him all in Serena's handwriting. One for each person who had been standing there or around, before we could teleport her outta there.
Alan did come around later when we found his sister knocked out and in the snow. She was resting in the clinic part of our house. As these last few guests were arriving and coming inside Alan went running past us to get to his sister. Thankfully he was still oblivious to being under a roof packed with vigilantes. Hopefully so is Ann. I don't have a beef with either of them but Ann is always so cruel to Serena. Something about both of them makes me reluctant to trust them.
Besides inebriated Mina and stoney silent Darien, the other people who had been there were Molly, Melvin, Andrew, Rita, Lizzie, and Garrett. As they walked in with Jeeves, I tried to prepare myself for anything. Basically, the only way we could cover all the questions they were bound to have was to run a quick panel. At the end of all of their questions, we could swear them all to secrecy and move on with our lives.
So all seven people sat down along the couches and chairs in the area we'd chosen. Which was by a lit fireplace. We'd figured they all had to be cold from the cold journey here. So as they warmed themselves we opened up the floor for questions.
Molly stated, "I just have one question really? Besides is she okay?"
"She is," I [Nephrite] assured, even promising, "Once we're done here you can even go see her if you would like."
"We would," She confirmed for herself and her boyfriend. Before asking, "How long has she had to keep this hidden from me? Do you guys know? Or do I need to wait and ask her when she's awake again?"
Zoisite said, "Feel free to still confirm this with her. But we were her enemies at the time and we know exactly when she first showed up. It was nearly two full years ago. It was approximately, one year, eleven months and two weeks ago."
"ENEMIES?" Melvin wigged out, "You were her enemies a year, then her teammate another full year nearly?"
I explained, "We're here because she saved us. Because her heart was big enough to see that we had been trapped and never been free to act of our own free will."
Zane back me up, "If she hadn't, there's no way we'd be here. Sharing Christmas with all of you, we would have been long gone."
I felt the need to tack in there, "Not to mention Beryl and Metalia would have taken over the world and destroyed it."
After that, Molly and Melvin were sworn to secrecy and led to where Serena was resting. Which left us with the majority of the Furahata party. And Darien who eyed Jeeves, and us murderously when someone besides him was let go. Even though Zane was kind enough to tell him. "We know that when we let you see her Darien. You're likely to not want to leave and the others deserve a chance to see her too. Don't you think?"
He glares and screamed a venomous, "NO!" That could have blown both Zane and my hair straight back on our heads. But he gritted out a short, "Yeah." And that was it… Whoo! This reincarnation has changed him some. Endymion would be tearing down the walls by now.
Andrew began to talk next, asking normal questions like. "How many of us were there? How many girls and guys? Why all of the emphasis on the number four when there are in fact five guys? Was Tuxedo Mask the fifth guy? Why hadn't he been mentioned lately?"
All good questions that were asked pretty calmly, for someone who had to be so shocked. After a while of rapid-fire questions and answers, however. Rita interrupted Andrew and asked him, flat out. "How are you so accepting and calm about this? We just found out that sweet and innocent little Serena is a warrior Princess from the Light side of the Moon. She's even a reincarnated ruler of a thing called a 'Moon Kingdom' or 'Silver Millenium'. How are you capable of acting so chill right now? When I don't know her as well or long as you and I'm freaking out?"
He stage-whispered to her, "I'll tell ya later."
Darien shot up from his seat and announced loudly, "I have to go to the bathroom." Then he took off for the direction of the nearest restroom like a shot out of a gun. I had Jeeves follow him and make sure that he didn't go anywhere else till he's sworn his secrecy.
While we were preoccupied with that, Andrew took Rita's hand and explained. "The reason that I'm so calm is that I've been so nervous for a very long time about Sailor Moon's identity."
"Why?" Rita demanded while Garrett, Lizzie, and the both of us all listened carefully.
Before he said anything else to Rita. He confirmed with us, "You know the reason for Darien's muddled memories, don't you? Do you know about his life, last year? If you were Sailor Moon's enemies, you were Darien's too."
Zane confirmed, "Yes, we know he's Tux and he doesn't know he's Tux."
Andrew nodded, "I thought you did, but since the first day he told me he was Tuxedo Mask. He was also talking about Sailor Moon all the time. I knew he had developed a soft spot for her too. I noticed he liked her, but I knew he loved Serena. So since that day, I've been afraid this other girl would mess it all up. Now that I know Serena's Sailor Moon, I feel so overwhelmingly relieved. Because he seems to love her, no matter who she feels like being today. It just justifies so much."
Rita smiled and nodded saying, "You really are nosy, and meddlesome."
'What?" Andrew asked.
Rita clarified, "I don't know anyone else who is this concerned with everyone around him."
Lizzie added, "Most people can't see past the brim of their own nose. But you Andy, you are special that way."
The moment was shattered by Darien being brought back by two beefy-looking security guards. We'd upped security since the Gala would be happening tomorrow night. Looks like that had been a good idea in more ways than one. We thanked our guards and let them go back to stand by the staircases. In case Darien got brave again, we swore the rest of the group into secrecy. Before letting them do as they like. Andrew and Rita hung back to watch how Darien handled the spotlight. Now that he was the only remaining person left. Who needed to take the oath of silence.
I asked him, "You've been quiet this whole time. Too quiet if you ask me, how are you taking the news?"
He FINALLY snapped "None of your business."
There's the Endy we knew… just when I thought he was completely dormant. Zane looked at me, just as relieved to see our old friend and pressed further. "Now if you're gonna act like that why should we trust you? That you won't run up there and break up with her, hurt her or make her feel bad?"
"Do you honestly think I could do that?" He asked.
"I hope not," I tried to explain to him. "Everything we're doing right now is trying to make everything a little easier when Serena does wake up."
That's when the emotions took him over, and he found the words. "Because I don't-can't talk about this, not till I'm with her again. I need to talk to Serena before I know how to feel, what to feel, or anything. I can't know that till I talk to her. Till I see with my own eyes that she's okay."
That's when Zane said this beautiful speech. He said, "You don't know-Can't know how vital Sailor Moon is to us. When we met Serena as free people, she was a leader without a team while we were a team without a leader. She didn't just make this work either, she went up, above, and beyond the call of duty. She befriended us all, introduced us to her friends, to get us to socialize and because of that, we all met the loves of our lives. That was all made possible through her kindness. When her teammates all started to come back, she made certain to keep assuring us no matter what the girls said or thought. She wasn't dropping us, we were a team and we would always be a team now. She was telling them they were a new and better team because of these changes."
Andrew interjected, "Yep! That's Serena. She would totally say all of that."
Darien even smirked a little, claiming, "That isn't hard to picture."
I [Nathan] cut in and shared, "We're not bad guys anymore, Darien. We never will be again if we can help it. We've only been so hard on you, particularly because we're worried about letting you near her before you had a chance to think and process things. Because we were afraid that you could hurt her… even unintentionally. It doesn't help when she's been telling us for ages that she's scared of you finding this out, more than anyone else."
Darien asked, "What's she so scared of?"
"That you won't want nothing to do with her anymore if you knew all her secrets," Zane told him. Before sharing, "Believe me, the same fear has kept all of us awake a night or two. Having that one person we care about most, know such a deeply rooted secret. It's a very normal way to feel, try not to get insulted by it."
Then Darien smiled and said genuinely, "Thanks guys. I really… thanks for telling me that. I think I know what to say to her whenever she does wake up tonight or tomorrow. Thanks."
After that he was finally sworn in and taken to his princess' bedside. I made Zane promise me to never put me through something like this ever again. After I secured his promise to at least try to never put me through such sit-in's again. I ran off to finalize as much as I could before tomorrow.
Far Too Much Time Later…
(Darien's Perspective)
It felt like it took days, to finally get led to where she was. When I got there, I really didn't want to leave. I just wanted to watch over her, to sit near her, and make sure that she wasn't hurt. I was expecting all kinds of pushback from her band of protectors. However, they all seemed to have other things to do. Even thanked me for doing them the favor of staying with her. So after Molly, Melvin, Andrew, and everyone else cleared out. I had changed into some sleepwear and readied for sleep. Before I relieved Jaden and took the seat beside her, just watched her rest.
Jaden, was the one who had been stationed to watch her before I got here. He advised, "It's best if she stays in the moonlight. Sometimes she'll be good and stay where it's purest. But some nights (like tonight apparently) she keeps rolling out of it. You may need to nudge her or lift her back into it. D'ya think you can handle that, slim?"
"Yeah, I got that," I promised before the three left without much else to say.
As soon as the door closed it re-opened though and Nathan said, "Better keep your hands to yourself too. I would warn you that we'd blast your hands off if we catch wind of any foul play. But let's be real about this, she'll blast them off herself if you try anything. Free advice. Nighty night, don't do anything we wouldn't do."
Then the room was quiet and dark for a while. This whole time I had been so concerned for Serena. Who I now know to be Sailor Moon too. I hadn't been able to really think or digest any of this new information that had just been thrown at me. It was there in the dim room that was only lit by Moonlight and the light of a lit Christmas tree. With her, breathing in and out, watching the rise and fall of her chest I was finally able to compute any of what had just happened.
Serena was the vigilante always appearing in the news. Sailor Moon! The guys had explained that that was why she seems so flaky, she was always so hungry and tired (Molly discredited this immediately stating that Serena was already like that before she was a superheroine). She's a teenage girl living a double life.
Apparently, she's been afraid of me finding this out, in particular. She was scared I wouldn't want to date her anymore if I knew. I appreciated so much, the guys letting me know this. Because it allowed me to prepare a little for the talk that needs to happen here. All I had to do was tell them that was the last thing I wanted to do. Now I'm finally here, hoping she'll wake up her normal bubbly self and nothing dampens that… Especially me.
That's all for now!
Identities were revealed, punches were thrown, MARS is BACK! I had so much fun writing her too. Don't worry I'll post the next chapter tomorrow. I hope everyone is enjoying. Next up, what's Serena gonna say when she wakes up? I can't wait for you guys to see. Till Then! Much Love!
~SailorLeia
