Invalid Response - Chapter 13
by Una Moonstar
ANs: Well, we're starting to wind down to the end, folks! But, we're not there yet. Oh, no, not by a long shot (or long chapter, whichever you prefer). So here we go, with a lot of action, an answer, and a pair of lovebirds getting comfortable. Enjoy!
(fade out...)
(begin chapter...)
Two horrified gasps came from two separate directions as the steel rod hovered threateningly in the air, an evil cackle echoing through the clearing. "Mercury Bubbles Blast!" was the immediate response, the icy mist cutting off all visibility. But it had lingered long enough.
"No!" Malachite's wicked growl snapped. "You won't stop me!" He tore one hand off the still-raised weapon and shot off a blue-black blast toward where he had last seen the startled Scout of Ice.
Serena impacted with him at almost the exact same time, her own cry of, "No!" covering the surprised scream from Amy who hadn't been expecting the retaliation. "Stay away from all of them, you bastard!"
They tumbled and rolled, a brief struggle for the rod ending in neither of them ending up with it as it flew away from them into the fog, lost from sight. "Sailor Moon!" Darien cried from his prone position. He couldn't see where they had gone, but he could hear the sounds of a physical battle between the two opponents. The grunts and growls from the general sounded even more unglued.
A higher pitched whoosh sounded off before he heard a response to his panicked shout. "I'm a bit busy, Tuxedo Mask," Serena wheezed. "Be with you in a minute."
"Don't count on that," replied the insane man, his silhouette looming for a moment above the caped hero.
From that point on Darien practically held his breath as he heard scuffled footsteps, brief snatches of heavy breathing, and the occasional impact of flesh against flesh as the battle continued. His natural healing ability was doing its job admirably, the feeling of sensation growing in his legs with each passing moment. He got the impression that Serena was somehow keeping the scuffle away from him so he could recover, not that he could quite understand how. But he would take advantage of the distraction, and heaven help Malachite when he was ready. The evil general wouldn't know what hit him.
The ebony-haired young man blinked as he realized the fog was finally thinning out, and he could see the two standing figures on either side of the fountain, circling it warily. He stayed quiet, not quite ready to try his land legs yet, but wanting to be prepared to help out with a well-timed rose if it became necessary. The last wisps of Mercury's attack drifted away, causing the two opponents to stop in their tracks and eye each other up. They were both a bit more battered and bruised than they had been before Serena had sprung from the underbrush, but the petite hero was better off for her hidden respite. Malachite clutched his side as he glared at the girl, a trickle of blood running down his chin from the corner of his mouth and his uniform dirty and torn.
Things were rushing headlong into the final climax, and Darien couldn't help but glance around to see if Serena had any other back up. Raye and Mina were still down for the count, and he could just make out Amy in the same condition. That random blast must have caught her just right, the young man thought with an inner cringe. He couldn't quite see Lita amongst the carnage, but from the last glance he had been able to take, he figured she was out of the picture as well. That left Serena alone. He gritted his teeth at the knowledge that he couldn't help her yet, his legs still not quite ready. Damn the blasted general. Damn him and his obviously dead partner Zoicite.
Serena shifted slightly, moving so that Darien couldn't see her face at all. But he could see Malachite's. The insanity-fed hatred made the formally-dressed hero shiver. He'd faced that himself during his own showdown with the man, but he knew he was finally seeing it directed at its true source. His soul felt fear for the young woman he loved. It would take everything she had to take him down.
"I don't know why you're so intent on taking me down, Malachite," the petite blonde said as her stance relaxed slightly. "I really can't think of why you could need revenge so badly. But it won't work."
"You're a foolish little girl for thinking so, Sailor Brat," Malachite snarled. "But I have the advantage here. There's nothing I won't do to reach my objective. You have morals that'll get in your way."
"I can win anyway, Malachite. And I'll prove it." There was a quick flick of her wrist and a second later she raised her arm above her head, Crescent Moon Wand in hand.
A ball of crackling blue-black energy began to form in the general's hand in response, but before he could throw it at the girl he was faced off against, he lurched forward surrounded by white lightning, finally falling to the ground twitching.
"Way to go, Jupiter!" Serena cried, clapping her hands together and jumping up and down a bit in her excitement.
Now that Malachite was out of the way, Darien could see the green fuku clad girl lying directly behind where the man had been standing. There was a small, triumphant smile on her face and she gave her leader a shaky thumbs up before passing out into unconsciousness. Serena gasped at that, but held herself together.
The blonde took a deep breath before raising her arm once again. "Moon Healing Activation!" she cried, the silver, sparkling light and energy flowing in a rush toward the downed general.
Malachite screamed as it washed over him, his weakened condition the only thing keeping him from shrugging it off. He twisted and writhed on the ground, random expletives escaping his lips. Serena firmed her stance and continued the attack, pouring more of herself into it. Darien could just imagine the immovable determination on her face as he started to pull his legs under himself, just as determined to be there to help the petite hero finish the job. Once he was upright he found he was shaky, but he moved forward anyway, stopping directly behind Sailor Moon's left shoulder.
Finally, just as Serena was beginning to think she couldn't keep this up for much longer, a black mist began to rise from the white-haired man's chest. Malachite arched his back, his face twisted in pain, as the miasma lingered, trying to hold on to its host. Sapphire blue eyes narrowed, and the girl poured even more into the energy wave. That caused her to waver slightly, but Darien put his arm tightly around her waist to support her. Without turning her attention away from the situation at hand, she smiled gratefully.
It took longer than hoped for to dissipate the dark energy that had filled the head general, but when it went, it went quietly, as though it had never been. Malachite's body flopped back to the grass, obviously spent, his breathing ragged and shallow. Serena stumbled over quickly, Darien immediately following. "Malachite?" the girl queried quietly, falling to her knees in her exhaustion. A part of her worried that she wouldn't be able to continue fighting if this didn't work.
Darien lowered himself carefully to one knee, ready to defend the hero at his side if need be. "Malachite, are you okay?"
Ice blue eyes fluttered open and stared blankly at the clear winter sky above them. The voices to his left finally registered, and he turned his head to face them. "No," he breathed, pausing to flinch as a wave of pain overtook him. "I'd have to say I'm nowhere near okay."
"What have I done?" Serena asked, stricken, dropping the wand to the ground at her side.
The prone man smiled faintly. "What you needed to do, Sailor Moon. You drove the dark energy from me at last. Oh, gods, at last!" He coughed weakly.
"Then why aren't you healed? You're supposed to be healed!" There was panic in the young woman's voice as she reached forward hesitantly to touch the former servant of Beryl's shoulder.
"I am healed," Malachite reassured her. "But the dark energy has sustained me for so long that my body won't last too much longer without it. I don't think you realize how long ago I was taken over by Beryl and Metallia."
Serena and Darien shared a look at that. "How long ago was it?" the ebony-haired young man asked gently, curiosity lacing his tone.
The man on the ground's eyes widened briefly as he finally focused on the formally-dressed hero. "If you don't remember, I'm not sure I can say. But rest assured it was long ago." Desperation filled the icy blue depths. "Please forgive me, forgive all of us," he begged. "We never meant to turn against you, never. She was too much to withstand..." Tears spilled down his cheeks. "The majority of us were lost before we ever reached the throne room. I think they were the lucky ones. I can only hope they were reborn as well." He locked his gaze with Darien's. "Can you forgive us?"
Darien gasped at the intensity that held his gaze. "If you were truly working for the Negaverse because you had been brainwashed and turned by Beryl's dark energy..." He pulled his eyes away with an effort and looked at Serena. Her sapphire blues were wide with sympathy and filled with tears. She answered his silent question with a simple nod as she took his right hand with her left. He took a deep breath and returned his attention to the fallen general. "I forgive you, Malachite, you and the others. It's Beryl that's the source of the evil, not you."
"Thank you," Malachite whispered, a shudder of relief wracking his weakening frame. "But Beryl isn't the source. She's always been a powerful tool of Metallia. She thinks she will rule by Metallia's side, but she never will. Have you noticed the increasing number of sunspots? That's Metallia. Beryl's been having us collect energy for her so she can release that... demon from her imprisonment. And she's very close. Don't lose your focus. The true source of it all is Metallia." His eyes fell onto the heroes' clasped hands as he fought to catch his breath. He smiled. "So you found each other at last. I'm glad. At least one of her plans failed."
"What do you mean?" Serena asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"
"You'll see. And sometime soon, I'm sure." A fit of coughing once again shook the white-haired man's frame. "I don't have much time left," he gasped once he had recovered. "Be sure to take the Blue Rainbow Crystal. It's no longer attached since the dark energy I used to do that is gone, but it's all that's sustaining me at the moment. It helped you, Sailor Moon, when you tried to heal me. You wouldn't have had the power otherwise, even as battered as I am. Bring the crystals together and summon the Silver Crystal. You'll need it to defeat Beryl and Metallia. And hold on to each other. You'll need each other, and the other Scouts, even more. Thank you, both of you. I can die in peace, forgiven and free from that evil taint on my soul. Thank you." With one last peaceful smile, Malachite gave up his last breath and died.
"No!" Serena cried as the body before her crumbled to dust and blew away in a supernatural wind, leaving only the blue crystal behind. "No, I healed him! I healed him!" Her head dropped as she began to cry.
Darien gathered her into his arms and tried to soothe her. "He said it had been too long, that only the dark energy had sustained him this long. He stayed long enough to help us. He earned our forgiveness. May he rest in peace." He bowed his own head onto hers.
It took another five minutes for Serena's tears to run their course although she still wore an unhappy expression. She sighed and leaned further into Darien's embrace, her eyes falling onto the blue Rainbow Crystal that lay in the grass. "Darien," she said softly, "why are you looking for the crystals?"
"What?" he responded involuntarily, his thoughts brought back suddenly from where they had wandered. "What do you mean?"
"I don't think you have evil intentions or anything, but I want to know why. Luna told us we needed to get them so that we could find the Moon Princess and protect her. What about you?"
Darien paused for a moment and realized that this hadn't come up yet in the few discussions they'd had while they'd both known the other's secret identity. "Dreams," was the young man's reply, as quiet as the original question. "I had dreams of a princess, and she asked me to bring her the crystals so she could be free. I was hoping that by freeing her I'd be able to get my memory back."
"So you're doing it for this princess," Serena clarified.
"Yeah."
"And so are we."
"Um, yeah."
The petite blonde hero grinned. "Then we are on the same side. I knew it!"
Darien blinked. "Well, yeah, I guess so. That doesn't mean you doubted me I hope."
"Oh, no, no," the girl said quickly. "But the others kinda did. You just proved I was right."
"I guess that's something then." He chuckled. "Although I don't think just you saying so is going to win my case."
She giggled in return. "Probably not. So who gets the blue crystal?"
"You," the caped hero said without an ounce of hesitation. "The girls' suspicions may be less if you end up with the upper hand."
Serena sighed and straightened herself as she reached out and took the crystal. "There has got to be a way for us to bring these things together and reassure the girls that you're okay." She looked over at the man at her side. "Should we do it now, while they're still out?"
"I thought you wanted to reassure them, Sailor Moon," Darien answered with a stress on her name. "Sneaking around behind their backs isn't a good way to do that. Besides, they'll think I put you up to it."
"Oh, yeah. That's true." She thought for a moment then snapped her fingers. "I've got it. I'll tell them that we talked after Malachite was gone and agreed to get together at the temple on Friday after your water therapy. We'll all be transformed of course, so no one has to reveal their secret identity. Then we'll bring out all the crystals in front of everyone, and see what happens."
Darien thought about it. "That just might work," he said finally. "That way everything is out in the open and there's nothing going on behind anyone's back. And then they can also see that I'm willing to work with you. Great idea, Serena." He smiled widely at her.
She returned it and gave him a quick hug. "We'll do it that way then. But you should probably get going. The natives are getting restless." She gestured her head to the side where a couple of the downed scouts were starting to groan and move.
"Point taken. I'll see you when you get back to the apartment." He got to his feet and helped Serena to hers. "Don't take too long," he whispered in her ear, grinning when he felt her shiver. He gave her a brief, intense kiss and dashed off.
She couldn't help but smile after him as Mina groaned even louder from her right. "I hope someone got the license plate of that bus," the Scout of Love grumbled as she shakily got to her feet. "Or at least Malachite. You did get him, didn't you, Sailor Moon?"
Serena turned a sad face to her friend. "Yeah, I got him."
"And you're not happy about this why?" Raye asked from behind her, reaching out and putting a comforting hand on her right shoulder.
"Did you get the crystal?" Amy asked, coming out of the brush in front of the meatball-headed blonde. "It was the blue Rainbow Crystal, right?" Serena nodded.
"I'm glad my last shot wasn't in vain then," Lita commented with a wry half-smile as she joined them from the left side. "I wasn't quite expecting it to knock me out for so long though."
"Go ahead and tell us the whole story, Sailor Moon," the blue-haired girl said gently.
Serena sighed. "I'm not going to describe every blow, but we fought. And finally he was weak enough that I thought I could use the wand on him and have it work. It did, although I had to pour a lot of myself into it. My legs still feel a bit wobbly. But what ended up happening was a dark mist was driven from his body and disappeared. Tuxedo Mask and I checked to see if he was okay, and he explained that he had been taken over by dark energy, that Beryl and the evil being she works for had brainwashed him to fight on their side. I guess it happened a long time ago, but he wouldn't say exactly when. He finally said that we should bring all the crystals together and call the Silver Crystal, because we'd need it to fight Beryl and her boss, Metallia. He said we have to remember that Metallia is the source of the evil. Beryl is one of her pawns. Powerful, but a pawn just the same."
"So what happened to the blue crystal?" Lita asked.
Serena opened her clenched fist and revealed it. "I have it. But Tuxedo Mask and I talked and we agreed to bring them all together in front of everyone at the temple on Friday night. It'll have to be after Darien's water therapy, and we should all be transformed. That way we don't have to give away our other identities. What do you guys think?" She looked around a bit warily.
Mina eyed her up and smiled. "I always thought we just might be able to work with Tuxedo Mask. That'll work for me."
"You're sure he agreed to this?" Lita asked a touch suspiciously.
"We both agreed that you guys needed to be a part of bringing the crystals together, and I suggested the temple. He's willing." Serena held her breath waiting to see how they took the offer.
"As long as there's no trouble I don't have a problem," the brunette scout said with a shrug. "But he won't like it if there's trouble and he brings it." She cracked her knuckles menacingly.
"This makes sense to me. I don't mind working with Tuxedo Mask as long as he's willing," Amy said logically. "We're both fighting the Negaverse after all."
Raye stood watching Serena, suspicion clouding her violet depths. "This works for me," she said finally. The blonde let out her relieved breath in a whoosh. "But I'll be watching him, Sailor Moon. Count on it. I guess I'd have to say that you were able to work things out pretty quickly though. We couldn't have been out of it that long. And he had to have gotten out of here pretty fast to be gone by the time we woke up." She raised her eyebrows in expectation.
Serena blinked. "He's never wanted to be our enemy, Mars," she said quickly. "And when I asked him why he was looking for the crystals he said he was doing it to free the princess that had been visiting him in his dreams. I told him we were looking so we could find the princess and protect her. We just realized that we all wanted the same thing, that's all. It just made sense to work together at that point."
"You told him what?" Raye screeched as Lita silently handed the leader her wand from the ground where it had been lying.
"I trust him, Mars! And I made the deal with him! So we'll be there on Friday night and we'll see what we can do about the Silver Crystal when we find it! Until then, tough!" Serena struggled to get her temper back in check.
Mina's hand on Raye's shoulder stopped the raven-haired priestess before things went any further. "All right, you two, that's enough. Sailor Moon made her call so we have to back her up. And we will." The taller blonde shot a serious look at each of the others. "I don't even think it was a bad call. Let's get home. Those singers are starting to wake up."
"Wow, it took until now?" Lita asked, grateful for the distraction. "Malachite must have really drained them."
Amy pulled out her Mercury computer and activated her visor. "He drained them almost to the point of death," she reported after a moment, her eyes large behind the blue screen in front of them. "Any more and they would have died."
"That bastard!" Raye said fiercely.
"It was the dark energy," Serena reminded them. "Save your anger for the person that made him do it. Metallia is the one we're after. Remember that." She took a deep breath and looked at each of her friends. "Now let's go home and have a merry Christmas. And tomorrow we'll celebrate together. Okay, Mars?" she finished tentatively.
Raye let loose an explosion of breath. "Okay, okay. I'll be fine with this by Friday, I promise. And I won't hold it against you before that." She smiled and shook her head. "Your impulsive streak is going to be the end of me one of these days, I hope you know that."
"Nah, that'll be your own fiery temper." Serena grinned at the taller girl.
"Let's go, guys. See you tomorrow." Mina shot them all a wave and took off, Amy and Lita right behind her.
Raye gave the remaining blonde a quick hug. "Sorry for blowing up at you like that. I'm gonna get going, but be sure to wish Darien a merry Christmas from all of us, and tell him he's welcome to join us tomorrow. See you then!"
"Later!" Serena cried after her. "Merry Christmas!" Her joyful cry was the first thing the Christmas singers waking in the grass remembered hearing as the heroine bounded off toward Darien's apartment.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Serena waited to power down until she got to Darien's balcony, took a deep breath, and walked inside. She most certainly wasn't expecting the scene that was waiting for her there.
"It's about time you came back inside," Darien said with a look of relief the blonde didn't quite understand. "You wouldn't believe who was waiting for me when I finished my nap."
It was then Serena noticed the black cat resting in the young man's lap. "Oh! Luna! What are you doing here?" The glare she received at the question told her more than words would have - and it was easier on the ears. She put on a false smile and scooped up the irritated feline. "I missed you too, Luna. Did you need something to eat, Darien? You, uh, slept for a long time." Her eyes begged him to give her the out she needed.
"Something light might do me good," he replied, reading the expression correctly. "Just a couple of sandwiches and a soda, if you don't mind." He was careful not to watch Luna too closely. He didn't want to give away he knew her secret just yet.
"Coming right up!" Her forced cheerfulness wouldn't have fooled anyone, but both man and cat were willing to let it slide. Serena disappeared into the kitchen with Luna. "What?" she asked the cat in a fierce whisper once the animal had been placed on the counter next to the sink.
"How did the fight in the park go? And how exactly did you plan on explaining to Darien why you'd been on the balcony so long without a jacket in this wind?" The red-orange eyes narrowed as she took her charge to task.
"Malachite's gone, I have the blue crystal, and I had just gone out there before he woke up. Does that cover everything?"
Luna sighed. "Most likely, Serena. Now what do you mean about Malachite and the blue crystal?"
"Malachite used to blue crystal to up his power. Once we wore him down I used the Crescent Moon Wand on him, and the dark energy that had been... possessing him I guess you'd say was driven out. Before he died he told Tuxedo Mask and me that Metallia is really the one behind it all, and the increase in sunspots is her getting close to breaking free from her prison. Beryl almost has enough energy to do it. We're supposed to bring the crystals together and summon the Silver Crystal. We're going to need it." Serena looked at her guardian seriously.
"Hmm," the cat said thoughtfully. "I'll need to see what Central has to say about that. So how are we going to bring the crystals together? Tuxedo Mask has three of them."
Here Serena blushed. "We... made an arrangement. He wants to prove that he's on our side, so he agreed to meet the scouts and me - transformed of course - at the temple on Friday night where we can do it in front of everybody. I already told the girls."
The red-orange eyes narrowed once again. "You're sure about this?" Luna's thoughts went back to the previous night and her suspicions at the concert.
"Definitely," the blonde said confidently. "I've always known he was on our side. Now he gets to prove it."
"Well, at least you'll have the others there in case something goes wrong. I'm glad to see you were thinking of that at least," Luna said in her traditional lecture mode, fighting the urge to laugh at the sight of the girl's eyes darting toward the living room when she talked about the caped hero. Strangely enough, it didn't bother her at all to find out her suspicions were right. "Now don't you think you should get those sandwiches together? That is what you were supposed to be coming in here for."
"Oh! Right!" She turned her face toward the other room as she opened the refrigerator door. "Sorry for taking so long, Darien! Be right there!"
There were a few beats of silence before he answered. "No problem, Serena. Take your time."
Well, if that didn't just scream the young man had been outside the kitchen listening. Luna rolled her eyes. Obviously he knew a few more things about her charge than she had realized. But if she was going to trust him, it had to be all the way. So she ignored the slip. "I'll only stay for a little while longer, Serena," she said as the girl loaded up a plate with two medium-sized sandwiches then grabbed herself an apple. "I'll see you when you get home tonight. Or are you staying over again?"
"All depends on whether or not Darien's coming with me for celebrations tomorrow. If he is I'll just bring him with me in the morning." She put the finishing touches on the pair and put the plate and a can of soda on Darien's tray. "Now watch yourself." She led the way out of the room. Luna just chuckled to herself and followed.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Darien surprised himself the next day when, after agreeing to go with Serena to both her Christmas celebrations, he completely enjoyed himself. He went along to her parent's house for Serena's sake, as it seemed to mean so much to her, and found that she came from a happy home with loving parents and even a loving brother, no matter how much he wanted to hide it. They welcomed him with open arms, and the ebony-haired young man felt its sincerity to his bones.
He surprised Serena when he agreed to go to the temple with her afterward, and his eyes twinkled when she asked him for the fourth time if he was sure. "Of course I'm sure, Serena," he replied, smiling. "I was sure the first time you asked, and even the second and third times. I haven't changed my mind in the last thirty seconds."
The petite blonde blinked before heading for the phone. "Then I'll call Raye and let her know to set another place." She grinned sheepishly. "And to let her know we're on our way. We're late."
"Hey, don't blame me. I'm not the one who decided to have a stuffed animal fight with Sammy." Serena stuck her tongue out at him.
Once she had finished her call, Serena said goodbye to her family and headed out pushing Darien before her. They talked about little things for most of the way, about school and the going-ons at the arcade, known to both thanks to Andrew's periodic visits. "So what made you decide you wanted to come with me to the temple?" Serena finally asked a few blocks away from their destination.
"The girls. I've talked to them on occasion at the Crown, and here and there otherwise, but I thought it might be nice to actively socialize with them. Especially considering our other relationship." Darien's shoulders slumped a bit at that thought.
Serena thought about the comment confused for a moment then the realization hit her. "Oh, yeah, that's right!" she exclaimed with a giggle. "I can understand that. But don't worry too much about it, Darien. We'll fix it on Friday. I just know it."
"I'm not sure one day and one get-together is going to do it, Serena," Darien said cynically. "As they say, Rome was not built in a day."
"What does Rome have to do with..." Serena broke off her question with a small gasp as they reached the temple. "Oh, crap."
Darien shot her a look over his shoulder then looked where her gaze seemed to be frozen. His eyes widened. "Oh, crap," he agreed.
"I didn't even think about it. I can't believe I didn't even think about it," the young woman murmured, her eyes still stuck on the vision of the beginning of the steps that led to the Cherry Hill Temple on top of the hill. "This is going to be difficult."
Darien scoffed. "This is going to be impossible."
"This is going to take teamwork," a new voice chimed in from above them. Serena and Darien looked up to the first landing and found Raye smirking at them with her arms crossed over her chest. With her were Mina, Lita, Amy, and Chad, all smiling. "Let's do it, guys."
Before Darien could put up a word of protest, Lita and Chad had lifted him and were carrying him up the steps on their linked arms. Mina and Raye folded up the wheelchair and carried that. Amy stepped up to Serena's side and walked with her behind the others. The blue-haired girl smiled at her friend. "It's nice to see my plan is working so well."
Serena grinned at her. "Well, Ames, I have to admit when I saw the steps I was feeling a bit... lost. Glad you guys were here to help out."
"So am I."
"So when did you guys realize we'd need help?"
"About five minutes before you got here."
"Figures."
The seven of them regathered at the top of the steps and joined the others that were waiting on the porch of the temple proper. "Darien! Serena! Welcome!" Raye's grandfather called out from the open doorway. "Everything's set up and the food is on the table. Come eat!"
"Looks like I don't have much choice," the young man said as Chad and Lita never stopped moving and entered the building, Raye and Mina right behind them with the chair.
Serena laughed at her boyfriend's rueful expression as she and Amy motioned for the three males on the porch to go ahead. "I think they'll all have an appreciation for what I do from now on," the blonde said as the last five of them made their way inside.
"They already did," Amy corrected. "Well, as a concept, I suppose. Physically, only Lita knew before this."
"Lita?" Serena asked quizzically.
Amy looked at her with a small impish gleam in her dark blue eyes. "Dr. Turner?"
Sapphire blues widened with realization. "Oh, yeah!" She giggled. "That was fun."
"I agree. Now let's eat!" The two girls laughed and joined the others, Darien finally replanted in his wheelchair.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
The rest of the afternoon went by relatively uneventfully, not counting the incident when Mina ended up with potato salad dumped on her head. Everyone involved had a wonderful time, Darien included - much to his surprise. He had expected to be amused, entertained. But when Serena had maneuvered him into taking an active part in the proceedings, he found that his pleasure increased ten-fold. It was also then that he realized getting involved with Serena was a package deal. There were at least four close friends that were also going to come along for the ride, and he was relieved to know that they'd make the trip that much more fun.
The pair received no end of ribbing when they had been caught kissing after the gift exchange and had been forced to admit they were dating. Serena had blushed as much as Darien had, but he had seen the secret delight that had sparkled in her large blue eyes. And he couldn't help but be happy these special people knew as well. The girls were truly happy for them.
They used the same method to get Darien back to street level that they had to get him up to the temple. "I'm sorry we had to do it this way, Darien," Raye apologized. "The temple wasn't exactly built with wheelchair access in mind."
"Don't worry about it, Raye," he replied, smiling. "We didn't even think about it until we got here. Serena's parents had set up planks over their few steps before we ever got there, so it hadn't been an issue. I don't think they make planks long enough for these steps."
"Besides," Serena added through a giggle, "it was fun to watch."
"You would think so," Lita grumbled good-naturedly.
"You guys better get going," Mina reminded them. "The sun's beginning to set, and you've got a long walk ahead of you." There was a joyous, knowing glint to her eyes when she looked at the new couple that made them nervous.
"I'll see you guys soon, okay?" Serena said as she got behind the chair and got ready to push. "Just think, two months with no school." She sighed euphorically.
"And then we'll be in ninth grade and getting ready for our high school exams," Amy added pragmatically.
Serena, Lita, and Mina's faces fell at that. "I didn't need to be reminded of that," Lita said glumly. "I'm not looking forward to them."
Darien shrugged. "Just think. I have to take college exams."
The girls blinked. "Are they harder than high school?" Mina asked.
"From what I've heard. But we'll see."
"I'm not sure I should be glad or nervous about that," Serena said wryly.
"I'm ignoring it all until school starts again," Lita said decisively. "And now I'm going home and fixing myself a light dinner. Coming, Ken?" The brown-haired young man that had joined them at the tall brunette's request nodded and stepped up next to her. "See you guys later." The two of them took off at a brisk pace.
Serena laughed. "That doesn't sound like such a bad idea."
"Ignoring exams or a light dinner?" Raye asked, grinning.
"Both. Let's go, Darien. The weather looks like it's going to get bad soon. See you guys!"
"I had fun today, everybody. Thanks. See you around." Darien gave the people surrounding him a small, sincere smile before Serena started them both off toward his apartment.
"I... wasn't expecting that," Mina said, shocked, once the couple was gone.
"I hear you," Raye agreed.
Amy looked off after Serena and Darien thoughtfully. "Well, he looked like he was having fun."
"Yeah, but for him to tell us is something completely different," the raven-haired priestess argued. "And he said he'd see us around. That's not the same recluse that hid himself at the park last Sunday."
Mina started to smile. "Serena's done wonders for him."
The others replied in kind. "Yeah, she has, hasn't she?" Raye agreed, her smile faltering just a touch. "I think I'm a little jealous."
Amy put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder. "Don't be. I really think those two have been fighting their feelings for each other for a long time. They just finally admitted it to themselves, that's all."
"And there might be someone nearby that's waiting around for you," the blonde with the red bow whispered into the raven-haired girl's ear conspiratorially. Raye smacked her, shooting a quick look over her shoulder at Chad who waited patiently a few feet away.
With a laugh the rest of the group dispersed, promises to get together soon ringing through the winter air.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
The next three days went by uneventfully, Serena coming over earlier in the afternoons and Mina and Lita joining her a little later to keep her on an even keel while Dr. Nyx had her sessions with Darien. It didn't take them long to come to the same conclusions regarding the psychologist as the irritated couple, especially when the tall woman cornered each of them separately and asked them to talk some sense into Serena regarding working with her.
"Mina, could I speak with you for a moment?" Nyx asked the lighter colored blonde after they had been introduced while Serena and Lita stepped inside the apartment, the shorter girl definitely on the suspicious side.
The girl with the red bow shared a quick look with her friends. "Uh, sure, Dr. Nyx." They waited until the door closed and walked a little ways down the hallway. "What did you need?"
"I take it you're good friends with Serena?" the strawberry blonde asked in tones that suggested she suspected as much.
Pale blue eyes narrowed. "Yeah, I am. Why?"
"I'd like you to talk to her if you would. I've been trying to help Darien with a psychological schedule I've set up and neither he nor Serena seem inclined to cooperate. I was hoping you'd help me by talking some sense into Serena. If she starts to assist me, perhaps that will insure Darien's cooperation as well. I'm sure you can see the benefit to having you speak with her." The psychologist smiled a bit condescendingly.
Mina's eyebrows rose. "Did Serena tell you why she wasn't helping you out?" she asked incredulously.
The taller lady chuckled without humor. "She seems to be under the false impression I don't have Darien's best interests at heart. I can't seem to convince her otherwise. And Darien has a long-standing prejudice against... people in my profession. You can see what kind of bind I'm in."
"Yeah, sure." The younger girl thought for a few moments. "I'll talk to Serena, feel her out," she said finally. "Is that good enough?"
Nyx eyed her suspiciously, but chose not to give voice to her thoughts. "That'll be fine. Thank you for being so agreeable. I have to admit I wasn't expecting it after what I've experienced so far."
"They can both be pretty chicken-headed," Mina agreed, receiving a raised eyebrow in response. The girl ignored it. "I better get inside. They're expecting me."
"Thank you again, Mina. I appreciate your help." The psychologist smiled and headed for the elevator while the pale blonde walked back toward Darien's apartment.
The Japanese Inquisition was waiting for her. "So what did she have to say to you?" Darien asked coldly once Mina had closed the door behind herself.
"Yeah, what kind of new demand does she have for Darien now?" Serena queried, an unaccustomed nastiness in her voice.
Mina blinked, her gaze shooting over to Lita for a moment. The brunette was watching her expectantly, but with much less hostility than either of the other two. "She wanted me to talk to Serena and see if I could get her to help her out with her psychological schedule," she answered as she stumbled back against the door. "I said I'd feel her out."
"Thank the gods she got that phrase right," Lita muttered with a roll of her eyes.
At that Serena backed off and explained to her friend exactly what Nyx had put them both through since she had been brought on the case. "And now I'm waiting to find out what the board's decision is going to be," the shorter blonde finished ruefully. "I don't even know when they're going to tell me."
"And we know they won't be telling me," Darien grumbled.
"Well, I know just what I have to say to you about Dr. Nyx then," Mina declared, a wide grin on her face. The others looked at her warily. "Just keep doing what you're doing. Someone as underhanded and unscrupulous as that doesn't deserve to be listened to." She nodded triumphantly at the end of her proclamation.
"Uh, thanks, Mina. I'm glad I have your permission," Serena said slowly. She got a V-for-Victory in response.
"Why do I have the feeling she's going to pounce on me next?" Lita said as they moved to the living area of the apartment. "And that I'm not going to enjoy it very much." The other three gave her sympathetic looks before the group of them sat down to watch movies while a cold, biting wind blew loudly around the building, making them all glad they were inside.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Lita's words proved to be prophetic. On Wednesday, Nyx cornered her on the three schoolgirls' way inside Darien's apartment. "What did you need?" the tall girl asked a bit warily once she and the older woman were a little ways from the door.
"I'll cut straight to the chase with you, Lita. I'm sure you've seen evidence of Darien's mental condition in regards to his physical condition, am I correct?"
Lita had to fight the urge to slap the condescending look off the strawberry blonde's face. "Yeah, you could say that."
"Well, then you must know that I, as Darien's psychologist, want nothing more than to see his full recovery, both physically and mentally. That is the ultimate goal. You do understand that, don't you?" The hazel eyes were sharp as they watched for the girl's reaction.
"You haven't lost me yet," the brunette said through clenched teeth.
Nyx smiled. "Good, good. Now the other thing I need is the full cooperation of the patient and the people working with him for his speedy recovery. Makes sense, right?"
Lita let loose an explosive breath. "Look, just get to the point!" she cried in frustration. She could completely relate to Serena's complaint about being talked down to by this woman.
"Stay calm. Stay calm," the older woman said placatingly. "What I'd like to ask you is to talk to Serena regarding her attitude toward me and my treatment methods. With her cooperation I should be able to bring Darien in line, and then we could actually start moving forward with his psychological recovery. Can you help me?"
"What exactly am I supposed to tell her to do?" Lita asked suspiciously.
"Well, work with me, follow my directions. Talk to me. If she'd just do that things would go so much more smoothly." The doctor seemed surprised at the question.
The younger girl frowned. "Let me see if I've got this straight. You want me to tell her to do everything you tell her to do, is that right?"
"Well, I probably wouldn't put it in such negative terms, but yes."
The frown turned into a dark scowl. "Then what you're telling me to do is to tell my best friend to turn her back on all her principles, everything that makes her who she is, everything I love about her, just to satisfy your wounded pride! I'm supposed to try to get her to give in to your strict, rigid 'recovery plan' and make her give up the trust she worked so hard to get with Darien! Well, you know what? I consider myself to be Serena's friend. I consider myself to be Darien's friend. And because of those two things, I'm telling you to take a flying leap!" She ended her tirade by planting her hands firmly on her hips, her expression even darker than when she started and her emerald green eyes flashing.
The hazel eyes darkened and flashed back. "I can see that your similarity with Serena doesn't end with your poor grades," she said coldly, causing the girl before her to gasp in shock. Nyx continued before Lita could gather herself enough to interrupt. "What you need to understand, young lady, is that you can't possibly know what is best for my patient. You haven't had nearly enough training in the appropriate sciences or experience with the kind of psychological studies that have progressed the doctrines of my profession. I have a Ph.D. in psychology. I graduated in the top two percent of my class at Stanford. I have worked with the top researchers in my field. I cannot believe that a little fourteen year old girl with poor grades and an even more lacking sense of appropriate behavior could understand what a suffering patient needs to fully recover from a psychological trauma!" The tall, thin woman took a moment to catch her breath and get herself back under control while Lita just stared at her in shock. "So you go ahead and tell Serena that," she said cooly once she had recovered. "And tell her to be prepared for the board's decision. I will enforce it without hesitation."
"I will tell Serena that," the brunette retorted with heat. "And I'll also tell you that you really suck as a psychologist if you can't see her for the kind, warm, loving person she is, a person that would do whatever she could to help someone she cares about, even someone she didn't even know. She'd even help you, Dr. Nyx, if you needed it, because that's just the kind of person she is. I wouldn't, but, hey, that's just me."
"Oh, be quiet, little girl. You may be taller than most girls your age and can push around smaller people with the best of the bullies, but I'm the one with authority here, not you. Now do what you've been told and deliver my message."
The psychologist had to control her expression when she had the unpleasant surprise of hearing the girl's teeth grinding. "You have no idea how hard it is not to beat you into the ground right now," Lita said coldly and quietly through her clenched teeth. "But I won't. Not for your sake, don't even begin to think that, and not even really for mine, but for Serena. She wouldn't want me to. She'd be worried about what would happen to me if I did that, how I'd feel about it once it was all over. She knows the real me behind the tough exterior. And like I said, she's my best friend. So I suggest you get going before I snap and decide to live with the consequences. I know you won't like them." She fought hard to control her breathing, her body shaking from the effort of reining in her temper.
Dr. Nyx took one look at the furious girl and decided it would be best to strategically retreat. Not that she was going to give this girl the satisfaction of knowing she had been cowed. With a disdainful sniff, she turned and walked stately to the elevator.
Lita watched her go, not relaxing until she saw the doors close behind the pompous woman and the lights change to signify the elevator's activation. She released a lot of her aggression with an explosive breath, finally letting her muscles relax, and strode quickly to Darien's apartment. When she threw open the door, she was somehow not surprised to see the tableau waiting for her. Against the door was a descending row of heads, each leaning toward where the wood structure had been not seconds before. Mina stood behind the wheelchair, her sky blue eyes wide as she turned her head slightly to look at the brunette in the doorway. Darien sat in the chair itself, biting his lower lip in slight embarrassment, but with the corner of his mouth twitching and a twinkle in his midnight blue depths. Serena sat in his lap with his arms around her waist, leaning on the near armrest, blinking her sapphire blue eyes in surprise. "Uh, hi," she said weakly, attempting to smile.
"How'd everything go?" Mina asked brightly, grinning. Darien fought not to laugh.
"Oh, just get inside and out of my way," Lita snapped, shooing them in with hand gestures.
Mina straightened. "Okay," she chirped and pushed the chair into the living area as requested.
"You people astound me," the tall girl muttered with a roll of her eyes as she closed the door behind herself.
Serena finally smiled at that as she stood from Darien's lap. He looked disappointed. "Like you wouldn't have done the same," she said chidingly.
A reluctant grin turned up the angry girl's lips. "Well, yeah," she admitted.
"And just think, you don't have to tell us what happened!" The taller blonde smiled knowingly, her expression and hidden anger belying the perky tone.
"I doubt you'd want to relive that experience anyway," Darien added.
Lita scoffed, her demeanor much less tense than it had been when she entered. "No kidding," she agreed. "Do you think we can do something to get my mind off this? I don't want to be mad anymore."
Serena smiled at her friend gently. "Sure thing, Lita. How about cards? Molly taught me a new game I think is a lot of fun. Do you have four decks, Darien?"
"Four?" the young man asked, surprised. "What kind of game uses four decks?"
She waggled her eyebrows at him. "You'll see. Do you have them?"
"In the drawer of my night table in my bedroom."
"What's this game called, anyway, Serena?" Mina asked, intrigued.
"Spite and Malice." They all laughed as the meatball-headed blonde headed off for the bedroom, and they spent the rest of the girls' time there enjoying the playful game of cards.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
Thursday went by uneventfully, the psychologist ignoring the four girls - Mina and Lita had dragged Amy along with them - as she strode quickly out of Darien's apartment. They had a good time playing the board games the girls had brought along and enjoyed the respite from the still-terrible weather that raged on outside. They ordered in pizza, and generally carried on like the group of energetic teenagers they were.
Darien found that the first four days of this most unusual - for him, at any rate - week had been some of the best he could remember experiencing. He'd had his moments with Andrew, moments that he wouldn't trade for the world, but the unique interplay he witnessed and was a part of with Serena and her friends was something brand new for him. He could feel himself lightening up, although he understood he'd always be a bit more serious than these periodically flighty girls that had followed his Meatball Head into his life. Andrew commented on it in the mornings when he visited before working his shifts at the Crown, saying it was an improvement, and a definite sign that Darien was finally healing the way he should. The ebony-haired young man couldn't help but agree.
When Friday afternoon rolled around, both Serena and Darien's thoughts were anywhere but on the hospital they were headed for. Not only were each of them thinking of how the week had gone - Serena was enormously pleased and surprised at the progress she was seeing - but they knew what waited for them both afterward at the Cherry Hill Temple. With luck they would finally be able to find the Silver Imperium Crystal and the princess it belonged to, and they could all fulfill their duty and protect her from the evil of Metallia that Malachite had warned them about.
Serena noticed an odd look on Dillinger's face when he came for Darien at the physical therapy desk although he said nothing out of the ordinary. She promised to be back as soon as she could and gave Darien one of her thousand-watt grins before disappearing into the elevator and the conference room where, if only she'd known it, her civilian life - or at least the activities she wished to pursue in it - was being weighed in the balance.
Victoria Mizuno was waiting for her when she stepped out of the elevator a few moments later, a serious expression on the blue-haired woman's face. "We're in the larger conference room again this week, Serena. I thought I'd wait for you to let you know."
"Okay, Dr. Mizuno," she said, slightly confused but still not with the program. Thoughts of the Silver Crystal loomed larger in her mind's eye than anything the mundane world could throw at her. Or so she thought.
It was a familiar scene that waited for her in the large room at the end of the hall. The board members that had interrogated her the week before sat again at the table in the front of the relatively empty area, only the small table where she had sat before taking up any other space. Her mouth went completely dry, and it was the thoughts of the Silver Crystal that now fled from her mind. The board must have come to a decision. Today was the big day.
Dr. Elizabeth Nyx sat confidently in the same seat she had taken the week before, a small manilla file folder placed neatly before her and a smugness in her hazel depths that rankled at the young blonde. Dr. Mizuno took the seat next to her, a very slight, very brief flash of distaste crossing her features, so quickly gone that Serena couldn't be sure she had really seen it. Toshiro Anderson sat in the seat across from the blue-haired doctor, a welcoming smile aimed for the petite girl in the doorway. Serena returned it, swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, and took the last available seat. She wrung her hands under the table as she awaited her sentence.
The president of the board, Michael LeCourt, stood once the door had closed and Serena had been seated. "Ladies and gentlemen, I think we all know why we're here today, so I'll try to keep it as brief as I possibly can. With the addition of a last-minute report from Dr. Victoria Mizuno, the board and I have reached a decision regarding Serena Tsukino's continued presence in an official capacity in the home of Darien Shields. We have taken everything we were presented with into account and believe this will be in the best interest of the patient." He paused and smiled to himself, then looked at Serena gently. "I'm sorry. Mr. Shields. You were right, Miss Tsukino, to remind us we're dealing with a person and not just a file. We sometimes forget."
He cleared his throat and continued. "After looking at all the evidence and conducting some interviews of our own, this is the plan of action we intend on taking. For the next week, I believe Mr. Shields deserves a break from the pressures we all have been putting him under, however inadvertently. Jacob Powers, the physical therapist that has been assisting him at home, has decided that Mr. Shields is capable of performing at least part of his exercises on his own and is confident he will be able to do so. Dr. Elizabeth Nyx will suspend her current therapy schedule for the next week, allowing her time to revise and submit an updated plan to the board for approval by this time next week. If approved, she will continue with Mr. Shields a week from this coming Monday. Serena Tsukino will continue in her capacity as a volunteer for Tokyo General Hospital in the assistance of Darien Shields for as long as necessary. She will be coached on how to assist Mr. Shields with the therapy exercises he is not able to do alone. His progress will be monitored by his physical therapist here, James Dillinger, every Friday at the weekly water therapy sessions, which will continue. Dr. Victoria Mizuno will continue with her weekly visits every Thursday morning." LeCourt looked around at the other board members. "I believe that takes care of everything. Are there any questions?"
"I have a few questions, Mr. LeCourt," Dr. Nyx said, her tone furious, as she sprang to her feet. "What in the world made you decide to keep Serena on against my recommendations? Why do I have to revise my therapy plan? What brought on this judgment?"
The other three people at the small table looked at her in amazement at the loss of composure. Even when she had lost her temper before there had always been a remaining air of proud constraint that was totally absent now. There was a wildness in her eyes, a panic that fairly exuded from her every pore. With a sudden insight, everyone in the room realized Dr. Elizabeth Nyx was completely out of her element.
"Dr. Nyx." Michael LeCourt's calm, serious tone made her draw herself up proudly. "Based on the interviews we conducted over the past week, and the comparisons we made between the reports submitted by each of the medical staff involved with Mr. Shields, as well as our own observations and notes from our meeting last week, we could come to no other conclusions. No matter what you may think of Miss Tsukino's attitude and behavior, it's obvious to all of the members of the board that she has done wonders for Mr. Shields. I think it would be safe to say that he could never have come as far as he has in his recovery if not for her influence. Based on the observations made by other members of the medical team, your demands on his behavior have shown a rigid, unyielding attitude, one completely adverse to his improvement. Your record with us is marvelous. You've helped a number of patients. That's why we're giving you a chance to prove you can handle more difficult cases."
Nyx stared at the man incredulously. "I cannot believe you're following the lead of a fourteen year old girl with poor grades and a rebellious attitude," she ground out. By some miracle, she managed to pull her tattered composure together and drew herself to her full height. "But I will abide by the decision of the board. By next week Friday you will have a completely revised therapy plan, taking my previous experiences into account. Will that be all?"
LeCourt sighed. "Yes, Dr. Nyx. That will be all."
The strawberry blonde nodded curtly. "Then I'll take my leave of you. Ladies, gentlemen." Without even looking at the other occupants of the small table in the center of the room, Elizabeth Nyx strode proudly out of the room, her folder tucked under her arm and her head held high.
"She took that better than I thought she would," Toshiro muttered. Victoria glared at him.
"I believe that concludes our business for today. After you've covered your review for Dr. Mizuno and Mr. Anderson, Miss Tsukino, please talk to Mr. Shield's therapist. He'll cover the exercises you'll need to help Darien with." At Serena's shocked nod of acknowledgment, Michael LeCourt led the other board members out of the room. Two of them at the tail end of the line gave the petite blonde a smile and a thumbs-up on their way out.
Toshiro laughed once the door had shut behind the group of administrators. "Luecht and Thalacker. I should have known they'd be on the patient's side."
"Toshiro, please. We still have business to attend to." Victoria turned to Serena with a bright smile. "Well, not really. Amy told me everything last night when she got home. That's why I submitted a last-minute report. The board needed to know what's gone on this week."
Serena nodded. "I guess so. Does this mean we won?"
"For now," Dr. Mizuno agreed.
"Do you need me to tell you anything about this week?"
"I don't think so. I'm sure Amy covered everything I needed to know."
Anderson slid the envelope with Serena's weekly check inside across to the girl. "I'd say you more than earned that this week, Serena. Splurge a little. You deserve it."
Still in a daze, the blonde slipped the envelope into her coat pocket. "I suppose I should get going then. I have some exercises to learn."
It was Victoria's turn to laugh. "Yes, you do. Go on, Serena. Do what you need to do, then I want you and Darien to relax. The worst is finally over." She watched with amusement in her navy blue eyes as Serena merely nodded one more time and made her way out the door.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
"I can't believe it," Darien said for the seventh time since they left the hospital. They had almost reached his apartment building, which they both found was a mixed blessing. They both knew what was going to happen next. "The board sided with you. It's just... wow."
Serena sighed. She'd laughed the first few times, but now it was getting old. "Darien, come on. It's a wonderful thing to have happened, but it wasn't that impossible. Nyx was really the only one to believe she could do no wrong, if what they said about the interviews is right. She finally got called on it, that's all."
Darien shot a look at her over his shoulder. "Okay, okay, I get the point. Besides, it's not like this is really over yet anyway. Nyx is getting another chance."
"Cynic."
"True."
"At least you get a week off from her. That's a plus no matter what happens." Serena grinned at the thought.
So did Darien. "There is that."
"Mr. Anderson gave me another check," the blonde said quietly once they had entered the elevator. "I haven't looked at it yet, but it's probably the same amount."
Darien nodded. "I expected as much."
"Are you sure that doesn't bother you?"
"Not at all. Why should it?"
"Well, it means I'm getting paid for something I was supposed to be volunteering for." She shuffled her feet nervously.
Darien couldn't help but laugh. "Serena, we covered this already. I know you'd do it without the checks, and that means the world to me." He leaned back and pulled her head down to his. "And I love you. The fact that you're getting an extra benefit out of helping me - one you didn't look for - is just a pleasant addition." He kissed her until the doors slid open at the fifth floor.
They broke apart and headed down the hall. "You're right about the extra benefit. And the checks aren't bad either." Serena smiled as she unlocked the door and pushed them both inside.
Once the echo of the door closing had faded away, there was a long moment of silence. "So what do you want to do?" Serena asked quietly, looking out the balcony doors where they had ended their move inside.
"How do you mean?"
"Do you want to walk to the temple and then transform? Or do it here and go?" She blinked and gave him a curious look. "Do you think your transformation can last that long?"
The young man thought about it. "Well, without any fighting I don't see why not. If I'm not overexerting myself I should be fine. We saw how difficult those steps are on Monday. We'd better change here and hurry over."
Serena checked the clock on the wall above the television. "Hurry is right. If we don't get over there soon, they're going to start calling over here wondering where I am. Let's do this."
"Right." Darien smirked. "You first."
She started at the suggestion. "Here? In front of you?"
Ebony eyebrows rose. "It's not like I don't know your secret."
The girl gaped for a second then sighed. "Okay. But I think you should move back." She waited until he had moved closer to the couch and grabbed up her brooch. Raising it in the air she cried, "Moon Prism Power!"
Darien gaped himself at the sight she presented. Surrounded by ribbons of light and energy, she was a pure vision of beauty. It didn't last more than thirty seconds, but the image was burned in his memory for all time.
Sailor Moon stood before him in her traditional pose, smile wide and eyes bright. "Ta da!" she exclaimed with a giggle. "Now you."
He fought to gather his wits. "That's only fair." As much of a struggle as it was, Darien closed his eyes and cleared his thoughts. He reached into his leather jacket and drew out a perfect rose. Silently, he threw it from him in a flourish, his eyes opening as his quirky grin shaped his expression.
Like Darien before her, the light and energy show took Serena's breath away. The image would stay with her forever, she knew. When it was over, Tuxedo Mask in all his glory stood in front of the wheelchair, smiling at the heroine he had pledged so long ago to protect. "So what do you think?" he asked smugly, taking in her expression.
She blinked. "I certainly know how to pick a boyfriend. Nothing but the best for me!"
They laughed. "Let's go, Sailor Moon. We have an appointment to keep." Darien reached out and took the blonde's hand, giving it a brief squeeze. "And hopefully a princess to find."
"And protect," Serena whispered, squeezing him back before they both let go and headed for the balcony. Had anyone been looking up at that particular apartment building at the right moment, they would have seen two of their most famous heroes leaping across the rooftops, heading for a very important date.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
"Let me go in by myself," Serena whispered when the both of them settled in side by side on top of the stone wall that surrounded the temple grounds. "Feel free to give us as much time as you think we need, but don't take too long. We don't need them getting any more suspicious."
Darien grinned at her, his eyes twinkling behind his mask. "You're really turning into a true leader, do you know that?"
The girl blushed. "I'm not, not really. That just seemed to make sense."
"You're right. It does. And that's just it, Sailor Moon. You thought of what needed to be done and acted on that knowledge. I know you weren't even thinking about it so it just slipped out, but with a little bit more self-confidence you can consciously do that on a regular basis."
Her blush grew even deeper. "Yeah, well, we don't have time for this. But thank you for the vote of confidence." She gave him a shy smile. "I need to join the others now."
"Then do it. I'll find the right time for my entrance."
The blonde shook her head. "This from the guy that said he doesn't like the spotlight." She hopped off through the trees that were clumped here and there all around the grounds. Darien chuckled as he watched her go.
(fade out...)
(scene change...)
It didn't take Serena too long to find the rest of her friends gathered around a picnic table blocked from sight of the temple building by another grove of trees where they had taken to practicing fighting and strategy. She looked around the clearing and let out an explosive breath. "Good. I got here before he did. How are you guys?"
"I wish you had set a specific time for this, Sailor Moon," Luna said from her seat on top of the table. "I wouldn't feel so unorganized." There was an unexplained sparkle in her red-orange eyes.
"We're fine, Sailor Moon," Artemis put in from beside the black feline. "How's Darien?"
"Better, better. I'll have to tell you guys what happened at the weekly report session later." The petite hero grinned. "It proves miracles are still quite possible."
"That's beside the point," Raye cut in seriously. "We have some arrangements to make before Tuxedo Mask gets here."
"What arrangements are those?" Serena queried, confused.
"We'd like to split up the crystals we have," Amy explained. "It will prevent an act of treachery, no matter how unlikely," she added quickly when she saw the blonde about to protest, "from letting anyone end up with all the crystals at once."
Serena scowled. "He's meeting with us as an act of faith," she argued.
"And we are too, at least partially. Tuxedo Mask has the violet crystal. That means if we take turns presenting the colors in order, like I think would be most appropriate, he would go last. That would be the most opportune time to grab the other six." The blue-haired scout held her leader's gaze with a solemn one of her own. "We'll have to prepare ourselves for that possibility, but I'm hoping it won't come to that."
"We're just trying to protect you and the crystals," Lita said in response to the slightly crestfallen look Serena wore at the pronouncement.
The shortest one of the bunch just nodded. "I understand." She reached into her extra-dimensional pocket and pulled out the four crystals. "So who gets what?"
Mina stepped forward boldly, placing herself behind Serena. "I'm not taking one," she announced. "I don't mistrust Tuxedo Mask. I agree we need to take precautions, but I'm not sure any danger is going to come from our favorite caped hero. You guys split them up."
Lita, Amy, and Raye shared a surprised look while Serena gave Mina a smile of thanks for her support. "Mars, you take the red one. It makes the most sense." The meatball-headed scout let her smile slip into a grin.
"You would think of that," the raven-haired priestess grumbled as she took the gem.
"Mercury, you get the blue one. Like I said with Mars, it just makes sense." A small giggle escaped her. Amy just shook her head as she took the indicated crystal.
Serena looked up at Lita. "So which one do you want, Jupiter? I'm afraid Tuxedo Mask has the green crystal."
The brunette grinned. "Keep the yellow one, Sailor Moon. You really earned that one, remember?" She reached out and took the indigo crystal.
"Yeah, I do," the shorter blonde whispered, blushing. "So are we ready then?"
The others looked at each other for a moment. "Yeah, I'd say that covers everything," Raye conceded.
"So then we wait," Artemis concluded, and the girls took nervous seats on either side of the picnic table.
Five minutes later a familiar figure stepped out from the grove of trees between the girls and the temple. "I hope I'm not too late," he said diffidently with a slight bow of his head.
"Oh, no, of course not," Serena exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "I never did mention an exact time."
Darien smiled. "Neither did I, Sailor Moon. The fault isn't entirely yours." He looked around at the other scouts and the cats. "Do we want to take care of our business here then?"
"Do you have an objection to that?" Lita asked, surprisingly enough without suspicion.
"No. Here is fine. I just wanted to be sure."
Raye and Mina cleared away the two benches then stood at opposite ends of the table, the blonde closer to the masked man. "Why don't you stand over here and we can get started?" the scout with the red bow offered, gesturing toward the side opposite where Serena was standing.
Darien nodded and moved over to the offered side. "How do we want to do this?" he asked as Amy joined Raye on her end and Lita joined Mina. Artemis and Luna also split up, the white cat moving toward his ward.
"We'll place them on the table one at a time, in order," Serena explained, although she was sure he had been listening to the earlier discussion. "That way no one has to play their whole hand at once."
"Fair enough. I suppose that means we start with the red crystal." He gazed at Serena expectantly, but for a brief moment she could see the eyes behind the mask, and he gave her a wink.
Raye moved up next to her leader. "Here it is, the red crystal." She placed it in the center of the table, slightly closer to her end, then moved back to her original position.
They could all see the raised eyebrows above the domino mask, but he made no comment. He reached into his jacket and pulled out something in his clenched fist. "The orange crystal." He put it a little closer to the center and himself.
"The yellow crystal." Serena grinned and put her gem directly below the orange one.
"The green crystal," Darien said with a tiny smile of his own fighting to come out as he deposited the small item a little further down and lined up with the red crystal.
Amy reached out and placed her gem on the table, making a definite hexagon pattern start to emerge. "The blue crystal."
Lita followed the blue-haired scout's lead and closed off the figure. "The indigo crystal," she said with a small smile.
Darien felt everyone's eyes on him as the time came for the last Rainbow Crystal to be placed. Half were filled with at least some degree of suspicion, but he intended to put those fears to rest. "The violet crystal," he announced, putting the valuable gem in the center of the improvised shape.
Nothing happened.
"Oh, come on!" Mina exclaimed. "Where's the excitement? Where's the thrill? Where's the flash of light and dramatic revelation of the world-saving magic crystal and its mistress? I want my Hollywood ending!" Everyone just looked at her strangely.
"Thank you for that, Venus," Raye muttered, rolling her eyes.
"Mercury, can you figure out what we did wrong?" Serena asked her friend, a bit of desperation in her tone.
Amy nodded and pulled out her compact computer, activating her visor as she did so. "Well," she said after a moment, "all the crystals are authentic. But it appears they need an influx of energy to cause the activation of their primary function." Darien's eyebrows rose as the others gave her blank looks. "We need to put some kind of energy into them before they'll work," she clarified, blushing.
"I think I might have an idea," Luna said thoughtfully, sharing a look with Artemis.
The white cat nodded. "I bet you're right, Luna. Girls, hold hands in a circle with Sailor Moon in the center."
"Tuxedo Mask," Luna said to the young man as the others followed the directions they had been given, "give Sailor Moon a rose, a representation of your energy. The rest of you, call on your planets and focus the energy on Sailor Moon."
The formally-dressed hero did his part with a flourish, giving the girl another wink in the process. "Then what do we do, Luna?" the surrounded blonde asked.
"Once they've called on that energy, focus it on the crystals while keeping your mind on the Silver Crystal. You're all the protectors of the Moon Princess. They'll respond to you."
"Keep your minds clear and focused, girls," Artemis added seriously.
The five girls began their attempt, all five heads bowing and Serena clutching her rose tightly. A mysterious wind started to pick up in the small clearing, causing everyone's hair the flutter wildly in the breeze. A strange pressure seemed to be building up, a sense that something big was about to happen. And then their voices rang out.
"Mercury Power!"
"Mars Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
"Venus Power!"
"Moon Prism Power!" Serena's eyes popped open suddenly and her eyes locked on the gathered crystals on the wooden table. They began to glow, the light growing brighter and brighter with each passing second.
The other scouts and Darien found themselves entranced with the sight as well, the circle breaking up without any reduction in the level of energy. Like puppets on strings, the tendrils of light that reached out from the display drew them all closer, positioning them in the places they had stood when they had originally brought the crystals together in the first place. The cats were frozen on either end of the table, unable to do anything.
Once they had reconstructed their first configuration, a dome of shifting, pulsating light closed them in, blinding to anyone or anything else that might have happened to pass by. Serena's hands relaxed, letting the slightly mangled rose fall to the ground. As if that were a signal, her head rose from the rainbow display, her eyes meeting Darien's, now clearly visible through the mask. Neither could have turned away if they'd wanted to. Like the way they'd been brought to the table, both sets of hands rose and reached out, clasping together just above the gathered crystals. They gasped, and a silent explosion of light temporarily blinded them all.
When their sight returned, it was to a sight that no one had expected but suddenly made complete and utter sense. Serena stood where she had before, but it was no longer the fuku-wearing superhero of Tokyo that did so. Her rich sunlight-colored hair glittered in the still-bright light that shone through the clearing, her bangs fluttering around a sparkling golden upturned crescent moon in the center of her forehead, and each ponytail flowing from the corresponding bun on top of her head to just brush the ground at her feet. She wore a pristine white, strapless Juliet-style gown made of materials similar to satin and lace that hung as low as her hair. Her sapphire blue eyes were wide and filled with realization, a look that said she had finally been given that last piece of a puzzle that makes the picture clear.
Darien had been similarly transformed. He stood across from her wearing a black breastplate and backplate with silver etching and shoulder plates over a simple dark blue uniform. At his side hung a sheathed broad sword with a simple hilt and an ornate heraldic symbol embossed into the pommel. A flowing black cape hung from his armor, the inside lined in a red material identical to the shimmering fabric that made up the majority of Serena's gown. His midnight blue eyes were also wide and filled with the same knowledge as the girl he faced.
On either side of them, the girls had also experienced a drastic change. Each of them wore a flowing gown of slightly varying styles, the color corresponding to their original fuku. They also appeared to be affected by an overwhelming influx of new information, all their eyes as wide as the pair between them.
The cats finished off the ensemble, eyes as wide as the rest, a dawning realization calming their expression as they gazed at the others. They were the first of the group to relax, and with that they waited for the rest of the card to fall where they may.
"Serenity," Darien whispered, awe seeping into his features. "Oh, my Serenity."
"Oh, Endymion," Serena responded, tears of joy filling her eyes. "We found each other at last. At last!"
As one the pair let their eyes drop to the clear crystal that now hovered above their joined hands. "The Silver Imperium Crystal," they whispered in unison.
"Prince Endymion, Princess Serenity," Mina said calmly, the first to adapt to the new situation. "Welcome back." They smiled at her and she knelt before the young woman in the white gown. "Let me pledge myself to your service yet again, Princess. I will protect you with my very life, should it be required, and assist you in any other way you need."
"And us as well," Raye added, kneeling at her other side, Amy and Lita also following suit. "As the princesses of our planets and trained royal soldiers, we also pledge ourselves to your service. We will protect you with our very lives, should it be required, and assist you in any other way you need." The four girls bowed their heads and waited.
With one last look at her prince, Serena removed her hands from his and cupped them around the levitating crystal. She then guided it to the pair on her right, holding it above Lita's head. "Zenna, Princess of Jupiter, I accept your pledge and vow to my service, to be at my side as protector and advisor. I pledge this in return: to be worthy of your devotion and to return the service with my own, in whichever way I may best do so. If you accept my pledge, rise and stand by my side, as a royal soldier... and friend." She smiled as Lita looked up at her with tear-filled eyes and rose to her feet.
The blonde began again with Raye. "Harmonia, Princess of Mars, I accept your pledge and vow to my service, to be at my side as protector and advisor. I pledge this in return: to be worthy of your devotion and to return the service with my own, in whichever way I may best do so. If you accept my pledge, rise and stand by my side, as a royal soldier and friend." Raye joined her taller friend by her princess' side and tried to unobtrusively wipe the moisture from her violet orbs.
"Egeria, Princess of Mercury," Serena continued, turning to her other side, "I accept your pledge and vow to my service, to be at my side as protector and advisor. I pledge this in return: to be worthy of your devotion and to return the service with my own, in whichever way I may best do so. If you accept my pledge, rise and stand by my side, as a royal soldier and friend." Amy stood and smiled her quiet smile, pride and love shining from every pore.
That left one last scout. "Psyche, Princess of Venus, I accept your pledge and vow to my service, to be at my side as protector and advisor. I pledge this in return: to be worthy of your devotion and to return the service with my own, in whichever way I may best do so. If you accept my pledge, rise and stand by my side, as a royal soldier and friend." Serena reached out with one hand and placed it on her fellow blonde's shoulder once she had returned to her feet. "I would also like to reinstate your position as the captain of my personal guard." The smile that split the shorter girl's features was more reminiscent of the school girl she was now rather than the princess she had once been. "I know what you did while you were Sailor V, and you stuck by me when I needed someone in my corner. I know you can do the job." She looked over her shoulder. "Sorry, Raye."
The raven-haired young woman smiled softly. "Don't worry about it. I understand."
The two blondes shared a gaze once again. "Well, Venus, what do you say?"
"I'm not sure what to say." Mina swallowed a lump in her throat while tears ran unnoticed down her cheeks. "I guess... I accept." She bit her lower lip for a second to stop its quivering. "Thank you for believing in me." She drew the other girl into a fierce hug, returned in equal measure.
When they separated, the girls backed off, allowing Darien to step around the table and up to Serena's side. "I've waited too long for this already," he said in low tones before wrapping his arms around the petite girl's waist and pulling her as close as possible, his lips gently pressing against hers in a passionate kiss.
The others looked on, overjoyed at the reunion and return of a good portion of their memories of their past lives. The glow from the Silver Crystal eventually started to fade, and as it did, Serena and Darien drew apart. The blonde tightened her fingers around the precious gem to keep it from falling. Then, without warning, the induced transformations disappeared, leaving five scouts and Tuxedo Mask standing there, swaying from the energy loss. Sailor Moon turned to Venus. "Well, Mina," she asked shakily, "is this a good enough Hollywood ending for you?" and promptly collapsed into a boneless heap on the ground at the same time as Darien, both of them powering down even further into their civilian identities.
"Serena!" was the in-unison response, the girls flying to her side.
"Tuxedo Mask is Darien," Lita breathed, looking at the young man at her side. "Even when I got these memories back I didn't realize that."
"There was no reason for you to have known that," Luna said as she and Artemis joined the vigil. "Neither Serenity nor Endymion had reason to transform into their planetary guardian identities in the Silver Millennium."
"You do remember the Silver Millennium and Queen Serenity, don't you?" Artemis asked.
The girls nodded. "Right up to the final battle with Beryl and Metallia's forces," Mina agreed.
"I do have to admit there are still a lot of unclear patches," Amy admitted. "But I remember the important parts, or so it seems considering our predicament."
"But how did we get here? How were we reborn?" Lita asked. Raye looked as though the brunette had merely beat her to asking the question.
"Queen Serenity used the Silver Crystal to defeat Beryl's army and send you all into the future to be reborn. Luna and I were put into suspended animation, to be awakened when you needed us. But using that much energy with the crystal drained too much of her life force energy, and she died. She gave us another chance, girls. She chose not to destroy Metallia because to do so would have destroyed all of the departed souls as well, and she couldn't do that to you." Artemis was himself close to tears as he explained, his gaze often falling on the unconscious girl at his feet.
"So she imprisoned Metallia inside the sun and forced the surviving members of Beryl's army into the dark queen's evil dimension, the Dark Kingdom - what we know as the Negaverse." Luna's voice was quiet and reserved. "Queen Serenity shared her plans with us before activating the crystal and sending us with you to the future. It broke my heart to see her lying limply amongst the ruins of her once great kingdom. That's the last thing I remember before awakening here in Tokyo."
There was a stunned silence as the four conscious girls took everything in, reconciling it with what they remembered themselves, and how they could imagine it happening. There wasn't a dry eye amongst them. "It was just like her to sacrifice herself like that, especially for Serenity and Endymion," Lita whispered.
"The greatest hope for lasting peace between the Moon and Earth Kingdoms," Mina added.
"Are they going to be alright?" Raye asked as she brushed the bangs out of her best friend's eyes.
Amy pulled out her computer. "They'll be fine. They were just very drained by the crystal's reformation. Serena was pouring her all into it, and Darien backed her up."
"I didn't know he could do that," the raven-haired girl commented.
The blue-haired young lady smiled. "I'm not sure he did either. What energy signatures I can still read from the experience are erratic. I doubt it was a conscious decision."
"Well, that explains why I feel a bit tired myself," Mina said thoughtfully. "We were dumping our energy into it, too."
"Exactly," Amy agreed.
"So will they be up soon?" Luna asked, worry for her charge coming through.
"Um, I'd say any second now," Lita said, gesturing toward the couple. Their eyes were beginning to flutter.
Suddenly Serena started up with a gasp. "Mother!" she cried and began to sob, covering her face with her hands.
"Serena," Darien said intensely while the others reeled with shock, pulling himself into a sitting position and pulling the distraught girl into his arms. "It's okay. It's all right. She did it because she loved you, loved all of us and her kingdom. She did it to give us the best chance she could at a bright, happy future. She gave us another chance." His eyes closed and fought back the tears that shone in his own eyes. "I can never thank her enough for that."
"I'm grateful, so grateful for that, too, Darien," the petite blonde managed to say through her tears. "But she had to die to do it. She's gone!"
The ebony-haired young man rocked his beloved, making quiet soothing sounds and rubbing her back, for another five or six minutes. Finally Serena cried herself out and merely rested against Darien's strong chest and collected her composure. The girls gave her the time she needed before pouncing on her with their questions.
"Are you okay?" Ray asked once she sensed it would be safe to do so.
Serena nodded. "We're fine. I'm sorry we scared you. As soon as we passed out, Queen Serenity appeared to us to explain all the memories the Silver Crystal had freed and what we still have to face with Beryl and Metallia. She showed us the downfall of the Moon Kingdom in the Silver Millennium. She sacrificed it all for us," she finished quietly.
"Luna and Artemis explained," Mina said gently.
"I'm sorry we suspected you were working against us, Darien," Lita apologized with a half-smile. "We never knew your motives, and you never stuck around long enough to explain."
"Not to mention the fact that you flat out told us you would get all of the crystals, even from us," Raye added with a smirk.
Darien chuckled. "Well, I can understand that. I was a bit intense."
"But now we're okay, and that's all that matters." Serena's smile brightened and she started to sit up on her own, Darien's arms slipping down to around her waist.
"How's your energy, Serena?" Luna asked.
"I'm fine. I'll be back to full any time now."
"I'm the same," Darien said when Artemis gave him a querying look.
Amy gasped as she took one last look at her computer before shutting it down. "That's quite fortuitous," she commented, rising to her feet and slipping the device into her extra-dimensional pocket. "Because we have company coming. I've registered five dark energy sources coming our way from the north." She gave the others a sharp look.
"I guess the new memories let you key into the other functions of that little miracle of technology," Artemis muttered with a smile.
"Lucky for us," Luna whispered back.
Serena jumped to her feet. "Will everyone be okay to transform?" she asked the others.
They nodded. "We'll be fine, Serena. Are... you up for this? We are supposed to be protecting you after all," Mina asked hesitantly.
"I'm not just a princess this time around, Mina," her fellow blonde said with a small smile. "I'm a warrior, just like you. I can help you by being able to defend myself and fight the enemy along side you." The smile changed to a grin. "So let's get these guys."
Raye gave her a satisfied smile. "It's about time, Serena."
"We need to hurry," Amy reminded them. "They're almost here."
Less than a minute later, the six defenders of Tokyo - and the world - stood in the place of the group of teenagers ready for the confrontation to come. "Where are they now, Mercury?" Sailor Moon asked, looking around warily.
"From what I can tell they're right..."
Amy never got to finish her statement, because she was interrupted by a huge fireball that exploded in the center of the group. They were forced to scatter and gather their shaken wits. And when each of them had, their surroundings had apparently subtly changed.
"Guys?" Lita asked, the first to recover. "Mercury, Mars, Venus? Sailor Moon? Tuxedo Mask? Are you guys okay?" She started to wander around the trees, looking for her friends. They weren't anywhere to be found. "This is nuts!" the brunette hero exclaimed. "We couldn't have been blown that far apart!"
"So you think," a new voice said from above her right before she was hit by a bolt of dark energy that crackled like lightning.
Lita rolled with the impact, ending up on her feet and staring at the source of the attack. "What did you do with my friends?" she demanded, starting to power up her own attack.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" a female figure with long brown hair, light green skin, and wearing a darker green bikini and matching high heels said smugly as she hovered above Lita's head. The creature's white, fairy-like wings held her aloft effortlessly.
"That would be the reason for the question," the girl returned sarcastically. "Guess you must not be the brightest crayon in the box." Her opponent growled and shot another bolt, easily dodged. As she rolled back to her feet once again, her attention was briefly caught be the odd sight of a pair of tiny wings growing out of this thing's forehead centered by a dark green oval gem. "You must have taken a cue from Malachite with that crystal in your forehead." Lita grinned wickedly. "Too bad it never worked for him."
"Unlike the fallen general, I am not incompetent," the female retorted. "As you will soon see when I fry you to a crisp!"
"Not if I get to you first. Jupiter Thunder Crash!"
Thus started one fierce battle in the temple trees as a strange mist came rolling in, making things all that much more complicated.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
"Hey, guys?" Mina called from her position in the grove. "Are you here?"
"I hope you're not expecting an answer," an unfamiliar voice replied from above. The pale blonde looked up and saw a creature similar to the one that Lita faced, this one with short, light brown hair, light orange skin, darker orange bikini and matching heels, and an orange gem in the middle of her forehead.
The girl grinned. "But you just gave me one," she said brightly.
"Consider it the last one you'll ever receive," the youma growled, shooting off a ball of dark energy.
Mina stepped aside. "And I thought we were having a nice, peaceful conversation here. Whatever did I do to you?"
The creature flew to a new position where she had another shot. "My orders came directly from Queen Beryl. You and your little friends are to be eliminated. And I'm going to enjoy every second." She darted around to another clear spot and attacked. It hit the scout square in the back, sending her reeling.
"Oh, that's it!" Mina cried once she had regained her balance. "I'm through playing! Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" And so started battle number two.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
Amy was quiet as she recovered from the fireball's blast, checking her computer for the status of the situation. Her eyes grew wide as she realized they were being surrounded by a massive illusion. Now if she could only find the source...
"Aw, look at the little girl lost in the woods," a mocking voice said from behind her. The blue-haired scout spun around and came face to face with one of the five dark energy signatures, this one in shades of purple with medium-length dark blonde hair. "I guess I'll just have to put you out of your misery."
"Not today," Amy declared confidently, getting out of the way of the dark energy blast that was shot at her. She noted that it didn't do any damage to the trees behind her and activated her visor.
"Come on now. Stand still and this will all be over quickly. Don't, and things will be much more... difficult."
Amy shifted position again, avoiding another blast. "You can only hope I'll listen. That way you won't lose." She smiled. "But you will." The readout in front of her eyes told her that the youma in front of her was not the source of the illusion, and that her friends were nearby. Now she just had to get them together. "Let's see how you like having your vision interfered with. Mercury Bubbles Blast!" She took off for the nearest ally in the resulting fog, followed by her opponent.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
"Oh, now this is going too far," Raye grumbled as she looked around her normally familiar surroundings. "You don't mess with the temple. You just don't!"
"So what are you going to do about it, huh?" a belligerent voice said from a tree limb above and to the right of her. Her youma was done up in shades of red and was smirking wickedly.
The priestess scowled. "Oh, I don't know. How about... this?" She presented an ofuda in front of her face. "Evil spirits, disperse!" The slip of paper hit its target square in the forehead, covering the red gem there and freezing her in her tracks.
"No!' the creature howled in frustration. "You can't stop me!"
It was Raye's turn to smirk. "I think I just did. Mars Fire Ignite!" And so another battle was joined.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
Darien shook off the effects of the fireball blast and found himself alone. He looked around quickly, wondering where in the world the girls could be. He stayed quiet, not wanting to give his position away in case those five enemies Amy had detected were nearby. He crept through the trees, a sense of wrongness overwhelming him. This was not how the temple grounds were supposed to feel.
The caped hero's intuition told him that he wasn't going to be able to find the others by simply looking, but he didn't know how else he could do it. And then a memory hit him. His link, his soul bond with Serena. That would be one down at least. And once he was there he could protect her, like he hadn't a thousand years ago...
Darien shook off the negative thoughts, concentrating instead on that place inside himself that had always been the most warmed by Serena's presence and followed it to its source. He wove in and out of the trees of the grove, using all his senses to be prepared for a surprise attack. Finally, he thought he heard something. It was more like an echo of a sound than anything real, but his link told him otherwise. Serena was here, very close, and fighting some sort of creature.
"Moon Tiara Action!" The shadow of the attack seemed to fly right by his nose, going from left to right, and giving him the last clue he needed to figure out precisely where his beloved was. And at the sense of a return attack heading for that place, he went into action.
He dove at the place where he thought she was, piling into warm flesh that cried out in surprise as the bolt struck him in the middle of his back. He grimaced at the pain but managed not to give any more reaction than that.
"Another one!" Serena cried, her voice finally clear. "Get off me! Get off me! I'll turn you to moon dust, see if I don't!"
"I love you, too," Darien said with a smile as he rolled off of her.
That made her scramble back. "Dar... Tuxedo Mask? Is that really you?"
"In the flesh. Are you okay?"
She nodded, her features finally relaxing. "Yeah, I'm fine. Are... are you?"
His brows furrowed at the hesitation. "I'm fine. Nothing hit me before that bolt. I hadn't even seen anyone. What's wrong?"
"Watch out!" she cried before she could answer the question, doing her best imitation of Darien's entrance and causing them to both roll out of the way of a large dark energy blast that landed where the ebony-haired young man had just been. "I've been hearing your voice just out of sight, yelling and screaming in pain, begging me to help you. But she keeps taunting me and keeping me from checking it out. Are you sure you're okay?"
Darien nodded. "I'm fine. None of that was real. It looks like we've been caught in a huge illusion where they control what we see and hear. It wouldn't surprise me if the girls were actually very close, but we're being kept from seeing or hearing them and their battles. I knew something didn't feel right about this."
"How did you find me?" Serena asked as the two of them got to their feet and kept moving, unsure of where the next attack would come from.
"These things may be able to affect my physical senses, but they can't block our soul bond. I just followed it to you." He grinned at her. "You nearly took off my nose with that tiara attack."
She blinked at him. "I didn't even see you there. How can I see you now?" Suspicion quickly sprang up in her eyes.
Darien reached out and took her hand before she could draw away. "Touch, Sailor Moon. When I tackled you it broke the illusion, at least between us. If you aren't sure, use the link. You can make sure I'm telling the truth."
The petite blonde swallowed nervously and did as requested. It didn't take long for relief to transform her features. "Oh, Tuxedo Mask, it is you. Thank the gods."
"We need to find the others," he said seriously, giving her a gentle smile as he brushed a hand across her cheek. "Our best chance is to work together. Can you figure out a way to break this spell?"
She thought for a moment as they kept moving. "The crystal. I should be able to use the crystal. If anything can cut through this, that would be our best chance." She reached into her extra-dimensional pocket and drew out the powerful gem. As soon as her fingers had closed around it she gasped. "It is an illusion. But the fog is real. The closest scout is that way." She pointed to her left and started to lead the way, never letting go of Darien's hand. They didn't realize they were being followed.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
Amy was busy doing the same thing, her visor able to cut through the illusion only slightly less effectively that the Silver Crystal. She kept moving, periodically dodging a random energy blast from the enemy still behind her and returning with a Mercury Bubbles Blast. The mist she produced formed a growing fog bank that filled the grove and clearing.
Flashes of red and orange just ahead drew her forward quickly. As she hid behind a tree briefly, Amy could see Raye and another flying youma trading blows, both the worse for wear. The blue-haired scout gave a muffled gasp when the creature shot out numerous vines from each arm, all with pointed tips, just missing the nimble Scout of Fire. Her Mars Fire Ignite just missed as well, and Amy decided it was time to up the stakes.
She dashed out to her friend, grabbing Raye's wrist as the raven-haired girl was bringing her hands together for another attack. Amy pulled her along, never stopping her run, and managed to get her now-irritated friend out of the way of a blast of dark energy.
Raye's eyes were wide as she stumbled along behind her blue-haired friend, staring back at where she had just been. "You know, I was going to yell at you for interrupting my attack, but I changed my mind. That would have hurt."
"I'm sure it would have," Amy agreed with a smile. "Now we have to find the others. We'll be able to handle this much more efficiently as a whole instead of as individuals."
"Where are they?" Raye asked, a bit frustrated. "She wouldn't tell me what she'd done with them."
"I doubt she did much of anything with them. We're in the middle of a large, complex illusion. We can't see or hear one another until we break through their imposed reality by overwhelming its limits by using a sense they can't account for. The others are probably quite close." She ducked down for a moment to dodge an energy bolt. "Mercury Bubbles Blast!" she shot out on the run, still trailing Raye behind her.
"What in the world did you just say?" the other scout demanded, blinking at the decrease of visibility. "How do we break the spell?"
"Touch is the only sense they can't fool," Amy explained. "So once we touch one another, like I did when I grabbed your wrist, the illusion is broken, at least for those who are touching. But the rest of it is still in effect, so it's a bit easy to get turned around here, even though we're familiar with the territory. They've leveled the playing field this way."
"But your visor can cut through it?"
"Yes."
Raye nodded, moving up to run by the other girl's side. "Can you read the others?"
"I can't tell who is who at this point, but one of them is just ahead of us in the midst of a battle. I would surmise she isn't Sailor Moon based on the energy levels."
"What do you mean?"
"Yours, Venus', and Jupiter's attacks all have a higher energy signature than the Moon Tiara Action attack, and the Moon Healing Activation is nearly off the scale. By the readings I'm getting it should be either Venus or Jupiter."
The Scout of Fire gave her companion a confused glance. "So why did it take the tiara to finish off our opponents before we ran into the Rainbow Crystals?" she asked.
"A different focus would be my guess," Amy responded. "Or possibly a tighter focus."
"Fair enough. She is the princess, after all." She stumbled to a halt a few seconds after Amy did, nearly getting jerked off her feet at the end of the other scout's arm. "Warn me next time, would you?"
"Sorry. It's Jupiter out there, and she looks like it's been a tough battle for her as well. We need to grab her and keep moving. Sailor Moon is going to need us."
Raye closed her eyes and concentrated, focusing her psychic senses on the area Amy had gestured at. She took a deep breath and let her violet orbs flutter open. "I can't quite see her the way you obviously can," she said finally, "but I can sense where she is. Lead me out there and I should be able to get a hold of her. That way you don't have to put away your computer and chance losing our edge."
"You've got it."
The pair of them dashed out onto the battlefield, Amy leading them straight for where Lita stood after throwing out a Jupiter Thunder Crash. As they continued through the run-by, Raye managed to grab the taller girl's upper arm, dragging her off after them. It was only because the raven-haired priestess had opened herself up completely that she was able to avoid the punch the Scout of Lightning threw at her. "Hey, cool it!" Raye cried, moving her grip down to Lita's wrist. "It's me!"
"Whoops!" the brunette responded, adjusting her gait to help her friend instead of hinder it. "Sorry about that, Mars. I thought you were another one of those... things. What's going on?" She looked ahead of Raye strangely. "And who are you following?"
The scout in the middle brought her hands together, causing Amy and Lita's hands to meet in front of her. "Does that answer your question?"
Lita grinned. "Hey, Mercury. Long time no see. Literally. Now what's going on?"
Amy was forced to throw out another Mercury Bubbles Blast instead of answering the question, so Raye took up the task. "These things have us caught in an illusion so we can't fight together, but they can't stop us from being able to touch each other - it's too much for the spell. So when you do touch something you see it for what it really is. That's why I just had you touch Mercury's hand instead of telling you. It was easier."
"Gotcha."
At that point Amy let out an explosive breath of relief. "Oh, thank gods. I'm glad something is going right."
"What? What is it?" Raye asked.
"The other three are together on the other side of the clearing. They're fighting two of the creatures."
"That means that the other three are behind us, doesn't it?" Lita asked dubiously.
As one the three of them crouched down as they continued on to avoid the largest dark energy blast they'd had thrown at them yet. "Yes," Amy and Raye said in unison.
"I know, I know. Stupid question. Lead on, Mercury."
After another five minutes, Amy gestured them to a halt, letting go of Raye's wrist to type in some commands to her hand-held computer. She frowned in concentration.
"What's up?" Lita whispered.
"Sailor Moon and Sailor Venus are facing off against an opponent each while Tuxedo Mask is darting between the two of them giving them assistance. But I'm reading something strange here. Could you two hold our opponents off while I figure this out?" She looked at her two companions hopefully.
Raye and Lita shared a look of their own, hope not part of the equation. "Sure," the brunette said with a shrug. "Why not?"
"You don't want me to answer that question," the raven-haired scout said ominously.
As soon as Amy had settled in to analyze her scans, the three youma that had followed them through the trees put in their appearance, dark energy bolts flying. Lightning and fire shot out in return and everything escalated quickly. In the midst of things, Lita shifted her stance, bumping into Raye in the process. "Hey, watch it!" the scout in the red fuku snapped.
"No," Lita responded calmly.
"What!"
"I want to make sure that illusion doesn't go back into effect, and touch stops it. So every now and again I'm going to touch you. You weren't in the middle of an attack so I knew it was okay."
Raye paused, taking in the logic. "Point taken. Now let's take these things down."
"Keep holding them off!" Amy cried, moving out of sight with one last Mercury Bubbles Blast left behind her.
Both scouts froze. "She left," Lita said tersely.
"And took her visor with her," Raye agreed in the same tone.
"Must be something important."
"Must be."
As one, without thought, the two heroes shifted their stance so that they were fighting back to back, part of one always touching the other as they continued their battle.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
Amy scrambled through the underbrush, moving closer and closer to where Serena, Mina, and Darien were fighting the two remaining youma. She smiled as she saw that the one facing off against Serena was dressed differently than the others, wearing a one-piece outfit with an open front instead of a bikini, and the gem in the center of her forehead was a bit larger than the others'. It just confirmed what she had suspected from her scans.
Just before she could make her way silently into the clearing, Darien lunged past Serena, causing his cane to extend into the stomach of Mina's opponent and sending her flying back. As the strike hit home, Serena's youma dove forward, tackling the blonde leader and taking her to the ground beneath it. The petite hero had managed to get her feet under the thing during the fall, but was struggling to get the momentum to force it off.
Amy shot forward before Darien could turn, sliding the last few feet across the grass on her knees, her computer folded shut and extended before her like a weapon. When she reached the struggling pair, the blue-haired scout thrust the computer out, smashing the gem on the creature's forehead. "No more illusions!" she cried triumphantly.
Out of complete shock, on the youma's part as well as her own, Serena extended her legs and sent the creature flying over Amy and into the tree the other girl had been hiding behind. Suddenly, everyone was visible, Raye and Lita appearing together on the other side of the clearing. The youma backed off in surprise.
"Mercury!" Serena cried. "What did you just do?" She scrambled to her feet and helped Amy to hers.
"That gem was maintaining the illusion that kept us from seeing or hearing each other. Now we can work together and defeat these youma." She smiled triumphantly.
Mina laughed. "Way to go, Mercury! Now that's what I call an entrance!"
Raye and Lita ran over to the others. "Are you okay, Sailor Moon?" the raven-haired girl asked.
"I'm fine thanks to Mercury here. Now let's put these puppies to bed!"
"Just what I was thinking, Sailor Moon," Darien added with a smile of his own, his midnight blue eyes doing a quick once-over to make sure she was as okay as she said she was.
Suddenly their five opponents shot up into the air, joining hands in a circle directly above them. They could all see a tiny spark form in the center, and it began to grow.
"We need to do something quickly," Amy announced, opening her computer once again and examining the situation. "When that attack reaches full strength, it'll be devastating."
"So we just need to take them out before they do the same to us," Lita said.
"But how?" Raye asked.
Mina frowned with concentration, snapping her gloved fingers as she pondered the dilemma. "I've got it!" she cried finally. "We have a group attack! The, uh... Sailor Planet Attack!"
"That's right!" Lita remembered, clapping her hands once. Amy grinned and nodded.
"But we did that with just the four of us. What about Sailor Moon?" Raye pointed out.
Serena looked at them all with wide eyes, a smile of realization forming on her features. "I'll be your focus again, like I was when we activated the Rainbow Crystals. And I'll be able to boost the attack." She drew out her Crescent Moon Wand.
"The Moon Healing Activation?" Mina asked. "Are you sure that'll help?"
Her fellow blonde was silent as she shifted the weapon to her left hand and drew something else out of the extra-dimensional space. "I just remembered how this will be most effective." She presented the Silver Crystal for a moment before placing it in the small groove in the wand. "This is how it's supposed to go together and how I'll boost your attack. I'll channel it through the crystal with the Moon Healing Activation. That should do the trick."
Darien stepped up behind her and placed his hands on her hips. "I'll back her up. You girls circle us and power up. Now hurry. They're almost ready." He glanced up.
When the others followed his lead they saw that he was right. The spark had turned into a humongous fireball, larger than the one that had scattered them at the beginning of this encounter. The four soldiers quickly encircled the royal couple and began to power up their attack. To boost her own energy, Serena shifted her transformation to that of Princess Serenity, Darien shifting to Prince Endymion in response.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
In the Negaverse, now remembered to originally be called the Dark Kingdom, Beryl looked on through the crystal ball at the end of her staff. She had been pleased with the progress her minions had made up to the point when Mercury had smashed the illusion gem, but knew the large-scale attack the multi-colored youma were putting together would crush the scouts and their formally-dressed ally. She couldn't wait to watch it happen.
But then the scouts got together and appeared to be building up to a large attack of their own, evening the field and reducing her odds. She gritted her teeth and growled to herself. She couldn't bear to see another failure! There was one flash of light followed by another, and suddenly she saw the Princess of the Moon and the Prince of Earth standing in the center of her foes.
She gasped. Her greatest rival and her heart's obsession together again? How could this be? She took a closer look at the scene as it played out and noticed the bright glittering light coming from the Crescent Moon Wand the pathetic princess held firmly in her right hand. The Silver Imperium Crystal! That had been the origin of the energy burst that had prompted her to send the Doom and Gloom Girls, her greatest remaining fighters, out to investigate and retrieve the source. The scouts and Tuxedo Mask had brought the Rainbow Crystals together and had summoned the Silver Crystal. Of course!
A wildness took root in the evil queen's eyes, her focus on the handsome young man standing in the center of the scout's circle. If her nemesis had been able to see it, she would have recognized it as having been shared with Malachite before the dark energy had been driven from him. Unfortunately for them all, this vessel had much more power than the fallen general had, and she was prepared to use it all to get what she wanted. She powered up her own attack and waited for the right time to unleash it.
(cut to...)
(scene change...)
Back at the temple, both spheres of energy had reached their peak. The airborne youma dropped suddenly like a bomb from a plane, heading directly for their foes below them. The six heroes returned fire, the five girls shouting in unison, "Sailor Planet Attack!"
The multi-colored light streamed toward the center of their circle, gathering together inside the Silver Crystal then shooting out at an even greater brilliance toward its target. When the two attacks met just above the defenders' heads the struggle began, looking like night and day fighting for dominance of the sky. But it could only go on so long. Eventually the nearly blinding white light from the ground began to overwhelm the dark energy-fueled fireball from above, forcing it back ever so slightly. As the two energy sources overlapped and touched the youma, the creatures began to disintegrate, encouraging the heroes' attack to move on even more quickly.
When the white light reached the top of the dark sphere, there seemed to be one last barrier to overcome. It finally gave, and with it came a huge explosion. Light shot out everywhere, joined by dark crystalline shapes that showered the ground below in a dangerous rain. Had anyone been watching, they would have been blinded by the dramatic display.
Finally, everything at the temple returned to normal. Fading sunlight from the setting sun alone lit the grounds of the holy place. Birds and squirrels began to chatter once again as the natural balance was restored to their home. A light breeze stirred the empty branches of the sleeping trees. And where six heroes had once stood defending their world against a great threat, one that could have destroyed everything as mankind knew it, all was destitute, as though they had never been.
