Author Notes:
Thank you for the reviews! They are so encouraging, and help with pushing the story forward. I appreciate them. To AimlesslyGera, thank you for bringing up a great point. I guess my only explanation would be that the scouts were excited about finally finding the last member of the team and overlooked that bit of information. Lame explanation, I know. Anyways, here is the third chapter, hope you all like it. And, I don't own anything of/about Sailor Moon. Rated T for language.
Chapter Three: A New Villain Emerges
An incessant buzzing filled the room, much too early for a weekend. A pale hand slapped at the noise making contraption knocking to the ground. There was a small sigh of content before the door to her room barged open. Serena bolted upright at the noise, "What? Sammy!"
"No, Serena, not Sammy," Her mother said, a glare plastered on her pretty face. She held up a piece of paper in her hands. A piece of paper that Serena thought she had gotten rid of. The one that said she had Saturday detention for the sheer amount of missing homework.
"Oh shit," Serena muttered. "Mom, I can explain, I, um,"
"Save it, Serena. You have detention today, now get your butt in gear. You will not be late for this," Irene spluttered, horrified that regular detention no longer seemed like an option for her daughter. "Honestly, how many assignments have you missed?"
Serena, who had been looking for Luna, stopped and turned to her mother. She shrugged, "I dunno. I haven't really kept track," She said, trying to think how far back she needed to remember. Irene gave a frustrated sigh and walked out of the room, slamming her daughter's door. "You better be ready in ten minutes. I want you there early to find out what you can do for extra credit."
"Mom! I was going to take my new manga with me. I haven't been able to read it since I bought it yesterday," the blonde whined, said manga already in her hands. Her eyes widened in surprise when Irene suddenly opened the door and snatched the precious item away.
"No more manga until your grades improve." With that final directive, the door closed once more, and footsteps sounded down the stairs. Serena kicked her pink pillow across the room, pouting. 'My grades won't improve until I take care of the Dark Kingdom. Sheesh, that's going to take forever!' In her anger, the former princess didn't realize her large math textbook was hiding underneath the next pillow she was aiming to kick. Serena pulled back her leg, ready to unleash her fury at the unfairness of it all…
The painful shriek was heard throughout the house, and even on sidewalk outside of the house. Ken, moments away from taking his first sip of coffee, flinched at the sound, spilling the hot liquid on his shirt. He grimaced, pulling the wet fabric away from his skin. Upstairs, Sammy stuck his head out of his room, eyeing the hallway for the banshee that had apparently started haunting their house. Only Irene, in the kitchen, kept doing what she was doing, knowing full well that it was her stubborn and clumsy daughter.
/
Luna had been rudely awakened by Serena's scream. She had slipped back into the girl's room sometime during the pre-dawn hours. Her conversation with Artemis had been a long and somewhat unpleasant one, at least towards the end. So when she got home, she slipped into her hiding spot behind the drawers of Serena's desk. She stretched and come out into plain sight, ready to divulge the information she had gleaned from her former partner. The feline was dismayed as she heard the front door slam shut, and the tell-tale wails of Serena fading down the street.
/
The stack of papers in front of her was astounding. Absolutely astounding. Serena stared as Ms. Haruna placed copies of her missing homework assignments in front of her.
"I've really missed this many?" Serena asked incredulously, eyeing the stack as if it were a wild animal, ready to pounce.
"Yes, and you can leave as soon as you've completed all of them," Ms. Haruna replied, grabbing a brand new romance novel out of her purse. 'The upside to chaperoning Saturday detention is now I can finally start this new series!' Ms. Haruna thought, making sure she had her book and tea set up for the morning. She sat at the desk, and once she had cracked the cover, was totally engrossed in the book.
Serena grumbled at the sheer amount of work she faced. In total, she was missing sixteen assignments, dating back to a month ago. 'Well at least I can tell mom and dad that I'm all caught up when I get home,' She sighed and started the first assignment, math. This was going to be a long day. She slowly worked through her assignments, one by one, occasionally pausing to use the restroom, or to drink water. Her mother didn't pack any snacks for her, stating that eating would not only be rude, it would be a distraction. By the time she got to the last packet, it had been a few hours and her stomach was growling.
A soft sigh escaped her lips, as she gazed at the world just outside the window. It was a beautiful day, sunshine pouring through the glass, warm, and comforting. Serena closed her eyes for a moment, 'A quick break, to muster up my courage for the last one.' Her break turned in a reverie, as a millennia old memory pushed its way in her mind
/
Laughter filled the air as the five young women enjoyed their picnic. Of course this brief moment of peace was her idea. She told her mother that her Scouts were becoming too serious, and needed some downtime. Serenity was slightly surprised when her mother relented without much arguing. Within moments, the princess ran throughout the castle, in a most un-princess-like way, to gather up her dear friends. Mars was at the small shrine, offering prayers for peace. Unrest was beginning to make its way throughout the galaxy. Serenity waited until her prayers were done, and then abruptly grabbed Mars' arm. They made their way to the library, where the quiet Mercury sat, reading a book in a long forgotten language. She was easily joined their plans, stating that it was her fifth time reading that very book. With a shake of her head, Serenity whisked the two of them off to the kitchens, where Jupiter could be found. Sure enough, there she was, already packing a basket for them, having been in on the plan the whole time. With large toothy grins, the four of them, headed for the armory, where Venus was most likely to be. The princess had to cajole the Head Scout into joining them, threatening to command her, if need be. Venus relented and now they all sat in a secluded courtyard, laughing, eating, and talking, like regular young women.
/
Mina stared at the cute dress in front of her, her thoughts elsewhere. She thought shopping would get her mind off of her dream from the night before. The dream where they were having a picnic on the Moon. Grumbling, she placed the orange sundress on the counter to purchase. The cashier, seeing the look of frustration on her face, wisely said nothing and handed her the bag. Mina walked out, stuck in odd feeling she got when she thought about the dream. 'A memory, more than likely.' On her way back to her apartment, she went over every detail she could remember. Oh how their faces lit up when they found her in the armory, sharpening her favorite blades. It was funny that, even though the Princess was in the dream, talking to her, threatening to command her to attend the picnic even, she couldn't clearly see her face. 'This must be why Darien is always so pissy after his dreams. She's so close, and yet we still can't see her.' Of course she had given into her Princess's demands. As Venus, she not only protected the Princess, but made sure that she was always happy. And if she wanted picnic with her closest friends, then there was nothing to stop Venus from complying.
/
"Isn't this nice? Just the five of us, not worrying about a thing?" Serenity asked reveling in the simplistic pleasure of enjoying time with them.
"Well, some of us don't stop our duties, just because we're out here, eating," Mars remarked, her thoughts still on the rumors swirling around the galaxy.
"What? Oh no! You are not on duty. In fact, I command each and every one of you to relinquish your responsibilities as Scouts whenever we spend time together like this," the Moon Princess exclaimed. Reactions from the four other women were mixed. While some groaned at her absurd command, others laughed. For Serenity, it seemed to have worked, as the mood lightened. Venus then launched into a scandalous story about one of the noblemen in the court. The story had such lurid details that Jupiter and Serenity were cackling madly, while poor Mercury's eyes widened in absolute horror.
"Venus, you're going to give Mercury a heart attack. Poor thing," Mars said consolingly.
"She might be in shock, but you're blushing Mars!" Jupiter called out. Mars swiped at Jupiter's arm in annoyance.
"I guess there are some details, that are too much for such delicate maidens," Serenity said teasingly. Venus, knowing full well that Serenity was still a maiden, burst into a fit of giggles as the other three stared at their princess in shock.
"You better be a 'delicate maiden,' or else your mother is going to skin us alive!" Mars exclaimed, while Mercury and Jupiter tried to shush her. At this point Serenity joined Venus in her giggling fit.
"I can have knowledge… of illicit things," At this point, Serenity, who had tried to catch her breath while explaining to her Scouts that she was still a maiden, saw their concerned faces and laughed harder.
"While still remaining a maiden," Venus finished for her. Mars began muttering that Serenity and Venus were spending too much time together, while Jupiter and Mercury looked relieved. Once she had caught her breath, Serenity looked up at the sky to see the Earth.
"I wonder what it would be like to visit Earth. Mother said she visited when she was my age, so many centuries ago," the princess said imaging the wild and fun adventures she and the girls could get into on that planet.
"Earth is not the safest place for anyone in the galaxy right now. According to our intel, they believe that the Silver Millennium Alliance is nothing more than an old legend. We are but fairy tales, monsters, and witches to them," Mercury said, in a practical fashion.
"Serenity, I don't like that look on your face," Venus said seeing the dreamy far off gaze in her princess's eyes.
"What? I'm just looking," the royal retorted.
"And planning. I know that look. I taught you that look," Venus replied.
"Maybe we can arrange a contactless visit. You know, to get it out of her system," Jupiter said trying to reign in their adventurous monarch. The lightning scout was also a bit curious about Earth, having read about the various native plants used in cooking. The others chimed in, knowing how stubborn their princess could be once she got a hold of an idea. As their voices faded, Serenity sighed, desiring to visit the mysterious planet even more.
/
Mina walked into her living room and carelessly threw the bag on the couch. The name Serenity echoed in her head. Instead of being overjoyed at remembering her name, Mina felt worried. While the overall dream brought a happy feeling, Mina grimaced when she thought about the end. The end of the dream was tinged with tension, as though the princess, 'Serenity,' she reminded herself, was going to do something extremely stupi-unwise. She dropped, ungracefully, into her bed.
"Rough morning, huh?" Artemis called out from his spot near the window.
"You have no idea. I remembered her name," Mina replied, her eyes closed. She did not yet want to tell the others, possibly giving them false hope when they still were no closer to finding the princess.
"Serenity."
"Yup. Why were you so late last night? Out carousing like a typical cat?"
Normally, Artemis would have hissed at her for such a rude comment, but he simply shook his head. Realizing that the young warrior of love had her eyes closed, he answered, "No. I found Luna."
Mina's blue eyes shot open in disbelief, as she turned to face him. "And?"
"I don't think you're going to like what I have to say."
/
-The Previous Night-
"Hello, Artemis. It's been awhile," A female voice purred to his right. Artemis turned, eyes widening in shock.
"Luna?"
The black cat merely nodded, afraid that she would let her emotions get the best of her. Artemis walked up to her, a smile on his face.
"I can't believe it's you. I thought, when we all found each other and you weren't there," He said, trailing off.
"I know. But now we need to talk," She said looking around. They were standing on the sidewalk, the sun setting. "I think this place might be too exposed. Perhaps we can go somewhere people won't see two cats talking?"
"I know the perfect place. Follow me," He replied. They made their way through the streets, ending up at the Crown Arcade. Luna looked at him quizzically, as they snuck in through a window. She watched Artemis walk up to a Sailor V game. 'Serena's all-time favorite game,' she thought with a smile. He pressed the buttons in a certain order, opening up a small staircase behind the gaming console. Luna's eyes widened as they walked down into the Sailor Scout headquarters.
"Now, no one will think it's weird that we are talking," Artemis said with a hint of pride.
"Good. As you know, the Dark Kingdom has ramped up their attacks lately, sending stronger creatures," Luna began. Artemis sighed, leave it to Luna to get straight to business. No hey how are yous, no I've missed yous. Just plain business.
"Yes, the girls have been very busy, taking care of the Dark Kingdom trash. They've done their absolute best, all while missing the last scout," He replied looking at her pointedly. Luna ignored the look and continued.
"And they've done well. I suppose that is because you have been here, training them, just like before."
Artemis preened with the compliment. Back on the Moon, he had taught the Scouts military strategy, ran them through grueling obstacle courses, and tested their personal planetary attacks.
"Thank you, Luna. But it isn't the same. I don't have all of my memories back, but I know that there was a set of warriors, more than just these four, trained to protect Serenity."
Luna was startled at the mention of that name. She feared that the name could lead him, and the others, towards remembering more. She needed to get more information.
"So you're looking for the princess too? Do you remember what she looks like?"
"No, Mi-I mean Venus and the others can't remember her face either. Nor can Tuxedo Mask, even though he dreams of our princess nightly," Artemis said, trying to keep secret identities a secret. He had known Luna for a long time, in their former lives, and could tell that she was keeping something from him. 'Well, I may have fallen for her pretty looks, and batting eyelashes, a thousand years ago, but not anymore. I'll make her fall for my charms.'
"Tuxedo Mask? I don't remember him. Are you sure he isn't with the Dark Kingdom?" Luna questioned. Being very protective over Serena, her fur stood up. How dare this man dream of her princess. She was already spoken for, even if a certain dark haired, blue eyed, young man didn't realize it. So this Tuxedo Mask needed to back down.
"Unfortunately, none of us remember him, but I can assure you, he is not evil. He has been helping us out in our search," He replied feeling defensive over Darien. "Are you sure you don't know who he was? You obviously know who Sailor Moon is, considering you called for help when she was in trouble the other day."
Luna tensed, sensing a trap. "It doesn't matter if I know her or not. What matters is stopping the Dark Kingdom from destroying everything again."
"Again? How much do you remember, Luna?"
"Leave it alone, Artemis," She warned.
"Who is Sailor Moon? Why did she run from the Scouts?"
"Artemis, please. Sailor Moon and I have very specific orders to carry out. Orders that do not include joining a team."
Artemis paused at hearing this. Queen Serenity had perished so long ago, so who had the authority to order around a Scout and former advisor? He stared at Luna, who shied away from his intense gaze. It was beginning to dawn on him. There was truly only one other person left who had such authority. The one person they were looking for.
"Where is she?"
"Who?" Luna asked. She knew she was caught, but she had to get out of this conversation as soon as she could.
"Serenity. Only she could order you around."
Luna remained quiet, not wanting to give Serena's secret away. "Luna! Please, tell me. The girls miss her so much. They believe, as do I, that we can't have our full memories until we either find her or until Sailor Moon joins them. They really need her help with these stronger youma. I think it's why the princess has asked us to find the Imperial Crystal. It's why the girls are currently searching for Sailor Moon's civilian form," He said, emotions making his speech rushed.
'Oh dear, they are searching for them both! This is almost as bad as remembering the truth,' Luna thought, worried about the pain it would cause for everyone involved. She took a deep breath, steeling herself for the cruelty that was soon to pour forth from her.
"No, Artemis. I will not tell you what I do or do not know. I have orders, Sailor Moon has orders, and that's that. If the other Scouts wish to interfere with the mission entrusted to Sailor Moon and me, then they will have to answer to Serenity, when this is all done. Obviously, you haven't trained them well enough in the area of respect," She responded in a cool and detached tone. Luna turned and walked back up the stairs, leaving a stunned Artemis behind.
/
Mina sat in silence, going over everything Artemis had said. Then she started shaking with fury. "So they possibly know where our princess is, but won't say anything?" She said, standing up suddenly. Her mind began to work through what she knew about Sailor Moon. Oh, they were going to find her, and then if it was the last thing Mina would do, she'd wring every bit of information out from the Moon scout, if it meant wringing her pretty little neck. 'We are a team, dammit!' She thought angrily, as tears formed in her eyes. A beeping noise from her communicator grabbed her attention. Jupiter's face appeared.
"All hands on deck, this one's a doozy. Over by the business district." She said briefly, before cutting out. Happy that she could take her current frustrations out on an interdimensional monster, Sailor Venus made her way towards the battle.
/
The scrapping of a chair on linoleum tiles brought her out of that happy memory. Serena glanced over to see Ms. Haruna walking towards her.
"Alright, Serena, you're done for the day."
The blonde looked at the pages in front of her, now completely finished. She couldn't remember actually doing the work for the last assignment, but was glad it was over. Her stomach rumbled again, reminding her that it had been too long since she last had food. Serena nodded, grabbed her bag and made her way to the Arcade. 'I think that effort deserves a milkshake reward!' It would be nice to hang out with Andrew for a bit before going home. At least he would be proud of her efforts. And she could tackle the new Sailor V game again. These thoughts ran through her mind all the way to the Arcade, and as the familiar sound of tinkling bells greeted her, a wide grin broke out over her features.
Darien, watching from the counter, thought she looked like a psychopath. A cute, bubbly, psychopath. He saw her make her way over towards him. 'Well, not me. It's Andrew she's coming to see.' He thought, as the arcade manager was standing by him, talking about the proper ways of cleaning dishes. The dark haired young man scowled slightly, as Serena turned her grin towards Andrew.
"Hey Andrew! Could I get a double chocolate chip milkshake please?" She called out. As Andrew took her order and moved towards the back to make the milkshake, she noticed who was sitting no more than four feet from her. With a gulp, she tried to look at him, without his notice. Serena took in his raven colored hair, looking perfectly tousled, and his hypnotic sapphire eyes.
"If you take a picture, you can stare at me whenever you want," he said without looking at her.
She blushed profusely at being caught. 'Dammit, that wasn't supposed to happen. How did he know I was staring?'
Darien turned to look at her, and saw her skin flushing. He smirked, knowing that he was the cause of it.
"I was just trying to see if you are really human or not," She answered.
"And the verdict is?"
"Not human."
"Why is that?"
"Because no one can be that good looking, and still be such a jerk."
"So you think I'm good looking, huh? That's nice to know," He said watching a mix of emotions cross her face. He saw frustration, embarrassment, and maybe even acceptance. They stood staring at each other, neither one wanting to back down. It wasn't until Andrew returned with her milkshake, did the moment end.
"Here you go Serena. With a little extra whipped cream too," He said handing her the sugary concoction. The blonde swiped the milkshake out of his hands, thanked him, and ran off towards the Sailor V game.
"So what was that all about?" Andrew asked, noticing the amused smile on Darien's face.
"Serena admitted that I was good looking," He replied, gazing at her back, as she sat at the gaming console.
"I thought you were going to say that she admitted to liking you or something. Or that maybe you were going to admit to liking her," the sandy haired young man said thoughtfully. Darien whipped his head to face him, with a shocked look on his face.
"Me? Liking her? I think you've finally lost it, my friend."
"Oh I assure you I haven't. The way you tease her? It's like kindergarten all over again. But I'll wait patiently for that day," Andrew answered, making his way down the counter with his cleaning rag.
Darien sighed, thinking about the conversation he had with the girls yesterday about Serena. She was on the list of potential candidates, yet, it didn't seem feasible. How could a happy-go-lucky girl like Serena have a warrior like alter ego such as Sailor Moon? The two personalities could not be farther from each other. Even when yelling at him, Serena still held a certain warmth, one that always drew him into her presence. Sailor Moon had been so cold, even when thanking them for their help. He drew up the various differences between them in his head, as he drank his coffee.
Serena's piercing cry of victory drew him from his thoughts. Several other arcade patrons glanced over at her, causing her to shrink back towards the game. She seemed to be enjoying herself, yet, as Darien watched her, she looked lonely. A quiet buzzing filled the air around him, and he knew exactly what that meant. 'If you're really a possibility for Sailor Moon, then you should be leaving soon,' he thought watching her intently. Eight minutes later, she still didn't seem to register the fact that there was a youma attack happening. Deciding he couldn't wait any longer, Darien made his way out of the arcade.
/
"Where the hell is he?" Mars growled, avoiding the blades thrown at her. Thankfully, most of the people milling around in the street had fled the moment they had seen the youma. The attacks were a little too commonplace lately.
The creature they faced was the most humanoid yet. She was dressed like a ninja, complete with deadly weaponry. Every time they thought they could get a shot in, more blades shot out from her, keeping them on the defensive.
"I can try his communicator again," Mercury said, whipping behind a mailbox. She was about to call him for the third time, but the youma had other ideas. She pulled out a wickedly sharp blade, ready to cut Mercury down.
"Mercury! Look out!" Jupiter cried, trying to reach her in time. However, Tuxedo Mask's cane shot out, blocking the strike.
"My, my, just what is that cane made from?" A male voice called out from the shadows. The youma pulled away with a back flip and landed next to the unfamiliar man. The Scouts and Tuxedo Mask looked on wearily, as they recognized the all too familiar uniform of a Dark Kingdom General.
"I'm sorry, Master, but there is no Rainbow Crystal here," the foul creature said, bowing to him. The man's lips curled into a sneer.
"I am very disappointed, Katana. I had hoped you wouldn't fail me like the others," He said, his voice devoid of emotion. "So you're the little ragtag group that gave Jadeite and Nephlite so much trouble? How pathetic of them to be defeated by the likes of you. You can't even stop Katana here, and she isn't even my best youma."
The creature in question huffed at the insult.
"Which one are you, and what do you want with the Rainbow Crystal?" Venus called out, trying to stall for some time. She hoped that Sailor Moon would appear to help them. Then she could interrogate the Lunar Scout.
"I am Zoicite, the smartest general. And I do not simply want one Rainbow Crystal, I want them all," He said simply. "Hmm, seeing as there are no carriers of the crystals here, I'll take my leave. Katana, take care of them." He faded from view, his laughter echoing in the street. Katana smiled, and unleashed another powerful attack, blasting Tuxedo Mask and Mercury through a window, while Venus, Jupiter, and Mars, crashed into several parked cars.
"I hate to say it, but isn't this when Sailor Moon should, you know, show up?" Mars groaned. Venus rolled her eyes, but a small part of her agreed. A small black shadow also wondered why Sailor Moon wasn't there. It took off, seeking the last scout.
/
"Detention is really so boring, Andrew. But it can be productive. It makes me wonder what's the point of going to school during the week. You know?" Serena said chattering away. She told him she was taking a break from the game, but in actuality, she had spent the rest of her money on it. They were talking over by the counter, where Andrew could still take orders. She noticed that Darien had left, meaning that the counter was once again safe for her to let her guard down.
"Only you would see the benefits in Saturday detention, Serena. But that doesn't mean that you can slack off during normal school hours," Andrew said with a laugh. Their conversation had moved through a variety of topics, making Serena smile. 'It's so nice to be a normal girl every once in a while. I can't wait until I can do this with the girls.' She froze, her smile fading at the thought of her former friends. Serena wondered for a brief moment if they would accept her once they realized what she had done so long ago, and what she was currently doing to them. But it would be nice to have friends again, once this war with Beryl and her minions was over. Maybe then, she could finally relax without constantly worrying about losing them. Andrew saw her expression change, but guessed wrongly for the reason.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like Darien," He started to say. The name brought Serena back to the present as she looked at Andrew.
"Oh please! You are nothing like that jerk."
"Right. So I heard that you think he's cute," he said hoping to provoke a reaction. She blushed, hearing her words get twisted around.
"I said he was good looking, not cute!" She pouted.
"It's kind of the same thing."
"Is not."
"Is too."
"Is not!"
"Is too!"
The two blondes glared at each other for a few moments before bursting into laughter, completely unaware of the nightmare occurring on the other side of the city.
/
The battle was quickly getting out of hand. Her eyes darted around for the hundredth time, hoping to see some long lost warrior coming to their aid. For the hundredth time, Venus was disappointed.
"Penny for your thoughts?" She said as she crouched next to Mercury. Mercury glanced up at her leader in surprise. For once, she hadn't botched the colloquialism by swapping out words.
"I think if we can combine our attacks, then we can maybe destroy her," Mercury replied uncertainly.
"Maybe is the best you can come up with?" Mars shouted nearby. She grit her teeth in pain, warding off another one of Katana's attacks with one of her own.
"This one's different from the others we've seen. She's more powerful!" Mercury cried out defensively. "If you think you have a better plan, then let's see it!"
Venus stared at the warrior in front of her. Sure, they were all under a bit of stress at the moment, but Mercury's outburst and fiery response had startled her. If Mercury was cracking under the pressure, then they definitely needed a break.
"Let's go with Mercury's idea, and figure out Plan B if we need to," Venus said making the decision. "Tux, I need you to distract her while we take up our positions for the attack. I'll give the signal and then you get the hell out of the way."
With a nod, Tuxedo Mask walked out into the decimated street. Katana turned towards him, a cruel smile on her lips. She drew her sword and rushed at the caped man, ready to slice him into pieces. For his part, Tuxedo Mask was ready, bringing his cane up to block the blow. He knew that it would hold under her attack. All he had to do was keep her busy. He parried her second attack, countering with his own. Blow by blow, Tuxedo Mask was holding his own. Inwardly, he marveled at the fact that he was handling this fight well enough without much thought about his next move. It was as if his body had a memory of its own. Outwardly he groaned with the physical effort, 'How long does it take to prepare a damn attack?' He thought as he and Katana clashed again, bringing them face to face. He looked over her shoulder, and saw Venus nod. The momentary distraction was enough of an opening for Katana, as she sliced upwards, cutting into the underside of his arm. The ebony haired man hissed in pain, disengaging from the youma, and jumping to a safe distance.
"Mercury Bubbles Blast!"
"Mars Fire Ignite!"
"Jupiter Thunder Crash!"
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"
He watched as their attacks, shimmering in their respective colors, annihilated Katana. Her shriek could be heard throughout the city, breaking nearby glass, and sending people running for cover.
/
"What the hell was that?" Serena said jumping up at the shrieking noise that filled the air. It was brief, but bloodcurdling. She glanced at Andrew, who also held a look of fear.
"I dunno. Maybe there was another attack? Those creatures have been attacking more frequently, lately," He said placing a hand over his racing heart. Serena froze at the mention of an attack. If there was one, why wasn't she alerted? Her brooch always seemed to know about the appearance of a youma, and would get her attention, and yet it was completely quiet. She looked down at the defunct object in question, only to realize that it wasn't there. 'Luna is gonna kill me!' She thought frantically, remembering she had put it in her desk drawer the night before when she had spilled her hot chocolate.
Andrew watched her face go through many different emotions. He would have thought it funny, had he not been worried for the sanity of his friend. "Serena, everything ok there? You don't have to worry, the Sailor Scouts or Sailor Moon will take care of it. Actually it sounded like someone took care of it, because that scream was definitely not human," He said trying to console her. She nodded, but kept a fearful look on her face. The blonde wasn't afraid so much for her scouts, but rather she feared facing her guardian. Serena decided against leaving the arcade, pushing off an inevitable lecture from Luna. Any conversation between her and Andrew was effectively quieted as the minutes ticked by. Twenty minutes later the tinkling bells above the arcade doors sounded again, signaling new customers. Although Andrew was hesitant to leave her, he moved to help them.
"Oh hey man, you're back. You left so quickly, I thought that you were probably going to hole yourself up in your apartment to study," Andrew called out.
"No, just a quick study group meeting," his voice replied, sounding strained. Serena turned towards that familiar voice, unconsciously. She was met with quite the sight. Darien stood there, wincing every so often when he moved his left arm. He favored it, cradling it to his chest. A bit of a bandage peeked out from the sleeve of his jacket.
The girls were with him, looking a bit worse for wear as well. Serena noticed Lita's green eyes roaming the various patrons of the arcade, until they landed on Serena's blue ones. They narrowed briefly, before Serena turned back around, concentrating on her soda.
"Are those meetings always violent?" Andrew asked. That peaked Serena's curiosity, but she resisted the urge to look again. A small growl of frustration escaped her lips.
"There was a youma attack not too long ago. Unfortunately, I was the closest to the window, so when it shattered, I took the brunt of it," Darien said a bit loudly. He looked around to catch any suspicious movements. At least six girls from Amy's list were currently in the arcade. All of the girls seemed surprised by the announcement of the attack. Except Serena, who curiously sipped an empty soda glass.
"Are you ok? Do you need me to patch you up?" Andrew offered. Darien shook his head, and made his way to the counter. Thankfully for him, being a superhero meant that he healed at a much faster rate than most people. Twenty minutes ago, he would have needed stitches. Now a simple piece of gauze and bandage would suffice.
The girls shuffled off towards their usual end table. Their heads were conspicuously close together, soft murmurs and shifty looks were occasionally thrown over their shoulders at random people. He sat one seat away from Serena, glancing at her oddly.
"You know, you can always ask Andrew for a refill. Those are free," He said, waiting for her reaction. A tell-tale blush crept over her cheeks, as she glared at him silently. Over Serena's shoulder he saw Mina make a pointing gesture towards the blonde. Rolling his eyes, Darien turned his attention back to Serena.
"So, you didn't seem to be surprised that there was a youma attack, huh?" He asked, awkwardly. The young man hated to be the interrogator, but knew that the girls were continuing their intense conversation, going over the information Artemis had given them. It was startling that this Luna was not only working with Sailor Moon, but could possibly have information about the Princess. For her not to divulge such information was akin to treason in his mind. At least that's what he would call it, if he were royalty. Artemis had said that Luna mentioned orders directly from the Princess, but it was all too convoluted. Something was wrong about the whole situation.
While musing over this recent knowledge, Darien missed the startled look on Serena's face. She opened her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Andrew, thankfully, came to her rescue.
"Of course she wasn't surprised. We both heard that unearthly scream and figured it was probably another attack. I'm glad you're ok," He said leaning over to grab Serena's glass. Darien blinked at his intrusion. They had been friends for so long, but the dark haired man felt a stirring of jealously as Andrew came to her defense quickly.
"Sorry, it's just that scream was terrifying. It really freaked me out," Serena replied, thankful that Andrew had been there.
"You should have heard it close up. It sounded like a banshee wailing," a new voice said interrupting. Both of them looked up to see a dark haired girl and a blonde girl standing there.
"I don't think we've met before. I'm Raye Hino, and this is Mina Aino," The raven haired girl said, extending her hand. When Serena shook it, a shock went through Raye's body. It was a feeling of power, tinged with darkness. She plastered a fake smile on her face, unable to say anything else, before Mina pushed her out of the way.
"You were there? That's so dangerous. Why were you so close?" Serena asked genuinely concerned. She was upset with herself that she had let her friends face the Dark Kingdom alone. Mina could see tears forming in the petite blonde's eyes.
"No need to get upset over it. I was taking a walk, and Mina was shopping," Raye answered gruffly. She felt uneasy by the girl's aura, and the spark she felt when she made physical contact with her. Serena's eyes widened at the rough comment, but stayed quiet.
"Well, it is very nice to meet you, anyways I-" She began saying, before pausing mid-sentence. She had noticed movement and looked down at the white, grumpy cat that was sitting by Mina's feet. It was giving her such a curious look. She backed away from him, directly into Darien's chest. Instinctively, the raven haired man wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling. It had to unfortunate effect of startling Serena, causing her to yelp, grab her bag, and run out from the arcade. Andrew, Darien, Mina, and Raye were baffled by her response.
/
Serena ran the entire way back home, never once looking back. Her anger and frustration built with every step she took. 'Great, now Artemis is here too? Why didn't Luna say something? What if he has all of his memories?' The last thought stopped all of her movement as fear paralyzed her. She place a hand against the nearby wall, catching her breath.
"There you are! I have been looking for you all afternoon! Why weren't you there to help them?" Luna called out from behind her. Serena whipped around with a guilty look.
"I, um, didn't, um, havemybrooch," she said in a rush, hoping that her guardian wouldn't hear her.
"You WHAT?" Luna yowled.
"Ow, Luna! Stop scratching me! It's at home in my room!"
The two of them kept fighting until they reached the house. Luna quieted enough to enter the house, but her mind was fuming. 'I can't believe this girl! Princess or not, she is a complete ditz in this time!'
For her part, Serena just hoped that her brooch was still in the drawer. She raced up the stairs, barely calling out a hello to her family. Her greedy hands pawed at the desk drawer, wrenching it open. With a loud CLACK, the brooch slid into view, slamming into the front of the drawer. Serena grabbed it and held it to her. It had frightened her that an attack had happened without her even knowing, or without her being able to protect others.
"Good, you have it. Now young lady, for this breach in –" Luna began.
"I saw Artemis today," Serena countered, hoping to change the subject. Luna glanced at her charge, remembering that she hadn't told her about her conversation with him.
"I need to tell you something, Serena. It's a bit of a long story so please wait until I finish before interrupting with questions," Luna said, launching into a retelling of the previous night. For her part, Serena did her best not to interrupt, resorting to a shimmy-squirming movement when she really wanted to say something. Serena did interrupt with an exasperated "WHAT?" when Luna moved on from her conversation with Artemis, and mentioned that Zoicite was now in the picture looking for the Rainbow Crystals. When the feline was done, she waited for the blonde's reaction.
"Shit. I told Amy and Lita I had a cat named Luna too," Serena responded glumly. This was going to make her mission really difficult. Luna deadpanned at her reaction.
"That's all you have to say?" She hissed angrily. "All of that information, and that's the only piece you cling to?"
"Sorry, I just thought since we are confessing here, I'd own up to mentioning you. Especially if they are looking for you in connection with Sailor Moon, I'm sure they'll be looking at me now. OH! What if Raye and Mina spoke to me today only because they know about you? That means they are closer to finding out who I am!" Serena wailed. Luna waited for her dramatics to end.
"We will just have to figure out how to throw them off. Make them think that there is no possible way Serena Tsukino and Sailor Moon are the same person. I may have an idea, it's an old Lunarian trick your mother would use," Luna replied.