Southern Cali, Amara and Michelle's Apartment
Sitting in the living room on their large curved couch were four of the best friends in the universe. Sure, one of the friends was older than any one really had a right to be, considering how beautiful her perfect olive skin, green hair and toned body looking to belong to a runway model. And one of the four was so young that she had not even reached puberty but the sadness and depth of despair hidden in her eyes belied her age giving her such a fearful appearance that few would talk to her. The two remaining occupants were equally beautiful and powerful. One was graceful, elegance and poise while the other was wild and domineering, together they were inseparable companions, teammates who could always
depend on the other, yin and yang.
Trista, the green haired, extremely old, really did I mention how old she is, striking beauty listened to her friends talk about their leader and fellow warriors just across the pond, enjoying being alive, being apart of something again. Too long her spirit stood vigil over the time stream, unable to share with her friends, love, a laugh, a cup of tea, a quiet evening in front of the tv with popcorn.
"Trista."
"Hmm, Sorry Michelle, I spaced out."
"Ha ha, the keeper of time and space, spaced out. Nice pun. Amara was just asking you about Raye. We were all wondering if the girls had accepted the generals back or if the girls were putting them in their place. I was saying Raye was probably a much bigger push over than she acts like and Hotaru is convinced that Raye would have toasted him."
"Yeah, Trista! So what is it? Am I right? Did Raye burn his butt!?" Hotaru bounced on her seat picturing a roasting Jadeite running from a violet eyed warrior with a fireball in her hand.
"Hotaru! don't say butt! I thought we were teaching you to be a lady? No, she has not 'toasted' him. Actually, when I checked on everything last night, the time stream as intact and everything is going according to plan."
Amara was smiling but the brooding look in her eye was still discernible. "Does this mean we will still be coming home in 2 weeks?"
"I thought this was our home Amara-mama?" Hotaru looked worried in her overly wise eyes.
"This is our home, but you know that our first home and our friends are back in Tokyo. We will always have two homes. We could never keep Amara from the circuit long anyways." Michelle smiled, setting Hotaru at ease. "However, you may want to stay if you run into a certain little brother. Sammy is it?" All three ladies knowingly smiled as Hotaru hung her head and blushed, effectively silenced from her complaints.
"Serena has set the group to training and preparing for the next phase. When the generals will be reunited body, mind, soul and heart, then, I can begin the next phase that will help our prince and princess grow into their powers to raise Crystal Tokyo."
"Explain again Trista why we need those backstabbing generals so close to our princess. I still don't trust them."
"Amara, you know they were brainwashed and had their souls fractured. Look at Prince Endymion, Princess Serenity trust him completely. How can we not trust the generals when they experienced similar circumstances?" Michelle attempted to reason with her fiery tempered friend.
"And you also know that I know the future and what is at stake if the scouts do not trust these men. I assure, again Amara, they are trustworthy and my plan has a very high success rate going into this. I would not risk the future of Neo Queen Serenity or Small Lady. This needs to work and we will ensure that it does." Trista leveled her friends with a look that clearly meant that no further conversation was to be had of this. As quickly as she had lost her smile, Trista found it again and flashed her friends a grin that allowed even Amara to sink into a relatively relaxed position on the couch again.
"What exactly is the phase that you were talking about? You said that after the generals were restored there was to be another phase that ensured the power of Serena for Crystal Tokyo?" Michelle was ready to learn the fate of her queen if she was to play a part in it as well. Despite being happy with Amara and Hotaru, and Trista when she showed up, she missed her princess and the other scouts. Being an 'outer' had its advantages. They were not required to be involved in every battle or keep up with the younger scouts, but they were missed and loved and the separation did not sit well with the Scout of the Seas, Sailor Neptune.
"Well, without fully discussing it now, since it is late and simply irrelevant at this point. During the course of the summer, between grades for the inner scouts, Serena and Darien will be taken high into the mountains on an expedition that will allow them to rediscover their powers and potential as heirs to their thrones and as lovers. You three will act as the catalyst, cloaked by my power you will attack and spur their prince and princess to harness their powers and fully release their potential that up until now has been dormant, unneeded." Trista has a small smile playing on her lips as she interrupted her speech with a sip of her wine.
"If we are to attack and release these powers, will we be strong enough to resist their counter attacks?" Amara was showing concern. She had seen Princess Serenity protect earth and knew her powers were great. To have go against that strength, she was unsure if she was going to survive. But she knew she could trust Trista. Right?
"You will survive Amara and Michelle and little Hotaru." Tristat really was laughing now to see Amara shaken at the thought of facing off before her princess. "I want you three to be the ones to 'push' Serena and Darien because I trust you.
And when they have fully regained their powers and awakened their potential, Serena and Darien will be stronger than Queen Serenity." A collective gasp was heard among the group as they realized the just how much power Serena was capable of. "The reason for Serena's power lies with her heart. Queen Serenity was powerful but her daughter even more so. Serena's love for Darien is the driving force behind her abilities. She loves the scouts, inners and outers, but it has always been Darien that showed her true love. Together they will rule this universe and protect the earth. They cannot do this without training and you three will help make sure the recieve it."
"What about the freezing of the world? That is the one thing you said you could not mention. Do you know when it will be or why?" Michelle asked her friend.
"I do know sort of when and sort of why. For some reason, Chronos as seen fit to not allow me to see that future. The same as he does not allow me to see my own personal future. It must interfere with the time stream if I am to know what happened." Trista sounded grave, grimacing into her glass. She never liked being kept blinded from events. She too wished it was unnecessary for the world to be covered in ice for 1,000 years.
"And the inners?" Hotaru piped up, effectively shifting the focus from Trista.
"They will be entertained little one. The generals will not disappoint." Trista smiled at her little friend and the innocence she still had.
Trista, Amara and Michelle shared a smile as the saw the confusion on little Hotaru's face. But it passed quickly enough as soon as someone mentioned Sammy she was blushing and smiling again.
"I'm more nervous than a pig in a bacon factory. Tell me why we have to see these girls right after that amazing night last night? Or was it this morning?" Nephrite was pacing in their flat to blow off some steam but was completely unable to control his emotions. The dance was amazing. Everyone had a great time. Sure, guys don't really talk about their feelings and the certainly don't kiss and tell. But seeing the faces of each of their friends was enough to know that no one was disappointed in how the night ended.
"You watch way too much tv Neph. I think it's time to revoke your privileges." Kunzite shot back over the top of his newspaper.
"Ooh, look out boys. Someone has found his tongue. Or maybe Mina found it for him." Jadeite chuckled from the couch while he was watching cartoons. You would think he would get used to the pillows flying at his head and learn to duck, but not Jadeite. It takes a while for him to learn his lessons. He did however choose to keep the pillow in his lap rather than return the ammo to its place on the chair by Kunzite.
"Why are you so nervous? I thought everything ended well last night? Was it me or was I dreaming when I looked around and saw that we each had a special lady sitting in our arms under the stars?" Jadeite's eyes were glazed over remembering how he was able to distract Raye into his embrace. Sure, it took a little distraction but who could complain when he felt her finally relax into his side. He could still remember the cherry blossom scent the hung to her hair, reminding him of the trees that circled the courtyard at the temple. But it was the taste of the cherry lip gloss that kept the smile on his face.
"Someone is easily satisfied." Zoisite knew he was too but he really couldn't pass a chance to take a hit at Jed's ego.
"Ha! I saw you blushing when Amy leaned her head against your shoulder during the dance. Were you having an out of body experience or something because you totally froze when she leaned into your side last night." Zoisite was already turning red while Jed was tuning up. "Dont' forget that she was the one to kiss you on the cheek just before we all got up to go home. Even Amy has to be the one to make the moves 'cause Zoi over here is too slow." Once again Jadeite was on the receiving end of upholstery and stuffing being lobbed at the side of his head. Of course it helped that his shaggy beach boy hair style went unaffected by the constant violence against his blond curls.
Ready to turn the heat off himself, Zoi felt it was time for a topic change. "Is Darien coming over this morning. I want a rematch on the pool game we had last night." Zoisite asked as he walked over to grab a cup of coffee. Caffeine was definitely in order for the generals as they tried to regain some energy from their exhausting adventures.
"No, he needed to revise for one of his tests next week. Something about studying when he could so he could see Serena later." Nephrite answered. He may be distraught but he still knew his prince's plans on any given day of the week.
"Ugh, I'm goin back to bed. Wake me when we leave for the arcade for lunch. I'm not sticking around here if Zoisite is cooking again. He needs some serious practice before I eat his food. I refuse to be his guinea pig." Jadeite called. His morning dose of roadrunners and coyote chases were over so he was ready to get some more beauty sleep.
Nephrite decided he was tired of pacing and over analyzing everything so he went back to bed also. Kunzite was content to enjoy a much quieter morning since the two loudest generals had left for their morning nap. His interest n the fashion section of the periodicals were less likely to go noticed if the two loud mouths were away. Zoisite was more than happy to peruse through another medical journal that Amy had suggested. Nothing like reading suggested material by a smart girl….friend to earn much needed brownie points.
Just before noon, Kunzite took pillows and chunked them at each general in their respective room to wake them up for lunch. They were meeting Darien for a bite before heading to the temple to burn off their milkshake and burger calories. If it weren't for the fact they trained so hard, they would have been worried about their diet. As it was, they didn't really have health problems given their amazing superhuman abilities. Each man was equivalent to the scouts in their strengths and abilities.
Though the generals could not manifest their powers like the scouts with control over their respective elements, they could in fact manipulate those elements when they were present. During the Silver Millenium, each general was able to conjure and control their own element. But they no longer had access to those powers. Given the fact they were training with the scouts, that was exactly what they were hoping to harness to increase the dynamic and potential of the team. So no, no one really complained that they ate burgers and milkshakes in their spare time.
Each scout and general had exceptional speed, healing properties, lithe build and a great aptitude for learning things quickly (unless it came to school and your name was Serena or Mina). There was really no other way to explain how they scouts had gone so long making good grades and not being caught with battle scars and injuries after so many years fighting the negaverse and any other baddies that crossed their paths in Tokyo. The girls were quite happy to say (among themselves only) that they had pretty hot side kicks with awesome rides and sexy outfits with swords. Who knew good things really came to those who waited, a really really long time.
So yeah, the next morning required a meeting to hash over the the previous night's disappointments, surprises and accomplishments of everyone's dates. It was time to dish or suffer the serious consequences of harassment by the other girls. No one was left out so each girl knew they had to spill or run for the hills for a very very long time.
Lita had phoned the girls over the communicators earlier that morning (despite Luna and Amy's protests that they were for scout purposes only) to let the girls know she was fixing lunch and taking it to Raye's around noon. Even though the guys weren't supposed to show up till around 1:30pm, they wanted a chance to catch up on the night's progress and some much needed girl talk was in order to get that done. They weren't even sure if an hour and a half was enough to hash out all the details. But hey, why not give it a go. Better to go over some of this stuff before the guys showed up and everyone was left a puddle of blushing, crushing, girls. They needed to get focused, their focus needed more focus, so
they could dominate in their training session.
"Lita! What did you make for lunch? I'm hungryyyy!" Serena was whining. It had been too long since her mom had made pancakes and had woken her up to eat with the family like they do every Saturday morning.
"Can it dumpling head. I do NOT want a headache this morning." Raye was ready to toss a pillow at her fearless leader if she didn't curb her whining. They were all sitting around the floor at the small table like normal in Raye's room waiting for lunch to be served. Amy was just walking in with drinks and Lita was setting out everyone's plates. Raye saw the steam coming from the boxes and decided to help things along by opening them up and making a buffet in the middle.
The response was lightening fast. Serena was a blur as she snatched bean buns and rice balls along with cookies from all the different boxes Lita had brought. Lita was peased to see her food enjoyed so much but Raye was almost disgusted at how Serena was stuffing her face. Then again it was a good sign to see the old Serena resurfacing since she really had lost her appetite for those first couple of weeks after the battle with Chaos. Amy was finally seated and had snagged a few treats for her plate but was ignoring the smacking going on from Serena and Mina as they enjoyed their lunch a little too loudly by reading the very same journal she had recommended to Zoisite. It's always good to be prepared to quiz boy….friend right?
Serena finally slowed down long enough to wash away the food with a long drink from her hot green tea to have a very un-princess like blech come from her mouth as she sat back and relaxed from her meal. Mina giggled and joined her in a hearty belch to match her best friend's response to LIta's cooking.
"Serena! Mina! I can't believe you just did that." Raye huffed at her blonde friends.
"What? In some countries that is a compliment. It means I enjoyed the meal." Serena popped back a little snarky. She just ate an extremely satisfying and delicious meal. Who wouldn't be a little sassy?
"Well, in this country that is just gross." Raye shot back. "Mina, I can't believe you did that with her."
Mina's only response was to flash her Sailor V sign and chug her tea.
"Actually Raye, In India and Turkey it is a sign of satisfaction and appreciation to the chef that you burp when the meal is over." Amy commented over the top of her book.
"Yeah but this is Japan and that is still gross, and smelly." Lita laughed as she watched her friends pull faces at each other across the table.
"I give up. Serena is hopeless. We are going to have a slob as Neo Queen Serenity. I just hope Darien knows what he is getting into." Raye sighed dramatically to rile up Serena. Unfortunately her tactics were wasted. Serena had eaten enough for two grown men (which Lita was used to so she always made enough for a small platoon in an army) and she was feeling pretty drowsy.
"I actually have a question that I wanted to run by you guys. I have been thinking a lot about this whole list thing and I want to know what we are going to do when we run out of ideas. I'm not sure I have enough to keep Nephrite busy for another 13 days." Lita was clearing away the empty containers. No matter how much she cooked, somehow it was always eaten.
"I think we should talk about last night and this whole situation with the generals." Mina interjected before the conversation could get away from everyone's dates last night.
"We need to talk about both. I know I had a lot planned for Jadeite but he works too fast! I would make him redo things if it wasn't so dang perfect when he gets it done the first time." Raye was grumbling at her lack of creativity for keeping the blonde haired beach boy general busy at the temple.
"Well, if you can't keep Jadeite busy how can any of us think we could?" Lita asked. "Besides, you're a fire priestess, shouldn't you have enough fire to keep him busy?" Lita was guaffing at the look that overcame Raye's face.
Raye was sputtering an answer, not really sure to defend herself or deny Lita's claims. Which answer was going to make her look better and which was more embarrassing? Both?
"Guys, I ate too much." Serena whined softly as sthe layed back on the pillows on the floor.
"Serena you are hopeless." Raye smiled as she watched her friend relax, appreciative of the change in attention. Sure she gave her a hard time but Raye loved Serena and wouldn't' want her any other way, and she didn't want any more of Lita's innuendos.
"What about turning their time to community service?" Amy supplied as she continued turning pages in the medical journal, ignoring the two loud mouth inner scouts.
"Sure, they can all do my home work. Ms. Haruna is a drill sergeant. I am quite sure that math is mental abuse to humans. Get it? M - A - T - H. Ha Ha Ha." Serena was rolling around on the floor at her own joke.
"Absolutely! After Serena's homework, they can do mine! And take us on more shopping sprees!" Mina had now joined in with Serena on the floor and so both girls were laughing loudly at their antics.
"Guys, I really don't think that is what Trista meant by having them as our personal servants for 30 days. And really Serena, Mina, you guys will never pass your math tests with someone else doing your homework. You had been doing so well in school too Serena. I thought you were making more of an effort for your future kingdom." Amy admonished her friends but really she was having a hard time not laughing along with them.
"Aaaammmmmyyyy! What is the point of having these guys here if we don't enjoy it?" Mina whined while Serena pouted after being reminded of her duties.
"Well someone sure looked like they had a good time last night. Pouty Mina and uptight Kunzite looked awfully content together when we pulled up." Raye smirked into her tea.
"You could say that." Mina answered slyly.
"Since none of us are really wanting to be in charge of the guys any more and we all had a really good time last night, which by the way don't think any of you are getting out of spilling about, let's agree that we are no longer going to be making them do chores and lets just have fun." Raye suggested.
"Agreed!" Was the unanimous response.
"Okay, seriously, I really do need to talk about this." Lita was really antsy. She had put up all the food but now she really needed some girl advice. "Last night was amazing. I couldn't believe how much fun that really was. I knew it would be great to hang out with you guys. But our dates were amazing. Is it just me or is there really some potential here for all of us to be happy?" Lita was anxiously waiting for the girls to cue in on the conversation.
"Great! Then tell us LIta. What happened last night when Nephrite took you home?" Serena prompted.
"Well, he drove to my apartment and we sat in his car for over an hour! I asked him to come up but he said it would be inappropriate. Finally, it was late and we were both yawning so he opened my door and led me to my apartment. When I got to my door, I turned around to thank him for the night, cause lets face it it was amazing! But he was already so close that I turned right into his arms and he grabbed my waist and kissed me!" The girls were positively squealing at this point in the story…. "I was shocked but once I got over it I kissed him back! I can't believe I did that! It wasn't until I woke up this morning that I remembered this is the same guy that has killed me before and here I was sucking his face off last night, or was it this morning? I forget at this point. What do I do?" Lita was so red from embarrassment, practically shaking, but Amy poured her some more tea and pushed it into her hands to give Lita something to focus on.
"What happened next Lita?" Mina squeaked out behind a pillow she was clutching.
"Nothing really, he pulled back from our kiss, said good night, kissed me once more on my forehead and slowly walked away. It wasn't until I heard his car start up that I remembered how to breath and finally let myself in. It took a whole nother 30 minutes before I could even walk to the bathroom and take a shower." Lita was able to respond much calmer with Amy patting her shoulder while she drank her tea.
"Awwww, you guys that was so sweet." Serena sighed dreamily. "Before we discuss Lita, let's hear the rest of your stories. I'm pretty sure we will have the same answers for everyone. Who's next? Raye?" All eyes turned to Raye and not one to back down from a challenge, she cleared her throat, sat up a bit and told her story.
"It really is similar to Lita actually." Raye admitted humbly. It was always amazing how safe the scouts felt together that they could actually say these things out loud to each other and know they won't be judged for it, picked on sure, but not condemned. "He drove me home, walked me to the bench in my garden and we sat and stared at the stars some more while he held my hands and I just felt comfortable. I noticed the window to the kitchen had a pair of eyes at it, grandfather really I couldn't believe him checking up on me like that, so I told Jed it was time for me to go inside."
"JED?"
"Yeah well, it just sort of happened, I've gone back to calling him Jed." Raye grabbed Mina's pillow and whacked Serena across her buns before handing it back to Mina. "Anyways. He walked me to the door just outside my building and when I turned, Jed kissed me, soft and sweet. But something, I swear came over me, because right when he pulled away I grabbed him behind his neck and kissed him, hard! After that he just kind of grinned like a monkey and told me good night and walked away." Now Raye was hiding behind a pillow of her own with her confession out in the open. Snickering quite loudly, Serena tried to hide her pleasure by drinking some of her tea but she choked and Lita had to pound her back so she could breath again.
"Ok, well I guess I will go next." Amy offered since Raye had refused to resurface from her pillow.
Before Amy said anything else, her blue hair and blue eyes were framed in red as her blush covered her face and neck. "Zoisite drove me home and we talked the whole way about different medical journals and even college (leave it to Amy to discuss school and studies on a date) classes he was thinking about taking this fall. When we got to my house, the lights were already out except the front porch and so he walked me to my door. I was so nervous I stopped talking all together and he took my hand and spun me into his chest and asked me if he could kiss me."
"AND?"
Amy was crimson at this point, she looked like a stop light she was so bright in the face. "I said yes and he kissed me. Then I went inside and he finally walked away and left in his car."
"Awwww, Amy that was so sweet." Lita had recovered enough to talk now that the attention was on someone else.
"Okay Mina, the best for last, we all have to hear the Scout of Love's story. What was your date like with the infamous Kunzite?" Serena prompted.
"Yeah, Mr. General with no personality." Raye added over her pillow.
"My guess is since Kunzite is so serious in front of everyone that he is an animal when he is alone." Lita was enjoying watching Mina squirm under the pressure. The last scout to share gets everyone's undivided attention now that no one is thinking about having to spill on their nights anymore.
"You guuuuuyyyysss. You know what happened. Ren was really rude during the dance and Kunzite kinda came to my rescue."
"KINDA?"
"Okay, he DID come to my rescue. Happy? (to which everyone shook their heads and grinned) After that he took me to his Camaro and we drove away to the cliffs. He was really quiet and you could feel the anger sort of rolling off him in waves.
When we made it to the top he, well its like he blew out a big breath of air and left his anger go out with it. He told me he was sorry for being so forceful but he was so angry that a guy had touched me like that. Which by the way made me really happy he was confessing some jealousy. But then he pulled out a blanket from the back seat and walked to the clearing and spread it out and came back and led me to sit down beside him. And we talked. We talked of the old kingdom. He asked me about my life here as a scout and modeling and living in London. We talked about college and the future kingdom. But just before you guys showed up, he said he was sorry. He was sorry for how he treated me when he came back and sorry for being so distant and sorry for not understanding. Then he kissed me. It started off really light and slow and soon we were really making out until we heard what Kunzite said was Jed's Ferrari revving up the side of the mountain. He smiled and then we waited till you guys showed up."
"THAT"s why you were so red when we pulled up. We thought you were still angry about the dance but it was because you were having some tonsil hockey with Kunzite." Raye said while laughing and slapping her pillow.
"I told you the quiet ones are the animals." LIta smirked, watching Mina's face heat up.
"So then what happened" Serena asked poised like a cat waiting to pounce.
"He drove me home and put on some music he found he liked and we just listened all the way home while he had me tucked into his side sitting in the middle of the seat next to him with his arm around my shoulders. (AWWW) We got to my place and he walked me to the door and just before the light came on he kissed me, like really kissed me. The kind that takes your breath away and you're glad that he is holding you tight because otherwise you wouldn't be able to stand kind of kiss. I grabbed the handle behind me and stumbled inside while be sort of had a half smile on his face and shut the
door without ever taking my eyes off his. But as soon as I was inside I ran to my room and onto my balcony and watched Kunzite walk to his car in the shadows and I guess he thought no one could see him because he danced!."
"WHAT?"
"Yeah, he was doing this weird sort of mamba jig and he jumped into the air and said 'YES' then he got in his car and drove off like it never happened." Mina was smiling, much more proud than embarrassed.
"NO WAY!"
"Yup, you were right LIta, total animal." Serena said. No everyone was falling on the floor laughing at the image of the perfectly stoic general celebrating his first kiss like a school boy that just got a giant bar of chocolate.
"Okay Serena. Your turn." Mina turned a gloating smile to her leader and best friend.
"You girls all know that we have been together forever. What is there to tell. He picked me up, Sammy and Dad embarrassed him, and me. We went to the dance and to the cliffs with you guys and then he drove me home. He sort of fiddled with something in his pocket though while we were standing at my door."
"Really, Serena you don't think he was going to propose do you?" Amy asked.
"I don't know. at first I hoped he would but then I realized that I want it to be much more special than that. So I was happy when he kissed me, told me he loved me and then walked away. I went inside and then got on to my dad for sneaking on us through the window but mom came in and rescued me from dad's wrath since he saw Darien kiss me, a little more passionately than he would have like to see."
"So we are agreed. Perfect date night and perfect dates." Mina said watching the girls reactions. Each one was smiling and nodding in agreement.
"I don't know about you guys but I really don't think we need to worry about the possibility of the generals betraying us.
Trista trusts them. Darien and Serena have accepted them. That's enough evidence for eme to be okay with Zoisite again. Sure it hurts when I think about the past but when I think about the possibility of having a future with someone who understands me and possibly loves me, well, I don't want to give that up you guys." Amy added a bit more passionately than was technically normal for her.
"Me too, agree too Amy. I love Kunzite I know I do. So if he is going to be nice and sweet and kiss me like that then it's not something I am going to give up anytime soon, or ever." Mina added making Amy feel happy that she was supported.
"Well, Jed is a pain in the butt, no lying there, but he's my pain and I wouldn't have it any other way." Raye added, not committing to the fact that she was falling, hard for Jed.
"Lita?" Serena asked.
"Well, I like him, like really like him. I feel myself falling for his charms and he seems to really care about me. Neph never complained about all the work I had him do at the apartment and you guys it looks amazing. I think I will keep him around. He is my boyfriend after all." Lita finished as everyone fell over laughing at her 'boyfriend' statement remembered all the times she had compared such and such to her 'boyfriend' who has only ever been Nephrite from the Silver Millennium.
"But this means no more chores right? I think they have proven their worth and loyalty. Seeing you guys so happy is all I ever wanted and I can't help but want to see you guys as happy as me and Darien."
"No more chores!" They all said together. Which is good they had finished their little 'kiss and tell' party since right at that moment each expensive car engine could be heard pulling into their spots in front of the temple. Which meant it was time for training. Which meant Serena couldn't be lazy anymore.
Training session was a mixture of sweat and blushes and unnecessarily close contact. Serena had each scout training for two hours across from their partner/boyfriend/corresponding general. The girls were both equally pleased and concerned since they were going to have to stand and train with someone they were so very much attracted to. Serena and Mina were the only ones who really seemed comfortable. Kunzite didn't seem too distressed but I am sure it had something to do with the fact that he didn't know that the girls were laughing at him dancing after his date, considering he didn't think anyone saw him.
Training went well. It was poetic how intune each team/couple was with one another after such a short amount of time. It was like a rubber band that had been stretched and now that it was released it was back taunt to its original shape. Be it Karate or Kendo, each partnered couple looked like a rehearsal for a well choreographed fight scene from a movie. The sound of the katanas meeting in the air with each strike created an alluring tempo that drove each person to try their hardest and perform their best. It really was a good thing the courtyard was so large. When ten people, armed with Katanas squared off to spar, destruction was inevitable if each of the five groups were not spread out far enough. Each of the inner scouts had a corner while the prince and princess were in the middle to train and keep an eye to appraise the efforts and coordination of the others.
Serena finally called the session, gladly noting the progress between the scouts and the generals. Everyone was sweating, panting and chugging water but overall happy. The guys, being the gentlemen they were, agreed to put up the equipment and the girls kissed their sweaty cheeks in 'goodbye' so they could run inside and compete for the showers. It was agreed that everyone would meet up at the Arcade after getting cleaned up to go to a local pizza joint for supper. (Let's face it. I'm writing this story and on a diet of no carbs right now so I will probably mention some really bad food from time to time just to make myself feel better.) :)
"I put in our order. They said it would be a bit to make 4 large pizzas but they promised to wait on your salad Amy since you want to eat with the rest of us." Zoisite said, sitting down with the rest of the group at their large table.
"It's a good thing we have so much money from those business ventures of yours Nephrite. These girls eat a bunch!" Jadeite said watching the girls grow angry at his words.
"HEY! We Trained for this food!" They all yelled back at him, throwing napkins at his face.
"Hey, look at that tv. It has the evening news on but doesn't that look like the meteor shower we saw last night?" Darien asked, redirecting the groups attention to the flat screens hung on the walls.
"Yes, I will ask if they will turn it up." Amy answered as she rose to ask the manager for the remote.
"And In other news. Late last night it was reported by several eyewitnesses that the sky was falling! Glowing red rocks were seen showering across the sky and headed for what our meteorologist predict, was the Pacific Ocean many miles off the mainland. As seen here on our ameture video you can see what appears to be hundreds of burning rocks raining down from the heavens. It is noted that no damage or destruction was reported from these rocks and our own radar equipments confirms that no landfall was made by theses unidentified flying objects. It is unclear at this time if these were pieces of an asteroid or comet that was impacted in space and so therefore separated into smaller pieces to descend to Earth's surface or if this is from a military experiment from R&D. At
this time there is no danger so please enjoy your evenings and thank you to our viewers for your videos. Now, how about those Tokyo Yomiuri Giants! Your baseball stats and scores up next."
After the report was over, the volume was turned down and the remotes returned. Still waiting on their pies, which were forgotten in light of the news report, everyone in the room was quickly discussing theories on what those burning rocks in the shower was last night in the pizza parlor.
"After seeing that broadcast, I really think we need to do some investigating of our own. This is really looking like the time when the starlights arrived on Earth. Everyone thought it was just comets or meteors but it was really the Sailor Stars landing on Earth looking for Princess Kakyuu." Lita said.
"The similarities are interesting. You think something bad is coming?" Serena asked with a tremor in her voice. Darien slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her chair close to comfort her.
"Unexplained and unpredicted shower of burning rocks. But no landfall. Even in a meteor shower, some sort of landfall is generally assumed when it is that close to land. It was almost as if the trajectory was directed in some way keeping even one rock from deviating from its path." Zoisite added, thinking over the report from the news broadcast.
"I have used the Mercury supercomputer and I am currently siphoning through the various files, both civilian and government obtained, that pertain to last night's meteor shower. It appears that there were several witnesses who had taken video and photos but I am more interested in the readings and measurements taken by more reliable sources. I am looking for a 'back door' into America's DOD network to access the files from the NASA." Amy had her head down looking at the screen's images on her computer as the flitted across one after another, looking for the best possible estimate of what the shower really consisted of. She neither saw nor paid any attention to the incredulous looks of the
group as she was consumed with her search for answers.
"You can do that? You can actually break into the information of NASA and discover what those comets really mean?" Lita asked askance.
"The term you are referring to is 'hack'. No I am not allowed to hack into NASA's system and override the defense protocols that ensure that unauthorized person are not privy to classified information which could be used for or against government or personal agendas. Whether or not I am able to hack into the system is moot for it has already been done." There were a few jaws hanging open as Amy was taking charge to show everyone what the general public was yet unaware of. Zoisite looked a little smug watching Amy type away on her computer and at her prompting pulled out his laptop she had picked out for him the other day from his bag.
"If you will turn your attention to the screen on Zoisite's laptop. I have linked my Mercury computer through La Pizzaria's internet and you can see the enhanced images that the department of defense in the USA has taken with their satellites."
Amy was really something when she was in lecture mode. All those years studying under various tutors and teachers during her education really had molded Amy into a very confident intellectual who did not fear taking charge nor giving instruction to others. She wa really in her element, learning about the situation they were faced with.
A series of images came up that overlaid one another, each one showing different angles and measurements. To most people it was like looking like chef boyardee's alphabet soup on a screen but to Amy and Zoisite, the information was invaluable in determining what the falling objects were. Amy was already trying to plot the the origin of the objects based on extrapolating the trajectory that was recorded by satellites and Zoisite was trying to determine if NASA or any other group was going to go to the crash sight in the ocean for reconnaissance and extraction.
After 15 minutes of going through the files, everyone had their fill of watching the various footages documenting the entry to Earth's atmosphere and the fall into the ocean. Now they were simply waiting on Mercury's computer to analyse the data and for Amy to give them a report.
Fortunately for Serena, the pizza had arrived so while they waited, they were able to eat super meaty, cheesy goodness to fill their bellies. From years of practice of eating while studying, Amy continued her research while blindly feeding herself her chicken caesar salad. Zoisite was able to point out any irregularities or consistencies to which Amy was grateful. Generally, she was left to herself when she was using her computer, which for the most part she liked, but it was stimulating and refreshing to have someone that understood the data and could share in the discoveries with her.
"Based on what I can see, these asteroids would have been on a path that would put them far outside our known galaxy and are not of any substance known to mankind or my Mercury computer. What I did find, which was a blip that Zoisite first discovered, is that there is a pulse or a signature of some sort coming from the rocks."
While Amy took a bite and washed her food down with a sip of her soda, everyone else had stopped eating to wait for the rest of her report.
"No one from the government agency, of any sort, is going to retrieve a sample, and it is too deep for any of us to go. So we will be unable to analyze a sample of the rocks." Zoisite spoke up while his love was admiring his ability to keep up with her.
"Yes, and the pulse that I recorded to Mercury's computer is still being analysed. Until that is finished, and it could take a while, then we really don't need to worry about anything. This does seem like the Star Light's entry. I have their landing recorded for comparison and it is not the same. So I do not think that it is sentient." Satisfied with her research, Amy put away her computer and fully committed herself to tucking into her salad, just after she stole a piece of meat lovers from the pan.
"That's great Amy." Darien said, smiling at her hard work.
"Good, we have enough to focus on without adding any more sailor work." Serena added around taking a huge bite of pizza.
"Meatball head is eating meatballs on her pizza. You really are what you eat Sere." Raye laughed at her friend's expression to her joke. That was all it took to dissolve the stress of the meteor shower and Zoisite had put away his computer so everyone was eager to finish off their pizzas.
"Well, now that the pizza is gone. I wanted to mention that there are only 2 weeks left. We will have training three times this week and next and on Saturday. This Saturday we are going on a field trip to rehearse for the following weekend's adventure to the ice fortress." All eyes were on Serena as she took charge of the table. It was admirable how quick she could go from klutzy meatball head to Princess of the Moon.
"Where are we going?" Nephrite asked.
"We are taking a trip to an old military base where we can fully train, powered up. We need to make sure that there are no problems in the group before next Saturday so we can iron out the details in the practices. I want to see how we all perform together and check that the elements are properly handled by everyone." Darien finished for his Princess as he eyed each person in the group.
"Excellent. It will be good to measure everyone's potential before we go so we know what to expect." Amy added as she pulled out her computer, again.
"Aww, but what about movie night? We always hang at Raye's on Saturday and have movie night?" Mina whined. She was enjoying hanging out too much to want to work too hard before she had to.
"We can hang out at Raye's Friday night and watch movies so we can all be together to go Saturday. Right Raye?" Lita asked.
"Yeah, and then we can make sure that meatball head is on time." Everyone laughed as they stood and threw some change on the table for the waitress's tip.
Everyone was equally pleased when the girls got into the guys cars, each one hoping for another opportunity to make memories. Memories like these might be the only thing that helps them get through to completing Trista's plan. They had a lot of work in front of them if they were going to reunite the general's souls. Which begs the question, if it doesn't work, is it really better to love and to have lost rather than to never have loved at all, again?