Chapter 4: Forget-Me-Not
"So you dragged me outside because-"
"Because it's a nice day out Darien! Don't you want to enjoy the summer weather?" Serena clutched his arm, as they walked out from his apartment.
"I guess so. It's just now that I'm caught up on my reading, I'm wondering if I-"
"If you what?" Serena turned to him with bright eyes.
"Well…" Darien swallowed. "If I should go to the University early and take some classes. I missed out on the opportunity to study in the U.S so I want to see what I can learn here that is a bit more broad..."
"...And leave me again…why does everyone want to get back to school now? It's like nobody wants to hang out with me or spend time and-"
"Don't take it personally Serena, I'm down a full year for my University classes. I want to study the histories of other places, politics, and things. There's just so much, and honestly I want to get it done, so I can be with you Serena. We know how the future turns out to a point, I just want to be prepared."
"I understand."
"Plus, this was a long running thought until yesterday." He stretched. "If we do have a new enemy, I mean maybe it's best if I wait, I'm not sure. It might be too distracting."
"I hope their not going to bug us too much." Serena sighed. "I'd really hoped we'd be done with all of it for a while."
"Tell me about it. That last one was a doozy." Darien nodded. "But we have today so what do you want to do?"
"Uhm…well we could go for a romantic stroll in the park…or maybe the swan boats, you know you went on the lake with Rei and not me or…"
"Hey Serena!"
Serena looked up to see Lita, Mina, Rei and Ami, carrying shopping bags.
"What are you guys up to?" Darien asked.
"Oh just a little summer-starter-shopping!" Mina said gleaming.
"Even you Ami? I thought you were going to register for classes?"
"It didn't work out as we'd hoped. I just bought another biology book and –"
"And we almost forgot but we still have that girl's planner!" Rei added."We have to head back, want to come with? Theres a girl that's kind of like you…"
"Like me?" Serena asked.
"Well she's forgetful…in the sense that she was late to class…" Lita added.
"And she forgot her notebook…" Mina added
"And failed… a class. Didn't seem like she'd remember much." Rei finished.
"I didn't fail!" Serena protested.
"I wanted to ask her if she needed a tutor." Ami added.
"That sounds nice of you Ami. We should go then." Darien added.
Serena sighed. "It's true she probably needs it, but then can we do something?"
Darien smiled. "Sure."
They left for the High School to find that the classes were leaving.
"Hey did you hear?"
"What?"
"That catch-up class? The students all failed a test, some of them didn't even write their name-"
"Really?"
"Yea apparently the teacher said that they all just stood there as if they'd forgotten they were at school, and then maimed about and left."
"Did you hear that?" Lita asked.
"Strange." Mina said. "Guess you're not the worst of em Serena."
"Hey look there she is." Ami nodded ahead.
Mimzy walked out, her books against her chest, and eyes lidded, past them as if they weren't there.
"Did she just, like, snob us out?" Lita asked.
"No way, she was a total scatter brain before." Rei persisted. "And I don't know what that was about, but I got bad vibes from her."
"We should follow her and give it back." Mina concluded. "Maybe that evil duo hit the area today."
"It's a good guess." Darien added looking to Serena.
"Let's help her. I'd hate to be in Summer school, so for her sake, lets do this." Serena nodded.
They left and followed her to the park where she stopped suddenly.
"I can hear you following me." She said.
"Mimzy? We wanted to return your agenda? You walked right past us you know." Lita held it out.
"We figured you'd need it." Rei said.
She turned to them. "I don't need it anymore, there's only one thing I need to remember." She held up her finger with a red bow on it.
"What's that?" Mina asked.
"Bad vibes guys. Bad vibes." Rei whispered.
"To spread the Seeds of Forgetfulness!" She pulled at her shirt down by her neck, where the mark of the seed showed the black face like an evil ghost just above her left breastbone.
"The seeds! Duck guys!" Darien said. They all hit the ground at once as they flew past them. They stood up. They couldn't transform incase Mimzy was in there somewhere. They couldn't expose their identities.
"That's not fair. I must do what I said I'd do, it's the only thing I can remember." Mimzy lept onto a nearby bench and held her finger in the air with the bow. "Remember, Remember, Remember to spread the seeds, Lethe will help you forget all else!"
The red bow suddenly turned into five ribbons that spun out from the bow's strings and tied around the girl's and Darien's neck.
"Aghh I can't breathe!" Lita yelled out, grasping at the red ribbon.
Mina noticed her eyes weren't normal they were red. "Don't you remember us! We have your agenda! You can remember all you need to now!" She said as they all fell to their knees out of breath.
"Can't say the same for you! If you have the strong potential to forget then you are subject to sin! Discord Discord, who will it be, which string will be the first to forget me!?" Lethe sung out plucking each chord, until she landed on Serena's strand.
"Don't!" Darien called out coughing.
"Can't play Romeo when the Julliet doesn't remember you!" Lethe grinned maliciously. She revealed the mark and a seed spun out at Serena.
"AHHHHAHHHH!" Serena yelled as it hit her in the chest and like a spark disappeared.
Varune and Sedna came over calling for her from a branch above. "Let's go Lethe. Ignore these petty humans, and lets spread more."
Serena collapsed as the others came over.
"Serena!" Darien took her and shook her gently.
"Why are we here?" She asked, her eyes glossed over.
Rei sighed. "We just found out Mimzy was taken over by those evil scout guys."
"What's a scout? Mimzy?" Serena tilted her head.
"This isn't happening!" Mina exclaimed.
"Do you know who you are?" Ami asked.
"I'm Serena." She said.
"So she remembers some. This is her one fault isn't it." Lita bit her lip.
"Well she never remembers scout meetings." Rei added.
"But who else are you?" Darien asked.
"Serena."
He sighed.
"What were you trying to do Darien?" Mina asked.
"I think it may get gradually worse. But if it's not going to get better we have a problem if that seed is making her forget things."
"What?"
"She doesn't remember that she's Sailor Moon."