Chapter 14: Under-Estimated

Meanwhile…

"I can't believe you Darien!" Hana said sweeping up her father's case files, with wide eyes.

"I-" He hadn't said anything that bad had he? He was just saying the truth.

"The way you're talking right now. Its so … forceful!"

"In politics you have to be forceful."

"Yes, but you're taking a humanities oriented approach. More critically inclined to everyone's benefit. Or at least I thought you were? I mean my father's cases know the sides of the criminal and the victim but theres so much more to why people are the way they are - what made them evil. Your being so -" Hana shook her head. "And more so …"

She got silent. He looked up to meet her eyes.

"The way you talked to your girlfriend earlier…like a child…with no respect. I know you were a little conceited at times but you were always so much nicer in my memories of school together. Serena didn't deserve that. Frankly I don't know what happened but…but I'm leaving. Don't do something your going to regret later, acting like that." Hana shaded her head and walked away leaving Darien to the outdoor table at a café by himself.

Why did he feel so agitated? He couldn't hate Hana. He couldn't get out of his mind the argument he had with with Serena either – something- something was off. He scrunched his palm in his hand into a fist.

He felt a quick flash of it. Suddenly. That flash he got when Serena was in trouble. He had to help…but…but after what she did this morning why should he? She was always in trouble…-no-no…this wasn't him. He pressed his hand into the table. What was this hostile feeling? Serena was in trouble…it would be worse if something happened to her. How would he live with himself? But still that feeling…

"Darien?" He looked under the table to see Luna.

"What?" He said, still with the agitated ring of his mind contemplating his feelings, emerging from his thoughts.

"Serena and the scouts are in danger! I left them to see if Artemis could locate the outer scouts, but frankly I get the feeling that they got too close to this one. It was a local charm shop downtown and those Seeds are going to take over this town if we don't hurry. A new rogue senshi is there and frankly he got the scouts under his control too easily…"

"I- should but …I don't know if I want to-" Darien put his head in his palm, resting his elbows on the table.

"What? This isn't you? What happened? I know Serena said she apologized for something earlier. She-" Luna looked up at Darien and spotted it. A charm. Was that the gift Serena spoke about?

"Is that Serena's gift?"

"Yea, although I don't know why I'm wearing it- honestly I-" Darien looked at the pin. Serena had tried to make it up to him, but if he had been mad at her why did he put it on in the first place?

Luna jumped up onto the table and in one quick pounce tore it from his t-shirt and whipped it onto the road.

"What was that?" Darien said, his head spinning as he watched it fly as Luna pounced onto the table.

"A charm. I believe a charm from that evil shop. Serena may have innocently given you something that contained a seed. I don't think it worked. I think you may have been in the process of giving in to it though." They watched as a car crushed over it and a seed shot out of the charm's shattered remains and into the sky.

Darien felt the twinge of Serena in danger again. "I can't believe I almost fell for it…." He felt too shamed to even see Serena.

"Everyone dwells on the faults they see in their partner, friend or love ones. Nobody is perfect Darien. But you didn't and that means your conscience and love for her had enough power to say no to the Seed's temptation. I'm worried if the scouts got influenced easily… I don't know if Serena would be susceptible…only if she truly questioned that you might save her, she might give in." Luna sighed.

"Then lets go. If she and the scouts are in trouble I need to go now." Darien ran off with Luna instantaneously, leaving the shattered remains of the charm glistening in the evening light.

"Your guardian scouts can't even get a hold of themselves."

"It's your fault. The scouts I know wouldn't fight with each other like this. Fighting just means difference. All people are different; it doesn't mean they have to-"

"You were always the romantic, sweet and innocent type." Ixion coaxed devilishly. "I missed those blue eyes, always sitting pretty like a dove in a white iron cage. You know never had I met such a sheltered princess in my life as you'd been. Everyone protected you and yet you somehow managed to escape that just long enough to get yourself in enough trouble on this Earth back then didn't you? I remember that day, what it was like to see the Princess unprotected. Everyone failed you that day. Just like now… this illusion of happiness is as breakable as glass. Clearly he isn't the real apple of your eye Sailor Moon. I never got the chance as one of the underestimated ones long ago, but," He looked down staring rather boldly at her. "I'm not one to say these things. Normally I have an eye for variety, but if we want to speak apples, you are the apple of-"

whoosh*

Ixion stepped back to see that a red rose had embedded itself in the confine around Sailor Moon causing it to retract, as Sailor Moon fell onto her knees and hands.

"I'd hate to be a cliché but quite frankly I think we're all sick of apples, let alone those seeds. Since you seem to know so much about us, this shouldn't come to a surprise: I am here now, so your plan didn't work." Tuxedo Mask stepped into the room through the same backdoor Serena had come in from, arms crossed leaning against the doorway.

"Should have locked the door. I really wasn't expecting un-wanted guests." Ixion smirked, sending a rolling wheel of flames at the door.

Tuxedo Mask leaped away from the flames, hiding himself behind his cape for protection.

Sailor Moon lunged forward to stop Ixion when Neikia got bored with the scouts.

"I'm sick of this! Lets make more CHAOS!" Neikia through more apple-bombs everywhere in the room, like a cannon, nearly hitting Sailor Moon and her friends who were still arguing dully in the background between screams.

"Don't fry her just y–" Ixion got angry at Neikia, as she got read to shoot more out, as Tuxedo Mask helped SM up.

"How about we cool this place off?"

They looked over to see Neptune, Uranus and Pluto at the shop entrance.
"Deep SUBMERGE!" Neptune called out counteracting Neikia's bombs.

"Sailor Moon, heal this girl so your friends can stop arguing!" Uranus said quickly.

"Right! Starlight Honeymoon Therapy – Kiss!"

Ixion groaned as Neikia turned back to Adori and her friends all returned to normal. He snatched the Seed of Quarrels and jumped through the glass window backwards smashing it.

"Glad I got to meet everyone this time. I'll let Charon know you actually came out to see the fun Sailor Pluto. I'm sure he'll be interested in your arrival." His gold eyes landed devilishly on Pluto, who looked concerned. "Had a good talk this time Sailor Moon. I don't plan on wasting it, so expect even more chaos next time. I'm excited for next time-" He then left in a haze of black.

"What was that about Pluto?" Neptune asked.

"I'm not sure. But Charon sounds familiar…" Pluto looked concerned. "I can't place who that is."

"What do you mean you were talking to him Serena?" Mars complained, getting up from the ground, bruised and battered with the other scouts.

"He trapped me I couldn't help it. He knows a lot about our past… I'm worried." Sailor Moon sighed.

"I'll look into Charon and Ixion tomorrow if you want… at least in terms who they may have been in our solar system. Maybe Luna and Artemis can fill in more blanks… or at least help us jog our memory." Mercury said trying to brush off her previous persona of arguing, which was out of her character.

"Serena…I'm sorry how I acted today. I guess that argument we had was so fresh In my mind…I almost got you in trouble." Tuxedo Mask turned away guilty. "I should be better than that. After what we went through before, I can't believe I almost put you in jeopardy."

"I know you didn't mean it. I gave you the charm; half of it was my fault. Ixion didn't even try to use a seed on me. I could have acted just the same."

"Why didn't he?" Uranus asked.

"I think he thought I wouldn't be affected. " Sailor Moon said skeptically. "But… I think he was wrong. I questioned myself at one point in there…"

"But if he knew that much about you that means there's a lot more to them then we know." Neptune concluded.

"Well the festival is starting soon. I bet Amori is going to wake up and need time to get her charm-shop in order." Venus said, looking at the mess that was left.

"We should get this place back together before she wakes up. We can manage being a little late." Jupiter nodded.

Adori groaned as she woke up. "What happened?" She looked around and saw her shop was empty. She'd blanked out! It was evening now! Was she mugged?

She looked to the display case. One of them was empty.

"Funny…that one had all the "apple of my eye" charms in it…" She sighed. Maybe she sold out? She'd only wanted her charms to make people happy. The pain she went through in her last relationship was too much to bear.

"Hey, are you okay? You know your front glass door is broken. Did you have a break in?"

Adori looked up from the glass to a man, with brown hair, not much older than she was.

"I can't remember. I blanked out." Adori swallowed.

"Well frankly I was about to make my way down to the Beginning of Summer festival when I noticed. I have the pottery shop across the way. I hope you didn't loose much. Although I must admit, you took away a lot of customers today." He smiled.

"I did?" Adori blinked.

"Wow, they really did a number...do you need to go to the doctor? Did you get hurt?"

"Uhm...no I don't think so." Adori blushed.

"Oh, I'm sorry my name is Masao Keramai. I shouldn't have been so informal, especially under the circumstances."

"Oh its fine! I'm happy someone came around. Frankly I'm at a loss. My name is Adori Ayakai."

"Well if you want why don't I fix that for you. I'm thinking of heading to the festival after...if you think you're okay why don't you come with? It seems like you might need a break."

"I- I-" Adori looked to the empty case. Just like the case, she needed to empty her baggage and move on from her past didn't she? She looked to Maraso and smiled.

"Sure. Sounds fun."