Good Evening!
Happy Australia Day for all my Aussie readers. And I hope you took advantage of the long weekend! I certainly did. As you can see I have taken full advantage of the extra as well as the nerves of starting of my new job tomorrow! Any suggestions? Aside from maybe biting the other children... Haha... Any ways you all don't want to hear me ramble one. So onward and forward to the Chapter 26! Please read & review, and enjoy
PP
Chapter 26
Mina skillfully made her way back to her teams hiding space. Very proud of her achievements this morning. Not only did she find Darien but she knew her princess was alive. They weren't fighting a losing battle anymore. This meant that she could go back to the team with some great news.
She entered the superhero lair and once the door was secure, she did a twirl, with a massive smile on her face, and gleefully flopped onto the couch next to the black haired priestess Rei.
"What are you so happy about? Mina," Rei said looking up from the latest printout from the Mercury computer.
"Something is in the air Rei, and this is going to be something we want to celebrate." Venus said with a giggle.
"What you found that the chocolate store still operates and they are full on supporters for the Moon movement, and we are all saved?"Rei asked cynically.
"Just because you are from the fiery planet of Mars does not mean you have to be a witch. But this is going to be something the whole team needs to be assembled for," Venus said position herself to have her head on Rei's lap right on top of the Paper work she was reading.
Rei very quickly pushed her onto the floor, and stood up flipping her hair with a smile. "Honestly you are meant to be the leader of our crew Mina and you act like a giddy school girl on crack. The others will be back shortly, I think Hotaru, Amara and Michelle went on scouting, Lita, Ami and Trista went to find some food and to see how the rebellion are doing, you know they took a pretty bad hit last week. Beryl found out that they were planning on kidnapping one of the Generals, and blew their base to smithereens. I told Andrew it was a bad idea, and that more planning had to happen, but he just wouldn't listen."
Mina sighed, she just didn't understand why they didn't listen to them, especially Andrew. She thought back to the day he found out about them, and Serena.
Months after Serena had disappeared, they were gathering at the Arcade to come up with a new game plan. Sighing Mina walked into the arcade, relishing in the idea that Serena could just be asleep at the back of the arcade the whole time, and she just forgot to wake up. Walking up to the counter she smiled at Andrew, "Hey how you doing Andrew?"
"Pretty good Mina, busy as per usual, what about you?" Andrew asked, taking up his patented position of wiping the front counter down.
"Oh, you know, a bit of this, and a bit of that. Nothing too exciting going on." Mina said nonchalantly.
"Fair enough, would be nice to be so laid back. But with all these changes that the new President is making with Small Business Taxes I might just be that laid back. What does that Beryl woman need with all the cash from Small Business," Mina noticeably stiffened, "I suppose I shouldn't be complaining, compared to Big Business she is getting more money from them." He finished with a laugh. Mina laughed with him, but was still very stiff about it all.
"Not going to lie Andrew, I think President Beryl is bad news, but hey I am just a school girl right?" She said with a laugh. Behind her, the door swung open, and Lita, Ami and Rei walked through the door, "Well as lovely as talking politics with you is, here are the girls."
"Nice talking Mina, let me know when you hear from Serena, tell her I miss her." Andrew said with a smile.
Mina politely smiled and walked to the girls, inwardly grimacing at the mention of Serena, they had to lie and say that she was seeking out some 'long lost' relatives in Australia, and that is why she isn't about these days.
Mina smiled at the girls and took a seat next to Ami. "Guys, Beryl is getting out of hand, we really need to do something about this."
Lita pulled some news article clippings out of her bag, all over them were positive slogans about Beryl's campaign, or how businesses can be rest assured that their loss will be paid back with dividends, even articles mentioning that protecting Japan's borders were the top priority. "I have noticed that, but what can we do about it, she is President of the Country. And clearly she has bought the media." Lita said, pushing forward a particular brutal article about the girl's hero selves.
Ami glanced at the paper that Lita had thrown on the table with hatred flashing in her eyes. The battle that the article was depicting was quite bad for her, her father was captured by Beryl's Minions under the guise of a terrorist, and the public believed the General. But she couldn't just go and save him because she was trapped. The guilt of this was eating her conscious, Ami, quickly wiped the tear from her cheek. "Did you really have to bring that, we all know what they think of us. What we really need to figure out is how we are going to defeat them and win." She said with sad determination. "There is way more at stake than protecting our identity what about our famil—"
Before Ami could complete her final word, there was a scream outside and then all 4 of the girls ducked as something was thrown through the window. Lita crawled over the broken glass to where she was originally sitting and looked out of the now broken window.
Out in the street, there was looked like was a demonstration, but instead of people cheering and clapping the main event, it looked like the main event was throwing the audience members. The thrower was a massive looking clown face, with massive hands throwing and catching to the untrained eyes would be juggling balls, but Lita knew enough to know they weren't. What made this monster even more dangerous were the sporadic energy beams that would shoot out of its Dark Moon diamond from the middle of its forehead. Every time the beam hit a person it would transform them into what looks like a cannon ball and then joined the juggling balls above its head. Once a new one joined, and older one would be catapulted in any random direction, and this was what flew through window of the arcade. Lita was suddenly jerked backwards. She turned to see who grabbed her and it was Andrew. "Lita, let's go, follow the others and go out into the back room and out the back door." He said hurriedly.
Lita looked around and saw that she, her team and Andrew were the last ones to head towards the back of the Arcade. Mina looked at her, as if to say comply and we will save the world once he is safe.
Lita nodded at Andrew, and pushed him in front of her to follow him. Glass digging into their knees, Andrew and the girls crawled around the back of the counter. As they reached the door into the Kitchen, a cannon ball shot through the door, using the stove as a landing pad. Which caused it to explode. The girls and Andrew were blown back into the counter from the explosion.
Rei turned to Mina, "We have no choice Mina, and we have to sort this out now!" She yelled over the noise.
Mina, looked around, and realized that Rei was right. And nodded at the girls, she crawled up to Andrew, and quickly said, "Andrew, don't freak out. This is going to be a bit of a shock for you" in her next breath she called out, "Venus star power!" pulling out her transformation pens.
The look on his face when he saw the girls simultaneously transform was awe, fear and then confusion. He had known these girls for years. He had supported them through the hard days at school. When a boy they liked didn't like them back, he would give them free milkshakes and let them spill all their insecurities to him. And now he learns that he can't actually protect them, because they protect the city, and maybe even the world if the internet was anything to go by.
Venus looked at him, once she had finished her transformation. "You need to breathe Andrew."
Andrew looked at the blonde and finally took a deep breath in and he watched three of the girls jump over the counter to battle the monster, and Sailor Jupiter, grabbed his arm, and started to drag him through the new hole that was now in the back of the arcade into the back alley.
Once she had him out, Jupiter turned to the Blonde man, who was clearly still processing the information that he had just seen. "Andrew you do realize, you need to keep this a secret." He just nodded mutely. "I have to go help the others, but make your way through the back streets of the city, and get to the Rei's Temple, we will talk to you once this situation is resolved." He nodded mutely again, and started making his way away from the battle. And Sailor Jupiter ran out to the street to join the battle.
Once the battle was finally won, the girls dragged themselves to the temple in their human forms. They were greeted by Andrew, who was sitting on the stairs at the top, staring out over the city, complete disbelief was still showing on his face. When the girls reached the top of the stairs, along with Darien, who they acquired during the battle, with his assistance, they were able to destroy the monster. The girls walked past Andrew, Mina was going to stop and guide Andrew into the temple, so that they could explain what just happened. Darien raised his hand, and whispered, "I will bring him in shortly. Then you can tell the story, clean the wounds, and I will come and assist with the healing." The Mina nodded and continued into the temple, following the three other girls.
Darien sat next to his friend, with a groan. After some time, Andrew turned to Darien, "So, you know don't you?" He muttered.
"There is still some things you don't know buddy." Darien said staring at the view.
"What do you mean I don't know? Hang on, how long have you known about the girls? Is Serena Sailor Moon?" Andrew started spouting questions at Darien, until he raised his had to stop him.
"I hate the fact that you are smart Andrew, got to get some dumber friends," Darien said with a laugh scratching his head. "I have been helping the Sailor Scouts since the day that Sailor Moon turned up, but my story intertwined with them properly when Serena's parents died."
"What do you mean intertwined, what do you mean helping?" Andrew asked standing up, Darien following suit. "Where you involved when Rita was attacked?"
"I am just going to tell you one more thing, and then we are going inside for the girls to tell you the story. I am Tuxedo Mask, Prince of the Earth," Darien said calmly.
"You, you, you are, who?" Andrew stuttered angrily, realizing that he was the last to know a pretty big secret from his best friend.
"Tuxedo Mask, Prince of the earth," Darien said hesitantly, "I'm sorry?"
Andrew, gaped for a second, and then out of nowhere picked up his hand and hit Darien with a closed fist.
Mina thought back to that afternoon, after Andrew got over his bruised ego because of Darien keeping a massive secret from him in years, and over the fact that the girls he thought he was protecting was really protecting him. That conversation went well into the night, with Serena's whole situation, he just couldn't believe that she could have just disappeared, and so the Rebellion was started that night just to find her, but now it was much bigger than that, believing that she was dead. That night started the newspaper telling their real story, and how they need to fight Beryl and find the people that she had captured. Anyone with information was asked to come forward.
If Mina could go back and change that day she would, if she could have had their secret kept for longer, he would have never of start the Rebellion, and he could have not become a target for Beryl's thugs.
Mina was pulled out of reverie when the rest of the team had returned, and they were huddled around her to hear the news of her morning adventures.
Serena started to make her way down the hill from her empty tombstone. She was eager to get away from the stone, she stood out there, being the only person on the hill as well as wearing the silver dress laced with diamonds, which Prince Diamond had so kindly picked out for her, the purple hazed out sun was still causing the stones to glint in the dimmed light. Looking up from her dress, she saw a dark shape coming towards her, and in some last minute thinking she dashed into the bushes that were to her left. Intrigued to see who was making their way up into the now secluded part of the cemetery. She watched the shadowed figure made their way forward, and she realized that it was a man that was heading to her and her guardians graves.
Silently she crept through the trees a little further and found a dirt path to walk on, this was a good sign to Serena this meant she wouldn't draw attention to herself creeping through the trees. She only needed to worry about her dress drawing attention to her.
So she walked silently up the path, keeping her distance from the hooded man, making sure she never walked in front of him. The man must have known that someone was following him, because from time to time, he would turn and Serena would have to duck down, cursing herself every time because she wanted to know who this hooded man was.
By the time they reached the tombstones, he knelt down, and looked as if he was crying in front of Serena's empty grave. Serena was truly intrigued by this, she crept forward trying to get a better view of the man's face, and with that one wrong step she tumbled forward and out of the bushes.
When she looked up, her nose connected with the sharp tip of a sword, and her eyes met with the man's who said. "Who are you?"