Disclaimer: I will not own Sailor Moon, not in a million years.
AN: Thanks to those people that reviewed! I appreciate it. I don't know what else to say here so on with the story!
sleeping-angel10: Everyone thinks his or her own story is terrible. Trust me, that's how I feel. Anyway. I hope you are enjoying the story so far, I have more in store for it.
ffgirlmoonie: You knew the two Scouts were the missing Princesses:o BUT! You left out one thing. Who are they in their true forms? Huh? HUH:D
------------
Legend:
'Thoughts'
"Normal speaking"
-Dream sequences/Flashbacks-
----
Chapter 6 to Dreams and Wishes
----
Children were laughing, birds were singing and many families and couples were walking through the park. But only three people were sitting on a bench in the flower garden of Assiniboine Park, mainly in the area where the roses were.
"I can't believe it." She shook her head. "Why didn't they tell us the truth?"
Darien shrugged his shoulders and admired the assortment of roses. "I don't know, Sere." He ran a hand through his hair. "But something's definitely not right." Serena looked up at him with a quizzical look. "They must be keeping something from us because they chose not to tell us that they were the ones we were looking for."
Serena sighed. "Do you mean their real identities?" He nodded.
"I'm sorry..." The couple directed their eyes to the pink haired girl. Darien shook his head and kneeled in front of the young teen.
"There is nothing to be sorry about, Rini, nothing." He took a hold of her small hand and lightly kissed it. Serena wrapped an arm around her future daughter's shoulder and nuzzled her head with hers.
"Don't fret yourself over this. You had nothing to do with it." She was speaking in a calm, soothing voice to her, which seemed to ease up her tensed muscles.
"But I know all the answers you're looking for!" She shook her head. "Well, most of it...But I'm not allowed to say anything about it!" Both Darien and Serena smiled at the frustration.
"Honey, look, we will get all our answers when the time is right." Darien stood up and sat on the other side of Rini as Serena continued. "Until then, let's just enjoy the time we have together."
"But-!" Serena placed a finger over the girl's mouth, shaking her head.
"No more, please, just enjoy." Rini sighed in defeat, leaning more into Serena's small form. They were silent for a few minutes.
"Serena?" She turned her head. "Darien?" He too, along with Rini, turned their head.
It was a moment before they realized who it was. "Hi Stephanie!" Serena stood up and hugged the girl whom had reached them.
Cirri sniffed her. "Arf!"
"Hello to you too, Cirri!" She bent down and patted the puppy's head.
Rini blinked. "...Cirri?" That name sounded familiar... 'Ciriana?' She eyed the beagle. 'Nah.' All thoughts were dispersed as soon as Cirri began nuzzling against her leg. "Aww!" She, too, bent down onto her knees and began petting the brown furred puppy.
"How are you doing today, Stephanie?" Darien stood to greet her as well.
"I'm fine, thanks." She was watching the pink haired girl. She had an inkling she saw her somewhere before. Then it clicked. "Weren't you the one looking for Serena and Darien's apartment?"
Serena stood up; dusting off any stray leaves that may have attached to her skirt. Rini began rubbing the pup's tummy as Cirri rolled onto her back, responding. "Now I remember! Thanks for helping me find them."
She shrugged off the thank you as if it was nothing. "I'm Stephanie, pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you, too, I'm Rini." They shook hands.
The dark brown-haired girl passed a look between the two meatball heads. "You two look like each other." They both blushed and turned their heads away from each other.
"We don't look alike! We're just cousins!" Both girls replied, causing Darien and Stephanie to burst out in a small fit of laughter. This caused Stephanie to begin a fit of coughs.
She coughed into her handkerchief. "Sorry." Stephanie tried folding the handkerchief before anyone looked at it, but one person managed to see. She looked at her watch. "Um. I have to get back; I've been out since early morning. I'll see you all later okay?"
Serena nodded. "Get some rest; you should still be tired from jet lag." She yawned. "I know I am."
Rini smirked. "I thought you got out of the habit of sleeping in, Meatball head!" Serena stuck her tongue out. "Oh, VERY mature, Serena." She responded with a frown.
"As much as I want to stay here longer." Stephanie coughed once again into her handkerchief, folding it again after, and sighed. "I really need to rest."
Darien had been oddly quiet from the moment he greeted her. "Go on home, Stephanie, we will see you again later or tomorrow, okay?" She nodded.
"Bye..." She waved and left.
A minute later, they were all sitting on the bench again. Serena couldn't take the silence any longer. "Did you notice anything...odd about her?"
Rini looked at her future mother, wondering what she could be thinking. "I think she's nice. I like her."
Darien shook her head. "That's not what Serena meant, Rini." He ran a hand through his hair. "You all noticed how she tried to hide her handkerchief right after she coughed, right?"
"But doesn't everyone try and do that? I mean, who would want to see what they cough up?" That was gross. Still, Rini could not understand where this was leading.
"That's just it." He sighed. "There was blood." Both girls widened their eyes in surprise. "There must be something wrong with her lungs or kidney's if it's causing her to cough up blood." Darien, being the Doctor in training he was, knew about that sort of thing.
"I guess that does explain something..." Serena had their attention now. She didn't fidget under their gaze, as she would have done a long time ago, but instead stared straight back at them. "When I hugged her, she flinched. Like I was hurting her."
Darien smirked. "Your hugs are just as dangerous as Mina's, more lethal than the Scout's powers combined." Serena smacked him playfully on the arm.
"Shush, you." She sighed. "I didn't hug her hard, like I usually do, it was just a gentle one and she seemed like she was in severe pain." She leaned forward and placed her head in her hands. "But then you mentioned her coughing up blood. That brought up a whole new set of questions."
Rini couldn't understand why they were making such a big deal about someone they only met yesterday. But then she knew. Serena and Darien were just those type of people. The good ones that care about everyone they meet. "Can't we just have Amy analyze her health with her mini computer?"
Darien thought about it for a second. "There's no possible way we could do that without her finding out we, and the others, are well-known heroes back in Japan." He placed an arm around the young teen's shoulders. "But it was a good idea."
"I guess we'll just have to do it the old fashioned way." Serena pounded her hand into her fist.
"And what, pray tell, may that be, Sere?" He raised an eyebrow in question.
She sweat dropped. "Um. I uh. Who cares? Just as long as we find out some way, right?" She laughed nervously, a blush evident on her cheeks. Rini and Darien laughing to themselves as they stood up.
"Who wants some milkshakes?"
Serena and Rini's ears perked up at the mention of the cold treat. "I do!" He smiled at their enthusiasm.
Some things will never change.
----
It was quiet in the apartment. Something she was used to all her life since that horrible day. "That was a little too close." She pulled out two pieces of cloth from her messenger bag and dumped them into her hamper. "I'll need to be more careful."
A set of eyes were watching her with a sad look as she relaxed on the sofa. "I know what you mean, but I have to keep up this way of life, not only to protect them, but myself." She slowly moved her body into a lying position, sighing.
She looked up at the blue ceiling. "It's not like I want to, but it's the only way I know how." She peered over the armrest to look over at her companion. "And don't you dare think that I was better off resting here, Cirri, my condition would have only become worse."
"Arf..." The puppy whined as her friend finally drifted off into a peaceful sleep, though it won't be long.
----
"Order's up! A vanilla, strawberry, and chocolate milkshake to go!" A man in a white apron passed the three shakes to his three customer's, smiling. "There ya go, Mams' and Sir. Enjoy!"
Serena sipped her strawberry milkshake, while Rini enjoyed her vanilla flavoured. And last, but not least, Darien would occasionally sip his chocolate milkshake. They were done visiting the flower garden. "It's getting kind of late."
Beep. Beep. Beep.
All three looked at Serena's communicator watch. "Two days in a row?" She sighed and lifted the lid once they were out of earshot of the people. "Serena here. Where?" She already knew they would tell her to get there and hurry up.
"Assiniboine zoo! Someone is in trouble and is about to get attacked by the White Tigers." Amy's face fazed out.
"I guess we really don't need to go that far." The trio transformed into their alter ego's, after making sure the coast was clear, and leapt off towards the zoo part of the large park.
----
"Amy! Did you contact Serena?" Lita was ready to jump into the cage to save the man, but Raye, Ken, and Jadeite was holding her back.
Ken was restraining her with all he had. But since Lita was a karate expert, add on her scout powers, it was a bit tough. "Lita! You can't just jump in there!"
Worker men were already cutting a hole in the dome where the white tigers were kept. People were gathering around the outside of the dome, fearing what may happen to the teenager that mistook the door leading to the white tigers dome for the bathroom. The question is, why was the door unlocked?
A series of gasps emitted from the crowd, causing the group to panic. A middle-aged man beside them shouted. "The Tigers are about to kill the boy!" And that caught everyone's attention. That comment caused the workers to go faster in making that hole.
And, indeed, both of them were circling the boy, him being in the middle.
"It's strange how they still know how to hunt down a prey..." Mina crossed her arms in surprise. "Them being in a zoo for a long time, that is."
"Mina, now is not the time to start contemplating things!" A frustrated Amy exclaimed. Although, she was a bit surprised that Mina noticed their behaviour.
"Look! It's a Sailor Scout!" A nearby civilian shouted and pointed to the dome.
Raye huffed. "It sure took Serena their sweet time to get here." She crossed her arms and looked up, but had to blink twice at whom she saw. "Xia? But if Xia's here..." The priestess turned to look at Jadeite. "...Where's Serena, Rini, and Darien?"
Xia didn't even make any movement that she had acknowledged the civilians surrounding the dome. "It's done!" The workers had made the hole. The men turned to look at Xia just as the circular glass popped out of place. Instead, there was the boy, whom was the one that needed saving, just sitting there.
"Did you see that? She just disappeared." Zoicite stood appalled beside Malachite. It was something she had never seen before. Like it was a magic trick of some sort...only no one saw what had happened.
"She's down there!" All heads turned to look at the young child then at the Scout that was now in place of the teenage boy, holding a calm, serene look. It seemed as if she was smiling.
By now reporters from CTV News had arrived and just missed the action. But Xia was still there, before the White Tigers. They were now filming this.
The Scout held out two hands, one on either side of her. And just stood there. "Is she serious? She's actually willing to get herself killed?"
Amy had her mini computer out and was furiously typing. "Ames? What are you doing?" Her boyfriend, Greg, was peering over her shoulder.
She continued typing, aiming the computer at Xia, and responded. "I have a suspicion something strange is going to happen..."
A second passed, as everyone stood awestruck. Were the Tigers actually...cuddling against Xia? "This is some story! Our new Scout, Xia, has been finally captured on video! And not only that, but she has even tamed the White Tigers. Animals that have been known to be dangerous." The reporter, Sandra, said in front of the camera guy.
"Excuse me." Amy tapped the reporter on the shoulder.
Sandra turned her attention to the blue-haired girl. "Yes, Miss?"
"Are you telling me that you've never actually seen Xia before?" Inquired the Mercurian princess. She shook her head.
"No. I've only heard rumours." She swept a strand of hair away from her face and placed it behind her ear. "It was rumoured that Xia worked alone and not alongside Xantara, Yue, and Shadow. And we've had footages of the other three. This was the first footage we've had of Xia alone."
"Hey! The hole is fixed!" The worker men had slid down from the dome, the teenage boy in tow, and came to the conclusion that someone had miraculously repaired the dome. No one had noticed that Xia had disappeared once again.
"Sorry, but I've got a story to produce." The reporter bowed her head slightly and went off towards the worker men and the teenage boy that was previously in deep trouble.
Amy closed her mini computer and went back to her group of friends. "It's true." She was shaking her head.
"What is it, Amy?" Lita had finally calmed down once she was sure the boy was okay. "Does it have to do with Abigail and Darien's cousin again?"
She nodded. Mina perked up. "Did you figure out which one of them was who?" The genius nodded again.
"Who is Xia, Amy?" Malachite couldn't quite take the suspense in it all.
"Princess Abigail is Xia. So that means Xantara is..." Greg interrupted her.
"...Darien's cousin." Something was strange though. As if they should have been happy about this piece of news.
Then it clicked.
"Where were Serena, Darien, and Rini?"
-----------------
AN: Yes, okay, this chapter sucked. Admit it. I can't really think early in the morning. And it just so happens that I typed this chapter up for two days before I went to school in the morning. About forty-five minutes on this each day. So...don't mind the strange confusion you may have had in the chapter. It was all the morning's fault!
B-chanz