I'm almost home. Actually can't wait to get there now. All the time spending using internet cafés and borrowed laptops to post I got told today there was a computer free for passengers to use. Irony is not my friend lol
Happy 4th of july to those who celebrate today.
I never get anything I want that includes Sailor Moon.
There is a lot going on in this chapter so I hope you all enjoy it. Pm me any questions
Mercury woke with a splitting headache. She was laying on a king sized bed the clock beside her told her it was early morning. She frowned looking around the unfamiliar room.
"Your awake, thank Selene," Luna pounced on the bed padding up to her.
Mercury smiled seeing the black cat she willed her transformation away with a sigh.
"Where am I Luna?" she asked.
"Your at Darien's apartment, in his spare room. He should be awake soon, we originally brought you back to Serena's but her parents arrived home yesterday and we couldn't hide you. It was enough of a job making sure Sammy didn't see you," Luna explained.
Amy frowned Scrunching up her brow. And Luna sat in understanding.
"You have been out for two days, you seriously over taxed your energy reserves destroying Zoisite, don't worry Serena called your mother and told her you girls were having a sleepover," she explained.
Amy nodded in relief. She knew she shouldn't have rushed to use her old powers again. She remembered how long it took them to use there star powers without to much of a drain on the Moon, a thousand years later she could defiantly say she was rusty.
A knock on the door startled her from her thoughts, Luna spoke softly before Darien poked his head through.
"I thought I heard voices, good to see you awake Amy. There's a shower at the end of the hall here. The clothes in the dresser are Serena's and should fit you ok so just choose anything," he said quietly.
"Thank you Darien, um you wouldn't happen to have any aspirin?" Amy replied moving to get up.
Darien nodded before leaving the room as Amy picked out a change of clothes. He walked back in with two painkillers and a glass of water handing them to Amy she gulped them down quickly.
"Serena's on her way over with Mina, I'll get started on breakfast," he said before leaving the room.
Amy smiled gratefully picking up the clothes she headed to the bathroom pleased to find a fluffy towel and hair-dryer out waiting for her.
She spent a while in the shower thankful Serena's hair products also lined the small shelf. She finally got out when she smelt breakfast.
She walked into the kitchen seeing Serena and Mina enjoying breakfast. Realising Darien had made enough for them all she smiled at her friends.
"Amy, we were so worried about you," Serena said upon seeing the girl promptly pulled her into a hug.
Mina was sitting silently watching the two.
"I'm so sorry Amy I should have never let you face Zoisite alone. I know how taxing star power can be when your not used to it, I should have stopped you or helped," Mina cried.
Amy reached out one arm pulling Mina into the hug with them.
"I seems to remember telling you to let me handle Zoisite, I miscalculated my energy reserves," she said softly before gasping.
"You've passed?" she asked pulling back from the hug.
Serena and Mina both nodded with identical grins.
The 3 girls squealed happily hugging again. Darien shook his head smiling at the scene they made. He could see how happy it made Serena to have her friends back. She was glowing with pride and happiness. He turned to get the coffee machine going then groaned.
"What's upside down?" Mina asked.
Serena, Darien and Amy broke out in laughter. Mina's innocent question so funny it heightened the mood more.
"I'm out of coffee, I'll be back in a few going to get some more I'm sure you girls have lots to talk about," he said.
"Because Selene forbid he can go without his precious coffee in the morning" Serena giggled.
Darien rolled his eyes before pulling her into his arms and leaning down so their foreheads were pressed together.
"I need something bitter in the morning so I can handle how sweet you are," he whispered cutely.
Serena burst out laughing slipping from his arms in the process.
"Ok go and get your coffee, if it stops cheesy lines like that I'm all for it," she said still giggling.
Darien frowned here he was trying to be all romantic and she laughed at him, with a slight growl he pulled her back into his arms before leaning down and kissing her soundly. Effectively silencing her outburst.
"Awe, you two are so cute," Mina sighed breaking there intimate moment.
With a last peck on Serena's lips he grabbed his jacket and keys before leaving. Luna slipping out the door with him. The girls waited while Amy ate her breakfast then all settled on the couch.
Darien got down to the parking garage. Being so early meant he had to go to the supermarket instead of his local shop to get his favourite brand of coffee. Mounting his bike he grinned again before taking off.
Raye grumbled as she got to the supermarket. Her grandfather had run out of tea leaves and the large store was the only place walk able that sold them. She sighed rolling her eyes with a worried smile. He had seemed ok this morning but Raye had noticed her grandfather's ill health recently. She grabbed a basket by the entrance not noticing Darien's bike parked almost directly next to her as she went in. As she entered the right aisle she gasped seeing Darien staring at the coffee labels.
Darien looked towards her after hearing her small gasp. His eyes hardened into a scowl.
"Darien, I," Raye said softly.
She hadn't wanted to see him after the last battle. She hadn't wanted to see anyone but running into him seemed like fate and now he was in front of her she realised how alone she had been for the last couple of days. The dark look in his eyes directed at her brought her close to tears.
"I'm not interested in anything you have to say Raye, you said enough the other day," he spoke with more disappointment then anger.
"Sorry," Raye said hanging her head.
"Its not me you should apologise to Raye," Darien softened a bit at her forlorn expression.
Raye looked at him eyes suddenly angry again. She didn't care about Serena as far as she was concerned she had been right. Why should she apologise to Serena when she had done nothing wrong.
"I will not apologise to that ditz, if anything she should apologise to me. I may have been angry when I said those things but not one thing I said wasn't the truth. Seriously can no one else see she's to blame for everything that's gone wrong since I met her," she said with conviction.
"That's hardly fair Raye, since we met Serena has tried her hardest to be your friend, she has done everything and given everything she has. Its not what we see or not Raye its what you don't see," he replied angry again.
"What I see is a spoiled brat who gets everything she wants and wraps everyone round her little finger," Raye argued.
People had stopped there shopping to watch them argue. The scene making for some juicy morning drama. Darien, eyes still hard stepped closer to Raye. She drew in a sharp breath as her personal space was invaded his aura seemingly over powering hers.
"Why are you so angry at Serena Raye? What on earth could have caused you to be so cruel to perhaps one of the only people who has ever taken the time to try to get to know you? What is it?" he asked in a harsh whisper.
Raye stepped back in anger, dropping her shopping basket she looked him dead in the eye.
"She has you," she answered in almost a screech.
Darien shook his head, grabbing his coffee he looked back at her with a smile.
"And she always will have me, no one else could ever make me feel as much as she does, get over yourself Raye and start appreciating what you have not what you will never have or you could loose it all," he said sadly before turning and leaving her tear streaked face sitting in the middle of the aisle.
"So Serena exactly how long have you lived here?" Amy giggled.
They had finished talking about scout business and were now just relaxing with sodas.
"Oh, well lets see Darien moved here when he was 16 well a few months after really, hey wait a minute I don't live here Amy you know that?" Serena said.
Amy and Mina were in fits of giggles at Serena's sudden catch on.
"Oh I just assumed you also lived here, there's a room full of your clothes and all your stuff in the bathroom," Amy said offhandedly.
Serena blushed dipping her head and pushing her fingers together as she tried to explain how often she stayed at Darien's without making it sound like she lived there.
"Its ok Serena were just teasing, after all our love lives are doomed so now we have to live vicariously through you," Amy giggled. Mina nodded her head in agreement.
"What? how can you say that? Your love lives are not doomed," Serena said sitting in front of both girls.
"Serena your lucky you get to keep your soul mate ours are or were trying to kill us," Mina sighed.
"No! I can't believe that's the end, don't give up on love never," Serena said standing tall now.
Amy and Mina looked at each other with a smile.
"I probably got off better anyway for some reason my soul mate got a sex change, I'm not sure I could have you know," Amy giggled trying to lighten the mood.
"Played away?" Mina finished for her.
"Its played for the other team Mina, played away is another saying," Serena giggled along with Amy.
"Yeah well, its strange though that Zoisite is a girl come to think about it malachite was also different for one thing he hated not having his sword in battle. He just didn't seem like my malachite you know. I guess it make it easier to destroy him so I'm glad that monster is nothing like the man I loved," Mina sighed.
Amy nodded in understanding and Serena sat in contemplation. She couldn't let her friends believe all that, they needed hope and love in there lives. With a deciding sigh she looked at both of them.
"What if they're not?" she asked.
"Not what?" Amy asked confused at her sudden question.
"Well both of you said they were nothing like the guys you loved in the past so what if the evil generals were facing are not those guys?" Serena asked seeming a little confused.
Mina and Amy were still sat staring at Serena blankly when Darien walked back in. his face was set in a worried scowl and Serena frowned wondering what had upset him.
"It's possible I suppose, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that the generals were fighting and were killed by were not our generals," Amy whispered snapping Mina out of her trance.
"Did I miss something?" Darien asked.
"It's a long story but to put it simply in the past the scouts and I were engaged to the generals of earth. They were our soul mates. The very same generals we thought we were fighting but Serena just pointed out the evil versions of our soul mates are nothing like the men we all knew and loved in the past so maybe they're not them," Mina said hurriedly.
Darien looked at Serena for confirmation. She replayed the conversation in her mind for him silently asking him why he seemed so upset. Darien smiled letting her know he thought she did the right thing he replayed his run in with Raye for her as he turned to the girls.
"You mean like clones or monsters disguised as the generals?" he asked.
"Clones! why didn't I think of that? It would explain why there is no trace of the link we shared in the past, you remember Mina?" Amy said jumping up.
"Your right, I could always feel malachite with me, I still feel him sometimes but there is no trace of evil when I do," Mina also jumped up in excitement.
Serena was sitting quietly going over Darien's conversation with Raye.
"I can also feel Zoisite sometimes not as well as you Mina mostly when I'm thinking, when I paseed and started to remember I passed the feeling off as memory's. Come to think of it I feel him more now since I destroyed that evil Zoisite, do you really think?" Amy asked.
Mina nodded.
"Our connections with them were powerful those bonds don't break, do you realise what this means?" she asked excitedly.
Darien had crossed the room to Serena sitting down with her on his lap as he silently comforted her.
"It means Serena was right we don't give up, there out there somewhere," Amy said with conviction.
"Yeah! We will get them back no matter what it takes," Mina said in agreement taking Amy's hand and looking to Serena.
Suddenly Darien jumped up as if burnt, he turned quickly allowing Serena to land on the soft cushions of the chair he had been sitting on with her. The girls watched as two crystals flew from Darien and float in the air above them.
"Malachite,"
"Zoisite,"
Both girls seemed to be in a trance as the reached out and touched the crystals in front of them tenderly. A bright light filled the apartment blinding everyone, when it cleared two men stood in front of the girls smiling.
Mina was the first to recover from her shock. She fell into malachite arms with tears in her eyes. He held her lovingly. Zoisite rolled his eyes before pulling Amy to him snapping her out of her shock himself.
The sudden feeling of completeness surrounded the couples. Bonds reinserted themselves into place and hearts set a new rhythm beating in time with there soul mates once again.
"How?" she whispered into Zoisite's chest.
"We never left you, but you needed to believe in us, in our love before we could be set free," Malachite explained.
"I thought our clones needed to be defeated I know mine has been. Thank you love. What about you Mal?" Zoisite asked.
"I'm not at full power until my clone is defeated I'm powerless, but the girls were always the key," he explained.
Serena and Darien relaxed they had thought the same thing but it made sense the generals wer set free by there soul mates. Darien wrapped his arm around her shoulder before bringing his other hand up to grab hers where it rested on his chest.
"I'm so happy," Mina sobbed.
Beep beep beep beep beep
Their communicators interrupted the moment with its shrill cry. Mina's form changed suddenly Venus she answered.
"Get to the temple quickly I think my grandfather has a crystal, help its hurting him," Raye's face was strained with tears.
"Were on our way," Amy answered in the back ground taking out her transformation pen.
Mina turned to Serena nodding as she saw the girl palming her broach. Malachite and Zoisite turned towards the couple and immediately started to bow feeling guilty they had ignored their prince and princess for so long. Darien held up a hand shaking his hand and stopping them mid bow.
The girls transformed and Darien reached for his rose but Sailor Moon stopped him.
"Stay here, you need to explain everything to these two, we can handle this," she told him softly.
Darien looked torn, he knew he needed to explain to his generals that he and Serena were not to be revealed as the royals but he couldn't stand the thought of Serena being in danger without him there to protect her.
"Trust me if I need you, you will know please," she said looking at him earnestly.
He kissed her softly before nodding. Once settled the 3 scouts ran and jumped off his balcony onto the next rooftop.
Raye wiped her puffy eyes as she got home. Darien's words had stung but not as much as she thought they would. His blatant rejection and dismissal of her feelings seemed almost justified.
"Grandfather I'm back," she shouted trying to sound better then she felt.
"Raye, child, help me?" her grandfather rasped stumblingly into the room he collapsed with his hand clutching his heart.
"Grandfather!" Raye rushed to his side.
"Granddaughter, there is a great evil within me, my heart, I fear it is trying to get free, please you must run, get away from me, before it destroys everything," his words were strained and pleading.
Raye closed her eyes reaching out to her grandfather with her mind she gasped as she felt the rainbow crystal inside him pulsing angrily.
"Don't worry, I'm going to get help, please fight it as much as you can grandfather," she said.
She rushed from the room calling the scouts and transforming.
"Please hurry, I can feel the evil in him getting stronger," she whispered as the connection was cut off.
"No you can't hurt him," Mars was screaming at Jupiter as they arrived.
"Stop, Mars I'm going to heal him but you know he needs to be weekend first," Sailor Moon shouted.
Mars glared at her with more hate then ever, the emotional backlash hitting her harshly.
"No, you stay out of this, your going to hurt him," she screamed at Moon.
Sailor Moon sighed before turning to Jupiter.
"Keep Mars out of this she is compromised, Mercury, Venus think you can keep grandpa busy while I power up the wand," Moon ordered.
The 3 scouts nodded. Jupiter dove for Mars pinning her down.
"Shine aqua illusion," Mercury cast freezing the monster as Venus stepped up.
"Crescent beam smash," she called hitting the monster who gave a roar of pain.
"Stop, your hurting him, Stop," Mars screamed from her place under Jupiter.
"Moon healing annihilation," Moon shouted.
The monster had just managed to get free of mercury's ice when it saw the beam of light headed towards him.
"Uh, oh," he said before being transformed back to grandpa the rainbow crystal on his chest.
Mars managed to get free, mostly because as soon as he was healed Jupiter let her go. With a sharp cry she ran towards her grandfather pushing Sailor Moon out of the way as she went.
"You hurt him," she accused Moon a fiery glare in her eyes.
"He's ok Mars just sleeping, he should be as good as new by morning," Mercury said closing her mini computer with a grin.
Mars was still glaring at Moon who rolled her eyes in frustration.
"That's it I've had enough of this, I know all this isn't about me healing grandpa so what's your problem Mars?" Moon asked glaring back just as angrily.
"My problem? You really are as dumb as you look, you are THE problem, not just mine everything is wrong when it comes to you," Mars replied.
"Moon, Mars now is not the time for this," Venus said sternly.
"No, now is the perfect time for this. Go on Raye tell me everything, tell me how I ruin everything, how I'm a complete airhead, a failure in everything, tell me exactly how much you hate me,and why," Sailor Moon taunted.
With a screech Mars dove for her only to find herself held back once again by Jupiter.
"Let her go Jupiter, please all of you stay out of this, go home" Moon said opening herself up to attack.
Jupiter went to argue, but the look in moon's eyes stopped her. She grudgingly let the fiery scout go. And all 3 scouts de transformed before heading away. Mars wasted no time and once again dove for Sailor Moon knocking the blonde scout to the ground.
Sailor Moon allowed herself to fall Mars hitting and punching her as she lay on the ground.
"That's it Mars, It's all my fault, I'm the cause for all your pain," Moon continued to taunt acting as if Mars blows had no effect on her.
Mars stopped hitting looking down at Sailor moons bloodied face and seeing it already healing. Tears ran down her cheeks and she sobbed brokenly.
"It is all you fault," she yelled then resumed her hitting.
"What is?" Moon asked sternly.
"Everything," Mars screamed
"What did I do Mars?" Moon shouted back.
"You, you, you took him away from me," Mars shouted.
"Who? Mars? who did I take?" Moon asked softly this time.
Mars had once again stopped hitting,
"Jedite, why did she take you that evil bitch its all her fault, oh god Serenity I'm so sorry its all my fault I lost him, she took him from me and you Moon, you destroyed him," Mars wailed.
Sailor Moon smiled her face blue and purple and eyes half swollen shut. She got up sitting on her knees and pulled Mars into a hug.
"I'm sorry Mars, I'm sorry I caused you such pain," she whispered.
Raye dropped her transformation resting her head against Sailor moons chest comforted by her light and warmth.
"I'm so sorry, I'm sorry," she whispered over and over.
Her face had healed mostly a slight bruise on her cheek remaining, Serena watched as Raye glowed a fiery red before picking the unconscious girl up and taking her into the temple. She willed away her transformation as she lay her friend comfortably on her bed.
"You did it Raye," she whispered taking her hand and sitting down beside her happily.
Raye's dream *
she was surrounded by fire. Flames licked the room around her wildly. They caressed her skin lovingly. She felt safe and warm within the blazing room.
"Where am I?" she asked softly trying to see through the flame.
"Still as hot headed as always child, you know this place as sure as you know my voice, stop being so stubborn and think," the twinkling female voice laughed.
Raye turned with a gasp.
"Momma?" she asked suddenly sounding like a small child.
The room cleared the fires not extinguishing but lowering so the room was visible.
"Stubbornness is an admirable trait in battle, it shows a soldiers stretch," a male voice sounded.
"Father, momma?" Raye cried seeing her long lost parents.
Darien faced his generals as they took in all the information.
"So let me get this right. In addition to not being able to do our duty and protect you and the princess you want us to lie to our soul mates?" Malachite asked incredulously.
"Not lie, just don't tell them you know," Darien grimaced.
"Is that an order?" Zoisite asked.
"No, I'm not a prince here, I'm not Endymion any more. I am simply Darien Chiba, I am asking you to do this as your brother and your friend not as your prince," he replied.
"Well in that case, I think we can keep our mouths shut for a while," both men agreed.
"Great now that's sorted, what are we going to do about you guys, before today you didn't exist," Darien grinned.
"Well actually we do, we met you when we were just boys, all in the same orphanage until we got separated into different foster homes. We have kept in contact over the years and have just moved back here, we each have an apartment in this building, bank accounts and identity's," Zoisite said with a matching grin.
Malachite nodded before they both burst out laughing at Darien's extremely confused face.
"How? You've only been here half an hour," he said.
"Pluto," Malachite shrugged.
The one word explained everything. Darien sat down again thinking he should have known Pluto would sort everything. Almost suddenly he collapsed in pain. The two generals rushed to him worriedly.
"What's happening? Are you ok?" they asked.
"Its not me its Serena, she's being hurt, I can't see her," he answered.
"What, the battle? Is it bad?" Zoisite asked.
Darien stood and transformed.
"No the battles over, she's hurting but determined, I cant see whats going on she's not letting me. I have to go," Tuxedo mask answered.
The pain lessened as he transformed her emotions coming through clearer telling him she was still transformed.
"Don't," Venus said entering the room with Mercury through the balcony.
"Moon is dealing with Mars, she's ok,"
Amy said as she let her transformation go falling into Zoisite's arms.
A moment later the pain stopped completely and Darien felt happiness and pride coming through their shared link.
He let his transformation go with a sigh. Turning to the girls he grinned.
"Mars has passed,"
Well you weren't expecting that were you? I'll be honest I wasn't expecting that my original draft of this is very different but I like this better. I hope you all enjoyed this don't forget to let me know
Next chapter, Evil Malachite sets his plans in motion, The generals have to start adapting to life while hiding from the cats and Lita but not for long and lets throw in a few lovey dovey moments..