Hello all! I do apologize for the delay in chapters but nwo that exams are over and Christmas Break has arrived: I can do more work. Expect more chapters for this story as well as my other new one. Please do review whether they are good or bad for I love them anyways! Enjoy!
Previously on the show: Arguments ensued between Serena, generals, Amy and Darien which ended with him darien saying:
"Hear them out? My mother would never do something like that to me. THEY'RE NOTHING MORE THAN LIARS!" Darien shouted.
"I agree there completely," a woman's voice said from the behind them.
From Betrayal to Redemption Ch. 20
"What the hell is she doing?' Jason asked Matt.
"I'm sorry I didn't know I was her keeper!" Matt seethed.
"Mina?" Amy asked as she looked to the staircase. "You…are you okay?"
"Better than that Amelia. I'm finally whole," Mina replied as she came further into the room. She was dressed in the same clothes she had been wearing earlier that day, but her hair was now a brighter gold color and traveled further down her back. She still had her signature ribbon within her hair but her Venus symbol was shining brightly upon her forehead. "However that is not the matter at hands now. Serena I need you to come with me."
"I need you to get a reality check," Jason said. "Serena's not going anywhere with you."
"Are you questioning me Jadeite? I don't believe you have the authority to do so."
"Considering that I'm third in command to-"
"Endymion's guard, you don't. Whether he chooses to re-instate four murderers is his decision, but as the Princess' cousin and rightful guardian, I'm ordering your revocation."
"Did Mina just use the word revocation?" Amy asked Zach.
"I think I'm getting a migraine," Serena said and turned away from.
"Mina," Luna started.
"Amelia why are associating with them?" Mina interjected.
"Mina, they're not who you think they are. They're on our side," Amy replied.
"No they want you to think they are on our side. Have they told you yet?" she asked as she moved to stand next to her. "Has HE told you what happened that night?"
Looking back at Zach she said, "He thought it best I learn in my own time. I happen to agree."
"I doubt that you'd be agreeing if you knew what he was keeping from you."
"Amy, listen to me. I'm not hiding anything from you," Zach said.
"Then why haven't you told her? Why can't she find out from you? Afraid of what she'll say? Or afraid that you'll be revealed as the liar you are."
"Any, please don't listen to her."
"Amelia has a mind of her own Zoicite! Perhaps if you'd stop hiding secrets from her she'd be able to make up her own mind."
"Secrets…that's what you said earlier. What secrets?" Amy asked.
"Mina, stop," Nathan said.
"Is the mighty Nephrite actually pleading? You trick and play on my friend's emotions and then murder her with a gleeful smile upon your face and now you want to plead to me? I'm almost moved to laughter," Mina stated.
"Murder? Who did Nathan kill?" Amy questioned.
"Listen to him Mina. You don't know what you're doing," Matt said.
"I know exactly what I'm doing Malachite. It was a mistake for Serenity to find you four. I don't know what you've done to make her believe you've changed or that you've find the golden light once again, but I'm not falling it!"
"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Amy shouted.
"He murde-"
"NO!" Serena exclaimed.
"Serenity stay out of this."
"No, you stay out of this Amina. She has a right to make her own decisions, not have you enforce them upon her."
"Aren't you forcing your warped thoughts upon her? She sees her princess following behind these men so obviously she must too."
"This is how it is Amina, whether you like it or not."
"But its not how it should be. They are Earthlings, Serena, not like us. They could never manage what we have," she said as she walked closer to her cousin. "Listen to me, Sere.
I don't know what they have on you but whatever it is, I can fix it. We can fix it. All you have to do is take my hand and walk out of here."
"You think it's that simple?"
"It is for us," Mina said as she starred into Serena's eyes.
"You know everything don't you? Of both times?"
"People don't change Serenity, not this drastically."
"Everyone evolves Amina. So did you in this time."
"I told you I'm going to make up for that, but you can't-"
"I am. This is my home, deal with it," Serena said and walked away from her to stand next to Jason. Instinctively Jason placed his arms on her shoulders and smirked at Mina. "If you can't accept this then I suggest you pack up and go to your fellow comrades."
"Before we go any further can I please get some answers," Amy stated.
"Yes, I'd like them as well. Even though I'm doubtful they'll hold any truth," Sailor Mars said from the back door.
"How the hell did she get in here?" Matt asked.
"Martian magic. I never shielded it from that," Zach replied.
"Missed it on the checklist?" Jason questioned as he moved Serena to the center of them.
"I don't believe any of us thought she'd have the guts to appear at the house," Nathan answered.
"This 'SHE' you speak of happens to have a name," Mars said. "I suggest you use it."
"Or what, you're going to filet me?" Jason sneered.
"Not a bad idea," she replied before forming her hands together in a gun motion and saying, "Mars Fireballs Charge!"
Placing her hands on Zach's shoulders Serena whispered, "Air…."
Instinctively focusing his energy and the powers flowing in to him from Serena, Zach placed his hand in front of his face and blew across the surface. Watching as a mini tornado of wind came from his hands and extinguished the fireballs he could only stare in curiosity.
"What just happened?" Mars shouted.
"Serena? How did you…?" Zach questioned when he looked back to her.
"Wait…" she said. Looking up to the staircase she saw Jupiter exiting one of the rooms.
"Would you care to join us Sailor Jupiter?"
Staring down into Serena's eyes she looked around to see Mina, Amy and Mars standing there with her. "Good job Mars. You could have told me you nabbed them," she finished and leaped from the balcony landing in front of Nathan. "Glad you came to your senses, Amy."
"Senses?" Amy asked. "I've been quite together all day long, thank you."
"I haven't exactly spoken to them yet, Jupiter," Mars seethed still pissed off by what happened to her powers.
"So that this does not get out of hand, let me say that there is nothing to speak on. Amy is here by her own free will. Serena has been with us by her own free will since you left her. Mina does not appear to want to stay in our presence so I'd advise you taking her along as you vacate," Nathan stated.
"We're not going anywhere with out all of the scouts with us!"
"Well then I deduct you have a problem because I'm staying," Amy replied when she stepped forward.
"Amy are you crazy?! You don't know half of what they've done. They're lying to you and to Serena. We can't trust them!" Jupiter shouted.
"Does Serena trust them? Then that's all that I need to know," she said and went back to stand beside Zach.
Upon seeing their hands grasp to one another Mars started shaking her head. "No…no it's not happening this way again. I won't let you take her from us again!"
"Take her from you? She isn't a prize to be won, Mars. She made her decision…now you need to make yours," Zach replied.
"She made the wrong one," Jupiter said and walked over to Mars. "She wasn't giving the whole story."
"It's wrong to you"/"And what is the whole story?" Zach and Amy said at the same time.
"Didn't expect her to ask that question huh?" Mars said with a smirk.
"Go suck on a match!" Jason snapped.
"Go to hell!"
"I've been there. How bout you try it on for size?"
"How bout you actually get some size."
"Fuck you Raechel!"
"You already did that and look where it got me!"
"Obviously I need to refresh you're memory."
"My memory is perfectly clear Jadeite."
"Yeah, warped with your psychotic version of the truth."
"Will you two stop it" Darien screamed. "I'm sick and tired and listening to you people bicker like two year olds. Grow the hell up."
"Well, who would have thought Endymion would have gotten a backbone?" Serena said. "Any other surprises you have for us?"
"I'll show you later," he said with a wink.
"Only if you wish to join your mother sooner than expected."
"This isn't getting us anywhere. Clearly there are intentions that are not in agreement here. Question is what do we do about them?" Matt asked.
"Serenity is returning with us along with Amy. You five gentleman can work out your own issues," Mina stated and walked over to take Serena's hand.
Snatching it away from her and moving back between Matt and Jason she said, "Serenity, is not going anywhere with you."
"Neither is Amy," Amy said and moved next to Serena. "If she's brainwashed or being lied to then I'm not leaving her side. If she's completely sane,"
"I am."
"Then we have nothing to worry over."
Jupiter looked at Mars and saw her looking down at her own hand. Shaking her head at Mars Jupiter whispered, "Don't do it."
"What other choice do we have?"
"It'll kill her Raye. She won't be able to handle seeing that."
"Would you rather her die by their hands instead? I won't stand by again and watch him kill her."
"Think about what you're saying."
"I have," she whispered and walked over to Amy.
Not taking any chances Zach immediately closed the gap between him and Jason so that no one had access to Serena or Amy.
"You move as if to protect them from me. Shouldn't our roles be reversed?"
"Evolution, my dear," he replied.
Powering down before them she moved closer to their circle and said, "We won't force you to come with us Amy. If you choose to stay with…them, then that's your decision. We may not like it but we have to accept it. Before any of…this, before duty and power, we're friends first."
"Thank you for understanding Raye. I'll make sure to speak with you and the girls tomorrow."
"What I can't even get a hug anymore? Just because we have opposing viewpoints doesn't mean we can't be friendly."
Looking at Serena who narrowed her eyes at Raye she backed further away and said, "We'll see each other tomorrow."
"It's happening. You're letting them come between us," Jupiter said as she powered down. "When Serena and Darien finally got their memories back we promised each other that we would never let a man come between us. We would never let them step on our friendship."
"No, she must obviously feel something against me to make her not want to even shake my hand. I understand. I just hope that we can still be friends after this."
"Raye we are friends," Amy started as she moved back closer towards Raye. "As you said we just have opposing views now, but that happens in life."
"But we'll get past it. I promise you," she said and reached out to touch Amy.
"NO!" Jason shouted when she had placed her hand on Amy's. Amy's shoulder had been touching him so he immediately felt the Martian power that surged through her body, but it was too late. Amy's eyes had already glazed over. When Serena reached out to touch her and break the connection, blue and red energy enveloped the two women and blew the remaining eight to opposite sides of the room.
"What the hell happened?" Darien asked as stood up.
"What is she showing her?" Jason asked Lita.
"What she showed me earlier, but this didn't happen," Lita replied. "This wasn't supposed to happen."
"Too late for that thought," Nate muttered.
"If you had just let her leave with us none of this would be happening now!"
"Are you blaming me for this? She told you she didn't want to go."
"Because she didn't know the truth!"
"Your friend's life or the truth? I see where your priorities lie."
"You think I wanted this to happen?"
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN WHAT YOU WANTED! LOOK WHAT YOU'RE DAMN CAPTURE OF THE TRUTH IS DOING TO HER!" Zach shouted.
When she looked over all she could do was gasp. Raye's body was radiating with flames and Amy's body was starting to enclose itself in ice.
"That's what happened with Mina. Her body cocooned itself in pure energy before she fell comatose," Matt said.
"We have to get her out of there."
"How?" Serena asked
"Let me think."
"NO, PLEASE!" Amy's voiced shouted.
"I dare to say thinking is not a luxury at the moment," Jason snapped.
Inside the cocoon of energy Amy's body was going through turmoil: physically, emotionally, and mentally. As soon as Raye's hand had touched her it felt like she was being pulled in ten different directions. Unlike Lita, she didn't see the same vision Raye had wanted her to see, but something much further in time.
"Father, listen to me," Amy started.
"There's nothing to listen to, Amelia. How could you be so careless?"
"I don't believe becoming acquainted with the Earth guard careless. In fact I find it rather ingenious."
"Really? Please do your father the honor of elaborating."
"Besides the fact that Sailor Mercury came up with the idea?'
Smirking at his daughter King Hermes stood from his throne and walked over to where she was standing. Placing his hand upon his daughter's shoulders he led her out of the throne room and into one of the adjoining conference rooms. "Sailor Mercury, as…brilliant and resourceful as she may be, is still a product of this planet. Without it, her powers and her are nothing. Concluding, that even if she came up with this idea, as King of Mercury I will not have my planet put at risk. Or my daughter."
"You let your love for me cloud your higher judgment."
"As Aphrodite told me yesterday, there is no higher judgment than your child's welfare."
"The Venusians are ruled by love not logic. They think with their hearts instead of their minds."
"Their hearts have won them many battles, many wars."
"This alliance hasn't had a war since before your conception, Father and the last battle we faced was when I was still draped in diapers."
Laughing he sat down and said, "Well yes, I do agree. However, back to the matter at hand: sit."
"Father…"
"Amelia, sit. Explain this brilliance of yours to me."
SCENE CHANGE"I thought you said Ames was testing Malcolm's blood against Samuel's" Raechel said when she looked over at the rack of blood samples in the Moon laboratories.
"She is. See right there in the machine? She's already started working on it," Litianya replied.
"So why is there a sample of her blood in here?"
"Huh?"
"Look at this: Lady Mitchell, Lady Grissom, Lady Nebbish..."
"Lady Featherbone and Lady Blooms."
"Didn't you tell me that Lady Blooms thinks she may be with child?"
"Right after you told me that Lady Mitchell in fact was. She came to you for a reading remember?"
"You don't think…"
"AMY!" Both girls shouted.
"I thought I told you I wouldn't have the results until dinner," Amelia said when she entered her sanctuary. "Aren't you supposed to be on a picnic with Nephrite on Venus?"
"He's running a bit late from his meeting with Endymion. Why do you have-"
"Oh, what did you make?"
"Turkish Delight, stuffed peppers smothered in a red wine, asparagus with hollandaise and my specialty," she replied becoming lost in her cooking.
"Amelia, why are you testing-" Rae started but was cut off.
"You didn't! You never said it was this serious."
"I didn't know it was myself until this morning when the ingredients were in the bowl."
"This afternoon's going to be amazing for you two."
"You think? I want this to go so well."
"Absolutely. He has no idea what's in store for him. He's going to love it."
"From your mouth to Selene's ears. I didn't think I would fall this fast for him."
"Why not? He's everything you wanted in a man. Besides the whole Earth thing, but that can be remedied with the new teleportation we're putting in."
"I heard about that. My father was telling me yesterday that it's going to be beneficial for the armies. Your people are coming up with ideas on communicators that span throughout the galaxy?"
"We're working on it, but I'm not sure how that will go."
"If anyone can do it, you can. I remember that time when-"
"Amy, are you pregnant?" Raechel asked.
"What? Why would you ask me that?" Amy asked shocked.
"Most ladies in waiting reply with an immediate no or laugh ridiculously at the implication. Instead you do the exact opposite. Your cheeks are flushed and your eyes are darting over to that blood sample which has your name on it."
"Does Zoicite know yet?" Lita asked.
"You two have been hanging out with Amina too long. Of course I'm not in that condition."
"Condition? Meaning you're not pregnant?"
"That's what I said isn't it? If you two would please-"
"I'm not finished yet. If you're not 'in that condition' why is your blood sample in the same rack as the women who are?" Rae questioned.
"I must have just placed it there by accident on my way out."
"By accident? You don't do anything by accident Amelia. This entire galaxy knows that for a fact. No Mercurian does."
"It was bound to happen sometime."
"Amy, you know it's going to be okay don't you? We're going to stick by you on this," Lita replied.
"There's nothing to stick by me on. I'm not…I'm not…"
"Pregnant. Wow. The first half Earthling is right here in this room. The future is right in front of us. Well in you Amy.'
"But you're not happy are you?" Rae asked. "Zoicite loves you Amy and you two will make a wonderful family. He's going to be a great King."
"If he wants it," Amy replied. "I heard him talking with Jadeite earlier and he didn't seem to receptive to the idea."
"That's because you haven't spoken with him. Of course he's going to tell Jade differently than he tell you," Lita said. "Just tell him. He'll be thrilled. I know it. I mean he's Zoicite."
"Glad you realized that Princess Litianya, but what does Amelia have to tell me?" Zoicite asked when he walked into the door.
"I think I have an idea," Mina said when she saw the seven of them brainstorming ideas. She hadn't wanted to assist them but her own were at risk. "Jason if you could stand by Raye and Zach by Amy."
"And get slammed into another wall? I don't think so," Jason replied.
"Focusing on your love for them walk closer. Take a step at a time."
"Are you serious?" Zach asked.
"If you want them back then do it. She's going be frozen solid if we don't stop them."
Looking over at each other they began taking steps towards the woman that held their hearts.
"Are you crazy? I thought we agreed they weren't to be trusted?" Lita said.
"True, but that energy emitting from them is Raechel's and Amelia's. They loved Zach and Jason more passionately than anything else in life. Zoicite helped Amy to find life outside of her labs, research and studies. Raechel found her equal, her match in Jadeite. They fitted together like two puzzle pieces."
"Until the truth came out."
"Either way, before that they did love each other and I hoping that they can use that as a catalyst. Stop! Reach your hand out to towards them. Close your eyes and think of nothing else but your past with them: everything that you shared with them. Focus only on that."
"How confident are you that this will work?" Matt asked.
"As confident as I am that you're going to wish you never crossed me."
"Well then I guess I better come up with a plan B," and walked away.
"Asshole."
Back inside the cocoon Amy was watching the same scene her friends had already witnessed.
"Where's Serenity?" Mercury shouted over the commotion.
"Endymion took her back inside the palace with the Queen," Jupiter said.
"Can we really trust him?" Mars asked as she moved closer to them.
"We have no choice," Venus stated and brought her sword down on one of Beryl's minions. "Mercury can you get a scan on who is evil or just brainwashed? It be better if we didn't shed useless blood."
"I can't! I gave it to Zoicite before they left for Earth," she shouted as she dodged energy balls. "Mercury Bubbles Blast!"
"Sailors! Sailors!" a guard shouted as he came to stand next to them.
"Get the army back into lines! We'll distract them for as long as-" Venus began.
"No Sailor Venus, listen to me! The Earth Generals are back but something-"
"WHAT?" Mars asked after she let loose her Firebird on men advancing towards them.
"Nephrite's here?" Jupiter asked.
"At your service Jupiter," Nephrite said when he stepped through the fog and ran his sword through the guard. Looking at him in shock she lost her boundaries and was hit from the side by one of Beryl's followers.
"He's evil now," Mars whispered to Jupiter.
"Then that must mean the others are too. Spread out!" Venus commanded.
Taking on last look at Jupiter Mercury ran to the Far East side of the battleground praying to Selene that what she thought wasn't true.
"Mercury…" a voice sang. "Mercury, come out and play."
When she turned around she was hit in the face by a shard of glass. Looking at her attacker she saw a woman who resembled Zoicite but it was a woman so it couldn't have been him.
"And I thought I would have at least gotten more out of you than this. You gave more effort during our first match."
"What are…who are you?"
"Zoicite third in command to Queen Beryl at your service."
"No…NO."
"Yes," she said and backslapped her when she tried to turn away. "You're not getting away that easily. I may have let you have the upper hand in our first match, but that just to get you to soften up to me. You soften up real good too, by the way. Who knew being a man could be so fun?"
"You're not him. You can't be!"
"Face the facts sweetheart. Deal with it and smile when I kill you. I hate it when people have that look of horror," she said as she let out more shards of glass.
Taking cover behind a structure Mercury managed to get control of her emotions. She knew deep down that that woman couldn't be Zoicite but…she knew things. Things that someone who wasn't that person couldn't know.
"Mercury? Come out come out come out!"
"Mercury Bubbles Blast!" she shouted and continued to hide herself.
"Gotcha!"
Ducking and smirking as Zoicite's hand came in contact with the pillar she had been leaning against she ran off into the shadows again. "Mercury Bubbles Blast!"
"Stop it with this damn fog!"
"Why? Does it bother you?" she asked as she kicked Zoicite from behind. "Get up!"
"The brainiac has a backbone.'
"More than that," she said and began a full frontal fight with her. When she barely got away from Zocite's lethal shards again she called out one last time, "Mercury Bubble Blast!" and ran off.
"You can't defeat me!"
While Zoicite was trying to see through the fog and find her, she had managed to sneak up behind her again. Drawing out her sword she stabbed her in the chest and called for the fog to fade. "Wanna bet?"
"How…that's not possible."
"I'll tell Zoicite you said hello," and froze the sword in place with her powers before rushing off to help the others.
SCENE CHANGEOpening her eyes she saw that she was standing in a vastly empty void. "Where am I?"
"Amy? I'm so sorry! I didn't know this would happen?" Raye's voice said.
"What happened?" she asked when she saw her.
"My powers counteracted yours and sent us both into this 'world'."
"Where?"
"I don't' know but we have to… Do you sense that?"
"Zoi…"she said and started walking in the direction she was being pilled.
"Amy wait!"
"She's waking up!" Zach said. "Come on Ames look at me. Please honey look at me."
"Have I told you yet that you have feminine features? Distinct in fact," she muttered.
"You can tell me whatever you want. I'm just glad that you're okay," he said as he hugged her to his chest.
"What happened?"
"You don't remember?"
Starring into his eyes she started to get flashes of what she had experienced moments before. "You…"
"Me what?"
"She knows," Raye said when she sat up. "She knows everything."
Oooooh ya'll thought I was gonna stop there didn't you? Naw, it's been too long for me to only give you nine pages! So…..why stop now? Let's keep the ball rollin!!!
"Amy?" Zach said as he looked down in her eyes. He wasn't sure if he should be scared, joyful, worried or ready to flee for his life. Her eyes were…cold as ice. "Amy, listen to me before you-"
"I don't have to listen to anything you have to say," she said and moved out of his arms.
"Tough luck, Zoi," Lita smirked. "Good always triumphs over evil," and went to stand next to Amy, Raye and Mina.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" Amy asked. "Why all the secrets?"
"I…I didn't want you to find out like this. I thought that if we-"
"ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION!"
"Do you think she saw?" Serena asked.
"I think very much so," Luna replied.
"Because I wanted you to find out for yourself. I didn't want you just trusting my words against them," he said pointing at Lita and Raye. "Your entire life is based on fact and logic, I knew that me just telling you or any of us doing so, wouldn't have proved anything. It wouldn't have given you peace of mind. Finding out on your own would."
"And he trusted you enough to do that," Jason interjected.
"Don't try to soften it up for him. He lied to her and now he's going to suffer as we have," Raye said.
"Suffer? What suffering have you been-"
"Did you know?" Amy asked while looking into Zach's eyes.
"You told me…reluctantly. We were going to see Hermes when the alarms sounded."
"For you and the others to return to Earth."
"I meant what I said that night."
"That was over a thousand years ago Zachary."
"And my feelings have only grown."
"Bullshit! You don't have feelings for anyone but yourself," Mina muttered.
"Why can't you stay out of this?" Matt questioned.
"Because I swore that I wouldn't let my guard ever again fall for your charms. Just because they were seeking love once does not mean they will once again. Especially since they all know what you are and what you did. I'm going to make you wish you had never placed a foot before my army."
"I can't wait," he said and turned back towards Zach and Amy. "Where do you stand Amy?"
"Where else? Where she belongs: with us," Lita replied.
"I do believe he asked Amelia, not the Jovian princess," Nate replied. When she turned to him it appeared that lightning had flashed behind her eyes and he cracked a smirk. "You think that'll scare me? I've faced worse."
"Good for you. Come on Amy let's go," Raye said and turned to the door. When Lita didn't see her moving she moved to her and said, "Amy, let's go. Don't worry they'll pay for what they've done. As long as we stick together."
"As long as we stick together," Amy repeated. Starring into Zach's eyes she said, "Nothing can beat us as long as we stick together."
Thinking she was speaking to her, Lita placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Right. Come on, we need to go."
Without even looking at her Amy slipped away from her touch and went to stand between Zach and Jason. "As long as we stick together."
"What…what is she doing? Why is she back over there?"
"We need to go," Mina said.
"NO! You won't ruin her life again!" Raye screamed and gasped as fire conjured in her palm.
"Raye…" Lita started but didn't get to finish before she had unleashed the fire towards Zach and Jason. When she looked back over to Raye she saw her standing there awestruck and she went over to her.
"No…look," she said and pointed to her fire arrows frozen in mid air. Looking behind them she saw Amy in front of Jason and Zach with her Mercury symbol flashing on her forehead.
"Amy? How could you do that?" Lita asked. "What have they done to you?"
"They did nothing to me Lita. You actually have Raye to thank for this," Amy replied. "Please, do not think that I am evil or brainwashed because I am not. I assure you that I am entirely myself. More so than I ever have been for now I know what happened back then."
"If you know then how can you stand by HIS side? How can you just pass over what he did?" Raye asked.
"It wasn't him."
"The hell it wasn't!"
"No, I fought a woman that night as you know. It was not Zoicite."
"Obviously when he turned evil, it converted him. Maybe Beryl and Metallia had a sick sense of humor," Lita replied. "You have to trust in what you see Amy."
"I do. There was more than that battle I saw."
"She has all of her memories back now," Serena started. "Her decision to stay is hers alone and justified now that she remembers exactly what happened that night."
"So do we!"
"No, you have your warped one-sided version," Jason said.
Before Raye could say anything else, Mina said, "We're leaving."
"What? We can't leave Amy," Lita said.
"I said we're leaving. Now!" she said and transformed into Sailor Venus with no words spoken.
Taking one last look at Amy and Serena Lita said, "Jupiter Star Power!"
"Mars Star Power."
"Let's go Jupiter," Venus said and starred into Matt's eyes as Jupiter used her powers to teleport them outside of the house.
"FINALLY!" Serena shouted. "I thought they'd never leave. I say we make margaritas to celebrate Amy's homecoming."
"How can you be happy when three of your guard believes you have turned against them?" Darien asked.
A.N. I bet yall forgot he was there, huh?
"Hmmm…Jason have I turned against you?"
"Nope."
"Nate?"
"Foes we are not."
"Matt?"
"Princess…"
"Zach? Zach? Hello! You happen to still be in the vicinity."
Pulling away from Amy, Zach looked at her and said, "If you have to ask, perhaps then we are."
"Looks to me as my guard believes no such thing. So what guard do you speak of Darien?"
"Your hopeless. These are my men Serenity! Mine."
"I'm sorry, last time I checked I didn't have Property of Endymion tattooed on my ass," Jason replied.
Giggling behind Zach's shoulder, Amy said, "He does have a point there."
"Do you not see how ridiculous this is? You're friends have just walked away from you and you're standing here giggling like a school girl?"
"May I speak with you outside Darien?"
"Amy, wait," Zach started but calmed when he felt Amy's hand upon his cheek.
"I'll be fine. There are a few words Darien and I need to exchange upon. If you please Darien," and walked outside the front door.
"This isn't over Serena," he whispered in her ear as he walked by. "I will take back what's rightfully mine. Including you."
"What the hell was that? What did he just say to you?" Jason asked when he saw the look come over Serena's face.
"Nothing. Don't worry yourself over it," she replied and walked into the kitchen. 'Selene help me. What if I can't stop him? What if I can't stop myself?'
Outside of the house Amy stood in front of Darien looking up at the constellations. 'I will return to you, I promise. I won't let the future repeat itself, I swear it.'
"What did you want to speak with me about Amy?" Darien asked.
"Serena."
"Not you too. If you're with them on this then save your breath. I'm not going to give up on her just because she's a stubborn mule and-"
"That much is more so true than you know-especially over the past few years. That's why I wanted to talk to you."
"To explain to me how mule-like my future wife is?"
"Glad to see you still consider her that, but yes. You remember how hard it was for you to get her to open back up to you after she discovered you were the same man from the ball nights before? The one who she had fancied and vice versa?"
"I think you mean after she realized I knew who she was at that time and what we were going to mean to each other."
"Same difference, different equalities. The point being is that I want what Beryl stole from us."
"Beryl is dead and gone along with Metallia. Everything they've hurt has now returned to its natural state."
"So why are we still here on Earth? Why haven't our homes resurrected themselves? Why haven't we all? This battle isn't finished Darien and I fear that it may never be. But I want my life back. I deserve my life back."
"So how do you propose we go about finding that life again?"
"It starts with you and Serena. For now, the men feel they are justified in their decision to stand by Serena, but that is not the way of this Alliance. No man has ever been first in command to a Moon Army and I for one will not stand by and watch as she makes Matthew the first. The only way we can stop this madness-and yes I do call it madness because that is exactly what this is- is by you and Serena joining once more. You know just as well as I that she has all of her memories returned, I presume within the night whatever small holes you still have will fill and then it needs to begin. Court her, woo her, dine her, make her swoon, do whatever you have to do to make this right. You know that you were wrong for doing what you did six years ago, get angry over it, accept it and do something about it. I know that you still love her with every fiber in your being, so now you just need to prove it to her."
"How the hell can I do that when I have my guard standing like Cerberus around her?"
"Well you just found your ace in the hole didn't you?"
"Amelia, I never knew you were so conniving."
"Not conniving Endymion, vindicated. We both have the same purpose in life: to be happy. Truly unbelievably utterly happy, but the only way that can happy is if things are set right. Now I fear we've been out here way too long and Zachary may come looking or worse eavesdrop on this conversation. I'll speak with you tomorrow at work."
"Oh so you are coming in? Do you plan on helping to unfreeze those pipes?"
"I did cause quite a mess didn't I?"
"It was well deserved. Get some rest and thank you."
"If this goes the way we want it, I'll be thanking you," she said and walked back into the house.
"What were you two talking about out there?" Zach asked.
"Just how things were going to be from now on so he might as well accept and move on. Life cannot be changed by someone's whims for it affects all others around it."
"Way to go Amy!" Jason shouted. "I didn't think you had it in you."
"There are times I even surprise myself Jason, but I think I need to be getting home because I have a shift in a few hours. Zach would you mind?"
"Sure, second bedroom to the left," he replied and walked over to the couch.
"Not funny, I meant taking me home."
"I thought you were home."
"Zachary."
"Amy."
"Zoicite!"
"I'm not letting you out of my sight again Amelia. I lost you that way once."
"I refuse to be coddled and sheltered like some newborn child. I am not some poor helpless Mercury girl who happened to come across an ambitious strong-willed Earth male. Perhaps you have forgotten that."
"Amy-1, Zach-0," Jason whispered to Serena.
"Twenty bucks Zach gets her to stay," Matt replied.
"I'll take that bet and up you ten that Zach ends up taking her home," Serena pitched in.
"You're both wrong. Forty bucks that Amy will transform, throw some ice formation towards Zach, he escape it barely by teleporting upstairs and she uses her Mercury blessed powers to send her home," Nate replied.
"Yeah right! That'll never happen. I'm with Matt," Jason said.
"Are you siding against me? I'm hurt!" Serena exclaimed.
"You'll get over it. Hey look!"
"You are the most insufferable human being I have ever met! How I ever managed to fall in love with a monotonous, un-enthralling, mindless dimwit as yourself I will never know."
"I wondered that same thing myself once about you."
Without even speaking she transformed into Sailor Mercury and the four who had placed bets on what would happen watched as each detail Nate had previously described taking place. With the addition of Zach laughter as he was kissing her before she could leave.
"Thank you. I do believe that is 120 bucks in total and no I have no change," Nate replied.
"How is that possible? Can someone explain to me how is that possible?" Jason asked.
"I thought you weren't allowed to use your powers for frivolous things Nathan?" Serena questioned.
"Money my dear, is never frivolous," he replied. "Since Amy's gone and Zach's probably venting through his experiments, why don't we all head off to bed?"
"I'm all for that. Good night guys!" Serena said and kissed each one of on the cheek.
"Sure, after you steal our money, you wanna act like the older brother and take care of us," Matt muttered.
"You have no one to blame but yourself Matthew for the urge to gamble."
"Speaking of gambles, why do you think Serena did what she did back there? I mean with giving us these new powers?" Jason asked. "Won't it drain her when we use them?"
"How positive are we that they came from her directly?" Matt countered.
"Who else? She did touch Zach and bestow the element of wind upon him. She couldn't do that unless she drew it from another source."
"What source?"
"Earth elements…she stole Darien's powers."
"How do you figure that?"
"We each were given an Earth element: Nate-fire, Zach-wind, you-earth, myself-water. The Moon doesn't have powers over Earth elements, but the Earth Prince does. She sucked a chunk of his powers right from under his nose."
"That's not possible, for if it was, he would have felt the drain immediately and again when Zach used his powers," Nate said.
"Not if she reconverted it when it passed from him to her. They were alone together yesterday and they shared a dream of dreams, right? It could have happened unknowingly to him," Matt replied.
"Well then, I say we enjoy this power boost and see what we can do with it tomorrow," Jason offered.
"8am?"
"10am."
"Noon," Nate countered.
"9am and not a minute later. That's an order," Matt replied and walked up the stairs.
"'That's an order'," Jason mocked and turned to see him by himself. "I guess I'll be the one telling Zach," he said and walked down to the basement before heading to bed.
Across town at the Cherry Hill Temple, Mina was sitting on the floor cross-legged thinking, Lita had gone into the kitchen to make some tea and Raye was pacing before the fire.
"I just don't understand how she could stay with them. What the hell else could she have seen that would make her change her mind?"
"You're the one who sent her the vision, you tell me," Mina replied. "What were you thinking of when you touched her?"
"The battle and…"
"And…?"
"The future."
"Future? What future Raye?" Mina asked and stood up.
"But that should have made her more angry! She should have hated him for that even more."
"She should have hated him for what?" Mina shouted and grabbed Raye by the shoulders.
"Her pregnancy," Lita replied from the doorway.
"Her what?"
"Amy-Amelia found out she was pregnant the day before the Generals left for Earth."
"Are you two insane? Amy wouldn't ever get herself in that situation. None of us back then would."
Turning their eyes away from her, Raye and Lita both walked over to the adjoining room. "What else aren't you telling me?"
"Nothing," Raye replied.
"Tell her," Lita whispered.
"Tell me what?' Mina asked. When Raye didn't answer her she went to the next source. "Lita?"
Starring at Raye she turned to Mina and said, "It's not for me to tell."
"Well someone better start saying something! As your commander in chief, I order you to answer me."
"Just tell her, what the hell is going to hurt?"
"What will it solve by divulging it?"
"Maybe you'll actually start to heal and move pass this."
"Pass this? Pass this? How do you move pass losing a child?"
"What did you just say?" Mina questioned.
"She was pregnant like Amy back then," Lita replied.
"Can someone explain to me how I missed the fact that not just my friends but the leaders to my Army were having relations and getting pregnant by the enemy?!"
"Hey talk to them, Neph and I would never do that," Lita said.
"Neph? Would? Jupiter you speak as if you still have feelings for that man. Do you?"
"Of course not! Why would you ask me something like that?"
"Why do you find the need to get so defensive?"
"Because I don't appreciate your implications."
"Implications or authenticity?"
"Go to hell Mina! You have no right to speak to me like that."
"I have every right. If you for one minute think that he won't use this against you then you're an imbecile. If you for one second are contemplating your position then I suggest you walk out of that door right now."
"I'm not saying that Mina! What the hell is your problem with this?"
"My problem? Our princess is residing in the house of men who turned to the Negaverse along with our fellow Sailor and you ask me what is the problem?"
"It was their decisions."
"But the wrong ones!" Raye said. "Look at all that they've done to us, to our families, to our homes."
"Who are we to say that it is wrong? Don't look at me like that. Raye you have so much pent up anger in you towards Jadeite that you can't even see or think straight. I can't express my sorrow to you over the loss of a child because I have never felt that pain, but you're letting it consume you. All you see is red and feel hatred towards anyone or anything that has to do with him. Can't you see that it's doing nothing for you but eating you up inside?
"Mina, you just regained all of your memories today, and no I don't have all of mine but I know that you loved Malachite more than you cared to admit. The fact that he betrayed you hurts more than even I can comprehend because you took a chance that you never had taken before. But that hurt you feel…instead of talking about it or venting in a healthy way all you're doing is punishing your friends. Making enemies out of us. No, I don't know everything that happened back then and I'm not the goddess of love, but I know what craziness is when I see it. You both are crazy with revenge. REVENGE! When did we start to seek that out? When did we as fighter of truth and justice go off and hunt for revenge? When did we stop saving the innocent and turn to punishing the guilty?"
"Serena and Amy are our innocents. We have to save them."
"From who themselves? They made their choices and we know that nothing is going to change that."
"What's with this change of heart Lita?" Mina finally asked.
"I just had a lot time to think about all of this. Have you taken a moment to really ask yourself what we're doing? Serena made her decision when we forced her hand."
"We never forced her hand," Raye said.
"You're right, my mistake: we did it for her."
"Lita-" Mina began.
"No, Mina stop. I'm not changing my mind on this. Has it ever occurred to the both of you that coming at Serena like hostile takeovers that she'd be turned off even more? You're never going to catch a bee with vinegar filled hives. I know in my heart that Serena isn't meant to have them as her guardians. We didn't die a thousand years ago; die again seven years ago just to end up with nothing of what Queen Serenity hoped for. She's going to come back to us."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I'm surprised you aren't considering your connection."
"My connection…that's it. I know what we have to do," Mina said as she gathered her stuff.
"What? What did I just miss?" Raye asked.
"Serenity and Amina shared a connection that went beyond space or time. That's why I was named leader of her guard. I could see where she was no matter the time frame or setting as vice versa. If we had it back then than we must still."
"How exactly does this connection help?"
"If I can tap back into it then I can tell what she's feeling. I can use that as an opening to find out what we need to do about this. Lita's right we've been going about this all wrong. We're coming off on the defensive when we should be on the offensive. And if I know our team like I do, Amy's working this from the inside."
"You've got to be joking."
"Amy's future is as much at stake as ours are. She remembers everything from our past and she knows how things are supposed to be. Why Serenity did what she did for us. She's going to use that as her advantage when she's with Serena."
"Great so it's her against those four asses? What kind of odds does that give us?"
"That's why WE are going to add to those odds. We know Serena better than anyone on this planet."
"No we knew who she used to be," Lita replied.
"Serena's basic makeup isn't going to change. Like you said earlier: she loves food. Even in the Silver Millennium she loved food, she was daintier about it, but she loved it still. She loves to ice skate, flower gardens-"
"Rose gardens."
"And Andrew," Raye added. "Her family."
"So that's where we start. No more trying to make her understand where we WANT her to be. No more trying to force her to come back to us. She's going to do it, that we know but it has to be on her on terms- or at least as far as she knows. We will do whatever we have to do-on the offense- to get her to see reasoning."
"But the longer she's with them the more danger it is to us. What if they are the new enemies Luna spoke of?"
"Then we wait it out. They won't hurt Serena-they need her-that I'm sure of. Raye, can you get in contact with Darien tomorrow and let him know of our plan?"
"Is that a good idea?" Lita asked. "These are his men and what if he wants them back with him? He won't take to lightly to-"
"He can have them if he wishes, but he also wants Serena. He loves her and will do whatever he can to help us in bringing her back."
"What are you going to do?" Raye asked.
"Well, I have a meeting to continue with a Mr. Matthew Haven and I plan on doing so. They say to keep your friends close but your enemies even closer."
"Then I guess I better hire Nathan as my new cook," Lita said.
"Jason can burn in the flames of Mars before I let him anywhere near my temple," Raye stated.
"See, that's what I was talking about: HATRED."
Laughing at Lita Mina said, "It would benefit us more if you did so."
"He hasn't even come asking for a job. He wanted to look around the temple and speak with me about the culture," Raye replied.
"Then speak with him. Remember offense. We'll get together tomorrow evening to finish this up and add in whatever findings we may have discovered," she said as she walked out the door. "Oh and Lita, think peace offering."
"Peace offering?"
"Peace offering," she said and left the temple.
Turning to Raye she gave her a questioning look. "Don't ask me. She gave you that order and if I were you I'd get home to sleep so I could get started bright and early."
"Thanks Raye. I appreciate all of your help," she said and left behind Mina.
"What no, lightning bolts?" she called after her before closing the doors and heading to bed. 'This better work Mina or our entire futures are going to be hell.'
Alright that's it! As always send reviews and I will have the next chapter out! Thanks a bunch and bless it be!
Selene Grace