They all walked up to Rini's room and Serena knocked on the door.
"Go away. I'm not talking to you," Rini's voice came from inside.
"Serenity Marie, either you open the door right now or I'll do it for you," Darien demanded through the door.
Serena laughed. "What?" Kaden and Darien asked.
"She's just like me. I used to lock myself in my room all the time and tell everyone to go away. Move. I'll unlock it," Serena said and produced a screwdriver.
"What are you doing?" Kaden asked.
"Unlocking the door my way. Doors are a privilege right Darien?" she asked.
He laughed. "Oh how well I remember that. Mom used to take my door off the hinges all the time," Darien said.
"I remember that," Kaden said as Serena popped the last hinge off. Kaden took the door and set it aside.
Rini stared at them open-mouthed. "I can't believe you just did that. That's..." she was cut off.
"That's my door. You have no right to take it off. Give it back right now, or I'll never talk to you again," Serena finished for her.
Rini stared at her mother. "How do you do that?" Rini asked.
"With a screwdriver," Serena answered.
"Funny. I meant know what I'm going to say," Rini said.
"'Cause that's exactly what I use to say to my own mother when she took my door off it's hinges. That's exactly what your dad, and Kaden, and all of your aunts used to say when we got our doors taken away. Don't worry, we're not here to ground you," Serena said.
"Then what's my punishment this time?" she asked.
"None right now. Rini, I just wanted to know if there's something going on that you want to tell us. You refused to go to school three days this week and you're not sick anymore. Your mom's so worried she called me. When we discussed everything, do you know what happened?" he asked. Rini shook her head no. "She started crying. I've seen your mother cry a lot when she was young, over stupid things like a bad hair day, but this was different. She doesn't know what to do. She thinks that your not going to school is her fault somehow. That if she just gave you what you wanted that you would love her and respect her. Kaden has even tried talking to you, Rini, and you've always talked to him before. What's going on?" Darien asked.
"School's boring and stupid," Rini said.
"Since when?" Darien asked.
Rini rolled her eyes. "Always. Grace is the smart one. She understands everything the teacher is talking about. It's not like I'm not trying, it's like I cant keep up with her," Rini said.
"Why would you want to?" Grace asked from the doorway.
Rini looked at her. "Because you're my twin and we should be equally knowledgeable in the same subjects," Rini said. Serena laughed softly.
"Rini, sweetheart, where did you get that idea?" Kaden asked.
"I don't know. Mom and Erin, Aunt Rei and Lilly," Rini said with a shrug.
"News flash, kiddo. Your uncle Erin and I know just about as much as the other, but in different subjects," Serena said.
"It doesn't seem that way to me," Rini said.
"Rini, I like languages. I also like history and art. You however, don't. ,Why you take them with me is beyond my comprehension. Take something you like, like Earth history or modern technology. No one says we have to have the same interests," Grace said.
"Yeah, but if I take something different, then I won't be as smart as you," Rini said.
"No, you'd be smarter than me in those fields. If I ever had to know something, you could help me, or vice versa," Grace suggested.
"You make it sound so easy, Grace, but for me it isn't," Rini said coolly.
"Fine, go be a bitch to someone else. I was just trying to help," Grace said, and walked across the hall and slammed her door.
"See, it's so easy for her. Errgh. Just leave me alone, OK?" Rini asked.
"How about no. Listen, your mom and Kaden want to go home for a long weekend starting tonight. Get your butt out of bed. Get a shower, put clean clothes on, and pack for a week. If you don't have it done by the time they're ready to leave, they'll take you with the clothes on your back and nothing more," Darien said.
"We are home," Rini said crossly.
"Good, then you're ready to go," Darien said.
"What, wait, no. I can't go like this," Rini said.
"Then you better get moving," Darien said. Rini jumped up and ran into her bathroom and started getting things ready to go.
Serena, Kaden, and Darien walked across the hall. Serena knocked gently on Grace's door. She opened it. "Sorry, I was mad at Rini. I didn't mean to slam it," she apologized.
"Don't worry about it. I slam doors when I'm angry, too. It frustrates your aunt so bad that she wants to shake me," Darien said.
Grace smiled. "Really?" she asked.
"I can attest to that. Can we come in?" Kaden asked.
"Sure, Dad. It's a mess though. I was digging for something and I haven't cleaned up yet," Grace warned as they entered. Grace wasn't lying. Her room was a mess.
"What were you looking for?" Serena asked.
"My Crystal. It was sitting on my vanity, where it always is, and it wasn't there when I came back from lessons," Grace said.
"Did you find it?" Kaden asked.
"No, and she won't either," Serena said.
"I don't think I like the sound of that," Darien said.
"Sounds like trouble on the surface of the earth," Kaden said.
Serena flipped her communicator open and hit the all call button, which hadn't been used in years.
"Yeah?" came a bunch of startled voices.
"Please tell me that somehow you bumped the button, Rena," Erin said.
"Guys, the crystal pulled itself back together," Serena spoke softly.
"This is a joke, right?" Setsuna asked.
"Fraid not. It's time to put our lives on hold again, ladies and gentlemen. Our universe needs us. Meeting, great hall, ten minutes," Serena said.
"What does this mean?" Grace asked.
"That all the training we all do every day is about to go into effect. Meet me downstairs, all of you. I have to talk to Rini," Serena said.
"Sere?" Kaden asked.
"Go, please," Serena said. Serena walked back across the hall where Rini was just getting dressed from her shower. "Hey, Rini, I hate to rush you, but for some reason the crystal pulled itself back together. Meeting, great hall, nine minutes," Serena said.
"Worry now?" Rini asked.
"Yes," came Serena's reply as she walked out.
Rini threw on the rest of her clothes, took her hair out of the towel, and ran down the stairs two at a time. She skidded to a halt beside Grace. Serena smiled. "Now that is all too familiar. Been a long time, huh, Sere?" Kaden asked. She gave him a dirty look.
"Finish now please," Rini said dryly.
"Impatient, huh?" Risk asked.
"Cold," Rini answered.
"Didn't your mother teach you never to run around with wet hair?" he teased her. She zapped him. "Ow, that hurt," he said.
"Leave me alone then, onion breath," Rini said. Risk scowled at her.
"OK, if you two are though," Amy said.
"New threat?" Lita asked.
"Yes and no. Please tell me we remember how we defeated Diamond," Amy said.
Everyone looked at Serena. "Don't look at me, I'm not dying again," she joked.
"You died?" Grace asked.
"Only technically. Her heart stopped for five minutes to the second, then the crystal brought her back again," Rini said.
"This time I'm stronger. I hope the idiot knows that," Serena said.
"It's not really Diamond, it's his brother crystal. He wants revenge, and will stop at nothing to destroy you. I don't really think he's much of a threat, but we can go and let the kids take him on. He won't be expecting them, and we can step in if necessary," Amy suggested.
"Sounds like a plan. Get ready to get our butts kicked, guys. He's back and likely way stronger than you think. I don't know who , if anyone he's operating with." Serena said.