Chapter 8
Missing Purity
XOXO
"Yayyy!" Rini cried out happily as she threw the gathered leaves up in the air. Serena watched in horror as all her handwork was blowing down the Shrine steps.
"Rini!" She reprimanded her with a hand on her hip. The little girl looked so elated as she let the leaves fall. Some caught in her hair. Serena's heart softened a little, remembering when she was younger.
"Oh Serena. It's okay." Raye told her with a wave of her hand. Rini stuck out her tongue.
"You just came here because you heard Raye was going to have a yam roast!" She accused. Serena shrugged, not embarrassed by the fact.
"So did you." Serena shot back and raked up the scattered leaves.
"Here." Catzy kneeled down and pulled a dead leaf from Rini's hair. It was pretty chilly, and Serena zipped her jacket more as a cold gust of air blew around them. Raye lit the leaves and together, all the girls wrapped some cleaned yams in tin foil and buried them beneath the cracking leaves. After a while, Lita managed to pull a yam from the pile with a long stick.
"Here you go Rini." Lita blew on the steaming yam.
"Hey! That one was mine." Serena protested, but Rini took a big bite before Serena could get it. Not fair! I picked that one out, and cleaned it my self, and wrapped it
oh so perfectly and now Rini—
"Here you big baby." Raye said and gave one to Serena. Grumbling about Rini being a little thief, Serena took it.
"Fine." She ate it, as well as three more.
"Dang, slow down! Maybe that's why Darien dumped you in the first place!" Raye yelled, gathering the rest of the roasted yams before Serena ate them all. The girls all held their breath, even Raye reddened when she thought of what she just said.
"That's harsh." Serena said and then smiled evilly and held up the four yams that Raye didn't know she had stashed on her lap. "Sucker." She taunted and unwrapped another one. She knew Raye didn't mean what she said. Sometimes things came out of her mouth before she even thinks about it, so Serena forgave her. This time.
"Eating can make you sleepy and slow down your mind. As students, it's our duty to study hard and get into prominent schools." Ami said. The girls all tittered, not wanting to think about school.
"Ami." Serena sighed in a whine and continued eating her roasted yams.
XOXO
Rini was chatting happily with Catzy and Birdie when suddenly, she saw Serena stand up quickly and look to the sky. The lights around them turned green. Birdie and Catzy crowded her with a small cry and she held tightly to them, not sure what was going on, but knowing it was dangerous. But soon the two women were yanked from her grasp by these blue tentacle-looking things. The girls all watched in horror. Serena wasted no time; she grabbed Rini by the arm, and yanked her inside.
"Here." Raye said urgently, and opened a door to a spare bedroom. Serena pushed Rini in.
"Stay in here no matter what happens." She said urgently and then she slid the door closed with a loud slam. Rini wanted to cry…they were taken because of her. She thought. They were protecting her and they got taken away! She had to see, she had to do something, maybe try to find Sailor Moon or the scouts. She slid the door open as quickly as she could. The shrine was dark when she started running down the hallway. Luna P followed close beside her. When she got to the window, she could faintly hear yelling outside. She peered closer, perking her ears.
"…Jupiter Star power Make-up!" Rini stared a little confused at the huddle of girls with their arms out stretched. Lights, red, yellow, green and blue sparked from their finger tips and she stared astounded when they all began transforming! Even Serena…she was wrapped in pink ribbons, her hair floating all around her. After the lights dulled, they all started running down the steps. Shock was still running though her and Rini slid open the window, slowly, staring at their disappearing heads.
XOXO
"What is the enemy after? Executing the traitors?" Jupiter asked them as they sprinted down the road.
"No way!" Venus gasped in horror.
"It's too soon to give up!" Mercury said, tapping her earring so her visor fell over her eyes. "The air is full of unusual energy." She commented as they gained closer ground. Sailor Moon felt it too. She hoped Rini stayed where she was. It was sort of a bad idea on her part because she didn't know how long the battle was going to be. She doubted Rini would stay in one place for so long, but if she did come out of the room, then maybe she would go to see her mom, or find Darien.
"It's to the West!" Mercury exclaimed. They didn't see the pink haired little girl following closely behind them.
In the night sky, lighted from the bridge they saw the enemy. The cars were cleared from the site. Sailor Moon looked to the scouts and they all shared the same idea. Together they raced to the bridge, craning their necks to see just who they were going to fight. Catzy and Birdie were tied together in a bubble tainted with negative energy. They were pleading with their sisters to see the Black Moon Clan as they were. The oldest, Prizma, if Sailor Moon remembered right, had a powerful wand in her hands. All the Scouts could feel the black magic bonded in that dangerous wand.
"That's what fighting is about." Avery said, looking in disdain at her younger sisters. "Those who fight and win are the ones that are right." She insisted.
"Love and friendship? Rubbish." Prizma scoffed, yet Sailor Moon felt like she heard the force in Prizma's voice as she said that. This confused her for a second.
"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon yelled, holding her hand out. "Aren't your beliefs incorrect?" She really meant to ask that, she wanted to know if what she heard in Prizma's voice was not just her imagination.
"You are fools to come and try to save these traitors." Prizma said with a little smirk.
"Did you not think it would be a trap?" Avery was incredulous.
"We knew, but here we are." Mars said.
"Return our friends to us." Mercury demanded.
"I don't even want to hear that foolishness!" Prizma shot in anger and raised the wand. "Dark Thunder!" Potent, strong black magic shot from the wand at incredible speed. The Scouts had very little time to dodge it. Sailor Moon flung herself to the side, barely catching a ledge. She hung precariously with one arm in shock at the huge hole the little wand had made.
"Oh my gosh!" She gawked. Another quick attack followed and she was blasted from her spot. She twisted and flipped in the air, landing somewhat poised on the road. Prizma wasted no time sending attack after attack. How they managed to dodge them was lost to her but she had no time to dwell on her luck. The air was thick with negative energy, it pressed on her soul, made her sad.
"I can't believe it! What incredible power!" Venus breathed looking dazed. Blood dribbled from her lip and her face was smudged with black dirt.
"If it's about power, then I have something for you!" Jupiter stood. Little pebbles and chunks of asphalt fell from her lap.
"Jupiter thunder crash…zap!" Her attack spun toward Prizma, but she directed a black energy bolt and it shattered the flying disk like a brittle glass plate. It hit her in the chest, sending her flying back.
"Jupiter!" Sailor Moon cried in terror, catching her as they collided together.
"She's several times more powerful then when we last fought her." Jupiter groaned. Mercury tapped her visor back over her eyes, squinting as she read their surroundings.
"It's the wand, we have to get it from her. If we do, her powers with dwindle."
"Venus love-me chain encircle!" Venus shot a strand of her golden magic out, barely missing Prizma. She turned and began running down the bridge's cable at inhuman speed.
"Mars celestial fire surround!" Mars tried to give them time to run, but Prizma slapped away her fire rings like annoying flies. There was silence as Sailor Moon braced herself. Black magic sizzled and then everything exploded. She was punched down, deep down, cracking her head, breathless and numb. They all laid there, twitching as searing fire burned their insides and their skin was scratched, torn and bleeding. She felt her strength return little by little as their powers stitched them back, healed their bruises as fast at they could.
"I'll put you out of your misery now." She could hear Prizma faintly over the roar in her ears.
"Sisters Stop! Rubeus won't hesitate to throw you away as soon as he can. Please, we don't want you to get hurt by him." Prizma had turned her attention to Birdie. Sailor Moon managed to open her eyes and stare at the girl's profile. Her face was twisted in pain as she listened to Avery belittle her sisters. It was all so damn confusing to her. She knew—knew Prizma was the enemy, but looking at her just now…it just didn't make any sense.
"Finish them Prizma!" Avery yelled. Prizma's hand shook as she aimed the wand at Avery, tears in her eyes. Avery was taken back.
"What are you doing?" She shrieked in fear.
"What has become of you?" She screamed and caught Avery in a bind of black magic. "What did he turn you into? His whore? He servant?!" She harshly asked, thick fat tears dropping from the corner of her eyes.
"And what about you?" Avery short, grimacing in pain. Prizma shook her head sadly.
"I did everything to protect you all. I did horrible things, more horrible than you could imagine." She couldn't meet her sister eyes. "But I can change things now. With this wand, I can break his hold on you." She said and flicked her wrist. Avery was released as was Catzy and Birdie. Jupiter and Mars ran to catch the two girls while Avery recovered mid-air. She let herself float down like a wilted air balloon staring blankly at Prizma. Sailor Moon groaned and stood, to see if Avery was alright. Needless to say, the girl was wary.
"We were just fighting a minute ago." She protested, cowering from Sailor Moon's touch. Sailor Moon gave a little smile.
"It's natural to be concerned when someone is hurt." She assured her gently. Avery hesitated, not to sure what to make of the situation. Prizma threw down the wand and raised her foot, but it jerked from under her. Sailor Moon looked up to see Rubeus hovering above them.
"Well done Prizma. You gathered the Sailor Warriors and traitors together. Well done. Don't think that I never knew the betrayal that burned in your soul. It was quite amusing to see you do what I asked even though it pained you to. Never for a second did I think that I could trust you. But you played your part, and in the end I am grateful." He said smoothly with his arms crossed in front of him.
"We were just…" Avery was hurt.
"Pawns." He brutally spat. All four sisters recoiled back at his tone. "Now I can take care of all of you right now." His upside down moon glowed and everyone looked to the wand. It fell with a loud shattering sound, breaking the seal and letting the black magic swirl faster and faster. "This is the wand's true powers. You'll be sucked into a dimensional crevice." He simply said and then faded away. The strong winds pulled at them, pulled their hair and clothes. Everyone grabbed onto a cable, holding as tightly as they could.
"Gods, we're going to be sucked in!" Sailor Moon cried.
"He changed the wand's energy!" Mercury cried. She and Jupiter were holding on to one another.
"So it's like a black hole?" Jupiter asked. "Isn't there something we can do?"
"There is no way you can seal a dimensional tear!" Mercury cried. Prizma stood.
"I can use the energy left in my body to strike the wand and destroy it. The sisters protested, but Prizma ignored them. Her plan didn't work, the hole just sucked in the attack and she slipped. Luckily Avery threw a rope down and all three younger sisters banned together and helped her up.
"I know we always fight, but were in this together." Birdie said. As they tended to Prizma, the concrete sliced in two under Sailor Moon's feet. For a second she lost her grip. Damn damn damn! She didn't want to die like this!
"Hold on Sailor Moon." She forced her head up to see Tuxedo Mask on a water tower looking a bit panicked. "If you join your powers together, you can destroy the wand and seal the tear!" He yelled
"Are you telling us to jump in the hole?" Jupiter demanded shrilly.
"Do it!" Tuxedo Mask barked urgently. Jupiter glared at him for a moment.
"We'll do it on three." Sailor Mercury said quickly. They counted and fell in the hole with a scream. The tear was void of really anything but in the distance they saw the wand floating helplessly. Together, they used a planet power attack and that was the end of that. Back in the real world, Prizma and Avery waited and Serena changed them back into humans.
XOXO
Rini stood at the edge of the pond dock in the park looking at nothing in particular. Golden leaves fell carelessly on the calm surface of the lake. She couldn't shake her memory from her head. Everything that happened yesterday. When Serena finally returned home, she had to pretend that nothing was wrong. She just couldn't look at Serena the same way anymore. It was just too weird that Serena was Sailor Moon. Her daddy had told her so many stories about how brave and kind she was. Serena didn't fit that picture. She was loud and immature…and the girls, Raye, Lita, Mina and Ami…She just didn't want to think on it so she ran home as fast as she could. She waited and waited to see if Serena was going to come to see her mom or not. She waited and waited and by mid afternoon, she could hear someone fumble with the door. She rushed from her room and down the stairs.
"Hey mom. Is he awake?" Serena asked, slipping from her school shoes.
"Why are you in such a rush?" Aunt Ikkuko asked, popping her head out of the kitchen.
"I need to get back to Lita's. Some friends have flown in from America and are going to drop by." Serena rounded the stairs. Rini's eyes riveted to the pretty pink broach on the center of her red bow. She was so close to the Silver Crystal! "Hey Rini!" Serena greeted fondly with a pat on the head and Rini smiled She quickly walked to a closed room, next to Sammy room and slowly opened the door, peeking in. Rini never went into that room. She wondered who was in there.
"Oh you're awake!" Serena exclaimed. Rini watched in curiously as Serena emerged with a baby in her arms. A baby? Why didn't I ever see him before now? He had dark hair like her daddy and blue eyes. His chubby little cheeks were flushed a light pink and he was grinning ear to ear. "Come on we get to see the Guards! Yayy!" Serena cheered in an excided tone and the baby laughed and clapped his hands. She passed Rini and hopped down stairs.
"Didn't you have a test this morning? How did you do?" Aunt Ikkuko asked. Serena dodged that question by grabbing her school bag and slipping on her shoes.
"We can talk about that later! I have to go! Thanks for watching Caleb!" Rini froze her head whipping to the little baby. Caleb? What—she needed to act fast.
"Can I come?" She asked eagerly, forcing her eyes from the crystal. Serena frowned and then shifted the baby to her other hip.
"Aright, but you better get your stuff ready because I'm not coming back here tonight." Rini wasted no time as she grabbed an over night bag and stuffed it with clothes and her toothbrush.
"Come on, let's go!" Serena said hurriedly. Rini put on her bagpack and waved goodbye to Aunty Ikkuko.
"Drive safe!" Rini watched as Serena strapped in Caleb and she helped buckle her in.
"You better be nice to my friends Rini. Don't be shy, they like little kids." Serena said, humming happily to an upbeat song on the radio. It didn't take long for them to reach Lita's apartment. When she got in she could smell delicious smells though out the whole living room.
"Wow, what are you cooking Lita?" Rini threw her bagpack on the couch and ran into the kitchen. Lita was pulling off her apron.
"Just a little something for our guests. They're on their way so we'll eat very soon okay."
"Okay!" She cheered happily.
"Rini, could you grab that diaper bag in my room?" Serena asked snatching Caleb from the ground and wrestling him to the couch. Rini did as she was told, grabbing the blue and white polka-dotted bag from a chair in Serena's room. She had only been in Serena's room one time, and I had been dark so she didn't see the crib pressed against the wall. After Caleb had his diaper changed, he scrambled off the couch and to Rini.
"This is the first time you've seen him isn't it?" Serena asked, grabbing the diaper bag and Rini's bag from the couch.
"Who is he? Your brother?" She asked, locking eyes with him. He had such pretty blue eyes that reminded her of Serena.
"No, this is my son." She said softly leaving to put the bag in her room. Rini followed, bewildered by what Serena just told her.
"Who is his dad?" She asked. Serena tossed the bags on her chair.
"Who do you think?" She asked, looking over her shoulder. Rini was thoughtful, peeking her head around the corner to see the baby dragging a big blue rabbit doll by its ears.
"Darien?" It was understandable now, all the problems the two were having. Serena gave a nod and then opened her dresser drawer.
"I need to change." She said unzipping her skirt in the back. Rini left her, wandering in the small living room, unable to take her eyes of the little baby. When Serena emerged she was dressed in a dark blue denim skirt and a candy striped halter. Rini's eyes wandered to the room. She could see from her place that the crystal was sitting on her pillow. It was so important and she just left it. She quickly looked all around, checking to see where everyone was. Serena grabbed Caleb from the floor and took him to the kitchen where she placed him in his high chair. Lita had baked cookies and Serena was pigging out on them, handing a big one to Caleb. She dashed into the room and stared down at the pink broach. Her hand hovered over it for a moment.
It could really help her mom, but if she took it then Serena couldn't transform into Sailor Moon and Sailor Moon helped her out so many times. But her mom…sleeping in the crystal and her brother gone, and she was so far from home, from her cousins and Diana…she needed it.
XOXO
Serena just polished off her seventh cookie when the doorbell rang. Delighted, she stuffed the rest of the cookie in her mouth and ran to the door, but Lita had gotten there first. Over the top of Lita's head she saw Jadeite standing casually by the door with an armful of flowers. Lita pushed him aside and launched herself in Nephrite's arms.
"How rude!" Jadeite exclaimed and squeezed past the two. The whole living room was filled with chatter and laughter. Mina cuddled herself in Kunzite's arms. Raye was holding hands with Jadeite, pulling him to the window to see the view. Ami and Zoicite were talking quietly with one another on the couch. The only thing that was missing was Darien. She wondered if he even knew they were in town. In the busy room, Rini stood silently by the entertainment center, trying to blend in with the shadows.
"Come on. Remember what I told you?" Serena said, grabbing her hand and bringing her in front of the guys. "This is my cousin Rini." Serena said. Rini stood stiffly in front of them, her eyes bulging as she looked at each one of them.
"Hi." She said softly. There were warm greetings and Serena felt Rini relax. Caleb hollered from his highchair, refusing to be left out so she left Rini with Raye and Jadeite. She was seated comfortably on his knee, answering questions while Raye smiled dreamily.
Dinner was served. The reunion was a late one and Rini and Caleb fell asleep in her room.
"So that is our new problem." Kunzite said after everyone settled in the living room.
"She doesn't seem like a problem." Zoicite offered, pulling Ami down to the floor to sit next to him.
"She's not the problem. The people who are after her are the problem. From what we gathered so far—" Mina paused when someone knocked on the door. Lita stood to answer it.
"Oh, Darien." She said and stepped back to let him in.
"I invited him. He is still part of the group despite some…differences." Ami said safely.
"It's fine." Serena said with an impersonal shrug. "We all have to be on the same page if we're to get to the bottom of this." She said, pulling her knees to her chest. Lita pulled a chair from the kitchen and set it by Raye who was sitting on the arm of the couch.
"Alright, so what we know is that she's from the future. Something happened
there, some kind of war or something and her mom was wounded or captured. We're not to sure about that." Ami said.
"We managed to change some of the Dark Moon Clan members, but Rubeus is still out there, planning and plotting." Lita inserted.
"So you can expect someone to take the place of the ones you purified right?" Kunzite leaned forward.
"It follows the pattern of boss battles in the past." Serena reasoned.
"Well, it's a good thing you called us." Jadeite yawned with a stretch. "We've been bored out of our minds in America for sometime. Nothing like saving the world to get your blood running oof!" Raye elbowed him in the gut.
"It's not a joking matter!" She reprimanded.
"Who's joking?" He asked innocently, rubbing his side with a glare. Serena left the room to go and check on the children. She cracked the door open to make sure the light from the hallway didn't wake them. Her bed was rumpled and empty!
"Oh no!" She breathed, stalking to the bed, pulling the covers from the bed in panic. No, no…Rini! She picked up her pillow to find her broach but it was no where. She knew she was being loud as she opened her drawers, tossed her dirty clothes on the floor, check her pockets. Nothing…they were both gone! Caleb stirred, whimpering loudly, angered that he was woken up.
"What is it?" Lita rushed in and flipped on the light making Caleb bellow more loudly in annoyance.
"Rini is gone and so is my broach!" She replied alarm. Caleb's screams were getting more insistent. He was standing in his crib, holding his blue bunny with hot tears streaming down his red face. Serena grabbed him, hurrying out of the room. Everyone was alerted. Serena gave Caleb to Darien who immediately tried to console him.
"We have to go and look for her. Could you stay here? Maybe she'll return here." Serena asked Artemis. He nodded.
"I'll go to my apartment. Maybe she wandered there." Darien said giving Caleb back to Serena.
"Luna!" Serena yelled. Ever since the sisters were changed back, both Luna and Artemis had gone missing, searching for leads and tapping into every source they had to help in the fight. Luckily tonight, they stayed home when they heard the guards were going to be here. Luna changed quickly and Serena gave Caleb to her.
"We'll all separate and search the city. Do you have your cell phones?" Raye asked the guys. They nodded. Everyone parted and disappeared in the night.
XOXO
AN: A year! I know, I know! But ever since winter break, I had a sudden desire to update most of my stories. And yes, I brought the Guards back…what can I say, I couldn't just leave them in America when I have so much planned for them in the future. Especially when they travel to the future. The next chapter shouldn't be too long off so thank you :tears: thank you for being inhumanly patient with my procrastinating ways. Love you all lots and lots! Review! Kisses :muh:
Oh yeah, I'm making some changes in the previous chapters. If you re-read the prologue, you'll see what I'm talking about and see what I'm going to bring in the next couple of chapters.