"Genie, you're free," said Aladdin as the golden shackles that enslaved Genie to his masters for thousands of centuries disappeared. R.I.P Robin Williams. Along with Sailor Moon, you made my childhood magical. Thank you for the smiles, the laughter, and the ad-libbed humor. Rest in peace and Good-bye.
Hey guys! Special thanks to elfsiren, jenna zabala, freakblueangel, ISana55, sabina21, Aiyoku Saotome, and LoveInTheBattleField for reviewing the last chapter. Thank you for your wonderful reviews. I always appreciate them. elfsiren, thank you and lol. Dr. Thornton is quite eccentric. Jenna zabala, will Darien and Serena get back together or not? Their marriage was a mess. They're in the process of getting a divorce. Only time will tell. freakblueangel, yes, I can. I'll insert some Darien's POV later on in the story. ISana55, you are so right. Darien is full of it with his thoughts of what counts as cheating. Cheating is cheating period. Sabina21, your answer is here. Aiyoku Saotome, thank you so much. I am so glad that you are enjoying the story. LoveInTheBattleField thanks as always. I watched episode four of Sailor Moon Crystal. The entire episode was good. Can't wait for Jupiter's appearance on the next episode. Okay, here is the next chapter of Ever After. I hope you guys enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon.
Chapter Sixteen
Secrets Revealed
On a cool, summer day, Andrew stood in a graveyard surrounded by graves on beautiful, hilly green parkland. The grass was still damp from the morning rain shower. The sun was hidden behind the grey overcast in the sky. The birds chirped swarming around in the sky before perching on the branches of the tall willow trees planted throughout the graveyard. A gust of wind blowing around him rustled the branches and the leaves, tinted with brown for the upcoming fall, unhurriedly dropped from the trees around him.
He sported a wrinkled light blue buttoned down shirt and slacks. He grabbed them out of a donation bin at a goodwill shop. In his hands was a bouquet of white lilies wrapped neatly with lilac wrapping paper that he picked up from the Madame Rose's flower shop in town. He stood in front of Madame Rose's stone grave. Lita was wrong. According to the date on the grave, Madame Rose lived to be one hundred and one-years-old. He had a somber expression on his face as he gently knelt down pulling the flowers down on her grave. He knew she loved flowers and would laugh when she realized that it was from one of her flower shops. A memory flashed before him.
Eight years ago on a cool summer night in June, Andrew stood in the small kitchen of the arcade watching Lita place the finishing the touches on Serena's eighteenth birthday cake the night before the party. A wary look came across his face as he looked at Sailor Moon cake.
"You got to be kidding me. It's so obvious that you guys are the Sailor Scouts," Andrew thought as he watched a smiling Lita like she was laughing at some inside joke.
Andrew commented, "So Serena is a fan of Sailor Moon?"
Lita grinned, "The biggest." Andrew snorted as he stared at Lita. She looked pretty with her face, clothes, and hands covered with flour. Lita touched the icing with a flick of her finger and stuck it in her mouth. She moaned as she savored the taste. She smiled. "Serena's going to love it." Andrew watched her as he admired her pretty face, soft cherry lips, and her pretty laughter. She was beautiful with the biggest heart he ever seen. Any man would be lucky to have her.
Andrew swiped a lick of the icing with his finger. It tasted like strawberry cream cheese. He moaned. Andrew nodded as his licked his lips. "You're right. It is delicious."
Andrew lifted his head when he heard the rain pouring down hard. He cursed himself for not checking the weather for the day. He left his car at home since it started out a sunny day. Lita looked unfazed as she went to open up the refrigerator door to place the cake in. She lifted up the large cake big enough to feed two hundred and placed it on the top shelf of the large refrigerator and closed the door.
Andrew groaned. "Why couldn't the rain wait until after we made it home for the night?"
Lita laughed as she walked towards him and playfully punched in him on the cheek as he turned his head not amused and clearly upset. "It's only rain. It's not like we're going to melt."
After Andrew locked up the arcade for the night in the pouring rain, Lita held up the large umbrella over them. Andrew said shivering as the cold rain splashed on them, "I'll walk you home."
Lita shook her head. "It's unnecessary. I'll be okay."
Andrew said firmly, "No, I couldn't sleep tonight if I thought something bad happened to you. Let me take you." Lita smiled then nodded.
Lita wrapped her arms around Andrew's elbow as he held the umbrella up for them. They walked together in a comfortable silence through the empty streets of Juban with the exception of a car driving along here and there. The freezing wind whipped passed them as the thunder began to rumble around them. The wind grew stronger. Lita became soaking wet as she watched comically as Andrew struggled in a losing battle to keep his umbrella. The raging wind turned the umbrella inside out and ripped the umbrella from Andrew's hands. Andrew cursed in frustration as he watched his umbrella fly away in the sky. He yelled, "It's supposed to be windproof. I paid forty-one hundred yen for that piece of crap."
Lita giggled. Andrew turned around to her with angry eyes as the rain poured down on him. He looked like a wet dog. Lita knew that the only way to remove Andrew's happy façade was to get him soaking wet. Andrew felt miserable. It was cold and raining hard. His hair and clothes were soaking wet and clinging to his body even his shoes and socks were soaked and making mushy noises. He sneezed. Lita looked amused.
He frowned. "This is not funny!" Andrew stilled as he calmed down looking at her as his eyes roamed her body. Her pretty face was wet. Her hair clung to her skin. Her white summer dress clung to her body showing off her hourglass frame. Her pink bra and panties were visible. Andrew was not going to tell her that because he knew she would freak out even though he enjoyed the sight.
Lita scoffed. She grabbed his wet hand as they began to run through the rain to her apartment, which was the closest. His eyes fell to her curvaceous behind that was clearly visible since she was wearing a thong. He cursed Darien for making him this way. For years he remained celibate and resisted the temptation of fornicating with women. After listening to Darien discussed his sex life with Serena, it was all he could think about. He found himself fantasizing by no other woman but Lita Kino. Even though she had the body of a woman, she was only seventeen and would not make her eighteenth birthday until December. He was twenty-two years old. He could not be fanaticizing about a teenager no matter how hot her body was. He breathed deeply to come down his raging libido.
They rushed under the shelter of the flower shop. Lita quickly searched through her bag for her keys. Andrew tried his hardest not to look at her blessed cleavage. Lita found the keys. She opened the door that opened to the flower shop. Once they entered, Lita locked the door back. Andrew followed Lita up the side stairs in the corner that led to her apartment.
Andrew sat naked on the floor with a blanket wrapped around his shivering body. His clothes were drying by the fireplace. The weather grew worse outside.
He showered a few minutes earlier and now smelled like fresh soap and jasmines after using Lita's shower gel. He held a cup of warm tea in his hands as he watched the crackling of the blazing fire in the small fireplace matching his own desire that he was desperately trying to keep under control. He could hear the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. He imagined her naked. Her long hair down as hot droplets of water washed over her big breasts, small waist, and creamy legs. He groaned in frustration as he felt himself grow aroused thinking about her. "Damn you, Shields."
"Why are you cursing Darien?" He looked up to see Lita with her now dry hair hanging loosely around her neck. He never saw her hair down before. It was very pretty. He smiled when she flicked it off her shoulders. She was wearing a flannel nightgown that a grandmother would wear and he still found her desirable. She sat on the floor next to him. Her knees tucked underneath her.
Andrew lit up inside as he looked at the beautiful girl in front of him. He joked, "He's a pain making me think of things that I should not think about."
Lita smiled. He noticed an overbite in the back of her mouth. He never noticed that before out of the myriads of times she smiled at him. She smelled like fresh soap and lavender. Lita blushed as she became self-conscious covering her mouth. Andrew smiled at her shyness. "Don't." He reached out feeling a tingling sensation as his hand touched her wrist. He never felt that with anyone other than Rita, even though it was not as strong as it used to be. "You're beautiful."
Lita removed her hand from her mouth. He slowly let go of her hand. She teased him. "You think I'm beautiful."
Andrew smirked. "Of course, I do."
Her smile faded as she turned away from him looking upset as she looked at the fire. Her eyes full of emotions he could not decipher. He grew worried. Had he said something to upset her? Did she think he was making a pass at her? Andrew asked worried, "Lita?"
Lita's eyes started with tears. She blinked her eyes and a tear fell. She wiped it away as she looked at the fire. She did not want him to see her like this. Their friendship was happy go lucky. No time for showing a serious side.
"Lita…" He called out her name again. She could hear the concern in his voice.
She said glancing at the fire dancing in the fireplace, "No one ever called me beautiful before not even my parents. I was told that I was ugly or boyish. My breasts came in when I was twelve and all the boys used to make fun of me. My foster brothers used to tease me and told me that's why no one wanted me because I was ugly."
"Well, they lied because you are the most beautiful woman I ever laid my eyes on."
Lita turned her head to him in disbelief. She thought he was joking until she saw the serious look on his face, his emerald eyes piercing through her skin like he was looking through her. She felt exposed allowing him to see every emotion that she felt about herself and how she felt about him.
His eyes grew bigger with shocked as she laid her heart on her sleeve wishing he would give her an inkling that he felt even the smallest affection for her. His lips slowly parted. "Lita…I care…"
Lita closed her eyes and smiled to herself. He was trying to find the words to reject her. She opened her eyes and said, "It's okay. I was an idiot to think that someone like you could love me. Rita is very lucky." Lita stood up and walked to her bed across the room and lied down facing the wall with her back facing him. Andrew groaned as he closed his eyes and nursing them with his fingers. He did not want to reject her. She was a sweet and beautiful girl, and if it was not for Rita and her age, maybe he would….
Lita looked up a full moon through the window. She bit her quivering bottom lip trying to stop the tears threatening to fall. She refused to let him see her cry. The rain stopped. Andrew slipped on his clothes and left out. The door closed behind him and Lita began to sob silently.
"You cannot do this to her, Andrew!"
"I know I can't!" It was the day of the Serena's eighteenth birthday party. Andrew came over the next day to check on Lita. But she was not at her apartment. She was out with Mina and Raye making final preparations for the party that night. Madame Rose was scolding him because someone informed her that they saw a blonde man with wrinkled clothes coming out of her store last night. They thought it was a burglar. Madame Rose knew it was Andrew and she assumed the worst. She popped him with her wooden broom as soon as he walked through the doors assuming that he had deflowered her precious Lita. She saw the sad look in her eyes that morning before she left, hidden behind her pretty smile. Andrew cried out in pain as the ninety-three-year old woman was getting the better of him with the broom that he did not deflowered Lita. She calmed down reading his demeanor and then popped him again.
"She's only seventeen. She's still a child. You're a man, Andrew."
Andrew yelled throwing up his hands in defeat, "I know." Madame Rose stared at him. "You think I want to feel like this. I don't want to think of her that way but I do. I can't get her out of my system." He turned away from Madame Rose folding his arms.
Madame Rose held the broom in front of her with fat hands on top of it. "Andrew, Lita is a very sensitive child. If you hurt her, it will break her. She's in love with you, Andrew."
Andrew turned back to Madame Rose in shock. "She's in love with me?" It did not make sense to him. She listened to him talk about his problems with Rita. She helped him plan special things for his girlfriend. They helped each other out and joked with one another, but how did that transpired into love? It vexed him.
Madame Rose said, "Don't break her heart, Andrew. She'll never recover if it's from you."
Andrew remained silent. "The child's looking for someone to love her the way she wants to be loved." Andrew knew that Madame Rose was telling the truth. He remembered one time when they were lying in her bed watching a sappy romantic movie and she confessed to him that she spent two years in the foster care system and all the horrible things she experienced. It was there she learnt to harden her heart and fight to defend herself from their attacks. She remained a loner depending on no one but herself for survival until she met Madame Rose who became a grandmother to her. She never had friends until she met Serena. It was only then did she experience the love that she desired. She learnt about true love from watching Serena and Darien together and wished one day that someone would love her as completely as Darien loved Serena.
She was a hopeless romantic and wore her heart on her sleeve. She kissed many frogs, but none of them ever turned out to be a prince. Andrew smiled sadly wishing he could be that prince for her. But he knew he could not. He still loved Rita, and he was not ready to give up on her.
Andrew smiled at Madame Rose. She looked at him with suspicious eyes curious about what was going on in his head. Andrew leaned over and placed a kiss on Madame Rose's cheek. He leaned back and said looking at the old woman, "I won't break it. I'll fix it tonight." Madame Rose smiled pinching Andrew's cheek.
"You're a good man Andrew." Andrew smiled. He walked out of the flower shop eating one of her homemade oatmeal cookies that instantly made him feel better. It was the last day he would ever see her alive.
The memory ended. Andrew stared at her grave one last time before walking away.
Andrew walked up the steps of the Sacred Temple carrying a small sack over his shoulder. He stopped at the temizuya and cleansed his hands and mouth. He spoke to one of the miko who directed him to the administrative office. He walked into the office and saw Raye was busy with paperwork. The miko said, "Excuse Miss Raye, there's a man here to see you."
"Andy! You're back!" Raye looked up and smiled as she saw Andrew standing in front of her. Raye stood up. She thanked the miko and dismissed her as the miko bowed then stepped out the room. Raye walked around her desk and embraced Andrew loosely. She kept a smile stuck on her face as she held back the desire to vomit from his horrible smell. Lita informed Serena and her the other day that Andrew was back. Sarah overheard the conversation and was immediately scolded by her mother when she talked about how bad Andrew smelled. The little girl was not lying.
Raye backed away and asked, "What brings you here?"
Andrew smiled. "I was wondering if I could work and stay here." Raye looked slightly befuddled. Andrew was a member of the Furuhata family. They were one of the richest families in Tokyo, and he was standing there asking her to stay with her. She tried to read his thoughts, but she was mentally blocked as she stared at Andrew smiling at her with amused eyes. She wondered if he knew what she was trying to do. In the middle of darkness inside Andrew's mind, there was a door. Raye walked towards the door and tried to open it with all her might, but it was locked. Behind that door hid the secrets that Andrew was hiding from them. Raye was determined to find out what was behind that door.
Raye took a deep breath. She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I can't afford to hire anyone else."
"You don't need to pay me. I'll work for free."
Raye looked at a smiling Andrew. She exhaled then nodded.
Andrew said happily, "Awesome! What do you want me to do?"
Raye pinched her nose with one hand and fanned herself with the other. "The first thing I need you to do is take a bath. You stink." Andrew smiled faded and he looked slightly embarrassed.
At seven o' clock that night, Andrew pushed open the doors to the dining area. He was dressed in light gray hakama and a white haori. He smelled fresh from his bath and his beard was nicely trimmed. Raye was dressed in a light blue kimono and her long raven hair up in a bun. Andrew watched as she gracefully poured hot tea in the tea cups on the small wooden kotastu table. It was nicely decorated with gray zabutons for them to sit on. He sat down on the zabuton and thanked her as she placed a bowl of Kare Raisu, spicy curry rice with Japanese curry sauce, in front of him. He thanked her as she smiled sitting down across from him.
They ate in silence for a few moments enjoying the spicy, exotic favor of the curry rice. Raye and Andrew shared a laugh when she had to show him how to properly use his chopsticks again. He was having difficulty picking up the rice with his chopsticks. He soon got the hang of it and thanked her.
As Raye ate her meal, she wondered about the man across from her. He looked and sounded like Andrew. She sensed no malice about him, but he was not the Andrew that she remembered. She wondered what happened to him to make him like this.
While Andrew was in the bath, Raye snuck into the small guest room she prepared for Andrew. He only had his brown bag with him. She poured out his belonging on the bed. She saw clothes, a flask with alcohol in it, a raggedly old blanket, and his wallet. She picked up his wallet and searched through it. He only had five thousand yen inside. The money was dirty and wrinkled. She saw a wrinkled picture inside the picture compartment of the wallet. It was a photograph of Rita and Andrew together smiling at the camera. In front of them sat two children. There was a boy around six with blonde hair and brown eyes and a little girl about three or four years of age with brown pigtails and green eyes. Andrew's eyes. Something inside of Raye already knew that they were Andrew's children. She searched through the rest of the wallet and found a business card with Rita's contact information. She took it out and placed it in her pocket. She heard the sound of the water in the bathroom turning off. She knew it was Andrew. Raye quickly placed his belongings back in the bag. Andrew wiped himself dry in the shower. Raye snuck off of his room. Andrew sauntered into his room with a towel wrapped around his hips. Nothing looked out of place.
In the privacy of her room, Raye called the numbers on Rita's business card. She called her cell first. The operator informed her that the number was disconnected. Raye tried her office number at the school on the card that Rita taught at in Switzerland. The receptionist kept her on hold for about fifteen minutes trying to find out about Rita Furuhata. The receptionist returned and informed her that Rita had not worked there in two years. She quit her job there to work overseas. Raye thanked the receptionist. The only number left was her home phone. She called the number. Raye was relieved when the phone rang and went to voicemail. The voicemail was a recording of a happy Rita and Andrew apologizing for not being available. There were voices of children playing in the background. Raye assumed it was the children in the photograph. At the beep, Raye left a message. "Hey Rita! It's Raye Hino. I'm a friend of Andrew and Darien. I'm calling about Andrew. Could you give me a call when you receive this message? Thanks!" Raye left her contact information and hung up.
Andrew asked breaking the silence, "So how have the girls and you been over the few years?"
Raye glanced up at him. "Everyone's been fine." He listened happily as he told them about the girls' lives over the last eight years. He was pleased to hear that everyone was doing well. Ami achieved her dream of becoming a doctor. Lita was married with a daughter and now a billionaire. Mina was an awarding winning actress and model. Darien achieved his dream of becoming a doctor. Darien and Serena had an eight-year old daughter named Rini and a four-year-old named Katie.
Andrew interrupted. "I bet they're beautiful little girls."
Raye smiled. "They are."
"I can't wait to see Serena again. Where do they live? Are they still living in America?"
Raye sipped her tea. He did not know that Darien and Serena were no longer together. Raye answered as she placed her tea back on the saucer. "Serena lives here now."
Andrew smiled. "Wow! So Darien and Serena moved back to Japan?"
Raye shook her head. "They are in the process of getting a divorce. Darien found out a few weeks ago that he fathered a child with a woman he slept with when he broke up with Serena on her graduation night."
Andrew's jaw dropped. He did not believe her. Darien would never cheat on Serena. Andrew shook his head. "Darien would never do that. He said that he never slept with her."
Raye said sharply, "Well an eight-year-old boy looking exactly like Darien and a blood test beg to differ."
Andrew could not believe Darien lied to him. He understood why Darien dumped Serena. He saw the video before it was taken down, and Serena was making out hot and heavy with the guy in the video. If he did not know Serena, he would have thought she was slutty and went to bed with the guy in the video.
Raye looked at him like she was reading his thoughts. "He was drunk. Anyway, he left Serena almost two weeks ago to create a new family with the boy and his mother."
Andrew stared at her in simple disbelief. "Darien and Serena is the perfect couple. They are meant to be together. If they cannot make it, then that leaves little hope for the rest of us." Andrew looked disheartened. Raye wondered if he was talking about Darien and Serena's marriage or his own. Lita warned her not to ask about Rita or his past. He would shut down if she did. Raye watched as he glanced at his wedding ring.
Andrew's head shot up. "Do you think there is a chance that they will get back together?"
Raye shook her head. "No, Serena screwed up really bad this time. Darien finally had enough and moved on to someone else."
"Where is she staying now? Where's Darien?"
"Serena is living with her parents now. Irene flew to America to bring her back home. Darien is only God knows where. Serena hasn't heard from him in two weeks."
Andrew knew that Darien loved Serena. She meant everything to him. They have been through so much together and it had to be something major for Darien to call it quits. Andrew looked up at Raye. "Do you know what caused the split? It had to be something big." Raye shook her head but Andrew did not believe her. Behind those purple eyes, Andrew knew she knew more about Serena and Darien's relationship than she was letting on.
He dropped the subject. He asked, "What about you? How's things been going for you?"
Raye said glancing at his wedding ring on his finger, "I will tell you my story when you tell me yours." Andrew shut down. Raye pestered. "Where's Rita, Andrew? Why is a Furuhata asking for shelter at my home? Why would someone who comes from money rather sleep on the streets than his own place?" Andrew dropped his chopsticks and abruptly stood up. He left out of the room. Raye followed behind him as he walked to his room. "What's going on Andrew? What happened to you?"
He walked into his room closing the door behind him. He hastily began to pack his things. Raye slid his door opened and continued pestering him. "Why do you have only five thousand yen in your wallet? You're rich!"
He stopped for a moment and turned to her angrily. "You search through my things?" Raye looked at him guiltily. Andrew stared at her in disbelief as he began to pack again. "Unbelievable!"
Raye said worriedly, "Andrew, I'm only trying to help."
Andrew stopped packing. He turned to her. She saw the rage in his green eyes as he stared at her.
Raye gasped for breathe as she felt the wind being knocked out of her body. Andrew had pushed her against the wall with his arms pinning hers over her head. She angrily tried to wiggle free but he overpowered her. His body pressed against up until her breasts touched his chest.
Andrew stared down at the Raye who felt uncomfortable with Andrew invading her personal space. Andrew said angrily, "Let's talk about you Raye. Before I left here, you boasted about all the things you were going to do with your life. Yet, I return eight years later, and you are still here." Raye's mouth opened in shock that he would say that to her. "Everyone has done something with their lives and you have done nothing in almost a decade. You have no life of your own. You are a twenty-six-year old virgin with no boyfriend and children. You live vicariously through your friends because your life is barren. Lita became a successful business owner and married with a child. Mina's a famous actress. Ami's a doctor, and Serena has two children." He added mockingly. "So I can ask you the same question. What happened to you, Raye?"
Raye did not respond. Andrew tightened his grip on her wrists causing her to wince in pain. He leaned his head closer to her. His hot breath against her cheek. "You really want to know what happened to me." He whispered in her ear. "I lived my life. Shit happened. End of story." Andrew dropped his hands and stepped away.
Raye breathed heavily as she looked at him. She yelled angrily, clearly hurt by his words and shaking up, "Get out!"
Andrew backed away with a hint of regret in his eyes. "R—Raye I'm -"
"Get out now! You are no longer welcome here."
He grabbed his bag and left out.
Raye leaned her head against the wall. No one had ever insulted her that bad. She closed her eyes. She had to go after him. She would never forgive herself if something happened to him. He was not going to go home. Lita kicked him out after he got into a physical altercation with Nick. He had nowhere else to go.
Raye raced out of the room after him. She saw his head descending down the stone stairs. She called out his name. Andrew stopped walking hearing the sound of Raye's voice calling his name. He turned around. His bag hung over his shoulder.
Raye stopped a few feet away from him. She said, "Stay, Andrew."
Andrew looked at her with a warm expression. "I'll be fine, Raye."
Raye asked worried, "And where will you go Andy?"
Andrew glanced at his watch. If he hurried, he still had enough time to make it to the homeless shelter. He had to rush before it filled up for the night. "I'll be fine Raye."
Raye shook her head. "You don't have to do that. You can stay here. Stay here as long as you want."
Andrew opened his mouth to protest. "R-Raye…"
Raye's eyes became emotional. His mouth shut as he saw the vulnerability in them. He never saw her as weak and fragile as she was in that moment. Hot tears fell from her eyes. She said softly, "Stay with me, Andrew."
Andrew did not understand why they were so worried about him. He was fine. He was okay. Yet, Raye stood before him crying. Her shoulders shook. She was crying for him. His heart wept for her. He reluctantly nodded. Raye rushed towards him as she buried her head into his chest and cried. He encircled his arms tightly around her.
Over the next few days, Andrew helped out with the handiwork to Raye's relief. She could not afford a handyman to fix things. The miko and school girls blushed as they watched a shirtless Andrew on top of the roof fixing the leak. He was a big help fixing things around the temple. He even walked into Raye's office one day while she worked on the monthly budget. Andrew glanced at the documents and found ways for Raye to become more efficient in running the shrine and bring in more money. She happily thanked him. They had their share of arguments but never as bad as their first one. Andrew's main problem with Raye was that she treated him like she was his mother sometimes. She constantly scolded him on proper hygiene and keeping a clear cut appearance. She explained to him that people thought he was a bum when they entered the premise.
One day, she dismissed her staff early for the day including him. He told her he did not mind staying but she insisted that he leave. He discovered when he went to shower the previous night that his clothes were gone. He only had his shrine attire and the towel wrapped around his hips. He asked her about his clothes and she feigned ignorance. She paid him a nice chunk of money for his labor and ordered him not to return until he came back with a proper wardrobe. He spent the afternoon in the market shopping.
Serena stood in the kitchen at her parents' home. The girls were outside playing on the swing set that their grandfather brought and put together for them. He was outside watching the children as he sat at the patio table sipping coffee and reading the newspaper. He always taught Serena to read the newspaper at least twenty minutes a day.
Serena held a cup of coffee in her hands as she stared at nothing in particular. "You seemed worried dear." Serena broke out of her trance and looked across the room to see her mother walking in the kitchen.
Serena turned to her mother and said, "I'm fine, mom."
Irene stood next to her. "You aren't fine, dear. You have had something bothering you since you came back from visiting your friends a few days ago."
Serena wanted to lie and said it was Darien. It did bother her that he had not called her yet. It's been nearly two weeks since he left her. She did not feel like he was completely abandoning her. In his letter, it seemed like he was implying that he will remained a part of her life. The check for a hundred grand was still folded up in her wallet. She had yet to cash it. In the back of her mind, she believed that Darien would come to his senses. He always came back to her. This is simply one of the trials and tribulations of their epic love story. He would come back to her even when everyone else looked at her with sorry eyes. They did not believe he would. Every day that passed Serena lost a little bit of hope that he would.
The only one that seemed bothered by it was her. The girls were adjusting fine without him. Rini and Katie enjoyed their new schools and Rini and Sarah were now inseparable. Since Lita moved into their school district, Sarah and Rini attended the same school and were in the same class. They were excited that they lived only a few blocks away from one another. The three of them was constantly in and out of the house. Irene and Ken did not mind. When Serena scolded them for misbehaving, the girls ran to their grandparents for help with their big sad eyes and pouty lips. Her parents ended up getting on her and the girls got off scot-free. She could have sworn she saw the hint of triumph in their eyes even though they feigned innocence.
Yet, Serena was not at all bothered by thoughts of Darien over the last few days. She was mainly concerned about today. Today was the day when her little girls lost their innocence, their childhood. Every time she tried to think of another solution, she saw Raye's vision of her death. If she kept them ignorant, they would be unprepared on Judgment Day. If she told them the truth, they had a fighting chance of survival.
Serena lied. "I'm fine mother. Just upset Darien hasn't called yet." Irene did not believe her.
Irene stared through the kitchen window at the girls playing outside. "No, that worried look is a mother's worry about her children. When we are young, we think the love of our lives is our husbands. Then we become mothers." Serena turned to Irene. "You're worried about your children and their future."
Serena simply stared at her mother. Serena was amazed that her mom always seemed to know what she was going through. She saw right through her lies even throughout her childhood. Sometimes Serena thought that her mother simply accepted them but never truly believed her. Serena said quietly, "I don't want to take away their innocence. Their childhood when they think the world is such a good place."
"The world has changed but there is always going to be dangers in it. The world has never been a safe place for any of us. We simply do what we can to make the best life for ourselves and our children."
"Shouldn't I protect them? Isn't it my duty as a mother to protect them?"
"A mother's job is to do what she thinks is in her children's best interest. Her job is to prepare her children for the world, not to shelter them for every bad thing that happens to them. If she is lying to them, then she is not protecting them. She is hindering their growth. There is a reason why we are only children for so long before we become adults."
"Thanks mother."
Irene smiled. Irene placed a reassuring hand on Serena's back. "Your daughters are resilient. I saw that when I came to America. They may surprise you." Serena simply stared at her mother who gave her a reassuring smile and walked away. Serena watched as her daughters took turns sliding down the slide.
Andrew walked through the shopping district of Juban. Raye should be proud of him. He did what she said and was returning home with a new wardrobe. He already had two large bags of clothing and shoes. He soon returned home and walked up the stone stairs of the temple. It shocked him that he called it home. He learnt from living on the streets that home was where you lay your hat at. Every place he slept at. He made it his home even if it was temporary. He enjoyed staying with Raye. He enjoyed their little chats about various things. He apologized about his behavior on the first night. Raye apologized for bringing up the past. She told him that if he ever wanted to talk about it, she was there for him.
Late that afternoon, Serena and Lita and their daughter were on the grounds of the temple. Raye gave Lita and Serena a few days to process what they saw in their vision. It was ultimately up to them if they were going to train their daughters. Rini and Sarah walked around with Katie not far behind him. She excitedly wanted to be a big girl like her sister was and always followed Rini and Sarah around.
Raye joined her friends on the ground. She saw the unhappy looks on their faces. "Have you guys decided on what you are going to do?"
Serena and Lita simply looked at one another.
Serena nodded. "It's time." Lita and Serena called the girls over. The girls raced over to them with happy faces. Luna, Artemis, and Diana joined them.
Lita breathed deeply. She turned to Serena and nodded. Serena glanced across at Raye. Raye nodded. The girls stood in front of them.
Serena smiled at the girls. She started. "Let me tell you a story. The best way to tell a story is to show you." Serena nodded at the three cats.
Luna spoke, "A long time ago…" The girls' eyes widen and began to freak out.
Rini said, "The cat is talking!"
Sarah said, "This isn't real. Cats don't talk."
Katie said in disbelief, "Even I know this is make-believe. Cats don't talk."
Artemis laughed, "We do. Sarah, Rini, Katie…"
Diana added, "And now we are going to show you the memories of your parents."
The girls watched in amazement as the daylight turned into nighttime. Raye and Lita looked indifferent. The full moon rose in the sky along with the stars. A yellow light shined from the crescent moon on the cats' forehead to the girls' foreheads. The crescent moon symbols appeared on Katie and Rini's foreheads and the symbol of Jupiter appeared on Sarah's forehead. The girls became silent as their parents' memories played before them like a live movie.
They saw the events of the Moon Kingdom. The creation of the Sailor Scouts. How Queen Selenity sent them to earth with the silver crystal to be reborn as humans. They saw Luna giving Serena her transformation broach and watched as Serena and the other girls transformed for the first time. They saw Tuxedo Mask constantly saving Sailor Moon and eventually finding out he was really Darien Shields. They saw the events of the Starlight tower when Tuxedo Mask is wounded and everyone finds out that Serena was the reincarnation of the Moon Princess. They saw the events between Alan and Ann. The attacks by the Dark Moon Kingdom and the Dark Moon Circus. Images of each of the Sailor Scouts in action. Rini was stunned to see a different version of herself and the future world of Crystal Tokyo where her mother was Neo Queen Serenity. She saw the death of her father by Sailor Galaxia and how Sailor Moon defeated Sailor Galaxia in one final battle.
Andrew heard voices as he walked up the stone stairs of the temple. He saw Serena, Lita, and Raye with three girls standing in front of them along with three cats. He quickly hid behind a large tree in a woody area on the shrine's grounds.
Serena held up her broach. She yelled, "Moon Crystal Power!"
Lita held up her transformation stick. She yelled, "Jupiter Crystal Power!"
Raye held up her transformation stick. "Mars Crystal Power!" The girls watched in amazement as Serena, Lita, and Raye transformed. Andrew's eyes widen. He knew it! He knew they were the sailor scouts!
Before the girls stood the legendary sailor warriors, Sailor Moon, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Mars. Sarah and Katie stared in awe of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mars. Rini stared at her mother in disbelief. Her mother was the favorite superhero. Sailor Moon was real. Sailor Moon was her mother.