Hi...again! DISCLAIMERS 1) No own! Music or Senshi! Villains mine! (you want them?) 2) Ratings here, again: PG-13 for angst, emotion, a bit of violence, sexual connotations and closed door scenes which I can't reveal. 3) My apologies to Mercury fans, but it will all be explained! 4) Florist fans: There are purple things called orchids, right? Oh well. 5) Culturally ignorant again. Usual address. I LOVE feedback! The Four Lovers: Air On a Cosmic String VII. Storm clouds I've done everything I can to ease the pain, but only you can stop the rain Just when I thought I was over you, and just when I thought I could stand on my own. Oh baby! Those memories come crashing through and I just can't go on without you, go on without, it's just no good without....YOU. --"Here I Am", Air Supply (THANK YOU ALYS!) Que, que, na-to-ra You will understand Listen with your heart You will understand --A song from "Pocahontas" "Sean, this is not the time." "Did I have to schedule one in?" "Listen..." "No, you..." "JARED!! He looked up then, pulling off the earphones. He was really getting into these taped books, and the people who had decided to make the "Freezing Time" tape were excellent. "Yea?" he asked. "Can I come in?" "Zach's on the roof." He could hear her sigh behind the door, and knew it was no use avoiding her any longer. She wanted to talk to him, and that's all there was to it. "Come in," he finally said. The door swung open to reveal a Princess ready for bed, decked out in a nightgown and bunny slippers. He himself was in plaid, drawstring pants and a light T-shirt; the nights had turned warmer recently. She walked over to him, eyes a querying blue, looking deep into his own pale blues, searching them out. he wondered for the very large numbered time. They'd had talks like this all the way through high school, and it usually began with this eye lock, and then followed through with some unsureness, and then... Serena plopped down beside him then, and reached over and hugged him. It was so not her, not in the routine, that he almost jumped off the couch that instant. "I'm sorry, ani. I'm so sorry." He sighed, and automatically stroked her hair. He knew Kev would probably have a fit, but...but...this was Serena! Still, he thought aloud, "You know, I wonder what the Prince would say about this." It was probably something he shouldn't have done. Immediately she let go, and her eyes found his, smashed into his, revealing a furor he'd not seen...well, he didn't think he ever had, but he couldn't be sure. "Not my Prince, my Darien. You must be thinking of someone else." "I thought he was protective." She let out a breath, and again collapsed against him. "I'm sorry, Jade...really, I am. You don't know him as well as I do, and I know barely anything about Darien. Yes, he is protective, but not overtly...I'm not sure how to explain it." She hugged him a little tighter. "You are my brother, and once were his best friend--he should understand that." She loosened her grip, and sighed softly. "Now Raye, on the other hand, might not understand. Once you and her are settled, we'll never sit in the same room alone together. Besides, she and Darien were close, and..." "This is creepy," he said in reply, smiling for the first time since Jas had been so STUPID in the book he'd been listening to. "Your man and my women, dated?" "Glad to hear you acknowledge her." He nearly didn't reply for a moment, just sat there in a comfort for a bit. He hadn't really said all that much about Raye, except how he wanted to meet her and charm her. But it wasn't like him for the others--their woman hadn't been hurt, hadn't been wronged, and hadn't drawn her first breath suspiciously. He grinned, though, and then gently said, "It's hard not to after that night." She looked up at him. "What happened then?" she asked quietly. "You know..." "Well, it kinda went like this," he quickly interrupted. Zoicite screamed, and vanished. Crystal stood in shock for a moment, and looked around, before suddenly collapsing, head stuffed between her hands as if trying to ward off a heavy sound. He was by her in an instant, and so was Tux; navy blue met pale, pale blue over her body for a fleeting second, and Tux's confusion was known to him as Tux knew of his determination. "Crystal," he whispered as the man formed a rose. "Crystal, are you all right?" "Connections, Jade," she whispered back. "Connections with the Generals, and he...he is...in...the Crystal hurts, Jade. The Crystal HURTS." Tux looked more confused than ever; he was immediately worried. She wasn't referring to herself, but to the Silver Crystal that lay hidden under her loose, black uniform, concealed along with her identity. If it suddenly decided to...he stood up, and read her with his powers. These were surprisingly as strong, or stronger, than Jadeite's had been. he thought dryly as the wave of cloudy blue-gray washed over her. Tux's eyes went wide as he watched them, and Jade smiled to himself at the recognition of power. However, this smile turned into a frown as he read the flows, the movements of energy over her body. The prognosis wasn't good; not good at all, in fact, "PLUTO!" he called out, and immediately the green haired Senshi appeared next to him. Without a word she picked up the prone girl, and he caught her arm. "Put her in a cold bath," he whispered. "Her temperature needs to be brought down, now! And get the Crystal off of her. It hurts." Pluto's eyes widened a fraction, and she moved away, staff following her in a smooth, gliding motion. As it came closer, and she began to whisper her key to teleporting, Crystal suddenly called out, "the blue is the key...memories alive in...forget-me-not." Then they vanished, and a hand touched his shoulder. "I don't know why," Tux whispered, "but thank you. You saved her, and she is...I don't know what she is." "No problem, my liege," he replied automatically. "Don't bow down or anything," he chuckled. "I don't think you ever did anyway, did you, Jadeite?" "Not to my knowledge, my liege," he replied with forced cheer. "MERCURY!" Mars suddenly cried out, snapping out of the shock that had frozen all the Senshi. She stepped forward, eyes burning in the night. "How COULD you! Give her back, NOW!" Kunzite moved, but Jadeite brushed him aside. There was a brief meeting of gazes, but then the High Gen nodded. It also helped than Endymion appeared, saying nothing but supportive. "Sailor Mars," he began, then stopped. "You are the Martian Senshi, holder of Flame?" "What about it?" she growled. "Trust me, Sailor Mars, we did NOT take your friend," he said, moving a step forward. "How can I believe you!" she spat back. "You are evil!" "THEY were evil," he snapped back. "I am NOT General Jedite, nor are these Generals Nephlyte, Zoycite, or Malachite. I am NO pawn of Queen Beryl. I am General Jadeite, guard of Endymion and his love, wherever they be." His body seemed to take on a visible aura, a shapeless piece of cloud power that clung to his shape; his eyes turned bright, brighter than a moonbeam almost. "And never again should your beautiful mouth speak of me as if I was him." He gestured away, towards were Zoicite and Crystal had been. "Would my friend Zoicite have been as distraught as he was? Those were real tears you saw, Sailor Mars." Mars was taken aback at the least, not only by his words or his power but by his eyes, those clear, blue eyes. She recognized the shape, the shape in the fire...and gasped as her heart beat joyously. "Trust us, Lady Mars," he whispered. "We have trusted you." She stood for a minute, and looked helplessly back at Venus and Jupiter. They didn't say a word, but Venus nodded, eyes sharp as well. She turned back, and caught her breath on him again, then released it with, "I trust you." He smiled in reply, and whispered, "Thank you, Lady. May I meet you again." He looked to the others, and to Tux, who nodded. Now the three broke off in a clump, and moved a little ways away. "Good-bye, Senshi," Jade said as they linked. It was an easier process now, but it still took a little time, enough for him to speak his words. "Good-bye, Generals!" Venus called. Just before they vanished, they all looked over at the silent, still Tux, who held his cane and his top hat in his hands, mask opaque once more. "Good night, Prince," Kunzite called. He shuffled them a bit, and then said, "May we meet again off the battlefield, Generals." With that, they vanished. "What did he say again?" "About what? You leaving, or us leaving?" "You leaving." "I believe it was," and he paused to adjust his voice, "May we meet again off the battlefield, Generals." He looked down at her, comfy against him, and wondered, "Why?" "Nothing...I think. I hope. I'll have to talk to Kevin or Nate about it." She sat up then, and quietly asked. "How is Zach?" He sighed, a long, low one, and said, "Not okay, Princessa. I mean, he came back that night a wreck, and I nearly had to knock him out to get him to sleep. Next day he wakes up a Kevin-type workaholic, and then starts spending all his time on the roof. I don't know what he does up there, but he's put up enough shielding..." "Shielding! I thought he didn't..." "So did we. Apparently he learned a lot that night." He sighed again. "Anyways, we have no idea what he does up there, but he always comes back late and wakes up early. That can't be good for him." "Has he mentioned anything about Amy?" "Not a peep. In fact, he barely talks at all." She shook her head, almost distraught. "I wish I could know what he was thinking about." his mind whispered as he started into the night. His body was rather cold due to the winds that swept across the building during the night, but his hands were warm, almost painfully so. He was trying to construct a locator and tune it without being near the person, and even Zoicite would have trouble with that. It was intricate, long work, with few places to stop and let the crystal just work by itself. He knew the others had to be worrying about him, especially Serena, but he didn't have the time right now. He had to find her. He couldn't fail her again. Even now, he'd still occasionally be awoken by that hideous nightmare, those hellish last minutes Zoicite had contended with for his end. It had been his motivation to go on here. He couldn't sit by again, wait until he snapped to do something. Which is why he held her handkerchief in his hand. It was the only piece of her that he had, and had been close enough. In making this locator, need wasn't enough; you needed something that had been around the person, that had their "scent," though it was really just their residual bio energy. In a way, it was a bloodhound, not a tracking device. Crystalline magic was a tricky, exact science, which is why it suited Zoicite--and also was why he was the weakest. his mind sang again as he picked up the cloth. He bet himself that if he paused to smell it, it would still carry the scent of spring air and roses. He sat back for a moment, letting the crystal contraption cook as he inhaled the fragrance. He was right, except for the one piece he'd forgotten: the sharp, metallic smell of blood that was just enough to tickle his nose. His own blood, in fact. He closed his eyes, and let himself picture that wonderful day. It was after the second fight, and a weekend, and he had taken some time to walk down to the park to check out the sight. He found less residue than from the first, and decided that whoever was making them was refining their skills. Which was true; Selene had taken a lesson from Katarina on an easier way to bind DF before she had created it. It roused unhappy thoughts in his mind, and set him wandering among the flowers, and nearly straight into a patch of roses. He stopped before he blundered through them, and leaned over to smell them. The dark peach shot with yellow flowers were no disappointment, even if he needed to get in really close to capture the sweet fragrance. He paused above them again, and wondered if he should bring one to Serena. She seemed to like roses a lot; in fact, she was setting up pots on her balcony to grow some, along with some other flowers. He leaned in to delicately pluck one of the buds off, so she could possibly identify it when she went to buy some...but his fingers only closed around a patch of thorns, sending him leaping back. "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to take flowers from the park?" "Mother always said that...ouch...Nature's gifts were free," he replied, turning as he cradled his injured hand. He found, to his surprise and delight, a bemused (and blushing)(slight) Amy. He offered her a half-cocked smile in return, taking a breath to catch the rest of the scent and adding, "And these are definitely precious gifts, Miss Mizuno." "It's Amy, Zachary..." "Please, just Zach." "Zach," she said, testing the word. "Did you find any diseases on the plants?" chorused through his mind, and his smile slipped into a grin. "Not a hint. In perfect order," he gestured. "You're bleeding!" she suddenly gasped. "Huh?" he muttered, looking down. Where his fingers had grasped the thorns were little pinpricks of blood, welling oh-so-gently up from them. Quickly he fumbled about for something to wipe them with, and suddenly found a handkerchief dangling in front of him. "Amy, I wouldn't want to..." "Please," she replied gently. "You helped me identify that polymer, and this is the least I could do." "Thanks," he said with a relieved grin, and she grinned back. He'd kept the hanky, obviously, and they'd talked for awhile. In fact, he'd bumped into her on accident a few time, and they'd always been pleasant to each other. In fact, he smiled a lot more around her, a lot more than usual, and guessed that she did as well...and he caught little blushes, too. Everytime he walked away he caught himself wishing he wasn't, wishing he could pour out his past and history and apologies, massive apologies to her. He shook his head, cutting off the thought. It didn't matter how much his logical, analytical mind tried to warn him off. It didn't mater that he'd only seen her a few times, only talked with her briefly, only been able to come in contact with her by sheer accident...he was falling love with her. That was it. He was falling in love with her. He moved forward again, hands heating as he neared the crystal. The sky was clouding over; he was going to have to move quickly in order to get this next step finished. Quietly, his mind added, The Master was pleased at the night's catch. "Well done, Hielo," he said, voice nearly a purr, hand a washed out blue near the man's head. His head tilted back in ecstasy at the energy washing through him, and let out a comforting sigh. "With one Senshi captured, they will be so shaken they won't know where to turn. And that's when we catch them off guard." He smiled, a cruel, happy smile. "Did you like the way I handled Crystal, Master?" Hielo whispered. "I'll tell you what I liked," the Master hummed. "I liked how you captured her...but you held her too close." With that, a purple spray of energy ripped from his hand and struck Hielo, sending him back into the wall. "And Selene...did you get any Generals tonight?" The dark haired woman cowered in the corner, barely raising her head to reply. "No, my Master...the cat could not touch one of them, and I..." "It is all right, my dear," he whispered soothingly, and suddenly she was in front of him. His hand gripped her throat, and hoisted her slightly into the air; she yelped, but the blue energy poured in, just enough to nearly blot out the pain. She cooed even as his hand was around her throat, and relaxed slightly. "You WILL do better next time." "Yes, Master...I will, Master." He set her down then, hand stroking her hair, still supplying the blue energy. She paused then, and barely shifted her head to try and look up at him; he forced it back down. "Will I still have my two men, Master? I desire them more and more." He chuckled, and then looked up, hand loosely toying with her hair. "What about you, Katarina? You have visited the battlefield a time. Who do you wish for?" "My Lord..." and she paused, taking a step from her shadows. "Perhaps Zoicite for a servant...and..." her eyes lit like emerald flames now, "General Jadeite. My Lord, I desire the General Jadeite!" "He shall be yours, Kat," he pronounced solemnly. A smile curved over her lips gleefully, and he smiled back slyly. Then, he let a lance of blue out at her before disappearing, probably off on one of his many hidden businesses. "What did the Master say for the Senshi prisoner?" Katarina asked. "Nothing," Selene replied. "Nothing," Hielo muttered. He looked to the room where she was kept. "But I want...need..." "Hielo! Calm yourself! The Master will not be pleased if you..." "Oh shutup, Katarina!" Selene snapped. "I am sure the Master not mind if our dear brother indulges himself." She looked at him with a soft smile. "Right, Hielo?" "I'm telling you, this is not right!" Katarina snapped. "Buzz off," Hielo said. "I will have no part of this," she replied softly, eyes moist even as she turned away. Why...why did she care what he did? "Go ahead, brother," Selene purred. "I will keep her away." He smiled at her, green eyes flaring brightly, then walked over to the door and slowly opened it. Inside, aways back lay Sailor Mercury, healed and awake, yet bound and gagged. He walked over and knelt by her, stroking her face for a brief second. "Hello, my dear," he whispered, and her eyes widened. Standing, he added, "This should only take a moment." The door fell closed. The day dawned humid, with a slight overcast; the weather didn't ease up as the day went on. In fact, it could be said that it got worse. All of this prompted Raye to head to the shrine and get some overdue work done. She'd been taking some school courses in teaching, and was hoping that one day she'd be able to tutor girls, guys, PEOPLE, like her, gifted with psychic abilities. She didn't want anyone to go through what she had, the teasing and such, just because she was SPOOKY. She changed, checked a mirror, and was surprised to see how different she seemed. she thought quietly. She was sweeping off the front portion, the "plaza" almost, when Jared slowly made his way up the stairs. His jacket was open due to the humidity, and a bunch of wild, purple flowers were budding in his grip. It'd been a minor surprise to find his psychometry affected them, since normally natural things were Zach's department. he thought as he hit the top. Immediately a strong presence intruded on her mind, and her broom moved slower as she concentrated on it. Her crows fluttered down from their perch, and she stopped as they righted themselves. In his hands, the flowers sprang upwards, leaves alive with energy. "Hello?" he called. "Anyone here?" "What do you want?" he thought as she appeared. This could be Raye, a raven haired, dark eyed beauty with crows on her shoulders (bristling? Hope not), broom in one hand. Somewhere deep inside a voice whispered , and he nearly blushed/burst out laughing, mortified but not--and that in itself was weird. The flowers in his hand seemed to shimmer as his eyes found her, and he cut the flow. "I'm here to look about the shrine," he said. He took a step forward, adding, "I'm also looking for a maiden named Raye. Her grandfather told me to bring her these next time I came. So I did." She stiffened a bit, staring at the mess of blooming, shiny, deep purple flowers in his hand. Tears came to her eyes, quite unintentionally; it was just that Amy had introduced her to orchids, first shown them to her, in fact. She was gone now, taken by... "Thank you," she said quietly. "I'll take them to her." "She's here? I'd like to deliver them personally," he said casually, but his brow furrowed a bit. "No...she's busy. But I'll give them to her personally," she replied, moving closer even as her crows adjusted themselves. "Its no problem," he smiled. "Beautiful flowers for a gorgeous girl." She stood shyly for a moment, still staring at the flowers and holding her broom, his words like raindrops on her back, before moving forward to take the flowers. In that brief moment when the blooms passed from hand to hand, energy flared in them. The two gasped and stepped back as their energy--his stored in the flowers and her natural power--combined in the plants. The flowers floated right out of her hand, flowering as they did, a cloudy glow mixing with a red hot sparkle familiar to both surrounding them. The sight was spell binding, and it kept them bound for a minute or two-- that is, until a loud clap of thunder seized them. "YOU!" they cried out at the same time, and she moved forward, eyes dark fire. The flowers still floated in the air, but seemed to sag at the same time. "I'm not..." "Why are..." They stopped, realizing their words rang together in the air. For a moment it seemed he would speak, and she was going to let him, because he'd better have a good reason for being here. "Raye, who are you talking to?" came a voice instead, and as she looked away he snatched the flowers down. The bright eyed, little old man trotted up. "No, Grandfather!" she cried out, and he stopped, and looked between them. And grinned. "You came back! Finally!" he said, rushing forward to grip his hand. "And you brought the flowers, too! Good boy!" "This is the GUY you met?" Raye quickly deduced, voice incredulous. "Yep," he replied, and Jade sheepishly grinned. "Jade, this is Raye," he introduced. "Hi," Jade said. "We've met," Raye replied sourly. "Her bark is worse than her bite," Grandpa whispered to him. "Give her the flowers. He extended his hand shyly, with a sweet half smile on his face and a glint in his eye. It was infuriating to Raye that she went to grab the flowers; and, ever so accidentally, she gripped his hand instead. A shock ripped through both of them, suppressing the grin/glare on both of their faces as a picture flooded their mind. /Jadeite stood on one side of a plain./ /Mars stood on the other./ /They stared at each other, a wind pulling back Mars' hair, revealing a tiara emblazoned with the symbol of Mars. His own uniform marked him clearly; there was no need for a symbol./ /He smiled./ /She smiled./ /"Hello, love./ Raye drew a breath in concert with Jared as Grandpa clapped his hands over theirs. "Good, good!" he crowed. "Come inside and have some tea." "I couldn't...uh, shouldn't..." Jade said, eyes still on Raye's. He broke the gaze to look at her Grandfather, and with sorrow in his voice said, "I'm sorry." His grip broke on her hand, spilling the flowers as he turned away. Outside he sat by a pillar, hands stuffed in his jacket, trying to recover from the...intensity of emotion that had swept them both. "Fish sticks," Grandpa said. "Aw well, I hoped you wouldn't scare him off." He never noticed that Raye still held one flower, one open orchid as contrasted to those spilled on the ground. She stared at the flower, at the revealed center...and was surprised to find eyes, purple eyes, eyes she saw everyday staring back at her. Older, wiser--but they were still her eyes. "Jadeite," the winds seemed to whisper. "Jade," the trees rustled. "Jadeite," the pond gurgled. "Jade," the flowers giggled. >Jadeite, Jade. Jade, Jadeite. No difference,< the eyes in the flowered communicated, a thought that lanced through her brain. Memories tumbled around her brain, strange memories, of fights, and monsters, and tents, and exotic places, passionate kisses, and tender arms, and always in those pale blue eyes, those pale, pale blue eyes. /"Trust us, Sailor Mars."/ /"Beautiful flowers for a gorgeous girl."/ She dropped the flower in such a hurry, and as it fell among its brothers and sisters she ran, ran across the plaza, ran down the steps, and looked about. her mind crowed. Jade looked up from where he'd been resting, eyes heaving, and was very surprised to see the shrine maiden----looking about wildly. "Are you okay?" She turned at the sound of his voice, and ran up to him so fast he wondered if he should erect shields. She stood above him, out of breath, but eyes alive, on fire stoked to wonder, not to kill. These eyes met his own, a curious pale blue. Sparks flew. He stood up, eyes never straying. He took a deep breath, eyes staying put. His hand reached out for her own, and she grasped it. "Jadeite," she said. "Mars," he said. "Jade." She moved closer. "Raye." He stood still. "Jadeite and Jade." "Mars and Raye." They were barely separated, hands still interlocked as if the grip kept them alive. He felt like he shouldn't draw a breath, just in case him exhaling would break this dream, this wonderful dream. Suddenly she was buried in him, in his coat, and his arms were around her, and she was speaking. "Please explain this," she said. "I don't know...you are Jadeite, you are Jade, and I...I...feel so..." He shushed her quietly, stroking that glorious mane of hair. "What do you want to know, Raye?" he asked quietly. "I want to know you," she replied in a soft voice. "I want to know why you...why I'm safe here. I should be in trouble. But I'm safe." He smiled despite himself, despite that note of worry in her voice. "Let me hold you for a moment," he said. "Just a moment, and I will explain everything." Sometime later, as raindrops splattered on the couple, still standing there, she looked up at him. "It's raining." He nodded. "How about some tea?" He nodded again, and she carefully disengaged himself from her. For a moment he attempted to take his hand back, but hers was firmly implanted in it. Best of all, she smiled at him. Was smiling at him. "If you hear tear...falling like rain on the...you don't know what you're lis...is me missing you." Darien looked up, annoyed at his radio. He walked over to it and fiddled with the dials, trying to tune in the correct station. It didn't help that it was raining, had been raining since yesterday, and while it was good for his plants, it wasn't good for him. Finally the station tuned back in, but it was into the beginning of the next song. He turned back to his chair, slinging himself back into it, slipping on his glasses and gripping his pen as the words began. "Hold it right there...don't say a word...I hear a voice...I've never heard...calling my name...saying this is the one...oh, my goodness what have you done?" He smiled. It was country, it was English, but it spoke to him and his heart. His pen raced over the paper as he touched off his collection of thoughts. After all, Mina and Lita would hardly want to hear a sloppy presentation of proof that the Princess was alive, and that Sailor Pluto was connected to it. he thought. he cut himself off as his pen finished its last stroke. Standing, he went into the kitchen, thunder rumbling pleasantly as he checked on the water for cocoa. As he walked back into the room, a tapping came on his door, and deposited his notebook to answer the door. "Come on in," he called. The two girls stepped in immediately, Mina pulling back the hood of her raincoat as Lita snapped closed a drenched umbrella, spraying water on the floor. "In the bathroom," he said to her, and she grinned sheepishly as she slipped out her shoes and walked to put it there. Mina followed to hang her raincoat on the shower hook, then returned with a cheery smile. Lita returned a moment later as well, face contorted. "What are you listening to?" The music had switched now from the love song to a soulful croon of "Read my mind..." He walked over and switched it off, explaining, "American Country music. Quite sappy." "Twangy," Mina put in, her accent hitting as far South as she could. It made him smile, and Lita laugh. "Sit down," he gestured. "I'll get the cocoa." He forgot that he'd left his notebook on the table, open. Facing them. When he returned, they looked up at him. "Is this...true?" Lita asked, barely breathing. "You seem to have proof," Mina followed. He sighed, and set down the cups, gently snatching away his notebook before sitting down in his own chair. "I was going to lay this out for you," he explained. "Present my proof from my notes. But you've read those." "Darien...go on. What did you get that we haven't," Lita demanded. Her face softened. "If she's alive..." "I know," he softly. "It hit me hard yesterday, when I was going over my manuals. Suddenly, pieces clicked in the back of my mind, and I fell out of my chair." Despite the serious subject, both girls giggled. "I was so...surprised that I immediately checked to see if I had a fever," he went on, ignoring their giggles. "I didn't, but I had an idea. So I started looking back, to those letters first, and then to our recent encounters. The letters didn't give me much, but our battles..." He grinned broadly. "Tell us!" Lita demanded. "Well, it started with these." He drew forth some of the flowers he'd received, along with the whole red string. Neither had seen them yet; he'd planned to surprise them at dinner, but then it hadn't happened. They gaped as he recalled the night behind them, and what he found and felt the day he came back. "This is proof that Serena's back?" Mina whispered. "What if..." "I'm not finished," he gently intruded. "Remember the last battle?" "Mercury," Lita said glumly. Mina sympathetically gave her a sideways hug; she was really taking this hard. It was, after all, so close to the day Serena had...died, and it seemed like the enemy had deliberately shown up just at the time of their greatest pain. It also really ticked them both off, but they couldn't stomp around angry--they had to wait, plan, and then kick their butts. "Not just that," he said. "Zoicite." "Huh?" Mina asked. "Isn't he..." "The one that left? Yes. But remember before?" They stared at him blankly. What was he talking about? He stood now, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Suddenly, a layer of blue light appeared in front of him. He strained a little, and the top of it turned clear, leaving blue edging around a little window. Another push, and the window filled with colors that swirled together and swiftly formed a picture. "Darien..." Lita gasped. "When..." Mina gaped. "Yesterday," he replied. "I was fiddling around in my mind, in my memories, trying to pass the time--and I suddenly did this." He walked around to it, touching the screen; a black blot appeared, and he sheepishly cleared it away. "I'm not the best at it yet," he added, touching it again. This time the sworls faded out and then into another picture, this one of the battle they had last experienced. "Is there sound?" Mina asked as General Kunzite's lips moved silently. "Ah, yes," he replied, and immediately it began to play. "Endymion called it a 'frames of memory'; I'd call it a 'movie of the mind'. It takes your memories and plays them back for people to see." "That is weird," Lita whispered. "Princess Jupiter said the same thing," he replied with a grin. "Now watch." The Generals looked about, as did he--Tux--and then suddenly the vision skewed to the left, revealing Hielo holding the Crystal Knight. Once again, he absorbed that image, that somehow chilling image, into his mind and processed it. barked a soft voice within him. "PRINCESS!" Zoicite's voice rang out loud and clear over the picture, causing both girls to jump. He closed his eyes and the frame disappeared immediately, then opened them to face the two of the standing up. "He can't be talking about our Princess," Mina said. "Sailor Moon never had powers like that!" Lita added. "That's true," he said. "And when did Sailor Moon start hanging around with the Generals and Sailor Pluto, too? Some of these pieces don't seem to add up." He stabbed at empty air, adding, "But what that man said...and how the Crystal Knight acts...I think there's something of our Serena there, and here in Tokyo. I just don't know what something of her." He turned and sat down again, and they complied as well. He let them sip their drinks and calm down, taking in what he'd said before he dropped the next shell on them. "Then there's what I felt when I held her," he said. Lita nearly dropped the cup; Mina's eyes flew wide. "What?" she gasped. "You held her, and still..." "Have I told you about the buzzing?" he broke in. When they shook their heads no, he said, "Just before the first battle, a buzz started up in my head, like a little fly had gotten stuck in my brain. It's been almost incessant ever since, sometimes soft, and when I was around the Generals and the Crystal Knight, loud and annoying. In fact, it was hard to concentrate with that going on." He took a sip and continued. "But when I held that girl in my arms, and looked into eyes that were identical to Serena's...it stopped. That buzz totally stopped. And I...I've never felt so complete in my life." His voice had fallen to a hushed, captivating whisper, and they stared at him for awhile. Lita thought. "Why would she do this to us?" she asked quietly. "She had to know the pain she caused when she left...why..." "It was me," he replied softly. "It's my fault." "But Darien, those dreams...you can't blame yourself totally for trying to protect her," Mina reminded him. It had the opposite effect. Instead of calming him, his features hardened, and his eyes went from a calm periwinkle to shining ice crystals of midnight blue. "That isn't an excuse anymore," he snarled. "I should've talked to her, should've tried to help her understand. Instead, like an idiot, I walked away from the best thing in my life!" His fist hit the table, upsetting the cocoa mug--not that he noticed. "You know what I did that night? I walked to a pier and cried. CRIED! Why? Because I knew I'd just ruined my best chance with her. My ONLY chance with her. She would've taken me back that instant, but instead I broke the rose and walked away." He slumped in his chair. "And she believed me," he added. "She believed every word I said, even when I was lying through my teeth. So she walked out of here thinking I didn't love her. What a crock. I loved her...love her more than life. I would've died for her a hundred times over. I still would. Five years, and not a feeling unchanged." Silence hit the room then as he slumped more into himself, into his chair, as the cocoa dripped on the table, as the girls sat stunned. They'd heard the gentle declarations of love by Darien before, and knew in their hearts that he cared as much as before...but this OUTBURST was totally unexpected. And now it was painfully clear how much he cared, and how much he HAD to believe that Serena was still alive. Lita thought as she looked at him. Mina thought. Her own eyes hardened. "What about Sailor Pluto?" His head raised from his own thoughts, and he smiled. "Sailor Pluto is the Crystal Knight's guardian, and her companion. In fact, she may have been the one to bring her here," he said. "Really? How?" "Probably summoned them as I was," he replied candidly. "Ouch," Mina said. "No kidding. You came back with more bruises than anyone should have," Lita added. "It was the in-between trip that got me," he smiled. His mood began to break, to drift away, just as the clouds outside began to break. "Seriously, though, I believe that Sailor Pluto is closer than we think." "What do you mean? According to what you and the cats say, she has to guard the Gate of Time," Mina said. "Unless there's an emergency," he put in. "A dire one. And I'd say Senshi napping is a dire emergency. We've never faced anything like this before." "True. So where is she, then?" "I'd bet she was staying someplace fancy," Mina smiled. "She seems the type." "On the contrary Mina," Darien said, and now he stood up. Finally noticing the cocoa mess, he wandered to the bathroom and found a rag to clean it up. As he did, he said, "She lives in this building." "I didn't quite catch that," Lita said. "Neither did I," Mina added. "What I said," he replied, standing up, "was that Sailor Pluto lives in this building." Their eyes flew wide in concert, and Mina gasped out, "Sailor Pluto...here..." But it was Lita's breath that drew the most attention. "He's right! Oh...he's right!" "What?" "Mina, remember the first day I met Nate, and he knocked you down?" "Yea. He said something about 'paying you back.'" "That was because I had knocked down the woman he came in with the day we had dinner here," she explained. "And that woman looked EXACTLY like Sailor Pluto." The day dawned clear, the storm clouds having moved on during the night. Tiny wisps of cirrus were all that Serena saw when she bounded to the balcony door, and with a huge grin she turned back. "Setsuna!" she called. "I'm going outside to check the plants!" "Don't be too long--we have to get to work," the woman called back. "I know," she replied as she slipped outside. "I'll only be a minute." The sun had barely topped the skyline, sending out a stream of light over the city, the water, and turning everything a soft golden color. Serena thought, "Good morning," she told her plants. A few she had perched on the rail, but the rest she scattered around the porch, catching sunlight wherever they could. Bending down, she softly checked the buds and flowers, the leaves and stems-- all she could, basically. As she did, she sang a melody, something she'd heard a couple of days ago that touched her heart. |I'm sorry, I'm not gentle, I can say it in my dreams, my thoughts are about to short circuit, I want to be with you right now, The moonlight makes me want to cry, I can't even call, it's midnight. But I'm so innocent, what should I do?| she sang, song depressing but not. In fact, it made her think of Darien. her mind whispered, and she smiled brightly. She'd seen him, been close to him, and all of it had surged back to her. Everything from the first meeting to the Starlight Tower to the day he remembered to that crushing evening. All of it in a second as his eyes found hers. floated dreamily through her mind. She smiled and stood, going to check the plants on the edge. |Just one more weekend together, God, please give us a happy end, in the present, past, and future, I'll always be in love with you, when we first met, that so very dear glance you gave, I'll never forget, from the millions of stars in the sky, I can find you.Changing coincidences into chances, I love this way of life. A wondrous miracle approaches us, we meet by chance again and again...| "Are your plants doing well, Princess?" She froze, hand touching on a budding forget-me-not. A strong smell washed over her, tangy and familar, but at the same time completely foreign. She didn't look up, afraid for her eyes, a pulse pounding, mouth drying fear sluicing through her. When she finally looked up to catch the man's dark eyes, the Master smiled.