Chapter 115

"Terurun, I can't say I'm surprised that you failed," The Dark One said.

"My apologies Dark One," Terurun said.

"You are still my greatest warrior, but now I have to doubt even your abilities. You should have destroyed Sailor Venus while you had the chance."

"There were extenuating circumstances, but I still accept full responsibility," Terurun said.

"When you proposed to do a second attack in the same day I thought finally we would have success, but you failed then too. And the latest attack, also I failure."

"Yes I know," Terurun said.

"Let me ask you something Terurun..." Hotaru said and descended from her throne. "Why do you think it is so hard for us to achieve any success?"

"Uh...well your Darkness, I would have to say that among the reasons must be the randomness of humanity."

"Randomness of humanity," Hotaru spat. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that the human race is a very strange one, unlike many civilizations, every one's place is not completely defined. Furthermore, there is a disorder to it that."

"And what does this have to do with our mission?"

"All our tactical plans are based on some measure of logic dark one. We have to make certain assumptions which seem to be valid. Yet, the Sailor Scouts always seem to prove them wrong. No matter what steps we take to prevent their involvement they're somehow always there. That seems to be an unpreventable eventuality. So operations based on secrecy alone will not work. The only way we shall gain pure hearts is if we beat the Sailor Scouts back long enough to steal one and get away."

"Or if we destroy the first Sailor Scouts to arrive quickly enough."

"Yes Dark One. What we have not postulated into this equation is the death of one of our enemies. If that were to occur, there may be other opportunities."

"Indeed, but that is not easy to plan either."

"No it is not. Though, it may be possible to blow up the school the Sailor Scouts attend."

"I am still considering that to be a last resort. It would require too much energy."

"Not if we used conventional means."

"And while we are obtaining the conventional means, the Sailor Scouts might arrive and discover the plot. No...you must find another way. I want another pure heart."

"I will begin the search immediately."

"See that you do. Terurun, you know the Sailor Scouts will be there...so prepare for that."

"Yes your Darkness," Terurun said and walked out.

"Randomness of humanity," Tomoe muttered. "She speaks of it like it is such a foreign concept. I can't understand why. Does her civilization differ from ours that much? Well no matter, I have no time to consider the status of a civilization I am to rule. Progress may be proceeding at a slow rate, but we shall succeed, even if there is a randomness of humanity. I guarantee it," she said.

At a restaurant.

"So you glad that Rita's going to be home for a while?" Darrien asked.

"You bet, she's been away far too long Darrien," Andrew said.

"Hopefully some suave colleague hasn't stolen her away from you..eh?"

"Don't even joke about that. You know how much I worry," Andrew said.

"Don't trust her?"

"It's not a matter of trust....didn't you worry about Serena finding someone else while you were away?" Andrew asked.

"Andrew, I worry about Serena finding someone else when I'm sitting at the same table with her," Darrien said.

"Oh...well..then you see my point," Andrew said.

"Yeah," Darrien said with a grin. "Still, if there was any woman who wouldn't be tempted to leave you, it would be Rita."

"I certainly hope so," Andrew said.

An hour later inside New Tokyo International Airport.

"Hey Rita," Andrew said.

"Hey Andrew!" Rita said and gave him a hug. Darrien grinned as the two smoozed.

"How was the flight?" Andrew asked.

"It had it's bumps, and the airport at Texas was weird," Rita said.

"She had to come through the U.S. for connecting flights from Africa," Andrew said.

"Oh...yes America can be a very strange place," Darrien said.

"But Darrien, you wouldn't believe what I've seen over there," Rita said.

"What?" Darrien said.

"Sailor Moon t-shirts."

"So...there are plenty of those over here," Andrew said.

"Well yes, she's quite a big superhero, but in America...well..things are a little different, apparently someone got the idea to make a tv show based on her or something and things are getting out a hand."

"Why?"

"They canceled it."

"Oh..and what happened?"

"It wasn't pretty," Rita said.

Serena would be flattered to know she has her own tv show. Darrien thought.

"Well enough about that. How have things been here?" Rita asked.

"Well the arcade hasn't been attacked in about a month, that's a good sign," Andrew said.

"But never a guarantee..."

"You're right there," Darrien said.

"Oh...there's been more fighting?" Rita asked.

"Plenty of it, and the Prime Minister's been charging into battle herself," Andrew said.

"And getting hurt in the process," Darrien said.

"Yep," Andrew said.

"Oh Andrew..I don't want to hear the depressing stuff, let's just talk about how we'll spend our time together," Rita said.

"Uh good idea," Andrew said.

"Don't mind me," Darrien said with a slight grin as they got into his car.

"Moon Tiara Magic!"

"Mars Fire Ignite!"

"Jupiter Thunder Crash!"

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"

"Um..girls...could you not yell so loud?" came a voice.

Serena, Mina, Raye, and Lita turned away from the Sailor Moon arcade game to see Guy,

the assistant manager of the Crown arcade and the guy who covered for Andrew when he wasn't around.

"Andrew lets us yell all we want," Serena said.

"Well I'm not Andrew, I'm Guy," Guy said.

"And you have a stupid name Guy," Raye snapped.

"Hey...behave or I'll have to ask you to leave, frankly I don't see why you girls are still playing this game. No one's beaten it yet," Guy said.

"Well we have a certain interest in it," Mina said.

"Yes, we're testing it's realism," Lita said.

"How?" Guy asked.

"Uh..none of your business," Lita said.

"Hey Girls!" Melvin said hanging down from the ceiling.

"MELVIN!" the four shouted.

"Uh..Melvin, how are you hanging from the ceiling there?" Guy asked.

"Trade secret," Melvin said.

"Free hits," Lita said.

"Yeah," Raye said.

"Woah..no..wait," Melvin said. "Perhaps you'd be interested in this."

The girls noticed for the first time he was holding a book in his hand.

"That's not another edition of that dating guide is it?" Serena muttered.

"No...it's something better," Melvin said and showed them the cover.

"The Ultimate Strategy Guide to Sailor Moon, the Arcade Game," Lita read.

"Beat the game in no time at all.." Mina said continuing to read.

"All the tips you need," Raye said.

"Why is Sailor Moon look so fat in that picture?" Serena whined.

"Actually that looks about accurate," Raye said.

To the surprise of the others, Serena pulled her right foot out of her shoe, removed her sock and hit Raye in the face with it.

"Ugh! What was that about?" Raye said.

"I challenge you to a duel," Serena said.

"With a sock?" Lita asked.

"No..we won't duel with a sock..." Serena said.

"That's not what she meant," Mina said.

"I didn't have a glove to challenge her with," Serena said.

"I accept your challenge," Raye said.

"Fine.....oh...uh now what?"

"Um...I'll get back to you on that," Raye said.

"So would you girls be interested in renting this book from me for your stay here?" Melvin asked.

"Renting?" Mina said.

"You entrepreneurial idiot," Lita said and grabbed the book away.

"Hey!" Melvin said.

"Melvin..I'll have to ask you to stop hanging from the ceiling," Guy said.

"Be down in a sec," Melvin said and fell seconds later slamming into the floor.

"Oh great, character profiles," Lita muttered looking through the book.

"That's all we need," Mina said.

"Sailor Jupiter is the brawler of the group. She can fight, but don't count on her to make any strategies? Hey! I'm as smart as anyone else..." Lita said.

"Lita..keep it down," Mina said.

"Sailor Venus, is acrobatic and quite powerful, although also not a brain surgeon," Lita read with a grin.

"I could be.." Mina said.

"Do you forget your experience with nursing everyone during the flu."

"Oh that..heh heh..." Mina said. "And so I'm not a brain surgeon, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"Let me see that..." Raye said took the book. "Sailor Mars uses martial arts for her hand to hand attacks and has a very short fuse."

"WHAT?" Raye shouted.

"You're right..why would they ever think that?" Lita said.

"Yeah..those fools," Mina said.

"What do they say about me?" Serena said.

The other three looked at the Sailor Moon section and started to laugh.

"What?" Serena said.

"Oh...nothing." Mina said giggling.

"Serena, I really don't think you want to see this," Lita said.

"Show her, show her," Raye said with a grin.

"Gimme!" Serena said and took the book.

"Sailor Moon is a free loader? What...while possessing the most powers, she also has the smallest ability to use them. The other four scouts will be needed to bail her out of trouble until she can somehow fumble her way to victory! That's not true...well..not anymore! Or maybe..not that much! I resent that," Serena said.

"Why do you resent it?" Melvin asked popping up.

The girls tensed.

"And for that matter..why do you guys refer to the Sailor Scouts like they were talking about yourselves?" Melvin continued.

The group tensed again.

"Drink Melvin?" Amy said sliding up apparently out of nowhere.

"Oh.uh thank you.." Melvin said and took a sip. He fell to the ground seconds later.

"Woah..what happened?" Guy asked.

"Melvin fell asleep," Amy said. "Just leave him there, he'll wake up in an hour."

"Oh.." Guy said.

"Amy? What did you do?" Lita asked.

"Gave him some water with a small dose of sleeping pill in it, very small," Amy said.

"But why?" Raye asked.

"Sleeping pills cause partial retrograde memory loss, Melvin shouldn't remember the last fifteen minutes if my calculations are correct," Amy said.

"Isn't that a little drastic?" Serena said.

"Perhaps," Amy said.

"What? Do you just keep that stuff with you?" Mina asked.

"Well yes..it had it's uses didn't it?" Amy asked.

The other four looked at her with slight fear.

"Hey girls," Andrew said walking in with Rita on his arm and Darrien following.

"Hey Andrew," Serena, Lita, and Mina said dreamily.

"Hello Rita," they all growled though not meaning it.

"Nice to see you girls too..." Rita said with a smile. They smiled back.

"Why is Melvin on the floor?" Andrew asked.

"He uh..fell asleep," Guy said.

"Oh..." Andrew said.

"Something I should know about?" Darrien whispered to Serena.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, and I really mean that."

"Try me?"

She whispered the whole account into his ear.

"That's absurd, what really happened?" Darrien asked.

"See?" Serena whispered back.

Later.

"This is a wonderful place Andrew?" Rita said as the two sat on the patio of a fancy restaurant.

"Yeah..I heard it was great," Andrew said.

"And I'm so glad to be back here. I love my work, but there are times when I'm out there that I wish I was back here with you."

"Well now you are."

"Uh...yes..." Rita said and stared at the floor.

"You got another offer didn't you?" Andrew said.

"Yes..." Rita said.

"Did you take it?"

"I had to.."

"Had to?"

"Yes. Andrew..this one was the big one. Doctor Jones asked me personally."

"Who?"

"Doctor Jones, simply the most prominent Insect Archaeologist in the world. Andrew..we could make many discoveries and lots and lots of money...money that can help us build a family, and you can go to medical school."

"I've actually earned enough to go for three years already," Andrew said. "I'm almost there."

"Well...then we'll have more money," Rita said.

"I don't particularly care about the money," Andrew said. "I care about you. Just how long do you plan to keep travelling out of the country anyway?"

"Andrew, if I finish this project, I can get a professorship at a university for sure, then I can live here all the time," Rita said. "I'm only thinking of you."

"Really...now that's hard to figure," Andrew said. "Rita..I have to go..."

"What?"

Andrew stood up and walked out of the restaurant.

"Excuse me Madam...oh..wasn't there a man at..." the waiter.

"Yes," Rita said and stood up and headed out, but by the time she got to the door Andrew had already disappeared.

"That's not good is it?" Lita asked as the five girls watched from behind a bush across the street.

"No it's not," Darrien said appearing behind them.

"What are you doing here?" Mina asked. "Spying on romantics is reserved for girls only?"

"Sorry, but I was worried about Andrew, I figured Rita might have another surprise for him" Darrien said.

"You think it's over?" Serena asked.

"No, but it could be soon," Darrien said.

"Then Andrew is all ours," Lita said.

"Yes," Serena said.

"Serena?" Darrien asked.

"Oh...I mean..no..no...bad idea," Serena said.

"Never mind that," Darrien said. "You girls should find out what's going on."

"What?" the five asked.

"Well you're good at the romance stuff..you're spying right here. You five should try and find out what the problem is and then do what you do," Darrien said.

"Ehh..as much as I want Andrew, he'll probably be pretty unhappy if we don't help," Lita said.

"We'll get right on it," Serena said.

"Let's go," Mina said.

"Ehh..okay..if you say so," Raye said.

"I really don't even know why I'm here?" Amy said, but followed the others.

"This should be good," Darrien said.

Later.

"Hey Rita," Lita said as she and Amy found the woman sitting in a booth at a restaurant the girls usually went to.

"Oh..Lita...well..I've got good news for you, any day now, Andrew's going to be yours for the taking," Rita said.

"I hope not," Lita said. "May we sit down?"

"I guess," Rita said.

"We thought we'd come by to see if we can help," Lita said.

"I don't believe we've met," Rita said looking at Amy.

"Oh..this is Amy Anderson..she's our resident expert on romance you know..she's the only one of my friends to have two guys chasing after her," Lita said.

"That's not true," Amy said and started blushing.

Rita grinned slightly.

"I appreciate you coming by and all, but I don't know what you can do, Andrew's upset at me again," Rita said. "You see I've been offered another position, if I take it I'll have to be overseas for two years, but...then I'll be able to live in Tokyo probably for the rest of my life if I want, and I'll be making a large amount of money. Large enough to send Andrew to Medical School like he wants, and we can have a family. I can't see why he can't wait another two years."

"You make a lot of sense Rita," Lita said. "But I don't think Andrew cares about that money, that's probably why he's upset, I know you're trying to think of him, but I think he wants to see you. That's important."

"But he will, I can get a professorship at the university if I take this job and furthermore, the opportunity to work with Doctor Jones only comes once in a lifetime," Rita said.

"I think Andrew thinks the second reason is more important to you," Amy said.

"You do?" Rita asked.

"Uh..I'm not an expert," Amy said.

"Sure you are," Lita said. "Amy's right, see Rita, you may have figured everything out, and it's not a bad idea you've come up with, but I can see how Andrew feels, he sees it as you running away for another two years to fulfill your ambition."

"But I'm not, I mean not really..well..I mean..I'm an archaeologist, this is what I do," Rita said.

"Well..we're not the ones you should talk to," Lita said.

"At least I think I know what his problems are," Rita said. "But I don't know where he is...he wasn't in his apartment, I have a spare key."

"Oh..." Lita said.

"You girls might know where he hides," Rita said.

"She would..." Amy said. "Lita's the expert with all Andrew matters."

"Uh..well..kinda..I followed him around a couple times, before I knew he was with someone that is," Lita said.

"And many times afterward," Amy muttered.

"Uh..yeah..that too..." Lita said.

Rita grinned.

"Can you help me find him?" She asked.

"Sure thing," Lita said. "I'll be along in a minute..just have to go..you know.." she said and headed for the bathroom. She pulled out her communicator.

"Serena..you there?" she asked pressing a button. A minute passed and Serena appeared.

"Sorry..I had to get away from Andrew..." Serena said.

"You found him?" Lita asked.

"Yep, he's at Darrien's place, Raye and Mina have decided to continue the search elsewhere."

"What do you mean? You found him?"

"Exactly, but Raye and Mina are off making sure he's not an evil doppleganger," Serena muttered.

"So they ditched you in essence," Lita said.

"Yes..in essence is a good term," Serena said.

"Well you talk to him, I'm going to bring Rita over," Lita said.

"Okay..good luck," Serena said.

"I don't get it, why can't Rita see that I don't care about the money or the prestige, I just want to be with her," Andrew said.

"Maybe she's more worried about your future," Darrien said.

"What goods a future if she's not in it," Andrew said.

"How poetic," Serena said dreamily.

"You know what this about Darrien, this is about her...she wants to be the big time archaeologist, and I'm welcome to tag along if I like, that's all. I can't wait another two years, by the time she gets back I'll be in med school," Andrew said. "And I'll have very little time for her."

"I see..you're afraid that by the time you finish med school and stuff she'll be fed up with you the same way you're fed up with her, and that'll be it."

"Exactly," Andrew said. "But it's also that I want her to be around for more than a week."

"You have to talk to her about it."

"I know, I know," Andrew said. "Any idea where she is."

"On her way right now," Serena said.

"But how did she know?" Andrew said.

"You have to trust your friends," Serena said. "We'll come through for you every time."

"Eventually," Darrien added.

"Uh oh," Lita said.

"What's that thing?" Rita asked.

"Bad news," Amy said.

The three were looking eye to eye with a daimon standing just down the street from them. Terurun was floating above.

"Your pure heart if you please," the daimon said.

"What? Mine?" Rita asked.

"Yes.."

"Fine..take it..but don't hurt the girls..." Rita said. "Get away girls."

Lita and Amy glanced at each other and then hurried back down the street.

"Wait, those are the..." Terurun shouted and flew down the street after them. The Daimon had since taken the heart out of Rita. Terurun stopped in mid stream and hurried back to get the heart.

"That's more important, getting the heart and getting out of here," she said.

"DEAD SCREAM!" came a shout. Terurun was hit with energy and blasted into the side of a building. Sailor Pluto leapt out of the air and swung at the daimon with her staff catching it off guard. It barely swerved to avoid it. Pluto went for the heart, but the daimon was quicker, it tossed it into the air and right to Terurun who caught it and the flew off quickly.

"I have one finally!" She shouted as she flew away.

"No!" Pluto shouted and leapt after her, but Terurun increased her speed, and dived into the city.

"I've lost her," Pluto said.

Sailor Mercury and Sailor Jupiter leapt down next to Rita quickly.

"Her..heart..where is it?" Mercury said.

"It's gone..." Pluto said walking up with a solemn look on her face.

CHAPTER 66 CHAPTER 67 CHAPTER 68 CHAPTER 69 CHAPTER 70  CHAPTER 71 

CHAPTER 72 CHAPTER 73 CHAPTER 74 CHAPTER 75  CHAPTER 76 CHAPTER 77

 CHAPTER 78 CHAPTER 79 CHAPTER 80  CHAPTER 81  CHAPTER 82 CHAPTER 83

CHAPTER 84 CHAPTER 85  CHAPTER 86 CHAPTER 87 CHAPTER 88 CHAPTER 89

 CHAPTER 90 CHAPTER 91 CHAPTER 92 CHAPTER 93 CHAPTER 94 CHAPTER 95

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