Chapter 125
As all this was happening, Serena was spending some time at the crown restaurant.
"What can I get you Serena?" Lizzie Tsukino asked solemly.
"Uh..my usual milkshake..say...you okay Lizzie?"
"Fine..I'll be back shortly," Lizzie replied in a similar monotone.
Of course something's wrong, she just doesn't want to tell me. Serena thought. Wonder how I could get her to.
Lizzie came back a few minutes later with her milkshake.
"Here you go Serena," she said and set it down.
"Wait Lizzie..you seem awfully depressed," Serena said.
"Serena, I have to work," Lizzie said.
"I'll wait till you're done," Serena said.
"Don't bother," Lizzie said and walked off.
Most people would listen to her and go away. Serena thought. But I'm not most
people.
An hour or so later Lizzie emerged from the restaurant. Serena watched as she headed down the street towards her and waited.
I'll just stumble into her, and then maybe she'll tell me. She waited and then as Lizzie got closer Serena rounded the corner, tripped and fell to the ground.
"Oh.hey..Lizzie...guess I just happened to be walking by," Serena muttered.
"Let me help you up," Lizzie said monotone and helped pull her off the ground.
"Uh..thanks..listen..since I'm here why don't you.."
"I have to get home."
"Can I walk with you?"
"You're awfully committed to finding out what's wrong with me."
"Yep, I want to help."
"You can't help," Lizzie said and started off.
"Sure, I can. I'm always finding ways to help people."
"Whether they want it or not?"
"In a sense," Serena said.
"Listen Serena..you know how I'm this good violinist right?"
"Yeah, sure, you're great."
"Right..well..lately, the pressure's been on and I haven't felt like doing anything."
"Oh..Lizzie, that's normal."
"Normal?"
"Sure..um..I don't know why, but it is."
"That doesn't help me."
"No I guess it doesn't, but...maybe if you keep trying."
"I just sit there for hours sometimes, not wanting to play a note. I mean..I love the violin, but..oh I don't know!"
"Calm down Lizzie."
"You can't help me here Serena, you see it's all me."
"No it's not Lizzie..well..you may have started it.kinda..but maybe I can motivate you."
"I don't see how. Really Serena, you shouldn't waste the time."
"Lizzie, all I do is waste time, I'm very good at it."
"Oh.."
Minutes later they had arrived at Lizzie's house.
"Now why don't you try and practice and when you don't feel like it, you tell me why," Serena said. I sound like a psychiatrist. That's kinda annoying. Serena thought.
"Okay.." Lizzie said and picked up the violin. She began a piece slowly and raised her pace slightly. Then a note slipped. She slipped again and pulled the bow away from the violin.
"I haven't gotten that note right all week," she said with disgust.
"Is it a hard note?" Serena asked.
"Well yes," Lizzie said. "But it shouldn't be that hard."
"I'm sure you'll get it eventually."
"I don't have till eventually, I have recital in a week."
"You're just nervous."
"I'm also behind."
"Okay..but have you ever been behind before."
"No, not really."
"Oh..okay...well..people have made comebacks before it isn't that hard."
"Sure it is."
"Well.if things like this were easy, I'd be involved in them," Serena said.
Lizzie grinned slightly.
"I just don't understand, I've played tougher pieces before, but now I can't seem too, and worse I don't even want to try."
"There's nothing wrong with that."
"There isn't?"
"Sure..people want to quit all the time. I usually am one of those people that do...but it's the people that tough it out, they're the great ones..the hard workers. Sure..it must be tough with a recital coming up and all, but you've played in recitals before, you're a great violinist. You can do it."
"Maybe...but Serena, even if I have the talent."
"You do have the talent."
"So I have the talent, but I just don't want to do it. I've got nothing to prove."
"That's different," Serena said.
"I know."
"So why don't you have anything to prove?"
"Because I play the violin for me..and for those who want to listen, but not because I have standards, I just like to make music. It's all about intrinsic value."
"What?"
"Internal motivation Serena."
"Oh...I was worried about that intrisic there.."
"Look, right now it doesn't mean that much to me to play in front of people. I wish I could just keep practing alone on my own terms."
"Well then do it."
"But then I'll let those people down."
"You just said you play for yourself."
"And those who want to listen.they want to listen to me play, how can I disapoint them?"
"Well if you get out there and play badly, you'll disapoint them too..you're still young. Why not wait a while until you're ready."
"I thought I was, it's just now that I've felt this way."
"You know who would be the perfect person for you to talk to?"
"Who?"
"Michiru..she's a friend..or I think she's a friend of mine..anyway..she's a violinist too."
"You think she could help?"
"Maybe better then I could. I can try to set something up tommorow or soon."
"Well that'd be great if you think she can do some good."
"I could call her right now."
"Uh..thanks.." Lizzie said.
Seconds later.
"Oh hi Michiru...this is Serena.."
"Hello Serena, I've been talking with your friends. Mina, Lita, and Raye."
"Oh...interesting aren't they?"
"Yes, something I can do for you?"
"Well yeah, see...I've got this friend, and she's a violinist..you know Lizzie Tillman."
"Yes the one at that concert that got trashed."
"Right..she's in a slump."
"A slump?"
"Yes, she's been having trouble playing. I was hoping you could talk to her."
"Now?"
"Maybe..if you're not too busy."
"Well..I have a minute or two...Mina and Raye are fighting over the last cookie..but..is she there?"
"Uh huh," Serena said. She handed the phone to Lizzie.
"Hello," Lizzie said.
"Hello Lizzie, I hear you're having some trouble," Michiru said.
"Uh..yeah..kinda. I don't feel like playing."
"That's only natural. Everyone goes through it. Even I did."
"You too?"
"Yes, you're wondering you even bother, day in and day out working like you do, you wonder for who you do it for. Well the question is...who do you do it for..."
"I thought I did it for myself."
"Well..it's always good to do things for yourself, but rarely do musicians make music only for their own ears."
"I like to play for others too, but I don't know if it's worth all the work."
"Only you can really know whether it is, but you seem like a girl who wants to have her music heard by everyone she can. That's not something that's easy, and sometimes, you need to take a break, or sometimes you need to fight to do it. To be honest, I don't know which thing you should do now. It's your call," Michiru said. "But Serena's there trying to help you right?"
"Uh..yeah..she's been helpful."
"You should talk to her about overcoming challenges."
"Uh..why?" Lizzie asked.
"Oh..um..well..she might have some interesting stories, you'd be surprised," Michiru said.
"Thanks Michiru."
"Sure, and if you have any more trouble tell Serena to call me...your sound is to good to lay quiet for too long."
"Uh..right..I will bye," Lizzie said.
"What'd she say?" Serena asked.
"A lot of stuff, she also says you know something about overcoming challenges for some reason," Lizzie said.
"Funny she should say that," Serena said.
"What did she mean?"
"Oh..well..see...I guess I've just had to deal with some difficulties..you see me and Darrien,yeah.that oughta work..me and Darrien have had a lot that has come between us..and each of us at various times has wondered whether it's worth it. But we're still toghether, and we're glad we stayed toghether. For you Lizzie, it's up to you."
"Serena, do you like my music?"
"Yep, all my friends do too..even those boys that date them, and trust me that means a lot."
"Really?"
"Sure..but Lizzie, you know what I think..if there are people who are disapointed, they shouldn't be...they should remember that they're the ones being honored to listen to your music and not the other way around."
"You make it sound so..I don't know..not nice," Lizzie said.
"Oh..really..well..I meant that you see it as a honor that they come to listen to you and it is. But it's also the other way around. And well..people who like music have to respect that the performers are human too..you can't be superhuman just because they want you to be. And a lot of them know that. Worrying about disapointing them is what you do, because you care about them. But if you're not ready, they'll understand, or they should."
"I guess.." Lizzie said. "Maybe I'm just thinking too much about it."
"It's only because you care Lizzie, you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, but you're hurting your own doing it."
"Yeah..I guess I am...tell you what I'll do..I'll try playing for you...no one else...if you'll sit and listen."
"Of course I will, free concert," Serena said. "I mean go ahead."
"Uh..thank you," Lizzie said and picked up her bow.
"And you take all the time you need.."
"Okay.." Lizzie said and readied herself.
She began to play and with a few slight slip ups went through it, not stopping once.
"Well..there was a few problems..but you know I can fix them.." Lizzie said.
"Go ahead, try again," Serena said. "It's a nice piece."
Lizzie went into the piece again, but halfway through it, she began to stop and gasp.
"What is it?" Serena said. Lizzie began to glow.
"Ahh.what it this?" she said.
"Lizzie, give me your violin quick," Serena said.
Lizzie did as she began to transform. Serena hurried into the hallway and stuck the violin into a closet.
"Come to think of it," Serena said and walked into the closet herself and pulled off her brooch.
"Celestial Moon Power!" she shouted and transformed. She walked out of the closet and crept back down the hallway towards Lizzie's room. She stopped and peered around the corner. Standing there was Lizzie, still human, but with a two long bulbs of her brown hair stretching down into two trails. Furthermore she was wearing an outfit very similar to one Sailor Moon know wore. She turned at the noise.
"Hey what are you doing!" Sailor Moon shouted standing in the doorway.
"I am Sailor Lizzie..where'd you get that outfit you..meanie!" Lizzie said.
"Uh..I'm kinda Sailor Moon. You know Champion of Justice, righter of wrongs, triumpher over evils...that sort of thing," Sailor Moon said.
"Oh...who does your hair?"
"Uh..me.."
"Oh..that's odd..you just kinda look like me that's all."
"No..you look like me. I was here first," Sailor Moon said.
"Oh...that's interesting," Lizzie said. "So what was that about what you do?"
"I said I'm Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice. I will right wrongs and triumph over evil. I guess that mean's um..you. On behalf of the moon I shall punish you!"
"Oh..that's quite catchy isn't it?" Lizzie said.
"Are you being sarcastic?" Sailor Moon asked.
"No I really like it. Let's see..okay..I'm Sailor Lizzie, Champion of um...Champions! I will right lefts, and triumph over beavers! That means....." she paused and gathered some breath.
"Boo!" she shouted.
"Ah.." Sailor Moon said.
"On behalf of the Moo I will shall punish you!"
"That's very annoying," Sailor Moon said.
"You mean you didn't like it?" Lizzie asked.
"No.." Sailor Moon said.
"I think we had better fight then."
"I was wondering when we'd get to that," Sailor Moon said.
"Well..I know this great place down by the river let's go..." Lizzie said.
"Oh..okay.." Sailor Moon said. "After you."
Guess I have to play by the rules, after all I am a hero.
Lizzie walked out the door of her room and then outside. Sailor Moon followed.
"Say..how far is this?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Just a few blocks," Lizzie said.
"Oh..I'm kinda surprised, why didn't you want to trash your house or something?"
"And break all my stuff?" Lizzie asked.
"Oh..good point," Sailor Moon said.
"I thought it was," Lizzie said. "You do this often?"
"Uh..yeah...it's kind of my job."
"Is the pay good?"
"I don't get paid."
"Good insurance."
"No."
"Pension?"
"No."
"Then why the heck do you do it?"
"Uh..cause it's the right thing to do."
"Aw..come on girl..this is the nineties, services rendered require just compensation," Lizzie said.
"Lizzie...I mean I know you've been converted by evil and all, but uh..how do you know this?"
"Come on..Sailor Moon, who would be a greater financial expert then the dark forces of evil."
"That's the most intelligent thing I've ever heard someone evil said," Sailor Moon said.
"Isn't it?" Lizzie asked. "But really..I mean no insurance..you could get hurt doing this."
"You don't say," Sailor Moon muttered.
"And no pension..how will you retire?"
"Well..to be honest, I don't know that yet, but actually it isn't my real job, it's more like volunteer work," Sailor Moon said.
"Oh I see," Lizzie said. "If you ask me, you're doing too much work for too little a price though."
"Maybe, but there are people that depend on me."
"Then they might not mind making some financial contributions."
"Or they might.." Sailor Moon said. "But now that you mention it...the city should owe us big time."
"See..is it wrong for you to ask for several million dollars to make up for the time and effort you spent."
"No of course not..several million?"
"Why not? Demand it or threaten to go on strike."
"Not a bad idea."
"We're here," Lizzie said and walked down to an embankment towards a long path by a small river.
"This is a place to fight a battle," Lizzie said.
"Uh..yeah..I guess," Sailor Moon said pulling off her tiara.
"Ready when you are.." Lizzie said.
"Uh..just what do you intend to fight me with?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Oh..my tiara, just like you do," Lizzie said and pulled it off.
"Good luck," Sailor Moon said. "I'm very good at this."
"You don't say."
"Moon Tiara Magic!" Sailor Moon shouted and threw her tiara.
"Moo Tiara Magic!" Lizzie shouted and held her tiara out which then morphed into a large stone giant in front of here. Sailor Moon's tiara bounced off the stone giant and flew back to her. Sailor Moon looked on in shock, and barely avoided being knocked in the head with her own Tiara, which she caught at the last second.
"What was that?" she said in shock.
"Can't your tiara do that too?" Lizzie asked.
"NO IT CAN'T!" Sailor Moon shrieked.
"Oh..well then you'll probably lose then," Lizzie said. "Go get him giant!"
The giant lumbered forward. Sailor Moon backed up slowly trying to think of what to do.
"Hmm...this could be a problem," she said having her moon sceptre appear in her hand.
The giant threw a punch at her. She jumped backward and avoid it.
Doubt my moon sword would do much. She concentrated and tried to bring on Mercury's aura. The giant tried to punch her again. She jumped out of the way, but lost her concentration.
Hmm..I don't know if I can stop it. But maybe..she thought and leapt upward and over the giant.
"Moon Sword!" she shouted. Her sceptre turned into a sword as she flew towards Sailor Lizzie who looked up in surprise as Sailor Moon dropped towards her. Sailor Moon did a kick and hit Lizzie right in the chest. She then brought her sword down to hit Lizzie in the stomach and give her a shock, but Lizzie grabbed her arm and pushed her off. Sailor Moon stumbled backwards and right towards the giant. She realized that and jumped forward, screeching as the giant tried to grab her. Lizzie jumped forward and tried her own high kick. Sailor Moon swerved to avoid it and hit the ground hard. She whirled around and moaned.
"Giant! Throw me at here!" Lizzie shouted. The giant picked Lizzie up and propelled her right at Sailor Moon, who gasped and then had an idea. She leapt up at the last second and drop kicked Lizzie right in the head. Sailor Lizzie fell out of mid air and collapsed. Sailor Moon used Jupiter's aura and picked her up. The Giant charged at both of them. Sailor Moon chucked Lizzie right at the Giant. He caught her and kept coming.
"That didn't work," Sailor Moon muttered and leapt away landing on the top of the embankment. Sailor Lizzie was put down by the giant.
"Running are you!" Sailor Lizzie said. "Fine, I'll just have my giant..trash the..um.."
"River?" Sailor Moon muttered.
"Uh...hmm..." Sailor Lizzie. "Giant go get her!"
The Giant started to rumble up the hill. Sailor Moon leapt to the side and then jumped down. Sailor Lizzie charged at her. Sailor Moon used Venus agility and flipped out of the way. The Giant came running down the hill towards her. She jumped up back up to the top of the embankment. The Giant scrambled back up the embankment towards her.
Sailor Moon grinned and jumped over it and jump kicked Lizzie who was just standing up. The Giant rumbled back down the hill towards her. Sailor Moon pushed Lizzie to the side and jumped out of the way as the Giant rumbled down and fell into the water.
"I can't believe I outwitted them," Sailor Moon said.
"Moon Healing Activation!" she shouted and Sailor Lizzie was covered with white light she sighed and was turned human again.
"That was relatively easy," Sailor Moon said. To her suprise the Giant stood back up out of the water and moved towards her.
"Isn't that supposed to disapear now? Uh..Moon Spiral..." She shouted hurriedly as the Giant raced up the hill.
"Hearts Attack!" she finished while he was inches away. The attack hit and blew the Giant apart in front of her. Sailor Moon sighed in relief and then hurried down to help Lizzie.
"You all right?" she asked.
"Sailor Moon..oh I'm so glad to see you," Lizzie said. "Are you all right?"
"I'm worried more about you Lizzie."
"I'm fine..say how do you know my name?"
"I'm all powerful..right?" Sailor Moon asked.
"Are you really?"
"Yes, Lizzie, yes I am," Sailor Moon said half heartedly.
"Say Sailor Moon, do you ever not like what you're doing?"
"Sure..lots of times," Sailor Moon said realizing she had an opportunity. "But you know Lizzie, I know that a lot of people depend on me, and that's what keeps me going. To tell you the truth though, I kinda like what I do to. It makes me feel good to help people."
"That's what it's all about isn't it?" Lizzie asked.
"I think so," Sailor Moon said.
"Thank you Sailor Moon," Lizzie said. "Say..do you know where my friend Serena is, she was here, and then I turned into that thing."
"Oh..she's back at your house, she called for help."
"Ah..I see.." Lizzie said. "Well I'd better get back there."
"Don't push yourself, you've been through some things, you don't want to overdo it."
"I think I'll be okay," Lizzie said.
"If you say so," Sailor Moon said.
CHAPTER 119 CHAPTER 120 CHAPTER 121 CHAPTER 122 CHAPTER 123
CHAPTER 124 CHAPTER 125 CHAPTER 126 CHAPTER 127 CHAPTER 128
CHAPTER 129 CHAPTER 130 CHAPTER 131 CHAPTER 132 CHAPTER 133