Chapter 230
Three days had passed since the battle. The scouts were all back in school, albeit slightly battered and bruised. Lita still had a cast on her right arm. A bandage still was wrapped around Rick's head, as well as Hotaru's. Michiru still needed the use of a crutch because of a broken ankle that would be mended soon enough. Amy, Serena, and Greg all had a few bandages to cover up some cuts. Setsuna had made sure that no one could make any connection between the group and the injuries.
"Well..how is everyone feeling today?" Setsuna asked.
The majority of the students moaned.
"I know just how you feel," she said. "I'll try to go easy."
"Thank you," the class replied.
At lunch.
"What's annoying is that my ankle has probably healed by now," Michiru said with annoyance.
"You can take the cast off it when you get home," Haruka said.
"And what will people think tomorrow?"
"Setsuna will handle it."
"I have to believe that this mystical power of reorganizing someone's mind can't work on everyone," Michiru said.
"I know," Haruka said.
"There is little we can do about it," Hotaru said. "My pain has also subsided."
"That's good to hear," Michiru said.
"These kinds of battles usually leave us a little beat up," Haruka said.
"Still it's never been this bad," Michiru said.
Haruka nodded.
"That is true," Michiru said. "It could have been worse."
"With the battle over, perhaps you two could answer a question on a different matter?" Hotaru asked.
"Sure Hotaru, what is it?" Haruka asked.
"How do you know if you are in love or not?" Hotaru asked.
Michiru and Haruka's eyes widened and they glanced at each other.
"Good question," they both replied in unison in surprise.
"What is the matter?" Hotaru asked.
"This is just going to take some time to answer that's all," Michiru said.
"Yes...in theory," Haruka said.
"You two have suddenly become nervous. Why?"
"Uh..let's just stick to the first question," Michiru said. "Haruka why don't you start?"
"No..I think this is more then a good time for you to lead off," Haruka said.
"No it isn't," Michiru said as pleasantly as possible.
"Do you two even know?" Hotaru asked.
"Of course," the two answered in unison.
"So what is the delay?" Hotaru asked.
Michiru and Haruka sighed.
And in the school's locker room.
"You wanted to talk to me Urawa?" Amy asked.
"Yes Amy," Urawa said. "I know we haven't seen each other for a few days, and I know why. Why didn't you tell me the truth about you?"
"I...don't tell the truth to anyone..I mean about that..Besides you didn't seem to like the scouts."
"Maybe I would have changed my mind if I had known you were one of them."
"Yes, that might have happened, but I was afraid you might leave me. Besides, the sailor scouts never give away their identities unless absolutely necessary. Telling you wasn't justified."
"So you're telling me that if we had gone even farther, say we had gotten married. You still wouldn't have told me?"
"Probably not. But that's for your own good as much as I own. We have to keep our battles as intrusive as possible."
"I bet," Urawa said, anger began to build.
"Don't get angry at me," Amy said. "I don't deserve that."
"I'm not sure about that. Amy I thought you trusted me."
"I do trust you."
"Then why did you have to go and lie to me."
"I never lied."
"You just omitted..is that what you're going to say?"
"Yes, it's different."
"And if I had asked?"
"You wouldn't have asked. You had no suspicion."
"Maybe, maybe not."
"Urawa..you're blowing this all out of proportion."
"Amy..I'm going to be honest with you even despite you're dishonesty. I was beginning to doubt this relationship could work."
"And just why is that?"
"You had some wonderful characteristics, but I can't live within the messed up life your friends have constructed around you with all their stupid antics. I'm not going to be drawn into this."
"I won't choose between you and my friends. I thought you were a caring intelligent person. You're nothing of the sort. I want nothing to do with you."
"You have no right to dump me first!" Urawa said. "How dare you. I have the justification."
"I do now," Amy said and slapped him. She then walked off solemnly.
"So how are things with Ken going Lita? I mean...I'm not jealous, just curious as a friend would be," Steve said somewhat nervously. Everyone glanced at him.
"It's nice of you to ask Steve," Lita said. "The truth is that Ken and I are getting along well, but I think we still have to figure out if we've got a real relationship or an Amy-Greg caliber one."
"Gotta watch out for those," Mike said. "They'll get every time," he said glancing at Greg.
"Yeah..boo.." Greg said.
"What's bothering you?" Mike asked.
"He just thinks Hotaru's in love with him that's all," Rick said
"WHAT?" the entire table said.
"Run Greg. I shall cover your escape," Mike said drawing a plastic knife and holding it out in front of him.
"Say. Where'd Amy and Urawa go?" Serena asked.
"Serena..later..we've got juicy things to discuss," Mina said.
"Think about it Mina," Serena said. "Amy and Urawa leave, don't come back."
"They wouldn't..." Mina said.
"Yeah..that doesn't seem to fit," Raye said.
"Still...if there's even a possibility," Lita said.
"It's our duty to find out," the four girls said and hurried from the lunch room.
"Where are they going?" Greg said.
"Couldn't tell you," the three others replied.
Amy stood on the roof staring at the city. She really had no idea what she was feeling. Was it guilt, anger, sadness, or was it a mix? She couldn't really pinpoint it. But she knew it wasn't good. A wind blew by.
It was nothing I did. He's being completely irrational. Isn't he?
Yes...that's right. I didn't do anything wrong. It's all his fault. Still that's
unfair. Why did that happen to me? Why did he have to have that side to him?
"We've checked everywhere except the roof," Mina said.
"Then let's check the roof," Serena said.
"Oh...good idea," Mina said and the two dashed up the stairs. Lita and Raye followed.
"Why are we letting those two lead?" Raye muttered.
"No idea," Lita said.
Amy sighed.
"Well...now it's back to square one," She said. "I've think I've conclusively proven that I can't get into a stable relationship. Especially with someone who shares the same interests I do. At least there will be no more distractions to my schoolwork.
The door to the roof swung open.
"HAH!" the four girls said as they dashed onto the roof to find Amy just standing there staring back at them.
"Uh oh..." the four said.
"Amy..are you..all right?" Serena asked hesitantly.
"Don't I look all right?" Amy said wiping away a tear.
"Uh..that'd be a no," Serena said.
Minutes later.
"You want me to do what?" Rick said.
"I want you to get the boys together. Urawa's going to get it," Raye said. "What more is there to it?"
"Well why don't you and Lita just go over and beat up Urawa?"
"We're coming too, rest assured of that," Raye said, her eyes narrowed.
"Uh..well all right, but it might make sense for me to not bring Mike along," Rick said.
"Good idea, he can't fight anyway," Raye said.
"It was terrible Darrien. I mean you never had a good reason for dumping me either, but this.." Serena said.
"Uh..right," Darrien said. "Still, us guys panic when exposed to surprising aspects of girls."
"So you're saying it's all right?"
"No..but it's a natural response."
"Yeah..I thought we had evolved beyond just instinct," Serena said.
"We have, that's the trouble," Darrien said. "Serena, I'm not saying what he did was right. What am I saying is that, it's not surprising."
"It was surprising enough," Serena said. "I don't know what Urawa's thinking, where's he going to find another girl like Amy? He throws her away because he doesn't like her being a scout and because she hangs out around us. How pathetic is that."
"Well the second reason isn't very valid," Darrien said. "That's pure jerk material. I mean who wouldn't want to date a girl who know all of you."
"Are you being sarcastic?"
"Just teasing a little."
"This is no time for teasing, I've got to figure out some way to make Amy feel better."
"Serena, this takes time. She'll get better eventually."
"No..I've been able to pull of miracles before."
"Even if you succeeded it's not really a miracle."
"So you say," Serena said. "Still..I've got to give it a try. It's what I do best."
"That's true," Darrien said.
"I just have no clue how to handle it."
"Me neither."
"You never do."
"Oh.." Darrien said.
"Urawa Ryo..where ya going?" Rick said stepping in front of Urawa later that day.
"Yeah..headed somewhere special?" Steve asked.
Urawa stopped.
"Not anymore," Raye said.
"Well maybe he'll go, the only question is whether he'll need to be carried there or not," Lita said.
Raye nodded.
"This is your answer. You're going to beat me up because I dumped one of your friends," Urawa said.
"No.she dumped you," Raye said.
"That's not the point, you're all more regressive then I imagined. I'm sure Amy would love to hear how you jumped to her aid and beat me up. I'm sure that's a solution Amy would have suggested herself."
"If she wasn't overcome by pain," Lita said.
"I'll file assault charges," Urawa said.
"Won't work, my father's a cop," Lita said.
"Our friend mikey's father is a lawyer," Steve said.
"And we've got connections to the upper levels of the government and military," Rick said.
"Besides you're not going to remember who beat ya up," Raye said glancing at a figure standing in the shadows.
"I know your secret...you beat me up and I'll reveal it," Urawa said.
"You're not going to remember that either," the figure said emerging from the shadows, Sailor Pluto.
"What is going on?" Urawa said.
"Sorry..Urawa..but you're a threat," Pluto said and blasted him with energy. She turned away.
"You'll have five minutes before he comes out of a daze. Don't be here when he does," Pluto said and leapt off.
The four nodded and turned toward Urawa.
"It's payback time!" they said.
That night.
"Uh..Lita I've been meaning to talk to you," Ken said.
"It's bad news isn't it?"
"I don't know. Lita..It just have to wonder if we're not deluding ourselves."
"You mean dating?"
"Sure, we have fun together, but are we kidding ourselves or what? I mean I like a lot, I can only hope you feel the same way."
"I do."
"But we know deep down that we're very good friends, the type that help the other out whenever needed. But neither of us is what the other wants," Ken said.
"You're right. The truth is I don't know who I want yet. But Ken, the two of us get along so well because we're there for each other when times get rough," Lita said. "But if we're together we won't be able to rely on each other as much. If we disagree it could ruin what we have."
"That's what I thought," Ken said. "And we're still young. We have time to figure things out. We shouldn't risk what we have."
"I agree."
"So..you want to get a burger or something?"
"Sure," Lita said.
"I guess that's one way to break up huh?"
"Yeah, I believe we must have set some record somewhere," Lita said.
"I knew you'd get around to this eventually," Steve said. The two turned.
"You were watching?" Lita said.
"No.." Steve said. "Merely listening, which makes it okay."
"No it doesn't," the two said.
"Not the point," Steve said with a grin. "Actually I was looking for you both and happened to stumble onto the conversation."
"Oh..so what brings you by?" Lita asked.
"Well we're still friends right?" Steve asked.
"Of course," Lita said.
"Then as a friend I wanted to give you both this," Steve said "But I guess that was when you were still dating, but that's okay..because it fits."
He held out a small package.
"What is it?" Lita asked.
Steve nervously waited as she opened it.
"Oh..wow..this is good," Lita said.
"I didn't know you drew Steve," Ken said looking at it.
"Here and there," Steve said.
The two were staring at a very elaborate sketch of the gazebo where the two had first met.
"I know that it's a good place and a bad place, but.." Steve said.
"It's very nice," Lita said. "Besides, even though it as bad that idiot Matt dumped me, it was made all better by how I met Ken."
"Uh..yeah..I also drew this picture, of Matt getting beaten up by a mob, but I'm no good at drawing people," Steve said.
He held up a crumpled up picture of stick figures beating up another one. Lita and Ken stared at it and then started laughing.
"I like this one too," She said. "Come on you two."
"Ah..no..I wouldn't want to intrude," Steve said.
"Steve, come on..the more the merrier," Lita said. "Come on."
Steve grinned.
"Okay," he said.
The three headed on their way.
"It's finished," Mike said with a grin.
"What is?" Mina muttered lying casually on his bed.
"My novel."
"You wrote a novel."
"Yep," Mike said.
"How?" Mina asked.
"Hey..I don't go around criticizing you."
"Sure you do."
"I meant recently."
"Of course, I'm infallible."
"That is not true," Mike said. "Anyway..it will propel to the top of the bestseller lists for sure."
"How?" Mina asked nonchalantly.
"Why are you even here? I mean..you spend more time around me since we broke up then you did before."
"Well I can get away with it," Mina said.
"How?"
"Uh..good turnaround. Mike, like it or not we have good chemistry, most of the time. Whether were disagreeing or agreeing. You know that."
"If you mean we have good chemistry because we're both insane I guess you're correct."
"I meant our outlook on life is similar," Mina said.
"I guess so. Still if you have nothing good to say, then don't say it."
"But that's no fun," Mina said. "Hypocrite. You can dish it out, but you can't dish it in."
"That's the wrong way to say it!" Mike snapped.
"So I've heard," Mina said.
"You know it's good we broke up."
"I agree. But why did you bring it up now."
"Well..what would our kids have been like."
"The girls would be beautiful, the boys would look like you," Mina said.
"Oh come..on..your genes would have to have some effect on the children," Mike said with a grin.
Mina thought that one through for a good twenty two seconds.
"Hey!" She shouted.
"All right..all right, so the girls might be beautiful, but if you sugar coated them we'd have frosted flakes for sure," Mike said.
Mina thought that through for another fifteen seconds.
"Stop doing that!" she said.
Mike grinned.
"Besides, maybe they would be a little dense, but at least the girls wouldn't be annoying and unable to be a productive member of society," Mina said.
"That's true," Mike said. "But just how many kids were you having to have anyway?"
"As many as possible."
"Why?"
"I have no apparent reason, but that doesn't mean I don't want them," Mina said.
"Well it's good, because I didn't want more then a few," Mike said.
"What does it matter, we're not dating," Mina said.
"Absolutely," Mike said. "I wouldn't date you again after what you pulled."
"We could just make out," Mina said.
"I never though of that," Mike said.
"Come ere," Mina said and grabbed him.
"Ey...now?" Mike said.
"No better time."
"Why?"
"You talk to much," Mina said.
"Uh..Hotaru.." Greg said.
"Yes..."
"About all that's happening."
"I see you are concerned about the status of our relationship."
"Well yes. I mean..I just want to make sure both of us understand each other."
"Excellent idea," Hotaru said. "Let us find out."
"Who exactly?"
"I shall ask you several questions. You merely need to answer them."
"I don't think it's that simple."
"It is for me."
"Oh.." Greg said.
"Now..let's begin. Do you feel any sort of physical attraction to me?" Hotaru asked.
"Well..yes..I guess," Greg said.
"That is only natural. I harbor similar feelings."
"Uh..okay."
"Do you believe that their is the possibility that you like me?"
"Sure I like you. What's not to like?"
"Once again my answer is the same."
"Uh..good," Greg said.
"Why?"
"Uh..let's just keep going."
"Do you feel that relationship should proceed above the friendship stage?"
"I uh..you mean..like dating."
"In theory yes."
"Well..what do you think?"
"I do not know either."
"Hmm..that's a problem isn't it?" Greg asked.
"Apparently it is," Hotaru said.
"Well..we could just keep doing what we're doing and see if we figure it out."
"I agree with that plan,"Hotaru said and stuck her hand out. Greg took it and they shook.
"I believe we understand each other now."
"Uh huh."
"Rick what are you doing out here?" Raye asked stumbling upon Rick sitting on her steps.
"I should have said I was here, sorry," Rick said.
"Is something wrong?"
"No..no..yes."
"What?"
"I hesitated. I ran.." Rick said.
"The battle? You're worried about that?"
"Yes, we're not supposed to run like that."
"I know..but you cracked a little. You'll be fine."
"How do I know that for sure?" Rick asked.
"I guess you don't know for sure," Raye said. "But if you want I'll help you get through it."
"I don't know if it will help, but we should try," Rick said.
Raye nodded.
A few weeks passed, everything had seemed to return to normal.
Setsuna wandered into class that morning to find her students all gabbing with each other.
"All right..all right..let's go here," She said. "Where's Melvin?"
"We think he's out sick Miss M," Serena said.
"Don't call me that Serena," Setsuna said.
"Sorry, Miss M...eio.." Serena said.
"All right. We might as well get to work..." she then stopped suddenly and dropped the chalk she was holding.
"Setsuna..Miss Meio..what is it?" Haruka said bolting up from her chair.
Hotaru's eyes widened.
"Something is happening," she said.
An energy field surrounded the school crackling with various colors.
The group all let out cries of surprise, but before anything could be done the school, disappeared.
A car rolled up and a figured stepped out and starred at the now empty foundation. Principal Okusa stood there.
"Not only am I late for work. The school's vanished off the face of the earth. This is not going to look good the bosses," he muttered.