Chapter 257
Morning.
"Fifteen days have gone by, are they ever going to agree?" Serena muttered.
"I think we're close," Darrien said.
"I hope so, you've got better things to do then babysit them," Serena said.
"Do those things involve you?" Darrien asked.
"Most of them, yeah," Serena said with a grin.
"Sorry," Darrien said. "Hopefully it won't be much longer."
"It had better not be," Serena said. "Or I'll start a way of my own."
"Now Serena, you have to be patient, you can't have anything you want."
"Darrien..keep in mind I spent weeks on this stinking planet without you, I think I've waited long enough," Serena said.
"I know..I know..it won't be much longer," Darrien said. "All right?"
Serena sighed.
"Yes all right," Serena said.
"So Raye Hino, you insist on interfering in true love," Sakuro said.
"You idiot Sakuro! I'm the one in love with him, and unlike your case, he actually loves me," Raye said.
"Don't delude yourself," Sakuro said.
"You're the one deluding yourself," Raye said. "Right Rick?"
"Of course, Raye and I are toghether," Rick said.
"Oh..stop trying to convince me that you could ever be in love with this girl. You're playing 'hard to get' on a new level," Sakuro said. "Everything I've got is better then her. Everything that should be big is, and evertthing that is small is just that."
"What? How many times do I have to beat you up to get you to go away!" Raye shouted and charged. Sakuro defended and soon the two were sparring.
"Round twenty seven," Rick muttered and sat down.
"Ah..Lita..is not the sun radiant today?" Tijiro asked.
"Tijiro...please..you agreed to stop chasing me around the city if I spent fifteen minutes with you a day, you don't have to go insane," Lita said.
"Ah..but is it not as radiant as your beauty?"
"No," Lita said.
"All right, the sun stinks," Tijiro said. "Happy now?"
"Tijiro..you're a nice guy...uh..sometimes..but me and you are just not meant to be," Lita said.
"And why is that?" Tijiro asked. "Don't you think your good enough."
"It's not a matter of that," Lita said. "Really it's not, but Tijiro, I'm going to be gone in five months."
"That's fine,"Tijiro said. "Some day you may return."
"I really think you should focus on something more long term."
"No, you I will have," Tijiro said.
"Uh..Tijiro..I'm not some posession," Lita said.
"Oh..what I meant was," Tijiro said. "I want you, but I'll have you if you give yourself to me, that make sense?"
Lita sighed and glanced at her watch.
"Thirteen more minutes!" She shouted.
"What?" Tijiro asked.
Lita sighed again.
And inside a restaurant.
"So..how's it been going?" Mike asked.
"You know how it's been going," Steve said. "We've been running around the city together fixing up the buildings and starting choral sings."
"True..we have spent a lot of time together, wanna go steady?" Mike asked with a grin.
Steve punched him.
"Yeah..I know that wasn't even funny to me," Mike said and sat back up.
"You've learned your lession haven't you?" Steve asked.
"I've also learned my lesion," Mike said.
Steve frowned.
"What can I get you two?" came a feminine voice. The two looked up to see a long haired waitress smiling at them.
The two glanced at each other.
"Uh...the special.." they both said in unison.
"Jeez..the special's pretty popular," the waitress said and headed out.
"Hey..uh Steve..I fell in love how about that?" Mike asked.
"Not with her I hope," Steve said.
"Why?"
"Because she's mine," Steve said.
"Oh no..it was destiny that brought her to my table."
"Mike we're sitting at the same table," Steve muttered.
Mike glanced at him.
"She approached me from a more direct angle," Mike said.
"What?" Steve asked.
"Sure..she came towards the table at a seventy seven degree angle."
"And how do you know that?"
"I guessed, regardless, she approached me at nearly a straight line. You are several degrees to my left, meaning a more skewed plane," Mike said.
Steve punched him.
"Ah..you can't fight geometry," Mike said.
"I think I just did," Steve said.
"I wouldn't mess with geometry, he hangs out with algebra and calculus and they're pretty tough cookies," Mike said.
"And just what would a tough cookie be?" Steve asked. "I mean theoretically."
"A cookie that is hard to bite into," Mike said. "Of course."
"And why should I be scared?" Steve asked.
"Did I say you were scared?" Mike asked.
Mina meanwhile was sitting on one of the city walls staring down at the ground solemly.
Why am I looking at the ground? She thought. Why am I asking myself how far I might fall if I jumped? Surely I wouldn't kill myself, only hurt myself badly. Why am I even contemplating this?
She pulled back from the edge.
No..this is stupid. she said. Think about things like suicide and jumping..for no reason. Iv'e got no reason to. Why am I up here? Why?
She stared out at the land around and then began to cry not exactly knowing why.
Footsteps moved nearby. They stopped, moved forward, stopped again, and then approached hesitantly.
Mina cried some more and then turned to look at the figure.
"Are..you...all right?" Patterson stammered complete unprepared for such a situation.
"I don't think so," Mina said turning towards him. "You..you..spy on us..you spied on me.."
"Uh..well.."
"No..I'm not angry..but..you know me..the real me," Mina said moving towards him.
"The real you?"
"Yes..yes..the real me..the girl I was before. You know..the one who was caring, albeit love crazed, the girl who thought at least with some semblance of intelligence and rationality," Mina said.
"I..well.."
"You know what I was," Mina said. "You have to help me be that again."
"I..ddn't notice a change.." Patterson said.
"I have changed..I'm not the same..I'm no good at all. I'm vain, I'm practically crazy. Will you help me?"
"Maybe your friends can help you," Patterson said. "Serena.."
"No..they wouldn't understand," Mina said. "You...you're the one."
How do I get dragged into this? Patterson asked himself as Mina grabbed onto his shirt.
"You can help," she said.
At the governent building.
"Janus..there's been something bothering me," Greg said.
"It is hopefully something I can help you with," Janus said.
"I hope so too," Greg said. "You see throughout this battle, I've fought alongside all of you, I've done my best, but only a few people I knew that I responsible for this mess in the first place. And I wanted to apologize."
"There's no need to.." Janus said.
"Please..I need to..I need everyone to know that it was my fault, I need it out into the open," Greg said.
"But why bring that on yourself," Janus said.
"Because I don't like hiding things like that from people, much less an entire country," Greg said.
"Very well, I will set it up," Janus said. "But you are absolutely sure of this?"
"Yes," Greg said. "I am positive, I have to apologize to everyone."
"All right," Janus said. "You'll get your wish."
"Thank you," Greg said.
Elsewhere, Setsuna, Haruka, and Michiru were moving down the street.
"What a mess this all was," Setsuna said. "Such power to transport both dimensionally and distancewise at the same time."
"It is impressive," Haruka said.
"Queen Serenity couldn't even achieve that power," Setsuna said. "That's what worries me, just how much power is in this planet anyway?"
"I wouldn't worry about it," Michiru said.
"They've brought us here once, whose to say they wouldn't do it again," Setsuna said.
"That's a good point," Haruka said. "I guess we have to hope they don't have any more use for us."
"Rarely do we get so lucky," Setsuna said opening a door to a bar and walking in. The others followed.
"Why all the cynicism all of the sudden?" Michiru asked.
"I don't know, I think it's more experience then cynicism," Setsuna said and sat down at the bar. "Remember you two are underage," She said.
Haruka and Michiru glanced at each other.
"What'll it be?" the barkeep asked.
"What have you got from the hard stuff?" Setsuna asked. Haruka and Michiru
glanced at each other again.
Greg cleared his throat as he approached the podium.
"I uh..asked to come here today, because I had something on my mind. Ever since my classmates and I arrived here, I've been doing my best to help out this country, because it seemed the right thing to do. However, at the battle that our side lost it was my fault that we lost and that you're army was destroyed. I made up the plan that was thwarted, and I lost the battle. I just had to come forward to say this and to say how sorry I was," Greg said.
"We have great respect for you coming forward," one of the group said.
"However," a familiar voice said. "You shouldn't be too hard on yourself."
Vitar emerged from the side.
"Vitar..I had no idea you were back?"
"Yep, here I am," Vitar said. "Greg is too modest, the truth is the enemy used a skillful strategy and truth be told, if we weren't using Greg's plan we probably would have been beaten even worse. That's the truth."
"I agree," General Tarsuk said. "The enemy acquired a superb tactician and I admit I was not up to fight he..him.them..so..we have a lot to thank Greg for. He kept the war going. And I think we should thank him."
The council clapped.
"Thank you both for keeping Amy out of this," Greg said.
The two nodded.
"I don't want to make excuses though. I want you to know how sorry I am I wasn't able to prevent the siege. I know, regardless of your motives, that you've been nice to all of us and you've treated us well, and that's about it," Greg said.
"Wait a second," came another familiar voice. Greg gasped as Amy moved to the podium.
"Amy what are you doing?" Greg asked.
"I have my own apology to make," She said.
"Sailor Mercury..why do you step forward?" Janus asked.
"My friends have kept my name out of the limelight, but I believe you all should know that it was me who was advising the Lucoratorium army," Amy said.
There were some gasps.
"When I landed on this world, Lord Rekar had treated me well. He had given me no reason to doubt his word. And so I followed him. I helped him. I didn't know which side to be on. I had hope that Greg and I could keep a stalemate going until I learned more. But I failed, and it was my efforts that lead to your army losing, and the siege. And I know things came out all right, but if they hadn't I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself. I now see that Lord Rekar had become over ambitious and I'm sorry I helped him, I'm sorry."
"I believe that you more than made up for it," Janus said. "You helped us fight off the enemy when you realized the truth. No one can blame you for being disoriented, and the service you provided later is good reason to forgive you."
The crowd clapped.
"Uh thank you, but I didn't want to leave without letting you know the truth," Amy said.
The group clapped.
Minutes later.
"That was brave of you Amy," Greg said.
"Yeah..well..you seemed to be feeling the same way," Amy said.
"Yeah I guess, still."
"I don't like hiding things either. And I didn't know how they'd react. But I had to let them now. I had to let the people know. For better of for worse."
"Let's hope there's no worse invovled," Greg said.
Amy nodded.
Later that night, Amy walked towards a door under guard. She opened the door and stepped in.
"Lord Rekar," Amy said.
"Ah..Amy..how are you?" Rekar asked.
"I am all right, but I'm in the process of tying up some loose ends."
"I see..and what brings you to see me? Here I am, hated by my own people, and hated by everyone else," Rekar said.
"Perhaps you should look back and remember why that it is."
"Perhaps..why are you here?"
"When did you decide you were going to go all the way?" Amy asked.
"Ah..that bothers you."
"I want to know when you started being a villain," Amy said.
"Ah..I hardly consider myself a villian."
"Most villians don't. Acting in your national interest makes you a patriot."
"I don't know why you're so upset."
"I thought I was helping a fair person. Instead you break the rules."
"Maybe," Rekar said. "But you had no right to condemn me."
"You used me," Amy said.
"Not intentionally. I didn't know it would mean that much to you," Rekar said.
"When you break my trust it means something," Amy said.
"Sorry," Rekar said. "It happens. If you're not going to live with it, that's not my problem."
Amy slapped him.
"Satisfied?" Rekar said and walked off.
Amy sighed.
No I'm not. She thought.
"Every day it's something new..which enemy from which galaxy, or dimension..wants a piece of the Earth and off we go," Setsuna said.
"Setsuna..you've had too much," Michiru said.
"I've had two drinks," Setsuna said.
"Apparently that's too much for you," Haruka said.
"No, I'm fine," Setsuna said. "It's too bad you two can't drink, it just takes your troubles and throws them out the window."
"Setsuna do you do this often?" Haruka asked.
"No..my job won't allow it," Setsuna said. "Now I've got a little chance. Don't have to be anywhere for several months."
"Setsuna, but what brought this on?" Michiru asked.
"What brought it on is that it's my job to shepherd a bunch of high school students though all these battles, while running errands, while popping through time and space, no time for Setsuna is there? Sure I have some time to amuse myself, pretty ironic considering I can actually travel through it but can never find enough of it!" Setsuna shouted pounding the table.
"This is not good," Michiru said.
"What? Can't Setsuna loose her cool once in a while," Setsuna said. "Even you two don't have to be all business all the time, me...yep, I'm stuck."
"Setsuna you can talk to us about it, we'll listen," Haruka said.
"What do you think I'm doing?" Setsuna stammered.
"Serena...I need your..um..help...." Patterson stammered finally finding the girl on a balcony of the government building.
"Must be serious," Serena said. "I mean for you to actually approach me."
"It's Mina."
"Mina?"
"She's going through some sort of crisis of life or something," Patterson said.
"And how'd you get involved?" Serena asked.
"By accident."
"All right..let's go," Serena said. "And tell me what's going on."
"I'll try..." Patterson said.
Elsewhere.
"Come on Sakuro..I'm waiting," Raye said angrilly.
"Yeah I'll bet you are!" Sakuro said advancing.
"Round twenty eight," Rick muttered.
"Tijiro..you're fifteen minutes has been up for three hours," Lita said.
"I know..but please..hear me out," Tijiro said.
"Fine..but this cuts into tommorow's fifteen minutes."
"It's worth it," Tijiro said.
"All right..go ahead," Lita said.
"I'd like to take this opportunity to explain to you just why I'd make the perfect mate for you," Tijiro said.
"I think you just summed up why I don't want to see you right there," Lita said.
"Please, I'm trying to be rational here," Tijiro said.
"I know and it's not working," Lita said. "Tijiro..what if I could find you someone else?"
"What? Tijiro asked.
"Someone who wasn't as abrasive," Lita said.
"Hmm..but still when I was with her I'd think of you."
"Even better, then you get exactly what you want?"
"I do?" Tijiro asked.
"You'll understand when you're involved."
"All right, I'll give it a try, maybe that will endear me in your heart."
"Not what I was thinking, but we'll try anyway," Lita said.
"Girls..girls girls," Rick aid.
"WHAT?" Sakuro and Raye shouted.
"There's a simple solution here," Rick said.
"WHAT?" The two asked.
"Well you two have been fighting over me constantly for these days. It's very simple. You two just have one fight for me. Whoever wins gets me," Rick said.
"Rick are you nuts?" Raye asked.
"Raye..you've won almost all the fights," Rick said. "Besides, if you lose, I'm only stuck with her for five months."
"Wonderful," Raye muttered.
"I accept," Sakuro said. "We shall settle this once and for all."
"Uh but..this is important isn't it?" Rick asked.
"Yes," the two said.
"So each of you will need time to train," Rick said.
"Right," Sakuro said.
"So what say we have the match in three weeks," Rick said.
"Why so long?" Sakuro asked.
"Yeah?" Raye asked.
"Well I just thought," Rick said.
"Fine," both said.
"But who will be with you until then?" Sakuro asked.
"Sakuro you are the challenger," Rick said inching towards Raye.
"Very well," Sakuro said. "You shall see me again for battle."
She walked off.
"First marrying Lita, and now this," Raye said. "Are you stupid?"
"No..no..I just..okay it was a stupid idea, but all you have to is beat her," Rick said.
"You'd better hope nothing goes wrong," Raye said.
"Raye..come on..even if she won it's not like anything would happen," Rick said.
"With you I never know."
"Now that's hardly the sign of trust in a relationship," Rick said.
"No it isn't is it?" Raye asked.
"You're pretty mad aren't you?" Rick asked.
"I thought I made that clear!" Raye shouted.
Rick shrank back.
"You think I like all this?" Setsuna asked. "Solem duty and oaths and protecting everyone twenty four hours a day? No..I'll tell you it's hard for me to keep up. I'm only one woman, cursed with all this."
"Setsuna, if this is how you feel we can help," Haruka said.
"Sure we can, we'll help out anyway we can," Michiru said.
"You can't help, it's my burden for the rest of my life, and I don't even know how long that is, considering the circumstances."
"Setsuna it really isn't that bad," Haruka said.
"You should talk, you've got it just a little easier," Setsuna said. "Michiru's the only one with a free ride."
"I..uh.." Michiru said.
"Setsuna, there's no need to get abusive," Haruka said.
"Eh why not!" Setsuna said and tossed a bottle across the room.
"Uh perhaps we'd better get you home," Haruka said.
The two helped her up.
"I can walk," Setsuna muttered and walked relatively well. "Well come on.."
Haruka and Michiru were usually not this worried, but this gave them reason
to be.
"Mina..hey..what's going on?" Serena asked walking into Mina's hotel room.
"You had to go and get her didn't you?" Mina snapped.
"Uh..yeah..bye.." Patterson said and hurried out.
"Run you fool," Mina said.
"He's just trying to help," Serena said. "He figured I could."
"Yeah, whatever," Mina said. "You're part of the problem."
"What? How?"
"I don't know," Mina said. "But as long as your here..Serena, I want my old life back."
"What old life?"
"The fun loving life I used to have. The one that didn't have me two timing, competing, doing stupid things."
"But Mina that's what fun's all about, except maybe the two timing," Serena said. "You're just a little wild that's all."
"I don't want to be, I want to be more civlized. You rememeber when I was civilized right?"
"No," Serena said.
"Of course you do?" Mina said grabbing a hold of her.
"Well it's not now I know that," Serena said.
Mina sighed.
And up in the government building tower Hotaru stood staring off into the sky.
"Something is very wrong," She said to herself.
CHAPTER 231 CHAPTER 232 CHAPTER 233 CHAPTER 234 CHAPTER 235
CHAPTER 236 CHAPTER 237 CHAPTER 238 CHAPTER 239 CHAPTER 240
CHAPTER 241 CHAPTER 242 CHAPTER 243 CHAPTER 244 CHAPTER 245
CHAPTER 246 CHAPTER 247 CHAPTER 248 CHAPTER 249 CHAPTER 250
CHAPTER 251 CHAPTER 252 CHAPTER 253 CHAPTER 254 CHAPTER 255