The Kisenian Flower (Continued)
"So...I didn't understand how the truck had gotten there, much less why it was upside down, but I figured something must be up," Mike was saying.
"And then what happened?" Amy asked.
"Well...then this guy climbed out of the truck and asked me if he could use our phone," Mike said. "That was odd."
"Oh...I see," Amy said confused by Mike's stories.
He is one weird person. She thought. They rounded the corner to the street that Amy's house sat on and to her surprise she saw a moving van parked in the driveway of a neighboring house.
"Someone bought the house next door. I was wondering when someone would," She said.
"Had it been on the market for a while?" Mike asked.
"Yeah, it's price went down a few times."
"Well I guess someone finally became interested..but..I'd guess I should be running along..I'm sure you have to prepare for the next school year and all.."
"Actually yes.."
"Thought so...though I thought you might remember that since the school system is experimenting with that new vacation schedule will have over two months of summer vacation before school starts."
"Yes..I know, but I have to make sure I'm all set," Amy said.
"Yeah..well..we all have the roads we must stagger down," Mike said.
"What?" Amy asked.
"Ehh...never mind. Well I'm sure my stories have changed your life," Mike said and chuckled.
"Yes, but I don't think it's for the better," Amy replied with her own laugh.
"Any time I can walk away without undergoing some sort of physical harm, I'm happy," Mike said and grinned before walking back down the street.
As Amy walked up to her own house, she kept searching for signs of her new neighbors, none were apparent. She walked in the door to her house and found her mother sitting in the living room with a trio of people, a tall man, a mid sized woman and a brown haired boy she couldn't help but recognize immediately.
"Meet your new neighbors Amy," her mother said.
Greg turned in his seat to smile at her.
"Uh..hi Amy," he said.
She dropped her school briefcase in shock.
When Raye and Rick arrived at her temple she was surprised to see Chad leaning against the side of the stone structure that hung over the temple entrance.
"Finally, you've arrived," Chad said.
"What's this all about?" Raye asked.
"You know very well," Rick said.
"So who's it going to be. Me or him?" Chad asked.
"What?" Raye asked.
"Come now Raye, you dumped me for him, for various reasons, but then you've been avoiding both of us saying you had to study. Now we want to know. Who is going to be your boyfriend?" Rick asked.
"I...I don't know....I need time," Raye said.
"Time? To decide between this jerk or me?" Chad said.
"We had a truce till this was decided, remember?" Rick snapped at Chad.
"Yeah...I know," Chad said. "But you're still a jerk."
"Raye, I was your boyfriend before this started," Rick said.
"Yeah, I know...it's just that I like both of you...a lot," Raye said.
"Well isn't that nice?" Rick said.
"Yeah....sweet. You know you can't have both of us as boyfriends," Chad said.
"Why not?" Raye asked.
"What?" the two boys said.
"Well....at least for now....I mean.....what's the trouble? We could alternate days or something. At least until I know for sure," Raye said.
Chad and Rick glanced at each other.
"We're going to regret this," They muttered in unison.
"Where's your sense of adventure?" Raye asked.
Rick and Chad just glanced at each other again.
"This is your fault," they both said to each other.
Darrien would have been annoyed at the knocking on his door if had actually managed to get to sleep, but since he had been awoken by a nightmare in the middle of his nap, he really didn't care.
It's probably Serena again. He thought and opened the door. There stood Mina, panting from a dash through the city.
"Mina?" Darrien said in surprise.
"Darrien? Did you just have a nightmare?" Mina asked.
"You did too?" Darrien asked becoming slightly nervous.
"Yes...the flowers.." Mina said still gasping for air.
"You should come inside," Darrien said hoping all
his suspicions were dead wrong.
"I've noticed Lita, that you don't think of me as a romantic," Steve said as he and Lita strode down the street side by side.
"I never said you weren't romantic," Lita said.
"No, but I could tell," Steve said. "And you might be right. So I decided that today we should try to find someway that I can be romantic."
"Okay, but we may need more than a day," Lita said and began laughing.
"Thanks for being optomistic," Steve muttered.
"So when did you meet Fiore?" Mina asked.
"When I was in the hospital following the accident that killed my parents. He appeared in my room," Darrien said.
"What were you doing in London later?" Mina asked.
"I was on vacation, thought I'd spend some of my money. Anyway...I was walking along the street when suddenly I heard the screams. Naturally I went to investigate it, but in the middle of it all I transformed. I had no idea what had happened, but I had become that other..person," Darrien said. "So I was Tuxedo Mask. I was confused, but I guess some noble aspect within me caused me to charge into battle and then I threw that rose...and I remember you were there."
"I was just as confused, I had just learned about being Sailor Venus during the attack," Mina said.
"So that was Fiore fighting the flowers?" Darrien asked.
"Well he said his name was Fiore," Mina said.
"He had pink hair and green skin when I met him, but in the park he looked different."
"Maybe he was trying to blend in with humans," Mina said.
"And then his name appears in the dreams, and that park..." Darrien said.
"What could it mean?" Mina asked.
"I don't know, but Fiore seemed like a good guy. Why the destruction?" Darrien asked.
"Yeah, I don't get it, but...he was captured by that enemy..that flower...maybe.." Mina said.
"It's too soon to tell..heck..we don't even know if anything's going to happen."
"We wouldn't be having the same dream if something wasn't going to happen," Mina said.
"I know," Darrien said. "Hey, I just realized something..."
"What?"
"Well...that must have been where Sailor V came from?"
"Oh yeah. Didn't I tell you about that? After the battle this guy came running up to me with a video camera. Apparently he had caught most of the battle on film, thankfully not my transformation though. He told me this would be a great idea for a TV show, and then...well..he made it and he paid me to be their model. The show didn't too well in London, but the Japanese version did well so the franchise was set up," Mina said.
"That makes sense. That also explains why there's that character Tuxedo Cape, in the story. I wondered where he got that idea," Darrien asked.
"That's where it came from," Mina said.
"I bet many people were wondering it's origin. Now I know it at least."
"You're the first."
"You didn't tell the girls?"
"No, I thought I'd keep them guessing," Mina said with a small grin.
"Why?"
"Why not? I like to have a little mystery surrounding me."
Amy and Greg were sitting on the front steps of her house, the shock had worn off.
"This is certainly a surprise," Amy said.
"Well...you know me...full of surprises," Greg said and chuckled nervously.
"So...why'd you move into the house next door?"
"Well my father got an excellent job offer with a company based here in Tokyo and he took it. It was only a matter of finding a good house. This one was relatively inexpensive, what a coincedence huh? I told him I knew it was in a good neighborhood."
"But there are thousands of houses for sale in Tokyo, how'd you happen to pick this one?" Amy asked letting her analytic mind think things over.
"I guess it was just lucky we turned to that page in the classifieds," Greg said with a tinge of nervousness.
"Luck?" Amy asked unconcious of her skepticism.
"Sure...." Greg said.
"Well if you say so," Amy said. "I guess stranger things have happened."
"Yeah..right..." Greg said and sighed in relief.
What he didn't know was that Amy had noticed him do it.
"Right..I'll call you...," Mina said and walked out of Darrien's apartment, almost right into Serena.
"Ah...Serena, hello," Mina said nervously.
"Mina. What are you doing here?" Serena asked in suprise.
"Just visiting Darrien. That's all. Bye," She said and rushed away.
"Darrien? What was Mina doing here?" Serena asked suspiciously walking in the door.
"I thought you were sleeping," She added.
"She just had to talk to me about something," Darrien said.
"What?"
"It's really none of your concern."
"I see....I wouldn't like to think you were cheating on me."
"Serena, are you kidding me? Mina just needed to talk to me about something. It's nothing."
"It had better be," Serena growled.
"It was."
"So what was this about calling you?" Mina asked.
"That was just if she needed to talk to me," Darrien said.
"Oh I see...well why don't you just tell me what this problem is and I'll forgive you," Serena said.
"I can't...right now."
"Oh, I see.." Serena said and turned away from him.
Darrien's eyes widened first with concern, but then as he thought about it more, a small grin formed across his face.
"Come on Serena, let's go for a walk," Darrien said.
"I don't know if I should," Serena said.
"Serena?" Darrien asked now genuinely concerned.
"Of course I'll go for a walk!" Serena screamed, whirling to embrace him in a massive hug.
"Oh...dear," Darrien muttered at her excitement.
Lita and Steve were standing in an arboretum. A bird flew by. Lita was looking around at the beauty of it in enjoyment. Steve yawned.
"Hey!" Lita said.
"What?" Steve asked.
"Well this is a romantic place? Aren't you feeling anything?"
"Not really, no," Steve said. "Except for the fear that one of these birds may take a shot at me."
Lita glanced at him.
"How many places have we been now?"
"Fifteen," Steve muttered.
"We're hopeless. What's the point of me being out on a date if we don't share the experience?"
"Maybe there is no point," Steve muttered.
Both of them sighed.
"All is prepared. The invasion can commence at any time," Fiore said walking into the control room of the asteroid.
"Good," The Kiensan Flower said turning away from the control panel. She noticed her minion seemed to be troubled.
"Is there a problem Fiore? Now that I think of it, ever since I thought of this invasion plan you have been reluctant to carry it out. What is it that is bothering you?"
"I was just thinking of some people. Please, let me save two humans I know of before we attack."
"Two humans? And who are they?"
"My friend Darrien is one," Fiore said.
"And the other?"
"Just someone else I know," Fiore said trying to hide her identity.
"Fiore..." the Flower growled. Her eyes glowed red. Fiore staggered back into the wall grimacing in pain.
"You know I am the one you must follow," The Flower said.
"Yes..yes..I know," Fiore said.
"Who is this second person?"
"That Female Warrior..." Fiore said.
"Her! She who opposed me! No, she will not spared!"
"But...."
"FIORE! I am your mistress!" the Flower said and blasted Fiore back into the wall.
"You may save this friend of yours.this Darrien. I give you that chance..it will eliminate some of your reservations and make you a better fighter..however..only him..understand?" the Flower said as Fiore rose.
"I understand," Fiore said.
"Then go and get him, but be quick about it," the Flower said.
"Thank you," Fiore said and vanished.
"I like this park," Serena said as she and Darrien walked through it.
It was park in the center of the a vast sea of buildings, but it was also very nice. There was a large pond surrounded by a massive bed of roses, and many trees. The park had been set to be paved over for a building development, but those plans had been scrapped following a negaverse attack. Ironically it had scared the developers off and preserved the beautiful place.
"The roses are so pretty," Serena said pointing at a group of them. Darrien just smiled. Right now, the dreams he had been having were the farthest thing from his mind. That's why he liked Serena so much, she had the ability through her practically endless innocence, to brighten practically anyone's spirits, and right now that's what he needed.
"I didn't mean those things I said..earlier," Serena said. "I mean...I was just surprised, and with Mina..."
"I know Serena. It's all right," Darrien said.
"To tell you the truth I think all four of my friends would all like to be in my place," Serena said.
"I'm flattered," Darrien said.
"Just be sure that doesn't happen..." Serena added.
"Oh..of course," Darrien said. "But at least I have a backup plan."
"Backup plan!" Serena screeched.
"Sorry..it was a bad joke," Darrien said.
"You're right it was," Serena muttered and walked along to another group of flowers. One especially caught her eye.
"Look at this one, isn't it just perfect?" Serena said picking up a white and pink flower.
"You sure have a good eye for them," Darrien said recognizing.
"Here, you take it, I'd probably trip and crush it," Serena said.
"Ahh....thank you," Darrien said and put it in the lapel of his brown jacket.
"There he is," Fiore said seeing Darrien in the distance. "But who is that he is with?"
I thought I was his friend. I thought that meant something? So who is this? Fiore wondered. Being from an alien culture gave him a misunderstanding of what friendship meant. Where he was from, one could have only one friend. Everyone else was merely co-inhabitants. Yet, here Darrien was, acting like a friend to someone else.
"I must speak with him," Fiore said and walked towards the two.
"Darrien!" he shouted.
Darrien turned to see Fiore standing there in his uniform. His eyes widened.
"Wha..do I know you?" Darrien said beginning to sense he did, but not being able to place it. "Wait..that voice.."
"Who's that?" Serena asked. "He looks like a monster..." she tensed not sure what to do.
"I am Fiore. Darrien. Who is this?" Fiore asked.
"This..is Serena, my girlfriend," Darrien said.
"I see, and what am I then?" Fiore asked.
"Don't tell me you want to be his girlfriend too...cause..that would be...you know....weird," Serena said.
"Shut up you," Fiore said and from his hand flew a plant appendage, though not covered with spikes this time. It pushed Serena down to the ground.
"Hey! What'd you do that for?" Darrien said crouching over Serena.
"Nice friend you got there," Serena muttered
"This is confusing," Fiore said. "That doesn't matter. Whatever you are to me now Darrien. I have come to save you."
"Save me from what?" Darrien asked angrilly.
"From an invasion. The Flowers have returned. Now come with me so you won't be hurt," Fiore said.
"What?" Darrien said.
"There is no time for talk.come with me," Fiore said.
"For one thing I don't appreciate you hurting my girlfriend. For another, I don't run from a fight," Darrien said.
"I don't understand. I am here to save your life and you reject that?" Fiore asked.
"Yes, I do," Darrien said.
"Very well...I see...that," Fiore had his gaze transfixed on the flower now in Darrien's lapel.
"What..is that...it is the most beautiful flower I have ever seen," He said.
"Hey, I gave that to him you jerk. You can't have it!" Serena shouted.
"You did? It's more perfect..then..I..know..of. You...succeeded in the quest I had failed at. Then you are more worthy to be his friend than I. But...you will die now I'm afraid. I implore you Darrien, come with me now. I don't think I can save you once the invasion begins, and your friend will be a casualty. There will be nothing left for you down here.
"If that's true they'll be nothing left to live for...I'd rather die fighting," Darrien said. Serena's eyes widened as he said this.
"Then farewell," Fiore said and vanished.
"What...was that all about?" Serena asked. "Do you know him?"
"Yes, but I can't tell you the story now, we have to get the others," Darrien said.
"Oh, that's right, the invasion. That's all we
need," Serena muttered.
"You know..if you had just minded your own business..." Rick said as he and Chad stood on the steps of the temple.
"Hey...you were a vicious creature at the time..I did her a favor," Chad said.
"You did her too much of one it seems..." Rick snapped.
"Hey..you would have done the same thing had the situation been reversed."
Rick glanced at him.
"That I would have," he muttered.
Raye went racing out of her room and jumped over both of them, before running down the steps.
"Hey! Raye! Where are you going!" Chad shouted.
"Yeah?" Rick said.
"I've got something to do!" Raye yelled as she went.
"Like what?" Chad muttered.
"Uh oh," Rick said.
"What do you mean uh oh," Chad said.
"Nothing, nothing," Rick said and ran after her.
"Hey...where are you going now!" Chad muttered and followed.
"I don't know what my problem is..but maybe..I mean..us guys..we do a lot of things to please girls...in general..that we don't particulary care for...I mean Rick, well he might like that stuff, but he's got the romance bug bad..Mike on the other hand..he's just charismatic, but that's not to say he likes all that stuff...me..I guess I'm just not good at covering my real feelings," Steve said.
"Yeah..of course I guess that's not so wrong, at least you can tell me the truth," Lita said. "That could be usefull...and..."
She stopped and pulled out her communicator. She could sense when it was going off in her mind.
"What is it?" Steve asked.
"I'm getting a message," she said and pressed the recieve button.
"Yeah?" she said.
"We've got a problem Lita," Serena said. "There's about to be an invasion!"
"A problem? You call an invasion a problem?" Lita replied.
"So I'm underestimating things! At least I'm not yelling hysterically!"
"But she is," Steve muttered.
"For her, this is quiet," Lita said.
"Hey! Meet me at Darrien's apartment," Serena said.
"Okay, I'm coming," Lita said and flipped off the communicator. "Duty calls," she said.
"That didn't take long..." Steve muttered. "Is this how it's always going to be?"
"Sure seems like it, of course you at least know what I'm doing," Lita said. "I gotta go."
"At least let me come with you," Steve said.
"You don't have any powers, you probably can't help, it's too dangerous."
"That has never stopped me before," Steve said.
"Steve, please...I'm asking you to stay out of the way."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah.." Steve muttered. "All right."
"Good," Lita said and hurried down the street. Steve
waited a few seconds then followed as covertly as he could.
"So..you ace your examinations?" Greg asked.
"I hope so," Amy said.
"Aren't you worried that your friends might well...fail?"
"No, they're just thinking they did...they probably all at least passed, even if it was a by only a few points."
"Oh..but you might be going to different schools..and.." Greg said.
"Hold on," Amy said and quickly pulled out her communicator.
"Amy, there's a bunch of aliens about to invade I think!" Serena shouted.
"You sure?" Amy asked.
"I'm never sure about anything!" Serena yelled.
"Woah..okay..calm down," Amy said.
"Get to Darrien's apartment and we'll talk," Serena said.
"On my way," Amy said and ended the communication. "Well..some things never change...guess we'll have to talk later."
"Guess so..be careful Amy," Greg said.
"I always am," Amy said and ran off.
At Darrien's apartment.
"Mina's not answering the communicator," Serena said hectically. "Why could that be?"
"No idea, but I'll find her," Darrien said.
"You stay here," he said and hurried out of the
apartment.
"So..you're friend wouldn't come?" the Flower asked as Fiore walked back into the control room.
"No, and he is no longer my friend," Fiore said solemly.
"Then we attack now," the Flower said.
"Yes...I will serve you faithfully and with no hesitation."
The flower pressed a few buttons and the asteroid began to descend towards Earth.
"The target city is Tokyo," the flower said.
"Why Tokyo?" Fiore asked.
"I hear that's where the only real form of human resistance is, including that warrior who fought me years ago. I intend to take destroy them first to make my conquest easier," the flower said. "With them gone, the world will be easy to sweep across and destroy. Furthermore previous attempts to access the world's power have started here, I believe that the gateway to the power may be here as well."
"I understand," Fiore said.