Chapter13

Chapter 13: New City, New Life

“I wonder what they’re like,” Jacey thought as she picked up her suitcases from baggage claim. “This should definitely be an interesting year.” She began to haul her stuff to the airport entrance when four people caught her eye. The youngest, who looked about ten, was holding a sign that said “Jacey Chiba” on it. “Here goes nothing,” she thought and began to walk towards them.
“This is it,” Trista whispered to Amara and Michelle. “Her destiny is here, now, and there’s no turning back.”
Amara nodded. “She has to unlock her powers. They’re the key to everything.”
Jacey walked up to them. “Hi,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I’m Jacey Chiba-Monroe.” Jacey smiled brightly and prayed that they liked her.
“Hi Jacey,” Michelle said, extending her arm. “I’m Michelle.” Jacey shook her hand and felt an electric shockwave go through her body.
“Oh no!” she thought. “Michelle’s a Sailor Scout!” After releasing Michelle’s hand and turning to the others, Jacey saw images of the four girls from their past lives. “They’re all Scouts! What’s going on?” she thought. “I came here to get away from all of that!”
Trista smiled. “Hi, Jacey. Welcome to Tokyo.” Trista took one of Jacey’s bags. “I’m Trista Mayo. You’ve met Michelle,” she said pointing to her. “This is Amara,” she said gesturing to the woman standing next to Michelle. “And this is Hotaru,” she smiled as Hotaru waved. “Our apartment isn’t far from here, but getting a cab is murder.”
“Why don’t we just walk then,” Jacey smiled. “I’d enjoy the exercise!” Trista smiled and nodded. “It’s settled then,” Jacey said. The five of them walked out of the airport and into the bright sunlight. “Maybe they don’t know about me,” Jacey thought. “Maybe a normal life still isn’t too far off.”
***
“Well, are you having fun yet?” Hotaru asked as she happily ate her ice cream cone.
“Tons,” Jacey said. “You’re the best shopping partner ever!” Hotaru giggled and continued eating.
Trista had sent Hotaru and Jacey off to but school supplies for Jacey. Jacey decided to spring for some ice cream for the ever-hungry Hotaru. “Do you like Tokyo?” Hotaru asked her.
Jacey took a bite of her ice cream. “Oh yes, very much,” she said.
The pair continued to walk happily down the street eating their ice cream. A girl who looked about 17 with long blond pigtails and a guy with short black hair who looked about 21 were walking down the street and passed Jacey. She felt an electric shock go through her body, and she knew the pair felt it as well.
When they had passed, Jacey looked down for Hotaru. “Hotaru,” she said, then she realized Hotaru wasn’t there. “Hotaru? Hotaru?” she panicked. She swung around and saw Hotaru standing mysteriously on the other side of the busy street.
Jacey dashed across the street and scooped up Hotaru. “Hotaru! What were you doing?” she freaked out.
“I’m sorry Jacey,” she said. “But Darien and Serena aren’t supposed to know that we’re in Tokyo. We said we left town a while ago.”
Jacey’s heart thumped. “Darien?” she whispered.
Hotaru’s mood changed immediately. “I want to go home,” she said. “I don’t feel well.”
“All right sweetie,” Jacey said. “I’ll take you home now.”
***
“She felt the attraction. She knows, somewhere inside of her,” Hotaru whispered. “Speaking as someone who’s been there, please don’t let her lose the only family she has.”
Trista sighed. “We don’t want her too, Doll. But training is most important. She has to be ready.”
“We have to tell her tonight, then she’ll see Darien and still know her purpose. She can balance things better,” Michelle said.
Hotaru looked down. “She knows that she has a purpose here. She can feel the Earth now, its crying and she knows it.”
Amara looked quizzically at Hotaru. “How can you tell?” she asked kneeling down next to her.
“Jacey told me,” she said. “Every now and then she gets a funny feeling and says that the Earth is crying.”
Jacey poked her head around the corner. “I’m finished Hotaru, you can take your shower now,” Jacey said.
The four smiled at her and she went to get changed. “Tonight,” Michelle said. “There’s no other way.
***
Trista cleared her throat and stepped into Jacey and Hotaru’s room. “Jacey,” she said quietly. Jacey looked up from the letter that she was writing. “Could you come to the living room for a minute please?”
“Sure,” she said. “Is there something wrong?” Trista just walked out of the room. Jacey stood up and followed apprehensively. “What’s going on?” Jacey said as she rounded the corner and found Sailors Pluto, Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus in the living room. Jacey stopped.
“Don’t be scared,” Saturn said. “We know about you and there’s something you need to know.”
Jacey smiled weakly. “I wasn’t scared, Sweetie. I knew about the four of you the first time I saw you in the airport.”
“You did?” Uranus said, in shock. “But how?”
Trista smiled. “Obviously her psychic abilities have been honed properly.”
“Kinda not really, I just knew about you guys. My psychic abilities have nothing to do with that,” Jacey said. “I was hoping that it was some cosmic coincidence and that you weren’t bringing me here to train me.”
“Transform,” Neptune said.
“What?” Jacey stared.
“You heard me, transform,” Neptune called. “We want you to prove that you’re worthy to receive our training and to protect this planet.”
Jacey just smiled. “You asked for it.” She shot her hand up, “Earth Scout Power!” She finished her transformation and jumped towards the open window. “Catch me if you can!” she said as she leaped out.
The Scouts chased her, unable to keep up until Earth stopped at the dump. “Giving up already?” Uranus called.
Earth closed her eyes and released her strongest power. “Earth Quake Shake!”
The ground began to tremor and the Scouts began to look around frantically. “Pluto help me!” Saturn screamed as they were all swallowed by the ground. “Silence Glaive!” Saturn yelled and a bright light smashed their prison. “I am the protector of Saturn, the planet of destruction!”
“I am the protector of Uranus, planet of the skies!”
“I am the protector of Neptune, planet of the seas!”
“I am the protector of Pluto, the planet of time!”
Earth smiled. “I am the protector of Earth, the planet of life!” She held her palm outward over her face and waved her hand down to her neck. “Guardian Sun protect me!” she yelled. The other Scouts looked puzzled. The giant ball of flames came down from the sky once again and engulfed Sailor Earth, turning her into Sailor Sun. “Tres cool, huh?”
“She can become Sailor Sun!” Uranus gasped.
“You bet,” Sun said. “Jacey is worthy of your training. She uses my powers very well. Now don’t make me use my Tsunami on you guys!”
Pluto smiled. “You don’t need to tell us twice!”
Sailor Sun bowed to the four and disappeared in a giant flash. “Sun,” Neptune whispered. “She has a body now. I’m so happy for her.”
Uranus took Neptune’s hand. “We’ve all found what we’ve been looking for.” Earth smiled and Uranus turned to her. “If Sun says you’re worthy, then you are. We respect her decisions.”
“We’ll start to train you as soon as possible,” Pluto said. “Welcome to the Outer Scouts.”
Saturn frowned. “But you can’t let the Inner Scouts know that we’re in Tokyo. Things are weird between us.”
“I don’t even know the Inner Scouts,” Earth said. “Don’t worry about anything.”
Saturn took Earth’s hand and pulled her down to her level. “Go find your brother. You need each other and the Earth needs you.”
Earth scooped Saturn up. “I will, Sweetie, I will.”
***
“Hello,” a voice came from behind Jacey. “I’m Serena, you must be the new exchange student!”
Jacey turned around and smiled at the girl. She immediately recognized her as the girl from her walk with Hotaru. “Hi! Yeah, I’m Jacey Chiba-Monroe.” Serena motioned Jacey to follow her. “Did you know you’re the first person to talk to me?”
“Really?” Serena asked. “That’s weird because everyone’s been talking about your life story already.”
Jacey rolled her eyes. “Figures.” They both stopped when they came to four girls. One had long black hair and obviously went to a different school; one had long blond hair with a red bow in it. A third had a brown ponytail and the fourth had short blue hair.
“Jacey these are my friends Raye, Mina, Lita, and Amy,” Serena said. Everyone gave a cordial smile. “Raye goes to another school, but comes here for lunches.”
Jacey smiled with tears in her eyes, remembering how Griffin would take her out to lunch if he had no afternoon classes.
Lita smiled warmly. “Do you miss your friends a lot?”
“Very much so,” Jacey said. “I have these two best friends in the whole world. And things just seem to happen no one understands. Griffin doesn’t understand anymore and Liz never really understood in the first place. But that isn’t important.”
Mina and Serena stared at her blankly. “Come again?” Mina said.
Jacey’s eyes lit up. “Well, it made sense in my head!” The girls all laughed. “Basically,” Jacey said. “Some crappy stuff’s happened to me and I can’t talk to anyone about it, even Liz and Griffin.”
“I get ya,” Serena said. “That’s really too bad. I used to feel the same way until I met the girls.”
Amy smiled. “Ditto. But now you have us, and you can tell us anything.”
Raye stood up. “Well back to school I go,” she said. “Jacey, we’re all meeting up at my Grandpa’s temple after school for Study Buddies. Wanna come?”
“Sure!” she said. “I could use some catching up on this schoolwork!”
Just then the bell rang and everyone started filing back into the school. “Maybe Darien will be there,” she thought excitedly. “Then I can find out if he really is my brother.”
***
Serena and Jacey walked up the street, talking about boys and the first day of school. “Do you have a boyfriend, Jacey?” Serena asked.
“I used to,” she said. “But it’s a long story and we’re still best friends.” Jacey looked at the sky. “And what about you? Do you have a boyfriend?”
Serena blushed profusely. “Mmmhmmm,” she giggled. “You’re gonna meet him in about five minutes, too!” Jacey froze. “What’s wrong with you?” Serena asked.
“Is that him?” Jacey gasped and pointed at the tall dark haired man walking towards them. “It’s my brother! It has to be him!” she thought.
Serena ran up and screeched. “Darien!” Without letting go of him for a second, she motioned Jacey to come over. “Jacey,” she said. “This is my boyfriend Darien. Darien this is my new friend Jacey, from America.”
Darien extended his hand to her. “Nice to meet you Jacey.”
Jacey grabbed onto her sleeve. “What’s your last name? Who are your parents?” she asked frantically.
“What’s this all about, Jacey?” Serena asked.
Darien looked quizzically at Jacey. “Chiba,” he said. “And my parents died when I was eight.” He bit his lip. “What’s this all about?”
Jacey began to cry uncontrollably. Serena and Darien just looked at her. Jacey pulled a wrinkled picture of the Chiba family from thirteen years before out of her wallet. She held it out and Darien’s eyes grew wide.
“What’s going on, Darien?” Serena demanded. “Who is she?”
Darien stepped back and looked at Jacey. “She’s my sister!”