Chapter 427
"What a nice day," Serena said leaning against her windowsill.
"Yes...it is," Luna said.
"Oh..guess I'd better get to school."
"Good idea."
Serena smiled.
"I'm going to be late," she says. "But that's okay. Because being late is who I am!"
"No Serena! Don't start accepting that!"
Serena smiled.
"Sorry Luna, it's as much a part of me is not listening to you is," she said hurrying out the door.
"That girl," Luna said. "She's really something.."
"Can I ask you something?" came a voice. Sammy poked his head in the door.
"What?" Luna asked.
"Well you're a talking cat? Why are you a talking cat?"
"Oh...that..well it's a real long story," Luna said.
"I'm listening."
"I've got things to do!" Luna said and leapt out the window.
"What could a talking cat possibly have to do!" Sammy shouted.
"Serena you're taking this pretty casually," Mina said hurrying up.
"Well..I'm going to be late can't help, besides, it only makes sense," Serena said.
"I guess so," Mina said.
"I've found that the little things can be very important."
"Like being late?"
"Hey, I'm in school for another few weeks, it's a little late to change my ways."
"But there's college isn't there?"
"Oh yeah..there is isn't there?" Serena said. "Dang it! And I got in somewhere."
"Who took you?"
"Prefecture Institute.." she said referring to the American equivalent of State College.
"Hey! Me too!" Mina said. "We can be roomies!"
Serena grinned.
"Yeah! Wait..no..that's a bad idea," Serena said.
"You're right, we can only live on so much exposure ey?" Mina asked.
They laughed.
"Well looks who's back," Principal Oksua said. "You enjoy your leave of absence?"
"Oh yes, it was quite relaxing," Setsuna said.
"You know Setsuna, I don't know how you do it, but you're going to have to deal with some auditors, who are wondering just how you manage to stay employed here despite your frequent disappearances," Oksua said.
"Are they the same group looking into your habits?" Setsuna asked.
"Actually..yes..." Oksua said. "Vicious bunch. You'd best keep your eye on them."
Setsuna smiled.
Serena hurried in the door.
"You're late Tsukino! You too Deveraux!" Oksua shouted.
"We know!"
"Well just as long as you do!" he snapped.
"Let me remind you that detentions still apply to the likes of you!"
"We know!" the two girls said.
"Oh my..Serena and Mina are late. I wonder what could be keeping them?" Setsuna asked.
"Interesting question," Mike said. "You know I can give you some possible reasons."
"Already prepared are they?" Setsuna asked.
"Oh yeah," Mike said.
"Lets hear them."
"What? You're actually putting up with my actions."
"Sure Mike, for today.." Setsuna said.
"All right! Free ride!"
"Not that much of a ride!" Setsuna said hurriedly.
"Ah..anyway."
The door swung open, Serena slid down the aisle, turned and sat down. Mina vaulted over Melvin's desk and sat down.
"Impressive entrance," Setsuna said. "All right..where do we begin?"
"How about where we left off..oh that's right you all haven't been here for weeks!" Urawa Ryo snapped.
"Shut up Urawa!" the class snapped.
"Yeah, Urawa, just because you can't come up with a creative way to miss a month of class is no reason to get mad at us," Akiro said.
Urawa growled.
"You just wait..someday I'll have my revenge!" Urawa snapped.
"Urawa..I'm going to throw you out this window..." Patterson said.
"We'll help!" the rest of the class said.
"Now..now..class..calm down...we're all aware that Patterson is fully capable of doing it on his own."
The class let out a laugh.
"Honestly though, where was everyone?" Melvin asked.
"We had a barbeque. Lasted a long time it did," Steve said.
"Ah..the disciple is learning," Mike said.
"We should start," Setsuna said. "I don't want this to get out of hand. With that..I have to remind all of you about the prom tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!" the girls all shouted.
"One fourteenth of a fortnight!" Akiro shouted.
"Ehh...yes.." Setsuna said. "It's tomorrow."
"We gotta go!" most of the girls shouted and hurried out.
Setsuna starred at the scene in surprise.
"Well that's certainly a new one," Haruka said.
"What a group," Michiru said.
"Well I'm certainly not going to teach a class consisting only of you guys," Setsuna said.
"We set a new low!" Urawa said.
A barrage of books knocked Urawa to the ground.
"Hah!" the guys all said.
"Ehh...they have no adjusted well," Setsuna said.
"I think you're giving them too much credit," Haruka said.
"It's a good sign though," Michiru said.
"I think you should all go," Setsuna said. "Sneak out the back way will you?"
"Ehh..I've got other classes though," Melvin said.
"Well then you're welcome to them," Setsuna said. "I'm going to the lounge!"
"Yeah! Go for it!" Mike and Akiro said.
"Well Haruna..I guess you've managed to prevent the riot we had for the fall dance this time," Oksua said.
"Well these were different circumstances."
A hoard of girls ran down the hallway.
"What is..happening.." Oksua said.
Haruna pulled her hand out and drew a girl in.
"What's happening?"
"The girls in class 1 got out to prepare for the prom and so we had to follow suit!" the girl said and hurried off.
"Oh..wonderful!" Oksua said.
"I guess this won't help your opinion of my organizing skills will it?"
"We've only just begun," Oksua said. "Step into my office will you?"
"Aren't you going to try and stop them!" Haruna asked.
"A stampede of maniacal teenage girls...yeah right," Oksua said.
At the dress store.
"How about this one?" Mina asked.
"No," Serena, Lita, Amy, Raye, Hotaru, Ayeka, and Ai replied.
"Hmm..."
She ducked back into a dressing room and popped out seconds later.
"This one?" She asked.
"No," the girls replied.
Mina dashed back and then popped out.
"This one?" she asked.
"MINA! You're naked!" Serena shrieked.
"Oops missed a step," Mina said and popped back in.
"Looks like things are back to normal," Lita said.
The girls all nodded.
"Hey..but this is what makes things great huh!" Serena said. "Here we are! Happy together..ready for the prom, and there's not a monster in sight!"
"Yeah!" the girls shouted.
"This one?" Mina asked popping out.
"What is that made of?" Raye asked in surprise.
"Kinda itches.." Mina said.
The girls all sighed.
"All right..all right..next one's a charm," Mina said.
"I'll bet," Serena said.
"Why does she even bother?" Hotaru asked.
"Hotaru! You've become quite a little..." Mina said.
"MINA!" The girls all snapped.
"I'm kidding!" Mina replied. "Geez.."
"I wonder though..maybe I shouldn't have bolted out of school like this..I..really needed to study.." Amy said. "I.."
"Too late now.." the girls said.
"I suppose so," Amy said.
"Here we go!" Mina said and leapt out of the dressing room.
"Got enough trim?" Raye asked.
"It's perfect!" Mina said.
"For anyone but Mike, no," Lita said.
"How fortunate I'm dating him then," Mina said and started laughing.
The girls all sighed.
In the high school gym.
"Okay..looks like we're going to have to push it into overdrive for the dance tomorrow," Rick said.
"Oh no I think a relaxed attitude is the real ticket," Seiya said.
"And you're snide comments are not needed," Rick said.
"Heh.."
"I'm just wondering, have you guys ever played before a dance before? I mean without improvising," Yaten said.
"Wouldn't be fun if we had," Mike said.
"How exactly do you intend to integrate your music into it?" Taiki asked.
"I thought we'd just through together some medium stuff," Rick said.
"Very very medium," Steve said.
Seiya glanced at Taiki and Yaten.
"Yeah, we can do that," he said.
"It shall be a challenge, but one that may actually prove enlightening," Yaten said.
"At the very least we will know what doesn't work," Taiki said.
"That is what our band is all about," Mike said.
"Though it used to be about making enough money to build a house out of toilet paper," Steve said.
"That was only Mike's goal for the band," Rick said.
"Yes, well you and your conventionally built houses have no place in my realm of imagination!" Mike said.
"How do we put up with them?" Seiya asked.
"That's a project worthy of study at a later time," Yaten said.
"Yes, we'll probably have to utilize the scientific method in the process," Taiki said.
"Whatever," Seiya said. "Let's just play something!"
"Minute waltz! Let's kick it!" Mike said.
"Gotcha!" Steve said.
"Eh.what?" Seiya said in shock.
Mike began banging on the drums and Steve hit the base.
"You asked for it," Yaten said.
"I am still learning to control myself," Seiya said.
"Well look Haruka, you survived...all those gloomy predictions you had didn't come to pass," Michiru said.
"Yes, that's true," Haruka said. "But my racing career is once again in the dumps."
"Oh it just adds to your mystique that you only appear at some races and then disappear again, almost as you're taking a mystical approach to it."
"It does doesn't it? I never thought of it before. It could be my hook. What people come out to see. Will I be there, or I won't I be..it's the perfect cover, I should have thought of it before!"
"You're excited about this I can tell," Michiru said.
"Yes, it's perfect Michiru! Oh you're such a genius!"
"Uh..I've been told that on occasion," Michiru said.
"I gotta go tell the boss, he'll understand! Yes this is perfect!"
"Glad you think so," Michiru said.
I haven't seen her like that..since....she was six...
Michiru smiled.
Yes I think this could be the beginning of a whole new world. Can't wait to
see it.
"So Sai, what's next for ya?" Akiro asked.
"I have no idea," Sai said. "I'm sure there's somewhere out there that needs someone to fight for them."
"Really..that's where you want to go?"
"Well maybe after college. But I have no idea what to study I've really only been any good at fighting."
"So join the military."
"Oh..yes..that's an idea..never thought of that."
"That's why you keep me around to do the thinking for you," Akiro said.
Sai started laughing.
"You are an idiot!" he said.
"Ah..yes..but I'm the kind of idiot you want around!" Akiro said.
"Yeah..I guess you are!"
"So Sai, is this the beginning of a new era of you being a guy someone would actually want to have a conversation with?"
"Probably not, I don't think I like it," Sai said coldly. "I have some things to do."
"That's more like it," Akiro said.
Back at the gym.
"Okay..okay..I think this is a good light song.." Rick said.
"Yes, I don't know about the lyrics though," Seiya said.
"Let's just try it first, and then see if we can get it from there," Rick said.
"Okay.." Seiya said. "Still the lyrics.."
"Hey...I spent a good five minutes on them," Mike snapped.
"Let's just start it up," Yaten muttered.
The song began with a twinkling as Yaten played the synthesizer. Little dots of sound and then a streak.
Steve and Seiya's guitars chimed in.
Rick approached the microphone.
"Fighting Evil by Moonlight...Winning Love by Daylight....never running from a real fight..she is the one named Sailor Moon!" he sang.
"No no no, that just doesn't work!" Seiya said. "Those Lyrics suck!"
"Yeah...I agree," Mike said.
"You wrote them!" Seiya said.
"I write a lot of things!" Mike said and began cackling.
"How about we just don't sing all right?" Rick asked.
"That might be for the best," Yaten said.
"All right from the top then," Seiya said.
"From the left.." Mike reminded him.
"Whatever!" Seiya said.
The next night at the prom.
"You know Darrien..if a monster popped up right now I wouldn't care..nothing could ruin this night for me," Serena said.
"I know what you mean," Darrien said. "Still be careful what you wish for."
"Guess you're right. The way my life is a monster might just pop up and that would get me mad."
"Uh..right..exactly," Darrien said.
She smiled.
"You know you're easier to appreciate when there's not a war going on," she said.
"Oh..I see..." Darrien said. "Well I do what I can."
"Rick..did you guys even think try to keep my house from getting trashed?" Raye asked.
"I won't lie to Raye, it was part of the plan from the start for it to get trashed," Rick said.
"And was it part of the plan for all of you to come help me rebuild it."
"Not per se."
"It is now."
"Well..that's fine, more time I get to spend with you."
"Oh yes, a lot of time," Raye said. "Based on the damage estimates."
Rick grinned.
"How about after this we go somewhere really special," Rick said. "There's this place I know well..it's just the perfect place..for you to forget about your damaged house and your scapegoat of a boyfriend."
Raye smiled.
"When you put it that way."
"Does your dress double as a life preserver?" Mike asked.
"It does if you want it to," Mina said.
"Uh..what does that mean?" Mike asked.
"Whatever you want it to," Mina said.
"I had forgotten how much I missed out conversations." Mike said.
"I'm a phenomenon aren't I?"
"Oh yeah.."
"I'm kinda surprised," Steve said.
"What?" Lita said.
"Well after the way I acted that you're going to put up with me."
"You saved my life silly."
"Oh that too..still...I was insane."
"Steve. Love makes people do crazy things, normally they're not as crazy as you were, but that's okay. It shows you care," Lita said. "Though there are other ways to prove it, but we'll discuss those later."
"Yeah...good idea," Steve said. "Funny huh..here we are.."
"Well...something deep down inside of me..very deep down..always knew it," Lita said.
Steve grinned.
"Yeah me too..only it was always on the surface.."
"I noticed."
"Did you?"
The two laughed.
"So are you looking forward to college?" Taiki asked.
"Oh yes..there are so many opportunities open to me...it seems like they can't get enough of trying to please me," Amy said.
"Wonder why.."
Amy smiled.
"Well..it'll be nice anyway," she said. "Are you sticking around?"
"For now..our planet's rebuilding and we're actually very useful here..so we'll hang around. Hopefully for a while," Taiki said. "Wouldn't want to leave you would I?"
"Well it is your home world."
"Yes..but what is a home world if you're not there."
"Oh..Taiki.." Amy said and blushed.
"I don't care what anyone says, I prefer to be scary," Hotaru said.
"What?" Greg asked.
"That's right, I'm not about to soften myself just to make people feel more comfortable."
Greg smiled.
"Actually Hotaru, I'm so used to this way, acting any differently would be scary," he said.
"That's what I figured," Hotaru said. "And besides, this just gives me an excuse to say the brutal honest truth about anything I chose whenever I want. All because I was host to an organism trying to take over the world and so people will make an allowance for that."
"Yep, makes sense to me," Greg said.
"Akiro..why are you staring at me?" Ai asked.
"Because you're beautiful."
"Yes, well I've been beautiful for years, you started staring now."
"I'm just in a sort of staring mood."
"Oh stop playing.."
"No really I want to stare.it makes me feel good."
"You really should seek help."
"Ah..but that takes all the fun out of life."
"I think I could live with out it."
"Yaten..I'm going home after I graduate," Seiya said. "I want to see her."
"I don't blame you. I'll come to. Things to do. Taiki will be fine here on his own," Yaten said.
"Of course he will..look at him."
"He finally met someone he could really love.."
"Well..good for him," Seiya said.
"Hey you two," Haruka said. "You really shouldn't be just standing around like that."
"But Haruka.." Seiya said.
"No buts..this is just for fun!" she pulled him onto the dance floor.
"Interested in a study of mere friendly interaction?" Michiru asked.
"Curious, absolutely," Yaten said.
By the punch bowl.
"D.V...I know you're here somewhere!" Ayeka shouted. "Now I'm going to get you onto the dance floor if I have to beat you unconscious and drag you."
"What did you expect?" Setsuna asked.
"Jerk!" Ayeka said. "Get out here..or I'm going to cry."
"Good strategy.." Setsuna said.
"No..no..you're all wrong in your strategy...here.."
Ayeka whirled. General Patterson handed her a needle.
"Painkillers," he said.
Ayeka grinned.
"Okay..okay..last number of the night!" Rick said leaping onto the stage. The rest of his makeshift band followed.
"Ehh..you're music stinks!" Patterson snapped doped up on the pain killers.
"Uh..right..let's go.." Rick said.
And a slow song began.
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