*sighs with relieve* I FINALLY got this done! *cheers* Okay, I won't
waste
any time.
1. SM characters. Not mine.
2. Email, wrengrif@udel.edu
3. This is a PG part. Fairly tame.

Chapter 11

Allies in Strange Places...

Cissa entered her apartment, humming happily. She threw her bags unto the sofa, and dreamily danced her way over to her easel. 'What...a great day. This _had_ to have been the best day of my entire life. I have friends, most of them underage, but hey, they're all great. Anyways, age is relative. I just met the most Gorgeous man...and I have the best idea for a new series of paintings, 'The Sailor Scouts, Warrior Women of Japan. This day just cannot be bad. It is impossible for this day to be bad At All.'

She grinned, and covered her one painting of the Tokyo Tower and put it aside, to put up a new palate for her portrait of Sailor Moon. She settled in her seat, and began her prelimerary sketches. She started with the small buns on top of the Scout Leader's head, then paused. Why did this hairdo strike her? She squinted for a moment...something in her mind was connecting. Buns...rather like mea--*BRRRRRRIIIING*

She jumped at the sound of the phone ringing loudly. She decided to ignore it, and let the machine pick it up. It rang twice, three times. Four. Five. It rang about ten times before she remembered she didn't HAVE an answering machine anymore, she had broken it in her mad rush out the door the other day.  With an exasperated sigh, she stood up, and headed for the phone. Running her fingers through her long red hair, she picked up the insistant reciever, and said, "Allo; Felicissa Murray speaking."

"Cissa I...*sniffle, sniffle* can't *a short wail* go to the *slight blubbering for a moment* ballllllllllllllll....*a long wail insued*", the voice on the other line cried out.

Cissa held the phone away from her ear for a moment, listening to the sound that sort of struck her like fingernails on a chalkboard, then held the phone to her ear, and said skeptically, "Serena? Is that you?"

"Yes it's meeeeeeeeeeeeeeee...and my mom is being SO meaaaaaaan. She says I can't go to the ball because my American History grade is so looooooooow...", as Serena broke into another long wail.

Cissa held the phone away from her ear again, and raised an eyebrow. "Well Serena...", she said into the phone, calmly, thoughtfully, "Will your mom let you go if you bring your grade up?"

"Yeeeeeeees, probably..." Serena sniffled into the phone.

"Do you have any big tests coming up?" Cissa asked, her voice still calm and steady. She had been warned about this sort of thing from Ami; the most important thing was to stay reasonable with the blond haired girl.

Cissa could almost feel the furious nod on the other side of the phone, as Serena said, "Yes....a big icky midterm that Ms. Haruna cooked up."

"Well..I was a fair hand in history when I was your age. How about I give you a few tutoring sessions?" Cissa asked, then almost regretted as she heard the excited squeal on the other end of the line.

"Oh thank you Cissa, thank you! I'll never be able to repay, never
ever! You're the best! Can I come over now???", the girl yelled happily into the phone.

"Well...I...ahm..." Cissa stuttered for a second, overwhelmed slightly.

"GREAT, I'll be over in fifteen minutes! Oh thank you Cissa. thank you thank you thank you!!! I hope you have SnnnnnAACcckks!!!" And with that, Serena hung up. Cissa held the reciever in her hand for a moment, staring at it.

"Murray..." she said to herself ruefully, as she put the reciever back into it's cradle, "You are going to have your work cut out for you on this one." And with a wistful sigh, and a slight grin, she covered up her sketch, and cleaned up the living room, waiting for Serena.

Zoeisite threw herself back unto the couch, and said, "All right fellas..what now?"

"What now, brown cow..." Jedaite quoted, amused, as he leaned againist the wall. The others looked at him for a moment, and then just shook their heads.

"I believe Zoeisite was to referring to what action we are going to take now...not about the opinion of barnyard quadrapeds, Jedaite."
Malachite
commented dryly, seating himself beside Zoeisite. They all turned their attention to Erkyte.

Erkyte settled himself on the floor, sitting crosslegged. He  looked around, grinned, then said, "What...am I the think tank around here?"

"It's not our deal, genius boy. You're the one who figured out how to bring Malachite and I out of the Netherworld, break Jediate out of the crystal, and manage to get us all to Tokyo..." Zoeisite said with a smirk, "Face it Red,_you_ are the brains of this operation."

"True...so I guess I'd better find out what uses the rest of you have..."Erkyte answered, as he reached into his inside pocket, and pulled out the four unused crystals. He tossed one to each of them.

Malachite caught his, and said quietly, "I'm going to take a wild guess here...we're about to become human batteries, aren't we?"

Erkyte nodded in Malachite's direction. "With all the energy we sapped from these, this should kick start all our powers...", he said, looking down at his crystal. The others did the same, a bit of a fearful look in all their eyes. Beryl consumed huge amounts of raw energy like this,and it drove her mad. In the past, they had only used small doses. What would dozens of energies from humans do to them?

Zoeisite gulped, and then sat up, saying firmly, "Well, what are we waiting for? We have a planet to conquer for our queen. We don't have time for idle fears!" She stood, gripping the crystal firmly, as the power started to glow, and flow into her. Jedaite looked from Malachite to Erkyte, slowly stood and followed suit.

The last two generals rose. Malachite looked to Erkyte, smiled , and said, "Bottoms up." With that, he enclosed his fist around the crystal.

Erkyte laughed as he, as well, gripped the crystal in his palm. The pure power flowed, vicacious and purple, into their bodies, their bloodstreams. Into their minds, and into their hearts, where a small object flickered once, then re settled. A bright purple glow surrounded them all, then slowly changed colors, from red to blue to orange to yellow.  As it rebuilt their extinguished mental links, it also cleansed their own personal power auras.

Zoeisite opened her eyes, and watched the glow around her intensify. "Look at all the pretty colors..." she murmered, feeling heady from the rush, then laughed. The glow around them slowly faded, and the four stood there, feeling their strength gliding through their veins.

Jediate flexed his hand, where the crystal now lay empty. He focased, then watched as a glass on a nearby table shattered at one mere thought from him. He smiled darkly, commenting, "It feels good to be back..."

Malachite flashed one of his smaller boomerrangs through a half empty bottle on the table. He watched as the liquid in the bottle seeped out of the broken edges, and dripped to the table, and unto the floor. He smirked, saying, "Oh yes...very good."

Erkyte chuckled, and concentrated. A small purplish, black ball of energy appeared at his fingertips, then flew from his hand, putting  a searing hole in the wall. Zoeisite laughed again, one of her light wicked cackles, and  dissappered in a flow of cherry blossoms. She  reappeared above all their heads, sitting casually, one hand fiddling with her long blond curls. She said gleefully, "Oh this is Just Wonderful. Can we go out and play?"

Jedaite and Malachite looked at Erkyte eagerly, as he glanced up. He shook his head negatively,  and said, "No...no tonight we rest. Save our new found energy."

Malachite looked at him, his ice blue eyes glowing slightly, saying quietly, "And tomorrow...Erkyte? What shall we do on the morrow?"

Erkyte allowed another purple ball to grow in his hand. As the eerie light flickered off his face, making it look almost inhuman, he whispered, "Tomorrow...we 'introduce' ourselves to Tokyo. In style..." A low evil laugh started in his throat, as the others smiled.

And so it began...

"In today's news...four strange adults, three men and a woman, dressed in what was recorded as 'military uniforms', entered the downtown Plaza, and proceeded..."

"This evening, the strange energy sucking disease that has struck the city reached an alarming high today..."

"The Sailor Scouts. yet again failed to stop the.."

"Sailor Moon and her Sailor Scouts failed.."

"...Scouts, in their failure..."

"Failed..."

Luna sighed as she clicked off the tv, and turned to Serena. The blond
haired girl just shook her head, and gathered up her books. Luna looked at her, and said softly, "It's not as bad as it looks, Serena..."

The girl froze, and slowly turned to her cat Advisor. Her tone was cold, and filled with despair, "Oh really Luna? And here I thought we were LOSING. But now, simply because you've said that, I feel as though the world is a happy bright place again. Now IF you will excuse me, I have a tutoring session to get to." And with that, Serena left the house, slamming the door behind her.

Luna watched through the window as the girl slowly walked away from the door, and all she felt like doing at that moment was hanging her small head, and bawling. But she straightened, and scolded herself silently, 'Head up Luna...you've seen worse times then this. Better go check on Raye at the temple. Perhaps...perhaps she's found something.'

And with this slim hope hanging in front of her, Luna bounded out an open window, and out into the Tokyo streets.

Cissa brought her brush delicately up to the canvas, and quietly worked on eyes. Expressive and dark, they spoke of inner fire, courage, battles untold...her creative litany was interrupted by yet another quiet sigh. She looked over to the three girls sitting, or rather slumping all
over
her couch and two easy chairs, history books open, but neglected. A quiet frown worked unto Cissa's face as she thought back over the last two
weeks, when Serena started coming there. Cissa had just expected quiet one on one sessions.

However, in just the first few days, Ami had wandered in with Serena, saying she needed more book time (Cissa couldn't see how, Ami always seemed to have her nose stuck in some book or another...), and soon, Lita was tagging along too, grinning embarrasedly and speaking about low test scores.

And it was fun, just having the four of them hang out together, trying to get Serena to focus on anything other than comic books, and Darien, snacking on food that Lita brought, then going out afterwards to hang out at the Cherry Hill temple where Raye lived and worked. Mina came, and Darien stopped by...it was a, like that cheezy 40's American movie, It's A Wonderful Life. With people she cared about, who cared about her.

Things had changed though, and not for the better. In the last few days, her friends faces got tenser and tenser, and the carefree feeling that surrounded them vanished. It was like an invisible weight had been shoved down on all of them, Serena especially. Way too often lately, Cissa had seen a desparate look in the girl's blue eyes that unnerved her. Cissa was worried; would Serena fail the test coming up in one week because of this...this thing?

'Well Cissa, there's only one way to get this settled...you're going to have to ask. Just do it tactfully..' she thought to herself, looking at the canvas again. She asked demurly, "So girls...anything you want to talk to me about? I mean...is something wrong?"

All three looked up at her, and said in unison, "What do you mean, wrong? There's nothing wrong! Nothing...at all.." They all trailed off, and looked at each other, then away. Cissa looked around, at each of them, swallowed an exasperated groan and turned yet again to her portrait.

"Well...if any of you WANT to talk..I'll be right over here. Painting. You know, where I usually am...and..yeah." Cissa stuttered, as the uncomfortable silence grew over all of them.

Lita fiddled with her ponytail for a moment, and looked around. Serena was biting her nails, staring at Cissa, then back at her page. Ami continued to read a few lines, and then rub her temples. Lita scowled to herself, and thought , 'We are all so stressed about whole New Four thing. Jeez...and we just can't talk about this among ourselves. If Luna even tries to talk  about it, Raye gets angry, or Serena just walks away. Mina's been in the slumps, and Ami is trying so hard to find some way to stop them, she's giving herself migraines. And me...I go between wanting to cry, or wanting to break something.'

She sighed, and got up slowly, streching her long legs. She walked around the sofa, as Ami and Serena both shot her quick looks, then returned to their books. Lita looked over at Cissa, who was delicately applying paint to a portrait that Lita couldn't see. Lita sighed quietly, then thought, 'It would be good...just to talk. I mean, it wouldn't have to be about what's going on now...just talk.' She slowly moved forward, and pretended to go to the window to look out. She then glanced over to Cissa, opening her mouth to say something. But what escaped it was a surprised gasp.

Serena and Ami jumped to their feet, and ran over, as Lita went forward, pointing at Cissa's painting. Cissa sat there, baffled, then said, "What? It`s just a painting..."

"But...but...it's a painting of ..Sailor Mars!", Lita exclaimed. Ami looked at the canvas that held the image of her fellow scout. It was
a beautiful painting, with Mars coming out of what looked like an exploding volcano, her eyes blazing, long black hair flying,  the fire surrounding her in an etheral red and orange glow.

Cissa grinned, and said, "Gee, really Lita? What gave it away, the Sailor outfit or the fact she's bathed in holy fire?" She shook her head, and added, "God, I wonder if you'd freak out if you saw the others that I did.."

"OTHERS??" the three girls exclaimed. With a raised eyebrow, Cissa gestured to a covered pile of paintings standing in the corner beside her easel. Serena went over, and ripped off the tarps. Her blue eyes boggled.

There was Sailor Jupiter, standing in the middle of a thunderstorm, lightening flashing from her fingers, her green eyes vivid againist the white shocks of power...

Mercury, sitting on a font of blue ice, one hand brought up to her chin, her warm smile seemingly out of place in such a cold enviroment...

Venus, standing,  glowing as if surrounded by the sun itself, looking skyward, hands crossed over her chest, a peacful look glowing in her blue eyes....

Tuxedo Mask, streched out casually on a stone bench that looked familiar, a heart thuddingly gorgeous smile curving his lips, his elegant form surrounded by crimson roses in bloom...

And...and her. She sat among the stars, staring up at the moon. Her golden hair almost looked silver, and  her blue eyes glowing as if in wonder. One gloved hand was reaching up, just as if to touch the orb that was once her home....

Serena looked over at Cissa, saying softly, "These...these are beautiful." Lita and Ami had joined her, and were looking at their self portraits in silent awe.

Cissa blushed, and said, "I was trying to capture the true essence of the greatest warriors Japan has ever known. What do you think?"

Serena's face fell, and Lita and Ami looked at each other, then at their portraits quietly. Cissa looked at them, and said, confused, "What??"

Serena looked at her, and said quietly, "The Sailor Scouts are no heros. All they are...are a bunch of stupid little girls, in stupid little outfits. Who when it got tough, didn't have what it took to save the world." She turned to the window, and crossed her arms across her chest, trying not to cry.

Cissa's eyes turned into gray slits, and her mouth became a thin pink line. Her entire body stiffened, and every line screamed anger. Lita and Ami shot glances to each other, and slowly took a step backwards. Serena stood oblivious to the storm growing in Cissa's eyes. That was, of course, until Cissa began to speak.

"How DARE you." the red haired girl said, her tone low and icy. Serena looked up, surprised. Cissa clenched her fists, glared at Serena, and continued, slowly and enraged, "HOW DARE YOU! How dare you critize people who have consistantly saved this city, and YOUR ungrateful life time and time again. Probably the entire world. And you'll throw praise at them, when they do 'good', the 'faithful' watchdogs of Tokyo. But the second they stumble just a little, you turn on them. Well...I don't want to hear this from you."

Serena stumbled backwards, her mouth opening in shock. Lita broke out, "But you can't deny it...they've failed. They're...they're.."

"They're letting everyone down." Ami finished, her blue eyes quiet and full of pain.

Cissa turned towards Ami and Lita, and spat out, "I don't want to hear ANYTHING from any out of the two of you, either. Serena was right about one thing..they are just little girls. Little girls out there at least trying to make a difference. Which is more than I can say about the people in this room. When did any of YOU ever go out and try to save the world?"

The three girls stood there, their eyes huge, quiet. Not saying anything. Cissa gave them each a level look, and said, calmly, "I thought so...judge not, lest you be judged. You may be the skeptics, but I at least still believe in them." And with that, she turned, and started cleaning her paints up angrily. She expected them all to huff, to storm out of here, angry and hurt. She expected, with a heavy heart, for them to leave and never return.

What she didn't expect, was to have three teenage girls tackle her with fierce hugs. She nearly fell over, and caught back a half laugh, half sob. 'Maybe that's what was wrong...they were in doubt about the Sailor Scouts, and they just needed someone to set them straight.' She hugged them all back, and then commented dryly, "All right...time for a field trip. I think the paint fumes are making your emotions go wacky!"

Serena laughed, with Lita and Ami joining in. Cissa grinned, and managed to break from the hug, to walk over and tossing them each their coats. She grinned at them, winked, and said, "Last one to the park buying ice cream for everyone!" And then she took off.

Lita gasped, "CHEATER!!!" and dashed out the door after her, Serena and Ami hot on her heels.

Lita flopped down on the bench next to Serena and Ami, as they all turned sweet smiles to Cissa, who was puffing up behind them. Cissa stopped in front of the bench, slightly out of breath, and made a face at
them. As soon as she could speak, she commented haughtily, "Well I would of won if that little old lady hadn't gotten in front of me."

Serena just grinned, and said, "Chocolate Fudge Ripple please..."

Lita folded her arms above her head, and said, "Mint Chocolate Chip, my good woman.."

Ami laughed, then said, "Strawberry..."

Cissa sighed, then bowed. "Your wish, is my command, your running highnesses..." She then walked, slowly, over to the ice cream vender. Serena looked to Lita, who looked at Ami, who looked back at both of them. Then they all started giggling.

Litat gasped out, "It feels so good to laugh..."

Serena nodded, and said, "Feels like forever since we actually DID."

Ami smiled, then sobered. She sighed, then said, "Yes..but I still have yet to find a way to stop the New Four Generals."

Lita looked at her, and said, "Just remember Ami, we're in this together...so you're not going this alone."

"Right. We're a team. We'll ALL figure something out..." Serena added,
patting her shoulder. Ami grinned again.

"Thanks guys...I needed that." she said softly, then added, "Now what
are
WE going to do about the New Four?"

Serena sighed, and muttered, "I have NO clue..."

Lita looked off at the trees, thinking. She said quietly, "Why not ask
Cissa?"

Ami and Serena looked at her, eyebrows raised. Serena said, rather
sarcastically, "Gee Lita, and ruin that whole secret idenity thing?"

Lita gave her friend a scathing look, and said, "We ask it in the form
of
a hypothetical question. Duh."

Serena blushed, and said, "Oh..." At this point, Cissa came back, just
barely balancing four ice cream cones. The girls quickly stood, and
each
of them relieved Cissa of her cumbersome bundles. Each girl began
eating
their ice cream, as they walked slowly around the edge of the lake.
Lita
whispered to Serena, "You ask her..."

Serena whispered back, "No way, it was your idea. You do it."

Lita snapped back, "YOU'RE the leader."

Serena hissed, "YOU thought of it."

"Oh for....I'LL ASK." Ami muttered.

Cissa turned around, puzzled, "Ask me what?"

Serena and Lita smiled weakly, while Ami hid a grin, and started walking next to Cissa. She gave her ice cream cone a few good licks, and began speaking in that calm tone of hers that showed she was thinking deeply about something. Lita and Serena fell in step behind them, and listened attentively.

"We were discussing...how to deal with a problem, or rather a person, or group of persons, that seem more than one can handle." Ami started slowly, warming up to her point. "Like...oh, I don't know, the Sailor Scouts and this new menance."

Cissa licked her cone before replying, "You mean...like how they should go about dealing with the problem, since all other ways have seemed for naught?"

"PRECISELY." all three girls chorused. Cissa stared off through the trees for a moment, then focused her eyes on something. She walked towards a table where two men sat playing chess, both watching the board with determination and concentration.

Cissa pointed to the players, and whispered, "Look at them. You see how they are watching each other's moves. They are looking for a mistake, a loophole that will bring them checkmate. You see how he just took that man's rook with his knight. He saw the rook leaving him the opportunity to take him. In other words, they are looking to use their opponents own pieces againist them."

Amy stared at the board quietly, while Lita and Serena pondered this. Serena finally whispered quietly, "You mean...the Scouts should find their oppenents weak link, and attack it? Like finding one of their 'pieces' I guess, and using it to help them beat the bad people?"

"Precisely." Cissa said with a grin. Ami's glance moved from the board to the park around them, and she realized with a start she knew this part well. 'This is where we fought Zoeisite's minions...and right there is the tree where Nephlyte died...'

Where Nephlyte died...one of the Negaverse's greatest generals. Something in Ami's eyes clicked. If that Erkyte could bring back Zoeisite and Malachite...surely they could too...

Her head swivled, and met the exicited blue eyes of her leader. Serena, in a moment of genius, had gotten the connection as well. They both grinned, and grabbed Lita, blurting out together, "ThanksverymuchCissabutnowwehavetogo. WeforgotwehavetomeetRayeatthetemplesowe'llseeyoulaterBYE!"

And with that, they ran off, dragging a confused Lita with them, their ice cream cones dropping to the ground. Cissa called out after them, "Glad I could help...I guess. Strange, strange girls." She murmered after they were out of sight.

She turned, walking back to her apartment, when suddenly two hands covered her eyes, and a warm male voice she knew well whispered into her ear, "Greetings Beautiful..."

She grinned, threw her ice cream cone aside, and turned quickly, kissing the gorgeous blond male behind her. He stood surprised for a minute, then wrapped his arms around her and kissed back. They stayed like for what seemed like to them a delicious eternity, then Cissa moved back with a grin, and said, "Hi Jedan..."

Jedaite grinned, tucked her arm under his, and said, "You sure know how to greet a fellow.." They started walking, arm in arm. Cissa blushed slightly, and squeezed his hand. She looked at him coyly once or twice. Jedaite shot a sideways glace at her, and smiled softly.

"My lady has a question for me, apparently." he said amusedly.

Cissa grinned. and spoke, "Not as much a question, as an invitation."Jedaite looked at her, violet eyes wide. She blushed again, and said softly, "I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to a ball..."

Jedaite smiled, and whispered gently, "It would be an honor..."

Cissa's grey eyes glowed, and she put her head on his shoulder, saying, "Look at that sky...such a gorgeous blue. Don't you wish days like this could last forever?"

Jedaite looked at the red haired head on his shoulder, and his breath caught slightly. He looked around, at the peaceful park, the people walking, children laughing. A squirrel chattered from a tree, and a bird was bringing bugs to her babies, swooping through the trees gracefully. And he was going to destory all this...all this LIFE. For the first time in a long time, twinges of guilt ran through his body. He looked at the amazing beauty besides him, and murmered quietly, "Yes...yes I do."