The Four Lovers: Air On a Cosmic String
VII.  Storm clouds

I've done everything I can to ease the pain,
but only you can stop the rain
Just when I thought I was over you,
and just when I thought I could stand on my own.
Oh baby! Those memories come crashing through
and I just can't go on without you,
go on without, it's just no good
without....YOU.
    --"Here I Am", Air Supply
       (THANK YOU ALYS!)

Que, que, na-to-ra
You will understand
Listen with your heart
You will understand
    --A song from "Pocahontas"

 "Sean, this is not the time."
 "Did I have to schedule one in?"
 "Listen..."
 "No, you..."
 "JARED!!
 He looked up then, pulling off the earphones. He was really
getting into these taped books, and the people who had
decided to make the "Freezing Time" tape were excellent.
 "Yea?" he asked.
 "Can I come in?"
 "Zach's on the roof."
 He could hear her sigh behind the door,
and knew it was no use avoiding her any longer.  She wanted
to talk to him, and that's all there was to it.
 "Come in," he finally said.
 The door swung open to reveal a Princess ready for bed,
decked out in a nightgown and bunny slippers.  He himself
was in plaid, drawstring pants and a light T-shirt; the
nights had turned warmer recently.  She walked over to him,
eyes a querying blue, looking deep into
his own pale blues, searching them out.
  he wondered for the
very large numbered time.  They'd had talks like this all
the way through high school, and it usually began with this
eye lock, and then followed through with some unsureness,
and then...
 Serena plopped down beside him then, and reached over and
hugged him.  It was so not her, not in the routine, that he
almost jumped off the couch that instant.
 "I'm sorry, ani.  I'm so sorry."
 He sighed, and automatically stroked her hair.  He knew Kev
would probably have a fit, but...but...this was Serena!
Still, he thought aloud, "You know, I wonder what the Prince
would say about this."
 It was probably something he shouldn't have done.
Immediately she let go, and her eyes found his, smashed into
his, revealing a furor he'd not seen...well, he didn't think
he ever had, but he couldn't be sure.
 "Not my Prince, my Darien.  You must be thinking of someone
else."
 "I thought he was protective."
 She let out a breath, and again collapsed against him.
"I'm sorry, Jade...really, I am.  You don't know him as well
as I do, and I know barely anything about Darien.  Yes, he
is protective, but not overtly...I'm not sure how to explain
it."  She hugged him a little tighter.  "You are my brother,
and once were his best friend--he should understand that."
She loosened her grip, and sighed softly.  "Now Raye, on the
other hand, might not understand.  Once you and her are
settled, we'll never sit in the same room alone together.
Besides, she and Darien were close, and..."
 "This is creepy," he said in reply, smiling for the first
time since Jas had been so STUPID in the book he'd been
listening to.  "Your man and my women, dated?"
 "Glad to hear you acknowledge her."
 He nearly didn't reply for a moment, just sat there in a
comfort for a bit.  He hadn't really said all that much
about Raye, except how he wanted to meet her and charm her.
But it wasn't like him for the others--their woman hadn't
been hurt, hadn't been wronged, and hadn't drawn her first
breath suspiciously.  He grinned, though, and then gently
said, "It's hard not to after that night."
 She looked up at him.  "What happened then?" she asked
quietly.  "You know..."
 "Well, it kinda went like this," he quickly interrupted.

 Zoicite screamed, and vanished.
 Crystal stood in shock for a moment, and looked around,
before suddenly collapsing, head stuffed between her hands
as if trying to ward off a heavy sound.  He was by her in an
instant, and so was Tux; navy blue met pale, pale blue over
her body for a fleeting second, and Tux's confusion was
known to him as Tux knew of his determination.
 "Crystal," he whispered as the man formed a rose.
"Crystal, are you all right?"
 "Connections, Jade," she whispered back.  "Connections with
the Generals, and he...he is...in...the Crystal hurts, Jade.
The Crystal HURTS."
 Tux looked more confused than ever; he was immediately
worried.  She wasn't referring to herself, but to the Silver
Crystal that lay hidden under her loose, black uniform,
concealed along with her identity.  If it suddenly decided
to...he stood up, and read      her with his powers.  These
were surprisingly as strong, or stronger, than Jadeite's had
been.   he thought
dryly as the wave of cloudy blue-gray washed over her.
Tux's eyes went wide as he watched them, and Jade smiled to
himself at the recognition of power.  However, this smile
turned into a frown as he read the flows, the movements of
energy over her body.  The prognosis wasn't good; not good
at all, in fact,
 "PLUTO!" he called out, and immediately the green haired
Senshi appeared next to him.  Without a word she picked up
the prone girl, and he caught her arm.
 "Put her in a cold bath," he whispered.  "Her temperature
needs to be brought down, now! And get the Crystal off of
her.  It hurts."
 Pluto's eyes widened a fraction, and she moved away, staff
following her in a smooth, gliding motion.  As it came
closer, and she began to whisper her key to teleporting,
Crystal suddenly called out, "the blue is the key...memories
alive in...forget-me-not."
 Then they vanished, and a hand touched his shoulder.  "I
don't know why," Tux whispered, "but thank you.  You saved
her, and she is...I don't know what she is."
 "No problem, my liege," he replied automatically.
 "Don't bow down or anything," he chuckled.  "I don't think
you ever did anyway, did you, Jadeite?"
 "Not to my knowledge, my liege," he replied with forced
cheer.
 "MERCURY!" Mars suddenly cried out, snapping out of the
shock that had frozen all the Senshi.  She stepped forward,
eyes burning in the night.  "How COULD you! Give her back,
NOW!"
 Kunzite moved, but Jadeite brushed him aside.  There was a
brief meeting of gazes, but then the High Gen nodded.  It
also helped than Endymion appeared, saying nothing but
supportive.
 "Sailor Mars," he began, then stopped.  "You are the
Martian Senshi, holder of Flame?"
 "What about it?" she growled.
 "Trust me, Sailor Mars, we did NOT take your friend," he
said, moving a step forward.
 "How can I believe you!" she spat back.  "You are evil!"
 "THEY were evil," he snapped back.  "I am NOT General
Jedite, nor are these Generals Nephlyte, Zoycite, or
Malachite.  I am NO pawn of Queen Beryl.  I am General
Jadeite, guard of Endymion and his love, wherever they be."
His body seemed to take on a visible aura, a shapeless piece
of cloud power that clung to his shape; his eyes turned
bright, brighter than a moonbeam almost.  "And never again
should your beautiful mouth speak of me as if I was him."
He gestured away, towards were Zoicite and Crystal had been.
"Would my friend Zoicite have been as distraught as he was?
Those were real tears you saw, Sailor Mars."
 Mars was taken aback at the least, not only by his words or
his power but by his eyes, those clear, blue eyes.  She
recognized the shape, the shape in the fire...and gasped as
her heart beat joyously.
 "Trust us, Lady Mars," he whispered.  "We have trusted
you."
 She stood for a minute, and looked helplessly back at Venus
and Jupiter.  They didn't say a word, but Venus nodded, eyes
sharp as well.  She turned back, and caught her breath on
him again, then released it with, "I trust you."
 He smiled in reply, and whispered, "Thank you, Lady.  May I
meet you again."  He looked to the others, and to Tux, who
nodded.  Now the three broke off in a clump, and moved a
little ways away.
 "Good-bye, Senshi," Jade said as they linked.  It was an
easier process now, but it still took a little time, enough
for him to speak his words.
 "Good-bye, Generals!" Venus called.
 Just before they vanished, they all looked over at the
silent, still Tux, who held his cane and his top hat in his
hands, mask opaque once more.
 "Good night, Prince," Kunzite called.
 He shuffled them a bit, and then said, "May we meet again
off the battlefield, Generals."
 With that, they vanished.

 "What did he say again?"
 "About what?  You leaving, or us leaving?"
 "You leaving."
 "I believe it was," and he paused to adjust his voice, "May
we meet again off the battlefield, Generals."  He looked
down at her, comfy against him, and wondered, "Why?"
 "Nothing...I think.  I hope.  I'll have to talk to Kevin or
Nate about it."  She sat up then, and quietly asked.  "How
is Zach?"
 He sighed, a long, low one, and said, "Not okay, Princessa.
I mean, he came back that night a wreck, and I nearly had to
knock him out to get him to sleep.  Next day he wakes up a
Kevin-type workaholic, and then starts spending all his time
on the roof.  I don't know what he does up there, but he's
put up enough shielding..."
 "Shielding! I thought he didn't..."
 "So did we.  Apparently he learned a lot that night."  He
sighed again.  "Anyways, we have no idea what he does up
there, but he always comes back late and wakes up early.
That can't be good for him."
 "Has he mentioned anything about Amy?"
 "Not a peep.  In fact, he barely talks at all."
 She shook her head, almost distraught.  "I wish I could
know what he was thinking about."

  his mind whispered as he started into the night.
His body was rather cold due to the winds that swept across
the building during the night, but his hands were warm,
almost painfully so.  He was trying to construct a locator
and tune it without being near the person, and even Zoicite
would have trouble with that.  It was intricate, long work,
with few places to stop and let the crystal just work by
itself.  He knew the others had to be worrying about him,
especially Serena, but he didn't have the time right now.
He had to find her.  He couldn't fail her again.
 Even now, he'd still occasionally be awoken by that hideous
nightmare, those hellish last minutes Zoicite had contended
with for his end.  It had been his motivation to go on here.
He couldn't sit by again, wait until he snapped to do
something.
 Which is why he held her handkerchief in his hand.
 It was the only piece of her that he had, and had been
close enough.  In making this locator, need wasn't enough;
you needed something that had been around the person, that
had their "scent," though it was really just their residual
bio energy.  In a way, it was a bloodhound, not a tracking
device.  Crystalline magic was a tricky, exact science,
which is why it suited Zoicite--and also was why he was the
weakest.
  his mind sang again as he picked up the cloth.  He
bet himself that if he paused to smell it, it would still
carry the scent of spring air and roses.  He sat back for a
moment, letting the crystal contraption cook as he inhaled
the fragrance.  He was right, except for the one piece he'd
forgotten: the sharp, metallic smell of blood that was just
enough to tickle his nose.  His own blood, in fact.  He
closed his eyes, and let himself picture that wonderful day.
 It was after the second fight, and a weekend, and he had
taken some time to walk down to the park to check out the
sight.  He found less residue than from the first, and
decided that whoever was making them was refining their
skills.  Which was true; Selene had taken a lesson from
Katarina on an easier way to bind DF before she had created
it.  It roused unhappy thoughts in his mind, and set him
wandering among the flowers, and nearly straight into a
patch of roses.  He stopped before he blundered through
them, and leaned over to smell them.  The dark peach shot
with yellow flowers were no disappointment, even if he
needed to get in really close to capture the sweet
fragrance.  He paused above them again, and wondered if he
should bring one to Serena.  She seemed to like roses a lot;
in fact, she was setting up pots on her balcony to grow
some, along with some other flowers.  He leaned in to
delicately pluck one of the buds off, so she could possibly
identify it when she went to buy some...but his fingers only
closed around a patch of thorns, sending him leaping back.
 "Didn't your mother ever teach you not to take flowers from
the park?"
 "Mother always said that...ouch...Nature's gifts were
free," he replied, turning as he cradled his injured hand.
He found, to his surprise and delight, a bemused (and
blushing)(slight) Amy.  He offered her a half-cocked smile
in return, taking a breath to catch the rest of the scent
and adding, "And these are definitely precious gifts, Miss
Mizuno."
 "It's Amy, Zachary..."
 "Please, just Zach."
 "Zach," she said, testing the word.  "Did you find any
diseases on the plants?"
  chorused through his mind, and his smile
slipped into a grin.  "Not a hint.  In perfect order," he
gestured.
 "You're bleeding!" she suddenly gasped.
 "Huh?" he muttered, looking down.  Where his fingers had
grasped the thorns were little pinpricks of blood, welling
oh-so-gently up from them.  Quickly he fumbled about for
something to wipe them with, and suddenly found a
handkerchief dangling in front of him.
 "Amy, I wouldn't want to..."
 "Please," she replied gently.  "You helped me identify that
polymer, and this is the least I could do."
 "Thanks," he said with a relieved grin, and she grinned
back.  He'd kept the hanky, obviously, and they'd talked for
awhile.  In fact, he'd bumped into her on accident a few
time, and they'd always been pleasant to each other.  In
fact, he smiled a lot more around her, a lot more than
usual, and guessed that she did as well...and he caught
little blushes, too.  Everytime he walked away he caught
himself wishing he wasn't, wishing he could pour out his
past and history and apologies, massive apologies to her.
 
 He shook his head, cutting off the thought.  It didn't
matter how much his logical, analytical mind tried to warn
him off.  It didn't mater that he'd only seen her a few
times, only talked with her briefly, only been able to come
in contact with her by sheer accident...he was falling love
with her.  That was it.  He was falling in love with her.
 He moved forward again, hands heating as he neared the
crystal.  The sky was clouding over; he was going to have to
move quickly in order to get this next step finished.  
 Quietly, his mind added, 

 The Master was pleased at the night's catch.
 "Well done, Hielo," he said, voice nearly a purr, hand a
washed out blue near the man's head.  His head tilted back
in ecstasy at the energy washing through him, and let out a
comforting sigh.
 "With one Senshi captured, they will be so shaken they
won't know where to turn.  And that's when we catch them off
guard."  He smiled, a cruel, happy smile.
 "Did you like the way I handled Crystal, Master?" Hielo
whispered.
 "I'll tell you what I liked," the Master hummed.  "I liked
how you captured her...but you held her too close."
 With that, a purple spray of energy ripped from his hand
and struck Hielo, sending him back into the wall.
 "And Selene...did you get any Generals tonight?"
 The dark haired woman cowered in the corner, barely raising
her head to reply.  "No, my Master...the cat could not touch
one of them, and I..."
 "It is all right, my dear," he whispered soothingly, and
suddenly she was in front of him.  His hand gripped her
throat, and hoisted her slightly into the air; she yelped,
but the blue energy poured in, just enough to nearly blot
out the pain.  She cooed even as his hand was around her
throat, and relaxed slightly.
 "You WILL do better next time."
 "Yes, Master...I will, Master."
 He set her down then, hand stroking her hair, still
supplying the blue energy.  She paused then, and barely
shifted her head to try and look up at him; he forced it
back down.  "Will I still have my two men, Master?  I desire
them more and more."
 He chuckled, and then looked up, hand loosely toying with
her hair.  "What about you, Katarina?  You have visited the
battlefield a time.  Who do you wish for?"
 "My Lord..." and she paused, taking a step from her
shadows.  "Perhaps Zoicite for a servant...and..." her eyes
lit like emerald flames now, "General Jadeite.  My Lord, I
desire the General Jadeite!"
 "He shall be yours, Kat," he pronounced solemnly.
 A smile curved over her lips gleefully, and he smiled back
slyly.  Then, he let a lance of blue out at her before
disappearing, probably off on one of his many hidden
businesses.
 "What did the Master say for the Senshi prisoner?" Katarina
asked.
 "Nothing," Selene replied.
 "Nothing," Hielo muttered.  He looked to the room where she
was kept.  "But I want...need..."
 "Hielo! Calm yourself! The Master will not be pleased if
you..."
 "Oh shutup, Katarina!" Selene snapped.  "I am sure the
Master not mind if our dear brother indulges himself."  She
looked at him with a soft smile.  "Right, Hielo?"
 "I'm telling you, this is not right!" Katarina snapped.
 "Buzz off," Hielo said.
 "I will have no part of this," she replied softly, eyes
moist even as she turned away.  Why...why did she care what
he did?
 "Go ahead, brother," Selene purred.  "I will keep her
away."
 He smiled at her, green eyes flaring brightly, then walked
over to the door and slowly opened it.  Inside, aways back
lay Sailor Mercury, healed and awake, yet bound and gagged.
He walked over and knelt by her, stroking her face for a
brief second.
 "Hello, my dear," he whispered, and her eyes widened.
Standing, he added, "This should only take a moment."
 The door fell closed.

 The day dawned humid, with a slight overcast; the weather
didn't ease up as the day went on.  In fact, it could be
said that it got worse.
 All of this prompted Raye to head to the shrine and get
some overdue work done.  She'd been taking some school
courses in teaching, and was hoping that one day she'd be
able to tutor girls, guys, PEOPLE, like her, gifted with
psychic abilities.  She didn't want anyone to go through
what she had, the teasing and such, just because she was
SPOOKY.  She changed, checked a mirror, and was surprised to
see how different she seemed.   she thought
quietly.
 She was sweeping off the front portion, the "plaza" almost,
when Jared slowly made his way up the stairs.  His jacket
was open due to the humidity, and a bunch of wild, purple
flowers were budding in his grip.  It'd been a minor
surprise to find his psychometry affected them, since
normally natural things were Zach's department.
  he thought as he hit the top.
 Immediately a strong presence intruded on her mind, and her
broom moved slower as she concentrated on it.  Her crows
fluttered down from their perch, and she stopped as they
righted themselves.  In his hands, the flowers sprang
upwards, leaves alive with energy.
 "Hello?" he called.  "Anyone here?"
 "What do you want?"
  he thought as she appeared.  This could
be Raye, a raven haired, dark eyed beauty with crows on her
shoulders (bristling? Hope not), broom in one hand.
Somewhere deep inside a voice whispered , and he
nearly blushed/burst out laughing, mortified but not--and
that in itself was weird.  The flowers in his hand seemed to
shimmer as his eyes found her, and he cut the flow.
 "I'm here to look about the shrine," he said.  He took a
step forward, adding, "I'm also looking for a maiden named
Raye.  Her grandfather told me to bring her these next time
I came.  So I did."
 She stiffened a bit, staring at the mess of blooming,
shiny, deep purple flowers in his hand.  Tears came to her
eyes, quite unintentionally; it was just that Amy had
introduced her to orchids, first shown them to her, in fact.
She was gone now, taken by...
 "Thank you," she said quietly.  "I'll take them to her."
 "She's here?  I'd like to deliver them personally," he said
casually, but his brow furrowed a bit.  
 "No...she's busy.  But I'll give them to her personally,"
she replied, moving closer even as her crows adjusted
themselves.
 "Its no problem," he smiled.  "Beautiful flowers for a
gorgeous girl."
 She stood shyly for a moment, still staring at the flowers
and holding her broom, his words like raindrops on her back,
before moving forward to take the flowers.  In that brief
moment when the blooms passed from hand to hand, energy
flared in them.
 The two gasped and stepped back as their energy--his stored
in the flowers and her natural power--combined in the
plants.  The flowers floated right out of her hand,
flowering as they did, a cloudy glow mixing with a red hot
sparkle familiar to both surrounding them.  The sight was
spell binding, and it kept them bound for a minute or two--
that is, until a loud clap of thunder seized them.
 "YOU!" they cried out at the same time, and she moved
forward, eyes dark fire.  The flowers still floated in the
air, but seemed to sag at the same time.
 "I'm not..."
 "Why are..."
 They stopped, realizing their words rang together in the
air.  For a moment it seemed he would speak, and she was
going to let him, because he'd better have a good reason for
being here.
 "Raye, who are you talking to?" came a voice instead, and
as she looked away he snatched the flowers down.  The bright
eyed, little old man trotted up.
 "No, Grandfather!" she cried out, and he stopped, and
looked between them.  And grinned.
 "You came back! Finally!" he said, rushing forward to grip
his hand.  "And you brought the flowers, too! Good boy!"
 "This is the GUY you met?" Raye quickly deduced, voice
incredulous.
 "Yep," he replied, and Jade sheepishly grinned.  "Jade,
this is Raye," he introduced.
 "Hi," Jade said.
 "We've met," Raye replied sourly.
 "Her bark is worse than her bite," Grandpa whispered to
him.  "Give her the flowers.
 He extended his hand shyly, with a sweet half smile on his
face and a glint in his eye.
 It was infuriating to Raye that she went to grab the
flowers; and, ever so accidentally, she gripped his hand
instead.  A shock ripped through both of them, suppressing
the grin/glare on both of their faces as a picture flooded
their mind.
 /Jadeite stood on one side of a plain./
 /Mars stood on the other./
 /They stared at each other, a wind pulling back Mars' hair,
revealing a tiara emblazoned with the symbol of Mars.  His
own uniform marked him clearly; there was no need for a
symbol./
 /He smiled./
 /She smiled./
 /"Hello, love./
 Raye drew a breath in concert with Jared as Grandpa clapped
his hands over theirs.  "Good, good!" he crowed.  "Come
inside and have some tea."
 "I couldn't...uh, shouldn't..." Jade said, eyes still on
Raye's.  He broke the gaze to look at her Grandfather, and
with sorrow in his voice said, "I'm sorry."  His grip broke
on her hand, spilling the flowers as he turned away.
Outside he sat by a pillar, hands stuffed in his jacket,
trying to recover from the...intensity of emotion that had
swept them both.
 "Fish sticks," Grandpa said.  "Aw well, I hoped you
wouldn't scare him off."  He never noticed that Raye still
held one flower, one open orchid as contrasted to those
spilled on the ground.  She stared at the flower, at the
revealed center...and was surprised to find eyes, purple
eyes, eyes she saw everyday staring back at her.  Older,
wiser--but they were still her eyes.
 "Jadeite," the winds seemed to whisper.
 "Jade," the trees rustled.
 "Jadeite," the pond gurgled.
 "Jade," the flowers giggled.
 >Jadeite, Jade.  Jade, Jadeite.  No difference,< the eyes
in the flowered communicated, a thought that lanced through
her brain.
 Memories tumbled around her brain, strange memories, of
fights, and monsters, and tents, and exotic places,
passionate kisses, and tender arms, and always in those pale
blue eyes, those pale, pale blue eyes.
 /"Trust us, Sailor Mars."/
 /"Beautiful flowers for a gorgeous girl."/
 She dropped the flower in such a hurry, and as it fell
among its brothers and sisters she ran, ran across the
plaza, ran down the steps, and looked about.
  her mind crowed.
 Jade looked up from where he'd been resting, eyes heaving,
and was very surprised to see the shrine maiden----looking about wildly.  "Are you okay?"
 She turned at the sound of his voice, and ran up to him so
fast he wondered if he should erect shields.  She stood
above him, out of breath, but eyes alive, on fire stoked to
wonder, not to kill.  These eyes met his own, a curious pale
blue.
 Sparks flew.
 He stood up, eyes never straying.  He took a deep breath,
eyes staying put.  His hand reached out for her own, and she
grasped it.
 "Jadeite," she said.
 "Mars," he said.
 "Jade."  She moved closer.
 "Raye." He stood still.
 "Jadeite and Jade."
 "Mars and Raye."
 They were barely separated, hands still interlocked as if
the grip kept them alive.  He felt like he shouldn't draw a
breath, just in case him exhaling would break this dream,
this wonderful dream.
 Suddenly she was buried in him, in his coat, and his arms
were around her, and she was speaking.  "Please explain
this," she said.  "I don't know...you are Jadeite, you are
Jade, and I...I...feel so..."
 He shushed her quietly, stroking that glorious mane of
hair.  "What do you want to know, Raye?" he asked quietly.
 "I want to know you," she replied in a soft voice.  "I want
to know why you...why I'm safe here.  I should be in
trouble.  But I'm safe."
 He smiled despite himself, despite that note of worry in
her voice.  "Let me hold you for a moment," he said.  "Just
a moment, and I will explain everything."
 Sometime later, as raindrops splattered on the couple,
still standing there, she looked up at him.  "It's raining."
 He nodded.
 "How about some tea?"
 He nodded again, and she carefully disengaged himself from
her.  For a moment he attempted to take his hand back, but
hers was firmly implanted in it.  Best of all, she smiled at
him.
 Was smiling at him.

 "If you hear tear...falling like rain on the...you don't
know what you're lis...is me missing you."
 Darien looked up, annoyed at his radio.  He walked over to
it and fiddled with the dials, trying to tune in the correct
station.  It didn't help that it was raining, had been
raining since yesterday, and while it was good for his
plants, it wasn't good for him.
 Finally the station tuned back in, but it was into the
beginning of the next song.  He turned back to his chair,
slinging himself back into it, slipping on his glasses and
gripping his pen as the words began.
 "Hold it right there...don't say a word...I hear a
voice...I've never heard...calling my name...saying this is
the one...oh, my goodness what have you done?"
 He smiled.  It was country, it was English, but it spoke to
him and his heart.  His pen raced over the paper as he
touched off his collection of thoughts.  After all, Mina and
Lita would hardly want to hear a sloppy presentation of
proof that the Princess was alive, and that Sailor Pluto was
connected to it.
  he thought.   he cut himself off as his pen
finished its last stroke.  Standing, he went into the
kitchen, thunder rumbling pleasantly as he checked on the
water for cocoa.  As he walked back into the room, a tapping
came on his door, and deposited his notebook to answer the
door.
 "Come on in," he called.
 The two girls stepped in immediately, Mina pulling back the
hood of her raincoat as Lita snapped closed a drenched
umbrella, spraying water on the floor.
 "In the bathroom," he said to her, and she grinned
sheepishly as she slipped out her shoes and walked to put it
there.  Mina followed to hang her raincoat on the shower
hook, then returned with a cheery smile.  Lita returned a
moment later as well, face contorted.  "What are you
listening to?"
 The music had switched now from the love song to a soulful
croon of "Read my mind..." He walked over and switched it
off, explaining, "American Country music.  Quite sappy."
 "Twangy," Mina put in, her accent hitting as far South as
she could.  It made him smile, and Lita laugh.
 "Sit down," he gestured.  "I'll get the cocoa."
 He forgot that he'd left his notebook on the table, open.
 Facing them.
 When he returned, they looked up at him.  "Is this...true?"
Lita asked, barely breathing.
 "You seem to have proof," Mina followed.
 He sighed, and set down the cups, gently snatching away his
notebook before sitting down in his own chair.  "I was going
to lay this out for you," he explained.  "Present my proof
from my notes.  But you've read those."
 "Darien...go on.  What did you get that we haven't," Lita
demanded.  Her face softened.  "If she's alive..."
 "I know," he softly.  "It hit me hard yesterday, when I was
going over my manuals.  Suddenly, pieces clicked in the back
of my mind, and I fell out of my chair."
 Despite the serious subject, both girls giggled.
 "I was so...surprised that I immediately checked to see if
I had a fever," he went on, ignoring their giggles.  "I
didn't, but I had an idea.  So I started looking back, to
those letters first, and then to our recent encounters.  The
letters didn't give me much, but our battles..." He grinned
broadly.
 "Tell us!" Lita demanded.
 "Well, it started with these."  He drew forth some of the
flowers he'd received, along with the whole red string.
Neither had seen them yet; he'd planned to surprise them at
dinner, but then it hadn't happened.  They gaped as he
recalled the night behind them, and what he found and felt
the day he came back.
 "This is proof that Serena's back?" Mina whispered.  "What
if..."
 "I'm not finished," he gently intruded. "Remember the last
battle?"
 "Mercury," Lita said glumly.  Mina sympathetically gave her
a sideways hug; she was really taking this hard.  It was,
after all, so close to the day Serena had...died, and it
seemed like the enemy had deliberately shown up just at the
time of their greatest pain.  It also really ticked them
both off, but they couldn't stomp around angry--they had to
wait, plan, and then kick their butts.
 "Not just that," he said.  "Zoicite."
 "Huh?" Mina asked.  "Isn't he..."
 "The one that left?  Yes.  But remember before?"
 They stared at him blankly.  What was he talking about?
 He stood now, closed his eyes, and concentrated.  Suddenly,
a layer of blue light appeared in front of him.  He strained
a little, and the top of it turned clear, leaving blue
edging around a little window.  Another push, and the window
filled with colors that swirled together and swiftly formed
a picture.
 "Darien..." Lita gasped.
 "When..." Mina gaped.
 "Yesterday," he replied.  "I was fiddling around in my
mind, in my memories, trying to pass the time--and I
suddenly did this."  He walked around to it, touching the
screen; a black blot appeared, and he sheepishly cleared it
away.  "I'm not the best at it yet," he added, touching it
again.  This time the sworls faded out and then into another
picture, this one of the battle they had last experienced.
 "Is there sound?" Mina asked as General Kunzite's lips
moved silently.
 "Ah, yes," he replied, and immediately it began to play.
"Endymion called it a 'frames of memory'; I'd call it a
'movie of the mind'.  It takes your memories and plays them
back for people to see."
 "That is weird," Lita whispered.
 "Princess Jupiter said the same thing," he replied with a
grin.  "Now watch."
 The Generals looked about, as did he--Tux--and then
suddenly the vision skewed to the left, revealing Hielo
holding the Crystal Knight.  Once again, he absorbed that
image, that somehow chilling image, into his mind and
processed it.   barked a soft voice within
him.  
 "PRINCESS!"
 Zoicite's voice rang out loud and clear over the picture,
causing both girls to jump.  He closed his eyes and the
frame disappeared immediately, then opened them to face the
two of the standing up.
 "He can't be talking about our Princess," Mina said.
 "Sailor Moon never had powers like that!" Lita added.
 "That's true," he said.  "And when did Sailor Moon start
hanging around with the Generals and Sailor Pluto, too?
Some of these pieces don't seem to add up."  He stabbed at
empty air, adding, "But what that man said...and how the
Crystal Knight acts...I think there's something of our
Serena there, and here in Tokyo.  I just don't know what
something of her."
 He turned and sat down again, and they complied as well.
He let them sip their drinks and calm down, taking in what
he'd said before he dropped the next shell on them.
 "Then there's what I felt when I held her," he said.
 Lita nearly dropped the cup; Mina's eyes flew wide.
"What?" she gasped.  "You held her, and still..."
 "Have I told you about the buzzing?" he broke in.  When
they shook their heads no, he said, "Just before the first
battle, a buzz started up in my head, like a little fly had
gotten stuck in my brain.  It's been almost incessant ever
since, sometimes soft, and when I was around the Generals
and the Crystal Knight, loud and annoying.  In fact, it was
hard to concentrate with that going on."  He took a sip and
continued.  "But when I held that girl in my arms, and
looked into eyes that were identical to Serena's...it
stopped.  That buzz totally stopped.  And I...I've never
felt so complete in my life."
 His voice had fallen to a hushed, captivating whisper, and
they stared at him for awhile.   Lita
thought.    "Why would she do this to us?" she asked
quietly.  "She had to know the pain she caused when she
left...why..."
 "It was me," he replied softly.  "It's my fault."
 "But Darien, those dreams...you can't blame yourself
totally for trying to protect her," Mina reminded him.
 It had the opposite effect.  Instead of calming him, his
features hardened, and his eyes went from a calm periwinkle
to shining ice crystals of midnight blue.  "That isn't an
excuse anymore," he snarled.  "I should've talked to her,
should've tried to help her understand.  Instead, like an
idiot, I walked away from the best thing in my life!"  His
fist hit the table, upsetting the cocoa mug--not that he
noticed.  "You know what I did that night?  I walked to a
pier and cried.  CRIED!  Why?  Because I knew I'd just
ruined my best chance with her.  My ONLY chance with her.
She would've taken me back that instant, but instead I broke
the rose and walked away."
 He slumped in his chair.  "And she believed me," he added.
"She believed every word I said, even when I was lying
through my teeth.  So she walked out of here thinking I
didn't love her.  What a crock.  I loved her...love her more
than life.  I would've died for her a hundred times over.  I
still would.  Five years, and not a feeling unchanged."
 Silence hit the room then as he slumped more into himself,
into his chair, as the cocoa dripped on the table, as the
girls sat stunned.  They'd heard the gentle declarations of
love by Darien before, and knew in their hearts that he
cared as much as before...but this OUTBURST was totally
unexpected.  And now it was painfully clear how much he
cared, and how much he HAD to believe that Serena was still
alive.
  Lita thought
as she looked at him.  
  Mina thought.    Her own eyes hardened.  
 "What about Sailor Pluto?"
 His head raised from his own thoughts, and he smiled.
"Sailor Pluto is the Crystal Knight's guardian, and her
companion.  In fact, she may have been the one to bring her
here," he said.
 "Really?  How?"
 "Probably summoned them as I was," he replied candidly.
 "Ouch," Mina said.
 "No kidding.  You came back with more bruises than anyone
should have," Lita added.
 "It was the in-between trip that got me," he smiled.  His
mood began to break, to drift away, just as the clouds
outside began to break.  "Seriously, though, I believe that
Sailor Pluto is closer than we think."
 "What do you mean?  According to what you and the cats say,
she has to guard the Gate of Time," Mina said.
 "Unless there's an emergency," he put in.  "A dire one.
And I'd say Senshi napping is a dire emergency.  We've never
faced anything like this before."
 "True.  So where is she, then?"
 "I'd bet she was staying someplace fancy," Mina smiled.
"She seems the type."
 "On the contrary Mina," Darien said, and now he stood up.
Finally noticing the cocoa mess, he wandered to the bathroom
and found a rag to clean it up.  As he did, he said, "She
lives in this building."
 "I didn't quite catch that," Lita said.
 "Neither did I," Mina added.
 "What I said," he replied, standing up, "was that Sailor
Pluto lives in this building."
 Their eyes flew wide in concert, and Mina gasped out,
"Sailor Pluto...here..."
 But it was Lita's breath that drew the most attention.
"He's right! Oh...he's right!"
 "What?"
 "Mina, remember the first day I met Nate, and he knocked
you down?"
 "Yea.  He said something about 'paying you back.'"
 "That was because I had knocked down the woman he came in
with the day we had dinner here," she explained.  "And that
woman looked EXACTLY like Sailor Pluto."

 The day dawned clear, the storm clouds having moved on
during the night.  Tiny wisps of cirrus were all that Serena
saw when she bounded to the balcony door, and with a huge
grin she turned back.  "Setsuna!" she called.  "I'm going
outside to check the plants!"
 "Don't be too long--we have to get to work," the woman
called back.
 "I know," she replied as she slipped outside.  "I'll only
be a minute."
 The sun had barely topped the skyline, sending out a stream
of light over the city, the water, and turning everything a
soft golden color.   Serena thought, 
 "Good morning," she told her plants.  A few she had perched
on the rail, but the rest she scattered around the porch,
catching sunlight wherever they could.  Bending down, she
softly checked the buds and flowers, the leaves and stems--
all she could, basically.  As she did, she sang a melody,
something she'd heard a couple of days ago that touched her
heart.
 |I'm sorry, I'm not gentle, I can say it in my dreams, my
thoughts are about to short circuit, I want to be with you
right now, The moonlight makes me want to cry, I can't even
call, it's midnight. But I'm so innocent, what should I do?|
she sang, song depressing but not.  In fact, it made her
think of Darien.
  her mind whispered, and she smiled brightly.
She'd seen him, been close to him, and all of it had surged
back to her.  Everything from the first meeting to the
Starlight Tower to the day he remembered to that crushing
evening.  All of it in a second as his eyes found hers.
  floated dreamily through
her mind.  She smiled and stood, going to check the plants
on the edge.
 |Just one more weekend together, God, please give us a
happy end, in the present, past, and future, I'll always be
in love with you, when we first met, that so very dear
glance you gave, I'll never forget, from the millions of
stars in the sky, I can find you.Changing coincidences into
chances, I love this way of life.  A wondrous miracle
approaches us, we meet by chance again and again...|
 "Are your plants doing well, Princess?"
 She froze, hand touching on a budding forget-me-not.  A
strong smell washed over her, tangy and familar, but at the
same time completely foreign.  She didn't look up, afraid
for her eyes, a pulse pounding, mouth drying fear sluicing
through her.
 When she finally looked up to catch the man's dark eyes,
the Master smiled.

    Source: geocities.com/tokyo/shrine/1721