Chapter 114

In the tenth street shopping district, Serena was walking through a book store.

"Oo.look at this one," she said to herself as she stooped down to pick up a book with a picture of a Pegasus on it's cover.

Wonder what it's about. Serena thought as she opened the first page.

Small print. Geez...that just makes a book longer.

She started to read the book:

The golden moonlight fell upon her face as the wind blew all around her. It was a cold wind, but she did not care, because tonight she would see it. See what she had been searching for all these years. She didn't know why tonight would be that night, but she did know.

Like that's believable. Serena thought but continued reading.

The crickets went silent. She looked around sensing that this must be a sign. Another gust of wind flew through her hair. Then it came out of the starlight and swept over her, the Pegasus, the protector of dreams.

Dreams? What does that have to do with anything? Serena asked herself and closed the book.

I don't think so. Besides, where would I get the money? For the price of this..heck..I could buy at least ten comic books. It's much more worth it.

Wonder where everyone is today. She thought as she left the bookstore. It usually isn't this quiet on a weekend. Oh well..I can find things to do. She thought.

Meanwhile at Tokyo General Hospital. Prime Minister Sylia Coral rested in her room following her attack. A group of soldiers and police stood guard in the corridors and by the rooms. The elevator doors opened and Maxfield Stanton emerged. He showed his identification to a guard and was let through. He walked over to Prime Minister's room and looked through the window at her. A doctor walked up to him.

"Mister Stanton, she's asleep now, you shouldn't disturb her," the doctor said.

"Didn't plan to," Stanton said and walked back the way he came.

"Dad she ordered us to go," Colonel Leona Nagumo said.

"Don't give me that!" General Nagumo said. "The Prime Minister is lying in a hospital bed because you couldn't manage to keep her from running out like that. I don't blame you for not being able to protect her once she encountered the creature, no one could have, but that's why you should have stopped her before she left."

"I work for her..she .."

"You work for me Colonel!"

"Sir..." Leona said.

"Now the Diet is about to pass a motion which does not allow the Prime Minister to go out on these missions, and you're lucky they're not asking for your head, because I'm almost in the mood to serve you up to them," General Nagumo growled. "Coral may order you to be on her staff, but if she tries it again you are obligated by the law to stop her."

"I understand," Leona said.

"Good, now go train or something, stop being such a ditz."

"Yes dad," Leona said.

"You are a police officer, you are supposed to protect people like the Prime Minister," Chief Ozaki said.

"I tried!" Shinobu Ozaki replied.

"Not good enough."

"You're in no position to talk!"

"What?"

"You heard me."

"How dare you? I consider it partly your fault that she was injured. And I don't know if I should even let you continue on her staff. She can order it, but I could always fire you or something.."

"What?"

"You heard me. Sure you could work for her, but not as a member of this department."

"Dad you wouldn't."

"Don't Dad me! You went under me and accepted that job. Just for your own career I can bet."

"No, I was ordered to do it, it was my duty."

"Your duty is to me! Now get out!"

Shinobu got out of the office as quickly as she could.

Later.

"You know Shinobu, I've been thinking," Leona said.

"Yes Leona," Shinobu replied.

"The only way we're going to prove ourselves is to stop one of those creatures ourselves."

"But we don't have anyway to do that."

"Sure we do," Leona said.

"And that is," Shinobu said.

"Maxfield Stanton."

"Maxfield Stanton?"

"Yes. There's something weird about him. I think he knows more than he lets on."

"So how do we convince him to help us."

"That I don't know, but we have to do it somehow," Leona said.

"Maybe, but are you sure we should try it?" Shinobu asked.

"I really want to make up for messing up last time."

"We didn't mess up."

"Sure we did, and we have to do something about it."

"Well if you think so, okay....but I'm just not sure we should."

"We're already up to our heads in trouble, we can't go much farther," Leona said.

"Yeah, well. An inch deeper in trouble would be too much for me," Shinobu said.

"Well don't worry, if things get any worse, they'll get much worse."

"Oh...thanks.."

"No problem. It's what us colleagues do. Support each other," Leona said.

"I don't know why I'm even going along with this," Shinobu said.

"I really don't know why either."

"This isn't a date...right Raye?" Chad asked.

"Of course not," Raye said hugging Chad's arm. "But I wanted to go shopping and I thought you should come along like the good friend that you are."

"Yeah, you'll just have me carrying boxes again, I know it."

"Only a few," Raye said.

"Ehh...shouldn't you do it? I mean..after I got you that money to support yourself and all."

"You know you're right."

"Come to think of it Raye. Where did this money you're about to spend come from?"

"Well it can't all go to food can it Chad?" Raye said.

"Great, she's embezzling," Chad muttered.

"I am not," Raye said. "Come on."

At the space center.

"I don't need to tell you Amy that the destruction of that rocket put us back several months, but It's also fortunately not my main responsibility," Professor Alfred said. "Thinking about becoming a rocket scientist?"

"I don't know anymore, I wanted to become a doctor for a very long time, but then my parents..." Amy said.

"I heard..I'm sorry."

"Thank you," Amy said. "But I do know I have to get on with my life. Unfortunately, I have no idea where my life is going. I like all sorts of science, and rocket designs are interesting too."

"You seem have a pretty good understanding of the set up."

"I do a lot of reading," Amy said.

"Hmm..I'll tell you it's not often I can even have a conversation about the theories with a colleague let alone a high school girl."

Amy grinned.

"You know what though...it's not really a matter of theory...see..if we had the money we'd just build a space shuttle. The Americans would be glad to give that information to us. However, even though Prime Minister Coral is sympathetic, she's also not made of money, or for that matter in very good shape herself."

"She is very adventurous," Amy said.

"Maybe we should launch her into space, now that would be interesting. Of course....then again she might call me up next week and ask if she can go. Which would put me in the position of saying yes and sending a world leader into space or saying no, which would be the right thing to do."

"What would you say if she called you?"

"Probably sorry, wrong number," Alfred said.

Amy grinned again.

"Well anyway..I'm just glad there are smart people like you who maybe will be able to carry on my legacy, if I never get off the ground," Alfred said.

"Why are we doing this Lita?" Mina asked. The two were standing in a field with a model rocket launch set.

"Well..I'm just trying to see if rocket launching is really that hard or if Steve just has no competence," Lita said.

"Come now Lita, I've seen other people launch rockets just fine," Mina said.

"So you're saying my boyfriend's an idiot?"

"Only in rocketry," Mina said.

"That's fair and we shall see," Lita said. "Just watch, I've done everything right, read the instructions word for word. Let's see what happens."

Mina got to a safe distance. Lita set the timer and walked away. The rocket shot off the pad and flew skyward perfectly.

"Well...guess that settles it then," Mina said.

"Yep," Lita said. "Actually I kinda like launching rockets. Let's go get another."

"Another one?"

"Sure, and this one will be bigger."

"What are doing, starting an arms race?"

"Sure..why not..it'll be fun."

"Well..I've gotta find a new substitute boyfriend before Mike comes back," Mina said.

"But Mina, what's the point? It's been over two weeks since he left."

"I know that, but there's still time," Mina said.

"Even I'm not after anyone anymore," Lita said.

"That's only because you failed so many times."

"Is not."

"I think so."

"No," Lita said. "Besides you've failed as many times as I have."

"Wrong, I've failed many more times, but I keep trying," Mina said.

"And that my friend will be your downfall," Lita said.

"The goddess of love shall never have a downfall."

"Right, sure...I got ya," Lita said.

"Hey Serena," Molly said coming up next to her friend sitting alone sipping a milkshake.

"Oh..hey.." Serena said.

"You know Serena..I was thinking about a little while ago when you tried to get me and Melvin together. Well I wanted to thank you, even if it seem like so at the time. I finally realized that I should stop kidding myself. Melvin likes me and I like him..so it's only natural to at least admit it."

"Well that's good that you're together finally."

"Speaking of that, where's Darrien?"

"The heck if I know. He wasn't at home, so he could be anywhere. I've checked all his usual haunts. Nothing."

"So how are things working out?"

"Fine. He's been a little busy lately, but I'm dealing with it," Serena said.

"That's good," Molly said. "You know it's odd that I don't see you with one of your friends nowadays, you've really gotten close to them haven't you?"

"Uh..yeah.." Serena said.

"That's good. People need friends like that."

"I know. They're wonderful," Serena said. "But you know Molly, you were my friend before all of them I should be spending some more time with you."

"That's all right," Molly said.

"Say, let's do something right now."

"Right now?"

"Sure."

"Okay..but lets be discreet."

"Why?"

"Because I'm hiding from Melvin. I like him and all, but he's got some sort of spider with him for some stupid reason..and I don't like spiders or for that matter any organic being that he enjoys studying, " Molly said.

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," Serena said with a smile.

Several blocks away sitting in his red car was Darrien with Setsuna Meio.

"I don't mind telling you I don't like all this," Darrien said. "I wish we knew more."

"So do I." Setsuna Meio said. "Unfortunately the enemy is not leaving us much to go on, their field commanders are very adept at avoiding being followed. And I have trouble sensing what they're all about."

"Stinks to be just an ordinary human don't it?"

Setsuna grinned.

"Well it's different, there are times when Queen Serenity and I might know more than we need to know about some phenomena, but right now..not much."

"That's what happens when things go beyond the realm of the natural," Darrien said. "Of course I bet you, that if we had Patterson and Greg down here, you, Amy and those two could track these enemies down very quickly."

"Probably, but that's not possible at the moment, the war on the moon is continuing."

"Who's attacking anyway."

"The forces of Queen Nehelenia."

"Who are they?"

"Oh...well you see Queen Nehelenia is the sister of Queen Serenity, do not ask how..."

"Wasn't going to," Darrien said quickly.

Setsuna grinned again.

"Queen Nehelenia used to be a kind queen, and she had her own planet outside this solar system. Only things happened to change that planet and her. Queen Serenity and the outer Sailors had to stop her from branching out with her evil. Now she wants revenge."

"Is she powerful?"

"Very."

"And you intend to stop her with the Guardian Scouts and Neptune and Uranus?"

"Yes. Fortunately Nehelenia is still imprisoned, but she can direct her forces, the Dead Moon Circus."

"The evilest show in the universe I take it?"

"Something like that," Setsuna said. "If she were to escape things would be different, we'd need everyone to stop her, but fortunately that is not necessary yet."

"You think she can escape?"

"Yes it is possible, but unlikely at this point in time. Still..we have to be careful."

"You act like you know something.."

"Well..normally I don't show this much emotion, but Queen Serenity told me once that you should know everything that is necessary. Back in the silver millennium and I'm torn between that duty and the fact that what I could tell you wouldn't make you feel very good."

"It's a little late to hold back now."

"Yes, it is, needless to say, even if the scouts beat off these threats, there are others, the only good news is the ones I know of should not be arriving for some time."

"How long?"

"I don't know."

"Hmm...I see..."

Elsewhere.

"Look at this rocket. Now this is great," Lita said.

"You only bought it because it had a picture of Sailor Jupiter on the side of it," Mina muttered. "And paid ten dollars more than if you had just the same type of rocket with nothing on it."

"Very true," Lita said. "But it's cute. Sailor Jupiter! Rocketing into space!"

"I will be the unstable one around here if you don't mind," Mina said.

"Oh..okay," Lita said looking up ahead of her. "Wait a minute..is that?"

"Who?" Mina asked.

"It is," Lita said.

"Who?" Mina said.

"Up ahead coming towards us, it's Rei," she said looking at a young woman coming towards them.

"That's not Raye."

"Not Raye, Rei."

"Oh..of course..Lita, give me a sledgehammer so I may hit you with it."

"Listen that's Rei Agami. Rei with three letters."

"Oh right the unamericanized traditional proper way to spell Rei."

"Correct."

"Okay."

"She just had her first book published."

"She's a writer?"

"Yeah she went to my first junior high school."

"The one you got thrown out of."

"I'm not proud of that," Lita said.

"Hey Rei," Lita said.

Rei looked up.

"Lita? Lita Nelson? What are you doing here?"

"Just doing stuff," Lita said. " You okay Rei?"

"No, not really...my editor's been putting pressure on me," Rei said.

"That's too bad," Lita said. "Oh..this is Mina Deveraux, meet Rei Agami."

"Hi, I'm the love goddess," Mina said.

"Oh..I see," Rei said a bit surprised.

"What are you doing?" Lita snapped.

"Reestablishing my role as the wacky one."

"You didn't have to," Lita said.

"Would you two like to come back to my place for some tea?" Rei said.

"Sure Rei," Lita said.

"It drink Tea, because Tea is the drink of love," Mina said.

"Oh is it?" Rei asked.

"Don't mind her," Lita said. "She's a bit weird. Sad story really."

"I'll take any story," Rei said solemnly.

Minutes later in her livingroom.

"I wrote my first book, the Pegasus of Dreams and that was bestseller," Rei said. "But since then..I've been unable to come up with anything."

"There's got to be something, I remember back in junior high, you always had all these ideas," Lita said and noticed Mina out of the corner of her eye.

"Mina what are you doing?" Lita said.

"Uh...eating a sugar cube..why?" Mina asked.

"Eww..." Lita said.

"Hey...Darrien does it too."

"He does?" Lita asked.

"Yes."

"Woah..that's strange."

"Who's Darrien?" Rei asked.

"Oh..he's our friend Serena's boyfriend. Nice guy," Lita said.

"It's ironic I was trying to write a romance. My first book was like that, but it was also fantasy."

"I read it, it was great," Lita said.

"Me too," Mina said. "Though I thought the guy...what was his name.."

"Eustice," Rei and Lita said.

"Right..Eustice, he was too much of a stud to have only seventeen women pursuing him, it should have been more like four hundred," Mina said.

"I'll take that into consideration if I ever write a sequel," Rei said cracking a smile. "My editor was mad when I told him I hadn't done much, but what he doesn't know is writing isn't easy, you can't just sit down and write out chapter after chapter just like that."

"I'm sure you'll figure it out," Lita said.

"Maybe...but I just can't seem to make the plot work. I envision a man and a woman coming together because of their love, but I want them to have to be brought apart while not hating each other and or thinking their wrong for each other. I want them to know that they're destined to be with each other throughout it all, but still not be able to always be together. That's the problem," Rei said.

"Do you believe it's possible?" Mina asked.

"Yes I do, in fact it's my dream to meet a man like that who would go through everything knowing I was to be his love no matter what."

"Then you must know that it is not that fantastic an idea, just not many people realize it. The problem with Love is that while it is very powerful it frequently pushed aside by other everyday concerns, that doesn't mean it goes away, it just means it's not easy to see. Someone can love someone else and still not even know it, that's the tragedy of it," Mina said.

"She's right," Lita said. "Just think of two ordinary people and their lives and that's all you need."

"You know your girls are right, all this time I've been trying to make up some huge events to keep them apart, but I don't need that at all...I just need ordinary life," Rei said.

"Trust us it'll work, we know," Mina and Lita said.

"Okay, okay," Rei said.

"Not a bad girl is she?" Mina asked as the two walked away.

"Nope, she's great," Lita said.

They heard a scream.

"That came from Rei's place," Mina said.

"Let's go," Lita said and the two rushed back to the house. The door was broken in. The two girls ran in and saw Rei on the ground. A pure heart floated above her and a daimon stood there.

"Jupiter Planet Power!"

"Venus Planet Power!"

The two girls yelled quickly. The daimon whirled to see the two Sailor Scouts standing there.

"Hmm..well let's get the fight over with," it said and fired two energy blasts randomly out of its body. Jupiter ducked under them. Venus didn't expect it and was blasted out into the street.

"Jupiter Thunder Crash!" Jupiter shouted and hit the daimon head on. It smashed back into the wall and crumpled down.

"I didn't want to damage Rei's house," Jupiter said and moved forward looking to grab the Daimon and throw it out the doorway. The daimon grabbed her instead and the two grappled.

"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!" Venus shouted as she let an attack go. Terurun was flying towards the house.

"Curse you Venus! You'll be the first I destroy!" Terurun shouted. Venus leapt into the air and tackled Terurun. The daimon went flying out a window. Jupiter rushed to Rei and put the heart back in. Then she charged out the door and was hit with Venus as Terurun blasted the scout off of her. Terurun flew inside and saw that there was no heart.

"No! Not again!" she shouted and flew out.

"DAIMON! Kill them!"

The Daimon turned towards the two Sailor Scouts who stood ready. A strange thing happened seconds later. A manhole cover exploded up off the ground and from it emerged another Daimon.

"WHAT?" the original daimon and the two scouts shouted.

"How ya doing?" the new daimon said and blasted the old daimon with energy. It staggered back down the street.

"Wha..." Venus asked.

"Well destroy it," the new daimon said and descended back into the sewer.

"Jupiter Thunderclap Zap!"

"Venus Love Chain Encircle!"

The two attacks slammed into the old daimon and blew it apart.

The new daimon then jumped back into the sewer.

"Now who was that other guy?" Venus asked.

Jupiter shrugged.

Elsewhere.

"You know what.." Colonel Nagumo said.

"What?" Captain Ozaki asked.

"We have no idea where Stanton lives."

"Oh..you're right..that's a problem."

CHAPTER 66 CHAPTER 67 CHAPTER 68 CHAPTER 69 CHAPTER 70  CHAPTER 71 

CHAPTER 72 CHAPTER 73 CHAPTER 74 CHAPTER 75  CHAPTER 76 CHAPTER 77

 CHAPTER 78 CHAPTER 79 CHAPTER 80  CHAPTER 81  CHAPTER 82 CHAPTER 83

CHAPTER 84 CHAPTER 85  CHAPTER 86 CHAPTER 87 CHAPTER 88 CHAPTER 89

 CHAPTER 90 CHAPTER 91 CHAPTER 92 CHAPTER 93 CHAPTER 94 CHAPTER 95

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