Moon Over Chicago by Horosha

Prologue, Chapter One: Instrument of Peace Unleashed

Series Title: Moon Over Chicago

By December Lewis, Chivon Ruddock and Horosha

Disclaimer: "Sailor Moon" is the property of Naoko Takeuchi, Kodansha Ltd. and Toei Animation Ltd. As such, I'm getting no compensation for writing this fiction other than my own enjoyment and to bring pleasure to the fans of this wonderful series.

If you have any comments, our e-mail addresses are:

http://V_Bashaw@hotmail.com

http://cemberl@yahoo.com

I also want to thank December Lewis for deciding I'm good enough to work with her and create this series. We would like to thank Eilidh Ellery (nerciagenisis@hotmail.co.uk) for being the betareader for the prologue and the first chapter. I hope she will continue the job for us and others will join her.

WARNING: Moon Over Chicago is a violent series with adult situations, slang and bad language. As such this series is rated R and anyone under the age of fourteen should get parental approval before reading it.

Prologue

It was a beautiful night in late August, the last Thursday in the month. While it still felt like summer this suburb of the Windy City, there were signs of fall around the corner. And one of them was the beginning of practice for fall sports teams at most of the high schools.

It was just a short walk home from the school. Jennifer Morrison, a rising junior at Juuban High School in Evanston, honestly had not expected any problems. As captain and choreographer for the dance team, she had made that walk alone after practice many a time since gaining a space on the team her freshmen year. Tonight felt different, but the blonde shrugged it off. She figured she was just overreacting to some of the reports of strange attacks in the area over the summer.

As she rounded the corner, she heard someone step on a twig behind her. Nervously Jennifer turned, but breathed a sigh of relief when she saw who it was, the redheaded sophomore and co-captain of the dance team stood a few feet behind her. “Melinda! You about gave me a heart attack! Why didn’t you tell me that you wanted someone to walk you home?”

But Melinda didn’t answer. In fact, as Melinda came closer, she didn’t seem quite herself. Something seemed off about her eyes, and her gait wasn’t quite normal. “Melinda, is everything alright?” the blonde teenager asked her friend, but received no reply. Finally, when Melinda was practically on top of her fellow-teammate, she spoke for the first time during the encounter, “Dancing is a form of worship. And you are supportive of others on the team, defusing arguments. Maybe you are the one we are looking for.”

That was the last thing the dance team choreographer heard; she didn’t have time to question it, much less scream.

****

To the outside world it just looked like another commission meeting. Very often, there were commission meetings in the Chamber of Commerce building. Some of these were open to the public, some weren’t. Regardless of the level of access to these meetings, the people of Evanston were appreciative of this initiative by their mayor to involve education, government, and the private sector in regular talks. And the commission that received the most praise, even though its meetings were closed, was the Evanston Vindication and Improvement League. No one knew all of the members of this league, but it was rumored that representatives from Northwestern University, the private secondary schools in Evanston, high ranking members of law enforcement, and even the husband of the mayor, a successful businessman, were part of this league. On its surface, it appears to be a praiseworthy organization.

But not everything is what it appears on its surface.

The members all sat a long table in a dark room. As soon as all the members were present, the doors were locked. The minutes of this meeting were kept secret, as the members had a very different agenda than the one they quietly cultivated in the press.

Around the table were various important people cloaked in shadow, dressed as they would be in their daily lives, but talking in ways that would surprise some that knew them in that context. The main discussion in this group centered around two women and five men, each with shared and disparate goals, each darker than they appeared.

“Damnit!” a male voice, not normally raised in anger, shouted as he banged his hand against the table. “It has been like that all summer! Why can’t we find the damn girl?!” His pale blue eyes stared accusingly at another of the males in the room. Brown eyes stared right back at him, although the voice that responded to those questions did not belong to those eyes.

“Mistakes are understandable. In the past the instrument has been well-hidden. We only managed to get the jump on her once.” Another male voice in the room explained. White hair gently moved as the man turned his head. Next to the leader of the room, he was the calmest person currently in the meeting, a fact that a few others noted, although they didn’t know what to make of it.

“And we know how that went. Defeated, they still managed to destroy us. And hide to fight again another day. We’ve known what we must do from the beginning of this operation. We have to destroy the instrument herself. And sooner rather than later.” An annoyed female voice insisted from across the room. The main person entrusted with finding the instrument and the protectors, the mistakes of those around her that she saw as incompetent irked her. In fact, in her personal opinion, the failures of the distant past to destroy the instrument were also due to incompetence, which served to further annoy her.

“Now, now,” a smooth but sinister voice chastened as it floated on the air. “We have the advantage. We know the instrument will awaken and we know she will find her way here to stop us. We live in highly suspicious times. People are out for number one. Here, they’ll sue at the drop of the hat. They’ll shoot first and ask questions later. And the ‘justice system’ is corrupt. This is MY city; we will get her soon enough.” As leader, he realized that it was his job to keep this group focused. Some days that was easier than others.

“But,” the original male voice countered, “We need someone on the inside. Sure, we can target all the outstanding young women of the right age. Heck, we can even kill them all, but we could still miss her. We need someone on the inside.”

Near the front of the table, the sounds of note-taking suddenly stopped as the youngest member of the group, at least in appearance, finally spoke. “It sounds like you are asking for volunteers. Well, I haven’t caused havoc in a long time. I’ll go.” Long brown hair swished back and forth as the voice laughed. It had been a long time since she had caused havoc...and people were saying very good things about the high school football teams that year.

********

Chapter One: Instrument of Peace Unleashed

Location: 551 Grove Street, Evanston, Illinois

It was the last Friday in August and the beginning of the Labor Day Weekend, but Serena didn't feel like celebrating it. Even with the radio DJs’ chants of no clouds, light breezes and plenty of blue skies, the late summer sunshine only increased her gloom. All she wanted to do was to sit against the white picked fence that marked the border of her new home as her baby blues watch the professional movers and her family take their possessions into the two-story brick house.

"Sammy, don't let Ricky out of his cage until after the movers leave."

The blonde eyes narrowed, her arms hug tighter the beaten up stuffed animal she embraced.

"Okay, Mom!"

Serena's lips grimaced, "Damned masked fleabag." She stared daggers at the pet carrier her twelve-year-old brother took out of the family's SUV.

"You know you're going to get grass stains on your pants."
"So what," Serena grumbled, then her eyebrows popped up when she realized it was an unfamiliar voice talking to her. The teenager looked over her shoulder and found a redheaded girl standing on the other side of the fence, a curious look on her milky white face. In one bounce Serena was on her feet and she faced the girl, her extra long, twin ponytails a golden field around her nervous laughing face, "Sorry about that," she held her hand out over the fence, "I'm Serenity Hope Guerisser."

"Molly Eve Baker," smiling the girl shook Serena's hand, "Serenity Hope Guerisser, eh?" The blonde nodded, "That's a mouthful," the girl in the pink-and-white stripped blouse and green miniskirt observed.

"My friends call me Serena." A worried look appearing on Serena's ruddy face, "We can be friends, can't we?"

Molly’s smile widened, "I don't see why not, Serena, we're next-door neighbors after all."

"Great!" Serena gushed out, and still holding the stuffed toy, she used her free hand to vault over the four-foot fence. This athletic feat allowed Molly to notice the much used heavy boots, black-leathered inlayed blue jeans and thick orange shirt her new friend wore; it also allowed her to notice something else.

"What's this?" Molly used her emerald eyes to direct Serena's attention to the glint of gold peeking between the buttons of the blonde's shirt.

"Oh, this?" Serena fished out the item from around her slim neck. Molly let out a whistle at seeing the ornate Celtic gold cross hanging from a rosary, "It's my mother's cross. She decided I was old enough to have it."

"Wow," the cross catching the noontime sun made Molly awed, "I didn't think they made them like that anymore."

"It's a family heirloom," Serena's voice secretive, "it suppose to have a piece of the True Cross in it."

If Molly's eyes could get any bigger they would, her next question showed some envy, "So you're a Catholic?"

"Yep!" Serena put the cross away, "Although we haven't been to church in a long time."

Molly gave the blonde a perplexed look, "Why?"

Instead of answering immediately, Serena once more hugged the white bleached stuffed rabbit, her sapphire orbs misty as she looked at it, "We were in the Yukon Territory for the past two years."

That piece of information set off alarm bells in Molly's head, 'Guerisser . . . Yukon Territory,' her mouth dropped open, "Your family are the naturalists, the Guerissers, who did that article and photo spread for National Geographic." It took a second for the redhead to see the unshed tears in Serena's eyes, "What's wrong?"

"They made me leave Fuzzy behind," Serena was trying real hard not to cry, she had kept a stony silence all the way from their cabin to this new home, "Mom and Dad...told me..." the levy was breaking, "Fuzzy was too big...too old...to bring along."

The rawness of Serena's pain caused Molly to frown, she pulled out her white laced handkerchief and offer it to the tearful blonde, "I hope your pet will do fine up there."

"Thanks," Serena took the piece of cloth, "I miss him so much," she quickly dried her eyes and rubbed her face dry, her voice pouting, "and they let my brother bring his fleabag."

"Fleabag?"

"His raccoon."

"Ahh," Molly sounded intrigue by the idea.

"Don't think they're cute, Molly," Serena's pout strengthening, "raccoons are nothing more than big rats with masks and fuzzy tails."

"Oh," Molly's expression looked sickly. "Well, maybe your parents will get you a new pet."

"Nothing will ever replace Fuzzy," Serena dabbed her baby blues.

Molly felt terrible but her expression brightened, "I just remembered, Serena," making sure she had her new friend's attention, "Mom sent me out to invite you and your family to a barbecue as a neighborly way of saying welcome."

"Sounds like a great idea."

The approval caught both girls by surprise and they turn to find an adult couple coming up on the other side of the fence. Remembering her manners, Serena quickly said, "Molly, this is my Mom and Dad."

"Hello," the man extended his hand, "I'm Kenneth Lucan Guerisser and this is my wife, Ilene," the woman with waist-length hair extended her hand.

"A pleasure, really," Molly shook both hands before she added, "and we're having the party at Dawes Park, Sunday, after church."

"Do we need to bring anything?" Ilene's asked. Serena could see the surprise on Molly's face, so few could believe such a melodious voice could come from her naturalist mother. Both of Serena's parents were still dressed in their heavy northern clothes.

"Just your appetites," Molly's joke got the usual grins.

"Aren't you going to introduce me, Sis?"

Serena made a face as Molly's attention turned to the speaker, a boy with dishwater blond hair and dressed like his sister except he wore an evergreen turtleneck. "This is my brother, Samuel," the petite blonde used a tone that older sisters reserved for annoying little brothers.

"Hi there," Molly held out her hand again, "I'm Molly."

Sammy looked at the hand like it was diseased, made a show of taking it and shaking it, "I heard," his tone barely civil.

"Sammy, dear," Ilene gave her son an unsatisfied look, "why don't you get your room organized, while the movers are still here?"

"Okay, Mom," the boy sounded glad to get away from the teenage girls.

After the boy was gone, Ilene turned to Molly, "Please forgive my son, he's had some bad luck trying to form friendships."

"It's mostly our fault," Ken gently squeezed his wife's hand, "whenever Sammy finds some friends, its time for us to move on."

"I noticed," Molly got some strange looks from Serena's parents, "I mean, I have some of the photos and stories you have done for the National Geographic and the Smithsonian."

That got a grin from Ken, "So we have a fan here?"

"Well, my science teacher in middle school required us to read them," Molly explained as she watched the two adults glow in their achievements, "and the places you've been, Tibet, Siberia, Tanzania and the Congo."

"All of which is behind us, now," Ilene motioned with her hand, "for our children, we've decided to settle down here and give them a chance for a normal life."

"Normal, yeah, right," Serena's tone wasn't gung-ho.

The exchange of looks between Ken and Ilene showed to Molly that this was just a part of a long running argument between them and their daughter, the way her mother sidestepped the issue made it clear, "Serena, dear, why don't you head over to the SUV, we need to go to the animal shelter so you can pick your new pet."

Serena's eyes narrowed, her arms squeeze the abused bunny and her stance suggested she was about to tell her parents what she thought about the idea of getting a new pet, but then she sagged and the blonde shuffled her feet like she was heading for a firing squad, "I'll see you later, Molly."

Molly watched Serena go around the white fence but she was able to catch Ilene's comment, "After we get you your new pet, I'm sure your father will take us shopping since we do need to get some new swimsuits for Sunday's beach party."

At those words the black clouds over Serena's head cleared and Molly giggled quietly at how fast the blonde's footfalls perk up, the redhead covered her mouth to keep from laughing aloud at the pale look on Ken's face.
********

Location: Evanston Animal Shelter

The dim of constant barking coming from the animal shelter put Serena on edge and she just stepped out of the metallic green SUV, her baby blues shifted to her parents but there was no reprieve there. So she entered the animal shelter, still hugging Fuzzy's old chew toy, and asked the attendant standing behind the particleboard counter, "I'm here to adopt an animal."

The attendant, an overweight, middle-aged man who didn't look like he liked his job, asked, "What kind of animal did you want to see?"

Serena shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know," than a hopeful look appeared on her face, "got any Grizzly Bears?"

Laughter burst from the attendant, "No...we don't have any Teddy Bears here, little missy," his jolly response kept him from seeing the disheartened look on the blonde's face, "but just for you, I'll show you our best."

"Okay," the blues hung in Serena's voice as she followed the attendant, a glance over her shoulder showed her parents were right behind her so Serena knew she couldn't make a quick escape.

The moment Serena entered the cold steel and hard cement compound that made up the cages for the animals, the barking and howling stopped, cold. The attendant looked surprised and he called out, "Hey, George, what happened?"

"I don't know, Harvey," a needle thin man wearing the same blue-gray uniform as the fat man replied, "I never seen them shut up like this before."

Seeing the attendants confused, Serena became confused herself. "And they're spooked too," George added and it was true, the blonde saw the closest pins and the dogs inside were cowering, their tails between their legs.

After a moment of ponder Serena took a sniff of her underarms, she knew better than most that animals’ senses are sharper than humans, but she didn't detect anything more than the usual. She gave her parents a questioning look but both of them just shrugged, Ilene saying, "At least this way you can think before picking a pet."

Serena's expression soured but she dutifully followed the attendant, who said, "I'll bet you would like a cute kitten."

"Maybe," Serena's lackluster steps echoed her mood.

When the little group reached the stacked cages containing the felines, George exclaimed, "I'll be!"

Serena's baby blues widened at the sight of the cats cowering in the back of their cages, pensive looks on their cute faces. “Meow,” it sounded proud, drew the blonde's attention to one of the lower cages, her gaze locked on a pair of golden orbs nestled in the richness of night.

"Ohhhh..." Serena knelt by the cage, she held out her right hand palm up. In a corner of her mind, she wondered at her own awe at the fearless way the cat smelled her fingertips, yet she couldn't stop from thinking how cute the horned moon bald spot looked upon the little forehead.

"Serena, is this the one you want?" Ilene asked as she too knelt by her daughter and held out her hand, her own mind suddenly awash with affection for the little animal.

"Huh-huh," Serena's voice strangely distant, "Let's take Luna home."

"Luna?" Ken asked as he gave the pet carrier to George.

"It sounds like a great name," Ilene smiled at her daughter, her left hand resting on her daughter's back.

"Yes..." then Serena's shook her head to clear the surreal fog from her mind, "Yes! Luna is perfect for her."
********

Location: Jotan’s Mall, Evanston

Sammy had remained in the SUV when his family stopped at the animal shelter, but now he joined them in the shopping part of their excursion. Serena was reluctant to leave Fuzzy's chew toy behind but her mother pointed out it would be hard for her to try on clothes and bikinis while holding it. In compensation her parents allowed her to take with her the pet carrier containing Luna, which put a smile back on their daughter's face.

"What do you think of this bikini?" Ilene showed an ocean green two-piece to her daughter.

Serena scrutinized her mother selection and then she held up the pet carrier so Luna could see it, "What do you think, Luna?"

Ilene smiled at the way Serena waited patiently as the black cat seemed to exam the bathing suit before she said, "Meow."

"No, Mom, Luna doesn't like it," Serena shook her head before her eyes lit up, "There!" The blonde immediately snatched up a yellow polka-dot bikini, "I'll try this one!"

"Won't it show a little too much skin?" Ken's voice coming from the men's section, he didn't need to see his daughter's selection, his fatherly radar did.

"Please!" Serena gave her mother the full puppy-dog-eyes treatment.

Ilene allowed a half-minute to pass, using her own mother-knows-best look before saying, "Okay."

"You're the best, Mom," Serena gave her mother a one-arm hug before heading for the changing room with Luna. Serena kept up a one-way conversation with Luna as she smoothly changed from her heavy clothes to the almost invisible lightness of the two pieces of neon yellow and satin black cloth and strings. The fourteen-year-old couldn't explain why she was already so emotionally attached to the black cat, it was like the animal's golden orbs opened something inside her and allowed her to drink of draught of love from it. What it was Serena didn't know, only that she didn't feel like crying all the time anymore, her soul now holding only fondness for her former home in the wilderness. When she came out of the changing room, the blonde did a pirouette before her mother, father and brother.

"It looks very nice on you, Serena," Serena could tell from her mother's tone she had reservations about the suit, how it only covered half of her bouncy breasts and just enough of her nether regions to not be considered a thong, but after having her daughter unhappy for so long Ilene was willing to spoil her a little.

Serena was puzzled by the look of betrayal Ken gave Ilene, which allowed Sammy to make a dig, "Dad, wanna bet Sis is going to be BF and P by this time next year?"

The meaning of Sammy's words went right over Serena's head and the hard glare her dad gave her brother left her puzzled.
********

Location: The Guerisser Residence

Once home, the rest of Friday was used by Serena to organize her bedroom furniture, make her bed and put away her clothes. The blonde noticed Luna watched her from the middle of the bed, to the girl the cat’s golden eyes seem studious in their gaze. By the time Serena was done with her room, her clock showed it was close to midnight, time for bed. After changing into her pink pajamas, the fourteen-year old put Fuzzy's chew toy at the foot of her bed, turned down her bedcovers, climbed in and pulled Luna into her lap.

Staring at the stuffed rabbit, Serena slowly stoked Luna's back and neck before scratching lightly underneath the cat's chin, enticing a loud loving purr from the animal. "I'm going to keep missing Fuzzy," Serena whispered softly in her pet's ears, "but maybe this is start of a beautiful relationship."

"Meow."

"I'm glad you think so too," Serena hugged Luna before putting the cat to one side, the petite blonde laid down and pulled the covers up to her chin and turned out the light. Already with a foot in dreamland, Serena mumbled, "Goodnight, Luna."

"Goodnight, Serenity."

Serena smiled in her sleep, amazed her imagination caused her cat to speak English.

The next moment Serena found herself standing in ruins. She was aware this was a dream, the surreal vestige her eyes beheld told her it was, for the Earth hung in the black sky above the broken Doric columns. Her steps, she could hear and feel the fragmented floor crunch under her feet and the severed marble table, half protruding from the rubble, was icy to her touch. From between the columns she saw the brown death of a garden, skeleton brushes, headless statures standing in empty fountains, the ground only gray dust.

"So this is the Moon," Serena knew she shouldn't be able to speak here, instead her body should either explode in this zero pressure world, turn into ice by the freezing space or boil from the unshielded radiation.

"Yes, it is, Serenity Hope Guerisser."

A person stood next to her, Serena didn't know where the moon white woman came from, she was just there, her body adorned with a beautiful black dress with billowing shoulder sleeves along with bluish white lace at the neckline and hem. The tiny gold chocker around her slim neck was matched by a pearl hanging from a gold chain in the middle of her forehead. Her long curly black hair had cat-ear-like buns, which only enhanced her exotic beauty.

"Who are you?" Looking up and down Serena noticed the elegant black shoes on the young lady's tiny feet.

"I'm Luna," her curtsy to Serena showed barely suppressed excitement.

"Luna?" Serena slowly reached up and her mouth made an oh-shape as her hand ran through the pale lady's soft bangs.

With a tiny smile Luna held out her right hand, saying, "We don't have much time."

"Why?" the dream started out scary but now Serena was fascinated that she dreamed Luna this way, "It's a dream after all?"

"You are right and wrong, Serenity," the mysterious smile on Luna's lips showed tiny sharp fangs to Serena.

Serena hesitated for a second, Luna's answer bothered her a little, but she wanted to learn more. A sense of vertigo hit her dream-self when she took the black-haired girl’s hand and the first thing she sensed was the drew-covered grass between her toes. It was now the petite blonde realized she was still dressed in her bunny-decorated pajamas, but it was a small detail compare to what she saw now.

The tree before Serena was immense, the trunk as vast as any redwood tree she ever saw and the green boughs filled the sky as far as she could see. The shade underneath was the home of fields of wildflowers and the air was filled with the sounds of noisy brooks, birdcalls and honeybees. Beasts roam the fields but none attacked each other, the lion laid with the lamb, the hawk flew with the dove.

"This is all that is left of the Garden of Eden," Luna waved her hand at the surroundings.

The sight, "It's beautiful", awed, "wonderful," Serena's eyes continue to roam.

"It was taken from us by the Fallen," Luna's tone turning serious, "just as the Moon Kingdom was taken from us."

"The Fallen," Serena didn't understand, all this beauty, all this peacefulness, taken.

"As you know, Serenity, there are angels, the servants of God," Luna kept her golden eyes on her companion, "but when God created Adam and Eve and gave them the Garden of Eden as their home, he told the angels to protect and obey Adam and Eve as they would him. Some of the angels became jealous, their love for God so strong that they disobeyed God's edict. They tricked the serpent into being their pawn and he in turn convinced Eve to eat the fruit from this tree, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Eve gave the fruit to Adam and he ate it too, both breaking the rule of God. So when Adam and Eve were driven from Eden by God, these fallen angels attacked them."

"How awful," Serena felt her soul cry, her spirit wanting what she saw.

"But God knew of the intentions of the Fallen and He created a lovely girl He called the Instrument of Peace and gave her teammates, the Sailor Scouts, to protect Adam and Eve," Luna walked away from Serena before turning back to the petite blonde.

"The Sailor Scouts," it sounded glorious to Serena, to think of female warriors given the responsibility to protect Adam and Eve, a sense of pride awoke inside of her.

Luna walked back to Serena, filling her companion's vision, "After Adam and Eve were safe, the Tree of Knowledge was brought here as was the Instrument of Peace, where the Sailor Scouts could protect both and be ready should mankind need them once more."

"Did they?" Serena was captured by Luna's story, every inch of her being wanting more.

"Yes," there was determination in Luna's voice, "eight-thousand-years ago mankind first reached the stars, built great cities and castles upon the Moon, the planets and the other moons of our solar system. So great was the humans climb to glory but so was their fall when the Fallen attacked once more."

"The ruins on the Moon," Serena crossed herself, her heart saddened.

"But the Instrument of Peace and the Sailor Scouts came once more," a glow of triumph in Luna's golden eyes, "with the Instrument of Peace now known as Sailor Moon because they were her descendents, and while they couldn't stop the destruction of the Silver Millennium, they were able to destroy most of the Fallen, giving mankind a chance to rebuild their civilization again."

"Great!" Serena cheered but then something occurred to her, "Are you a Sailor Scout?"

"No, I'm a spirit guide," Luna looked shyly down, a tint of pink on her pale cheeks, "I and others like me were created by God to advice and help the Sailor Scouts and the Instrument of Peace."

An icy finger ran up Serena's spine, "You being here..." her soul chilled by her own guess, "the Fallen are going to attack again."

"The Fallen have already began their attack," Luna acknowledged, "they wormed their way into your society, corrupting your governments, closing your ears to the voice of God, barring the passage of the Holy Spirit."

Serena was horrified, "Something must be done!"

Luna grinned, "Something will be done," with that the black-haired lady leapt up and Serena watched her disappear into the canopy of the Tree of Knowledge. Minutes later, the pretty girl dropped back down, Serena taking a step back to give Luna room to land.

Curiosity filled Serena's baby blues at the object in Luna's hands, she couldn't see it clearly because it was veiled by a white cloth that shimmered like moonlight, "What is it?"
"This is the Instrument of Peace," Luna slowly held out the object to her companion, "and its meant for you, Serenity."

Serena's mouth dropped, her shoulders sag and it took a few minutes before she could say, "Wh...wh...why?"

"Because your love for God is pure and your love for people unblemished," Luna's golden eyes showed no lie, "it will fill the Instrument of Peace and allow you to transform into the leader of the Sailor Scouts, Sailor Moon."

Serena stared at the object in Luna's hands, her heat beating hard in her ears for she sensed her soul’s attraction for the Instrument of Peace, just as it did for the beauty and peace of the Garden of Eden. Even more so her imagination was fired by images of heroic deeds done by her, of rescuing cute boys from the evil clutches of the Fallen and her picture on the cover of Time. Later, Serena couldn't remember when she took the Instrument of Peace from Luna's hands, the only thing she remembered was the cry of joy her soul released when the sacred object entered her body, filling her with the Holy Spirit.

"Serenity," the petite blonde felt a something sandy-papery lick her nose, "Serenity."

"Uhh..." Serena half opened her sleep heavy eyes, she saw two amber eyes surrounded by black fur, "Luna?"

"You need to wake up early, Serenity, so we can discuss your new duties," Luna's tone businesslike.

The Cat talked.

THE CAT TALKED!

"Aaaggghhh!" Serena screamed as she rolled away from Luna and off of the bed, flipping the black cat in the air when she took the bedcovers with her.

"Serenity!" One frightened baby blue peeked over the bed's edge, the blond head covered by the blankets, staring at the angry cat, "What was that all about?"

"Cats can't talk," Serena's voice muffled by the covers she held around her.

"Of course cats can't talk," Luna rolled her eyes, "I'm your spirit guide."

Serena's eye narrowed at the standing cat. Luna watched as Serena climbed onto the bed, a nasty look on the girl's face, "Could we cut out the..." Luna got no further as the blonde grabbed onto the cat's jaws.

"OKAY! SAMMY!" Serena shouted into Luna's mouth, "ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! NOW GET IN HERE AND DEBUG LUNA!"

Luna yanked her mouth out of Serena's grasp, "Sere...meow?" she heard the door open behind her.

"Serena, dear, what's wrong?" an alarmed Ilene stood in the entrance, her cyan housecoat hastily thrown on.

"Sammy bugged Luna!" Serena pointed at the black cat, righteousness burning in her eyes.

"I did not!" Sammy appeared behind his mother, holding Ricky in his arms, glaring defiantly at his sister.

"Yes, you did!" Serena kicked the covers from her body and stalked over to her mother and brother.

"It's too early for this fight," Ilene sighed before saying patiently to Serena, "What do you mean, dear?"

"Mom, I woke up this morning with Luna talking to me," Serena pleaded to her mother while shooting several glares at the twelve-year-old boy.

"You finally done it, Sis," Sammy let go of his pet raccoon and he walked around his mother, "you finally wound those blond buns of yours too tight and yanked what brains you had right out of your skull."

"You're saying you didn't do anything?" Serena used her greater height to tower over Sammy, her hands poise to strangle her brother.

"That's right, Bunny," Sammy might not have hit his growth sprit yet but he wasn't going let the five-inch difference between him and his sister intimidate him.

Serena growled wordlessly at the use of her childhood nickname, when she was five she thought the nickname her three-year-old brother gave her was cute, now she hated it. Ilene looked from Serena to Sammy, her motherly instincts telling her neither one of her children was lying. Finally she gently asked, "Serena, isn't it possible you just dreamt it?"

Serena froze and her head whipped around to gave her mother a hurt look, "Mom, I'm not lying!"

"I'm not saying you are, dear," Ilene put herself between her children, attempting to defuse the explosive situation, "I'm just saying that your waking mind tricked you."

Serena opened her mouth but a dangerous hiss coming from behind her stopped her. The petite blonde looked over her shoulder and she saw Ricky stalking toward Luna, the black cat's body rigid, tail straight and fur puffed out.

"Ricky!" Sammy took a step toward his pet but Serena was already in motion. With a fluid motion, the fourteen-year-old reached her bed, grabbed the raccoon by the scruff of his neck and tossed him at her brother.

Sammy caught his pet while Serena gathered Luna in her arms, Ilene frowned at her son, "Sammy, I told you to keep Ricky out of Serena's room."

"You better, squirt, Serena petted Luna to try and calm the growling cat, "or you'll get a coon-skinned cap for your next birthday."

It was daggers that Sammy glared at Serena, "Just keep your jinx away from me and Ricky," he looked up at their mother, "and I didn't do anything."

"I believe you, dear," Ilene nodded. She watched Sammy go up the hallway and into his room before turning her attention back to her daughter, "Serena, why don't you take your bath first?"

"Okay, Mom," Serena felt a little disappointed, she realized her mother was silently siding with her brother.

"After breakfast, we're going to the market," Ilene reached for the doorknob, "and then later I was thinking we could go see a matinee movie at a theater."

"Sounds like fun," Serena's attempt to sound cheerful came out flat. Ilene gave her daughter a long look before leaving the room and closing the door.

Serena put Luna back on the bed before she put on her housecoat, the black cat saying to her, "Thanks for saving me, Serenity."

"Because of you," an acidic tone to Serena words, "my mom thinks I'm a liar."

"Well, it was irrational for you to think your brother had put a mike and receiver on me," too late, Luna realized her mistake.

"Now you're calling me harebrained," Serena snapped back before she opened the door and marched down the hall to the bathroom.

The bathroom was styled after a Japanese furo with two sections, a changing room where the toilet was also located and the tiled bathroom itself. When Ilene was pregnant with Serena, they were doing a project in Japan on the litter and wastefulness of the Japanese general public. The stay in Japan ended up being the longest stay in any one place for the Guerisser family and they reluctantly left the island nation once it was safe for Ilene and baby Serena to travel. So when they discovered the previous owner had installed this kind of bathroom in the brick house, they didn't think twice. Serena loved the bathroom for other reasons but right now, after scrubbing her body and washing her long hair while she sat on a stool, she was now stewing in the hot water.

When Serena came out of the bathroom, she found her father leaning against the wall next to the bathroom door, "Oh, Dad, I'm sorry I made you wait."

"It's okay, sweetums," Ken kiss his daughter's forehead. "Are you okay?"

Serena knew what her father was hinting at but she decided not to drag him into it, "I'm fine, Dad."

"Good." Ken and Serena switched places but before closing the bathroom door, he asked, "Can you think of any movies you want to go see?"

Serena thought for a moment, "I'll ask Molly if there are any good movies out right now."

"Check and see if your friend knows any good theaters we can go to," Ken added.

That got a giggle out of Serena, "Yeah, Dad, we don't want a repeat of what happened in Bombay."

Ken laughed with her and he closed the door. Serena felt better but the good mood disappeared once she was in her room again. Without looking at Luna, the teenager headed for her vanity, but that didn't stop the black cat from saying, "Serenity, we need to talk about your new duties."

Serena combed out the tangles in her long hair before replying, "That was a dream, Luna, not the real world."

"True, Serenity, your body was asleep," Luna countered as she padded over and sat next to the blonde, "but what you saw and what I told you was real."

"Then why haven't I heard anything about the Sailor Scouts in church?" Serena began the slow process of fashioning her hair in her twin-buns-and-ponytails style.

"Because the Holy Bible was written by men who have their own opinions about God, Jesus and a woman's place in a male dominated world," Luna's tone showed she didn't like the setup.

Finished with her hair, Serena picked up one of her lipsticks, "Prove it, Luna."

"What do you mean?" Luna looked up a Serena.

"Luna, I'm an ordinary teenage girl," Serena careful applied a light pink to her lips, "my biggest concerns are school and finding a boyfriend my father won't kill on sight."

"No, Serenity," Luna put her forepaws on Serena thighs, "you are now Sailor Moon, the vessel for the Instrument of Peace."
"That was in the dream," next Serena applied a touch of darker pink to her eyelids, "in the real world the loony bin is full of people saying they are Superman."

"You accepted the Instrument of Peace," Luna's frustration was being to show.

"That was in the dream," Serena pronounced each word carefully, she looked in her mirror and decided it was enough makeup since she was going to be with her family all day.

"You want proof," Luna watched the petite blonde go over to her bed.

"No proof," Serena picked up her bedcovers, "No Sailor Moon."

Luna waited as Serena fixed her bed before jumping on it. With a feat of acrobatics the black cat did a backflip and Serena saw something materialize in the air and drop at the cat's paws.

"Ssseeeqqq," Serena let out a joyful sound and she picked up the beautifully crafted red broach with a white cross dividing it in equal quarters, each quarter had a diamond studded white drove carrying an emerald olive branch.

"Hold it up high and say, 'Moon Holy Power,' Luna's golden eyes show hope.

Serena lifted the broach up, she opened her mouth to say the magic words but instead she started to giggle.

A blank look appeared on Luna's face before she reacted, "Now what?"

"It's...silly," Serena's giggles fragmented her words, "It...it sounds...like something...from a magical girl anime."

"I assure you, Serenity, it isn't silly," Luna gave Serena a flat look.

"Couldn't...God come up with...something better?" Serena regained control over her giggles, "It sounds so pagan."

"The phrasing for the transformations rituals was decided during the Silver Millennium," Luna frowned, "and they reflect the alliance of those sky kingdoms, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune."

Serena looked at the broach for a long time, Luna didn't like the look on the blonde's face, "Please, Serenity, say the words and your doubts will melt away."

What Serena was remembering was how in those magical girl anime, once the girl said those transformation words, she was drafted into whatever war there was going on between good and evil. Luna's jaw hit the bed when the petite blonde pocketed the broach while saying, "I'll think about it."

"WHAT!"

Serena opened her mouth but a knock came from the door, "Serena, is there someone in there with you?"

"No, Dad," Serena turned away from Luna and opened her bedroom door, her Dad was wearing a light green skirt and blue jeans, "I'm thinking of joining the Drama Club and I was trying out different voices."

"Oh," Ken studied his daughter for a bit before adding, "Your Mom sent me up here to let you know breakfast is ready."

"Great!" Serena rushed pass her father and he heard her thundering down the stairs. He stared at Luna for a minute before he followed his daughter.

"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to end up the worse kept secret in this house," Luna jumped off the bed and left the bedroom.
********

The late afternoon sun shone through Serena's bedroom window, she lay on her back upon her bed, her right hand slowly rubbing her hotdog, popcorn and soda stuffed stomach, the full feeling combined with the sun warmed room making her sleepy. Through half-closed eyes she allowed her mind to wander over the movie she and her family watched and the theater they saw it in, Heaven's Crown Theater. The place was amazing, not only was it a theater but it had a huge arcade center, karaoke booths and an ice cream parlor. After the movie the family spent time in each place, the petite blonde discovering the place was family-owned, the theater handled by the parents while the arcade center and karaoke booths were handled by their son and the ice cream parlor was operated by their daughter.

"Andy..." Serena lazily whispered, an image of the young blond man floated in her mind. He was older than she was but that didn't stop the teen from smiling, "such a dreamboat..."

"Is that all you are going to do for the rest of the day?"

From the corner of her eye, Serena saw Luna hop onto the bed and walk toward her, an unfriendly look on her cat’s face. When the feline was close, the petite blonde rolled, picked up the surprised spirit guide and softly held Luna to her chest while slowly petting the soft black fur, "Don't be mad at me, Luna."

"I not mad at you, Serenity, just disappointed," Luna snuggled closer to the teen. "After the way you and your mother reacted to my magic, the outpouring of pure love that came from both of you, I was certain you would accept your calling without hesitation."
"What was that all about, anyway?" there was no anger there, just curiosity from Serena, "It was like I found a long lost friend."

"It means your mother's family are descendants of the survivors from the Moon Kingdom," Luna heard the beating of Serena's heart in her ears.

"You mean we're royalty?" Thoughts of anime plotlines danced in Serena's mind.

"No," amusement laced Luna's negative, "you would have reacted if you were a descendant of a kitchen maid, who was born on the Moon.”

"Oh, poo," dreams of white gowns, diamond crowns and dashing princes crossed out in Serena's daydreams. Instead she followed a different trek, "The way you appeared in my dreams, Luna, was that your true form?"

"Yes..." Luna was becoming sleepy, "but I don't use it often. Most humans either ignore or have positive reactions to cats, my humanoid form would cause unwanted complications."

"You mean boys hitting on you," Serena giggled at the noncommittal sound from Luna, "I would think you would enjoy it, you are so beautiful."

"My job is to be the spirit guide for Sailor Moon," a slice of disapproval leaked into Luna's tone, "and unlike a certain someone, it is all I want."

This comment perked Serena's interest, "There are other spirit guides?"

"Of course," Luna's voice slipped into lecture mode, "the Sailor Scouts have a group of spirit guides, their job is to help those Sailor Scouts in need of guidance. For example, Sailor V has a white cat as her spirit guide, named Artemis," the note of disapproval was back.

Serena knitted her brow, "Who's Sailor V?"

Luna's eyes open wide, she twisted her head so she could look into Serena's peaceful face, "You don't know about Sailor V?" the cat's tone was incredulous, "Don't you have newspapers up there in the Yukon? Don't you watch the news on television?"

"Mom says what shows up in newspapers and on television are distorted truths and outright lies," Serena's voice no longer sleepy, her eyes fully open, "if the truth was really printed in the newspapers and on television, the people would revolt against their governments."

This was something Luna didn't expect, "Your mother has some strong convictions."

"Mom home taught me and Sammy," Serena continued to pet Luna, "she said she didn't trust schools where we were staying," then her voice became solemn, "and I wish she and Dad hadn't changed their minds."

"Why did they?" It wasn't hard for Luna to see the loss in Serena's eyes.

"They said we were becoming too wild," Serena pulled Luna to her head and buried her face in the silky fur, "that we needed to learn to be part of society, go to school, interact with people and make permanent friends."

"You loved traveling about and living in exotic places with your parents and brother," Luna's tone showed she was starting to realize that Serena calling herself 'an average teenager' was different from what others would say.

"Yes," Serena pulled her head back, "but now I find a whole new thing being laid before me, a destiny I didn't see coming." Before Luna could say anything, the petite blonde shifted gears, "So who is Sailor V?"

There was a long pause, then the tone of disapproval was back in Luna's words, "You were suppose to be the first, Serenity, the Instrument of Peace is always activated first, but does Artemis follow the plan, does he follow tradition?" Luna's voice picking up volume, "No! He decided on his own to put Sailor V in play, his excuse being she would be a decoy for you, getting them to concentrate on her instead of you, and did it work?" Serena blinked as the black cat slip out of her grasp and stood, the little body quivering in rage. "No! Instead it blows whatever element of surprise we had and now the Fallen are . . ." suddenly Luna clammed up, her golden eyes filling with dread.

The frown on Serena's lips show she understood quite well why Luna stopped, she realized the spirit guide was about to spill-the-beans on something she was keeping from her. The petite blonde sat up on her bed looked hard at the black cat, "The Fallen are doing what, Luna?"

The authoritative tone in Serena’s voice, the edge of command, it took Luna by surprise but it also put hope in her little heart, "The Fallen are hunting for you, Serenity."

"How?" Serena's hand reached under her silvery blouse, her fingers touching her cross. It was inkling, a subconscious feeling Serena felt, of how the Fallen seemed to use violence for its solutions.

"Any girl..." Luna steadily spoke the words, "any teenage girl, whom the Fallen consider to have the qualifications to be the Instrument of Peace, they are killing."
********

Location: Dawes Park, Evanston

It was a fine-looking park with plenty of beach plus picnic tables and cast-iron barbecue stands. Sammy was the first out of the SUV, Ricky in his pet carrier in one hand and a volleyball in the other. Ken and Ilene were the next out but they both turned to look at their daughter, the glassy worried look on the petite blonde's face troubled them. “Serena, dear,” Ilene touched her daughter’s knee, "we're at the park."

"Oh!" exclaimed, a smiling Serena baled out of the SUV carrying an inflated swimming ring and her hot pink beach towel. Like her parents and her brother, the teen was already in her swimsuit, her itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny-yellow-polka-dot-bikini.

"Are you sure we made the right decision buying something that small?" Ken watched his daughter trying to catch up with her brother.

"Yes," Ilene grabbed the rest of the beach towels, "Besides she won't be the only girl out there in a bikini and I'm sure some of the girls will be wearing something much more daring."

Ken brightened at that thought, "That's true," he turned and got the beach umbrella out before locking up the SUV.

In her brother's wake, Serena heard the last bit of her parents’ conversation and her forced cheerfulness slipped from her face, her baby blues return to a somber look. She couldn’t forget what Luna told her, it haunted her sleep and banished from her the uplifting feeling of going to church for the first time in two years. She knew her mother and father were concerned over the dark demeanor she showed at dinner and at breakfast, their worry increased by her obvious inability to draw comfort from the church service. The senior pastor, Father O’Connor, tried to uplift her spirit with an Irish greeting but she could only give him a pained smile, her ears full of the topics she heard other churchgoers speak about:

'Girls butchered by serial killers.'

'Boys walking into schools and shooting their teachers and their classmates.'

'Teenager girls poisoning themselves with drugs, selling their bodies for a hit.'

'Boys spending hours staring at a video monitor, playing games that taught them to rape, torture and murder people without mercy.'

'A young body twisting slowly from an end of a rope.'

This news only increased Serena's troubled conscious, her heart bleeding because of their darkness and what could be causing them to happen. After dinner Serena ignored Luna's attempt to engage her in more discussion, the spirit guide finally going as silent as her charge, those golden eyes patiently watching the gold-haired girl go to bed. In the morning the black cat didn't even try to say anything for the melancholy look remained in Serena's eyes.

'Can I make a difference?'

'Will more die if I do nothing?'

'Will they still die if I do something?'

‘Can I give them back their hope and faith?'

"Serena!"

Serena’s dark musings were driven back by the cheerful shout, instinctively she smiled at Molly as the bikinied redhead came up to her and hugged the blonde. When they parted, the green-eyed girl asked, "So how was the movie?"

"It was great!" Serena's eyes sparkled with teenage glee, "And Heaven's Crown Theater was wonderful! The arcade center, the karaoke booths, the ice cream parlor, everything!"

"Remember Andy," Molly held her hands to her cheeks.

"How could I forget such a cute guy," Serena gushed, resulting with both girls squealing and blushing.

Standing in front of the two spastic girls, Sammy rolled his eyes, "Girls."

Serena's parents reach their children just as Molly's parents did, the man with the dark brown hair asked, "I assume these are our new neighbors?"

"Yes, Papa," Molly's subdued her teen fantasies, her voice becoming formal, "Mama, Papa, this is the Guerisser family, Ken, Ilene, Serena and Sammy," then she turned to Serena's parents, "Mr. and Mrs. Guerisser, Serena, Sammy, these are my parents, Morgan and Mary Baker."

Everyone exchanged greetings, shook hands, Mary saying to Serena, "I love your hairstyle, Serena, the twin buns and ponytails really makes you look sweet."

"Thank you, I saw an anime character with it and Mom helped me to get the look right," Serena noticed both Morgan and Mary looked too young to have a child as old as Molly, the swimsuits they wore showed bodies still captured by the sunrise years, the white beach and crystal blue waters of Lake Michigan behind them.

"Over this way," Morgan waved slightly behind his back, "we've setup our barbecue over there and there's plenty of room for more beach blankets."

"C'mon, Serena, this way!" Molly tugged the petite blonde away from where the grownups were heading. It was just behind a huge, ancient piece of driftwood the redhead took her friend, "We can put our beach blankets together here and have a little privacy and still be close enough to our parents to know when the food is ready."

"Cool!" The shadows upon her soul disappeared under Molly's sunny disposition. As they spread out their beach towels, Serena could see from their hideout dozens of groups of people having a great time eating food, playing games and swimming.

"We better get some suntan lotion on you before you end up with a sunburn," Molly held up a rubbery yellow bottle and from her friend's expression Serena knew the redhead was worried about the whiteness of her skin.

"Okay," Serena lay on her stomach and undid her bikini top, "When I was up in the Yukon Territory, we didn't dare try to do anything like this or we would’ve ended up covered by flies and mosquitoes."

"I can imagine," Serena heard Molly pop open the bottle. "So what do you think of my parents?"

"They're groovy," Serena watched a group of really cute blond boys and one pretty girl play volleyball against some equally pretty girls, her ears picking up the sound of Molly oiling her hands. A thought came to Serena and she asked, "Molly, can I ask you a personal question?"

"That's what friends do," Serena felt a lazy ribbon of lotion applied to her back.

"Is Andy your boyfriend?" the way Molly knew his nickname had Serena wondering.

"Nah, he's too old," Molly began to spread the lotion on Serena's back, "besides he's going to be our teacher at school this year."

"A teacher?" Serena was surprised, "That young!"

"You are going to Juuban High School, right?" Molly began to work the lotion into Serena's back.

"Yeah." Serena's eyes rolled into the back of her head, "Ohhh, Molly, that feels so good."

"Thanks, Mama and Papa say I have the healer's touch," Molly began to use just her fingertips on a knot of tense muscles she noticed near the base of Serena's neck. "Anyway, our previous biology teacher, Mister Parker, suffered a busted appendix. Andy is going to Northwestern University and has been a student teacher at our school, but because Mister Parker decided to take an early retirement this close to the beginning of school, the school board decided Andy would take over the duties as our biology teacher on a temporary basis until they could find someone to replace him."

"I think I could get used to school if all of my teachers are as cute as Andy," a dreamy tone to Serena's voice as she returned to her original line of thought, "So you don't have a boyfriend?"

"I haven't kissed him yet," the knot of muscles Molly was working on gave way to her magic fingers, "but I do have a boy I consider a friend."

"Who?" Serena felt her body melt under the Molly's massage.

"Well, he's really smart although in a geeky sort-of-way," Molly's hands now working on Serena's lower back, "but I have know him since elementary school and he's the only boy I know who doesn't think girls have a contagious disease."

"Is he here?" Serena opened her eyes to stare at the youths playing volleyball.

"Did you want me to do your legs," Serena nodded so Molly poured more lotion on her hands and began to work on her friend's right leg. "No, Melvin is on vacation with his parents. They're visiting relatives in California. You'll get to meet him tomorrow at the school assembly."

"Melvin, Hmmm..." Serena was in heaven, she was going to hate it when Molly stopped, "I hope I can make a good impression with him, it would be nice if we all could be friends."

"It would," Molly began working on Serena's other leg. She looked up and saw where her friend was gazing, "Any of those boys catch your fancy?"

"Huh?" the word floated from Serena's lips, "Oh, I was just thinking how brave the girl was playing with the boys instead of the girls, although the twin boys are doing a good job helping her." As the petite blonde brought more of her brain cells to concentrate on the group, something new occurred to her, "The twins look like they are related to her, in fact the whole group look alike."

“They should, that's the Kennedy clan," Serena eyes flash wide and she looked over her shoulder at her grinning friend. With a giggle Molly said, "No, silly, they aren't those Kennedys. No, they're just a big family of brothers and sisters."

"Ummm..." Serena looked back at the group, held up a finger and began to count them, "One, two, three, four, five, six, I count five boys and one girl."

"It does seem that way," once more Serena looked at Molly, her friend's tone deceptive, but a playful slap on her thigh distracted her, "There! You are all ready to get a tan."

"Thanks, Molly!" Serena went to a kneeling position on her blanket and the redhead gave her the bottle. Working the lotion into her arms, shoulders, chest and tummy, Serena asked, "Do you know the Kennedy family?"

"Not all of them," Molly's green eyes looking at the group in question, "The three oldest, John, Robert and Edward are supposed to be good-natured lugs and the sister is supposed to be really prissy but watch out for the twins."
Once more Serena noticed the sly tone returning to Molly's voice, "Why?"

"I went through Nichols Middle School just after Gilbert and Alex moved on to high school," Molly leaned closer, "and Nichols was still buzzing about how the two were big time flirts and pranksters."

"No lie," Serena took a quick glance at the twins, afraid they might notice hers and Molly's gazes

"Truth," Molly held up her right hand, "I have lost count of the number of stories I heard about Gilbert and Alex confusing students and teachers as to which one is which."

"They look that alike?" to Serena those matching faces took on sinister guises and she quickly tied her bikini top back on.

"From what I heard they look alike, talk alike, flirt alike and kiss alike," Molly's smile grew wider. "I think the two are competing to see who can steal the most kisses from the girl students.”

"Err..." Despite the summer sun a chill crawled up Serena's spine but she wasn't sure if it was fear or anticipation, "Do you think they will keep doing it in high school."

"Melvin told me they have," hint of the Cheshire Cat in Molly's expression, "some of the boyfriends are irked about the twins but so far none of the girls they’ve kissed have complained to the vice-principal,” her green eyes glowing brightly, “and I can almost guarantee Ami Shabon is going to attract the twins like moths to a flame."

A new name, "Who's Ami?" Molly gave Serena a strange look, like the petite blonde grew a second head, "What?"

"You’d have had to have lived in the boondocks," Molly's eyebrows touching her hair, "not to have heard about Ami Shabon, the Great Brain."

The Great Brain, the title sounded familiar to Serena but she couldn't put a face to it, "Is she some kind of super genius?"

Molly scrambled to her feet, shielded her eyes to look about the beach, "Yeah, in fact," she pointed to the left of the volleyball game, "there she is with her mother."

Serena stood and did the same thing as the redhead, "Where?"

"Under the beach umbrella with the Japanese ocean motif." Then Molly frowned, "Damn, she lay down behind her mother."

It took a second for Serena to find the woman under the stylized shade, her long raven hair drifting in the gentle breeze, a opened hardback book held in her hands and a one-piece Prussian blue swimsuit on her trim body, "Does Ami look like her mother?"

“Not even close,” Molly giggled, "you should've heard the rumors sprout up when Ami and her mother moved here, with the mother becoming a doctor at Northwestern Hospital and her daughter enrolling at Nichols Middle School."

"Oh," Serena tried to get a better look at the Shabon family, "what kind of rumors?"

"Well," Molly's voice conspiratory, "after Ami aced the National High School Test with a perfect score, some students started a nasty rumor that her mother wanted the perfect daughter, so she created a superhuman clone."

A ball of ice foamed in Serena's stomach, another anime plotline coming to her gray matter, "Like in Bubblegum Crisis 2040?"

"Err..." Molly perplexed by Serena's comparison, “I don’t understand.”

"It’s an anime series,” Serena explained, “Mom and Dad always end up in places where television reception is really bad, so we get a lot of DVDs and I have a huge collection of anime."

"Really?" Serena nodded at Molly's question, "Then I'll bet you going to take the Japanese language class?"

"Yep," Serena turned to Molly, "I want to be able to understand anime without reading the subtitles."

"Why?" Molly puzzled over Serena's explanation.

"Because my daughter thinks of herself as a wayward Japanese," both girls turned to find Ken coming around the ancient piece of driftwood, "I think it’s because she was born in Japan."

"C’mon, Dad, what do you expect," a mischievous grin appeared on Serena’s face, "you and Mom move around so much that I have to think of some place as my homeland."

"Which is why we decided to give you and your brother a place you could call home," Ken gave his daughter a peck on the forehead, "Dinner's ready, Bunny."

"Bunny?" Serena made a face at Molly's exclamation.

"Its a nickname given to her by her brother," Ken explained, "but now she hates it."

"I don't hate it when you use it, Dad," Serena corrected, "just when annoying brothers do," the look she gave Molly showed she didn't want the redhead to use it either.

"I like Serena anyway," Molly sweated under Serena’s hot glare.

"Let’s go you two," Ken turned and led the way.

Both girls followed but as they walked, Serena whispered, "You were talking about Ami."

"Right," Molly's expression changed, "so Melvin started a rumor of his own, saying that Ami was such a great brain because her father abandoned her mother for a eighteen-year-old piece of trailer trash," Serena could tell the redhead was proud of her future kissable boyfriend, "now when classmates call Ami, the Great Brain, they’re not doing the nasty to her."

"That's a nice thing for Melvin to do," Serena took hold of Molly's hand, "he sounds like he is into this kind of thing."

"Melvin is usually in charge of the school's rumor mill," Molly interlaced her fingers with Serena's fingers, "I think it's because both of his parents are police detectives."

"Ohhh...” More anime plotlines ran through Serena's head.

"Melvin is also a computer hacker," Molly's whisper dropping even lower, "the rumor he started to help Ami came from her school records and her mother's divorce records."

"Isn't that kind of illeg..." then Serena remembered what Molly said about Melvin's parents, "his parents kept him out of trouble."

"From what I understand," Molly put her mouth next to the blonde's ear, "as long as Melvin doesn't try to profit from his hacking, he can do it as much as he likes."

"That is interesting," indeed it was to Serena but then a worried look appeared on her face, "he must have been the most intelligent boy at your middle school,” Molly nodded, a tint of blush to her cheeks, "but weren't you worried Ami might be attracted to his intelligence and try to steal him from you?"

Molly shook her head, saying, "Ami is a Goth Girl with a loathing for boys.”

Now it was Serena’s turn to look confused, “What’s a Goth Girl?”

“You don...” Molly stopped herself, “you’ll see when you get to school Tuesday.”

Molly and Serena broke off their conversation as they joined their families, but the petite blonde looked at them and then she looked at the rest of the holiday-makers, her gaze picking out those her age and younger.
********

Location: Guerisser Residence

Serena entered her bedroom with a feeling of foreboding. It was silly, she thought, for her to feel this way in a place with pink wallpaper decorated with white bunnies and doves, the furniture a cheery white and lavender, and the red fire of dusk shinning through the window. Maybe her trepidation came from the black cat sitting on her bed’s pink covers.

Luna opened her eyes and her amber gaze saw the look on the petite blonde’s face, her mind becoming alert, “Have you decided, Serenity?”

Closing the bedroom door behind her, Serena sat on her bed and begun to slowly scratch the top of Luna’s head, “Luna, why did you pick me?”

“I didn’t,” Luna’s expression softened, “your heart did, Serenity, it cried out in joy when it was exposed to God’s love for his creation. It was your soul knowing God’s need for you to fulfill your destiny when it accepted the Instrument of Peace.”

“What about my family, my friends?” Serena’s hand leaving Luna and she reached under her lime-colored blouse to grip her cross, “Won’t the Fallen strike at them once I become Sailor Moon?”

“No,” Luna moved closer to the petite blonde, “you and the Sailor Scouts will be cloaked in a disguise spell, not even those close to you will recognize you unless you reveal yourself to them.”

“I don’t...I don’t know if I could hurt anyone,” Serena confessed. “The one time Dad took me hurting, I must’ve cried for almost an hour when I killed a buck deer.”

“You won’t have to, Serenity, not mortally anyway,” Luna placed her forepaws on in the crook of Serena’s right arm. “The Instrument of Peace has the ability to heal, both physically and spiritually. It will be up to the Sailor Scouts to kill those who refuse God’s grace.”

The insides of Serena tightened at the thought of her being Sailor Moon would also turn other girls into killers, “What if I decide not to become Sailor Moon?”

“Then the Sailor Scouts will fail,” Luna kept her voice calm, “they will awaken one by one but without the Light from the Instrument of Peace to guide them, they will be overcome by the Darkness.”

An angst-ridden smile appeared on Serena’s face, “So this cup can’t pass me by?”

Luna recognized the passage immediately, “No, Serenity, it is not possible for this cup to pass you by without you drinking from it,” then the black cat hopped onto Serena’s arm and she rubbed her head against the blonde’s head, “I’m sorry.”

For a long time the two sat in silence before Serena spoke, “I always thought of myself as a Christian without thinking what being a Christian really meant. Being a Catholic only seemed to mean to me that we had a more elaborate way of praying and doing Mass.” While the words left her mouth, her left hand slowly rubbed Luna’s back, “Now I’m starting to see it as something more than sermons and prayers.”

“Take this and eat, this is my body,” Luna began the words.

“Drink from it, all of you for this is my blood,” Serena finished, then she added, “I never thought about what those words really meant until now.”

Luna knew Serena was ready, in her golden eyes she saw the war of emotions going on in her charge’s baby blues, the instinct for survival battling against the desire to follow her Christian beliefs. A little push would commit the petite blonde but the black cat decided fate should decide it, not her. Instead she said, “Serenity, I’m not going to push you anymore. You are the Instrument of Peace, but I will let you decide on your own if you will combat the Fallen as Sailor Moon.”

“Thank you, Luna.”
********

Location: Baker Residence

Monday passed without anything more than mundane crisis going on. Ricky getting into Serena’s room again, Sammy tying a bell to Luna’s tail and Serena visiting Molly’s home, a house similar to Serena’s home except for the bathroom. Molly’s bedroom was just as girlish as Serena’s room, except for the desktop computer on her desk but stickers of teen idols covered even that machine. On the redwood backyard patio, the two girls drank iced tea but the outward cheerfulness Serena plastered on her features didn’t stop Molly from feeling something wasn’t right with her friend.

“What’s wrong, Serena?” Molly looked over the rim of her sunglasses.

“Eh,” Serena mumbled around her straw before she put a goofy grin on her face, “What do you mean, Molly?”

“Just now you looked miserable to me,” Molly reached across the white table where they sat, her hands taking Serena’s left hand, “If something is making you feel that way, you can tell me, after all we’re friends, right?”

“Of course!” Serena sounded too cheerful to Molly’s liking while the petite blonde waved her free hand across her face, “I’m just worried about tomorrow.”

“About school?” the redhead relaxed at Serena’s nod.

“It is my first day at any school,” Serena pointed out, “I’ve been home schooled by Mom and Dad until now, so I’m a little nervous about making a good impression with the teachers and my classmates.”

“You’ll do fine, Serena,” Molly put her sunglasses amongst her red hair, “Juuban High School is a fairly new school so it will have up-to-date classrooms and the Kennedy twins are probably the worst you are going to run into.” Then a gossipy look appeared on Molly’s face, “but, according to Melvin, we have two transfer students, too.”

“Besides me?” Interest aglow in the eyes of the petite blonde in the yellow sundress.

“Yep!” Molly leaning closer to her friend, “And get this, one of them is royalty.”

“Cool...” Serena followed her friend’s actions, their heads almost touching.

“Her name is Mina Charity Spencer,” Serena eyes bugging out at Molly, “Yeah, she’s a Spencer just like Princess Di and from what Melvin found on the Internet, her mother is working for BP here in Chicago while her father is working at the British Embassy in DC.”

“How come she going to school here in Evanston?” Serena asked.

“Melvin thinks she’s being sent here to keep her out of trouble,” Molly answered.

“A wild girl?” Serena guessed.

“She already has a boy toy and she is only fourteen,” Serena’s jaw dropped, “and according to the tabloids, the only reason she isn’t pregnant nine times over is because she has one of those internal birth control thingies inside of her.”

“A real minx, eh?” Serena reconnected her jaw.

“I think most of the girls at school will be glad she already has a boyfriend,” Molly took a sip of her ice tea, “this Spencer sounds just as bad as her cousins, William and Harry.”

“Willing to impel herself on anything wearing pants,” Molly nodded at Serena’s estimation. Now the petite blonde changed the subject a little, “What about the other transfer?”

“Alithea Adaunde Wood,” Molly answered, “She is kind of a tragic figure, her parents died in a car accident last year.”

Serena’s heart sank and her black mood returned, “That’s bad.”

“She was going to the Catholic school here, Saint Mary’s School For Proper Ladies,” Molly’s own green eyes were sad, “but because of financial problems caused by their deaths, she was forced to move to Chicago where she is staying with her grandmother while commuting here to Juuban High School to finish her education.”

This puzzled Serena, “Why finish here instead of a school in Chi-town?”

“Beats me,” Molly shook her head, “Melvin hasn’t found any reason although he thinks it’s because of her looks.”

“Looks?” Serena frowned, a nasty thought getting into her head.

“Melvin has seen her school photo attached to her computer file and although she is listed as African-American,” a knowing expression on Molly’s face, “she has red hair, green eyes and milky golden skin.”

“Light enough to pass...” Serena’s eyes narrowed to an icy glare, “They think she isn’t good enough for them.”

“She is too white to be black,” Molly looked at the natural rock water fountain her dad built, “at least that is what Melvin thinks is the answer. Plus her new address places her deep inside Chicago’s black community.”

“That’s terrible,” disgust in Serena’s tone, “it’s what’s inside that counts, not the outside.”

“Like the song says,” Molly returned her gaze to the petite blonde, “‘that’s the way it is.’”

“Maybe someone should change them,” a very serious tone to Serena’s words.

Too serious for the short-pants boy sitting on the fence, Sammy was eavesdropping on the two girls’ conversation and getting bored by it, at least until Serena’s last statement. Grinning a evil grin the twelve-year-old slipped down into Molly’s backyard, he grabbed Serena’s glass of ice tea and dumped its contents on his sister’s head, shouting, “I thee baptize you, Queen Bunny the First of Earth, with the water of the Holy Grail. Now what are your first command?”

“My hair!” Serena felt her drooping buns touch her ears and she whirled, knocking her chair to one side as she chased after her already retreating brother.

Molly watched, frozen, her green eyes wide as Sammy used the fence crossbeams to hoist his smaller body over it. It was when Serena high jumped the same obstacle that the redhead unfroze, “Maybe I should talk Serena into joining the track-and-field team, she could give Alex a run for her money.”
********

Location: Guerisser Residence

“This is the Mark and Brian show, telecast from beautiful Los Angles to all of our sister stations throughout the U.S. of A.”

Bang!

Serena’s palm slammed the alarm button hard, a pause before a muffled, “Ouch,” came from the face buried in the pink pillow.

Fifteen minutes later.

Ilene looked in on her sleeping daughter, cheerfully saying, “Rise and shine, Serena, it’s time for school.”

Two minutes later, a muffled voice asked, “Why does Mom want to start our lessons this early?”

“Serenity,” Luna jumped from the window still onto the bed, “Isn’t this your first day of sch . . .”

“OHMYGOD!” Blonde exits stage left, black cat exits stage right, bratty brother becomes road kill and father makes a hasty escape from the bathroom before getting an eyeful of his daughter’s birthday suit.

Fifteen minutes later.

“I’m going to be late!” Two doors open and slammed shut. Luna watched from the safety of the window sill as the human tornado dressed within the guidelines of the school’s dress code, a knee-length sunflower yellow skirt, a slightly darker blouse, knee-high white socks and a pair of pink tennis shoes.

“Don’t run down the stairs, dear,” Ilene said as soon as she heard her daughter’s door slam shut again.

“I’m late!” Serena thundered down the stairs and made a beeline for the breakfast table. The girl powered through her breakfast of scrambled eggs, a waffle, an apple and OJ. She gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek while picking up her Fruit Basket lunch bucket.

“I’ll bet you don’t know where your high school is?” Sammy smirked.

“Three blocks from here, so there,” Serena stuck her tongue out at her brother.

“I’m taking your brother over to Nichols Middle School, I could drop . . .”

“Can’t wait, Dad!” Serena gave her father a quick kiss on the cheek before bolting out the front door with her midnight blue Saint Tail backpack on her back, this time using both her hands to clear the fence.

With her twin ponytails streaming behind her like banners, Serena ran toward Juuban, she hardly noticed the cool morning air of the late summer day, the sun splashing the world around her in bright colors. Even though she knew there was going to be a school assembly for the first period, she didn’t want to blow her chance to met Molly’s boyfriend, Melvin. When she saw the school entrance and she didn’t hear the chime of the school clock, the petite blonde smiled.

It was all a blur to Serena, really, a red, green and honey blur that knocked her to the ground, her mind shocked by the double impact of concrete and the body falling on top of her. It was uncomfortable, the first thing Serena thought, laying on her backpack. At least she didn’t hurt so there were no cuts from the fall. She could tell her face was pressed firmly between two soft round, “Breasts?”

“Girl, are you okay?” Serena felt the resonant voice come from the chest pressed to her face.

“Hum-hum,” was the best Serena could do.

“Thank the Lord,” Carefully the girl knelt next to Serena and helped the petite blonde to a sitting position. “Sorry about almost turning you into street pizza.”

“It’s my fault too . . .” The vibrant green eyes, the creamy honey skin and the fiery red hair pinned back in a massive ponytail, only the slightly larger nose and fuller lips clenched in Serena’s mind who she collided with, “You’re . . .”

The first chime of the school clock sent Serena into a panic, “Christ, I’m late!” Blinding she grabbed for the closest lunch bucket and she bolted for the main entrance. Dimly was the petite blonde aware of another set of footfalls just behind her.
********

Location: School Auditorium, Juuban High School

Not since India had Serena seen a space large enough to fit this many people; the unending crescendo of good cheer did put a positive spin on her search for Molly.

“Serena, over here!”

The petite blonde caught the words, her head twisting left to find her friend standing on one of the auditorium seats, her arms waving in the air, with a brown-haired boy next to her helping the redhead keep her balance.

Once Serena maneuvered around in the sea of youth, Molly got down and hugged her blonde friend, saying, “Glad you found us.”

“We saw you when you entered the auditorium because of your distinctive hairstyle,” the boy next to Molly said, his coke bottle glasses enlarging his eyes to anime size, “but we couldn’t get your attention until you were close enough.”
“Serena,” Molly broke the hug and turned to face the boy wearing the silvery gray pants, snowy blue shirt and Paul Simon bowtie, “This is my friend, Melvin Adam Holmes,” the boy stuck out his hand, “Melvin, this is my new friend, Serenity Hope Guerisser.”

Serena shook his hand, grinning, “So this is your future boyfriend, eh?”

Both Molly and Melvin blushed hard, the redhead putting her hand to her face in an attempt to hide it, giggling, while Melvin laughed into the air, still shaking Serena’s hand as his free hand scratched the back of his head.

Before either one of them could respond to Serena’s statement, someone tapped on the mike up where the school faculty stood, “Please, will the students find a seat and settle down.”

Quickly Serena, Molly and Melvin claimed their seats in this massive game of musical chairs, once the confusion settled down the speaker identified himself, “For our first year students benefit, I’m vice-principle Daniel Webster Bosworth,” he gave the students an evil smile, “I hope I won’t need to meet any of you on a regular basis since I’m in charge of discipline.” The man in the brown three-piece business suit paused to allow a nervous laugh to sweep through the students, “Now let me introduce our principle, Erik Leif Bannock.”

A mild applause came from the second to fourth year students, as a conservatively dressed man with a thick mane of graying black hair replaced the shorter man at the podium. “I see some of our returning students are already trying to butter me up,” another nervous laugh coming from the students. “To our first year students, I welcome you to Juuban High School. I hope that I and the school faculty will be able to fan the flames of learning within each of you,” the man extended a hand to the seated adults that shared the stage with him, Serena able to pick Andrew’s face from the rest, “as well as remind you of your obligation to your parents, to your country and to your God to become contributing citizens and the brightest of lights to guide others.” The students cheered at the principle’s speech and he waited until it died down before continuing, “If any of you have any difficulties either at school or outside of school, please talk to one of our councilors,” two men and two women stood up from the faculty, “I’m sure they will give you the type of aid which will help you overcome your problems.”

Of the four councilors, Serena attention was glued to the woman with hip long black hair held in place by a turquoise hair band at the nape of her slim neck. Even from this distance, the petite blonde noticed this woman’s beauty spoke of centuries before the white man came to the New World, unearthly, otherworldly. Then for a second their gazes met, bottomless black eyes to baby blues, and the teenager held her breath as a light filled her soul and overflowed it. When the gazes parted, Serena let out her breath, “Oh my stars and garters.”

“Eh?” Molly heard Serena’s exclamation and looked at her wide-eyed friend.

Melvin leaned forward and saw where Serena looked, “Oh, that’s the school’s new councilor, Wynona Sioux Tempus, she’s a Oglala Lakota Sioux from the Pine Ridge Reservation.”
“She’s a Native-American?” Serena looked at Melvin.

“Yes,” Melvin returned his attention to Principal Bannock as the councilors returned to their seats.

“I’m also informing you of a special study being done by Northwestern University,” a young man seated next to Andrew stood up. “It is an in-depth study of high school students and this young man, Darien Mamoru Terra-Daniels, will be the coordinator of the part of the study involving Juuban High School, Saint Mary’s School For Proper Girls and Saint Mark’s School For Proper Boys.” Like a hornet’s nest the room buzzed with surprised voices and like before Principal Bannock waited for it to die down, “If anyone has legitimate objections to being a part of this study, please speak to one of our councilors, but I hope instead that you would feel privileged to be a part of this scientific study.”

“Jesus,” exclaimed Melvin, “I didn’t see this coming.”

Molly’s eyes widen at that admission, “You didn’t?

“Nope, but isn’t it Great!” Melvin’s glee was noticeable, “I’m going to end up with lots of data I never could get on my own.”

Molly rolled her emerald eyes but Serena ignored the rest of their conversation as she concentrated her senses on the black-haired young man. His features look tight, his steely blue eyes in constant motion, to the petite blonde he didn’t look like he was enjoying the limelight.

“What do you think of him?” Molly’s question interrupted Serena’s study.

“Who?” Serena turned her gaze to her friend.

“Terra-Daniels, silly,” both Molly and Melvin had knowing looks on their faces.

Serena made a face, “I don’t like him.”

“Why?” the redhead was surprised, the bespectacled boy looked interested, “He’s a hunk of beefcake compared to most of the other boys here at school.” Then she smiled at Melvin, “present company excluded, of course.”

“Of course,” Melvin could only share Molly’s gaze for a few seconds before he found his shoes interesting to look at, his face flushed.

Molly returned her attention to Serena, “Well?”

“He just doesn’t strike me as the scientific type,” Serena’s look was stern, “In fact, he looks like someone is holding his feet to a blowtorch.”

“C’mon, Serena,” Molly’s eyebrows met her wavy hair, “aren’t you being a little harsh?”

“You asked for my opinion,” Serena shrugged her shoulders.

As the threesome talked, Principal Bannock was replaced by Vice-Principal Bosworth at the podium, “Now will students please leave in an orderly fashion and go to your first period class.”
********
Location: Room 222 Japanese Language Class

After a stop at her locker to deposit her lunch bucket, it took only a few extra minutes for Serena to find her first period class. She knew from Molly and Melvin that she wouldn’t see either of them until her third period science class, so the teenager took the seat closest to the door. She didn’t get a chance to get an eyeful of her fellow classmates before a middle-aged Asian man walked in, whatever conversations between the students ended.

“I’m George Takai and this is Japanese Language,” told the man with the receding hairline. “I’ll take roll first before I give you the class introduction and outline.”

Takei began calling roll, Serena half listened until her name was called out, “Serenity Guerisser.”

“Here!”

It took only a second for Serena to return to her musings over the accident at the front of the school and her reactions to Tempus and Terra-Daniels, it also took a second for her mind to snap back into focus when she heard a name called out, “Ami Shabon.”

“Hai.”

Serena began to scan her classmates, trying to connect a face with the neutral feminine voice, someone with enough confidence to answer the teacher in Japanese, but before she could really decide on a possible target, Takai stepped away from the podium with a stack of papers in his hands.

“For this class, I will be using a total emersion method to teach Japanese to each of you,” Takai stopped at the head of each row and gave some of the papers to those students, “which will mean you will adopt Japanese names for the class, speak only Japanese in class and write only in Japanese.” The papers were passed back with each student getting one. “If you pass notes to your classmates while I’m speaking, they better be in Japanese.” Serena smiled at the thin man’s little joke and looked at her paper, she noticed it was the class outline, listing the goal for each week and the dates for tests.

“I would advise you to form a Japanese Club so you can study the language together, combining your strengths to overcome any of your weaknesses, but if some of you aren’t comfortable with that arrangement, then please select someone to speak Japanese with on a daily basis. Don’t think of this class as a normal language class, Japanese is a very difficult language to learn. The vocal part of the language has levels of diction based on politeness, rudeness, formality and intimacy, as well as differences based on the speaker’s gender. I don’t really see most students having trouble speaking the language but the main stumbling block for you will be writing the language. Japanese has four distinctive word groups based on the origin of the word being used: kanji, katakana, hiragana and romanji. It isn’t an easy goal; your typical grade school student in Japan spends eighty-percent of his time learning his own language.”

Groans and gasps came from various students but this only caused Takai to smile, “Don’t worry, I do plan to make this class fun as well as a learning experience. I will be teaching you Japanese slang and each Friday I will be showing you Japanese anime in the original language, for example this Friday I will be showing the first three episodes of Ranma ½.” Several of the students smiled but Takei’s smile thinned, “but I expect you to take notes of what you are watching so we can discuss the anime Monday morning.”

Serena’s was excited by what Takai was telling the class, glee reflecting in her baby blues, a chance to make one of her dreams come true, even if it meant she would have to work her gray matter to death. Her attention was so total on the teacher’s words that she jumped a little when the school chime went off.

“Serenity Guerisser,” Serena heard Takai call her name and she turned to the smartly dressed man but she froze when he added, “Ami Shabon, could you two wait a moment?”

If Wynona’s alien presence and Darien’s edginess played games with the petite blonde’s senses, the girl Serena found standing next to her knotted her wits.

Black.

White.

So stark against the background colors it hurt Serena’s eyes to look at her classmate. Face and hands bone white, thin lips cover by black lipstick, almond eyes shrouded by eye-shadow, skirt touching her buckled shoes, buttoned sleeves and collar tight against her skin, and black hair in a heavy braid going down her back and ending at her skirt’s hem.

A throat cleared, “Miss. Guerisser,” Takai’s voice breaking the spell on the petite blonde, “normally my Japanese language class is taken by third and fourth year students looking to fulfill their language requirements for a university,” his brown eyes glance at the Goth Girl, his eyes too looked unnerved to Serena, “and while I can understand why a first-year student like Miss. Shabon would take this class, you on the other hand have me concerned.”

With the focus now on her, Serena shifted gears and used her prepared answer, “I want to watch anime in its native tongue and uncensored.”

Worry became visible on Takai’s face, “Miss. Guerisser, maybe you should wait until your third year to take this class.”

Serena’s eyes hardened, “No, I don’t think so, Mister Takai.” She didn’t like it when people thought she was a dumb blonde, “I want to take your class this year.”

The effect of the petite blonde’s barely respectful retort registered on Takai’s expression, he held his emotions in check as he turned to Ami, “Miss. Shabon, you speak Japanese don’t you?”

“Watashi no obasama nihongo wo yondori, kaitari, hanashitari shimasu,” for the first time Serena saw raven intelligence in the Goth girl’s eyes, the words flow from her black lips.

Even as he tried to hide it, Serena could tell Takai was taken aback by Ami’s fluency, “Would you consider tutoring Miss. Guerisser?”

The two girls looked at each other, Serena quickly deciding not to break eye contact first, her instincts told her this stare down mattered. At last Ami said, “Odango.”

“Eh?” Serena blinked and glanced at Takai, who was also perplexed by Ami’s reply.

Ami stepped forward and used her right hand to touch one of Serena’s blonde buns and ponytails, “Your class name will be Odango.”

Serena’s heart swelled at knowing the answer was yes, Ami giving her a name meant just that, but before she could throw her arms around the Goth girl, Ami stepped back, putting distance between them. Snobbish, maybe, Serena thought, or did she take after her grandmother’s people, reserved.

“You two better get to your next class,” Takai told them.

Ami and Serena exchanged looks, the Goth girl saying, “I’ll see you in our biology class.”

“Okay,” Serena gathered up her books and waved at Ami as she made tracks, “Bye!”
********

Location: Room 322, Biology Class, Third Period

Second period was a breeze for Serena, her English class would be no problem for her, living in the land of the midnight sun along with her mother’s lessons taught her a love for reading and writing. It also gave her a chance to ask the English teacher where the school library was located. After a stop there to grab a Japanese-English Dictionary, the petite blonde made it to her biology class as the chime went off.

“I expect my students to be here on time, little lady,” it was mock seriousness for Andrew was grinning at her.

“Sorry, Andy!” Serena apologized, her bright smile upon her lips, then she frown at seeing Terra-Daniels seated next to the blonde teacher.

“It’s Mister Williams while you are at school, little lady,” Andrew amended.

“I know-I know,” Speedily Serena headed for the closest vacant seat, which happened to be next to Ami. Serena also noticed Molly and Melvin sat behind Ami but no one filled the seat on the other side of the Goth girl.

Serena gave Ami a silent greeting, which the Goth girl returned. While Andrew handed out his outline and gave his standard introduction to Biology, Serena pulled out the Japanese-English dictionary and furiously began to copy words from it into her notebook. Checking to make sure Ami wasn’t watching her, the teenager found her seatmate was busy typing on her bluish-gray laptop computer as she listened intently to the teacher’s lecture. Going back to her self-appointed project Serena looked at the words she copied:

Great: idai (na) [distinguished]; yumei (na) [famous].

Brain: no. chisei; zuno [intelligence].

Endings for girls names: -e, -ko, -mi or –yo.

It need to be short, Serena thought, a name that rolled off the tongue just like the name Ami gave her. From watching her anime, the petite blonde knew the importance of a given name or nicknames were in Japan, especially since it was clear Ami held herself as superior to Serena, maybe the whole student body, thus it was Serena’s turn to show she understood ever gram of her relationship with her tutor. After a few combinations, the teen’s baby blues lit up and she wrote the finished name down.

“Idzumi.”

Serena spooked at Ami saying the name, her head twisted to look at the girl dressed in midnight, her voice trembled, “I . . . I thought since you named me Odango for our Japanese class, I . . . could repay the debt by giving you this name.”

The emotions in Ami’s onyx orbs were unreadable, Serena saw they were looking at what she wrote and then the Goth girl looked over her shoulder at Melvin. It wasn’t an unfriendly gaze she gave the bespectacled boy, although he did smile defensively, it was more an acknowledgement on Ami’s part to show she knew where Serena got the idea for the name. Once more she rested her vision on the odango girl, her tone pleasant, “Although Ami is a Japanese name, I will accept Idzumi for our Japanese class.”

A flash of a smile appeared on Serena’s lips, fleeting due to Andrew clearing his throat to get their attention, “Class, as you know, our school is involved in a study being run by Northwestern University and part of your time spent in my class will be used for this study. So for the rest of this period, I’m going to allow Mister Terra-Daniels a chance to explain what the study is about.”

Andrew sat behind his desk as Darien stood to one side of it, Serena could hear the silence of the class waiting for the black-haired man to speak, but there was something else in the air, tangible but invisible, her baby blues scanned the room and she noted doe-eyed expressions on the girls’ features, even on Molly’s face. Strangely Ami’s expression was glacial, her eyes decidedly unfriendly.

“As you know, I’m Darien Mamoru Terra-Daniels, and I’ve been appointed to handle the Northwestern University study here at your school, at Saint Mary’s School For Proper Girls and at Saint Marks‘ School For Proper Boys. The purpose of the study is to compare the Michigan public school system with those private schools within our state,” when a charming smile appeared on his lips, Serena chanced a glance and she found daydream smiles on the silly faces of the female classmates. On the other hand if Ami’s expression got any more hostile, she would be growling. “As a beginning for this study,” Darien added, “I’ll be handing out a questionnaire for you to take home and fill out.”

“Why does that sound like a test?” a boyish voice said, a few chuckles accompany it.

Darien picked up a folder and began to pass out the questionnaire to the students. With the class located in the science lab, the young man was going from one student to the next. After a look around to make sure no one but Molly and Melvin would hear her, Serena turned to Ami, “Ami, what’s wrong?”

“Yeah, Great Brain,” Molly leaned over the table so her dusk-haired head was between the noon-haired head and the midnight-haired head, “You looked like you wanted to operate on Mr. Daniels’ heart with a spoon.”

An eye shift glance at Melvin occurred before Ami looked at Molly, her face back to her favorite expression, superior, “I have my reasons.”

Both Molly and Serena looked at Melvin, the boy fidgeted at the curious looks, giving Ami a look before he said, “Sorry girls, I don’t want my next science project blowing up like it did last year.”

Molly’s head snapped back around, her green gaze spotlighting Ami, “You?”

Ami’s expression didn’t change, her tone remained aloof, “For a boy, Melvin is a good person but some things don’t need to become public gossip.”

“Like your hate for boys,” Molly ventured, that got a lightening glare from the Goth Girl.

“Well, I don’t blame her,” Serena crossed her arms, “Some boys are puss bags and when they grow up, they can be real creeps.”

“Like me?”

“Yep!” Serena’s reply was out her mouth before she realized who spoke. The petite blonde slowly turned, her eyes look up at Darien.

The man in the ice cream suit gave Serena a condescending look, “Maybe the reason for some ‘boys’ turning out as creeps is because they have encounters with jackrabbit girls.”

Jackrabbits?

Rabbits!

A hand with pink polished fingernails snatched the questionnaire from Darien’s hand. Serena’s voice screechy, “Teachers shouldn’t insult their students’ hairstyle.”

“I’m not a teacher,” Darien coolly countered, “and you started the name calling.”

“Well, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings,” sarcasm colored Serena’s apology, “Happy?”

“Delighted,” Darien handed the questionnaire to Ami, “Rabbit.” The black-haired man went to the next student, Molly.

Serena stared icy blue daggers at Darien’s back, she mumbled to Ami just loud enough for Darien to hear, “Ami, what’s the Japanese word for a slow-witted, dull imbecile?”

“Ahondara.”

“Thanks!”

It was just a glance from Darien but it spoke volumes, even as he continued to hand out the questionnaires. Molly and Melvin sweat-dropped while Serena grinned, but in her victory the petite blonde did notice one thing, a fleeting smile on Ami’s lips.
********

Location: School Grounds, Lunchtime

Two sapphire orbs bounced from face to face in the crowded school grounds, a grimace on crescent lips below those twin blue oceans as the brains behind them used the stimuli of the lunch bucket in her hand to remind her why she was searching.

Lunch bucket.
Alithea Wood’s lunch bucket.

With everything that went on in the third period biology class, Serena was striving and as soon as the chime went off, she was out the door with a wave of a hand to her friends. It took her three attempts to open her locker before she was able to get to her lunch bucket. With a dash to the school cafeteria, the walls decorated with hand painted scenes from fantasy and science fiction novels, the petite blonde sat down at one of the long tables and opened the metal box. Inside she found three plastic containers containing crab salad, breaded fried shrimp and chocolate brownies.

Serena was puzzled, she remembered her mother saying she was going to give her daughter a traditional homemade school lunch, peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich, an apple and a thermos of milk. Opening the thermos and taking a taste, she found homemade chicken soup.

For the first time Serena really looked at her lunch bucket, her mind thinking hard before she realized a glaring clue, one she should have picked up on much earlier, her lunch bucket had a Fruit Basket theme, this one was Real Bout High School.

“Freaky,” Serena quickly repacked the lunch bucket before she was up and out the door.

“It can’t be that hard to find a treetop girl with red hair,” Serena groused, her feet moving almost as fast as her baby blues. Finally, it was near the outdoor basketball courts, upon a slope of green grass, the odango girl first caught sight of the fiery ponytail. She rushed up behind Alithea but when she saw the lunch bucket open beside the honeyed girl, Serena stopped.

What to say, Serena only thought the girl’s name was Alithea Wood, they hadn’t had a chance to properly introduce each other this morning. So Serena did the only thing she could do, “Are you Miss Woods?”

The head turned and Serena was once more taken by the strong beauty of the creamy honey face, but then she saw the half-eaten sandwich held by those green tipped fingers. Immediately Serena held up the lunch bucket and her words machinegun out, “HereisyourlunchItookitbymistake!”

The mouth continued to chew slowly, Serena sweating bullets, she wasn’t sure if she was out of the dog house until mirth illuminated those emerald eyes. No words pass between them until a swallow occurred, “Why don’t we share our lunches, Miss . . .”

Serena rolled her eyes, she was doing it again, “I’m Serenity Hope Guerisser,” the petite blonde sat beside the taller girl, “but my friends call me Serena.”

“Serena, that’s a very cute name,” An ivory-toothed grin was Serena’s reward, a gesture so warm and friendly, “I’m Alithea Adaunde Woods,” she moved the sandwich to her left hand so she could offer her right hand, “and my friends call me Lita.”

“Lita.”

“Serena.”

Hands shook.

First came the sandwich and the drinks, Lita broke it in two while Serena took the two thermos and poured the milk and chicken soup into separate cup-lids. As they shared the food and the drinks, the petite blonde couldn’t stop herself from giggling from time to time, when the third giggle slipped out, Lita looked at her oddly, “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, really,” Serena didn’t want to admit she was thinking how in Japan, two persons, let alone two girls, sharing their lunches, especially drinking from the same cups, would be looked upon as indirectly kissing.

Seeing the touch of blush on Serena’s cheeks, Lita decided not to push the issue, instead after a drink of milk to wash down the peanut butter, she said, “Sugar, you seem to know more about me than I do of you?”

“Oh,” Serena’s embarrassment deepened her blush, “It’s just Molly’s future boyfriend is a real gossip hound.”

“Molly,” laughter danced in Lita’s eyes, “a friend of yours?”

“Yes,” Serena brought out the crab salad, “Molly is the first friend I made since moving to Evanston.” Since Serena’s lunch didn’t come with silverware, the odango girl used the spoon from Lita’s lunch while the ponytailed girl used the fork. With the first bite, the petite blonde let out a heavenly hum before adding, “This is wonderful! The mayo is homemade, isn’t it?”

Lita grinned her delight at Serena’s discriminating palette, “I’m surprised, Serena, most wouldn’t pick up on it so quickly.”

“My parents are naturalists so I grew up on homemade food,” Serena smiled back, “in fact, store brought food taste really yucky to me.”

“Oh?” There was something intriguing about Serena that captured Lita’s interest but she wasn’t sure why.

With a shake of her odango head, Serena said, “I think people get cheap highs on the chemicals.”

Lita grinned as she got out the breaded fried shrimp, “And you don’t do drugs?”

“Me?” Serena’s baby blues going wide, laughter tumbling from her lips, “I have no head for anything, one shot and I’m out like a light.”

A light chuckle came from Lita as she offered a shrimp to Serena, “So what has Molly’s boyfriend said about me?” Suddenly the petite blonde’s features clouded, her gaze dipped, sad. It took no time for the tall girl to realize what Serena knew, “You don’t need to tell me, Serena, I know enough about myself.” Immediately the blonde brightened and took the offered shrimp, Lita trying to sidetrack her own gloomy feelings with a question, “Of course, you should tell me something about yourself?”

Serena took a bite while her sapphire gaze turned thoughtful, “Hmm . . . I’m a globetrotter.”

“A globetrotter?” Lita urged Serena on with her curious gaze.

“Yeah,” Serena finished the shrimp and took another, “I’ve traveled all over the world with my parents and my brother,” she took a bite of the crunchy delight and chewed, “I . . . wasn’t . . . even . . . born . . . in . . . my . . . parents’ . . . homeland . . . Quebec.”

“Where were you born?” a glance over Serena’s shoulder by Lita showed a bunch of guys playing a pickup game of basketball on the nearest court.

“Japan.” Serena finished the shrimp and picked up another one only to realize something, “Oh no, you haven’t had one shrimp yet and here I’m taking the last one.” The petite blonde waved the curled piece in front of the redhead’s face, “Now open wide.”

Lita leaned forward and took the shrimp from Serena’s fingers with her white teeth, but something happened. One moment Lita was sharing Serena’s grin, the next her honey face was stone cold as she uncoiled from the ground, her hand streaking pass Serena’s ear while the rest of her tall body crashed into the smaller girl. Serena’s shock didn’t stop her from hearing the sound of flesh hitting leather. In a second, Lita was off Serena, the odango blonde saw her friend seize a rolling basketball and she shouted at the boys staring at her from the basketball court, “Hey! Watch where you throw that ball, white bread, you fucked up our lunch!”

“Sorry,” said the closest boy trotting up toward them.

Serena watched from her back as Lita’s expression twisted viciously and without hesitation, the redhead jumped straight up and launched a shot. Baby blues followed the ball and they blinked as the ball found nothing but net. To the teen it looked like Lita was shaking with rage, her friend’s words could melt steel, “If you homeboys ever hurt any of my friends, I’ll three-point your butts into that basket, guarantee.”

It didn’t matter whom it was directed at, Serena noticed everyone around them backed away from Lita, not just the boys on the court. Hastily Serena shambled to her feet and put a hand on Lita’s arm, “It’s okay, Lita, I’m fine,” a glowing smile on her ruddy face, “thanks to you.”

“Those punks,” Lita’s emerald eyes flash as she turned to Serena, “if that ball had hit, you would’ve ended up in the hospital.”

“But it didn’t,” Serena worked her hands into Lita’s fists, “you were here to protect me and I’m glad.”

Gradually Lita’s hands unclenched, her head hanged down as her blushing words flowed over pink cheeks, “You mean it?”

“Of course,” Serena grinned up at Lita, “although I don’t know if our lunches will survive our friendship.”

“Huh?” Lita looked down and she saw the containers shattered, the thermoses split and the cups upturned, only one container remain sealed.

Serena watched as Lita opened the last plastic container holding the brownie and the ponytailed girl broke it in two. Serena couldn’t miss the aftermath of Lita’s fury in her creamy honey face, so when Lita gave her one-half of the dark desert, Serena said, “A toast.”

“A toast?”

“Yeah,” Serena got on her toes to link her arm with Lita’s arm, the two holding the brownie bites, “A toast to girl power.”

Lita’s grin flashed, “Girl power.”

The Brownie was gone in thirty seconds.
********
Location: Girls Gym, Fifth Period

The fourth period class was Home Economics, a so-so class in Serena point-of-view until she caught sight of Lita. With a minimum of persuasion the petite blonde was able to get her new friend as her partner for the class, visions of being stuffed by Lita’s delicious cooking danced in her blond head.

Fifth period was a totally different turn-on for Serena, Physical Education. It was in the locker room that she realized all of her girlfriends were taking this class with her, Molly, Ami and Lita. At the same time, the locker room proved to be a very embarrassing time for the petite blonde. Having naturalists as parents and living with them while they pursed their goals in exotic locations around the world, privacy wasn’t a luxury so she became used to being naked in front of her parents and her little brother. Now in a locker room full of strangers in various stages of undress, Serena’s thought she was going to combust from the heat coming from her face. “Damn, this clasp,” her fingers all thumbs in her attempt to switch to a sports bra for her PE class.

“What’s wrong, Serena?” Molly asked, the redhead already in her Kelly green sweatshirt and white shorts.

“I can’t get this clasp undone,” Serena trying to keep as much of her body concealed as she could given the situation.

“I’ll get it, girl,” Lita’s voice took some of the heat out of Serena’s face when she felt the clasp unhooked, she turned to thank her tall friend and immediately turned away again, squeaking, “Thank you, Lita!”

“What the fuck?” Immediately a pair of hands firmly griped Serena’s shoulders and spun her back around, “What gives, Serena?” Repeatedly Serena told herself to keep her eyes on Lita’s face but it was impossible, her being four-eleven and Lita being five-nine put Lita’s breasts right across from Serena’s eyes. “Are you coming down with something?” Lita asked as she put her hand to her friend’s forehead, “Your face is really flushed.” Serena remembered how soft they were from her early morning collusion with Lita, two large mounds with blond brown tips, their perfection amplified Serena’s feeling of inadequacy.

“Alithea’s right,” Molly coming to stand with Serena and Lita.

“Lita,” the ponytailed girl corrected.

‘I . . .” Serena stopped. How could she explain her problem without sounding lily white?

“Serenity is embarrassed,” Serena turned to find Ami joining their little group. It was a gut reaction on Serena’s part; Ami’s appearance blew out the flames from her face.

Hair was black, everywhere.

Skin bone white, everywhere.

Serena thought Ami had bleached her face, neck and hands to get them that color, but the sight of even her nipples with that dead fish shade left the petite blonde gawking.

Lita and Molly looked at Serena, then at Ami and then back to Serena. Ami gave them her usual aloof look, which perplexed both of them until Molly realized, “Oh, I see said the blind man.” Molly moved so she shielded Serena from the others, “Serena, you’re modest, physically I mean?”

“I know it’s immature of me,” Molly’s question breaking Serena’s dam, her hands still holding her pink-laced bra to her breasts, “but I’ve never undressed in front of strangers before.”

“No need to say anymore, GF,” Lita grinned as she turned her back and continued to change into her gym clothes.

“Go on, Serena, we won’t look,” Molly gently prodded, “Right, Ami?”

Ami stared at Molly for a second before turning back to her own gym clothes. Molly smiled and gave Serena her back. The fourteen-year-old quickly discovered the combined mass of Lita and Molly created an excellent screen for her. As quick as she could, Serena changed into her gym clothes. Once finished she was about to thank her friends when her baby blues glance at Lita’s lower back.

A seven-inch Monarch butterfly was there.

Its etched wings of intense black and royal red fluttered with the roll and stretch of muscles under Lita’s skin. It seemed so alive that Serena barely stopped her hand from touching it. “Cooool,” slipped out of her lips.

“Wa?” Lita glanced over her shoulder at Serena, her hands about to pull her gym top down.

“She saw your tattoo, Alithea,” Lita gave Ami a meaningful look, “Lita,” the Goth girl amended.

“It’s beautiful,” Molly’s emerald eyes reflect the awe in her voice, “it looks brand new.”

“I . . . I keep it touched up,” Serena looked up and she saw the train wreck of emotions on Lita’s face: anger, fear, shame, longing, love. Without saying another word, the creamy honey girl yanked her sweatshirt down, her expression turned to stone and her sturdy legs took her out of the locker room.

“Lita?” Serena’s tone showed she couldn’t comprehend how such a beautiful tattoo could bring such pain.

“She hurts too much,” Molly took Serena’s hand, gently squeezing it.

“Her parents?” Serena remembered how Lita reacted when she realized her new friend knew about her parents’ deaths.

“Three months ago,” Molly sure of what Serena wanted to know.

Serena sighed and made her way toward the gym with Molly. When Ami fell instep with them, the petite blonde glimpsed a different expression on the Goth girl’s face before it changed back to her normal aloof expression, understanding. It confused Serena, did Ami empathize with Lita’s loss or did she comprehend Serena trying to reach out to her friend? The only thing the teen could do was to whisper, “Ami, please call me, Serena.”

A noncommittal sound came from Ami as the threesome joined the rest of the girls, standing together on the indoor volleyball court. Lita was with them, her face a mask. The odango girl was about to go to the tall redhead when a whistle blew and the PE teacher came out of her office.

The whistle dropped from her lips to hang from its string, “I’m Kineta MacClean,” her brown eyes all business, “please sit down.” Seeing her opportunity Serena slipped between the students and she was able to sit next to Lita. “First, I’ll take roll call, then we’re discuss what sports competitions are coming up before we sort everyone in teams to play some volleyball.”

As the roll was called, Serena kept one ear up for her name while she looked at Lita. From where she sat, the petite blonde was sure the honey-skinned girl knew she was there but only green marbles showed in those eye sockets.

“Molly Eve Baker.”

“Here!”

Serena glanced back and noticed both Ami and Molly were right behind her, a supportive smile framed by wavy red hair while Ami’s raven braid coiled around her like a serpent’s tail.

“Serenity Hope Guerisser.”

Serena rolled to her feet, “Here!”

When she sat down, she moved a little closer to Lita.

“Ami Shabon.”

Ami stood, gave the teacher a placid stare before she sat. The teacher looked unnerved by the Goth girl’s silent treatment and a couple of the students inched away from Ami, but not Lita. Serena’s ears pop up at the tiny giggle she heard coming from behind her.

“Mina Charity Spencer.”

Cat-like curiosity pulled Serena’s gaze to the ribbon-haired blonde that bounded to her feet, her eyebrows arch at the British accent, “That’s Lady Mina Charity Spencer, if you please.”

First Ami, now this British tart’s radiating attitude, Kineta frowned before saying, “Not in America, Miss Spencer, all titles are checked in at the border.”

“Americans,” Mina stuck her lip out before she dropped onto the hardwood floor. Serena wasn’t sure but during the whole exchange the Brit kept shifting her ample body this way and that way, like she was modeling the gym clothes she was wearing.

Gym clothes.

Immediately Serena leaned back, she looked over Lita’s broad back at the longhaired blonde and she let out an envious moan. Only seconds pass before she heard Molly whisper softly in her ear, “What is it, Serena?”

“Indian Silk,” Serena replied without looking away, “From her crimson hair ribbon to her white shorts,” envy in her baby blues, “I wouldn’t be surprised if her undies were silk too.”

Molly let out a slow whistle while Ami looked at Mina before she leaned forward and whispered, “Serena, you have very good eye for details.”

“Not really,” Serena whispered back, “When you’ve lived in China and India for as many years as I did, you learn to spot the sheen of clothes made of the stuff.”

“If you say so,” once more Ami’s aloofness didn’t change.

“Alithea Adaunde Wood.”

When Lita stood, Serena glanced up at her friend before a thought hit her right between the eyes and she did a double take. Maybe her attention was caught by the clothes wore and not the person, but now with Mina looking at Lita, Serena realized the blonde bombshell could be mistaken as her sister. Sure, the hairstyle was different and Serena’s face was ruddy because of her life in the great outdoors, yet she saw how their features were alike enough for her to use Mina as a mirror.

“Serena?”

Serena jumped a little at finding Lita waving a hand in front of her face. To cover-up the truth, Serena said, “I’m sorry, Lita, I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Eh?” Lita looked startled before she understood, “Heavens, girl, it’s not your fault I’ve got a thin skin right now. Like a friend of mine would say, ‘it is cross I must bear.’”

“Still . . .” Serena began but the PE teacher interrupted her.

“With the beginning of a new school year, our first inter-school competitions are volleyball, basketball and soccer.” Kineta’s black eyes scanned the girls, “Is there anyone interested in joining these teams?”
********

“Where did Molly run off to?” Serena was most confused by Molly’s behavior. Once gym class was over and the petite blonde came out of the showers, Molly was already dressed and gone, even though the two agreed to walk home together. At the time, Serena had shrugged her shoulders and gone off with Ami to her locker, where the Goth girl waved goodbye and headed off to her own locker. Lita was going to stay an extra hour at the gym because of a meeting of the girls’ basketball teams, freshmen-sophomore-junior-and-senior. Now with her backpack on her back and her lunch bucket in hand, Serena was searching the school grounds for her wayward friend, having returned to the place she seen Molly last, the girls gym.

It was a misnomer to call the whole building the girls gym, the west half of the enormous domed building was the girls gym, the east half was the boys gym, with a section of this building facing away from the rest of the school. The building had corners, only the dome was round, so when Serena came a rounded the corner of the far section, an answer to her question was given to her.

It was wonderful - it was shocking. It was gentle - it was aggressive. It was hope - it was fear. It was all these things to Serena, the sight of Melvin kissing Molly, or was it Molly kissing Melvin. She relaxed against the building’s wall, her head tilted up slightly to accept his lips, her hands up near their heads where his forearms rested on either side of her wavy red hair, from her left hand dangled his glasses. Melvin was leaning in so only his lips touched her lips and nothing else of their bodies, clearly they meant it to be this way. Serena saw the hair around their eyes move slightly, leading the petite blonde to conclude that they were breathing through their noses, extending the magic of the kisses.

“You know you shouldn’t spy on couple’s kissing.”

“Eck!” If Serena jumped any higher she would have given everyone a free show of her Hello Kitty panties, her in-the-air-turn and quick ducking back around the corner put her nose-to-nose with the other sneak, “Mister Terra-Daniels!”

“I didn’t know rabbits could hop so high,” Serena eyes narrowed to hard sapphires when she heard the mix of coughs and apologizes coming from around the corner, “and I’m not buying the I-didn’t-know-they-were-there act, all fourteen-year-old girls know what the back of the gym is used for.”

Serena was seething inside, her finding Melvin and Molly together were accidental but what Darien had done wasn’t, “You spoiled this for Molly, her first kiss.”

“Give me a break, rabbit,” Darien rolled his steely blue eyes, “kisses from a girl are a dime a dozen.” At the sight of the shaking violent coming from Serena’s body, the black-haired young man added, “Of course if you think I’m wrong, I give you leave to correct me,” the tall youth put his chin within striking distance of Serena’s palm.

“WHACK!”

Too late, Darien didn’t realize his chin was also within striking distance of Serena’s lunch bucket.

“Serena?”

Immediately Serena spun and took a couple of steps to Molly, ignoring Melvin trying to hide behind his girlfriend, and she grabbed the wavy redhead’s hand, “Let’s get going, Molly.” As she dragged her friend off, she shouted over her shoulder, “See you tomorrow, Melvin.”
“See you tomorrow, Serena . . . Molly . . .” Melvin sounded mixed up by what was happening, “Mister Terra-Daniels are you alright?”

“Serena, that guy from Northwestern isn’t moving,” Molly kept looking over her shoulder, “maybe we should get him to the nurse’s office.”

“The only thing that jerk needs,” Serena stormed out of the school’s entrance with Molly in tow, “is a heart transplant.”

Molly sighed and waited for Serena to calm down, it wasn’t until they were halfway home before the petite blonde finally slowed to a walk. “I’m sorry, Molly,” after a few more steps she let go of her friend’s hand, “I really made a mess back there,” her face flushed, her voice subdued, “it should’ve been the happiest day of your life.”

“Actually, Serena,” Molly’s blush was brighter than Serena’s rosy face, “you were kind of responsible for it,” Molly’s smile was crooked but gentle, “when you called Melvin my future boyfriend, you gave me the courage to make the future now.”

For a while Serena couldn’t talk, her mind emptied by Molly’s words, she was embarrassed, stunned that her jest could push two hearts together. When the wavy redhead took her friend’s hand, modesty tumbled from extra red lips, “Molly, that aren’t true, you were already thinking about it, I did nothing.”

“Maybe,” Molly lightly squeezed the hand, “or maybe you make things easy for people to do.”

“Jesus H,” it was true, Serena heard those same words from her Mom and Dad, about how her brass brashness could kick-start situations but she didn’t want Molly to know. Instead she changed the subject a little, to satisfy her own curiosity, “So how was it, kissing I mean?”

Now it was Molly’s turn to be tongue-tied, Serena continued to look eagerly, the words finally drifting from the wavy redhead’s lips, “It was . . . it was wonderful.”

“Like?”

Molly thought for a while, putting effort into her next words:

How do you describe something you haven’t experienced before?
The drowning knows the air they breathe,
The thirsty knows the water they drink,
But do the blind know color?
Do the deaf know words?

The heart,
It knows,
The caress of lips upon its flesh,
The honey taste of its neuter,
The warmth an intoxicating pleasure.

Serena was stunned, all at once she wished for what Molly experienced to happen to her. For some handsome boy to kiss her soul awake, for a prince to slay the dragon that guarded her virginity, her sigh laced with longing, “That was beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Molly nodded as the two reached her home.

It took effort, Serena knew her daydream wouldn’t yet come true, to say to Molly, “Although I think you were still thinking of getting Melvin behind the gym before I came on the scene,” her trigger finger flecking Molly’s cute nose, “Your little poem tells me that.”

Molly laughed and Serena joined her but as their giggles died down, the emerald-eyed girl noticed the UPS van and the other side of the street, “It looks like the O’Neill family are getting a special delivery package.”

“So it seems,” Serena answered. There was something wrong about the van, she could sense it but her mind couldn’t find it.

“After dinner, did you want to study together?” Molly asked as she took a step up the cobble stones leading to her home.

“At your place?” Molly nodded. “Sure!” Serena flashed her award-winning smile, “I’ll call before coming over.”

“See you later, alligator,” Molly waved as she trotted to her front door.

“After while, crocodile,” Serena waved over her shoulders as she skipped to the gate of the picket fence surrounding her home, she watched Molly go into her home.

“So how did things go?” Startled, Serena turned abruptly and found Luna walking along the top of the fence. The black cat looking mildly surprise at her owner’s reaction, a worried look creased her moon brow, “Did you detect any Fallen,” then a hopeful smile touched her fanged lips, “or did you find one of the Sailor Scouts?”

Crash and burn was how Serena felt like right then and there, it looked to Luna like the blonde’s odango buns sag. For a whole day she had forgotten about being the Instrument of Peace, for a whole day she was a teenager making new friends, having boy troubles and learning to work in a high school environment.

“Serenity?”
“It’s okay, Luna,” Serena’s tone didn’t say okay but then something Luna said got her curious, “What do you mean detect?”

“Not being Sailor Moon doesn’t mean your soul doesn’t fill the Instrument of Peace,” that got a blank look from Serena, which in turn caused Luna to roll her eyes, “Serenity, you are the Instrument of Peace both in and out of uniform, so your soul is . . .”

It was a scream that KO’d the rest of Luna’s explanation. Serena turned white at the humanness of the sound and she was certain it came from Molly’s home. Everything in front of Serena blurred and narrowed, her mind, body and soul moving as one, her ears catching the sound of grass under her shoes, her eyes locked on the doorknob to Molly’s front door, her hand grabbing it, the lock wouldn’t give.

Another scream.

Serena shook the door, both of her hands twisting the doorknob, trying to break the lock, her heart pounding like a jackhammer.

“Serenity, become Sailor Moon!”

The blonde turned, her senses blaring with Luna’s words, an object coming at her, her right hand grabbing it out of the air. The broach was warm at the touch, the cross whiter, the gems sparkling with holy light. Serena thought no more about choices, no more about pluses and minuses, her hand holding the talisman above her head, words fill her mind and she gave them life:

“MOON HOLY POWER.”

Her dream, the Garden of Eden, the Holy Spirit filling her to overflowing, every one of her senses revel in the world revealed, the world as it should be, no longer shadows. Serena stumbled from the door, the footfalls sounding strange to her and she shivered, feeling a draft where there shouldn’t be one.

Another scream suddenly cut off.

“Sailor Moon!”

Too much input, Serena blinked at Luna, her hand going to her face, her eyes blinking at finding a domino mask perched on her nose, her eyes focusing on her hand, the long white glove going to her elbow, foreign words in gold thread upon the palm.

“Serenity!”

Luna’s plea awoke Serena to the reason why she had transformed. The door, yes, no, might not break. Living room window, glass, no, yes. Serena ran around the rosebush and she turned to head straight for the huge, transparent pane. She stopped, skidded to a halt.

Who, silver hair, ruby hairclips in her odango buns, face older, baby blues wide, body full, mature, chest heaving, ample breasts lifting. A Japanese fuku, red-white-and-blue, bows, sailor collar, knee boots. Serena touched her glossy red lips, “Sailor Moon?”

“HURRY!”

Again Luna knocked Sailor Moon into action, she shot forward and leapt at the window, her arms going over her face and her legs pulled to her chest. The sound of shattered glass, the rain of shards upon a wooden floor, Sailor Moon landed on the ground, rolled and bounced up onto her feet, looked about, no one. Heart pounding, eyes wide, every mundane thing ignored, must find Molly, save her.

A voice, low, sinister, can’t make out the words. Sailor Moon turned, slowly, glass breaking, she frowned and the voice seemed to come from the kitchen. Cautiously forward, hallway unlit, voice stronger. A smell, smoke, burning oil, did Molly burn herself?

The voice again, male, the words recognizable, “Are you the one, pretty girl?”

A muffled whimper, the terror in it left Sailor Moon cold.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find out.”

Sailor Moon tiptoed to the kitchen entrance, her pearly whites biting into her red lower lip to stop any noise. Her wide eyes saw Molly on the yellow kitchen table with a UPS man leaning over her, her arms and legs duct taped to the legs, a piece of gray over her mouth. His back was to Sailor Moon, one hand knotted in the wavy red hair to hold Molly’s head still while the other hand held a long needle just under her neck, “One here and you won’t feel a thing,” his voice cooing, “one under the other ear and I’ll peel free the Instrument of Peace.”

The smell of burning oil stronger as Sailor Moon skirted the doorframe, her baby blues glanced at the electric stove, a cloud of black smoke billowing from a cast-iron pan, a muffled scream jerked her gaze to the sight of half of the needle driven into Molly’s neck. The odango heroine saw the UPS man pick up another needle, her mind waltzing through her possible actions, her eyes drop to the floor, wishing for the first time Luna was there to tell her what to do but for some reason the black cat was missing.

Cast-iron option.

It took two steps for Sailor Moon to reach the stove and she grabbed the smoking pan with both hands. Picking it up, the weightless feel of the black iron surprised the petite blonde as did her palms not blistering from the heat. Sailor Moon knew she didn’t have the time to think, Molly’s expression slack-jawed, glassy-eyed as the UPS man turned her head.

“Hey! Postal!”

The UPS man reacted to Serena’s shout, he spun off Molly and Sailor Moon reacted on impulse, getting the frying pan up in time to glance his fist from her face, the fist holding the needle.

“Instrument of Peace!”

Something was wrong, Sailor Moon could feel it, his insane look on his WASP face, his speed seemed supernatural. The blonde ducked right before she spun left to slam the flat bottom iron into his face.

Shock, unabated shock on Sailor Moon’s face at the sight of the brown-suited man knocked off his feet and his body sliding across the floor to bang against the refrigerator. She looked at the skillet, then at the man flopping on the floor like a fish out of water. Her eyes went to Molly, the fixed look on her friend’s face breaking through the combat haze, “Molly!”

“No, Sailor Moon!”

Sailor Moon staggered to a stop, her eyes going to Luna, “What?”

“The man is possessed by a minion of the Fallen, you need to exorcise it to stop it!” Luna was standing dramatically on the floor just inside the kitchen entrance.

Sailor Moon looked at the man, his head covered with blood, the fear she didn’t feel before chilled her, “How?”

“Use the ritual of exorcism.”

“Huh?” Being Catholic, Sailor Moon understood such things as exorcism but she wasn’t sure how Luna meant it.

“Call upon the power within you, as the Instrument of Peace, and say these words with all your heart, ‘Holy Moon Exorcism!’”

Immediately Sailor Moon turned to face the UPS man, his eyes hungry, his mouth twisted with malicious glee. The petite blond crossed her hands, sighted down the v they made, on the edge of her vision she could see how Molly lay helpless. Concentrate, Concentrate, the heroine thought and she call out, “HOLY MOON EXORCISM!”

There it was again, a cup filling, her chest weightless, her soul remembering, the first taste of ice cream, her tiny fingers holding papa’s finger, her mother gently washing her. The purity of those moments flung forward with the wave of her opening arms, the pure white droplets falling on the UPS man. Sailor Moon watched as an oily cloud billowing out the man at the same time as he collapsed on the ground, the odango heroine shivered at the moan her soul heard, ‘Luce.’
“That was great! Sailor Moon!”

A couple of seconds passed as Sailor Moon stared at the unmoving man, unable to respond to Luna’s approval, she could only see his eyes close, blood pooling around his head.

“Molly!”

As soon as Sailor Moon carefully removed the needle from Molly’s neck, her body shook as lips threw out all of her suppressed sobs in one giant torrent, and when Sailor Moon tore the redhead’s hands free from her gray bonds, Molly jackknifed up and locked her arms around her savior’s waist. Sailor Moon could tell her friend was trying to say something but the words only came out as sobs. The red-white-and-blue scout smiled, she held her friend and tenderly rubbed the shaking back, trying to make her voice sound motherly, “Shhh . . . you’re safe now.”

“Sailor Moon, we have to go.”

If glares could kill Luna would be dead a thousand times over, Sailor Moon was so angry at the black cat’s heartlessness. Molly’s reaction was different, “A talking cat . . .” she fainted with the last word.

“Molly!” Sailor Moon put her ear to her friend’s chest, heard the beating heart and she let out a sigh, in the next second she heard distant sirens.

“Sailor Moon, we have to go, now!”

“Okay-okay,” Sailor Moon grumbled as she gentle laid Molly on the table, “I still wish I could get my face on the cover of Time.”

“If we don’t move fast enough,” Luna was on Sailor Moon heels as the two ran for the backdoor, “the police will see us heading for your home.”

“I would think you would be overjoyed that I decided to become Sailor Moon,” Sailor Moon fired back as she opened the backdoor.

“Your indecision almost got your friend killed, think about it,” the sound of the front door being kicked in echoed through out the house, “now Move!”

Sailor Moon grabbed Luna by the scuff of her neck and huddled the back fence with ease.
********

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