| Rei and Darien checked out Zoicite's apartment. After checking things out to make sure the place was empty, Darien and Rei jumped up to the sixth floor balcony. No one ever locked their balcony doors on the sixth floor. Which is silly, Darien thought, because you never know when a couple of super heroes are going to break into your apartment. They snooped around for several minutes, neither one really knowing what they were looking for. In truth, Darien admitted to himself, short of finding a detailed book outlining Zoicite's plans, he wasn't quite sure that he would be able to recognize a clue when he saw it. Actually, that gave him an idea. "Hey Rei! Any chance this guy keeps a journal?" Darien shouted to where Rei was looking around in the living room area. "I don't know. If I see one I'll give a shout." Rei said as she continued to go through the mail sitting on a coffee table. * * * * * Rei shuffled through the magazines and letters that were on the table in Zoicite's living room. There wasn't much there. A couple bills, some advertisements for local resturants and a campus news letter. Nothing that would help her understand what was going on. She looked over at the trash can and rolled her eyes. There were times when she knew that Serena sent her on missions like this on purpose. At the first sign of something soft and squishy though and it was going to be Darien looking in the trash cans. * * * * * After nearly a half an hour of playing detective Rei and Darien admitted defeat. They couldn't find anything to prove one way or another that Zoicite remembered who he was. The journal idea had been a good one but, if he kept one, they couldn't find it. Outside they heard Artemis meowing. That was the sign that someone was coming. Quickly shoving everything back into roughly the same place they had found it, Rei and Darien ran out onto the balcony. As they jumped over the side Darien heard a key siding into the apartment door's lock. * * * * * Serena smiled at her blue haired friend as they walked around campus. She had changed a lot over the years, gaining a confidence that had not been there before. Ami had always been the smart one but she had always been quiet and shy, unsure of herself around people she didn't know very well. But now she was different. Serena wasn't sure quite how to put it. Her friend was still quiet but she had lost the shyness. The quietness was now stemming from some sort of inner strength. The strength had always been there but it was like she had finally accepted it, and herself. Serena couldn't help but wonder if this new confidence and strength was in part because of Zoicite. The man had had a similar effect of the princess of Mercury once before. And if that were the truth, what kind of effect would it have on her to remember that old betrayal. What kind of affect would it have on her to face that betrayal possibly happening again? * * * * * Ami, Mina and Serena all were headed back to Ami's house. Once they got there, Serena and Mina shared a quick glance at one another before Serena turned to Ami. "Could I use your bathroom, please?" she asked. "Sure. It's upstairs on the right. Just ignore the mess." Ami replied, smiling. "I'm going too!" Mina announced, running up the stairs after Serena. * * * * * Ami watched as the two girls headed upstairs towards the bathroom and decided to check the messages on the answering machine. In this house, there were always messages for someone. Study groups, friends, parents and boyfriends of six girls ensured that. Ami looked around for a pen to write down the messages on the answering machine. Of course there wasn't a pen anywhere near the answering machine. That would be too easy. And in this house, anything that was bolted down, and even some things that were, had a tendency to disappear. Something as small and innocent as a pen next to the answering machine never stood a chance. After looking around Ami noticed, sticking out of the pocket of Serena's bag, was a blue pen. Ami didn't think that Serena would mind so she grabbed the pen, and pulled off the cap. And her world exploded around her. Images of ice and battles burst into her head. She saw Serena, the girl she had just met, and Mina as they once were. She saw the other Scouts and watched battles that overlapped in her head, battles that occured both on the Moon, Mercury and Earth. She saw beautiful balls and the ice covered plains of her home planet, gleaming a thousand colors in the morning sun. She felt the pain of her own death. The cold feel of the blade between her ribs nothing compared to the ice in her heart that encased it at the sight of the man at the other end of the sword. Zoicite. Ami gave a muffled whimper as memories of pain and betrayal mixed with old and new memories of love and joy. Each set warring with the other, tearing apart her fragile reality. It was too much. Too much to handle. Too much to understand. So her mind, to protect her, focused on one thing. She had to get out of the house. Now. Numb fingers let the blue pen slip from her hands as she grabbed her keys and ran out the door. Away. She had to get away. * * * * * "So. What are we going to do?" Mina asked as soon as they were in the bathroom. "I don't know. We have to wait until the others come back. Maybe they found out something we can use." Serena said with a sigh, leaning against the door. Luna looked up at the pair from her place on the floor, "She has to know. You can not leave her without her memories in the arms of that man." "But what if he's not evil, Luna?" Serena asked. "What if he is? Are you willing to leave your friend unprepared for a possible betrayal?" Luna asked. Serena looked down at the small black cat at her feet. She knew that Luna and Artemis, as their guardians, had taken the generals betrayal just as hard as the scouts. They had seemed to blame themselves for not being able to protect their charges from the pain that their one time lovers had inflicted upon them. Serena sighed, "Lets wait till we talk to the others before making any decisions." "Agreed." Mina said, nodding. "Okay then. Now. Everybody out of the bathroom. Because I really do have to go here." Serena said, pushing the pair out and locking the door. * * * * * Serena, Mina and Luna all came down the stairs and looked around for their blue haired friend. "Ami?" Mina called, getting no response. "Oh my god! Serena! Look." Luna said, jumping towards something laying on the ground. "Oh no." Serena said softly as she saw what Luna was pointing at. "What? What is...Shit." Mina said, looking down at the floor. There, laying innocently on the carpet was a small blue pen with the emblem of Mercury on it, opened and in two pieces. "We've got to find her." Serena said. "I'll call the others and tell them to look too. We'll cover more ground that way." Mina said, pulling out her cell phone. * * * * * Ami ran without even really thinking about where she was going. All her mind was focusing on right now was getting away. Eventually though, the pain in her side finally began to register and she slowed down to a walk. She glanced around as was amazed to find how far she had run. She had left campus and in a small residential neighborhood. Up ahead was a playground where several children were running around, enjoying the freedom from their parents and teachers. Ami sat down on a bench and watched as a couple of the kids played tag. Now that her body had finally stopped moving, her mind began to slowly start shifting through the new memories. She was a princess of the planet Mercury, one of the sworn protectors of the Moon Princess. That got her to smile. What little girl didn't dream of growing up and finding out that you were really a princess. Ami gave a choked laugh. Hell, she even had a prince. Or rather, a general. Oh god. Zoicite. He was alive. Well no duh, Sherlock, she told herself sarcastically, you've only been dating him for how long now? But he had been killed, right? Malachite, when they had been fighting, had said that Beryl had killed him, right? Why was he alive now? Were the other generals alive as well? Was Beryl still alive? Was he still under Beryl's control or was he finally free from the spell that she had put on him so long ago? She shook her head. This was getting her no where. Those were questions that she couldn't answer so there was no point asking them right now. She had to find someone else who could answer them for her. Like Serena. The Moon Princess. Her Princess. Serena had come and found her. With Mina and Luna. They had found her after all these years. Were the others with them or were they the only ones? No! She practically screamed. No more questions right now. Focus on what you know. Serena and Mina were alive and had come looking for her. That meant that they needed her, they needed Sailor Mercury. She had to go back then. If they needed her, then she couldn't run away from them. They were her friends. And they were the only ones who could answer all the questions that were running through her head. And Zoicite? Ami stood up and began walking back towards campus. She didn't know what to do about Zoicite. If he was still under Beryl's command, she wasn't sure that she could fight him again, not after having been with him again on Earth. The last time they had fought, her memory had still been blocked by Queen Serenity and she had never known who she was fighting. But back on the Moon she had known. And she remembered once again here on Earth. And if he wasn't under Beryl's control? If he didn't remember anything of their past either? Could she still be with him? Could she walk away from him? Ami continued to walk, her feet dragging her slowly closer to her campus, her past and her future. * * * * * Ami finally reached campus. She was amazed at how far she had run and allowed herself a moment to think about what she must have had looked like to others, running blindly through the streets. It was amazing no one had stopped her. Then again, maybe someone tried and she never noticed. When she saw her house come into view she finally stopped. She was so tired and she didn't feel like dealing with any of her roommates right now. And what if Serena and Mina were still there? Why had they not told her who they were right away? Maybe they hadn't been planning on giving her memories back. She knew she had to face them eventually but right now all she really wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for the next thousand years. Suddenly from behind her a pair of arms slid around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides as a masculine voice whispered into her ear, his breath tickling the sensitive skin on her neck. "Mmm. Hot and sweaty. Just the way I like my woman." "Zoicite!" Ami yelped, struggling to turn around and face him. A soft chuckle caused her heart to slam into her throat. She wasn't ready for this. She couldn't deal with this. Not right now. Not so soon after... "Zoicite, let me go!" Ami said, finally pulling free of his embrace. And suddenly she was facing him. The man she had loved for a millennia, the man who had killed her and her friends once, and the man she had helped kill. And he still had the cutest dimple ever. Focus, Ami, focus she told herself but it was like the brain that she could always rely on in the past had just deserted her and all she could do was stare. "Ames? Are you okay?" Zoicite asked, looking at her rather strangely. "Um...yea. I'm just...feeling a little sick." Ami ended weakly, just wishing that he would go away. Zoicite reached over and place a hand on her forehead, "Well, you do seem a little hot. You should go to bed and rest. And no homework! It's not like you aren't ahead in your classes anyways. I'll just take your books to make sure." Zoicite pushed her into her house while he was talking and into her room. He pushed her onto her bed and grabbed her bag, overflowing with papers and text books, throwing it over his shoulder. "You can come get this when your feeling better." "But..." "But nothing. Go to bed." he said with a gentle push, causing her to topple over onto her bed. After taking off her shoes and pulling the covers over her, he gave her a kiss on the forehead and closed her door. "Damn him." Ami muttered, seeing the suspiciously self-satisfied look of her boyfriend's face as he left. For a second she fumed, forgetting all about the past and focusing on how Zoicite was the only person in the world who could force her to rest when she was sick. The man simply did not listen once his mind was made up. It was so infuriating. But a small part of her smiled at the way he took care of her. And sleep claimed her before she could do or think another thing. * * * * * "Now what?" Mina asked, look around at the other faces surrounding her. None of them had been able to find Ami and had finally regrouped back at their hotel. Rei and Darien had told everyone about what they had found at Zoicite's apartment and Mina and Serena had filled everyone in on their day with Ami. "Ami knows the truth. Now, we let her decide. If she wants to talk to us, she knows how to get a hold of us. Mina had given her our phone number here. We'll try calling tomorrow and see if she'll talk to us." Serena said. "And if she doesn't want to talk to us?" Rei asked quietly. "If not, I'll leave my home phone number and address with her." Serena said firmly, "I won't force her to talk to us. She's got a lot to deal with right now and if she wants time and space, I'm going to let her have it." * * * * * Ami woke up and groaned. It felt like all of her muscles had tightened up into one enormous knot. This was why people were supposed to stretch before and after strenuous exercise. Suddenly a flood of memories from the previous day hit her and she remembered why she hadn't stretched out before her run. "Oh God. What am I going to do?" she asked the ceiling. * * * * * "Ami! Telephone!" someone yelled as Ami was finishing getting dressed. Ami looked at the phone for a second before picking it up. She had a good guess about who was calling her. "Hello?" "Hey Ami." Came a soft voice from the other end. "Serena." "I'm sorry." That was all it took. All her doubts about Serena fled in the face of the empathy in that one small phrase. The tears that Ami had been holding back suddenly rushed to the surface, breaking all her control. She wept over the phone, curled into a ball on her bed as Serena made soothing noises. "Serena..." she finally got out as her sobs came under control. "Can I come over?" Serena asked. "Yea. Um...Mina can come too." "How about Rei? I think she'll kill me if she can't come." That got a weak chuckle from Ami as she heard an outraged voice in the background that could only come from Pyro, "Yea. That sounds good." "Alright. We'll be there in a few." Ami hung up and wiped the few remaining tears off her face. She felt better than she had since regaining her memories. Maybe she had been focusing too much on all the bad memories. What about the good ones? And her friends. She had just regained friends that had stood with her during the best and worst parts of her life. Surely getting them back was worth any price. Zoicite's face flashed briefly in her mind's eye at that thought but she shoved it away, determined to deal with things as they happed and not worry about them before. * * * * * Serena hung up the phone and gave a small smile at all the anxious faces surrounding hers, "We should head over there." "I think I'll stay here." Darien spoke up from where he was sitting, "Ami needs you guys right now and we were never as close as you all were." Serena nodded and gave him a hug before picking up Luna. Mina grabbed Artemis followed Serena out the door with Rei. They were quiet for most of the walk there, all of them lost in their own private thoughts. When the reached the house, Serena rang the bell. It was Ami who answered. For what seemed like an eternity they faced each other. Then, as if by some unspoken cue, Ami and Serena ran towards each other. As they hugged each other, four more arms circled them. Four girls hugged each other, talking excitedly about anything and everything, not really listening to each other in their relief of finally seeing each other. And two cats were squished into the middle of it all. But they were willing to go without breathing for a little while longer. * * * * * For the rest of the day the girls sat in Ami's room talking about what had happened to them over the past few years. "Where's Lita?" Ami finally asked. After a moments silence, Serena finally answered, "We don't know." "So...Why now?" Ami asked, finally broaching the topic that they had all been avoiding. "There is a new enemy. One I can't fight alone." Serena finally admitted. "Is it...Is it the general?" Ami asked hesitantly. "No. We didn't even know they were alive till we saw Zoicite. And he is the only one that we've seen. He might be the only one still alive." Rei said. "But if he's alive, then we can't afford to assume the others aren't." Luna said. "But we don't think that they are still under Beryl's control." Mina said, earning a glare from Rei. " 'We' don't know anything about Zoicite." Rei said, "Darien and I couldn't find anything pointing one way or another." "Darien?" Ami asked. "Darien found me. He was the one who finally forced me to admit I need you guys. He...well, he got his memories back without my help." Serena said. "Yea. He didn't want to come in case you didn't want him here." Mina said. Ami looked at Serena for a second. She wanted to talk to her about something, but she didn't want to do it with the other scouts in the room. She would have to find a way to get Serena alone. From there the conversation turned towards the new enemy that they were fighting. Unfortunately, they didn't know much. All they knew was that Serena had hurt them a lot but had not killed the leaders. And now, they seemed to finally be building up strength again. Ami was a little disturbed about how these new monsters seemed be avoiding battles. She could tell that Serena was frustrated by their lack of information. Almost without thinking, Ami summoned her mini computer to her and began typing in the information that the other scouts were giving her. When she looked up, she saw three grinning humans and two smug cats looking back at her. "What?" Ami asked suspiciously. "Welcome back, Ami!" * * * * * The scouts finally were forced to leave the next day. Mina swore Alex would kill her if she was gone one more day. Darien admitted that people were probably starting to wonder where he had gone. It would be hard to explain how he had gone from being in the U.S. to Japan and then to Germany so quickly.. Rei had to go back and check on the temple. She hated to leave it unattended for too long. Serena had to go to work but promised to come back afterwards. Luna went with Serena and Artemis stayed with Mina. When they were all gone, Ami felt like it suddenly got quieter in Germany. She had forgotten how much energy and life her friends brought to a room. But she was glad to have some time to herself again. And it looked like she would get a chance to finally talk to Serena alone. Ami began to look for her bag. She needed to study for her Physical Chemistry class, or P-Chem as it was dubbed. As she looked around she remembered Zoicite taking her bag with him. She could just go get it. But...She had other things she could do. * * * * * "Master, we have them." "Wonderful. Follow them for right now. Learn everything you can and report back to me." "Yes Master." * * * * * Serena smiled as she ran out of work. She had just enough time to run home and change before she teleported herself back to Germany. She was running late for meeting Ami, but that was nothing new for her. She skidded to a stop on Ami's front door, millimeters from slamming into it, and knocked once before bouncing on in. "Ami!" she yelled. Two of her roommates were in the kitchen and stuck their heads out at the sound of her voice. They shrugged as they saw who it was, one of the new girls Ami had hung out with over the weekend. Ami had mentioned that they were old friends that she hadn't seen in awhile who had surprised her by visiting. Ami walk out of her room and gave a small smile as she saw Serena. "Lets go for a walk." Ami suggested, grabbing her coat as she nudged Serena out the door. "Sure Ames." Serena was all to happy to be outside. It absolutely gorgeous out. Plus, she knew Ami wanted to talk to her privately. It was part of the reason she was here when she knew none of the other scouts could make it. There was something troubling her blue haired friend. They walked in silence for several minutes. Serena wasn't willing to broach any topic, waiting for Ami instead. Finally the wait paid off. "Serena? May I ask you something?" A hesitant voice asked. "Sure. Anything." Serena replied instantly. "Why...why are you with Darien?" Serena was floored. Of all the things that she had expected, this wasn't even on the list. "Huh?" "I mean, he betrayed you, didn't he? He joined Beryl and fought against us. He tried to kill you. Why are you with him again?" Serena glanced at her friend and thought about it for a second before answering. "I guess because I need him. I tried living without him and it was like there was this huge hole in my life, this void. I mean, I was hurt when he was taken by Beryl but it wasn't like it was his fault. I just...I don't know. I just need him." Serena tried, struggling to put her emotions into words. "But aren't you afraid that it could happen again?" Ami asked. "It is one of my worst nightmares." "Then why risk it? Why did you allow him back into your life if there was a possibility that he could be used against you again?" "Well...I kind of didn't. Not at first. It took me a long time to be willing to be vulnerable like that again. Those were the years that I was fighting alone. But I couldn't do it anymore. Darien came back and I just couldn't be alone anymore, even if it meant I might get hurt. And I realized something. If you lock yourself away, protect yourself from the possibility of being hurt, you also are protecting yourself from the possibility of being happy." Serena said, looking up at the sky, her gaze turned inward as she finally vocalized all the things she had been feeling for years. "Darien probably deserves better than anything I can ever give him but he is willing to be with me and I can't...I won't turn away from that. It means too much to me not to try." Ami listened, nodding as she absorbed her princess's words. After several moments silence, she finally asked the question that had been plaguing her. "And Zoicite?" Serena looked away from the clouds and sighed, "I don't know Ami. But don't let fear be the thing that makes this decision for you. Whatever you do, I will support you. Just don't let it be fear that rules you." Ami nodded, understanding but still struggling. "Have you talked to him at all lately?" Serena asked. "Sort of. I saw him for a while but I didn't talk much. I didn't know what to say or how to act around him any more. I just don't know who he is and if that is really Zoicite of some monster that is still under Beryl's control." "Well, you could always ask." Serena said lightly, trying to make her friend smile. Ami laughed, "Yea, just ask him if he is an evil general who helped destroy the Moon and tried to destroy Earth." "Well, it would make things easier." Serena said, laughing as she tried to imagine the conversation. "If he's not, he'll try and get me committed to an insane asylum. Oh God." Ami said, her eyes suddenly widening, "What if he isn't under Beryl's control?" Serena couldn't help the giggles that erupted at the look on her friend's face. It was like this was the first time she had ever allowed herself to really consider the fact that Zoicite wasn't just using her. "That's what we want." Serena said, grinning. "No, I mean, if he's not under her control then he probably doesn't remember anything else either. Can we give him back his memories? Should we?" Serena frowned, "I don't know if I can reawaken his memories. The memories I awoke in you came from how much I knew about you. It's like the pens I made held all my memories of each of the individual scouts. Since I knew so much about you, all those memories of mine forced your own mind to let down the barrier holding back those memories so that it could make connections. My mother could control what she made people remember or forget but I can't. It was like taking a sledge hammer to do what my mother used to do with a chisel. But I don't know enough about Zoicite to create a sledge hammer for him." "What about Darien? He was Zoicite's Prince? Could he do it?" "Maybe. I don't know. I'll ask him if you want me to." Serena said. Ami stopped and thought for a second. Serena could almost see the thoughts going through her mind. She had finally allowed herself to really consider the fact that Zoicite might not be their enemy. But Serena could tell that her friend still hadn't decided what to do if that happened. Giving him back his memories would probably cause him as much pain as it had Ami. "Will you ask Darien for me? I'm...I don't know what I want but...I want to know if we can awaken his memories." "Sure. I'll talk to him tonight." Serena said. * * * * * The demon bowed low before Rubeus, "My lord, we have followed the people who went through the alley. One, Serena Tsukino, is believed to be Sailor Moon and lives in an apartment in Tokyo. We think that she is currently contacting one of the other scouts in Germany, though we are unsure as of yet who that scout may be. Rei Hino is the priestess at the temple where we finally tracked many of the energy signatures to. She and Mina Aino, currently in London, are believed to be the two scouts currently with Sailor Moon. The man, Darien Shields, is believed to be Tuxedo Mask and seems to be in some sort of relationship with Sailor Moon." "What about family?" "Sailor Moon has yet to be seen with any family though we are still following her. She has returned to Germany alone currently." Rubeus looked at the demon in front of him and a cruel smile crossed his face, "Find their weaknesses, the things they care about, the people they love. I want to know everything about them. Go." The demon rose and began to leave. As it reached the door, its master's voice stopped it, "Oh. And I don't want another scout awoke. If that happens, I will personally flay the skin from your body." * * * * * After Serena left, Ami went home. On her door was a yellow sticky note. 'If you ever want to see your homework again, meet me for dinner tomorrow night' was scrawled across it in Zoicite's handwriting. She stared at the note. She had to face him, had to talk to him eventually and tomorrow was as good a time as any. Besides, he had her books. How was she supposed to study? * * * * * Serena sat on the couch, petting Luna and thinking about her conversation with Ami. She had been forced to say things today that she had never really consciously acknowledged before. She was amazed to realize that Darien's betrayal had been one of the things that had caused her to keep everyone at arms distance for so long. She had always told herself that it was because she was protecting them but she had really been protecting herself. Sure, she knew that Darien hadn't wanted to join Beryl but there was a difference between what she knew logically and what her heart felt. She had felt betrayed and didn't want to risk being betrayed again. But Darien had found her, had forced her to realize that she couldn't be herself and lock herself away from those she loved. She needed him. She needed her friends. And they were worth risking herself for. There was a knock at the door. Serena got up curiously. She couldn't think of anyone who was supposed to be coming over. Mina was swamped with all the work that she had let slide, Rei was determined to keep to temple open and running at normal hours again and Darien was back visiting friends in America. Or he was supposed to be. Instead, he was standing there with a single red rose when she opened the door. "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised. "I missed you." He said, leaning down and kissing her. Serena pulled back with a smile, "Missed me? It's been less than 24 hours since you last saw me." "Hmm, seemed like longer." Darien said, sliding the rose behind her ear before leaning over to kiss her again. They walked into Serena's apartment and settled themselves down on the couch, Serena sitting between Darien's legs with his arms wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her back against his chest. "As long as you are here, I need to ask you something." Serena said, listening to his heart beat. "As long as I don't have to move." Darien replied and she could hear the grin in his voice even though she could see his face. "Could you awaken Zoicite's memories if you had to?" "What?" Darien asked. "Ami wants to know." "Has she decided what she is going to do then?" Darien asked softly. "I don't think so but she wants to know what her options are." Serena said. "I think I could do it. But I would need to do it personally. I don't think I could manage the pen thing like you did. I would have to try and pull the memories forward. He would also have to be willing. I couldn't force the memories forward if he didn't want to remember." Darien admitted. "Hmm...I'll let Ami know that." Serena said, "Now, why are you here?" "I told you, I missed you." Darien said, chuckling in her ear. "Missed me? Really?" Serena said, trying to wiggle around so she could see his face. "Really." Darien said, tightening his hold so she couldn't move, "You don't believe me?" "No. Not at all." Serena said, valiantly trying to keep from smiling. "Well then I guess I'll just have to prove it to you." Darien said, his voice sending shivers down Serena's spine as he kissed the back of her neck. Serena sighed as his hands began to massage her shoulders as he continued to trail kisses down her neck. His hands moved down her back, working the knots out. "Believe me yet?" Darien whispered in her ear. "Nope." Serena said, smiling slyly. "Well then..." Suddenly the hands that were at her back sneaked around to her ribs and began to tickle her. Serena reacted instantly by trying to wiggle away but Darien's legs wrapped around her, holding her in place while he continued to tickle her mercilessly. "Darien!" she gasped out as she giggled, "Stop!" "Say you believe me." "I...I believe you!" Serena managed to get out, still madly trying to break Darien's hold on her. "Say you love me." "Darien!" Serena wailed pathetically. Darien stopped tickling her and leaned over her, looking at her face upside down, with a single eyebrow raised in question, "Yes?" "Love you." Serena said. "Good." Darien replied, kissing her nose. * * * * * |
| Chapter VII ~ Mercury Memories |