Legal Disclaimers (my lawyer made me:) Sailor Moon is property of Naoko Takeuchi, Toei Animation, DiC, Bandai, Mixxine and a lot more probably. Bottom line is: Sailor Moon and it's characters are not mine so don't sue me. You should be used to the disclaimers by now. ______________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ | Visit my homepage at: | | http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/temple/9286 | | Official site of Lady Jupiter's stories. | --------------------------------------------------- Previously: Lita had a sort of flashback of what happened over the past summer and how it got to be this way. That's about it. So now, I'll continue with the original time (when Ken has amnesia). Don't worry, if you didn't read the past chapter, you won't be too lost. Remember When? (4) Memory Lane Lady Jupiter (ladyjupiter@sailorjupiter.com) "Lita?" Ami asked, tapping the sleeping brunette on the shoulder gently. When Lita didn't wake, Ami did some flow blown shaking. "Huh?" Lita woke up, dazed and confused. She brushed off a few pieces of grass in her hair and looked at Ami. "What are you doing here?" "How long have I been here?" It was already dark and the flourescent lighting of the street lamp was the only way she could see. "I don't know. I was on my way back from the library and saw you lying here. It's a good thing I decided to look this way." Ami replied. She switched the weight of her backpack to the other side. Abruptly, Lita jumped up. "Oh my gosh! I forgot! I was supposed to be home hours ago!" Ami shook her head, "That Mrs. Pross is really laying down the law, isn't she?" "You have no idea. I hope my uncle comes back quick. She's a real pain in the behind." Lita rolled her eyes and started to leave the cemetery in a jog. "Thanks for waking me Ami." "Wait," Ami said, trying to catch up. She didn't exactly like the idea of staying any second alone in the cemetery while it was dark. "Why, ya scared?" Lita teased. "No, I just-" "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." promised Lita. With her shoes in her hand, Lita tip-toed into her apartment. It was past nine already. Maybe, if luck was on her side, Mrs. Pross was asleep. Lita could have made it into her room if she had been a second earlier. But just as fate would have it, Mrs. Pross's gray hair popped out from the guest bedroom, followed by her frowning face, then her body. "Where do you think you were, young lady?!" Mrs. Pross demanded. Her expression looked like it would scare the grim reaper. "I'm sorry. I fell asleep." Lita replied. That was half of the truth. "For nine hours? I called the Shinto temple where you said you were at three hours ago and they said you weren't there. Where were you? Don't you dare lie to me, young lady." Mrs. Pross stood rigid and firm, never taking her steely eyes off of Lita. "I went to the cemetery to pay my respects to Mom and Dad," Lita answered. Maybe she shouldn't have lied about going to Rei's house. It was the only friend Mrs. Pross let her visit since she thought a temple was "proper" for a young woman to be seen visiting. "But I guess I fell asleep because when I woke up-" "Do you know how dangerous, not to mention unproper that is?!" Mrs. Pross looked ready to blow her head off. "Hooligans could have walked by, seen you there and taken advantage of you. It's not proper for young women to sleep around in public." Lita kept silent, letting her anger boil inside of her. Who was this woman to tell her what was proper and what was not? How could she let Mrs. Pross push her around like that? Yet, Lita knew if she didn't obey, soon, she would lose everything and be put in an orphanage. "From now on, you are to come straight from school. I won't allow you to go anywhere until you learn to obey your curfew and not to lie to me. And if you decide not to follow my advice, you will be sent directly to the orphanage. Or have you forgotten what I can do?" "Yes, I know." Lita mumbled. "Good. Now get cleaned up. If you are still hungry, you can warm up whatever is in the refrigerator. After that, go straight to bed." Lita shuffled into the restroom. *~~~* Two figures wandered deeper into the arcane cave. Stalagmites hung from the top, dripping cold water onto the limestone floor with an almost melodic sound. "This place is giving me the creeps!" Sailor Moon shrieked. She clung on to Tuxedo Mask like a leech. "This place is giving me the creeps.....place is giving me the creeps....is giving me the creeps....giving me the creeps.....me the creeps......the creeps.....creeps....creeps...." a distorted voice echoed. Five scouts, Jupiter Knight and Tuxedo Mask were walking on a narrow bridge extended over a bottomless canyon. Flutters from the wings of bats echoed, making it impossible to tell if they were coming or going. "We're so high," Sailor Venus remarked, getting a little wobbly in the knee. "Just don't look down," Sailor Jupiter advised. She kept her head looking straight and walked swiftly, trying to keep the urge of looking down at bay. "Almost there," Sailor Mars, the one in the lead said. "A couple more meters to go." At last, everyone was on safe and sturdy land. Sailor Moon literally bent down and kissed the floor. "Thank you, thank you, thank you." Sailor Moon chanted over and over again, jumping up and down. "It's not over yet," Sailor Mercury said, pointing to the large and gloomy castle before them. Her VR glasses showed that the place was not shielded, which probably meant someone was expecting them. It was a trap. "Should we go in?" Jupiter Knight asked. "There's nothing else to do." Sailor Mars said and started to walk toward the castle. A deja vu feeling came over her as she neared it. "Isn't this-" "Beryl's castle!" Sailor Jupiter finished Sailor Moon's sentence. "It is. Wonder why he's luring us here?" "Are you sure it's right?" Sailor Venus asked Sailor Mercury, who was busy typing in her mini-computer. "Yes, that's what the readings say. And the readings-" "Are never wrong. We know." "Everyone, be on your guard. There's no telling what dirty tricks Boronite is up to." Tuxedo Mask warned. "Don't you think it's strange how he just challenged us up front to fight?" Sailor Jupiter asked. "It just doesn't seem right." "It's not. I bet he has some ace up his sleeve." Jupiter Knight agreed. "But we can't just walk in like that. He'll know we're coming." Sailor Moon brought up again. All of them stopped and agreed. What else was there to do? They couldn't go back. They'd already come so far. "Any plan, Mercury?" Sailor Venus asked. "Not this time. I guess we'll just have to go straight in and hope for the best." Sailor Mercury replied. As soon as they stepped into the castle, the doors closed, trapping them inside. It was cold and drafty, with a darkness like they'd never seen before. It was an evil darkness that cloaked their vision. When the lights came on again, each of them was encased in some sort of bubble. The bubble was floating a few feet off the ground. "What the-" Sailor Venus started. "Silence!" Boronite appeared, dressed in the usual drab gray outfit. He glared at the scouts with eyes full of vengeance. He could kill us all right now if he wanted to, Sailor Moon thought. "Wait!" Jupiter Knight shouted. "Let them go. It's me you're after, so just let them go." "And why should I do that?" "Because I know you don't care about anything but getting revenge on me." He replied. Boronite nodded, "Smart man. I will make you pay for what you did to Iridium. You ended his life, and I will end yours." "But set the others free," Jupiter Knight bargained. "I'll make you a deal. I didn't come this far just to squash you like a fly. You and I will fight one on one. If you win, I set your friends free, but I still get to kill you. If you lose, you die, and you'll see your friends go with you." Boronite offered. Jupiter Knight thought about it, rolling around the thought in his mind. He chose the lesser of the two evils. "No, don't agree to it!" Sailor Jupiter spoke out. "There's no choice," Jupiter Knight said. He turned on his cocky smile, "Don't worry. Are you afraid I'll lose?" "You're so arrogant. And this is the worse time too!" Sailor Jupiter complained. "Shut up, you!' Boronite ordered, and he flung Sailor Jupiter's bubble to the back wall, letting her hit it with a loud bang. "So I kill you, you set my friends free. You kill me, then my friends die too?" Jupiter Knight asked, just to make sure he got it right. "Correction, if you win. You will not succeed in killing me. I can guarantee you that. The rules are, one on one combat. Only using sources that come within you. Is that clear? I don't want to see any of your friends helping you." Boronite said that clearly for all the scouts to hear. "You're on," Jupiter Knight agreed. In a flash, the bubble he was in disappeared and he was lying in a heap on the floor. He got up and took out his sword. "Are you ready?" Boronite asked, taking an offensive stance. "Go ahead, try me." He stood on defense, ready to leap out of the way as soon as any flying projectile appeared. Much to his surprise, Jupiter Knight felt the rumbling on the floor. "Jump!" Sailor Jupiter shouted a minute too late. With a loud explosion, Jupiter Knight was flung high in the air by the force. Suspended in mid air for a split second, Jupiter Knight tried to find the right side up, but he fell with a smack on the hard floor. "No!" Sailor Jupiter shouted. Her bubble had long disappeared like the rest of them as soon as Jupiter Knight's had. Boronite had to save every bit of energy for the battle. But he warned them about interfering. Jupiter Knight got up, rubbing his rear end, "I'm okay. Don't worry." He held his sword up above him, and took a large and fierce swing, lightning like a whip shot through the air and was about to hit Boronite, before he held up a hand and held on to the other end of the whip. "You're not going use these baby tricks are you?" Boronite taunted. "Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on how much you can hold." Jupiter Knight replied just as he sent a jolt of electricity through the sword, conducted through the already crackling whip and into Boronite. Immediately upon contact, Boronite was sent flying back with enough momentum to knock over five buildings. He caught himself in time and stopped himself from running into the back wall. Casually, he got to his feet and walked over. He too took out a sword, although not as great as Jupiter Knight's excaliber. "So you want to duel it out with the swords? No problem." Boronite challenged. "On guard." "Poor thing thinks we're fencing," Jupiter muttered under his breath but loud enough for everyone to hear. "We'll see who's laughing last," Boronite simply replied without a hitch. With clashes, clanks and the occasional outburst of words, they dueled it out. From the looks of things, Jupiter Knight was winning. He was pushing Boronite back with a steady pace. If he kept on Boronite would have to back up into the next room. Just as it looked, Boronite did have to back up further into the next room. The other scouts followed close behind, but far enough not to get in the way. "We could just waste him right now," Sailor Venus whispered. "But that wouldn't be fair." Sailor Mercury reminded. "But do they ever play fair anyway?" "No, we can't stoop to their level!" Sailor Jupiter with all her pride exclaimed. "If they were in our position, then they would already have killed us already." Sailor Moon took Sailor Venus's side. "But that's just what separates us from them." Tuxedo Mask explained to her. "Shit!" Boronite's loud curse could have been heard a mile away. While the scouts were arguing on whether to take advantage of the situation or not, Jupiter Knight had gotten close enough to knick Boronite in the chin. "Now, now, don't be a bad sport." Jupiter Knight taunted childishly. They continued to fight with the swords. Just as Jupiter Knight was about to swing the blade of the sword at him, Boronite lifted his sword high and blocked it. The two men pressed their swords on each other, trying to push the other away. "Do you actually think that good will win over evil?" Boronite asked, between grimaces. "No, I know it." Jupiter Knight replied, pushing with all his might. "Well, you're wrong!" Boronite cackled a laugh and stomped his foot on the ground. As soon as he did that, from all angles glass shards floated in mid-air. "Watch out!" The scouts shouted a second too late. Jupiter Knight quickly shielded himself with his cloak as the shards flew at him. He succeeded in protecting himself from them and got up again. He got up just in time to take a large glass shard, as big as a pencil into his upper arm. Down, down he sank onto the ground and bit his lip, trying not to cry out. "Cheater!" Sailor Moon shouted. Sailor Jupiter had already rushed to Jupiter Knight's side, holding his hand in hers. "Aw, too bad, poison shard. Guess you'll have to forfeit. Your friends die." Boronite said in mock sympathy. "Pull it out," Jupiter Knight ordered with his teeth clenched. Sailor Jupiter nodded. She held the end of the shard that protruded out and yanked it out as fast as she could. A yeow that exceeded three hundred decibels was let out of Jupiter Knight's throat. White flashes exploded before his eyes, like a firework show. For a while, he just lay there with his eye closed, trying to let the pain recede. "Hey, I said no interference!" Boronite yelled. His voice boomed around the room, bouncing off walls. "But you cheated!" Sailor Jupiter shouted back defiantly. "It is my game and I can cheat if I want to." Boronite pouted like a child. "Not this time," Sailor Jupiter stood up with her full height. "I summon guardian Jupiter. Bring thunder clouds. Jupiter Supreme Thunder Dragon!" A blinding white crackling dragon sprung forth from her tiara right at Boronite. The dragon, powered by anger and will surrounded Boronite and closed in. "Mars Celestial Fire Surround!" Sailor Mars joined in as soon as she saw what Sailor Jupiter was up to. "Venus Love Chain Encircle!" "Mercury Ice Bubbles Freeze!" "Sailor Moon, go!" Tuxedo Mask shouted. "You got it! Moon Scepter Elimination!" Sailor Moon's attack completed theirs. Boronite turned into gray ash, kicked away by a certain green boot. "No!" A crazy looking orange haired woman ran forward, grasping at the now dusted Boronite. "Who the hell are you?" Sailor Jupiter asked. Scandite turned and glared at the green scout, "You killed him! You killed him!" "What else is new?" She had no more patience for the Negaverse. "I'll-" "You'll what?" Sailor Mars asked. The other scouts backed Sailor Jupiter up. Obviously outnumbered and hungry for energy, Scandite backed away. She looked at all of them with an attempt of malice, then disappeared in a swirl of dark colors. "Good news, I can get the readings and we can get out of here in ten minutes." Sailor Mercury announced. "Yeah!" Everyone, but Jupiter Knight shouted. "See, I told you I could save you guys." Jupiter Knight said in a dry and raspy voice. *~~~~~~~~~~~* Ken bolted up from the bed. That had been the fifth night he had had that dream. And every night, a little more had been revealed. All was still. Judging by the silence, he guessed it to be about midnight, give or take an hour. His pillow was drenched with cold sweat, and his sheets had been long ago strewn on the floor. Knowing that it would be a long time before he could go back to sleep, Ken got up and started to pace the room. There was a sudden urge in him to go outside. When he tried the door, Ken was surprised to find it unlocked. He quietly tip-toed through the hallway, hiding behind a few shadows as the security patrollers walked lazily by. Safely outside now, Ken let got a sigh of relief. Just ten or twenty meters more, and he would be able to be outside. He faced the tall brick wall that separated him from the rest of the world. Easily, he climbed over the wall by stepping on a few branches and rocks. Ken wandered aimlessly on the streets like a vagrant. It had been a long time since he'd seen Lita. For the past week or so, she had stopped coming to visit. Had it been something he said or did? She stopped coming right after that incident in the park that put them in such an intimate situation. But why was she crying, he thought to himself. Unexpectantly, he came to a familiar street. A strong feeling of deja vu struck him like a bolt of lightning. Scenes flashed passed his eyes. He was walking on the street, on a rainy day, a sunny day, a breezy day, a hot day, and at night. I must live here or something, Ken took note. Why else would this place be so familiar? He was now below a couple of balconies, one above another in an apartment complex. With his feet doing all the work, Ken climbed up the side by using the fire escape ladder. Idiot, why not just go through the front door or ring someone on the intercom? He scolded himself, Because no one in their right minds would be up at this hour. Almost instinctively, Ken stopped at the fourth floor balcony and stepped in there with a thump. On the railing hung various green plants, ivy's, and flowers, obviously well taken care of. He saw that the door was open, letting the curtains flutter as the wind blew. *****~~~~***** The wind whispered through the leaves below. Makoto, Princess of Jupiter slept soundly through the well known noise. After living almost her whole life on Jupiter, she was used to the shuffle of leaves at night, the thunder from the skies, and the occasional flash of lightning. Asleep, she didn't notice the man land softly on her balcony and pushed the wide doors open into her room. He tip-toed softly to her bed and stood at her feet with a faraway smile playing on his lips. Behind him, his green cape fluttered, sounding like the leaves. "I want you to wake up, yet, I don't. You look so innocent, so holy, so heavenly like that. But I want to hear your voice, to have your green eyes set on me and..." his whisper trailed off as he left a pink water lily by her bed with a sealed starch white envelope. Before she woke, he had already taken off, far away. ****~~~~~**** Lita blinked herself awake. She felt disoriented, but who wouldn't after waking up from a dream. It took her a while to just figure out the fact that it was still night time. Still in bed, she peered around her room to see if there was anything out of the ordinary that she had to look out for. Just as she was about to dismiss that everything was fine, she heard a thump. It came from outside. Lita debated on whether she should hide or go check out what it was. The former won. Silently, she scolded herself for leaving the door open. Any burglar could simply walk up the fire escape ladder and get into her room. As if synchronized, the second Lita walked out onto the balcony, the intruder walked into her room, each barely missing each other by a fraction of an inch. Lita gasped and quickly turned around. She wished she hadn't gotten the pink translucent curtains. It was hard to tell who it was. Whoever the intruder was, he wasn't a threat or would have killed her by now. "Lita?" the intruder whispered. She froze. How did he get here? Wasn't he supposed to be at the mental hospital? Maybe she was still dreaming. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine everything was like it used to be and Ken was just dropping in for a visit. "Lita?" Ken asked again. "How did you get here? How did you know?" Lita whispered, going into the bedroom and shutting the balcony door. The curtains stopped fluttering and hung still. Silhouetted against the curtains and moonlight, she looked divine. Ken was speechless. "What are you doing here?" Lita questioned, stressing every word. "I-I, I don't know," Ken stammered. "I was just walking and the next minute...I was, was climbing and...got here." "Shhh," Lita motioned him to keep his voice down, "Mrs. Pross might hear. She's gonna skin me alive if she finds out you're here at this hour." In a lower tone, Ken said, "Lita, you have to tell me everything. All I have are fragments of the puzzle, please, you have to help me put it together." Lita looked away helplessly, trying not to meet those pleading blue eyes of his. Every cell in her body wanted to reach out and explain everything, but her mind told her that she couldn't. Ami wouldn't approve of it, the doctor wouldn't approve of it. There were those times in life, where one has to set their own wants aside and do what other people want. "I can't," Lita apologized. "Why? I know you know about this. You're not just some volunteer at the mental place. Please help me. You don't know how it feels like to be left helpless in the world without anything." Ken begged. "I do," Lita expressed, here eyes full of sorrow. "If you do know, then have sympathy and help." "Not now," she started to usher Ken to the door. "Do you know the way back, or do you want me to walk you back? How long have you been walking?" It was a long way from Lita's apartment complex to the mental institution. About a fifteen minute ride by bus. Lita tried to convince herself. "Lita, what's this?" Ken asked. They were quietly making their way to the front door and were now in the living room. Ken was pointing to a frame on the wall. The gears in Lita's mind turned rapidly, trying to come up with something. How could she explain it, lie about it, when proof was right before them. Ken was still pointing to that framed picture. An old, but renewed one of her and Ken probably four or five years ago. A goofy grin was on Ken's face as he held the bat with one arm and had his other arm draped around Lita's shoulder in a childish innocent way. Lita was smiling so hard in that picture, her eyes seemed to make little moons. "Lita," Ken's voice was low now. It was a sign that he was angry. It was a tug-a-war. Lita debated on whether to tell the truth, or lie. She couldn't think up a lie on the fly, so might as well tell him the truth. "C'mon, I'll explain on the way back." Settled. She was going to walk Ken the whole way back. Besides, she didn't think he even knew the way back to the mental home. As they silently walked down the stairs of the apartment and into the breezy night, Lita felt thankful that she wasn't wearing one of her other pajamas. The pink shirt and sweats she was now wearing looked pretty decent to be worn in public. "You were my friend," Lita started. That was true. Maybe she could expand on that. "We were friends for a long time. That's all there is to it." She could see Ken wasn't satisfied with that answer. The feeling she had right then made her want to cry harder than she ever cried before. She felt she had betrayed her only friend, lost her only ally, chased away the sun in forever rainy world. Ken knew she was leaving things out. Leaving a lot of things out. Yet, what could he do? He couldn't force her to speak. Just by the way she carried herself, he could tell she wasn't one to surrender easily. What hurt most was that she didn't trust him. What other reason would there be in her not telling him? "One day, when you're ready, you can tell me the truth." Ken said quietly. It sounded as if Lita was the one who wasn't ready, not Ken, by the way he said it. The night was as still as death. In every corner loomed a shadow waiting to pounce, only to turn out to be trashcans, old clothes, a broken umbrella. In this darkness, only two eyes illuminated through the cloak. Two green orbs met blue eyes, then quickly shifted away. "I'm sorry, Ken." Lita whispered an almost unrecognizable apology. No matter how hard he tried to keep an ounce of dislike for her, even a morsel of contempt, it evaporated as soon as he saw she really meant it. The emotion she felt was radiating in a sphere around them. Sad didn't even begin to describe how she looked. This girl, who stood tall and firm, had crumbled. She was still intimidating, commanding, but something else was she. She wasn't as isolated from hurt as she looked. She hurt too, maybe more than others, but didn't show it much. Now, though, she looked like someone who needed a shoulder to cry on. The heart of all sadness was imprinted in her eyes. Lita fought that heart trending feeling in her heart. They had reached the mental home without any other words. Lita stood in front of the back gate silently waiting for something to happen. Ever since they had left the apartment, her eyes had been cast down, looking, but not seeing. "Thanks for walking me here. I didn't think I would have found my way back." Ken broke the uneasy silence. "No problem." All of a sudden, "Lita, I promise I'll get better. I'll try as hard as I can and I'll make you happy again." Lita gasped. She already knew he knew something had been going on with the two of them in the past, yet it still was a shock to hear him say it. "I promise," Ken said again before reaching down and giving her a small peck on the forehead. "Good night." "Good night. Don't get caught." she warned. "I won't." He hopped over the fence easily and disappeared. Slowly, Lita shuffled back onto the main street and started on her way home. Although it was at least two in the morning, cars still drove past her at a surprising rate. For once, she truly felt alone. She didn't want to go home yet and face up to Mrs. Pross. She felt like a loose end, an unattached staple, an unscrewed jar. Whenever she felt like that, she would go to Ken. Yet, that choice was annulled. *beep* Lita stepped away from the curb to let the on coming car pass her. The car didn't pass, but stopped next to her. The black tinted windows slid down, revealing a woman. At first, Lita stared at the woman with the greenish tinted hair and wise eyes. She tried to get her mind into focus, trying to place a name with the face. "Lita," the woman asked, "What are you doing here at this hour?" Finally, Lita recognized her. It was pretty hard recognizing someone when only their face could be seen through the window. "Setsuna. Hi." "Hop in. You shouldn't be walking around alone at night, especially at this hour." Setsuna advised, opening the passenger seat door. Lita said and silently thanked the gods upstairs. "Shall I drive you home?" "Actually, can I go to your place. I want to talk." And who better to talk her problems out with than the guardian of time? Setsuna, being prepared for almost anything agreed wordlessly. She drove carefully to her house, turning at almost identical arcs around the corners and stopping exactly five feet from the cross walks. In the apartment, Setsuna set down two cups of tea and a platter of cookies on the coffee table. She took a seat in front of Lita and waited for her to begin. For five straight minutes, no one said a word. Both quietly sipped their tea and nothing could be heard except the tinkling of teaspoons against teacups. "You probably know everything already," Lita finally broke the thick silence. Chuckling, "Why do you guys all assume I know every single detail of your lives? Being guardian of time isn't like that." "What's it like?" said Lita, who was always curious at what Setsuna's perspective really looked like. "A history book. I don't know every day lives of people. I just know important events. If you ask me what color socks Serena was wearing a week ago, I wouldn't have known. But if you ask me what war happened a year ago, I would know. The only way I would know about everyone's personal life is if I took an event, made a chart and calculated it, which would take hours to weeks to complete. So you see, I'm just like everyone else." Another five minutes of silence. This time, Setsuna spoke first. "I know about Ken's condition. It's a shame. But he will get better." "When? He's not improving much," Lita questioned. "I can't stand to see him like that, helpless, hope less. I'm sorry to say, that he suspects something already. Tonight, he snuck into my apartment, How, I don't know. He said he just started aimlessly walking and got to the bottom of my window. He climbed in and when I led him out, he saw the pictures of us together on my walls. I think he also saw that group picture we took a while ago....you know, the one with all of us and Reenie too." "That's not good." Setsuna remarked. "I would have thought you had more to say than that," Lita mumbled. If this was all the help she was going to get, she might as well sit at home and talk to her mirror. The Guardian of Time had been thinking about this incident. She had a back up plan just in case this sort of thing did happen. She told Lita, "I'll tell you what. You can tell Ken about almost everything. His parents, his friends, you, yadda yadda, as long as you say nothing about the scouts or him being in our group." "No can do," Lita shook her head. "The doctor will kill me if I tell Ken anything. You know how they are about patients. Very over protective isn't the word." "Don't you worry a thing about the doctors. Leave them up to me. Tomorrow, go right over the Mental Home, tell Ken anything he wants to know, everything but the scouts, of course and we'll see how it goes." "Wait, can't you do something about Mrs. Pross?" Lita complained. "Mrs. Pross?" Setsuna arched an eyebrow, "I don't think you've mentioned her before." "She's this old lady my uncle told to come over and watch me until he gets back. She's so strict. I'm not allowed to go anywhere after school or on weekends and she practically taps into my phone calls. I can't live with her in the house." "And with her there, it's the only way your life can remain the same?" Setsuna filled in. "Exactly." "When is your uncle getting home?" "Next month," said Lita miserably. "No." "No?" What was Setsuna up to? With a slight turn of her lips, Setsuna said, "Your uncle will be at your apartment tomorrow afternoon. It seems that business went smoother than usual and he'll be back a month before scheduled." Lita smiled. It was her first smile in a long time, "Thank you so much, Setsuna!" She was about to jump up to hug the older woman, but decided to restrain herself. "You're welcome. I'm not making it a business to bail people out, you know." Setsuna warned. "I don't know how to repay you. You've done so much for me already and-" "Don't worry. It's all in the job." Setsuna said. She grabbed the car keys from the table, "Now, we should be getting you home before Mrs. Pross realizes you were missing. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you snuck out." Lita thanked Setsuna the whole way back. Finally, luck seemed to be on Lita's side. When she snuck into her apartment, expecting Mrs. Pross and her grim face to be waiting, she was pleasantly surprised to see the living room empty. Stealthily, she tip-toed into her room and plopped down on the bed. It was unbelievable that after everything had happened since she had woken up, only four hours had passed. She put her hands together and bowed her head. "Please, please, please let everything work out for once." @}----> The feeling she had as soon as she got up was pure heaven. It was indescribable. Everything was going to be alright by tonight. Lita was feeling so good, she decided to skip her morning classes to spend the whole morning with Ken. After all, she was good at sneaking into school. She was good at making excuses for school. She had plenty of practice. "Good morning, Mrs. Pross." Lita chirped happily as she sat down at the table with a bowl of Frosted Flakes. "Good morning to you also, Lita." Mrs. Pross replied stiffly. "I'm glad someone had a nice sleep. My sleep was constantly disturbed last night by shuffling and night-noises. But judging by the structure of the apartment, they must be normal noises." "Uh......sure." said Lita nervously. She slurped down the last of her cereal, grabbed her bag from the table and sped off. No use waiting till things turned sour. Instead of taking her usual route to school, Lita went the opposite direction and waited for the bus. Most of the people on the bus were adults in suits going to the office, not a single one of them a student. Lita felt out of place, knowing for sure that everyone suspected she was playing hooky. Maybe she shouldn't have worn her school uniform, but if she didn't, Mrs. Pross would have suspected something. When the bus stopped at the right place, Lita gratefully got off, away from the suspicious eyes. She walked about a quarter of a mile from the bus stop and came face to face with something now familiar--the Mental Home. Without looking, she already knew the address written on the building. In the lobby, patients were playing board games, reading, watching TV, or just sitting there. It almost looked like a hotel lobby, excluding the uniformed attendants in every corner, some kids strapped to wheel chairs, and the various medical devices. Lita quickly scanned the area for Ken, but couldn't find him. As she passed the information desk, she nodded to the nurse sitting behind the kidney bean shaped counter and started for the stairs. She always thought that elevators in hospitals, even mental ones, should be kept free for the truly disabled. As long as there were stairs, she would take it. Besides, there was no telling when a fire could start. Almost by heart, Lita walked up the stairs onto the floor for the "forgetful patients", as some of the nurses liked calling. She came to Ken's closed door and knocked on it. "Come in," was the prompt reply. Lita turned the doorknob, expecting to see Ken on the bed as usual. It was a pleasant surprise to see him sitting cross legged on floor with a large tablet of white paper in his lap. "Hi, am I interrupting anything?" Lita asked after closing the door after her. "No. Don't you have school?" At least he knew what day it was. "I-" "Playing hooky?" He asked mischievously. "Yes," she admitted. "I need to talk to you." Ken felt a warm feeling spread through his body. She had skipped school just to talk to him? It wasn't much, but at least that meant he was at a higher priority than school was. "That means a lot." "It's about what you saw last night," Lita started. "You mean this?" Ken held up the tablet of paper, and started flipping through some already used pages. He showed her a page with a recently drawn picture. Lita gaped at it. The sketch was an exact replica of the picture hanging on her living room wall. She knew Ken was an artist, but how had he--how could he remember every single detail? Not to mention, he couldn't even remember anything else yet. "What do you think?" Ken was still waiting for a reply or reaction besides Lita dropping her jaw down to the floor. "I--I, it's.....I," she couldn't make the words come out of her mouth. There was no reason for her to be so surprised, but it still kept her speechless. "I guess you like it?" Ken asked. She nodded. "So what are you here to talk about?" He changed the subject after putting the tablet away in a drawer on the bed side table. "Maybe we should go outside. It's kind of-" "Too sterilized in here, right?" He finished her sentence. "I know what you mean." They found their usual bench empty. The area around them were empty as well. Ken sat back in the bench, casually crossing his hands behind his head. Through half closed, lazy eyes, he looked at her. "I'm not sure if the doctors are going to like this, but I guess it's too late to turn back." Lita said under her breath. "Okay, ask me anything you'd like. I'll try to answer it to the full extent." "Why this sudden change of heart?" Lita wasn't quite expecting that question to be first priority. "I mean, I'm grateful and all, but why now?" Ken questioned. The bad habit of chewing on her lip crept into Lita again as she thought of an answer. "I don't know. I just feel bad that you're here all alone with absolutely nothing in your head." "Thanks for the pity," he said none too kindly. "No, it's not that. I didn't mean it like that." "So how did you mean it?" Ken asked. He was sitting up now with both eyes focused solely on her. "It's just something that I have to do." Lita was starting to feel antsy under his intense gaze. She felt like a suspect being interrogated. "So it's not for me? You're doing this to that you won't feel guilty?" Why was Ken being so critical all of a sudden. "Look, I'm sorry if I'm starting to offend you. I don't know why you're acting like this. I'm just trying to help, alright? If you don't want that-" She was caught off guard as Ken put a appeasing hand on her clenched fist on the bench. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. I have to apologize. I don't know why I'm being so judgmental. I guess it's because I have no idea who are my enemies and who are my friends. I'm sorry I gave you the third degree. I didn't mean to. If that was a sample of who I really was, I'd rather never remember and start a new life." Ken apologized, never taking his hand off of hers. "That's not who you are," Lita said softly. "I know who you are. You're Ken. Born on the first of June, 1981. You're my best friend." "Wait," Ken jumped up. He had his back facing Lita and was taking deep breaths. "Before you go any further, I have to say something. I have to say it now, before you say anything that will stop me from saying it." "But-" "No, let me finish." Ken insisted. He turned to her and looked down at her from his standing height advantage. "Thank you for everything. If it weren't for your constant visits, I wouldn't have gotten as far as I am now. I would have probably gone insane. You're my only friend right now. I'm grateful for everything you've done for me, but what I'm about to say next isn't because of it. I'm saying this entirely on my own. I-" A light went on in Lita's eyes. Before, they were just a dark attic with a few miscellaneous shadows. Now that the light was on, stored away treasures, long ago gems, years of memories, myriad of sentiments were illuminated. Her lips were parted, her eyes bright, her cheeks flushed. She felt like she was watching an infant taking his first steps. Ken took a deep breath before saying quickly, "I love you." As soon as those words were out an ocean of sprung forth from a dam. His ears were bright pink with embarrassment, but his eyes were full of hope and longing. "You were my best friend," Lita continued as if the sudden outburst hadn't happened. She droned on methodically about their childhood together. Every bit of information, Ken hung on to and stored away in the clean, clear, empty spaces in his mind. Lita tried to explain everything in a neutral prospective, pushing out what he had just said. There was no need to distort the truth by letting her heart into it. "-but everything changed when I was fourteen," said Lita, as she started getting to the good part... ...Everything at that store was at least ten times as expensive as it looked. A simple pair of socks were about the same price as a full day of work for most people. Lita awed at everything around the store. For a store that large, there was about twenty single outfits out on display. The rest was just empty space and mirrors. "Don't be shy. Try on whatever you want and if it looks good, we'll get it." An urging push toward the mirrors. Lita shook her head, "No, I shouldn't. Everything in here is so...high class. It's not really me." "Nothing but the best this time. Don't worry about the price. I told you, we have it covered." Mrs. Miyake insisted. "Besides, it's not everyday we get an invitation to the annual Winter black and white ball." Suddenly, something caught her eye. Lita saw the most gorgeous outfit she had ever laid her eyes upon. From that second, that first glance, she knew that was the dress she wanted for the ball. "Don't worry, Lita. I'll teach you all there is to know about the balls." Rei assured her nerve-wracked friend. "I'm not good at these formal things. You'd better get me a full crash course. I need to know everything by Saturday." Rei shook her head, "I'll just teach you the basics. If you had given me enough time prior to the deadline, it would have been better. But don't worry. Nothing to it." "Okay, let's start right now." Lita said, then mumbled, "I can't believe I'm doing this." "Lita, Lita, Lita." Rei chided, "Dressing up once in a while doesn't do any discouragement to the women's movement. Don't worry, it doesn't make you into a sissy girl." "But this isn't me. I should have backed out while I had the chance." "Don't tell me you're scared? Great brave Lita scared of a little formal ball? Don't worry. I'm guaranteeing that there's nothing to it. First, we'll start with the high heels." Rei rummaged in her closet for some heels. What she took out were at least two inches and platforms. "I thought you said high heels? Why don't we use high heels? I'm kind of better in those." Lita requested. "Nope, the platforms look better with the dress. You can borrow these and bring it back after. Trust me." Lita reached for the shoes and looked at them carefully. True, they would look better with her dress. "Why are they so high? I'm tall enough already." "One can never be too tall. Besides, with your figure, it'll look fab." Rei guaranteed. She was starting to sound like an advertiser. After strapping the straps down, Lita got off the bed and stood up awkwardly. She shook her head, "No, this won't do." "It takes a few tries to get used to them." "I feel like a giant," Lita replied. "Here," Rei handed Lita a book. "Balance this on your head. Keep your chin up, tummy in, back straight, and walk." "All that? If I fall and break my neck, remember to water my plants." Lita walked carefully around the room with a book balanced on her head. "So who's the lucky guy deserving all this?" "Lucky guy?" Lita asked, grabbing the edge of the book that barely managed to stay on her head. "Must be someone special if you're willing to go through this much trouble." Rei arched an eyebrow suggestively. Then, she suddenly cried out, "It's Andrew isn't it? Lita, don't you know about his girlfriend?" Lita shook her head, "No, not Andrew. I'm over him...well, kind of." Rei's eyes narrowed, "Game Machine Joe? Why didn't you tell me you two-" "Not him neither," she was enjoying keeping Rei in her palm of her hands. "You could at least tell me. I mean, I'm going out of my way so you can be ready. C'mon, tell me who it is." Rei pleaded with a small pout. Now, Lita could tell why Rei and Serena were such good friends. The two of them were like joining puzzle pieces. "It's just Ken. I would have thought you knew." "Just Ken?" Rei repeated, stressing the first word. "Don't tell me you two haven't-" "Rei!" Lita shouted, "We're friends. Nothing more. I'm just doing him a favor. His family was invited to the ball and he needed a date, so he asked me." "And why do you think he asked you? Maybe he has something going for you?" Lita sighed and shook her head. With this girl, there was just no giving up. "He couldn't find a date, I guess." "Bull," Rei stated, "What do you mean? He's a total hunk. Of course he could find a date, but you see, he wanted to go with you!" "Rei, that's nonsense." "I know these things, Lita. I may not know him as well as you, but I can tell these things a mile away. After all, I am the priestess here." Rei nodded with a knowing look. "And don't you deny to me, Lita, that you don't feel the same." "But-" "Why else would you go through all this trouble?" That left Lita speechless for a while. Finally, she said, "The day that Ken and I become more than friends is the day you and Chad start a relationship." The long talk ended with both girls in hysterical laughter. Never had Lita felt as out of place as she did right then. She looked okay, like the other ladies at the ball, but inside, she was a nervous wreck. What if she did something wrong, or had a klutz attack, something that Serena was prone to, in the middle of the dance floor? Those few lessons at the school for princesses Luna insisted them go to, before it turned sour, didn't teach her as much as she thought. "Loosen up, Lita. You look ready to break in half," Ken joked. He held up a cup and toasted to her. "How can I? I don't belong here. Everyone here is-" "You're way above everyone else. Don't let these rich snobs get to you. Besides, you're much prettier than any of the girls here," Ken let go of that complement and blushed. He hadn't meant to say it out, but it escaped his mind. "Thanks. I feel better," Lita said sincerely. "Why don't we go onto the dancefloor before Mom and Dad do something stupid like tell us to dance over the microphone." Ken suggested. Lita followed her best friend to the dance floor. It was a kind of old fashioned big band music that was playing over the speakers. They danced to the tempo, never missing a beat. Not before long, the fast music changed to a slow oldie, "Stand by Me." Ken's hand rested on the small of Lita's back as he brought her closer. "Ken," Lita was about to protest, but saw something out of the corner of her eye. Two familiar looking blonde meatballs were hidden behind a man in a tux. She was sure it was Serena and Darien. "Hey, it's Serena." "The one with the weird hair?" Ken asked. "The one and only." "You want to go dance over there?" Ken started to lead their way. "No, they need some time together. They're either on or off these days. We shouldn't bother them." Lita said and started to dance with Ken. It felt so familiar and comforting to be in his arms. She wrapped her slender arms around his neck as he held her closer, letting her feel his hear beat. Lita rested her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes and trusted him not to lead them off the second story... It wasn't until a light breeze hit her face when she noticed they weren't on the dance floor anymore. She shouldn't have noticed the change from wood to tile flooring, but maybe she had nodded off. she worried. "What are we doing here?" Lita asked. They were now on one of the second floor balconies. Her head was still resting on his shoulder. "To get some fresh air. It was kind of stuff inside," Ken replied rather hoarsely. He only sounded like that when there was something important to say. The music had changed to another oldie, "Only you," by now and Lita wondered how long had she been in that pleasant daze. "Why? We were doing pretty good inside." she finally asked, looking up at him, noticing how dark and burning his eyes seemed tonight. "I want to tell you something." "Shoot." Lita said. Somehow, she was eager to go back into the ballroom. Outside, under the stars, she felt small. "Bang, you're dead." Both cracked up at that lame old joke. "No, really. What was it you wanted to tell me?" Lita asked. "I don't know where to start." Ken closed his eyes, trying to think. So close to him now, Lita could feel his heartbeat against hers quickening. She waited for an eternity for him to open his eyes. When he did, she couldn't help but awe at the perfect hue of them. His face, silhouetted against the night sky looked glowing while his eyes were the exact color of the calm darkness. Both were locked in each other's gazes. It wasn't until Ken tore his eyes away from hers when still time started to tick again. "I'm really having a great time tonight," Ken started, his voice barely above a whisper. "Me too-" she stopped when Ken put his fingers to her lips, a signal to let him do the talking. "I didn't tell you the real reason I asked you to this ball. It's true that my mom wanted you to go, but that's not why. We've grown up together and -- no, I'm not even making sense." He paused to put his thoughts into order. "What I'm trying to say is, we're close. You're my best friend. I don't know when I realized this, but it was for a long time, and I just can't keep it in anymore. Everytime I see you, I want to shout to the whole world how I feel, but I kept it down. But now, I want to tell you that I love you." Ken felt Lita stiffen in his arms, but continued none of the less, "What we have between each other is so special to me." Lita drew away from him and turned her back to him. She leaned over the railing and stared at the small fountain in front of the mansion. Here she was in a place she didn't belong, with the only person in the world who would make her feel like she belonged, and she still felt out of sorts. "Lita, talk to me." He said, putting a hand on her bare shoulder. Her lips parted, but no utterance came out for quite a while. The warmth of Ken's touch spread through her body like syrup while she closed her eyes. "I took extra precautions to put my hair up right, to make sure I walked naturally on these stupid heels, I did everything. With all this effort, I never expected to gain anything in return." She said with her eyes still closed. Suddenly, she was embraced again in his arms. It felt good to have the soft fabric go over her bare shoulders and rub against her upper arms. Ken's breath flew over her ear as he whispered, "I'm not saying this out of gratitude. If you were to hold a gun to my head and shoot me, I'd still feel the same." "I'm telling the truth by saying I've never thought of you as a boyfriend. To me, you're more important than a boyfriend could ever be. What we have IS something special. I don't want to destroy it. I thought you knew this already, but I love you too." Lita finally replied, turning around. "I've been waiting so long for this," Ken whispered barely able to get his last words out before their lips united. The excitement of a first time kiss spread through them, leaving both breathless. Something like an explosion burst through her, starting in her heart, coursing at rapid speeds through her veins. She had never felt like this with her ex-boyfriends before. Finally, that aching in her heart that drove her to look at every guy that passed buy was soothed. ~~-_-~~-_-~~-_-~~-_-~~-_-~~ "-and there's nothing more to tell," Lita finished. That was a lie. She didn't even tell half of the story yet, but stopped there anyway. What followed was a long pause. Both of them were uncomfortable to say the least. "That's some story," Ken finally broke the silence. "It wasn't a story. It's true," Lita reminded. Ken put a hand on hers and said, looking right into her eyes, "You're the only one I can believe." That only made Lita feel more guilty for keeping things from him. She convinced herself it was for his own good as well as the good of the scouts. Besides, it would probably be healthy for him to take a vacation from the scout business. Ken's mellow voice interrupted her conversation with herself. "The minute you walked in to my room, I knew there was something special about you." Lita blushed, "There's nothing special about me. I'm just an ordinary person, that's all." "What excuse are you going to give to the teacher tomorrow?" That was totally off the subject. For the first time since she'd got there, Lita looked down at her watch. She planned to leave around eleven or twelve to make it to school for lunch, but now, she saw it was too late. If she rushed, she wouldn't even be in time for the after school activities. In fact, she should have been home an hour ago. "Oh no! I completely forgot!" Lita cried. She sounded a lot like Serena then. Jumping up from the bench and smoothing her skirt down, she mumbled goodbye to Ken before running off in a blur of lightning to the bus stop. "Bye," Ken said to the empty spot where Lita had been sitting. He stretched as he got up. He had just woken up from a long sleep of dreams which he couldn't remember, or that was what it felt like. "Ken, there you are. We didn't see you at lunch, so we thought you'd be up in your room, but you weren't up there. Where's Lita?" The nurse, the only nurse who had taken a personal interest in him asked. "She had to go," He replied to the middle aged woman. From what he collected, he knew that this nurse was married to the doctor who was in charge of his case. He wondered what a horror it would be to live with a psychiatrist right in the home. Nonetheless, he admired the nurse because she worked side by side with her husband, always keeping a professional attitude at the hospital. Suddenly, he thought of their kids. He felt more pity for the kids of the psychiatrist and nurse. It would be a nightmare, he thought, to live in a home where his dad would always be dissecting his mind while his mother assisted. He wondered how their son looked like. The doctor had told him he had a son, the same age as Ken was. Ken thought. In his mind, he pulled down a blank sheet. On that sheet, he put random traits from both the doctor and nurse, trying to picture what their son looked like. The doctor had light brown hair while the nurse had a natural almost platinum blond hair. That would make the son have a light brown to dark blond hair. Both parents had blue hair, so that wasn't too hard. After mixing and putting features together, Ken came up with an ambiguous mental picture of what the doctor's son looked like. Thinking about that made him think about his own parents. Why not work backwards from what he just did to figure out how his parents looked like? Ken divided his features up, splitting them into two people. Abruptly, like those small plastic play boxes with various holes of different shapes which one would have to push the right block through, everything fit together. Ken now had a clear picture of what his parents looked like. The nurse was still looking at him silently, waiting for him to snap out of the trance he was in. The next thing he said surprised her, to say the least. "Mom! Why didn't you tell me?!" After a second of awkward silence, the nurse embraced her son. "I thought you'd never know." "Why did you keep this from me?" Ken demanded. "See, you're making progress. And now that that burden is lifted, we can tell you everything else." Ken smiled, "I'll go find dad. We have some serious talking to do." Lita leaned against the her apartment door trying to catch her breath. Seeing how late it was, she didn't even bother to take the bus, but instead took a short cut through various alleys and ran at top speed. As she put her head on the door, she fumbled in her pocket with the keys. The keys were of no use since as soon as her finger touched them, the door opened, making her stumble in, almost falling face flat onto the floor. When she regained her composure again, she saw two faces. One was the same grim face of Mrs. Pross she had been facing for days now, the next was the smiling face of a man. "Sorry, Mrs. Pross. I lied to you. I didn't go to school." Lita said loudly and clearly now that the man was here. She turned to the second person in the room and threw her arms around her uncle, "Uncle Drake! You're here." "I have nothing more to say here. My job is done." Mrs. Pross simply stated. She already had her bags packed and waiting. "I'll go drive Mrs. Pross home and come back later. Then, we can catch up on old times and I'll give you the papers before I leave tomorrow afternoon." Drake said. As usual, he was in a rush-and-go attitude. "Thank you, Mrs. Pross. I've learned a lot from you," Lita said politely. She was in such a good mood and she wanted everyone to be the same. "I see that I finally succeeded in teaching you a thing or two in politeness," Mrs. Pross nodded firmly. "Good bye." Drake picked up the bags and followed Mrs. Pross out the door. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes, Lita. There's dinner on the table, help yourself." When the door closed, Lita leapt into the air, almost hitting her head on the light and shouted with peer joy, "Everything's going to be okay! Can I get a hallelujah? Hallelujah!" ********************************************************************** There we go, another chapter is finished. Jeez, how long is this going to take? Well, I'd like to thank each and every person who ever mailed me a response to my writing, you know who you are. They really help me sometimes. And if you haven't written to me already, what are you waiting for? C'mon, I won't bite. And those of you who know me, stop saying that I do. Ladyjupiter@sailorjupiter.com **********Copyright 1998 Lady Jupiter (All Rights Reserved)*************