"Serena," said a friendly voice.  Serena sniffled back her tears.  She had hoped no one would see her here on the docks to Hokkaido.    Who could it be?  Definitely not Melvin or Molly.  They were doing other things.
    "Who is it?"
    "It's me, Matt.  Why are you on a dock by yourself?  With no one around, it looks like you're planning to get on that boat.  It goes to the island Hokkaido."  He sat down next to her.  "You've been crying.  Why?"
    "You, you wouldn't understand."
    "Try me."
    "I can't tell you."
    "Give me the gist of it.  What did you do, Serena?"
    "I let my friends down when they needed me.  I can't do anything right.  So I decided I'd run away.  Then I wouldn't hurt them anymore."
    He thought this over, and rubbed his chin.  "Rather astute logic.  You'll just worry everyone.  Have you tried apologizing."
    "I can't really talk to them.  I can't say more than that."
    She fingered the ticket in her hand, which the younger brother snatched.  She sat, pouting.
    "You can't run away.  If you do, the problem won't solve itself."    Matt carefully ripped the ticket in two.  "You have to take the initiative.  Come on, I'll get you some ice cream if you don't do this."
    Serena could never turn down ice cream. She really hated this boy for stealing her ticket, but at least she got some ice cream.

    Raye paced over Lita again that night.  They had talked for a few minutes, and then Lita went back out.  She came to every few minutes, but rarely said anything.  Ekomin had come in once, and was quickly removed.  Lita just sort of lay there most of the time.  "Ran away," Raye said to no one in particular.  "Just left you by yourself.  She should be ashamed of herself."  Again the answer was simply the flicker of the fire in the next room.  Raye carefully peered in.

    Ekomin sat an image of a blue haired girl in his mind.  This, this was who he was sent for.  But what!  He knew her; they had spoken.  She was Ami, and he knew where she lived, sort of.  He focused on his mind, wondering what his goal was.  What?
    "Ekomin?" Chad asked, coming into the fire room.
    "What do you want?  Can't you see I'm busy."
    "Yeah, but you never did your work."
    "Fine, out of my way," said Ekomin, knocking the boy out of his way.

    Ami stared at the life-like figure in the wisp.  They had been walking all night through the forest.  Ami was quickly getting tired although Darien and the wisp didn't even seem to halter.  They walked as if they didn't notice the time of day.  Finally she tugged at Darien's shoulder.  "Darien, I need some rest... we've walked all night.  My skin is burnt to the bone, and I can't go on."
    Darien glanced over Ami.  She was right.  Her burns had gotten worse, not to mention various scratches from walking through the underbrush.  She was probably allergic to something as well because a rash had begun to form on her right leg.  Then there were the insects.  Darien's suit managed to keep him from being bit as bad, but Ami was being bitten continually.  Then again, she had kept going on all day and night.  She deserved some rest.
    "Sure Ami, I'll stay up and make sure nothing goes wrong."  Darien then looked ahead.  He'd clear a path for Ami to take tomorrow.  The exit was only a day away.  Two days is what they had been through, but only one day in the real world.  "Wisp, watch Ami."
    The familiar wisp looked over Ami.  She still didn't understand the reason Trevor had chosen Greg as the figure.  Sure, he was familiar, but Ami didn't want to follow Greg around through this.  She didn't like it mainly because it wasn't Greg.  There were so many familiar features, physically, that resembled him.  But he wasn't.  This tortured Ami, since she had no one to talk her feelings out with.  Not that Greg was anyone really special, but he was easier to talk to then Darien.
    "Ami," The voice said. Ami enjoyed the thought of a familiar voice, but not from this thing.  "You were right.  You can't do this.  You never could, or will be."  These were the things it said when they were alone.  The thing was designed to destroy Ami's confidence.  Not that it hurt her too much.  It was when it said things that only her friends knew that it scared her.  Next it chastised her about other things.  They mainly focused on her failures.  Finally Ami had to begin humming to herself to drown it out.  Needless to say, when Ami finally fell asleep, Darien had reached the edge of the forest, and seen something he shouldn't have.  The way out was guarded by Boomerang.  And they couldn't transform.

    Ami awoke in the morning, but not in the forest.  She was still burnt, cut, and bitten, but she wasn't anywhere familiar.  She lay in a dark, damp cave.   Darien also seemed to be close by, near the cave mouth.  He walked in, more of a run though, and shouted for Ami to get down.
    "Darien, how'd I get here?"
    "I brought you here.  Boomerang has been ripping that forest apart."
    "And the wisp?"
    "Thankfully, nowhere in sight."
    "I wonder what everyone else is doing now Darien."

    Ekomin's vision of the blue haired girl appeared to him again in the fire room.  What was his purpose?  It had something to do with her.  He pondered this the entire time he sat in the theatre, while a man came and sat next to him.  He wore shades that obscured most of his face.  The man smiled at him. "Ekomin 've Gerrin of the Mizzen Council?"
    "Who wants to know?"
    "Trevor Gains, also of the Council.  Have your memories returned yet," Trevor asked, hoping to gain an ally, especially one as strong as Ekomin.  He watched for the light to flicker in his eyes, and in a second Ekomin remembered everything that had happened.  Sharon, his sister, murdered.  Ami was the one who caused her death.  The Mizzen Council wanted her dead as well, so here they were.  Trevor, Sharon's fiancé, also came in through a blur.  He recalled an almost brother like relationship with him.
    "I remember Trevor, we must do this.  For Sharon."
    "Right.  Anyway, she is currently held in an alternated dimension.  I want you to cause some havoc on her reputation.  My observations state she meets with her boyfriend today, at six.  Can you have a suitable welcoming committee awaiting him?"
    "Yes, I can,"  Ekomin said, as the lights dimmed.

    Mina, Serena, and Raye met together to listen to Luna and Artemis talk.  Serena didn't tell about her thoughts on running away.  Luna and Artemis quickly briefed on what they knew.  They knew Lita would be up and moving in a few hours and Ami and Darien had disappeared.  It was possible for almost anything to have happened to either of them. "None of this would've happened, if Serena hadn't ran off like that," Raye stated.
    "You're so mean Raye.  I mean it; Lita was with me the entire run! Honest."
    Mina sighed.  "What about running out on Ami and Darien?"
    "There was thunder," Serena said, her eyes filling with tears.  Luna simply jumped on to the table, and began again.
    "Thunder or not, Ami and Darien are missing, and we have to find them.  Now, as soon as we find out where they went, we'll follow.  After that, all we have to do is locate them.  Understand?"
    "Yeah Luna.  I'll try and be braver."
    "Anyway, Lita will be sitting out.  She's going to be out for a long while.  We have to get going now.  Serena, you'll go with Mina.  Raye and I are another group,"  Luna said with determination.  She was desperately trying to keep those two from coming near each other.

    Matt slowly polished Zentar.  "Thanks for telling me about Serena... otherwise she may have ended up doing something really stupid."
    "What would be new?"
    "Come on Zentar.  You didn't want to see anyone get hurt.  But how'd you know?"
    "You're not ready for some things yet, Matthew."
    "I'll stop doing this in a second."
    "Keep polishing, or you'll never know."

    Ami and Darien watched the adjoining cave, waiting for Boomerang to move.  Boomerang had, for some reason, dropped a single red rose and a blue pen onto the ground there.  Then, he left the cave again.
    Darien began seeing a plan.  They couldn't get into the cave to get their items without him seeing them, and they were two weak to fight him straight out.  Ami was scared, her rash having overtook her whole leg and her fatigue just about reaching its highest maximum amount before she passed out.
    "Darien, how do we get in?"
    "I'll knock him out when I get close."
    "What about me?" Ami asked.
    "Stay here; if you're not Mercury you can't help."
    Darien grabbed a massive tree branch, and approached the cave.  Ami felt insulted, but took the moment to try and relieve some of the pain from her rash.  The cuts on her were also hurting her bad.  Darien approached the cave, and he heard his watch beep.  Everything stood still.  Boomerang shuffled inside.  Of all the times, why six?  Or any other exact hour?  Perhaps he could club Boomerang without surprise.  He was about to find out.
    Boomerang exited the cave just in time to see a quickly approaching limb of wood.  The yellow man stepped back, but was still caught across its face.  Darien screamed as he realized the electricity burst his club into flames.  "I have to help," Ami thought aloud.  She grabbed a handful of rocks, constantly hurling two or three at a time at Boomerang. Unfortunately, they simply burst.  Energy constantly exploded from him, making all attacks against him fail.  Darien finally grew desperate enough to attempt to throw him.  His hand was burned, but Boomerang soon landed across the cave in a heap on the ground.
    "Ami, grab your things and exit out that portal!" Darien pointed to a shimmering blue vortex, spinning and circling.
    Ami grabbed her pen while Darien remained, wrestling with Boomerang and unable to escape.
    "Darien! Hurry, I have your rose!"
    But Darien couldn't release Boomerang as energy ran through him, burning, damaging, and allowing Boomerang to keep a tight grip on him magically.  Finally, Ami tried a flying tackle.  Boomerang lost his electric grip on Darien, but Ami flew backwards, an electrical discharge hitting her hard.  Ami dropped the rose.
    Darien pounced onto the back of Boomerang, hitting him over the head again and again with a closed fist.  With a yell, Boomerang threw Darien over his head.  He landed with a thud next to his rose.  The yellow man approached Ami.  She was unable to defend herself from his next attack.
    "Boomerang!  Stop picking on little girls!  I am Tuxedo Mask!"  With those words, Tuxedo Mask replaced Darien.  The flash of black and red stunned all around him.
    "Tuxedo Mask... a challenge?  You cannot resist my power!"  As a bolt of electricity sped towards Darien's alter ego, he threw his cape around him, deflecting the surging bolt of energy.  All Boomerang saw next was a flurry of soft red petals and thorny rose stems.  Several of them stuck into him followed by a speeding cane, knocking him down.  "AHHGGGGGG," was all Boomerang had to say as Tuxedo Mask picked the injured girl up and leapt into the shimmering blue portal.

    "Can't fail, Trevor," Rochelle asked as Boomerang appeared in front of them.
    "No, this is all part of my plan,"  Trevor said, skillfully lying to Rochelle's face.
    "So... pretty much you lose so they think you're pitiful... then, when they don't know it... mud in their eyes."
    "Rochelle, I don't have time for you to goof around.  I'm going to get Mizuno, later.  After I get sleep."
    Boomerang bowed respectfully.  "I am sorry sir."
    "Simply be ready at six tomorrow night."
    Rochelle laughed at him.  "Twenty-four hours?  Rather a waste of time."
    "She'll probably want to rest, so we can destroy her in her sleep."

    Greg waited at the park consulting his watch.  It read 6:55.  Ami had promised to meet with him tonight.  So where had she gone?  Why was she waiting so long?  It wasn't like her not to show up without calling. Finally, Greg saw her running his way.  She was wearing her pink sweater and blue shirt, but what made her identity obvious was her blue hair that shone in the moonlight.  "Run!"
    "What is it Ami," he asked as she ran past him.  Greg stood and quickly followed.  He was waiting for an answer.
    "I don't know," she replied.
    Greg recognized the entourage that chased her.  "Ami, why are they chasing you,"  referring to the three guys who followed.
    "Something about a car.  Don't you remember?"  One of the guys was nearly upon Greg.
    "Come on, we're going to beat you to a pulp," yelled one of the larger of the three who were chasing.  Ami turned sharply to the left, into the woods.  Greg followed.

    The two fled from the guys deeper into the forest.  As the forest got darker, Greg stumbled into a relatively open area of the woods with Ami.  There, in the eerie stillness, all five of the runners stopped.  Something strange was about to happen.  In a flash, all saw a beautiful shine of pure white light.  From within came loud screams and roars.  Greg and Ami watched, as did Tyler, Rex, and the third guy.  The light slowly subsided, revealing a pony-sized white leopard.  It roared, and all but Rex fell to the ground.  The big guy drew a gun and fired several shots off at the leopard.  His bravery had failed him, and his shaking hands missed every shot.  The leopard came closer, and Rex silently cursed for wasting all of his bullets when the leopard was so much farther away.  'I couldn't possibly have missed this shot,' he thought.  Tyler and the third guy ran, abandoning their bullet-less friend.
    Greg simply stood there, getting a vision.  White light, Mina... Ami, that wacko from the Shrine.  They ran together, and cramped his mind.  He fell to the ground as a white ball of energy struck his side and throwing him over.
    Rex wasn't as lucky and fell hard to the ground.  White energy waves of pure mana floated from Rex's struggling body to the leopard.
    Finally, the vision in Greg's head convalesced into something meaningful. It wasn't really Ami.  Scared, he edged out of the forest, leaving the strange fight to go on as it pleased.  Whatever manner of tricks or truths this was, he didn't want to be a part of it.

    The real Ami was curled on her bed that night.  The rash on her leg had gotten better, but she didn't want to explain to her mom.  Not yet anyway.  She had applied the ointment as soon as she had limped into the house, and as a result of her good first aid, the cuts had already begun to disappear.  But the thing that she was maddest about was her missing Greg that night.  She had so much wanted to talk to Greg.  She barely remembered their last meeting when her apartment had burst into flames.  She remembered their conversation in the hospital, though.  If she hadn't come home that night, Iopee would've still been around.  But, she missed Greg's smile.  How he always knew what to say, and how he would always be there for her.
    One whole day she had missed.  Luckily for her, there was no school that day.  But, did Serena run away?  She should've tried to help Serena.  She could be so silly sometimes.
    The entirety of her night was based around her rash.  But, in the morning the rash was gone.  She couldn't explain it.

Meanwhile, with Trevor...
    Trevor awoke during the dream.  It was the same.  It consisted entirely of Sharon, a beautiful girl with dark black hair and eyes.  Every memory of her played out in his head, from the day he met her till the day of her death, when she lead an attack force on the city.  But before they were anywhere close, the Sailor Scouts drove it off. Though the rest had to retreat, Sailor Mercury, separated from her friends and lost in the wilderness, found Sharon.
    The two had words, and Sharon tried to draw in energy.  During the battle, there were several times when it looked as though Mercury may lose, but she didn't.  Finally, as Sharon threw a ball of energy at her opponent, it struck into the rock on the side of the canyon.  This started the equivalent of an avalanche on the remnants of the attack force.  Most of the others survived, but Sharon didn't.  The attack was thrown into such disarray that the host of survivors had to retreat.
    The simple fact was that in Trevor's logic, if Sailor Mercury had not interfered in the future, the attack force would have been able to retreat and Sharon would've survived.  So, he had to kill her out of revenge.  That was right, right?  Right?

    The sun shone down on a small shrine where the girls were meeting.  Today, Ami was wearing a long skirt, hoping to hide the hideous rash on her leg that had reappeared a short while ago.  This was the first meeting Ami had attended in a while.  Raye and Lita quickly set some food up to eat.  Serena and Mina were at detention, each in their own school.
    "Ami, tell us again about what happened."
    "Nothing to tell."  She tenderly robbed her lug.
    "All right.  Anyway, Greg told us another monster is loose in the city.  A white tiger."
    "A Siberian tiger? A monster," Ami asked, scratching at her leg again.
    "Big one, shoots balls of light. He wants to see you tonight.  Greg, I mean," Lita said.
    "That's nice."
    "No, he'll be around to pick you up at seven.  I think he has something important to tell you." Lita let the thought sit there for a second.
    "That's nice."  Ami could feel a slight blush.  She could think over what Lita was implying.
    "He said it was 'about something that would greatly concern you.'" Raye said.
    Ami slowly rubbed her leg.  The thought of what Greg might ask, or tell her, made her blush.  'Never mind the thought,' Ami silently repeated, but Raye and Lita saw the blush.  "Let's get you a nice dress."
    "Never mind," Ami said quickly.  She didn't want Raye and Lita turning this into any sort of romantic encounter.
    "Come on Ami, it'll be fun."
    "No, it won't.  It's just a normal meeting with my friend."  Ami really wanted to change the subject of this conversation.
    Lita responded with a deep, heavy sigh.  "You know, Ami, he's practically your boyfriend."
    "I have to study," Ami said, as she left.
    "She has a crush on him, Lita."
    "Raye, we shouldn't get involved."
    "She's out of earshot now, Lita," Raye said, as Ami boarded the bus.
    "Let's get to work. Greg's number is right here."  Lita and Raye giggled.  This would be a night Ami would never forget.

    "Hello, can I talk to Greg please," said a voice over the phone.  Steven called for Greg, and asked him to make it quick.
    "Yes, who is it?"
    "Greg, this is Lita.  I just wanted to tell you that Ami is really looking forward to seeing you tonight.  There's something she wants to tell you.  She may be shy, but just let her talk.  OK?  Oh, and don't tell her that I called."
    "Right."  If only Ami knew he was going away again.  But, how could he tell her.
    "Also, forget-me-nots are her favorite flower."
    "I was getting her those."
    "You would know," Lita said, as she hung up.  Hopefully Raye had told Ami the things she needed to.  Lita clapped, and hollered something in triumph.

    "Raye, please stop," Ami said as she blushed on her end of the phone.  Whatever Raye was building up to, probably would never happen.  Whatever great, important, world-shattering effect Greg was going to tell her couldn't be that important.  Not that she wanted to discount the fact that Greg may tell her something along the lines Raye was vaguely hinting around.  Ami certainly wouldn't mind, although she would ever admit it.
    "He really likes you, you know Ami."
    "No Raye, we're just friends."
    "Sure Ami.  I'll hang up now and let you get ready for your big date."
    "It's not a date!"
    "He's taking you out to eat, and then for a stroll in the park, and other things.  Sounds like a date to me," Raye said.  She really liked how this was going.
    "All right Raye, goodbye."  Maybe it was a date.

    "I hope mom doesn't kill me," Serena whined to Mina.  They had met each other after detentions.  It wasn't the first time. The sun had already long since clouded over as Serena and Mina walked next to her.  They had related the stories; it seemed Serena had fallen asleep.  Mina, on the other hand, had easily gotten a detention, and could have gotten worse.  She punched a guy at school for some sort lewd comment. No one hit on Mina the rest of the day.
    "More importantly, I hope there wasn't a monster attack."
    "Luna would've let us to know."
    "I'll call Ami and Raye!"  Serena said.  The two ran to their houses.

    Later that night, Laura stared at her daughter.  Ami was dressed in a lovely gown.  Ami's mom didn't even know that she owned it.  The dress was full length, and glittered in the light.  Laura knew how Ami must feel about Greg.  She wondered if Greg felt the same way.  They didn't even realize their feelings for each other.
    Ami finished putting in her earrings.  They were the same blue earrings she wore all the time.   Laura looked over her daughter one more time.
    "Ami, darling, you look wonderful!"
    "Thank you, mom. Maybe it's a bit too extravagant," Ami asked.
    "No, Ami, have fun tonight.  Stay out late."
    "I have a test..."
    Her mom cut her off. "Stay out till eleven, no later.  OK?  You need to relax, I think hanging around with Serena is getting you tied up in knots. Just stay out, and relax tonight."
    "All right mom, if you really want me too."  Ami really was feeling forced.  Not that she wouldn't mind spending more time with Greg.  He was wonderful... no, best not to think like that.  Ami took one more glance at herself in the mirror.

    Matt listened to some old music in his room.  Zentar had gone out again to get some information.  This was just another thing Zentar was doing to stall him.  Matthew's eyes felt heavy.  Finally he decided to go out tonight.  "Forget Zentar! I'm going out!"

    Mina sat alone in her room.  Tonight was going to be great!  She'd have the scoop on Greg and Ami's date before anyone else.  With this thought, she pulled a black ski cap over her face.  "Artemis, I won't be back till late!"
    "Bring me tuna."
    "No!"
    "Then don't come back at all!"

    Serena paced around her room, putting the meatballs in her hair.  "Luna, tonight I'm going out, and you're stuck inside."
    Luna purred contently.  "Good.  No more video games or music waking me at all hours of the night."
    "Darien's better company then you any day!"
    "I, feel the same way."
    "Leave me alone," Serena pouted, as she tried to fit her feet into pretty pink shoes.

    Raye relaxed on her bed.  Chad was doing his (meaning her) chores and Ekomin was building something.  Not one word had been spoken between anyone that day.
    Then, there was a knock.  A dreaded rapping at her door.  Could it be Grandpa?  Dear Lord, let it be Grandpa.
    "Who is it?"
    "Chad!" No!
    "I'm sleeping!"
    "Get lost scuzz face!" Ekomin shouted.  Double No!
    "I can beat you any day!" Chad shouted.
    "Fine! Any time, anything, any where!" Ekomin responded.
    "Now, motorcycling, PARK!"  Raye knew where she wasn't going.

    Lita looked at herself in the mirror.  She smiled as she put in her earrings.  She was going to go to the same restaurant Ami was going to.  Hopefully she'd sit close enough to hear what was going on.  Kent was taking her.  She knew he wasn't much the conversationalist, so she could eavesdrop all night!  Then, she could follow them wherever they went next!

    Rex sat in the dormitory with Tyler, and the third guy.  The phone rang, and Tyler answered it.  "Yes, who is it?"
    "A friend," Replied a voice they couldn't recognize.
    "What do you want?"
    "You know that kid?  He'll be near Pierre's Star Café at around eight.  Be there."
    "We will."
    Zentar, doing more of his special reconnaissance, was hidden in the hall.  With his special talents as a magic dagger, Zentar detected some sort of strange magic taking effect over the two guys in the room.  He didn't like it.

    Trevor roamed the hall outside of the café.  Where were those girls?  He looked around the Café nervously.  Where were they all?  They were supposed to be here at six thirty.  Here came the tall one, with her date.  Now, where was the blue haired one?

Chapter 6: The World's Worst Dates.