Chapter 6 - Episode 5: Earth Arising

Sailor Moon P
Episode 5: Double Take

Walking the ledge of a sharp cliff, he glanced out over the shore stretching gay and sparkling far below him. He didn’t stop walking as he stared out to sea. A faint white glow floated like a fog where the pitch waves met the surreally deep navy-colored night sky. The sea stretched out from the edge of the bluffs where he walked like a rippling black sheet, moving ever so slightly in the heavily still night air. He came to the end of the ledge, where the huge crescent moon hung low and lopsided in the sky. There were ruins, much like those of ancient Rome or Greece, that sat in shambles before him. The fallen columns, darkened by the strange dusk, seemed to frame the figure of a young woman. The breezeless air stole breath from his lungs, because, even though it was a windless night, the hem of her flowing white gown and long, moon-bleached strands of hair were rippling like the solid black waves behind her. She sat on a grounded pillar, her head bowed, her hands folded in her lap. The marble stone floor that stretched out from her feet broke from its perfect solid-ness into cracks and chunks the further away from her it got. He came to stand in the dust just beyond the shattered edge. His breathing sounded shallow and heavy, much as breath would on a deserted winter night. The moon seemed to grow in size as he stood there, and as the fragile creature before him came to stand, the lower arm of the crescent crossed behind her head.
“Darien…”
He tried to redraw his stolen breath, but was rewarded only with an audible gasp. She, in her remorseful, disembodied voice, had called his name.
Her eyes were not visible, but he stared at the back of her pale-haired head as she stared up, somewhat longingly at the moon. She was very thin and pale; her long hair was traced in an outline of silver moonlight as it was blown apart by the invisible gusts. Her back, neck and arms were bare, and her dress, which was ruffled and lined with gold at the breast, suggested that she was nothing less than royalty. Something told him…
A Princess.
“You have returned.”
Yes. The reply was unspoken, but stuck in his dry throat. In spite of the strangeness, this place was familiar. He had come so many times and yet still could not recall how he came. All he knew was that he came to see her.
She turned her head ever so slightly, so that the silhouette of her delicate profile could be seen against the moon. Her features, a high, gently sloping forehead, little nose and perfectly curving lip were those of an adolescent, not still a girl, but not yet a woman. A gust blew one thick lock of her long wispy hair over her chin. She turned her eyes to him.
“Bring me the Imperium Silver Crystal.”
Those eyes, they cut him to the core. They were large, pleading, and painted a blue that was deathly pale. Her face was only paler. When her eyes, those sad, hopeful eyes, were turned faring him, he was stricken with a heart-wrenching feeling. This emotion was so strong. This warm, safe, nervous, trembling feeling that made his heart race and his eyes waver. It was an emotion that she always brought with her. It was one he always ached for. It was a feeling that could not exist in dreams.
It was as if he knew her. More than just these brief, quiet meetings at the sea, as if he’d known her deeply, closely, and for a long time. Longer than his troubled mind could remember. Perhaps even before he was born.
The moonlight reflected off her hair and eyes with white, dancing radiance. She turned her body to face him; her hands folded, now, in front of her chest, one gold beaded bracelet dangly from her wrist. The wind pushed one of her long pigtails across her shoulder to blow behind her neck.
“Bring it to me?”
Her voice stung his heart as if it was a thousand sharp, pricking knives. The sound of that young voice, so familiar and so sad, made his eyes moisten. He had to know why she called him with a voice like that; he had to know who she was. He didn’t want such a voice so sound so sorrowful. “I will.” He answered. His voice projected a hollow echo, one that her voice did not. And as the last remnants of his answer trailed off to the foggy distance, she began to fade away as well.
“Bring it to me.”
Her form was fading, as well as the world around her. They were being sucked up into that crescent moon, which was crumbling like a painting being burned at the edges. He took a step onto the stone floor; his footfall and voice scattered to the four winds away from him. “Wait!”
She was leaving. Not again! She couldn’t go! Not those eyes!
“When I get it, will you stay with me!? Will you tell me how I know you!?”
Her eyes never strayed from his, as their worlds separated in a shroud of black. It was as if a jet-colored belt was being tightened between them. He reached out, a frail hope that somehow he might make her stay. The marble vanished from under his foot.
“Bring it here.”
“Wait!!”
Only her face remained visible, and, in that, only her eyes. “Please…” The frayed patch of night growing smaller, the sense of longing in her eyes, his heart pounding, that warm safe, trembling feeling…

Darien Chiba awoke with a start. His heart was racing, and his alarm was blaring on his bedside table. It was 6:00 AM. He closed his eyes again and flopped an arm across his face. Again, he’d been dreaming. The noise from the alarm was growing irritating, and he threw the arm across his face out to smack it silent. The blaring stopped, but that didn’t excuse the fact that it was six. He had to be at work in an hour. It was about time he got up.
Darien turned on the lamp by his bed and wandered, yawning, to the bathroom. ‘I have to find that Imperium Silver Crystal. That princess wants me to bring it to her, and maybe then she will tell me how I know her. Perhaps…she will stay with me. She can tell me who I really am. I’m so lonely.’ His thoughts flashed to that fateful night ten years ago when he was in an accident. His parents had died, and he was left all alone with no family to love him. He shook the memory from his mind, and arriving at the bathroom sink, splashed cold water in his face, “I don’t need to think about that. I don’t want to think about that.” He looked up and met his own gaze in the mirror. “What am I doing? It was just a dream. The princess, the crystal, the beach, all a dream. Why listen to a dream?”
But that trembling feeling was still alive in his chest. It had been more than just a dream. It had been real. Whether he liked it or not, that feeling could not exist in dreams, and somehow, he knew that that place was real too. That the princess was real, and that the crystal was also real. Somehow he would have to find it. Then the princess wouldn’t be so sad, and he would know about his past. He shook his head again. “Why am I always so confused!?” Running his fingers through his short black hair, he caught the reflection of his eyes in the mirror again and stopped. This man, is black hair and intelligent blue eyes that stared back at him, did he really know him? Staring blankly at his own face, only one thought was on his mind. He blinked slowly, and asked himself. “Who am I?”

* * *

At the Miles household, no one was up at 6:00 AM that Saturday morning. Olivia, the youngest child, was tangled in the sheets of her twin bed. Sunlight was coming in her windows and illuminating the various stuffed animals and assorted decorations. She rolled over, a stuffed orangutan flopped off the bed along with her arm. It hung, mingled with her long golden-blonde hair as she continued to snooze.
Across the hall, her sister Jennifer was sleeping, too, but not quite as serenely. With a groan, she pulled the covers up over her head, blocking the Saturday morning sunlight from hitting her eyes. Unable to go back to sleep, she tossed and turned, making her shoulder-length brown hair warp strangely. After thirty minutes of fighting consciousness, she finally opened her green-hazel eyes. The sun stung as it shot rays straight into her face. “Ug! What time is it?” Shielding her eyes, she checked the clock. 6:45. “Sigh, at least I slept later than a school day.” She clambered out of bed, fixed her wild hair as best she could, then grabbed a robe and headed downstairs. No one else was awake, but it seemed that her mother had gotten up at least periodically, because was a pot of coffee brewing in the kitchen. Gabe, her large black and white dog, jumped to greet her. Easily overexcited, to a stranger it would seem that the dog hadn’t seen her in years. Battling him back to the floor, she scratched him behind the ears and made her way to the TV. It was Saturday morning, cartoons had to be on. She drowsily plopped herself onto the couch and took up the remote control. Kids WB, Fox Family, Disney, Cartoon Network, there was nothing on that early. She switched to the Sci-Fi channel and found an old Star Trek rerun. That would do. Mystery Science Theater 3000 didn’t come on until 8:00 and Big Wolf on Campus wasn’t on until 10:30.
As soon as she was settled, her older dog, Angel, who was not known for nuzzling, came over, wagged her tail, and began to whimper very loudly. These were the telltale signs that she needed a trip outside, and when Gabe jumped up too, Jennifer knew that she had no choice but to heed to their pleas. Shoving herself up, she clomped off to the laundry room to release the dogs into the backyard. When she got back, Olivia was up. “G’morning.”
“Ungh…” Olivia grunted her greeting and flopped down in Jennifer’s place on the couch. She took up the controller and changed the channel back tot he Cartoon Network where old Bugs Bunny cartoons were airing.
“Yeah, I agree.” Jennifer said, grabbing a box of Cap’n Crunch out of the pantry. “It’s Saturday morning, why don’t we sleep in?”
“Cause we cant.” Olivia answered.
Time passed as the lazy Saturday morning wore on and soon turned into Saturday afternoon. 3:00 PM found the two of them still in front of the TV. Their mother came into the room with a load of clean laundry. “Girls, would you consider doing something constructive today?”
“No.” They said in unison, neither looking away from the screen.
“Come on, you two haven’t moved all day.” Their mother said, a touch of aggravation playing at her voice. “Get up and do something!”
“Okay, okay,” Jennifer gave in, she dug herself out of the chair and looked to Olivia, who was focused on the TV like it was going to save her life. Jennifer stretched. “Hey, Olivia, wanna walk up to the QuikTrip?”
“Wah?” Olivia asked in half English.
“Come on!”
“But! But we’ll never know if Corey and Topanga get back together!” Olivia protested, her blue-hazel eyes darting, panic-stricken from her sister to the screen and back.
“They do.” Jennifer said, obviously.
“Yeah, but…!”
“Come on,” Jennifer left the room. Olivia rolled up her eyes and followed. The two of them sluggishly got ready to leave, and, grabbing some money, left the house. Once the siblings started walking, their moods lightened by the methods of exercise and conversation. “Do you remember whenever we went to Aunt Julia’s and we had those Little Mermaid coloring books?” Jennifer asked, re-doing the black headband she often wore in her hair.
“Yeah, those were fun times.” Olivia agreed. “And didn’t her apartment complex thingy have a pool?”
“Yeah it did!” Jennifer recalled. “And it had that little upraised kiddy pool with the wall in the back?” The 14-year-old girl spoke equally as much with her hands as with her mouth. “I remember that I’d always play with my Gumby characters in there. Pokey would always swim around to one side and then Gumby would have to come and rescue him.”
“Where’d Gumby and Pokey come from?” Olivia asked, raising one golden eyebrow.
“I dunno.” Jennifer said with a chuckle. “I was what? Six?”
The nostalgia flowed heartily as they walked up their street and along the adjoining road. It broke up a little as the two of them headed up a long steep hill. When they reached the top, however, conversation turned in a new direction.
“Hey, Jennifer?” Olivia flipped a chunk of her bushy gold hair over her shoulder. “did you see that guy working at the Rec Center?”
“Who? Do you mean the tall one from Thursday?” She asked. “Yeah, I saw him. We stalked him, remember?”
“Yeah,” having her sister remember the man was not her main goal for the conversation. “Did he seem…I dunno…special somehow?”
“Special?” Jennifer looked confused. “How do you mean?” Olivia stopped for a second, looking for the right way to describe the feeling she’d gotten when she’d met him. He’d been standing behind the counter and when she’d looked into his eyes, she’d received a strange sense of recognition. As if she’d known him before then. Like she’d known him well. And when she was imagining him teasing Serena, she’d imagined it in such detail. And still there was that weird feeling. She’d had a similar, yet stronger feeling when she’d met Tuxedo Mask, although she labeled that one as love at first sight. The question she was asking really was…did Jennifer get the same strange feeling from the guy as she had? Jennifer suggested a possible answer, and brought her sister back to reality. “Do you mean special like in hot? Because he WAS really hot!”
“No, that’s not what I mean. I mean, was he kinda, I dunno…familiar?”
“Familiar?” Jennifer asked, puzzled. “I’m confused.”
Olivia dismissed it and shook her head. “Never mind.”
“Well, all I know or care about is the fact that he was super cute!” Jennifer swooned. “Oh! Would I like to go out with a guy like him!”
Olivia laughed. “You haven’t been on a date your whole life! You wouldn’t even know what to do!”
“Hey!” Jennifer rebounded. “I would too! I may not have been on a date before, but I’ve seen enough Romantic Comedies to know how it goes! All I have to do is act like Meg Ryan and I’ll do fine.” The two of them laughed as they turned the corner and crossed the street to the QuikTrip. There were only two cars in the parking lot, but that didn’t stop Jennifer from pointing out the ones she liked. “Ooo! Look at that red one there!” She pointed to a snazzy looking red sports car. “Awesome car!”
Olivia rolled her eyes. They entered the store and started to walk around the shelves. The QuikTrip held a majority of items from candy to coffee. They picked up several items like Snowballs and M&Ms, then checked the nutrition facts, and put them back.
Jennifer leaned down to her sister. “I don’t know why I even bother. I never get anything.”
“It’s the joy of looking.”
“It’s torture! What are you saying!?” Jennifer cried. The laughed again and walked to the fountain soda machine. The brunette looked to the blonde. “Want a Suicide?”
“Sounds good.” Olivia agreed. They each grabbed a cup and filled them with ice. Then they went down the line of sodas, putting an equal amount of each into them. There was quite a variety; Pepsi, Mug, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Sprite, Hawaiian Punch, they skipped the iced tea and moved lastly to the Lemonade. There was a little room left, so Olivia went back and topped the cup off with root beer. Jennifer preferred to finish with Dr. Pepper. Capping their bizarre beverages, they headed up to the counter to pay for them.
Approaching the register, they saw a tall young man with black hair, wearing a green blazer and khakis. He was the only other person in the store beside them and the old man behind the counter. Olivia guessed that the red sports car belonged to him. She and her sister walked up and waited in line behind him. He turned to look at them. His face and especially his blue eyes were strikingly familiar. Both of the girl’s eyes widened. Olivia gasped. “It’s HIM!”
True enough, Darien Chiba just happened to have stopped in for some coffee on his break from work. His eyes met the blonde first. He remembered her from the Rec Center, too. He recalled that she was cute and quiet and, for some reason, he thought she was very sweet. He smiled and waved. She weakly waved back. Then, however, he saw the older girl. He stopped. Her hair, her eyes, a wave of warm, tingly emotion washed over him. His heart beat fast. What was this? She was very pretty, but she was a little more. Something else. His heart directed his mind back to the beach. The princess. The feeling that could not exist in a dream. Could this be her? It was definitely the same feeling. He found himself staring, and tried to speak. “H-Hi..”
“Hi.”
Her voice made all his insides tighten. It had to be her. The emotion was so strong. His dream seemed to be coming back to him stronger than ever as he looked at her. The way she fidgeted a little in the awkward situation, the way she would stand and comb her hair with her fingers, then look up at him and give him a little smile. It was all strangely familiar, strongly familiar, even though he’d never met her before. There was no mistaking it. He cleared his throat. “Um, hi. My name’s Darien.”
“I’m Jennifer.” She said, nervously.
“Jennifer…” The name! The name was even familiar! “…Um, I get off work at five. Would you like to, go somewhere?”
“What?” She seemed stunned beyond reason. “Go somewhere with you?”
“I-If that’s okay.” Darien stuttered. He didn’t want her to refuse. He had to talk to her and he only had a fifteen-minute break! “You don’t have to if you don’t want to I suppose, but I would really like to…”
“No, I’m not refusing!” Jennifer gathered her wits quickly, equally as afraid that he was going to back out. “I would love to go somewhere!” Olivia stared on, dumbstruck.
“Gr-Great!” He couldn’t’ believe his good fortune. He checked his watch. “Whoa! I’ve got to go! Would you meet me here? At 5:30? Maybe?”
“I’ll be here. I’ll wait for you.”
“Okay.” Darien agreed. Quickly he grabbed his coffee and headed for the door. He walked backward, making sure not to lose sight of her, his car keys in hand. “I’m looking forward to it! I-I’ll see you tonight.”
“Alright! Bye.” Jennifer called after him. She and Olivia watched as he got in his snazzy red sports car and drove off.
They both stood unblinking. “Wow!”
Jennifer started jumping up and down. “I got a date! I got a date! I got a date with HIM!!!”
Olivia started jumping too, grabbing hands with her sister, their soda sloshing. “I can’t believe it! Oh my GOSH!!!”
The old man behind the counter grunted. “Are you goin’ to buy something or not?”
They stopped mid jump. “Uh, yeah.”

* * *

Chrysoberyl bowed before her mother’s throne, her long auburn hair falling around her face. “Thank you for seeing me, mother.” She wore her daughterly expression and used her toneless voice. Beryl had never seen her when she was animated. In this room, it was almost as if she were a robot, or some inanimate object. Chrysoberyl had rehearsed her audience expression so many times that she could snap in and out of it like a key in a lock.
Beryl smiled her wicked smile and answered her. “It is my pleasure, my daughter. What is it that you wanted to speak to me about?”
Chrysoberyl straightened, her dark emerald eyes hollow and empty. “I am concerned about General Malachite, mother.”
“Oh?” Beryl sneered with pleasure. “Did you forget that you were married? Chrysoberyl?”
The young woman’s face showed nothing, but in her superactive mind, a flame had just been ignited. “You assume too much, mother.”
“Well why else would you be asking about that worthless officer?”
The flame was turning into a bonfire. Was she insulting the union she had with Kyanite? Her mother and her toiling, the witch was always trying to get on the wrong side of everyone. Death and destruction were nothing but amusement to her. Chrysoberyl began wishing that she could use her Sailor Powers on her mother right then, but suppressed it. The time would come. She would have the twilight crystal and Beryl would be no more. All this went on behind clouded, shallow eyes. She continued in her monotonous tone. “I had heard that he was unfit for finding the last crystal.”
“From who did you hear that?” Beryl asked, offhandedly.
“The other generals were saying so.” Chrysoberyl said. It wasn’t entirely a lie. One general had said it.
“I should reward them for their observances.” Beryl said. “I didn’t think that they thought that well.” Chrysoberyl’s mind flashed. Was Beryl so high and mighty that she was the only one in the world. Even the weakest minded officer in her army deserved some respect. They respected her, and look what they got in return. Pure, unaltered superiority. Beryl continued. “Yes, that Malachite wasn’t fit for the job.” Was Beryl speaking of him in the past tense? “He was too arrogant. Being the head of the army had gone to his head from the minute I gave him the position. But that wont last. This mission will teach him that he is no less of a worm than the others, and if he doesn’t learn that, then he dies. Learn this, my daughter,” Beryl prepared to lecture, “Death is a swift and sure punishment. If your inferiors don’t obey you, then you kill them. Either way, they are no longer a problem. Understand?”
“Yes, mother.” She understood alright! Become a mindless dictator! Beryl’s loftiness was sickening! There were no morals in her at all! None! She could never change. “How long are you planning to keep him on Earth before you punish him?”
“I’ll wait until he gets back.” Beryl said with a yawn. “I want him to suffer well before he dies.”
“So you do not expect him to find the Rainbow Crystal?”
“No, of course not.” Beryl said. “He doesn’t know the first thing about finding crystals! And neither does that cat of your husband’s! I have half a mind to send a new partner for Malachite and bludgeon that one on the spot. He is horsing around on my time. I blame him more for the delay than I do Malachite. That cat is a sinister one. He’s backhanded and tricky. I wouldn’t be surprised if he doublecrossed us.”
Chrysoberyl remained silent.
“You are dismissed, daughter.” Beryl said. “And please, tell your hubby that his cat is treading on thin ice.”
“Yes mother.” Chrysoberyl bowed again and left the hall, silver-velvet gown creasing and changing color as she walked. Once out of the chamber her face melted into gross detest. Beryl could not target the Midnight Cat. He was valuable. Much more valuable than the general. Garth was the only one who could find the Crystal Factures. He was the only one who could sense emptiness. She would have to tell Quasar right away. Things were getting complicated.

* * *

At 5:00 PM, Jennifer was frenziedly getting ready for her date with Darien Chiba. She chose her pale purple sleeveless button-up shirt and blue floral skirt to wear. She wore, also, her sandals and gold necklace with a small gold cross charm on it. She spent most of the time, however, deciding how to wear her hair. She tried pulling it back in a ponytail, but that was too casual. She tried to wear it half up in a spider-clip, but she didn’t like that. She tried to pull it up in two pigtails, but it reminded her of Pippy Longstocking. Finally she decided that just her normal black headband was best. At long last, she was ready to go. She headed out onto the loft, where she met Olivia, who was heading up the steps. Jennifer stopped her sister and whispered to her. “Don’t tell mom where I am, okay? She would never let me go out alone with an older guy if she knew.”
“Then why are you going?” Olivia asked. Once the idea of her sister alone in his car settled on her mind, the young blonde was thinking it unwise, herself.
“Because, he’s so…” Jennifer tried hard to explain it. “You remember how you said that he was special?”
Olivia nodded.
“That’s why.” She turned and called down the stairs to her mom. “Mom! I’m going out to meet some friends at the QuikTrip for dinner! I’ll be gone for a while!”
“Okay!” Her mom called up. “Just be home before nine!”
Olivia looked worried. The dramatic irony was nearly making her sick. Jennifer, however, looked satisfied and headed down the stairs. Olivia called after her. “Are you sure!?”
“I’m positive!” Jennifer insisted. “Don’t worry, I can protect myself!” She punched the air. “I’m a Tae Bo student!” Somehow, Olivia didn’t find this reassuring. Jennifer waved over her shoulder and headed out the door. “Seeya! Wish me luck!”
Olivia waved, weakly as she heard the front door close. “Bye.” The blonde walked down the stairs and watched Jennifer march off through the front window. This wasn’t right. Jennifer was alone, their parents didn’t know where she was really going, what she was really doing, or who she’d really be with. Olivia made up her mind right then. She ran back upstairs and grabbed her transformation pen out from her bedside table. She was going to follow Jennifer and protect her, no matter what it came to. She jumped the last five steps and headed out the door. Still, it would be a shame to freeze that hot guy into a block of ice.
Olivia stayed a safe distance behind Jennifer all the way to QuikTrip. Sometimes having to leap behind houses or cars when her sister would turn around. One time she had to leap over a barrier and into a grove of trees to stay hidden. Jennifer had an ever-growing feeling that she was being followed. At 5:25, the two of them arrived at the QuikTrip. Unfortunately, Olivia couldn’t cross the street without Jennifer seeing her, so she had to watch from a distance. Darien’s red sports car pulled up right on time. He leaned out of the car and greeted Jennifer, but Olivia couldn’t hear what he said. Without any hesitation, the brunette trotted around the front and hopped into the passenger seat. The two sped off. ‘Aw man!’ Olivia whined. ‘How can I watch them now?’ Then she remembered her pen. ‘Perhaps Sailor Polaris can keep tabs on them better than me. She can jump from buildings and stuff! I saw Sailor Moon do it on TV.’

* * *

Night was falling, and Malachite and Garth were roaming the Tenth Street Memorial park. Both of them were unaware that Queen Beryl was plotting death for both of them, and they really didn’t care. Malachite was mumbling under his breath. “I must be the most unfortunate, dejected piece of scum in the world. I’m starving to death at the hands of a cat.” He yawned. “And I’m going to pass out from sleep deprivation. Someone kill me now and not prolong my suffering.”
“Stop whining! We are making good time.” Garth said, his own stomach rumbling. “There is no food and no rest until we find these three fractures.”
“And we don’t have a single one.” Malachite reminded him. “At least you let me drink. A person can’t survive two days without water.” He put his head in his hand. “I feel like I’m the pet instead of the other way around.”
“Hush! We have work to do.” Garth took up mumbling as soon as Malachite had stopped. “I don’t know how humans ever got control of cats as pets. It’s terribly insulting. An insult to all the Chatlans that ever lived.” They continued walking until they came upon a path. A bench was situated under a light post that was glowing yellow as the sunset faded from the sky. The path was bordered on two sides by tall bushes that stood nearly seven feet in the air. It was a pleasant little place, and the two of them could hear voices. Garth directed them to hide behind on of the walls of bushes. “The scent of self doubt is strong.”
On the bench, a man and a woman sat. Beyond them, behind the other wall, Sailor Polaris was hidden. Yes, it was true. Darien had taken Jennifer to the park to talk, and now they sat, not knowing that they were being watched from two directions at once. Darien spoke first. “So, Jennifer, tell me something..”
“Yes?”
He started to sweat a little, his blue eyes looking at the two of their shadows outlined in the yellow lamplight on the ground. “What do you dream about?”
“What do I dream?” Jennifer asked.
“Yeah!” Darien whirled around on her, then paused. “I mean, what is it that you see? Where do you go, when you are asleep?”
“Where do I go?” She was utterly confused, but Darien was staring so hopefully at her. What did he want from her? “I guess I don’t go anywhere.”
“You don’t!?” His heart sank. Wasn’t it her that he always met on the beach? But he was so sure! “You don’t see anyone? Anything?”
“I had a dream once that I was a princess in a palace.” Jennifer answered.
Hope returned. “A princess?”
“Yeah.” Jennifer nodded. “And everyone waited on me because I was royalty. Olivia was a princess too.”
“She’s your sister?” Darien asked. “The cute, sweet, blue-eyed one?”
“How do you know my sister?” Jennifer said, cocking her head.
“I-I don’t know.” Darien admitted, putting a hand behind his head. “I guess she reminds me of somebody.” He shrugged. “It beats me as to who, but…ah, never mind.”
Jennifer giggled.
“What?” Darien asked.
“That was so you.”
Darien’s eyebrows shot up and Jennifer giggled again. “How do you know me?” He asked.
“Um,” she thought a second, “you…remind me of someone?”
There was a somewhat awkward silence. Behind Bush #1, Malachite whispered to Garth. “Who’s the target!? They both seem young and sappy and perfectly normal!”
“Neither of them are normal.” Garth said, twitching his whiskers. “Now shut up an wait.”
Back on the bench, the silence had lasted for nearly ten seconds when Jennifer suddenly stood up. “I’m sorry! I’m horrible company!”
“No you’re not.” Darien assured, trying to ignore his strange emotions. “It’s my problem. I’m to blame.”
“No, no, it’s me.” Jennifer insisted. “I feel strange.” She put both hands in her hair and started to walk away. Darien got up to follow, but she called back. “Stay there. I’ll be right back. I-I just need to clear my head.”
Behind Bush #2, Sailor Polaris didn’t know what to do. She watched as Darien sat back down on the bench and Jennifer vanished behind the wall of bushes. Who should she follow? She had decided to look after Jennifer, but didn’t that require keeping an eye on Darien? She decided that keeping tabs on the suspect was more important and stayed where she was.
Her decision was perfect for Garth and Malachite, because it allowed the victim to walk straight into their trap. Behind Bush #1, Jennifer had just isolated herself away from all other people. She sat down in the shadow of the foliage, staring at the beam of yellow light that extended out the side like a path. She looked up at the stars that had peaked out of the blackening sky. “I don’t know how to do this. What is it that he wants?”
Garth turned to Malachite and hissed a hushed. “Stay!” Malachite crossed his arms and took up grumbling again, as Garth slinked down the bushes and to Jennifer. “Meow?”
“What?” Jennifer looked up and saw the cat coming toward her. Malachite was completely hidden in the darkness. “What are you doing here?”
“Meow.” Garth said, rubbing his head against her arm. She tried to scratch his ears, but had to do it much more softly than she did with Gabe.
“Well, as long as you’re here.” She started to stroke him and he purred and reacted like a normal cat would. Jennifer looked back at the sky. “So peaceful. Romantic, isn’t it?”
‘She’s going to spill everything to me without me ever having to do anything.’ Garth thought.
The girl sighed. “I’m no good at romance. I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to act…Where’s Meg Ryan when you need her? Eh, kitty?”
“Meow.” Garth answered.
“Do you know how to talk to the opposite sex?” Jennifer asked. “I guess talk isn’t really the word for a cat, but, well, why am I even asking you. You couldn’t tell me anyway.”
“Yes I could.” Garth said softly.
“Wha!?!?” Jennifer cried, but it wasn’t a loud cry. Darien didn’t hear. “Did you speak?”
“Purrrr….” Garth answered. “You want to be good at the game of love?”
“Um, are you talking?” Jennifer asked. “Because if you are a talking cat, then I’d better go hit my head on something because that’s just crazy.”
“I talk.” Garth said, “and you are not crazy. I am going to make you what you wish that you were more than anything in the world. I’m going to make you whole.”
“Whole?” Jennifer asked. A whir of information was buzzing through her head. “Talking cats, wishes, this is crazy! Either that or I’m in a fairy tale.”
“It can be if you want.” Garth said. “Just play along. What happens in fairy tales?”
“People do weird stuff and knights fight dragons and girls get captured and are rescued, and wishes get granted…” Jennifer thought aloud.
“And at the end?”
“They live happily ever after.”
Garth sneered. “That’s what you want right? To live a fairy tale? To fall in love and get married?”
“Yeah, but I’m not good at making people fall in love! The only people I’ve ever been in love with are on television and live on the West Coast somewhere and I’ll probably never see them out of character as long as I live! Well, Danny Smith lives in Canada, but still, that’s my point! I’m good at idol worship, not relationships.”
“Do you want it to be the other way around?” Garth asked.
“Well, yeah.” Jennifer agreed. “Of course.”
“Then I will help you.” Garth reached into his sub-space Z-storage pocket and took out his black velvet sack. “I sense that you are very incomplete. You reek of self-doubt and longing. I am certain that I have the right one.”
“What was that?” Jennifer asked. “You what?”
“You will see,” Garth said. He reached into his bag and retrieved a deep red and black pen. He dropped it on the ground in front of Jennifer. “This is going to solve all your problems.”
Jennifer looked down at the wand. It was made of metal, with a deep red body and a black cap. The cap had a headpiece on it that was shaped like an oval with an ‘x’ in it. The arms of the ‘x’ were sticking out the sides. On the front was the symbol of a heart with a double ‘x’ running though it. Jennifer paused, then reached for it.
~Don’t!~
‘What!?’ She thought she’d heard something. But the cat before her didn’t seem to have, so she reached for the pen again.
~Don’t touch it!~
‘What is that!?’ She was sure that she’d heard something that time. But it seemed to be coming from inside her own head. She shook it out and grabbed the pen. As soon as she did, the heart symbol glowed white, and smoke seeped from it. The smoke encircled her head and found its way inside through every opening. Her mind was silenced and she yelled. “DARK CYGNI!”

Behind the second bush, Polaris’s ears shot up. Did she just hear her sister’s voice!? Did it just cry ‘Dark Cygni’? Her mind flashed back to the day before. She was in Summer Season’s house when the girl became Sailor Delphinus. What was it she had cried. ‘Dark Delphinus’? Realization struck her like a bolt of lightning. “Jennifer!”

A deep red and black dome grew around Jennifer as the magic she’d summoned with her words took shape. A bolt of bright red lightning flashed across the dome. The walls rippled, and from them shot dozens of red, tentacle-like extensions. They reached out and grabbed a hold of her legs and arms and neck. Every place they touched her, there was as small explosion. On her neck there was a flash of green. When one grabbed her shoulder, there was a flicker of blue and white. And when several tightened around her legs there was more green. But each flash was gone as quickly as it came, and the tentacles wrapped tighter and tighter around her, binding her into a solid column of red and black. Neon red lighting struck again, and ripped the tentacles off the walls of the dome like hot fire on wax. The parts left attached to the girl flailed about as if they were in pain. Lightning struck again, this time entering her body through her eyes, causing them to be lit from within. There was an otherworldly scream that echoed throughout the dome as the electricity ripped down her limbs and blew the pieces of the bindings away. She was left dressed in a dark red uniform with a black bow and her chest and a black bow on her back. She had red and black snakeskin boots that zipped up the front, and she wore a golden tiara with a black jewel in the middle. With the scream still bouncing off the walls, the soldier started into her monologue. “I am Sailor Cygni! I stand for love and all that goes under that name. The Soldier of Love! The Princess of Darkness! The Conqueror! I am Cygni! I AM WHOLE!” Another bolt of lightning shattered the dome and Cygni’s power was released.

Garth’s tail twitched as he sneered. “Well? Better?”
“The best, kitty.” She said. She held up her hand and a red rose appeared in it. She rolled it over her cheek and across her lips. Then headed out to where Darien was still sitting. “Catch ya later, cat.”
Sailor Polaris had bolted out from behind the bushes, when Sailor Cygni entered. They both stared, shocked beyond belief as she leaned against the bushes, the rose to her lips. She winked at Darien. “Hi, handsome.”
His jaw dropped.
She walked, hips swaying, head turned, the rose to her lips. She stared at Darien with one hazel green eye. “So what is a hunk like you doing in a place like this, all alone, in the dark?”
“J-Jennifer!?!” Darien stammered. “What? Who did this to you?”
“You did, hottie.” She answered, sidling up very close to him and stringing her arms around his neck. “I wanted to be a good date, and so I went to the extreme. I think it was worth it, don’t you? The costume is a little much, but we can cope.” She tickled his face with the petals of the rose, and, seeing it, made his eyes widen even more. “All that matters is that now we can get down to business without any of my hesitations.”
“Jenn – you didn’t need to do this.” Darien said, frantically. “Don’t you know what’s going to happen to you?”
Polaris stepped closer. The question of how Darien knew what was going to happen to her crossed her mind briefly, but it didn’t stay long. When Darien saw the young soldier come up behind him, he looked both surprised and relieved that she was there.
Cygni didn’t pay her any mind. “I don’t matter, Darien, baby. Is US that matters! That we are together, and that we can be in love.” She touched his face with her hand.
~Get back!~
That voice Jennifer’d heard before ripped through Cygni’s mind. The dark soldier threw her hands to her ears, panting. Her mind was racing. Her eyes flashed once, a bright light green, but then they were back to normal, and the voice was gone. She turned back to Darien. “Where were we? Oh, yes.” She rubbed a hand over his chest, under the green blazer. She ran the other one through his hair.
~Stoppit!~
She yanked her hands back from him again, her rose held shakily in front of her, her eyes flashed blue. She shook her head, the headband falling slightly forward. “No! No stop!”
Darien had finally gotten his wits about him. “Jennifer! Stop this! Look what you’ve turned yourself into!”
Cygni wasn’t paying attention, she put her hands over her ears, and spoke with a voice that was slightly lower than usual. “Leave me alone! She’s mine!”
~Out Dark Presence!~
“Stop! I have her!” Cygni cried. “I have her!”
“Jennifer!” Sailor Polaris called, her blue-hazel eyes twitching in the yellow lamplight. Darien shot a surprised gaze over to her. “Jennifer! Get a hold of yourself!”
~Begone!~
“NO!” Cygni’s eyes glazed over with a black veil of smoke. “You can’t fight me! I have a stronger power than you! I have two Guardian Deities! Pulsar and Quasar! My King and Queen! May your powers make me stronger!” Lightning flashed anew from the storm clouds in her eyes. The forked ends of the bolt shot again down her veins. Her eyes still clouded, she let the flower go. It floated in front of her face and she seemed to stare right through it. “Sailor Cygni is not that easily overpowered!” As she spoke, neon red lightning bolts shot from her smoky eyes and hit the rose. From the rose they condensed into a solid beam and hit Darien straight in the chest.
Naturally off-guard, Darien had no chance to react until he was laid out on the ground, and then all he could do was blink for a moment. Sailor Polaris stared down at him on the ground, eyes wide. She then turned to her sister, mind set. “You’re not Jennifer anymore! She’s lost in there! And I have a feeling that she’s trying to fight you.” Polaris raised her hands above her head. “North Star Power, NOW!” A ball of whirling icy-blue liquid formed above her palms. She held it up in the air, and turned to Cygni, her blonde hair flowing around her. Once her target was set, Polaris let the ball fly. When the wind it, it turned into a spiraling blue icicle. The icicle headed straight for the dark soldier and the rose that was in front of her. Once it reached, however, the icicle exploded into light blue, sparkling powder.
Sailor Cygni sneered. “Your sister isn’t hiding in here! I am her! It’s just that I’m improved. I was broken, but now I’m whole! My mind is whole! Don’t you see? I’m still your sister.”
Darien looked up. ‘Sister?’ He looked at Polaris. Golden Blonde hair. Blue-hazel eyes. Could that be Olivia? “Polaris?” Sailor Polaris looked down at him, her face etched in fear. She seemed to suspect that he had figured out her secret, and the look she’d given him further proved it. Darien shoved himself up on his elbows. “Olivia?”
“Uh…” Polaris grinned nervously. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This is so entertaining.” Sailor Cygni said, cynically. She shot another beam out of the rose toward Sailor Polaris. The blonde ducked just in time and the bolt sliced through the bushes behind her. Darien looked furious. Cygni snapped her fingers. “Dang, missed.” Then, throwing her snapping hand out in front of her, she shot another lightning bolt at her. This time, Polaris didn’t get out of the way in time and it hit her in the heart. On impact, the bolt broke into streams of bright red electricity that raced across Olivia’s chest and down her legs and arms. They also raced up her face and into her mouth and eyes. Her face scrunched up and she let out a painful gasp before falling and skidding along the concrete.
Forehead already creased in anger, his blue eyes sparking dangerously, Darien snapped. He shoved himself back up, despite a strong throbbing in his chest. “That’s enough!”
“Really? Loverboy?” Cygni asked. “Well, too bad. I did this for you and you are turning against me. Are you dumping me for my sister?”
“Shut up! You don’t know what you’re saying!” Darien cried. He started toward the Dark Solider, who shot another laser at him. He dodged, his reflexes incredibly fast. “That isn’t you. You wouldn’t do something like this to people you love!”
“How do you know me?” Cygni said, sarcasm mixing with cynicism and a bit of a chuckle. She shot another lightning bolt at him.
It got him again in his aching chest. He clenched his teeth. “I just DO!” Something was burning inside him, and it wasn’t the volts from the attack. It was a desire to free Jennifer from this possession. He had to protect her. He had to protect Olivia. He had to protect the two of them at all costs. It was more important than his own life. He didn’t know or care why he felt like this about a pair of girls he had just met; the feeling was strong enough that it conquered all other reason. He fought his way through the electricity, his heart racing, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. He got closer and closer until he was within arm reach of the floating rose.
Sailor Cygni looked increasingly anxious as she watched him come. He didn’t know why but he was compelled to grab the rose. He reached out his hand, the streams of neon red light racing between his fingers through his arm. His fingers touched petal, and a flash of white light illuminated the whole clearing and blew out the yellow street lamp. The electric flow from the rose ended. Cygni threw her hands back to her ears. Darien grabbed the flower in a tight grip and his skin immediately became black. The blackness was a living magic that covered his whole body. It consumed his skin, covered his clothes and face, and even turned his hair the same. Sailor Polaris looked up and saw a white diamond-shaped mask grow across his face. The magic exploded out of his shoulders and turned into a long cape. His green blazer and khakis became a black and white tuxedo. A top hat appeared, and his skin turned back to its natural color. All of the magic vanished and he was left holding the red rose in his clenched fist. Sailor Polaris’s heart trembled and her eyes stared widely. Darien was Tuxedo Mask!
Once the transformation was complete, Cygni’s power over the rose was broken, and it no longer floated in the air, but laid in his gloved hand. Sailor Cygni cringed and covered her ears. Tuxedo Mask, winded from the approach, fell to the ground in front of her. Polaris tried to shove herself up, but she was weakened, and snagged in the branches of the bushes. Cygni’s eyes were shut very tight, her shoulders bent, and her hands over her ears. “SHUTTUP! LEAVE ME ALONE!”
~Vanish! You are ruining her!~
Cygni proceeded to have a painful argument with herself. “Go! She’s mine! I got her first!”
~Wrong! She was mine long before you ever had her! She’s always been mine!~
“Stop trying to trick me!”
~Who are you to trick!? You are nothing but a shadow! You are the smoke that came from a tampered wand!~
“I am Sailor Cygni!”
~There is no Sailor Cygni!~
“I am SAILOR CYGNI!!!”
Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Polaris stared through the dark, scared and confused as Cygni yelled passionately at herself. Tuxedo Mask could see her face the best. She looked like she was in real pain, and fighting hard to keep her mind suppressed. Polaris stared as the fight continued.
~Leave my body, darkness!~
“She’s not your body, she’s mine!”
~I am her! Jennifer is me!~
“You are not Jennifer!”
~I am! I have been! I have been since the Silver Millennium!~
“Don’t talk to me about the Millennium! The Millennium is no more!”
~You didn’t even see the Millennium! You aren’t real!~
“Stop saying that! I’m real!”
~You are nothing but the reserves of two Sailor Soldiers! Do you think that I don’t know what’s inside my own body?~
“It’s not your body!”
~What do you think is going to happen when Sailors Pulsar and Quasar’s powers run dry? What will happen to you?~
“STOP!”
~You don’t know? Or do you just not want to admit it?~
The dark red of Cygni’s skirt and collar became traced in glowing bright blue. Her boots, elbows, bows, and choker were laced in bright green.
~Give in! You have no ground to stand on!~
“What!?”
~That’s it, give up!~
“I’ll never give up! I’m a Sailor Soldier!”
~You are not!~
“Am too!”
~ARE NOT!~
The glow got brighter and brighter, the red was nearly drowned out. The two onlookers had to squint to see. On her forehead, something blue-green was trying to break through the black tiara.
“Stop trying to fight me!” Cygni cried, but she sounded like she was weakening. “I’m—I’m stronger! I’m-“
~Failing!~
“No! I will – conquer!”
~Try! I’m winning!~
“I’ll –“
~Surrender! I’ve overpowered you!~
“I’m – “
~Light emerges and destroys the darkness! Thus is has always been! Light conquers! Darkness scatters! Now SCATTER!~
“N-noooo!”
~EARTH POWER!~
“AAAAHHHHHHHHHH!” Cygni threw her head back and let out a terrible scream as the tiara on her forehead shattered to reveal a brightly glowing blue-green symbol of a footprint. As soon as the symbol was uncovered, her uniform shredded. It stripped into pieces that blew violently in an invisible wind that was rustling her hair. Her black bows untied. Her collar broke into ribbons and flew madly. Her boots were blown to shreds. Even the bands at her elbows came loose and began to whip around in the force. Underneath the flailing pieces, a new layer was visible, glowing very brightly. The scream ended. Black smoke leaking out of her mouth ears and eyes, the girl shouted. “EARTH POWER!”
At the words, the frayed remains of the uniform were blown clear, revealing what lay beneath. A navy-blue skirt and collar, two light green bows, light green, flat-soled boots with white lines along the tops, light green bands at her elbows, a light green choker with a white pearly gem on the front, and a golden tiara with a light green jewel. Her eyes were closed, her face relaxed as the wind died down. She stood, smiling serenely for a minute as the glow vanished from her outfit. The lamp flickered back on as Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Polaris shoved themselves up and stepped forward. They stood in front of her, not knowing what to expect. Just then, the Soldier opened her eyes, which were once again green hazel colored.
“Jennifer?” Tuxedo Mask asked, confused and hopeful.
She grinned and cocked her head to one side, her brown hair falling onto one shoulder. “Hi, Darien.”
“But…” His eyes gaped behind his white mask. “I don’t understand.”
“I believe you have something of mine.” She said.
Tuxedo Mask looked even more confused until he realized that he still held the rose in his fist. When he brought it up, however, he found that it had turned into a blue-green and gold transformation wand with a footprint on the headpiece. Jennifer took it and looked up into his eyes.
“I’m Sailor Earth.” She explained. He and Polaris gasped. Sailor Earth looked to her sister and said. “I didn’t know that you were Sailor Polaris, Olivia. You did a good job at hiding your secret from me. But it’s okay, I know now.”
Polaris gave a small laugh. Of course she knew. Then, she forced herself to become serious again. “But, what was all of the yelling?”
“Once Sailor Cygni took hold of my body, I remembered that I was Sailor Earth.” The brunette explained. “And the part of me that was Earth was hidden, sleeping in the back of my mind, so I retreated there whenever the Dark energy took over my mind. Once established, I began to fight Sailor Cygni and try and get the evil power out of my head. Something told me that I would die if I didn’t. That’s pretty much all of the incentive you need to fight. And something got me really going whenever Cygni was touching you, Darien. I would scream and try and distract her. Most of the time it worked. And whenever you tried to save me, and you said that you knew me, I got an emotional edge to my battle. That edge finally let conquer Cygni before she could take over my body for good.” She reached out and took a hand from each of them. “We three are connected somehow. I am not sure. While some of my memory returned, there are still things that are hidden. For example, something told me that I should mention the Silver Millennium even when I hadn’t the faintest idea what it is. I think that there are a lot of memories that we haven’t discovered yet.”
“We’ll just have to keep looking.” Sailor Polaris finished with a nod. “Well find out someday.” She looked up at Tuxedo Mask. “And now that we know who you are, you can join the other Sailor Soldiers and we can fight the Negaverse together!”
“Um,” Tuxedo Mask looked unsure. “I really would appreciate it if you two wouldn’t tell them who I am.”
Both girls spoke at the same time. “What? Why?”
“Because. They don’t trust me, and we have different goals to achieve.”
“No we don’t.” Polaris insisted. “We both want to destroy the Negaverse! Didn’t you agree that if two people had the same enemy then they were allies?”
“I did,” Tuxedo Mask looked like it hurt him to tell her what he was going to say next, “but I’ve…changed my mind.” He flinched, a pained look had sprung to the young soldier’s eyes, and that was the exact image he was trying to avoid. “I had a dream last night. It convinced me that I have to do this on my own. I have something I have to prove to find for myself.”
“But!”
“Polaris!” Earth shot at her. “Its okay. If Darien doesn’t want us to tell the others what we know, then lets not.”
“Oh I guess.” Polaris sulked. “I guess, I would be best not to have Sailor Moon know who he really was anyway” She made sure not to mention any names, knowing that if Serena knew that the love of her life was really the pain-in-the-neck of her everyday existence, she would probably faint dead away. And of course Darien didn’t know who Sailor Moon was.
Sailor Earth looked confused. “What?”
Polaris winked at her. “I’ll tell you later.”
“Well, okay, I guess I’d better get going.” Tuxedo Mask said, letting go of hands and backing out of the clearing. “I hope to see us all together again very soon.”
“You will, Tuxedo Mask.” Sailor Polaris grinned. “Don’t worry, you will! Now that we know that we are connected somehow!”
Sailor Earth and Sailor Polaris both waved. He waved back and vanished from sight. Polaris smiled back at her sister. “This is great! Now I don’t have to be mean to you anymore!”
“What?”
“Never mind.” She grinned.

~To Be Continued~

Authors Note: Just for the record. Rose Angel, who I tend to work very closely with, originally created the concept of this fic. She was the one who invented Sailor Earth, and was going to write her creation fic herself under the title Earth Arising. I, however, thought that Jennifer’s awakening worked perfectly in my series and so we have it! I just wanted to give RA credit for the creation of this soldier. She provided the original design for the outfit, symbol, color, name, and hair, so she deserves credit. She did, however, agree to let me adopt Sailor Earth, and I have papers to prove it! So be warned that she’s mine now, and that anything can and will happen!

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