Chapter 3
That evening was the party that would begin the term with Hishimori Sense. Jackie didn’t have time to think further on her dream or how real it was to her. She and Chris were going to play a duet that evening.
When the team arrived in the evening they were surprised to see the party already in full swing. There were many people already at the buffet table. A beautiful woman was playing a violin accompanied by a man on the piano. Jackie took a second look. Was it a man?
Hishimori greeted them right away. “I am glad you have come. Would it be alright if you played after Amara and Michelle?”
“We would like that,” Chris smiled down at Jackie.
Darien, Serena, Rae, Mina, Lita, and Ami entered the room after another group.
“Look,” Serena smiled as she hung on Darien’s arm. “Amara and Michelle are playing.”
“And there’s Jackie,” Ami said.
“I forgot they were going to be here,” Lita said. They were about to say hello when Amara and Michelle finished and Jackie and Chris took their places.
Jackie took out a slender, silver flute and Chris took out a slightly longer gold flute. They tuned their instruments and started a slow love song. Chris’ flute harmonized with Jackie’s.
“They play rally well,” Amara smiled at the two as she met up with Darien and the others.
“It’s beautiful,” Serena sighed.
“You can hear the love they have for each other,” Mina agreed.
“Oh,” Lita sighed. “He’s such a hunk. He reminds me of my old boyfriend.”
“Hello, Serena,” Kim smiled and took her time remembering the others.
“Hello,” they smiled. Then they introduced them to Amara and Michelle.
“Are those your friends?” Michelle asked. When they nodded she smiled.
“Are they married?” Amara asked.
“Not yet,” Kim sighed and leaned into Sky.
“They’re engaged,” Brandon said.
Once Jackie finished the love song Chris started a sad lament.
“Oh,” Ami gasped. “I can feel my heart breaking.”
“I remember when he wrote that,” Kit sighed. A tear leaked out of his eye and he quickly brushed it aside.
“It was a very sad time,” Marie agreed.
Jackie joined in and the tune slowly became cheerful. By the end the entire room was quiet and many had tears in their eyes.
“Chris often said that music is the universal language,” Sky smiled.
“That’s true enough,” Darien said.
Chris and Jackie had taken up a sort of battle song. It was fast pace and sometimes furious with haunting periods.
“Did they write all of these?” Ami asked.
Kim smiled and had barely nodded when something shook the building. Chris and Jackie ceased to play and looked around Again the building rocked.
“Everyone, remain calm,” someone instructed, “and move in an orderly manner to the door.”
Chris and Jackie were halfway to the door when the building shook again and the wall disintegrated. The man who had appeared before the Sailor Scouts loomed above them.
“What beautiful music,” he mocked as he mechanically clapped. “Now it’s time for something different.”
He pointed at the two flutes in Jackie’s and Chris’ hands and then at the violin that rested near the piano. In an instant they sprouted arms and legs and came to life. Horrible, shrill sounds issued from them and blasted Chris and Jackie into the wall.
“Are you alright?” Tuxedo Mask asked as he knelt beside them. When they nodded, he escorted them through the door.
Through the now closed door Sailor Moon could be heard. Her usual speech had just begun when the music started again.
“There’s not much cover out there,” Chris stated.
“I think it is about time we announced ourselves,” Jackie responded. She closed her eyes to call forth her power. Her friends fallowed suit.
One could hear the trill of a hermit thrush as it announced the return of the sun. Brilliant colors of a sunrise surrounded Kim. When it faded she was clothed in a brilliant armor of magic material. Her chest held a landscape of towering mountains and a spectacular sunrise. Locks of her hair held the soft colors of the morning sky. The mask that covered her eyes was grayish lavender. Kim was now the Shooting Star known as Morning Star.
Thunder rumbled and lightening flashed as thick clouds hid Brandon from view As they cleared the same clouds were found on his chest and lightening flashed occasionally accost the angry scene. Dewy stood tall with hair and mask the color of deep solder blue.
The sound of wind through branches and leaves overshadowed Marie and a thick green mist passed over her. As a magical wind blew the mist aside the eye was caught by a deep forest that a person could easily get lost in. Large eagles soared above the canopy and tiny deer darted between the trees. A forest green mask covered her face and matched her hair. Forest stood ready.
An intense heat surrounded Kit as a ring of fire circled him. As it died down he seemed to wear a hot orange sun that flames licked the ends of his hands, feet, mask, and hair. Ray was anxious for a fight.
Darkness that no one had seen before time began overshadowed Sky. Complete silence drowned out other sounds. As the total darkness lifted he was seen wearing a vast, ancient, galaxy. Tiny diamonds marked stars and planets. Death Star’s hair, although already black, took on the total darkness that had hidden him from view and his mask fallowed suit.
White light, that would blind anyone who did not have unique powers, covered Chris. A soft whisper sang in a language that no one could interoperate but all who heard it would feel a burning in their hearts and renewed life. As the light softened White Star stood in stunning white armor that sparkled with tiny diamonds.
Soft colors, all those known and those imagined, slowly shifted between each other, like in a kaleidoscope, around Jackie. Soft music filled the air that was both so sad that it would cause the toughest man's heart to break and so sweet and joyful that it would cheer the most depressed person. As it faded Shooting Star, high leader of the Shooting Stars, stood in armor that was covered in all the colors that surrounded her.
“Ready?” Shooting Star asked. As she looked into their eyes she saw determination and the excitement of battle. They were ready. Together they went out a back door and alighted onto the roof. The sound was terrible. The violin screeched discordant sounds and the flutes pitch was so high it was almost too high for the human ear and yet it could be felt in the skull as if it were to explode.
Most of the scouts had fallen to their knees and were about to faint. The strongest willed ones, Tuxedo Mask, Sailor Mars, and Sailor Jupiter watched over their comrades. There were two scouts that the team had not seen yet. They were still standing as well.
“Ray!” Shooting Star exclaimed as he sent a fiery torrent that engulfed the violin. “Those are expensive instruments.” She doused the fire with a downpour of rain. The music stopped as the attention of the instruments shifted.
“Those things were killing them,” Ray responded with a temper to match his power.
“There must be another way,” Shooting Star whispered.
Just then the instruments sent a blast of sound at the building and the roof that the Shooting Stars stood on collapsed. They easily jumped away.
“Who are you?” one of the new Sailor Scouts asked. She took a fighting stance as some to the team landed near her and the recovering Sailors.
“Sailor Urines,” Tuxedo Mask said. “They just saved us.”
Further talk stopped as the instruments took up their music again. Sailor Urines sent an Earth Shaking sphere at the flutes but they jumped away.
“This isn’t working,” Shooting Star sighed. Then she shouted, “SILENCE!”
Silence range threw the space. Shooting Star sighed, but no sound came out. The Sailor Scouts that had been on the ground, covering their ears from the horrible noise, stood. They looked at each other and some tried to speak, but no sound came.
“Woops,” Shooting Star thought. Her friends could hear her telepathic thought and laughed silently.
“At least it stopped the noise,” Morning responded in the silent manor.
“Yeah,” Forest said. “But they aren’t too happy.” She pointed to Urines and Mars. The other new Sailor Scout, who turned out to be Sailor Neptune, did her best to calm her partner without words.
The violin took this time of confusion to strike. It sent a string after Sailor Moon. The Shooting Stars, who were at a higher vantage point, saw what was going on and tried to yell out an alarm. It failed and Sailor Moon was trapped by the string. Energy flowed from her to the instrument. Tuxedo Mask threw a rose at it but the rose wilted and died as it touched the wire. Each of the Sailor Scouts tried and failed as Sailor Moon became weaker.
“We must do something!” Dewy said.
“Yes,” Shooting Star responded, “but not you.”
“No, my lightening would conduct along the wire and kill her.”
“My plants wouldn’t do anything,” Forest sighed. “His rose wouldn’t.”
“Possibly,” White Star agreed. “But they might not have enough energy.”
“And what is to say we do?” Morning Star asked.
“Come now, my love. Your power comes from Hope. Where is it now?”
“Death Star is right. We cannot give up,” Shooting Star agreed. “Forest, if you send a concentrated thorn whip and White Star, you add life to it, and Ray, you ring sunlight, we might be able to free her. Remember, if we work together we can do anything.”
The three Shooting Stars gathered their energy and combined them. A vine with sharp thorns, which glittered with life and sunlight, struck the wire. If there had been sound a loud twang would have been heard as the wire broke and Sailor Moon fell into Tuxedo Mask’s arms. The two flutes sent a shot of dark energy at the Shooting Stars, who had to jump away to avoid injury.
“We can’t do this forever,” Death Star sighed. “My power will have no effect on them. I can sense no life.”
“Why not give it a try?” White Star encouraged.
Death Star sent his energy toward the instruments and darkness covered them. A wire followed the darkness to wrap around him but was deflected by the sword Shooting Star found at the temple.
“There are a few rust spots and older wood, but not enough to do any good.”
Sailor Mars sent holy charms at the instruments but the paper burned on contact.
“I sense even energy controlling them. Sailor Mars must feel it also,” Shooting Star stated.
“You have the ability to control all of nature and every element here, even the energy,” White Star said. “Could you cast the energy out?”
“There is always a first time for everything,” Shooting Star sighed. Then she looked at her friends. “I will use all my concentration for this. I won’t be able to defend myself or put up a shield.”
“I’ll shield you,” White Star smiled. “Yet my shield isn’t as strong as yours.”
“We’ll add our strength to yours,” Morning said. The others nodded.
Shooting Star smiled. Then she closed her eyes. As she concentrated she began to rise. A white shield glittered around her. Wires and blasts of dark energy broke against the shield and the Shooting Stars, that created the shield, felt the pain inside each time.
Once Shooting Star floated above the instruments she stretched out her arms. Vapors of dark energy seeped out of the instruments and they shrunk to their normal size. The instruments floated over to the building, where they had been used to make marvelous music, and dropped into Sailor Urines’ and Neptune’s hands.
Once Shooting Star finished she began to fall. Her friends also collapsed. As they were unable to rescue their leader and friend, Tuxedo Mask jumped across the buildings and caught Shooting Star in the process. With the battle over the sound of normal life returned. People and cars in the street were unaware of what had happened.
“Thank you,” Shooting Star whispered as she regained consciousness. Her body was drenched in sweat and her legs shook as she stood. Sailor Uranus was on the same rooftop and marched over to them. Shooting Star saw the volcano that was about to erupt and jumped back to her friends that were just getting to their feet. As she landed she stumbled.
“Who are you?” Uranus demanded an answer.
“Are you with them?” Mars asked.
“Mars, Uranus,” Sailor Moon cried. “How can you be like that? They just saved us.”
“No,” Shooting Star whispered weakly, yet her voice carried. “We are not your enemies. We are the Shooting Stars, from America.” There was a pause as the Sailor Scouts contemplated this. Mars and Uranus still stood ready to fight.
“Ray!” White Star scolded, as Ray got into a fighting stance. “They are not our enemy.”
“So,” the man who was their enemy appeared in the sky. “You’ve finally chosen to show yourself.”
“Who are you?” Shooting Star asked.
“What? You don’t recognize me?” the man asked with disbelief in his voice. “I suppose you were too young. And it was a long time ago. Come with me, Shooting Star, and you will find out.”
Shooting Star laughed. She gathered the last of her fighting energy into a ball and sent it to the man. It struck him in the chest and he disappeared. Then she spoke quietly to her team, “Let’s go.” They touched their wrists and they were gone.
 
Chapter 4
“I’m confused as ever,” Mina sighed.
Darien, Serena, Lita, Ami, Mina, Rae, Michelle, and Amara talked at Rae’s temple the next day as it was too late the previous night.
“Who are they?” Lita asked.
“They said they were the Shooting Stars,” Serena replied.
“Also the man that has appeared called her Shooting Star,” Amy added. “You saw Shooting Stars when you read the fire last,” Lita said. “Doesn’t that mean they’re our enemy?”
“Not necessarily,” Darien corrected. “At that time she was concentrating on the energies left behind on that ball.”
“Why don’t you tell us about your fire reading,” Michelle requested quietly. When Rae told them she added, “I did it again last night to see if I could get anything more. It was exactly the same.”
“That man said he wanted Shooting Star,” Amara sneered. “Why don’t we just let him have her?”
“Something seems familiar about her,” Darien shook his head. “Besides, we don’t know the whole story.”
“I googled ‘Shooting Stars’ on the internet,” Amy said. “They are a group that appeared several years ago to fight some strange enemy. After they defeated the enemy they have stuck around and have helped out in natural disasters.”
“Darien is right,” Serena said. “They are so powerful. Even though there are eight of us and only seven of them, they were the ones to defeat him. What could we do against them?”
“You underestimate yourself, Sailor Moon,” Shooting Star said in a quiet voice as she opened the sliding door. When the Sailor Scouts jumped to their feet and got ready to fight she added, “Peace. We come only to return something and to ask a favor.” The female worriers didn’t relax from their fighting stance but they didn’t attack either.
“Darien.” Shooting Star stopped and began again, “Prince Darien, guardian of Earth, I believe these belong to you.” She withdrew the sward from her side, still sheathed and the medallion from around her neck. “I don’t know how they came to be in my possession.” She knelt on the ground and presented them to him in outstretched arms. Her team knelt behind her.
Darien stepped forward and took them. When he looked at the sword he recognized its hilt. “Jackie?”
“Shooting Star looked up and smiled. Then the uniforms that covered her and her friends dissolved to leave them in normal cloths.
“Jackie?” Amara asked in amazement. “Chris?”
“We are sorry to have deceived you,” Jackie bowed her head.
“You don’t have to kneel,” Darien laughed and he raised them to their feet.
“How long have you known who we are?” Lita asked.
“Since the time we saw Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask fight in a park next to the lake,” Chris responded.
“I believe Sailor Mars turned the weed into ashes,” Jackie smiled as she looked at Rae. “I had felt your energy earlier that day.” The team led down their guards and allowed their energy to fill the room.
Rae gasped. “You’re the energy I sensed! But it vanished so quickly. If it hadn’t been so strong I might have thought I imagined it.”
“I was able to follow the energy to a table of five girls. I knew that you could sense our energy also so I quickly masked it.”
“But it was so quick. I barely had time to acknowledge it.”
“With time come experience and quick reflexes.”
“How long have you been Shooting Stars?” Michelle asked.
“Oh,” Chris thought. “How old were we?”
“We were just starting high school,” Kit answered. “I was 15.”
“That’s right,” Chris smiled. “I had just turned 16.”
The others replied the same. Jackie finished by saying that she had been 16. “So that would be about nine years ago.”
“That long?” Amy asked. “We haven’t been Sailor Scouts nearly half that long.”
“Yet,” Jackie smiled down at Serena and her friends, “you are so young. I can’t even imagine fighting before the time that I did.”
“But you’re so powerful,” Mina said.
“Yeah, the way you took care of those instruments,” Lita added.
“Time and experience,” Jackie smiled. “You are more powerful than you realize. I can feel your potential. It is just waiting to be released.
“Now,” Chris smiled, “if we are going to be working together than we get to know each others’ names. Not our everyday . . .”
“Who said we are going to work together?” Amara asked, her temper boiling to the surface.
“Could you have beaten the instruments last night?” Kit asked as his temper flared.
“Kit,” Jackie rebuked, “that was not appropriate.”
“But he’s right,” Serena smiled. “You were the ones who set me free after the Scouts had tried everything.”
“Please forgive me for taking so long,” Jackie turned her eyes down. “It took a while for me to think of a way to set you free without harming you more.”
“I am grateful to you,” Serena smiled. “I suppose you know our Scout names.”
“We’ve had some practice,” Kim smiled shyly.
“Ours might be a little more difficult,” Jackie smiled and her armor appeared. Her friends followed. “You can call us by the color of our masks except for mine, for obvious reasons.”
“Or you can learn the names we chose,” Chris smiled. “I am called White Star, or simply Star.”
“Call me Morning Star,” Kim smiled.
“I chose the name of Ray,” Kit responded. “I did not get the name from you. It was simply better than Sunshine.” Kit’s friends laughed.
“I’m Death Star,” Sky nodded.
“I’m Forest,” Marie followed
“Dewy,” Brandon said.
“And I am Shooting Star,” Jackie finished. They waited a few minutes in silence then they released their powers to appear once again in normal cloths.
“Who is that guy who keeps appearing and why does he want you?” Amy asked.
“I can answer those questions with one answer. I don’t know,” Jackie sighed. Then she looked at Rae. “I do know that he won’t be attaching anytime soon. I hurt him pretty badly. I’d like to ask a favor. I’d like to use your sacred fire.”
“You’re a Priestess?”
“I have certain abilities. I usually don’t use fire but maybe it will assist me in understanding my dreams.”
“You’ve never said anything about dreams,” Chris accused.
“I didn’t want to worry you. I can’t seem to understand them. Chris, when you were leader, before I came, you kept secrets.”
“That doesn’t mean you have to keep secrets too,” Kim said. “We’re your friends.”
“We are engaged to be married,” Chris pleaded. “We can’t keep secrets from each other.”
“Alright! Enough, I’ll tell you,” Jackie sighed. Then she told them about the battle and the voices.
“That sounds like the battle I saw in the fire,” Rae said. Then she explained about her vision.
“I still don’t understand,” Jackie sighed.
“Let me show you to the fire.”
Rae led them all to the sacred fire and they sat down. Jackie approached the high flames and sat down to meditate. A long time passed.
“This doesn’t feel right,” Jackie sighed.
“Why don’t we get a little of all the elements like that one time,” Marie suggested, referring to a time in their past. “Could we search your house and bring items here?” Rae nodded.
The friends went out of the room and came back with different items. Marie held a bonze tree, Sky some dead grass, Brandon brought a dish of water, Kim brought in a small apple flower, and Chris brought in a mother cat with her kittens. Kit’s element was the fire in the center of the room. The team circled around the fire as Jackie sat down to meditate.
Almost instantly all who were in the room were transported to float above a battle. A loving mother ushered two small girls away as the father went out to battle.
“But I want to stay and fight,” the older girl whined.
“You must get the little princess back to the Moon Kingdom and her mother. Princess Serena must live for the Silver Kingdom to survive. You’ll protect her, won’t you?”
“Yes, Mother.”
“That’s me down there,” Serena cried as the two girls transported to the moon and the others fallowed them. “I’m just a toddler.”
As they arrived on the moon Queen Serenity was there, waiting for them. She brought the tow girls into a hug and then a planet far away exploded.
“I remember,” Jackie whispered in shock as one of the girls cried out to her mother and father. “I blamed myself for not being there.” Queen Serenity held the young girl to her as she struggled to get home.
“That’s right,” Michelle said. “There was a 10th planet, Meteoras. They were strong and mediators between the inner and outer planets and with Earth. In history we were taught that in a great battle the planet exploded to leave the meteor belt behinds as a shield.”
The scene changed again. They were looking down at two older children, a boy and a girl.
“I remember this,” Darien laughed. “We were childhood friends. I remember the day you came to see Father. It wasn’t long after the explosion in the sky. Father and Mother took you in and raised you as their own child. Mother always wanted a girl. Yet you wouldn’t allow anyone to call you princess.”
“I wasn’t a princess any longer.”
“You became a worrier,” Darien said as they saw an older Prince Darien and Jackie spar, “even though Mother did her best to make you a lady.”
“I was born a worrier,” Jackie said, still in shock. “And who said I’m not a lady?”
Darien laughed as the seine changed again. “You left to make good relations with the other parts of Earth. In everything you did you were a Meteorasin, even an ambassador. You were gone a long time.” The seine change again. “You came back with your own small army. Friends you made from around the world.”
“Ha!” Kit exclaimed. “I knew we’d come into this.” Everyone laughed.
“We were still friends,” Darien continued. “You had continued your training and had became very good. Beryl attacked Earth before she attacked the moon.”
The seine shifted again to show a great battle. Malecite attacked Prince Darien who only tried to defend. Just as Malecite was to strike a killing blow Jackie came in and countered it. They fought for a time and Jackie beat him back. The rest of the Shooting Stars entered the room just as both Malecite’s sword and Jackie’s sword shattered. Malecite retreated from the room.
“You saved my life. Malecite was my best general and you beat him. I gave you my Father’s sword to replace the one that broke. I also knew that Beryl had her eye on the moon. She had her eye on it from the beginning and wanted us all to attack it. That is where the conflict on Earth started,” Darien sighed. “I had fallen in love with their princess and I wanted to protect her. But Earth needed winning back.”
“Yes,” Jackie smiled. “I told you to go save your love and I would win back your kingdom for you. The medallion you gave me was your families crest and with it I could command the armies that were still loyal to you.”
The vision faded and they were back in the temple.
“You’re a Sailor Scout,” Serena cheered.
“I would have been,” Jackie shook her head. “When Meteoras was destroyed so were the powers. That explains who I am and I’ll bet anything that the evil we’re up against is the one who destroyed my home.”
“That’s not quite right,” a voice said behind them. Rini had come into the room and Sailor Pluto appeared in her ball.
“I wondered when you were going to appear,” Jackie smiled a greeting.
“Hello, Princess Jacqueline,” Sailor Pluto greeted, and Jackie scowled. “Your parents and the solders of your planet caused the planets self-destruction to protect you and Princess Serena. The battle has continued to keep the enemy trapped in the void between the remaining pieces of Meteoras.”
There was silence for a few minutes of silence.
“I need to think,” Jackie sighed. She got up and walked out of the room without looking at anyone.
“Jackie,” Serena called after her and began to fallow. Darien held out his hand to stop her and shook his head. In his other hand he still held the sword and medallion. He looked down at them.
“I take it that Jackie is an orphan.”
Her friends nodded. “She was orphaned as an infant,” Chris said
“A whole other life,” Michelle whispered. “That is a lot for anyone to take in.”
The week went by quickly and classes had begun. Between Japanese and martial arts there wasn’t a lot of time to worry. Jackie quickly became her cheerful self, although discussion never went to the vision they all had. Jackie, Chris, Serena, and Darien spent a lot of time together while the other Shooting Stars and the Sailor Scouts got to know each other. Amy and Brandon played chess while Kim and Mina shopped. Marie and Michelle simply talked and got along with each other easily. Kit enjoyed his time with Lita as they sparred. Most of the times he won but when Rae joined her they laughed as they clobbered him. Sky sometimes fought Amara. They were pretty evenly matched, although Amara was slightly better with a sword while Sky was better with hand to hand. Most of the time the two groups of friends played together and they quickly became one group of friends.
It was two weeks later, while Chris, Jackie, Darien, and Serena were walking by the lake late at night, when the next attack came. Screams, then silence, erupted from the direction they had come. Without a word Jackie and Chris transformed. Darien and Serena quickly followed. Together they ran to where they knew the next battle would be.
As they reached the clearing they were surprised to see giant fish with tritons in their fins. Three people lay on the ground and a fourth cowered next to the lake. A fish advanced on her.
Shooting Star was disgusted. She sent a colorful spear of energy at it and the fish exploded and covered them in fish pieces.
“I smell like fish,” Serena complained.
“Sorry,” Shooting Star apologized as she saw the girl retreat to safety.
“So,” the man appeared in the sky. He had a bandage still around his chest. “You’ve decided to work together.”
“How dare you,” Sailor Moon started. She wasn’t able to finish as the fish worriers took on the battle.
The four of them had a tough time at it with so many fish. Shooting Star and White Star fought to keep the fish back while Tuxedo Mask protected Sailor Moon and Sailor moon rand and dodged. None of them had time to gather energy to attack.
“Shooting Star,” Tuxedo Mask called. As Shooting Star looked back at him, he threw a sword to her. She caught it and looked back at him.
“This is yours,” she said.
“No,” he replied. “I gave it to you. Use it well.”
Shooting Star smiled and she did use it well. Five of the fish surrounding her were cut in half. As quick as she could she fought to reach Sailor Moon. It wasn’t long after Shooting Star got her sword that several different kinds of energy ripped through the fish and they were covered again, this time with some of the blasted peaces cooked.
“Annoying pests,” the man in the sky sneered. “I am using too much energy fighting like this.”
Death Star looked up at him and had a sudden idea. He whispered it to Sailor Uranus. As the discussion went on it was interrupted by a loud rumble. Tuxedo Mask and Shooting Star grabbed their chests and sank to their knees. The others had just begun to call their names when the ground gave a sudden jerk and Sailor Moon was thrown away from the others.
“Sailor Moon,” everyone cried, except for Shooting Star and Tuxedo Mask who gasped. Sailor Moon had fallen at the feet of two fish that grabbed her arms and forced her to stand.
“I got a lot of energy out of this weakling. Perhaps if I suck her dry I will be able to free myself.”
“Give her back,” Shooting Star gasped as she struggled to her feet.
“I wasn’t expecting you to sink to the ground like your prince,” he said as he looked down at Tuxedo Mask, who also got to his feet. “You’ve been a guardian of this planet too long.” Again the ground shook and the pain in the chests of Tuxedo Mask and Shooting Star returned. Tuxedo Mask sank to his knees but Shooting Star fought to stay up.
“If you want your princess back,” the man said. “I will be waiting for you tomorrow right her, Shooting Star. Come alone if you don’t want her back dead.” Then he was gone with Sailor Moon.
“No!” Tuxedo Mask cried. “Serena.”
“Darien,” Rae called as she rushed over to his side.
Chris stepped to Jackie’s side but the others hung back. Jackie stepped away from Chris and knelt down beside Darien. He was about to say something but stopped as Jackie placed a hand on his chest. The pain left Daren.
“How did you . . ?”
“It’s a gift,” she smiled. “Let’s meet tomorrow at Rae’s temple.”
“But,” Rae began and then looked up at Jackie who quickly averted her eyes.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect her,” Jackie said and walked away.
“Aren’t you going to fallow her?” Amara asked as none of the friends moved.
“This is a decision only she can make,” Chris replied. “We all could use some rest. Come on.” Chris’ friends fallowed him with their heads down. The others also left in different directions.