Subject: [FFML] [SM][FANFIC] Adventures of the Chibi-Scouts II Part 6
From: Douglas Helm
Date: 4/8/2000, 6:56 PM
To: ffml@fanfic.com

Adventures of the Chibi-Scouts II
By "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl and Doug "Candle Light Author" Helm


Those characters that are original and the story "Adventures of the
Chibi-Scouts II" are copyrighted (c) 2000 by Will Wolfshohl & Douglas
Helm.

This story and our other Sailor Moon stories reside at
http://rivendell.fortunecity.com/traveller/861/

Send comments to: "Tuxedo" Will Wolfshohl (wwolfshohl@logicon.com) or
Douglas "Candle Light Author" Helm (dhelm@log.on.ca)


Part 6  "Donning New Masks"

       Serena sat at her desk in a first grade classroom at Southside
Elementary School. While the teacher took attendance, she regarded her
classmates. All her friends except for Raye were present. Something
seemed odd though. Serena couldn't help but wonder why Carrie was giving
her such strange looks. It appeared that Mina's friend was trying her
best not to giggle. Others were looking at her oddly too. Or was it her
imagination?
       "Amy Anderson?" the teacher asked.
       "Here," Amy replied sullenly.
       <I wonder what's wrong with Ames?> Serena had noticed Amy was in
an unusually foul mood when she came to school and had kept mostly to
herself. Lita had been puzzled.
       The teacher had gone through a few more names and was already
into the C's before Lita realized it. "Hey, what about me?!" Lita
demanded. Carrie finally burst into a fit of giggles.
       The teacher at this point lowered her clipboard and looked in
the direction in which the voice had come from. "Not again!" she sighed
expansively, "And Serena too... Why am I not surprised?"
       <Huh?> Serena wondered. The other children giggled at this
point. <What's so funny?!> Even before she could demand to be let in on
the joke, there was a quick knock at the door before it opened.
       "Excuse me. Have you seen..." began the male teacher who had
entered the room. The first one pointed towards where Serena was sitting
with her friends. "Both of them? Come on, girls." He didn't seem
particularly amused. All the children had wide smiles.
       "But... but..." Lita began.
       "Lita Anderson, Serena Tsukino, come with me now."
       The two children shared a look with their friends, got up, and
headed for the door. "What about Amy?" Lita questioned.
       "She isn't in your class," the teacher answered.
       <Sounds like he's told her that before,> Serena thought.
Happily, she discovered that she wasn't in as much hot water as she had
first thought although it still irked her that Carrie hadn't mentioned
anything. <I think it's nice Lita wanting to be with Amy.> She did feel
a little sorry for her brunette friend though.


       It was about mid-morning when Diana and Artemis walked through
the park. "LUNA!" Diana called out, "LUNA!!!!"
       "Where is she?" Artemis asked, a worried look on his face. "We
have to find her." What if a dog's gotten her?
       "Don't worry, Artemis. We'll find her."
       "I know you will, Diana. You're the best!"
       Diana gave her father a genuine smile before continuing her
search. "Shhh..." she said a few moments later. They stopped and
listened. "I hear something." They stood still and listened carefully.
The wind rustled the trees but aside from that, the only noises were
those of the people and the city.
       "Luna?" Artemis asked. He sniffed the air. He could smell
something familiar.
       "GOT YOU!" Luna declared as she sprung from behind them. She
pounced on Diana, causing Artemis to mew in alarm.
       "Luna!" Diana hissed sternly, "Where were you?!"
       "I took a snooze," Luna replied, "Then I followed you guys
around for half an hour." She grinned. To observe them looking for her
while she was always behind them had been quite satisfying. <Diana
thinks she's so high and mighty.>
       "Don't you ever do that again," Diana scolded.
       "Don't you ever do that again," Luna mimicked.
       Diana went forward and nipped Luna on the ear. Much to her
surprise, Luna growled deeply in her throat and unsheathed her claws.
"Luna, I honestly don't know what's gotten into you lately. You were
never like this before. Maybe Serena's mommy should take you to the vet.
Now let's go."
       "No."
       Diana moved to give Luna another nip but the kitten swiped at
her with her claws. "You ungrateful little monster!" Luna growled, "I
give birth to you and this is all the thanks I get?!?"
       "Luna, don't be mean. Diana only..."
       "Oh grow up, Artemis, and get a backbone. You let her treat you
like she's your mother or something."
       "Diana's really smart 'n' nice 'n' takes care of everybody,"
Artemis countered. Luna muttered something acidic about that argument.
       "Luna, we have work to do. Now come along," Diana demanded.
       "I'm going home," Luna replied, "Remember I'm your mother and
don't you forget it." Turning her back, she stalked down the path, tail
high in the air and twitching angrily.


       At about the same time that Diana and Artemis were walking
through the park, Serena was skipping across the playground at school
during recess. Lita had gone off to talk with Amy and Mina was busy
leading a game of pretend Chibi-Scouts. Serena didn't really feel like
playing. She wanted to see how Reenie was fairing.
       Spotting the older girl standing beside Melissa, she ran over
and chirped brightly, "Hiya Big Sister!"
       <Oh no... Can't Reenie ever get rid of this little brat?>
Melissa wondered. It seemed Serena always wanted to hang around with her
pink haired friend. The little girl was cute and all but, she was just a
baby first grader.
       "Serena, what are ya doing here?" Reenie asked looking antsy.
       "I came to say hi."
       "Well, okay you did. Now get lost."
       "Wha-?" Serena was taken aback by Reenie's abrupt manner.
       "I'm... busy," Reenie snapped. <Please go away, Serena. You
can't hang with me now.>
       "Doin' what?"
       "Look, I'm just way busy now. Go play with your friends."
       "But I came to talk to you," Serena pouted, "And you ARE my
friend, aren't ya Reenie?"
       "Don't you say it," she warned Melissa who had an evil grin on
her face. <I have to get rid of her or I'll never hear the end of it.>
She was having a hard enough time with that bully spreading tales around
school about her. Shouldn't the older Serena be able to take the hint?
       "Reenie, maybe you should go play with your little friends,"
Melissa teased, "Just like in the park yesterday." She giggled as Reenie
growled.
       "Serena, you really shouldn't be over here." Reenie pleaded with
her eyes, <Come on, Big Sister, don't make me...>
       "Why?" Serena asked with a pout and then said, "Aren't you my
friend?" Her blue eyes looked pleadingly up at Reenie. <What's wrong?>
       Reenie glanced around and noticed that she was starting to
become the center of attention for her other classmates. "No, I'm not.
I'm just your cousin. Anyway, who'd wanna hang 'round with a little baby
like you?!" <Please don't cry!> Serena looked like she was about to do
just that but managed to contain it. <Why don't you just leave?>
       "But you wanted to talk 'fore," Serena whined, meaning earlier
that morning.
       "That was just a gag. You're such a dumb little kid," Reenie
told her but winced internally. Turning to Melissa, she explained, "Ya
see, Mel, I told her this crazy story last night and she really fell for
it. You should have seen her!" She tried to make herself chuckle at the
thought.
       "Why you..." Serena's face had gone from teary-eyed confusion to
indignant rage.
       "Look, you little spore," Reenie hissed, throwing all caution to
the wind, "Just take a hike!"
       "YOU TRICKED ME!" Serena howled with rage, "Not just last night
but when you went to Melissa's! You FIBBED to me!"
       "You wouldn't leave me alone," Reenie retorted with a shrug. <Oh
Serena, just go away.>
       "I... I..." Serena began.
       "I... I..." Reenie imitated.
       "Why you..."
       "Why you..." Reenie repeated. This time adding the hand
gestures. Melissa thought this was funny and Reenie suddenly realized
that if she kept it up, Serena would take off.
       After a few more exchanges, Serena's nostrils flared with anger,
her hands were clenched in little fists, and she glared balefully at
Reenie. "I should get big and punish you!"
       "Yeah how?" Melissa demanded through her laughter. Reenie,
however, had stopped looking smug. "A magic wand?"
       Serena gave a nod of her head and replied, "Yep!" An image of
Reenie over little Serena's knee being spanked formed in Melissa's head.
This just caused the older girl to double over laughing even harder.
Reenie, on the other hand, had grown pale. "Reenie..."
       "JUST GO AWAY!" Reenie shouted at the top of her lungs.
       "Fine," Serena snarled while turning around and stomping back
across the playground and her fellow first graders.


       Lita had found Amy leaning up against a tree. The blue haired
girl was looking at the ground. She didn't say anything when Lita came
towards her, although she shied away from her slightly.
       "Sis," Lita began after several minutes of silence, "I'm sorry."
She didn't know what for but she thought it was best to apologize. "I
wish you were in my class."
       "Me too," Amy said and then regarded her sister, "Mina's nice
but it's hard to concentrate when she's making faces at me." Lita
giggled. Mina had always struck Amy as the bouncy type and she had been
extra bouncy that morning because Carrie hadn't been angry with her.
       "Did I say something wrong?"
       Amy sighed a little and asked, "Do you really think I'm stuffy?"
When Lita shifted uncomfortably, she sighed. <Everyone thinks I just
care about good grades. They're important though and I still want to be
a doctor...> She looked down at the ground. <But up until I met Serena
and the others, I didn't have any friends. Even now, I don't really fit
in. I don't understand them sometimes. How can Serena be so carefree
with such strict parents? And Mina...> She looked at Lita and sighed.
<Lita can fit in.... even Raye, who's so serious, can.> "Why can't I?"
       "Can't you what?" Lita asked softly.
       Straightening a little, Amy looked at Lita and explained, "It's
just... you were talking about me being such a bookworm."
       "I'm sorry about that, Ames. I didn't think it bothered you that
much." Lita gave Amy a one armed hug and added, "I didn't mean anything
by it."
       "But I am, aren't I?" Even before Lita could answer this, Amy
looked towards the ground again and confessed, "But I was a little
jealous of you, Lita."
       "Me?!?" Amy nodded. "Why?"
       "I'm so used to it just being Mom and I... I guess I got a
little annoyed that I had to share that time with her."
       "I was worried about that," Lita admitted. <I knew I spend too
much time over there.> She would remedy that on their return.
       "No, I meant our mom here." Lita appeared surprised but Amy just
smiled a little. "I was willing to stay here before, Lita, just because
I could start over again with you as my sister. I'm not saying my old
life's bad but... I enjoy having Mom around much more. And I like not
having to be alone so much."
       "I like it too, Sis," Lita replied, "I wouldn't take your mom
away. Maybe I can get her to pay more attention to you." Amy smiled a
little. "I wouldn't want you to become like Serena... but I get worried
that you're pushing yourself too hard."
       "HEY!" Mina called, "You two look sour, come 'n' play!"
       "Okay," Lita urged, "Come on, Amy."
       "No... I need some time to think." Lita shrugged and bounded
over to the others.
       Amy was just starting to ponder what Lita had said when she
heard someone come up beside her. Turning, she saw that it was Serena.
"Hi, what's the matter?" Serena seemed very upset, nearly in tears.
       "Nothing... everything. Amy, Reenie knows I'm back." For the
moment, Amy pushed her own problems off to the side.


       By the time they were done eating lunch, both Amy and Serena
were in better moods. Amy had also managed to tell Mina and, more
covertly, Lita that Reenie knew that Serena was the elder version. She
had been careful in telling her sister because both she and Lita had
agreed to keep up the ruse of Lita being the current universe's original
rather than the teen. Lita had been shocked when Amy suggested it but
they both thought it would be funny.
       "So there really is a Sailor V?" Carrie questioned as they
prepared for their usual game of pretend Scouts.
       "Yeah, she's really great!" Serena confirmed and shot Mina a
winning smile.
       "I thought Mina was just makin' it up." Mina shot Carrie a dirty
look but the little girl didn't see it. "So, you can be Sailor Moon."
       Serena considered this for a few moments and then grinned, "Nah,
you can be Sailor Moon if you wanna." It did feel pretty good that
Carrie admired Sailor Moon that much.
       "What?!" Mina demanded. She was looking suspiciously at her
pigtailed friend.
       "Carrie can be Sailor Moon. I know she really likes her."
       "Yeah!" Carrie cheered. While she was surprised that Serena knew
about this Sailor V character, she was still more comfortable assuming
the role of her favorite heroine.
       "So who are you gonna be? You make a really bad Sailor Mars."
Carrie quickly covered her mouth. Her mommy told her that she wasn't
supposed to say bad things about others, especially friends. "Sorry."
       "No prob, Carrie. I'm gonna be the bad guy," Serena answered
smugly.
       "Eh...?!"
       "I'm gonna be the bad girl then," Serena amended while rolling
her eyes.
       "Jeez..." Carrie giggled. Serena always played a Scout.
       "You can't," Mina countered. <What are you doing?!>
       "Why not?"
       "'Cause... Just 'cause you can't."
       "You're not my mommy." Carrie giggled even more at this
response.
       "But... but..." Mina could see her glorious victory going into
ruins. She glanced between the other kids and Serena before sighing.
"Okay, what bad girl are you gonna be?"
       "Who else? Queen Beryl." Mina shuddered. Not only was she going
to lose but also she was going to lose big time; she could just tell.
Serena just smiled. Sometimes revenge came in very mysterious ways.


       Having eaten lunch and not really feeling inclined to
participate in Mina's games, Amy and Lita wandered together over to
where a cluster of "younger" kids (around their age) were. As they
approached the group, they realized that the younger kids were listening
to an older kid describing something exciting. He had to be older than
Reenie; he was definitely larger.
       "Were ya scared?" asked a little boy almost in awe.
       "Nah, ghosts don't scare me," the older kid boasted.
       "Ghosts?" Lita questioned, "Where?"
       "The old Johnston place. You know somebody died there."
       "Really?" a girl Lita recognized from her class asked. The
little girl, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Amy's swimming buddy
Kimmy, seemed quite impressed at his bravery.
       "I don't believe it," Lita commented loudly enough for the other
kids to here.
       "It was an old woman. A mean 'n' nasty witch. Now she comes
around at night." Lita gave a little snort but the other kids shivered.
"I poked that old ghost right in the nose." He did a punching motion in
the air with his right arm.
       "Oh yeah?" Lita challenged.
       "Yeah." He turned and gave Lita an annoyed look. "You don't
believe me, huh little girl?"
       "No," Lita bragged, "Ghosts don't scare me." She had fought her
share of scary creatures as a Sailor Scout.
       "Oh yeah?"
       "Yeah!" Lita stated, "You're just making it up."
       "Am not."
       "He wouldn't fib," the Kimmy clone interjected.
       Lita ignored her and asked, "Then what it look like?"
       "You know... It was a ghost?"
       "Like in cartoons? With a sheet?" a second grade boy asked.
       "Maybe his friend," Lita said sarcastically and gave the older
boy an evil grin.
       "No!" the older kid snapped with some irritation.
       "So, it wasn't a ghost then?" Lita prodded.
       "Of course, it was!"
       <I got him on the ropes... Now for the kill.> "What it look
like?"
       The older kid looked worried for a moment like he was about to
say "like a ghost" again but he seemed to change his mind. Grinning, he
suggested, "Well, if you want to see, go 'n' look for yourself."
       "Yeah!" Lita blinked because she hadn't said that. Turning, she
noticed Amy looking directly up at the braggart. "My sister ain't 'fraid
of nothing," she boasted. Lita wasn't sure what surprised her more, that
Amy was standing up to this creep or that she wasn't speaking properly.
       "Then go there."
       "'Kay," Lita accepted. "When?" The older kid hesitated.
       Grinning, Amy stated, "You're just making this up, ain't ya?"
       "Am not," he glared at her. "She comes at eight tonight." Out of
the corner of her eye, Lita saw Amy raise an eyebrow. "You gonna go
see... or are ya too chicken?"
       "I'm in," Lita responded.
       "Me too!" Amy added and put an arm around her sister, "No ghost
scares us." This caused a stir among the other younger children while
the older one sneered.
       "Okay then." He looked quite surprised by their quick
acceptance. "She wears this funny hat. Bring it tomorrow, LITTLE girls,
IF ya even go there." Turning, he walked away laughing. He knew they'd
never go.
       "Little snot," Amy muttered to herself.
       "Are you sure about this, Ames?" Lita asked wondering what she'd
gotten herself into.
       "Aren't ya scared?" one girl asked Amy.
       "Nah, he's just making it up."
       "But he said he beat it up," the brown haired girl added.
       "But I saw it," a boy countered, "It was this big." He indicated
the size. "And it had claws 'n'..."
       Amy turned away from the ensuing discussion and started walking
towards the school building. Lita quickly caught up and walked along
side. "Come on, Amy, you can't be serious."
       "Why not?" Amy questioned sharply.
       "We'll get caught," Lita pointed out.
       "Then don't go."
       "I'm not chicken."
       "So?" Amy asked.
       "You really want to do this?"
       "I said I'd go," Amy declared. "Why?"
       "Okay, Sis, but we'd better not tell the others. Serena would
wanna come too and Reenie wouldn't let us. And Mina'd go rushing off and
wanna do something heroic."
       Amy grinned. "Sounds like fun, Sis. So when do we leave?" Lita
was having a hard time believing the change that had come over Amy.
Behind them, a little girl with brown hair and green eyes looked after
Amy sadly and wondered what had happened to her friend.


       Carrie tapped Serena on the shoulder and waited for her to turn
around. "You comin' to my classroom again?" One of her classmates
snickered at this.
       "No," Serena replied simply and blushed.
       "Were ya playin' a joke?" Carrie asked.
       "I followed Lita." Carrie blinked at this. "I wanna be with my
friends." It seemed only natural.
       "But you never done this 'fore, Serena," one boy countered.
       "Yeah, she did," a girl giggled remembering an incident in
kindergarten.
       Serena shrugged helplessly. She really couldn't understand their
puzzlement. She had simply followed her friends but now that she knew,
she would ensure to remember not to follow Amy and Mina into class.
       "You comin' with me, Sis?" Serena heard Amy say as Amy and Lita
approached where she, Carrie, and the others were standing.
       "No," Lita answered, "I want to, though."
       "Don't you like me anymore, Lita?" Serena asked with a pout
looking incredibly cute.
       "Don't be silly, Serena," Lita replied, "Teacher said he'd tell
Mommy if I went with Amy anymore."
       "Oh yeah... I forgot."
       "So that's why you came to class," Carrie remarked as if she had
just gained new insight into something mysterious.
       "Huh?" the three Scouts asked.
       "Serena's always forgettin' stuff," Carrie explained, "She musta
forgot what class she s'pposed to be in." Serena bristled internally at
this implication but before she could say anything, the bell rang and
they were called back to class.


       Reenie sat in acute embarrassment in front of the principal's
office after her class ended for the day. The wooden bench beneath her
was just as hard as she had imagined it would be. <I'm gonna be in soooo
much trouble... But what'd I do wrong?> She had been summoned to the
principal's office. <I know I kept worrying about Serena but I didn't
think I was that bad.> It was one thing to be sent to the principal's
office, it was quite another thing to be called to it.
       A voice to her right startled her. "Ah, Miss Tsukino." Reenie
turned to see the principal looking down at her. "Won't you come in?"
She stepped to the side and motioned for Reenie to enter her office.
       "Yes Ma'am," Reenie said softly and nervously got up from the
bench and entered the principal's office. She shuffled over to stand in
front of the principal's desk and looked at the ground.
       "Reenie," it had an amused air about it, "Do you think you're in
trouble?" Reenie lifted her head enough to look at the principal and
nodded solemnly. "Well, you're not, so quit looking like you are."
Reenie was both surprised and relieved by this. Straightening, she
looked around the room with some interest now. She had only been in here
once before, when she had first come to this school. "That's better. Now
why did you think you were in trouble?"
       The little girl shrugged and then realized that wouldn't do so
she confessed, "'Cause I already am with my little cousin." The older
woman's mouth quirked into a smile. "And nobody gets called in here
unless it's somethin' really bad."
       "Well, let me tell you why I called you down here." Reenie,
having realized she wasn't facing her doom, had allowed her curiosity to
build. "You know we're having the K through three bake sale this
Friday?"
       "Yea Ma'am." She planned to help her aunt make the goodies!
       "We thought it might be helpful to have a student host and
hostess."
       "What?" Reenie asked puzzled.
       "It's someone to greet people when they arrive," the principal
explained, "We'd like you to do that job."
       "Me?!?" Reenie hadn't expected this at all. "But why?" The
principal just smiled at her. Ten minutes later, she exited and shut the
door before sighing loudly. <Not as bad as I thought. I havta keep it a
secret 'til tomorrow though.> That meant she couldn't tell Serena. But
she carried a note and a permission slip for her aunt to sign. Tucking
it into her backpack, she hurried out to meet Serena and the others.
       "What took you so long?" Serena asked when Reenie ran up to them
where they were waiting by the entrance, "Carrie's already left."
       "Mrs. Tsukino will be worried," Lita added.
       "Then come on," Reenie instructed and started herding the girls
out the school gate and down the street towards home.
       "So why were ya late?" Serena asked again.
       "None of your bee's wax!" Reenie snapped. <Why can't she just
stop asking questions for once!> The other girls gave her shocked looks.
Serena though, looked like she was about to cry again and a moment
later, did just that.


       Ellen was waiting for them when they arrived at the Tsukino
home. "Where were you?" she asked, "You know you're supposed to come
straight home after school."
       "We had to wait for Reenie, Mommy," Serena said. The others
nodded. Reenie just stood silently looking at the ground.
       "Well Raye's already here. She's been..." Before Ellen could
finish, Raye ran out of the house babbling excitedly. Smiling, she told
them, "Go on, girls, and play."
       "'Kay Mommy," Serena replied and let herself, along with Lita,
be dragged into the Tsukino home by Raye. Mina and even Amy grinned at
this and skipped in after their friends.
       "Whoa there," Ellen said when she noticed Reenie trying to sneak
around her. "So why were you late, Reenie?"
       "I wasn't late, Aunt Ellen," Reenie argued.
       "Serena said she had to wait for you. Are you saying she
fibbed?" For the briefest of moments, Reenie considered saying that
Serena had fibbed and she had to go looking for them but shook it off.
       "No," the little girl replied and unslung her backpack. Trying
not to bounce in excitement, she rummaged through it for a moment before
producing the permission slip and the note. "Ya gotta sign it." Mrs.
Tsukino took the both before hustling her into the house. Once the door
was closed, she unfolded it and started reading.
       Reenie shifted from foot to foot bouncing with contained energy
as her aunt read the note from the principal. However, when something
small and furry brushed up against her leg, she nearly jumped out of her
skin. Looking down, she observed it was Diana. She reached down, scooped
up the gray kitten, who was looking very worried, and held her close.
       "That's very good, Reenie. I'm very proud of you," her aunt
remarked while smiling at the young girl. "But you had such a long face
when you got home."
       "Serena's mad at me," Reenie confessed, "She wanted to hang
around with me 'n' Melissa. And the principal didn't want me to say
nothing 'til tomorrow and Serena got mad at me 'cause I wouldn't tell
her why I was late."
       Ellen reached down and gave Reenie a big hug, "Serena doesn't
understand sometimes, Reenie. She still loves you."
       Reenie returned her aunt's hug and asked, "Yeah, I know... Aunt
Ellen, can I go over to Melissa's?"
       "Yes," Ellen decided then patted her niece on the head, "But
don't be too long."
       "I won't," Reenie promised while hugging her aunt again.
Turning, she placed Diana on her head and bounded up the stairs. The
pink haired girl didn't even slow down when she passed Serena's room
although she could hear all of the little girls giggling and chatting
with each other about different things.
       When she got to her room, Diana jumped from her head and blurted
out, "Luna's a Negaverse agent!"
       "What?!?" Reenie demanded. <Luna?> "No way!"
       "Yes way!" Diana replied, "She scared me in the park and then
she got really mad at me and..." The kitten's voice trailed off as she
sniffled. Reenie knelt down and stroked her feline friend between the
ears.
       <Does she know? Did Luna say something?>
       "S-She... she called me a monster," Diana said thickly.
       "Diana, ya know she didn't mean it," Reenie stated soothingly,
"I'm sure she isn't from the Negaverse."
       "But you didn't see her, Small Lady," Diana countered, "And she
won't listen to me and... and..." Where could she begin? Everything had
gone very wrong since Lita's death.
       Reenie lifted the kitten up and cuddled her close. "Diana,"
Reenie reiterated, "I promise Luna isn't from the Negaverse."
       "But you didn't see her."
       "I know because Serena is back." Diana blinked and looked very
puzzled. "I mean the older Serena. The one I told you 'bout before. She
came back with her Luna."
       "They're all from the Negaverse!" Diana whined, "I want my Luna
back!"
       <This ain't gonna be easy,> Reenie thought, <And I gotta meet
Melissa too. Maybe Mel can get her parents to let me stay for supper.>
She wasn't looking forward to facing Serena any time soon but that was
another matter. "Diana, you aren't gonna like this but listen..."


       Serena shifted from one foot to another and tried not to sigh.
Lita and Raye had started out playing well enough. Raye talked about her
dolls and Lita about a toy horse she liked and of course, Serena had
shown Raye a stuffed bunny from her collection that the little girl
hadn't seen before.
       But now though, Raye and Lita were talking about ice skating.
Serena didn't mind ice skating but it was springtime. She decided they
certainly were different than the teens she knew. Making sure both girls
were busy talking with each other, Serena smoothly pulled herself away
and went over to where Mina and Amy were playing on the other side of
the room.
       "I thought I'd die of curiosity before you came over," Mina
whispered making grand gestures. Serena grinned, "So Reenie knows?"
       "Yeah," Serena replied, "She wants to know who else is here?"
       "Mina and I were just talking about that," Amy said softly. She
glanced over at Lita who gave her a wink before continuing to talk to
Raye. "I don't think we can fool her if she's looking out for us."
       "Hey!" Mina protested loudly, "I'm a great actress!" She turned
to glare at Raye who had burst into a fit of giggles.
       "So do we tell her?" Serena asked softly.
       "I think we should, but keep the others out of the way."
       "So did you find out was wrong?" Mina wondered in a lower tone
of voice.
       "Not now," Serena hissed and gave Lita a worried look, "Is Lita
normal?"
       "And just what do you mean by that?" Amy asked defensively.
       "Well, no 'fense but has she started sprouting horns or
anything?"
       "Sounds like a certain queen I know," Mina commented darkly. She
stuck out her tongue as Serena grinned at her.
       "She's perfectly normal," Amy replied, "So what's wrong with
Reenie?"
       "Not now, call me tonight," Serena told them.
       "Whatcha talkin' 'bout?" Raye inquired curiously.
       "Really mean bunnies," Mina chimed in sweetly and grinned as
Serena gave her a dark look.


       "I still don't like it, Princess," Diana told her friend. She
and Reenie were walking towards Melissa's home.
       "I told you that Luna would be okay. I'm sorry I didn't tell you
before," Reenie said with some annoyance. She only found out last night
for Pete's sake!
       "So we tell this older Serena to go away and let the regular
ones come back," Diana questioned. <I want my little Luna back.> This
older Luna was a snotty brat unlike her Luna or her mommy.
       "Ouch," Reenie squawked as Diana accidentally stuck her with a
claw.
       "Sorry, Small Lady," Diana apologized, "But every time I think
of that... that... big meanie inside my sweet gentle Luna, I just want
to..." Her claws once again unsheaved.
       "DIANA!"
       "What?!" Diana replied,
       "Sorry but you were going to scratch me again."
       Diana flushed as much as a kitten could flush. "Sorry." <But
maybe that's why Lita came back.> Something stirred within her. "Maybe
that really isn't our Lita. Maybe it's the other one."
       "Nah," Reenie said dismissively, "That's our Lita." An older
Lita could never fool Amy and Raye. But who were the others?
       "Well, I can't see them letting Her Majesty come alone."
       "Yeah, maybe, I'll ask Serena... if she's still talking to me."
       "You'll be lucky if all she does is talk to you," Diana
commented,
       "Thanks a lot," Reenie grumbled, "Now be quiet. We're almost
there."


       "So she wouldn't tell you what was wrong?"
       "Not yet," Amy said as she and Lita sat in their room. "I wish
she would though. I thought Mina was gonna burst from curiosity." She
smiled then continued, "You 'n' Raye seem to get along better here than
you do in our universe."
       "Speaking of Raye... I think Raye should come too, just in
case." Raye had experience with spirits.
       "I thought you didn't believe that snot's story."
       "I like Raye," Lita replied. Seeing the look her sister was
giving her, she sighed. "So okay, I don't think this is a good idea. I
mean I let that kid talk me into this silly thing in the first place. I
just wanted to show him up as a big phony."
       "Well don't come then, but I'm going." <I'll show them who's a
bookworm!>
       "I didn't say I wasn't going," Lita explained, "Sis, I just said
I felt silly 'cause I got suckered in." That and there was something
about this entire thing nagging at the back of her mind. "'Sides, why
are you so gung-ho about it?"
       Amy grinned, "I just wanna see the look on Serena's and Mina's
face tomorrow." She smiled and added, "Not to mention that little snot."
       "So, they still think I'm from this universe?"
       "Yeah," Amy answered with a giggle, "Serena wouldn't tell me.
I'm s'pposed to call her later but you can listen out of sight. I don't
think we can keep it up much longer though."
       "Why not?"
       "Before we left, Serena was telling me that Raye told her about
your ice skating and how the coach got mad 'cause you wouldn't do no
more advanced moves."
       "I think Raye hopes Serena can get me to teach her somehow,"
Lita giggled.
       A comfortable lull entered into their conversation and both
children spent some time just playing before their mother called them to
come and have supper.

End of Part 6

Coming next in Part 7  "Spectral Ending"



-- 
               .---Anime/Manga Fanfiction Mailing List---.
               | Administrators - ffml-admins@fanfic.com |
               | Unsubscribing - ffml-request@fanfic.com |
               |     Put 'unsubscribe' in the subject    |
               `---http://www.fanfic.com/FFML-FAQ.txt ---'