Author's Note: If you wish to comment on my story, either positively or negatively, don't hesitate to contact me at treetop@voicenet.com. Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. All references to Vulcan are the province of Gene Roddenberry and Paramount Studios. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
Across The Millennia
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Part Two: A Convergence Of Memories
Rating: PG-13
The Moon: A thousand years ago:
"Oh, mother! I'm so excited! I can't believe T'alya will soon be here!" said Princess Serena in an undignified squeal of delight to her mother as they left their private chambers and headed for the throne room. The couple's Royal Guard, the princesses of the planets Mercury, Mars, Venus and Jupiter, adorned in shimmering evening gowns walked silently ahead of them, two abreast while a dozen armored soldiers brought up the rear.
Queen Serenity gave her daughter a loving smile. "I can tell. You've been waiting for T'alya to arrive ever since Ambassador T'Lar told me she would bring her daughter along. Hopefully, the Ambassador will let her stay here."
Serena nodded. "I hope so too. Despite what you told me about how emotionally detached the Vulcan people are, I'm sure T'alya and I will become fast friends. I want that more than anything!"
"I know you do, darling." Serenity took her daughter's hand in hers and squeezed it. To the Queen, Serena was the most important person in her world, more important than even the solar system she ruled. Serena was young, beautiful, vibrant and so full of life, yet, at the same time, Serenity knew her daughter was also very lonely, though Serena never let it show on her face which always wore a smile.
Because Serena was the Princess of the Moon, and the successor to Queen Serenity, ruler of the Silver Millennium and the Milky Way system, she never had anything even remotely resembling a normal childhood. Due to her station, Serena was not allowed to have friends among the common people of the vast kingdom, or to even associate with them. Almost her entire life was spent within the vast expanse of the royal palace which Serena often viewed as a gilded prison and, as a result, she grew up mostly in solitude.
While the Guard were all Serena's age, she was not allowed to have any sort of relationship with them for fear that would detract from their duty to protect the heiress to the Moon Kingdom. Still, Serena never lacked for love, not from her mother who doted on her, not from the Guard who would gladly lay down their very lives for the Princess, and certainly not from the multitudes of people who revered her from the day she was born. But that was nowhere near enough for Serena.
However, that was about to change. Soon, Serena would have a companion. Just from holographic images she saw of T'alya, stunningly beautiful, yet always unsmiling, Serena sensed that the Vulcan girl was, in her own way, just as lonely as she herself was. Serena felt it was important for the two of them to bond. While Serena had a young man from Earth, Prince Darien whom she was in love with, she also needed a friend, someone she could talk to, someone to be with. Serena prayed with all her heart that T'alya would be her special friend.
As the royal party entered the huge reception hall, the guests, all attired in formal dress for the ceremony to welcome the Ambassador from Vulcan, bowed to them as they headed to the throne room. Once inside, Serenity sat on the throne while Serena sat next to her and the Guard flanked them on both sides. A handsome, broad shouldered, blond haired man in a dress uniform and a matching cape lined in red, a haughty, imperious look on his chiseled face approached the Queen and bowed before her. The Queen nodded in return.
"Your majesty. The Ambassador's ship has just come out of warp at the far end of the system," the man said. "I've been in contact with the flight crew. They should arrive within forty minutes."
"Thank you, Administrator Stefan. Please inform me when their ship lands," said Serenity.
Stefan bowed again. "As you command, my queen." Then he left.
"Princess Mercury. Would you be so good as to escort the Ambassador and her party here once they've arrived?"
Mercury, standing to the Queen's left nodded. "It would be an honor, Your Majesty." With a curtsey, the blue haired guardian took her leave.
At that moment, it took every last ounce of willpower Serena had to maintain her decorum and keep from rushing out after Mercury to greet the ship. After months spent waiting, Serena's eagerness to meet the Vulcan girl knew no bounds.
Please, hurry, T'alya! I can't wait to see you!
Crossroads Junior High School, present day:
The first sensation Serena had upon waking up was a monstrous, splitting headache. Her second sensation was sheer panic.
"What happened? Where am I?" she cried, bolting up from the examination table in the nurse's office. Serena frantically looked around her and saw the familiar but concerned faces of Amy, Lita and Molly. Miss Howard, the school nurse stood nearby.
"Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy, Sere! You're in the nurse's office," said Molly, clasping Serena's shoulders to keep her from jumping off the table. "How are you feeling?"
Calming down, Serena winced from her relentlessly throbbing head. "Terrible. Like someone put a jackhammer in my skull and turned it on full blast. How'd I get here anyway?"
"Someone heard a scream, then found you unconscious by a tree," said Amy. "Do you remember what happened to you?"
Serena frowned as she tried to recall the recent past, but her headache made thinking difficult. "Not much. I was talking with Talia, introducing myself to her like I promised. When the bell for class rang, I started back when I tripped and fell. Talia offered to help me up. After that, zip, nada, zilch. Did Talia go for help after I passed out?"
"No. You were alone when we found you. Talia was nowhere in sight," Lita growled, her ever present and terrible anger simmering. "Some friend she turned out to be, leaving you behind like that when you could've been hurt! I swear, the next time I see that witch, I'm gonna kick her miserable...."
"That will be quite enough, Ms. Monroe!" the nurse snapped. "In fact, it's time all of you return to class. I couldn't find anything physically wrong with Serena that could've caused her fainting spell. But, just the same, I'm sending her home for the rest of the day."
Serena tried a smile, but it turned out a grimace. "Well, I could think of easier ways of getting an afternoon off, Miss Howard, but I'll take it."
"Don't worry, Serena. I'll make sure to get all your homework assignments for this evening and bring them to you," Amy offered cheerily.
Serena pouted. "Gee, thanks, Ames. You're a real pal. I'll rap with you guys later."
"You got it, girl. Take care of yourself," said Lita as she and Amy left.
"Wait right here," the Nurse ordered Serena. "I'll be right back with a dismissal slip and something for your headache."
"Thanks." Serena closed her eyes and winced as a bolt of pain seared her brain. When she opened them, she saw Molly hadn't left and was staring at her, an openly worried look on her face.
"You gonna be okay?" she asked.
"Oh, yeah. Peachy keen."
"Liar," said Molly, her voice thick with emotion. "When I saw you carried in here by Lita, totally out cold, my heart almost stopped!"
"C'mon, Moll. I just passed out," said Serena, trying to put a jovial spin on things. But, the effort sounded weak. "It wasn't like someone shot me."
"That doesn't matter! I was scared stiff!" Molly snapped. " You know how much I worry about you! Will you be able to get home by yourself?"
Serena nodded, giving Molly a thumbs-up. "No sweat. As long as I don't have to chew gum while I walk, it'll be a snap."
Molly giggled and threw her arms around Serena's neck. "Oh, Sere! You nut! What am I gonna do with you?"
"Not much. Like you said, I'm just a goofy chick," Serena replied, hugging Molly back and enjoying how good it felt. After breaking the embrace, she gave Molly a loving smile. "Thanks for caring, Moll. That means a lot. Hey, you better get back to class before Haruna bites your head off for being late."
"Okay. I'll call you after school. 'Bye."
"'Bye."
Once Molly left, Serena was alone with her thoughts of what happened out on the lawn with Talia. She tried to figure out what caused that split second collage of memories from her first life on the Moon, and what the new girl had to do with it, but couldn't come up with any answers. The only thing Serena was certain of was that Talia was linked to her past in a very special way. Suddenly, tears filled Serena's eyes as she felt a new pain, not in her head, but in her heart as the memories caused a sharp, deep ache of longing, of absence.
"Oh, T'alya. My dearest friend. What happened to you? Where were you when I needed you most," she whispered.
"Did you say something, Serena?" asked the Nurse, returning to the table with a metal tray that had a slip of paper, a small plastic cup with two pills in it and a glass of water.
"No, ma'am," Serena replied glumly.
"Here, take these," said the Nurse, offering Serena the cup. The woman frowned at the tears trickling down Serena's cheeks. "That headache must really be bad if it's making you cry."
Serena pulled a sleeve across her eyes before accepting the cup. She downed the pills with the water, but knew it would do nothing to ease the terrible ache in her chest. "Yeah, it is."
Talia Kirk was in agony as she slumped on a park bench.
Her head pounding, Talia, her face drawn struggled to exert control and make the pain go away. Pain, she reasoned, was simply a biological function that served as an alert mechanism that the body was in distress, and that degrees of pain were dependent upon the severity of the given injury. Talia knew her body was in perfect condition as she found herself in the park which was a half mile from school. However, she had no recollection of how she got here.
Tilting her head back, Talia assumed the Lotus position, closed her eyes and took a series of long, deep breaths as she forced herself to relax and concentrate on alleviating the tremendous pain in her head. After several minutes, the pounding eased to a dull throb, then vanished altogether. Opening her eyes, Talia sighed from genuine relief. Her mind sharpening, Talia then proceeded to ponder the problem what brought on that bizarre episode with the blond girl. Serena.
Talia was puzzled as to why Serena intrigued her so. For all her innate reticence to indulge in idle conversation, Talia found talking to Serena to be rather easy, even pleasurable, as if she had done so with her many times before. Talia was especially surprised at how she so readily explained to Serena why she was here in Tokyo, something she never even told her foster parents back home about. And while Talia found personal contact with strangers irritating, she actually enjoyed the closeness she felt with Serena.
A frown creased Talia's face as she then thought about the memories that cascaded through her mind's eye when she clasped Serena's hand. Memories of a different place and time, a time so very long ago. Talia searched those memories but could piece together nothing significant, other than how familiar Serena was to her, that she had seen her before in that far away place. Something told Talia that Serena was very important to her.
"My friend. She was my friend," Talia said in a strange, alien tongue.
And those words brought more memories rushing into her mind....
The Moon: A thousand years ago:
Even though it was an illogical thing to admit to, T'alya was feeling terribly uncomfortable.
Stepping off the starship that brought her along with her mother and her aides to this strange world, T'alya fidgeted in the strapless silk ball gown she wore. Adding to her discomfort were the high heeled satin pumps on her feet. The girl was amazed she managed to keep her balance in them. T'alya, more at home in a jumpsuit and workboots felt terribly out of place in this overly lavish costume. At that moment, the girl wished she was anyplace but here.
"You look troubled, daughter. Is something amiss?" asked Ambassador T'Lar, her mother, at the head of ten person contingent from her planet, elegantly dressed in the formal robes of her office. Slightly taller than T'alya, she looked regal, wizened and utterly beautiful.
"Everything, mother," T'alya replied sharply. If she were human, the expression on her face would be a pout. "I am still at a loss to understand why you have brought me to this place. Exactly what is to be my function?"
"To learn, T'alya. To observe. This is your very first time off-world. I want you to absorb the richness of cultures different from our own," T'Lar replied in clipped, precise tones. "The denizens of the Milky Way cluster have become a major force in this part of the galaxy over the last century. It will be beneficial for you to see first hand how other civilizations interact."
"I know, mother. I know. Under your instruction, I have extensively studied this system and its inhabitants. But to what end?" T'alya asked. She tried to keep frustration from creeping into her voice but was barely able to succeed. Her emotions which she found to be the bane of her existence annoyed her no end. Even to express anger was a problem.
"Vulcan has long observed this system, seeking the right opportunity to open diplomatic relations with its people. The ruler of this system who lives here on the lone natural satellite of the system's third planet is a wise and supremely powerful woman who united it's nine worlds in a pact of peace, resulting in prosperity and advancement for the betterment of all," T'Lar explained. She sensed T'alya's deep frustration, the volatile emotions her daughter tried to contain but wasn't experienced enough to do completely.
Then there was the added complication of T'alya's telepathic powers, inherent to all Vulcans which developed sooner than T'Lar envisioned. According to her private physician, T'alya's abilities had quickly grown to a level that neared that of an adult with decades of experience. Experience the girl did not possess. The ambassador had desired to spend time teaching T'alya how to properly use her gift when she was assigned to journey to the Moon by the Council. T'Lar hoped T'alya would not present a problem.
"The Vulcan Council decided it was time to offer the hand of friendship to the Moon Kingdom," T'Lar continued. "As the newly appointed ambassador to this system, I am here to offer that hand. As my daughter, you are to aid me in my duties. One day, you will take my place and perform similar taskings."
T'alya nodded. She understood, but didn't particularly like it. She preferred to back home on Vulcan doing the work she loved, searching for her planet's rich and storied past. Her teachers at the Vulcan Science Academy were greatly impressed with T'alya's devotion to Archaeology, her knowledge of the subject was extensive despite her tender years and felt she would, in time, quickly become a leading expert in the field, perhaps even follow in her late father's footsteps and become a professor at the Academy as he had been.
But her mother, who once held a chair on the Council itself had other plans. She wanted T'alya to go into the Diplomatic Corps instead. She wanted her daughter to experience the vastness of the universe instead of confining herself to Vulcan, crawling in the dirt in search of fossils. While T'Lar fully appreciated the importance of unearthing Vulcan's past, she felt T'alya was destined for greater things than being an earthworm. T'Lar remembered the arguments with her daughter over her career during the last several months, restrained at times, heated at others as T'alya displayed an all too human stubbornness and refusal to follow in her mother's footsteps.
"Ambassador T'Lar!" called a voice from ahead the Vulcans. Mother and daughter saw a young girl, petite and lovely with shoulder length, bright blue hair and a flowing gown to match stroll up to them. Upon reaching them, the girl curtsied gracefully. "Madam. My name is Princess Mercury, representing the Royal Guard of the Moon Kingdom. Queen Serenity has sent me as your escort. She wishes to receive you now if you are ready."
T'Lar nodded. "We are. Please lead the way."
T'Lar , T'alya and their contingent followed Mercury from the outdoor hanger deck and into the palace. Once inside, Mercury guided them into a huge, expansive and lavishly decorated ballroom filled with extravagantly dressed people, their faces beaming with happiness. Upon seeing the Vulcans, the people smiled and bowed respectfully to them.
"Have we interrupted some sort of social function?" T'Lar asked.
"No, Madam. This ball is in your honor," Mercury replied. "Leading dignitaries from all nine planets in our system have come to greet you. It is a privilege to have you here with us."
"How quaint. We are honored."
T'alya didn't share her mother's opinion. She was too busy trying to keep her balance in her shoes to appreciate the spirit of the occasion. Seeing many other females in similarly elaborate forms of dress as hers, T'alya wondered why they would go to so much trouble for a platonic social function. She frowned, unable to comprehend it all. The party then reached a huge set of gold, ornate doors where two tall, broad shouldered men in silver ornamental armor stood at attention. Upon seeing Mercury, the men saluted, then grabbed a handle and pushed open the doors, allowing the trio to enter.
Their footsteps echoed on the brightly polished marble floor as Mercury led the Vulcan emissaries down the hall to where the ruler of the Moon Kingdom awaited. At that moment, T'alya felt an emotion totally unknown to her before today: nervousness. Like her other emotions, T'alya hated it. Upon reaching the throne room, the Vulcan emissaries gazed upon their host.
Seated on a golden throne, garbed in an elegant ivory gown as regal as the woman wearing it, Queen Serenity Crestmoon was a beautiful, awe inspiring figure. Her hair, falling to the floor in twin ponytails was long, silken and silvery with a small, tightly woven bun on each side of her head while her bangs, parted in the center revealed a golden crescent moon in the middle of her forehead. The Queen's eyes, a bright crystal blue were filled with vast intelligence, boundless wisdom and great kindness. In her hands the Queen held a scepter with a crescent moon on the end and a large crystal in the center.
Sitting to the Queen's left was practically a carbon copy of the elegant ruler, right down to the gown she wore. Smaller and slender, the young girl wore the exact same hairstyle, buns and all, only her hair, equally voluminous as the older woman's was a shining, golden blond to go along with large, sparkling, ocean blue eyes. The young girl, every bit as beautiful as her mother also wore a crescent moon symbol on her forehead. Her delicate hands folded, the girl tried to look as regal as the Queen, but to the Vulcans, it appeared that she was not doing quite as good a job of it.
Standing on both sides of the Queen were three young women who, to the Vulcans weren't any older than the girl sitting next to her. To her right was a blond girl in an orange-gold gown, a large red bow in her hair. The girl next to her, tall and unusually broad shouldered wore her auburn hair in a ponytail and had sparkling, emerald green eyes that matched her gown. To the Queen's left, standing equally distant to the ruler as the blonde on the right was a dark haired beauty in a gown of deep violet that matched her eyes. Neither girl acknowledged the presence of the visitors. Two cats, one black, the other white, both bearing crescent moon symbols sat at the feet of the queen.
The twinkling eyes of the girl sitting next to the Queen met T'alya's and she gave her a kind smile. T'alya felt another new sensation....affection. The girl's smile made T'alya feel indescribably warm inside. Unlike the other feelings she sought to repress, T'alya found this one strangely pleasing....
Tokyo, present day:
Talia's eyes snapped open wide and she gasped from shock, something quite new to her. Her memories had firmed themselves. Now she knew who she sought here in this strange city. She tried not to feel excited over her discovery, but it was almost impossible. It took all her willpower to maintain control and not feel elated as she rose to her feet.
"Of course. Serena. I should have known. She is the one I seek."
Eric Riley was a man who literally had the world on a string. Yet, it was all a facade that hid his true ambitions.
At 44, Riley was the CEO of the Tokyo branch of Infostar Systems, a fast growing computer company that was giving Bill Gates and Steve Jobs a run for their money with it's powerful, state of the art personal computers. And Riley was one of Infostar's up and comers, a natural born leader and financial wizard who helped the computer reach it's current levels of success that made it the darling of both Silicon Valley and Wall Street.
When Infostar decided to open a branch in Tokyo a year ago, Riley, a ruggedly handsome man with dark brown hair who looked slick and sophisticated in a Saville Row suit volunteered himself to run the office. Once in place, Riley wasted no time making the Tokyo branch the gem of the company, earning him praise from every corner of the computer and financial industry. It was pretty much a given that Riley would soon be running the company itself.
Riley had it all, wealth, power, prestige, a mansion, fast cars, faster women, everything. Then, something happened that changed his life. Nine months ago, Riley began having dreams, strange dreams of another time, another place, another life where he was a much different man than the one he was today. The dreams always centered around one particular theme: an ancient, fabulous civilization where he lived in a gleaming white palace and was a man of great importance, such as he was now.
Yet, he was not in charge. He was not the man who ruled. There was someone above him who commanded over all, someone he despised with a burning passion he had to keep hidden because that person wielded the power of a god. Power he could only dream of but yearned to have and would do anything to achieve. Even betray his ruler and doom an entire civilization to untold death and destruction if needed. But that did not bother him, all that mattered in the end was power.
Yet, even after he had gained the power he felt was rightfully his, it was cruelly snatched from him in a last act of defiance from his ruler who stole it, and his life away. It was all so damned unfair to him. But now, he had returned, and the overlord who sentenced him to the death that was not death was gone. But, somehow, SHE survived the fall. SHE was alive! The cursed progeny of his ruler. The girl who's death was to give him the power he craved. Alive somewhere in this city. He was certain of that. If she lived, that meant he needed to finish the mission he began so long ago.
For nine months, Riley had those bizarre dreams. They both haunted and tantalized him, bringing back memories of his past which he alternated between cherishing and hating. Some days, it was hard for Riley to make up his mind which. The memories were so sweet and so vivid, as if it all happened a year ago instead of a millennia.
But, Riley had no time for reminiscing. He had work to do. However, in order to accomplish his job, he would need help. He would need his foot soldiers, the four assassins he employed to help him complete his task. He knew they lived in this world but were not aware of their true identities. He would need to revive their memories. He sensed the girl's four bodygaurds lived as well, and the interloper who wrecked his grandiose plans, so he would need his foot soldiers to deal with them while he eliminated the bane of his existence.
While he slept, Riley's mind fanned out across the world, seeking his lackeys, his killers. It seemed to take forever, but he finally found them. Once he took control of their minds, filling their head with visions of the past, he tore them away from their old existence, brought to life the power that dwelled within them all and ordered them to come here to begin the game again. Even while he slept, Riley smiled. It would be good to resume his mission, even if it had been interrupted for a thousand years.
His dreams of power were dead, but Riley already had that as Chairman-In-Waiting of Infostar. All he wanted to do now was resume his great mission. Riley had a princess to kill.
Talia had to fight back a sense of excitement that made her heart race as she returned to school. She felt a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth from anticipation and had to suppress it. Talia was fortunate to have had a free period for study immediately after lunch, so she was not missed. But that didn't matter, she had to find Serena. Her friend. Her princess.
She remembered Serena screaming when she took her hand. Talia also screamed from brutal pain as her mind was assailed by the visions of the past. What could have caused that she wondered. As she walked through the corridors of school, Talia had a difficult time comprehending that she had lived before, had died and then resurrected on Earth. It was all so fantastic, yet it happened, she herself was proof of that. So was Serena. She had to find her.
However, Talia had no idea where to look for Serena as she hadn't the opportunity to learn what her schedule was before suffering the....episode that incapacitated her. Talia pondered going to the administration office and asking the secretary what class Serena would be in, but doubted that information could be handed out so easily. It would not be logical, or permissible for authorities to do such things, she reasoned.
Talia's next option would be to go to the school's computer room, log on the Internet, access the school's website and attempt to hack into the student records file, but the room was occupied. On top of that, without any sort of access codes or passwords, getting into the school's database would be practically impossible. Talia scowled, frustration all to visible on her face. And for once, she almost didn't care that her emotions were running free.
All that mattered was finding Serena.
Needing a quiet place to plan her next move, Talia went into the library. Sitting at a table in the back, Talia pondered her options, then arrived at a course of action. Serena had friends: the redheaded girl and the bespecled boy whom she had seen in the hall; plus the petite girl with the unusual blue hair and the tall, muscular brunette who stood alongside Serena in the auditorium. One of them could tell her what she needed to know. Rising from the table, Talia was about to leave when she heard hushed voices nearby.
"So, what do you think about little Miss Innocent Talia now, Amy?" one voice asked in a low growl.
Talia cocked an eyebrow when he heard her name. She decided to investigate. Peering around a corner, Talia saw two of Serena's friends, the short, blue haired girl and the brawny, auburn haired girl, both chatting as they thumbed through textbooks.
"I must admit, I'm not sure, Lita. For Talia to have abandoned Serena when she might have been hurt was an awful thing to do. Especially since Serena was trying to befriend her."
Abandon Serena? Ridiculous. I would never do such a thing, thought Talia. Then she recalled blacking out and waking up in pain half a mile away from school. The girl named Amy was right, I did leave Serena in distress. Suddenly, Talia felt a considerably unpleasant feeling, one that brought an odd ache to her chest and would not go away. She recognized the feeling as guilt.
"Perhaps 'Rena was right about that witch all along. As far as I'm concerned, Kirk's trouble with a capital 'T'! What do we do about this?"
"Clearly, a meeting at the Temple is in order, immediately after school. We need to discuss this situation with the others," said Amy. "You call Raye and Mina, I'll check in with Serena. Hopefully she will have recovered enough to join us later."
Lita nodded. "Sounds good to me. Let's get cracking."
The girls then left, never realizing they had been watched. Talia took in what she had heard and was nonplussed, realizing an obstacle had just been placed in the path between her and Serena. Now she would be looked upon as an enemy to Serena's friends after what had happened outside school, something she had no control over but was still an unforgivable act.
Serena needed help. And I was not there to provide it. For the second time, thought Talia. I must see her, talk to her, explain what happened. Now that I know who I am, I have to meet with Serena. No matter what.
Several miles outside of the city along a lonely, seldom travelled portion of the coast, a lone man stood on a rock overlooking the ocean, a gleaming black Ford Expedition parked a hundred yards away. The man gazed out at the water, admiring it's beauty in the way the sunlight made it sparkle.
Every now and then, the man, dressed in a custom made jogging suit from Milan and two-hundred dollar Nike running shoes checked the diamond studded Rolex on his wrist and scowled from annoyance. Eric Riley was a very punctual man who abhorred tardiness. His footsoldiers were late and that annoyed him no end.
Suddenly, the water roiled and became agitated. All at once, a column of water jetted up into the midday sky and splashed down on the beach where it coalesced into a man-sized shape. Riley smiled.
A violent gust of wind from the east made Riley turn his head as a swirling, cloud like object descended from the sky and landed several feet away from the water being. It too assumed a human shape. A female shape.
Then, a deep rumbling shook the entire beach. Riley looked behind him and saw the earth split open and a huge, rocky, man like shape, eight feet tall and the color of granite lumbered out of the hole and stood before him.
From out of the same hole, a column of flame shot up into the sky, hovered for a moment before forming itself into that of a man before touching down near the rock being. The ground sizzled where the fire thing stood.
Riley's grin widened. His soldiers were in place. All was proceeding according to plan. He motioned for the rock thing and the fire creature to join him down on the beach with the other beings.
"Excellent. I'm glad you're here, my soldiers. Welcome to Tokyo. Your new home," said Riley.
"Tokyo? I'm in Japan? What the hell is this?" the water being demanded, it's gurgling voice similar to that of someone talking underwater.
"I do not understand this. Why are we here?" asked the cloud creature, it's voice like the hiss of the wind.
"Are--you--responsible--for--our--being--in--this--place?" asked the rock thing, it's voice a low, deep, slow rumble.
Riley nodded. "I am. Your lives as you knew them are over. In fact, you had all been living a lie since you were born. A long time ago, you were all my agents, and so you shall be again. Starting now."
"Gott in Himmel! You are crazy!" said the fire creature, it's voice like the crackling of flame. "I won't stand for this!"
"Oh, yes you will." Riley's eyes glowed and the creatures all screamed from searing pain and dropped to the knees. Riley smiled.
"That's better. Gentlemen....and lady, we have a mission to perform, or rather, a mission to complete. Somewhere in this city is a young girl we must kill. I can sense her both her presence, and that of the damned meddler who foiled my plans once before. Even though we failed in our first attempt to eliminate Princess Serena, that will not happen again. This time, we will succeed. Even if we have to destroy this city to do it."
"I'm sorry we couldn't meet at the temple, guys, but it's a circus right now," grumbled Raye Hino. She, Serena, Mina Spencer, Luna and Artemis were in Tokyo's expansive Central Park near a boat rental shop on the lake. With the shop closed for the season, the girls used the site as an alternative meeting place. "Grandpa's on his monthly Obi-Wan Kenobi kick, teaching martial arts to a busload of gullible girls. He and Chad are in seventh heaven, but we wouldn't have had a moment's privacy."
"Don't sweat it, Raye. This works just fine," said Mina. She turned to stare at Serena, a concerned look on her face. "Are you sure you're okay, Sere?"
"Relax, Mina. I'm fine," said Serena. She had been asked the same question an innumerable number of times since waking up in the Nurse's office and had grown tired of answering it. "Golly, a girl gets faint, and all of a sudden, and you're treating me like I was dying!"
"Well, according to what Lita told us, it was serious enough!" Raye snapped at Serena. While she was deeply worried over the news she had gotten about Serena, Raye didn't let it show on her face. "There's no telling what that witch could've done to you!"
Mina nodded. "For once, Raye, I agree with you. There's definitely something fishy going on here."
"Do you think this Talia could be an agent from the Negaverse?" Artemis asked Luna.
Luna nodded. "It stands to reason that she might be, Artemis. Otherwise, why would Serena have cried out in pain after clasping Talia's hand?"
"Uhh, guys. I think you've got it all wrong. Talia didn't mean to hurt me," Serena said meekly. "She would never hurt me."
Raye sneered and looked at Serena skeptically. "Oh, really? And just how would you know that?"
Serena took a deep breath before she spoke. "I just know, that's all. Besides, there's something I haven't told you guys about that, uh, episode. It was really weird."
"What are you talking about?" a puzzled Luna wanted to know.
Before Serena could answer, Amy and Lita jogged up to the others. "Hi, guys! Sorry we're late! Did we miss anything?" Lita asked.
"Nope. Serena was about to explain something to us. And she says it sounds weird," said Mina.
All eyes focused on Serena who felt more than a little uncomfortable under the collective stare of her friends. "When I took Talia's hand, I had, um, flashbacks to my past life on the Moon. And here's the kicker, guys. Talia was there with us. Then I guess my brain overloaded and I passed out."
The girls and the familiars were momentarily speechless.
Lita let out a low whistle once Serena had finished. "You're right, Mina. That was pretty darn weird."
"More than that, it's unbelievable. I still maintain that I don't remember Talia from our previous lives," said Amy.
Raye shook her head in disgust. "Meatball Head, you've said some pretty crazy stuff before, but this takes the cake. You're out of your mind!"
"No. She is not. She is telling the truth."
The girls and the familiars whirled around at the sound of the voice and gasped at who was standing before them. Talia.
Next: The Elements of Doom