Hey Minna-chan! Well, here's that part of Cadre Sister I promised Sue a while back. *blush* Gomen, but I had to get it just right, ask Sakura Girl! What I have decided to do, since I have a ton of plans for this story and it will probably be long, is break it up into books. The first book, (parts 1-6) is focusing on Serena and Darien as children. I only have one more part to write, and then I'm skipping to when they're seventeen, that's the second book. The third... well, that would be telling! ^_~ I promise there will be more romance in book two. so here's part five! Originally, it was going to be longer, but I got to almost nine pages and decided to break it off. EMAIL EMAIL EMAIL me and tell me what you think! Meredith Cadre Sister 5/? Book One: Mind Walking by Meredith Bronwen Mallory mallorys-girl@cinci.rr.com The city of Astrakhan sat on the coast of the Caspian Sea, a small, coastal world, with ships that left the docks, rolling in when the tides were high and low. The people there were Russian, of various tribal and smaller ethnic decents, and spoke in low, rich tones, their faces drawn against the cold. It was summer there, the breeze drifting in from west, carrying the scents of Jerusalem and the black sea, small, exotic, foreign scents that were swallowed quickly by the ever present perfume of the sea. On a long, otherwise deserted stretch of beach, six children were playing, the girl's skirts dragging in the cool sea water as they raced against the waves. Raye, dark hair flying, and Chad were having a splash war, their laughter carrying while Lita chased Mina and studious Amy sat on the beach with her book. Blond pigtails dragging in the sea, Serena was gathering pretty pink shells when the tide when out, then racing the salty water towards the beach. All was peaceful and quiet... too quiet. Above on the cliff, an RV, a pickup truck and two station wagons were parked in a semi circle, making a protective barrier within which to set up camp. Ilene Tsukino looked up from her work in the small, makeshift garden, to study the children playing under her watchful eye. As Ilene watched, her daughter stopped abruptly, raising her face to the sky, eyes closed, a rapturous look on her face. The young mother's heart clenched She, and everyone else in their small, nomadic tribe, knew what that look meant. Serena was communicating with Darien, the young boy trapped in the Negacorps web of lies and betrayal. Though no one else, not even the couple themselves, could see it, Ilene knew what was coming. The friendly caring and compassion her daughter felt for Darien would one day become love. The mother feared not only for her daughter's heart, but for her life as well. Even at the tender age of ten, Serena was more than willing to sacrifice in Darien's name, more than willing to help him, in anyway she could. Ilene could only pray that Darien was as kind and warm hearted as Serena described him to be. ------ The ocean was a very strange thing, Serena considered detachedly as she reached out for Darien's mind. With her feet firmly planted in the water, she could *feel* the sea, as though it were a living entity, that had a mind she could reach out to, feelings she could touch. The hum of the ocean was different from that of a city full of normals, rather than buzzing with frantic, chaotic thoughts that formed disjointed chords, the sea held a gentle, soothing hum, like that of machinery, all thoughts and feelings moving together, in the same rhythm, every tiny mind-voice singing the same beautiful melody. But there was a curious thing about it too, the way no matter how much Serena sent thoughts, feelings and memories into the sea, it never answered her, never gave any indication that it heard her, even when she tried to single out the louder voices. it was Darien, his mind voice carrying that distinctive touch of roses, brilliant in midnight. Serena smiled softly. she replied. Confusion came over the whisper line, a psychic signature equivalent to a frown. she let her excitement bubble over, happiness falling over the line in one long, sweet tide. his tone was thoughtful, anxious. Serena abruptly stopped her bubbling listening carefully for the few wisps of Darien's emotions as they filtered over the line. He was scared. -------- Hundreds and hundreds of miles away, Darien walked the short familiar route to the Negacorps academy, surrounded by his friends. Kunzite and Zoicite were having a friendly battle, their punches and swings not really intended to do harm. Molly's arm was laced in Nephrite's, thankfully the boys had stopped teasing the red head about his 'girlfriend'. Andrew and Rita were a bit behind the rest of the group, while Jadeite trotted along side Darien. Rita, a tall brunette two years Andrew's senior, had only recently been inducted into the group, but her countenance was kind and her attitude towards the other boys (save Andrew) was motherly. Darien wasn't paying them any mind, he was too busy revealing in the scent of strawberries, the feel of silk as Serena's psyche touched his own. Lately he'd been feeling... rather strange when it came to the blond odango-ed one. He really couldn't put a label on it, though Jadeite once pointed out that Darien was almost as love-struck as Andrew and Nephrite. The young boy shrugged it off, it was a rather silly idea! Serena was his friend! Roughly, Darien pushed the thought away, making sure it didn't get anywhere near the whisper line, his connection to Serena. Serena asked, her concern flowing over Darien in a swift wave. It was the first one since his eating, and Darien was worried about who he might be fighting against. Serena's sweet mind voice murmured, All his fears evaporated like fog before the sun, his friend's reassuring words. Pride and confidence swelled within him. Together, they could do anything. ---------- Darien didn't have that same confidence as he stared across the table at his adversary The other boy couldn't be less than two years his senior, fairly emanating the power of his mind. He had white hair, with bangs that fell just slightly over his violet eyes,his posture so insolent, cocky and self assured that Darien half expected him to put his feet up on the table! Terror rose unbidden in the young boy's heart. Judging from the purple pin on the other boy's lapel, he was from Cadre Prime, and that fact alone shifted the odds in his adversary's favor. Add in the fact that he had more training than Darien and you had a very unfair fight. Glancing back at his instructors, the young boy wondered if there could have been some sort of mistake. The adults stared back at him with blank, emotionless eyes, waiting, and Darien suddenly knew what was going on. He had not been forgive for the debacle last week, his numerous apologies, even his flogging, could not stop his fall from grace. As long as he was a good, thoughtless (at least, as far as the teachers could tell) boy, they would let him live, but now, by pitting him up against this other, obviously much stronger boy, they meant to do away with him, cleanly and easily. he admitting, knowing she was watching through his eyes, a silent, invisible observer. His guardian angel. Serena replied, sounding quite beyond her mere ten years, Darien's heart did a funny little flip, she had such faith! A poke in the side from Zoicite brought Darien back to reality, and he looked back to see his friends all standing supportively behind him, save Jadeite, who also had a match. Andrew smiled reassuringly, but looked somewhat fake plastered on his pale face, his hand gripping Rita's tightly. "That's Demando," Kunzite whispered, "He's top of the class in Cadre Prime and, Dar, he's..." his friend trailed off, casting wary eyes Demando's way. "He's a level higher than you are," Nephrite said bluntly, while Molly cringed. Darien's blue eyes widened, and he gazed on each of his friends, begging them to tell him it was not so. They could not. Children were rated based on their telepathic output, a Talent One barely able to receive thoughts and mind-voices, while a Talent Thirteen could throw a thought half-way across the world without even flinching. Darien was born a Talent Eleven, and had slowly worked his way up to managing (just barely) a Talent Twelve. Normally, during a challenge, the children paired off against one another were required to be of the same Talent. Once again, Darien glanced at his statue-like instructors. He knew the whole, terrible truth for the first time. They didn't care, none of them gave a damn. It was all about power, power over small children, power over normals, power over each other. It made Darien's soul shake within it's moorings. Turning back to face Demando, the young boy took a brief moment to study *his* companions A tall boy who's red hair looked to be on fire, a younger boy with deep blue hair and studious, bored eyes, and a slim, woman-child with blinding green hair. They stared straight back at the young boy and his friends, their eyes saying it all. 'Demando will win, we will win, and you will loose!' Serena assured him, gentle touch on his soul, The other children in the challenge hall were ready, facing each other across cold iron tables. The Head Matron rang the bell, and one of the Instructors came up to the table Darien and Demando shared. Placing a picture face down in front of Darien, the adult moved on, and the little boy picked it up and studied it, ingraining the picture in his mind. It was Joan of Arc, face raised to the heavens as the flames licked her body. In his mind, Darien could feel Serena studying the picture, could feel the waves from the sea as she stood still in the water, concentrating on him and only him. The Matron gave the signal, and the picture was taken from Darien. The two boys stared each other down as they laid their hands on the table, stretched forward so that their fingertips barely touched. Darien shivered, Demando's hands were like ice! They closed their eyes simultaneously, entering that nether realm that housed all challenges. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sky was a curious tumult of black and red, thousands of tiny lights dotting it's surface. The ground was a solid black marble beneath Darien, on his side of the playing board. A river, deep black and ominous, ran through the middle of the board, separating Darien's side from Demando's. The young boy quickly chose how he would manifest his psyche. He had this image in his mind of how he would look when he was older, and he took that on easily, dressing himself in the armor of a prince, sword seethed at his side, red lined cape dropping behind him. Serena giggled and Darien's heart did another strange flip. Roughly he ordered it to cease it's circus tricks until after the challenge, knowing he would need all the concentration he could muster. A flash of golden light temporarily blinded Darien, but then he could see Serena's manifestation, a shimmering, rainbow like fairy. Her features were indistinct, but she had definitely matched her age with his. The young boy smiled as he bathed in her radiance, before turning towards Demando's side of the board. It was a teaming jungle of darkness, that seemed to grown even as you watched it. From within it's unusual depths, they could make out flashes of white as a creature moved amongst the foliage. On the side of the board, the rain came down in sheets, aiding it's owner in his endeavors, flashes of lightning nipping at the sky. Serena sounded as though she was reassuring herself, as well as Darien, Darien nodded, and their mind's working together, he and Serena built a fortress of crystal and fire around the image. The obligatory two minutes for preparation had passed, and they held their breaths, waiting for Demando to make his move. They didn't wait long, a huge, white tiger leapt from the jungle and across the river in a single, smooth bound. Demando had chosen a huge, white and black cat to house his entity, glowing purple eyes watching Darien with a predatory intensity. Growling, it paced before Darien and the glowing, golden figure at his elbow, watching them, as if he could see Serena there. Darien thrust himself in front of her, the protective action almost second nature to him. The battle was declared, Demando charged and Darien barely managed to block the huge tiger with his shield Using the large piece of metal as a barrier, the young boy drove the tiger back, intending to win by submerging him in the river. But Demando would not give up so easily, and he surged forward, scaling the shield and forcing his adversary to the ground. Serena cried in alarm. The young boy was too busy fighting off his adversary, who was trying to gnash into Darien's face with his teeth, to answer the fairy-creature's cry. Thus it was a complete surprise when Serena reached out with her shiny limbs and hauled the white tiger off her friend. For a moment, Demando's violet eyes widened, for in exerting so much force, Serena had let her shield drop, she was no longer invisible, Demando could *see* her. But he didn't not attack, for what reason Serena did not know, but it gave Darien enough time to unsheathe his sword and pin the white tiger to the marble floor. Abruptly, Demando's form began to change, filling with some darkness, then smoothing out. He was no longer a tiger, but a grown man, like Darien, but clothed in a white suit and purple cape. His white hair fell in his eyes just a bit, and in his hands he clutched a black and slithering sword, with flashes of red rippling along it's surface, making it seem as though it was alive. Serena protested. Darien's blue eyes widened fearfully and he just barely managed to avoid Demando's thrust of the sword, parrying it with his own. the young boy was alarmed, but held his ground. They were within a few feet of the fortress he and Serena ad erected for the image. Any closer and Demando could reach out and get it. Thrush, parry, block, thrust. Their movements were like a savage dance, but Demando was winning. The sword he had formed was one with his body, while Darien's was a figment of his imagination. Things were not looking good. With a violent motion, the white haired man knocked the sword from Darien's hands, and the metal spear clattered to the ground, sliding some feet away. Serena cried. Suddenly, she was gone, and in Darien's hands he held another swore, golden and jewel incrusted, engraved with all sorts of strange symbols, glowing with an unearthly light. In a blinding instant, the young boy knew what the sword was. It was Serena. he asked with alarm. the innocent sword replied. she ordered. Up until that point, Darien had merely been dodging Demando's attacks, not fighting back. he began. Then Demando thrust his living sword towards Darien's stomach, intending the blow to kill the young boy's mind, and Darien acted more on instinct than anything else. He used the sword, and struck his adversary with it. The golden blade came down on the white haired man's shoulder, enough to wound but not to kill. A horrible scream filled the playing board, and Darien panicked, searching for Serena, as the sword disappeared from his hand. Darien cried, he felt fear such as he'd never known crash down on his heart. But the scream wasn't Serena's, it was Demando's. The white haired boy had changed back into a tiger, white fur stained red with blood as he stumbled back. In the violet eyes of the beast, Darien could see the wheels of Demando's mind turning. 'If I fall, I will take you down with me', his eyes said it all. With that, the creature reared back and lunged. Too shocked from Serena's abrupt disappearance, Darien just watched the tiger come at him. Then, quite suddenly, the glorious, golden presence returned, and Serena was standing between him and the tiger, arms out stretched, face lifted, standing in the middle of a column of light. The tiger stopped in his tracks, and Darien struggled to pick his jaw up off the ground. She was glorious, though very very indistinct. It was as though she was made of pure energy. Slowly, her eyes met Demando's and then the column collapsed on itself, it's power rushing outward, forcing Demando out of the playing board and reaching for infinity.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ .......... Serena's power swept outward, reaching all over the world, encompassing it in her glow, all in a single moment, and stretching out towards the stars. .......... On the Caspian beach, Serena's friends stopped their frolicking simultaneously, their heads turning to see their friend fairly glowing with power. "Oh, saints," Raye whispered, feeling the incredible power as it rushed forward. Ami held her ears, Mina whimpered and Lita opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Even Chad, who could only register the feeling of Raye's mind touching his own, stopped what he was doing and cocked his head. Ilene Tsukino came racing out of the RV, her navy hair wild about her, her eyes widened as she looked on her daughter. She dropped to her knees. .......... In some other Negacorps Town, a young girl stood in her dark, dingy room, staring at herself in the mirror. Hazel eyes narrowed underneath her long mop of sandy blonde hair, and gingerly she picked up the scissors laying on the dresser. Beyond her she could see the heap of her girl's uniform laying in an unruly mass on the bed, having been exchanged for the black bottom up suit of a boy. With determination, she grabbed a lock of hair and cut. And cut again, and again and... She dropped the scissors as something touched her mind. For a moment Haruka stood still, revealing in the power, before it slowly faded, and she returned to her act of rebellion. ........ In the French city of Avingnon, there was a small, abandoned apartment Long wooden beams had long ceased to support it's height, and plaster fell from the walls. But in the depths of the basement, an old man sat propped up against the wall. He was watching the aqua haired girl, her smudged face relaxed in a state of pure peace as she bent over the violin that was just a *bit* too large for her small fingers. But she played it with the finesse and expertise of an adult, her left arm drawing the bow across the strings again and again, in a haunting melody. Then suddenly she stopped, her eyes raising to the dirty ceiling, tears coursing down her cheeks. she asked through the torrent of beautiful power. the old man said wonderingly. Then it passed as quickly as it had come. Michiru situated the violin beneath her chin once more, and began to play again. ......... The winds that graced the sugar cane fields of Mexico were no grace at all. They were hot, dusty and dry, battering the little bodies of the children who bent laboriously over their work. There would be no break for them today unless they reached the quota, and with half of them sick, things did not look good. A tall green haired green stood up straight for a moment, wiping the sweat from her brow and gazing up at the hot, unforgiving sun. The child strapped to her back gave a wail, and quickly she looped thoughts of color and smell in it's mind. But something broke the loop, with such force it almost sent the girl falling on her machete It was power such as she'd never felt before! A sign from God, perhaps? Setsuna could only hope, as the power faded and she grasped the knife in her hand, continuing to hack away at the sugar cane. .......... Snow fell around the Alaskan cabin, beautiful icicles glistening like ornaments in the pale fire light. Inside, a young mother rocked her baby girl to sleep, humming lightly, her mind feeding the child with images of a playful, hopelessly catywhampus little pink bunny. The child laughed happily, and, with much more force than necessary, sent her mother love. The woman flinched. Then the power came, but it wasn't from her child. The woman looked around, but could find no nearby source. Soon the glow faded, but it had been forceful enough to send her husband rushing up from his basement lab. he asked, fire light reflecting off his glasses. she nodded towards the baby. Thoughtfully, her husband returned to his work, and Esperenza returned to rocking the child. ............ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The glow dissipated from the playing board, but Darien was still stunned. For a moment he'd felt so purely embraced by her that now his psyche was freezing, the world cold without her warmth. Slowly, the smell of strawberries returned, and Darien looked up to see Serena bending over him her blue eyes , the only thing distinct about her face, filled with worry. Again she'd matched her age to his, but now she was dressed as a princess, white and gold robes flowing around her, long blond hair falling down her back like a cape. The young man attempted in vain to find his voice. Even though her facial features were indistinct, she was positively beautiful. His breath caught in his throat and merely nodded helplessly. Serena said softly, putting her arms around him, holding him close so that his head rested against her chest. Darien said softly, able to speak at last, Feeling his strength return to him, Darien allowed Serena to let go of him, and pulled her to her feet. Whirling her around in his arms, he shouted for joy. Serena's only answer was her happiness as it bubbled over the whisper line, her pride swelling like a wave. Then, abruptly, they stopped both gasping for'breath', chests heaving as they gazed into each other's eyes as though mesmerized. And maybe they were. Maybe that's why they were leaning towards one another, Serena craning her neck just slightly, and Darien bending down a little. Maybe it was the fact they both looked like adults, maybe it was just the adrenaline rush from the battle, or maybe... maybe it was something else. All Darien knew for sure was that his lips were moving towards Serena's, and she wasn't pulling away. He could feel her pulse speeding up, the rhythm of her thoughts becoming helpless and chaotic, and just as they were about to touch.... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darien blinked, once, twice, and then again. The world slowly began to reassert itself after it's dizzying whirl, and soon his vision cleared. He was back in the sterile challenge hall, his instructors swarming around him with congratulations. Darien paid them no heed, he knew they hadn't expected him to survive, and now they were trying to make it look like it had been their idea all along. Just as well, he really didn't care... He was more concerned about Serena at the moment. What had just happened?! Almost happened, he reminded himself with a strange mixture of relief and disappointment, almost happened. It was Serena. The world was spinning around her too, but for completely different reasons. He felt the surf tease her legs as she stumbled towards the beach. he asked, alarmed. she fell onto the sand, passed out, but otherwise fine. Darien let his mind linger near hers, waiting for her mother or friends to come. When they did, he respectfully retreated to reality. "We had no idea you were so strong!" Instructor Atchison was gushing. "Good boy, Darien! " said Woodall. "We'll have to put him in the advanced group right away!" O'Connell pointed out. The Instructors went on and on, while Darien looked over their heads at Demando. Midnight blue met violent purple, and pure hatred raged in the eyes of the white haired boy. Darien suddenly knew he'd made an enemy for life. -------- Not too far from the Caspian beach, a woman stood before the kitchen window, washing the dishes to take her mind off things. Her long, wavy black hair fell down her back, two small sections pulled up in mini-twin odangos. Her slanted, thoughtful blue eyes were shaped like almonds over her high, porcelain cheeks, lending towards her almost feline appearance Luna Temple, mother of the Telepath's Resistance, and leader of the Mindwalker Movement, was up to her elbows in soap suds, and didn't mind in the least. Her mind was far off anyway, dwelling on the recent, narrow escape from Lexington, Kentucky. The Resistance had set up a base in an old cave, using it as a stop off point as they maneuvered escaped telepaths from safe house to safe house. Somehow, be it a plant, or sheer coincidence (in which Luna did not believe) the Negacorps had found out about it, and sent in troops to capture the base. Well, Luna thought with a smirk, they hadn't succeeded The Resistance had gotten wind of it, and by the time the Negacops showed it, only Luna, Artemis, and a few trusted companions remained. It had been one hell of a show down, and the dumb cops didn't stand a chance. 'When all else fails, blow it up!' was Luna's personal motto. But it had been a close call, she considered bitterly as she stretched her injured leg with ginger curiosity As the appendage flared with pain, Luna drew it back. Setting the last dish aside, she was about to go into the living room, when a strange sensation overwhelmed her mind. It was power, an incredible, unbelievable power. For Luna, a Talent Thirteen, feeling such power was very, very disturbing. How could one mind possess such energy and not be consumed by the heat of it!? As soon as the sensation faded, Luna was running up the steps, headless of the pain in her leg. Passing by the living room, she saw the other members of her small family. Phobos and Demos, twin girls with long, rain straight black hair, and young Kakyuu, blazing red hair and brown eyes not combating her general, mousy look. They were huddled around the T.V., watching the coverage of their latest battle, and paid Luna no heed. Rushing into her room, she threw up the covers of her bed and reached underneath it, hunting for something. it was Phobos, her mind voice bright, like fire. she replied slowly, still searching. Demos swore, Phobos wondered. Luna snapped, annoyance Demos withdrew. Phobos wondered. Luna replied tersely. Catching the hint, the other girl faded as well, and Luna's searching hands latched onto an old book. Triumphantly, she pulled it out from under the bed, carefully not to wake her baby daughter, Diana, who slept in the crib nearby. Once upon a time, when the word Negacorps hadn't even been breathed yet, Luna and her mother lived on the Indonesian island of Sumbra, where they ran a fortune telling shop. At the time, her mother had believed that she and Luna were the only one's of their kind, and together they explored the mysteries of telepathy. Her mother had a curious aptitude for clarvoyancy, and though Luna had never been able to reach the level of her predecessor, the older woman had kept a written record of every vision she had. And in the book Luna now grasped, were detailed descriptions of what had passed before her mother's eyes. Turning to a page near the back, the black haired woman bent over the tiny, dainty script, and began to read aloud. "I woke in the middle of the night, only to glance in the mirror and see the following. I saw a column of light, so brilliant it blinded me. In the center was a child, and I believe, though I can not be certain, that it was a little girl. She was the center of the power, the corner stone of Telepathy, if you will. I heard a voice telling me that one day she would lead the stars to the heavens. That is where the vision ended, and I can not fathom what it meant" Luna choked back a sob. she thought sadly, At first, the young woman had been glad her mother hadn't lived to see the telepaths rounded up like cattle and taken away to Towns, that were no more than giant cells. But now, now there was hope. Whoever this mysterious miracle child was, Luna was determined to find her and train her. For if she fell into the hands of the Negacorps, surely they were all doomed. ---------- Luna was not the only one to feel Serena's awe inspiring demonstration of power. In the darkened, night streets of Astrakhan, four figures walked together, their black uniforms making them seem one with the darkness. They too, had been overwhelmed by the power, and only now were their minds beginning to reassert themselves. the rookie, Jackie, asked, her Negacorps pin shining bright in the light of a street lamp. Danny replied, his square jaw tensing, as though readying for battle. Jackie wondered quietly, straightening her uniform. It was her first assignment, and she was very nervous. The other one, Trisha, old face carved in stone, caught onto that nervousness, and gave the poor young girl the equivalent of a telepathic slap. she scolded harshly, Jackie's brown eyes registered hurt, but she ruthlessly blushed it down, her psyche stinking from the 'slap'. Trisha went on, tossing her short mane of platinum blond. Danny commented slyly, his bloodlust imprinted on his words. Jackie asked meekly. Danny cried impatiently, his psyche cold as a starless night, Jackie rattled dutifully. Trisha informed the rookie. for a moment, Jackie was allowed to bask in her superior's approval, before Trisha roughly yanked it back. She turned to Danny, the man's smile was rankish. Trisha bit back harshly, her psyche smelling oddly like burnt hair. again, Jackie, her psyche smelling almost sterile and controlled, though a light scent of cornflowers still clung to it desperately. ---------- Whew! Well, well, well, look who crawled into yet ANOTHER of my alternate reality stories? I can't seem to keep Demando out, he's just such a fun bad guy! (unless he's tormenting my puppy ^_~) Remember: Feed back is your friend!