Ladies and Gemtlemen of the Jury, PART THREE
by
Adrian
Chinisetea@aol.com

Well, here it is.  chap. 3 of my story!  YEAH!!!!   AND it's now over TEN
THOUSAND WORDS LONG!!!   wooo-hoo!  GO ME!! Sorry if I'm a little less
babble-ly today, but I gotta go write the next part.  It's almost all done
too!!   Anyway, read and enjoy. Thanks!      Bye Guys!
                                  --Adrian
***
Two days.
Two short days.
That?s all we have left.
And I have to spend tonight alone.  Everyone else is home, telling their
families their secrets, so I?m left to
wander the town. The past few weeks have been rather hectic, planning Lita?s
defense and snatching  the
little time left to us for normal things. Not that I?m backing out or
anything, but this will be a major change.
No more quiet walks in the park with Serena.
Stop it! The more I think like this, the less I?ll enjoy the time I have
left.
Well, I might as well go to the arcade.  I?ve got nothing better to do.
Stepping into the Crown Game Center, I remember everything that?s changed
in the past few years.
I get five dollars in quarters and walk over to the Crane game.
There it is. That infuriatingly annoying Tuxedo Mask toy.
 I slip my money into the slot, thinking how it will make a perfect gift
for Serena, if I can just get it out this
time.  Almost...  Almost....   Dang it!   I missed again!  I?m half tempted
to call Serena to use the Crystal to levitate the darn thing out, but change
my mind.  Luna would kill me.
"Hey Darien!"
I turn to see my best friend standing behind me.
  "Oh, hi Andrew.  How?s Med. school?"
"Pretty good.  I see you still have a fixation for superheros."
  "What?"
"The toy!  You?ve been after it for five years.  What?s with it, Serena
like guys in masks? Do you still want to be her Prince Charming?"
Well, it?s only two days after all.
"Nah, I?m happy being her Prince Endymion."
  "What?"
"Hey, Rita deserves a gift, don?t you think?  Give her this."
I pull a (white) rose out of the air.
"Sorry, but only my Princess gets red."
  "Darien, you have been watching too much TV.  Next thing you know you?ll
be wearing a mask and
hanging from lampposts."
"Hey, that mask is pretty cool.  It doesn?t even hamper my peripheral
vision. And a good entrance is VERY
important, so don?t dis the lamppost!"
"Darien?  Are you... OK? You been under much... stress... lately?"
"No more than usual, considering that Jupiter?s in jail and all these yoma
are on the loose."
"Darien, you?ve lost it."
"Andrew, I?m not crazy.  I?m the reincarnated Prince of Earth, also known
as Tuxedo Mask.  I have been
for five years.  Well, six if you count the one against  Beryl, but
technically that was a different time stream..."
I stop talking as I realize that Andrew is looking at me kind of funny.
"Andrew, what?s wrong?"
"Darien, I?ve been your best friend for almost ten years now, and I?m here
for you.  But I think that you need to get some professional help..."
I do not believe this. It isn?t fair. After all this time I finally tell
someone, and he thinks I?m crazy.  He
thinks I?m making this up.  He actually doesn?t believe me!  Well, I have
no other choice.
I grab him by the straps of that apron he always wears and start pulling
him towards the back door.
"Darien, WHAT are you DOING?" he hisses at me.
  "Andrew you obviously think I?m crazy, so I?m just going to have to prove
to you that I?m not making this up.  Oh hi, folks."
I wave at all the people staring at us.  "My friend Andrew?s just going
to take a coffeebreak, he?ll be right back."
"I always thought you were different, Darien, but now I know that you are
absolutely INSANE!!"
"Chill Andrew.  Just watch, and If you STILL think I?m crazy, you can send
me to the hospital after this is
done.  OK?"
"Fine."
Within seconds my cape is blowing in the breeze.
I send a rose into the doorjamb behind him, just to make sure he?s still
paying attention.
"I...  don?t... believe it..." he mutters.
"See Andrew? I told you I wasn?t crazy."
"But... that?s impossible! How?"
"Well you see, it all started a very long time ago during the Silver
Millennium..."
***
"Grandpa?"
  "Yes, Granddaughter?"
"Have you ever heard of Sailor Mars?"
He stops sweeping and looks up at me before answering.
  "Yes.  The fire warrior Sailor Mars.  I have heard of her."
"What do you think of her?"  I brush a strand of raven hair behind my ear
and resume my sweeping.
"Well, I do not know much.  She is very secretive you know."
Yes, I know far too well.
  "Sailor Mars is the firebrand of the five Sailor Scouts, that much is
known.  She commands the element
much as the Shinto priests do their sacred flame, only she has much more
control.  I wouldn?t be surprised
to learn that she was trained in our religion.   She is a most likely a
noble spirit, brave and wise, and very
fierce when angry. Though none know of her past or her present, the rumors
of her presence command respect."
"You say great things about her."
 "She is a great person."
"Grandpa, what if you learned that Mars was not so special?  What if she
was only a young girl, who goes
to school and to the mall, who hangs with her friends and occasionally
doesn?t make perfect scores.  What if
she had a short temper, and didn?t live up to your expectations?  What if
she was a girl... like me?"
"If she is anything like you, she is a noble heart indeed."
Oh Grandpa!!  I feel myself starting to blush, and we sweep for a few
moments in silence.
  "Raye."
"Yes?"
  "Why did you ask me of Mars?"
I take a deep breath.
"I am her."
  "I see."
"Are you upset?"
"No child!  Why do you think that?"
"Because  I have kept this from you for so long. Because I would sacrifice
even my life to protect the princess.
Because the rumors of the Sailor Mars do not live up to the
truth. As you said, I am but a child."
"I love you dearly.  And no matter what, no matter who you are or who you
become I will love you still.  I
am not angry that you are Mars, I am greatly honored.  Truly, The Fire
Warrior has the most noble spirit.
And young as you may be, you are no child.  You grew up years ago."
"I had to."
"Raye come here."
I walk to my grandfather and sit beside him on the temple steps."
"You have seen much in your life, and not only because you are Mars did you
grow to adulthood at such a
young age.  But you will always be my little girl. I love you.  Remember
that."
"I love you too."
"Now!  I have heard too little of Mars.  Show me how you wield the flame!
I raise my arm to the sky as a sudden wind blows my hair behind me.
"MARS  STAR  POWER, TRANSFORM!"
***
"Serena,  do you want any muffins?"
  "Sure Mom."
We sit at the table and she pours me some tea.
"Are you feeling OK ?"
"Uh, yeah,  I?m fine.  Why?"
"You seem a little,... preoccupied.  That?s all."
"Well mom, I?ve got something I need to talk with you about."
"What is it sweetheart ?"
How do I say this?
"Momma, There?s something about me that is very different than most other
girls my age.  Or any age.  I?m
a warrior."
"I know. You?re Sailor Moon."
I almost choke on my muffin.
I stare at her for a few moments in utter shock.
"WHAT!!  MOM!!  How do you know??"
"I?ve known for ages!"
"HOW!!??"
"One night, about four years ago, I was having trouble sleeping.  So I went
downstairs and had some tea.
When I went back up, I could here you moving around in your room.  Well it
was three o?clock in the
morning, I wanted to know what you were doing up.  Just as I walked in your
room, you jumped out the
window.  I was furious.  I ran to call you back, and believe me, young
lady, you would have been in
some serious trouble if I had caught you.  But just as I was about to call
you down, you transformed.  I was
stunned.  I walked back inside and just sat on your bed for I don?t know
how long.  Eventually I heard you
coming, and I watched as you jumped in through the open window.  There was
a flash of light and you were
back to normal.  Then I went to bed.  When I woke up the next morning I
thought it had all been a dream. Then I saw the paper.
On the front page was an article on the battle.   So I started to cover
for you.  At night, when you had to skip classes, I tried to keep you out of
trouble.  I
figured that the fate of the world
was more important than another math lesson or a few lost hours of sleep.
I was so afraid for you Serena!  I knew that there was no other way, but it
was hard for me, knowing that you were in such danger.  Each time you left
with your friends I feared it was the last; each day could have
brought the end. I understand why
you didn?t tell us.  You didn?t want me too worry like that."
"Oh mom!  And the whole time you never let on!"
"I didn?t want you to worry about me.  I trust you Serena.  I knew you
would tell when you  were ready."
"Does Dad know?"
"No."
Suddenly I think I understand.
"Mom, do you know about Darien?"
"Yes.  I saw him bring you home many nights."
"Thank you."
"For what sweetheart?"
"Everything.  Your help, your prayers.  Your understanding.  Protecting
Darien from Daddy."
She laughs.  "Yes, even the great warrior needs a little help from an old
woman."
"You are not old.  Trust me,  I should know."
"Serena?"
"Yes?"
"Have you ever been hurt?"
Oh. Mom.  Why did you have to ask me that?
"Do you really want to know?"
"Please."
"Yes.  Many times. Twice I?ve watched each of my friends die.  I saw my
home destroyed forever.
Everything I love has been taken, but I have won them back.  It hurt, and I
was injured many times.
I died.  But I always have, and always will come home.  For you, for Daddy,
for my friends and for  Darien,
I will not fail."
"You love him, Don?t you?"
"More than my life. He is my Prince.  I am his Princess. Someday we will be
together until the end of time.
But much that is evil, and some that is good, must perish before that comes
to pass."
Mom looks at me, her eyes searching mine.
"You are my Daughter, but you are not the girl you were.  You have grown,
Serena."
"I know."
"Now, I only have one question."
"Yes?"
"How will we tell your father?"
My thoughts exactly.
***
I walk into my mother?s office, knocking softly on the door as I enter.
This has always been a place for
secrets, it only seems fitting that they come to an end here.  She looks up
from her work.
"Yes Amy?"
"We need to talk."
"What is it?" She asks impatiently.
"I?m a Sailor Scout."
"What?  Amy, I don?t have time to play games."
"I?m not playing games.  I?m Mercury."
"Amy, I thought I raised you better than this.  I?ve always taught you that
Fairy Tales were for the week minded."
"It?s not a fairy tale Mom."
"It?s your friends, isn?t it? That priestess girl.  I knew that she would
lead you astray.  The only truths are
the facts.  There are no greater beings, no supernatural powers.  All that
remains is Reason."
"Sometimes, mother, Reason doesn?t have all the answers."
Her voice is as cold as ice.
"That is not true.  I forbid you to see those girls ever again."
"You can not do that!"
"They are destroying your future.  I will not have it!"
"They SAVED me!  Without them I would have died long ago!  I AM NOT your
Pawn!"
"You never were."
"I was nothing more than a shell, I had no spirit.  I meekly did what I was
told.  They showed me who I am!"
"You are my daughter and you will obey me."
"I am Mercury!"
"It was a dream Amy."
I think of all that I?ve seen, of  Serenity?s tears as I lay dying on the
moon, her cries as I walked away into
the snow.  Of the joys that I have found along with my past, of the future
that we all pray for.  I think of how
it feels to throw an Aqua Illusion, the sheer power rushing through my
body.
Of sweat and blood, Tears of
pain and pleasure.
"If all that I have found is only a dream, I pray I never wake up.  If my
life is a fairy tale, it is better than
what you offer.  I will die for my Princess, even if she is only a figment
of my imagination. I am the Ice
Warrior Sailor Mercury! And no matter if you believe in me or not, I will
always be Mercury! You don?t
know suffering and you don?t know joy. You live an empty life mother.  And
until I die I will not return to it."
"Amy!  We will not talk of this again!  Now go study!"
I reach into the air, unable to stand this anymore."
"MERCURY STAR POWER!  TRANSFORM!!"
The healing waters surround my body, and I dive deeper into them.  The icy
light surrounds me, saving my
soul.  All too soon it fades away, leaving me standing before my mother in
the blue and white uniform of
Sailor Mercury.  She stares disbelieveingly at me in silence.  I stare
back.
"Amy?" She whispers.
"Yes?"
"How..."
"Mother, if it?s any comfort remember that technology is indistinguishable
from magic."
"I don?t believe it."
"Mom, please..."
"It?s not true!  It?s Impossible! I don?t know who you or what you are, nor
how you did that, but you are not
my child!"
"Mom!"
"Leave this house!"
"MOM!"
"NOW!"
Sobbing, I run out into the night.
***
"Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you."
"Yes?"
"Back when we lived in England, I was Sailor V.  Now I?m Venus."
"That?s nice sweetheart.  Pass the potatoes."
I reach for the bowl, satisfied that that?s over with.
"Hey, Wait a second...  you aren?t surprised at all?"
"Mina, we know that you got hurt badly, ..."
"...And you aren?t quite well yet,..."
"... And you did have some brain damage, even if it was minor."
"You only just got your memory back."
"Soon, you will be able to tell what really happened from your dreams."
"WHAT??"
"Mina, baby, you just got hit hard on the head.  It?s nothing to worry
about."
"You think she?s making this up?" Artimis says, shocked.
"Wow!  How?d you do that Mina?" My Mom asks.
"Do what?"
"Make Artimis talk."
"He always talks Momma."
"Come on Mina, tell us how you did it!"
I don?t believe this.
"I?m not some overweight housecat!" Artimis huffs.
"I really am Sailor Venus.  Artimis trained me."
"Sure darling.  Pass the peas please."
"Here you go.  Honestly, I think that this is a very clever story Mina.  I
almost believed you for a second,
when you made the cat talk."
"I CAN talk!!"
 Uh-oh. Artimis is getting angry.
"And I am Sailor Venus."
"And what do you do as Venus?"
"I fight yoma and protect Serena."
"Oh, so Serena is a Sailor Scout too."
"Yeah, she?s the Moon Princess."
"Interesting.  So I guess that makes Raye Jupiter."
"Actually, she?s Mars."
"Uh-huh.  Very clever story sweetheart."
"It isn?t a story!"
Suddenly Artimis explodes.
"Your daughter is one of the most powerful people in this universe.  She is
a battle-hardened warrior who
commands awesome power!  And now she tells you, and you think it?s only a
STORY!"
"Mina please, this is getting old."
"SHOW THEM VENUS!"
"You said it Artimis. Venus Star Power, TRANSFORM!"
Oops.  I shouldn?t have done that at the table.  My parents stare in shock
at Sailor Venus, standing in all her
glory among the ruins of dinner; smashed peas and mashed potatoes smeared
on the floor, the table
overturned, dishes broken.
"Mina?" Mom whispers.
"Yes?"
"That wasn?t a story, was it?"
"Nope."
"You really are Venus."
"Yup."
"It?s all true."
"And then some."
"Wow."
"That is an understatement."
"Any other startling revalations?"
"Um.....   I?m a princess."
"Huh?"
"Well, a long time ago I used to live on the moon.  This was a different
lifetime you understand.  It was a
beautiful, peaceful place.  Then Beryl attacked..."
***
"Ready sweetheart?"
"Ready as I?ll ever be."
"All right, no use putting this off any more.  Let?s go."
We walk into the living room, where my father is peacefully reading his
newspaper while Sammy does his
homework."
"Guess what Dad!"
"What is it Serena?"
I take a deep breath.
"I?m Sailor Moon."
"That?s good."
I look at my mom.
"I don?t think he heard me."
"Doesn?t seem like it."
"DAD!"
"Humm?"
Mom walks over and takes away his paper.
"Listen to Serena!"
"What is it sweetheart?"
"I am Sailor Moon."
"What?"
Sigh.
"I?m Sailor Moon!"
Sudden laughter erupts from the other side of the room.  I turn to see
Sammy laughing histarically.
"YOU?  Sailor Moon!  Oh, that?s funny!  Meatballhead Serena the pretty
soldier Sailor Moon!"
"Momma, this is NOT Fair!"
"SAMMY!  Stop laughing RIGHT NOW or I?ll let Serena use her Secpter on
 you!"
Hey, now THAT sounds like fun!
"Ilene, don?t tell me you?re in on this?"
"WHY is it so hard to believe?"
"Sailor Moon is just a tabloid headline.  Same as space aliens sucking
energy from schoolchildren!"
"Hear that momma?  All that I?ve been through is just a tabloid headline!"
"Serena?"
"Yes?"
"TRANSFORM!"
"All right!
MOON CRYSTAL POWER!"
When the lights fade away, I see my father and brother staring at me with
open mouths.
"Hey Mom, should I give the speech?"
"Why not?"
"I am the Champion of Love and Justice, the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon! On
behalf of the moon, I will right
wrongs and triumph of over evil!"
"MY clutzoid sister Sailor Moon?"
"Yes Sammy, your sister is Sailor Moon.  Oh, and there is much much more."
"More?"
"Yup.  I?m a princess daddy.  The Moon Princess in fact."
"A princess? A real Princess?"
"Yeah."
"Is that all?"
"No."
"There?s MORE?"
"Yup."
I look at my mom.  Please don?t let him go too ballistic over this one.
"Daddy, like many princesses from the past, I?m ....  betrothed.
"BETROTHED?!   TO WHO?!"
"A prince."
"WHAT PRINCE?!"
"The Earth Prince."
"And WHO is this EARTH PRINCE?"
"Darien" I mumble
"What?  I didn?t here you."
"Darien."
"WHAT?!!!  I?LL KILL HIM!  I?LL MURDER HIM!  I?LL...., I?LL...."
"YOU WILL NOT!" my Mom shouts. "Our daughter is a grown woman now, and she
loves him and he loves her.  You
ARE NOT going to kill him!"
"BUT SHE?S ONLY NINETEEN!"
"No, I?m not."
"What?"
"If you count the year against Beryl, I?m twenty.  With my past life on the
moon, that makes thirty nine
years. Serena Tuskino may be nineteen, but I have experienced almost forty
years of life.  And a lot has
happened to make me grow up in the past few years.
"Really?  Wow, I never thought of that."
"Yup mom.  Thirty nine."
"Wow.  ANYWAY, Ken.  They are destined to be together so you might as well
get used to him."
"Destined?"
"Destined."
"Any other surprises?"
"I?m going to be Queen someday.  And I?ll live for a thousand years without
looking any older than
twenty-five."
"What?"
"Don?t worry about it."
"Ok."
"Luna can talk."
"Talk?"
"And you remember Renie?  She is my daughter."
"WHAT!!"
"Don?t worry, She isn?t born YET!  Please Dad, I?m not like that."
"But how?"
"Time Travel."
"Maybe you had better start at the beginning."
"Ok.  Ten thousand years ago..."
Before I can continue, I hear the doorbell ring.
"Hold on a sec, let me get that."
When I open the door, I?m shocked to see Amy standing there, tears running
down her cheeks."
"Serena?"
"Amy, What?s wrong?"
"Can I stay with you tonight?"
"Of course.  Come in.  Amy, what happened?"
I shut the door behind her and turn to my parents.
"I?ll tell you the details later.  I have to go now."
"I understand.  And I?ll keep your father in control."
"Thanks mom."
We walk up to my room, thousands of questions running through my head.  I
close my door behind us and
we sit on my bed.
"Amy, are you OK?"
"Now I am."
"What happened?"
"My Mom... threw me out of the house."
"What?"
"I told her I was Mercury and she threw me out of the house.  She said that
she didn?t know who or what I
was, but that I couldn?t be her daughter."
"Oh, Ames."
"First we got in this huge fight, and she said I couldn?t see any of you
anymore.  Especially Raye."
"Why?"
Amy sighs.
"Raye is a priestess. A very devoted Shinto priestess."
"So?"
"Mom thought I was starting to believe in her religion.  And my mom is most
defiantly an atheist.  She avoids
religion like it?s poison.  When I transformed, it completely destroyed her
disbelief.  Here was everything
she had fought against, embodied as her daughter."
"Fought against?"
"I?m not saying that she would have wanted Beryl to win or anything like
that.  But my mom has spent her
life trying to undermine beliefs in gods and the supernatural with her
research.  And we are defiantly
supernatural, and we are certainly near goddesses  Serena."
"What?"
"You mean you never thought of it before? We have powers unheard of, are
nearly immortal, and I?ve seen
you use that crystal to perform miracles.  There is no other word for what
you do Serena.  If we had been
around a few hundred years ago, we would have dozens of temples dedicated
to us."
"Wow."
"Yeah.  And my mom freaked out when she realized that."
"Oh Amy."
"Well, I expected her to take it hard.  She never even read me fairy tales
as a child, she didn?t want me
?disillusioned?.  So when I turn out to be living a fairy tale, she very
understandably went ballistic."
"Do you think she?ll come around?"
"I have no idea."
"Well, you can stay with me as long as you need to."
"Thank you Serena."
"Anytime."
***
        to be continued...

NEXT WEEK, THE TRIAL!
Well, did you like it?  PLEASE write and tell me!!

Oh, and I own the plot, not the characters.  I made no money, so please
don't
sue.  See, here's the inside of my wallet.

Empty.  Sigh.
If you want to post it, please ask!
Goodbye!!
         --Adrian