Thanks go to everyone who emailed me. EMAIL ME YOUR COMMENTS! If you don't know the legend/key (whatever you want to call it) yet- go look back at the previous chapters. Yet again I wanna thank my imouto-chan, Kari! She's a really great friend. Read Calynder's (I know I spelled that wrong) "Closed Palms"; it's the BEST story. And Broken Wings by Setsuna M and *definitely* read Fire by Lois Fogg if you haven't already. And anyone on the SMRFF list, they're a great (crazy yeah but?) buncha supportive, creative people! Kami/Kami-sama- God Senshi- soldier Youma- monster Fuku- suit (sailor suit) Nani- what Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z. I don't own Korn or Enya either. Don't sue, please. ----------------------------------------- ------------- The Real Serena Tsukino Chapter 6 by: BlackIris3 email: blackiris3_chan@yahoo.com rated: PG/PG-13? ~~ Narrator's POV~~ "Stop picking on your cousin, Serena! Sheesh, I don't know *what's* gotten into you lately." Serena's mother scolded before leaving Serena's bedroom. Serena glared hatefully at the pink spore in her room. Rini's sinister smirk turned into a mock pout as she sniffled for effect; "I don't know why you're so mean to me. I just wanna be your friend?" Rini's sad face melted away into a look of pure malice, "? and get that Silver Crystal. You can't hide it forever, Serena. Someday you'll slip up and I'll nab it, and go back home. With an immature Meatball Head like you carrying it around, it should be a cinch to grab it." Serena took a menacing step towards Rini, who didn't even flinch. Serena's hand shot out and firmly grabbed Rini's chin, forcing her head back so she stared straight into Serena's eyes. 'When did Serena's eyes get so predator-like? The way she looks at me, like I'm a zebra and she's a hungry lioness?' Rini gulped, eyes widening. Serena leaned down so her head was an inch away from Rini's. "Be careful, Rini. Don't cross the line, because once you do, you can't go back behind it. And when that happens?" Serena smiled and let Rini go, walking to her window and staring absently out it. Rini regained her composure as best she could and began walking out the room, Luna P bouncing energetically behind its mistress. "Whatever Meatball Head." The door slammed behind her. Serena smiled. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~* "Where is it? Come on, I had it right here just a few minutes ago!" Serena rummaged through her paper-covered desk. "Aha!" She triumphantly held up a CD- an American CD to be exact. It was the American band Korn's latest CD- Issues. "You can never find good Japanese alternative music. You haveta go all the way to the U.S. to find it." She stuffed the CD into a black duffel bag, and jumped out her window onto the ground below. Quickly looking around first she ran full-speed to the park. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~* The stereo blasted out "Falling Away From Me" by Korn while Serena sang- more like gasped- along between punching or kicking the punching bag. She slumped against a tree and looked around her little training grounds. It was totally invisible to the rest of the world and extremely hard to find. Serena sighed and tugged *extremely* short black biker shorts, she had decided to wear black bike shorts and a silver sports bra. Serena sighed. She was going to turn 15 soon, 2 days in fact; she hadn't seen her old gang for 2 years. Kami-sama, she missed them, she missed them so much. Serena jumped up and began attacking the punching bag with a vengeance. She couldn't think of them, it was too depressing. She used her telekinetic powers to turn the music up louder, drowning out the sound of virtually everything. Serena was so absorbed with her relentless beating of the punching bag that she never noticed the sky turn a dark purple and the flash of light next to her training grounds, she did, however, notice the sound it made. Serena whimpered and found harder, chanting, "I hat storms, I hate thunder?" That's when she noticed the movement in the trees. She grabbed her sword from her sheath and spun around, dropping into a battle stance, feet spread and the sword at her side, ready to plunge into someone's heart. "Luna?" She called out cautiously. Luna was the only one who knew her secret, her past. She had caught Serena sneaking out one night and decided to follow her. She was led to the training ground where she accidentally stepped on a twig, alerting Serena of her presence. Serena had finally, after some relentless insistence from Luna, told her the truth, about everything. Luna was a huge comfort from then on, only scolding Serena in the presence of the other senshi to keep up Serena's little charade. "Luna?" she called again, more urgent. No, it wasn't Luna; she would've come out of hiding when she called. Then who? "Looks like I have some intruders on my hands." She muttered to herself, dangerously. "Come out, come out where ever you are." She spoke in a singsong voice, laughing darkly. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* In the Trees ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Is that her?" A woman with black hair typed up in a bun asked. "I'm not sure; we haven't seen her in 2 years, you know. Who knows how much she could've changed in these last few years." A woman with short blue-green hair replied. "There is *no* way that *our* Rena could've turned into that aggressive, psycho bi?er? girl. Hehehe." A young man about 15 with spiky black hair stammered after receiving a glare from the woman with black hair in the bun. "And *what* is that *noise* she's playing!? It's driving me insane!" the gruff voice from a green-skinned man with dark pink muscles rang out. "It's her." Everyone turned to stare at the 15- year-old with soft lavender hair that fell gently into his blue eyes. "How do you know?" A middle-aged man with spiky black hair and kind dark eyes asked gently. "The sword, I gave her that sword when we were 10. She still has it? 'Sides we ordered the Dragon to take us to her, who else could that girl be?" Before another word was uttered, Serena spoke. ~*~*~*~*~* Back in the Training Grounds ~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Fine! If you won't come out on your own, I'll fish you out!" She put her sword back in its sheath and a large silver bow appeared in her hands and a bunch of arrows on her back. She pulled out a silver arrow with a long silver rope attached to the tail of the arrow. She quickly strung the arrow and let it fly expertly into the trees; it wrapped around a large group of people. She tugged roughly on the rope and the whole group came tumbling out. Serena smirked smugly at the grumbling of the group, until she looked more closely at them. She gasped and took a step backwards, dropping the bow and rope. One boy, the young teenager with the lavender hair looked up into Serena's eyes, "Ren?" he asked hopefully, uncertain. Serena fainted. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~* "Is she okay?" "Dammit Trunks, did you really have to make her faint?" "Sorry, Piccolo?" The DBZ gang had all eventually untangled themselves from Serena's rope and promptly rushed over to see if she was ok. "Oh my, look," Chichi, the woman with black hair in a bun, pointed to Serena's hair, "Her hair, it's turning silver? See the streaks?" Everyone looked and nodded. "She certainly has grown very beautiful, even more so since the last time we all saw her." Bulma, the green- blue haired woman, said. "Mmhmm, her *figure's* certainly matured." Trunks replied absent-mindedly, eyes roaming appreciatively over her figure in her *extremely* skimpy outfit. Vegeta, a short, tough guy with spiky black hair and dark eyes who happened to be married to Bulma, laughed and Bulma smacked Trunks upside the head. "Her!" "You're *supposed* to be her best-friend, not some horny teenage boy trying to get in her bed!" Vegeta was snorting now, trying vainly to hold back his laughter. "Sheesh mom, I may be her best friend, but I'm still a *guy*!" "All males have a one-sided mind!" Trunks shrugged. That was it, the dam burst. Vegeta leaned against a tree, clutching his stomach and tears rolling down his face. Bulma glared at him and smacked him upside the head. "Shut up!" Serena moaned and weakly opened one eye. Her gaze rested on an anxious looking Trunks peering down at her. Her other eye popped open. "Hey Ren, you ok?" Serena jumped up, grabbed her sword, and pointed it at Trunks' throat, all in a movement so quick all they could register was a whirl of blond, silver, and peach skin. "Are you from the NegaMoon? Is this one of their tricks?" Trunks' eyes (as well as everyone else's) grew wide and he gulped. "R-Ren? We're you're friends, remember? We aren't from that NegaMoon place. We're from the Dragon Ball dimension, where you grew up, remember?" Trunks replied cautiously. "How do I know you're the *real* Trunks and not some droid from the NegaMoon? You could just be trying to trick me!" Trunks gulped again, eyeing the sword and its owner, unable to think of anything to say. "I know! A sword fighting contest. If you're the *real* Trunks then you'd be able to beat me. Now, on your feet and unsheathe your sword!" Trunks did as Serena commanded and got into a battle stance, Serena snorted. "We're not going to fight *here*, and even if we were, I'd at least *change* first." Serena walked to the middle of her training grounds and drew a large circle on the ground. "This is where we'll fight, no stepping out of the circle or you're disqualified. Now, I'm going to change and then we'll get started." Trunks nodded and stepped inside the circle. Serena began to glow silver softly and her clothes changed into a black tank top, loose fitting orange pants, and small black boots. They stared at her, she'd never don't *that* before. Serena stepped into the circle and they both got into a battle stance. "Ready? begin!" Serena shouted. They both stabbed at each other, thrusting and blocking, jabbing and swiping. The silver metal clashed and after awhile they began to yield. Serena tripped Trunks but he kicked her away before she could win. He kicked her shins so she fell to her knees, but she blocked his descending sword. He finally hit her wrist with the hilt of his sword, causing her to drop her sword. Trunks grabbed it and pointed both swords at Serena's bare throat. They were both panting and breathing hard, Trunks gently tossed the swords to the side and held out a hand to Serena, who was still kneeling. She looked up at him, her eyes vulnerable and quavering. It had begun to rain during their match, neither had noticed. Serena launched herself at him, arms embracing his waist as she sobbed brokenly into his chest. After the initial shock wore off Trunks wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back and hair soothingly. "Shhh, Ren, it's okay now, we're here for you now, all of us. *I'm* here for you, Ren." He soothed her, whispering in her ear. She looked up, tears still coursing down her cheeks, mingling with the fresh rain, washing them away. "Trunks, oh gods Trunks. I've missed you so much, so, so much. All of you. Please, don't leave me again, I couldn't live if you left me too." She started crying again and Trunks gently picked her up. "Who hurt you, Ren?" Serena shook her head, "Everyone? everyone hurts me. Oh, it hurts so bad," she clutched her chest, right over her heart, "Everything hurts so bad, Trunks. You're my only true friend; none of the others know me. No one knows me. No one?" she buried her head in his shoulder. The stereo had begun playing "Wake Up" by Korn, how apt? The two had totally forgotten about their little audience until they all came rushing at them, trying to see what's wrong with Serena, for she had been whispering and only Trunks had heard her statement. She jumped down from Trunks' arms and raced over to her old friends, unaware of Trunks' thoughtful gaze boaring into her back. It was still raining and no one noticed when the stereo changed to the next CD on the track, "Watermark" by Enya. "On Your Shore" Strange how my heart beats to find myself upon your shore. Strange how I still feel My loss of comfort gone before. Cool waves wash over and drift away with dreams of youth so time is stolen I cannot hold you long enough. And so this is where I should be now Days and nights falling by Days and nights falling by me. I know of a dream I should be holding days and nights falling by Days and nights falling by me. Soft blue horizons reach far into my childhood days as you are rising to bring me my forgotten ways. Strange how I falter to find I'm standing in deep water strange how my heart beats to find I'm standing on your shore. ----------------------------------------- ------------- I don't know if that song fits, but it seems like it. I might write a songfic to that song, so no one else take it! LOL, anyway, I've had this ready a few weeks ago but I didn't have time to type it up, gomen! Well, hope you like it! I *finally* got around to bringing the DBZ gang in! I'm not totally satisfied with this chapter but it'll have to do. ~Iris