Elvenwarrior elven17@hotmail.com ~Tales of Time: Part One-Chapter III-An Explanation~ It's me, ladies and gents! This chapter has been a while in coming, so you'll have to forgive me. I'm also completely renovating the first chapter, so this story may take a while. Anyways, any music I use in here isn't mine, and I don't own Sailor Moon. Like it or not, just give me a blast. E-mail's the same as always, and I always reply. "Who Am I?" is from Les Miserables "A Little Fall of Rain" is also from Les Mis "When You Believe" is from Prince of Egypt. And if I get any flak for using this, BITE ME! Side note: I'm already trying to get ideas for the second part of Tales of Time. I'm think of maybe a WW II setting, Nazi Germany, Serena spy, Darian an officer in Hitler's army. What'ca think? Give me a buzz. On with the story!!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A thud. Then, only a few seconds after, another thud, this one larger and heavier. It let out a grunt, then a black hood fell back to expose a face with wide blue eyes and long blond hair, with three long braids trailing down its back amid the river of blond. Serena scuttled across the yard, her satchel and duffel bag on her shoulders. She made her way to the garage, then found her Ninja bike. She gasped and coughed as she pulled the dust cover from it. Black and red paint gleamed where there'd always been basic black, and her expert eye could tell that the motor had been supped up. Her saddlebags were there, and in them, she hoped, would be some of her firearm cache. 'If that snake O'Malley hasn't taken them.' she thought. She snapped on her helmet, which covered almost all of her face except for her eyes, over which an automatic visor lowered. She revved the engine, then skidded out of the driveway, taking the curves and sharp turns like a pro. She didn't see a dark figure come out of the garage behind her, a flash of anger in dark blue eyes covered swiftly by an automatic visor, the same as hers. "Wade residence. Amy Wade speaking." Serena breathed a sigh of relief. "Ames, its MacLeod." She heard Amy gasp. "Serena? Where have you been? We've all been so worried." the blue-haired girl said in a rush. "Doesn't surprise me. Ever since I turned twenty-one, you guys have been worried about me. Listen, can I come to your house? I-uh, I've had an accident." Serena said. "Did you finally fall off that motorcycle of yours?" "Kinda. Remember that jewelry heist I did about a month ago?" "Yeah." "Well, some mobsters beat me to the punch." "I heard about that. But they said that some minor pieces missing, and most of the money out of the safe." "Minor pieces, my ass. I took half the jewelry there, and would've taken more." Serena muttered. "Ames, I didn't crack the safe. The kinda safe that place had, I couldn't have if I'd wanted it. But they heard me. One threw me out a window, then I got hit with a piece of sidewalk. Not to mention the bullet wound later." Serena sighed. Her stay in the hospital had been brief. More due to the fact that the police were investigating her, and O'Malley had put the heat on them to get her out. "Geez, Rena, why didn't you tell me? Sure, c'mon over as soon as you can." Amy replied. "You guys still live in the G.D.?" The G.D., or Guardian District, was as much as part of this city of the future as any place else. It housed most of the policemen in the city, those who could afford nice townhouses and lawns the size of an eyeball. But still, it housed a lot of cops, and all those cops needed a doctor. Amy's mom was certified, not to mention the head of the hottest hospital in town, so they lived there. Had since Serena's foster father had been transferred from New York City. "Yeah, we do. Same old address. Try to keep from getting a ticket, okay?" With that, Amy hung up, a loud sigh coming out. "Try not to get yourself killed getting into G.D., girl." Serena hung up the pay phone, and started the engine on her bike. She glanced around, and pinned a biker not far behind, coming around the corner she'd taken at breakneck speed. The bike was a Harley, black and gold, but the biker's build looked familiar. 'Coming after me, O'Malley?' she thought, a smirk tugging her lips. She slid on her helmet, and snapped the visor into nightvision. 'Then you better be prepared to play rough.' She roared off, leaving skid marks in the pavement. "Mina here." "Mina, it's Amy. Get over here NOW. Serena just called me." "Right. On my way." Mina, an exact duplicate of Serena, except that she was about half a foot taller, and her temper wasn't as bad, hung up, and grabbed her jacket. Whatever happened around Serena, eventually happened to all of them. She waved a goodbye to her boyfriend, Seiya, and bolted out the door before he could stop her, her cell phone buzzing Raye at the temple. Serena pulled up in front of her apartment building, and brought out the key that would give her access to the large apartment. She glanced at Darian's figure on the bike, and decided to let him have a breather. She needed into the cache of weapons she kept in her apartment, and needed into it yesterday. If she was going to stay alive, then she'd need to arm her friends as well. Taking the steps two at a time, she climbed the staircase, pressed her key into the lock, and slipped in. The room was exactly as she'd left it, papers strewn all over, clothes ready to burst out of her closet, and only one spot clear of any trash: a small patch of wall space, and an even smaller patch of floor space. She pressed a secret button, and watched as the patches slid aside to reveal a stock of firearms that would have had the U.S. Armed Forces in awe. Her real father had taught her the basics about weapons, and the rest she'd learned from her foster father. She knelt down, and started pulling guns out as quickly as she could figure out a use for them. She also pulled out three miniature crossbows, fully loaded, and a collapsible long bow. A creak on the stairs outside alerted her to someone's presence, and Serena gave the door a little wave. It slammed shut, and the lock shot home. 'So much for O'Malley.' she thought. Another wave, and the CD player, expensive and one of her first steals, clicked on. A mental note, and it skipped to a particular song, one of Serena's favorites. Who Am I? He thinks that man is me He knew him at a glance! That stranger he has found This man could be my chance! Why should I save his hide? Why should I right this wrong? When I have come so far And struggled for so long If I speak, I am condemned. If I stay silent, I am damned! I am the master of hundreds of workers. They all look to me. Can I abandon them? How would they live If I am not free? If I speak, I am condemned. If I speak, I am damned! Who am I? Can I condemn this man to slavery? Pretend I do not feel his agony? This innocent who bears my face Who goes to judgement in my place. Who am I? Can I conceal myself forever more? Pretend I'm not the man I was before? And must my name until I die Be no more than an alibi? Must I lie? How can I ever face my fellow men? How can I ever face myself again? My soul belongs to God, I know I made that bargain long ago He gave me hope when hope was gone He gave me strength to journey on Who am I? Who am I? I am Jean Valjean! And so, Javert, you see it's true That man bears no more guilt than you! Who am I? 24601! The declaration at the end of the song always brought a smile to Serena's lips, but this time, it only made her hurry more. She needed to get away as quickly as possible. But another song from the next CD, still from Les Mis, clicked on. It was an afterthought, and one she should've remembered. It was Eponine's dying song, one she didn't need to hear right now, but one she listened to anyway. A Little Fall of Rain Eponine: Don't you fret, M'sieur Marius I don't feel any pain A little fall of rain Can hardly hurt me now. You're here. That's all I need to know And you will keep me safe And you will keep me close And rain will make the flowers grow Marius: But you will live 'Ponine-dear God above, If I could close your wounds with words of love Eponine: Just hold me now, and let it be. Shelter me, comfort me Marius: You would live a hundred years If I could show you how I won't desert you now. Eponine: The rain can't hurt me now This rain will was away what's past And you will keep me safe And you will keep me close I'll sleep in your embrace at last The rain that brings you here Is heaven blessed The sky begins to clear And I'm at rest. A breath away from where you are I've come home from so far. Here, their voices blended, and Serena felt tears sting her eyes. 'Damn!' So don't you fret, M'sieur Marius I don't feel any pain A little fall of rain Can hardly hurt me now That's all I need to know And you will keep me safe And you will keep me close And rain Will make the flowers... Marius: Hush-a-bye, dear Eponine You won't feel any pain A little fall of rain Can hardly hurt you now I'm here I will stay with you until you are sleeping And rain Will make the flowers Grow Serena wiped the tears from her eyes. The songs had reminded her of a dear friend, Victor Hugo. A friend she'd known long ago, when she was younger, and Darian was so close she could've touched him. Loading all of the weapons into her satchel, Serena changed the clothes out of her duffel and put in basic black, a color that tended to make her look more solemn than she really was. Most of her clothes were in black, except for a kimono that her father had gotten her from Chinatown in New York. Done with packing her bags, she threw them over her shoulders and headed out of the apartment, her eyes already searching for Darian's familiar form. Not seeing him, she breathed a sigh of relief, and gunned her bike for Amy's. She pulled up in front of her friend's house half an hour later, and was welcomed with the sight of her friends pouring out of Amy's house. "RENA!" Mina cried, launching herself at her friend and wrapping her in a bear hug. "Mina, LET-GO!" Serena gasped. Her friend withdrew, a sheepish look on her face. She looked at the assembled friends; Amy's face, pixieish and concerned; Mina's, so like her own, but with a different light in the eyes; Lita, an Amazon-like girl, and fellow thief; and Raye, her eyes lit with am inner fire. "So, the Immortalia is together once again." she said. She looked at Lita. "Glad my call got through. I thought you'd taken your line down." "Our pledge keeps us together." Raye said harshly. She glared at Serena, then backed off when Serena's eyes iced over. "Don't count on my line ever being down. Especially when the call comes from one of my sisters." Lita replied. "Let's get inside. I want to look at your back, Serena." Amy said. Serena climbed off the bike, grimacing a little. They all went inside, all of them but Serena unaware of the large Harley that pulled up about a block away, the rider taking his helmet off to rake a hand through raven black hair. 'Damn it, MacLeod! What're you doing?' Darian thought. Raye and Serena both heard the thought at the same time. They looked at each other, then at the figure. "Friend of yours, Rena?" Raye asked softly. "I wish he wasn't. He spells trouble. Let's get inside." she replied, just as softly. Serena hugged a mug of hot cocoa in her hands as Amy examined her back through her black T-shirt. "Well, it looks like you've been patched up pretty well. But there are some places that are still sore." Amy said, probing. She touched one of the sore spots, and Serena jumped up, almost spilling the cocoa. "Geez, Ames!" she yelped. Raye laughed quietly, while Mina and Lita chuckled. She glared at them. "Gee, Serena, you sound like your old self. The ditzy, clumsy one." Raye said. "You mean the girl I was when I was about a thousand years younger? Maybe, but if I'm a ditz, what does that make you now, Raye?" Serena shot back, reaching for her jacket. "Don't move, Rena!" Amy's voice commanded. Serena froze. "What is THIS?" "What is what?" "What? What're you talking about?" the rest of them clamored. They got up, and looked at her back. "Serena, you have a giant tattoo on your back!" Lita exclaimed. Serena sighed, and straightened, leaving her jacket where she'd tossed it, on Amy's couch. "Of COURSE I do! Don't any of you remember the Chinese emperor who took a fancy to me and decided to make me one of his concubines so he could talk to me? Well, he also had a fetish for tattoos, so he had one put on me." she said. She saw Lita's face, saying that she didn't believe any of it. "Then why is it a dragon flying around the full moon, over a large coastal city?" Raye demanded. "Because I gave him a design I wanted the artist to follow. It's old, part of a legend that doesn't even exist anymore. At least, it doesn't here. And it's not a coastal city. It's an island." she said. "The dragon is Darian's star sign, isn't it? He was born under Draco." Mina said. Serena nodded, her face unreadable. She sat down, a sigh coming out of her. "Do you know how long I've loved Darian whatever-his-last-name-is?" she asked, taking a long drink from her mug. "You've TOLD us." Raye said, exasperated. Lita glared at Raye. "From the beginning of time. If you've ever heard of soulmates, that's what we are. Whenever I'm even near him, I feel safe. Like I don't have to be afraid of anyone, not even your asshole boyfriend, Markus, Raye." This earned her a hard glare from her black-haired friend. "That's the way I feel with Greg." Amy said softly. Raye, Lita, and Mina looked at her, astonished. "Well, WHAT? Is it odd to you guys to be able to feel that way?" she said defensively. Serena took a deep breath, and began to weave her tale. "You guys all know that I'm older than all of you put together." she began. "Like you don't keep reminding us." Amy clobbered Raye with a large pillow. "But none of you know the complete story. As my best friends, you should. I was born in the beginning of the world, but several millennia after it had begun to evolve. You can track it's evolution by the scars on my and Darian's bodies. They correspond. We were born at the same time, or at least on the same day. We both learned how to fight at the same time, although I picked it up faster than Darian did. We were both raised in the Lost City of Atlantis, loved and protected by our families. We were on a pilgrimage to a holy place to ask for guidance when Beryl Donna, or whatever she calls herself now, sunk the city, trapping us, the last Atlantisians, on foreign soil." She looked at her friends. "The goddess of the holy place, a lady called Serenity, blessed us. Why, I don't think I'll ever understand. She gave us both immortality, then separated us. I went to the Middle East, to Morocco, while Darian went to the north, to France. But Beryl had found out that we were still alive, and so our memories concerning each other were erased and new memories put in their place. It wasn't until a fickle English king, at the end of his century and desperate with wanting lands in the Middle East and Africa, sent a group of ambassadors to the sultan's palace in Morocco, where I was being kept. "I saw him through the gates." Her eyes took on a glow. "By Serenity, he was handsome! A slight look of fear in his eyes, as if he didn't know what to expect. And really, he didn't. None of them did." The glow fled from her eyes, replaced by a look of intense sadness. "Beryl was with him. She'd placed herself as his lover, his mistress, causing all sorts of gossip to run about the sultan's palace. In reality, she'd known that I was at the palace, and come to make sure that Darian didn't see me." "But he did, and he loved you." Mina said softly. Serena nodded. "Naturally. It was love at first sight, I guess. At that moment, our memories came back, and we realized that we were sent away for the love that was to grow in us. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it took both of us at least a century to see that." She drained her mug, and set it on the table. "Have you ever seen the goddess Serenity again?" Raye asked, now intrigued. "Once, about three centuries ago. I'd just lost Darian to Beryl, AGAIN, and I was ready to end my life. She came to me, and stopped me from running myself through. She said that it was our destiny to be apart. I demanded to know why that was, if my heart yearned for him." "Did she have an answer?" Lita asked. "Goddesses always do. She said that for us to be together at last, we must face our enemy together, with our love uniting us, and our memories complete. She taught me the ways of light magic, helping me prepare myself for that day." A look of enlightenment spread across Raye's face. "The turning of the centuries! It has some kind of power!" her friend exclaimed. Serena smiled sadly. "That it does. Beryl has stolen Darian from me, and each of your loves from you." Lita stood, shocked. "What! Ken and I-" she began. "Were no more than friends until about 1995, remember?" Serena said. "The heart remembers what the mind does not. I know this as a fact. Each of us have been entered into Beryl's hate book, simply because..." She trailed off, her mind working double time. "Raye, you control the power of Mars and fire, right?" The girl nodded. "Amy, yours is Mercury and air. Mina, yours is Venus and love. Lita, yours is Jupiter and knowledge.*" All of the girls now wore puzzled expressions. "Don't you see? It is because of your powers that Beryl hates you! THAT is why she has taken Chad, Ken, Greg, Seiya, and Darian from us." "She hates us because we represent planets?" Mina asked, a blond moment hitting her. Serena shook her head, her braids waving. "I learned about you, my friends, while I was training with my magic. We can each call upon our planet for aid and guidance." "You mean, I could whip up some fire and fry Beryl's bitchy butt?" Raye asked, a gleam in her eye. Serena chuckled. Raye's job as a jeweler, specializing in rubies, brought her into contact with people well endowed with money. Beryl was one of her most frequent customers. "That wouldn't be enough. Our partners, our soulmates, were born on the same day, the same time as we were. In the words of Abraham Lincoln, 'United we stand, divided we fall.'" she said. "Then, to defeat Beryl, and get back our soulmates, we have to-" Amy began. "Harness our powers." Raye finished. She looked at everyone else. "I read about this somewhere. It's what the Native Americans call a vision quest. For them, it's where you receive your spirit guide, but for us, it's where we get our powers." "Right." The doorbell rang. A pained expression came over Serena's face, and she sat. "Damn it, Darian!" she said. Amy got up, and went to the door. She opened it, and stood locked in her spot, gazing up at Darian. Piercing, dark blue eyes and black hair that had been raked by either a hand or the wind gave him a dangerous look. "Y-yes?" she asked. "I need to talk to MacLeod." he said. "She's-ah, she's not here." the blue-haired girl replied. "I saw her come in here. I know Serena's here." he said. Lita appeared behind Amy, and her green gaze gave him a through once over. "She's here, but she doesn't want to talk to you. She wants some time with her friends." the tall girl said. Darian's eyes lit with a fire. "Fuck you. I'm here to talk to Serena, and-" he said. He stopped, and just stood there, listening. He heard music, and-who was it-singing? Lita and Amy traded an "they're-at-it-again" look. When You Believe Mina: Many nights we've prayed With no proof anyone could see In our hearts a hopeful song We barely understood Now we are not afraid Although we know there's much to fear We were moving mountains Long before we knew we could. There can be miracles When you believe Though hope is frail It's hard to kill Who knows what miracles You can achieve When you believe Somehow you will You will when you believe Serena: In this time of fear When prayer so often proved in vain Hope seemed like the summer birds Too swiftly flown away Yet now I'm standing here My heart so full I can't explain Seeking faith and speaking words I never thought I'd say. S & M: There can miracles When you believe Though hope is frail It's hard to kill Who know what miracles You can achieve When you believe Somehow you will You will when you believe... Then, he heard Serena's voice, so harsh when in English, start speaking Hebrew. Fluently. He walked into the house, and Amy didn't stop him. Serena: A-shi-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah A-shi-ra la-do-nai ki ga-oh ga-ah Mi-cha-mo-cha ba-elim adonai Mi-ka-mo-cha ne-dar-ba-ko-desh Nat-chi-tah v'-chas-d'-cha am zu ga-al-ta A-shi-ra, a-shi-ra, a-shi-ra...*(Look at the bottom for translation) S & M: There can be miracles When you believe Though hope is frail It's hard to kill Who knows what miracles You can achieve When you believe Somehow you will Now you will You will when you believe You will when you believe "Show off." he heard Amy say, although there was no spite in it. Serena smiled at her blond-haired friend, who, Darian had to admit, was her twin. Lita coughed, and Serena turned. Her smile died, and Darian knew he was the reason why. "O'Malley." she said icily. "Why did you leave, MacLeod?" he demanded. "Why shouldn't I have left? Beryl would've found me at the house, and believe me, I want to stay away from that woman as much as possible." she said, sitting on the couch with an uncertain ease. "Beryl poses no threat to you! The mob does!" Darian exclaimed. "Beryl poses every threat, you dunderhead!" Serena shot back. Her eyes sparkled dangerously, and Darian felt electricity surge around her. Raye's magic lit as well, and great heat surrounded her body. Amy glared at both of them. "Stop that, you two!" she exclaimed. She turned to Darian, whose eyes were glued to Serena. "Maybe you'd better leave." He nodded. "Better to leave a bitch with you." he said quietly. Her friends gasped, and Serena's energy flared again, this time to the point that the lights in the house dimmed. She got up, walked over to him with soundless steps, and took his face. She looked deep into the dark blue eyes that she loved, and her hand brushed at the raven-black hair. Then her hand drew back, and she punched him, hard enough to send him careening into the wall and split his lip. "Rena!" Raye cried. Serena silenced her with a look, and glared down at Darian. "So much for eternal love. I see now how much Beryl has influenced you. Get out of here, O'Malley, and never come back." He looked at her, a confused look on his face. "Come on, Darian. I'll get you fixed up." Amy said, taking his hand and leading him into the kitchen, where she kept her doctor's bag. Serena sat on the couch with a sigh, Lita sitting next to her. "Why' ya do that, Rena?" her friend asked. "For what he called me, and for how it felt the last time he looked at me like that. Remember my eighteen birthday as a MacLeod? The one with Methuselah?" he heard Serena reply. * She'd just finished blowing out the 18 candles on her birthday, Amy and Lita exchanging a look when she made a crack about how she seemed to be blowing out a lot of birthday candles. Her foster mother, Amelia, her brown eyes shining, had presented her with a leather flight jacket, just like one she'd worn in an earlier life. Her foster father, Jack, gave her a short sword, polished and quite able of being used in real life. Her foster parents knew of her immortality, and had taken into effect that she would most likely outlive them by several eons. They accepted her, not asking about the razor sharp daggers she kept in her boots or the broadsword, sharpened to an edge sharp enough to cut at the slightest flick. They hadn't asked questions when she'd started wanting to learn about guns, and all manner of weaponry. Suddenly, the familiar sounds of a fight reached her sharp ears. Amy and Lita heard it as well, their glances at the double French doors alerting her foster parents ears out that way. Jack had barked orders for them to remain inside while he handled this, but Serena followed him, her sixth sense picking up that someone needed her desperately. Outside, the scene made her gasp, war-hardened as she was. A biker gang surrounded a young man who looked no older than Serena, literally speaking. One of his beautiful blue eyes was forced shut by a swelling black eye, and his lips were bleeding. His black hair was matted to his head with blood, indicating a head wound that might take a few stitches to close. She recognized Darian on sight. He didn't recognize her, though. It was better in the long run that he didn't, she'd decided later. "Stay out of this!" Darian cried. Serena softly cursed Beryl for ridding Darian of the fighting skills she knew that he'd had honed to a distinct edge the last time she'd seen him. Jack progressed forward slowly, speaking in an even tone, "Look, man, you might want to just let go of that young man there. What's he done to you that'd make you kill him?" The biker replied with a rude comment and a meaningful look at Serena, who stood straighter. Several of the bikers also stood straighter, getting ready to jump Jack. Using the muscles and reflexes she's been using to stay alive for several centuries, Serena leapt over their heads, somersaulting and landing on her feet, in a crouch, with a pair of daggers drawn and ready. "Get back, Dad! Call the rest of the cops around here!" she cried, tossing her braided hair out of her face. At that time in her life, she'd had all of her hair braided, making it easier to pull back. Now, she was glad she'd had it done. The braids kept the rest of the hair out of her face. "You ain't callin' no one, old man." one of the bikers said. The tattoos on his arms were a name that she recognized. One that she reacted to when he reached into his saddlebags and pulled out a small Beretta. "Energy within, I call thee." Serena said softly. She felt the electricity crackle around her, and smiled. She pointed with one of the daggers, and a lightening bolt shot from the tip to the man's arm, effectively frying his hand. The biker leader backed up, leaving Darian lying on the street. "GET UP, Darian." she said, nudging him with her boot toe. When he didn't move, she bent down slowly, keeping her eyes on the bikers, and gave him a good shove with muscles that were toned and rock hard from extensive training. She found that his shoulder was the same, and smiled inwardly at the thought that maybe not ALL of his memories were gone. He moaned, and started to sit up, holding his head. "Serena!" she heard Amelia exclaim. "Mom! Get my blade!" she cried back, keeping the dagger leveled at the leader. She'd felt vibes from this guy that were definitely NOT right. She only had one choice, and that was to get to her sword before he got to his, if the long, sword-shaped object on the back of his bike was any indication. He grinned when she called for her sword, realizing who he was dealing with. "Well, well, if it isn't the mighty Serena Atlantian." he said, using the last name she'd been born with. Her eyes narrowed. She recognized him now. "Methuselah." A man as demonic as his name, and twice as evil as the devil could ever be. She's witnessed his birth, making him several hundred years younger than she, but still as deadly, if what his mother had said about him before he cut her throat were any indication. He bowed gallantly, and Darian glared up at her. "You KNOW this monster?" he demanded, rising on unsteady legs. She glanced at him, watchful of her enemy. "Monster doesn't even begin to describe HIM." she replied, nodding in Methuselah's direction. "Try psycho, devil, demon, crazed, murderer, sacker of homes, rapist, or all of the above." He bowed again at the insults, taking them as compliments. "Or I could add moron and complete idiot to the list." His eyes, red at all times, blazed high. "You'll pay for that, Atlantian." he said. He dove for his blade at the same time that Amelia came out of the townhouse, holding Serena's blade by the edge. If there was one thing Serena was thankful for, it was that her foster mother was an adept at handling large blades. She tossed it to her foster daughter, and Serena caught it one handed, gesturing at Darian to back up. He answered with a shake of his head, no, and she griamced. Without his additonal swordman skills, he was worthless to her in a fight. That was when she felt him lift something out of her boot, and smiled to herself again. He remembered how to use a knife! That, in itself, was enough to make her nod at him in approval. Then she faced Methuselah. "I won't be fighting you alone, it appears." she said, nodding at Darian, who handled the sharp dagger effectively. He tucked the blade against his arm, a sign of experience and knowing what he had in his hands. The demon's face clouded. "So, I'm facing the last Atlantians. Together again, eh, Serena?" he asked. Darian's eyes clouded, and he glanced at her, turning his attention from the fight. "I've never seen him before in my life, Methuselah. Not that I wouldn't mind seeing him again, but he just isn't my type. I go for guys who have lived longer than I have." she replied, hoping she kept her voice light. Suddenly, Methuselah lunged at Darian, whose eyes cleared in time to see the sword coming at him and fend if off with the dagger's smaller blade. Serena let out the battle cry of the Atlantians, a sound that was both harsh and soothing, meant to calm your enemy while awakening your battle skills. It worked, too. The demon-man stilled for just a second, all the time she needed. Serena leapt forward, her sword cutting a bloody line from his ears to his belly button, effectively slicing the man open like a fish. Darian's eyes widened at the sight of all the blood, and he paled a little. His eyes didn't go quite as wide as Methuselah's, which went wider with each pump of his heart, shoving precious blood out of his body. She leapt back, dragging Darian with her. He marveled at her strength along with her skill with the broadsword she held. No one he'd ever seen could handle a blade like that. That came from intesive training and dedication. The bikers roared off as their leader bled to death, cursing Serena with each breath he could still draw. Darian glanced at her, as if asking for permission, and she nodded, turning away. He flipped the dagger he held over, and plunged it into Methuselah's heart, ceasing the ramblings. "Serena!" Amy and Lita came out, wrpaping their arms around their friend. Lita wiped a bit of blood from under her friend's eyes, and smiled. "I thought you weren't good enough to kill someone." she said, trying to make it a joke. Sernea just nodded, and went back inside. Her family and friends went with her, paying no attention to the bloody carcass that stained the street. She lagged behind, watching Darian's face. A face she'd loved all her life. "Darian Atlantian." He jerked around at the soft sound of voice. The she remembered that he'd only heard her speak a few times, and that had been the horaseness of battle. "How do you-?" "We've known each other for a long time. You don't remember me, but I remember you. All too well." she said, smiling softly. She gestured up the steps, to the warmth and sense of family the townhouse radiated. A warmth and a sense of family Darian had never experienced. At lease, not under Beryl's spell. The old hag was just too stubborn to let him be. Especially with Serena. "Would you like to join us? My parents and I were just-" She stopped, realizing that Darian wasn't on the street any longer. He'd disappeared, leaving only a whisper that echoed through her ears. "I know you, too, Serena Atlantian. And I will find you again, if I must." Later that night, Serena had used her learning of magic, and erased the memory of their encounter from her love's mind, choosing for him. He would never have had any of the success in his life if she'd allowed him to keep the memory. But she did let him keep one thing. The whisper. In his mind, it would make him hunt for a Serena Atlantian, any girl who looked like her. In hers, it would be a trace of what they'd known long ago.* All this flashed through Serena's mind as Amy looked at Darian's lip and head. She got up, took her jacket, and walked out of the house, out of the warmth she'd used to cocoon herself when her parents had been brutally murdered, out of the kindness and friendship most strive for. Darian heard a familier motor rev, and jumped up form his barstool at Amy's counter, running out of the house in time to see Serena's braids fly away, astride a beast if steel and chrome. "Where's she going?" he demanded of Raye, who'd followed him out. "Don't you know?" she asked in return. "Of course you wouldn't. To the place where Jack and Amelia MacLeod were murdered. To SunRise Alley." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There it is! All done! Well, at least this chatper. I'm going to resolve everything in Ch.4, so don't worry if I left you with a cliffhanger! English translation of Hewbrew lyrics to "When You Believe" I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously " " Who is like You, oh Lord, among the celestial Who is like You, majestic in holiness In Your love, You lead the people you redeemed " " I will sing, I will sing, I will sing That's it for me. You know the drill! Have fun with this story! Oh, and don't forget about the story ideas. I like to hear form readers, and who knows? Maybe YOUR idea could be the one I use! Bye!