Dark on the Outside - Chapter 20 by Ari WaSPG0LD@aol.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- DARK ON THE OUTSIDE (insert disclaimers here) =====CHAPTER 20: OWEN'S RESOLVE===== "What do you MEAN they're DEAD?" It was bad enough that his parents didn't greet him from his long plane ride home. It was even worse that he had to leave his new friends - not to mention his new love - back in Japan. But what's the deal with his parents being dead? "Precisely that," Sid the butler said. "Dead. There was a red light at the intersection of Packard and Beningo. Some of the Degener- ates opened fire." He hung his head. "They didn't make it to the hos- pital." Owen started to laugh and talk at the same time. "Oh geez," he laughed. "Not even one minute off the plane and already I'm being bus- ted on? They won't even let me recover from the jet lag and the cul- ture shock, would they? Nooooooo...." He regained his senses. "Okay, joke's over. Knock it off, guys. Alright? Ya got me." "Believe me, mosta Owen, it is no joke." TEEI MANSION LATER In a distant corner of the Teei Mansion grounds, they was a small shrine set up. It was walk-in; a few feet in, there were the graves of Robert and Cindy Teei, Owen's parents. Sid led Owen out to the courtyard where the gravesite was. O- wen broke out in a run when he saw the small temple. And when he burst inside... There, sitting side-by-side, were the headstones. The one on the right, belonged to his father, Robert; the one on the left, his mother, Cindy. So it wasn't a joke. The shock was too much for Owen. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Tears ran down his face, but he didn't feel them. Then, it fell out. Owen let out a shriek, fell to his knees, and started to cry. So it was true. Owen's parents were dead. The town's nearly in ruin save for his own property. His true love was thousands of miles away. And he didn't know what he was going to do. SEPTEMBER 1, 1999 FOUR MONTHS LATER 11:00 A.M. To say that Owen was a changed man was putting it lightly. Since he learned four months ago that his parents were dead, he seriously let himself go. He hadn't been as serious on his fighting and magic skills as he used to be, and subsequently, he put on some weight. Also, his town was sliding further and further into ruin; the Degenerates tried, but failed miserably to conquer him. All that re- mained of his army was just his house, a few technicians, and Owen. To make matters worse, he had been suffering from depression. His eyes reflected his mood, for they had turned deep purple and lost their normal gold luster. "Mosta Owen?" a voice called from outside his room. It was the butler, Sid. He had grown used to Owen sleeping late, but still could- n't try to comfort him in any way. Owen was groggy when the butler came in. "What?' he asked mis- erably. "Nothing, sir," Sid responded, "just the mail." He plopped the pile of mail on his night stand. With that, Sid left. He thumbed through the pile of mail...junk...bill...more junk, the only thing that caught his attention was one piece of mail. It was marked AIRMAIL. It had red and blue stripes on the edges. But most importantly of all, the return address was from Japan. He shredded the envelope into tiny pieces, and quickly unfolded the piece of paper. Surely enough, it was a letter from Amy. His heart warmed and his mood lightened as he read her letter. Dear Owen, It's been so long since we've last contacted each other. I can only imagine how hard it must be being apart from each other. Not one day goes by when I'm not thinking about you, or someone doesn't mention you in some fashion. But lately I've been thinking. It's been too long. We've been separated much too long. I have to see you again, if even for only a little while. Please write back to me, it would mean so much to me. I love you. Amy Owen's emotions were going wild. Half of him wanted her to vi- sit, but then he realized the condition the town was in. It was utter- ly embarassing; how could he let anyone see it like this? But wait a minute...they're Sailor Scouts, right? Of course! They'd help him mop up the Degenerates and restore the town in no time. But, he couldn't force them into a war. They've been through enough. He decided to just write back to her. And simply be totally honest. AMY'S HOUSE A FEW DAYS LATER As Amy removed the mail from the mailbox around 11:00 A.M., she thumbed through the large pile of letters, booklets, and magazines. Amy picked her share out of the pile, and put the rest on the kitchen table. Nothing unusual today, except for a letter from...the States. There was only one person she knew that lives in the States. And she knew exactly who it was. She shut the door of her bedroom, o- pened the envelope, and read the English handwriting... Dearest Amy, I recieved your letter. It feels so good to hear from you a- gain. First of all, let me tell you right now that I love you. You're all I ever think about at some times. I don't know how I get through my days sometimes without you. Which brings me to your letter. My responce...well...there's no easy way I can put this. I would absolutely love it if you and your friends could come and visit me in my hometown. But.... See, there is a terrible war in the town, which has left the entire community and some surrounding areas devistated. I have tried to put a stop to this. But I am tired, and have grown weary. The way things are around here, I would be embarassed to say 'This is my home. I call this town right here home.' I never mentioned to anyone but you that I blame myself for causing all the trouble that occured during my visit. The point is, I don't wanna shut you out of my life. I want to return some of the hospitality you gave to me. But at the same time, I don't want to drag you and the Sailor Scouts into another senseless war that I caused. So I want you to make up your own mind. No matter what you reply is, I love you, and will always support you. I am always thinking of you. Owen P.S. Should you decide to visit me, write back and tell how many are coming, and who. I'll take care of the rest. Amy slowly lowered the letter and stared at it. She couldn't believe what she read. Owen had always been dead serious with her, but still, the thought of him suffering the way he described... She immediately got on the communicator, and called Raye. "What is it Amy?" Raye asked. "Get everyone together," Amy explained. "Owen wrote back." CHERRY HILL TEMPLE FIVE MINUTES LATER The five Scouts sat assembled on the steps of the temple, look- ing over the letter Amy recieved. "You just got this today?" Raye asked. "Yeah," Amy answered. "I couldn't believe what he was saying either." "Even if he doesn't want it, we're gonna have to help him." Mi- na said. "She's right," Serena added. "What do you mean?" "I mean, he's strong, we know that, but he can't keep this up forever. Imagine the toll it's taking on him!" The attention was turned back to Amy. "So what's the call?" Raye asked. She thought about it for a while. There was only one thing to do. "We're going." She put her hand on the letter. The other Scouts did the same. Hopefully, Amy thought, this'll be the last war we're involved in. And maybe, just maybe, we'll be together forever.... =====TO BE CONTINUED===== I've DONE IT!!! Finally, after a three week hiatus, I, Ari, have made a triumphant return! I've been getting a lot of responces on the subject of Dark on the Outside... 'When is it going to end?' 'Why is it still going?' 'How many more chapters are you going to write?' so forth and so on. Well, here's the deal: Expect a few more chapters of DOTO, plus a Frame-Narrative Hentai as well. And then, there will be a sequel series, but more on that later.... Also, I've had lent some of my "ideas" to Darkpower, and his CWF series. He hasn't figured out when Wrestlemania will be, but ei- ther he or I will let you know. Stay tuned.