**6**

            The feeling was intense and calming all at once.  And when it went away, she was wearing a short skirt, tiara and tight bodice…basically the same outfit as the girl in the video game.  She stood dumbfounded.  “Aubrey, we have to go.”

            “Right.”  She followed the cat…right out the window… she screamed as soon as she jumped out, realizing that she had just jumped out a five-story window, but landed on her feet miraculously, without a glitch.

            She checked herself over wondering how she had made that jump, then gave up since the cat was still running.  She chased after it, felling a little ridicules and hoping nobody would see her in this way to short, way too tight getup with huge gaudy bows chasing after a cat.

            Her next thought coincided with the revelation of how fast she was going.  She ran up to Luna and said, “Where are we going?”

            “Mycollx.”

            “But that’s on another colony!”

            “I know, we have to transport.”
            “I DON’T HAVE THAT MUCH MONEY!!!”

            Luna sighed, “Relax, we’re using our own transporter.”

            ‘What!’  Aubrey didn’t voice this exclamation for once.  Instead she simply marveled at how often she’d been saying that today.

            The streets became a blur and a few minutes later, she was at the same arcade as yesterday.  “Hey this is…”

            Luna yelled, “Not that way!” and headed down the alley behind the arcade.  And a few unexpected openings later, they were underneath the arcade in a real technological storeroom.  With computers and lights and buttons everywhere…and a snow white cat working them.  “Amitus right.”

            The cat sweatdropped, “Artemis.  Go over there and step on that circle.  Luna you’d better go with her.”

            Luna growled, “Of course I’m going with her,” and jumped on the pad after Aubrey.

            A moment later a light engulfed them.  When it faded they were in a shopping center with a bunch of fallen bodies and a full blown monster, drooling and all.

            “Holy Moon!” Aubrey jumped and started to book it.  ‘This was waaay too much.’

            “Sailor Moon, where are you going?  You need to destroy the monster.”

            Aubrey kept running, ‘I’m pretty sure she’s talking to me, but I sure don’t think she’s talking to me.’  She stopped when she made it behind the nearest building.  Luna was right behind her and quite angry.

            “What are you doing?”

            “You’re crazy…No I’m crazy and you have the wrong person.”

            “No I don’t.”

            “What makes you so sure?”

            “No one else could transform.”

            Aubrey didn’t know what to say to that, so she just stood there.

            “If you don’t kill that monster, then all those people out there will die.”

            Aubrey looked terrified at Luna, “This is real isn’t it.”

            “Yes.”

            “What can I do?”

            “Throw your tiara and shout, ‘Moon Tiara Magic!’”

            “Sounds great, what’ll that do?”

            “You’ll see, and I suggest you hurry, because that monster saw you and is heading this way.”

            “What!!”  Aubrey stopped and laughed, I said it again.  “Alright, here goes everything.”  She jumped out from behind the building and found herself face to face with the monster.  “You hurt these innocent people and now in the name of the Moon, I, Sailor Moon, Champion of Justice, will punish you.”

            ‘Where did that corny saying come from? ‘ Apparently the monster wasn’t impressed either because his response was to take a swipe at Sailor Moon.  “Aiiyyeeee!”

She barely dodged, but found herself flat on her butt with the monster still chasing after her.  “Aaaahhh!”

            “The tiara.”

            “MoonTiaraMagic.”  Sailor Moon threw the thing as fast as she could and it imbedded itself in the creature’s chest.  She took the opportunity to roll out of the way and run clear.  “Now what, she frantically asked Luna.”

            “You were too fast; you have to be serious when you throw it.”

            “I was serious,” Sailor Moon growled, “And it I took any longer I’d be toast.”

            Luna sighed, “It has to get to the core, to the weak spot in order to destroy them.  And you’d better run.”

            Sailor Moon looked behind her and saw that the monster was still coming.  She ran away thinking, ‘the weak spot…it needs to get deeper…’  “Hey monster.  Over here!”

She burst her speed as quickly as she could and was instantaneously in another spot, she was amazed, but didn’t waste anytime with it.  “Over her slime bucket.”  ‘Just a few more, he’s already getting confused.’  “Over here!   No here!”  Perfect opening and “Sailor Moon kick!”  She landed it right on the tiara and it sunk the rest of the way into the creature.  It screamed this horrifying sound, then flickered a little and disappeared.

            “No way.”  She watched the fine dust blow into the wind.  That was all that was left of him.

 

            In the shadows a dark man with his arms crossed frowned.  His ball of energy disintegrated as he watched this pigtailed girl.  “My, don’t I have a pretty adversary.”

 

            “Hey, where did my tiara go!  What am I gonna do next time!!”

            Luna walked out casually as Sailor Moon was frantically searching the ground where the creature disappeared.

            “Check your forehead.”

            She reached for it and felt the hard band.  “Oh,” she said sheepishly.  “But ho..”

            “One you defeat the enemy, the tiara returns to you.”

            “Kay.”  A moan got her attention, “Hey look Luna, they’re getting up.. I did it!”  She looked down at Luna, “Everyone is gonna be alright right.”

            “They will now.  Thanks to you.  But we’d better go now.”

            “Yeah, I wouldn’t want anyone to see me in this ridicules getup.  Is there anyway to get rid of the bows?” She asked as the ran down the nearest alley.

            Luna sweatdropped, “Just detransform.” 

            “Oh yeah…how.”

            “Will it and the transformation will fade.”

            Aubrey got it after the third try.

            “Good.”

            “Now what?”

            “Now we go home and get you back to the detention hall before anyone notices.  “Oh yeah let’s go.”

            They both stood there for a minute.  “Umm how?”

            Luna looked at her with major sweatdroppin concern.  “I don’t know.  We don’t have a transporter here.”

 

**7**

            Luna was sitting next to a very angry Aubrey in a dingy alleyway.  “We have our own transporter.” She mimicked angrily.  “Too bad you don’t have one to get us back!”

            “We’re working on it, we just didn’t finish it yet.”

            “Whatever.  How long is Artemis going to take?”

            “Artemis?  It will be soon.  And he can transport you directly to the school so you won’t have to sneak in.”

            “Just don’t have him transport YOU with me!”

            “Fine!”

            A circular pad appeared on the ground in front of them.  Aubrey got up and on it.  A moment later the light was cleared and she was standing in the same room as before all this happened.  Except that it was an hour and a half later.  She groaned, boy was she far behind now.

            The principle walked in and Aubrey jumped when she spoke.  “Is this as far as you’ve gotten Ms. Luneni?”

            “Ummm…yes.”

            “Well, I have no intention of being here all day.  You can finish tomorrow.”  With that she shut the door.

            Aubrey sunk.  ‘Aww man, the girls are gonna be mad!  Still, that was a close one, a minute later and I’d be busted.  If nothing else, those cats have good timing.’  She sighed and put everything away. 

            On her way home, Aubrey’s watch beeped.  She checked the message: Time to pick up Lissy.  She got bright red, I almost forgot again.  She changed her direction and waited by the lamp post as the school’s final bell rang and all the little kids ran out in a mob.  She was smiling when she remembered, “Oh noo, I promised I’d make everything up to Lissy, but I have soooo much homework to do.  Yesterday’s, today’s, and extra assignments.”

            “It’s okay.”

            Aubrey jumped and looked at her little sister, ‘I didn’t mean to say that outloud,’ she thought.  “Oh..hi..I mean…”

            “I know you couldn’t have gotten your homework done yesterday, and that comes first.”

            “You sure that’s okay, cause I’m still gonna make it up to you.  How about Saturday.”

            She smiled “Okay.”

            Aubrey rubbed her sister’s head, “Thanks squirt.  How bout some ice cream on the way home.”

            “Sure!”

 

            Aubrey collapsed on her bed, math was just way too hard, history was boring, and English was pointless.  Plus she felt really drained after everything that happened, and was still, quite frankly wigged out.

            “Your study habits look to be as good as Serena’s.”

            “What!”

            Luna hopped on her bed.

            Aubrey glowered, “How did you get in here, and what do you want?”

            Wolfie, who was lying next to her perked up at the unusual tone in his master’s voice.

            “Well, I thought you might want the history of who you are.”

            “Forget it.  I pass.  Go make someone else your Moon Princess.”

            “I never called you a Moon Princess.”

            “Sure you did…whatever, just beat it.”  Aubrey tossed the locket at Luna.

            Luna glowered, “Why do you have to be so difficult, even Serena wasn’t this bad.”

            “WHO THE MOON IS SERENA?”

            “You are.”

            “See there you go, I’m not Serena, I’m..”

            “Aubrey Luneni, yes I know that.  Perhaps I should say that you were Serena, and Sailor Moon, and Princess Serenity, and Queen Serenity, and Neo-queen Serenity.”

            “Wow, I sure have a lot of names,” Aubrey said dryly.

            “And Sailor Moon of Creation.” Luna finished.

            “Well, I pass.”

            “You can’t pass, you’re the only one who can become Sailor Moon.  It’s you or the evil force wins and everyone dies.”

            “That’s not fair!”

            Luna sighed, “I’m sorry, I never said it was.”  Luna looked at the furious, teary girl.  “I’ll go now, whenever you’re ready, just call.”

            Luna jumped out the window, leaving a watch with a little communicator on it on the part of the bed that she was sitting.

            “Did that come out of her butt or what?” Aubrey was exasperated and worn.     Everything was just too much for her.

            Lissy peeked in, “You otay?”

            Aubrey wiped the tears off her face and turned to her sister with a smile, “I’m doing great!”  She forced a smile and made a silly face, “Just doing homework.”

            Her sister giggled, “Otay, I wuv you.  I gonna go pway wit Jen, kay?”

            “Sure thing kiddo.  Just be back before mom.”

            Lissy ran in and gave her sister a kiss, than ran off again.  Aubrey smiled for real this time.  She took a deep breath and pulled out her homework.

            Aubrey groaned and set her homework aside again.  She looked at the communicator.  This is useless.  I can’t concentrate.  She looked at the communicator watch again and with a sour look, got up and shoved it in her drawer.  “I’m not going to give them the satisfaction!”

 

**8**

FRIDAY

            Aubrey finally didn’t have detention, but she was no help anymore.  She was too out of date.  All the girls were put out and told Aubrey to just go home and get her homework done so that she didn’t get anymore detentions.  Consequently, Aubrey was pouting.  The girls weren’t the only ones mad either.  She was the one who had promised to help Cindy and Jason....not to mention all the other people.   She always did, she was just good at it, at helping other people with their problems.  Even with her lack of attention span.

            Aubrey sighed, she felt really bad, but she had been so busy with the detentions and this Sailor Moon crap that she had let a lot of people down.  She vowed to make it up to everyone, especially Brooke, Candy, and Kirsten.

            “That’s quite a serious face for the Ditz Queen.”

            Aubrey looked up to see Dirk and Dinny walking out of the house.  Her face scrunched up, “Shut up Dinny.”

            Her brother stopped a moment, “Could you just TRY using my real name?”

            Aubrey smiled inwardly as she slipped by them, “I do.  Honestly, But I’m such a ditz that it slips right through my mind.”  Aubrey slipped into the house before Dinny could respond.  Through the door she hear Dirk’s laughter.  Smiling to herself, Aubrey got a snack and went to her room, spreading the homework on her desk.  ‘It’s really not that much.’  She sat back and looked at the time, it was only four.  She sighed, ‘What am I going to do all day?’

            “Well, homework first.”  she answered herself as she opened the desk drawer to get a pencil.  Inside was the communicator that Luna had given her.  She looked at it, and against her better judgment, gingerly picked it up.  The moment she did so, it beeped.  Aubrey threw it on the floor, but it didn’t stop, so she picked it up again and lifted the lid.

            Inside was a picture of Luna, “Ignoring me will not make it go away.  I need you to come to the arcade; we’ve fixed the transformation problem.”

            The image bleeped out and was replaced by a map to the arcade parlor from her house.  Aubrey sighed and thought, ‘I was hoping that it would (go away), but I have a feeling that I’d better deal with this.’

            Aubrey set the watch down saying, “Homework first.”  Still, she was so distracted that an hour later she gave the rest up for later.  Aubrey checked the watch, the directions were still repeating.  She sighed and grabbed her key before she left.

 

            Aubrey blushed when she saw the arcade guy, she was thinking about what she had said the last time she saw him.  He waved cheerily though, so she waved back.  She was thinking about going in the back entrance, but then she had thought about the game and figured that she could get a couple of rounds in before she talked to them.. There was still an hour and a half left until she needed to pick up Lissy.

 

            “I’m worried Artemis.  I really though she’d call that day.  But it’s two days later and I still haven’t heard anything.”

            “You sent out that auto-message though, right.”

            Luna nodded, “But it still hadn’t been picked up the last time I checked.  That means that she hasn’t touched it yet.”

            “Try again.” Artemis said, but was cut off by an alarm.

            “What is it?” Luna ran to Artemis, who was already at the controls.

            “It’s the game, someone is soaring through the levels!”

 

            “Yeah!” Aubrey shouted marveling at how much easier this game was now.  She was going to get the high score soon.  “That’s right, you’re dead monster!”

            “Aubrey!”

            “H-wha..”  Aubrey turned instinctively and heard the video game beeps announce her death.  “Noo!”  She turned and pushed all the buttons rapidly.  Angrily, she turned and looked at Luna and Artemis.  She grabbed her purse and walked out of the arcade.

            Luna and Artemis ran after her to stop her from leaving, but Aubrey was heading down the alleyway, towards the control room entrance.

 

            “Make it quick, I’ve got to pick up my sister.”

            “I need to do some work on your communicator, but I can use the energy of your transformation to transport you.  The energy source was my big problem and here the answer was in front of my face the whole time.”

            Aubrey looked at him incredulously, “You do know your rambling about nonsense.”

            Artemis blushed and said, “Just give me the communicator.”  Aubrey took it off and tossed it to him.  He went to a corner and started working on it.

            Aubrey sat down next to Luna, both were silent.  Luna coughed and Aubrey looked around in every other direction.  Artemis looked up from his work and sighed, “It’s going to be a while, you two might as well find something to occupy yourself with..”

            Aubrey and Luna looked at one another, “I could tell you about your past....if your interested...”

            Aubrey paused thinking, ‘that is why I came....but I hate to admit it.’  She shrugged, “Well if you insist.”

            Luna stifled a grin, she could see the anxiousness in Aubrey’s eyes.  ‘Perhaps it will all work out, just like Artemis said.’  “A long, long time ago, there was a great kingdom that spanned the universe, the center of which was a union between Earth and the Moon, Crystal Tokyo.”

            Aubrey’s eyes widened, “Do you mean?  ...It’s...all...true?  The Great Queen Mother Serenity and the Guardian of Peace, Love, Justice Sailor Moon.  They’re real people!  And they live at the center of the universe, Crystal Toyko!”

            Luna groaned, this religion was way off.  She looked at Aubrey’s wide eyes, at least she wasn’t snapping at her, that was a good change.  “Actually, it’s not.  Queen Serenity and Sailor Moon are not goddesses; they’re you...in a past life.”

            “Wha..t?...”  The look on Aubrey’s face was a combination of utter horror, utter confusion, and utter loss.  And she felt all of those things at once, she lost her religion, the beliefs that were the backbone to her life...she just learned that all these years she’d been praying to herself, nobody was listening to her.  Grasping for anything she said, “But there’s still...”

            “I’m sorry Aubrey, time built the stories into legends and the people into deities, but they were just people. Great and special people, upholders of love and justice, keepers of peace and serenity, but you were just that, people..”

            “Oh...”  Everyone just sat there in silence for a while, even Artemis paused from his work and looked at Aubrey.  After a few moments, Aubrey started grasping for the words she wanted to say, “W-what a-am I suppose-d...to..”

            “Do?”  Luna finished, “Give me a few more minutes of explanation.  You, or rather your last incarnation, made Crystal Tokyo and passed it on to your daughter, who expanded it into a great domain that spanned the entire universe.  Her daughter then took over and sustained the peace and her daughter afterwards.  Eventually, however, there came a time when the enemy was too great.  They killed the Queen Serenity and all the other members of the royal court.  Only the Sailor Moon of that time escaped, a very young one.  She had disappeared after her mother died, and when she returned it was too late, everything was destroyed.  She sacrificed her life and eliminated the enemy, freeing the world.  The worlds were free of them, but on their own and..”

            “The Hundred Year Wars...”

            “Right,” Luna affirmed, “and you know what happened after that.”

            “The Church of Serenity united the worlds and we became one again.”

            “Right.”

            “But that doesn’t explain why I’m here.”

            “There’s two different types of evil, there’s the kind that comes from the heart or man, and there’s the type that comes from a dark place.  Only Sailor Moon is a match for the second type, and such a type has returned.  You need to defeat that evil.”

            “Oh, right.  That it?”  Aubrey was feeling a little light headed to say the least.

            “Aubrey...” Luna didn’t know what to say, “...everyone is depending on you.”

            Aubrey sobered quickly, and Luna knew that she had said the wrong thing again, “So you keep telling me.”  Aubrey turned to Artemis, “Are you done yet.”

            “I’m done.”  Artemis said.  “Here you go.  I’ll input the coordinates from here and when you transform, you’ll go directly to the place.  When you detransform, you will return to the exact same spot you left, so pick somewhere secluded.”

            “Gotcha.”  Aubrey looked at the watch a moment, before picking it up.  She felt the slender thing and the invisible immensity behind it, the weight of all the responsibility it meant.  “There’s more people involved in this.”

            Luna nodded, “There are other princesses that guard you.”

            Aubrey left without a word.  Artemis chased after her and called out, “Don’t forget to keep the watch on you at all times, so that I can reach you whenever we have a problem.”  Aubrey’s response was a hand gesture that apparently hadn’t lost it’s meaning.  Artemis sighed and walked back in the building.  He looked at Luna, “That was a very abridged version.”

            Luna caught his look, angry at him making her explain herself, “We never tell them all of it, not since that one...the time of darkness...the one before the moon kingdom.  Everything was lost, and they kept killing the reincarnations.  We lost Diana, and all of the outer scouts but Pluto.  I thought we’d never make it out of that time.”

            “The balance always tips Luna, and everyone has been reborn.  That’s not what I’m talking about anyways.  I mean all the things you left out about this life.  I mean Darien, Earth, the new kingdom and Queen Serenity.  I mean that, Luna.”

            “We would have lost her Artemis.” 

            “I don’t think you give her enough credit.  She wouldn’t sit back and let everyone die.  She deserves to hear it all.”

            “It was a hard enough loss for her as it is, to loose her religion.  She isn’t ready.”

            “And who decides when she’s ready to hear the truth?  You?”

            Luna looked down ashamed, ’maybe Artemis is right...’

           

            Aubrey felt a little bad, she probably shouldn’t have done that to Artemis, but they just made her so angry, they heaped problems and responsibilities on her shoulders like a thick robe.  ...and part of her still didn’t believe it...didn’t want to believe it...wouldn’t have believed it...except...she remembered it

            ‘My goddess...I guess I shouldn’t say that anymore...or maybe I can just answer myself, “yes my child, tell me your problems and I’ll solve them.”’   Aubrey sat down against the wall a little way from the arcade, she really had plenty of time, but that place was too oppressing.  She ran over everything Luna had said  ‘It’s all just so...far fetched.  I’d never believe a word, except...it all seems so familiar.  Everything she was saying...the crystal palace...that was in my dream the first night that I met them....  Holding my child....  I feel as though I remember it all.....I know I shouldn’t be so hard on them...but the memories scare me.’  Aubrey squeezed the brooch tightly, ‘I’ll just get rid of this evil creep, and then I can get back to my life, right...’  Aubrey held the locket tightly as she walked to her sister’s daycare, a single tear falling down her cheek, long dried before she got to Lissy’s school.

 

**9**

SATURDAY  

            Aubrey could feel the warm body of her child sleeping next to her.  She smiled as she listened to the rhythmetic breathing of the little girl within her arms.

            Aubrey opened her eyes with a start and her little sister groaned, “What is it?”

            ‘I just thought that Lissy was my child....’ Aubrey shook the memory out, ‘it has to be Luna and Artemis filling my mind with this.’  She smiled, “Sorry Lissy, just thought I forgot something.”

            Lissy rubbed her eyes and looked at her sister with bright eyes and a toothless smile, “What’s fow bweakfast?”

            Aubrey smiled, she didn’t have to think about all that stuff today, she was spending the day with Lissy today.  Ruffling Lissy’s hair she said, “Whatever you want kiddo.”

 

            Aubrey skillfully unlocked the door while carrying a handful of bags and a sleeping six-year-old child.  She closed the door with her foot and ambled her way up the stairs.  As she lay Allison down in her bed, Aubrey smiled.  She hadn’t spent a day like this with Lissy in a long time.  It was fun....but tiring.  Aubrey closed Allison’s door quietly.  All she wanted was a nice, long, hot shower and a nap.  Already feeling the warm water beating down on her, Aubrey tiptoed to the bathroom door, and the moment she put her hand on the doorknob, it beeped.

            “Eep!” Aubrey jumped back and looked at the doorknob curiously before remembering the watch.  Groaning, she flipped the secret lid on her communicator and said, “I hope this is just another message.”

            “Fraid not.” Luna’s face said from the other side.  “On Colony T-2-Y-0.  Artemis imputed the coordinates, Transport whenever you’re ready, I’ll meet you there.”

            Aubrey scrunched her face and took one last look at the lost shower shrugging, “Guess I’ll need it even more when I’m done.”  She flipped the ‘I’m sleeping.  Go Away!’ sign on her door and locked it.  Inside she grabbed her locket and said, “Moon Crystal Power!  Make Up!”

            This time, the warm calming sensation was filled with disorientation.  When it dissipated, her room had become a super-clean cyber street that T-2-K-O was known for.

            “What took you so long?” Luna asked haughtily.

            “Just shutup and tell me where the thing is.”

            “Up there.” Luna looked into the sky and Aubrey followed her gaze.  There was a giant flying red bird, which looked extra strange since there were no animals whatsoever in the Galaxy TK colony systems.

            Aubrey looked at Luna, “and how am I supposed to get up there?”

            “Well, I would tell you to use your wings, but I don’t think you’re strong enough yet, after all, you’re still just regular Sailor Moon.”

            “Would you mind being useful!” Aubrey shouted at a startled Luna.

            Hurt, Luna answered, “Get it’s attention.”

            “Good Idea!”  Aubrey grabbed a metal casing that was shaped like her frisbee and threw it shouting, “Moon Frisbee!”

            “What does shouting do?” Luna asked.

            Aubrey shrugged, “Puts me in the mood, plus I think it helps my aim.  I really never threw a frisbee before.”  Aubrey practiced the motion of throwing the frisbee a couple of times.  A loud caw caught her attention just in time for her to grab Luna and jump to the side.  “Stay here cat.” she winked, “this is my part.”

            “You have no right to defile anyone’s colony and in the name of the moon, I will punish you.  MOON FRISBEE!”  ‘I really got to knock that instinct of saying those corny phrases,’ Aubrey thought as she threw her tiara.

            The bird saw the tiara coming and dodged just in time.  ‘Damn!’ Aubrey thought, but then she saw a glint in the distance as the tiara reversed direction and came back towards them.  ‘I’ve got to keep it there,’ Aubrey thought as she looked around for a plan.  With a light bulb, she ran over to the nearest building and shouted, “Super Moon Jump!” before pushing off with all her strength.  She made contact even farther up the building than she was hoping and punched off it as hard as she could knocking the monster with a “Sailor Moon Kick!” right into the returning tiara.

            Aubrey landed with a big grin and heaving chest.  She looked at Luna expecting her to be impressed, but to Aubrey’s surprise she looked confused.  “What is a Super Moon Jump?”

            Aubrey looked helpless, “Everything else has a name.”

            Luna burst into laughter and Aubrey got bright red, “Shut up.  I’m going to take a shower.”  Aubrey started to detransform, and Luna jumped for her, barely making it.

            When they arrived in Aubrey’s room Luna jumped from her arms, “Artemis can send me there, but you have to take me back with you.”

            “Oh,” Aubrey looked at her a moment and said, “well you’d better go out the window, my parents hate cats.”

            Aubrey turned back towards the door, thinking about her shower again.  “Aubrey.”  She turned to see Luna at the window, “Good job.” 

            Luna jumped out and Aubrey smiled thinking, ‘yeah, it was.’

 

MEANWHILE           

            In a dark room, a man looked at the now empty street.  “Not bad my little princess....but where did you go...?

            “General!”  A man appeared from the mists and kneeled before the Prince, “I want you to make a series of tests.  Evaluate this pretty little soldier, find her weaknesses.”

            ‘Just sacrifice my men?’ the general shook, but knew better than to say anything, “Yes my Prince.”

            The prince smiled, “Is there something you have to say general?”

            “My prince, let me finish her off in one fatal blow.  Then we will be done with her and can resume our plans without the loss of men.”

            “Don’t be foolish,” the prince snapped, “She’s an heiress to the Moon Kingdom.  That is exactly what got all her other adversaries killed.  Just do as I say.  I don’t care how many people die.”

            “Yes my Prince.”

            The prince relaxed and a drink appeared in his hand, “And find where she transports to, perhaps we can find our little princess at her weakest spot.”

            “Yes my Prince.”

            “Go!” the prince snarled and the general was hurtled out of the dark room.

 

**10**

THIRTEEN DAYS AND THIRTEEN BATTLES LATER

            Aubrey collapsed on her bed, thoroughly exhausted just a second before her TV rang (video phones) and Aubrey fumbled for the remote.  She reached it, but fell off the bed as she did so.  Her head popped up and Candy laughed, “Couldn’t reach your remote?”

            Aubrey shrugged, “What’s up?”

            “You’ve been hard to get a hold of this week.”

            “Oh yeah,” Aubrey held her head; it had been non stop battles.  She was was barely getting enough time for sleep, much less friends...or homework unfortunately.  She was WAY behind on her homework.  “I’ve been busy.”

            “Doing what?” Kirsten popped her head in, “Cause we’ve been busy with the ice cream parlor guy.”

            Aubrey laughed, Kirsten was in love with the guy that worked at the ice cream parlor, she had been for years.  Consequently, she went to the ice cream parlor like five days a week.  “Just been helping my mom with some things.”

            “Well are you free now?” Aubrey could hear Brooke’s voice in the background arguing with Candy’s younger brother.

            “Yeah, I’m done for the day, but I’ve got a load of homework.”

            “Bring it,” Brooke’s head popped in, “We’ll help you.”

            “Okay,” Aubrey said, “Where we meeting?”

            “Duh,” Kirsten smiled.

            “I’ll be at the ice cream parlor in like ten minutes.”  Aubrey shut the vid phone off, “I probably should sleep, but I think I could use a little relaxation.”  She threw the homework in her bag, “and after all, I do need to get my homework done.”  She said, as an excuse for Luna.  She caught herself stunned, “Why do I need an excuse for Luna.”  She marveled at just how much those two cats had wormed into her life.  “Well, I can take a break whenever I want.”

            “Right on girl.” Aubrey opened the door to see Dylann standing in the her laughing, “Tell me, is this talking to yourself going to become a habit?”  Aubrey’s eyes narrowed as she walked by him and Dylann laughed again.  “Pick up some milk for the morning while you’re gone.”

            Aubrey answered by slamming the front door.   Dinny just smiled, he knew that she heard, and that she would get the milk.  His sister could be a little harsh, but she was always dependable like that.

 

            Aubrey heard the familiar ding of the door announcing new customers and she walked into the cool air.  Surprisingly, however, a redhead came from the back to help her.  She smiled brightly, “How can I help you?”

            “Chocolate scoop.”  Aubrey smiled thinking that she deserved it, “Double.”

            The girl smiled at the addition and went to making her order.

            “Going all out.” Brooke said from behind her. 

            Aubrey just shrugged.  “Hey, what’s with the redhead.  Where’s Jarred’s sister?”

            “That’s Misty.  Jarred’s sister went to college.”

            “Already?” Aubrey grabbed a chair and Misty appeared behind her with her ice cream.  “Oh, you scared me.”  Aubrey smiled, “Thanks.”

            Misty smiled, she had long, bright red hair and deep, dark eyes.  “Your welcome.  Can I help anyone else?”

            Everyone started taking their orders and Aubrey’s watch beeped.  “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

            “What is it?”

            “Oh....just something I forgot to do.”  She smiled and handed the ice cream to Brooke, “Hold this for a minute.  I’ll be right back.”

            The three watched at Aubrey ran out of the building, looked at her watch for a minute, and then ran down the street.

            “You have a strange friend.”

            “Didn’t used to.” Brooke said, “Cancel my order, I’ll just eat hers.”

            “Sure thing,” Misty smiled and went back to her work.

 

            “This is the second time in a single day and I’m sick of it!”  Aubrey jumped after the monster and shouted, “MOOON FRISBEE!”  The monster vaporized and she thought, ‘on the plus side, I’ve become pretty good at my aim.’  She turned to go and Luna shouted, “Wake Up Sailor Moon!  You didn’t get it yet!”

            “Huh?”  Sailor Moon turned and saw the monster she had just dusted barreling towards her.  ‘What the-?’  She jumped out of the way just in time.  ‘I know I vaped that monkey.’  Aubrey grabbed her Tiara and threw it again.  The monster collided into it and she was right behind it, punching the tiara, it went right through the monster, breaking through the other side.  “Survive that.” Sailor Moon said triumphantly.

            “You need to be more careful. You can’t turn your back on an enemy like that.  What if I wasn’t there?  You’d be toast.”

            “But I killed him.”

            “Obviously not, let’s go now.  People are already awake.”  Sailor Moon turned to see the people getting up.  She winked and made a pose before she transformed.  Aubrey was so tired after that her vision seemed like it was covered in a haze.  She didn’t even seem to walk straight.

            “Aubrey, you almost bit it out there.”   Luna started in right away, “We’ve been attacked a lot lately, but that’s just all the more reason to practice and double up our search for the scouts.”

            Aubrey was too tired to hear it, “What?  Now I’m not good enough?”

            “Nonsense, but the enemy is getting stronger, and I can’t be the one to help you.”

            Aubrey just turned around so that Luna wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes, “Yeah sure.  I’m going home.”  Aubrey started running as soon as she turned the corner. ‘My tiara!’  Suddenly she realized,  ‘I had my tiara!  I couldn’t have had my tiara if I didn’t kill it the first time!’