The first question that was asked as the obvious question... where Serena had gotten that kind of money.
Serena laughed her gentle, twinkling laugh, and said, "My father was the president of Marugao Inc." Everyone's faces lit up in surprise when Serena mentioned the name of the most known computer company in the world. "Oh, don't look so surprised! He always had been, I just never cared enough about the business to mention it.
"Well, one day, not long after we all separated, my father mentioned that his secretary had quit, so I decided to apply for the job. My father thought that it was nothing but a whimsical idea from his air headed daughter, but I was serious about it. When my father realized how serious I actually was about working for him, he hired me, and taught me everything I needed to know. I was surprised when I caught on quickly, and even began to understand all the figures and math involved. After five years, I became the Vice President, and ten years ago, my father retired and left me as the President of Marugao."
Everyone stood there, trying to digest this information. It was hard for them to find out that the once meatball-brained girl that they lovingly referred to as an idiot, was now the head of a successful company, and was as smart as the rest of them, if not smarter.
"Wow." Mina said, voicing the thoughts of everyone.
"Please don't think of me any differently. I still have my meatball-brained moments, and I can still be kind of clumsy too. I have changed, but so have you all, I can tell."
Everyone had to agree, because they could all see the changes in each other.
"Now that your children are gone, I need your input on Eternal Sailor Starlight." Serena said.
"Who?" Everyone said at once.
"Eternal Sailor Starlight. You had to have heard her if you had listen to the whole fight over the emergency channel." Serena saw the sheepish faces of all of her friends. "You didn't listen to it all, did you?" Everyone shook their heads. "Okay, well, Setsuna, at least you have to know about her."
"Actually, I am just as confused as everyone else. I have felt no changes to the timestream that indicates that someone is not supposed to be here."
"Well, what if she is supposed to be here? Would you feel anything then?" Lita asked.
Setsuna shook her head. "I would have to go to the Time Gate for that." Before anyone could even suggest that she do just that, Setsuna said, "But I cannot do that. It has nothing to do with the rules, it has to do with what I feel. If we were in some danger by this new senshi, I would know. Whoever this person is, she is not a threat."
"I already knew that. She helped me to destroy the monster."
"What powers did she use?" Ami asked.
"She controlled the powers of light."
Setsuna got a thoughtful look on her face.
"What is it Setsuna? If there is anything you know, you must tell us." Serena pleaded.
A confused look replaced the thoughtful look.
"That's strange. A Sailor Senshi that controls the powers of light sounds so familiar, but I cannot think of why."
"Well, if you think of anything that you can tell us, tell us right away." Serena said.
Setsuna nodded her head.
The sixteen teenagers were in the arcade, just kind of fooling around. Once they were sick of playing games, they decided to go to the cafe that was across the street. A hostess sat them: the girls in one big booth, the boys in another. Then the waitress came and took the girls' orders, and then the guys' orders.
The waitress had redish-brown hair and bright green eyes.
"What can I get for you boys?" She said, looking at each one, and then she saw Dior.
"What's your name?" She asked curiously.
"Who, me?" Dior asked.
"Yeah, you."
"Dior."
"What's your last name?"
"Furuhata."
Excitement lit up in the waitress' eyes.
"What are your parent's names?"
"Andrew and Mina, why?"
"Andy's your father! Oh my goodness!"
"Are you all right ma'am?"
"Oh, I'll be all right, but everyone will want to know they're back!"
"That who's back?"
"All of your parents! I'm going to assume your mothers are all Mina's good friends, right?" All of the teenagers nodded. "Well, they left without a word to us about twenty or so years ago. We've been wondering if they would ever come back!"
"Why did they leave without saying good bye?"
"We don't know, they just left. Say, do you have any brothers or sisters?"
"Yeah, my sister is over there. Her name is Selena."
"Oh! She looks just like Mina, but you both have Andy's eyes."
"I'm sorry ma'am, but how do you know my father?" Selena asked.
"I know him because he's my brother! Hi kids, I'm your Aunt Lizzie."
Serena had just finished giving all the details of the fight and a through description of Eternal Sailor Starlight, when a large crowd of people swarmed into the temple's meeting room. The teenagers were easily recognizable, but the rest of the people were elderly men and women.
The two groups stood facing each other. The younger adults, and the older adults along with the teenagers.
It was Mina who first figured it all out.
"Mom! Dad!"
It was then that Ami recognized her Mom, and Hotaru recognized her dad.
Serena, Darien, Setsuna, Lita and the husbands stepped back and watched the reunions, until Serena saw her parents, Sammy and his wife, Mika.
"Mom, Dad, Sammy, Mika... what are you all doing here?"
"We saw all these kids who looked like your friends heading this way with your friend's parents, so we decided to come on over and see what was going on." Sammy said, speaking for them all.
"They came back," Serena said simply.
"Yeah, we've noticed, but why?" Ilene asked.
Before Serena could say anything, Setsuna whispered into her ear.
"Tell them. It's time to tell them."
"Are you sure?" Serena asked wide-eyed, and Setsuna nodded.
"Quiet, please," Serena said forcibly. The scouts and their husbands obeyed immediately, but it was a few moments before everyone else quieted down.
"It's time to tell the truth," Serena stated. In an unanimous movement, the scouts walked to the front of the room where their future Queen stood, while Serena addressed the "audience".
"We have never lied to you, none of you. Not our parents, our friends, or, in some cases, our children, but we also have not been completely honest. When we acted like we were in pain, we said that there was no reason. When we were immensely sad, we pretended we were happy. When we went off to start our own lives, we pretended it would be forever, but that is not true. We have a higher calling, a set destiny, and so do you." As she said this last statement, she looked directly at the group of teenagers in the middle of the room. "Parents, friends, children... we are the Sailor Scouts."
Back to Chapter Ten
Chapter Twelve
