Part 14 Angelica was uncomfortable in the small classroom. The class consisted of eight students, excluding herself ... she brought the number to nine. The teacher was introducing her, so she had time to examine the other students. Niobe was one. She grimaced as she recognized Tara and Loki ... they hadn't exactly made the greatest impressions on her by hijacking her. She almost winced when she spotted the cone-shaped buns that pointed Reenie out. She became aware of the fact that the teacher was no longer talking, so she cleared her throat. "I'm pleased to meet you!" A part of her mind called her a liar since she was in no way pleased to be there. "My name is Angelica, but everyone shortens it one way or another." The teacher smiled as a murmur of approval rose through the class before quieting down. "You may take the seat between Niobe and Luke." Angelica smiled. She remembered Serena whining to her about this particular teacher. According to Niobe, who had been chattering away like a squirrel on the way to school, Miss Haruna had quit junior high teaching to attend to more mature students, but missed the younger students dearly. So when the trial class of junior high age students learning at high school level was announced, Miss Haruna had leapt at the opportunity. "Thank you, Miss Haruna." She walked quietly with her head slightly lowered. She looked very timid. She sat down and pulled out her notebook. * * * * * Later on, while Niobe walked Angelica home, there was a great deal of chatter between them. "Anyway ... after I gave Tara a sample reading, I found myself surrounded by the rest of the class! Everyone was haunting me to do the same for them. Tara had to fish me out!" "How did you learn the tarot?" Angelica brushed a strand of hair from her face. Niobe smiled sadly. "I'm a gypsy ... my mother was the troupe's fortune-teller. The deck I use was hers, and was created about a thousand years ago ... during the time of the great exodus from our homeland. Little is said about where that land was, but every legend tells of its great beauty." She sighed. "The deck was handed down in my family since that time. My mother saw me examining one of the cards ... CRYING over it, actually. That's when she started teaching me. `Bee-bee,' she said, `it's time for you to learn the deck.' Then she gave me a plain starter deck, and started teaching me." She took a deep breath. "Sometimes ... I still hear my troupe while asleep! The hypnotic music Tia used to play ... the way Erin danced. My mother ... singing along to my father's flute." She spun once, singing a hypnotically lovely song. `No one who loves someone needs to cry or be lonely. Emptyness is more painful than darkness. Hold me tight, no matter what. Until my loneliness goes away!' Niobe drew her arms close to her body, as if hugging herself. Then she ran ahead and twirled as if she heard the music to the song. `I love you ... I love you! I have to tell you! You are held deep within my heart! I believe in you ... believe in you! Even on the coldest nights.' She danced, flinging her arms as if to fly. Skipping in circles to the beat of the unheard melody as she continued. `I call out to your crying eyes. There is no need for your promises because of all of this wonderful strength that you have given me.' Angelica found that she had held her breath during the short song. "Do you miss them?" "I'd go with ANY troupe! I'm a GYPSY! There hasn't been a moment, since I came out of the coma, that I haven't wanted to just run and dance ... to be FREE!" Niobe sighed. "Going with the troupe I know would be nice, but to just GO would be enough for me! Don't get me wrong! The house I live in is okay, but Gypsies don't do well in enclosed places. I dislike the house, and I HATE the school!" She allowed Angelica to catch up with her. "Are you very unhappy, then?" "Well ... it's not the question of happiness. I'm happy enough. I just feel stifled!" Niobe paused. "You've just been asking me questions. I know almost nothing about you." Angelica laughed. "You'd never believe it!" She walked a few paces ahead when Niobe paused. "You would be surprised what I believe. You can ask Endymion." Angelica froze and spun around quickly. "Who ... ARE you?" She walked quickly to examine Niobe ... taking in every detail. `The style and color are all wrong, but the EYES are the same!' She smiled. "Yes ... you WOULD see us for who we are, wouldn't you? Now ... what do you see when you look at me?" "I see ... PLEASE don't laugh ... someone much MUCH older! Someone who has lived enough for a hundred lifetimes. I see a great lady ... who has seen much." Angelica smiled. "YES!!" She threw her arms around Niobe. "Oh, STARS! We've needed you!" She calmed down. "I'm sorry! I just got carried away! You'll come back to yourself when the time is right. At the moment, it's enough to know that you're potentially here!" Niobe was confused, but nodded her head. The rest of the walk was taken up with small talk. Darien grinned when he spotted the two girls. "So ... how was school?" Angelica glared at him. "Don't start, Darien!" Darien laughed as he threw a friendly arm around Niobe's shoulder. "It went THAT bad, huh?" Niobe ducked and laughed as well. "Not really, but I think she's a little claustrophobic!" She waved at Angelica. "I'll be by tomorrow to walk with you! Bye, Angelica ... Darien!" She turned and almost skipped down the street. Rose frowned as she entered the room. "Just what is your relationship with that girl?" Angelica answered in Darien's stead. "The same as your relationship with Serena. Sort of an adopted sister. This is just a guess, but I'm pretty sure that I'm not mistaken. When you vanished, Rose, it left a void in Endymion's life. If I'm right, Niobe is the reincarnation of the young girl who filled that void. Since her older brother was almost always away, Darien filled a similar void in her." Travis entered the room. "So ... I have an adopted sister as well as an adopted brother?" "I wouldn't say THAT ... especially since the girl was your cousin ... making adopting her pointless. You were all very protective when it came to the little girl. She was only ten when Beryl attacked. I had always hoped that she, at least, had survived." She sighed. "Had the attack come two days later ... we might've had a Sailor Moon back then." Travis blinked in surprise. "What?" "Your cousin, Princess of the Sea of Tears, Small Lady Imbrium, was in training to be Sailor Moon. Her abilities were two days short of coming to fruition. She was incapable of fighting with any magic before then. Perhaps Beryl knew this ... deciding to act on the irony of the situation." It was Darien's turn to blink. "Small Lady? I thought only Reenie was called that." "No ... it is the title given to the younger bearer of a name. Serena, at one time, was Small Lady Serenity." Travis started laughing at that. "HOO BOY! I'll NEVER let her live THAT down when we get her back!" "You will NOT call her Small Lady. If you do, I'll tell all of the Scouts to start calling you Tranquie-poo!" Rose collapsed in a fit of laughter while Darien was TRYING to keep a straight face, but he couldn't stop the snickers that escaped. He lost all control when he mouthed `Tranquie-poo'? Travis was beet red from embarrassment and anger, but Rose held up her hand to keep him from retorting. "You've got to admit that you deserved that after your earlier remark! PMS indeed!" Angelica frowned. "Huh?" Darien shook his head. "Trust me, Angela ... you do NOT want to know!" "If you say so! I'd better get dinner started!" Travis shook the last bit of anger away. "Lita's already started dinner. She's moved out of her apartment and into this place. You're only fourteen now ... and you could get into trouble by living on your own." Angelica growled. "Lita did all right by herself ..." "Lita was lucky that social services didn't drag her into an orphanage! I STILL get nightmares from stories the Watsons told me!" Angelica stamped her foot. "It isn't MY fault you got stuck with those people! Besides ... Darien was raised in an orphanage! HE didn't turn out so badly, did he?" "No, but how many friends, besides Andrew, does he have OUTSIDE the Scouts?" Rose and Darien had stayed out of the argument up until that point, but Darien refused to be dragged into it. "Travis ... don't open up this debate! There are some things best left private!" "*STAY OUT OF THIS DARIEN!!!*" Travis and Angelica shouted at the same time. Rose giggled. **They sound like an old married couple!** Darien frowned as the argument ensued. **That's what I'm afraid of. Travis once told me that Angela was his first real crush ... one that he's never gotten over. Now that she's physically younger than he is, he probably wants to ask her out on a date.** The look on Rose's face was indescribable. **You're KIDDING!!!! NO WAY!!!!!** Darien glanced at his sister, then back at the arguing pair. **I wouldn't joke about something like that.** Angelica was unaware of the discussion going between the twins. "All right, Mister Smarty Pants! Finish what you were about to say! Since I got changed into a fourteen year old, you wish you had the guts to do ... WHAT?" "Never mind!" Travis was beet red again, but there was no anger in his expression. `I can't believe I almost said it!' "SPIT IT OUT, TRANQUIE-POO!" Joy entered the room. "Dinner's ready." "ALL RIGHT!" Travis' anger returned at that jibe. "I JUST WISH I HAD THE GUTS TO ASK YOU ON A DATE!!!!!!" Angelica blinked. "You want ... to go on a ... DATE? You want to go on a date ... with ME? WHY?!?!?!?!" Travis bit his lip. "It's just ... I've ALWAYS had this stupid crush on you! You were always so understanding when I had a problem ... You were the first person that showed even some semblance of caring about me. Now you're YOUNGER than me, and it's ... frustrating!" Angelica's expression was unreadable. "Oh ... Travis! You should have told me! I had a crush on Apollo a long time before he was banished, and I never told him about it. I always regretted it. I couldn't help but think that he might not have been as hurt ... when Rose disappeared ... if he knew he could turn to me." She smiled sadly. "You are SO like him, Travis! It would be so easy for me to fall for you. I'm just really confused right now! Give me a few days to get re-oriented. THEN ask me out!" Angelica's smile widened. "I just MIGHT surprise you!" Travis felt his jaw drop. `Was that ... what I THINK it was?' Joy's expression mirrored Travis'. `Un ... believable!' She smiled an instant later and jumped into the air, thrusting her fist up. "YES!!!!" * * * * * "So, My Lady, what is it you'd like to do this afternoon?" Tara grinned at Loki. "You can be SO charming, when you want to be. There's a nice movie playing at the nearby cinema. Why don't we go there?" "Because it would keep you out past your bedtime!" Loki growled. "I'm not a little kid anymore, and you were dead to me the moment you married that ... woman!" he said this while turning to confront a tall man with silver hair. Malachite half-grinned. "Well ... at least you've started to call her a woman. You USED to call her `that CREATURE!' Do I detect a little softening up in you, Little Brother?" Loki drew himself up to his full height, which was still less than Malachite's. "I may be shorter than you, but that's no reason to underestimate me!" "I never underestimated you, Loki. Despite what you may think, I still love you. You're my brother ... nothing will ever change that." "Not even Zoisite?" "She's my wife, but you're my brother. Remember, always, that you were my family first." He sighed at the anger still in Loki's eyes. "Can you answer one question after this one?" Loki blinked in surprise. "Sure." "Why do you dislike, if not hate, Zoisite so much?" Loki was again surprised that Malachite was asking him questions that he couldn't evade. "She isn't human." "So just because she isn't one-hundred percent human, you decided to hate her." Malachite frowned in disapproval. "Loki ... I can sympathize with your point of view, but you never really gave Zoe a chance! You should not base your judgment of her solely on the fact that she's an elf!" "Why not? It seems like a perfectly good reason to me! Or have you forgotten that elves killed our parents? That WAS the main reason you went to ... HER ... homeworld. You went to exact revenge!" Malachite sighed. "Our parents ... had no business hunting in that forest. They killed an animal that was sacred to Zoisite's people, and that was nearly extinct. They had been warned, beforehand, of the punishment they would face if they broke the laws. I did go to get revenge, but I found a whole race of people grieving for one dead animal, and the two people ... our parents ... that had to die to appease the spirit of the creature. I learned also that the creature had been with young. So TWO creatures had died. Did you know that the animal our parents killed for sport has a hard time reproducing? A youngling is so rare, that there is a celebration whenever one is born." Tara paled at that. "So a baby died ... before it even had a chance to live? That's terrible!" Loki snorted. "But is it true?" Malachite held his hand up. "I was there, Loki! I KNOW what I saw! Believe me, or don't. It IS your choice!" Malachite lowered his hand and sighed. "Now ... I have to go meet up with my wife ... and son. Pity ... you never met your nephew, Kris, have you? Oh, well!" With that, Malachite walked away. `I think I'll let that fact settle in.' Tara watched Malachite leave. "Dora DID mention Malachite's son once or twice." She turned her attention back to Loki. "Don't you want to meet him?" "Kris? Not particularly ..." He let out an exasperated breath. "Who am I KIDDING? I'd be THRILLED to meet him. Question is: Would HE want to meet ME?" He was silent a moment. "Aw, HECK! MAL ... WAIT UP!" He grabbed Tara's hand, and ran after Malachite. * * * * * Zoisite laughed as Dipi spun around in a pale green dress. "I can't believe how much of your life I've missed!" She had decided on a shopping trip the instant she came home. Rose nodded in understanding. "I had a similar predicament when I came out of chryo-sleep the second time. Dipi had grown so much." She held a white dress against her, then moved towards the changing area. Kris smiled lovingly. "That must have been a rough choice. Still ... I can't condemn you. Darien's always been very important to you." He smiled as Rose walked into a changing booth. Zoisite paid for Dipi's dress. "And that is how it SHOULD be between siblings. I envy you the bond you have with your brother. My sister and I never really could look at anything on the same level. Not even when we were little." "Well ... Dora IS a pain in the rear!" Zoisite spun around. Malachite stood there with a lopsided grin, and Loki stood right next to him. "Loki ... it's been a very long time." "There was a time ... when I would have said `not long enough!'" Loki picked up a lavender scarf and put it back down. "Now ... I think I should say ... it's been TOO long. After being in close proximity to your double, I can appreciate the differences between you." He patted Dipi on the head. "Cute kid!" Zoisite grinned. "That's your grand-niece." Loki's head shot up. "WHAT? She's almost as old as I am!" Dipi laughed. "Hey, Tara! How've you been?" Tara shrugged. "I could complain, but I won't." Rose walked out of the booth. "Well ... what do you all think?" Loki's eyes popped. "PRINCESS ROSALINDA? I thought you were DEAD!" Rose sighed. "Not THAT again! First off ... I am not dead! Second ... you saw me the other day when you ... youthenized ... Angelica. I'm STILL miffed about that. Finally ... I'm called Rose! Pure and simple!" "I wasn't looking for you. Besides ... you were always out of my line of sight! And I had NO idea what that beam was going to do. Even Princess Serenity was upset." That caught everyone's interest. Rose felt a smile form. "Serenity was upset? Why?" Loki shrugged. "She was upset that Endymion would have been zapped out of existence. Apollo chanted some kind of spell, and she fell asleep. When she woke up, she wasn't upset anymore ... she wasn't upset because she didn't remember what had happened. Apollo's had to do that more and more often lately, so he's getting desperate." Everyone watched as Rose got the faraway look on her face she got whenever she was talking to Darien telepathically. After a moment, she smiled. "He was ecstatic to learn that she can be reached. Now ... we need a plan to get her away from Apollo until we can find the other two pieces of her soul." Tara smiled. "Loki could team up with Amy to come up with something so you can find the other two pieces!" Rose grinned. "Why, Tara, are you abandoning your princess?" Tara heard the playfulness, but stayed serious. "No ... never. I just don't think she truly wants to stay with Apollo. If she did, there would not be a need to constantly ... enchant ... her. Besides ... last night I had a vision that I didn't understand. Small Lady was there, but she was ... warmer than the girl I know. She asked me to help her by helping Darien. I've been puzzled about it all day. Especially since the Small Lady I saw in the vision had pink hair." She sighed. "In any case, we have to hurry. The longer it takes for us to find the rest of the Princess' soul, the harder it will be to merge them. If we wait too long, the merge will destroy her mind!" At the shocked expressions, she frowned. "You all look surprised! Put yourselves in her shoes! She will have to piece together three different points of view. That would be confusing on any day, but with her emotions being corked by the spells Apollo weaves ... let's just say it's extremely dangerous." Rose nodded. "Then we'd better get started right away!" Everyone nodded in agreement. END OF PART 14 NOTE: The song Niobe sang was the translation I have for the opening song of "Vision of Escaflowne" It might not be the right translation, but I don't think you'd understand it if I wrote it in Japanese! NOTE: This chapter is mainly a sort of 'sit back and relax' chapter. I found out that I've been going nuts in order to get some ... action in. Now don't get me wrong! Action is all very well and good, but everyday life can be just as interesting. Besides ... Will Wolfshohl pointed out that there are some people out there who'd like to know some of my characters better ... Dipi, for example. I bet no one out there realized that Dipi is fourteen in this fic! She's just a little shorter than Loki is, so she looks younger. Part 15 Amy managed to get permission to stay with Lita and Angie that night. She was immensely relieved that Loki was staying with the Generals at Nephrite's place. She didn't think Angie would allow the trouble maker to stay at her house. She smiled at the memory of the argument earlier. Angie still hated the new shortened version of her name, but put up with it because she was forced to agree that Angelica was just too much of a mouthful. Amy sighed as she turned a corner. She agreed with Tara that she should get together with Loki to come up with a device to track down the rest of Serena's soul, but she had NO idea as to how she was going to accomplish that feat. 'No amount of studying can prepare you for the problems you encounter as a Sailor Scout.' She shook her head. 'I hope I don't let everyone down! This might be a problem I can't solve!' She strengthened her resolve, and knew she had to, at LEAST, give it her best shot. That was the main reason why she asked to stay with Angie. In her room, she could link up with Mainframe and work on the problem ... all night if the need arose. * * * * * Lita smiled at Amy when she opened the door. "Come on in! Dinner will be ready in a bit. Word of warning ... Dipi's using Mainframe for the moment. I didn't have the heart to tell the kid that you were on your way." Amy returned Lita's smile. "I won't disturb her playing for a while. I'll wait until after dinner." "Oh ... she wasn't playing. I have absolutely NO idea as to what she was doing, but it obviously wasn't a game." Lita frowned in puzzlement. "It looked like a bunch of mathematical equations." "In a girl HER age? Now THIS I have to see!" Amy walked to her room and carefully opened the door. She walked over to the girl and peeked over Dipi's shoulder. Dipi looked up. "Hello, Amy!" Then she turned her attention to the screen. "I'm trying to come up with a working scenario so that you and Loki can get Aunt Serena's soul together. So far ... no luck!" Amy went pale at the complex calculations on the screen. "Do you ... understand all of this?" Dipi nodded. "I had a lot of free time on my grandparents' ship. I complained that I was bored, so they installed a computer in my room. It wasn't long before I was playing with the mandelbrot set. Fractals weren't that far off. They fascinated me ... all those patterns. After that, I accessed the equations it would take to create those mind absorbing patterns. Once I got those down ... the rest of mathematics called to me. I seem to have a talent for math." With that, she finished the program and went into the scenario runner she had developed. She clicked 'run' and crossed her fingers. Amy watched as three spheres appeared and started to merge. Dipi was spellbound. "Yes ... yes ... yes ..." All three spheres exploded. "Noooo!" It came out as a whimper. She went back to the program, and hit 'save as...' She typed the program as 'fail_025' and sighed. "My problem is that I have no equation for magic. It's possible that one of these scenarios would work if magic was in there ... somewhere." "It looks as if you're trying to do the merge!" Amy didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the girl's enthusiasm. "We can't merge the pieces until we have them!" Dipi glared at Amy when she heard the condescending tone of Amy's voice. "Yes, but a soul is a soul! I'm working on the theory that one piece is just a smaller version of the whole. Just like a jigsaw puzzle. If the pieces won't go together, then you've basically wasted your money!" Amy grabbed the microphone. "Mainframe?" -Yes?- "ARE there any equations for magic? Something like how we can use our space pockets, or something along those lines?" -Not that I am aware of ... there is insufficient data available to create such an equation. I am, however, currently working on the problem at Serendipity's request.- It was Amy's turn to glare. "Why didn't you tell me you had already asked about that?" Dipi shrugged. "I figured you'd want to check with Mainframe as well. Besides ... you never gave me the chance." She stood up and stretched. "Well ... I'm tired of equations for right now. I'm gonna go out. Wanna come?" Amy blinked. "Where to?" "The disco that's downtown. Tara told me she'd treat me. Besides, I have to ask Loki for his ideas on this mathematical puzzle!" Amy let out an exasperated breath. "You're going to a disco? At a time like this, you're going out to have FUN?" "Why not? It's what Aunt Serena would have done at my age. Besides ... you've really gotta lighten up! I know grades are important, but you're only young once! Take advantage of it while you can, or you'll regret it one day!" Dipi left the room on that note. -You had better go after her. I doubt that you wish to upset her. You, of all people, should understand how she feels.- "It isn't polite to eavesdrop." -Nor is it polite to talk down to someone just because that someone happens to be a few years younger than you. Yet you talked to Serendipity as if she were only ten.- Amy sighed. Mainframe, though out of line, was right. She ran out of the room and spotted Dipi entering Serena's room. She raised her hand to knock, but hesitated. 'This is silly! I've fought hideous monsters with enough power to blow schools away! Why am I intimidated by Dipi?' She was shocked at the answer. 'I'm not! I just don't want to admit I was wrong!' She shook her head to clear what she thought as nonsense from her head and rapped twice on the door. "Who is it?" "It's Amy!" "Just a moment!" Amy waited about five minutes. When Dipi opened the door, Amy's eyes widened. "You look ... like you've grown up quite a bit." Dipi blushed as she looked down at her outfit. It wasn't revealing, just a pair of white jeans and a pale blue blouse that flattered her green-blue eyes. Her hair was in a style similar to Mina's. "It's the hair! I look a little older when I wear it loose." Amy shook her head. "That's not it. You're older than you were the first time I saw you. You've gotten four years older, and I failed to notice until right now." Dipi smiled in understanding. "Ohhhhhhhh!" Amy half-smiled in return. "Can you forgive me for treating you like a child?" "Only if you promise to try not to do it again." She pulled an emerald colored sweater on. "Are you coming with me?" Amy shook her head. "I can't. I'll go someplace fun when we get Serena back. Right now ... I'll go work on the equation. Will you let me know if Loki has any input?" "You KNOW I will! I'll see you later, Amy!" Dipi ran past Amy and out of the house. * * * * * Dipi met up with Tara and Loki half way to the disco. "Yeesh, Loki! Could you be a little MORE obvious on the shameless self-promotion?" Loki was, once again, wearing his T-shirt with the logo for 'The Mask' on it. He looked down at the shirt, then looked up and shrugged. "When you've got it ... flaunt it!" Tara smiled. "Something you got from your older brother, I'll bet! You couldn't POSSIBLY have come up with that yourself." "OH! Oh I'm HURT! The lovely lady has a stinging wit!" Loki flailed his arms as he fell, only to do a backwards flip. Tara grinned and playfully slapped his stomach with the back of her hand when he caught up with them. "You cut that out! It isn't original in any case!" Dipi laughed. "Is he ALWAYS like this?" Tara shook her head. "Sometimes he's even MORE out of control!" "Really?" Tara nodded. "COOL!!" "Huh?" "Well ... being the only teenager on a HUGE spaceship DOES have its disadvantages. No one to hang out with, no arcades, no malls ... no discos. The only music I had was the music mom bought for me whenever she stopped by Earth to say 'hello'." Dipi sighed as she played with a strand of hair. "There aren't even any boys for me to impress or dress up for! The only men on the ship are my father and grandfather. Makes seeing the universe seem dull, doesn't it? There are only so many times I can look out at the stars and say 'OOOOOH!' and 'AAAAH!' It's not fair!" Tara smiled sadly in understanding. "Maybe you'll find someone at the disco you like." Dipi shuddered. "I hope I DON'T! That's the LAST thing I need ... getting attached to someone that I CAN'T stay with! I wouldn't dream of forcing that decision on anyone else ... stay or go! Maybe this was a big mistake!" She looked up at the neon sign. "Maybe I should just go back to Angie's place and work on that equation!" Loki smirked. "Without my input? Dipi ... Amy wouldn't be thrilled if you left before I told you if I knew anything." "DO you know anything?" Dipi felt a burst of hope. Loki grinned. "Oh, I know plenty of things! Question is ... can you ask me something I can't sidestep ... to get the answer YOU want?" He turned to Tara. "Logical puzzle for you, my dear!" He got into line. Dipi exclaimed in excitement. "May I be allowed an attempt to solve the puzzle?" Loki laughed. "You're quick! You may try, but few succeed!" Tara smiled. She loved it when he brought forth a riddle or a puzzle. "I'm listening!" "I know of a city called Subterranea." Tara lost interest at that, but Dipi nodded. "Subterranea is a strange city located completely underground; its inhabitants have never seen the light of day." Dipi nodded again. The intensity with which she was listening almost frightened him. "Clocks, watches, and all other timepieces are strictly forbidden. The inhabitants of this city are reminiscent of those on the remote island of Knights and Knaves (where Knights always tell the truth and Knaves always lie). But here each inhabitant is either a Day-knight or a Night-knight. The Day-knights tell the truth during the day and lie during the night, while the Night-knights tell the truth during the night and lie during the day. All of them have an uncanny sense of time and always know whether it is day or night, but visitors to the city are apt to become disoriented and lose sense of time ... unless they're good logisticians. Now ... let's say you've been there a while, and have lost all sense of day and night, and you want to know whether it is day. You approach an inhabitant. There are only two problems. The inhabitant will only answer one question, and the question must be a 'yes-no' question. You want to know if it's day or night. What do you ask the inhabitant?" Dipi frowned. "That's ... a good question ..." Loki shrugged. "Think about it! If you figure it out before we get inside, I'll tell you what I know about mathematical equations for magic ... if I know anything, that is. That will release you from the possibility of going in there and getting interested." Dipi's frown deepened slightly. "It doesn't give me much time." Tara sighed in exasperation. "Loki! You already told me that one about a month ago!" "Perhaps, but don't give Dipi any hints! I want to see if she can figure it out for herself!" Dipi searched her brain for the question, and looked up at the feeling of air-conditioning. 'Time's up!' * * * * * Loki and Tara sat at a booth and watched Dipi enjoying herself. Despite the girl's preliminary shyness, she appeared to have a love for dancing. When the present song ended, Dipi rejoined them, smiling almost triumphantly. "I've got it!" She brushed her bangs away from her face. "All I'd have to do is go up to someone and ask if they were a Day-knight. During the day, the answer would always be 'Yes' since a Day-knight would be telling the truth, and a Night-knight would be lying. During the night, the answer would always be 'No' because the Night-knight would be telling the truth, and the Day-knight would be lying." She smirked impishly. "More on the subject ... if I wanted to find out if I were talking to a Day-knight or a Night-knight, I'd ask if it was daytime. A Day-knight would always say 'Yes', and a Night-knight would always say 'No'." Loki clapped his hands. "I'm proud of you!" He grabbed a napkin and procured a felt-tipped pen out of thin air. Then he started to write. When he was finished, he presented the napkin, which had miraculously been transformed into notepad paper, to Dipi. "You, My Lady, are now free to leave whenever you wish!" Dipi glanced down at the paper. "These ... are runes! I have to convert them!" Loki glowered. "Don't you DARE! Scan them into Mainframe and let it incorporate them into the equation. These are to overlap your equation, NOT mesh between two blocks of it. Understand?" Dipi nodded and Loki smiled. "Smart girl! Go enjoy yourself a while longer before returning to Angie's place." * * * * * Dipi, when she finally DID return, burst into Amy's room without the common courtesy of knocking. "AMY!!! I GOT IT!!!" She handed the paper to Amy. "Loki told me to scan these into Mainframe." Amy took the paper. "Mainframe ... record these runes and apply them to all saved 'fail' programs." -Task understood ... working ... working ... task completed.- Dipi took a deep breath. "Any successful scenarios NOW?" -Searching ... affirmative. Program fail_014 is 99.9 infinity% successful. Download into child unit will commence in five seconds unless otherwise specified. Five ... four ... three ... two ... one ... downloading has commenced.- A minute went by. -Download is complete. Child unit will now be able to locate subjects Serena A, B, and C. And may I just say that I am glad THAT is over! Those programs were a serious memory strain! If I were human, I would exclaim that I had the worst headache anyone could ever imagine.- Amy grinned. "Thank you, Mainframe. You may delete all fail programs after saving the successful program as 'success'." -Saved and deleted.- Amy nodded to the computer. "You deserve a rest, Mainframe. Go to energy conservation mode. Good night!" Just then, Lita burst into the room. "Amy! Why don't you have your communicator with you? Raye's been trying to get you for the past three minutes! The Starlights are attacking Darien's apartment complex, and Serenity is with them! No one knows where Darien is, and Raye can't reach him!" Amy rolled her eyes. "My communicator is at home because I knew you had yours." She smiled at Dipi. "Well, kiddo, looks like you got those runes just in time! We get to test your program!" She stood up and pulled her transformation wand out. "MERCURY CRYSTAL POWER!!!" "You're not going without me!" Dipi grabbed her pendant and closed her eyes. There were no words to describe the feeling she got when she transformed. It felt like she was floating and sinking at the same time. She was caught in a whirlwind. She wondered if any of the others got the same feelings. Just as quickly as the tumult of feelings came, they were gone as if they had never happened. She felt stronger and more sure of herself. She knew her hair was braided into a ponytail. "Let's book it!" * * * * * Darien, meanwhile, was walking with Niobe. She had called and asked him to take her someplace. "So ... where EXACTLY am I taking you?" Niobe, for her part, was practically bursting at the seams. "I honestly don't know, Darien! I just KNOW that THEY'RE in town! I can feel the song within me pulling me towards them!" "WHO'S in town? I don't understand!" Niobe sighed. "Of COURSE you don't! YOU'RE not a gypsy! A true gypsy can ALWAYS tell when there's a troupe in town. It creates a stirring in the blood. You feel like dancing for no reason. I suspected it the instant I broke into song while walking Angelica home. When I caught myself skipping around the dining room table, I KNEW! It's time for me to go where I belong!" She seemed to want to take off at a run. Darien grinned. 'I wonder if she's Serena's cousin in THIS lifetime as well. I can DEFINITELY see the resemblance.' His grin turned into a genuine smile when she lost control and ran around the corner. He took off after her. He froze when he saw her hugging an old woman. He felt about as out of place as a water lily would feel in the middle of a desert. "GRANNY MAGPIE!!!! OH, GRANNY MAGPIE!" Niobe felt completely happy for the first time in months. "I MISSED YOU SO MUCH!!" A willowy woman peeked out and smiled. "NIOBE!!!" She threw her arms around Niobe. "Where have you BEEN?" Niobe returned the embrace. "Erin! I've been here the whole time! How's your dancing? Learn anything new in the five years I was out of it?" It continued like that for a while. Darien was close to turning around and leaving when Niobe turned to him. "Everyone ... this is Darien!" Darien felt himself freeze. He hated being at the center of so many peoples' attention even more than he hated being ignored. Now he had to beat down the urge to run away. He clenched his fists, and tried not to let just how petrified he was show. 'There's a name for this phobia ... I just can't remember what it is.' He backed away as the old woman ... Granny Magpie ... approached him. "Now, now, child. There is no need for nervousness!" She gazed up at him. Her expression was akin to hope as she turned once again to Niobe. "Is this boy who I THINK he is?" "Yes, Granny ... he is." Niobe smiled in sympathy at Darien. "I'd forgotten, Darien, who you were. Had I remembered, I wouldn't have dragged you here." Magpie chuckled. "Uncomfortable in a crowd, is he? Well ... legends have always told how a few families hated big gatherings. Bee-bee, tell me the truth ... is SHE alive as well?" Niobe sighed. "Darien told me that she does exist, and was the victim of a soul-split a few months ago. We know where one-third of her is. The other two ... I have no idea." Magpie nodded. "Well ... Darien, is it? Why not come into my wagon for a cup of chamomile tea? The rest of you SHOO! We have setting up to do! Come along, boy. I'll not bite you! You come too, Bee-bee! I want to see if your precognitive abilities are a strong as your mother's were!" A short while later, Darien was more at ease. Magpie's 'wagon' was actually a mobile home. Cramped but comfortable. Magpie motioned him to sit on the cot while she sat at the table across from Niobe. "Please, child, do a one-card draw for me. Tell me something about ... what I was doing yesterday." Niobe nodded. "If you wish!" She shuffled the cards about ten times before closing her eyes and taking a card from the middle of the deck. She placed the card on the table face-up. "Who got married?" Darien was confused so he stood up and looked at the card. 'The Sun ... it has to do with marriage?' It held an image of Prince Tranquillity riding an Arabian stallion. Apollo was flying above ... his wings extended. "What does the sun have to do with marriage?" Magpie shook her head. "Honestly, child! Don't you know that almost ALL marriage ceremonies during the Silver Millennium were performed by the King of the Sun? Erin." Niobe cried out. "ERIN got MARRIED!?! Oh, WOW! I'll be right back!" She ran outside. Darien laughed and turned to Magpie. "Tell me ... did Niobe have an aunt or uncle?" Magpie shook her head. "Never! At least ... none that WE would acknowledge. When a gypsy no longer hears the call, they are cut off from the troupe ... including their family. They are considered dead to us." "The reason I ask is because she's a LOT like Serena, and I thought they might be connected somehow. Serena's the daughter of Sarah ..." Magpie started laughing. "So ... Sarah decided to give her daughter her old name? Yes ... Niobe's mother was Sarah's sister." "So Niobe IS my girlfriend's cousin!" Darien smiled. "Looks like she is who Angie said she is!" Magpie nodded. "You know as well. The troupe knew the instant she was born that she was Small Lady Imbrium. One thing I never could understand was why her powers never appeared." Darien shook his head. "There wasn't a need for them yet, and she was in a coma when they WERE needed, so Luna accidentally gave them to Serena." "UNHEARD of! The main family should NEVER get involved! They're to be protected!" Darien grinned. "She WAS ... by me. I didn't even know who she was, but I felt whenever she was in danger. I still do. Have you ever felt like you're stuck in a dream ... even though you're awake?" He looked out the window in alarm as the sound of an explosion rocked the 'wagon.' **DARIEN!!!!** Darien winced at the mental scream. There was an air of desperation behind it. **Rose? What's wrong?** "What's wrong, boy?" Magpie had seen the wince. "That's what I want to know! I'm finding out." **The Starlights just blew up your apartment building! We had no idea as to where you were, so we naturally assumed that you were inside! Everyone else in the building had run like crazy, but we KNOW you, you Lunkhead! I'm just so glad you weren't inside!** Darien closed his eyes. **No ... but the only picture I had of me with my parents WAS. That was the only momento I kept.** **You LUNKHEAD! Angie has TONS of pictures of you with your parents! More good news ... Amy, Dipi, and Loki have come up with a gadget that will locate Serena's soul!** There was a pause, but he could feel Rose's anxiety. **Where are you?** **I'm in the old warehouse district. In the empty lot.** **I was afraid of that ... They know you're there, and they're on the way! We'll be there ASAP, but you'll have to hold them off!** There was a small explosion nearby. **They aren't on their way ... They're already HERE!** Part 16 Darien was outside in less than a second. He was worried about Niobe, but he called for someone else. "Serena!?!" "Behind you, Endymion." Darien turned to see her cold expression. "This isn't like you at ALL, Serena. Since when do you attack innocent people?" "I am NOT the one who is attacking them. You really should get your facts straight before you point your finger in accusation." She shrugged in indifference. "Besides ... I have no say as to what the Starlights do. I am not their monarch. Therefore ... I suggest YOU do something about it. Unless, of course, you are unable to handle them without your Cape Boy alterego." "That wasn't necessary. I wish you'd just TALK to me rather than go crashing everywhere. Had you contacted me, I would've come out on my own. There wasn't a need to destroy my apartment building." Darien cautiously reached out to stroke her cheek, only to draw his hand away when she jerked her head. "When has talking ever done anything? I refuse to be taken in by your lies, Endymion!" "That's not fair, Serena! I've only lied to you ONCE, and that was when I was told to stay away from you!" "You could have explained the reason to me ... I would have understood! But, NOO-OOO! You had to rip my heart to shreds again and again!!! Words, Endymion! TALKING HAS GOTTEN US NOWHERE!!!" She raised her hand to unleash her attack. "Then I won't talk!" Darien boldly stepped forward, and pulled her against him. He couldn't hold in the sigh ... He'd missed being able to hold her close. She was still for a moment, then started struggling. "What are you DOING? LET ME GO THIS INSTANT!!!" She punched his back as hard as she could. What she didn't understand was how warm she felt. She was tempted to return the embrace, and that caused her to struggle even more. "I SAID LET ME GO!!!!" "NO! Remember, Serena? You did this when the Wiseman turned Reenie against us. It worked with her, it'll work with you! Although this is your darker nature, it's still YOU. There isn't a part of you that I don't love." He kissed her on the lips. When he pulled away, he had no warning. Serenity slapped his face, hard. "If you so much as TOUCH ME, I will KILL you!!!! How DARE you take liberties?" She couldn't stop herself from trembling. She wrapped her arms around herself and sank to her knees. "What ... what is WRONG with me?" She shook her head. 'Why do I feel so COLD?' "You know what's wrong, Serena ... you just won't admit it." Her eyes met his, and there was an expression of longing before anger took over. "NEVER call me that. I am Serenity ... Heiress to the kingdoms of the Moon and Sun ... Keeper of the Imperium Silver Crystal ... and future Queen of the New Silver Era. I am not to be contaminated by YOUR touch!" "Serena ... you don't mean that! Those are Apollo's words ... not yours!" Darien felt a small thrill ... He was getting through to her, and he knew it was only a matter of time. During the exchange, Niobe was watching with a fascinated interest. '*Niobe! Fighter is about to attack him!*' Niobe glanced over to where Sailor Star Fighter was readying herself for the attack. "DARIEN!!! LOOK OUT!" At that moment, her eyes met Serenity's. Something within her lurched ... and she suddenly understood what her first reading meant ... the one she had done when Buster had first given her the deck. "No ... PLEASE tell me that this ISN'T what I think it is!" '*You know? You KNOW! Oh PLEASE forgive me, Niobe!*' "What happens to me? When this is over, what happens to me?" She looked up as someone grabbed her. "BUSTER!!! What are you doing here?" Phoebus glared at his younger sister. "That's what I was about to ask YOU! I caught a glimpse of you heading in this direction about forty minutes ago, and decided to follow after I got off work." Darien glanced behind him an instant before a silver throwing dagger cut Sailor Star Fighter's attack off. He frowned in confusion as he felt himself start to transform into Tuxedo Mask. It was over all too quickly, but he HAD felt it ... like the distant strains of a beloved song. He shuddered in an effort to shake the longing off. A woman's voice cut through the silence. "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" The Moonlight Maiden appeared by Darien. "Are you uninjured, Endymion?" Darien nodded, and turned to the still-trembling Serenity. "How about you? Are you okay?" He reached out his hand to help her, but realized that this chance had come and gone at the new look of anger in her eyes. "As if YOU cared!" Serenity spat back and glanced towards where Niobe was being helped to her feet. "Apollo? I need some help here!" Apollo appeared and sneered at Darien before turning to his sister. "Serenity! What is it?" "I ... I feel so strange!" She reached for him. "Take me home ... PLEASE! I need to sort out these feelings racing around my heart!" Apollo complied by gently picking Serenity up. He glanced in the direction that she was looking to see what held her attention. 'Why does that mere slip of a child trouble her? Unless ...' He narrowed his eyes and studied Niobe closely. 'Ahhh ... so THAT'S what draws Serenity's attention! I can't do anything about her, but I CAN do something with the one who's shaking her ... I can see they're related by blood, so I'll just have to up the protectiveness, dash any trust he has for Darien ... which isn't MUCH ... make him just a LITTLE more stubborn. Not too hard ... the Starlights have done all that for me, actually.' With that, he turned to his rival. "Never without her permission, Endymion!" His eyes sparked dangerously. "Leave him alone, Apollo!" Emerald jumped between the two. Apollo blinked, not recognizing the woman in front of him. "You look vaguely familiar! Probably an old flame of HIS! He'll break your heart, fair lady!" "There is no need to worry about ANYONE breaking my heart. I'm a wife and a mother already, and happily married at that!" Apollo nodded curtly before vanishing. Emerald turned to Darien. "You okay, Lunkhead?" "I ALMOST had her! Why didn't you tell him who you were?" Emerald sighed. "It would have made things worse. He hates you because he believes I died because you weren't there to help. How much more would he hate me when he discovered I fell in love with someone else. He might even go so far as to take his pain out on the moppet! I can't let that happen!" She looked up as the rest of the Scouts arrived. Venus tackled Healer, and pinned her down just before she could attack the twins. "Naughty naughty!" Fighter managed to call out the Star Serious Laser, but she missed her target due to Mars hitting her arm with a warding charm. Saturn was busy healing the minor injuries that had been sustained. She smiled at the little girl who had hugged her impulsively. 'Thank goodness I don't need to fight!' Maker was the hardest to pin. She managed to evade the Scouts, but kept hitting the ground due to jolted concentration. She got pinned after about twenty attacks, and THAT was only because she was too weak to fight. Jupiter smiled as she sat beside the fallen warrior. "Poor girl! You should KNOW better than to wear yourself out! Are you okay?" Maker had a confused look on her face. "Why ... why aren't any of you attacking us? I haven't heard a single one of your attacks since you got here!" "Because you are our FRIENDS! It isn't YOUR fault that Apollo is messing with those noggins of yours!" She looked up as Mercury pulled out her computer. Mercury immediately started scanning for possible pieces. "What the ...? EVERYONE! The other two pieces are HERE!!!" The Moonlight Maiden blinked and backed away. "I had best be going." She turned to leave. Darien grabbed the back of her outfit. "WAIT ...!" He stared as the loose ninja outfit fell off. What they had all mistaken for a cape was actually long silver hair that cascaded around her. She turned around, and Darien had to catch his breath. He had never seen anything so beautiful. She had the basic Scout bodice ... like a simple white bathing suit. The sleeves were loose and long, rather than the normal puffs, and made out of a gossamer silver material. The ends were caught up in silver bangles that hung loosely around her wrists. Her skirt fell to her knees and was made of the same silver material as the sleeves. The last remnants of the ninja outfit fell away, and the base turned from a white one-piece to a shiny silver two-piece. She looked as if she had stepped out of the Arabian Nights. She wore solid silver colored slipper-like shoes. Then Darien gazed at her face. "Serenity ..." He fell to his knees before what he perceived to be only a dream. "Serena!" The Moonlight Maiden shook her head, and she helped Darien stand. "No ... the Sailor Moon that was MEANT to be. Princess Serenity wasn't supposed to be Sailor Moon, and you all know it! I, however, had to choose another champion since the avatar of the Moon was incapacitated." Jupiter had a really puzzled look on her face, until Mercury leaned over and translated. "She means the girl who was SUPPOSED to be Sailor Moon was out of the picture!" Jupiter gasped. "But wouldn't that mean that NIOBE ...?" Mars stepped forward. "Can't you merge with her now? She's right here!" The Maiden turned to Niobe. "No. For two reasons. First ... she does not want me. Second ... without Serenity being whole, there is no way to transfer the power!" Mars sighed in exasperation. "Great! We're still without our strongest fighter because SERENA is a total space case!" The Moonlight Maiden, for lack of a better name, shook her head. "Sailor Moon wasn't ever intended to be a fighter. She was to be an ambassador that represented the Silver Millennium. The Negaverse never expected her to fight, and was therefore surprised by her many different attacks over the length of time. She was never the strongest ... just the one that they weren't prepared for ... which was WHY she had to have a different attack with each new enemy." Darien found his voice again. "So what do we call you now?" The vision smiled. "Call me by the name of she who was supposed to receive my power. I am Imbrium ... my brother is Helios. We are watching over you, Endymion ..." She vanished into the Moonlight. Magpie blinked. "PRAISE THE STARS! THE WARRIORS HAVE RETURNED!!" She smiled as the whole troupe surrounded the Scouts. Darien turned to Mercury. "Where ... WHO is the third piece?" "I don't know! There are too many people here to get a fix on her!" * * * * * Niobe sighed, relieved to have slipped away from her brother and everyone else, and turned to come face to face with Imbrium. "Why didn't you tell them?" "For the same reason I can't merge with you. You don't want it." Imbrium placed her left hand over Niobe's heart, and held a small pendant when she drew her hand away. "This is your piece of the crystal. Guard it like I guard my dagger's sheath." Niobe gazed at the smooth white heart-shaped stone. "Moonstone?" She gazed at the sheath, and saw the silvery star-shaped crystal. Imbrium nodded. "Unless you're with Endymion. When with him, it will change to clear crystal ... with a vague image of a rose twined around a crescent moon. It is to hint to him of what you truly carry." "What happens to me when this is all over? Will I go back into a coma ... never to wake up again?" Imbrium started fading. "I don't know, but I promise to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening." With that, Imbrium vanished completely. '*I promise too, Niobe! I truly am sorry, but I hate seeing Darien miserable!*' * * * * * Darien paced back and forth for a good portion of an hour. "Okay! With Imbrium ... that makes two down, one to go! Where could the rest of her soul be? There was one point during the fight where I was ALMOST able to change into Tuxedo Mask ... meaning all three pieces were thinking the same thing." Rose grimaced. "I don't think I like that! That means that Serena will need a focus in order to do the merge. One of us will be at the center of whatever happens, and will receive the full brunt of whatever grudge Serenity has. It will NOT be fun!" Darien sighed and stopped pacing. "You're right, Rose. And you know why you're so uneasy about this." He ran a hand through his hair. "I intend to be at the center. No matter what any of us says ... I still feel as if Serena's in this mess because I didn't trust her enough." Dipi, who was silent at that point, spoke up, "I wish I had your problem." Then she turned back to her book. Rose looked sharply at her daughter, and felt a wave of guilt crash into her. 'Oh, Dipi ... why didn't you SAY something?' She felt vague amusement coming from Darien. **What?** Darien was smirking, and looking rather pleased. **Guess what?** Rose knew to get a little worried at the expression on his face. He looked like a cat that just caught a mouse. **What?** **You were leaking! Oh thou who livest in a glass house shouldst not throw stones!** Rose groaned aloud. **You're never gonna let me live this down, are you?** **NOPE!** * * * * * "I TOLD you to have Neo-Queen Serenity look after it, but did you listen to me? No, you didn't. Now look at you. Two days since the incident, and you're STILL as weak as a newborn baby. What if they had needed us tonight? You're in no condition to fight, and I refuse to leave your side when you're like this." Damion grimaced. "PLEASE stop telling me that you told me so. It's driving me up a wall! Besides ... having Her Majesty heal me would have done no good. If you had never been born ... I would have died as a child, or have you forgotten that? I know I did!" He looked sharply at her as she moved her hand to her mouth. "I thought you had stopped biting your nails!" Joy quickly put her hand down. "I'm SORRY! This whole situation is making me VERY nervous! So many things can go wrong! Besides ... it feels really strange closing my hand and feeling my fingernails go into my hand." "All except your index fingernails, I see." "I didn't realize that I was biting them until after the fact. I hope Serena realizes the same thing. I doubt that she really knows the chaos she's inflicting on us." She sat in the chair beside the bed. "I spoke with her mother the other day ... just before Loki's 'demonstration'. She doesn't know why Serena vanished, but she's furious at the fact that Serena hasn't even contacted them ... telling them that she was all right. For her, not knowing is torture. I think she'd have an easier time of it if we just told her family the truth!" "But we haven't the right to tell them. That's up to our elders." Joy shuddered. "It's kinda hard for me to see Angie as an elder. She's YOUNGER than I am now. Have you any idea how odd that feels?" Damion laughed. "About as odd as having a jam session with my dad. We never got the chance to do that before ... I never really realized what I was missing out on." Joy laughed in response. "Your mom was really thrilled that you gave him some pointers. She told me that he isn't as ... I think noisy is the word she meant, but the actual word might fit." "Why? What word did she use?" Joy smirked. "NoiSOME." The two of them laughed at that. * * * * * Raye glanced over at Darien. "Are you okay, Darien?" "Everything I had ... is gone ... even the sweater I was wearing the night of the accident." Angelica's eyes widened in surprise. "You KEPT that thing? It was NOT the most visually pleasing article of clothing you'd ever possessed." Darien glared at Angelica. "Even with amnesia, I KNEW it was made by my mother! She must've worked very hard on it!" He smiled sadly. "She had been hiding it for MONTHS. It was the last Christmas present I ever got from her, and I loved it!" "I know ... I commented on it once or twice. I thought you were about to start living in it! You wore it often enough!" Lita broke in. "WHAT are you two talking about?" Angelica grinned. "Darien's scrap-yarn sweater. The only thing that clashed with itself." Angelica sighed. "He was wearing it the night of the accident." Amy spoke up. "I keep meaning to ask ... why weren't you there to stop it?" "The accident?" Angelica blushed as she felt everyone look her way. "One of Beryl's flunkies passed me a bogus note saying that the Princess was about to be born." Travis' attention was grabbed. "Wait a second! Serena and I were already three at the time." Angelica sighed. "I KNOW ... but I didn't know then. Darien ... though born prematurely ... was born MUCH later than I expected." "*WHAT?!?!?*" Angelica laughed at the collective exclamation. "How old do you think he IS anyway?" Lita shrugged. "I dunno ... we never asked. Twenty-four ... maybe twenty-five? That is assuming the age ratio between him and Serena is the same as it was during the Silver Millennium." It was Darien's turn to be surprised. "No wonder Serena's dad went ballistic! I'm not that old!" At the confusion permeating the room, Angelica let out a single laugh. "Darien, my dear friends, just turned twenty this year! He was five at the time of the accident, and he met up with Serena again when he'd just turned sixteen!" Rose groaned. "So I AM older than you!" Darien shrugged. "It's really not a big deal for me, Rose. And if you're thinking what I THINK you're thinking, I suggest you wait until your daughter is older. You missed out on five years of her childhood, I doubt if you want to miss much more of her life." "You're right ... I don't." Amy's eyes were wide. "You were sixteen, and in COLLEGE?" Darien shrugged. "So I skipped a few grades! YOU were almost accepted to a medical school in Germany, so don't act so surprised!" Silence descended on the room as everyone got over the shock. * * * * * "Bee-bee ... I don't want you to go ANYWHERE near there again!" Niobe gasped. "Buster! You can't ... you can't MEAN that! They're my people ... OUR people! Besides ... I've ached to go with them since I woke up in the hospital!" Phoebus sliced his hand through the air to cut his younger sister off. "ENOUGH! I don't know why you're being so stubborn about this!" Niobe's eyes widened and tears started forming. "Oh ... Phoebus! You can't hear the song anymore, can you? You don't feel the yearning to travel with them ... the pull!" Buster sighed in irritation. "Bee-bee ... I NEVER felt those things!" Too late he noticed Niobe backing away with a look of inconsolable grief on her face. Her tears were falling unchecked. "Then I have no brother!" She grabbed a pair of scissors from the coffee table. Phoebus felt his stomach drop as he remembered their mother doing a similar thing when his aunt said SHE didn't hear the song. He winced at the first snip, and watched with fascinated horror as Niobe cut off her long hair. "Bee-bee!" Her hair barely touched her shoulders "I go with them when they leave. You are no longer one of us, so you have no power over me. Until we leave ... I will be staying elsewhere." She turned and walked to what had been her room. She slowly packed a few of her belongings in a small bag ... not listening to Phoebus' pleas. She mechanically walked down the stairs, turning to look at Phoebus once more. "Good-bye, Phoebus. I will never forget you, but you are dead to me now ... as I am now dead to you." Then she was out the door. She left and didn't turn back. END OF 16