[Haruka and Michiru walk in. Haruka sits down and begins tearing up the hardcopy of That Girl, and Michiru turns on the LD.] >Alex & Serena >Title: Encounters >Episode: 5 >By: ImMoRtAl PeNgUiN > > Sorry, for making all those people >out there wait for the final episode. I got >an unexpected vaca. > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > Thoughts raced through my head. Darien, Michelle...Serena. Haruka [racing announcer]: And here comes Darien on the inside track, followed closely behind by Michelle, with Serena bringing up the rear. Darien seems to be smoking. OH! He's blown his engine! He's pitting, but I'd say his race is over! > I kept >on going. No matter how much this hurts, I'll have to do it. Michiru [rubbing her temple]: Please, just pick a tense and stay with it. > Finally, I saw >Serena's house. Her light was still on. > "Alex!" She greeted me cheerfully. > "Serena." I sat down on her bed and watched her as she started >chattering. When she finally stopped, she turned to me, and embraced me in >a warm kiss. Michiru [irritated]: Back to this. > I grudgingly pushed her away and willed myself to appear calm. > "Did I do something wrong, Alex?" Serena asked. Her eyes showed fear >and that familiar loneliness when Darien had pushed her off. > "I think...I think it's best for us to cool down for awhile." I said >in the coldest voice I could possibly muster. Michiru: Which is, all things considered, pretty cold. > "What--what do you mean?" She stammered. > "I think I don't want to see your face anymore!" Haruka [singing]: You keep hanging around my door... I don't wanna see your face no more... > I snarled. I saw >the hurt in her eyes. I hit the right spot. It also dug the daggar in my >heart deeper. > "But--you said you loved me!" Michiru [Oscar]: No, I love Artemis. Haruka: Please, no more Oscar refs. > That broke me down a little. I hoped she didn't notice. But she did. > "It's Darien, isn't it?" Serena asked softly, eyes downcast. > "Yes...yes it is." I touched her shoulder. "You two were," I >searched for the right words Haruka: Umm... maybe they're in my pocket... no... well, I KNOW they're around here *somewhere*. > and ended up qouting Serena. "You two were >meant to be." > She hugged me tightly. It caught me by surprise. But then I relaxed and hugged her back. Hard. Michiru [Usagi]: Haruka? I *wheeze* can't breathe... *cough* > "The things you said back then...were they true? You don't like me anymore?" She asked anxiously. > "They weren't---they...they were true. I still love you, but not in >that way." This is the way it's supposed to be. I know I'm doing the right >thing, but damn it! Why does the right thing have to be so hard? > "I hate you." Michiru: And where did *that* come from? > I looked up, shocked. I was even more shocked when her hand >connected my face. Haruka: So, my face is a dot-to-dot now, is it? > I looked up, stunned by the blow, and I hurted. I hurted >deep inside. Haruka: He done tol' it like it were. I hurted, y'all. > I looked into her eyes, brimming with tears. And I saw, hidden >behind those tears, Love. Love for me. I was sure of it. > "So, this is the way it's supposed to be. Very well, then." I bowed >my head slightly, then turned on my heels and left the way I came. > "Thank-you." Michiru: You're-welcome. > I turned around, surprised. Tuxedo Mask stood in the shadow of that >oak tree. Michiru: Oak tree? The story went from Usagi's bedroom to her yard instantly! > My face turned grim again. > "Don't let her go. Don't hurt her ever again. Or I'll come after >you, Tux." I said coldly. He nodded. > "I won't. Thank-you. Haruka: I've noticed that this author likes putting hyphens in the weirdest-places. > You don't know how much this means to me." > I watched him hop into Serena's room and turned to go again, when >Michelle hopped out of the tree. Haruka: There's a lot of hopping going on. Michiru: And how does this tree hold so many people? It's like an apartment building. > "Michelle?" I gasped. She smiled at me and shivered slightly. She >was still in her nightgown. Haruka: Is that the one I bought you? Michiru: *That* one? In public? Are you crazy? > "What the hell are you doing out here without some proper clothes >on?!" I transformed back into my human self and wrapped my coat around her. Michiru: Finally. Back to the land of the living and the sane. >Then, we went home, wearing the same coat. My heart was light, but it still >pained from Serena. Serena. Michiru: There's that echo again. > > > A single red rose under the giant oak tree in Serena's yard stood. >Silently. Waiting. Haruka: And. Randomly. Spreading. Periods. > The rose would wait for it's time to bloom. It would >wait. Michiru: A fanfic is never complete without repetition. This public service announcement brought to you by the Bureau of Repetition. > > > The End. Michiru: Oh, how I've waited for this day. > > Yo, this might not be my best work, but hey, >that's life! And sorry again for the delay in the >last ep. > > > > [The LD spins to a halt. Haruka stands and stumbles over to the player.] Haruka: It's over. The horror has finally and forever ended. Michiru: Oh, don't get so melodramatic. Haruka: I still want to know who sent it. Michiru: Well, I don't carry this mirror around just to clobber people in the head. [Haruka walks over and sits down next to Michiru, who is already peering into the mirror.] Michiru: I don't see anything. Haruka: Has it ever failed before? Michiru: Not that I recall. Haruka: Oh, well. Michiru: Haruka, it's getting late. Let's go to bed. [Haruka and Michiru head off to bed. The next morning...] Hotaru [o.s.]: Michiru-mama! Haruka-papa! Come see! [Haruka and Michiru both sit bolt upright.] Haruka: Uh-oh. Michiru: You go see. Haruka: Me? Why me? Michiru: Because I went down first yesterday. Haruka: Alright... [Haruka gets dressed and heads out. Hotaru is standing there, holding a familiar package.] Hotaru: Haruka-papa! Look what I found in the mail this morning! Haruka: Please not this... [Haruka opens the package and draws out a laserdisc.] Haruka: No... [Michiru comes in to the room and sees the laserdisc. Our viewpoint sweeps out the window and heads upwards rapidly back to a point so distant that we can hardly hear the SCREAMS!] THE END ****************** Sailor Moon and its related characters and situations are trademarks of and (c) 1998 by TOEI. All rights reserved. Use of copyrighted and trademarked material is for entertainment purposes only; no infringement on any original copyrights or trademarks is intended or should be inferred. Original fanfic by The ImMoRtAl PeNgUiN, and can be found at: http://moonromance.simplenet.com/fj/ales.htm Note that this is NOT intended to be a personal attack on the author, think of it as vitriolic C&C. ****************** > "I mean, what do you feel about me?" > "Well, you're....Raye." > "That's it?!" > "Well, you have...black hair?" Alex looked at me nervously.