Chapter 18 - Hostility

"STOP!" Serena's voice cut through the panic (mostly from the Shittenou). Everyone gaped at Serena and fell quiet. Jason, whose drink had tumbled to the floor and normally would cry over spilled milk, remained quiet. The Outer Senshi, who had enough self-restrained laughed internally when Jason's drink spilled on Mark before it clattered to the ground as well as the amusement that the Inner Senshi might just inflict some bodily damage to the boys.

The Inner Senshi however did not heed Serena's command and still had their hands on their transformation pens. Mark, who had Jason's shirt by the hand and was ready to whack him sideways for messing up his expensive jacket, dropped him. Nick and Zack, who was cowering behind Mark and Jason, finally stepped out of their shadows.

"Drop your transformation pens, Inner Senshi." Serena commanded, but they maintained their grip on it.

Minako began to argue. "But they're Beryl's!"

Serena, for the second time told them to drop their transformation pens, but the Inner Senshi was still on the defensive. She wasn't going to ask three times, but when Rei saw the look on Serena's face, she quickly shoved her ofuda back in her pocket and released her hand from her transformation pen, but the other three still kept their hands on their pens.

"Awww. My strawberry boba!" Jason groaned. "I'm going to have to get another one."

Serena's gaze softened, but still reserved a glare to Minako, Makoto, and Ami, who still have yet to apologized and still continued to disregard her command. She turned to the Shittenou and began speaking to them to Minako, Makoto, and Ami's disbelief. "Jase, we can get you another one. If you're that sad your strawberry boba fell, I'll buy you a gift card to Tapioca Express when we get home. Mark, give me your jacket and I'll have it cleaned. Now can we quit standing around here and go inside?"

The Outer Senshi (dismayed that there wasn't a fight between the Shittenou and the Inner Senshi) retired back into the home and began to gather some of the take-out Michiru and Hotaru purchased for lunch. Rei, who had finally earned the Outer Senshi's trust, joined them in the kitchen to help prepare the food. But before the Makoto, Ami, and Minako can even walk into the house, Serena stop them short. She was no longer glaring, but the look of annoyance was evident on her face.

"Didn't I tell you to put your pens down?" Serena asked.

Makoto gulped nervously. She's never heard Serena speak that way before, not to them. Minako, clueless as she is and with so much hate for the man that resembled Malachite didn't understand as she tried to explain that the Shittenou were their enemies, that Rei should have not dropped her transformation pen so hastily.

"She obeyed my command. If I recall, I am the leader of the Senshi, unless you three still think I ought to retire." Serena replied with no emotion. Ami was scared. Never had Serena been cold and calculating towards them. "I asked you to drop your pens, but you kept hold on them. And Sailor Venus, you had the audacity to fight with me about this?"

The three Inner Senshi didn't speak. Haruka smiled. She knew this day would come, that Serena would get a back bone and give the Inner Senshi a piece of their mind. Despite the face that Haruka knew Serena could take care of herself, she still had to protect her, so standing behind her, with her transformation pen in her hand was the best thing to do rather than prepare food the food in the kitchen and Serena gladly took Haruka's protection.

Inside, the Shittenou were already busy setting the dining table and had put the first DVD of the first season of Criminal Minds into the player, settled on the couch with Michiru, Hotaru, and Rei (who no longer glared at Justin since she figured if Serena trusted these men, why shouldn't she?).

Ami, who saw the peaceful arrangement inside the house, envied Rei. How have the tables turned on them? Finally releasing her hold on her transformation pen, Ami began to apologize.

"I am sorry, Your Highness." Ami apologized with reverence to Princess Serenity. She can see it. Serena had grown into her heritage and they can no longer question Serena's motives. She was calling all the shots. "Forgive me. You have reasons why you trust those men and I will not question your decision or your authority."

Makoto nodded in agreement. Minako, who glared at the platinum blonde haired man in Serena's home, distractedly nodded her head. Serena knew that Minako only gave a half of an apology still allowed her to enter their homes. As the three Inner Senshi sat uncomfortably (compared to Rei who was already sipping a glass of ice tea and arguing with Nick who the "unsub" was) and gazed at the easiness Beryl's generals and the rest of the Senshi fell into. The three Inner Senshi's uncomfortable feeling did not pass over Serena and she introduced the four men. She'd explained that they were Endymion's original generals, not the clones Metallia had Beryl made and speaking of Beryl, Serena opened up the camera roll in her iPhone and showed the Inner Senshi a picture of her and Beryl during New Year's Eve whilst explaining that Beryl was fully healed, not forgetting to tell them that they should be grateful to the woman that helped her move towards forgiveness of the Inner Senshi's crimes.

When the uneasiness finally dissipated from the group, they settled into an easy conversation. However, when the Shittenou brought up the topic of Endymion, Serena cringed. She had forgotten to tell them that she'd met Mamoru and had a talk.

"I really don't see the problem of a little reunion." Jason said, which earned him a back handed slap from Mark.

"What's the big deal? Serena's dating Brandon and it seems like things are getting rather serious." Jason continued, which then earned him another whack in the head from Haruka.

"I like Brandon better than the Chiba toad." Haruka replied. "If you want to have a little reunion with him, then go ahead, but leave Serena out of it."

Serena sighed. She knew it was inevitable. She had no claim on Endymion's generals. They weren't her guardians and if they were, it is only by default because of her soul-bond with him.

"Might as well get it over with. I knew I should have told him about the four of you when he came by." Serena said.

"Wait? You saw him? When?" Mark asked, clearly intrigued. He was hoping that the little reunion would have sparked something between the two and all will be well again in the universe.

"Yes. And before you ask anymore questions, we are not together. I'm still with Brandon." Serena replied. "Let's leave it at that. Why don't you call him and we can arrange a meeting at the crown?"

Minako volunteered to call Mamoru, hoping to get back on Serena's good graces. For the first time, Minako was truly afraid of Serena. Makoto, Minako, and Ami all agreed that they deserved not being a large part of Serena's life unlike the Michiru, Hotaur, and Haruka. They even envied Rei when she resumed her friendship with Serena as though nothing happened.

Mamoru on the other hand relished in the thought of seeing Serena again even if it was just business. He had already decided to court Serena again, make her fall in love with him and make her see that they belonged to each other.

Whilst Mamoru was excited, Serena was nervous. She didn't want to see him again, yet it was unavoidable. There she was sitting with her friends, talking and eating the Crown's food. They were having fun and she should be happy that the Inner Senshi and the Shittenou were getting along, but instead, she wanted to crawl underneath the booth and stay there until the damned meeting was over. She had every opportunity to do it, but instead, she just sat there and played with her french fries. When Mamoru finally entered the crown, Rei could feel Serena's nervousness. She took her friend's hand and squeezed it lightly, letting Serena know that she'd be there for her. Serena smiled gratefully and got up to meet Mamoru. But before she can meet him, Mamoru quickly produced four steel-tipped roses and aimed it Mark, Zack, Nick, and Jason whilst pushing Serena behind him.

Jason guffawed when he saw the constipated look on Mamoru's face and thought that the Prince of the Earth might need a laxative. But when Jason saw that Mamoru was dead serious, he began to consider his options. "Geez! Is this how I'm going to go down?" Jason groaned.

"Shut up fool!" Nick hissed.

"Can you guys write on my tombstone: doting son and wonderful friend? Serena, you write for the San Francisco Chronicle, I want a full page on the obits and put emphasis on 'dying of natural causes.' I can't believe it! A violent and nasty death by roses, which is ironic because it's the flower of love." Jason joked.

"What part of shut up didn't you understand. If you don't quit, we'd put 'bottomless pit' on your tombstone." Nick hissed again.

Serena, who was obviously annoyed, stepped from behind Mamoru. She instructed Mamoru to put his roses away and explained that those men were her friends. He reluctantly put his roses away and joined the large table. Serena introduced the Shittenou and gave an explanation as to why the Shittenou are on the side of the forces of good.

Surprisingly, Mamoru accepted the four men as his guardians, although he found it bizarre how the four would continually argue about things that were trivial such as which Japanese beer was better, Sapporo or Kirin and who was "hotter" Dead or Alive video game character. For the remainder of the night, Mamoru constantly stole glances of Serena, watching her interact with her best friend. He made a mental note to himself to talk to Rei to see if Serena had said anything about him. As much as he wanted to respect Serena's wishes and move on, it was quite impossible for him. He would always love her. Without her, he was just an empty shell. He knew it and he knew his logic yet idiotic thoughts were to blame for where their relationship now stood.

When the Shittenou suggested they take the party back to the house and play a round of beer pong, the girls sighed in relief and decided to leave the men behind and take a taxi back to the house with Serena suggesting that Makoto should bake a batch of her famous chocolate chip cookies.

The day finally wound down and the hostility dissipated. Ami and Zack were deeply engrossed in Ami's molecular biology text. Makoto, who dangerously threatened Nick that she will gouge his eye out if he messed up the recipe to her chocolate chip cookies and Nick just nodding yes since his Japanese was close to non-existent as he struggled to understand Makoto's thick accented English. Rei and Jason watched another five episodes of Criminal Minds in comfortable silence, whilst Minako and Mark sat at opposite ends, refusing to acknowledge the other.

Serena took the cue to go outside to the back yard and watch the stars. After seeing the good and positive results from today's meeting, she thought about staying, but Japan was never her home. Even though good things happened today, she would never feel at home.

"How can I prove it? How can I prove that I love you?" Mamoru asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"You can't. There's nothing you can do Mamoru." Serena replied and Mamoru winced. He winced every time she would call him Mamoru instead of Mamo-chan. "Can't you just accept it?"

Mamoru shook his head. "I can't. You can't ask me to change how I feel."

"Then you can't ask me to change how I feel. You and I, we can't —" Serena replied but was cut off when Mamoru grabbed her by the shoulders and kissed her.