Ronin Warriors, Sailor Moon, and Final Fantasy VIII do not belong to me. They belong to Sunrise Inc., Toei Animation, and Squaresoft respectively. Songs that are used in this chapter belong to the artist and their recording companies. PLEASE DON'T SUE ME!!!!!!!! Only the plot of the story and any new characters, such as Blaze Fields and Axel Jones belongs to me.

"Victory Celebration"

Chapter Twelve

Same day, Koji Mansion, Deling City:

"Has anyone seen my shoes?" Raye asked as she walked down the second floor hall.

"Check your bags Raye," Amy suggested as she walked towards the hallway bathroom, clipping on her sapphire earrings. She spotted Lita there and smiled. "You look nice."

"Thanks. So do you," Lita murmured as she lightly applied blush on her cheeks. She then began to comb her fingers through her hair, taming some of the wayward strands. "I guess I have to wear my hair naturally wavy since I didn't have time to blow-dry it straight."

"Does anyone have a pair of earrings I could borrow?" Mina asked as she stuck her head out the room.

"Does anyone know where my purse is?" Serena questioned her four comrades.

"Raye, did you happen to see my sapphire bracelet anywhere?" Amy asked as she left the bathroom.

"Mina, just grab a pair of my earrings," Lita responded from the hallway bathroom. She looked through her makeup bag for the last two items. "Did anyone happen to pick up my mascara and my lipstick?"

"Your bracelet was in here Amy," Serena replied as she scanned through several of her shopping bags for her purse. She smiled when she found it. "Never mind guys. I found my purse."

"I found my shoes guys!" Raye shouted down the hall.

Mina walked down to the bathroom and spotted Lita there. "Here's the mascara and some light pink frost lipstick," she said. She handed her the two items and glanced at herself in the mirror. "Okay. I think I'm ready now." She smiled at her best friend and left the bathroom.

Lita finished applying on the last bit of makeup and looked over her reflection. Once she was satisfied with her 'job', she left the bathroom and picked up her purse and camera. Luna and Artemis smiled as they saw the girls.

"Have fun you guys!" Artemis said.

"Be careful," Luna warned as she spotted the girls meeting in the hallway. All the girls smiled at the two guardians.

The group of five walked downstairs to the first floor. The girls spotted Ryo, Kento, Cai, and Rowen sitting in the living room. The guys looked up and saw the five beautiful females approach them.

"You guys look really nice," Raye complimented as she sat next to Kento and Rowen on the couch.

"Wow! You guys look really hot!!" Kento praised as the girls blushed.

Sage walked into the living room while fastening on his gold watch. He looked at the group of females and his jaw dropped. "You guys look really…. Gosh, I don't know what to say," he said as he fumbled over the words.

The girls chuckled lightly over Sage's lost for words while Anubis, Mia, and Yuli entered the living room. Yuli complimented the females about their wardrobes and sat next to Ryo.

"Right now, it's 7:30. We have approximately thirty minutes to get to Julia's Café," Mia stated as she glanced at her small, silver wristwatch. "We need to establish the riding arrangements. I know that Yuli's riding with Anubis and me. Who's riding with who?"

"Well, three people can ride with me," Rowen commented as he grabbed his keys.

"Three people can ride with me also," Sage offered as he placed his wallet in his pocket and grabbed his keys.

"I guess I could take my car also," Cai stated as he grabbed his keys.

Ryo spotted his pet tiger lying next to the door. "I need you to watch the place while we're gone," he demanded of the large feline. "Okay White Blaze?" White Blaze growled low in response and Ryo smiled.

"To Julia's Café we go!" Kento exclaimed as he and the others left the house.

Balamb Garden:

Quistis left the Library after spending some time grading papers. She groaned when she realized that she still had two stacks of papers in her dorm. "Damn!"she swore in her mind. "How am I ever going to finish those papers before tomorrow." She sighed. "Looks like I'll have to pull an all-nighter…" she muttered under her breath. She spotted Selphie and Rinoa before her, holding a small conversation. She approached the two girls before her and greeted them.

"So exactly when are we supposed to finish this mission?" Selphie asked the blonde.

"I really don't know Selphie," Quistis sighed as she adjusted her eyeglasses.

"Hey Quistis! Selphie!" Zell yelled once he left the Training Center. He made his way over to the small group.

"Zell!" Selphie welcomed him. She looked at Quistis. "Has anyone seen Seifer around?"

"Is he okay? Did something happen to him?" Rinoa asked as she looked at the three individuals.

"He was released on Saturday morning and apparently, we and Dr. Kadowaki haven't seen him since," Quistis explained as she placed her briefcase on the bench.

"Even though we really aren't considered friends, I went by his room to see if he was okay. No one answered the door," Zell explained. "Even Fujin and Raijin haven't seen him."

"Strange," Rinoa whispered.

"Well, rumor has it that Seifer was spotted in Timber," Selphie said as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I don't know if that bit of information is valid," Quistis murmured as her left hand held her right elbow. She tapped her right index against her chin as she began to pace before the individuals while in deep thought.

Zell shrugged his shoulders. "I guess the only sure way of finding out is when we head to Timber tomorrow morning," Zell offered as he looked at his watchbracelet. "I better go shower, then work on my assignments in the Library. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"I better leave too. I have to finish grading my students' papers. I'll see you guys bright and early on tomorrow," Quistis replied as she grabbed her briefcase and left Selphie and Rinoa to their previous conversation.

Deling City:

"I still thought those three people were nice," Axel stated as he held some of her grocery bags.

"I agree totally," Blaze answered as she unlocked the front door to her house. Both individuals entered and placed the shopping bags on the couch.

"I just can't shake the feeling that I've met them in my past life, besides the high school years," Axel pondered in thought as he placed the groceries on the table.

"Here I was thinking that it was just me," Blaze sighed as she began placing the canned items in the cabinet. "This has been nagging me since I've met Mina, Sage, and Lita."

"Well, don't worry about it. We'll probably discover more about them as we get to know them better," Axel commented as he glanced at the Deling Daily Wendigo newspaper lying on the counter. He picked it up and spotted the article titled, "Victory for these brave heroes!" He glanced at the three pictures. The first picture showed two individuals in armor fighting off another that was gigantic. The second one showed a female with long pigtails, dressed in a sailor outfit. It looked like she was withstanding an attack from another individual with… Axel picked up the paper and took a closer look. "She has red hair,"he thought to himself. He placed the paper back on the counter and glanced at the last picture. The picture showed five princesses fighting off the same, red-haired female.

Blaze glanced briefly at the newspaper as she continued placing the groceries in the refrigerator. "That was published on Saturday. Didn't you get a chance to read that?" she questioned her friend.

He shook his head lightly as he continued studying the colored picture of the five princesses. "Something in the back of my mind is nagging me about all of this," Axel said as he pointed at the particular picture. "I feel that I'm supposed to remember something about them. Especially these two."

Blaze looked at the picture with the princesses and gasped when Axel pointed out the green- and orange-haired females. "Ironically, the same thing was happening to me. I felt that I was supposed to remember something about them, from my past," she confessed. "The strangest thing is that I've never met them."

"Same here," he sighed. "We'll figure this out eventually." He looked up at her. "How about we relieve some stress and test our fighting skills in the simulation room downstairs?"

Blaze looked at him and smirked. "Sure, but don't you think we need to put on something more comfortable?" she suggested as she looked at her jeans and black ¾ sleeve shirt.

"Well, give me a few minutes to change," Axel stated before walking back to his car for his training clothes.

She murmured an answer before dashing to her room to change into a pair of shorts and a tank top. She quickly placed her hair into a high ponytail and left her bedroom. She spotted Axel coming from the guest bathroom with his shorts and t-shirt on. He adjusted the sweatband on his head to push some of the blond locks off his forehead.

"Are you ready?" Blaze asked. He nodded his head. She led the way downstairs to the simulation room. "I'm just letting you know now that I'm not gonna hold back."

Axel chuckled lightly behind her. "Don't expect me to show mercy either." They both entered the room and stretched a few moments.

She stood a couple of feet from him. "Well, may the best man or woman win," Blaze wished before she and her companion assumed their fighting stances.

Julia's Blue Note Café:

The group of thirteen arrived at the restaurant in twenty minutes. The waitress welcomed them to the restaurant. She led the large group to their seats and patiently waited for them to order drinks. She returned a few minutes later with the beverages and waited for their orders. The large group gave their orders and the waitress left after scribbling down the dishes on a notepad.

"This place is really nice," Amy commented once the waitress left the table.

"Yeah. Thanks for treating us," Kento said.

"No problem," Mia answered. "You guys deserved it."

"It truly feels good that we don't have to fight anymore," Serena said as she stirred her iced tea with her straw. Several other heads nodded in agreement.

"I just hope that we could finally live normal lives," Cai added before taking a sip of his water.

Mia watched as some of the teens' facial expressions turned solemn and melancholy. "Aww…guys cheer up. This is supposed to be a celebration. We're supposed to be happy here," Mia piped up as she squeezed the lemon slice in her water.

The group began to cheer up as they shared stories about the joyous events in their lives. The Scouts summarized how they met each other and each member explained how the group impacted her life. The Ronins also explained how they all met and each individual gave a statement on the group's impact on his life. The Scouts and Ronins then reminisced about the comical and happy times during the elementary and middle school years. The group even reminisced about their first encounter at Ryo's house. The girls laughed at the table when they told Mia about the basketball game.

"So who won the game?" Yuli asked.

"We won kiddo," Raye teased as she lightly tweaked his cheek.

Mia glanced at Ryo and his friends. "Oh really?" she laughed as the guys nodded in response. She yelped softly and chuckled as she felt the baby kick.

"Yeah and after that, 'Casanova' here," Lita began as she jerked her thumb back towards the person next to her, "started the water fight." She and the others laughed softly at the table.

"And we also happen to win that one also," Mina added as the laughter died down.

"Yeah. Those were some great memories," Ryo whispered before he sipped his drink.

"To add on to that, we've defeated our greatest nemeses and Earth is at peace," Amy stated as she laced her fingers together on the table.

"However, I just wish that I knew who those five mysterious women were defeating Beryl," Rowen thought out loud as he crossed his arms over his chest. "We really owe them as well."

The Scouts' minds linked together. 'Do you think he's talking about Princess Serenity and her court?'Lita asked telepathically.

'Do you think that he and the others may know that the Scouts and the reincarnated princesses are one in the same?' Mina asked, briefly glancing at the others.

'I surely hope not,' Amy prayed.

'I don't think so. However, one of us need to ask him to elaborate on the five women,' Raye suggested telepathically. The others murmured in agreement before they ended their telepathic conversation.

"I think that you might want to explain Rowen," Serena stated after she sipped her tea.

"Well, there were these five females that wore beautiful gowns and had orange, red, green, blue, and silvery-blonde hair," Rowen described. "They possessed great powers that rivaled the Ronin powers combined."

"Too bad we couldn't help them throttle that Beryl," Kento added.

Sage stroked his chin in thought. "Speaking of which, what happened to you guys while those mysterious women were fighting Queen Beryl?" he asked, interrogating the five Scouts.

Raye and Mina were sipping their drinks while Sage made the last comment. Both females choked on their drinks and coughed harshly. Ryo and Kento patted Raye and Mina on the back to help them clear their throats. The Ronins looked at the Scouts, waiting for an explanation on their whereabouts.

"Umm…"Lita began, hesitating as she looked towards her friends for input.

"The food's here!" Yuli interjected as a waitress and two other individuals came with the orders.

'Thank HYNE!!' Mina's mind screeched.

'I never been so happy to see food in my life!' Serena thought happily to herself.

The conversation was lost once everyone received his or her plates. They continued eating in silence while friendly chatter took place around them. Soft jazz music continued playing in the restaurant.

About twenty minutes later, an individual stood on the stage and introduced herself. "Good evening everyone. I am Julia Chen. I just want to welcome everyone out to my café. I hope everyone is enjoying his or her entrée." Several customers murmured in agreement. "Right now, we're going to move on to our special guests. All the way from Esthar, we have singing sensation Mariah Carey here to perform two selections." The customers applauded while some of the males whistled.

"I truly love her songs," Lita commented as Sage rested his arm on the back of her chair. "She's really amazing!"

"Also, we'll have Dollet jazz artist Boney James playing two selections." The customers applauded again. "After our special guest finish performing their selections, there will be a five minute intermission before we indulge ourselves in some Karaoke. Now how does that sound?" The customers applauded while some murmured his or her approval.

"Karaoke?!" Mina squealed in excitement. "Hyne!! I don't even remember the last time I stood before people and performed."

"I know the feeling," Raye murmured. "I don't even know if I can go up there and sing."

"Oh don't worry Raye," Serena reassured, "we'll be there to support you. We're your friends and don't ever forget that."

"Thanks."

Seconds later, a male with two saxophones-a soprano and tenor- walked onto the stage. His band soon followed him and set up their instruments on stage. The audience applauded as he began clipping the soprano saxophone to his lanyard.

"How you're feeling Deling City?!" he greeted in the microphone, then smiled. Several females shouted out to Mr. James as others applauded. "I want to send a special thanks to Ms. Julia Chen for having me here tonight. It is truly an honor to be here. I'm just gonna get you guys in the mood for a moment. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show."

Boney and his band began playing his selection titled, 'Grand Central'. The music was slightly upbeat and several people were rocking or snapping their fingers to the music. Even the soprano saxophone Boney was playing, displayed the happiness of the song. Others decided to nod their heads to the music as they continued their quiet conversations.

The second selection, 'As You Are' was slow and tranquil. The beat was really calm and revealed peace and happiness. Mr. James played the tenor saxophone beautifully. Almost every female sighed and relaxed to the soft melody.

"He's really good," Mia commented as Anubis held her hand.

"He definitely has a gift for music," Amy murmured, mesmerized by the beautiful melodies and 'colors' of the art.

Once Mr. James played the last note, he smiled and bowed before the crowd. His audience applauded him. Julia also appeared on the stage and hugged Boney as well.

"Let's give Boney James another round of applause!" Julia demanded softly as she smiled. The audience continued with the round of applause. She turned back to the saxophonist. "Those two compositions were moving and were played beautifully. I truly thank you for coming all the way from Dollet."

Mr. James smiled and bowed again before he and his band left the stage. Five minutes after the jazz musician left, a beautiful blonde stood on the stage and gave her audience a warming smile. Her background singers stood at the microphones and smiled as well. Several people applauded while several shouted and screamed, "MARIAH!!" The female waved to her adoring fans.

"Deling City!! Let me hear you make some noise!" Mariah yelled. Everyone applauded, yelled, or whistled. "I want to thank Julia for inviting me out to her restaurant. Most importantly, I am really happy to be here. We're gonna have fun and slow things down a bit. Feel free to sing along if you know the song or dance to the music."

She opened up with her first selection, 'Butterfly.' Several individuals stood up and swayed to the music. The Scouts smiled at the couples that were already dancing on the floor. The girls sighed dreamily as they lightly swayed their heads to the beautiful melody. Raye and Mina were lip singing with the female artist.

Ms. Carey's second selection, 'My All' (A.N. I'm not too sure if this is the name of the song. If someone who is reading this knows the title, please let me know so that I can make corrections) was slow and seductive. The Ronins asked the Scouts to dance and the girls accepted. Yuli, Mia, and Anubis watched the young couples swayed to the languid tempo.

Once Mariah sang the last note to her song, everyone applauded her. She curtsied before the crowd and smiled while waving to her fans. For the third time that night, Julia walked on the stage and hugged the artist.

"Thank you Mariah for gracing us with your voice and your presence," Julia praised. "You truly are an inspiration to those individuals out in the audience and elsewhere. Again, thank you for coming all the way from Esthar to be here." The blonde singer smiled before she and her background singers left the stage. "Right now, we're going to enter the five minute intermission before we start with the karaoke. If you want autographs from Mariah Carey and Boney James, they're signing out front. Please don't forget to get your signatures before leaving."

The waitress returned with the bill and Mia paid the tab. The Ronins and Scouts returned to their seats as several fans left the dining area.

"That was fun!" Serena sighed as she sat in her chair.

"It looked like you guys…" Mia started before an intense pain hit her stomach. She winced and held her stomach. 'No… not now…' her mind cried.

"Are you okay Mia?" Yuli asked.

"I'm okay sweetie. There's nothing to…worry…about," Mia hissed as another acute pain hit her stomach. Suddenly, the amniotic sac burst. She looked at Anubis. "My water just broke. The baby's…. coming," she panted between breaths. Anubis' jaw dropped as she clenched his shoulders and shook him slightly. "You have…to take me… to the hospital!!"

"We'll go with you," Rowen stated as he stood up. The other Ronins and Scouts nodded in agreement.

Anubis shook his head. "I think that it would be wise to go back to the house," Anubis recommended as he helped Mia out the chair. The pregnant female cried out when a contraction hit her. "We'll call you if anything happens."

The two redheads left the restaurant while the Ronins, Yuli, and Scouts stayed behind.

"I guess we have no choice but to wait back at the house," Sage sighed as he stood up.

"I just hope that the baby's delivery will go well," Amy prayed as she and the others left the restaurant.

Fields' house:

Axel and Blaze have been sparring intensely for nearly two hours. They used thirty minutes to warm up against the prototype robots. Next, they used the first forty-five minutes to spar one-on-one with katanas (mostly used by Axel), daggers, and machetes (both knives used by Blaze only). Somehow during the fighting, Blaze used the daggers and slashed Axel's t-shirt to shreds. Blaze stood in a defensive stance with her daggers and smirked at her work.

Axel narrowed his eyes at the five-foot, six-inch female before he sheathed the katana. "I think we've had enough practice with the weapons." He placed the sword on a nearby table, then removed his tattered shirt.

Blaze gave the five-foot, eleven-inch male a skeptical look before twirling her daggers and placing them in the sheaths on her thighs. "Don't tell me you're scared of fightin' lil' ol' me," she taunted lightly as she released the straps on her thighs. She placed the daggers onto the nearby table.

Axel rolled his shoulders as he looked at the twenty-year old. "Of course not. I'll admit that you won that match," he answered nonchalantly. He assumed a defensive stance. "However, I can guarantee that you won't beat me in hand-to-hand combat."

Blaze rotated her head from side to side before she gracefully assumed her fighting stance. "We'll see the outcome of the match," she promised before she threw a right punch.

The last forty-five minutes was the most intense match between the two fighters. Each person was testing the other to his or her fullest potential. Blaze used her Judo fighting style to effectively attack and retaliate against Axel's fighting style of Karate. For some reason, the hand-to-hand combat seemed to be a sensual dance between the two fighters. The room was thick with sexual tension.

Blaze threw a punch at Axel's midsection but he blocked the attack. He then grasped her wrist and flipped her on her back. The auburn-haired female rolled to the right of the blond's ground punch and performed a sweep kick. Axel landed on his back hard, knocking the wind out of him. Blaze stood over his frame, gloating.

She pulled the scrunchie off her ponytail and ran her fingers through her damp tresses. "Looks like I've won this match also," Blaze boasted as she walked towards one of the walls. She turned to face him, but caught a cross-chop to her midsection.

Axel's forward momentum from the cross-chop caused Blaze's body to slam against the wall behind her. Blaze's impact against the wall only caused the wind to be knocked out of her. Axel easily walked over to her body and pinned her small figure against the wall. He also grabbed her wrists and placed them on either side of her head. "Well, looks like I've won this one Blaze," the twenty-year old breathed huskily in her ear.

She winced at the slight pain in her back and limbs. 'Damn. I'm gonna be sore in the morning,' she mumbled in her mind. She rested her head against the wall and narrowed her now icy blue eyes (A.N. They're naturally pale blue-violet. However, in certain situations such as anger or passion/love/lust, her eyes change to icy blue or deep violet, respectively to those emotions) at the man who held her captive. "That's mainly because you cheated you jerk!" she ground out between her lips. She tried to move her hands but he held her wrists tighter.

Axel chuckled lightly at her feeble struggles and her false accusations. He raised her hands over her head and held them with his right hand. He moved his face closer to hers until their lips were centimeters apart. "Oh really huh?" Axel asked against her lips, humor lacing his tone. "And what would make you think that?"

Blaze's eyes turned back to their natural hue as she felt nervous under the teasing, dark cobalt gaze. 'Uh oh…' Her breathing pattern changed due to 'that' look, as well as her current 'position.' "You knew that you had more experience in martial arts than I did. That's why you took advantage of that fact," she blurted out, looking down as a slight shade of pink colored her cheeks. "And…"

She looked up at him as he reached up with his left hand and tucked a wet lock behind her ear. She bit her bottom lip lightly and closed her eyes as his fingertips brushed a highly sensitive spot behind her right ear. He easily removed her lower lip from her teeth and teasingly brushed his lips over hers. He saw her eyes widen and heard a soft gasp escape her lips.

"And?" he prompted in a low, sexy rumble from his lips as he stroked his thumb over her soft chin. He really started enjoying her 'helpless' and 'vulnerable' side just as much as her assertive, and sometimes dominant side.

She licked her lips nervously and saw his eyes darkened from her actions. 'That can't be good…or can it?' She whimpered and shuddered helplessly under his passionate gaze. "Uhh…umm…y-you…you...b-because…you caught me w-when my guard was down," she stammered before he claimed her lips.

He kissed her very softly on the lips. He drew lazy circles under her jaw with his thumb as he began to nibble and tug on her bottom lip. She gasped his name and he began to nibble on first her jaw line, then her ear, and lastly her slender throat. She purred sexily from the harmless 'assaults' as she tried to free her wrists from his grip. He relinquished his hold as he placed both hands at the curve of her small waist. She placed her right hand on his shoulder and her left hand on his broad and sweat-covered chest. She leaned forward and nibbled slowly on his collarbone before sliding her tongue against his skin. She smiled inwardly as she felt his hands tightened slightly on her waist.

He growled lowly against her throat. "The things you do to test my control…" he murmured as he looked at her before eagerly feasting on her soft lips.

"Axel…" she breathed hotly between kisses, pressing fully against his frame.

His thumbs stroked lightly across her lower belly. She gasped from the tingly sensations as they crawled down her spine and stirred in her belly. His tongue slowly slid into her mouth. Their tongues tangled sensually against each other, seeking, and promising a pleasurable outcome after their foreplay. She moaned lightly as she wrapped her toned legs around his waist.

"Dammit!" he hissed as he braced both hands against the wall. He gave his hips an experimental thrust, then groaned softly as she returned one of her own. He leaned his forehead against hers and stared into her passionate, deep violet eyes. He closed his eyes and lightly glided his lips across her brow.

She slowly glided her fingers along his strong abs and landed at the band of his shorts. He began to groan softly as he began to thrust his hips against hers. She was about to slip her fingers into his shorts when her phone went off. The sound was like a bucket of ice cubes poured over their sex-starved bodies.

'Thank Hyne for the interruption,' Axel thought to himself. 'I don't know how much longer I would have lasted.'

"Of all the freaking times!!!" Blaze closed her eyes as she gritted through her teeth. "Why now?!"

He kissed her on the forehead before placing her on her feet. "I think you might need to answer that. It could be an emergency," he whispered as he grabbed a nearby towel. He looked back at her. "Don't worry. We will finish this later." His voice lowered to a sexy rumble as his cobalt eyes darkened. "You can guarantee that…" He turned around and headed upstairs to take a much-needed shower.

Blaze's knees nearly buckled under his voice as she braced her weight against the wall. 'Those eyes and that voice…the things he does to me!!' her mind screamed as she shuddered. However, the persistent ringing of the phone cleared her foggy mind. She placed the heel of her palm to her forehead before snatching the cordless phone off the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hi. This is Kathy from Midnight Velvet." Blaze clenched her jaw, realizing that a telemarketer interrupted her sexual rendezvous with Axel.

'What the mother….I can't believe this shit!! Hyne!!! They have no business calling me at this time!!' Blaze muttered darkly in her mind as she massaged her left temple with her left index and middle fingers.

"I am calling to see if you…."

"No, I am not interested in purchasing any items," Blaze interrupted rudely, "and I would appreciate it if you don't call my house ever again." Before Kathy could respond, Blaze hit the end button on her phone and slammed it back on the receiver. "Damn bastards." She groaned lightly as she picked up her towel and trudged up the stairs. "The mood is already gone. There's no way we can pick up where we left off." She placed her hair in a sloppy ponytail. "I guess I'll have to lather up, then go to sleep." She clicked off the lights in the simulation room, then slowly walked to her master bathroom to take a much-needed bath.

Deling City:

The Ronins, Scouts, and a sleepy Yuli made it back to the Koji Mansion. White Blaze raised his head once the eleven individuals entered the house. Luna and Artemis ran down the last flight of stairs. Kento took the eight-year old boy to his room and tucked him in the bed.

"Where are Mia and Anubis?" Luna questioned the teenagers.

"They went to the hospital. Mia's about to have the baby," Cai responded as he sat on the couch.

Suddenly, a portal opened in the living room and Pluto appeared in the room.

"Pluto! What brings you here at this late hour?" Artemis greeted as he sat on Mina's lap.

The Scout of Time and Space glanced at the individuals in the room and sighed. "I'm afraid I have some bad news," she murmured, sadness lacing her voice.

"Did something happen to one of the timelines?" Amy asked.

"Is Talpa and Beryl alive?" Ryo questioned the Time Guardian.

Pluto looked at Ryo. "There's no need to worry about those two. This matter is far greater than that."

"Well Pluto, tell us what it is," Sage demanded, slowly becoming impatient.

Pluto sighed before breaking the news. "I'm sorry Ronins. The Scouts have a week to remain on Earth. They have to go back to the moon to restore and protect the Moon Kingdom," Pluto replied dejectedly.

"WHAT?!!" all the Scouts yelled incredulously.

"Why? How long will all this take?" Raye asked on the verge of tears.

"I don't know why and I don't know how long the process would take," Pluto declared. "I'm only reporting what Cosmos asked of me."

"Well, we have to head back to Balamb Garden on tomorrow," Serena whispered as she clenched her hands on her knees. She rocked gently to keep the tears from falling from her eyes.

"How in the world are we gonna obtain approval from the Headmaster to let us go on another 'mission'?" Lita gritted though her teeth as she dug her nails in the back of the couch.

"That's been taken care of," Pluto murmured as a portal opened to her left. "I will be back in a week to get you guys." She sighed as she looked at the melancholy expressions on all the teenagers' faces. "I'm sorry to give you this bad news, but I had no choice. Farewell Ronins and Scouts." The portal closed once the Time Guardian entered the black gateway.

"I think…I need to…" Serena began before she burst into tears. She ran from the living room and headed upstairs to her room.

"SERENA!!" all the girls gasped through their tears as they ran after her to console her and be consoled by each other.

The guys sat in total silence, despite the turmoil that tore them apart inside. They couldn't believe that the friends that they've known since childhood were leaving them. From the way the Scout of Time and Space made it seem as though the girls were not coming back. 'And just when I really started to get close to her,' the guys thought at the same time. 'Hyne, why did this have to happen?'

Author's Note:

Blaze and Axel are getting pretty close there!! Blast the telemarketers for interrupting their 'playtime'!!! Poor Scouts!! They discover they have to leave, with a possibility of not coming back. Poor Ronins!! Now they don't know how to deal with losing their potential 'girlfriends.' What will be the outcome of all of this?! Read and review!!