What We Take For Granted
"Why do you always take her side!? It's because of your indulgence that she is so spoiled!" Serena screamed at Darien, her eyes wavering with both hurt and anger.
"Why are you always against her!? You cry that she doesn't respect you but how could anyone respect you with the way you treat her?!" Darien retorted with equal frustration! He ran his hand through his hair, missing the look of desperate pain that passed on his beloved's face.
"How do I treat her? Like any normal child!?"
"She is not any normal child!"
"Is that right? Please, forgive me…enlighten me of how different she is!"
"For one she is a sailor scout and secondly she is a princess!"
"Before she is all that, she is human…a small human child! Being a princess doesn't give you the right to be spoiled and rude! I can't believe someone of your extensive studies could be so stupid as to suggest that just because she is a scout and would be princess means she isn't a child!"
"I didn't say that!"
"You know what, forget it! I am sick and tired of this constant fighting. If you want to spoil her then go ahead but as long as she lives under the same roof as I do, I will raise her up with the same respect my parents raised me. you wouldn't know that would you!?" Serena snapped and covered her mouth with her hands. She had said something totally uncalled for and though she had the right of it, she still felt horrible about it.
"I'm so sorry." She apologized immediately.
Darien's cobalt eyes narrowed on her with malicious hatred, hurt and rejection.
"I may not have had parents to raise me up Serena, but at least I didn't turn out to be as slow, stupid, and practically useless like you!" he shouted at her, not taking into accounts the awful words that had just left his lips.
Serena stared at him with raw undisguised pain. She was slow and academic wise she was stupid but she wasn't useless was she? The tears fell from her eyes and she turned her back on him.
"As you wish. I will no longer be a part of Rini's growth. If she needs a guardian for school related things, go ahead and do it yourself. If she misbehaves I will say not a word and if she is in danger I will know nothing of it. But whatever she turns out to be, don't blame me for it. I can't handle this anymore." She said softly.
"As if you've handled anything at all." he remarked sarcastically and with a heavy sigh she walked out of his apartment, that being the last time she promised herself to step foot in the place that had once been a shelter but now an abyss of hurtful hating words. As she walked into the empty waiting elevator, she slid to the floor and cried. The pain in her heart was tearing at her; she needed someone to talk to. Taking her communicator out of her pocket, she pressed a red button that would alert the one person who had been at her side throughout the whole ordeal.
The screen if the communicator blurred, a minute later a family head of raven locks with purple highlights and dark amethyst eyes peered at her. No words needed to be said for the reflection of the girl's face in the mirror of the communicator to understand what had happened.
"Wait for me, I will have Chad drive me up to pick you up." She said simply and Serena nodded, balling her self up and crying over everything that had been going on for nearly a month. It was raining outside so there weren't many people around to use the elevator. Ten minutes later, the black haired girl and a man with boyish features and a mess of brown long hair appeared at the entrance of the elevator and with sympathetic understanding helped her into the car. They drove off in silence with Serena wondering about the direction of which she and Darien's relationship was heading, the black haired girl seething with suppressed anger at Darien and the messy brown haired Chad wondering what the heck was going on.
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Back at Darien's apartment, the man in question sat at his desk reading through his assigned homework. He had a month left to graduate from school, earn his license in the medical world and start working as a surgeon. He was the youngest man in history to be earning his PHD at the tender age of 24. After Serena, his girlfriend had left the house, he had went back to sit down and started working as if nothing was wrong or he hadn't just started world war 3. As he worked, with his ebony hair and long bangs constantly falling on his eyes, a pink haired girl watched him from the open door of his bedroom. She had woken up to hear what the argument was about and she signed. For nearly a month her future mother and father had been at each others neck and all seemed to be because of her. She didn't like the tension though she enjoyed the attention immensely. She didn't like her future mother at all; she was always getting on her case! But her father was always by her side and supporting her through it all. She wondered what her real dad; the one in her real time would think seeing his younger self treat their daughter like the princess she was!
For as long as she could remember, her father…Neo King Endymion, of earth had always sided with her mother, Neo Queen Serenity. no matter what the argument or the problem was or who was at fault, the king always sided with the queen. More often than not Rini had felt little love from his father. Of course the queen had also always sided with the king but the queen had a gentle quietness about her that always warmed Rini and even though she sided with the king she also made sure that Rini knew of her love for her. It was hard to see that these same people were playing the reverse roles in their younger days. Haven tasted the freedom of having her father love her, Rini had forgotten her mother's gentleness and instead constantly fought with her mother's younger self. To her, Serena was impulsive, graceless, stupid, useless and a worthless human being. Never mind the many times Serena had saved her life. Of course it didn't help that she had a silly crush on the man who would someday become her father. Rini sighed with great disappointment. Why couldn't her father marry someone more mature and beautiful? Like for instant, Trista…the sailor soldier of time? The more time Rini spends in the past of her parents, the more her vision of her mother became distorted, wanting for herself what she had never had before, her father's unconditional love, devotion and indulgence. Now that she had it all, she didn't want to live with Serena anymore, she just wanted to live with her father, grow up with her father's warmth alone. As the idea formed and planted itself in the soil of her mind, she left the room and on silent foot approached her preoccupied father.
"Daddy?" she called sweetly, that voice had gotten her everything she wanted from anyone except of course, Serena. Darien turned to look at his future daughter and his hear t ached at the look of fear in her eyes.
"Yes sweetie?" He replied with the same sweetness, spread his arms wide and she came into his open arms willingly.
"I was thinking papa, that you will let me live with you. I can't go back to that house, not while Serena is there!" She begged, rubbing her eyes and producing the amount of tears needed to make her story plausible.
"I would love it if you live with me too but Rini, you know I am never home and besides, I need to talk to Serena's parents first. You know they are on your side and they won't let Serena hurt you anymore!" Darien said with a growl at the end of his sentence. He couldn't believe that Serena had dared to slap their daughter for a stupid reason as that she was being disrespectful! It irked him to no end. Rini sighed and nodded. She could push Serena's button for her to do something and next time Darien would not hesitate to have her live with him.
"Ok papa." She answered obediently.
"That's my girl. It's getting late, how about we order take out and tonight you can stay with me alright?" He said as he stood up still holding her.
"Ok papa but I want Chinese!" She said with a giggle and they both laughed.
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Rei watched silently as her friend slept on her bed. She sighed at the situation before all of them. Who would have thought that when it counted most she would be the one to be by Serena's side? However over the years of their friendship, it became increasingly clear that she above all cared the most for their princess.
This is just getting messier and messier. She thought and picked up the book she had been reading and left her room. After returning home, Serena had asked for a hot shower and afterwards had fallen straight to sleep. Rei knew that Serena hadn't been sleeping well over the past month and though she wanted to hear in details the event that had occurred in Darien's apartment, she let the blond go to sleep.
"Rei?" Chad's voice interrupted her thoughts as she walked in view of the sacred fire.
"What is it Chad?" she asked tiredly.
"Here, come drink this. It will help." Obediently she walked to him and sat by his side as he poured her a cup of the steaming tea. She blew on it for a while before taking a sip and all the while her boyfriend watched her with concern. He had been away over the month promoting his new band, Crimson, CD's. Every time he talked to Rei on the phone she sounded tired, annoyed and in pain. It went on for nearly a month so he had decided to cut his promoting short, or at least take a break to come see his distress girl. he had arrived that very morning to find her in a state of explosive wraths that he had let her take out on him through martial art until she was calmed down. However she had given him no form of explanation and he knew better than to ask. She would speak to him when she was ready and he hoped it would be soon.
"I'm sorry I keep taking my anger out on you." She said with the same tired old sigh and a frown.
"It's ok. I would rather you take it out on me than anyone else." He said assuringly and she again felt the realization of how lucky she was to have a boyfriend who placed her above all.
"I suppose you want to know what this is all about."
"I admit that I am curios however if you don't feel like talking about it you don't have to." He said again, he wanted to know however he hated to see her in so much distress and he knew whatever was happening with Serena and Darien was the cause of all the talk and commotion in town. He had been hearing rumors that Darien and Serena had been at each others neck for a while and that this time their relationship was so far stretched that they would break up sometime soon. The very idea of Serena and Darien, Japan's dubbed best couple, breaking up was so shocking to him that he wanted to find out what could be so powerful as to the be cause of it.
"They say that children make relationship stronger and tighter but it's more that children makes relationship risky. There is no longer the assurance that the couples are first in each other's heart. Now they have an extra heart to keep from feeling lonely or to feel like an outside intruding on sacred grounds." Rei said metaphorically.
"No child of us will ever hold my heart as you do Rei, this I promise!" he said and she smiled a genuine smile at him since his return.
"I hope that is the case cause I can't go through what Serena is going through. I might end up strangling both you and the child!" Rei said with a giggle and Chad put his hands around his neck and opened his eyes wide before bursting into chuckles. She knew she was joking around but that did not erase the half seriousness that darkened her eyes as she had said that.
"Well I am not aware that Serena and Darien has a child." Chad said with confusion, he had only been gone a month…was it possible that his two friends had done the dirty, gotten pregnant and birthed in that brief moments?
"Chad, tell me truthfully…what do you know about the sailor scouts. Don't hold anything back!" Rei asked, for a long while she had suspected that he knew about her alter ego, if he did it would make explaining things to him much easier but if not she would have to bypass many of the truths and give him half truths. It would not be enough to drive home the gravity of the situation. Chad looked at her with serious eyes, he had for a long time thought that Rei was Mars but never had he dared to ask her. What if he was wrong and makes a fool out of himself. But then he remembered what she had just said about not holding anything back.
"Well I know this sounds crazy and all but…I've always thought you are Sailor Mars." he whispered.
"Chad, speak up, I couldn't hear you." she said as she leaned in closer to him.
"Well I think you are Sailor Mars!" he said loudly and quickly before averting his eyes, waiting for the laughter that would tell him that he was wrong. But the laughter never came, he brought his head back to her and with a nodded he knew that his worst nightmares were just confirmed to be reality.
"Yes, I am Sailor Mars. Do you want an autograph?" She teased and his eyes blazed with anger! How could she joke about such and important matter?! Every freaking day found her risking her life in a battle against 3D monsters out of this world that only exist in our night of nightmares and she had the nerve to joke about it to the person most worried about it?! He stood up and glared down at her. she was taken aback by his sudden malevolence, what had she done wrong?!
"You may be used to risking your damn life everyday but please don't joke about it to those who are helpless to help or protect you!" he snapped at her. She blinked and watched in shock as he disappeared completely from her view. What he said suddenly dawned on her with fierce guilt. She had never given thought to the feelings of those around them if they should ever discover the scouts' identity. She should have given him some sort of assurance when she started to suspect that he knew of her secret identity but she hadn't! now seeing the raw fear, worry and anger in his eyes and voice, she began to understand that her world did not just involve sailor battles.
As she tried to stand up, a fierce pain gripped her heart and she grabbed at it. She suddenly became very dizzy and made to grab something but slipped and collapsed into unconsciousness. The noise of her fall alerted her grandfather who was in the next room besides the fire room and had heard their conversation. He had known about Rei being a sailor soldier a week after she joined Mercury and Moon; however he had said nothing about it. He wanted her to have the courage to come tell him herself however she never had. He wondered that now that she had told Chad, if she would come to him about it. Hearing a rather loud noise, he rushed into the room to found Rei on the floor. He felt for her pulse and breathing and realized that it w as all bad.
"Chad! CHAD!" he kept screaming and the man ran quickly back into the room.
"What happened to her!?" He demanded.
"Call an ambulance!" Grandfather Hino ordered and Chad did as was told. A few minutes later an ambulance showed up under all the stairs of the temple hill and the two men quickly rushed the fainted girl into the ambulance and took of to Hope Field Hospital.
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Ami sat by Rei's bed with worry. She had been at the hospital visiting patience like she did every Wednesday when they had rushed Rei in.
"What happened?!" she had asked with shock.
"We don't know. She just fainted." Chad answered as his eyes streamed with tears. They had rushed Rei to the ER and for 30 minutes she had been there with the doctors. Ami had then called all of the scouts, except for Serena whom Chad told him was resting in Rei's room. However as was expected, no one showed up. Tensions were dividing the scouts up, yet to ignore a call when a fellow partner was in an emergency room was had to swallow. After Rei had been taken out of the ER and put into a private room in the remote part of the hospital, Ami had sat by her side all the time. Apparently Rei was at a risk of having a heart attack.
"How did things get this complicated?" she asked now with a sighed.
"How? Because you and the others are too damn worried about Rini to realize the truth of her deception!" Rei answered, waking up from her sleep.
"Rei, please not that again." Ami begged, she was tired of the feud between Serena and Rini that was tearing the scouts apart.
"Why not that again. Ami listen to me...it doesn't matter that Rini is Serena's daughter, OUR duty is to Serena, not her descendants!"
"This isn't about duty or anything! What Serena is doing to Rini is just plain abuse!"
"How the hell is Serena abusing Rini!? so what, she slapped Rini a little on the face because the child was being obnoxious….suddenly she is abusing Rini!?"
"There is more than just one way of abuse! What about Rini's emotional scars?!"
"That damn child has no emotions!" Rei shot back and the two glared at each other. No one was winning. Rei turned her back away from the blue haired girl and Ami sighed before leaving the room. It always ended like this, every time they see each other, it ended in a fight the left both side frustrated!
"Chad, I am heading home." Ami said as she grabbed her coat, it was pouring outside.
"Oh, ok. Is she awake now?" he asked her and Ami nodded her head. With a final goodbye to Grandfather Hino, she walked out of the hospital with a heavy sigh.
Chad walked into the private room where his girlfriend was resting and found her facing the window. He felt as if he was the one told about having a risk of a heart attack.
"Rei?" he called her softly. She didn't answer and he took slow steps toward her bed. She said nothing and he sat on the bed, his weight pressing the white covered bed lower. For a while none said a word.
"It started about a month ago…no…it had been happening over a month. But it was only about a month ago that the trouble escalated to such emotions of hostile frustration." She said softly.
"I'm guessing this has something to do with Rini?" she nodded and sighed, before turning around to face him with eyes wavering with tears.
"I always blamed Serena every time Rini would do something, cry or run away but it was not her fault. The child is so difficult! I don't know how Serena managed to live with her for so long but I guess even Serena's benevolence has an end. Rini's school was having a marathon race so we went to cheer her on…." Rei told Chad all that had happened and was happening.
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On Rei's bed, Serena's eyes streamed with tears as her dreams were infested with memories that she wish she could forget. She watched in her dreams as they headed to Rini's school marathon. She had been so excited because Lita and Amara had been training her for the two weeks before the marathon.
"Oh do your best Rini!" Serena cheered as they were about to part with Rini so she could go to the starting line.
"I always do my best, can't you say win!?" Rini demanded. Serena blinked at her, hid the hurt and smiled.
"Well then, please win the race!" Serena enthusiastically cheered and Rini sighed.
"But I'm not sure that I can. Latina and the others have been training just about as hard as me." Rini admitted contrary to what she wanted Serena to say. Not knowing what else to say, Serena stayed quiet. Nothing she said seemed to reach Rini's heart.
"Oh you will win alright!" Lita said with confidence.
"Remember, they may have been training hard but you had the best teachers in the world! Who out there is faster than the soldier of the wind?!" Amara winked.
"You can do it Rini!" the rest of the girls echoed. Serena knelt on her feet and took Rini's hands in her own. It wasn't that she didn't believe in RIni's ability to win, she just knew without a doubt that Rini wasn't going to win the marathon. And she knew that with all of them saying win; when she lost she would be devastated. She needed to assure Rini that win or loose, she should feel no guilt.
"Rini, I know that you want to win this marathon and I wish you the best of luck. Whatever the outcome of this marathon, we still love you and we are still proud of you." She said with kindness but Rini yanked her hands out of Serena's.
"Are you saying that you think I'm going to loose?!" the little girl screamed.
"No, it's …"
"Come on Serena, have some faith in her!" Lita yelled. She felt Serena was underestimating HER abilities considering she was the one who trained Rini.
"Yeah Serena! Rini is a sailor scout!" Mina stated proudly
"Rini you will do fine." Amy cheered.
"Give it your best munchkin" Darien said and gave her a small kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah!" Rini ran off to join in the line and Serena sighed. She got up and started walking away.
"Serena what was that all about?" Trista asked.
"Nothing."
"Well you didn't have to break her spirit like that" Michelle said.
"I didn't see anything wrong with the advice Serena gave Rini. Stop looking for trouble where none is!" Rei who had yet to say a thing finally snapped! She had seen in the sacred fire too that Rini would loose the race, so she was in quite agreement with Serena's advice.
"What's with you?" Mina asked curiously.
"What's with me what?"
"You never take Serena's side!" Amy said in astonishment.
"I know when a sound advice is given thank you." she said and sped to catch up to Serena.
The others looked at each other and shrug their shoulders and returned to watch the race.
"Serena?" Rei called out to her friend.
"Rei, it will not be a good idea for Rini to see me after she loose. I will go home and prepare some of her favorite dishes for her. She saw a tea set at a store yesterday, I will buy it for her, it might cheer her up. Will you stay and give her a hug for me?" Serena asked with her back turned to Rei and she nodded.
"Of course." They parted ways and Serena went home, first stopping by the store to pick up the tea set and went home to ask her mom to prepare Rini's favorite foods. Two hours later a dejected Rini and down cast sailors and Darien knocked on the door. With her heart in her stomach, Serena moved to open the door. For the past weeks, her relationship with her future daughter had been a roller coaster of constant up and downs. She hoped that maybe after today they might find some common ground. When she opened the door and saw the tear stained face of Rini, she rushed to her and hugged her tightly to her chest.
"Oh sweetie I'm so sorry!" She said as she felt tears build in her chest. She had known about the outcome of the marathon but facing it was a different issue all together.
"Stay away from me! It's all your fault!" Rini hatefully pushed Serena away.
"My fault?" Serena asked with wide eyes.
"Her fault!?" Rei asked at the same time. Was this kid joking?
"Because you said I wouldn't win!"
"I didn't say you woul…"
"Shut up! I hate you, just stay away from me!" the pink haired girl yelled and ran inside and into her room in the attic. Serena sighed and got up.
"Don't let it get you down; she is just upset at the moment." Rei said soothingly.
"Serena?" Darien called her name.
"Yeah?"
"You knew she would loose didn't you?" he asked and she nodded. "And you didn't say anything about it?"
"What could I have said Darien? Even telling her that whether she loose or win we would still be proud of her made her snap at me, how would she react if I had point blank told her that she would not win?" Serena said softly.
"You could have still…"
"Shut up Darien." The soft but deadly way Rei said those words shut Darien up. They parted ways.
Several hours passed and Rini still hadn't come down from her room. Serena decided to go see what was up, before going up to Rini's room; she went and grabbed the tea set.
"Rini?" she called when she reached the top of the ladder leading into Rini's room but no reply came. She sighed for the umpteenth time and went up in to the room. Rini was sitting by the open window with the wind lazily twirling her loose hairs.
"Rini?" she called again but Rini ignored her again. Serena approached her daughter and sat on the bed.
"Here." She stretched out the gift and like any little girl, Rini turned to look. The flash of appreciation in her eyes warmed Serena up but just as soon as it appeared it disappeared.
"What's this?" Rini asked with disgust masking the real excitement she felt inside. She had wanted the tea set for a long time and now she had it.
"Isn't this the tea set you wanted?"
"What the hell am I supposed to do with this? I am not so immature like you that I would play with these childish things!" Rini snapped.
"I'm sorry. I thought you wanted it." Serena said softly, her voice a reflection of her hurt.
"Well I don't!"
"Why are you so ill hearted? I am only trying to help you!" Serena finally snapped. She had had it with the child's bitterness.
"I didn't ask for your help did I?! And here, take your filthy gift back!" Rini stood up and smached the full tea set down on the ground, shattering it all to pieces. Serena slapped Rini on her cheeks and bent to be on eye level with the little girl.
"You listen to me Rini, as long as you are in our time you are under my guardianship! And I will not accept such ill mannered behavior! Do you hear me!?" Serena yelled at the girl. she had used her entire weeks savings just to be able to afford that tea set!
"What's going on up there?!" Mrs. Tsukino's worried voice reached their ears. Taking this to her advantage, Rini slapped herself hard enough to leave a scar and she started crying. Serena watched in shock. Her mother came up, saw the crying child and the scar of a hand on her cheek and drew out the conclusion Rini expected.
"Serena!" she screamed at her daughter!
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Serena violently woke up from the dream sweating. She sat up and breathed in and out to restore some other back into her mind. She didn't know what time it was or how long she had been sleeping but it felt as if she just went to sleep.
That dream again. She sighed and looked up. Afterwards everything became chaotic. Rini cause one trouble after another, blamed me, lied and pointed fingers at others. Stole and hid things and began loosing friends because of her bad behavior. Yet every time I try to help I am always accused of things I know nothing about. I can't do this anymore. She thought painfully and slid her legs off the bed to the flour. Her heart was battered too much to put up with their nonsense, it was time things changed. She got up and walked out of the room. She heard the steady beating of the rain and as she reached the door she opened it a little and saw that it was dark outside.
"Rei's at the hospital." Serena jumped at the voice. She turned around quickly and stared down at the short bald man that was Rei's grandfather.
"Grandpa please don't scare me like that again!" Serena said as she put her hand on her fast beating heart. Normally the old man would have grinned as he enjoyed scaring the life out of people but his granddaughter's condition weigh too heavily on his heart.
"Wait…what!? What happened to Rei?!" Serena asked, finally taking notice of what he had said.
"She is at the hospital. She collapsed earlier and was taken to the hospital. The doctor said that she was close to having a heart attack, her pressure was very high." The old man explained.
"When was this?" Serena asked worriedly.
"Several hours ago."
"Do you have an umbrella?"
"In this rain?! You expect to walk 30 minutes in this darkness and rain to go see Rei? Child, stay till the morrow then we can all go."
"Yeah, besides visiting hours are over." Chad said as he came up behind the old man.
"Hey Chad." Serena greeted.
"Well I am retiring for the night. See you both tomorrow." The bald man said and turned away from them and began retreating into the darkness with the candle he was holding.
"Oh and Serena?"
"Yes grandfather?"
"My home is always open to you always." He said and disappeared. Serena blinked and looked up at Chad hoping for some clarification, he just shrugged in reply.
"Serena, Rei told me of all that has been happening. Just know that I'm on your side ok?" he said and Serena's eyes bubbled with tears.
"Thank you."
They spent most of the night talking and finally went to sleep in the wee hours.
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8 am found Serena and Chad at the hospital. They had signed in at he desk and immediately one to Rei's room. Because they had eaten nothing in the morning, Chad left to go get them some breakfast. Serena took Rei's hand and placed her head on it.
"Please, don't leave me. You are the only friend I've got!" she begged as tears trailed down her face.
"Oh stop being so melodramatic meatball head!" Rei snapped playfully.
"Rei!" Serena screamed and threw her arms about her friend. Rei blushed at this and try to push her away.
"Come…on Meat…all…head…Ican'tbreath!"
"Oh, opps!" Serena said with an apologetic look.
"I think I should have you on a restraining order!" Rei choked out and Serena laughed nervously.
"Are you ok?" Rei was about to make another smart ass comment but seeing the genuine worry in Serena's eyes, she dropped the comment.
"I am fine thank you."
"I was so scared when I woke up and grandpa told me you were at the hospital!"
"It's alright. I'm fine." The two friends hugged tightly.
"Chad is getting us breakfast." Serena informed after the hug.
"They wont let him bring it in. they will think its for the patience and I mean who enjoys hospital foods!?" Rei said and the giggled and the horror in her voice.
"Has Darien called?" Rei asked and Serena shook her head. "That bastard!"
"It's ok Rei. Honestly I don't think I have the strength to keep our relationship going. To tell you the truth, I thought about it all night. I think for my sanity's sake it's best to break up with him." Serena said softly and Rei looked at her for a long time.
"I think that might be best too." Rei said finally and Serena looked up at her with tears in her eyes. Rei sat up and turned to face Serena, then pulled the crying blond into her arms.
"I know it's going to be hard. It's going to be so freaking painful, but Serena this is something you have to do for yourself. I've had to watch you give up everything for him and if that isn't enough then what else would be enough? I can't stand watching you tear yourself apart because of someone like him! Please, don't destroy yourself. I mean we all know that Serenity and Endymion are soul mate and all, so if they really are, then someday you two will get back together. But if not, at least you would know you tried your best. Maybe you might meet someone else who will love you and cherish you and you will be happy." Rei said soothingly as Serena cried in her arms. They both knew, she really had given her 110% all to the relationship.
The rest of their day was spent in filling out medical forms and getting Rei out of the hospital. For the time being she had to stop eating anything with oil and salt until further testing. By 5pm the walked out of the hospital.
"Grandpa, Chad, you two go ahead without us. We will be home soon." Rei said.
"Are you sure?" Chad asked, she had just came out of the hospital, he rather she rested.
"Yeah. We will be back in no time." Serena said.
"Oh ok but be careful and call if anything happens." Grandfather Hino said and they parted ways. Serena and Rei walked to Serena's house but when they entered, the scene before them was rather shocking. Most of Serena's stuff were packed and was sitting in the living room.
"What's going on?" Serena asked but Sammy and Rini looked away as if she wasn't there.
"MOM?" she called out and a few seconds later her mother appeared.
"What's going on mom?" Serena asked. Somehow she knew but she was hoping it was all in her imagination.
"Serena we need to talk." He mother said as her eyes shifted, she looked sad and fed up all at the same time.
"You're kicking her out of the house!?" Rei asked with shock!
"It's not that! The tension in the house is getting too much. We just thought it would be a good idea if you spend some quality time with your grandparents." Mrs. Tsukino said softly.
"What about my school?" Serena asked in a soft voice.
"Well tomorrow we plan to go to the school to do a transfer for the school in the village of my parents."
"I see, so when do I leave?" she asked them.
"You don't leave! You will stay with me!" Rei said angrily. She as furious, they were willing to kick their own daughter out for a brat like Rini?!
"Stay out of our family issues Rei!" Mr. Tsukino said as he entered the scene.
"I wont! Serena is my friend and she hasn't done anything to deserve this! How could you be so cruel?! You will throw your daughter away for a selfish evil little brat like Rini?!" her eyes sparked with real fire as the heat around her rise to a suffocating level. She wanted to toast these people!
"I will leave in the morning. For this night let me say my goodbyes." Serena interrupted before Mr. Tsukino could erupt with anger. She turned around and walked out of the house. Rei glared at them then followed Serena out.
"Serena you can't leave!"
"I don't have a choice."
"Yes you do! You can stay with me. Please…don't leave." They arrived at the park and they sat on the bench.
"Rei, maybe this is what I need. A break from it all." Serena said softly.
"But for how long?"
"I will be back at least by the beginning of next year. Then I can transfer into you school."
"But…" tears rolled down the priestess cheeks. It wasn't fair, it just wasn't!
"It's ok Rei, really. Please cheer up. I will call you every evening and let you know how I'm doing. You stay strong too ok?" Rei nodded and they embraced hugging each other as if this would be their last.
"Now I just have to break of with my boyfriend and the night would be perfect!" Serena said an d through the pain of that sentence, they both laughed and cried, knowing nothing would ever be the same again!
After sending Rei home with a promise to call as soon as the ordeal with Darien was over, Serena headed to his apartment. Every step brought closer to home the action she was about to take and memories of a similar pain consumed her. She remembered over again that fateful day of Rini's first arrival when Darien had so bluntedly and without an explanation broken up with her. At the time she had felt she couldn't live without him. Everyday had been filled with pain and tears, every couple a remind of what she longed for but couldn't have. Yet through it all she had survived, she could survive this one too. And Rei might be right, she might find someone out there in the world willing to love her in a way that Darien had never been able to, at least it was worth a try.
The double door of the apartment complex opened and Serena walked in as calmly as she could. She want4d to turn around and run away, run from this break up, run from everything. As she passed the guard she waved at him and he waved back. Over the past year they had become friends and no matter the hour he let her go up to Darien's room whether he was there or not.
"Hi Michael." She called out.
"Good evening Serena. How are you?" he asked kindly and headed in her direction.
"Could be better." Answered and turned to watch him approach.
"Darien's been in a foul mood all day." He said, the worry clouding his voice. Michael was a gentle man of 30 years who just recently married the love of his life and was expecting his first born. He never failed to talk about his amazing wife and the life they were about to bring to the world. He laughed easily and always made available himself to listen when anyone wanted to talk. But as nice as he was, he was as strict and unmoving as a rock in regards to his work.
"Yeah, we're all in some strange moods lately."
"Anything I can do for you?" he asked helpfully and she knew if he could do anything he would.
"Hope that my decision is the right one." She said and he blinked at her before his face creased into a worried frown.
"Well I believe in you Serena. And I know whatever decisions you make are carefully thought out and is for the best. If this is a choice made with your heart then I know it's the right decision." He said with a confident smile and tears sprung up in her eyes. that was what she wanted to hear, what she wanted to believe. She hugged him spontaneously and he held her until her sobs subsided. Thankfully for them there weren't many people around.
"Do what you have to do Serena, I will be here to help you face whatever consequences come afterwards." He said gently and she nodded, words unable to escape her mouth shut tight with emotion.
After 30 minutes of explaining things to Michael and receiving encouragements, she walked into the elevator and with a last wave to the man whom she had come to love and respect, the elevator took her to the last floor of the complex to face her destiny!
Quietly she knocked on his door and waited for him to answer. It was 10pm and she knew that he was either studying or sleeping. She cringed at the look she knew he would give her. The pounding feet approaching the door told her that he had been studying. She sighed.
I hope I'm doing the right thing!
The door opened and at first he had been surprise then his eyes narrowed into annoyance and a frown.
"I'm sorry to disturbe you Darien. Can we talk for a minute?" she asked, working her courage so she wouldn't flee that apartment. He rolled his eyes and stepped closer to the door.
"Make it quick will you? I have to study unlike someone." He said sarcastically and she gritted her teeth inwardly in other to stop herself for slapping him. The guy needed some sense knocked in him; he wasn't even going to invite her in! Suddenly she was glad of her decision; such an uncaring person would lead her to kill herself if she stayed with him any longer. She had planned to beat around the bush but she no longer felt sympathy for this unsympathetic fool in front of her. The person she had loved was not this cold bastard who looked down on her as if she was beneath him! She was the princess of the moon kingdom for Christ sake! And he was going to learn that no princess allowed such unmannered behavior in their presence!
"Well I am soooooo sorry to disturb your studies your highness, but someone like me has more things in my life to make me proud than straight A's!" she sneered at him and he blinked, completely taken aback by her response.
What's gotten into her? he thought but then raised his brow at her and the lop sided smirk he used to wore to annoy her before they began going out graced his lips.
"So the rabbit has spunk does she?" he said amusedly and she growled, the fool was trying her patience.
"Whatever. I came to tell you that I am moving tomorrow morning to Trinia. To live with my grandparents thanks to your precious daughter! Congratulation, you and your daughter have managed to turn even my own family against me not to mention my friends. I hope you celebrate your victory with cookies, creams and milk." She said indignantly and he blinked at her before his eyes widened.
"What!? Say what?" he asked in shock. What she was saying was not making sense to him; it seems to pass through one ear and out the other.
"Anyway, I came to tell you that this relationship of ours isn't going to work. So before we hurt each other any further than this, let's split up."
"What?!"
"Oh what? You can't here too? Let me rephrase that, I AM BREAKING UP WITH YOU." She deliberated her words until they went through his ears, this time managing to stay instead of passing out of the other.
He looked at her, his face devoid of emotions. She couldn't read at all what he was thinking. She wanted him to say, "No don't go! We can work things out!" or something along the lines that he cared but the look where she couldn't tell his feelings was not at all what she expected.
"If that's what you want then do as you wish." He said calmly and her eyes widened in open pain before she dropped her gaze from him and fought to restrain her tears and the shattering of her heart.
"Goodbye then Darien. I sincerely hope you find the girl that can truly open your heart and make you cherries her as I was unable to. May fortune guide your ways always. The moon will always be your ally but never more." She said and turned her back and with a grace of the last heir to the moon monarchy, she walked away with straight shoulders and head held high. She never once looked back and as she disappeared from his view, he crumbled to the floor and wept bitterly knowing his stupidly had lost him the most beautiful heart in the universe.
When Serena was sure he couldn't see her anymore, she took the stairs and run down as fast as she could, the tears finally breaking loose from their hold. This wasn't fair, this wasn't happening! Had everything they've been through, life and death, been nothing more than flights of fantasy from adolescents description of love? She run passed Michael who called out to her. He followed her running figure, calling her name but her ears were blocked with her own sobs and the breaking of her heart as if it were pieces of glass. One hand covered her face and with no awareness of where she was running, she stepped before a moving car that could not come to a sudden stop. The calm night air was suddenly pierced with screams and wails of on lookers and ambulance and police cars.
The girl known as Serena was lost once and for all to the world of the living.
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I was crying at the end.
Please Read and Review!
Should i make this into a series or leave it as a one shot?