On Behalf of the Moon

by Droewyn

Sailor Moon's scepter twirled in her hands and the latest of the Black Moon's droids dissolved into moon-dust. Hidden behind the safety of his mask, Darian took in her features with the eyes of a drowning man. He'd always thought himself to be strong, but it took everything he had to stand aloof now while his entire being yearned to hold her, to stroke that shining hair as his lips sought hers…

No! "Well done, Sailor Moon. Farewell." Somehow his voice remained steady, formal. He pretended not to see her rush forward, hand outstretched, as he melted into the concealing darkness of an alley. Resolutely, he ignored the tearful entreaties, the pleas for him to tell her what she had done wrong; it was far better to turn his back on her anguish than to see it reflected in her eyes. Two weeks ago Darian would never have believed he could cause his beloved such pain, but two weeks ago was before the nightmares started and such betrayal became a necessity.

Soft footsteps behind him. "Serena…" he growled, turning, but the girl who faced him was taller, with a curtain of dark hair.

"I think," she said quietly, "that we should talk. Now." There was no mistaking that edge in her voice.

He took a deep breath to steady himself. "Sailor Mars… Raye. I—" He closed his mouth. Really, what could he possibly say?

The senshi gazed at him unblinkingly. Her face was impassive, but a dangerous glitter in her wide violet eyes made Darian groan inwardly. There was no way he was getting out of this confrontation. "I thought I got to know you pretty well, before," she said. "You were always so kind to me, even though I was just some tagalong kid to you."

"You weren't—"

She silenced him with one of her trademark glares. "I was, but that isn't the point. That night at the Starlight Tower when you and Serena looked at each other it was like the entire universe stood still, and that all of creation had been brought into being just for that moment. I can't compete with that. I can't even resent it; it would be like resenting a rainbow for being beautiful."

Darian remembered. He had been wounded, perhaps even dying, as Sailor Moon cradled his head in her lap and sobbed his name. Sailor Moon? Serena! He'd never imagined that the irresponsible crybaby he so loved to tease could have such depth, or such strength. But then she had surprised him again. Seemingly from out of nowhere, a radiant light had appeared and enveloped the weeping girl. Bathed in the glow of the newly formed Silver Crystal, Sailor Moon had changed – awakened – and when the light finally receded a stunned Darian found himself staring up at the same princess who had so haunted his dreams since he was a child. And in that instant he, too, awakened, and just for that one moment the two of them had been the only two souls in all the world; Endymion and Serenity.

His breath caught at the memory and he squeezed his eyes shut to ward off the tears that suddenly stung them, grateful once again that his face was hidden. A hand touched his shoulder; gentle, steadying. And then his mask was gone.

Darian's eyes flew open. Holding the little white mask in a gloved hand, Sailor Mars searched his face intently. "Why?" she demanded. "The two of you are everything to each other."

"Were everything to each other," he said roughly, backing away from the senshi. "I've moved on. I don't love her anymore."

She laughed, a harsh sound with no humor in it. "Trying to convince yourself? You're a rotten liar, Darian. Any fool can see that you love her so much it hurts."

Biting his lip, he looked away. The warehouse buildings around them were dingy, ugly, but preferable right now to that so-earnest face.

Mars circled him, forcing eye contact. "I'm not going away until I get a real answer out of you," she said bluntly, her anger beginning to break through her tight self-control. "Serena is so badly off her game right now I'm starting to think she'll get her stupid self killed crossing the street, never mind dealing with the next Black Moon attack! It's my sworn duty to protect her from anything that could possibly hurt her, and right now that includes you!"

As if suddenly aware that she was shouting, the senshi broke off, glaring fiercely at him. They stared at each other for a long moment, Sailor Mars crushing the mask in her clenched fist.

"I – can't tell you," he said at last, raising a hand to forestall her outraged retort. "I just have to keep my distance. Serena's in terrible danger if I don't."

"And you know this how?"

Darian shook his head. "I can't tell you how I know; I've probably said too much already. But you have to believe that I would do anything to keep her safe. This is killing me, too."

The air was growing noticeably warmer in response to Sailor Mars' anger. "Don't you dare play the martyr with me, Tuxedo Mask!" she flared. "You're being unspeakably cruel to her, no matter what your excuse is. You're used to doing whatever you want, whenever you want, but guess what: you aren't alone anymore! A relationship takes two people – don't you think she deserves to have a say in it?"

"No, damn it, I don't!" he snarled, slashing his cane through the air in sudden fury. "She'd never agree to this if she knew, never -- she's both braver than she thinks she is and too stubborn to know what's good for her!" Darian advanced on his accuser, and her sudden uncertainty gave him a flash of grim satisfaction. He didn't realize it, but at that moment he looked very much like the Prince Endymion who had been the servant of the Dark Kingdom. "I've almost lost her too many times already and I will not risk her again, not if there's a single thing I can do to stop it. Because—" He faltered, his voice cracking. His anger vanished as suddenly as it had come, leaving him diminished in its wake. He tore his gaze away from the sailor soldier, and this time she let him. "Because a world without her in it isn't worth living in."

With that simple admission, the last shreds of his composure vanished. Sinking to the pavement, he buried his head in his hands, the tears he had tried so hard to contain finally spilling over.

A flurry of movement, and suddenly Sailor Mars was kneeling next to him, supporting him. She held him while his body shook with sobs, rocking him wordlessly, soothing him. After his grief was finally exhausted, he looked up, horrified at his own loss of control. She let him back away a little, but held his hands tightly in her own.

"Darian," she said, and with a shock he noticed that her own eyes were swollen, her cheeks wet. "I want you to listen to me. As a shrine maiden, I've met all different kinds of people, each looking for something: hope, faith, a sense of purpose. I've been able to help a lot of them, because the human heart is very resilient; it wants to heal itself. But it can only be hurt so many times before it just stops trying. One of the saddest people I ever met was like that... just dead inside." Now it was her turn to look away for a moment, lips thinning with remembered pain. "There was nothing Grandpa or I could do for him."

"Raye..."

"I trust your judgment, Darian," she told him softly. "If you say you have a good reason for what you're doing to Serena – and yourself – I'll believe you. But if you break her heart—" her eyes hardened, "—you'll answer to me. Raye, the priestess, not Sailor Mars. And by the time I'm through with you, you'll wish I'd blasted you with a fireball." Dropping the slightly crumpled mask into his open palm, she rose with one fluid motion and walked away.

Darian watched the darkness where she'd been for several minutes before getting to his feet and starting home. The last place he wanted to go right now was his empty apartment, but he'd had more than enough of the streets of Tokyo for one night. A few more alleys, and then he'd be able to take his usual route via the rooftops. As exhausted as he was he would sleep, and try once again to find the truth behind these latest nightmare-visions. There had to be a way to foil them, but in the meantime he would continue to stay away from Serena for both their sakes.

He probably should have expected a confrontation with Serena's friends before now, he realized; they were as devoted to her as he was, and he knew they had been equally stunned by his sudden rejection of their leader. And they were hardly the sort of girls who would content themselves with patting her on the back and saying "there, there" if they thought they could do something about it! Actually, I suppose I should consider myself lucky, he thought ruefully, a wry smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. That could have been much, much worse.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't break both your legs for hurting my Princess," a voice growled nearby. One of the shadows moved, resolving itself into a tall, lanky figure who glowered at him over folded arms.

"Sailor Jupiter..."

-end-