Time and Again:
Chapter One: Let It Snow
She loathed him. There was a very simple reason why as well. She absolutely despised him, past the core of her very being for the irritating reason that she was head-over-heels, hopelessly in love with the man. She loved him with every ounce and fiber of her heart, was bound to him by her soul and was determined to have him for eternity. But, she wasn't fond of the fact that she liked him so completely, or the fact that her every idle thought turned instantly to him. Of course, he didn't help the matter by being handsome and totally annoying and smitten. At least, that was what Sammy claimed, well, him and Andrew and all the girls. Why should she buy that though when the only words he'd ever uttered to her were insults or retorts to her sharp replies. Before he'd even known her name – and she wasn't entirely sure that he knew it now, given that he only ever called her Odango Atama – he was making fun of her. And for some idiotic reason, probably a twisted joke by Kami, she found herself loving that.
Which was why she found herself fighting an inner battle against the strong urge to run her fingers through his tousled ebony hair. He looked so alone and lost when he wasn't awake and she wanted nothing more than to mold herself into his arms and sooth his hurts, to ease the aches and patch up their rather rocky – for lack of better terms – relationship. A few moments ago they had been mortal enemies at best and now he was sleeping fitfully at her side. Never mind the fact that the fever and gash in his palm probably affected his rational thinking and already tenuous grip on consciousness. His condition frightened her more than thunderstorms and dentists put together. Somehow, watching helplessly as he tossed and turned, locked in a nightmare as sickness held him in its clutch made her feel more afraid and worried than anything ever had in her life prior to that. It was as though her strength had been stripped away and her comfort cast into darkness.
Finally giving up on reasoning things out with herself, Serena let herself drift on instincts, no longer giving any thoughts to how compromising their situation was as she ran her fingers through his damp hair, cradling his head in her lap with one arm wound beneath his so her palm rested flat on his chest. She felt every beat of his heart, the warmth from the fever flowing into her. Her concerned expression melted into a touched smile as he relaxed slightly, the frown dissolving from his forehead. Regretfully, she raised her hand from his muscular body long enough to gently take his injured hand and check on the make-shift bandage – a length of cloth tore from her school-shirt – and pressed a feathery kiss to the spot on the cloth that lay above the cut in his hand. Lowering her forehead to press against his – startled for a moment at the burning feel of his skin – she let her fingers of her one hand continue to play through his thick hair while she used her other fingers to trace invisible patterns lightly over his chest. Her thoughts drifted to the incident responsible for stranding them in the arcade together, alone, after hours with a blizzard raging outside.
~ FLASHBACK ~
'Of all the stupid nights for Luna to need to speak with Central Control, she just has to pick the night of the biggest snowstorm to hit Tokyo since I can remember.' Serena grumbled to herself, shivering as a chill breeze cut through her light jacket. 'The arcade just closed, I hope Luna's still there. I swear, when I get my hands on that feline …' her thoughts trailed off as something ahead caught her eye. The snow was swirling around furiously, reducing visibility to pathetic at best, but she could still make out a hunched over form beside a streetlight across the street from the Crown Arcade. Through the howl of the wind and the insulation of the heavy snow, she could hear the person coughing breathlessly and take a staggering step toward her. Clearly sick and probably frozen solid, the figure collapsed to hands and knees on ground and Serena Tsukino's mothering instincts – born into her by her own mother – booted in.
She raced quickly to the person's side and was stunned momentarily when she recognized Darien's olive green blazer. He was partially crumpled on the ground, the wind blowing into his bowed head, so Serena crouched down to block the wind's path, reaching out to grasp his shoulders in an effort to steady both him and herself.
"I don't know what you're doing out here, baka-san," Serena started, slipping under his right arm to help support his weight. "Especially in that flimsy coat …but I'm going to correct this problem. You and I are going to take refuge in the arcade, until I can get you home safe and sound." She explained, leading the trembling man across the empty street to the dark arcade. "Baka," She repeated under her breath for good measure, wishing he would pipe up with an insult at least. He was very cold, pressed against her like that and she worried even more as they reached the doors, Serena using a trick Luna taught her to gain access – the wind helped by practically blowing them in – and suddenly a dreadful realization struck her. 'LUNA!'
* * *
It wasn't a great deal warmer in the arcade, but at least they were out of the snow and chill. She didn't like how pale Darien was, nor did she miss the constant tremor that ran through his body. He looked absolutely miserable and more than a little sick. He was also leaning heavily on her, as though she were the only thing keeping him on his feet, while obviously trying to stand on his own and lighten her burden, but he was swaying on his feet.
"Hey, c'mon, Darien, do you know where the backroom is?" She asked quietly, referring to a cozy place Andrew had taken her on a particularly bad day – parts of which were Darien's fault – when she hadn't wanted to bawl in front of everyone there. It was furnished with a relatively new couch with a few cushions and a battery-operated heater. It'd do.
Darien nodded numbly, his eyelids drooping dangerously as his movements grew sluggish. He was stumbling frequently and Serena felt something warm and sticky on her fingers as she took his left hand. Swallowing hard, her eyes flickered to read the grimace of pain on his face as she slowly turned his hand over in hers to reveal a slash running across the middle of his palm, bleeding profusely.
"Great Serenity," She muttered, echoing Luna's traditional curse. "What have you been getting yourself into?" With increasing difficulty, they made it to the backroom – Serena letting him lean against the wall when she had to slip away and retrieve the hidden key to unlock the door – switching on the single swinging bulb before helping him lie down on the plush couch. "Stay here, baka, I'll find something to drink," She said, feeling the winter stuffiness drying out her throat.
Darien hadn't said a word up to that point and his silence was beginning to unnerve her just a bit. Apparently seeing that, he managed to catch her wrist in his injured hand before she could move too far away. "T …tha …thank you, Odango Atama," He whispered with a crooked grin to let her know that he meant nothing mean by his use of her 'nickname'.
"Oh, baka," She replied gently as she tenderly pried his hurt hand from her wrist. "Better get that taken care of before anything else." And she hurried from the room to steal a bottle of water and some cloths from behind the arcade counter. None of the stupid rags could possibly work as a bandage however she saw as she returned; none could be wrapped and tied securely. Serena shrugged off her snowy jacket and shivered for a moment as the cold hit her, aware of Darien watching her intently. Muttering a vague apology to her parents and school, she carefully tore a strip of fabric from the bottom of her already short shirt. A grievous expression settled over her fair features.
"It doesn't hurt that much, Odango Atama," Darien said in a half-hearted attempt to lighten the situation.
Serena managed an apologetic wry grin. "It will in a minute, trust me."
"I trust you explicitly." He replied easily.
The frown returned to her expression. "I don't know what expliticity means, but I think I'll take that as a compliment." She replied, horribly mangling the word. She cleared her face of all expression, putting forth a mask to hide behind as she carefully took his hand, using exquisite care to rinse the cut – which was thankfully shallow – and examine it. "How did you get this anyway, Darien-baka?" She asked. It was quite plain that even her gentle ministrations were hurting him, just by the tightening at the corners of his eyes and by the way his body had stiffened even before she'd taken his hand. He may trust her, but he obviously didn't trust himself to relax. Finishing quickly, she doctored the gash as best she could and tied it with a certain flair of professionalism that came of paying attention in her health class the previous semester of school – she was rather proud of her B+ in the class – and assisting the nurses at the hospital where she voluntarily worked with the children. With a fluid grace that came of not giving thought to her motions, she pressed a whisper of a kiss to his ouchy and straightened as she rose.
"It didn't hurt that much, Odango Atama," Darien put in, sounding very unsure of himself. "Are you cold, Serena? You're shivering."
A surprised smile dawned brilliantly on her face. 'He must beyond frozen and hurt by his hand and yet he still wants to worry about me?' Her heart leapt into her throat. "You must be delirious, Darien, not only do you remember my name, but you just used it and you care about whether I'm warm." Serena replied, flustered and trying poorly to hide it. "You just lie there while I get the heater started." He was sitting up when she'd finally managed to get the stupid thing to work, his bandaged hand cradled in his hand. Outwardly he was smiling the same cocky, smug grin that made her want to scream in frustration and kiss him breathless at the same time – she wisely suppressed both irrational urges and looked deeper, trying to see for herself how he really was. It was very Darien Chiba to put on a brave front coated in ice, but at least the ice wasn't in evidence as she gazed through his barriers, rusted by her compassion.
His cerulean eyes were clouded, shadowed by fever and, wait …fever? Serena gasped sharply and moved to his side, laying the back of her hand against his forehead before pulling away with a low hiss. "You're sicker than a dog! What were you doing out in that horrid weather anyway? And where on earth did that nasty cut come from? It wasn't there earlier. Haven't your parents taught you any sense at all?"
Raw emotions smoldered into a fury in his stormy eyes and his jaw clenched. "Never mind, Odango Atama," He snapped with more force than either expected.
Serena faltered momentarily, taken aback by his angry tone. Suddenly however, outrage filled her at his seemingly automatic reaction, as if the man wouldn't let her worry about him! The nerve of him at times! She realized of course that she must have said something that riled him up so badly, but just then her concern overrode everything else.
"What do you mean by that? I refuse to let this matter settle! You tell me right now, Darien Chiba, what you were doing outside in your condition with a cut and bleeding hand! Do you have any idea how scared you made me when I saw you like that? Doubled over almost in the street and so weak I had to practically carry you in here! Do you think I wanted to be so worried? How dare you even think about getting sick and hurt without telling me so I could …" She cut herself off quickly, fully aware that she had almost gone too far, almost suggesting that she make everything all better because of what he meant to her. For his part, Darien seemed to be either deep in thought or beyond pissed. He was silent a long moment before looking up.
"Do you actually mean that?"
"Huh?" Oh, drat that man! How could he unbalance her so easily? "Mean what?"
A small smile hovered over his face; softening his eyes and making him seem younger than his roughly eighteen years of age. "Did I really scare you? Do you honestly have such a large heart that you'd be concerned to the point of fright over someone who has never done more than make fun of everything about you? Are you really that close to sainthood?"
She wished he would stop speaking in such long sentences, but she'd caught the gist of his impromptu speech. "Of course I care, baka, it's not like I could have just passed you by and left you hurt and sick and alone in the middle of a blizzard. How could I do that to anyone?" She paused and filled again with righteous rage. "YES, YOU SCARED ME!" She shouted, "I haven't been that afraid since my mother was in the hospital having my brother! Don't you ever, EVER, even think about doing anything like that again! If you do, so help me, I'll …I'll …" She trailed off helplessly, unable to come up a good threat to make him take her seriously.
"You'll what, Odango Atama?" He asked, raising an elegant eyebrow with a half-smile playing on his lips.
"I'll …I'll …do something really grand!" She finished lamely, blushing furiously as he laughed – actually laughed – at her futile attempts to intimidate him. She stopped blushing though as quickly as he quit laughing to suck in a breath and double over in a harsh coughing fit. She shot to her feet and rubbed his back as he regained his breath and panted heavily. She stooped and snatched up the unopened water she'd taken along with the one she used on his hand and to clean the blood from hers and handed it to him.
Taking a few long swallows, Darien breathed deeply for a time, bent over still. He slowly sat up and gave Serena a tight smile as she continued to rub his back lightly. "Thank you, Serena," He murmured, stressing her name slightly to make her take notice. She'd have noted it anyway; it was a rare moment indeed when Darien used her actual name. She leaned her back against a pillow between her slight, slender frame and the arm of the large couch and made her lap as comfortable as possible before reaching out and taking Darien loosely in her arms and pulling him down into her soft lap.
"Rest now, silly, I don't want to have you scaring me again," She ordered softly, gesturing for him to lie fully on the couch and use her as a cushion for his head. She was eternally relieved and surprised when he actually complied, letting his good arm hang half off the couch as he bent his other arm at the elbow and rested his bandaged hand over his stomach. "There, isn't this nice? Soon it'll be warm and cozy in here, but you just go ahead and sleep now, regain your strength. You can't even argue properly with me in your condition." She berated gently.
"As my princess commands," Darien replied sleepily.
Serena's breath lodged once more in her throat and she lowered herself over his body enough to plant a sweet kiss on his hot forehead. Worry coursed over her again, but she banished the coiling feeling in the pit of her stomach for a moment to just gaze upon the sheer perfection of man in her arms.
~ END FLASHBACK ~
Darien roused slightly and found himself looking into the face of an angel. He was propped up against something soothingly warm and he realized with glee that it was her body. Her almost dry jacket lay over his legs to act as a blanket and he wondered idly when she'd been able to put it there. His hand was throbbing in sync with his head, but a delightfully distracting feeling rather quickly took his mind from his woes and he realized with a start that Serena was weaving her fingers through his hair, toying absently with the one tuft of hair that refused to stay put and her other hand was drawing invisible patterns on his chest. He was filled with a strange euphoria, something kindling deep within the ache that had haunted him for his entire life, the dull void within his heart that reminded him day in and day out that something wonderful was missing from his life.
His breath caught in his throat as he wished this moment could last forever, but then a cough tickled the back of his throat and he had to sit up slightly to cough freely. Serena was supporting him as he coughed himself out, feeling suddenly light-headed and faint. He let himself be lowered once more into her lap and was promptly in absolute heaven. A soft, faint, almost tangible fragrance wafted to him in the peace of the moment, a curious yet lovely mix of vanilla and cherry blossoms and he was looking up at the source of the beautiful smell.
He read in her eyes a peculiar array of emotions, something like compassion and concern with frustration, bewilderment, benevolence and almost motherly care. Her honey-gold hair, like spun silk where the naturally curling ends brushed against his face, was pulled up in it's customary Odango style, gleaming in the dull white light given off by the bulb hanging above. From where he was positioned, the light fixture was almost directly behind Serena, shrouding her in a pale illumination of angelhood that sparkled in her glorious, fathomless, liquid azure eyes. She was smiling softly at him, her pretty brow unmarred by the frown of confusion reflected in her eyes. Her eyes …they were like windows into her heart, the gates of her stunning soul. His eyes drifted down to her sweet lips, glistening in the faint light finding it's way past her slight frame as though she had just applied lip-gloss.
"Shush," Serena murmured, running one slender index finger from his temple to his chin. "You should still rest, you need plenty more at any rate. Would you like me to help you get rid of that headache?"
Darien blinked at her. Could she read his mind? He sure hoped not, there was enough in there about her to make her blush like the schoolgirl she was. He gulped and nodded in her lap. Again the smile that rivaled the sun's rays as she took the index and pointer fingers of both her hands and pressed both lightly to his temples, rubbing softly in smooth, even motions that seemed to melt the pain in his head.
"You're still feverish, but that doesn't mean you're going to get out of answering my questions anytime soon." She announced quietly, flashing him a dazzling smile that stopped his heart. Did she even know what she did to him? Dear Kami he hoped not, if she did she'd never look at him again, humiliated beyond all measure that he would even think of her like that. She evidently didn't hate him – like he'd thought at first – but neither did she love him. After all, who could love an orphan boy incapable of loving you back?
A whim struck him from nowhere, a memory of a time when she sang to him in her angelic voice and eased his troubles away. He couldn't remember whether his mother had ever sang to him, but all of a sudden, the only thing he wanted out of life was to hear Serena Tsukino sing him to sleep. "Sing for me," He whispered softly, capturing her eyes and holding her shocked gaze for a moment. Suddenly her eyes cleared and for one second of time he thought he glimpsed pure, depthless love and undisguised relief.
"As you wish, gallant sir," She replied jestingly, the impromptu title a reply to his earlier slip of calling her a princess. He shook his head though.
"I am no sir, I am your knight and guardian." He corrected, giving her another of his half-smiles.
"Very well," Here she paused. "Any requests, oh knight in shining armor?" He felt the grief surface in his eyes and choked it back with a jerky shake of his head to indicate no. If she saw his reaction, she did not note upon it for she came up with a song of her own a few seconds later. "Here we are, a pretty little lullaby my mother sang to me when I was a baby, well actually it's my version of it but it's really more of a dedication song," She was blushing rosily.
When she opened her mouth to sing, it was as though a choir of angels were released into her sweet voice, the song of a Siren could not even match hers as her gentle voice flowed through the air like liquid emotion, enveloping him and drowning away all other thoughts as he was lain bare to the lyrics and to the woman who held the power of her song. She closed her eyes, fully immersed in the melody, her rich voice rising and falling with infinite grace and Darien felt himself being bound to her through her ballad, felt the notes of perfection winding through his being and joining him to her. She sang:
Rain, rain, fall today, how much do I have to pray,
For clouds to burst and sun to flee,
Bestow your liquid cool on me,
Rain, rain, fall today, how much do I have to say,
If I should die, before I wake,
I call the rain my pain to take,
Rain, rain, fall today, how much do I have to pray,
Shower my skin and tangle my hair,
Lighten my heart with misty air,
Rain, rain, fall today, how much do I have to say,
Rain, rain, take my pain and fall on down to heal me,
Rain, rain, fall today …
Darien was on the verge of dropping off into another light doze, his thoughts echoing with the sorrowful refrain and the image of himself concocted by Serena's voice when he remembered hearing the tune before, and not just the traditional little version, but a sad one. He had heard her humming it one day, while she was watching the blue-grey clouds gathering ominously above and not the street. It was the day that she had started across the street and a car speeding down the road failed to see the red light. So Darien had the only thing he could have and rescued an angel, tumbling with her a few feet before hauling her to her feet, looking her over like the fate of the universe hung on her condition and clutched her so tightly to him that it seemed nothing would be able to squeeze between their bodies. And then he had blinked back tears, pushed her away and lectured her for ten straight minutes. The beautiful tune had slipped his mind like quicksilver.
"How on earth could someone as bright and cheery as you, and so afraid of storms to boot, come up with a song like that?" He demanded, looking deep into her eyes. He couldn't exactly help but sink into her amused gaze.
"Simple." She started. "I was thinking of you."
He knew he was gaping, but whether at the fact that she actually gave him any thought during her day or at the fact that she created a teary song to describe him was another matter. In any case, she gave a silver laugh that tinkled, different from her rich golden laughter of velvet, but pleasant to hear nonetheless.
"Andrew told me one day when I was hiding under the counter during a rain storm that the wet weather kind of soothed you, rinsed your troubles away," 'Like your heavenly voice?' He mused wryly. "And so I came up with that." A thought seemed to occur to her then, "Oh! I hope you don't mind it, I mean, it doesn't sound very special and it isn't exactly pretty, plus its not really you, but …"
He cut her babbling apology (sort of) short with a low chuckle. "It's fine, Odango Atama, and it does depict me rather well. I like it."
Serena looked shocked for a moment. Then she giggled softly and brushed a kiss against his forehead. "Thank you, Darien, that's quite possibly the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Now, time for you to sleep again, we may be stuck in here all night and I for one don't want you to have to shovel us out in the morning still so sick." A command was a command and no matter how much he wanted to stay awake just to defy her, he felt the unmistakable lull of sleep tugging at his awareness and felt her slender fingers return to his temples, massaging away his resistance to the velvety comfort of sleep and her voice lifted again, this time simply in a hum of her song. He dreamt.
~ Dream ~
The earth was positively glowing in the dusky sky, as alive and vibrant as its prince. Endymion strolled casually down the walkway of stepping-stones, taking his time to admire the natural fountains and babbling waters wreathed in stones layered with moss and delicate flowers. He was gradually approaching his destination and it seemed that she had no clue of what was to come. He invoked the minor powers of his home planet and grew a Moon Lily – known on Earth as a "rose" – out of love and nothingness, adding the slight touches of sparkling dew drops on the crimson petals and the faint yet intoxicating fragrance that had piqued his interest long ago.
Serenity stood at ease with her small hands resting on the balcony railing, her glittering ivory dress spilling out past her feet to blanket the marble floor for several inches. Her silver hair was done up in small buns with twin tresses of excess hair cascading from the buns to hover above the ground. Even before such an important ceremony she was the absolute image of calm, living up to her name with grace and charm. Her shoulders were bare, save for twin spaghetti straps connecting to the bodice of her gown, wrapping around her back like a shell that left her back largely bare as well. It was unadorned save for the silver crescent moons embroidered into the hem and modest bodice. Even though he could not yet see her front, he knew that she would be crowned with a simple silver band upon which dangled priceless crystals to decorate her pretty brow.
He swept up behind her like a shadow and drew her into his sweet embrace, leaving dozens of butterfly kisses upon her cheeks, nose and brow before finally reaching her soft pink lips and giving into his passionate urges, ravishing her ready mouth with his, and feeling her give back better than she got. They surfaced several long moments later, both breathless and leaning heavily into each other to recover from the kiss. Serenity's warm arms came up to encircle his neck and she let his strong arms lift her up from the ground until she was nose to nose with him and her bell-like laughter rang out through the gardens, leaving their audience of ladies fawning for the Earth Prince and courtiers battling for the Moon Princess's love swooning in a peculiar mixture of jealousy, longing and peace at the perfection uniting on the balcony above the courtyard.
"Well, dearest, are you ready to break a few more hearts?" Endymion questioned teasingly.
Serenity gave him her special smile, the one she reserved just for him. "Just wait until the dinner, love, then we'll really destroy them."
She was totally right. The feast planned for later that night, in honor of the Spring Solstice of the Moon – falling after the Earth Solstice and upon Serenity's birthday – would be made extra special, as that was when Queen Serenity would announce the betrothal of her daughter to Prince Endymion. He chuckled in anticipation, earning a gentle slap on the shoulder from his soon-to-be fiancée.
"Ah, come now, Serene, you know you'll love it as much as I will," He murmured in response, pressing her forehead to his and managing to ignore the beads between them. The one thing the trinket did not hide was her ceaselessly gleaming crescent moon – the symbol of her kingdom and family. The sigil of the Earth was hidden by Endymion's unruly bangs, falling just so over his forehead. Many times over he had been thankful for the ebony hair, for the vagrant tufts of hair always gave Serenity the chance to brush back his hair and plant a kiss on his emblem before stating in a regal tone – entirely fake behind her smile – that everyone wanted to see it.
Serenity did not answer in words, but the mischievous twinkle in her eyes and wicked smile tugging at her oh-so-kissable lips gave her away entirely. She was his Serene and he was her Endy and they both loved it beyond measure. It had been foretold long before that the two would someday be joined and they had even had the customary union rituals performed after Serenity's birth, thereby tying the two – though this did not halt the stream of admirers both gathered – and it was only this night, on Serenity's sixteenth birthday that their formal status as betrothed would be announced. Sometimes even silly customs made Endymion glad to be alive, after all, this triply performed ceremony of eternal bondage – first after the birth of both, then on the sixteenth birthday of the younger of the couple and finally on their marriage – just made him feel closer to his love with each tradition followed through.
"It's time, dearest," Endymion noted, seeing how the earth rested in the sky just above the sun, signaling the moment of the solstice and Serenity's birth. She smiled warmly as dusk fell deeper and the anxious crowd shushed to await her voice.
"Greetings, people of the Silver Millennium, allow Prince Endymion of the Earth and myself, Princess Serenity of the Moon, to be the first to greet you to my palace on the date of the Spring Solstice. Following the traditional song, there will be a grand dinner and a ball to last long through the night. My mother, the Queen, will be present at the ball and dinner, but sadly there was urgent business involving the Council that called her away from this ceremony." Serenity intoned in her soft voice, carried by the magic of the moon to the ears of each and every person gathered below.
Endymion nodded curtly to the delighted throng and raised a hand for silence. "My Serenity will be singing the Melody of the Moon tonight for your enjoyment, please give her the respect you would give her mother or any other member of the Royal Court." As if that needed saying, the audience clung breathlessly to every word either uttered and he gave Serenity a reassuring smile, proud of her as always when she responded with a wink. And then her angelic voice filled the peaceful silence and Endymion felt her song lulling him into pure rapture. Her voice wound around the world, gathering up every soul and enveloping the universe itself in bliss, dipping and flowing smoothly into one sweet tune, marked by crystalline notes of ecstasy. If there was one thing the set Serenity apart, it was her voice, but then again, merely everything about her was special.
"So elegant in the velvet night,
So distant in the cold, unearthly light,
Sleeping upon silver wings,
Bathed in the glow of the moon,
A lonely Shepherd boy lost in the world,
A love so boundless, exotic and free,
Given to but one lost soul,
Selene of the Moon in heavenly splendor,
Her eternal love resting now and forever,
Sad and alone upon her crystal throne,
Watching the gentle rise and fall of life,
Upon the world below her rule,
Forbidden the presence of her one true,
A timeless story of love,
A never-ending tale of sacrifice,
Blood given to hold another to life,
As he sleeps on, unaware of her parting gift,
A single kiss pressed to his barren lips,
The ruins empty now,
He dreams on of angels on the Earth's Twin,
He dreams of a love he will never again hold,
He dreams and dreams and rests securely,
Upon the wings of love of the one gone,
Of the one finally reunited with her love,
In the simple dreams, of a lonely Shepherd"
Serenity finished the mournful song with a throbbing note that bled off into the breathless silence that endured for a stunned moment before the gardens thundered with applause. It was truly a song from the past, of a Queen of the Moon and her soul mate of the earth, and though their love was not allowed they continued to meet in secret until one fateful day when the kingdom of the moon was torn asunder and Selene returned on the cusp of death to press her dying breath to Endymion's lips – for he had been locked in eternal slumber by her hands at the consent of both – and gone on to be with him in the dreams.
The Earth Prince had been named after the fabled Shepherd and Serenity's own name was but a variation of the Selene of old. The melody was but a fragment of the prophecy of their love, yet another secret of the past to ensure their own eternal devotion to one another. There were not many dry eyes in the throng of people, each having been taken to that magical time by Serenity's song and voice and the people of the Silver Millennium wept unabashedly. It was a time honored tradition for the Queen of the Moon – or one of the Moon family – to sing a song special to her on the day of the Spring Solstice and her birth (that was another of the peculiarities of the women of the moon lineage: each was born on the Spring Solstice).
Tucking Serenity safely in his arms, Endymion kissed her deeply and led her into the great Moon Palace for the celebration to follow. The sounds of joy and elation filled the expanse of the Moon Palace as the Silver Millennium rang in the Spring Solstice and Serenity's sixteenth birthday. Endymion and Serenity prepared to crush a few hearts that really should have known better – considering all the evidence proving that the Prince of Earth and Princess of the Moon were indeed destined to be together for all time.
~ End Dream ~
Serena paused in bewilderment as a familiar yet entirely unknown tune wound its way into her humming rendition of Darien's song. It was a sorrowful little song she noted and though she could have swore she'd never heard it before in her life, it tugged on the strings of her memory, heart and dreams. She almost felt horrible, it was as though she should have remembered the song, or at least the words to it, but only the tune came to her and so she settled on humming that quiet, poignant song, hoping that something else would come back to her. Darien didn't appear to be suffering from any nightmares this time and Serena began to feel a bit antsy. Besides that, her lower body was beginning to tingle as numbness threatened her mobility. Being with Darien like that, with him resting peacefully in her arms was all well and good for a time, but no matter how much she wished it could last forever, she really did need to get up. Not just to bring back feeling in her legs either, for she also had to use the bathroom something bad.
Sighing in frustration, she eased the prone figure in her arms up to slip out from beneath him and set him down as gently as she could manage, smiling in satisfaction at not even having disturbed his sleep. But almost as soon her warmth faded, a frown marred his forehead and he stiffened in his sleep. She bit her lower lip in anguish but decided to let him sleep off the bad dream long enough for her to use the bathroom and grab a few more supplies. She was thirsty and hungry and she knew that he would be when he awoke and anyway she could always pay Andrew and the Arcade back later.
There wasn't much to choose from in the nutritional area she noticed, while surveying the stash behind the counter after having returned from the bathroom. Just how she liked it. Of course, knowing Darien, he wouldn't be happy with just sweets to eat, so she carted off a little bowl of salad protected by Saran Wrap along with her armful of goodies, and returned to the backroom, thoughtfully cranking up the heat. With Darien in her lap, she'd been much warmer but now that she was off of the couch it wasn't as pleasant. She tore into a candy bar and nearly inhaled it; followed by a cocoa she'd heated up and set aside the other treats for later.
Once the cocoa was gone and her fingers and toes had begun to tingle in response to the heat in the room, weariness descended upon her. Suddenly, curling up against Darien Chiba seemed like a dream and she rose from her cushion before the heater, stretching out her kinks before moving to his side and lowering herself half on his side and wedged into the space between his – very – nice body and the back of the couch, draping one arm up to toy with his soft hair some more as she laid the other across his chest, having slipped beneath his good arm so it was wrapped securely about her waist. She just assumed it was her imagination that he had tightened his grip about her and it was only the comfort of being with someone and not alone that melted the frown from his forehead and coaxed him to relax against her slight frame. Whatever the reasons were, she was in sheer heaven as she drifted off into a very pleasant dream …involving a certain 'pillow' she slept upon.
~ Memory ~
He was alone. He was more than alone this time however, because now the only person he had found to call a friend was leaving him. He was only six though and he didn't understand why Fiore had to go, he still couldn't ration out why his parents had left him a year and a half ago either. He'd been stuck in the hospital ever since the accident, with doctors waiting patiently for him to recover his memories – and for a room to open up at the local orphanage. It didn't seem very fair to the little boy for his parents to die and leave no other family alive and then for his only friend and confident to have to go as well. It was a terrible thing to be as alone as he was and he didn't want the feeling to go on. He wanted a normal family, like the ones that went through the hospital every once in a while.
Hot, salty tears fell from his dark blue eyes, trailing down his cheeks to land on the blanket he was gripping tightly in fists. He had tried to close himself off after his parents died and that hadn't worked since it only made him cling to Fiore more after befriending the other young boy in the rain. Now he wasn't sure what to do. He could just lock his heart away again and refuse to be considerate to anyone, but somehow he could never quite bring himself to hurting the feelings of others, except by being silent and tucked up inside of himself. His will power was withering rapidly, like a rose in the scalding desert heat and he knew that it would be even harder to say good-bye to Fiore.
"Today is going to be a wonderful day!" A bright, young voice exclaimed, the voice of a girl child washing over him like the warmth of the sun following a rainy day and he looked up to see a little girl who appeared to be roughly three years old. She had the prettiest eyes he'd ever seen, a soft blue mingled with a faint violet that would fade as the years passed – most babies were born with violet-blue eyes he noticed in his time here – but they held a special light and innocence that chained his heart to her instantly. He silently vowed to guard this princess who represented everything he'd ever wanted in life for as long as time flowed. Her golden hair wasn't very long, although the fact that it was done up in twin buns might have allotted for the absence of some of its golden wealth and the ends curled delightfully, bouncing as she shifted on the balls of her feet.
Darien sniffled and swallowed hard, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't scare her away. She seemed like an angel sent from above, a vision in her adorable purple dress with a bouquet of fresh roses in her tiny hands. He gulped nervously and gave the cheery girl a sad little smile, unable to keep his private grief from his expression. Her delicate brow wrinkled with confusion and her little button nose scrunched up like a bunny's as she tilted her head to one side, regarding him seriously with the hanging curls bobbing softly.
"You shouldn't be so sad. What's wrong?" She asked gently, scooting closer and taking a single rose, by far the best of the bunch, and handing it to him with a small smile. "Be happy, please? I'm a big sister today, so don't be sad." She begged.
The effect of the girl on him was simply amazing. It tore his heart to see her worried over him and he put more joy into his next smile, a special one just for the little girl. "I'm just sad because my friend is leaving and I may never see him again. And my mommy and daddy died a year or so ago and I miss them, and soon I'll have to be put in an awful orphanage." He said, silently reeling at how easily he had confided into her. She seemed to make all his shields fall away. He felt the tears burning his eyes again but he didn't want to make her sad on account of him so he blinked them away furiously.
"It's all right to cry, tears make the heart heal," She told him philosophically. "Besides, I'll be your family now, and I promise I won't ever leave." Without warning, she was at his side – as much as she could be anyway with him sitting on the bed with his legs dangling off. She laid her head on his leg and smiled contentedly, one of her pig-tail curls tucked behind her ear that was resting on his leg and the other tickling her cheek as a breeze blew in from the open hospital door. She stood there with her head atop his leg as he stared wonderingly down at the girl, surprised to see her eyes closed and a benevolent smile on her slightly parted pink lips. The eleven roses she still held were pulled up against her chest with on hand and he glanced down to the single rose he held and smiled a true smile.
A haggard-looking man raced past his room outside, calling out a name with worry: "Serena!" And he sped by Darien's room, glancing in absently while searching for his little girl. Darien blinked and looked back down to the angel almost in his lap and then back at the door, forcing back a giggle as the man reappeared in the doorway, his gaze landing upon the child. "Serena Tsukino!" He barked sharply, relief and happiness lacing his words – obviously meant to sound like a parent's stern warning voice. The girl however was oblivious.
The man closed his eyes with parental weariness and sighed softly, looking over to Darien then for perhaps the first time. Darien read the shock in the older man's face and stifled another chuckle, he imaged the thoughts that must have been running through the father's mind: 'My little baby, still a toddler and already being eyed by boys!' He didn't even need to look back at the child – Serena – without realizing that she possessed a very rare beauty that manifested itself in her cherubic appearance and that would make her something to truly behold once she grew into her promising looks.
"Hello there, young man, would you mind terribly if I stole my daughter away? She's got to meet her little brother after all." The man explained, smiling at him after apparently reaching the conclusion that Darien himself was still too young to be even thinking about girls like that.
Fear seized his heart in a vise-like grip and choked off the emotions that were stirring in response to being in such close proximity to the angel child. This was the first time in his life that he had ever even felt whole and now this stranger was going to take that feeling away? "Ca …can she …say good-bye before you …leave?" He asked in a frightened, small voice. The man smiled good-naturedly and nodded.
"She's always skipping off every time I turn my back. Makes new friends with each passing heartbeat. She's a sweet little dear and I don't know what I'd do without her. Of course she'll want to come by and visit come other time. Don't worry, young man, you won't lose her as a friend." The man said. "There's not a soul out there that she'd ever forget about."
Darien nodded numbly as the man lifted his lightly dozing daughter into his arms, shifting to cradle her securely with the roses in one hand. He smiled again and Serena awoke, her eyes bright and drowsy. Before her father could stand and leave, she pressed a kiss to the rose Darien still held and then kissed his forehead – able to reach only lifted up in her father's arms as she was. "Tell your friend good-bye for me, maybe I can meet him when he comes back. You can give him the rose to remember you by," She whispered and smiled dazzlingly as her father groaned in mock protest, admonishing her in a playful tone to stop eating so much before his back broke, to which she replied with an innocent request of a piggy-back ride. With shared laughter the pair left, Serena looking back and waving to Darien before leaving.
Darien sat there for a time, still shocked by Serena's kiss and her words until he remembered Fiore and dashed off to find his friend one last time before he was gone. Later that same day, after Serena had visited her brother Sammy and gone home with her father to rest for the return trip the next day to pick up her mother and new brother, some people came in to see Darien and transferred him to the orphanage. Serena stopped in to see him and was down for many more days following when she couldn't learn where Darien had gone. Both were aching for the presence of each other, but the trials of growing up soon buried the memories and time slipped on.
~ End Memory ~