Darian sighed as he walked around the garden of the castle in Crystal Tokyo."I am so seriously confused right now…" He spoke aloud to himself, thinking that no one else was around, as it was three in the morning.
"Oh really?" A rather familiar voice sounded from behind the king and he turned sharply, eyes widening.
"Fiore?"
"Hello again Darian, I told you I'd come back, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did… but after two hundred years I just thought you kinda forgot about us." Even after all the time away from the man, Darian could barely see a difference in Fiore's appearance. "You haven't changed much after all this time."
"Neither have you my dear." Fiore's eyebrow quirked as he strolled forward and pulled a hand from his pocket to cup Darian's face. "You know I never stopped loving you." His voice was quiet, but the silent garden did nothing to mask the words from the brunette's hearing.
"I… Fiore, it's been so long since I've seen you, I've been with her for over two hundred years, and I don't know if I can go back on that… I know I shouldn't, but if I did I'd have to know that you'd never leave me, and never doubt me. Even now after all these years as the Neo Queen's king, I think Serenity doubts me…" Darian turned away slightly, looking off to the castle in the distance.
"Darian, the only thing that saved me from the power of the Kisenian Blossom was your love, Serena and the other Sailors believed it was her love, but it was yours, that rose you gave me was the only reminder of the one friend I ever had, and years later it was another rose that returned the energy I gave up to save your queen." Fiore drew his hand through the air and summoned a black rose forever preserved in its prime, sparkling with supernatural power. "As I drifted through space I came upon a small moon, what—I learned upon arriving here—was Nemesis, after Princess Serenity and her daughter defeated the Doom Shadow, what was left of the moon grew this rose, and when I found it, my love for you and its power restored me to how I am now. I made my way back to Earth immediately and learned of your history. It seems as if our great Neo Queen Serenity" he spoke the name with no animosity, but Darian couldn't help but notice how his eyes darkened slightly "is your soul mate, but I love you more than the world, and I can't make these feelings go away. I don't want to tear you from your life, your love or your family, but I want to be with you more than anything."
"Fiore…" Darian turned from the other man's searching gaze once again. "This is my life now, maybe years ago when you first came back we could have been something, but I have responsibilities, not only to the world but also to Serenity."
"Fuck the world Darian! They've never done anything for either of us but tell us what we have to be, you can't tell me that you became Endymion out of choice, even I know better than that." Fiore's arms wrapped around the brunette as he turned to walk away. "I know you can't just leave your life, but can't we just have one night for us, we were young when we met but we fell into something stronger than any other force in the universe. I fell deeply in love with you Darian, and I think you fell in love with me too."
Darian felt himself relax against the redhead's chest and he sighed. "I don't know whether I fell in love with you or not, I know I fell into something, but I don't know what. However, I do know that it feels good to be in your arms." He turned his face and smiled softly as a feeling of warmth permeated his being. "I don't know why it feels so good but you make me… just… I don't even know." He sighed again and pushed himself out of Fiore's embrace to turn and face him. "You'd think after two hundred years I'd be more eloquent than this. I have this whole speech in my brain about love and life and everything, it just doesn't want to come out and it frustrates me so mu-" he was cut off as the redhead pressed his lips to the king's.
"I don't care how eloquent you are Darian, I love you, bumbling speech and all." Replied Fiore a smile on his face. "You mean more to me than the world…"
Darian's gaze flashed toward the distant palace once more as he sighed. "Fiore, I just don't know what I should do…"
"Isn't it obvious?" a third voice spoke from behind a towering rose bush, it's owner emerging slowly from behind it. "You need to be with who you loved first and most Darian." The Queen spoke with little emotion, but even Fiore could see she was not upset, but rather resigned. "I always knew you'd come back to take him away from me Fiore… I just hope you can both be happy."
After a long period of awkward silence Darian spoke again. "Thank you Serenity… but… I loved the both of you equally, neither more than the other."
She smiled sadly and shook her head gently. "No dear you didn't, and I know it's not because you didn't love me, but because you already loved someone else…" she paused for a moment and then smiled, this time more happily. "I can only say thank you for the years we've spent together and that I hope the best for the both of you."
Darian felt his eyes wet a bit with tears, so he strode to her and hugged her. "Thank you Serenity, I will never forget you."
"And I will always remember you as the best king the Crystal Age could have ever had. Go with love, and please, come back to visit occasionally." She smiled at him once more and he nodded, moving to take Fiore's hand, stopping at the last second and saying "tell Rini that I love her, and she will grow to become a beautiful and just Queen." He paused and waved a hand, a single rose falling from the bush into Serenity's hand. "If you ever need me, speak my name into this and I will hear. Live well Serenity, and I hope you can forgive me."
"All of the best to you as well my king, I will always care for you... there is nothing to forgive, you are following your heart, and if there was one thing I fought for in the old days, it was the right for people to do that." She waved as he smiled once more and slipped his arms around Fiore's waist, who kissed the top of his head as they sparkled and flew up into the heavens.