Story: Snowy Memories
Chapter: OneShot
Anime: Sailor Moon
Pairing: Serena/Serenity/Darien/Endymion
Rated: Teen
Author's Notes: I was inspired to write this oneshot after reading another fanfiction on this wonderful site. I wrote it for my Creative Writing Project for my English class, and I turned it in this past Friday. Here's to an A! Enjoy.
The snow fell from the darkened, midnight skies as if someone from above placed each snowflake in the perfect position to fall on the earth below. The whiteness had already covered the land earlier that morning, but tonight it decided to visit just one last time before it would depart. A woman dressed in a silky white gown that brushed the snowy ground walked slowly through Tokyo's Central Park. Her matching gloved hands pulled her cloak tighter around her body, hoping to keep the cold air from touching her skin.
Her heels clicked against the stone walkway that twisted through the park where it would lead its occupants to the clock tower. The tower was the most ancient structure in the entire city, some saying its age going back a millennium ago.
The woman knew of this to be true.
She remembered visiting it time and time again when it stood proudly in the center of the Golden Park in the Golden City, the ancient city of a millennium ago. Searching for the right spot, she finally found what she was looking for. It was a plaque with an inscription written in pure gold.
In Honor of the Birth of the Heir to the Golden Kingdom
Endymion, Crown Prince of Earth
Her beloved love, Endymion. Oh, how she missed him.
Her troubled thoughts were split down its seams when a shout rang through the night's air. "Naomi, please, wait!" A woman with cropped red hair came running down the path, nearly toppling over the woman. She muttered a short apology over her shoulder before continuing her run. Coming after her was a tall, dark man. His hair was the color of a raven's darkest wing, and his eyes, a color the woman could see even in the light of the moon, was the color of the midnight sky, something that hung over them both. He stopped near the woman, looking around the park for any sign of the other.
The woman cleared her throat politely, making the man lift his gaze to her. Their eyes clashed, the air crackled. "If that was your girlfriend, she continued that way, Darien." She lifted a pale arm to point towards the direction.
The dark haired man looked at her strangely before following her arm to where Naomi had ran. He nodded. "Thank you." He didn't move. "But how did you know my name?"
She shrugged. "You could say I've heard about you."
The man continued to stare in awe at the angelic figure in front of him, his mouth hanging agape. "Excuse me?" His eyes traveled down her odd but beautiful outfit. It was unusual to see someone walking around in Japan's winter chill with nothing but an evening gown and cloak on.
She smiled at his adorable confused look. He had such a beautiful face. "I'm a friend of Andrew's."
It seemed the light bulb had gone off in his head. "Oh, are you? What's your name?"
She chuckled, a pink blush rising to her pale cheeks. "I thought you were going after your girlfriend, Endy—I mean, Darien. You wouldn't want her to think you gave up."
His blue eyes narrowed at the stutter, but then her words registered in his mind. "Naomi! Shit." He started to walk in the direction Naomi had disappeared down, but halted in his step. "Wait, miss—" "Happy New Year, Endymion." Her voice whispered before she disappeared, the snowy flakes covering her tracks.
--
That had happened a year ago. Serena—or Serenity—remembered it well. She could still smell his intoxicating scent in the air. Roses and spices. It haunted her in her dreams and followed her everywhere. It felt like he was standing right next to her. She still shivered from the intensity she felt after their eyes had connected. They had made a mark right in her heart once again, refreshing the memories of them from so long ago.
The petite woman sat comfortably in her own booth at the back of the Crown Arcade which was run by one of her closest friends, Andrew Motoki. She had a fresh strawberry milkshake resting right in front of the entrance to her mouth, and she was absentmindedly running her fingers across the condensation on the glass. Andrew was busy waiting a table before he approached hers.
"How's the shake, Serena?" he asked with a brotherly smile because that's how they felt about each other, a siblings' love.
"It's delicious as always, Andrew," she responded after taking a testing suck on her straw, the pink ice cream rising in the tube. "Thank you."
Andrew grinned at her compliment as he slid across from her. "You're acting differently today, Serena. What's eating you up?"
Serena sighed softly, her eyes dropping to her shake. Her fingers moved to swirl her straw around in the icy masterpiece. "Nothing that isn't the usual." She paused her next words, knowing only speaking about it would just upset her more. The look on Andrew's face, though, made her continue. "I just don't understand. It's been another year. Why can't he remember? My mother wouldn't have sent him here without his memories."
Andrew sighed as well, knowing all too well what she was talking about. "I don't know why he doesn't remember you, Serenity. He's my best friend this time around. We're closer in this life than we were in the last, and I know him better."
"And you can tell he has no recollection of me at all," Serena stated simply, knowing the answer before he spoke.
"There aren't any signs that he'll remember you any time soon," Andrew said sadly. It broke his heart to see Serena feeling so much agony over his best friend, and it hurt even worse knowing he knew what Darien did not.
"And you can't tell him either. If he's destined to remember, it has to happen of his own accord." Serena shook her head, her silvering blonde streams brushing her cheeks. "As unfortunate as that is."
"I'm sorry, Rena. I don't know what to tell you. I wish there was something I could—"
"No. It's all right, Andrew. You have no reason to fret." She brushed her bangs out of her eyes to look at her blonde friend. "It's just hard to watch Naomi hang over him when I wish it could be me."
"I understand, and you never know, he could remember when you least expect it. From my perspective, I don't see anything happening with his memories if it comes to concerning you, but I'm not a mind reader either. He doesn't tell me everything that is going on with him. He could be hiding something, and I'd have no idea he was doing it." He chuckled lightly. "We both know how good he is at that."
Serena smiled softly at the memories. "Yes, I know. It is something he is very good at and something I am not."
Andrew stood to leave, but bid her another smile. He did that a lot to her, but how could one not smile at this beauty? "I think you're getting better, though." He laughed.
Serena chuckled at the statement, watching the man return to his work. It was nice to have someone on the outside know what she was going through. The girls were there for her, but they weren't friends with Darien like Andrew was. They just tried their hardest to comfort her, telling her he couldn't possibly forget her and he'd be back in no time at all. But Andrew knew Darien, and he was in his life while Serena was not.
Serena attempted to push her thoughts to the back of her mind so she could at least enjoy her milkshake. It worked for most of the time, but her resolve shattered as soon as the doors chimed and he walked in. Serena had learned to control herself over the years to not overreact in the slightest when he came around, especially looking they way he usually did. For the season, he sported a fashionable knit black sweater than hugged his torso perfectly, leaving nothing to be missed by the imagination, nor did those faded blue jeans that fit nicely around those long legs of his. A soft blush rose to Serena's cheeks before she turned her eyes to the window where she wouldn't be tempted to stare.
His voice parted the air, and Serena swore she heard the earth suck in its breath at the rich sound of its prince. "Hey, Drew."
"Darien, man, I didn't expect to see you today. Oh, wait. That's right. You're here everyday. Never mind." Andrew laughed loudly at his own humor.
Serena knew the dark haired man so well she could hear the smile in his voice. "You're crazy, Drew. You know what I want, but… Naomi, what did you want to get?"
A shrilling high pitched giggle filled the air, and Serena pitied the earth when she felt it pull back from the sound. "Oh, Dare-bear, I told you what I wanted. I'd like a strawberry milkshake, Andrew."
Serena heard the reluctance in his voice this time. "I thought you didn't like strawberries, Naomi."
Serena glanced over at the scene taking place at the counter. Darien was staring at his girlfriend like she grew a new head while she attempted to swallow her spit. "Oh." She giggled that annoying giggle again. "Right. I forgot. Um, I'll just have a Coke, Andrew."
"Okay. One black coffee and a coke. Gotcha. Have a seat, you two," Andrew said before retrieving their orders.
Serena sat there for a little longer just watching the way his body moved on the stool as he talked quietly with the red head. He hadn't changed at all. The way he held himself was still the same: cool and confident but most of all, mysterious. That was what made Serena—or then known as Serenity—fall for him and she fell hard. If only he would let her fall again, but looking at the couple at the counter, there wasn't any room for her in his life with that woman around.
The quiet woman took the last few slurps from her shake before picking up her bag to leave. Placing a respective tip on the table, she started her walk towards the automatic doors. She glanced back at the counter, not daring to make Darien notice her to bid Andrew farewell.
"I'll see you later, Andrew. Thanks for the strawberry shake." She smiled at him when he waved.
"You're welcome, Serena. Take care of yourself," he said as he watched her walk out the door and into the busy city streets of Tokyo. His mood deflated slightly as he watched her disappear into the crowd, knowing the man sitting in front of him should have followed.
Naomi decided to voice her thoughts at that moment. "Who was that?"
Andrew shrugged lifelessly. "She's a friend."
Darien grinned at the blonde. "Just a friend? Are you sure?"
Andrew narrowed his hazel eyes at the older man. "Yes, I'm sure. I've known her since she was a kid. I watched her grow up. She's like a sister, Darien, and I just want her to be happy." Unfortunately, the declaration came out a little stronger than Andrew had intended.
Darien leaned back on his stool, the humor gone. His midnight eyes added some more black to their swirls. "I'm sorry. I didn't know. If you don't mind making those drinks to go, I'd appreciate it. We have to be somewhere." Darien began to rise from his seat, pulling Naomi with him.
Andrew nodded, pouring the drinks into to-go cups before placing them on the counter. "I didn't mean to snap at you, Darien. I said she's like a sister so I get a little defensive about her. She means a great deal to me."
Darien reached for his coffee, taking a quick swig of the hot liquid. "It's all right." He turned to Naomi. "You go ahead, okay? I'll meet you outside." She whimpered for a moment, but the look Darien gave her made her do as she was asked. "How come you've never mentioned her before?"
Andrew wiped his hands on his apron. "I didn't have a reason to mention another girl to you, Darien. You have Naomi."
"That doesn't mean I can't know your friends, Drew, just because they're female too."
"I know that. But she's…. she's different. You wouldn't understand."
Darien brushed his bangs out of his eyes. "What's her name at least?"
"Serena."
Darien looked down at his coffee, his eyes narrowing. "Serena's a pretty name." He muttered a few more words before nodding goodbye to his friend and walking out the door.
Andrew stared after him. "Yes, but I think Serenity is more beautiful."
--
Serena stood in an aisle at the local grocery store, trying to find the exact kind of meat her mother had specified for dinner this evening. She just couldn't remember if her mother had told her to buy chicken breast or chicken legs. Brushing her hand through her bangs, she continued to look back and forth between the two packs of chicken. If only she had her cell phone on her, she would be able to call and ask.
"Well, mom and I love chicken breast, but Sammy and dad like chicken legs. Which one was it?" she said before she groaned in frustration.
"Having trouble, Serena?" a voice said from a near distance beside her.
Serena lifted her head, shock spreading over her face as she stared at the raven haired man standing before her. "How did you know my name?" It was all she could think of as she gawked at the fact he was talking to her after she had watched him for so long.
He chuckled lightly, running a large, tan hand through his silky hair. "Andrew told me who you were."
Her eyes went wide. "He what?" He couldn't have told him everything. He knew Darien had to remember on his own. If he told him one little thing she would—
"He said you were like a sister to him and told me your name. Is that all right, Serena?" he asked, sounding almost innocent, but Serena knew him better than that.
But since she did like the sound of his voice saying her name, she would let his façade slide. "It's fine, and yes, I'm having some trouble. I can't seem to remember which kind of chicken my mother asked me to buy."
He stepped closer to peer curiously over her shoulder. "Well, I can't really help you remember which one you were to buy, but I can suggest buying both."
"Both?" she asked, looking up at his face. Oh, it was so close. His scent was pouring off him and it was driving her insane. Her memories of him were filling her thoughts, causing her to forget exactly where she was and the situation she was in. If only those eyes would look at her the way they had so long ago. If only she could show how much she loved him.
He nodded at her, also noticing their closeness. He took a step back, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans. "She'll just freeze the one she doesn't want to use for next time."
"Oh, right," she said. She glanced down at the packages. "That's a good idea. Thank you." She took a look at her wrist watch. "Oh! Shoot. I was supposed to be home by now. I'm sorry. I have to go."
He chuckled at her panicked expression. "It's okay. Hey, I can give you a ride if you'd like."
A blush rose to her cheeks, causing her voice to come out in a soft squeak. "A ride?" He nodded. "Are you sure?"
"Of course. Besides, it's getting dark out, and a pretty girl like you shouldn't walk alone."
"Oh, I see. You're right. Well, since you're offering… okay. Thank you." She hated how formal she sounded when she talked to him. She was the person who knew him best. They had shared so much together. If only he could remember her, then she could finally breathe happily.
They walked up to the register together where he waited patiently for her to pay for her items. Before long they had slid into the seats of his black Porsche and were racing down the streets to her house. Serena watched the buildings fly by while Darien remained silent. Her heart screamed at her to spill everything while she had the chance, but her mind told her if there was any chance for them to be together, he would eventually cast their memories to the place where he could relive them. For now, she would just sit in the passenger seat where she would watch his life go by like the buildings on the other side of the window. For now, she had the chance to be on that side. Too bad she didn't have a voice.
At long last, her house came into view in the distance. Darien nodded at her instructions before pulling into the small driveway. Serena reached quickly into the backseat for her bag as she grabbed the door's handle.
She placed a smile on her face as she opened the door. "Thank you for the ride, Darien."
He just looked at her, no expression written on his features. "You're welcome."
"Goodnight." The farewell came out reluctantly for Serena never wanted to leave his side.
"Goodnight, Serena." She was just about to close the door when he called her name again, making her pause. "It was very nice to meet you. We'll have to talk more next time."
She smiled politely, trying her ever hardest at keeping her happiness at bay. "It was nice meeting you too, Darien, and yes, next time we shouldn't be so quiet." She laughed as she waved, closing the door on his handsome face. She walked up to her front door, placing her hand on the knob. Turning her face back to the driveway, she watched him pull swiftly out onto the street before he raced back the way they had come. Sighing, she opened the door to her house, already remembering her time spent with him.
--
The month of December went by as quickly as the snow would have melt on a hot summer day. Serena was thrilled to find herself enjoying more of Darien's company each passing day. They would run into each other during Serena's walk to school in the morning, and then they would find each other meeting in the arcade after school had let out. Their friendship was rapidly growing, but it seemed only Serena was the one to wish it would bloom into something more.
Sitting patiently in their booth, Serena sipped at her strawberry milkshake. Glancing down at her wrist watch every so often, she had to be reminded of the fact that he was late today. Tomorrow was New Year's Eve, and they had promised to spend today together since they figured tomorrow wouldn't work out. The minutes ticked by, the milkshake empting gradually, and Serena watched the window, waiting for a certain black-haired man to rise on the steps.
It never happened. The milkshake was long gone, the minutes were still ticking, and Serena was done waiting. Pulling herself out of the red booth, she placed a reasonable tip on the table before heading to the door. Saying her goodbye to Andrew over her shoulder, she walked into the crisp winter air.
As she walked to her house, thoughts were filling her mind. She tried to shake off the feeling that he didn't want to see her after all, but that wasn't possible. They had spoken on the phone last night, and he had once again confirmed of the meeting today. Their conversation had lingered into the late night. Nothing seemed wrong with him.
So why hadn't he shown up?
--
He didn't call her that night either as she had expected. She tried dialing his number and he never answered. The continuous ringing of his line continued to vibrate in her ear, the sound practically tempting the worry to break through her well controlled sanity. Pushing the end bottom harder than necessary, her blue eyes glared at the phone. Her thoughts raced with question that held no answers she could find.
Why would he disappear on the night she needed him the most?
Serena placed the phone in defeat on her night stand before falling helplessly on the bed. Shoving the covers roughly away from the pillow, she slid her feet over the mattress, not bothering to cover herself.
What was the use of trying to act normal when she was about to lose control?
The last day of the year was always the worst for her. Another year passed without him there as he should be, holding her and whispering sweet words in her ear. She missed hearing his declarations of love dance off his lips, pulling her into the beat. Every year that passed without him remembering what they had shared over a millennium ago, the longer she lost control of the normal life she lived.
At midnight exactly, Serena would be stripped from her veins, and Serenity, her true self, would walk in her rightful place.
--
The world looks at magic as if it was the most wondrous, free, and captivating thing in the world. A person could really do something with it whether it would be good or bad. They could live in harmony and tranquility with no worries to put a frown on their face or they could use that exact same power to warp a peaceful world into a manipulated place of deceit and emptiness.
If a person was given this magic, a very powerful gift, what exactly would they do with it?
Queen Serenity, Serena's first mother, had sent her only daughter, Serenity, to the place where she knew she would live a life where she would be happy because Endymion would be there. The beloved monarch had used the last remaining magic in her system to send her daughter, her daughter's lover, and her child's friends and guardians to the future world where they would be reborn into a normal, peaceful life without the duties of being who they truly were weighing them down during their most vulnerable years.
But she had never expected to see Serenity go through what she did when the clock struck midnight, the first minute of the last day of the year.
--
Serena laid perfectly still in her bed, anxiously awaiting the change. The pink curtains were drawn open wide for the moon to be able to cast its silver rays in her room, and the window to her small balcony was unlocked and greeted her room with the fresh air of the outside.
Her breathes could be seen in white puffs for the temperature had dropped steadily since she had pulled the window open. She closed her eyes, listening to the clock ticking the last few seconds of December 30th away. The young woman, her senses on high alert, could have imagined the loud sound the hand made when it crossed over the number twelve.
December 31st was here again and all its consequences came with it.
Serena had learned to remain calm as she felt her body morph on the inside. She could almost feel her skin sucking the silver light inside, letting the magic of the moon sliver into her veins. It filled her up all the way to the ends of her toes and the last tips of her hair, the power changing her light blonde strands completely silver. The cold air briefly licked her bare skin as her clothes disappeared, seeming to have blended in with the rays, but the moment only lasted a short second before a silky white gown fit around her body, the skirt spilling over the side of the small bed with the ends caressing the carpeted floor.
She watched every memory of her former life flit passed her vision, a tear slipping down her pale cheek as she watched herself commit suicide with Endymion's sword, his body having already been torn apart from the mighty blade. She inhaled a startled breath the same time the Serenity in her memory took her last one. Her cerulean eyes stared in silence when her mother prayed her last wish to the heavens, the wish that would send them all into the future world, before collapsing to the broken marble ground of their kingdom.
She cried soft, miserable tears as the memories reminded her of what she had lost while her body changed to what it had been the day she died. The silver tears fell like the white snow did out of the sky on the other side of her window.
Her tears ceased abruptly as the worst pain finally came. She felt a burning sensation spark on the very center of her forehead, the feeling coursing through her now magic-filled blood. She bit her lip, holding the scream in her throat as it burned her birthmark, a golden upside-down crescent, back into its rightful place.
--
A woman dressed in a white gown that brushed the snowy ground walked the paths of the park again. Her heels clicked along the stone walkway, the ancient trail leading her to the clock tower as it did every year at this time. The snow was still falling lightly from the night sky, covering the park in a powdery layer of purity.
Passing the clock tower, she didn't bother to search for the plaque that held her beloved's name from the time of their happiness. It would only hurt to see it now. With her head cast down, she watched her feet sink into the snow. She pulled the cloak tightly across her chest, trying not to get sick this year from the cold. Why wasn't she given something to wear that was more suited for the weather Japan's winter brought?
The stones twisted away from the old, beautiful clock tower, forcing her to follow its lead to the lake in the middle of the nature filled place. Her blue eyes swept over the frozen over waters, smiling at the way the snow rested on the surface. Winter over winter. It was a lovely sight.
The woman's gaze flickered over to the famous bench where it was positioned perfectly in front of the captivating scenery. A surprised gasp left her mouth when she saw the bench wasn't unoccupied. A man with onyx hair covered with snowflakes sat on the wooden seat, his elbows resting on his knees. His dark eyes glared at the scene in front of him, the intensity of his emotions filling the late air. Carefully, she walked over to him, her feet hardly making a sound. The moonlight led her towards the man, comforting her as it washed over her skin.
Sucking in the cold air, she let it out with her words. "Darien?" He didn't turn at the sound of his name. He didn't even move. "Darien, is everything all right?"
"No."
She flinched at the controlled anger in the simple answer. "Why not? What happened?"
"Naomi."
"What about her?" She was frightened to hear the answer, not knowing exactly what his girlfriend could have done to have made him act this way.
"We're over." His eyes remained on the ice, and she was thankful for that. Even after experiencing every kind of his emotions, it was still hard to have his heated gaze cast upon her.
She tried not to sound relieved. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Darien. If it's okay to ask, what happened?"
He still did not look at her. "Apparently, I've been talking in my sleep, saying things that she didn't exactly want to hear from me."
The silver haired woman wasn't following. "What were you saying?"
At long last, he turned his gaze to her, his midnight swirls competing with the sky hovering over them. The dark blue depths no longer held his fury, but instead it held confusion and uncertainty. Their eyes connected, the atmosphere around them sparked to life. "Naomi says I've been moaning this name in my sleep every night now, saying other nonsense with it." He kept their eyes locked.
She tried to hide the hopeful excitement of it beings hers. "What name?"
He looked over her outfit: the white gown, the gloves, the cloak, and finally, the birthmark on her forehead. His gaze narrowed in suspicion. "Who is Serenity?"
Serena kept her surprise suppressed when his question registered in her mind. She didn't expect that name, but the moment it fell from his lips, hope seeped into her soul. She felt their link strengthen just a bit more. He may not remember her or the love they held for each other, but given time it would come. She would just stand by his side, coaching him as Serena until the day he would finally remember her as being his love, his princess, his Serenity.
Because, when the winter chill comes, snowy memories will fall from the darkened, midnight sky.
Well, that's the end. I'm sorry to the reader who were hoping for the UNORIGINAL ending of them getting back together and living happily ever after. But if it helps... With this ending, you can see he's starting to remember her, and you can assume that everything will work out eventually. I just didn't want to write it. Now, after finishing what I wrote, you can make up the rest of it on your own with your own ideas. With this ending, it leaves the reader with an open mind. So... have fun with it. :)
I also hope some of you caught all the meaning I weaved into that last, beautiful line. Try to tell me what you think they were in a... REVIEW!
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MoonlightMaiden14