18 year old Serena Tsukino was walking with her friends towards hers and her fiancé of almost 3 years 21 year old Darien Chibas Apartment after a long day at college. she had recently been more tired but put it down to the new school year "or could it be I'm pregnant with Rini already? Me and Darien haven't been very careful lately since he point blank refused to go back to America after that incident with Galactica" her stomach twisted in knots from anxiety. her 4 best friends and some of her guardians Amy, Raye, Lita and Mina had also noticed a rapid change in their normally bubbly and cute friend of four years and Princess a millennia before and now and looked at her. with worry etched across their faces. "Sere is everything okay with you and Darien at home you have been really quiet and Sullen this past week or so" Amy said. Worry evident in her voice. Serena lifted her gaze off the ground looked at the bluenette and smiled "I'm Fiiinnnee Amy. Everything is brilliant with Darien living together is fun, I just haven't been sleeping well with the new school year at college and then..." She trailed off, unshed tears threatening to spill "taking the crown" Raye said, sympathy in her voice. Serena nodded quickly and angrily swept her eyes.
"It's happening too quickly, before we know it Rini will be here I just want to be a normal kid again" She swept her eyes once again getting more angry at herself for not being strong. "Serena?" Lita said gently Serena looked up at her tall gentle friend "no matter how hard things get we will always be here for you. you have been doing so well at school these past 2 years with Chaos defeated. We are all amazed at how well you have done and I don't mean it as an insult I can see Darien and the other 8 are proud of you as well" Lita smiled trying to reassure her worried friend. Serena nodded and gave a small smile. "Or could it be something more than college and crystal Tokyo worries. Like you might already be pregnant with Rini?" Mina said. Serenas eyes widened in shock at her blonde cousins statement and ran away in tears.
Raye looked at her best friend accusingly and said "You know she's terrified Mina, you know. Sometimes you can be really insensitive. We had better head to their apartment and pray she's there, there is a storm coming tonight and we all know the reason why she is so terrified of them. I left Jadeite a note at school as he had soccer practice saying I was walking with you guys tonight. I'm glad I did. Really Mina I thought you had matured at least a little bit seeing as you are her older cousin by 8 nearly 9 months I thought you might take your responsibility as her older cousin to be sensitive in these subjects I was clearly very wrong." Raye finished and walked ahead angry and in a huff. Lita and Amy looked at Mina and nodded their acknowledgement and quickly followed Raye. "Hey guys. I'm sorry wait up" the 3 paused and turned round to their Ditzy friend. "It is not us you need to apologise to Mina. It's your very vulnerable cousin who currently has no guardians protecting her in case anything happens" Raye said coldly and they continued walking Mina huffed. "I've really done it this time. Serena if you are not with Darien wherever you are please be safe." And ran after the other 3.
They soon arrived at the couples apartment and Rang the doorbell. Darien opened the door expecting Serena to have lost her key again but found only the four girls and Raye had a very sour look on her face and she was glaring at Mina. "Girls. Where's Serena?" He said putting his calm demeanour on. Even though his heart was pounding and blood was rushing in his ears. "If she was hurt they wouldn't have left her alone" his pounding heart settled a bit but the uneasy feeling was still there "Girls?" He said trying to remain calm "blame her cousin" Raye growled "she ran off in tears before we could settle her" Amy said worried "there is a massive storm brewing so she needs to be found quickly" Lita said urgently feeling her element starting to stir and big time.
Darien let out a frustrated growl "she's been acting strangely all week. We are engaged but I still don't know the reason why she's so terrified of them" he finished solemnly "Darien what's happened?" a deep voice came from the living room. "Kunzite" Mina squealed happily and ran in to the living taking her shoes off and Jumping into Kunzites arms. "uh is she ever going to stop that incessant squeal especially in this situation." Raye said bitterly. "what situation? and where's Jadeite?" Two heads appeared from behind the wall revealing Nephrite and Zoisite. "he has soccer tonight bakas he will be home soon" Raye countered. "Raye it's not their fault Serena is missing.." Amy said jumping in to defend her lover and Litas lover "what! Serena is missing" Nephrite growled.
Raye pointed an accusing finger to across the room where Mina was kissing Kunzite "uh can you two give it a rest for two minutes? the princess has disappeared" Nephrite said growing more Anxious. "I can't stay here anymore. I'm going to find Serena. You lot stay here in case she turns up and let me know straight away. I will speak to you later Mina" Darien said grabbing an umbrella as a rumble of thunder and flash of Lightning erupted in the skies above he quickly scarpered the building.
At the same time on the other side of the Juuban district
Serena screamed when she heard the thunder and lightning and began to sob "please no, not tonight" she whimpered quietly. "I shouldn't have freaked out like that at Mina and the girls. I knew this storm was coming tonight and now I'm all alone I should really ring Darien and tell him to come find me" she got her phone out of her bag "No battery" the phone flashed she had forgot to charge it again last night. Screaming in annoyance with herself, she let the tears flow getting looks from passers by "why am I so worried? I already love Rini dearly, I hated it when she said this would be her last time in the past the other week. I know why now" she looked down at her flat stomach and placed a hand over it "Mamas here baby girl I will do everything in my power to protect you" she vowed quietly.
Another flash of thunder and Lightning lead to Serena scarpering into a nearby alley she put her back against the wall and sunk down putting her arms round the bottom of her legs and head in between her knees she began to sob incessantly and shake. "Why must I be so weak when it comes to my emotions I swear I was less emotional than this when I was the princess before" she sobbed "that's because you saw your daddy being killed. You became the self loathing person you once were you horrible nasty little girl you will never be strong enough to be queen" an evil voice in her head said "No you are lying. I was never a self loathing person. I love what family I have past and present and nothing will change that." She put her hands on her ears to try and block out the evil laugh coming out of her mind "oh really?" the voice countered as if accepting a challenge the last thing Serena remembered was screaming then everything went black.
Darien heard a scream in the distance "Serena" he said and started running "why hasn't she transformed? Why hasn't she transformed? If she's in any kind of trouble surely she would have transformed?" He kept saying in his head "I'm coming baby girl" he shouted and ran as fast as he could the rain pounded down feeling like little daggers on his neck and legs as he ran "please be okay princess" he thought as he ran. Trusting his instinct he ran into a nearby alley and transformed into tuxedo mask he discarded his umbrella into his sub space pocket. "nothing like a birds eye view" he thought as he jumped to the top of a building after he had transformed his body filled with adrenaline as he ran and jumped he paused for a moment to catch his breath. He could feel Serenas energy it was weak but he pinpointed her location and he remembered he could probably still teleport to be near her "worth a shot" he thought summoning the gold crystal "take me to my fiancé" he said in a flurry of golden light he was there kneeling down next to an unconscious Serena.
"Hey meatball brains what are you doing out here all alone" he whispered "Daddy, please don't leave me" she whimpered while still unconscious tears falling down her face. "Daddy?, I thought he didn't want anything to do with Serena after she moved in with me? This is getting weird" "moon kingdom Daddy" she whimpered conscious for a minute and then everything went black again "what happened to her father in our past life?" He thought. He picked Serena up bridal style and jumped to the top of a building once again and made a bolt for it home where their anxious friends were waiting. While they were travelling home the girl kept uttering the word 'Daddy' while tears streamed down her face "I need to get her out of this" he thought he arrived back at their apartment building he detransformed and used the fire exit on the roof to get inside. He didn't want anymore suspicious looks.
He arrived at the apartment Securing Serena in his right arm while he knocked on the door. Raye opened it and breathed a sigh of relief. She touched Serenas hand and gasped in shock. "Darien she's freezing." Raye said shocked "I know Raye. I found her unconscious we need to get her warmed up before she goes hypo." Darien said, Raye Nodded. They had recently discovered that Serena had a heart condition. Which made her susceptible to illnesses. she could never be apart from the silver crystal. as that is what was keeping her body healthy and she will be able to live for a very long time as long as her body Remained in sync with the crystal. Trista said she will be fine so they believed it.
They walked into the living room Darien placed Serena on the sofa and wrapped her cold body up. Raye took her place back on Jadeites lap and glared at Mina. Amy fainted with shock to be caught by Zoisite who quickly brought her round by kissing her. Lita clung on to Nephrite and Began to sob Nephrite soothed her by stroking her hair. Jadeite was clueless as to why Raye was giving Mina hateful glares.
"Iiieee DADDY!" Serena screamed. Mina paled and also fainted "okay. You are going to tell me right now as to why Serena has just screamed for her father like that" Darien Said heart pounding. "I could always project her dream" Nephrite said "Don't you dare Nephrite" the warning voice of Michelle said. the four outers flashed in. "Doing that will actually kill her this time Nephrite. She needs to wake on her own, her health isn't exactly as peachy as it should be for her current condition" Trista said "do you mean her heart condition?" Jadeite said. Amara shook her head. Laughed and Ruffled Jadeites hair making him pout "No, little one" she finally said teasingly making him pout more if that was even possible well in Jadeites case it is. He made everyone laugh breaking the tense atmosphere.
"Daddy. please don't die we won't be safe without you" Serena cried while still unconscious. Darien sat next to her and stroked her face "we are all here princess. Everyone needs you to wake up now" he said in a firm but gentle tone. Slowly her eyes fluttered open. Blinking the unshed tears profusely she tried sitting up "Darien" she croaked "hey" he smiled. "Can you uncocoon me now I'm too hot" she whined "of course" he smiled and he unwrapped her carefully "I won't break you know my love" she gave a small grin and then glanced around the room "hey guys. I'm fine what are you all doing here?" her eyes landed on Trista. She felt her stomach tighten with anxiety again.
"I guess you want to know why I am so terrified of thunder storms now Darien" she quizzed. Darien could only hang his head as he nodded. "My father King tranquility was killed by some rogue youma before the dark kingdom came for the first time I was only 6 years old at the time, as I watched from a hiding place my father had hid me when he heard the youma. It was thundering and lightning very heavily I had assumed at the time it was to do with the youma. I saw it with my own eyes as my father was killed.. Kunzite heard my scream as he was just leaving Mina after their weekly play date and he killed the youma and he carried me back to my mother. As I had fainted from shock and exhaustion. He never left me that night he laid on my bed on guard while I slept on his chest so my mother could grieve quietly, please don't be mad Mina but I was safe with Kunzite that night he protected me." Mina nodded and smiled at Kunzite and mouthed a 'thank you for protecting my princess.' "That's how I knew when we met the 4 again while they were under Beryl's spell that they aren't and never will be bad people and it's the reason they never used their powers to manipulate the weather into thunderstorms to bring me out unlike the black moon clan did" Serena finished tears were rolling down her face again.
"I remember now. I was just at the end of my Shittenou training when I heard a little girl scream to find it was Serenity when I got to her she was so tiny and vulnerable I couldn't leave her alone that way, I was nearly kicked out of the princes protection But Helios and queen Serenity came down to earth and explained why I hadn't come back to earth after visiting Mina and then that's when the talks of the moon princess joining hands with Endymion in marriage began even though we the Shittenou were betrothed to the Senshi before Serenity and Endymion." Kunzite said. Serena nodded "Now you know the truth. Minna I'm sorry for freaking out earlier I guess I was just a little shocked I shouldn't have ran off on my own" Serena put her head down and tears slipped down her nose. She looked up at Trista again who nodded meaning she was right with her second assumption from earlier that night she frowned and shook her head having a mental war with herself Amaras voice entered her head "do you want me to tell them Serena?" She said with the bond "yes please Amara" and she nodded and snuggled into Darien who immediately embraced her. "Serena is pregnant. But next time Mina. Try and remain a little more Sensitive with your cousin." She finished. Mina nodded while the rest of the group whooped with Joy. "Well I guess it's no college for me this year" Serena said putting a hand on her flat stomach. She finally smiled "for once I'm more than pleased Rini is here"