bDRAGON BALL MOON/b
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z, if I did, I would be rich and be spending my time ogling hot guys instead of writing this, lol. So, PLEASE don't sue me, for all of the fifty dollars I have.
Summary: This is a crossover between Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z. Serena always struck me as having something strong in her that she kept hiding, so this is my explanation. See, while I liked the way Sailor Moon R ended, this is like an alternate ending. Lots of focus on Serena/Darien and I might create a few new relationships too.
'' denotes thought.
I use the English names for the scouts or senshi, so here are the translations. Usagi-Serena Mamoru-Darien Matoko-Lita Minako-Mina Rei-Rei Ami-Ami
Let's ROCK!!
bPrologue/b
Rena was only an infant when she was found in the forest by Trunks. At the age of two he had eluded his mother yet again and had slipped away into the woods. However, finding the baby distracted him from any plans of escape as he cautiously approached. Right as he neared the bundle, Bulma finally caught up with him.
"Trunks! What did.you...thi...nk.." Her voice trailed off as she saw the blonde baby girl Trunks had discovered. "Oh, Dende.." Vegeta was going to flip if she did what she was thinking.
With a beep the scouter she had been using to track Trunks flipped over to the girl. The numbers flashed, showing her power level. "11,562??! Oh, Vegeta is just gonna LOVE this."
"Impossible." Vegeta, blunt as always.
"Check her for yourself, but I am telling you, Vegeta, that baby has a power level over eleven thousand. That girl has more power than you did when you first came to Earth."
"Hmnph." Vegeta briefly examined the scouter Bulma handed to him. Finding no obvious flaw, he fitted it over his left ear, focusing it on the blonde nuisance his mate had brought home. The digits flashed and fluctuated before finally settling. '11,564? Not possible.' He then aimed the scouter at Bulma, expecting to find an equally ridiculous result. '99? Well, that is about right, but how can an infant, and a human infant at that, have such a high power level?' Vegeta discarded the scouter with a grunt, turning his back as he walked away. "The brat can stay. I will train her with Trunks, and we'll see how tough she really is."
14 years later.
Serena calmly faced off against the man she had called father all her life. When still a child she had remembered her past in full detail, but Moon Princess or not, this man was her father, even if he was sparring with her at the moment. She lept over his right punch, and using his shoulders as a spring board to vault across the room. Vegeta whipped around and chuckled when he spotted her, crouched and ready. "Your power has grown much in the past year, Rena."
"Thanks, Father." Serena relaxed as the gravity slowly dropped back to the normal one gee from the four hundred it had been set at. "Sailor Pluto visited again. She said the time is very soon."
A brief look of pain crossed Vegeta's face before he hid it. "Have you told your mother, brother, or sister yet?"
Serena glanced down. "I was looking after Bra when she appeared. Bra and Pluto, they seem to get along for some reason. Mom and Trunks found out just before we started to train today."
Vegeta clenched his teeth, grinding them together slightly. 'Why am I always the last to know?'
Continuing, Serena quietly delivered her news, "Pluto said you can use the dragon balls for a period of time you set and then come back, and she will see that you return at the moment you left, so there will be no passage of time, no enemies to worry about. She told me I have to leave tomorrow night, Dad."
Releasing a small sigh, Vegeta stalked from the gravity room. He didn't show it, but he cared deeply for his family, died for them before, and now he was losing one of his family, and he couldn't even fight for her. Why did it have to be his daughter? Why couldn't it be one of Kakarotto's kids? No, not even that idiot Kakarotto deserved this.
He met Bulma in the hall. She was crying, tears slowly falling down her cheeks. Alone with her, Vegeta gently embraced her, allowing a single tear of his own to escape, sliding down his face to his chin and disappearing into her blue hair. Bulma held tightly to her husband. "Now what?" Her whispered voice was muffled from her tears, and more so against his shoulder. None the less, his acute hearing picked up her desperate question and he understood. He tried to remember that they were not losing her, but this pain inside him was like none he had ever received in battle, too deep for anything but time to heal.
It was the last day she was to be with her family, and Serena was of mixed emotions on the entire event. Leaving her family was terrible, leave everything she had ever known, but before her lay her court and prince. However, they would not know her, and she had to act like a stupid little ditsy blonde. How uirking/u. She did terribly miss her old friends though. Ami, the Sailor Scout of Mercury; Mina, the Scout of Venus; Rei, the scout from the fire planet Mars; Lita, the protective scout of Jupiter, but most of all, Serena missed her prince, her Endymion. Ultimately, he was the reason she agreed to this idiocy, but Dende, she was going to miss her loved ones here. Especially her brother, trunks. Her protector, best friend, support, and, in some ways, her strength.
Suddenly, she felt Pluto's presence. It was time.
Serena emerged into the huge back yard to say her goodbyes and final farewells. She acknowledged Pluto with a nod and turned to her friends and family. First she bid goodbye to Yamcha, Tien, Choutzu, and Uncle Krillun. Then came Uncle Goku and Aunt Chichi, their sons, Goten and Gohan, and Gohan's wife, Videl, and their daughter, Pan. After that it was Uncle Piccolo, who rested a hand on her shoulder and presented her with a bag of senzu beans. Finally, only her closest family was left. Bra, her younger sister, hugged her tightly and whispered a for her to be careful in her ear. Trunks did the same before giving her a magnificent sword as a goodbye present, saying it was to protect her and keep her safe. Bulma, her mother, teacher, and confidant, embraced her tightly, whispering her love and wishing her luck with her prince, making a comment about princes running in the family. By now Serena was in tears, but she straightened for her final farewell. Squaring her shoulders, she said in as even a tone as she could manage, "Farewell, Father. I."
Vegeta cut her off and stepped forward, resting his hands on her shoulders before doing something so unexpected, it elicited a gasp from Serena and Bulma. He pulled Serena into a tight but brief embrace, quickly stepping back. He simply said, "be well," as Serena smiled brightly.
"I love you all, please do come visit me at some point. I will miss everyone so much. Don't forget.."
Pluto touched her shoulder and led Serena through a large purple portal. Rena was led to the household of her future "family" where she promptly hypnotized them and altered their memories to include her while Pluto set up her public records and school. After their jobs were done, Pluto left and her new life began. She was told it was bed time and went to her room, a gaudy, pink affair filled with stuffed bunnies. This was going to be a long.however long this was going to take.
The next morning Serena purposely slept late and ran, very slowly for her, fast for any normal human, to school. Rounding a corner, she spotted a group of boys tormenting a cat. After chasing them off, she carefully picked up the black cat and noticed the bandages over its forehead. Gently, she removed them, revealing a crescent moon! 'Luna!' To cover her recognition, she screeched about school and ran for it..
Chapter 1: Visitors!
Two Years Later.
Serena walked away from school totally depressed. In the past two years she had found and lost her scouts, died once, won, lost, found her scouts again, won again, and now lost her prince, plus she had the mystery that was Reenie to deal with. God, she missed her family. She would do almost anything to spar with her father, Vegeta, or to talk with Bulma, her mother. To practice hew sword techniques with Trunks or to play with Bra would be more welcome than almost anything else in the world. No one else in this universe even knew the real her, except for Pluto and the spirit of her real mother, Queen Selenity. 'Ugh, this is too depressing, I got to blow off some steam.'
Seeking peace and a release, Serena went to her secret place in the forest on the edge of town. She sat her easy, boring, and yet failing school work aside and took up the fighting stance Vegeta had taught her before beginning a difficult, powerful, and, to the untrained eye, mostly invisible routine. 'Gad, my power level has dropped a lot in past year. I have to find a way to train, even if there is no one to spar with.' With a cry of frustration she stopped and fell to her knees, quiet and heartfelt tears surfacing but not falling.
A loud rustling behind her caused Serena to whirl and take a defensive stance in one, smooth motion, tears still present in her eyes.
"Rena?"
Serena froze, to in shock from the old remembered nickname and the sight before her to move for a second.
But only a second.
"Dad! Mom! Trunks, Bra!! Uncle PICCOLO!!" Serena Threw herself into the group, winding up with Bulma hugging her, everyone else close around. "You came, you came!" Tears were flowing freely down Serena's face now, mirrored by Bulma and Bra. Trunks barely kept his control with Vegeta settling for placing a reassuring hand on Serena's shoulder, feeling the tension and stress in her muscles. The omnipresent frown lines deepened on his face.
"Serena, what's wrong?" Vegeta was not going to be put off, it was evident in his gruff voice.
Grabbing Trunks's hand for support, Serena began her tale and told them of her fights and life, of Queen Beryl, and Alan and Ann, to the current crisis with Rubius Reenie, and her heartbreak with Darien. During her long story, they all listened in silence. Vegeta's face visibly darkened during the retelling of the pain Darien, her life, love, and prince, had put her through, Trunks's face a mirror of his father's. Piccolo, the only one still paying attention to anything besides Serena's story noticed the approach of four other moderate powers, in a group, coming up on them.
"Hey! Listen up, four powers coming!"
Vegeta and Trunks were immediately in attack positions, Bulma and Bra moving out of the way, even as Serena started for her broach, stopping when she recognized the powers. "Guys, it's the Scouts. Mars probably picked up on your power, mask your power levels and let's go, I don't want to deal with hem right now."
Moments later, when the Scouts leapt into the clearing, the reunited family and friends were gone. All the scouts found was sighs of a meeting and trampled grass.
The rest of the night was spent getting rooms for the Serena's family and Piccolo, as well as catching up on what had happened in their lives. Finally, Serena headed home before her ten o'clock cerfew with Trunks, his insisting he should see her home resulting in the conclusion that he could sleep on her couch, if for no other reason than to save cash on another hotel room. Both walked in silence to her house, neither knowing how to break it. Eventually, Serena had had enough.
"So, Trunks, how long will you guys be here?"
Trunks shrugged easily. "We don't know. Our wish was to be sent to you and return when you would be able to handle it."
"Ah, in that case, you could be here for a while. I'll get a hold of Pluto and have her set up the records you'll need for school and stuff."
Grabbing her arm, Trunks stopped and turned her to face him "Serena, something is still bothering you. Come on, you know you can trust me."
Serena, on the other hand, was no longer listening to Trunks. Her gaze had instead focused on a young Man who had just come into view from around a corner. Eyes widened and a fist clenched as she watched his oblivious approach. She mentally damned herself that she allowed Darien to still have this effect on her. Subconsciously she shrank back a step, wanting to either run or.or she didn't know what else.
While Darien may have been bling to the immenient confrontation, Trunks was anything BUT. He felt Serena tense and waiver and he turned to look for the source of her reaction.
It was not hard to find.
So THIS was Prince Endymion, A.K.A. Darien, the one who had broken his sister's heart, several times. Currently, it was taking every bit of control in him to keep from breaking this jerk into two pieces. Maybe a seventy-thirty split, it is not a science.
"Trunks, let's go." Serena tugged lightly on his jacket. She did not want to have to deal with Darien right now. Nor did she want Trunks to turn him into shredded wheat. Turning fully to Trunks, Serena continued in a rush, "Pluto knows you're here, and she told me that.I.could." Darien's foot steps had stopped, right behind her. 'Here it comes.' Looking for all the world like a deer in headlights, Serena turned to face the love of her life.
Darien had been shocked out of his thoughts. 'Who was this guy that dared to hold HIS meatball head? This purple-haired interloper was even touching her!' Anger was hidden behind a mask as a little part of his mid whispered, 'You have to protect her! Stay Away! Remember the dreams?' He remembered, but this was more than he expected. "Serena," he simply said in a cold voice.
Trunk's expression clouded and darkened. All that jerk could say was '"Serena?!!"' 'Man, after all he has put her through, and all the pain she showed me, that's it??!!!' On instinct borne of anger, Trunks stepped forward.
Serena had other concerns now. She sensed an evil nearby, darkness. Tense, she looked up to behold the source. "Rubius!!!!" Just what she needed. 'Only one thing was lacking.. Hell, it would get worse, why speculate?'
Serena's shout was all that stopped Trunks from lighting into Darien. Whirling, he found another being that had caused Serena so much pain. He, the one called "Rubius," didn't look like much. "Rena, have you ever tried to fight him like we normally would?" While Rubius was obviously not revealing his true power, he was certainly no Cell of Buu.
With a glance at trunks, Serena shook her head, still eyeing her enemy. "Pluto told me when I first came here that I was not to use those techniques. But when I spoke to her tonight she said I no longer had to refrain from it, also I can act like myself again, but I have no idea how our power will affect Rubius."
Darien had nearly been forgotten by the two immediately after Rubius appeared. 'What was she talking about anyway? Be herself again? Power? Did she mean her Sailor Moon powers? Who WAS this purple-haired boy anyway, and, more importantly, what was this PUNK doing with HIS Meatball Head??! That should be HIM at her side!' That small voice returned again to his mind, 'Stay away, remember the dream!' trying to mask his inner conflict Darien faced Rubius and subtly reached for his transformation rose, ready to go at a moment's notice.
Rubius, for his part, was ignoring the chatter of the puny humans and concentrating on the scanner the Wiseman had given him. The scanner was set to discover the energy signature of the Silver rystal, and it had led him here. Suddenly the object bleeped and signaled where the Crystal was, in the possession of the blonde haired girl below him. That had to mean that this puny girl was..
"Sailor Moon. So glad to finally make your real acquaintance. Now, hand over the Crystal, or your two friends die."
A calm seemed to come over Serena. It was time to do her mother, father, brother, and sister proud. "You're not getting my crystal or hurting my friends. I won't allow it." She suddenly seemed more formidable, like an invisible cloak had been thrown aside. "And you won't be hurting Reenie either." Trunks took a step back, bracing for her next move. Standing in her favorite fighting stance, Serena summoned up her ki, powering up for battle.
Rei had felt Rubius appear and had sent out an all call over her communicator to the scouts. They had all acknowledged, except for Serena, as usual. All were en route. 'Serena had better show,' Rei thought, 'or boy will she hear the riot act from me!' She had already transformed and she continued her sprint across rooftops to her destination. 'Why do I feel like we are going to get more than we expect?'
Darien was in shock. One minute Rubius had fingered Serena as Sailor Moon and had looked ready to attack, and then, right as Darien was about to step in, Serena had.had.he wasn't sure what she had done after a point. She'd taken, of all things, a fighting stance and told Rubius off, THAT he understood, but THEN.that was when the shock set in. Serena had suddenly been surrounded by some sort or aurora that looked like white fire with silver on the edges. Their link was going wild. Her hair was floating behing her like a gold cloud and she seemed to suddenly have muscles out of nowhere. 'Muscles??! On Serena? On MY fragile, vulnerable, clutzy, Meatball Head??!'
For just a moment Serena luxuriated in the rush of power so long missed. She had not pushed herself to this level in some time, afraid to trigger Rei's physic senses, but now she could finally cut loose. She screamed with the effort as she pushed her energy higher, to its peak, and it was not a high pitched scream of pain, but a lower one of effort, rage, and freedom.
"Ok, Rubius, you want Reenie and my crystal, you have to take me down first." She shifted to a more aggressive stance. "Come on, let's see how you do in a fair fight."
Trunks was watching all three individuals around him while slowly raising his power level. Serena looked more like her old self now, but he could see the pain and doubt in her. That Darien guy was standing with one hand halfway inside his jacket, frozen, just staring at Serena, in shock. 'Good.' Rubius looked surprised, but not the least bit intimidated. He would fight now, which was fine. Vegeta and Piccolo would be there soon, Rena might as well have sent up a flare when she powered up like that. 'Wait a sec.' He could now sense four smaller powers approaching too. 'Must be the Scouts. I can't wait to see their faces. Dad and Piccolo should get here just before they do. Uh-oh, what is Rubius laughing at?'
Rubius was indeed laughing. A laugh full of scorn and malice. "You think YOU can defeat ME? HAHAHAHAHA! And no transformation into Sailor Moon either! You shall be easy prey for my new toy. DROID ARACHNIA, come forth!"
'What in the name of the Earth is she DOING?!' Darien had had his fill. Granted, Serena was demonstrating some new power, and granted, she looked to have gone from clumsy, ditzy girl to warrior in front of his eyes, but even with all this, surely she had to transform to beat Rubius and the monster he had summoned. Well, if she wouldn't transform, he would. Gripping his transformation rose while Rubius was distracted, he felt the familiar sensations overcome him, and, in seconds, his cape billowed behind him in the wind.
Senses far more alert than usual, even in her Sailor Moon guise, Serena felt Darien transform. Before dealing with him though, she evaluated the threat before her. The monster looked like a cross between a tarantula and a black scorpion. It had a hairy body with eight spider-like legs and two pinchers in front, like a scorpion, a stinger tail curled over its back. OK, Darien wouldn't have a chance. Besides, she felt like a good fight right now, and this monster looked like it's put up a whopper and then some with Rubius there. So, knowing Darien wouldn't listen and that she'd be very busy in a moment, that left no one person to be sure Darien would keep out and be safe, except for., "Trunks," she shouted. "Keep Tuxedo Mask out of this! I'll be busy enough with two of them, I don't need another distraction!"
Tuxedo Mask was livid, and it showed. "Distraction?!" He started forward ready to...SOMETHING, so mad he couldn't even see straight when the purple haired stranger, the one Serena called "Trunks," was suddenly in front of him.
"Haven't you hurt her enough? She needs to do this on her own." Trunks paused for a moment, glaring at the masked hero. "Besides, she will now show you what she is capable of, maybe you'll finally understand the Hell she has lived for the past two years and just how much you hurt her."
Serena was ignoring the scene behind her, focused on her enemies. Arachnia moved first, lunging at her with stinger extended. Levitating rapidly into the air, Serena avoided the jab and launched a ki blast at it. The ball of silver energy hit the monster and bounced off, burning the outer fur covering away to reveal a exoskeleton of black chitin. She'd have to use a more powerful attack if she wanted to end this anytime soon. Sensing her father and Piccolo would soon arrive, she opted for one of her strongest attacks. As Rubius, Darien, and Trunks watched, she hovered in the air, just out of reach of the monster, and began her Uncle Goku's most powerful attack. "Ka."
Trunks momentarily froze, as he heard Serena begin one of the most powerful and draining he knew. As a result, Tuxedo Mask almost evaded him in another attempt to get into the battle and help Serena. 'Dende! For someone who hates her, he sure is determined to save her,' Trunks absently thought as he dashed in front if Tuxedo Mask to head him off. 'I hope Rena knows what she's doing, after two years with no REAL training, she'll have to be very careful or she could put too much into it and do Rubius's work for him. I'll be ready.." Meanwhile, he easily dodged several thrown roses. 'THOSE are attacks??!' He saw them embed themselves in the concrete. 'Oh, that's better. Wonder how they would do if they were ki charged..'
"Me."
Tuxedo Mask was frantic. His link with Serena was SCREAMING for him to MOVE, do SOMETHING! She was in danger, and he couldn't even get to her, all because of this "Trunks" guy. He was faster than anything Darien had ever seen. He dodged the roses with ease! NO ONE had ever done that before. The urgency of the link raised again as Serena uttered another syllable.
"HA."
Vegeta felt the massive build up of power just as the distant battle field came into view. "Surely she has more sense than to put THAT much energy into a blast after two years of little training."
Piccolo almost smiled. "yeah, whatever, vegeta. She took to much after you when you and Bulma raised her. Bulma's temper and your brains. That's not just a blast. Remember, my ears do more than just frame my head. Rena is preparing to unleash the Kamehameha wave."
Vegeta's eyes narrowed. He didn't respond, just flew faster. "Dende. I have to be in time."
"MEE."
Rubius's eyes widened. She hadn't even transformed, yet she had all this power. From the looks of it though, this was exhausting her. Sweat was pouring down her and her breathing was heavy. Perhaps she'd be weak after this.whatever it was. Serena felt the power, ready to be unleashed. 'I hope I didn't underdo or overdo this! I'll be out of it if I over did it, and under doing it will only drain me! Well, here we go.'
"HHAAAAA!!!!!"
Serena thrust her hands forward as silver-light energy poured from them in a destructive wave, hitting the monster in the middle of its hard back. It screamed as it was buffeted by energy, forcing it down to the ground. Trunks whirled to see the attack, allowing Tuxedo Mask to finally get around him to see the fight. At first, he thought she was using the crystal, but before he could question how she could use it without transforming into Sailor Moon or Princess Serenity, he saw Rubius teleport just behind her with a dark energy blast ready. Tuxedo Mask cried out, but, afraid to hit Serena, threw no roses, choosing to instead run towards the scene. Trunks and Vegeta both growled and cursed the cowardly attack, firing twin seeking blasts at Rubius.
Just as Rubius attacked, the monster turned to dust, and Serena, having put all her energy into the blast, had nothing left to form a shield. She took the bolt full force in the back and started to fall. Tuxedo Mask was sprinting for her, but she saw he wasn't going to make it. Closing her eyes, she braced for the inpact with the unforgiving ground.
It never came.
Suddenly Serena felt the familiar ki of Piccolo and was caught by the powerful Namek. Almost all of her energy was gone, but she raised her head and whispered, "Thanks, Piccolo." She then slumped in his arms, unconscious.
As Serena fell, the Saiyans' blasts neared Rubius. Vegeta's struch first, hitting him in the shoulder and spinning him around before he teleported away, Trunks's blast missing entirely.
Vegeta dropped to the ground beside where Piccolo had gently landed and where Tuxedo Mask was fast approaching. At that moment the Scouts arrived and immediately jumped to conclusions. From their point of view, they saw an unconscious, possibly wounded, Serena being held by a green being, with a muscular man on one side with weird hai and a younger man on the other side with purple hair. Tuxedo Mask was sprinting for the group. Taking all this into account, its understandable that the scouts got the wrong impression. Mars and Jupiter headed straight in while Mercury and Venus circled to the sides for an attack.
Piccolo ignored the rather obvious approach of who he assumed were the Sailor Scouts and Serena's vaunted Tuxedo Mask. Hastily setting Serena down and removing a senzu from a cloth sack at his waist, Piccolo motioned for Trunks to hold her so she wouldn't choke on the bean. He saw Vegeta, out of the corner of his eye, moving to head off the two most straight forward scouts as he pushed the senzu into Serena's mouth and felt her swallow it. Trunks and Piccolo then moved back to give her room just as tuxedo Mask landed in their midst. Simultaneously Serena let out a low groan and started to set up.
"Serena?" Darien kept his voice cold and unemotional, but he could not stop himself from resting one hand lightly on her arm.
Hurt by his tone, and damned if she'd let him know it, Serena jerked away from his touch and practically growled, "fine, just overdid my attack. Jerk, COWARD, got me from behind."
Trunks chuckled. "Your temper hasn't changed, Rena," he stated, offereing her a hand up.
Tuxedo Mask bristled at the nickname this stranger casually used. Serena merely grunted and ignored the pro-offered hand, pushing herself to her feet. "Thanks for the senzu, Piccolo." He nodded in response. "Where's da.I mean Vegeta?" Piccolo rumbled low in his chest, his version of a laugh.
"Meeting your friends."
Serena glanced towards the group and sighed, heading over before someone got fried, and she knew it wouldn't be Vegeta.
Vegeta stood motionless and the ones in red and green headed for him, the other two circling. He waited for them or Serena to come to, whichever worked first. With a sence of relief he felt Serena's power rise again to normal levels and then her approach. It hardly seemed necessary, the others were stunned motionless.
Serena stopped midway between Piccolo, Trunks, and Vegeta. "Dad, Piccolo, you can go on home, Trunks and I can deal with this, I don't want someone hurt tonight."
Both warriors nodded in respect and acknowledgement, then the Namek and Saiyan rose into the air, blasting off to wherever they were staying.
As soon as they had gone, the scouts and Tuxedo Mask converged on Serena. Trunks stood a little ways off to give them some privacy, but close enough to jump in if needed.
Tuxedo Mask detransformed into Darien and was the first to approach Serena. "What the Hell do you think you were doing? Taking on a droid without transforming or calling the others?!"
Serena shrugged blandly. "I won, didn't I?"
"And damn near got killed in the process. DAMNIT to HELL you are so careless!!"
That outburst snapped the last bit of temper control Serena had left. "So what?" She was shouting at him by now. "You hate my guts anyways, so why should you care? Don't want to lose a fellow fighter? BIG DEAL, according to you, Reenie fights better than I do. So, since yo no longer have a say in what I do, leave it and me ALONE." With that she turned her back on him, firmly focusing on the scouts.
Darien felt like a knife was driven into his soul with each word, but his face was like stone. He leapt into the tree line, out of sight, and listened to the rest of the encounter, wondering what had so drastically changed his Meatball Head. As he tried to concentrate on what was going on below him, a single tear ran down his cheek.
As the girls advanced on her, Serena raised a commanding hand. "let me get this over wih, I am dead tired and want to go home. One, the people you saw with me are friends and allies, that is why I sent them on, so I could explain that to you before you blasted them and get yourselves killed. Two, they are stronger than any of us and saved my life just now. That guy, she said, motioning to Trunks, "is stronger than I am. He is also a dear friend. Right now, I can't tell you anymore than that."
Rei started to object but was cut off by Ami. "They aren't human, are they." It was a statement, not a question.
"No. Trunks there is half human, but the other two were far from it."
Rei was finally fed up. "OK, Serena.." Her voice telegraphed her anger. "Who and what are they?"
"They'll tell you Rei. When they are damned good and ready." Serena walked over to Trunks. "Let's get going, I still have to make up a couch for you." They left the scouts standing in shock, Darien shadowing them from the shadows.
After a short distance, Trunks glanced over at Serena to see her slumped slightly and her fists clenched. "Rena?"
"He did it again."
"Who did what?" Trunks was bewildered, then she responded just as his realization dawned.
"Darien. Openly criticized me. That's all he's done lately. Hurt, insulted, criticized, and ignored me." She had stopped walking now and was shacking slightly. "And each time he does is like a wound that won't close. You want to know the truth about why I am weaker now than before? Because of all those wounds. Each one bleeds some energy from me. Soon I might just give up. I can't help but wonder what it was he saw in me that made him hate me so."
Trunks whirled to face her while in the shadows behind them, Darien froze in abject horror at what he had heard. 'How could she think that?' Darien's thoughts were racing. 'I couldn't believe my luck that someone like her would want to be with me! Dear God, what have I done?'
Darien was not the only one appalled by Serena's outburst. Trunks grabbed her shoulders, not believing what he just heard. "Serena, are you nuts?!"
Turning away form Trunks and shrugging out of his grasp, Serena bowed her head and opened up to Trunks, and, unknowingly, to Darien. "Look at it my way, Trunks. A thousand years ago the two of us fell in love, and we loved each other so much, that we died instead of be separated. Now we were reborn and when we first run into each other, we hate each other. Finally we both remember, and we can love each other, for about a minute, then he is taken away. Comes back brain washed and wants to kill me. Eventually I heal him, only to have him die in my lap. We are saved again, with no memories, and again he doesn't like me too much. And now, FINALLY, he remembers, and at last we can be together, forever. Then, overnight, he stops loving me and dumps me like last week's garbage." A single tear dropped from Serena's eye. "And I keep thinking, what if someone else sees whatever it was that is so bad that it made him just stop loving me, just like that?" More silent tears dropped, a silence descended that worried Darien no end. Where was the wail? Darien was in tears himself after all the pain he had caused and the self-hatred in her voice.
Trunks was stunned. 'Dear Dende, THIS is what she has been going through?' Suddenly Trunks hugged her lightly, stepping back and smiling lightly. "Tomorrow Dad and Piccolo are sparring in that clearing, we are going. Sparring always cheered you up. Ever brought a capsulated gravity room."
Darien watched as Serena nodded, her face still downcast and in shadow. She agreed and straightened, seeming to gather herself. 'Serena voluntarily fighting? Since when does she like to fight? Something is up.' The added confusion was not helping his already slipping control. He stole away silently, reaching his apartment moments later. Taking out a picture of himself and Serena together, he wept for the pain he had caused, wept for both of their broken hearts.
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragon Ball Z, if I did, I would be rich and be spending my time ogling hot guys instead of writing this, lol. So, PLEASE don't sue me, for all of the fifty dollars I have.
Summary: This is a crossover between Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z. Serena always struck me as having something strong in her that she kept hiding, so this is my explanation. See, while I liked the way Sailor Moon R ended, this is like an alternate ending. Lots of focus on Serena/Darien and I might create a few new relationships too.
'' denotes thought.
I use the English names for the scouts or senshi, so here are the translations. Usagi-Serena Mamoru-Darien Matoko-Lita Minako-Mina Rei-Rei Ami-Ami
Let's ROCK!!
bPrologue/b
Rena was only an infant when she was found in the forest by Trunks. At the age of two he had eluded his mother yet again and had slipped away into the woods. However, finding the baby distracted him from any plans of escape as he cautiously approached. Right as he neared the bundle, Bulma finally caught up with him.
"Trunks! What did.you...thi...nk.." Her voice trailed off as she saw the blonde baby girl Trunks had discovered. "Oh, Dende.." Vegeta was going to flip if she did what she was thinking.
With a beep the scouter she had been using to track Trunks flipped over to the girl. The numbers flashed, showing her power level. "11,562??! Oh, Vegeta is just gonna LOVE this."
"Impossible." Vegeta, blunt as always.
"Check her for yourself, but I am telling you, Vegeta, that baby has a power level over eleven thousand. That girl has more power than you did when you first came to Earth."
"Hmnph." Vegeta briefly examined the scouter Bulma handed to him. Finding no obvious flaw, he fitted it over his left ear, focusing it on the blonde nuisance his mate had brought home. The digits flashed and fluctuated before finally settling. '11,564? Not possible.' He then aimed the scouter at Bulma, expecting to find an equally ridiculous result. '99? Well, that is about right, but how can an infant, and a human infant at that, have such a high power level?' Vegeta discarded the scouter with a grunt, turning his back as he walked away. "The brat can stay. I will train her with Trunks, and we'll see how tough she really is."
14 years later.
Serena calmly faced off against the man she had called father all her life. When still a child she had remembered her past in full detail, but Moon Princess or not, this man was her father, even if he was sparring with her at the moment. She lept over his right punch, and using his shoulders as a spring board to vault across the room. Vegeta whipped around and chuckled when he spotted her, crouched and ready. "Your power has grown much in the past year, Rena."
"Thanks, Father." Serena relaxed as the gravity slowly dropped back to the normal one gee from the four hundred it had been set at. "Sailor Pluto visited again. She said the time is very soon."
A brief look of pain crossed Vegeta's face before he hid it. "Have you told your mother, brother, or sister yet?"
Serena glanced down. "I was looking after Bra when she appeared. Bra and Pluto, they seem to get along for some reason. Mom and Trunks found out just before we started to train today."
Vegeta clenched his teeth, grinding them together slightly. 'Why am I always the last to know?'
Continuing, Serena quietly delivered her news, "Pluto said you can use the dragon balls for a period of time you set and then come back, and she will see that you return at the moment you left, so there will be no passage of time, no enemies to worry about. She told me I have to leave tomorrow night, Dad."
Releasing a small sigh, Vegeta stalked from the gravity room. He didn't show it, but he cared deeply for his family, died for them before, and now he was losing one of his family, and he couldn't even fight for her. Why did it have to be his daughter? Why couldn't it be one of Kakarotto's kids? No, not even that idiot Kakarotto deserved this.
He met Bulma in the hall. She was crying, tears slowly falling down her cheeks. Alone with her, Vegeta gently embraced her, allowing a single tear of his own to escape, sliding down his face to his chin and disappearing into her blue hair. Bulma held tightly to her husband. "Now what?" Her whispered voice was muffled from her tears, and more so against his shoulder. None the less, his acute hearing picked up her desperate question and he understood. He tried to remember that they were not losing her, but this pain inside him was like none he had ever received in battle, too deep for anything but time to heal.
It was the last day she was to be with her family, and Serena was of mixed emotions on the entire event. Leaving her family was terrible, leave everything she had ever known, but before her lay her court and prince. However, they would not know her, and she had to act like a stupid little ditsy blonde. How uirking/u. She did terribly miss her old friends though. Ami, the Sailor Scout of Mercury; Mina, the Scout of Venus; Rei, the scout from the fire planet Mars; Lita, the protective scout of Jupiter, but most of all, Serena missed her prince, her Endymion. Ultimately, he was the reason she agreed to this idiocy, but Dende, she was going to miss her loved ones here. Especially her brother, trunks. Her protector, best friend, support, and, in some ways, her strength.
Suddenly, she felt Pluto's presence. It was time.
Serena emerged into the huge back yard to say her goodbyes and final farewells. She acknowledged Pluto with a nod and turned to her friends and family. First she bid goodbye to Yamcha, Tien, Choutzu, and Uncle Krillun. Then came Uncle Goku and Aunt Chichi, their sons, Goten and Gohan, and Gohan's wife, Videl, and their daughter, Pan. After that it was Uncle Piccolo, who rested a hand on her shoulder and presented her with a bag of senzu beans. Finally, only her closest family was left. Bra, her younger sister, hugged her tightly and whispered a for her to be careful in her ear. Trunks did the same before giving her a magnificent sword as a goodbye present, saying it was to protect her and keep her safe. Bulma, her mother, teacher, and confidant, embraced her tightly, whispering her love and wishing her luck with her prince, making a comment about princes running in the family. By now Serena was in tears, but she straightened for her final farewell. Squaring her shoulders, she said in as even a tone as she could manage, "Farewell, Father. I."
Vegeta cut her off and stepped forward, resting his hands on her shoulders before doing something so unexpected, it elicited a gasp from Serena and Bulma. He pulled Serena into a tight but brief embrace, quickly stepping back. He simply said, "be well," as Serena smiled brightly.
"I love you all, please do come visit me at some point. I will miss everyone so much. Don't forget.."
Pluto touched her shoulder and led Serena through a large purple portal. Rena was led to the household of her future "family" where she promptly hypnotized them and altered their memories to include her while Pluto set up her public records and school. After their jobs were done, Pluto left and her new life began. She was told it was bed time and went to her room, a gaudy, pink affair filled with stuffed bunnies. This was going to be a long.however long this was going to take.
The next morning Serena purposely slept late and ran, very slowly for her, fast for any normal human, to school. Rounding a corner, she spotted a group of boys tormenting a cat. After chasing them off, she carefully picked up the black cat and noticed the bandages over its forehead. Gently, she removed them, revealing a crescent moon! 'Luna!' To cover her recognition, she screeched about school and ran for it..
Chapter 1: Visitors!
Two Years Later.
Serena walked away from school totally depressed. In the past two years she had found and lost her scouts, died once, won, lost, found her scouts again, won again, and now lost her prince, plus she had the mystery that was Reenie to deal with. God, she missed her family. She would do almost anything to spar with her father, Vegeta, or to talk with Bulma, her mother. To practice hew sword techniques with Trunks or to play with Bra would be more welcome than almost anything else in the world. No one else in this universe even knew the real her, except for Pluto and the spirit of her real mother, Queen Selenity. 'Ugh, this is too depressing, I got to blow off some steam.'
Seeking peace and a release, Serena went to her secret place in the forest on the edge of town. She sat her easy, boring, and yet failing school work aside and took up the fighting stance Vegeta had taught her before beginning a difficult, powerful, and, to the untrained eye, mostly invisible routine. 'Gad, my power level has dropped a lot in past year. I have to find a way to train, even if there is no one to spar with.' With a cry of frustration she stopped and fell to her knees, quiet and heartfelt tears surfacing but not falling.
A loud rustling behind her caused Serena to whirl and take a defensive stance in one, smooth motion, tears still present in her eyes.
"Rena?"
Serena froze, to in shock from the old remembered nickname and the sight before her to move for a second.
But only a second.
"Dad! Mom! Trunks, Bra!! Uncle PICCOLO!!" Serena Threw herself into the group, winding up with Bulma hugging her, everyone else close around. "You came, you came!" Tears were flowing freely down Serena's face now, mirrored by Bulma and Bra. Trunks barely kept his control with Vegeta settling for placing a reassuring hand on Serena's shoulder, feeling the tension and stress in her muscles. The omnipresent frown lines deepened on his face.
"Serena, what's wrong?" Vegeta was not going to be put off, it was evident in his gruff voice.
Grabbing Trunks's hand for support, Serena began her tale and told them of her fights and life, of Queen Beryl, and Alan and Ann, to the current crisis with Rubius Reenie, and her heartbreak with Darien. During her long story, they all listened in silence. Vegeta's face visibly darkened during the retelling of the pain Darien, her life, love, and prince, had put her through, Trunks's face a mirror of his father's. Piccolo, the only one still paying attention to anything besides Serena's story noticed the approach of four other moderate powers, in a group, coming up on them.
"Hey! Listen up, four powers coming!"
Vegeta and Trunks were immediately in attack positions, Bulma and Bra moving out of the way, even as Serena started for her broach, stopping when she recognized the powers. "Guys, it's the Scouts. Mars probably picked up on your power, mask your power levels and let's go, I don't want to deal with hem right now."
Moments later, when the Scouts leapt into the clearing, the reunited family and friends were gone. All the scouts found was sighs of a meeting and trampled grass.
The rest of the night was spent getting rooms for the Serena's family and Piccolo, as well as catching up on what had happened in their lives. Finally, Serena headed home before her ten o'clock cerfew with Trunks, his insisting he should see her home resulting in the conclusion that he could sleep on her couch, if for no other reason than to save cash on another hotel room. Both walked in silence to her house, neither knowing how to break it. Eventually, Serena had had enough.
"So, Trunks, how long will you guys be here?"
Trunks shrugged easily. "We don't know. Our wish was to be sent to you and return when you would be able to handle it."
"Ah, in that case, you could be here for a while. I'll get a hold of Pluto and have her set up the records you'll need for school and stuff."
Grabbing her arm, Trunks stopped and turned her to face him "Serena, something is still bothering you. Come on, you know you can trust me."
Serena, on the other hand, was no longer listening to Trunks. Her gaze had instead focused on a young Man who had just come into view from around a corner. Eyes widened and a fist clenched as she watched his oblivious approach. She mentally damned herself that she allowed Darien to still have this effect on her. Subconsciously she shrank back a step, wanting to either run or.or she didn't know what else.
While Darien may have been bling to the immenient confrontation, Trunks was anything BUT. He felt Serena tense and waiver and he turned to look for the source of her reaction.
It was not hard to find.
So THIS was Prince Endymion, A.K.A. Darien, the one who had broken his sister's heart, several times. Currently, it was taking every bit of control in him to keep from breaking this jerk into two pieces. Maybe a seventy-thirty split, it is not a science.
"Trunks, let's go." Serena tugged lightly on his jacket. She did not want to have to deal with Darien right now. Nor did she want Trunks to turn him into shredded wheat. Turning fully to Trunks, Serena continued in a rush, "Pluto knows you're here, and she told me that.I.could." Darien's foot steps had stopped, right behind her. 'Here it comes.' Looking for all the world like a deer in headlights, Serena turned to face the love of her life.
Darien had been shocked out of his thoughts. 'Who was this guy that dared to hold HIS meatball head? This purple-haired interloper was even touching her!' Anger was hidden behind a mask as a little part of his mid whispered, 'You have to protect her! Stay Away! Remember the dreams?' He remembered, but this was more than he expected. "Serena," he simply said in a cold voice.
Trunk's expression clouded and darkened. All that jerk could say was '"Serena?!!"' 'Man, after all he has put her through, and all the pain she showed me, that's it??!!!' On instinct borne of anger, Trunks stepped forward.
Serena had other concerns now. She sensed an evil nearby, darkness. Tense, she looked up to behold the source. "Rubius!!!!" Just what she needed. 'Only one thing was lacking.. Hell, it would get worse, why speculate?'
Serena's shout was all that stopped Trunks from lighting into Darien. Whirling, he found another being that had caused Serena so much pain. He, the one called "Rubius," didn't look like much. "Rena, have you ever tried to fight him like we normally would?" While Rubius was obviously not revealing his true power, he was certainly no Cell of Buu.
With a glance at trunks, Serena shook her head, still eyeing her enemy. "Pluto told me when I first came here that I was not to use those techniques. But when I spoke to her tonight she said I no longer had to refrain from it, also I can act like myself again, but I have no idea how our power will affect Rubius."
Darien had nearly been forgotten by the two immediately after Rubius appeared. 'What was she talking about anyway? Be herself again? Power? Did she mean her Sailor Moon powers? Who WAS this purple-haired boy anyway, and, more importantly, what was this PUNK doing with HIS Meatball Head??! That should be HIM at her side!' That small voice returned again to his mind, 'Stay away, remember the dream!' trying to mask his inner conflict Darien faced Rubius and subtly reached for his transformation rose, ready to go at a moment's notice.
Rubius, for his part, was ignoring the chatter of the puny humans and concentrating on the scanner the Wiseman had given him. The scanner was set to discover the energy signature of the Silver rystal, and it had led him here. Suddenly the object bleeped and signaled where the Crystal was, in the possession of the blonde haired girl below him. That had to mean that this puny girl was..
"Sailor Moon. So glad to finally make your real acquaintance. Now, hand over the Crystal, or your two friends die."
A calm seemed to come over Serena. It was time to do her mother, father, brother, and sister proud. "You're not getting my crystal or hurting my friends. I won't allow it." She suddenly seemed more formidable, like an invisible cloak had been thrown aside. "And you won't be hurting Reenie either." Trunks took a step back, bracing for her next move. Standing in her favorite fighting stance, Serena summoned up her ki, powering up for battle.
Rei had felt Rubius appear and had sent out an all call over her communicator to the scouts. They had all acknowledged, except for Serena, as usual. All were en route. 'Serena had better show,' Rei thought, 'or boy will she hear the riot act from me!' She had already transformed and she continued her sprint across rooftops to her destination. 'Why do I feel like we are going to get more than we expect?'
Darien was in shock. One minute Rubius had fingered Serena as Sailor Moon and had looked ready to attack, and then, right as Darien was about to step in, Serena had.had.he wasn't sure what she had done after a point. She'd taken, of all things, a fighting stance and told Rubius off, THAT he understood, but THEN.that was when the shock set in. Serena had suddenly been surrounded by some sort or aurora that looked like white fire with silver on the edges. Their link was going wild. Her hair was floating behing her like a gold cloud and she seemed to suddenly have muscles out of nowhere. 'Muscles??! On Serena? On MY fragile, vulnerable, clutzy, Meatball Head??!'
For just a moment Serena luxuriated in the rush of power so long missed. She had not pushed herself to this level in some time, afraid to trigger Rei's physic senses, but now she could finally cut loose. She screamed with the effort as she pushed her energy higher, to its peak, and it was not a high pitched scream of pain, but a lower one of effort, rage, and freedom.
"Ok, Rubius, you want Reenie and my crystal, you have to take me down first." She shifted to a more aggressive stance. "Come on, let's see how you do in a fair fight."
Trunks was watching all three individuals around him while slowly raising his power level. Serena looked more like her old self now, but he could see the pain and doubt in her. That Darien guy was standing with one hand halfway inside his jacket, frozen, just staring at Serena, in shock. 'Good.' Rubius looked surprised, but not the least bit intimidated. He would fight now, which was fine. Vegeta and Piccolo would be there soon, Rena might as well have sent up a flare when she powered up like that. 'Wait a sec.' He could now sense four smaller powers approaching too. 'Must be the Scouts. I can't wait to see their faces. Dad and Piccolo should get here just before they do. Uh-oh, what is Rubius laughing at?'
Rubius was indeed laughing. A laugh full of scorn and malice. "You think YOU can defeat ME? HAHAHAHAHA! And no transformation into Sailor Moon either! You shall be easy prey for my new toy. DROID ARACHNIA, come forth!"
'What in the name of the Earth is she DOING?!' Darien had had his fill. Granted, Serena was demonstrating some new power, and granted, she looked to have gone from clumsy, ditzy girl to warrior in front of his eyes, but even with all this, surely she had to transform to beat Rubius and the monster he had summoned. Well, if she wouldn't transform, he would. Gripping his transformation rose while Rubius was distracted, he felt the familiar sensations overcome him, and, in seconds, his cape billowed behind him in the wind.
Senses far more alert than usual, even in her Sailor Moon guise, Serena felt Darien transform. Before dealing with him though, she evaluated the threat before her. The monster looked like a cross between a tarantula and a black scorpion. It had a hairy body with eight spider-like legs and two pinchers in front, like a scorpion, a stinger tail curled over its back. OK, Darien wouldn't have a chance. Besides, she felt like a good fight right now, and this monster looked like it's put up a whopper and then some with Rubius there. So, knowing Darien wouldn't listen and that she'd be very busy in a moment, that left no one person to be sure Darien would keep out and be safe, except for., "Trunks," she shouted. "Keep Tuxedo Mask out of this! I'll be busy enough with two of them, I don't need another distraction!"
Tuxedo Mask was livid, and it showed. "Distraction?!" He started forward ready to...SOMETHING, so mad he couldn't even see straight when the purple haired stranger, the one Serena called "Trunks," was suddenly in front of him.
"Haven't you hurt her enough? She needs to do this on her own." Trunks paused for a moment, glaring at the masked hero. "Besides, she will now show you what she is capable of, maybe you'll finally understand the Hell she has lived for the past two years and just how much you hurt her."
Serena was ignoring the scene behind her, focused on her enemies. Arachnia moved first, lunging at her with stinger extended. Levitating rapidly into the air, Serena avoided the jab and launched a ki blast at it. The ball of silver energy hit the monster and bounced off, burning the outer fur covering away to reveal a exoskeleton of black chitin. She'd have to use a more powerful attack if she wanted to end this anytime soon. Sensing her father and Piccolo would soon arrive, she opted for one of her strongest attacks. As Rubius, Darien, and Trunks watched, she hovered in the air, just out of reach of the monster, and began her Uncle Goku's most powerful attack. "Ka."
Trunks momentarily froze, as he heard Serena begin one of the most powerful and draining he knew. As a result, Tuxedo Mask almost evaded him in another attempt to get into the battle and help Serena. 'Dende! For someone who hates her, he sure is determined to save her,' Trunks absently thought as he dashed in front if Tuxedo Mask to head him off. 'I hope Rena knows what she's doing, after two years with no REAL training, she'll have to be very careful or she could put too much into it and do Rubius's work for him. I'll be ready.." Meanwhile, he easily dodged several thrown roses. 'THOSE are attacks??!' He saw them embed themselves in the concrete. 'Oh, that's better. Wonder how they would do if they were ki charged..'
"Me."
Tuxedo Mask was frantic. His link with Serena was SCREAMING for him to MOVE, do SOMETHING! She was in danger, and he couldn't even get to her, all because of this "Trunks" guy. He was faster than anything Darien had ever seen. He dodged the roses with ease! NO ONE had ever done that before. The urgency of the link raised again as Serena uttered another syllable.
"HA."
Vegeta felt the massive build up of power just as the distant battle field came into view. "Surely she has more sense than to put THAT much energy into a blast after two years of little training."
Piccolo almost smiled. "yeah, whatever, vegeta. She took to much after you when you and Bulma raised her. Bulma's temper and your brains. That's not just a blast. Remember, my ears do more than just frame my head. Rena is preparing to unleash the Kamehameha wave."
Vegeta's eyes narrowed. He didn't respond, just flew faster. "Dende. I have to be in time."
"MEE."
Rubius's eyes widened. She hadn't even transformed, yet she had all this power. From the looks of it though, this was exhausting her. Sweat was pouring down her and her breathing was heavy. Perhaps she'd be weak after this.whatever it was. Serena felt the power, ready to be unleashed. 'I hope I didn't underdo or overdo this! I'll be out of it if I over did it, and under doing it will only drain me! Well, here we go.'
"HHAAAAA!!!!!"
Serena thrust her hands forward as silver-light energy poured from them in a destructive wave, hitting the monster in the middle of its hard back. It screamed as it was buffeted by energy, forcing it down to the ground. Trunks whirled to see the attack, allowing Tuxedo Mask to finally get around him to see the fight. At first, he thought she was using the crystal, but before he could question how she could use it without transforming into Sailor Moon or Princess Serenity, he saw Rubius teleport just behind her with a dark energy blast ready. Tuxedo Mask cried out, but, afraid to hit Serena, threw no roses, choosing to instead run towards the scene. Trunks and Vegeta both growled and cursed the cowardly attack, firing twin seeking blasts at Rubius.
Just as Rubius attacked, the monster turned to dust, and Serena, having put all her energy into the blast, had nothing left to form a shield. She took the bolt full force in the back and started to fall. Tuxedo Mask was sprinting for her, but she saw he wasn't going to make it. Closing her eyes, she braced for the inpact with the unforgiving ground.
It never came.
Suddenly Serena felt the familiar ki of Piccolo and was caught by the powerful Namek. Almost all of her energy was gone, but she raised her head and whispered, "Thanks, Piccolo." She then slumped in his arms, unconscious.
As Serena fell, the Saiyans' blasts neared Rubius. Vegeta's struch first, hitting him in the shoulder and spinning him around before he teleported away, Trunks's blast missing entirely.
Vegeta dropped to the ground beside where Piccolo had gently landed and where Tuxedo Mask was fast approaching. At that moment the Scouts arrived and immediately jumped to conclusions. From their point of view, they saw an unconscious, possibly wounded, Serena being held by a green being, with a muscular man on one side with weird hai and a younger man on the other side with purple hair. Tuxedo Mask was sprinting for the group. Taking all this into account, its understandable that the scouts got the wrong impression. Mars and Jupiter headed straight in while Mercury and Venus circled to the sides for an attack.
Piccolo ignored the rather obvious approach of who he assumed were the Sailor Scouts and Serena's vaunted Tuxedo Mask. Hastily setting Serena down and removing a senzu from a cloth sack at his waist, Piccolo motioned for Trunks to hold her so she wouldn't choke on the bean. He saw Vegeta, out of the corner of his eye, moving to head off the two most straight forward scouts as he pushed the senzu into Serena's mouth and felt her swallow it. Trunks and Piccolo then moved back to give her room just as tuxedo Mask landed in their midst. Simultaneously Serena let out a low groan and started to set up.
"Serena?" Darien kept his voice cold and unemotional, but he could not stop himself from resting one hand lightly on her arm.
Hurt by his tone, and damned if she'd let him know it, Serena jerked away from his touch and practically growled, "fine, just overdid my attack. Jerk, COWARD, got me from behind."
Trunks chuckled. "Your temper hasn't changed, Rena," he stated, offereing her a hand up.
Tuxedo Mask bristled at the nickname this stranger casually used. Serena merely grunted and ignored the pro-offered hand, pushing herself to her feet. "Thanks for the senzu, Piccolo." He nodded in response. "Where's da.I mean Vegeta?" Piccolo rumbled low in his chest, his version of a laugh.
"Meeting your friends."
Serena glanced towards the group and sighed, heading over before someone got fried, and she knew it wouldn't be Vegeta.
Vegeta stood motionless and the ones in red and green headed for him, the other two circling. He waited for them or Serena to come to, whichever worked first. With a sence of relief he felt Serena's power rise again to normal levels and then her approach. It hardly seemed necessary, the others were stunned motionless.
Serena stopped midway between Piccolo, Trunks, and Vegeta. "Dad, Piccolo, you can go on home, Trunks and I can deal with this, I don't want someone hurt tonight."
Both warriors nodded in respect and acknowledgement, then the Namek and Saiyan rose into the air, blasting off to wherever they were staying.
As soon as they had gone, the scouts and Tuxedo Mask converged on Serena. Trunks stood a little ways off to give them some privacy, but close enough to jump in if needed.
Tuxedo Mask detransformed into Darien and was the first to approach Serena. "What the Hell do you think you were doing? Taking on a droid without transforming or calling the others?!"
Serena shrugged blandly. "I won, didn't I?"
"And damn near got killed in the process. DAMNIT to HELL you are so careless!!"
That outburst snapped the last bit of temper control Serena had left. "So what?" She was shouting at him by now. "You hate my guts anyways, so why should you care? Don't want to lose a fellow fighter? BIG DEAL, according to you, Reenie fights better than I do. So, since yo no longer have a say in what I do, leave it and me ALONE." With that she turned her back on him, firmly focusing on the scouts.
Darien felt like a knife was driven into his soul with each word, but his face was like stone. He leapt into the tree line, out of sight, and listened to the rest of the encounter, wondering what had so drastically changed his Meatball Head. As he tried to concentrate on what was going on below him, a single tear ran down his cheek.
As the girls advanced on her, Serena raised a commanding hand. "let me get this over wih, I am dead tired and want to go home. One, the people you saw with me are friends and allies, that is why I sent them on, so I could explain that to you before you blasted them and get yourselves killed. Two, they are stronger than any of us and saved my life just now. That guy, she said, motioning to Trunks, "is stronger than I am. He is also a dear friend. Right now, I can't tell you anymore than that."
Rei started to object but was cut off by Ami. "They aren't human, are they." It was a statement, not a question.
"No. Trunks there is half human, but the other two were far from it."
Rei was finally fed up. "OK, Serena.." Her voice telegraphed her anger. "Who and what are they?"
"They'll tell you Rei. When they are damned good and ready." Serena walked over to Trunks. "Let's get going, I still have to make up a couch for you." They left the scouts standing in shock, Darien shadowing them from the shadows.
After a short distance, Trunks glanced over at Serena to see her slumped slightly and her fists clenched. "Rena?"
"He did it again."
"Who did what?" Trunks was bewildered, then she responded just as his realization dawned.
"Darien. Openly criticized me. That's all he's done lately. Hurt, insulted, criticized, and ignored me." She had stopped walking now and was shacking slightly. "And each time he does is like a wound that won't close. You want to know the truth about why I am weaker now than before? Because of all those wounds. Each one bleeds some energy from me. Soon I might just give up. I can't help but wonder what it was he saw in me that made him hate me so."
Trunks whirled to face her while in the shadows behind them, Darien froze in abject horror at what he had heard. 'How could she think that?' Darien's thoughts were racing. 'I couldn't believe my luck that someone like her would want to be with me! Dear God, what have I done?'
Darien was not the only one appalled by Serena's outburst. Trunks grabbed her shoulders, not believing what he just heard. "Serena, are you nuts?!"
Turning away form Trunks and shrugging out of his grasp, Serena bowed her head and opened up to Trunks, and, unknowingly, to Darien. "Look at it my way, Trunks. A thousand years ago the two of us fell in love, and we loved each other so much, that we died instead of be separated. Now we were reborn and when we first run into each other, we hate each other. Finally we both remember, and we can love each other, for about a minute, then he is taken away. Comes back brain washed and wants to kill me. Eventually I heal him, only to have him die in my lap. We are saved again, with no memories, and again he doesn't like me too much. And now, FINALLY, he remembers, and at last we can be together, forever. Then, overnight, he stops loving me and dumps me like last week's garbage." A single tear dropped from Serena's eye. "And I keep thinking, what if someone else sees whatever it was that is so bad that it made him just stop loving me, just like that?" More silent tears dropped, a silence descended that worried Darien no end. Where was the wail? Darien was in tears himself after all the pain he had caused and the self-hatred in her voice.
Trunks was stunned. 'Dear Dende, THIS is what she has been going through?' Suddenly Trunks hugged her lightly, stepping back and smiling lightly. "Tomorrow Dad and Piccolo are sparring in that clearing, we are going. Sparring always cheered you up. Ever brought a capsulated gravity room."
Darien watched as Serena nodded, her face still downcast and in shadow. She agreed and straightened, seeming to gather herself. 'Serena voluntarily fighting? Since when does she like to fight? Something is up.' The added confusion was not helping his already slipping control. He stole away silently, reaching his apartment moments later. Taking out a picture of himself and Serena together, he wept for the pain he had caused, wept for both of their broken hearts.