THE END OF INNOCENCE
CHAPTER 1
Fallen Angel
Written by Darkpower
Rating: 14 (Dialogue, Violence, Language)
This is a part of the Silver Project Saga, and is the third story in a series that takes place following the events of Sailor Moon R. This story is a sequel to War Games, which succeeded Blinded By Revenge.
Confused yet? Hopefully not, but if you are, don't worry. You'll make sense of it as soon as you begin to read this, but please read those other two stories if you haven't yet, as they could make this make much more sense.
In case I forget to do so later on, thank you to Leigha Comer (youroctober) for the betaing of this and other fics in this saga.
Sailor Pluto stood firm near the marble doors. Those doors shone in a bright silver, and were twice as tall as she was with her raised heel boots on. There was nothing in front of the green-haired Sailor of time besides white clouds that made up the floor, and a hazy yellow hue that was too far in the distance for her to care about.
However, as she stared into the red jewel within the heart-shaped end of her Garnet Rod that she held tightly, she could sense that something very wrong had just occurred. A life had just been taken, and it was one that she didn't want to believe was lost.
"No, not Small Lady," the limber Pluto whimpered. "Anyone but her. Please tell me they were able to protect her."
As she waved the Garnet Rod in front of her, she could see nothing but black in a magical view area. It soon materialized further, into where Reenie was. Her pale body lay near where her final resting place could've been, and Pluto had to turn away from it. "Small Lady, why couldn't they protect you? What happened? Please tell me this is just a premonition." She looked once more to see a few workers do what they had to do to enclose the body, and that only made her turn back. "He killed you, didn't he, Small Lady?"
She pivoted on her heel and looked towards the Door of Time. "I could go into the past and keep you from dying, but I don't want to mess with anyone else's fate. It could also put even more people in danger. As much as I want to allow someone to do it, the risk is too great. I sense the Sailors know why I cannot allow them access to change Reenie's fate. There has to be another way. The future is changing again. I can feel it. Serena is becoming more than corrupted. If this continues, the criminal side of her will soon come out. We cannot allow that to happen, and I feel that Rubeus will do all he can in order for Serena to become a criminal."
She waved the Rod again, making the view disappear. "But unless I find a way that we can bring Reenie back, Serena will never be able to stabilize herself. There's got to be a way, and it's up to me to find it."
-xXXXXx-
"Rubeus," a bright orange egg-like object roared to the tall king of the Dark Kingdom as he stood in front of it, "please inform me of what your intentions were last night."
Rubeus remembered not only what he had done, but also the fallout of what he had accomplished: a level six shot from the Hizrounswa Gun right at Reenie to kill her, all before Sailor Moon could react. It made Serena more unstable than she had ever been, and she came after him with a vengeance.
"I don't think killing Reenie did us any good with getting Melissa to come back to the Dark Kingdom. It only strengthened her position. I think we won the battles, but they've been winning the war so far."
"But you shot her without Melissa being there. That was your plan, wasn't it?"
"That was the original plan, yes! The more I thought of it, though, the more I had considered that as long as the person she wanted to protect was the one she couldn't, then she would want to come back out of guilt. I didn't think for a second that she would be that willing to help the Sailors."
"Actually, Rubeus, I believe I now know the reason why it would've failed in any case. It was because of an incident that happened to her a long time ago. Keishi's men blew up a school full of children, and she considered herself at fault."
"Who's Keishi?" Rubeus asked.
"A terrorist who lived near the North Pole. You see, Rubeus, attacking Reenie in the first place awakened that memory inside Beryl. That's what made her begin to defeat my influence on her."
"She thought of Reenie as one of the kids that died when the school went boom. Makes sense now. She also hates me, which makes her want to beat me, and then..."
"...she begins to doubt her position and what she stands for in the Dark Kingdom. I've seen it happen too many times. Which is why I knew we would've had to act fast."
"There might've been another development, though."
Metaria was all ears as another set of wide bubbles rose up from within the egg. "This is what I wanted to hear."
"Sailor Moon went off her rocker the second that I killed Reenie. I've never seen such a temper inside her before."
"Yes, Rubeus. I was wondering what the heat was that I was sensing when you went to Mount Akiha. I knew the Fire God was there, but that wasn't the raised temperature I was sensing from the area. It was figurative heat instead of the literal kind."
"I believe we could use that anger. Queen Beryl was always angry. Thus, she might not be willing to let it get in her way. However, Sailor Moon, on the other hand..."
"Might," Metaria finished. "I see where you're going with this."
"If we can corrupt Sailor Moon enough to lure her here, then you can absorb her."
"And I will be free. Queen Beryl's energy would be enough for me to break out of here, but with Sailor Moon's life, I could make history with it."
"And her energy would be at its peak because of the anger she experienced. And you don't even need her to wear any stupid headpiece to get her at her worst."
"You've been successful lately with your plans, so I trust you to be able to make this work. You said they were winning the war, but the war is not over yet. Far from over!"
-xXXXXx-
Serena was sleeping at her small desk, though unable to have a comfortable rest. Her mind had been turning all night. There were no sweet dreams, but rather nightmares about what had happened the night before.
'""No, there's no way! You can't be...! Oh, my God, please, Reenie!""
""SHUT UP! You DIE here! NOW! That was my own goddamn DAUGHTER! She's DEAD!""
""Let me kill him, damn it! I wanna get that son of a bitch!""
The images of Reenie's dead body flooded her mind along with the evil perpetrator, Rubeus, who had done the deed. She was zoning in and out of sleep all night, and she looked over towards her clock as she opened up her eyes once more. 'Four thirty in the morning,' she thought.
She rose to her feet long enough to walk to her bed and crawl into it. However, she stopped right next to it and looked out of her window. No one was in the street at this point, and she didn't even feel the least bit tired.
She slowly walked out of her room and down the steps. Right next to the coat rack was a small closet that held an array of other coats. She searched for something that she saw her mother wear only on certain occasions: a long trench coat that, once she put it on, came down to Serena's knees. She made sure she didn't wake anyone else up, eying her sleeping brother as she slipped her shoes on and went outside, quietly shutting the door.
-xXXXXx-
She walked slowly, and she didn't know where she would end up, but Serena kept walking, at some points even in the middle of the street. There were no cars on the road, thus, besides for the occasional vehicle that she moved out of the way of when she heard it, she had no worries about getting hit by any traffic. She went down alleys and side streets, trying to exert some of her energy, or at least get her mind off of the emotions she was feeling.
As she came across the loft where Darien lived, she entered it and rode the elevator up to his floor. She came to the door and knocked, though she did so two more times without an answer. 'Are you asleep or not here, Darien?' She tried a fourth time, and when she still didn't get an answer, she finally gave up and hung her head as she walked back to the elevator. She tried not to think that he would answer while she was walking away like she saw in every romance movie she had ever seen. It never happened to her even once in her life, and it didn't happen on this morning, either.
She got back into the elevator, and was ready to hit the button to go back down to ground level. However, she looked at the buttons and instead decided to head up a few floors to the top level. As she exited the elevator car, she opened the door to the stairwell and headed up to the one place she also knew she could find some privacy: the roof. It was where she had been able to get away from the world following the incident in Antarctica, and she knew she would always have that option.
Or at least she thought she would have some privacy. She wished that she would've had it, though she did see someone she knew she trusted: Melissa Beryl.
"Melissa?" Serena said.
Melissa, who was looking down at the street from the balcony, heard that comforting voice. She knew that voice anywhere. "Princess Serena. What are you doing here?"
"I was about to ask you the same question. Couldn't sleep, either, could you?"
"No, I couldn't. Actually, yeah, I did for a few hours, but that was all I could get. It was the first time in a while that I couldn't get much sleep." Melissa looked towards her friend, who had approached the balcony beside her. "You going to be okay, Princess Serena? I know how you felt last night."
A heavy sigh came over Serena as she seemingly ignored the new way that Melissa was addressing her. "I don't know for sure. I was trying to see how Darien was feeling, but he probably was just asleep."
"No, he isn't here. I saw him at the hospital when I was heading here. I think he fell asleep there."
"Is he...?"
"I wish there was some way I could help him without making it seem as though I was trying to steal him away again."
"No, Melissa. You wouldn't be."
"But this whole experience just made me think about what's important to me right now. I know that some of your friends are still not willing to put their trust in me."
"I believe that's starting to waiver a bit. Luna and Raye are the only ones who have still expressed doubt."
"I talked to Luna yesterday before I was confronted by that coward, Rubeus." Melissa slammed her fist onto the metal railing. "God, Princess, I'm sorry I let that happen."
"It's not your fault, Melissa."
"But I can't help but think it is. I could've stopped Rubeus and cut him off when I first learned of his intentions to kill Reenie. I didn't have to allow him to find out who Metaria was, and I could've been stronger against her. Trust me, Princess, I've got a lot to make up for. All my life has been taken up by me having to make mistakes and trying to put right those mistakes. Nothing ever lets me just be happy."
"When you were a child?"
"I became an orphan at ten, as well as a queen. It still haunts me. I never got the chance to even say goodbye. Hell, I never got to attend their funeral to pay any respects. I just locked myself in my chamber for the longest time and told anyone that tried to reach out to go away and leave me alone."
"Do you want me to leave you...?"
"Absolutely not, Princess. Please, don't go. I told you I was never allowed to just be happy. Some traumatic event always has to follow me, no matter what. I want my friends to be happy. I would love to see the day that I can just be proud to be who I am. I've been used, I've been tortured, and I was never allowed to live a normal life."
"I wish I could tell you what a normal life is like. I used to know, but now...Melissa, this is what I wanted. I was bored a few months ago. I wanted a chance to become Sailor Moon again. But look what happened from me wishing that. Rubeus harms my family, tortures my mother, teams up with Metaria, and has now killed Reenie. All by a man that we thought was dead. I should've made sure his sorry ass was dead before leaving that UFO."
Melissa laid a hand on Serena's shoulder. "Whatever you do, Princess, leave the anger to your friends. Darien can handle it better, Casto I know is your anger when you need to express it, and you know damn well I can express it."
It was the first time Melissa saw Serena crack a smile since she took her on their shopping trip. "Yeah, I know that."
"We all love you, Serena. The reason why you're such an inspiration to all of us is your ability to find the good in everyone, and to never have a bad bone in your body. You have a heart the size of Japan. I could never see how you still have one with all the shit you've had to put up with, but I can see that you still have it. My heart's just beginning to open up, though I've been closed off for the longest time."
"You have a huge heart, too, Melissa. You need to realize that. But you also have a brave soul that will do anything for your friends."
"And fails at doing that."
"No, you haven't failed anyone."
"I know why I haven't paid my respects to my own family now, Princess," Melissa whimpered as she began to show tears. "I can't even face them with them knowing the things I've done. How can I face them when I've done everything to deface their legacy. Princess..."
Serena said no more as she wrapped her arms around Melissa. The two friends could do nothing else but cry out to each other within the embrace. They held onto each other tightly.
"Princess, please don't think you have to go through this alone," Melissa said through her sniffles.
"I won't leave you, Melissa. I don't want you to go back there."
"No, Princess. I would rather die than to go back to the Dark Kingdom."
The two couldn't stop crying, and neither of them felt the need nor the desire to stop.
-xXXXXx-
Serena and Melissa both, finally, were able to fall asleep. Though it was in a place that was new to Melissa—on the roof of the loft where they found each other—it was familiar to Serena. Melissa held Serena close to her as they slept with the sun beginning to bear down on them. The roar of cars couldn't even wake them.
Neither could the sudden appearance of Rubeus, suspended in mid air between that loft and another one. He could see the two friends cuddled together.
'Aww, how cute,' he thought. 'Serena and Melissa trust each other enough to know that they will be safe around one another. Neither of them knows I'm here, nor will they. Little do they know that I know where one of their best friends is, and I know I can kill him now.' He disappeared, leaving the two to sleep.
-xXXXXx-
It was eight in the morning, and Darien needed to get back to his apartment. Though he wanted to stay at the hospital as if Reenie would magically reawaken, he knew that was pointless, and he had to leave at some point to get away from the situation.
He hit a red light. That was the last thing he needed right now. To be stuck at one of the longest signal intervals in all of Japan. Did they really need to stick that thing right in his path? At least he could stop—which he did in more than one sense of the word—and get his bearings.
Luck intervened at that point, for better or worse, as in the other lane of traffic, right beside his car and to his left, was Patricia Haruna's car. It was somewhat beat up by the Youma Drillbit, but it was still useable.
He suddenly palmed his face. "Oh no, and Patricia's second day of hearing was today. Serena must be..."
"Darien?" he heard a familiar female voice say as he was continuing to wait on the long red signal to change.
"Patricia," he said as he rolled down his window, seeing the teacher. "What's going on?"
"Have you seen Serena? She wasn't at the house today, and her mother said she didn't see her at all so far today." Patricia heard Darien sigh heavily. "Darien? What's wrong?"
The light finally turned green. "Patricia, I'll have to pull over here for a moment."
As he pulled into a parking space on the side of the road, with Patricia doing the same, Darien was able to tell her something that he knew she hadn't heard about yet as the two got out of their cars. "Patricia, Serena had a death in the family last night."
"Oh, my lord!" she gasped. "Who was it?"
"Name was Reenie," Darien answered as he felt a lump in his throat.
"Her cousin?"
Darien remembered about the first time Reenie visited their time, and the cover story that was supposed to hide the truth from those that shouldn't know. "Yes."
"What happened?"
Darien was surprised that Patricia was asking so many questions, but he trusted her. "She was murdered."
Patricia couldn't help spinning on her heel slightly from hearing about the cause of death. "Who would do such a thing to a kid?"
"Same person who has been after her family."
"Same person who was...my God!"
She remembered the man well, and Darien's reminder along with the sudden pain in her ribs only strengthened the memory.
""The police can't do anything. Hell, if you've noticed, they didn't do anything when Sammy was assaulted, now did they?""
""H-How would you know that unless you...oh, my God!""
She felt another sharp pain as she could recall the hit by Hammerthor as if it happened yesterday. She didn't know who the man was, but she remembered the hits she had taken, and the taste of her own blood as she tried to keep it from choking her up.
"Patricia?"
"That was the same man who injured my ribs. He demanded some 'Silver Crystal' thing. I didn't know what he was talking about, but he wouldn't listen when I told him I didn't have it."
"Same man who murdered Reenie. Serena's taking this hard, though. All these attacks, and now he kills her..."
"I hope she's going to be okay. I haven't seen her around, either."
"I gotta get back home. You go on ahead to the hearing. You need to stay focused. I'm worried about Serena."
"Me too, and I'll get there as soon as I can." Patricia nodded before getting into her car and speeding off.
"Serena, where are you?"
Darien got into his car and began driving, though this time, he took whatever side street he could to get to his house to avoid the traffic that was beginning to add up for the morning commute. He tried to go as fast as he could, though he was still trying to be lawful about it.
He got to a rarely traveled street when he suddenly heard a gunshot from behind him. It was followed by a tire blowing, and his car began to spiral out of control. Another shot and another blown tire later, he collided with a brick building. His red sports car was totaled.
'What now?' He didn't have to think about it long, as just a second later, his door opened.
"Get the hell out!" he heard Rubeus scream as he was pulled out of the car and thrown into the street. "How do you like that, Tuxxy, huh? Where's your bitchy Sailor slut now, huh?"
Darien could not even react before he was hoisted to his feet and punched in the gut. As he staggered back, Rubeus aimed and fired a shot from the Hizrounswa Gun at him. The shot forced him to the ground again, though he braced against what felt like a combustion of his heart.
"That was only level four, you idiot! Do you want your death quick, or would you rather me take my time and have you enjoy your final moments?"
"You would only wish, Rubeus!" Darien screamed before kicking him in the stomach. He tried to get back to his feet, but Rubeus fired another shot directed at his leg. He gave the other leg a shot, as well.
"Do that again, Darien! I dare you to!"
"You're such a worthless coward, Rubeus! First you kill a kid, then you take cheap shots at those you know can fight you. You call yourself a Dark Kingdom king?"
"Oh, you don't know the half of it yet, Tuxxy. In case you weren't made aware of it yet, I continue to hold all the cards, and I know just when to deal them. As I told your bitch, I've been winning every battle lately, and from what I've seen, there's nothing you can," he shot Darien in the back with another level four bullet, "do about it! Your bitch ain't here, and that has to say something. She doesn't care about you, and neither will any of your..."
"Vulture! Attack!"
He turned around too late to see a shadow vulture as it hit him square in the chest. He lost his gun from the collision with the ground. Before he could react, he saw Sailor Vulture drop down, grab the gun, and aim it at him.
"How did you know where...?"
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you right now, Rubeus!" Vulture trembled. "Or better yet," he picked up Rubeus by his hair, "tell me where my sister is! NOW!"
"Wouldn't you like to know, Casto?"
"DON'T play games with me, punk! Unlike my sister, I know how to channel my anger."
"Yeah, right!" Rubeus shot a beam from his hands at Casto's own. His wrist caught the beam, as he dropped Rubeus' gun and fell to one knee. Rubeus got back to his feet while giving Vulture a backhand to his jaw. He picked up his weapon and looked dead at his recovering enemy. "You know what? I think I've done what I came here to do. Though it would be an awesome pleasure to see your ass killed, too. You've done enough to me, but then again, I'm not done having my fun. I don't know where your dumbass sister is, but I do hope she's near, because I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees her boy toy close to death!" He disappeared as Vulture got back to his feet with a loud growl.
Vulture panted heavily in a fighting stance for a moment before turning to the ailing Darien, who was trying to get back to his feet. He scampered over and rested Darien's arm over his shoulders. "C'mon, man, let me help you."
"Thanks."
"How many times did he...?"
"Four or five, I don't remember exactly," Darien answered as Vulture was helping him back to the totaled vehicle. "Every part of my body feels like it could burst into flames at any moment." Darien got back into the driver's seat of his car and leaned back. "It feels like a gunshot wound, but no blood."
"You think you'll be okay, though?"
"That I don't know."
"What were you doing here to begin with?"
"Trying to get back home to find Serena. Where are the others?"
"Doing the same. Mother told me she hasn't seen her all day. I called the girls to try to find her. I tried calling Melissa, but she didn't answer. I think she's still asleep."
"At this time? I don't know about..."
The Vulture Communicator beeped a few times before Casto answered.
"Casto, did you try to call me?" asked Melissa on the other end.
"Melissa! Speak of the devil, we were just talking about you. Yeah, I did. I was trying to find Serena."
"She's with me on the roof of Darien's apartment building. She and I needed to talk, and we fell asleep up here."
"Serena's there?"
"Yes, bro, I'm here," he heard Serena blurt out. He saw Serena join Melissa on the screen.
"Thank God! I thought Rubeus had you."
"No. I'm sorry I worried you. I just needed some time to myself. I'm thankful Melissa was here, though."
"S-Serena?" Darien weakly said.
"Is that...Darien?"
"He sounds like hell," Melissa said.
"Rubeus got him," Casto answered.
-xXXXXx-
It was about an hour later, and thankfully, Ikuko was still able to drive Casto and Darien back to Darien's loft. At the front door, Serena and Melissa both awaited the two males' arrival, though with deep concerns for their friends.
"Is he gonna be okay?" Ikuko asked as Casto helped Darien out of the car.
"He's tough," Casto answered. "He didn't go down without a fight, though I don't know how anyone could withstand an attack like that."
Serena gasped as she saw her boyfriend in shambles. "Oh, my God!" She rushed over and embraced her love softly, kissing him on the cheek before resting his other arm across her shoulder. "What the hell did he do to you?"
"Two shots to my torso, and one shot to each leg. I still can't walk."
"You're lucky to be alive right now, Darien," Melissa answered as she kept guard so the two siblings could help their friend back into the loft.
However, on the opposite end of the street, in an alley, Rubeus eyeballed the situation. "I can already sense it. The anger Serena has for what happened to her boy toy. But her lover is one thing." He looked to Casto, who nodded thanks to Melissa for holding the door open for him and Serena. "Her family has always been another. Yes, Casto, Darien got level four. You, however, will get level six, right where I got Reenie: in the heart."
-xXXXXx-
Back in the loft, Darien rested on his bed while Serena nursed the physical wounds he had from the punches Rubeus had administered. Serena cried all throughout trying to help him, and Casto could see her trying to keep from showing her frustration.
Melissa, though, was the first to slam her fist onto Darien's dresser.
"Melissa?" Casto asked, though he already knew why she had punched the inanimate object.
"Why Darien?" Melissa snarled. "He knows damn well Serena isn't the only one who would be pissed if he tried to kill him. Four shots with level four of that damned thing. How is he...?"
"You survived level five."
"I know I did, but the hell I felt because of it is something I would rather not feel. You should've felt what I did when I was standing on my feet back at the Shrine when I shielded Raye from the shot. I don't know, Casto. Reenie died instantly, and Darien is...ugh!" She turned on her heel towards the door. "But I was still standing at level five. Even when I protect people, I can't get away from the controversy my existence brings."
"Darien, I'm sorry," Serena cried.
"No, Serena, don't be," Darien answered as he wiped away Serena's tears.
Serena snatched his hand with her own and held on tightly. "This is not the way I wanted to spend more time with you. I want us to be happy, and every time we try..."
"No, Serena. Don't worry about it. Any time with you is time well spent. If I end up dying, I would love to see your angelic face..."
"Shut the hell up right now, Darien!" Melissa ordered. "I'm not about to hear anything about you dying, you hear me? You never talked like that, even when the Dark Kingdom corrupted you. I'm not about to have you give up now, especially around Princess Serena."
"Huh?" Casto hummed.
"What is it?"
"You called her Princess Serena."
"And...?"
"You never called her that before."
"After all she's done for me, she deserves it from me."
"No, I don't deserve it," Serena mumbled as she rose to her feet. "I don't deserve to be called a Sailor, let alone a princess."
"But you do, Serena. The only time when I began being happy was when I was with you."
"I don't, Melissa. I let all my friends and family down when they've needed me the most. I've let Darien down now, as well. I should've been there to help him."
"But Serena..."
"But NOTHING, bro!" Casto had to get out of the way from a chair that Serena kicked with all her strength. The chair toppled over from the force onto its side. "I'm tired of people taking advantage of me and my kindness to people! I'm tired of always being wrong and not being there when I'm needed! Darien's talking as if he's gonna die, and it's because I wasn't there!"
The hand motions were enough to cause Melissa to rush over and grip Serena tightly. "Enough, Princess!"
"Please stop calling me that, Melissa! I'm no princess. I'm a failure. A miserable, goddamn FAILURE!"
"NO, YOU'RE NOT!" Melissa screamed, and Darien could've sworn she only used that tone when she attacked the Moon Kingdom. "How many times did you stop me from using the Youma to conquer Earth, huh? I got so angry that no one could beat you, yet I was so proud of you that you did! I never thought of you as a coward. Not then, and sure as hell not now!"
"Melissa, you have no idea how tough it was for me to have to do that! And I let you down, too!"
"How could you ever do that?"
"Because, you sat there in that throne, waiting for someone to help you, and I instead hated you for what you did to Darien. It shouldn't be you asking me for forgiveness, but me asking you for thinking that way about you. I could've saved you from Metaria back then, and I instead...please, I need some air." She forced her way past Melissa and slammed the door behind her.
"Serena!" Casto cried.
He was about to run after her when Melissa called out, "Casto!"
"What?"
"Not right now! Let her get it out the way she needs to."
"But my sis is...?"
"She's right, Casto," Darien agreed. "I've never seen Serena like that before."
"She isn't a failure, though," Melissa snarled. "It pissed me off to hear her say that."
"First time I've ever heard her mention that she felt guilty for what she had to do to you then."
"She's always been like that, Darien," Casto said. "Always finding the good in people and forcing them to bring it out to fight the evil in their hearts."
"It is true," Melissa added. "When she invited me to that shopping trip with her, it was the first time I ever felt wanted. I was...happy. I hadn't felt that emotion in such a long time before that. And I met Avery for the first time, and then from there, I met the sisters. Serena's done so much for me when I didn't deserve it, and she's the one saying that I have to forgive her?"
"I'm going after her, Melissa. I don't care what you say. Stay with Darien for right now. I know Serena trusts you, and so do I."
"Casto, you're making a mistake."
"She can bite, scratch, and claw me to death for all I care." He scurried out the door, despite Melissa trying to make one last arm extension to keep him from doing so.
"If anyone can calm her down, it's her bloodline," Darien said.
"Yeah," Melissa sighed.
Darien stared at her as she had her back turned to him with her head hung. There was silence for about ten seconds before he broke the ice. "It's a normal feeling."
"What is?"
"You care so much for them and want to be there for them, especially now."
"No, I could never accept this as normal."
"She's gone through the most difficult time in her life right now. She needs her friends now, more than ever."
"It's like I said before. I could've tried harder to keep you guys from going to the Hills."
"And you're telling Serena not to doubt herself, yet you do the same sometimes."
Melissa had to ponder that for a moment. "I'm sorry. I wish I could make some sense out of the feeling. I don't want her to doubt herself, but at the same time..."
"That's normal, too. We've all been through it."
As Melissa put the chair back on its four legs, she scooted it over towards Darien's bed and sat down. "It's different with me, though. I've not had the chance to feel these things in such a long time. I've always been the one who wasn't allowed to have any feelings besides hatred when someone failed in their plans. I had to get away from her watching over me to be able to cry or show any other emotion. I know you don't remember all of the time you were brainwashed by me, but you remember when you released that lake monster at the hot springs?"
"I think so, yes."
"When Sailor Moon cured her, you would think that I was angry about it, yeah?"
"I thought you were."
"I was pretty good at hiding my forbidden emotions from Metaria, but not then. I saw that in the crystal ball, and couldn't help but smile at her being set free. And I wondered if I could ever be like her one day: to finally have the chance to just be who I was without worrying about what anyone else thought of it. Of course, I couldn't admit that to anyone, and I was so lucky that Metaria was blind at that point."
"Can I ask you a personal question?"
"Yeah, Darien. Of course."
"I know you feel bad about the way you did it, but did you truly love me? You know, like..."
"Of course I did, Darien. I still do, actually."
"You...?"
Melissa left the chair and sat on both knees, clenching one of his hands. Unlike other times when she held that hand, he felt warmth. "Darien, I know what you're thinking, and no, it's not the same as before. I need you, yes. I need all the friends I've gained. But ever since I laid eyes on you, I knew you were a special kind of person that cared for those around him. Knowing that you were hurt today makes me sick to my stomach, and knowing that I was the one that separated you from her a year ago makes me ill every time I think about it. I want you to be happy, and personally," she sighed deeply, "I would do whatever it takes to make sure you and her keep your words to each other. Yes, Darien, I do love you. I always have, but...how can I put this..."
"It isn't a romantic kind of love. Platonic is what I think you mean. You have strong feelings for someone, but it's not sexual. I understand that."
"Do you mind if I feel that way about you?"
"Of course not. I'm happy that you view me in that..."
They were interrupted by loud screams outside. Melissa looked to the sliding door that led to the balcony. "What the hell?" She rose to her feet and walked out onto the balcony. Below, Casto and Serena were yelling at each other in a parking lot.
"Why can't you let me be angry for once, bro?" Serena yelled.
"Listen to you!" Casto ordered back. "I've never seen this out of you, and you know damn well that if it wasn't for people not caring about this place anymore, you would be stared at by everyone walking past."
"She was my daughter, Casto! Why can't you understand that?"
"I do!"
"NO, YOU DON'T! I hate him, Casto! He hurt Sammy, he kidnapped my mother, he attacked my house ten times over, he's killed Reenie, and now he tries to kill Darien! How many more times can I let that man walk all over me?"
"I told you to let us handle the anger..."
"I don't want you to handle it for me. I'm also sick to death of having everyone else be angry for me! No one ever sees this side of me!"
'There's a reason for that, Princess Serena,' Melissa thought as she continued to look on.
"But it isn't you, Serena!" Casto continued.
"Yes, it is! Any feeling I feel is mine. How can it not be me?"
"Because..."
"Yeah, Casto! You don't know how to answer that!"
'It's because you're too good to be like that,' Melissa told herself. 'You can be angry without letting it control you.'
"Serena, I've felt it before. It's rage! I've told you that a long time ago! It's not anger anymore, and you're refusing to hear that."
"What if I WANT that rage?"
'No, Serena,' Melissa thought once more. 'You don't want that. Listen to what you're saying.' She gripped the balcony railing tightly,
"What's going on out there, Melissa?" Darien asked.
"Serena's arguing with Casto over showing anger. Serena has it all wrong. It was the kind of anger that she's showing that made me fall for Metaria's tricks. She's making the same mistake I made...huh?"
"What's up?"
"Felt a vibe. Strong, and not a good one at that. Deathly near here."
"Rubeus wanting to finish the job on me?"
"It's the same vibe I get from Rubeus, yes, but more from..."
"From where?"
Melissa's eyes came wide open. "Outside!"
"You know what, Serena," Casto continued to argue. "You feel what you want!" He began to walk away.
"Casto, I'm not done talking to you!"
"But I am done talking to you if you're gonna keep ignoring me!"
"It's not me ignoring you, it's me..." Serena felt the same vibes Melissa did, but right behind her. "What the...?" She didn't turn her head even slightly around before she heard a loud shot fire. A beam streaked past her eyes.
"CASTO, LOOK OUT!"
Casto turned around, but it was too late. He turned enough to have the shot hit him right near the heart, and he flew past one car and crashed into the windshield of another. As glass shattered all over him, he rolled down the hood of the car and fell to the pavement, his head colliding hard upon impact. He wasn't moving after that, and not only were shards of glass stuck in his skin, but he had several scars and wounds from the collisions.
As soon as Melissa saw what happened, she was horrified. "Oh, my God!"
"What happened?" Darien panicked.
"Casto was..."
"What a shame," her and Serena both heard a familiar though sickening voice. "That was only level five." Rubeus appeared in front of Serena, though the very sight of him made Melissa's entire body tense up, as well. "I thought I set it to level six. No matter. I don't make the same mistake twice."
Inside the loft, Darien was trying to stand. "Melissa?"
"Casto, no!" Melissa said, frozen stiff in horror. She couldn't turn around yet to see Darien trying to walk again. "Please, God, no!" She could feel the tears beginning to form in her eyes. She pivoted around to finally see Darien standing. "No, Darien, you have to rest."
"They need me!"
"Not like you are right now, they don't! Lay down, now!"
Darien heard the fear in Melissa voice, and he knew from that alone how she felt. He slowly sat down on the bed. "What's going on?"
"Casto was shot by level five, in the heart!"
"Oh no."
"He isn't moving. So help me, he isn't moving!"
"Is he...?"
"Rubeus better hope and pray that he isn't!" She bolted out the door, and Darien could hear loud pounds from the elevator.
-xXXXXx-
"Trust me, Serena," Rubeus snickered as he paced slowly over to Casto's lifeless body, "I'm having loads of fun..."
Serena screamed out as she struck Rubeus in the mouth with a hard right, and then a left, then an uppercut that sent him into a lamp post. She followed up with a knee to his gut. "YOU SICK BASTARD!"
"I'll take that as a compliment," Rubeus smashed his gun into her throat, which made her choke as he smacked her with the gun again, this time in the face as she collapsed near a car. He charged at her and kicked her in the ribs. She rolled back, but rolled back to her feet.
"C'mon, Rubeus!" she growled. "You don't know how much I've ached for this fight!"
"Actually, Serena, I think I do!" He fired three straight shots from his gun at her. She dodge rolled each of the shots. When he fired the fourth, she slid over a car hood to the other side of it and ducked underneath. "You know you're just hiding from the truth, Serena!"
'Keep talking, Rubeus.' She took a hand to her brooch.
-xXXXXx-
Melissa was trying to hurry the elevator with whatever hand gestures she could, though she knew that was worthless.
'Casto, please, whatever you do, don't die on me.'
She pulled out her communicator. The only bright spot of the day before was that she now had a way to instantly communicate with the Sailors if she needed it. No more trying to hurry and get to where they were to inform them of situations. They were dispatched back home to keep Darien's apartment from getting overcrowded. That, and it was tough on them as it was. If Rubeus was going to go after the others' families, as well, they needed to be protected somehow. Rubeus was here, though, and she knew that needed immediate attention.
She began to push buttons when she suddenly heard a soft voice call out, "Melissa!"
Melissa whipped around frantically. "Who's there?"
"Don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you. Even if I wanted to, there would be no way for me to do so."
"Who is this?" Melissa asked, trying to find where the voice was coming from. "Where are you?"
"I'm right here," the voice said, and it was followed by Melissa seeing a small magical screen appear in front of her. It showed a tall, elegant female in black boots, long emerald hair, and a rod at her side that was about as tall as she was. "My name's Sailor Pluto."
'Wow. She's very pretty.' "S-Sailor Pluto? You're the woman that Nephlite was saying told him about the future."
"So you were told? I was worried that he wouldn't."
"If you can see the future, though, you would've known that he did, right?"
"Actually," Pluto sighed, "I didn't tell him. I can't say who I helped tell him of the evil premonition that he saw. They didn't want me saying it yet, and they didn't want him telling you. They don't want Rubeus to know that their souls are still alive. I can see some of the future, though. I am the guardian of the Time Gate."
"I'm sorry, but you say 'of time'. I have no time. Casto is..."
"He's not dead, if that's what you're worried about. Not yet, anyway. He took a bad shot, but I didn't see it hit directly in his heart, thank God."
"You gotta let me save him, though!"
Pluto could hear the panic in Melissa's tone. "Don't worry. I froze time for you and me for just this moment. I don't have enough power from here to freeze it for long, and I'm not exactly allowed to, but you must hear me out."
This woman's voice alone told Melissa that she desired the same result as she did. "I'm listening."
"You must stop Serena!"
"What? Why should I stop her from killing Rubeus? In fact, I should help her screw his face up."
"As much as I should let you for what he did to Small Lady, we have a bigger problem."
"Small Lady? You mean Reenie?"
"She was the only friend I had here, and he took her away from..." She tried to hide her sadness.
"It's my fault, Pluto. I should've made..."
"No, please don't make any more excuses. I know you all did all you could do. Rubeus is just that sadistic and uncaring. But I'm not losing hope yet. There must be a way we can reverse history without me having to use the Time Gate. In any case, you need to stop Serena."
"You didn't tell me why yet."
"Like I said, I should let her. However, I think that's what Rubeus wants her to try to do. I've been sensing a side of her that destiny never let her show before."
"No, that word again. I hate that word."
"I know you do, Melissa. Casto never liked it, either."
"You seem to care about him a lot."
"I do," Pluto tightened her grip on her Garnet Rod. "But I can't do anything about him from my end. At least not yet. You must not allow Rubeus to kill him, too."
"You have my word, Pluto. But why Serena? I don't think she's even chosen her destiny yet. Why should I need to stop her?"
"Because what Rubeus is trying to do is to corrupt her. He's trying to make her embrace her corruption?"
"C-Corruption? That's the third time I've heard someone refer to the 'corruption'."
"It exists in a large variety of ways, and we've all been corrupted at some point or another. I will talk to you about it later, when we have more time. But I don't have much power left to continue this transmission. I will start time for you again, but trust me, you must make Serena realize that she should not use her anger the way she is right now. She needs to check on her brother, not fight Rubeus to the death. Make her realize that she doesn't have to fight her battles alone."
As Pluto disappeared, Melissa felt the elevator move once more. "Don't worry, Pluto. I won't let anyone hurt him. I do agree about Serena, though I still question why we shouldn't just let her kill Rubeus."
-xXXXXx-
Serena felt like she was in the middle of a gunfight. She was ducked underneath of a car, peeking back every so often as Rubeus tried to aim for her head every time she rose it up. All the while, she held onto her brooch. She risked letting everyone in on her secret by transforming this much in the open, though she didn't care about how badly she thought the police were needed right now when they were nowhere to be seen.
"C'mon, Serena. Let me see those pretty, hairy meatballs so I can get some target practice."
'I'm not that damn stupid, Rubeus. All you have to do is keep thinking that you have a chance against me.'
Rubeus shot the car he knew Serena was ducking underneath, and Serena could feel the force from the hit rock the car against her back. "You know, Serena, I could keep shooting forever, and I won't even attract any attention. How many people in that loft do you think will actually try to call the police? Who will be there when I show your other friends what this little crystal can do, huh? I already got some of your little nerdy friends. I don't think I got enough of Molly just let. That hot little number is..."
"Leave her alone!" Serena screamed, her voice becoming scratchy. She also popped her head up, with made Rubeus grin as he pulled the trigger. She ducked underneath the car again, feeling the wind from the bullet go over her hair.
"That was level six, too, Serena! How much longer are you willing to defy me?"
'I can't stay down here forever!'
"How about I just come to you? I know you're debating with yourself over becoming Sailor Moon, and I could just out you right now to anyone who still cares."
Serena could hear the footsteps getting louder and louder. She could sense that danger was drawing near, though this is what she was hoping for as she took her brooch off of her chest and clenched it tightly. She grew a wide smirk as those footsteps came ever so close to her. 'Yes, Rubeus. Like I said: you haven't seen my darkest point yet.'
The second Rubeus turned the corner of the car, he immediately got tackled by Serena, but when he dropped to his back with Serena on top of him, he saw a silver flash in his eyes, followed by his chest feeling like it was going to explode in flames. The Silver Crystal was working overtime, only it was working against Rubeus. In fact, he was sure that, as he was feeling immense pain, Serena was trying to use the Silver Crystal to kill him.
"The hell?" Rubeus growled as he felt his anguish grow.
"I got you now, Rubeus!" Serena grinned as she shoved the Crystal right near his chest cavity. The magic was in fact making him nauseous. His eyes were becoming glazed over, and he could've sworn he saw a red hue in the magic that was being used against him. He couldn't move a muscle as he released his gun.
"Scream for me, Rubeus." Serena laughed seductively. "I want to hear you scream as loudly as I heard Reenie scream the night you took her life. COME ON, you son of a bitch! SCREAM FOR ME!"
"Ha ha," Rubeus chuckled, though he was struggling to do so. "You're as...sadistic as I...had always thought you...were."
"You haven't seen me yet, Rubeus!"
Melissa had run out to the lot just as she saw Serena administer her magic on Rubeus. 'Oh, my God!' She ran as fast as she could, but she stopped dead when she saw Casto's body at her feet. He was in the same position as when she saw him land on the pavement. Pluto had told her that he had survived, but seeing wasn't exactly believing for her. She didn't want to leave his body, and was torn over what was more important.
"Casto, I'm sorry, I'll be right back." Melissa made her promise before rushing towards Serena, who she could've sworn should have been foaming at the mouth given how sadistic the scene was becoming. Rubeus was growing pale. She had her orders from Pluto, and from Pluto's tone of voice, the situation Serena was now in was grim. Saving Serena from corruption was far more important than killing Rubeus, though Melissa questioned why she agreed with it.
"SERENA, DON'T!" Melissa screamed.
"Shut up, Melissa!" Serena cried. "He dies now!"
"You're letting your rage control you! Please, stop this! This isn't you!"
"YES IT IS! This is me! It's always been me!"
Melissa's lips curled in anger. She knew what she had to do. The images of her guilt about not trying hard enough to keep the Sailors from heading to the Tokyo Hills despite her better judgment crept back into her mind.
With a loud growl, she lunged herself at Serena, getting her off of Rubeus. As he clenched his chest, he didn't waste any time getting back his gun with a slight roll and using the strength he still had to teleport himself out of danger.
"No, Melissa, get OFF of me!"
"Not a chance, Se..."
Serena kicked Melissa hard in the gut, making her relinquish her pin on her. "You let him escape! You don't want him to die?"
"As much as I do, you're a basket case, Serena! You're even scaring me now!"
"Yeah, and where were you when Reenie died?"
"That isn't fair, Serena! You know as well as anyone where we were!"
"You just let him escape! He killed my daughter, and has walked all over me!"
"That's because that's what he wants you to do, Serena! Don't be so blind!"
"You don't understand this, Melissa! NO ONE DOES!"
Melissa also had to get over the screeches that she had heard from Serena. Not only had she not seen the Moon Princess act out of pure anger before, but she had never heard Serena yell as loudly and with as much hatred in her voice as she carried right now.
"Yes, I do, Princess Serena!"
"STOP CALLING ME PRINCESS, DAMN IT!"
"No, I will not! You're too pure, and too good, to let anything like this anger consume you! Listen to yourself!"
"SHUT UP! I want it to control me! I want to kill him! How many goddamned times do I have to say it? I'm tired of being taken advantage of by those who think I'm just this sweet girl! I'm so sick and tired of it!"
Melissa could hear sobs fill Serena's voice. "But you're going to hurt yourself before anyone else!"
"No, I am NOT! Go AWAY!" Serena scampered off into the distance.
Melissa contemplated going after her, but she heard a voice that gave her a huge sigh of relief. "Let her go!"
"Casto?" Melissa turned and ran to help her friend. She knelt down to him as she supported his head. "You okay?"
"M-My body. It's...ugh, burning up!" He growled loudly in pain.
"Don't try to do too much. Let me help you."
"No, Melissa. I have to..."
"Shut up, Casto! Please, just..."
"Melissa?"
Casto could see her eyes shining as Melissa put an arm underneath his knees and lifted him up off the ground. Though he didn't say anything, he was dumbfounded at Melissa's strength and power to carry him back into the building.
-xXXXXx-
As Melissa exited the elevator, still with Casto in her arms, he tapped her on the shoulder. "Melissa, put me down, please."
"Not until we get back to Darien's loft."
"But you must..."
"I had to do this with a few soldiers of mine. Don't worry. I can handle it."
Melissa finally reached the door and kicked it lightly to knock. Now she did want Darien to be able to walk. It took a few moments, but the door finally swung open.
"M-Melissa," Darien said as his eyes came wide open at the sight of Melissa carrying Casto.
"Don't ask," she answered. "Can I lay him over there?"
"Yes, yes! Of course!"
Melissa got Casto to the couch that was in the middle of the living room and laid him down flat. She breathed another heavy sigh after she had done so.
"Did you really...?"
"Yes, Darien. A long time ago, one of my North Pole soldiers got shot. He couldn't walk, and the closest hospital was far away from the area where he was attacked. I took matters into my own hands and carried him two miles to the hospital. I couldn't stop because his leg, or maybe his life, hung in the balance."
"You must've really cared for your people if you were willing to do that."
"I was their queen. I couldn't just let him die. I didn't want that to happen."
"Why did he get shot?" Casto asked.
"It was a member of the same assholes who bombed the school."
"Bombed a school?"
"Shit! I forgot that I never told you about that. Maybe later, when we have more time, I'll tell you all about my time as the North Pole Queen. It's a far cry from what you know of me as the Dark Kingdom one." Melissa rose to her feet and took out her communicator.
"What are you doing, Melissa?"
She didn't answer Darien. She only pressed buttons and waited for someone to answer. She got Amy. "Hello? Melissa?"
"Where are the rest of the girls and the cats?"
"Luna is with Serena's family, Artemis is with Mina, and me and the others made sure our families were all right. What do you need?"
"For them to come to Darien's loft."
"All of us? Why not the Shrine?"
"Because we've got a Sailor down, and I don't want to risk his safety."
"A Sailor down?"
"Trust me, Amy, we need to talk. It's also about Serena. We really, really, need to talk."
-xXXXXx-
"Rubeus," Metaria began as her pupil was standing in front of her, "I saw what you were doing, though I was also horrified at what she did to you. Are you okay?"
Rubeus was on one knee, but was slowly recovering. "Yeah, I think I'll live, though my life was flashing before my eyes."
"We may have a break, though. Serena's actions caused panic amongst some of her friends."
"Tell me about it! I want to see this out of her because it'll do good for our plan, but the only problem is the risk it now carries."
"Yes! She is willing to kill you for anything. Rubeus, hear me! If anything were to happen to you..."
"Oh, no she won't, Metaria! She's going to learn firsthand that you don't mess with success."
"Success comes in more than one form, though, Rubeus. You may need to make sure that you choose your targets wisely. Those were two very interesting individuals that you chose to set your sights on. You did mention Molly and Melvin again, as well. Please caution yourself about going after them again. Not only will the Sailors know about you going after them, but there's also no guarantee that they won't be ready for it the second or third time around."
"Trust me, I've got a way to make sure the job is done."
"Rubeus," Metaria said. "I trust you."
"Good decision!"
-xXXXXx-
Patricia entered the School Authority hearing hall for the second time. However, this time, as she sat down at the table in the front of the hall, she only looked to her left. No one was sitting there, though she remembered Serena's promise the day before. Things had changed between then and now. She wasn't going to hold Serena to the promise given the circumstances she had heard. Still, Serena was her secret weapon, and she had to work twice as hard to convince the panel of eleven that she was a fit teacher. Her livelihood depended on if she could continue to teach. She was still clenching her ribs, sometimes to the point where she was worried that her injuries had become severe again. She couldn't waiver, however. They would not let her even if she decided to try to ask them for a recess.
The panel filed into the room, as the patrons and Patricia all stood in respect to the board. Patricia, however, felt as though they didn't deserve it. Did they really need to make it that much like a court case? They were panel members, not judges, though right now they were discreetly that: judges to the cause.
"Okay," the buff School Authority Head Roku Uematsu, the youngest of the panel, called out, "let's all be seated and we can come to order and get underway." Patricia sat down as Uematsu ran his fingers through his black, buzzed hair. "Patricia, I hope you had a good night's sleep. Today will be tough for you. I can see that Serena did not come with you today."
"She's had a rough night, sir," Patricia mentioned through the microphone.
"Rough night, you say?" Miss Hanoi, the gray haired woman with a perm that sat alongside Uematsu, answered. "Well, we can all see what that night probably consisted of. Lots of video games and that no-good racket that's been playing on USJapan FM recently."
"No, Miss Hanoi," Patricia fumed. "She had a death in the family. Someone she was really close to was murdered last night, and she doesn't know who did it. Maybe if you had more of a heart, you would know how she feels."
"Don't you dare start, Miss Haruna! May I remind you that you are under trial here, and any outburst you make will be considered in our final decision, as if there's any hope for you."
"While we do feel for her loss, Miss Haruna, let me..."
Uematsu was interrupted by a loud call from the back of the hall, "Sorry I'm late, sir." It was a tall man with salt and pepper hair coming to the front of the hall. "Traffic was backed up, as always. That, and there was some commotion at this loft. I couldn't even get past it. Seems there was some uproar people were watching. Some crazy stuff about magical crystals or some nonsense like that being used. Urban myths, if you ask me."
"No police were called, Harold Koa?"
"I don't think I have to tell you the answer to that. If they were, they took their good old time getting there. Glad they didn't, or else I would've been later for sure."
"Wait," Patricia interrupted. "Harold Koa! Why are you here?"
"I was asked to testify at the hearings today."
"Miss Haruna," Mister Koppa, the short and balding man who was also the eldest member of the panel, replied, "we asked some people who know of you and could tell us about your character to give us their thoughts on you."
"This is the guy that is going to take over for me if you fire me, though," Patricia cried.
"Oh, Patricia, I'm fair," Mister Koa answered. "I don't want to make you think I'm going to be coming here to make sure you're taken out of the school, though it would be a great pleasure to see that happen."
"Mister Koa," Hanoi said, "I thought you said you were going to bring a guest here today to testify on your behalf concerning Miss Haruna."
"That I have done. I thought it would be a good effect to bring her in just as you asked that. I always loved that effect in the movies." Koa walked back to the door and opened it slightly. "You can come in now, Miss Baker!"
The door was held open for a slim, red-headed woman to come in with Molly Baker, who pouted with her head downward. Molly was being almost dragged into the hall by her arm.
"Miss Baker?" Patricia gasped. "What in the world?"
"I cannot wait to hear this," Miss Hanoi responded.
"Yes, Miss Haruna," Harold smiled. "The Bakers have this story about how Molly only started improving once you left."
Patricia could feel part of her heart die.
Please review if possible. Good night and good luck.
