High guys! This is a short story I wrote for school! It's kind of dark...I just really liked it! Tell me what you think! NO FLAMES PLEASE!

I do not own Sailor Moon

A New Hope

Darien was a vivacious boy at the age of eight. Already, he knew the harsh wrath that the world could give him and his friends. Darien was at an orphanage in the ghettos. Nobody went to the orphanage for the place was disheveled. Trash was thrown onto the front lawn without any care to the children living in this unpleasant place. The broken pieces of glass shining in the heat of the sun were the first hint of unhealthy children in the orphanage. Occasionally, you could see dried blood still on the glass from when the children tried to play and get away from the everyday bleakness that the world held. The floorboards creaked with every step, the kitchen had ants all over the place, and who knows when the last time was that someone cleaned the bathrooms. The place was a broken down wreck. No child had hope of finding a home where they could feel safe, protected, and most importantly, loved. There was no hope.

Darien awoke one summer morning. The sun was playing a little dance on his face, but it gave him no hope. Only dread came with a new day, for another day in the sun was another day in anguish. He still could remember that bitter day when his world turned upside down.

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Darien! Happy Birthday to you!" Mom and Dad sang.

"Go ahead honey, make a wish," Darien heard his mom's gentle. He took in a deep breath, and blew out the burning candles. He desperately wished for it to always be like this birthday, always cheerful, happy, and loving.

"Presents, presents, presents," screamed Darien, after he finished stuffing a huge slice of cake into his mouth, which was now covered in frosting.

"Hold your horses, Darien. We have a big present for you, but first, you need to get cleaned up," his dad said sternly. Before Darien knew it, he and his parents were driving to a place unknown.

"Where are we going?" Darien questioned in the sweetest voice that he could muster.

"We're going to go to Disneyland to celebrate your birthday!" As soon as his mom said Disneyland, Darien started screaming with glee. Then, things started to go all wrong.

"BE QUIET, DARIEN! I CAN'T CONCENTRATE!" It started pouring. You couldn't see out the front window even with your window wipers on high.

"DISNEYLAND, DISNEYLAND!" Darien kept on screaming, not aware of the danger that lurked around him. Then, the unthinkable happened. The tires screeched. Darien's mom and dad screamed along with the tires. Everything seemed to go into slow motion. The car went over the side of the road on the cliff that they were driving on. Darien's world became silent and black.

Miraculously, Darien was alive, and was sent to this orphanage. This orphanage that treats him so horribly, that took away his childhood and that offers him no hope. Sighing, he got up from his bed. Walking over to his bedroom door, he was unexpectingly hit in the head when the door suddenly swung open.

" Darien," his friend look around the room, only to find him on the floor rubbing his head, "oops."

"Yeah, oops." Darien's friend, Andrew, held out a hand. "Thanks. So?"

"So?" Andrew replied. Darien let out a sigh, 'Andrew is so clueless sometimes,' Darien thought.

"So, as in, why are you here? Haven't you ever heard of knocking?"

"I kind of forgot about that last part didn't I," Andrew laughed nervously.

"You still haven't answered my question," Darien was becoming a little frustrated.

"Oh, right. You better come down stairs. Someone is coming to give us a look over." Andrew's eyes glistened with the fact that he or his friend might get adopted. "Think of it, we could get adopted together and become brothers!"

"Don't get your hopes up, Andrew." Even through his bleak outlook, his friend could tell that Darien wanted this as much as he did.

"You don't need to be like that with me," said Andrew. "I know that you really want to get out of here. You can't hide anything from me, my friend." Darien started walking away from him. "Hey, where are you going?" Darien turned around with an evil smile curving on his lips.

"Last one there is a rotten egg." And, with that said, they took off.

Everyone was quickly hurrying, trying to look his or her best. A car pulled up along the street. This had been the first time in over twenty years that someone even came close to thinking to adopt from here. This was a celebration. The couple looked nice, but after standing there for about a minute talking to each other, the couple got back into the car and drove off. Shock and grief were now placed on the children's once happy faces. The little kids cried, even some of the boys' eyes were filling up with tears. Once again, all hope was taken from all of the children. Hope didn't exist.

Darien lay on top of his bed covers that night. Both hands were behind his head. Darien kept mumbling to himself about the day's recent event. "Andrew seemed pretty upset. He wasn't himself; then again, everybody was pretty bummed out. But Andrew, he always looks on the bright side, always tries to make things better. I wonder what's bugging him," confusion and fear were clearly visible on his face. "I should go and see what is wrong first thing tomorrow morning. Right now, though, I need to get some sleep."

It was ten o'clock in the morning. 'Amdrew would have woken me up by now' Darien thought. Getting out of bed with much dread, he got ready for the day. He ran to his friend's room. Even in this bleak world, Andrew always seemed to make things a little better. He knocked on Darien's door, but, there was no answer. Again, he knocked and got the same answer, none. Deciding that his friend might be using the restroom, he opened.

"HELP," Darien screamed, "OH GOD! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP! SOMEONE, HURRY!" Hanging from the ceiling was his friend, Andrew, with a noose around his neck. Darien screeched with terror. He would never accept this from his friend. The only one who could make him laugh. Darien's life had been scarred not only once, but twice. He knew that no one could save his friend; that he had been long dead. All that he could do was stare at his once alive friend, and cry.

Many years passed. He had hardened over those years. Darien wore a mask so that people would stay away from him. He would never get hurt that way, or so he thought. The only person who was able to put away his mask was his new wife, Serena. She was able to see right through him, just like Andrew. He knew that she would never hurt him. They were on the balcony of their small apartment.

"Serena?"

"Yes, Darien?"

"You know about my past, and, it might be too early to talk about this, but, when we are ready to have kids, do you think that we can…" Serena cut him off before he could finish.

"Of course. You don't have to worry, I have been thinking about that for a while now. Do you think that we can give hope to those living in the orphanage?"

"I most certainly do. I would have given anything to see someone walk out of there with a happy family."

"It's decided then. When will we go and start looking?"

"It's never too late for a child's happiness. Why don't we go tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow it is."