Prologue-
The tears fell on the paper before him; the droplets from the last cry marring the texture of the last letter. He wished someone could have warned him. He knew, oh how he knew! that it would have been far better for everyone had he been warned about the sight that would burn itself through his eyes, straight into his brain. The sight of his wonder girl, his only love, in the arms of another...
* * *
Darien strolled out of the gate; jacket casually tucked under one arm as the other lifted to shade his eyes. Using his natural height, he scanned the crowd, looking for the telltale buns. 'That's strange. I would have thought she would have managed to be here on time, as the flight was an hour and a half late.' Darien instantly chided himself for being insensitive, even if it was only mentally, about one of his much-missed girlfriend's greatest troubles. 'Stupid! What's an hour when you haven't seen her in months?' Sighing wistfully, he murmured under his breath the one word that meant life to him- "...Serena..."
"Darien buddy! Wow, dude, I missed you!"
"Hey, Andrew! Whew, it's great to be home. So, what's happening in this fair city of Tokyo?"
"Eh, not much. Rei and that shaggy-haired guy, what's his name?"
"Chad."
"Right, Chad. Well, they finally got it together, and things have been getting' preeetty heavy up at the Hikawa, if you catch my drift. And Amy made it into this serious med school, on scholarship, AND two years early. Oh, and Rita and I are getting married. Ya know, same old, same old."
Laughing, the two young men wandered out of the airport, reminiscing and reacquainting themselves with each other after an absence of far too long.
As they pulled up to the high-rise apartment building, the conversation within the car dwindled after two full hours of non-stop chatter.
"Thanks for the ride, Andy."
"No problem, dude. Hang tight!"
"Yeah, you too. Stay cool."
Darien dragged himself and his massive, fifty thousand pound suitcase out of the elevator. His thoughts were on her again, only her.
Darien strolled through the park, breathing deeply in the surprisingly fresh city air. 'Serena, where were you? Where are you now? Are you in trouble? Do you need me?' He pondered Serena's non-appearance at the airport, at his apartment, and at Rei's shrine. 'If anyone's hurt you, I swear I'll kill them-' his dark thoughts were abruptly cut off by the sounds of feminine giggling. He smiled, seeing the silhouette of two lovers cuddling in the grass, just down the path. 'Serena...I can't wait to do that with you again. Oh, how I've missed you!' He rounded the bend, and tripped over a long, golden-blonde stream of hair. His stormy blue eyes widened as they raced up the hair to the legs clad in little white shorts; the body in pink, and the face curled against another man's chest...Serena.
* * *
He ran.
The memories were like battering rams, beating against his head, demanding entrance like armed inner demons.
His shoes slapped against the pavement.
He remembered the first time she'd said I love you.
He remembered how he'd never said it back; always too afraid that it was some cruel joke. And now, it seemed, it was.
The Ice King. Except she'd melted him. Dark boy, Light girl- and now she had flown home to the brightness of human emotion.
His heart cracked for her, no longer stone- but not quite open enough for Serena.
Oh, God, how it all hurt now, when she'd realized her mistake; and dropped him like a warm-blooded human should a piece of ice.
He had really believed though. He truly believed that what they had could defeat his fate; his condemnation to a life devoid of love. For the first time in years, Darien cried
* * *
His shoulders drooped, suddenly and painfully. A large, strong-looking hand, with long and graceful fingers, rubbed at tired, reddened eyes- and fell as the body landed on the floor. The bottle rolled noisily in the silent room, the few white tablets he had left spilling out. The lid spun momentarily, then clattered to the floor. Finally, all was silent.
Hours later, after the police had been and gone, and Seiya had gone home to his family, Serena opened the letter that had been handed to her, the last thing he ever gave to her; though it was from beyond the grave and had come wrapped in emotionless plastic.
'My Dearest Serena,
I understand completely why you were with him. It's hard enough being tied to someone whose far away, but when you add the fact of that person being an insensitive jerk, all but fools would understand. I thank you for trying so hard with me, for trying to get through- though there was nothing there to find. Be happy, little one. Be happy with him, and love your whole life through. I only hope someday, somewhere, you can find it within yourself to forgive me for all the pain I've caused you. I love you. I'm sorry, and goodbye.
Love, Darien'
She slid down the wall, clutching the letter to her chest and a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the tears. Her tears plipped down onto the letters, their wetness blurring the words that could have saved them both, had they only been spoken before he'd left.
'I love you' came too late.
* * *
Sniffles...waiiillll! Sniff, sniff, oh that made me cry. I hope everyone gets the message! Tell that special someone how much they mean to you before it's too late! Death is a way of life people! Love!
~Mitzi
The tears fell on the paper before him; the droplets from the last cry marring the texture of the last letter. He wished someone could have warned him. He knew, oh how he knew! that it would have been far better for everyone had he been warned about the sight that would burn itself through his eyes, straight into his brain. The sight of his wonder girl, his only love, in the arms of another...
* * *
Darien strolled out of the gate; jacket casually tucked under one arm as the other lifted to shade his eyes. Using his natural height, he scanned the crowd, looking for the telltale buns. 'That's strange. I would have thought she would have managed to be here on time, as the flight was an hour and a half late.' Darien instantly chided himself for being insensitive, even if it was only mentally, about one of his much-missed girlfriend's greatest troubles. 'Stupid! What's an hour when you haven't seen her in months?' Sighing wistfully, he murmured under his breath the one word that meant life to him- "...Serena..."
"Darien buddy! Wow, dude, I missed you!"
"Hey, Andrew! Whew, it's great to be home. So, what's happening in this fair city of Tokyo?"
"Eh, not much. Rei and that shaggy-haired guy, what's his name?"
"Chad."
"Right, Chad. Well, they finally got it together, and things have been getting' preeetty heavy up at the Hikawa, if you catch my drift. And Amy made it into this serious med school, on scholarship, AND two years early. Oh, and Rita and I are getting married. Ya know, same old, same old."
Laughing, the two young men wandered out of the airport, reminiscing and reacquainting themselves with each other after an absence of far too long.
As they pulled up to the high-rise apartment building, the conversation within the car dwindled after two full hours of non-stop chatter.
"Thanks for the ride, Andy."
"No problem, dude. Hang tight!"
"Yeah, you too. Stay cool."
Darien dragged himself and his massive, fifty thousand pound suitcase out of the elevator. His thoughts were on her again, only her.
Darien strolled through the park, breathing deeply in the surprisingly fresh city air. 'Serena, where were you? Where are you now? Are you in trouble? Do you need me?' He pondered Serena's non-appearance at the airport, at his apartment, and at Rei's shrine. 'If anyone's hurt you, I swear I'll kill them-' his dark thoughts were abruptly cut off by the sounds of feminine giggling. He smiled, seeing the silhouette of two lovers cuddling in the grass, just down the path. 'Serena...I can't wait to do that with you again. Oh, how I've missed you!' He rounded the bend, and tripped over a long, golden-blonde stream of hair. His stormy blue eyes widened as they raced up the hair to the legs clad in little white shorts; the body in pink, and the face curled against another man's chest...Serena.
* * *
He ran.
The memories were like battering rams, beating against his head, demanding entrance like armed inner demons.
His shoes slapped against the pavement.
He remembered the first time she'd said I love you.
He remembered how he'd never said it back; always too afraid that it was some cruel joke. And now, it seemed, it was.
The Ice King. Except she'd melted him. Dark boy, Light girl- and now she had flown home to the brightness of human emotion.
His heart cracked for her, no longer stone- but not quite open enough for Serena.
Oh, God, how it all hurt now, when she'd realized her mistake; and dropped him like a warm-blooded human should a piece of ice.
He had really believed though. He truly believed that what they had could defeat his fate; his condemnation to a life devoid of love. For the first time in years, Darien cried
* * *
His shoulders drooped, suddenly and painfully. A large, strong-looking hand, with long and graceful fingers, rubbed at tired, reddened eyes- and fell as the body landed on the floor. The bottle rolled noisily in the silent room, the few white tablets he had left spilling out. The lid spun momentarily, then clattered to the floor. Finally, all was silent.
Hours later, after the police had been and gone, and Seiya had gone home to his family, Serena opened the letter that had been handed to her, the last thing he ever gave to her; though it was from beyond the grave and had come wrapped in emotionless plastic.
'My Dearest Serena,
I understand completely why you were with him. It's hard enough being tied to someone whose far away, but when you add the fact of that person being an insensitive jerk, all but fools would understand. I thank you for trying so hard with me, for trying to get through- though there was nothing there to find. Be happy, little one. Be happy with him, and love your whole life through. I only hope someday, somewhere, you can find it within yourself to forgive me for all the pain I've caused you. I love you. I'm sorry, and goodbye.
Love, Darien'
She slid down the wall, clutching the letter to her chest and a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the tears. Her tears plipped down onto the letters, their wetness blurring the words that could have saved them both, had they only been spoken before he'd left.
'I love you' came too late.
* * *
Sniffles...waiiillll! Sniff, sniff, oh that made me cry. I hope everyone gets the message! Tell that special someone how much they mean to you before it's too late! Death is a way of life people! Love!
~Mitzi