Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.
White & Gold
The silhouette of a female stood shrouded in fog. There was a breeze that seemed to only affect her, briefly revealing a figure clad in a gown that flowed over her curves yet clung to them, accentuating her figure and leaving her bare feet exposed. Her hair flowed from round buns on the top of her head in streams down her back and legs to curl in tiny piles on the floor.
Her face was never revealed much to the frustration of the young man staring at her, straining his eyes to see through the fog.
"Please! You must find the crystal." She begged in a soft tone that easily carried to him. "Find me."
The young man woke with a start, deep blue eyes snapping open as his alarm went off, and groaned as he rolled to his side and turned it off. He settled on his back and sighed heavily. He was frustrated that his alarm had gone off before he had a chance to try and speak to the princess.
Of course he didn't know if she was really a princess, but from what he could see of her she definitely looked like one. He also got the sense that she was one, so that was how he would think of her until he learned her name.
He had been searching for her crystal for a few months now, making his way through the jewelry stores in the city, and still hadn't found it. He wasn't even halfway done yet and had no idea what the crystal looked like, but he instinctively knew that he would recognize it when he saw it.
Darien shook his head slightly and sat up before he got out of bed. He needed to get ready for school, but decided he would continue his search after his last class.
That afternoon Darien walked into the arcade his best friend worked at and sat on a stool at the front counter. The place wasn't full but he could see a few high school students had obviously made their way there.
I can read for a while and have a drink and maybe a snack before heading back to my search. He thought as he pulled a print out from the inside pocket of his green blazer of a short text he needed to read for one of his classes.
Maybe I'll even be able to avoid the rush of middle and high schoolers that will be coming. He thought as Andrew came over to him behind the counter.
"Hey. How were your classes?" Andrew asked as he leaned on the counter.
"They were okay. Brought some homework with me." Darien said as he tapped the bunch of white print paper in front of him.
"Guess you better get started on your reading before it starts to get loud in here." Andrew said with a smirk. "So what do you want with your homework?"
"A small vanilla milkshake for now." He said and his friend nodded and began to walk away but paused and looked back to him.
"Hey my sister should be here soon for her shift, and her friend is sure to be with her so be aware." Andrew warned.
"I will. Thanks for the heads up." He replied.
"No problem." His friend said before he walked away.
Darien picked up his papers and began to read, tuning out the laughter and conversations, until another waiter delivered his drink. He quickly paid for it and returned to his reading as he sipped his milkshake.
"Darien." He heard a soft feminine voice call. Damn. He thought as he paused his reading. This was exactly what his friend had warned him about, but he had gotten lost in his reading. He had reached the halfway point and kept reading, deciding he would leave after he finished.
He turned around, seeing Andrew's sister hurry toward the end of the counter where an employee's door stood, and saw a girl stand not far behind him. She had light sky blue eyes, white blonde hair in high pigtails that trailed down to her knees, and wore the same private school uniform as his friend's sister. A gray blouse that had a black collar with red stripes on it, a red bow, a black skirt, white socks with a red stripe, and black shoes.
"Hello Chandra." He said before he turned back to his reading, hoping she would leave him alone.
She didn't. She sat down next to him and tried to strike up a conversation that he wasn't interested in participating in. He knew that she liked him, and was trying hard to engage him, but he didn't understand why. He hadn't really spoken to her beyond the time they had been introduced, so he couldn't see what was attracting her.
And even though he didn't understand he wasn't interested in knowing so he quickly finished off his milkshake, made a brief excuse, and left the building to continue his search for his princess' crystal.
He had managed to look through three different jewelry stores by late afternoon, and decided the next one would be his last for the day.
As he was walking down the sidewalk he saw a girl with long golden hair trailing in streams from the two buns on top of her head walk out of the jewelry store. She wore a long sleeve white sailor top that had a blue collar with a red bow, a blue skirt, white ankle socks, and black shoes.
She turned away from him toward the direction he was headed in, and he couldn't help watching her streams of hair sway with her movement drawing his attention to just how long her hair was. The thick streams trailed just pass her knees and his eyes flicked to the buns on her head.
How long would her hair be if she let it loose? He wondered curiously as he watched her pause in the middle of the walkway.
He continued to walk and was nearly upon her when he heard her make a frustrated sound and the next thing he knew a ball of paper was smacking him in the face.
"Hey!" He said with a frown before he bent over and grabbed the paper ball off the ground. He smoothed it out and read it, wincing at the low score of what was obviously a test.
"Ouch! You need to study harder Meatball head." He said as he lowered the paper and looked at her. He took in the bangs framing her forehead, her blushing face, and intense cerulean blue eyes.
"Mind your own business!" She snapped at him before snatching the paper out of his hand and walking away.
Darien smiled as he watched her. It wasn't everyday a girl yelled at him, and she was rather pretty. He watched her pause and look back at him before continuing on when she found him watching her.
I should have read her name off that test. He thought as he shook his head slightly. Maybe I'll see her around. He considered before he walked into the busy jewelry store.
Later that evening he was at home sorting through his homework when a sharp pain rippled through his head. He cried out slightly and grabbed his head, squeezing his eyes shut as if that would help ease the pain.
The pain eased slowly and once it was gone he was left with the intense sense that he was needed urgently. He frowned but stood up. He was unsure of what to do, but some unknown instinct kicked in and he watched himself pull a red rose out of thin air. He was quickly blinded by a bright light and when it cleared he found himself in a full tuxedo with a top hat, mask, and cape.
He looked to the door of his apartment but those new instincts told him to head to his balcony. He looked over to the glass door and walked over and opened it and slipped outside before he closed it. He wasn't particularly sure what was happening to him, but he decided he would listen to those instincts and see what would happen.
What happened next blew his mind.
It was as if he was watching from inside himself as he leapt from his balcony to the one next to his and continued down until he reached the roof of the low building next to his. He then found himself leaping from roof top to roof top as he raced through the city until he found himself back at the last jewelry store he had visited.
Darien leapt to the roof and heard loud noises inside. He made his way over to a tall window and looked in to see some kind of monster directing people to attack a young woman dressed in a skimpy sailor outfit and tall boots.
She looks good. He couldn't help admitting even though it was clear to his new instincts and untrained eye that she didn't know what she was doing.
He flinched as she began to cry and the sound created a vibration of sound waves that shattered glass and crippled and knocked out the people attacking her. It stopped and he noticed that she was too distracted by what she had done to see the monster was about to attack her.
His new instincts flared with a life of their own, swelling in him a need to protect the young woman. He opened the window and quickly launched a rose at the monster that pierced its stretched out arm. He blinked, not realizing when he had even pulled out the rose, and listened to the monster cry out in pain.
He listened as someone he couldn't see referred to the young woman as Sailor Moon and told her to not just sit there, to attack. He watched as she quickly gathered herself, pulled off the tiara on her forehead and threw it at the monster. The glowing disk slammed into it and turned it to dust much to his surprise.
"Congratulations Sailor Moon." He found himself saying as he looked down at her, drawing her attention.
"Who are you?" She asked in a voice that sounded familiar to him.
"I am Tuxedo Mask, and I look forward to seeing more of you." He said with a smile before he turned and ran off, jumping to another roof top and heading back toward his home.
Tuxedo Mask? He thought curiously. Is that who I am now in this tuxedo? And Sailor Moon. I said I looked forward to seeing more of her, so does that mean I actually will see her again? He wondered.
As he ran and leapt to another roof he considered that, although it was his first time seeing her, there was something not right about Sailor Moon. His instincts were telling him that she shouldn't be Sailor Moon, a scout yes, but not the scout of the Moon.
Strange. He thought quietly.
~oOo~
Serena walked calmly toward the lit up mansion with Luna at her side. She'd had to leave after her father since he was going to the same event for his job, so she was running slightly late of the meeting time she, Amy, and Raye had agreed to.
As she walked pass the parked cars and moved along with other invited guests she spotted Raye and Amy standing together off to the side and headed toward them.
"Hey. You two ready?" She asked quietly as she nervously smoothed her dress. Hers was a bit more elaborate than Amy or Raye's because she didn't have a ball dress lying around, so she had used her transformation pen to disguise herself as a princess.
"Yes." Raye said and Amy nodded. She nodded in return and they headed inside.
Once inside they decided to split up and get on with the reason why they were there sneaking into the ball. They were looking for Princess D and her treasure to see if she was the Moon Princess and the treasure the silver crystal they were looking for.
Serena didn't believe they would find their princess there since it didn't make any sense for her to be sealed and reborn as a princess. That would likely make her easier to find not just for them but the Dark Kingdom as well.
As she moved among the milling crowd around the dance floor someone bumped into her and spilled some of their drink on her dress. She left the room and headed to the ladies room to rinse it off. Once she managed that she returned to the ballroom and looked around for Amy and Raye, but she couldn't see them as she walked among the people standing along the sides of the room.
She sighed and decided to stand by a window that gave her a nice view of the entire dance floor and the people swirling around to the music. She turned slightly and glanced out the window to the beautiful garden below before she looked back to the dance floor, only to find a tall man standing in front of her.
He silently held out his hand and she placed her hand in his and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor. She placed her free hand on his shoulder as he placed his on her waist, and followed as he began lead her in a waltz with the other dancing couples.
Serena couldn't help blushing at the fact that she was dancing with a man she didn't even know. He had short black hair that would have just fallen into his eyes if he wasn't wearing a white mask and intense deep blue eyes. Those eyes were completely focused on her and she couldn't help feeling the pangs of familiarity.
"Tuxedo Mask?!" She gasped out in surprise after having stared up at him for nearly half the song, trying to figure out why he seemed familiar to her.
"Sailor Moon." He replied with a soft smile. "I wondered if you would be able to tell." He said, know the music would cover their conversation.
"It took me a while to figure out why you seemed familiar." She said with a smile as he twirled around another dancing pair.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" He asked as he slid the hand on her waist around to her back and pulled her closer.
"I am now that I'm dancing with you." Serena replied as she stepped closer to him as the hand on her back pulled her. "Thank you for coming to me."
"I couldn't resist after seeing you standing there all alone looking so down. I figured if you were going to be here, for whatever reason that is, you should at least enjoy your time." Tuxedo Mask said.
"How thoughtful of you." Serena said with a bright smile. "I'm glad you here, no matter what reason that is." She added.
Tuxedo Mask laughed and spun her around their bodies moving closer until they were flush up against each other. They continued to dance in silence their eyes never leaving the others.
When the music ended everything turned to chaos.
People started talking loudly and suddenly Luna came running up to her and informed her that Princess D wasn't the one they were looking for but something was wrong with her. Before Serena could ask what was wrong there were screams and the princess came running through the ballroom toward the balcony.
Serena went after her, forcing herself to ignore Tuxedo Mask's presence, and caught up to her on the balcony. She grabbed her and tried to stop her but was pushed away and lost her balance causing her tumble over the balcony.
Luckily Tuxedo Mask was once again there to save her and grabbed her wrist, but then he was pushed and he went over the edge. He managed to grab on to the balcony but he was slipping. Serena pulled out her transformation pen and transformed it into a large umbrella just as his hand slipped.
They floated safely to the ground and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thanks Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Mask said and Serena flashed him a grin before she transformed into her sailor outfit.
Raye and Amy suddenly ran out of the building already transformed into Sailor's Mars and Mercury. Mars used a sutra to separate the monster that was apparently possessing the princess. Once the monster was out in the open the Scouts attacked, and Sailor Moon used her tiara to destroy it.
Once everything was settled the girls returned to the ball to watch as the princess revealed her treasure to be a very large diamond and obviously not the silver crystal. After that Sailor Moon moved out to the large balcony away from the guests to take a breather. She sat on a bench and reclined against the arm and decided to rest her eyes but ended up drifting off to sleep.
Warm lips against hers roused her and she opened her eyes as they pulled away. She saw Tuxedo Mask leaning over her and wrapped her arms around his shoulders to stop him from moving further away.
"I missed it. How about another one that I'll remember?" She said softly with a blush, surprised at her boldness but unwilling to withdraw her request.
She watched him smile before brought his lips back to hers. He pressed them against hers before he brushed them then traced his tongue along the crease in her lips. She parted her lips and hummed as his tongue slipped inside and moved along hers.
Sailor Moon ran her fingers through his hair, enjoying the kiss, her first kiss, and strangely feeling like she had experienced it before. She knew it was impossible since it was her first kiss but the feeling was there all the same.
"Sailor Moon." They heard her name being called by Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury, and broke the kiss as they looked in the direction of their voices.
They looked back to each other and Tuxedo Mask kissed her once more before he sat up.
"I'll see you later." He said huskily with a smirk before he rushed away in the opposite direction of the Scouts voices.
~oOo~
Darien decided to cut through the park on his way home after freeing himself from the girls that decided there was something about him that they just had to have. He was getting tired of it and wondered if he was going to have to be mean with his rejections to get them to leave him alone since being nice wasn't working.
He sighed in frustration and looked around. He did a double take as he saw a familiar set of golden buns on top of a girls head. She was sitting on a bench in front of a small lake with fish and ducks moving around.
He walked up to the back of the bench, seeing her head bowed, and placed his hand lightly on top of her head between her buns.
"Meatball head." He said and watched as she turned her head and looked up at him with sad eyes. "What's wrong?" He asked before he walked around the bench and sat next to her.
"I promise to be good." He reassured her as he raised his hands in a surrender motion when she hesitated.
"I was just thinking about my friends Amy, Raye, and Lita. Well you know Raye." Serena said with a half-smile and watched him roll his eyes.
"Yeah how can I forget." Darien said sarcastically. "It's not every day I have two girls from the same school crushing on me."
"You should be flattered." She said as she bumped his arm with her shoulder.
"I would be if I was interested in either of them, but I'm not and neither of them knows how to take a hint." He said as he rolled his eyes.
"Poor Darien." She said with a light laugh. "Anyway, they're my friends but they're always complaining about everything I do." She continued.
"They complain about how I study, how I perform in class, if I'm tired and fall asleep while studying or during class, if I trip or have a klutz attack, if I'm late no matter what the reason, how I eat and what I eat. It just goes on and on." She explained.
"I feel like I'm more of an acquaintance to them than a friend." She continued with a frown. "They were fine when I first met them, but as time went by they each just started complaining. Like nothing I do is good enough."
"I think of them as my friends but the way they're treating me is starting to take a toll on me." She added with a sigh. That includes their complaining about how I am as a scout. She silently added.
"Beyond that I miss my best friend. You remember Molly right?" She asked and watched him nod. "I grew distant from her as I befriended each of the girls. It wasn't on purpose but it still happened and I don't like it."
It couldn't be helped with the scout business. Something was always happening around us, and I didn't want Molly getting hurt just because she was with me. She thought morosely.
"Do you still want them to be your friends?" Darien asked as he looked at her.
She was silent as she thought it through. He wanted to think it wasn't a hard decision, but he was sure there was more to the issue than what she had said. That wasn't surprising. She must have her secrets just as he had his.
"I'm not sure." Serena finally said. "I think of them as my friends, but if they don't want to be my friend then I'm not going to force them." She said with a frown before she shook her head. "I can't help what I eat. I like food, especially when I'm hungry. And I can't help that I'm not as good as them in school, or that I fall asleep when I'm so tired, or..."
"Stop!" Darien said, cutting her off. "You don't need to justify yourself. You are who you are and if they don't like it they don't need to be your friends. You don't need to be surrounded by anyone who can't or won't accept you for who you are. Period."
"Have you ever had to deal with something like this?" She asked quietly.
"No, but then I don't really have friends." He said with a shrug. "You know my best friend is Andrew. Everyone else is just acquaintances." He explained. "Well you're a friend too." He added after a moment.
"Really?" Serena asked as she tilted her head and looked at him. "You won't change and start complaining like my friends did?"
"Have I changed in the months we've known each other?" He countered, and watched as she shook her head. "There you go."
"I'm not going to change. I'll be the same guy that makes fun of your hair, always has something to say about what you're eating, and teases you when you toss tests and homework at me." He added and she laughed.
"You're never going to let me live that down." She said.
"Nope." He said with a grin. "You shouldn't have thrown that test at me."
"I didn't know you were behind me." She defended. "I was going to go pick it up."
"What if it had been someone else standing behind you? Or no one at all?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Then you would've just been a litter bug." He added with amusement.
~oOo~
Darien moved slowly as he walked down a sidewalk, his shoulder throbbing painfully with every step as he made his way toward the Starlight Tower he could see every time he looked up. Even though he was reluctant the last thing he wanted was to be late for his meeting. This was his chance to get the rainbow crystals he didn't have; risky as it was.
He heard a noise behind him and despite the pain in his shoulder he spun around, ready to defend himself.
"Woah! Woah!" He heard a familiar voice say and saw Serena with a palm raised toward him as she stepped back.
"Serena!?" He said in exasperation as he relaxed. "You followed me." He added as he frowned.
"I was worried!" Serena snapped. "You're bleeding in case you didn't know!" She said sarcastically.
"Yes I know." He snapped back.
"You clearly haven't taken care of it since it's coming through your clothes. Why haven't you?" She asked, undeterred by his attitude.
"I haven't had the time." He answered before he looked at his watch. "And I still don't have the time."
"Not even a few minutes?" She asked worriedly.
"No." Darien said with a sigh before he grimaced at the pain in his shoulder.
"Well...you're the one studying to be a doctor. Are you going to be okay with whatever injury you have?" She asked him seriously.
Darien sighed and ran the hand from his uninjured side through his hair. His studies were just starting but he knew his injury wasn't fatal, or rainbow crystals and Zoycite knowing his identity be damned he would've gone straight to the hospital.
"I'll be okay. I might not be able to do any heavy lifting or any lifting for a while, but other than that I'll be fine." He assured her, and she nodded.
"Okay. Well, you be sure to take care of that as soon as you can." She stressed. "And be..." She began but stopped when another voice interrupted her.
"Darien!" A cheery voice called and he looked over Serena's shoulder as she turned around. Running toward them, with her long white blonde hair waving behind her, was the friend of Andrew's little sister, Chandra.
Darien closed his eyes and groaned.
"Either it's a coincidence or she followed me." Serena said with a gusty sigh.
"I doubt it's a coincidence, and it's not your fault she's persistent." He said quietly.
"Hey. Fancy running into you here." Chandra said to Darien with a smile as she stopped in front of him, completely ignoring Serena.
Before Darien could say anything the three of them were suddenly scooped up in a pinkish red circular barrier. Confusion reigned as they were lifted up into the air before they disappeared.
Serena came to slowly to the sound of voices. She cracked her eyes open and looked toward the voices to see Darien standing in front of her, and surprisingly Zoycite at a slight distance away. She looked to her other side to see Chandra lying next to her unconscious.
She stayed where she was, not wanting to draw attention to herself, and focused on clearing the dizziness from her head. She closed her eyes listened to the sounds of the two men talking even though she couldn't hear exactly what they were saying.
"Serena?" She heard Darien say and felt a hand on top of her head and on her hip. She opened her eyes and looked up into his concerned gaze.
"I'm fine." She reassured him. "What's going on?"
"You've been dragged into my problems." He said as she sat up.
Before he could say anything else they heard a loud crack from the far end of the room. Both of their heads snapped in that direction, and saw that the floor looked like it was disappearing.
"We gotta go!" Darien said as he stood and moved over to Chandra.
"No!" Serena snapped as she moved until she was kneeling next to the other girl. "You're not lifting her with your injury." She added as she quickly pulled the girl onto her back.
Darien, seeing what she was doing, arranged Chandra's arms over her shoulders and steadied her as she stood. Serena gripped the girl's legs and leaned forward to keep her on her back and began to run away from the crumbling floor.
"This way!" Darien said as he moved ahead of her toward the elevator doors. He pressed the button repeatedly to get it to open.
As soon as it opened he went in and held the door open as he waved Serena in. She sped up and nearly jumped in, feeling like the floor was disappearing behind her faster than she thought. Darien released the doors and they closed with a quiet ding.
Serena knelt down and Darien helped her ease Chandra onto the floor so she didn't just fall off. Then they stood and watched uneasily as the door to the elevator disappeared and the interior began to turn green with thick vines, leaving only the glass wall untouched.
Serena watched Darien move until he was standing in front of the glass, looking out at the view, and suddenly remembered that along with Zoycite she had seen rainbow crystals.
What's the connection between him, Zoycite, and the rainbow crystals? She thought with a frown as she moved away from Chandra to stand next to the wall.
"What's with that guy and those rainbow crystals?" She asked, wanting to know what was going on since judging by the looks of the elevator something else was bound to happen.
Darien sighed and wondered what he should tell her. She was here and obviously mixed up in this because she was with him, so he thought she deserved to know something. She was his friend and he trusted her to know his past. He didn't have to tell her he was Tuxedo Mask for her to understand, but he thought she deserved to know something.
He turned to his side and looked to her, standing there patiently waiting for him to speak, before he looked to Chandra. He didn't want her knowing anything personal about him. Thankfully she was still unconscious.
"I've been having this reoccurring dream of a girl, a woman really. From the little I can see of her she looks like a princess so that's what I think of her as." He began quietly as he looked back out to the view beyond the glass.
He explained that she always said the same thing; she begged for him to find her and her crystal. He'd been having the dream for as long as he could remember, but a little over half a year ago they began to come almost nightly.
"Did you know I'm an orphan Serena?" Darien asked suddenly.
"No." Serena answered quietly.
"Yeah. I was in a car accident with my parents when I was six. They both died but I survived somehow. Since then I've been unsure about my identity." He revealed. "That and the dreams are why I've been trying to collect those crystals. I'm hoping they'll help me find the princess, her crystal, and help me remember who I really am."
Serena blinked and looked down. His explanation was the last thing she expected. Not that she was really expecting anything, but this was out there. But then again since Luna came into her life she had seen a lot that could be classified as 'out there'.
I wonder if the princess in his dreams and the crystal she's been asking about are the same that Luna has us looking for. She wondered as she looked back to him.
"Well." She began but paused as she ordered her thoughts. "There must be a reason she's sending you those dreams. It could be urgent that you find her, but then again she might just be missing you, missing who you were to her, and doesn't want to wait anymore."
"I think you should look for her, and not just the crystal." She suggested as she watched him turn and look at her. "You might have seen her and just don't realize it because there's nothing to give her away. She might not even know she's a princess, and maybe the crystal is with her anyway."
"Yeah it's possible." Darien said thoughtfully as he nodded.
"I'm sure you'll find the crystal and your princess sooner rather than later since you're so determined." Serena said with a soft smile.
"Thanks Serena." He said quietly.
"Wouldn't it be ironic if you've already met her?" She said with a raised eyebrow after a few quiet moments, and he rolled his eyes.
Chandra groaned and they both looked down at her to see her slowly waking up. She looked back and forth between them in confusion as she sat up.
"Where are we?" She asked as she looked around. "What is that?" She asked as she looked up at the ceiling.
Serena and Darien looked up to see a reddish orange glow that seemed to be getting brighter and brighter as they watched.
"Is that fire?!" Chandra asked in alarm.
Serena's heart raced as her eyes widen. That is fire! She thought as she looked quickly to Darien and Chandra before looking back up to the glow.
What do I do? I can't not do something. If I don't we'll all burn to death and if not then we'll plummet to the ground floor to our death. She thought quickly, knowing this was Zoycite's fault and hating him for putting her in this position. But to do something I'll have to transform, which means revealing my secret to them. Can I do that? Can I trust them?
She looked back to them, and knew that she couldn't not act. She would hate herself if she didn't at least try.
I don't trust Chandra, but Darien trusted me with something important. I can trust him, so that will have to be enough. She thought as she frowned in determination and clenched her fists.
"Moon Prism Power!" She called clearly as she raised her hand in the air, her transformation taking her over.
Darien gasped as light lit up the elevator. The phrase was unfamiliar to him but being who he was it wasn't hard to understand what it meant.
Is this really Serena? He thought quietly as her body lifted slightly off the ground. Is she really Sailor Moon?
His eyes bugged out as her clothes suddenly disappeared, leaving her naked behind the light that left little to the imagination. He had never thought about the Sailor Scouts transformations before, so this was entirely unexpected. For all he knew the Scouts could walk around all day every day in those little sailor suits, but since he didn't walk around in a tuxedo all the time common sense told him it was the same for them. Still, the sudden nudity was very unexpected.
He watched her form spin as it was wrapped up in glowing ribbons. Each part of the familiar outfit appeared in a slight burst of light until Sailor Moon stood before him.
Everything after that happened rapidly yet seemed slow to his stunned mind. Serena, Sailor Moon, moved toward him, pausing just long enough to grabbed Chandra, whom he had completely forgotten about in light of Serena's transformation, by the arm and pulled her up until she was standing.
She pulled off her tiara and tossed it at the side of the ceiling, blasting a large hole in the roof, before she wrapped her arms tightly around their waist and leapt through the hole. He held on to her shoulders, idly aware of Chandra's terrified screams, as she seemed to run up one side of the elevator shaft before leaping to the other, then leaping back and forth as she rapidly climbed higher and higher until an explosion sounded beneath them.
He felt her tense before she jumped up higher and they came sailing out and landing on a solid black gray floor just before the fire from the explosion rose up and flared out into the air before dying down.
All Darien could do in that moment was stare at her. Feeling a mixture of shock at her transformation and pride at her quick thinking and rescue.
He listened as she confronted Zoycite sternly and indignantly about trying to kill them and for putting them in that situation to begin with. How could he attack innocent people, what was wrong with him, and on and on she went in her tirade.
He had never seen her so angry and outraged, but those emotions turned to confusion when Zoycite revealed that he was actually after Tuxedo Mask.
Not that that makes a difference with Serena and Chandra's presence. He would have still attacked. He thought as he listened to Serena ask what Zoycite was talking about since Tuxedo Mask wasn't there. Looks like it's my turn. He thought as he glanced warily at Chandra. He wished she wasn't there since out of the two of them she was the last person he wanted knowing his secret.
"Yes I am." He called and watched Serena slowly turn around. He pulled out a fresh red rose and watched her eyes widen as she gasped. He then went through his own transformation until he was standing as Tuxedo Mask in his tuxedo, mask, top hat, and cape.
I can't believe it! Darien is Tuxedo Mask. The same Tuxedo Mask that has been saving me and encouraging me for months; the same one I've had a crush on from day one. Unbelievable! Serena thought as she stared wide eyed at him.
She couldn't even think of how to react to this astonishing revelation other than to stare at him, but then she heard a noise behind her and was reminded that Zoycite was there and that was all it took to get her moving.
"You have to run. You can't fight him. You're hurt!" She said after she ran up to Darien, looking up at him.
"I can't do that. You know why I have to face him." Darien said quietly.
"I know I know. So you can find your princess; among other things." She said softly.
"Yeah." He replied as he nodded his head.
"Then at least be careful. You know this is probably a trap." She said, stepping back into her Sailor Moon persona, before she looked over to a silent yet wide eyed Chandra.
"I will. You be careful as well." Tuxedo Mask said seriously.
"I will." She said with a firm nod. "I'll get her out of the way and keep her safe." She added as she nodded to Chandra.
Tuxedo Mask nodded and they both moved away from each other. He stepped forward toward Zoycite and Sailor Moon moved quickly to Chandra. She gently yet firmly grabbed her wrist and began to pull her away from the area. The floor they were on was a very large open space and she finally spotted a door at the far end of the room and began to head for it.
She heard the faint sound of Tuxedo Mask and Zoycite's voices before there was silence. Then she suddenly heard a loud gasp not very far behind her and she paused and turned around in alarm.
"Oh!" She breathed in stunned shock as she saw Tuxedo Mask stand in front of her with his back to her, a large crystal looking shard sticking out of his back, even going through his cape.
"No. No. Darien!" She called as she let go of Chandra and ran back toward him as he began to collapse. She caught his head and upper body and gently lowered him to the floor, barely noticing that the large crystal was gone, leaving only a spreading patch of blood on his white dress shirt.
"This can't be happening. It just can't. Oh Darien!" Chandra said as she knelt at Darien's other side, her hands waving over him as if she didn't know what to do with them.
"Darien? Darien please?" Sailor Moon called as she placed one hand on his head and grasped his hand with her other. She watched as he struggled to open his eyes but when he managed it he looked up at her with sad pained eyes.
"You know I'm on your side right?" Darien said he squeezed her hand. "Always have and always will be."
"I know." Serena said as she nodded, her eyes teary. She knew from the look in his eyes to his words that he was gravely injured, possibly dying. "I've always known." She added as she stroked his hair and watched his eyes close.
"You have to be okay. You just have to!" Chandra said as her eyes filled with tears. One got free and began to trail down her cheek before it began to glow slightly.
Serena frowned slightly as she sensed something. She looked away from Darien and around the room, seeing Zoycite standing where he had been since they arrived. He wasn't what she was sensing so she continued to look, and finally looked up and saw the rainbow crystals floating down from the ceiling.
"Darien? Darien look!" She said and watched his eyes struggle open, looking painfully up at the scene happening before them.
She watched as her Crescent Moon Wand appeared and the crystals combined to form a silver crystal. Her eyes widened as understanding washed over her. It's her. She's the Moon Princess Luna was talking about. She thought as she watched Chandra turn into a princess right before her eyes.
"Looks like you've found your princess." She added softly, almost to herself, as she stroked his hair. It was hard for her to say those words. After all, Darien was her friend, and as Tuxedo Mask he was the guy she had a serious crush on.
There was absolutely no chance of anything happening between them now. He hadn't said who the princess in his dreams was to him or who he was to her, he might not even know, but for her to be reaching out to him in such a way they had to be close beyond the bounds of family or friends.
"I'll keep you both safe." Sailor Moon promised as she squeezed his hand before she stood up and planted herself between the pair and Zoycite.
Okay. I no longer have my wand as that apparently belongs to the Moon Princess, so that just leaves me with my tiara. She thought with a frown as she kept her eyes on the dark general in front of her. But my tiara stopped being a real weapon weeks ago. What am I going to do? She wondered as her heart raced. She was facing a threat and all but weaponless as she stood between Zoycite and her friend.
Darien watched Sailor Moon, Serena, as she moved to block Zoycite from his line of sight before he looked back to Chandra's glowing form. He had opened his eyes in time to see the rainbow crystals appear and form a slightly larger silver crystal. The crescent wand he had seen in Sailor Moon's hands so often appeared and the crystal attached before Chandra stood and began to glow. Her school uniform transformed into a flowing white gown fit for a princess, but he knew instinctively, even through his pain, that she wasn't his princess.
She moved and knelt at his side once again, holding the wand, before she placed it down next to her and rested a hand lightly on his chest. He couldn't help noticing that her hair was now up in buns and flowing in streams in the exact same style Serena's always was in.
"I remember." Chandra said as she looked down at him. "I remember I am Princess Luciana of the Moon." She added and he blinked slowly before he returned his gaze to Serena.
"And you Darien. My dear Darien are Prince Endymion." He heard her say in a tone that was uncomfortably loving.
Darien closed his eyes. He didn't like the tone of her voice, but the name she had just voiced seemed to unlock all the doors in his mind. She was right. He was Prince Endymion. Prince Endymion of the Earth.
I am Darien and Endymion. He thought, finally understanding the truth about himself that he had been searching for. I wish I could tell Serena that I finally remember. He thought as he opened his eyes and looked toward Serena's back, blinking to try and clear the blurriness as he watched her defend against an attack from Zoycite.
Sailor Moon watched Zoycite smirk before he attacked with some kind of forceful wind. She crossed her arms and lifted them over her face and squinted her eyes as the blast hit her. She quickly shifted her feet to keeping herself steady so she wouldn't be blown back.
From there he kept attacking, each one slightly stronger then the last, and she defended against each and every one to keep him away from her injured friend and the princess. She was running off adrenaline and instincts she didn't even know she had. She narrowed her eyes and fought harder than ever to protect Darien as he had protected her so many times; white flashes sparking from her hands at each successful defense.
"Sailor Moon!" She heard the familiar tone of Sailor Mercury's voice call out to her.
"A little help!" She called back without taking her eyes from Zoycite.
Within moments green, red, blue, and orange attacks came flying pass her toward Zoycite as her fellow Scouts came to her assistance. The tide turned from there but she could see that he was trying to work his way around them toward Darien and the princess.
She frowned angrily. She wasn't having any of that. She threw her hand toward him and an unexpected instinctive thick white beam of light flew out of her hand. It shot through the air and hit Zoycite in the chest, slamming him back against the wall before swallowing him and exploding, leaving nothing of the dark general behind.
~oOo~
Darien opened his eyes slowly, waking from being immersed in his assimilating memories, and saw the blurred images of people near him. He blinked rapidly to clear his vision and saw that he was in a large room with five girls, all of them recognizable.
"Where am I?" He asked as he sat up, noticing that he wasn't in any pain. I must have been healed while I was unconscious. He thought as he looked around, briefly glancing at Chandra as she moved to kneel next to him.
"You're in my family shrine." Raye answered and he looked to her and nodded, before his eyes once again looked around the room, searching for the one girl he wanted to see.
"Where's Serena?" He asked with a frown, as it was clear to him that these girls, who were her friends, were the other Sailor Scouts and she should be there with them.
"She's gone." Chandra answered with a shrug. "She wasn't needed, and doesn't belong here."
"What do you mean she's gone, and doesn't belong?" He asked in confusion as his eyes flickered around to each girl. Isn't needed and doesn't belong? What is going on here?!
"Well..." Amy started as she looked to the others. "I don't know if you remember us arriving in the tower or if you were already unconscious, but when we did we arrived just in time to help Sailor Moon, Serena, deal with Zoycite and then we got filled in on what had happened." She explained before she and the others began to fill him in on what had happened while he was unconscious.
The Sailor Scouts breathed a sigh of relief as Zoycite was defeated, though some were curious about Sailor Moon's new power. Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars went to the unconscious form of Tuxedo Mask and the girl in the dress.
"What happened?" Sailor Venus asked Sailor Moon as they moved toward the group.
"And who's the girl?" Sailor Jupiter added.
"Her name is Chandra. I think, from what I've seen, she's a friend of Andrew's little sister. She goes to the same school as Mars." She said as they came to a stop near the group and watched Mercury type away at her minicomputer. "And apparently she's the Moon Princess we've been looking for." She added and the Scouts along with Luna and Artemis gasped as they looked to the princess.
Sailor Moon went on to briefly explain her run in with Darien, Chandra's appearance, and the three of them suddenly being trapped in a barrier and lifted into the sky. When she woke she saw Darien speaking to Zoycite about the rainbow crystals.
She went on to explain Zoycite somehow making the floor crumble and their flight to the elevator before the floor disappeared completely, being trapped in the elevator as it changed around them and began to rise up to the top of the tower, and the fire attack Zoycite directed at them in an obvious attempt to kill them.
"I had no choice but to transform if we were going to survive." She said with a sigh and Jupiter put a hand on her shoulder consolingly.
Sailor Moon then explained how she got them to the top where Zoycite was and confronted him, only to find out that he had actually wanted Tuxedo Mask dead. That led to the discovery that Darien was Tuxedo Mask.
He went to confront Zoycite as she focused on getting Chandra out of there and to safety, but unsurprisingly Zoycite apparently attacked her unprotected back instead of him and he was injured protecting her.
This lead to Chandra becoming distraught and suddenly the rainbow crystals appeared and combined to form the silver crystal. The Crescent Moon Wand appeared and the crystal attached itself to the crescent, and that triggered Chandra's transformation into the princess.
"I can only assume by the crescent moon on her forehead, and the wand appearing with the crystal attaching to it, that she's the Moon Princess." Sailor Moon said with a shrug. "At that point I decided I needed to protect them and planted myself between them and Zoycite. You guys arrived only a few minutes later."
"Sounds like you were busy." Jupiter said.
"Yeah, tell me about it." Sailor Moon replied.
"Princess?" Mercury said as she looked to Chandra, having heard everything Sailor Moon had said.
"I remember." Chandra said as she looked to her. "I'm a princess. Princess Luciana."
"I'm glad we finally found you." Mercury said with a slight smile. "Can you tell me what happened to Darien?"
"He's hurt." She replied blankly. "He's my prince. Prince Endymion of the Earth." She added softly, and Mercury's eyes widened in surprise at that revelation but she quickly pushed her shock aside.
"How is he hurt?" Mercury asked, needing to know.
"He's hurt. Very badly." Chandra said sadly, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
"Sailor Moon what's wrong with him?" Mercury asked as she looked away from the princess in frustration.
"He has a wound on his shoulder that I think he got from the last fight just before Venus arrived, and the injury he got just now was from a large thick crystal going through his stomach and out his back." Sailor Moon answered quickly.
"I'm not sure what we can do for him besides get him to a hospital, but right now we need to get him out of here." Mercury said after she typed in her computer some more.
The others nodded and it was decided they would go to Mars shrine. Jupiter would carry the princess and Sailor Moon would carry Tuxedo Mask. That way if he woke up before they got to the shrine he wouldn't be alarmed because he would recognize her right away.
Once Sailor Moon and Jupiter had their passengers secured they all quickly left the room and began to make their way out of the tower.
Chandra clung to Sailor Jupiter, making sure to keep a firm grip on her Crescent Moon Wand, as they moved quickly and silently with the other Scouts. She could admit she was in a bit of a shock, and who could blame her after all that had happened in such a short amount of time.
It had started out simple enough. She had come across her crush talking to Serena who she had seen him talking to before on many occasions. She had no problem admitting to herself that she was jealous of her. After all Darien talked to Serena more than he talked to her, and even though she could see they were just friends she still got jealous.
After barely getting a few words out to him she was technically kidnapped, woke up in an elevator with fire coming down the shaft toward her, witnessed Serena become Sailor Moon, went through a scary rescue out of the elevator through the fiery shaft, then witnessed her crush become Tuxedo Mask, saw him seriously injured, and finally she went through the revelation that she was a princess.
It was just a lot to take in. She had to see Darien so seriously injured, she had never seen anyone that injured, watch Serena fight the guy that tried to kill them, and on top of all that she had her newly awakened past memories flowing through her head.
They were slowly being absorbed in her mind, but the one memory that she was focused on was the fact that Darien was Endymion. He was a prince and even in the past she had crushed on him. That was proof that he was the one for her, and hopefully something she could use to turn his attention to her.
Now she just had to worry about his injury. She couldn't have him if he died on her.
When they were almost to the shrine they released their transformations, Serena somehow even being able to release Darien's transformation. When they arrived Raye led them inside and to the room they usually used for studying and meetings.
Serena laid Darien on a raised pallet on one side of the room, forcing herself not to linger, before she moved to sit at the floor table in the center of the room. Mina sat next to her while Lita sat at the side of the table, and they watched as Amy, Raye, and Chandra stood or sat near Darien as he lay unconscious.
"We really might need to get him to a hospital." Amy said worriedly as Chandra knelt at Darien's side.
"Maybe I can use my crystal to try and heal him." Chandra said hesitantly to the group of strangers. Just like Serena she had seen them around the arcade she frequented, and one of them went to her school but was a year or two below her, but she didn't really know them.
Amy looked to Raye and they both looked behind them to the others. Lita looked from them to Mina and Serena and Mina looked to Serena. Serena looked around at all of them, uncomfortably aware that they were all suddenly looking at her, and she nodded to Mina. If this healed him then she was all for it. She imagined he might be happy his princess had saved him.
"Go for it. It can't hurt." Mina said as she looked away from Serena.
Chandra nodded and turned back to Darien and lifted her wand and pointed it at him. She closed her eyes and focused all her thoughts on healing her crush.
Everyone watched as the silver crystal began to glow before soft light flowed from it and bathed Darien. Serena saw a transparent golden barrier form around his body that seemed to be rejecting the silver crystals healing light. She frowned and looked to the others, but they looked normal so she guessed they weren't seeing what she was seeing.
"It's not working." Chandra said as she stopped the flow and lowered her wand. "I know I did it right, but he's not accepting it."
"Amy can you scan him again?" Serena suggested. "Maybe something's changed since we left the tower."
Amy nodded and quickly pulled out her minicomputer. She opened it and started typing as she pointed it at Darien, scanning his entire body as everyone waited in silence.
"You're right." Amy said distractedly. "He's healing. Some type of energy inside him is healing his body from the inside out."
"Well that's good." Raye said, surprised at the unexpected development.
"All we can do is wait." Amy said as she put her computer away and moved over to the floor table.
Raye followed Amy and Chandra looked to Darien before she got up and slowly joined them. Raye was sitting on the side next to Serena, and Chandra hesitantly sat in the last available space next to Amy across from Serena and Mina. Luna and Artemis sitting together off to the side on pillows with a view of everyone.
Mina then suggested they introduce themselves for their princess' benefit and her own since she was new there. They all agreed and spent the next few minutes introducing themselves letting their princess know how long they had been Scouts. Then they informed her of the enemy they were dealing with and what had happened with them so far.
Chandra sat silently listening to the girls and cats, that still shocked her, while her memories swirled as she made connections between them and what they were saying. There was one thing that was bothering her, something her memories were telling her was wrong.
"There was no Sailor Moon in the past." She said suddenly and silence descended instantly as everyone stared at her in shock.
"What?!" Serena said in shocked confusion. "If that's the case then how am I able to transform? Why would Luna even approach me if I was never a scout?"
"I just know what my memories tell me." Chandra said with a shrug, unconcerned with the development. This was like a higher power getting Serena away from the guy she wanted without her having to do anything. "I remember only four. Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter."
"What about her powers?" Lita said incredulously. "If Serena's not Sailor Moon then where did they come from?"
"How was she able to use the Crescent Moon Wand if, from the looks of it, it belongs in Chandra's hands?" Amy asked in surprised confusion.
"I don't know." Chandra said and took a deep breath as she looked to the girls around her. She was starting to realize that she had power here, and that they would do what she wanted because she was their princess. "But I see no reason for you to stay. You should leave." She said firmly to Serena.
The girls and Luna and Artemis sat in stunned silence as they looked at each other. Serena took a deep steadying breath and nodded. According to the Moon Princess Sailor Moon didn't exist, so despite the girls being her friends she had no desire to stay, especially since she had always felt like she was forcing herself to fit in that role.
She took out her communicator, disguise pen, and broach, and put them on the table since there was no reason to keep them. She wouldn't need them. She then stood and nodded to her friends and the cats and moved toward the door without a word. She looked to Darien as she walked and hoped he would be okay as she left the room.
Darien frowned as they finished describing what happened. He shook his head and stood up and headed for the door.
"Wait!" Raye called out as she stood, unable to stop herself. She assumed from the way her princess had stayed near Darien, and from what she said about him being her prince, that they must have had something together in the past. That didn't mean she could just stopped liking him though.
"Where are you going?" Chandra said as she stood and hurried toward him.
"I'm going after Serena." Darien said as he continued toward the door.
"Why?" Raye asked in irritation, which cleared up quickly at the piercing look he shot her.
"What about us?" Chandra said as she grabbed his arm.
"There is no us!" He snapped as he quickly pulled himself free and pushed her away from him. "There never has and there never will be!"
"But the past! You're my Endymion." Chandra tried to explain, thinking he just didn't remember.
"I am not your anything!" He snapped angrily as he turned to her. "Not yours or yours." He added as he looked to Raye. "I've never been interested in either of you."
"You just don't know when to move on. I went on those dates with you hoping to spare myself the trouble of having to reject you. You were a friend of Serena's and I didn't want her complaining about making one of her friends cry." Darien said to Raye before he looked to Chandra.
"And you! You just don't know when to give up." He said in frustration. "You are just a friend of my best friends little sister any nothing more. As for the past. I remember it. I remember it all very, very clearly. Even back then you didn't know when to give up. You were a spoiled, selfish, self-absorbed brat with an inflated sense of self-importance!"
"You thought just because you were the heir to the Moon throne, and the next holder of the silver crystal, that you could have whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. And apparently that included me. You just assumed I would fall for you just because you liked me. It never occurred to you that I wouldn't be interested or taken." He explained, holding the whole room captive before turning back to the door.
"But..." Chandra began then hesitated in her shock before continuing. "But you said you were on our side. The Scouts side, and always would be."
"No." Darien said as he paused with his hand on the door and looked back. "What I said is I was on Sailor Moon's side and always would be. I didn't spend these last few months protecting her for nothing. Doesn't matter if she's not Sailor Moon anymore. What matters is who she is to me." He said with finality before he opened the door and walked out.
He closed the door behind him and quickly made his way out of the building, thankful there weren't more hallways to get lost in. Once outside he closed his eyes and focused on the power inside him to find Serena.
Multiple sites and people passed by his mind's eye until he concentrated on every detail of her looks. From the unique style of her long hair, her blue eyes, to her blue and white sailor school uniform.
A few moments passed and he soon saw a clear image of her fill his mind. She was walking along a sidewalk before she paused and looked to her left and right before she continued, obviously crossing a street and headed for something. She was soon stepping on grass and he suddenly knew exactly where she was.
Darien opened his eyes and took off running, sprinting down the long set of stairs and turning as he headed in the direction she had likely taken to reach her destination.
What am I going to say to her? He wondered as he ran. He was still adjusting to her being Sailor Moon and her knowing he was Tuxedo Mask. He had no idea what she would think when she saw him. Not to mention her knowing he was a prince.
Oh! I kissed her! He thought suddenly as he remembered the embassy ball. He and Sailor Moon had shared a few very nice kisses, but now he knew it was actually Serena he was kissing. Does she remember that? She must. I was very aware of Sailor Moon's feelings for me.
All this still didn't tell him what he was going to say to Serena. On top of that he remembered his past, remembered it very clearly just as he had told those girls, but he knew Serena wouldn't remember hers. At least not until he helped her remember.
I need to stop thinking so hard about this. It's not that complicated. I am Prince Endymion of the Earth, and I will remind her of exactly who she is. He thought determinedly as he ran.
~oOo~
Chandra stood stunned and embarrassed at Darien's words. She was embarrassed that he had said all he had said in front of the girls who were still strangers to her despite them being her Guardian Scouts.
At least I'm not the only one embarrassed. She thought as she looked to Raye, who obviously had feelings for Darien as well. She hadn't even known the other girl had been on dates with him until that moment. One would think she would have known with them going to the same school, but that was no guarantee she would have known the girl or the fact that she had gone on dates with the guy she liked.
It does guarantee that I'm going to have to keep an eye on her. She thought jealously. After all Raye had done more with her feelings for Darien then she had, and she doubted the girls feelings would just stop after his speech. Hers hadn't.
In fact, she was determined to talk some sense into him. He couldn't be rejecting her. He must be remembering their past wrong. She wasn't one to brag but she knew she was pretty; add to that the fact that she was a princess, and she was the perfect fit for him.
No. He was wrong. They were right for each other, and this time around they were getting a fresh start to be together. She would get him and they would be together. She just needed to give it time, but in the meanwhile she needed to get him to see reason.
Yes. That's exactly what I'm going to do. She thought as she moved back over to the girls.
Mina watched the girl that was the princess she was supposed to protect and felt embarrassed for her. It had just been revealed to all of them that she was after a guy that didn't want her. Hadn't wanted her in the past and didn't want her now.
She didn't remember her past yet, and had known the girl for less than three hours, but she could tell that everything Darien said was true. The look on her face at the moment spoke of her not giving up her quest for him, so it was entirely believable that she felt entitled to him in the past just because of who she was.
"I want to go after him. I need to make him see reason." Chandra said as she looked to them. "You could use your computer to find him right?" She said to Amy.
Amy blinked, hesitant even though her princess had just asked something of her, and looked to Raye who shrugged helplessly and looked to Lita. Lita had a look on her face that clearly said 'don't ask me' and Amy looked to Mina.
Mina held in sigh as she considered. Chandra was clearly determined and didn't seem to want to take no for an answer. Even after she had been embarrassed.
Maybe she needs to be embarrassed again. She thought as she looked to the newly awakened princess. Darien clearly wanted nothing to do with her just as he hadn't in the past according to his words. Not just because of his complaints and disinterest but because he had been taken.
She blinked, wondering if Chandra had caught that or if she had just dismissed it. He had awakened an immediately asked after Serena and had left out as quickly as he could to go find her. She may not have been Sailor Moon in the past, but that didn't mean she wasn't there. Perhaps he knew exactly who she was and that's why he was so anxious to find her.
Maybe that's what Chandra needed to see. That reunion, whether he knew who she was or if he just wanted to see and speak to her about her being Sailor Moon, to embarrass her some more and get the idea that she and the newly awakened Earth Prince would never be.
Mina nodded firmly to Amy, and Amy sighed before she pulled out her minicomputer and began to type away. Her eyes flew across the screen as her fingers did the same on the small keyboard before she stopped and looked up.
"I can't find him. It's like something is masking his presence or blocking my computer," She revealed. "but I can find Serena and since he's looking for her I figure it's the same."
"Then do that!" Chandra nearly snapped, ready to go to the man she wanted.
Amy held in an exasperated sigh and went back to typing in her computer to look for her friend. She knew she couldn't have gotten too far from the shrine, and shouldn't be anywhere near her home yet.
"I've got a lock on her." Amy announced as she looked up.
"Then let's go!" Chandra said as she got up and headed toward the door.
Amy followed since she would be the one giving directions. Lita and Raye got up and followed as well after sharing a reluctant look. Mina got up as well and looked to Luna and Artemis.
"You two coming?" She asked the cats.
"Yeah." Artemis answered as Luna nodded.
Mina nodded in returned went and picked them up, settling them on each of her shoulders, before she hurried after the others.
~oOo~
Serena shook her head as she walked down the sidewalk. She couldn't believe she wasn't Sailor Moon. After all the struggling she had gone through these past months to be a better fighter, to force herself to run into danger instead of away, and all for nothing.
All the sleep she had lost, the constant stress, decline of her grades, the distance from her best friend, the seemingly constant complaints and criticism that had been heaped on her. All of that and for nothing! Why had Luna approached her? Why had her life been turned upside down?
The only good thing that came out of being a scout was meeting Tuxedo Mask. She thought with a sigh. Tuxedo Mask who was Darien. She never would've known or believed if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. All those months he had been saving her, helping her, encouraging her, and all without complaint.
I wonder how he's doing. Is he finished healing or still unconscious? She wondered as she walked. She could have stayed until he woke up just so she would know he was okay despite Chandra practically dismissing her.
Did they even realize that since I'm not Sailor Moon I didn't have to listen to anything their princess said? She wondered curiously. Probably not. The only reason she didn't stay was because she didn't want to see Darien's reunion with his princess.
After all, Darien was not just her friend, he was Tuxedo Mask; the guy she had a major crush on. The same Tuxedo Mask she had kissed at the embassy ball.
She didn't know what she was going to do about this situation. She imagined if he hadn't met his princess they would have been able to talk and figure things out between them, but he did meet his princess and that changed things considerably.
Darien was no longer available. He had said before that he wasn't interested in Chandra, but that was before she turned out to be the princess he had been dreaming of.
Serena sighed heavily. I wish he never told me about his dream princess! She thought with a frown, but instantly changed her mind. His telling her was a sign of how much he trusted her, and that was something she wouldn't give up.
She blinked and looked around seeing that she had gone off course from the route she normally took to get home from the shrine. She looked across the street and saw the park and decided to go there and try to relax before she went home.
She paused at the crosswalk and looked both ways as the light changed then walked across the street and headed into the park. She walked along the path until she made it to the bench she liked to frequent in front of the small lake.
Is he awake? Is he thinking about me or is he too busy with his princess? Serena wondered as she sat on the cool bench, but quickly pushed aside those thoughts because it was starting to hurt. Instead she turned her mind back to the girls she had left behind.
What are they thinking about me not being one of them anymore? About me not being Sailor Moon? She wondered as her eyes settled on the slightly rippling water before her. Do they feel surprised, shocked, angry, sad? Are they even thinking about it or have they already moved on? Maybe they're getting to know their princess.
She sighed and closed her eyes.
Maybe instead of wondering how they're dealing with me not being a scout anymore I should consider how this revelation could have a positive effect on me. She considered thoughtfully as she opened her eyes.
She wouldn't have to go out fighting anymore, wouldn't have to worry about getting injured, and wouldn't have to lie to her parents anymore. No complaints and criticism from people she considered friends, and she wouldn't have a nagging cat yapping in her ear at all hours of the day and nearly following her every move.
Maybe I can get my best friend back now. She thought wistfully.
Darien slowed to a stop and huffed to catch his breath as Serena came into sight, her unique hair style instantly catching his eyes.
So unique that the Moon royalty were given permission to wear the style. He thought as he watched her, his breathing calming.
He thought she looked fine from where he stood, but he needed to be sure, needed to see her face. He walked forward and came around to her side of the bench, and saw she did look fine if a little thoughtful.
"Hey." He said and watched her eyes drift to him and away before they snapped back to him.
"Darien!" Serena said as she jumped to her feet. She ran to him, slamming into him and wrapped her arms around in his waist.
"Serena." He said quietly as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and returned her hug.
"You're okay." She said as she pulled back. "You're all healed." She stated as she stepped back and ran her hands along his stomach, searching for the grievous wound that she had seen, before she moved around to his back.
"Yeah. I'm all healed." Darien said as he felt her hands move up and down his back and around his shoulder where his previous wound had been.
"I'm glad." She said with a sigh as she came back around to stand in front of him. "I didn't appreciate seeing you so hurt." She added quietly.
"I'm sorry I made you worry. Hopefully it won't happen again." He said as he watched her.
"So um what are you doing here?" Serena asked as she looked up to him.
"I wanted to see you." He said without hesitation as he looked into her eyes.
"Shouldn't you be with your princess?" She said as she looked away and returned to her seat on the bench.
"Chandra's a princess but she's not my princess; no matter how much she wants to be." He told her as he sat next to her on the bench and turned to face her.
"Really?!" She said in surprise as she looked to him. "That's not the way she made it sound."
"Yeah. Well you know the crush she has on me. Apparently it was the same in the past." He replied and nodded at her surprised look. "Yeah I remember my past as well. I remember who I really am. Darien Shields and Prince Endymion of the Earth."
"I remember Princess Luciana and her four Guardian Scouts, and the fact that she thought just because she was the Moon Princess and the next holder of the silver crystal I should be honored that she had feelings for me and not hesitate to be with her." He said as he rolled his eyes.
"I also remember that the dark generals we've fought, including Zoycite, used to be my Guardian Generals in the past. They were brainwashed in the past, but I guess this time the enemy got to them early." He added with a slight shrug.
"Wow." Serena said at the unexpected and surprising information. "I guess now all you have to do is find your dream princess."
"No." He said as he shook his head slowly.
"No? But you said you hadn't found her." She said with a confused frown.
"No. What I said was that Chandra wasn't my princess." He corrected her. "I told you I remembered my past," He said as he stood up and moved in front of her. "and Chandra and your friends, who are obviously the Sailor Scouts, filled me in on what happened while I was unconscious."
"Ah!" Serena said, understanding that he also knew she wasn't a scout anymore. I should've realized that when he said he remembered the Moon Princess and her four Guardian Scouts. "So you know." She added quietly as she looked down.
"Yes." He said as he grabbed one of her hands and pulled her to her feet. "There may not have been a Sailor Moon in the past," he continued as he grasped the back of her neck and pulled her closer by the hand he still held. "but there was a Sailor Universe." He finished and before she could do anything more than gasp he sealed his lips to hers.
Darien enjoyed the kiss, just as he had the first time he kissed her at the embassy ball, but soon focused and called on the power inside him. As his tongue slipped into Serena's mouth he willed his power to bring out her true self, and the sleeping crystal that had been inside her all along.
~oOo~
Raye, Mina, Lita, and Chandra all ran along sidewalk after sidewalk with Amy leading the way. Lita was once again carry Chandra, at the princess' insistence, since she wasn't anywhere near as fast as her guardians and she wanted to get there as quickly as possible.
"Serena's just around the corner." Amy called as she looked from her minicomputer to the path in front of her. "She's in the park."
"Let me down." Chandra said and slipped off Lita's back as she stopped. If Darien was in the park with Serena she didn't want him seeing her being carried.
Once Chandra was steady on her feet the girls continued on their way, entering the park and slowing to a walk as Amy led them through the correct pathways. They followed a path as it led into an open area and paused in surprise at what met their eyes.
There in front of a small lake was Serena and Darien kissing.
Chandra gasped as she realized what she was seeing. "No!" She said and began to step forward but Mina grabbed her and held her back. "What? Let go!" She demanded.
"No." Mina said firmly as she kept her grip. "You have no idea what's going on over there. Just watch and wait." She told her, wanting the conceited girl she was forced to call princess to see every last detail, certain that what they were going to see would knock the girl off her high horse.
They watched as Darien began to glow a soft gold that grew brighter before the light spread, using the pair's connection, and enveloped Serena.
Serena was thoroughly enjoying kissing Darien. It seemed to feel even better than it had at the embassy ball now that she knew exactly who she was kissing. The sensation of kissing him still felt familiar as well, beyond the previous time at the ball.
Still, though she was enjoying the kiss it didn't stop her from feeling the welcoming warmth caressing her body, nor the feel of the calm warmth growing inside her chest. It grew warmer and warmer the longer their kissing continued and the welcoming warmth caressed her, until she began to get distracted by it.
She pushed at his chest with her free hand until he broke the kiss.
"I can't..can't keep..I..." She stuttered, unable to form a complete sentence as she released his hand and placed it on her chest. It was so distracting that the golden glow around Darien was completely overlooked.
"It's okay." Darien said softly as he moved to hold her at arm's length. "I'm not going anywhere. Do what you have to do." He said as he let his hands fall away from her, understanding what was happening.
Serena's other hand joined its twin on her chest as the warmth continued to grow. It didn't hurt and that fact, along with Darien's calm face, were the only things keeping her from panicking. Suddenly she gasped and her world exploded in a brilliant flash of white light. Images, sounds, words, memories began to flow around her mind answering every question she had, and questions she didn't even know to ask.
Darien and the five girls standing at a distance behind him watched as Serena disappeared inside a white sphere that began to float a few feet off the ground. A minute passed before the sphere dissolved into nothing leaving behind a very altered Serena.
She stood tall in a pair of white high heel shoes and a white sleeveless mini dress that resembled a sailor suit; it hugged her upper body and flared into a pleated skirt at her hips. A white sailor collar sat on her shoulders and a sheer silvery cape trailed from beneath it down to the ground. A clear circular broach with a twinkling white star inside sat on her chest just beneath her collar, and a smaller replica sat below in the center space where her dress transitioned into the skirt.
A string of white beads with a white star in the middle sat in place of a tiara on her forehead, triple white bead earrings sat on her ears, white triple bead barrettes clipped on top of her head just behind her bangs, and a silver choker with a white star attached wrapped around her neck.
Her golden hair had grown to the point of coiling in two small piles on the ground, and her cerulean eyes had turned a stunning white with her pupils fully visible. In her left hand she grasped a tall white staff that had a clear hollow circular crystal at the top.
Serena blinked slowly as she looked down at herself and then to the staff in her hand. Darien was right. She was Sailor Universe. She remembered it all. She knew that there were only a select few in the past that would have known of her existence. She even remembered that she had given the royalty of the Moon permission to use her hairstyle, and that was why the newly awakened princess sported that style when in her royal form.
This feels right. I feel so much more comfortable now than I ever did as Sailor Moon, and now I know why. I was trying to be a scout I was never meant to be. She thought quietly as she gazed at the empty crystal at the top of her staff.
Something is missing. She thought slowly before she closed her eyes and placed her free hand on her chest just above her broach. She concentrated for a few moments before she opened her eyes and pulled her hand away from her chest.
A white sparkling crystal in the shape of a star came away with her hand and floated above her palm, shining like a prism. She calmly lifted it and guided it inside the clear hollow crystal and watched as it slowly began to rotate, sparkling like the star it was.
She sighed lightly and turned her white eyed gaze to Darien. Darien who was Prince Endymion; her Endymion.
"Endymion." She breathed out. "Let me see you. It has been so very long."
The girls watched the pair continue to kiss like they didn't have a care in the world. It was surprising as all of them except Mina thought Serena and Darien didn't share any feelings for each other. Raye especially thought she would've known if they had feelings for each other considering she had gone on dates with him, but she recalled his earlier words and realized she didn't know him as well as she thought.
Amy, Raye, and Lita knew Serena liked Tuxedo Mask, but they hadn't thought it extended to this degree nor that he would ever return her feelings.
Chandra frowned in agitation that quickly grew to anger the longer she watched the pair kissing. Darien was supposed to be hers! He was going to be her prince as soon as she talked some sense into him.
How dare she kiss me! Only I'm supposed to experience that. It's my right as a princess to get the prince. I have to stop her. She thought fiercely, but just as she was about to try getting loose from Mina they stopped.
Darien stepped away from Serena and Chandra sighed and was about to relax, but then Serena began to glow with a white light. She was soon surrounded and began to float just above the ground. When the light cleared Chandra saw a changed Serena. Her hair was even longer than before, she was dressed as a scout, and she was carrying a staff that was taller than she was.
Everyone was surprised at the change, and to see that Serena actually was a scout. Even Mina didn't see this turn of events. She had expected something but not this.
"She's not dressed as Sailor Moon, so what scout is she?" Lita asked curiously, and the other girls shrugged cluelessly.
"I fully admit I don't remember pieces of the past, but she doesn't look the least bit familiar." Luna said.
"But her current form would explain how she was able to become Sailor Moon. The power was inside her all along." Artemis said as he watched Serena pull what looked like a crystal from her chest and place it in her staff.
"Darien obviously remembers her since he doesn't seem shocked or surprised." Mina pointed out.
They grew quiet as Darien suddenly began to glow with a golden light once again. It grew bright enough to hide his form before it faded to nothing leaving behind a changed Darien. From what they could see he wore silver armor, a black or dark blue uniform of some type, and a long black cape.
It was obvious they were now looking at Prince Endymion.
"Serenity." He said as he stepped forward and held out his hand. "I have dreamed of you for so long, unable to see your face, unable to remember. Will you show yourself now?"
"For you, always." She replied as she grasped his hand with her free one. She instantly began to glow a soft white and her short sailor dress blurred before it lengthened to the ground.
Her sailor collar and the two broaches disappeared, leaving a fitted V-neck strap dress with an attached draped cape trailing down to the ground at her back. A thick silver ribbon and a delicate silver chain over it wrapped her body just beneath her bust, a thin silver band decorated her upper left arm, a delicate silver bracelet wrapped around her right wrist, and the white star remained on her forehead twinkling softly.
"There you are." Endymion said softly as he took in her changed appearance. "My beautiful princess." He added as he gently caressed her face, looking into her bright white eyes.
"I am so glad you found me. I remember, I understand now. Part of me was aware of what was happening with the Dark Kingdom and that it was important that I be awakened before everything came to a head. That is why I sent you those dreams." Serenity explained. "I even allowed Luna to believe I was Sailor Moon so that I would be close to the action and understand everything that was happening."
"Ah. That makes sense. You will most likely be needed considering Luciana's character." Endymion said with an understanding nod. It was very up in the air whether the Moon Princess would be able to do what was right when it came to the Dark Kingdom.
Serenity nodded and glanced off behind her prince to the audience they had been entertaining for a while now.
"Why do we not go someplace more private?" She suggested as she looked back to her prince.
"Lead the way my love." He said, having sensed the group of girls as well. He chose to ignore them in favor of focusing completely on his princess.
The Sailor Scouts and their princess had watched in surprise as Serena became a scout, and then in shock as she became a princess. This day had been so full of surprises, especially surrounding Serena. They all found that they wanted to talk to her, and Chandra obviously wanted to speak to Darien.
But just as they were about to move toward the pair they watched as Serena lifted her staff. White light poured from it to surround the pair before it flashed and disappeared, taking the pair with it.
They were all confused and Chandra angrily demanded answers as, unknown to them, the Prince of the Earth and the Princess of the Universe traveled to a secret castle floating in space, waiting for its mistress to once again take up residence.