AN: Please enjoy the following and please review so that this story can become better.
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or Ingo or related characters.

Hint for understanding statements. Normal speech is standard "spoken aloud" Mind speech is "Italics" and thoughts to self are in brackets (characters thoughts)

Orca is Killer Whale and Nanuq is Polar Bears. Hope you enjoy! SW

Chapter 11 Ice Falls

We're on our way to the ice falls which are located at the farthest edge of Ossian, (kingdom of the North Mer)
This time Chad and Meira are coming too even though it's a bit dangerous for a Merbaby. But with us all there she should be safe enough.

We've left the Valley far behind us and I'm starting to hear the thunder of the falls up ahead.

Chad says, "We won't need to worry about becoming something's dinner here the Orca can't use their sonar here and the Nanuq are afraid."

I nod to Chad to show my understanding and we continue to about 100 meters away from the ice falls.

I stare in amazement at the ice falls, I remember seeing this on television from the OTHER side, the large sheets of ice falling down into the deep and bouncing back to the surface to slowly drift away and melt as they travel the ocean.
This is almost unreal watching it from behind, it's not a continuous falling of ice but you don't have to wait hours for the next sheet to fall.
There's a large crack like lightning and then the thunder starts as the ice sheets come crashing and sending millions of bubbles shooting around.
The ice sinks then returns to the surface and we watch as the process is repeated on all ice that falls, mostly small pieces but I remember seeing once an enormous wall of ice crashing down on that show I saw.

Darien looks at me with shock then looks away, he must have seen the image I saw in my head I'll get him back later for reading my mind again.

"The pieces coming off are relatively small, how often do large sections break away?" says Darien to no one in particular.

"Chad told me once that large pieces only used to fall during the great melts but now they can break away in any season, if this continues our people will lose their home and all the animals that call the north home are in great danger," says Rei with a sorrowful expression. Rei looks down at Meira with a pain in her heart worried about her baby's future.

"On the way to the north we nearly got killed by a fast moving large iceberg that was caught in one of the great currents I wonder if it was one from here," I say talking to myself.

"You didn't tell me that, what happened?" says Rei.

"Oh did I say that out loud, um let me see."
Darien interrupts "we could see an iceberg along side us it was huge and being propelled by the current."
"My turn," I interrupt. "It was smooth from melting but if you got hit by anything that large at the speed it was going you would be dead."
Darien frowns and continues "I was swimming in circles when I noticed a broken off piece of the iceberg was going to hit us, the current had caught it sending it spinning toward us at great speed I didn't think we would have time to get out the way"
"So he yelled SERENA WATCH OUT!, then comes crashing into me pushing me out of the way of the incoming ice missile and out of the current, Darien starts freaking out checking to see if I got injured when he was the one hit by the ice the only thing I got hit by was him," I say pointing towards Darien.

Darien starts again "The iceberg only just caught me"
"Are you kidding!" I say interrupting again. "He had a large gash on his back were the iceberg hit him as it came past."
"Now who's freaking out?"
I roll my eyes and continue "We were in the middle of nowhere without a healer how was I supposed to react."
"We had you remember," says Darien he turns back to Rei and Chad "I started to feel sick and groggy from loss of blood and Serena takes her weave top and presses it against my cut to stop the bleeding."
"CUT! More like deep wound!" I say.
"What happened then?" says Rei really enjoying the story telling.
"I'm in pain and we are too far to get help so I remind Serena that she can do it."
Rei nods in agreement "how did you go?"
"To start off he wouldn't even let me in"
"Hey I was in a lot of pain, next time you can be the one in pain."
"Anyway with Darien's help I managed to heal him, it takes a lot out of you I was so tired after that."
"That's because you are giving some of your life's energy when healing, ...Serena please remember this because it's important. NEVER heal anyone that is GOING to die, you will only lose your own life and most likely not even save the one you're healing," says Rei seriously, placing her hand on my shoulder.

Meira starts crying then and everyone's attention is drawn to her. Rei smiles holding her baby and suggests we have lunch as Meira is hungry.

So we return to Rei and Chad's home have some lunch and Rei feeds Meira. The boys are talking quietly so I go join Rei I want to ask her more about healing.
"Rei would you teach me more about healing?"
Meira is done feeding and is cooing in her mothers lap.
"Sure first tell me more about how you healed Darien then we can go from there."
"Well, I visualized Darien in my minds eye then focused on the point of pain and pushed that image into the spot and the healing started."
"Ok that's a good start, but as you said earlier it takes a lot out of you. Did it fully heal or did it need more time to heal naturally?"
"It needed more time but we also needed to continue on so I continued to heal him in his sleep."
"You must be very careful when doing that, that you don't fall asleep yourself. You could continue to drain yourself as you sleep"
"I finished healing the wound then slept; boy! I'm glad I didn't fall asleep."

"From now on when you heal someone keep this in mind; healing is a sharing of yourself. The more you care for someone the stronger your healing will be. The fact that you could completely heal Darien that night and didn't have to leave anything to heal naturally means you care a great deal. If you are uncaring or have no love in you, you will be unable to heal. I could completely heal Chad, Meira, Darien and you because I love you all deeply, anyone else would be healed on the surface but require natural healing internally for bruising and aches from sore muscles and broken bones would be healed but still need time to become solid bones. Also the mind remembers the pain and can sometimes take awhile to adjust."
"Thank you for taking the time to teach me"
"You don't need to thank me at all Serena, Ingo needs healers."

"Would you like to visit some of the local stores before we start getting ready for the ball tomorrow?"

"That would be great, I've never been to a ball before and don't really know what to expect."

"Chad will have asked to help Darien by now so we'll get ready at the palace and they can get ready here, Oh I can see it already Darien will be so surprised," says Rei leaping in excitement with Meira. Meira giggles happily as mother and daughter spin.

Later that night after we return to the palace and Serena has exhausted herself with excitement I focus on the memory necklace again.

"That's Sapphire it stands for friendship, this one is Quartz meaning innocence and purity. The Topaz is faith, the Emerald is honor, the Onyx is courage, the Ruby is happiness, the Amethyst is truth, the Opal is hope and the Diamond… is love and strength," says Serena

"The Quartz is innocence and purity" I say in a whisper touching the Quartz.

AN: (History again)

I'm on my way home and out of Ingo. Ingo has its arms wrapped around me telling me that it is home to me as well. Maybe it's only when you leave somewhere that you really know how much you love it. There's sand beneath us now and the sea turns turquoise.
"Darien?"
"I'm here."
We've just returned from the Deep and putting the Kraken back to sleep. There's no hurry. That's enough for now. Darien smiles, as if he knows what I'm thinking. He probably does.
"We must make bracelets of our hair. Sere," he says.
"What?"
"It's what Mer do as a sign of friendship. We each cut a lock of our hair, and then we weave the hair together so tightly that nothing can never separate it. There are many weaving patterns. We must choose one which has meaning for us."
I look at Darien's long hair, swirling around his shoulders in a cloud. The colour is blue black very different to my own.
"There isn't time to do it now, Darien." But I'd like to. Part of me would always be in Ingo then, always with Darien.
"Next time I see you, then." Darien's eyes glow with eagerness. I love the way he makes me feel that anything could happen, and the only thing that could stop me is myself.
The memory jumps to the event.

Darien holds the shell steady.
"How much hair do you need Darien? Mum will notice if we take too much."
Darien separates a lock of my hair from the mass that floats around me by using the clam shell as a saw on my hair, pulling it.
My head jerks. The lock of hair is in Darien's hand. Very carefully he binds the ends tightly together. Then he tucks it into his belt.
"Now you." I grasp a lock of Darien's hair, close to the roots.
"This much?" Darien squints at it.
"Yes, that's enough." I start to saw.
Darien makes a face. "You're pulling my hair." (Unintensional payback!)
"I know, I can't get this shell to cut."
"Turn it sideways a bit." that's better.
I smile as the strands of hair begin to separate.
"There it's done." The last strands of Darien's hair are severed.
I give the lock to him carefully, and he binds it as he did mine.
"I will weave them into bracelets," he promises.

"You know you said there were lots of patterns? What are they like?"
"There is one which will belong to us alone. It's woven as closely as the scales of a fish. No one can see where two hairs join. It's called Deublek."
"Deublek.." I try out the name. "What does it mean?"
"Two together. And Strong, as we were strong in the Deep. Next time you come the bracelets will be finished and we will put them on. After that, we will always wear them."
Darien's face brightens. "I will make us the most beautiful bracelets that have ever been seen in Ingo," Darien boasts.

"This is your Deublek (Friendship bracelet)," says Darien handing me a length of weaved hair tied at both ends.
"The pattern means two together and strong," says Darien.
Oh it looks like one of those friendship bracelets we made once at school but the pattern is a lot more intricate than anything we made, it's so beautiful.
"Best friends," I say holding out my hand with the Deublek wrapped around my wrist.
"Best friends," says Darien grasping my hand with his, Deublek around his wrist also.
We both smile from ear to ear; I can tell we'll be best friends forever and ever.

The memory fades and I return to our room in the palace. Best friends forever I replay over in my mind, such an innocent thought of a young girl. I turn to look at Serena she's having a bad dream again and whimpering in her sleep so I lean over and brush the hair out of her face and stroke her hair till she settles down again into peaceful sleep.
"Darien, my love," says Serena with a smile on her lips as she sleeps.

Serena's Nightmare Vision

A great door opens and I'm engulfed in darkness.
Cold oh I'm freezing. I'm in a dark place I don't recognize and I'm alone, afraid.
I step forward in the darkness; I wish Darien was here with me I'm scared.
I start to cry for the darkness and loneliness close in around me dropping me deeper into despair.
I feel warmth, a glowing starts coming from somewhere that creates shadows at first then pushes back the darkness.
I look around me at the room displayed now the darkness has disappeared; it's a replica of the large room in the crystal caves.
There's the podium in the centre and the columns around the outside but this room has a section at the back where the ice wall would have been and there's writing on the wall that says "Only those pure of heart have the strength needed to change the world from darkness to light. Those who strive for power are corrupted by it and should Power stand in the way of Love then all is lost."
I turn toward the back of the room and look closely the mirrors there reflect a strange light and on the right I see a dark shape growing…It starts to smother the room in shadows and I hear a evil laugh that frightens me to my core.

Lost

Alone

And afraid.

It fades and a peace comes over me I feel warm again and safe. I drift toward a bright light and find myself surrounded by colourful lights and a kiss from a masked man. I lift my hand and remove the mask to reveal…

Authors Note: Next chapter 12 Midnight Ball.