Thank you Blueeyeddevil06, for being my beta!
I've put a lot of thought into this story. Thank you all so much for reading and thank you to my reviewers!
Serena sighed in frustration. "Really, Luna? Do you have to give me a pen that will transform us? I wanted to go shopping," she whined.
Mina nodded, "I'm with my princess on this one. Shopping would have been so much more fun."
Darien chuckled, "Buns, I will take you shopping for a pretty dress later."
Molly almost choked on her laughter, "We all know you like seeing her dressed up. No one believes you're conceding by taking her shopping. Am I the only one who thinks he's going to get thrown out of the store for trying to have sex with her in the dressing room?"
Mina shook her head, "There won't be any try about it. You know Serena can't resist him either. She'd go right along with it."
Darien blushed to the roots of his hair. "Are we ready to go?"
Amy giggled, "I guess we're embarrassing him."
"How are you not blushing, Amy?"
She shrugged, "I… I'm rethinking my embarrassment over things like that."
Raye said, "Ooh, have things progressed with Zack?"
"No!" Amy said. "But, I really like him and…well, it's stirring things in me."
Darien sighed, "Is this appropriate with me around?"
"You're not a guy to us," Mina quipped.
"Gee, thanks," he said petulantly.
"You're our prince. It's different."
He rolled his eyes, "Let's change the subject. We're about to face the dark kingdom."
"I could be wrong," Molly said.
"No, it makes sense that they would be there at the reveal of the Legendary Treasure," Darien assured. "The good news is that even if they get it, they won't have the Silver Crystal." He wrapped his arms around Serena when he said that.
There was a knock at the door, and Molly answered even though it was Darien's place. "Hey Rick, what…"
He grabbed her hand and yelled, "Good luck! I'm taking Molly now," he then pulled her out the door to their surprise date. He didn't want her waiting by herself, worried about her friends.
Serena sighed in contentment. "He's crazy about her, and she can't see that fact."
"She will," Lita assured. "He will stop being an idiot and have to tell her soon."
"You think he loves her?" Raye asked.
"Of course I do," Lita answered. "He looks at her with love in his eyes. I'm not from Venus, but even I can tell."
Mina nodded, "You're right, Lita. They'll be fine. Even if they do this dance where they don't say 'I love you' for a while. They'll get there."
Darien sighed; it was times like these where he got frustrated. They needed to focus on the upcoming battle, and yet all the girls could talk about were relationships. He wanted them to take the Dark Kingdom more seriously. Serena's life depended on that. He had realized they were right about Serenity asking him to find the Silver Crystal. He did need to locate it and not just Serena. She needed that power to defeat Beryl.
He grew determined to figure out how to help her access her power. He made a mental note to start tomorrow. This evening was all about keeping her safe. He was singularly focused on her.
He rubbed his eyes and said in frustration, "Back to the upcoming attack. Are we ready to go?"
Serena looked up at him with tenderness in her eyes. He marveled that she could ignore his tone and understand deep down he was worried about her. "I'll be okay. I have all of you there with me."
"Then let's focus on what's coming."
Mina nodded, "Focused and ready!" she announced. "Ready girls, and Darien?"
"Ready!" they all said in unison.
As soon as they made it into the mansion where the masquerade was held, everyone went to their assigned positions.
Amy and Raye headed up the grand sweeping staircase in search of Princess Dee. She was the one who would be revealing the Legendary Treasure, and they believed that put her in danger.
Lita made her way to the kitchen to talk to the caterer, who was a friend of hers. She wanted the staff to keep an eye out for anything weird going on, and she knew that flirting with the man who was catering the event would help that happen. He was more than pleased to see her when she made her way to him.
Luna and Artemis quietly made their way to the balcony. They wanted to be nearby in case they were needed.
Mina made her way to the main ballroom and watched out for anyone suspicious. She was the most likely to recognize any Dark Generals in attendance. She was also there to keep an eye on her princess and her lover.
Despite Darien's deep desire to be professional and keep her safe, she managed to convince him that they needed to have at least one dance together. She also insisted it had to be right away, so it didn't get interrupted by the Negaverse. He caved quicker than Mina expected, which showed her he really wanted to dance with Serena. She found it incredibly endearing.
Darien pulled Serena onto the dance floor and held her in his arms as the music started. "You look beautiful," he whispered.
She beamed up at him, "I love to think of us dancing together in the past. How romantic."
"And now?"
"Even better, I love being here with you. I know you're worried about the danger, but I'm not." Before he objected, she said, "I feel like the safest person here. I have so many powerful people watching out for me. You especially. I feel so special."
"You are special. You're everything. You are the reason each one of us is even alive. It's you that we owe everything to."
He swept her in an arc on the dance floor as she blushed prettily and said, "And yet, I feel like the lucky one. I have you in my life."
He pressed his forehead to hers as they danced, and he breathed her in. He was overwhelmed by her love for him. He still didn't feel worthy, but he did believe she meant every word she said. She was too honest ever to doubt.
From the moment they first kissed, he knew he would never feel lonely again.
When the dance ended, he kissed her tenderly then changed modes instantly, and he was on guard again. He saw Serena chuckle when he made the change. She liked him tender, but she also liked when he was protective of her. It made her feel cherished.
Lita appeared and motioned to them, and they joined her and Mina. She whispered, "Princess Dee has been sequestered in a room where the Legendary Treasure is held. Word is that they hired a new attendant that is in there with her. My guess is that it's Nephrite."
"Makes sense," Mina said. "I should go up there and see if I recognize him."
Darien shook his head, "Your place is to be by your princess, just like mine. Lita, go and see if he stirs anything in you. Mina says he's your soulmate."
"No pressure!" Serena corrected him with a glare.
He rolled his eyes, "That's all fine to say during girl talk, but could we have stayed away from each other?" He shook his head and answered his own question, "There was no way! Lita, go and tell us what you see."
Once she left, she said sadly, "But Amy is in love…."
He cupped her cheek, looked into her eyes, and said, "And whatever happens, you'll be there for her. She has you. She'll be okay. I happen to believe in soulmates as strongly as Mina does." He then kissed her brow.
She misted up. She was overwhelmed by the tenderness in his voice and Amy's future heartbreak if that was the case all at once.
Serena was so overwhelmed by his speech she told him she needed some air, and he took her to the balcony with Mina trailing them at a distance. She wanted to let them have privacy but still be there in case something were to happen.
The moon was full that night, and he watched as she looked up at it, lost in her thoughts. He wanted to comfort her and promise that Amy would be okay. He couldn't.
She turned to him and said, "There was no one for me but you. You're right. We were fate. We even knew that before we knew about our past."
"She will be okay. She has you. Also, it's Zack you should feel bad for, not Amy. She'll have a deep love for Zoisite."
"I do feel bad for him," she sighed out.
He cupped her cheek, "Know what I feel right now?"
"No."
"That looking at you in the moonlight stirs something deep and ancient in me. I feel like we've been here before, and every time we have been, it ends in a kiss." He then leaned forward and kissed her tenderly and lovingly on her perfect lips.
Lita went up the staircase and made her way down the hall. She saw a woman who felt familiar to her, and she didn't know what to make of that fact. She did know something felt off.
Amy and Raye came around the corner, and Raye asked, "Any ideas what room to look in? We haven't seen anything."
Lita pointed at the room next to Raye and Amy that the woman had just entered and said, "Try that one."
Amy and Raye burst in, and there stood Princess Dee next to a woman who shouted out at their entrance. She grew irate and then transformed into Nephrite.
He then looked at Princess Dee and screamed out, "Soul Shadow!" and a specter entered the princess. She then grabbed the Legendary Treasure and sprinted out of the room, startling Raye and Amy.
Lita saw the possessed princess running towards her down the hall and tried to stop her. Princess Dee then leaped over the balcony, skipping the stairs, and sprinted towards the ballroom.
"Damn, I wasn't expecting that!" She yelled out and pointed to where she went for Amy and Raye. They all ran down the stairs and into the ballroom.
When they got there, Princess Dee was announcing that she would sacrifice them to the Great Ruler if anyone tried to stop her. She then emitted a pulsing blue light that knocked everyone out in the ballroom.
Raye, Lita, and Amy all succumbed to the energy drain with the rest of the crowd, and they collapsed on the ballroom floor.
Princess Dee then made her way quickly to the balcony, she felt instinctively that she needed to get away and bring the Legendary Treasure with her. Once she stepped onto the balcony, a now transformed Sailor Venus launched her attack, "Venus Love-Me Chain!" Princess Dee managed to dodge her attack almost supernaturally.
The princess then surged towards Serena, and a transformed Tuxedo Mask grabbed her and pushed her back before she could push Serena off the balcony.
He managed to hold the princess captive while Serena transformed into Sailor Moon. She then grabbed her tiara and yelled out, "Moon Twilight Flash," destroying the soul shadow possessing Princess Dee, who immediately collapsed unconscious.
As she woke, she noticed the Superheroes and smiled up at them. "What are you doing here?"
Tuxedo Mask helped her up and said, "Sailor Moon saved you, Princess Dee."
She then launched herself at Sailor Moon and hugged her. "I can't believe I got to meet you! This is so cool! I have a Sailor Moon T-shirt." She then whispered, "Please tell me I'm right, and you're dating Tuxedo Mask. I totally ship you two."
"You're right," Sailor Moon said, smiling at her fan. "We love each other very much."
"That's so dreamy!" Princess Dee announced.
As she made her way to reveal the Legendary Treasure to the revived and waiting crowd, the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask disappeared into the night.
Mina laughed to herself as she stood high up on a tower overlooking Kunzite searching for her. After the way he had her last time, she knew it was time to change up the game. And by the look on his face, she was winning. He desperately searched for her. He wanted her. Well, too bad. Now was time for him to be left wanting.
It gave her hope that he would love her. She smirked and slipped away into the night.