Only Human

Chapter 5: Owner of A Lonely Heart

Updated on 4/6/01

'Now you wait here Artemis, and be a good kitty,' Reeny told the white cat, shaking her forefinger at him. The child went off in the direction of the sweet shop, leaving him on his own.

'Stay here and be a good kitty? I don't think so,' he muttered under his breath.

Why did he have to get stuck baby-sitting? Ever since the last attempt to kidnap Reeny, the Scouts had decided unanimously that they should all take turns keeping an eye on her and this time, it was his turn. Oh well, a guardian cat's work was never done.

As he was walking through the park, he spotted Darien a few feet ahead of him leaning against the parapet of the bridge overlooking the lake. He was staring aimlessly at the sparkling water as it rippled by underneath him. He obviously had something weighing heavily on his mind.

Artemis debated whether or not to approach him, since he promised to look after the child. He looked over to the sweet shop and made sure Reeny was okay before walking up to him.

'A penny for your thoughts,' he offered and leaped onto the ledge with feline agility, perching himself beside Darien.

Darien regarded the cat warily.

'It wouldn't do any good Artemis.'

'You never know. I'm a pretty good listener.'

'Yeah, and then you'll blab it to the girls when I tell you.'

'I promise I won't say a word. Scouts' honor. We guys gotta stick together you know. Besides, it looks like you're going to explode if you don't talk to someone about your problems.'

'Who says I've got problems?' Darien asked defensively.

'Oh, MY mistake,' Artemis replied sarcastically. 'And here I thought you were the happiest guy on earth.'

'All right, so I'm not doing well.'

'What's the matter? It's Serena isn't it?'

'Artemis,' Darien replied seriously, 'I'm afraid I'm losing her.'

'That's impossible. You two have been an item for centuries. I know for a fact that she still cares for you.'

It sure didn't feel like it. Although he couldn't blame Serena. After the way she told him to butt out the other day, it had opened his eyes to the fact that she was drifting further and further away from him. And it seemed as though there was nothing he could do about it. If he were honest with himself, he would admit that his life was miserable without his little meatball head.

'It doesn't have to be this way. So why are you treating Serena as though you don't care for her, when it's obvious that you still do?'

'Because I HAVE to,' Darien replied vehemently. 'It's the only way.'

'There is ALWAYS another way,' Artemis corrected him. 'Look, I won't even try to understand what your motives are, but let me give you a little advice. Whatever you decide to do, don't wait too long. One day you might wake up and find that it's too late and then you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Trust me, I know.'

'You mean you and...?'

The cat nodded affirmatively. 'But I'm not giving up on Luna. I've waited over a thousand years for her. A few more won't kill me. Anyway, if you keep pushing Serena away like this, you might push her too far. And then she'll never come back to you.'

'I'll think about it.'

Darien looked pensive. Maybe Artemis was right. By hurting Serena, he had only ended up hurting himself. Suddenly, he grabbed his head in his hand in pain as another vision of Crystal Tokyo in ruins flashed before his eyes. It was the same one he kept seeing over and over again in his dreams.

'Darien, are you all right?'

'I'm fine,' he said gritting his teeth. Now, he was convinced that he was doing the right thing. It was the only way to keep Serena safe.

'Artemis, I thought I told you to stay put,' Reeny scolded severely as she walked towards the white cat and picked him up with one arm. When she saw Darien, she dropped her ice cream cone and hugged him tightly, completely forgetting about Artemis and dropped him to the ground with a painful thud.

'That's the last time I ever volunteer to baby-sit,' Artemis groaned inwardly.

'Darien! I'm so glad to see you.'

'Hi there squirt. How've you been?' he said ruffling her hair.

'Okay, I guess.'

'And Serena?' he asked cautiously, trying not to sound too interested.

'She's okay too. I've never seen her so happy before.'

'Oh? What do you mean?'

'Ever since she's been getting tutoring lessons, she's been acting so goofy. All she does is stare out the window and walks around with a silly grin on her face.'

Hmmm, something strange was going on around here. Darien didn't like it one little bit.

'I'm surprised that Amy has time to give Serena tutoring lessons with her own loaded schedule.'

'Amy's not the one helping her.'

'Really? You wouldn't happen to know who her tutor is would you?'

'Why do you want to know?'

'No reason. Just curious.'

'I think his name is Adam. Yeah, that's it. Adam Butler. Serena talks about him all the time.'

THAT got Darien's blood boiling. He was going to have to put a stop to this right now.

'Hi-dee ho! Hey Serena, you want to hear the latest gossip about Ms. Haruna's new boyfriend?' Melvin asked eagerly.

'Get a life Melvin,' Zerena said exasperatedly and rolled her eyes back in annoyance.

'Serena doesn't want to hear about that dweebmeister,' Molly agreed.

'Math's too hard! I'm never gonna pass this test,' she wailed.

'Relax, you'll do fine. All you need is a little diversion. Wanna go mall trolling with me after school today?'

'Ooo, sorry Moll. I can't.'

'Why not? Ya gotta date or something?' she asked, nudging Zerena's arm suggestively.

Zerena smiled thoughtfully as she blushed a light shade of pink. Every moment she had spent with Adam was sheer bliss. He was so sweet. He treated her like a lady and always made her feel wanted and special. It was as if there were some strange cosmic bond between them.

Now she knew exactly how Serena felt when it came to her feelings for Darien. Zerena felt the same way about Adam and she was pretty sure that he felt the same way about her. Maybe that was why she was happier than she had ever been in the short span of her life. It was one thing to remember such powerful emotions, but it was quite another to actually experience them for herself.

'I might,' Zerena finally replied, smiling secretively.

'What?! And you didn't even tell me about him?'

'He's an older man. You should see him Molly. He's got the greenest eyes you've ever seen. And a smile that would make your knees melt. Did I mention he's got the greatest hair in the world?'

'You're so lucky Serena.'

'Yes, I would feel lucky too if you girls would rejoin the rest of the class,' Ms. Haruna's voice interrupted them. 'If you didn't notice, the period started five minutes ago.'

Molly and Zerena shrunk down in their seats in total embarrassment.

'Luna, will you stop pacing back and forth? You're giving me a cramp in my neck,' Lita complained.

Luna stopped abruptly. 'Sorry about that.'

'What's on your mind? There must be a reason why you called us out here,' Mina asked.

'And why isn't Serena here?' Amy asked in agreement.

'If she's late again...' Raye threatened.

'I called you girls because this meeting concerns Serena. I'm very worried about her. Have any of you noticed anything different about her lately?'

'She's still the same ditz she's always been,' Raye commented without malice.

'I don't know about that. Remember the way she stood up for herself the other day when you told her the same thing?' Mina reminded her.

'Oh yeah. Gotta admit that I was surprised by her reaction. I didn't think she had it in her.'

'That's exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about,' Luna said.

'There's something different about her, but I can't quite put my finger on it.'

'Maybe she's just going through some sort of adjustment,' Amy offered reasonably.

'Or she might be showing a side to her we've never seen before,' Lita interjected. 'That doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with her.'

'I've just got a funny feeling that's all. I'm not usually wrong about these sort of things,' the cat replied, refusing to ignore her intuition. On top of that, she had recalled the morning Serena came back after everyone thought she had run away, when she seemed surprised that Luna could talk. She had even called her 'kitty' instead of her name. At the time, she had just dismissed it, but with the recent developments, it came back to her. Whatever, the case, she was going to keep a closer eye on Serena.

'What's the matter Serena?' Adam asked concernedly.

Zerena smiled apologetically. 'Sorry, I spaced out on you.'

'Is there something bothering you? You've been quiet ever since I got here.'

Something bothering her? Yes, you might say that. It was something that had been gnawing away at her ever since she discovered who Sailor Moon really was in real life.

Zerena didn't know how much longer she could go on pretending that everything was fine. She was tired of constantly checking herself to make sure that she didn't slip up, even though she had Serena's memories now. And she was tired of living a lie.

It bothered her that she was living Serena's life and not her own. Even though she was a clone, she didn't want to be just a carbon copy of her prototype. She had her own thoughts and desires. She had her own dreams. And she was her own person.

But what really irked her the most, was the fact that as she and Adam were getting closer, she had begun to realize that he only saw her as Serena, and not for herself, which was the last thing she wanted.

And besides, what about Serena? What was happening to her aboard the mother ship? Rubeus had said that once they had gotten what they needed, they would have no need to keep her as a hostage anymore. Serena's family and friends would want the real Serena back and not some substitute. Besides, Rubeus would not hesitate to get rid of Serena if it suited him.

What a fool she had been, not to realize that eventually she herself, would probably be eliminated by Rubeus once he got the crystal. She had been living in a dream world.

'It's nothing,' she dismissed quickly and looked down at her textbook, keeping her eyes averted.

Adam (really Proteus in disguise) sensed her apprehension and tilted her chin up with his thumb and forefinger and gently turned her face to his. He gazed longingly into her troubled blue eyes and suppressed the urge to tell her the truth about himself. He didn't like the situation anymore than she did. Just that morning, Rubeus had contacted him for a progress report. He couldn't stall him for long.

'Come on, talk to me.'

'Adam, do you think it's possible for a person to change?'

'Anything's possible if a person truly wants it badly enough.'

'What if the person wants to change, but can't do it?'

'Then he's got a real problem on his hands. I don't know what else I can tell you. Is there someone you know like that?'

'I'm just trying to help a friend of mine,' she replied quietly. 'I don't know if she has the strength to carry it through.'

'Well, with you by her side, I'm sure she can make it. I've got faith in you Serena. Don't ever forget that.'

Zerena lowered her eyes in despair. It was then that she realized how much she really cared for him. But knowing their relationship wouldn't last for long, she didn't want to lead him on. There were too many obstacles between them.

'Am I interrupting your 'tutoring' session?' someone interrupted.

Both Zerena and Adam turned their heads up and tensed immediately.

'Darien,' Adam gasped in surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

'Funny, I was about to ask you that same question.'

Zerena glared angrily at him. How dare he come in and demand an explanation, as if they had done something wrong? Boy, was she going to let him have it.

'You don't have to tell him anything, Adam,' Zerena said icily as she got up from her seat.

'I heard from Reeny that you were getting private tutoring lessons. I didn't know how private they would be,' Darien insinuated.

'What are you so worked up about? You said yourself that you weren't interested in her,' Adam reminded him.

'I'm not. I just want her to know what she's getting herself into.'

'That's MY business Darien. You have no right butting into my personal life.'

'Don't you want to know what type of guy you're dealing with?'

'I think I better leave you two alone. There's obviously some unresolved feelings. I'll wait for you in the hall Serena.'

The minute Adam left the room, Zerena was ready to give him an earful.

'I never thought you could stoop so low, but I stand corrected. You are such a hypocrite.'

'What do you mean?' Darien demanded.

'You come in here as though you own me and start flinging accusations at someone who you haven't got the faintest idea about, claiming that it's for MY benefit. Who are you trying to kid? Me or yourself?'

'You don't know Adam. He'll only end up hurting you.'

Darien was desperately trying to come up with reasons to keep Serena away from Adam. It was worse than he had ever imagined. When he saw her sitting next to Adam, he went ballistic.

'He couldn't possibly hurt me as much as you have,' Zerena replied in a cold tone, letting the words sink in.

Darien flinched as though she had physically hit him.

'I'm only trying to protect you Serena.'

'I don't need your protection and I don't want it. It really bothers you that I've found someone else, doesn't it? You can't stand the fact that I've moved on with my life.'

She had admittedly hit a raw nerve in him.

'What do you see in him anyway?'

'Adam isn't afraid to show his feelings. He treats me with respect and he doesn't play with my emotions unlike some people I know.'

'You don't understand...'

'Oh, I understand perfectly. You don't want to be with me anymore, but you don't want me to be with anyone else either. And THAT'S not happening. Adam and I are going to be together whether you like it or not. Just accept it,' she said, closing the subject.

Zerena left the room and left Darien alone. He just stared after her. Artemis was right. He was too late, and now he had lost Serena.

'Ooooo, he makes me so mad!' Zerena said furiously when she met Adam in the hallway.

'Whoa, calm down Serena. It's not worth getting upset over.'

'I'm sorry. I'm just in a bad mood. I guess he brings out the worst in me.'

'I've got a surprise that ought to cheer you up.'

'What is it?' she asked eagerly.

'If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?' he teased.

'NOW, what are you doing?' she asked when he took out a long handkerchief and tied it around her head so that she couldn't see anything.

'It's part of the surprise. Just trust me,' he said leading her to his car.

He drove her to his special hiding place that he discovered near the beach. When he stumbled upon the spot, it had immediately reminded him of his own home planet where Rubeus had rescued him.

His planet had one time resembled the Earth and it had been a place of tranquility and happiness. Its life giving waters were the source of his power. But one day, a dark shadow had crept over the land destroying everything in its path by consuming all the energy from every living organism . No one knew where it had come from, but those who lived to tell said that it was some sort of monster from another solar system.
Within days, the entire planet had become a barren wasteland. When the black shadow disappeared, Proteus had been the sole survivor, but with the lack of energy his body had slowly decomposed to pool of water, following the fate of his people. Not even his powers could save him.

It was at that time, when Rubeus had stumbled upon his dying planet and rescued him. That was the reason why he agreed to be a spy for Rubeus. He owed his life to him.

Once they reached the site, Adam led her carefully to the little alcove next to the beach and removed her blindfold.

Zerena rubbed her eyes as she adjusted to the light. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw the glorious work of nature before her eyes. Beautiful and delicate flowers rich in shades of purple and royal blue adorned the grassy slopes surrounding an alcove and the ocean's waves swept gently back and forth along its edges. Little sparrows darted back and forth stopping once in a while to pick at the crevices, and to sing their evening song. The spot was so full of life. It took her breath away.

'This place is so beautiful. I've never seen anything like it in my life.'

'So you like my little surprise?'

'I love it.'

'I brought a picnic basket along. I thought we could sit here and watch the sun go down over the hills.'

'You did all this...for me?'

'You sound surprised. Don't you realize that I'd do anything for you?'

Zerena's eyes filled with tears.

'Now look what you made me do,' she replied sniffling and wiping her eyes.

Adam put his arms around her and held her close to him.

'You never looked more beautiful,' he said before bending down and giving her a tender kiss.

Zerena sighed contentedly. This was a moment she would treasure for the rest of her life. The world could have stopped turning and she wouldn't have noticed. For the moment, all her fears and uncertainties were pushed aside. All that mattered was here and now.

'I have an assignment for the rest of you sisters. I hope you have more success than Prisma did.'

Catsy, Birdy, and Avery tensed under Rubeus' scrutiny. They didn't like the way things were going, especially after he banished their sister into the dark crystal. But their powers were no match to overthrow Rubeus.

'I'm getting impatient with Zerena as well as Proteus. I want you sisters to find out what he's up to and report back to me immediately. Do what you have to to get the truth out of him.'

'As you wish Rubeus,' Catsy said reluctantly and clenched her fists tightly against her side.

'Do you want the last cupcake?' Adam offered.

'Of course,' Zerena responded and swiped the chocolate cupcake from his hand and devoured it within seconds.

'Well, isn't this is a cozy little party?' Avery mocked as the sisters appeared in the sky in front of them. 'I think it's about time we crashed it.'

Adam tensed as he recognized them.

'Leave the girl alone,' he said standing up in front of Zerena.

'We don't want her. It's you we're after,' Birdy corrected him.

Zerena couldn't understand what they wanted with Adam. Going after Reeny made sense, but what could they possibly want from Adam?

'Serena, get out of here.'

'I'm not leaving,' she said adamantly. (no pun intended)

'Enough of your stalling,' Catsy interrupted and used her dark fire to blast the ground underneath Zerena and Adam. They both were flung in opposite directions by the sheer force of the explosion.

'What do you want from me?' Adam demanded.

'We have a message from Rubeus. He wants to know what your little game is. He's not pleased with your progress.'

'I don't take orders from his lackeys.'

'You insolent fool!' Catsy yelled as she got ready to blast him.

'I wouldn't try it if I were you,' Zerena said from behind.

The sisters turned around. Adam took the opportunity to slip away unnoticed and morphed into Proteus.

'And what are you going to do blondie?'

'The party's over slime queens,' Zerena said before transforming into Sailor Moon. She hadn't been thinking when she used her broach to transform in front of the sisters. All she had cared about was saving Adam.

The sisters all gasped in shock, but quickly came out of their lapse.

'Oh, the party's over all right...for you!'

Avery used her whip to wrap around Zerena's neck intending to choke her. Zerena put up her hand at the last second as the leather coiled around her.

'Well who would've thought that blondie here was Sailor Moon?'

Using his powers over water, Proteus used the ocean to form a whirlpool of such force that it caused everything in its path to be sucked into it.

'What's going on?' Birdy shrieked as she and Catsy were sucked into the core of the whirlpool. Avery let go of her whip, but as she was being sucked in, she managed to catch the edge of Proteus' facemask and tore it off.

Avery gasped when she recognized that Proteus was Adam.

Proteus immediately stopped the whirlpool and morphed back to his human form while Sailor Moon was down. Curses! Now Rubeus would find out his secret.

The three sisters arose from the ocean and teleported back to the mother ship.

Zerena transformed back to her normal clothes and went to look for Adam. She had wanted to thank her mysterious ally for saving her again when he disappeared. She found Adam lying down on the sand at the water's edge.

'Adam, speak to me. Are you all right?'

'Serena?'

'Yes, it's me. Can you get up?'

'I think so.'

'What did those weird ladies want with you?'

'Who knows?' he replied, knowing fully well what they wanted. Now that Rubeus would find out about his treachery, it was only a matter of time.

'I can't believe how incompetent you sisters are. I guess you didn't learn from Prisma's mistakes after all. Now you can be reunited again,' he said menacingly taking out the dark crystal and throwing it in front of Catsy and Birdy. The same beam of light that had taken Prisma shined on both of them as they too were sucked into the crystal's matrix.

'Wait Rubeus! I found out what Proteus is up to,' Avery pleaded desperately.

Rubeus called the crystal back to his hand, his interest suddenly peaked. 'Go on. I'm listening.'

'Proteus has betrayed you. He's been protecting Zerena all along. He never intended to tell you that she had the crystal.'

'So Zerena has betrayed me as well. I might have known.'

'That's not all. The girl you abducted is actually Sailor Moon.'

'How do you know that?' Rubeus demanded.

'I saw Zerena transform with my own eyes, using the Imperium Silver Crystal. Somehow, she has the power to become Sailor Moon too.'

Rubeus stared grimly, in contemplation. The Wiseman would want Sailor Moon dead, but not before he got through with her. Zerena and Proteus would pay dearly for their treachery. And once he had the crystal, nothing would stop him.

'Thank you for telling me this bit of information Avery. You've been most helpful.'

Avery breathed a sigh of relief. 'So you won't use the dark crystal on me?'

'Oh, I didn't say I wouldn't do that,' he replied in a sinister tone and threw out the dark crystal in front of her.

'No! How could you do this to me Rubeus?' Avery screamed as the light of the dark crystal shined its beam of light on her.

'Did you actually think that I would share the glory of domination with anyone? Especially with you sisters?' he said coldly. 'You're a bigger fool than I thought.'

Avery finally realized that Rubeus had been using her, just as he had used her sisters. But unfortunately, her revelation came too late as she was sucked into the dark crystal.

Rubeus made preparations for what was to come. He would teach Zerena and Proteus to double-cross him.

The sudden ring of the telephone made Zerena sit upright in her bed. She felt slightly disoriented as she turned her head to the bedside clock.

Six o'clock in the morning! Who on earth would be calling her at this hour?

'Hello?' she whispered groggily into the receiver.

'Serena? It's me.'

'Adam?' she replied in disbelief, suddenly wide-awake now.

'I'm sorry for waking you up so early, but I have to see you.'

'Right now? Do you realize what time it is?'

'It can't wait. Can you meet me at the beach as soon as you can?'

Zerena hesitated. Adam sounded as though it were a matter of life and death. 'Well, sure I can, but tell me, is something wrong?'

'I just need to see you,' Adam replied. Probably for the last time, he thought to himself.

'I'll meet you at the alcove in fifteen minutes,' Zerena decided.

Very quickly and quietly, she got dressed and left the house.

Adam kicked the sand in frustration and stuck his hands in his pockets. He wanted so badly to tell Zerena the truth, but he was afraid that she would think he lied to her about his feelings. She might think that he had been using her all along by pretending to care for her. He would rather have her remember him during their short time together, when they had been so happy, than to be disillusioned and have her heart broken. He vowed never to tell Rubeus about Zerena, no matter what happened to him.

'I came as fast as I could,' Zerena said breathlessly.

Adam turned around and smiled at her. Her lovely trusting face was rosy from running all the way from her house.

'Thanks for coming. I'm sorry for making you come out so early.'

'What's wrong Adam?'

'I just wanted to say goodbye.'

'Goodbye? What are you talking about? You just got here,' she sputtered in disbelief.

He put his hands on her shoulders.

'There's nothing I can do about it Serena. If there was only another way...'

'But there must be some other way. I don't want you to go.'

'You trust me don't you?'

'Of course I do.'

'Believe me, this is the best thing for both of us. I wouldn't go if it wasn't absolutely necessary.'

'I believe you,' she said resignedly. 'But I'll miss you.'

More than you'll ever know, she thought to herself.

'Same here. I'll always remember what we had together.'

He held her in his arms tightly as the sun was beginning to rise. No words were necessary as they watched the sun creep over the horizon, announcing the dawning of a new day.

Adam sat alone in the soda shop twirling the ice in his flat soda. After he and Zerena parted earlier that morning, they had decided to meet one more time after school, before he left to face Rubeus. He lifted his head up and saw Darien sitting by himself in another booth across the room. He looked depressed and dejected. Adam got up and went over to him.

'Darien?'

Darien's head shot up as he recognized Adam's voice. 'What do you want?' he demanded in a rude tone.

Adam couldn't blame him for being angry. After all, Darien had no idea that Zerena was Serena's clone. What a crazy tangled mess.

'Can I sit down?'

'That all depends on what you had in mind.'

'I just wanted to say goodbye.'

That immediately caught Darien's attention. 'But why? I thought you were happy here.'

'I have to leave. It's for the best.'

'Adam, I'm sorry for the way I acted yesterday, but I never wanted you to leave.'

Adam smiled understandingly.

'Hey, I don't blame you for being angry, but trust me, my decision to leave has nothing to do with you.'

'Then why?'

'Let's just say that it wasn't my destiny. I've gotta go. Thanks for being a good friend.'

'It won't be the same without you,' Darien admitted reluctantly. 'Um, have you told Serena yet?'

Even as he said the words, they were forced out of his mouth.

'She knows already. Well, I guess this is goodbye.'

'Bye Adam.'

Adam gave him a light-hearted slap on the shoulder before leaving the soda shop to go meet Zerena at the docks in the park.

'Going somewhere Proteus?' Rubeus taunted from behind.

Adam whipped around to find his tormentor hovering just above him. He had caught Adam completely off guard.

'Rubeus, I wasn't expecting to see you so soon.'

'I gathered that,' Rubeus replied sarcastically. 'I was very displeased to hear that you had betrayed me. You know I can stand traitors.'

Before Adam could morph into Proteus, Rubeus blasted him with a surge of dark energy, knocking him to the ground. Adam got up slowly on his hands and knees.

'Whatever made you believe that you could hide the truth from me Proteus? Did you think that I wouldn't find out?'

'Do whatever you want with me, but don't hurt Zerena. She doesn't have the crystal,' Adam said, gritting his teeth against the pain.

'Don't waste your breath. I know all about your little scheme and I know that she has the Imperium Silver Crystal. After all I've done for you, and this is how you repay me. It was a shame you didn't die along with the rest of your pitiful planet when I sent the Xenomorph.'

'YOU sent that hideous shadow creature?' Adam demanded as anger surged through his veins, as the truth dawned upon him. All this time, he thought Rubeus had been his savior, when in fact he had been his planet's executioner.

'Why you vicious...' Adam lunged forward in sheer rage to attack Rubeus, but Rubeus was quick to intercept him and knocked him back against a tree with his dark energy.

'And now, the final curtain...' Rubeus said, approaching Adam's still form on the ground.

'Wahoo! I did it! They said it couldn't be done, but I did it!' Zerena yelled happily, jumping for joy as she left her classroom with her test paper in her hand. The bright red-letter grade shone like a lighthouse beacon.

She had gotten an A on her math test!

Who would've thought that all that tutoring and studying would actually pay off? Boy, Adam would be so surprised and proud of her.

Zerena ran all the way to the park, where she was supposed to meet Adam, skipping every so often. She didn't care if everyone on the street thought she was crazy. She was feelin' fine, and nothing could bring down her spirits.

Zerena suddenly stopped dead in her tracks, when she saw Adam lying unconscious on the ground next to the docks. Her eyes darted over to the man standing in front of him. She gasped in shock, as she recognized Rubeus.

What was he doing here?

Zerena ran towards them, hoping to convince Rubeus to leave Adam alone. Rubeus turned around at the sound of her footsteps and grinned malevolently. Adam was just beginning to come out of it.

'I'm glad you're awake Proteus. You can watch while I blast your little girlfriend into oblivion.'

At the last second, with the last ounce of strength in his body, Adam leaped out in front of Rubeus and absorbed the brunt of his attack.

Zerena watched helplessly as Adam collapsed to the ground. It was a living nightmare.

'NO!' she screamed and ran to his body.

She gently gathered him into her arms and rested his head on her lap. Rubeus showed no remorse or an ounce of pity as he watched them.

'You monster! How could you do this?!'

'Spare me the melodrama Zerena. I KNOW you have the Imperium Silver Crystal. There's no point in denying it. I'm giving you 24 hours to deliver it to me in the mother ship. The choice is yours,' he said before vanishing.

'Adam? Can you hear me?' Zerena whispered tearfully.

He shifted his head to look up into her face.

'Zerena...' he said in a ragged voice.

Zerena gasped in shock. Had she heard him correctly?

'You...you know who I am?'

He nodded weakly. 'There's something I've got to tell you...before it's too late...'

'Don't try to talk. I'll get help.'

'There's no time,' he said gripping her hand tightly. 'Zerena, I'm not who you think I am. My real name is Proteus. Rubeus sent me to spy on you and make sure that you didn't betray him. I've known from the moment when you transformed into Sailor Moon that you had the crystal, but I never told him. I've been trying to keep him from finding out the truth. But I guess it's too late now.'

As Zerena listened, she began to feel numb all over. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

'I tried to protect you and keep you from getting hurt. I'm only sorry that I won't get the chance to make it up to you,' he said and tensed as another shaft of pain went through his body.

'That's all in the past Proteus. It doesn't matter to me what you did.'

'It DOES matter. Zerena, I...I want you to know that I meant what I said about caring about you. That wasn't a lie. I was afraid of losing you if I told you the truth.'

'Proteus, don't leave me. I need you,' she whispered brokenly.

He managed a weak smile and touched her cheek with his fingers.

'You don't need anyone Zerena. I'll always remember...' his voice trailed off, as his head slumped down.

'Proteus? Proteus?!' Zerena screamed frantically.

Her pain and anguish was so intense that she just held his lifeless body close to her in silence. Her mind was filled with conflicting emotions. She remembered the pain Serena felt when she thought she had lost Darien and at the same time, she felt her own pain over losing Proteus. In her confused state of mind, the two emotions were one and the same.

Zerena's tears trickled down her face onto Proteus, and he began to morph back into his true alien form. He looked exactly like his human form except that he had strange mark on his forehead that slightly resembled Sailor Mercury's symbol.

Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized that Proteus had been her mysterious savior during the times she needed help. His body slowly began to dissolve until all that was left was a pool of water at her knees.

Zerena cried silently and watched as her tears fell down into the pool of water, mingling with it. In her sadness, she didn't notice the slight movement in the water and the faint glow that tinged the surface. All she saw was what was left of Proteus, seeping through the slats of the wooden platform of the docks and into the lake.

She couldn't stand it anymore.

Zerena got up and ran and ran until she was exhausted. She fell to her knees, and found herself at the beach.

Now what was she going to do?

In her mind, she saw a vision of Serena and Sailor Moon standing next to each other, in front of her. They seemed to reaching out to her, begging her to help them.

Zerena reached out, but stopped when another person appeared in between them. It was a vision of Rubeus. He taunted her with hurtful comments making her believe that she was only a clone and that she had no identity of her own.

Finally, she fought back and wiped out the vision from her mind. Rubeus couldn't hurt her anymore. She was her own person. Her feelings and emotions had been real. The pain she felt in losing Proteus had been real. They had been her emotions. Rubeus could never take that away from her.

Zerena stood up determinedly and knew what she had to do.

If it was fight Rubeus wanted, then it was a fight he was going to get.

To be continued

Author's note:
The next chapter is planned to be the finale to this series. Stick around for the last chapter!

Originally completed 5/6/96
(updated on 4/6/01)