Resurrection
Darien sat across from Andrew at the coffee shop. He had asked Andrew here because he needed someone to talk to about Serena's strange behavior. They had been living together for a week, Luna had finally decided to move in with them—though it was a little to late for her to play chaperone—and Serena had just been acting stranger and stranger.
"Andrew. I told you to meet me here because I need your opinion on something. Serena moved in with me last week and—"
Andrew's jaw dropped, but he quickly recovered and gave Darien a slap on the arm. "It's about damn time! You've been dating her for nearly five years now."
Darien shook his head before Andrew could get any further. "Andy, it's just that since she's moved in, she's been acting strangely. I mean, you know Serena. Would she willing do any kind of chore? I mean, like for example if I said jump, she'd jump. Before she moved in she'd ask 'why?' Now she just does it and I don't know what to make of it."
Andrew grinned. "I think it's simple, Darien. Did she ask to move in with you?"
"Well, no. It was more like I offered and she accepted."
Andrew nodded. "That's it. She feels like if she does anything wrong, you'll throw her out on her ear."
"But Serena knows I would never do anything like that."
Darien's friend nodded. "Yeah. Her mind and heart know that. But she can't stop the feeling of inadequacy. It happened to me when I moved into my wife's home. I knew Rita would never throw me out of her house if I did anything wrong, but I couldn't help feeling like I was intruding. I mean, it was her house. And I didn't want her to have any excuse to why I shouldn't live there with her. She noticed my extremely compliant attitude and guessed the problem. She helped me get over the feeling. Even now I still worry, like 'what would she do if I broke her prized vase?' But knowing that she would never throw me out has become a much stronger feeling than the worry. That's Serena's problem. But with her it's probably much worse than what happened to me. I'm not a terrible klutz."
Darien grinned and nodded. "Thanks, Andrew. I figured that was what was wrong, but I couldn't figure out why she would feel that way." Darien got up and left some money on the table. He turned and waved at his friend. "Thanks again, Andy."
"No problem, Darien."
* * *
When Darien arrived back at the apartment, Serena sat in the middle of the floor with her legs crossed, her head was thrown back and the crescent moon on her forehead glowed brightly. Luna stood beside her, her worried eyes striking fear into Darien. What was going on?
Luna looked up to Darien and quickly reached him. "Darien, I don't know what to do. Serena said she was going to try and contact her mother, Queen Serenity of the Moon, but she's been like this for over two hours. The only time she moved was after the first ten minutes, she opened her eyes, said 'Oh my goodness', called Molly and asked her about Melvin and Nephlite, hung up and began again. But she hasn't moved since then!"
Darien bent down and stared into Serena's beautiful face. It was still with concentration; the glowing moon on her forehead pulsed with the life in her veins. He slowly wrapped his arms around her stiff body and forced her to lean against him, her head resting on his shoulder. But as soon as he had her relaxed against him, she stiffened, her eyes shot open and she let out a small cry. Darien held her close as the pulsing rhythm of the crescent moon began to slow, but not to fade. Almost as if its work was almost done, but not quite.
When Darien heard the groan, he had thought it had come from himself. But when Luna scratched him insistently, he looked up from Serena's face and to the sprawled form of a man in his living room. Darien blinked. It was Nephlite.
Nephlite groaned again and Darien was about to get up when he felt a movement in his arms. He turned to Serena, whose eyes had just fluttered open. She gave him a slow smile and then turned he gaze to man she had brought back from the dead. Serena struggled to sit up, but was too weak. Darien helped her as she reached for Nephlite.
"Maxfield Stanton?"
Darien gave her a strange look, but he let her finish whatever she was doing. He kept his gaze on Nephlite. The man sprawled on the floor slowly began to pull himself up at the gentle, insistent calling of the name 'Maxfield'. He looked up and stared into the eyes of Sailor Moon, the glowing moon on her forehead transfixing his eyes and giving him strength.
"Maxfield?"
Nephlite stared into the blue eyes. "That is not my name."
Serena gave a little sigh of relief. He was whole. She hadn't done anything wrong. She shook her head at the man before her. "It is now. You are no longer part of the Nega Verse. You are no longer Nephlite. You are the human man called Maxfield Stanton, who is deeply in love with my friend Molly."
The man stared deeply into the eyes. "How? How did this happen?"
Serena smiled. "Using Molly's love for you I brought you back from the dead."
"But you're older."
She nodded. "Four years have passed since your death. It was only till this moment that I realized I had this power." Serena smiled. "Molly awaits you, Maxfield. Go to her. She never stopped loving you."
Maxfield Stanton's eyes smiled and glowed. "Really?"
Tears streamed down Serena's cheeks. "Really. And now I'll do us all another favor."
"What?"
Serena leaned forward and touched Maxfield's forehead. "I'll help you forget what you once were. I'll help you to forget the evil you did. All that was a terrible memory that had to do with the Nega Verse will be erased. You don't need those memories anymore. You're human and a good person. All that will stay is your memories of Molly and your love for her. Do you agree to let me do this?"
Maxfield stared into the beautiful eyes and smiled. "Yes."
A flash of white light overwhelmed the room for a moment, and when everything returned to normal the moon had vanished from Serena's forehead, she had collapsed weakly into Darien's arms, and the man called Maxfield left the room with a slight farewell and went to find his love.
Darien stared down at Serena as Luna jumped on the weak woman and began to rave.
"Serena, are you out of your mind!? Bringing people back from the dead like that! Have you gone bonkers?! You really do have spaghetti for brains don't you?! I never thought I'd see the day when a Sailor would try to kill herself like the way you practically did today! I never should have let you—"
Serena put her fingers over the cat's lips. "Luna. While I was searching for my mother I saw him, Sapphire and Diamond. All good men who had died. All good men with loves here that mourn for them. The only one I can say would be truly difficult to bring back is Diamond because he was in love with me. But Prisma's love can bring Sapphire back, just like Molly's brought Maxfield back. I think my mother wants me to do this first before I speak to her."
"NO! Under no circumstances! Never again! You will not go through that draining ritual of bringing people back from the dead! I refuse to allow it! You'll only kill yourself doing it."
Serena's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Luna, I will do what I think is right and nothing less. Do you got that? I saw them for a reason, and knowing how happy Molly and Maxfield are just about to be how can I deny Prisma and Sapphire the same chance at happiness?"
Darien stared down into the eyes full of determination. He was afraid for her, but he knew she was right. She had seen them for a reason. Darien sighed. "Serena's right, Luna."
Serena turned to Darien with glowing eyes. He smiled down at her. "She saw them for a reason. The only thing I'm going to demand is that you never do this again without me being here. You'll be unprotected if I'm not, and I won't risk that." Serena nodded in agreement and snuggled into him as Luna let out an exasperated sigh. What was she going to do?
* * *
After Serena called Prisma, she began to search for Sapphire. Darien thought she was still too weak but she said she had to do it now. Luna sneaked away as Serena began again. Darien held her through the entire ordeal and once Sapphire had been brought back to this plane, Serena began to use Sapphire's love to bring Diamond back.
Darien didn't even know she had done this until the moment he opened the door to let in Lita, Mina, Rei, and Ami. They had been muttering in astonishment at seeing Nephlite walking around with Molly and were about to demand an answer from Serena when they all gasped. Darien turned and saw Diamond drop from nowhere beside his brother. Darien rushed to Serena as she began to collapse. She gave Darien a pleading look that said to trust her.
"Let me touch his forehead, Darien." He brought her close to Diamond and a flash of light filled the room. After it faded, she smiled at Darien and whispered. "Now, he doesn't remember that he even loved me." Serena went unconscious from her exertion.
The four friends crowded around Darien and Serena. "Will she be all right?" Mina asked as Ami felt the pulse on Serena's neck.
Ami nodded. "The pulse is weak, but it's steady. She should be all right if she has plenty of rest." Everyone sighed in relief. But two groans sounded through the room. Sapphire and Diamond were awakening.
"Sapphire."
Everyone turned to see Prisma standing in the doorway wearing Sapphire's old jacket. After all these years, she had never let him go. Sapphire's eyes blinked open. "Prisma?" With tears in her eyes, she ran to the man she loved and whispering his name she buried herself against him. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close as his strength began to return. "How…?"
The Sailors motioned to the unconscious woman in Darien's arms.
Sapphire looked perplexed. "How could she have brought us back? I didn't know she had that kind of power."
Darien shook his head. "She doesn't. Prisma does." Sapphire and Prisma stared into each other's eyes as Darien continued. "Serena only used Prisma's love for you. She used it to bring you back from the dead. It was Prisma's power. She just used it in a way that would bring you back to Prisma."
Sapphire turned his gaze to her and then to his brother. "Diamond?"
"Serena used your love for your brother to bring him back." Darien stopped and looked at the woman in his arms. "At least, I think that's what she did. Because right after she erased all his memories of love for her."
Sapphire nodded, standing up with Prisma still in his arms. "Thank you. Thank you all for what you've done for us. I don't know how we could ever repay you."
"Just live happily and with good in your hearts."
Everyone turned to a weak Serena. She smiled tremulously. Then her gaze turned to Lita and Diamond. Everyone else's gaze followed.
Lita had moved over to Diamond and was now helping him. Her eyes glowed and her face was flushed. Diamond turned to the woman helping him and drowned in her beautiful green eyes. Lita and Diamond just stared at each other. Everyone shared secret smiles. Mina whispered into Serena's ear, "Looks like love at first sight to me."
Rei giggled and turned to the others. She whispered. "I don't think he looks like any of her old boyfriends, do you?" Everyone grinned.
Lita noticed the whispering going on and finally moved. She finished helping Diamond up, their eyes still locked. Who would have ever thought he could be so handsome? Her heart started doing flip-flops. But when he smiled, Lita almost dropped him. It wasn't until Rei's voice penetrated that Lita turned away from Diamond's beautiful gaze.
"Hey, Lita! Need any help?"
Lita turned to Rei and saw four grinning friends and a curious Sapphire and Prisma. Maybe she should just get to it. Ignoring the four women smiling at her, Lita turned to Sapphire and Prisma. "How 'bout you two lead the way, while I help Diamond till he gets his strength back?" Sapphire only nodded.
He then turned to Serena and said with gratitude, "Thank you."
Serena smiled. "Your welcome, Sapphire, though it is Prisma you should be thanking."
He gazed at the woman in his arms and then back at Serena. "I will."
And with that, the two left, followed by Diamond and Lita. Once they were gone everyone burst out laughing.
"And I thought Lita was bad whenever she saw a guy who looked like an old boyfriend," Ami said, doubling over with laughter and Rei joined her.
"Now, I'm the only one left without a guy! Serena's got Darien, Ami has Greg, Rei has Chad and now Lita has Diamond! When's it going to be my turn!" Mina cried to the ceiling. Rei and Ami only laughed harder and Mina joined in.
Serena was too weak to laugh, but she did smile. Darien grinned down at her wickedly and said to Mina. "You know, Mina, now that you've complained I'm sure Serena here will stop at nothing to find you a guy."
Mina went into a panic. "NO! No, no! It's all right, really! I can do without a guy! Ha, ha. I don't really need one right now anyway. Heh, heh." A huge sweatdrop trickled down Mina's temple as tried to sway Serena away from that thought.
But Rei wouldn't let Mina get away. "No! That sounds like a great idea! We can hook her up with Darien's friend, Steven!"
Everyone laughed as Mina tried to deter them from playing matchmaker, with her as a one of the dolls.
But the laughter was cut off when the door burst open. Luna stood there, looking like a mess. "Hurry, all of you! Transform now! Jupiter's in trouble!"
The group wasted no time. By the time they had all transformed and were rushing outside, the huge monster was diving for Lita. Massive wings, needle-like teeth, and glowing eyes made it look beyond evil. It was like no monster they had ever seen before.
"MERCURY ICICLE TOSS!"
"VENUS CRESCENT BOOMERANG!"
Sailor Mercury's icicles pinned the monster to a nearby wall, while Sailor Venus' boomerang inflicted some damage. The four scouts jumped before Lita.
"It's about time you four showed up!" Lita cried before she transformed. Diamond sat behind her, watching in amazement, while Sapphire and Prisma quickly went to him and hurriedly ushered him and themselves out of the line of fire.
"MARS PHOENIX ATTACK!"
Sailor Mars' bird of fire attacked the monster sending in more damage, but melting the icicles that imprisoned it. It railed in fury and charged at the group of Sailors, sending them hurtling out of the way of the creature and its claws. They all barely dodged the attack. Sailor Jupiter wasted no more time attacking.
"JUPITER ELECTROCUTION!"
The monster bellowed in agony as lightning bolts raged through its body. And as his body raged, Serena gathered what was left of her strength and blew it away.
"ETERNAL MOON BLAST!"
The creature melted away at the force of the beam, as Sailor Moon Eternal collapsed onto the ground. She had nothing left to give. The four Scouts quickly rushed to their fallen friend as Darien made his way to them, Luna beside him.
"Sailor Moon!"
Darien, transformed into Tuxedo-Mask, lifted the unconscious woman into his arms. Darien prayed that she would be all right, she had given every last ounce of energy she had to stop the monster. But as the Sailor Starlights turned away from their friend and stared at the remains of the monster they had just destroyed, they could not help but wonder…
What would this new evil bring?