Title: Not Just A Memory: Chapter 2
Author: Artemis Luna Diana
Type: Romance
Rated: PG-13 (has blood scenes in it)
E-mail: artemislunadiana@yahoo.com
Home Page: Casper's Sailor Moon Site
http://www.caspermoon.com

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This story is based in the Silver Millennium except that everything is
totally different in respects to where the characters are and what
happens to them. Since I hate the name "Amara", Haruka's name is Alex.
You'll understand why I'm saying this later in the story. I will be
using both the English and Japanese names.

Oh yeah, I don't own Sailor Moon, yada, yada, yada...

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"Who are you?" the man asked hoarsly.

"Serena," she answered timidly.

"Where am I?"

"At my cottage. May I ask who are you?"

The man looked at her strangly, "You don't recognize me?"

"No, should I?"

'I can't believe she doesn't recognize me. She must be lying.' He
looked at her in silence a moment, "My name is Darian."

"It's nice to meet you, Darian. Are you hungry?"

"Yes."

"How is the pain?"

"It's nothing."

"Which means, it's bad. I'll be back with some birch bark tea and some
food."

Serena left the room and began heating up the teas from earlier. She
checked on the panther. It was still sleeping. She walked outside and
went to the next closest snare. Inside was a squirel. She followed
the same procedure that she did for the jackrabbit. 'I need to
remember to scrape these skins,' she noted. She placed a small hunk of
the squirel on the spit and saved the rest for the panther.

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Darian winced in pain as he tried to sit up. Finally managing it, he
had only his thoughts to keep him company. 'Who was the girl? She had
saved him from the panther and had bandaged him up. Yet she claimed to
not recognize him. He was the Crown Prince of the Earthian Royal
Family, the Prince Endymion, Prince Mamoru. Had she truely not
recognized him? Had his face been damaged as well?' His hands rubbed
his face. Nothing felt different. He could smell food cooking. The
pain in his stomach was like fire and his leg throbbed. He had awoke
to find the enchanting sprite dressing. He was struck speechless. He
had remained silent as she did her hair. When she turned his hurting
gut had clenched and his throat had gone dry. He had barely been able
to talk.

He looked up to see her entering the room with a small cup. She
approached him and sat beside him on the bed. She held it out to him.
"Birch bark tea," she said when he hesitated, "for the pain."

He reluctintly took the cup from her and drank it. She placed a hand
on his forehead and he almost jumped in surprise. "Your fever is
lower, but still pretty high. I'll bring you some bayberry tea with
your food."

She left again. She returned within seconds with a second cup and a
small bowl with a hunk of meat in it. "Drink this first." She handed
him the second cup and took the first from him. He drank it quickly.
She took the second cup from him and gave him the bowl. "Eat slowly.
To much food too fast and you could lose your meal. With your stomach
in its current condition, your skin could tear further. Right now, it
is thin enough that it doesn't need stiches. Your leg is also fine as
of now. If you move though, you could tear them farther apart, and I
can't stich you back together."

Darian paled at her speech. He ate slowly while she watched. When he
finished, she took the bowl and the two cups back out. He could hear
her talking in the other room.

"So, you're awake, too. Do you want some water?"

Silence.

"Here is a squirel for you as well."

Silence.

"You're welcome."

Darian frowned. 'Who was she talking to? Did one of his men surive?'
She came back in carrying a small cup. "Water," she said handing it to
him. He sipped it.

"Who were you talking to?"

She waved him away. She had no intention of telling him that she was
speaking to a panther.

"Did anyone else survive?"

"No, I'm sorry."

Darian looked away. His friend Justin had been among them. "They were
all good men."

"I know," she said simply.

Darian looked at her closely, 'Who are you?' he wondered. His
attraction for the sprite made it hard to think.

"You should rest--"

"SERENA!" a voice screamed

"Alex!" she said in surprise.

Darian watched a tall young man enter the room. He started at Darian
in shock. "What on Earth is going on?!"

"What do you mean?" Serena asked inocently.

"I thought you were dead!"

"Alex!" Serena jumped up and embraced her.

Darian felt jealosy stir inside him. He wanted the sprite but
apparently she was already claimed.

"Hugs won't help! Instead of finding your lifeless body I find you with
some strange guy in your bed!"

"ALEX! CALM DOWN!"

"CALM DOWN?! HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN WHAT I FOUND IN THERE?!"

Serena peered into the other room and met Myrian's eyes. "Are you
okay?"



"I'll explain later."



"Don't tell me you were talking to it!" Alex said expasperated.

"I was. Sit down." Serena shoved Alex down onto the bed beside
Darian. The two looked at each other with dislike. "Alex, I was
outside working when I heared shouts and dogs." Alex started to rise,
"Don't worry," Serena stopped her question, "It wasn't him." Darian
looked confused at this. "It was a hunting party, his." Alex looked
at Darian again. "A panther attacked."

"Not..."

"Yes..."

"Oh, my Goddess, you've lost your mind."

"I defeated the panther and dragged Darian unconsious to the cottage.
I bandaged him up and left him sleeping. I went back to the spot and
buried the dead. The panther was still alive." Darian looked up at
this. "I approached it. I was going to put it out of its misery,
but... Alex I can hear its thoughts."

Alex stood at this and Darian looked at her strangly. "Serena...that's
not possible," Alex said, "Only the Royals of the Planets have those
powers. You aren't any of them."

"I know, but that doesn't change anything. I bandaged the panther.
They both were sleeping until a little while ago. Darian, woke first.
Myrian awoke a little while ago."

"Serena..." Alex said softly still not believing.

"I'm not crazy, Alex." Serena was silent a moment. "Are you hungry?"
she asked changing the subject. Alex wouldn't be able to believe just
yet.

Alex nodded. "I brought back a lot of game. I'll go start skinning
it."

Serena waited until Alex left to speak to Darian. "It would be best if
you got some sleep. The more you rest the faster you will heal."

She left to fix Alex a meal. Darian knew that the sun had set a long
time before, and yet both were still working. 'Serena... Did she
really have the power she claimed? Could she really hear the panther's
thoughts?' Darian felt restless. His sister's and his own mind powers
lay in the area of a person's thoughts and feelings, Princess Rei's
powers lay in fortelling, and when she had been alive, Queen Sereniry
had the power to speak to anyone or anything with her mind, no matter
the distance. Every royal family had some power of the mind. No one
outside a royal house could have that power. 'What power had Serena
inherited...or was she just imagining it?'

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For the next few days, Darian was not allowed, nor did he want to rise
from bed. Other than one incident when he realized his clothes were
missing, Darian was a fairly good patient. He didn't realize that he
had kicked Serena out of her bed. Serena had chosen to sleep by the
fire near the panther. Alex was all for putting him with the panther
but Serena refused. Serena and Alex worked as usual except Serena had
the added chore of taking care of the patients. By the sixth day,
Myrian was healed completely.

"Will you be alright?"

I think so.

"You know if you ever need me, all you have to do is call."

I know.

Serena stood silent. She hated to say goodbye.



Serena's mouth dropped in surprise. "What do you mean?"

Myrian
bowed, turned, and padded away. Serena watched her go, in shock over
her unexpected announcement.

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Four days after Myrian left, Darian was well enough to walk about.
Alex refused to let him go outside so he was forced to remain in the
cottage with Serena. She was always cheerful and talked to him
constently. Darian found himself more and more attracted to her. She
reminded him of someone. Someone who meant a great deal to him. He
just couldn't remember who.

"Have you always lived here?" he asked one day out of the blue.

Serena's smile died. "No, we've not even lived here a year."

"Where did you live before?" Darian wanted to know what had caused her
to stop smiling.

"Bride Village."

"That's where all the wealthy go to find brides, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"All the women must be married by age eighteen?"

"Yes." Serena stood up, restless, wanting the subject to change.

Darian frowned. 'What was wrong with her? Wasn't she married to Alex?
What had happened to her?' Darian watched her pace for a moment.

"How old are you?"

Serena stopped pacing and looked at him. She was terrified. "Almost
nineteen."

"Serena? Are you okay?" Darian asked concerned.

"Fine..." Serena replied softly.

"Aren't you already married? To Alex?"

Serena looked at him in surprise, "Alex? No, what gave you that idea?"

Now it was Darian's turn to be surprised, 'Was she a loose woman?' He
frowned, "You live with Alex out here alone don't you?"

"Yes..." Serena couldn't see where this was going.

"You don't see anything wrong with that?"

"No...should I?"

"Well..." Darian was dumbfounded, "I mean...a guy and a girl living
together that isn't married isn't exactly accepted in our society..."

Serena looked puzzeled at first and then started laughing. Darian
didn't see the humor of the situtation and started to leave. "Wait,
wait! I'm sorry!" Darian turned to face her. Tears were streaming
down her face she was laughing so hard. "You think Alex is a boy?
Alex is a girl, my adopted sister. We've know each other all of our
lives." Serena managed to control her laughter enough to see that
Darian was genuienly surprised.

"Sisters?"

"Yes."

"Oh..." Darian couldn't help but wonder, 'If she is almost nineteen,
what is she doing out here, unmarried?'

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More days passed. It had been over a month since the attack. Alex had
finally allowed Darian to leave the cottage as long as Serena was with
him. Darian found himself falling in love with Serena. She was so
sweet and caring, yet she was strong and independent. He wanted to
stay with her forever, but...she would never accept him and he had his
own responsibilities. His family didn't even know if he was alive or
not. It was time to return home. Staying longer would only make it
harder to leave.

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Serena sat in front of the fire. Alex and Darian had already gone to
sleep. 'This is not good,' she thought, 'I can't do this!' She
couldn't sleep. She couldn't stop thinking...about him. 'How did it
happen?' her mind cried anguished. 'Couldn't I have stopped it? I
can't have fallen in love with him!'

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Darian woke suddenly. He felt it. A mind close to him in turmoil.
'Serena? What could be wrong with her?' He rose from the bed and
padded softly to the door of his room. He could see her sitting in
front of the fire. She was enchanting. Her blonde hair was loose,
falling in a gold curtain around her. Her face was so heartbreakingly
lovely, but sad. She was crying soft tears.

"Serena?"

Serena's head jerked up in surprise, "Darian? What are you doing up?"

"I couldn't sleep," he lied. "What's wrong?" he asked and sat down
beside her.

"Oh, nothing," she said wiping a tear away. "Just something I need to
deal with."

"Oh...Serena..." Darian wondered if this was the best time to tell her
his problem. He decided against it.

"Yes, Darian?"

"Nothing..."

"Oh..." Serena looked at him, 'I love you,' her mind said softly.

Darian looked up at her. 'Had he heard that?' Carefully he pushed his
mind gently across hers. He felt the unmistakable emotion...of
love...for him. He smiled at her. She smiled back. Somehow, she knew
too.

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The next day, Darian left.

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How was that? Did I leave you hanging? Bad me! Bad me!

E-MAIL ME! I crave attention!

These......hold animal thoughts
These...''...hold human thoughts
These...""...hold verbal communication (of course)

Thanks to everyone who helped me with this story...yep, that's you
Amber! Luv ya dearly! Thanks to Andrea for posting it!

I apologize to anyone who is anxiously awaiting on Dancing Earth...what
can I say, my mind wanders...

ANYWAY! Catch ya on the flip side!

~Artemis Luna Diana~