Hello again! I have officially completed Chapter 7. Oy
vay, did it take some doing. Writer's block is such a
horrible thing, and it happened to me on this Chapter. I
knew what I wanted to happen, but I couldn't make the words
come out. What is UP with that?
Thank you's are huge this time, as I feel compelled to
thank bhandy and gummiebear for all their help with the
evil sorcerer Writer's Block. Thanks guys! As always, a
major thank you to Mary Ann and Corie, who would be angry
(and rightly so) if I did not acknowledge the huge
sacrifice of time and energy they gave listening to me wail
and complain.
Disclaimer: The usual...Sailor Moon, not mine, blah, blah,
blah.
Rainbow Eclipse
Rated PG (no violence)
Chapter 7
Explanations
Serena was drifting pleasantly on a wave of darkness. The
wave was rolling her toward something, but Serena didn't
pay much attention to the destination. All she knew was the
calming sensation of moving forward. Lazily, her mind
drifted toward consciousness. Serena groaned as her body
became more and more aware of a throbbing pain in various
parts of her anatomy. Opening her eyes slowly, Serena
pressed them tightly shut almost immediately, shielding her
eyes from the brilliant light that was pouring in the room.
Cautiously opening her eyes once more, Serena squinted,
noting that there was actually very little light in the
room, the gauzy drapes blocking more sun than Serena would
have expected. Opening her eyes a bit wider, Serena noted
that she was still in her uniform. Gasping, she reached for
her brooch and powered down, returning to her normal street
clothes. Sitting up, the light coverlet, which had been
keeping her warm, slid to Serena's lap.
Serena noted that she was in a very normal looking
bedroom. A desk was placed on the floor near the bed, while
a small chest next to the bed held a lamp. A large
bookshelf stood against the opposite wall. Serena stood
quickly and was forced down again by the dizzy sensation
that left her head spinning. Pushing herself up more
slowly, Serena gained her balance then crossed to the
bookshelf. Running her fingers along the spines, Serena saw
there were books on virtually every subject. Art, music,
theatre, astronomy and science books were shelved by
subject in alphabetical order. Serena also saw, to her
delight, that there were also many manga series, some
completed some not.
The sounds of faint laughter drew Serena's attention
toward the door, which was partially closed. Pulling it
open, Serena stepped into a non-descript hallway,
punctuated by framed photographs and inspirational sayings.
One picture caught Serena's attention. Stopping, Serena
looked at a white greeting card with a rainbow painted
across it.
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty
of their dreams." Serena murmured, reading the silver
calligraphy that gleamed on the card. "Eleanor Roosevelt."
Smiling slightly at the uplifting quotation, Serena
continued down the hall, moving toward the voices that were
chattering softly. Reaching the end of the hallway, Serena
peered around the corner, and her breath caught.
Serena was looking at one of the coolest rooms she had
ever seen. Prisms of various shapes and sizes glittered in
the sliding glass window, which led out onto a balcony. The
balcony was covered in multicolored flowers, arranged to
give the balcony the appearance of a large floral garden.
Inside the room, Celtic music played from a stereo set in a
pickled pine entertainment center. A television set, lots
of CD's, and a full movie library were also set in various
nooks in the entertainment center. More books filled the
rest of the space. An overstuffed sofa took up most of one
wall, and beanbag chairs were littered haphazardly around
the room. Two regular chairs were placed strategically near
the sofa. A hanging planter was in the corner, small,
multicolored flowers cascading down from it like a
waterfall. A large poster sporting the word "RENT" hung
above the sofa, and the other walls were dotted with
pictures and other posters. All hangings were framed. A
ceiling fan sported sparkling rainbow streamers, which spun
out lazily as the fan turned. A low table sat near the sofa
and chairs, a tile mosaic of the solar system decorating
its top.
Four people were lounging in the room; one lying
stretched out on the couch, one lounging in a royal blue
chair and the other two on overstuffed beanbag chairs. The
girl on the couch glanced up, and her eyes met Serena's
with a welcoming smile.
"Good morning merry sunshine. How did you wake so
soon?" she said.
"You!" Serena gasped.
"Yes, me. You were expecting, maybe, someone else?"
Destiny teased. "Let me introduce you. The girl on the
couch is Corie."
"Hey! What's up?" chirped the pixie on the couch.
Corie sat up, her long white-blond hair flying in all
directions. Her blue eyes sparkled merrily as she reached
for a glass sitting on the table. Dressed in black vinyl
boots that zipped up to her thigh, a short black skirt and
a sky blue top, Corie was the epitome of diva, and Serena
stared at her with a mixture of envy and awe.
"The chick on the green beanbag is Mary Ann."
"Yo." Mary Ann gestured to Serena with careless wave
of her hand. Mary Ann's brown hair was tiger-striped, and
the evenly spaced yellow streaks that stretched from her
scalp to the tips of her hair gave her the look of a jungle
cat. A leopard print unitard with a gauzy black miniskirt,
combat boots and a black beret only added to the image.
Mary Ann glanced over at Serena, and cat green eyes sized
her up, sending chills up and down Serena's spine.
"And last, but certainly not least, Skott."
"That's Skott with a 'k'," the boy said, giving Serena
a winning smile that made her blush. Skott was nothing
short of gorgeous. He wore a ragged denim vest over a black
T-shirt that read 'It's okay to be jealous, not everyone
can be me.' His blue jeans had seen better days, but he
looked great in them. Cowboy boots and deep green hair,
complemented by equally green eyes, completed the ensemble.
Serena felt distinctly at a disadvantage in her stripped
skirt and white blouse.
One glance at Destiny proved that she fit right in. A
spandex shirt in army forest camouflage print and dog tags
were only the beginning. Her long, curly hair was caught
back from her face in a ponytail, tied with a matching
bandana. Nicely fitting black jeans shorts and boots that cross-
laced all the way up to her knees finished the stunning
outfit. Serena tugged at her skirt self-consciously, aware
of how young she must look when compared to these people.
"We gotta go." Mary Ann said, pushing herself out of
the beanbag chair. "You still clubbing with us tonight,
girl?"
"Yeah," Destiny replied. " Ten o'clock, right?"
"Yup," Skott answered, pulling Corey off the couch.
"At the Sunset Mirage. Hey, bring your friend."
Serena blushed as Skott gave her a sly wink.
"Dial 1-800-YOU-WISH." Destiny said as she pushed them
toward the door. "Good-bye. See you tonight."
"You bringin' the bike?" Skott asked.
"Well, duh. Now go! Go! Away with you!" Destiny stated
as she pushed the door firmly shut.
"So, welcome to my humble abode. You like?" Destiny
asked, her attention now on Serena.
"Yeah." Serena said, a tremor in her voice.
"Hungry?" Destiny asked. At Serena's vehement nod,
Destiny turned toward the kitchen. "You should be. You've
been unconscious for 15 hours."
"15 hours?" Serena repeated, shock coloring her voice.
"Oh, god, my parents… Darien…my friends…do they know where
I am?"
Destiny didn't even acknowledge the question. "Omelet
sound good?"
"Sure." Serena muttered vaguely, worry clouding her
features.
"Look around if you want. You'll be here for a while.
Not that I'm holding you for ransom or anything, but I want
to make sure that you're really okay before I turn you
loose. You have quite a lump on your head." Destiny said,
her eyes on the steaming skillet on the stove. "Okay, I
have cheese, tomatoes, chives, green pepper, dried squid
and carrots. You want any of those in your omelet?"
"Cheese, tomatoes and chives, please."
"Coming right up."
While Destiny cooked, Serena drifted toward the
entertainment center.
"Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, Alien, Alien 2, Alien 3,
Alien Resurrection, Pretty Woman, The Matrix, First
Contact, The Breakfast Club, The Shawshank Redemption… Wow,
you have a lot of movies."
"Yeah, I took a few film courses in college."
"You have a lot of American stuff…movies, posters,
books."
"My dad was American and my mom was Japanese. We lived
in the States during the year, but we spent summers in
Japan. When my mom died, I came back to settle her affairs,
and really fell in love with Tokyo. So I got a job and
stayed. But I went back to Washington and got most of my
stuff."
"What about your friends?"
"It's a kind of work exchange program. American
computer nerds come to Japan for up to five years to work
and experience another culture. If they like it, they can
sometimes get a permanent position and stay. Mary Ann and
Skott are computer analysts and Corey is an electronic
technician."
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"Do you work with computers?"
"Sometimes. I'm a professional hacker, which is the
slang term for systems analyst. I try and break into
computer files for companies. If I can do it, I show them
the flaws in their system. If I can't, I get paid for
trying."
"Is that all you do?"
"No. I write fiction pieces for magazines, take
photographs and play five instruments in various bands. I
speak four languages fluently, so I occasionally work as a
translator. And I have been known to dabble in modeling."
"What instruments?"
"Piano, rhythm and electric guitar, bass, drums and
sax. I count the two guitars as one instrument."
"Languages?"
"English, Japanese, Spanish and French. But enough
about me. Omelet's ready." Destiny moved the steaming
omelet onto a white plate with a rainbow border and moved
toward Serena. Handing her the plate, Destiny went back to
the kitchen to retrieve eating utensils and napkins. Serena
moved toward the sofa, setting her plate down on the
beautiful table top. She sat down and waited impatiently
for Destiny to join her. When her host sat down in the
royal blue chair, Serena opened fire.
"Are you Sailor Eclipse?"
"Well," Destiny sighed, "So much for small talk. Right
to the point."
"Are you?"
"Am I what? Gorgeous? Awe inspiring?"
"Are you Sailor Eclipse?"
"Can't put anything past you. Yes, yes I am."
"Why did you attack me?"
"Impulse. I didn't have a reason. I just did it. I hit
you a little hard, but in the heat of battle, these things
happen."
"Why are you after Darien?"
"You know, I didn't think it was possible for you to
be any more vacuous, but I can see I was mistaken. I was
reading your mind while you were unconscious. I showed you
why. Put two and two together for god's sake."
"You hate him because my mother died?"
"That's right. She can be taught."
"But it wasn't his fault!"
"That is where you are very, very wrong, princess. It
couldn't have been any more his fault. Had he not bragged
to all that he could protect the Moon Kingdom single
handedly, I would not have been sent away. Then I could
have fought, and I would have won." Destiny's eyes were
growing colder. "He couldn't even protect you, his true
love, from harm."
"That's not true…"
"Isn't it? He was unable to prevent his people from
attacking the Moon, and you were killed. Explain that, if
you can."
"I killed myself!"
"Yes, you did. Why?"
"Why?"
"Is there an echo in here? Yes, why? Why kill
yourself?"
"Because I…"
"Couldn't live without him."
"Well, yes."
"See? By failing to protect his own life, he ended
yours. By dying, and taking you with him, Serenity was
forced to use the Imperium Silver Crystal, which drained
her life force. He killed her, and you, and the scouts, by
dying."
"That's…that logic…it's…"
"Convoluted? Incomprehensible? Yes, I know."
An uncomfortable silence fell. Serena chewed her
omelet in silence. Trying to puzzle out the girl who sat
across from her. In no time, the food was gone. Serena
handed her plate back to Destiny, and stood, walking toward
the entertainment center. Photos stood in various niches.
One showed a handsome couple standing next to Tokyo Tower,
a young girl between them. Another showed Destiny, holding
a bright blue electric guitar. Skott sat next to her,
holding a base guitar on his lap. Three other people stood
or kneeled around them, a tall boy with light brown hair
and a tattoo of a snake wrapped around his arm holding drum
sticks, Mary Ann leaning on a keyboard and another boy with
long blond hair just lounging in the background.
"Who are these people?" Serena asked.
"Well those are my parents." Destiny said, indicating
the couple in the first photo.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah. You didn't think I sprang from the forehead of
Galileo fully grown, did you?" Serena didn't answer. "And
that's my band, Mystic Visions. You know Skott and Mary
Ann. The drummer's name is Harley and the guy holding up
the wall is Fabian. He's our resident songwriter. We all
help out though."
"Oh."
Another silence fell. Serena fidgeted.
"Please, leave Darien alone. He hasn't done anything
to you."
"I think it's time for you to go."
"Go?"
"Yes. Go. It's getting late. Your boy toy must be
worried."
"I can go?"
"Do you always repeat simple ideas?"
"No…"
"Never mind. You disappeared at around two in the
morning. It is now 6:00 p.m. I'm going to erase your memory
of the walk away from here. You won't remember where I
live. Don't worry," Destiny said, noting Serena's wide
eyes. " That's the only thing you won't remember. Oh, and
by the by, this little…chat…hasn't changed anything. I'm
still going to kill Endymion, and I would advise you not to
get in my way. Later, sailor." Destiny pressed her cool
fingers to Serena's forehead, ignoring her look of shock
and fear.
* * *
Serena felt like she had lost track of time. The last
thing she remembered was Destiny saying 'Later, sailor.'
Looking around bemusedly, Serena noted that she was in
downtown Tokyo, only a short walk from her school, home and
the arcade. That meant that Darien's apartment wasn't far
away either. Starting off toward Darien's place, Serena cut
through the park. A silhouette caught her eye. Gasping,
Serena turned toward the striking figure. A man was
outlined by the sunset's glitter on the lake. His head was
bowed in sorrow and his hands were clenched before him.
Ordinarily, Serena would have kept going, but she knew that
man, and his profile, by heart.
"Darien," she said, love filling her tone. The man's
head snapped up, and he looked toward her with haunted
eyes.
"Serena," he breathed, disbelief in his tone.
"Serena!"
Standing, Darien rushed toward his love, who was
running toward him with open arms. Love flowed through his
being, and he caught his princess with open arms as she
threw herself at him. People stopped to watch the happy
couple embrace. Many assumed that the lovers had been
separated for days, weeks perhaps, instead of mere hours.
Darien swung Serena around in circles, her hair and legs
flying out behind her. Happiness rushed through him as
their lips met and clung, fear and worry relieved at last.
"Oh, god, Serena. I thought…"
"I know."
"I was so worried."
"Me, too."
"I love you."
"I love you, too. I missed you."
"I'm so sorry Serena."
"Well, you should be. I have a huge bump on my head,
and I'm starving!" Serena quipped.
Darien threw back his head and laughed aloud, his
relief at finding her alive transferring into a giddy joy.
Darien bent his head and claimed Serena's lips once more,
holding her tight as though she might disappear. Serena
returned his kiss joyfully, happy to be back in the arms of
her love. When the kiss was broken, Darien spoke again.
"The girls are frantic. We've been combing the city
for hours."
"I've been unconscious."
"Wait." Darien held up his hand. Let's find the girls.
Then you can tell us the whole story. Slinging his arm
around her shoulders, Darien steered her away from the
fountain. Serena slipped her arm around his waist as the
two walked toward the Crown Arcade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Damn, the formatting is all funky on these chapters! And I don't
really have time to mess with it, soooooooo...this'll just have to
be good enough.
Did everybody see that Mary Ann, Skott and Corie are in my
fic? I hope they catch it! Thanks guys. I love you! *^_^*
Stay tuned for Chapter 8. And mail me!
lyrasoze@hotmail.com
vay, did it take some doing. Writer's block is such a
horrible thing, and it happened to me on this Chapter. I
knew what I wanted to happen, but I couldn't make the words
come out. What is UP with that?
Thank you's are huge this time, as I feel compelled to
thank bhandy and gummiebear for all their help with the
evil sorcerer Writer's Block. Thanks guys! As always, a
major thank you to Mary Ann and Corie, who would be angry
(and rightly so) if I did not acknowledge the huge
sacrifice of time and energy they gave listening to me wail
and complain.
Disclaimer: The usual...Sailor Moon, not mine, blah, blah,
blah.
Rainbow Eclipse
Rated PG (no violence)
Chapter 7
Explanations
Serena was drifting pleasantly on a wave of darkness. The
wave was rolling her toward something, but Serena didn't
pay much attention to the destination. All she knew was the
calming sensation of moving forward. Lazily, her mind
drifted toward consciousness. Serena groaned as her body
became more and more aware of a throbbing pain in various
parts of her anatomy. Opening her eyes slowly, Serena
pressed them tightly shut almost immediately, shielding her
eyes from the brilliant light that was pouring in the room.
Cautiously opening her eyes once more, Serena squinted,
noting that there was actually very little light in the
room, the gauzy drapes blocking more sun than Serena would
have expected. Opening her eyes a bit wider, Serena noted
that she was still in her uniform. Gasping, she reached for
her brooch and powered down, returning to her normal street
clothes. Sitting up, the light coverlet, which had been
keeping her warm, slid to Serena's lap.
Serena noted that she was in a very normal looking
bedroom. A desk was placed on the floor near the bed, while
a small chest next to the bed held a lamp. A large
bookshelf stood against the opposite wall. Serena stood
quickly and was forced down again by the dizzy sensation
that left her head spinning. Pushing herself up more
slowly, Serena gained her balance then crossed to the
bookshelf. Running her fingers along the spines, Serena saw
there were books on virtually every subject. Art, music,
theatre, astronomy and science books were shelved by
subject in alphabetical order. Serena also saw, to her
delight, that there were also many manga series, some
completed some not.
The sounds of faint laughter drew Serena's attention
toward the door, which was partially closed. Pulling it
open, Serena stepped into a non-descript hallway,
punctuated by framed photographs and inspirational sayings.
One picture caught Serena's attention. Stopping, Serena
looked at a white greeting card with a rainbow painted
across it.
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty
of their dreams." Serena murmured, reading the silver
calligraphy that gleamed on the card. "Eleanor Roosevelt."
Smiling slightly at the uplifting quotation, Serena
continued down the hall, moving toward the voices that were
chattering softly. Reaching the end of the hallway, Serena
peered around the corner, and her breath caught.
Serena was looking at one of the coolest rooms she had
ever seen. Prisms of various shapes and sizes glittered in
the sliding glass window, which led out onto a balcony. The
balcony was covered in multicolored flowers, arranged to
give the balcony the appearance of a large floral garden.
Inside the room, Celtic music played from a stereo set in a
pickled pine entertainment center. A television set, lots
of CD's, and a full movie library were also set in various
nooks in the entertainment center. More books filled the
rest of the space. An overstuffed sofa took up most of one
wall, and beanbag chairs were littered haphazardly around
the room. Two regular chairs were placed strategically near
the sofa. A hanging planter was in the corner, small,
multicolored flowers cascading down from it like a
waterfall. A large poster sporting the word "RENT" hung
above the sofa, and the other walls were dotted with
pictures and other posters. All hangings were framed. A
ceiling fan sported sparkling rainbow streamers, which spun
out lazily as the fan turned. A low table sat near the sofa
and chairs, a tile mosaic of the solar system decorating
its top.
Four people were lounging in the room; one lying
stretched out on the couch, one lounging in a royal blue
chair and the other two on overstuffed beanbag chairs. The
girl on the couch glanced up, and her eyes met Serena's
with a welcoming smile.
"Good morning merry sunshine. How did you wake so
soon?" she said.
"You!" Serena gasped.
"Yes, me. You were expecting, maybe, someone else?"
Destiny teased. "Let me introduce you. The girl on the
couch is Corie."
"Hey! What's up?" chirped the pixie on the couch.
Corie sat up, her long white-blond hair flying in all
directions. Her blue eyes sparkled merrily as she reached
for a glass sitting on the table. Dressed in black vinyl
boots that zipped up to her thigh, a short black skirt and
a sky blue top, Corie was the epitome of diva, and Serena
stared at her with a mixture of envy and awe.
"The chick on the green beanbag is Mary Ann."
"Yo." Mary Ann gestured to Serena with careless wave
of her hand. Mary Ann's brown hair was tiger-striped, and
the evenly spaced yellow streaks that stretched from her
scalp to the tips of her hair gave her the look of a jungle
cat. A leopard print unitard with a gauzy black miniskirt,
combat boots and a black beret only added to the image.
Mary Ann glanced over at Serena, and cat green eyes sized
her up, sending chills up and down Serena's spine.
"And last, but certainly not least, Skott."
"That's Skott with a 'k'," the boy said, giving Serena
a winning smile that made her blush. Skott was nothing
short of gorgeous. He wore a ragged denim vest over a black
T-shirt that read 'It's okay to be jealous, not everyone
can be me.' His blue jeans had seen better days, but he
looked great in them. Cowboy boots and deep green hair,
complemented by equally green eyes, completed the ensemble.
Serena felt distinctly at a disadvantage in her stripped
skirt and white blouse.
One glance at Destiny proved that she fit right in. A
spandex shirt in army forest camouflage print and dog tags
were only the beginning. Her long, curly hair was caught
back from her face in a ponytail, tied with a matching
bandana. Nicely fitting black jeans shorts and boots that cross-
laced all the way up to her knees finished the stunning
outfit. Serena tugged at her skirt self-consciously, aware
of how young she must look when compared to these people.
"We gotta go." Mary Ann said, pushing herself out of
the beanbag chair. "You still clubbing with us tonight,
girl?"
"Yeah," Destiny replied. " Ten o'clock, right?"
"Yup," Skott answered, pulling Corey off the couch.
"At the Sunset Mirage. Hey, bring your friend."
Serena blushed as Skott gave her a sly wink.
"Dial 1-800-YOU-WISH." Destiny said as she pushed them
toward the door. "Good-bye. See you tonight."
"You bringin' the bike?" Skott asked.
"Well, duh. Now go! Go! Away with you!" Destiny stated
as she pushed the door firmly shut.
"So, welcome to my humble abode. You like?" Destiny
asked, her attention now on Serena.
"Yeah." Serena said, a tremor in her voice.
"Hungry?" Destiny asked. At Serena's vehement nod,
Destiny turned toward the kitchen. "You should be. You've
been unconscious for 15 hours."
"15 hours?" Serena repeated, shock coloring her voice.
"Oh, god, my parents… Darien…my friends…do they know where
I am?"
Destiny didn't even acknowledge the question. "Omelet
sound good?"
"Sure." Serena muttered vaguely, worry clouding her
features.
"Look around if you want. You'll be here for a while.
Not that I'm holding you for ransom or anything, but I want
to make sure that you're really okay before I turn you
loose. You have quite a lump on your head." Destiny said,
her eyes on the steaming skillet on the stove. "Okay, I
have cheese, tomatoes, chives, green pepper, dried squid
and carrots. You want any of those in your omelet?"
"Cheese, tomatoes and chives, please."
"Coming right up."
While Destiny cooked, Serena drifted toward the
entertainment center.
"Notting Hill, Runaway Bride, Alien, Alien 2, Alien 3,
Alien Resurrection, Pretty Woman, The Matrix, First
Contact, The Breakfast Club, The Shawshank Redemption… Wow,
you have a lot of movies."
"Yeah, I took a few film courses in college."
"You have a lot of American stuff…movies, posters,
books."
"My dad was American and my mom was Japanese. We lived
in the States during the year, but we spent summers in
Japan. When my mom died, I came back to settle her affairs,
and really fell in love with Tokyo. So I got a job and
stayed. But I went back to Washington and got most of my
stuff."
"What about your friends?"
"It's a kind of work exchange program. American
computer nerds come to Japan for up to five years to work
and experience another culture. If they like it, they can
sometimes get a permanent position and stay. Mary Ann and
Skott are computer analysts and Corey is an electronic
technician."
"What about you?"
"Me?"
"Do you work with computers?"
"Sometimes. I'm a professional hacker, which is the
slang term for systems analyst. I try and break into
computer files for companies. If I can do it, I show them
the flaws in their system. If I can't, I get paid for
trying."
"Is that all you do?"
"No. I write fiction pieces for magazines, take
photographs and play five instruments in various bands. I
speak four languages fluently, so I occasionally work as a
translator. And I have been known to dabble in modeling."
"What instruments?"
"Piano, rhythm and electric guitar, bass, drums and
sax. I count the two guitars as one instrument."
"Languages?"
"English, Japanese, Spanish and French. But enough
about me. Omelet's ready." Destiny moved the steaming
omelet onto a white plate with a rainbow border and moved
toward Serena. Handing her the plate, Destiny went back to
the kitchen to retrieve eating utensils and napkins. Serena
moved toward the sofa, setting her plate down on the
beautiful table top. She sat down and waited impatiently
for Destiny to join her. When her host sat down in the
royal blue chair, Serena opened fire.
"Are you Sailor Eclipse?"
"Well," Destiny sighed, "So much for small talk. Right
to the point."
"Are you?"
"Am I what? Gorgeous? Awe inspiring?"
"Are you Sailor Eclipse?"
"Can't put anything past you. Yes, yes I am."
"Why did you attack me?"
"Impulse. I didn't have a reason. I just did it. I hit
you a little hard, but in the heat of battle, these things
happen."
"Why are you after Darien?"
"You know, I didn't think it was possible for you to
be any more vacuous, but I can see I was mistaken. I was
reading your mind while you were unconscious. I showed you
why. Put two and two together for god's sake."
"You hate him because my mother died?"
"That's right. She can be taught."
"But it wasn't his fault!"
"That is where you are very, very wrong, princess. It
couldn't have been any more his fault. Had he not bragged
to all that he could protect the Moon Kingdom single
handedly, I would not have been sent away. Then I could
have fought, and I would have won." Destiny's eyes were
growing colder. "He couldn't even protect you, his true
love, from harm."
"That's not true…"
"Isn't it? He was unable to prevent his people from
attacking the Moon, and you were killed. Explain that, if
you can."
"I killed myself!"
"Yes, you did. Why?"
"Why?"
"Is there an echo in here? Yes, why? Why kill
yourself?"
"Because I…"
"Couldn't live without him."
"Well, yes."
"See? By failing to protect his own life, he ended
yours. By dying, and taking you with him, Serenity was
forced to use the Imperium Silver Crystal, which drained
her life force. He killed her, and you, and the scouts, by
dying."
"That's…that logic…it's…"
"Convoluted? Incomprehensible? Yes, I know."
An uncomfortable silence fell. Serena chewed her
omelet in silence. Trying to puzzle out the girl who sat
across from her. In no time, the food was gone. Serena
handed her plate back to Destiny, and stood, walking toward
the entertainment center. Photos stood in various niches.
One showed a handsome couple standing next to Tokyo Tower,
a young girl between them. Another showed Destiny, holding
a bright blue electric guitar. Skott sat next to her,
holding a base guitar on his lap. Three other people stood
or kneeled around them, a tall boy with light brown hair
and a tattoo of a snake wrapped around his arm holding drum
sticks, Mary Ann leaning on a keyboard and another boy with
long blond hair just lounging in the background.
"Who are these people?" Serena asked.
"Well those are my parents." Destiny said, indicating
the couple in the first photo.
"Your parents?"
"Yeah. You didn't think I sprang from the forehead of
Galileo fully grown, did you?" Serena didn't answer. "And
that's my band, Mystic Visions. You know Skott and Mary
Ann. The drummer's name is Harley and the guy holding up
the wall is Fabian. He's our resident songwriter. We all
help out though."
"Oh."
Another silence fell. Serena fidgeted.
"Please, leave Darien alone. He hasn't done anything
to you."
"I think it's time for you to go."
"Go?"
"Yes. Go. It's getting late. Your boy toy must be
worried."
"I can go?"
"Do you always repeat simple ideas?"
"No…"
"Never mind. You disappeared at around two in the
morning. It is now 6:00 p.m. I'm going to erase your memory
of the walk away from here. You won't remember where I
live. Don't worry," Destiny said, noting Serena's wide
eyes. " That's the only thing you won't remember. Oh, and
by the by, this little…chat…hasn't changed anything. I'm
still going to kill Endymion, and I would advise you not to
get in my way. Later, sailor." Destiny pressed her cool
fingers to Serena's forehead, ignoring her look of shock
and fear.
* * *
Serena felt like she had lost track of time. The last
thing she remembered was Destiny saying 'Later, sailor.'
Looking around bemusedly, Serena noted that she was in
downtown Tokyo, only a short walk from her school, home and
the arcade. That meant that Darien's apartment wasn't far
away either. Starting off toward Darien's place, Serena cut
through the park. A silhouette caught her eye. Gasping,
Serena turned toward the striking figure. A man was
outlined by the sunset's glitter on the lake. His head was
bowed in sorrow and his hands were clenched before him.
Ordinarily, Serena would have kept going, but she knew that
man, and his profile, by heart.
"Darien," she said, love filling her tone. The man's
head snapped up, and he looked toward her with haunted
eyes.
"Serena," he breathed, disbelief in his tone.
"Serena!"
Standing, Darien rushed toward his love, who was
running toward him with open arms. Love flowed through his
being, and he caught his princess with open arms as she
threw herself at him. People stopped to watch the happy
couple embrace. Many assumed that the lovers had been
separated for days, weeks perhaps, instead of mere hours.
Darien swung Serena around in circles, her hair and legs
flying out behind her. Happiness rushed through him as
their lips met and clung, fear and worry relieved at last.
"Oh, god, Serena. I thought…"
"I know."
"I was so worried."
"Me, too."
"I love you."
"I love you, too. I missed you."
"I'm so sorry Serena."
"Well, you should be. I have a huge bump on my head,
and I'm starving!" Serena quipped.
Darien threw back his head and laughed aloud, his
relief at finding her alive transferring into a giddy joy.
Darien bent his head and claimed Serena's lips once more,
holding her tight as though she might disappear. Serena
returned his kiss joyfully, happy to be back in the arms of
her love. When the kiss was broken, Darien spoke again.
"The girls are frantic. We've been combing the city
for hours."
"I've been unconscious."
"Wait." Darien held up his hand. Let's find the girls.
Then you can tell us the whole story. Slinging his arm
around her shoulders, Darien steered her away from the
fountain. Serena slipped her arm around his waist as the
two walked toward the Crown Arcade.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Damn, the formatting is all funky on these chapters! And I don't
really have time to mess with it, soooooooo...this'll just have to
be good enough.
Did everybody see that Mary Ann, Skott and Corie are in my
fic? I hope they catch it! Thanks guys. I love you! *^_^*
Stay tuned for Chapter 8. And mail me!
lyrasoze@hotmail.com
