Hey everyone, I suddenly got the urge to write this fic. I don't know if anyone has ever wrote one quite like it, but if they have, I never have read it. Anyway, I hope you like it and I would appreciate some feedback.



I don't own Sailor Moon. I just figured I would borrow the characters... but I don't think I'll ever give Darien back... One more thing I don't own is the song... This disclaimer goes for all the upcoming chapters. The song won't come into the story until later.



Oh, I did use the dub names. Sorry if any of you are against that. I'm also calling the girls scouts instead of senshi... even though the word scout makes me cringe. I thought that I should since I am using dub names. This story takes place in the first season, but I changed the plot a lot.



***



"Serena, you're really going to have to learn to be more responsible. As the leader of the Sailor Scouts, you have a duty to the other girls. How do you think they feel having to follow a leader that doesn't even take the mission seriously?" This was only one of the many scoldings that Luna gave her each night after a battle. Serena didn't know how to be a better leader, though. She really did try, but for some reason, nothing she ever did was good enough. She was doomed to forever be a stupid klutzy Meatball Head.



The little blonde girl continued on her late night stroll. She had snuck out of the house to get some air and clear her head. Previously, she was tossing and turning, trying to fall asleep. However, all of her attempts were in vain. Pictures and audio clips of her klutz attacks and the teasing of various people swam through her mind and coursed through her veins. People always said to be yourself and everyone will like you for it... why didn't that advice work for her? A sigh slipped through Serena's lips to meet the single tear that had managed to break free of it confines.

"What am I supposed to do? Why am I even the leader?" Serena sent her questions out into the cool night air, hoping that by some miracle it would answer. When she didn't receive a reply, she settled for just voicing her thoughts. The night may not be able to give her any advice, but perhaps it wouldn't mind to listen. "I have nothing to offer anyone. I'm not talented like Mina, or strong like Lita. Amy's smart, unlike me. I barely manage to pass, let alone make good grades. Raye is so beautiful and mature. Everyone loves her. They all have special powers and are such good fighters... but what about me? I just throw some frisbee and wave my little wand around. I don't have any real power... Then, of course, there's Darien. How is it that I can love him the way I do? He's done nothing but tease me and call me cruel names, but I still fell for him. I'm so pathetic. I've completely fallen for a guy that hates me. Even if he didn't, I still couldn't have him. He's so smart and... beautiful. He could have any woman he wants so why would he choose me?"



Serena shivered as the cold breeze wrapped around her lithe form and caressed her skin. She loved the night, especially when there was a full moon. Tonight just happened to be one of those nights. It made her feel at piece. The moonbeams gave her a sense a completion and hope. They made her feel as if she really did have a purpose and she was more than what everyone seemed to make her out to be. Serena closed her eyes and allowed the sound of the crickets chirping and the rustling of the leaves fill her ears. She could feel the moonlight embrace her body, canceling out the cold bite of the wind. Serena felt as if she were drowning into a world that she had been forced to abandon. This world was the place that she honestly felt comfortable calling her home. She was no longer aware of anything around her, completely caught up in the familiarity of this forgotten realm.





Meanwhile, Darien sat on a bench that overlooked the lake. He hadn't been able to sleep very well lately and, frankly, didn't see the point in trying when all his attempts were futile. Every time sleep did come, he dreamed... he dreamed of a princess that desperately needed his help. All of his life he had dreamed of this princess but it wasn't until recently that she began urging for him to help free her. Darien had always desired a family, but his was taken from him when he was merely six years of age. The fates weren't even kind enough to allow him to keep the memories of how being loved felt... being loved... This was the one wish that Darien had made each and every night. He wanted to know what it was like to be loved. However, in order to be loved, you had to love back. In order to love back, you had to open up your heart and become vulnerable. Darien had worked so hard to become the cool and aloof man he was today and, even though having love would be nice, he wasn't able to take the risk. Besides, who would ever want to love an orphan, especially when he didn't even know the first thing about loving someone back.



This was why Darien loved his princess and yearned for her so much. True, he did feel connected to her. However, each night she would proclaim her love to him. The only thing he had to do to be with her was to find the Silver Crystal. So Darien found himself dressed as a masked crusader risking his life to save a bunch a beautiful super heroines. All of the time, yearning to be with his princess.



"Are you even real?" Darien whispered, knowing that the dream angel would provide him with no answer. "Princess, I can't keep doing this. I can't keep fighting to be with you if I can't even be sure that you exist!" All of his frustrations that were built up after all the years of dreaming were expressed in these words. "Princess, please..." tear after salty tear trickled down the well sculpted curves of Darien's face. "Just give me some kind of sign! Anything! I have to know I'm not just in love with some fantasy that simply isn't real! Princess..."





Serena had somehow managed to find her herself a mere distance away from her arch nemesis. She couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. Never had she seen Darien cry. She didn't even know the man was capable of such feelings. Guilt consumed her heart as she realized how cruel she had been. If only she could've shown him what love was really like. Maybe then he wouldn't be here now crying into the night about some dream princess.



'He seems to love her so much. How can he love a dream like this? Maybe, he loves this dream because he has no one else to love... If only I could be his princess... even for just a moment. I just want to show him what love feels like. He looks so alone. I know he doesn't love me, but I would at least be able to pretend... It would be completely worth it just to be with him for a single moment..."



Minutes passed on with the two kindred spirits sending out their silent prayers to whomever had the ability to hear. Serena sighed once more before shoving her hands in her pockets and tearing her eyes off of Darien. She could no longer take looking at her one and only with the knowledge that she could do nothing to ease his pain.



Serena's eyes widened at the smooth texture beneath her fingertips. The warm energy ran up her arm, begging to be released. Serena slowly brought the pen out of its confines and raised it up to her eye level. The light of the moon refracted off of the delicate gem that sat upon the top of the pen.



'Maybe,' thought Serena, 'I can be his princess...'