A.N: Sorry I couldn't update in so long. I got grounded because I
skipped a few classes last week and I wasn't aloud on the net for two
weeks. (I'm making a really angry face right now, cause my skipping classes
had nothing to do with my computer! Why couldn't they have just taken my
TV?!) Man, you'd think parents would understand, after all, they were
teenagers once. But I guess it could have been worse. Anyhow, thank you so
much for the reviews, and I am sorry it took so long (I hate it when it
takes people forever to update. It's so frustrating, especially since the
story is usually left at a cliff hanger). Hope you like this chapter, and
please read and review. A part of the below story was inspired by a Buffy
episode. (all you B-fans know what I'm talkin about! Wasn't that the most
awesome episode?)
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Darien groaned and shifted his position so he was lying on his side, wincing in pain as the throbbing in the back of his head and his shoulders increased. Furrowing his brows in concentration, he tried to remember what had happened to him to make him hurt like this.
The first thing he remembered was that he had been with Serena at the arcade, and then when they had gone to leave the scouts had stopped them and told them something was up. His eyes slowly opened as he recalled everything that had happened from that time until the moment he had pushed Serena out of the way of that blast.
*Oh god! Serena!* Darien shot up, standing on unsteady feet and leaning on what he could now see was a hospital bed. He looked around, disoriented, briefly wondering how he had gotten to the hospital in the first place. No matter. If he was here, then Serena must be nearby. Looking at the hospital gown he wore in distaste, he studied the room and sighed in relief when he spotted his clothes. Grabbing them, he put them on as fast as he could without falling over and tore out of the room, searching for a nurse or doctor that could help him find his Meatball Head.
Skidding down the hall, he slid to a stop in front of a desk and breathlessly leaned against it, ignoring the look the girl behind it was giving him. "Do you…know where…Serena Tsukino is?"
The nurse typed in the name and scanned the file that popped up, her face growing solemn as she read it's contents. She looked up at the man in front of the counter and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry sir, but only family may see that particular patient. She was in very serious condition when we found her."
Darien's heart seemed to stop for a moment as he wondered what had happened to her after he had been knocked out. Thinking quickly, he looked at the nurse with a pleading expression. "I'm her fiancé." He choked out, thinking to himself that it wasn't really a lie since he planned on proposing soon anyway. In fact, that was what he had been talking to Andrew about well Serena had been busy playing games. "Please…tell me where I can find her?"
The nurse looked up at him sympathetically, nodding slightly. "Of course sir, she's in room 423. Its straight down that hall and on your right." She pointed.
Darien muttered his thanks and ran in the direction she had said to go, frantically searching for the room. His heart felt like it was in his throat, making it hard to swallow. Why was Serena in critical condition? What had happened to her after he had hit the tree? He cursed himself over and over that he hadn't been there to protect her. It was his fault she was hurt. He had sworn to always be there when she needed him, to protect her from the Negaverse, and he had failed.
His eyes rested on a door labelled 423 and he came to a stop, hesitating with his hand on the door knob. He sucked in a deep breath and held it for a moment, trying to prepare himself for what was behind the door, imagining the worst and hoping for the best. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped into the room, closing it behind him. Looking over to the bed he froze and stopped half way towards the bed, shaking his head sadly.
Serena's left arm was hooked up to an iv and was resting by her side, a large cut running diagonally from her shoulder almost to her elbow was stitched together. There hadn't been enough blood loss for her to need it replaced, but there had been enough to considerably weaken her and ensure she wouldn't be getting up too soon. Her skin was pale and clammy and her lips were dry and cracked, large dark circles rested under her eyes. The only visible bruise on her was one on her right temple, barely noticeable except for the yellowish colour.
Walking over to her right side, he lifted her hand in both of his and kissed her palm, smoothing back her damp hair and gazing at her face. Her breath was coming out in shallow gasps and her pulse beneath his fingers was irregular and faint. Something was wrong.
Frowning, he sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her in confusion. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he slumped forward, passing out beside Serena while still holding her hand to his chest.
*In Serena's mind*
Darien stood in a bedroom he soon recognized as Serena's. Pale pink walls were covered in pictures of her and her friends, and little plastic stars that glowed in the dark stuck to her roof. The rug was light blue, and a few stuffed animals were scattered around as well as some manga. A white, pale pink and silver dresser adorned with a vanity mirror stood at one wall, various things the average teenage girl owned spread across the top, and the closet stood open across from it, some clothes neatly hanging well others were strewn across it's floor. A white and pale pink night stand stood beside the bed with a silver desk lamp and a matching phone, and the bed itself had a dark lavender comforter that had bunny's and moons stitched all over it, light from the window at its end falling in a striped pattern across it because of the light blue blinds.
His gaze stayed on the bed, looking in confusion at it's occupant's motionless form. She lay with her eyes open, staring at the roof and transformed into Sailor Moon. He was more then a little confused, thinking they had just been at the hospital, but everything seemed so real.
Sailor Moon slowly sat up and stood, moving like she was sleep walking and unaware of her surroundings. "Meatball Head?" She ignored him and brushed past, opening her door and walking out. Darien followed, wondering what was going on.
Expecting to be in a hall or something, he was completely caught off guard when he entered what looked like a cave, Sailor Moon standing not far to his left. She was staring ahead of her, a blank expression on her face as she watched a scene play out before them. He turned and did a double take at the gruesome sight.
The remaining four Sailor Scout's were chained to the ground of the cavern floor, barely alive, Queen Beryl standing over them and holding her staff above their heads. Sailor Moon walked over to Beryl almost mechanically, stepping right into the queen of the Negaverse and merging into one being before Darien's horrified eyes. The staff raised and blinding light leapt out, destroying the scout's in a huge blast of energy. Darien cried out, not knowing what was happening, but everything suddenly shifted and he stood in the arcade.
Serena was playing one of the many racing games, winning the race and almost double lapping half of the cars. *This must have been before the attack.* Suddenly it all made sense. Him and Serena shared a link that connected their heart, mind and body. That weird vibe he had gotten before falling unconscious must have been the link telling him something was wrong with Serena emotionally, not just physically. He had somehow connected his mind with hers and was now seeing what her mind was creating. With new understanding, he focused back on the girl sitting at the game.
Moving closer, he realized she wasn't even paying attention to the race, and was instead staring blankly ahead into space. He was about to say something when the scene again shifted and he was once again in her bedroom exactly the same as before.
"Sailor Moon, what's going on?" She didn't answer, only slowly sat up and stood, moving like she was sleep walking and unaware of her surroundings. "Meatball Head?" She ignored him again and brushed past, opening her door and walking out. Following quickly, he ran after her and grabbed her arm, stopping her before she could move towards Beryl.
She half turned to him and lifted her hand, making a sweeping motion with her wrist that caused some sort of large force to throw him away from her. "Sailor Moon, stop this! What are you doing?" She ignored him and stepped towards Beryl, merging with her into one being and destroying her Scout's. Darien shut his eyes briefly, and when he opened them he was once again at the arcade.
He moved directly behind her, about to say something, but decided against it and just watched in hopes of learning what was happening. Serena got another quarter out of her pocket and stuck it in the racing game, pushing the continue button. The race started and she began the game, getting into first in a matter of seconds. As the race progressed, it was clear she was going to win, but again he noticed she wasn't even paying attention. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and sighed, seemingly in slow motion, before opening them again and getting another quarter. She paused, staring at the blinking words. Continue? She snorted before pushing the coin into the slot and selecting yes, a sad and defeated look on her face.
Turning quickly, he stared at Sailor Moon as she began to get up from her bed. Determined to know what it was Serena was trying to show him, he leapt towards her and they both crashed onto the bed, Sailor Moon trapped beneath him.
"Meatball Head, look at me!" He shouted, shaking her slightly, but getting no response. She was about to move her hand, but he caught her wrist and pressed it to her side. "Serena, please tell me what's happening." Her eyes focused on him for the first time, but she didn't answer. After a few moments, she nodded and he got up, following as she went through the door.
Instead of being in the cavern, they had skipped to the scene of the arcade, Sailor Moon at his side as they watched Serena play the arcade game. "Watch." She murmured.
The same scene kept repeating over and over.
"I don't understand. What's so significant about this day?" Darien studied what was happening and just couldn't see why he was being shown this.
She turned to him sadly. "Watch." She repeated. The vision was once more played out. He turned to her in frustration.
"What is it about this vision I'm not seeing?"
It was the Serena in front of the video game that answered. "This was the moment. The moment when it happened."
He shook his head in confusion. "I still don't understand."
Sailor Moon answered as the scene once again repeated. "This was the moment. The moment when I gave up. When I quit."
Darien watched the vision again. Now, he could see it. The dead look in her eyes as she looked at the flashing word on the screen. Continue? Despite the fact she said yes, he suspected she was thinking the opposite. The expression on her face said it all. It was as if a light had turned on in his head and all the shadowed parts of him that understood were revealed. It all made sense. The Serena in the vision turned once again to Darien as the one beside him left to repeat what she had been doing before he had interrupted.
"This was the day I killed my Scouts."
His eyes widened and he looked down at Sailor Moon. So that was it. She was so upset over the loss of her scout's that she was blaming herself for their disappearance, thinking she had pretty much sentenced them to their deaths since she hadn't been able to stop Eliar. That would explain the vision of her helping Beryl kill her guards. He frowned in thought. She was stuck in a loop, destroying her sanity each time she acted out a scene, sinking further and further into depression.
Suddenly afraid, Darien reached out for Sailor Moon, noticing they were once again in her bedroom. "Serena, you have to snap out of it!" He grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Please. You're scouts aren't dead yet, but they will be if you don't wake up soon."
"It's too late."
"No it isn't! Trust me Meatball Head, we can save them. But only if you wake up. Please."
Sailor Moon pulled away, looking into his eyes. "But…"
"They wouldn't give up on you, are you gonna give up on them?"
A determined look came into her eyes and she shook her head. "Never." Darien could feel things beginning to fade, and knew he was going to lose his link with her mind soon. He was waking up.
"Come back to us Sere." He whispered, before everything went black.
*Back in reality*
Darien slowly opened his eyes, just laying still for a moment and letting the fog in his mind clear. Sitting up, he looked down at Serena and sighed warily as he saw she hadn't woken yet. *Come on Serena. Come back to me.*
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Sailor Mars glared at the youma before the group, thinking any number of nasty things she would to her when she got loose. Her fists were clenched and her head held high, even though she bled profusely from the many lashes all over her body, her fuku in tatters. "I will kill you for this Eliar, you realize that right?" She growled, her voice slightly strained from the screams she had been unable to repress.
Eliar turned from her current victim, Sailor Mercury, and glared back at the fiery priestess. "Not if I kill you first." She smirked. "I must say, I admire your spirit, but it is getting quite annoying." She twisted the whip she held in her hands, her head tilted to the side. "If you speak again, I'll torture one of your precious friends ten times worse then I have been." She looked over her shoulder at Mercury. "If you ask me, it doesn't look like they could take much more."
Sailor Mars narrowed her eyes hatefully, but didn't speak. None of them were in very good shape, but Venus and Mercury were definitely worse of then the other two. Venus had a large slice down one leg, as well as wounds from the whip, and she had passed out from the sight of all the blood around the four. Mercury had completely lost her voice from screaming, which was understandable since Eliar seemed to like drawing pictures in the flesh of her stomach with her razor sharp claws.
Jupiter looked over to Mars and shook her head, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. "Please Serena, come soon. We can't hold out much longer." She murmured.
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A.N: Well? Please, please, please, please, please read and review!! The more reviews, the more inspiration I'll have to write!
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Darien groaned and shifted his position so he was lying on his side, wincing in pain as the throbbing in the back of his head and his shoulders increased. Furrowing his brows in concentration, he tried to remember what had happened to him to make him hurt like this.
The first thing he remembered was that he had been with Serena at the arcade, and then when they had gone to leave the scouts had stopped them and told them something was up. His eyes slowly opened as he recalled everything that had happened from that time until the moment he had pushed Serena out of the way of that blast.
*Oh god! Serena!* Darien shot up, standing on unsteady feet and leaning on what he could now see was a hospital bed. He looked around, disoriented, briefly wondering how he had gotten to the hospital in the first place. No matter. If he was here, then Serena must be nearby. Looking at the hospital gown he wore in distaste, he studied the room and sighed in relief when he spotted his clothes. Grabbing them, he put them on as fast as he could without falling over and tore out of the room, searching for a nurse or doctor that could help him find his Meatball Head.
Skidding down the hall, he slid to a stop in front of a desk and breathlessly leaned against it, ignoring the look the girl behind it was giving him. "Do you…know where…Serena Tsukino is?"
The nurse typed in the name and scanned the file that popped up, her face growing solemn as she read it's contents. She looked up at the man in front of the counter and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry sir, but only family may see that particular patient. She was in very serious condition when we found her."
Darien's heart seemed to stop for a moment as he wondered what had happened to her after he had been knocked out. Thinking quickly, he looked at the nurse with a pleading expression. "I'm her fiancé." He choked out, thinking to himself that it wasn't really a lie since he planned on proposing soon anyway. In fact, that was what he had been talking to Andrew about well Serena had been busy playing games. "Please…tell me where I can find her?"
The nurse looked up at him sympathetically, nodding slightly. "Of course sir, she's in room 423. Its straight down that hall and on your right." She pointed.
Darien muttered his thanks and ran in the direction she had said to go, frantically searching for the room. His heart felt like it was in his throat, making it hard to swallow. Why was Serena in critical condition? What had happened to her after he had hit the tree? He cursed himself over and over that he hadn't been there to protect her. It was his fault she was hurt. He had sworn to always be there when she needed him, to protect her from the Negaverse, and he had failed.
His eyes rested on a door labelled 423 and he came to a stop, hesitating with his hand on the door knob. He sucked in a deep breath and held it for a moment, trying to prepare himself for what was behind the door, imagining the worst and hoping for the best. Slowly, he opened the door and stepped into the room, closing it behind him. Looking over to the bed he froze and stopped half way towards the bed, shaking his head sadly.
Serena's left arm was hooked up to an iv and was resting by her side, a large cut running diagonally from her shoulder almost to her elbow was stitched together. There hadn't been enough blood loss for her to need it replaced, but there had been enough to considerably weaken her and ensure she wouldn't be getting up too soon. Her skin was pale and clammy and her lips were dry and cracked, large dark circles rested under her eyes. The only visible bruise on her was one on her right temple, barely noticeable except for the yellowish colour.
Walking over to her right side, he lifted her hand in both of his and kissed her palm, smoothing back her damp hair and gazing at her face. Her breath was coming out in shallow gasps and her pulse beneath his fingers was irregular and faint. Something was wrong.
Frowning, he sat on the edge of her bed, staring at her in confusion. A wave of dizziness washed over him and he slumped forward, passing out beside Serena while still holding her hand to his chest.
*In Serena's mind*
Darien stood in a bedroom he soon recognized as Serena's. Pale pink walls were covered in pictures of her and her friends, and little plastic stars that glowed in the dark stuck to her roof. The rug was light blue, and a few stuffed animals were scattered around as well as some manga. A white, pale pink and silver dresser adorned with a vanity mirror stood at one wall, various things the average teenage girl owned spread across the top, and the closet stood open across from it, some clothes neatly hanging well others were strewn across it's floor. A white and pale pink night stand stood beside the bed with a silver desk lamp and a matching phone, and the bed itself had a dark lavender comforter that had bunny's and moons stitched all over it, light from the window at its end falling in a striped pattern across it because of the light blue blinds.
His gaze stayed on the bed, looking in confusion at it's occupant's motionless form. She lay with her eyes open, staring at the roof and transformed into Sailor Moon. He was more then a little confused, thinking they had just been at the hospital, but everything seemed so real.
Sailor Moon slowly sat up and stood, moving like she was sleep walking and unaware of her surroundings. "Meatball Head?" She ignored him and brushed past, opening her door and walking out. Darien followed, wondering what was going on.
Expecting to be in a hall or something, he was completely caught off guard when he entered what looked like a cave, Sailor Moon standing not far to his left. She was staring ahead of her, a blank expression on her face as she watched a scene play out before them. He turned and did a double take at the gruesome sight.
The remaining four Sailor Scout's were chained to the ground of the cavern floor, barely alive, Queen Beryl standing over them and holding her staff above their heads. Sailor Moon walked over to Beryl almost mechanically, stepping right into the queen of the Negaverse and merging into one being before Darien's horrified eyes. The staff raised and blinding light leapt out, destroying the scout's in a huge blast of energy. Darien cried out, not knowing what was happening, but everything suddenly shifted and he stood in the arcade.
Serena was playing one of the many racing games, winning the race and almost double lapping half of the cars. *This must have been before the attack.* Suddenly it all made sense. Him and Serena shared a link that connected their heart, mind and body. That weird vibe he had gotten before falling unconscious must have been the link telling him something was wrong with Serena emotionally, not just physically. He had somehow connected his mind with hers and was now seeing what her mind was creating. With new understanding, he focused back on the girl sitting at the game.
Moving closer, he realized she wasn't even paying attention to the race, and was instead staring blankly ahead into space. He was about to say something when the scene again shifted and he was once again in her bedroom exactly the same as before.
"Sailor Moon, what's going on?" She didn't answer, only slowly sat up and stood, moving like she was sleep walking and unaware of her surroundings. "Meatball Head?" She ignored him again and brushed past, opening her door and walking out. Following quickly, he ran after her and grabbed her arm, stopping her before she could move towards Beryl.
She half turned to him and lifted her hand, making a sweeping motion with her wrist that caused some sort of large force to throw him away from her. "Sailor Moon, stop this! What are you doing?" She ignored him and stepped towards Beryl, merging with her into one being and destroying her Scout's. Darien shut his eyes briefly, and when he opened them he was once again at the arcade.
He moved directly behind her, about to say something, but decided against it and just watched in hopes of learning what was happening. Serena got another quarter out of her pocket and stuck it in the racing game, pushing the continue button. The race started and she began the game, getting into first in a matter of seconds. As the race progressed, it was clear she was going to win, but again he noticed she wasn't even paying attention. She closed her eyes for a brief moment and sighed, seemingly in slow motion, before opening them again and getting another quarter. She paused, staring at the blinking words. Continue? She snorted before pushing the coin into the slot and selecting yes, a sad and defeated look on her face.
Turning quickly, he stared at Sailor Moon as she began to get up from her bed. Determined to know what it was Serena was trying to show him, he leapt towards her and they both crashed onto the bed, Sailor Moon trapped beneath him.
"Meatball Head, look at me!" He shouted, shaking her slightly, but getting no response. She was about to move her hand, but he caught her wrist and pressed it to her side. "Serena, please tell me what's happening." Her eyes focused on him for the first time, but she didn't answer. After a few moments, she nodded and he got up, following as she went through the door.
Instead of being in the cavern, they had skipped to the scene of the arcade, Sailor Moon at his side as they watched Serena play the arcade game. "Watch." She murmured.
The same scene kept repeating over and over.
"I don't understand. What's so significant about this day?" Darien studied what was happening and just couldn't see why he was being shown this.
She turned to him sadly. "Watch." She repeated. The vision was once more played out. He turned to her in frustration.
"What is it about this vision I'm not seeing?"
It was the Serena in front of the video game that answered. "This was the moment. The moment when it happened."
He shook his head in confusion. "I still don't understand."
Sailor Moon answered as the scene once again repeated. "This was the moment. The moment when I gave up. When I quit."
Darien watched the vision again. Now, he could see it. The dead look in her eyes as she looked at the flashing word on the screen. Continue? Despite the fact she said yes, he suspected she was thinking the opposite. The expression on her face said it all. It was as if a light had turned on in his head and all the shadowed parts of him that understood were revealed. It all made sense. The Serena in the vision turned once again to Darien as the one beside him left to repeat what she had been doing before he had interrupted.
"This was the day I killed my Scouts."
His eyes widened and he looked down at Sailor Moon. So that was it. She was so upset over the loss of her scout's that she was blaming herself for their disappearance, thinking she had pretty much sentenced them to their deaths since she hadn't been able to stop Eliar. That would explain the vision of her helping Beryl kill her guards. He frowned in thought. She was stuck in a loop, destroying her sanity each time she acted out a scene, sinking further and further into depression.
Suddenly afraid, Darien reached out for Sailor Moon, noticing they were once again in her bedroom. "Serena, you have to snap out of it!" He grabbed her and pulled her into a tight hug. "Please. You're scouts aren't dead yet, but they will be if you don't wake up soon."
"It's too late."
"No it isn't! Trust me Meatball Head, we can save them. But only if you wake up. Please."
Sailor Moon pulled away, looking into his eyes. "But…"
"They wouldn't give up on you, are you gonna give up on them?"
A determined look came into her eyes and she shook her head. "Never." Darien could feel things beginning to fade, and knew he was going to lose his link with her mind soon. He was waking up.
"Come back to us Sere." He whispered, before everything went black.
*Back in reality*
Darien slowly opened his eyes, just laying still for a moment and letting the fog in his mind clear. Sitting up, he looked down at Serena and sighed warily as he saw she hadn't woken yet. *Come on Serena. Come back to me.*
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Sailor Mars glared at the youma before the group, thinking any number of nasty things she would to her when she got loose. Her fists were clenched and her head held high, even though she bled profusely from the many lashes all over her body, her fuku in tatters. "I will kill you for this Eliar, you realize that right?" She growled, her voice slightly strained from the screams she had been unable to repress.
Eliar turned from her current victim, Sailor Mercury, and glared back at the fiery priestess. "Not if I kill you first." She smirked. "I must say, I admire your spirit, but it is getting quite annoying." She twisted the whip she held in her hands, her head tilted to the side. "If you speak again, I'll torture one of your precious friends ten times worse then I have been." She looked over her shoulder at Mercury. "If you ask me, it doesn't look like they could take much more."
Sailor Mars narrowed her eyes hatefully, but didn't speak. None of them were in very good shape, but Venus and Mercury were definitely worse of then the other two. Venus had a large slice down one leg, as well as wounds from the whip, and she had passed out from the sight of all the blood around the four. Mercury had completely lost her voice from screaming, which was understandable since Eliar seemed to like drawing pictures in the flesh of her stomach with her razor sharp claws.
Jupiter looked over to Mars and shook her head, tears of frustration welling in her eyes. "Please Serena, come soon. We can't hold out much longer." She murmured.
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A.N: Well? Please, please, please, please, please read and review!! The more reviews, the more inspiration I'll have to write!