Hello, everyone. Sorry this isn't book 4, but I've started this a
while ago and decided to finish it before working on anything else.
One thing you need to know, this is about a break up but not the one
with Darien's dreams. This is a song fic and not a crossover,
contrary to my disclaimer. You'll understand after reading the story.
Hope you enjoy it. The rating is G.

HEART
By: Moonbunny83
8/8/01 - 5/25/02
E-mail: moonbunny83@hotmail.com
Sailor Moon created by:
Naoko Takeuchi
Mobile Suit Gundam Wing created by:
Koichi Tokita
Dragon Ball Z created by:
Akira Toriyama

The song "Heart" is produced by Steve Lunt and Larry "Rock"
(George Teren/Eugene Wilde) Zomba Songs, Inc./Teren It Up
Music/Dujuan Publishing (both adm. By Zomba Songs, Inc.) (BMI)

OUTSIDE DARIEN'S APARTMENT

"I'm sorry, Serena, but I can't be with you anymore. It's
just not working for us," Darien said coldly between gritted teeth.
He held the door tightly, the wood biting against his palm.

"But Darien . . . Why? What did I do wrong?" Serena cried out,
her tears streaming down her cheeks uncontrollably. "I don't
understand!"

Darien only chuckled callously. "That's to be expected with
your lack of intelligence."

Serena stuttered in response. "Is that it? Is that why you're
breaking up with me? Because I don't get good grades?" She advanced
slowly and clutched the doorknob between clenched hands. "I can
change! I'll get straight A's. I'll study for my tests. I won't
get detention. I'll do anything!" She was in a verge of hysteria
as she made promises in desperation.

"That's not good enough," Darien answered with no emotion.

"But you said you loved me!"

Darien looked at her in the eye and replied, "I lied."

Serena let out a gasp and hesitantly retreated. Her tears
suddenly ceased and she stared at Darien unbelievingly. "You can't
mean that. You just can't. Is it another dream? We'll beat it
together just like before! Darien, I love you! I love you!!!
Please don't leave me!!"

"Darien, I love you!" Serena Tsukino cried out, whitened
hands gripping her comforter tightly. She sat up in bed and took
deep, staggering breaths as she realized what she has shouted only
seconds ago. "A dream. It was only a dream," she whispered. She
sighed and laid back in bed in relief. She started replaying her
nightmare in her head and the first thing that she had was a rude
awakening. Her eyes welled up in tears as vicious memories quickly
flowed with much cruelty. It wasn't a dream after all. Darien did
break up with her. Again. He tore her heart into millions of pieces
and scattered them with no care in the world. Again.

Serena grasped her chest in pain. She could feel it. Her heart
was starting to break into tiny pieces. She could never mend it. It
was lost to her forever. And it was all her fault. If only she was
perfect like Darien wanted her to be, then he never would have broken
up with her -- her heart wouldn't be suffering.

"Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it's not love I feel. After all, we
haven't been together that long," she sniffed. "People get hurt all
the time. And right now it's my turn. I just need time. My heart
will survive. It's my strength and my soul. It has to survive."
Serena closed her eyes and once again tried to get some sleep. "My
heart and I can do this together." She murmured to the surrounding
darkness that engulfed the night, wishing against all odds that she
were right.

THE FOLLOWING DAY

Serena reluctantly ascended the steps to the Temple. The girls
wanted to meet her there and gave no other explanations. As she
pressed on, her shoulders drooping and her hair dragging restlessly,
Raye exclaimed in annoyance.

"Meatball Head!! You're late!!"

"Oh . . . Leave her alone, Raye," Lita scolded. "Can't you see
she's sad?" She watched Serena ignore Raye for the first time in her
life and quietly take a seat.

"Yeah. Don't you know what Darien did to her?" Mina asked in
disbelief.

Raye bowed her head in shame and answered quietly. "I heard.
I'm sorry, Serena." She smiled at her sheepishly and shrugged her
shoulders. "I guess old habits die hard."

"Hn," Serena only grunted.

"Um . . . So, should we go down to business?" Amy inquired.
"I'll start." With that, she retrieved a small parcel from her book
bag and gave it to Serena.

"What's this for?" Serena looked at her suspiciously, taking
the small, bunny-wrapped package.

Amy fidgeted nervously and cleared her throat. "Well, we
decided that we haven't been appreciating you enough lately so," she
turned towards Lita helplessly.

"So we got you little presents to show how much we appreciate
you!" Lita finished quickly.

Raye rolled her eyes. "Just open it, Serena." And she did.

Serena stared at Amy's present questioningly. "What is it?"
Mina peered around Serena's shoulders and gave a muffled snort.

"What?" Lita questioned the giggling, red-bowed blonde.

"I don't see what so funny about it!" Amy protested offensively.

"What is going on?" Raye demanded. "Serena, what did Amy get
you?"

"It is very crucial to everybody's education," Amy announced
with a firm nod. "I never leave home without it." Serena finally
revealed the mysterious present to the girls by holding it up where
everybody could see it.

"A dictionary?!" Raye and Lita exclaimed simultaneously.

"A pocket dictionary," Mina added, withholding a grin.

"So Serena can bring it with her anywhere," Amy explained. "I
almost gave her a pocket thesaurus, you know? I couldn't decide at
first. Then it dawned on me that dictionaries are better since anybody
can get more out of it."

"Thanks Ames," Serena hugged her in gratitude.

With Raye and Lita still recovering from disbelief, Mina grabbed
a rolled up poster and handed it to Serena. "Here is mine. Better
take care of it. It'll be valuable once I become a celebrity." She
winked at her outrageously.

Serena quietly unfurled the poster and grinned at Mina. "I'll
treasure this forever," she promised. In her hand was a blown-up
picture of Mina wearing an off-the-shoulder evening gown in orange
pastel with mild yellow highlights. Her vivacious friend had one hand
outstretched while the other rested lightly upon her hip; and her
lips puckered in the process of blowing a kiss. A flirtatious wink
finished the effect. "Can I have your autograph?" Serena smiled.

"But of course." Mina grabbed a pen and signed her name on the
picture with a flourish.

"Well," Raye commented with a raised eyebrow. "You sure do
think highly of yourself, don't you?"

Mina grinned more widely and repeated, "But of course."

"All right, my turn." Lita announced. "You'll love this,
Serena." She handed over a plate of brownies proudly. "I know how
much you crave for brownies so here you go." Serena's stomach rumbled
in appreciation.

"Hehehe. I guess I'm hungry," Serena chuckled in embarrassment.

"Since when are you otherwise?" Raye inquired.

"Shut it, Pyro!" Serena glared at her. Turning around, she
thanked Lita a great deal. She took a bite out of a brownie and
looked at Raye expectantly.

"What?" Raye asked innocently.

"Hand my present over, Raye," Serena ordered through a mouthful
of brownies.

"We've spoiled her already. Geez." Raye complained, at the same
time, giving Serena her present.

"Oooh. What is it? It's a manga, isn't it?" Serena cried in
delight. She ripped the rainbow colored wrapping and revealed a Mobile
Suit Gundam Wing manga. "I knew it!" she crowed. "Thanks, Raye!"

"Don't mention it, Meatball Head." Raye smiled at the happy
blonde.

Mina sighed. "Duo is such a hunk."

"What? That goof-ball?" Lita shouted. "No way! Everybody
knows Wufei is the man!"

"INJUSTICE!!!" Everybody but Lita bellowed in laughter.

"Not funny at all. It's not my fault he thinks poorly of the
female species," Lita snapped.

"Brains are better than brawn, you know?" Amy stated. "That's
what makes Quatre the real deal."

"Puh-lease!!" Mina snorted. "The guy likes to wear pink shirts."

"That doesn't make him any less a man! Look at Vegeta!" Amy
protested.

"Stop it!" Raye hollered. "Who cares? They're fictional
characters, for goodness sake." She lowered her voice down and
continued. "Besides, Trowa Barton is the hottie, if you must know."

"The guy doesn't speak," Lita informed.

"So he's the quiet type. Guys are less trouble that way."
Raye frowned at her.

The banter continued while Serena sat in silence, reading the
manga. In a calm voice, she declared, "Hero Yuy is the best of them
all." All four girls abruptly stopped their arguments and stared at
Serena. She continued, "Everybody knows he loves Relena, but he
wouldn't admit it. And you know why? It's because he doesn't want her
to get hurt. He doesn't want her heart to get broken. Once a heart
breaks, it can never be repaired again." She stood up and faced the
others with tears flowing slowly down her face. "I know you guys are
trying to cheer me up and all. I want to thank you for that. You guys
are the best and . . . thanks for trying." She quickly pulled herself
together and left without another word.

"Well that didn't work," Lita announced sadly as she watched
Serena's form slowly disappear from view.

"It's all his fault!" cried Raye. "I should burn him into a
crisp!"

Mina frowned at herself, her brow furrowed with worry. "I have
a bad feeling about this."

Amy, who has been silent for some time, immediately had a dark
premonition associated with Mina's words. Turning all her attention
towards her friend, she asked quietly, "What do you mean?"

"Somehow," Mina started, "I get the feeling that things will
not work out this time."

Lita scowled. "You better explain yourself."

"Time and time again, Serena's been hurt one way or another.
And time and time again, she has always been able to pick herself
right up." Mina paused to release a breath, looked at every girl's
eyes and continued in a solemn countenance. "But this time,
something is different. Serena seems different. She's become more
mature than she was a year ago and I think Darien has something to
do with it."

"Are you saying that Serena being treated by Darien like some
trash made her more mature?" Raye asked.

Mina shook her head. "No. It isn't just that. Everything had
a part, bad and good experiences alike. Being Sailor Moon was something
she was never able to accept. There have been times when she would
have gladly traded her past over for a promise of a normal future. We
all would have but over the years, we've matured. It's different
where Serena's concerned."

"But where does Darien come into this?" Amy shook her head in
confusion.

"Serena loves Darien. She always has. Theirs is a love that
has transcended time and space for a millennia. Theirs is a love that
has been tried and prevailed countless of times. Their bond has always
stayed true and impregnable. But now . . ."

"But now what?" Lita blurted out impatiently. "Mina, you're
killing us here."

"Now I don't feel that bond anymore," Mina finished dejectedly.

Raye snorted. "Well, that's no surprise!"

Mina glared at her. "You don't understand at all. You can be
so insensitive sometimes."

"So you're defending Darien now? How could you?"

"I'm not defending anybody!!"

Lita stood up and pulled Mina and Raye apart. "That's enough!
We have more important things to deal with right now and the two of
you are not helping at all."

Amy sighed. "Lita is right. Serena needs us and the only way
we can help her is to understand everything there is to understand
first. So please Raye, no more interruptions while Mina explains."

"All right," Raye muttered. "I'll listen and keep an open mind
this time."

"Thanks," Mina replied. "As I was saying, the bond between
Serena and Darien is no more. I can sense it diminishing even as we
speak. Somehow, I get the feeling that Serena is in control and this
time, I'm afraid she will not hesitate to sever their bond
permanently."

"But," Raye whispered, ashamed at the way she acted so callously
minutes ago. "I thought she loves him. I thought he loves her."

"They do love each other," Mina confirmed.

"Then why? Why break up with her? Why give up on him?" Amy
asked.

"I don't know. That's the part I can't explain even to myself."

The four girls turned still as each tried to figure things out
in their heads. Lita, uncomfortable with the ear-splitting silence,
turned to Mina questioningly. "So, how did you become so perceptive
about the matters of the heart?"

Mina looked at her and smiled sadly. "It came with the job."

ELSEWHERE - Serena's point of view

No more. I can't stand this anymore. I'm sick and tired of
always being the one who breaks apart. My heart can no longer take it.
I can no longer take it. I've been so hard on myself, so hard on you.
Heart, please forgive me for putting you through this over and over
again. I beg you not to break on me. We can do this together. We'll
win against anything.

I thought it was love. I'll prove it to you. I'll make you see
that it wasn't meant to be. No more crying, heart. No more breaking,
no more pains, no more pleading . . . no more Darien. We'll hang on
to each other and see what the future holds for us. If fate allows it,
we'll find love again. And maybe this time, fate will let us keep it.

END

Sorry so short. I'm thinking about writing a sequel for this.
Should I or would it be better to just leave it as it is? E-mail
me with questions, comments, anything.

*^_^* Moonbunny83