The Guardians of Selene: six
"You expect us to believe that there are assassins after her?" Zack asked sceptically.
Darien shook his head and shrugged. "It doesn't matter what you believe as it has nothing to do with any of you. It is a matter between Serena, her family and me."
Kian's eyes burned holes into the Darien but the younger man met them firmly. The vestiges of humanity and compassion that Kian had gathered in the years since Beryl's defeat had vanished and those pale orbs promised death and humiliation should Darien prove to be false. Still Darien felt no fear. Kian was a dangerous man when crossed, true. He was ruthless and deadly but so was Darien and Darien had an advantage that Kian couldn't comprehend yet. It wasn't that Darien was more powerful than the other man, though he was, or that he was the more skilled fighter, he wasn't, or that his was the strength of ten because his heart was pure, which it most definitely wasn't. Nor was it because his love for Serena made him stronger, though he believed that it did. It was that he fully accepted his duty and no matter what he would see it through.
For the first time he truly and completely understood how Serena must have felt when she had faced the Doom Phantom. Personal desires did not matter, even fear melted away, and in a way that conferred on him a freedom that he would have thought impossible. Serena would probably have found another solution but Darien did not possess her light. There was a darkness in him to match anything in Kian's soul. It wasn't evil it was just dark and it would allow him to fight a friend in the defence of one who he believed to be more important than his entire planet. If Kian tried to press the issue Darien would fight and, if necessary, kill.
Kian saw some of this and paled, something Darien had never seen him do. A flash of betrayal crossed his face and Darien mourned the loss of trust that would no doubt follow. Still he refused to back down and suddenly he began to get angry. He had never given the man a reason to distrust him, quite the contrary! And still Kian would not cut him any slack. His eyes began to burn with power as rage started to slowly build.
"What reason could possibly cause someone to send three killers after her?" Jyp asked nervously and Darien felt the unease the confrontation between he and Kian was causing his other friends. In a way he was the link that tied the reincarnates together. Without him the Outers had no real reason to associate with the generals and neither group had ties to the inners in Tokyo. He cursed Kian silently for threatening the sense of fellowship that he had fostered between them all.
Abruptly Kian surrendered and bowed out from the battle of wills. Darien nodded in satisfaction, for whatever reason Kian had just acknowledged him the dominant between them. It conveyed a new burden onto him in the form of responsibility for them all as their leader but it felt right to the younger man.
"Will you tell us more?" Kian requested quietly and the tension in the room vanished. A subtle realignment of relationships occurred in less than a second as he went from ally and friend to their commander. It was with a faint sense of amusement that he slipped into the role as if he had been born to it. He had, just not in this lifetime. The changed situation meant a different approach to the problem was required.
"She's an heiress and certain parties do not wish her to inherit," he said carefully. "These parties are fanatical and almost succeeded in their objective. When I disappeared four days ago it was because I found her nearly dead. It was a miracle that she survived. Both she and her family are aware of who and what I am, for reasons I will not go into, suffice it to say that they will not ever betray me. This means that they were able to prevail on me to help them, although it is more that I insisted they needed me. Until her brother and his friends are able to track down and neutralise these assassins she will remain under my protection. There is no connection between her family and myself so the chances of her being found while in my company are minor.
"Yet because of the nature of her family and the legacy in question I cannot rule such an occurrence out. I cannot even be sure that last night's attacks were not related this issue, although I do not see how this could be."
"The nature of the legacy? What exactly do you mean Darien?" Nick questioned after Darien had finished his recital.
"And don't think we didn't notice the fact that she shrugged off your first spell Coz," Alex added archly.
Jyp nodded. "Why'd she go nuts in the first place?"
Darien sighed and slumped against the wall wearily. Even to him it was complicated and he had to find a way to explain it that gave the basic facts without revealing Serena's true nature. "That's all basically the same question and the answer is mixed up with her inheritance. She went 'nuts' as you so aptly put it because her brother was hurt, her twin brother. Apparently he found and challenged one of the assassins but lost and Serena can sense when those she cares about are in danger."
"Is that possible?" Michelle exclaimed, "I thought that no one, reincarnations of pre-Fall mages excepted of course, had the ability to perform magic anymore."
"As I said it's all tied up with her inheritance."
"Which is?" Kian prodded.
Darien almost smiled. Kian never stayed cowed for long and would keep Darien on his toes. "The largest collection of esoteric knowledge on Earth," Darien answered, completely honest. "Plus access to more pre-Fall history than all of us has put together."
There was silence as they assimilated that and Darien closed his eyes, for some reason he was incredibly tired. It was Alex who spoke next, her voice tight with anger. "And you never told us this because? And there is no way that you can pass this off as having nothing to do with us."
Darien opened his eyes and stared at her. She flinched back from the emotion in them. "I was forbidden," he said simply. "I'm not supposed to know either and if I'd told anyone, even you, then they would have learned that I'd remembered. Besides I understand their reasoning for keeping it secret."
"Would you care to share it with the rest of us?" Darien smiled wryly as he realised Nick had taken Kian's place as his main critic.
"Why do we keep our identities, our very existence from the world in general?"
"Because it couldn't handle us, there is no room for magic any more," Kian replied and looked to Darien for confirmation.
Darien nodded and looked back at the others to explain. "The past is the past and it's not coming back. It's a new world now and we're anachronisms, necessary ones but nonetheless out of place. Access to everything she knows would just make our alienation worse and as Earth's only arcane defenders we cannot afford that."
"She already knows who we are doesn't she?" Alex inquired softly but it was more a statement of fact.
They deserved to know this particular truth. "Yes,"
"You told her?!" Nick demanded and the others stared at Darien as if he had grown an extra head. Maybe he had in a way, he certainly felt different. Her power was working its changes on him and from the calm manner that Kian took the news it appeared that he too was being affected, of them all only Kian did not react with outrage or betrayal.
"Yes," Darien admitted freely, "But then if I hadn't her brother would have."
Alex stared at him blankly. "Do we want to hear this?" she asked plaintively.
"I don't know, do you?"
"Yes," Kian replied firmly with the ghost of a smile.
Darien shrugged, in a way it was self evident, whether or not you considered that the family in question were immortal aliens. "We're the first real mages to have been born in nearly ten thousand years and most of us are adepts at that. Do you really think a family like hers would ignore that?"
"They knew about us from the start?" Michelle looked like she wasn't quite sure how she felt about it.
"Possibly, I never really asked." Darien was surprised when he realised that. He was more disgusted with himself when he thought of what the next logical question would have been. "She might even know how we came to be reborn… in fact I'll bet she does. It can't hurt to ask I suppose."
"Maybe," Nick advised, "But then knowing might just complicate things. It might be better just to accept that it happened."
Darien raised an eyebrow and the others looked thoughtful. "It's unlikely that she'd tell me anyway," he decided aloud.
"So she isn't as enamoured of you as you'd us to believe eh?" Alex jibed and Darien read the equal mix of jesting and questioning in her voice.
He smiled crookedly at the unintentional truth, it was either that or cry and he had wasted enough time with fruitless self-pity. "Believe what you like, I don't really care. I know what she feels for me and that I know as much as I do is a testament to how much she trusts me and that is something I will not betray."
"In other words you've told us all you're going to," she retorted.
Darien thought for a moment and then nodded. "Pretty much," he agreed, "Though I will add this; I hope you will agree to work with her for her sake and yours. She needs something to keep her mind off her troubles and having that particular mind to pick would be an incredible asset to us at the moment but I won't force her on you no matter how much I think we would all benefit."
"After all you've told us there seems little point in keeping her in the dark," Kian replied and Darien frowned at the faint hint of bitterness he heard in his friend's voice. It appeared that Serena's aura had a lot more work to do on the man.
"Not really," Darien granted, "Just as there doesn't seem to be much point in going through everything until she's awake which gives us an hour or two. Jyp have you got my car keys?"
"Uh." The blonde man was caught by surprise and stuttered, "Um… yeah… here." He made to throw them but Darien shook his head.
"Keep them for the moment. I want you and Michelle to go grocery shopping for me. I didn't get nearly enough last night. Anything with chocolate in it is probably a good choice. Other than that you know what's in my kitchen as well as I do, get what you think I'll need with one rapacious guest plus you lot."
Jyp stared at him in disbelief. "You're letting me borrow your precious car?" Darien nodded calmly and Jyp suddenly grinned. "Cool!"
"Michelle, would you please make sure he obeys the speed limits?" Darien walked to where his jacket hung by the door and pulled his checkbook out of the pocket. In a matter of seconds he had a blank check filled out and handed it to the brunette woman.
She shook her head. "You do realise this is a blank check?"
"Yes," Darien confirmed, "And you'll notice that I gave it to you and not Jyp."
"It's still very uncharacteristic." She shrugged. "Then again that pretty much sums you up since we got here this morning. Come on Jyp."
As soon as they were out the door Alex rounded on him. "You're letting Jyp drive your precious car?! You never let me!"
"You have your own, play with that," he retorted, "Now I want you to run down the newsagent on the next block and get a copy of all the papers for me. We have to find out what other weird things have happened lately. Just put them on my account and tell Nat I'll fix him up next week." Alex blinked and nodded before she walked to the door, muttering to herself.
Darien turned to Zack. "You know where the study is, hop on my computer and see if you can find anything that might be of interest to us over the net."
"Sure," the youth replied and trotted off.
Darien grinned as he gave Nick his task. "Head into the kitchen and start making us all lunch will you-"
"What?! ME? COOK?!"
"Don't give me that," Darien replied sarcastically, "I know perfectly well you've been taking lessons to impress Lita."
Nick froze and Darien could help compare him to a small animal caught in the spotlights of an oncoming car.
"How did you…"
Darien saw the conclusion he came to on his face and sighed. "No, one of my friends was waiting for her sister, saw you and told me. I didn't need to be a genius to puzzle out your motives now go, I need to talk to Kian."
Nick looked from one man to the other then disappeared hastily.
Darien turned to Kian and, before the general could open his mouth, said, "I need you to do me a favour."
"Oh?" Kian raised an eyebrow and Darien reflected that, unlike Andrew, Kian had the knack of it.
"Yeah if anything happens to me then you have to give my cane to Serena."
"Excuse me?"
"Give my cane to Serena," he repeated and then, seeing the baffled look on Kian's face, expanded, "The knob's hollow and there's something it for her."
"An engagement ring?" Kian snapped snidely, his calm exterior slipping. He shook his head. "Why?"
Darien looked away. "I had a dream last night. Someone warned me that he was coming for me." His eyes returned to Kian's surprised gaze and met it steadily. "I don't see how, even it turns out to be true, that this guy will be any different from anyone else I've faced but I have to make sure this is taken care of."
Kian stared at him and the silence stretched out. "Is she worth it?" he asked in lieu of an answer.
Darien was caught off guard. "Huh?"
"You've risked everything for her, not least our friendship. Are you sure she's worth it?"
"I hoped that you had a little faith in me," Darien replied, "Not all that much, I'm not greedy, just enough to trust that I know what I'm doing."
"You are infatuated with her. Your behaviour since we arrived has been completely atypical. I can't help but believe that your mind is clouded and being ruled by your hormones. I think you're risking us all for the sake of an attractive f-"
"Do not finish that sentence," Darien warned suddenly. Kian froze, and Darien continued in a deadly whisper, "I have not and will not sleep with her, do you understand? Our 'relationship' is a part of her disguise. For all of my infatuation, as you so eloquently put it, she sees me as nothing other than a friend and you have no right to even think those things of me! For as long as you have known me have not even looked at a woman let alone given you any reason to believe that a pretty pair of legs will sway me.
"Hell, didn't Jyp spend an entire summer believing I was gay? Of all of us I am the least swayed by any kind of blandishments and now that I have finally found the girl I would, given the chance, happily spend the rest of eternity with you have the gall to treat me as if I were Beryl!"
He met the other man's eye flatly. "Listen Kian, I know that that hag hurt you and pretty much destroyed your faith in mankind but that gives you no right to treat like this when I have done nothing to deserve it. You and I both know that you acknowledged me as you superior not more than half an hour ago. If you regret that or if you did that in some kind of left over reaction that Beryl instilled in you than tell me and I'll get the hell out of your life.
"As for whether or not Serena is worth all of this, let me tell you something that'd probably shock you. I was Earth's prince before the Fall but I'd happily sacrifice this planet and everyone on it for her and come out with the best part of the deal! My bloodline predates Earth by over a million years and, in all of that time, every generation has lived for their duty and awaited the coming of one, specific woman. Thousands upon thousands of generations of my forefathers have waited for her and I'm the one who gets to meet her. My duty to Serena is as old as time and I will do everything in my power to protect her up to and including killing you or anyone else who threatens her!"
Darien gestured and his cane appeared in his hand. Kian took a step back, very much aware of the lethal blade the length concealed. "Would you like to know why she is the most important thing in the universe to me? And why you should consider her so as well? Then look!" He held the cane vertically before him and without taking his eyes from Kian's hit the hidden trigger and opened the knob. A simple levitation spell raised the insignificant looking crystal out of its keeping place to float over his palm.
"Do you know what this is?" he demanded. The crystal flickered slightly and Darien knew that it recognised him. Whether that was because he was the latest in a very long line of keepers or just because he was one of the participants when the crystal had been activated for the first time, he did not know. All he knew was that in the light of its sleepy glow Kian's face paled in realisation and Darien smiled in grim triumph. "I see you do but do you understand its significance? Of course not and you probably never shall, gods help us should it ever become necessary for you to learn.
"But know that it is hers. That she has wielded it in the past and will do so again in the future. Before anything else I am the Keeper of the Imperial Silver Crystal and that makes me hers to command."
Darien drew himself up short. He turned away from Kian and carefully put the crystal back into concealment before he banished the cane once more. Without turning around he said coldly, "You'd better check and see if there's anything significant on the television. Maybe there'll be something important on the news. I'm going to check on Serena."
He started to walk away.
"I apologise." Kian's voice was soft and Darien paused in the doorway. "You're right. When you didn't back down to me I did start to think of you in the way that I thought of Beryl. I've always known that you were a more powerful mage than I am but that's not the same as being a good mage and until now I never thought that you could be better than me. It's the first time that I've had to admit that I was outclassed since you and the inner scouts killed Beryl and she is the only experience that I have with how to deal with that. So I acted with you as I would have done had it been her facing me."
Darien turned around and met Kian's eyes evenly. Pale blue eyes held his with genuine contriteness but not trace of pleading. "I can't say that it doesn't grate," he said finally, "It does. Beryl is perhaps the person I loathe the most in the universe and that one of my best friends would compare me to her really hurts." Kian looked away but Darien continued relentlessly, "It hurts but I understand you better than you think I do."
Kian looked up in surprise and Darien smiled slightly. "We all have spectres in our past that try to haunt the present. For you it's Beryl, for me it used to be the death of my parents so I do understand but you can't let them control you." He held his hand out. "So… friends?"
A small smile slowly formed on thin lips and Kian nodded as he clasped Darien's hand. "Friends. Now off you go, your Highness. Your princess is waiting and I have some TV to watch."
When Darien entered his bedroom a minute later Luna looked up from where she curled at Serena's side.
*That was well done Mamoru, very well done indeed.*
***
The world closed in around her and the senses that had never failed her before did so now. The emptiness around her pressed in and she drew the shreds of her self-worth back to her. Why was he not here with her? Why was she alone? Was she not good enough?
Arms encircled her and she leaned back against the smooth, warm chest. There was still an undeniable distance between them, even now when they were together but as long as he held her she could hope that one day she would truly be whole.
***
Serena leaned back into the comfortable chair and listened to the reincarnates' account of the previous night's happenings calmly, although she had pinned her human friend with an accusing glare when they had begun. He should have told her what had happened when he was shopping but she forgot about it as they laid all of their information and ideas out for her. Something they said baffled her and she interrupted.
"Freddy Krueger? Who's he?"
It obviously revealed her ignorance about Terran culture in general as all she received were astonished stares.
"You don't know who Freddy Krueger is?" Jyp blurted in disbelief. "How is that possible? I thought everyone knew the movie 'A Nightmare on Elm Street'! How could you not know who Freddy Krueger is?"
"Maybe she has better judgement than to waste her time watching that rot!" Michelle retorted quickly, "Not everyone is like you and wants to melt their brains with dribble!"
"But he's Freddy Krueger! He's the man… monster anyway. Think about it, he's terrorised two generations now, he's practically the big bogeyman of the twentieth century. He's become a… what do you call them? An urban myth! He's the embodiment of everyone's worst nightmare."
Serena froze as the blonde man's words ran through her mind. Nightmare! It wasn't possible… was it? No, no it couldn't be. He wouldn't allow such a thing to happen.
"What have you thought of?" Darien interrupted her thoughts.
She blinked at him and gathered her wits quickly. "It's nothing," she responded, "Just an idle fancy."
"Oh?" Jyp leered comically at her. "Care to share it?"
Zack made a face and threw a cushion at the other male. "You idiot, she's not thinking about that! What kind of pervert are you?"
Jyp smiled maliciously and shot back, "The interesting thing is that you instantly knew what I was talking about!" Zack blushed but continued to glare.
"She was thinking about whatever these things are that we've go to fight now."
"Sure, change the subject." Jyp smirked and hurled the cushion back. Zack ducked and growled. With a face full of amusement Nick pulled the boy back.
"Pax Kiddo, he's not worth the effort."
"Yeah Zoi-boy, calm down- Urk!"
A small brawl erupted as Zack pulled Nick with him unintentionally when he dived at Jyp. Alex was spurring them on while Kian and Michelle exchanged wry glances of resignation but Serena ignored the ruckus, the interrogative turn of Darien's mind unsettling her.
*So Meatball Head? What were you thinking of?*
*Nothing really.*
*It didn't feal like nothing. If this is one of those things that you won't tell me then just say so.*
His thoughts were flavoured with afront at the belief that she still didn't trust him and he looked away from her. Immediately she felt guilty and hurried to reassure him. *It's not that, honestly! It's just that what I was thinking about was rubbish. It's impossible so it's not the effort to explain.*
*Impossible?* He looked at her thoughtfully.
She shrugged slightly at him. *Yeah.*
*You mean like the angelic daughter of a goddess who was set up for assassination from the seven deadly sins by the most evil being in the universe being hidden by a reincarnated human mage?*
She didn't see his point. *What's so strange about that?*
*You don't think this whole situation is unlikely?* His reply was incredulous. *Meatball Head I don't know what your life is like out there but this is not normal!*
*It just depends on the way you look-!*
*Meatball Head!* Exasperation radiated from him in waves.
*I guess things are a little strange from your point of view,* she conceded with a sigh.
*Damn right! Personally I'm never going to just dismiss anything as impossible again!* She giggled slightly at the fervency in his statement and he raised an eyebrow at her. *Fine, laugh at the poor human but just remember that while I can't go without my morning coffee you can barely even stand the smell and while you're zipping around in the middle of space we poor humans are under the impression that there might be no other life out there.. It's just a matter of per-*
*Perspective. That was what I was… oh forget it. Sigh! Okay you poor little human, you're right, I'm wrong!*
*Yes! I'm good!*
*Huh?*
*Mamoru has been very successful today at getting stubborn people to see things his way.* Luna explained to her from her side.
*What do you- Stubborn? Are you calling me stubborn Luna? I'm not stubborn! Frog-face, am I stubborn?*
*Oh yeah.*
She scowled at him and he just chuckled mockingly. Luna looked at her innocently from the back of the armchair she was sitting in. Serena stuck her bottom lip out and pretended to sulk. Darien was not deceived but did not say a word, aware that she more than capable of doing worse than playact and it wasn't the time to see what that 'worse' was. Luna merely looked at both with a very knowing expression.
By this time Kian had become fed up with the brawlers and had ended the fight with an efficiency that was partly due to long experience.
"Alright you lot, enough fun and games," Darien told them all. "We have weird things crawling all around the city that have decided to start becoming a nuisance. It's bad enough that they showed up at all but now they're drawing attention to themselves and that'll spill over on to us sooner or later. We do not want that.
"Now Meatball Head what did you think of?"
Serena opened her mouth to want him that it was impossible again and he sighed. Okay, so she wouldn't start off by telling them it was impossible. She cast about for a way to explain a suspicion that was related to concepts that, if Earth had ever known them in the first place, had been long since forgotten. She doubted there was anyone even ready to consider them yet. If the three dimensions they experienced confused Terran scholars how could they comprehend the six they were blind to? There was also a slight conflict of interest that made things even more difficult.
*Princess? Is this a task for us after all?* Luna's unobtrusive thought was sent with the skill that only millennia of practice could bring. Millennia of practice that Darien did not have and so not even his growing power could discern the undercurrents in either Lunarian's mind.
*Perhaps but I doubt it Luna. What I'm thinking of really is impossible… unless Morpheus has come out of his shell and we both know how likely that is.*
*Morpheus? Why… oh nightmares but he has…* The shape-changed guardian trailed of in realisation and Serena spared a moment to frown at her.
*Luna? What's wrong?*
*Nothing Princess. I was just reminded of something that I had intended to discuss with your mother. I will do so while you explain your theory to the humans.*
*Luna? Luna! Damn!* She swore silently when the cat refused to answer her. She knew that no amount of effort would let her eavesdrop on her old tutor's sending to her mother and she hated being left ignorant. No wonder Darien had been so upset with her brother that he'd avoided him for more than two years.
*Meatball Head?* Darien inquired. He was unaware that the cat and Serena had been bespeaking one another but he had caught her frustration. She shook her head slightly at him and turned to the patiently waiting reincarnates.
"What if they were dreams?" she asked slowly in the hopes that her idea would quickly be shouted down. She wasn't and she continued morosely. "What if they were dreams that have crossed into our waking realm?"
"You mean that someone out there has found a way to bring dreams to life?" Nick strived to see her point.
Serena shook her head. "No, there's no one on Earth strong enough to do that anymore other than you and the scouts in Japan and none of you has the particular skills needed." She glanced at Darien from the side of her eye. "Not even Darien." This silenced the reincarnates, all of who had a deep respect for the black haired man's abilities and with good reason. Luna had examined Darien's magical talent that, although prodigious, was still not up to creating even golems let alone life… yet.
"So dreams are coming to life of their own accord?" Michelle's voice was sceptical.
"No," Serena repeated, "Dreams have always had a life of their own. Mages used to be able receive reliable information and help from their dreams that was just as, if not more, dependable than what they found in thi… on Earth. It's just that, ever since the Fall, life has been barred from this realm for much the same reason that almost no one can do magic anymore."
Kian lifted an eyebrow in a cool enquiry. "And that reason is?"
How was she supposed to tell them this without revealing too much? "Because… the Fall damaged a lot of things." Yeah like the fundamental energy fields in this sector of space, not to mention the relationships between a lot of the Divine Stars.
"No duh!" Jyp snorted and was glared at by everyone else. When Darien added his own scowl, Jyp raised his hands and apologised quickly, "Sorry, sorry! Sheesh."
"It's okay Jyp," Serena smiled half-heartedly at him. "It is kind of obvious, it's just that I don't think any of you know of some of the consequences, or, if you do, that you understand them."
"And you do." It was no question and along with Nick the others stared at her. Serena resisted the urge to blush.
"Yes… most of them anyway. It's my duty to keep track of some of them."
"Like the appearances of mages?" the brunette man persisted.
"That's my brother's job, not mine." Serena sighed and quickly rerouted their attention. "Anyway, what I'm referring to is that the Fall caused a lot of damage to the, for lack of a better word, 'supernatural'. It's like there's a heap of… scarring between the four dimensions that Earth inhabits and the rest so that very little can pass through."
Even if he had been trying to hide it and she wasn't sitting on top of him Serena would have felt the spike of interest that Darien produced. She was grateful when all he asked was, "What are they? All the dimensions I mean."
Serena looked at Luna to see if she would object but the cat was still deeply distracted by whatever had occurred to her. The Guardian sighed again. Surely it wouldn't hurt for them to know this. It wasn't against the Law of Selene, precisely. "Well there's Length, Breadth, Height and Time."
"Up-down, side-to-side and forward-back," Nick translated for Jyp's benefit. The blonde man rolled his eyes, already aware of what Serena referred to.
Zack's eyes suddenly lit up. "So time is the fourth dimension."
"No. The ninth." She received several wide-eyed stares and she smiled slightly as she explained. "Before Time there is Will, Awareness, Imagination, Mystery and Death. The reason that the ninth dimension still influences Earth is that Time permeates everything and it cannot be barred from access to a plane or a realm, as many of the other dimensions have been."
"So what do they have to do with dreams?" Kian brought them back on track.
"Dreams are a combination of everything but mostly consist of Awareness and Will with a touch of Mystery. They have almost nothing to do with the dimensions that rule Earth and because they are blocked off so are dreams."
She turned to Darien and inquired, "Do you understand why it's impossible now? That barrier is firm and nothing can pass through it."
"But if something could…" he prodded.
"Then I would say you're being overrun by a plague of stray dreams," she sighed. *It's not possible Frog-face. Morpheus guards Dream too well to allow any of his subjects to wreak havoc and ever since the Fall he has commanded that Earth be absolutely barred from the Dreaming.*
*Morpheus?*
*Lord of Dream.*
*Oh…*
"You know, it would make sense." Nick allowed after a moment.
Serena frowned. "It's-" she started but Darien but a hand over her mouth to muffle her words. She would have struggled except his attention was captured by something distant that she couldn't sense except through him. Instead she settled for a mumbled grunt and relaxed against his lean frame.
"Do you think?" Alex looked doubtful as she added her own input to the discussion. "I mean dreams?"
"It'd explain the pink elephants marching down Broadway and the talking dogs at The Hound and Whisker bar," Nick commented.
Jyp rolled his eyes. "I'd've thought that it'd've been the other way around. You know, the drunks seeing the pink elephants."
Serena tuned them all out and focused on Darien. Whatever he was concentrating on appeared to be serious. "Darien?" she whispered tentatively. He blinked and came back to himself with a start. "What's wrong Frog-face?"
He looked at her apologetically before he stood. The other reincarnates looked at him in question. "There's an attack on Wall Street," he announced abruptly. "We… you have to go before too much psychological damage happens. I can't imagine any group of people other than bankers less able to deal with magic than stockbrokers."
An attack? And she hadn't sensed it? She felt numb from the realisation that, for the first time in her life, she was truly powerless. She quickly mastered the fear that swamped her but that did not make her feel much better. All she could do was ensure that Darien did not find out about it. Those strange protective instincts of his were already in force, she did not want to arouse them further. She could not chain him to her side while he was needed.
"You aren't coming Coz?" Alex looked at him as if he was mad and Serena understood perfectly. Of them all he was the most perceptive and if any of them could intuit the cause of the strangeness it would be him.
Darien shook his head and when Alex opened her mouth to protest his eyes flicked to Serena unconsciously. Serena didn't know if Alex understood but she sure did.
She disciplined her thoughts severely before she allowed herself to properly touch his. *You have to go Frog-face.*
*I can't leave you here alone.*
*You're not. Luna's here. I'll be fine Darien. I'm a big girl and I don't need a babysitter. I can take care of myself.*
*No offence to Luna but you need more than that. You're on Earth and you need a human with you.*
*I survived just fine the last time I was here.*
*Through pure fluke. Don't argue Meatball Head, I'm staying.*
*Darien-*
*Serena…*
"I have to stay Alex." Serena shook her head but Kian beat her to it.
"You in particular are needed Darien, so I'll stay."
"He's right, Dare," Jyp agreed, "You have talents we're going to need to bring into play if we want to know what's going on."
"But-"
"Frog-face, I'll be fine. If Kian's willing to stay then you have no reason not to go."
Darien stared at her for a long moment before he swore long and virulently. Eyebrows shot up all around the room and Jyp blinked in admiration.
"I told you," Serena said to the blonde in an aside, jesting to relieve the tension she felt. Jyp nodded at her with amusement.
Darien chose that moment to sweep her into his arms for a hurried but heartfelt kiss. *I'll be back as soon as I can Meatball Head,* he promised emphatically. Then he realised her abruptly and stalked to the window. Before she had recovered from the shattering kiss he had wrenched the window open and jumped over the balcony. Seconds later the room was empty save for the Lunarian, the white haired man and the semi-comatose cat.
She stared out the window after him and tried to cope with the sensations he had stirred within her. Until that moment she had believed that what she'd felt while he had been under Lust's spell had been a fluke but now she knew that it wasn't so. When he had wrenched his lips from her she had felt bereft and she had no idea of why. What made it worse was that, even had she been permitted, she was incapable of helping him should he need it. She hadn't even been able to detect a disturbance in the energy fields.
"So," Kian started uncomfortably, "I expect you're hungry, it seems that you're always hungry. Would you like me to fix you something up?"
She turned from the window to look at him and he reddened slightly. She did not know what showed on her face but whatever it was made him say to her gently, "They'll… he'll be fine. Don't worry."
She smiled wanly at him and then shook herself irritably. She needed something to keep her mind off her troubles, to keep her occupied. She examined the man with her covertly. She did not need to be able to tell that he had been damaged badly by Beryl and that he would probably spend the rest of his life trying to recover if he wasn't helped now. She straightened with sudden purpose. She did not need magic to heal.
"So… you mentioned something about food Kian?"