July 2002

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just borrowing them.
The story, however, is mine.


Chapter 28



Selene awoke in her room several hours later, the sun
was starting to set, turning the clouds various shades of
purples and blues. Raising one hand to her forehead, she
felt her aching face. Martin had hit her. Again. She
shuddered. He was where he could no longer touch her,
hopefully for as long as she, and he, would live.

"How do you feel?"

She blinked, glancing at the sound of the voice. "Daddy?"

Francis was seated next to her bed, slouched, very
uncharacteristically, in a chair built for someone half his
size. He sat forward and grasped her hand from the bed where
it lay. Gently running his thumb over her knuckles he
searched her face. "How are you feeling?" he asked again, his
voice softly concerned.

She gently pulled her hand from his and pushed herself to
her elbows. Her face felt sore, tender from where she'd been
struck, but a strange sense of accomplishment filled her heart.
She managed a smile for her father, "Strangely good," she
admitted. "Did Charles bring me home?"

He nodded, "After they took Martin away, the guards
returned and helped Charles bring you back. I am so very proud
of you, Selenity."

"For what?"

He reached up and gently stroked her face in a rare
gesture of affection, "I am so proud you found the strength to
deal with him on your own. My brave little girl."

She smiled and sat up, feeling sore in several places.
With a grimace she rubbed the back of her neck before meeting
his gaze, "I had to do it, daddy. I am not brave, or strong,"
she took a deep breath and brought her knees to her chest,
wrapping her arms around them, "I was terrified he would do
something else to me."

Francis watched as she took in a slow, shuddering breath
and then let it out. "Courage is defined as many things,
Selenity. Facing your fears is one of them. You found the
strength, and the courage, to stand up to your greatest fear."
He stood, placing a gentle hand on her head before slowly
leaning down to kiss her forehead, "For that alone, for not
allowing that fear to dominate your life, I am so very proud of
you. Doctor Mizuno is downstairs waiting to check on you, I
will send her up."

Selenity watched, stunned into silence by his words, as he
left. She blinked as the door closed behind her. She'd never
been close to her father, never expected more than a few polite
words from him, but his speech about her courage was something
she couldn't deny. He loved her. Those words, filled with
absolute certainty and love, could leave her no doubt. A
brilliant smile lit her face as she buried her face in her
knees. The smile hurt her cheek but she didn't care. Her
father loved her, for who she was, and that above anything else
was worth facing Martin over.

She looked up at the knock on her door, and smiled at Amy
as she stepped through. Amy nodded to her, stepping quickly to
her bedside, "Well, how do you feel today, Selenity?"

"Better. Sore, but much better."

Amy nodded and placed her doctor's bag on the chair
Francis had so recently vacated. "How's the face? I hear
Martin got you good."

Selenity trembled, nodding, as she raised a hand to gently
cover her bruised cheek, "He did. He was going to do more..."

Amy raised a hand and cut her off, "It's enough. You
don't have to go into detail. Did he bruise you anywhere
else?"

Selenity placed her hand on her breast, feeling her cheeks
burn, "I think he may have left a hand print."

Amy nodded, motioning for Selenity to lie back, "Relax,
I'm just going to examine you to make sure you're healing
properly, alright?"

She nodded, doing as told, but feeling apprehensive.
After being at the mercy of someone larger and more aggressive
than she, she wasn't looking forward to submitting to anything,
or anyone, any time soon. Amy pulled her computer from her
pocket after opening her doctor's bag and held it up in front
of Selenity. "Relax," she ordered with a reassuring smile.

Selenity took a deep breath and tried to do as instructed
as the small computer took her vitals. She saw Amy nod a
couple of times and then frown, typing a couple of things on
her keyboard, before sighing, "You're still scarred."

Selenity jerked. "What? I thought you said dealing with
Martin would be enough!"

Amy shook her head, her forehead scrunched in confusion,
"I don't understand, Selenity, it should have been enough.
Your breast is healing, as well as your face, and you won't
have any lasting effect, but the bite marks, the scars... I
don't understand. A few of them are healing but most aren't."

Selenity closed her eyes, "Dealing with Martin isn't
enough." Her head crept up and covered the scar under her
breast, "I received them during his attacks," she swallowed
hard before continuing, "I haven't dealt with the other fear
that stems from those yet."

Amy sank down to the bed next to her and sighed, "It's
possible. Your fear of being intimate with someone could be
holding back the powers you're seeking to unlock."

Selenity pushed herself to her feet and slid off the bed,
beginning to pace, "You said dealing with Martin would be
enough, that dealing with my fear of him would heal me and cut
free the powers within!" she spun on her friend, feeling
frustrated, "Why, now, do you tell me I have to go and... sleep
with someone! Darien won't do it."

Amy raised an eyebrow, "Not even to save you from
yourself?"

She swallowed hard, wrapping her arms about her waist,
"This is getting worse, Amy. What if I cannot?"

Amy stood and gently pulled her friend back to the bed,
pushing her down until she was seated, "Selenity, listen to me.
Sleeping with Darien may not be the issue. I think the issue
might be trust. You tense every time someone gets near, you
can't let go even among friends. I've noticed your postures.
You have to consciously let yourself relax with us, with him.
I'm not asking for a miracle, but being able to allow someone
to touch you as a lover requires a great deal of trust. Your
ability to see someone touching you that way has been warped
and broken. Perhaps that's all that's required."

Selenity bowed her head, "Maybe you should find some other
way of getting this power out of me. I cannot do it, Amy. I
cannot simply accept what has happened to be and allow
something similar to happen. I do not know what it is supposed
to be like. Oh, I have read my share of romances, but..."

Amy gently squeezed her shoulder before closing her
computer and doctor's bag, "You'll find a way Selene. If for
no other reason than to prove you can."

Selenity lay back down, tears flooding her eyes. She'd
dealt with Martin, only to be told it wasn't enough. She
rolled onto her side and curled up into a ball. It was never
enough; nothing was ever enough. In the morning she would
decide what she would have to do. For now, she was exhausted,
mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. When she'd
taken the time to heal, she'd deal with this new, and
frightening puzzle. By then, she might have an answer to her
problems. Closing her eyes, she willed herself to clear her
mind and quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.



Darien was unlocking the door to his apartment when the
phone inside rang. Snapping the locks open quickly he bolted
for the phone, the door slamming behind him as he snatched it
from the cradle, "Darien."

"Darien, it's Amy."

He tossed his keys on the table and walked back to the
door to lock it as he spoke, "Oh, hi Amy. What can I do for
you?"

He heard her hesitate, "We have something of a problem on
our hands."

"Oh?" he wanted no part of this. Royalty or not, he
didn't want to be saving the world in some pansy outfit. He
simply wanted to be himself. Walking around, he was only
giving her half an ear as he pulled off his coat.

"Have you spoken to Selenity?"

He froze in the act of pulling his shoes off. "No. Is
she alright?"

"I don't think so. She dealt with Martin, which is good
news, but it's not enough to unlock her powers."

He slipped his shoes off and slipped his feet into his
slippers, "I thought you said it would be."

"It should have been," Amy sighed, "She's got more issues
than just who inflicted her injuries, Darien."

Darien nearly fell over as what she was implying hit him.
Selenity had been brutally violated. She didn't trust anyone,
not even him, to do anything even remotely similar to her
again. "I won't sleep with her."

Amy laughed, "Coming from her fiancée, that's priceless.
You may not have to. She doesn't trust anyone enough to become
intimate with them. So far you're as close as she's come.
Getting her to trust you implicitly, to know, even
subconsciously, that you'd never do her harm in any way, may be
enough."

"How much time do we have for this, Amy? Until your so
called world sleeping prophecy."

"I don't know. A decade. Give or take a few years."

"You're a load of help. Alright, I'll see what I can do
to help. Do me a favor?"

"Sure."

"If you see Selene again, ask her to call me?"

"No problem. Talk to you later, Darien."

He hung up the phone and stared at it for a few moments.
Amy never ceased to amaze him. Shaking his head, he walked
towards his bedroom to find his cat. Luna always helped put
things into perspective.


Lita, Raye and Mina watched the rain begin to fall from
inside their favorite hang out at the Crown Arcade. Lita
smiled, "Ah. Rain. Nothing like a good storm to wash the
world clean."

Raye snorted, "You'd think after all these years you'd
have dropped that. So why'd you close up shop early today?
Something going to happen tonight?"

Lita shook her head, "Slow night. Besides, all work and
no play, at two jobs no less, makes Lita an irritable bitch."

Mina laughed as Lita finished the sentence, "You mean
you've a different side?" She shrieked and dodged out of the
way of the swat Lita would have given her, "I'm kidding! I'm
kidding! Where's Amy, isn't she the one who insisted we meet
tonight?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I did insist." The three turned
to look at their fourth senshi, becoming serious when they saw
her dark expression, "We have a problem, and we need to know
how to fix it. Fast."

They were quiet as Amy slipped into the booth beside Mina
after removing her wet jacket and shaking out her hair, "Selene
can't unlock her powers."

"What?!"

"Shhhh!" Amy hissed, looking about, "We should have met at
the temple."

Raye made a face, "It's raining, do you really want to
lock ourselves down there? You know it gets muggy and damp."

"Yes, but we can talk more freely there." Amy shook her
head, "That's beside the point. Selenity needs to get to those
powers, and more importantly learn how to use them, as does
Darien, and we're running out of time. I think we've got a few
years yet, but I haven't run the numbers lately. With the moon
shifting out of phase, it could be sooner than I anticipated."

Raye blinked, "Meaning what?"

Amy glanced around before leaning forward and speaking in
an even quieter voice, "Meaning the end of the world. If the
world doesn't sleep to be reawakened, war is going to tear it
apart. We need this to bring peace and chaos back into
balance. Cashrawk has to be stopped. If he continues
unchecked he'll be robbing most of the powers from the earth.
We need to know who he's working for. Any leads, Lita?"

The brunette shook her head, "Not a thing. You'd think
after this long we'd have a lead on who keeps sending those
things, Cashrawk is especially nasty. I wish I had better
news, Amy."

"Well, I found this," Mina slid a torn piece of paper onto
the table, "I think Martin may be our link."

They stared at her, "Martin?" Raye looked sceptical, "I
don't get that kind of vibe off him. Creepy and evil, yes, but
a mastermind able to hide from us for this long?"

"He's got the ambition," Amy pointed out, "He is
determined to have Selenity as his wife."

Lita shook her head, "I don't buy it. It's too perfect,
too predictable. I mean, why would Martin, the obvious bad guy
here, make it that easy for us to find him?"

"Because we're not looking for the obvious, Lita," Amy
rubbed her forehead, "this paper is part of Martin's accounting
figures. Either he, or someone with access to his accounts is
funding something huge. The sum isn't enough to draw attention
to it, since it's all drawn from interest, but there's
something bigger going on here. Where did you get this, Mina?"

Mina blushed, "I snuck into his room while he was out to
lunch with Selene. I found a file folder at the bottom of his
bag in a hidden compartment. Whoever is funding this
operation," she glanced about before pulling a small disk from
her pocket, "is doing it with his knowledge. Scan this Amy,
let me know what's on it."

Amy took the disk and slid it into the side of her pocket
computer. She let out a low whistle as file names began racing
across her screen. "If Selenity had had this before she went
to lunch with Martin, she could have made his humiliation and
arrest public." She turned the computer. Most of the disk
comprised of journal entries. She pointed to one of the dates,
"I've spoken to Selenity at length and that's the date of his
first attack on her. See the name of the file?
'Firsttime.txt'... what twisted individual leaves obvious clues
like that?"

She opened the file, after hacking the two passwords that
protected it, and skimmed through the contents, her face going
pale as she read. She quickly shut it off and slapped her
computer closed, "Don't read those. That's one twisted man."

Raye eyed the blue haired woman, "I take it that's not
poetry?"

Amy's face had a decidedly green tinge to it. "Ever have
the urge to read a graphic sexual novel, Raye? Maybe a medical
text book on organs and how to remove them?"

"Can't say I have."

"A graphic novel is tame compared to this. This... is the
twisted writing of a psychopath. He's proud of what he did to
her, and that, more than anything, disturbs me," she shuddered,
"This man is the kind you expect to have snuff films hidden
somewhere. If he is our mastermind, I would expect something
more brutal of him."

"Ok, so we rule Martin out. That puts us back at square
one," Mina flopped back in her chair as Amy pocketed the note,
"We need to get Darien involved with this, he might have a
angle we don't."

"As much as I hate to agree, you're right." Lita shook her
head, "He won't like it though, he doesn't want any part of
this."

Amy smiled grimly, "We have to make him understand what
we're doing, ladies, the fate of our planet may depend on him
believing in himself, his powers and his past. Regardless of
their souls being in opposite bodies, our Prince and Princess
must regain their powers and their memories before the planets
are in position. If they don't, chaos will reign and, powerful
as we are, we'll be powerless to stop it."

Their faces were grim as they rose from the table and
exited the arcade, heading towards Darien's apartment. Their
leader would just have to accept the fact that he was part of
their group. Willing or not, they needed him, and fast.



Darien paced back and forth, Luna slung across his
shoulder, as he gently stroked her. The four senshi, the
guardians of the Lunar heir, sat on his couch, eyeing him.
"Why ask me? You have all the information, the sources. You
don't need me to help with a mundane investigation."

"We've tried everything," Mina watched as he continued to
pet the docile cat, "we've been searching for Cashrawk's
master, if you will, for the better part of 3 years. Cashrawk
leaves no clues, no trail, and, frankly, we're almost out of
time. Selenity's powers have to be unleashed and merged with
your own before too long. If that doesn't happen, the world is
doomed."

"What makes you think I can find this Cashrawk?"

Mina shrugged, "Your charming wit? You have the crystal,
the most powerful object in the entire universe and Queen
Serenity never found all of its powers. Open yourself up to
it; let it guide you. The crystal itself might be our only
chance at finding that thing and its master."

Darien pulled the crystal from his pocket, ignoring the
startled expressions on their faces. They'd not expected him
to keep it so close. Good. "How do I go about communicating
with the crystal? I mean, it's not living, or sentient, how
can it communicate?"

"It can't," Amy smiled, "but it can and will respond to
your inquires with an honest answer. The crystal is more like
a super computer, a brain if you will, that can harness energy
and release it at the command of a single person. You. The
crystal is attuned to you and will follow your every whim. Its
price isn't cheap; it will drain you every time you use it for
an attack. Try it, see if you can get a fix on our
adversaries."

"Are you sure you can't find it on your own?"

Mina nodded, "Raye tried using the sacred fire. We had no
luck. Lita and I tried to track Cashrawk, but he escaped. Amy
even tried a homing device but it was destroyed when the beast
noticed it. We need a break in this, and you may be the only
way to get that."

He grimaced, "If this thing can find Cashrawk, is there
anyway it can help Selenity with her problems?"

Amy shook her head, "It can heal, yes, but only the body.
The mind must be healed in its own time or we learn nothing.
Sorry, Darien. Apocalypse or not, the crystal can't help you
with her."

"It was worth a shot. Alright, here goes." He stretched
his arms out and clasped the crystal between them, closing his
eyes. Focusing on the gem in his hands, he felt it grow warm,
but not uncomfortably so. The voice was back in his mind,
speaking to him, leading him on as he searched for the lair of
Cashrawk, for the creature's master.

Images began to flash through his mind, images of people
and places that were familiar, some not so, flashing by in a
collage of colors. Sights, sounds, and scents bombarded him,
making his head spin. Without thinking, he pulled back from
the crystal and his eyes flew open, "What was that?"

They were silent as Darien gasped for breath, slowly
regaining his focus. He looked up from where he'd fallen to
his knees, the crystal firmly clasped in both hands. Amy spoke
up first, "What did you see?"

Darien looked at her, blinking so that he could focus, and
shuddered, "People, places. Lots of things that are familiar
and yet... not. Should they make some kind of sense?"

Amy crouched next to him, "If you've seen something
familiar, or someone, can you tell us where? We need to find
Cashrawk, Darien. As long as he's out there and Selenity is
unable to access her powers, she's vulnerable. Did you see
anything that could help?"

He shook his head, "No. I could smell popcorn, but other
than that, nothing. Nothing that made sense anyway."

Amy sighed, "Popcorn? Alright, that's a start. I'm sorry
we're pushing you so fast, you and the crystal are still
getting accustomed to each other."

He shrugged, "It's for Selene, Amy, do you honestly think
I mind?"

Her smile was wry, "Of course not."

With a nod, he sank back only the floor, sitting cross
legged, and looked at each of them, "Will this creature really
come for Selene?"

They nodded, Raye's eyes narrowing, "Very soon, Darien.
Selenity has a well of untapped, pure power that can be
accessed by two means. One is the way we've been trying... the
other involves killing her."

His eyes widened, "Killing her?"

Raye nodded, "Cashrawk has access to a certain power in
his domain that will allow him to strike her, and feed off her
powers. By feeding these powers to its young, the beasts will
gain more abilities. Cashrawk slept for thousands of years and
now, when the timing is crucial, has awakened to try and stop
the world from mimicking his slumber. If he succeeds, the
world will be destroyed, he'll have gained the powers of the
earth and we'll be powerless to stop him."

"Are you telling me this thing is like some kind of
Vampire?"

"Well, not exactly." Amy glared at Raye, telling her
silently to shut up, "See, Cashrawk is from an ancient species
that feeds off nobles with power. He's a lot older than you or
I and has powers we can't even begin to think of. It's last
kill was one of Selenity's friends about two thousand years
back. A young man who'd been granted the powers of the
earth," she looked at him pointedly, "his fiancée was
devastated when she couldn't save him."

"Serenity and Endymion?"

"Yes. Endymion's wounds looked to have been caused by
some kind of piercing weapon that had been poisoned. Cashrawk
hit him with both claws, impaled him, and then let him drop
when the Prince's bodyguards attacked it. Unfortunately, he
died in Serenity's arms and she took her own life shortly
thereafter. She couldn't live without him. Cashrawk never got
the rest of the energy from the prince, since he died where the
beast couldn't reach him. The theory is that the Princess
restored both of their energies as she died, leaving them whole
as the Queen sent them both to the future. It explains why the
two of you are so drawn to each other. You are two halves of
the whole."

"You're telling me this thing killed me in another life as
the Prince of the Earth?"

"Yes."

"But since I've been reincarnated to the Lunarian part of
the bloodline, I have no memories of this event?"

Amy chuckled, "You might have the Princess's memories and
she will have yours. I find that rather amusing since you'll
have recollections of things you never did."

Darien's face betrayed his confusion and the other
laughed, releasing the tension. Amy shook her head, "Another
thing I should probably mention is that Cashrawk might be
immune to certain attacks by the crystal. Having taken a piece
of Endymion's energy, the energy of the person the Princess was
closest to, may have given it him a natural immunity. Or a
partial immunity."

"How? The Prince wasn't in contact with the crystal, was
he?"

Amy shrugged, "I honestly don't remember if he was or
wasn't. Darien doesn't have memories of his former life, and
neither does Selene. Not yet anyway. There is the possibility
so we have to be ready for it. We do know he'll be partially
or completely immune to some of Selene's powers once they're
unlocked. If she ever unlocks them."

"Not if, when," Raye put a hand on Amy's shoulder and
squeezed, "She will. She just need more time to deal with the
scars from this last year. They may be fresh wounds but
they're deep, Amy, you know that. My only question is will she
be ready for the burden when it finally comes."

Amy shrugged, "She's been a Princess her entire life, I
don't think this duty will really send her off. Darien has the
worst part of the deal anyway. He's Lunar, the one wielding
the powers she should have had, and he'll play a larger part in
the fight than she will. Selenity is technically his
protector."

The others blinked before Darien started to chuckle, "I
take it the Terran line was the Lunarian protectors?"

"Not exactly. Princess Serenity and Prince Endymion
entered into that kind of an arrangement when it was discovered
how close they really were. Prince Endymion was her protector.
So if we look at bloodlines, she's your protector."

Darien pictures his Princess in his mind and smiled,
"She'll enjoy that I think. For once she won't be the one
being protected and she can protect herself and those she loves
at the same time."

He got a nod of accent from each of the girls before
turning his gaze back on the crystal. "Check out your so
-called popcorn lead, Amy. I'm going to see if I can get
anything more out of this thing."

"Be careful," was all she said as she and the others
quietly left the apartment. Behind them, Darien's eyes slid
closed, not feeling the glowing red eyes that watched him from
the bottom corner of the doorway. Silently, as he slid into a
trance of sorts, the red eyes closed. She would wait. The
time wasn't right, and she would do that which she'd been
charged to do. She would continue to watch over the heir to
the throne.



Selenity sat at the kitchen table, a book in hand. Martin
was gone, delt with, now in seclusion on one of the islands her
mother had spent her final days. Without any kind of comforts,
she smiled a grim smile, he'd have to make do as a native, and
that alone made it worth sending him. She closed her book.
Martin was the least of her problems now. She sighed. How
could she unlock powers she couldn't even understand? Not to
mention how could she unlock them if what she needed to do
involved Darien and he was reluctant to help?

She sighed. What a dilemma. On one hand she could
continue as she was going and try to work over her fears by
herself, which would of course get her nowhere. Or she could
try to build a future with Darien by learning to trust him
implicitly. Of course, she felt she trusted him completely,
but a part of her knew she didn't. A part of her would always
be terrified of that monster lurking in the darkness. Darien
could banish that with his presence; at least, she thought he
could, seeing as how she could sleep next to him with no
problem. She frowned. If she could sleep next to him, wrapped
in his arms, what was the problem? Was it conscious or
unconscious? Did it have to be unconscious?

What a mess. Closing her book, she stood and left what
was left of her supper on the table. For once she was glad
someone else cleaned up after her. Walking from the kitchen,
she went into the front hallway and looked around. Charles was
off somewhere doing something for her father, at least she
assumed he was. Just another sign her father was learning to
trust her; Charles was no longer her 24/7 chaperone. At least,
in theory that's the way it was supposed to work. Slipping her
slippers off she grabbed a pair of new sneakers off the rack by
the door. Quickly tying them up, she left the house.

Night was falling as she slipped out the front gate, and
looked around. The swarm of reporters seemed to have
disappeared during her time spent in the city, having found
either better subjects to annoy or been threatened by her
father. The thought made her smile. She was beginning to get
used to not having the pests around. Walking away from the
house that was not yet a home, she made her way towards the
center of the city, where the park she'd had lunch with Martin
was. Part of her knew that if she wanted to start her journey
towards being free of the rest of her fears, visiting the
places she'd been subjected to them was a start.

She still slept in her room, and had managed to shut the
fear down since Martin had been removed from her house. Her
room in her Father's palace was the same, she had no choice but
to sleep within and so, due to necessity, had fought her fears.
She took a deep breath. There were several other rooms she
couldn't avoid and ones where she'd been taken advantage of, or
almost, and she'd faced her fears in those. Stepping into the
park, she looked around, sliding her hands into the pockets of
her jeans. Her hair was wrapped around her head in a series of
braids. Without her distinctive hairstyle, she could avoid
notice more easily, but eventually she'd be recognized. A part
of her didn't mind anymore.

She made her way through the park, passing the rose
gardens, the lake, and eventually made her way to the secluded
spot where she'd had lunch with Martin. She ducked beneath a
tree and stopped before entering the clearing. It was very
secluded, if there was anyone else there, she didn't want to
disturb them. Peeking through the branches she froze.

Charles was standing in the middle of the clearing.

She frowned. Wasn't he supposed to be running errands for
her father, what was he doing here? She opened her mouth to
call to him, figuring he had an explanation, but the words died
unspoken on her tongue as a shadow fell on the clearing, the
sound of huge wings beating. She shook her head in denial as a
familiar creature descended from the sky and landed across the
clearing from her guardian. "No." she mouthed, feeling as if a
vice had grabbed her heart. Her protector, her only friend for
so many years, couldn't be affiliated with this creature?

She inched forward, but couldn't hear the low words they
exchanged. Charles threw something at the creature, and then
turned and walked away. Cashrawk took wing and disappeared
into the darkening sky, leaving Selenity to wonder what Charles
had given him. Sucking in a sharp breath she fled from the
clearing and ran towards Darien's apartment. She had to tell
him what she'd seen. He and the senshi were in danger.



Darien opened the door to Selenity, feeling apprehensive.
He'd spent the last couple of hours trying to get some answers
from the crystal, to no avail. He couldn't help but smile as
he saw her, though. His smile died, seeing the look in her
eyes. "Selene?"

She launched herself at him, burring her face in his
shirt, "Darien, oh Darien, I did not know who else I could go
to!"

He reached around her and shut the door before enfolding
her in his arms. "What's the matter, Princess?"

She didn't say anything for a long while, simply shivered
in his arms, unable to speak. He led her to the couch and had
her sit, grabbing the blanket off the back and wrapping it
around her, "Selene?"

She looked up into his concerned gaze, tears in her eyes,
but shook her head. Her throat was closed, and she couldn't
seem to find her voice after that first statement. He pulled
away, and she reluctantly let him go, as he went into the
kitchen and started to boil a kettle of water. Selenity
wrapped her arms around herself and hunched into the blanket.
Darien returned a few minutes later with a glass of tea in hand
and slid it onto the table.

She managed a faint, grateful smile for him as she took a
sip. They were silent for a few minutes, Darien simply looking
at her as he sat down next to her. They didn't touch, and
Selenity simply huddled in her blanket sipping her tea.
Tension began to build and Darien shifted in his seat. He was
mentally exhausted and what she'd come to tell him would no
doubt tax him further.

Just when he thought he'd have to open the discussion, she
spoke up, her voice hoarse. "Charles is behind it."

"Pardon?"

Her bleak gaze met his, "Charles is behind the flying
creature. Cashrawk."

Had Darien been standing she could have knocked him over
with a feather after her announcement. "Charles? Your
bodyguard Charles?"

She nodded, "I saw him speaking with the creature tonight.
They seemed to be on good terms,"

Darien slid close to her and wrapped an arm around her
shoulders. A tear slipped from her eye, but she made no move
to brush it away. "Are you sure it wasn't just a chance
meeting?"

She nodded again, placing the cup back on the coffee
table, "He was waiting in a secluded spot and looking at the
sky. He knew Cashrawk was coming. How could he do this to
me?"

Darien was silent, unable to offer any words of comfort
for this betrayal.

She slammed her hands down on her thighs, grasping them
viciously, "He's sold me out to the evil of the world, probably
knowing exactly who and what I am, and what I can accomplish,
and he's done it willingly. He's betrayed me to the point I
don't even feel right now, it's just one big ache." She looked
at him, her emotions written on her face. "How can I trust him
now, knowing he's working for his own gain?"

"Do you know that for sure, Selenity? Could you hear what
they discussed?"

She shook her head, "No, but he gave Cashrawk something,
something I can only assume will lead it to me."

Darien gently stroked her cheek, "You've known him your
entire life Selene. Shouldn't you give him the benefit of the
doubt, regardless of how incriminating the evidence may seem?
Innocent until proven guilty, remember?"

She closed her eyes, "Even if the evidence is damming?"

"Let's try this another way. You trust me?"

She looked at him, nodding, "Of course."

"If you saw me talking with Martin, and you couldn't hear
the conversation, or see what item I gave him, would you assume
I was selling you out?"

She frowned. "No, you hate Martin."

"Exactly. Couldn't it be possible that Charles was
meeting with Cashrawk in an attempt to bribe him to stay away
from you?"

Selenity was thoughtful for a few moments and then nodded
once, "I conceded, it is possible."

Darien hugged her, "Don't jump to conclusions, Selenity,
not until you have all the evidence. Did you think about
asking him?"

She nodded, "But how do I go about doing that? I can't
just walk up to him and say, 'Charles, what were you doing at
dusk talking with a creature who has sworn to get me?' I mean,
he probably won't even give me an answer. Charles is a very
private person, having to admit I stumbled upon him, even
accidentally, will seem like I was following him."

"That'll be a switch. For once you're not the one being
followed."

Her smile was wan, "That's little consolation, but you're
right." She sighed, "Come with me to confront him?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Don't you think that would be
suspicious? Asking him about a creature you're not supposed to
know about, and I am obviously not supposed to know about, to
see if he's affiliated? Selenity, I don't think both of us
should go, simply because if we do, it will give him two
targets should he actually be affiliated with Cashrawk."

She grimaced, "You're telling me I have to do this alone."

"I don't want to let you do this alone, but by telling
Charles we both know about Cashrawk, we allow him to make the
assumption that we're both targets. That'll raise more
questions than I'm willing to answer considering I'm not well
informed on my heritage. The fewer people who know the
better."

"You're right, I may not like it but you're right." She
rubbed her forehead, "Can I do it tomorrow? I've had one too
many confrontations today."

He leaned forward and gently kissed her forehead, "That's
up to you."

She met his gaze, searching his eyes, "I do not wish to
return to that house tonight. May I stay with you?"

She saw him hesitate, weighing the consequences in his
mind. She bit her lip, "I know you think I want to stay with
you to try and get rid of my fears." She swallowed, her mouth
dry, "That is part of it, I admit, but I trust you, Darien. I
trust you more than I trust anyone right now. Please, I will
sleep on the couch if you want me too."

His smile was faint as he shook his head, "I appreciate
it, but that won't be necessary. I have a guest room,
remember?"

She blushed. "I forgot. It will be alright then?"

He nodded, pushing himself to his feet, "I'll just go make
sure it's in order for you. Luna's in my room if you want to
go say hi to her."

Selenity nodded and followed him back, going into his room
as he opened the door to the guest room, stepped in, and began
stripping the sheets from the bed. She closed the door behind
her, looking about the room. It was dark, mostly done in
darker colors and held a familiar feeling she couldn't shake.
She felt like she belonged in this room.

Luna meowed from her position on the end of the bed, her
red eyes opening and looking at her visitor. She stretched,
her mouth opening in a wide yawn, before she walked slowly to
the edge of the bed. Selenity met her there, and scooped the
black cat up in her arms, "Hello Luna, how are you today?"

Luna licked the back of her fingers, purring contentedly
when Selenity began scratching her behind the ears. Selenity
placed a gentle kiss on the top of the black cat's head and sat
on the edge of Darien's bed. "What am I going to do, Luna?
What if Charles is doing what I'm afraid he's doing? If he's
betrayed me, will I ever be able to unleash my powers or am I
doomed to constant failure?"

Luna licked her hand again, nudging it gently, but her
purring had stopped. Selenity placed the cat back on the bed
and simply watched as Luna sat on her hind legs, and intently
looked back at her. "I wish I knew what you were thinking,
Luna, you'd be a great advisor, knowing the things you must
have seen or heard in your life."

"And in the last."

She blinked in disbelief. Had Luna, Darien's cat, just
spoken? "Pardon?"

Luna delicately licked her paw before raising her red eyes
to meet Selenity's blue ones, "I have memories of my past life,
Princess, and they were serving the Princess of the Moon as her
advisor. My being in Darien's company is no coincidence."

"Then you know what he is?"

The cat nodded, looking at the door, "I have known since I
was reborn here on earth. You were supposed to be my charge,
but somehow you were switched. I do my duty, though, and
protect the Lunarian heir. It is time for me to reveal myself
to both him and you." Luna settled down, curling up, but
keeping her gaze on Selenity's. "I must help you with your
problem. Amy has been good about learning your past, but she
cannot calculate accurately when your powers must be released
by."

Selenity felt like she was dreaming. Darien's cat was
talking to her, and making sense, about things she should have
no knowledge of. "How can you know when Amy doesn't?"

Luna smiled a feline smile. "I was advisor to the Queen
of the Moon, Selenity, I was privy to certain things no other
human, Lunarian, Terran or otherwise, ever was. You have
exactly three days to discover and unlock your powers, and
three weeks to lean how to use them. Amy is working on the
newer clock and time system. According to the old Lunar clock,
which is the correct system, you have three days."

"Three days?" she began to shake. Three days to fight
through months of pain and shock in three days? She couldn't
do it. "I can't do that. I can't do it in three days."

The door opened, "Selene?" She looked up, and Darien's
eyes widened. Her eyes were rimmed with tears. "Darling,
what's the matter?"

Selenity's gaze went to Luna. Luna meowed once, bending
her head to lick her paw, before looking at her master. Darien
moved next to Selenity and gently cupped her face, turning her
gaze back to his, "Selenity, are you alright?"

She shook her head, "I can't do it."

He pulled her into his arms, "Yes you can. You faced
Martin, facing Charles should be easier after that." He told
her, misunderstanding.

Her laugh was weak and shaky, "Not that."

Luna rose to her feet and looked from one to the other,
"Darien."

He jerked. Who's voice was that? He looked around,
feeling Luna paw him once on the arm. He looked down at her
and nearly fell back when she opened her mouth and spoke!

"Darien, Selenity is worried about not being able to
release her powers. Amy is wrong, she doesn't have years and
neither do you. You have three days to find a way to get her
in touch with her powers. After that you have exactly three
weeks before the world must sleep for a thousand years."

Darien blinked at her. "Luna?"

Luna's smile came back, the intelligence shining behind
her red orbs undeniable, "Yes, Darien, I can speak. I have
been watching you for a long time, waiting to see when you
would discover your powers. You have three weeks to learn how
to use them, to destroy Cashrawk for good, and to find who his
master is. I can help Selenity part of the way, but I need
your help. Because she is Terran, and not Lunarian as she was
meant to be, the Lunar meld won't have as great an effect."

"Woah, Lunar meld?" Darien stared at his cat, "How long
have you been able to talk?"

Luna's features tightened in what Selenity and Darien took
for amusement, "All along. I just chose not to until now.
Before there would have been no point."

Darien finally took a seat next to Selenity and watched as
Luna began to walk back and forth across the end of his bed.
"I need you to make a physical connection with Selenity,
kissing her should suffice, if I'm to help her. I know it will
be difficult to trust me for this, Selenity, but I need to
enter your mind to identify exactly where you need the help.
Having you talk about it is one way, but that is never precise.
By linking you physically to the Prince, it should allow me to
enter your mind more easily."

"Alright," she looked at Darien, "any help she can give is
better than none. As it stands, I don't think I can work
through everything in three days without help."

He nodded, making a face, "My life keeps getting stranger.
Alright, I'll agree to it."

Selenity punched him on the leg, "Do not sound so
thrilled."

He caught her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles,
"Thrilling has nothing to do with it, princess."

She blushed and Luna cleared her throat, "I know this will
be a lot to ask, but Darien, you have to try and clear your
mind of everything but Selenity. Selenity's can't be clear or
I can't help, but if your mind is unfocused, or drifts from
her, my way into her mind may be cut off. Do you understand?"

They both nodded.

"Good. Now do it."

Darien regarded Selenity and closed his eyes, allowing her
to make the first move. Her lips were dry, hesitant as they
settled on his. He suppressed the urge to kiss her back as her
tongue flicked across both of their lips, moistening them, and
drawing slowly closer. She opened her lips slightly, covering
his lips with her own. He opened his mouth fractionally and
gently cupped the back of her head with one hand, stroking her
cheek with the other.

Luna waited until Darien had taken control of the kiss
before stepping up to them both and placing a paw on each of
their legs. She could tell neither of them felt it, being
completely absorbed in each other. Closing her eyes she
focused the crescent moon on her forehead on their locked lips.
A soft yellow light began to glow around the crescent moon and
shot out to envelope the lovers.

Luna concentrated on Darien's mind first. She quickly
found herself inside, his thoughts completely absorbed by the
woman in his arms. Luna concentrated on her, and slowly,
carefully, stretched her mind beyond her charge, and towards
Selenity's mind.

She almost lost the contact as a strong barrier of mental
shields blocked her path. Gently probing the edges, testing
the strengths, Luna sent her mind into an almost aggressive
state, attacking the mental wall as if it were the last defence
in a castle siege. She tried to knock it down, to go around
it, to go under it, but to no avail. The barrier blocking her
from Selenity's thoughts stood firm.

Luna felt Darien's thoughts join hers, gently sliding
towards the mental block, gently probing, pushing, urging her
to let up her shields. Urging her to relax and let down her
guard. Luna felt part of Selenity's resistance crumble under
his subconscious urgings. Continuing by keeping her own mind
wrapped around her charges', she slipped through the crumbling
wall, slipping through Selenity's defences and into her mind.

What she found would have rocked her back on her heels.
Darien's mind didn't cross with her and she found herself
suddenly adrift in pain and suffering. Pain that was so
corporeal, so thick and tangible, she just about cried out.
Selenity's mind was a jumble of lesser fears, and mainly
focused on the fear of commitment, of being intimate with
someone.

Luna swallowed, seeing her first encounter with Martin
from a third person's point of view. Martin had bruised her
body, tore asunder her dreams and damaged her trust to the
breaking point. Selenity's mind was full of hopelessness,
terror, and pain. On the fringe of those terrified images and
thoughts, was Darien's image.

Surrounded by a glowing nimbus of light, he was segregated
from the rest of the images, almost as if to be kept from harm.
Luna examined the barrier between the two, focusing on it and
gently sliding around the edges. Images of Darien flashed
through several sequences. One of them showing him in his
Lunar uniform, another smiling, another laughing; all were
memories of what she'd seen him do. Only one of the memories
was outside the area she seemed to have cordoned off for
Darien. The memory of her attempt at seducing him seemed to be
linked with the fears she had with failure, and intimacy. That
link was proving to be disastrous.

Luna slowly slid deeper into Selenity's mind, passing the
recent events with Martin, Charles's encounter with Cashrawk
and the unsuccessful seduction of Darien. Moving into the
depth of her mind, she encountered old pains. Losing her
mother, her father's betrayal by ripping her from her mother,
her many families and their false affection, the pain of losing
her friends when being forced to move and the inevitable
resignation not to try to make lasting friends. Everything was
tied in with her fear of loving; the fear of being left alone
in the end and having no one to call her own.

Luna slid out of her mind, back to the more recent issues,
the ones that were blocked off from the ones that had been
mostly dealt with. She stumbled across Selenity's
confrontation with Martin and watched as, slowly, the pain of
dealing with him, of being subjected to him, began breaking
down. The memory was still bright, but the effects were
starting to show, allowing Selenity to find courage to deal
with her fears of Martin.

Luna extended her mind towards this memory, this
accomplishment and lent the young woman the power inside
herself, the guardian of the Moon's heir. Luna collapsed,
suddenly finding herself back in her body, her mind having been
pushed out with its energy being transferred. The black cat
fell to the sheets, her eyes closed, and slept.


Darien opened his eyes, blinking against the sunlight
streaming through his blinds. His lips were still locked with
Selenity's as they had been when she'd first begun kissing him,
feeling as if nothing had really happened between that first
kiss and now. He pulled back, Selenity was being held up only
by his arms, her body limp. He looked down, seeing his cat
stretched out in a strange sleeping position. Shaking his
head, he scooped Selenity up in his arms and tucked her into
his bed. He wasn't tired; he felt energized after last night.

Darien checked his clock. Twelve hours. 7:30am. Luna
had kept her mind meld, or whatever it was, up for more than
twelve hours. He gently picked her up and placed her in her
cat basket on the plush cushion she normally slept on. Not
waking, she curled into a ball and continued to sleep.

Darien exited his room, heading for the shower. He was
energized, and didn't completely understand what had happened
last night, but he hoped whatever had would help Selenity in
her quest. They only had three days to unlock her powers and
those three days would pass swiftly. Stepping into his
bathroom, her made a mental list of all the things he'd have to
do when he was clean, and closed the door behind him.




Author's Note: Phew! Wow, that took a long time to write.
I'll try and get the next chapter out asap! I'm sorry it took
so long to get this out, I had a major case of writer's block
for this one! Hopefully I won't keep you waiting too long,
since I hope to have this finished by chapter 30 (and by the
end of August!) so.. yeah... Anyway, please, read and review, I
love hearing what you all think, it keeps me going!

Question, comments, reviews! I love them all! Heck, even a well
written flame or critique is welcome!

e-mail to: Jademax@hotmail.com

Thanks for reading!

Jade_Max