Chapter 8: The Unexplained
Darien stepped back away from the door to let the little girl into the room. He felt a stirring within him from the familiar wondrous gaze and bright smile. She was holding a cat-like ball in her arms, her suitcase hanging from her free hand. She turned to Serena, who was beginning to realize that the little girl looked familiar, and she ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Mommy! I thought I'd never find you! I'm sorry I wandered away mommy." Serena looked up at Darien who was shutting the door and walking towards them. He touched the girl's shoulder and she looked up. "Daddy, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." The cat- like ball floated over from where the girl had dropped it and nodded at her. The girl moved away from Serena and began to speak to the cat. "What do you mean Luna-P? This has to be who we've been looking for. This is my mommy." Serena, baffled, began to question her. "I'm sorry to say this, but we don't know exactly what you're talking about." The girl turned to Serena Darien and said, "Well, my name is Rini and we've been looking for my mommy's crystal. I was in her room one day and I was looking at her crystal and it disappeared. My mommy was mad about it, but I'm sure she's forgiven me. That's when my mommy's friend, Setsuna, told me to come with her, and I went through time and ended up here." Darien stood up and picked up Rini. "Well, the other girls are waiting, so how about we go eat dinner, and straighten all of this out later. I bet you're hungry by now right?" She nodded in agreement and they left to meet up with their friends, the floating Luna-P following behind them.
* * * * The three of them finally reached the dining room, Rini's hands in both Serena and Darien's. She looked around, amazed, until she recognized the other girls at a table. She walked over to the table and sat down, Luna-P right at her heels. Serena and Darien went to the buffet table and filled their plates. Once they got to the table, Rini was already acquainted with the others and was asking different things, like their favorite hobbies, or colors. Dinner went very quickly and once they were done, the girls left the three alone to talk. Darien and Serena sat on the rail and Rini on the deck floor. She pulled a key out her shirt, and took its chain off from around her neck and handed it to Serena. "The time guardian told me that time is like a river. The time gates are the ports, and that key is the boat. She gave me that to travel from one time to the other. I came here to find my mother's crystal, and I need your help. You look so much like my mommy, that you seem to be the one who might know something about it." Serena and Darien looked at eachother, still confused, but some recognition was in their eyes as they listened to the little girl. "I was looking at it one day, and all of a sudden it had disappeared. I was rather frightened to tell my mother, for that was very important to her. So, I told her friends and they all helped me here. She once told me that the crystal was the reason for the prosperity I saw around me." Serena looked at Darien again and then got up. "Well, it's getting late and I'm sure it's way past your bedtime. We'll talk about this in the morning." Serena picked up Rini, who reluctantly laid her head down on Serena's shoulder. "But, I'm not tired, and I don't really know and my mommy said not to." She stop mid-sentence and yawned, closed her eyes. Darien followed behind with Luna-P right behind him. 'She looks so lovely and gentle with Rini in her arms. Like she's her own, a little vase afraid to break.' Darien smiled at her and took her free hand into his own. They walked down the stairs into the hallway, never realizing that this little girl, so quiet and innocent, could change everything between them. Possibly make them closer.
* * * * Serena gently laid Rini in her bed. Until they figured out this all, she would be sleeping in the adjoining room. This way she would be by them. She gently pulled the covers over Rini and kissed her goodnight. As she did, a flash of a memory came to her.
A happy, serene mother gently tucked her little girl into her bed. She kissed her saying, "Goodnight Rini, my sweet angel. I'll see you in the morning. When the sun begins smile upon you, and stars are asleep, that's when we'll see eachother again." Rini slowly opened her eyes, the look of sadness gone from them. "Thanks mommy. Can you sing me a lullaby?" She pulled a chair over to her daughter's bed and sat in it. "Sure. This is a lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was little." She cleared her throat and her clear voice rang out in familiar melody. "Little girl why the tears. I look at you, you smile and the sun shines. Go to sleep, dream light songs of melodious lines. Where you are, I'll be there to comfort your fears. When you wake, I'll be with you. The hours till then will seem few.." She looked down at Rini and, noticing she was asleep, stopped singing and stood. She looked towards the door and saw Endymion and smiled at him.
* * * * Serena looked up from where she had been staring at Rini and shook her head. "That was strange. I don't even think I knew about that one." Slowly she left the room, thoughts still swirling through her mind and moved towards the wardrobe chest she would be sharing with Darien. She slipped out of her dress and hung it up on the empty hangar and picked up Darien's T- shirt. She brought it to her nose and inhaled. 'Still smells like him.' She said to herself with a little smile upon her lips. "Now back to the matter at hand." She thought aloud as she slipped the shirt on over her head. "Where did that vision come from and what does is mean? Is it another memory?" She clenched her fists in frustration and brought her lips into a pout. "Oh, I want to know everything!" She jumped up in surprise and turned to see that Darien was behind her. Holding her hand to her heart she put on a face of fake anger. "Darien, shame, shame. You know better than that. Sneaking up on a lady like that. Darien put his lips into a child-like pout and his dark blue eyes looked down at his feet. "Sorry, Serena." Then he looked up and scooped her up into his arms. "Well, next time when I want you attention, I'll remember to think of a better way to catch it." He touched her nose gently with a butterfly kiss and set her back down on the floor. He looked over her clothes before saying, "Serena, the shirt isn't really a necessity with me." Serena turned and began rummaging through her wardrobe. "I'm sorry Darien, I thought it's be alright. I mean, I wore it once so I thought that it was alright for me to wear it again. I'll change." Darien laughed deep from within his chest and took her hand. "That's not what I meant, but that's OK." Serena stood up and followed Darien to their bed. Darien turned towards her and smiled at her. The way that his huge shirt hung off her shoulders made her look more appealing. He kissed her lips, deepening the kiss with a slow gentleness. He pulled away from her and climbed into the bed. Serena followed pursuit, suddenly feeling a chill on her spine. She pulled the covers close to her chin and slowly closed her eyes. A minute later, she felt Darien moving closer to her, so close she could feel his soft, even breathing on her bare neck. He wrapped his arms around her, linking his fingers in front of her. He gently kissed her neck, making his way down her shoulder and back up. "Oh Darien, I love you." He stopped kissing her and said, "I love you too my princess." Then he kissed her gently on the lips, deepening the kiss, deeper and deeper for about two minutes. Thirty minutes later, they finally fell asleep, wrapped in eachother's love.
"Ok, I'm telling you Mina, they're still sleeping. Knowing Serena, she'll sleep in until at least noon." Raye, Amy, Mina and Lita had just woke up and gotten dressed. As they walked to the dining hall, Mina and Lita agreed on getting Serena, Darien and Rini to join them. A minute later, they reached Serena and Darien's room and gently knocked on the door. Slowly Darien opened it. "Hey girls, do you want to speak with Serena?" Mina nodded before saying, "Yeah, she's awake already?" Darien nodded and stepped back to reveal Serena sitting in front of the dressing table playing with Rini's hair. She looked up and said, "Hey girls! I'll be with you in a few minutes." Than she turned to Rini and said, "Go with girls for breakfast. I'll be there in a few minutes. Take Luna with you, I'm sure she starved." Rini jumped down from the chair and ran out the room with Luna right behind her. Darien closed the door softly behind them and walked slowly over to Serena and wrapped his arms around her. She looked up at him and said, "Are you coming to breakfast with me?" Darien shook his head. "I have plans with Ada to spend the day with her. I hope you don't mind." Serena turned around in his embrace. "Oh, I don't mind. I'll just see you tonight than." Darien kissed her before leaving the room. Serena finished getting dressed, than left to join her friends. When they were all done, they agreed on taking a walk around the ship. The day went by quickly for the six girls. After Serena said goodnight to her friends, she Rini down to their room and put her to bed. She noticed that Darien wasn't back yet, so she left the room and walked down the hall and up the stairs. She looked around the deck until she finally found him. As she got closer, she couldn't believe what she was seeing; Darien was kissing Ada. Serena sobbed softly before quietly running away. When she reached her room, she threw herself onto her bed and cried with everything within her.
Darien stepped back away from the door to let the little girl into the room. He felt a stirring within him from the familiar wondrous gaze and bright smile. She was holding a cat-like ball in her arms, her suitcase hanging from her free hand. She turned to Serena, who was beginning to realize that the little girl looked familiar, and she ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Mommy! I thought I'd never find you! I'm sorry I wandered away mommy." Serena looked up at Darien who was shutting the door and walking towards them. He touched the girl's shoulder and she looked up. "Daddy, I'm sorry. Please forgive me." The cat- like ball floated over from where the girl had dropped it and nodded at her. The girl moved away from Serena and began to speak to the cat. "What do you mean Luna-P? This has to be who we've been looking for. This is my mommy." Serena, baffled, began to question her. "I'm sorry to say this, but we don't know exactly what you're talking about." The girl turned to Serena Darien and said, "Well, my name is Rini and we've been looking for my mommy's crystal. I was in her room one day and I was looking at her crystal and it disappeared. My mommy was mad about it, but I'm sure she's forgiven me. That's when my mommy's friend, Setsuna, told me to come with her, and I went through time and ended up here." Darien stood up and picked up Rini. "Well, the other girls are waiting, so how about we go eat dinner, and straighten all of this out later. I bet you're hungry by now right?" She nodded in agreement and they left to meet up with their friends, the floating Luna-P following behind them.
* * * * The three of them finally reached the dining room, Rini's hands in both Serena and Darien's. She looked around, amazed, until she recognized the other girls at a table. She walked over to the table and sat down, Luna-P right at her heels. Serena and Darien went to the buffet table and filled their plates. Once they got to the table, Rini was already acquainted with the others and was asking different things, like their favorite hobbies, or colors. Dinner went very quickly and once they were done, the girls left the three alone to talk. Darien and Serena sat on the rail and Rini on the deck floor. She pulled a key out her shirt, and took its chain off from around her neck and handed it to Serena. "The time guardian told me that time is like a river. The time gates are the ports, and that key is the boat. She gave me that to travel from one time to the other. I came here to find my mother's crystal, and I need your help. You look so much like my mommy, that you seem to be the one who might know something about it." Serena and Darien looked at eachother, still confused, but some recognition was in their eyes as they listened to the little girl. "I was looking at it one day, and all of a sudden it had disappeared. I was rather frightened to tell my mother, for that was very important to her. So, I told her friends and they all helped me here. She once told me that the crystal was the reason for the prosperity I saw around me." Serena looked at Darien again and then got up. "Well, it's getting late and I'm sure it's way past your bedtime. We'll talk about this in the morning." Serena picked up Rini, who reluctantly laid her head down on Serena's shoulder. "But, I'm not tired, and I don't really know and my mommy said not to." She stop mid-sentence and yawned, closed her eyes. Darien followed behind with Luna-P right behind him. 'She looks so lovely and gentle with Rini in her arms. Like she's her own, a little vase afraid to break.' Darien smiled at her and took her free hand into his own. They walked down the stairs into the hallway, never realizing that this little girl, so quiet and innocent, could change everything between them. Possibly make them closer.
* * * * Serena gently laid Rini in her bed. Until they figured out this all, she would be sleeping in the adjoining room. This way she would be by them. She gently pulled the covers over Rini and kissed her goodnight. As she did, a flash of a memory came to her.
A happy, serene mother gently tucked her little girl into her bed. She kissed her saying, "Goodnight Rini, my sweet angel. I'll see you in the morning. When the sun begins smile upon you, and stars are asleep, that's when we'll see eachother again." Rini slowly opened her eyes, the look of sadness gone from them. "Thanks mommy. Can you sing me a lullaby?" She pulled a chair over to her daughter's bed and sat in it. "Sure. This is a lullaby my mother used to sing to me when I was little." She cleared her throat and her clear voice rang out in familiar melody. "Little girl why the tears. I look at you, you smile and the sun shines. Go to sleep, dream light songs of melodious lines. Where you are, I'll be there to comfort your fears. When you wake, I'll be with you. The hours till then will seem few.." She looked down at Rini and, noticing she was asleep, stopped singing and stood. She looked towards the door and saw Endymion and smiled at him.
* * * * Serena looked up from where she had been staring at Rini and shook her head. "That was strange. I don't even think I knew about that one." Slowly she left the room, thoughts still swirling through her mind and moved towards the wardrobe chest she would be sharing with Darien. She slipped out of her dress and hung it up on the empty hangar and picked up Darien's T- shirt. She brought it to her nose and inhaled. 'Still smells like him.' She said to herself with a little smile upon her lips. "Now back to the matter at hand." She thought aloud as she slipped the shirt on over her head. "Where did that vision come from and what does is mean? Is it another memory?" She clenched her fists in frustration and brought her lips into a pout. "Oh, I want to know everything!" She jumped up in surprise and turned to see that Darien was behind her. Holding her hand to her heart she put on a face of fake anger. "Darien, shame, shame. You know better than that. Sneaking up on a lady like that. Darien put his lips into a child-like pout and his dark blue eyes looked down at his feet. "Sorry, Serena." Then he looked up and scooped her up into his arms. "Well, next time when I want you attention, I'll remember to think of a better way to catch it." He touched her nose gently with a butterfly kiss and set her back down on the floor. He looked over her clothes before saying, "Serena, the shirt isn't really a necessity with me." Serena turned and began rummaging through her wardrobe. "I'm sorry Darien, I thought it's be alright. I mean, I wore it once so I thought that it was alright for me to wear it again. I'll change." Darien laughed deep from within his chest and took her hand. "That's not what I meant, but that's OK." Serena stood up and followed Darien to their bed. Darien turned towards her and smiled at her. The way that his huge shirt hung off her shoulders made her look more appealing. He kissed her lips, deepening the kiss with a slow gentleness. He pulled away from her and climbed into the bed. Serena followed pursuit, suddenly feeling a chill on her spine. She pulled the covers close to her chin and slowly closed her eyes. A minute later, she felt Darien moving closer to her, so close she could feel his soft, even breathing on her bare neck. He wrapped his arms around her, linking his fingers in front of her. He gently kissed her neck, making his way down her shoulder and back up. "Oh Darien, I love you." He stopped kissing her and said, "I love you too my princess." Then he kissed her gently on the lips, deepening the kiss, deeper and deeper for about two minutes. Thirty minutes later, they finally fell asleep, wrapped in eachother's love.
"Ok, I'm telling you Mina, they're still sleeping. Knowing Serena, she'll sleep in until at least noon." Raye, Amy, Mina and Lita had just woke up and gotten dressed. As they walked to the dining hall, Mina and Lita agreed on getting Serena, Darien and Rini to join them. A minute later, they reached Serena and Darien's room and gently knocked on the door. Slowly Darien opened it. "Hey girls, do you want to speak with Serena?" Mina nodded before saying, "Yeah, she's awake already?" Darien nodded and stepped back to reveal Serena sitting in front of the dressing table playing with Rini's hair. She looked up and said, "Hey girls! I'll be with you in a few minutes." Than she turned to Rini and said, "Go with girls for breakfast. I'll be there in a few minutes. Take Luna with you, I'm sure she starved." Rini jumped down from the chair and ran out the room with Luna right behind her. Darien closed the door softly behind them and walked slowly over to Serena and wrapped his arms around her. She looked up at him and said, "Are you coming to breakfast with me?" Darien shook his head. "I have plans with Ada to spend the day with her. I hope you don't mind." Serena turned around in his embrace. "Oh, I don't mind. I'll just see you tonight than." Darien kissed her before leaving the room. Serena finished getting dressed, than left to join her friends. When they were all done, they agreed on taking a walk around the ship. The day went by quickly for the six girls. After Serena said goodnight to her friends, she Rini down to their room and put her to bed. She noticed that Darien wasn't back yet, so she left the room and walked down the hall and up the stairs. She looked around the deck until she finally found him. As she got closer, she couldn't believe what she was seeing; Darien was kissing Ada. Serena sobbed softly before quietly running away. When she reached her room, she threw herself onto her bed and cried with everything within her.