Title: Dream Diary
Rating: G-PG
Written by: Raseyu & Mistic
anglemoon_raseyu@yahoo.com & mistic@flash.net
Chapter 1
- ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ -^_^ -
The lithe figure of a young man in his late teens walks towards
me. Mists surround us, obscuring my vision, yet somehow, I
feel as though I should know this man.
His eyes, deep blue, the color of a sapphire pool on a moonlit
night bore into my soul. It is as though the façade I show
everyone around me is transparent before him. He calls my
name, but I cannot respond. I do not even know what it is he
calls me. I only know the name that I call him: Endymion.
I call him by name. A voice that is not my own implores
something of him, and his eyes become clouded with a pain I
only wish I could take away...
The same dream. Always the same dream. Why? Why must this
mysterious Endymion haunt me so? It is almost as if he is a
real person calling out to me.
Serena paused in her writing. Images swirled past her mind's
eye in an undistinguishable whirl of colors and symbols. She saw a
face half hidden by mists. Something nagged at the back of her mind
as she unknowingly drew the face in near perfect detail.
Serena's pencil clattered softly to the desk. She blinked
rapidly, forcing her unseeing eyes to refocused on the page or rather
the face she had drawn. A soft gasp escaped the girl's lips as she
stared at the image in disbelief. She knew that face, but from where?
"Earth to Ser-ee-na!" An annoyingly, sweet voice sang as a
hand snatched Serena's diary away from her immobile form.
Serena's head shot up like a bullet. She had to blink a dew
times before her dream clouded eyes were able to focus on the young
boy before her. He was about ten with sandy blonde hair and bright
blue eyes. Though his figure was thin and wiry, small traces of baby
fat could still be seen in his cheeks. A scowl spread across
Serena's face as she recognized her brother's smirk.
"What do you want?" Serena nearly growled, trying to get her
diary back.
"Mom says to come down for dinner, of course, I could tell her
that you are writing in your -diary-" Sammy taunted, holding the black
book behind his back.
"You wouldn't dare!" Serena a shrieked finally getting her
book back with a successful lunge. She hugged the black book
protectively to her chest; her eyes widening in fear. 'He wouldn't
dare,' she though, 'or would he? Well, two can play at this game."
"I would, and you know it." Sammy cried indignantly as he
crossed his arms over his chest.
"Fine. Go ahead and tell her." Serena paused, enjoying the
shocked look that crossed her brother's face, "But, I get to tell her
about that stash of -cooking- magazines (Raseyu ^_~, ^_~) under your
bed.
"You wouldn't dare!" Sammy cried, his eyes bulging from their
sockets.
"I wouldn't hesitate if you told Mom about my diary." Serena
replied coolly as she slipped the black book into her inter-
dimensional pocket.
"Sammy! I thought I told you to get your sister!" Ilene
Tsukino, a woman in her mid thirties, cried standing in the doorway of
Serena's messy room.
"I did." Sammy shrugged as he slipped past his mother into
the hallway.
"Well, come on, Serena. Let's go eat." Ilene's keen eyes
surveyed the room before her, tisking at the sight. "And then you
will clean up this mess."
"Yes, ma'am." Serena mumbled, hanging her head with mock
disgust.
As Ilene left the room, Serena hesitated; her diary was still
in her inter-dimensional pocket. Looking around to make sure nobody
was watching, Serena headed back into her room and carefully hid her
diary so Sammy would not find it.
"Serena, hurry up!" Sammy whined from the stairs. "I'm
getting hungry!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming." Serena muttered in agitation as
she left the room.
As Serena entered the dining room, she found her family about
to sit down to dinner. She moved to join them at the table.
"So, Darling, how was work?" Ilene inquired sweetly as her
husband helped himself to the mashed potatoes.
"Just like every other day," Ken muttered under his breath
before pasting on a smile and saying cheerfully, "Good!"
"Good, dear." Ilene paused thoughtfully, holding the bowl of
potatoes. "Oh, that reminds me! Serena, I saw Melvin today, and he
said you got Monday's math test back. He said he got a 95; how did
you do, Serena?"
"Uh-oh! Serena's busted!" Sammy laughed, making a face at
his sister.
"Umm, I-I did okay, but I can't find my paper. I'll look for
it tomorrow; it has to be around here somewhere (Raseyu-in the
trash!)." Serena replied with a weak smile.
"Oh, well. Maybe it's in that mess you call a room." Ilene
sighed, smiling sweetly at Serena.
"Uh, yeah. I'll look." Serena muttered as she lowered her
head to stare at her plate.
Deep sapphire eyes. Deep blue orbs of stormy emotion. They
were never far from her mind, always resting on the edge of her
vision, unwilling to be vanquished to the deepest recesses of
her mind.
How she longed for the day, they would meet face to face. Her
heart cried at the thought of never seeing his handsome face.
The problem was she only knew his name, but she felt as though
they had known each other for a lifetime and beyond.
Deep in thought, Serena did little more than push her peas
around her plate. Ken and Ilene exchanged worried glances before
turning a questioning gaze to their son. Sammy just shrugged in
response and continued eating.
"Serena, dear," Ilene prompted, "aren't you going to eat?"
"Huh." Serena's head shot up and her cheeks burned a bit as
she responded, "Oh, yeah."
"-I- know what Serena's thinking; she dreaming of her lover,
Mel-vin!" Sammy taunted, laughing and kissing the air. "Smooch,
smooch, Meatball hear!"
"I AM NOT!"
"Sammy, stop teasing your sister." Ken scolded as he lifted a
forkful of potatoes to his mouth.
~*~
After diner, Serena headed to her room and found Luna sleeping
peacefully on her bed.
"Lazy cat." Serena muttered, picking up dirty clothes. "And
she says -I'm- lazy."
Luna lifted sleep-clouded eyes to watch her charge pick up
clothes off the floor and throw them into a laundry basket. After a
few more minuets of listening to Serena's soft muttering, Luna
stretched out and spoke out in her defense.
"Well, Serena," Luna stated gently, scaring the wits out of
the girl. "You are always sleeping or eating instead of fulfilling your
obligations. Not to mention the fact that you slack off in school."
"So?" Serena paused, digging under her bed. Finding a rather
moldy sandwich, Serena wrinkled her nose and threw it in the trash
along with some rather funny looking chips. "I don't see you doing
much, either. I come home and find you sleeping in my be nine times
out of ten."
"I do my investigating best at night-"
"Yeah, right! You curl up at my feet throughout most of the
night." Serena snapped, stacking some of her comics.
"Well, at least the others and I search for the Moon Princess.
All you do is whine like a baby, and I, for one, am sick of it! You put the
name of the Moon Kingdom's greatest warriors to shame-"
"Get out!" Serena cried, her voice deadly clam as she dropped
to her knees. "You know -nothing- about me. You know -nothing- of my
struggles." She paused, taking a shaky breath as her chest contorted
in pain. "Do you even -know- the reason why I do poorly in school?
Do you -know- the reason I fall asleep all the time? Have you ever
-once- stopped to ask?"
Shocked silence was the only answer Serena's questions
received. Luna tried to think of something to say. Something that
would take away the young girl's pain, but she had no clue where this
agony had come from.
"Serena-I-I'm-"
"Please, just go away." Serena pleaded, desperately trying to
hide her tears. "I just need some time to myself."
Hanging her head in shame, Luna moved to the open window and
hopped out onto a tree branch. With one final look back over her
shoulder, Luna allowed her own tears to fall as she fled into the
safety of the falling night.
"I do know; that's the problem."
A sob rose unbidden within Serena's throat, and she quickly
scooped up her comic books to hide it. With labored steps, Serena
crossed the room to her bookshelves where she began to reshelf them
with a passion. Fumbling with the last two, Serena finally gave up
and allowed them to fall to the ground.
The room was clean now save the two comics sitting at her feet,
but Serena took no pride in her work. Her heart was too full of shame
for what she had said to the one person who might be able to understand
her pain. She had never taken her anger out on another human being.
She had never raised her voice in -real- anger. Nevertheless, today
she had done both, and the shame she felt was all consuming.
Glistening streaks left by tears, winked like diamonds in the
soft light of twilight. Gentle sobs shook Serena's fragile form as
she too slid to the ground. Only then did Serena allow her tears to
take control. After a short time had passed, she gave into the pure
exhaustion being Sailor Moon had left within her but not before
whispering,
"I'm sorry."
~*~
Serena's eyes flew open. Her senses prickled with the
sensation of danger. Someone was in trouble, and they needed her help,
desperately.
Clutching at her broach, Serena whispered softly, "Moon prism
power, make up."
In a flurry of light, Serena felt her clothes fade away and
ribbons wind themselves protectively around her fragile body. An
invisible wind pulled playfully at her hair, renewing her strength and
awakening her senses.
Swiftly, Sailor Moon climbed out of her window and onto a tree
branch. With a rather impressive flip, she landed safely, softly on
the ground outsider her second-story bedroom window. Without even a
final glance towards the house, Serena was off and running. A growing
sense of urgency her only guide as she sprinted through the ever-
darkening night.
The shrill beeping of her communicator sliced through the
silence of downtown Tokyo, but Serena did not hesitate in her run. If
she answered the call, she would be putting too many lives in danger.
Deep in her heart, Serena knew the others would forgive her if she did
not answer the call. Therefore, she continued her race, knowing that
time was of the essence.
When Sailor Moon arrived on the battle scene, she hesitated.
Something deep within her told her not to enter the fight until the
last minute. She had a feeling that one of her senshi would need
her before the battle was through. Better to enter just in the
nick of time like Tuxedo Mask rather than barge into a situation she
knew nothing about. With this in mind, Sailor Moon retreated to the
safety of a nearby tree where she could watch the battle from a safe
distance.
Peering down between the branches of her hiding spot, Moon
studied the battlefield below. Directly below her, Sailor Mars stood
deep in concentration and oblivious to what was going on around her, or
so it seemed. Using low level attacks and taunting phrases, Sailor
Venus and Jupiter were keeping the monster at bay. The blue haired
Senshi of Mercury stood off to the side just out of the creature's
line of vision, typing furiously into her palm-top computer.
Since her friends had the situation relatively under control,
Sailor Moon turned her attention to the actual monster. The thing was
actually strikingly beautiful in a rather twisted way. It had long
shapely limbs made of ice-like crystal and a well-developed bust
hidden by a dress of sheer blue material. Long flowing tendrils of
ice-white hair framed a well-structured face and complemented the
creature's violet eyes. However, one abnormality in the creature's
appearance sent the eyes of Sailor Moon nearly bulged from their
sockets. The creature had four arms and in each hand, she carried a
different mediaeval weapon. Around the creature's waist, a whip lay
coiled, waiting for its mistress to strike.
"Akuryo Taisan."
The words were soft, so soft that the creature did not hear
them. A slip of paper with the same phrase written on it flew through
the air, heading straight for the creature's muscular back. How the
monster knew to dodge was beyond Moon, but that is exactly what it
did. The creature ducked down and grabbed her whip with lightning
speed. Within the blink of an eye, shredded paper fluttered down to
the ground at Mars's feet. The Senshi of Mars gulped visibly while
another attack was hurtled full throttle at the monster.
"Ep!" Sailor Moon shrieked as she clamped a hand over her own
mouth to stop the sound.
"What are you doing here, Sailor Moon? Why aren't you down
their helping your friends?" Tuxedo Mask demanded, his eyes smoldering
with white-hot fire.
"Shhh!" Moon hissed putting a gloved finger to her protector's
mouth. "You want of blow my cover?!"
"No, but what are you doing here?" Tuxedo Mask hissed right
back, grabbing Moon's wrist.
"Waiting."
"Waiting! Waiting for what-doom's day?"
"The right moment."
"Why? Why don't you just jump into the fray like you normally
do?"
"Because if I do one of them will -die-."
Wide, incredulous eyes stared at Sailor Moon as though she had
lost her mind, but she did not see them. Instead, her vision dimmed,
and the sounds of battle faded to a dull hum that died away.
Sailor Mercury stood shouting to her fellow Senshi, but they
did not hear her. She never saw the ice crystal headed
straight for her. A silent scream left her pale lips as the
crystal pierced her chest just above the heart. The Senshi
of Mercury fell to her knees unnoticed by anyone as the
creature turned to dust.
"MERCURY, LOOK OUT!" Sailor Moon cried as she practically
flew from her hiding place. She ran as hard as her legs would allow.
Her speed was great, but she knew she would never make it in time.
With a cry of frustration, Sailor Moon threw herself into Mercury,
crying, "MOON TWILIGHT SHEILD!" (Mistic: should be FLASH but I liked
shield better; read on and you'll see why.)
Silver light encompassed the two Senshi shattering the crystal
into a million tiny pieces. Several of the small pieces bombarded
Sailor Moon, tearing her flesh but not killing her. With a groan, Moon
turned her attention away from her friend, knowing she was safe and
rose to her feet.
"How dare you try killing one of my best friends! I am the
Pretty Sailor Suited Solider of the Moon, and in the place of the Moon,
I shall punish you!" Moon pulled the Crescent Moon Wand from its
hiding place and twirled it in her hand. Drawing a perfect circle of
light in the air, she closed her eyes and shouted, "Moon healing
activation!"
The circle of light sped towards the creature and encompassed
her immobile form, purging her system of evil influences. Within
seconds the creature had turned back into a human and fell to the
ground in a dead faint. It was then that the Senshi stepped forward to speak
with their leader.
"Well, well, well. So our esteemed leader finally shows up."
Mars growled her face contorted in anger. "Where were you?!"
"Can it, pryo! I don't need this from you right now." Moon
shot back, fire in her eyes and stone in her words. "You can badger me
later, but right now Mercury is more important to me than listening to
your temper-tantrum."
Stunned silence fell upon the clearing as Moon walked past the
Senshi of Fire to where Mercury was shaking her head still trying to
figure out what exactly happened to her.
"Uh-Wh-what happened?" Mercury asked, her eyes wide with
confusion as Moon came to her aide.
"Sailor Moon here recklessly put all our lives in danger just
so she could sleep a little long-"
"Shut your mouth, Sailor Mars." All eyes turned to stare at
Venus, who looked like she was ready to kill a certain Martian. She
took a step forward before stating, "You don't really know what
happened nor why Sailor Moon, here, was late. She could have been
waiting for a -good- opportunity to strike."
"Yeah, Venus's is right, Mars. We don't know what just
happened; only that Moon just saved Mercury's life from an attack none
of us would have ever seen coming."
"Yeah, well, she could have at least answered the communicator.
She didn't have to keep it to herself that she was coming." Mars
stated haughtily, trying to save her wounded pride.
"She has a point." Jupiter popped up earning her a glare from
both Moon and Venus that asked, 'whose side are you on, anyway'.
"Wha-what did I say?"
"Well, Moon, why didn't you call?" Mercury inquired with kind
eyes as she laid a gentle hand on Moon's scraped arm.
Moon shifted uncomfortably before she mumbled, "I-I left my
communicator at home?"
Four jaws dropped to the ground and eight eyes widened in
shock. As one, they cried, "WHAT!"
Moon shrunk back uncomfortably and muttered in a soft voice,
"I-I accidentally left my communicator at home." Well it was a lie,
but it would have to do. She could not tell them her real reason for
not calling without drawing some suspicion.
"How did you know we were in trouble?" Venus asked.
'There goes that idea.' Serena thought, her eyes growing wide
as a mischievous thought entered her mind. 'I could always play dumb.'
"Lucky guess?" Serena half asked, half stated, shrugging her
shoulders.
Anger boiled within Mars's blood. Their leader had put all of
their lives in danger and then she just shrugged it off. 'Ohh, I don't
think so, buddy!'
"You just risked all of our neck by leaving your communicator
at -home- and then you have the nerve to act as though it's no big
deal! Ohh-you make me SO MAD!" Mars shrieked, the fire never leaving
her eyes.
"I-I'm s-sorry, Mars. I-it won't happen again; I promise."
Sailor Moon squeaked still playing innocent.
"Whatever. I'm going home. I'll see you -ladies- tomorrow."
Mars huffed, turning a threatening look towards Moon before walking
briskly away from the battle scene.
"I-I'm going to go after her. I'll see you tomorrow, Gals."
Lita sighed as she ran after the steaming Senshi of Mars all the while
shrieking, "Hey, Mars! Wait up!"
Two of the three remaining Senshi giggled at Lita's antics.
Leave it to the fighter of the group to calm down the fire driven one.
"Umm, why don't you two go home. I-I have some things that I
need to think about." Moon stated quietly after the giggles died down.
"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself, Sere?" Venus asked,
her eyes filled with sisterly concern.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides you two live in the opposite
direction, and you'll be endangering yourselves if you walk me home."
Two worried looks and Moon was giggling. "You two are worse than my
mother! I'll be fine. Really, I'll be just fine."
"Well, okay, Sere, if you think you'll be all right."
"I'll be fine, Mercury. Really, I will." Moon stated with a small smile.
"Well, all right then. Good night, Sere. I guess, I'll see
you at school." Mercury stated with a worried glance as she sauntered
slowly away.
"Really, girls, I'll be just fine." Serena giggled as Venus
moved to join Mercury in her journey home. She watched until they
disappeared from sight before inclining her head to regard the star
filled night sky. She sighed willing the pain in her hands to go away.
"Stupid wand." She muttered softly, knowing she would do again.
There was no other way to defeat the monsters of the Nega Verse
without killing them.
Sailor Moon shivered. Someone was watching her; she could
feel it. With a sigh, Moon called out, "Their gone now."
Tuxedo Mask's jaw dropped as he stepped out from behind a
tree. "How did you know?"
"So it is you."
"How did you know?" Tuxedo Mask demanded again, forcing Moon
to look at him.
"I could feel you." She replied softly, so softly that Tuxedo
Mask had to lean down to hear her words clearly.
Silence draped around the clearing as Sailor Moon turned her
attention back to the sky. Tuxedo Mask could find no response to the
girl's earlier words so he just sat beside her in comfortable silence.
Ten minutes passed like that before Tuxedo Mask broke the
silence. "Why didn't you tell them the truth?"
Tilting her head at a thoughtful angle, she asked, "About
what?"
"The reason you did not enter the battle until the last
minute."
"They would have thought I had lost my mind." Moon replied
softly. "I think I may have."
"I don't." Tuxedo Mask stated simply as he took Sailor Moon's
gloved hand in his. "I think-"
"It does not matter." Moon stated simply, trying to get her
burned hand back from his grasp. "They would never have believed me,
and frankly, I am surprise you do-"
"I saw the fear in your eyes... By the way, how did you know to
be here if you did not have your communicator?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Moon stated solemnly
as she began to rise. "Look, I thank you for your concern, b-but I
have to get going-"
Reaching up to grab Sailor Moon's wrist Tuxedo Mask asked
softly, "What happened?"
"I-I have to go." Sailor Moon cried, breaking her wrist from
Tuxedo Mask's grip. "I'm sorry." She whispered before fleeing into
the darkness of the night, leaving a stunned Tuxedo Mask in her wake.
~*~
Silent as a cat, Serena climbed into her bedroom window. With
a sigh of relief, she tiptoed over to her bed; a gentle smile slowly
graced her lips at what she found.
A small black ball of fluff lie curled up at the edge of her
bed. The sound of soft, steady breathing drifted though the air to
Serena's ears. Luna had come back sometime during the battle.
Apparently, her anger was as gone as Serena's, but Serena knew that
she must make amends in the morning.
With that thought in mind, Serena pulled off her school
uniform and threw it into the overflowing laundry basket. She pulled
a nightgown out of her dresser drawers and changed into it. She
pulled the hairpins out of her golden locks, allowing the confined
hair to cascade down her back in a waterfall of gold. Petting Luna's
soft fur with gentle fingers, Serena whispered, "Good night, Luna,"
before climbing into bed and quickly falling into a restless sleep.
~*~
The light of the early morning streamed into Serena's open
window. It seeped farther and farther into the room as though it was
searching for the girl sleeping within. Slowly, the rays inched their
way across Serena's bed hoping to play with the child's golden locks.
However, today, there were no locks of spun gold in which to play only
the dark midnight fur of a sleeping guardian cat.
A gentle knock resounded at the door followed moments later by
a creak as it slowly swung inward. Ilene Tsukino strolled silently
across the room speaking to her daughter, or so she thought, "Serena,
it's time to get up, dear. I have pancakes on the-stove."
"KEN!" Ilene cried out.
"Yes, Dear." Ken Tsukino answered, entering his daughter's
room. He had a tie in one hand and his blazer half on and half off.
His glasses nearly fell off his nose as he stood in the doorway looking
perplexed.
"Have you seen Serena this morning?" Ilene inquired softly,
her voice laced with worry as she stepped in front of the bed.
"No, why?"
"See for yourself." Ilene replied stepping aside so Ken could
see.
~*~
Sunlight streamed through the canopy of cheery blossoms and
gently played with a young woman's waterfall of golden hair. A black
book lay in her lap and color pencil after color pencil moved quickly
across the page, being discarded almost as soon as they were taken up.
So intent was she in her drawing that she never noticed the young man
watching her. The minutes and hours seemed to have slipped by as
quickly as the dawn's lights brightened horizon. If asked how long
she had been sitting there, she could not say. She had totally lost
track of everything save her drawing.
Suddenly the girl paused to look over her work. She had drawn
a couple kissing under the light of the blue Earth that was hanging in
the background just beyond the balcony. The man's back was turned to
the audience though his head was titled at such an angle that the
viewer could barely see his profile. A single tear rested gently on
the young woman's porcelain cheek; long sooty eyelashes framed two
beautiful azure eyes closed as if to block out her pain. The girl had
hair of spun gold pulled up in two buns adorned by white lilies and
two streaming ponytails. The white ball gown she wore accented with
gold, silver, and pearls all the way around the bodice. Gold and
silver trimming accented the young man's black armor; a black cape
hung gracefully about the young man's broad shoulders.
The young girl smiled softly as she remembered that particular
moment from her dream. The drawing was of herself and her dream
prince, a man called Endymion. She did not understand how she knew
this but she did. Gazing down at the paper she could not help but
think, 'They looked so happy, so peaceful.' It was hard for her to
imagine that they were the same couple as the one from her dream.
Moments after this scene, she had watch the young couple be torn apart
by another woman's jealousy. She had had such hatred in her eyes. An
eerie feeling had overwhelmed her then, and she could not help but
shudder at the thought now.
~*~
A young man stood not to far off watching the young girl. He
had been standing there for hours captivated by the beauty before him.
He felt as though he should know this girl but had no idea why. Once
or twice, he had caught a fleeting glimpse of her face, but the sun
always hit it at just the right angle to mask her features from view.
However, he had been able to see one feature that struck him as no
other could. Her soulful azure eyes sparkled in the sunlight
captivating his heart and soul with one glance. They were eyes a man
could drown in and he should know; he was already drowning.
He stood there for a while longer just drinking in the beauty
before him. He wished to speak with her but lacked the courage to do
so. Instead, he settled for watching her as she drew with such passion
it captivated him. How could one person draw with so much passion in
their eyes and their strokes? He had never before seen anyone put so
much raw emotion into their work as she did.
When the young girl's hand ceased its task, the young man
moved a bit closer so he could see what she had drawn over her
shoulder. The painting captivated him almost as firmly as the young
girl's wistful smile. It was not until she shuddered, whether in fear
or dread, he did not know, that he broke the silence that had fallen
upon their small world.
"Are you all right, Miss?" The young man asked gently, laying
a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder, "I couldn't help but
notice your sudden shudder. Is there anything wrong?"
The sound of soft bell like laughter was the response the
young man received as two azure eyes locked with midnight blue. More
than a little confused the young man asked again, "Are you all right?"
"I-I'm f-fine." The young girl choked out, trying to bite
back her giggles. A confused look passed over the young man's face making it
impossible for the young girl to hold back her giggles.
"I-it's just t-that laugh I can't believe that you d-don't
rec-recognize me... ha, ha...I-it's just too funny!"
"MEATBALL HEAD?" The young man cried incredulously, his eyes
wide with shock and his mouth hanging open.
"I-in the flesh!" Serena giggled turning her face up to Darien
once more and holding her stomach.
"What happened to the meatballs?" Darien asked in disbelief,
his mind still not computing that this golden nymph really was his
angel.
Laughter and more giggling were the response Darien's comment
received. After five or so minutes of giggling, Serena sneaked a peak
at Darien's less than amused face and coughed trying to get control of
herself. Once accomplished, Serena raised an eyebrow in question as she
inquired in a mock serious tone, "I couldn't very well sleep in those,
now could I?"
"No, I guess not but-" Darien's swept an appreciative glance
over Serena's slender curves clad in tight jeans and a pale pink
spaghetti tee that revealed her creamy neckline. 'Wow, she is a
looker,' he thought, 'Wait a minute! Did she not say she could not
sleep with her hair up-"Then how can she wear something like THAT to
sleep in?"
"Very easily, Darien, I didn't." Serena replied, her eyes
sparkling with mischief and laughter.
"Huh, oh-opps!" Darien blushed becomingly, she had caught off
guard. "That is to say--"
"You're blushing." Serena stated with a slight giggle.
"Yeah, well-that is to say-"
"Gee, your thoughts must not have been too clean if your tongue has
been twisted into so many knots." Serena paused, passing a critical eye
over Darien's physique. 'Khakis, a black dress-shirt, and that awful
green blazer. He must not have gone for his morning run,' Serena
thought. His hair was tousled like he had not had a chance to comb it
but that was the only thing out of place. After a moment, Serena
returned her gaze to Darien's face, a mischievous glint in her azure
eyes as she playfully stated, "Now go away and let me get back to my
drawing... I have no desire to have a conversation with myself since you
are so tongue-tied you can not respond."
"Hey!" Darien cried indignantly, suddenly finding his voice again.
"I CAN TO speak!"
"Sure you can that's just why you could not for coherent sentences
a few moments ago."
"That's not fair! You caught me off guard!"
"How so?" Serena asked, her eyebrow-raised inquiringly.
"I've never seen you look so beautiful before-that is to say-
mature... Ugh-great! Not again!"
Serena just chuckled. The expression on Darien's face was
priceless. 'Gee, makes me kinda wish I had a camera.' Serena's face
dropped at the thought. She rarely had a camera when she needed one.
'Drats!' She thought as she shifted her weight a bit, causing the
drawing tablet to shift with her. 'Oh, I forgot about that!'
Taking one last look at Darien's blushing face, Serena turned to a
new page, picked up a pencil, and began to draw a preliminary sketch.
The girl was nearly through with her sketch when Darien finally realized
she was not laughing at him or teasing him mercilessly like so many had
done before.
With a sigh, Darien lowered himself to sit beside Serena. A
comfortable silence draped around the clearing as the two young people
just enjoyed each other's company. Or rather, one enjoyed the other's
company, and the other was so intent on her drawing she dared not say a
word.
After a while, when Serena's pace finally slowed, Darien finally
ventured a whisper, "Thank you."
"For what?" Serena inquired, turning a perplexed look upon
Darien's relaxed form.
"For not laughing at me or making fun of what I said." Darien
stated gently, his eyes shinning with some emotion Serena could not
place but did not doubt.
"Why would I? You were frustrated. When that happens, people
often say things that they mean wholeheartedly but never meant to say."
"You surprise me."
"How so?"
"You are so much more intelligent than you, or anyone for that
matter, gives you credit for. Not to mention, you are one -heck- of an
artist." Darien gestured to the portrait Serena had drawn with such
fervor. "How on earth did you get so good at that?"
"My grandmother." Serena stated simply, retracing some lines with
her ink pen.
"Did she teach you?"
"Yes-well, not really.
"When I was little, my grandmother would take me up into the
mountains to stay with her over the summer. One night, there was this
terrible storm, and I had horrible nightmares. There was darkness
everywhere. I could feel it pulling at my soul. I screamed.
"Nana, came running to my room. She rocked me gently and told me
that there was nothing to fear. She handed me this book that I hold
here in my hands and told me to draw what I had seen..."
"What did you draw?" Darien asked, truly intrigued.
"Carnage. The kind left by wars." Serena replied as a shudder
washed over her frame.
"That's aw-"
~*~
"SERENA!" A male voice called cutting off Darien's words and
successfully breaking the moment between the two.
~*~
"Oh no!" Serena shrieked swiftly turning from Darien and
gathering her stuff. "I lost track of the time!"
"I'll say; you've been here for over an hour." Darien stated
as he helped Serena gather her scattered color pencils. The moment was
broken. He might as well return to the ways things had always been.
"I've been here since five thirty, Darien." Serena corrected
as she took her color pencil from Darien's larger hand.
"Wha-"
"I don't have time to explain." Serena paused looking down at
her diary and back to Darien. With a sigh and a heavy heart, Serena
pushed the book into Darien's open hands along with her other supplies.
"M-my dad will kill me if he knows what I have been doing-" Serena
shook her head indicating for Darien to listen. "Please, do me this
one favor and hold onto these for me. I-I don't want my father to have
them. They are too personal-for some reason, I trust you-more than I
trust anyone else. Please, just keep them safe for me."
"Serena!" Ken's voice called, growing louder with every call.
Serena's eyes were wide and desperate, pleading with Darien to
understand. For some reason, she had a feeling he would. "Please,
Darien."
Dumbfounded, Darien found he could do nothing more than nod his
head.
"Thank you!" Serena cried giving Darien a bear hug and a peck
on the cheek before running towards the voice leaving Darien to sit
where he was and ponder what the heck just happened.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Okay before you start going off the deep end and saying, 'Serena would
never do that,' I just have this to say: It's my fan fic and I'll do what I want
to!
^_^
Question: Anybody figure out what the point of this chapter was? I'll give
you a hint, reread the last three pages.
To Raseyu: Thank you for giving me many of the ideas found in the argument
between Serena and Luna as well as the dinner scene. I could not have written
them half as well without the section that you gave me! Sorry, I deviated
from that stupid outline! To tell you the truth; I made a new one! ^_^;
When you said you were at your grandmother's house, it gave the idea for
part of Darien and Serena's conversation at the end.
Raseyu: Hey there everyone, I hope you like the story so far. Yes some of the
Ideas came from me but the whole story Idea came from my friend Mistic. Mistic
you Rock.. She helped me on some of my grammar part because if she didn't you
could tell which part I wrote and which part she wrote. : ) Well I know I did
have much of an impact on the part because I was gone most of the summer but
I will put more into it on the next part. Sailor Scout Promise!! ^_^ \/
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are
(c) Naoko Takeuchi, Bandai, Kodansha,
Toei Animation, etc.
Rating: G-PG
Written by: Raseyu & Mistic
anglemoon_raseyu@yahoo.com & mistic@flash.net
Chapter 1
- ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ - ^_^ - ^_~ -^_^ -
The lithe figure of a young man in his late teens walks towards
me. Mists surround us, obscuring my vision, yet somehow, I
feel as though I should know this man.
His eyes, deep blue, the color of a sapphire pool on a moonlit
night bore into my soul. It is as though the façade I show
everyone around me is transparent before him. He calls my
name, but I cannot respond. I do not even know what it is he
calls me. I only know the name that I call him: Endymion.
I call him by name. A voice that is not my own implores
something of him, and his eyes become clouded with a pain I
only wish I could take away...
The same dream. Always the same dream. Why? Why must this
mysterious Endymion haunt me so? It is almost as if he is a
real person calling out to me.
Serena paused in her writing. Images swirled past her mind's
eye in an undistinguishable whirl of colors and symbols. She saw a
face half hidden by mists. Something nagged at the back of her mind
as she unknowingly drew the face in near perfect detail.
Serena's pencil clattered softly to the desk. She blinked
rapidly, forcing her unseeing eyes to refocused on the page or rather
the face she had drawn. A soft gasp escaped the girl's lips as she
stared at the image in disbelief. She knew that face, but from where?
"Earth to Ser-ee-na!" An annoyingly, sweet voice sang as a
hand snatched Serena's diary away from her immobile form.
Serena's head shot up like a bullet. She had to blink a dew
times before her dream clouded eyes were able to focus on the young
boy before her. He was about ten with sandy blonde hair and bright
blue eyes. Though his figure was thin and wiry, small traces of baby
fat could still be seen in his cheeks. A scowl spread across
Serena's face as she recognized her brother's smirk.
"What do you want?" Serena nearly growled, trying to get her
diary back.
"Mom says to come down for dinner, of course, I could tell her
that you are writing in your -diary-" Sammy taunted, holding the black
book behind his back.
"You wouldn't dare!" Serena a shrieked finally getting her
book back with a successful lunge. She hugged the black book
protectively to her chest; her eyes widening in fear. 'He wouldn't
dare,' she though, 'or would he? Well, two can play at this game."
"I would, and you know it." Sammy cried indignantly as he
crossed his arms over his chest.
"Fine. Go ahead and tell her." Serena paused, enjoying the
shocked look that crossed her brother's face, "But, I get to tell her
about that stash of -cooking- magazines (Raseyu ^_~, ^_~) under your
bed.
"You wouldn't dare!" Sammy cried, his eyes bulging from their
sockets.
"I wouldn't hesitate if you told Mom about my diary." Serena
replied coolly as she slipped the black book into her inter-
dimensional pocket.
"Sammy! I thought I told you to get your sister!" Ilene
Tsukino, a woman in her mid thirties, cried standing in the doorway of
Serena's messy room.
"I did." Sammy shrugged as he slipped past his mother into
the hallway.
"Well, come on, Serena. Let's go eat." Ilene's keen eyes
surveyed the room before her, tisking at the sight. "And then you
will clean up this mess."
"Yes, ma'am." Serena mumbled, hanging her head with mock
disgust.
As Ilene left the room, Serena hesitated; her diary was still
in her inter-dimensional pocket. Looking around to make sure nobody
was watching, Serena headed back into her room and carefully hid her
diary so Sammy would not find it.
"Serena, hurry up!" Sammy whined from the stairs. "I'm
getting hungry!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming." Serena muttered in agitation as
she left the room.
As Serena entered the dining room, she found her family about
to sit down to dinner. She moved to join them at the table.
"So, Darling, how was work?" Ilene inquired sweetly as her
husband helped himself to the mashed potatoes.
"Just like every other day," Ken muttered under his breath
before pasting on a smile and saying cheerfully, "Good!"
"Good, dear." Ilene paused thoughtfully, holding the bowl of
potatoes. "Oh, that reminds me! Serena, I saw Melvin today, and he
said you got Monday's math test back. He said he got a 95; how did
you do, Serena?"
"Uh-oh! Serena's busted!" Sammy laughed, making a face at
his sister.
"Umm, I-I did okay, but I can't find my paper. I'll look for
it tomorrow; it has to be around here somewhere (Raseyu-in the
trash!)." Serena replied with a weak smile.
"Oh, well. Maybe it's in that mess you call a room." Ilene
sighed, smiling sweetly at Serena.
"Uh, yeah. I'll look." Serena muttered as she lowered her
head to stare at her plate.
Deep sapphire eyes. Deep blue orbs of stormy emotion. They
were never far from her mind, always resting on the edge of her
vision, unwilling to be vanquished to the deepest recesses of
her mind.
How she longed for the day, they would meet face to face. Her
heart cried at the thought of never seeing his handsome face.
The problem was she only knew his name, but she felt as though
they had known each other for a lifetime and beyond.
Deep in thought, Serena did little more than push her peas
around her plate. Ken and Ilene exchanged worried glances before
turning a questioning gaze to their son. Sammy just shrugged in
response and continued eating.
"Serena, dear," Ilene prompted, "aren't you going to eat?"
"Huh." Serena's head shot up and her cheeks burned a bit as
she responded, "Oh, yeah."
"-I- know what Serena's thinking; she dreaming of her lover,
Mel-vin!" Sammy taunted, laughing and kissing the air. "Smooch,
smooch, Meatball hear!"
"I AM NOT!"
"Sammy, stop teasing your sister." Ken scolded as he lifted a
forkful of potatoes to his mouth.
~*~
After diner, Serena headed to her room and found Luna sleeping
peacefully on her bed.
"Lazy cat." Serena muttered, picking up dirty clothes. "And
she says -I'm- lazy."
Luna lifted sleep-clouded eyes to watch her charge pick up
clothes off the floor and throw them into a laundry basket. After a
few more minuets of listening to Serena's soft muttering, Luna
stretched out and spoke out in her defense.
"Well, Serena," Luna stated gently, scaring the wits out of
the girl. "You are always sleeping or eating instead of fulfilling your
obligations. Not to mention the fact that you slack off in school."
"So?" Serena paused, digging under her bed. Finding a rather
moldy sandwich, Serena wrinkled her nose and threw it in the trash
along with some rather funny looking chips. "I don't see you doing
much, either. I come home and find you sleeping in my be nine times
out of ten."
"I do my investigating best at night-"
"Yeah, right! You curl up at my feet throughout most of the
night." Serena snapped, stacking some of her comics.
"Well, at least the others and I search for the Moon Princess.
All you do is whine like a baby, and I, for one, am sick of it! You put the
name of the Moon Kingdom's greatest warriors to shame-"
"Get out!" Serena cried, her voice deadly clam as she dropped
to her knees. "You know -nothing- about me. You know -nothing- of my
struggles." She paused, taking a shaky breath as her chest contorted
in pain. "Do you even -know- the reason why I do poorly in school?
Do you -know- the reason I fall asleep all the time? Have you ever
-once- stopped to ask?"
Shocked silence was the only answer Serena's questions
received. Luna tried to think of something to say. Something that
would take away the young girl's pain, but she had no clue where this
agony had come from.
"Serena-I-I'm-"
"Please, just go away." Serena pleaded, desperately trying to
hide her tears. "I just need some time to myself."
Hanging her head in shame, Luna moved to the open window and
hopped out onto a tree branch. With one final look back over her
shoulder, Luna allowed her own tears to fall as she fled into the
safety of the falling night.
"I do know; that's the problem."
A sob rose unbidden within Serena's throat, and she quickly
scooped up her comic books to hide it. With labored steps, Serena
crossed the room to her bookshelves where she began to reshelf them
with a passion. Fumbling with the last two, Serena finally gave up
and allowed them to fall to the ground.
The room was clean now save the two comics sitting at her feet,
but Serena took no pride in her work. Her heart was too full of shame
for what she had said to the one person who might be able to understand
her pain. She had never taken her anger out on another human being.
She had never raised her voice in -real- anger. Nevertheless, today
she had done both, and the shame she felt was all consuming.
Glistening streaks left by tears, winked like diamonds in the
soft light of twilight. Gentle sobs shook Serena's fragile form as
she too slid to the ground. Only then did Serena allow her tears to
take control. After a short time had passed, she gave into the pure
exhaustion being Sailor Moon had left within her but not before
whispering,
"I'm sorry."
~*~
Serena's eyes flew open. Her senses prickled with the
sensation of danger. Someone was in trouble, and they needed her help,
desperately.
Clutching at her broach, Serena whispered softly, "Moon prism
power, make up."
In a flurry of light, Serena felt her clothes fade away and
ribbons wind themselves protectively around her fragile body. An
invisible wind pulled playfully at her hair, renewing her strength and
awakening her senses.
Swiftly, Sailor Moon climbed out of her window and onto a tree
branch. With a rather impressive flip, she landed safely, softly on
the ground outsider her second-story bedroom window. Without even a
final glance towards the house, Serena was off and running. A growing
sense of urgency her only guide as she sprinted through the ever-
darkening night.
The shrill beeping of her communicator sliced through the
silence of downtown Tokyo, but Serena did not hesitate in her run. If
she answered the call, she would be putting too many lives in danger.
Deep in her heart, Serena knew the others would forgive her if she did
not answer the call. Therefore, she continued her race, knowing that
time was of the essence.
When Sailor Moon arrived on the battle scene, she hesitated.
Something deep within her told her not to enter the fight until the
last minute. She had a feeling that one of her senshi would need
her before the battle was through. Better to enter just in the
nick of time like Tuxedo Mask rather than barge into a situation she
knew nothing about. With this in mind, Sailor Moon retreated to the
safety of a nearby tree where she could watch the battle from a safe
distance.
Peering down between the branches of her hiding spot, Moon
studied the battlefield below. Directly below her, Sailor Mars stood
deep in concentration and oblivious to what was going on around her, or
so it seemed. Using low level attacks and taunting phrases, Sailor
Venus and Jupiter were keeping the monster at bay. The blue haired
Senshi of Mercury stood off to the side just out of the creature's
line of vision, typing furiously into her palm-top computer.
Since her friends had the situation relatively under control,
Sailor Moon turned her attention to the actual monster. The thing was
actually strikingly beautiful in a rather twisted way. It had long
shapely limbs made of ice-like crystal and a well-developed bust
hidden by a dress of sheer blue material. Long flowing tendrils of
ice-white hair framed a well-structured face and complemented the
creature's violet eyes. However, one abnormality in the creature's
appearance sent the eyes of Sailor Moon nearly bulged from their
sockets. The creature had four arms and in each hand, she carried a
different mediaeval weapon. Around the creature's waist, a whip lay
coiled, waiting for its mistress to strike.
"Akuryo Taisan."
The words were soft, so soft that the creature did not hear
them. A slip of paper with the same phrase written on it flew through
the air, heading straight for the creature's muscular back. How the
monster knew to dodge was beyond Moon, but that is exactly what it
did. The creature ducked down and grabbed her whip with lightning
speed. Within the blink of an eye, shredded paper fluttered down to
the ground at Mars's feet. The Senshi of Mars gulped visibly while
another attack was hurtled full throttle at the monster.
"Ep!" Sailor Moon shrieked as she clamped a hand over her own
mouth to stop the sound.
"What are you doing here, Sailor Moon? Why aren't you down
their helping your friends?" Tuxedo Mask demanded, his eyes smoldering
with white-hot fire.
"Shhh!" Moon hissed putting a gloved finger to her protector's
mouth. "You want of blow my cover?!"
"No, but what are you doing here?" Tuxedo Mask hissed right
back, grabbing Moon's wrist.
"Waiting."
"Waiting! Waiting for what-doom's day?"
"The right moment."
"Why? Why don't you just jump into the fray like you normally
do?"
"Because if I do one of them will -die-."
Wide, incredulous eyes stared at Sailor Moon as though she had
lost her mind, but she did not see them. Instead, her vision dimmed,
and the sounds of battle faded to a dull hum that died away.
Sailor Mercury stood shouting to her fellow Senshi, but they
did not hear her. She never saw the ice crystal headed
straight for her. A silent scream left her pale lips as the
crystal pierced her chest just above the heart. The Senshi
of Mercury fell to her knees unnoticed by anyone as the
creature turned to dust.
"MERCURY, LOOK OUT!" Sailor Moon cried as she practically
flew from her hiding place. She ran as hard as her legs would allow.
Her speed was great, but she knew she would never make it in time.
With a cry of frustration, Sailor Moon threw herself into Mercury,
crying, "MOON TWILIGHT SHEILD!" (Mistic: should be FLASH but I liked
shield better; read on and you'll see why.)
Silver light encompassed the two Senshi shattering the crystal
into a million tiny pieces. Several of the small pieces bombarded
Sailor Moon, tearing her flesh but not killing her. With a groan, Moon
turned her attention away from her friend, knowing she was safe and
rose to her feet.
"How dare you try killing one of my best friends! I am the
Pretty Sailor Suited Solider of the Moon, and in the place of the Moon,
I shall punish you!" Moon pulled the Crescent Moon Wand from its
hiding place and twirled it in her hand. Drawing a perfect circle of
light in the air, she closed her eyes and shouted, "Moon healing
activation!"
The circle of light sped towards the creature and encompassed
her immobile form, purging her system of evil influences. Within
seconds the creature had turned back into a human and fell to the
ground in a dead faint. It was then that the Senshi stepped forward to speak
with their leader.
"Well, well, well. So our esteemed leader finally shows up."
Mars growled her face contorted in anger. "Where were you?!"
"Can it, pryo! I don't need this from you right now." Moon
shot back, fire in her eyes and stone in her words. "You can badger me
later, but right now Mercury is more important to me than listening to
your temper-tantrum."
Stunned silence fell upon the clearing as Moon walked past the
Senshi of Fire to where Mercury was shaking her head still trying to
figure out what exactly happened to her.
"Uh-Wh-what happened?" Mercury asked, her eyes wide with
confusion as Moon came to her aide.
"Sailor Moon here recklessly put all our lives in danger just
so she could sleep a little long-"
"Shut your mouth, Sailor Mars." All eyes turned to stare at
Venus, who looked like she was ready to kill a certain Martian. She
took a step forward before stating, "You don't really know what
happened nor why Sailor Moon, here, was late. She could have been
waiting for a -good- opportunity to strike."
"Yeah, Venus's is right, Mars. We don't know what just
happened; only that Moon just saved Mercury's life from an attack none
of us would have ever seen coming."
"Yeah, well, she could have at least answered the communicator.
She didn't have to keep it to herself that she was coming." Mars
stated haughtily, trying to save her wounded pride.
"She has a point." Jupiter popped up earning her a glare from
both Moon and Venus that asked, 'whose side are you on, anyway'.
"Wha-what did I say?"
"Well, Moon, why didn't you call?" Mercury inquired with kind
eyes as she laid a gentle hand on Moon's scraped arm.
Moon shifted uncomfortably before she mumbled, "I-I left my
communicator at home?"
Four jaws dropped to the ground and eight eyes widened in
shock. As one, they cried, "WHAT!"
Moon shrunk back uncomfortably and muttered in a soft voice,
"I-I accidentally left my communicator at home." Well it was a lie,
but it would have to do. She could not tell them her real reason for
not calling without drawing some suspicion.
"How did you know we were in trouble?" Venus asked.
'There goes that idea.' Serena thought, her eyes growing wide
as a mischievous thought entered her mind. 'I could always play dumb.'
"Lucky guess?" Serena half asked, half stated, shrugging her
shoulders.
Anger boiled within Mars's blood. Their leader had put all of
their lives in danger and then she just shrugged it off. 'Ohh, I don't
think so, buddy!'
"You just risked all of our neck by leaving your communicator
at -home- and then you have the nerve to act as though it's no big
deal! Ohh-you make me SO MAD!" Mars shrieked, the fire never leaving
her eyes.
"I-I'm s-sorry, Mars. I-it won't happen again; I promise."
Sailor Moon squeaked still playing innocent.
"Whatever. I'm going home. I'll see you -ladies- tomorrow."
Mars huffed, turning a threatening look towards Moon before walking
briskly away from the battle scene.
"I-I'm going to go after her. I'll see you tomorrow, Gals."
Lita sighed as she ran after the steaming Senshi of Mars all the while
shrieking, "Hey, Mars! Wait up!"
Two of the three remaining Senshi giggled at Lita's antics.
Leave it to the fighter of the group to calm down the fire driven one.
"Umm, why don't you two go home. I-I have some things that I
need to think about." Moon stated quietly after the giggles died down.
"Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself, Sere?" Venus asked,
her eyes filled with sisterly concern.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Besides you two live in the opposite
direction, and you'll be endangering yourselves if you walk me home."
Two worried looks and Moon was giggling. "You two are worse than my
mother! I'll be fine. Really, I'll be just fine."
"Well, okay, Sere, if you think you'll be all right."
"I'll be fine, Mercury. Really, I will." Moon stated with a small smile.
"Well, all right then. Good night, Sere. I guess, I'll see
you at school." Mercury stated with a worried glance as she sauntered
slowly away.
"Really, girls, I'll be just fine." Serena giggled as Venus
moved to join Mercury in her journey home. She watched until they
disappeared from sight before inclining her head to regard the star
filled night sky. She sighed willing the pain in her hands to go away.
"Stupid wand." She muttered softly, knowing she would do again.
There was no other way to defeat the monsters of the Nega Verse
without killing them.
Sailor Moon shivered. Someone was watching her; she could
feel it. With a sigh, Moon called out, "Their gone now."
Tuxedo Mask's jaw dropped as he stepped out from behind a
tree. "How did you know?"
"So it is you."
"How did you know?" Tuxedo Mask demanded again, forcing Moon
to look at him.
"I could feel you." She replied softly, so softly that Tuxedo
Mask had to lean down to hear her words clearly.
Silence draped around the clearing as Sailor Moon turned her
attention back to the sky. Tuxedo Mask could find no response to the
girl's earlier words so he just sat beside her in comfortable silence.
Ten minutes passed like that before Tuxedo Mask broke the
silence. "Why didn't you tell them the truth?"
Tilting her head at a thoughtful angle, she asked, "About
what?"
"The reason you did not enter the battle until the last
minute."
"They would have thought I had lost my mind." Moon replied
softly. "I think I may have."
"I don't." Tuxedo Mask stated simply as he took Sailor Moon's
gloved hand in his. "I think-"
"It does not matter." Moon stated simply, trying to get her
burned hand back from his grasp. "They would never have believed me,
and frankly, I am surprise you do-"
"I saw the fear in your eyes... By the way, how did you know to
be here if you did not have your communicator?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Moon stated solemnly
as she began to rise. "Look, I thank you for your concern, b-but I
have to get going-"
Reaching up to grab Sailor Moon's wrist Tuxedo Mask asked
softly, "What happened?"
"I-I have to go." Sailor Moon cried, breaking her wrist from
Tuxedo Mask's grip. "I'm sorry." She whispered before fleeing into
the darkness of the night, leaving a stunned Tuxedo Mask in her wake.
~*~
Silent as a cat, Serena climbed into her bedroom window. With
a sigh of relief, she tiptoed over to her bed; a gentle smile slowly
graced her lips at what she found.
A small black ball of fluff lie curled up at the edge of her
bed. The sound of soft, steady breathing drifted though the air to
Serena's ears. Luna had come back sometime during the battle.
Apparently, her anger was as gone as Serena's, but Serena knew that
she must make amends in the morning.
With that thought in mind, Serena pulled off her school
uniform and threw it into the overflowing laundry basket. She pulled
a nightgown out of her dresser drawers and changed into it. She
pulled the hairpins out of her golden locks, allowing the confined
hair to cascade down her back in a waterfall of gold. Petting Luna's
soft fur with gentle fingers, Serena whispered, "Good night, Luna,"
before climbing into bed and quickly falling into a restless sleep.
~*~
The light of the early morning streamed into Serena's open
window. It seeped farther and farther into the room as though it was
searching for the girl sleeping within. Slowly, the rays inched their
way across Serena's bed hoping to play with the child's golden locks.
However, today, there were no locks of spun gold in which to play only
the dark midnight fur of a sleeping guardian cat.
A gentle knock resounded at the door followed moments later by
a creak as it slowly swung inward. Ilene Tsukino strolled silently
across the room speaking to her daughter, or so she thought, "Serena,
it's time to get up, dear. I have pancakes on the-stove."
"KEN!" Ilene cried out.
"Yes, Dear." Ken Tsukino answered, entering his daughter's
room. He had a tie in one hand and his blazer half on and half off.
His glasses nearly fell off his nose as he stood in the doorway looking
perplexed.
"Have you seen Serena this morning?" Ilene inquired softly,
her voice laced with worry as she stepped in front of the bed.
"No, why?"
"See for yourself." Ilene replied stepping aside so Ken could
see.
~*~
Sunlight streamed through the canopy of cheery blossoms and
gently played with a young woman's waterfall of golden hair. A black
book lay in her lap and color pencil after color pencil moved quickly
across the page, being discarded almost as soon as they were taken up.
So intent was she in her drawing that she never noticed the young man
watching her. The minutes and hours seemed to have slipped by as
quickly as the dawn's lights brightened horizon. If asked how long
she had been sitting there, she could not say. She had totally lost
track of everything save her drawing.
Suddenly the girl paused to look over her work. She had drawn
a couple kissing under the light of the blue Earth that was hanging in
the background just beyond the balcony. The man's back was turned to
the audience though his head was titled at such an angle that the
viewer could barely see his profile. A single tear rested gently on
the young woman's porcelain cheek; long sooty eyelashes framed two
beautiful azure eyes closed as if to block out her pain. The girl had
hair of spun gold pulled up in two buns adorned by white lilies and
two streaming ponytails. The white ball gown she wore accented with
gold, silver, and pearls all the way around the bodice. Gold and
silver trimming accented the young man's black armor; a black cape
hung gracefully about the young man's broad shoulders.
The young girl smiled softly as she remembered that particular
moment from her dream. The drawing was of herself and her dream
prince, a man called Endymion. She did not understand how she knew
this but she did. Gazing down at the paper she could not help but
think, 'They looked so happy, so peaceful.' It was hard for her to
imagine that they were the same couple as the one from her dream.
Moments after this scene, she had watch the young couple be torn apart
by another woman's jealousy. She had had such hatred in her eyes. An
eerie feeling had overwhelmed her then, and she could not help but
shudder at the thought now.
~*~
A young man stood not to far off watching the young girl. He
had been standing there for hours captivated by the beauty before him.
He felt as though he should know this girl but had no idea why. Once
or twice, he had caught a fleeting glimpse of her face, but the sun
always hit it at just the right angle to mask her features from view.
However, he had been able to see one feature that struck him as no
other could. Her soulful azure eyes sparkled in the sunlight
captivating his heart and soul with one glance. They were eyes a man
could drown in and he should know; he was already drowning.
He stood there for a while longer just drinking in the beauty
before him. He wished to speak with her but lacked the courage to do
so. Instead, he settled for watching her as she drew with such passion
it captivated him. How could one person draw with so much passion in
their eyes and their strokes? He had never before seen anyone put so
much raw emotion into their work as she did.
When the young girl's hand ceased its task, the young man
moved a bit closer so he could see what she had drawn over her
shoulder. The painting captivated him almost as firmly as the young
girl's wistful smile. It was not until she shuddered, whether in fear
or dread, he did not know, that he broke the silence that had fallen
upon their small world.
"Are you all right, Miss?" The young man asked gently, laying
a comforting hand on the young girl's shoulder, "I couldn't help but
notice your sudden shudder. Is there anything wrong?"
The sound of soft bell like laughter was the response the
young man received as two azure eyes locked with midnight blue. More
than a little confused the young man asked again, "Are you all right?"
"I-I'm f-fine." The young girl choked out, trying to bite
back her giggles. A confused look passed over the young man's face making it
impossible for the young girl to hold back her giggles.
"I-it's just t-that laugh I can't believe that you d-don't
rec-recognize me... ha, ha...I-it's just too funny!"
"MEATBALL HEAD?" The young man cried incredulously, his eyes
wide with shock and his mouth hanging open.
"I-in the flesh!" Serena giggled turning her face up to Darien
once more and holding her stomach.
"What happened to the meatballs?" Darien asked in disbelief,
his mind still not computing that this golden nymph really was his
angel.
Laughter and more giggling were the response Darien's comment
received. After five or so minutes of giggling, Serena sneaked a peak
at Darien's less than amused face and coughed trying to get control of
herself. Once accomplished, Serena raised an eyebrow in question as she
inquired in a mock serious tone, "I couldn't very well sleep in those,
now could I?"
"No, I guess not but-" Darien's swept an appreciative glance
over Serena's slender curves clad in tight jeans and a pale pink
spaghetti tee that revealed her creamy neckline. 'Wow, she is a
looker,' he thought, 'Wait a minute! Did she not say she could not
sleep with her hair up-"Then how can she wear something like THAT to
sleep in?"
"Very easily, Darien, I didn't." Serena replied, her eyes
sparkling with mischief and laughter.
"Huh, oh-opps!" Darien blushed becomingly, she had caught off
guard. "That is to say--"
"You're blushing." Serena stated with a slight giggle.
"Yeah, well-that is to say-"
"Gee, your thoughts must not have been too clean if your tongue has
been twisted into so many knots." Serena paused, passing a critical eye
over Darien's physique. 'Khakis, a black dress-shirt, and that awful
green blazer. He must not have gone for his morning run,' Serena
thought. His hair was tousled like he had not had a chance to comb it
but that was the only thing out of place. After a moment, Serena
returned her gaze to Darien's face, a mischievous glint in her azure
eyes as she playfully stated, "Now go away and let me get back to my
drawing... I have no desire to have a conversation with myself since you
are so tongue-tied you can not respond."
"Hey!" Darien cried indignantly, suddenly finding his voice again.
"I CAN TO speak!"
"Sure you can that's just why you could not for coherent sentences
a few moments ago."
"That's not fair! You caught me off guard!"
"How so?" Serena asked, her eyebrow-raised inquiringly.
"I've never seen you look so beautiful before-that is to say-
mature... Ugh-great! Not again!"
Serena just chuckled. The expression on Darien's face was
priceless. 'Gee, makes me kinda wish I had a camera.' Serena's face
dropped at the thought. She rarely had a camera when she needed one.
'Drats!' She thought as she shifted her weight a bit, causing the
drawing tablet to shift with her. 'Oh, I forgot about that!'
Taking one last look at Darien's blushing face, Serena turned to a
new page, picked up a pencil, and began to draw a preliminary sketch.
The girl was nearly through with her sketch when Darien finally realized
she was not laughing at him or teasing him mercilessly like so many had
done before.
With a sigh, Darien lowered himself to sit beside Serena. A
comfortable silence draped around the clearing as the two young people
just enjoyed each other's company. Or rather, one enjoyed the other's
company, and the other was so intent on her drawing she dared not say a
word.
After a while, when Serena's pace finally slowed, Darien finally
ventured a whisper, "Thank you."
"For what?" Serena inquired, turning a perplexed look upon
Darien's relaxed form.
"For not laughing at me or making fun of what I said." Darien
stated gently, his eyes shinning with some emotion Serena could not
place but did not doubt.
"Why would I? You were frustrated. When that happens, people
often say things that they mean wholeheartedly but never meant to say."
"You surprise me."
"How so?"
"You are so much more intelligent than you, or anyone for that
matter, gives you credit for. Not to mention, you are one -heck- of an
artist." Darien gestured to the portrait Serena had drawn with such
fervor. "How on earth did you get so good at that?"
"My grandmother." Serena stated simply, retracing some lines with
her ink pen.
"Did she teach you?"
"Yes-well, not really.
"When I was little, my grandmother would take me up into the
mountains to stay with her over the summer. One night, there was this
terrible storm, and I had horrible nightmares. There was darkness
everywhere. I could feel it pulling at my soul. I screamed.
"Nana, came running to my room. She rocked me gently and told me
that there was nothing to fear. She handed me this book that I hold
here in my hands and told me to draw what I had seen..."
"What did you draw?" Darien asked, truly intrigued.
"Carnage. The kind left by wars." Serena replied as a shudder
washed over her frame.
"That's aw-"
~*~
"SERENA!" A male voice called cutting off Darien's words and
successfully breaking the moment between the two.
~*~
"Oh no!" Serena shrieked swiftly turning from Darien and
gathering her stuff. "I lost track of the time!"
"I'll say; you've been here for over an hour." Darien stated
as he helped Serena gather her scattered color pencils. The moment was
broken. He might as well return to the ways things had always been.
"I've been here since five thirty, Darien." Serena corrected
as she took her color pencil from Darien's larger hand.
"Wha-"
"I don't have time to explain." Serena paused looking down at
her diary and back to Darien. With a sigh and a heavy heart, Serena
pushed the book into Darien's open hands along with her other supplies.
"M-my dad will kill me if he knows what I have been doing-" Serena
shook her head indicating for Darien to listen. "Please, do me this
one favor and hold onto these for me. I-I don't want my father to have
them. They are too personal-for some reason, I trust you-more than I
trust anyone else. Please, just keep them safe for me."
"Serena!" Ken's voice called, growing louder with every call.
Serena's eyes were wide and desperate, pleading with Darien to
understand. For some reason, she had a feeling he would. "Please,
Darien."
Dumbfounded, Darien found he could do nothing more than nod his
head.
"Thank you!" Serena cried giving Darien a bear hug and a peck
on the cheek before running towards the voice leaving Darien to sit
where he was and ponder what the heck just happened.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Okay before you start going off the deep end and saying, 'Serena would
never do that,' I just have this to say: It's my fan fic and I'll do what I want
to!
^_^
Question: Anybody figure out what the point of this chapter was? I'll give
you a hint, reread the last three pages.
To Raseyu: Thank you for giving me many of the ideas found in the argument
between Serena and Luna as well as the dinner scene. I could not have written
them half as well without the section that you gave me! Sorry, I deviated
from that stupid outline! To tell you the truth; I made a new one! ^_^;
When you said you were at your grandmother's house, it gave the idea for
part of Darien and Serena's conversation at the end.
Raseyu: Hey there everyone, I hope you like the story so far. Yes some of the
Ideas came from me but the whole story Idea came from my friend Mistic. Mistic
you Rock.. She helped me on some of my grammar part because if she didn't you
could tell which part I wrote and which part she wrote. : ) Well I know I did
have much of an impact on the part because I was gone most of the summer but
I will put more into it on the next part. Sailor Scout Promise!! ^_^ \/
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are
(c) Naoko Takeuchi, Bandai, Kodansha,
Toei Animation, etc.