Next chapter is already in the works. I apologize for the typos
in this chapter, but I thought I had made you wait long enough.
Hope you like it.
Title: Dream Diary
Rating: PG
Written by: Raseyu & Mistic
raseyu@hotmail.com & misticlady@hotmail.com
Chapter 4
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Eyes half clouded by fatigue and pain fluttered
rapidly as they fought against exhaustion, trying to focus
on something—anything that might be familiar. However,
nothing came into focus—everything was dark, a blur of
black.
What happened? Why did her side ache? Why
couldn't she see? Wasn't she supposed to be dead?
Question after question whirled around her mind
as she tried desperately to remember what happened,
and then out of the blue, everything came crashing down
upon her. Memories of a battle flashed through her mind,
reminding her of the reason her side throbbed like hell.
She had been unable to call for back-up—the battle had
come too swiftly. The monster had struck; a scream had
pierced the silent dusk. Pain permeated her being, and
she knew; she knew the scream had been her own.
Betrayal, hurt, anger—they had all flashed through her
mind as she watched the monster crumble to dust.
*He* had not come; *he* always came. He always
saved her from danger. But today, he had not come.
Why? Why hadn't he come? Did he not care about her
anymore? Had she offended him somehow?
Physical and mental anguish blended into one
until they consumed her in an intense fire that nothing
could quench. She was drowning, too weak to call upon
the healing powers of her ancestors. Soon, very soon,
she would leave this world and return to her people and
the mother that had given everything so her daughter
could live…
Golden light washed over her, healing her body
and filling her soul with warmth. She could not see the
source of this power, but she knew. She knew whose
presence she felt, and she was grateful—oh so grateful
to give up the fight. *His* powers would take care of her
for now, allowing her to fall gratefully into the clutches of
sleep, safe in the knowledge that her prince was nearby,
watching over her and keeping her safe…
~*~
Hours later, Darien awoke with a start. Sunlight
streamed into his room, making it appear to be late
morning, but he knew that it was nothing more than a
façade. The day had only begun, and a quick glance at
the alarm clock confirmed his suspicions; it read 6:32am
or time for all good little students to get up for their
morning jog. But this morning, Darien didn't even
attempt to stir. His body ached all over, and his head
pounded with a vengeance.
What happened? He wondered sitting up or rather
trying to sit up when he heard a gentle sigh.
"Endy…"
"What the…" Darien's statement trailed off as he
took note of the young girl that was partially draped over
him in nothing but her skinnies (love that word! ~ Mistic)
and a crumpled skirt. A few receding bruises marred her
skin, but the scares of last night's life threatening wound
had completely disappeared without a trace.
Darien recoiled from the sight. How had the
wound—the scares—faded so quickly? He had known
that his healing powers were good but not that good.
Deep down, Darien knew that something else had been
at work in healing Serena. But what? What had the
power to heal the sleeping girl right under his nose?
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~ 2:19am ~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Serena's frantic scream pierced the silent
apartment abruptly yanking Darien from his troubled
slumber and sending him tumbling off the couch in a
daze.
"Wha—what happened," poor Darien mumbled,
confusion mixing with exhaustion causing his speech to
slur and his vision to blur, "Where'sss-the-f-battle?"
"ENDYMION!!!"
Abruptly, the haze in Darien's mind cleared, and
he was tearing through his apartment, trying to get to the
frightened teenager that had screamed his real name.
"How—" Darien's thoughts trailed off as he gazed
upon Serena's tangled limbs, trembling with the force of
her sobs. Absolute terror and agony were etched into
her once angelic features.
Darien's entire being screamed in agony; his heart
wrenching at the sight. No one should have to endure
this kind of torture, but how could he help her? She was
crying out for a person that no longer existed. She didn't
want him; she wanted his alter ego, but how did she even
know about Endymion? No one knew about that name,
not even his best friend.
"Da-Darien," a soft, desperate voice whimpered,
drawing Darien's attention to crystalline azure eyes, "hold
me… please…"
"I'm here," Darien whispered almost as softly as
he rushed forward to catch Serena in his arms and
holding her close.
"Stay with me…" she mumbled, falling
unconscious once more.
"Always, Sere, always," Darien murmured into
Serena's golden hair before brushing a tender kiss
across her forehead and closing his eyes in his first
peaceful sleep in twelve years.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~ 6:45am ~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
At the time the kiss had seemed like the most
natural thing in the world, but now, it made Darien blush.
Never had he been so forward with his emotions. He
never had a reason to be, but now, now, he discovered
that he liked the way his lips tingled as they brushed
across her delicate skin. He loved waking up with the
golden haired child in his arms. Yet, something was
nagging at him; something he had seen last night just
before he had drifted off to sleep…
With a sigh, Darien disentangled himself from
Serena's arms and slipped out of the room. Slowly, he
stumbled down the hall, through the living room, and into
the kitchen where he started to measure out enough
ground coffee beans to make a fresh pot of coffee.
When the coffee pot had been switched on, Darien
returned to his room and fished fresh clothes out of his
dresser drawer before slipping down the hall and into his
bathroom.
A sigh escaped Darien's lips as the hot water hit
his sore muscles, slowing relaxing the tension away. He
took his time massaging soap into his hair, allowing his
thoughts to wander to the events of the previous night…
How had Serena gotten hurt? Had she gotten into
the middle of the battle last night? And, what happened
to Sailor Moon? Was she all right? He had felt her pain
and heard her scream. Did she make it home on her
own last night or was she still lying in an alley
somewhere, too weak to go for help.
"No, no," Darien whispered, closing his eyes as he
allowed the soapy water to run down his face.
She was all right; he could feel it. The pain in his
side was gone as was the fear. If she had still been hurt,
he would not have been able to sleep last night. Which
brought him right back to his original question; where is
Sailor Moon?
Frustrated beyond reason, Darien turned off the
water and proceeded to get dressed for the day. He
needed a cup of coffee to clear his head, and if his nose
did not deceive him, it was waiting and ready to drink at
this very moment. With that in mind, Darien slipped out
of his bathroom and down the hall to his kitchen.
"Come to Papa," he murmured with a sardonic
smile as he poured the thick black liquid into an even
blacker coffee mug that had a rose etched into its side in
white. A tentative sip and a grimace later, Darien
decided that the coffee tasted worse than normal to his
already sensitive tongue and downed the entire cup in
five seconds flat. He needed the caffeine; it was as
simple as that. However, he refused to drink any more of
the dark brood and picked up the coffee pet, muttering
under his breath, "We won't try that again anytime soon."
Darien poured the dark brood down the drain and
turned around and walked to his fridge where he pulled
out a bottle of water. Sipping tentatively at his water,
Darien allowed his thoughts to travel elsewhere. The
events of last night still plagued him, and he had a
nagging feeling that Serena's near death experience had
been his fault. But that was impossible; wasn't it? If that
were true, it would mean that Serena was Sailor Moon
and at least two of the three girls he loved were the same
person. However, that situation was far too simple and
obvious for Darien's brain to handle. There just had to be
another reason.
"There is a way to find out," Heart popped up,
steering his gaze toward a dark object that laid on his
counter just begging to be read.
"No, no; I promised that I would keep it safe for
her." Darien shook his head, slowly as if he were talking
to a child. "I can't betray her trust."
"But you didn't promise Serena anything," Heart
argued, "She asked *you* to keep it safe. You didn't
volunteer for the job."
"But part of keeping her diary safe is not reading
it," Logic mused with a small sigh. He was tempted. He
really wanted to read that book, but he knew that he was
bound by honor not to do so. Serena would never trust
him again if she ever found out, and he could never hope
for her love if he didn't have her trust first.
"How can you keep her safe from the Dark
Kingdom if you don't know why she got attacked?"
"Follow her," Darien returned automatically. Hey!
It worked before.
"Yeah, right. Then she would think you were
stalking her again," Heart deadpanned, "You know what
happened the last time."
Darien cringed inwardly. He remembered what
happened very well; he wasn't even sure if the bruises
had healed completely. She had a very good aim for
someone that clumsy—kind of like Sailor Moon.
"Ugh!" Darien exclaimed, slamming his water
bottle down on the counter, "Stop it with the Sailor Moon
nonsense already! Serena is not Sailor Moon!"
A sharp intake of breath broke into Darien's
mental argument snapping his attention back to reality.
There in front of him stood a very confused, very upset
young woman wearing only a cape of golden hair and
one of his oversized dress shirts.
~*~ A few minutes earlier ~*~
Dark eye lashes fluttered against porcelain skin
revealing crystal eyes of azure. Immediately, those
blurred blue orbs shut again, recoiling from the intense
morning sunshine that poured in from a crack in the
heavy navy curtains that resided on the window opposite
to the bed on which she laid. Again, azure eyes fought
against sleep finally registering the sudden lack of
warmth and the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Where am I," Serena whispered, putting a hand to
her spinning head, "what happened?"
"This is not my home," Serena thought as she
glanced around the unfamiliar bedroom. The carpet, the
curtains, and the bedspread were all dark navy blue
accented with gold etchings of no particular pattern. The
bed was simple with only a wooden headboard to add
any elegance to it. The night stand was even simpler
and would have looked bare if it were not for the lone
picture that had been placed on it. A clock and a small
reading lamp sat next to the picture and across the room
hung a dart board with some darts still stuck in it. The
oddest feature in this obviously masculine room was the
small chest of drawers that stood against the wall on her
left, closet to the door. On it sat a vase of white and red
roses that offered a feminine touch that nearly made
Serena's jaw drop. Who would have ever suspected that
a guy would have such a soft spot for roses? (Mistic~
*looks innocent* Raseyu~ not us… *evil grin* Both~ ?)
"How did I get here," Serena wondered silently as
she surveyed her surroundings, hoping that they would
suddenly morph into cotton-candy pink and an annoying
little advisor with black fur. However, no matter how
many times she tried to will the navy blue of her
surroundings away, they continued to stare back at her
mockingly. "This isn't getting you anywhere, Sere…" she
mumbled, looking around her in dismay. If only she
could remember what had transpired last night…
A gust of cold air hit Serena, causing her to look
up in order to find the source of the offending cold air.
Above her, spinning ever so slowly, was a fan that
supported four ornate light fixtures. Whomever owned
this apartment must have had the over head light fixture
replaced at some point because she knew that such a
fan was not standard in most buildings around the city.
"Whoever owns this place has good taste," mused
Serena as another gust of cold air washed over her,
making her shiver once more. "Why is it so cold in
here?" Serena wondered, wrapping her arms tightly
around her shivering body.
Bare skin brushed bare skin, shocking her into
looking down. Serena nearly shrieked! She wasn't
wearing her school uniform's blouse anymore! What on
earth happened to it! And why was her arm covered in
light bruises and her temple throbbing lightly? What on
earth was going on here?
Frantically, Serena looked around, searching for
her old shirt but what she found made her nearly shriek
again. On the floor lay the blouse to her school uniform,
covered in blood—as in soak all the way through with
blood that she had to assume to be her own.
Dread washed over Serena at the sight and she
had a nagging feeling that something awful nearly
happened last night. However, Serena dismissed the
thought and dragged herself bodily from her rescuer's
soft, warm bed. She had to find something else to wear.
These clothes were giving her the creeps—the edge of
her skirt was also stained crimson.
"Agh," Serena whimpered pitifully as she dragged
herself across the room to where she remembered
seeing a closet. Suddenly, the room began to spin and
her vision blurred. Pain flooded her head, centering
around the eyes and intensifying with every step she
took.
"What's going on her," Serena wondered, closing
her eyes and leaning heavily against the doorframe.
"What happened to me," She mumbled, inhaling and
exhaling slowly and steadily as she tried to will the pain
away.
Another gust of cold air from the fan his Serena's
prone body, causing her to shiver from her head down to
her toes. She was so cold, and she knew she had to do
something about it before she started to feel even worse.
Therefore, she looked up and slid the closet door open
only to reveal a man's wardrobe of dress shirts, slacks,
jeans, turtle necks, etc.
"What the heck," Serna whispered, recoiling from
the shock. She knew the room was masculine, but she
hadn't really expected the wardrobe would be too.
"Guess, I kinda hoped he was married," Serena
muttered, grabbing an oversized shirt and wrapping it
around her shivering shoulders. She hastily pulled off
her soiled skirt and kicked it away from her—much to the
dismay of her head which began to pound in protest to
her sudden movements.
Hastily, Serena shut the door to the closet and
leaned against it, trying to catch her breath and think of
how she got herself into this situation—heck! She would
have settled for just knowing how to get herself out of this
situation—whatever situation she was in.
As Serena's eyes drifted closed and her mind
began to clear, she opened her senses trying to locate
her rescuer. It was trick she had learned long ago from
her grandmother—kind of like a six sense. She used it
the other night to find the Senshi, but it didn't always
work because it relied on the other person to be
subconsciously aware of her search, which was the
major drawback of this particular power—especially
today. It seemed her rescuer was preoccupied with
something, and she couldn't locate him—heck! She
didn't even know who she was trying to reach.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Serena muttered under
her breath, trying not to hurt herself any further by
reframing from hitting her head against the wall like she
normally would have. "Guess we have to do the old
fashioned way," Serena murmured softly before taking a
deep breath and slowly making her way to the door that
was closest to her. However, when she opened the door,
she was surprised to see that it lead not to a hall but a
bathroom.
"That's not normal," Serena whispered before
turning around and looking for the door that led to the
hall. "Who lives here?" Serena wondered, slipping into
the hall, using the wall for support as she began to
search the building she instinctively knew to be an
apartment. "He has to be loaded…"
The hall was short; it led to a spacious living room.
The room was as tastefully decorated as the bedroom;
the owner had chosen black leather and darkly stained
coffee tables and book shelves to sharply contrast the
plush white carpet. Shelves crammed full of textbooks
and what appeared to be classics lined the wall to
Serena's left and on the adjoining wall stood an
expensive looking entertainment center that housed a
six-CD changer, a 28 inch TV screen, a state-of-the-art
DVD player, a VCR, etc.
"Man, this guy's loaded," Serena whistled low,
under her breath upon surveying the room. "Wonder
what he does for a living…"
~
"We won't try that again anytime soon," a familiar
voice stated flatly followed by the sounds of liquid being
poured down a sink.
~
A little startled cry escaped her lips before she
clamped a hand down over them. There, in front of her,
stood a young man with a familiar crop of black hair with
his back to her. Serena giggled gently when Darien
turned around. His damp hair was sticking up in several
places, making him look like a little boy. A very
handsome little boy, she had to admit a few minutes later
when he unconsciously combed his fingers through his
unruly hair.
Moments later, Darien's intent gaze swung to
where she was standing.
Serena's voice caught in her throat. She had
been caught. He had heard her giggling and now he was
angry. "Please don't let him see me, please don't let him
see me," Serena chanted silently, squeezing her eyes
shut like a child playing invisible.
However, after a few minutes, no reprimanding,
yelling, or teasing came, and Serena opened her eyes
one at a time until she was sure that Darien had indeed
not seen her. Instead, he was muttering to himself and
shaking his head, oblivious to her presence.
"Who is he talking to," Serena wondered,
unconsciously creeping forward in hopes of hearing his
soft words. However, Darien didn't say anything else out
loud. Instead, he seemed to be arguing with himself,
which would have been funny if he wasn't staring directly
at her diary. "He—he didn't read it; did he," Serena
wondered silently, fear etched into her face. "He—he
couldn't be that cruel—could he?"
"Ugh! Stop it with the Sailor Moon nonsense
already!" Darien shouted, breaking Serena out of her
silent retrieve. "Serena is not Sailor Moon!"
Serena inhaled sharply. "So he hadn't read my
diary, or he wouldn't be arguing with himself abut that."
Serena thought, "But how did he know? What happened
last night? Did he see me transform? Why can't I
remember?"
Pain clouded Serena's vision, causing it to blur
and her head to swim. Suddenly, her vision went black,
and she was careening into the darkness of
unconsciousness.
~*~
Darien watched in horror as Serena's eyes glazed
over and her legs began to wobble unsteadily. He didn't
think, only reacted, and in the next instant, he had
Serena resting safely in the circle of his strong arms. Her
slightly labored breathing caused Darien to panic
inwardly, concern running rampant through his veins.
"She lost too much blood," Darien thought, lifting
Serena's prone body and holding her close. "Doesn't she
know that her body needs rest?"
Cursing Serena's knack to get herself into trouble
under his breath, Darien carried her back into the safety
of his room. There he pulled back the covers of his
comfortable bed and gently lay the young girl's body on
the sheets. With a tenderness that Darien didn't even
know he possessed, he tucked the blanket under
Serena's chin and lightly brushed golden bangs away
from her eyes.
"Silly girl," Darien whispered tenderly, chidingly:
his voice much calmer now, "You aren't strong enough
yet. Rest for a time."
Darien leaned down, eyes closed, and brushed a
tender kiss against Serena's cool forehead. Slowly, he
pulled back, completely shocked by the tingling of
electricity that traveled down his spine. He had never felt
such a sensation before last night, and he assumed it
would never happen again; however, that assumption
had now failed him.
How was this possible, Darien wondered silently,
slowly opening his eyes, "How can you affect me so?"
He didn't know nor did he have time to ponder the
questions of his mind for long, for a flash of gold caught
his eyes. It came from under Serena's bangs, and
Darien had not choice but to draw them aside. However,
nothing could have prepared him for what he found.
A golden crescent moon, turned on its side,
glistened in the sunlight, glaring mockingly at the stunned
Prince of Earth.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are
(c) Naoko Takeuchi, Bandai, Kodansha,
Toei Animation, etc.
in this chapter, but I thought I had made you wait long enough.
Hope you like it.
Title: Dream Diary
Rating: PG
Written by: Raseyu & Mistic
raseyu@hotmail.com & misticlady@hotmail.com
Chapter 4
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Eyes half clouded by fatigue and pain fluttered
rapidly as they fought against exhaustion, trying to focus
on something—anything that might be familiar. However,
nothing came into focus—everything was dark, a blur of
black.
What happened? Why did her side ache? Why
couldn't she see? Wasn't she supposed to be dead?
Question after question whirled around her mind
as she tried desperately to remember what happened,
and then out of the blue, everything came crashing down
upon her. Memories of a battle flashed through her mind,
reminding her of the reason her side throbbed like hell.
She had been unable to call for back-up—the battle had
come too swiftly. The monster had struck; a scream had
pierced the silent dusk. Pain permeated her being, and
she knew; she knew the scream had been her own.
Betrayal, hurt, anger—they had all flashed through her
mind as she watched the monster crumble to dust.
*He* had not come; *he* always came. He always
saved her from danger. But today, he had not come.
Why? Why hadn't he come? Did he not care about her
anymore? Had she offended him somehow?
Physical and mental anguish blended into one
until they consumed her in an intense fire that nothing
could quench. She was drowning, too weak to call upon
the healing powers of her ancestors. Soon, very soon,
she would leave this world and return to her people and
the mother that had given everything so her daughter
could live…
Golden light washed over her, healing her body
and filling her soul with warmth. She could not see the
source of this power, but she knew. She knew whose
presence she felt, and she was grateful—oh so grateful
to give up the fight. *His* powers would take care of her
for now, allowing her to fall gratefully into the clutches of
sleep, safe in the knowledge that her prince was nearby,
watching over her and keeping her safe…
~*~
Hours later, Darien awoke with a start. Sunlight
streamed into his room, making it appear to be late
morning, but he knew that it was nothing more than a
façade. The day had only begun, and a quick glance at
the alarm clock confirmed his suspicions; it read 6:32am
or time for all good little students to get up for their
morning jog. But this morning, Darien didn't even
attempt to stir. His body ached all over, and his head
pounded with a vengeance.
What happened? He wondered sitting up or rather
trying to sit up when he heard a gentle sigh.
"Endy…"
"What the…" Darien's statement trailed off as he
took note of the young girl that was partially draped over
him in nothing but her skinnies (love that word! ~ Mistic)
and a crumpled skirt. A few receding bruises marred her
skin, but the scares of last night's life threatening wound
had completely disappeared without a trace.
Darien recoiled from the sight. How had the
wound—the scares—faded so quickly? He had known
that his healing powers were good but not that good.
Deep down, Darien knew that something else had been
at work in healing Serena. But what? What had the
power to heal the sleeping girl right under his nose?
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~ 2:19am ~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Serena's frantic scream pierced the silent
apartment abruptly yanking Darien from his troubled
slumber and sending him tumbling off the couch in a
daze.
"Wha—what happened," poor Darien mumbled,
confusion mixing with exhaustion causing his speech to
slur and his vision to blur, "Where'sss-the-f-battle?"
"ENDYMION!!!"
Abruptly, the haze in Darien's mind cleared, and
he was tearing through his apartment, trying to get to the
frightened teenager that had screamed his real name.
"How—" Darien's thoughts trailed off as he gazed
upon Serena's tangled limbs, trembling with the force of
her sobs. Absolute terror and agony were etched into
her once angelic features.
Darien's entire being screamed in agony; his heart
wrenching at the sight. No one should have to endure
this kind of torture, but how could he help her? She was
crying out for a person that no longer existed. She didn't
want him; she wanted his alter ego, but how did she even
know about Endymion? No one knew about that name,
not even his best friend.
"Da-Darien," a soft, desperate voice whimpered,
drawing Darien's attention to crystalline azure eyes, "hold
me… please…"
"I'm here," Darien whispered almost as softly as
he rushed forward to catch Serena in his arms and
holding her close.
"Stay with me…" she mumbled, falling
unconscious once more.
"Always, Sere, always," Darien murmured into
Serena's golden hair before brushing a tender kiss
across her forehead and closing his eyes in his first
peaceful sleep in twelve years.
~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~ 6:45am ~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~
At the time the kiss had seemed like the most
natural thing in the world, but now, it made Darien blush.
Never had he been so forward with his emotions. He
never had a reason to be, but now, now, he discovered
that he liked the way his lips tingled as they brushed
across her delicate skin. He loved waking up with the
golden haired child in his arms. Yet, something was
nagging at him; something he had seen last night just
before he had drifted off to sleep…
With a sigh, Darien disentangled himself from
Serena's arms and slipped out of the room. Slowly, he
stumbled down the hall, through the living room, and into
the kitchen where he started to measure out enough
ground coffee beans to make a fresh pot of coffee.
When the coffee pot had been switched on, Darien
returned to his room and fished fresh clothes out of his
dresser drawer before slipping down the hall and into his
bathroom.
A sigh escaped Darien's lips as the hot water hit
his sore muscles, slowing relaxing the tension away. He
took his time massaging soap into his hair, allowing his
thoughts to wander to the events of the previous night…
How had Serena gotten hurt? Had she gotten into
the middle of the battle last night? And, what happened
to Sailor Moon? Was she all right? He had felt her pain
and heard her scream. Did she make it home on her
own last night or was she still lying in an alley
somewhere, too weak to go for help.
"No, no," Darien whispered, closing his eyes as he
allowed the soapy water to run down his face.
She was all right; he could feel it. The pain in his
side was gone as was the fear. If she had still been hurt,
he would not have been able to sleep last night. Which
brought him right back to his original question; where is
Sailor Moon?
Frustrated beyond reason, Darien turned off the
water and proceeded to get dressed for the day. He
needed a cup of coffee to clear his head, and if his nose
did not deceive him, it was waiting and ready to drink at
this very moment. With that in mind, Darien slipped out
of his bathroom and down the hall to his kitchen.
"Come to Papa," he murmured with a sardonic
smile as he poured the thick black liquid into an even
blacker coffee mug that had a rose etched into its side in
white. A tentative sip and a grimace later, Darien
decided that the coffee tasted worse than normal to his
already sensitive tongue and downed the entire cup in
five seconds flat. He needed the caffeine; it was as
simple as that. However, he refused to drink any more of
the dark brood and picked up the coffee pet, muttering
under his breath, "We won't try that again anytime soon."
Darien poured the dark brood down the drain and
turned around and walked to his fridge where he pulled
out a bottle of water. Sipping tentatively at his water,
Darien allowed his thoughts to travel elsewhere. The
events of last night still plagued him, and he had a
nagging feeling that Serena's near death experience had
been his fault. But that was impossible; wasn't it? If that
were true, it would mean that Serena was Sailor Moon
and at least two of the three girls he loved were the same
person. However, that situation was far too simple and
obvious for Darien's brain to handle. There just had to be
another reason.
"There is a way to find out," Heart popped up,
steering his gaze toward a dark object that laid on his
counter just begging to be read.
"No, no; I promised that I would keep it safe for
her." Darien shook his head, slowly as if he were talking
to a child. "I can't betray her trust."
"But you didn't promise Serena anything," Heart
argued, "She asked *you* to keep it safe. You didn't
volunteer for the job."
"But part of keeping her diary safe is not reading
it," Logic mused with a small sigh. He was tempted. He
really wanted to read that book, but he knew that he was
bound by honor not to do so. Serena would never trust
him again if she ever found out, and he could never hope
for her love if he didn't have her trust first.
"How can you keep her safe from the Dark
Kingdom if you don't know why she got attacked?"
"Follow her," Darien returned automatically. Hey!
It worked before.
"Yeah, right. Then she would think you were
stalking her again," Heart deadpanned, "You know what
happened the last time."
Darien cringed inwardly. He remembered what
happened very well; he wasn't even sure if the bruises
had healed completely. She had a very good aim for
someone that clumsy—kind of like Sailor Moon.
"Ugh!" Darien exclaimed, slamming his water
bottle down on the counter, "Stop it with the Sailor Moon
nonsense already! Serena is not Sailor Moon!"
A sharp intake of breath broke into Darien's
mental argument snapping his attention back to reality.
There in front of him stood a very confused, very upset
young woman wearing only a cape of golden hair and
one of his oversized dress shirts.
~*~ A few minutes earlier ~*~
Dark eye lashes fluttered against porcelain skin
revealing crystal eyes of azure. Immediately, those
blurred blue orbs shut again, recoiling from the intense
morning sunshine that poured in from a crack in the
heavy navy curtains that resided on the window opposite
to the bed on which she laid. Again, azure eyes fought
against sleep finally registering the sudden lack of
warmth and the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Where am I," Serena whispered, putting a hand to
her spinning head, "what happened?"
"This is not my home," Serena thought as she
glanced around the unfamiliar bedroom. The carpet, the
curtains, and the bedspread were all dark navy blue
accented with gold etchings of no particular pattern. The
bed was simple with only a wooden headboard to add
any elegance to it. The night stand was even simpler
and would have looked bare if it were not for the lone
picture that had been placed on it. A clock and a small
reading lamp sat next to the picture and across the room
hung a dart board with some darts still stuck in it. The
oddest feature in this obviously masculine room was the
small chest of drawers that stood against the wall on her
left, closet to the door. On it sat a vase of white and red
roses that offered a feminine touch that nearly made
Serena's jaw drop. Who would have ever suspected that
a guy would have such a soft spot for roses? (Mistic~
*looks innocent* Raseyu~ not us… *evil grin* Both~ ?)
"How did I get here," Serena wondered silently as
she surveyed her surroundings, hoping that they would
suddenly morph into cotton-candy pink and an annoying
little advisor with black fur. However, no matter how
many times she tried to will the navy blue of her
surroundings away, they continued to stare back at her
mockingly. "This isn't getting you anywhere, Sere…" she
mumbled, looking around her in dismay. If only she
could remember what had transpired last night…
A gust of cold air hit Serena, causing her to look
up in order to find the source of the offending cold air.
Above her, spinning ever so slowly, was a fan that
supported four ornate light fixtures. Whomever owned
this apartment must have had the over head light fixture
replaced at some point because she knew that such a
fan was not standard in most buildings around the city.
"Whoever owns this place has good taste," mused
Serena as another gust of cold air washed over her,
making her shiver once more. "Why is it so cold in
here?" Serena wondered, wrapping her arms tightly
around her shivering body.
Bare skin brushed bare skin, shocking her into
looking down. Serena nearly shrieked! She wasn't
wearing her school uniform's blouse anymore! What on
earth happened to it! And why was her arm covered in
light bruises and her temple throbbing lightly? What on
earth was going on here?
Frantically, Serena looked around, searching for
her old shirt but what she found made her nearly shriek
again. On the floor lay the blouse to her school uniform,
covered in blood—as in soak all the way through with
blood that she had to assume to be her own.
Dread washed over Serena at the sight and she
had a nagging feeling that something awful nearly
happened last night. However, Serena dismissed the
thought and dragged herself bodily from her rescuer's
soft, warm bed. She had to find something else to wear.
These clothes were giving her the creeps—the edge of
her skirt was also stained crimson.
"Agh," Serena whimpered pitifully as she dragged
herself across the room to where she remembered
seeing a closet. Suddenly, the room began to spin and
her vision blurred. Pain flooded her head, centering
around the eyes and intensifying with every step she
took.
"What's going on her," Serena wondered, closing
her eyes and leaning heavily against the doorframe.
"What happened to me," She mumbled, inhaling and
exhaling slowly and steadily as she tried to will the pain
away.
Another gust of cold air from the fan his Serena's
prone body, causing her to shiver from her head down to
her toes. She was so cold, and she knew she had to do
something about it before she started to feel even worse.
Therefore, she looked up and slid the closet door open
only to reveal a man's wardrobe of dress shirts, slacks,
jeans, turtle necks, etc.
"What the heck," Serna whispered, recoiling from
the shock. She knew the room was masculine, but she
hadn't really expected the wardrobe would be too.
"Guess, I kinda hoped he was married," Serena
muttered, grabbing an oversized shirt and wrapping it
around her shivering shoulders. She hastily pulled off
her soiled skirt and kicked it away from her—much to the
dismay of her head which began to pound in protest to
her sudden movements.
Hastily, Serena shut the door to the closet and
leaned against it, trying to catch her breath and think of
how she got herself into this situation—heck! She would
have settled for just knowing how to get herself out of this
situation—whatever situation she was in.
As Serena's eyes drifted closed and her mind
began to clear, she opened her senses trying to locate
her rescuer. It was trick she had learned long ago from
her grandmother—kind of like a six sense. She used it
the other night to find the Senshi, but it didn't always
work because it relied on the other person to be
subconsciously aware of her search, which was the
major drawback of this particular power—especially
today. It seemed her rescuer was preoccupied with
something, and she couldn't locate him—heck! She
didn't even know who she was trying to reach.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid," Serena muttered under
her breath, trying not to hurt herself any further by
reframing from hitting her head against the wall like she
normally would have. "Guess we have to do the old
fashioned way," Serena murmured softly before taking a
deep breath and slowly making her way to the door that
was closest to her. However, when she opened the door,
she was surprised to see that it lead not to a hall but a
bathroom.
"That's not normal," Serena whispered before
turning around and looking for the door that led to the
hall. "Who lives here?" Serena wondered, slipping into
the hall, using the wall for support as she began to
search the building she instinctively knew to be an
apartment. "He has to be loaded…"
The hall was short; it led to a spacious living room.
The room was as tastefully decorated as the bedroom;
the owner had chosen black leather and darkly stained
coffee tables and book shelves to sharply contrast the
plush white carpet. Shelves crammed full of textbooks
and what appeared to be classics lined the wall to
Serena's left and on the adjoining wall stood an
expensive looking entertainment center that housed a
six-CD changer, a 28 inch TV screen, a state-of-the-art
DVD player, a VCR, etc.
"Man, this guy's loaded," Serena whistled low,
under her breath upon surveying the room. "Wonder
what he does for a living…"
~
"We won't try that again anytime soon," a familiar
voice stated flatly followed by the sounds of liquid being
poured down a sink.
~
A little startled cry escaped her lips before she
clamped a hand down over them. There, in front of her,
stood a young man with a familiar crop of black hair with
his back to her. Serena giggled gently when Darien
turned around. His damp hair was sticking up in several
places, making him look like a little boy. A very
handsome little boy, she had to admit a few minutes later
when he unconsciously combed his fingers through his
unruly hair.
Moments later, Darien's intent gaze swung to
where she was standing.
Serena's voice caught in her throat. She had
been caught. He had heard her giggling and now he was
angry. "Please don't let him see me, please don't let him
see me," Serena chanted silently, squeezing her eyes
shut like a child playing invisible.
However, after a few minutes, no reprimanding,
yelling, or teasing came, and Serena opened her eyes
one at a time until she was sure that Darien had indeed
not seen her. Instead, he was muttering to himself and
shaking his head, oblivious to her presence.
"Who is he talking to," Serena wondered,
unconsciously creeping forward in hopes of hearing his
soft words. However, Darien didn't say anything else out
loud. Instead, he seemed to be arguing with himself,
which would have been funny if he wasn't staring directly
at her diary. "He—he didn't read it; did he," Serena
wondered silently, fear etched into her face. "He—he
couldn't be that cruel—could he?"
"Ugh! Stop it with the Sailor Moon nonsense
already!" Darien shouted, breaking Serena out of her
silent retrieve. "Serena is not Sailor Moon!"
Serena inhaled sharply. "So he hadn't read my
diary, or he wouldn't be arguing with himself abut that."
Serena thought, "But how did he know? What happened
last night? Did he see me transform? Why can't I
remember?"
Pain clouded Serena's vision, causing it to blur
and her head to swim. Suddenly, her vision went black,
and she was careening into the darkness of
unconsciousness.
~*~
Darien watched in horror as Serena's eyes glazed
over and her legs began to wobble unsteadily. He didn't
think, only reacted, and in the next instant, he had
Serena resting safely in the circle of his strong arms. Her
slightly labored breathing caused Darien to panic
inwardly, concern running rampant through his veins.
"She lost too much blood," Darien thought, lifting
Serena's prone body and holding her close. "Doesn't she
know that her body needs rest?"
Cursing Serena's knack to get herself into trouble
under his breath, Darien carried her back into the safety
of his room. There he pulled back the covers of his
comfortable bed and gently lay the young girl's body on
the sheets. With a tenderness that Darien didn't even
know he possessed, he tucked the blanket under
Serena's chin and lightly brushed golden bangs away
from her eyes.
"Silly girl," Darien whispered tenderly, chidingly:
his voice much calmer now, "You aren't strong enough
yet. Rest for a time."
Darien leaned down, eyes closed, and brushed a
tender kiss against Serena's cool forehead. Slowly, he
pulled back, completely shocked by the tingling of
electricity that traveled down his spine. He had never felt
such a sensation before last night, and he assumed it
would never happen again; however, that assumption
had now failed him.
How was this possible, Darien wondered silently,
slowly opening his eyes, "How can you affect me so?"
He didn't know nor did he have time to ponder the
questions of his mind for long, for a flash of gold caught
his eyes. It came from under Serena's bangs, and
Darien had not choice but to draw them aside. However,
nothing could have prepared him for what he found.
A golden crescent moon, turned on its side,
glistened in the sunlight, glaring mockingly at the stunned
Prince of Earth.
~*~ To be continued ~*~
Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon are
(c) Naoko Takeuchi, Bandai, Kodansha,
Toei Animation, etc.