Episode #23 - Vengeful Preparations
Serena sat in her bed. The house is so quiet, she thought to herself. After Rini had been killed, Serena had begun to notice the difference. Rini had moved back into Serena's home after Hotaru had been kicked out of her home, and Serena and her daughter had become very good friends. Darien walked in, carrying a tray. Serena looked up at him, smiled weakly, then went back to staring at a spot on the wall. Darien looked at his princess, she was in so much turmoil, emotional and physical. Darien knew that he would never feel the same way Serena did, but Rini was his daughter too! Darien was suffering too, and he knew that Serena didn't need to worry about him as well, so he kept it to himself. "Here you go hon" said Darien as he set the tray down. "Thanks" Serena said softly. "You okay?" "Yeah. I guess" "You sure?" "Yeah." "Come on, we gotta go." "Yeah, might as well" Serena got up and walked out of her room. She was dressed in nothing special, just a gray blouse and jeans, with her hair in its normal style. Darien put his arm on her shoulder, and she looked up and smiled weakly at him. Serena was almost at the point that she would go insane. Geoff had pushed her so far so many times, that she was hanging on to her sanity by the skin of her teeth, and even that was beginning to fray. Today was the day that had been set to pay their respects to Rini, and Serena didn't know if she would be able to handle it. She looked up at Darien, her one bastion of stability. In this turbulent time; he was the rock she clung to. Darien held Serena tightly, he didn't know how she would react today, and he didn't want her to worry anymore than she already was. He was truly concerned for his future wife's sanity, not to mention that she was extremely weak now, she barely ate anything, and was so tired all the time. They arrived at Raye's temple, Serena began to shake a little in Darien's arms. "Serena, you don't hafta do this if you don't feel up to it" "Rini would do the same for me, I won't let her down again" "Serena." "What?!" "You. never mind" "Whatever, let's just get this over with" she said softly as she walker inside. Raye was standing infront of the sacred fire, meditating. They were the only ones there. "Where is everybody?" Serena asked softy. "They'll be by later, I figured that you would want to be alone to say what you want to" Raye said softly, bowing slightly to her friends and then walking out. "Uh. how do we begin?" Serena asked. "I think we just say what we need to" said Darien. Serena smiled at him and nodded. "Rini. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me, I'm sorry for what I put you through, I'm sorry that. you died. and I'm sorry that I couldn't save you, or protect you. I. I'm just so sorry" Serena said as she gazed into the fire. Darien looked at her, she was silently crying. "Serena, it's okay. she'll be back, once we put that bastard Geoff and his those abominations he calls his children down for good" "I know. but I still failed her. when she needed me the most" she said, openly sobbing. "You're gonna be fine. it's all gonna be fine once were done with everything we have to do" Darien said, holding Serena and lightly stroking her hair.
It was later that day when the other's arrived. Robert and Hotaru arrived together, both dressed in coal black. Robert walked inside with Hotaru, she was weeping quietly beneath the black lace veil she was wearing. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna arrived soon after, all wearing sombre gray ensembles. Lita and Amy arrived nearly at the same time, Lita wearing a long black dress, and Amy wearing a gray dress suit with white pearls. They all went inside the fire chamber, sitting or standing. Robert had purposely sat as far away from Haruka and her two cohorts, and Hotaru sat beside him. After they had said their goodbyes, they all filed out and stood around in the courtyard, talking. They looked around, Serena and Darien were walking up the steps. "Hey all" said Serena with a small wave. "Hi" they answered back quietly. The mood was sombre and very morose, but Serena had other ideas about this meeting. "Okay, here's how things are going to work. The next time one of those bastards attack, we kill them, period. I don't care what it takes, the only thing that I want you to stop short of is killing yourself. If you see one of those abominations, then destroy it!!!" She said, her voice as cold and hard as ice. "I pledge my full and total support M'lady" Robert said, bowing lowly.
"You shall have my blade, and my vengeance at your disposal" said Hotaru, also bowing lowly. "And the rest of you" Serena asked, looking at the rest of her friends. "Were with you!" they said. Serena was happy. For the first time in many years, she was happy. Her friends, herself, everyone was aligned to dispose of this enemy, and were willing to do anything, short of getting themselves killed, to do it too.
Serena sat in her bed. The house is so quiet, she thought to herself. After Rini had been killed, Serena had begun to notice the difference. Rini had moved back into Serena's home after Hotaru had been kicked out of her home, and Serena and her daughter had become very good friends. Darien walked in, carrying a tray. Serena looked up at him, smiled weakly, then went back to staring at a spot on the wall. Darien looked at his princess, she was in so much turmoil, emotional and physical. Darien knew that he would never feel the same way Serena did, but Rini was his daughter too! Darien was suffering too, and he knew that Serena didn't need to worry about him as well, so he kept it to himself. "Here you go hon" said Darien as he set the tray down. "Thanks" Serena said softly. "You okay?" "Yeah. I guess" "You sure?" "Yeah." "Come on, we gotta go." "Yeah, might as well" Serena got up and walked out of her room. She was dressed in nothing special, just a gray blouse and jeans, with her hair in its normal style. Darien put his arm on her shoulder, and she looked up and smiled weakly at him. Serena was almost at the point that she would go insane. Geoff had pushed her so far so many times, that she was hanging on to her sanity by the skin of her teeth, and even that was beginning to fray. Today was the day that had been set to pay their respects to Rini, and Serena didn't know if she would be able to handle it. She looked up at Darien, her one bastion of stability. In this turbulent time; he was the rock she clung to. Darien held Serena tightly, he didn't know how she would react today, and he didn't want her to worry anymore than she already was. He was truly concerned for his future wife's sanity, not to mention that she was extremely weak now, she barely ate anything, and was so tired all the time. They arrived at Raye's temple, Serena began to shake a little in Darien's arms. "Serena, you don't hafta do this if you don't feel up to it" "Rini would do the same for me, I won't let her down again" "Serena." "What?!" "You. never mind" "Whatever, let's just get this over with" she said softly as she walker inside. Raye was standing infront of the sacred fire, meditating. They were the only ones there. "Where is everybody?" Serena asked softy. "They'll be by later, I figured that you would want to be alone to say what you want to" Raye said softly, bowing slightly to her friends and then walking out. "Uh. how do we begin?" Serena asked. "I think we just say what we need to" said Darien. Serena smiled at him and nodded. "Rini. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me, I'm sorry for what I put you through, I'm sorry that. you died. and I'm sorry that I couldn't save you, or protect you. I. I'm just so sorry" Serena said as she gazed into the fire. Darien looked at her, she was silently crying. "Serena, it's okay. she'll be back, once we put that bastard Geoff and his those abominations he calls his children down for good" "I know. but I still failed her. when she needed me the most" she said, openly sobbing. "You're gonna be fine. it's all gonna be fine once were done with everything we have to do" Darien said, holding Serena and lightly stroking her hair.
It was later that day when the other's arrived. Robert and Hotaru arrived together, both dressed in coal black. Robert walked inside with Hotaru, she was weeping quietly beneath the black lace veil she was wearing. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna arrived soon after, all wearing sombre gray ensembles. Lita and Amy arrived nearly at the same time, Lita wearing a long black dress, and Amy wearing a gray dress suit with white pearls. They all went inside the fire chamber, sitting or standing. Robert had purposely sat as far away from Haruka and her two cohorts, and Hotaru sat beside him. After they had said their goodbyes, they all filed out and stood around in the courtyard, talking. They looked around, Serena and Darien were walking up the steps. "Hey all" said Serena with a small wave. "Hi" they answered back quietly. The mood was sombre and very morose, but Serena had other ideas about this meeting. "Okay, here's how things are going to work. The next time one of those bastards attack, we kill them, period. I don't care what it takes, the only thing that I want you to stop short of is killing yourself. If you see one of those abominations, then destroy it!!!" She said, her voice as cold and hard as ice. "I pledge my full and total support M'lady" Robert said, bowing lowly.
"You shall have my blade, and my vengeance at your disposal" said Hotaru, also bowing lowly. "And the rest of you" Serena asked, looking at the rest of her friends. "Were with you!" they said. Serena was happy. For the first time in many years, she was happy. Her friends, herself, everyone was aligned to dispose of this enemy, and were willing to do anything, short of getting themselves killed, to do it too.