This is a short one-shot taking place during the Great Break-Up of the R Season. Just about six months have passed since Jessie assumed the throne of the Negaverse, and she's kept in close contact with Luna and Artimis (they won't let the girls talk to her very often because it's a long-distance call). Mild cussing this time, 'cuz I didn't care to cut it out. Any time after they first see Pluto but before they go to the future works if you have to know exactly where to place it. I strongly suggest reading "Sailor Night" before this one, otherwise it won't make much sense. Either way, enjoy!
SECOND CHANCESDarien watched as his beloved died for the third time that week. "Who are you?" he demanded of the disembodied voice which warned him of this horrible future.
As always, the voice did not answer and he awoke in a cold sweat.
*@*@*@*@*@
"WHAT?" Jessica, the newly crowned Queen of the Negaverse, screeched, sitting up straight for the first time since the conversation had started. "What do you mean Darien's broken up with Serena? After all they've gone through to be together, how could he do that to her? Doesn't he realize what's he's doing?"
"She's an Earth-born human now, Jessie." Luna pointed out. "That theory was never proven, and I'm sure that being born to Earth parents has changed it anyway."
"I hope you're right, Luna." Jessie sighed. "But Earth or Moon she's still Princess Serenity. And, it has always been very dangerous for those of the Moon to leave their home for very long. How she and Endymion ever overcame it, I'll never understand."
"You never did listen to Mina in the past, did you?"
"Not really." the eighteen-year-old admitted blandly. "Why would I be interested in the babblings of the Goddess of Love? She tended to repeat herself anyway."
"She'd kill you if she ever heard you saying that." the black cat warned.
"Only if she wanted to start another war." The young Queen shrugged. "Besides, she never did anything to me before."
"You've never said anything like that before either."
Jessie simply grinned. "Wanna bet?"
"You couldn't have!" Luna was shocked. "Princess Rosa wasn't that rude."
"I said it all the time, Luna. Just never so bluntly." She smiled briefly, then turned serious. "Did he say why he was doing this?"
"He said he doesn't feel the same way anymore." Luna said, remembering the look of betrayal that had been on Serena's face that day.
"Bullshit." Jessie responded. "You can't just up and decide not to love someone anymore. And they are soul mates. They don't stop loving each other- hell, if one of them so much as stubs their toe, the other feels it. If one dies, so does the other. As I recall, Mina said that several times before I started ignoring her. And I've seen it for myself as well."
"Then why has he done this to her?" Luna demanded, feeling even angrier now.
"I don't know, Luna." she admitted in a hard voice. "But I intend to find out. Does Darien still live in the same apartment?"
"Yes. Why?" Luna grew silent as realization dawned on her. "You're returning to Earth? How wonderful! Serena and the Scouts will be so excited."
"They're not to know." The Queen replied firmly. "I'll only be there for a few minutes, an hour at most. I have to talk to him. I'll drop off a few letters with him, but they can't know that I'm going to see Prince Endymion. Maybe he'll talk to me."
"As you like, Jessica." Luna sighed. "I won't tell them until after you've gone back to the Negaverse. I hope you don't get into too much trouble because of this. I thought you weren't allowed to leave the Negaverse until you'd been Queen for at least a year. It's barely been six months."
"When my family is involved, there are no rules, Luna." Jessica answered quietly. "And the Scouts are the only family I have left, since Mom doesn't remember me anymore. I will protect them."
They ended the transmission, and Jessie prepared to slip off for a short time.
*@*@*@*@*@
"Darien!" he heard his name being called, even as he forced himself to awaken from the nightmare. "Darien, you will wake up!" the voice insisted. "I need to speak with you, and I haven't much time."
'Strange,' he thought. 'I know that voice… but from where?'
SPLASH!
Darien bolted upright, all traces of sleep now gone as the freezing water dripped down his chest. "What happened?" he demanded.
"You weren't waking up." Jessie answered, holding a second bucket of icy water. "And we need to talk- right now. You can dry off first if you'd like. I'll be waiting in the kitchen." She smiled slightly as she exited his bedroom.
He grabbed clean, dry clothes from his dresser and quickly changed, trying to figure out just why Jessica, Queen of the Negaverse and Sailor Night would come to speak with him after six months. He also wandered why she had come at- he checked the clock by his bed- two-thirty in the morning. Two-thirty! He glanced back to double-check. Yup, he'd read it right. Scrawling, he stormed into the kitchen.
"Hot coco?" she offered, handing him a cup. "Sit down, drink if you like, and do not say anything until I say you can. Got it?"
He gulped and nodded. This wasn't the Jessie he'd met- and disliked- six months ago. Now, she seemed to have changed, she had become more confident in giving orders. "Got it." He said.
"Good." she said, her eyes growing icy. "Now, I don't know why you've done what you have, and you'll get your chance to explain it, but right now, I'm going to tell you what will happen if you don't stop the act right now.
"One thousand years ago, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom found her soulmate, Prince Endymion of the Earth. She was forbidden by her very blood to see him, but she and her mother ignored that, determined to find a way around the curse, never even telling Endymion that their very love could bring her death. And they did find a way. Endymion never even knew how close his beloved came to dying every time she left her home to see him. Before he could be told, Beryl killed all who lived on the Moon. Rather than live without Endymion; who died protecting his love's home, Serenity threw herself into the same attack that killed him.
"Queen Serenity was determined that her daughter's life would not end that way, so she used the Sliver Crystal to send all who died that day to the future of Earth, the only planet in the Solar System which had not been destroyed that horrible day. The secret which allowed Princess Serenity to survive on that world was forgotten, and she was reborn without memories of that curse, even now she is unaware of it. Luna and Artimis have kept it hidden from her. We had all hoped that being reborn to Earth parents as a normal human would bring an end to that curse, but we were wrong. Even now it has started to kill her. Whether she is from the Earth or the Moon, she is still Princess Serenity, and destiny does not want her to be with her beloved, so it has chosen to kill her through you. Now tell me, why have you done this? Why have you broken the bond which keeps her alive?"
"I don't love her anymore!" Darien shouted, not even aware of the tears running down his cheeks because of her story.
"Sure, Darien." she retorted, eyes hardening even more. "And I'm Beryl's lovechild. (AN:NOT!! I'd never do that to my poor Jessie!) Try again."
"Dreams." he admitted, his tears slowing down to a trickle. "Dreams that tell me to stay away from Serena or she'll die! I have to obey them!"
"If you obey them, if you manage to convince her that you don't love her anymore, then she will die, Darien! It is the shared belief in your love that allows her to live on the Earth. She gets her strength from you, from the knowledge that you love her. If she loses faith in that love, she will give up all reason or desire to live. You will have killed her."
"But how can I save her Jessie? Either way she'll die!"
"Tell the girls. They can help you. I have to go now, I wasn't supposed to be gone this long." Jessie patted his cheek lightly with a napkin to dry his tears. "Trust your heart, Prince Endymion. It will guide you down the correct path." She vanished, leaving only an empty mug and six envelopes to give evidence that she'd been there at all.
*@*@*@*@*@
"Since when does Tuxedo Mask call Scout meetings?" Mina asked when Ami informed her of Darien's request. "Heck, he hasn't been all that willing to help at all lately."
"He said it was important." Ami shrugged. "Anyway, we're all meeting at the Temple in an hour. Can you make it?"
"Of course." Mina nodded. "I was going shopping, but I can put it off until later."
"Good. Serena thinks we're meeting in about forty-five minutes. She should be right on time."(AN: Yes, I AM making fun of Serena never being on time!)
*@*@*@*@*@
"Darien!" Serena exclaimed as she entered the Temple. "What are you doing here?"
The look on his face was almost gentle. "I called the meeting, Serena." he answered. "I need to talk to all of you about something."
"H-have you decided to stop helping us?" her voice was frightened as she asked this quiet question.
"We'll discuss it inside." He said firmly. 'Have I hurt you so much that you think I'd even consider betraying you like that, Serena?' he wondered the terror coming to him once again.
"Hurry up, you two!" Rei yelled from inside the Temple. "You're both late!"
They hurried to the Fire Room and sat down, he facing the girls from several feet away. "There's a few things that I've done lately which you don't understand." he said, not looking at the Sailor Scout of the Moon.
"That's putting it mildly." Lita muttered. "And if you don't have a damn good explanation, I'll kill you myself."
"Ever since Rini came from wherever it was, I've been having a nightmare." He said, shame crossing his features. "It's been telling me to stay away from Princess Serenity." He paused, took a deep breath, then continued. "The voice only said that if I kept at her side, she would die!"
"I-is that why you said you didn't love me anymore, Darien?" Serena asked, moving closer to the young man. "Because you wanted to protect me?"
He nodded. "But my plan backfired. All I did was hurt you, and Jessie told me that if you started to believe me then-"
"Jessie?" Ami interrupted. "She's here? Now?"
"No." Darien denied. "She was only at my apartment for maybe half an hour. Then she left. But she told me that if Serena began to believe I no longer loved her, then she would die. She explained a little of it me, but it didn't make much sense. She said it had to do with our bond being able to help her survive off the Moon. She said no matter what name you took, you were still Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom. Oh, Serena, I'm so sorry for hurting you like that. Can you ever forgive me?"
"How could I not?" she asked, sincerity echoed in her eyes. "I love you. I'll always love you."
"Oh, thank God." he breathed in relief. "Jessie told me that I was killing you- not just breaking your heart, but really killing you. I couldn't bear it if that happened."
"I don't understand." Serena murmured. "Why would that kill me?"
"It is a curse-the only thing which would make it impossible for you to leave the Moon Kingdom. Somehow, you and Prince Endymion managed to overcome it. None of us really understood how.
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Luna?" Darien demanded.
"I tried to hint at it, but you just ignored me every time."
The young man's head fell. It was true. He could have killed the only one he'd ever loved, and all because he had been too proud to admit he still loved her- would always love her. "Serena, I don't know what these dreams mean, but until I do, I have to obey them. I'm sorry, but I can't be with you. I'll always protect you, but that's it. I can't take the chance that they're truly a warning of things to come."
"I…I understand, Darien." Serena nodded, holding in her tears. "Just so long as I know you love me. That's all I care about."
*@*@*@*@*@
"They would have been fine if you had done nothing, you know." A tall, green-haired woman dressed as a Sailor Scout said as she stepped from behind the young Queen.
"Perhaps." Jessica agreed as she turned. "I assume you are Sailor Pluto?"
"Yes." Pluto nodded. "Why did you interfere?"
"Because I had to. I couldn't bear hearing that my Princess was in pain. Besides," she added with a smirk. "How often am I going to get to soak Endymion with ice-water in order to wake him up?"
The End
And the moral of this story ladies and gentlemen? DON'T PISS OFF JESSIE!! Alright, this fic was based on a dream I had for over a week straight about Darien being soaked by person unknown while in his boxers. I had to get it out of my so-called mind, so I wrote this. Needed to explain just why he was wet after all. Anyway, I've read several fics in which Serena/Serenity is only able to live on Earth because of her soul-bond with Darien/Endymion. I don't know if it's true or not, but I liked it so I'm useing it. Questions? Comments? Flames? I like 'em all. The next fic "The Returns" will be out as soon as I finish typing it. Later!