Chapter 14
Serena awoke in Rei's room to find no one there with her. The last thing she could remember was Tuxedo Mask, blood everywhere, Mini Moon, and then nothing. The pain of the moment, worst than anything else, came back to haunt her like Death haunting the victim that somehow slipped between his fingers. Serena's head ached and the room spun when she tried to sit up. She let out a silent moan and fell back against the pillow.
"Darien, what happened to you?" She asked with tears coming to her eyes. "Where are you, Darien? I need you. I need answers. I need to get up and out of this bed."
Serena slowly rose from the bed. She tried to go as slowly as she could to fight back the dizziness. Her determination to get answers pushed her up and away from the bed. She reached for a nearby chair to gain her balance before she fell.
"I better walk around in here before I try to go out in the streets," Serena concluded.
Serena let go of the chair and started to walk around Rei's room. She bumped into the bed, tables, and chairs. Serena fell against a table in Rei's room with a note on it. It said that they had gone for a little while and would be back as soon as they could.
"That's enough walking." Serena said firmly. "I need answers more than anything right now." Serena walked out of the room wobbling.
Serena held her head as she walked down the street. She had to stop every now and then to check her balance. The only thing that came to her mind was Darien and answers. Darien should be at his apartment, Serena thought. But, then again, so could India. I don't care anymore, I don't. I need answers. She continued to walk down the street in a hurry to get over to Darien's.
Suddenly, Serena saw a pair of ponytail meatballs ahead of her. She wondered if her eyes were playing tricks on her because her head was still ringing. Then, she realized the hair was black and not blonde like hers. Almost twins, Serena thought as she ran through the crowd to catch up with India. I'll get answers one way or another.
Serena found strength from deep inside to push her forward and give her needed strength. India walked slowly with her head down in the flow of the crowd. Finally, Serena pushed through all the people in her way and ran up to India, turning her sharply around with power she never thought she had. India turned around stunned.
"I want answers!" Serena demanded. "I am not leaving you alone until you give them to me, India."
"I don't have any answers," India cried, fighting back tears. "Please just leave me alone."
"No," Serena said firmly. "You seemed so innocent, so friendly when I first met you. I would say you're really a monster preying on the weak, but you're pathetic. Look at you. I hate you!"
"Stop it, Serena," India begged. "Please, just stop it."
"No, I won't. You've taken everything away from me. The only thing I have left is the throne, but obviously you want that too. I don't know how I could have ever trusted you. How could I have ever have grown up with you? Why are you destroying my life?"
"I am not destroying your life. You've done enough of that yourself. I don't know how you could stand there and talk to me that way after how you treated me."
"How I treated you?" Serena asked almost disbelieving. "You've taken Darien from me, I have a daughter who doesn't know where she belongs, and I'm in the battle that will take the Moon Kingdom from me if I lose. Why? Why are you doing this?"
"I'm only doing what must be done," India replied with tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry about Rini and the trouble that's been caused for you, honestly."
"If you're truly sorry you'll make everything right. You would give Darien back to me if you were truly sorry."
"I can't do that."
"You're making my life a living hell! I had Darien first. He loved me first and you ruined it. I hate you more than I've hated anyone."
"Why don't I hate you?" India screamed at Serena.
The authority in India's voice surprised Serena. Even while fighting, India was a low talker, hardly ever raising her voice as if she was too shy to do so. Serena quickly regained her composure. "What do you mean, why don't I hate you? You have no reason to hate me because you have everything I want. I have a question for you-why did you try to act like my friend?"
"Why don't I hate you? You think I have everything that you once had. Well, you're wrong. My relationship with Darien always comes with consequences because of you. Now you know I felt. You forever ruin my life, but for some reason I still put up with you. Why? I had Darien first and you took him from me when he actually was the only thing I had. You had the kingdom, a real mother, and everything that can never be mine and you took Darien. You can't see passed your own nose. What about all the problems I have?
"Do you think I like being in the middle? Do you think I like everyone hating me? Why did I try to act like your friend? You know why? Because I still love you, I still see you as my sister, because I still see you as a friend. Why did I do that even though I knew that you would betray me? You only see your life and how it affects you. What about the Sailor Scouts? Your poor leadership and judgment are going to be the end of them. Look at Rini, she hates me because I always get stuck in the middle no matter what happens. Just like in the Moon Kingdom, you put me in the middle. Why don't I hate you?"
"I don't care why you don't hate me," Serena said, not caring about India, or giving her the least bit of pity. "All that matters is I hate you. You're a whore and a backstabber. The Scouts and I are doing fine."
"I'm a backstabber?" India asked aghast. Tears streamed down India's face as she tried to be strong. "This is coming from the person that used her tiara to stab Darien in the side."
That comment took Serena back. She felt like she had been slapped. Then, before she knew what she was doing, Serena raised her hand and slapped India. For a moment, Serena couldn't believe what she had done, and then continued without sympathy. "How dare you? You bitch! I hate you and your children. I hate all of you. Believe me, Darien will be mine."
"I never knew you could be so cruel, Rena," India whispered.
That name caught Serena off guard. She knew she had heard it before, but where. "Can I still call you Rena?"
"I don't want you ever to use that name again," Serena scolded.
"I once looked up to you, my older sister. I would follow you and Mother around the grounds and try to play with you whenever I had the chance. You were my most favorite person in the world. I've missed that Serena ever since I had started to notice how you looked at Endymion. I've missed the Serena who would never have let this happen to us, the Serena who would have never betrayed me like you had.
"Instead, I got you who hates me and says I've done wrong. None of this never would have started if you wouldn't have taken the only person I had ever loved as my own. Now the only person I can trust besides Darien, Freya, and the Twins is Nanashi. You ruined the best part of me. You took my innocence from me, my happiness."
"Don't you even dare try and turn this around on me," Serena demanded trying not to be taken in by India's words. "I hate you and I hope you die alone."
"I can't stay here and argue with you," India said turning and running through the crowd to get away from Serena.
"Come back. I'm not finished with you yet!" Serena yelled after her.
India continued running through the crowd, ignoring her words. Her vision was blurred from tears, and she couldn't see were she was going. India pushed her way passed the crowds before Serena could catch up to her and question her further. Suddenly, India heard familiar voices and stopped to look ahead of her to see who it was. Mina, Ami, Rei, and Lita stood in front of her.
They looked very worried. Rei walked up to her and tried to comfort her, but before she could India ran into traffic. "India, wait!" Rei screamed.
Cars swerved in the rode and hit the brakes trying not to hit her. India tripped in the street right in front of a car. The driver stopped an inch short of her. She quickly got up and ran away, making it to the other side without being harmed. India continued to run. She rushed through the crowd trying to avoid everyone. She had her eyes closed facing the ground.
India ran into someone and hit them in the side. The person screamed out in pain and grabbed the side of impact. She tried to continue, but the person grabbed her arm and wouldn't let go.
"Let go of me!" India screamed. "Let go!" India's energy started to rise as she tried to fight against the person.
"India, calm down," the person demanded not letting go of her. They had troubled trying to hold on to her. A gold crescent moon showed up on her forehead as India started to get more frantic. "Look at me. Don't fight back."
"No!" India yelled. "Let go!" She put her hand to the person's chest and sent out a blast of energy, throwing the person against a brick wall. They let out a loud scream. India didn't look back, but kept running.
Suddenly, the person was right beside her and grabbed her arm again. "Look at me," the person cried. India looked down at the person's side. With one hand, they held their side where blood covered their shirt.
Finally, India turned around completely to look at Darien. "Mi!" India exclaimed with relief. She hugged him really tight. Tears streamed down her face as she did so. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but what's wrong with you?" Darien asked surprised. He held her in his arms.
"It's just so horrible I can't take it," India cried. "I can't."
"Calm down," Darien told India stroking her hair.
"I can't take it." India immediately collapsed in Darien's arms. Her energy started to fall and the crescent moon disappeared from her forehead. With great pain, Darien picked India up and carried her back to his apartment.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Darien looked at India laying in the bed. She had been unconscious for about an hour now. She had been twisting and turning as if trying to fight off something that tried to catch her, tried to hold her prisoner.
Darien stroked India's forehead gently, brushing the hair from her face. "My Neo," he whispered. "My Neo Star, what's wrong with you?" Tears were in Darien's eyes as he sat there looking at her. He looked at his wound. After the scene earlier, his wound open, and he had to change the bandage.
Suddenly, Darien heard knocking at his door. He looked at India before moving to get it. He looked back once more at India before he went to answer the door.
"Who is it?" Darien asked.
"Nanashi." Was the answer in return.
Darien opened the door to let her in. He had called her earlier and told her about what happened. She was highly upset over the whole thing.
"Where is she?" Nanashi questioned.
"She's in my room," Darien replied.
Nanashi ran to the bedroom. She looked at India and instantly got angry-she really looked more annoyed than anything else. She didn't seem to have the least bit of sympathy. She went to the bed and touched India's forehead.
"How did this happen?" Nanashi asked.
"I don't know," Darien answered. "When I saw her on the street she was frantic. She could easily have hurt any person out there. She attacked me."
"What did you expect? That's how she gets when she's very upset or angry. She loses all control of her powers and reasoning. I'm surprised, she actually almost used her ultimate power, Moon Power, on you. She could easily have killed anyone on the spot, even you, but something held her back. If she would have used more power you could be dead about now."
"Just think if I was someone she didn't know. I don't even want to think about it. This is all because of the battle you insist on having. She can't take this."
"What do you mean she can't take this? She is the strongest out of all of us. If anything, she can handle this situation better than any of us."
"You're only thinking of her powers. When you thought of this, did you think about how mentally ready she was for this? You're putting her against her sister and friends. Then, there are Rini and the Twins. This is something she will never be ready for and you know that."
"So, now I'm to blame. She should learn to deal with this-I have."
"You have," Darien said with disbelief, "of course you can deal with it. I mean, you are the one who started all of this in the first place. Remember, she may be the strongest in power, but actually she's much weaker than she puts on. Just look at what happened today, for example. Whatever happened to her put a lot of people in danger?"
"You are blaming me. This isn't my fault. If anything, it's yours."
Darien stood there speechlessly, he couldn't even open his mouth to try to speak. He was stunned by what Nanashi had just said.
"That's right, yours," Nanashi said with a smug smile. "This all started in the Moon Kingdom. You ruined her then. You betrayed her with the only sister she had ever known. No wonder you want to blame this on me."
"How dare you come here and say that?"
"Now it's happened all over again. Only this time, you were with Serena first, and now she's hated. This is all your fault. She's always been emotionally unstable since then. I could actually use this to my advantage."
"How can you stand there and say things like that about her? She's right there in front of you. Right now she trusts you more than anyone. All you've been doing is using her."
"Of course," Nanashi said in a softer tone. "What did you expect? I knew as soon as she came here she would be more vulnerable than she ever has."
"You bitch."
"Go ahead, Darien. Call me names. I think when you're angry you look really sexy. I can see why India and Serena want you."
"I don't believe this," Darien said. "I want you out of here."
"Come on, Darien," Nanashi purred, putting her arms around Darien. "Look at her. She's pathetic. She is sleeping."
"Get out!" Darien yelled.
"You better calm down. You might wake India. Tell me, why did you bring her to your apartment, Darien?" Nanashi smiled at Darien. She leaned over and kissed Darien provocatively, holding him there until she was finished.
Darien blushed a deep red. "You whore!" Darien screamed, pushing Nanashi away from him quickly. "You know why I brought her here? I brought her here so the Twins wouldn't see her like this. They don't need this to add to everything. Meilin already is getting weaker by the day."
"Come on. I'm sure she won't be up until hours from now. She might not even make it through the next battle. But, by then we will have won. Come with me and be my king. Even if she does survive the battle, she won't live long after. She'll have too much guilt. Hell, I might just finish her off myself. I know deep down you knew that I would turn on her."
Darien looked at floor. "I did," Darien admitted. "Why do you think I'm fighting with you-to protect her. I've never trusted you. I knew from the beginning after all this was said and done you would go after her. All you've ever wanted was the Moon Kingdom. What's the matter? Is Dark Moon too dreary for you?"
"You're right. The Moon Kingdom is my objective. I knew that to get that I would have to destroy the Sailor Scouts first. Then, after the battle, India would be too weak to fight back and die. The Dark Moon is a sad place. I will punish all in the Kingdom for what they did to me. They put me in that horrible place to rot. The best part is you can't do anything to stop me."
"I could tell India the truth about you."
Nanashi laughed at Darien. "Do you really think she would believe you. In the state of mind she's in, she wouldn't believe you. She'll probably think that Serena had something to do with this. So, why don't you just give in now and come to me?"
"Never. I won't do that to India a second time. I'll find a way to stop you. Now get out of here."
"Fine." Nanashi stroked Darien's cheek as she passed him. "You will see it my way later. Trust me, you will."
She walked out of the apartment leaving Darien to think about what was said. Darien looked at India laying in the bed. She had calmed down and was sleeping peacefully now.
"I will find a way to save you. I will protect you, my Neo Star."