Oh nice! Two new readers! I think I'm in heaven.
daphnedescends: Your favorite story on ff.net? Well, I am so flattered. Thank you! (I'm glad someone else agrees that Darien and Raye make a good couple. Tradition is boring sometimes.)
Randa-Chan*: Yeah, I was getting tired of the usually Sailor Moon fics on the net, don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good ones, nevertheless. I wanted to bring a little variety to ff.net, since people tend to get a little monotonous around here. I'm a big advocate for originality. Glad you like it so far!
Chapter Eight
I stood there, in shock and anger, not believing what I had witnessed. I remembered, however vaguely, that Darien and Raye had a history together. It was brief, but, apparently, old habits die hard.
"Mina!" Raye squeaked. Then she cleared her throat. "What are you doing here?" I couldn't believe she had the nerve to demand something of me after what I just saw her do. Darien inched away from Raye, although he was still holding onto her hand. I don't think he was aware that he was, though.
"She hasn't even been gone for a month yet and here you are acting like she never existed!" I cried out. Darien winced. Raye simply glared at me in fury. I didn't care. She started to say something, but Darien cut her off.
"Mina, it wasn't like that. It was—it wasn't like that," he attempted to explain softly. I shook my head, trying to block out his lame excuse. Raye's expression changed slightly. She looked…scared. Or at least nervous.
"Here I was feeling guilty about fear I didn't even have, just so you could feel better, so you had someone to alive blame, when really all you wanted was to betray Serena." The words came out before I could even stop myself. I didn't mean to go and spill my heart out like that; I was just so furious that I couldn't help it. Raye was a horrible person in my eyes, right then, and I wanted her to know it.
"What?" she snapped. Darien ran his fingers through his hair, looking closer and closer to crying.
"Mina, really, it wasn't like that!" He said urgently.
"I cannot believe you two. You especially, Raye, after all you've done to me."
"What are you talking about fear you didn't have? And blaming someone alive?" I turned my full attention on Raye. She looked taken aback for a moment, then her indignant arrogance returned. I might as well tell them the truth. They deserve to be hurt now. Raye deserves to be hurt.
"I hid the truth from you, for you. Now forget it," I faced Darien. His eyes widened. "Do you want to know what Serena's last words were before she sent me away?" He took a step back.
"Please, Mina, stop. I'm sorry—"
"You're sorry you got caught. But I'm not. I'll tell you what she said." Darien put his face in his hands. If he were trying to block out my words, I wasn't about to let him.
"Shut up, Mina!" Raye snapped. That was it. The last straw. Raye was not going to boss me around anymore.
"No! No, I'm through cowering in fear of you, Raye! Through!" I ran forward and pulled Darien's hands away from his face. There were tears in his eyes. That made me angrier. He had no reason to cry after what he had done only moments before. He wasn't sad then, when he was holding onto Raye like she couldn't stand on her own, kissing her like Serena meant nothing to him. To them. I held his wrists, so tightly I wondered it I was causing him pain, then leaned in close. I wanted to make sure he heard every word. "She said 'tell Darien I love him'," I said in a low malicious whisper. I pushed him. He stumbled back against the tree and slid down the trunk until he was on the ground. He let out a soft sob of anguish.
Raye made a move towards me. I'm not sure if she was going to hit me or not, but I wasn't going to take any chances. I was done with Raye; nothing she could do could harm me now. She already caused enough damage.
"If you so much as lay one finger on me, Raye Hino, I swear to all that can hear me on Earth and elsewhere, that you will regret it to the day you die." Raye recoiled. I hope she understood what she had done to me. She had made me act the way I did, but I was not ashamed of anything I said or did at that moment. I meant all of it. "I hope you enjoyed that kiss. And I hope the price of it is something that you are willing to pay." With that, I walked away. I was finished.
I didn't immediately go home, however. I sat at the bottom of the steps, half waiting for Artemis, and half thinking about what had happened. After a while, Artemis joined me. I wanted to yell at him, yell about how he left me, how I reacted to seeing Raye and Darien, and how much joy I felt in their pain. Then I realized that I actually had taken pleasure in what I did, and that made me disgusted. I told myself that they deserved it, but I couldn't admit that any longer. No one deserved to be hurt. So, I didn't say anything. I just sat with Artemis by my side. Somehow, I think he knew what happened.
"Mina," he said, breaking the silence.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry."
"About what?"
"Everything." I had the overwhelming urge to sob hysterically, but I held my composure. I looked up at large gray clouds that were beginning to form. It was growing darker by the minute. It's going to rain.
"There's nothing to be sorry about Artemis. I brought it upon myself."
"Are we going to stay here?"
"I don't know."
"What are you going to do?
"I don't know."
"Wha—"
"I don't know anything anymore, Artemis." My mind was so foggy. I wanted to do something and I wanted to forget the whole thing. I thought about Darien and Raye, and Serena. I thought about Amy and Lita, and how they had yet to find out the truth. I suddenly had a strong desire to tell them. I got to my feet.
"Let's go." I told Artemis.
"Do you know where?" There was a hint of sarcasm in his voice that I ignored.
"To Amy's house. You were right. I should tell them what really happened. I'm not letting Raye control how they think."
"Is Amy going to listen to you?"
"She has no choice because I'm not leaving until she does."
"What about Lita?"
"I'll call her at Amy's. It's time we put this to rest."
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A/N: * sigh* It took me a while to write this one, for some reason. This and the end seemed to be the hardest parts of the story. I hope they're good. I got two new reviews, so I must be doing something right, I think. Anyway, keep on doing what you do and I'll be back soon.
P. Thunder