Us
by Phantasy Star
--------------------
Chapter Eight
"So they're looking for the last heart crystal..." Raye said.
"From the pattern of these attacks..." Amy said slowly, "It looks like they're
not just doing that. They're out to... kill people too."
Serena let out a sniffle from the corner of the room where she had buried herself
into.
"And..." Amy continued, "They're using the powers of Neptune and Uranus' heart
crystals to generate all these heart snatchers."
Luna sighed, "This isn't good. This isn't good at all..."
"Any word from Mina and Lita?" Artemis spoke up.
"No..." Raye said.
There was silence in the room for a while, while Amy continued to type furiously
at her pocket computer.
"Guys..." Amy said, "More attacks..."
* * *
"Sailor Jupiter, I've finally found you!" Sailor Mercury cried as she arrived on
the scene, "What happened?"
The brown-haired sailor scout didn't answer, only pointed at the body next to
her.
"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed, "Quick, find her heart crystal!"
She looked up, but Jupiter simply stared back at her.
"It's..." Sailor Jupiter said, "It's broken!"
"What? No!"
Sailor Mercury forced back tears.
"Mina!"
* * *
Sailor Mars screamed as her heart crystal flew out of her.
She struggled to get up but lost the strength.
The heart snatcher grabbed the heart crystal.
Sailor Mars changed back to Raye, having lost too much energy. She kept one eye
open to watch the monster.
The heart snatcher quickly inspected the red star.
Then she frowned.
And she crushed it with her hand.
* * *
"Oh, princess!" Luna said, crying, "We've lost two more scouts!"
Serena didn't answer her, simply stared blankly at her guardian cat.
Then she stood up.
"That's it!" she said, "I'm not losing any more of my friends. I'm getting out
there!"
Luna shook her head, "You can't. You have to protect Sailor Pluto, because she
has the third pure crystal."
"They won't find her here at the temple!" Serena argued, "I have to get out there!"
"Please, Serena, listen to me for once!" Luna cried.
Serena fell to the ground and let her tears run loose, "Why? Why is this
happening?"
* * *
Darien limped his way down the street, wincing as he stepped onto his ankle which
had been broken while fighting a monster. He was heading back to the temple.
He had begun to worry about Serena, and whether the heart snatchers had attacked
her and Pluto yet.
"Damn..." he muttered, when he saw Sailor Mercury lying on the grass outside the
temple, "Amy..."
He walked into the room with the sacred fire, where they had hid Sailor Pluto
behind the fire.
"Darien!" Serena said, looking up, "I'm so glad you're here."
Darien's heart made a little jump, happy to finally hear a kind word from her.
'She still needs me...', he thought.
"I..." Serena said softly, "Can I talk to you outside?"
"Of course."
The pair walked out into the front yard of the temple. Darien quickly directed
Serena away from where Amy laid.
"Darien... I need you to stay here and protect the temple."
"You're going to go out there?" Darien asked.
"No..." Serena said, "I'll be in here. But please, promise me you'll do everything
you can to keep the heart snatchers outside, okay?"
"Serena, you're going to sneak out, aren't you?"
Serena shook her head, giving him a sad smile, "No, but I _am_ going to do
something to help the situation."
"All right," Darien said, still worried.
She began to head back into the temple, but stopped and turned around, more tears
flowing down her face.
"Darien..."
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry things didn't work out between us. I do love you."
"You... what?" he said softly.
"Don't forget me, okay?" she whispered as she disappeared back into the building.
Darien wanted to follow her, to ask her what she really meant.
But he had to keep his promise. He had to keep every monster outside the temple.
Taking a rose out of his shirt pocket, he transformed into Tuxedo Mask.
* * *
"I love you, Luna," Serena whispered to the sleeping cat, "I'm sorry for not being
everything you wanted me to be..."
She climbed several flights of stairs until she got to the top floor of the temple.
Then she walked out into the balcony and reached into her pocket.
"Imperial Silver Crystal," she whispered, "I need your help."
Taking out the glowing sphere, she wrapped her hands around it, feeling its warmth.
"Please..." she said, as she focused all of her energy into the crystal, "Banish
this evil that has invaded our city. Send it outside the universe. And... please,
let every heart crystal reform itself, and go back to its rightful owner."
She opened her eyes, and shouted, "Silver Crystal... Power!"
'Goodbye, my friends,' she thought, 'Goodbye Darien.'
Then she prayed that Darien would distract the monsters long enough for the crystal
to take its effect.
* * *
Darien shielded himself from the light that was coming from the top of the temple.
Serena?
Suddenly, something she had said popped back into his mind.
Don't... forget me?
Did she mean...?
No... No... No, no, no.
Darien ran his hand through his hair frantically.
It couldn't be...
She... she was using the Imperium Silver Crystal!
Suddenly, he heard cries or pain behind him.
He turned around to find monsters screaming and turning into dark energy that
were sent up into the sky. Then, he saw blue dust gathering on the floor, and
then turning back into the blue heart crystal it once was. Slowly, the blue
star drifted back into Amy.
Sailor Mercury began to stir, but Darien didn't wait around for her to wake up.
Darien turned away and ran into the temple.
Serena!
He flew up the five flights of stairs and finally found her.
His princess.
Lying on the floor, a small smile on her face.
"Serena!" he screamed, "Serena, wake up!"
He ran to her, cradling her body in his arms, whispering desperately into her
ear.
"Darien...?" she whispered back.
"Serena..." he answered softly, "I'm right here."
"Take care of everyone for me, okay?" she said, her voice barely audible.
"Don't..." he said, voice hoarse, "Don't leave me, Serena."
"Goodbye, Darien..."
Darien watched helplessly as her eyes closed, and her hand fell against the
floor.
'I'll see you again' was her last conscious thought.
Then bright, white light filled her vision.
Darien closed his eyes and buried his head into her hair.
Then he withdrew from her and stared at her lifeless figure. Tears clouded
his eyes.
"I love you," he murmured, pulling her close again.
It was the first time he had said that to anyone.
But she didn't hear him.
"I love you, Serena."
by Phantasy Star
--------------------
Chapter Eight
"So they're looking for the last heart crystal..." Raye said.
"From the pattern of these attacks..." Amy said slowly, "It looks like they're
not just doing that. They're out to... kill people too."
Serena let out a sniffle from the corner of the room where she had buried herself
into.
"And..." Amy continued, "They're using the powers of Neptune and Uranus' heart
crystals to generate all these heart snatchers."
Luna sighed, "This isn't good. This isn't good at all..."
"Any word from Mina and Lita?" Artemis spoke up.
"No..." Raye said.
There was silence in the room for a while, while Amy continued to type furiously
at her pocket computer.
"Guys..." Amy said, "More attacks..."
* * *
"Sailor Jupiter, I've finally found you!" Sailor Mercury cried as she arrived on
the scene, "What happened?"
The brown-haired sailor scout didn't answer, only pointed at the body next to
her.
"Sailor Venus!" Sailor Mercury exclaimed, "Quick, find her heart crystal!"
She looked up, but Jupiter simply stared back at her.
"It's..." Sailor Jupiter said, "It's broken!"
"What? No!"
Sailor Mercury forced back tears.
"Mina!"
* * *
Sailor Mars screamed as her heart crystal flew out of her.
She struggled to get up but lost the strength.
The heart snatcher grabbed the heart crystal.
Sailor Mars changed back to Raye, having lost too much energy. She kept one eye
open to watch the monster.
The heart snatcher quickly inspected the red star.
Then she frowned.
And she crushed it with her hand.
* * *
"Oh, princess!" Luna said, crying, "We've lost two more scouts!"
Serena didn't answer her, simply stared blankly at her guardian cat.
Then she stood up.
"That's it!" she said, "I'm not losing any more of my friends. I'm getting out
there!"
Luna shook her head, "You can't. You have to protect Sailor Pluto, because she
has the third pure crystal."
"They won't find her here at the temple!" Serena argued, "I have to get out there!"
"Please, Serena, listen to me for once!" Luna cried.
Serena fell to the ground and let her tears run loose, "Why? Why is this
happening?"
* * *
Darien limped his way down the street, wincing as he stepped onto his ankle which
had been broken while fighting a monster. He was heading back to the temple.
He had begun to worry about Serena, and whether the heart snatchers had attacked
her and Pluto yet.
"Damn..." he muttered, when he saw Sailor Mercury lying on the grass outside the
temple, "Amy..."
He walked into the room with the sacred fire, where they had hid Sailor Pluto
behind the fire.
"Darien!" Serena said, looking up, "I'm so glad you're here."
Darien's heart made a little jump, happy to finally hear a kind word from her.
'She still needs me...', he thought.
"I..." Serena said softly, "Can I talk to you outside?"
"Of course."
The pair walked out into the front yard of the temple. Darien quickly directed
Serena away from where Amy laid.
"Darien... I need you to stay here and protect the temple."
"You're going to go out there?" Darien asked.
"No..." Serena said, "I'll be in here. But please, promise me you'll do everything
you can to keep the heart snatchers outside, okay?"
"Serena, you're going to sneak out, aren't you?"
Serena shook her head, giving him a sad smile, "No, but I _am_ going to do
something to help the situation."
"All right," Darien said, still worried.
She began to head back into the temple, but stopped and turned around, more tears
flowing down her face.
"Darien..."
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry things didn't work out between us. I do love you."
"You... what?" he said softly.
"Don't forget me, okay?" she whispered as she disappeared back into the building.
Darien wanted to follow her, to ask her what she really meant.
But he had to keep his promise. He had to keep every monster outside the temple.
Taking a rose out of his shirt pocket, he transformed into Tuxedo Mask.
* * *
"I love you, Luna," Serena whispered to the sleeping cat, "I'm sorry for not being
everything you wanted me to be..."
She climbed several flights of stairs until she got to the top floor of the temple.
Then she walked out into the balcony and reached into her pocket.
"Imperial Silver Crystal," she whispered, "I need your help."
Taking out the glowing sphere, she wrapped her hands around it, feeling its warmth.
"Please..." she said, as she focused all of her energy into the crystal, "Banish
this evil that has invaded our city. Send it outside the universe. And... please,
let every heart crystal reform itself, and go back to its rightful owner."
She opened her eyes, and shouted, "Silver Crystal... Power!"
'Goodbye, my friends,' she thought, 'Goodbye Darien.'
Then she prayed that Darien would distract the monsters long enough for the crystal
to take its effect.
* * *
Darien shielded himself from the light that was coming from the top of the temple.
Serena?
Suddenly, something she had said popped back into his mind.
Don't... forget me?
Did she mean...?
No... No... No, no, no.
Darien ran his hand through his hair frantically.
It couldn't be...
She... she was using the Imperium Silver Crystal!
Suddenly, he heard cries or pain behind him.
He turned around to find monsters screaming and turning into dark energy that
were sent up into the sky. Then, he saw blue dust gathering on the floor, and
then turning back into the blue heart crystal it once was. Slowly, the blue
star drifted back into Amy.
Sailor Mercury began to stir, but Darien didn't wait around for her to wake up.
Darien turned away and ran into the temple.
Serena!
He flew up the five flights of stairs and finally found her.
His princess.
Lying on the floor, a small smile on her face.
"Serena!" he screamed, "Serena, wake up!"
He ran to her, cradling her body in his arms, whispering desperately into her
ear.
"Darien...?" she whispered back.
"Serena..." he answered softly, "I'm right here."
"Take care of everyone for me, okay?" she said, her voice barely audible.
"Don't..." he said, voice hoarse, "Don't leave me, Serena."
"Goodbye, Darien..."
Darien watched helplessly as her eyes closed, and her hand fell against the
floor.
'I'll see you again' was her last conscious thought.
Then bright, white light filled her vision.
Darien closed his eyes and buried his head into her hair.
Then he withdrew from her and stared at her lifeless figure. Tears clouded
his eyes.
"I love you," he murmured, pulling her close again.
It was the first time he had said that to anyone.
But she didn't hear him.
"I love you, Serena."
