Storm Warning

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon. ^_^ Damn!

A/N: Hi, Eli K* reporting in! After the surprising success of Destiny Can Seem So Wrong, I've decided to go in a whole different direction this time! Hope you'll enjoy!

Chapter 1— First Stop, Japan—Next Stop, The World!

"Listen to that." A tall, shapely redhead standing outside the music room door shook her head in amazement. "Who knew? Serena Tsukino is actually good at something!" Turning to her friends, the girl laughed in surprise.

"Harsh as that sounded, yeah, this is the first time I've ever seen Serena succeed at something." A petite brunette nodded her agreement to the redhead. The other girls in the cluster of seven parked outside the music room door just giggled girlishly.

Serena gritted her teeth. They didn't know it, but she could hear every word they said. These seven girls were the bane of her existence. Ever since the start of her time at Juuban Junior High, these seven girls had been taunting her and teasing her, saying she was just a good-for-nothing meatball head who should forget any dreams she had because there would be no way she could succeed at anything. Well, at least she could make them eat their words now.

"Something wrong, Serena?" The good-natured music teacher, Ms. Whitfield, stopped playing the piano and turned to look at her student in concern.

"No! Nothing at all... can we start over?" Serena asked angelically.

The voice was as angelic as the look on her face. Serena was born to be famous. She just hadn't ever tried to single out a direction for her life—until she was caught singing along to a beautiful love ballad only three weeks earlier. Her mother had been stunned at the beautiful purity in her daughter when she sang, and insisted she send a demo CD to a friend of hers in the music industry.

Serena was lucky her mother had contact with this person—she was instantly signed. But she still had two days of school to go before she started recording and was getting in some last minute practice. She was a bundle of nerves. Nobody in her group of friends knew that this had happened yet. Not even her wonderful boyfriend Darien. She would tell him, of course, but just had to find the right way to do it. If Serena became successful, she would be going all over the world—and that would mean leaving Darien.

The song she sang now, she had written herself. It was all about her feelings for him, and the first track on her demo CD. She sang with all she felt in her heart—a rarity in young singers these days. Her voice didn't need to be altered—it was perfect the way it was. She wasn't going into the music business for her ten minutes of fame. She was going in because she felt it was the right path to take at this stage in her life and she knew she was very lucky to have gotten this amazing chance to live a dream many others would envy.

No voices could be heard outside the door now—the girls were silent, listening to the beautiful voice and lovely song. There was one difference now—a male had joined them, listening to a voice he knew extremely well.

"Deep in my soul Love so strong It takes control Now we both know The secrets bared The feelings show

Driven far apart I'll make a wish On a shooting star

There will come a day Somewhere far away In your arms I'll stay My only love Even though you're gone Love will still live on The feeling is so strong My only love My only love..."

Darien was astonished at those lyrics. She must have penned those herself. She had mentioned, a few months back after Darien and his family moved across to the USA, she had written a song about their love and how it would last forever even though he was gone. Now he was back, she was sublimely happy. But never would he have thought she could make such a beautiful song out of the sadness of that time in their lives.

"Okay, Serena, that about does it. That was beautiful," the music teacher was heard to say. "Now go home and rest your voice. You'll be great in the studio if you give your voice a couple of days' rest. You don't want to turn up with a froggy throat and a croaky voice, do you now?"

"I guess not." Serena laughed, but the people outside the door heard tears in her voice.

"Serena? What's wrong, honey?" The music teacher transformed into a mass of concern immediately.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Serena admitted to the teacher.

"Oh, Serena. The country's beckoning you. You'll have so many things to do soon that you won't have time to miss me," Ms. Whitfield laughed. "Although I have to say I'll miss your beautiful voice around here."

Serena laughed, saying, "You're right. I have so much to look forward to, don't I?"

"Indeed you do. Now off you go, young lady. I'll see you tomorrow." Ms. Whitfield put a warm arm around Serena. "Okay?"

"Okay." Serena hugged the teacher back. "See you tomorrow!" she called out as she ran to the door, opened it—and ran straight into Darien. "Oh! Hi!"

The seven girls made themselves scarce with one bad look given to them by Darien. With them gone, he turned to face Serena. "You were wonderful, Sere."

"Thank you!" Serena jumped into his arms. "If ya didn't know, that was the song I wrote about our relationship when you left... I never dreamed I would ever actually sing it!"

"Yeah... what's this about a studio?" Darien looked at her quizzically.

"Oh..." Serena looked down, her face flushed with both excitement and nervousness. "I sent off a demo CD to a friend of my mother's in the music industry, and they signed me straight away. I start recording an album in two days..." Serena's eyes brimmed with tears. "And if my album is successful, that means I'll start going places all over the world, you know. I'll have to release it in other countries, which means being based there... I'm going to miss you so much!"

"Hey. It's great news, Serena. I'm so proud of you," Darien crooned.

"You are?" Serena looked up hopefully.

"I sure am." He picked his girlfriend up and twirled around with her. "First stop, Japan, next stop, the world!"