Title:  Welcome To Reality

Chapter Title: Invisible-Man

Summary: Serena Warren, now fifteen, graduates the tenth grade with honours and is offered a chance to go to Japan on a student exchange program. Here, she realizes that the reason her dreams seemed so real is that they were.

Author: Silver Sparklze

Reason For Writing: This story was written as a challenge set by Sage: The Dark Dryad.

Author's Notes: Spooky villain who is focus for the story turns up in this chapter. A 1,000 or more word story to the person who can figure out who inspired him…Your choice of HP of SM, pairing, rating, genre (please not angst, I'm not very good at angst), and POV. Also person, i.e. first, second, or third.

I have tried to translate the Japanese next to the words, but even so, anything written in bold will be translated at the end of the chapter if not already translated.

~Darien's Living Room, Darien Chiba's Apartment, Tokyo~

Serena opened her eyes with a gasp, and sat up, clutching the place just about her collarbone, feeling for the wound. All that remained was a small white scar, with a silhouette of a silvery crescent moon over it.

"Are you all right, Serena-san?" Darien asked.

"F-fine." Serena said. "Wh-what h-happened?" She shivered, and Darien draped a blanket over her shoulders.

"You fainted."

"O-oh…where am I?" Serena couldn't seem to stop shivering. Darien must have seen this, for his face softened even more.

"You're at my apartment." He replied. Tentatively, he reached out, and stroked the side of her face. Serena sighed, leaning into his touch. "Is this ok?" He asked quietly.

"It's more than ok," Serena replied, smiling up at him. Suddenly, Darien jerked his hand away, that same confused look on his face.

"Who are you?" He asked. "Really?"

"Serena Warren." Serena was puzzled.

"Aside from that. There's something…familiar about you, Serena-san. What is it?"

"I look like your ex?" Cruelly, Serena reminded Darien of Sere-ko, needing to see his reaction. However, Darien did not flinch, nor did his face drop.

"No, it's more than that," he persisted, "there's more to you than that. Tell me everything."

"It's a very long story." Serena said softly, unable to deny those deep blue orbs.

"We have all day." Darien replied. "So, as you Americans say, 'shoot'."

"Well," Serena said, "It all began a bit before my thirteenth birthday… …and here I am." She finished, having told him everything.

"Wow…I never knew a teenage girl's life could be so complicated." Darien shook his head. "So…you and Sere-ko swapped places?"

"Yes…I suppose I am the inadvertent murderer of Sere-ko." Serena said sadly. "After all, she probably would have survived that crash if it hadn't been for me. I'm sorry." She bowed her head. You idiot! She was telling herself; he'll never like you now!

"Don't be," Darien replied, tipping her chin up, "after all, can you imagine how crushed she would have been, had she lived? How would you feel, knowing that your brother, mother, and father had all died in a plane crash which would kill a normal person, but you didn't die, because you were a superhero?"

"I…dunno…probably pretty bad." Serena murmured. "But I don't have parents, or siblings."

"But how would Sere-ko have felt?" Darien persisted.

"How am I supposed to know?" Serena snapped. "I'm not her. I never was Sere-ko, nor will I ever be Sere-ko! Why does everyone keep mistaking me for Sere-ko?! Why do you all expect me to know how she felt?!"

"Serena-san, I only asked because you said you'd been dreaming of her." Darien said bluntly.

"Oh…" Serena blushed. She'd gotten a bit carried away in her rant because she was tired of people mistaking her for Sere-ko. And she especially didn't want the man she lo…liked doing so. "Well, I reckon she'd be really depressed, but that's just my opinion."

"What does 'reckon' mean?" Darien asked, looking confused.

"Oh, sorry. It means 'think'." Serena told him.

"All right…" Darien shook his head. "So you're the one that's been helping us?"

"Yes." Serena nodded. "Want proof?"

"If you don't mind." Darien looked apologetic.

"Of course not. If you told me this time a couple of years ago that I would be sitting here with you, about to turn into a superhero, I wouldn't have believed it either. ETERNAL MOON POWER!" She heard Darien gasp as she began the transformation. She couldn't help but be amused. How ironic that he would view her transforming twice when she had virtually given him permission, and that he should be surprised by it twice. "Believe me now?" Sailor Moon asked. Darien nodded dumbly. "Good." She transformed back into Serena, sighing with relief. The boots were annoying.

Suddenly, a bout of vertigo hit her, and she wobbled. Darien reached out, pulling her onto the couch next to him, an arm around her shoulders to keep her steady.

"Thanks…" Serena murmured, resting her head against his chest.

"Is this alright?" Darien asked in reply, referring to the fact that his arm was still around her shoulders.

"F-fine…" Serena said, scootching closer so that she was almost sitting in his lap. Darien shifted so that they were both more comfortable. Unfortunately…or fortunately…this left their faces less than a breath apart, and their lips so close that Serena could almost taste the dark haired man beside her. Darien's head dipped down towards hers, and Serena's eyes closed upon contact.

His lips were warm and soft, slightly chapped the way most men's are…and he tasted divine. Serena opened her mouth slightly, allowing Darien's tongue to enter, and to trace every crevice inside. She tasted cinnamon and chocolate, and something that she could only describe as pure him. He sighed, whispering something into her mouth. It took a few seconds for his words to pierce her lust-addled brain, then she pulled away. "What did you call me?" She demanded. Darien looked confused, and tried to pull her back to him, but she resisted. "What did you call me?"

"Serena-san." Darien said.

"No, you called me Sere-ko. I'm sorry, Darien-kun, but I will not kiss someone who calls me by another name. I'm not going to be your living equivalent of a blow up doll." Without even thinking about the danger of going out in her present state, she opened the door, and stormed out, bare feet and all…

"How dare he." Serena snarled under her breath, storming down the street barefoot, not even noticing the glass that made its way into her sensitive soles. Every so often there was a strange 'pop' sound, as the glass was forced back out of her newly healed feet. While she was in the Nether-Realm, Phoebe had taught her body to heal itself.

'So I don't have to look at your annoying face for a while.' Was what she'd said while doing it. Serena smiled softly at the memory, and pushed her hair back from her face. This ponytail is getting annoying. She decided, time to do something about it. She sat down on a convenient bench, and pulled her hair out of the ponytail, the golden tresses tumbling over her shoulders and resting in a small pool in her lap. She knew if she stood up that the silky strands would reach her knees.

Carefully, she pulled another hair band out of her pocket, and she smoothed back her silky curls into her trademark style. The two odangos.

"Nice." A voice chuckled by her ear. Serena turned around, but saw no one. Then she heard the clip of some scissors, and a few gleaming strands of hair fell into…darkness. The invisible hand brought the hair up to just below two glowing red eyes. There was the sound of someone inhaling. "Mmm…very nice, pet. 'S always good to find someone with sweet-smellin' 'air." Serena slapped the arm out of the way when it reached out to touch her cheek, instinctively knowing where it was.

"Don't touch me." She snarled. "I'm not anybody's plaything. ETERNAL MOON POWER!"

"Well, well, well," The thing said, "Sailor Moon. How fittin' that you should transform in front of me, and give me the information I need to destroy you."

"Well, guess what. Not gonna happen. 'Fraid that information ain't ever gonna be used 'pet'." Sailor Moon sneered.

"How you gonna do that? Gonna 'dust' me, luv?" Invisible-Man mocked.

"Might. Haven't decided." Idly, Sailor Moon twirled the Kaleid Moon Scope between her fingers like a baton. "Decided now. Planet Rage Inferno!" She watched dispassionately as the Invisible-Man burst into flames. Only when the remaining sparks floated all around her did she leave.

Because of that she didn't see the sparks reform themselves into a living monster. The monster chuckled to himself.

"Well, looks like the girl has more strength than 'd thought." He said. "Better keep an eye on 'er. 'll be seein' you, pet…"