Title:  Welcome To Reality

Chapter Title: A date…

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: 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.

~Er…Tokyo? Random Places?~

Serena was awake way before Rei the next morning, and so the brunette had no chance to grab her before she headed off to school. Inside her head, Serena was giggling. She felt strangely happy, even after all that had happened. She bounced slightly as she walked

She'd never realised how much fun teasing someone could be, or messing with their minds. She tensed; as footsteps sounded behind her, and whirled around, ready to attack. She relaxed only slightly when she saw that the owner of the thudding feet was Darien.

"Darien-san," she said coolly, "what do you want?" He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"Sere-ch…Serena-san," he corrected, "I wanted to apologise for the other night. And to tell you that it wasn't Serena Tsukino that I was thinking about, it was you. I called you Sere-ko out of force of habit. But I really was thinking of you, not her."

"I'm sorry, Darien-san. I can't accept that. How would you like it if I…or Sere-ko…had called you by another name when you were kissing."

"I'm really sorry, Serena-san. Please, can't I make it up to you? Treat you to a movie? Or a picnic? Something?" He grabbed both her hands in a rather frantic way.

"Uh…" Serena thought about it. She really liked Darien…she might even love him if she gave herself permission…which she wouldn't…but she could give him one more chance…after all…it was only natural that he might mistake her for Sere-ko…they were so similar. "Alright. But this is your last chance. Like a make-up test."

"Good." Darien smiled, relieved. "What do you want to do?"

"How about we go to the Arcade and have a milkshake?" Serena suggested.

"Right. This afternoon, after school? I'll meet you here?"

"Ok." Serena squeezed his hands gently. "I've got to go, or I'm going to be late for school."

Serena skipped the rest of the way to school, her face alight with laughter.

"Sere-chan!" Kimi-chan yelled out when she saw her. "Hi! Is you feeling ok now?"

"Fine. Isn't it a wonderful morning?" Serena grabbed Kimi-chan's hands, and swung her around in a circle.

"Ah…yes?" Kimi-chan posed it as a question.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Serena giggled.

"Why are the morning so good?" Kimi-chan asked.

"Because I'm going out with Darien-san!"

"The one you were looking at last week in the cafeteria?" Kimi-chan said, tilting her head to one side.

"Yes! We're going to the Arcade for a milkshake this afternoon!"

"Great. Will you talk Rei-san?" Kimi-chan questioned.

"Will I tell Rei-san? I'll tell her that I'm going on a date this afternoon, but not whom I'm going with. That's not really any of her business. We aren't friends or anything. Not yet." Serena tossed her hair, and looked over her shoulder just to see Mina and Ami walk in the front entrance. "Ah, there're Ami-san and Mina-san now. I'll tell them, and they can tell Rei-san." Serena strolled over to them.

"Ami-san? Would you mind passing on a message to Rei-san?" She asked politely. Ami smiled at her, but her blue eyes were icy.

"Of course, Serena-san. What is it?" Mina was scowling at Ami, obviously angry that the blue-haired teen had decided to answer her.

"Could you please tell her that I mightn't be home until late, but not to worry, because I'm going out on a date?"

"Of course. Have fun." Serena grinned.

"Thank you." As she walked away she heard Mina call her a slut, and although it hurt she couldn't suppress the smile that took over her face at the thought of the shock the other blonde would experience upon seeing her worst enemy snogging Darien.

Serena shouldered her bag at the end of the day, and went into the Girl's toilets.

"Luna Pen Power, give me a casual but nice outfit to wear on a date." She whispered. A slight pink glow surrounded her, and moments later she was wearing a white cotton sundress covered in pink flowers, with white sandals. She grinned down at herself, carefully applying a little lip-gloss in the mirror, before walking out and heading towards the entrance.

Darien was there, waiting for her. Serena was slightly surprised; she'd skipped the last class because she didn't want the Scouts to know just yet, and also to give her some extra time to be ready. She strolled over to him, hugging him happily.

"Hey," She said, smiling. Darien grinned in response.

"Hello."

"Let's go, shall we?" Serena took his arm, and was about to walk off, when he stopped her.

"Why aren't you still in class?" He questioned, a frown marring his handsome features.

"Skipped the last period," Darien opened his mouth to object, and she quickly continued, "Don't worry; I'm ahead. 'S only maths. Can do it any old time." The brunette relaxed.

"How did you know what I was going to say?" He asked. Serena shrugged, not wanting to get into that right now. She really didn't want to remind him of Sere-ko. Perhaps one day they could talk about it, but not now.

"Dunno. Let's go, shall we?" Was her only answer, bright and false. She couldn't help but wince. She sounded fake, even to her own ears. Amazingly enough, Darien didn't seem to notice.

"Yes, let's." He said, and they walked off towards the Arcade…

"So," Darien took a sip of his coffee, "why did you skip maths?"

"Because I wanted to be ready. I didn't want to go out with you looking like a schoolgirl." The indulgent smile on Darien's face faded, as did the look of interest in his eyes. One of the things which had caused him to break up with Sere-ko, inadvertently thrown in his face by a slip of a girl who was, in all actuality, a year younger than his ex had been.

"You are a schoolgirl." He said softly.

"In body, yes. But not in mind and soul. I've seen, heard, done, learnt, and felt too much for that. Schoolgirls don't kill people. Nor do they turn into superheros, rid the world of evil, and return home in time for dinner." Darien's lips curved upwards for a moment, before the memories were squashed. "They hardly ever pick the man they're going to marry at the age of twelve either." Serena reached out to caress the side of Darien's face, but he pulled away.

"No matter. You are still a child." He persisted.

"No," Serena said firmly, slurping up some of her chocolate shake, "I am not a child. I wish I were, but I'm not. I haven't been one for a very long time, perhaps never. You know what it's like growing up without parents, don't you, Darien-kun." Darien nodded slowly. "Well, so do I. I grew up in an orphanage.

"I was left on its doorstep the day I was born. At least your parents loved you. They wanted you. Mine never did. So don't tell me I'm a child. No one who grew up without parents was ever fully a child. It doesn't work that way." There were tears shining in Serena's eyes, but for once she didn't care. "And what's more, you know I'm not a child. I won't be pushed away, Darien-chan. I won't. I care too much to have that happen. Not like Se…"

Serena stopped talking, once again unwilling to remind Darien of his ex. She wished they could have met before Sere-ko, before all of this. But, right now, a stronger wish was that something would happen to distract Darien.

As Fate would have it, something did happen. Fate, Serena decided as she drank the last of her milkshake, had a strange sense of humour.