Title: For Evermore

Rating: PG

Chapter 3: Picture Perfect

Disclaimer: I do not own sailor moon or any of its characters, however Evermore and any other characters are strictly mine. This disclaimer also applies for chapter two where I forgot to put it.

I would like to send a special thanks to those who reviewed, and an apolgy for those who tried and were denied because I had that stupid filter on. Really sorry about that:

Krystal Khlear: I would like to thank you for all the compliments! You're too sweet! And I didn't think it was pestering; in fact I need pestering. I'm glad my story keeps you wanting more. Thanks so much for the moral booster.

Goddess-Pheonix/Vixinia: Thanks so much for reviewing! It feels good to know people are reading this! babybluestarangel/Eli: Thanks so much for the enthusiastic reviewing! And I really tried to get this out as soon as I could. And to my new best fanfiction buddy, codename Blue Spyral: You're so cool. Need I say more? OH yeah! and everyone go check out her cool story, Don't Believe Everything You See!

Now on with the show.

Chapter 3: Picture Perfect

Stroke. Whoosh. Scratch.
It didn't quite look right. The hair was the wrong color; maybe just a little more brown.
Paint. Paint.
Streching back, Darien smiled at his work. Painting was the only way he could take his mind off her. Ah her, the woman who haunted the prince's every thought. In his heart he believed her to be Serena, however, being he hadn't seen her in nine years made the other's doubtful of his opinion.
His face contorted in an aggravated gestures. Painting was no way for which the Crown-Prince Endymion should act. No, a good Endymion would work on his dipolmacy skills so he would be well prepared when it was time to take the throne. Well, at least that's what King Gixeon believed.
Darien was so enthralled with his thoughts that he failed to hear his father enter. Gixeion had a head of think silver hair entangled around his crown. His face showed lines from stress and battle, especially lately. Things were stirring under his very nose, and Gixeon feared for his son.
"You really must stop living in the past," Gixeon chided.
"I know, but I don't want to," Darien said while gently setting his pallet and brushes to the side.
Gixeon sighed and walked toward the boy. He wanted nothing more than his son to pursue this dream girl, and perhaps if he wasn't king, he would allow his son that joy. Now it was time to emphasie that that wasn't the case.
"Son, this obession must stop. I'm sure she's gotten on with her life, and now you must too. I"m sure she wouldn't want you dwelling over the past so much that you miss the future."
Darien darkened. "I won't ever forget her."
"And I'm not asking you to," Gixeon pleaded. "You mother is holding a ball for you, as you know. Attendanced is mandatory. I expect to see you there." Then in a very cold manor, the king exited the prince's room.
"But he doesn't understand," Darien said to himself. "I can't move on..."

"So you're telling me that I'm in some make-believe land that really isn't make-believe because my grandmother was some renegade sixty years ago? And that my childhood friend who was kidnapped nine years ago is really the run-away prince of this fairy-tale?"
"I think so..."
"Wow, that's the last time I eat sushi before I go to bed, becaus this has got to be the most wacked up dream I've ever had," Serena mumbled while playing with the soup Brandy had served her. It wasn't that the soup was bad, it was quite good actually, but somehow soup that smelled like rotting cow just didn't make Serena too anxious to eat. Oh, and it could be the culture shock she was feeling that added to the loss of appetite.
"But there must be some reason you were brought here," Brandy said, oblivious to the fact Serena could careless. "Perhaps you are to be reunited with the prince."
"But I don't want to be reunited."
"You might not want to, but you need to," Brandy informed her. "The prince is rumored to be obsessed with a girl he met from his trip to Earth..."
"That's a little creepy..."
"Don't interject!" Brandy continued with her thought, "the queen must believe you'll break him of this enchantment and allow the boy to move along with his life."
"This doesn't make any sense. Why doesn't he just find some beauiful girl here? And what the hell is this stuff?" Serena had finally gotten fed up with trying to figure out the ingredients of the mystery food.
"Eat up. Looks like we're going to crash a ball tonight."
Serena stared at the redhead who managed to dodge all of Serena's questions.
"Ball? What ball? I don't wanna go to a ball!!!"

To say the marketplace was boisterous would have been an understatement. Serena desperately wished for earplugs. And boy, was the marketplace gaudy too. It was Los Vegas showgirl gaudy. In fact, Serena was sure the woman by the crystal cart was a showgirl. Or maybe a Native American in a wardress...
"Try this 'Magic Enhancer' Charm! Guaranteed to amplify your matic ten-fold..."
"...for only ten Kracens Lola's Love Potion can be yours..."
"...My dragonweed is the best when it comes to keeping pesky dragons and faires out of gardens..."
"You better keep up." A woman stood directly in front of Serena, and this woman sent chills up Serena's spine. She couldn't be real. Locks of gold trickled over the woman's face in an ethereal way. But it was the woman's eyes that were most unbelieveable--amber with white pupils. The woman's arm brushed past Serena and pointed at something in the distance.
Serena felt compelled to look, and sure enough, Brandy was some distance ahead. A few more seconds and Serena would have lost her guard to the mobs of magicians. Spinning on her heel, Serena turned to thank the stranger, but found her gone. Swallowing the lump that had developed in her throat, Serena charged after Brandy.
And straight into a large wood door.
"You should pay more attention."
Rubbing her forehead, Serena shot Brandy a dirty look. The creaking of large iron hinges brought Serena's eyes upward. The words Lita's Lovely Dress Shop were engraved into a wooden sign.
Brandy pushed the door open and started calling out to the owner. Meanwhile, Serena tried to take revenge on teh cruel door, but only succeeded in stubbing her toe.

Lita had not chosen to be a dressmaker. Actually, she wanted to be the royal head chef, but as fate would have it, Lita inherited a dress shop. Fate was a cruel dealer, and Lita did not get the best hand. It wasn't that she wasn't beauitful and talented; it was just she didn't quite fit in. She owned amazingly beauitful jade eyes speckled with gold and long curly brown hair tinged with garnet. However, she was six feet tall and abnormally muscular. On Earth she would have made the perfect basketball player.
Because of her build, she had been shunned, which is how Lita met her good friend Brandy. She along with a few other outcasts, had grown close with childhood, and it was not uncommong for the hermit Brandy to pay a visit. Yet it was uncommon for her to walk in with a woman that only existed in paintings.
"In Nix's name; is her name Serena?" Tha was the first thing Lita said.
Brandy did not seem offended and did not hesitate to answer. "Yes."
Poor Serena (holding her injurged foot and hopping) seemed utterly confused.

"I fail to see the resemblance," Serena said while staring at the paiting. Okay, so the girl in the painting could probably pass for her twin, but there was no way Serena was going to admit that. Not to mention the whole situation was just a tad creepy. Come on, this guy who Serena hadn't seen in almost a decade was painting mirror-like portraits of her.
The painting hung on the back of the little dress shop between the bolts of cloth and manikins. It was a painting of her in some gigantic garden full of strange plans Serena had never seen. There were flowers in the shapes of lilies that glowed in the darkness and a lavender weeping willow tree. The subject of the painting was wearing an elaborate blue dress with ribbons flowing in the wind.
"The painting's called 'Waiting,'" Lita stated.
Serena tossed her hands in the air; enough was enough. "All right, I admit this painting does resemble me, but come on people, this is a world of magic. This must happen all the time," Serena exasperated.
"Actually," Brandy interjected. "it is a very rare thing."
"Besides," Lita began, "I know exactly what you can wear to the ball."
Serena just moaned.

Darien stood in front of his mirror but looked past his reflectoin. Would she approve of what he'd done with his life? Would sh efind him handsome or would she see right through him? Maybe his father was right; as crown prince of Evermore, Darien should be paying attention to his responsibility to the kingdom and stop chasing wil-o-the-wisps.
A gentle knocking on the door brought Darien out of his pensive trance.
"Come in."
"In the mirror he could see who entered, and she was beautiful. Yet none could replace his dream girl. Long black hair cascaded over the girl's pale shoulders. Her eyes were an exotic purple and went well with her strong features and high cheek bones. A red dress hugged her body revealing a less than bodacious body, but a sleek and graceful figure.
"Good evening, Endymion. I cam to tell you the ball is starting and that I am available if you desire someone to escort," she said.
"Raye..." A sweet smile slipped over his lips. "Thank you, but I'd prefer to go alone."
Raye could not hide the disappointment with the smile she chose. "As you wish, my lord." She turned to leave, awkwardly pausing as if she were going to say soemthing, but never did.
Darien leaned against the mirror. Lady Ray Fireton would be a fine choice for a queen. She and the prince had been quite close when Darien had returned from Earth, but the schooling for a lady had taken her away. Now she was a ghost of a friend he wished he had.
But Serena had always been between them, from teh beginning to now. Darien wasn't even sure if he wanted it any other way.
With a heavy sigh, the prince left his room.

Serena pushed back with all she could muster, but the lack of traction in her dress shoes made her attempts all for naught. Large wooden doors loomed before her as if they were mocking her with the knowledge of the inevitable.
"You know guys," Serena mumbled through clenched teeth, "I'm really not the ball material." Serena could feel the traitors pebbles beneth her feet moving her closer to the door.
"Sure you are!" Brandy and Lita chorused.
"NO! NO! NO!" Serena chanted as she felt the light from teh ballroom burn into her retinas.

To say the least, Darien was completely bored. Balls had to be the drabbest event anyone could think of. Girls in glittering dresses twriled around as if continuously in eddies and matched the sparkling satin that draped the room. The royal orchestra played an endless waltz and hte patter of slippers kept tempo.
And Darien listend half-heartedly to the woman chattering in his ear about the history of chiffon. Though the conversations was...highly riveting, he kept his eyes on the door silently planning his escape.
Then the doors swung open revealing a flabbergasted beauty. Azure eyes darted about the room uneasy under the penetrating glares of the guests. A blue dress wrapped tightly around her torso but hung loosely below her waist fluttered in a magical wind. Her shoulders were reveled, but the dress continued down her arms; blue cloth tied with ribbons that trailed to the floor were wrapped around her arms. Her hair was wrapped into golden buns atop her head. She looked as if she had just walked out of a painting.
She stood there afraid to move, and slowly brought her hands up to her chest. It was as if she was waiting. Then she glanced over her shoulder, looking for phantoms behind her. She was along in the spotlight.
Darien's jaw dropped. The girl, no woman, of his dreams just walked off a canvas. What was he doing sitting around? Without any reservations, Darien pushed through the crowds of gawking people to the princess in teh doorway.

Autor's Notes: YAY! Done! Chapter four is currently in the works, and I hope to have it out on the net soon. And there will be action in the near future. Reviews are always nice, but not necessary. Feel free to contact me at sailorangelonb4hotmail.com or IM on AIM: ThePinkPirateARG. Thanks for reading!