Just forewarning Standard disclaimer. Sailor Moon is not mine, the idea and the show belong to people much richer than I. Please don't sue!
Dimmer however is mine.. of course if someone wants to use him or any of his transformations for ANY reason "thbbt" go ahead. You have my complete and total permission. I only request you tell me… Hell, I don't care if you don't tell me, it's not like I could find you anyway.
Warning: mild language, also this is my first fic. Maybe some lime sometime in the far future, but I seriously doubt it. Violent scenes, no worse than most action movies, but they actually sound worse when described…
"So this is it." Darien opened the door and invited Serena in.
"Wow, this place is really nice Darien, you live here by yourself?"
"Yup, have a seat, I'll fix us some tea or something."
Serena looked nevously around. There was no doubt in her mind that she stood in the apartment of her precious Tuxedo Mask. What was she going to say to him? She hadn't planned anything further than this. So how am I supposed to tell him?
Darien put the kettle on the stove, taking his time as he did it. He had questions, lots of them. But he didn't know how to put them in words. The kettle seemed to go off in record timing and he poured the tea and walked into the room.
"Thanks" Serena said nervousdly as she took her tea, anxious to take a sip so that she wouldn't have to talk.
Darien just nodded and sat on the couch. Both sat staring into their tea for the longest minute in the history of their lives. The akward silence seemed eat away at both of them.
Finally Darien sighed and put his tea down. "So how do we begin?"
"I'm not sure", Serena kept her eyes down, deliberately trying to stay away from his.
"How about question for question?"
"Sounds better than what were doing now I guess." She smiled sheepishly looking up at him, but still not into his eyes.
"Alright, you first or me?"
"I'll go. Are you really him?" She looked up, this time straight into his eyes, the eyes of her protector, the eyes of her teacher. It wasn't often she seen him without a mask and yet she knew, without even finishing his question, all uncertainty washed away…
"Are you really Tuxedo Mask?"
It was hardly a whisper, but the words rang as loud as church bells to Darien Shields.
"Yes."
Serena nodded and sat up straight, waiting for his question.
"Where did you learn about Tuxedo Mask Serena?"
"He…" She stopped, laughing a little while correcting herself, "I mean, you, have saved me many times. With good advice, and with helping me out of the path of danger. Darien, I am Sailor Moon."
Darien was suddenly glad to have put his tea down earlier, he had a feeling he'd be wearing twice as many stains on his shirt by now.
"Well that certainly explains a few things" he smiled laughing at himself for not noticing earlier. "Well that tells me when she picked up the locket…" he thought to himself.
"Darien? How come you threatened us? You know we'd probably help you if your intenions are good."
"I uuh…" When did Serena get so good at asking questions? I'm not even really sure about an answer to that. "well I uuuh…" He stopped himself and calmed himself down a little, and thought to himself, "Why not just say it?"
"There's a long answer to that question Serena. Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Mm Hmm" Serena nodded and set her own tea down.
Darien picked up his tea and walked over to look out his window as he gathered his thoughts.
"As you know, I am an orphen, my parents died when I was very young. I woke up not knowing who I was, only remembering my name. Lately though dreams have been coming to me. The same reoccuring one, about a princess that continues to cry out for me to help her."
"…the Moon Princess…" Serena whispered.
Darien nodded and took a sip of his tea before continuing, "I know they're only dreams, but something kept telling me she was real. For a while I was Tuxedo Mask and I didn't even know it. I saw Tuxedo Mask in my dreams, dancing with the moon princess, than strange memories of helping out the scouts kept entering mind. The only sensible answer was, I was this Tuxedo Mask. I learned to control my transformations. I keep the scouts at arms length because I don't want to see you girls hurt, and I don't want to be the one who has to hurt you. I will do anything to help the Moon Princess Serena. That even includes going throught the scouts if I have to."
"But its our mission to help the Moon Princess too!" Serena stood yelling.
"Wha?" Darien whipped around to face her.
"We don't know who she is, we don't know if she's in trouble, but we do know that she's the only one that can stop the Negaverse! We are looking for her just as much as you are. We should be side by side Darien! Fighting to find her, and fighting to protect her. We're both on the same side, there shouldn't be any reason for us to fight one and other. If we join forces though, combine our knowledge and crystals, we can beat the Negaverse! And we can find the Moon Princess! I just know we can!"
Darien was flabbergasted, (I always wondered if I'd ever get to use that word^^) The scouts and his goals were the same! They really could join up. He stood in silent surprise as all this new information started to sink in.
Serena, mistaking his lack of response for a negative answer, felt a tear run down her cheek. She didn't want to cry! She turned her face away from him to wipe the tears away and try to stop herself from crying. "I.. I know I'm not very strong… but.. but the others are, and everyone has started training…" she pleaded. "We could help… after some training, even I can help…if I train… please Darien...please?"
She was surprised to find herself wrapped into Darien's arms. She turned around trying to take comfort in the arms of her protector. She cried herself out onto his chest.
Darien stood, holding Serena for what seemed like hours and seconds all at once. She looked up at him and smiled. He would never understand what it was about Serena's smile that seemed to brighten up the world, even one as gloomy as his. He sighed. "Tonghit just wasn't its night," he laughed as he looked down to his tear and coffee stained shirt."
"I guess not" Serena laughed a little in spite herself. She wiped her eyes with her hand as the two seperated.
"Serena, things have been made mcuh more clear for me tonight. I will join up with the scouts to help find the Moon Princess."
"Oh Darien! Really?" If Serena's smile really could shine it would had lit up the all of Japan. As it was though, it certainly lit up the features of her face, and Darien could help but smile himself. "Yes Serena. When should we break it to the other scouts?"
"Tomorrow! As soon as we can! I'll let them know you're expected at the meeting." She reached into her pocket looking for a napkin from the shop, she pulled it out, but to her surprise Darien had snatched it away before she could blow her nose into it.
"What's this?" he asked holding up not a napkin, but a letter.
"Huh? I don't know, it wasn't in there before." She pulled out a real napkin and blew her nose into that.
"It has my name on it…"
"Really?" her curiousity perked, "What's it say?" she leaned over his shouler as he opened it.
Dear Tuxedo Mask a.k.a. Darien shields.
I'm writing this to congratulate you on your allegience with the scouts.
You are hereby welcome to train under the tutelage of our very capable instructers of the martial arts at the Hino temple. Class begins at 7:00am tomorrow morning please bring whatever is required of you to transform.
Da man,
Dimmer A. Kitana.
"So that's his last name…" Darien heard Serena whisper under her breath. "I wonder what the A. stands for… He must have slipped this in my pocket when met each other by the shop. I didn't even see him get close to me…"
"One minute Serena there's more.."
Ps: If Serena is reading this over your shoulder, please be informed that Chad still expects you at 6:00am tomorrow morning for your class. Do not be late or you'll be training with my class.
Serena paled.
Darien laughed. "I guess training under Dimmer is harsh?"
"You don't know the half of it. 6:00am? I didn't even know there was such a thing, and I'll have to BE there at that time… Hey Darien are you going?"
"Why not? I'll see just how bad this training is. I've been taking lessons for a while now, I'll probably surprise him. You better get going, I have to study. Seeya later Meatball Head!"
Serena, in too good of a mood to start yelling just pulled her eye and stuck out her tonuge as she walked out the door. As it shut behind her she smiled. Was Darien ever going to be surprised when that boulder was coming for him… "I would have warned him if he didn't call me meatball head."
Serena met up with everyone at the shop, and told them what she found out about Darien, and how he was going to be training with them the next morning.
"So Darien is Tuxedo Mask huh?" Lita looked to Rei, "Looks like you struck gold girl!"
"Hardly, its obvious he's stuck on the Moon Princess. Whoever that is. I think him and I are about as far as we we're going to go."
"Does that mean he's fair game?" Mina smiled. She had seen him earlier, and knew a hunk when she seen one.
"Uh huh, but don't expect to get too far if he's pining over this Moon Princess."
"Well I guess that means you really do know the future Dimmer." Amy looked at him curiously.
"Not anymore. Like Greg said, fate's been changed. If the world's gonna survive this, things gotta be set straight."
"Well girls, it's getting' late. We better be getting' home." Chad stood up, "It was a hard day for yas today, and it ain't gettin' any easier tomorrow. See yas in the morning."
The girls all said good bye and everyone went their separate ways.
The trio (Rei, Dimmer and Chad) walked home toward the temple. The sky was dark and the moon stood out brightly.
"It's a half moon now, it should be full in a week or two." Rei stated while looking up.
"Should we expect any more craziness than usual?" Chad asked laughing.
"Wouldn't doubt it with us man." Dimmer growled as a streetlamp turned off on him.
"Well, we'll see when it comes." Chad shrugged.
"Dimmer, stop throwing rocks at the streetlamps…" Rei sighed exasperated.
Next Morning
Darien woke up to the sound of knocking on his door at 5:45am. He looked bleary eyed at his clock before getting up and putting his robe on. The knocking increased in volume and speed, each one pounding in his head like somone was drilling into his skull.
"I'm coming! I'm coming! Just hold on!" He yawned and opened his door to see a young, vibrant, annoying blonde looking at him with a bright smile. Her smile was as bright as the sunshine.
At that moment, sunshine was the last thing he wanted to see.
"More night please." He said, confusing her completely before shutting the door in her face.
"Darien! We have training to do!" He heard Serena through the door. He mumbled a curse and reopened the door.
"No, my training doesn't begin until 7:00. YOU have training to do."
"Come on Darien, the early bird gets the worm!" She slapped his back. As she invited herself in.
He rolled his eyes and gave her a menacing look, before turning around and sulking back into his room, Serena following behind. He stopped her before entering his room.
"What are you doing Meatball Head? Are you going to watch me get changed too? If you don't want to be late, go make some tea for us both, and slip in some toast for me, I'd like something to eat first."
Serena blushed, realizing why he was heading back to his room now.
"Uh yeah! Right! I'm on it!" She called out running to his kitchen. She looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. "Aww, I don't know where anything is!"
Darien sighed as he got on his clothes. It was going to be a long day.
At the Temple
Amy and Mina were crawling under a lot of strain with the new weighted chains, armlets, head gear, and boots that Chad usually trained with. Serena ran up the steps dragging Darien along behind her by his hand. He was dressed in an old gi, that was wrinkled to all hell, his hair was still mussed up, and his eyes were as red and tired looking as… Dimmer's, who was being dragged by his hand out of the temple, his own hair uncombed, and his gi looked slept in.
Darien and Dimmer just looked at each other as the girls that were holding them up raced together to talk about something neither of them were up to listening to.
Dimmer smirked and Darien chuckled as they both fell flat on their asses now that the supports that were holding them up had left them.
"She forgot my coffee…" Dimmer smiled.
"She burned the bottom off of my kettle." Darien shook his head smiling.
"You win. Come on, we have another half hour, I know this nice little coffee shop that my friends at the police station told me about."
"Yes." Darien's response didn't make much sense, but it was too early in the morning for either to care.
They both stood up together and left everyone to go on a sacred quest for their morning coffee and tea.
Chad smiled and watched them go. Silly people, who needs caffene whe you have cheesy poofs. He smiled and reached into his pocket. His eyes went wide. As he patted himself down, "Dimmer!"
Dimmer and Darien had turned the corner.
"Handfull?" Dimmer offered the cheesy poofs with a smirk.
"Yes." Darien took a handfull.
Chad watched them leave, the irritation quickly drained out of his face as he lifted up one of the statues in the yard to grab a hidden, full bag of cheesy poofs there.
Dimmer and Darien walked into the coffee shop. If they were awake they may have noticed the people stare at them in their unkept hair and gi. Of course no one argued with the two, considering both wore blackbelts and were ordering a morning coffee. Intsinct warned them not to.
"Coffee"
"Tea"
"He wants coffee."
"Tea"
"Coffee"
Darien felt his head slam into the counter and the word tea he was about to say, came out as an groan of pain instead.
The clerk decided to follow the more violent of the two's orders.
"Why'd you do that?!" Darien gave him a look that said, don't mess with a grizzly bear's morning routine.
"Their tea tastes like piss"
"I thought you said it was a nice coffee shop?"
"It is, try the coffee."
Darien took a sip and almost immdiately the red eyes disappeared and he woke up.
"Woah," he looked over at Dimmer with growing respect. "Not bad."
Dimmer simply smiled and downed his own in a gulp.
Chad looked at his three girls, who were puffing hard as Rei cheered on from the sidelines during her stretches. He quickly looked away from the sweaty, tired teenage girls.
"How the hell am I going to handle this for weeks on end? Come on Chad you got to be hard on them, just like Dimmer! Alright, but how?" He looked back at the girls and drooled a little. "I wonder what it would be like to have them do this all day." He smiled to himself.
"No Chad you can't think like that! You are their teacher! They trust and respect you! But maybe…" He smiled a little, and his face flushed, "That wasn't such a bad idea."
"Hey girls! I just came up with something brilliant!"
Serena and Amy looked at each other and goaned. The last brilliant thing he thought of nearly broke their ankles the day before.
Mina looked up, "What is it Sensei?"
"Well you guys need lots of training to catch up right? I got just the thing, you can train all day!" He smiled cheerfully.
"What?! All day?" Serena looked at him incredously, she could hardly stand the last two hours, let alone all day, though she wasn't adverse to skipping school.
"But Sensai? What about school?" Amy questioned him while layng on her back, resting from trying to walk around with all the weights.
"That's the brilliant part, you do it while at school too!"
"You want us to where these things at school?" Mina, who was still trying to stand, fell flat against her stomach.
"Well, I'll lessen the weights but basically yeah, you'll be training and hardly notice it."
"But I can't where these ugly things to school!" Serena looked at him wide eyed.
"Dear Serena, you're soon to learn the the road of a matrtial artist is fraught with peril.
The three girls sweatdropped as Chad walked away.
"Well it isn't that bad Serena" Mina called over, "we can just hide them under our clothes today, and tomorrow we can decorate them like they are just accessories."
"Hey! That's a great idea Mina!"
"Yes, Mina that would help us camouflage them rather well, but we should learn to walk in them first." Amy panted out as she once again tried to stand up.
Lita was walking up to the temple as she saw Dimmer and Darien talking while they were waking up the street.
"Hi guys!" She called out and waved.
"Hey L:ita! Right on time. We'll start as soon as we get up there. What's in the bag?"
"Some snacks for later!." She winked, "Come on Dimmer," she ran up part of the steps and turned around, "I'm ready to work out!" She put on a determined look and ran up the rest of the stairs.
"Glad to see some one's a morning person."
Darien just grunted and began the trek up the stairs.
Dimmer shrugged and walked after him.
When they got to the top Darien stared wide eyed at the girls as Chad was holding up Mina by the arms, and giving her tips on keeping balance with the weights. The other two were already walking wobbily around the grounds.
"If you can figure out your center of gravity, you can balance yourself out with the equal weights on either side. There, now hold still I'm gonna let go."
"Uuh, okay…" Mina wasn't so sure about this herself.
Chad let go and she stood completely still, but she noticed she was staying up in spite of the heavy weights.
"That's it. Now remember where your center of gravity is while your walking and you can try to outrace the other two."
Mina just looked at him incredously, "You're just getting us back over last night's binge at the choclate shop with your card aren't you"
"Yup!" Chad closed his eyes as he smiled cheerfully and walked in the other direction catching Amy before she fell.
"How much do those things weigh any way?" Darien asked as he watched Serena fall and get back up, leaving a large hole in the ground where she had fallen.
Lita smiled beside him, and passed him one of the weights, Darien nearly fell forwards hold ing it up.
"This has got to be 40 or 50 pounds!"
"60" Rei corrected him grabbing onto his hand to drag the stunned man toward the dojo. "Come on were starting now."
Dimmer was inside nailing up a sign. "Pick up the armor over in the corner Darien. Oh yeah, you're gonna have to turn Tuxedo Mask for this. Lita? Rei? You girls set?"
"Mm hmm" The green trimmed Sailor Jupiter responded while doing some stretches. Darien never noticed them go to get transformed.
"Ready when you are Dimmer." Sailor Mars called out after latching on the final part of the armor. "I'd still like to know where you got this stuff."
"I know you would. Darien? You done yet?"
"Huh?" Darien looked up at Dimmer stupidly. What kind of training required both armor and his transformation? Not to mention the large boulder hooked up to the roof…
"Come on monkey boy, you're holding everyone up."
Darien didn't respond, he simply pulled a rose out of the pocket on the inside of his shirt and transformed.
"Aww no fair!" Lita smirked, "I was looking forward to a show, but his cape hid everything."
Rei flushed, "Honestly Lita, I thought you were here to train."
"Stop yer jawin' and help monkey boy with his armor." Dimmer finally finished with the sign and came down the latter. Swiping Tuxedo Mask's hat as he walked by.
Lita just smiled, reading the sign out loud, "No top hats allowed in dojo"
Darien simply shook his head smiling, "Somehow, I think Dimmer's going to be picking on me."
Dimmer laughed, right before undoing the rope.
"Aaaugh!" Darien would've normally gotten out of the way in time, but the heavy armor he was wearing reduced his usual speed, resulting in him being fit fully during a half finished dodge.
Up on the staging Dimmer smiled. "It has begun."
Dimmer smiled at the kids, despite the heavy training with the girls that morning, he felt exhilerated instead of tired. He laughed as the preschoolers dog piled him. Chad was looking a little nervous, but the kids took an immidiate like to him and his long hair. His gutair was laid down over by the door still in its case.
Chad picked up the one climbing on his head by his ankle, and looked over to Dimmer, "Are you sure their ready for this?"
"Yeees b'y. I tell you these kids are learning like nuts!" Dimmer crawled over to Chad and whispered, "They maybe learning from me like the same way the scouts are", he looked down at the kid he was hanging upside down by his ankle and gave him a a playful growl, before getting pucked in the mouth by said kid.
Just than Miss Grant had entered the class room. "Alright children class is beginning."
Dimmer and Chad fell over as all the kids that were crawling over them were suddenly in their seats and saying as one, "Good Morning Miss. Grant!"
"Today, children were going to learn a song. Dimmer has brought a friend along to help teach you. This song will be sung at the winter carnival. It seems you all have learned the regular curriculum, that the school would like our class to represent us against other schools."
The kids all cheered. It would make their parents proud, it was a great honor, but more importantly they thought that it would be fun because it was Dimmer that picked the song. Not to mention, found it, and translated it.
"Alright children, Dimmer and Chad are going to sing the song once for you to get the tune, and than we'll all practice off of the sheets handed out to you. Please listen closely. Dimmer if you will?"
Chad got up and got out his gutair and sat on an already set up stool. He started to tune it. Dimmer gathered the kids and made them sit down in a horse shoe shape around him on the floor. "Okay people. This song is called, "we're going to be friends," by White Stripes. I found the lyrics kinda fittin'… All set Chad?"
Chad gave him a thumbs up and started playing softly and cheerfully as he introduced the song.
In a cheerful childlike voice Dimmer starts to sing in time with Chad's gutair.
Fall is here
Hear the yell
Back to school
ring the bell
friendly shoes
walking blues
climb the fence
books and pens
I can tell that we are gonna be friends
I can tell that we are gonna be friends
Walk with me
Suzie lee
Through the park
and by the tree
We will rest upon the ground
And look at all the bugs we found
Safely walk to school without a sound
Safely walk to school without a sound
Here we are
No one else
We walked to school
All by ourselves
There's dirt on our uniforms
from chasing all of the ants and worms
We clean up and now its time to learn
We clean up and now its time to learn
Numbers, letters
Learn to spell
Mounds of books
And show and tell
Playtime when we throw the ball
Back to class
Through the hall
Teacher marks out height against the wall
Teacher marks out height against the wall
We don't notice anytime pass
We don't notice anything~
We sit side by side in every class
Teacher thinks that I sound funny
But she likes the way you sing
Tonight I'll dream
While I'm in bed
When silly thoughts
Go through my head
about the bugs
and alphabet
but when I wake
tomorrow I'll bet
that you and I will walk together again
I can tell that we are gonna be friends
I can tell that we are gonna be friends
Dimmer and Chad woke up out of the small world they entered to hear more cheers and applause than the preschoolers could have made. It seemed some of the other classes were disrupted, but instead of stopping them, they stood out in the hall and listened. Chad quickly stood up in surprise at the new audience, knocking the stool over into Dimmer, who tripped over it while he tried to stand, and was sent sprawling, head first, into one of the desks.
"Ugh…" Dimmer promptly fell unconcious.
"Oops…" Chad scratched the back of his head nervously.
"You seem ta be in a happy mood today there Dim. Any paticular reason why? Especially considering I just knocked you out twenty minutes ago…"
Dimmer was twirling around humming to himself. "Why not be Chad? A bump on the head never kept me down for very long. I get to help train the legendary Sailor Scouts, I have more friends now than ever before. I'm helping the scouts bring their future back in order. For once in my life I feel needed dude. Like I'm actually doing something, or I'm important to something. This never happened to me before. I can't help but like it here."
"Well Dude, your welcome to stay. Not like you could go back to where the hell ever you're from."
"Rather be here anyway Chad. Other than the music, the place sucked. Just wish I didn't have to do puberty all over again…"
"Ha, well can't have everything."
"What should we do to the girls next anyway? If they do this for about a week, they'll be the kickass scouts they wanted to be, if they keep it up longer than they'll be better than us."
"Well… truth of the matter is there's nothing like real experience. At the end of the week, we'll have them train against each other, than go out and put the training to use."
"Sounds good, but what do we do for real experience?"
"Get them to solve regular crimes maybe? It was what Mina has been doing since she started."
"She has?"
"Yup, why do ya think she became so famous?"
"It ain't a bad idea, we'll see what we can do about it. I'm gonna have to make some calls, I have an idea that might work out."
"I don't like your ideas, they usually involve a lot of pain and work."
"Shouldn't be too much pain in this one, just some extra money maybe, some connections, favoritism from the city, help locating Negaverse creatures too come to think of it…"
"All that good stuff has to come with a bad side. What is it?"
"The bad side?" Dimmer smiled, "The thing I got the idea from is an old television show, so it going to be horribly corny. And I plan on having the theme song playing all day. Come here."
Dimmer whispered his idea to Chad.
"Oh no. That is not going to work! It can't!"
"You see a flaw?"
"No, but this isn't the movies and that is just waaay too weell… no!!"
"Face it, If we pull it off right, it'll work. And I know just the people I need."
"Dimmer, stop plotting. I Mean it! I hate it when you plot! Can't we talk this over?"
Dimmer ignored Chad's protests as he started to hum the theme song for ghostbusters.
This was going to be fun…
Sailor Moon says: "So now Tuxedo Mask has joined with the scouts! And he's training with Dimemr's group? Don't be too hard on him Dimmer! Today the scouts are training really hard to be better at defending off the Negaverse. It takes a lot of hard work and effort to become really good at something, but as long as you keep trying you're certain to someday succeed! Sailor Moon says!" Sailor Moon's voice giggled.
"Wow…" Mike rewound the tape to watch Dimmer twirling and humming to himself. "He looks so happy… so at peace with himself. I don't remember ever seeing him sooo happy."
"You're right, I hardly recognize him anymore. The Dimmer we know is slowly disappearing." Mitchell pointed out in his usual logical tone.
"Do ya think he'll ever come back?"
"Don't sound like he wants ta… He's better off there anyway. In a way I hope I never see him again face to face."
"Yeah, me too, but I still miss him."
"Meh." Mitchell shrugged. It's what he said and did when ever he was either wrong, things were getting too emotional, or just didn't care.
Mike was pretty sure it was the second one. "Dude? Wanna game of "Smash"?"
"Sure." They both settled themselves in for a round of Super Smash Bros.
Endnotes: Does anyone even pay attention to these any more? I missed another deadline, and it was a short chapter besides. Fact is half of it was deleted, and I took a while trying to find someone with an original copy. But hey! Now I have my internet back, I should be able to keep up with my promises. Sorry to all those I sent this chapter to, I sent you only half of what it was supposed to be as you may have noticed upon reading it. Well hopefully it will explain anything in the future chapters that didn't make sense so far. Hopefully update next week. speak to yas than.
Ciao!