Chapter 10
Revelations . . .
Thursday . . . Mid-afternoon
Silence.
"But how?" Tuxedo Mask asked, bewildered.
Sailor Moon shook her head gently, "It's their story to tell."
She nodded at the man and he looked at Darien and said simply, "You are our leader."
She then stepped away from the two and joined the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Mars, frowning, whispered to her, "Did I miss something here?"
Serena smiled. A melancholic smile, feeling the centuries past fill her. "Just watch. All will be made clear soon."
Darien, his thoughts spinning, questioned, "Who are you?"
The man replied, "We are the Guardians of the Crown." He pointed to them and three others stepped toward him. "The four of us receive our powers from the Universe as a whole and are your personal guard." The other four came forward, "They receive their power from Earth itself and are your Palace Guardians."
Sailor Saturn glanced around at the unbelievable size of the crowd that had gathered, at a safe distance, to witness the unusual events. She whispered, "Princess, we need to get out of here."
Serena looked around, seemingly noticing the people for the first time, "Guess you can't expect privacy in the middle of the park."
The leader, about to speak again, fell silent as Sailor Moon came over and placed her hand on Darien's arm. The eight bowed low to the waist at her approach. Darien smiled gently down at her and she whispered, "I hate to interrupt, but we need to get back. Too many people . . . " She let the thought go as Darien nodded his agreement.
Sailor Moon walked back to the Scouts, who, at the moment, were softly arguing among themselves. "What is the problem?" She demanded.
"Who the hell are these guys?" Sailor Uranus questioned fiercely.
"That I cannot tell you. You'll know soon enough." Serena answered, "No more arguing. No more questions. Understood?" Each nodded and Serena turned to leave, knowing the rest would follow.
"What about them?" Jupiter asked Serena when she caught up with her, indicating the men left behind.
"Darien will see that they get to the apartment." She responded. "It should, be a very interesting show when they do." Sailor Moon glanced over her shoulder and thought she could almost hear the words, "Soon . . . Soon . . . ," echoing in the winds.
Darien watched Serena leave with a heavy heart. His duty was to her . . . And now this. He silently wondered what these men expected of him. It was one thing to lead the Sailor Scouts. He'd easily assumed that role when Serena was sick and then, too, when she was gone, but eight men were a different story entirely. Sighing, he turned back to them.
In Darien's apartment, Serena sat on the chair, hands twisting in nervous anticipation. She had spent about twenty minutes in private conversation with Reenie just after they'd gotten back. Now the little girl sat quietly in a corner, out of the way, gripping Luna Ball and the two cats tightly. Pluto and Venus had returned and, at the moment, the eight girls whispered among themselves. For her part, Serena refused to say anything. She didn't even look up when the door opened and Darien and the others came in. Though Serena had ordered the Sailor Scouts to power down, the men had not.
Never pausing, Darien walked straight to her, "Serena?" She glanced up at him, then away again. "Can we talk a moment?" She shook her head quickly. "Please, Serena." He beseeched.
Serena stood up and the two stepped out on the balcony. "Who are they?"
"They told you, did they not?" Serena replied vaguely.
"That doesn't answer my question . . . "
"Darien, I am sorry. But it must be left to them to tell. All I will say is . . . " Serena paused a moment thoughtfully, then for the first time since the park, looked him square in the eyes, "Have a little faith." She turned around and almost ran inside off the balcony.
Darien looked out at the afternoon sky. It had been a long day. And there seemed to be no end in sight. Shaking his head, he walked back inside. He saw Serena, fidgeting with her hair, leaned against the wall near the bedroom door. Still, no one spoke, though the groups eyed each other, one with distrust and the other with uncertainty.
Darien stepped between the two and waited for the leader to speak. "There is much you need to know about our lives before . . . Before we found out who we are and our past lives." Nervously he looked at Darien. "I would like to say, first, that you know us in this life, although not personally. However, I'm afraid you'll react rather negatively," he laughed, somewhat self-mockingly, "when you see who I am."
"No harm will come to you here." As a show of good faith, Darien powered down.
Taking that as a vow, the eight men closed their eyes and shimmered. The girls jumped to their feet, gasping in shock, when they saw who stood in front of them when the magic was gone.
Darien just stood where he was, between the men and the girls, gaping at the man he knew to be his love's captor . . . "Bryce . . . "
Anger, fear, and frustration filled him. Instinct, by far the strongest force in any situation, took over . . . And Bryce never even saw the fist that laid him low. He hit the floor with enough force to make the tables shake.
Brandon burst out laughing, "Hmm . . . Never saw that happen before." Darien swung around to him and the others in his fury, waiting for one of these men to attack him. Brandon continuing to laugh, shrugged apologetically. The others smiled slightly, but none could look Darien in the eyes, neither would they move to hurt him in any way.
The girls, however, had less tact than Darien. When they got over their initial shock, they immediately transformed, getting ready to wreak some major havoc on the men that had caused so very much pain in so short a period of time. The men weren't stupid, though. They might not attack Darien or the Scouts, but they fully intended to defend themselves against whatever came at them. The seven moved to defensive stance as soon as the girls cried out their transformations.
Serena's jaw dropped. Though she knew what the Scouts' reactions might be, seeing them about to start World War III in the middle of Darien's living room was a little much. Hotaru, the only one who had not transformed, smiled slightly as Serena stomped over to where Darien stood and gently, but firmly, pushed him back and away from where Bryce was prone on the floor. She gave the laid out man a cursory glance as she attempted to talk some sense into Darien. She had forgiven . . . Why couldn't he, they? Of course, she'd had more time to prepare. But none of them had a clue what she was feeling. Did they care? No. They were only out to satisfy their own sense of justice. Forget the fact that it was she who should be upset. Though fire blazed in Darien's eyes, Serena was unafraid. She was determined to end this here and now.
Furious, she turned to the Scouts, "I will not have this!" Her anger causing her crescent moon to appear, glowing brilliantly even in the sun brightened room.
"Serena!" Mars cried out, "Do you realize what they've done?"
Serena put her hand out toward the Scouts, "no! No words! Darien promised and By the Moon, you will not disobey him or me!"
The girls quieted at her words. They knew better than to defy her command. When Serena was this angry, there'd be no reasoning with her, either. Each one, teeth grinding with the attempt to bite back their own anger, lowered her head. Serena's hand came down, and in a soft voice continued, "What they've done doesn't matter. It matters who they are."
When she would have said more, a still seething, Darien moved in front of her and whispered harshly, "you've seen them before! You knew, damn it! Why didn't you tell me?"
Serena met his eyes and returned, "don't put the blame on me, Darien. I never met them face to face because you never let them come to the Moon with you. I never saw them. I only knew their names and spoke to them. Although I sensed power from them at dinner that night, I didn't relate the two as one and the same."
Darien's eyes narrowed as he looked at the men still waiting for the inevitable attack. "Why?" He asked Serena.
"Why what? Why didn't you let them come?" When he nodded, she shrugged, "I don't know. You wouldn't tell me that, either."
Serena laughed, bitterly. "Remember, Darien, there was much you wouldn't tell me about what was going on then." When he moved to walk by her, Serena gripped his arm, stopping him. "I mean it, Darien. No fighting. Remember who they are to you and your vow to them." He said nothing, but shook off her hand. To the Scouts, she said one word, "Detransform." They obeyed, albeit with extreme reluctance. Serena, satisfied, moved back to her position by the bedroom door.
Darien glanced at the big man on the floor and felt a very small sense of satisfaction. Closing his eyes, he tried to control his rage and disbelief. But it seeped out as, in a deadly whisper, he said, "I should kill every one of you for the hell you've put Serena through."
Serena gasped at his tone and words, but said nothing. At least it was only a threat. She could understand and grant him his anger. And the Scouts', too. But she could not and would not allow bloodletting. It would solve nothing. There were more important issues. Now, thinking she'd have to intervene again, Serena, started to walk back to Darien, but stopped when she (and everyone else, as well) heard a voice from a shadowed corner of the room.
"There need be no killing today, young Prince." Darien turned quickly in the direction of the voice, and Serena and the girls gasped in surprise as the shadow materialized into the form of a man.
"My God! That's him!" Amy's whisper carrying easily across the silent room. When he turned to her, she finished with, "You're the one from the fight with Zoicite!"
"Yes," He answered, "I took Bryce away to primarily protect his identity as he was not yet ready to let anyone, not even his family, in on the secret, but also to see to his wounds." He shrugged, "though I knew that you and Hotaru could have done a much better job than I did, I had to obey his wishes."
"And just who the hell are you?" Darien had had just about enough surprises for one day.
"I am, or I was, at one time, known as Sunstarr, the Guardian's advisor. And yours, too. You were the only one I could not find, but that's another story." He walked over to Bryce and looked down. Shaking his head, "It's rather ironic, don't you think?" At Darien's fierce look, Sunstarr's smile widened and he bent to check the swelling on Bryce's jaw. "Well, he thought the only way to keep the Princess safe, though he didn't know she was the Princess, was to kill you." Standing up, Sunstarr looked at Darien. "They have shown you the respect they have for you. Are you willing to listen now?" At his words, Bryce groaned. Not bothering to answer, Darien, as his second and hopefully final act of faith, went to help Bryce to his feet.
"You can still pack a hell of a right hook." Bryce gently reproached as he gingerly touched his throbbing jaw.
"Yeah, well, you're damned lucky you didn't get a whole lot more than that." He replied, anger at the betrayal still apparent in his words.
No one said anything, but the men, seeing Darien help Bryce, relaxed their defensive postures and moved to find a place to sit in the overcrowded room. It was time for lengthy explanations, and perhaps, arguments and restitutions.
The girls were more than slightly frustrated that they could neither say nor do anything. Truth be told, though, they would rather have just scooped up Serena and found a safe place to stash her. But after chancing a glance at Serena's pensive face, they knew the possibility of that was about slim and none. She wasn't going anywhere and they knew it. Serena had gone back to her spot by the bedroom door. Reflectively removing her locket and holding it tightly in her hand, she wondered if she should take a chance . . .
Bryce sat down in a recently vacated chair and, still fingering his aching jaw began his story, "First let me tell you about our current lives." He made the introductions as he pointed, "Ruark, Ryan, Brandon, and I are brothers. The twins are your age and, at twenty-one, are the youngest among us. Our cousins, Jeff and Ashton are brothers, as are Cameron and Nathaniel. Copeland was our original last name, before we were split up." Bryce sighed as he remembered, "when we were young, very young, something happened to our parents–I'm still trying to find out what. Our fathers, brothers obviously, disappeared one day. Our mothers loved us, but couldn't take care of us."
His voice dropped in volume as his youth drifted through his mind, painting a vivid picture to the people in the room. "For a while, we all lived together. That was shortly after my uncles and father disappeared. We were happy then, but when I was about nine or ten we were separated. I remember getting up for some water one night. I heard my mom and aunts talking about splitting the eight boys up, sending us all to different orphanages." He shook his head, "it seems like they were trying to protect us from something, though that is still debatable." Bryce looked at Darien and continued, "After Sunstarr filled me in on who I really am, I did a little research into your past. I found out some startling similarities in our youths. You, too, were separated from your parents, right?" Darien nodded uncertainly, he wasn't sure where Bryce was going with this, "Well, it seems that about the same time the eight of us were separated, you were in the car accident. After some further digging, I found that it may not have been the accident that everyone said it was."
Darien's eyes widened and he glanced at Serena. She, too, was startled.
"But why would anyone want to kill Darien's family?" She asked.
"Not his family, Serena," Raye put in, understanding the implication, "but Darien himself."
"Of course . . . " Amy whispered.
"But that doesn't make sense. He couldn't have been more than, what six or so?" Serena's brows furrowed as she thought about what Raye said.
"Think of it this way, Serena," Bryce added, with a slight smile, "how many times have Tuxedo Mask saved your life? Without him what would have happened? Not to mention the fact that he is the Earth Guardian and its Prince. If he were dead, the Present time would be a whole lot different from what it is."
Serena didn't reply, but it was obvious to all that she now understood, her eyes were wide and her mouth hung slightly open.
Looking at Darien again, Bryce continued, "I'll show you what I've found so far, it's just enough to make your hair stand on end, I promise you that."
Darien nodded, speech proving difficult. To think that he was the reason his parents were dead was hard to come to grips with. In fact, it shook him so thoroughly, he went directly to Serena and took her hand, holding it tightly. She looked up at him, eyes soft and shimmering, in sympathy.
Bryce waited for the conversation to die, then continued on with his story, his audience listening attentively, "Back to us . . . My mother and aunts took us to different countries. None of us cried, not even the twins, at only about five. Ruark was left here, in Tokyo. I was taken to America. The others went to other various countries. To say we were separated is putting it mildly." He laughed harshly, "Jeff and I were the last ones to be placed. We made a pact." He glanced at Jeff, who seemed to be looking far away, remembering times the group as a whole swore to never talk about again. "That we would find each other and the rest of the family as well. To make a long story short, we both made it a point to learn where each boy had been taken to. Each of us was adopted by different families, with new last names. Somehow the younger boys remembered their real last name, which made eventually locating them that much easier. After I adjusted to a new family, I determined not to give them a difficult time because they'd opened their hearts and home to me. But, I never forgot. Neither did I tell them. In fact, they still don't know about my real family. To them, I'm still little Bryce Harrison, the one they sent to Harvard. But that's another story."
Bryce paused, gathering his thoughts. "I was quite young when I went to Harvard, smarter than average, I guess. But at seventeen, half way through to my degree, I made my move to find my family. Studying various subjects in police science fields, I knew what needed to be done. The advent of the internet was a godsend, as that was where Jeff and I met up, for the first time, just after I'd turned nineteen. I had taken an extremely high profile job at a securities firm and had established myself with particular clients by the time I took a hiatus to meet Jeff here in Tokyo. We knew Ruark was here, somewhere, so it was the best place to start what we, as kids, laughingly labeled as O.F.F. or Operation Family Find." Both Jeff and he laughed a little, remembering how young they were when they'd come up with that name. "What we found was more than just Ruark . . . In searching, we also found a large sum of money in the bank left in my name. It wasn't my parents' money, in fact, no one knew where it came from until Sunstarr showed up, but I digress.
The three of us used some of that money to find the rest of the boys. I call them that because that's what we all were, kids. Kids playing a dangerous game." Bryce shook his head, trying to get back on track, "It took some time to dig up some of them, but within a year, we'd managed to bring all of them to the 'States. It was difficult, to say the least, to get them away from their parents. That's when Jeff and I learned the subtle art of kidnaping."
Darien's head snapped up. He glanced at Bryce sharply and scoffed, "Subtle? Is that what you call it?"
Bryce just shrugged, "It was the only way to get my family back. After we were together a year, the younger boys figured out what Jeff and I had, though much earlier. The adrenaline rush of fear was an addicting aphrodisiac. At that time, we, as a group decided to open the Lab in Tokyo because it was our home. When the boys went off to college, they took respective degrees in fields all appropriate for our venture. We also hired trainers, the best the U.S. had in some cases. Nat, being the genius of the group, worked day and night designing the layout of the Lab and two years ago, it was under way. About six months ago, the Cosmos Lab opened as a front for what we really did. The room you found your way into is a holding cell. It's used to keep various people put away for a while. The clientele, the same ones I'd garnered at the firm I worked with, is very rich." Bryce let the thought go unfinished.
"Another words," Raye snarled, still upset over Serena's time there, "you're a bunch of well-paid body snatchers that don't give a damn about the people you're . . . "
"Raye!" Serena snapped. "Knock it off!"
"No! I won't!"
Setsuna placed a restraining arm on Raye and shook her head at Raye. To Bryce, she asked, "So, why Serena? She'd never done anything to you. She's . . . "
Bryce put his hand up to stop the onslaught that was beginning and looked at the girl in question regretfully, "I know. I know." He whispered, then smiled as he remembered their first meeting. "When I met her, Serena was, well . . . " Bryce shook his head, trying to come up with the right words, "Nice. Open, friendly, trusting, but sad and somewhat withdrawn."
"Trusting?" Michiru tested the word. "Absolutely. To her and our everlasting regret."
"All right, damn it! I made a mistake. But maybe it wasn't a mistake, as now we know who we are . . . Anyway, I was fascinated. I had no clue why. As one of my esteemed brothers mentioned at the time, she was so young." Bryce ran his hand through his hair in impatience, trying to find a way to explain, "I don't know. Maybe my instincts were trying to tell me something as I called her 'Princess' even then. The name just sort of suited her, I guess."
Serena glanced at Darien, his eyes were shadowed and distant, still hard and cold. Her heart went out to him in his pain and anger. It also went out to Bryce, because his pain was as obvious to her as Darien's was. She returned her attention to the conversation, though it was mostly centered around her. Bryce detailed most of the events that led up to Serena's initial capture and his voice changed from storyteller to one filled with a certain amount of awe when he talked about the change in Serena. "It was like, two totally opposite individuals with exactly the same looks."
"Hey! I'm not that different!" Serena puffed up indignantly.
"Uh . . . Serena, you are that different." Amy told her. The girls hid smiles behind their hands as Serena raised her nose to a lofty position.
"When Sunstarr mentioned she looked sick, I blew it off, chalked it up to fear." Bryce paused, watching Darien closely as he forced his temper into check. If Serena hadn't been there, Bryce was sure he'd be on the floor, this time, the other side of his jaw aching. A matching pair, his thoughts echoed wryly. When it seemed like Darien was listening again, he went on, "I didn't understand anything that was going on." Bryce stood up then and began to pace, remembering his own frustration. "My life is supposed to be filled with mystery, not some slip of a girl, no bigger than a mite. When she disappeared and our hunt brought us here, our cars blew up . . . "
"I did it!" Haruka interrupted proudly. "It made for a damned good distraction, too!" She laughed lightly and the other girls busted into hysterics.
Darien smiled, too, thinking of the damage she had caused. However, the men were not laughing. They were remembering how lucky they were not having been in the cars when they exploded.
"Lighten up, guys." Mina laughingly chided. "We couldn't very well blast you, now could we?" When Bryce and Jeff looked at each other then her, she elaborated, "Strict rule. No human bashing with our powers."
Bryce waited for the laughter to recede. "When Serena finally reappeared again, I had already figured out who most of the Sailor Scouts were, although I thought there was only five at the time. Once again, Serena was a different story. Stubborn little spitfire I had on my hands then. She was the most infuriating female."
Serena, more than slightly embarrassed, blushed. She scowled, and her blush deepened, when she saw the Scouts nodding their heads slowly in silent agreement. Seeing none of this, Bryce stopped pacing and threw up his hands in disgust, "Then Sailor Moon blasted my door open. And threatened me! ME! That was unbelievable. No one had ever threatened me like that. It was almost laughable to see a tiny girl doing it. It was after the rest of you showed up that the last piece fit . . . I figured out Serena is Sailor Moon." Bryce shook his head at his own stupidity, again thinking that he should've figured that out long before. "After that, Sunstarr told me of our related past. To say I was shocked was an understatement . . . " He smiled a little, thinking how he'd threatened Sunstarr within a very inch of his life.
"Whoa! Back up!" Darien strode forward, "You say you were my guard? But I have no memory of you at all." He forcefully squelched the recollection of deja vu he'd had at the park earlier. "And I do have some memories of then."
"Of Earth?" Bryce queried, ready to debate the issue if need be, "or the Moon?"
"Bryce . . . " Sunstarr put in, "That's enough of that already. I'll take it from here." Bryce gave him a dirty look, but complied nonetheless.
"Unlike Luna and Artemis, I was sent to watch for one thing. The Prince's return. Something blocked my memory from recognizing you," He turned to Darien, "until that day when there was almost quite a showdown." Seeing everyone's confused looks, Sunstarr stopped, "Let me back up. Years ago, I was awakened from my eternal sleep with only the message to watch for the returning Prince. Many years I spent wandering. I spent a great deal of that time building a fortune for you. I had no idea you existed at all. The worse feeling I had is that it was some cruel joke that I was brought back. Years passed, and in my travels, I'd ended up here. Passing by a park one day, I heard the names 'Bryce, Jeff, and Nathaniel.' I felt like I knew these boys," His eyes were shadowed, "and, when I looked closer, searching deep in lost memory, I realized how. I knew them as the children of the Palace. You, however, were the only one not among them and that confused me. I watched them, in spirit, as they were separated. It was heartbreaking to see ones so close being ripped apart again. But, after they were gone, I intensified my search for you.
I had no recollection of the Moon or the Sailor Scouts. Something blocked that, as well as the identity of the Princess, or even her very existence. So, when the Sailor Scouts and Tuxedo Mask appeared, I paid little heed as I continued searching. After a time, I changed the name on the bank accounts from fictitious to Bryce's because I knew he'd make his way back here. It seemed to me that I wasn't going to find you. This way, I'd be ready, when the time was right, to reveal myself and my knowledge, however little there was of it, to Bryce." He stopped a minute, looking at Darien. Darien stood next to Bryce, memories of a happier place and time flashed through Sunstarr's mind as the two stared at each other. It was going to be a long road ahead of them, he could see that already. He shook his head and sighed. "It was about a month after Bryce found the money that I made my first appearance. He though I was a ghost, and perhaps, I am, in a way. I explained that I was sent to aid him, and, once he recovered from the initial shock, he eventually got used to my comings and goings. I never had any reason to awaken his powers, or the others either, as I had not, yet, fulfilled my mission. The men had come a long way in their training, so I had no worry that, if and when the Prince appeared, they'd know what to do." This time when Sunstarr paused, he glanced at Serena. She was staring at the transformation locket she held her in her hand. He smiled slightly, she was seemingly debating something as every couple of seconds or so she'd shake her head. Sunstarr, trying to guess her thoughts, just prayed she'd hurry. He returned quickly to the story, making sure everyone paid attention to him and not Serena, just in case he was right. "I wouldn't allow Bryce to tell the others about me. I was there when he needed me and not when he didn't. When Bryce's search for Serena took him in your direction, he mentioned seeing rose petals that night at the lake. That was my first real clue as to your existence. I'd almost given up, but I remembered your fascination with roses in the early years of your training. After you'd learned to throw a spear, you turned your attention to roses. You claimed . . . " Sunstarr was interrupted by Darien.
"I remember." Darien nodded slowly, staring at nothing, and concentrated as pieces of memories that made no sense to him floated through his mind. "I thought they were easier to carry and more deadly than the spear." When Darien looked up, his voice was stronger and with filled certainty. "I swore that roses could be used with more precision and, in most cases, I was right."
Sunstarr laughed, "Yes, you were. But no one had the talent you did. Bryce could never get the damn things to stick. He was your best friend, but refused to be bullied into competing with roses."
Darien turned sharply to Sunstarr, "I don't remember being best friends with him," He pointed at Bryce, who was trying valiantly to hide a grin behind his hand. "And tell me why the Outer Scouts don't remember!"
"Some of us do," Hotaru spoke up for the first time. "But not by face . . . "
"Ok, Sunstarr," Darien was fast losing patience with everyone, was he the only one going mad? "If that's your name, why don't you remember them? Or Serena? Or the Moon Kingdom?"
Nonplused by the outburst, Sunstarr replied, "I was getting to that." He rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, "To be honest, though, I have no idea. I had only one memory guiding me all these years, and that was to find you. That's it. I didn't know anything and was perhaps not chance that I was at that park where eight boys had gathered on that day sixteen years ago. I still don't know who or what woke me from my sleep, but it was the day that Sailor Moon made her grand appearance in Bryce's hall and you showed up that I knew. I saw you and knew that I'd finally be able to fulfill my mission. All of my knowledge of the Moon and the Sailor Scouts came back, as well, on that day, what two days ago? It was hard for me to take it all in at first, but that's how I knew everyone here."
"If you are who you say you are," Darien questioned, "then can you return my memories as well?"
Sunstarr shook his head, "No. You are the one I was and am forbidden to tamper with."
Darien looked at him skeptically, "Why?"
"I don't know. I was to find you. Join you with your protectors and return to my sleep." Sunstarr sighed slightly, sounding received that his job was over. "Now, I must return home, as I am being called. You can either learn to get along or go your separate ways, but I guarantee, you'll be better off if you set aside your differences and move on. I warn you, you have many battles ahead and need to work together to succeed." Walking to Bryce he clasped hands with him, "I must go now, but it was good while it lasted, my friend."
"Where will you go?" Bryce asked. He'd known Sunstarr a long time and saying goodbye was not one of his favorite things.
"Back. But don't worry. You have your family and new friends. Things will work out. For the sake of the Future, they have to."
Sunstarr moved to Darien and looked him in the eyes, "The Past is gone. Move on. Protect your Princess and your friends." He turned, waved, and was gone.
An uncomfortable silence filled the room, then the girls started talking and chaos reared its ugly head. No one could understand what had happened and were unsure if they wanted to. Darien and Bryce still stood staring at the spot where Sunstarr had disappeared. Each silent for his own reason.
No one had paid attention to Serena throughout the lengthy discussions. She had tossed the idea over and over in her head, and during the arguments that had gained in strength, Serena made her decision. Taking a shaky breath, she whispered, "Forgive me, Darien." Without preamble or question, she raised her Crystal:
Bryce quickly pointed to Serena and Darien, spinning in her direction, yelled, "Serena, NO!"
She smiled slightly.
Moon Crystal Power!
The entire group shielded their eyes as the blinding light flashed. Darien fell to his knees as the dam broke on his memories, the girls who had no or incomplete memories, felt similar reactions to the assault of pure power on their senses. The light dimming, they heard a clatter. When they could see again, the girls gasped, but not at their Past. Darien, jumping to his feet, ran to Serena. She was on the floor, on her side, her locket about a foot from her hand. Bryce came up behind him as Darien gathered Serena in his arms. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked at him, eyes shining with the love and gentleness that was all Serena.
"Why?" He asked hoarsely.
"You needed to know . . . " She smiled again, one filled with peace, as she drifted off to sleep.
Hotaru stepped beside them and picked up her locket. "Put her to bed, Darien. She's fine, just tired." She and Bryce followed Darien into the bedroom. After putting her locket back on her dress, Darien kissed Serena lightly on the forehead. He then preceded the two out.
Darien and Bryce looked at each other once more. This time Darien was seeing the friend he remembered from so long ago. And Bryce was seeing the leader.
In the bedroom, Serena slept on. Unaware that someone watched her from the foot of the bed. Sunstarr stared down at Serena. A half smile formed on his lips and he whispered, "All too easy. Gullible, worthless humans." Picking Serena up, he created a portal behind him and disappeared through it.
