By: Cosmos star

Rated: PG13

Chapter: 4, Trampled Rose

Disclaimers: I DON'T OWN SM.. IF YOU DONT KNOW THAT THEN YOU

SHOULDNT BE READING THIS. Sailor Moon belongs to Naoko Takeuchi...

Please don't sue me.

Hey! Well, I just got my hair cut today! Its so short!! XD I got it layered too… ehehe… Hmm, this is one of the shortest chapters (I hope). Ah, I can't believe tomorrow I'm going to be so lonely… Enjoy!

Serena

"Kyaaaaa!!" Serena screamed. Her grip on the rose loosens.

"Quiet!!!" One of the bandits tries to shush her. She lowered her guard. She was still thinking about Darien as she walked. Before she knew it a she was surrounded by a group of bandits. Another bandit started grinning and then he took out a knife out of his back pocket. Then he stepped roughly on the rose.

"Help!" She was desperate for someone to help her. This world is so much different than hers so she didn't know what to do. Her heart sank as she saw the rose trampled on the ground. The beauty and the magical touch of it seem to be alive as the beauty remains on the trampled rose.

"Shut up!" the bandit with the knife said.

Then the bandit with a blue shirt slapped her face. Then he roughly grabbed her hair and said to her ears, "Be quite or else!"

'How dare him!' Serena thought. His rough touch on her smooth skin made her feel that she wanted to burst.

She nodded her head and she let out a quiet whimpered. Tears started to form in her eyes.

"Load her to the wagon!" the leader of the bandits said. He had brown hair that goes down to his shoulders. He has a rough face and tanned skinned. His bronze armor was battered up. She could tell under that armor that he was well built. He may not be the riches man alive, yet he sends out a strong powerful aurora that Serena never felt before.

Then they dragged her to a worn down wagon. She couldn't do a single thing to fight back. She had powers that can make then disappear in less than a second, but she never used power like those before. Even though they were bad, she can't take any risk of hurting them.

'I knew it was a bad decision to leave Darien. Darien…' she said it in her mind. She regretted greatly to leave him. She wanted to be by his side forever. She knew the universal law. As a princess, she knew every single important laws and rules that can not be broken. She knew that they can not be together. Yet what she knew and what she wishes is the total opposite. You may think it would be so great if you were born a princess, but in truth, you may be caged more than a criminal that is sentenced to be in jail for life. For once, she wanted to escape the cage, yet it ended up like this.

"Stop!" The warm, yet cold voice commanded.

Surprisingly the bandits stopped working at once. The voice was so commanding; even the rivers would stop flowing. The band of bandits looked up to see who was interrupting their work.

Serena got curious and looked up. She was searching for the owner of the voice. She saw a white horse and her knight in shining armor. (AN: lol couldn't resist) 'Darien!' Her eyes were widening from the surprise. Her heart instantly filled with warmth, happiness and assurance. Yet, she was amazed at the power change in the air. The man of was the leader of the bandits did not feel so scary and big anymore.

He had icy cold look in his eyes. It was daggering to none other than the man that had brown hair in the bronze armor. If you were to look into those eyes, it feels like you are turning into stone. Serena was even sacred even though it was not looking at her. He gave her a glance. His gaze was softer to her, although he kept his guard up.

"Yea, yea... Keep on working! He is just a nobody..." The captain said with so much confidence in his voice. This kind of 'hero' stuff doesn't always work. He has seen hundreds of people who failed to obtain a single victory with his prideful band of thieves.

"How dare you?! You have no right to do this!!!" Darien was furious. His voice sounded like thunder, yet the bandits had a strong confidence in their leader.

"Well, so what? Are you going to do something about it? You can't stop us!" the captain mocked him.

Then the bandits stopped working again. They wanted to see what this idiot would do. There are about 15 bandits and 1 of him.

"How about a single fair duel?" Darien suggested with a hidden smile on his cold face.

"Duel?" the captains mouth was forming a smile.

'At least this idiot is smart enough. A one on one fight is a good idea when there are 15 people. Well, it's not like he can beat me in the first place…' the boss thought.

"Yes, if I win, you will not even be 1,000 miles near her ever again. And I will also spare your life," Darien set his side of the deal. He certainly hated unnecessary deaths.

"And if you lose?" the captain said. He did not want to fight a duel that had no profit.

"You get to keep me as slave..." he chocked out the word slave. It never crossed his mind that he would become one. His pride would tell him to die instead of being a slave of another person.

"Sounds fair. I am a man of my word. But I don't play fair so if I win, I get to keep the girl too. And also since you are my slave, you have to do all the things I tell you and all the things you own is mine," the leader said with so a smug smile, satisfied with his conditions.

"Fine!" Darien said. He knew he had no choice to argue in these kinds of conditions. Of course he knew the weight of accepting challenges like these. If it's everything he owned, then his kingdom would go too. Then Darien drew his silver sword. It was light of the sun was shining bright on the sword. There weren't any scratches on the sword. It's the finest sword in the whole kingdom. Of course, other than his father's sword. After that, he motion Silver to back away from him.

"You don't have to do this!" Serena cried. She couldn't let a man she met 10 minutes ago get hurt, let alone sacrifice his life for her. Although in the bottom of her heart, she was happy to see him.

Darien didn't even bother to answer her. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Let's start!" The captain said. Then he swings his sword toward Darien.

That caught him off guard. At least it looked like it did. He managed to get away, but it was a little too late. There were scratches on his left hand.

"Darien!!!" Serena screamed. Her tears were falling rapidly.

"Don't worry Serena... I won't lose."

"Hahahaha. Did you hear that boys? Don't say things that you don't mean. I will teach you a little lesson."

The other bandits snickers. Serena don't get why they are laughing.

"You can't beat our leader! He is the 3rd best swordsman in the whole kingdom. And well, he is wasting his time with you!" one of the bandits said.

The rest of the bandits laughed again.

'3rd best in the kingdom? Who cares...? Serena, please hold on...' Darien thought

Serena eyes were scared. Now, she knew the leader was strong and that is probably the only reason the bandits gave so much respect to him.

"Darien! You don't have to do this!!! Just leave me!!!" Serena screamed, begging Darien to stop. Her heart was screaming the opposite. She didn't want to be alone with a bunch of bandits. She wanted to be somewhere safe with him.

"I can't run away. I'm not going anywhere without you! Besides, it's a swordsman's code of honor for not running away." Darien said.

"Darien!" Serena begged. They slapped her on the cheek so she would shut up.

"You call yourself a swordsman? Sure you have a pretty shiny sword over there, but having a sword isn't what a swordsman all about," the leader lectured him. Then his mouth turns into a smile, "Well, that sword will be mine soon anyways."

"How dare you call your self a swordsman?! You are not even worthy of living in this kingdom!" Darien was pissed. He knew there were people who were hungry for power in his kingdom but to show such rude behavior to a royalty was outrageous. Then again, they didn't know he was THE crown prince of the earth that is protected by the Sun.

"Enough talking..." the leader was getting impatient.

Then the captain started to swing his sword again. This time Darien was able to dodge easily it without any harm. After that Darien strikes with his sword. He used one of his weakest techniques. If he used any stronger techniques, any guy would die if they had no magic. He stroke faster than the eye can see. No one ever dodged that move before. If you were watching, his sword would be just a blur. He missed the critical spot and hits the captain's shoulder. The captain fell on both his knees. The other bandit's mouth dropped. It was as if the mouths would fall on the ground.

"I surrender." Those simple words came out of the captain's lips just above a whisper. The thought of losing never crossed the leader's mind. All his life he lived to win, never once in his life did he experience a fatal loss. "End my life. Losing is too much of a shame to live with…"

"As part of the deal, I promised to spare your life. I am sorry; I can't take that shame from you. Learning from your loss can be your greatest source of wisdom," Darien explained.

"My greatest source of wisdom…" he trailed off. He looked at the ground as the sign of his total defeat. He seems to be taking Darien's advice seriously.

The bandits' eyes popped out. They NEVER heard their captain spoke that way before. They dropped everything they were holding. They freed Serena as they promised. One of them ran to the fallen leader to help him stand up on both of his feet again. He failed, so one other bandit helped to load him onto the worn down wagon.

Serena ran to Darien, but, unfortunately, she failed to see a root of a tree that was sticking out of the ground. She tripped and because she was dropping faster than usual, she couldn't balance her self. Darien quickly dashes as fast as he could and catches her in time.

"Arigato..." Serena whispered softly. She stared at his concerned blue eyes. It like home when she was in his arms. Then she her world went black.

"Serena? Serena... SERENA!!!"

To be continued...

HAHAHAHHAHAA!!! I left u in a cliff hanger again!!!

Just wait till the next one comes out!!!

Next Chapter: Panic

Also… Check out Mixed Time and Serena Sheild's First Day of Abuza School! Mixed Time… I'm working hard on finishing the last chapter… Just need like… 5-10 more scenes and I'm done! I can't wait lol