Hey guys sorry this chapter is a bit rushed but I only had today to work on it. But I hope you still enjoy it. J

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Serena sighed and leaned back against Raye's bed. She was feeling drained and ever since they arrived at the temple Luna had done nothing but yell and scold all of them. She was upset that they allowed the Dark Prince to get the drop on them again and she was furious that Serena had been left alone with him.

Serena knew that Luna's worries were justified but she couldn't help thinking that something else was worrying her. Something that she wasn't revealing to them. Serena shook her head maybe she was just imagining things or maybe it was her own guilt speaking. And she was feeling guilty. She'd never kept things from her friends before and she didn't like this feeling. But she knew that she didn't have a choice. How could she explain what she didn't understand herself. It had been their from the beginning Since the first time she laid eyes on him. He had looked at her with those intense blue eyes and she had been lost. A need had awakened inside her a need that grew every day and intensified each time she saw him.

She touched her lips with her fingers. Closing her eyes she relived their kiss. It was as if he had laid claim to her. Every thought had been driven from her head. Every other man erased from her memory leaving only him and the feelings that he was awakening inside her. She knew he felt the same. No matter how much he fought it. And despite their difficulties and all the obstacles that stood in their way she knew that they would be together again. And that nobody was going to get in their way. Not Beryl and not her friends.

"Serena? Serena are you listening to me?" Luna hollered startling Serena and causing her to jump

"I'm listening." she grumbled

"Really" Luna drawled sarcastically "than repeat back to me what I just said."

Serena glared at her. "You said that we need to be more alert."

Luna nodded "Very good. Only I said that ten minutes ago. Now pay attention" she cried "This is very serious you've all been extremely lucky so far and unless something changes the world is doomed."

"I still don't understand why he let us go" Mina mused "I mean he had us right where he wanted us he could have dropped us right in Beryl's lap but he didn't. Maybe" she sighed dreamily "the Dark Prince isn't so bad after all" she stared off into space picturing herself fighting by his side all the while looking into those dreamy blue eyes of his.

"Mina get your head out of the clouds" Artemis scolded looking at her in frustration.

Mina looked at him innocently "What?" she looked around at the others "you cant tell me that none of you hadn't thought about it. I mean he's had so many chances to get rid of us but he hasn't."

"Did you ever think that maybe he didn't want to waste his time and energy destroying you and that's why he left you for the Yoma's? Or does that fact that he's cute undermine all that" Artemis wondered aloud his tone implying what he thought about Mina's reasoning

Mina flushed angrily but before she could respond Luna spoke up. "Let's get this straight. The Dark Prince is the enemy. A very dangerous enemy who you can't afford to make any more mistakes around. He's made no attempt to hide the fact that he wants the Imperial Crystal for Beryl so lets concentrate on that instead of his good looks."

"Hey go easy on her Luna" Lita said "she makes a good point. But if like Artemis said he's playing some sort of game with us we have to be prepared for his next move."

"Lita's right" Amara stated "we cant afford anymore mistakes. Next time we might not be so fortunate."

Luna nodded and looked towards Serena. "Serena you have to be prepared you might be the only one who can stop him."

"Me" Serena gasped her heart squeezing at the mere thought of fighting him again.

"Is he really that powerful" Amy enquired at the same time

"You have no idea" Artemis mumbled under his breath

…………

Darien allowed the blast to hit him. He was tired of playing this game. Sailormoon had changed everything. He didn't know what his plans were for her any more but he knew one thing. He knew he wanted her.

Zosite allowed herself a small smile of satisfaction as the blast hit him head on. It seemed Beryl had overestimated the power of that attack. He was done for. She couldn't believe it after her conversation with malachite she expected him to attempt something not to just stand their and let the blast hit him.

Beryl sat back on her throne shaking with anger. The fool. Although she would miss him no one made a mockery out of her more than once and some not even that. She hadn't meant to destroy him. She obviously overestimated his strength.

"Zosite go and inform Nephlite that I want to see him immediately after his session with Malachite I want to know what he told the sailor scouts and I…" her voice trailed off into a stunned silence.

Zosite looked to see what had caused this reaction and was amazed herself. They both watched in stunned silence as Prince Darien got up and brushed himself off before facing them.

"Now that that's out of the way lets get back to the business of retrieving the Imperial Crystal shall we"

Darien looked at their stunned faces and bit back a chuckle. The fools they had no idea. But they will. Soon.

….……..

Malachite squeezed his eyes shut ignoring the pain the action brought to his right eye. Nephlite must have done something to him. He was starting to hallucinate.

"Go away" he cried hoarsely "your not real"

"It's alright" she murmured softly

Malachite was startled when he felt the touch of her hand on his face.

"Malachite open your eyes and look at me"

He was torn. She sounded real. She felt real. But how could he trust that this wasn't one of Nephlite's experiments contrived to make him lower his guard and reveal what he knew?

"Please Malachite I have so little time."

He didn't know what to do. Could he trust what he was seeing although it was truly unbelievable or did he remain like he couldn't see her and keep quiet?

……………..

"What was that Artemis?" Amy asked she thought she heard him say something.

Startled Artemis looked up "What?"

"I thought you just said something."

He shook his head "It was nothing now back to what happened earlier I'm surprised that Malachite would switch sides like that Beryl must be furious."

Serena shuddered thinking about poor Malachite back in Beryl's hands. "We have to find some way to free him."

"If he's still alive." Amara pointed out quietly

Luna nodded sadly before turning to Michelle. "Michelle you've been very quiet. Is their something troubling you?"

Michelle looked at them with a worried frown "I just keep wondering what Malachite had to tell us about the Dark Prince. He seemed to think it was something we should know before we battled him again."

"It could be that he just wanted to warn us that the Dark Prince wasn't one of Beryl usual men" Lita pointed Crossing her arms over her chest she leaned back against the wall with a thoughtful look on her face. "but that really doesn't make sense either we already knew he was stronger than the others. Perhaps it was something else."

Serena stood up and went to the open window. She didn't want to think about how close she had come to learning more about him. But would she have welcomed the news or would it have been another mark against them. Something else to keep them apart.

"Lets think what were Malachite's exact words?" Raye asked

"He just said that we don't know the whole truth about the dark prince and that we needed to know before we fought him again." Amy said aloud tapping her chin thoughtfully. But what could it have been. He obviously thought we needed to know. He thought it was worth trading on. After all he was going to trade us the information in exchange for freeing Zosite."

Luna sent Artemis a panicked look "Maybe their was nothing to tell" she said desperately" maybe he just said that so that you'd help him. You have to remember he was still one of Beryl's generals when he made this deal with you."

"I didn't think about that" Mina sighed unhappily She wanted to believe that Malachite had been telling the truth.

"But Serena had already healed him when he made that promise again" Michelle argued

"Yeah" Mina cried happily "I forgot about that"

"What does it matter?' Serena cried suddenly "Where never going to know what he was going to tell us if we don't get him out of their before Beryl does to him what she did to Zosite in the past. So lets concentrate on rescuing him."

Everyone looked at her in surprise. Raye looked at her thoughtfully for a moment and then seemed to come to some sort of decision.

"Serena's right we can ponder all we want about what he was going to tell us but we really have no idea. So it's just a waste of time. I think we should all meet here first thing in the morning to discuss strategy. Well not first thing she amended after all with Grandpa and Chad away I'm doing all the chores. And I want to get an early start."

Lita snorted "I would have thought that you'd be dying to get your own place just to escape from all the chores."

Raye shrugged her shoulders "I love living here. It's my home. Besides the chores aren't so bad I'm use to them. And I could never leave my Grandpa to handle the temple by himself he's not getting any younger you know."

"Right" Mina yawned getting to her feet quickly. She reached down to pick up Artemis and waved at happily at everyone as she left ignoring Artemis protests.

"Will see you guys tomorrow." Amara called out as she and Michelle followed Mina out the door.

"I guess that's my cue" Lita cried and looked at Serena "Are you coming?

"Actually Serena can you stay for a few minutes?"

Serena looked at Raye in surprise "Sure Raye"

Raye looked down at Luna "Luna why don't you go on. Serena will be right behind you."

Luna nodded and her and Lita left.

Once she was sure they were alone Raye turned on Serena with a determined expression. "Alright Serena what gives?"

……….

Beryl stood up angrily. Her amazement had faded leaving only anger. "How did you do that?" She hissed

"Don't confuse me with your generals my queen after all I'am the one who will rule by your side."

Beryl thought about this for a moment. She really hadn't used that big of an attack so it was very likely that was the reason he had survived. It was true he was stronger than her generals which was one of the reasons she had picked him to rule by her side.

"What about Sailormoon? What does she mean to you?"

"She's very beautiful" he admitted softly he ignored her enraged gasp. "And I was enjoying toying with her immensely before Zosite interrupted my fun."

Beryl looked at him. She didn't completely believe him. But she was willing to let it go for now. But from now on she was going to keep a better eye on him. .

"Alright I'll except your explanation this time. But remember that your goal is not to amuse yourself but to retrieve the Crystal."

"Yes my Queen" he said quietly bowing to her.

"Good. Now I've decided to have Zosite take Malachite's place."

"Not Nephlite" he questioned

"Nephlite still has a lot to prove to me" she turned to Zosite who still had a look of amazement on her face. "If your to replace Malachite you need to know what Princess Serena looks like when she's not Sailormoon."

"I've seen her before" Zosite said darkly as she remember her last encounter with the Princess.

"Yes I've forgotten about that" Beryl admitted with an amused smile

Darien looked at them with a frown it occurred to him that he never seen a picture of the moon princess as the princess. 'I would like to see this your majesty." he announced

"Why?" she questioned sharply immediately suspicious

He arced a surprised eyebrow at her. "For the same reasons you just gave Zosite. It has occurred to me that I have no idea what she looks like."

"Alright" she agreed reluctantly she raised her staff and the image of sailor moon came up along with a picture of what she looked like as the moon princess.

"Are you satisfied?"

Beryl frowned at him when he failed to answer. He stood their looking at Princess Serena's picture intensely.

Immediately jealous she made the picture fade. But still he stood their starring at the spot where her image had been.

"Prince Darien?" She barked sharply

Darien looked at her. "Yes my queen?"

"Are you satisfied?"

"I'm quite satisfied" he stated quietly than turned from her and left. He arrived at his own quarter with no recollection of how he got there.

So many emotions were coursing through him. He didn't know which one to express first. As soon as he saw her he knew she was his golden goddess from his dream and she had been in the palace earlier. Sailormoon was his goddess. He felt in someway betrayed. What kind of a game was she playing with him? Well whatever game she was playing she was about to learn that he was the wrong guy to play with.