A/N: Hey Guys remember me! Yep back again with an update…now you're really loving the fact that I have a long break aren't ya?
Serenity effortlessly jumped the rooftops of Japan reaching the roof of Darien's apartment in mere minutes. Landing softly upon it her steps disturbed Jedite and Zoicite who were perched upon the roof above Darien's window.
"Serenity? What are you doing here?" Jedite asked knowing Malachite would have his head if he did not get Serenity back home.
"Darien, how is he?" Jedite and Zoicite gave a sigh as they realized what had brought their princess near.
"His sleep is troubled Princess, but is otherwise fine." Zoicite said hoping Serenity would return, knowing Darien was only suffering from nightmares. Instead she leapt from the roof and down to Darien's balcony, she opened the sliding door and stepped through.
"hmm I won't tell Malachite if you don't." Jedite said with a small smile. Zoicite gave a small grimace but nodded.
Serenity walked through the apartment following the sound of Darien's troubled cries. She found him curled up in a tangled mass of bed sheets, clutching his pillow firmly. Serenity knelt beside his bedside and placed a hand to gently stroke his sweating forehead. She began to sing the lullaby her father would always sing to her before he went off to another battle.
Time has come, what's
done is done
It's time to move on
To another place, another
space,
maybe circling some other sun
Don't ask why, don't ask
how
I still can't explain
To say goodbye, goodbye for now
till I see you again
In the sunlight that's where I'll be
In
the moon night close your eyes, you will see me
In the sunrise in
the twilight
I'll be the morning and the evening star
I will
be there with you wherever you are
Life is strange, such joy
and pain
The betrayal and the kiss
It maybe meant to be,
maybe destiny
Leads us down a path like this
Child is born,
true love is sworn
All the in-between
Well you walk on, walk
on until the path is gone
Learning love is the only everything
So it's goodnight, things go wrong
but it's alright
We're all just passing through here
At the speed of light
Slowly Darien's sleep calmed and he stilled under her touch. Gently she straightened out his sheets and covered his exhausted body. She stayed by his side till she knew his nightmares had stalled. She bent to give him a light kiss upon his brow before getting up to leave.
"Goodnight my sweet prince." For a moment those words transformed Serenity into her princess self, the pain of the familiarity of it all caused her to lose the disguise. "Someday my Prince, someday all will be well."
As she left she did not notice Darien's eyes open for a moment before he fell back into a peaceful slumber.
"Watch over him, I will not have him suffer because of me." Serenity spoke sadly but firmly. She wished she did not have to leave her prince's side.
Jedite and Zoicite simply nodded not knowing what to think about Serenity arriving as a Senshi but leaving as a princess, but she quickly transformed again and leapt from the rooftop heading home.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
Serenity let out an anxious breath as she stood outside Darien's door. In her hands she held a white stuffed teddy hoping to cheer him up after his nasty fall the other day, and the nightmares he had suffered during the night.
She looked down at the bear and noticed how much it looked like the one she gave him so long ago.
-Flashback-
"Hey Sere! You've come to see me off? Hey not to close I'm sick remember?" Endymion said with a laugh as he prepared to head home, so his worrisome mother could take care of his simple cold.
"I'm not too worried, besides how could I let my prince leave, early no less, without a kiss?" Serenity said with a smile as she went up to embrace him.
"Besides I also came to bring you something to rush your recovery." With a bounce Serenity showed him the small teddy bear she had clutched in her hands.
"Sere I don't you think the guys would make fun of me if I carried a teddy bear home? Me, dashing prince of Earth, carrying a white fluffy teddy?" Endymion responded with a laugh.
Serenity gave a fake pout. "But I went out and bought him just for you, so you'd have something to remember me by and to make you smile while you're sick." Endymion groaned and took the teddy bear from her.
"Selene save me if the guys ever find out." Endymion said embracing Serenity once more.
-End Flashback-
Serenity pushed back the tears as she knocked on Darien's door. To her surprise it opened before she even finished knocking.
"Usagi!" Darien's surprised voice rang out through the hall.
"Darien! Um hi. I just wanted to see how you were doing after that fall yesterday….and to give you…this!" She said holding the teddy bear up proudly.
Darien gave out a laugh that unmistakably marked him as Endymion and Serenity felt herself forcing back tears once again.
"Well come in! We still have to work on that confidence issue, and I was just about to fix some lunch so why don't you join me." Darien said leading her in and taking the teddy bear from her.
Serenity smiled that he took the bear without complaint but also wondered at why. Darien set the bear gingerly on the sofa, almost treating it as if it were real.
"Leave it to a girl to get me a teddy bear. Thank you Usagi." Darien said as he headed towards the kitchen.
"You like it? I was worried that you wouldn't want it, since it's not manly to have a teddy bear." Serenity said as she plopped down on the couch next to the bear.
"Normally you might be right, but there's something about that bear that strikes me, besides it's been so long since a girl has given me anything I guess I can't be too picky." Darien said as he quickly fixed some sandwiches. A quick look around showed that Darien didn't have any pictures…and Serenity found that strange. On the moon Endymion could never have enough portraits and paintings.
"Darien, why don't you have any pictures up?" Serenity asked flashing an innocent sort of smile.
"I guess I can't find any pictures that I like." Darien said with a shrug not caring if she meant photos or art, it was one of many subjects he never went into. Darien grabbed the plates and took them to the table and beckoned Usagi over.
"So tell me Usagi, what do you think your greatest talent is?" Darien asked, knowing he had to capitalize on what she was good at in order to build her confidence.
Serenity thought deep about his question and realized the only thing remotely special about herself was something she was born into not born with. Other than being princess there was nothing special about her, nothing that shone.
"I don't believe I have one, I don't think there is anything truly special about me." Serenity said with a small sigh. Perhaps this wasn't such a good idea…how can I gain confidence if I'm nothing but a piece of clay molded into the perfect princess?
"Usagi I can't believe you have ever been more wrong in you life. Come I have much to show you." Serenity looked longingly at her half eaten sandwich and realized small princess bites didn't cut it on Earth.
……
Their first stop was a place that Darien knew well. Darien looked up at the old wood of the orphanage and tried to shake off the impending memories of loneliness and sadness. But to his surprise the memories didn't bring back the feelings, instead he felt warmth and happiness radiate through him as Usagi took his hand. It's as if she knows the memories this place holds for me. They walked inside and Darien nodded to a few of the workers and they headed upstairs to a room Darien also knew well. It was always given to the newcomers, the best room in the orphanage but the memories of the fresh pain, always caused it to be hated by the children of the orphanage.
They pushed open the door and inside was a girl and what looked to be her little brother staring out the window. Darien had already come to see them twice in attempts to get either of them to talk. Normally being an orphan himself he could get through to the children, but these two seemed impervious to any sort of outside contact.
Darien looked over to Usagi and noticed that she seemed to understand even without a word being said. The light from the window made her appear to glow as she headed toward the young children.
She made her way to sit between them, neither seemed phased. Darien felt compelled to hold in his smile, already she was closer to the children than anyone else had been.
Serenity looked out the window, and began to sing a song she had always sang to cheer herself up whenever Endymion was away. She would always imagine being down on Earth.
"I
see trees of green, red roses too
I
see them bloom for me and you
And
I think to myself, what a wonderful world"
Usagi pointed out the trees and roses in the back of the orphanage as she sang. Darien couldn't help by smile as the children's eyes followed where she pointed.
I
see skies of blue and clouds of white
The
bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And
I think to myself, what a wonderful world
As Usagi pointed up at the sky he saw the boy give a small smile. As she mentioned the day she gave a wave of her hand, at the mention of night she covered their eyes. Darien moved to stop her, the children were to shy to be touched…but he noticed he heard a laugh from one of them. She truly is amazing.
The
colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are
also on the faces of people going by
As Usagi mentioned a rainbow, Darien couldn't hold back his shock as a rainbow appeared over the back of the orphanage. She pointed at the other children of the orphanage playing out side when she spoke of other faces.
I
see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're
really saying "I love you"
I
hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll
learn much more than I'll ever know
When she mentioned shaking hands she shook both their hands, and he noticed both of them smile when she said "I love you." When she spoke of babies growing she lifted the younger boy and raised him high into the air. She let him down and enveloped both of them in a tight hug.
And
I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes,
I think to myself, what a wonderful world
For the rest of the day the Darien and Usagi played with the two children. They were laughing and talking, and Darien knew they were going to be ok. He couldn't believe what the orphanage workers would think when they saw how fair the children had come.
It was evening when the pair finally left and began the walk home. "So Usagi did you figure out what your talent is yet?" Darien asked with a smile, knowing the modest girl would not realize how much she had done.
"What do you mean? All I did was play with two kids." Serenity said softly, she had loved spending the day with the children. She had loved cheering them up, but that was something anyone could do.
"Those same two kids have been at the orphanage for three weeks, no one has been able to get them to talk…not even me. Usagi you have a gift of bringing light and happiness to those around you. People can't help but see things in a cheerful light around you. Being with you and seeing the world through your eyes, where even the darkest night seems light as day, makes it seems as if the world really is a wonderful beautiful place. That is you gift Se-Usagi, you are hope, you are joy, the light you brought to those children…and to me. That is what makes you special, that is what makes you so wonderful."
Serenity held her breath as Darien began to sing softly to her. Endymion had never sung to her like this, he'd play their games, but he would never sing with his heart as she did. She heard thunder overhead, and she felt remorse that the clouds were not only covering the moon but threatening rain. Though she wouldn't have left Darien's side at that moment even if the rain did come pouring down upon them.
"Look
at the sky tell me what do you see
Just close your eyes and
describe it to me
The heavens are sparkling with starlight
tonight
That's what I see through your eyes
I see the
heavens each time that you smile
I hear your heartbeat just go on
for miles
And suddenly I know why life is worthwhile
That's
what I see through your eyes
I see a night I wish could last
forever
I see a world we're meant to see together
And it is so
much more than I remember
More than I remember
More than I have
known
Here in the night, I see the sun
Here in the dark,
our two hearts are one
Its out of my hands, I can't stop what we
have begun
And it took me by surprise, looking through your eyes"
As he finished singing softly in her ear he noticed his arms were wrapped around her in a tight embrace. He gave a soft sigh and realized what made his heart go cold with fear only to be warmed by the soft sound of her breathing. He was in love with Usagi.
A/N: Okay so not as long as I originally wanted…but hey at least you didn't have to wait as long. And it's a nice chapter anyway. Random dates…and the ball is coming up next chapter! Whoot then of course comes the angst…and then happiness…and then angst…and it'll go like that until the end…which one is up at the end read and find out…wow I've had too much sugar this morning.
