A/N: WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW, WOW! Who's seen the new Star Wars movie? Was it not AWESOME? I have never seen anything so great in my whole LIFE! I laughed (R2-D2), I "awwww"ed (Padme and Anakin), I drooled (Anakin), I cheered (Yoda), I screamed (Palpatine), I cried (Anakin, Mace Windu, Yoda, "younglings"). It was a beautiful, bittersweet, wonderful and terrible day. May Star Wars live on forever! (Especially Anakin, he was so hot…EightofSwords fans herself. And yes, I know that he was hot in more ways than one, so don't use that joke on me, it's really old!)

Yeah. Okay. ANYWAYS…on to the chapter, I guess. (ANAKIN WAS SO HOT!)

Disclaimer: As I lay me down to sleep,

I cry and sob and moan and weep –

because Sailor Moon will never be mine to keep!

(And also because Star Wars is over…sob)

Subject to Change

"…a total of seven people found dead and ten more in serious condition at Juuban Medical Center. This is by far the most violent youma attack Tokyo has ever seen, and police are warning civilians to stay home until some sort of stability can be reached. Economists have spoken out against this suggestion, however, arguing that it could aggravate a recession…" The newscaster's voice faded as Luna placed her paw on the volume button. Serena hurriedly swiped away the tears that were rolling out of her eyes and sniffed, meeting the cat's burning gaze. I couls have saved them. I should have saved them!

"Luna, I – "

"I want you to tell me," snarled the cat, "one good reason why I shouldn't be slicing your pretty little face to shreds right now."

"I'm so sorry – "

"Oh, I know you're sorry, Serena! You're the sorriest excuse for a Sailor Senshi I've had in all my thousand years of living, that's what you are! Seven people – seven people! – dead in the presence of a Sailor Senshi!" Serena opened her mouth to explain, to say anything. "No, don't talk! No more talking, Serena! I can't believe that you allowed this to happen! At the very least, you could have called Ami or Rei – " The cat jerked her head towards where the two other girls were sitting very still and quiet on Rei's bed. "I'm sure they would have been able to do the job you were obviously too lazy to do."

Serena was crying again by now. "I tried! I swear, Luna, I wanted to, but my communicator, it was broken!"

"Broken?" repeated Luna incredulously. "How?"

"I – I dropped it in the toilet a couple of days ago," sniffled Serena, coloring slightly. "It was an accident, and I didn't think anything was wrong, but then I tried to use it at the move theater, and nothing lit up …"

"You dropped your communicator in the toilet."

"Y-y-yes…"

Luna was silent for a very long, stretched-out moment. Then she let out a high-pitched little shriek of laughter. "Seven people. Seven people dead because Serena dropped her communicator in the TOILET!"

"Luna," began Ami, but the cat hissed warningly at her with blazing red eyes.

"You're on probation. Starting now. If you step one more toe out of line, if you're late to one more battle, if you screw up one more time, you are out. I will take your brooch and your pen, and you will be out, Serena. Do you understand me?"

Serena gulped, body lurching as she smothered a sob. I could have saved them. Ami and Rei could have saved them – they'd still be alive – I did it. They're dead because of me. Is this what Zoicite meant? Those people died because of me – I killed them. So I'm going to…hell? She swallowed back tears again. "Y-y-yes."

"Good." Luna turned and walked calmly over to Ami as though nothing had happened. "Ami, I believe I'll be staying with you for the next couple of months. Please have a place ready for me tonight."

Ami's mouth opened again, but a glare from Luna quelled her. So she nodded, not daring to sneak a glance at Serena.

"We're all settled, then," said Luna. "Good. Now, Ami, Rei, we have things to discuss…Serena, if you could leave?"

Wordlessly, Serena stood and walked out. She shuffled down the temple steps and down the deserted road. She had no particular destination in mind. She was just walking…because she had to. She had no destination. She had no goal. Her whole life was a marathon with no finish line and no medals.

Sorriest excuse for a Sailor Senshi I've had…seven people dead…you allowed this to happen…you will be out…gates to Hell…using you…fool… your death…sold your soul…didn't tell you that, did they…gates to Hell…didn't tell you…to Hell…

Like a badly doctored remix, the words played over and over in Serena's head. It was Zoicite's words about hell that she couldn't get out of her mind. There was no escape from them, or from the realization that maybe Luna wasn't as trustworthy as Serena had first thought, or from the fact that seven people had died because of Serena. There was no escape from these irreversible truths, just like there was no escape from the Dark Kingdom, no escape from fear or uncertainty. And since there was no escape, Serena's feet led her to the closest thing to a sanctuary they could think of – the arcade.

The jingle of the door bells as she walked in were audible, which was unusual in itself. Usually, the sound of the door chimes was drowned out by the raucous laughter of children, the constant beeping of videos games, and the background murmur of adult patrons.

But today, every booth, stool, and chair in the burger stool was empty save one. To Serena's faint disappointment, it wasn't Darien who sat in it, but Asanuma. He sat with his elbows grinding into the shiny countertop as he spoke in hushed tones with Motoki, who occupied his usual spot behind the counter.

"Usa!" exclaimed Motoki when he saw her. He strode out from behind the counter to stand in front of her, grabbing her shoulders. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you? Did that youma get you? You were sitting right up front – "

Serena stiffened and pulled away from the upperclassman, who had been turning her this way and that to check for injuries. "How'd you know I was sitting up front?"

Motoki's eyes bulged, and he and Asanuma exchanged looks. "Well, I – ah, that is – I mean to say – that – "

"That we were at the movies, too," came a voice, accompanied by the sound of chiming. The three high schoolers turned to see Darien standing in the doorway, pale-faced and chest heaving slightly as though he'd just run a marathon.

Serena opened her mouth to ask whether any of them had been hurt by the youma, but let out a cry instead, her question answered when she saw Darien's shins. "Darien! Your legs!"

Darien looked down as Asanuma let out a string of swear words. Huge dark red stains soaked the shins of his otherwise impeccable khaki cargoes, spreading quickly across the fabric.

"It's nothing," he said as Motoki thrust a washcloth into his hands. He propped up his leg on the table of a nearby booth and rolled up the legs of his pants. "Just some scrapes, that's all. I barely feel it."

Looking at the oozing lacerations across the front of Darien's shins, Serena seriously doubted his words. They had to hurt like…hell. Her mouth quivered. Why am I crying over myself? I should be worried about Darien…I wish I could apologize to him…but then he'd want to know why I felt like I was responsible for him getting hurt…

"Serena!" exclaimed Darien, eyes widening as he saw hers fill up with tears. "Really, I swear, it's no a big deal. Nothing to cry about!"

Serena shook her head as he gave her a reassuring smile. She bit viciously down on her lip in a valiant attempt to keep the sobs buried, but it was no use. The burning sensation spread as quickly as the blood on Darien's khakis, from her throat to her nose to her eyes. She began to cry, shoulders shaking and limbs trembling. She couldn't stop and even if she could, what was the use? Rei and Ami hated her. Luna hated her. She was going to die. For the Princess. For someone she'd never even met, she was going to go to the same place as all the youma…

Alarmed by Serena's sobs, Asanuma shot a panicked looked at Motoki. Motoki glared at Darien. Darien didn't pay a speck of attention to either one of them.

"Serena." He took his foot off the table, then stood motionless as he watched her. When she continued to cry into her hands, he lifted his voice slightly. "Serena."

She lifted her face, flushed and wet. Strands of hair glued themselves to her lips and cheeks as she looked at him with her mouth trembling.

"Is it something you want to talk about?" he asked, extending a hand to her and lifting an eyebrow. "Or do you just need a shoulder?"

Serena shook her head slowly, then stopped. Muffled, unintelligible sounds escaped her throat. She wrapped her arms tightly around herself. Motoki and Asanuma watched in shocked amazement as she proceeded to shuffle over to Darien and place her forehead against his shoulder, still crying quietly.

Darien lifted his hand and patted her back soothingly. As he did so, he spoek quietly to her. Asanuma and Motoki inched forward to do what they did best – eavesdrop – but Darien suddenly lifted his head from where he had rested it on top of Serena's. He pinned Motoki and Asanuma with a bone-chilling blue stare that had them immediately scrambling backwards on their hands and feet like frightened crabs.

"Did you see that?" hissed Asanuma to Motoki. "His eyes were all blue! That wasn't natural, man!"

"It – it must have been some trick of the light," stammered Motoki, eyes glued to Darien's back – the black-haired youth had release them from his stare and propped his chin between Serena's odangoes again. "We were just seeing things."

"And we still are!" said Asanuma in a low voice. "Darien's comforting Serena. And she's letting him!"

A strange sensation enveloped Serena. She felt the wet fabric of Darien's t-shirt, clinging to her face with the moisture of her blubbering, and felt the comforting warm weight of his head on hers. Embarrassment flooded through her – no matter how distraught she was, she shouldn't be dumping it all on someone like Darien, who didn't even really like her – but on the heels of that embarrassment was a thick fog. Gray and opaque, it wrapped itself around her like a phantom embrace until the only things left from the waking world were the weight of Darien's head and his voice whispering things she couldn't quite make out. At first she couldn't understand what he was saying because his breath was tickling her ear, but then it was because a new voice drowned his out.

"Serenity…needs…they want…and…crystal…HELP HER!"

Serena jolted out of the fog. Her limbs flailed spasmodically for a moment, as though she were falling from a very great height, then stilled as she remember where she was. She clutched Darien's arm with one hand, breathing hard.

"That's it," she heard Darien say. "She's going to the hospital. C'mon."

"No!" Serena's grip tightened on his arm; she blinked to clear her vision of the last tendrils of fog.

"Why not?" Darien demanded, eyes flashing. He seemed extremely angry – probably because he didn't want to have to deal with her.

"Because – nothing's wrong. Nothing happened to me at the yo – at the movie theater."

"Nothing! You almost got pulverized by a piece of the roof!"

Serena's eyes flicked fearfully to Darien's. "How'd you know that?"

He met her gaze steadily, unnerving her. "I saw Tuxedo Mask catch you."

"I…" Her heart thudded against her ribs. He seemed so serious. Was he trying to tell her that he'd seen her transform into Sailor Moon? He couldn't have, could he? Please, God, no. "You…"

"Saw you save that kid's life," finished Darien. Motoki and Asanuma gaped at him in amazement. "And it was an incredibly brave thing to do, Serena."

Guilt knotted Serena's stomach. If only he knew how many people had died instead of lived because of her…

"Serena-chan saved someone's life?" Asanuma burst out. "No way!" He grabbed her by the hands, pulling her away from Darien and waltzing her crazily around the arcade. "That's our girl! Sailor Serena!"

At any other moment, Serena would have been bubbling with laughter at Asanuma's heartwarming enthusiasm. Now, though, it just turned her stomach, roasting her with guilt. They don't know. They don't know.

She pulled away from Asanuma the moment he stopped. She forced a smile, acutely aware of Darien's piercing gaze focused on her. "Thanks, Asanuma." She turned to Darien. "See? I just did a crazy jig with Asanuma. I don't need to go to the hospital. I'm okay, really."

"Actually, that wasn't a jig, it was the polka," corrected Darien. He stared at her for a moment. She forced herself not to shift nervously, lest he think something was amiss. "I'll believe you…on one condition."

Serena gulped, then shrugged carelessly. "Shoot."

"I'm taking you home. C'mon." He turned towards the door.

"But – " She couldn't let him take her home! What if he interrogated her some more? What if she revealed something?

"Look." Darien sighed. "I'm sorry if I'm not great company – "

Now she was hurting his feelings! "No, that's not it, that's not it!"

" Then what's your excuse? Out with it, I don't have all day to listen to you stammering, Odango."

"I – " Serena began, then paused and hung her head in defeat. "Okay."

"Hmm, Darien taking Serena home…" Motoki smiled. "Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a declaration of love."

Darien's face mottled. "You know it's not like that," he gritted out. "It's just because we're friends."

Asanuma sniffed. "I'm your friend. How come you never offer to walk me home?"

A/N: Next chapter, we see what happens when Darien takes Serena home. It should be out pretty soon, maybe even tomorrow, since I'm out on break right now. There's more Sere/Dare action on the way, and also some Zoicite plotting and Senshi tension. As always, thank you so much to all you reviewers who make this story what it is. In your reviews, please give me suggestions and critiques so that I can love you forever and ever! (Although I must warn you all, my heart is promised to Anakin Skywalker – or Daniel Radcliffe, whomever proposes first.)

Lots of love and best of wishes on finals,

EightofSwords