Chapter 3

Serena kissed Darien back for a moment, but then stepped back, a blush forming on her cheeks.

"The girls are probably worried about me," she exclaimed.

"I'm sure they're fine, hey, let's take a walk," he said.

Serena nodded and they each reached for the other's hand.

"Are you going to tell me a secret now?" Darien asked.

"Oh um, sure. Well, I guess if we are going to continue hanging around each other…you should probably know that my cat…can talk."

"What? Serena, a real secret."

"It's true! Look, I'll prove it. She always seems to know when I'm in distress. I don't know why but watch."

Serena made a weird look on her face, like she was trying really hard to look frustrated or confused or mad, and then after a few minutes, Luna, whom had stayed at the arcade, ran down the sidewalk looking for them.

"Luna," Serena said, her arms outstretched.

"Are you okay? What's wrong? Where's the danger!?" Luna said this forgetting that she shouldn't talk in front of Darien, and when she realized this she looked around and then meowed.

"It's okay Luna," Serena reassured, looking up at Darien, "I told him."

"You did what?"

"Darien and I remembered something very important. And everything's different now."

"Luna looked shocked, "what did you remember? Did you remember the moon?"

"The what?" both Darien and Serena looked at Luna in astonishment, Darien because he was seeing a talking cat, and Serena because she didn't understand what she meant.

"Remember the moon?"

"The moon!"

"What about the moon?"

"So you didn't remember the moon? So what did you remember then?"

"That we've met each other before."

"Yes, you have, go on."

"At the hospital, wait how would you know that?"

"Serena, um, I meant like, you guys have seen each other around before. What hospital?"

"When we were little. Luna you're not making any sense."

"I'm sorry, I guess I'm confused."

Serena shrugged and looked up at Darien, "anyways, you see I'm telling the truth."

"But how?"

"I don't…know, Luna, why can you talk?"

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that you're okay."

"Whatever you say."

Serena called a meeting to the shrine and the girls all met there within minutes. She had told them she had something very important to tell them, and they were all very curious as to what that would be. They all sat at a coffee table in Rei's room, eating cookies and other sweets while awaiting her story.

"Well come on, tell us already!" Mina snapped, too excited to wait any longer. She was very good at match making and could tell when someone had eyes for someone else.

"Can't I have another cookie first?" Serena asked, mouth full.

"You're in love!" Mina yelled. Amy and Leita dropped their tea and Rei dropped her mouth.

"With Andrew?" Amy asked.

"Okay one everyone knows that I'm in love with Andrew, so no. Secondly, I'm not really IN LOVE. And thirdly, it's not Andrew."

"Oh goodness please don't tell me you've fallen for Darien, I told you he was mine!" Rei scolded.

"Rei,"

"Serena."

"What happened after you guys left the arcade?" Leita asked.

So he followed me out to apologize, we got to talking, and suddenly we both remembered that we had met each other when we were kids, we actually promised each other when we were kids that we would always be there for each other, and I told him he would never have to be alone ever again."

"Alone?"

"Yes. And now that I remember that…I'm going to keep my promise. I now realize why Darien's always been so cold to me. There's something there now that wasn't there before."

"So you are in love?"

"NO! I mean, I don't know."

"She is! I can tell!" Mina chided. Praising herself for being so cunning.

"Girls," Luna announced, "she's forgetting to tell you that she told him I can talk, so there's that."

"I mean, that's not such a big deal," Amy stated, "Darien's a smart guy, he won't tell anyone."

"I know…"

"Don't be so stressed kitty, everything's under control." Artimis, another talking cat said. Artimis was Mina's cat, so-to-speak."

"But Artimis, shouldn't we tell them?"

"Tell us what?" Serena asked.

Artimis shook his head, now was not the right time.

"Yeah, tell us what?" Rei repeated.

"Um, yeah you have to tell us now. Now we know you're keeping secrets," Mina added.

Luna sighed, "The reason you guys are all friends isn't by chance."

"The reason we can talk is also not what you'd think."

"See, we aren't…from here. None of us are."

"You mean, we aren't either?" Amy asked, just as confused as everyone else.

"Yes, you see, all seven of us were first born on the moon."

Amy snickered, how illogical.

"It's true. How else could we be talking cats?"

"But that doesn't make sense."

"Long story short, you guys have all been reincarnated here on earth to live out your days as happy, and healthy as possible. And Luna and I were reborn too, to keep it that way."

"Why?"

"There was…a travesty that destroyed the Moon Kingdom, but that's all I can tell you."

"Why?"

"Because you each have your own memories, and they are not ours to give you, you have to recall your previous lives on your own, when the time is right."

"This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder," Serena sighed.

A few days later Serena still had not heard from Darien or run into him yet. She realized they had not exchanged phone numbers or anything like that so he had no way to contact her, but maybe he was avoiding her. Maybe it was all too much, or he realized he enjoyed hating her way more than loving her. But back at Darien's apartment, he was thinking quite the opposite. He long awaiting their next run in, so he could remember to get her phone number, and to just see her again. He stood up from his couch and slipped on some shoes. He decided he would just walk around town, check the arcade, the park, anywhere he's run into her before, and hope it happens again.

It was at the park he caught a glimpse of her long blonde hair and he smiled.

"Hey!" he yelled.

She was looking out at the ocean, her eyes gleaming in the setting sunlight. As soon as she heard him, she turned around. She smiled for a second, and then it was gone, and Darien could tell something was on her mind. Teasing her he loved to do, making her angry was fun, but he hated to see her sad.

"What's up meatball head? Fail another test?" She had always been really bad in school, and he knew that, because the first time they had ran into each other as adults was when she was throwing a failed test over her shoulder, and it hit him right in the face. Remembering that now was different. He remembered that even though he was cold to her that day, that she'd always been the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

"Hey, don't call me that," she smiled.

"There's a smile," he laughed, "what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Something Luna said, but it's okay."

"Would this make it better?" He asked, pulling out another perfect rose from his coat pocket. Serena smiled as he handed it to her, but she pricked her finger on one of the thorns and dropped it. As Darien and Serena both bent over to pick it up, something fell out of Darien's pocket. It was a star shaped locket with a rotating crescent moon on the inside. It had opened up upon hitting the ground, and emitted a noise that was both soothing and familiar.

Serena and Darien touched it at the same time and a flash crossed both of their eyes. Neither one knew exactly what it was, but it was very similar to when Serena had remembered the hospital. It felt like a memory, but neither of them could place exactly what.

"Wow, that's…lovely," Serena said, suddenly sad for some reason.

"Oh it's uh…its nothing."

"Serena picked it up for him but he waved it away, "uh, you can have it."

"But Darien,"

"Really, if you like it so much, you should keep it."

"Well, thanks, it has a very beautiful melody."

Serena put the locket around her neck, it was big for a necklace, but she knew from that moment forward that she would never take it off.

"I should go," Darien started.

"No wait," Serena said, reaching for his hand. There was a small drop of blood on her fingertip, and when Darien noticed, he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it gingerly.

"Please…stay." Darien nodded and pulled her into a deep embrace. It feels so…right, Darien thought. Her small body in comparison to his fit so snuggly it was as if they had been molded that way. Everything was different, but everything was different in the best way.

"I want you to see my place," he stated, pulling back slightly.

Serena kept composed, wondering exactly how fast he was wanting to move in their new relationship.

"Is that the best idea?" She asked.

"Oh calm down, I just thought you might want some privacy is all. I thought we could talk. Maybe, watch a movie?"

Serena shrugged what's the worst that could happen?

"Yeah okay."

Darien realized he still had her hand in his, and squeezed it, never letting go till they got to his apartment.