Sorry for taking so long to update this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I only own the story, not Sailor Moon.

Chapter 17

Darien looked at his alarm clock for the ninth time and sighed. He hadn't been getting much sleep lately and it was really starting to get to him. Ever since the incident at the arcade with Akusai and the other woman things had been really weird between the two of them. Akusai kept telling him that she was just really busy, but now he was having a hard time believing it. Of course the message the other women had given him probably didn't help him much.

He hadn't thought much about Serena since the girls had told him she was missing and now suddenly she consumed his every thought. Akusai was the one he loved now, not Serena. He got out of bed and looked back at the time again. It was only 4 a.m. but he felt like maybe it was time to get back to his old morning routine of jogging once more. He hadn't jogged since the last battle with Chaos. He changed his clothes and headed out to start his new morning routine.

As he ran he could only think about Serena. She seemed to consume his every thought and it was now starting to get to him. He kept jogging, not paying attention to where he was headed until he noticed that he was at "their" spot, or what was his and Serena's favorite place to be in the park. He stopped jogging and looked out over the pristine waters of the lake. As he continued to be deep in thought he didn't notice that someone had come up beside him.

"Such a beautiful place at this time of day isn't it." Rei stated as she walked up to him. "Hello Darien it's been a while."
Darien nodded to her as he looked out over the water. "It's my favorite spot. What are you doing here Rei?"

"I came for a walk to give myself a break from the training that I am going through." Rei stated vaguely. "What about you Darien? This is the first time in months I've seen you without Akusai around."

"I couldn't sleep so I decided to go for a jog to clear my head and somehow I ended up here." Darien stated lamely. "What training are you doing now? Are you getting ready to take over the temple duties for your grandfather?"

"I am training with the other Senshi in preparation for when Serena ascends to the throne. The Senshi will be by her side, always." Rei looked at him in wonder. "You do know that she will be having a coronation celebration in about two weeks time, right?"

Darien looked at her in shock. "What coronation? She can't become Neo-Queen Serenity without getting married to me first and I broke off that chapter of my life."

"Actually she can become Neo-Queen." Rei smiled at him, but before she could continue her new cell phone began going off. "Rei here." She listened to the person on the other end and smiled at Darien kindly. "Of course I will be there. I'll head over immediately. I am gathering its time for my Senshi trial? Okay then I will be there shortly. Bye." She looked at Darien sadly.
"Sorry Darien, but I have my other duties to attend to. See ya!"

Darien watched in amazement as Rei turned and headed out of the park, leaving him with more questions than answers. He decided to walk back home instead of jogging. He hopped that Akusai would be at his apartment when he got back, but instead he saw the very woman that was the cause of his new found problems.

"Can I help you?" Darien asked in annoyance.

"No, I am just here to deliver this to you, Endymion." Katri smiled at him as she handed him the small white envelope she had with her. "I'll be in touch."

Darien took the envelope from the woman and watched as she headed back to the elevators without a glance back at him. He went into his apartment and opened the envelope to discover that it was an invitation.

"Prince Endymion,

"You are cordially invited to attend the coronation ceremony of Princess Serena as she becomes Neo-Queen Serenity. At that time you will be required to renounce your title and claim of royalty. If you are not in attendance the Sailor Senshi will come for you and you will publicly be stripped of all that you hold dear from your days as Prince Endymion of Earth. Please be aware that you can contact the following Senshi and request a meeting with them to discuss this issue in length. Thank you.

Lady Katriana."

Katri sat at the counter in the arcade feeling a little beyond stressed. Now that the invitation had been delivered to Darien all she could do it wait for him to respond. On top of that Akusai was now going to be a problem. She had a meeting with her in less than 6 hours and she knew she would need to be on her guard.

"You look like its been a bad day and its still morning." Andrew came up to her and smiled.

"Yeah, well what can I say I have a tough job sometimes. I delivered the invitation to Darien just now." Katri smiled at him warmly. "Can I get a soda and some fries?"

"Sure thing. Which invitation was it?" Andrew asked as he started working on her order.

"The only one that was ready. The one that tells him exactly what his choices are. Serena is picking out the final look for the invitation that everyone will get." Katri told him as she started to eat her fries. "She is also picking out the final food selection for the big event too."

"Sounds like things are really progressing." Andrew looked over at the entrance and straightened up. "I'll be back in a little bit." +-

Katri sat there enjoying her food when she noticed someone sit down next to her.

"I don't like it when people try to interfere with my life." Darien stated as he looked at Katri, the invitation still in his hand.

"I'm not interfering in you life just yet, Prince." Katri responded coldly. "I am just the simple messenger for the Princess. Remember when she was once your only love."

"That was in the past. Back when our titles actually meant something. But I don't live in the past, only the present." Darien told her calmly, even though he was starting to get unnerved with the woman next to him. "How do you know so much anyway?"

"That is none of your concern Endymion. The past is what makes you who you are today. It will always be part of your life whether you choose to acknowledge it or not." Katri turned and looked at him, not willing to reveal just how much she knew. "You are the one who will shape your destiny, not the past, you."

"What about Serena? She doesn't get a choice in this. She is being forced to do something that she never wanted to do in the first place. How can you say that she had a choice in this?" Darien slammed his fist onto the counter top.

"Because this was her choice, Darien. She knew that if she didn't want to go down this path and fulfill her destiny and become Neo-Queen Serenity she just had to say no. But she didn't want to do that. She knows what will be required of her and she is ready to take on such a challenge." Katri looked at him defensively.

"Why would she change her mind like that?"

Katri looked at him in shock. "Maybe because someone actually started to believe in her. She spent so much time worrying about what you and the Senshi thought about her that she lost her confidence in herself. But she now has confidence again and now wants to become Neo-Queen."

Darien looked at her in shock. He never once thought about how the things he had said in the past would impact Serena now. "So, this was her decision fully?"

"That's correct, this is her choice." Katri looked at him sadly. "She knows about what you have done."

"What do you mean by that?" Darien asked in astonishment.

"She knows that you were dating Akusai before breaking up with her. She also knows about your engagement." Katri placed some money on the counter and stood up. "You have a decision to make. Either Akusai or your title. Choose wisely, Endymion, you won't be able to go back on that choice once you make it."

Katri walked to the lake in the park as the sun hoping to beat Akusai to the meeting place. After her run in with Darien she went back to the gym and kept working out until it was time for her meeting with Akusai. She felt so frustrated because of Darien's attitude towards the young Princess she swore to protect so long ago. She looked around as she arrived at the meeting place and felt for her sword, that she kept hidden at all times, making sure that it was securely in place just in case anything should go wrong.

"I thought I recognized your voice." Akusai walked out from the shadows smiling. "And now I know exactly who you are, Lady Katriana of Queen Serenity's special guard for her precious daughter."

Katri straightened up even more so and glared at the woman. "Just as I know who you are. You were the one who betrayed the Moon Kingdom and the Silver Alliance, Akusai of the Moon Kingdom Court. Did you really think I would actually forget what you did?"

Akusai laughed evilly. "Now how would you know such a thing? You were killed days before the attack came."

"Actually I was in hiding, thanks to you and your treachery." Katri stated. "Now, what do you think you are doing to Endymion? I know that you have something to do with his break up with the Princess."

Akusai shrugged and smiled secretively. "You have no proof of that. Endymion and I love each other very much and we will be getting married very soon. Then I will become his Queen, the very Queen he deserves."

"You will never be Queen, Akusai. Once the Princess becomes Neo-Queen he will be stripped of his title and his throne and just be a normal man." Katri smirked knowingly. "If you think he'll have any power then you are sadly mistaken."

Akusai's dark brown eyes darkened in fury. "How dare you accuse me of marrying him just for his power. I love him and I will marry him in three weeks time. You will not get away with such threats against me. Not now or ever again. Remember, I have friends in high places that you can't even fathom."

"Are you threatening me, Akusai? Did you forget who I am? I am Lady Katriana of the Moon Kingdom Royal guard! I am the captain of the Senshi of the Moon Kingdom. I can not be defeated by someone like you!"

"Oh, please you really think something like that will threaten me? I am the one with power. Do not under estimate me. I have more power than you could ever dream of having. And soon, you will see that power." Akusai laughed evilly.

"And where would you get such power?" Katri asked in bewilderment.

"Now is not the time for such information to be revealed. But soon you will see my power and it will be as I destroy you and your precious Serenity!"