Beauty and the Beast: Serena and Diamond's Tale
Rated: PG
Genre: Drama/Romance
Disclaimer: I thought I told you… I don't own Sailor Moon!
Summary: A twist of the classic French fairy tale with a taste of Sailor Moon R. Can the curse of the Negamoon be destroyed by true love, not lust? Serena x Diamond. Read and review please!
Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait, but I revised this chapter a bit, so I hope the wait was worth it! Review, please! And thanks to those who did!
Chapter 5
Days after Diamond saved her life from death, Serena found herself growing fond of the White Prince while living on Nemesis. Then, she became very worried about the way he treated her. So possessive, so entranced… So caring, understanding, and loving. He took her out of his palace and walked down the streets of his dreadful kingdom. During her first trip in the city of darkness, he explained to her his reasoning of why he wanted to have peace between Nemesis and Earth.
"Serenity, there is no life here," he said. "The sun cannot shine down on us unlike Crystal Tokyo. We have no vegetation for there is no light and there is no rain. It's nothing more than a barren land inhabited by rebels. We fight to survive because we want a better life than what we have. That is why we attack nearby kingdoms, but every time we do, we seem to bring more destruction that what we intended, and our hopes for a new home diminish away for the damage we cause.
"That is why I begged to differ with Endymion, but he knew my people too well. We're all the same: we bring down the walls of great civilizations in the name of the Negamoon. We were rebels before, but once a rebel, always a rebel. And no matter how hard I try, my anger always gets the best of me."
Serena watched Diamond attempt to hold back his tears as memories from his childhood crept into his mind… Memories of a happy time before he became ruler of Nemesis…
A preteen Diamond watched his little brother Sapphire roam in the dark fields of Nemesis. He noticed the smile on the Blue Prince's face as the boy discovered something different and yet rare. "Diamond," Sapphire called, "look what I found!"
The White Prince stood next to his brother in amazement as they gazed upon a beautiful flower on Nemesis soil. "That's the last flower on Nemesis, Sapphire," Diamond said.
"Last flower? Why?"
"Because there is no light here for it to grow. Flowers strive on the sun's energy."
"You mean it will die?"
Diamond laughed and nodded his head. "But don't worry. There are always flowers on Earth, dear brother. We'll see them one day."
A tear rolled down on Diamond's cheek as he tried to shake away the painful flashback. He realized at that moment that he was destroying flowers he wanted his brother to see because of his rage. "If only I could find a place on Earth I could just rule without harming it," he pleaded.
The Moon Princess took his hand into her hers in sympathy. She somehow knew Prince Diamond was misled somewhere on his path for the throne, and he could not seem to get away from all the evil things he had done. He has good intentions, she thought. Maybe he isn't the bad guy after all.
She looked into his sad violet eyes and whispered, "Diamond, I promise you will have a chance."
The White Prince smiled and pushed a strand of her blonde hair aside. "Ah, dear Serenity, you don't know how you make me feel whenever I'm with you. I feel so safe and certain of myself. You gave me strength and comfort and hope before, and you still do now."
Serena remained speechless as he spoke of her future self. "I… Did all that?" she asked.
Diamond nodded his head. "You never knew about it, though. Your kindness helped me act more like a man than a monster, but it was Endymion who helped me make my decision about Crystal Tokyo's fate."
"What do you mean? Why did you attack Crystal Tokyo? What does Darien have to do with it?"
"Serenity, it isn't hard to figure out my reasoning. Had your future self stop believing in destiny, I wouldn't have done what I did."
Shocked at his words, Serena felt sick and repulsive. "Not believing in destiny?" she asked. "You mean you loved me?"
"Yes, Miss Moon. You would have loved me back, but you were faithful to your beloved Endymion no matter how hard I tried to win your love."
"Is that why you kidnapped me? To make sure I don't marry Darien?"
Diamond said nothing but looked at her with guilty eyes. He knew she was going to kill him for his actions, and when he looked at her, he saw a hint of hatred in her blue orbs. "You still believe that he does love you, don't you? You still believe you two were meant to be. You still believe he too believes in destiny."
"Diamond, we were meant to be in past! If I don't marry him, then there will be no future. There will be no Crystal Tokyo, and, moreover, there will be no…" Her words died away as she thought about Rini. Oh God, she thought as she began to cry, she will never be my daughter.
"What's wrong, Serenity?"
"Rini," she sobbed. "She will never exist."
"Serenity."
"Diamond, I couldn't marry you because I would be a queen of evil, not a queen of goodness."
"Are you saying that just because I rule Nemesis, I am evil in your eyes?"
"I didn't mean it like that!"
"You certainly did! I really wanted to change, Serenity, and you believed I could!"
"Then why didn't you?"
"Because I made your husband jealous. That's why."
"What did you do?"
"I gave you gifts. I gave you flowers. I gave you my heart, and yet you still said, 'No.' I was so angry one day, I even kissed you."
"You what?"
"I kissed you, Serenity. And then your husband saw us together, and he destroyed the peace treaty." He sighed as he reminisced that one moment in the gardens… The evil look in Endymion's eyes, the shredded pieces of paper falling onto the ground, and the sweet taste that lingered on Serenity's lips… She was so faithful to Endymion, he thought, and always will be.
Serena couldn't believe what she heard. He was in love with her, but she was in love with Darien. How could that be possible? "And then you attacked Crystal Tokyo, right?"
"The very next day. I didn't want to do it, Serenity. Honestly, I didn't."
She walked away from him and said, "My destiny is with Darien's. We have to marry or else the future I know will be forever altered. I cannot let you come into my life as a lover. I just cannot leave him."
"But does he really love you, Serenity?"
"I…" She couldn't seem to reply to his question. There were many times when she was uncertain about their relationship. A few days after they started dating, Darien suddenly called it off, and she thought it was because of Rini's appearance.
But it wasn't. It was because of his visions of the future, as if she was responsible for the destruction. He never liked me before we found out who we really were, she thought. And now he's confused, just like I am.
She turned to Diamond and replied, "I don't know. I don't know what to believe right now. I'm so lost!"
The White Prince covered her shoulders with his hands as he gazed into her eyes. "Serenity, listen to your heart for once. Don't do this to me just to fulfill a prophecy that might leave you unhappy."
"What makes you think I'll be unhappy?"
"Believe me, you will."
"Is it because of Darien? Diamond, he might not be the greatest guy in the world, but I love him!"
"Would you still love him if he has a record of numerous affairs, especially among your little group of friends?"
"He wouldn't!"
"He did! He doesn't believe in destiny the way you do, Serenity. Get your head straight and listen to me. The prince is only using you just to make you happy, but in truth, he isn't happy himself."
"But Diamond, he has to be my true love. He's the only person who will help me balance the universe from the Negaverse. He is my soul mate."
A smile appeared on his pale lips. "Tell me, Serenity. Is there always just one soul mate, or can there be two? Or perhaps a mistake?"
"It's no mistake, Diamond. Darien is not a mistake!"
Diamond sighed and told himself that forcing Serena to love him would only make matters worse. He couldn't get her to understand from where he was coming from for she was too much in love with Darien. "I'm sorry, Miss Moon. I didn't mean to make you upset. Forgive me."
Serena relaxed for a bit and then asked, "Can we continue with this tour of yours?"
But for the rest of the trip, all she could think of what Diamond did to Crystal Tokyo and to her. At one point, she began to doubt her love for Darien and wondered what it would be like if she did run away with Diamond. Would she be evil or would he be good? She had to admit the White Prince was such a charmer, and he was far nicer than her own boyfriend.
Yet she reminded herself that he was still the enemy, and even though he wasn't brainwashing her, he was using sweet words to make her love him. He's not going to win that easily, she thought, but I'll see to it that he isn't what he appears to be, even if I have to disobey Darien and the Scouts.
She felt in her heart that Diamond was right when he said that he didn't mean to act so violent and aggressive, and with the power of the Silver Crystal, he would be like the Four Sisters and have all the effects of the Dark Crystal out of him. Diamond, Sapphire, and Emerald… They don't deserve this at all, she told herself.
Back at the Crystal Palace, the four Sailor Scouts were still talking about how they would reach Serena before Darien did, but their plans were interrupted by Endymion's holographic image. "Please, leave this battle to Darien. I don't want that filthy animal from Nemesis touching my wife's past self."
"But your majesty, Serena would probably defend Diamond for his actions, and knowing her, she does not want blood to be shed. Can't you think of anything else besides fighting?" Sailor Venus asked.
The king lowered his gaze and shook his head. "No, Venus. What Diamond did to Crystal Tokyo and to my wife is not worth to forgive him for. He deserves death."
"Endymion, maybe Sailor Moon can heal him," Sailor Mercury suggested. "She has already healed the Four Sisters."
"But did she not heal their brother Rubeus? Did he not want to power of the Silver Crystal to cleanse his pure evil heart?"
"That's only one family member, Endymion," Sailor Jupiter argued. "Maybe Diamond isn't like Rubeus."
"You girls just don't get it, do you? You're like Serenity! They're all the same! Diamond plans to use the Silver Crystal against us, and for Serenity to heal him with it is just asking for trouble. He'll have it one way or another, and if he does have it in his hands, Crystal Tokyo will be at the mercy of the Negamoon.
"And if she heals him, I would lose my wife because of his obsession with her. He loved her so much, he would give his life for her."
"Wow," Sailor Venus murmured. "Such love."
"What do you mean he was obsessed with her?" Sailor Mars asked.
"You heard me. He was interested in her when he came here a few days before the fall of Crystal Tokyo, and he gave her gifts to steal her heart away from me. And then I found them kissing in my gardens."
"They were kissing!" Sailor Jupiter gasped.
"He forced her against her will. That's why I destroyed our peace treaty, and he attacked us the following day. He was after both Serenity and her crystal."
"But why is he after the crystal?" Sailor Mercury asked.
Endymion sighed as he began his story. "During the Silver Millennium and before my wife's birth, there were a few rebels in the Moon Kingdom who craved to have the powers the Silver Crystal offered. Queen Serenity knew of a particular group that was led by a man named Quartz, one of Diamond's ancestors. He joined forces with an evil being known as the Doom Phantom, and with their newfound powers, his people were strong enough to attack the Moon Kingdom. Serenity and her soldiers were able to defeat them, and she exiled the rebels to the planet Nemesis. There, Quartz was made king and he was successful with the help of the Doom Phantom. Throughout generations, they took over kingdoms in the universe and a few here on Earth. Crystal Tokyo is their main target for they hunted for those who possess the Silver Crystal."
"What does he want from the crystal?" Sailor Mars asked.
"Its incredible power. If it falls into the wrong hands, our universe could be at stake. We've always known that, but this is extremely important to us. We cannot let the Doom Phantom or his followers use it for evil."
"Who is this Doom Phantom?"
"I don't know who or what he is, and I don't know if he still exists."
"And Diamond is a follower of his?" Sailor Jupiter asked.
"Yes," Endymion replied, "and that is why I didn't trust him in the first place. What he did to Serenity, my wife, made me hate him more." He turned away and added, "I would never trust him at all. Even if he was healed, I would rather kill him than let him live." As he walked out of the room, he said, "Don't even think about leaving the palace to save Serena and Diamond."
"But your majesty…" Sailor Venus began.
"That's an order, Venus!" His image vanished into the darkness, but the girls still felt the need to be with their leader, no matter what kind of person Diamond was. "I'm sure Diamond had no intentions to harm her," Sailor Venus sighed.
"We have to get to Serena before Darien does," Sailor Jupiter said.
"But how?" Sailor Mercury asked.
As they pondered for a while, a purple bubble floated in the air and touched the glassy floor, shimmering into the image of Sailor Pluto, the guardian of time. "There is a way you can save our queen and Prince Diamond," she said.
"There is?" Sailor Mars asked. "Sailor Pluto, tell us."
"Darien is traveling to Nemesis without using the Time and Dimension Warp. If he came to me in the first place, I would have been able to send him to the time before Diamond came to the gardens or perhaps directly to Nemesis at this very minute."
"Can you warp us back when we first got here?" Sailor Venus asked.
"I could do that, Venus, but after I overheard your conversation with the king, I might as well send you over to Nemesis hours before Darien will."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because Serena will need all the help she can get when she is sent back."
"She's going to be sent back?" Sailor Mars asked. "Pluto, just how far can you see into the future."
"Just by a few hours," the lone Sailor Scout replied. "But I should tell you something about Diamond that the king failed to mention. You might want to use this bit of information in defense of the White Prince. After all, the king sees everything only with his eyes and not his heart.
"Granted with the permission by the ghost of the Moon Queen Serenity, I was sent to Nemesis years before Crystal Tokyo as a spy. I heard about the newborn baby who would eventually become the prince of the Black Moon family. That baby was young Prince Diamond. His father, Quartz III, hired me as the prince's caregiver. I watched that little child grow into a strong-minded teenager. He had no evil in him, not even when his father was assassinated by his head advisor Wiseman."
"Wiseman? So he's been leading that family all this time!" Sailor Jupiter sneered.
"Jupiter, keep your cool. There is more to the story. I was going to talk to the king on the day of his death, but I heard the voice of Wiseman behind the doors of the study. They were arguing about the time when Diamond became heir to the throne for his father became the White Prince when he was Diamond's age. Of course, he knew when each possible heir reached a certain age, his mind starts to mature, and we also know Wiseman thrives on dark thoughts. Since Quartz I refused to give the throne to his child years after the Negamoon settled on Nemesis, Wiseman ended his reign early and did that to each king up until Diamond's father had to face the same doom.
"Quartz did not want to give Diamond the powers yet for he felt that the child was not ready in both heart and mind, but Wiseman paid no attention to the king's protest and killed him on the spot. Against my will, I had to reveal myself as Sailor Pluto and fought against Wiseman alone, but I before I could stop him, he disappeared and I was at the mercy of the king's guards. They found out that I was a Sailor Scout, much like those of the Moon Kingdom, and since I was accused of the murder of King Quartz since I was the only person at the scene of the crime, I was banished from Nemesis and unable to save the White Prince.
"Diamond heard lies about his father's death from Wiseman and blamed us for it, although he never knew where I was from. Yet, we met again outside the Gates of Time, and at that point, I knew Wiseman took over his mind. That was the same day he came to Crystal Tokyo for a peace treaty with Endymion.
"So, as you can see, Diamond was just as innocent as Sailor Moon is, and that is why he wanted her. He wanted to have the same purity like hers because it was of the light, not of the darkness. But he possesses the dark energy of the Negamoon because he craves for power, and that dark energy was given to him the moment he ruled Nemesis. That dark energy belonged to Wiseman."
"But if Diamond is not evil, then why won't Darien see the truth?" Sailor Venus asked. "Apparently, Serena does!"
"Because, if you have forgotten, Diamond's people were part of the Moon Kingdom, and unlike Earthlings like Endymion, they see everything more than just their eyes." Sailor Pluto took her garnet ball from her staff and tossed it into the air, forming a portal that would lead the girls into downtown Nemesis. "This hole will send you to Diamond's palace. Do you still want to save Sailor Moon before another war breaks out?" she asked.
The four Sailor Scouts looked at each other and then turned their attention back to Sailor Pluto, nodding their heads in acceptance.
"Then, go now," the Sailor Scout of Time said. "The people here won't attack you, but if they do, tell them the Prince sent you. Emerald will mean no harm to you as long as Sailor Moon is with her."
"You mean that Nega-creep is on our side?" Sailor Mars asked.
"Yes but I sense that Wiseman has some plans for the Black Moon family. You must save them all before it's too late!" Sailor Pluto looked at the portal, noticing that it was beginning to shrink. "Hurry, Sailors!"
One by one, the four Sailor Scouts entered the portal and ran down the streets of Nemesis, never looking back to find Sailor Pluto watching them disappear into the darkness. "I know you girls can do it," she whispered. "I just know it."
Okay, that's chapter 5! R/R please!
TheGoodWitchoftheNorth