Chapter Eight: The Power of the Rose

The Moon Kingdom...

The six young princess's sat around a small round table talking and laughing at eachother. It was now Princess Serena's fifteenth birthday party and she had told her parents she wanted to keep it simple this year. She sat there at the table watching the door, waiting for him to arrive. "Serena?" Ami, the princess of Mercury, asked. Serena snapped out of her trans and looked over at her friends. "Huh?" She asked. The other girls laughed at her. "Who are you waiting for?" Rae, the princess of Mars, asked. She laughed nervously at her friend. "Oh nobody. Why do you think I am waiting for someone?" She asked. "Maybe because your staring at the door?" Lita, the princess of Jupiter, pointed out. "Yeah, so spill Serena! Who are you waiting for?" Mina, the princess of Venus, asked excitedly. Serena sighed as all her friends stared at her.

"Okay, okay..I will tell you, but you have to promise you will tell no one!" She said in a stern tone. The girls nodded and listened closely. "Darien.." Serena whispered. "What?!" The girls cried together. "Shh..please keep this quiet...He doesn't know and I am too scared to tell him." She cried softly. The girls faces softened as they watched a tear roll down her cheek. "We won't say anything.." Alaynia, the princess of Earth, said softly as she placed her hand on Serena's hand. She looked up at her friends as they all nodded in agreement. "Thanks." She whispered.

"Excuses me, ladies, may I borrow Serena for a moment?" A male voice asked as he approached their table. They looked up to see Prince Samuel standing at their table. "Sure." The girls said together. Samuel held out his hand for his sisters. She smiled as she took his hand. "Samuel, where are we going?" She asked as they exited the ball room. "You'll see.." He said softly.

He stood in the center of the gardens next to a large silver fountain. He looked around at the flowers in the garden. The moon had such beautiful flowers and their scent were as sweet as honey. Samuel led Serena into the moon gardens, where she saw Darien standing next to the silver fountain. "Samuel..." She began. He smiled and walked away before she could say anything else. She took a deep breath, before walking towards him. He heard foot steps walking toward him. He stood up straight and looked over at her. "Happy Birthday, Serena." He said sweetly as she stood infront of him. "Thank you Darien, but why did you bring me out her to tell me that?" She asked curiously. "I didn't...I wanted to give you your birthday present." He spoke softly. Shock appeared all over her face. 'Grumpy ol' Darien got me a present?' She asked herself.

He pulled out a red rose and held it out to her. Serena stared down at the flower. It was absolutly the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "What is it?" She asked as her eyes became glossy. "It's a red rose...it's the most beautiful flower that grows on Earth." He said softly as he stared down at her. She reached her hand for the flower, but something pricked her. "Ow!" She cried as she pulled her hand away from it. "Becareful Serena, it has thorns on the steam." "Now you tell me.." She growled as she held her hand tightly. "Here let me see.." He said as he gently took her trembling hand. She stared at at him as looked over hand and found a red mark on her finger. He gently rose her finger to his lips and kissed it softly. "I'm sorry.." He whispered as he looked over at her. He smiled as he noticed her cheeks were a little pinker than normal. "Thank you.." She said as she carefully took the rose from his hand this time.

"Do you like it?" He asked after a moment of silence. She looked up from the rose and stared deeply into his eyes and in that moment all her fears seem to melt away. "I love it...but.." She began as she walked closer to him. "But?" He asked a little nervous as he stared down into her sapphire blue eyes as they twinkled with delight. Before she could answer the trees and flower bushes began to sway back and forth violently. "What's happening?" She asked as they looked around the garden. Suddenly a blast of green light shot at them from the sky. "Ahh!" They screamed as they were blasted apart. Darien quickly rose to his feet as Lord Hector appeared. Darien glared up at him as he pulled out his sword handle. "Not this time, Earth Prince." Hector growled as shot a dark force of energy from his hands at Darien. Before he had time to react he was hit and crashed into the fountain breaking it.

"DARIEN!" Serena screamed as he crashed into the fountain. She turned to Hector with a fire burning in her eyes. "Moon Prism Power!" She cried as she transformed into Sailor Moon. "What?" Hector asked shocked. "Moon Tiara...Magic!" She cried as she sent her tiara at him. Still stunned Hector didn't move out of the way in time and the tiara hit him in the leg. "Ahh!" He cursed as he yanked the tiara out of his leg and threw it at Sailor Moon's feet. "You are mine, Serenity.." He growled as he lunged for her. "I will never be yours!" She cried as she jumped out of the way and landed next to the rose Darien had given her. She picked up the rose and looked towards Lord Hector as he walked towards her. "I belong to one man and one man only!" She shouted as she tossed the rose at Hector. The rose hurled towards Hector and he moved his head slightly as the rose flew past him catching the side of his cheek.

"Ow! Why you little..." Hector began but was interrupted. "Jupiter Thunder..Crash!" A voice shouted from behind him. He turned around just as the swirling cloud of lighting bolts crashed into him. "Ahh!" He cried as he fell to his knees. "Leave our Princess alone.." Jupiter shouted. "Who..who are you?" He asked through greeted teeth. "We are the champions of love and justice, we will right wrongs and triumph of evil, like you! I am Sailor Jupiter!" Jupiter shouted. "I am Sailor Mars." "Sailor Mercury." "Sailor Venus." "Sailor Earth." The others said as they stood next to Jupiter. Hector groaned as he flew up into the air. "This isn't over Sailor Twits, Serenity will be mine along with the silver crystal.." He growled as he vanished. "We will see about that.." Sailor Jupiter mummbled as they turned to Sailor Moon and Darien.

Sailor Moon walked over to Darien and the broken fountain. She kneeled down next to him. "Darien..please be okay, please..." She cried softly as she lifted his head into her arms. She closed her eyes as a single tear fell from her eye and rolled down her cheek as it lightly glowed. It fell from her face and fell onto his lips. After a moment Darien began to groan in pain. Sailor Moon's eyes fluttered open. "Darien!" She cried happily as she stared down at his face. "Serena.." He whispered as he slowly opened his eyes. "I'm glad your okay!" She cried as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly as he sat up. He groaned in pain as her body slammed into his. "I'm so sorry.." She whsipered as she pulled away. He forced a smile on his face as he pulled her into his arms gently. "It's okay."

"Um..hate to interrupt, but we should be getting back to the party." Sailor Jupiter said as they transformed back into their princess form. Sailor Moon and Darien pulled out of the embrace and looked over at them. They nodded in agreement as they rose to their feet. Sailor Moon closed her eyes and transformed back into her princess form. They all turned and headed towards the entrance of the rose garden, when Darien stopped. Serena turned around and looked in his direction. "Darien?" She asked. He walked over to the rose and bent down to pick it up. He stood back up and turned and looked at her. "Can't forget your present.." He said softly as he walked over to her.

He handed her the rose once again. She smiled as she stared down at it and took it gently from his hands. "Serena.." He whispered. "Yes?" She asked softly as she looked up at him. He rose his hand to her face as he stared into her eyes. "I love you, Serena.." He whispered. She smiled brightly as a new set of tears formed in her eyes. "Oh Darien, I love you." She whispered as tears fell from her eyes. A smile crept across his lips as he slowly leaned down closer to her face. He wrapped his around her her back and pulled her closer to him as he closed his eyes and kissed her lips softly. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back with tears of happiness falling freely down her cheeks.