Of Vengeance of Beauty
Chapter Ten
By: Sailor Raspberry

Author's Notes: Well, here ya go. Hope everyone enjoys it, and I want to give a special thanks to ALL the reviewers who are constantly making it easier for me to write each chapter!

Disclaimer: Standard stuff; don't own Sailor Moon or its characters (Serena, Darien, Lita, Raye, ect. ect.) But, I do own the plot + storyline.

She was led through the twisting hallways, the sunlight that filtered through the windows illuminating their path.

Despite the somewhat chaotic circumstances Serena was facing, she couldn't help but admire the old mansion. She continued to trace her fingers along the wilting wallpaper, careful to avoid the stoic paintings and glittering wall fixtures.

Amy beckoned her into another room, holding the door open as she passed.

The kitchen was quite pretty, the florist-green trimmings of the walls giving off a relaxing appeal. In the center of the room stood a man, sandy hair resting on his shoulders. He busied himself by cutting a fresh loaf of bread, the aroma causing Serena's stomach to rumble rather loudly.

At that, he looked up, emerald eyes smiling. "Amy, you've just made it in time for lunch." His eye flickered over towards Serena, his face adopting an astonished look. "Why, you must be Ms. Lockeheart."

"Mrs. Repens," she corrected. If she was going to get out of here, she might as well make it known that she was already spoken for.

Amy cleared her throat softly, motioning her hand towards Serena. "This is Serena, Zoisite. She'll be staying here for the time being."

Before he could ask the question that was pulling on his tongue, two tiny hands pulled at his trousers.

Serena watched as he bent over and picked up a child, about four or five, and placed her on the counter. "Yes, Mina?" He asked, throwing his kitchen towel over his shoulder.

Mina's blonde hair covered her face as she lent forward, pressing her forehead against Zoisite's and placing her palms on his cheeks. "Daddy, you said I could have dessert an hour ago."

Amy smiled slightly, folding her arms across her chest. "Did he now," she cocked an eyebrow at him, motioning for Serena to follow her behind the counter. "Mina, pumpkin, you know you have to wait until after dinner to have dessert."

"Yes, mommy, I know. But," she stretched the word into three syllables, "I saw daddy eating some chocolate cake!" She pointed a finger at her father. "He said I could have some when he was finished making lunch."

Amy sighed, reaching into her bodice and pulling out a red ribbon. Serena took a step away as she watched Amy tie the ribbon in Mina's hair.

"And daddy will receive a stern talking about that. Now, you go off and play, little princess. Okay?"

Mina nodded enthusiastically, sticking her tongue out at her father. "You're going to get in trouble!" She slithered down from the counter and got ready to run off, before her eyes settled on Serena for the first time. Gasping, she dove behind Amy's legs, gripping tightly onto her mother's skirts.

Serena chuckled, bending at the knees. "Hi Mina, I'm Serena."

Mina peered out at her, before emerging fully, her hands knotted in front of her stomach. "Hello Serena." She whispered, approaching slowly and encircling her. She paused, leaning forward slightly and scrunching her nose as she looked into her eyes. "You have very pretty eyes."

Serena smiled, patting the girl's cheek lightly. "Thank you."

Mina nodded once, before darting out of the room.

Straightening her back, Serena strode towards Amy and Zoisite. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hawthorne."

"Please, Zoisite will be fine," he smiled warmly at her, setting himself to cutting the bread again. "Mrs. Repens, you say?"

"As in Mr. Repens from Cryptid Academy," Amy attributed with a smiling.

Zoisite looked up at Serena, cocking an eyebrow. "Oh, so he's a werewolf? Never would have guessed that."

Serena took to a stool that was placed along side the counter. "Yes, and I miss him terribly," she stared at the two hopefully, folding her hands in her lap. "Do you think you two could...?"

Amy frowned, leaning into her palm. "Serena, please understand when I tell you this." She stole a glance at Zoisite, "Mr. Maddox, Diamond as you may know him, is very..." She paused, pursing her lips.

"What Amy is trying to say is that he always gets what he wants, and will have no one stand in his way." Zoisite placed his knife down, leaning his elbows on the table. "We, and a majority of the pack he's in charge of, are not fond of his leadership. But, sadly, we cannot do anything." He shrugged. "We're waiting for the day when the next alpha comes along."

Serena began to feel frustration build up within her. Pushing herself from the stool, she glared at the two before her. "Cowards," she seethed, taking a large step away. "That's what you two are." She spun around, stomping towards the door. "If you won't help me, then I'll just have to figure a way out myself!"

Amy grabbed her arm, forcing Serena to look back at her. "Please," she whispered, "don't do anything you'll regret."

Serena felt the sudden urge to hug Amy, but she turned her nose up and pulled her arm free. "In this world, we act," she made her way back towards the door, pausing to look once more at the couple, "and never look back."

Sapphire knew he had to do something, anything, to get that crystal. If he wanted to get what was rightfully his, that gem had to disappear.

He stalked around another corner, pausing when he reached to final staircase that led to Diamond's office. If he had calculated correctly, Diamond should be either taking an afternoon bath or patrolling the household.

With an annoyed groan, Sapphire started his way up the staircase.

Serena discarded her gown for the pair of slacks and Darien's shirt she had worn the other day, which were now cleaned. Deliberately ignoring the sudden ache in her heart, she peered cautiously into the bathing room, heaving a sigh of relief when she discovered the room to be vacant.

She slid silently through the doorway, locking the door behind her. Closing her eyes, she tried to steady her beating heart. This was the only way to escape.

The only way she would be able to see Darien again.

Serena made her way past the bath tub and to the changing room. Her breathing felt oddly loud within her ears, the thud of her heart causing an unfamiliar ache to instigate against her ribcage.

She knelt before the vent, outstretching trembling fingers to grip onto the cold, metal cover.

She gritted her teeth, pulling back vehemently. The force at which the cover peeled off caused her to stumble in her crouched position, sending her backward onto her bottom.

She scrunched up her face as the pain of the contact subsided to an unimpressive tingle, swatting away the blonde bangs that hung carelessly before her eyes.

Serena crawled onto her hands and knees, peering into the cavern of metal. Her heart continued to beat wildly inside her, causing her breathing to come out thickly.

She closed her eyes tightly, forcing out a silent call despite the immediate pounding in her skull.

Darien.

Sapphire opened the heavy door slowly, eyes darting around the room quickly.

Empty.

His eyes rested upon a spherical gem, its confines a mass of black swirling clouds.

Sapphire's lips pressed into a straight line as he made his way towards the crystal. He felt his fingers twitch involuntarily as he outstretched them towards the ball.

Serena crawled carefully through the vent, flinching ever so slightly when her leg came down a little too hard against the metal.

The vent began to slant upwards, and she groaned inwardly. She used the back of her hand to wipe away the perspiration from her forehead, before she pressed her palms against the sides and began her ascent.

It felt as if she had been climbing for hours, for her arms began to throb and thighs burn as fatigue set in. She was panting, fingers slippery as they gripped tiredly onto the metal.

And then she arrived to the end of the tedious slant, and she could have swore angels were singing. "Oh thanks lord," she mumbled, collapsing onto the flat surface, deliberately ignoring the gathering dust, and groaning.

But, then, she heard someone mimic her groan, and she froze. Her heart fluttered nervously as she slowly gathered herself onto her knees, despite the exhaustion that immediately buried within her muscles.

Serena began to crawl, and then to her left, she saw another vent cover. She bent close, pressing the side of her face against the rigid metal.

Sapphire lifted the ball with a dissatisfied grunt, stumbling slightly as his arms dropped down his front.

It was defiantly heavier then it looked.

"It's worth the struggle," he muttered, cheeks puffing out as he lifted the crystal to the front of his chest.

Something, or someone, shifted in two different places. Somebody was moving lazily through the hallways, footsteps loud in his ears, and then, there was another, moving carefully within the... Walls?

Sapphire allowed his eyes to flicker over towards the closed door, for that someone was more threatening then the petite woman hiding behind the walls.

Diamond was coming.

Serena watched as Sapphire swung his arms back towards the desk, another grumble of displeasure reverberating from his throat.

His hands clapped down on the desk, the ball slipping from his fingers and rolling slowly towards the edge of the desk.

He muttered a few choice words, lunging across the desk and grabbing at the ball. Papers scattered and pencils flew, the body diving at the floor.

Serena jumped slightly at the sudden thump, shortly followed by a hiss of air.

After another round of curses, Sapphire emerged from behind the desk, hand desperately trying to cover an obscenely large crack on the curve of the ball, gray fog blowing out from the space between his fingers.

He dropped it on the black stool it once stood on, as well as successfully cutting off the escape of air.

Darien stopped at the edge of the stream, hands buried deep within his pockets. He kicked at a stone, watching as it plunked into the water, before it disappeared beneath the murky depths.

And then, something shifted through the air.

A scent so diminutive, so unnoticeable, Darien barely caught it.

But he did, and he felt his stomach jump almost instantly as he recognized it.

Strawberries.

Darien.

He sucked in a quick breath, spinning quickly on his heel. His mind began to ache slightly, but he paid no mind to it, for he had already called out.

Serena.

He was weaving his was throughout the trees, retracing his previous steps. He had no idea where he was going, not a clue, but there was something tugging him in this direction.

And there was no time to question that feeling.

Diamond stopped short in his office as he flung the door open, surprised amethyst eyes resting upon Sapphire.

"What are you doing?" He drawled out his sentence, lean silver eyebrows cocked scathingly.

Sapphire pressed his lips into a straight line, crossing his arms defiantly across his chest, "I'd like to discuss you plan."

Diamond's lips twitched upwards slightly as he ambled to his desk and sat down. "And why would you, my dearest brother, want to know that?"

He frowned hard, resting his shoulder against one of the bookshelves. "This Serena, she isn't very fond of staying with you." His eyes rolled upwards, teeth clenched, "And maybe, I could help you keep her under lock and key."

Diamond examined his brother from his chair, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right..." He trailed off, eyes resting upon the farthest wall. "You see, Sapphire. It was not easy; far more complicated then your so called strategies-."

Sapphire grumbled beneath his breath, drawing a full smirk from the alpha.

"The male, Darien she said his name was, could always pick up some kind of scent, regarding myself. So, I wondering how much power this here crystal holds," Diamond reached over and tapped the crystal.

Sapphire set his jaw, hoping he wouldn't notice the puff of smoke that eased its way from the hidden crack of the gem.

"Madam Kookay, I believe her name was, had mentioned a supremacy that this here crystal holds. Now, I had experimented with it for awhile, and I've discovered that I could obstruct the male's wolf instincts..."

Serena's eyebrows shot up, fingers clenching into a tight fists. How dare he do that to Darien!

She had to resist the urge to pummel out from the dusty vent and kill the man. She felt herself begin to tremble slightly while trying to control her temper, teeth biting down harshly on her cheeks.

"Nothing is going to come between Serena and I now, Sapphire. Nothing."

Sapphire cocked an eyebrow as Diamond leant forward, trying to hold back a sardonic chuckle. "Yes," he forced out. "I understand what you're doing, brother."

"That Darien character, he's going to be lost for as long as this crystal has control. So he shouldn't be a demise to my plan." Diamond rested back against the chair, propping his feet up on the desk. "He might as well as forget darling Serena and forgo the pain while he can.

Serena shot up in fury, momentarily forgetting of the limited space she had.

She clamped a hand over her mouth, gagging down a grunt as her head collided noisily with the metal. She squeezed her eyes closed, tears pricking out from the corner of her eyes with each painful throb at the top of her head.

The two men paused, turning their heads in the direction of the vent.

"What was that?" Diamond said slowly, removing his feet from the wood.

Sapphire strode towards the vent. "I'm not sure."

Serena became wide eyed as the navy-eyed man knelt before the metal cover, face extremely close to hers. She tried to scurry backwards, failing miserably when her back met a cold slate of metal.

Sapphire squinted at her, a frown causing deep wrinkles to crease his forehead. He looked at her, blinking once.

Serena felt her chest tighten as he stood from his position on the ground, dusting his hands off against his black slacks.

"Must be rats," he muttered to Diamond. "I'll have it taken care of."

Diamond nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'll need to take a trip to the marketplace to restock on some food. Serena's a big eater." He smiled, rising from the chair. "I will fetch her, and we'll be off."

Serena gawked dumbly into space; Sapphire had just lied for her.

Then, the sound of a door slamming shut forcefully snapped her of her daze, and realization dawned on her at what Diamond had said to her.

She scampered backwards, stumbling slightly down the slant, dust catching in her eyes and nose.

Darien continued to run, paws thumping against the packed dirt; he had to find her. He had to!

He sniffed at the air, before screeching to a halt.

He lifted a leg to swipe at his muzzle, before raising his head to the air.

No.

He wasn't loosing her scent, was he? But, it was just there, bright as day!

He knew he had to continue; the scent will come back. It had to come back.

Darien's cobalt eyes revolved around the surrounding trees.

He had no idea which direction to take.

Diamond walked swiftly down the final staircase, daydreams of the future filling his mind. Only when he bumped into an exasperated blue haired woman did he snap out of his remedy.

"Oh, Mr. Maddox," she heaved, pushing aside loose bangs that hung in her face, "you're just who I wanted to see."

Diamond eyebrows rose slightly at her disoriented manner, "How can I help you, Mrs. Hawthorne."

Amy inhaled deeply for a few moments, before she patted down her hair, "You see, Mr. Maddox, Serena is not feeling very well. She's been throwing up all morning."

"Oh, well why didn't you inform me earlier?" He attempted to sidestep her, but Amy cut across him.

"It's because I haven't had time to see if it was contagious. I'd hate for you to catch it." Amy flicked her wrist carelessly in the air as she leant toward him slightly. "And it smells retched in that bathroom now, I'm afraid. I almost gagged, and I've been doctoring for years now."

Diamond grimaced noticeably, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear. "Sounds concerning, maybe I should go check on her..."

He tried again to step around Amy, but failed in vain. With a scowl, he turned to face her. "Mrs. Hawthorne, I suggest you move from this spot or I will forcibly do so myself."

Amy's eyes grew wide, fingers knotting in front of her stomach. "I was just warning you," she whispered, though she remaining in her spot.

Diamond glared down at her, pushing her softly by the shoulder so he could step past her. "Don't worry so much about me Mrs. Hawthorne. You have your own mate to worry about."

Amy scowled silently at his retreating figure, before she spun on her heel and darted after him. "Mr. Maddox, you really shouldn't be going into that room..."

Serena tumbled out from the vent, sputtering and brushing dust away from her eyelashes. She glanced around the room, only to see Mina sitting quietly in the far corner of the bathing room.

"Mina? What are you doing here?" Serena stood onto her feet, walking slowly towards the young girl.

Mina looked at Serena calmly, tiny hands resting in the fabric of her yellow sundress. "Mommy said you're going to need this." She pointing to a metal bucket sitting beside her, the bottom filled with water.

Serena felt her eyebrow arch in curiosity. "What for?"

"She didn't tell me, but she told me that I had to hide in the changing room and be really quiet after I tell you."

Serena was about to ask another question, but she began to hear voices drifting in from the hallway.

"Mr. Maddox, you should listen to me. Who knows what caused her to throw up."

Her thin silvery eyebrows shot up in realization, and she quickly turned to Mina, "Now would be a really good time to hide, okay?" She whispered, ushering Mina into the other room.

"Mrs. Hawthorne, I will not ask you again to leave me. I am fully aware of checking on her myself" Diamond's voice sounded quite annoyed.

"And cover your ears really good, do you understand, Mina?" Serena hissed, kneeling down onto the cold floor.

Mina nodded, placing her arms tightly over her ears and darting into the other room, long blonde hair trailing behind her.

Serena gulped, reaching out and dragging the bucket towards her. She heard the lock begin to jiggle slightly, and she screwed her eyes closed.

Hesitating only briefly, Serena jammed her finger into the back of her throat.

Review please.

xo,
Sailor Raspberry