Oh gods, i am soo sorry about not updating sooner guys! bad Eb, very bad Eb. i had a small case of writer's block and only got passed it the other day, and what with exams and everything it's been hectic at my end of things. All those that ask if Darien gets his comuppance (?) this one's for you; it starts here *cackles evilly*.
i also have another ficlet for my "Lights through a Prism" thingy on the way that is Darin/Serena (Mamoru/Usagi) focused, so i'm not all nasty to the Earth Prince! And nobody has guessed yet what that title means anyway lolz.
Also have another long fiction on the way so look out for it (see chapsix (i think) of the afore mentioned fic for details or my profile page). And i am so sorry for the shortness of the last chapter, but this will make up for it. And it was not boring, it was intended as a filler (my writer's block again) and a chance to get to know the myterious threesome a little better. But if you thought it was boring then i guess i can't change your mind.
Thanks a bunch to all my proboard pals for sticking by me, my boyfriend for chaining me to the laptop yet again, and Stratalight for her help and patience. I hope you feel better soon hun!
Anyway, enough of my rambling, let's get on with the show! Stage On!
Darien scowled as he stared at the phone. No little light blinking in welcome. No little light telling him he had a new message on the answering machine. Nothing.
The scowl deepened.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The last time he'd broken up with her, a few years ago now and over something much more stupid than this, his answering machine had been riddled with messages from her; begging him to take her back, asking what she had done wrong, pleading with him.
He growled almost silently.
This was Kou's fault, it had to be. If that . . . thing hadn't returned after so many years of no contact whatsoever things would be the way they should be. The Outer Senshi had filled him in about the three Kous shortly after they had left because Serena and one or two of the Inner Senshi wouldn't talk about them anymore. Female Senshi pretending to be men while they looked for their AWOL princess, and who knew what their true civilian form was. What was the universe coming to these days?
He had been grateful when they had left; they had protected his princess while he had been unable to do much of anything. Although he hadn't been too pleased that one of them had tried to take his girl. Still, they had done him a favour and he had wished them well for it. But they had no business returning now. Three years of no contact and they return now, and Kou trying to get with Serena yet again. And Serena letting him!
There was a piece of paper in his hands, a scrawled message in another's hand. He scrunched it into a small, tight ball with his fists.
He had to do something.
Soon.
Serena was working quietly in the library when she felt someone coming up behind her. She turned and smiled, instantly recognising the long red hair of Blaze. She rarely thought of her as Kakyuu now, and sometimes she forgot altogether that she wasn't native to Earth, so at peace she seemed with life here.
"How's the assignment going?" asked Blaze with a sweet smile.
With a long sigh Serena blew hair from her eyes. "Long, slow, and boring as hell. Life as a Senshi was more exciting than this, at least. Even when we were waiting anxiously for an enemy to show itself." She closed the politics book in front of her and watched the visiting princess set out her notebook, pens and text books. "How are you finding college?"
Blaze beamed at her. "I love it here. It feels just like home." Blaze gave a small sad smile.
"You miss Kinmoku, don't you." Serena observed.
She didn't respond at first, merely noting down a few comments in her notebook. Eventually she sighed. "Yes, I suppose I do."
"It's understandable though," Serena continued, "You were born and raised there. I'm sure the StarLights miss it just as much as you."
Blaze looked at her for a long time, and Serena held her gaze, returning the stare of red-brown eyes with her own stare of crystal-blue. Eventually Blaze smiled at her.
"You really do seem to understand them, more than most, perhaps." She began, her tones quiet and not misplaced within the confines of the library or for secret conversations. "It is funny; they hardly say a word, and yet you, like me, notice their heartache. Every evening Taiki looks to the stars with such a torn air about him. Yaten watches events on Earth with such a sad intensity. Even Seiya, in some small part, longs for what I call home."
"But they don't call it home?" asked Serena, focusing once more on the words on the screen of her small silver laptop.
"You are quick." Blaze said with a wry smile. "Much smarter than the others give you credit for."
Serena smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry if I misled you, and they all know I'm not as naïve as I used to be, but sometimes they still see me that way." She giggled. "I have my moments still, if you remember; when I met you in the café."
Blaze chuckled herself. "Ah yes, your . . . what did you call it? 'Klutz-attack'?" the two girls shared a quiet laugh. Several students nearby looked up at hearing such a sweet sound, like little silver bells.
They continued writing, or typing, for several minutes before Blaze continued what she had been saying.
"But you are right." Blaze's tone was resigned. "They no longer see Kinmoku as their true home." she sighed. "If I were to be completely honest, I don't believe they know where they belong anymore. Their hearts pull them this way, but their bodies and minds tug at another. They are very confused, and returning here may have hurt them."
"You think you made a mistake in allowing them to return?" Serena asked, trying to mask her disappointment at this conclusion.
It was heard anyway, and the Kinmokune Princess watched her working. "No. I do not. They needed to return here, to heal. Some very disturbing things happened in the past, and I needed them to get over it, perhaps even to move on altogether." Another sigh. "I knew the risks of returning, and that I might lose them. Their hearts are here, on Earth. Their duties are on Kinmoku with me. The loyalties of my StarLights are torn.
Serena absorbed all of this, and was prevented from asking the question on her lips by Taiki's sudden appearance.
"Princess." He nodded at Kakyuu. "Miss Tsukino." He nodded at Serena and then sat down opposite them.
"Taiki, it's Serena, remember." Serena giggled. Blaze smiled, and made no attempt to correct Taiki's use of her title; all three of them at some point had slipped up and called her Princess at one time or another, although Yaten's use of it had been in front of her Cultural Politics lecturer and had caused some amusing results.
Taiki only nodded and took out his Astronomics homework and textbook. He set about answering the questions set for him diligently, and appeared to not notice that the other two were watching him.
"So, Taiki," Serena began, causing him to turn his violet eyes from the page and to her face, "How's Astronomy?" she asked with a smile.
The tallest StarLight tapped his pen against his lip before answering. "It is rewarding." He said at last. Serena raised an eyebrow at him, which prompted him to continue. "I find Earth Astronomy to be in some ways very much different to what I am used to, and in that sense it's a challenge, but one I relish. The information might even prove useful one day."
Serena nodded; Amy had shown her some of what she learned on the same course – Amy took it for fun as a side to Medical Studies – and her work in Astronomy focused largely on vague details. Taiki took it as a major, and went a lot more in depth, the course requiring Physics as well as some other modules.
"How are you finding it? Being back on Earth I mean." Serena asked quietly. Her tone and eyes and features all softened as they watched the young man's shoulders tense up slightly.
There was a long pause, and Serena began to regret asking her question, before the violet eyes returned to her face. "I find it enlightening and rewarding." Was the vague response.
"Do you miss your home?" she asked again. When Taiki refused to answer she frowned. "I want an answer Taiki. It's all well and good your being here but if you or your brothers are upset then it hurts your Princess too. She wants you to be happy and it hurts her when you don't tell her how you feel."
That seemed to get a slightly more urgent response from Taiki than she had intended, and her tone had been angrier than she had meant it to sound as well, so she tried again and gentled her voice. "Look, I know you're here for . . . something." They hadn't quite gotten round to telling her why yet. "But if you are unhappy here then I do not wish for you to stay on Earth. I'd rather you be happy, Taiki, we all would, and if something hurts you then . . . Kakyuu feels the same as me." she finished in a whisper.
Taiki looked to Blaze, who nodded, her expression sombre. He lowered his eyes and sighed, trying to explain.
"It's not that I'm unhappy at returning, it's just that . . . I had finally managed to get over certain feelings, shall we say, and then having to return and have those feelings reawaken . . . I'm not used to feeling, Serena." He said quietly, looking into the blonde's eyes and willing her to understand, hoping that she would. "Before we ever came to Earth none of us felt with this intensity. Well, maybe Seiya did, but I didn't. I barely knew what emotions were. My duty, our duty as StarLights, came first. The protection of the planet and our Princess was everything to us."
She nodded, understanding his point of view if not quite his meaning. She had the same problem with the Outer Senshi sometimes; duty over all else, sacrifice everything for the mission. A sentiment she appreciated, sometimes, but didn't approve of herself.
Her nod encouraged Taiki, who began speaking a little less slowly and hesitantly.
"When we first arrived on Earth we were cold, distant. We didn't care for anything, and only for our Princess, no one else. But when we met you and the other girls we . . ." he paused, trying to find the right words. "I'm not sure even now how you did it." he admitted at last. "I'm not sure Seiya or even Yaten know how, but somehow you managed to melt the ice around our hearts. We began to value you all as friends, and to see the value and beauty in others. When we left this world we were not so cruel anymore. We were changed. I thank you for that, Moon Princess."
Another nod, this time with a tight smile and a slight hint of tears in her eyes. He smiled in return and then turned to Blaze.
"Pri-" he smiled at her apologetically, "Blaze, forgive me, but I at least am not entirely loyal to you any longer. I was changed when we left here, and since returning the emotions have returned with me. Seiya ceased to be utterly devoted to you the moment he loved another, but only Seiya has been brave enough to admit his feelings. Despite the hilarity of our last goodbyes to this world," he cast a side glance at Serena, who blushed at the memory and Blaze chuckled; she had found it just as funny as everyone else. "I admire him for it."
Blaze smiled; at least one of her Senshi was being willingly honest with their self; Seiya had only admitted the depth of his depression after nearly dying for it, but only admitted it to his Princess when she directly confronted him about it in the infirmary. "Thank you, Taiki, for your honesty."
He nodded; glad to have it off his chest at last.
Blaze sighed. "Oh how I wish Thuraya were here to see this planet." She murmured. The other two heard her.
"Thuraya?" Serena asked. The name seemed familiar somehow.
Blaze looked at her, realising she had spoken her thoughts aloud. 'I hope she won't mind my telling her of the past, at least.'
"An old and dear friend of mine." Blaze explained quietly. "And coincidentally, a friend of yours too." Serena looked non-plussed, so she elaborated. "Do you recall nothing of your past, Moon Princess? Nothing of the Trinity Alliance?"
Serena frowned at her laptop in concentration, not noticing Taiki's eyes on her. In truth she did not remember everything of the Silver Millennium, and some of it was hazy. However this was more than hazy; this was a complete blur. Mentally she summoned an image of herself as Princess Serenity standing between two other young women; one a red blur that slowly began to define itself as Princess Kakyuu of Kinmoku, the other still ill-defined and dark.
"Not much." she confessed at length. "Barely anything. I can barely remember you." her tone was apologetic.
Blaze grimaced. "It is to be expected. She warned me you probably wouldn't remember." She saw Taiki appeared curious about the topic as well and decided to tell the story.
"During the Silver Millennium, your mother and my own, Queen Keahi of Kinmoku, became good friends when they were very young women. Shortly thereafter, during a ball at a neighbouring kingdom, they became friends with another, Empress Assyria of the Siriun Constellation. They grew so close, in fact, that they were considered sisters, and formed an alliance between their three kingdoms that became known as the Trinity Alliance."
Here Blaze paused. Serena watched her with a rapt expression on her innocent face, eager to hear more of her mother and her friends. Taiki had raised an eyebrow in surprise; he remembered none of this and yet it sounded vaguely familiar. She smiled at him; he was not a part of her kingdom in that lifetime, but part of another. She continued.
"Time wore on and the young queens married. Each fell pregnant with an heir. My mother gave birth first, and I was born eldest of the Trinity Alliance. Empress Assyria gave birth next to her daughter, High Princess Thuraya of the Siriun Constellation. Queen Selenity of the White Moon Kingdom gave birth last, to you, Princess Serenity of the White Moon, the youngest heir of the Trinity Alliance. As we three grew older we also grew to be friends like our mothers before us. There were arguments, of course, but they never meant very much. we only ceased to be friends when our three kingdoms were destroyed."
Serena looked at the table. That was one memory that was too vivid for her liking.
Blaze pressed on. "The White Moon fell when the Dark Kingdom, the Negaverse, attacked it. My own fell to some force I cannot remember right now. The Siriun Constellation was attacked by the Doom Phantom and Thuraya was never found. However she was . . . recovered, shall we say, two years ago and the Siriun Constellation has been on a more steady recovery since."
That last bit Taiki did know; he had once accompanied his Princess there to attend the coronation of the new Empress. It was a small and quiet affair; she had wished to remain unknown to many outside her kingdom until she decided otherwise. Both she and her Senshi were nothing less than welcoming to Princess Kakyuu and her Senshi. He recalled her image now – another thing that was familiar to him for reasons unknown; long bright auburn hair and dark brown eyes, a proud and tall young woman who was as fierce and loyal a Queen as she was a friend.
Serena had gasped aloud at the mention of the enemy she had defeated. She had not realised she had an indirect connection to him. Kakyuu correctly interpreted the gasp and nodded gravely.
"I will not tell you the state in which she was found; she is still coming to terms with it herself." She said gently.
Now Serena could remember the final member of the Trinity Alliance clearly. A young woman with ideals and the endurance of a true soldier, a true warrior spirit. The picture completed, she was left wondering whether she would meet this ancient ally again.
The Lady General was in a meeting with some advisors when she sensed the telepathic signature.
'Kakyuu?'
Yes, it is me. You can call off your Senshi now.
'You knew they were there?'
Yes, Thuraya; Feryal isn't exactly subtle. But never mind that, I am watching over Serenity for you.
She thought that one over for a minute or two, waving her advisors off so she could focus on the new conversation. 'You are on Earth? Are you safe? You know I don't want to have to worry about the both of you.'
A crystal-clear laugh resounded through her mind and she smiled. Thuraya loved that laugh. I have my Senshi with me, remember? Thuraya did remember her talking about them. Besides, Serenity has her own Senshi to protect her, and my own will defend her also, as will I. the Daughters of the Trinity Alliance stand strong.
Thuraya nodded and mentally agreed. She waved off another advisor headed her way and walked out onto a balcony for some privacy, but she still dared not speak her end of the conversation aloud.
Kakyuu spoke in her mind again, and now she was a little more hesitant. I told her of you today.
Thuraya paused in admiring the stars. 'Why?'
Because I felt she should know. I think she'd like to meet you again.
She bit her lip. 'Not yet. In the future, perhaps. In the far future maybe we shall rebuild the Trinity Alliance to what it once was. But not for now. I will come when she needs me, or when another matter needs me. I shall continue to watch over Earth and its course for the moment; the vibrations emanate from there. My Senshi are already closing in around Serenity to protect her should the need arise and her own are not at hand.'
Of course. Kakyuu retreated from her mind and her calming influence went with her.
She sighed when another advisor approached her. She half-listened to his ramblings as she walked inside again.
Serena walked out of her last lecture of the day with a sigh. Not that politics wasn't interesting, it was, usually, sometimes, but she couldn't wait to start on her Photography assignment; her own personal representation of emotions. She already had several ideas in her mind and wondered if she could maybe persuade Rei to pose for her.
She was so busy thinking of this and keeping her mind off of more unpleasant trains of thought that she walked straight past him.
"Forgot me already, Meatball-head?" he asked her. The tone was light and humorous, but Serena froze at the sound.
"Darien?" she asked quietly, turning around again to look at him. There he was, leaning against the wall at the top of the stairs, waiting for her the way he always used to when he had the time.
"Who else?" with a smile she didn't quite trust for some reason he pushed off the wall and took a step towards her.
She took a step back.
"Serena." He sounded hurt and he frowned, but he stopped moving towards her. "Aren't you pleased to see me?"
She immediately felt guilty for moving away from him. "No, it's just a surprise, that's all." She said, biting her lip. She felt nervous around him, wary, uncertain of her footing. She'd never felt like this with him before.
Seiya turned the corner, intending to catch up to Serena just as she left her lecture, and the sight before him stopped him dead. Quickly, before anybody noticed he was there, he darted backwards a few steps and edged back up to the corner to peer round, not quite believing the sight he had seen.
Serena talking to somebody. Talking to Darien.
Seiya growled silently. What was he doing here? He doubted that the Terran Prince was here to apologise; from what Serena had told him Darien had had no second thoughts about breaking up with her. Though he admitted to himself that he hadn't heard the conversation itself.
He looked again; Serena seemed tense, Darien was frowning, and she looked poised to run from him, like a rabbit from a predator that it is currently entranced by.
Why the hell was Shields here? Should he walk up and intervene? Should he just watch over her, only coming to her rescue when it was important that he do so?
Seiya scowled and focused on the movement of the dark-haired man's lips, trying to get a sense of the words he spoke from a distance away.
"I just wanted to talk to you, Meatball head." Said Darien, smiling. "I haven't been able to contact you for a while now."
"I wasn't aware that you'd been trying, Darien." She replied uneasily. She fiddled a little with her folder and text book before looking at him again; his eyes, still an intensely dark shade of sapphire, were watching her thoughtfully.
He said nothing, only watching. It unnerved her.
She shuffled slightly, re-adjusting her folder and book, then sighed and looked him in the eye again, echoing words spoken to her by Rei not long ago in her head; stand firm Serena, hang in there.
"Darien, I have things to do, and I'm meeting Blaze and Mina to go shopping, so if you have something to say, just say it."
(Behind his corner Seiya silently cheered for her.)
Darien raised his eyebrows, his blue eyes widening in surprise. Since when had she been so forward? "Who's Blaze?" he asked, then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I was going to ask whether you wanted to go to Crown for a milkshake, but if you have other plans I'll be going. I can see that I was wasting my time here."
He paused in turning to walk away and looked at her again, his gaze now calculating as well as pensive. "I heard you've been spending a lot of time with Kou lately." He said neutrally.
Serena actually took another step back. "How did you . . . ugh, never mind. Why do you care I'm not your girl anymore." She said stubbornly. She still wanted to know who was telling him things. It had to be the Outer Senshi; her Inners wouldn't do that. Heck, Lita had threatened to break his arm if he came anywhere near Serena, or close enough to her to allow it to happen.
(Seiya frowned; he'd like to know that as well. He knew it wouldn't be Taiki or Yaten; they didn't like the Earth Prince much, especially Yaten for some reason. Kakyuu didn't exactly hate the Terran Prince, but she certainly didn't pay him any attention.)
Darien scowled openly, those intense dark eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "I care because you are mine." He stated simply, focusing solely on the blonde standing before him. "Destiny says you are to be mine, and Destiny is never wrong."
"Funny thing about Destiny," began a feminine voice behind him. Darien turned and Serena looked behind him. Even Seiya peered further round his corner to view the newcomer to the conversation. The girl was Amy's height, with shoulder-length pale blonde hair and brown eyes, wearing a thigh-length black skirt and a pale tan blouse and a choker of a matching colour and a black waistcoat. She was looking at Darien with complete disdain.
"It can be re-written." She finished. Her accent was very slight, indicating that she was not Japanese but something else. In one hand she held a Biology textbook against her thigh, the other was placed on her hip in a passive-aggressive kind of way. Her eyes were narrowed at the man, but her final statement caused them to flicker to Serena.
Darien snorted. "And who are you to preach about Destiny? What do you know of it?"
The girl smiled sweetly, although her eyes betrayed the emotion she really felt; they burned fiercely, and it caused Darien to have some misgivings about her that he couldn't explain.
"I think I know far more than you do." She answered mysteriously. "And yourself? Who are you to preach about life's mysteries when you have barely begun to live yourself?"
Darien only stared at her, and she smirked triumphantly. "Come on," she said to Serena, "Let's get you out of here before he regains his tongue, ne?" the strange girl winked at her and walked over to Serena and looped an arm through hers, leading her towards Seiya and his corner even as Darien stared after them.
"Thanks for that." Serena whispered when they were a few meters down the hall.
The girl smiled. "It's no problem. They guy's a jerk; all that bull about Destiny, he knows nothing about it. Destiny can be re-written all the time. Even the smallest decision can change it's flow and path." She stopped and held out a hand to Serena. "Name's Feryal Makana."
Serena smiled and shook it. For some reason she felt completely at ease around this strange young woman. "Serena Tsukino."
"A pleasure." Feryal gave a wry grin and then added; "I thought it'd be a good idea to escort you to your Prince Charming over here; he looked really worried while all that fuss was going on." Then she turned to look at the corner as they approached and Seiya came out to meet them, rubbing the back of his head guiltily.
"You knew I was there?" how could she have known he was hiding there; she'd been further round than Darien and Serena and he'd had to lean out a little more to see her.
"The whole time." She nodded cheerfully. Then she turned back to Serena. "I've gotta get going; my friend's picking me up and driving me back to the apartment." She turned to head down another corridor and winked, "I'll see you around sometime?"
Serena smiled widely and nodded. "Thanks again, seeing him speechless was priceless." She giggled.
Feryal laughed and nodded. "Any time Princess." A piano symphony made itself heard and she took a mobile phone from her shoulder bag and flipped it open. "Hello? Lumina! I . . . where are you? Ah, ok. On my way." She hung up and grinned. "I swear that girl's one of the most abrupt people I know. I'll see you guys around ok?" she called as she ran down the hall.
Serena watched her go; Seiya did to, with an unreadable expression on his face. The way she had said Princess . . .
"I'm sorry I didn't come to your rescue, Odango." He said at last, looking at her with unreadable eyes.
Serena looked up at him, her own crystal blue eyes soft and warm, forgiving. "No, it's fine. I know you would have stepped in if things had gotten any worse." She looked back to where Feryal had turned a corner out of sight and chewed on her lip pensively. Seiya noticed the direction of her stare and followed it.
"She shouldn't have been able to know I was there." He said quietly. "She was at the wrong angle to the corner to be able to see me even when I leaned out to look."
Serena nodded. "Maybe, but she could be like Rei and have special abilities." She turned to Seiya and her eyes showed no suspicion. "I felt something when she touched me, a spark of some sort, but I don't think she's a danger. I feel as though I know her somehow."
Seiya shrugged, his mysterious moment forgotten. "How about I take you to the campus restaurant for a snack and then drive you to meet the girls?"
Serena nodded and smiled a warm smile.
Ever since she had told him everything Darien had done Seiya had done nothing but be there for her. He was her light that day and since; ensuring that she stayed on the road to recovery. If she wanted to talk or forget about the world and her problems he was there, right beside her or just a phone call away.
Blaze, Taiki and Yaten were the same. Blaze would arrange for girly outings for her, Amy and Mina, even Rei and Lita would be asked to tag along. The five girls were united in their goal of helping her get past her heartache. Yaten would randomly turn up to ask about a Photography assignment and they'd work together; he'd even agreed to model for her sometimes so long as she returned the favour. Taiki was always on hand to help with whatever he could, and would always listen to her when she wanted to talk; he'd only modelled once, and when he asked the title of the photo she'd handed in he'd been surprised, but not too surprised at the same time.
She had a copy of it in her scrapbook; all her photographs were in her scrapbook. He was standing at the edge of a cliff with the wind lifting strands of his long auburn hair and moving the edges of his jacket that he had slung over his shoulder. One hand was in his trouser pocket while the other reached over his shoulder to grip the jacket collar, and he was staring out to sea, his expression almost unreadable. The Lonely Heart, she'd called it.
There was one of Yaten leaning back against a wall glaring at a random guy that was flirting with Mina. It hadn't been the intended shot; the guy had just walked up to her friend and started chatting with her. Mina being Mina she had flirted back. The photo was taken as she was tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. By this time Yaten had been giving a one-eyed glare at the man, but neither the stranger nor Mina had noticed. For some strange reason that she could never recall she had titled the shot Tough Love.
As she walked with Seiya to the car she cast her mind back to the conversation with Blaze and Taiki in the library. Her memories of the Trinity Alliance had been trickling back slowly, but she still couldn't remember much about it.
'I wonder if I'd be able to contact this Thuraya somehow?' she thought to herself as they drove to where the girls had agreed to meet up. 'I wonder if Pluto knows about her? And what about Feryal? She seemed so familiar, like I had seen her before but forgotten.'
She made a mental note to ask and then lost herself in Seiya's charming smile.
'I should do something for Yaten and Taiki, but what?' another thought came unbidden into her mind and she smiled slightly at the idea. 'I couldn't, could i? That's usually Mina's job . . . but maybe . . .'
"Ne, Seiya?" the midnight eyes flashed in her direction briefly before returning to the road ahead. "I want to run an idea by you, see what you think."
"Go ahead Odango."
By the end of the car ride they were both smirking.