Oh yeah, getting into the story now. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Let me know with a REVIEW!

The Future

I suppose I have developed a habit of passing out and coming to a bit later. This time I was asleep for three days. Hotaru's little "draining" trick was the equivalent to about… oh… I don't know… a MILLION sleep pills!

"What were you thinking Hotaru?" I heard Amarah snap. There was a long pause as I cracked one eye open and gazed around the room. The room was small, not too small, large enough for the king sized bed, a dresser, and a table. Hotaru was standing, leaning against the door with her arms crossed. Her eyes blazed with anger but her face remained surprisingly stoic.

She finally shrugged and pushed off of the door. "We've been over this what? A thousand times? I told you, I had to rescue us, it was either draw her powers, or… let them have her. I didn't hurt her, she's fine."

Luna had resumed her post as sweet kitty and jumped onto the bed (I was laying on the bed by the way). "Hotaru, you have to understand, what you did, though heroic, it was very dangerous. You didn't seem like you were in control of yourself." Luna's soft voice trickled through the room and seemed to dissipate in the heavy air. "Any longer and she could be hurt."

"Maybe she's not that powerful then. Maybe she isn't the chosen one." She sneered and turned her head to the side. "Is that so hard to believe?" The girls seemed to look between themselves then jumped as a large thunder clap sounded. Hotaru looked out the closed curtain window and bit her lip. "What are we going to do?"

"There's only one thing to do." Amarah said sternly. "This time, we do this right." I couldn't help but pry, I started to penetrate Amarah's mind when Michelle stepped over to me and frowned.

"She's awake, now Serena, if you have questions, you ask. There's no need to hack into our minds." I opened my eyes and looked at her. How the hell did Michelle know I was reading Amarah's mind? Who the hell were these people?

Another thunderclap shook the sky. Michelle closed her eyes then opened them again and looked down at me. "Closer this time." She sighed and looked at Amarah. "It's not right and you know it." She then looked at me again and sat down. "You want an explanation. That's fully understandable."

"Of course it is." Luna added and looked around the room before taking a deep breath. "Serena, I know that this all seems very confusing and strange but let me explain. You see, we are all from a different planet. These women here are the outers. They traveled from the other side of the asteroid ring to protect you because you are the last of the Lunarians… well, the royal family at least. A once abundant society, the Lunarians were known for their grace and tranquility. Your mother was the leader of the Lunarians. When she was young she fell in love with a man from Saturn. This man was your father, he was a collector, collectors do just what it sounds like… they collect powers, a collector can have infinite power and infinite skills. He was very powerful. When you were born, it was determined that you had inherited all of his powers, including his ability to collect."

Luna then paused as if she was flashing back on a painful memory. "We don't know what happened to him… his mother fell ill and he travelled alone to Saturn. He never arrived." Her brown eyes fixed on mine as she spoke. "it's been rumored that he was captured by a more powerful collector, one who's sole purpose is to open the gate of destruction. It is said, that he tried to use your father to open the gate but found that he was not powerful enough. Now the man who killed your father is after you. In order to protect you, I asked Trista to send you forward in time. We did a sort of… reincarnation. You were born again, you look the same as you did then, I think we need to do that again." She shook her head at me then another clap rumbled by.

"Just one second… you're telling me that this guy chased me into the future and you think that was successful? Luna… I may be blonde but I'm not stupid. I'll stand and fight!" I laughed. "I have to go find Darien, he's probably worried."

"Worried isn't the word I'd use." Hotaru smiled and pulled open the curtains to expose a black sky with lightning flashing dramatically. "I would say… he's pissed." She then turned and looked out eh window. "The tornados are going to start soon."

"Hotaru, get away from there." Michelle prompted and stood. "Call him, if you can." She added and scooted the phone towards me. Hesitantly I picked up the phone and dialed Darien's cell phone. I waited for a few moments and finally his forcedly nice voice filled the phone.

"Darien?" I breathed and the phone grew quiet. "Dare? Is that you?"

"Are you okay?" His voice was noticeably calmer, that made me smile. "Meatball head? Are you okay? Where are you?" He asked tenderly and I could almost see the worried crease in his forehead.

"I'm fine. I'm with… friends. They got me out of the apartment when the people came after me." Darien was very quiet then a thoughtful rumble traveled through the phone. He might have been upset but I was simply happy to hear his voice. "Look, Darien, I think that maybe… I'm putting you in danger."

A loud clap of thunder communicated the anger that surged through him at the suggestion of me leaving him alone. "Serena, look, you can't put me in danger. No one could physically hurt me. Oh, I found that white haired freak sneaking around the apartment." I swallowed the fear that tickled my throat. "He left though. He promised me no one would bother you anymore." I took in a much needed breath then a thought hit me. Maybe this wasn't Darien. What if it was really Diamond, controlling Darien like he had controlled me? "But you know what? Now that I know you're safe I feel better. Stay away for a few days. Relax. Come home when I'm sure everything's okay."

"Thanks Dare. You're the greatest. Bye." I hung up and looked at the women who were staring at me. "He says I should stay away for a while. Diamond apparently told him that everyone is going to leave me alone." Everyone turned to Trista with a certain look of annoyance before turning back to me.

"What if Diamond's taken over his mind Serena?" Michelle asked softly and rest a hand on my shoulder. "Diamond had the ability." I looked at her and sighed. I certainly couldn't ignore the idea; after all, Diamond was very powerful. "I will go." She stood straight. "I will go and see if Darien is telling the truth."

"I'm going with you." Amarah demanded. The two looked at one another for a brief moment then they nodded. "I'm glad you're not fighting me on this one." Michelle simply smiled and walked out of the room (which I determined to be a hotel room).

"What would make them change their minds?" Hotaru frowned and looked at Luna with curiosity. "I was just ranting earlier… I know you're the chosen one Serena. You have to be. You're the last of the royal Lunarian family… you have all of the powers. You have to be the one." I sat on the bed, wondering why the collector would give up on me.

"This isn't over." Trista said sternly and looked at the floor. "It's never over… they're going to do something."

Amarah and Michelle returned after a while with a positive report. Darien was telling the truth and he was himself. Diamond had not taken over his body. "It's weird, it's as if they just decided to leave. They just decided to give up." Amarah sneered. "Wiseman won't give up. Look how many years he's traveled to do what he's doing." Everyone nodded while I thought about it. "I don't get why he's waiting."

"Maybe something about this time isn't working for him." I offered and smiled as Luna looked at me as if I should explain myself. "Well, these days, Aberrants are hunted, maybe it's too risky for him to be in this time. Let's face it, it would have been easier to nab me when I was a baby." Luna's eyes widened as she thought of what I was saying. "I mean, even to grab me as a small child. Not now that I'm older."

"Oh my God! That's it! This is a distraction!" Hotaru cried urgently. "His minions are here in this time to distract us from another time! Trista, the gates, they're unguarded!" Everyone looked at Trista and the room fell into a pregnant silence. "He's trying to move through time to get her while she's a child."

"If that is his goal then I cannot stop him. He doesn't use the time gate. He knows how to bypass it. If he wants Serena as a child then… he will have to go back and I can't stop him. Unless…" She paused and looked at me. "Unless… he was trying to go into the future. With the world being so uncertain right now, the future is fluctuating daily. This is the farthest point forward he can travel… does that make sense?"

"No. What would he want in the future? The past is the only way to go if he plans to capture Serena." Hotaru frowned. "You're not making any sense Trista." I looked around the room and noticed the defeated look in Luna's eyes. She seemed to know what Trista was talking about. "I mean really, Serena's right, snatching her up as a baby would make a lot of sense. He could raise her and make her into one of his mind washed minions who wants to open the gates of destruction."

"You're right Hotaru, it does make sense that Wiseman would want to capture a baby or small child." Luna's ears lay back as she spoke. "I understand what you are saying Trista. I fully understand what you're saying. It appears that Wiseman is indeed… wise. The future may be uncertain but one thing certainly is." Trista nodded and looked at me.

"I think you should return home. There's no need for us to keep you now that Wiseman's given up. We will be around, helping you, watching you. When the time comes then we will be back to protect you." Trista then waved her staff at me and before I knew what to say I was back in Darien's apartment.

Everything looked as pristine as it had before. Save for one thing, Diamond was there and Darien didn't seem to be. "I'm sorry." He sighed. "Wiseman is rather powerful… he knows that I'm disobeying him so he tried to scare you away from me."

"What do you mean disobey him? What have you done?" I looked at him hesitantly. "Where's Darien? Is he safe?" Diamond simply nodded and stared at the ground. "What have you done to disobey him?"

"Serena, I told you, come away with me. You're not safe here, you're not safe with Darien. If you stay with him, Wiseman will come again." I simply stared at him. "He took control of me Serena, everything forceful that I did, it was him. I don't want that. I'm a fugitive now Serena. Believe me."

"I can't believe you Diamond. You've given me no reason to trust you." I said sadly and frowned. I wanted to believe him, I wanted to fell like I could trust him. He stepped towards me and reached for my hand. I allowed him to take it and felt a calm wash over me.

"Look into my eyes, no tricks, no powers, just look." I did as he asked and saw fear in them. "Wiseman is leaving you alone because of Darien. Don't you find it suspicious that Wiseman visited Darien as a young child? That as soon as he realized you were here, he decided to leave you alone? There's a reason. I told you that if you chose him you would be in trouble." He squeezed my hand and closed his eyes. "I did lie to you about the symbol thing. You and I were not meant for each other, but Serena, if you stay with Darien, if you stay here, you will die."

"Diamond, you're very convincing… but I'm not biting. Darien loves me. He'll protect me." I tried to reassure Diamond only to have him shake his head furiously. "I don't care if Wiseman visited him as a young child. Darien loves me and would never hurt me."

"I know that he won't. That's not what I'm saying. Serena, there will come a point where he'll have to make a choice, he'll have to make a terrible choice. That choice, will kill you Serena. It will. If he loves you, then he will let you go. If he wants to protect you, then he will make you leave." I simply stared at Diamond. I tried to break into his mind but he wouldn't let me. The full details of what he knew, hidden from me. "What if I told you, all those years ago… Wiseman manipulated him, what if I told you that he is making Darien love you?" I gasp and stepped back. What the hell would that accomplish? What would be the point? "What if? Darien would have grown up loving you, his love is true, but what if it was started with something… with a lie? Serena, I'm trying to protect you from something very painful. That's why I'm here again. I can't leave you alone to face the terrible future… the terrible truth."

"Diamond. I can't believe you. Darien loves me because he loves me! He doesn't love me because some demented old man convinced him to." Diamond simply shook his head. "I mean, what purpose would that serve? It doesn't make sense. Look, I know you think you're trying to help me but you're not."

"Serena, Wiseman needs someone with your powers, he needs a collector with a strong will, a pure heart that can be clouded, and the ability to withstand great physical tasks. Does that sound like you?" I shook my head in denial then frowned. "I bet I could blast you with an energy sphere and seriously hurt you. That won't do for what Wiseman needs. I'm not going to tell you anymore… if I have to… I will allow you to suffer the fate ahead of you. I will side with Wiseman because if you don't come with me… you will lose and he will be the only future on this earth." I stared at him wide eyed as the apartment door opened. Darien walked down the hall, completely oblivious to the fact that we were there. "Choose now, if I leave, I'm never coming back." Diamond's eyes were pleading for me to go with him. He looked helpless and worried. "Please Serena." He held my hand tighter as Darien came to the realization that we were in the living room.

"Serena…" Darien spoke cautiously and looked at Diamond. "You told me you weren't coming back you liar!" Darien shouted at Diamond. "Get the hell away from her you freak!" Diamond sighed and released me. Stepping back he watched as Darien quickly rushed to me and pushed me behind him. "Leave her alone."

I stepped to the side, wrapping my hands around one of Darien's strong arms. I then looked at Diamond and he closed his eyes. "I see. Fine then Serena. Listen to me, both of you. I have tried to prevent your bleak future but I see now that I cannot. I am going to turn myself over to Wiseman, he will most likely strip me of my free will, he will make me into one of his mindless servants and the next time you see me, I will not be myself and therefore, I will not be merciful. I will take what I am sent to take and neither of you will stop me." With that he shook his head and teleported out of the apartment.

"Are you okay?" Darien turned to me and looked me over carefully. "He didn't do anything to you did he?" Darien then put his strong hands on my shoulders and rubbed up and down. "I was so afraid."

"I still am." I whispered and wrapped my arms around his torso. I needed a hug. I couldn't shake the feeling that I should have gone with Diamond, he was begging me to go with him, to leave Darien. Then again, he had alluded to the idea that I wasn't the one. I wasn't the person Wiseman was looking for but somehow I was in danger with Darien. "Darien… where can I find out more about this… what is it? Prophecy?"

"I suppose… we might be able to find something on it somewhere. We can ask Amy for help." He said softly and hugged me to him tightly. "We'll find out everything we can… hey… where's Luna?"

"Oh no! Luna!" I cried then laughed. "Oh, she's with a group of fierce women. She's fine. She's not really a cat." I smiled as he shook his head. "I always thought there was something wrong with her, she was too smart to be a normal cat." He nodded and placed a kiss on my forehead.

"As long as she's on our side, I'm okay." He offered.