This story has FINALLY come to an end! This chapter is for Little Wolf Vamp Hearts Yaoi, whose review got my ass into gear so I could finally finish this chapter and post it :D I hope it's the closure you and a lot of other readers have been waiting for.

Thanks to: Little Wolf Vamp Hearts Yaoi, GalaxyStorm2013, TamoumatheStarWarrior, Amayada, Miss Katrina Malfoy, UniversalBunny, missscatterbrain325, AM9, MissTexMex, LoveInTheBattleField and princess moonie for reviewing the previous chapter.


Title: Akai Ito
Author: Crystal Saturn
Rated: T
Chapter: 21- Your Love is a Song

I've got my eyes wide open
I've been keeping my hopes unbroken

Oh, your love is a symphony
All around me, running through me
Oh, your love is a melody
Underneath me, running to me

Your love is a song
Your love is my remedy
Oh, your love is a song

"Serenity…" Once satisfied that not a soul remained alive in that cursed palace, Endymion returned to the main hall where his mad, wrath-fuelled massacre began. His anger and lust for revenge was now gone. The prince was utterly and completely spent. Now, feeling like a shallow shadow of his former self, he picked up the limp body of his princess. Her crimson red blood seeped through the while silk of her dress and dripped down his fingers. "Serena," He whispered into the darkness as he kissed her cool, pale cheek. "I won't leave you to die here."

The thick fog began to disperse across Tokyo, and as residents settled down to their dinners in their cosy homes, the figure of a lone warrior carrying his princess, emerged from the mist, at the top of the Hikawa Shrine steps. Veins of lightning sprawled across the dark skies ahead, illuminating their shadows in short bright bursts.

Sailor Jupiter was the first to notice, rushing over toward the struggling prince. He was exhausted, drained of all his energy and emotionally broken. The light and life in his eyes was now all but gone. Jupiter and the other girls assisted the prince as he lay the body of their princess down on the stone floor of the temple. Immediately, Mercury rushed to inspect her wounds but as she placed a gentle hand on Serenity's cool wrist, she knew that there was little hope and silent tears clouded her vision.

"She did everything for me, and I couldn't save her." Endymion involuntarily detransformed back into his civilian form before collapsing from complete exhaustion beside Serenity.

. . .

Warmth; it seemed like an immensely foreign, tingling sensation, almost unrecognisable since I had spent so much time feeling nothing. But at the same time, it was vaguely familiar; like I knew it from somewhere. It was her warmth. The same warmth that I felt that moment I saw her, the day after the Starlight Tower battle, while waiting outside the Crown Arcade. It was the same warmth that I felt the moment she walked straight through me. It was the same warmth that brought me back for the briefest of moments when my lips first brushed up against hers.

Her life force sustained my spirit and kept me from fading away. Looking down, I could see the tiniest sliver of crimson tied around my left ankle, and I couldn't help but smile. Ignoring my fuzzy ultra bright surroundings, I followed the little red string, watching it stretch and warp, knowing that it would only ever bring me to her, and she was where I wanted to be. I walked down the endless corridors of the hospital, through walls and doors to be with her. I was familiar with my state of being. I knew it well, and I thought that maybe if she had been able to see me before, then maybe she could still see my spirit again.

"I need 250mL of 7.5% hypertonic saline, with 3% Dextran and 0.4% alginate-"

They were trying so hard to resuscitate her, but her skin was a pale shade of grey and her lips were stained blue. They cut away at her shirt to gain access to her wound, the one that she had sustained while trying to protect me. The one that I should've had instead.

I watched as they tossed her shirt aside as they continued to resuscitate her. Her brooch tinkled against the cold, hard concrete floor. I reached over toward it, my hand slipping straight through the brooch and as my fingers grazed against the gem inside, the room filled with a blinding light that only I could see. The ground beneath me trembled as though the whole world shook around me. Oblivious to the wave of energy that began to pulsate from the Silver Crystal, the doctors continued to work on Serena, trying desperately to bring her back from the brink of death.

The sound of my heart beating thumped heavily in my ears. My head pulsed as though it was going to explode. I could feel the blood begin to rush through my veins and oxygen whirled within my lungs. My chest ached. I knew there were doctors working on me in another room. It was me that they were bringing back.

"Serena…" My footsteps slid across the floor as I made my way by her side. "I'm so sorry…" The feeling of guilt washed over me once more. Once again, it was I who was spared the final blow of death. I bowed my head over her, and ever so gently, pressed my lips against hers. Her eyes fluttered open, but only for me to see. She sat up gently in bed and I struggled not to push her spirit back down.

"Darien?" She blinked as she looked up at me with those brilliant crystal clear eyes of hers, and my heart broke. The heart rate monitor beside her flat lined. "What are you doing here?"A gentle, reassuring smile spread across her face and her eyes sparkled as though she knew something that I did not. "It's not your time yet."

"Then it's not yours either." I frowned, struggling to keep my emotions in check. She seemed to be ignoring the frantic panic of the doctors and nurses around her, tending to her lifeless body. "I won't go anywhere without you, Sere. Haven't you realised that yet? I'll follow you anywhere!" My hands gripped onto her shoulders desperately. She couldn't die. Not like this. Not because of me. I wouldn't let her.

Slowly, she lifted her hand up and gently held it against my cheek. Her touch felt so warm. "No matter what lifetime, Akai Ito will always bring you back to me." She motioned toward the red thread tied around our ankles, before smiling serenely once more. "Darien, it's not your time yet."


Bare feet swiftly padded down the hospital floor. He was searching for someone, anyone to help him relieve his immense boredom. It was four in the morning, but Darien wasn't tired. He had previously slept for three days straight, suffering from exhaustion, dehydration and other minor injuries related to his accident. Everybody else in his room was asleep, and their chorused, incessant snoring was driving him insane. He snuck about in his hospital robe, trying to be as quiet and nimble as he could. He wanted to avoid the wrath of the head nurse on duty; she scared him, and as far as she was concerned, he was on his third and last strike for wandering. One more, she threatened, and they would lock him up in a padded cell.

As Darien snuck down the hall, he turned the corner and found himself at the entrance of another room. The sound of footsteps coming toward Darien made him panic slightly, and he opened the door, slipping in quickly to hide.

"Who are you?" A quiet female voice cut through the silence, startling Darien. He spun around on his heels and noticed a blonde teenage girl sitting up in her hospital bed, digging into a small tub of chocolate ice cream. "What are you doing?"

"I'm hiding." Darien confessed, watching the night security guard pass by the room through the small window. Feeling relieved that he hadn't been caught; Darien turned his attention back to the petite blonde. "Is that ice cream?" He watched as she nodded. "How did you get ice cream?"

"I asked for it." The girl shrugged as she handed the man a spoon. Darien took it as he sat down on the bed next to her.

"But it's four in the morning." Darien waited his turn before taking a spoonful of chocolate ice cream. "Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"I could ask the same of you mister..."

"Darien." The dark haired man huffed at his bangs slightly, before digging in for another spoonful of chocolately goodness. "I was in an accident where a bus and truck collided. The nurses said I've been asleep for three days straight, so I don't really want any more sleep for a while."

"Really? I was in the same accident! I don't remember any of it though." Her eyes lit up with excitement. Finally, she had someone else she could talk to about it, and maybe she could get some more information out of him. "My name's Serena."

"Well Serena, it's pretty common for people who undergo traumatic experiences or receive a head injury to lose some or even all of their memories." Darien explained. "I'm a little bit fuzzy on the events of the accident too. But I think we're both pretty lucky to have made it out alive." He watched as she smiled and nodded, finishing off the last of her ice cream. "So who do you have to bribe to get a tub of ice cream at four in the morning?"

Serena lifted up the front of her shirt, revealing a line of large, swollen stitches across her upper abdomen. "Apparently I fell on a pole during the accident." Serena explained. "I just woke up from my second surgery where they removed what they hope were the last of the fragments of metal and glass. They said that when I came in, I was a gonner. My heart stopped beating as soon as they stopped the bleeding, but somehow I came back. I've been in an induced coma for the past three days."

"Ouch!" Darien raised his eyebrows at the impressive looking wound. "Well then, you really are lucky to be alive." his hands absentmindedly played with the objects on Serena's over-bed table. Picking up the notepad, he pulled a couple sheets from it and began to fold the paper the only way he knew how.

"I know!" Serena smiled gratefully. "I heard that I'm alive because some man; another one of the passengers, carried me out of the wreckage before passing out himself. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here."

"Huh..." Darien paused momentarily in thought. A flash memory passed through his mind as he vaguely recalled a scene. He held the body of a girl in a white dress, as he struggled up the steps of- and just like that, the memory was gone again.

Serena shifted about in her hospital bed, kicking the covers away before swinging her feet over the side. Darien stopped folding his paper and watched as the girl struggled to stand. Her shaky legs gave way as the muscles in her abdomen ached and stung. Darien reached out and caught her in his arms, preventing her from falling over.

"What are you doing?" He questioned.

"I wanted to watch the sun rise." Serena responded innocently. She steadied herself up against his chest, leaning against Darien for support.

"You shouldn't be up and about." Darien warned. "You need to stay in bed until your stitches heal."

There was something about the way he supported her, with his arms around her, that made Serena's body feel warm and tingly. It felt familiar. It felt right. Darien watched the blonde teen in his arms under lowered lids as a wave of nostalgia overcame him, and he felt as though he never wanted to let go. Serena placed a hand gingerly on Darien's right cheek as she looked deep into his eyes. She could feel his chest begin to rise and fall more rapidly as his breaths became faster and more shallow. Leaning in ever so slightly, Darien kept his arms around Serena, supporting her weight as she moved in closer to him. Neither one could explain it, but somehow, they felt drawn to one another.

The little red thread glimmered happily around the ankles of the two destined lovers and just as Serena began to move her hand away from Darien's cheek, he captured her lips in a breathtaking kiss. Serena trembled in Darien's arms as her cheeks flushed a bright crimson colour. For a moment, she stared at the man before her in complete and utter shock, before succumbing to the warmth of his touch. The feeling of her lips against his flooded Darien's senses, making him feel as though he had spent his life living on a glacier. Never before had he ever experienced such a feeling; a warmth that radiated across his whole body. It felt like her kiss has set his soul on fire and brought him back to life.

"Serena..." Darien whispered as he pulled away ever so slightly.

"Mmm?" Her eyes slowly fluttered open and she stared up at the man before her. A strange feeling of déjà vu overcame them both. Like a lost memory waiting to be found again.

"Thank you, for the chocolate ice cream." A small playful smile began to spread across Darien's features.

"Thank you," Serena broke her eye contact as she nervously looked around the room, struggling to calm the pounding feeling of her heart within her chest. "For my roses." She nodded toward the half dozen paper origami roses that Darien had previously folded. He couldn't help but smile as he helped Serena back into bed.

"I'll make sure to bring you some real ones when I visit again, later today." Darien winked, reaching for the door. Serena nodded, trying her best to suppress her own cheesy grin.


"'Reeena!" Mina burst through the hospital room door, still clad in her school volleyball uniform. "You're awake!"

"And... you've had a visitor." Lita directed the girls' attention toward the vase of red roses sitting on Serena's bedside desk.

"Yeah." A goofy smile spread across Serena's lips. "And he's really cute." She brought her knees up to her chest with nervous excitement and covered her burning cheeks with her hands. "His name is Darien. I met him last night while he was sneaking around, because he was bored. We started talking. He seems really sweet, and his smile just makes my heart flutter. I don't know what it is about him, but as soon as I saw him, my heart just began to race. It was like I knew him, from a long time ago. Anyway, It turns out we were in the same accident..."

"Akai ito..." Rei smiled, nodding in understanding. "We're so happy it all worked out."

"Serena, there's something you should probably know..." Ami interrupted the gushing teen. "As you may already know, you don't remember anything from the past six months, and most things before that are a bit foggy..." The girls watched as Serena nodded simply.

"It's strange that you don't remember him, but you've actually met Darien before." Lita eased the clueless girl into the next statement. "He's a pretty important person in your life."

"I have?" Serena looked about as all four girls nodded their heads in unison. "He is?" The confused blonde frowned deeply as she tried to concentrate on remembering his face. It was then that she began to remember small fragments. One of her school shoes... A test paper... 'Hey, watch it Dumpling Head!'... Serena gasped slightly as she began to remember. He was that jerk that she kept running into at the arcade. The one that always teased her.

"Serena, Darien's your boyfriend." Mina and the rest of the girls cringed as Serena bolted upright in bed and screeched at the top of her lungs.

"He's my WHAT?!"

"Well, I guess 'soul mate' is probably a more fitting term. He's also Tuxedo Mask." Rei added in quickly, deciding that it was probably for the best to just let her know, like ripping off a bandaid.

"That jerk!" Serena struggled to kick the blankets off her bed. "I can't believe he kissed me without even telling me!"

"You've kissed already?" Mina's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. Even the soldier of love couldn't have predicted the speed of attraction and magnetism that these two had for each other. "Moving a little fast there, aren't we?"

"I don't think he remembers you either." Lita strained to hold back her leader from finding the tall, dark haired, handsome hero and wringing his neck.

"That's even worse!" Serena flailed her arms about her "What kind of person just goes about kissing strange girls that they don't remember in hospitals at four in the morning?!"

"Well, at least she admitted she was strange." Mina mumbled under her breath.

"How many other girls has he kissed since he's been awake?" Serena demanded, kicking her covers off of her body as she prepared to march over to his room and give him a piece of her mind.

"Only you, Dumpling Head." Darien leaned up against her room door, a cheeky smile gracing his features as he dodged the half empty jell-o cup hurled at him. He strode over, closing the distance between them until he wrapped an arm around the petite blonde in the hospital bed. "I'll only ever love you." Pressing his lips hungrily up against hers, he ignored Serena's muffled protests and the general cheering and playful comments of grossness from the girls around him.

Fin.


. . .

There you have it. The final chapter. Now, I'm fully aware that I've only just finished this story, but I'll be going back to revise it soon. There are quite a few loose ends and holes in the plot that I'd like to fix up, as well as a few minor grammatical errors here and there.

Also, head on over to my blog- w w w . crystalsaturn. weebly. c o m (without the spaces) and help me decide on what story I should write next.

I hope you all enjoyed Akai Ito. Leave me a review and tell me what you think. I'll try to update Summer Rain soon. Thank you all for reading my story, and much love to those who reviewed. I'll see you again soon!

Crystal Saturn