Strong Destiny, Weak Heart
The Depression
Disclaimer: I wish I could take credit for Sailor Moon! Alas, not my creation, only this story is.
Previously on Strong Destiny, Weak Heart:
"I know I'm kind of forcing you into this, but I know it will help our relationship in the long run."
"Okay." She finally agreed, still unhappy about his decision. 'Fine, if he wants it to be a challenge, I'll show him how serious I can be. I'll search all of Tokyo if I have to!' She was thinking out of hurt and anger, she felt like this deal was meant to make her betray her heart, and she hated the feeling. Darien moved closer to her, and held her.
"It's okay, it's not like we're over. We both know we still love each other, it's not the end of 'us'. I promise.
And now the continuation...
Chapter 2
Once she got back home, she hurried to her bathroom to wash her tear streaked face from her family. "Serena, you ran back in so quickly! Are you alright? Are you running late to Rei's again?" Ikuko said, yelling through the bathroom door, knowing her daughter would hear.
"Yeah mom! I'm fine! I'm headed to Rei's, I just came to change my clothes." Serena said, as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her eyes were very red, and her sadness showed. She couldn't let her mother see her like this, she'd have to avoid her for a while, to avoid worrying her. She felt like her heart was shattered into a million pieces, and decided to stay at home. "Mom, I just remembered Rei said she was sick today so our study group is canceled!"
"Well you should probably study in your room then, you don't want to fail another test!" Ikuko said as she walked back downstairs. Serena sighed at hearing her mother's comment. She knew what the future held, why was everyone always getting on her case about everything she did? Apparently she couldn't do anything right. She hurried to her room once she heard her mother descend the stairs. Serena thought about all the things she didn't like, and felt like she couldn't control, going on around her. Her frequent fights with Rei, being leader of the Sailor Scouts, being IN the Sailor Scouts in general was a high one on her list, always having detention for being late, and most of all, no one ever seemed to have any faith in her. That one hurt her the most. She opened her school book, and just stared at the pages. She had picked a book at random, and it turned out to be math. She closed the book after a hard glance, and laid down on her bed. She couldn't get Darien out of her head, four years seemed so long for her. "Serena, I'm making dinner!" She realized she had fallen asleep. Her cheeks were freshly wet, she'd been crying in her sleep.
"I'm not hungry, thanks though." Less than a second later, her mother was at her door knocking.
"Serena, are you all right?" Ikuko gently opened the door, and saw her daughter on her bed with tears on her pillow and across her cheeks. She moved to the side of the bed and sat with her daughter. "What's wrong?"
"Oh mom..." Serena sat up and threw herself into her mother's embrace. "Darien broke up with me, again."
"What? Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. What happened?"
"I don't know. He said he didn't want to take away my 'fun years' and wanted me to be sure that he was the one I want."
"But I thought you said he broke up with you?"
"It felt like a break up. He said he doesn't want to start our relationship until I'm 18."
"Oh Serena, I'm sorry, but I have to tell you darling " she held up her daughters face to look her in the eye, " I don't blame him. I think that's a good idea. Your relationship with him was so advanced, and you're so young-"
"You too? I love him, why won't you guys believe me?"
"Love is a very strong word, and I know he cares about you very deeply. Just give it time Serena, I'm sure you two will figure it out, if it's meant to be, it will be." Her mother gave her another gentle hug, and left the room for her daughter to 'grieve' her relationship in peace.
"But we've been together for centuries..." Serena whispered as her tears started anew. She had a feeling someone from the scouts, if not all of them, would come to check on her soon. She wasn't sure what she wanted to tell them. Was she being too emotional? He really didn't break up with her... but what else was she supposed to do? It almost physically hurt for her to be away from him, she longed for him so much. "How could anyone think what I feel isn't love for Darien?" She whispered as she clutched her chest.
Downstairs, Ikuko opened the door after the doorbell had rung. "Oh, Rei. Hello, I'm surprised to see you here, I thought you were sick, and your study group was canceled. Hello girls." She noticed the rest of the girls behind Rei. From what Ikuko could see, Rei bolted ahead of the others to get a good scream at Serena in. Sometimes she wondered how Serena could call Rei her 'friend'.
"Hello Mrs. Tsukino. As you can see I'm fine, I'm sure Serena has a good reason for lying..." Rei knew she was probably right, but she hoped she wasn't so she had another reason to yell at her.
"Yes, I know why she did it, I just didn't realize it was a lie in the first place." She said, biting her nails and hoping Serena wouldn't dwell on it. 'That girl is just so emotional, her feelings rule her spirit. She's taking this way harder than it need be...'
"Wait, so you're okay with Serena lying to you?" The other girls were catching the conversation and were listening intently.
"Well, yes. In this instance, I was your age too once ladies, I know how it feels to have a broken heart." She smiled softly at the young ladies.
"Broken heart...?" Mina and Lita looked at each other. Rei didn't take her eyes of Ikuko, Ami was trying to figure out what might have happened this time.
"You girls didn't know? Oh dear, I hope Serena won't be upset..."
"Um, Mrs. Tsukino, would you please explain? I'm sure Serena will tell us, but we'd rather be a little prepared for what she's going to say, as to not upset her with anything that we shouldn't say."
"Oh, yes, that's a good idea Ami. Apparently, Darien has decided that Serena needs to live out her youth. He said they can start their relationship when she turns 18. To be honest, I'm sure her father will be a little relieved, as am I, but the poor girl takes things so hard." She started biting her nails again.
"Don't worry Mrs. Tsukino, we'll talk to her."
"That would be great Mina, thank you ladies. Go on up, she's in her room of course." Ikuko stepped away from the door and let the girls in. They walked past her and went to Serena's room slowly, even Rei wasn't in a hurry, trying to think of how to react to what Mrs. Tsukino said.
'What the hell is his reason for doing this? Geez Darien, it's always something isn't it?' Rei thought, her anger now being directed toward the cause of Serena's absence.
Serena heard a soft knock on her door as the girls walked in, "Serena?" Mina asked as she slowly opened the door. Serena bolted up from her sitting position, wiping her face, hoping Rei wouldn't catch her crying. Rei saw her, and felt really bad for making her feel that she had to hide her emotions from her. She usually just cried for no reason, crybaby Serena, but this...this was heartache, almost impossible to hide, and cut very deep.
"Hey girls..*sniffle* what's up?" She put up a fake smile and closed her eyes so the red didn't show in her eyes.
"Serena, are you okay?" Mina asked as she sat next to her on the bed. Serena couldn't hold it in, Mina was nothing but caring, and if anyone could understand her pain, it was her.
"Oh Mina!" She sobbed as she threw herself on top of her friend, "I know I'm probably overreacting, since I guess technically he didn't really break up with me-"
"I don't understand though" Mina cut her off, "what was his explanation for waiting until you're 18 before you guys can be in a relationship?"
"Well, I guess he's saying I don't trust him enough, and he wants to prove how much he cares." She said, as she wiped her nose with a tissue off her bed stand. She left the tips in her nose.
"Serena that's gross!" Rei couldn't help it, as soon as she saw Serena do it, it slipped out. Serena just brought the fire out of her, even when she was trying to reign it in.
"Don't yell at me Rei!" Serena whined as she threw herself back on her bed, face down on the pillow. Rei just looked at Lita, and put her head down. Lita smiled at the fact that, no matter how upset Serena was, their relationship seemed to always be the same.
"Well don't be gross." Rei said with her head drooped.
"So he was specific enough to tell you when you will be more trusting? Why four years?" Ami said from near the doorway. She had been pondering everything since she heard it, and everything anyone said, was helping the puzzle.
"Well, I guess he thinks that's how long it takes to have a strong relationship. Or a real one." She said, throwing away the tissue in her nose, and getting new ones to stick in there.
"But your relationship was 'real'. I don't understand." Ami said, trying to figure out what Darien could have meant by this.
"No, not my relationship with Darien, me with someone else." Serena said. Since she yelled at Rei, she had stopped crying. Something about Rei always made her a little tougher. She stuck her tongue out at Rei with the new tissues in her nose. Rei just looked away, trying her damnedest to keep herself in check.
"Wait, WHAT?" Rei faced Serena in shock. "He wants you to date another guy?" All the girls were in shock at the revelation.
"I guess, he wants me to date a bunch of guys I think, but he said he won't date anyone else. He says it's to prove his loyalty to me and to prove that I won't find a better man for myself than him, but I already know that, that's why I love him." The girls all just looked stunned. They looked at each other, not being able to absorb what she had just said.
"Why the hell would he do that?" Lita said, suddenly furious. "Is he that high and mighty that he thinks no guy is as good as he is?" Her anger slowly rubbed off on all the scouts. They huddled by the door away from Serena. "Okay, if he wants her to find a better man, why don't we all 'help' her?" Lita said, an evil grin on her face.
"Sounds like a plan." Mina said, equally satisfied with the decision.
"I don't know, maybe we shouldn't meddle..." Ami didn't want to have anything to do with the whole situation.
"Fine Ami, if you don't want to be involved, you can sit this one out. I'm sure the three of us can handle this." Mina said, still grinning.
"Actually guys, I'm kind of torn as well," Rei said, unsure what to think about the whole thing. "Serena is childish...and she can really get on my nerves, maybe you guys aren't seeing what he sees."
"You're siding with him?" Mina said in amazement.
"I guess we shouldn't be surprised, now she can have another go at him, and she has four years to do it!" Lita said, suddenly furious at their 'friend'.
"No! How can you say that Lita? It's just that I can see how Serena needs to 'grow up' a little before she can be in a relationship that spans centuries! I'm thinking of her best interests!"
"Whatever, Mina and I know enough guys, you can sit it out too." Lita glared at her, then they got out of the huddle, and Lita turned her attention to Serena. "Serena, what do you want to do?" They all saw that she had fallen asleep, softly mumbling Darien's name. They all left quietly, Ami and Rei really torn on what the 'right thing to do' would really be.
Serena was absent from school and didn't show up to the temple for two weeks. She was REALLY hurt. She couldn't stop thinking about him, and when she did, she cried all over again. Mina and Lita took that time to scout around for a new man for her. Rei was constantly thinking about what Lita had said. Did she really think she had a chance with Darien? If Serena really did move on, maybe he could too. She mentally scolded herself for having the thought, when she knew Serena was in her room crying for weeks. She decided to wait it out, if Serena really could move on, it was going to be game on.
To Be Continued...
Special Thanks/Mention: xx Twilight Princess xx, SailorMoonAddict, and Princess Moonie of the Moon