DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters of Sailor Moon.

A/N: Hello everyone. Thank you very much for the new reviews and favs. They are deeply appreciated. Please enjoy the latest update.

CHAPTER THREE

-Dream-

"I don't like him."

Her skin chilled at her cousin's voice. His sudden declaration came as a surprise to her as he rarely openly shared his thoughts with her. She wished he hadn't though. Being exposed to his world made her vulnerable and the last thing she wanted was for Adamas to know she was afraid of him.

Serena kept her eyes ahead of her, pretending not to hear him. But every inch of hair on her skin pricked at Adamas's unwelcomed presence and she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself, cursing silently when the worst of her fears happened. The grass rustled behind her as Adamas narrowed the distance between them. Serena clamped her eyes shut as she waited for his breath on the back of her neck.

"I know you don't like him either. I can tell."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Serena answered before she could stop herself. Many times she had vowed to never engage in one of Adamas's little taunts and many times she had failed to keep her own promises.

"I'm talking about Darion," Adamas replied. "Your father's new favorite." He sneered at the last word and Serena cringed. How dare he! she thought, fuming inside. Still, she refused to look directly at him. Just the thought of facing his taunting smile was enough to drive her to the wall.

"I like him more than I like you," she retorted, unable to help herself and immediately hated herself for it but she wouldn't stop it. "In fact, ten of him is better than one of you."

Adamas cocked an eyebrow at his cousin's outburst. "And how would you know that, cousin dear?"

Serena remained silent. Indeed, she did not know. She knew nothing about Darion and all he ever did since his arrival was spending time with the king in and out of the palace walls, visiting every known corner of Elysion land. It was unsettling and she did not understand why. All she knew was that she wanted Adamas away from her as far as possible.

"Just stay away from me, Adamas. I'm not in the mood." In fact, I never am!

Adamas scoffed, "be careful what you wish for, cousin dear. I may be the only person who could ever save you and when that happens," he paused before turning away and Serena sensed a change in his tone. If she had taken that moment to turn around and look at him, she might have caught a glint of sadness in her cousin's eyes which was soon hidden from her sight as he turned his back on her, "I may not be able to."

What does that even mean? Serena thought as she listened to Adamas's receding steps, letting out a long sigh of relief as soon as they were gone. She looked at the sky, glad that it was almost time.

Adamas hid behind a white stone pillar and watched as Serena remained alone in the Elysion tower's courtyard, leaving as soon as he caught a shade of yellow, reflecting like gold in the morning light, swiveling left and right towards the princess.

"Training is hard!" Serena's best friend exclaimed as she plopped onto the grass of their favorite spot next to the lake. Her bright yellow hair fell back in thick tresses as she settled backwards, propped on her elbows. Serena also sat, tucking her feet securely beneath her. It was the long-awaited season of the Narcissus and they relished in an abode of white and yellow.

"Why is it hard?" Serena asked.

"Day after day I have to sit for hours on end with my eyes closed and force myself to think of nothing! I have to memorize every single line of the old scriptures and chant them nonstop and if I were caught catching even a tiny breath I'd get whacked with a stick! They said 'concentrate!' and I don't even know what I'm supposed to concentrate on! And when I asked, they accused me as being faithless and the one who doubts. What kind of life is that for a girl like me?" The blonde priestess wailed.

"Are you allowed to have that kind of thinking, Aphrodite?" Serena jabbed with harmless jest to which her friend responded with slight annoyance. "Don't call me that, you know I hate that."

"Sorry, Mina." Serena said as she plucked something out from her sleeve. It was long and bright red. "Please accept this gift as my apology."

Mina looked from Serena to the red ribbon and back again, the blue in her own eyes softening and brimming with adoration towards her best friend's gesture. "Sere, I..." her voice trailed off as no words could surmount what she was feeling. She gingerly took the ribbon from Serena and placed it close to her bosom. A thankful nod of her head was all it took for the bond between the princess and the fledgling priestess to blossom.

"Why red anyway?" Mina asked while she attempted to fix it into the shape of a bow on her hair. Serena shrugged, "it's a pretty color and it looks good on you." And, because I'm constantly reminded of him... She decided to keep that thought to herself.

"Really? I love it! Thank you so much, Sere!" Delighted with her new ornament, she stood up and began to twirl. Like a goddess, Serena thought, admiring Mina's gracefulness, knowing deep inside that beneath that easygoing personality was true beauty and charm that wasn't cultivated through years of control by the royal chains that held her. Mina was held by a different set of chains. Still, chains they were and that's what brought them close together, each recognizing the deep inner quality of the other, each helping the other fight their own inner demons and weaknesses. And because Mina portrayed such great survival instincts that the broody princess couldn't help but wonder sometimes if Mina was only there for Serena's benefit. Maybe Mina didn't necessarily need her around. Maybe Serena had begotten such self-inadequacy that invoked Mina's need to protect. Such thoughts were soon muddled and regressed into the murky folds of her mind as reality returned in the form of Mina's voice, "... okay?"

"I'm sorry?"

"Are you okay? You look dazed."

"I was just thinking ."

"Of?"

"Um..." Quick! Think of an excuse!

"C'mon! Just spit it out!"

"Darion." God!

Mina's blue irises glowed at the mention of his name and Serena swore they were birthing stars. "Oh yes! I knew I was forgetting something! I wanted to ask you about him! He's like the biggest affair in the whole of Elysion right now and I heard he's quite a spectacle! Well? Out with it!" Serena swore the stars in Mina's eyes were bursting in a wild array of colors she didn't know were even humanly possible.

"Who have you been talking to, Mina? All you do is sit and stare through your eyelids and look at weird symbols all day long."

"Walls have ears. Quit trying to change the subject!" Mina snapped, crushing Serena's feeble attempt to avoid talking about her newfound half-brother, the last thing she'd ever want to do. What was I thinking! she wailed inwardly. "I-"

"Hello ladies," said a voice, announcing its proximity. For the second time of the day, Serena's skin chilled. To think that her savior came in the form of...

"I see that this part of the lake has already been taken. Pardon my intrusion. Curiosity got the better of me as I happened to pass by and heard my name and-"

"Prince Darion!" Mina exclaimed as she immediately got onto the balls of her feet, shutting the raven-haired newcomer up. "Oh, no! You're not intruding at all!"

Darion's face lit up, "Then," he said with a slight bow. "I can't imagine being more honoured to be anywhere else other than in your presence." His deep blue eyes danced towards the blonde princess, "would you feel the same, Serena?"

If circumstances allowed, Serena would have rolled her eyes on the spot. But no, she was a princess and she had a role to play. Instead, she looked up and stared into the face of her half-brother and smiled. "Of course, do join us. Indeed, you didn't mishear us for we were having a discussion about you. Aphrodite wants to know if what the whole of Elysion said of you is true." She wasn't looking but she knew Mina was mentally shooting daggers at her right now. Oh well, she thought. It'll be some time before we meet again after today and by then she would have forgotten. This would teach her for treading on grounds she's not welcomed on!

"Oh? And what was that being said?" Darion asked. Serena knew that there was more to it than just happenstance and she wanted to know what.

"I don't know. Why don't you tell him what the walls told you, Aphrodite?" Serena knew she was about to overstep her boundaries and if she doesn't stop now, heads will roll. "Out with it." That's it, she thought as she felt the daffodils shrivel beneath her and her gut began to ache. She saw that the stars in Mina's eyes have ebbed away, unraveling a different cosmos.

"Please excuse me, prince and princess of Elysion. My time is up and I have to get back to my duties." Mina said as she lowered her head in a bow. "Thank you for your wonderful gift, Princess Serena." And she left without looking back, leaving half of the hurt behind in the form of unspoken guilt and regret.

The hot afternoon breeze brushed past Serena's face, drying up a tear before it could fully form. Mina must hate me right now, she thought to herself.

"Did I say anything wrong?" Darion asked.

Serena shook her head, "it was nothing you said."

"It was something I did then."

Yes, you should not have come! Serena wanted to say but pressed her lips. Instead, she looked back at the raven-haired prince and asked, "why are you here?"

"I already said, I was passing by when I heard someone said my name and-"

"I'm not stupid, Darion."

Darion let out a sigh and Serena had a start when he settled down beside her, knees crossed. At closeup, she noticed the semi-translucency of his stainless white tunic and immediately darted her eyes away when she caught them dangerously exploring the curves of his built. Remembering of her coming of age lessons, Lady Michiru had explained to her in the most cheek-flushing detail the things men and women do to each other when they are in love. "It feels like two souls melting into one as the physical bodies wrap around each other like sweet vines. Colors of all sorts rupture like starbursts under the deepest part of a bottomless ocean where all the cares of the outside world would simply bubble away. The first time a man drives himself into a woman, it marks the end of her girlhood which would thus mark the start of his devotion towards her and that my dear, is the beauty of it."

"... your thoughts?"

Serena's mind had wandered off again and Darion's voice collided with it, pummelling her back to reality. I really need to stop doing that! she thought as she stared at Darion blankly. "I'm sorry?"

"I said: lost in your thoughts?" Darion's shoulder was almost touching hers and she silently chided herself for having kept her guard down. "What are you doing here, Darion?" Serena asked again, detecting a faint hint of lavender.

Darion's gaze fell unto hers with one raised eyebrow, slightly taken aback by her precariousness. Why does she build such a wall around herself? he wondered. Surely, there must be a reason. "I believe," he began. "I'm here because though we have formally met, I know nothing about you. For the past season since I was here, I've been in the footsteps of the king, learning everything I can about the kingdom of Elysion and our people. I've been on the hunting grounds with cousin Adamas and his friends."

Adamas has friends? Serena thought incredulously.

"I've spent at least a day or two knowing all who live within our castle walls, everyone except you, Serena, my very own sister. No matter where or how, I just couldn't catch up with you for it would be but mere seconds before you disappear like a ghost. I'm sorry that the only way I could get up this close to you is that I dreamwalk."

"Dreamwalk?"

It was Darion's turn to look bemused. "Do you not know of what I speak of?"

Serena glanced away. "No." She was unable to understand why Darion was looking at her with astoundment on his face. "I see," he finally said with a soft sigh. "Please forget that I was here then, Serena." Then without another word, he stood up and began to walk away, leaving Serena alone, held in a trance that was not her doing. Suddenly, her shoulder shook violently and there was a cry beside her that sounded distant and incoherent. Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked dazedly around her. The sun was still up and bright and the scent of daffodils brought her back to reality. Have I been sleeping? she thought.

"Sere! Are you alright? God, I thought I've lost you!" Mina's hair spiralled down on her like splashes of gold as she continued to shake Serena. "What do mean you lost me?" Feeling light-headed and out of place, Serena decided to bend forward and count to ten.

"You were in a trance! Your eyes were open but you weren't there! Have you been dreamwalking?"

"Huh?" Where have I heard that before?

"Dreamwalk! Isn't that what you heirs of Elysion do?"

"What are you talking about, Mina?" God, my head! What just happened in there?

"You mean you can't? That's weird. I've been told that all those of the Elysion bloodline can dreamwalk. Oh god, Sere!"

All those of the Elysion bloodline can… what? Serena's head swirled so badly that she thought she was going to spin out of space. The second before she blacked out, the faint form of Darion was the last thing she saw in her head.

"You're back from your dreamwalking," a deep hollow voice rang in his ear as he sat up from the wooden divan that stood in the centre of the king's chamber of dreams. No one was allowed in except for those who had been bestowed with the gift of dreamwalking. So far, he has seen everyone of the Elysion bloodline walk into the chamber of dreams, except…

"What did you see?" the king of Elysion asked.

Darion turned to face the still silhouette of his father, outlined by the faint glow of a single lighted candlestick. "You never told me." His voice teemed with a slight hint of accusation.

"I thought it'd be best if you found that out yourself."

Darion continued to sit in silence. He had tried on many occasions to meet Serena in her dreams, but to no avail. He thought maybe he wasn't strong enough because he was after all a long lost member of the Elysion family. Is that why it had to take her to think of his name for him to enter her dreams?

"Why then," he began to ask. "If she's not an Elysion princess, why does she walk around as one?"

The chamber door creaked open. Dust swam in the rays of light that revealed the king's face. "Come with me my son, and I'll show you why."