Crystal Memory
                                   By Razzz

        Well, we...  know who owns Sailor Moon, and it isn't me (I'm so
crying right now, I wish I did) Anyways, we all know the disclaimer
drill, so I won't just reiterate it. The one poem in here is written by
Anonymous - it's a great poem that I love though. This is a sequel to my
last story, Man to Man, where some things happened in that fic that are
important here, as well as a few slight references to stuff that
happened in it, but you don't need to read it to understand this one.
Main point to remember is that Serena's family knows about the Scouts
and the Negaverse and all that stuff.

Rating: PG


        Serena slid the window open silently, and crept inside, hoping
she hadn't awakened anyone.  Her bedroom was completely dark, as black
as the starless night sky outside, and she couldn't see a thing. She
closed the window, cringing as it squeaked softly. Suddenly, the room
was bathed in a soft yellow light.
        "And just where have you been at this hour, young lady," Ilene
Tsukino said angrily.  Serena's mother still wore her robe and her hair
was down.
        "You know where I was and it's been a long night. Mind if we
talk about this tomorrow? I'm totally wiped," Serena said, turning from
the window to face her apparently immensely worried mother. She was
surprised that her dad wasn't there, but she wasn't one to question
small miracles.
        "Serena, we were so worried and... Oh my God, you're hurt,"
Ilene said, her voice turning from angry to concerned in a second.
Serena waved her mother off, then returned her hand to its former
position on her arm, pressing hard on the cloth that covered her wound.
The white cloth that she had been using as a bandage was already forming
a dark red stain.
        "It's nothing. I'll be fine," Serena said, yawning.
        "But you're arm! You're bleeding," Ilene argued.
        "Mom, don't worry. It'll be fine tomorrow. It's just a cut."
        "I'm your mother. It's my job to worry. Did you get that in..."
Ilene began. Serena knew what her mother was asking.
        "Yeah. Stupid youmas. I just didn't watch him close enough," she
said lightly. Serena's mother's expression darkened. "But hey, I'm fine
and he's dead and that's all that really matters," Serena added.
        "Why? Why can't you just play video games and read your comic
books and go to the movies? Why do you have to fight?" Ilene asked, her
voice beginning to crack as her eyes watered.  Serena went forward and
embraced her mother tightly.
        "Why do you always bail me out of trouble at school and pick up
my favorite ice cream? Because it's what you have to do for the one's
you love. I never asked to fight, and I never wanted to fight, but if
that's what I have to do to protect everyone from the Negaverse, then I
will. To keep you and Dad and Reeny and Molly and Sammy and Melvin and
everyone else safe. No one else can," Serena said. Her mother looked up
at her daughter's face, lines hard in determination. 'She's so
different. So strong. She's not my little girl anymore. She's growing
up,' Ilene thought. She felt so proud of her daughter, prouder than she
had ever been of her before. She understood why Serena fought, but she
didn't have to like it.
        "I still wish you didn't have to fight. We just got you back,"
Ilene said stubbornly, remembering the incident that had happened just
two weeks ago, when she had learned of her daughter's identity as Sailor
Moon.
        "You know what? Me too. But, I'm majorly tired. I'm gonna hit
the sack. 'Kay?" Serena said, grabbing her pink flannel pajamas that she
had been dying to slip into. Ilene smiled, then planted a kiss on her
daughter's forehead.
        "Mom!" Serena groaned, her face turning red.
        "Good night, honey," Ilene said, leaving the room and closing
the door gently behind her.

        Serena moaned as she rolled over. Her head was throbbing, a dull
thud thud thud resonating against the inside of her skull. She opened
her eyes, but that only irritated her headache further, the bright light
burning her sockets. She shut her eyes quickly, then squinted them open,
letting in only enough light to barely see the shapes in front of her.
She pushed herself up on spaghetti arms, barely able to support her own
weight.
        'Great I'm sick,' she thought. Then she brightened. 'No school.
Yahoo!'
        "Mom!" she yelled, but her voice only came out as a dry whisper.
She tried to stand, but collapsed back down on the bed, her legs shaking
weakly, and her head hurting even more from the change in position. She
felt like all her blood had rushed to her brain, then kept on going up,
pushing harder and harder until it would burst through her skull. Luna
however, still slept peacefully on the edge of the bed. Serena kicked
out with a leg, knocking Luna off the bed with a startled meow. Serena
heard some grumbling come from the floor, then Luna hopped back on the
bed. She didn't look very happy.
        "Serena! What was that for?" Luna asked. Her voice still
contained the wispy, drowsy, sleepy tone.
        "I don't feel good, Luna. Could you get my mom?" she whined,
trying to sound as miserable as possible. It worked.
        "Fine, Serena, I'll be right back." Luna sighed, then hopped off
the bed softly and padded out the door.
        'I wonder if my mom will make me some waffles for breakfast,'
Serena thought. But her stomach protested at the thought, and suddenly,
it felt as thought she had just swallowed a packet of pins that were
jabbing and poking at her stomach.
        'The thought of food makes me feel bad. I must really be sick,'
Serena said to herself. She lay her head on her pillow, the pain in her
head intensifying and beginning to make its way down to her throat.
Serena closed her eyes to go back to sleep.

        Darien threw the door to his apartment and raced in to catch the
phone that was ringing before the caller hung up.
        "Darien Chiba," he said breathlessly as he grabbed the receiver.
        "Hello Darien? This is Ken Tsukino."
        "Um, hi Mr. Tsukino," Darien said nervously, wondering why the
man had called. He remembered their last conversation.

        "I know you love her. I saw how you were with her when she was
in the hospital. Someone who doesn't care couldn't act like that," Ken
said calmly. Darien shook his head.
        "I was just worried. But I don't love her," Darien said, staring
at the ground.
        "That's not true. I'm not stupid. I know what I saw. You love
her. And I know she loves you. I can see it in her eyes, in your eyes."
        "You're wrong."
        "Why are you doing this? You're both miserable. You told me that
you would never hurt her but what do you think you're doing to her now?"
Ken said, his voice rising in anger.
        "You wouldn't understand," Darien said, still examining his
shoes.
        "Try me. I've been around a lot longer than you have, at least
in this lifetime."
        "I'm sorry."
        "I'm not the one you should be telling that to," Ken said,
barely controlling his temper. He just couldn't figure this guy out. He
had acted one way when Serena had been in the hospital, but then, once
she returned home, he acted as if she didn't matter at all.
        "I've got um, I've got to go," Darien said hastily, pushing past
Ken Tsukino and making a hasty exit. Ken watched the boy leave, shaking
his head, although he wasn't sure if it was in anger or sadness.

        "I was wondering if Sammy and Reeny could stay with you for the
next few days?" Ken asked.
        "Um, sure. It's no problem. Is everything all right?" Darien
listened but heard nothing but silence on the other end.
        "Mr. Tsukino?" he asked.
        "Sorry. Serena's very sick and we can't deal with them and
Serena at the same time," Ken said, sounding very tired. Darien gripped
the phone tightly, his knuckles turning white.
        "Sick? Will she be all right?"
        "I don't know. Will you please watch them? Reeny asked if she
could stay with you specifically."
        "Of course. Bring them over," Darien said, his eyes gazing at
the picture he had of him and Serena. 'Not again,' he said silently as
he replaced the receiver. "Not again!"

        "So what do you two want to do - Hey Sammy, wait up!" Darien
yelled as Sammy, his head down and hidden behind the beak of his
baseball cap and hands buries in his pockets, began to walk too far
ahead of them. Taking Reeny's hand in his, he ran to catch up with the
boy and placed a hand on his shoulder.
        "Where you going, Sammy?" Darien asked. "I thought that maybe we
could go to the park and get some ice cream," he said.
        "I guess," Sammy said apathetically.
        "You don't want any?" Darien asked.
        "I do. Chocolate chunk," Reeny said.
        "Well, Sammy, what do you want to do?" Darien asked. Sammy
shrugged.
        "The park," he said, then walked up ahead of Darien and Reeny
towards the park. Reeny held Darien's hand, chattering happily about her
day at school, about the newest video game, about the tricks her class
played on the substitute teacher.
        "... And then we all started humming when the lights went off,
and stopped when she turned them on and she thought she was hearing
things. It was so funny," Reeny said, giggling.
        "Darien?" she asked, noticing that he wasn't laughing too, but
staring off into space. "It wasn't funny?"
        Darien snapped to attention. "Huh, oh yeah, it was pretty funny.
Hey, we're here. Let's catch up with Sammy."
        "I want to go to the jungle gym," Reeny said, pulling his arm
towards the left, towards the group of kids playing in the sandbox and
jungle gym. Reeny scampered off and grabbed a seat on the swings,
pumping her legs to gain altitude and shrieking happily. Darien went to
sit beside Sammy on the bench he was resting on, staring at Reeny and
the other kids playing.
        "Hey," Darien said. Sammy didn't say anything.
        "What's wrong? Sammy, if you don't tell me, I can't fix
anything," Darien said. Sammy didn't even turn to look at Darien.
        "OK. I know you don't like me much, but I'm taking care of you
for a few days. We can't act like this towards each other. It'll make us
nuts."
        "Says who? I don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone," Sammy
said, not looking at Darien. Darien swallowed and tried to switch
tactics.
        "If that's what you want, fine," Darien finally said in defeat,
then got up and began to walk away.
        "My dad says that you're not that bad. But I don't believe him!"
Sammy called. Darien turned around.
        "What don't you believe, Sammy?" he asked, returning to the boy.
        "He says that you really love her, that you'll protect her, but
you're just making her sad," he said. "Why can't you just leave her
alone. Leave us alone."
        "It's... complicated. When you're older, it'll all make sense to
you," Darien said, kneeling on his hands and knees in front of Sammy,
meeting his gaze at eye-level.
        "That's what everyone says. But you're hurting my sister. I
don't need to be any older to understand. And being some stupid
superhero doesn't change anything. I hate you," Sammy said in a pouty
voice.  Darien smiled wanely.
        "I never used Tux as an excuse," Darien said. "It's really sweet
how your protective of her," he added. Sammy started, and a blush grew
on his cheeks.
        "I'm not protective of her! I'm just um, well, I, uh..." he
flustered before remembering that he didn't like Darien. "Hey, I don't
like you. Leave me alone. Don't talk to me," he said quickly.
        "You don't like me?" Darien asked, feigning hurt.
        "Yeah. So go away."
        "How far?" Darien asked. Sammy looked confused. He hadn't
expected Darien to say that, to act so cheerful.
        "Um, real far," Sammy said, holding his hands as wide apart as
he could to illustrate.
        "All right, if that's what you want. Too bad too. I guess I'll
have to give those sword fighting lessons to someone else," he said.
Sammy's eyes widened. Darien smiled.
        "Yeah, I'll bet some little boy who lives this far away," he
held his hands far apart, "will want them though. Too bad." Darien
started to walk away, laughing to himself. He could almost hear the
alarm Sammy was feeling. He began to count backwards silently. '10...
9...  8...  7...  6...  5...  4...'
        "Wait!" Sammy called, jumping up from the bench and running to
Darien.
        "Were you going to really teach me how to do sword fighting?" he
asked, his eyes shining.
        "I was. But you don't like me. So I guess I can't," Darien said.
Sammy seemed at a loss for words, his mind whirring as he considered
what to do. Accept Darien, or be plain old Sammy without any cool sword
fighting skills.
        "Um, I changed my mind. Dad was right. You aren't that bad," he
said quickly. Darien beamed and tousled Sammy's hair.
        "Not that bad?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Fear darted across
Sammy's face.
        "I meant, you're way beyond cool. Yeah, that's it. So when can
we start?" he asked, imagining himself fighting youmas alongside his
sister, girls screaming his name.
        "Tonight. If that's all right with you?" Darien said. Sammy
almost started jumping up and down in excitement.
        "All right!" he exclaimed.
        "Good. Now, why don't you watch Reeny while I get us some ice
cream. My treat. What flavor do you want?"
        "Chocolate chip cookie dough," he said, "if that's all right.
It's kinda expensive," he added. Darien pulled out his wallet and
checked the contents.
        "Don't worry. You just watch Reeny and I'll be right back,"
Darien said, heading down the path to the ice cream booth. Sammy smiled
as he glanced at Reeny.
        'He's not really such a jerk. He's pretty cool actually,' Sammy
said to himself, laughing again as he thought of him in a suit with a
mask and a sword.
        "Watch out Negaverse! Here comes Tuxedo Sammy!"

        Darien pulled the sheets up to Reeny's neck, leaving only her
head poking out from beneath the blankets.
        "'Night Reeny," he murmured, patting her on the head. He closed
the door to let her dream and went to check on Sammy, who was using the
couch as his bed. A single point of light shone from underneath the
blankets. Darien silently walked to the couch and grabbed the blanket,
whisking it off the couch and the boy who was hiding underneath it.
        "Hey!" Sammy said, annoyed.
        "It's midnight. Shouldn't you be asleep?" Darien asked. Sammy
shrugged his shoulders.
        "Can't sleep," he said, turning back to his comic books. Darien
reached down to read the title.
        "Sailor V?" he asked. "Your sister's Sailor Moon. Why do you
still read those things?"
        "'Cause they've got Sailor V in them," Sammy said, pointing at
the comic book heroine who adorned the cover of his comic book, her arms
held up in her traditional pose.
        "Well, your parents will be mad if I bring you home tomorrow and
you're falling asleep on your feet," Darien said taking the comic book
away.
        "Probably think Serena's rubbing off on me. Give me back my
book. I promise I'll go to bed, just let me finish," Sammy said,
reaching up and grabbing for the book. Darien held it behind his back.
        "Uh uh. Go to bed," Darien said, shaking his head. Sammy pouted
and flopped down on the couch.
        "You're no fun," he whined.
        "I know. Terrible, aren't I?" Darien asked.
        "Definitely," Sammy said. Then an impish grin broke across his
face.
        "But I know how you can make up for it," Sammy said slyly.
Darien raised an eyebrow.  He didn't like not knowing what Sammy was
thinking, especially when he got that look, which was so much like that
look Serena gave him, the look that told him he had better watch out.
        Sammy reached out and began to tickle Darien's sides. Darien's
eyes widened at the unexpected movement, and he began to laugh
uncontrollably. Sammy joined in the laughing as he watched Darien
squirm. Then, Darien grabbed Sammy's arms and lifted him up, then held
him upsidedown.
        "Ah! Let me go!" Sammy cried. Darien smiled and began to swing
him by his feet.
        "What if I don't want to let go?" Darien asked. Sammy screamed.
        "Please. I promise I won't tickle you anymore," Sammy said.
        "Will you go to sleep?"
        "Yeah, yeah. Just let me go," Sammy said. Darien gently let
Sammy down. Sammy immediately scurried onto the couch.
        "'Night Sammy," Darien said, tucking him in.
        "Where you gonna sleep?" Sammy asked, fluffing the pillows
beneath his head.
        "The floor," Darien said as he pulled out a sleeping bag from
his closet and lay it on the floor.
        "Isn't it uncomfortable?" Sammy asked.
        "No. Now, it's really time to sleep." Darien unzipped the bag
and slipped in. He closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to set in.
        "Darien?" Sammy asked again.
        "Sammy, I think it's time to go to bed," Darien said.
        "I will. But, why do you like us, but not Serena?" Sammy asked.
        "We'll talk tomorrow.  Good night, Sammy," Darien said quickly,
rolling over so his back faced Sammy.
        "Darien?" Sammy asked. But Darien didn't answer. Sammy sighed
and pulled up the blankets to go to sleep.

        Sammy blinked as the light streamed in through large windows.
Slowly, sleep left him and his mind began to clear from its slumbering
haze. Sammy sat up on the couch, and looked down at Darien's sleeping
bag. It was empty. Sammy quickly scanned the apartment for Darien. Past
the countertop by the kitchen, past the stove, with the plate of eggs
cooking, black smoke rising from the burning food. 'Burning food!??!'
        "Darien?" Sammy called, as he got up and rushed to the stove,
grabbing the handle of the pan and placing it on the counter. The eggs
were completely burnt and totally inedible. Sort of like something
Serena would make. Sammy frowned at the thought of his older sister. She
must still be pretty sick of his parents wouldn't even let him and Reeny
go home. 'I hope she feels better soon,' Sammy thought. Not something he
would say out loud, but he really did want to see his sister well.  But
first, he had to find Darien. He wasn't exactly the type to leave
something burning on the stove.
        Sammy walked to the hallway leading to the bedroom and bathroom.
Darien was there, leaning against the white walls, his hands fisted into
tight balls, his teeth clenched.
        "Darien, are you all right?" Sammy asked, noting the look of
pain on Darien's features.  Darien sucked in a breath of air sharply
through his teeth and shut his eyes tightly, unable to speak.  Sammy
began to get scared, bringing tears to his eyes. But, suddenly, Darien
relaxed, the tension leaving his body, and he smiled reassuringly.
        "Sammy, hey I'm all right. Don't be scared," Darien said. Sammy
smiled in return, then furrowed his brow, thinking hard about something.
        "What happened?" he asked. Darien shrugged his shoulders.
        "Not sure exactly," Darien lied. He knew where that feeling had
come from. It had hurt terribly, like having one's soul ripped from his
body, but it was a pain experienced vicariously.  This wasn't his own
pain, but another's, and he was just feeling a part of the experience.
There was only one person he could sense like that. Serena.
        "I think we should pay your parents a visit," Darien said. "I'll
bet they've missed you a lot."
        "Cool. I'll go tell Reeny we get to go home," Sammy said
excitedly and ran off to tell Reeny the good news. Darien leaned back
against the wall, letting it completely support him. He was tired,
drained, from that intense pain. It still lingered in his nerves.
        'What have you gotten yourself into Serena?' he asked no one
silently.

        Darien parked the car by the curb by the Tsukino residence.
Sammy and Reeny jumped out of the car and raced to the door. Darien
watched them fling open the door excitedly and run into the house. He
sat in the car staring at the house. 'This is silly. What are you scared
of?' Darien asked himself, as he gathered himself and walked up the
walkway of the house in a semi-confident stride that seemed to falter as
he continued. The door to the house opened.
        "What are you waiting for?" Sammy asked. Darien sighed, knowing
there was no way to back out of it now, and stepped inside. It hadn't
changed much from the last time he was here, except for the fact that it
wasn't as clean as before. Ilene must have been too busy to deal with
cleaning. Reeny bounded down the stairs, dragging her aunt behind her,
chattering about her weekend. Darien smiled at her, noting the apparent
stress and fatigue in her features.
        "Thank you so much for taking care of them," Ilene said
gratefully. Darien waved her off.
        "No problem. But, they missed home so I thought that maybe it
was time for a visit," Darien said.
        "I know. But Serena's got our hands full." Ilene sighed.
        "What's wrong with her? Sammy and Reeny just said she was very
sick, but it's something more, isn't it?" Darien asked in a low voice.
Ilene nodded.
        "We don't know. The doctors don't know. She's just always tired,
and she's in so much pain for no reason. We don't know what to do."
Tears threatened her eyes. Darien opened his mouth, but didn't know what
to say, so it just remained opened for a moment, before he remembered to
shut it.
        "Can I see her?" he finally muttered.
        "I don't see how it can hurt," Ilene said. Then her eyes
brightened hopefully. "Can you help her? You're like her. Can't your
magic make her better?"
        Darien shook his head sadly.
        "If I could, I would have done it already. But Serena's the one
who can heal people, not me," he said. Ilene nodded her head, not
surprised at the response.
        "I understand," she said. "Well, if you want to see her, I
suggest you go now, while she's resting." Darien smiled and went up the
stairs.
        Darien carefully opened the door to Serena's room, and silently
stood in the doorway, watching the scene in front of him. Serena slept
in her bed, covered to her chin in her blankets.  Occasionally her
flushed face would shiver from some unknown source of cold. Ken Tsukino
sat on a chair pulled over from the desk, reading a book. He didn't
notice Darien, until the young man walked up right behind him.
        "Hey," Darien said. Ken jumped, startled. Pushing his glasses up
higher on his nose, he turned around.
        "What are you doing here?" he asked.
        "Ilene suggested I see her. Give you a rest. You look like you
need it," Darien said. Ken looked at his daughter.
        "Thanks," he finally said, getting up. As he began to walk away
he turned around.
        "She dreams about you, calls out your name in her sleep. As much
as I hate to admit it, she loves you. Please don't make her sad anymore.
I can't stand to see my little girl hurt." Ken shut the door behind him.
Darien stared at the door for a minute before turning his attention to
Serena. She hadn't moved, her hair, let loose from her usual double
buns, streamed haphazardly across the pillow. Her hand, balled into a
small fist, peeked out above the edge of the covers, resting beside her
cheek.
        Drawing in a deep breath, he sat down in the chair, just
watching her sleep. She looked so small and helpless. Darien couldn't
help but brush his hand lightly across her damp cheek, pulling back in
surprise at the incredible heat that passed from her skin to his finger
tips. Suddenly, her head jerked, and burrowed deeper into the pillow,
her body contorting into a tighter, smaller position.
        "Darien," she murmured, still sleeping. "No, don't... Don't
go... 'way."
        Darien took a washcloth that had been floating in a bowl of
chilled water, and carefully placed it over her forehead.
        "Shh," he said softly in a comforting voice, trying to stop her
nightmares. Her eyes fluttered and, after blinking a few times, she
opened them completely. She turned her head and stared at Darien, then
smiled weakly at him.
        "You came," she said.
        "I just thought I'd give your Dad a break," he said. Serena's
smile fell as she uttered a disappointed "oh."
        "How are you feeling?" he asked.
        "Terrible," she said, yawning. Midway through the yawn she
stiffened, and sucked in a breath of air through her teeth.
        "What is it?" Darien asked, getting up and kneeling beside her,
taking her hand in his.  Serena shut her eyes tightly, and grasped
Darien's hand. Her grip was so strong that Darien could feel the bruises
forming already.
        "Not again," she whispered, then moaned loudly in pain. She
could feel a fire spreading from her toes to her nose, her head
spinning, her stomach feeling as if it were being shredded into small
pieces. Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes. Darien watched her,
her pain causing him to feel similar emotions. He wrapped his arms
around her and pulled her up so her head was resting against his chest.
She buried her head against him, her hands knotted up in the cloth of
his shirt, and clenched her teeth as she felt another wave of pain crash
against her. She screamed, but the sound was muffled by Darien's shirt.
        "Make it stop, Darien," she said, tears streaming down her face
now.
        'Let me just help her this one time. Please,' he said silently.
He felt helpless. He was supposed to protect her, keep her safe from
pain.
        Finally, he felt her vice-like grip slip and her body relaxed.
She leaned against him, breathing raggedly.
        "Serena-" he began, but she cut him off.
        "Promise me you won't lie," she said softly, barely moving her
lips. Her sleepy voice was thick with emotion.
        "What?" he asked, confused.
        "Please, promise me this one thing." Her eyes pleaded with him,
nearly begging him. He couldn't deny her when she looked at him like
that.
        "I promise," he said in resignation. "But then you have to
promise me that you'll go to sleep."
        "No problem there," she said. She was beginning to fade, to
surrender to sleep.
        "Do you love me? Please, I have to know," she said. Darien
looked down at the floor, unsure of what to say. He had promised, but
how could he tell her the truth when it could kill her?
        "You promised," she said accusingly.
        "Serena, please don't make me say something I'll regret."
        "Tell me. I'm not a little girl. Just say it, before it's too
late," she said struggling to maintain her hold on consciousness.
        "Too late for what?" he asked, panicking as he thought of the
various things she might have meant with those words.
        "I love you so much, Darien." she said using all of her
strength, and closed her eyes. Darien touched her shoulder, nudged it
slightly with his hand, but got no response. She appeared to be asleep.
        "I love you too, Serena," he murmured. He felt her arms tighten
around him as she giggled.
        "I knew it," she said, smiling. Darien sighed in defeat. There
was no way she would believe he didn't love her anymore. It seemed that
he would just have to find some way around that dream.  Maybe, if they
never married, she would be safe. Or something like that.
        "I knew you still loved me, Darien. I just wish you'd tell me
why you acted like that."
        "It's a long story. I'll tell you later. Just rest right now,"
he said, holding her head close to him. She sighed in content.
        "Okay. I'm so tired Darien," she said softly. As she closed her
eyes this time, she could feel sleep descend over her and her grip
around him loosened as she fell back away from him. He caught her as she
fell, and lay her gently back down on the bed. She was perfectly still,
not moving a single muscle except for the steady rise and fall of her
chest as she breathed deeply. He kissed her forehead, not noticing the
Moon sign that had flared briefly.
        "Sleep well, My Princess," Darien said as he left her.

        Darien sat down at the breakfast table in the kitchen, sipping a
glass of ice cold water. His mind kept on replaying what had just
happened upstairs. She knew. Finally, they could be together.  But then,
the memory of his dreams came to him again. Their wedding, the attack,
her being pulled away from him. He put his head in his arms, trying to
shut out the image. 'This will never work!' he screamed silently in
frustration.
        "Oh God, what have I done?" he moaned miserably.
        "I have no idea," Ken said, sitting down in a chair directly
opposite Darien. Darien lifted his head to face the man.
        "What have you done?" Ken asked. Darien shook his head.
        "Nothing. Just something stupid," Darien said.
        "Come now. We've all done stupid things. It can't be that bad,"
Ken said in a light tone.  Darien looked at the man in wonder.
        "You of all people should hate me, but I don't think you do.
Why?" he asked. Ken smiled wanely.
        "Strange, isn't it? I thought I hated you for hurting Serena,
but I don't think I do anymore.  There's a reason why you're doing this,
a damn good one too, because you're hurting as much as she is. I'd even
say that you thought you were protecting her from something, maybe from
yourself even." Darien started at the perceptive observation, wondering
just how much the man truly knew.  Ken sensed that he had stuck a nerve.
        "I'm right, aren't I? You're putting yourself, and her, through
all this just to keep her safe from something. In a way, I think I feel
sorry for you. So young, think you know everything. But let me tell you,
there's so much you don't understand about love. Especially when it
comes to Serena."
        "She never stops. Her love is relentless. Her heart is too full
of love," Darien said in a far - away voice.
        "Ah, you know, too. Because she has given so much of it to you.
If you would just accept it, I know that together you can overcome
anything."
        "And when we are apart, I am nothing. That's why. Because I
couldn't stand to lose her," Darien said, closing his eyes as he once
again saw her being pulled away from him.
        "And what are you now, when you avoid her. Are you not apart,
alone? Are you anything now? Or are you nothing, again, always? You are
like a man who is missing a part of himself. So miserable. And that is
why I can't hate you, Darien. I pity you. Perhaps, in time, I will love
you, because my daughter does, but now, I only feel sorry for you," Ken
said, looking into Darien's eyes. They flashed, first with anger, then
with resignation.
        "Still silent, Darien? Don't you have anything to say?" He
asked. He again probed Darien's eyes, searching for something, some clue
as to his heart. They were like a turbulent sea, gray and stormy. So
many emotions, so mixed and confused. Such happiness shone in them, a
great relief, yet a sorrow that threatened to consume it all. Ken smiled
and frowned at the same time.
        "You told her. She knows and yet, you are still sad?" he asked.
        "I won't lose her again," Darien said in a determined voice. He
could hear her screaming as she did in his dreams, calling his name out,
begging him to save her. And there was nothing he could do but watch her
die. Darien's eyes burned, beginning to water, though he held them back.
Ken, however, was a father first, and he knew. He stood from his seat
and hugged Darien as a father would hug a son.
        "Crying never hurt anyone," Ken said, comforting Darien as he
began to cry for the first time in a very long time.

        Ilene Tsukino rushed down the stairs to the kitchen, tears
streaming down her face. She was wide eyes with fear and panic. Ken
immediately rushed to his wife's side as she held onto him and began to
cry against his shoulder.
        "What is it?" Darien asked, feeling that sinking feeling in his
stomach. 'Please not her.  Please don't be what I think it is.'
        "She just started glowing. Something's happening, I don't know
what. Neither does Luna.  What's happening to her? Oh God, why are you
doing this to my daughter?" she cried. Darien held back a cry of pain as
he ran out of the kitchen to Serena's room.
        Silvery light shone around her door. Darien opened it, and was
nearly blinded by the power of the light. He blinked a few times,
adjusting his eyes to the brightness. It was coming from Serena. Her
brooch had opened, and the Crystal was hovering a few inches above her
body, which was floating right above her bed. She was asleep, all pain
removed. She looked so peaceful, so happy. The light from the Crystal
engulfed her, pulsating brighter and brighter with each passing second.
He tried to touch her, but the light repelled him, knocking him back
against the wall. Ken offered him a hand and helped him up. Darien
wondered when he and Ilene had entered the room.  He had not noticed.
Watching Serena had arrested all of his attention.
        "What's going on?" Ken whispered, grasping his wife who watched
silently, her mouth gaping in shock at the sight.
        "I wish I knew. The Crystal is the most powerful thing in the
world. Only Serena knows how it works, and even she doesn't know much
about it," Darien replied, watching as the light began to throb audibly,
a dull thud thud thud shaking the walls of room. Suddenly ribbons shot
out and wrapped themselves around Serena, transforming her into Sailor
Moon. Darien immediately dropped to one knee and gasped in pain. Unable
to stop it, he automatically transformed into Tuxedo Mask.
        Darien could feel her fighting, and fighting hard for
something... for... her life! Again, she transformed, this time into the
Moon Princess, Princess Serenity. Darien matched the transformation, his
black tuxedo fading into his dark armor. The light glowed with a
brighter intensity, and he brought a hand up over his eyes to try and
curb the light.
        "What is she doing?" Ken asked, squinting. He tried to hide his
surprise at the last transformation he had witnessed in both Serena and
in Darien. But despite the poor attempt, Darien didn't seem to notice.
He was grimacing in pain.
        "Darien, what's wrong? Are you all right?" Ilene asked in alarm.
        "The girls, call the girls!" Darien gasped. The urgency in his
voice startling.
        "Yes Darien. I'll call them now," she said, too surprised at his
commanding tone to even question or argue with him. She turned to leave,
but ran head on with a raven haired Scout.
        "Rei!" she screamed, all her tense anxiety released in that one
action. Rei smiled, acknowledging Mrs. Tsukino, then walked past her to
Darien, the other three Scouts following her in silence. Rei knelt
beside Darien, who had his eyes closed.
        "We felt her call out to us. We came as fast as we could. What
do you want us to do?" she asked. Darien opened his eyes to stare at her
violet ones. He breathed deeply.
        "Give her your strength. She can't fight it alone. She needs our
energy," he said.
        "You can count on us. We won't let her down," Rei said softly,
before turning to the other girls. The four Scouts joined hands and,
arching their backs, their eyes closed, let off a powerful beam of
energy that channeled into Serena, breaking past the barrier of light
the Crystal had created. The light grew in intensity.
        Darien's energy joined theirs, somehow more powerful than that
of all four of the Scouts combined. His tirade of power was relentless,
and, as each of the Scouts fell, their energy depleted, he continued to
give, as though he had an endless supply. As the last Scout fell,
Jupiter, Sailor Mercury crawled to Darien.
        "Stop this. It's not working. You'll kill yourself," she said
weakly, between the tears.  Darien stubbornly shook his head, unwilling
to waste any energy he might be able to give to Serena by talking
unnecessarily. Instead, he heightened the intensity of his energy. The
light surrounding Serena faded, disappeared.
        "Then, the room exploded in a blinding light, momentarily
blinding everyone and knocking them to the floor. When they could at
last see, the Scouts had reverted back to civilian mode, and Darien was
wearing his normal attire. Serena was not there. There was no trace of
her at all.  Darien staggered to his feet, staring at her empty bed,
still weak from the energy drain.
        "This wasn't the way it was supposed to be," he whispered
hoarsely, before collapsing on her bed.

        Darien sipped at his drink miserably. This place reminded him so
much of Serena. She always used to come here after school for a
milkshake, heavy on the chocolate. Maybe that was why he spent so much
time here.
        "Hey Darien! Long time no see," Liz said, smiling down at him.
"Whoa, you look majorly bummed. You don't mind if me and Andrew join
you? Or do you want to be alone?' she asked.
        "I don't care," Darien said.
        "Cool," she replied, sitting across from him.
        "So, Andrew says he hasn't seen you in, like forever. What's
been going on? Or are you mad at my brother for some reason?" she asked.
        "It's nothing," Darien said, taking another sip of his shake. He
saw Andrew making his way over to the table, carrying two drinks. Liz
immediately grabbed hers and pulled Andrew down next to her. Andrew
watched Darien for a moment.
        "Man, when was the last time you got some sleep? You look
horrible," Andrew commented. Darien looked up at him, then turned his
gaze back down.
        "I'm fine, Andrew. Don't worry about me," Darien said.
        "Hey, you're my friend. Of course I'm going to worry about you.
I haven't seen you in weeks," Andrew said. "What happened? Meet a girl?"
        Darien didn't say anything.
        "I knew it. It was a girl. Who? What happened? Did she dump you
or something?" Andrew asked. Liz looked confused.
        "What happened to Serena?" she asked.  Andrew stared at his
sister angrily. 'If looks could kill, I'd be blown to Saturn,' she
thought.
        "What'd I say wrong?" she asked. Darien stared intently at his
drink, not moving a muscle.
        "Didn't you hear?" Andrew hissed, noting the strange behavior of
his friend at the mention of Serena's name. This definitely had
something to do with her.
        "Hear what?" Liz asked. "What's wrong with Darien?"
        "Serena disappeared. Police say she's probably dead," he said.
Liz gasped.
        "Oh Jeez. I didn't know. Poor guy."
        "Why would you ask about Serena?" Andrew asked. He glanced at
Darien. It was like he didn't even hear them at all, like he was off in
his own world.
        "Well, he used to go out with her or something," she said.
        'That would explain a lot,' Andrew thought, 'Poor Darien.' He
decided he needed to talk to Darien alone. "Liz, could you, ah call Mom
for me and tell her we'll be late," he asked. Liz looked at him
strangely.
        "What do you mean... Mom knows we're not... Oh, yeah, I uh, I
need to call Mom," she said, getting up hastily and heading towards the
pay phones. Andrew rested his elbows on the table.
        "Are you avoiding everyone because of what happened to Serena?"
he asked. Darien looked up at his friend, his eyes the saddest the thing
Andrew had ever seen.
        "I can't believe that you fell for Serena. She was so young. And
I thought you hated her. I mean, you were always fighting, and making
fun of her, and you certainly didn't treat her that well and-"
        "You think I don't know that!" Darien said curtly. Andrew was
surprised. Darien was generally pretty easy-going; nothing seemed to
faze him. But, he was angry now, angrier than he had ever seen the guy,
and he had known Darien a long time.
        "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that. It's just that,
well, you must have loved her a lot to be acting like this," Andrew said
apologetically.
        "I did."
        "And I can't believe you didn't even tell me. I'm your best
friend."
        "I didn't know I had to tell you everything."
        "Hey, don't get mad at me. I'm sorry. Why are you so angry?"
        "You wouldn't understand Andrew, so don't even try."
        "Oh, I understand a lot more than you think. You can't blame
yourself for whatever happened to Serena. There was no way you could
have saved her," Andrew said. Darien laughed.
        "But I could have, if I had just tired harder. Or maybe if I
hadn't pushed her away. I was so stupid. And look what it's cost me,"
Darien said bitterly. "Please Andrew, leave me alone.  Everything I
touch just dies," he said. Andrew shook his head.
        "I'm your friend, Darien. Don't push me away. Don't hide away
from the people who care about you, or else you just might get your
wish. You know my number if you ever just want to talk," Andrew said
getting up and leaving as Darien continued to sip his drink.

        She stood, her arms reaching out, her hair billowing around her
like a halo around an angel. He reached out, trying to catch her, but he
could not reach her. She kept on falling back, far away from him. He
ran, trying to catch her, but he was never fast enough, never strong
enough, never smart enough. She looked at him, their eyes locking. Her
lips moved, though no sound came from them. He knew what she was saying.
He didn't need to hear her to know she was screaming his name, calling
to him to save her, before the light stole her away. He ran to where she
had been standing, trying to find her, but failing. She was gone. He had
lost her, let her down.
        "Forgive me, Serena!" he cried, his fist raised in anger at the
powers that had taken her from him, as the darkness crashed into him.
        Darien woke with a start from the dream, sweating and breathing
heavily. The other dreams of her death, and the warning that it brought,
had stopped, but now he had to deal with this one. The only thoughts in
his head were of Serena. As he had done every night since her funeral,
he sought her out, each time more intensely. He reached out with his
mind, trying to find their link, to follow it to her. But, he felt
nothing, a void, consuming darkness in his heart where he once could
feel her every emotion.
        "No," he said, repeating the word, trying to convince himself
that she was in fact gone. He searched harder, until his head throbbed
painfully, until he passed out.
        Darien had never felt such darkness, had never seen such a black
that he wasn't even sure it was the color black. It was the absolute
absence of all color, or all emotion and feeling and sensation. It felt
like his soul was dangling between worlds, caught in a dark prison.
        Something familiar tugged at his soul. 'Serena,' he thought,
turning. He felt her around him, comforting him. 'Don't be sad, Darien,'
he thought. But, those weren't his words, they were hers.
        "Serena!" he called, breaking the stillness.
        'Don't cry anymore. You'll break my heart,' he said to himself
again. OR rather, she said. It was like having a conversation with
himself, if he had two personalities.
        "Serena, don't leave me!" he cried. Such sadness, his, hers, he
didn't know whose exactly.  Just infinite sadness. Then, he could her.
Not her words in his tone, but the clear strong voice he had loved.
        'Do not stand at my grave and weep.
        I am not there. I do not sleep.

        I am a thousand winds that blow.
        I am the diamond glint on snow.

        I am the Sunlight on ripened grain.
        I am the gentle autumn rain.

        When you wake in the morning hush.
        I am the swift uplifting rush
        of quiet birds in circling flight.
        I am the soft starlight at night.

        Do not stand at my grave and weep.
        I am not there. I do not sleep.' (poem by Anonymous.)

        Darien woke again, the memory of her words still in his brain.
He had lost her, and yet, he knew, she was with him, somewhere watching
over him, loving him. He stood up and stretched, staring out the window
at the Moon.
        "Are you there, watching down on me?" he asked.

        Ken wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, and she giggled,
dropping the turkey baster and turning in his arms to give him a quick
kiss.
        "I'm trying to cook, honey," she admonished. Ken smiled
playfully and gave her another quick squeeze before letting go.
        "I feel useless. Anything you want me to do?" he asked.
        "Yeah. Why don't you set the table. Fi - I mean four places,"
she said, sobering up as she caught herself. 'There's only four of us
now,' she remembered. Ken noticed the change in mood. His smile had left
his face as well, and he embraced his wife again, this time in a
comforting gesture.
        "I miss her too," he said. Ilene stared at her uncooked turkey.
        "She loved Thanksgiving. All the food, and the pie," she said in
a small voice. It had been three months since Serena had disappeared.
None of them were sure why Serena had disappeared.  Ami believed that it
had something to do with that cut Serena had come home with, perhaps
some poison from the Negaverse. It was the most likely explanation, and
if that assumption were true, than Serena surely could not still be
alive. They had all given her up for dead. Except for Darien.  He had
refused to believe it at first, but the girls had said that he was
slowly losing hope that she was alive. She hadn't seen Darien since that
day. Neither had Ken. He had thrown himself into his studies, ignoring
everyone. Except for Reeny. Something about her drew him to the little
girl. But other than that, she supposed that he was all alone. 'He
really was a sweet boy,' she thought remembering how he had nearly lost
his own life by giving Serena almost all of his energy to save her.
        "What about Darien? Do you think he's spending his Thanksgiving
alone?" she asked. Ken shrugged his shoulder sadly.
        "I don't know. I don't think he has family," he said,
remembering Rei's words when they had been at the hospital with Serena.
        "That poor boy. Do you think that maybe, we could invite him
over? Reeny would be delighted to have him," she asked. Ken smiled.
        "I think that can be arranged," he said.

        Someone was knocking on his door. Probably a salesman, since it
was Thanksgiving and everyone he knew was at home enjoying the holiday.
"Go away, I'm not interested in whatever it is you're selling," Darien
said gruffly. He was startled when a high pitched voice spoke.
        "You want me to go, Darien?" Reeny sniffed through the door.
Darien jumped up from his couch and opened it. He was greeted with her
crestfallen face.
        "Oh Reeny. I didn't know it was you. You know you're always
welcome," he said. Reeny smiled and clambered over to Darien's side,
wrapping her arms around his legs. Darien affectionately rustled her
hair.
        "Uncle Ken and I came to invite you to Thanksgiving Dinner," she
said. "Please say you'll come," she asked him, putting on her sweetest
face and batting her eyelashes. He couldn't help but laugh at her.
        "We would really like for you to join our family tonight. We
haven't seen you in a long time," Ken added, as he walked through the
doorway. "What do you say?"
        "How could I resist a face like this?" Darien asked, smiling. He
hadn't done that in such a long time. It felt so nice to smile.

        Darien leaned back against the back of the couch, Reeny nestled
in his arms, sleeping peacefully. He watched her sleep, a strange
feeling of deja vu washing over him. She was so familiar, like he should
know her, but he didn't. He couldn't understand it, but then again, he
didn't understand much of what had happened in the last few months.
        "Why do you remind me so much of her?" he asked the sleeping
girl. She shifted in response, still snoring away contentedly. Ken, who
had been watching the football game, glanced over at Darien when he
heard him speak.
        "Did you say something?" he asked. Darien shook his head.
        "No," he replied.
        "Oh. You know, Reeny is like Serena a lot," he said. "They act
so much alike."
        "I know. It's like, when I'm near her, I'm closer to Serena,"
Darien said, stroking the girl's hair. His eyes began to mist again.
        "I know. It's still so hard. Sometimes, I'll tell Sammy to get
her favorite ice cream, or Ilene will go to her room to wake her up, and
then we remember there isn't a reason for us to do that anymore."
        "I'm sorry," Darien said.
        "For what?"
        "If I hadn't -"
        "Don't," Ken said angrily. "You've been feeling guilty for far
too long Darien. There wasn't anything you could have done. Get over it
and go on with your life."
        "I don't know if I can. I, I should have listened, and then,
maybe this wouldn't have happened," Darien said, thinking to himself.
Ken stared at him hard.
        "Listened to who? What are you talking about?" he asked.
        "My dreams. They told me to stay away from her, or else she
would die. It was so real. I had to stay away. I had to save her,
protect her. But I ruined it. I killed her when I told her that I loved
her. I thought I could cheat him, but I couldn't." Ken shook his head in
disbelief.
        "Who? Who told you to stay away?"
        "I don't know. The man in my dreams. I never saw him, but I
heard him, every night, telling me to stay away. If I had listened,
maybe she would be alive," Darien said, unconsciously holding Reeny
closer to him. Ken put a hand on his shoulder.
        "This isn't your fault. Whoever did this to her, that's who you
should blame. You almost died trying to save her life. You would trade
places with her in an instant if you could have. But you can't. And we
have just got to deal with that right now," Ken said.
        "But I-"
        "Don't argue with me. You know I'm right. If Serena was still
here, I know you would be part of our family very soon. And, just
because she's not, doesn't mean that we still don't think of you. You're
part of this family whether you like it or not. You let Serena be your
family, and as her family, we are doing what she isn't here to do. And,
in this family everyone listens to me," Ken said. Darien smiled.
        "Everyone?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
        "Well, maybe not Ilene, or Reeny. And Sammy doesn't really pay
much attention and well, so what if no one listens to me?"
        Darien began to laugh. Reeny moved, almost waking, but not quite
making it all the way to consciousness. Ken took her from Darien.
        "It's late. I'll go put her to bed. But Darien, honestly, don't
blame yourself. She died knowing that you loved her, and you made her
happier than she has ever been. For that, I can never thank you enough.
You are always welcome in my home." Ken walked up the stairs with Reeny
in his arms. Darien watched, almost moved to tears.
        "Thank you," he said, feeling some of the darkness in his heart
lift, ever so slowly, and such a small amount. But, it was a start.
        Darien flicked the channels, seeing that the game had ended,
trying to find something else to watch. The news seemed like the best
choice. Ilene had finished the dishes and had settled down in a chair,
while Sammy sat on the couch next to Darien. Ken, who had finished
putting Reeny to bed, sat in the chair beside his wife, and Luna was
curled on the floor.
        "Dad, did you know Darien's gonna teach me how to sword fight?"
Sammy announced as he looked up from his comic book. Ken glowered at
Darien.
        "What!?!?" he yelled.
        "Now, honey," Ilene said.
        "Uh, you know, maybe this wasn't the best time to bring this up,
Sammy," Darien said nervously.
        "I think this is the perfect time to bring this up. Just when
were you planning on telling me that you were going to teach my son how
to use a giant, lethal knife?" Ken said. Ilene thought for a minute.
        "He might poke someone's eye out with one of those things," she
said.
        "Mom," Sammy groaned. His father began to say something, but
Luna interrupted the argument.
        "Everyone be quiet!" Luna yelled. That got everyone's attention,
and they all closed their mouths. The only thing that could be heard was
the TV's news anchor.
        "... successful mission to the Moon. The crew brought back with
them the greatest find of the century. A woman, probably an inhabitant
of the Moon, encased in crystal, was brought back to Earth today. She
was found in the Sea of Serenity, and is believed to be the first proof
of alien life. Scientists have named her the Moon Princess and are
currently trying to break the crystal shell she is encased in." The news
cut to a commercial, leaving the Tsukinos and Darien stunned.
        "You don't think..." Sammy asked.
        "That's exactly what I think," Darien said.

        Reporters of all kinds gathered around the lab, trying to get a
glimpse of the Moon Princess. But, security had kept most of them out.
Only the top doctors and their assistants had been given permission to
try and revive the Princess. The protective shell was harder than
diamonds. A diamond saw had been brought in to try and cut the crystal,
and the saw had shattered. They had no idea what to do to free the alien
from its tomb.
        "Chiba, do you have any ideas?" Dr. Masako asked his top
student. He had noted how the boy had seemed so silent, staring intently
at the crystal with such hope. Darien Chiba was his top student, the
best of the best, but he seemed distracted today.
        "Darien, I don't know what's bothering you, but I need you to be
fully alert for this. I need some fresh ideas to get rid of this blasted
crystal," he said. Darien nodded.
        "Has imaging managed to get a picture?" he asked.
        "Just brought it in a few minutes ago. Haven't even had a chance
to look at her. Would you do the honors?" Dr. Masako asked. Darien took
the envelope from him, his fingers shaking.
        'Why are you so scared?' he wondered of his student. 'You look
as though this picture will decide your fate.'
        Darien stared at the picture.  He began to tremble, and his eyes
began to water.
        "Oh God," he said softly, his eyes never moving from the
picture.
        "Darien, are you all right?" the doctor asked as Darien's cheeks
paled. He took the picture from him, and looked at the face of a
beautiful girl, long blond hair done up in two buns on each side of her
head, and two pigtails streaming down from them. She looked no older
than sixteen. But, most surprising of all, she was wearing a pair of
pink flannel bunny pajamas. And Dr. Masako was positive they didn't have
flannel pajamas on the Moon, especially the same kind of pajamas his own
daughter owned.
        "What the hell kind of joke is this?" Dr. Masako said angrily.
Darien was staring at the crystal again, acting in a very odd manner.
        "Darien, what's wrong with you? What kind of joke is this?" he
asked, blaming Darien for the picture.
        "This isn't from the Moon. This girl is human. Where is the
picture of the Moon Princess?" he hissed. Dr. Masako shoved the picture
in Darien's face.
        "Serena, what have you done?" Darien asked, approaching the
crystal.
        "Did some girl named Serena do this? Darien, what is going on
here?" he asked. The doctor began to stare at the picture again. She
seemed familiar for some reason. Like he had seen that hairstyle before.
Of course, that picture Darien insisted on keeping on his desk.  An old
girlfriend of Darien's, if he remembered correctly.
        'Who died?' he said, remembering the week Darien had missed. He
was looking at the picture of a dead girl, who was supposedly trapped in
a crystal found on the Moon. Something wasn't right here.
        "This is some sort of sick joke that someone is playing on you
and I'm sorry. When I find out who replaced that image with this
picture, that person will never work in this field anywhere, I promise
you," the doctor said. Darien didn't look at him; the crystal had
captured all his attention.
        "She's in there. She found her way back to me," Darien said. The
doctor shook his head sadly.
        "No Darien. Your friend is dead. She isn't in that crystal. It
was all a cruel prank." Darien walked away from him and stood beside the
crystal, placing a hand on it.
        "Wake up, Serena. Come back to me," he said, closing his eyes.
Gathering his energy, he let it flow from him into the crystal, and he
felt energy that wasn't his own, flow back into him. He increased the
efforts, and the crystal began to glow. Dr. Masako watched in disbelief,
shock plastered across his face.
        "What's going on?' he asked, watching the light show in awe. The
light grew brighter and brighter, and, as the four other doctors rushed
in to see what was going on, the crystal broke, the sound of it echoing
for miles. As the light died away, the crystal completely gone, only
Darien and Serena, clad in her pink flannel pajamas, were left in the
middle of the room. Her eyes were closed, as though she were in deep
sleep. Darien held her, staring down at her happily. He was content just
to look at her again.
        "How did he do that?" a doctor whispered.
        "That's the Moon Princess? She looks human."
        "My daughter has those pajamas," Dr. Masako said incredulously.
After the shock wore off, about two seconds later, the doctors rushed
forward to analyze their find.
        "Get away!" Darien growled fiercely. The doctors backed off, but
hovered close by.
        "But the Moon Princess. We have to - "
        "Her name is Serena!" Darien said angrily. Turning his attention
back to her, he whispered her name, trying to wake her up. He felt for a
pulse, and finding one, nearly began to cry with relief. He hadn't lost
her after all.
        "Come on wake up, Serena," he said. Serena moved. The other
doctors watched silently, their minds whirring.
        "Five more minutes, Mom. I promise, then I'll go to school," she
mumbled.
        "My god, she spoke English. And school! On the Moon!" a doctor
said.
        "She's human, you morons! I don't know how, but she's from
Earth!" Dr. Masako yelled.  The others stared at him.
        "Huh?" asked one, not comprehending.
        "Come on, Meatball Head. Open your eyes," Darien coaxed.
Serena's eyes flew open at that.
        "Ohh, don't call me that!" she shrieked loudly. She looked
around and immediately began to tremble.
        "Where am I?" she asked. Then she noticed that Darien was
holding her. "And what are you doing? Let me go you, you arrogant
conceited jerk. Why do you always make fun of me?" she said, jumping up
from his grasp, leaving him completely stunned. The other doctors,
sensing their opportunity to question her, immediately began bombarding
her with requests.
        "Who are you?"
        "How did you get to the Moon?"
        "Are you human?"
        "Are you the Moon Princess?" Serena froze when she heard that
last question.
        "M..M..Moon Princess? I'm not the Moon Princess. I don't even
know anything about the Moon Princess. Nope, nothing at all," she said,
laughing nervously.
        "Why am I here? I want to go home," she said.
        "I'm afraid we can't let you leave. There's a lot we can learn
from you," a doctor, who just happened to be holding a scalpel, said.
Serena's eyes got big at the sight of the knife and she began to wail
loudly. Darien was immediately at her side, and wrapped his arms around
her protectively as she cried into his jacket.
        "What's going on, Darien? How did I get here with all these
doctors? I want to go home!" she said between tears.
        "Don't you remember?" he asked, stroking her hair comfortingly.
She shook her head.
        "We've been so worried. You family and the girls and Reeny and-"
        "Who's Reeny?" Serena asked, confused. "And why are you being so
nice to me?"

        The Tsukinos, Reeny, the Scouts, Luna and Artemis, and Darien
all waited downstairs while Serena slept in her room. She had been
allowed to go home after the doctors promised to never tell anyone the
identity of the girl they thought was the Moon Princess. But, despite
their promise, Reeny had also helped to erase their memories of Serena.
Ken Tsukino nervously paced the room waiting for his daughter to wake
up. She had been exhausted from her scare earlier in the day. The other
Scouts were seated on the chairs, talking amongst themselves. They all
were anxious to see their friend. All heads turned towards the stairs as
Ilene came down.
        "Well?" Rei asked impatiently.
        "She's awake. She seems fine," Ilene said. The girls cheered.
        "Can we see her?" Lita asked.
        "She says she wants to see Luna. Alone," Ilene said. Luna nodded
and ran up the stairs as fast as she could. The door was open so she
just ran into Serena's room and jumped onto the bed.
        "Luna!" Serena said happily. She picked the cat up and began to
hug her tightly.
        "I've missed you too," Luna said. She looked up at Serena's
face. It was stained from tears.
        "Why are you crying?" Luna asked. Serena sniffed before crying
again.
        "I don't remember," she wailed. Luna was confused.
        "What do you mean? What don't you remember?" she asked.
        "I... I... uh... uh.. I..." she began to cry again.
        "Serena, calm down. Don't forget to breath," the cat ordered.
Serena tried to curb her tears, then took a deep breathe before
beginning again.
        "I don't remember things. Like who Reeny is," Serena said sadly.
        "Well, try telling me what you do remember."
        "'Kay. Um, I'm Sailor Moon and Rei is Sailor Mars and Ami is
Sailor Mercury. And let's see, there's Sailor Venus who's... who's...  I
don't know who Sailor Venus is," she said in frustration.
        "That's all right, Serena. Keep going. What do you remember
about your life, just in general? Who are your friends, your enemies?"
        "Um, I'm friends with Molly and I guess Melvin. Oh no, has that
changed. Do I like him now?" Serena asked, panicked. Luna nodded her
head, sighing. Her personality hadn't changed much.
        "OH good. Well, I'm friends with Andrew and Liz and Lita, too.
And I don't like Darien and we're fighting against Beryl who is the
Queen of the Black Moon Family who sent Ann and Alan to get us. But
Tuxedo Mask is so dreamy and he always saves us. Wait, no, that doesn't
seem right," Serena said.
        "It's not. But it's not important right now. What do you
remember about the Moon Princess?" Luna asked.
        "Aren't we supposed to find her?" Serena asked. Luna shook her
head. "And why do my parents know about you? My Mom and Dad aren't
supposed to know about this. Why can't I remember?" she said in
frustration, beginning to cry again.
        "Oh Serena, don't cry. We'll get it all back. Just give it time,
and you'll remember everything," Luna said as Serena buried her face in
her fur, sobbing.

        Luna was greeted by the ten anxious faces in the living room.
All at one, everyone began asking questions.
        "Is she all right?"
        "When can we see her?"
        "Did she say anything about how she got to the Moon?"
        "Everyone, please!" Luna yelled. Everyone went silent.
        "What did she say, Luna?" Ilene asked calmly.
        "She's very confused right now. She can't remember things. She
doesn't remember who Reeny is, or that Lita is Sailor Jupiter, or that
she's the Moon Princess," Luna said.
        "What about me? Does she remember me?" Darien asked, still
haunted by the harsh disdain directed at him when she had first woken.
        "She remembers you, but, well, I wouldn't exactly call you her
favorite person in the world. Her memories of you are mainly the ones
she has from before we found out who you really were," Luna said.
Darien's head seemed to fall.
        "I'm sorry, Darien," Luna said. He shook his head.
        "Don't be. After all I've put her through, I deserve this," he
said. He could still hear her voice ringing in his ears.
        'Let me go you, you arrogant conceited jerk! Why do you always
make fun of me?' she had said. She had pushed herself away from him. Did
she still love him? She hadn't looked as if she did then. She seemed to
despise him. 'Was I really that bad?' he asked himself.
        "Don't worry, Darien. She will remember why she fell in love
with you in the first place.  Everything will work out," Ilene said.
        "So what do we do now?" Rei asked.
        "We shouldn't tell her anything. The best way to get her to
remember is to not tell her anything, so we know that the memories she
has are really her memories, and not her imagination running wild with
the stories we tell her. She has to remember her past on her own. That
means we have to keep quiet about the things she doesn't remember. I
know it will be hard, but we have to.  It's the only way to get her
back," Ami said.
        "What about Reeny?" Mina asked.
        "And Sailor Jupiter. Am I supposed to just sit out when you guys
go off to fight some youma?" Lita added.
        "I think that in those cases we should just act as if she hadn't
even lost those memories, but don't try and tell her about the past.
Only speak of the future, of the things she knows. That's it.  Nothing
else," Ami said. "But all that can wait. Right now, she needs her
sleep."

        "Hey Andrew! Is the new Sailor V game in yet?" Serena asked as
she entered the arcade, bubbling about something with Molly and Lita.
        "Nope. Not yet. Another week maybe. Trying to make up for lost
time?" he asked jokingly.  Serena punched his arm playfully.
        "Maybe. How about a shake? You guys want some too?" Serena
asked. Lita and Molly both nodded.
        "Chocolate right?" he asked.
        "Yep. It's my fave."
        "It's good to see you didn't forget that. I'll be right back,"
Andrew said, going to the back to get the drinks. Three weeks later,
and, although she didn't remember much about what happened, she seemed
almost completely OK. Not bad for a corpse. Of course, he had been
beyond elated when he heard that she had turned up somewhere. No one
knew what had happened, where she had been, but it didn't matter much.
She was alive and that was what was important. The game center just
wasn't the same without her. She was like the heart that linked them all
together.
        Andrew came back with the three drinks. The girls were
chattering away, sitting at a table.  Serena sat in the middle, beaming.
She glanced over her shoulder, and scowled.
        "Now Serena, that frown just doesn't fit your face. What's
wrong?" Andrew asked, laughing at her tiny scrunched up nose.
        "Oh, it's that Darien. He's so horrible. Look at him back there.
I think he's staring at me. Probably making fun of my hair, or my grades
or something. I wish he'd just crawl right back in the hole he came
from," Serena declared. Andrew seemed startled. He thought that Darien
was going out with her. He had certainly acted the part of her boyfriend
when she was missing. He caught Lita's eyes, which were filled with a
knowing sadness.
        He opened his mouth to say something, but something in Lita's
eyes stopped him. He would talk with her later.
        "You know, he's not really that bad, Serena. Why don't you just
talk to him?" Andrew said. Serena laughed.
        "Yeah right. I know he's your friend and all, but Darien Chiba
is a first class jerk," Serena said. She took a gulp of her drink and
finished it in one large swig. Then she glanced at her watch and
squealed.
        "OH NO!! I'm late. I gotta go or else my Mom's gonna kill me!!!"
Serena cried, jumping up and rushing out of the arcade.
        "Even with amnesia, she's still the same," Lita commented.
        "No kidding," Molly said. Then she looked at her own watch.
        "Ah man. I was supposed to be at the store ten minutes ago,"
Molly said, grabbing her bag and heading out. "See you guys later." She
waved good-bye and ran down the street.
        "You know, I missed that," Andrew said, smiling.
        "Yeah, me too," Lita agreed. Andrew began to clear away the
drinks.
        "I thought that she and Darien were together. Doesn't she
remember?" Andrew asked. Lita shook her head.
        "No. And we can't tell her either. It's so sad, they were way
close too."
        "Wow, that's terrible. This must be killing Darien."
        "It is. But, it's better than her being dead," Lita said.
        "I guess you're right. Well, I'll talk to you later. Have a job
to do and all," Andrew said, taking the empty glasses into the kitchen.
Lita stood, and noticed Darien still sitting in his booth, staring at
something. As she got near, she saw what had captured his attention: a
picture of him and Serena, in the park, his hand carelessly hanging
around her shoulder, her eyes shining in merriment.
        "It's not so bad, is it? At least she's still around," Lita
said.
        "No, it's not so bad at all. Much better than the alternative,"
Darien said quietly.
        "How are you doing?" Lita asked, sitting down beside him.
        "Well, besides my girlfriend thinking I'm the lowest scum of the
Earth, I'm fine."
        "Liar," Lita said, waving an accusing finger in front of him.
        "I miss her. But, maybe there's a reason for all this. Maybe
this is for the best," he said.  Lita was confused.
        "What do you mean?" Lita asked.
        "Maybe it's better this way. I didn't want her to love me. I
wanted to keep her as far away as possible. And now I can. She'll WANT
to leave me alone. But, I can't leave HER alone. Not even for a day."
        "I thought you understood. Your dreams don't matter. Only your
love. If you love her, and she loves you, then that dream can never come
true. I know you, and you will protect her," Lita said.
        "What if it's not strong enough?" Darien asked.
        "What do you mean, 'not strong enough'? You two have been
together for 1000's years. Of course your love is strong enough."
        "The love of the Prince and the Princess is strong enough. But
she is Serena Tsukino, not the Princess. And I am not the Prince. I am
Darien Chiba. I don't care if the Princess loves her prince. All I care
about is how Serena feels about me, about Darien Chiba!" he said
angrily. "I am more than just a body for the Prince, aren't I?"
        "Of course, Darien. You are an individual. You are as important
as anyone. And Serena knows that. She loves you," Lita said.
        "Why? As Serena, she never loved me. She never fell in love with
Darien Chiba. She was infatuated with Tuxedo Mask. And, when she learned
I was the Prince, she loved me. But never before that. Before I was a,"
he laughed bitterly, "a conceited jerk. She hated me. And then, after we
learned our past, we knew we loved each other, but we never had any
reason why."
        "Does love need a reason?" Lita asked. Darien frowned.
        "She never got to know me, to learn about our love, to let it
grow. One day she hated me, the next, she loved me. That's not the way
love is supposed to be. Maybe, she would never have loved me if we had
not remembered our past."
        "Maybe. But you love her, don't you? Or do you just love the
Princess?" Lita asked.  Darien growled.
        "You know the answer to that, Lita. I love Serena," he said.
        "Why? You never had a chance to fall in love with her either.
Why are you different than her?"
        "We are different! That's why I love Serena, but she could not
love me. Because she is Serena, ditzy, klutzy, beautiful, sweet, loving
Serena. She loves everyone. It is not the Princess' love, refined and
regal, but the innocent and complete love of this amazing girl.. I love
her because of the incredible heart that only Serena has. Because she is
everything I am not."
        "I don't understand you at all, Darien. As you said, she loves
everyone. Aren't you part of everyone?" Lita asked. Darien pounded his
fists against the table in frustration.
        "Look at me. I am not someone that gives affection the way she
does. I can't show my emotions as freely as she does. I tease her, make
fun of her, taunt her, yet I love her.  How could she love me, when I am
like this? I'm pathetic. She deserves better. And after all the times I
hurt her, why shouldn't she turn away from me."
        "It sounds to me like you feel sorry for yourself, Darien. I
know you love her. And that she loves you. Not The Prince, but you,
Darien Chiba, the human you are now, not who you were in the past. Even
if she doesn't remember, she loves you. She has never been able to hide
her heart from herself for long. Just wait. Give her time," Lita said.
Darien looked down, unhappy with the advice. "But, if you really want to
know if she could love you, why don't you show her why she should love
you? Make her fall in love with you again. Do it the way you would have
if she was a normal girl. And then you'll see that she loves you,
Darien.  Maybe then you'll realize she loves no one else but Darien
Chiba."

        "Oh Luna, I don't see why I have to go pick Reeny up at that
horrid Darien Chiba's apartment. Why does she spend do much time over
there? And since when do my parents totally adore the guy. My dad likes
him more than Melvin, I think," Serena complained, crossing the park.
        "Honestly Serena. It's just a boy. Now stop complaining and get
your cousin," Luna said.  'How are we going to get those two together if
she keeps on acting like this?' Luna asked herself.  Serena was acting
more like herself from a year ago. All the growth she had undergone was
completely undone.
        "I still don't have to like it," Serena said, pouting. Luna
sighed.
        "All right, Serena. Don't like it. I don't care. I'm going
home," Luna said in defeat. She had forgotten how tiring the old Serena
could be.
        "'Kay. See ya at home, Luna." Serena waved good bye as her
feline companion walked away.  Serena strolled lazily down the path
towards Darien's apartment. It was so familiar, like she should remember
going down this path, had done it so many times. Her heart seemed to
smile as she thought of walking down the path. Serena strained to reach
out for the memory, but it danced away as quickly as it had come. Serena
frowned in frustration. Ahead of her, she saw two people.  A tall man,
and a smaller girl. Darien and Reeny. Serena jumped into the bushed and
began to follow them.
        "I'm very proud of you, Reeny. That's wonderful news," Darien
said, tousling her hair affectionately.
        "Do you think Auntie Ellen will be too?" she asked. Darien
smiled down at her.
        "Of course she will be. Who wouldn't be proud of a perfect
spelling test?" he said. Reeny smiled and wrapped her arms around his
legs tightly. Darien lifted her up into his arms.
        "Ohh, do I get a piggy back ride?" she asked.
        "If that's what you want, little princess," Darien said,
hoisting her up onto his back. She latched her arms around her neck.
        "Whee. Darien, I don't want to go home. Can't I stay longer,
please?"
        "No honey. Your aunt and uncle are going to want you back for
dinner."
        "Well can't you come too?" she asked.
        "No, I don't think I can," he said. Reeny looked crestfallen.
        "But hey, you are always welcome to visit, anytime. And, we
still have that school project of yours to work on," Darien said. Reeny
smiled.
        "So can I come tomorrow?" she asked.
        "Of course. And tomorrow maybe I can finish that story we're in
the middle of," he said.  Reeny laughed.
        "Oh, can we read it tonight?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
        "I don't know if there's time?"
        "Oh please. Please please please Darien," she begged. He
laughed, his eyes shining earnestly.
        'Wow, he looks almost cute,' Serena said to herself. He didn't
act like the Darien she knew.  He seemed so warm, so caring. She didn't
even know Darien could be caring. But, she liked this new side of him
that she saw. Glancing up, she noticed that the pair had entered the
building.
        She went inside and took the elevator to his apartment. She
knocked on the door lightly, but just the brush of her fingers opened
the door wide for her. She stepped inside.
        "Darien?" she called softly. She heard voices in the bedroom and
walked quietly to the door, standing right outside the frame but not far
enough in to be seen.
        "...  And then the clock struck twelve. 'Oh no!' cried
Cinderella," Darien said in a high voice, imitating the fairy tale
princess. Serena covered her mouth to suppress her giggles. "'I have to
go,' she said, and rushed down the steps to her carriage. They raced
through the forest, down the road, trying to beat the clock, but with
every chime, her horses changed back into mice, her ball gown into her
tattered dress, until only the carriage remained, and then, that too
turned into a pumpkin, leaving poor Cinderella to walk home, dreaming of
her prince." Darien quietly trailed off, noticing that Reeny had dozed
off. He knelt down to kiss the top of her head then tucked her in.
'He's so different. I wonder what it would be like if he was like this
all the time?' Serena thought as she watched the two. She saw Darien,
but it was not the Darien she knew. He was different. She wasn't sure if
that was a good thing or a bad thing. It was, after all, Darien Chiba.
But boy, would he make a great father one day.
        As Darien left the room, he knocked into someone.
        "Oh! Darien. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be in your apartment
without knocking. But the door was opened and I just - " Serena began,
flustered. Darien only smiled at her warmly.
        "Don't worry about it, Serena."
        "What, you're not going to make fun of my hair? Or my
clumsiness?" she asked. Darien flinched, as thought the words physically
hurt him.
        "Am I that awful?" he asked her, turning away. Serena looked
down at her feet in shame. 'I didn't mean to hurt his feelings,' she
thought.
        "I'm sorry, Darien. I should leave," she said quickly.
        "No, don't be sorry. I deserve it. But I'm being rude, sit.
Would you like a drink? Water, juice, soda?" he asked.
        "Um, uh, water would be fine. Thanks," she said, stunned. 'Why
are you being nice to me?' she wondered. No, not nice exactly. He seemed
distant to her, and cool, cordial around her, as though he were afraid
he would... he would do what? She felt like she ought to know this. She
felt like she should know him better, know his every emotion like her
own. 'Where did that come from?' she asked herself.
        "You're really good with Reeny. She really likes you a lot,"
Serena said.
        "She reminds me of someone," Darien replied.
        "Really. Who?"
        "Someone I loved," Darien said sadly. Serena got up and touched
his arm, staring into his eyes.
        'I could drown in them,' she thought, but quickly shook her
head, banishing the odd thought.
        "I'm sorry. I've hurt you again. I didn't mean to," she said. He
smiled at her strangely. She felt trapped by those eyes, and wished they
would sweep her up, guide her to the innermost parts of his heart. But,
he broke the spell, and she blinked as she was vaguely aware of what was
going on around her. His hand, which moments before had rested gently on
top of hers, although she could not remember when he had put it there,
fell to his side.
        "I'll get Reeny for you," he said and walked into the bedroom,
returning with the sleeping girl. Serena smiled gratefully at him.
        "Thanks," she said, taking her in her arms, trying her hardest
to not wake the girl.
        "I guess I'll see you around, Darien," she said. Darien ran a
hand through his hair nervously. Why was he nervous all of a sudden?
Because Serena was standing here, in his apartment, looking like an
angel with that bewildered look one her face. What had she just felt
when she looked at him? Love? He could only hope.
        "I'll see you later, Serena," he said, walking her to the door
and watching her walk until she turned the corner of the hallway, out of
his sight. He closed the door and leaned against it, pulling out a worn
picture that he had looked at many times.
        'When will you return to me, Serena. Will you return to me at
all?'

        Serena looked at the gray headstone in morbid fascination. She
giggled, despite the gloomy setting. It was just too weird for her not
to laugh.
        "What's so funny? I'll bet that poor girl doesn't appreciate you
laughing at her grave," said a blond haired boy who was walking up the
path. Serena's hands immediately flew to her mouth as she began to laugh
harder.
        "Now that's not very nice at all. I'll bet that poor," he leaned
in close to the headstone to read the name, "Serena Tsukino doesn't like
that one bit."
        "I'm sure she doesn't mind too much. I'm pretty close to her,"
Serena said, biting her lip.  The boy smiled.
        "Oh really? How can you be sure?" he asked.
        "Simple. I'm Serena Tsukino," she said. The boy looked at her
like she was crazy.
        "So, I'm talking to a corpse now?" he said sarcastically. Serena
shook her head.
        "Nah. I'm alive. Dead people don't have to go to school," she
said. "Besides, I'd know if I was dead."
        "Was the grave some sort of sick joke? Maybe Santa thought you
had been beyond bad and needed something more extreme than coal?" Serena
giggled again.
        "It was a mistake. I was supposed to be dead, but I wasn't.
See," she said, holding out her arm in front of him. He acted as though
her were examining it.
        "Nope, this is definitely the arm of a dead person," he
declared. Serena's eyes got huge.
        "What? But I'm not dead. You're lying!" she said with a pout.
Now it was the boy's turn to laugh.
        "But of course I am, Serena Tsukino. I'm Matt Kemryon," he said.
Then he leaned closer to her. "And guess what?" he whispered.
        "What?" Serena whispered back.
        He looked around quickly, then, whispered, "I'm alive too," he
said, as though it were some big secret.  Serena groaned.
        "I knew that," she said.
        "I'm sure you did. Anyone whose seen the other side would be
able to tell the difference," he said.
        "Hey, I was never really dead. I was just missing and oh, it's a
long story." She said defensively.
        "Well, I have time. Why don't you tell me your long story while
we catch a bite to eat?" he asked. Serena smiled. He was kinda cute.
And, it was dinner.
        "Ohh, food! Sure. Let's go," she said enthusiastically, grabbed
his arm, and dragged Matt away.

        "... and maybe a hot fudge sundae and a vanilla milkshake and I
think that's it," Serena finally said. Matt stared at her in surprise.
        "How does such a thin girl eat so much?" he asked, staring at
her. Serena smiled and shrugged her shoulders.
        "Hey, I'm a growing girl," she said. Matt laughed.
        "Yeah, but you should watch which way you're growing," he said.
Serena narrowed her eyes at him.
        "That wasn't nice at all. I'm seriously thinking about leaving,"
she said lightly. Matt laughed again.
        "Oh, did I hurt your feelings. I'm sorry. Please, please,
forgive me. I will be your slave for ever Princess Serena," he said
mockingly, bowing to her in his seat. Serena giggled.
        "Stop," she said. He did when their food arrived and they began
to eat.
        "This is really good. Thanks for taking me out," Serena said as
she finished the last of her fries.
        "No biggie. Maybe I'll see you around, Princess," he said, and,
taking her hand, he kissed it. Serena blushed.
        "Don't do that," she said, though she didn't sound convincing.
He smiled at her. 'Wow, he's so cute,' Serena thought. Then, his face
darkened.
        "What is it?" she asked. He shook his head.
        "I don't know. Maybe I'm overreacting, but is that guy over
there staring at us?" he asked, nodding his head in the direction of the
booth behind them. Serena leaned over and looked.
        "Oh, that's Darien. He's just some guy that watches my cousin,"
she said. "Don't mind him," she said.
        "If you say so. But he's looking at us weird. Freaks me out,"
Matt said. Serena laughed.
        "That's silly. He's perfectly harmless, annoying but harmless.
Don't worry," she said.
        "I guess so. So do you want to do something tomorrow?" Serena
beamed. 'Yes!' she screamed to herself.
        "Sure. I'll see you at the- oh hi Darien," she said, stopping to
greet the dark haired man mid-sentence. He loomed over the table,
staring down at the two.
        "Is there something you want?" she asked. "I'm kinda busy."
        "No, nothing I want. Just checking to make sure everything is
all right," he said, scowling at Matt.
        "You don't have to 'check up' on me. I'm a big girl now. Why
don't you go watch Reeny or something?" she suggested. Darien took
Serena's arm and pulled her up from the seat.
        "I need to talk to you," Darien said. Matt had already risen,
glaring at Darien. "Alone."
        "Um, sure, Darien," she said, then, to Matt, "Matt could you
give me a second."
        "Um, sure. But if that guy's bothering you -" Matt said darkly.
        "No it's cool. I'll be right back," she said.
        "Hey, I've gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow, Serena," Matt said,
still glaring at Darien as he walked out of the restaurant. Serena
turned on her heels angrily to face Darien.
        "What did you think you were doing? I was on a date!" she
yelled. Darien lowered his eyes, unable to meet hers.
        "You don't even know that boy. Who knows what he could have been
after?" Darien said.
        "It's none of your business, Darien. I liked him a lot and you
embarrassed me. What made you think you had any right to interfere?" she
asked. He was silent. Serena stamped her foot impatiently. "Well?" she
said. He shook his head.
        "I just wanted to make sure you weren't getting into trouble,"
Darien said.  He let go of Serena and stared at her intensely.
        "Do you think I can't take care of myself? Because I can,
Darien."
        "I was just worried that you had picked up some strange boy you
didn't know anything about. Who knows what he could have been after,
Meatball Head!' he said, frustrated. Serena's eyes began to water.
        "Look who's strange. You're twenty years old and you won't leave
me alone. And don't call me Meatball Head!"
        "I'm only trying to watch out for you. But I guess that's too
much for you," he said angrily.  'How does she manage to make me want to
kill her?' he wondered, as she stubbornly yelled at him.
        "Why do you care anyways, Darien?" she asked. He ignored her and
walked away silently.  Serena was fuming by now. "Yeah well, you better
leave Darien. Just go away and leave me alone," Serena said, and sat
down in her chair. 'Men!' she thought angrily.

        "So, have you swept Serena off her feet yet?" Lita asked,
stretching her long legs lazily.  She loved the warm weather, especially
when she got to spend it in the park.
        "Someone else beat me to it," Darien said, staring at the roses.
        "What!?!?" she yelled, immediately sitting upright. "What do you
mean, 'someone else'? What happened?"
        "She went on a date today."
        "Well, it doesn't mean anything," Lita said, crossing her arms.
Darien shook his head.
        "I don't think so. She said that she really liked him," Darien
said.
        "No way! I don't believe it. You know she likes you more than
anyone."
        "No. She told him that I was just some guy," Darien said. He
narrowed his eyes. "Some guy!" he said angrily. "To her, I'm just some
random guy that watches her cousin. I'm nothing to her."
        "Well, then, try and be something to her then. Take her out or
something. You can't just let her go out with some other guy. She's your
girlfriend."
        "I don't think she wants that anymore. All I want is for her to
be happy. And she'd be happier with someone else."
        "How do you know that? How can you give in so easily?" Lita
argued.
        "I'm not going to force her to love me. If she doesn't love me
for who I am now, then maybe we never really loved each other in this
life," Darien said sadly.
        "How can you say that?" Lita asked. Darien closed his eyes.
        "Because it's true. There's nothing I can do to make her love
me. She's obviously happier with other guys. And as long as she's happy,
I can manage," he said, and stood.
        "Well, thanks for listening, Lita. And for trying to help. I
really appreciate all your doing, but I guess Serena and I just weren't
meant to be." Lita stared at him in disbelief.

        Reeny smiled as she stuffed another cake in her mouth.
        "This is really good, Lita," she mumbled, her mouth full of
crumbs. Lita smiled.
        "Thanks Reeny. So, you're sure of what you have to do to get
Darien and Serena together?" she asked. Reeny nodded.
        "You bet. By the time we're through with them, they'll be so
lovey dovey it'll make us sick," Reeny guaranteed. Lita laughed.
        "Perfect. Now- Hey, do you hear that?" Lita asked. Reeny stopped
eating and became silent. Both strained to hear what had interrupted
Lita. Screams, faint, but not too far away.
        "The Negaverse?" Reeny asked.
        "Probably," Lita said. She pulled out her transformation stick
and held it high in the air.
        "Jupiter Power!" she screamed. In an instant flash of
electricity, she transformed into Sailor Jupiter. She pulled out a tiny
communicator and threw it to Reeny. She caught it, bewildered.
        "What do you want me to do?" Reeny asked, looking down at the
machine.
        "I want you to call the Scouts. Including Serena," Lita said.
        "What? Serena too?" she asked in surprise.
        "Yeah, Serena too. Luna thinks that it's time she started
fighting with us. She's well enough to face a youma. Besides, we could
really use her scepter. It would make our job so much easier.  You've
seen how well we do without her."
        "Yeah, you guys win by the skin of your hair," Reeny said
seriously. Lita laughed.
        "That's teeth, honey. Skin of your teeth. Listen, just call the
others. I should go stop that youma from hurting anyone else," Lita said
and she turned to run down the street.

        Sailor Moon raced around the corner, skidding to a halt right in
front of the restaurant.  Sailor Jupiter was taking on the youma all by
herself! And, she wasn't doing that well either. She decided that it was
time for the youma to get dusted.
        "Hey, you, ugly! Over here. I am Sailor Moon, and you're
moondust!" Sailor Moon said with extra gusto. She hadn't done this in a
long time. It felt good.
        The youma sated at her, and laughed.
        "So you think so, little Sailor Brat. Well, feel the power of
the Negaverse," the youma said, smiling. She raised her arms and sharp
ribbons flew forward towards Sailor Moon. Moon shrieked as the things
raced towards her.
        "Jupiter Thunder Crash!" Jupiter yelled. A bolt of electricity
knocked the ribbons away, knocking them into the wall. A chunk of the
bricks fell to the ground, as Moon stared at them in fear.
        "Thanks Jupiter!" she said, her voice shaking. Jupiter smiled at
her.
        "No problem. Now, use your scepter, Sailor Moon."
        "Scepter?" Moon asked, confused.
        "Just kill the stupid thing!" Jupiter yelled as she blasted the
creature again.
        "Oh, okay. Moon Tiara Elimination!" she yelled, throwing the
glowing orb at the monster. It crashed into it, but didn't do much
damage, and the thing staggered, then took a step towards her.
        "Um, hey! You're supposed to be dead!" Moon yelled.
        "You'll have to do better than that!" the youma said. More
ribbons grew from her fingers and veered towards Sailor Moon. She
screamed, frozen to the spot in fear. All she could do was stare at the
ribbons coming towards her and wait.
        But, a pair of arms grabbed her and lifted her up, the ribbons
passing harmlessly beneath her feet. She looked up at her savior.
        "Tuxedo Mask!" she said dreamily, her eyes shimmering with love.
"You saved me!"
        "Don't I always? Or, have you forgotten that too?" he asked.
Sailor Moon looked away in shame.
        "No, no," she said quickly.
        "You have got to beat that thing with your most powerful
attack," Tuxedo Mask said, putting her down on the ground. Sailor Moon
still hung on his arm.
        "Sure thing," she said, spinning on her heels to face the youma
that Jupiter and the newly arrived Sailor Mercury had been fighting.
Moon placed her hands to her forehead, and commanded the tiara.
        "Moon Tiara Magic!" she called, and aimed for the middle of the
youma's chest. She let it fly, and that, coupled with the combined
energy of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury's power blasted through the
youma, and it was reduced to moondust and a dark crystal with an
inverted black moon sign on it.
        "Nice job, guys!" Sailor Moon said, smiling happily. Jupiter and
Mercury didn't look quite so enthusiastic.
        "Sailor Moon, why didn't you use your scepter?" Mercury asked.
Moon looked at her quizzically.
        "What scepter?" she asked.
        "The one with the Crystal. Do you remember the Crystal?" Jupiter
asked. Sailor Moon shook her head slowly.
        "All I remember is my tiara," she said. "Is that bad?"
        "You're scepter is probably the most powerful weapon in the
world. You could have dusted that youma easily with it. Are you sure you
don't remember it?" Mercury said. Moon nodded, her eyes tearing.
        "I really, really, don't remember. I'm sorry. But at least we
beat it, right?" she asked.
        "You did great, Sailor Moon. But, we need your scepter," Jupiter
said. Tuxedo Mask stepped up from behind Sailor Moon and put a hand on
her shoulder.
        "You have got to remember your past, Sailor Moon. You could
endanger your friends if you don't use the most powerful attack
possible," he said. Sailor Moon began to cry.
        "I'm sorry if I let you down. But I can't remember. I can't!"
she said. Jupiter put a comforting arm around her.
        "It's okay. You'll remember. You just need time. Come on, let's
go home," Jupiter said.  Sailor Moon smiled gratefully.
        "Thanks. You know, I wish I could remember who you were. I'll
bet you were a great friend," Moon said. Jupiter nodded.
        "I wish you could remember, too. But hey, you remembered that we
were friends. That's something. Just give it time and you'll get it all
back. I promise," She said.

        To be continued...

        Well, that's it for now. So now it's up to you guys.
Suggestions, comments, flames, praise, criticism - constructive or
otherwise - are all welcome. I love mail, so send me tons, and if you
want me to finish, I will. So write me! Later all - Razzz
	Edited by the incredibly cool and talented Tuxedo Will - everybody read his stuff, Chibi Usa Times Two, Tales of a Younger Venus and Tales of a Younger Jupiter.