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The Tempest-Author's notes,etc.

I can't say what my inspiration for this story was but I can hope that
those of you who read it will appreciate my efforts and in doing so, you
will serve that purpose^^
For comments, flames, etc., pls. mail me at saki@info.com.ph
And pls. visit my website at http://www.geocities.com/tokyo/pagoda/9862

And yes, it is a love story.


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The Tempest
By Saki
saki@info.com.ph
Parts 1 - 5

*******************************************************************

The wind blew stronger than usual and dark clouds floated precariously
above the ocean's violent surface; it's waves lapping angrily at the
dead seashore.

One could say that the weather that day was an upcoming sign of a
tempest, and yet
surprisingly, there were no signs of lightning in the sky.  Still, it
must have looked dangerous enough that even the seagulls who so
frequently inhabited the coast were no where to be found and the waves
that rushed to the shore seemed frightened of whatever was 'up there'.

It would be insane to go out in such conditions, but a certain young
person didn't think so.
On the foot of the beach a girl of no more than fifteen years stood, her
long blonde hair flying out behind her in accompaniment to the wind. Her
blue eyes stared indifferently at the horizon, and her bare feet soaked
in the water ashore. Suddenly, the sky growled as if to warn her and the
low rumble of thunder was heard.

Unfazed, she reached up and stretched.

She looked up; this time her eyes were more alert. She yawned and slowly
rubbed her hands together.

"What a perfect day to die"

Studio Huh presents
The Tempest
By Saki


"Serena?"

No reply.

"Serena, are you ok?" Luna was worried. Her charge was sitting on the
bed by the window late that night and her shoulders were shaking
silently.

She's crying again. That Darien doesn't realize the effect he has on
her.

"Lu..."she whispered softly, but her head was bent and the cat couldn't
see her face.

"It's okay, I know. Do you want to talk about it?"

 "Can't..." and small cries became sobs.

That was a dumb question. She couldn't even speak at that moment, Luna
scolded herself. It had been weeks since 'The Breakup' and Serena was
not taking it well. Not well at all.

"Serena, you can't be like this forever. You've got to be strong and get
on with your life"

Serena remained silent but her shoulders stopped shaking. Luna sighed
with relief. She missed her loud wails and preferred them to this
display of hurt, so foreign to Serena's nature.

"What happened?"

"I...saw...I saw him.."

No explanation of 'him' was necessary.

"Go on"

"With... another girl" she whispered, looking down.

"Did he see you?"

"Yes" she suddenly grabbed Luna and hugged her tight, hiding her face in
the sleek, black, fur.

"His eyes-so... cold" she cried softly.
Luna licked her face, wet and salty with tears.

"He turned away and..."
"Shh! You don't have to talk if it hurts you this much" the cat said
softly, but she continued.

"...put his arm around her" her voice died.

" She's probably just a friend of his, and he only did that to push you
away"

"..."

"Serena?!" Luna peered into her face. She was falling asleep, from
exhaustion, no doubt and Luna  quickly tucked her into bed.
"She's been like this for the past few weeks" she thought, " I'll have
to tell Reeny to be nicer to her when she wakes up in the morning. But
how can I get her to change back to her normal self?"
There was only one answer to that. " I'll have to talk to Darien"


***

It was eleven in the evening when Darien heard someone tapping at his
bedroom window. Who on earth?- his eyes narrowed when he saw who it was
but he opened the window anyway.

"Darien" Luna said softly, " We have to talk"

"Is this about Serena?"

"You know it is"

"No"

"Just give me an explanation and I-we, will leave you alone"

He expected that and crossed his arms. Luna took it as a yes.

" Why did you break up with her? Was it something she did?"

"No"

"Was it something you did?"

"No"

" What is it, then?"

" I needed.." he turned around and began to massage the muscles at the
back of his neck, " some space"
"Your love began long ago and lasted through time and right now you
expect me to believe that excuse?"
He whirled around and surprised her, his eyes cold as the glaciers
Serena described them to be.

"YES! I don't like being 'forced' to care about someone just because I
had a relationship with her in the past! Do you think that I am an
automaton? A thing that can stand to have it's life written out for
it?!!"
"I..." Luna murmured, surprised at his outburst but he was not finished.

"I'm sorry Luna, but I just want to live my life the way I want and I
don't want to be tied to the past. And Serena..." his harshness suddenly
disappeared as he mentioned her name, but his face remained stony.
"...is a thing of the past"

"But why do you always come to her aid as tuxedo mask when she needs
help?"

"I only do it as my duty, nothing else. I'm willing to at least do that
for the sake of Crystal Tokyo but please spare me my personal life.
That, I will not sacrifice"

Luna stared at the enigmatic young man before her. His fists were
clenched, but his expression was calm. She had never seen Darien like
this before, it seemed like nothing would change his mind, and yet,
something was not right...whatever it was, she would have to find out
later. Experience told her that nothing would soften him right now; She
had to get back to Serena.

"Darien, I understand how you feel about this 'destiny written' and all
but are you completely certain that-that you don't love her anymore?"
Again, he expected that, but this time instead of turning away he
managed to look slightly over her head. "No...I don't-anymore"
Luna nodded sadly. " If you should change your mind..."

"I won't"

Luna sighed. " I should be going now. Thank you for your time". And she
was gone.

He was so cold, she thought as she made her way back to the Tsukino's.
'And yet I cannot* believe that he does not love her'. She recalled a
time not long ago when she spied Serena and Darien together in one of
their intimate moments.

They were in the park during one of their dates and Luna coincidentally
decided to take a stroll there at that time when she saw them. He had
his arms wrapped tightly around her, her face buried in his chest. He
tipped her chin up and looked at her with so much love in his blue eyes
that Luna smiled even if she knew that she should not be seeing this.
" I love you" he whispered tenderly.
" I love you too, Muf- " her words were cut of by his mouth as he kissed
her passionately on the lips.
She tried to break of but he held her even tighter and he deepened the
kiss. Imprisoned within the strength of his arms, she stopped resisting
and melted into his embrace. Luna then reddened when she realized what
kind of kiss he was giving her and she quickly turned away...
A week later, he broke of with her. Luna snapped out of her reverie.

What happened? She asked herself as she approached Serena's home.
What she did not know was that back at Darien's apartment, he unclenched
his fists and stared at the open window that had been alive with her
presence a while ago.
He had half a mind to run out and catch up with her, to tell her that
all he said were lies, to tell her that, that ...well, he had half a
mind.
He stared at the empty bed awaiting him.
Evil bed.
He sat on it's edge and his face contorted with pain and he struggled
until it was composed again.
He got no sleep that night.


***

A few days later, Serena and Reenie walked side by side to the Cherry
Hill Temple where the scouts were having there weekly meeting. Luna had
made it specifically clear that Serena was not her usual self and she
had asked Reenie to try to get along for her sake. She needn't have
asked.  Reenie herself was getting worried. Her companion's silence was
unnerving and although she told herself that Serena's break-up with
Darien was good and that it would give the latter more time with her,
she couldn't stand the way the meatball head was acting lately.

"Whatsa matter, meatball head?"

"Urmmm..."

Finally, she could stand it no longer. " If you're going to be moping
around about Darien like that, then I don't want to spend any time with
you!" she shut her mouth when she realized what she just said. She
waited for the angry outburst that she knew was about to come. It
didn't.

"Darien..." Serena said softly, and she turned pale as her lip quivered.

Oh no, she's going to cry again.
Luckily, they were nearing the temple and Serena was forced to compose
herself.

"It's about time!" Raye Hino said, but she stopped herself when she
noticed the dark shadows underneath Serena's eyes.
"What took you so long?"
"I slept late last night"
"That's okay Serena" chimed in Amy. " We were just starting anyway" she
lied.
"Yeah, sit down" Mina murmured, gesturing to the floor beside her. "Lita
brought some of your favorite cookies as a snack"
"Thanks, but I'm not really hungry today"
They all looked at each other, and then at her, worried. She sat down
and kept her gaze on the floor.
"Anyway" Raye murmured, " I called this meeting because I've been
getting some strange vibes last night"
"Vibes?" Amy inquired.
"Yes, as you all know, ever since Rubius appeared, whenever I'm in front
of the fire, I always sense his presence, somehow, in one way or
another, last night changed all that.  I didn't feel a thing"
"That sounds bad", Lita said. "As in, nothing whatever?"
"As in, blank slate"
"This is very strange" and Amy took out her computer and began to make
some calculations. "At what time exactly did you say you couldn't feel
anything?"
"At about eight sharp"
"Come to think of it, Rubeus hasn't been showing up lately" Mina said .
"Still, we should be on guard though, you know how sneaky he can be"
"Yeah, Serena, make sure you have Reenie by your side all the time, You
know how much he wants to kidnap her"
"Yes, I will" came the soft reply." She's been beside me the whole week,
except when I'm at school and I have to leave her with Luna"

"And Darien always takes me out during weekends" piped the pink haired
one carelessly. Oblivious to the horrified looks of the scouts, or the
pained expression
that suddenly appeared on Serens's face, she babbled on, " we go out
every Saturday.  He takes me to the park, then we go out for ice cream
and-"

"Er-that's very nice Reenie", Mina said, turning red.
"Er-why don't you" Lita groped behind her and took out a little bag, "
try some of these cookies, since Serena won't have them, anyway"
"Back to the meeting" Raye said quickly, " I suggest that we stay on
guard and"
"Serena, would you like to go out?" Amy said, putting her arm around
her. " I hear they have this really good video game in the arcade, and-"

"No thank you, I-have some schoolwork to do"
Silence.

Schoolwork and Serena Tsukino did not meet, if, at all!

She shifted uneasily beneath their gazes. " I, have a project. A science
project with the new girl in class"
" Who? Oh, you mean Cassiel Fidelis?"
"Yes"
" She's so weird" began Mina. "Come to think of it, she hardly talks to
anyone while in school"
"She's even quieter than you, Amy. I tried talking to her once, and she
just nodded shyly and sorta slipped of"
"She's very pretty, though" Serena finally added to the conversation.
"Listen, I better get going"
" Of course!" Amy patted her shoulder again, " I'm glad to see that
you're taking your studies seriously"
"It helps...keep my mind, of things".
"We understand" Lita said. "Don't you worry, we'll take care of Reenie"
She nodded and instead of running of like the usual, walked slowly away.





 The Tempest, part two
By Saki


" So..." Cassiel Fidelis murmured, looking down the floor in a timid
fashion, " Do you want something to drink?"
"Um, just water, please"

Serena studied the girl surreptitiously as she hustled about her small
home to fetch the glass of water. Cassiel Fidelis was very pretty. She
had long blonde hair in the exact shade of Serena's and although
slightly shorter, (indeed, who had longer hair than Serena?) one could
mistake them for sisters for even her eyes were blue.

Cassiel, in return, watched Serena from her kitchen.
She's so pretty. But her eyes...they're so...sad.

When Serena finished her drink another heavy silence came.
"Cassiel, Are your parents home?"
"No. I live with my guardian but she's at work now, so..."
"Maybe we can get started with the project"
"Yeah. I already bought the assigned materials, all we have to do is
work on it"
"You paid for everything? You shouldn't have"
"No, it's okey, really. They weren't that expensive. We can do it here
in the living room, since there's a rug anyway, or would you prefer the
table in the dining area?"
"Here would be fine" Serena laughed, her first real laugh in weeks.
" I don't really do my homework that much, I'm sure you know that
already from all the scolding I get from Miss Haruna, so I'm not sure
which place would be more comfy"
"Oh". Cassiel dawdled a bit, then decided to go up to fetch the
materials.

In the meantime, her guest sat down and observed her surroundings. It
was a small house, even smaller than hers and the furnishings were
somewhat lacking. The walls and curtains were a pretty shade of yellow,
as if to give cheer to the lack of décor and yet the place seemed to
mirror the personality of the girl who lived there.

Serena remembered the first time she laid eyes on Cassiel. She was the
new girl in class and as she stood in front of the platform while the
teacher introduced her, Serena had the uneasy feeling that the newcomer
felt like an organism under a microscope.
She tripped on her way to her seat, and the class burst out laughing.
"Hey Serena" Melvin called, "Are you like, related, or something?"
"Harharhar! Very funny Melvin!"
A week later, everyone forgot the new girl and regular schedule resumed.
Cassiel Fidelis was now relegated to the 'outcast' category- no, she was
even more than that. She was an ''outcast' among outcasts. Serena, being
the caring person she was, resolved to make friends with the newcomer
but she was unable to during the first few weeks due to her break up
with Darien and the emotional havoc it caused. The perfect opportunity
came when they were both assigned  partners in a science project.
"I wonder what's taking her so long" Serena mused.
Upstairs, Cassiel stared a long time at the pens and papers that were
spread out before her.


Ogogodogod. She's here. She's actually HERE.
"Hope I don't make a fool of myself". Her cheeks burned as she
remembered her first day in class. They were all laughing, all, except
for the blonde girl with the strange hairdo.
If I trip again in frontofherIswearI'llkillmyself.
Surprise, surprise. She wasn't the only klutz around. Apparently, the
meatball head shared the same curse. Even worse, she thought. And yet
she just laughed it of and didn't seem to mind. And when she
cried...what wail she had! It was like a siren! A fountain actually.
"Aaack! I'm sorry Miss Haruna!"
"Really, Serena! You should be more careful. You could hurt someone like
that!
"I'm sorry Ma'am. I do try..." and her lower lip quivered and,
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Cassiel was immediately interested.
"Um, Serena" cried the agitated teacher, "It's okay. Get back to your
seat"
Cassiel sighed at the memory and picked up the materials. Serena's
personality intrigued her, even more so when a few weeks ago all of that
changed. She came to class a new person. She had dark circles under her
eyes and her ever popular wail was gone.
Serena stood up when she saw her host coming.
"Sorry I took so long"
"No problem. Let's get started so we can finish the first part early"



**************************************************************************



Darien watched Reenie as she worked away with the crayons and coloring
book on his living room floor.  "Is this okay Darien?" she asked,
putting up the drawing of a colored kitten in front of him.
"It's wonderful, munchkin. You should do that more often"
She blushed with the praise and turning back to her work, continued to
do more.

She reminded him so much of her, he thought. The way her hair was fixed,
even the expression on her face when something went wrong. It was
probably the reason why he liked being around her so often. He was
subconsciously looking for a substitute for what he lost.
It was so unfair that it had to end this way. They were so damn happy
together, and then the dreams...he savagely shrugged the thoughts aside.
It was better not to think of her. Right after the big B, she'd follow
him around. She even went to his apartment and practically begged for an
explanation. And he'd push her away.
"Is it something I did?" she'd ask him tearily.
"No. I just want a new life. To date other people, you should too"
"But I don't want anyone but you-" and her eyes would fill with tears.
"Stop that! Just -look, it's over between us! Crying won't change my
mind", he said harshly, but inside his soul of souls, his heart was
breaking.


He expected an angry reply from her. Any form of angry retort,  that
would've made him feel better. But no, she just stood there, stiff and
pale from what he had just said. And her face. Never before had he seen
such sadness, such longing as she looked at him.
He almost took her in his arms at that moment... but he fought with
himself and did not. He couldn't stand the way he was treating her
anymore but there was no other way. "I'm sorry Serena"  He began to
closed the door on her face.
It was just -so-HARD!

"Darien!"

"Huh?!!"

"You aren't listening to me!" Reenie wailed, then she put up another
colored drawing in front of his face. This time, it was a drawing of a
princess. Reenie colored her hair yellow and her dress white.

Serena.

"That's...very pretty. Even better than your first" He took Reenie to
his lap.
"Why did you color her hair yellow and her dress white?"
"I felt like it" Reenie shrugged. " Besides, my mommy always wore white"

She began to cry as she remembered her mother. "It's okay dear" Darien
said. "We'll find some way to take you back to her. Besides, you have
me"
She stopped sniffling and smiled, much to his pleasure. "Come, let's
watch TV-that ought to cheer you up"
Just then, the phone rang. Darien picked it up.
"Hello Darien, it's Raye!"
"Raye! What's up? Something urgent?"
" You bet! Quick...open the TV. Channel five!"


Meanwhile...

Serena looked at what she and Cassiel managed to accomplish. A huge
poster of the planets spread out before them, created only by pencil and
marker.
"You'd make a good artist, did you know that?" Cassiel told her
admiringly.
"We made a good team"
Cassiel blushed and looked away. "Since we're finished with more than
half of it, do you want to take a break? Watch TV or something?"
"Sure", Serena smiled and her companion's heart stopped beating.
The TV opened to the five o'clock news.

" Good Afternoon" the reporter intoned " Just this afternoon at
approximately one hour ago, the body of a man was discovered  lying on
the seashore of WhiteSand beach..."

The screen showed the body of the man as he was being carted up to an
ambulance. Serena's blood froze. She knew* that man.

" Investigators have been trying to identify the man but it may seem
impossible, for according to the police, he possesses no identification
records whatsoever..."

The camera went closer to the man's body

" His skin was covered with what looked like a skin disease,
only...metallic in nature. Although such things do not exist, experts
say that it is possible, due in part to the chemical wastes coming from
factories not far from that area..."

"Serena? Are you o.k?" Cassiel asked.
Serena stared at the TV screen then at her. "Huh? Oh, it's nothing!  I
just hate the look of skin allergies, y'know. It's just so, so gross"

What in the world happened to RUBEUS?


^^^

" They're probably examining his body by now" Raye mused. They all
gathered once more at the temple to discuss what happened.

"But still, with Rubeus out of the way, we won't have to worry about him
going after Reenie as much"

"Don't be silly, someone did this to him! He's not the kind of person to
just die of like that. Something is going on"

"Guys...sorry I'm late" puffed Serena

"What took you so long-again?"

"Raye,  Cassiel's house is far from here, and-

"Whatever. Anyway, let's try to use the fire and see if we can feel
anything"

"But aren't you the only one who can do that"

"I might be able to feel something if we gather our energy together"
They nodded and, gathering in a circle front of the fire, they held
their hands together and concentrated.
They felt nothing.
Half an hour later, they gave up.

"The fire's not working Raye" Lita said. " We'll have to find some other
means"

"Amy, why don't you take out your computer. Let's see if we can track
it, technologically, if not spiritually"

"I-can't. My computer broke last night. I still have to fix it" she
said, harassed.

" Sailors, hurry!" came a voice. They looked up and beheld Luna and
Artemis on the doorway.

"A droid is attacking on the first floor of the shopping mall! Didn't
you hear your communicators beeping?"

"No, they must've been destroyed as well" and with that, they all
transformed.



They arrived at the mall in less than half an hour, in time to see a
female droid attacking a crowd of helpless shoppers."

"Jupiter Thunder Crash!"
Talons of Lightning came from Lita's fingertips and into the monster. It
screeched, but as soon as it opened its mouth, a sonar came out and the
vibrating noise made them cover their ears.

"That-that noise!" Raye sreeched, " It...it hurts!"
"Aaaack!" Mina screamed.
" Can't -get it- out of my head!"
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a rose flew by and pierced the droids hide.

"Tuxedo mask" Serena cried softly, her eyes on the tall dark figure
before her.
"Hurry Sailormoon, use your power to save your friends"
"Uh, okey!...Moon Tiara Magic!" Serena cried, not bothering to make her
usual speech. In a flash of light, the creature was dusted. She turned
to face him. "Th..thank you for coming"
"You should act faster next time Sailormoon. I won't always be there to
save you...time is precious. Do not waste it" And he was gone.
Serena brushed furiously at the tears already threatening to spill from
her eyes and she turned to the others. Well at least he came...
"What happened?" she asked them as they snapped out of their current
headaches.
"We should be asking you that meatball head", Raye said, but she looked
at her curiously "How were you able to defeat the droid so easily?"
"Come to think of it you didn't seem to be affected by it's sonar" Amy
said.
The rest of the scouts just looked at her.

"I dunno Amy. When you were all in pain, I didn't feel anything"

"I can't tell if it's bad news or good news"

They left a crowd of dazed shoppers and went to the park. There, with no
one about, they detransformed.
Little did they know that someone did witness this.

As they walked back home, a dazed Cassiel stepped out from behind the
bushes.
"So Serena is Sailormoon!" She leaned back against a tree and sighed.
She had not meant to see this.  She was one of the terrified people in
the crowd and although she had seen the Sailor team on TV and read about
them in the news, she had never seen them in real life, or this close
for that matter. And when she saw Sailormoon's face up close, a strange
feeling came over her.  Could it be?  Such impossible thoughts!- and
yet, as if in a trance she secretly followed them. Her suspicions were
confirmed. Cassiel opened her eyes. Strange, she thought, that she
should suddenly feel so, enlightened?


***

Darien stood several feet away from the Tsukino residence. The fight
ended hours ago and still, he could not get her out of his mind. I
shouldn't be here, he thought, but I am. I can't help it. She'll never
know how much she meant-means to me. This is the closest I can get to
her, short of saying goodnight.
Slowly, he turned around and walked away.

Back at Serena's home, she tossed and turned in the bed.
"Serena!" Luna cried. "Stop that tossing!...you'll wake Reenie!"
"I can't help it! My head is aching. The others had their migraines a
while ago and I don't understand why I'm only having mine now"
" It probably has nothing to do with the droid. If I know, it's because
you haven't eaten dinner and were whining about him all night. Sheez!"
"Hmm, you're right. I think I'll go down and have a snack!" she bubbled
and jumped out of bed.
Luna sighed. Will she ever change? Still, at least she's smiling again.

Downstairs, Serena groaned. "Oh no. I emptied the whole fridge again!
Mom'll kill me in the morning..." She closed the door of the fridge. The
'snack' did not cure her headache. Suddenly, she heard something* and
raced back upstairs.

"Luna" she whispered softly.

"What now?!!"

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That sound..."

Reenie groaned in the bed. "I'm trying to sleep, meatballhead"

"But I hear something"

"I don't hear anything Serena" Luna murmured, "it must be the after
effect of the sonar you heard
a while ago"

"But..."

"Go to sleep"

"...it doesn't..."

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The combination of snores
from both cat and child drowned out her voice.
Serena sighed. It didn't sound like a sonar.

It actually sounded like ...sucking.




The tempest, part three
By Saki



"I wouldn't have believed it if hadn't seen it,"  Mina announced that
Thursday afternoon during lunch hour.

"Wouldn't have believed what?" Amy asked, her nose buried in a book.

"Serena! Look...here she comes now."

The three girls looked up from their lunches.  Serena was standing at
the entrance of the cafeteria, her lunchbox dangling from her
fingertips. Her tired eyes scanned the entire café twice, but she did
not see them.

"S'rena! Over here," Lita waved.

She slowly spun around and, seeing them, made a beeline towards their
table.

"Look at her! She's lost weight again! And there are circles under her
eyes."

"That Darien!" Lita said angrily, "If he's done anything to hurt her, I
swear I'll-"

"I don't think it's him, Lita" Amy whispered as their subject neared the
table, " Not this time. Her head's been aching the whole week and
remember what she said about the sounds?"

"Hi guys," Serena said, plunking her lunchbox down. "Sorry I came late."

"It isn't you to be late for lunch Serena, if anything, you're usually
the first one to arrive."

"I know, but I was at the clinic"

"Your head's aching again? Didn't you see doctor last Sunday?"

"Yes but they couldn't figure out what was wrong with me" she sighed and
sank down the chair. When she said nothing and continued to stare into
space instead of grabbing her lunchbox they  became even more worried
and prodded her.

"This has definitely got to do with that droid we encountered." Amy
said, her
eyes darkening.
"But we already killed it."

"It probably regenerated somewhere and is the cause of her migraines. We
have to take you to a specialist Sere-"

"I already went to one!" she cried, burying her head in her hands.
"Guys! Are you sure you can't hear anything?"

"Serena, what on earth are you talking about?"

"The sounds!" she said desperately. " They've been going on in my head
for the whole week. I've barely had a nights sleep because of them and
now, even the doctor thinks I'm crazy!"
Amy put her arms around her. " Whatever it is, we don't think you're
crazy and we're here for you-"

She suddenly jumped up, surprising all of them "HERE for me?!! How can
you be HERE for me if you can't even FEEL anything!"

She quieted down when she saw some of the surrounding students looking
at them.

"Now Serena,  that's not fair!" Lita cried, beginning to get mad. "It
isn't our fault if we can't feel pain and you can..."  but the odangoed
one continued as if she didn't hear, this time in a softer tone of
voice. "You don't know what it's like, to be sent to two doctors in one
day, and to have them accuse you of 'faking' it so you can miss school."

"Serena..." Amy said softly.

" And my parents actually believe them! Why, I was sent to detention
just yesterday for 'making such a fuss' at test time."

"...we didn't know."

" That's right! You don't know and you can't even imagine..." she said
softly, looking down. "Look...I'm sorry if I said that. I don't know
what got into me..."

"That's okay," Lita said, feeling awful for her. "We should be the ones
apologizing, not you."

"Let's go outside and talk about it," Mina murmured, when she noticed
several curious eyes watching them.




Outside the school, Serena sat herself on a patch of grass under a big
tree. The good weather, combined with the sunny atmosphere and birds
chirping did nothing to improve her mood.

"Tell me," Amy said beside her, "these...things you hear. What do they
actually sound like?"

"Sucking."

"Sucking?"

"Sucking."

"The sucking of-what?"

"I can't describe it." Serena whispered.

"Is it like the sucking of a lollipop or the sucking of a vampire?"

"Neither. I have a feeling I've heard it somewhere before... but I just
can't remember..."

"That's alright. We're going to send you to a doctor. A spirit doctor"
Lita said. "An ordinary one won't do, since we have strong convictions
that this is connected to that encounter with the droid last week."

"Where are we going to find a spirit doctor?"

"I'm sure Raye knows someone."

Serena nodded. "Great. Thanks so much, guys."

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch and the four girls returned to
their classrooms.


***

Cassiel opened the door to her home and as she hoped it would be, Serena
Tsukino stood there once more, a sight to behold.

"Come in."

"Thanks, Cass"

"Serena, you look tired. Is something the matter?"

Serena considered lying but decided against it.  "My heads been aching
something terrible, Cass. I'm sorry, but I might not be able to do much
today."

"It's okay. I can do the rest, besides, you've done a lot already. Why
did you come? You could've called and rescheduled it."

(I couldn't 'cause my mom thinks I'm faking it and my dad insisted I go
and stop avoiding responsibility. Never mind if I can't think straight.
Never mind if I can't even walk straight anymore...It's all just a
pretense, really.)

" I just...our phone was busted so I couldn't call."

"I see... Well, my mom is at work again so-"
Serena looked at her strangely. Didn't she say that she was living
with her guardian? The thought was forgotten as her head began to
throb harder.

"..."

"Serena?!  What's wrong?!!" Cassiel gasped as her guest took a few steps
forward and almost fell down but she caught her. Using one arm for
support, she was about to help Serena to the sofa but she shook
her head.

"I'd rather lie down...please."

"O.K, I'm taking you to my bedroom."

"No...too far..."

"Then where?"

"Here."

Cassiel immediately lay her on the carpet. Serena raised her eyes.

"Sorry to be such a bother."

"No! Not at all!" Cassiel stared down at her and, in a fit of
desperation, lay down beside her. As if this would cure anything!  she
thought sadly.



***

Darien stared at Reenie. The kid wasn't being clear. He had to find out
what was going on without sounding too concerned.

"What are you saying, munchkin?"

"That's exactly what she said, Darien. She heard sucking. Sucking
noises. Her parents don't believe her and they think she's faking it,
and I thought so too at first, but-"

"But what?"

"Well, she's been at it all week. You've got to be a real good actress
to lie for that long, and she does look bad."
"Hasn't she gone to see a doctor?"

"Yeah, twice already. They can't figure out anything, either."

I have to do something!  He thought, his head pounding with what he just
heard. I can't just let her suffer like that. What is happening to her?
Is it because of me that she's hurting? I never meant to hurt her, I
only wanted to keep her safe... and now this!

He knew something was wrong the last time he saw her in the park. She
was walking towards him and he was about to turn away to avoid her, or
even stand there and prepare to brush her of once more when the
unthinkable happened.  She walked right by him without a glance in his
direction. He would have assumed she was over him and was doing it to
retaliate due to his treatment of her in the past few weeks ... if it
had not been for the way she walked: as if in a trance, tired, and
wobbly-kneed.  She did not see him, even though he was right there in
front of her!

His mind told him not to ignore the dreams and that if he did, they
would kill her. Still, his heart argued, he had to do something to help.
If he didn't, in a way, he'd be killing her himself.


:)

Elsewhere,  two beautiful girls lay on the carpeted floor of a small
home. Their golden hair spread out on the floor like flaxen sun and
being the exact same shade of color, it was impossible to discern where
Serena's strands ended and Cassiel's began. They stared into each
other's deep blue eyes.

"What does it feel like?" Cassiel asked, reaching out to brush Serena's
hair from her face.

"The pain?"

"Yes."

"It feels like...pain." (Really, who could describe pain properly when
in the throes of the state itself?)

 "I've never felt that way before."

"You've never been in pain?"

"Well, I..."

"Lucky you."

"Serena, I wish I could help you."

"I wish you could, too."

"I," Cassiel started "I have a strange feeling that I can, but I don't
know how."

"What do you mean?" Serena asked. What was she talking about?
Cassiel didn't know how to say it. "It, it's all so weird..."

"You can tell me anything; I'm your friend, aren't I?" Serena tried to
smile, but couldn't.

Unaware that her words made Cassiel very happy, she continued, "Besides,
a lot of people think I'm weird, too."

Cassiel coughed. "Well, as I was saying, I just want to you know that...

I have dreams, Serena."

"Don't we all?"

"Yes, but my dreams... are of you."

"Me!!! Why me?"

"I don't know." Cassiel tried to recall what her dreams told her.

"I dreamt that you were in trouble somehow-I can't remember that part,
and a beautiful lady appeared before me and told me to save you."

"Maybe from this headache."

"If that's what I'm to rescue you from, then I haven't been doing a good
job."

"No, you've done more than enough," Serena sat up. "Believe it or not
Cass, but my pain actually lessens a bit when you're around."

"They do?"

"Yes, In fact, I feel kinda better now; but please tell me, this lady in
your dreams... what does she look like?"

"Well, I remember that her hair was silver, it was arranged in the exact
same style you arrange yours. And her dress was very white. It
sparkled."

Serena looked at her, mesmerized. "Wow, what a dream..." She glanced at
the clock on a nearby table.

"Sorry Cass, I'd like to hear more about your dream, but I've got to get
going. My parents will be worried."

"Yes, of course."


                                       666



The phone rang thrice before Serena answered it.

"Tsukino residence, S'rena here."

"Meatball head? It's me, Raye."

"What's up?"

"Is your head still aching?"

"Yeah, it's been going on and off these past few days."

"Great!"

"Great?!! Whaddya mean great?"

"Listen. I've been able to find a doctor for you.  A faith healer of
some sort. He's an old friend of my grandfather's; I'm not sure if he
can cure you, but he's had some experience."

"Um, okay. When can I see him?"

"As soon as you can make it. We can go tonight, if you want."

"Of course! I can finally live!"

"Will you be free at six? I'll call the rest of the gang. We'll meet at
the park."

"Okay"

"Great. Gotta go now."

"Sayonara"

"Sayonara"
Serena put down the phone and went upstairs to take a shower.


                                     666

The warm water only made it worse, so she decided to use cold water for
numbing effect.

It didn't quite work out that way.

The pain was something else this time. Like the tides of an ocean on a
stormy night, it increased one crest higher than before. It was so
intense that Serena gasped. It was like her brain was about to explode.
With her eyes rolling wildly in their sockets, she leaned on the shower
wall, her arms wrapped tightly around her head.

The cold water, that's what caused it.

She reached to turn the shower off. To her shock, the knob was scalding
hot.

"Aaaaahhh!!!" she cried, withdrawing her hand, and before she could see
that the skin on it had burned, another wave of pain washed over her,
and she couldn't take it anymore. She fell backwards, her body landing
on the floor with a sickening thud.

Lying there, naked and with water splashing all over her body and face,
Serena wondered for the nth time, what had she done to deserve this?

She must have done something truly awful, but what?

Voices and visions danced crazily before her.

"Really Ma'am, there's nothing wrong with your daughter. We've given her
all we've got and even the x-rays show nothing. In all my years of
medical practice, I've never encountered anything like her problem."

"What is her problem?"

"Her problem is that she's got no problem at all."

"Serena! Are you doing this so you can miss school?"

"Stop making such a fuss at test time, Serena, and do your work."

"It's not our fault if you can feel pain and we can't."

"Whattsa matter, meatball head?"

"Grow up, Serena."

"Why are you late again? Geez, be useful for a change!"

"How will you ever be a leader, with that attitude and all?"

"Stop being stupid."
"I won't always be here to save you, remember that."

"I don't love you anymore. I want to see other people and you should
too."

"Stop that! Crying won't change my mind!"

"Young lady, you are grounded."

"Why can't you be like the other scouts?"

"Her problem is that she's got no problem at all."

"Well, that's the meatball head for you!"

"Are you stupid, or just incredibly lazy?"

"Her problem is that she's got no problem at all."

"Queen of Klutzes!"

"Serena, stop klutzing around! What's your problem, anyway?"

Her problem is that she's got no problem at all Her problem is that
she's got no problem at all Her problem is that she's got no problem at
all Her problem is that she's got no problem at all
Her problem is that she's got no problem at all...

Drip, drip, drip.

The shower automatically turned off, but Serena did not notice. She
simply lay there, wide unseeing eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, her
long hair wet and clinging to her body.

Suddenly, she felt something and she tilted her head slightly and looked
down.

And then she saw them, because they were all over her.

Tiny worm like creatures. Maggots. Metallic Maggots. They crawled all
over her skin but their touch was so light that she hardly felt it.

In a calm state of unreality, she watched them as they devoured her and
she had a strange feeling that they watched her too.



Serena closed her eyes, opened them... and gasped. She was standing on
the seashore of a beach dressed in her school uniform. The weather was
cold and dark clouds rumbled above her, signs of an upcoming storm. She
shivered as the wind blew harder, making her hair fly up like golden
flames amidst the black.

A vision suddenly appeared before her and it wasn't a trick of the mind
this time. A cloaked figure stood there, so shadowed she could hardly
see the face hidden beneath the robes.

"Your Highness," the figure said, his voice rich and deep, "I've finally
met you".

"Who are you?" she asked, "and why are you doing this to me?"

"I am the Wiseman. Do not take this personally, I have nothing against
you, I only want power -- your power."

"Are you the one who killed Rubeus?"

"Yes. He proved to be useless. I ordered him to take the rabbit, you
know, and he failed me. No one ever fails me."

"You haven't answered my question," Serena said, growing angry. With her
head now clear and pain free, she charged at him.  "WHY ARE YOU DOING
THIS TO ME?!!"

He disappeared and she hit the ground.

"You cannot fight me", he said as he reappeared again, looking down at
her. "However, I will answer your question with another...do you know
who you are?"

"I am Serena Tsukino" she informed him. "I am also the pretty soldier
Sailor Moon, champion of justice and defender of the moon itself!"

"I know that", the Wiseman moved closer to her and she stared at him,
her eyes held captive by his smoldering gaze that burned into her.

"I know that you are all that," he repeated, "but what else? What else
are you?"

"What are you talking about?" she cried. He was talking in riddles and
she didn't want any part of this game of his where she was the loser.

"You mean you still do not know?" he asked, contemptuously.

She stared at him, wide eyed and freezing with cold.

"I realized that I've been using the wrong strategy," he explained,
"I've always wanted to destroy the rabbit in order to possess the Power,
but it occurred to me that another way to do so was to destroy the
rabbit's mother..."

He leaned closer to her face. "And that's you."

"Wh-wh-what are you talking about?" Serena stammered. "Me? Reenie's
mother? Queen of future Crystal Tokyo? That's im, impossible!"

"That is who you are" he said coldly, "I did try to take you out in the
future but it was difficult, with your warriors and husband all around
you, protecting you. So I decided to go to the past and finish the job
there. To my surprise, Neo Queen Serenity was actually you."

Serena looked up at him, her head spinning with all this newly acquired
information, but he went on without noticing her.

"It was so easy!" he laughed, "I started out by giving your lover
dreams. Dreams wherein you were to die if he remained with you."

Serena's eyes widened.

"And sure enough, he believed them"  Wiseman smiled and cupped Serena's
sad face into his hands, caressing her with his bony fingers. "It was
easy for me to manipulate you because you were so isolated when he left
you. I know how much he means to you-it's very easy to take someone when
they are emotionally unstable; you were an easy target, your highness."

He bent down and kissed her. The cold touch sent shivers of fear up her
spine.
"What happens now?" she whispered.

"Now, I figure out a way to get rid of your friends. You'll stay here in
the meantime. Trapped in this tempest, where you should be."

He straightened and rose into the air. His form was slowly turning
transparent but he continued talking.

"You can try to escape, but I doubt if you could. This very lovely scene
about us-which will soon be your new home, was actually created by your
feelings of despair and fear, which have accumulated in the past few
weeks. So long now, I am leaving."

And he was gone.

Serena sank onto the sand and stared out into the black sea.






The tempest, part 4
By Saki


"Where the HELL is she?!!" Raye Hino cried, " it's been an hour and..."

"You know how Serena can be" Amy said, glancing at her watch. "Still, if
her head is aching, she would've made an effort to-

The door to the temple opened.

"Sorry I'm late"  Serena stepped forward.

Raye was about to pounce on her but stopped and stared in shock. Serena
had taken her hair down, free from it's usual meatball style.  It was
only then that they realized how long her hair had grown, all the way
down to her thighs.

"What took you so long?" Lita asked, "And why do you have your hair
down?"

"Those 'things' were making my head ache even worse. And to answer your
first question, I think we shouldn't go anymore...it took me a long time
deciding that"

"But we thought your head was aching so badly that you wanted to see the
doctor" put in Mina,

"It was driving you mad for the past couple of weeks"

Serena's eyes shifted to the wall behind Mina. "Well surprisingly, my
headache disappeared all of a sudden a while ago. Seeing a doctor would
be a waste of time, since I'm well now, and all "

"Disappeared?" Amy asked, looking at her curiously. "Just like that?"

Serena averted her face, avoiding eye contact. "Yes Amy, just like that"

"That doesn't make sense" Raye muttered sarcastically, "quit beating
around the bush lamebrain and tell us what's wrong with you"

"There's nothing wrong with me anymore, I just said so" Serena shot back
"Now will you guys stop pestering me! You should be happy that I'm
better now, but you're not"

"The change is just so all of a sudden, that's all" Amy said. "But are
you sure you don't want to see the priest doctor? In case you have a
relapse of some sort"

"No, but thanks for caring Amy" Serena smiled, but she was still staring
at the wall.

They  all sat down in their usual circle. Lita passed out cookies she
made and pretty soon, Luna and Artemis arrived.

"I thought you were going to a doctor of some sort, Sere-

"Not anymore Luna, I feel much better now"

"I wonder what could've caused the quick change" Amy thought out aloud.

Serena shrugged, "A really good shower, I suppose. Very good for your
health"
She ignored the cookies being passed out, much to everyone's surprise.

"Are you sure you're feeling well?" Lita asked, hurt. "No one passes up
my homemade treats you know"

"Sorry Lita, but I really don't feel like eating, now. The mere thought
of food makes me want to vomit"
"Must be the aftereffect of that migraine" Artemis sighed, "Well, at
least some good came out of it"
"Listen" Serena said, ignoring his jibe, " I'd like to call a meeting
three days from now. I have something to tell all of you. I don't want
to say it now because I want to, ah, organize my thoughts before I say
what I have to say"
They all looked at her curiously.
"Organize your thoughts?" Lita spoke out loud. "You're not acting like
yourself. Normally, you'd just spit it out"
Serena did not say anything, but she stood up. "Sorry, I'm going to have
to cut tonight short. I have to go back home"
Without waiting for them to reply, she walked out of the temple


***

Cassiel could not sleep that night. She tried tossing and turning but
that did not help.
There was a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if something
exciting was about to happen but she could not explain what it was.

True enough, something did happen.

Suddenly, a strange glow of light filled her entire room. She sat up and
blinked, blinded by it's radiance.

"What?..."

The glow concentrated on the floor at the foot of her bed, and the beams
formed into a beautiful woman in a white dress. Her hair was set up in
the same style as Serena's.
It was the lady of Cassiel's dreams. Cassiel's eyes widened in shock.
Close up, she now realized who the woman actually was.
"Serena!"
The woman smiled . "Cassiel" she said softly.
"What happened to you?" Cassiel asked. "You look older and,
and...different"
"I am older. I came from the future to remind you why you were sent
here"
"Please. If this is a joke-
"This is for real" Serena said. "I am Serena. In the future, I become
Neo Queen Serenity. And I come here to remind you of the mission. Your
mission."

"What mission?"
"My present self is dying, Cassiel. My enemy, the Wiseman has me in his
grasp. He comes from the same future as I do and he came to the present
to destroy my past self. He must not succeed, for if he does, Crystal
Tokyo will cease to exist"
Cassiel absorbed this information all at once. And she believed it.
"But what can I do to help? I'm not a senshi and I have no powers"
"The crystal is inside you. You must use it to set me free. You will
cease to exist in this reality, though...once you have used it to help
me"
"You mean I'll die?"
Queen Serenity nodded her head sadly. "Yes, but do not despair. This is
not the reality you belong to, you are from the future and after you
die, you will come back to Crystal Tokyo, your true home"
"And the Wiseman? What of him?"
"We will not be able to defeat him in this time. He is too powerful now
and is at a greater advantage. By saving me though, you will have
destroyed his plans. He will have to return to the future and the real
battle will occur there. There will be a greater chance of winning, for
the senshi already have developed their powers and the Crystal will be
at it's strongest"
"Why do I not remember all this?"
"You lost your memory when you were sent here. It happens often to time
travelers; I knew what Wiseman was planning, but I am, not able to go
there and so are the senshi"
"Why not?"
Neo Queen Serenity laughed. "The same kind of matter cannot exist
separately in one dimension. If I do go there, I will merge with my past
self, and in doing so, will end up in the same trap Wiseman has 'Serena
Tsukino' in. All you are seeing right now is a vision of myself.  Now
that you understand, I must go"
She began to disappear, and Cassiel cried out, "Serena, wait! You
haven't told me how to save you using the Crystal, or where to find
you..."
"Remember Cassiel. We don't have much time- I don't have much time" was
the last thing she said before she her figure vanished from the
astonished girl's sight.
 Cassiel stared at the place that had been alive with her presence only
moments before.
"Did that really happen? If it didn't then I must be mad"
She stared out the bedroom window. The sky was black and there were no
stars that night.
Even the moon was nowhere to be seen.
This made her realize that what she experienced was no dream. Which
meant that Serena was in danger and needed her help. Fast.


Cassiel wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep that night. Elsewhere,
Darien Chiba stared at the ceiling while he rested on his big bed.

He was tired of sleeping. He was tired of not sleeping. Most of all, he
was tired of dreaming.
All he could think of were the times when she had been his. She'd come
to his apartment almost every chance she'd get and he would hold her in
his arms, right on that very bed.
He wondered what she was doing now. Probably dating some other guy, a
small voice in his head whispered. The thought made him incredibly
jealous and he shrugged it aside.
He got up and walked to his closet, where he hid a small picture frame
of Serena and himself.
He hid it there because he wanted to forget her, but he would often give
in to temptation and look at it. And he'd want her so much, and hate
himself for doing so.
Suddenly, a small sound came to pass and he shifted his head to the
right. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw.
Serena stood a few feet before him, dressed in her school uniform. She
looked like she had been caught by a rainstorm, which confused him for
it had not rained that day. Her uniform was soaked and her hair was
dripping wet.
"Serena?" Darien tried to keep his voice curt, but he couldn't.
Something was wrong with her.
She was shivering and her arms were wrapped around herself. He stood up
and regarded her briefly.
"Darien?" she croaked, but her eyes focused straight ahead, as if she
couldn't see him.

"What are you doing here and why are you wet?"  he asked, trying not to
reach out for her.

"It's...cold here Darien. And there's a storm"

She was not making any sense at all.

"Look at me, Serena"

"I can't. I can't see you" She blinked, but her vision remained glazed.

"What are you talking about and what are you doing here?"

"I'm not here, I'm in a trap" she replied and tears began to form in her
eyes.
"He has me trapped and I don't know a way out of here. I have to go
before she takes my place...she's taking my place Darien!" Serena
whispered.

"Who's taking your place?" He sputtered, "And who has you trapped?"

"She looks like me but she isn't me" she continued, but her teeth were
chattering and he had a hard time understanding her. "You have to help
me. I can't contact the other senshi and I can only do it with you
because of our bond"
Darien stared at her and wondered if he was dreaming again. He blinked,
and yet there she was, still shivering, wet and cold. He took a few
steps further 'til his face was only a few inches away from her
forehead.

And then he couldn't stand it anymore. He tried to wrap his arms around
her but to his surprise, all he grasped was thin air.

"Love?" he whispered.

She continued staring straight ahead, unaware of his proximity to her.
She still couldn't see him and yet she heard what he said. And tears
flowed down her cheeks at the endearment.

"Forgive me" he said. "The reason why I broke up with you was because-
"Of the dreams" she finished. His eyes widened.
"How did you know about them?!!"
"He gave them to you. He wanted to destroy me"
Darien's thoughts whirled crazily at what she just said. If it were
true, then he had been played for a fool, and in doing so, he had hurt
his only love in the process.
"Who is he?" he asked, anger gnashing at him in sick waves.
"Wiseman"
Darien had never wanted to kill anyone in his life, but at that moment
he believed himself capable of doing so. To hurt him was one thing. To
make him hurt the one he cared about most was another. The Wiseman was
now his greatest enemy.
 "Serena, I'll get you out of there. I'll do whatever it takes". He
stared deep into her wide, unseeing eyes and recalled again how
beautiful she was and how much he missed her.
The sad expression in her face did not go away. It was as if she
believed that it was now too late for her, too late for them.
Darien raised his hands to caress her face but they went right through
her like they would a ghost and he winced at not being able to hold her.

"Please forgive me for separating from you and 'pushing you away' these
past few weeks. It was very hard on my part. The dreams were horrible".
 "The worms were horrible", she said softly.
Worms?
"What has he done to you?" he asked softly. His voice took on a
dangerous note. "And why can't I hold you?"
"I don't know", she said. "Darien, I can't keep this up any longer. I'm
beginning to weaken..."
"Serena, I-
"This may be the last time you'll see me-
"Damn it, don't talk like that! I'll fight for you, I'll fight for us"
But she was not listening anymore for she was beginning to fade. She
then began to talk quickly, "If something happens to me, you have to be
strong, Muffin. For Crystal Tokyo, for the world, and for our daughter".

"Our daughter?"
"Reenie is our child from the future".
So they HAD a future after all.

"Serena" he said, looking straight into her eyes, "Despite of all we've
been through, I want you to know that I love you. I always have and I
always will. You are my heart and without you, life has no meaning for-
"I want to live" she said softly.
"You will live" he said, with steel determination.
"I want to live Darien," she repeated, "so I can see your face again
and- so I can be free from the noise".
Then her image faded completely into nothingness.
"Serena don't!-he tried to grab her but all he touched was the thin air
of midnight.
Once more, Darien stood alone in his room, a dark solitary figure amidst
the shadows of the anti-light. This time, his fists were clenched as he
thought of what his love had gone through because of Wiseman...because
of HIM.
He looked up at his bedroom window and saw that it was a sorrowful night
and that no moon floated above.
"I'll save you, love" he said softly-to the sky, "Even if I die trying"






Studio Huh presents:


The Tempest part 5
By Saki



Darien had been waiting for this moment from the time he spoke to
Serena's vision a week ago. He did not talk to the other Senshi about it
for he knew that this evil counterpart was a very good actress. Besides,
in doing so, his Serena would most likely wind up getting hurt.
First, he tried the park but she was always not there-in other cases,
she supposedly 'just left'. Then, he tried every other hangout of
'Serena's that he thought she'd be in; the arcade, the malt shop, and
even the bakery-but to no avail. It was as if this new Serena was
avoiding him. Finally, he decided to go to her school, the one place
where he knew he could catch her.
It was dismissal time already. He spotted Amy, Rei, Lita and Mina
leaving the school grounds and he approached them.
"Girls, have you seen Serena?"
They stopped in their tracks and looked at one another in surprise.
"Not since lunch hour, she said she had something to do" Mina said,
studying him quizzically.
"But Darien, you did say that you didn't want to see her anymore" Amy
said softly. He flinched at the reminder of his past cruelty.
"I need to speak with her just to patch things up" he said lowly.
She nodded at once. "Okay. Good Luck to both of you!"
They stared at his fleeting figure as he headed towards the building.

 "Do you think they'll get together again?" Mina asked excitedly. " I
think so. He seemed very determined to 'patch things up'. I swear I saw
his eyes sparkle"
"He was just squinting" Rei said bluntly. "If he does want her back,
then it shouldn't be a problem for either of them. She's crazy about him
and won't think twice"
"I don't know" Lita whispered. "He's hurt her so much these past few
weeks and she's been all weird on us lately. But what you said about her
loving him was right"
"Oh goooodddddsssss this is so ROMANTIC!!!" Mina squealed. "Just like
this book I read once..."
Rei rolled her eyes. Beside her, Amy said nothing. She was quietly
watching the doors where Darien disappeared.
"...it was just like this. This guy finally realizes that he can't live
without her and so he starts looking for her but he can't find her"
"And?" Lita pressed.
"Geez! I can't believe I'm listening to this!" Rei muttered.
Mina wilted. "Rei, you have absolutely no romance in your soul!"
 "That is not true! Remember that time I had with..."
"Enough with that" Lita said. "What happened to the rest of your story?"

"Well...the hero discovers that-that, uh, he discovers that his love has
died off somewhere and he is consumed by grief" she finished quickly,
avoiding their eyes.
"But that's not the point! The thing is, he finally realizes how much
she meant-means to him"
"And it is all too late then" Amy finished, staring into space. Love
sure is strange, she thought. So wonderful and yet so miserable at the
same time.
Is that really how it is? Still, she could not help but hope that
something good might come from this upcoming meeting.




>:)

She was waiting for him inside. She knew he was coming for her so she
took her time gathering her schoolbooks, glancing once in a while at the
clock that was ticking on the wall.
It did not surprise her, this upcoming teat a teat, for the day had been
filled with confrontations. First, those nosy senshi.

'Serena, what happened to your meatballs?' 'Serena, are you okey-you've
been real quiet lately...and oh, what's with the hair?'
It was hard to believe that those brats were actually the powerful
Sailor warriors, renowned for their fighting skills and for saving the
lives of many.

Then, those nosy classmates.
'Hey, why aren't you late today?' 'Look at your hair! So long!' 'Yeah,
the meatball head's not a meatball head anymore'
A shame to the human race, the lot of them.

Worst of all was the teacher who had been watching her all day long.
When classes were dismissed she was finally called out for private
consultation.
'You haven't been fidgeting lately, is anything wrong?'
'I find it hard to believe that you actually passed this test, but I'm
glad anyway and oh, what happened to the meatballs?'

To which she replied, "Ma'am, I ate them"

And that was why, she thought presently, she was sent to detention. But
it did not matter; Haruna would not make it to the end of the week. A
while ago, she was rushed to the clinic due to a major migraine and she
would stay there, in headache hell, until the end of time. Until the end
of her time.
Suddenly, she heard his footsteps outside the classroom and she
straightened. Confrontation number four she believed, often lacked
excitement for the rush was already gone by then.

The clock struck five-time slips by.



He saw her first and stopped in his tracks, straight across the hall
from her.  She took her time closing the classroom door, as if locking
it with precision was most important and when she turned he stared hard
into her face; unable to believe that she had fooled so many people. He
would have known with a glance, that it was not his Serena. Normally,
her great blue eyes shone with sincerity and happiness. This girls eyes
had nothing; they were blank as slate.
He did not even notice her hair.

They took time sizing up one another, he looking her up and down
insolently and she staring straight at him, a hint of malicious
satisfaction playing about her mouth. It was he who broke the silence.

"I suppose you are too wise to actually believe that I am fooled by this
farce of yours" he began, registering no impact of these words upon her
face. "Where is she?"

"The victim is at the ocean". She sounded just like Serena and
yet...not.

 A chill raced up his spine. "By the ocean or in the ocean?"

"That is a matter of opinion"

"I don't like word games"

"This isn't one"

"What ocean?"

"The one that is hell"

He had to try a different tactic. He was getting nowhere with this demon
and if he wanted to save Serena, he had to find some way to breach that
inner core lying so intact within her.

"Why are you doing this?"

'Because he ordered me to"

"Who ordered you to?"

"My master"

"Your master-

"He is a Wiseman"

"Is that what he is called?"

"Yes"

"You are a demon then, you are his demon sent to destroy us"

"And you are not?"

He did not understand what she was saying. Seeing his confusion, she
continued. "The victim has been banished to hell, to the hell that she
made for herself or rather, the hell that you created for her"

"I did no such thing"

"Didn't you?"
 He paled as realization sunk in, painful and searing, like her eyes.
Forever watching him.

"Perhaps I did. But I will make it up to her"

"If she lives"

"She will live" he said determinedly, his jaw set. He stared straight
into her eyes this time, unafraid of the coldness he saw in them,
challenging her to deny him. "She lives, or I die"

"You are dead already"

"I will live again. For her. For us"

She said nothing.

"I will do whatever I can to stop you and your master from trying to
destroy our future kingdom, our future queen, my queen. This world has
no place for evil like you"

"On the contrary, this world is evil" she replied smoothly, raising her
brows. "Goodness is the mask evil people, like you and I, use to hide
our true selves"

"I am nothing like you"

"So you say. And yet the victim is now sinking beneath your weight"

"I will not lose!!!" he roared, and then he checked himself. He was
loosing his temper but  it was hard not to, being reminded of his only
love.

"If she dies, I'll make you pay"

"If my master is harmed, I will cut her head off"

The words came out so softly, so smoothly that Darien did not
immediately realize what she said. The moment he did, he stepped forward
and leered threateningly on her face.
"You dare threaten me?"

 " How can I, when you are so much better a performer than myself?"

" What is that supposed to mean?!!"

"You do not care for her anymore than my master does. The Wiseman wants
power, he wants to rule a kingdom. And so do you...you want the kingdom,
not the girl"

" The kingdom means nothing to me without the girl"

"I know. You love your daughter so much that you spend even more time
with her than with-

"I was referring to MY SERENA!" he cried angrily. What kind of monster
was this? She that could turn one's tongue against it's owner and stab
him at the same time with lies that seemed frighteningly real? He would
not win this battle, he conceded. Not yet.

"I was never a man of words" Darien said at last. "But I will fight you,
whoever and whatever you are"

"I am Lilith*", she murmured, eyes cast down demurely.

"And you were rightfully named". With those words, he walked away.

People are such a waste of time, she thought, watching him from the
corner of her eye. They were like the skin diseases that kept growing
and had to be abolished. And she was created solely for that purpose.



                                     666



Somewhere out there, a young girl lay stretched across a sandy beach.
Her long golden hair lay spread out beneath her head and her clothes
were tattered and torn. She was staring up at the sky. It was very dark
but there were no stars left to greet her, even in death for it was a
dead sky, no more alive than she. With her left hand she gathered cold
sand only to toss it away a little later while her right hand rested
trustingly against her breast. Against her heart. The only thing of hers
that kept moving.

I wonder how much time has passed? Serena thought sadly. I am so tired,
it's like this place has sucked out all my strength-and I wouldn't be
surprised if it did. It does seem to have a life of it's own.  She
shivered and tried to get up but failed.
It's cold here too. Cold, like it's creator.
She would not even think about him. It was he who sent her to this
place. And he had the nerve to blame her for causing her own misery?
True, she had been miserable because of Darien but was that not normal,
considering the fact that she cared for him very much and he banished
her from his life just- like-that?  This Wiseman had a talent for
playing with peoples' feelings and making them doubt themselves. He made
it look as if it were his victims' fault and not his own.

Will I stay like this forever?, she asked to no one in particular. What
have I done to deserve this? I wish I were dead-NO!!! I wish HE were
dead.
He and that evil creature of his who looked exactly like her. Lilith,
yes, that was her name.
She had not spoken to her evil counterpart and she had no wish to for
she had the feeling that this girl demon was secretly laughing at her
behind her back. She did not like the look of her eyes either.

No, I will not give in, Serena decided. I love life too much to die. And
what would my family and all those I care about say when I am gone? No,
I want to live.
She closed her eyes and with all her might, tried to get up. It was like
pushing a boulder of her chest. Gathering what was left of her meager
strength, she gave a little push and ...

There, I did it. Serena sighed. I feel like an old lady, too tired and
weak; it's his doing again. He's sucking the life out of me, but I won't
let him. I have to find a way to get in contact with my friends. Darien
already knows that I'm here and I'm sure he's out there, trying to help
me. Her heart twisted when she thought of their last meeting. There was
so much pain and regret in his eyes. And love.
When I get back, she decided, I'll give him a little scolding and when
I'm done, I'll let him hold me like always did before.

She suddenly felt the sea grow angry. The waves became higher and their
loud sounds made her cover her ears. They don't want me to get up. Even
they are against me...well, I don't care. What can they do anyway?

A huge wave suddenly lashed out at her, and it's icy splash sent her
body flying headfirst onto the sand.

Ow.

She tried to get up again but this time she felt numb. With tears of
frustration she forced herself with all her might until she was at least
seated. She could not stand.

What am I going to do? I just can't get out of here! She rocked herself
back and forth, cradling her head in her hands. It's just not fair, so
hard and...Cassiel?!!
A vision of her little friend suddenly intruded itself upon her
thoughts. In the vision, Cassiel was sitting across the sand from her,
hands folded on her lap, staring at her pensively.
She snapped out of her daydream. What? Why did I suddenly think about
her? She has nothing at all to do with this. Absolutely nothing. Or does
she?

Serena shook her head. No, I won't get her into this mess. This is my
problem...but, her face. Her sad little face...

It keeps coming to me, it won't go away, it's like she's trying to tell
me something important. And her eyes are so sad-but probably no sadder
than mine right now, Serena murmured.

At this moment, I AM misery.

 It won't last long though, my friends are coming for me. And Darien, oh
how I miss you. You will come for me won't you?   A tear slipped down
her cheek, but as she brushed it away, her emotions were suddenly
drowned out by sudden events parading themselves within her mind.

In a span of one hour, she began to recall her past life...on the moon.



                                     777



Cassiel shifted her eyes from the candlelight beside her bed. A brown
out occurred in her home again and she sat once more in silence amidst
the darkness, the presence of a little candle her only companion and
friend.

I wonder what happened to Serena? She thought sadly. She changed so much
right after we met. She remembered the time she bumped into her a few
days after her visit:

'Serena' she cried, happy to see her again, as always.
'Huh?'
'Hello...um, wh-what have you. What have you been doing lately?'
'Uh. Nothing much. Sleeping I guess' Her eyes shifted uneasily to her
right, away from Cassiels gaze.
'Uh, I'm really sorry but-what's your name again?'

WHAT'S YOUR NAME?!!!

"How could she forget me in just three days?!!!"  Cassiel asked out
loud.  That was so embarrassing...and it was probably a good thing, she
decided, that Serena ignored her the following week. She would rather
have it that way than have Serena look at her in that weird way again.
No, she wanted the old Serena back.

Wait a minute...didn't someone tell her in a dream before that Serena
was in trouble? Did this vision then, have some connection to her
strange behavior.
I am sure that it has to be the reason, she thought. It wasn't like her
to act that way. Definitely not, she's one of the nicest people around.

I wonder if I'm the only one seeing through this façade, Cassiel
murmured. Although the others noticed a slight change in her attitude,
they didn't seem to find anything suspicious about it. They actually
viewed it as a result of her past depression. Some would even go far and
say that it had to be the cause of her migraines...nothing personal.

"Well, they're all wrong, and something is just not right here. Whatever
it is, I'd like to find out".


---continued---

*Lilith is a figure from Hebrew mythology. According to the tales, she
is 'mother of all demons'. In my story though, she isn't that but she is
well named, as Darien himself said....she's pretty bad, too.






--
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