Darien held Serena tightly in arms as Luna amplified their link allowing him full access to her mind. In between one instant and the next he found himself back in the scene showing Sailor Moon and princess Serenity dying. Still in his arms was Serena and he was no longer able to feel her blood soaking into his clothes as her wounds continued to gush. Less than a second after he realised that she was no longer bleeding she gasped and pulled away from him. She stood easily, her only wounds two terrible slashes on her wrists. Both were an angry red yet neither bled and she didn't give him the chance to question her on where she got them.
"Where are we?" she demanded angrily as she glared at him.
He shrugged much more calmly, he knew that he had gained a little more time. "Your mind, or mine or some where in between. I'm not quite sure to be honest," he replied as he examined her. She appeared to be dressed in a dusty pair of jeans and a white male dress shirt. She was facing him and he didn't think that she'd notice the two figures behind her yet.
"Why are we here?"
"Turn around," he responded softly.
She scowled and repeated, "Why did you bring us here?"
He sighed and exclaimed in exasperation, "For once in your life do as I ask you to Meatball Head!"
Her face started to go red in anger and he sighed again before stepping up to her and physically spinning her around. What ever she had been about to say died unspoken as she saw the two figures. He kept his hands on her shoulders and watched the two shapes over her head. Serena as Sailor Moon was completely covered in blood, she was gripping her sword tightly by the blade and blood poured from her hands in a steady flow. She had the tip of the blade pointed to her chest and she just sat there, with her black eyes staring off into nothingness as she awaited the cue to impale herself on the blade. Seeing that Darien had to force himself not to cry.
Serena as the princess Serenity lay cold and still on her marble slab. She seemed to be little more than transluctant skin covering bones, even her pigtails seemed to be transparent. He watched and though he was relieved see that she did still breath he became even more worried at the length of time between her shallow breaths. Darien walked around Serena and approached the figure of Sailor Moon. He held out his hand, felt for the invisible barrier and then knelt, leaning his foredhead against it.
"You're not dead yet Serena," he eventually said, "You're dying but you're not there yet, you still have a chance." He stood and moved as close to the princess as he could. "Not even this part of you is completely destroyed, see? She's still breathing!"
Serena stepped to his side and then past him. She moved until she was standing right next to the figure of the princess and then placed her hand on her unconscious self's chest. She was expressionless and Darien wondered at the brief flicker of emotion that passed across her face and down their link before she supressed it.
"Her heart is still beating isn't it?" he asked instead.
She looked back to him with a blank face and nodded slowly. She turned around without a word and moved to Sailor Moon's side. There she knelt down and brushed some of the blood drenched strands of hair away from the striken face. She hestitated for a moment and then, to Darien's relief, she tried to take the sword away. Even as she touched the bloodied hands of her otherself the wounds on he own wrists opened and blood trailed down her hands to drip from her finger tips. She jerked back, face pale and looked at her wrists in confusion which quickly changed to comprehension.
Darien understood the moment she did. She couldn't touch the sword or help the other versions of herself because she couldn't help herself. Her mind said that it was necessary but her heart could not gather the will. She couldn't do it alone, not any more. She needed him to give her the strength. He tried to go to her but was once more stopped by the invisible barrier. He pounded on it but it held strong. Serena looked up at him were he struggled to reach her and a brief flare of alarm resonated down her bond to him.
He jerked back wondering what could have alarmed her so. A quick glance around confirmed that aside from her two dopplegangers they were alone, that left him. A thought occurred and he returned to the barrier and resumed striking it. As before a quick snatch of fear echoed down their link and confirmed his suspicion.
He lay his hand against the barrier and looked at Serena. "Let me through Serena," he begged her, "You have to let me in so that I can help you. You can't stand alone any more, it's killing you, let me in."
"Let you in?" she repeated, "I don't-"
"You're blocking yourself off," he burst in, "I don't mean the way you shield yourself from the Negaverse. I mean how you're won't let anyone get close to you, how you're walling your heart away. I know why you do it, it's so that you won't be hurt again. I used to do it myself, it's why I used to tease you instead of trying to be friends. It's protection but Serena, you have to let people in just like I had to."
She just watched him with a pale face and his mind raced as his sudden realisation answered several questions he'd put aside. With those answers came anger. "That's why you never came back isn't it?" He stepped back away from her and stared at her as his anger built, "You were scared. You left me alone all those years because you were frightened that you were going to be hurt again!"
Her face was chalky as she shook her head. "You're wrong," she whispered.
"No I'm not," he denied in a hard voice.
"You don't understand-"
"All those years I searched and I waited-"
"I never asked you to!" she yelled.
He glared at her, "Yes you did, when you kissed me and claimed me as yours. You left me alone!"
Her eyes widened in memory and he felt her guilty acknowledgement along their link. "You don't under-" she began again, her eyes starting to water.
He made sure that his own feelings of betrayal could be felt through their link along with the years of lonliness and waiting he had endured. "I don't understand? Oh no, I do. You were afraid. You've lost some people that you care about, well boo hoo!"
"How dare-" she growled, her own anger rising.
"How dare I?" he finished for her, "I dare because I know exactly how you feel-"
"How could you?" she demanded in a snarl.
"Do you think you're the only person who has ever suffered a loss? Well you're not! My parents died in a car crash when I was six. Then I was put into an orphanage where I could never fit in no matter what I did. I spent the next fifteen years doing what you're doing. Well let me tell you that nobody can get along alone. Not even you, especially not you!"
"You don't don't know what you're talking about!" she screamed at him.
He looked at her in disbelief. "I don't? You complete and utter Meatball Head," he sneered, "Mistress of the witty comeback even now. Of course no one can know what she feels, not a man who has been through experiences similar to her, not a man who can feel her emotions, not even the man who is her soulmate, the other half of her soul! So go right ahead Serena, after all you know best. Keep walling yoursef up until your spirit starves to death, then let your body just fade right after it. Leave Leni motherless, leave Luna bereft, leave me incomplete, and leave the world defenceless. Why not? It's your life, it doesn't matter for anything."
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" she screamed.
"Of course not," he replied in a scornful voice.
She stalked towards him and swung at him but her anger dulled her reflexes. He caught her hand and held it. She stared at their joined hands for a moment and when she looked back into his eyes he almost retreated from the fury held in her gaze. His own anger gave him the resolve to stand firm as did the pain he both saw and felt in her, hiding behind her rage. He held her eyes, telling her silently that he could handle anything she dealt out.
She nodded almost unnoticably and her fist twisted in his hand until she was gripping him as tightly as he was her. "You think I should let people get close to me? Specifically you? Then come on!" She stepped back into the perimetre of the invisible barrier and wrenched him after her. "Come and find out what it's like to be me!"
*****
He opened the door and kicked his shoes off. "Hi Mum, I'm home!" he called out loudly in his piercing voice. He smoothed the skirt of his school uniform and walked into the kitchen. A quick glance showed that his mother wasn't in there and that was strange since she usually made snacks after school. His stomach began to churn with an uneasiness triggered by the instincts gained from being Sailor Moon for three years.
"Mum?" he called out cautiously, "Are you here?"
A thump sounded over head and then a loud crash as one of the upstairs windows was shattered. He clutched the brooch on his shirt and crept upstairs, feverently hoping that it was just his younger brother being a pain again. A soundlessly as he could he slipped down the hallway that connected all of the bedrooms. Outside of his parents' he stopped. A rustling sound was coming from behind the door and he slowly reached out a hand to the handle and turned it. The door swung open and he went numb.
There was blood every where, splashed across the walls, over the furniture, even the ceiling was coated. Peripheral details such as the large fracture in his mother's favourite vase, his father's grey tie hanging from the ceiling fan and even how pale his face was and how large his light blue eyes were occupied his mind as he tried to deny the truth. It became harder and harder to breathe as his eyes darted from one end of the room to the other, stubbornly avoiding the bed. He was wasting time and he knew it. Taking a deep breath he forced himself to look at the kingsized bed that his parents usually slept in.
His arms wrapped themselves around his body just under his breasts as if trying to hold himself together. He closed his eyes and opening them again he prayed that he had been seeing things but he hadn't. His mother's body lay in a small pile on the bed. The stumps of her arms and legs still leaked blood. Her head stared at him, the expression on her face terrified, from where it was placed on her stomach. The next pile was even worse, the only object recognisable in the mound of bloody chunks being his father's head.
A small scratching noise came from around the other side of the bed and for a moment he fought the impulse to start running and never look back. Slowly, almost numbly, he walked around the bed, blood soaking into his white school socks until they squelched with every step. The first thing he saw almost caused him to vomit, the scattered limbs of his parents, but he swallowed his nausea back quickly as he saw the source of the sound. Two quick steps brought him to the third body and he threw himself to his knees, heedless of the gore around him. The young boy in front of him looked pitifully grateful to see him.
"Don't move," he whispered frantically as he tried to stop the flow of blood but his younger brother was bleeding in too many places. The boy had been stabbed repeatedly and his left forearm had been torn off at the elbow.
"Sisss..." the boy murmured, blood bubbling from between his lips, "Don' go..."
"I have to get help-" he protested, tears running down his face.
"Stay... please... don' wan t'be 'lone..."
He nodded agreeing to his brother's request and carefully lifted the boy's head into his lap. The boy's blood soaked into his skirt but he didn't care, all that mattered was that the last of his family was dying in front of him. His brother's breath slowed and he stroked his cheek softly as he cried.
"Please don't leave me," he pleaded.
The boy smiled in apology as his eyes drifted shut, "'M sorry 'Rena, 'm sorry..." A couple of moments later he stopped breathing. All he could do was cradle his brother's head as his mind refused to work.
An eternity later he stood, completely numb. His brother's head dropped to the floor with a dull thud but he didn't even notice. He walked out of the room and down the hall, stopping only when he came to a pink door with a plaque covered in bunnies on it. He opened the door and stepped inside. The first thing his paralysed mind noticed was the window by the bed had been shattered. A brief glimpse of the reflection in the mirror caused his head to whip around, sending his long golden pigtails flying. On the wall opposite the mirror huge red letters had been smeared. The thick characters, clumsily drawn, had formed four words, 'you're next Sailor Moon'. His mind continued in its refusal to function even as he approached the vandalised wall.
Absently he reached one of his slender hands out to touch the paint and it came away wet. When he brought his fingers to his nose all he could smell was blood, not a trace of paint. Concentrating on trivialities he was able to coax his mind into something remotely functional. He couldn't smell paint, only blood, because of what he'd seen, there was nothing strange about that. Nothing. He continue to repeat that to himself as he stepped back and tripped on something. He fell to his knees and looked for the problem. It was his brother's arm, a trail of blood leading from it to the last of the gruesome letters on the wall.
His world went red.
*****
Darien gasped and found Serena still pulling him closer to her otherselves.
*****
He was walking down the street. At his side was a smiling redheaded woman. The woman laughed and skipped ahead a few steps and then turned around, walking backwards in front of him.
"I'm so glad that we were able to celebrate your birthday," she enthused, "Even if it is nearly two weeks late!"
He shrugged and winked, "Better late than never is my motto in life."
She laughed again, "Tell me about!" She watched him for two steps in silence after that, obviously waiting for him to speak. His amusement rose, knowing that she was itching with curiousity about something but he affected innocence. Instead he smoothed his short pink dress which hugged his slender figure nicely even if he did think so himself. Of course from the reaction of most of the guys they had passed he wasn't deluding himself.
"Oh come on girl!" his friend eventually burst out, "Tell me about the dream!"
"What dream?" he asked innocently, battling valiantly to restrain a smile.
"What dream she says!" the exasperated red head sighed to the sky. She stumbled and righted herself quickly, returning to his side although her gaze remained locked on him. she grins, "I mean the dream that had you distracted so that you thought of nothing else for three days, the dream which even now can get you to smile like nothing else has over the past few months. The Dream, capital letters!"
"Oh, that dream!" he teased, "It'd just bore you!"
"Oh no you don't," the girl demanded, "I have waited two weeks, ever since you woke me up in the middle of the night on your birthday to try and tell me about it."
"You didn't want to here it then either," he retorted cheerfully.
She rolled her eyes, "Somehow I don't think you'd've wanted my boyfriend to hear about it."
"Boyfriend?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.
"Uh uh, spill!"
He grinned, satisfied that he had agravated her enough, and complied, "When it started I was in the most beautiful rose garden. It only had white roses but they were everywhere and in all different sizes, some absolutely tiny others as big a dinner plates. I could see the earth in the sky, it was like a glowing blue jewel surrounded by stars. The most beautiful man I've ever seen was with me."
"I've never seen you so excited about a man, I've never even seen you with a man!" the girl giggled in surprise.
He sighed in regret, "All I can remember is his eyes, they were the same blue as the earth, I could have drowned in them and all I could see in them was love and desire for me! He took my hand and led me deeper into the garden until we came to a bed made completely out of red rose petals. He was only wearing a loose white shirt and black pants but next to the masses of rose petals there was a pile of black armour. We stopped next to it and he kissed me. It was like tasting heaven and even as his mouth was on mine his hands moved to my shoulders and slipped my dress off of them. When the kiss ended I was in his arms, completely naked, and then he pulled me down into the rose petals and-"
"Stop right there," a harsh voice demanded.
Both he and his friend stopped stock still, frozen by the sight of the vicious looking man in front of them. The man was a little over six feet tall and although he looked to be mostly fat he was still a huge man. The man pointed a gun at them and sneered, "Give me all of your valuables.
He looked to his friend and the girl's face was pale with fright. He contemplated transforming into Sailor Moon and dismissed the thought quickly, his attacker appeared to be too highstrung to risk setting off. He slowly handed his small purse to the man and watched as his friend did the same. The man snatched them from them with one hand and then stepped back and snarled in malicious pleasure as he shot the girl six times in the chest. She whimpered as she fell and he lept to catch her. Even as he moved the man turned his gun on him and pain blossomed in his chest as the remaining eight bullets found their way into his chest and lungs. He slumped to the ground and his vision started to fade. The last thing he saw was the mugger leaning over his face, his eyes glowing red and the aura of the Negaverse dancing around him. as he growled to him, "Die you moon bitch."
*****
Darien took another step closer to the two statue like figures of Serena's alteregos. His heart pounded with the memories that she forced him to live through but he endured, concentrating on the lessinging distance between himself and the sword. He just had to get close enough to get it away from the figure of Sailor Moon and then she would be safe. Serena didn't give him a chance to act, instead pulling him foreward another step.
*****
He lay in the hospital bed and stared out of the window, trying to assimilate what the doctor had just told him. His friend was dead. He had known that the instant the mugger had pulled the trigger but it was now undeniable. He knew he should be grief striken and yet all he felt was an emptyness inside as a part of him began to pull away, hiding itself from pain. The fact that it didn't hurt was of more concern to him than the fact that his best friend was now dead and it provided confirmation to the growing belief inside of him that he was little better than the Negaverse.
He shrugged aside those and similar thoughts instead turning to the second peice of news the doctor had imparted. He was was pregnant. He had been two weeks along when the mugger had shot him and had just awoken from the coma he had been in. The doctors had been shocked that he had survived and could not believe that the child had as well. Eight bullets had been removed from his torso, three had been in his lungs and one had hit his heart, he should have died but he hadn't. He thought he knew why and the pregnancy just confirmed it.
He had never even kissed a man aside from his father or brother let alone slept with one... in this lifetime. But he, of all people, knew that sometimes things were more than they seemed. He remembered the dream he had had on his eighteenth birthday and a hollow feeling began to grow in the pit of his stomach. One hand found its way to rest upon his stomach and the other one clutched the object which might have been the answer to his dillemma. It was the brooch that allowed him to transform into Sailor Moon, that gave him amazing abilities and responsibilities, that marked him as other than normal.
He had never wanted to be anything other than an ordinary girl. His dream had been to marry and have a family... with the jerk he'd left back in Tokyo when he was fourteen. It was an unreachable dream and not only because the male in question despised him but also because there was no way he could live an ordinary life as long as he was Sailor Moon, the assassination attempts proved that. They also proved that he could not risk getting close to anyone in case they became a target for his enemies.
Now he was pregnant and the Negaverse had found him again. It was like some kind of divine joke. Was the universe against him? Didn't he deserve a break? Suddenly the whole building shook. He stood painfully and staggered to the door dragging the jar and post his drip was connected to with him. He looked out of the door to see nurses, doctors and patients running down the corridor in a panicked rush. A shadow flashed passed him, over the racing mob, and where it passed people collapsed. A great crash made him whirl and he saw the upper half of the doctor who had been so helpful to him, thrust through the wall. Blonde ran down the doctors face and he knew from his growing familiarity with death that the medico was dead.
He tore the drip from his arm and weakly raised his brooch above his head. He could feel the dark energy radiating around him, the Negaverse was attacking the hospital, and he knew that only Sailor Moon could help.
"Moon Prism Power," his voice was weak but the transformation worked even so. Seconds later he was dressed in the miniskirt and boots of the modified sailor uniform that the sailor scouts wore. He staggered out into the corridor, the transformation having granted him very little in the way of extra strength. The building shook again and one of the rampaging youma burst through the floor in front of him. He sent his glowing tiara at it but it caused very little damage in his weakened state. The building shook yet again as the youma roared, enraged by the attack. He stumbed back and the roof began to cave in. From the corner of his eye he saw a young toddler lying on the floor crying. He disregarded his wounds and threw himself over the child as the youma pulled the roof in.
An endless time later he awoke to find himself suffocating, an enormous weight pressing down on him from above. He forced himself to stand and felt his barely healed wounds tear at the strain. The slab of cement on him gave out before his tortured muscles did and with relief he breathed in great gasps. He remembered the toddler and bent down to check on it. A light touch on the child's cheek illicited no response. He carefully turned the child over to find that it's neck sagged unnaturally. He stumbled back as realisation set in and he turned away from the dead child and frantically scanned the rubble. Around him he could see several forms but not one breathed or shown even the slightest sign of life. A dark form flew overhead in the twilight, the Negaverse was watching for any survivors.
He placed a hand on his stomach, remembering what the kindly doctor had told him. He was going to have a baby. He couldn't risk staying, he was too weak to fight and the baby must be protected. He looked back to the dead toddler as he reluctantly moved into concealing shadows. He had failed it, he had failed them all.
*****
Darien staggered as he escaped from Serena's memories yet again. He had only a few more steps, he would do it. He could not fail.
*****
He gritted his teeth as the agony ripped through him and pushed. It felt like he was being torn apart yet he persevered and suddenly there was relief. A thin cry split the silence of the hospital room and he sighed in satisfaction. Nine months of running, nine months of hardship, pain and death and it was over. He was a mother and now he would be able fight back at his persecuters. An evil laugh cut through his preoccupation and he looked up in sudden fear.
Stripping of the hospitall gown was not a doctor but a woman in the grey uniform of a general of the Negaverse. She saw that he was staring at her and smiled almost pleasantly at him. "Well princess, we've finally found you, and look I even have the honor of presenting your daughter to you!" she motioned and he looked to find his newborn daughter held in the arms of a youma. His insides knotted in terror and the general chuckled.
"Don't worry princess, nothing'll happen to the little tyke... as long as you give me the crystal."
"I don't have it!" he whispered beseechingly.
"Liar" the general said, all traces of pleasantness vanished. Then she turned and reached over to a tray of surgical tools and selected a scalple. "We know you have it," she held the blade up so that it reflected the light from overhead, "Shall we see if we can jumpstart your memory?"
"What-" he had started to say and then his world had stood still as the general slashed at the baby. He watched as the blade arced towards the baby's back and something inside of him snapped. A fervent wish that if anyone was hurt it would be him was accompanied by a power that had not been seen in millennia. A line of agony opened on his back but he was so intent upon his daughter that he didn't notice. A second and third slash followed the first and the general looked back to him in confusion. He didn't care, his daughter had not felt a single one of the cuts, each of them having been transferred to his own back. The general saw this and began to hack at the baby's back with abandon, assured that her hostage would survive.
Tears began to run down his face as the agony in his back and the anguish for his child warred against one another. The neverending pain inside of him combined and he shed one final tear before cutting himself off. The tear rolled down his cheek and then floated in the air. Seemingly from nowhere he found the strength to sit upright. He disregarded his wounds and reached out for the glowing teardrop. The tear crystalised and began to shine even more brilliantly. The general's face paled and she began to retreat but too late. A mere thought directed the power of the newly emmerged Imperium Silver Crystal to destroy her. Mechanically he destroyed the youma and levitated the baby into his arms.
Then he stood and, still in the blood soaked hospital gown, left the room and moved out into the hospital. There were no people moving about, only youma which he destroyed absently as he moved through the corridors. Knowledge came to him from nowhere and he mentally scanned the other building and grounds for any remaining youm. Seconds later his brilliant power had obliterated them. All that remained were the drained and dying bodies of humans around him. The crystal flared in response to his will a final time and then the light died away. The bodies around him began to breath freely again and in time they would awaken. His deeds were unimportant to him though, nothing mattered anymore. He found a bed on which he place his daughter and then he relinquished his hold on consciousness.
*****
Tears were pouring down Serena's face and Darien realised that they were the first she'd cried since that day five years ago. She did not need to compel him to take the next step, he took it willingly. His objective altered and he moved foreward of his own volition, accepting the memories she showed him but no longer losing himself in them as he moved closer and closer to her. He was her when she tried to slit her wrists, he was her when she returned to earth to rescue her daughter. He was her when she faced impossible odds time after time, protecting not only Selene but also the public where ever she happened to be. He was her through loss after loss, he shared her alienation and he experienced her terror when Selene was taken a second time.
Serena kept backing up but her pace had slowed. Bit by bit Darien moved nearer to her, finding her in his arms as the last of her memories faded from his consciousness. Tears flowed down his cheeks to mingle with those on hers. He opened his mind to her, sending his emotions along the link between them, forcing her to know the deep admiration and awe he felt at her strength and endurance.
"I'm sorry," he murmured as he looked down at her. She didn't answer, old pains which had been refreshed dominating her. She tried to turn away from him but he refused to let her so she let him hold her as she sobbed. He stroked her short dark hair and knew that she'd cut and dyed it in as a disguise after escaping the first hospital massacre before Selene had been born.
"I didn't know," he whispered into her hair, "But now I do and I understand."
Her legs gave out and he sank to his knees with her in his arms. She continued to cry and he just held her to him, rocking the both of them as she finally expressed the accumulated grief and hurt of the past six years. Inside she was just a frightened angel who had no one to turn to.
"I'm here now Serena," he murmured repeatedly, "I won't ever leave you, I'm here."
She looked up at him and finally seemed to understand what he was saying. She drew back and tried to pull away from him completely but he looked at her firmly and refused to release her, "It's too late now, Meatball Head. I'm in now and you can't get me out. I'm not going to give up on you." With a fluid movement he stood again, still holding her to his side. He moved the both of them to the side of the stone slab and the sleeping princess. Without releasing Serena he reached out to her double and began to shake the delicate form.
"Wake up princess," he said sternly, "It's time to return to the land of the living." The form was breathing more regularly but it still did not stir. He glared at the slumbering form for a moment before turning to Serena and commenting sardonically, "Luna always said that you were impossible to wake up." She looked at him indignantly before she changed her mind and gave him a tremulous smile. He looked at her and then at her double consideringly. "I believe the classic manner of waking a sleeping princess is by a prince's kiss. Do you think that'll work?" He felt rather than saw her shrug beside him and then she moved away to give him room to try.
He waited a moment longer and then, instead of bending down to the sleeping princess, he turned to Serena and swept her back into his arms and kissed her gently but thoroughly. He was gratified when she responded after recovering from her startlement. Even after the kiss had ended he just held her with his eyes closed savouring the sensation of wholeness that was beginning to build in him. When he opened his eyes he saw that the stone slab was empty but he didn't care, his princess was in front of him.
Serena opened her eyes shortly after he did and he smiled to see that, although her blue depths were still swimming with sorrow, for the first time in a very long time they also showed hope. Without speaking a word they both turned to the bleeding form of Sailor Moon. Darien bent down and grabbed her hands while Serena removed the sword from her reach. As the bloodied form's hands left the blade both sword and Sailor Moon dissolved leaving only Serena and Darien.
She turned her hands so that palms were facing up. The slashes on her wrists had faded until only a couple of pale lines remained.
"They will completely disappear eventually," she offered as he tenderly traced the lines with his fingers.
He nodded, "With the help of friends and time, both of which you'll have now." She cocked an eyebrow as if to inquire as to his surety and he grinned smugly as he gathered her back into his arms. "We're a part of each other, you can't deny it Meatball Head-"
"I might if you keep calling me that!" she retorted.
He smiled at her, "Meatball Head, and Luna and Selene will be there and I have no doubt that the scouts and generals will eventually worm their way into your affections. I know this from experience so trust me! You'll have friends, whether you want them or not, and we'll give you all time you need."
She looked at him and smiled shyly but he could feel a new uncertainty in her as she spoke, "You realise that we don't know all that much about each other? We might discover that it's impossible for us to get along consistantly and considering our history that wouldn't be too surprising."
"I think you'll find that we know each other better than you think. We've been communicating through our dreams for years."
"I might have some really vile habit that you can't live with or you might find that a girlfriend with daughter in tow is not to your taste."
"I'm not worried," he answered in a chuckle. He paused for a moment before asking slyly, "Now what's this about a dream to marry and have a family with the jerk you left here in Tokyo?" She blushed furiously and tried to avoid his eyes but he gently cup her chin and forced her to keep eye contact. "Hmm?" he prodded and she still refused to answer. He smiled cockily and teased, "You know that's twice now that you've indicated that you have always been attracted to me. It's too late to deny it now Meatball Head, you've always liked me teasing you!" He chuckled and added gently, "But maybe it'd help you to know that I only teased you to help pass the time until you were legal."
Her eyes widened and he laughed at her astonishment. Suddenly he grabbed her around the waist andswung her around before drawing her back for another kiss. She complied willingly and they were firmly pressed together as the world around them flickered and changed.
*****
Marcus breathed a sigh of relief as Darien's eyes opened. Before the worried general had a chance to speak the dark haired man had rolled over and was gently cradling the still unconscious woman who had lain beside him.
"Be careful Dare," Raye warned, "She's badly hurt.
Darien just nodded and watched the pale face of the woman-child in his arms.
"Did you suc-" Luna began to be interrupted by a soft moan.
Marcus was astonished at the brilliant smile which lit Darien's face as he patiently waited for Serena to awaken. He held back the questions he was dying to ask, now as not the time. Over the last few months the general knew that his prince had become less and less happy although he'd managed to forget it quite often. Marcus had done his best to ensure that Darien had been kept occupied, trying to prolong the periods of freedom for his friend with only limited success. Now in the middle of a battlefield with mysteries abounding and the moon princess injured, Darien's face showed the joyful and uninhibited expression that Marcus had never been able to coax from him in even the best circumstances. Marcus began to understand just how special Serena Tsukino was that she could have such an influence.
His musings were interruupted when Serena moaned again and then groaned, "Ooooh, I hurt!"
Luna darted to Darien's side and rested her forepaws against him so that she could get a better view of the injured woman. "I'm not surprised," she scolded in a relieved tone, "Just look at the mess you've made of yourself."
Serena struggled to sit upright but was stopped by Darien. Luna lept onto his shoulder and then he carefully picked Serena up and began to carry her to the car. Serena sighed and rested her head against his chest. "I'll heal," she mumbled.
Marcus remembered something and trotted to Darien's side. He dug an object out of his pocket and placed it her lap. "You'll heal even faster with that won't you?" he asked gently.
She looked at him in surprise and then picked up the brooch, opening it to reveal the crystal. "Yes... but I gave this to Selene. She shouldn't have given it to anyone..."
"Blame it on your mother," Darien said shortly.
"My mother?" she repeated blankly.
Marcus smiled wryly as he held a branch out of the way for the pair to pass. Suddenly Serena understood and she laughed, and quickly regretted it. "She's rather active for someone who's been dead for several thousand years isn't she?" she eventually got out.
Darien's lips twitched but he forced himself not to smile. Instead he mock glared at her and ordered, "Go to sleep."
She looked as if she was about to argue but changed her mind, meekly saying, "Yes sir!"
By the time the strange group reached the car she was deeply asleep.
*****
Marcus stalked down the hallway with Amy at his side. "I don't believe this!" he growled, "She's been unconscious for three days and the first time she's alone she pulls this!"
"At least this time we don't have to worry that she'll bleed to death before we find her," Amy offered, "When I checked her this morning her injuries were almost completely healed. All that remained was a couple of small bruises."
"Bloody Lunarian constitution," he muttered. Several heads poked themselves out of a door as the pair passed, their owners wondering what had upset the usually collected general. Marcus ignored them and continued to rant under his breath trying to control his aprehension, "If she's gone through the bathroom window again, I swear I'm going to get Jase to board it up."
"If Darien doesn't get him to cement it in first," Amy added.
They stopped at the door and reached for his wallet only to be stopped when someone behind him put their hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Mina offering him her gold card.
"She's taken off again?" Raye asked. Six faces looked at him expectantly and he growled and turned to jimmy the lock. Amy took pity on them and explained.
"Luna took Selene out to get some air and when I went to check on Serena ten minutes later I found the door locked and no one answering."
"She's taken off again." this time Raye's words were a statement and the violet eyed woman's face darkened.
"Man, Darien is going to be ticked!" Lita groaned.
At that moment the door opened and Marcus began to swing it open. To the surprise of those watching him he stopped before it was half open and jerked it quietly, but quickly, shut. He turned to face his friends and knew they were all surprised at the expression he wore. Personally he was surprised as well, he didn't remember the last time he was this shocked, well he did, it was about a week ago when Sailor Moon had let herself be eaten, but even then he didn't think he'd shown it this openly.
He looked at Lita and his sense of humour returned. "No he's not, I guarantee it. He's in there right now with her."
"Darien's in there?" Amy asked. Marcus nodded and she demanded, "Then why did he lock the door and why didn't he answer me?"
Marcus' eyes began to twinkle and several of the group began to get suspicious. They all waited for him to explain impatiently but before he could do more than open his mouth another small voice interrupted.
"What's wrong?" Selene asked.
They all looked down to find the little girl holding Luna in her arms and looking up at them seriously.
"Yes what's wrong? Why are all of you out here?" Luna interrogated.
"Nothing's wrong Luna," Marcus said hastily, "We can't go in because Darien's in there."
"Why not?" Leni asked
Marcus looked at Selene and then at his friends helplessly, a blush staining his cheeks. None of his friends offered him any support, each of them also waited for him to explain. He looked at Mina and begged for help with his eyes. Understanding began to dawn in her eyes and instead of helping she began to smile in delight.
Marcus rolled his eyes and then inspiration dawned. "Because he's checking her injuries!" His friends all looked surprised at his answer, Amy and Zac being the doctors. Then one by one they puzzled out the double meaning of his words and grins and snickers began to appear on them, all except for Amy.
Amy began to object and Marcus saw Jason whisper something in her ear. She jerked away and looked at him. He winked at her and she blushed while Lita whacked him in the ribs.
Luna still looked skeptical and Marcus, fighting to hide his own grin, added, "He's being very thorough."
He heard Mina choke back a giggle as she finally came to his aid. "We'd better give him time to do a proper job!" Luna opened her mouth to object and then stopped as a thought occurred to her. Marcus watched as her gaze took in the adults' snickers, giggles, and grins and then she followed Amy's example and blushed under her black fur.
"Yes, why don't we?" she managed to say to Selene. The girl looked at her in confusion but shrugged acceptance. Marcus shot a look at the others and they all began to file out of the hallway. Then he put a hand on the little girl's shoulder and began to guide her after the rest of his chuckling friends.
"Will my Mama be 'kay now?" she asked looking up at him.
Marcus smiled gently down at her and replied honestly, "Yeah, I think she will and your dad as well."
"Neither of them are alone anymore," Luna finished for him. Then the black cat looked straight at Marcus and winked before adding in a delighted voice, "Now let's leave him to kiss her better in peace." Marcus blinked in surprise and then could no longer restrain his joyful laughter.
"Where are we?" she demanded angrily as she glared at him.
He shrugged much more calmly, he knew that he had gained a little more time. "Your mind, or mine or some where in between. I'm not quite sure to be honest," he replied as he examined her. She appeared to be dressed in a dusty pair of jeans and a white male dress shirt. She was facing him and he didn't think that she'd notice the two figures behind her yet.
"Why are we here?"
"Turn around," he responded softly.
She scowled and repeated, "Why did you bring us here?"
He sighed and exclaimed in exasperation, "For once in your life do as I ask you to Meatball Head!"
Her face started to go red in anger and he sighed again before stepping up to her and physically spinning her around. What ever she had been about to say died unspoken as she saw the two figures. He kept his hands on her shoulders and watched the two shapes over her head. Serena as Sailor Moon was completely covered in blood, she was gripping her sword tightly by the blade and blood poured from her hands in a steady flow. She had the tip of the blade pointed to her chest and she just sat there, with her black eyes staring off into nothingness as she awaited the cue to impale herself on the blade. Seeing that Darien had to force himself not to cry.
Serena as the princess Serenity lay cold and still on her marble slab. She seemed to be little more than transluctant skin covering bones, even her pigtails seemed to be transparent. He watched and though he was relieved see that she did still breath he became even more worried at the length of time between her shallow breaths. Darien walked around Serena and approached the figure of Sailor Moon. He held out his hand, felt for the invisible barrier and then knelt, leaning his foredhead against it.
"You're not dead yet Serena," he eventually said, "You're dying but you're not there yet, you still have a chance." He stood and moved as close to the princess as he could. "Not even this part of you is completely destroyed, see? She's still breathing!"
Serena stepped to his side and then past him. She moved until she was standing right next to the figure of the princess and then placed her hand on her unconscious self's chest. She was expressionless and Darien wondered at the brief flicker of emotion that passed across her face and down their link before she supressed it.
"Her heart is still beating isn't it?" he asked instead.
She looked back to him with a blank face and nodded slowly. She turned around without a word and moved to Sailor Moon's side. There she knelt down and brushed some of the blood drenched strands of hair away from the striken face. She hestitated for a moment and then, to Darien's relief, she tried to take the sword away. Even as she touched the bloodied hands of her otherself the wounds on he own wrists opened and blood trailed down her hands to drip from her finger tips. She jerked back, face pale and looked at her wrists in confusion which quickly changed to comprehension.
Darien understood the moment she did. She couldn't touch the sword or help the other versions of herself because she couldn't help herself. Her mind said that it was necessary but her heart could not gather the will. She couldn't do it alone, not any more. She needed him to give her the strength. He tried to go to her but was once more stopped by the invisible barrier. He pounded on it but it held strong. Serena looked up at him were he struggled to reach her and a brief flare of alarm resonated down her bond to him.
He jerked back wondering what could have alarmed her so. A quick glance around confirmed that aside from her two dopplegangers they were alone, that left him. A thought occurred and he returned to the barrier and resumed striking it. As before a quick snatch of fear echoed down their link and confirmed his suspicion.
He lay his hand against the barrier and looked at Serena. "Let me through Serena," he begged her, "You have to let me in so that I can help you. You can't stand alone any more, it's killing you, let me in."
"Let you in?" she repeated, "I don't-"
"You're blocking yourself off," he burst in, "I don't mean the way you shield yourself from the Negaverse. I mean how you're won't let anyone get close to you, how you're walling your heart away. I know why you do it, it's so that you won't be hurt again. I used to do it myself, it's why I used to tease you instead of trying to be friends. It's protection but Serena, you have to let people in just like I had to."
She just watched him with a pale face and his mind raced as his sudden realisation answered several questions he'd put aside. With those answers came anger. "That's why you never came back isn't it?" He stepped back away from her and stared at her as his anger built, "You were scared. You left me alone all those years because you were frightened that you were going to be hurt again!"
Her face was chalky as she shook her head. "You're wrong," she whispered.
"No I'm not," he denied in a hard voice.
"You don't understand-"
"All those years I searched and I waited-"
"I never asked you to!" she yelled.
He glared at her, "Yes you did, when you kissed me and claimed me as yours. You left me alone!"
Her eyes widened in memory and he felt her guilty acknowledgement along their link. "You don't under-" she began again, her eyes starting to water.
He made sure that his own feelings of betrayal could be felt through their link along with the years of lonliness and waiting he had endured. "I don't understand? Oh no, I do. You were afraid. You've lost some people that you care about, well boo hoo!"
"How dare-" she growled, her own anger rising.
"How dare I?" he finished for her, "I dare because I know exactly how you feel-"
"How could you?" she demanded in a snarl.
"Do you think you're the only person who has ever suffered a loss? Well you're not! My parents died in a car crash when I was six. Then I was put into an orphanage where I could never fit in no matter what I did. I spent the next fifteen years doing what you're doing. Well let me tell you that nobody can get along alone. Not even you, especially not you!"
"You don't don't know what you're talking about!" she screamed at him.
He looked at her in disbelief. "I don't? You complete and utter Meatball Head," he sneered, "Mistress of the witty comeback even now. Of course no one can know what she feels, not a man who has been through experiences similar to her, not a man who can feel her emotions, not even the man who is her soulmate, the other half of her soul! So go right ahead Serena, after all you know best. Keep walling yoursef up until your spirit starves to death, then let your body just fade right after it. Leave Leni motherless, leave Luna bereft, leave me incomplete, and leave the world defenceless. Why not? It's your life, it doesn't matter for anything."
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" she screamed.
"Of course not," he replied in a scornful voice.
She stalked towards him and swung at him but her anger dulled her reflexes. He caught her hand and held it. She stared at their joined hands for a moment and when she looked back into his eyes he almost retreated from the fury held in her gaze. His own anger gave him the resolve to stand firm as did the pain he both saw and felt in her, hiding behind her rage. He held her eyes, telling her silently that he could handle anything she dealt out.
She nodded almost unnoticably and her fist twisted in his hand until she was gripping him as tightly as he was her. "You think I should let people get close to me? Specifically you? Then come on!" She stepped back into the perimetre of the invisible barrier and wrenched him after her. "Come and find out what it's like to be me!"
*****
He opened the door and kicked his shoes off. "Hi Mum, I'm home!" he called out loudly in his piercing voice. He smoothed the skirt of his school uniform and walked into the kitchen. A quick glance showed that his mother wasn't in there and that was strange since she usually made snacks after school. His stomach began to churn with an uneasiness triggered by the instincts gained from being Sailor Moon for three years.
"Mum?" he called out cautiously, "Are you here?"
A thump sounded over head and then a loud crash as one of the upstairs windows was shattered. He clutched the brooch on his shirt and crept upstairs, feverently hoping that it was just his younger brother being a pain again. A soundlessly as he could he slipped down the hallway that connected all of the bedrooms. Outside of his parents' he stopped. A rustling sound was coming from behind the door and he slowly reached out a hand to the handle and turned it. The door swung open and he went numb.
There was blood every where, splashed across the walls, over the furniture, even the ceiling was coated. Peripheral details such as the large fracture in his mother's favourite vase, his father's grey tie hanging from the ceiling fan and even how pale his face was and how large his light blue eyes were occupied his mind as he tried to deny the truth. It became harder and harder to breathe as his eyes darted from one end of the room to the other, stubbornly avoiding the bed. He was wasting time and he knew it. Taking a deep breath he forced himself to look at the kingsized bed that his parents usually slept in.
His arms wrapped themselves around his body just under his breasts as if trying to hold himself together. He closed his eyes and opening them again he prayed that he had been seeing things but he hadn't. His mother's body lay in a small pile on the bed. The stumps of her arms and legs still leaked blood. Her head stared at him, the expression on her face terrified, from where it was placed on her stomach. The next pile was even worse, the only object recognisable in the mound of bloody chunks being his father's head.
A small scratching noise came from around the other side of the bed and for a moment he fought the impulse to start running and never look back. Slowly, almost numbly, he walked around the bed, blood soaking into his white school socks until they squelched with every step. The first thing he saw almost caused him to vomit, the scattered limbs of his parents, but he swallowed his nausea back quickly as he saw the source of the sound. Two quick steps brought him to the third body and he threw himself to his knees, heedless of the gore around him. The young boy in front of him looked pitifully grateful to see him.
"Don't move," he whispered frantically as he tried to stop the flow of blood but his younger brother was bleeding in too many places. The boy had been stabbed repeatedly and his left forearm had been torn off at the elbow.
"Sisss..." the boy murmured, blood bubbling from between his lips, "Don' go..."
"I have to get help-" he protested, tears running down his face.
"Stay... please... don' wan t'be 'lone..."
He nodded agreeing to his brother's request and carefully lifted the boy's head into his lap. The boy's blood soaked into his skirt but he didn't care, all that mattered was that the last of his family was dying in front of him. His brother's breath slowed and he stroked his cheek softly as he cried.
"Please don't leave me," he pleaded.
The boy smiled in apology as his eyes drifted shut, "'M sorry 'Rena, 'm sorry..." A couple of moments later he stopped breathing. All he could do was cradle his brother's head as his mind refused to work.
An eternity later he stood, completely numb. His brother's head dropped to the floor with a dull thud but he didn't even notice. He walked out of the room and down the hall, stopping only when he came to a pink door with a plaque covered in bunnies on it. He opened the door and stepped inside. The first thing his paralysed mind noticed was the window by the bed had been shattered. A brief glimpse of the reflection in the mirror caused his head to whip around, sending his long golden pigtails flying. On the wall opposite the mirror huge red letters had been smeared. The thick characters, clumsily drawn, had formed four words, 'you're next Sailor Moon'. His mind continued in its refusal to function even as he approached the vandalised wall.
Absently he reached one of his slender hands out to touch the paint and it came away wet. When he brought his fingers to his nose all he could smell was blood, not a trace of paint. Concentrating on trivialities he was able to coax his mind into something remotely functional. He couldn't smell paint, only blood, because of what he'd seen, there was nothing strange about that. Nothing. He continue to repeat that to himself as he stepped back and tripped on something. He fell to his knees and looked for the problem. It was his brother's arm, a trail of blood leading from it to the last of the gruesome letters on the wall.
His world went red.
*****
Darien gasped and found Serena still pulling him closer to her otherselves.
*****
He was walking down the street. At his side was a smiling redheaded woman. The woman laughed and skipped ahead a few steps and then turned around, walking backwards in front of him.
"I'm so glad that we were able to celebrate your birthday," she enthused, "Even if it is nearly two weeks late!"
He shrugged and winked, "Better late than never is my motto in life."
She laughed again, "Tell me about!" She watched him for two steps in silence after that, obviously waiting for him to speak. His amusement rose, knowing that she was itching with curiousity about something but he affected innocence. Instead he smoothed his short pink dress which hugged his slender figure nicely even if he did think so himself. Of course from the reaction of most of the guys they had passed he wasn't deluding himself.
"Oh come on girl!" his friend eventually burst out, "Tell me about the dream!"
"What dream?" he asked innocently, battling valiantly to restrain a smile.
"What dream she says!" the exasperated red head sighed to the sky. She stumbled and righted herself quickly, returning to his side although her gaze remained locked on him. she grins, "I mean the dream that had you distracted so that you thought of nothing else for three days, the dream which even now can get you to smile like nothing else has over the past few months. The Dream, capital letters!"
"Oh, that dream!" he teased, "It'd just bore you!"
"Oh no you don't," the girl demanded, "I have waited two weeks, ever since you woke me up in the middle of the night on your birthday to try and tell me about it."
"You didn't want to here it then either," he retorted cheerfully.
She rolled her eyes, "Somehow I don't think you'd've wanted my boyfriend to hear about it."
"Boyfriend?" he asked, attempting to change the subject.
"Uh uh, spill!"
He grinned, satisfied that he had agravated her enough, and complied, "When it started I was in the most beautiful rose garden. It only had white roses but they were everywhere and in all different sizes, some absolutely tiny others as big a dinner plates. I could see the earth in the sky, it was like a glowing blue jewel surrounded by stars. The most beautiful man I've ever seen was with me."
"I've never seen you so excited about a man, I've never even seen you with a man!" the girl giggled in surprise.
He sighed in regret, "All I can remember is his eyes, they were the same blue as the earth, I could have drowned in them and all I could see in them was love and desire for me! He took my hand and led me deeper into the garden until we came to a bed made completely out of red rose petals. He was only wearing a loose white shirt and black pants but next to the masses of rose petals there was a pile of black armour. We stopped next to it and he kissed me. It was like tasting heaven and even as his mouth was on mine his hands moved to my shoulders and slipped my dress off of them. When the kiss ended I was in his arms, completely naked, and then he pulled me down into the rose petals and-"
"Stop right there," a harsh voice demanded.
Both he and his friend stopped stock still, frozen by the sight of the vicious looking man in front of them. The man was a little over six feet tall and although he looked to be mostly fat he was still a huge man. The man pointed a gun at them and sneered, "Give me all of your valuables.
He looked to his friend and the girl's face was pale with fright. He contemplated transforming into Sailor Moon and dismissed the thought quickly, his attacker appeared to be too highstrung to risk setting off. He slowly handed his small purse to the man and watched as his friend did the same. The man snatched them from them with one hand and then stepped back and snarled in malicious pleasure as he shot the girl six times in the chest. She whimpered as she fell and he lept to catch her. Even as he moved the man turned his gun on him and pain blossomed in his chest as the remaining eight bullets found their way into his chest and lungs. He slumped to the ground and his vision started to fade. The last thing he saw was the mugger leaning over his face, his eyes glowing red and the aura of the Negaverse dancing around him. as he growled to him, "Die you moon bitch."
*****
Darien took another step closer to the two statue like figures of Serena's alteregos. His heart pounded with the memories that she forced him to live through but he endured, concentrating on the lessinging distance between himself and the sword. He just had to get close enough to get it away from the figure of Sailor Moon and then she would be safe. Serena didn't give him a chance to act, instead pulling him foreward another step.
*****
He lay in the hospital bed and stared out of the window, trying to assimilate what the doctor had just told him. His friend was dead. He had known that the instant the mugger had pulled the trigger but it was now undeniable. He knew he should be grief striken and yet all he felt was an emptyness inside as a part of him began to pull away, hiding itself from pain. The fact that it didn't hurt was of more concern to him than the fact that his best friend was now dead and it provided confirmation to the growing belief inside of him that he was little better than the Negaverse.
He shrugged aside those and similar thoughts instead turning to the second peice of news the doctor had imparted. He was was pregnant. He had been two weeks along when the mugger had shot him and had just awoken from the coma he had been in. The doctors had been shocked that he had survived and could not believe that the child had as well. Eight bullets had been removed from his torso, three had been in his lungs and one had hit his heart, he should have died but he hadn't. He thought he knew why and the pregnancy just confirmed it.
He had never even kissed a man aside from his father or brother let alone slept with one... in this lifetime. But he, of all people, knew that sometimes things were more than they seemed. He remembered the dream he had had on his eighteenth birthday and a hollow feeling began to grow in the pit of his stomach. One hand found its way to rest upon his stomach and the other one clutched the object which might have been the answer to his dillemma. It was the brooch that allowed him to transform into Sailor Moon, that gave him amazing abilities and responsibilities, that marked him as other than normal.
He had never wanted to be anything other than an ordinary girl. His dream had been to marry and have a family... with the jerk he'd left back in Tokyo when he was fourteen. It was an unreachable dream and not only because the male in question despised him but also because there was no way he could live an ordinary life as long as he was Sailor Moon, the assassination attempts proved that. They also proved that he could not risk getting close to anyone in case they became a target for his enemies.
Now he was pregnant and the Negaverse had found him again. It was like some kind of divine joke. Was the universe against him? Didn't he deserve a break? Suddenly the whole building shook. He stood painfully and staggered to the door dragging the jar and post his drip was connected to with him. He looked out of the door to see nurses, doctors and patients running down the corridor in a panicked rush. A shadow flashed passed him, over the racing mob, and where it passed people collapsed. A great crash made him whirl and he saw the upper half of the doctor who had been so helpful to him, thrust through the wall. Blonde ran down the doctors face and he knew from his growing familiarity with death that the medico was dead.
He tore the drip from his arm and weakly raised his brooch above his head. He could feel the dark energy radiating around him, the Negaverse was attacking the hospital, and he knew that only Sailor Moon could help.
"Moon Prism Power," his voice was weak but the transformation worked even so. Seconds later he was dressed in the miniskirt and boots of the modified sailor uniform that the sailor scouts wore. He staggered out into the corridor, the transformation having granted him very little in the way of extra strength. The building shook again and one of the rampaging youma burst through the floor in front of him. He sent his glowing tiara at it but it caused very little damage in his weakened state. The building shook yet again as the youma roared, enraged by the attack. He stumbed back and the roof began to cave in. From the corner of his eye he saw a young toddler lying on the floor crying. He disregarded his wounds and threw himself over the child as the youma pulled the roof in.
An endless time later he awoke to find himself suffocating, an enormous weight pressing down on him from above. He forced himself to stand and felt his barely healed wounds tear at the strain. The slab of cement on him gave out before his tortured muscles did and with relief he breathed in great gasps. He remembered the toddler and bent down to check on it. A light touch on the child's cheek illicited no response. He carefully turned the child over to find that it's neck sagged unnaturally. He stumbled back as realisation set in and he turned away from the dead child and frantically scanned the rubble. Around him he could see several forms but not one breathed or shown even the slightest sign of life. A dark form flew overhead in the twilight, the Negaverse was watching for any survivors.
He placed a hand on his stomach, remembering what the kindly doctor had told him. He was going to have a baby. He couldn't risk staying, he was too weak to fight and the baby must be protected. He looked back to the dead toddler as he reluctantly moved into concealing shadows. He had failed it, he had failed them all.
*****
Darien staggered as he escaped from Serena's memories yet again. He had only a few more steps, he would do it. He could not fail.
*****
He gritted his teeth as the agony ripped through him and pushed. It felt like he was being torn apart yet he persevered and suddenly there was relief. A thin cry split the silence of the hospital room and he sighed in satisfaction. Nine months of running, nine months of hardship, pain and death and it was over. He was a mother and now he would be able fight back at his persecuters. An evil laugh cut through his preoccupation and he looked up in sudden fear.
Stripping of the hospitall gown was not a doctor but a woman in the grey uniform of a general of the Negaverse. She saw that he was staring at her and smiled almost pleasantly at him. "Well princess, we've finally found you, and look I even have the honor of presenting your daughter to you!" she motioned and he looked to find his newborn daughter held in the arms of a youma. His insides knotted in terror and the general chuckled.
"Don't worry princess, nothing'll happen to the little tyke... as long as you give me the crystal."
"I don't have it!" he whispered beseechingly.
"Liar" the general said, all traces of pleasantness vanished. Then she turned and reached over to a tray of surgical tools and selected a scalple. "We know you have it," she held the blade up so that it reflected the light from overhead, "Shall we see if we can jumpstart your memory?"
"What-" he had started to say and then his world had stood still as the general slashed at the baby. He watched as the blade arced towards the baby's back and something inside of him snapped. A fervent wish that if anyone was hurt it would be him was accompanied by a power that had not been seen in millennia. A line of agony opened on his back but he was so intent upon his daughter that he didn't notice. A second and third slash followed the first and the general looked back to him in confusion. He didn't care, his daughter had not felt a single one of the cuts, each of them having been transferred to his own back. The general saw this and began to hack at the baby's back with abandon, assured that her hostage would survive.
Tears began to run down his face as the agony in his back and the anguish for his child warred against one another. The neverending pain inside of him combined and he shed one final tear before cutting himself off. The tear rolled down his cheek and then floated in the air. Seemingly from nowhere he found the strength to sit upright. He disregarded his wounds and reached out for the glowing teardrop. The tear crystalised and began to shine even more brilliantly. The general's face paled and she began to retreat but too late. A mere thought directed the power of the newly emmerged Imperium Silver Crystal to destroy her. Mechanically he destroyed the youma and levitated the baby into his arms.
Then he stood and, still in the blood soaked hospital gown, left the room and moved out into the hospital. There were no people moving about, only youma which he destroyed absently as he moved through the corridors. Knowledge came to him from nowhere and he mentally scanned the other building and grounds for any remaining youm. Seconds later his brilliant power had obliterated them. All that remained were the drained and dying bodies of humans around him. The crystal flared in response to his will a final time and then the light died away. The bodies around him began to breath freely again and in time they would awaken. His deeds were unimportant to him though, nothing mattered anymore. He found a bed on which he place his daughter and then he relinquished his hold on consciousness.
*****
Tears were pouring down Serena's face and Darien realised that they were the first she'd cried since that day five years ago. She did not need to compel him to take the next step, he took it willingly. His objective altered and he moved foreward of his own volition, accepting the memories she showed him but no longer losing himself in them as he moved closer and closer to her. He was her when she tried to slit her wrists, he was her when she returned to earth to rescue her daughter. He was her when she faced impossible odds time after time, protecting not only Selene but also the public where ever she happened to be. He was her through loss after loss, he shared her alienation and he experienced her terror when Selene was taken a second time.
Serena kept backing up but her pace had slowed. Bit by bit Darien moved nearer to her, finding her in his arms as the last of her memories faded from his consciousness. Tears flowed down his cheeks to mingle with those on hers. He opened his mind to her, sending his emotions along the link between them, forcing her to know the deep admiration and awe he felt at her strength and endurance.
"I'm sorry," he murmured as he looked down at her. She didn't answer, old pains which had been refreshed dominating her. She tried to turn away from him but he refused to let her so she let him hold her as she sobbed. He stroked her short dark hair and knew that she'd cut and dyed it in as a disguise after escaping the first hospital massacre before Selene had been born.
"I didn't know," he whispered into her hair, "But now I do and I understand."
Her legs gave out and he sank to his knees with her in his arms. She continued to cry and he just held her to him, rocking the both of them as she finally expressed the accumulated grief and hurt of the past six years. Inside she was just a frightened angel who had no one to turn to.
"I'm here now Serena," he murmured repeatedly, "I won't ever leave you, I'm here."
She looked up at him and finally seemed to understand what he was saying. She drew back and tried to pull away from him completely but he looked at her firmly and refused to release her, "It's too late now, Meatball Head. I'm in now and you can't get me out. I'm not going to give up on you." With a fluid movement he stood again, still holding her to his side. He moved the both of them to the side of the stone slab and the sleeping princess. Without releasing Serena he reached out to her double and began to shake the delicate form.
"Wake up princess," he said sternly, "It's time to return to the land of the living." The form was breathing more regularly but it still did not stir. He glared at the slumbering form for a moment before turning to Serena and commenting sardonically, "Luna always said that you were impossible to wake up." She looked at him indignantly before she changed her mind and gave him a tremulous smile. He looked at her and then at her double consideringly. "I believe the classic manner of waking a sleeping princess is by a prince's kiss. Do you think that'll work?" He felt rather than saw her shrug beside him and then she moved away to give him room to try.
He waited a moment longer and then, instead of bending down to the sleeping princess, he turned to Serena and swept her back into his arms and kissed her gently but thoroughly. He was gratified when she responded after recovering from her startlement. Even after the kiss had ended he just held her with his eyes closed savouring the sensation of wholeness that was beginning to build in him. When he opened his eyes he saw that the stone slab was empty but he didn't care, his princess was in front of him.
Serena opened her eyes shortly after he did and he smiled to see that, although her blue depths were still swimming with sorrow, for the first time in a very long time they also showed hope. Without speaking a word they both turned to the bleeding form of Sailor Moon. Darien bent down and grabbed her hands while Serena removed the sword from her reach. As the bloodied form's hands left the blade both sword and Sailor Moon dissolved leaving only Serena and Darien.
She turned her hands so that palms were facing up. The slashes on her wrists had faded until only a couple of pale lines remained.
"They will completely disappear eventually," she offered as he tenderly traced the lines with his fingers.
He nodded, "With the help of friends and time, both of which you'll have now." She cocked an eyebrow as if to inquire as to his surety and he grinned smugly as he gathered her back into his arms. "We're a part of each other, you can't deny it Meatball Head-"
"I might if you keep calling me that!" she retorted.
He smiled at her, "Meatball Head, and Luna and Selene will be there and I have no doubt that the scouts and generals will eventually worm their way into your affections. I know this from experience so trust me! You'll have friends, whether you want them or not, and we'll give you all time you need."
She looked at him and smiled shyly but he could feel a new uncertainty in her as she spoke, "You realise that we don't know all that much about each other? We might discover that it's impossible for us to get along consistantly and considering our history that wouldn't be too surprising."
"I think you'll find that we know each other better than you think. We've been communicating through our dreams for years."
"I might have some really vile habit that you can't live with or you might find that a girlfriend with daughter in tow is not to your taste."
"I'm not worried," he answered in a chuckle. He paused for a moment before asking slyly, "Now what's this about a dream to marry and have a family with the jerk you left here in Tokyo?" She blushed furiously and tried to avoid his eyes but he gently cup her chin and forced her to keep eye contact. "Hmm?" he prodded and she still refused to answer. He smiled cockily and teased, "You know that's twice now that you've indicated that you have always been attracted to me. It's too late to deny it now Meatball Head, you've always liked me teasing you!" He chuckled and added gently, "But maybe it'd help you to know that I only teased you to help pass the time until you were legal."
Her eyes widened and he laughed at her astonishment. Suddenly he grabbed her around the waist andswung her around before drawing her back for another kiss. She complied willingly and they were firmly pressed together as the world around them flickered and changed.
*****
Marcus breathed a sigh of relief as Darien's eyes opened. Before the worried general had a chance to speak the dark haired man had rolled over and was gently cradling the still unconscious woman who had lain beside him.
"Be careful Dare," Raye warned, "She's badly hurt.
Darien just nodded and watched the pale face of the woman-child in his arms.
"Did you suc-" Luna began to be interrupted by a soft moan.
Marcus was astonished at the brilliant smile which lit Darien's face as he patiently waited for Serena to awaken. He held back the questions he was dying to ask, now as not the time. Over the last few months the general knew that his prince had become less and less happy although he'd managed to forget it quite often. Marcus had done his best to ensure that Darien had been kept occupied, trying to prolong the periods of freedom for his friend with only limited success. Now in the middle of a battlefield with mysteries abounding and the moon princess injured, Darien's face showed the joyful and uninhibited expression that Marcus had never been able to coax from him in even the best circumstances. Marcus began to understand just how special Serena Tsukino was that she could have such an influence.
His musings were interruupted when Serena moaned again and then groaned, "Ooooh, I hurt!"
Luna darted to Darien's side and rested her forepaws against him so that she could get a better view of the injured woman. "I'm not surprised," she scolded in a relieved tone, "Just look at the mess you've made of yourself."
Serena struggled to sit upright but was stopped by Darien. Luna lept onto his shoulder and then he carefully picked Serena up and began to carry her to the car. Serena sighed and rested her head against his chest. "I'll heal," she mumbled.
Marcus remembered something and trotted to Darien's side. He dug an object out of his pocket and placed it her lap. "You'll heal even faster with that won't you?" he asked gently.
She looked at him in surprise and then picked up the brooch, opening it to reveal the crystal. "Yes... but I gave this to Selene. She shouldn't have given it to anyone..."
"Blame it on your mother," Darien said shortly.
"My mother?" she repeated blankly.
Marcus smiled wryly as he held a branch out of the way for the pair to pass. Suddenly Serena understood and she laughed, and quickly regretted it. "She's rather active for someone who's been dead for several thousand years isn't she?" she eventually got out.
Darien's lips twitched but he forced himself not to smile. Instead he mock glared at her and ordered, "Go to sleep."
She looked as if she was about to argue but changed her mind, meekly saying, "Yes sir!"
By the time the strange group reached the car she was deeply asleep.
*****
Marcus stalked down the hallway with Amy at his side. "I don't believe this!" he growled, "She's been unconscious for three days and the first time she's alone she pulls this!"
"At least this time we don't have to worry that she'll bleed to death before we find her," Amy offered, "When I checked her this morning her injuries were almost completely healed. All that remained was a couple of small bruises."
"Bloody Lunarian constitution," he muttered. Several heads poked themselves out of a door as the pair passed, their owners wondering what had upset the usually collected general. Marcus ignored them and continued to rant under his breath trying to control his aprehension, "If she's gone through the bathroom window again, I swear I'm going to get Jase to board it up."
"If Darien doesn't get him to cement it in first," Amy added.
They stopped at the door and reached for his wallet only to be stopped when someone behind him put their hand on his shoulder. He turned to find Mina offering him her gold card.
"She's taken off again?" Raye asked. Six faces looked at him expectantly and he growled and turned to jimmy the lock. Amy took pity on them and explained.
"Luna took Selene out to get some air and when I went to check on Serena ten minutes later I found the door locked and no one answering."
"She's taken off again." this time Raye's words were a statement and the violet eyed woman's face darkened.
"Man, Darien is going to be ticked!" Lita groaned.
At that moment the door opened and Marcus began to swing it open. To the surprise of those watching him he stopped before it was half open and jerked it quietly, but quickly, shut. He turned to face his friends and knew they were all surprised at the expression he wore. Personally he was surprised as well, he didn't remember the last time he was this shocked, well he did, it was about a week ago when Sailor Moon had let herself be eaten, but even then he didn't think he'd shown it this openly.
He looked at Lita and his sense of humour returned. "No he's not, I guarantee it. He's in there right now with her."
"Darien's in there?" Amy asked. Marcus nodded and she demanded, "Then why did he lock the door and why didn't he answer me?"
Marcus' eyes began to twinkle and several of the group began to get suspicious. They all waited for him to explain impatiently but before he could do more than open his mouth another small voice interrupted.
"What's wrong?" Selene asked.
They all looked down to find the little girl holding Luna in her arms and looking up at them seriously.
"Yes what's wrong? Why are all of you out here?" Luna interrogated.
"Nothing's wrong Luna," Marcus said hastily, "We can't go in because Darien's in there."
"Why not?" Leni asked
Marcus looked at Selene and then at his friends helplessly, a blush staining his cheeks. None of his friends offered him any support, each of them also waited for him to explain. He looked at Mina and begged for help with his eyes. Understanding began to dawn in her eyes and instead of helping she began to smile in delight.
Marcus rolled his eyes and then inspiration dawned. "Because he's checking her injuries!" His friends all looked surprised at his answer, Amy and Zac being the doctors. Then one by one they puzzled out the double meaning of his words and grins and snickers began to appear on them, all except for Amy.
Amy began to object and Marcus saw Jason whisper something in her ear. She jerked away and looked at him. He winked at her and she blushed while Lita whacked him in the ribs.
Luna still looked skeptical and Marcus, fighting to hide his own grin, added, "He's being very thorough."
He heard Mina choke back a giggle as she finally came to his aid. "We'd better give him time to do a proper job!" Luna opened her mouth to object and then stopped as a thought occurred to her. Marcus watched as her gaze took in the adults' snickers, giggles, and grins and then she followed Amy's example and blushed under her black fur.
"Yes, why don't we?" she managed to say to Selene. The girl looked at her in confusion but shrugged acceptance. Marcus shot a look at the others and they all began to file out of the hallway. Then he put a hand on the little girl's shoulder and began to guide her after the rest of his chuckling friends.
"Will my Mama be 'kay now?" she asked looking up at him.
Marcus smiled gently down at her and replied honestly, "Yeah, I think she will and your dad as well."
"Neither of them are alone anymore," Luna finished for him. Then the black cat looked straight at Marcus and winked before adding in a delighted voice, "Now let's leave him to kiss her better in peace." Marcus blinked in surprise and then could no longer restrain his joyful laughter.