Property of Kimra Lelanst, do not duplicate without consent.
Serena sat in class watching the back of Molly’s head with intensity. She had arrived at school easily, disgustingly easily. The gates hadn’t even been opened and she had been forced to sit and wait jumping at every pedestrian that passed her. Somehow afraid that it could have been Darien.
Molly turned around and grinned brightly at her, and Serena desperately tried to decipher the expression. She wanted to know exactly what it meant as if suspecting it had a deeper meaning. She was afraid her friend knew, but couldn’t think how she would know, but then again she couldn’t think how her friend wouldn’t know.
“Miss Tsukino.” Miss Haruna snapped from the front of the class, and Serena’s searching gaze snapped onto the teacher. “Why where you away yesterday?”
A little hope swelled in Serena’s chest that Molly had not gossiped about what ever had happened.
“I was sick miss.” Serena replied as calmly as she could. She couldn’t help that her heart had started a odd rhythm of uncertainty as she watched the teachers shifting expression.
“Convenient really? Don’t you think?” Miss Haruna asked carefully, her hands shifting with papers on the desk, her eyes locked on the often errant student. Serena was completely at a lose to answer that question. She tried to think of why being sick would be convenient but could think of nothing, so she tried to decipher the teachers words. Obviously the teacher was not in a patient mood she continued with a snap. “I’d like to congratulate everyone who attempted the test yesterday.”
Serena barely blinked at the teachers words, her mind registering that yes she had known there was an exam, and that no she didn’t really care at that point. Lack of sleep did wonders for the amount you cared about things like school.
“And I’m in such a good mood I’ve decided anyone who sat the test has an instant pass!”
And that was her punishment. It could be worse. Serena rationalised, too tired and unstable to really care. There where squeaks about the room as the rest of the class registered they had, if nothing else, passed a test that had been extremely important to there grades.
Serena looked about the room for a second, licking her bottom lip in thought. Amy was sending her a sympathy look. Melvin was trying to beg the teacher for his proper mark, because of course he had known he had passed. She shuddered at the sight of him, mentally reminding herself that Darien wasn’t the worst she could have done. Then pushing the thought away, disgusted with herself for it’s existence once more.
She looked at her desk, her hands neatly folded on the table and considered absently that she should have started to protest by now. She would have any other day, but today it felt too trivial.
She looked up and met the teachers eyes, noticing the slight disappointment. The entire thing had been to bait her into tears of indignation after all. Serena knew her teacher that well at least. Others where starting to look at her, as if waiting for the explosion. Giving in with a sigh Serena began.
“But Miss Haruna, that’s not fair!” Sure there’s nothing really to protest, but everyone knows she only passed everyone else so my failure could feel that much worse. Serena gave another sigh and looked about, people still watched her expectantly. Did she respond already? Serena glanced at the teacher and realised she had missed what ever come back the teacher had made. The smug look on Miss Haruna's face didn’t stir a muscle. I need sleep. Serena groaned out loud at that. Sleep, her ally all her life had abandoned her when she most wanted to escape the realm of reality, it was just about right, everything else seemed to be falling apart. “What ever.” Serena grumbled folding her arms onto the desk and resting her head in them. Her eyes however didn’t even close to allow her the illusion of sleep.
Someone must have yelled at her while she sat there, or maybe the teacher had gotten the point when she had failed to respond to the baiting. But she sat there ignoring it, staring at nothing until the lunch bell rang and the class began to disembark from the room. Serena did the only thing her mind could think of, she threw her belongings into her bag and charged out of the room in pursuit of her red headed friend. She barely heard Lita calling out something about having too much lunch before she caught up with her friend.
“Molly!” She gasped and grabbed at the girls arm, pulling her from the conversation she had been in the midst of.
“Oh, Serena.” Molly replied delightedly.
How do I do this? Serena demanded of her own brain when she realised she hadn’t planned what to do, just known what she wanted the outcome to be.
“Are you sitting with us for lunch?” Molly’s delight seemed to double at the idea but Serena shook her head briskly.
“I was wondering if we could… talk?” Serena bit into her tongue feeling stupid. She had put just the right empyesis on the word that suddenly the girls around Molly where excusing themselves.
“Yeah sure.” Molly chirped. “Can we stop at my locker?” Molly began her walk to the locker much more relaxed then the Serena that followed her.
How do I ask? What did I do the other night? What did you tell the others? Do you even know what happened? No, no. None of that’s right. Start simple, if something happened she knows she’ll get to it. She wracked her mind as they walked desperately trying to think of an attack plan.
“Hey great party the other night.” Serena blurted out suddenly, feeling stupid for the abruptness of it but Molly being her usual happy self seemed not to notice it.
“Yeah…” Molly stopped and turned to face Serena her expression a little uncertain now. “Shame you couldn’t stay for the night.” Molly’s expression was searching and Serena felt discomfort overpowering her thought process leaving her with a jumble of ‘run away’ thoughts and little else. Molly reconsidered something, turned and began for her locker once more. Serena was at a complete lose for a response and stood mutely as Molly pulled her overnight bag from the locker. “You left these.” Molly added her eyes returning to Serena’s searchingly.
Serena didn’t want to say it, say she couldn’t remember what happened. She would break down in tears or merely betray a weakness she would rather keep to herself, but she needed to know.
“So what did you tell everyone?” Serena asked abruptly, fearing her friends tendencies to gossiping.
“What?” Molly asked, looking blank, then an expression dawned and she smiled jokingly.
“I told them you go swept off your feet by some gorgeous guy in a secluded ally some time after midnight.”
Serena didn’t hear the joking tone at first, the colour from her face falling. But Molly’s mirth filled giggles shook her into realisation.
“What’s there to say?” Molly seemed agitated as she shoved the bag at Serena. “Justin took you home cause you weren’t feeling very well.”
“What’s wrong?” Serena demanded, the words fell lifelessly past her in the face of her friends agitation.
“You didn’t seem sick. I just thought you had a better offer. Like one of your new friends had decided to have a party on the same night and you didn’t want to offend me. But then you didn’t come yesterday… so I guess you where sick.” Molly’s expression shifted into apology. “And you left your bag, which you wouldn’t have done if you where feeling well.”
“Justin?” Serena murmured the name, her little brows tightening into a frown.
“Yeah, major hottie like him following you around the party like a lost puppy. I’m impressed. Though I didn’t think you knew him very well, but then I haven’t seen much of you lately.” Molly’s voice was growing weaker. Serena felt guilty, forgetting once more her own problems when she realised Molly was feeling left out again.
“I’m sorry Mol, I would have stayed, but I did feel really sick.” She didn’t want to lie she realised as the words left her mouth, rolling off her tongue to seal her to the lie until it would crumble. And the damage was done, and there would never be a way to reverse it. She should have trusted her best friend right then at that moment, but trust failed her when she needed it the most.
Justin. Her mind rolled the name around thoughtfully. He would be in their year, good looking by Molly’s kindly standards left none of the male populace out, then again she had said he was a hottie, so she was looking for someone exceptional. Pride did not allow her to ask her friend who Justin was. Besides that might tip her off.
“You coming for lunch?” Molly asked perkily but Serena shook her head.
“Not today, maybe tomorrow. Okay?” Serena pushed her friend a little in the right direction watching until the red head had gone before her back went up against the locker. Her eyes skimmed the corridor to find it empty and she pressed her head back against the cool metal eye fluttering shut with exhaustion.
A shaking hand pushed strands of loose hair behind her ear, then pulled back. Her heart rate increasing at the contact. The fingers lingering on the side of her check before they withdrew completely.
Her eyes fluttered open and travelled the corridor, her head not moving. Nobody. She told herself sternly calming the irregular heart beats in her chest. Her eyes closed without permission once more.
Tingling pressure pushed in against her lips sending electricity through her body in sharp jolts that left her nerves buzzing.
Serena’s eyes snapped open sharply her head swinging form side to side as she stared down the silent corridor. Her hand shifted to cover her lip to guard it and hold the strange feeling in at the same time. She knew she was shaking, her body refusing any command she tried to take over it.
She had no time to contemplate the moment before the bell rang for class to resume. It hadn’t felt that long at all but she stumbled back to class.
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
Firm lips pressing in against hers, pushing her back into the wall with a force of passion that she had never experience before. She trembled in a thousand places but her hands where controlled, skimming over taut muscles, and clamping down in velvet soft hair. She could feel him strain against her, pressing her deeper into the wall, and she wondered desperately if the wall would hold.
What the? Serena gasped, her body jolting her into an upright position as her eyes flew about the room desperately. Nobody. It was just a dream. Her mind was jittery with confusion, and she checked again. But the only people in the room were herself and a sleeping cat.
She couldn’t remember falling asleep, though a quickly glance at the clock told her she hadn’t been asleep for more then an hour. Hardly enough sleep to make up for last night. Serena fell back onto the soft pillows, her eyes wide as she stared at the roof.
The shock of the moment, of the feelings still pumping through her body with alarming intensity kept her trembling fiercely. There was no possibility of more sleep that night.
Serena get a grip. She told herself repeatedly as the dream shifted through her mind, but it told her nothing. She still repeated it in her head, her body tensing at the images, confusion engulfing her. This isn’t helping. She growled and threw her blankets across the room, not caring if it woke her guardian or anyone else in the house. She staggered out of her room and down the stairs heading directly for the kitchen and food.
She raided her fridge with all the impish intensions of a mid-night snack, only to realise as she stared at the gathered food that she still wasn’t hungry.
“Why me?” She begged the ceiling feeling forlorn, she couldn’t sleep to distract herself, she couldn’t eat to distract herself and she couldn’t concentrate enough to read her manga. “You want me to suffer don’t you?” Slowly she began repacking the fridge, grumbling her disrespect to whatever gods existed.
Something in the air shifted, catching her attention and drawing a small frown across her brow. She focused on the sensation her eyes slitting as she waited patiently for it to make sense.
The shrill beeping of her communicator broke her attention and for the first time in a long time she grinned at the sound.
“Sanity saving Youma.” She muttered as she took the stairs four at a time. It amazed her the sound never woke her family, it rang through the sleeping household resonating off silent walls.
It stopped before she reached the room but she didn’t falter in her progression. Opening her door she was greeted with the sight of Luna waiting patiently on the bed, the communicator opened but no longer on.
Serena quirked a smile at the disgruntled cat and snatched her broach of the bed side table.
“Youma attack on Main Street.” Luna said even as Serena raised the broach.
“Moon Prism Power.” And the power engulfed her light flooding the room as the moon responded to her summons. The searing comfort of power tracing through her veins relaxed and distracted her from mortal concerns.
She did her pose, out of habit. But when she went to jump out of her window Luna stopped her.
“What?” Serena looked down at the cat curiously.
“The pen.” Luna warned.
“It didn’t work last time.” Serena complained all the while grabbing the pen and the cat.
“Try something other then ‘make me look clean’” Luna chided from her position in the crook of the girls arm. Serena glanced at the cat for a moment and nodded raising the pen even as she continued her run. “Put me down first!” Luna shouted indignant, and Serena released her, never faltering in her run.
“Luna pen, Make Up. Hide my bruises.” Are hickey’s bruises? She had heard somewhere that they where a form of bruising.
The pens power poured over her and washed away, leaving her feeling and looking the same as far as she could tell. She stopped at a window, staring into the glass at her sailor clad form to try and see her neck, even with the sounds of battle ringing near by. It didn’t look like she had any hickeys, and glancing at her exposed skin she could see no bruises.
“If it interferes in scout business!” Luna warned running up behind her and Serena didn’t pause to process the words, she dived into the next street coming to a halt before a Youma that floated ten feet of the ground.
She only took a second to note it’s stupid appearance before she was giving a speech. She marvelled at the skill it took to blurt out garbage at random, even when you weren’t thinking about it. Shame that’ll never pass a test for me. Was possibly the last coherent thought she had before the Youma decided to target her.
She dodged as best she could. Nothing in the past few days making her any more agile or any more capable of fighting. Her mind was at least fixed on the task with unrelenting focus. So maybe that made her a little smoother then usual, perhaps that gave her a bit more of an edge then she could have had, but none of the others noticed, and all she could feel was the pounding in her veins like something was going to happen and it had nothing to do with the Youma.
One lucky shoot from the green tinged floating creature and Serena was staring at a piece of… something… that was hurtling towards her.
For a moment she stood there, unresponsive to the projectile. Tuxedo Mask will save me. Was the thing that kept her calm. But as it continued towards her mind decided to un-focus from the fight to something she had not considered yet. Maybe he knows. Her body lurched at the idea, and the possibility that he would not save her because she had been unfaithful. She dodged with every bit of skill she could muster as the attack hurtled pasted her.
It took her a second to recover from the moment and out of the corner of her eye she could see the Youma’s disbelief that she had managed to dodge, her friends too where looking at her a bit oddly.
She wanted to crumble under the realisation that Tuxedo Mask might not want her anymore, if he had ever wanted her, but at least before she had never done anything in particular to drive him away. Your being silly, how would he know? Her sense demanded. Maybe the same way he knows when there’s a battle. The same way he always shows up in time to save me. Inner battles where always annoying for her, especially when there was a fight she should have been concentrating on.
Something exploded against her, sending her flying into a building wall.
“Sailor Moon!” Lita’s voice shot across the empty street with rage and tinges of concern. Serena shook her head managing to stand up from where she had been, her eyes a little unfocused from the collision. Her three friends, Amy, Raye, and Lita where battling the Youma with renewed intensity in their Scout forms Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter. Luna was staring at her warningly and Serena remembered the threat.
I can’t let them find out. Even if he knows, even if he’s not going to save me anymore. She wanted to cry again. She probably would have if Luna hadn’t been staring at with a promise so blatant that Serena couldn’t ignore what it meant. “One Youma, then you can worry about Tux Boy.” Serena muttered to herself reassuringly and shook her arm a little to release tense knots that had formed when she wasn’t paying attention.
She withdrew her tiara as the scouts continued to battle, focusing her attention on the Youma, ignoring all other things. This is what she had wanted the creature for in the first place. Watching it with animosity her expression creased in concentration.
The battle continued, with her poised on the outskirts, tiara in hand but not charged or moving. She let her friends continue to attack the creature, it wasn’t there worst foe, there was no trouble dispatching it, but she feared the second it was gone reality would return to her and she didn’t want that.
“Sailor Moon.” Mars growled managing to pause and stare at Serena. “Anytime your ready.” The scout of fire gritted her teeth a look of unrelenting annoyance flashing through her eyes.
With a sigh Serena drew the tiara back, charging it with her power and watching to be certain the other scouts weren’t in the pathway of her attack.
“Moon,” It burnt into her hand with it’s power, as it always did. “Tiara,” She spun on her heel, her friends watching her, her eyes focused on the creature. Will I ever see him again? And she hesitated, giving the creature all the chance it needed, it threw an attack at her, a ball of something green, and possibly electrical raced her way. “Magic.” Her voice was dead on the word, her usual flare impossible to mimic at that moment of depression. She hardly registered the fact that the attack aimed for her managed to dodge the tiara, but she did notice the grip around her waist.
She couldn’t have ignored the arms that pulled her out of harms way had she tried, it pressed in against the bruise on her back, but fed her the powerful reassurance she had needed that he hadn’t abandoned her.
“Tuxedo Mask!” She squeaked as she spun in his hold to face him. Barely a breath apart they stood until she realised exactly where she was and she blushed a furious red taking two steps back. He gave her a half smile, something she couldn’t recall him doing before. It gave him the appearance of nervousness and it made her feel extremely odd. “You saved me.” Her voice was weaker then she wanted it to be. She wanted to have the usual cheer she portrayed.
“Don’t I always?” She could see the frown over his mask, his voice a little uncertain.
“Well you could have done it sooner.” Mars snapped from across the street. “Before she hit the building and lost the few bits of sense she had in that ditzy head of hers.”
Serena tried to feel indignant but it didn’t happen, after all she knew it was true.
“Yeah Se… err Sailor Moon.” Jupiter was bright red at her slip. “What’s with you today?” Jupiter folded her arms across her chest staring at Serena with much less anger then Mars had.
“Is that the Luna Pen?” Mercury’s voice piped in quickly. Serena glanced down to where she had clipped the pen onto her uniform and gripped it tightly. She looked up and met Mercury’s frowning expression.
“So?” It came out with bitter anger something she knew she was not renowned for and her friends expressions all clouded over with uncertainty. “I’m going.” Serena snapped at them and began her retreat from the confrontation, forgetting Tuxedo Mask in her desperation to be alone.
She didn’t get to see three scouts turn predatory eyes on a meek looking cat or a shadow of a hero slipping into the darkness after her.
* * * * *
Serena stopped short two blocks from the fight, her neck tingling with awareness. She turned abruptly and came face to face with her saviour. She licked her lips out of nervousness a small frown playing on her forehead. She couldn’t help but wonder if he knew, especially now, that he had followed her. He had never done anything like that before.
“I’m usually the first to leave.” His smoky voice drawled, and she felt odd. They had never had many conversations, and those few they had where under situations of duress.
“Well I felt like a change.” Serena replied firmly, glad she was still hidden under the Luna Pen’s disguise, but afraid he could see through it. She tried not to appear nervous under his gaze but it didn’t help that his expression was unreadable behind the mask. He turned his head form her.
“Did you?” The drawl was gone, the same emotionless and flat tone of Tuxedo Mask was back. She felt a little relief for that. The relief went away quickly as he stood there, looking as insecure as she felt.
“Yes.” Then there was silence, a silence that stretched at all her nerves. She was desperate to know what he was thinking, what he knew but she held herself back. Any thing, one wrong word and he might figure it out. It was a chance, if he didn’t know she refused to do anything to allow him to know. The guilt in the depth of her stomach was testing her ability to appear calm. “What’s this about?” Serena chocked out when the weighed silence got too much for her.
His eyes moved back up to her face, a tiny frown obvious.
“Nothing.” He went to walk away and she was overwhelmed with the fear that he would leave forever. Something was happening, she didn’t know what it was, but this conversation held such importance and she couldn’t understand why. Sure she knew nothing about him but she still didn’t want him to leave.
“Wait!” She grabbed his arm, hard. The words where on her tongue, a hundred questions, a million apologies but nothing came out. He had turned back to face her his expression hidden in shadows and under the mask. She hated that mask, especially at times like this. “You didn’t just follow me for nothing.” Serena swallowed the words, wondering why she was dragging the conversation. Sure she had a crush on him, she was even willing to go as far as to say she loved him at times, but it didn’t explain the need to finish what ever there conversation was about.
“You took a hit back there. I was just making sure you where okay.” A lie, such a lie that even she could see through it but it didn’t stop her from appreciating it.
“Yeah I’m fine.” Serena replied smiling, for his sake if not her own. There was the briefest flicker of a smile on his lips before he turned once more and she let his arm go. “Thank you for rescuing me again, Tuxedo Mask.” Serena called out as he disappeared into the darkness.
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
Fragments of dreams, that was how she was living her life as the days told on her. Bits and pieces of memory swimming back and forth in a taunt, unwilling to let her cling to them, unwilling to let her forget. None of them made sense all of them made her blush.
Her mind was dulled with lack of sleep, her body feeling queasy and empty. She had tried desperately, but her eyes would close and she would snuggle under the blankets and with all her might ignore everything around her, but sleep would not come. She had been forced to continue pretending, for Luna’s sake.
School had been hell, absolutely mind boggling hell. Avoiding her friends was a task she hadn’t contemplated as difficult before. They had proven themselves to be stubborn and interfering, traits she usually loved, but traits that where rarely set against her. Amy was keeping her distance, but her calculating eyes had never left Serena’s form when they where in the same room.
And Justin? Who ever he was she still didn’t know. She had assumed it would be easy to find someone in her year at her school, but then again with all the effort she had put into avoiding her friends there was little effort left in her body to hunt down people she didn’t know.
At least most the bruises have gone. Serena rubbed her neck thoughtfully, that one spurt as Sailor Moon had done wonders for getting rid of the marks.
Distracted, and not entirely conscious Serena didn’t see the danger she was in until she walked into someone’s chest. Had she been running she would have fallen, had she even been walking at her usual pace she would have been on the pavement from the impact, but her dragging walk hardly had any momentum and she kept her ground perilously close to the other person.
She sighed in resignation knowing full well with the way fate had been dealing with her recently that there was little chance of it being anyone but the one person she was most desperate to avoid.
“Excuse me.” Her voice was a monotone as she went to walk past him, her mind tumbling with self loathing. She knew inside she could have done a hundred things more to avoid him and she was suddenly wishing she had done all of them. He side stepped, stopped her retreat.
“Serena.” It sounded like a greeting, nothing visibly out of synch in the way he said it, except that it was her name. Her body locked up at the use of her name on his tongue, it felt so wrong.
“Darien.” She acknowledged refusing to look up at his face, and instead fixing her eyes to the left of him. The silence that followed was almost as awkward as the one she had experienced the night before with Tuxedo Mask.
“You’ve been avoiding me.” He started.
“No I haven’t.” Serena snapped in response, searching for an escape. Three day’s and she wasn’t ready, she wondered if she ever would be.
“You’ve been going to school early.” He added mockingly.
“How would you know?” She hissed in reply. It was easy to hate him, not for what had happened, she couldn’t remember it to truly find hatred for the event, but for the mocking collage boy he usually was. He gave a little laugh that made her eyes snap up onto his face in fury.
“What?” He raised an eyebrow at her fierce expression. “You think a guy doesn’t notice when his morning concussion’s stop happening?” She was ready to explode in anger, she hadn’t thought she was that angry with him, but she found it welling up inside her ready to burst.
Bitting into her check she pushed past him. “I think we’re done.” She growled trying to control rage that made her body shake.
“No we’re not!” He growled grabbing her wrist and pulling her back to him. He barred her escape, his right hand gripping her waist.
She cried out in shock as his fingers dug into the tender flesh of her remaining bruise. Her head was dizzy and she felt herself slipping from the instant pain, her only support she didn’t want to cling to but her hands acted without her permission gripping at his shirt with life threatening desperation. Her body curled into his away from his offending touch. Gasps escaped her lips as she fought the tears that where immediately streaming down her checks.
“Serena?” Darien demanded in surprise. His hands where being held away from her, like a thief being accosted by police, as if he realised it were those hands that had caused her pain. His expression was of shock and she realised her position.
Catching herself Serena jumped away from him only to find she was being barred from retreat again. This time one hand was wrapped tightly around her right upper arm, and the other her left. She struggled against the hold, she didn’t want to do this, didn’t want him to know she was in pain for whatever reason. His grip was like iron, and she wondered if he would bruise her again with that hold. If he bruised you in the first place. Serena you idiot. Your making a scene. Her own inner voice had her glancing around quickly to find several by-standers had stopped to watch the spectacle. No one was offering to help. And there goes my faith in humanity. She mocked a little hurt that they weren’t interfering. Looking back at Darien though she could understand, his tall strong physique would probably scare of any potential saviours.
“Let me go.” She gritted through her teeth. The instinct was to protect herself, and somehow keeping him from seeing the injury was an vital part of that protection. And keeping out of his hold was equally important.
“Hold still.” He ordered. His grip was hardening as if he sensed her willingness to fight.
“Jerk, idiot, moron. Let me go right now!” She was demanding, her senses on over drive, as he pulled her into the circle of his left arm, pinning her to his chest. She thought to escape then, seemingly the most likely chance when cool fingers slipped beneath her school shirt hem. She gasped at the cool sensation on her bruise, insults dying in the depths of her throat. Her eyes threatened to close at the soft touch. Her fingers grasped at his shirt just above his belt on either side of his hip in an attempt to keep herself steady. Her breathing nearly stopped, then started again in tiny breaths she kept as quite as possible. And he ruined the sensations swimming through her by pressing those delicate fingers into her bruise once more.
She stifled another cry, digging her fingers into the tense muscles of his hip in retaliation, unable to think of anything better at that moment. She stared up into his eyes, willing to transfer all her anger in the expression and was immediately confused. The usually blank eyes where filled with shifting emotions again. And so surprised was she that when he spun her around and lifted the back of her shirt hem, enough to see the bruise, in one fluid motion she didn’t think to react.
His sharp intake of breath had her jumping out of his grasp, her mind catching up with the moment. She was out of his arms reach and staring into his eyes once more. The fear she saw there grounded her and made tears threaten to break through her defences.
“My god.” His breath was shaky as he stared at her eyes pleading but she didn’t know what for. “Did I do that?” He asked it in a whisper that carried to her alone. She swallowed against the convulsive pain in her chest. “Serena.” His voice usually bland voice was filled with pleading.
She didn’t know what he was asking for still. Does he want me to answer? Or is he testing if I can remember? Or is it something else. Something I’ve forgotten. Her mind was in a panic. His eyes boring into her, begging for… something. She surrendered, tears cascading down her face.
“I.” She broke eye contact, unable to face him. “I don’t remember.” It was a breeze of a whisper she managed before she was running again. Ignoring the pain her body feed her in protest. She wasn’t ready, and that was all she knew.
* * * * *
* * * * *
* * * * *
Serena continued to run. She had been doing a lot of that lately, and she knew it. It was strange how Darien could instil in her a sense of fear she had never felt before. It wasn’t a fear for physical danger, something in him, despite everything radiated security. She hated him for that, for the fact that she was weak around him. And it was the weakness she was afraid off.
You’d think a champion of justice could hold her own against the jerk. Was the last thought she had before she felt warm fingers twine into the hair at the base of her neck. She jumped and spun staring behind her and knew she was alone. This is insane, totally completely insane. She just knew her mind was leaving her, but it hadn’t told her where it was going and she was afraid to ask. Get over it Serena. She chided herself, but the images, vague as they where would not leave her alone.
It where those images, memories she guessed, that made her more afraid of him then anything else. It was strange to remember aspects of a night that was otherwise completely forgotten. And the feelings she got when those memories took hold of her were nothing like control. She could feel the frenzied emotions that had controlled and dominated her state of mind. The emotions also lingered, even the brief flickers left her on edge and susceptible.
Her communicator beeped breaking her from her thoughts. She was beginning to despise the sound.
Opening the lid she found Luna’s button blinking back at her and stifled a groan. It took a moment to get control of her expression before she pressed the button and Luna’s resigned face flickered onto the screen.
“Serena.” A sigh of long suffering filtered from the cats mouth her red eyes dark. “Your late for the scout meeting at Raye’s temple.” A twitch at Luna’s eye suggested she wanted to say something more or perhaps shout something. Serena repressed her own sigh, wishing the cat hadn’t reminded her, she could have spent the weekend blissfully locked in her room and ignoring responsibility’s.
“I know Luna.” She managed calmly. Luna’s expression calmed but her eyes hardened just a little.
“Serena, your beginning to worry me. And if your not here soon I’ll have to tell them, because it is effecting your efforts as a scout. Even you aren’t usually this late.” Luna’s expression was earnest and Serena nodded her head in response.
“I’ll be there soon.” She shut the watch her expression grim. She wished fiercely that she hadn’t chosen Luna’s shoulder to cry on, but then she couldn’t think of any other shoulder that would have been any better. Besides Luna was loyal to her secret, except when involving the scouts. The only good thing about the threat was that Luna hadn’t cracked yet. Serena was sure the scouts had been pestering her guardian mercilessly for information and clues but they obviously hadn’t gotten anywhere.
Pushing thoughts aside Serena forced her body into a fast run, heading in a beeline for Raye’s temple.
* * * * *
“The problem isn’t that we lost the crystal, it’s that Zoisite has it.” Raye’s voice thundered across the courtyard bringing Serena to a halt. She glanced around to see if anyone was there before continuing cautiously. She had never realised how loud there conversations could get. It was honestly surprising that no one had inadvertently overheard them over the last few months.
“I agree. We no longer have any control over the situation.” Amy sounded slightly peeved, though she hid it well under a bland tone.
“Then we have to take control.” Lita snapped sharply. Serena heard the distinct sound of something breaking and would have smiled if she hadn’t been concerned by where the conversation was heading.
“Lita!” Raye’s indignant voice shattered the tranquillity of the temple grounds again. Serena bit into the bottom of her lip as she turned the corner to face her three friends and guardian cat. Only the cats red eyes registered her presence.
Raye was scolding Lita was such ferocity that it would have been impossible for her to see anything else. Lita looked completely unaffected under the full weight of Raye’s wrath and Amy was attempting desperately to calm the priestess. There was a broken… something… Serena couldn’t exactly tell what it had been, but it had been wooden before Lita had obviously vented her frustrations on it.
A small pang of guilt shifted through Serena at the sight of Raye but she pushed it away, Luna would not accept even the slightest absent minded behaviour during the meeting, she knew.
“How do we take control?” Serena asked in a surprisingly weak voice. It took a few minutes for all three of her friends to turn and look at her, blinking in surprise. Obviously they hadn’t been expecting her.
“Sorry?” Raye stared at her obviously having missed Serena’s question.
“I said: How do we take control?” Serena’s voice did not gain any strength the second time but she did feel more secure. There was a foreboding feeling settling into her body as she asked the question. She knew the situation as well as they did, that she hadn’t spared a thought for it in the last week or so didn’t mean she wasn’t aware of it. Serena couldn’t bring herself to stare Raye down at that moment, so instead she fixed her eyes on Amy, making the blue haired genius shift a little uncomfortably.
“Since…” Amy shifted again and looked around for help from the other two, they both seemed willing to let Amy explain. “Since all the crystals have been found and extracted from their carriers our priority is to obtain them. Right now we have no control over the fate of the Princess’ Crystal.”
“And we need that control!” Lita growled striking her left hand with her balled fist to emphasise the point.
“If the enemy were to obtain the Silver Imperium Crystal they would have the power to destroy a planet, maybe worse.” Amy continued giving Lita a glare that suggested although she had not wanted to be the one explaining this she still didn’t appreciate the interruption.
“So we need to get the Rainbow Crystals back?” Serena prompted her stomach twisting with feelings of nausea, she didn’t think she was going to like where ever this meeting was going.
“Since the loss of our own crystal the enemy’s only attacked once that we know of.” Amy paused with a little frown and Serena was ready to defend her actions on the day she surrendered the crystal to Zoisite but Amy continued. “Though central registered a few power spikes the other night. That concerns me.”
“What night?” Serena settled back against the temples elevated floor watching her friends sombrely.
“It wasn’t any of us.” Amy replied distantly, her eyes a little unfocused as she stared past Serena. “We think it might have been Tuxedo Mask, or an attack on him.”
“Why would the Negeverse attack Tuxedo Mask.” Serena demanded hotly, shifting her weight with discomfort.
“Because his the only person with something they want Meatball Head!” Raye shouted in frustrated disappointment. Serena froze at the name used against her, her nerves trembling, she almost felt the need to jump at Raye and hit her for reminding her of him. Instead she clenched her hands behind her back, squeezing her tension out by crushing one hand with the other.
“And his not equipped to protect the crystals from Zoisite.” Amy continued her eyes focusing once more on Serena.
“His not about to ask for help.” Serena snapped that sense of foreboding not leaving.
“Nor is he going to give up the crystals without a fight.” Lita mumbled but Serena heard the words perfectly.
“Without a fight?” Serena demanded hotly realising exactly where the sense of foreboding had been leading her. “Your not suggesting we steal the crystals of Tuxedo Mask!” She felt indignant on his behalf, but more indignant that they had formed a plan like this without consulting her. Because from the looks of the three girls and cat, the idea was settled amongst them.
“Of our two opponents he is the weakest.” Luna interjected, her voice rational where Amy’s had wavered.
“But Zoisite has crystals too and… and we know his the enemy.” Serena pleaded.
“But his also the strongest of the two, and right now his not paying attention to us. To get his attention would be foolish when we can focus all our energies on getting Tuxedo Mask’s crystals.” Raye flicked her hair behind her shoulder almost a sign of disapproval for Serena in its own way. It hurt so much more then usual, and Serena understood why though she ignored the guilt, Luna was still watching her intently.
“But…” She faltered uncertain trying to form the words that where failing her. “But Zoisite attacked us the other night!” Serena snapped when she could get her mind around the words.
“No. Lita stumbled across the Youma by accident. It wasn’t a focused attack. More like the beginning when the Youma’s where just there to steal energy.” Raye continued, she was the best equipped to argue Serena down and they all seemed to understand it.
“So there stealing energy?” Serena demanded, willing to take the conversation away from her rescuer. She owed him that much, after all the betrayal she had already been a part of.
“It’s possible there gathering energy for when they attack Tuxedo Mask and attempt to steal his crystals.” Amy admitted over the raised voices of Serena and Raye. Serena couldn’t even remember beginning to shout, but it had obviously happened.
“Which is why we have to get them.” Raye proclaimed as if it settled everything.
“But he protects us! He protects me! Why do you all want to attack him suddenly?” Serena’s hands clenched and unclenched against each other trying to read her friends eyes. Raye looked determined, Amy studious, Lita looked almost apologetic but Luna’s disappointed expression hurt the most.
“He never said he wasn’t our enemy Serena.” Luna whispered, proving her eyes didn’t show half the emotions she was feeling because her voice was also apologetic. “And in the case of the Rainbow Crystals we must accept that there, at least, we are enemy’s. As the guardians of the Princess we are more capable of protecting the crystals then he is. And it is our duty, where we still have no idea why he has any interest in them.” Luna sighed and looked at the four scouts. “We must get the crystals from him, no matter what your personal feelings are.” Luna nodded her head, enforcing the decision on herself and the others.
“Fine!” Serena shouted, unable to control the anger. Nothing had been going right since she had given the crystal over to Zoisite two weeks before. The scouts had lost trust in her, then Molly had, had her birthday party, Tuxedo Mask had been acting strangely around her after that one battle, avoiding Darien was become a harder task then fighting Youma, her hounding friends had given her no peace when near her and Luna was obviously slowly regretting her promise of secrecy. And now? Now they wanted to attack her protector for a couple of crystals that belonged to some moon Princess who was obviously never going to show up. “And how do you plan on finding him?” She demanded staring at them through slitted eyes.
“That’s easy, he always shows up when your in danger.” Raye muttered. Serena suddenly became very worried about her friends sanity and went to back away from them. “So the next time there’s an attack we’ll just jump him.” Raye continued oblivious to Serena’s wide eyes.
“Your going to use the fact that he saves my life against him?” Serena demanded incredulously her back was straight with indignation. She was slowly forming her own plan of simply not showing up to the next battle when she found Luna’s eyes locked on her.
“As the leader of the Scouts I expect you to understand the necessity of recovering the Rainbow Crystals. Your duties before all else Serena.” Luna’s eyes bored into her, there was no hiding meaning there was a demand that she pay attention for the first time in her life to the true demands begin a scout placed on you. Serena tried to break eye contact so she didn’t have to surrender but her head wouldn’t move until she lowered it in submission. It was her duty, and despite her emotions, she would do as she had to. She would prove why she was the leader, but she would be damned if she did it there way.
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Property of Kimra Lelanst, do not duplicate without consent. |
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