Sailormoon A
Story 3
"Serena and Darien"
Author: Jackie Chiang

Notes:

Hi again.  I seem to like writing tragic, depressive stories.  This one's
 also sappy.:)  Odd.  If you have read my second story, you'd notice
 that I have a thing for taxis and concerts.:)  Anyway, this time I
used the NA Sailor Moon names, with the exception of the Outer
Senshi.  My choice in names seemed more appropriate, in my
opinion.  It's just that I'd never picture Usagi or Mamoru in any
 of the following cases, but somehow Serena and Darien seemed
 to fit the bill.  Oh, well.  It was my call.  Oh, and I _try_ to refrain
 from using either 'Senshi' or 'Scouts' in this fanfic.  'Senshi'
sounded too out of place, while 'Scouts'...Well, I don't like the
term 'Scouts' anyway.  (i.e. "Scouts honor!"  Can you get any sillier
 than that?:)  I hope you enjoy the story.

Quick Copyright notes: This is a fanfic based on Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon,
 an anime/manga created by Takeuchi Naoko.  Characters belong to her and
 all others associated with rights [Toei, Bandai, Kodansha, etc], but the storyline,
 ideas, and any other characters are created by me.  1996 - Jackie Chiang



The girl stood on the sand, staring at the sea.  Her long blond
hair that she wore down wafted in the breeze.  She looked at the
 item in her hand.  It was golden and star shaped.  She opened
the top and a gentle melody played from it.  A locket.  The girl
 seemed to smile gently.  She carefully closed the lid.  She looked
 at it for a minute or two, then threw it into the water with all
her might.  She watched it float away with watery blue eyes.
She turned abruptly away and fought the urge to run into the
 water and save it.  It was better this way.  Better to forget
all the painful memories that it brought.


A long distance away, a young man sat on a dock.  He had short
black hair and deep blue eyes.  He stood there, thinking.  Regretting.
  Wishing.  Hoping.  A girl with dark black hair came up behind him.
  She knew what he was thinking.  They all knew.  They all regretted
too.  Regretted that night when they had all said things that they hadn't
 meant.  But it was too late.  She was gone.  Gone where?  No one knew.
To start over, to have a fresh beginning.

The dark haired girl placed her hand on his shoulder.  He didn't turn
around.  She understood.  She walked away to where the others stood.
  They looked at her.  She shook her head.  They weren't surprised;
it had been this way for the past two years...
______________________________________________________________________________

"Why didn't you save her?" Raye asked accusingly.  Her face was
angry.  "You could have if you tried."

Serena looked at her horrified.  "No, Raye, it wasn't like that.
I couldn't shoot-"

Lita glared at her.  "You behaved like a bitch, Serena.  Face it-
you could have done it if you really wanted to.  You were just
jealous of Aurora."

"No!"

"Serena," Amy said harshly, "they're right.  You had the perfect
 opportunity, and you lost it!  You lost it at the cost of your
own _sister's_ life."

Serena looked helplessly at them.  What was wrong with them?
  Why couldn't they understand?  She turned to Mina for help.
  Surely Mina understood.

Mina was crying softly.  She refused to look at Serena.  Serena
felt tears welling up in her own eyes.  She placed covered her
face with her hands.  This was some nightmare.  Any minute now,
 she would wake up.  Aurora would be alive, and Serena would
 tell her that she loved her and not hated her.  She looked up.
 It wasn't a dream.

Five people stood in front of her, and not one of them supported her.

"I never thought that you could be so cruel," Mina finally whispered.
 "Just because she was everything you're not didn't mean that you
 had to let her die."

Even the Outer Senshi didn't believe her.  After the burial of Aurora,
they had left in disgust.  Disgust for her.  No one knew where they
 went or when they'd come back.

Why couldn't they understand?  Aurora had, right before she had
 died.  Serena had looked into her eyes and knew that Aurora
didn't blame her.

"Darien," she said softly, "please...I didn't do it on purpose.  You
 believe me, right?"

Darien didn't answer her.  His back was turned to her, his forehead
 pressed against his arm.

"Darien?" she repeated, her voice cracking.  He was her last hope.

He remained silent.  His silence was worse than if he had said anything
 at all.  It meant that he wouldn't even lower himself to talk to her.

Serena recoiled, like someone had slapped her.  She sat there for a
moment shocked, absorbing the blow she had just received from them.
 Raye and Lita were glaring at her, hatred in their eyes.  Amy, Mina,
 and Darien didn't even bother looking at her.

Please, she thought, searching their faces.  Believe me.  Trust me.
But their eyes were filled with loathing and disappointment for her.

That was it.  She couldn't handle this any longer.  She stood up and
ran out of the temple.  She ran as fast as she could, her vision blurring
 as the tears ran faster down her face.  She ran to the park.  She sat
underneath a tree, resting her head against the trunk, thinking.
Remembering the events that had led up to this.

Ever since Sailor Sun had appeared, Super Eternal Sailor Moon had
always resented her.  For one thing, she was bossy, arrogant, and full
of herself.  She always had to play leader, acting like some big shot.
When the Sailors had found out that she was actually Aurora
Prominence, Serena's resentment had doubled.

Aurora was bright, talented, and popular, everything that Serena was not.
  She constantly teased Serena, but got along fine with her friends.  Raye,
Lita, Amy, and Mina liked her very much and could not understand why
Serena didn't like her too.  They assumed that she was just jealous and said so.
Plus, Aurora had hung around Darien, and Serena didn't like that either.
Darien didn't even mind Aurora's attention, which made Serena furious.

Discovering that Aurora and Sailor Sun were the same person was not
easy for Serena.  She was extremely annoyed at this fact while the other
 Sailors were thrilled to death.  Aurora and Serena did not get along
even after it was obvious that they would have to.  Eventually, secretly,
 Aurora grew on Serena, and she started liking her.  Of course, she
never told anybody this, stubborn as she was.

Serena received another blow after discovering that Aurora was her
twin sister, heir to the kingdom on the sun.  Their father had been
King Apollo, ruler of the Sun Kingdom.  Serena took this news with
 mixed feelings.

Then came the fateful battle.  The Sailors were fighting a very
powerful enemy, and they were using up all of their strength just to
defend themselves.  They were starting to win when suddenly a
scream from Sailor Sun pierced the air.

Everyone turned to see that a very strong youma was holding her
captive, its arm around her neck.

"Save her, Serena!" Mars yelled out.  "You're the closest one to her!"

Super Eternal Sailor Moon aimed her sword at the monster.  She paused.
  She couldn't get a clear shot at the monster without hitting Sailor Sun.

"What are you waiting for?!" Jupiter shouted.

They can't see that I'd hit her, the leader realized.  DO IT, SERENA.
 I can't...Not unless I hit her too.  I can't take that chance...
I can't risk hurting my own sister...

She dropped her sword by her side.  "I can't do it," she whispered.

The youma took advantage of its splendid opportunity.  Taking out a
knife, it stabbed Sailor Sun's chest, letting her fall to the ground.

"Crescent Moon Heart Attack!"  Super Eternal Sailor Moon shouted
 at the monster.  From her sword burst a bright flash of light, instantly
killing it.  No dust, no fancy death scene, just fast outright death.

She ran up to the fallen girl.  "Sailor Sun...Don't go.  I love you," she
said to the girl as she knelt down by her side.

"Serena..." Sailor Sun whispered.  She smiled once more, then closed
 her eyes forever.

"Nooo!" Super Eternal Sailor Moon shrieked.  "You can't go!  Aurora!
  Speak to me!  Please...don't leave me...

"No," she murmured.  "You're not dead.  You _can't_ be dead.  You're
my sister..."

I should have shot, Serena thought now.  I should have done it.  I could
 have done it.  They all thought that I could have.  Maybe I could.
She cried herself to sleep.

When she awoke, it was dark.  She looked at her watch.  A quarter past
 eight.  Her parents would be worried.  She walked home silently.
When she reached her house, no one noticed her coming in.  She wasn't really
 hungry so she went upstairs to her room.

"Serena," Luna said angrily as she entered, "where have you been?
  You're late coming home."

"Big deal," the blonde muttered.  Like anyone cared.

"You have to start acting more responsible," the cat reprimanded.
"You're in the twelfth grade.  You have to start thinking about your future.
  You can't slack off-"

"Just lay off, OK!" Serena yelled.  "I don't need you telling me
what to do!  Why don't you just go over to Mina's house, where
you're wanted?"

The black cat was taken aback.  She hissed angrily.  "Fine!  Maybe I will!"
She jumped out of Serena's open window to the tree.  Then she
leaped down, running through the street.

They're all against me, Serena thought.  Who needs this abuse?  I
don't.  I'm out of here.  She ran to her suitcase, packing up the necessary
items.  She packed six pairs of clothes, and some extra underwear and
socks.  Then she packed her toothbrush, some toothpaste, and a few other
necessary items like a brush and soap.  Looking at her night stand, she picked
up a few items.  Into her suitcase she threw several pictures, her locket, and
most of her money, carrying enough in her pocket.

Serena looked to see if she was forgetting anything important.  She
saw her favorite old stuffed bunny and put that in too.  Then she crept
 downstairs into the kitchen.  She made some sandwiches and sealed
them in a plastic bag.  She found her coat in the closet.  Putting it on,
 she snuck quietly out of the house.  It was relatively easy, considering
 that Sammy was busy playing video games in another room, and
her parents were no where to be seen.

She silently closed the door behind her.  Good-bye, house, she thought.
I'll miss you.  Don't bother waiting for me.  I'm never coming back.
______________________________________________________________________________

"Serena..."


Serena woke up.  Funny...She had thought someone had said her name.
What time was it?  She looked at the clock next to her bed.  3:30 AM.
Terrific.  Five hours before she had to leave for school.  School.  She
didn't hate school exactly.  It was the only way she could have ever stayed
here.  In Los Angeles, California.  She would have been sent back to Tokyo
right away if she hadn't passed the UCLA entrance exam and gotten some help
 from a nice old professor who was fond of her.  She supposed those
English lessons from Mina had been helpful.

Mina...A stab of pain shot through her heart.  I wonder how Mina is
doing right now, she thought.  I wonder how all of them are doing...Especially
Darien...She shook her head violently.  Stop it! she thought.  Forget them!
They didn't want you.  They said so themselves.  They made it plain and
clear...

She needed comfort.  But from who?  No one was there for her...She
had left everything behind her when she had left...Her friends, her
family, everything...She could have made new friends, another boyfriend,
but she didn't want to experience the same sort of rejection she had two
years ago...

Might as well get up, Serena told herself.  She got out of bed and stood
up, stretching.  She went into the bathroom and took a shower.  When she
finished, she brushed her teeth.  Then she dried her hair with a blow drier
and combed it until it had no tangles in it.  Get up, take a shower, brush my
teeth, dry and comb my hair, she thought.  Same old, same old every day.

My life is boring, she thought as she looked at herself in the mirror.
You should try something new, something interesting!  Buy some new
clothes.  Get rid of those silly meatballs.  Try looking nice for once in
your life.  Go out.  DO something.  Do what?  Anything, except paint.
That's all you do.  Paint.  So do something else.  Be happy again.
That's why you ran away, right?  To be happy.

She took a good look at herself.  She supposed that she was pretty.
She had matured in looks somewhat in two years.  Her face was thinner,
and had no more baby fat.  Her hair was longer, impossible though it seemed.
She was taller; she had grown a couple of inches.  She guessed that she was
as tall as Lita was the last time she saw her.  Her body was too thin though,
making her seem gangly.  She scarcely ate anything.  She didn't have the
need to eat anything.

Her schooling was paid for by the scholarship she had gotten.  It didn't
 pay for other necessities, but that was all right.  She sold enough of
her paintings to live comfortably.  However, she rarely bought anything.

Serena sighed and left the bathroom after putting her hair up in her usual
 meatballs.  She changed into some plain clothes, a pair of jeans and
 a cortoroid shirt.  Walking out onto the balcony, she wondered if
someone had found her locket.  She hoped that it had been swallowed
 by some fish.


Sitting on the beach, he almost missed seeing it.  A glimmer of light
had bounced off it into his eye.  He turned to see what it was.  A locket?
A _star-shaped_ locket?  It couldn't be...  No, of course it wasn't _her_ locket.
She would never have thrown away _their_ locket.  He went to pick it up.
It was hers...Serena's.

He lifted up the lid.  It splurted out some water at him.  Then gentle
music played.  His heart ached.  He wondered if she was all right...


She sighed with relief.  She had gotten an A on her exam.  It was important
that she maintain a high average if she was to keep her scholarship.
She started walking back to her apartment.  A figure ran up behind her.

"Hey, Serena!"

Serena turned around.  "Hi, Mark," she said, a little gladly.  Mark
 was her best friend at the university.  They were close, but she never
 told him of her past.  He would never have understood.

"I was wondering if you'd go with me to a concert tonight," Mark said.

"I'm sorry, Mark, but I'm kind of busy..." she said, walking slowly.

"Come on," he said, standing in front of her.  "It'll be fun.  You need
to loosen up a little bit."

Serena stared at him.  Say yes.  No.  Why not?  I have homework.
Aww, Serena, that's pathetic.  Oh, all right.  "I guess I could go."

"Great!" he said, smiling.  "I'll pick you up at 7."

 "That's OK," she said.  "I'll just meet you there."

He looked like he was about to protest, but he didn't say anything, just nodded.

She walked all the way back to her apartment without encountering
anyone else.  She went inside and immediately went to her desk to do
all of her homework.  When she finished several hours later, it was nearly
6:30.

"Damn," she muttered.  "I'm going to be late."  Going to her closet, she
picked out a nice black dress and changed into it. Serena walked to her
bed and picked up her purse.  She paused to look at the three pictures
on her night stand.  One was a picture of her family.  Another was of all
nine sailors, Darien, the three cats, and Rini.  The last was just a picture
 of Darien, Rini, and herself.

We looked happy, Serena thought as she picked up the last picture.  A
tear rolled down her face and landed on the glass of the picture.  Oh, Rini...
What's happened to you?  Are you gone?  Are you finally erased from time?
  Will I never see my own daughter again?  And Darien...Forget the jerk,
Serena.  You don't need him.  He didn't want you.  Serena wiped the tear
away.  Time to go.

She went outside and hailed a taxi.  Getting inside, she told the
driver to head for the symphony hall.  She leaned back against the seat and
relaxed.  As she looked out the window, she saw a bright yellow sports car
drive by.  It looked oddly familiar...Serena shook her head.  She was really
losing it, she told herself.

Finally, the cab reached the destination.  The place was packed, Serena
thought dazedly as she paid for the tab.  There were so many people here!
  Must be some great musician playing tonight.  How am I ever going to
find Mark!

"Serena!" Mark yelled through the crowd.  Leave it to Mark to find her.
He must have gotten the ability to track rabbits by scent from his mother...
Where did that come from? Serena wondered.  She wasn't a rabbit.  The part
 about his mother was certainly right.  They'd met once, and what an old crone...

Mark came running over to her.  "Come on, Serena.  I have box seats."

Serena and Mark went to their seats.  They sat down.  Serena looked at
her program, but decided not to read it.  It wasn't like she'd know any of
the musicians anyway.  She watched the orchestra tune their instruments
with little interest.

Then the orchestra started playing  They were incredibly good.  Serena
enjoyed the program immensely.  Just before the special stars were supposed
 to play, Serena had to use the bathroom.  When she got back, she just
missed hearing the name of the musicians, a pianist and a violinist.  They
were both wonderful.  At the end of their piece, the two received a standing
ovation and complied to shouts of an encore.  They performed a second duet
as impressive as the first.  Then, as everyone threw roses and flowers at
them, they bowed and left the stage.

"Wasn't that great?" Mark asked.  "I have some back stage passes.  Would you
 like to meet the two?"

Serena nodded.  She was dying to meet the women.

Mark managed to shove his way through the crowd, holding Serena's hand.
The guard in back saw their passes and nodded them through.  They met
many of the members of the orchestra, and Serena conversed politely with
them.

Then Mark said, "Look!  There she is!"

Serena looked to see who him pointing at the violinist.  She saw a young
 woman, a year older than she.  She was very lovely with sea green hair
and the same colored eyes.  Serena's face drained of color when she saw who
 it was.  It was Kaioh Michiru, also known as Sailor Neptune.  She had to get
out of there.  She couldn't let Michiru see that she was here.

"I have to leave, Mark," Serena said.  "Thanks for a lovely night."  She
 quickly ran off.

"Wait!" Mark shouted.  "Serena!"

Great, Serena thought.  He just had to shout my name.  I hope Michiru
didn't hear him.  She ran out of the building.  She called for a cab and was
about to get in when someone grabbed her arm.

"Look, Mark," Serena started, "I have to-" .  She shut up as soon as she
saw that the person holding her arm wasn't Mark.  It was Tenoh Haruka.

"Serena," the blonde said.  "You're not going anywhere."


Serena sat there, not looking at them.  It was the day after the night of the concert.
  Damn Mark!  If only he hadn't shouted out her name.  If only she hadn't accepted
 his invitation when she could have stayed home.  If only...they hadn't said so
many things, then she wouldn't have ran away.  She wouldn't have been here
right now.

"Serena," Michiru said quietly in Japanese,  "how are you?"

Serena looked at her, startled.  She wasn't expecting that.  She had expected
 them to yell at her, to tell her what an idiot she was to have ran away two
years ago.  She expected them to reprimand her, to shout at her, to become
 angry... Not such a quiet response.

"I'm...fine," Serena said, using words that she hadn't spoken for over two years.

"That's good to hear," Haruka said.  No sarcasm in her voice, Serena noticed.
  "How long have you been living here?" She indicated the apartment around her.

Serena shrugged.  "Almost two years.  I got this place after I got accepted
 at UCLA."

Haruka and Michiru looked a little surprised, but nothing more.

"Are you happy here?" Michiru asked quizzically.

Serena looked away.  "Sure I'm happy here.  I have a lot of friends," she said,
lying, "and everyone likes me."  She didn't notice that her voice was cracking,
 or that the two girls knew that she was lying.

"We're glad," Haruka said.  She looked around the apartment.  "Where did you
 buy such wonderful paintings?  They're as good as Michiru's..."

"I painted them," Serena said, embarrassed.  "I sell them to help pay for this place."

"Really?" Michiru said.  She was impressed.  "They're very good."

"Thank you."

A silence lapsed.

"...So...how is everyone?" Serena asked.  She tried to keep her anxiety out of
 her voice.

"They're doing well," Haruka answered.  " Amy's studying to become a doctor.
Mina's going to be a great athlete, but she's currently studying to become a gym
 teacher.  Lita's going to be a chef, and Raye is majoring in religion."

"Setsuna is a successful fashion designer; Hotaru's going to be a doctor like Amy.
Right now I'm going to become a violinist; I dropped by to perform once.  Haruka's
 going to be a professional racer.  Luna and Artemis are fine."

"...And Darien and Rini?" Serena asked softly.

"He has a good job as a paralegal.  He's working in his spare time as a writer...
We haven't heard from Rini or Diana for a while..."

"I'm happy for all of you," Serena said sincerely.

"We all miss you..." Michiru said softly.

More silence.

"Serena, we had better get going," Michiru said.  "We have a plane to catch back
 to Japan.  We just dropped by to do a special performance...It was for charity,
after all."

"Oh."

"It was nice seeing you again," Haruka said.  She looked at the pale young blond...
So different from what she had been, as they all were...  Serena realized that
 Haruka was asking whether she should tell the others that she was here.
Serena looked at her pleadingly.  Don't tell, please.  Haruka studied her for
 a moment and nodded, her eyes understanding.  Then they left.

Serena remained sitting on the sofa for a while, reviewing the encounter in
her mind.  Then she went into her room and started sobbing on her bed.



"Hey, Darien!" a cheerful voice said.

Darien rolled over and looked groggily at his clock.  4:15 AM.  " Mark, what
are you doing calling me so early in the morning?" he mumbled in English into
 the telephone.

"It's not that early," Mark said.  "Whoops.  Froze the whipping cream.
Oh yeah! I forgot that it's earlier over there."

"Yeah, well, I can get up for my American third removed cousin," Darien said
wryly.

"Forth removed.  Sorry, to bug you, cos," Mark continued happily, "but I just
had to tell you about this amazing girl I met."

"Really," Darien said, a little sarcastically, stretching.  He sat up, turning on
the light.

"Yes!" Mark said, not noticing the slight.  "Anyway, two days ago, I finally
 asked her out to a concert starring Tenoh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru-"

"Haruka and Michiru?" Darien asked, surprised.  Funny, Michiru hadn't told
him that they were going to the United States...Not that she had any reason to.

"You know them?" his cousin inquired.

"Yeah, they're my friends..."

"Well, anyway, we go there, and she seems like she's having a good time.
Then I take her backstage to meet them.  As soon as she sees Michiru,
she freaks out."

"Odd," the black haired man replied.

"The next thing I know, she splits.  Then I see her stopped by this
blond guy-"

"Girl," Darien murmured.

"And then they leave together with Michiru.  Do you think that they
 know her?  Could you find out from your friends?"

"I guess so," Darien said, " but can't you just ask your girlfriend?"

"Umm," Mark said nervously, "she's not really my girlfriend.  See, she's
really secretive about things, and I think that she thinks that we're just
friends.  Serena is just like th-"

"Did you say Serena?" Darien interrupted loudly.  No, it couldn't be her.
It was just a coincidence.  Surely Serena was a common name in the States.

"Yeah," Mark answered.  "She's Japanese.  You know her?"

"Maybe." This couldn't be a coincidence.  It was too close... "What's her
name?"

"Serena, uhh...Damn!  I always forget how to pronounce her last name!  Tu-tu!
 No...Tukuno!  No...Sushi!  Ack!"

"Is it Tsukino?" Darien asked quietly.

"Yeah, that's it!" Mark said happily.  "You _do_ know her!"

"Listen, Mark," the other said hurriedly.  " I have to go."

"Go?  Go where?" he asked puzzled.

"I have to see a couple of my friends."


Darien knocked loudly on Haruka's door.  "Haruka!  It's me, Darien."

"Hi, Darien," Haruka said, answering the door.  "What's up?"

"I need to talk to you and Michiru," he said.  "It's important."

"Sure thing.  Go next door and ask her to come over."  The girl had a peculiar
 look on her face.

As soon as everyone was settled in Haruka's living room, Darien launched
 right in.  "It's about Serena."

The two girls froze.  They exchanged glances, not looking at the man.

"I know you saw her in LA a couple of days ago...  Why didn't you tell me?"
 There was intense pain in his question.

Haruka shook her head, her blond bangs falling into her eyes, her eyes serious.
"Serena didn't want us to tell anyone.  I promised I wouldn't do that.
Michiru and I owed that to her...  After all that we've done to her, she
deserved that from us."

Darien was silent.  "How is she?" he asked softly.

"She's doing well," Michiru said.  "She has a scholarship at UCLA.  She's
living in an apartment off campus that she pays for by selling paintings that
she makes.  She seems fine."

"Fine?" Darien echoed.

Haruka nodded.  "She said that she was happy, but her eyes told us differently."

"Do you think that she'd see me?" he asked wistfully, his eyes sad with longing.

Michiru shrugged.  "There's only one way to find out..."


The phone rang.  Serena didn't answer.  It rang several more times.  She just
sat there, watching it.  Finally she picked it up.

"Hello?  Serena Tsukino speaking."

There was no answer.

"Hello?" Serena asked, frowning.  "Anyone there?"

The person on the other end cleared his throat.  "Umm, yes, I heard that you
 were selling some paintings.  May I come over and see them?"

"All right," Serena said.  " How about right now?"

"That would be fine," the man said.

Serena gave him her address.  After she hung up, she realized that she had done
 an incredibly stupid thing.  There were plenty of wackos in LA.  What if the guy
 was a killer or something?  Baka! she said to herself.  She should be prepared
 just in case he was a crazy lunatic...

Not 40 minutes later, the doorbell rang.

"Coming!" Serena said.  She carried in her hand a baseball bat.  It wasn't a very
effective weapon against a gun, but it was something.  She looked through the
peephole.  She saw a young man with dark hair.  He didn't look like he was
holding a weapon or anything.  Still, she thought.  She kept the chain on her
 door locked while she unlocked the main lock.

"Hello?" she asked, peering out into the hall.

"Hi, Serena," the voice said softly.  The man looked directly at her.

"Darien," she gasped when she saw him.  She turned white as a sheet and almost
fainted.

"May I come in, Serena?" he asked quietly.

Still shocked, she nodded slowly.  She undid the chain and opened the door for
 him.  He came into her apartment, and she closed the door behind him.

They looked at each other.  They compared the other to their old memories.
Darien had changed.  He was thin two years ago, but he was even skinnier now.
He was still handsome, but his eyes had a haunted look to them.  He wore a green
jacket over a black shirt and brown slacks.  Serena looked away.  It was still
too painful to look at him, even after such a long time...

"You're doing well, Serena," Darien said, his voice soft and controlled.

She nodded.  They continued to watch each other.  Finally she spoke.  "What
 are you doing here, Darien?  Did Michiru and Haruka tell you where I was?"

Darien shook his head.  "No.  My cousin told me where you were."

"Your cousin?"

"Mark Price."

"Mark is your cousin?" Serena asked, her head spinning.  Funny how she
had never noticed the similarities between them.

"Yes.  He didn't know that I knew you," Darien replied.

"Why are you here?" she repeated, still absorbing her shock.

Darien shrugged.  He turned around, pretending to study her apartment.  "I
wanted to see if you were doing well... I also want you to know...that I never
got the chance to say..."  His voice broke off.

"Say what?" Serena prodded slowly, staring at his back.  Tell me, she thought.
Darien, talk to me.  Help me understand that night.

"That I was sorry...and that I didn't blame you for what happened to
your sister..."

Serena was very quiet.  He didn't blame her...He didn't blame her?  "Why
 didn't you _say_ anything that day?" she asked, her voice cracking.
"I _needed_ you, and you weren't there for me!  You were silent.  Why?"

Darien replied softly: "I was in shock.  I don't think I had anyone close
to me die before like that, besides my parents.  I _never_ blamed you...
I blamed myself..."

"What?" Serena asked.  She couldn't believe her ears.  "Why?  _I_ was
the one who didn't attack when I had the chance..."

He shook his head and turned around.  "No, Serena.  I could have
prevented the youma from stabbing Aurora.  I could have _done_ something.
I could have thrown one of my roses...But I didn't.  It wasn't your fault.
It was mine...I failed to save one of my best friends..."

Serena didn't know what to say.  She had had no idea that Darien
had felt the same way she had.

"Serena...I still love you, even though I know you can never forgive
me for what I've done to you," Darien said gently.  He reached
into his pocket and pulled something out.  "I found this on the
beach several days ago.  I think it's yours."

He placed something cool in her hand.  She looked at it.  It was
her locket.  Amazed, she looked up.  "But how did you get this?  I
threw it into the ocean..."

Darien studied her.  "I don't know how it came to me...Maybe it was fate..."

Serena looked at him carefully.  She opened the locket up and the
gentle song played.  As she listened, she was filled with longing.
She realized that she too still loved him.  She couldn't run away
any more...

"Darien...?" Serena whispered.

"Yes?" His voice was unsure.

"I forgive you...I still love you too."  She ran into his arms, crying.
Darien held her tightly, like if he let her go, she would disappear
forever.

"I'm never going to make the same mistake again," Darien told
her softly.  "This time I won't let go."

Serena looked at his face to see wetness on it.  They had been given
 the chance to start over.  She smiled, believing him with all her
heart, as the sweet melody of the locket played.  It was a new beginning.

The End

Yes, I know, it's a pretty sappy story.  Well, so what?  If you
want a good story with a different ending, write one yourself!