Title: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing but the Truth
Author: Helene
E-mail: [email protected]
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)
Genre: Romance
Timeline: First Season
Summary: It is Sailor Moon's turn to be cursed by a monster. As a
result Serena can not help admitting the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, to the others as well as to herself. What
havoc will ensue, and how will Darien react?
Disclaimer: Sinning doesn't get you Sailor Moon rights any faster than being a saint does.
Chapter IX
Myriad bubbles of sheer joy flooded her whole being. They were lighter than the air she
breathed, and she felt as if she were going to either burst with the tingling excitement
or take off to float in the air. Balmy currents swirled soothingly against her skin, the
same currents she had attempted to ignore only that morning. But back then there had
been no warm hands closed around hers protectively, no soft lips moving against her own
in a sweet caress, no sensation of the ultimate completion warding off the depression.
Dizzy with the onslaught on her senses, she swayed slightly, and Darien broke the kiss
to draw her to his body.
"Are you OK?" he asked, perusing her filmy orbs.
"Yes."
Serena returned his intent gaze, savoring the precious moment along with the precious
memory of the precious kiss. The precious memory, which awakened another one...
"Princess?" she queried, a puzzled frown tugging at her lips.
"Princess," confirmed Darien, beaming at her indulgently. "I knew when you told me that
I am Endymion. I've always known that it would be the princess of my dreams who would
tell me who I am..."
His heart was singing with the euphoria of finally holding her, and the fact that it
was interfering with his capacity to form coherent thoughts and sentences was not the
least disturbing. With her by his side he didn't need to substitute philosophy for
feelings, and there was nothing they couldn't communicate to each other by simple
smiles and touches. And kisses.
Without averting his eyes, he swept a tender pair of fingers up her arm, reveling in
the shiver that ran through Serena, causing her fingers to uncurl and drop the still
playing locket. The fingers continued their trail to carefully cup her glowing face,
his other arm circling her narrow waist.
"I didn't know," she whispered shakily, still unable to regain her composure, which
was absolutely fine with Darien, provided that she remained within his embrace.
*********************************************************************
Several figures were prowling expertly down a long corridor. Their footsteps were
absolutely soundless, their breathing nearly as silent. The only thing that could
betray their presence was a flickering light in the hand of the group leader. The
light was too dim to illuminate the passage, and yet the figures were using it to
direct their movement.
"Almost there," whispered the leader, indicating the light. "It's almost steady,
and that means Rainbow Crystals are in close proximity within the wand."
"Where are we?" asked the last figure.
"Close enough to the depositary to start looking for the entrance, and that is all
we need to know at the moment," rejoined the first one.
"I don't see any doors."
"Wait a moment. I'll consult the computer."
"Won't the light draw the attention of the guards?" cautioned one of the previously
silent figures.
"We need the map to find our way around."
"Like we haven't been in a similar situatioin before."
"Like we haven't been caught in a similar situation before."
"Shhh."
"OK."
"It's creepy here."
"Not creepier than the time before, or the two times before that one."
"It still creeps me out."
"Be quiet," snapped the tallest member of the group, too irritated to remain wordless
any longer.
"I'm through," announced the leader. "According to the map, the depositary is right
behind that wall. Our problem, however, is that the entrance to the depositary is
situated in its opposite wall."
"So what's the problem to just walk around?"
"There is no corridor around the depositary."
"Why don't we make us a door?" muttered the tallest one eagerly. "That way we won't
have to mess with the alarm-system."
"Should I use the chain?"
"The fireball should be more effective."
"I could always zap the wall."
"No!"
"Hands up!" commanded a deep bass from somewhere behind the group, halting the
conversation.
*********************************************************************
The trees were being flapped by gusts of wind, and heavy raindrops pounded deafeningly
against every uncovered surface. The sky was completely dark, ominous clouds blocking
the light of the moon and stars. Thunderclaps rumbled now and again, followed closely
by blinding flashes of lightning. The streetlamps flickered due to the force of the
storm, and the illumination did nothing to ward off the oppressive gloom.
The amount of the cars that had braved the streets was to be counted on one's fingers,
and so was the speed of their cautious progress, in spite of the fact that each of their
owners had to have quite a pressing matter to attend. After all, who would prefer vainly
staking their life in the nasty weather to the relatively safe haven of their habitation,
maniacs and Negacreeps excluded?
One of the unfortunate souls pulled up in front of a tall building, and, without even
opening an umbrella, dashed through the doors, proving the pressing matter guess to be
accurate. In mere seconds, though, the person was pushed out into the torrent by a
uniformed hulk.
Muttering something under his breath, the seemingly daunted driver slid back into his
vehicle, started the engine and left, or so it appeared to the guard. Actually, the car
never made it to the highway, having stopped behind the edifice. A few seconds and an
energy surge later, a tuxedoed youth leapt high into the air to land on one of the
windowsills.
After a brief examination of the room behind the glass, the youth somehow opened window and
jumped inside.
The room's furnishings were rather austere: a desk, a wardrobe, and a bed, the occupant of
which was huddled up under the covers.
"Serena," called out the nocturnal visitor softly, "Sere, are you all right?"
"No," whimpered the shivering form from under the blanket. "I'm scared to death."
In two quick strides the young man reached the bed to kneel beside it and give the blanket
a pat.
"Meatball Head, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm already here..."
"Took you long enough," grumbled the blanket childishly.
"But I'm here now, so how about a greeting?" entreated the man. "Don't you love me anymore?"
A slender arm shot out of the blanket and moved it, revealing matted golden locks and a tear
streaked face.
"I'll always love you," said the girl, sitting up to bestow a tender look on her companion. "Even
the scariest storm doesn't sound scary when you're with me."
"And I'll always be with you," he promised, trailing his knuckles down her face.
As Serena beamed at him, Darien stood up from his kneeling position and took a seat on the bed.
Their heads moved closer, and their eyes fluttered close almost simultaneously - an easy trick
to accomplish for the seasoned couple. Neither rushed the joining of the lips, instead savoring
the moments of anticipation and the breathing of their beloved, wafting against their skin.
The pending kiss, however, was not meant to be. A shrill beeping noise jolted the pair, making
them clutch at each other fearfully for a couple of seconds, and then emit wary sighs, having
identified the source of the noise.
"Tuxedo Mask here," said Darien into the pink watch that was lying on the desk.
"We're locked in the monitoring room near the depositary, and there's no way we can use our
powers," told the weary Sailor Mercury.
"Then it's up to me again, isn't it?"
"Good luck," breathed Serena, giving him a small peck on the lips and shoving him off the bed.
"Please, Tuxedo Mask, bring me the Silver Imperium Crystal."
*********************************************************************
"Stop pointing that thing at my head will you?"
"Sorry, no can do, sugar. Super-heroines or not, you and your girlfriends
shouldn't have been trespassing on the hospital territory, trying to steal
into the depositary. I have my own duties, which are to guard you till
the police get here and take you to the station."
"But..."
"And stop talking. All the city knows you know some magic words, and I
don't want to be affected by your magic."
"With all due respect, sir..."
"Stop talking!"
The guard was growing edgy. After all, his line of work did not entail
capturing the local super-heroines, whose powers could easily level the
workplace itself. And the wretched wenches (since when does HE know how
to alliterate?) refused to stop talking, which was driving him as insane
as the ones kept in the building he was guarding. Even now the quiet
blue-haired one was muttering something into her wrist.
"Stop it!" he exploded, the near shriek startling his prisoners into a
blessed bout of whole three-minute silence.
"Umm... sir?" sniffled the only blond in the group. "Don't we get to make
a phone call or something? I mean since you refuse to let us go..."
"They let you make the calls after you get to the police station, you idiot,"
yelled the riled up security. "How come such idiotic women like you get to...
Ouch!"
The man's tirade was interrupted, as he felt something sharp pierce his... the
area slightly below his lower back.
"What the hell is that?" he cried out, forsaking his gun to reach behind and
withdraw the offending object, which turned out to be a syringe.
"Mercury Bubble Blast!"
The room was quickly immersed in dense fog, and the next thing the unfortunate
guard felt was a wet cloth being clamped to his mouth. Then his mind became as
foggy as the room, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.
"A syringe?" Sailor Mars lifted an eyebrow at Tuxedo Mask, who had stalked
through the door. "Since when you throw syringes instead of your infamous
roses? Oh, and while you're at it, where's the notorious speech?"
"An energy charged rose would have caused severe damage," he told her grimly.
"What was it this time?"
"Aw, poor Darien, you would have much rather stayed there with Serena till we
brought her the Crystal," cooed Sailor Venus.
"That was the plan," he acceded darkly. "She was scared to death by the thunder
this time, to add to the effects of the examinations she'd been subjected to. I
want to get back to her as soon as possible, so let's go find the Crystal."
"It's in the depositary," told Amy, "right across the hall."
"How long will it take you to find Serena's stuff?"
"I'm going to track the Crystal with the computer, and..."
"How long?"
"About three minutes."
"Good. We'll watch the corridor so that you don't get caught again."
"Just how many asylums are there in this city," wondered Sailor Venus as the
five exited the monitoring room, leaving their captor to lie on the floor. "I mean,
it's the forth time we're going through this, and Serena ended up in a new one yet
again."
"I'd rather we didn't have to find out," answered Jupiter. "I'd rather I ended up
with the curse myself, too. This way she could have lifted it just like she lifted
yours. But no, everything has to happen the hard way."
"I wouldn't refer to it as the hard way," cut in Mercury. "After all, the curse
got Darien and Serena together, and revealed the princess sooner than it would
have occurred otherwise. And who knows if it would have been soon enough to
defeat Beryl as easily as we did."
"You call that easy?" burst out Mars. "I felt sore for about a whole month, and
that in spite of the scout healing abilities!"
"None of us died, or was dangerously close to dying," said Tuxedo Mask quietly.
"I reckon that does allow to describe the battle as easy."
His words got all the girls to fall silent as they remembered the recent
confrontation they took part in. Each couldn't help but think of the moment when
Tuxedo Mask and all the scouts, including the reserved outers, were dead to the
world, having left their princess to fight their possessed enemy on her own.
"She doesn't deserve this," sighed Sailor Jupiter. "We should have watched her
better. For heaven's sake, it's freaking forth time! We should have..."
"What?" cried Venus. "Whisked her away from the classroom when she started saying
that she was unable to focus because she had fought as Sailor Moon the night
before? Forbidden her to ever fight? What?!"
"Girls, it's neither the time nor place. Please stop. This isn't helping Serena."
"They know," told Mars. "But harder on them than it is on us. Every time it happens,
they have to watch Serena spill the truth to Miss H. and being taken to the hospital
for people with mental disorders because they are unable to perform their duty and
protect her. And afterwards, when we get to her and bring her the Crystal, they
also have to watch her risk her life, using the Crystal to erase everybody's memories
of the accident, all because they were unable to prevent her from speaking."
"Are you implying that it isn't as hard on you, Raye?"
"I don't know. But for all her begging, I might have been unable to abstain from
transforming and defending her from those doctors. You know how much she hates
hospitals, and yet she allows them to take her."
"That she does." Darien's chuckle was mirthless. "She is always more concerned of
what may happen to other people to worry about herself. Which is why we are going
to have to carry on rescuing her from hospitals until it becomes safe for the world
to learn what she is."
"Which will happen only after Rini returns from the first trip to the future,"
reminded Sailor Mercury, who had just returned with a box in her hands.
"Please don't bring it up again," begged Mars. "I really don't want to think about
the things we had to do to shut the Meatball Head up."
"I do," smirked Darien.
"Well but of course you do," drawled Jupiter. "You only had to kiss her in the most
inappropriate moments. Now how hard could that be?"
The girls laughed, trailing after the tuxedoed youth.
*********************************************************************
Well, basically this is how the story ends. Definitely a sequel material, isn't it?
Although the first thing I want to do is to revise it to fix all the plot
inconsistencies, poor phrasing and stuff. So if there's anything that bugs you about
the story PLEASE e-mail me, or put it as a review. I especially want to know if it is
really unclear that Darien learned about Serena's being Sailor Moon because she had
showed him the star locket. A couple of people asked about that, although it is in
the chapter.
Author: Helene
E-mail: [email protected]
Rating: PG-13 (mightily exaggerated)
Genre: Romance
Timeline: First Season
Summary: It is Sailor Moon's turn to be cursed by a monster. As a
result Serena can not help admitting the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth, to the others as well as to herself. What
havoc will ensue, and how will Darien react?
Disclaimer: Sinning doesn't get you Sailor Moon rights any faster than being a saint does.
Chapter IX
Myriad bubbles of sheer joy flooded her whole being. They were lighter than the air she
breathed, and she felt as if she were going to either burst with the tingling excitement
or take off to float in the air. Balmy currents swirled soothingly against her skin, the
same currents she had attempted to ignore only that morning. But back then there had
been no warm hands closed around hers protectively, no soft lips moving against her own
in a sweet caress, no sensation of the ultimate completion warding off the depression.
Dizzy with the onslaught on her senses, she swayed slightly, and Darien broke the kiss
to draw her to his body.
"Are you OK?" he asked, perusing her filmy orbs.
"Yes."
Serena returned his intent gaze, savoring the precious moment along with the precious
memory of the precious kiss. The precious memory, which awakened another one...
"Princess?" she queried, a puzzled frown tugging at her lips.
"Princess," confirmed Darien, beaming at her indulgently. "I knew when you told me that
I am Endymion. I've always known that it would be the princess of my dreams who would
tell me who I am..."
His heart was singing with the euphoria of finally holding her, and the fact that it
was interfering with his capacity to form coherent thoughts and sentences was not the
least disturbing. With her by his side he didn't need to substitute philosophy for
feelings, and there was nothing they couldn't communicate to each other by simple
smiles and touches. And kisses.
Without averting his eyes, he swept a tender pair of fingers up her arm, reveling in
the shiver that ran through Serena, causing her fingers to uncurl and drop the still
playing locket. The fingers continued their trail to carefully cup her glowing face,
his other arm circling her narrow waist.
"I didn't know," she whispered shakily, still unable to regain her composure, which
was absolutely fine with Darien, provided that she remained within his embrace.
*********************************************************************
Several figures were prowling expertly down a long corridor. Their footsteps were
absolutely soundless, their breathing nearly as silent. The only thing that could
betray their presence was a flickering light in the hand of the group leader. The
light was too dim to illuminate the passage, and yet the figures were using it to
direct their movement.
"Almost there," whispered the leader, indicating the light. "It's almost steady,
and that means Rainbow Crystals are in close proximity within the wand."
"Where are we?" asked the last figure.
"Close enough to the depositary to start looking for the entrance, and that is all
we need to know at the moment," rejoined the first one.
"I don't see any doors."
"Wait a moment. I'll consult the computer."
"Won't the light draw the attention of the guards?" cautioned one of the previously
silent figures.
"We need the map to find our way around."
"Like we haven't been in a similar situatioin before."
"Like we haven't been caught in a similar situation before."
"Shhh."
"OK."
"It's creepy here."
"Not creepier than the time before, or the two times before that one."
"It still creeps me out."
"Be quiet," snapped the tallest member of the group, too irritated to remain wordless
any longer.
"I'm through," announced the leader. "According to the map, the depositary is right
behind that wall. Our problem, however, is that the entrance to the depositary is
situated in its opposite wall."
"So what's the problem to just walk around?"
"There is no corridor around the depositary."
"Why don't we make us a door?" muttered the tallest one eagerly. "That way we won't
have to mess with the alarm-system."
"Should I use the chain?"
"The fireball should be more effective."
"I could always zap the wall."
"No!"
"Hands up!" commanded a deep bass from somewhere behind the group, halting the
conversation.
*********************************************************************
The trees were being flapped by gusts of wind, and heavy raindrops pounded deafeningly
against every uncovered surface. The sky was completely dark, ominous clouds blocking
the light of the moon and stars. Thunderclaps rumbled now and again, followed closely
by blinding flashes of lightning. The streetlamps flickered due to the force of the
storm, and the illumination did nothing to ward off the oppressive gloom.
The amount of the cars that had braved the streets was to be counted on one's fingers,
and so was the speed of their cautious progress, in spite of the fact that each of their
owners had to have quite a pressing matter to attend. After all, who would prefer vainly
staking their life in the nasty weather to the relatively safe haven of their habitation,
maniacs and Negacreeps excluded?
One of the unfortunate souls pulled up in front of a tall building, and, without even
opening an umbrella, dashed through the doors, proving the pressing matter guess to be
accurate. In mere seconds, though, the person was pushed out into the torrent by a
uniformed hulk.
Muttering something under his breath, the seemingly daunted driver slid back into his
vehicle, started the engine and left, or so it appeared to the guard. Actually, the car
never made it to the highway, having stopped behind the edifice. A few seconds and an
energy surge later, a tuxedoed youth leapt high into the air to land on one of the
windowsills.
After a brief examination of the room behind the glass, the youth somehow opened window and
jumped inside.
The room's furnishings were rather austere: a desk, a wardrobe, and a bed, the occupant of
which was huddled up under the covers.
"Serena," called out the nocturnal visitor softly, "Sere, are you all right?"
"No," whimpered the shivering form from under the blanket. "I'm scared to death."
In two quick strides the young man reached the bed to kneel beside it and give the blanket
a pat.
"Meatball Head, there's nothing to be afraid of. I'm already here..."
"Took you long enough," grumbled the blanket childishly.
"But I'm here now, so how about a greeting?" entreated the man. "Don't you love me anymore?"
A slender arm shot out of the blanket and moved it, revealing matted golden locks and a tear
streaked face.
"I'll always love you," said the girl, sitting up to bestow a tender look on her companion. "Even
the scariest storm doesn't sound scary when you're with me."
"And I'll always be with you," he promised, trailing his knuckles down her face.
As Serena beamed at him, Darien stood up from his kneeling position and took a seat on the bed.
Their heads moved closer, and their eyes fluttered close almost simultaneously - an easy trick
to accomplish for the seasoned couple. Neither rushed the joining of the lips, instead savoring
the moments of anticipation and the breathing of their beloved, wafting against their skin.
The pending kiss, however, was not meant to be. A shrill beeping noise jolted the pair, making
them clutch at each other fearfully for a couple of seconds, and then emit wary sighs, having
identified the source of the noise.
"Tuxedo Mask here," said Darien into the pink watch that was lying on the desk.
"We're locked in the monitoring room near the depositary, and there's no way we can use our
powers," told the weary Sailor Mercury.
"Then it's up to me again, isn't it?"
"Good luck," breathed Serena, giving him a small peck on the lips and shoving him off the bed.
"Please, Tuxedo Mask, bring me the Silver Imperium Crystal."
*********************************************************************
"Stop pointing that thing at my head will you?"
"Sorry, no can do, sugar. Super-heroines or not, you and your girlfriends
shouldn't have been trespassing on the hospital territory, trying to steal
into the depositary. I have my own duties, which are to guard you till
the police get here and take you to the station."
"But..."
"And stop talking. All the city knows you know some magic words, and I
don't want to be affected by your magic."
"With all due respect, sir..."
"Stop talking!"
The guard was growing edgy. After all, his line of work did not entail
capturing the local super-heroines, whose powers could easily level the
workplace itself. And the wretched wenches (since when does HE know how
to alliterate?) refused to stop talking, which was driving him as insane
as the ones kept in the building he was guarding. Even now the quiet
blue-haired one was muttering something into her wrist.
"Stop it!" he exploded, the near shriek startling his prisoners into a
blessed bout of whole three-minute silence.
"Umm... sir?" sniffled the only blond in the group. "Don't we get to make
a phone call or something? I mean since you refuse to let us go..."
"They let you make the calls after you get to the police station, you idiot,"
yelled the riled up security. "How come such idiotic women like you get to...
Ouch!"
The man's tirade was interrupted, as he felt something sharp pierce his... the
area slightly below his lower back.
"What the hell is that?" he cried out, forsaking his gun to reach behind and
withdraw the offending object, which turned out to be a syringe.
"Mercury Bubble Blast!"
The room was quickly immersed in dense fog, and the next thing the unfortunate
guard felt was a wet cloth being clamped to his mouth. Then his mind became as
foggy as the room, and he succumbed to unconsciousness.
"A syringe?" Sailor Mars lifted an eyebrow at Tuxedo Mask, who had stalked
through the door. "Since when you throw syringes instead of your infamous
roses? Oh, and while you're at it, where's the notorious speech?"
"An energy charged rose would have caused severe damage," he told her grimly.
"What was it this time?"
"Aw, poor Darien, you would have much rather stayed there with Serena till we
brought her the Crystal," cooed Sailor Venus.
"That was the plan," he acceded darkly. "She was scared to death by the thunder
this time, to add to the effects of the examinations she'd been subjected to. I
want to get back to her as soon as possible, so let's go find the Crystal."
"It's in the depositary," told Amy, "right across the hall."
"How long will it take you to find Serena's stuff?"
"I'm going to track the Crystal with the computer, and..."
"How long?"
"About three minutes."
"Good. We'll watch the corridor so that you don't get caught again."
"Just how many asylums are there in this city," wondered Sailor Venus as the
five exited the monitoring room, leaving their captor to lie on the floor. "I mean,
it's the forth time we're going through this, and Serena ended up in a new one yet
again."
"I'd rather we didn't have to find out," answered Jupiter. "I'd rather I ended up
with the curse myself, too. This way she could have lifted it just like she lifted
yours. But no, everything has to happen the hard way."
"I wouldn't refer to it as the hard way," cut in Mercury. "After all, the curse
got Darien and Serena together, and revealed the princess sooner than it would
have occurred otherwise. And who knows if it would have been soon enough to
defeat Beryl as easily as we did."
"You call that easy?" burst out Mars. "I felt sore for about a whole month, and
that in spite of the scout healing abilities!"
"None of us died, or was dangerously close to dying," said Tuxedo Mask quietly.
"I reckon that does allow to describe the battle as easy."
His words got all the girls to fall silent as they remembered the recent
confrontation they took part in. Each couldn't help but think of the moment when
Tuxedo Mask and all the scouts, including the reserved outers, were dead to the
world, having left their princess to fight their possessed enemy on her own.
"She doesn't deserve this," sighed Sailor Jupiter. "We should have watched her
better. For heaven's sake, it's freaking forth time! We should have..."
"What?" cried Venus. "Whisked her away from the classroom when she started saying
that she was unable to focus because she had fought as Sailor Moon the night
before? Forbidden her to ever fight? What?!"
"Girls, it's neither the time nor place. Please stop. This isn't helping Serena."
"They know," told Mars. "But harder on them than it is on us. Every time it happens,
they have to watch Serena spill the truth to Miss H. and being taken to the hospital
for people with mental disorders because they are unable to perform their duty and
protect her. And afterwards, when we get to her and bring her the Crystal, they
also have to watch her risk her life, using the Crystal to erase everybody's memories
of the accident, all because they were unable to prevent her from speaking."
"Are you implying that it isn't as hard on you, Raye?"
"I don't know. But for all her begging, I might have been unable to abstain from
transforming and defending her from those doctors. You know how much she hates
hospitals, and yet she allows them to take her."
"That she does." Darien's chuckle was mirthless. "She is always more concerned of
what may happen to other people to worry about herself. Which is why we are going
to have to carry on rescuing her from hospitals until it becomes safe for the world
to learn what she is."
"Which will happen only after Rini returns from the first trip to the future,"
reminded Sailor Mercury, who had just returned with a box in her hands.
"Please don't bring it up again," begged Mars. "I really don't want to think about
the things we had to do to shut the Meatball Head up."
"I do," smirked Darien.
"Well but of course you do," drawled Jupiter. "You only had to kiss her in the most
inappropriate moments. Now how hard could that be?"
The girls laughed, trailing after the tuxedoed youth.
*********************************************************************
Well, basically this is how the story ends. Definitely a sequel material, isn't it?
Although the first thing I want to do is to revise it to fix all the plot
inconsistencies, poor phrasing and stuff. So if there's anything that bugs you about
the story PLEASE e-mail me, or put it as a review. I especially want to know if it is
really unclear that Darien learned about Serena's being Sailor Moon because she had
showed him the star locket. A couple of people asked about that, although it is in
the chapter.