Alright then…Here is Chapter 11 of Finding Me! Hope you enjoy it. 

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Finding Me

Chapter 11

Serena's POV

The wind had picked up as we ran along the streets, avoiding the crowds of panicked pedestrians that were running in the opposite direction. Light flashed throughout the black cloud, making it look like a stationary tornado. I felt my skin chill as the memory of my death returned.

We slowed as we approached the edge of the darkness and finally stopped altogether. "What do we do? How do we get in?" Lita asked, breathless.

Luna and Artemis inspected the cloud wall before replying.

"I believe if you can just push through it you will find a clearing in the middle. There you will find Beryl." Luna said.

"Is it safe?" Darien asked.

"It doesn't matter, let's go!" I found myself pushing into the dark cloud. I felt pain, like a thousand needles were grazing my skin but I forged on. I distantly heard the others calling my name but I continued forward. A strong wind pushed against me, blowing harder the deeper into the darkness I trekked.

I felt my limbs grow heavy with exhaustion until suddenly the wind stopped. I looked around to find that I had made it to the middle of the cloud. My arms and face were covered in tiny scratches and blood oozed over my skin slowly.

A wicked laugh filled the stale air around me. "So brave, little princess…" The voice was high-pitched and harsh. I felt the impulse to cover my ears.

"Serena!" I whirled to see Darien and the others emerge from the cloud, also covered in scratches. I ran to Darien's open arms, relieved to no longer be alone.

"How sweet…" the voice once again boomed. "It makes me sick!"

"Show yourself Beryl!" Darien exclaimed. "Give me my son back!"

A red light began to glow before us and a woman's form began to appear.

"But he is my son to." She said with a wicked grin on her red lips. In her slender arms she held Ben tightly to her chest. She ran a long finger over his cheek which only caused him to flinch. "He shall make a great prince for my new kingdom, and one day a future ruler."

I heard a growl begin low in Darien's throat and I felt his arms tense around me. I gently placed my hand on his face, hoping to calm him down. He looked down at me, his eyes connecting with mine as I sent him a silent plea to stay cool. He nodded back slowly before once again turning his eyes to Beryl.

She cackled at our exchange. "Reunited once more I see. And you are all here…The guards and even those annoying attendants." She said, referring to Luna and Artemis. "How wonderful, now I will be able to kill you all without ever leaving my home." She snapped her fingers and ten large men materialized as if from nowhere. "Dispose of them."

They advanced instantly, their eyes flashing with evil. I felt myself take a step back. Suddenly my guard and Darien's guard rushed forward, swords drawn as if from thin air. They stood in a semi-circle around Darien and I.

"You will not harm our Prince and Princess!" Malachite shouted.

"Endearing…1000 years ago you would have leaped at the chance for that girl to be destroyed and now you stand here in her defense?" Beryl laughed.

"If the prince will protect her than so shall we!" Jadeite exclaimed.

"Fools…" Beryl whispered. The men charged towards the guards, baring their swords high above their heads.

"NO!" I heard myself shout. I would not let them fight for me. I would fight for myself this time. Darien and I rushed forward, swords materializing in our hands as well. We charged towards the men and began to attack. My sword met another sword with such force that I was knocked back. I heard the man snicker and felt my face heat up in anger. I recovered and rushed to meet him again, this time remaining steady on my feet. Metal clashed against metal as we dueled. I found myself pulling strategic attacks from my past when I had secretly learned all I could about swordplay, hoping to one day be able to defend myself. I almost laughed at the irony of it.

With a final thrust my sword pushed through the torso of the last man standing. He kneeled over and with a grunt disappeared.

"Haha…" Beryl laughed mirthlessly. "I see you have learned much since we last met little princess. But you will not defeat me!" Her eyes glowed red and her hair seemed to crawl like a million snakes around her head.

"Oh yes we will," I exclaimed. "Because this time, I will fight you! I am not the same 'little princess' you remember!" I shouted before I ran headlong towards Beryl, my sword ready at my side.

"So you think…" Beryl hand shot out before her and a strange energy burst forth, aimed straight towards me.

"Serena!" I heard Darien shout from behind me. I felt something solid collide with me and push me from the path of the beam. I heard an exclamation of pain and when I looked back there lay Darien, sprawled on the ground, a large hole through his stomach.

"Darien!" I screamed. My eyes glazed over with tears as I scrambled to his side. I lifted his head gently into my lap. "Darien…" I whispered.

"Serena…I…" He winced in pain, sweat shining on his broad forehead.

"Shh…Don't talk, save your energy…" I ran my hand along his cheek, trying not to look at the horrendous wound.

"I…love you…Take care of…Ben…for me…"

"Don't talk like that, Darien!"

"I'm…dying…"

"No! No you're not dying! Please!" His eyelids slowly drifted close. "DARIEN!!!" I sobbed, my chest heaving and tears coursed down my cheeks. "No…" I whispered. I pushed my lips to his, willing him to open his eyes. No breath stirred from his mouth. He was gone. I lay my head on his chest and sobbed, no longer caring what happened to me.

"One down…Eleven to go…" Beryl cackled. Her laugh echoed through my veins, causing my hands to tighten into fists.

"No…NO!!!" I screamed. I pushed myself from the ground and whirled to face Beryl. "You will cause no more harm!" I turned my head to watch Darien's guard converge around Darien. Tears glinted in their eyes as they mourned their prince. I closed my eyes tightly and then turned them back to Beryl, my determination shining through.

"Do you think you can defeat me? You are nothing but a little human girl, you have no power!" she laughed. In her arms Ben began crying.

"You're wrong! I do have power…" The eight guardians formed behind me, I could feel their power flowing through my body. "I have the power of friendship and love! And that is the strongest power I could ever ask for!"

Beryl laughed again mockingly. "Energy began flowing through her arm once again but this time I would not allow her to harm anyone."

"Planets!" I shouted my hands held up above my head. Beryl stopped her charge, confused. "Lend me your hearts! Lend me your love! Lend me your power!" I felt a warm light infuse my body, even warmer than before. "Luna, Artemis! Get Ben!" Beryl barely had a chance to blink before Ben was snatched from her arms by the two attendants, now in their human forms. "This is for Darien," I whispered before hurling all the energy I had gathered straight at Beryl's heart.

Her scream echoed throughout the air and the light shone brightly as it devoured her body. As the light diminished all that was left of Beryl was a small pile of ash. The guardians cheered behind me but I couldn't join them. I dropped down beside Darien once more taking his hand in mine.

"Oh Darien…" I murmured. "We never even got to be together before you were taken from me again, this time forever…" My tears again ran down my cheeks, splashing on his hand. "I love you."

A hand on my head caused me to look away. "Come on Serena," Amy whispered.

I nodded at her before standing. When Beryl had been destroyed so had her dark cloud and we found ourselves in the middle of a large hole that had been cleared by the force of the cloud.

I took Ben from Luna's arms and smiled at her. She nodded back and then took Artemis' hand. With a flash of light they returned to their cat forms. Ben stared up at me with his green eyes, his hair, so much like his father's, blew in the small breeze. I held him against my chest, my pain almost unbearable.

"Daddy?" Ben questioned, innocently.

"He's gone Ben." I answered, knowing he didn't understand, wondering if he ever would.

Ben began squirming in my arms, trying to free himself from my retraining arms. I sat him on the ground and he immediately walked to where Darien still lay. Ben patted his cheek with his chubby hand, trying to wake him. I walked to him preparing to pick him up again before suddenly a light engulfed Darien's body. I gasped in shock and pulled Ben back, fearing another evil attack. As the light weakened I noticed one of Darien's hands twitch on the ground. Then his eyelids fluttered.

"Sere…" his voice was weak and raspy but so beautiful to me. I fell to my knees at his side, hardly believing my eyes. His wound was gone completely, healed by the light. I looked into his face to find him smiling up at me, his dark, blue eyes shining.

"Oh Darien! You're alive!" Ben squirmed again in my arms only this time because of how tight I had been holding him. I set him in Darien's now out stretched arms. I then wrapped my arms around his neck and amid my happy sobs my lips met his.

One week later…

Narrator's POV

"So it was Ben's love that brought his father back?" Luna asked. Artemis nodded.

"It was the pure wish of a child that caused his father to come back to him. But for all Ben knew Darien was just sleeping." Artemis replied.

They both turned their heads to resume watching the wedding.

Serena entered the large double doors dressed in a flowing white gown. Its skirt shone from the many jewels that had been sown into it. At the end of the aisle Darien smiled foolishly. Serena had tears in her eyes as she walked down the red carpet towards her future husband.

The priest smiled down on the young couple as Serena reached them. "We are gathered here today…" he began.

"I love you…" Darien whispered.

"I love you to…" Serena whispered back, trying to hold back her laughter. She glanced at the audience and smiled. All their guardians were assembled, each paired up: Mina and Malachite, Raye and Jadeite, Amy and Zoicite, and Lita and Nephrite. "Funny how that worked out." She whispered to Darien, nodding at the couples.

"Funny how we worked out to…" he smiled. Their eyes traveled to Ben who was in the arms of Serena's mother. After they had returned from their attack Serena had confronted her parents and they had made amends. Both her parents sat on the very first pew, playing with their new grandson.

"Do you, Serena Tsukino, take Darien Chiba to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, from this day forward?"

"I do…" she replied.

"And do you, Darien Chiba, take Serena Tsukino to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, from this day forward?"

"With all my heart." Darien said, pulling Serena's hand to his chest.

"By the power invested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Darien grinned before lowering his head to meet Serena in their first kiss as a married couple.

The audience cheered, clapping wildly for them. "Finally," Serena whispered. "We can be together."

"We've always been together Serena. In our hearts."

The End

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Well, there it is. The end. I hope you are not horribly disappointed that this story is over. I am a little sad. I really didn't know how I wanted to end it so I settled for this. It turned out alright though. A happy ending for everyone. Except for Beryl that is. And I know I did not put in Neptune and Uranus but I didn't know what I could do with them. Until next time! I believe I shall finish Switched now.