A/N: Hey everyone! This story takes place right after the Darien/Serena break up (as I'm sure you would have figured out in no time). I realize this idea has probably already been done but I though I'd give it a shot anyways. I would really appreciate any reviews, please let me know whether you think I should continue. I'm also using the English dubbed names because (sadly) it's all I'm familiar with. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from anything related to this series

Chapter 1

The door slammed behind her as Serena struggled to stay standing in the hallway. Despite her lifelong lack of coordination, her stumble had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she was now sitting on her knees in the middle of the corridor. She stared through teary eyes at the door she'd just been shoved out of for several moments before it occurred to her that she couldn't bare to stay in that building for another moment. She got to her feet and raced into the street as fast as her legs would carry her. As she ran she thought of Darien and one word refused to stop resonating through her.

DESTINY

They were destined to be together. How could it be that Darien no longer wanted to see her? As she reached the corner Serena stopped running and took a look around. She could hardly see through the tears pouring down her face. She turned the corner and walked slowly towards her house. Her feet seemed to be functioning independently of her mind because her thoughts were miles away and years in the past.

The memories she had of her life in the moon kingdom were still somewhat muddled. She could not remember any single day of her life there but she did remember one thing with more power than any other memories combined and that was the love that she and Darien shared. She could remember standing with him, on her balcony in her palace and the feeling of complete warmth and happiness that flowed through her whenever he took her into his arms. Regardless of the impending danger to herself and her entire kingdom, Serena always felt safe in Darien's arms. She knew he would protect her with his life, because he loved her.

Her mind drifted from the thoughts of her past life long enough for Serena to notice a telephone booth by her side. Unable to walk any longer she went inside. Once isolated in the semi-privacy she fell to the ground and let the tears flow freely.

Darien stayed in the dark hallway for a long time after closing the door on Serena. He knew Rini was in the other room and that he shouldn't leave her alone for too long but at the moment he couldn't seem to stop going over the argument in his mind. He repeated to himself over and over again "what have I done?" She'd come to apologize, to try to cheer him up. The anger in his response surprised even him. Words he didn't recognize and still didn't believe flowed from his mouth and all the while she said nothing. When he looked up to see the tears in her eyes his heart broke in two. Why did she have to be so perfect? He loved her so much. Then as she spoke, with every fiber of his being he wanted to go to her, to take her in his arms and wipe away her tears. To protect her from the evils of the world so that she would never again have to look at him with those eyes so full of pain.

But he couldn't. Serena's life depended on Darien's strength. He had to protect her from himself. He could feel his resolve weakening as the tears began falling to her cheeks so before he could do something he would later regret he grabbed her by the arm and forced her back out into the hallway, slamming the door behind her.

A vase of roses stood on the table near the door and Darien found the flowers, which had once provided him with a source of strength and comfort, now looked disgusting. He reached for the vase and threw it against the wall. A satisfying crash met his ears as he sank to his knees in the darkened hallway. He was being such a fool.

He'd broken her heart. The heart of the woman he loved. And all for some dream. Darien was no stranger to nightmares. Growing up alone had provided him with haunting dreams of abandonment and isolation all his life, but there was something different about this dream and he could feel it. The voice seemed so familiar. It was the voice of someone he couldn't help but trust and, try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to ignore it either. As hard as this was going to be on him he had no choice.

And then the thought came to him that Serena deserved more. She shouldn't be forced to wonder why he'd stopped loving her; to look in the mirror and blame herself for losing his affection. The very thought made Darien sick to his stomach. How could she think that he could stop loving her? But he knew in his heart that she would blame herself and so he gathered his resolve and got up off of his knees. He shouted to Rini in the other room that he had to go grab something from the store and that he'd be back soon. Then he left the darkness of his apartment to find Serena and make her understand. The roses lay drying on the carpet.

Serena's thoughts circled around and around in her mind. She'd been trying desperately for longer than she could say to figure out what she had done wrong. What she could have possibly done to make Darien change his feelings so quickly. Her mind began to play cruel tricks on her, providing her with all of the worst scenarios. She was far too young for him. He deserved someone closer to his age that he could be happy with. Maybe it was because she was so clumsy, or because her grades were so low in school. And then finally it came to her. The realization of what had changed for Darien.

Serena was supposed to be the Moon Princess who'd won the love of Darien, Prince of Earth. She was supposed to be regal and beautiful and graceful but she was none of these things in her new life on earth. This girl she'd become, this Serena, was not the Moon Princess that Darien loved, and he must have come to realize that she never would be. No matter how much she might look like the Princess of the past, Darien must have realized that the similarities were only superficial. He'd fallen out of love with her.

Her heart ached as she rose from the ground heavy with despair. She didn't know how she was going to be able to do this without him.

Darien stepped quickly between the people littering the sidewalk. He'd covered the entire distance from his apartment to Serena's house only to find it empty. Serena's family was away. Now he was retracing his steps, was it possible that he'd somehow missed her on the way?

Serena walked with her head down slowly after leaving the telephone booth. As she stopped at the corner to wait for traffic she looked up and there she saw him. Her Darien. His neck was craned and his head turned in another direction. He was looking for something. Maybe it was her! Again her feet began moving of their own accord. Serena was aware of nothing except getting to Darien. She had to tell him that she understood why he'd stopped loving her and that she was going to change for him. He had to know. The screeching of tires didn't even register in her mind.

The screech of brake pads and rubber tore Darien from his thoughts and he turned his head back to the street in front of him. When he saw the scene before him his heart dropped from his chest. His stomach heaved and his knees buckled. This couldn't be happening.

People shouted and honked their horns without understanding what was going on. Those who'd seen what happened were getting out of their vehicles and hurriedly forming a tight ring around a patch of pavement. Darien ignored all of them and pushed his way through until he could see her once more.

Her face was still wet with tears but now the tears had mixed with blood, obscuring her beautiful features. Her blonde hair was slowly turning pink as the crimson blood flowed from a gash on her forehead, covering the ground nearby. Darien knelt down and gathered her up into his arms, paying no attention to the worried gasps and whispers of the bystanders surrounding them. He held her close to him as tears began to fall from his cheeks, mixing with the blood all over his beloved Serena. Her arms hung limply from her side and her eyes were closed, her face expressionless.

In the distance the sirens of an ambulance could be heard.