When I Wake, Will I Find You There?
By Scutter
[email protected]
I have made up some characters.
Disclaimer: All original Sailor Moon characters belong to whatever
individuals/ companies own or made Sailor Moon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Epilogue - In the End, or at the Beginning
~~Mina~~
Home.
I cringed as that lonely word drifted through my mind. What
would be waiting for us there? What would we do with our lives now?
Was it possible for us to go back to normalcy and forget about all
that had happened here? I didn't think so.
But as we landed back on earth that evening, stumbling out
through the portal onto dew-damp grass, all my ill-fitting thoughts
fled instantly. Glowing before us, like a welcoming beacon, the
setting sun illuminated the sky with a burst of colour like I have
never seen.
We had landed in the park, I quickly realised. Tears sprang to
my eyes as I stared around myself, the birds in the trees, the
couples sitting cuddled up on the grass, the children being called
home by their parents. It was unbelievably, and undeniably the most
beautiful thing I have ever seen.
My friends, too, reacted drastically. Serena burst into tears,
collapsing into Darien's arms, whose eyes were also wet. Lita seemed
fit to burst with excitement, pointing and waving at everything in
speechless joy. Rei fell to her knees, her raven hair soaking up the
dew as her head was bowed low, praying to whatever gods were
listening. Ami simply collapsed on the ground sobbing.
I can't pretend to know how long we stood there, enraptured by
the sights before us, but eventually, we noticed it had grown dark.
"You could all come over to the temple if you like," Rei
offered immediately. No one was inclined to break up our group just
yet, so we agreed.
We had discussed what we would tell our friends when we got
back - our absence was certain to have caused immense worry, so we
had concocted stories about where we had been and why we had left
with no explanation. We'd tried hard to make the stories plausible -
the last thing we needed was for people to get suspicious and ask too
many questions. It may have worked, too, but in all our careful
planning, we had forgotten one simple detail. And as foolish as we
felt at the time, it was understandable that it had simply slipped
our minds.
And so it was that the instant we stepped through the temple
doors, all our careful plans were shattered. Chad sat beside the
fire, staring into it's glow as if hypnotised. Rei knows that he
can't read fire, but I wouldn't have put it past him to try - he must
have gone half mad with worry. I bit my lip as Rei stole across the
floor to him, the rest of us huddled by the door in silence. She
knelt down gently, as he refused to look up.
"Temple's closed. Come back tomorrow," he muttered in a
monotone.
Rei sat speechless for a long moment, and though her back was
to me, I could imagine the tears in her eyes.
"Well okay," she gasped out finally, sarcastic humour showing
despite her tears. "If that's the way you feel about it."
Realisation hit Chad like a physical blow, and he had snapped
around to face her before I could blink. Only one more second passed
before she was in his arms, engulfed in a wave of concern that was
almost tangible.
"Rei! Oh Rei, I was so worried about you! Where were you all
that time? I'm so glad you're safe. I missed you so much Rei. Oh
gods, are you alright?"
Rei sniffed, and managed a faint laugh as his reaction. "I'm
fine, Chad. I'm fine. I'm safe now."
Chad nodded into her hair. "Oh Rei, I was so worried about you.
When I saw that purple cloud, and then you just vanished, and I
thought I would never see you again. Oh Rei, are you really alright
now?" Rei could not reply, simply sobbing into his shoulder as he
held her.
Meanwhile, my mind was racing. Purple cloud? He saw that? Then
I could have cursed myself. Of course he did. He was with Rei when it
happened. There was no way he was going to buy our stories now. So
what *were* we going to tell him. We couldn't possibly tell him the
truth... could we?"
After a long silence, filled only by Rei's sobbing, Chad
finally looked up, and noticed somewhat to his surprise, the crowd of
us standing in the doorway. His face grew pale, and he drew back
slightly from Rei. "Rei? What's going on?"
She shook her head. "I... I can't tell you Chad. I... just
can't."
He eyed us warily, and slowly shook his head. "Man, I always
knew there was something kinda odd 'bout you lot, but this tops it
all. And I don't care how many times I have to ask, I'm going to find
out what it is."
It was Lita who finally broke our collective silence. "He's
right, guys. We have to tell him. Given what he knows already, we
can't just... we have to tell him."
"Ken and Greg know what happened as well," Chad admitted
suddenly. "After you all disappeared, we spent a lot of time
together, trying to find you, or find out what happened..."
"Then we should get them over here as well," Serena stated.
"That way we only have to tell this once..."
Ami, I noticed, had become quite pale. "Greg..."
Phone calls were made, and Ken and Greg were soon on their way.
Rei, Serena, and Darien all took places on the sofa in Rei's sitting
room, while Kaylin and I chose the floor. Lita was pacing the room
while she waited, and Ami had run out of the room to lock herself in
the bathroom. She hadn't even wanted to be in the room when Chad
called Greg, and strangely, I remembered that it had been after she
woke screaming Greg's name, that Ami had begun to recover from her
encounter with the Reformation. So of course, I suppose, she would be
scared now. She must have a lot of hopes riding on this reunion.
A knock at the door soon announced Ken's arrival, and Chad went
to answer it. He was supposed to give Ken a brief pep-talk or
something, before he saw Lita, but apparently it didn't work too
well, for it did nothing to lessen the shock that flooded Ken's eyes
as Lita crept reluctantly into the room. In a flash, Ken launched
himself at her, crushing her to himself in a desperate hug. As Chad
had done, he blurted out a volley of questions, only calming down
when Lita assured him for the fifteenth time that she was safe, that
there was nothing wrong any more. Rei explained quickly that the
entire story would be told when Greg arrived.
~~Serena~~
It took fifteen minutes for me to talk Ami out of the bathroom,
and then I had to dash after her down the hall before she could lock
me out of Rei's bedroom instead. I launched myself through the door
as she was closing it, but after I was in the room, I locked the door
behind me when she screamed an array of threats if I didn't.
Holding her next to me on the bed, I could feel her shaking,
and remembered all too well how powerful longing could be when
waiting for the touch of a loved one. All those weeks I had waited
for Darien... I felt almost physically sick at the memory.
Finally, a knock at the door interrupted her frantic worrying,
and I dragged myself out of her arms as she tried to stop me going to
open it. The locked slipped silently back, and I opened the door.
Greg stood before me, and I stepped aside as his gaze settled on
Ami's bloodshot eyes.
"Ami...?" Joy, relief, and adoration flooded the girl's face as
she ran across the room into her love's arms.
~~Mina~~
It took quite a while for Ami and Greg to come back to the
sitting room, and when they did, I could see they had both been
crying. Finally, though, we were all ready, and over a three hour
session, the whole story came out - how we had become Sailor Scouts,
who we were in the Silver Millennium, what had happened during our
fight with Beryl, and finally, where we had been for the past four
months.
When we finally finished, there was absolute silence, as we
watched the three guys try to take in this story.
"Woah, dude" Chad muttered softly, his arms reaching out for
Rei in a daze. "Rei, that really happened to you?"
Unable to speak, the raven haired girl nodded, tears flowing
forth as she fell against her boyfriend's shoulder.
No one else spoke for a long time, but I could see Lita was
trying not to cry. It looked like Ken was going to beat her to it
though. Tears began to slide down his face, as he gritted his teeth
to keep the sobs inside. That broke Lita, and she leapt up from the
floor, flying into the next room where we heard her break into sobs.
Ken followed her quickly, closing the door behind him.
Ami was next to break, and Greg gently helped her out of the
room, disappearing down the hall. Serena was sitting curled up in
Darien's lap, while tears streamed down his cheeks. In a room full of
sobbing people, I felt my own control begin to slide, and turned to
Kaylin in mute despair, biting my lip hard. He understood
immediately, and took my hand. "Come outside, Mina."
Once out in the cold night air, I paced across the steps of the
temple, breathing quickly as I fought the tears back. Kaylin stood
watching me, his hands deeply in his pockets, neither sympathy nor
disapproval in his expression, just patience.
"I just don't want to cry any more," I told him, though he had
not asked for an explanation. "I've done enough of it. I've had
enough..." I expected him to tell me it was alright to cry, alright
to feel pain, but he didn't. He just stood and waited for me to gain
control of myself, and looked at me with such compassion and empathy
that I felt my heart crack. Did this man have no conception of how
much he affected me, with his endlessly compassionate caring? But
more importantly, how was I ever to earn the admiration of such a
man?
Finally though, I stopped my pacing, and as he opened his arms
to me, I stood still beside him, as we both stared out into the
night, the city lights shining back at us.
For a long time we stood, neither one speaking or moving, just
looking, and remembering how we had come to be here, and how much we
felt we had earned this moment of quiet consideration. Then, after a
time, he raised one arm to a point low in the sky. "You see that
bright star just next to the horizon?" he asked. I nodded. He smiled
faintly. "That's Venus."
Why this simply statement touched me so deeply, I still do not
understand. But that was the turning point for me. Looking back, that
was the first time I had felt freedom in a long, long time. The quiet
uplifting rush of hope and joy that comes flooding through one's
body, and quite sweeps them away. And I decided I liked the sensation
so much that I chose to cling onto it.
"Thank you, Kaylin," I told him, as I slid closer into the
curve of his arm. "Thank you for everything."
He smiled down at me, his face faintly lit from the myriad of
distant lights. "You're welcome, Mina."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Andrew~~
That morning when it happened, I woke with such tense
nervousness that I quite leapt out of bed, even managing to wake Rita
in my anxiety. Of course, at the time, I had no idea it was going to
happen, and yet, looking back, it all seems so logical...
But I'm already off track, and I've barely started.
It was a Saturday.
Moreover, it was exactly eighteen weeks since Darien had
vanished.
"Andrew, Sweetie? What's wrong?"
I spun round to glare at my wife as I stood in the middle of
our bedroom. "What?"
She flinched at my tone of voice. "Did something happen last
night? You're never this aggitated when you wake up..."
I blinked at her. "Wrong? I... don't know..." I glanced out the
window again. Why *was* I so nervous? "I'm going out," I declared,
and as I threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt (that shirt *was*
clean, wasn't it?) she lay back down, resigned to be left in bed for
yet another morning. Something about that got to me...
Got to me enough to make me stop in the doorway, and glance
back at my wife for the first time since I had started this obsessive
habit. She was lying on her side, facing away from me. Hadn't she
heard me stop? Why didn't she look up?
"Rita?"
"Hm? Yeah, Andy?" She lifted her head.
I froze.
How long had it been since I had seen that look on her face?
Such hope and longing, and... something else... it all seemed so
foreign to me now. What was it that I could no longer recognise? But
something within me knew, and so it did not entirely surprise me when
my next thought sprung to mind. How long had it been since I had made
love to this woman?
Her lips parted slightly.
Too long.
"Andy?" She slowly lifted a slender hand, reaching out to me.
How reluctant she seemed now... how afraid that I would... reject
her...?
Then, as I crossed the room in just three steps, it no longer
mattered, a muttered apology tumbling from my lips as my worries
fled my body, replaced by inexpressible love for the angel who
willingly wrapped herself around me.
~~Darien~~
I must have stood outside Andrew's door for at least three
hours before I got the courage to knock. And the moment I had, I
wished it undone, ready to make a run for it. But I forced myself to
stand there, wondering what he would do when he opened the door...
The group had discussed what we would tell Andrew, and the vote
had been unanimous that after Chad, Greg and Ken got to know the
truth, then Andrew should as well. He was my best friend, after all,
and I owed him that much. Serena, Chad, even Kaylin had all offered
to tell him, but I had firmly told them that I wanted to do it
myself. Now, though, I wasn't so sure. Perhaps I could have at least
brought Serena along...
"Hold on! I'm coming." The door opened slowly, and I stared up
into the dim interior of the room...
"..."
"Darien?"
Andrew reached for another tissue as tears overflowed from his
eyes again. "So that's why you never mentioned Kaylin before, right?"
I nodded. "It took me a long time to realise it myself. I felt
a right idiot when I did, though."
"Wow. Who'd have thought he'd be your... hold on a second!!"
His eyes opened wide. "If you're Tuxedo Mask, then that means
Serena's..."
"Sailor Moon." I finished for him.
Rita, who had been sitting on the arm of the sofa next to
Andrew, perked up at that. "Of course! It's so obvious once you know!
The hair-do's an exact match!"
"So it's all over now, right? I mean, the Reformation's gone,
there are no more evil Queens, jealous Kings or strange monsters,
right?" Andrew was plucking nervously at the sofa stuffing.
I sighed. This would be hard. "For now, that's right."
He looked up sharply. "For now...?"
"If the need ever arises for the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask
to fight again, we will be there, ready to defend the Earth. That's
our sworn duty, Andrew. It's just a fact of life and I need you to
accept it."
He seemed to think about this for a long while, then he slowly
nodded. "I guess I can live with that..."
It was several hours before I left Andrew's place, but when I
finally did, I felt something of a weight had been lifted from my
shoulders. To finally have told someone how much it had hurt, to
be trapped there like that, to feel so helpless. Andrew - and Rita -
were both very understanding, offering me some very good advice and
comfort. But I still felt alone somehow. And I couldn't for the life
of me figure out why...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Serena~~
I spent as much time as possible with Darien over the next few
weeks. I knew he still felt guilty over what had happened to me, and
try as I might, I couldn't stop him torturing himself over it.
As summer turned to autumn the last of my bruises faded, but he
would not let go of the pain of the past. We never talked about it
much, and perhaps that was a mistake on my part. It allowed Darien to
hide from what he was feeling. He was more reserved as well, not
hugging me or kissing me like he used to.
He would always smile when I took his hand or smiled at him,
but I noticed that more and more often, the smile didn't reach his
eyes. It was as if a gulf had opened between us, and it tore at my
heart to watch him drifting further and further away.
Finally, though, I realised my mistake. It came as quite a
shock at first. Darien and I were walking in the park one afternoon,
watching the leaves turn to brown and red and fall from the trees. As
usual, Darien was a little melancholy, and I threaded my hand through
his as we walked, hoping to get a smile out of him for it, even if it
was only an empty smile.
We stopped after a while, sitting on a bench while we were both
lost in our own world of silence, my hand on Darien's knee, and his
over mine. Then I noticed he was staring at my fingers. I wondered
why, looking down to see the bright diamond engagement ring that
always glittered there, and I realised with a start that it was
missing. I panicked for a moment, thinking I had lost it, but then I
realised, I had been washing the dishes after dinner the night
before, and as usual, had removed my ring to avoid losing it. But
somehow, I had forgotten to put it on again afterwards. It must still
be sitting beside the window at home. I was sure Darien was going to
comment on it, asking where it was, but he remained silent. He ran a
stray finger over my ring finger, then looked away, closing my hand
in his.
In a painful flash, I realised that he thought I had taken it
off deliberately. Could that really be true? Could he believe that I
didn't want to marry him any more??
My heart stopped for an instant as I realised what was going
on. The distance between us was no accident. He was backing off. And
in a burst of ferocious determination, I decided I wasn't going to
let him. Oh no, not this time.
"Darien?"
He turned to me with that same hollow smile. "What is it,
Princess?"
I almost burst into tears at that one simple word. 'Princess.'
He still thinks of me as his princess...
"We need to talk," I whispered pleadingly, and as I did so, I
saw the instant pain in his eyes. His hand tightened unconsciously
around mine, and I saw that he feared I was going to give up on him,
as he had given up on any chance with me.
He nodded and looked away, resigned to his fate, but I would
not let him go so easily.
"But not here," I added, my voice surer this time. "Can we go
somewhere more private?" He nodded again. "Can we go to your
apartment?"
He was surprised by that, but he was beyond refusing. His eyes
shifted uncertainly as he agreed. Stiffly, he rose from the seat, and
we walked hand in hand back to his apartment building.
I have never known an elevator ride to take so long, but I
refused to say anything until we were in his apartment, the door
safely closed behind us, for I knew at least one of us was going to
be in tears by the end of this.
I followed him into his living room, and he sat numbly on the
couch - I could see he was waiting for me to deliver that breaking
blow. My heart broke at his misery, and I didn't even bother to take
off my jacket, in my hurry to end his pain, if I could.
"Darien." I perched on the couch beside him, taking his hand in
mine. He wouldn't look at me, though I knew he wanted to... His
tears were already flowing, but I bit my lip to stop my own.
"Darien," I said gently. "You know that feeling you get,
whenever you think I might leave you, that you might lose me?"
His eyes closed, and he nodded slowly.
"Darien, that's the same feeling *I* get every time you think
you've failed me." I could see the words register in his mind, but he
was unsure what to make of them. "I see it in your eyes, Darien, you
get that look that's so distant, and I know you blame yourself for
what happened." My eyes began to water. "But I don't blame you,
Darien. It wasn't your fault." I reached a shaking hand up to his
face, forcing him to look at me. "I love you. And I refuse to let
you keep torturing yourself like this." I threaded my fingers through
his ebony hair. "I don't want to lose you. And I'm not going to let
you leave me." My voice cracked. I dove into his arms, careless of
what his reaction may be, and I shivered in relief as I felt his arms
go around me, pulling me closer to him.
"Don't cry, Serena. Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry."
His voice was barely a whisper - and I could still hear the shake in
it.
"I don't want you to leave me. Promise me you'll never leave
me, Darien."
"I'm sorry, Serena," I heard him say, his voice muffled against
my hair. "I was supposed to protect you. I swore I would protect you
but I couldn't stop them. I should have been able to stop them..."
His voice cracked, and he cried, heavy sobs torn from deep within his
throat. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you. I'm so sorry I couldn't
protect you. Forgive me, Serena. Please forgive me."
I didn't bother telling him it wasn't his fault. That was not
what he wanted to hear now. Instead, I told him what he needed to
hear. "I forgive you."
That answer, I think, had simply not occurred to him. He
stopped breathing altogether for a moment, his arms locked around my
body. "Oh gods, I love you."
"I love you too, Darien. I will *always* love you." I felt his
hand come up to the back of my neck, holding me there as if he was
afraid I would melt away. I hugged him back just as tightly, not
minding in the least the way his watch dug into my back or how my
neck was twisted to the side...
Finally, he relaxed a little, and the hug became one of warmth,
rather than one of desperation. He drew back, running his hand along
my chin as he gazed down at me. I stared back into those stormy,
midnight-blue eyes, falling in love once again with the deeply
sensitive and courageous man who stared back at me.
When I saw the deep love that still burned in his eyes, I slid
my own hand to his neck, pulling him into a gentle kiss. As our lips
met, he sighed deeply, and a gentle groan rose from his throat. I let
my lips play lightly over his, while my hands became lost in his
hair, until his lips parted slightly, asking for more.
Suddenly, I slid my tongue into his mouth, dramatically
increasing the heat between us. My arms clamped around his neck and I
pressed my body against his, revelling in the warm, hard muscle of
his chest and stomach against me.
He voiced his surprise - it had been a long time since we had
kissed like this - but I wasn't about to let him go. I held him
tightly as he tensed, and tried to pull away. Just as quickly,
though, he began to relax, his arms tightening around me again while
his mouth pressed hot sweetness against my own.
~~Darien~~
I was momentarily stunned as Serena clamped down on me, holding
me like a vice while I tried to pull away. But it was hard to say no
to her (not that I'd really want to), her sweet, soft body pressed so
tight against mine. All I could think about was being with her, being
next to her, being inside her. . .
My imagination suddenly went into overdrive with that last
thought, my heart pounding crazily while my hands moved of their own
accord, over her shoulders, her back, down to her hips, then lower,
pulling her hard against me as I thought about how this felt, oh sooo
gooooood...
~~Serena~~
My eyes opened wide as I felt Darien shift me in his arms.
Woah, time to cool things down there, lover boy. It wasn't that I
didn't want to be in his arms - I did, for sure - but we had talked
about this, and agreed to wait until our wedding night, and somehow I
got the feeling *now* was not the best time to be making any rash
decisions...
Reluctantly, I pulled away from him, cringing at the
disappointment in his eyes, but I knew I had to stop this, as *he*
sure as hell wasn't going to. After some coaxing, he finally let me
go, and I slid out of his lap back onto the couch, though I was
reluctant to go *too* far away...
His eyes flitted over mine uncertainly, and I had to fight the
impulse to just dive back into his arms. Instead, I reached for his
hand, stroking it gently in my own.
"Promise me you'll never leave me, Darien." I spoke to the
floor, my own emotional roller coaster finally catching up with me.
"I promise, my angel. Anything you ever want, just ask. I'll
always be here."
I dared to look up into his eyes then, and for a brief moment,
for perhaps the first time in my life, I saw a glimpse of his soul...
My breath caught. I had never imagined...
Our fingers entwined at we sat there, gazing into each other's
eyes, until he brought my hand up to his lips to kiss it... and
suddenly stopped... My ring! Oh no! What was he...?
"Serena." he stated quickly, tension creeping back into his
voice. "Why...?" He wrapped his large hand around mine, covering the
offensively naked finger.
I shook my head. "I was washing up last night, and I forgot to
put it back on afterwards," I told him truthfully.
"Really?"
"Darien!" I threw myself back into his arms. "I would never
take my ring off deliberately! All I've ever wanted is to marry you.
Now more than ever."
He stared down at me with a hint of a smile on his face, and
again, I saw that look in his eyes. "Princess..." Our lips met, and
no further words were exchanged.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One week later...
~~Mina~~
I fidgeted as I perched on the top step of the temple, unable
to sit still as I glanced nervously at the street again.
"Geez, would you relax already, Mina!" I blushed as Rei glared
at me, but I couldn't help it "He'll be here, okay?"
I shrugged uneasily. "I know. I just... I haven't seen him in
three weeks, and..."
"There he is!" Lita cried suddenly. My head snapped round to
the street, but it was empty. "Nope, I was wrong. It was a bird,"
Lita added, and I gave her a look that could have frozen hell.
"Woah, hey, just kidding!" she cried as I lunged for her.
Really, sometimes my friends could be *so* insensitive.
"There he is," Ami muttered quietly, and I groaned.
"Not you too, Ami. Please..."
"No, I'm serious." She pointed down the temple steps. "He's
there."
I looked round stunned. "Kaylin!!"
Sure enough, stepping casually up the steps to the temple, was
my knight in shining armour. Except that he had left his armour at
home today, and was dressed instead in jeans and a shirt - the
traditional black, of course. My heart swirled in my chest as I
watched him. How was it possible for something so casual to look so
regal?
Suddenly shy, I stood up nervously, lingering on the top step
until Rei forcibly pushed me forward. "Well, go on then!"
Kaylin looked up at her voice, and smiled warmly as he saw us
waiting for him. "Mina!" He opened his arms in invitation.
I hurried down the steps to him, grinning as he hugged me
close. How I had missed this feeling... But all too quickly, he had
me at an arms length again - "How are you, Mina?" - and I realised to
my dismay that the embrace had been a brotherly greeting, not the
reunion of lovers... I fought back a blush at the thought as I
stumbled over my reply. Lovers?!? He had never shown interest in me
that way. Why would I be thinking such things now...
"So where's the rest of the gang," he asked, as we reached the
top step. He meant Serena and Darien. We were all having a get-
together at the temple that night, and the rest of the scouts were
already here.
"Serena called a few minutes ago," Rei replied. "She and Darien
are on their way. They're just stopping to pick up some munchies then
they should be here."
"Hi guys!!" a bright voice called from the bottom step. "Sorry
we're late, but *Darien* wouldn't finish getting ready, so that made
*me* late..."
"Save it, Serena," Rei chided her good-naturedly, as the blond
girl finished pulling her somewhat bemused looking boyfriend up the
steps. Darien simply grinned at Rei as she rolled her eyes. "Well,
you're here now, at least."
Kaylin grinned, once again setting my heart racing. "Great.
Let's go inside then, shall we?"
From my perch on the couch, I glanced quickly around the room,
trying not to stare at Kaylin, and failing. Serena and Darien sat
next to each other on the floor, Ami and Lita occupied the opposite
couch, Rei sat in front of the fire, and Kaylin sat on the other end
of my couch.
The night had gone well. It was the first time we had really
relaxed since we got back. Every time we got together, there seemed
to be a brooding silence over us, but tonight, somehow it was
different. Rei had cracked the first joke, a nervous attempt at
teasing Serena for being late. Everyone seemed on edge, terrified
that someone would go too far, and the pain would flare up again. But
Serena had grinned, stuck her tongue out at Rei, and said "Well, I
couldn't break a tradition, now, could I?" Rei had called her rude,
Serena had called Rei stuck up, and a tongue war had ensued. Laughing
has never felt so good as it did then.
That broke the ice for the rest of us. Friendly jibes and
companionable jokes had flowed once more, and we saw that we could
still be the close friends we had been before. Nothing had really
changed after all. Or had it?
I was acutely aware, the whole time, of Kaylin's dark figure in
the corner of the room. The flames threw shadows softly against his
face, and I was suddenly reminded of the first time I had seen him,
coming into the kitchen that first day after my rescue.
Which, not surprisingly, led quickly to another train of
thought. The room fell silent just at that moment, and, throwing
caution to the wind, I suddenly broke the silence.
"I... er... well, while everyone's here, I just wanted to say
something. Well, to ask something, really. And I don't know if now is
the right time to ask it, but I've been waiting for a long time, so
here goes." I bit my lower lip nervously. "Kaylin?"
He looked up at me, and by the strangest sensation of déjà vu,
I realised he already knew what I was going to ask. His eyes never
left mine as the question fell from my lips, and the look in his eyes
never changed. I was expecting anger, or denial - he had told me
often enough not to question him, but...
"Who are you, Kaylin? And why did you chose to help us?"
~~Kaylin~~
I watched Mina carefully for a moment, wondering what I was
seeing in her frightened eyes. I didn't think even she knew just at
that moment, so instead, I let my gaze drift down to meet Darien's.
By the slightest of shifts, I asked for his permission to answer the
question - to which he nodded slightly, smiling that faint,
mysterious smile of his... And then I cleared my throat, addressing
the entire room.
"Mina's right," I admitted calmly. "I owe you all an
explanation, and I should have told you a long time ago." I glanced
over to Mina, and gave her a gentle smile. "My story begins in the
Silver Millennium." I spoke slowly, phrasing my words carefully.
"During that period of history, as you all probably know, the Earth
was home to the palace of the King and Queen of the Earth. Their son,
Prince Darien," I nodded in his direction, "was to grow up and rise
become the new King. You all know that bit of the story already. What
you don't know is that Prince Darien was not, as is commonly
believed, an only child." I paused, before forcing myself to
continue, despite the ashen faces in the room. "I was his younger
brother."
The silence around me was absolute.
"But that's not possible!" Ami blurted minutes later. "I mean,
Darien was... when he was a child, his parents were..."
I nodded slowly. "I know about his parents, and... and the car
accident. All I can say to explain it is that he and I were not born
as brothers in this lifetime. I don't know why not, I don't pretend
to understand how any of this came about."
"Darien?" Serena turned to her boyfriend with disbelief. "You
already knew about this?"
He nodded. "Yes. It took me a while to figure it out - my
memories of the Silver Millennium have never been as clear as yours -
but I can vouch for the truth of his story. He was my brother. And in
spirit, at least, he still is."
"But what about the title of Prince of the Earth?" Lita
interrupted. "Which one of you gets that now?"
I smiled gently. "The title Endymion is, and always will be,
Darien's. He was the older brother, so he is the heir to the throne."
"But the rest of us don't remember you. I remember the Silver
Millennium very well, and I don't remember you in it anywhere," Rei
snapped coldly. "If this was all true, wouldn't some of us remember
it?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but a voice beat me to it. "But I
*do* remember." Mina. Of course! "I remember it all," she continued.
"I went to Earth a couple of times, and I remember meeting him then.
When I met the Queen of the Earth, he was there, and again when I
went for their Autumn festival..."
"But that doesn't explain why the rest of us don't remember
him," Rei insisted.
"Did you ever actually visit the Earth?" I asked her carefully.
"Well... no. But we never saw you on the moon, or on any of the
other planets..."
"I never visited the other planets. The Earth was my home, and
I didn't want to leave it. I was, er... somewhat undiplomatic in my
views on the other planets," I admitted sheepishly. "But before we go
any further, there's something else I have to say. You asked me," I
said, turning to Mina, "You asked me why I chose to help you. And I
think I should answer that question next." The scouts nodded. "It
was nearly six months ago now," I began. "I was sitting quietly in
my gardens, and I suddenly heard a voice. All it said was 'help us'.
It vanished almost instantly, but I couldn't forget it. I had to
know where it had come from, so I started looking for... I really
don't know what I was looking for at first. But then I started
having dreams, just about Darien at first, then about Serena and
Mina... and I started remembering things from the Silver
Millennium. So I came looking for you."
"It was me that asked for help," Rei mumbled suddenly. "When we
were in the first dungeon, they were going to drug us, so I called
out telapathically. I didn't think anyone had heard..."
~~Mina~~
Hours later, I was reluctant to let the night end, but it was
past midnight, and Serena and Darien had already left. Slowly, I rose
from my seat by the fire and gathered my things. "It's about time I
got going too," I told Rei.
She rose with me. "Okay, Mina. Take care walking home, okay?"
I grinned, ready to proclaim my adeptness at self defence, but
I was cut off before I spoke a word.
"I'll walk her home, Rei." Kaylin had appeared at my shoulder,
startling me.
Rei smiled her thanks, and before I could object or agree, he
was leading me out the door, his arms slung casually about my
shoulders.
I walked quickly beside him, nervous, and happy, getting more
flustered by the minute. Images of the Silver Millennium flashed
through my mind. Meeting Kaylin for the first time in the Earth
palace, watching his dark yet playful eyes across the table at dinner,
watching him dance with another woman during a ball. But there were
other images as well. Images of his head bent down to mine, his hands
in my hair, of - I blushed profusely in the dark - of me in his...
bed??? And all the while, the man of my imaginings walked beside me,
oblivious to my train of thought.
I fiercely shook the images away, completely confused as to
whether these events had occurred, or if they were simply conjured up
by my over-active imagination and private longings.
But my riotous mind would not leave me alone. If nothing else,
I had to know if these events were real. But how could I ask such a
thing? I made a small sound of distress, and Kaylin looked down at me
quickly.
"Did you say something, Mina?"
"Uh..." I murmured, trying desperately to avoid sounding
stupid. "Um, how much do you remember about... I mean, do you
remember much about the Silver Millennium?"
He looked at me in a way I couldn't quite fathom. "You mean, do
I remember much about the Princess of Venus?" he asked coyly.
I blushed an even deeper red. "Well, I, er... it's just that I
don't remember much, and I was wondering..."
There seemed to be a moment's disappointment in his voice.
"Yes, Mina. I remember everything perfectly."
"Did you and the Princes of Venus... get on well together?"
He stopped walking then, turning to look down at me with a sly
smile barely concealed. "Yes. Quite frequently, actually."
I faltered, not quite sure what he meant. "Were you good
friends?"
"Very good friends," he answered, without missing a beat.
I blushed. "Did you ever have... anything... between you?" I
gasped, stunned at my own audacity, but he didn't seem to notice.
He raised an eyebrow, and I got the distinct impression he was
playing with me. "Anything between us? You mean like... romance?" I
blushed deeper, if that was possible, and looked down. I could tell
from his tone of voice that he found this very funny, and I felt
incredibly foolish. He must think me so childish for having a
girlhood crush on him. He was strong and brave and courageous, and I
was just...
"Do you mean... love?" He reached for me, forcing my head up to
look him in the eye. "Is that what you mean, Princess of Venus, the
Planet of Love?"
I trembled at the stroke of his fingers. I couldn't help
staring at his lips. I had never been in love before. Is this what is
was like? The singing rush through your stomach? The complete
intoxication of your mind with only one person, one being, one soul?
The weakness, the heat, the floating, the trembling...
I stared into his eyes, and for the first time, I saw that the
icy stare of those hard blue eyes was gone, replaced entirely with...
heat. Burning, aching, smouldering heat. His arms wrapped suddenly
around my waist, pulling my body firmly against his.
He's so close...
He brushed a long finger over my lips, his caress like new
satin.
Is he going to...?
He bent his neck down, his forehead resting on mine. His hand
slipped around to my neck.
Is he going to...?
I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. My heart was racing.
I was sure he could hear it...
He's going to...
He tilted my head back, and captured my lips against his own,
as a rush of fire roared through me.
...kiss me.
I was instantly breathless, his lips tugged heatedly against my
own, his warm scent and warmer tongue forging magic through my entire
body. His hard muscles played under my fingers as he held me
mercilessly close, setting free for the first time the storm of
passion I had longed for from him.
I lost track of time as we stood there in the night, feeling
safe and warm despite the darkness, his stomach and thighs hard
against mine, his arms holding me so gently and so fiercely. When he
finally released me he was as breathless as I, and I imagined that I
could see, through the darkness, a powerful love in his eyes.
"Oh Mina," he whispered to me. "Did you really not know how I
felt about you?"
"I..." I shrugged helplessly. "There was just so much going on,
and I never really got the chance..."
My words died as he bent to steal another kiss from my seared
lips. Softer, this time, gentler and deeper, I imagined I heard a
moan from deep in his throat, and answered it with a soft cry of my
own.
"I never stopped thinking about you, Mina. Not since the first
time I saw you. It was so distracting all the time, having you there
when I had to work. I ignored you horribly, Mina," he continued,
placing a trail of kisses along my jaw and cheek, while I was still
acutely aware of his thighs pressed close to mine and his hand
travelling dangerously downwards over my back. "Can you forgive me
for the way I treated you, Mina?"
It was nothing short of impossible to think straight with him
so near, so I said the first thing that came to mind. "I love you."
For one horrible moment, he drew back, looking me full in the
face while he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Do you? Do you
really?"
I nodded, and this time when he pulled me close, I wasn't
letting him go. I wound my arms around his neck, responding with
everything I had to the kisses he now laid on my lips.
Somewhere above us, the moon shone brightly against the
blackness of the sky, and a faint breeze rustled the leaves of a
tree, illuminated by a solitary street lamp. But neither of us
noticed. Nor did we notice some long minutes later, as we left the
park together, on our way home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...which brings us back to the end, or perhaps the beginning,
since this is where I began this story. Here in the park, where the
ten of us sit now, the same group as before, with, of course, the
addition of Kaylin. But this time, Darien and Serena are married, and
Darien is sitting with his back against a tree while Serena leans
against him.
I know we have all changed since the beginning of this
nightmare, but perhaps none so much as Darien. He was always very
serious about life, taking whatever was thrown at him - goodness
knows there was enough of it - and fighting to come out on top. But
now, every now and then, I see something in his eyes that was not
there before. Something more than sheer strength of will, more than
just determination. Something that can only be described as peace.
When I first saw it, I was stunned at the thought that he could
find peace in the face of all our pain. But Darien always was a
little different. Perhaps he believes nothing worse can come. If so,
I fervently hope he is right. Perhaps he has realised that if his and
Serena's love has lasted though *that*, it can last through anything.
But as I watch him and Kaylin exchange a subtle glance when
they think no one is looking, I wonder how much it has to do with him
finding out he has a brother. Perhaps I will never know.
And now, as I watch, Serena nestles against his chest, curled
up against him like a child. He looks down at her with a tender
smile, reaches out to stroke her hair and kisses her forehead. She
looks up at him, her eyes still so innocent even after all her pain,
and smiles at him. He bends down to kiss her lips gently, and this
time, I turn away. I have my own tender kisses now. I don't need to
watch theirs.
And I? I am lying on the blanket with my head in Kaylin's lap,
playing with my wedding ring while he strokes my hair. I've got to
know him a lot better since we got back to Earth, learning that
despite their similarities, he is very different from his brother.
Slightly younger, and perhaps a little more playful than the ever-
stoic Darien, Kaylin has more of an impatient urgency for life,
rushing out to seek his destiny, rather than letting it find him, as
Darien does. Although they share the same intense determination, and
the stubborn streak as well. And the same incredibly blue eyes,
looking down at me now from under that silken black hair... Mmmm.
So once again, it seems, everything is perfect. Rei and Chad
are not fighting, Ami has left her books at home, and is *talking* to
Greg, yes, a real conversation, and down by the lake, Ken is
proposing to Lita.
Wait a minute. *Proposing??!!* I sat up in shock. Yes, he was!
He was down on one knee, holding up a small box to Lita, who was
turning the brightest shade of red you can imagine.
"Hey guys," I whispered. "Check it out." They all sat up,
noticing what I had seen, and as Ken stood up to kiss his fiance, Rei
let out a loud wolf whistle. Lita looked up in horror, at odds at the
best of times on how to express her 'mushier' emotions, as she called
them, but Ken pulled her into a kiss before she could react, and soon
they had forgotten all about us.
Some of you may have noticed that before, I actually said 'my
wedding ring'. Well...
After that fateful day in the park when I finally admitted my
love for him, Kaylin swept me off my feet in a whirlwind of romance,
as, he claimed, he should have done from the start. Only a few weeks
later, just after my twentieth birthday, he proposed, on a moonlit
night, down by the lake in the park.
I said yes instantly.
Our wedding was only a few weeks after Darien and Serena
officially tied the knot, and went as most weddings go, lots of
flowers, tears, champagne, more photos than we could fit into three
albums and all my closest friends there to see it.
After the reception, Kaylin promptly whisked me away to a five
star hotel, for a night of blissful ecstasy as we celebrated our
love.
Afterwards, when he held me in his arms and whispered his love
for me, I knew I had found my freedom. The freedom I had been seeking
that night so long ago, when I had first run from my dungeon out into
the night. Here, in Kaylin's arms, where I would stay all the night,
and where I would wake, with him beside me, in the morning.
The End.
Or the Beginning.
Or Whatever.
By Scutter
[email protected]
I have made up some characters.
Disclaimer: All original Sailor Moon characters belong to whatever
individuals/ companies own or made Sailor Moon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Epilogue - In the End, or at the Beginning
~~Mina~~
Home.
I cringed as that lonely word drifted through my mind. What
would be waiting for us there? What would we do with our lives now?
Was it possible for us to go back to normalcy and forget about all
that had happened here? I didn't think so.
But as we landed back on earth that evening, stumbling out
through the portal onto dew-damp grass, all my ill-fitting thoughts
fled instantly. Glowing before us, like a welcoming beacon, the
setting sun illuminated the sky with a burst of colour like I have
never seen.
We had landed in the park, I quickly realised. Tears sprang to
my eyes as I stared around myself, the birds in the trees, the
couples sitting cuddled up on the grass, the children being called
home by their parents. It was unbelievably, and undeniably the most
beautiful thing I have ever seen.
My friends, too, reacted drastically. Serena burst into tears,
collapsing into Darien's arms, whose eyes were also wet. Lita seemed
fit to burst with excitement, pointing and waving at everything in
speechless joy. Rei fell to her knees, her raven hair soaking up the
dew as her head was bowed low, praying to whatever gods were
listening. Ami simply collapsed on the ground sobbing.
I can't pretend to know how long we stood there, enraptured by
the sights before us, but eventually, we noticed it had grown dark.
"You could all come over to the temple if you like," Rei
offered immediately. No one was inclined to break up our group just
yet, so we agreed.
We had discussed what we would tell our friends when we got
back - our absence was certain to have caused immense worry, so we
had concocted stories about where we had been and why we had left
with no explanation. We'd tried hard to make the stories plausible -
the last thing we needed was for people to get suspicious and ask too
many questions. It may have worked, too, but in all our careful
planning, we had forgotten one simple detail. And as foolish as we
felt at the time, it was understandable that it had simply slipped
our minds.
And so it was that the instant we stepped through the temple
doors, all our careful plans were shattered. Chad sat beside the
fire, staring into it's glow as if hypnotised. Rei knows that he
can't read fire, but I wouldn't have put it past him to try - he must
have gone half mad with worry. I bit my lip as Rei stole across the
floor to him, the rest of us huddled by the door in silence. She
knelt down gently, as he refused to look up.
"Temple's closed. Come back tomorrow," he muttered in a
monotone.
Rei sat speechless for a long moment, and though her back was
to me, I could imagine the tears in her eyes.
"Well okay," she gasped out finally, sarcastic humour showing
despite her tears. "If that's the way you feel about it."
Realisation hit Chad like a physical blow, and he had snapped
around to face her before I could blink. Only one more second passed
before she was in his arms, engulfed in a wave of concern that was
almost tangible.
"Rei! Oh Rei, I was so worried about you! Where were you all
that time? I'm so glad you're safe. I missed you so much Rei. Oh
gods, are you alright?"
Rei sniffed, and managed a faint laugh as his reaction. "I'm
fine, Chad. I'm fine. I'm safe now."
Chad nodded into her hair. "Oh Rei, I was so worried about you.
When I saw that purple cloud, and then you just vanished, and I
thought I would never see you again. Oh Rei, are you really alright
now?" Rei could not reply, simply sobbing into his shoulder as he
held her.
Meanwhile, my mind was racing. Purple cloud? He saw that? Then
I could have cursed myself. Of course he did. He was with Rei when it
happened. There was no way he was going to buy our stories now. So
what *were* we going to tell him. We couldn't possibly tell him the
truth... could we?"
After a long silence, filled only by Rei's sobbing, Chad
finally looked up, and noticed somewhat to his surprise, the crowd of
us standing in the doorway. His face grew pale, and he drew back
slightly from Rei. "Rei? What's going on?"
She shook her head. "I... I can't tell you Chad. I... just
can't."
He eyed us warily, and slowly shook his head. "Man, I always
knew there was something kinda odd 'bout you lot, but this tops it
all. And I don't care how many times I have to ask, I'm going to find
out what it is."
It was Lita who finally broke our collective silence. "He's
right, guys. We have to tell him. Given what he knows already, we
can't just... we have to tell him."
"Ken and Greg know what happened as well," Chad admitted
suddenly. "After you all disappeared, we spent a lot of time
together, trying to find you, or find out what happened..."
"Then we should get them over here as well," Serena stated.
"That way we only have to tell this once..."
Ami, I noticed, had become quite pale. "Greg..."
Phone calls were made, and Ken and Greg were soon on their way.
Rei, Serena, and Darien all took places on the sofa in Rei's sitting
room, while Kaylin and I chose the floor. Lita was pacing the room
while she waited, and Ami had run out of the room to lock herself in
the bathroom. She hadn't even wanted to be in the room when Chad
called Greg, and strangely, I remembered that it had been after she
woke screaming Greg's name, that Ami had begun to recover from her
encounter with the Reformation. So of course, I suppose, she would be
scared now. She must have a lot of hopes riding on this reunion.
A knock at the door soon announced Ken's arrival, and Chad went
to answer it. He was supposed to give Ken a brief pep-talk or
something, before he saw Lita, but apparently it didn't work too
well, for it did nothing to lessen the shock that flooded Ken's eyes
as Lita crept reluctantly into the room. In a flash, Ken launched
himself at her, crushing her to himself in a desperate hug. As Chad
had done, he blurted out a volley of questions, only calming down
when Lita assured him for the fifteenth time that she was safe, that
there was nothing wrong any more. Rei explained quickly that the
entire story would be told when Greg arrived.
~~Serena~~
It took fifteen minutes for me to talk Ami out of the bathroom,
and then I had to dash after her down the hall before she could lock
me out of Rei's bedroom instead. I launched myself through the door
as she was closing it, but after I was in the room, I locked the door
behind me when she screamed an array of threats if I didn't.
Holding her next to me on the bed, I could feel her shaking,
and remembered all too well how powerful longing could be when
waiting for the touch of a loved one. All those weeks I had waited
for Darien... I felt almost physically sick at the memory.
Finally, a knock at the door interrupted her frantic worrying,
and I dragged myself out of her arms as she tried to stop me going to
open it. The locked slipped silently back, and I opened the door.
Greg stood before me, and I stepped aside as his gaze settled on
Ami's bloodshot eyes.
"Ami...?" Joy, relief, and adoration flooded the girl's face as
she ran across the room into her love's arms.
~~Mina~~
It took quite a while for Ami and Greg to come back to the
sitting room, and when they did, I could see they had both been
crying. Finally, though, we were all ready, and over a three hour
session, the whole story came out - how we had become Sailor Scouts,
who we were in the Silver Millennium, what had happened during our
fight with Beryl, and finally, where we had been for the past four
months.
When we finally finished, there was absolute silence, as we
watched the three guys try to take in this story.
"Woah, dude" Chad muttered softly, his arms reaching out for
Rei in a daze. "Rei, that really happened to you?"
Unable to speak, the raven haired girl nodded, tears flowing
forth as she fell against her boyfriend's shoulder.
No one else spoke for a long time, but I could see Lita was
trying not to cry. It looked like Ken was going to beat her to it
though. Tears began to slide down his face, as he gritted his teeth
to keep the sobs inside. That broke Lita, and she leapt up from the
floor, flying into the next room where we heard her break into sobs.
Ken followed her quickly, closing the door behind him.
Ami was next to break, and Greg gently helped her out of the
room, disappearing down the hall. Serena was sitting curled up in
Darien's lap, while tears streamed down his cheeks. In a room full of
sobbing people, I felt my own control begin to slide, and turned to
Kaylin in mute despair, biting my lip hard. He understood
immediately, and took my hand. "Come outside, Mina."
Once out in the cold night air, I paced across the steps of the
temple, breathing quickly as I fought the tears back. Kaylin stood
watching me, his hands deeply in his pockets, neither sympathy nor
disapproval in his expression, just patience.
"I just don't want to cry any more," I told him, though he had
not asked for an explanation. "I've done enough of it. I've had
enough..." I expected him to tell me it was alright to cry, alright
to feel pain, but he didn't. He just stood and waited for me to gain
control of myself, and looked at me with such compassion and empathy
that I felt my heart crack. Did this man have no conception of how
much he affected me, with his endlessly compassionate caring? But
more importantly, how was I ever to earn the admiration of such a
man?
Finally though, I stopped my pacing, and as he opened his arms
to me, I stood still beside him, as we both stared out into the
night, the city lights shining back at us.
For a long time we stood, neither one speaking or moving, just
looking, and remembering how we had come to be here, and how much we
felt we had earned this moment of quiet consideration. Then, after a
time, he raised one arm to a point low in the sky. "You see that
bright star just next to the horizon?" he asked. I nodded. He smiled
faintly. "That's Venus."
Why this simply statement touched me so deeply, I still do not
understand. But that was the turning point for me. Looking back, that
was the first time I had felt freedom in a long, long time. The quiet
uplifting rush of hope and joy that comes flooding through one's
body, and quite sweeps them away. And I decided I liked the sensation
so much that I chose to cling onto it.
"Thank you, Kaylin," I told him, as I slid closer into the
curve of his arm. "Thank you for everything."
He smiled down at me, his face faintly lit from the myriad of
distant lights. "You're welcome, Mina."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Andrew~~
That morning when it happened, I woke with such tense
nervousness that I quite leapt out of bed, even managing to wake Rita
in my anxiety. Of course, at the time, I had no idea it was going to
happen, and yet, looking back, it all seems so logical...
But I'm already off track, and I've barely started.
It was a Saturday.
Moreover, it was exactly eighteen weeks since Darien had
vanished.
"Andrew, Sweetie? What's wrong?"
I spun round to glare at my wife as I stood in the middle of
our bedroom. "What?"
She flinched at my tone of voice. "Did something happen last
night? You're never this aggitated when you wake up..."
I blinked at her. "Wrong? I... don't know..." I glanced out the
window again. Why *was* I so nervous? "I'm going out," I declared,
and as I threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt (that shirt *was*
clean, wasn't it?) she lay back down, resigned to be left in bed for
yet another morning. Something about that got to me...
Got to me enough to make me stop in the doorway, and glance
back at my wife for the first time since I had started this obsessive
habit. She was lying on her side, facing away from me. Hadn't she
heard me stop? Why didn't she look up?
"Rita?"
"Hm? Yeah, Andy?" She lifted her head.
I froze.
How long had it been since I had seen that look on her face?
Such hope and longing, and... something else... it all seemed so
foreign to me now. What was it that I could no longer recognise? But
something within me knew, and so it did not entirely surprise me when
my next thought sprung to mind. How long had it been since I had made
love to this woman?
Her lips parted slightly.
Too long.
"Andy?" She slowly lifted a slender hand, reaching out to me.
How reluctant she seemed now... how afraid that I would... reject
her...?
Then, as I crossed the room in just three steps, it no longer
mattered, a muttered apology tumbling from my lips as my worries
fled my body, replaced by inexpressible love for the angel who
willingly wrapped herself around me.
~~Darien~~
I must have stood outside Andrew's door for at least three
hours before I got the courage to knock. And the moment I had, I
wished it undone, ready to make a run for it. But I forced myself to
stand there, wondering what he would do when he opened the door...
The group had discussed what we would tell Andrew, and the vote
had been unanimous that after Chad, Greg and Ken got to know the
truth, then Andrew should as well. He was my best friend, after all,
and I owed him that much. Serena, Chad, even Kaylin had all offered
to tell him, but I had firmly told them that I wanted to do it
myself. Now, though, I wasn't so sure. Perhaps I could have at least
brought Serena along...
"Hold on! I'm coming." The door opened slowly, and I stared up
into the dim interior of the room...
"..."
"Darien?"
Andrew reached for another tissue as tears overflowed from his
eyes again. "So that's why you never mentioned Kaylin before, right?"
I nodded. "It took me a long time to realise it myself. I felt
a right idiot when I did, though."
"Wow. Who'd have thought he'd be your... hold on a second!!"
His eyes opened wide. "If you're Tuxedo Mask, then that means
Serena's..."
"Sailor Moon." I finished for him.
Rita, who had been sitting on the arm of the sofa next to
Andrew, perked up at that. "Of course! It's so obvious once you know!
The hair-do's an exact match!"
"So it's all over now, right? I mean, the Reformation's gone,
there are no more evil Queens, jealous Kings or strange monsters,
right?" Andrew was plucking nervously at the sofa stuffing.
I sighed. This would be hard. "For now, that's right."
He looked up sharply. "For now...?"
"If the need ever arises for the Sailor Senshi and Tuxedo Mask
to fight again, we will be there, ready to defend the Earth. That's
our sworn duty, Andrew. It's just a fact of life and I need you to
accept it."
He seemed to think about this for a long while, then he slowly
nodded. "I guess I can live with that..."
It was several hours before I left Andrew's place, but when I
finally did, I felt something of a weight had been lifted from my
shoulders. To finally have told someone how much it had hurt, to
be trapped there like that, to feel so helpless. Andrew - and Rita -
were both very understanding, offering me some very good advice and
comfort. But I still felt alone somehow. And I couldn't for the life
of me figure out why...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~Serena~~
I spent as much time as possible with Darien over the next few
weeks. I knew he still felt guilty over what had happened to me, and
try as I might, I couldn't stop him torturing himself over it.
As summer turned to autumn the last of my bruises faded, but he
would not let go of the pain of the past. We never talked about it
much, and perhaps that was a mistake on my part. It allowed Darien to
hide from what he was feeling. He was more reserved as well, not
hugging me or kissing me like he used to.
He would always smile when I took his hand or smiled at him,
but I noticed that more and more often, the smile didn't reach his
eyes. It was as if a gulf had opened between us, and it tore at my
heart to watch him drifting further and further away.
Finally, though, I realised my mistake. It came as quite a
shock at first. Darien and I were walking in the park one afternoon,
watching the leaves turn to brown and red and fall from the trees. As
usual, Darien was a little melancholy, and I threaded my hand through
his as we walked, hoping to get a smile out of him for it, even if it
was only an empty smile.
We stopped after a while, sitting on a bench while we were both
lost in our own world of silence, my hand on Darien's knee, and his
over mine. Then I noticed he was staring at my fingers. I wondered
why, looking down to see the bright diamond engagement ring that
always glittered there, and I realised with a start that it was
missing. I panicked for a moment, thinking I had lost it, but then I
realised, I had been washing the dishes after dinner the night
before, and as usual, had removed my ring to avoid losing it. But
somehow, I had forgotten to put it on again afterwards. It must still
be sitting beside the window at home. I was sure Darien was going to
comment on it, asking where it was, but he remained silent. He ran a
stray finger over my ring finger, then looked away, closing my hand
in his.
In a painful flash, I realised that he thought I had taken it
off deliberately. Could that really be true? Could he believe that I
didn't want to marry him any more??
My heart stopped for an instant as I realised what was going
on. The distance between us was no accident. He was backing off. And
in a burst of ferocious determination, I decided I wasn't going to
let him. Oh no, not this time.
"Darien?"
He turned to me with that same hollow smile. "What is it,
Princess?"
I almost burst into tears at that one simple word. 'Princess.'
He still thinks of me as his princess...
"We need to talk," I whispered pleadingly, and as I did so, I
saw the instant pain in his eyes. His hand tightened unconsciously
around mine, and I saw that he feared I was going to give up on him,
as he had given up on any chance with me.
He nodded and looked away, resigned to his fate, but I would
not let him go so easily.
"But not here," I added, my voice surer this time. "Can we go
somewhere more private?" He nodded again. "Can we go to your
apartment?"
He was surprised by that, but he was beyond refusing. His eyes
shifted uncertainly as he agreed. Stiffly, he rose from the seat, and
we walked hand in hand back to his apartment building.
I have never known an elevator ride to take so long, but I
refused to say anything until we were in his apartment, the door
safely closed behind us, for I knew at least one of us was going to
be in tears by the end of this.
I followed him into his living room, and he sat numbly on the
couch - I could see he was waiting for me to deliver that breaking
blow. My heart broke at his misery, and I didn't even bother to take
off my jacket, in my hurry to end his pain, if I could.
"Darien." I perched on the couch beside him, taking his hand in
mine. He wouldn't look at me, though I knew he wanted to... His
tears were already flowing, but I bit my lip to stop my own.
"Darien," I said gently. "You know that feeling you get,
whenever you think I might leave you, that you might lose me?"
His eyes closed, and he nodded slowly.
"Darien, that's the same feeling *I* get every time you think
you've failed me." I could see the words register in his mind, but he
was unsure what to make of them. "I see it in your eyes, Darien, you
get that look that's so distant, and I know you blame yourself for
what happened." My eyes began to water. "But I don't blame you,
Darien. It wasn't your fault." I reached a shaking hand up to his
face, forcing him to look at me. "I love you. And I refuse to let
you keep torturing yourself like this." I threaded my fingers through
his ebony hair. "I don't want to lose you. And I'm not going to let
you leave me." My voice cracked. I dove into his arms, careless of
what his reaction may be, and I shivered in relief as I felt his arms
go around me, pulling me closer to him.
"Don't cry, Serena. Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry."
His voice was barely a whisper - and I could still hear the shake in
it.
"I don't want you to leave me. Promise me you'll never leave
me, Darien."
"I'm sorry, Serena," I heard him say, his voice muffled against
my hair. "I was supposed to protect you. I swore I would protect you
but I couldn't stop them. I should have been able to stop them..."
His voice cracked, and he cried, heavy sobs torn from deep within his
throat. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you. I'm so sorry I couldn't
protect you. Forgive me, Serena. Please forgive me."
I didn't bother telling him it wasn't his fault. That was not
what he wanted to hear now. Instead, I told him what he needed to
hear. "I forgive you."
That answer, I think, had simply not occurred to him. He
stopped breathing altogether for a moment, his arms locked around my
body. "Oh gods, I love you."
"I love you too, Darien. I will *always* love you." I felt his
hand come up to the back of my neck, holding me there as if he was
afraid I would melt away. I hugged him back just as tightly, not
minding in the least the way his watch dug into my back or how my
neck was twisted to the side...
Finally, he relaxed a little, and the hug became one of warmth,
rather than one of desperation. He drew back, running his hand along
my chin as he gazed down at me. I stared back into those stormy,
midnight-blue eyes, falling in love once again with the deeply
sensitive and courageous man who stared back at me.
When I saw the deep love that still burned in his eyes, I slid
my own hand to his neck, pulling him into a gentle kiss. As our lips
met, he sighed deeply, and a gentle groan rose from his throat. I let
my lips play lightly over his, while my hands became lost in his
hair, until his lips parted slightly, asking for more.
Suddenly, I slid my tongue into his mouth, dramatically
increasing the heat between us. My arms clamped around his neck and I
pressed my body against his, revelling in the warm, hard muscle of
his chest and stomach against me.
He voiced his surprise - it had been a long time since we had
kissed like this - but I wasn't about to let him go. I held him
tightly as he tensed, and tried to pull away. Just as quickly,
though, he began to relax, his arms tightening around me again while
his mouth pressed hot sweetness against my own.
~~Darien~~
I was momentarily stunned as Serena clamped down on me, holding
me like a vice while I tried to pull away. But it was hard to say no
to her (not that I'd really want to), her sweet, soft body pressed so
tight against mine. All I could think about was being with her, being
next to her, being inside her. . .
My imagination suddenly went into overdrive with that last
thought, my heart pounding crazily while my hands moved of their own
accord, over her shoulders, her back, down to her hips, then lower,
pulling her hard against me as I thought about how this felt, oh sooo
gooooood...
~~Serena~~
My eyes opened wide as I felt Darien shift me in his arms.
Woah, time to cool things down there, lover boy. It wasn't that I
didn't want to be in his arms - I did, for sure - but we had talked
about this, and agreed to wait until our wedding night, and somehow I
got the feeling *now* was not the best time to be making any rash
decisions...
Reluctantly, I pulled away from him, cringing at the
disappointment in his eyes, but I knew I had to stop this, as *he*
sure as hell wasn't going to. After some coaxing, he finally let me
go, and I slid out of his lap back onto the couch, though I was
reluctant to go *too* far away...
His eyes flitted over mine uncertainly, and I had to fight the
impulse to just dive back into his arms. Instead, I reached for his
hand, stroking it gently in my own.
"Promise me you'll never leave me, Darien." I spoke to the
floor, my own emotional roller coaster finally catching up with me.
"I promise, my angel. Anything you ever want, just ask. I'll
always be here."
I dared to look up into his eyes then, and for a brief moment,
for perhaps the first time in my life, I saw a glimpse of his soul...
My breath caught. I had never imagined...
Our fingers entwined at we sat there, gazing into each other's
eyes, until he brought my hand up to his lips to kiss it... and
suddenly stopped... My ring! Oh no! What was he...?
"Serena." he stated quickly, tension creeping back into his
voice. "Why...?" He wrapped his large hand around mine, covering the
offensively naked finger.
I shook my head. "I was washing up last night, and I forgot to
put it back on afterwards," I told him truthfully.
"Really?"
"Darien!" I threw myself back into his arms. "I would never
take my ring off deliberately! All I've ever wanted is to marry you.
Now more than ever."
He stared down at me with a hint of a smile on his face, and
again, I saw that look in his eyes. "Princess..." Our lips met, and
no further words were exchanged.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One week later...
~~Mina~~
I fidgeted as I perched on the top step of the temple, unable
to sit still as I glanced nervously at the street again.
"Geez, would you relax already, Mina!" I blushed as Rei glared
at me, but I couldn't help it "He'll be here, okay?"
I shrugged uneasily. "I know. I just... I haven't seen him in
three weeks, and..."
"There he is!" Lita cried suddenly. My head snapped round to
the street, but it was empty. "Nope, I was wrong. It was a bird,"
Lita added, and I gave her a look that could have frozen hell.
"Woah, hey, just kidding!" she cried as I lunged for her.
Really, sometimes my friends could be *so* insensitive.
"There he is," Ami muttered quietly, and I groaned.
"Not you too, Ami. Please..."
"No, I'm serious." She pointed down the temple steps. "He's
there."
I looked round stunned. "Kaylin!!"
Sure enough, stepping casually up the steps to the temple, was
my knight in shining armour. Except that he had left his armour at
home today, and was dressed instead in jeans and a shirt - the
traditional black, of course. My heart swirled in my chest as I
watched him. How was it possible for something so casual to look so
regal?
Suddenly shy, I stood up nervously, lingering on the top step
until Rei forcibly pushed me forward. "Well, go on then!"
Kaylin looked up at her voice, and smiled warmly as he saw us
waiting for him. "Mina!" He opened his arms in invitation.
I hurried down the steps to him, grinning as he hugged me
close. How I had missed this feeling... But all too quickly, he had
me at an arms length again - "How are you, Mina?" - and I realised to
my dismay that the embrace had been a brotherly greeting, not the
reunion of lovers... I fought back a blush at the thought as I
stumbled over my reply. Lovers?!? He had never shown interest in me
that way. Why would I be thinking such things now...
"So where's the rest of the gang," he asked, as we reached the
top step. He meant Serena and Darien. We were all having a get-
together at the temple that night, and the rest of the scouts were
already here.
"Serena called a few minutes ago," Rei replied. "She and Darien
are on their way. They're just stopping to pick up some munchies then
they should be here."
"Hi guys!!" a bright voice called from the bottom step. "Sorry
we're late, but *Darien* wouldn't finish getting ready, so that made
*me* late..."
"Save it, Serena," Rei chided her good-naturedly, as the blond
girl finished pulling her somewhat bemused looking boyfriend up the
steps. Darien simply grinned at Rei as she rolled her eyes. "Well,
you're here now, at least."
Kaylin grinned, once again setting my heart racing. "Great.
Let's go inside then, shall we?"
From my perch on the couch, I glanced quickly around the room,
trying not to stare at Kaylin, and failing. Serena and Darien sat
next to each other on the floor, Ami and Lita occupied the opposite
couch, Rei sat in front of the fire, and Kaylin sat on the other end
of my couch.
The night had gone well. It was the first time we had really
relaxed since we got back. Every time we got together, there seemed
to be a brooding silence over us, but tonight, somehow it was
different. Rei had cracked the first joke, a nervous attempt at
teasing Serena for being late. Everyone seemed on edge, terrified
that someone would go too far, and the pain would flare up again. But
Serena had grinned, stuck her tongue out at Rei, and said "Well, I
couldn't break a tradition, now, could I?" Rei had called her rude,
Serena had called Rei stuck up, and a tongue war had ensued. Laughing
has never felt so good as it did then.
That broke the ice for the rest of us. Friendly jibes and
companionable jokes had flowed once more, and we saw that we could
still be the close friends we had been before. Nothing had really
changed after all. Or had it?
I was acutely aware, the whole time, of Kaylin's dark figure in
the corner of the room. The flames threw shadows softly against his
face, and I was suddenly reminded of the first time I had seen him,
coming into the kitchen that first day after my rescue.
Which, not surprisingly, led quickly to another train of
thought. The room fell silent just at that moment, and, throwing
caution to the wind, I suddenly broke the silence.
"I... er... well, while everyone's here, I just wanted to say
something. Well, to ask something, really. And I don't know if now is
the right time to ask it, but I've been waiting for a long time, so
here goes." I bit my lower lip nervously. "Kaylin?"
He looked up at me, and by the strangest sensation of déjà vu,
I realised he already knew what I was going to ask. His eyes never
left mine as the question fell from my lips, and the look in his eyes
never changed. I was expecting anger, or denial - he had told me
often enough not to question him, but...
"Who are you, Kaylin? And why did you chose to help us?"
~~Kaylin~~
I watched Mina carefully for a moment, wondering what I was
seeing in her frightened eyes. I didn't think even she knew just at
that moment, so instead, I let my gaze drift down to meet Darien's.
By the slightest of shifts, I asked for his permission to answer the
question - to which he nodded slightly, smiling that faint,
mysterious smile of his... And then I cleared my throat, addressing
the entire room.
"Mina's right," I admitted calmly. "I owe you all an
explanation, and I should have told you a long time ago." I glanced
over to Mina, and gave her a gentle smile. "My story begins in the
Silver Millennium." I spoke slowly, phrasing my words carefully.
"During that period of history, as you all probably know, the Earth
was home to the palace of the King and Queen of the Earth. Their son,
Prince Darien," I nodded in his direction, "was to grow up and rise
become the new King. You all know that bit of the story already. What
you don't know is that Prince Darien was not, as is commonly
believed, an only child." I paused, before forcing myself to
continue, despite the ashen faces in the room. "I was his younger
brother."
The silence around me was absolute.
"But that's not possible!" Ami blurted minutes later. "I mean,
Darien was... when he was a child, his parents were..."
I nodded slowly. "I know about his parents, and... and the car
accident. All I can say to explain it is that he and I were not born
as brothers in this lifetime. I don't know why not, I don't pretend
to understand how any of this came about."
"Darien?" Serena turned to her boyfriend with disbelief. "You
already knew about this?"
He nodded. "Yes. It took me a while to figure it out - my
memories of the Silver Millennium have never been as clear as yours -
but I can vouch for the truth of his story. He was my brother. And in
spirit, at least, he still is."
"But what about the title of Prince of the Earth?" Lita
interrupted. "Which one of you gets that now?"
I smiled gently. "The title Endymion is, and always will be,
Darien's. He was the older brother, so he is the heir to the throne."
"But the rest of us don't remember you. I remember the Silver
Millennium very well, and I don't remember you in it anywhere," Rei
snapped coldly. "If this was all true, wouldn't some of us remember
it?"
I opened my mouth to respond, but a voice beat me to it. "But I
*do* remember." Mina. Of course! "I remember it all," she continued.
"I went to Earth a couple of times, and I remember meeting him then.
When I met the Queen of the Earth, he was there, and again when I
went for their Autumn festival..."
"But that doesn't explain why the rest of us don't remember
him," Rei insisted.
"Did you ever actually visit the Earth?" I asked her carefully.
"Well... no. But we never saw you on the moon, or on any of the
other planets..."
"I never visited the other planets. The Earth was my home, and
I didn't want to leave it. I was, er... somewhat undiplomatic in my
views on the other planets," I admitted sheepishly. "But before we go
any further, there's something else I have to say. You asked me," I
said, turning to Mina, "You asked me why I chose to help you. And I
think I should answer that question next." The scouts nodded. "It
was nearly six months ago now," I began. "I was sitting quietly in
my gardens, and I suddenly heard a voice. All it said was 'help us'.
It vanished almost instantly, but I couldn't forget it. I had to
know where it had come from, so I started looking for... I really
don't know what I was looking for at first. But then I started
having dreams, just about Darien at first, then about Serena and
Mina... and I started remembering things from the Silver
Millennium. So I came looking for you."
"It was me that asked for help," Rei mumbled suddenly. "When we
were in the first dungeon, they were going to drug us, so I called
out telapathically. I didn't think anyone had heard..."
~~Mina~~
Hours later, I was reluctant to let the night end, but it was
past midnight, and Serena and Darien had already left. Slowly, I rose
from my seat by the fire and gathered my things. "It's about time I
got going too," I told Rei.
She rose with me. "Okay, Mina. Take care walking home, okay?"
I grinned, ready to proclaim my adeptness at self defence, but
I was cut off before I spoke a word.
"I'll walk her home, Rei." Kaylin had appeared at my shoulder,
startling me.
Rei smiled her thanks, and before I could object or agree, he
was leading me out the door, his arms slung casually about my
shoulders.
I walked quickly beside him, nervous, and happy, getting more
flustered by the minute. Images of the Silver Millennium flashed
through my mind. Meeting Kaylin for the first time in the Earth
palace, watching his dark yet playful eyes across the table at dinner,
watching him dance with another woman during a ball. But there were
other images as well. Images of his head bent down to mine, his hands
in my hair, of - I blushed profusely in the dark - of me in his...
bed??? And all the while, the man of my imaginings walked beside me,
oblivious to my train of thought.
I fiercely shook the images away, completely confused as to
whether these events had occurred, or if they were simply conjured up
by my over-active imagination and private longings.
But my riotous mind would not leave me alone. If nothing else,
I had to know if these events were real. But how could I ask such a
thing? I made a small sound of distress, and Kaylin looked down at me
quickly.
"Did you say something, Mina?"
"Uh..." I murmured, trying desperately to avoid sounding
stupid. "Um, how much do you remember about... I mean, do you
remember much about the Silver Millennium?"
He looked at me in a way I couldn't quite fathom. "You mean, do
I remember much about the Princess of Venus?" he asked coyly.
I blushed an even deeper red. "Well, I, er... it's just that I
don't remember much, and I was wondering..."
There seemed to be a moment's disappointment in his voice.
"Yes, Mina. I remember everything perfectly."
"Did you and the Princes of Venus... get on well together?"
He stopped walking then, turning to look down at me with a sly
smile barely concealed. "Yes. Quite frequently, actually."
I faltered, not quite sure what he meant. "Were you good
friends?"
"Very good friends," he answered, without missing a beat.
I blushed. "Did you ever have... anything... between you?" I
gasped, stunned at my own audacity, but he didn't seem to notice.
He raised an eyebrow, and I got the distinct impression he was
playing with me. "Anything between us? You mean like... romance?" I
blushed deeper, if that was possible, and looked down. I could tell
from his tone of voice that he found this very funny, and I felt
incredibly foolish. He must think me so childish for having a
girlhood crush on him. He was strong and brave and courageous, and I
was just...
"Do you mean... love?" He reached for me, forcing my head up to
look him in the eye. "Is that what you mean, Princess of Venus, the
Planet of Love?"
I trembled at the stroke of his fingers. I couldn't help
staring at his lips. I had never been in love before. Is this what is
was like? The singing rush through your stomach? The complete
intoxication of your mind with only one person, one being, one soul?
The weakness, the heat, the floating, the trembling...
I stared into his eyes, and for the first time, I saw that the
icy stare of those hard blue eyes was gone, replaced entirely with...
heat. Burning, aching, smouldering heat. His arms wrapped suddenly
around my waist, pulling my body firmly against his.
He's so close...
He brushed a long finger over my lips, his caress like new
satin.
Is he going to...?
He bent his neck down, his forehead resting on mine. His hand
slipped around to my neck.
Is he going to...?
I could feel his warm breath on my cheek. My heart was racing.
I was sure he could hear it...
He's going to...
He tilted my head back, and captured my lips against his own,
as a rush of fire roared through me.
...kiss me.
I was instantly breathless, his lips tugged heatedly against my
own, his warm scent and warmer tongue forging magic through my entire
body. His hard muscles played under my fingers as he held me
mercilessly close, setting free for the first time the storm of
passion I had longed for from him.
I lost track of time as we stood there in the night, feeling
safe and warm despite the darkness, his stomach and thighs hard
against mine, his arms holding me so gently and so fiercely. When he
finally released me he was as breathless as I, and I imagined that I
could see, through the darkness, a powerful love in his eyes.
"Oh Mina," he whispered to me. "Did you really not know how I
felt about you?"
"I..." I shrugged helplessly. "There was just so much going on,
and I never really got the chance..."
My words died as he bent to steal another kiss from my seared
lips. Softer, this time, gentler and deeper, I imagined I heard a
moan from deep in his throat, and answered it with a soft cry of my
own.
"I never stopped thinking about you, Mina. Not since the first
time I saw you. It was so distracting all the time, having you there
when I had to work. I ignored you horribly, Mina," he continued,
placing a trail of kisses along my jaw and cheek, while I was still
acutely aware of his thighs pressed close to mine and his hand
travelling dangerously downwards over my back. "Can you forgive me
for the way I treated you, Mina?"
It was nothing short of impossible to think straight with him
so near, so I said the first thing that came to mind. "I love you."
For one horrible moment, he drew back, looking me full in the
face while he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. "Do you? Do you
really?"
I nodded, and this time when he pulled me close, I wasn't
letting him go. I wound my arms around his neck, responding with
everything I had to the kisses he now laid on my lips.
Somewhere above us, the moon shone brightly against the
blackness of the sky, and a faint breeze rustled the leaves of a
tree, illuminated by a solitary street lamp. But neither of us
noticed. Nor did we notice some long minutes later, as we left the
park together, on our way home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
...which brings us back to the end, or perhaps the beginning,
since this is where I began this story. Here in the park, where the
ten of us sit now, the same group as before, with, of course, the
addition of Kaylin. But this time, Darien and Serena are married, and
Darien is sitting with his back against a tree while Serena leans
against him.
I know we have all changed since the beginning of this
nightmare, but perhaps none so much as Darien. He was always very
serious about life, taking whatever was thrown at him - goodness
knows there was enough of it - and fighting to come out on top. But
now, every now and then, I see something in his eyes that was not
there before. Something more than sheer strength of will, more than
just determination. Something that can only be described as peace.
When I first saw it, I was stunned at the thought that he could
find peace in the face of all our pain. But Darien always was a
little different. Perhaps he believes nothing worse can come. If so,
I fervently hope he is right. Perhaps he has realised that if his and
Serena's love has lasted though *that*, it can last through anything.
But as I watch him and Kaylin exchange a subtle glance when
they think no one is looking, I wonder how much it has to do with him
finding out he has a brother. Perhaps I will never know.
And now, as I watch, Serena nestles against his chest, curled
up against him like a child. He looks down at her with a tender
smile, reaches out to stroke her hair and kisses her forehead. She
looks up at him, her eyes still so innocent even after all her pain,
and smiles at him. He bends down to kiss her lips gently, and this
time, I turn away. I have my own tender kisses now. I don't need to
watch theirs.
And I? I am lying on the blanket with my head in Kaylin's lap,
playing with my wedding ring while he strokes my hair. I've got to
know him a lot better since we got back to Earth, learning that
despite their similarities, he is very different from his brother.
Slightly younger, and perhaps a little more playful than the ever-
stoic Darien, Kaylin has more of an impatient urgency for life,
rushing out to seek his destiny, rather than letting it find him, as
Darien does. Although they share the same intense determination, and
the stubborn streak as well. And the same incredibly blue eyes,
looking down at me now from under that silken black hair... Mmmm.
So once again, it seems, everything is perfect. Rei and Chad
are not fighting, Ami has left her books at home, and is *talking* to
Greg, yes, a real conversation, and down by the lake, Ken is
proposing to Lita.
Wait a minute. *Proposing??!!* I sat up in shock. Yes, he was!
He was down on one knee, holding up a small box to Lita, who was
turning the brightest shade of red you can imagine.
"Hey guys," I whispered. "Check it out." They all sat up,
noticing what I had seen, and as Ken stood up to kiss his fiance, Rei
let out a loud wolf whistle. Lita looked up in horror, at odds at the
best of times on how to express her 'mushier' emotions, as she called
them, but Ken pulled her into a kiss before she could react, and soon
they had forgotten all about us.
Some of you may have noticed that before, I actually said 'my
wedding ring'. Well...
After that fateful day in the park when I finally admitted my
love for him, Kaylin swept me off my feet in a whirlwind of romance,
as, he claimed, he should have done from the start. Only a few weeks
later, just after my twentieth birthday, he proposed, on a moonlit
night, down by the lake in the park.
I said yes instantly.
Our wedding was only a few weeks after Darien and Serena
officially tied the knot, and went as most weddings go, lots of
flowers, tears, champagne, more photos than we could fit into three
albums and all my closest friends there to see it.
After the reception, Kaylin promptly whisked me away to a five
star hotel, for a night of blissful ecstasy as we celebrated our
love.
Afterwards, when he held me in his arms and whispered his love
for me, I knew I had found my freedom. The freedom I had been seeking
that night so long ago, when I had first run from my dungeon out into
the night. Here, in Kaylin's arms, where I would stay all the night,
and where I would wake, with him beside me, in the morning.
The End.
Or the Beginning.
Or Whatever.