Tears and Rain

(This story was inspired by Lady Fyria's chapter 23 of "Stange Love", whose permission I had obtained before I began. I thank her very much.)

Chapter 1: Broken girl

It was a cool autumn afternoon. Darien was walking through the park as he made his way home from the arcade. The leaves crunched under his feet as he walked past the trees and dozens of children playing games. But he took little notice of his surroundings. His mind was somewhere else, or rather on someone else. Today was the first time in ages that he hadn't gotten to tease a certain blonde hot meatball head. She hadn't been at the arcade or the café today. For some reason this bugged him, it wasn't that he couldn't survive without her presence or something silly like that. But there was something off about her absence.

He continued walking along when he felt a strange sensation. It was similar to when Sailor Moon needed Tuxedo Mask but not quite. He continued to walk and the feeling grew stronger and stronger till it felt like his head would explode. He looked around but he was in a far more secluded area now with no one close by. Clouds darkened with soon to be rain and he decided to just head home.

But just as he was about to move on something splashed on his cheek. Rain? No, it wasn't cold and as it trickled to the edge of his mouth it tasted salty. Another droplet hit his forehead and he looked up. High above his head in a tree sat a teenage girl with long flowing golden hair, head in her hands.

"Meatball head?" he thought.

He was surprised by how he didn't hear her since when she cried she wailed like the cry baby she usually was. But she was almost silent now. Only when he really listened did he hear her quiet sobs escaping from between her hands.

Without a second thought he began to climb, it was as though his body had a mind of his own. He wasn't even sure just how concerned he truly was. But something he couldn't explain was telling him to go to her. It took no more than fifteen seconds for him to reach the branch she sat on. For a moment he said nothing and she didn't notice his presence.

"Meat…" he stopped "Serena?"

Her head slowly lifted from her hands. It was then that he saw there were cuts all over her hands, but the amount of blood seen couldn't have all come from her.

"Serena?" he said again "are you alright? Why is there blood on your…" he didn't finished.

As Serena looked up at him, the look on her face nearly broke his heart. Sadness that he had never seen before in his entire life. The look of a shattered girl. Tears were streaking down her cheeks but she stayed silent as she continued to stare unblinkingly at him.

"Uhh…Sere…."

Before he knew it she threw her arms around his waist and loud sobs came out between gasps of breath. Tears and blood stained his jacket but he didn't care. He wrapped his arms around her back and gently stroked her hair. So soft. For a while they simply sat there till the rain clouds drifted over their heads and the first droplets began to fall. Feeling the moisture consuming them Darien pulled away slightly but still held her.

"Serena? Perhaps…"

"Why?" she whispered.

"Huh?"

"Why is life so cruel?"

"I don't understand"

"Why couldn't I get there in time?"

"What are you talking about?

Serena looked up at him.

"Why couldn't I save her?", her shout echoed through the trees.

It was then silent save the pitter patter of the rain now drenching them.