*Rei's P.O.V.*

"JED!"

I could hear my screams echoing through the trees surrounding the temple. There is no way he hasn't heard me yet. That bastard; he's ignoring me.

I cursed under my breath and threw my broom onto the ground, storming into the temple. What was he doing that would prevent him from hearing me?!

I threw open the door to the fire reading room, and was surprised to see Jadeite's grandpa sitting inside. I covered my mouth with my hand and retreated back out the door. I was about to shut it when I heard Grandpa say:

"He ran into town to fetch me some groceries. Did he forget to rake the leaves again?"

I sighed. "Yeah, but I'll take care of it," I said. Grandpa turned and smiled at me.

"You are such a wonderful young girl. I wish my grandson was as responsible as you. Keep up the good work, Rei."

His words warmed my heart, and I bowed before shutting the door. I owed that man everything; he was willing to take me in and show me the ways of the temple. I've discovered so much of myself that I never would have learned back in the Negaverse, and I don't regret a single decision I've made since coming here.

I went back out to my broom and began to sweep the leaves, pushing them all into a large pile. I would make Jadeite put them in a bag and dispose of them when he got home.

I started humming to myself as I worked, not hearing the sound of heels clicking against the stone staircase that led to the temple.

"Excuse me, could I please borrow a moment of your time?"

I turned around to find a woman with long, wavy purple hair standing behind me. She was holding a briefcase in her hands and smiling sweetly. I scanned her from head to foot, analyzing her body language and appearance. She wore bright colors; a yellow shirt and a cream-colored skirt. The only thing that kept me on guard was the cold look in her eyes. She was smiling, but the smile only went so far. If there's one thing I learned while working for Beryl, it's that you can't trust anyone.

I set my broom down and smiled. "Sure," I said.

The woman's smile grew and she flew to my side, taking my arm and pulling me towards the stairs of the temple porch. "Great!" she said, "I have all kinds of wonderful products that would make you glow with radiant beauty. Got a special someone who you want to impress? I have plenty of things to make you sparkle, darling!"

I felt like I was being controlled as she pushed me down onto the stair and sat beside me, opening up her briefcase to show me her display of products. I believe this lady was talking about make-up...something Serena told me about. I'd always wondered what I would look like with it on, but then again, does someone as stunning as me really need it?

She began to pull out each product, explaining to me how they work. I have to admit, it was pretty fascinating. But it was obvious this girl thought make-up was what made girls beautiful.

"So, would you like to buy anything? I'm sure a beautiful girl like you doesn't need it, but hey, there's no shame in improving your beauty!"

I smiled slightly and shook my head. "I'm sorry, but I like the way I look. I don't want to feel like I need to depend on some silly make-up just to feel beautiful. Beauty comes from the inside. But thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to show me all of these things," I said, standing up. I've been working on my kindness…

The woman stood, staring at me for a few moments. For a second, it looked like she was studying me. Were there tears in her eyes? I was about to say something, when the coldness returned to her strange purple irises, forcing me to stare right back, as if I was challenging her. Was I?

Suddenly, she smiled and hugged her briefcase to her chest. "Oh, well! Some girls just don't understand how beauty works. That's okay; I hope your boyfriend appreciates that!"

My mouth fell open as she waved her fingers good-bye and headed back the way she came. I could have swore I saw tears falling down her cheeks when she turned away.

~Darien's P.O.V.~

"Dariennnnnnnn!"

I shot out of bed, panting and sweating. Serena…where's Serena?

I looked around me, taking in my surroundings. I was home, and the sun was shining through my window. My alarm clock said it was one 'o'clock in the afternoon. I sighed, running my hands through my messy hair.

Serena's in danger...I have to do something. But what?

Head pounding, I rolled out of bed and trudged downstairs. My parents were in the living room watching TV when I entered the conjoining kitchen.

I sort of stood there for a minute as my slow brain tried to process everything that was going on. Serena, Serena...I have to get to Serena.

Without grabbing breakfast, I headed back up to my room and quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I didn't bother to comb my hair as I slipped on my tennis shoes and headed back downstairs.

"I'm going out!" I yelled, opening the front door. My dad appeared in the entryway to the living room and crossed his arms over his chest.

"And where do you think you're going, young man?" he asked me. I froze.

"Uh, the gym?"

"You have a game in two hours."

I groaned and slammed my forehead against the front door. I completely forgot about it…

At that moment, I heard my communicator beeping from upstairs. I gave my dad a half-smile before running upstairs and pressing the button on the watch Luna had given me to communicate with the others.

Kunzite's face appeared on the screen. "Darien! Monster attack, near the stadium. Hurry up and get here!"

I groaned and clasped the watch on my wrist before transforming and jumping out of my window.

Well, at least it's near where my game is...

~Serena's P.O.V~

I arrived at the battle minutes after receiving a call from Kunzite, telling me a mysterious monster appeared near the stadium. I was already transformed when I arrived, and I stayed in the shadows as I assessed the situation.

Tuxedo Mask was already on the scene, along with Kunzite, Nephrite, and Sailors Jupiter and Venus. Kunzite was fighting as hard as he could, mainly with his sword as he looked for openings in the monster's defense. However, it was easy to see that he was limping badly.

Nephrite seemed to be doing fine, shooting lightning attacks every so often. It wasn't until he turned around that I saw the real damage: there was a large gash on his back, which was bleeding heavily. His face was pale, and he looked as if he was about to pass out.

Lita was covered in scratches and was sporting a black eye. Despite the way she was clenching her jaw, she was still throwing as many punches as she could. She stumbled every now and then, but she was putting up a good fight.

Mina was fighting from a distance, using her powers and agility to fight. Whenever an attack was thrown in her direction, she would quickly cartwheel or somersalt out of the way. Every now and then she'd get hit, but she didn't hesitate to get back on her feet and hurl an attack at the monster.

And then there was Darien. He was unscathed, probably because he had arrived just a little while before me. Although, it didn't look like he would stay that way for long. He was completely on the defensive, dodging attacks that were thrown at him. He had a faraway look in his eyes, as if something pressing was on his mind.

I watched in silence as my colleagues battled, but it didn't look like they were doing much damage. The monster was shorter than Tuxedo Mask, with a thin metal figure. A cannon replaced its arm, and it seemed to have the ability of shooting whatever it desired out of it. I'd never seen a monster this intelligent before. Normally, these monsters would be easy to defeat just with Tuxedo Mask and another person. But for some reason, this one had an advanced intelligence.

I heard Darien's strangled cry, snapping me out of my thoughts. My attention turned to his crumpled form on the ground, struggling to stand. He must have been hit while I was dozing off...damn.

I watched in horror as the monster aimed its cannon at Tuxedo Mask, preparing to shoot. In a split second, I pulled my tiara off of my head and hurled it at the monster, hitting it right in the arm. The blast went awry, heading to the left instead of in Tuxedo Mask's direction. I smirked in triumph and emerged from my position in the shadows, holding my hand out to catch my tiara.

After I replaced my tiara, I ran over to Tuxedo Mask and bent down, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

He seemed to cringe at my touch, moving slightly away from me before standing up.

"I'm fine," he stated flatly. I raised my eyebrows in surprise before standing up also, bending down slightly into a defensive stance.

"You'll pay for that you little brat!" the monster yelled, turning towards me. I rolled my eyes. That's what they all say. Out of nowhere, I felt a sharp pain in my side. I looked down, but there was nothing there.

"Sailor Moon, get out of here. We can handle this," Tuxedo Mask said. I scoffed as he leaped back into battle. He would be dead if it weren't for me.

Sailor Venus gave me a weird look, as if to say, "What's his problem?" I shrugged and looked at Sailor Jupiter, who nodded at me. The three of us had just formed a silent plan.

"HEY! METAL MOUTH! OVER HERE!" Venus yelled, waving her arms. Kunzite and Zoisite stood there, confused. The monster turned towards her and aimed its cannon, and I shouted:

"NOW, JUPITER!"

I removed my tiara and hurled it at the monster for the second time that day. As soon as I did, Sailor Jupiter unleashed a bolt of lightning that enveloped the tiara completely, causing it to crackle with electricity. The monster screamed in agony as soon as it came in contact with the deadly projectile, and vanished into dust.

I was about to start cheering over our victory when I suddenly felt extremely dizzy. It was then that I noticed the bleeding wound in my side. I moved to place my hand on it, and found there was something invisible sticking out. I wrapped my hand around what seemed to be the handle before pulling it out and gasping in pain. As soon as it was out of my side, it became visible as a dagger. Overcome with dizziness, I fell to my knees.

"Sailor Moon!" I heard multiple cries. I felt warm arms wrap around me, caressing me gently. My vision grew dim with dark clouds, and the words being said by my fellow soldiers were fuzzy and impossible to decipher. I couldn't hold on anymore - I let the darkness close in.

~Darien's P.O.V.

As soon as Sailor Moon's eyes closed, she automatically detransformed to her regular state. I held her in my arms, panicking. Kunzite ran up and kneeled down beside me, taking her wrist in his hand.

"Her pulse is weak," he mumbled. I brushed her bangs out of her eyes as my chest began to constrict.

"Serena, don't you dare think about leaving me," I said quietly, holding her close.

I suddenly heard Kunzite moan, and turned to find him clutching his head.

"Kunzite?" Nephrite asked, approaching us, Venus and Jupiter following close behind.

My head general suddenly opened his eyes. "Darien, summon your crystal," he said. Confused, I refrained from asking questions and summoned my crystal. It floated in the air in front of me.

"I...I think that if you channel your energy, you can heal her," Kunzite continued. Everyone stared at him in awe.

"Are you serious?" Venus asked.

"How did you find that out?" Jupiter added.

Kunzite shook his head back and forth. "I...I don't know. I heard a voice in my head, telling me to trust the power of the golden crystal. Just try it, Darien."

I nodded and closed my eyes, placing one hand on Serena's wound. I could feel a warm, tingling sensation in my hand. The sensation went away, and when I opened my eyes, Serena's wound had closed up. There was only a small scar that remained. Shocked, I stared in awe at what I had done.

Serena began to stir beneath me, and it wasn't long until she opened her eyes. It took her a few seconds to decipher what was going on, and she smiled. She was about to say something when I gently pushed her off of my lap and stood, clenching my fists at my sides.

"You should be more careful," I said grimly. Everyone's mouths dropped open at my words, but I ignored them. Instead of saying anything more, I spun and began to walk away.

As I leaped over rooftops towards my home, I silently cursed myself. It was my fault she got hurt. I should have been there to protect her. Or not been there at all. Am I a distraction? Am I doing more harm to her than I am good?

The sound of her screams in my dream echoed in my mind. She isn't safe with me...I have to make sure she isn't harmed anymore. And if staying away from her is what needs to happen...

So be it.

~Serena's P.O.V.~

What in the world is Darien's problem? He has never treated me like that. Maybe he's mad that I got hurt? Or that he couldn't protect me? Ever since the fight with Fiore, he's been really tense and clingy around me. I guess I don't blame him. But that doesn't give him an excuse to snap at me like that. After I said my good-byes to the Scouts and Generals, I went straight home to see if Darien had gone there after he stormed off. It didn't take long for me to get to the top floor and unlock the door to my apartment. To my disappointment, there was no one inside. Defeated, I flopped onto my couch and leaned my head back, closing my eyes.

I'd been thinking of Darien the entire way back home. Not just because of the way he acted, but because of how he healed me earlier. I'm almost as good as new, just a little sore where I was stabbed. But I'm surprised he's gotten in touch with his crystal so quickly. Maybe seeing me hurt triggered a new awakening within his crystal? And if healing injuries is just the beginning, who knows what he'll be able to do in the future?

But...if Darien is awakening already, how come I haven't been able to do anything with my crystal? Luna told me that it is much more powerful than the Golden Crystal, and if I use it to its full extent, it will kill me like it did on Fiore's planet. But there has to be something I can do with it, right? I just need to find out what.

Before my thoughts could continue any further, there was a light knock on my front door. I scurried to open it, smiling when I saw Darien standing there with his hands shoved in his pockets.

"Darien! Come in," I said, opening the door wider. He mumbled a thank-you and stepped inside, letting me shut the door behind him. "Do you want some hot chocolate?" I asked. He shook his head.

"I'm only staying for a minute. Serena, there's...something I need to tell you."

I froze. The tone in his voice made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "What's going on?" I asked, trying to act like everything was fine.

"I...don't think we should be too close," Darien said, shuffling his feet.

"What do you mean? Darien, if this is about today, then - "

"Don't, Serena. You know what this is about. I just don't feel the same way for you anymore. I...I'm breaking up with you."

"Darien, this isn't funny. You know just as well as I that this isn't some stupid middle school relationship. This is us. This is our past. You can't just throw that away...we're destined to be - "

"Why should I let my life be lead by a past that doesn't exist anymore?! Why can't I choose my own destiny, huh? I'm sorry Serena, but this is over. I've moved on…now it's your turn."

A lump grew on my throat, and the beating of my heart grew out of control. "Darien, I - " I was forced to stop and compose myself. In that split second, he turned and opened the door. Panicking, I lunged forward and grabbed his wrist.

"Darien, please don't do this. Just stay here and talk to me, and we can work this out. If it's something I did, I can change, I promise," I begged. Tears were forming in my eyes at the thought of losing him. "I may not show it in the best way, but I love you Darien. I really do. You're my soul mate, and I'm not about to lose you this easily."

Darien paused and looked back at me, and for a second I thought I could see moisture forming in his eyes as well. "I'm sorry Serena."

He yanked his wrist from my grasp and walked out the door, shutting it behind him.

I stood there in complete silence, blinking a few times. I couldn't process what was happening. The one man I had promised to love and cherish for eternity had just walked out on me with a bunch of lame excuses. This wasn't like him. He wouldn't just break up with me like that…

But then again, I've been wrong before.