Sailor Moon 1. The Attack

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

**A Second Chance**

_**The Attack**_

_Just keep going. Just pretend that you're late for school._ Serena coached herself as she ran, her hair streaming behind her in twin ribbons, the skirt of her school uniform pressed against the front of her thighs and flaring out behind her in her hurry.

As she ran she could hear the mad cackling of the energy sucking enemy behind her. She wondered why she had to have the misfortune of getting that things attention. She hadn't even done anything! She'd been minding her own business, shopping to try and distract herself from the sad situation between her and Darien, when this thing suddenly came out of nowhere and attacked. She hadn't been its original target. She had seen it attacking and was preparing to retreat and call for help before transforming, but the thing had seen her first and had immediately headed for her since everyone else it had attacked was already down for the count.

So here she was running for her life and hoping that Amy had already detected the enemy and had contacted the others and was on their way. She didn't know how long she could keep this up. Right now the only things in her mind were to keep her distance from the thing and try and lure it away from other civilians.

There was a corner coming up that she didn't think she would take since the turn would slow her down, but it looked like the decision was being made for her. She felt a hot pain in her right side so intense and so sudden that it knocked her off her feet. Serena released a small scream as she fell to the ground, her fast momentum from her run causing her to slide on her now bleeding side and roll onto her back and again until she was on her stomach. The rolling having taken her slightly around the corner she had decided to avoid and nearly into the street. She didn't pause though once she slowed, she couldn't afford to. She immediately scrambled to her feet and began to run as fast as she could, so focused that she hadn't seen the two people that were paused on the sidewalk.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Darien and Rini paused in their walking as they heard a slight scream and saw Serena suddenly roll and slide across the sidewalk in front of them before quickly getting to her feet and running pass them as if she hadn't even seen them.

"There she goes again." Rini began with a look that was a cross between disappointment and irritation. "Why is she always doing this? Why can't she just leave a place early so she doesn't have to go running…" She continued.

Darien heard Rini and normally he might agree with her a bit, but right now he had a bad feeling. A _very _bad feeling. Just then his bad feeling was justified as they suddenly heard laughter coming from around the corner, and moments later a lavender skinned white haired monster came speeding around the corner laughing and shouting after Serena. It wore a sleeveless skin tight body suit all the way down its legs, knee high- high heel boots, swords strapped to both hips and daggers attached to each forearm. Its narrow eyes were a dark pupil less red, its long hair reached the small of its back, and its forehead adorned with a black upside down crescent moon.

Darien quickly pulled Rini into his side and up against the wall they had been walking next to as they watched the monster speeding after Serena. Darien's heart sank. Why hadn't Serena transformed? She must have had a good reason. He had wondered why she didn't react to them before she ran pass them, and now it was clear that she most likely hadn't even been aware of their presence. That in itself let him know just how serious her situation was. She was always aware of her surroundings even when it appeared that she wasn't. He knew she was.

"Come on Rini. Let's get you out of here." He said as he took her hand and began to walk fast. It was just his luck that he had been taking her home. It was the perfect timing. Now he wouldn't have to worry about making an excuse about why he needed to disappear suddenly. Besides, he needed to get her away before she spotted the smear of blood on the ground and became even more scared then she already was.

He needed to hurry up. He had a bad feeling that Serena needed him and he didn't want to take any more time then was strictly necessary. Especially since he knew that she was already hurt.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Serena ran until she reached what looked like a large walking park. There was large areas of grass and trees and walking paths at a bit of a distance from where she was. There was a steep grassy hill where she stopped with a view of the ocean and she wondered where she was. The area she was seeing wasn't familiar and she realized that she had run so hard that she hadn't really been paying attention to where she was going.

She turned around sharply as she heard the mad laughter of the monster after her. She breathed nervously through her mouth as the monster got closer. If only she could transform she could fight and protect herself, and maybe even defeat the thing without having to wait for the others. But she couldn't. She couldn't risk the enemy finding out who she really was and coming after her family. She would have to do her best to avoid being injured, or at least being injured too badly before help arrived. She hoped help would arrive soon.

Suddenly Serena was throwing herself to the side to avoid an energy ball. She realized her movements were jerky as she tried to avoid getting hit because of the wound on her side. It was still bleeding, her blood slowly covering the slight burn mark on her white uniform shirt, and it hurt terribly. She knew that she would just have to deal with it in order to survive.

As time passed Serena ducked, dodged, rolled, tripped, and skid on the ground. She avoided being hit for the most part, but when she was hit it was painful and every time it would cause her to go slower and slower which made avoiding the hits harder and harder. She had a feeling that that was the whole point. This thing seemed to want her energy and she was making it more difficult then the other civilians had. It was probably enjoying the challenge.

Pain. Pain in the right side of her neck. She hadn't seen anything but she definitely felt it. It felt as if something had slice the side of her neck open. She could actually feel her blood flowing in a slow and steady pace down her neck and onto her shoulder, soaking the collar of her shirt. She could just imagine it spreading so that the blue darkened and the white lines began to turn red.

Serena was determined not to let it get to her and tried her best to push aside the pain and continue to stay out of harm's way, but she guessed that she must have been distracted enough to take a hit in her right side again. She screamed at the new burst of pain added to her previous wound, and collapsed to the ground on her left side from the force of the energy blast. Once on the ground she was blasted repeatedly by energy balls to keep her there from what she could gather through the bursts of pain.

She was so tired and in so much pain that she wasn't sure what she was going to do. Her arms and legs were littered with cuts, scrapes, and bruises. The long sleeves of her shirt were spotted with blood, the tops of the cuffs of her socks were red from trickles of blood spilling down her legs. She just had to get up and try to keep going.

Serena got to her hands and knees and pushed off her hands so that she was kneeling on the ground, but before she could get to her feet she gasped in pain and looked down only to see the point of a sword sticking out of the left side of her stomach. Then something else was stabbed into her upper back on her right side, and she knew that whatever it was it must have punctured something because she could suddenly feel her mouth pooling with her blood.

She was surprised that despite all the pain she was feeling, she was still aware enough to understand that her energy was being taken from her now that she couldn't get away. What was going to happen to her now? Was she about to die? Where were the girls? Why hadn't they gotten there yet? Could there have been an attack somewhere else that's delaying them?

_Maybe Amy has told them that I'm with the monster and they think that I'm handling it_. Serena considered as she coughed, blood trickling out of the sides of her mouth and down her chin.

Suddenly Serena heard shouts and yells and the next thing she knew she was being pushed away with enough force to send her tumbling down the steep side of the hill. She rolled for what seemed like forever to her tired and foggy mind before she came to a stop on a cliff-like space in the hill. She lay on her back, her head turned to the side giving her tired eyes a view of the blue of the ocean mixing with the blues and purples of the sky. She didn't even try to move. She knew that she wouldn't be able to. She just didn't have the strength. The little that the monster had left her with was flowing out with her blood and staining the grass beneath her.

_At least I get such a nice view in the end._ She thought as she tried to keep her tired eyes open and in focus to watch the view before her as long as possible. _I never thought I'd die this way. Never thought I'd die without my Prince by my side._ She thought with a sigh that didn't seem to leave her throat. She knew that he would be there to save her if he knew that she was in danger, but she hadn't transformed so he wouldn't have felt the pull to come to her and the girls had no way to contact him in enough time to be of help.

Still, Serena missed him and wished he was with her. She still didn't understand why he had broken up with her and it seemed now she would never know. _Doesn't matter. I wasn't functioning right anymore anyway. I could never seem to get happy._ She thought slowly, the sounds of the fight taking place at the top of the hill were muted to her ears. _What's the point of staying if my Prince no longer wants me?_ She asked herself as her eyes began to close.

Just before they closed something dark entered her vision and she was surprised to feel something against her face. She laboriously pulled her eyes open, curious at what was disturbing what she thought were her final moments. She was surprised and happy to see Tuxedo Mask kneeling next to her.

"Serena? Serena!" She was surprised to hear him since she believed she wasn't processing sounds after she stopped being able to hear the fight. "Please! Just hang on. I'm going to get you to the hospital. Just _please _don't leave. Don't leave me yet." She heard him plead and was aware of being lifted and feeling a little warm. She blinked slowly down at herself and realized that he had wrapped his cape around her.

"Please, stay. This isn't how we're supposed to end." His voice seemed to whisper sadly and she blinked slowly up at him as she watched what she could see of his hair blowing. They must be moving for it to do that. Still, he said this wasn't how they were supposed to end. She was confused since she had been under the impression that they had already ended. But then he sounded so sad and he was pleading with her. It was enough for now. She would make an effort, but there was only so much her battered body would allow.

"I'll try." She tried to say but she wasn't sure if it came through or not as exhaustion overwhelmed her.


	2. Darien's Sorrow

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

**A Second Chance**

_**Darien's Sorrow**_

Ikuko Tsukino hummed as she moved around the kitchen preparing the ingredients she would use for dinner. It had been a while since they had a family dinner where all the members would be attending. Kenji had the day off and was currently in the living room reading a newspaper and watching one of his favorite sports, Rini was currently up in her room playing, Sammy was with friends but he would be here for dinner, and Serena was out shopping but she too would be back in time for dinner.

She just couldn't wait. It would be the perfect opportunity for everyone to catch up with each other. It would also be the perfect time for her to find out what was causing her daughter to be so sad. She hoped she would anyway; her daughter seemed to be keeping things secret from them for a while now.

Ikuko paused as she heard the phone ring and then moved out of the kitchen to answer it.

"Tsukino residence." She answered on the second ring.

"_May I speak to the parent or guardian of Serena Tsukino please?_" She heard a male voice ask.

"This is her mother. Is something wrong?" Ikuko asked with a frown.

"_I'm calling from Tokyo General Hospital. I'm sorry to say your daughter has been seriously injured in a monster attack and is currently in surgery. We'd like it if her family could come as quickly as possible._" The man said and Ikuko thought her heart would stop. Her eldest baby was in the hospital! In surgery!

"Of course! We'll be there as quick as we can. Thank you." She said before hanging up and running into the living room and screaming at Kenji to get up and get the car started before running up stairs to get Rini ready to go.

Only five minutes had passed since she had got off the phone and come back down the stairs with Rini in tow, but Kenji would not move further until she told him what the rush was. He was more than willing to hurry after she explained to him that the call had been from the hospital telling them that their baby girl was there and being operated on as we speak.

As quickly as possible they drove to pick up Sammy from his friend's house and headed to the hospital.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Darien paced back and forth in the waiting room. As much as he wanted to be he wasn't alone. Mina, Lita, Amy, and Raye were there. At the moment Serena's family were seeing her since she had just gotten out of surgery and the doctors had gave the okay for them to spend a little time with her. He could feel all four sets of eyes on him as he paced, but he didn't care. They hadn't had a chance to see her before he sped off to the hospital, so they didn't know exactly what to expect.

He wanted to see Serena so badly but at the same time he didn't. He remembered all the blood, how slowly her eyes blinked at him, how cloudy they had looked, how for a few horrifying moments he was afraid that she hadn't heard a word he had said to her.

"_I'll try."_ He'd heard her whisper. He had wanted to sigh in relief but he knew he couldn't. It was great that she had heard him but he remembered how much blood she had lost and he wouldn't stop worrying until she opened her eyes and told him herself that she was okay.

Darien paused in front of a window and looked out at the busy city. He closed his eyes and immediately saw the image of his princess laid out on the grass with blood all over her. His eyes snapped open and he clinched his hands into fists. This was his fault. It was his fault that she was so hurt. He wasn't sure he would _ever_ be able to forgive himself.

He turned around at the sound of crying and saw Mr. Tsukino half dragging half supporting his wife as they walked to their seats with Sammy and Rini following close behind. Both faces pale and wet from the tears they had recently shed.

He focused his eyes back on his princess' parents as they sat down. Mr. Tsukino's face was pale, his mouth set in a thin line as he held his wife. Mrs. Tsukino had her face buried in her husband's chest, but anyone with ears could hear her low keening voice. His heart clinched. He was not ready to see her yet. He turned back to the window and crossed his arms across his chest and watched the reflection of Amy and Raye get to their feet. That was good. He would see her after everyone else had their turn.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Shock and pain. Those were the two emotions Darien was feeling as he looked down on the still figure of his princess. She had her own room in the ICU, which he was grateful for since there was no hiding his agony.

He hadn't asked anyone what to expect and he almost wished he had. It looked like they simply moved her from the operating room to this room when they finished. She was still covered in blood although it was now dry, which only served to emphasize how pale she was. She was only covered in a small white sheet to save her modesty while she lay unconscious, but he wished it was longer as he could see the bandages wrapped around her neck and various parts of her exposed arms and legs. There was even blood in her long hair, and she was still wearing her bloody socks!

There were thin white wires snaking out from underneath the top of the sheet connecting to a machine that was monitoring her heart, a clamp attached to one of the fingers of her left hand that tracked her pulse, and a breathing tube stuck down her throat through her mouth and taped to her cheeks to keep it in place. There were two IV's in her arms. One with clear liquid and the other with what was obviously blood, which was not surprising considering all the blood she had lost.

Darien gently grabbed her right hand and flinched at how cold it was. It reminded him uncomfortably of the fact that dead bodies were cold, and he wished they had covered her up more. She needed to be warm. She could get sick or worse if she wasn't. He hoped they covered her up soon.

His eyes once again trailed over her body and this time he took in the bruising that dotted her skin and peeked out from beneath the bandages. He squeezed his eyes shut to block out the images but he was still seeing her laid out, bloody on the grass, and now her pale, bruised, and bandaged form was added to the mix. His eyes snapped open, trying to escape some of the images, and he felt his eyes tearing up. He did nothing to stop or hide the tears as they escaped his eyes.

This was his fault. If he lost her now, with her thinking that he didn't want her anymore, didn't love her anymore, he wasn't sure what he would do. He couldn't lose her. He just couldn't. She was his princess, his friend, his love. He'd died in his last life protecting her, he died in _this_ life protecting her, only a short while ago he had nearly died again protecting her, and most recently he'd broken both their hearts trying to protect her. He'd failed to protect her this time and in fact he'd practically been responsible for her injured state. If she died he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"Serena," Darien began softly as he sniffled and leaned over to kiss her forehead where her crescent moon normally rested. "I'm so sorry. This is my fault. If I hadn't broken up with you, you wouldn't have been alone today. You wouldn't have been hurt. You probably wouldn't have even been attacked." He whispered as he blinked more tears out of his eyes.

"Please, don't leave me. I promise I'll fix this, I'll fix us, we'll be happy again. We'll have a long talk and get everything out in the open, but you have to be here for that. Please, just _please_ get better." He pleaded as he watched her, hoping for some sign that she had heard him, but there was none. Just the beeping of the heart monitor and the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

Darien sighed and kissed her cheek since her lips weren't available, gently squeezed her hand, and slowly left the room. He leaned against the wall next to the door and sighed heavily as he wiped the tears from his face. It hurt so much to see her like that, to see her so pale and lifeless. He wasn't sure which one was worse: to see her in her current state or to see her covered in blood, the life visibly leaving her eyes. Suddenly the image of the latter flashed in his eyes and he snapped his eyes open. He hadn't even realized he closed them.

Thankfully he heard footsteps and he looked to his left to see a doctor headed toward him with a clipboard in his hands. As the man paused next to him outside the door he was sure that the man was Serena's doctor.

"Please, I'm a friend of Serena's." Darien said and then took a deep steadying breath. "Can you please tell me what her injuries are and do you have any idea when she will wake up?" He asked.

Darien listened as the doctor explained that they were keeping his princess in a medically induced coma so that she could heal with less pain to her. He then listened as the doctor gave a brief list of her injuries: deep cut to the right side of her neck, punctured right lung, what looked to be a sword wound through the left side of her back and out her stomach, along with various scrapes and deep bruises.

Each detail sent a sharp pain to his heart and made him feel all the more worse. But those sharp pains were nothing compared to the complete agony he felt when the doctor let slip that her heart had stopped twice throughout the surgery due to blood loss.

_Oh my God! Her heart stopped twice. My princess died twice today_. He thought in shock as he stared at the doctor. He blinked rapidly and shook his head. There was still something he needed to ask the doctor before he could process what he had just realized.

"There was a golden broach that should have been with her belongings. Could you…could you please get it to her parents for safe keeping as quickly as possible?" He asked the man.

"Yes. I'll see to it as soon as I check on Ms. Tsukino." The doctor assured him.

"Thank you, and thank you for informing me of her injuries." Darien said as gratefully as he could through the shock he could feel coming back.

"You are very welcome young man." The doctor said and Darien slowly made his way back to the waiting room. He walked in, avoiding everyone's eyes, and sat on the opposite side of the room away from everyone. He needed to pull himself together.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The waiting room was mostly silent. All that could be heard was the occasional whispered words between Serena's friends and her mother's quiet crying. After nearly half an hour of this all but Darien looked up as the doctor Darien identified as Serena's walked in and over to the Tsukino's carrying Serena's golden broach.

"Excuse me, the young gentleman over there asked that this be given to you for safe keeping and I must agree. Something as expensive as this must have been shouldn't be left here." The doctor said as he placed the broach into Mrs. Tsukino's shaking hand.

All four girls were surprised and immediately felt bad. Here they all were feeling horrible and sad about Serena's condition and Darien, who probably felt worse then all of them, had taken the time to make sure something so valuable and important to Serena got put into safe hands.

Mina sighed lightly from where she sat next to Amy. She could feel Darien's pain, his heartache, and decided to go try to comfort him before Raye got it in her mind to try because she was aware that Raye _still_ harbored feelings for their prince. Not to mention she didn't think Rini needed to be around him at the moment either. Serena wasn't the only one who had noticed Darien pulling away had come at around the same time as that little girl's arrival.

Mina sat down next to him and placed a hand comfortingly on his back. He sat with his elbows resting on his knees and his head in his hands, looking down at the ground. Suddenly he started talking to her quietly, telling her what Serena's doctor had told him about her injuries. She understood quickly that knowing this was adding to his heartache and making it worse, because he was studying to be a doctor and understood what it all meant more than any of them except maybe Amy.

"How about we leave and get some fresh air?" Mina suggested. "It'll help and we'll definitely be back. I promise." She continued softly.

Darien didn't answer. He simply got to his feet and began to head for the door. Just as they were about to leave Sammy hurried over to them and held out Serena's broach to Darien.

"Mom says that she thought Serena would like you to hold on to this for her." Sammy said as he placed the broach in Darien's hand after he held it out.

Darien could immediately tell that her silver crystal was no longer inside but he wasn't worried. He had a strong feeling that it was safe inside her body. And if his senses were not enough to let him know that her crystal wasn't there, then the fact that it was lighter then it should have been was more than enough to clue him in.

Still, he blinked and looked up from the broach over to Mrs. Tsukino to see if what Serena's little brother said was true, and watched as she nodded her head. He nodded back with a slight smile as his grip tightened around the gold broach, and then turned and walked out through the doors with Mina right next to him.

Once outside the hospital they just started walking in a random direction. Mina was doing the guiding since it was clear that Darien just didn't care. She would see him safely through the streets and make sure no one tried to snatch the gold object in his hand. She knew that in his frame of mind Darien just might kill whoever tried, so she would save him the pain of knowing that he had killed a somewhat innocent person and keep anyone away from him.

"How about we head to the arcade and let Andrew know about Serena since we're in the area?" Mina suggested as they weaved around people.

"Right. Let's do that." Darien agreed distractedly as he let Mina lead the way.

It did not take long for the two to make their way to the arcade and get themselves settled at the counter. Darien sat quietly holding Serena's broach in both his hands with his head bowed over them.

It was not long before Andrew came over to greet them and he noticed immediately by the looks on their faces, not to mention the complete devastation that was Darien's face, that something was very wrong.

"Hey Darien, Mina. What…what's going on?" He asked slowly and quietly, aware that his usual cheer had no place in this situation.

"Hey Andrew. We've got some bad news. Serena was attacked by a monster today. She's at the hospital right now, and she's not doing well at all. The doctors have her in a medically induced coma to help her heal with less pain." Mina said while glancing at Darien, who hadn't even moved to acknowledge his best friend.

Andrew blinked in shock and ran his hands through his hair in an anxious gesture. He didn't think Serena had ever encountered the monsters that seem to roam their city all these months, and to hear now that she had a run in with one of them now was almost too much. And he could definitely tell that it was very bad if she had to be put into a coma, and wasn't sure if he really wanted the details of why she needed to be put into one.

He shook his head in an effort to shake off his shock and went to work making his best friend a cup of his favorite coffee. He hoped that he would drink it since he knew that his friend wasn't going to touch any food for the rest of the day.

After placing the cup of coffee in front of Darien, Mina and Andrew watched as he slowly shifted the broach to his left hand and grabbed the cup with his right hand and took a small sip. They both breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he hadn't refused it outright.

It wasn't long before Andrew was sighing and saying he had to get back to taking orders even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. He couldn't just stop working, especially when there was no one to take over for him. Luckily Mina followed him a short while later and asked if they could set up the back room for Darien because she knew that he didn't want or need to be around people at the moment. He was happy to do that since it would be something to help his friend in his time of need.

Darien didn't even blink as Mina got up and walked away. He didn't know where she was going and honestly didn't really care. He wanted to be alone to think about Serena and his decision to break up with her. As he sat drinking his coffee he could hardly believe the consequences of his decision. If he hadn't broken up with her she wouldn't have been alone to be attacked the way she had. It was entirely possible that she wouldn't have even been in the area if they had still been together.

_Why? Why did I do it? Why did I have to breakup with her? Stupid dreams! Would she really have died if I had ignored the dreams?_ He wondered sadly as he stared into his now empty cup as if it could provide the answers to his questions. _What if I had told her about…_

Darien's thoughts were interrupted by a girl sitting next to him asking him about the broach in his hand. He barely glanced at her but from what his brain registered he could see that she was around Serena's age and gratefully went to a different school, judging by the uniform she wore. He wanted her to go away but he also didn't want to speak. He'd rather focus on his thoughts.

"It's very beautiful. Is it really gold or does it just look like it? Does it open? Is there anything inside? Is it yours or does it belong to someone you know? Perhaps a girlfriend? _Do_ you have a girlfriend?" The girl asked in what Darien was uncomfortably aware was a flirty manner. He closed his eyes, trying to close her out as he gave barely there answers, but when she asked if he had a girlfriend he snapped.

"Why does it matter if I have a girlfriend?! Why do you want to know? You don't know me! Why the hell would you even want to know me?!" He yelled, his hands squeezing the broach and cup so tightly in his anger that the cup shattered in his hand.

Mina was in the backroom with Andrew trying to clear off the couch and make it comfortable for Darien when they heard his raised voice. Her eyes widened in alarm and she ran out of the room to the front to see him standing in front of a girl around her age with a furious look on his face.

She quickly went to him and put her hand on his arm.

"Andrew is in the break room, you should go back there and cool down. I'll handle this." She said quietly.

Darien's eyes shifted to Mina and he immediately deflated, the anger fleeing his body rapidly to be replaced with the crushing sorrow that had followed him since he had last laid eyes on his injured princess. He blinked at her before walking away, completely ignoring the girl that had not wanted to leave him alone.

"What did you say to him?" Mina asked the girl as she knelt and picked up the broken pieces of Darien's cup.

"Well my friends and I noticed him sitting alone and I thought he was really cute," The girl began hesitantly, shaken from being yelled at in such a way. "so they sort of encouraged me to come talk to him. I was asking him about the golden broach he was holding and if it belonged to his girlfriend and if he even _had_ a girlfriend. I..." The girl said but Mina cut her off.

"I don't need to hear more. I know what set him off." Mina said as she got to her feet. "His girlfriend was attacked by a monster today. Right now she's at the hospital in a coma. We just came from seeing her, so questions about her are the reason he snapped at you." She explained. "Next time you shouldn't let your friends pressure you into doing something when it clearly is something you shouldn't do. Anyone sitting next to him, even looking at him would have seen that they shouldn't talk to him at that point." She pointed out with a raised eyebrow before she walked off to throw away the pieces of the cup.

Once she had disposed of the sharp ceramic pieces Mina went and joined Darien and Andrew in the back room. She sat down on the coach next to him, grabbed a tissue and began to wipe the blood off his hand as she explained what happened to Andrew. It was just for show since she knew that the wound had already healed.

"I'm sorry Darien." Andrew said with a sad sigh, knowing that his friend was in pain and trying to talk to anyone was the last thing he wanted to do. "You can stay back here as long as you guys want. I'll be back soon to see how you're doing, but I need to get back out there." He said as he stood up.

"Thanks Andrew." Mina said and Darien barely nodded to acknowledge that he heard him.

_Serena_. Darien thought her name with a sad sigh as he went back to thinking about the situation they were in. _I should have told her about the dreams. This wouldn't have happened if I had. She wouldn't be in a coma right now_. He thought as his eyes fluttered closed in an effort to stave off the tears that were threatening to come, but images of his princess splayed out in the grass- bloody, the life slowly leaving her flashed behind his closed eyelids and his eyes snapped open.

His eyes roamed quickly around the somewhat cluttered room to try and escape the disturbing mental image. It had been a while since he had been in the room, but it hadn't changed much. It was still being used as a bit of a storage room as well as a break room. Being back in the room reminded him of the days where the only thing he had to stress over and be unhappy about were school. Andrew had been able to cheer him up and take his mind off things easily then. It only took his favorite cup of coffee, some teasing, and hanging out together to do the trick.

_Andrew is being so nice and supportive. Something I'm not sure I deserve with the pain I've caused Serena and with the condition she's in. Not to mention I've barely been there for him these past few months. It's not by choice by any means but with my secret identity it's difficult to be able to have a meaningful conversation without letting something slip_. He thought as his eyes continued to scan the room. _Maybe I should tell him who I really am. He would definitely keep it a secret so I wouldn't have to worry about that, and I would be able to have conversations with him about my life instead of having to lie to him_. He considered as he idly looked down at his now blood-free hand.

"Do you think I should tell Andrew about who I really am?" Darien asked Mina as he turned his head to look at her. "Yours and the girl's secret would be out as well." He added warningly, aware that he couldn't give Andrew his story without telling about the Sailor Scouts as well.

"If you think he can handle it and keep it a secret then you should go ahead. It'll probably be good for you." Mina answered thoughtfully. She really did think it would be good for him, because he needed someone to talk to. Someone that wasn't a girl and someone that wasn't a part of their group, especially now. She was the only one of the girls that realized that he still loved Serena and that he was hurting just as much as she was by their separation. She hoped that he would be able to open up to Andrew about why he broke up with her so things could be fixed and the pair could be happy again.

"I'll tell him." He said with a slight nod. He knew he would have to wait until after Andrew was done working because it was a long story, and he wouldn't want him to have to go back to work after learning the things he would.

After voicing his decision Darien once again went back to thinking about his injured princess. He blamed himself for what happened to her, and blamed their lack of a real relationship as well. They had been two people who argued, insulted, and teased each other on a daily basis from the first day they met. He could admit now that he had become attracted to his little bunny during that time. He became addicted to the fire that would light up her eyes when he made her angry. He had teased her about her hair so much because he had been entranced by it. The only times he had seen hair anywhere near that long was in his dreams of the princess and with Sailor Moon, but Serena was there in front of him every day and he had wanted to run his fingers through the length and see if it was as soft as it looked.

Then he had learned in one day that not only was she Sailor Moon, the attractive heroine he fought alongside and saved numerous times, but also the princess he had been dreaming of for so long. She also had revelations about him that day. To her he was Tuxedo Mask, the mysterious figure that constantly saved her and whom she had a crush on, as well as the Earth prince she had loved in her past life. They didn't even get the chance to let the new knowledge settle before he was taken away and brainwashed to see her as the enemy.

When she had freed his mind from the evil taint it had only been moments before he had sacrificed his life to save hers. Then he was brought back to life but the only thing he remembered about her was that she was the annoying girl he always teased and insulted. He didn't even remember his attraction to her! The attraction did redevelop but the memories only came back _after_ he'd nearly died again trying to protect her.

Darien had only been in full possession of his memories for a few days before Rini came along, literally falling into and interrupting their first ever date, and very soon after her arrival the dreams of his princess' death if he continued to see her started. The one time he had decided to ignore the dreams and continue seeing Serena the dreams had gotten worse!

The world seemed to be against them having what they had in the past. From the little he remembered they had had problems but they had obviously had time to spend together and to get to know each other, and fall so hopelessly in love that they could not live without each other. Every time they learned something major about each other they were ripped away from one another. They were never given the chance to adjust to it and develop their relationship before something else major was revealed or happened. He wondered if anyone else had noticed it. He wouldn't blame them if they hadn't since he was just now realizing it himself.

The reborn Earth prince held back a pained sigh. Thinking about his and Serena's situation was making him worried and stressed, and he had the sudden urge to go for a hard horse ride.

_Where did that come from? _He wondered briefly before he suddenly remembered that he had had access to a horse in his past life. These days he would go for a drive, but he didn't trust himself behind the wheel right now. Nor on his motorcycle.

Darien put his free hand to his forehead and rubbed circles, feeling a headache coming on from all the stress he was feeling.

The secret scout of love watched Darien as he rubbed his forehead and guessed that he had developed a headache. It wasn't surprising since he had been silent for a while, most likely thinking about her Princess, and his thoughts must have produced a headache. She wondered what else he might have been thinking about. He certainly had a lot to choose from, from what she had seen since her arrival, not to mention whatever happened before she had arrived to join the group. She knew a lot about what happened with the girls but not with him.

_I wonder if Serena knows what... _Mina's thought trailed off as she saw a small bluish light coming from underneath Darien's hand as he tried to sooth away his pain. She gasped and grabbed his arm, pulling his hand clear of his forehead, and her eyes widened in shock. There, clear as day was the symbol for Earth glowing in the center of his forehead just above his eyebrows.

"Darien...your Earth symbol is showing." She said in a worried tone as she gazed at it, memories trickling into the forefront of her mind.

Darien grimaced at her words, memories flashing through his mind as he closed his eyes. He knew that they both had just realized that for his planetary symbol to appear like that he had to be incredibly stressed or in a life or death situation. Although he wondered why the symbol hadn't appeared before then. Surely it would have with what he had been through in his life, and someone would have noticed and said something.

_Maybe there wasn't enough time for it to appear or it disappeared before it could be noticed. _ He considered as he once again rubbed his forehead as if he could feel the symbol there. Either way he knew he needed some way to relieve the stress to get it to go away.

"Maybe you should talk to Andrew to help relieve your stress." Mina suggested as Darien covered the glowing symbol with his hand.

"I'm waiting till tonight to talk to him since it's going to take a long time." He said in a low voice. "And even if it didn't take so long I don't want him to have to go back out there to continue working right after learning something so serious." He added as he tried to calm himself down so his stress level would lower as well.

"Alright then. How about going for a run as Tuxedo Mask or in your prince form if you can manage it?" She offered.

Darien didn't answer. He was too busy trying to force his Earth symbol away, but once he managed it he nodded his agreement and they got up and exited the room. They spotted Andrew behind the counter and got his attention.

"We're going to go but I need to talk to you later. Will you be busy?" Darien asked as he leaned against the counter.

"No. I'm going to go to the hospital though, to see Serena after work if visiting hours are still available." Andrew responded with a slight frown and Darien nodded.

"I'll meet you at the hospital and we'll talk afterward." Darien said and with his friends agreement he gave him the location of Serena's room and the number before he and Mina left the arcade.

Once outside they calmly walked until they found an empty place to transform. Darien pulled a perfect red rose from seemingly nowhere just as Mina took out her orange and gold transformation pen. Quietly they transformed with brilliant flashes of light.

As Tuxedo Mask slipped Serena's broach into the inside pocket of his tuxedo jacket Sailor Venus looked around to make sure their transformations had not been witnessed. Once she was sure they leaped to the roof of the closest building and began to run and leap from rooftop to rooftop. Sailor Venus made sure to trail behind the masked man to give him room and a sense that he was alone.

Tuxedo Mask had no particular destination in mind. He just let his feet guide him. They eventually found themselves at what was once the Starlight Tower. It was still in ruins and looked as if it would continue that way for a while. As he slowly moved forward into the ruins Venus remained behind, staying on the edge of the ruined area, giving him space and keeping watch.

Removing his white mask Darien moved carefully to the center of the ruins and let himself remember as his eyes took in the broken cement blocks, building wire, and concrete.

He remembered the last time he had been there. The images of the ominous elevator ride flowing through his mind. He remembered being worried for Serena, blaming himself for getting her mixed up in something so dangerous. How he worried if he would be able to protect her properly with his injury, and the surprise he felt at himself for telling her something so personal about himself that no one else knew.

_This is where it all started. Our relationship_. He thought quietly as he closed his eyes, his mask slipping from his fingers and disappearing before it could connect with the ground. _If it weren't for the following events of that day our relationship might have progressed differently, better then it did...has._

In his mind he could see it clearly. The fire spiraling down toward them after the elevator suddenly stopped. His brief panic at having to transform in front of Serena and then his determination to do what it took to keep her safe even if it meant revealing his secret identity to her. The complete shock and surprise when he heard her determined voice call out her transformation phrase and watched her become Sailor Moon.

He remembered Zoycite telling her that her business was with Tuxedo Mask and Serena's confusion because as far as she knew her masked hero was not there. Her disbelief when he corrected her and her utter shock when he transformed was emblazed across his mind.

A small smile flitted across Darien's face as he remembered her determination to help him in his battle and the adorable blush that graced her cheeks when she understood that he needed to do it himself to find his princess. The smile faded, however, when he recalled Zoycite's cheap trick. He shuddered at the remembered pain of taking the blow meant for Serena, and the emotional pain of knowing that his wound would kill him and rob him of finding his princess...and the chance at seeing how things would change between him and Serena with their secret identities out in the open.

_One moment I'm telling her that I had always been on her side and always would be, and the next I'm looking up at my grief stricken princess. One look at her crescent moon adorned forehead and white silk covered body and I knew who I was. I was so happy to remember who I __really__ was and to finally have found her that it had almost distracted me from the fact that I was dying. __Almost__. _He thought as he opened his eyes and looked out into the ocean.

Darien let his transformation go, figuring this ruined area full of memories was a fitting place to try and bring out the prince in him. He remembered being able to do it when he had been brainwashed by the Dark Kingdom, so he should be able to do it now that he wasn't. He took out his Princess' golden broach to keep in mind why he was there, and concentrated on thoughts of his past life and wanting to be his true self.

Golden light flashed around him, causing him to close his eyes, but it was gone just as quick and he knew that he had succeeded. He stood there in his royal form, cape billowing in the breeze as he looked out at the ocean.

_It's so unfair! _He thought suddenly in frustration. _Even though our people had problems with each other in the past we were happy. We were able to have a relationship and be happy. How come we can't have that now?! It's supposed to be different this time, better then it was in the past! _He thought in aggravation, his frustration rising. _Why can't we be allowed to have a proper relationship now? Why all the interference?! _He wondered in irritation.

Darien glanced down at Serena's broach with a frustrated sigh and knew his Earth symbol was back; he could see its glow against the gold surface. He needed to calm down. He knew that the stress wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, but he knew he could push it back long enough to calm down and stay that way for at least a little while. The problem was, the only time he was this stressed was when it had to do with Serena, and the last time was when the damn dream started.

The reborn Earth prince took a deep breath and put his princess' broach in his subspace pocket, and on pure instinct he pulled his sword from its sheath on his left hip. He gazed at the sharp heavy metal weapon as he held it in both hands. He knew he was supposed to know how to use it since he had it, but the memories weren't there.

_Just close your eyes Endymion_. He coached himself, not really noticing that he had casually referred to himself by his past name. _You drew the sword on instinct so the movements should come on instinct as well._

Not so surprisingly, the tactic worked. He could feel his movements taking on a familiar pattern, familiar stances and sword strikes. He wondered what it looked like from a distance. He'd have to ask Mina. Still, now that he was moving and the familiarity was there, the memories began to come. The pictures flowed easily through his mind. Standing in a court yard as little more then a child learning with a wooden practice sword, then as a teen practicing- trying to learn to fight against a real opponent, and as an adult training with the soldiers of the army.

"Prince Endymion!" Sailor Venus called out to the sword wielding royal almost an hour after he began. "We should be getting back to the hospital." She advised after he turned to her.

The royal young man nodded in agreement before sheathing his sword and jogging toward her. Together they made their way to the hospital at a quick pace. He didn't want to miss his chance to see Serena before the night was over. Not that it would matter if visiting hours were over by the time they got there.

He _would_ see his Princess.


	3. A Secret Revealed

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

**A Second Chance**

_**A Secret Revealed**_

"Do you think we'll make it in time Prince Endymion?" Sailor Venus asked him as they hurried toward the hospital.

"We should." The Earth Prince confirmed. "However, it does not matter if visiting hours have ended. I will see my Princess regardless." He added confidently.

Sailor Venus merely nodded to herself, having no problem believing him as she idly wondered when this part of his personality would bleed into the everyday person that was Darien.

The duo stopped before they reached the hospital block and changed back into their civilian forms. Proceeding quickly to the hospital they found that they were lucky. Visiting hours were almost over, but they were still in effect even if only for short amounts of time.

Serena's family and Rini were gone, having decided to go home after seeing Serena one last time because it was just too painful. Amy, Lita, and Raye were still there along with Andrew waiting inside when they reached the waiting room. They could tell that Andrew had already seen Serena because he looked shell shocked.

"You should go see Serena first." Darien said to Mina before he went and sat down next to Andrew.

"You look much calmer than you did earlier." Andrew commented as he eyed his friend.

"Yes. I'll explain that when we talk later." Darien said quietly.

A short while later Mina came back to the waiting room looking as sad as she did the first time. She and the other girls decided to leave them to go inform Luna and Artemis, and said their goodbyes to the young men. Mina wished Darien good luck, earning confused looks from the girls but she said nothing.

Darien thanked her before heading to Serena's room. Seeing her this time was just as painful as the first time. Gazing at his unconscious princess he found he was more than happy that she had finally been covered up, but he still wasn't satisfied with it, especially after feeling the blanket.

_I'll bring her another blanket tomorrow._ He thought as he took a hold of her hand. He was happy that it wasn't as cold as it had been before, but it was still too cool for his liking and made him all the more determined to bring a warm blanket for her.

His sad eyes roamed over her, taking in her pale skin, the dried blood on her neck- not at all hidden by the bandages- and in her hair, the dark circles under her closed eyes, and the breathing tube in her mouth.

The pain and guilt washed over him, bringing tears to his eyes as he continued to look upon his unconscious princess. This was his fault. He had failed to protect her. He had been so sure that breaking up with her would keep the dreams from coming true. That the act would protect her. Instead, it had only ensured that she was away from him, away from his physical protection.

Darien closed his eyes, releasing the trapped tears. His heart ached. Ached for the pain her body was in, ached for the pain her heart was in, and ached for the fact that he was responsible for both.

She had to get better. He could not lose her. He did not know what he would do if he lost her. He didn't know if he would even _live_ if he lost her. It didn't matter that they hadn't had much of a relationship. His feelings for her were still strong, and the more he remembered of their past life the stronger they got.

His Serena needed to live so he could tell her how very sorry he was, tell her that he still loved her, tell her anything she wanted to know to make her happy again.

"I hope you are getting better Serena." He said quietly as he squeezed her hand slightly. "You _have_ to get better. We can't have our talk if you don't. I can't fix us if you don't. Please, _please_ get better Princess." He pleaded as he gazed at her, once again hoping for a sign that she had heard him and receiving none.

"I've decided to tell Andrew about everything." Darien said after a few moments of silence. "Not only does he deserve to know, but I need to tell him because I need to talk to him. I need him to listen, and I need his advice." He explained with a weary sigh. "I hope he takes it well." He added almost silently.

"In any case I'll tell you how it goes." He said before he leaned down and kissed her forehead in substitute for her lips. "I'll see you tomorrow." He promised. "I hope you're doing a little better by then." He added before releasing her hand and leaving the quiet room.

Darien walked back to the waiting room and Andrew, sure that he looked worse then he had the first time he saw her earlier. Andrew gave him a sympathetic look but didn't say anything as he got to his feet. They silently made their way out of the hospital and into Andrew's car. The silence continued during the drive leaving both to their thoughts until they reached Darien's apartment.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The two friends settled themselves in the living room, the light the only thing having been turned on at their entrance, and Darien slowly began to tell the secret of his life and the madness he had been through.

He started by telling Andrew about the memory loss of his childhood and identity with the accident that took his parents, and moved on to describe dreams of a princess he had had for years, including the fact that he could never see her face.

"At one point they stopped but I never forgot them over the years. Then about a year or so ago the dreams started again, coincidently with the appearance of Sailor Moon. She always asked for the same thing every time: to find the silver crystal and to free her." Darien explained quietly as he stared at his blank TV.

"This was also the time when I had painful headaches and a bit of memory loss." He said, reminding Andrew of times when his friend was unable to tell him where he had been or why he had missed class.

"After a little time had passed and seeing some of the footage of the Sailor Scouts fights on the news I began to suspect what was happening to me. That I was the one helping them." He explained with a slight frown as he remembered.

"My suspicions must have been strong even when I suffered the memory loss because one time I came back to myself and found myself holding a rainbow crystal in a place that I had never been before. The little crystal unblocked my memory and explained the headaches. I was Tuxedo Mask. The headaches, I came to understand, came whenever Sailor Moon transformed, to let me know that she might need me."

Andrew sat staring in wide eyed shock at his friend. He had never suspected that this was what Darien wanted to tell him, and he idly wondered _why_ he was telling him now. He understood very well why such a thing should be kept a secret.

"You've really been Tuxedo Mask all this time since Sailor Moon first appeared?" Andrew asked quietly.

"Yes." Darien answered with a heavy sigh.

"What about your dreams? The princess? Did you find her yet?" He asked curiously.

"I did." Darien replied before continuing his tale. "I ended up collecting two of the rainbow crystals and the Dark Kingdom retrieved the rest. Somehow they found out who I was and contacted me, here using my TV, and issued a challenge- winner gets all the crystals."

Darien went on to describe meeting Serena unexpectedly on his way to the meeting place, which was the Starlight Tower, and the both of them suddenly being brought there by the Dark General Zoycite. He continued on describing the events before and during the foreboding elevator ride, the attack that threatened to kill them both, and the revelation of Serena being Sailor Moon and her shock and surprise at finding him to be Tuxedo Mask.

"I was determined to go forward with the challenge even though I knew I couldn't trust the enemy. The chance to get all the rainbow crystals to help find the Princess and possibly get my memories back was too good to pass up." He said with a slight shake of his head.

"Serena, or rather Sailor Moon, offered to help me fight the dark general. She said that we had a better chance together, but I refused since it was something I had to do myself." He continued.

"We had not even started our fight when the dark general attacked Sailor Moon from behind. I was able to get to her in time, but I had to take the hit for her. There was no time for anything else." He said. "It was immediately apparent that I was very badly injured. I knew I was dying. I remembered being sad and angry that I would not get to find my Princess, or find out how things would change between Serena and I after learning about each other's secret identities." He explained.

"I must have blacked out for a bit because one moment I'm looking up at a teary eyed Sailor Moon and the next I'm looking at a grief stricken princess."

Andrew gasped and his eyes widened. _Was Serena not only Sailor Moon but the princess Darien had been looking for?_

"Serena was my Princess." Darien said, confirming Andrew's unvoiced thoughts. "One look at her, at the golden crescent moon on her brow and the white silk gown she wore, and I knew who I was. I was her Prince."

"After the rush of memories finished I passed out. I ended up being captured and brainwashed. I didn't know at the time that that had happened, but after I was free from it I still remembered everything from my time with them." He explained somberly.

Darien had never spoken about his time with the enemy in the Dark Kingdom and no one had asked, but he was happy that even being brainwashed to be evil his morals were still strong. He hadn't killed anyone or slept with anyone. Although there were many that tried, including the one who ordered his capture and brainwashing- Queen Beryl.

He hadn't wanted any of the females. He had kept it to himself while he was associated with them, but he had wanted his Princess. Even with thinking of her as his enemy he had still wanted Serena and no one else.

"How come I don't remember you vanishing for a while?" Andrew asked. Darien would have been with the Dark Kingdom at the time, and he was sure that his friend wouldn't have been worried about the life he had been living before, if he even remembered it.

"It's because of Serena and her crystal. You'll understand soon." Darien said before he continued his tale.

He explained that after a couple of months of him and the Sailor Scouts fighting each other things came to a head. The Scouts learned that the enemy's base was located in the North Pole, so they went there to stop the enemy once and for all. Eventually Serena arrived at the base as Sailor Moon and he was ordered to kill her and take her crystal. He fought her and hurt her a great deal before she managed to get through to him with her words and free him of the brainwashing.

"I was so violent with her because they had increased the evil taint in my mind because I had begun to fight it over the months. I wasn't following orders to their specifications, nor was I fighting Sailor Moon at my fullest. I was even helping her like I did as Tuxedo Mask. I had also been increasingly curious about her. I hadn't said anything to them but I still knew that Serena was Sailor Moon and that she was the Moon Princess."

"After Serena freed me Queen Beryl was obviously angry, enraged really, and tried to kill us. I sacrificed myself to protect Serena and died because of it." He said, not feeling the need to go into detail about how exactly he had died or how painful it had been.

"Where were the other Scouts?" Andrew asked in a hushed tone, still trying to process the fact that his friend had died, and yet here he was. "Shouldn't they have been there with her?"

"They were dead. Killed off one at a time as they made their way toward the base, because Queen Beryl wanted Serena alone when they met. Most likely so she wouldn't have any help when she faced me." Darien explained.

"From what I was told Serena had a showdown with Beryl and won but ended up using all her energy in the process since that's what her crystal feeds on when she's using it. As she was dying she made a wish that her silver crystal granted. She wished to be a normal girl. The crystal in turn brought us all back to life but none of us remembered anything that happened or each other. From what I could tell it was like the Scouts never went to the Dark Kingdom's base and I was never brainwashed." He stated.

"Do you remember a girl named Anne? She had reddish brown hair and the same color eyes." He asked Andrew after a few moments of silence.

"Yeah I do. She's the one that went to Serena's school and had a crush on you. I had wondered where she disappeared to." Andrew replied curiously, wondering what she had to do with his friend's secret.

"Yes she was a little obsessed with me just like her brother Alan was a little obsessed with Serena. Turns out they were a new enemy although that wasn't discovered until the end. Eventually the Scouts were needed again so their memories were unlocked." Darien said with a frown as he remembered.

"During this time since I didn't remember the Sailor Scouts there was no Tuxedo Mask, but there was the Moonlight Knight. I had seen that figure with my own eyes, but it turned out to be me, something my subconscious created in order to keep Serena safe even if I didn't remember what she meant to me." He explained as his friend nodded his understanding.

"I didn't remember anything until the siblings were defeated and sent on their way, after I had nearly died again protecting Serena. That part of me, the Moonlight Knight, merged back with me, giving me all my memories of what happened before as well as all the battles he helped in." He said and then sighed, knowing the hard part was coming. "I had only had my full memory for a few days when a little girl fell out of the sky and right into the middle of mine and Serena's first date."

"Is she the little pink haired girl with a style similar to Serena's?" Andrew asked, remembering occasionally seeing her with him and Serena.

"Yes she is." Darien answered. "A few days after her arrival I began to have dreams. Dreams showing me that if I continued to see Serena then something terrible would happen to her. When I tried to ignore them they got worse." He continued as he ran his fingers through his hair.

"We had been dating for two weeks at the most before the dreams finally got to me. I finally decided that I couldn't chance anything happening to her, to her getting hurt, so I broke up with her." He explained sadly, the pain of that action clear in his voice.

Andrew blinked in surprise. He hadn't realized that they had broken up. He just thought that they had a fight or something. Aside from that he was still shocked to learn that his friend was Tuxedo Mask and that Serena and her friends were the Sailor Scouts.

It was a lot to take in but it wasn't enough to distract him from his friend's condition.

He looked at Darien and could see that his friend was stressed over more than just what happened to Serena. Like his friend he was a smart individual and he could easily put the pieces together. Serena had the other Scouts to talk to about everything that happened to her. Darien had no one. From the beginning he had been alone.

The two young men sat in silence, lost in their thoughts for a while, before Darien spoke again.

"I'm telling you all this now for a few reasons. First, is because I'm tired of having to lie to you. You're my best friend and you deserve to know why I haven't been able to spend much time with you or speak to you. I want to be able to have a conversation with you without having to constantly monitor what I'm saying." He stated firmly.

"Second, because I need someone to talk to that's not a scout and not a female." He stressed. "I like the girls well enough but we're not close. They're Serena's friends and biased towards me in situations because of that fact. Well, except for Mina since she's still new to the group and not close to the girls yet. I think she could be a good friend. She even encouraged me to talk to you and tell you my secret." He said. He really did think she could be a good friend to him. He had really appreciated that she had comforted him at the hospital, and got him out of there and to see Andrew.

"Besides that, I'm uncomfortable being around Raye. I am very much aware that she _still_ likes me, even knowing that I'm Tuxedo Mask, the guy who always saves Sailor Moon, and the Earth Prince, who loved her princess so much he gave his life to protect her in our past." Darien said in frustration.

Andrew nodded at his friend. He could understand his frustration. A friend of the girl he cared deeply for was attracted to him, and knowing Serena she probably thought Raye had gotten over him. Furthermore, he was almost sure that Raye wasn't _trying_ to get over him.

"I understand why you kept everything a secret, and I appreciate that you told me. I'll keep yours and the girl's secret as best I can, and be there for you when you need to talk to someone not connected with this hero business." He said with a smile.

"Thanks." Darien said appreciatively. "Right now I need to talk about everything, and I need advice on what to do about my relationship with Serena." He continued with a sigh and began with his thoughts from earlier in the day.

The secret Prince of the Earth blamed himself for what happened to his Princess. He was sure that if he hadn't broken up with her he would have been with her, and she wouldn't have been attacked and hurt so badly. He also thought he should have told her about the dreams. If he had then neither one of them would have been heartbroken and unhappy.

On top of that he realized that even though they knew each other's secret identities, and remembered how much they loved each other in the past, they didn't really know each other all that well. They didn't have a real relationship. All they were used to was arguing, insulting, and teasing each other whenever they saw one another. As much as he enjoyed those interactions they weren't nearly enough to constitute a relationship.

He blamed it on the fact that he had been captured and brainwashed just after they learned each other's secret identities and about their past lives. Then he had missed out on months because he had no one to unlock his memories like she had. When he finally _did_ remember Rini shows up and the dreams start. Not to mention he was positive there was some jealousy over Rini spending so much time with him.

Andrew breathed calmly as he took in all the new information and tried to consider what to say to his friend.

"Darien you shouldn't blame yourself for Serena's attack or the condition she's in." He said, starting with the most important fact. "It's possible that even had you been there she still would have been attacked and you as well. Then the both of you might be in the same condition. Even with her friends with her they might have all been attacked, and depending on the circumstances Serena might have still ended up in the same condition."

_He's right. I shouldn't blame myself._ Darien thought as he listened to his friend. _But I can't help it! If I had been with her and we were attacked at least she wouldn't have been alone._ He thought as he remembered her bloody form and cloudy eyes.

"Why didn't you tell her about the dreams?" Andrew asked quietly as he turned in his seat to face his friend.

"It just never occurred to me to tell her. I'm so used to keeping everything to myself and having no one to talk to." Darien explained with a heavy sigh. "And…I think some part of me was afraid something would happen to her if she even _knew_ about the dreams." He added hesitantly.

"Tell her about them." Andrew advised bluntly. "The two of you really need to have a long talk about everything." He added.

"I agree. I even said the same thing to her at the hospital." Darien said with a nod.

"That's good. You should start with the dreams and move on from there. To the fact that you need to develop your relationship, talk, and get to know each other. Even talk about what you remember of your past life." Andrew encouraged. "You also need to stop spending so much time with that child. Why _do_ you anyway?" He asked quietly.

"For some reason I feel drawn to her. I can't explain it any other way." Darien answered.

"Do you even know who she is?" Andrew asked with a frown. "You said she fell out of the sky. Where did she come from before that? Why is she even here? I know she lives with Serena; how did that even happen? How did her family simply accept that?" He questioned, concerned about the child's origins and reasons for living with Serena and spending time with Darien.

"I don't know who she is or where she came from." Darien said with a frown, realizing just how _bad_ that sounded. "I just know instinctively that she's not dangerous. As for Serena's family accepting her, I don't know why they did but I have a feeling Serena knows."

"Well regardless of how drawn you are to that child, if you want to repair, or develop as the case appears to be, your relationship with Serena then you need to cut down on spending time with that little girl or stop all together." Andrew said seriously.

Darien considered that and nodded. He accepted the fact that he was unexplainably drawn to Rini. His senses told him that she wasn't a danger to either him or Serena, but Andrew was definitely right with his questions. He didn't know anything about her, and now that he thought about it it was a bit suspicious that the dreams started so close to her arrival and that she had knowledge of Serena's silver crystal.

_So who's more important? Serena or Rini?_ He thought as he closed his eyes, but there really wasn't a question. Despite being drawn to the child Serena was the most important person in his life. _Regardless of the problems we are having she is the woman I love. She is my Serenity._


	4. Interval of Waiting

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

**A Second Chance**

_**Interval of Waiting**_

After giving his advice Andrew watched his friend consider his words. He waited a few minutes in silence before deciding to speak. There were many questions he wanted to ask while Darien was telling him his secret, and he hoped to satisfy his curiosity as well as distract his stressed friends mind from Serena's condition.

"So..Darien," Andrew began slowly. "can I see you become Tuxedo Mask? I've seen news footage and the memorabilia that's made it to the market, but I'll admit seeing the transformation for myself would make it more real." He said curiously.

"Sure." Darien answered as he stood up and went to close the curtains to make sure no one would see his transformation through the window. He actually welcomed the chance to transform without having to go rushing into danger.

He pulled a perfect red rose from thin air and watched the rose begin to glow, resembling a shining crystal, before he was enveloped in a bright whitish gold light. When the light cleared he stood tall in his living room dressed in a black tuxedo complete with a tailcoat, a crisp white dress shirt, vest, and bow tie. Around his neck on a red ribbon hung a golden pendant, a white mask framed his blue eyes, white gloves graced his hands, a black top hat rested on his head, and finishing the look was a long red-lined black cape.

Andrew's eyes widened at the transformation and who his friend had suddenly become. He could see the confidence in his stance and the intensity in his eyes. It was also very clear to him that if Darien had not told him his secret he would have no idea it was him standing in front of him.

"Wow. That was impressive. You _look_ impressive." He said as his friend turned in his place as if he was modeling his attire.

"Thanks Andrew." Darien said as he moved back toward his seat.

"So do you remember what you looked like in the past, what you wore, or even what your name was?" He asked and watched his friend pause in his attempt to sit down.

Darien didn't answer, he just stood straight and moved back to where he had been standing. For a second time that day he concentrated on thoughts of his past and wanting to be his true self. Within moments he was enveloped in a golden light brighter then the last. When it cleared he stood in his royal form. A dark blue uniform with silver lining along his sleeves and chest that transitioned into gold lining around the neck, silver armor covered his shoulders, stomach, and hips as well as extending from his knees to the tips of his toes. A long sword sheathed in a brown belt hung on his left hip, and from his shoulders hung a red-lined black cape that appeared longer then the last.

"I am Crown Prince Endymion of the Golden Kingdom, heir to the throne of Earth." He introduced himself with an elegant nod of his head as his left hand came to rest on the hilt of his sword.

Andrew was amazed at how his friend looked and how his baring and tone of voice changed. You could see the elegance and confidence, and actually _hear_ the strength of command in his tone of voice. Everything about him now demanded complete respect and obedience. It was quite intimidating if he were being honest.

"Wow." Andrew gasped out, trying not to show how the transformation had affected him. "You look even more impressive." He managed to say calmly.

"Thank you." Endymion said as he managed to finally take his seat, gracefully and skillfully maneuvering his sword so it wasn't in the way.

"Well, do you remember Serena's past name?" Andrew asked as he gazed at the armor his friend was wearing.

"Crown Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, heir to the Silver Millennium." Endymion answered clearly and instantly, picturing Serena, his Serenity.

"I wonder what she looks like. I remember what you said about her gown but I would still like to see it." Andrew said as he imagined what they looked like together in their royal garb.

"I will ask her once I have made her aware of your knowledge of our secret." Endymion said with a slightly pinched face as he was once again reminded that his Serenity was in the hospital severely injured.

"You described Serena as Raye's princess. What did you mean by that?" Andrew asked, wanting to understand that.

"The Sailor Scouts are the guardians and protectors of the Moon Princess. They protect and support Serenity at all times." Endymion stated firmly.

As Andrew listened it was clear to him that his friend was more Endymion then Darien when in his current form, and he wondered if he should refer to him by the royal name he had been given.

"I'm curious about that golden thing you were holding at the arcade. What was it?" He asked curiously.

"It is Serenity's broach; it is what she uses to become Sailor Moon." Endymion said, leaving out the fact that it was supposed to house her silver crystal.

"I always thought that was just a decoration on her uniform, which I'm guessing was the point." Andrew said and watched his friend nod lightly. "If she's the princess the Scouts are supposed to protect why is she a scout as well? Why not just be the Moon Princess only?" He asked.

"Luna made a mistake. She recognized Serenity as having to do with the moon, but she obviously did not remember that it was in the capacity of a princess." Endymion explained, having reasoned it out for himself once they learned of each other's secret identities.

"I also believe it was a form of protection. She would learn how to protect herself and until she and everyone knew who she really was, she would be protected by being a part of the guardian scouts. Once she and everyone knew who she was she would continue to be able to protect herself." He finished.

"That definitely makes sense." Andrew said as he nodded. "Who exactly is Luna?" He asked in confusion. He had never heard of her being a friend of Serena's.

"She is a cat. One of two cat guardians of the Scouts. She is the one who gave them the items they use to become sailor soldiers. Except for Mina. Artemis, the other cat guardian, found her and gave her the item that turned her into a scout." Endymion explained.

"Cats." Andrew exclaimed. "That's unexpected." He said with a raised eyebrow. "So which scouts are which friends?" He asked.

"Mina is Sailor Venus, Amy is Sailor Mercury, Lita is Sailor Jupiter, and Raye is Sailor Mars." Endymion listed off calmly.

Picturing them in his mind from when he saw the girls earlier and remembering how they looked as scouts, he thought it was fairly obvious who was who now that he knew. It _still_ amazed him though that the girls who came into the arcade to eat and play the games were heroines with super powers that faced danger whenever it came. Just _amazing_.

"What's it like to have powers?" He asked curiously as he remembered his friend's transformations, going from Darien to Tuxedo Mask to Prince Endymion.

"It is incredible and empowering, but it is also a big responsibility. Having this power means that I am compelled to use it to defend and protect people, which essentially means putting myself in dangerous situations." Endymion explained thoughtfully.

"That's understandable." Andrew said softly. He could see why Darien was stressed. It had to be hard to knowingly run into danger because you knew you had the power to make a difference. It was probably a strain on the conscious to not do anything when you knew you could.

"Do you remember anything from this life?" He asked with a gesture at his friend and his royal look.

"I remember some things. Sometimes little things, sometimes big things, but I am remembering more and more every day." Endymion answered, not really wanting to elaborate.

"That's good. I hope you remember more." Andrew said sincerely, wanting his friend to remember all of who he is. "So what did you do earlier to calm yourself down before we met at the hospital?" He asked.

"After Mina and I left we went for a run and ended up at the starlight tower. My feet unconsciously brought me there since that was where it all started for Serenity and I. I did some thinking and relaxed by practicing with my sword. It was all instinctive, however, now that I have done so I now remember how to actually use my sword. Not to mention how I first learned to use it." Endymion explained calmly as he looked at his friend, recalling the memories that had come to him as he moved through the sword stances.

"I'm glad you were able to calm down and relax. I suggest you do that when you can if your stress levels get up there again." Andrew said helpfully.

"I shall." Endymion said with a nod.

Andrew tried but he was unable to think of any more questions, but Darien assured him that he could always ask later. It was late at night so when they both decided they were tired Andrew crashed there in the guest room, and Darien retreated to his room to try and sleep, hoping for a night of dreamlessness.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The next morning after thanking Andrew for listening to him and giving his advice then seeing him off Darien showered and dressed, then left his apartment without a bite to eat since he was not hungry at all. He drove to the mall and walked determinedly to one of the department stores and bought Serena a warm blanket to keep her warm during her stay in the hospital. He then went to a flower shop and bought his girl some fresh red roses for her room.

When his purchases were complete he drove to the hospital and arrived in time for the start of visiting hours. As soon as he walked into Serena's room he noticed that she had been cleaned up as best she could with bandages in the way. She was also dressed in a hospital gown and put under some covers.

He was happy about that. Serena deserved to be clean, and free of the evidence of her attack. It also helped ease his conscious a little and took away some of the pain of not having to see her the way she had been left after her surgery. Even then, despite her being cleaned up his memory of it would never go away.

Darien put the fresh roses on her nightstand next to the phone, and placed the new blanket in the chair next to the bed that he planned on sitting in during his visit. As he took a closer look at his slumbering princess he notice that her hair hadn't been washed or taken down from its usual style despite the dishevel of it.

_They probably didn't want to deal with the length and have it getting in the way._ He thought as he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Good morning Serena." He greeted her sadly. "How are you feeling?" He asked even though he knew he would receive no answer. "I brought you roses to liven up your room. Hopefully the fragrant smell will help bring you back to me." He said as he moved to hold her hand.

Cold fingers greeted Darien when his skin touched hers and he immediately frowned in displeasure.

_It could be because her hand isn't under the covers._ He told himself skeptically. He lifted the thin sheet and blanket and gently touched her leg to try and confirm his thoughts, and instantly noticed that she was not warm enough.

He turned to his chair and pulled the new thick blanket from its package. A soft light purple blanket with white planets and stars scattered over it was unearthed and spread out over his princess' sleeping form. As he straightened the blanket he was satisfied that it would soon provide her with the warmth her body needed.

"I spoke to Andrew last night just as I said I would." Darien began as he sat down and took her cool hand in his. "He took it very well and gave me some really good advice; advice that I agree with and plan on taking very seriously." He said as he gazed at her still face.

"He said that I need to stop blaming myself for what happened to you because it wasn't my fault. I agree with him completely. It wasn't my fault. I _know_ this, I _understand_ this, but I can't help how I feel. If I hadn't broken up with you then you wouldn't have been alone. I _know_ you wouldn't have been alone, because I _always_ want to be with you." He explained sincerely.

"He also stressed that we need to have a long talk, which is something I mentioned to you yesterday. We really do need that talk. There are so many things we need to discuss, not the least is the actual reason I broke up with you." He said quietly. "We need to talk and develop our relationship. We need time alone, just the two of us." He added as he squeezed her hand gently.

And really they did. He needed time with her away from those four girls. They needed privacy to talk about their secret identities. He knew nothing about how she felt about being Sailor Moon or what she had experienced besides the glimpses he had when he was saving her, and she knew nothing about how he felt about being Tuxedo Mask or what he had experienced and been through.

Not only that, they knew nothing about what the other remembered of their past lives, and he quite honestly _refused_ to talk about it with _anyone_ other than her. He hadn't remembered anything like it yet, but he was sure that there were things in their past relationship that were private and needed to be kept between themselves.

"Andrew also raised some concerns about Rini that I had not thought of and I know I should have. I know that she is not a danger to us, but we know nothing else about her. That's unacceptable." He said to her and himself as he remembered Andrew's words.

"He also gave me some advice in regards to her, and I've already made a decision about spending time with her." Darien said firmly. "I'm going to spend much less time with her. My relationship with you is much more important, and I don't want you to feel as if you're second best to a child. I was spending so much time with her because I felt unexplainably drawn to her, but that feeling won't rule me any longer." He promised in a firm tone.

Darien sighed wearily and gazed at Serena silently for a long time as he thought about when he learned she was his princess. He remembered it clearly even with how hurt he had been. He recalled how she looked in her beautiful white gown and her golden crescent moon clear on her forehead. He also remembered what she had looked like in the past. She was identical to her present self, only a bit older- more mature looking with even longer hair.

"I want to see my Princess; I want to see my Serenity again. I want to see you in your gown, feel its texture, and see you smiling at me." He said quietly in a sad voice.

"You have to get better. You have to come back to me. Don't you want to see me? Don't you want to see your Prince? Don't you want to feel me holding you and see me smiling at you instead of fighting you?" He asked sadly, because he was very aware that she hadn't seen his royal form since he had been brainwashed. "You have to get better for that to happen love. You have to get better to give me a chance to fix things between us." He pleaded as he gazed at her sadly and tightened his hold on her hand.

Darien would have gone on, hoping for some movement, some sign that she was hearing him, but her doctor walked through the door. When the man finished checking up on her he took the chance to ask about her condition and how she was doing.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Days passed with Darien, friends, and family visiting Serena. Darien came to the hospital every day, sometimes before school, sometimes after school and quietly doing his homework in her company, and sometimes skipping school altogether knowing he wouldn't be able to concentrate- too worried that she would wake up and he wouldn't be there.

It had been a week since Serena had been brought in and had surgery, and Darien and the Tsukino family- Rini included- were at the hospital since they had been informed by Serena's doctor that they were going to wake her from her medically induced coma. The Tsukino's knew because they were family, and Darien knew because he visited every day and constantly asked the nurses and doctor how she was doing. They knew he was close to her in some way and his constant presence proved that he cared a great deal. Some of the staff were even surprised that he was there more then her own family was.

They were all in the waiting room waiting to be told when they could go see Serena. The Tsukino family was sitting in the grouped chairs with Rini sitting with them constantly glancing at Darien, who was standing at one of the windows away from the others. His stance identical to the day Serena was first brought in. He knew Rini was looking at him but he was not about to acknowledge her. He had greeted her along with the Tsukino's when they arrived and that was more than enough as far as he was concerned. He was very resolute about his decision toward her and he would stick by it even if his Princess was unaware of any of it.

Darien also knew that Serena's father didn't like him, had been able to tell when he had first been introduced as her friend before he broke up with her. Maybe at one time, before the dreams started, he would have worked to get on the man's good side, but now he just did not care. It didn't matter if the man liked him or not. He would be with Serena and nothing would stop him. They hadn't been able to be together openly in the past, and he'd be damned if they couldn't in the present.

The doctor walked through the door and they all listened carefully as they were informed that when the doctor and nurses tried to wake Serena…they couldn't. The medical staff realized that she was now in a natural coma, and they had no idea when she would wake up if at all.

Darien's eyes widened and he slowly sank into the nearest chair. Serena wasn't waking up. His Princess wasn't waking up. His Princess might not _ever_ wake up.

_No! She has to wake up. She has to!_ The panicked thought skittered through his stunned mind.

Serena's body was healing fine. He knew this since he was there every day to see the healing and asking the doctor and nurses all the time. That meant it was her head that wasn't allowing her to wake. Was there something wrong with her mind that they didn't know about or was it the trauma of the attack? Could it be the heartbreak of their breakup that was the cause? Did she not _want_ to wake up?

It pained Darien horribly but if that was the case then he could understand. His own heartbreak was intense and if his Princess broke up with him and didn't want to be with him then he wasn't sure he would want to wake up if he was in her place.

Sounds seemed to be muted around him in his shock and pain as he heard the muffled sounds of Mrs. Tsukino's cries, knowing they should be louder. He leaned his elbows on his legs and put his face in his hands, his eyes closed as he tried futilely to block out the knowledge that his Serena might not wake up. What would he do if she didn't wake up? What was he supposed to do _now_?

_I need to see her._ The thought came to his mind suddenly and clearly.

He needed to be with her, so he stood and without a word to anyone walked out of the waiting room and to his Princess' room. He sat in the chair closest to the bed, his usual chair, and held her hand. He felt a little better being in her presence, but he still didn't know what to do with himself. After a few moments he decided instead of dealing with himself he would let someone else know about the new situation.

"Please find your way back. Find your way back to me." He begged as he kissed her and brushed his fingers over one of her soft cheeks.

With one more lingering look he left her room as well as the hospital and drove to the arcade where he knew he would find his best friend. When he arrived he found him behind the counter and headed for him, his pain blinding him to all but talking to his friend.

Andrew spotted Darien coming toward him and immediately knew that something was wrong. He looked worse then he had on the day of Serena's attack. He couldn't imagine what had happened now.

"Darien? What's wrong? What happened?" He asked quickly.

"The doctor was going to wake Serena from the induced coma they had her in today, but when they tried they discovered that she had fallen into a natural coma. They have no idea when she'll wake up or if she even will." Darien said miserably as he sat on a stool at the counter.

Andrew gasped as his eyes widened in disbelief. He was completely stunned at the grim news.

Darien put his head in his hands, not wanting to see the look on Andrew's face anymore. Within moments he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked over to see Mina standing at his side with concern written all over her face.

Mina took in Darien's nearly shattered expression and wondered what had happened now. She had been hanging out with Amy, Lita, and Raye when she saw him come in, and the look on his face was enough to tell her something was wrong. If that hadn't then the heartbreak she sensed would have done the job. She got up, the others having seen what she was looking at and wondered as well. She told them she would find out before Raye could get a chance to open her mouth and offer as she moved toward him.

"What happened?" She asked him softly and watched him grimace in pain and look away.

"They tried to wake Serena and found out she's in a natural coma now. They don't know when or if she'll wake up." Andrew answered quietly for Darien and listened to Mina's surprised gasp.

_This isn't good. What are we going to do if Serena doesn't wake up? What is __Darien__ going to do?_ Mina thought as she shot him a worried look, not really sure she _wanted_ to know. _What about the enemy? Could this have been their goal or is this just a coincidence?_ She wondered worriedly. She had no idea but she knew she needed to tell the girls. She also knew that Darien needed to get away from there, but she didn't want him to be alone.

"Can you leave work?" Mina asked Andrew as she looked away from Darien.

"I can for Darien." Andrew answered instantly. "I've already told him I'll be there for him and I meant it." He added firmly, determined to show his loyalty to his best friend now more than ever.

The way he said it told Mina that Darien had revealed his secret and his friend had at the least accepted it. She was glad that he now had someone to talk to and confide in.

"Okay. I'm going to let the girls know, and then I think the two of us should get Darien home." She said as she looked from Andrew to Darien, who seemed to be lost in a world of pain.

"Are you okay with this Darien?" She asked him as she gently squeezed his shoulder, hoping he had heard her question to Andrew.

Darien nodded. The part of him that wasn't in pain knew that he didn't want to be around a lot of people, and that he _still_ didn't know what to do with himself.

"Okay. I'll be right back." Mina said to both guys before she walked back to the table where the girls were waiting and watching.

"So they tried to wake Serena today and they found out that she's in a real coma now. They don't know when she'll wake up or if she will." Mina said quietly as she stood at the table and watched their faces go from shocked to sad to worried. "Me and Andrew are going to take Darien home, so he's not out here trying to deal." She added.

"I can take him home with Andrew." Raye said quickly, irritation clear in her voice.

"What you need to do is go with the others and inform Luna and Artemis about the situation, and then do a fire reading to see if this new enemy actually planned what happened to Serena or if it was just a coincidence." Mina replied instantly in a quiet serious tone.

With that said the current leader of the Sailor Scouts walked away from the table, not bothering to hear any comeback comment from the secret scout of Mars, and back to a sad and depressed Darien. She sat next to him and they quietly waited for Andrew to be ready to go.

Once Andrew was ready to go they walked out to Darien's car, where Andrew insisted on driving and took the keys from a silent Darien. When they reached Darien's apartment Mina glanced around curiously as they settled in the living room, wondering if Serena had seen the place yet. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Darien took out Serena's broach and caressed its shiny surface, lost in his thoughts.

Andrew watched Darien's movements and looked curiously at the golden broach before turning to Mina.

"So…Sailor Venus huh?" He said casually with a slight smile.

"Yeah that's me. Scout of love and beauty, leader of the Scouts when it comes to protecting the Princess and when she's unable to fill the leadership role." Mina said with a casual shrug, internally thinking about what a nice smile he had.

"Wow. What's it like being a scout, being Sailor Venus?" Andrew asked.

From there a conversation ensued on what it was like being a scout from Mina's point of view. Darien listened on quietly as they talked animatedly, sure that they thought the conversation would distract him from Serena, but all it did was remind him that he didn't know what it was like being a scout for Serena.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

It was a cold, rainy, and stormy day and Rini was at Juuban Municipal Primary School waiting to get picked up that afternoon. Mrs. Tsukino was late and she was the last child there.

Rini sighed sadly. It had been almost two weeks since Serena was attacked and she was still in the hospital. Everyone was visiting Serena and waiting for her to wake up. No one was paying any attention to her. Even Darien had stopped spending time with her. She knew from overhearing Mrs. Tsukino that he was always at the hospital visiting Serena. Why was he spending so much time with her when she wasn't awake to know he was even there? When he hadn't even been spending much time with her before she was attacked? She just didn't understand.

She was angry at Serena for getting attacked and hurt in the first place and landing herself in the hospital.

_She must have done something to draw the monsters attention. She probably did it on purpose to get Darien to pay attention to her again, and take his attention away from me._ She thought with a petulant frown.

Rini was used to getting all the attention and notice from those she wanted and she felt that with no one gathering around her paying attention to her, that she just didn't belong there. She had come so far, all the way there, to help her mother, but it was hard to do when she was alone and felt no one wanted her there.

She couldn't take it anymore. She felt so alone, she just wanted to go home. She ran out of the building, away from the school, and into the storm with Luna P following in the air behind her. Rain sprinkled heavily down, soaking her as her feet splashed through the gathering water on the ground. She had no idea how far she ran, but when she grew tired she took shelter in a building that didn't have any people around the entrance.

Tears rained from her eyes, joining the rain water covering her face. She didn't want to be here anymore. She wanted to go home. She wanted her mother.

Rini pulled out her necklace from her wet shirt and held the little key tightly in her hand, ignoring the crystal attached, hoping it would work to take her home. Unfortunately it didn't. Reddish pink rays of light came out of the key and passed through her hand, but other then that nothing happened.

"No. No. Work. _Work_." She cried as she shook the key, tears trickling from her eyes. "I want to go home! I want my mommy!" She cried loudly, becoming hysterical the louder she got.

Her tears came faster and harder, a golden crescent moon unknowingly appearing on her forehead as her powers unconsciously flared in her distress. Lightning and thunder suddenly flared in the sky but she ignored it in her hysterics.

"Look what we have here." She heard a feminine voice say. Her head shot up, her damp dark pink hair swaying around her face as she looked through the open glass doors, the crescent moon fading from her forehead.

A woman with long white wavy hair, snow white skin, a blue mark on the left side of her forehead and a red mark on the right, wearing a black short dress floated in the air above the street. She wore black boots on her feet, a blue band on her left wrist and a red band on her right, a large drum strapped around her waist, and held some sort of black sticks in her hands. What concerned Rini more though was the lightning sparking from the sides of the drum and the sticks.

"Come on now. We should get going. Or are you going to make this fun for me?" The pale woman said with a smirk as the sky rumbled.

Rini's eyes widened and without a thought she ran out into the rain, barely avoiding a lightning bolt sent at her as she fled from the monster woman.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

The secret Sailor Scouts and their cat guardians were gathered at Lita's apartment to hang out and discuss a number of things. One such thing being who the enemy was and what they wanted, and another being why they attacked Serena and if they knew who she really was. Did this new enemy have anything to do with her what with the beings having inverted black crescent moons on their forehead or somewhere on their person?

The fire reading Raye had done a few days ago hadn't been much help. All she had been able to see was a large black inverted crescent moon, and what looked like glass buildings that had been destroyed. Nothing else came and what she had seen didn't make sense to any of them beyond the enemy wearing the black crescent moon.

There had only been one attack since the assault on Serena and they hadn't been able to learn anything except that the monsters were called droids, and depending on the droid they either took a person's energy or spread dark energy.

The droid had been a female with turquoise hair, dark green eyes, wearing blue and white clothing, and a silver crown with a large blue jewel with a black inverted crescent moon on it. She could fly and had the ability to breathe out a blizzard of snow and ice so intensely cold that it could freeze a person solid within seconds.

It had been a difficult droid to defeat, especially without the help of Tuxedo Mask who knew nothing of the attack. As far as they knew he had been at the hospital visiting Serena. Most of them may be angry and confused about why he hurt their princess but he was still one of the good guys and his help was needed. It was just hard to get in contact with him. Before he had always shown up at the fights to help, but it seemed without Serena there he had no way of knowing when a fight took place.

Suddenly Amy's computer began beeping, and she quickly grabbed it and began typing furiously.

"There's a massive surge of energy in the downtown area." Amy announced as she worked to pinpoint the exact location.

They had no idea what it was but they knew it couldn't possibly be anything good, so as soon as Amy had the location narrowed down as much as she could the girls headed out into the rain and transformed in route. What they found was Rini running from a white haired white skinned droid that was shooting bolts of lightning at the child.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus called out, wasting no time in attacking, hitting the droid in the back and sending her flying.

"Mercury Aqua Mist!" Sailor Mercury called out, sending out a thick fog to conceal them from the droid and provide some cover.

Sailor Jupiter took advantage of the fog and used it as cover to swoop in and swiftly grab Rini and get her away from the area. The droid screeched in anger and pulled out an orange blow dryer and blasted a massive gust of wind to clear the fog. Jupiter made it to a narrow alley just in time to miss being seen by the droid.

"Burning Mandala!" Sailor Mars shouted the moment the wind stopped, sending rings of flame flying at the droid who dropped to the ground to avoid the fiery rings.

"I want you to stay here okay." Jupiter said to Rini as she set her down. "I want you to stay hidden until the fighting is done. Can you do that for me?" She asked the little girl as she knelt in front of her and watched the girl nod.

"Okay. I'll be back." She said with a friendly smile before running to join her fellow scouts.

"Shine Snow Illusion!" Mercury called and a small snow storm formed around her before speeding toward the droid.

"Crescent Beam Shower!" Venus called out, adding her numerous beams to Mercury's snow storm, bombarding the droid in a cocoon of bluish-white and orange-yellow blasts.

The droid screamed in pain, unable to avoid the blasting storm. She huffed in a slouch as she tried to recover, her hands clenched around the black sticks they held as the tips sparked with electricity.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" Jupiter called as she threw a ball of electricity at the droid. She knew her attacks would be useless against this droid since it was clear to her eyes that the female had a similar power over electricity, which meant she probably could use lightning as well. Still, Jupiter thought she could at least distract the droid while the others attacked.

The droid used one of her sticks to bat the electric ball aside then beat the drum with her sticks, electricity surging out of the sides of the drum and tips of her sticks as she jumped up and floated in the air. Thunder dramatically rumbled in the air and lightening flashed across the sky behind the droid.

The Sailor Scouts watched the droid and glanced at each other before running for cover just as lightning came shooting down at them, blasting apart everything it hit. Concrete and asphalt flew in all directions shattering store front and car windows spraying the shielded Scouts.

"Mars Snake Fire!" Sailor Mars shouted as she stood from her place, pieces of glass falling from her black hair.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus called as she came out from her cover in a doorway.

Sailor Mars' fire snake coiled around Venus' beam just before they crashed into the air borne droid. The droid shrieked as she slowly lowered toward the ground.

"Now!" Venus shouted her command as she powered up another attack. "Rolling Heart Vibration!" She called before she threw a golden rolling heart.

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury called from her spot, blasting water at the droid to join Venus' heart.

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" Jupiter called and watched an electrical dragon join her fellow Scouts attacks.

"Fire Soul Bird!" Mars yelled and watched her fiery phoenix join the other attacks.

The four attacks sped toward the hurt droid and smashed into it. A piercing scream tore through the air and the sky around the droid flashed blue, orange, red, and green. The female droid flew backward, her scream cutting off abruptly as she slammed into the side of a building and disintegrated.

The Scouts moved toward each other looking and feeling tired as the rain continued. That may have gone quickly but they knew it only happened because they caught the droid off guard and kept hitting it with back to back attacks. Even then, it still hadn't been easy. It was just as difficult as the last droid, and Mercury and Venus were already wondering what they were going to do if the droids began to get stronger. Especially if their Princess remained in her coma.

The tension was broken slightly by the sound of small footsteps, and they turned wearily, on guard after their battle, only to see Rini coming toward them holding Luna P.

"Are you okay?" Mercury asked kindly.

"Yes." Rini said as she stopped in front of the Scouts. "Where…where are Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask?" She asked, remembering them from the first time one of those strange monster people attacked her.

"They couldn't make it." Venus answered, saying nothing more since she as well as the others knew where they were. Serena was in the hospital in a coma and Darien was at the hospital watching over her, unaware that there had even _been_ an attack.

"Why are you out here and not at home on such a dreary day?" Mars asked curiously as she crossed her arms over her chest against the cold rain.

Rini frowned as the Sailor Scouts looked to her for her answer. She knew she couldn't tell them that she had run away from school and was trying to go back home. She definitely couldn't tell them where she was from, and even if she did she didn't think they would believe her. Although, she thought it was possible that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask would believe her from the stories her parents had told her about the special warriors.

"I was trying to make my way home from school and I got lost. Then that strange monster lady attacked me." She said instead of telling the truth.

The Scouts didn't quite believe her story. She was too young to be out by herself after all, and Venus at least wondered what she had _really_ been doing. It hadn't escaped her notice that the droid was clearly after Rini despite the few people that had still been out in the open as it passed. Still, they let it go and asked her where she lived so they could take her home even though they already knew.

She told them easily enough and Jupiter once more took Rini into her arms, and they ran her home to get her out of the rain quicker. All of them wondering, with varying emotions, about the child they had saved and what was really going on with her.


	5. Serena's Agony

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

**A Second Chance**

_**Serena's Agony**_

Quiet filled the room as Darien lay in bed staring at nothing in particular. It was late at night and he had been trying to fall asleep for hours, but thoughts of Serena and himself kept his mind too active for sleep.

It had been two and half weeks since he learned that Serena was in a natural coma and might not wake up, and he still had no idea what to do with himself. Nothing he did made the feeling go away. He had tried to throw himself into his studies, but of course he still visited his princess everyday so he was sure that the effort was cancelled out.

He had spent time with Andrew answering his questions and just talking about some of the things he had done and experienced as Tuxedo Mask. He also had tried to have fun with his friend since he was aware that he now had the chance to strengthen his friendship with Andrew now that he knew his secret.

Sometimes he spent his time with both Andrew and Mina getting to know her better and watching as she and Andrew became friends. Sometimes he found himself wondering if he was witnessing the beginning of a relationship. At times it made him bitter because he and Serena hadn't been allowed time to form that foundation, and other times he hated watching since they talked a lot about Mina's life as a scout, mostly before she joined the others, and it reminded him of his lack of knowledge with Serena on the subject.

Darien also talked to Mina about their new enemy since he was very aware that he knew nothing about them, and had not come close to fighting any of them since Serena's attack. He learned what the monsters were called, about her suspicions about how they had specifically gone after Rini one day, and the inverted black crescent moon they wore.

He only talked to Mina about the enemy. The only time he had contact with the other girls was when they happened to be visiting Serena at the same time he was, and if Raye was there he made sure to leave and come back at another time.

He was doing his best to stay away from her because of her feelings for him. He was not ignorant of the look in her eyes when she looked at him, or of how she would stand next to him before he managed to get away. Although he found it odd that she used to be angry with him for breaking up with Serena, and yet she still liked him. Now her anger seemed to be gone, at least when she wasn't pretending in front of Lita, Amy, and Mina. He guessed she didn't want the others to know that she still liked him.

He stayed away from Lita and Amy because he knew Lita was angry with him, and Amy he was unsure how she felt about him. Aside from those things he had nothing else to try to make that helpless feeling go away.

Darien turned on his side and looked out of his balcony window at the night sky and lights of the city. _Perhaps I should try something completely different._ He considered as he got up. He dressed comfortably and silently left his apartment.

Once he was a good distance away from his apartment building he located an out of the way alley and transformed into Tuxedo Mask. He ran through the city, the cool night air helping to keep him alert, as he vaulted from roof top to roof top, light poles, and trees. His destination was the Starlight Tower since it was an isolated place, and he hadn't been there since the day of Serena's attack.

When he arrived he walked around the crumbled debris and sat on a large flat chunk of concrete overlooking the ocean as he took off his top hat. He stared out at the ocean, listening to the crash of waves against rock and decided that he needed to do some soul searching.

He could not continue to go on this way. Yes, he knew that he needed to fix things with Serena but he could not do that until she woke up. He would feel terrible about not being there for her to prevent her attack until he was able to tell her how sorry he was. He would also continue to feel helpless and still at a loss unless he did something about it.

He did not want Serena to think he could not function or take care of himself while she was injured. He also didn't want her to think he had not been helping to deal with the enemy while she was unable to help. He knew that without her he was less likely to be at any fights, but maybe if he put his mind to it he could think of some way.

_She deserves someone stronger then I've been showing myself to be. I need to be strong for myself and her. She needs to know that I can take care of her, and be her strength when she needs me._ He told himself seriously.

Darien needed to be confident in himself. Maybe if he had been then he wouldn't have listened to the dreams that he had allowed to separate them.

_Of course,_ He thought bitterly. _it's ironic that those dreams seem to have disappeared._ He couldn't tell exactly when they stopped, but they had and he wondered why since they hadn't even stopped after he broke up with her. As if to remind him of what would happen if his resolve wavered.

Darien frowned lightly and took out Serena's broach. He gazed at the beautiful design for a long time and made a decision.

No longer would he allow anything outside of himself to influence him. Never again. He needed to be more like Endymion, he needed to be more like he was in the past. When he came out of his royal form he could tell the difference in his personality, but he usually let it fade and had never bothered to try and be that way in his current life.

He thought it was time he did. Time to be firm, confident, adaptable.

Darien thought about his past, everything he could remember, and his want to be more like Endymion. Golden light surrounded him then faded, leaving him sitting in his royal form.

He could feel it. The confidence, the power, the unyieldingness.

He stood up and began to walk around noting how strong and elegant his movements were. He needed to become a perfect blend of Endymion and Darien. One part becoming stronger, more dominate depending on the situation, but always there should be a mixture of the two.

He knew he could do it. He did it every time he took his royal form and released it. He even did it to a point as Tuxedo Mask. His masked personality was more Endymion then Darien, and from what he remembered it was the same way with the Moonlight Knight. He just needed to be conscious of doing it until it became unconscious and automatic.

And he would, even if he had to stay out there all night going from Darien to Endymion. He _would_ achieve that blend.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Tired. Pain. So much _pain_.

"_Please, stay. This isn't how we're supposed to end."_ Those were the last words Serena heard that made sense to her. After that she heard murmurs, whispers, and disjointed words before it all faded.

.

.

.

The next time she was aware of anything she found herself in a black void. She floated there for a long time. She was unsure how long; it seemed forever. She felt a muted pain, achy, depressed, and confused.

Serena didn't know why she was there, or how she got there, or even where _there_ was. All she knew was that she didn't like the darkness, it seemed to eat at her mind, bringing out sad thoughts.

"_Please, stay. This isn't how we're supposed to end."_ Again those words came to her. She knew that voice. _Darien._ He said that to her, but it confused and pained her. He had broken up with her. They had already ended. Why did he want her to stay? Judging by the darkness surrounding her it was clear that she hadn't stayed with him.

She still didn't understand why he broke up with her. What had she done wrong? Did she make him angry? Was he tired of her? Did he just not feel the same way about her anymore? She didn't know but if that was true then why had he said those words to her? Why did he beg her to stay if he didn't want to be with her?

As Serena floated in the darkness pondering her last question she began to notice the black void she was in wasn't so dark anymore. In fact it was getting brighter. She watched dispassionately as white buildings faded into view, or rather the ruins of what had been buildings, and a black star speckled sky with a large beautiful blue orb suspended there. She looked around and realized that she was now in the ruins of her old kingdom. Looking down at herself revealed that she was wearing her royal gown, and the muted pain and depression she had been feeling was gone.

She began to slowly walk around, taking in the view as she wondered why she was there. No sooner had the thought crossed her mind when she heard a voice. It was clearly the voice of a woman older then her. Her tone was calm, so gentle, and almost like music.

"You must wake up. Your Prince is waiting. Not all is as it seems. There is much you do not know."

"Has Darien been keeping secrets from me?" She asked, not at all feeling foolish for speaking to a disembodied voice.

"Yes." The gentle voice answered and she frowned, angry and sad that Darien would do such a thing, that he didn't trust her.

"You have no right to feel that way when you too have kept many things from him." The gentle voice stated, a note of disappointment in her tone, revealing that it could tell what she was thinking. "That is yet another reason why you must wake. Both you and your Prince _must_ discuss those things."

Serena frowned in thought as she considered what she could possibly be keeping from Darien. It only took moments before scenes began appearing in the air before her as if she was watching TV.

…Moments of her jealousy of Rini and the time she spent with Darien played out. _That's obvious to everyone but I guess it still needs to be said. I need to voice how it makes me feel._ She thought as she watched.

…Instances that confirmed to her the fact that Raye stilled liked Darien. _I guess I need to tell him about that as well, and how I'm sure Raye thought I didn't notice._ She told herself quietly as the scenes continued.

…She watched as Luna approached her for the first time and told her that she was Sailor Moon. Her transformation followed as well as her first brush with the Dark Kingdom. She remembered being scared and panicked, and how Luna had been no help in showing her or telling her how to use her new powers.

_I was in a sink or swim situation. After that experience I didn't want to be Sailor Moon, especially since I already had doubts._ She thought with a sigh. _Sometimes I still don't want to be Sailor Moon. I guess that's something I have to tell him as well._ She considered with a frown as she wondered how he would take that.

…She watched as Amy, Lita, and Raye became scouts and instinctively knew how to use their power. She remembered how sad and self-conscious that made her feel when she considered how she hadn't known how to use her powers right away or how to fight without practice.

…She frowned as she listened and watched Luna and the girls complain about her fighting ability and her ability to lead. It tore at her self-esteem all over again to hear their words and reminded her why she sometimes didn't want to do any of it.

…She watched the moment each of her friends died before she faced Queen Beryl and remembered the crushing sadness and guilt at being unable to stop it from happening.

…Scenes of when she learned that Darien had been captured and when she had to fight against him when he was brainwashed played before her eyes. _Oh it was horrible._ She thought with a grimace as she watched, but that time was nothing compared to the time he didn't remember her. She watched herself trying to get him to remember her without actually telling him out right who she was to him, and remembered how painful it was when he would look at her like she was crazy or laugh at her attempts. She knew it wasn't his fault since he didn't remember, but it still left her hurt and even a bit angry.

…She watched the many instances where, unbeknownst to those around her, she didn't feel like the Moon Princess they had been searching for. She only felt like a princess twice: when she first remembered and when she had defeated Queen Beryl. Both times only lasted minutes and nearly every moment afterward she felt unworthy of the title and anything but special.

As the images stopped Serena frowned guiltily as she realized that there were a lot of things she had been keeping from Darien, and she was sure there were more things she couldn't think of at the moment.

"You are right, and you cannot punish him for something you have done as well." The voice said gently. "Now, you need to wake up and speak to your Prince." The voice reminded her.

"What do you mean wake up?" She asked with a confused frown. "And where am I?" She asked since she knew she wasn't really on the Moon.

"Do you know why you are here?" The voice asked gently.

"No." Serena said and instantly the scene of her attack was playing in the air in front of her, and as she watched she remembered that she had been badly injured and was sure that she was going to die. Still, that didn't explain where she was now. Was she dead?

"You are not dead." The voice reassured her. "You are locked inside your mind, but it is time for you to wake and speak to your Prince."

"How am I supposed to do that?" She asked but the voice refused to answer, and she had the feeling it knew more then it was letting on. "Who are you?" She decided to ask.

"You will learn eventually." The voice answered.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

It was midafternoon when Darien walked out of a small building with cellphones and cellphone posters displayed in the large windows. He had a small white plastic bag in one hand and a black cellphone in the other as he made his way to his parked car.

Darien had been in his last class of the day when he decided that he needed a cellphone and that Serena needed one as well so they could keep in contact more easily. He hoped it would help when they began to talk about all the things they needed to.

When he reached his car he unlocked the door and slipped into the driver's seat and shut the door. He put the bag on the passenger seat and began to input numbers, names, and information into his phone.

Once he was sure he knew how to work his new phone he put it in his pants pocket then pulled out a box from the plastic bag that held Serena's phone. He took out the white phone and proceeded to put his home number as well as his new cell number into it.

He had realized when the idea of getting them phones first occurred to him that it was something else they had neglected to do. They had not had each other's home phone number, and he was sure it was because they were used to running into each other nearly every day.

When he finished he put the phone back in the box, the box back into the bag, and slipped the bag under the passenger side seat so no one would see it should they look into the window and decide they wanted to steal it.

Sitting up straight Darien buckled his seatbelt as he turned on his car and settled as he began to head to the arcade so he could give Andrew his new number, and get a little studying done as well as a snack before the masses of students flooded the place and drove him out.

_I need to remember to give Mina my cell number and home number when I see her._ He reminded himself. That way if Mina needed to contact him for any reason then she would be able to.

When he arrived he parked nearby the establishment and grabbed his bag with his school things from the passenger side floor and got out of his car and locked the doors. He walked to the arcade and passed through once the sliding glass doors opened, and immediately went to sit on his usual stool at the counter where he proceeded to pull out a notebook, pen and one of his textbooks. He knew Andrew was around somewhere since he didn't have any classes that day, so he decided to study until his friend noticed him there.

Sometime later Darien looked up at the sound of his name and saw Andrew coming toward him from behind the counter.

"Hey. How long have you been here?" Andrew asked.

"Umm…about half an hour." Darien said after he checked the time.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Andrew asked.

"Because I didn't mind waiting." He answered patiently. "Anyway, I got myself and Serena cellphones." He added before quickly writing down his new number and giving it to his friend.

"I'm surprised you got one since you haven't bothered to before." Andrew said, the surprise clear in his voice as he carefully put the new number in his pocket. He didn't want to lose it after all.

"I didn't need one before. Now it will allow me and Serena to keep in touch easier." He stated. "We didn't even bother to exchange numbers, so that's something I'm rectifying with my decision." He explained in a melancholy tone. "I'm also going to give Mina my numbers so she can contact me if there are any fights. I thought that would help the girls get a hold of me since it's usually Serena's transformation that let me know if there's a fight." He added quietly.

"Ah. Well those are good ideas, but you should be careful not to let Raye get that number." Andrew said.

"I know." Darien said with a grimace. "I'll let Mina know to be mindful of who's around her and to be careful when she calls me." _It's bad enough I made the mistake of giving Raye my home number when we went on those dates._ He thought to himself. She had called him practically nonstop during that time. He was sure the only reason she stopped was because she learned that he was Tuxedo Mask and Prince Endymion, and that both identities were infatuated with Serena.

Andrew nodded at his friend as he leaned against the counter.

"So do you want your usual coffee?" He asked.

"No. I'll have something else." Darien said. "I'll have a root beer float." He ordered confidently, knowing it was something he wouldn't normally get.

Normally he would have gotten a cup of coffee like Andrew thought even if he didn't want it. That's what serious people drank when they worked or studied, and he usually needed the caffeine because of late night fights and having to study as well, but coffee wasn't really what he wanted right now. He wanted a root beer float and that's what he was going to get. After all it had only been a few nights ago that he decided to be a mixture of his past and present self, and his past self wasn't one to deny himself the joys of life.

That was one of the reasons why he had been so attracted to Serenity, and why he had gotten her. Endymion had been a serious man, but he knew when it was time to work and when it was time for fun. And Serenity had been so full of life and fun and adventure. He thought the reason he hadn't been that way was because in his current life he had grown up doing nothing but work and study. There had been no time for fun and no one to have fun with anyway.

_Serena would thoroughly approve of my choice of drink._ He thought with a slight smile.

Andrew blinked in surprise and Darien quietly explained his soul searching of a few nights ago when he couldn't sleep and the decision he had come to.

Andrew nodded and considered that now that he knew, he could see a difference in his friend. He could hear it in the way he spoke and see it in his posture, not to mention his demeanor. He was more calm and relaxed then he had seen him in weeks. He was obviously still sad about Serena, but he wasn't so angst driven anymore.

"I'm happy for you." He said with a smile. "So how long are you going to stay?" He asked as he turned around and began to make his friends drink.

"Most likely until junior high students start to show up. Then I'll go see Serena and see if there's any change in her condition." Darien answered.

Andrew nodded and placed his drink in front of him before hurrying off to deal with some new costumers that were just sitting further down the counter.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Darien heard his name being called for a second time that day. This time by a female voice that he knew. He frowned but didn't look up as he continued to write out his notes, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he heard the girl sit on the stool next to him.

"How are you doing?" He heard her ask and he held back a sigh.

"I'm fine." He replied. "How are you doing?" He asked courteously as he continued to write out his thought before he forgot it. He knew he could use it for the ten page paper he had due the next week.

"I'm doing well." She answered. "I just came from home after changing of course." She continued on as if he had asked about it.

"How are the girls doing?" He asked idly.

"I don't know. I haven't seen them today." She replied offhandedly.

Darien finally looked up from his writing and looked at Raye for a moment before looking behind him.

"Are you meeting them?" He asked as he searched the booths for them. _She has feelings for you._ He reminded himself. _She really has no business speaking to you alone when she should be angry with you for breaking her princess' heart._

"No." He heard Raye reply just as he spotted Andrew watching them from the booth he was tending. At least he knew his friend was watching his back since he knew how he felt about Raye. It was definitely a relief.

"How long will you be studying?" He heard her ask as he went back to his writing.

"I don't know." He said, not wanting to give her a specific time frame without knowing exactly what she wanted. He refused to be led into anything again. He pursed his lips as he held back a frown, remembering those damned dreams.

"Do you want to go to a movie with me when you're done?" Raye asked quietly and he swore he almost felt her move a little closer to him as she spoke.

Darien instantly stopped writing as his eyes widened at what he was hearing. He turned his head to her so fast he feared he would get whiplash in his haste.

"Excuse me?!" He asked, shocked and incredulous, hardly believing what he had heard. "Are you asking me out?!"

"Why are you so surprised? It's not like you're seeing anyone." Raye said as she lightly flipped her hair.

Darien stared at her. He couldn't believe this was happening. She was Serena's friend. What was she thinking?

"What about Serena?" He asked as he saw that Andrew was back behind the counter and standing fairly close but out of Raye's line of sight.

"What about her? You broke up with her. She has nothing to do with this." She said waspishly as she waited for his answer.

Darien shook his head slowly as he turned back to his book and notebook. As he closed his textbook and began to pack his things he mentally repeated her words. _"What about her? You broke up with her. She has nothing to do with this."_ Serena had everything to do with it. Raye should have known better.

He simply shook his head at her as he stood and shouldered his bag, trying to contain his anger.

"You're going now?" Andrew asked and watched Raye turn quickly to look at him. The action made him wonder if she hadn't wanted anyone to know what she was going to do.

"Yes. It is long since time I did so." Darien said firmly. "You know how to find me if you need me." He added and watched his friend nod before he turned and walked to the exit.

He stepped passed the sliding glass doors and walked to his car. Once inside he put his bag on the passenger seat and start the engine. As he put on his seatbelt he checked his new phone for the time and saw that it was fairly early as far as visiting hours went, so he was confident he would have hours to spend with Serena to help calm himself. He drove off toward the hospital but made a quick stop at a flower shop on his way. Once at the hospital he parked his car, grabbed the flowers, and calmly made his way to his Princess' room.

Darien walked into Serena's room and was silently thankful that she was alone. He did not want to deal with anyone after what had just happened. He walked over to his Princess and placed the fresh red roses next to the room phone.

"Hello Princess." He greeted before kissing her lips.

The breathing tube had been taken out a few weeks before once they determined that she could breathe fine on her own. This pleased him not just because it meant she was healing well, but because it freed her lips for him to kiss. Before the tube had been removed he hadn't kissed her soft lips since before their breakup.

Darien sat down in the chair next to the bed and took Serena's hand in his as he thought about what happened with Raye. He could not believe her! He supposed that she thought just because he had broken up with Serena he would have no problem going to her. It had apparently never occurred to her that he still had feelings for Serena, which was amazing considering how she and everyone else who knew him knew how much time he spent visiting Serena.

_She most likely did know, and just didn't care. Maybe she thought that since I had broken up with Serena I obviously didn't want her, and just needed help getting over her. Maybe she thought after Serena woke up I would go back to avoiding her._ He considered.

He wondered if Raye had planned to speak to him that day since he noticed how she was alone and without Amy, Lita, and Mina. He wondered if she realized that Andrew had been watching the whole thing before he spoke.

Either way he didn't like it and didn't want it to happen again. It had been uncomfortable and made him angry. He _still_ could not believe her! Even if he didn't still have feelings for Serena he found it completely wrong that she would pursue him knowing that her Princess still liked him. As a guardian scout to the Moon Princess shouldn't Raye make it her business not to hurt her Princess in such a way?!

Darien shook his head as he looked to Serena's sleeping face. She did not deserve that. At least when he broke up with her he had a pressing reason, one that he had been afraid to ignore. Raye had no such reason for trying to pursue him. She just wanted him for herself.

She had to have known that he would tell Serena, and that she would be hurt by her friend's betrayal. Unless she thought Serena wouldn't believe him. He honestly had no idea if Serena would believe him or not. It's not like he had proof. Well, he could always ask Andrew to tell her what he saw. Unless she thought his friend would lie to her for him. Maybe she even thought Serena wouldn't wake up.

He sighed painfully and closed his eyes. He was over thinking it. He would tell Serena when she woke up, adding it to the many things they needed to talk about. But she needed to wake up first and he was quite tired of waiting. It had been three weeks since he learned of her natural coma. He wished there was something he could do to bring her back to him.

Darien's eyes popped open suddenly. Maybe there _was_ something he could do. He sat up as he remembered healing people throughout the years. He hadn't done it in some time, and hadn't known how he did it in the first place. He had just touched them and they were healed. Although he remembered that it had always been done in a way where no one suspected it was him that had done it. If he could figure out how to do it now, then perhaps he could wake his princess.

He looked at Serena and firmed his resolve. He would figure it out and he _would_ wake her.

Darien closed his eyes as he held her hand as he considered this healing power he had. He remembered that his hand would glow a gold color, so he thought it might be something he had been able to do as Endymion. With that thought he focused on thoughts of his royal self, healing, and wanting his princess to come back to him.

With his eyes being closed he did not see his hand glow, did not see it gradually move to engulf his entire body, and did not know his Earth symbol was glowing- a blue shine amongst the gold. He did not see the gold light move to engulf his princess' body as well. He simply continued to focus.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Serena's eyelids twitched and her forehead creased in a frown before her eyes slowly opened. She blinked tiredly as her eyes took in the ceiling above her. She felt comfortably warm and after a few dazed moments she realized that something or someone was holding her hand.

She looked over and blinked in shock and surprise at seeing Darien sitting there glowing a soft golden color, his royal Earth symbol shining brightly on his forehead. She admired it with a slight smile since it was the first time she had seen it. She blinked slowly and finally noticed that she was glowing the same golden color, the brightest around her hand which he held.

Serena blinked again as she recalled the gentle voice that had spoken to her. If she had had any doubts then the sight of Darien all aglow was proof that things were not as she thought them to be, and that Darien really had wanted her to stay since it was obvious to her that he was the one who had awakened her.

She slowly squeezed his hand, the action seemingly taking all her strength, and watched as his eyes slowly opened as if he wasn't sure of what he had felt. She squeezed again and felt him tighten his hold in return before watching his eyes move to her face and widen.

"Serena?" He breathed in surprise.


	6. Relationship Under Review

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Sailor Moon or her characters, and have no right to it except as a long time fan.**

**A Second Chance**

_**Relationship Under Review**_

"Darien." Serena said tiredly with a light smile.

"You're awake!" Darien said as he leaned forward.

"And you're glowing." She responded.

Darien looked down at himself and his eyes widened in surprise. He also realized she was glowing as well. He concentrated on stopping the healing, thinking that his princess was awake and no longer needed it, and watched as it began to fade and soon disappeared. He sighed in relief and looked back to her.

"You're awake." He repeated as if to confirm it to himself in case his eyes were deceiving him.

"Yes." Serena said tiredly.

"I'm glad." He said as he squeezed her hand. "I need to let your doctor know, and your family, and the girls." He said as he stood up quickly. He began to let her hand go as he stepped away from the bed, but stopped when he felt her squeeze his hand. He looked back and saw her frowning.

"You're staying…right?" Serena asked hesitantly, and watched as he moved back to her with a completely serious face.

"Yes I am." Darien answered instantly. "I'm not going anywhere. You've been…asleep for a long time, and I've done a lot of thinking. We need to talk about a lot of things, but it can wait until later. I want to make sure you're okay and we need your doctor for that." He explained.

Serena nodded and let his hand go. She watched as he moved to the door, opened it and hailed a passing nurse then listened as he told her that she was awake and to find her doctor.

Darien closed the door and went back to Serena and held her hand as he sat back down. No sooner had he done that the doctor hurried through the door looking happy and surprised. The doctor ran checks on her to make sure her limbs were working correctly as he explained what had happened to her, why she was there, and how long she had been there.

When he told Serena that she had been in a coma for weeks, nearly two months, first a medical induced one then a natural one, she looked at Darien with wide eyes and watched him nod sadly.

Darien tightened his hold on Serena's hand, remembering very clearly the day he learned about her natural coma. That had been a bad day. He had truly been lost. He had only had the presence of mind to get to Andrew and tell him what happened. After that he had been lost in shock and pain. If it hadn't been for Andrew and Mina he didn't know how he would have gotten through the rest of the day.

As the doctor ran tests Darien made calls to let Serena's family and friends know that she was awake. Serena's family came quickly but Darien never left the room, and stuck by her side holding her hand when she wished it.

Serena noticed that Rini was silent during the visit and didn't seem to want to speak to her. She also noticed that Darien greeted Rini, as he did her family, but nothing more, even when Rini kept looking at him. He acted as if she wasn't in the room.

The visits didn't give them a chance to talk about the things Darien really wanted to talk about since there wasn't enough time between visitors, and he was determined to speak to her privately without the girls all in their business. They may be her guardians and friends but that didn't entitle them to know everything that was going on between them.

Instead of delving into matters concerning their relationship he told her about what had been happening since her attack as far as he knew with their enemy. He explained to her that Mina had been a great help to him after her attack, and that he had told Andrew about who he really was. He told her that he had also been really helpful, but would explain fully about why he had told Andrew when they had some extended privacy.

He then told her about getting a cell phone and that he had got one for her as well so they could talk and keep in touch easier. She had seen his phone as he made calls but he showed it to her so she could get a better look as he explained that he had put both the cell phone number and his home number in her phone so she would already have them, and that Andrew and Mina were the only others that had his cell number.

"I can bring yours to you now if you want or just before I leave since it's in my car since I just bought them today." Darien said as he took his phone as she handed it back.

"I'd like it now so I can start figuring out how to use it." Serena decided just before the door opened and Raye and Amy came walking in.

"I'll be right back." Darien said as he squeezed her hand. After a moment he let her hand go and quickly left the room before he let his anger at Raye show, and cause a misunderstanding between him and Serena. It was the last thing they needed.

Serena blinked slowly as she stared at the door before shifting her eyes to Amy and Raye. Something had obviously happened to make Darien leave so quickly, and she was positive it had something to do with Raye. Still, she decided not to say anything to either girl. She would wait and ask Darien and hope he would tell her.

"How are you feeling Serena?" Amy asked quietly as she walked to the side of her bed.

"Yeah, how are you doing?" Raye asked as she moved next to Amy.

"I'm doing fine; just a bit tired." Serena answered. "What did I miss with the enemy while I was unconscious?" She asked. Darien had already told her but she wondered if they knew anything more and just hadn't told him.

The two girls filled her in on what they had learned about the enemy and the attack on Rini. They were getting into the details when Darien came back with Mina and Andrew in tow.

Darien took his seat, which was thankfully still empty, at Serena's bedside and handed her the little bag containing her cell phone. He was happy he had met Mina on his way to his car since he was able to give her his phone numbers without Raye present, which was something she had thankfully understood.

"Welcome back Serena." Andrew greeted with a smile, happy that she was awake and seemed to be doing well.

"I'm glad you're finally awake." Mina said cheerfully as she moved closer to the bed. "Lita's right behind us. She stopped at a bakery for some snacks since she thought you would like something besides hospital food to eat." She added.

"Great! Thanks for coming you guys." Serena said with a smile.

Andrew moved to stand next to Darien as a buffer between him and Raye, as well as being one of the few in the room that fully supported him. He thought Mina would support him after all he had learned of her so far, but from what he understood her duty to Serena came before that. He knew she would protect him but that was not the same. He would need to find out for sure if she was just a guardian for Serena or if she was a guardian to both of them, and he had no idea what Serena thought considering their relationship status.

Amy and Raye looked at each other and decided silently not to continue informing Serena about the attack on Rini now that Andrew was in the room. Instead, Amy decided to tell her about what she had missed at school.

Serena listened to Amy with half an ear as she took out her new phone from its packaging. She looked at the shiny white phone intently as she turned it on and began searching through it. She quickly found the numbers Darien mentioned and smiled happily at the fact that she would be able to contact him whenever she wanted.

"Thanks Darien." She said softly as she smiled at him. She was happily enjoying his returning smile when Lita came through the door with a small box in her hands.

"Hey Serena. Glad to see you're awake." Lita said enthusiastically as she handed her the box before describing the personal sized cake inside. Lita hoped she enjoyed it and that it helped with whatever food they fed her.

From there everyone continued their visit with Serena though Darien remained silent the entire time just enjoying the fact that his princess was awake. After a while Mina and Andrew exchanged a look, both of them deciding it was time for everyone to leave so Serena and Darien could be alone.

They began to say their goodbyes, Mina subtly getting the others to do so as well before ushering them out and leaving the couple alone.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

Andrew and the four girls walked down the hallway and to the waiting room which led to the hallway leading to the exit. Once inside the waiting room, and finding it empty, Raye took the chance to voice her displeasure.

"Why did we have to leave?" She asked instantly, her voice full of irritation. Lita and Amy nodded, wondering that as well.

"Darien's already hurt Serena. We shouldn't leave him to do it again!" Lita said angrily.

Andrew moved away, wanting to appear like he was giving them privacy, but he was listening to every word while he waited for Mina.

"Yes! We shouldn't leave them alone!" He heard Raye say and he scowled, knowing her motive for not wanting them alone was different then the other two girls. He remembered very clearly her asking Darien out as well as her surprise at finding him standing behind her. She clearly didn't want her friends to know she was pursuing Darien.

Mina sighed before looking at each of the girls.

"What happens between Serena and Darien is between the two of them." She said seriously. "None of us have any idea why he broke up with her, so you shouldn't make judgements without all the facts. And frankly, the facts are none of our business. We're her friends and guardians not her keepers. If you want to be angry with Darien then that's up to you, but you shouldn't try to involve yourselves in their relationship no matter what happens." She stated.

Mina looked over at Andrew and watched as he flashed her a smile, which she returned before looking back to her friends.

"Just leave you guys. I'm going to go hangout with Andrew before I go home." She told them as she began to move toward Andrew.

There was grumbling and frowns but they all left the hospital. Once outside Amy, Raye, and Lita parted from Mina and Andrew.

"What you told them was well said. I hope they listen to you." Andrew said as they started walking in a different direction from the girls.

"I hope so too." Mina said before listening to his account of what happened between Darien and Raye at the arcade earlier that day.

She was surprised but at the same time she wasn't. She knew Raye still had feelings for Darien but she didn't think Raye would go so far as to ask him out, especially knowing that Serena still felt very strongly for him. Although considering what she knew of Raye's personality she should have known Raye would be so bold. She just thought Raye would care more for Serena then to do that to her. If not as a friend than at least as her princess.

"Something's going to have to be done with her." Mina said with a sigh. "Maybe if I spoke to her and told her flat out to stop. I'll need to speak to Serena and Darien before that can happen though."

"That's a good idea. They might have things they want to say to her." Andrew said as they walked and watched her nod. He then took a quiet breath and decided to do something he had been considering for a little over a week.

"Will you go on a date with me tomorrow?" He asked as he looked at her, wanting to see her reaction.

Mina blush and a surprised gasp escaped her as she looked at him with wide eyes. Then she shook herself to get control so she could answer him.

"Yes. I would like that." She said with a smile.

"Great!" He said with a smile of his own, excitement coursing through him. "It'll be after I get off work in the evening. How about a causal dinner and movie?" He suggested.

"That's fine. It's been a while since I've been to the movies." She said. "I'm sorry in advance in case there's an attack while we're together."

"It's no problem. I understand that it can happen and that you have a duty to fight. I'm definitely not going to let your enemy stop me from getting to know you better." Andrew stated confidently. "If it happens we'll just set up another date and continue where we left off." He assured her.

With that assurance they exchanged phone numbers and began discussing what movie they would like to see. They were well into their conversation when Mina's communicator went off. She stopped walking and looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before lifting her wrist and angling away from Andrew.

"I don't want the others to know that you know about us." Mina explained.

Andrew nodded understandingly and watched her press a button on the side of what he had thought was a normal orange watch. He didn't want the other girls to know either. That might give them more reason not to like Darien since he was the one to tell him. They might think that Darien didn't have to tell him _their_ secret identities, not realizing that he had to in order to tell his whole story for him to understand so he could give Darien the advice he needed.

It turned out to be Amy letting her know there was an attack in progress and where the location was. Once she was sure of the directions Mina said she was on her way before cutting the connection, and closing the little door shield that hid the surface of the watch as well as the communication screen.

"Be careful." Andrew said simply when Mina looked at him. "Call me some time tonight and let me know you're okay." He added.

Mina nodded and smiled softly before turning and running toward the location. She paused in a secluded alley and held up her transformation pen.

"Venus Power!" She called out slightly, not wanting to draw attention. A long banner of golden stars streamed from the stick and swirled around her body, forming a spiral before sinking into the ground. Within moments they rushed upward, covering her body in their bright light before clearing to reveal Sailor Venus.

She looked around before continuing toward her destination. After a short while she arrived at the location, a grocery store, to find the other Scouts already engaging the droid. She knew the fight would be difficult without Serena and Darien but there was nothing for it. They would do what they could and get through it.

Sailor Venus entered the store quietly, careful not to draw attention to herself, hoping to surprise the enemy. She hid behind a shelf holding bags of chips, and carefully peeked around the side to get her first look at that day's droid.

It was a brown skinned female with short dark green hair, wearing a gold banded necklace with a jewel in the center. Her clothing consisted of a skirt made of large green leaves, a top that looked like a bra made out of yellow material that Venus suspected was fruit skin, and some kind of shoulder decorations- one side had what looked like a half of a coconut and the other a bunch of bananas.

"Burning Mandala!" Sailor Venus shifted her eyes in time to see rings of fire shoot from Sailor Mars' gloved fingers. The flaming rings sped toward the droid but she managed to avoid each one.

Sailor Venus watched as the droid snatched a banana from the decoration on her shoulder. As she held the banana out it began to glow a soft white, brightening until the light was all that could be seen in her hand. Within moments the light lengthened and when the bright glow cut off there was a sword in her hand.

Venus frowned as she stared at the sword. She didn't like that this droid might be able to create weapons from other objects, and wondered if the next droids they faced would be able to do the same.

The droid raced toward the Scouts swinging its sword in deadly arcs going after one and then another when one scout evaded the sharp blade.

"Crescent Beam!" Sailor Venus called out, hitting the droid in mid stride toward Sailor Mercury and sending her flying end over end.

"Mercury Aqua Mist!" Sailor Mercury called out, taking advantage of the droids distracted state and covering the area in a thick fog.

The Sailor Scouts found each other through the fog one at a time, and as a group they quietly moved to an aisle housing canned goods.

"What did I miss?" Venus asked as they settled.

"Just some fighting." Sailor Jupiter answered. "Though this droid is just as strong as the last one, if not stronger." She added.

"Yes." Mercury nodded in agreement. "We'll have to combine our attacks to defeat it."

"We should attack the droid from different sides," Venus suggested. "but we'll need to lure it to the best spot we can find for that to work."

"Who's going to lure it?" Sailor Mars asked as she looked around at her fellow scouts.

"I'll do it." Jupiter volunteered after a few silent moments. "Where should I lead it?" She asked.

Sailor Mercury took out her computer and quickly brought up a blueprint of the grocery store, and they hurriedly decided on a location. Once Jupiter was sure she had memorized the location and directions she took off to draw the attention of the droid. Mercury then added more fog and did her best to spread it throughout the store to make it harder for the droid to spot them before they were in position.

The remaining scouts nodded to each other and split up to make their way to their designated spots. They moved quietly through various aisles as they heard the droid calling out to them, taunting them to try and get them to reveal themselves.

Jupiter jogged quietly down an aisle and when she reached the end she looked around the side and saw the droid stalking down an aisle. She took a breath and stepped into the droids line of sight and fired an attack at it.

"Sparkling Wide Pressure!" She shouted before throwing a ball of electricity. She didn't wait to see if it hit; she just turned on the spot and ran, hoping to give the others time to reach their places.

She ran full out, turning and skidding around corners, but she suddenly cried out and fell to the side as something exploded near her. As she was getting up another explosion went off right behind her. She forced herself to move faster, and when she was on her feet she took off running before she ended up being hit with whatever was exploding.

Jupiter quickly reached the middle of the store where there was an open area with displays of different snack foods. She turned as she stopped by a display and saw the droid begin to spin. She tensed, wondering what that was about, and saw what looked like avocado's flying toward her. She hastily ducked behind the display just in time to avoid the blasting explosions.

Mars stood from her position and turned toward the barefoot scantily clad droid. The female was facing away from her, so she used the distraction Jupiter had created to attack.

"Burning Mandala!" She called and watched as flaming rings shot from her fingers and straight toward the droid.

Venus stood when she spotted Mars and tensed slightly as she prepared to attack. Once she heard Mars call her attack she launched hers.

"Crescent Beam!" She called and watched the orange beam of light hit just after Mars' attack. The droid screamed as it tried to turn toward her.

"Jupiter Thunderbolt!" Jupiter called, sending her bolt of electricity racing toward the droid from her position on the floor.

"Mercury Ice Storm!" Sailor Mercury followed up last, sending her attack of ice shards flinging at the droid.

Both Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Mercury's attacks hit but all the attacks didn't connect at the same time, so they knew they weren't finished. The droid screamed in rage and began to spin once again, sending those avocado grenades flying at the Scouts. They dove for cover and shielded their heads as the grenades exploded, rocking the floor and blasting food to rain through the air.

"Attack!" Venus shouted once all was quiet and sprang to her feet. "Crescent Beam Shower!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" Mercury called as she popped up from her position.

"Fire Soul Bird!" Mars called out as she stood.

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" Jupiter called as she got to her feet.

Colors swirled as a red bird of flames flew toward the droid, a green electric dragon raced at the droid, a powerful blue stream of water blasted forward, and as orange beams of light rained down. All collided with the female droid in an explosion of light.

The droid screamed in anger and pain but there was no fighting its destruction. The screams continued on for a few moments before it suddenly stopped. The light soon faded enough for them to see what remained of the droid crumbling and disintegrating. When it completely disintegrated and the ashes disappeared the Scouts moved from their separate places and gathered together.

As they were assuring each other that they were well and unhurt they idly noticed that food that had rotted and withered was now ripe and fresh. Their eyes shifted to take in the damage from the grenades and they decided to leave before employees, customers, and authorities showed up.

They quickly left through the front entrance and went their separate ways to clean up, rest, and in Venus' case, to call Andrew.

— o.0.O.O.0.o —

There was silence in the hospital room for a while. Serena fiddled with her new phone and peeked at Darien as he tried to figure out how to start the conversation now that they had privacy.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there in time to keep you from getting hurt." Darien began solemnly. "I'm sorry I wasn't with you to begin with. You never would've been hurt if I hadn't broken up with you." He said sincerely.

"Why _did_ you break up with me?" Serena asked quietly.

"I had these dreams." He began slowly. "They were always the same. They always started off with the two of us together and very happy, and then they turned dark and you always ended up dying. At the end of the dream there was a voice telling me that I needed to stay away from you, and if I didn't something terrible would happen to you." He explained. 

"I didn't want to ignore them because last time I had a reoccurring dream like that it had been you unconsciously asking me for help. Even knowing that I _did_ actually try to ignore them, but every time I did they got worse and the voice became more insistent." He said with a sigh. "I finally couldn't take it anymore and hoped that if I broke up with you it would prevent the dreams or something similar from happening and that you would be protected by my distance." He finished as he looked at her. 

"Why didn't you tell me about them?" She asked with a slight frown as she returned his gaze, finally understanding that he hadn't wanted to break up with her. He was just afraid she would die if he didn't stay away from her. 

"Andrew asked me the same thing." He said with a breath of a laugh before shaking his head. "It honestly just never occurred to me. I'm so used to not having anyone to talk to about that part of our life that the thought of telling you never crossed my mind." He explained. "Although I think if it _had_ crossed my mind I still might not have told you for fear that just you knowing would make the dreams come true." He added. 

Serena nodded at his explanation. She didn't like it but she could definitely understand it. She had Luna and the girls to talk to about their secret life, but he didn't have anyone. And even then there were things she didn't feel comfortable talking about to the girls, and with those particular things her thoughts had never went to speaking to Darien about them. 

"You said before that Andrew had asked why you hadn't told me about the dreams. And before that you said that you had told him your secret." She stated thoughtfully. "How did that happen?" She asked curiously. 

"After seeing you here on the day of the attack, when they first let us see you after your surgery, Mina thought it was best to get me away from the hospital and get some air since I wasn't handling the situation well." He stated. "I had seen your injuries and all the blood you lost when I first found you and brought you to the hospital, but on top of that they let us see you, _literally_, right after your surgery. You still had blood on you and all you had covering your body was a thin white sheet and your socks. Then add to that I had spoken with your doctor and he told me about your injuries in detail as well as what happened during your surgery." He explained as he remembered that day while trying not to get lost in the surfacing imagery. 

"Anyway, Mina suggested going to the arcade and when we got there she told Andrew what happened to you since I wasn't in the right frame of mind to do it. While we were there I noticed how nice and helpful he was, and I remembered that I hadn't been around him much and when I was I hadn't been able to have a decent conversation with him." 

"I decided then that I didn't like the way things were between us and I wanted to tell him. I thought he deserved to know why our friendship had changed. I also thought it might help me to talk about everything with someone who wasn't involved and could give me advice." He explained with a light shrug. 

"So that night we went back to my place and I told Andrew everything. From the reoccurring dreams about my princess all the way up until I broke up with you. He took it really well. He was surprised of course to learn who we all really are, but really who wouldn't be?" He said lightly before continuing. 

"After he got over his surprise he told me that what happened to you wasn't my fault, which I agreed with even though it didn't stop me from feeling like it was my fault. Besides that, he told me that you and I need to talk about everything that's been going on between us and been happening in our lives, which was something I had already decided to do before speaking to him." 

"He also said I needed to lessen how much time I spent with Rini or stop spending time with her altogether, and brought up some questions about her that really should have occurred to me." He finished. 

"Did you make a decision about her?" Serena asked quietly, feeling nervous about his answer. 

"I had decided to spend less time with her." Darien answered. "I haven't spent any time with her since the day of your attack, and after that the only time I saw or spoke to her was when we happened to be visiting you at the same time." He stated. "So I guess, based on that, for now I'm not going to be spending any time with her. I don't want you to believe that you're less important than that child. You're the most important person in my life." He stated firmly. 

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" He asked as he looked her in the eye and Serena nodded, teary eyed. She was happy and relieved. She didn't hate Rini, she thought she was a somewhat nice little girl, but they didn't know anything about her and she would be uneasy until the questions surrounding her were answered. 

"Why did you even spend time with her when you didn't even know her?" She asked. 

"I was drawn to her for some reason." Darien answered. "I knew instinctively that she wasn't dangerous, which is the only reason I didn't fight the draw I felt toward her." 

Serena nodded her understanding, relieved that he thought Rini wasn't dangerous since she was living with her.

"Why is she living with you, and why did your family just accept a random child staying with them?" He asked as if sensing her train of thought.

"I don't know why she's staying with my family, but I know that she hypnotized them with some kind of magic to make them think she's a cousin." She answered. "I know differently because Luna realized what was happening and bit me to snap me out of it. From then on my family has believed she's family and I couldn't tell them differently." She explained.

Darien thought about that and suddenly put it together with a piece of information they already had.

"Do you remember when we first met Rini, and how she demanded your silver crystal?" He asked.

Serena nodded as she remembered. There was no forgetting her first date and how it was interrupted. Then her eyes widened as she understood.

"_That's_ why she's staying with my family!" She exclaimed and frowned as she remembered those first days and how Rini had kept popping up wherever she was demanding her silver crystal.

"In the beginning she was always popping up suddenly and demanding my crystal but the demands stopped one day." She informed him. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's gone through my room while I've been here." She added thoughtfully.

"You'll have to be careful with your broach. I have it now, but I can tell your crystal isn't in it." Darien stated.

"I can feel it inside me." She said as she placed a hand on her chest.

"You should leave it there." He insisted. "It's safer inside you."

Serena nodded her agreement and they sat quietly thinking over all they had talked about so far.

"There's something I want to talk to you about." Darien said after he checked the time.

Serena nodded and shifted a bit to make herself comfortable. As she was settling she finally noticed the purple blanket covering her. She glanced at the white stars and planets and knew it wasn't a hospital issued blanket. She would have to remember to ask Darien about it.

"I've done a lot of thinking since your attack and I've come to the conclusion that we didn't have a real relationship." He stated. "We remembered what we were to each other in the past, but we don't really know each other now." He said and watched her frown.

"Think about it Serena. Before we remembered our past we were acquaintances who argued and teased each other. When we did remember we were never given the chance to develop our relationship after all the things we learned about each other and everything that happened." He explained.

Serena thought about it and realized he was right. When they first learned about their secret identities and then remembered their past Darien was taken by the enemy. Then they both died and when they came back to life he didn't remember any of it. When he finally _did_ remember it was only days later that Rini literally dropped in, interrupting their first date, and then just a few days after that he broke up with her.

"You're right." She said sadly. "What should we do?"

"We'll do what everyone else does when starting a relationship. We'll get to know each other and build a foundation." He stated. "I've always wanted to know how you became Sailor Moon, and how you felt about being a heroine. I've also wondered what you remembered of our past, and if you're still remembering things. We can talk about things like that and anything else we think we should tell each other or want to tell each other." He explained.

Serena nodded and remembered what the voice had said before she woke up. She definitely had a lot to share with him.

"I imagine we still have some time before visiting hours are over so we can start now." She suggested, and Darien nodded his agreement. "Okay, so why did you leave so quickly when Amy and Raye arrived?" She asked.

"Well I was going to go get the cell phone, but I really didn't have to leave so quickly. Still, I thought I should before my anger at Raye caused a problem between you and me that we didn't need." He explained.

"Why are you angry with Raye?" She asked with a frown.

"Earlier today I was at the arcade studying and passing time until I was ready to come visit you. Raye eventually showed up by herself and began making small talk before asking me out." He stated.

"What?!" Serena exclaimed in shock.

"She asked me if I wanted to go to the movies with her. My shock and surprise was obvious and she asked me why I was so surprised it wasn't as if I was seeing anyone." He said. "When I asked about you she nonchalantly said that I had broken up with you and you had nothing to do with it. Luckily Andrew had been standing behind her, although she didn't know that until after, and heard the whole thing."

"I just shook my head at her and left after saying my goodbyes to Andrew. Normally I would have just said no and left it at that, not wanting to cause trouble between you and Raye, but I made a decision a few days ago that made it impossible for me to act passively like that." He stated and Serena frowned as his words played through her mind.

"What decision?" She asked curiously.

"I decided to become a mix of my past and current self." He answered. "I went out for a run late one night since I couldn't sleep and did some serious thinking. I realized that I needed to change." He stated. "Most of the time you were asleep I was very distraught, sad, and angsty. I was lost more than anything. I didn't know what to do with myself with you in the condition you were in, especially since according to the doctors we had no idea if you would ever wake up. And the guilt at not being there to keep you from getting hurt was starting to become unhealthy." He explained. 

"I decided that I couldn't stay that way. I didn't like to be that way, and I didn't want you to think I couldn't function or take care of myself just because you were injured. I thought you deserved someone stronger then I was proving to be. I wanted to be stronger for the both of us. I wanted to be someone you felt you could rely on when you needed strength to lean on." He said. 

"I wanted to be more confident in myself. I realized that maybe if I had been then I wouldn't have listened to those dreams and let them affect me to the point of breaking up with you. I decided that I would never again be influenced by anything outside of myself, and for that to happen I needed to be more like my past self." He continued. 

"As Endymion I was always firm, confident, and able to adapt to situations. I could always feel the difference when I took that form, but I had usually let those traits fade when I released the transformation. I ended up practicing, changing back and forth from myself to my royal form until I was confident I had achieved my goal." He explained and watched as his princess nodded her understanding. 

"Now because of that decision I feel my emotions more strongly, and my anger is very intense." Darien stated. "Raye shouldn't still have feelings for me or at the very least she shouldn't let it be known that they're still there, let alone acting on them. Not to mention she's supposed to be upset with me for hurting you. As far as I'm concerned it's a betrayal of you for her to ask me out when she knew you still had feelings for me." He explained. 

Serena sighed and shook her head, a frown firmly in place. She had known that Raye still liked Darien, but she had never thought Raye would act on those feelings again considering who he was to her. And then to do it while she was in a coma and wouldn't have a chance of finding out, and without the other girls there, meant that she didn't want them knowing either. 

Her frown deepened as she considered that because Darien broke up with her Raye might have been counting on the fact that if he told her or the others that they wouldn't believe him. That they might have thought he was just causing trouble and wanting to hurt her more. 

She wouldn't have believed that, but she wasn't sure about the others. 

"I believe you completely." Serena stated firmly. "I don't know why Raye would do something like that. I wonder if her feelings for you are so strong that she can't help herself, but then I thought that considering the situation she wouldn't have acted on them regardless. It's like she doesn't care how I would feel about what she's doing. At least you had a reason for breaking up with me. It hurt but it was reasonable now that I know why. I'm not sure Raye has a good reason, if there could even be such a reason, besides selfishly wanting you because she likes you." She said thoughtfully. 

"Maybe we should talk to her at some point or you should if me being there would make matters worse." He suggested. 

"I agree because this situation really needs to be dealt with. If Raye can't put her feelings aside or for whatever reason she's pursuing you then I'll never be able to trust her around you again." She stated. "I would always be on guard wondering if she was going to try something the moment my back was turned." She added with a slight frown. 

Serena understood that it might be hard for Raye to get over her feelings for Darien. After all, she herself hadn't tried to get over her feelings for him when he broke up with her, but their situations were different. She and Darien may not know each other all that well at the moment, but their feelings for each other were very deep and had obviously extended from a previous lifetime. Raye and Darien may have gone out on a few dates but his feelings for her obviously hadn't been strong, _if_ they had been there at all, since he had easily started a relationship with her. 

Darien nodded at her prediction of events if the situation was handled, and checked the time once again. He thought they still had some time to continue talking so he moved on to another subject. 

"I think we should talk about your attack. I don't really want to, but I think we should. It might be best to get it out of the way so we won't have to deal with it later." He stated and watched her nod slowly. "How did the droid get fixed on you, and why didn't you transform?" He asked. 

"It happened while I was out shopping. I saw it attacking people and before I could get away to transform it spotted me." She answered. "I ran since I figured it was best to get it away from other people, but I couldn't transform after that or I would've risked letting my identity be known if it got away." She explained. "I had hoped Amy's computer had picked up on the attack, but I had been afraid that if she saw that I was there with the droid then they wouldn't come quickly, thinking I was already dealing with it." 

"So you kept running to buy time until help could arrive." He stated knowingly. 

"Yes." She confirmed. "But the droid managed to hit me a few times and it slowed me down enough to be able to land more hits, and from there it all went downhill." 

Darien nodded his agreement. He had seen what she had looked like when the droid was done with her, and after seeing her after her surgery he had gotten the complete list of her injuries. 

"I hope I never see you that injured again." He said quietly. 

"Me either." She said. _I could definitely do without another experience like that._ She thought with a shudder just as a nurse poked her head into the room. 

"I'm sorry but visiting hours are over. You'll have to leave now." The nurse said and Darien nodded at her before turning back to Serena. 

"Time for me to go." He said reluctantly before he pulled her golden broach out and held it out to her. 

"Can you keep it until I get out of the hospital?" She asked as she gently pushed it back toward him. 

"Sure." He agreed before putting the precious item away. "I'll call you when I get home, but don't forget you can call me whenever you want." 

"Okay." She said softly. 

"I'll be back tomorrow." He added.

"Okay." She said once again as she nodded and watched as Darien stood up and closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead. 

"Until tomorrow Princess." He said softly. 

"Tomorrow." She repeated as a goodbye before watching him walk out of the room with a last smile.


End file.

Sailor Moon, Romance