Chapter Two
Rose Apartment - Present
3B
Jason looked around his new apartment, a feeling of
rightness filling his entire body. The doors leading out
into the balcony was open, and a fresh, cooling breeze
drifted in, blowing the newly hung gold curtains. For the
time being, he was alone, and he stood there, in the center
of the living room, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the
feeling of owning something that he hadn't gotten just to
advance himself further in the world. The sound of laughter
and talking brought him back from his thoughts and he opened
his eyes. "Thanks for helping me move in guys." He said,
turning to Nathan, Maren and Zella.
"Least we could do." Zella replied, she looked around
the apartment as well, "Wish I could live here, if only for
the view. I swear you can see all of the city from here."
She walked to one of the windows and stared out wistfully.
"Getting wistful for some other person already, Zella?"
Nathan laughed as he ducked a blow from Zella.
"No! I just said the view was fantastic. I like the
house Maren and I have." Zella laughed as Maren wrapped her
in his arms, "And I wouldn't change it for the world." she
added as she kissed her new husband.
Maren laughed as well, "Nor would I sweet Zella." He
murmured, "Nor would I."
Jason and Nathan watched the two lovebirds with indulgent
smiles, "At least they've had each other all this while."
Jason said, "Maybe that's why they managed to stay to the
very end."
Nathan shrugged at the cryptic words, "Maybe. I wish I
could go right now and see Molly." He said, "But I don't
even know if she still remembers me, and what will she say?"
Jason put a hand on his shoulder, "But you have a chance,
Nathan. At the very least you have a chance to rectify
things, to make something better."
"I know, at least my situation is better than yours."
Nathan said symphaticly, "At least my true love isn't
already taken." Nathan said, "But from what I heard, the
prince and princess have had a fight, Jason. And maybe old
memories will come up, and she'll return to you."
"You think so?" Jason asked, hope shinning in his eyes
for a second.
"That's why we're here for, Jason." Zella said, "That's
why Queen Serenity gave us back life, for a second chance.
To do what we would have done if Queen Beryl hadn't
corrupted us all."
Jason shrugged, his thoughts growing pensive as he walked
out onto the balcony. Nathan followed him, and watched as
Jason stared down at the balcony below his, and at the young
man standing there.
"Is that who I think it - "
"Darien Chiba." Jason finished for Nathan.
"So I was right when I thought you'd chose this for your
new home, for a reason." Nathan said.
Jason shrugged, "You can talk, Nathan. You could have
BOUGHT several apartment BUILDINGS if you'd chosen to take
up your old persona - and don't give me any excuses about
Stanton appearing when he was twenty six years old, and you
only being 23 years old."
Nathan shrugged, "I needed, as much as you do, I guess, to
be near 'them'." He said, "Where I am, I can watch Molly
even if she doesn't know I exist." A strange look came into
his eyes as he talked of the girl he'd fallen in love with
in the year that had never existed in the memories of most
humans.
The man below walked back into his apartment, and Jason
turned away, "Do you really think Serena would return to me
if she had somebody like him?" he asked softly.
Maren and Zella had joined them on the balcony, "There's
always hope, Jadeite." Zella said, "You were her fiancée
before Queen Beryl took you. There's as much hope for you
to regain her love as there is for Nephrite to regain the
Lady Armira's love."
Nathan glanced at his watch, "Which reminds me, I've got to
go and check out my new apartment."
"We've got to go as well." Maren reminded Zella, "Good
luck, Jason." He added.
Jason watched them leave, then sat on his bed, the dark
mood returning slightly. It wasn't that he wasn't glad for
this second chance Queen Serenity had given them. Wasn't
that he was unhappy, it was just he was so unsure of
everything. . . It was all so new - all of this. Being
able to live life for HIMSELF - that was something he had
never done in his entire life.
The memories of the Moon Kingdom were vague, slow in
returning after all this centuries under Queen Beryl's spell
of forgetting. The only thing he truly remembered was love.
Pure, unblinding love - but when he concentrated, he saw two
faces. The innocence of the Princess Serena, and another...
A face so like the Princess that it was almost the same,
except it was different some how - more. . . wiser, and
the emotions weren't as free shown. He remembered holding
that face to his chest, remembered wishing her goodbye just
before he left on the last mission he would ever have as
Lord Jadeite, Guardian of the Third Star.
***
The Hitachi Temple
"Rei?" Darien asked hesitantly as he entered Rei's
greeting room.
Rei looked up and smiled in welcome, "Hi Darien. I haven't
seen you much since you and Serena got back together." She
said.
"Got back together?" Darien asked numbly. *If we got
back together, than why am I feeling this miserable?* He
asked himself, *Probably because Rei's talking about the
last time Serena and I got back together, and she hasn't
heard about our latest fight.* He sighed, depressed, it
seemed as if all he ever did with Serena was fight, and the
few brief times she was happy, he ruined it, *I deserve to
die for what I'm probably putting her through now.* He
could just see her, screaming and crying to poor Luna.
"Darien?" he jerked himself back to reality as he
realized Rei was still talking to him.
"Huh?"
"We all took it that you and Serena got back together
since we haven't seen either of you for the past week." Rei
repeated, she opened her mouth to say more when they both
heard somebody.
"Rei?" an achingly familiar voice called.
Darien's head jerked up as he watched Serena walk into the
greeting room. She didn't notice him, which didn't
particularly bode well for what she thought of him.
"Serena! What happened to your hair?" Rei gasped, and
Darien noticed her hair for the first time, the meatballs
were gone, a single braid started at the nape of her neck
and falling all the way down, past her waist replaced it.
Darien felt a pang, he'd *liked* her meatballs.
Rei stared at the new Serena, frowning inwardly as she
picked up strange vibes. There was something - not *bad*
about Serena, but different - she concentrated slightly,
trying to find out where the vibes came from. It was like
Serena had once been a heat source, and suddenly, the heat
wasn't gone but - it felt almost as if a barrier of ice had
surround the heat somehow.
"I just came to return the comics I borrowed from you
Rei." Serena said.
Rei was caught speechless, *Serena* returning comics to her?
"Um. . . Thanks." She managed finally taking the box
from Serena, and then stared at the first comic, "Hey, isn't
this *your* Sailor V comic book and poster?" she asked,
taking two of Serena's most prized possessions from the top.
Serena shrugged, "You can have them if you want, Rei. Or
throw them out."
"What?!" Rei exclaimed.
"I guess I outgrew comic books." Serena shrugged non-
challantly.
Rei stood there, for the first time since she met Serena,
truly speechless. Serena turned to leave and then Rei
realized that she hadn't noticed Darien standing in the
corner. A shiver crept down Rei's back - NOT noticing
Darien WASN'T a good sign.
He stepped in front of her now, just before she could
leave.
"Hi Serena." He said, looking nervous.
Serena blinked as if she'd just seen him, "Oh, hi Darien."
She said, as if seeing him there was the same as looking up
in the sky and seeing stars.
*What is going on here?* Rei wondered, *This isn't the
Serena I know.*
"Serena, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry about the
fight. I never intended it to happen, I never meant to say
anything... what I mean, is that I didn't mean anything I
said." Darien said quickly before she could open her mouth,
"Please Serena. I know you despise me, but can you forgive
me?" his eyes were so pleading that Rei felt like crying;
Rei sat there, silent as she watched Serena stare at him,
*What's the matter with her? The old Serena would have run
into his arms by now.* She thought.
"Sure I forgive you." Serena replied easily, smiling
slightly.
The look of relief on Darien's face was immense; Rei frowned
inwardly, the vibes were getting stronger, they weren't the
bad sort of vibes she got from Negaverse monsters, it was
more... uneasiness.
"Do you. . . Do you want to go to the dairy shop for a
double-chocolate-malt-crunch ice cream? My treat?" Darien
asked hesitantly as he drew Serena into a close hug.
Rei winced as Serena withdrew from the hug, and felt a
warning shiver go down her spine as Serena looked at him -
*Coldly?*
"I forgive you Darien." She said, "But that doesn't mean
we're going back together."
"What?"
"I don't think we should date." Serena went on.
"What do you mean? As in we shouldn't date for a while?
Or - forever?" Darien asked softly, his face suddenly
unreadable.
"Forever." Serena said, she took out something from her
pocket, "I think this belongs to you, Darien." She added,
handing the star locket to him, "It represents something
that isn't anymore. You should keep it." she added.
Darien took it numbly, the catch slipped open and the song
from the Moon Kingdom, played softly. For the first time
since she'd known Darien, Rei saw his shield of emotionless
nothingness crack as he reached out to her, "Serena - I love
you." he whispered as she turned to go, "I loved you since
the first time I saw you at the Crescent Ball and heard you
sing." Unshed tears seemed to shimmer in his eyes as he
reached for her, "Serena, it's our destiny. To love each
other. To *be* together."
Rei felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise as she
watched the drama occurring before her. Bad vibes were
literally exploding around her, and she wasn't sure whether
it was from seeing two people, who's life together had been
DESTINED for centuries, break apart for what looked like
forever, or from - something else. For the first time in
her life, Rei could not touch the fiery flame within her,
that had always led her when she was unsure. It was almost
as if something was holding her away from the flame. She
could only watch as Serena turned one last time - and for
the first time Rei had known Serena, she could not read HER
emotions. *This is certainly a day of firsts.*
"I think that you were right when you said that our lives
shouldn't be ruled by destiny." Serena said finally, "I
don't want to hurt you, Darien, but it's got to be this
way."
