As Serena walked home down the street, a vision appeared in the back of her mind. It said that Darien was cheating on her. And that he loved Rini more than herself. It also said that he was using her to get back at his other girlfriend. Then the image faded.
'Other girlfriend?' Serena found herself thinking. She brushed away the image. It was just a silly daydream. Her Darien was loyal. He would always be by her side. Still, the thought came back to haunt her. The idea of him cheating on her. Worse yet, USING her. Just as she completely swept it from her memory, she rounded the corner. There, on the sidewalk, not twenty feet in front of her stood Darien. He was talking to some one else. The brown-haired girl to whom he spoke suddenly screamed and jumped all over him. She hugged his chest. Then she kissed him!! Serena felt her blood run cold, the color drain from her face. She staggered backwards and turned and fled. Had she stayed five seconds longer, she would have witnessed Darien throwing the other girl to the ground and telling her not to pull something like that again. He said he had a loyal and loving girlfriend already.
Serena ran and ran. She had never run so hard in her life. Panting, her lungs felt like she was inhaling fire itself! She gasped, but kept pushing. Driven by a mix of fury, rejection, hatred, and confusion, she ran on and on. Soon though, even the powerful combination wasn't enough to keep her going. She collapsed in gasps and sobs on a nearby park bench. As soon as she gained control, she sat up and looked around. Serena had no idea where she had run. Blinded by fury, she had gone farther than she ever had. She curled up on the bench and began to weep un-controllably.
A reassuring hand was placed on her shoulder. She looked up, but the man was behind her. For a moment, panic dashed through her veins. Then curiosity took over. She turned to face him.
Serena fell off the bench with an un-dignified "YOU!" She lay sprawled on the ground staring up at him. He maintained a calm composure. Fear surged through her body again. Losing patience, he bent down and extended his hand to hers. Her eyes grew wide in fear. She scooted away from him. He sighed and sat down on the bench.
"O-Okay, D-Diamond. What the heck are you d-doing here?" Though she tried her best to hide it, her voice quavered a bit. He just calmly stared at her. His eyes occasionally blinking. After what seemed like eternity for both of them, he sighed. Soon curiosity seized Serena. She stood up and approached him timidly. He noted mentally that she was like a baby horse learning to trust. Wild, raw fear glazed her eyes, with a hint of curiosity behind. He reminded himself that no matter how close she got, and how hard it was, don't make any sudden moves. Like a baby horse, she is easily frightened. Something he didn't want to do. She was standing about five feet in front of him. He gingerly reached out and offered his hand again. She stared at it and fearfully took it. As Diamond closed his hand around her small one, he could feel it shaking. He gently led her beside him. She sat down and folded her hands in her lap. He stared at Serena for a while. Her pale features expressed how extremely small and vulnerable she was. While staring at her lap, Serena could feel his intense gaze on her.
"So what exactly is going on?" She asked, taking a breath to keep her voice level.
"What do you mean?" Came a cool reply.
"Well, usually a guy from another planet doesn't sneak up on an unsuspecting girl and try to scare her to death." He smirked.
"Trust me, I wasn't trying to scare you." He said. He slid his arm under Serena and let it encircle her waist. She didn't respond at all. She didn't notice, or, if she did, she gave no sign of minding it. Diamond was especially startled by this. He noted how her eyes looked a bit glazed over.
"So. How long have you been seeing what-his-face?" He asked softly, not wanting to pry harshly into a tender subject.
"Hmm. You mean Darien?" She asked.
"Uh… Yeah..."
"I dunno. Two. Maybe three."
"Two or three what?" He prodded.
"Years." She replied simply.
They continued to talk about things, Diamond avoiding to go too deep into her wound with Darien. They stared out over they lake. She sighed. To Diamond's utter surprise, she rested her head on his shoulder. Not that he didn't mind. In fact, he loved it. To have his dear, sweet Serenity next to him, and not be held by force of will, either.
"Well, what are you going to do now?" He asked gently.
"What do you mean?"
"Aren't you going to go back to Darien?" It hurt him to say that.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Because why?" He asked, a bit annoyed. One thing he had learned, one could never stay angry or annoyed at Serenity. What she said next proved just that.
"He's not worth…the pain…" It was visibly hard for her to continue. "We were… brought together by destiny. I loved him in a previous life. But… … not………any…more………………" He held her close.
"I have an idea." He said.
"Hmm?" Serena said, half there, half not.
"We could rule Earth and Nemesis together."
"Sure." She replied mechanically.
"You… want to?"
"NANI?!?!?!?!?!"' she snapped back to attention.
"I asked if you wanted to."
"WANTED TO DO WHAT?" She was obviously unaware of what she had been saying 'yes' to.
"Rule Earth and Nemesis with me." He grabbed her arm to keep her from falling off the bench as her face paled. The shock hit her hard. She teetered and he held her firmly.
"W-what?" She asked.
"Uhh… never mind." He hadn't seen shock hit her so bad before. Never. Even as the Neo-Queen. "No. What did you say?"
"Umm. You want to come to the Black Palace with me?" Her eyes shut and she looked halfway dead. "Or maybe not…"
"W-why?" She trembled. She opened her eyes.
"I thought you could spend a while there and, if it's better than being around Darien, you could stay." Her eyes shut tight and he instantly knew what he said was a mistake.
"D-Dar-…" She couldn't form and words.
"Oh! Serena! I didn't mean it that harshly!" Diamond hugged her.
"I-I…"
"Just try."
"O…K…ay." He took her hand and gently led her away from the bench.
"Wha-?" she asked as the walked past the dark portal swirling with Nega-Energy.
"We're not ready yet."
"We aren't?" She asked.
"Nope."
"Then where-"
"You'll see." He led her down a dark ally.
"Now. I want you to close your eyes and think of the most horrible thing about Darien."
"Why?"
''Just do it."
"But…there's nothing horrible about him."
"There must be SOMETHING"
"No…well….
"What?"
"Got it."
"Think it."
"OK." She thought hard about how he had cheated on her. Before Diamond's eyes she began to change. Her long golden hair began turning black. Her odangos unraveled to complete the change. Her blue eyes began to narrow, they changed to black in color. A locket materialized around her neck on a black chain. It was an upside-down crescent moon, all black. White light began to come out of her body. The locket seemed to absorb the light, trapping it away. The more light it absorbed, the more Negative she became. After words, Diamond grabbed the locket off her neck. He fingered it gently and tucked it away under his robe. Soon, her cut-offs were replaced by a long, tight-fitting black dress. It fell to the ground. Her eyes opened.
"Awaken, Black Pearl." He said softly. "Let's go now." They stepped through the portal. It closed swiftly and silently behind them.