Part Five

The night of the dedication ball was full of hectic people running to and fro setting up decorations and putting up the lights. David had hired an orchestra to play and Seth was arranging the stage to accommodate for them. The chandeliers were lit and the flames made the room seem bright and cheery through the rain that was falling outside. Serena was getting ready in the apartment upstairs. She slipped into the pink dress and spun around twice to watch the dress flow out. She was very content with her life up to the moment. Everything was perfect. She fastened a string of white pearls to the neck and took a pair of small earrings out of a tiny wooden box. She left her hair down and curled it so it hung just below her shoulders. With a small amount of make-up and colored contacts, Serena felt like the princess that she was.

There came a sudden tap on the door. “Come in,” she said. Seth walked in and smiled. In his hand was a small box with a gold ribbon.

“I have something for you,” he said. She turned and took the box from him. Her hands touched the delicate ribbon and she slid it off. Inside the box was a gold chain and at the end was a crescent moon that shimmered with diamonds. “May I?” Seth asked and Serena nodded. He took the necklace out and fastened it around her neck as well as removing the pearls she had been wearing. Serena could hardly believe the gift he was giving her.

“It’s stunning,” she whispered.

“You deserve the best, princess,” he said and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Serena didn't move as he left the room saying that he would meet her down stairs in ten minutes.

The ball had already begun when Seth led Serena into the room. Just as he said the scouts didn’t recognize her with her hair down and curled and with colored contacts in. Time seemed to stop for a moment as Serena entered with Seth through the large glass doors. Heads turned to see the couple glide across the floor to meet the others next to the stage.

David was practicing his speech and Ryan was talking to Richard about financial plans.

“Are we ready to begin?” Seth inquired to David. David nodded and took a gulp of Champaign. As David entered up to the podium the crowd hushed. The group took their spots out in the crowd to watch David.

“Well this is quite a turn out,” David began with and motioned towards the crowd. “I would like to begin by saying that this building is possible because of all the fine people like you who want to open up independent businesses.” David clapped and the people followed his motion. “This building has been a blessing to me. It has helped me to see the potential of business. Why, before this I was pumping gas.” There came a chuckle from the crowd. “This building has been but here in honor of the people who made it possible...you. And every morning when you drive your cars to work, you will be greeted with a sign reading ‘Independent and First Building of the People.’ Otherwise known at The IP building.” He smiled and the crowd clapped. “Now, if there are no obligations, I would like to cut this red ribbon and officially open this building for business.” The curtain behind him lifted and a red ribbon was attached to either side of the stage. David pulled a pair of scissors out of his back pocket and cut through the ribbon. The crown clapped and hollered as he stepped off the stage.

Through all the claps and smiles of happy people dancing and enjoying themselves, Serena heard a low growl. It was so soft that no one else heard it but Serena’s delicate ears picked it up. It was coming from the window on the side of the room. She tried to ignore it but the sound was gnawing at her, beckoning her to come and see its source.

Across the room, the scouts were hearing the same noise. Amy was the first to hear it and gathered the other scouts around.

“I’m hearing something weird you guys,” she whispered. They stopped and listened to the noise. The low growl came through the thick voices of the crowd.

“I hear it,” said Raye, her face all flustered. They hadn’t expected a fight during such an important gathering; of course there was no way to know. They scanned the room and saw nothing but woman in gowns and men in suits.

“I don’t see a thing,” Mina commented. Raye shook her head.

“I think that’s the point,” she said and turned around once in a circle. There was nothing to be seen but the scouts knew that there was something there. It was so evil that the sound crept in and swallowed the room. It was buzzing in the air but at a pitch only heard by the scouts. They all tried to tune it out and have a good time but it was impossible.

Serena glided across the room, looking over each person. She spotted the scouts and tried to avoid them. Their gazes shifted over to Serena and she looked away. It was all she could do to keep from crying as she darted behind an elderly woman in a gown.

“Who was that?” Lita said as Serena vanished. Raye looked suspiciously at the spot where Serena was.

“I don’t know but I overheard David and his friends calling her princess,” Raye said. The others raised an eyebrow at Raye’s remark.

“A princess of what?” Mina asked. Raye shrugged. They caught another glimpse of Serena as she examined the area where the noise was coming from.

“What if she’s from the negaverse? I mean, she’s over where the noise is coming from and the fact that people call her princess,” Lita said. Raye nodded slowly and continued to watch Serena.

“I meant to tell you guys that David and his friends have been giving off weird energy but now my thoughts are confirmed. They must be working with Montag,” Raye told the others and they agreed.

Serena looked behind her and decided that she was out of the scout’s sight. The noise was growing as she reached the red velvet curtains that hung beside the windows. She looked outside but saw nothing except trees swaying in the cool night breeze. She sighed and leaned back onto the windowsill. Seth approached her and lightly brushed her arm.

“I’m getting weird energy,” Seth said. Serena nodded and ran a hand through her hair. The curls parted and fell into her face.

“I’m hearing something over here,” she said. Seth scanned the area.

“I don’t see anything?” he said.

“I think that’s the point,” Serena said.

“Just to let you be aware that the scouts have been watching you.” Serena came to full attention and backed away from the window. “They don’t know who you are yet but they have been watching you.” Serena nodded and fumbled around with her necklace. She was growing tired of avoiding her friends and this noise was giving her a bad headache. Everything was a mess and she was starting to feel dinner creeping towards her mouth.

“I need to get out of here. I’m feeling sick,” Serena said and grabbed her stomach. Seth showed concern and took her up to the apartment to rest. As he shut her bedroom door and started to leave to go back to the party, he heard her calling out from her room.

“Seth,” she said between deep gulps of air. Sweat was dripping off her forehead and soaking though her sheets.

“Princess!” he exclaimed and ran to the kitchen to get a cold paper towel. Serena rolled over to her side and felt her stomach rejecting dinner. When Seth came back he placed the towel on her head and smoothed her hair. Serena closed her eyes and moaned. Her entire body felt limp and pains shot through her head.

“It’s the noise,” she whispered. “Find it.” She looked into Seth’s eyes.

“I don’t want to leave you here like this. You need a hospital! Your incredibly sick!” Serena shook her head slowly and then couldn’t even open her eyes. Seth looked at her as she tried to speak but couldn’t form the words through her now pale lips. He wanted to call 911 but knew that the cause of her sickness was Montag. Then he realized that this meant that Montag knew where they were. He grew panicked for a moment but then stopped when he heard the agonizing moans from Serena. He bent down and kissed her forehead.

“I’ll find him,” he whispered and left to go back to the party.

Upon entering the room, he came across a tan looking woman with dark brown eyes and short brown hair. Her dress was long and black with a red ribbon around her waist and two slits up each side. She stood out among the crowd and drew the attention of all men with her long legs and graceful walk.

“Who is she?” Seth inquired once back with the other guardians.

“I don’t know. An employee or maybe just a random woman.” Seth kept his eyes on her as he informed the men of Serena’s situation. The men stopped and listened. The noise had ceased.

Seth still watched the strange woman as she made her way over to the end of the ballroom. She picked up a glass of wine from a table and sipped it slowly as she leaned against a wall. Seth narrowed his eyes. He felt a strong energy coming from her and not a good energy. The scouts were feeling it too and watched her every move.

The woman spun the wineglass between her fingers and looked directly at Seth. He drew back for a moment and then realized that this woman was working with Montag.

“Spread out gentlemen,” Seth said slowly. “I believe that we have the negaverse at our party.” The others smiled at the sound of a fresh battle.

Pearl watched the men stare at her as she tried to stretch her legs out as long as possible. Montag had thought it wise to draw attention but Pearl thought that it only made the scouts more suspicious. She sipped more of the sweet wine and savored it as it slipped down her throat. It had been a while since she had tasted wine and enjoyed the short interlude with it.

“Time to get down to business people,” she whispered to herself and gave the signal of raising a hand. The noise sounded again and Seth knew that he needed to act soon. The noise grew and this time all the guests could hear it. The music stopped and people covered their ears. The scouts slipped out the back door to transform and the guardians stayed to observe for a few moments later.

Suddenly, the chandeliers shattered and sprinkled fresh wax and crystal onto the polished floor. Shouts and screams erupted from the guests. Seth spun around and looked for the others. He saw David but the others weren’t around.

The darkness was setting in and giving a good cover for the evil lurking around. Seth could sense its presence and heard a window shatter.

More screams.

The guardians rushed into the back room and transformed. The scouts had already spotted the creature and were battling with it. The guardians rushed in to help, only to get the cold shoulder from Raye. Seth stalled; checking to see where Montage stood. Sure enough, he stood on the stage with Pearl at his side. They were laughing at the failing attempts made by the scouts. This new creature seemed to take the scouts energy and just absorb it.

After a moment, Seth jumped to action and aided the others. The ball’s guests were quickly fleeing from the room as the fight grew. The scouts combined their powers and hit him from behind but it was no good. Lita tried to turn and hit Montag and Pearl but the creature saw her action and blasted her to the ground. She cried out and tried to regain her strength but it wouldn’t come back. She lied on the ground, not moving yet alive.

The creature continued to beat the group with no effort at all. Mina was the first to really make a dent. She had been watching the way that he moved and decided that he had a weak spot on the back of his neck. Her only mistake was keeping this information to herself.

Mina powered up and leaped behind the creature. She focused all of her energy and narrowed her eyes at the target spot.

“Venus love chain encircle!” she yelled and shot a stream of power at his neck. The creature raised his hands and cried out in agony. Mina gasped as the creature spun around and rammed into her. She was catapulted across the room and slammed into a wall. There she stayed as she gasped for air.

The creature twisted around as blood spilled from his wound and the scouts saw their opportunity to strike.

Seth ran to Mina’s side and tucked his hand under her head. Her body was limp and her eyes were shutting. Seth dropped his sword to his side and shook her.

“Mina!” he said and her eyes opened a little. She stared at him for a moment. He could feel her hand reach up and touch his face. Her eyes brightened a bit.

“Seth?” she whispered. He nodded and smiled. Mina breathed in deeply and blood trickled down the corner of her mouth.

“Mina?” he whispered and held her body close to his. He held her for a moment and felt her heart beat slowly and then vanish. When he held her back, her eyes were shut and her hand had dropped from his face. A smile was still on her lips and he kissed her gently. With a tear on his cheek, Seth put her body on the floor and turned to see the battle in full swing.

Anger built up inside of him and he lunged for the creature. His sword plunged into its side but the creature barely felt its sharp tip. Seth yelled and powered up with his sword raised high above his head.

“Imperial sword...Lash!” he cried out and white fire shot out from the tip of his sword. The fire hit the creature and knocked him back for a moment. The other men looked surprised at this new power Seth had obtained.

Suddenly a pink light glowed around the creature and held it in a death grip. The group held their attack position and Lita lifted herself up off the floor. There was an eerie silence that clung to the room like a thick paste. Montag and Pearl had even drawn back at the sight of their prized creature being killed.

Ryan was the first to spot the source of the light. It came from a woman dressed in a white scout uniform. She had long white hair that was pulled back into two braided loops that hung by her ears and her silver skirt glimmered in the light of the moon. On her feet were high white boots with silver trim. The bow that was fastened on her chest was a glowing silver color and in the center was a crystal. Around her neck was a long silver chain and on the end of that chain was a crescent moon with diamonds embedded into it.

Seth gasped when he saw her, as did the other men, for they knew it was...

Serena.

She closed her eyes and clenched her fist together. The pink circle closed and the creature vanished with it.

Everyone looked at this new figure in silence. Montag and Pearl were also curious and stuck around to see what developed out of this new situation.

She loomed over the battle scene and watched the scouts faces change from surprised to puzzled. Her moment of silence didn’t last for the end of a long sword jabbed at her from behind. Serena lost her balance and toppled over only to summersault and land on her feet.

“Nice to meet you again sailor scouts,” said a voice and a tall dark man stepped through a black portal. Pearl’s face lit up and she leaped over to the man. He held her for a moment and then kissed her ruby lips. Pearl smiled her delight and then lowered herself next to him; her arm still interlocked with his.

The man held his sword down and Serena got a good look at him. At first his features seemed shrouded in black haze but after a moment she recognized him. It was the man whom she loved beyond words could say. His face was dark and worn. His eyes echoed a tragedy and his lips were pale. Although he wasn’t the same inside, Serena knew his face anywhere. He was the one who held her on cold nights and kissed her after a bad day. His arms belonged to her, not this witch who clung to him now.

Serena took a step back and gasped quietly. Darien held onto Pearl as he powered up and blasted a welcoming shot into the sky. Pearl giggled and sighed.

“Welcome to your end scouts!” he yelled and took his arm away from Pearl. With his sword raised above his head he lunged at Raye. She already had a burning ball of fire ready to hurl at him as he passed. Darien swiped at her and missed while Raye only burned his arm. Both were disappointed with their actions.

The others came out of their trance and began to throw their elements at Darien. Each time he dodged them and shot power back in their direction. Pearl joined in half way though and took on Lita and Amy by herself. Both girls combined weren’t enough to beat Pearl. She hammered the scouts into the ground and then joined with Darien.

“We’ve got to get up,” Lita told Amy as the two bled on the floor.

“I’m trying,” Amy responded and lifted herself up off the floor. Lita did the same and Pearl was surprised at their endurance.

Serena stayed off to the side and watched as Darien fought with the scouts and guardians. Pearl powered up and shot at David. He held his sword high and diverted the shot but Pearl wasn’t frustrated in the least. She simply kept on going for David until the action of holding his sword hurt.

“What’s going on?” Serena whispered and held onto the necklace draped around her neck. She looked around and saw Montag had vanished. Serena blinked back tears as Seth lashed out at Darien. She cringed as Darien’s side spilled out blood. He fell and Pearl panicked. She ran to his side and blasted the scouts away as the guardians tried to hit her. It was no use however; Pearl had created a barrier around Darien and herself.

Seth scanned the room for Serena and found her quivering in a corner. Their eyes locked and she saw his look of distress. He wanted her to destroy them. She knew that she had the power but she didn’t have the strength. Instead of coming to the rescue she stayed in the corner and watched as Pearl and Darien vanished in a black mist.

The group let their guard down and looked around for any sight of Montag, Pearl or Darien. They knew that it wasn’t over yet.

Serena had retreated back to the apartment once Darien left with Pearl.

Once the group relaxed they spotted a figure against the wall. Amy was the first to realize that it was Mina. She ran to her side and held her body tightly, sobbing the whole time. The others walked over slowly and Lita held onto Raye’s hand. Amy didn’t look up and the guardians kept their distance.

“No!” Amy yelled into the thick air. Lita burst out into tears and fell to her knees. Raye tried to hold back but after a moment the tears flowed freely from her and she fell to the floor. It was a fit of sobs and moans for the girls. Never had they felt such a loss since Serena.

Seth stared at the fallen Mina and gripped his hands together tightly. The pain he felt was immense. She had been such a friend to him when he lived in London. The only thing that gave him happiness from this moment was the face that she knew it was he before she died. Seth recalled the times they spent alone together. There had never been any real romance between them but they both cared for each other deeply.

Ryan put a strong hand on Seth’s shoulder and walked up next to him. “I remember her from London. She was a great person...I’m sorry.” His voice blew through Seth and left no impression in his mind. The cries and noises were lost as his mind drifted back to a time when he first saw Mina in Tokyo...

It was a calm spring day when he thought that he would go exploring. The men hadn’t yet met Richard and Seth wanted to learn more about Tokyo. He remembered it so vividly. She had been standing at a bus stop with her bag held in front of her. Her hair was being swept up into the wind and it blew around. There was a red bow that Seth recognized and a set of eyes that looked all too familiar. He was careful to hide behind a tree and watched her move. The sun cast a glow on her face and there was a scent that carried over from where she was standing. Seth inhaled and remembered Mina. He dared not go closer and instead he watched her stand there for fifteen minutes before leaving on a bus.

Such memories stayed forever ingrained in his mind.

Seth turned away from the group and looked at Serena as she quivered in the corner. Her body was hunched over and she shook violently. He checked to see if anyone watched him but they didn’t. He went over to Serena and lifted her from the floor. She didn’t look him in the eye but rather stayed focused on the marble floor.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. Serena took a deep breath and her body quaked as she exhaled.

“I didn’t come quick enough,” she stuttered. “I could have stopped it.” She looked up at Seth.

“No,” he told her and she fell into his arms. No tears came and no sobs like the others. She thought herself too strong for that.

“Why is everything so wrong?” she whispered.

“It won’t be soon.” Seth tried to reassure her. Serena didn’t respond. She was tired and her body still felt sick from the ball a few hours before. Everything in her life seemed wrong. She had the wrong man that was holding her. She felt confused and betrayed by Darien. Nothing was working out especially now that Mina was gone. Serena was trying to accept the fact that Mina was really gone but the truth wasn’t presenting itself any time soon.

With the group preoccupied, Seth and Serena slipped away from the madness and upstairs to try to relax and talk.

Serena watched the rainfall from the windowpane as Seth was changing. Each drop seemed to signify something in her life. The large drops meant tears and pain...there were a lot of large drops. The small drops meant contentment and safety. Sporadically there would come drops that splattered across half the window and collect into the drainpipes. Serena thought of these drops as love.

Seth emerged from the bathroom and put an arm around Serena. As he did, a raindrop splattered halfway across the window.

That night, Serena couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned and couldn’t stop thinking about Mina and the scouts. They were such a part of her life and they didn’t even realize that she was back! The pain that was building up in her heart ached and even crying wouldn’t make the pain leave.

“Darien,” she whispered. She could see his face in her mind and hear his voice. He spoke softly to her like he use to and hummed a tune. His hand caressed her face and his lips danced over her eyes. Serena smiled and lost herself in a passionate kiss. His lips touched hers and her mind went blank. He was strong yet gentle and she never wanted that kiss to end. It was the perfect time and place and feeling. Perfection couldn’t be so easily reached but Darien always made it possible.

“Serena?” Seth whispered from the doorway. Serena didn’t move. She lay in bed and acted as if she were asleep. Seth shrugged and walked away. That night after the ball they hadn’t talked. Serena had been too broken up for words. Seth had been feeling the same way but he still tried to tell her about Darien. Serena had refused to hear it and went to bed.

The night air seeped in through the cracks in the windowpane and tickled Serena’s senses. She felt a quick chill and then warmth covered her body. Her eyes closed and her breathing became heavy. An owl cried out but it didn’t wake Serena. The night carried her away and into a world that she had tucked away into her subconscious. This world was reawakened as Serena heard the faint cry of her name.

“Serena!” It was soft and welcoming yet far away. She opened her eyes and sat up. The voice called out again, “Serena!” Around her were fallen columns and upturned marble floors. The sky was dark and out in the distance was the planet Earth. It peaked over the horizon and turned gently.

“Mother,” Serena whispered. From across a reflecting pool Serena saw a figure walking to her. It skimmed over the ground and its face was pointing towards from Serena.

The surroundings didn’t faze Serena at all. She felt comfortable and safe. There was no confusion or puzzlement only a great feeling of security.

The figure finally came face to face with Serena and took Serena’s pale face into her hands. She stroked her long golden hair and kissed her cheek. Serena looked at the woman and whispered,

“Mother, I’ve missed you so much.” The two embraced and Serena felt her clothes fade into those of princes Serena’s. Her mother stood back and smiled at the sight of her daughter’s beauty.

“How you have grown,” she remarked. Serena blushed at the comment. Serenity held onto her daughter’s hand as she spoke.

“I have called you here for an important reason Serena.” The smile had left her face and her eyes showed concern. Serena could sense bad news was coming. “I know what has been happening but to beat him, you can’t show your emotions. I know this is going to hurt but you must hear it.” Serena turned away and stared off at the crumbled palace. Her mother took her chin and gently turned her face back towards hers.

“We will destroy him mother,” Serena said, trying to avoid the news her mother was trying to deliver.

“Serena, There was once a time when you were promised to a wonderful prince named Seth. He loved you very much but you never quite returned his love. Listen to me when I say this. No matter how much you want to believe that you were destined to be with Darien...it was never true. You two were in love but it was never meant to be. I knew that it would happen someday that he would not come back...now is that time.” Serena could feel the tears weld up behind her eyes. She struggled to keep them down and bottle up the feeling of sadness. Her world was coming apart and she didn’t know how to keep it together anymore.

“He does love me,” she said. Her mother tried to hug Serena but Serena backed away. “No,” she said in a threatening tone.

“It was never meant to be Serena. You were always meant to be with Seth. He loves you so much.” Serena backed up into a fallen column and covered her eyes. The pain was intense and what made it worse was the fact that she knew her mother was right.

“Send me back!” she screamed and wished for Darien to be with her. Her mother held a hand high and in a flash of colors vanished along with the moon kingdom.

Serena bolted upward and found herself sitting in a pile of sweat in her bedroom. The night was still as it had been and the apartment was silent.

She stayed alert for a moment, expecting Sailor Pluto to visit her and explain the vision but no one came.

She got out of bed and wandered into the kitchen. She grabbed a glass and poured water into it. The cold liquid burned as it went down into her stomach. Serena welcomed the pain as something better than the pain of losing Darien. Nothing had ever felt so horrid before and it made her feel like she was drowning.

With her bathrobe pulled tightly around her body, Serena walked out onto the deck. Tokyo was a blaze of lights and colors. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of cars and people.

“I’ll make you come back to me my love,” she whispered into the air. Just then an icy wind wiped in and shocked Serena out of her calming stage. It echoed the voice of her mother, saying ‘It wasn’t ever meant to be him’. Serena went back into bed and hoped for another battle soon. There she would bring him back for good.

The morning came all too soon. Serena felt like she had finally gotten to sleep when the sun brightened the room. She pulled the blanket tightly around her head and snuggled back into the bed. It wasn’t until an hour later that she decided she was hungry and got up.

As she walked into the kitchen, she expected to see David making breakfast. He wasn’t there and neither was the normal shuffling of the other men waking up. Serena stopped for a moment and was drawn back. Work didn’t start until tomorrow so it was unlikely that David or the others had gone to work. Serena hurried into their rooms but the only thing she saw were neatly made beds. A sudden flash of panic swept through her body.

“Hello!” she yelled into the house. Serena went into the living room and saw a note upon the glass table. She picked it up and read aloud.

“Turn on the television.” She raised an eyebrow and flicked on the television. Serena had expected to see a video begin and the men tell her that they went to China or something to that extent. To her surprise, when she turned on the television, the news came on and scrolling across the bottom was a breaking news story, ‘Gang fights kill one last night at the new office complex in down town Tokyo’. Her jaw dropped and the note fell from her hand. The news story continued as a woman came in live from outside the scene of the crime.

Serena was speechless as David’s face was shown speaking to the media. Sweat was dripping down his face as he explained about the gang fight.

“It was a total shock and we leave it to the police to catch them,” David said and wiped the sweat away with a towel. His talk wasn’t sounding too truthful.

In her shocked state, Serena eased over to the window and didn’t know what she expected to see. Down by the doors were a mass of people pushing and television cameras. Reporters flashed cameras and others scribbled down David’s words.

“Oh my,” she whispered. “This is so not good.” She could see David in the center and Ryan beside him but Seth and David couldn’t be seen. She stayed pressed to the window until the media began to disperse and a crowd of people came around.

About ten minutes later the door burst opened and the men came into the apartment, arguing. Serena was silent as they all grabbed a beer and sat around the table. They looked troubled and scared. David was pacing around the table and rubbing his eyes.

“I can’t even begin to believe this,” David said. The others kept quiet. Serena stayed at her place by the window and tried not to interfere with their business. She still had a sinking feeling about last night’s vision but she decided not to share it with anyone.

“This has never happened before!” he yelled and held his head back, shaking with a dark laughter. The others exchanged worried looks. David was usually stable and put together, this situation seemed to really get to him.

“No one has ever died before,” Seth whispered and sipped at his beer. The room grew silent and uneasy. David ran a shaking hand threw his white hair and sighed. It was however true. No one had ever died before therefore there was really no need for so much media attention. With Mina dead it really shocked the group. They realized that they were vulnerable and couldn’t cheat death by dodging Montag’s blows.

“With the media involved it’s going to be hard to battle anywhere in Tokyo and not be caught,” David pointed out. He sunk down into a chair and rubbed his eyes again.

Serena eased into daydreaming and tried to forget about the problems at hand. She thought back to a time when she was young and would play with her brother. She would play with her dolls and Sammy would play with his army guys. They were so innocent and sheltered from everything. It was a time before she knew anything about Sailor Moon or the Silver Millennium. Everything was so perfect back then. She had a loving family and they always supported her in everything. There was a part of her that longed to return to that point in her life.

Suddenly a door slammed and Serena was shocked back into the present.

“He just needs time to cool off,” Ryan said and walked out of the room.

Serena looked around and saw that David had left. Although this was his business, he was starting to act haughty and it was getting on Serena’s nerves. Seth continued to nurse his drink as Richard got another from the fridge. Serena left the room to change out of her pajamas and into jeans and a pink shirt. As she laced up her shoes Seth came into the room and sat next to her. She glanced at him but said nothing.

“Do you want something?” she said in a sweet voice. Seth looked surprised.

“No, I just wanted to make sure you were ok after last night and this morning.” He looked concerned and she knew that he probably was but her first reaction to his concern was to be as cruel as possible. It was harsh but she thought that it would make him draw back and stop feeling love towards her. She narrowed her eyes as she spoke.

“I’m fine, you don’t need to baby me. Please leave my room.” Seth was caught be surprise at her remark and cocked his head. Serena kept her lips pressed tightly together and motioned towards the door. He left slowly and didn’t look back to see her cry.

The entire day was an emotional roller coaster for Serena. She wept when she passed by her house but smiled when she passed by her school. Laughing girls made her want to scream out in rage but quiet boys made her enjoy being back. The day progressed without much change. She caught herself regressing back into her New York game of looking at people and trying to figure them out. It was a comfort zone for Serena that she thought she hadn’t brought back to Tokyo with her but she saw herself doing it all the same.

At two in the afternoon Serena stopped for some lunch at the little soda shop where she had gone to after school before her...move. The faces behind the counter had changed but not the quality of the food. She sat down behind a table and ordered two hotdogs and a chocolate shake. A small child watched as Serena ate her entire meal within five minutes. She rubbed her full stomach and sat there for a good half-hour debating whether or not to return to the apartment. There were ups and downs to both choices. If she stayed out then the group would become concerned and might go looking for her. On the other hand, they were all really busy taking care of the media and she probably wouldn’t be missed.

Pondering left her hungry and Serena ordered another shake.

She debated returning but if she returned then Seth would be nosy about where she was and why she left. Either that or he would pretend that nothing happened and continue to help out David with the problems at hand.

She breathed in and out deeply and checked her watch. It had been a little over an hour since she had entered into the shop. She pretended not to notice the time that had gone by and watched as the people passed by outside the window. They went by in a row with book bags and briefcases. She became hypnotized by their consistency.

Suddenly, as if the fates had arranged it, Serena caught a glimpse of a young man through the thick crowd. He was tall with thick black hair. His body was a bit lanky but it fit him well. He carried a briefcase with him and as he walked it swung by his leg. He stopped at the crosswalk and checked his watch. After waiting a few moments the sign lit up and he vanished into the dense crowd of pedestrians.

“Darien,” she whispered into the air and let the gentle breeze sweep over her words and carry them into the distance. She closed her eyes tightly and sighed. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach, almost like she knew it wasn’t meant to be but she had been pretending all her life. It was all an illusion...