Greetings!  Here's a short story I wrote that magically 
solves all the problems of Darien's nightmares, Rini and 
the like in just 3 pages!  That's right!  Anyways...rated G
, standard disclaimers, blah blah blah!  Enjoy and e-mail 
moi?  please?  natia_99@yahoo.com
Enjoy!


With a final blast the battle was over-Sailormoon had won.  
She fell to her knees, her wand clattering to the ground beside 
her.  She was exhausted and weak, but there was no one to gather 
her up and comfort her this time.  He had not come.  
It's just as well. She thought drearily, it only hurt her more 
when he did come, gave her hope, a dangerous companion when your 
heart is in love.  Sailor Mars knelt down beside her as their 
transformations faded away so that it was Raye's hand gently on 
her arm as she said softly,
"Great job Serena."
Serena forced a smile for this.  Raye being nice to her was little 
short of earth shattering-she must be worried.  In truth they all 
were, she was so dispirited without him.  None of them had ever truly 
considered how much his support and guidance had aided her.  But 
considering the history between them it made sense.  
Leeta sighed, What's wrong with him?  How can he just dismiss 
everything between them?  After all they've been through together!
The girls headed off in separate directions.  
Serena walked through the park dazedly.  She was exhausted and 
overworked.  She was running a fever and the fact that her heart 
wasn't in it made her vulnerable.  It began to rain and for once 
she didn't care.  It was getting late but her family had gone away 
for the weekend and actually trusted her to stay on her own.  Maybe 
because she had seemed so mature and serious these last weeks-she was 
actually studying!
She sat down and let herself get soaked, tears sliding hot trails down 
her cheeks.  Her thoughts were bitter-if that was possible for her.
Why me?  Why do I have to be the hero when no one believes in me anyway?  
Why should I fight when everything in the past just means nothing now 
anyway?  And why...why doesn't Darien love me anymore?  That's such a 
stupid question!  A thousand years ago I was a graceful, talented 
Princess...and what am I now?  The total opposite!  Was anyone ever more 
poorly suited to do this than me?  It's not fair!  He still gets to be 
the smart, talented hero!  He still seems like a Prince!  And all the girls 
still have their talents!  What happened to mine?  I'm no good at anything!  
No wonder he wants nothing to do with me!  What do I have to offer him now?
It was Darien who found her this way, soaked, feverish and half delusional.  
He was walking through the park with some videos he'd rented to watch with 
Rini.  She was all that kept his mind off Serena now.  The strange connection 
between them almost diverted him from the heart wrenching thoughts of Serena, 
so he filled his time with her.  He was angrily arguing with his mind again-about 
the dream.
Why?  I don't understand why!  How could being with her be dangerous?  I don't 
understand!  It's not fair! 
he thought bitterly,  I have nothing in this life!  I've been alone almost all 
my life!  She is the one thing I have, the one light in my life!  I'm so lonely 
without her...his heart was heavy with sadness,   I don't know why she put up 
with me....I have so little to offer her in this life....I've no experience with 
love, or trust...or hope...and she acts like I'm the best thing that's ever happened 
to her...I can't stand treating her this way!  Haven't I been cruel enough to 
her already!
He remembered all the times, before he'd remembered, that he'd called her Meatball 
head and laughed at her marks and her clumsiness.  I was such a jerk.  And now, 
now when I finally get her I go and break her heart.   But mine's breaking too....
mine's breaking too Serena....
Then he spotted her.  Sitting in the rain?  But she hated storms!  She was getting 
soaked!  He walked up behind her...he couldn't just leave her there!
"Serena?"
She jumped at the sound of his voice and turned rather glazed eyes up at him,
"Hmmm?"
"Serena are you alright?  What are you doing out in the rain?  You'll catch your 
death!" She was shivering and her eyes didn't look right...something was wrong.
"Are you sick?"
"I'm fine,"  she muttered, "Like you care."
He winced.
She tried to stand up but her legs were shaky and her teeth began to chatter.  
He pulled off his jacket.
"Serena!" he exclaimed with distress, wrapping her up, "You are not well!"  
He put a hand to her forehead and suddenly forgot everything about the dream...
everything but her...
"You're burning up!  Come on, we've got to get you home to your family!"
"They're away."  She said softly, her mind was dizzy and unfocused.  "Nevermind
Darien, I'll get myself home."  She tried to pull off his jacket and nearly fell over.  
He caught her up in his arms.
"You're coming back to my place."  He said, leading her out of the rain.
By the time they got to his apartment her fever was high.  She was incoherent and 
weak.  He had to carry her in.
Rini bounded around the corner and then stopped short, "Serena!"  she choked out 
with real fright in her eyes, "Is she okay?"
"No Rini," said Darien, "She isn't and we're going to have to take care of her okay?"
Rini nodded solemnly, before running off to find blankets.
Darien took Serena to his room and gently pulled off her wet things.  Her body 
was bruised and battered.
She's been in a battle.   He thought and then felt pure horror wash over him, And 
I wasn't there...to protect her!
Guilt bit at him and he felt something in him turn to stone.  Nothing, least of 
all some dream, would EVER stop him from protecting her again!
He tended to all her bruises and scrapes and then wrapped her up in some of his 
clothes...the smallest he could find.  Then he carried her out to the living room 
and caught his breath.  Rini had set up pillows and blankets and even brought out 
a bowl of water!
"Rini!"  he exclaimed.
"Did I do everything right?"  she asked timidly.
"Yes!  Yes, you did a great job."
He laid Serena down and wrapped her up snugly.  Then he got some Tylenol and 
water.
"I've gotta get her fever down."  he said half to Rini, half to himself.  He 
managed to sit her up and get her to swallow two.  
And then Darien and Rini busied themselves pouring out more tenderness for 
Serena than anyone would have thought possible from the two people nearly 
matched in tormenting her.
Rini wrapped up her feet warmly and made sure all her covers were tucked in 
and Darien...he never stopped...Rini hadn't seen anything like it since her 
Mom and Dad....
He pulled down her buns and brushed out her wet hair gently before wrapping 
it up in a towel behind her, then kept a washcloth near her forehead for hours, 
never leaving her side, gently stroking her face and her arm.
Rini got up and went to Darien's room.  She crawled into the farthest corner of 
the room with her Luna ball and pushed it's nose.
"Oh Luna ball  I'm so scared!  First Mommy got sick and wouldn't wake up and now 
Serena?  What should I do?  Is it my fault?"
She began to cry softly and Darien heard her from the next room.  I don't understand 
it.  She's usually at Serena's throat, teasing her and tormenting her and now she 
seems so frightened and concerned for her.   Then another thought occurred to him, 
Ofcourse, I teased Serena when I was in love with her....
He looked down at Serena's sleeping face and checked her forehead before rising 
and heading for his bedroom.  It was late, Rini was exhausted and frightened.  
He'd keep them both here for the night.
He collected the small girl into his arms tenderly,
"Don't worry Rini,  Serena will be fine.  We took really good care of her...you 
and me both!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and he was struck by the same, uncanny sense 
of deja vu.
"Are you sure?"  she said softly.
"Ofcourse Rini, she's just caught the flu.  She'll be fine after a good night's 
sleep."
"I know I'm not very nice to her,"  said Rini, sniffing back sobs, "But I still...
love her!"  she buried her face in his shoulder and he patted her back gently, 
rocking her until she fell asleep.
"I know.  I know."  he soothed and then added in a whisper, "Me too."
Then he tucked her into his bed carefully before returning to his other Princess.  
He knelt down beside Serena and watched her sleep, gently stroking her face until 
he fell asleep, his face just next to her side, his arm around her loosely-washcloth 
still in his hand.
The dream returned ofcourse, strong and terrifying, while he fought back the horror 
he couldn't help but feel, masking it with anger, screaming at his own dreams.
Serena stirred and woke to find herself wrapped warmly on Darien's couch...and 
Darien...his beautiful face sleeping just next to her, one arm draped casually 
over her.  She pulled herself cautiously to a sit and gathered his face into her 
lap, trying to choke back the hope that flooded her every sense.  
Maybe this is just a dream.  
But suddenly his face tensed and she could tell he was having a nightmare.  She 
watched in horror as tears began to run down his cheeks.
"Darien!  Oh Darien wake up, you're having a bad dream!"  she exclaimed, gathering 
him up in her arms.
His eyes opened and he had trouble focusing before he realized where he was.
He hugged her fiercely, fresh tears starting.
"I'm sorry,"  he choked out, "I'm so sorry!"
"Why are you sorry?"  she asked with confusion.
"I keep having this nightmare, every night, that if I get close to you something 
awful will happen!  I couldn't!  I could never forgive myself if something happened 
to you because of me!  You're all I've got!  You're all I've got in the world!"
His words were choked by sobs.  She tried desperately to sooth him.
"Forgive me!  When I found you in the rain and then got you home and you were all 
bruised.  You fought a Youma didn't you?  And I wasn't even there!  I'm so sorry!  
I don't know what to do!"
He cried with abandon in her arms as she tried to take it all in.
"You mean, this dream is what made you leave me?  You still love me?"
He pulled back suddenly, his face serious, he leaned in close to her, 
"Nothing could ever make me stop loving you.  Nothing."
She wiped the tears from his face, "Why didn't you tell me?  We could have figured 
something out together.  We'll see if Raye can figure out your dreams from a fire 
reading okay?  I'm sure they don't mean anything!"
He seemed to quiet at this.  Then he asked softly, "Can you ever forgive me?"
"There's nothing to forgive."  she said gently and then leaned in to kiss him, 
wanting to take all the pain from him.  He let her, let her comfort him with the 
touch and lost himself in it.
"You're the only one who can comfort me."   He murmured and she smiled.
"Whatever it is, we'll get through it together."
Those words settled in his heart and remained.  He pulled her in close and held 
her for a long time, until finally, she settled back into the pillows with his 
face tucked under her chin and they slept.  And this time, Darien didn't have the 
nightmare.
Rini crept out an hour later.  She had slept through their emotional conversation 
but woke now and the familiar fear and worry gripped her.  She had slipped out of 
bed and headed for the door when something caught her eye.  It was the brooch on 
Serena's top, the one she always wore.  Serena's clothes were laid out on the 
chair at Darien's desk to dry, the moonlight caught the brooch in an eerie sparkle.  
Rini approached it trembling and opened it.
She gasped, the crystal!  But that must mean Serena's....?!!  Serena's Sailormoon 
and....and my mother?  And Darien....he's....Daddy?
Her poor body shook with shock.  It kind of made sense but...but Darien had broken 
up with Serena!  But if they never got married then....she gulped in terror.  Oh no!  
So she crept out into the living room and found them asleep in one another's arms, 
smiling.  Suddenly everything was alright.  She smiled and walked closer to them.
Tomorrow she'd tell them everything, she promised herself, but for tonight....for
tonight she'd just be with her Mommy and Daddy again...just for tonight...
She crept onto the couch and snuggled in with them contently, sleeping peacefully.

That's all!  Like? Yes?  No?  Write me and let me know!?  I wrote this quick and 
didn't add anything on, it's pretty raw and rough I think-no fine attention to 
detail!  But I liked it so I sent it in! :)