Every Reason Not To: chapter 5 An: Congratulations! You've made it to the LAST chapter! Arigato for reading! Rated: G ;) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@ Darien smiled spotting Serena down the hall-trying to force down the wave of tender affection that welled up in him always at the sight of her. But the smile died on his lips as a Youma materialized in the hall. He froze. Up until now they hand both worked very hard at keeping their identities from one another. The Youma was approaching her and she didn't see, there was no time to transform! He ran to her without a second thought. "Serena!" he cried, jumping in front of her as she came face to face with- "Youma!" she cried in confusion. ~Oh no, Darien's here...how am I going to transform?~ The Youma blasted them, knocking them back into a narrow Janitor's closet. The scouts arrived at this moment, attacking the Youma and distracting it from it's former targets. Serena and Darien cast frantic glances out to the battle. A blast of energy knocked the closet door shut. In the dim light they turned to face one another. "There's something I have to tell you." They said in unison and then froze. Serena clutched her moon brooch. Darien held a rose. At that moment they knew. "Let's do it." he said, trying not to grin. "MOON PRISM POWER!" The blast of light from her transformation enveloped them both in a warm and powerful glow. They experienced a brief but potent sharing of energy. Darien didn't feel the usual ache in his head and burning in his chest-she was here already, right next to him. The transformation felt natural. The light subsided and they were Sailormoon and Tuxedo Mask. She tucked the heartache of this realization away for later. They burst out of the closet together and dusted the Youma. It's loud roar cut short into an eerie silence. The scouts eyed them suspiciously, wondering if they had in fact, come together. Tuxedo Mask took this moment to leave and Sailormoon stood alone, forcing the sadness from her eyes. ~Darien's Tuxedo Mask....I'm in love with the same person...but his Princess...I'm not the one...~ "Did you guys...come together?" asked Rei frowning. "Hmmm? Me and Tuxedo Mask? No, he must've come in just behind me- I didn't see, I was running too fast!" They seemed to accept this. Fortunately none of them noticed it was a closet they burst out of. They headed their separate ways. "Good job!" "Yeah! See ya!" Sailormoon stepped outside alone and found Tuxedo Mask instantly by her side. "Hey!" he said. She was biting back tears when she replied, "Hey." He didn't notice, he was too excited that they knew. It was such a relief. "I'm glad we know, this will make things easier." He was right of course. She nodded. Their transformations wore off as they walked. Serena watched the dark figure of Tuxedo Mask melt into the gentler one of Darien and her eyes betrayed her. Darien caught his breath. She turned away quickly. They were silent a while as Darien tried to figure out what was wrong... ~Wait a minute!~ "Serena," he began, pulling her to a stop before her doorway, "That guy you talked about...the hero..the one who was the reason you don't date....was he-he wasn't Tux-" She stopped him abruptly putting a finger to his lips, "Let's not have this conversation." she begged. He gazed sadly at her. She pulled the star locket out of her pocket suddenly and tucked it into his hand, closing his fingers over it. "Here, take this back. It wasn't meant for me, it was meant for your Princess-" her voice broke, tears welling up in her eyes. She turned to leave but he caught her arm. "Serena-wait!" "No Darien, it's okay. We're searching for the same Princess you see. The Scouts and I are sworn to protect her. I'm only the leader until we find her.....I'm not the one..." She broke free and fled inside, leaving Darien to stand alone in the place where they'd once kissed. Darien walked home very slowly. His heart was heavy. ~She loves me...~ He tried desperately to sort out his thoughts. Serena, Sailormoon, the Princess in his dreams. He was beginning to resent her-this Princess in his dreams. She was no longer a ray of hope in his lonely existence. Since he had let Serena get close to him his dream Princess had become an obstacle standing in the way of what he knew he wanted. He looked down at the locket, which opened and played for him. That melody.......why, Serena had used it in her song-the one he'd heard her play that night at the club. That's why it had sounded so familiar! The locket gave off a faint, golden glow. She had cherished this token from a man she believed she loved and now she felt it wasn't for her. Darien's heart twisted in his chest. He had hurt her now as Darien and Tuxedo Mask! He looked down at the locket again. The one material proof of his dream Princess. He had a sudden flash of the locket being given to him...in another time...another life?...pressed into his hand, his fingers tucked over it...."So you'll always remember me...." The voice sounded sad and fearful. He shut his eyes, trying to clear his head. Suddenly a pain grabbed in his chest-his head began to pound. ~Serena....~ Her began to run back to her place, as fast as his feet could carry him. He looked down-Why haven't I transformed yet? He looked up as he reached her building and watched in horror as a Youma leapt from a high window-with Serena in it's arms! Then he realized-he couldn't transform until she did!-that was his cue- had always been his cue! The Youma leapt down to the ground in front of him. "Serena!" he cried, she managed to look up weakly. "Serena you have to transform! Do it!" Her eyes were careless, sad and tired. She slumped forward. "Serena no! You have to transform!" The Youma let out a blast of black energy that knocked Darien back. "Serena! I can't transform until you do! I can't be Tuxedo Mask without you!" Her head lifted a bit at this, and then it happened.... ~Serena, I love you! I love you...~ The words burned deep in her heart and mind where no one else could hear. ~We always could tell each other's thoughts...wha--?~ Her thoughts were edged by fragments of memory...what memory? She looked at Darien's desperate face...knew the words had been his thoughts. "MOON PRISM POWER!" FLASH! In a burst of white light Sailormoon and Tuxedo Mask appeared. The Youma was blinded and Sailormoon freed herself from its grasp. They fought the Youma together but it was fast-incredibly so. It narrowly dodged all of Sailor moon's attacks. Winded and a bit blasted from the dark energy, the two jumped, flipped and dodged the monster-trying desperately to get a decent shot at it. Then with a sudden jab, the Youma snatched Sailor moon's brooch from her uniform. She and Darien's powers faded away. "Oh my God!" gasped Serena. "NOW WHAT?" yelled Darien over the Youma's terrible roar. "I don't know!" she said, white with fear. The Scouts wouldn't know she was in trouble now.... They made several attempts to grab back the brooch but to no avail. The Youma blasted them both back against a tree, then it grabbed up Darien with on hideous arm. The Youma's other arm extended into powerful claws and it moved to stab Darien. "NO! OH NO!" she screamed, jumping up, "Don't let him die!" A crescent moon suddenly appeared on her forehead in a golden burst, "Not again...." she said softly. Suddenly, the rainbow crystals, wherever they were, began to glow, emitting energy which gathered around Serena. She formed a ball in her hands and then sent out a blast that destroyed the Youma, leaving Darien and the brooch to drop softly to the ground. She collapsed to her knees, weak and exhausted. Darien rushed to her, gathering her up in his arms, "Serena?" She looked up at him and the glow from the moon on her forehead encompassed his features, revealing....armor?.... "Endymion?" she said faintly and he started, looking at her forehead and the faint, hazy glow of a white gown? Then she collapsed into his arms, the moon disappearing. Darien held her tightly and then leaned her back and kissed her tenderly. When he pulled away she was staring wide eyed at him, he smiled. "But Darien...your dream Princess?" He smiled, "Endymion is what the Princess in my dreams calls me." Realization awakened in her eyes, "But I-I can't remember..." "But you will Serena...and so will I...and besides...whatever we may have been in the past...I love you right now....I'm so sorry I hurt you...I-" She smiled as he spoke and managed to pull herself closer, "I love you too." she murmured sweetly and kissed him softy. And the words echoed strangely in his heart-as though spoken there as well. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@ Well Minna...that's all she wrote! Hope ya liked...I've worked very hard to make this fic net friendly! Below are the full lyrics to "the song" if you're interested...if you're not then hit your back button...you're done! :) ja ne! Slip I've, a memory of a dream for you In a strange place in my heart Wish I knew the truth of you Wish I'd known it from the start Cause I, know I'm not myself with you But I feel I have been Close and in your arms A thousand times before Feel it in my heart. (chorus) I've, thrown a wish away on you My heart just slipped away from me Falling for you. A strange fire burns fiercely in my heart Every time I think of you Every time we fight for truth And you walk, away. There's something, in your voice that calls to me Feel like I've known you Sometime in the past A lifetime long before Feel it in my heart I've, thrown a wish away on you My heart just slipped away from me Falling for you. natia_99