"A Little Faith" Hi! My name is Laura Hudson, and I just wrote my first fanfic. It's called "A Little Faith." I personally find it quite readable, but I'm a little biased, and hey, maybe it's just me. This fanfic (or which this is Part 1) is based mostly on the NA cartoon, but you'll probably find some influences from the Japanese in here. This takes place after "A Cosmetic Caper" (i.e. the breakup of Darien and Serena) and before the conversion of any of the sisters. I have a tendency to over-dramatize and over-romanticize things, but I tried to keep it to a minimum. This fanfic began mostly to explore both the impact of Darien's actions on their relationship and what Darien was feeling after he dumped Serena, because all we saw, really, was him being a butthead. It also pulls Sailor Mars and her previous relationship with him into the mix, a topic which really interests me and which I'll probably write again on. I also may have exaggerated Serena's sorrow, but hey, its my little microcosm. I really do want input, so if you have thoughts, comments, flames, send 'em on out to Laura1222@aol.com and I'd really appreciate it. Sailor Moon, the Sailor Scouts and all that other stuff are not my creations. (What? You didn't know?!? =] ) They are trademarked and copyrighted by big, important companies. All rights are reserved by Naoko Takeuchi and Kodansha Ltd. Now that that's out of the way, enough talk! On with the show! Rating: G+ ************************************************************************** Serena lay on her bed, her sheets partially thrown off the bed and partially tangled around her. Her face and some wisps of blond hair peeked out from the cave of blankets she was hiding under. Her blue eyes shimmered with tears and she blinked, holding them back and gazing intently at nothing to calm her mind. It had been only a few days since Darien had broken up with her, since her life had fallen apart like a loose thread can unravel a seam. "Darien..." she cried softly, her voice cracking. thought Luna, who sat worriedly on the floor by the foot of the bed. She walked around to the side of the bed and stood up, leaning her front paws against the mattress. "Get up, lazybones! You're going to be late for school again!" she chided in as cheerful a tone as she could manage. Serena reluctantly pulled herself out of bed. For all her gripes about tardiness and "Sailor Business", Luna had encountered the biggest problem with Serena she had ever faced: she wasn't acting like Serena. She didn't pig out, wail, go crazy over boys or anything else Serena-esque. Normally, Luna would have been glad for the change, but now Serena had lost all of her spark. She seemed so lifeless, so empty of all the energy she had formerly exuded from every pore. Queen Beryl, the Dark Kingdom, Alan and Ann, and every monster she could imagine couldn't defeat Serena. And now this girl who wielded more power than she realized had been laid low - by a broken heart. Luna padded quickly out of the room as Serena tiredly changed into her uniform. thought Luna, Gathered around the step of the temple the other four Sailor Scouts listened as Luna described Serena's condition. "I knew she was taking it hard, but I didn't think it was THIS painful for her... It KILLS me the way Darien had been treating her!" said Lita angrily. "You're right, his actions have far exceeded what was necessary to make his feelings known," contributed Ami. "Maybe we could take her shopping, or out for ice cream, or shopping downtown!" suggested Mina. Only Rei sat silent, her long black hair hanging around her face while her eyes flashed with emotion. She shook it away and stood up from her seat on the stone steps. "So, is there any Sailor Business to discuss?" she asked briskly. "Not really. We wanted to have a discussion between the four of us, without Serena here," said Luna. "Hmmph. All you had to do was call a Sailor Meeting, then you'd be sure she wouldn't show up," she retorted. "That's not called for, Rei! We're here to think of ways to help Serena, not cut her down!" interjected Artemis. "Fine. Sorry I said anythin,." Rei said, turning away. "Let me know when you want to take Serena on this trip." Rei ran up the steps, her red skirt rustling around her. Her eyes shimmered, wet. she thought. ************************************************************************** Darien sat alone in his apartment that night, the silence heavy around him. "Serena..." he whispered, and the name seemed like the sweetest word ever given sound. The silence covered everything again, and he sat in the dark next to the open window. A crescent moon through moonbeams on the sill and he touched them, overwhelmed by the waves of rich, ancient memories that threatened to swallow him. "Damn it!" he swore, pounding his fists on the wall. The tires of a car somewhere far off screeched, and he laid down, staring at the blank ceiling. Her laughter, her eyes, her smile, her touch. The scent of her skin and the way she had looked at him, absolutely trusting, when he held her. He tried to empty his mind, but he always ended up back with her. It had felt so right just a few days ago, so finally in place. Then the visions came - and ripped his world in two. He realized that everything he had been was about finding her, and everything he was now was part of her. It was his destiny and his greatest wish to protect her at any cost. Suffer for her? Certainly. Die for her? In an instant. But to lose her like this? To live like half a man and know the one you love is just as broken as you. It was a high price, but he knew the result of staying with her. The image from his dreams was a brand on his mind's eye, unforgettable and burning. If he truly loved, her he had to hurt her, and only by doing so would he save her - it was so sick. He had to get away from the pain and that sharp, shocked image of Serena's face when he had broken up with her. Maybe he and Reeny could have a day together around the city. She reminded him of Serena in a lot of ways, and on some level he felt like he was with a part of Serena when he was with Reeny. Somewhere a fire engine wailed and he closed his eyes. ************************************************************************** It was a beautiful spring morning, the kind of morning that dulls the allure of winter to a slushy gray. The sun was warm and the sky was infinite blue, little smokestack clouds puffed across it. The wind cooled the Sailor Scouts' skin as they walked by the shops, keeping the warmth to a comfortable level. Ami, Lita, and Mina chatted, trying unsuccessfully to get Serena involved in their conversation. Luna, sitting on Serena's shoulder, urged her occasionally to enjoy herself, look at an outfit or in a shop. Rei walked solemnly and statuesquely with them, as garrulous as Serena was trying to be. The mood of the outing grew increasingly silent, until Lita finally said what they all wanted to, "Serena, isn't there any way for you to be happy again?" "I don't know," she said, "It still hurts so much..." Her eyes began to overflow like wells. "Well, suck it up!" snapped Rei in a tone that surprised everybody. "Driving yourself into despair won't make the situation any better. It's time to stop feeling sorry for yourself." "Rei, you're so meeeeean!" Serena lamented, her face crumpled up. "She's right, you know, you have to get over this," said Mina gently. Serena was still glaring at Rei when Artemis stood up suddenly on Mina's shoulder and announced, "Hey, everybody, look at the sign on that building!" The girls turned, and read the poster that stated "MODEL CONTEST INSIDE, OPEN TO PUBLIC." Some little spark, like a tiny tap of flint on rock, went off inside Serena. Mina saw the flash in her eyes and grabbed her arm. "We're going inside. No arguments!" she said firmly, as she pulled Serena toward the door. Serena half-smiled, and willingly let herself be coerced. The Scouts filed through the door into a tall building covered with glossy, reflective windows stretching far into the sky. ************************************************************************** Across the street, Darien was too preoccupied with a chattering pink-haired girl to notice Serena enter the building. The sun's glare off the building blinded him for a moment, and then he noticed the sign. Reeny, watching his gaze, found the same sight. "Can we go, Darien? I want to see the models!" Darien smiled. "Sure, Reeny." he said, and they began to walk towards the double glass doors. ************************************************************************** Mina walked purposefully to the main desk and took five forms from the stack. "We have to submit our personal forms to be considered in the contest. Hurry up, you guys! It starts in a few minutes." "Why do I get the feeling you had this in mind all along?" said Luna, who rolled her eyes as the girls excitedly filled out their papers. Still, Serena seemed to be cheered up by it. She always liked this sort of event. Serena finished quickly and began tapping her pen on the clipboard. "Are you guys done yet?" she asked. "Yup!" said Mina, taking the papers and dropping the stack on the desk. She started off down a corridor and motioned for the rest of the girls to follow her. They finally found there way to the dressing room, where the coordinator of the model search was assigning a dress to each girl and lining them up to be presented on stage. He was ordering people into place as they made the final adjustments on their clothes, checked their makeup and fixed their hair. He seemed nervous, and kept looking around the room as though is was trying to find someone. He looked up and saw five beautiful girls enter the room. "Perfect!" he said, throwing his hands into the air. "Just who I was looking for! I need five girls to model my dresses! At the last minute, some prominent companies decided to look for new talent. They must see my newest designs! Quickly, quickly!" he insisted, ushering the girls into a smaller dressing room off to the side. He handed them each a dress on a hanger with a plastic wrapping over it. "Five minutes until showtime!" he announced. ************************************************************************** "Thank you for bringing me, Darien!" said Reeny, tucking her tiny hand in his. "How did you get us front row seats so near to the start of the show?" "I have a few connections in the modeling business." he said casually. The lights dimmed, and a well-dressed man walked to the microphone. "My name is Claude Lemond, as I'm sure you know. Today I will be sponsoring a fashion show of the freshest talent in the modeling business. All the girls will, of course, be wearing clothes designed by myself. Let the show begin!" he moved to the side, opening up the runway. Colored lights came on and music began to play in the background. The stage sparkled with a kaleidoscope of color and the sound pulsed with excitement. Young women sporting cutting-edge designs strutted along the runway until Lemond finally stepped back into the spotlight. "Now I would like to feature a few of my designer dresses!" Reeny's eyes grew wide as a familiar blue-haired girl walked shyly onto the stage. She wore a short, sleeveless, deep blue dress with a simple design falling straight on her body, but the fabric was embedded with countless minuscule glitter specks that reflected the colors of the rapidly shifting lights. thought Darien. Lita was the next on stage. She walked purposefully down to the end of the runway, her off-the-shoulder green velvet dress rustling as she moved. Her hair was done up loosely in a dark pink hair tie that matched her rose earrings, wispy strands of hair strategically drifting out. Darien's suspicions began to rise. Mina entered in a cotton summer dress with a classic floral design over a cream colored base shade. The skirt was long, flowing around her legs, while the neck of the dress scooped near to the short, lacy sleeves. thought Darien, Rei came on next, in a red Chinese silk dress that hugged her body and shone softly in the light. The skirt was short and the collar was high, a row of fabric covered buttons in a diagonal line down from one shoulder. She walked almost professionally to the end of the runway and was about to pivot on her red high heels when she saw him and hesitated. Then she walked briskly back down the other way, her long hair sweeping back and forth. she thought silently, Serena walked on-stage and it was apparent to everyone that this was the highlight of the event. The music slowed and the lights cooled to an almost opaque blue. Rei stood alone backstage, gazing out from the wings. "I can't watch his face..." she whispered, and hurried back into the dressing room. Darien sat for a moment as the model walked the length of the runway. Then he looked again. In one shocked moment everything else in the room dripped away like a wet watercolor painting. It was just Serena, her gown indescribably white, fitted at the shoulders to the waist, where it flared out. White ribbons were tied in her hair, dangling with the tendrils of her hair. The image seemed to burn into his retina, his body shaken as if electrically shocked. It was just her, HIS Serena, in front of him. When the surprise subsided slowly, it was replaced by a wave of frustration and sadness. Why did it have to be like this? It was hard enough hurting her, and himself, without having to face her and what he could no longer have. Fate kept drawing them together just as it kept pulling them apart, and it was tearing them in two. He shut his eyes, and gritting his teeth he took Reeny's hand. He had to leave Serena... again. ************************************************************************** Rei lay stretched out on a couch in the private dressing room, facing the cushions. She was holding a pillow tightly. squeezing it intently to contain her emotions. The door clicked open and slid shut again. A Faint, familiar perfume touched Rei's sense, and she knew Serena was in the room. "Geeze, how can you be tired? That was sooo exciting! I'm really glad you guys brought me here!" Serena chatted. "He was here." came the muffled reply. "Who was here?" asked Serena curiously. "Darien." she answered, turning over to face Serena. "He was in the crowd." Serena's face fell like a hurt child's. "Was he... watching me?" "I don't know. I left before he could see you. What does it matter, anyway?" she said indifferently. "What's wrong with you, Rei? What's been wrong for the past few weeks? Why do you keep acting so cold to me?" Serena asked, half angry and half pleading. "Because I still love him," was the simple reply. For a moment, silence hummed uncomfortably in the air. Then Serena rushed forward, hugging her friend. "I know. I love him too." Neither saw the other's face, tucked over her shoulder, as tears started to slide down, leaving shiny trails on their cheeks. "I'm sorry Serena... I have no right to feel this way. I wanted to get over him, I truly did. What was, what I wanted there to be, none of it matters. He never loved me like he loved you..." "I don't know if that's true, Rei. But for what he's done- I'm sorry," said Serena, pulling back to face her. "I'm sorry he hurt us both so much. And I'm sorry I didn't really think about how you felt after losing him. He was your boyfriend first..." "No. He was never mine, not really. Besides, your past was something real and deep, and it happened LONG before anything with me and Darien. I can't help loving him, but I have to let go of it. However I feel, there's nothing in him that loves me." Serena's eyes teared up, and she averted her gaze to the wall. "There's nothing in him for me, either... not anymore." "I was with him, Serena, and no matter how close I tried to get, part of him was unreachable to me. Even before he knew about your past, he was saving his heart for you. It belongs to you now, regardless of what he says." "I want more than anything for that to be true." "Have a little faith, Serena. A little faith in his love for you." ************************************************************************** Lemond, in the next room over, was running terrified in the area behind the stage. Terror and exhaustion pushed drops of sweat off his forehead, as he realized that the hideously evil droid was behind him again. The droid, tall and bulky, was covered like a mummy with dark, strong material wrapped around him in strips. It effortlessly overtook Lemond, and covered him, as he froze, paralyzed with fear. An appendage shot out, wrapping around and coating Lemond like a cocoon. ************************************************************************** Back at their headquarters, the Black Moon family was watching the situation carefully. "Everything is going according to plan, Rubeus," said Birdy. "Soon we will control the crystal point underneath the fashion show. Getting rid of Lemond is also a plus. His designs are an affront to good taste." "So is the amount of makeup you're putting on," retorted Prisma. "Girls, girls. Sisters shouldn't quarrel. Calm down and watch our triumph as the droid does its work, and an even bigger goal is achieved..." said Rubeus smoothly, turning his attention back to the fashion show. As they watched through their viewer, the last few models were walking down the stage when the Droid leapt through the curtains. ************************************************************************** Part 2! ************************************************************************** At first, a few spectators gasped, but then began to applaud as the droid trudged angrily down the catwalk. "What an ingenious design! You never know what to expect from a Lemond show!" said one fashion critic in the crowd. "What a fantastic use of color! I wonder where he found the model?" As they 'oohed' and 'aahed', the droid became enraged, turning around in jerky movements under the disconcerting glare of the lights. It withdrew its arm, and prepared to lash out at the crowd, its muscles taut when- "Hold it right there, evil doer!" said a figure clothed in shadows. Sailor Moon stepped into the spotlight. "Clothing is a beautiful thing that should be shared with everyone! You have disrupted this fashion show, and for that, I'll punish you!" "That's right!" chimed in Sailor Mercury. "Leave these innocent people alone!" "We fight for love and justice and truth! We are the Sailor Scouts!" announced Rei, pointing her finger accusingly. "And I am Sailor Moon!" said Serena, making her traditional gestures. Cameras flashed and clicked all around then, as the unfeeling crowd watched, oblivious to the reality of the situation. "A guest appearance by the Sailor Scouts is such a trend-setting ideas!" said one person in the crowd. "And those sailor fukus are THE 'in' thing," added another. The droid looked around nervously, then retreated, its lanky arms swinging as it ran through the curtains. The Scouts follow, and found themselves in a corridor leading into another part of the building complex. They sprinted down the hallway knowing it was the only path the droid could have taken. At the end of the corridor, they found doors that led left, right and straight ahead. "We'll have to split up!" announced Jupiter. "I'll go with Sailor Venus." "I'll go with Sailor Moon," offered Mercury. "I really hate it when this happens," muttered Mars. "I'm gonna have to go alone, aren't I?" "No, Sailor Mars, you don't have to go alone..." said a masculine voice behind them. Tuxedo Mask walked down the hallway toward them. "Tuxedo Mask..." whispered Serena, whose eyes fixated on his every movement. "Let's go! There's no time to waste!" he announced, taking Sailor Mars by the arm and moving toward a door. "No!" shouted Sailor Mars. Everyone turned to look at her. "Umm... I'll go with Sailor Mercury!" she said, grabbing Mercury's gloved hand and pulling her through the door to the left. Venus and Jupiter shrugged, exiting through the door in front of them. "I guess that leaves just us..." said Serena nervously. "I guess so," said Tuxedo Mask, his voice hard and emotionless. Without a look back, he went through the door to the right and proceeded up the flight of stairs two at a time. "Hey! Wait up!" shouted Sailor Moon from behind him. she wailed in her thoughts. She continued running behind him, falling farther and farther behind. The stairwell was made entirely of iron rods, constructed in a wide, hollow shaft like a fire escape that spiraled nearly thirty floors up. The visual effect was somewhat disorienting, as was running at top speed in the pattern of a square over and over again. Sailor Moon was trailing nearly a flight behind Tuxedo Mask, and rushed even more carelessly after him. Darien unconsciously sped up, running from her as he was trying to run from his problems. he thought tensely. Behind him, Serena began to tire, bringing all the odds in favor of her klutzing out. "AAAAAAAHH!" she screamed as her foot caught between steps and twisted at an ugly angle. She fell backwards, her foot freed from the step, but her momentum tossed her roughly down the rest of the stairs on that level. Darien had turned around at her first cry, but couldn't reach her before her saw her body tumble down the steps, and land with a sickening crack that echoed metallically in the stairwell. Her body bounced once after the impact, and then lay unmoving. Darien rushed back to her, noticing in terror that she was lying extraordinarily still. he thought. "I always thought I'd have another chance!" He reached her, and lifted up her back, kneeling over her as he felt for a pulse. Serena stirred almost unnoticeably, her eyelids flickering as she drifted back into consciousness. She looked up at Darien through cracked open eyes. His face was contorted in fear, his eyes filled with tears. "Don't leave me," he pleaded softly, stroking her cheek. Her hand was still shaking in shock when she lifted it weakly to his face. A tear escaped, and she caressed it off his cheek, her eyes shining with adoration despite the blinding pain in her head and her confusion. The moment seemed magical, like so many they had experienced together in happier times. But it had to end. Tuxedo Mask, realizing her life was no longer in danger and startled by his proximity to her, suddenly stiffened, his face darkening like a red rose wilting to black. He pulled his face away from her touch. "Can you stand up yet?" he asked, releasing her completely and standing a few steps back. Looking up at the figure towering over her that seemed a stranger now, Serena cleared her head with a shake. Holding on the hard, iron railing, she tried to pull herself to her feet. "OOW! Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow! That hurts!" she whining pointing to her swollen and possibly broken ankle. "So grin and bear it! We have to hurry up! The droid probably already got away!" he said, with an urgent and insistent tone. "I can't do it. Are you going to leave me here?!?" said Serena incredulously. "Unfortunately, I can't. With your dumb luck you'll just hurt yourself again. C'mon," he said sharply, extending his arm for support. She stood, walked a step, and cringed. "I'm sorry, but I can't walk!" she cried, tears springing out of the sides of her eyes. Tuxedo Mask rolled his eyes. With one sweep, he picked her up off her feet and had her in his arms as they ascended the last few flights of stairs. Serena was pressed close to his body as he ran, and could feel the thump-thump-thump of his heart. She was so confused... one minute they were in love, then next he dumped her. One second he was tenderly holding her body, the next he was stiff and emotionless. She put her arm around his neck to support her body as he carried her, and her fingertips brushed the back of his neck. His face remained stoic, she noted with a small smile, but she received her answer by the rapid pulse his heart began to beat. Darien, who was still flushed and unnerved by his near loss of Serena, internally shivered when she felt her hand on the back of his neck. He couldn't help but respond to her touch. It was the most natural thing in the world, but a voice in his head was chanting a mantra of 'This is wrong.' He had responsibilities, to her and to himself. They reached the top of the stairs and found a single door leading out to the rooftop. "The droid could only have gone through here," he announced. He set her down briskly and opened the door. Scanning the area, he found no movement. "Can you walk now?" he asked sharply. "I don't - OUCH - think so," she said, rubbing her ankle. "Well, thanks to your injuries I have to get you out of here before the action goes down." He picked her up and ran out the door and onto the roof. He leapt effortlessly to the next building across the street, laying Serena by the walls edge behind the small wall of a railing. "Don't move!" he ordered her. Gliding back to the next roof, he gulped. He almost lost it back on the steps. It was too much to go through especially with all the life-or-death situations they faced, to hide his true feelings. Could he tell her the truth? He took a deep breath as a landed on the roof again. No, that would only endanger her. He had to keep his resolve. He was too close to the edge, too close to falling off and giving in. He heard footsteps clicking up the iron stairs. He flung open the door, in a stance of readiness for attack. He immediately relaxed when he saw the rest of the Sailor Scouts coming up the stairs. "Tuxedo Mask!" yelled Rei with relieved eyes as she hurried toward him. "We couldn't find the droid, so we met up to follow you and Sailor Moon. Are you both OK?" He nodded. Rei looked around the roof. "Hey, where is she?" "She safe nearby." he turned to Serena's direction, and she thrust her hand up over the wall and waved weakly as the sun set behind her. "She injured and can't move," he continued. "We'll have to settle this by ourselves." "Wait a second, guys," said Sailor Mercury. "This doesn't make any sense. Why is the droid hiding from us, and why did it retreat? That's very uncharacteristic of monsters we've fought in the past." "You're right!" interjected Sailor Jupiter. "There's got to be a motive for going through this hide-and-seek." There was some clatter down the street that subsided quickly, causing the entire group to rush to investigate. The sunlight fading as a shade of twilight coated the air, not much could be seen on the ground below. While Tuxedo Mask and the Scouts were peering over the side, the yelp of surprise on the roof across the street went unnoticed. "It was nothing," said Tuxedo Mask, turning away from the ledge, his cape rustling in the cooling wind. Darkness began to drape over the skyline like a cloak. The scraping sound emerged gradually, bodiless and directionless in the wind. Half-thick with darkness, the air hid the source from the Scouts, who stood battle-ready on the roof. Darien, his blue eyes glittering like sapphires through the eyes of his white mask, let his pupils dilate and adjust to the growing night, and when his vision focused, he surveyed the roof. He threw a backwards glance at the building over, and then spun around shocked at what his saw. Serena, unconscious, was being dragged by the droid slowly across the rough, raised gravel concrete roof. The monster's eyes were angled, painfully narrow almond shapes that seemed to smoke green in the dark as it hissed at them, knowing it was discovered. It opened its mouth into what might be construed as a grin, but there was only blackness within it. Its massive fist was wrapped around tangles of Serena's hair, and he was using it to pull her across the sharp points of cement. Darien noticed with agony that the sharp, raised surface had torn through her costume and into her back, a smudged, bloody trail giving proof of their path. With an echoed, unearthly growl, and a speed that belayed its size, the droid lunged back toward Serena, its arm extended. With a slippery, thick sound, strips that moved like snakes shot out and wrapped around her arms and legs, suspending each in a different direction. Tuxedo Mask immediately moved to attack the droid. The monster, taking notice of his movement, thrust back its hand with unnatural strength. Before a heart could beat, Serena had smashed into the wall of the small dormer that rose out of the roof with a force that shook the building. With a weak, half-conscious cry, Serena responded to the exploding impact upon her already ragged back and slid to the ground. Enraged, Tuxedo Mask leapt to the next roof, coming down upon the droid and knocking it to the ground before it could further harm his beloved. With a fierce blow, he knocked the monster closer to the edge of the roof. The monster reacted, closing its massive fist around Tuxedo Mask's neck, and lifting him into the air. "Venus Crescent Beam SMASH!" shouted Mina, her power slicing off the droid's hand at the elbow like a laser. The other Scouts then quickly moved to the place of battle on the next roof. "Jupiter Thunderclap ZAP!" yelled Lita, hurling a ball of pure electric energy at the droid, who was thrown close to the edge by the shock. thought Tuxedo Mask. He looked to Rei, who nodded along with the other Scouts, as they began to attack in unison. Serena raised her head slowly, and watched the Scouts, their powers flaring, attack the droid. Dragging herself slowly toward them, she tried to stand but failed, her body in agonizing mutiny. Serena was not the only one observing the fight, however... ************************************************************************** "Curse them!" bellowed Rubeus. "We had Sailor Moon and the Silver Crystal within our grasp!" "Calm down, Rubeus," said Birdy, who was powdering her face with a compact. "I'm sure we can still triumph over those Sailor fools." "Do you have something in mind?" asked Rubeus, his eyes dangerous. "As a matter of fact, I do. I'LL clear up this little problem you've caused. "See that you do," said Rubeus as he walked away. ************************************************************************** The monster was screeching, its arms flailing under the assault. It finally collapsed into a quivering mass of bandages on the edge of the roof. The attackers stood in the darkness for a moment, the far off sound of crickets distracting them. Lita kicked the steaming bandages. Suddenly everyone broke out of their shock at their sudden victory and ran to Serena's side. Serena was rapidly gaining back her strength, though her ankle was possibly broken and her back was bloody and tender. She whimpered, pushing herself to a sitting position. "Thanks, guys... for coming to my rescue," she smiled weakly. "Like we could ever do anything but!" declared Lita, hugging her. "Where is..." she looked from side to side. Tuxedo Mask, his cape flowing out in the night breeze was on the ledge, watching. She moved toward him, struggling. "Darien!" she cried, reaching out for him. She didn't even realize as she walked over the mess of wrappings still warm on the ground. Tuxedo Mask hesitated a moment, but was turning to disappear without a word when, in slow motion, the limp strips near her feet terrifyingly awoke, and bound her once again. There was a feminine laugh from somewhere in the dark, and with an eerie glow bright against the pitch blackness, the bodiless ribbons of the droid began to yank her over the ledge. "BURNING MANDALA!" screamed Rei, incinerating the scraps of cloth into ash before they could accomplish their goal. Nevertheless, Serena was hanging on the edge, her body so weak it was visibly shaking. "NO!" screamed Rei and Darien. Darien was vaulting toward her when she slipped off, but her hand caught on a crevice a foot farther down. The green lawn in the front of the building lay thirty stories down, and the world grew still as Darien stretched out he the point of pain trying to reach her. Serena was hanging on by one hand when his fingertips brushed the back of her hand. "Take my hand!" he struggled to say. Serena, her blue eyes terrified, knew that would mean letting go of the edge. She thought about all the betrayal and the pain he caused her, all the confusion and cruelty. In that split second, Darien saw it in her eyes. he thought. If she could only know his pain as well! Where was that absolute trust he had always seen in her eyes? How could she lose her faith and doubt him? How could she question HIS faith? answered a voice in his head. He realized it was true. All he could do was implore her, honesty exuding from his loving eyes. "Trust me, Serena, I beg you! Please, have faith!" Their eyes locked, and Serena's eyes tightened, quivering for a moment. A faint melody played unbidden in her mind and the love of all her lives overtook her, finally allowing her to understand. And she let go. In the second of weightlessness before freefall began, Darien wrapped his fingers firmly around her wrist. He began to pull her up into his arms. "I don't THINK so," said an arrogant, disdainful voice behind him. Birdy materialized behind him, and with a firm push, knocked him off the ledge. With acrobatic effort, he flipped around while keeping Serena in his grasp, and caught the crevice with his own hand. Rei saw her two greatest loves hanging like gallows victims waiting for the floor to drop, and the fire inside her began to blaze like an inferno. Grabbing Birdy's shoulder, she spun her around, and placed her palm on her forehead, wrapping her fingers around her head. Her eyes seemed a boiling black and even Birdy began to fear. Rei leaned over and whispered in her ear. "**Burn**" And she did. An inferno that could be seen for miles leapt up, first scalding an imprint of Rei's hand on her forehead, and then burning away her ivory-smooth face. Her whole self dripped away, her festering and internal evil cauterized by the heat and power of the fire. Soon a pile of ashes lay at Rei's feet. The fire that Rei had contained to Birdy, extinguished. Rei and the other Scouts, shocked by Rei's display of force, ran to the edge and lifted Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon out of danger. Serena looked at Rei, disturbed by her violence. "I... had always thought she wasn't ALL evil," Serena murmured. "Wait," said Rei, holding up her hand. The piles of ashes on the ground seemed to be moving, reshaping. It soon laid in the shape of Birdy's body, as thought Birdy had become a cigarette-ash sculpture. "Heal her," Rei urged Sailor Moon. "MOON PRINCESS HALATION!" said Serena, and sparkling rays issued forth onto Birdy's ashes like sprays of water. With a shimmer, Birdy took form again and became a human, laying on the ground unconscious. "We've released the evil, so she can be who she was meant to be and show true feelings now," said Rei, looking pointedly at Darien. It was time for him to stop whatever game he was playing. Darien thought for a moment, looking from Rei to Serena, and then to himself. It was this simple: He loved her. He knew what he had to do. "Nothing has changed," he said, wrapping his cape around himself, and fading away. There were faint sounds of distant traffic in the silence that followed. Finally, Rei said, "Serena, I'm sure he-" Serena raised her hand, silencing her. There was suddenly an air of maturity around her. "I know," she said with a brief smile. "I don't understand, but I KNOW. I discovered a link between us, when I was hanging from the ledge, and I suddenly knew everything he felt. I know that whatever he says he still loves me." She looked to Rei. "And I know he loved you too. Don't worry-" she said, seeing Rei's frozen look. "He understands the situation. He's not going to leave me. He could never leave me again after this. Something is holding him back, but it really doesn't matter. I have faith in his love for me," she said, smiling and putting her arm around Rei, who she felt a bond with as she helped her limp to the stairs. Serena caught Rei's eye with a smile. "I have a little faith." ************************************************************************** Comments, ideas, thoughts, flames? Laura1222@aol.com