lyrasoze@hotmail.com

So, I have returned. How's THAT for a shocker? I should be doing my 
Algerbra (twitch) but I would rather write my story. So here I go, 
embarking on Chapter 5. Such fun.

I know what you are thinking. Where is Part 3 of 'Wish Upon A Faerie
Ring?' Well, people, here's the thing. I have been in intensive
rehersal for the last week and have had little time to write.
Due to this, Part 3 is only half done. It will be up next week, I
promise. I offer Part 5 of this story as an appeasment. How did
I get this done? Illicit use of school computers in typing. Shhh,
don't tell.

Thank you Mary Ann, Jess, Corie, Herman and Skott. You are my very best
friends and I love you so much. I love Hershey's truffles too. Yumminess. 
Like my new word? I thought you might...

Disclaimer: (sing to Sir Mixxalot's one hit wonder)

I like Sailor Moon and I cannot lie
You other Moonies can't deny
When Toonami's on and the cartoon plays
You could spend all off your days
Glued to the tube.

Naoko, they tried to warn me
But I didn't know that addicted I'd be
Please don't press charges
I agree the cartoon's yours!

(Okay, a songwriter I am not. Just don't come after me with a
deadly weapon, kay?)

All The World's A Stage
Chapter 5
Rated PG13 (Mild language)

	Darien was thrilled. Elated. Ecstatic. And all because he was 
kissing a virtual stranger. And she was kissing him back. Darien
was filled with an unfamiliar warmth. Serena tasted of sunshine 
and laughter, of happiness and comfort. She was warm and soft
and kind and loving and...what the hell was he doing?!

	Darien pulled away, breaking the kiss. Serena left her arms 
around his neck. Darien smiled down at her, and Serena looked back
up at him, a dazed expression on her face. Darien was so absorbed
in the woman he held that he was startled to hear applause coming
from all directions. He and Serena looked around the club. A circular
space had been cleared around the two of them, and all the patrons
of the club were applauding.

	"That was some kiss!"

	"You guys ever thought about bein' in the movies?"

	"It is absolutly disgusting how GOOD they look together!"

	Darien looked at Serena and raised his eyebrows up and down
several times. Serena blushed a bright shade of red. Darien bent 
down to whisper in her ear.

	"You seem to blush a lot. It's very charming."

	Serena blushed again. Darien smiled at her to cover the 
nervous energy and strange emotions that were swirling inside
him. This blond female was getting under his skin, and the 
realization both frightened him and filled him with elation.
Here was a person he could get close to, a person who just 
might be able to erase the loneliness he had felt all his life.
But at the same time, the idea of a single person with such
intimate knowledge of his personal life was incredibly 
terrifying. Darien wasn't sure what to do next. Fortunatly
(or unfortunatly, depending on your point of view) the 
descision was taken out of his hands.

	"Want to get out of here?" Serena asked, looking up at 
him. Darien saw the nervous tension shining in her eyes and
knew how much the question had cost her. "We could go get
coffee or something..."

	Darien ignored the fact that he was neither hungry or
thirsty. "I'd like that."

	Serena grinned and grabbed his hand. He went with her willingly,
weaving in and out of the club's patrons. He glimpsed Taiki and Amy
across the floor; Taiki gave him a thumbs up, and got a smack on the 
head for his trouble. He grinned at Darien, then turned his attention
to Amy, who was scolding him furiously. Darien shook his head and 
followed Serena out the door. Once they were outside, Serena tried to
drop his hand. 

	'I don't think so, sweetie.'

	In response, Darien tightened his grip. Serena looked surprised,
then pleased as she wrapped her hand around his. By mutual agreement, 
they headed to a small cafe across the street. Darien was oblivious to 
the interested glances he recieved from women, but for some odd reason, 
he noticed every single one directed at Serena by both men and women.
A swift glare quelled many, but a brave few were unintimidated, continuing
to look Serena up and down. Darien was annoyed. To make up for the feeling,
he propelled Serena to a secluded corner table, refusing to relinquish her 
hand even when they sat down. He placed their entwined hands on the table
top, stroking the back of Serena's hand with his thumb. She had soft skin.

	"So, ummm...what just happened? In the dance club I mean," Serena 
asked. She seemed to find the design on the table incredibly fascinating.

	"Well, in my experience, when two people put their lips together 
like that, it's called a kiss," Darien said. The teasing note in his 
voice brought him up short. He NEVER teased!

	"Not that. I mean the...chemistry...in the kiss. You felt it,
didn't you?"

	Darien smiled and nodded, and Serena smiled too. When he smiled, 
she grabbed his other hand under the table.

	"So, what are we going to do about it?" Serena questioned.

	Darien pondered the question. Ordinarily, he would have
coldly informed his date that they had no future and she meant
nothing to him. That was how he had gotten rid of Ann. She had
thought that they were one date away from getting married. When 
Darien had informed her otherwise, Ann had thrown a fit in the
reasturant they had been in, forcing Darien to leave cash for the 
tab and leave. Beryl was only slightly better, and Darien was sure
that the time was near when he would have to break it off with
her as well. The familiar litany was on the tip of his tounge when
Darien realized that he didn't want to break it off with Serena.

	Serena was light and hope. She was vivacious and loving and kind; 
everything he was not. Darien sighed and opened his mouth, ready to
stop this...whatever it was...before it got started.

	"Do you have a date for the masquerade tomorrow night?" What the...?
Where had THAT sentence come from? Oh, well! I'm stuck now...and I just 
can't seem to feel sorry that I asked her. Might even be fun.

	"No," Serena said. "Do you?"

	"No," Darien lied. 'Well, I won't after I get home tonight,'
he thought. "Would you do me the honor of attending with me?"

	Serena nodded, her eyes aglow. Darien found himself wondering 
what it would take to make her eyes glow like that all the time.
The waitress arrived to take their order, but left after a brief glance
at the couple. They were obviously far to absorbed in each other to
care much about coffee or club sandwiches. The waitress reentered
the kitchen, only to find the kitchen staff watching the couple through
the doorway. The other customers were watching the young blond and 
the handsome man in the corner as well. Everyone around them seemed
to attract some of the glow around them. The waitress sighed.
It was so beautiful to watch people fall in love. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Serena sighed. Darien was a suprisingly likable guy. His favorite
food was chocolate, and he loved classical music. He enjoyed cooking,
though he didn't often get the chance to do it, and he played the piano.
He liked reading and spoke three languages. He wasn't overly fond of 
movies or TV, he said they were too busy, but he did enjoy the occasional
film. And his favorite color was black. Serena knew all this and more
because the two of them had been in the cafe for the better part of two
hours, talking about their likes and dislikes, their favorite things,
and their childhoods. Serena remembered with a pang how lonely Darien had
seemed for the few moments when he spoke of his parents.

	"They died when I was six; car accident. I survived physically, but
my memory was just...gone. I can't remember anything about my childhood
before age six and a half, so you'll forgive me if I skip right to age 
seven," he had quipped, sounding for all the world as though it didn't
matter that his parents had died. But Serena had seen the glimmer of
loss and pain and grief that still lingered in the farthest corner of
his mind. She had squeezed his hand, and his surprise had been priceless.

	Serena had listened, but she had also spoken. She was a bit surprised
to realize how much her friends (Seiya was a dead man) had told Darien about
her. But he didn't know everything, so she was able to fill in the blanks.
He had smiled when she said her favorite color was pink. Darien had teased
that this was a good thing, because her cheeks so often were that very color.
Serena had blushed again, proving his point, and Darien's mellow chuckle
had brought every customers attention to them.
	
	Through the course of their conversation, Serena had discovered that
she and Darien had very little in common. They both loved roses, and 
long walks in the park, and sunsets, but that was about it. She thought
candlelit dinners were romantic; he thought they were a waste of time. 
She loved rock and roll; he hardly knew anything about it. He had 
studied at John Hopkins; she had once heard of John Hopkins. She loved 
video games; he swore they made his eyes cross. If someone had told Serena
earlier today that she would have spent any length of time with a man
who hated video games and knew little about rock and roll, she would have 
laughed herself sick. 
	
	But not only was she having a good time, Serena was starting to feel
a warm glow deep inside her. It was like she had just eaten a pint of 
Haagan-Daaz all by herself. It was cool as rain, but warm on her heart;
Serena knew instinctivly that she would never be lonely again, never be
cold again, but she didn't know why. A voice brought her out of her 
reverie.

	"Penny for your thoughts?" Darien offered.

	"No, that's all right. I'm just...about to be humiliated some 
more," Serena groaned as she looked through the plate glass window and 
saw Seiya heading across the street. "Here comes my best friend..." 
Serena groaned again. "And the whole motley crew."

	The rest of the group was a mere two steps behind Seiya. Darien 
stood and pulled Serena to her feet. Seiya waved and walked over to them.

	"We're calling it a night guys, as we all have to be up early in the
morning. How about you two?"

	Serena looked at Darien apologetically. "I need to get going too."

	"I'll give you a ride," Darien offered, and Serena felt the glow
inside her body intensify. What was going on here? 

	Seiya smiled and muttered something that sounded like 'See you 
tomorrow, Sere' but Serena didn't hear him. She and Darien walked out
of the cafe into the warm night air. 

	"So, what exactly do you do for The Three Lights?" Darien asked.
He had dropped her hand in the cafe, and Serena found herself praying
he'd take it again. The question caught her off guard.

	"I'm the...a...master electrician. And chief light designer."

	"And that means...?"

	"It means that I'm in charge of deciding what lights get put where
and in what order they get put up. It also means that I get to boss 
people around," she finished with a grin. "Why?"

	"Just curious. We never actually got around to careers.'
	
	"Well, then, what do YOU do?"
	
	"I'm the head of Genetic Research. I'm currently conducting
experiments on cloning."
	
	"Like, Dolly the Sheep kind of cloning?"
	
	"Exactly. We're investigating the reasons behind the success of
that experiment and the failure of others. We want to know..."
	
	"Stop. Sounds far too much like science to me. I HATED science.
And math. And grammar. I hated every subject, now that I think of it."
	
	"But lighting is math and science. Angles and theorums. Why did
you pick technical theatre as a career if you hate the subjects on
which it's based?"
	
	"Lighting deals with pretty colors. I like pretty colors."

	Darien burst out laughing, and Serena thrilled to the sound. He
was so interesting, even if he didn't have the Rock and Roll Hall of 
Fame memorized. Darien turned a warm smile on her, and Serena smiled 
back. They walked the rest of the way in silence, but the silence was
companionable. Darien didn't reach for her hand again, but Serena 
didn't mind. They reached his car, and he helped her in. The drive was
as silent as most of the walk, but Serena had too many things to think
about to notice or mind much. 

	When Darien pulled his car up in front of The House, he turned the 
car off and got out. He not only opened Serena's door for her, he helped 
her out of the car and escorted her to the front door of the house. They 
stood for a moment.

	"Thank you Darien. I had a really good time tonight," Serena said.

	"Me, too...Meatball Head," Darien murmured.
	
	Serena snapped her head up. "Don't call me th..." she started,
more out of habit than anger. But suddenly she was in Darien's arms
and his lips were on hers and she completely forgot that she was 
supposed to be insulted.
      
	The man could kiss. He had the perfect mix of pressure and ease.
Serena wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled herself closer to 
him. Darien was warm and strong. The smoky taste of chocolate was 
sweet on her tounge as Serena allowed her hands to drift up and
down his back, sighing as Darien deepened the kiss.

	Darien's hands were roaming over her back. Serena remembered
vaughly that the last time she had enjoyed a kiss, they had been
interrupted. Something about her daddy, and threats of bodily 
harm...oh, well. Irrelevant. 
 
	Several moments passed while they kissed, illuminated by the 
glow of the street lamp. Oh, yeah. She could definitly get used to this.
When Darien pulled away, Serena resisted the urge to touch her lips
in wonder. Darien smiled down at her, and Serena caught her breath
at how utterly gorgeous the man was. It really was an unfair advantage.

	"Goodnight, Meatball Head. I'll call you?"
	"Please do. Do you have my number?"
	"Yes. Seiya gave it to me. Along with a sly wink and a box of 
condoms." 
	"Oh, god."

	Serena buried her face in her hands while Darien laughed. 
Serena kept her head down, mumbling through her hands.

	"I'll kill him. No, I'll torture him first. I'll draw and quarter
the bastard."

	Serena heard Darien stop laughing. She felt cool fingertips under
her chin and lifted her head. She kept her eyes averted, but Darien bent 
to capture her gaze with his own.

	"He cares about you. They all care about you. And it isn't hard to
see why."

	Serena gasped, and Darien stepped away. 

	"I'll see you at the party tomorrow. I'd offer to pick you up,
but I get the distinct impression that you'll already be there."

	Serena smiled and nodded. "Are you coming to the concert?"

	Darien started to shake his head, and Serena felt her heart sink.
She waited for a moment, and started as Darien nodded his head.

	"I hadn't been planning on attending, but I think I will."

	"What changed your mind? The fabulous music, the stars?"

	"The master electrician."

	Serena stopped smiling, and Darien reached for her hand. He 
lifted it to his lips and lightly kissed the knuckles. Serena watched,
breathless, as Darien released her hand and walked back to his car.
he opened the door, and turned.

	"Goodnight, Meatball Head."

	For the first time in her life, Serena didn't feel annoyance 
at hearing that horrible nickname. Serena watched the car drive out of 
sight before she let herself into the house. Closing the door, Serena
leaned back against it, looking at her hand in wonder. Romantic, 
brilliant, drop dead handsome. Serena shook her head in amazement, 
and went in search of a newspaper. She must have had one hell of 
a horoscope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

      Darien drove through the streets of Tokyo to the delicate strains
of Chopin's Nocturne in B Flat Minor. The soothing music cleared his
mind and allowed thoughts of Sernea Tsukino to drift through his mind.
He couldn't remember ever being so attracted to a woman. Physically
was a given. He was human after all and Serena was a beatiful woman.
But for the first time, Darien found himself interested in spending
time with a woman just because of her personality. He wanted to learn
more about Serena's interests, wanted to meet her family...

	Darien's thoughts were cut short as he pulled into his parking 
garage. He forced himself to concentrate on the motions of parking
and locking his car. He waved at the nightwatchman as he strolled 
through the revolving doors into the lobby and meandered toward the
elevators. Pushing the button, he watched the metal doors slide 
closed. He cocked his head and smiled when he heard the music 
in the elevator. The Three Lights were singing one of their hits.
He knew the tune, but couldn't remember the name.

Search for your Love (from Sailor Stars)

Search for your love, 
Search for your love

You are always shining
Your smile is just like a tiny star
I cherish it very much 
(everlasting starlight)
That day I couldn't protect you
I can only hold my remorseful tears
What was left was pain 
(I can never forget you sweetheart)

Search for your love, 
crystal of the universe
Search for your love, 
don't cry for me
Search for your love, 
as a matter of fact
I love to hold you tightly

Passing through the remote night sky
I'm making a wish
In front of a shooting star
I'm mumbling to myself to see you
(please convey my message starlight)
Time flies by quickly,
I've grown up
Finally I feel; the pieces of memory
are not enough
(please stand by my side sweetheart)

Answer me right away (answer for me)
Answer me gently (answer for me)     
Answer me right away (answer for me)
Answer me gently (answer for me)

	Darien shook his head as the mushy lyrics faded away into silence.
The doors of the elevator opened with a gentle chime and Darien left
the enclosed space of the elevator behind. He walked down the hall,
nodding to his neighbor who was on his way out. Darien placed the 
key in the door and turned. When he entered his dark apartment, the
first thing he noticed was the blinking light on his answering 
machine. Sighing, Darien pressed the 'Start' button.
	
	BEEP... "Darien, it's Beryl. I'm sure you aren't busy
tonight, and I want you to escort me to Daddy's buisness dinner
tonight. Black tie, of course. Pick me up at my place, 8:00 
sharp."

	BEEP... "Darien, it's 8:30. I certainly hope that I 
just missed you."

	BEEP... "Darien, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!?! It's
9:00, and I am waiting!"

	BEEP..." Darien, I am absolutly furious with you! You stood
me up! I had to go to the buisness dinner alone! It was humiliating
and I blame you! Don't bother calling, I don't want to talk to you!
And if you think we are still going to the masquerade, forget it!"

	Darien stared at the machine in mild amusement. He hadn't
thought it was possible to break a date that he'd never had in the
first place. He shook his head. Women! No man could stand a chance
against their internal logic. He walked toward his bedroom, slipping
off his jacket and rolling up the sleeves of his shirt. After 
hanging his jacket in the closet, Darien moved back toward his
living room to pour himself a drink. As he allowed the liquor
to breathe, Darien moved to his CD player and pushed 'Play'.
The gentle strains of a grand piano floated through his 
apartment. Bourboun in hand, Darien walked out onto his balcony, 
admiring the colored lights of Tokyo.

	45 minutes later Darien lay in his bed, contemplating the
ceiling. His rare and obscenly expensive tropical fish were
swimming about in their salt water aquarium, and Darien was
having trouble sleeping. Why? Because every time he closed his 
eyes he saw a pair of crystal blue eyes and a full mouth 
connected to an angelic face and legs that didn't quit. He
rolled onto his side. This was going to be a long night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Serena woke the next morning to the final strains of
'Take it Easy' by The Eagles. Her radio alarm clock was set 
to an American rock station, and the morning show was all 
classic rock and roll. Evidently, it was going to be sunny
and warm today. Serena groaned as she attempted to pry herself 
out of bed, then gave up the ghost and flopped back down. Luna
came and nudged at Serena's hand, and Serena obligingly scratched
her ears. Serena cast her eyes about the room until they landed 
on The Dress, which she had draped carefully over the back of
her desk chair before collapsing in bed the night before.

	Serena closed her eyes in joy as she recalled every detail
of the previous evening. She couldn't remember having so much fun
with a guy. Darien was articulate, interesting, and handsome. She
got the feeling that while he might pretend otherwise, Darien could
be a very romantic guy. She smiled as she recalled that he had asked
her to the masquerade. And best of all, she hadn't dreamed of the 
sillohette that called to her from soupy fog.

	Feeling good, Serena hopped out of bed, only to remember that
she was not a morning person. Her body reminded her that it would
require a hot shower and caffine before it would consent to operate
properly.    

	'I need coffee. Lots and lots of coffee,' Serena thought,
as she stumbled to her bathroom. Once there, she slipped out of
her Three Lights nightshirt and flipped on the shower. She turned 
on her bathroom radio as she pinned her hair atop her head. As
she climbed into the shower, the DJ came on.

	"All right, folks, it's time to take another trip back
to the golden age of rock with Creedence Clearwater Revival,
undisputedly on of the best American bands ever to grace
the music world. 'Have You Ever Seen The Rain' as sung by
CCR!"

	Serena smiled as hot water slid over her body. The 
combination of water and music brought Serena back to 
conciousness. She bopped along to the music as she squeezed 
body wash onto her loofa sponge. 

Have You Ever Seen The Rain (CCR)

Someone told me long ago
There's a calm before the storm
I know; it's been comin' for some time
When it's over so they say
It'll rain on a sunny day
I know; shinin' down like water

I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin' down on a sunny day

Yesterday and the days before
Sun is cold and rain is hard
I know; been that way for all my time
'Til forever, on it goes
Through the circle fast and slow
I know; it can't stop I wonder

I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin' down on a sunny day

Yeah!

I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
I wanna know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin' down on a sunny day
 
      Serena was out of the shower and dressed by the time the song
faded away. 

	"Have you ever seen the rain..." Serena sang as she walked
down the stairs in her bare feet, hair hanging loosely down her 
back. She walked into the kitchen, feeling more alive now than
she had in weeks. She stepped into the kitchen to find Raye, Chad,
and Andrew sitting around the kitchen. Serena grabbed a bagel and
headed for the toaster. Raye passed her a mocha while she waited.
No one spoke, but the silence was comfortable, the ritual old.
When her bagel popped up, Serena smeared it with cream cheese and 
hopped up on the counter. The American rock station was on in the 
kitchen too, so Serena settled back against the side of the fridge 
to eat and enjoy the morning.

	"And now listners, it is time for 'The Buzz' with your 
gossip guru, ME. Beryl Blake, named by a local paper the 
Beautiful Barricuda, attended the Better Communications
Buisness gala alone. The gala was hosted by her father, and
it had to be a blow to the Barricuda's ego showing up stag.

	While Ms. Blake may have been spending the evening all
by her lonesome, Japan's most elligible bachelor suffered from
no such problem. Sources have reported that Dr. Darien Chiba 
spent the evening in the company of an unidentified blond,"

	The kitchen was drenched in mocha as four people sprayed 
their mouthfuls about. Raye, open mouthed with shock, reached
over to turn the volume up. 

	"Patrons at the exclusive Sunset Mirage dance club report
seeing Dr. Chiba with, and I quote, 'a gorgeous blond with legs 
up to her chin'. This station hopes to learn the identity of
Dr. Chiba's mystery woman. We're offering two tickets to the
sold out 'Northern Fantasy' concert to anyone who can provide
us with a name, address and phone number."

	The kitchen was dead silent. Three pairs of eyes focused
on Serena, who stared back at them. Serena was the first to speak.

	"Legs up to her neck, huh?" Serena said, sticking her denim
clad legs out in front of her, examining them critically. The others
lost it, laughing until tears streamed down their faces. Serena 
joined in, highly amused by this turn of events.

	"I always wanted to be famous," Serena quipped, taking a 
bite of her bagel. The comment began another round of laughter
in the kitchen. Smiling rakishly at her friends (and sending 
Chad tumbling to the floor in mirth) Serena headed out of the 
kitchen towards her room to put the final touches on the 
outfit of the day; comfortable (and flattering) overalls worn
over her Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975 t-shirt, striped socks and 
tennis shoes. She seperated her hair and braided both lengths,
then wrapped the braids around her head coronet style. She secured 
it with butterfly clips in white, slate blue and red (to match
her shirt) and bounded out of her room again with an amazing amount 
of energy.

	Raye met her at the bottom of the stairs, eyes still alight
with mischeif and laughter. 

	"So, how did it go?"
	
	"I have no idea what you mean," Serena replied, glancing over
Raye's shoulder to see Chad and Andrew approaching. Raye looked back
and rolled her eyes, but Serena noticed that her gaze lingered on Chad 
a bit longer than they usually did. Serena grinned.

	"Want to come costume shopping with me this afternoon?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Darien walked into his office to sly grins, winks and the occasional
'Way to go, man!'. He responded with stoic nods, growing more and more 
confused. After being clapped on the back by an intern Darien went in search 
of some answers. He found them in the most unlikely place...his office. On top
of his neatly stacked file folders was the society column of the Tokyo Times.
At the top of that column, he found his answer.

		BRILLIANT PHYSICIAN FINDS LOVE AT LAST??????

			Sources report that Dr. Darien Chiba was 
		seen last night in the company of an as yet
		unidentified young blond. The two seemed 
		enamored of each other, and arrived and
		left the Sunset Mirage dance club together.
		Chiba, whose list of temporary girlfriends has
		grown to include heiress Beryl Blake, seems to
		have found love at long last. Are those wedding
		bells we hear? Ladies, start your sobbing. Dr.
		Darien Chiba is officially off limits!


	Darien read the paper with a mixture of chagrin and amusement. On the 
one hand, it WAS funny. Even he, who had once been described in this same
column as 'The World's Only Living Heart Donor', could see that. And Serena
hadn't been mentioned. Not by name at least. But this was going to cause
problems; he could see it already. Suddenly, there came a tap at the door.

	"Dr. Chiba?" Mary Ann Valentine, his secretary, poked her head around 
the corner.
	
	"Yes, Mary Ann. What is it?"
	
	"Your costume has just been delivered, sir."

	"Costume?"

	"For the masqurade this evening. You remember, sir, the party after the
concert. Speaking of which, your ticket was delivered as well. I laid it
on top of the costume."

	"Costume?"

	"Yes. Compliments of Ms. Blake."

	Darien grimaced and Mary Ann chuckled. He reached for the box with a
large amount of trepidation.

	"Is it ticking?"

	"Not that I heard, sir." Mary Ann managed to say this with a straight 
face.
	
	Darien set the box down on his desk and lifted the lid, fully expecting
a colorful clown costume, complete with rainbow wig and red nose. Instead, he
found the oddest set of armor he had ever seen. An ornate breast plate connected
with shoulder decorations that jutted out to the sides. A cape, black on the 
outside, red on the inside was fastened to the inner edge of the shoulders.
Real leather boots and a tight black muscle shirt completed the ensamble.
Mary Ann gasped at the costly material. Darien looked at it in disgust. He 
wouldn't wear this. Not ever. Famous last words.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	Serena knew the perfect costume right away. She was walking past a
costume shop, one that sold everything from flapper dresses to official
Elizabethan clothing, looked up, and saw her costume. It was a white dress
with a long flowing skirt and a low cut bodice. Sparkling gauzy ribbons were 
attached to the back of the waist, mingling with the folds of the skirt to
create the effect of sunlight dancing on water. An intricate gold pattern
of arches decorated the top of the bodice, plain gold threads intermingling
with sparkling ones to make the embroidry appear to be real gold. Off the 
shoulder sleeves were shaped like balls with a delicate shape. Serena knew 
instinctively she would look great in this gown. She could imagine whirling
across a ballroom floor, a sparkling tiara resting in front of a mound of
golden curls, dancing with the most handsome man in the room, a man she
was deeply in love with, a man dressed as a fairy prince in real armor and
a flowing cape... 

	Serena gasped and shook her head. The picture had been so vivid, almost 
like deja vu. But Serena pushed that though out of her mind. She grabbed 
Raye's hand. Raye stopped and glared at her, then followed Serena's 
gaze, and gasped. The friends looked at each other and nodded, running
into the shop. The guys followed, looking angry and embarrased by turns.
Serena made straight for the dress, while Raye went to ask the clerk if 
Serena could try it on. 

	15 minutes later, Serena was wearing the dress and admiring her reflection
in the mirror. A fairy princess dress; the kind little girls dream of wearing.

	"Serena, are you ever coming out?" Raye called, annoyance in her voice.

	"Keep your shirt on."

	"No, don't!" This came from Chad. It was followed by a smacking sound
and a yelp. Serena shook her head and glanced at the price tag. Not 
unreasonable, and certainly not out of her league, but she didn't have the 
cash on her.

	"Okay, I'm coming out."

	"It's about ti...oh, SERENA!" This came from Raye, whose look went from 
annoyed to awed in 1.5 seconds flat. Andrew and Chad just stared. They were
wearing the look that all girls hope to see on a guy's face. It was the 
'I'm-lyin'-down-and-I-don't-care-if-you-walk-on-me-babe' look. Serena 
laughed. 

	"Serena, you MUST buy that dress. I refuse to allow you to leave 
without it. How much?"

	"It's marked in American money. $150.00. I can afford it but I 
don't have the cash on me, and I left my credit cards in my purse at
The House," Serena said.

	Raye reached for her own wallet. 

	"Come on, guys, spill. Whatever cash you have."

	Andrew and Chad reached for their wallets without hesitation. Serena 
smiled and dissappeared into the dressing room to change. By the time
she had emerged, the money was ready. The saleswoman had been so delighted
by the way the gown had looked on Serena that she threw in a rhinstone tiara 
for free. Serena walked out of the shop back into the sunshine, clutching
the bag containing the dress. She smiled to herself as her friends fell in
step beside her. As they walked toward the stadium, Serena's thoughts 
turned toward the evening to come.

	'I cannot WAIT until tonight.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 	TA-DA!!! The End...of Chapter 5 that is. I have decided to answer my 
own question. My favorite Sailor Moon villian is Mistress Nine, though Black
Lady comes in at a close second. The clothes those two wear...I am jealous!
Anyway, mail me and lemme know what you thought! Mail me and tell me that
you are mad at me because 'Wish' isn't up this week! TELL ME SOMETHING...
ANYTHING!!! I am not picky. Write soon!

lyrasoze@hotmail.com