Remember Princess Chapter 4 Author: nAtia_99 e-mail: nAtia_99@yahoo.com or natia_99@tuxedomask.com rated: G ^_~ Disclaimer: Can you believe it? My *friends* actually called my love of Sailormoon an "unhealthy obsession"!!! As if! What's that Naoko? That's right, they ARE bad friends! *looks at readers who are staring at her with raised eyebrows* What? Yes Naoko talks to me, we're linked telepathically. What's that? Now YOU think it's an unhealthy obsession too? hmph. Author's Notes: This just keeps getting sappier and sappier. Don't you just LOVE that? I guess it's pretty....WAFF-y? What's that stand for anyway? Someone e-mail and tell pitiful, non-anacronim knowing nat-chan please? Arigato. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~* * Darien stood on the rooftop, and then kicked himself. ~Idiot! She doesn't know *you're* Tuxedo Mask! She thinks she's betraying you!~ He flew to Serena's window to find she had flung herself onto her bed to whole-heartedly sob her eyes out. ~What do I do now?~ He thought with panic. There was only one thing *to* do. "Serena..." He said with sorrow....stepping into her room. She whipped around with a start and her eyes widened, "Tuxedo Mask....how do you know where I live?" "I know all about you..." He said unsure of what to say or how to say it. "I don't understand..." "I know who you are Sailormoon...." She gasped. "And you know who I am as well." He said carefully and then walked over to face her expectantly. She swallowed hard looking up at him and then reached shaky fingers to unmask him. "D-Darien..??" She managed before falling limp in his arms. "Serena! Don't faint! Please!" He helped her over to the bed and sat her down, one arm around her. "H-how long have you known?" She asked finally. "Just for a couple of days." He replied, relieved to be able to offer her some truth. "I suppose you're disappointed." She said dully. "What?!" He cried in shock, "Why on earth would I be disappointed?" He fell to his knees in front of her, "I was never so glad about anything as I was that it's you." That too was the complete truth and she could read it in his face. She started, "You love me!" She blurted before she could stop herself. But it had been so clear, so blatant the way it reached from him and touched her. He blanched a bit but remained steady. "I.....yes I do..." Queen Serenity watching overhead looked on sadly. ~Oh dear....poor Endymion....~ But Serena surprised them both, for in the next instant she was crushing him in her arms and kissing the daylights out of him. "I'm so happy it's you too! I always felt like I was in love with you and then when Darien and I got together....I didn't know what I should do....and now you're the same two people! It feels just like destiny!" He smiled at her babbling happily in his arms. Her buns had come undone and her hair tumbled about them and over the floor in seemingly endless golden waves. Suddenly he remembered why she was a Princess. He leaned her back a bit, "Are you in love with me?" He asked hopefully....knowing he shouldn't ask... that she couldn't really give him the answer he wanted because she didn't remember...but still wanting to hear it desperately... She smiled, "Of course I love you." And now he crushed her to him, just holding her tightly, letting love settle warmly through him. She wrapped her arms about his shoulders and neck and giggled, "I love you Tuxedo Darien." He laughed, "I love you Sailor Serena." Then she pulled away and stood, "You'd better go before my parents suddendly barge in and find some guy in a Tuxedo and cape in my room!" He winked at her as he swept towards the window. "I always wondered how you did that." She confessed. He grinned and swept her into his arms, cape wrapped around her, tilted her back and kissed her. "Like that." "Mmmm now I get it...." He laughed lightly and then disappeared out the window, leaving a rose on her sill. She laid it across her bedside table before falling into sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~@ Darien sighed as he walked through the park, arm about Serena as she chatted endlessly about Sailor stuff. He could feel how relieved she was to have him to confide in...all her fears about being a leader....and it was nice now to talk with her a bit about her mission. But he couldn't tell the whole truth and it bothered him. It bothered him that he could never really let his mind go around her since she could read his thoughts. And it bothered him that she didn't remember just because there were so many times they'd shared on the Moon that he wanted to reminisce about with her. He sighed again. He shouldn't complain. He had her now. She loved him. That was all that mattered wasn't it? Serena on the other hand, was blissfully happy. Having this love gave her such a strong sense of joy and peace and completion. She could never remember being more certain of anything. But she sensed a secret in Darien. Something she could not reach, something he would not share. Looking at him now she could see that faraway look in his eyes.....as though longing for another place and time.... She snuggled in closer under his arm. ~I love you....~ The thought went straight from her to him and he jumped a bit...as though it were loud. He looked down at her with a soft expression in his eyes, and leaned down to whisper "I love you too." "Do you really?" She asked carefully. He stopped and turned her into his embrace, "Yes. Of course I do." "Then tell me." She pleaded, hitting him with that irresitible gaze.....those sorrowful eyes just exactly the same as a thousand years before...entreating him.... He sent her a starved gaze, "I can't..." He whispered hoarsely...unable to lie to her anymore. "Why not?" She asked, tears brimming at her eyes. He gazed helplessly at her, his mouth open but there were no words to say... She pulled away from him and he looked as though she'd physically struck him....because he knew the next words before she spoke them, "I can't go on like this Darien....you're holding back something from me.....how can you say you love me and keep secrets from me too? You won't let me close!" "I want to.....Serena.....but I can't....but I love you...." She looked away from his desperate eyes, "You won't." She said harshly, "And if you won't, then I won't....I won't be with you anymore..." Now he fell to his knees...."No..." was all he managed to choke out before his voice simply died in his throat....how had this all gone so terribly wrong? She moved to walk away but her caught her hand, "Serena..." He managed... ~Serenity...~ She turned startled eyes back to him, tears still running down her cheeks, "Why did you just call me Serenity?" He clapped a hand over his mouth as though he'd spoken it aloud. She frowned and moved closer to him, "What is it? Tell me...tell me!" She pleaded. But instead he looked as though he might cry, "I can't..." "Yes you can!" He shook his head and she opened her mouth to say something when her communicator beeped, "Oh of *all* the times to--" she muttered flipping it open, "yes?" she prompted impatiently. "Ugly Monster at the corner of Fifth and Bloor....meet us there..." Rei's voice commanded. Serena sighed as Darien stood and changed posture instantly, "Battle?" He asked and once again she was startled at the change in him when Tuxedo Mask was needed. She nodded and he stepped closer, pulling out a rose, "Let's do it then." She sighed sadly up at him and grabbed her brooch, "Moon crystal...power..." And then they were off....rushing to battle. Serena swept in strongly, but was still emotional. Her first attack missed and the Youma shot a beam of black light at her that knocked her back. Darien caught her and set her back down. "You alright?" He asked quickly. She nodded, though her eyes betrayed she wasn't. The Youma made to jump away and the Scouts had to make chase, trying to get at it with their various attacks. "Darn it's fast!" Serena grumbled as she lept through the streets of Tokyo after it. Darien watched her closely as he kept pace. Her abilities and strength were honed perfectly, now that her Princess self was awakened. Everything was back in place....everything but the memories of their love. As she ran faster and faster a glow picked up around her....silvery at first and dim....but then stronger till it stretched back and reached him....piercing into his body... He cried out as it touched him....ran through his veins....surging through...awakening all of him....everything.... He could see the crescent moon start to glow beneath her tiara. She lept blindly at the Youma and struck, more powerfully than ever before but with it's dieing cry it swung out and knocked her away...into the lake with a silent splash. Darien's voice came out first, above all the others, "Princess! No!!" The Scouts turned incredulously on him. But he was oblivious, hat and mask flying off as he ran towards the lake and dove in after her. He swam with powerful strokes till he spotted her and grabbed her, pulling her up to the surface where she choked and then passed out in his arms. He swam then, with Serena in his arms, all the way back to the shore where the Scouts stood waiting, and then collapsed beside her. The last thing he remembered was her unconscious face beside his..... When he awoke some hours later (in his apartment) it was to see Amy's face bent over him, checking his forehead. Mina's voice drifted over, "How are they...??" He mumbled and tried to sit up. "Darien's awake." She replied, then turned to him, "Careful now...." He pulled himself to a sit and turned sharply, looking for Serena. She slept peacefully beside him. The girls helped him to the kitchen where Rei made him coffee before they bombarded him with questions. "Why did you call her Princess?" "Do you know something we don't?" They'd had a couple of hours to overcome all the shock of his identity and his recent actions, save for that one. "Do you know we're searching for our Princess? The one we're sworn to protect!" Rei said half-desperately, half-wonderingly. He nodded slowly, "Yes, and it's Serena. She's the Princess." "How do you know?" They asked shocked. "And who are you?" Added Rei. He smiled, "I know because I remember. A thousand years ago she was Princess Serenity of the Moon and all of you were Princesses of your own planets. And I was the Prince of Earth..." He finished softly, "....and we were engaged...." They collectively gasped, but a quick glance to Luna and Artemis confirmed it. "Why don't we remember?" "None of us are supposed to remember yet I think." He said sadly and again Luna and Artemis nodded. "You will." Luna said quietly, her eyes still fixed on Darien. "So you've known all this time?" Mina said softly. Darien nodded, "Just this past while....Serena doesn't remember..." Mina looked sympathetically at him. The sensitive senshi of love....she understood. Darien shook his head, "We started getting back our abilities...and then my memories came back all at once.....sometimes we can...we can read each other's thoughts....but I can't let her close...or she'll get the truth before she's supposed to.....she thinks I'm keeping her away, and she wants to leave....I don't know what to do...." They all looked at him with sympathy. He looked down sadly. "Darien?" Serena's voice cried from the other room. He hurried in and had her gently in his arms in moments, "Yes?" She wrapped her arms about him gently, "Did I get him?" Darien smiled, "Yes. Yes you did." "Did you save me again?" She murmured lazily into his shoulder. He held her close, "Of course love.....of course I did..." The scouts standing in the doorway, listening to his tragic voice, took this as their cue to leave. They crept quietly out to the hall and onto the elevator. "Will it all work out?" Mina asked Luna and Artemis sadly. Luna nodded, "I hope so." Darien helped Serena to the kitchen and got her something warm to drink. She sipped it thoughtfully and watched him. He was pacing uncomfortably. Finally he settled down on his knees in front of her, "Serena....I understand how frustrated you are with me.....I understand if you want to leave... and...I can't tell you the truth....I can only beg you not to leave me....which isn't much I know but...." He sighed, looking down, "I have so little to give you.....but you can have it all....my heart, my life, everything." She looked meaningfully at him, "Oh Darien..." And then her arms were around him and she was kissing him, trying to reassure him, "I won't leave you....I'm sorry about what I said...." He held her tight, this time it was his voice that spoke in her heart, "I love you...." She pulled back smiling, "I love you too....." And so life continued on as it had. Except for one small difference. Serena. Besides her marks, and newfound gracefullness, she was surprising Darien. Suggesting places to go that interested him....because of his past self. How did she ever figure out he liked riding--and climbing--and swimming? The darts thing was a Tuxedo Mask talent so he let that one slide. But horseback riding through the countryside? Rock climbing? And a romantic swim along some cliffs outside of town......was it just coincidence? Her abilities back in tact her instincts must be triggering her old memories, he concluded. She hadn't said anything. Had been only loving and affectionate with him. And her thoughts were the same..... But there were other things besides that....moments that kept recreating themselves between them. When they were swimming....did she remember their first swim together on the moon? In that silent sea with the earth glowing faint in the distance? She couldn't have. But then why did she swim over and kiss him the very same way? And when they went riding.....just like that first ride on the earth.....she'd trotted ahead and looked back laughing just exactly the same way! Was it just a coincidence? They were walking through the park eating ice cream as he pondered all this, his arm snug about her waist. She leaned against him and sighed. "What's that sigh for?" He teased lightly. "Nothing..." She said contently. He smiled. No, she didn't remember. But that was okay. She would someday.... He walked her home and kissed her goodbye and crept into bed still smiling. Everything wasn't perfect, but pretty close. He drifted off to sleep with a sigh. But the long forsaken dream of his Princess returned, vivid and piercing. "Endymion..." She begged, holding out her arms, "Set me free again...." And he fell at her feet, "But...I can't...." He cried confused and distressed. "Please..." She said sadly and then faded away. He awoke violently and sat straight up in bed...only to be faced with...his Princess? Could she really be standing there....white dress trailing to the floor....holding out her arms to him? "Endymion..." She said sweetly and he felt his body rise without him, closing the distance between them..... "Serenity..??" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Almost done dahlings! Got the last bit all planned out! ^_^