whirose

Title: White Roses
Author: Alicia Blade
E-mail: Kammi22@sprintmail.com

Gomen nasai for not posting last week, but honestly, it totally slipped
my mind. Besides, I went on a short vacation, and it's hard to post
something without your computer handy, honest, it is. Anyway, some very
important announcements!!!

ROYAL FLUSH SEQUEL???? Alright, despite my warnings, people still asked
my to write a sequel to RF, but ya know what, I'm still not gonna!
Instead, Sailor Gany-Moon is! She was nice enough to volunteer, I've
agreed with her plot, and so the sequel is now in her hands. Any ideas
(or gratitude) for her, send it to Flipz_02@hotmail.com

Go and check out Princess Destiny's website at
http://www2.crosswinds.net/~aureliadestiny/MARS_MAIN_PAGE.htm

IMPORTANT!! The first season romance website you all wanted is up and
running! The archives are starting to have a bit of substance, and the
Pikestreet Café is starting to fill up with some great poems as well! Go
check it out!!! http://www.oocities.org/Tokyo/Spa/4410/

The next chapter in Road Trip will be posted next week.

Now that that's out of the way, here's a bit about this story. It's my
first complete Alternate Reality and it has a LOT of twists! It's a
little strange, a little out there, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.
Please write and tell me whatcha think!

"`If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.'"
Matthew 10:39

White Roses

"Why are you always following me around?" Darien screamed at his
little seven-year-old sister, Michelle, her eyes brimming with tears.
She took a step away from him shakily. "I told you to leave me alone!
Will you just go away and stay out of my life!"
The girl quickly turned and fled, her small legs gliding easily
over the soft green grass. Soon, she disappeared behind a patch of
large trees. Darien just stared at where she had stood a minute ago.
He could still see her big blue eyes as a tear slid down her cheek and
her soft brown hair flying behind her as she ran from him. His heart
sank and he instantly regretted the things he had said. He did love his
sister, it was just that sometimes she could be so annoying! And now
she was running around in a park all by herself, because of HIM!
Sighing, Darien stomped off in the direction she had gone, calling her
name.

Michelle crouched in the center of the small gazebo that stood in
the middle of the rose garden. Tears streaked down her warm cheeks as
her hand frantically tried to wipe them away. Finally she gave up and
allowed the tears to fall, burying her face deep within her small palms.
Slowly, she began to sense another presence in front of her. She
opened her tear-flooded eyes and looked up. There, kneeling only a few
inches from Michelle was a beautiful goddess. Her crystal blue eyes
stared back at her with such warmth and caring and concern that the
unwanted tears immediately ceased falling. The girl's glossy pink lips
turned into a friendly smile. Her rosy cheeks highlighted her pale
complexion and her stunningly golden hair tumbled in great waves around
her shoulders, landing in a great heap upon the wooden floor of the
gazebo. She wore a simple and elegant white dress of the shiniest,
daintiest material. There was no lace or embroidery or frills, but it
was by far the most gorgeous gown Michelle had ever laid eyes on.
Strangely, she realized that as she gazed into the large, loving eyes of
this mysterious girl, she felt joy. Pure, raw happiness.
"Don't cry Michelle." Her sweet voice ringed in Michelle's ears
like a bell. "Darien didn't mean it. He loves you. I'm sure if you
give him another chance, he will apologize. Here why don't you give
this to him as a peace offering." The girl held out her hand and pulled
a white rose from the thin air. It was perfect. The soft aroma drifted
off of the satin petals filling Michelle's nose with its delightful
scent. She reached out a shaky hand and carefully took it in her palm.
Slowly, she took the rose from the girl and pulled it to her chest,
afraid it might break. When she looked into the crystal eyes again, she
saw the girl smiling down at her with the same gentle, loving smile.\ "Mishy?" Michelle slowly turned away from the girl to see her big
brother Darien staring at them in awe. Her face lit up and she ran to
him. A few feet away, she jumped and was effortlessly caught in his
strong arms and pulled to his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around
his neck.
"I'm so sorry Darien! I know you told me to leave you alone, but
I wanted to be with you 'cause you're my big brother and I..."
"Shhhh. It's okay Mishy, I'm sorry I yelled you. I do love you."
"I love you too, Darien." She pulled away from him with a huge
smile on her face. She untangled one arm from behind his neck and held
out her rose. "See what the angel gave me? I want you to have it,
Darien."
"Gee, thanks, Mish. But did you thank the... uh..." Darien
looked over the small girls shoulder into an empty gazebo. "Huh...
where did she go?" he whispered to the air.
"Heaven!" Michelle's voice replied matter-of-factly. Darien
smiled at her and put her on her feet.
"Thank you for the rose. It's beautiful. Now how about some ice
cream?"
"Yeah!" Michelle said cheerfully, pulling him down one of the
pathways out of the rose garden. Darien looked back, but the girl, or
angel, was nowhere to be seen.

Five years after Michelle had met the "angel", an 18 year old
Darien sat silently on his bed. Angel. That is what they had always
called her, since neither had any idea who or what she actually was.
Not that they hadn't heard from her since then. Darien knew that she
was always nearby. Somehow, it seemed as though she was always watching
him. Protecting him.
Darien sat perfectly still. Glancing at the clock he noticed it
was already past midnight. How long had he been sitting there? Three
hours? Four? It didn't matter. His eyes returned to the vase that had
held his attention so thoroughly. It contained 11 white roses, all in
full bloom. Each one of them was so perfect. No scratches, bruises,
thorns… One of them was the rose the angel had given to Michelle during
their argument. It never wilted. It never lost its color, or its
scent. It remained as beautiful as it was when the angel had first
pulled it from the air. The other ten were also from the angel, though
he hadn't seen her those times. When she gave them to him, they would
just appear. Always when he was sad or angry. And they always
brightened him up instantly. When his first girlfriend broke up with
him, there was a rose in his locker. When his grandmother died he found
one in the hospital chair next to him. And when he broke his wrist and
couldn't play in the state H.S. Basketball Championship, there was a
rose in his duffel bag. All and all he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt
that his angel, or whoever, would always be there for him, and he found
comfort in that solitary thought.
Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Darien sighed longingly. His
memory held the image of the golden-haired beauty as if he'd been
looking at her five minutes ago. Her smile, her eyes, her figure, were
all engraved into his mind. His heart would tear every time he would so
much as think of her. He wanted to sing and dance knowing that she
existed, that she was nearby. But he also wanted to shout and scream. He
couldn't see her, hold her, talk to her. He had no idea how to find her,
no clue where she could be. Once he had tried to make himself cry in the
hopes that she would show up to comfort him. She never did. And worse,
he hadn't even heard from her in the past 8 months. The last white rose,
the eleventh bud, had came to him eight months ago to the day. And he
hadn't received another since.
"Darien?"
He opened his eyes to see a twelve-year old girl with short brown
hair standing in his doorway. Michelle had matured a lot over the past
five years. She was still young, as much a kid as anyone, but no longer
did she tag along with him and his friends, or throw tantrum fits at the
slightest deprival from him or their parents. She was also quite
intelligent for her age, to the everlasting pride of her older brother.
"Hey Mish, come on in."
"Thanks." She walked in quietly, making herself comfortable on his
bed. As they usually did, Michelle's eyes focused on the vase sitting on
Darien's nightstand. Tilting her head to the side, she reached out for
it to hold it in her lap.
If it had been anyone else, Darien would have yelled and screamed
at the innocent touch, no one seemed to realize how important the
flowers were, but Michelle did. She had been there the first time, after
all. "How are you doing?" she asked, her gaze glued to the vase.
"Alright, I guess." A silence draped over the room as Darien
rubbed at his sleepy eyes. Finally, he said, "I miss her."
"Who?"
"The angel."
Michelle nodded in response. "Me too. I wonder where she is right
now. If she's… flying around the sky, or sitting on a cloud, reading a
book…"
"Attending to her rose garden…" he added with a small grin.
Michelle smiled as well, before placing the crystal jar back onto the
nightstand.
"I was wondering if you would drive me out to the mall tomorrow
morning."
"Sure, no problem. What are you looking for?"
"Just stuff."
"Alright, we'll get going around eleven then."
"Thanks, Dare. I'll see you in the morning."
"'Night, Mishy."
"Sweet dreams!" she called as she skipped out of the room.
Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Darien closed his door
and switched off his light. Moon beams poured through the window,
attaching to the perfect roses. Pulling his sheets back, Darien climbed
beneath the covers, looking up at the moon solemnly.
"Good night, angel."

A scream pierced the silence of the night, waking Darien from his
not-so-peaceful sleep. Startled, he sat up to look nervously around the
dark room. After listening for a moment, his heart beating rapidly, he
thought he could hear a muffled squeal from down the hall. Immediately
jumping from his bed, he ran out into the hallway, tearing Michelle's
bedroom door open.
"Mishy?" he called, flipping on the light switch. His gaze was met
with an empty bed, an open window, and a white piece of paper fluttering
in the breeze on the back of the door. Shakily, he reached up and pulled
it from the doorframe.

Prince Endymion of Earth,

You take my princess, and I will take yours. The girl will be unharmed
for 24 hours. After that, I make no guarantees. I want Princess Serenity
by then, along with the Silver Imperium Crystal, or your precious
'sister' will never again see the light of day. I make no idle threats.

Sincerely,
Prince Diamond of Nemesis

"Wha…" his eyes scanned over the paper, tears stinging in his
azure gaze. Breaths becoming ragged, he scrunched the paper in his grip
before running toward the window and jumping out fearlessly. Hitting the
soft grass below, he thought of nothing but his sister's laughing smile
as he began running past the orange streetlights on the deserted
sidewalk. His breaths puffed up in the cold night air as his eyes
searched for any sign of life or movement. They found none.
Unsure of how many blocks or miles he had run, Darien began to
slow his pace, the crystal tears falling down his cheeks thoughtlessly.
"MICHELLE!" he screamed, turning in circles. His voice echoed for
only a moment before disappearing, unheard by any other ears. "No…" he
whispered, his mind becoming dizzy, hollowness and pain filling his
heart steadily. "No… no… no…" Choking on his sorrow, Darien collapsed to
his knees on the hard pavement below, staring up at the stars above.
"No…" he begged, whimpered. His heart began to cloud with desperation,
as all thoughts became numb and slow.
"Darien…" whispered a soft voice from behind.
Startled, he jumped to his feet and turned around, not bothering
to wipe away the tears as they fell. Confusion entered in as his dark
blue eyes widened in shock. The word 'angel' hung at the tip of his
tongue, but he couldn't bring himself to utter it.
"Darien, it's me," the girl said quietly, her voice melting his
heart, comforting him gently.
"Y…you… you're the angel…" he whispered disbelieving.
Her small pink lips closed for a minute, before she began speaking
again. "I'm sorry, Darien. This is all my fault. It's my fault they have
Michelle with them now. I'm so sorry. I never meant for either of you to
get hurt. I just…"
"Wait! Wait, what are you talking about. What does this have to do
with you? Who… who are these people? Where is my sister? Who are you?!"
he started screaming at her, worry and anger filling his voice. The
angel turned away, looking down at the pavement below.
Darien gasped for breath, silent when she didn't answer him.
"Please… tell me…"
Shaking her head, the angel looked up at him once again. "It's a
very long story, and we haven't enough time. Michelle needs you now."
"Where is she?"
The angel stood silent for a minute, unmoving and emotionless.
"Where is she?!" he screamed again, placing his hands on her
shoulders. He gasped pulling back as his hands slipped through her body.
"What on Earth…"
After examining his hands for a brief moment he made eye contact
with the girl again,. Her pale blue eyes glimmered with held back tears.
"You're not real…" he whispered. She shook her head again.
"No, I'm simply not alive. There is a difference."
"I… I don't understand."
She sighed, turning to look up at the moon. "We don't have time
for the whole story, but you need to know this. I am Serenity, Princess
of the Moon, and heir to the Silver Millenium. At least, I was until it
was destroyed. You see, a thousand years ago, I was betrothed to Prince
Diamond of a faraway moon called Nemesis. But then I met and fell in
love with another young prince, this of Earth. I convinced Queen
Serenity, my mother, to call off my engagement to Diamond so that I
might marry the Prince of Earth. She did, but Diamond then went into a
terrifying rage. He destroyed my kingdom, and my people. He would have
killed my love, but I threw myself in front of the blast, dying in my
prince's arms." She closed her eyes tightly, her long hair falling about
her shoulders as Darien watched in amazement. "Prince Diamond killed my
mother and stole our most valuable heirloom, a gem called the Silver
Imperium Crystal. It is the most powerful thing in this universe. It was
then, and it still is now. But before Diamond could do anything with it,
my fiancé grabbed it from him, and before anyone could so much as think,
he had somehow used his own power to stop the evil plans of Diamond. I
can still feel his love and power flowing through me as if I was not
dead, and I…" Serenity paused, raising her eyes to Darien. "I'm sorry,
I'm getting too detailed and we don't have time for this. Perhaps I will
finish the story another time, but for now…"
"Wait, what happened? Just… please, tell me what happened…"
She sighed. "In the short version, my love saved the day by
sending the people to the future to be reincarnated. He was, his family
and my family were, even Diamond was. But for some reason… I was not.
And so I have wandered this Earth as a spirit for a thousand years,
waiting for my prince to return."
"You're prince… it… it's me, isn't it?"
She gasped, returning her gaze to his. Hope filtering into her
eyes, she took a step toward him. "Do you remember?"
Darien sighed, shaking his head. "No, but this Diamond creep left
me a note. He called me Endymion, the Prince of Earth."
Her eyes drooping slightly, Serenity turned and walked away
slowly. "I see, then."
"But, I don't understand. I mean, I'm no one special, just your
everyday teenager who's going to college in a couple months, and…" Darien paused when Serenity began giggling slightly. "What?"
She looked up to him, her blue eyes glazed over in love and
admiration. "Believe me, you are anything but an everyday teenager. I
should know."
Darien gulped at the strange look she was giving him, afraid of
the secretive glance, and yet delighted by it all the same.
She continued, "You, Darien Chiba, are the reincarnated Prince
Endymion of Earth. Like it or not. Understand it or not."
"What does Michelle have to do with any of this?"
Sighing, Serenity turned her gaze away yet again. "Nothing, I'm
afraid. She was just… born to be your sister, not by fault of anyone.
Oh, it is all my fault that she was brought into this though! I became
careless!"
"What are you talking about? What did you do?"
"The roses. I shouldn't have given them to you. I should have
known that Diamond would find out about them eventually. I should have
realized that he would track you down! Oh, but I couldn't help it. It
hurt so much to see you sad or angry… I could feel your pain as if it
was my own… I simply couldn't stop myself… I'm so sorry, Darien…"
"The roses? He found us because of… the roses?"
"It's hard to explain, and I can't do anymore explaining right
now! We have to go! You have got to go save your sister!"
Darien remained silent for a moment, before nodding silently.
Serenity walked closer to him, standing only a foot away.
"Be careful," she whispered. "Remember, that I will always be by
your side, even if you can't see me."
With those words, whispered so lovingly into the surrounding
night, Darien was washed in a glowing white until everything faded away
to blackness.

Slowly, his head stopped spinning and he could once again hear the
sound of his heartbeat. Opening his eyes to slits, he was surprised that
there was now dim lighting all around him. Shakily, he stood up from his
crouched position. The large room had dark green marble floors and
candle sconces, setting an orange glow across the dark walls. A breeze
chilled him to the core and he gulped, wrapping his arms tighter around
himself. Only then did he realize he was still in his pajamas,
sweatpants and a black tank top.
From behind him, a deep sinister laugh echoed through the room.
Turning on his heels, he saw a golden throne before him. Molds of
dragons and serpents surrounded the great chair and small demon
figurines sat upon the back. On the throne, a man sat casually, sipping
at a glass of red wine. His silver hair fell over his crystal blue eyes,
the bony fingers of his free hand tapped mindlessly on the arm of his
chair. A white uniform with pale blue embroidery stood out against the
bronzy gold, making the man almost glow in dark light.
"Welcome to my humble abode. As I'm sure you've guessed, I am
Prince Diamond of Nemesis, the Dark Moon. And you must be Prince
Endymion of Earth, I presume. Or… would you prefer Darien?"
"Where's my sister?"
"Oh, no small chit chat before we discuss business? What a shame.
I'm quite interested in what you've been doing with your life these past
18 years. Been… growing many roses, have you?"
Clenching his fist, Darien forced himself to stand straighter
despite the shaking of his knees.
"Where is she?! I want her back now!"
The man laughed. "I'm afraid I can't give her to you. Not until
you've completed your side of the bargain."
"We never had a bargain."
"Oh, but I beg to differ. Your dear sister, for Princess Serenity
and the Silver Imperium Crystal, a fair trade."
Darien's breathing became quicker as his jaw began to suffer from
the clenching of his teeth. "Listen Diamond, I…"
"Prince Diamond."
His eyes glared and he continued angrily, "I don't know what
you're talking about. I don't have any crystal, and I certainly don't
have a princess!"
"Ah, then who gave you those beautiful roses might I ask? Don't
play dumb with me, boy, I know very well that you've communicated with
her. I've been watching you. Don't you think I know that she's still
dead? Who's fault is that, by the way? She died protecting YOU! The love
of MY life died because of some crazy infatuation with the prince of
EARTH!" Diamond stood, his voice rising as he spoke. "A prince who
doesn't even love her. Who never loved her!"
"Where is my sister?!" Darien screamed back at him, anger and
agitation pulsing through his veins.
"If you truly loved her, you would be able to touch her now. I was
watching you two before you came here, alone in the street. You still
cannot have her! You can't hold her, touch her, kiss her, because you
don't really love her! And yet… her childish images of you remain. It
made my stomach churn at the way she looked at you. The tone in her
voice when she said your name. And you noticed none of it! All you're
worried about his your immature sister! Well THERE'S your sister!"
Waving his hand to the side, Darien watched as a blood red curtain
pulled back from the wall to reveal a small nook. Inside, chained to the
wall, Michelle watched wide-eyed, tears streaming down her face. She
screamed as Diamond's wineglass came flying at her, shattering on the
brick wall by her side. Darien yelled in surprise. They stared at each
other for a minute in silence.
"Darien…" she whimpered quietly. He gasped.
"Michelle!" he screamed shaken, immediately trying to run toward
her, but a blast knocked him backward. Collapsing to the ground, he
glared up at Diamond again. "Let her go."
"Not until I get what I want," he hissed back.
"What do you want from me?!"
"The heart that you stole! I want the love and devotion of
Princess Serenity. She is rightfully MY princess! You stole her from me.
You took away her kingdom, her rule, her power, things that I would have
had! I want them back!"
"Take them! I don't care anymore, just let my sister go! Leave her
alone! Take anything you want, but don't hurt her!"
A silence filled the room, the only sounds ticking off the walls
were the sobs of Darien and Michelle.
Diamond's voice calmed to a whisper, sending chills coursing
through Darien. "You fool. How dare you call yourself a prince? I see
now just how ignorant Serenity was to have believed she was in love with
a no one like you. You don't deserve her. You never did, and I assure
you now, that you will never have her again. Mark my words, PRINCE, if I
don't have Princess Serenity, no one will."
Darien pushed himself to his feet again. "Kind of ironic, don't ya
think? Saying you just called me a no one."
The small grin on Diamond's lips melted and he held his open fist
out toward Darien. "You will die now, for stealing my love, and for
hurting her as you did. This time, no one is here to protect you."
His hand began to glow with ice blue energy. Darien gritted his
teeth, watching in amazement, unsure of what was happening or what was
going to happen. He gasped suddenly as a bolt came flying out of
Diamond's hand, heading for his chest. His mind dying to numbness, he
simply stood and watched, frozen in place.
He would never forget the many screams that echoed in his mind the
next moment. Perhaps one was his, he wasn't sure. Michelle had called
out his name, fear flooding her fragile voice. Then he heard an
unfamiliar scream as a white and golden mass fell before him. Diamond
shrieked soon after that, retracting his hand to his chest, before
pushing it away as if a villain had taken control of his limb. Darien's
stunned, ocean blue eyes drifted down to see a shaking body lying on the
marble floor in front of him. Golden locks of hair sprawled all around
her, tiny white fingers clutched at her side as crystal tears began
splashing to the floor below.
The chaos was replaced in calm, utter silence. His mouth running
dry, Darien shakily collapsed to the floor now as well.
From off in a forgotten corner, a small voice managed to choke out
quietly, "The angel…"
"Serenity…" whispered Darien. Finally, he drew his mouth close and
scooted closer to her. With nervous fingertips, he reached out to stroke
through her golden hair. Tears pushed to the corners of his eyes, when
again his hand slipped through her. A loud startling sob fled from him
as he pulled back, falling to his elbows, his head hanging down. His
body shook as tears streamed down his cheeks. "No… no… no… Not again…"
he whispered as visions of another time, exact duplicate to the
nightmare he was living now.
"NO!" roared Diamond madly. Pulling himself from the clutches of
shock, he ran forward to the girl lying on the ground. Dropping beside
her, he slipped a hand beneath her back, holding her head to his chest.
Shakily, he began running his hand through the golden mane, attempting
to comfort the fading girl.
"Wha…" Darien mumbled in shock as he watched Diamond touch her and
hold her effortlessly. His eyes only stared in shocked silence as
Diamond kissed her forehead tenderly. Then, jealousy and anger began
flooding through him again. Jumping to his feet, he pointed a finger at
Diamond. "Get away from her!" he screamed.
Eyes filled with sorrow and hatred lifted to his. Strong arms only
tightened around Serenity, rocking her slowly back and forth. "Why
should I? I'm the one who loves her, not you!" he hissed.
Darien clenched his teeth. "That's not true!"
"Oh, isn't it? Then tell me, why can't you hold her?"
Darien stumbled back slightly for a loss of words. Gently, Diamond
placed her back onto the floor, placing a gentle kiss on her cheek
before standing yet again. He stepped over her body, coming closer to
the seething man.
"You never loved her. I was the one who could have given her
everything, and I would have. I would have given her the stars, all the
moons in the galaxy. I would have filled her with love and nurturing.
But she chose YOU. And all you've ever done was hurt her. YOU took her
for granted. Honestly, was she ever more than a pretty face and being of
power to you? Ever?!"
"That's not true. None of that is true!"
"I don't hear you denying it! I don't hear you proclaiming your
undying love, as she always did with you! You don't love her!"
Darien stepped back with every forward motion of Diamond. Unsure
arms tied themselves about his waist as he refused to make eye contact
with the progressing man. "I… I…"
"And now, Endymion, Prince of Earth, you will pay for breaking her
heart, as you broke her mind and soul. You will pay for forcing her to
pine over you so, and never giving her what she deserved."
Again, a beam of energy glowed around Diamond's hand. Darien
looked around, searching for any sign of help, anything he could use to
protect himself. What he saw was his sister, who had always been there
to love him and talk to him, and an angel, who had given him hope and
happiness when he thought there was nothing left. She was dying.
Michelle was chained up, and she would die also, if he lost this battle.
"I won't lose… I won't lose them…" he whispered to himself. Tear
after unknown tear slipped from his eyes, but one stopped in thin air.
Gleams of white swirled around it, forming a glowing white stone in
front of him. His hands reached out to it as he felt a warmth invade his
body. His mind began to throb as an image of long ago filtered back to
his thoughts.

"I won't let you do this, Diamond!" Prince Endymion screamed from
his crouched position in the main ballroom. Princess Serenity's lifeless
body was strewn on the floor only feet away from him, along with eight
soldier suited girls about the room, all having died attempting to
destroy one of the men left standing. Crumpled on the floor at Diamond's
feet, a dying queen choked for her last breaths of air.
In Diamond's hand, a silver stone shimmered brightly in the morbid
room. He cackled evilly, ready to kill the Earth prince, and claim this
kingdom for his own. He dodged easily when Endymion's sword was thrown
at him, skimming by his armor-clad shoulder. He laughed, turning back to
where the attacker stood, but then he froze. The prince was gone.
"What?!" He yelled again as the stone was grabbed from his fist.
Whirling around, he faced Endymion, who was holding onto the Silver
Imperium Crystal for dear life.
"You will pay for all that you have done, Diamond!" the Earth
prince yelled, holding the crystal above him. With a flow of power, a
loving look directed to the princess fallen on the floor, and a scream
of agony, the glowing light of the crystal engulfed all.

Darien fell to his knees on the hard, cold floor, gasping for
breath. The dull stone clattered to the marble beside him as the last
screams from Diamond echoed and died in his ears. Closing his eyes, he
listened thankfully for the beating of his heart and his heavy
breathing, stirring the silence in the large room.
"Endymion…" whispered a small voice. He opened his eyes to see
that the princess had managed in pulling herself to her knees, only a
few feet before him.
He forced a smile, inching closer to her. "Princess… are… are you
alright?"
Her pale blue eyes dawned with a tiny smile, gazing back at him
with more love and compassion than he thought it was possible for a
person to have. "I'm fine, my prince, but…"
Darien's grin turned to concern as he saw the girl began to become
transparent. "Wha… what's going on?"
"You have no need of my anymore. I must leave now…" she whispered.
"What? No! No, you can't leave! I do need you! What about the
roses and… and the crystal? Wait, you can't leave me, not now, not after
everything!" He reached out a hand to her, but once again broke into
tears. He could feel nothing where she was but empty air.
"Diamond was right, my prince. You never truly loved me. That is
why you can't feel me, and why we can't be together."
"No, that's not true. You must know that that's not true!"
"You never said the words, my prince. I know that you love me, I
always knew in my heart. But… did you? Did you know that you loved me?"
"I… I do. I do…"
"What, Endymion?"
"I… I…"
"Shh…" her eyes became paler as her body faded away. "I know.
Please, be happy. And remember, I love you…" her last words shimmered
through the air as the last golden locks disappeared from his view.
Silence once again draped through the room. Darien's eyes searched
frantically for any sign of the princess, but he found none. Choking on
his sobs, he collapsed fully to the ground, pounding at the marble with
his fists.
"I do love you," he whispered, then repeated louder, "I DO love
you! Why can't anyone see that? Doesn't anyone have any idea how much I
love you?! How much I NEED you?!" Tears falling carelessly, he chanted
the phrase over and over, asking why, begging her to come back,
declaring his love and devotion.
Minutes later, and still crying, Darien weakly stood and walked to
his sister. She had tears streaking her cheeks as well as she watched
him silently free the binding chains.
"I know you love her," Michelle whispered quietly. A tiny smile
tugged at the corners of Darien's lips as he released her. They stared
at each other for a minute, before he pulled her into a tight hug, and
they cried together.

The blue sky was dotted with small white clouds. Birds hopped
around the grass, twittering and playing, flying about together.
Somewhere in the distance, laughing could be heard. He knew that
somewhere in the distance, there was a couple. Many couples. Happy and
loving, holding each other and playing, teasing, kissing and holding. He
knew that somewhere in the distance, the words 'I love you' were on
someone's tongue, ready to brighten the day and life of another.
How he wished he was that someone.
The grass below him was warm from the sun, itching at the back of
his neck. Looking down at his hand, he watched as a small red ant
climbed over one of his fingers before disappearing in the forest below.
A patch of white daisies was not too far away. A warm summer breeze made
the leaves sing and dance above him. The large oak tree shaded his eyes
from the blinding sun, letting patches of golden light sparkle through.
It reminded him of her hair.
Then again, the sky reminded him of her eyes.
The birds reminded him of her voice.
The breeze reminded him of her words.
"I love you…" he said to the air. He didn't know how many times he
had said those three simple words in the past week, since the fearful
day at Diamond's palace. Not enough. His memories of a thousand years
ago were in tact. He remembered loving her, feeling her love engulf him
every time they were near each other. He had known then that they were
meant to be together.
And he remembered every time she had told him she loved him. Every
time the words had escaped her lips. He also knew that not once had he
returned the favor. He never could bring himself to say it, for reasons
he didn't understand. Fear of rejection, or loss? Possibly. But he
regretted it now. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was
completely in love with her. He had been a thousand years ago, and he
had been the first time he'd seen her in the gazebo at the park. This
park, to be exact.
He knew that if ever he had another chance, he wouldn't hesitate
to tell her the truth. To tell her his feelings, his love for her. IF
ever he had another chance. It was quite unlikely.
He closed his eyes sadly, ignoring the familiar tears as they fell
down his cheeks. He wondered if there were many more tears left in him
to cry. It seemed that's all he did these days.
On the warm breeze, the soft scent of roses flowed over him. His
brow furrowed. The last time he had smelled such a delicious scent… was
8 months and 7 days ago. His eyes popped open. Sitting up, he turned to
his side to see a perfect white rose lying amongst the patch of small
daisies.
Fervently, he looked around, reaching blindly for the rose as his
eyes scanned over the horizon. Above him, he thought he heard a soft
giggle. Looking up, he watched as a stream of gold disappeared in the
tree.
"Serenity!" he yelled, hopping to his feet. The tree branches
ruffled. Running around the trunk, he saw the figure of a girl drop from
the above branches before scampering away. "Wait!"
Clutching the rose, he took off after her, watching and listening
for her gentle laugh, her golden hair. But soon, she was out of sight
again. He continued running through the park as fast as he could,
unbelieving that she had left him yet again.
After what seemed hours, he slowed to look around him, gasping for
breath. He found himself in the rose garden. Gulping, he traveled up one
of the many trails, his eyes searching over the colorful bushes. Then he
looked ahead of him. It was the large wooden gazebo where he had first
seen Serenity with Mishy. Where he had seen an angel. Walking closer, he
saw that a girl was standing in the gazebo, facing away from him. She
wore a Juuban school outfit, with a blue pleated skirt, white blouse,
and navy collar. Knee high socks and black mary-janes adorned her small
feet and shapely legs. Golden hair was tied into two matching buns on
top of her head, with the ponytails flowing to her knees.
Darien gulped, striding up to her nervously. At the top of the
steps to the gazebo, he paused and looked at her. She stood still,
ignorant of his existence.
Closing his eyes for a brief moment, he inhaled a sharp breath,
before taking a few more shaky steps toward the girl.
"S…Serenity?" he asked uncertainly.
"Hm?" the girl turned to face him, large blue eyes sparkling
curiously from beneath soft bangs. Darien gasped, a smile tugging at his
lips. On seeing him, the girl turned around completely as well, her pale
pink lips opening slightly. Her gaze traveled down briefly to the white
rose held in his hands, before she met his stare once more.
"Serenity…" Darien whispered astonished.
The girl's grin widened and she took a step toward him. "Please,
Endymion, my name is Serena now."
He smiled as well, a surprised and relieved chuckle escaping from
his lips. "And I'm Darien." A silence filled the air between them as
Darien looked at shy girl. She blushed, looking down at the wooden floor
as her hands began to tie themselves in front of her stomach. After a
moment, Darien whispered, tears beginning to cloud his eyes, "You… you
came back to me."
"I had to," she whispered back, still refraining from looking up
at him. "There's something… I need to hear." Biting her lower lip,
Serena glanced up at him through her long thick eyelashes.
Darien could feel his heartbeat speed up with the tempting looks
she was giving him. He stepped closer to her, lessening the distance
between them enough so that he could reach out and touch her. Or could
he?
"Serena… can… can I touch you?"
She raised her stare up to look him straight in the eyes. "Do you
want to touch me?"
"More than anything."
She only looked at him for a moment, and he thought he could see
something shimmer in the corner of her azure eye. She gulped. "Yes… if…
if you could do something for me… I… I came back because I need to know
if… if you…"
"If I love you?" he whispered, startling her from her train of
thought. Their damp eyes met and she motioned 'yes' with a quick
movement of the head, too frightened to do anything else. Darien smiled
lovingly down on her. With shaky hands, he reached up to trace along her
jaw line. She shuddered at the touch, and he sighed quickly, a tear
falling down his cheek. His lips curling up in a wide, delighted grin,
he looked deep into her eyes.
"I love you," he said. "I've always loved you. And I promise to
tell you that many more times in the future."
A sob of happiness fled from Serena's lips and her tensed body
relaxed as her eyelids drifted close, relishing in the simple words. He
repeated them to her again and again, growing quieter, as well as
closer, until she was stunned at the feel of warm lips pressing against
her own.
Darien wrapped his arms about her waist, pulling her closer to him
as he kissed her with every bit of love and passion he had been holding
for this angel for one thousand and five years. His lips teased her
continuously, even after they had pulled apart, and he refused to let
his hold loosen from around her waist. As they walked happily away in
each other's arms, in between kissing her lips, cheek, and temple,
Darien chattered away,
"Which reminds me, when was the last time I told you I loved you?
Because I love you. Oh! Did I forget to mention that I love you? Hey,
Serena, guess what! I love you!"
Her delighted giggles echoed in his ears and heart for the rest of
both their lives.

There ya go, my first AR. Hope ya liked!
Luv and God bless!
<3 Alicia