Note: The divisors used in this part were borrowed from Microsoft Word.

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is the creation of Naoko Takeuchi

The Ice Cold Princess

Earth Saga: Part 6

By Sailor Nena

            “William Shakespeare once wrote, ‘Sovereign mistress of true melancholy.’ Do you know who he was describing?”  Darien was standing in front of the icy December window.  It was late afternoon, so the sun’s rays bouncing on his face turning his back into a dark silhouette.  He looked helplessly at the moon, which was stealing a bit of the day.  The classroom was large and nearly barren of human life, and even though it was primarily governed by the hard edges of desks and the chairs, the sight of Darien looking out the window bathing in the last bit of sunshine, gave it an aura of warmth and homeliness. 

            “The moon.”  Serena answered him as if he had asked for her name.  He turned in surprise at the sound of her voice to find her hiding in his shadow.  Though she was surrounded by darkness, her smile was soft and her pose delicate.  It was as if she was the full moon on a starless evening.

            “You surprise me; I didn’t think you knew much of western literature.”  He said as he stretched his hand for her to take.  He could not bear to see her in his darkness.

            “I don’t, but I know allot about the moon, specially quotes.”  She said as she accepted his offer.  As soon as she was in front of the window, she quickly searched for the moon; she knew it was full and out, even if the sun was still settling in.  “It is my mother, in a way.”  She sighed.

            “Mother?  Oh, that’s right, you’re a Moon Child. Cancer, right?”

            “Yup.”

            “Let’s put your knowledge to the test.” He said nearly whispering into her hair.

            “A battle of wits?”  She asked.

            “You can say that.”  She laughed at his reply. 

            “You want to have a battle of wits, with me?  Serena?  Meatball Head?”

            “Hey, I’m the only one who is allowed to call you that, and I just want to make sure that I have not lost it.” He said as he pulled one of her pigtails.

            “Moon quotes…that was your first, now me! Umm, ‘let anyone who despises the position of the moon get up and correct it,’ African Proverb.”  She said in a girl-next-door tone that sent chills up and down Darien’s back.  He looked down at the pale beauty by his side, and when her blue sapphire eyes gave him a twinkle of seduction, he said with more feeling than he was willing to admit,

            “ ‘Magnificent desolation.’ Edwin Aldrin.” She cracked a smile as a soft rose-colored blush fell on her cheeks.

            “ ‘The man who has seen the rising moon break out of the clouds at midnight has been present like an archangel at the creation of light and of the world.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson.”  As her voice drowned in the meaning of the words, she transformed herself in his eye into a young and sophisticated woman.  He was impressed in her delivery and in her knowledge and pleased to see he might end up using some brain muscles.

            “ ‘Moonlight is a sculpture.’ Nathaniel Hawthorne.”  His voice remained soft, but with a few brush strokes of competitive determination.  Serena read the shortness of his quote as his treating her like a stupid klutz.  She had worked so hard to get away from that, but even with her more responsible outlook on life, she would end up being late somewhere and tripping.  Anger and retaliation burst in the darkest regions of her stomach, and bathing each word with her newfound energy she said,

            “ ‘The moonlight shines even in the house of the outcast.’ Indian Proverb!”  He did not understand her anger, but it fed his unholy emotions that he had been hiding from himself.

            “ ‘Nothing but a ball of rocks and dirt.’ Paul O’Neil!”  His words cut through her heart like a knife searching for blood:  wherever it stabbed, it would find it.

            “ ‘Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody.’ Mark Twain.”  There was power in her voice.  It was not threatening, nor overwhelming.  Welcoming.  Beaconing.  It was defiant.  Something was stirring in his soul.  Something he did not understand.  Something he needed her to explain.

            “ ‘What is there in thee, Moon! That thou shouldst move my heart so potently?’”  His words made her gasp.  Was he talking to her? Or was it another quote?

            “I’m late…” She started trying to cover up her emotions.  It wasn’t as if she had admitted to herself what was brewing in her heart was love.  It was nothing like that, but she had begun to see past his physical, into his heart.  They had spent many hours studying biology together, but that wasn’t the only thing they had studied.  They had studied each other.  Serena had grown to know this man better than she had first wanted, and now, she was willing to accept that he was more than a tease.

            “Why? You have another tutor?”  He asked teasingly.

            “No, I have a date.”

            “With who?”  He asked surprised and threatened.

            “I think you know him, Home Work?”  She laughed.  He smiled in relief as she left him there in the moonlight.

            “Serena!  Wait, I’ll give you a lift!”  He said as he chased after her.  Now, the room was only inhabited by the silver moon rays that had been smiling on the couple.

            Serena raced up the Temple stairs with her heart still in a knot.  She stumbled into Rei’s room screaming, “REI!  HELP!  It can’t be happening, but it is!  I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!  How could this happen to me?  With HIM?  OUT OF ALL PEOPLE, HIM?”

            “Serena!”  Her friend yelled at her.  “BY THE BLESSED FIRE, WHAT ARE YOU RANTING ABOUT?”  Rei examined her friend as she caught her breath.  Serena’s cheeks were as rosy as a new bud, and her eyes were so brilliant that it seemed as if God had given her sapphires for yes.  “She’s in love.”  Rei thought as she noticed a dazed smile on her friend’s mouth.  Serena was glowing with this new emotion, as Rei worried of who it might be.

            “It all happened so fast that I don’t know where to begin!”

            “How about the beginning?”

            “It is all so conjoluted…”

            “Convoluted.”  Rei corrected.

“Yeah that…I don’t know where the beginning is.”

“How about the last thing you remember that is not convoluted.”

“I was talking with Darien after class…we had finished our tutoring session and we were in one of the classrooms.  Well we got into a competition about moon quotes…”

“How badly did he beat you?”

“Oh, it kinda was a tide…but let me finish!  He drove me here and…and …and I think I like him!”       

“Darien?  Meatball-Head Darien?”

“YES!”

“How!!”  Rei was on her toes grabbing Serena by the shoulders and shaking her.  “He…he is your teacher!  VERY CUTE, BUT HE IS STILL A COLLEGE BOY!!”

“I-I know, and he probably doesn’t see me in that way either but…” Her eyes sadden.  Rei just hugged her.  “I can’t help it Rei.” She sobbed.

“Let’s talk to the fire.  Let’s see what it says.”  Rei offered her friend a weak smile of comfort.

“Well?”  Serena asked Rei after her vision had ended. 

“Serena, you must go to the farthest place you can get yourself this Holliday!  It insisted on that!  Serena, you must leave!”

“Hey gorgeous!”  I turned around to see Bard hovering in mid-air.  We were on the well-lighted trail of the park.  There were trees to either side of us. The ground fell beneath my feet as I remembered who he was.

“Who-who are you, and how the hell are you floating? And what gives you the right to greet me with such familiarity?" I finished with new found annoyance.  My mouth was dry; my heart was pounding a million beats per second, and my eyes were watery with fear.  Why did I have to take that short cut through the park?  Why didn’t I accept Sergio’s offer for a ride home?  Slowly, the memory of Sergio persuading me to drive me home, followed by my rude turn down crept up into my mind.

“Our history, or have you forgotten me, Sailor Nena?” He gave me a wry smile.

“Excuse me?”  I almost choked on my words.  “I-I think you mistook me for someone else.”  I turned to leave, but he kicked her into a tree.  She fell unconscious to the cold ground.  He took her into his arms and disappeared.  They reappeared in a solitary part of the park were a solitary stone structure existed in the mist of savage trees, which looked wilder under the full moon.  He placed her on the ancient stone alter, as his touch made her body shiver in pain.

“What are you doing?”  Astron asked as he appeared floating above her.

“This little beauty is Sailor Nena.  I am going to use her to steal energy from the plants. Did you know, they produce tons more energy than humans, and they can’t fight back?”

“Yes, and I also know that we can’t harvest that energy!”  He answered with his how-can-you-be-so-stupid tone.

“Now, you see, this little girl is the daughter of a tree.”  Bard was annoyed with Astron’s lack of faith and imagination.

“I think you’re wrong!”  Bard gave him a dirty look. “The Sailor Nena you wrote about was shielded by the trees; you were able to beet her with one blow, and” he examined the way her shirt and pants hinted her curves, “she’s too sexy!  You can waste your time!  I won’t”  As quickly as he had appeared, Astron disappeared.

         “While you sleep,” he began as he lowered his head to kiss her.”

“Don’t you dare!” Bard looked up to see Sailor Gemini standing in front of him.  “Get your hands off her!”  His voice was frigid and in control. “NOW!”  Bard’s hesitation made Gemini lose it.

“WHO ARE YOU?”  Bard asked annoyed.

“I am the man who will punish you for trying to steal a kiss!”

“And I,” Sailor Moon jumped from one of the dark branches “am Sailor Moon…”

“Sailor Venus!”

“Sailor Mercury!”

“Sailor Mars!”

“Sailor Jupiter!”  Each girl jumped from their respective branch and stood side by side with their fearless leader.  Bard moved closer to Morena.  Big mistake for he angered Gemini.

“GEMINI TWIN LIGHT ATTACK!”  The twin lights attacked Bard pushing him far from the young lady.

“YOU?” His eyes became bloodshot. “We meet again!” His voice was icy calm.  “I guess we have similar taste.”  He looked around; the odds were against him.  “Another day…her fate shall be decided another day!”  He disappeared.

“Morena, please wake up, love!”  His voice was distant.  I opened my eyes and saw his face blurrily.  “Sweetheart, are you all right?”

“Don’t call me sweetheart again, or I will be forced to kill you!”  I said as I placed my hand on my bump.  “You win.”

“Huh?”

“You can drive me home from school from now on.”

“Good, cuz I am taking you home…right after we visit the ER!” He exclaimed after he saw the dry blood on my head.

“It was nothing.  You should see my ego.”  He laughed softly and kissed my cheek as the others smiled on us.

Serena walked home with an uneasy step.  She was taking her usual shortcut, but since she has missed her bus, she had to walk home through the dead lonely dark streets.  After what had happened to me, she was more alert than usual.  “It could have been any of us!  Thank God we were there!  This definitely means war!”  Sweet Serenity was pissed.  They had dared to go after one of her own; this was unacceptable. 

As she hurried her step, she heard steps behind her; she hurried her own even more.  The steps behind her quickened, so she began to run; the steps quickly followed.  “You want me?”  she thought, “You are going to get me, hot shot!”  Serena prepared to turn and face her stalker as she walked strait into Darien.  Without hesitation she turned to see who was following her, but he had stopped just out of the street lamp’s reach.

“Are you all right?”  Darien asked as he eyed the dark figure.  Call it male intuition, psychic ability, or plain jealousy but Darien was able to recognize him.  “Is he bothering you?”  He asked defensively.

“Just following.”  Serena answered bitterly.  Darien slipped his arm around her to confirm his right to take part in the situation.

“Can I help you Leonardo?”  Darien asked him the way a husband asks his wife’s previous love.  Leonardo jumped at the shock of being recognized.  He thought it was too dark.

“Yeah,” he began as he stepped into the light, “you can leave me and Serenity alone.  This is none of your concern!”  His voice irritated her.

“We have nothing to talk about!”

“But, baby…”

“She said you have nothing to talk about!”  Darien interrupted.  “How dare he call her ‘baby’?  Who does he think he is?  Her man?”  He thought angrily.

“Shut up! This is not your classroom! This is none of your business!”  Leonardo was used to having his way, and this little no good teacher was not about to get the best of things.

“Yes it is!”  Darien contradicted as Serena sot him a surprise look.  Darien had spoken too fast.  “You see, I had promised Serena I’d take her home, and this conversation is preventing that!”

“Besides,”  Serena looked Leonardo strait in the eyes, “He is my friend!”  She never sounded stronger or more  or more independent to either of the two gentlemen.  “So be kind enough to show him some respect!  As for our conversation, let me sum it up:  I’m not interested; get a life, and leave me alone!”  She turned and left with Darien.  Once in his car she began to flirt unconsciously, “Thank you…that’s twice you saved me from him.”

“Don’t mention it, Meatball Head.  Just be careful, he is not use to losing, so he will try to win you back.”  His words were tinged with resentment, anger, sweetness, and relief.  He pulled out of his parking spot and drove off.  “You have to be more careful with the company you keep.  I know you had no way of knowing he was a jerk…”

“But you knew!” She interrupted feeling stupid for falling for the White Knight.

“But that’s different…I am a man…we can sense these things about each other…like you…you told me you didn’t like Linda, but you didn’t have a reason; you just sense that she wasn’t right.”

“What do you mean didn’t?”  Serena asked surprised.  “What do you know?”

“Nothing…I mean…I was just…” She looked him dead in the eye with hers pleading him, something very difficult to do when he is trying to keep his eyes on the road.  “She came on to me after I caught her making out with a guy that wasn’t…”

“That wasn’t Tomas?”  Serena finished surprised.  “Poor Thomas!  When Morena finds out…or does she know?  I guess not, I mean if Linda is still alive.  Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”  Darien pulled into her driveway.  “Thanks for everything.”  She smiled as she stepped out of the car thinking of a way to help Thomas get through things.

    "How are you feeling?" A soft caring voice asked behind me. I turned around as I gasped in surprise; I was positive that I was alone in my room.

    "Sergio! How-how on earth did you manage to get in here?" I asked as I swallowed my heart and made sure my only window was still shut. I knew my parents well enough to know that they would never let a guy into my room, specially when I was in the shower, Tommy being the only exception, of course. He sat up as I eyed him suspiciously. He had been leaning against my pillows until now, and I had not seen him as I stepped out of my bathroom, which has its door on the wall were the head of my bead is against because I walked strait to my bureau while drying my hair with my navy blue towel

"Don’t worry about that. Your parents didn’t see me, but answer me. How are you feeling?" He asked as he looked deeply into my eyes trying to search for the answer himself. I looked away. I did not need this type of attention from him.

    "Fine! How else would I be?" I replied with annoyance.

    "I just wanted to make sure that you were fine because you don’t look fine. Nena, I know this is probably the worst time to talk about this, but…Sweetheart I have noticed that you have been off lately. Your reaction times are getting slower; you do not have the same fire as the beginning; you keep falling asleep in class, and today…"

    "Today!" I interrupted loudly, "was a fluke. Something that will not happen again!"

    "Look, I did not want to bring this up in front of the others," he said standing up, "but it was no fluke! Calling the trees for help is an innate reaction that you did not have! Love, what’s wrong?"

    "Don’t call me Love!" I replied fighting back the tears of anger and desperation. I completely ignored the worry in his voice and the tenderness he asked me with. "There is nothing wrong!" He took a step closer to me and hugged me, for no apparent reason. His arms wrapped around my aching body supporting it, giving it his strength and energy. I could do nothing more than burry my head into his chest and weep. I cried for everything that was wrong with my life. I cried for the stress that being the Sailor Scribe had placed on my weak soul. I cried for my vows because the prevented me from feeling the things I had always dreamed of feeling. I cried for being to weak too go against my vows. I cried for being reborn without knowledge of the past and being allowed to dream for sixteen years, so it would all turn to dust with the end Beryl’s reign and the beginning her descendant’s reign, who ever she or he might be. I cried for Sergio because he was chasing to ghosts: his sister and me. I cried for crying because it is always good to cleanse the soul.

Through my crying, Sergio just held me; he did not try to convince me everything would be all right, or that I should tell him why I was crying. He just held me. When I was done, he whipped my tears with his thumbs and smiled at me, "Do you feel better?" I nodded. He hugged me once again. How I whished I could love him. He deserved that for he was so loving to the world, but if I am to keep my vows I must be cold towards him because I do not trust my feelings. "You haven’t been sleeping, have you?" I shook my head and looked at the home work still waiting for me on my desk. "That is done, but only this time." He added the rest when I shot him a look of gratitude and disdain at the same time. "Tonight you must sleep." He looked at the clock. It was already one thirty-three in the morning.

    "I don’t thing I can…" He shushed me

    "Tonight, I will watch over you." He said as he led me towards my bed. My towel fell to the ground during the trip. As I laid down to sleep he pulled up my chair to the side of my bed.

    "No!" The word escaped my lips before I could stop it. I looked down and then into his eyes. "I need a shoulder to lean on tonight. Just for the night."

    "You have it always." He whispered slowly as he climbed by my side. I used his chest as a pillow, and he used my body as a teddy bear.  That was the first night I did not cry myself to sleep in months.

            It was a sunny December morning, and the sun was shining brightly through the icy windows of the library.  On a round table, in the center of the room, Tommy and Kat sat reviewing some math problems.  “You know, I think I found out your problem.”  He smiled at her.

“What?” she asked surprised.

“Your bangs, they don’t let you see what you are doing.”  He moved closer to move her bangs, but she pulled back.

“I’m letting them grow out.” She said defensively.

“OK, but I still think you should pull them back.”  He responded angrily.

“Thomas,”  I interrupted, “can I please speak with you for a moment?”

“Sure.”  He answered nervously.  “Please excuse me a minute, Kat.”  We stepped outside.  “What’s wrong?”  He asked me as soon as we were outside.

“Look,”  I began semi-hysterical, “I tried to reach you last night, but you were out…I’m sorry, but I can’t stand by and watch you be made a fool of…”

“Morena, for God’s sake, speak!”

“Linda is cheating on you with the captain of the soccer team.” I blurted out on command.

“WHAT? His voice was in surprise, but not in anger.  “You fell for that?  Linda called me and explained yesterday.  She told me that what’s his name kissed her forcefully, and that se thanked Darien with a kiss on the cheek.”  He patted my cheek as if I were a child learning a lesson.

“That is not what happened!  If you don’t believe me, ask Darien!”  I walked away angrily feeling the hurt of his lack of faith; he returned to Kat. 

“Can you believe that?  She worries to much about my relationship with Linda. Now, where were we?”

“She has her reasons.”

“Huh? What do you know?”  She lowered her eyes and began by whispering, not that her usual voice level was much louder than a whisper.

“Desiree always says, check all your sources before making a move, and number eleven.”  He looked at her as his mouth dropped open in surprise.

“You don’t trust her either; but you don’t know her!” he yelled and was subsequently shushed by the librarian.

“No, but I do know sad…”she stopped and took a deep breath.  “I apologize,” her voice was calm and gloomy, “I have no right.”  She took a deep breath.  “We were on number eleven.”  Thomas stood up and walked strait to the gymnasium where he knew he would find Darien. 

        “I NEVER WANT TO SPEAK WITH YOU AGAIN!”

            “Thomas, what’s wrong?” Linda asked surprised.  They were in the football field,  where Linda was in a cheerleader uniform giving cheerleaders a bad name.

“What’s wrong? WHAT’S WRONG? You make out with one guy, try to initiate something with another five seconds latter, and you DARE ask me what IS wrong?”  He was screaming like and indignant fool.

“I explained that!” 

“Yeah, and Darien re-explained it, and why would HE lie?”

“May-be he’s jealous?”

“Of what? Of us? Linda please! Don’t flatter yourself! Like you, there are many, and he would have no problems getting anyone of them, if he ever wanted trash!”

        Full of rage he left her crying in the football field.  He couldn’t stand being so full of rage.  As soon as he stepped into the locker room, he took a deep breath and punched in his locker.  Tears blinded him as he tried to see how badly he had dented his locker.  Someone took his hand and place an icepack  on his knuckles.  He looked at Kat as she took  the scarf that was holding her hair back and used it to tie down the icepack.

            “I know you men don’t cry, but it helps if you tend to it before you feel the pain.”  She smiled as she pushed her bangs back and he was able to see her golden eyes smiling at him for a brief second.

            Holiday shopping fever had the mall in a frenzy, and as the shoppers ravaged storefronts and grabbed anything with the word sale on it, Serena carefully looked through the jewelry department looking for the perfect gift for someone whom she had not seen in a long time.  “Caught in the holiday rushed, Meatball Head?”  she looked up surprised to see Darien smiling at her. 

            “Actually, more like a little change of plans.  I am going away for the holidays to visit someone truly special, and I now need to buy her a present.”  She smiled.  He looked at the passport photograph-size locket made of white gold and diamonds.  At first he thought it was silver, but then he remembered this specific store did NOT deal with anything less than twenty-four karat gold. 

“Going to spend your allowance on this one.”

“And Sammy’s, but it is worth it for.”

“Are you going far?”  He asked cautiously.  He feared her answer.

“As far as I can go from all of this.”

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Hey how did you like this one?  Yes I still want to know.  Yes I know it took me 4 eva to get it done, 

but it doesn't mean you shouldn't email me your comments at sailor_nena1@yahoo.com .