Can I just say something here? I would like to thank everyone who replied to my first story AND everyone who paused in their busy lives to read it. Without you, I would basically have no initiative to FINISH this blasted thing! I mean, I literally got a TON of e-mail about this story! Also, I would like to thank Crystal Heart, who writes so well (she practically inspired ALL of this!), and Kathryn, who wrote of touching love. But, anyway, I'M just as eager as you to see what happens. Basics: I don't own Sailor Moon, and I don't know anyone who DOES. But I'm using these characters because they're so individual compared to the other giant-robots-take-over-the-world scenario we've been seeing for the last few years! Another thing: I don't own the songs that appear in these parts! "Looking Through Your Eyes" is from Quest for Camelot, and THAT'S owned by whomever made the soundtrack. "Reflection" is from Mulan, and is owned by Disney. "At The Beginning" is owned by Twentieth Century. If you've ever seen or heard these soundtracks, you know that I chose these songs because I like their mood! Enough talk! Here, mes amies, is Cinderella, Sailor Moon Style! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cinderella, Sailor Moon Style! -Part Two Serena watched her friends approach the four cornered males, and watched the guys' expressions go from fearful to joyous. Amy actually seemed to be enjoying herself! Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist, and Serena felt herself be pulled behind the dark magenta curtain, to the balcony beyond. Her startled light blue eyes met Darien's dark blue ones, and she felt her stomach flutter. "Are you done with your business, my princess?" he asked softly, smiling secretly. 'God, what was I thinking? I'll NEVER last 'til midnight!' Serena thought. She ducked out of his grip, and out to the balcony railing. "Me thinks thou dost hurry overmuch!" she said, slipping into an Elizabethan tone. That was enough to startle him back into reality. "First you tell me you're no princess, slip off, and now you're using Elizabethan speech with me? What don't you do?" Darien asked, confused. "Well, as far as I know, I don't sing." Serena said. If this was to go as planned, she'd have to keep him guessing. "When we danced in there earlier, you sang," he replied. She almost blanched at her mistake. DUH! She LOVED to sing, and sang as much as possible whenever Darien was around. He'd said that he loved to hear her sing. It lifted his spirits. "But only softly. I didn't want anyone to hear," she said. "Sing for me." "No." Serena turned away from Darien to gaze out at the lawn. "Why not?" He came behind her. "Because I need accompaniment. It's very hard for me to sing without it." There! That should stump him! In reality, Serena loved to sing without help. But Darien lifted her chin, and looked deep into her eyes (AN: that'll get ya every time!) "Sing for me," he whispered. She felt herself give in. "Then, may I sing something that is dear to my heart?" she asked. "Of course, princess," he replied, smiling softly. It warmed her heart to think that, finally, that amazing smile of his was on her. She started to hum to get her pitch, when a voice so sharp as to cut glass pierced the stillness of the balconies. "Darien!" Serena turned to see Beryl, her dark red hair flaming behind her, standing in the doorway, and clutching a champagne flute. "What do you think you're DOING?" she screeched. Under her veil, Serena blanched from being startled. Subtly, Darien shifted so that he was covering Serena, while answering. "What concern is it of yours, Beryl?" He glared at her behind his dark mask. "I am your BETROTHED!" she yelled. "It is ALL of my concern!" Suddenly, Serena knew what was happening, without one doubt. Beryl KNEW who she was! Somehow, she KNEW! And she was trying to separate them! Serena's temper, pleasant when held in check, surged out from under the taunt leash she kept it on, and caused her to move out from behind Darien. "Leave, Darkness. Leave, and let the Light have its time," she said. (Okay, so I'm no poet! SUE ME!) "Who are you to tell me what to do?" Beryl screeched. "She may not seem like anybody, but I AM!" Suddenly, Lita catapulted out of the dark, and slammed into the red-haired demon. Beryl fell, her glass cracking in her grip. Lita landed in a roll, glancing at Serena and Darien. "We HAVE to leave!" she said to Serena. (And just in case you're confused, I made Lita and Mina switch places.) "I know, friend." Serena said, slowly. "Go tell the others." While Lita hurried off, she turned to Darien. "Take this." She removed the knife from her waistband. "Wha-?" "I don't have time to explain, but I feel like Cinderella, running out of the ball without a trace." "Cinderella left at midnight, my princess, and left a glass slipper." "I CAN'T spare a slipper, and I CAN'T stay until midnight!" Serena said. She smiled wickedly. "Maybe, something else in lieu of a slipper?" She drew him off to one side, covered his eyes with one hand, and removed her veil. She passed her lips over his quickly, and pulled away. "What was that?" But she was gone, with only the drapes' movement testimony of her passing. Beryl, as he'd figured, was still on the ground, her hand bleeding from the cut glass. Quickly, Darien moved to the ballroom, where he saw a lithe, white figure, accompanied by four colored ones, moving up the stairway, her white cloak moving behind her. "LADY!" he cried, catching her attention. Serena turned around at the sound of his voice, and Amy caught her arm. "If we don't leave now, we won't leave until midnight," she said. "I know, Ames. Just give me a minute, okay?" her friend replied, moving back down the stairs, unconsciously doing it with a gracefulness born into her. Darien ran to the stairs, meeting her at the bottom. "Please, don't leave, my princess," he whispered. "I must. Remember me, my prince?" she asked. Quietly, she removed her mask, causing all of her friends to start, and gave it to Darien. "For showing me the best time of my life," she said, before moving back up the stairs to join her friends. "Next time, you'll get the veil." She smiled, and he could feel it in his heart. "Wait!" Serena winced at the sound of a voice she was all too familiar with. Darien's mother, Annabelle, glared at her from the dais, where she and Darien's father, Alain, where dressed as royalty. "You WILL NOT leave yet!" she commanded. "We must, Madame." Raye said. "How? The doors are LOCKED!" the woman returned triumphantly. She held up a skeleton key. Smiling underneath her veil, Amy motioned with her hand, and the doors opened, thanks to several considerate waiters she'd tipped off. Gasps ran the length of the room as they departed. Silently, Serena dressed for bed. Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina had all left several hours ago, after stashing their costumes in her closet and saying that it was the best Halloween they'd had in a long time. They also had, of course, berated her for giving her mask to Darien, who was due home in an hour. He would sail past her room, possibly not even caring about what she'd 'supposedly' done that night, only caring about a tender, soft figure in pure white who'd left him her mask, and a promise of a veil the next time they met. Her hair had been returned to its normal odangos and streaming ponytails, and her nightshirt still read "ATTITUDE." But she hadn't been able to gain her goal. She'd caught his heart for someone else, someone who didn't exist. As she settled in for the night, her thoughts drifted back to Seattle, and the slums/middle-class area she'd grown up in. So rough-and-tumble, where she first learned to fight. Her father, Thomas Shields, had always been there for his daughter, just as she was always there for him. From birth to the tragic death of her mother at another's hands, they'd been there to comfort each other. And it had only been lately that the cancer that ravaged him had taken a turn for the worst. Suddenly, her phone rang, and Serena shot up, flipping on the bedside light. The only person who had her phone number (besides her friends) was her dad. Terror clutched her heart. 'Please, please, let it not be Dad,' she thought desperately. Over the three years that she'd been at college, each time she went home, she noticed her father steadily getting worse and worse. The cancer was eating his internal organs, leaving him to die a deliberate, slow, painful death. But he'd say he was getting better, feeling better everyday. "Hello?" Serena asked, picking up the phone before her machine could click on. The voice of a trusted next-door neighbor, Mrs. MacDonald, came over the line. "Rena, is that you? You sound so grown up!" the woman gushed. Serena smiled. Even if Dad were in danger, she would break the news gently. "Hi, Mrs. MacDonald. How's Dad?" she asked. "That's why I'm calling you, dearie. Seems your dad was out with the boys, and started coughing up blood. They rushed him to the hospital." Her breath stopped. 'NO! Not Dad! Not this soon! It wasn't supposed to be THIS SOON!' she thought. "What hospital is he at?" she demanded. "Deer Field County. Closest place." Good. At least at County they could make him comfortable until she got there. "Alright. Mrs. MacDonald, I need you to call County, and tell them you've contacted me. They'll need to know if Dad goes critical. I'm coming to Seattle right away." Serena said. The woman on the other end of the line sounded calm, but Serena was close to hysterical. Tears were running, unchecked, down her cheeks. "But you can't leave college right now, Rena! They'll take away your scholarships!" she said. "I'll tell them Dad's gone critical, and I have to make an emergency trip. They'll let it slid until December." 'I hope.' "But how'll you get airfare? From what your dad told me, you're barely scrapping by!" Mrs. MacDonald exclaimed. Serena heard Darien come in, and said, "Don't worry about that. I've got it all arranged." Darien was almost to his bedroom when Serena's door flew open, and she hurtled at him, her light blue eyes clouded by tears. "DARIEN!" she yelled. She would've slammed both of them into the wall if he hadn't been braced for her. "RENA! What's wrong?" he asked, tired, emotionally and physically. He barely listened to her reply. He was tired from the excitement of the night. "I have to borrow three hundred dollars, Dar. It's an emergency," she replied. "Borrow THREE HUNDRED dollars? Are you insane? And if this goes for rent, I'll kill you," he said, now wide-awake. "I swear to you, on my mother's grave, that it isn't for rent. My father's neighbor in Seattle called. My father's cancer has taken a turn for the worst." Serena said. "You never told me that your dad has cancer." Darien said. "Yeah, well, it's not exactly the conversation starter, okay? She said he was coughing up blood. That means that his lungs are starting to go." Darien looked into Serena's eyes, and saw sheer fear there. Fear for her father, mostly, but also fear for herself. And this was in a girl who only had MILD cases of hysteria each time she went in to take a final. "Okay. I'll lend you the money. But I want you to come back, okay?" he said. Serena looked at him thankfully. "If you don't, Mom and Dad'll find someone THEY think is good for me to room with." She smiled. The next few days were filled with hectic packing, unpacking, tears, and Kleenex. Serena had called UCO, they knew she wouldn't be in for a while. Amy had come with some medical books about cancer, saying, " You need to know everything about an enemy before you can defeat them." Raye had come with a prayer book and a small silver cross, saying, "Spiritual help is sometimes all you can ask for." Mina had come with dance music, hoping that it would lighten Serena's dreary mood. Lita had been there with cookies and small tidbits to munch on during the three-hour flight. But the beam that held Serena together during those few days was Darien. He was there when each of her friends said that she couldn't be at the airport because of classes (Serena had understood, but still been sad that her friends couldn't see her off), and when she'd almost flung everything she owned into her suitcases out of sheer desperation to be there before her father died. He'd sat with her on her bed when she cried so hard that she couldn't breath, and been the shoulder she'd cried on for three hours straight. He was also the only there to see her off at the airport, giving her one last hug before she'd pulled her long trenchcoat around her and made for the plane. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" she'd asked. "And spend all of those hours in a smelly waiting room? No, thanks, Rena. You're going to have to go through this one by yourself," he'd replied. "Okay. Well, thanks for the airfare, Darien. I'll make it up to you somehow." "That's not necessary." "Yes, it is. You've really been there for me these last days, and I'm glad for that." Serena looked out the windows, and sighed in relief. Seattle. She was finally home again after being stranded in California (with its sunny weather, great locals, and, of course, Darien) for three years. The plane began going down, and she felt her ears pop. As Serena got off the plane, she spotted Mrs. MacDonald. The large, motherly looking, white woman waved enthusiastically at her, and shoved her way through the crowd to reach her. "I'm glad you're finally here, Rena. Your dad's doin' a little better, but not much. He wants to see you," she said, grabbing her carry-on. "That's good." Serena said, trying to keep herself from bursting into tears at the thought of her dad in a hospital, surrounded by strangers. "Do you have any other luggage?" the woman asked. "Yeah," she replied. As they moved through the crowd, she said, "Mrs. MacDonald, I have to tell you something." This halted the large woman in her devastating path to the luggage turnstile. "I packed everything I own into those two bags. I'm coming home." "But you can't! What about the college education you dreamed about? Receiving that diploma for your bachelor's in writing?" Mrs. MacDonald protested. "I'll be home as long as Dad needs me. If that takes longer than two months, then I'll just live here in Seattle." Serena replied. "What about the college? Did they say anything?" "They said that if I didn't come back in two months, not to come back at all. My scholarships will be revoked. Darien will have to find another roommate." Serena glanced at the walking tower of maternal strength, and sighed. "Do you think Dad'll pull through this?" "Nope. The doctors say that he's only got a short while to live. But they haven't told him that. They want YOU to break the news to him." "Oh that's just GREAT!" she muttered sarcastically. Thirty minutes later, Serena sat by her father's bedside, hearing the beeps and hums of the life-support machines. She held his hand tightly in her own, wanting him to wake up and see her there. As if by sheer force, his brown eyes fluttered open. "Serena," he whispered. "I'm here, Dad. I'm here," she said softly. "Sing for me, Serena. Sing our song, one last time," he whispered, squeezing her hand. Hesitantly, Serena started to sing: Look at me. I will never pass for a perfect bride, or a perfect daughter. Can it be I'm not meant to play this part? Now I see that if I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart. Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me? Why is my reflection someone I don't know? Somehow, I cannot hide who I am, thought I've tried. When will my reflection show who I am inside? When will my reflection show who I am inside? She noticed that her father was still, and that his heart monitor was the only sound in the room. November, a month later: "Hi, Amy!" Amy turned quickly, and saw Darien running towards her, his medical textbooks clutched in one hand, and the other one waving. His large black overcoat was flapping open. "Hi, Darien." The blue-haired girl was somewhat sad, and her expression caused him to slow down. "What's wrong, Ames?" he asked, using Serena's favorite nickname for her. "It's Serena. She called me last night. Her dad's taken a turn for the worse, the cancer is eating him alive, and they're running tests on her to see if she has the same possibility for cancer." Amy replied. "But, it's almost December! If our books are right, those tests could take several weeks! She'll be kicked out of school!" Darien exclaimed. "Serena always knew that this might happen. She's mentally ready, but not emotionally." Amy said. In Seattle, Serena shifted uncomfortably under the thin hospital gown. It wasn't much fun, having your blood drawn out and having people look at you as if you were a freak of nature. Besides, the beds weren't nearly as comfortable as they looked! "Good morning, Ms. Shields." Her father's doctor, Dr. Robert Diadom, walked in. "Hi, doc. Any good news?" Serena asked, shifting again. "A little. From all the tests we've run so far, we think that you're not going to develop the cancer. You weren't exposed to extreme amounts of sulfur during your life, so the possibility of you actually having it are slim." He replied, smiling at the young blond with the meatballs. For only twenty, she showed remarkable stamina. Her father was dying just three rooms down, her world had been ripped apart by the discovery of the cancer, and still she showed up every day, talking to her father as if he could hear her in his coma. "Cool. So, I guess that means I can go back to school." She said, reaching for the needle in her arm. "Here, let me take that out. You might hurt yourself." Slowly, he pulled the needle out, and was shocked to see the small puncture mark close without a trace. Serena looked at him curiously, then at her arm. She quickly covered the spot up, and tried to maneuver the doctor out the door. "I have to get dressed, Doctor. If you'll just step out of the room..." she said. "Wait! Serena, would you have dinner with me tonight?" he asked, smiling at her. "Yeah, okay, sure, if you'll just LEAVE!" she said, exasperated. Darien sat in front of the TV, watching a hidden camera of the ball. His parents, being relatively paranoid, had them installed all through the house. He was trying to find out the identity of his masked and veiled love. 'Love? Is that what she is?' He shook his head. 'It has to be right. I've never felt so at home with anyone else, except Serena.' But something about this girl rang a bell. A very familiar bell. One that normally screeched when awoken too early. With Serena gone for a while, her room had been closed up. Darien walked in, and the room had a faint, musty odor to it. The bright bed covers had been stripped, and the posters taken off the walls ("Because I'll be back soon. And I don't want anything to be spoiled," she'd said), and the desk bare. Only her closet retained something of her. A few large clothes, several oblong white boxes, and a brown-bagged object. 'What could this be?' he thought, taking out the object. He tore off the paper to find himself looking at yet another layer of paper. It took him several minutes to get through the layers (seventeen in all), and another few minutes to recognize what he was looking at. A trophy. And not just any trophy. On the bottom was written, "Grand Champion, black belt. Tae Kwon Do. Serena Shields." "She never told me," he said softly. "She never wanted to HAVE to tell you," a familiar voice said from the doorway. Darien turned to see Raye standing there. "Raye? I didn't hear you come in," he said. She held up a key. "Rena gave this to me, just in case you got curious about her past," she said. Looking at the paper and the trophy, she said, "Looks like I got here too late." "Why didn't she tell me about THIS?" Darien asked, holding up the trophy. "Because she was ashamed of herself. She accidentally killed someone almost right after winning that. She was acquitted, but Serena still carries the guilt. Every time something happens that she knows she can avert, she freezes. She was so skilled in fighting that she took fencing instead of continuing with martial arts. " Raye said. Before she could stop him, Darien griped the oblong boxes, and yanked them out, causing the one on top to spill its contents. A delicate white costume fell out. "Wha-?" "I guess you found her other secret." Darien held up the jacket. Then, it hit him like ton of bricks (I don't mean to be violently inclined here or anything, but just picture good ol' Dar getting hit with a ton of bricks!). "That girl-a month ago-that was-," he stuttered. "Yep. Serena." Raye sat down on the bare bed. "See, Darien, Serena loves you. She always has, and, I think, always will. To her, you're gentle, kind, and considerate. It doesn't matter to her what anyone else thinks, because the only opinion that matters is yours." "I-I never knew..." he whispered. "She never told you because she didn't want to lose you. That's how much she values you." With that, Raye stood. "And you'd have to be a fool to not see that." She walked out, leaving Darien stunned and thoughtful. And a plan started to form in his mind. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death..." Serena held back the tears that threatened to spill over her eyes. She clutched the white rose in her black-gloved hand. "Dad," she whispered. Thomas Shields, age 53, was dead. His death was mourned by only a few, among them his own daughter. The cancer had finally gotten to his heart. And, with his last breath, he had said to Serena, "LIVE, my child, and live WELL." Now, he was buried right next to her mother. "Don't cry, dear." Mrs. MacDonald said, patting her shoulder. "I just can't believe he's not here. I'm all alone now." she replied. At the small, somewhat run down house that she'd lived in her whole life, Serena stood up mightily under all the pressure of hosting a funeral party. But, later, when even Mrs. MacDonald had gone home, she climbed into her own bed, and wept painful tears. "How could you leave me, Dad? How?" she asked a silent house. "I'm so alone now!" She wept onto the small, pink pillow that had so often caught her tears, and didn't hear the door open, or the footsteps come down the short hall to her room. "I doubt that even Darien will want to speak to me now! I've done so much to him!" "I wouldn't be so sure about that," a soothing, familiar voice said. A strong hand gripped her shoulders, and brought a stunned Serena around to see a pair of deep, warm, blue eyes watching her. "D-Darien?" she asked, amazed. "I'm here, Rena," he replied. "How did you find my house?" "Raye gave me directions. I flew all the way up here to see a very small, very scared child. I found a bright, beautiful woman, who glows with light-and love," he said. "Raye?" "She told me everything, Serena. About the trophy," here, she ducked her head away, "and about the ball. I KNEW there was something familiar about that girl. Now I know why. But I have to ask you something." Darien lifted her head up. "Why didn't you tell me?" His handsome face was questioning. "Because, I didn't think you could love a little nobody like me. I'm from the slums, Darien, and not many people actually get to college. You were what I'd wished upon every star in the heavens for: kind, caring, silly when you needed to be, and serious when you needed to be. So handsome and brave." Serena replied. Darien smiled shyly. "But what was I to you? You never told me what you thought of me, except, occasionally, that I was pretty and sweet." "But you ARE, and so much more," he said. "I think you're lying," she replied. "You don't REALLY think I'm beautiful, do you?" "I think that outer appearance doesn't matter. When that girl-you-appeared at the ball, all I could think of was how FURIOUS Mother would be! Then, I saw how gracefully you moved, and how you acted as if the whole world belonged to you, and you alone. As if none of the conceited people that that room were even there. You made everyone, including me, stop and stare." Darien said. "I still think you're lying." He smiled gently. "I'm not. You made Beryl jealous, and your friends made my friends fall head over heels in love! But that's nothing compared to what you did to me!" Serena shifted uneasily. "From the first moment I saw you, standing on my doorstep, drenched from the rain, holding books and a broken umbrella, you captivated me. From your silly meatballs," He gently tugged at the buns, "to your worn-out but still working shoes." Darien stopped, and took a deep breath. "Serena, my Rena, I have to say something, and it won't be easy." "Did you know that my mother used to sing to me, before she died?" Serena suddenly asked, jumping off the bed and going to stand next to the window. "No." "She did. Always so pretty, so soft so that I would go to sleep," she said. Darien got up off the bed, and stood behind her. "What were you going to sing for me on the balcony?" he asked softly, close to her ear. Serena stiffened. "A-a song my mother sang to me. It was about seeing who you really are," she replied. "Sing it for me." "I can't. Not here, not now." "Why not?" Darien's usually soft blue eyes became hard. "Because I never sang that song in this house. And I never will. My father forbade me to sing it in here. Except once, when he lay dying." Serena turned, and looked up at Darien. "I just can't." "All right," he said, gripping her shoulders. Something in his eyes made Serena feel slightly uneasy. "I have to show you what I mean." Without warning, Darien's mouth descended on hers, and Serena found herself, just like in all of her dreams, being kissed-gently!-by her prince. She closed her eyes, and savored the sensation. But it was Darien who broke the kiss off. "I love you, Serena. As much for the child within as the woman without. For your purity, and your strength," he said. "I-I-I," Serena stuttered. Shock was all she felt for a moment. Then it hit her. Darien LOVED her! HER! Little Serena, the girl with meatballs! Another idea hit her. Did he feel guilty about the kiss? HIM, Darien Cannier, kissing HER, Serena Shields? He must have. "Darien, please, leave," she said softly, summoning up what little strength she had left. "But, Rena-," "Leave, Prince Darien Cannier, before you realize what a mistake you made," she said, pointing out the door. As he exited, she said, "Rent out my room, Darien. I'm coming back, but not to you." With that, he walked out of her life for a while, and she wept for a long time. Ding-dong. Lita leapt up from her position in front of the TV, and raced for the door, reaching it before her mother. She opened it to see Serena, dressed in clothes for farther north, standing on her doorstep. "Serena?" she asked softly. The figure nodded. "My God, Serena!" Lita launched herself at the bundle, nearly toppling both of them into the thin layer of snow. "Slow down, Lita! Let me breathe!" Serena said. Lita sat up. "Thank you. Now, Lita, I need you to call Amy, Raye, and Mina, and tell them to get over here fast. I need to talk to all of you." Ten months later Again, the scene is set for Halloween. Darien drew his costume out of the closet he kept it in at his parent's mansion, and drearily put it on. The black and silver armor, black tunic, black breeches, black boots, silver and black mask, black gloves, and a black cape. The same thing he'd worn almost a year ago, when he'd attended that momentous ball. 'How did I EVER let Mother talk me into this?' he thought, putting the mask over his black hair. Again, across town, Serena dons a costume that she'd thought, once, would make her every dream come true. Now, it was to earn back the one thing she'd lost, and loved, the most, and fight the one demon she couldn't escape WITHOUT a perilous fight. "Ready, Princess?" Raye asked, smiling beneath her red veil. "As ready as I'll ever be." Serena replied. She only used the veil, since she' given her mask to Darien. She looked at her treasured circle of friends, and smiled. "What did I do to deserve you guys?" she asked. "You got lucky?" Lita said, her brown eyes twinkling above the green veil. "You were desperate?" Mina said, her blue eyes, almost Serena's color, laughing. "You were just plain silly?" Amy said, her own, darker blue eyes mirroring Raye's. "Maybe all of the above." She drew her cloak around her. "But let's not waste time. Let's get this show on the road!" The other girls followed her example, and drew their own cloaks around them. But, this time, things were different. Instead of slippers with smooth bottoms, all the girls wore small boots colored the same as their costumes. The boots had bottoms that wouldn't slide on smooth floors. And under the cloaks were swords sharpened to a razor's edge. They were sabers, and each girl had spent the past ten months learning how to wield them rather deftly. Serena's shirt was a cropped top, and covered by a thin jacket that came to her waist, so that it wouldn't get caught in her way. The other girls' were the same. Now, they were prepared for the battle ahead. Darien glanced around the ballroom. It had filled up rather quickly, he noticed. But, it seemed that Beryl was having a field day, apparently trying to make him jealous. She flirted with every guy there, including his friends, and every MARRIED man. Then, as almost a year before, everyone halted in mid-everything, and turned to look at the stairs. Even Beryl stopped, and her chin nearly hit the floor. As almost a year before, Amy, Raye, Lita, and Mina were paused on the steps, their cloaks draped around them. But this time, they flanked a figure in white, going down before her. And Darien knew. Slowly, gracefully, Serena entered the ballroom, clutching her locket, and praying for the courage to continue what she had started. She paused on the stairs, flanked by her friends, and two butlers took her cloak. Other butlers mimicked their actions, and the sabers were revealed, their edges gleaming. Hesitantly, Serena reached up, and unhooked the veil. "Don't!" she heard Darien cry from across the ballroom. "Go ahead, Serena." Raye said softly. As Serena unhooked her veil, her friends unhooked theirs, and the gasp traveled through the room. The white veil dropped to the ground, and was joined by four red, green, blue, and orange veils. "My name is Serena Shields, and I am here to challenge Beryl Simmons for love's honor." She said, her voice not wavering. "I am Amy Philippian. I come to defend my friend!" Amy said bravely. "I am Raye McGregor! I come to defend my friend!" Raye said, standing next to Amy. "I am Lita Sinclair! I come to defend my friend!" Lita said, taking her place next to Raye and Amy. "And I am Mina Morgus! I come to defend my friend!" Mina said, standing with her friends. "It can't be. I got rid of you!" Darien heard Beryl scream. Serena and her friends didn't budge from their stance. "I thought so!" Darien's mother exclaimed. Darien saw her glide across the room, resplendently dressed as Cleopatra. Serena's face paled slightly, but she didn't bend. "Only YOU, Shields, would ever dream up such a thing! Crashing my ball! Just like a poor brat!" "When a gathering is simply a gathering, and not full of happiness, it is no ball!" Raye shot back. Ken tried to come forward, but she waved him off. "Serena is no brat!" Amy said. Darien's mother, Annabelle, shoved past the four girls, and reached Serena, who stood proudly. "You are a bastard child, and I will have none of that!" she said, shaking her pointer finger at the girl in white. "Then what will you have, MADAME?" Serena asked, her eyes narrowing as her voice dripped sarcasm. This made Annabelle pause. "Serena, what are you doing here?" Beryl asked. She shoved her way through the crowd, and up the steps. "I came here for a final confrontation, Beryl. But not with this woman." Serena replied. She slipped past Annabelle, who was still silent, and faced her enemy. "I came for YOU." "You can't beat me! You are nothing but an out-of-practice has been!" Beryl said, but Serena noticed that the hand holding her champagne flute was shaking. "I don't want to hurt you, Beryl. I just want to be rid of you." Serena replied. "I-I," Beryl couldn't speak. This gave Darien a chance to talk to Serena. He slipped up next to her. "Serena, what are you doing here?" he demanded. "Putting to rest some phantoms, Darien. Yours, mine, and HERS." Serena looked at Beryl, who had downed her glass of wine, and seemed sturdier. "Remember the last time we fought, imp?" she asked, slurring her words, revealing that she had already had several glasses of wine. "I remember it." Amy said. "Serena barely escaped with her life. Be glad that she didn't end yours there, Beryl." She met Jedite's eyes, and they were compassionate. "Enough of this chit-chat!" Beryl cried. Her red hair, loose from its braid, flamed around her head. Her eyes flamed with anger, and she turned on Serena, leaping on her, crying, "I WILL END THIS NOW!" Serena quickly dodged, and drew her saber, holding it ready. "Help me, Father," she whispered before Beryl attacked her again, this time using a gilt-edged chair. Spinning, Serena lodged a spinning hook in her stomach, and that got her off. "Serena!" she heard Darien yell before Annabelle got to him, covering his mouth with her hand. "If I never see you again, know that I love you, Darien," she said in his direction. Suddenly, Beryl was on her, and knocked her saber out of her hands. It skittered across the floor, and disappeared under a table. "Let's see how you do without a weapon, brat!" Beryl said. She kicked Serena, and she felt all the air empty out of her lungs. She lay on the floor, gasping for breath, as Beryl attacked her with her fists, nails, and anything she could find. All Serena could do was fold up, and pray for intervention. "We can't let her keep doing this!" Lita said, ramming one fist into the other. "Serena told us that this was her fight, and not to interfere!" Raye said. "Beryl will kill her!" Mina said. "This was her decision, and we have to support her in that." Amy said quietly. When Mina wasn't looking, Raye slipped her small knife out, and hide it in her jacket. Then, a scream, not one of pain, but of alarm, echoed to them. They pushed through the crowd, and saw Serena standing there, holding Beryl by her long hair. The other woman was bleeding from her mouth. Apparently, Serena had managed to hit the banshee with all she had. "By God, let me go!" Beryl cried, trying to swing at the white-clad girl. Serena simply held her out, and kicked her in the rear before releasing her. Beryl held a hand to her mouth, and spat out blood. "Just like your mother. Feisty, but you, too, will die," she said, standing. Shock covered Serena's face. "What?" "Your mother was an obstacle to be overcome, I did that. All I need now is to be done with you, and it will be mine." Beryl said, further mystifying the girls. "What in hell's garters are you talking about?" Raye demanded. "Didn't you know?" The purple-clad woman scanned their faces. "Serena and I are sisters. Imperial sisters, to be exact!" "Imperial?" Everyone looked at Serena. She hid her face, trying to remember. Then, it all fit! Her stature, her skillful diplomacy when dealing with friends, her way of speaking so that all could hear her! "Imperial princesses? But, who fathered you?" Mina asked, her blue eyes questioning. "Different mothers. I am the older of us. But HER mother was a lowly servant, whereas MINE was royalty." Beryl said. Serena looked up, knowledge dawning on her face. "You're lying, Beryl," she said. She spoke with calm truth. "How DARE you accuse me of-," "You ARE lying, because the empire our father made for us was split. We are no longer Imperial. We are simply old royalty. We were betrayed by a family member." Here, Serena's pale, blue eyes hardened. "You betrayed us to an enemy in our greatest hour of need. Betrayed us for covetousness. For power-hunger. For the throne, which was rightfully mine, since it was my mother that was royalty, not yours. Even though you were older, I was the rightful heir," she said. "H-how can you recall all that?" Beryl demanded, fear now running through her soul. "Because I was blessed with a long memory, SISTER. I remember many things. Our father, who now resides under the ground, MY mother, who died earlier, and my love for someone very-dear-to me." Serena replied. "An IMPERIAL princess?" Annabelle shrieked. "A TRUE princess, just as I always thought you to be." Darien said. "That THRONE was MINE!" Beryl yelled. Serena stood her ground, her knees bent, ready for a battle. "I gave my soul for that throne!" She launched herself at Serena. Somehow, they had come back to the stairs. Beryl pinned Serena under her, crushing her spine into the marble stairs. "Let GO of me!" Serena said hoarsely. "Not until you give me the crown!" Beryl replied, pressing harder. "It was never mine to give!" With that, Serena felt Beryl grab her hair, and braced for the blow she knew was coming. Instead, she heard Beryl gasp, and opened her eyes to see her sister (surprised, huh? Yeah, me too!) holding her side. She glanced to her right, and saw Raye recovering from being tackled by Lita. Her two other friends were just coming down. "Fight for your life, Rena!" Raye cried. Serena looked down, and saw a small knife (Mina's knife, she realized) sticking out of Beryl's side. She shoved the woman off, and crawled up the stairs, to where she could stand, and look down. "Beryl may be my sister," she confessed. Darien gasped, "but she is NOT like me. She wants THIS," With a wave of her hand, a small, silver crown appeared, "but it is NOT mine to give. So, neither of us shall have it." In one swift, solid motion, Serena snapped the delicate crown in half, then dropped the pieces on the floor. They clinked briefly. She extended her hand to Beryl. "Peace, sister?" Beryl gripped her hand. Snarling, she pulled Serena down, and sent her tumbling down the stairs. Serena, anticipating the motion, flipped herself over, and landed on her feet. Beryl turned, and lurched down towards her, the small knife now pulled out and held threateningly. "A weapon!" she cried. Amy unsheathed her saber, and slid it to Serena. As Beryl was about to stab her heart, Serena made one last lunge, her eyes closed. A reporter outside the Cannier mansion. Police cars filled the background, their lights flashing. "We're reporting live from the infamous Cannier mansion, where a Halloween ball has turned to accidental murder. Police have released the name of the victim. Her name was Beryl Simmons, and she was accidentally fatally stabbed with a sword one of the guests was carrying. The suspect has not been questioned by the police, thanks to a good word from "Prince" Darien Cannier, son of industrial "King" Alain Cannier." A figure cloaked in white appeared at the mansion doors, and was swamped with cameras and reporters. Amy, Raye, Mina, Lita, and Darien escorted her. Darien held her close against the throng of media that he was, ironically, used to. After all, his father WAS a multi-millionaire. "Darien, I love you." Serena whispered into his chest, still covered in armor. "And I love you, my princess Serena Shields. The one girl who was able to capture my heart." Darien replied. He turned her face up, and kissed her passionately. Serena returned the kiss of passion, which was accompanied by giggles from her friends. "Sing for me, Rena." He said softly. Serena hummed, then let her bright soprano ring out. S: We were strangers Starting out on a journey. Never dreaming what we'd have to through. Now here we are And I'm suddenly standing At the beginning with you. Darien joined, his clear tenor sending thrill through Serena's heart. D: No one told me I was going to find you Unexpected What you did to my heart. When I lost hope You were there to remind me This is the start S & D: Life is a road And I want to keep going. Love is a river I wanna keep flowing. Life is the road Now and forever Wonderful journey I'll be there When the world stops turning. I'll be there When the storm is through In the end I wanna be standing At the beginning with you S: We were strangers On a crazy adventure. D: Never dreaming How our dreams would come true. S & D: Now here we stand Unafraid of the future At the beginning with you. And life is a road And I wanna keep going. Love is a river I wanna keep flowing Life is the road, Now and forever Wonderful journey I knew there was somebody somewhere Like me alone in the dark Now I know that my dream will live on I I've been waiting so long. Nothing's gonna tear us apart. Life is a road And I wanna keep going. Love is a river I wanna keep flowing Life is the road Now and forever Wonderful journey. Life is road and I wanna keep going Love is a river I wanna keep going on S: Starting out on a journey S & D: Life is a road and I wanna keep going Love is a river I wanna keep flowing In the end I wanna be standing At the beginning with you. With that, the true loves kissed, kissed as if they'd never felt this way before, and, when you really think about it, they hadn't. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How was that, guys? So it wasn't some big finale where Darien saves her! So sue me! Wait, don't do that! I'm not worth much anyway! Besides, I happen to like strong women characters!^_^! I KNOW, I KNOW, I told everyone that it would take about two weeks for me to get this last part out, but it didn't take as long as I'd thought. That's all folks. Now, if you're asking yourself, "WHAT THE HECK IS A SPINNING HOOK KICK?" I have news for you. I'm currently involved in martial arts (hence, Tae Kwon Do), and I hold a blue belt ranking. Keep in mind, I only included it because it, and the singing, make up a large part of my life! Anyways, that's it! Flames or praises, send to elven17@hotmail.com.