Emma63@juno.com

I hope all you fanfic readers out there won't kill me for the delay,
but it's been hectic. Almost lost heart and didn't want to continue,
but someone inspired me to write this *now*, at this moment, so
here I am...hope you enjoy it, and are having a great summer!
(and I am seriously begging for some feedback! Good, bad,
doesn't matter, just be honest! :)

In the Morning, Will I See You?
Part 5

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
No ways are left me now to meet my beloved;
Must I, like the lofty peak of Fuji in Suruga
Burn on forever
With this fire of love?
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

        No one knew how much Serena was hurting inside, she
covered it up so well. And, of course, after the initial "What's
wrong?"s and "Are you okay?"s, neither Ami, Lita, or Mina pried
any further. While Raye was desperately seeking to make amends,
Serena would avert every effort towards trying to restore the shattered
friendship. Darien sent a bouquet of beautiful flowers every day, and
after a week or so of this, Serena's mother began to wonder, and struck
up a touchy conversation with her daughter.
        "Darien's trying to atone for something, eh?" Mrs. Tsukino
teased.
        Serena said nothing, but walked out on her mother.
        "What did I say?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Raye talked her subconscious into remembering any dreams
with Chiru. "Every detail! I want to know who he is in my life!" It
sounded stupid, even to her, but for now it would have to do.
        She wondered, *In the morning, will I see you?*

        "You look stunning," he remarked.
        His appreciative gaze rested on her ballgown, a crimson, velvet
concoction which would no doubt turn many heads that night.
        "Thank you. You look wonderful yourself."
        It was amazing how calm Raye was. The warrior in her had to
be un-fazed at all times, and although Raye never lacked that perfect
composure, even as a princess, she had begun to feel a bit disarmed
around Chiru. She could not fathom why.
        "Shall we go?"
        As he offered Raye his arm, she admitted to herself, *All right,
so I do know why I feel flustered around Chiru at times...it's his damned
smile!*
        Side by side, Raye and Chiru entered the ballroom, drawing the
envious glances of various others. Chiru immediately swept his companion
into a waltz, holding her close. No words were exchanged until the song
ended, but before anything could be said, Serenity called Raye over to
where she and Endymion sat.
        "Raye, that was beautiful! Hello, Chiru. I'm glad to see you
again.
You make a gorgeous couple," Serenity remarked.
        Chiru smiled as Raye's cheeks became tinted with red.
        Endymion rested his arm around the small waist of his love, and
brushed her mouth with his, offering an invitation to dance. Serenity
wholeheartedly accepted, and the couple made their way to the dance
floor.
        "Jealous?" Chiru whispered. Raye detected something else in his
tone, though not quite sure as to what that was.
        "A little," she heard her partner's sharp intake of breath, and
added, "Only because I haven't found the right someone to share my love
with. I'm over him, Chiru. I'll love him forever, but he's played his
part
in my life, and is moving on. Endymion's hers for eternity now...as he
always was."
        Unconsciously Raye rested her head on Chiru's shoulder, and did
not resist when he led her out to the courtyard, and sat her down by one
of the many elegant fountains around the palace.
        He hesitated, only for a second, then plucked a red rose from a
bush
nearby and pledged his love to her in the moonlight.
        "Raye, I've loved you for as long as memory serves me. You have
let me see the world made up of your love, devotion, and passion, a place
I
thought I could never belong. Now that I know no other holds your
admiration, I can freely profess my love for you. And I will not be
pushed
away until you can truthfully tell me that there is no hope for us."
        "Chiru-"
        "I don't want to hear anything now, when you're probably
overwhelmed by different emotions and can fall to making rash decisions.
I just want you to think it over and tell me if you could by chance ever
love me, as I am, as more than just a friend."
        "Chiru, there's something you have to know. Remember a few
moments ago when I confessed that I needed someone to share my love
with? I'm already in love, and have been for a long time, only I
denied myself of the love he and I could have shared."
        His face fell in disappointment.

        "Raye! Raye, don't kill me for not waking you up earlier, but I
just wanted you to know that you're going to miss school if you don't get
up soon!"
        "Wh-at!? Chad! Get out of here! Seriously, don't you have any
respect for my privacy! Get out! OUT!!"
        "Uh, sorry, Raye, I, uh, came, uh,
to-tell-you-that-you'll-be-late-
if-you-don't-get-ready-in-the-next-minute!" He sped through the last half
of the sentence, and ran for his life, hoping to escape Raye's wrath.
        "Great! And I was just getting to the good part-" Raye mumbled
groggily.
        She quickly donned her school uniform, face set in grim
determination to once more try and patch things up with Serena. There
was no time to think now, though, she had to concentrate on making it
to school on time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Lita caught up to Raye after her last class, and the two walked
in silence for a while. Finally, upon arriving in front of Raye's temple,
Lita decided that the secrets had been kept long enough. The other girls
had hesitated when she suggested they find out what was going on
between Raye and Serena, but Lita persisted, and Ami and Mina agreed
that the air needed to be 'cleared.'
        "Raye, I've been meaning to ask you- I mean, Ami, Mina, and I
are just curious- as to why Serena's giving you the cold shoulder all the

time. If it were anyone else asking, it wouldn't be any of their
business,
but we're your friends, and we're in this together. Through thick and
thin," Lita finished.
        For a moment it did not seem as if Raye would reply, she even
started to turn her back, but as she faced her friend, her eyes shone
with
unshed tears, and she sank down onto the stairs.
        "It's been no secret that I like Darien. I mean, we even went out
for a while. But Darien is Serena's, as Serena is Darien's. Fate,
destiny,
all of it has something to do with it, but even without, everyone can
plainly see that there's no one else for them. Well, everyone except
Serena."
        "What do you mean? Serena should know better then anyone,
after everything we've all been through."
        "I can't blame her, it's all my fault, and now Darien has to
suffer, too. This probably makes no sense, but you wanted to know, so
you might as well know it all. Darien and I were working together to
plan Serena's party, and I think Serena started to get suspicious then.
Oh, she brushed the feelings away, convincing herself, especially at
the party, that there was nothing going on with me and Darien. And
there wasn't," Raye said in defense. "Only I had to be an idiot and
confess to Darien how I really felt about him."
        "Darien didn't hurt you in any way-!?"
        "He didn't hurt me, Lita. He loves me, he loves all of us. But
I had to tell him, it didn't feel right to hide my feelings from him
when we see each other so often. And he understood, really
understood. I still love him Lita, I can't lie about that, but I never
meant for Serena to hear. She saw Darien embracing me, and said
some things I know she didn't mean. At least, I thought she didn't
mean them, but it's been a week now, and I'm scared that she
_believes_ what she said."
        "It's okay, she'll come around. I'm glad you told me, you
shouldn't have to deal with this alone."
        "Thanks for listening, but if you don't mind, I need to go talk
to Serena, and try again to make things right."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        "So that's what this whole thing was all about," Ami
murmured after Lita had recounted Raye's explanation.
        "What a complicated love triangle," Mina wistfully commented.
        "Well, you guys, we can't just sit here and do nothing while the
Sailor Scouts fall apart."
        Ami and Mina made eye contact, each thinking the same thing.
        "Lita, Mina and I are with you on that thought, but I sincerely
think that there's nothing we can do to help. For now, let's hope it's
enough that we know what's going on, and can support them."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        She had refused all phone calls carrying the pleas which fell on
deaf ears, the flowers she paid no attention to if she could help it, and

after school Serena came right home. She studied as soon as she got to
her
room, and brought home more than decent grades, occasionally even an "A"
or two. The Tsukinos, however, sensed more than their daughter's change
in
school- her attitude towards life and food particularly shocked them to
no
end. It seemed that Serena Tsukino was no longer Serena Tsukino. She had
become someone else entirely, and even Sammy could not provoke his sister

into a rage. Serena was listless, and nothing sparked her interest,
despite
the great efforts of her family.
        Luna herself was desperately applying all the tricks in the book
to
get something, anything, of the old Serena back.
        "Serena, there's a new video game at the arcade- would you like
to go and check it out?"
        "No thank you, Luna. I have to study," Serena replied without
hesitation.
        "Well, how about we go to the ice cream parlor?"
        "No."
        "The malt shoppe?"
        "No."
        "The comic book store?"
        "Luna, stop. I don't mean to be rude, but I really have to get to
my homework."
        *She's so distant, so unlike the Serena I first met, or ever came
to know. So help me, I have _got_ to find a way to get through to this
girl!*

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        "Great spirits, I call upon you to help me in my time of need. I
do not know where else to turn. By the power of Mars, grant me the
strength and wisdom to set right what I've done wrong!"
        "Mars, understand this: Serena is at a point in her life where
she has to decide for herself. Her gentle ways and the pure love
she has unconditionally given to all have brought her to a crucial
crossroad. It is not you, nor Darien, that causes such pain for Serena
now; it is her own heart, and the innocence it maintains through every
ordeal she has ever encountered. No one must interfere, no one can
sway the conclusion that Serena must ultimately come to.
This part of her life was also a part of mine. She can choose to be
burdened or enlightened, but remember that the choice is hers. You
will soon discover many things which you have longed for Mars, my
precious child. And you also, must stumble along the path of confusion
before finding the truth."
        "Queen Serenity? Wait- please!" Raye cried out in vain, for
Queen Serenity had gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To be continued in Part 6...