Ice Princess - Chapter 5
by Athena
nikita@sgi.net

Hi all!!  Well as requested, here is chapter 5....ENJOY!!! I just want to
give a big thanks to everyone that has written me, espcially on this particular
story.  Otherwise, it would still be sitting in my "To Do" box.  No it's
not finished yet, but I'll get it there, I promise.

A special hello to my girl Alicia, who's slaving away over her finals.  GOOD
LUCK, GIRL!!!!!

As always, Sailor Moon is not mine, so all disclaimers apply here.

Thanks again for all your support and please keep it coming.

Love and Peace

Athena

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Two days later, Serena walked down the hospital corridor to the room in 
which Darien had been moved. Ami had insisted on keeping Darien for 
observation since no one could explain his miraculous recovery. Serena 
slowed as she apprached the door and could hear voices of the other Scouts
and Guards inside the room. She stopped just short of the door entrance
and stared down at the red roses in her arms. She knew that once she entered
that door that her life would be forever changed. She had managed to put
off the Scouts and Guards questions for two days with the excuse that they
wait for Darien because she didn't want to explain everything twice. But
now, Luna had told her to meet them all at the hospital, that Darien was
strong enough now to have visitors and everyone was ready for the truth.
She sighed, a mixture of fear and relief flooding her as she stood there.
Fear for her friends once they learned the truth, for she felt that anyone
that trully got close to her got hurt or killed. Relief because she finally
didn't have to face this alone anymore. Then, after getting her emotions in 
check, she raised her head and walked into the room with a shy smile on her 
face.

No one noticed Serena right away, so she stood at the door, enjoying just
observing them. Then Darien's eyes met Serena's and everyone turned to look
at her all at once. For the first time in her life, Serena had stage fright.
She seemed rooted to the spot for a moment and then remembered the flowers
in her arms. Hesitantly, she walked over to Darien and gently placed the
roses on his lap and in a shy voice said,

"These are for you. Something tells me that they are your favorite." He just
gave her what he considered to be his most dazzling smile and said,

"Thank you, for everything." she just smiled back and then turned to the
group at large and said,

"Well I guess that I might as well get this show on the road since you've
all waited patiently for two days. Please shut the door, the whole hospital
doesn't need to hear this." she waited as Ami turned to do as she asked and
then she sat on the edge of the bed and sighed,

"O.k, well the short and long of it is that I am the Moon Princess.." Raye
cut her off here with one of her usual flippant remarks,

"So tell us something that we don't know." Serena just sighed instead of
getting upset and then wearly said,

"I am trying to Raye if you'd only be quiet." Raye actually had the grace to
look embarrassed and said,

"Sorry. Just trying to break the tension in here." she said and Jason came 
over and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder. Serena surprised everyone
by smiling at her and then she continued,

"As I said, I am the Moon Princess. Our enemy is known as Prince Diamond of
the Dark Moon Family on the planet of Nemesis. He's been after me for some
time now."

"How long is 'sometime now'?" Marcus asked.

"Two years. He first found me when I was still living in America. He followed
me here."

"So what does he want?" Nicholas asked.

"Me." A chorus of gasps and "Whats?" filled the room. It was Darien who
brought order to the cofusion by simply raising his hand. Everyone was quiet
and Darien quietly asked her,

"What do you mean?" Serena just shrugged and said,

"Just that, he wants me. I've been told the he is from the future and that
he fell in love with me then, but I wouldn't have him, because I was already
married. But that didn't matter, he had to have me. I've been told that he
kidnapped me a few times, but I was always rescued by the Scouts and my
future husband. So when that didn't work, he came back to the past to try 
and steal me here. Somehow, he figured out my real identity based on what
I looked like in the future. Remember how I wore my hair in the Olympics?
The two ponytails with the balls? Well I use to wear my hair like that all
the time and apparently still did in the future. Well anyway that's how he 
found me." she paused now, not ready to go on just yet, to relive memories 
that she has been trying to forget.

"So then what happened?" Asked an impatient Lita. Darien gave her a hard
look because he could feel Serena's anguish and fear. Reaching out, he
covered her hands with one of his and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Then
Serena continued,

"Then he sent his brother.....Sapphire....to find out as much as he could
about me. It just so happens that my own personal trainer had quit and I
needed a new one. So Sapphire got the job. I was with him everyday and he
was so easy and fun to talk to that I found myself telling him everything
about my life, with the exception of being Sailor Moon, of course. See back
then I didn't yet know that I was the Moon Princess, it wasn't until....
later did I find that out. But he knew and he reported everything that I 
told him back to his brother. The funny thing was that he and I fell in love.
But by then, it was too late, Diamond already had the information he needed
to destroy me....and he almost did...." Again Serena was silent. Hot tears
now streamed down her cheeks. Everyone waited breathlessly for her to finish.
Again Darien squeezed her hands and even though he was reeling inside from
knowing that she had loved another once, he gently urged her,

"What happened then? How did he almost destroy you?" Serena still sat silent
for a moment longer and then she sniffed and looked up at him and said,

"He had my family killed." Nothing could have prepared him for that. His
gasp was every bit as loud as everyone else's in the room. His family had
died in a car crash when he was young, but he didn't remember them or 
losing them, he had amnesia. He felt a sense of loss, but nothing like what
she had experienced. The only person in the room who could relate to her
was Lita, whose own parents were killed in a plane crash when she was a 
teenager. Lita was now openly weeping into Nicholas's arms, as if her own
wounds had been reopened by Serena's story. 

Darien had pulled Serena back against him now and was rocking her back and
forth as she continued,

"Oh God, it was awful! They were suppose to be coming to see me at a 
competition. I remember being really worried that they hadn't come to see
me before I performed. They always did. But I thought that maybe they got
in late and would see me afterwards. I never once sensed their danger or
their deaths. The ironic thing was, that it was, at the time, the best 
performance of my life....It wasn't until about an hour after the competition
had ended did the police come and tell me that they had been killed. Someone
had broken into the house and killed them as they were leaving for the show."

The room was silent again except for a for sobbing sounds coming from the
women of the room. After a moment, Darien asked her,

"But how did you know that it was this Diamond?" Serena sat up now and wiped
the tears from her face before continuing,

"Because at the funeral, well after it, Sapphire told me everything. At 
first I was shocked...I almost didn't believe him, but then he gave me 
proof that I couldn't dispute. Then I was so angry that I wanted to kill him.
I refused to see him after that. He begged and pleadded with me for 
forgiveness, saying that he didn't know that this is what his brother had 
in mind. That he really loved me and was even willing to leave his brother
and time to be with me forever, but I wouldn't believe him. This went on
for about a week. Then Diamond attacked. He knew that I was weak and he had
found out about Sapphire and I and was furious. During the battle he 
declared that if he couldn't have me then no one would. I was in bad shape.
I remember thinking that I didn't have any strength left to repel the next
attack. In a way, I sorta welcomed the thought of dying, at least I'd see
my family again. But then when the attack came and I didn't feel it, I
looked up to see that Sapphire had thrown himself in front of me and had
taken the brunt of the attack. Diamond was so mad that he threw another
ball of energy at us and Sapphire again took it all. In that instant, I knew
that he did love me. I remember screaming his name and Diamond just looking
at us. Then he turned and disappeared muttering something about the traitor
getting what he deserved.....Sapphire died in my arms....I..I couldn't 
save him....I didn't have the crystal yet...I didn't have the power yet..."

The room was again still as everyone absorbed everything that Serena had
just told them. Finally Ami asked,

"Was it you and the crytal then that healed Darien? I mean, that's why we 
can't explain it."

"Yes Ami, I did use the crystal on Darien. That hag that attacked us was
known as Emerald..she was one of Diamond's henchmen. When I got there and
saw what she had done and that she was going after Darien, something in
me just snapped...I lost it...All I could think of was Sapphire and losing
him and that pain and I couldn't lose Darien too. That attack is my most
powerful and I usually only performed it as the Moon Princess. So I do
remember wondering if it would even work as Sailor Moon...In a way, I'm 
glad that this happened, at least I know that if I need it, I can use it
without becoming the princess." she said with a slight smile. 

The room was quiet now. Then finally, Marcus took control of the group
by saying,

"Well I think that's enough for one day. Why don't we all go home and sleep
on it and then we'll get together tomorrow when Darien is released and
discuss our options." Everyone agreed that that was the best thing to do
and headed for the door calling good-bye to Darien and Serena as they 
left.

Serena and Darien sat alone in the silence for a moment, Serena staring at
her hands and Darien staring at her. Finally, Serena stood up and said,

"Well, I better go. I have to try to get this new routine together before
next Friday." she turned to leave, but Darien reached out quickly and 
grabbed her arm. She looked back at him questioningly,

"Don't leave yet. I want to talk to you now that we are alone." Serena 
nodded and turned to sit in a chair by the bed that had recently been 
vacated. Darien frowned at the loss of warmth and by how far away she was
now. They stared at each other for another moment, then Darien said,

"Well, I guess I have my own confession to make." She looked at him in
confusion as he continued, "I am the Prince of Earth. It is my destiny to
be with the Princess of the Moon." she smiled softly at him and said,

"I know." Now Darien was surprised and asked,

"What did you know, all or part?"

"All." 

"Then why have you been avoiding me?? Why were you ever in love with anyone
else???" he cried out, not able to keep the anguish from his voice.

"Oh Darien, I didn't know about you or us when I was with Sapphire. All I
knew was that I had special....gifts. I had no clue about all of this. As
for avoiding you and putting you through hell, well I guess that was my
pride."

"What??" 

"I didn't like the way that you had me reveal that I was Sailor Moon. I felt
trapped and I didn't like it. I know, I know...you did give me a chance to
tell you, but I wanted to tell you on my own time. I realized how wrong I 
had been immediately after our little confrontation at the Temple that 
night, but like I said, my pride got in the way....I'm sorry."

He was silent as he took in what she said. He watched as she fidgeted in
her seat. It was obvious that the subject was making her uncomfortable.
Then he asked her,

"Well, what about now? Are you gonna tell me that you don't have feelings
for me after everything that has just happened?"

"Well, that all depends." she answered cryptically.

"On what?" he asked, now a little annoyed that she was starting to play
some game again.

"On whether or not you cared for me before you found out that I was Sailor
Moon. Do you care for me because it's your destiny or  because you always 
have?" he just smiled at her, there was understanding and love in his eyes
as he said,

"I loved you from the first moment that I saw you skate at the Olympics."
Serena broke out into a huge smile, she couldn't help it. The loneliness
and despair that she had been caring around for over a year suddenly melted
away and a warm fuzzy feeling took its place. She was unware of the tears
that now ran down her face, but Darien did and quietly said as he reached
out to wipe away her tears,

"Don't cry, little girl....I'll love you forever." With that said, Serena
threw herself into his arms and Darien crushed her to him, neither taking
notice of the delicate flowers that they were now destroying. He held her
like that for a long time.

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