Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ A Trusting Heart ❯ Faith, Innocence and Purity ( Chapter 6 )

[ A - All Readers ]

Serina seems to know more than she's letting on. She has a secret, though
she can tell no one and only hope and pray that it is her destiny to fulfill
. . .
Will Rini's prediction of doom come to be? Is everyone's worst fear about
to come true? Will the moon lose her princess, Darien his love, the Scouts
their best friend? Will Darien and Garry really leave the situation as it
is and get along or is there more to this little competition? (I apologize to those who were expecting a large battle between Darien and Garry for Serina- I'm not a violent person. ;D )
With her forgiving heart and the trust and faith that Serina incarnates,
it's easy to see that Serina is meant for great things in the future- if she
can survive the present. Come back to find out in Chapter Six, "Faith,
Innocence, and Purity."

Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Adventure / Drama / Romance / Sci-fi / Suspense | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.12.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 4.6K | Visits: 299 | Status: Completed

Chapter 6

Faith, Innocence and Purity

The fever had come up gradually, Serina had felt chilled ever since she had woken up after the hospital battle but the feeling had lessened after finding out Darien was hers again. For a while she was fine, she'd spent virtually the whole day resting, doing almost nothing at all, so she couldn't understand why she'd felt so tired. Soon, she realized that the ice sitting in her stomach was spreading; she shivered uncontrollably and her skin flushed with unusual heat. `I must have a cold or something, but in June?'

Eventually, the vertigo overcame her and she had to sit out from the games, wrapping herself in a blanket and lying down to keep the world from spinning. Her head was so muddled and tipsy she couldn't concentrate beyond holding still and smiling in reassurance when one of her friends glanced her way. She tried to control the rising fever and her rising panic, knowing she'd be just fine as soon as Darien returned to her side. She couldn't move or even speak without scaring herself into a faint. Her head pounded and she was so hot and cold at the same time . . .

As she'd predicted, Darien must have sensed her distress and when he returned, her symptoms immediately fell back to reasonable levels. Whether he knew it or not, he was her strength and combating force. She was able to convince him she was fine but the others had decided to go home anyway.

Now, as she kissed her boyfriend, she knew it was the last time. Her strength was giving out again to the fever and she couldn't keep awake beyond this kiss. She glanced into his stormy blue eyes, trying to convey every feeling she had in the look, before she felt her knees weaken and she fell; never feeling his arms catch her, or seeing the worried glimpse of cinnamon eyes. `I love you.' She tried to whisper but her frozen dry lips refused to move. She hoped he knew.

__________________________

“I've seen the future and you're not in it!”

Catsy was the first to notice the red haired man standing outside the apartment complex where she and her three other sisters lived. Seeing him there shocked her speechless; it had been nearly a month since any of the girls had seen him. She wasn't sure her eyes were telling her the truth.

“Birdie! Prisma, Avery! Tell me if I'm seeing things, quick! Is that Garnyt or what?” Catsy called, her sisters dropped what they were doing and ran to the window. They each gasped in surprise as they confirmed her fears. The young red head outside was Garnyt disguised as a human!

“That's him all right, Catsy. Do you think he's here to take us back?”

“Maybe he's here to kill us for defecting!” Birdie's hands flew to her mouth in shock. The girls watched the person a moment longer, staying out of sight and trying to figure out what to do.

“Come on, we'll go Serina's. The girls'll know what to do.” Catsy said to her sisters as Prisma herded her younger sisters out the door. Just as they exited the building from the back fire escape, Garrett had decided this was indeed the correct building and was walking in. They spied on the young man as he politely knocked on their door but no one was there to answer. They ran off before they could see anymore.

The four Sisters, once upon a time the evil mistresses of the Dark Moon under Rubeus's command, now raced off to Serina's home. Apologizing to her parents for the lateness of their calling, they asked to speak to Serina concerning an emergency at their little shop that only she could help them with.

“I'm sorry, Serina is staying at a friend's house tonight with her cousin.” Mrs. Tsukino informed them. She sounded a little angry at not being warned herself before her impetuous daughter made decisions on her own like that.

“Thank you, Mrs. Tsukino. Sorry for bothering you but could you tell us which friend? We know where they live.”

“You really need to see her then?” The four women nodded in unison. “Well, she's over at Rei Hino's home.” She said and the visitors brightened. That usually meant all the girls were together anyway. Perfect for their news.

“Thank you, Mrs. Tsukino. We know where that is, we appreciate your time.” Mrs. Tsukino nodded and closed the door as the Serina's older friends turned to leave, smiling. They headed off to the Cherry Hill temple.

“Do you suppose they all ready know about him? That's why they're meeting tonight?” Avery asked her eldest sister.

“I can't say for sure. I'm more worried about why Garnyt didn't try to attack us at our apartment. Almost like he wanted to see if we'd recognize him through his disguise.”

“How could we not? Garnyt in human form still looks like his awful brother!” Birdie put in, quickening her step with the other three pairs of feet that hopped up the temple steps. The shrine was dark, it was still barely past nine but Rei's grandfather and their friend, Chad, had apparently all ready retired for the night.

The sisters sneaked up to the only lit window where they could hear familiar voices. Without listening to the words, Prisma knocked on the window to get Rei's attention. Moments later, the priestess appeared at the window. She hid her surprise behind her well-known defense of hateful sarcasm. Her eyes seemed to be glinting with fire. She motioned towards the door and disappeared. The four girls returned to the front door to be let in.

“Great, more bad news?” Rei muttered, her steely voice barely softened towards her allies. The raven-haired Guardian of Mars had tears hidden in her eyes. The girls filed past her as she closed the door behind them then led the sisters to the room where a tragic sight met them.

The revealed moon warrior and their friend, Serina, lay unconscious on the single bed, her hair strewn everywhere, her skin an angry pink with the unnatural fever she'd contracted. Her head tossed from side to side, her figure shivering as if caught in an icy gale. Beside her knelt a grief-stricken, white-faced Darien, holding her hand tightly, as a drowning man might a life-line. Just as they walked in he was leaning over her to kiss her forehead and brush away deep golden strands of renegade bangs.

Snuggled up alongside the sick girl, another child lay nearly asleep, holding Serina's free fingers in her chubby hand. Ami stood over the three of them imperiously, her concentration focused solely on the hand-held computer before her. She didn't seem to like the results it was giving her. The other Scouts, Lita and Mina, along with the two cats either paced nervously, in tears, between the bed and Ami, or sat despondently against one of the room's walls.

Rei headed over to check on her best friend though she'd been gone for less than five seconds. She then turned expectantly to Ami, the nurse and genius of the group.

“Oh, no, are we too late? Did Garnyt all ready get to her?” Birdie and Catsy fled to Serina's side, neither Darien nor the sleeping `rabbit' seemed to notice their presence.

“If you mean the red-head brother of the scum of the Dark Moon Garnyt then, yeah. According to Ami's scans, Serina was poisoned this morning by that coward at the battle.”

“Poisoned? That's not Garnyt's style.” Prisma stated as she left her sisters to the young girl and hoped to help the other two Scouts. She motioned for Avery and Birdie to try to console the two weeping Scouts while Catsy stayed by Darien's side.

“Well, that's what he did and he's going to pay for it!” Rei snapped, barely in control of her emotions. Ami placed a hand on her hot-tempered friend's shoulder that was abruptly, though weakly, shaken off. Ami turned to Prisma.

“What brings you here, Prisma?” She asked politely.

“We saw Garnyt outside our apartment not too long ago. There was something different about him, besides the fact that he was going around in human form. We were afraid he'd come to execute us for defecting but even as honorable as he naturally is, no executioner knocks on his victim's door first.”

“Great! Now we've got this `honorable' Dark Moon nega-creep walking around as one of us! No wonder he was able to get to Serina so easy, she couldn't fight back another human being!” Rei shouted, so furious that she could easily fry someone right now. This battle of Serina's couldn't be fought physically and it was one she was all ready losing. And none of them could help her! None of them had helped her when this first happened!

“We were able to identify him easily. We escaped and came to warn you about him as a spy. We don't know how long he's been here but he could well be someone you know. By his appearance he looks like a six- or seventeen-year-old red-haired boy.” Prisma reported what she knew. Abruptly, something stirred to her right. Catsy and Darien were startled back by Serina's sudden reawakening. Her eyes snapped open, glazed and unfocused but searching and filled with tears. Her consciousness wouldn't last long; she'd been drifting in and out since Darien had carried her in.

“No. Garnyt is good. He wants to protect me! That's why I'm not dead- Garry- loves me . . .” The delirious girl protested, her faint wisp of strength rapidly depleting again, leaving the suddenly confused Scouts and friends in an uproar.

“Garry? Did she say Garry, as in the boy who has a crush on her from the mall?” Mina demanded. It couldn't be him, he was so nice to them, especially Serina. It couldn't be him!

“I KNEW I felt something strange about him! If only Serina had listened to me! If only I'd MADE Serina listen!” Rei shouted, her fists painfully clenched and it was all she could do to keep from punching out the wall.

“Protect her? HE did this to her! How can she say that?” Lita followed the other girls back to Serina's bedside, watching her carefully while arguing between themselves.

“But Serina's right. She should be dead, the only reason she's still with us is because that is how Garnyt wanted it.” Ami confirmed then turned to the sisters. “You said he was different. Could you tell if perhaps he had turned good or had wanted to defect? Serina's intuition of people's hearts has never been wrong. He never tried to attack you, even was civilized in attempting to contact you. Had he wanted to defect, you sisters would be the first he'd approach.” Now everyone focused on Ami, her explanation making enough sense to make them doubt whether they went out to kill him now or later. “You must admit, Garry obviously had strong feelings for Serina and perhaps, just like you sisters were before, he was only following orders until now.”

“I hope you're right, Ames. If Serina can't pull through this herself, he may be her only hope. For now we've got to protect her in case Garnyt or Rubeus comes for her tonight.”

“I don't think we have to worry too much about it, Mina. I set up a perimeter guard with my computer. It will alert us to any sign of the Dark Moon within a good half mile.”

“Okay, I've got my own wards up too. This is a temple. But I'm still going to sit watch, I don't care how many wards we have up, I'm not taking the chance on Serina's life.” Rei vowed, her hands still clenched and her eyes brooked no quarter. But Ami felt compelled to warn her anyway; she might not be thinking of the consequences.

“But Rei, if no one comes tonight, then you'll be exhausted from lack of sleep in the morning and you will be no good to Serina or us if you can't fight. They surely know the condition Serina's in and they may well expect her dead by morning and they will likely attack the Sailor Scouts for the final time. We can't be down two Scouts when that happens.” Ami pleaded. Her argument made sense to Rei though she didn't like it all. How could she argue with that logic? As shocking and frighteningly heartless as she sounded, she was right; she'd be tired come morning, not that it would stop her from fighting but she might be careless and only hinder the Scouts. She might get someone else hurt.

Rei conceded her point and made arrangements for everyone to stay the night. The large group settled in for the evening, Rei directed the sisters to another room to rest. The Scouts stayed closer, sleeping in sleeping bags and blankets on the floor beside Serina's bed. Darien never moved from his position by her side, awake, but entranced with the effort of sending the struggling girl his strength and energy through their clasped hands.

Rei watched him as he concentrated dolefully on his princess. They had just gotten back together only to have her ripped away again. It wasn't fair and Rei felt angry for them both. But she wondered if her threat from that morning would come to pass. That life would lose it's light, the moon her princess, Darien his only love, and Rei her best friend. Could she blame this on Darien? If he'd been there to save her from the poisoned-tipped crystal spears, if he'd sensed something physically wrong with her? Why hadn't he known?

`You're as guilty as he is, pyro. You were there with her, it's your job to protect her from attack and you failed her, your best friend. Then you spent the whole day with her, you sensed something wrong and ignored it. You even knew there was something wrong with Garry and let him off the hook cause Serina liked him. Now look what it's done. You can't blame him when you're just as guilty.' Fate played mean tricks on good people and Serina was one of the best. She couldn't sit passively by as Serina had to deal with this one alone! At least Darien could help her. All he had been doing since he'd placed her a second time on the same bed she'd recovered from the stab wound earlier today, was magically send his strength and love to her, virtually willing her live.

Something had been bothering him since he'd gotten here, Rini remained fearfully silent, and Darien refused to speak a word of whatever else had caused the haunted look in his blue eyes. Something else was up; those two knew a secret they weren't telling, something terrible.

Even now, Rini lay beside Serina, lending comfort and warmth to her protector. She whimpered in her semi-sleep state, torn between her friend beside her and dreams of her mother in the future.

The sight broke Rei's heart, and to add to it, she could hear Mina softly smothering her crying from her sleeping bag along the wall. Artemis purred steadily beside her, until she fell asleep. Then he left her to comfort Luna who silently prayed to the moon, to the late Queen Serenity to help her daughter. Luna's façade of strength crumbled at a glance at her tossing ward, and she broke down in quiet tears against Artemis's shoulder.

Embarrassed, Rei looked away. Like herself, Luna never showed much emotion beyond irritation and exasperation. Before she realized it, hot tears were running down her cheeks; Rei reached to wipe them away but they kept coming. Finally she gave up and hid her face up against her knees, her raven black hair curtaining her face from the rest of the room as she cried. She had failed and now Serina, weak, cry-baby, clumsy, happy, hopeful Serina had to fight on her own against something no one could defeat. The eternal sleep that steals life even as they watched.

Exhausted, Rei never noticed when she drifted off, dreamless sleep casting a spell over her as she followed her friends into unconsciousness.

__________________________

Serina's thrashing, fighting against the poison invading her body, kept Darien and Rini half-awake most of the night. Rini backed off slightly to keep out of the way of Serina's tossing head and restless hands. Darien kept up his efforts, but his silent vigil didn't seem to have any effect, his energy flowed into Serina and was quickly absorbed but there was no change in her condition. Her heart still beat too quickly, her struggling gasps scared him each time she inhaled as if the next would be her last. Her pale, warm skin still visibly burned. As she finally started to calm towards the middle of the night, her skin returned to a normal color and her breathy moans fell to delicate whispers.

At some point in his half-daze, he heard her mumbling something. Her voice soft and ragged, desperate and regretful as she spoke in breathy sighs. A poem, a long-forgotten bedtime rhyme, a prayer that fell from her dry lips as if memorized in her sleep . . . “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I die before I wake . . . I pray the Lord my soul to take. If I leave my friends behind, I pray the Lord to be kind. I leave my friends in His care, and pray the Lord to keep them there . . .” Darien had never heard this ending before but he knew what Serina meant by it. If she was no longer here to take care of her friends, she hoped they would go on without her. Even now, she was still thinking of her friends and family.

Darien kissed her cheek in a thank you and whispered for her as she drifted off once more. “Amen.”

Eventually, Serina drifted into silence and her breathing slowed. Darien began to relax, his heavy eyelids doubled their weight and his struggles to stay awake collapsed. He'd never given up so much energy over so long a period of time; he was completely drained, physically and emotionally. Rini's outburst of the future, the future without the most important person in the world, had shaken his soul loose. It couldn't be true. Something else must have happened. How could the other Scouts still be alive a thousand years from now but there be no Sailor Moon? She was their leader! Only death would keep her from that destiny!

And that was what scared him.

Darien clenched his eyes shut from the image of his love sleeping and the innocent little girl beside her. He wouldn't lose her tonight. Seeing her finally peaceful again lured him into sleep to join her in his dreams.

A few hours later, Rini unconsciously shied away from Serina's body and crawled to the warmth of Darien's lap. Serina was too cold. She fell asleep again without another thought, Darien hardly noticing the little girl snoring in his arms.

Lying alone in the bed, her coverlet carelessly cast from all but one leg and a few fingers, Serina's body drained of all warmth. Her limbs had numbed as if run under freezing water, her pulse had slowed to something barely able to sustain her, the rise and fall of her chest was almost undetectable. If she were awake, Serina would have panicked at the coldness that stole through her body, and made it a struggle to move.

Come the next morning's pale light, Serina was gone.