(no subject)
It is over.... it is done.... The story that started it all has finally been written.
Title: Happiness found
Author: Ree
Theme: If Only Mamoru had chosen someone else instead of Usagi
Genre: general
Version: AU - Dream Castle story line
Rating: G
My imagination is playing with dolls again, but they have created their own script. The originals belong to Takeuchi Naoko .
Happiness found
To truly understand this storyline, you should start at the beginning Dream Castle and read it in order.
Breaking up
Maritza watched him as he snapped pictures of different object, the lay of the land, or anything else the struck his fancy. 'Darien... why do I have to love you? You have Usagi now.' It hurt, but not as much as it had before. Now she knew that Endymion had never loved Usagi, and Usagi had never loved him at least in their past lives. This time it was Usagi's turn to find happiness, and Maritza was going to do absolutely nothing to interfere with that. That was her pledge, her resolve. She had destroyed her daughter's life in the past, she wasn't going to do it again. So, she still avoided him. She had to, it was the only way for her to remain sane and keep her resolve.
Darien watched her as she moved through the dig site, the sun setting behind her. He smiled as she deftly handled problems that came up. She had dealt with the local politicians with the same ease. It was almost as if she was a queen. 'She is what Serena will become when she is NeoQueen Serenity.' His eyes narrowed slightly as he brought her into focus and snapped a picture. In this light, she really reminded him of Serena. 'All she needed was to have her hair up in those funny buns and ponytails, and she could have been Serena's mother. ' The thought jolted him, running deep into his brain and down to his heart. He stared at her, her silvery hair and gray eyes. Her faces so close to Serena's, too Princess Serenity's. He shook slightly as the truth branded itself on his brain and heart, Maritza was Queen Serenity.
Leaning back against the tent pole, he let the realization settle in, and as he did, memories long locked up poured forth. He had never been in love with Princess Serenity. He had been in love with her mother. Closing up his camera, he slipped into his tent. He need a few moments alone.
His dreams that night brought more memories, and when he woke up he headed out to find Maritza. He needed to know if she knew. He watched her through out the day, waiting for the opportunity to approach her.
Maritza spotted him coming into the mess tent. The shadow under his eyes tugged at her heart. It had been a long day, and she knew that some of those shadows were there this morning as well. Collecting her plate, she escaped out the back. 'This is too hard. To see him everyday. To speak to him when I can't avoid it. To know what we could have been.' She missed the sound of his footsteps behind her.
Darien watched as her shoulders slumped. She looked like she had been carrying the weight of the world, and it just fell to the ground leaving her defeated. Wrapping his arms about her, he pulled her against his chest and rested his head on top of hers.
Maritza froze. She knew she should pull away, but she was frozen to the spot.
"It's okay. You don't have to run anymore."
Something in his tone told her that he knew that she liked him and possibly more. "But... you have a girlfriend." The thought of Usagi almost propelled her forward, but his arms tightened slightly as if he anticipated it.
"Serena and I are no longer together. She has found someone she loves more than me."
Maritza marveled at how calm he sounded. 'Serena? She was called Serena?' The appropriateness of the name stuck home. 'She really was to be Princess Serenity.' Resting on hand on the arms the wrapped her shoulders, she felt sorry for him. "That must have hurt. I know you care about her."
Darien turned her about until she was facing him. Tilting up her chin, he looked into her eyes. "Yes, I do, but not as much as I have come to care about you." He watched as disbelief washed over her face. "I have watched you for a year now hanging off in the distance. And then ever since you approached me about this job, I have done all I could to find out more about you. But it has been this last month, watching you work, being around you, that has convinced me. You are the woman that has populated my dreams as long as I can remember."
'Does he remember? Does he know the truth of that age?' Looking up into his dark blue eyes, she felt her resolve crumpling. "Are you sure Usagi is happy?" The question was a whisper. The whisper was full of hope.
He knew who Usagi was, his dreams had told him. 'Usagi... that names seems to fit Serena better. Hold on... she called her Usagi, her Silver Millennium name.' Gazing deep into the luminescent eyes that were staring into his, he knew she knew. Questions tumbled through his mind. He wanted to know why he and Serena were mislead into believing they were to be together. With an effort he pushed them aside, there would be time for that later. "Yes, she is very happy. We ended our relationship the day you gave me the letter. We told everyone that evening. Ian and her are perfect for each other. They are happier than she and I ever were.
"Aiden? He was reborn also?" She chopped her next question off, her eyes widening as she waited for his questions.
Darien traced a finger over her jaw. "If he was the one who loved her in the Silver Millennium, then yes, he has been. And you are Serenity. Why didn't you let anyone know you were alive?"
She shivered slightly as his fingers trailed lightly down her neck. "I...I didn't know any of this was real until they were already deep in battle with Beryl." She dropped her head, resting the crown of it against his chest. "I told them a lie. I... when I showed them the past... it was all a lie. I did some very horrible things in my past life. I hurt Usagi, I hurt you, I hurt Venus and Jupiter."
Darien slid his fingers through her hair and drew them up under her chin. Lifting her face so she could see his face, he let his eyes show that he understood. "I know. I remember it all now. But your lie helped us. It helped us to defeat Beryl and so many other enemies that have come. And what you did in the past was to protect her, to protect them all. It wasn't that you were being selfish. And now... everything is righting itself. Serena has Ian and is Princess Serenity. The others are able to protect her. That just leaves us. You and me."
Maritza trembled slightly as his words sank in. The memory of Pluto floated back into her mind. 'She said the reason I was here was to find happiness. And I know I would be happy if I could be with him.' Shifting closer, she rested her hands on his shoulders. "You and me. Can there really be a you and me this time?"
Bending his head, he let his lips hover right over hers. "I think so. That is why we are here."
Joy spread burst through her. Raising up on her tip toes, she closed the distance between their lips. This time they would be together, this time they would find true happiness.
Title: Happiness found
Author: Ree
Theme: If Only Mamoru had chosen someone else instead of Usagi
Genre: general
Version: AU - Dream Castle story line
Rating: G
My imagination is playing with dolls again, but they have created their own script. The originals belong to Takeuchi Naoko .
Happiness found
To truly understand this storyline, you should start at the beginning Dream Castle and read it in order.
Breaking up
Maritza watched him as he snapped pictures of different object, the lay of the land, or anything else the struck his fancy. 'Darien... why do I have to love you? You have Usagi now.' It hurt, but not as much as it had before. Now she knew that Endymion had never loved Usagi, and Usagi had never loved him at least in their past lives. This time it was Usagi's turn to find happiness, and Maritza was going to do absolutely nothing to interfere with that. That was her pledge, her resolve. She had destroyed her daughter's life in the past, she wasn't going to do it again. So, she still avoided him. She had to, it was the only way for her to remain sane and keep her resolve.
Darien watched her as she moved through the dig site, the sun setting behind her. He smiled as she deftly handled problems that came up. She had dealt with the local politicians with the same ease. It was almost as if she was a queen. 'She is what Serena will become when she is NeoQueen Serenity.' His eyes narrowed slightly as he brought her into focus and snapped a picture. In this light, she really reminded him of Serena. 'All she needed was to have her hair up in those funny buns and ponytails, and she could have been Serena's mother. ' The thought jolted him, running deep into his brain and down to his heart. He stared at her, her silvery hair and gray eyes. Her faces so close to Serena's, too Princess Serenity's. He shook slightly as the truth branded itself on his brain and heart, Maritza was Queen Serenity.
Leaning back against the tent pole, he let the realization settle in, and as he did, memories long locked up poured forth. He had never been in love with Princess Serenity. He had been in love with her mother. Closing up his camera, he slipped into his tent. He need a few moments alone.
His dreams that night brought more memories, and when he woke up he headed out to find Maritza. He needed to know if she knew. He watched her through out the day, waiting for the opportunity to approach her.
Maritza spotted him coming into the mess tent. The shadow under his eyes tugged at her heart. It had been a long day, and she knew that some of those shadows were there this morning as well. Collecting her plate, she escaped out the back. 'This is too hard. To see him everyday. To speak to him when I can't avoid it. To know what we could have been.' She missed the sound of his footsteps behind her.
Darien watched as her shoulders slumped. She looked like she had been carrying the weight of the world, and it just fell to the ground leaving her defeated. Wrapping his arms about her, he pulled her against his chest and rested his head on top of hers.
Maritza froze. She knew she should pull away, but she was frozen to the spot.
"It's okay. You don't have to run anymore."
Something in his tone told her that he knew that she liked him and possibly more. "But... you have a girlfriend." The thought of Usagi almost propelled her forward, but his arms tightened slightly as if he anticipated it.
"Serena and I are no longer together. She has found someone she loves more than me."
Maritza marveled at how calm he sounded. 'Serena? She was called Serena?' The appropriateness of the name stuck home. 'She really was to be Princess Serenity.' Resting on hand on the arms the wrapped her shoulders, she felt sorry for him. "That must have hurt. I know you care about her."
Darien turned her about until she was facing him. Tilting up her chin, he looked into her eyes. "Yes, I do, but not as much as I have come to care about you." He watched as disbelief washed over her face. "I have watched you for a year now hanging off in the distance. And then ever since you approached me about this job, I have done all I could to find out more about you. But it has been this last month, watching you work, being around you, that has convinced me. You are the woman that has populated my dreams as long as I can remember."
'Does he remember? Does he know the truth of that age?' Looking up into his dark blue eyes, she felt her resolve crumpling. "Are you sure Usagi is happy?" The question was a whisper. The whisper was full of hope.
He knew who Usagi was, his dreams had told him. 'Usagi... that names seems to fit Serena better. Hold on... she called her Usagi, her Silver Millennium name.' Gazing deep into the luminescent eyes that were staring into his, he knew she knew. Questions tumbled through his mind. He wanted to know why he and Serena were mislead into believing they were to be together. With an effort he pushed them aside, there would be time for that later. "Yes, she is very happy. We ended our relationship the day you gave me the letter. We told everyone that evening. Ian and her are perfect for each other. They are happier than she and I ever were.
"Aiden? He was reborn also?" She chopped her next question off, her eyes widening as she waited for his questions.
Darien traced a finger over her jaw. "If he was the one who loved her in the Silver Millennium, then yes, he has been. And you are Serenity. Why didn't you let anyone know you were alive?"
She shivered slightly as his fingers trailed lightly down her neck. "I...I didn't know any of this was real until they were already deep in battle with Beryl." She dropped her head, resting the crown of it against his chest. "I told them a lie. I... when I showed them the past... it was all a lie. I did some very horrible things in my past life. I hurt Usagi, I hurt you, I hurt Venus and Jupiter."
Darien slid his fingers through her hair and drew them up under her chin. Lifting her face so she could see his face, he let his eyes show that he understood. "I know. I remember it all now. But your lie helped us. It helped us to defeat Beryl and so many other enemies that have come. And what you did in the past was to protect her, to protect them all. It wasn't that you were being selfish. And now... everything is righting itself. Serena has Ian and is Princess Serenity. The others are able to protect her. That just leaves us. You and me."
Maritza trembled slightly as his words sank in. The memory of Pluto floated back into her mind. 'She said the reason I was here was to find happiness. And I know I would be happy if I could be with him.' Shifting closer, she rested her hands on his shoulders. "You and me. Can there really be a you and me this time?"
Bending his head, he let his lips hover right over hers. "I think so. That is why we are here."
Joy spread burst through her. Raising up on her tip toes, she closed the distance between their lips. This time they would be together, this time they would find true happiness.