The dark crystal began to diminish. It's evil and darkness brought on by Wiseman and the Doom Phantom shattered and fell over Tokyo. The scouts had done it again! Sailor Moon used the Silver Imperium Crystal to turn into Neo-Queen Serenity and with the help of Rini and the Scouts, they fought back and destroyed Wiseman and banished the Doom Phantom forever! Now earth and the future Crystal Tokyo are safe.

The next day, after that terrible battle, it was finally time for Rini to go home to the future. "Well, Rini, I guess this is goodbye," said the Scouts. They would all miss her, but especially Serena. She and Darien had just walked up when the last of the "goodbyes" were said.

"Go ahead Serena," Darien said. She walked over to Rini and they just stared into each other's eyes. They had grown so close over the past few months. They new they had to say goodbye, but they just didn't want to let each other go.

Finally, Raye had to say, "Come on Serena. It's time to say goodbye now."

They ran up to each other and hugged. They cried for a few minutes and then Rini said, "Thank you for everything…Mommy!" and ran away.

"Oh, Rini," Serena cried. Rini stopped and turned around.

"You were all really great to me! Bye guys!" With that said, Rini held on to her Luna Ball and used her crystal key to teleported back to the future. There, her mother, Neo-Queen Serenity, and father, King Endymion, awaited her with open arms.

Serena, Darien, Mina, Lita, Raye, and Amy just stared at the place where Rini had just stood. "I guess that's goodbye, Rini," said Serena.

Darien put his hand on her shoulder and said comfortingly, "Just for now."

"Yeah, Serena," said Raye, "We'll see her again before you know it!"

"I guess you're right," she said.

"Well, I don't know about you guys, but all this fighting has made me hungry," exclaimed Lita.

"Yeah," said Amy, "Didn't we agree that we would get some cheesecake for a victory blowout?"

At the mention of food, Serena's spirits lifted. "Cheesecake?! Alright! And, let's see, we could get some milkshakes to go with that. Oh, and we have to get some pizza and french fries." She grabbed Darien's arm. "Let's go!"

"Oh, I don't think she'll ever change," said Luna in a half sarcastic tone. They all laughed and ran to catch up with Serena and Darien.

***

After the big victory blowout, Darien asked Serena to come over to his apartment for awhile. They said goodbye to their friends and walked out of the coffee shop. As they were walking up the street, Darien and Serena began to talk about everything that happened in the past few months.

They talked about how when Rini first came Serena was so jealous of her because Rini spent most of her time with Darien. "I was silly to ever be jealous of her," Serena said. "I new deep down that you still loved me."

As they rounded the corner to Darien's street, they were talking about Rebeus and the four sisters, and then of Diamond, Sapphire, and Emerald. When Serena mentioned Wiseman, Darien became silent.

They reached the apartment buildings and went inside. Darien did not say a thing as they rode the elevator up to his floor; nor did he say anything as they walked to his apartment.

As soon as they walked inside and Darien had shut the door, Serena could not keep silent anymore. "Darien, what's wrong? You haven't said a thing in the past 5 minutes."

Darien just stood there, and stared at her. She got a little nervous. What's up with Darien? He's never acted like this before?

All of a sudden, Darien ran up to her and put his arms around her, holding her tight. He began to cry. Serena was unsure as to what was wrong with him, but she embraced him and tried to comfort him.

"I thought I was going to lose you," Darien said in between sobs. "When Wiseman turned into the Doom Phantom and started attacking you, I was afraid that we would never be together again."

Serena got a little teary-eyed and hugged him tighter. "I was afraid too. I didn't know how much strength I had left to fight back. If it hadn't been for Rini, the Scouts, and your faith in me, I don't think I could have done it.

" His crying began to let up. "I'm just glad that nightmare is over with." He let go of her and wiped his eyes. "Oh, Serena, I don't know if I could stand watching you face another battle like that again."

She looked into his eyes. "But see, you will always be there to help me," she said. "Don't worry, no matter how tough the bad guys get, we can beat them together!"

Darien smiled and hugged her again. He then let her go and walked towards the kitchen. "Do you want anything to drink?" he said over his shoulder.

"No thanks," she answered, "I think I had one too many milkshakes." She heard him laugh from the kitchen. Serena smiled. She loved to hear his laugh, to see his smile, to feel his arms around her. She loved everything about him. Nothing could ever change that.

Darien returned with a glass of water and sat down on the couch. As he sat down, he noticed that Serena had picked up something and was looking at it very carefully.

"What do you have there?" he asked.

"Oh, it's just your talisman," she replied."I was reading the back of it."

"Read it to me," he said.

"Why?" Serena asked, "You know it by heart."

"I know, I just like hearing you say it, that's all." Darien gave her one of those 'puppy dog looks' and said, "Please?"

"Oh, all right." She smiled. That look of his always got to her. "Ok, it says: 'IF YOU POSSESS LOVE, THEN YOU WILL HOLD THE KEY TO YOUR DESTINY.' There, you happy?"

"Yes, thank you." He gave her a loving glance. I can't believe that at one time, I despised Serena and even tried to kill her. But then he remembered that he was only like that because Queen Beryl had brainwashed him. And then, there was Saban…

"Darien, wake up! Hello? Is anyone in there?" Darien awoke from his trance as Serena kept shaking him and shouting in his ear.

"Ok, ok, I'm back in reality now!" he shouted.

Serena gave a sigh of frustration. "Darien, you know how that freaks me out when you do that. No matter how much I shake you or how loud I yell, it takes you forever to get out of a trance!"

"Sorry, I know, I was just thinking of something."

"What were you thinking about?"

Darien replied, "Oh, the time that Queen Beryl had brainwashed me, and when Saban tried to…"

"Saban!" Serena shouted."You haven't mentioned him for a long time!"

"I know," he said.

"In fact, I don't think you ever told me the whole story about him," she said.

"Well, it's still painful to talk about it. He was my best friend, you know," Darien told her.

"Maybe if you talk about it, it will help ease the pain," Serena suggested. Darien looked up at her.

"Where do you want me to start?"

"At the beginning."

He let out a sigh. "Ok. Saban was born the same year I was. His mother was part of my family's Royal Court on earth. We grew up together and became the best of friends. I remember the first time we went to the moon. Your mother and my parents had wanted us to meet so Queen Serenity created a device that would teleport me to the moon whenever I wanted to go. So, when I was to meet you for the first time, I was a little nervous so I asked Saban to come with me. When we arrived, we were greeted by Beryl, who at the time was part of your mother's court. Saban told me that he had never seen a woman so beautiful in all his life.

I, on the other hand, thought that you were the most beautiful girl in the universe. The moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one for me. But, as you well know, Beryl had her heart set on me.

One day, while Saban and I were on our way to the Moon Palace to see you, Beryl pulled me aside and expressed her true feelings about me. I was shocked and didn't know what to say…

"Beryl," said Darien, "I don't know how to tell you this, but I just don't have those same feelings for you. My heart belongs to Serena."

After that, Beryl became furious! She had never been so angry in all her life.

"You will regret saying that very soon Darien!" she shouted. "I will find a way to destroy Earth, and then the Moon. Then the universe will be mine to control!"

Darien was not worried about what she said at first. But then Beryl started rallying earthlings and the Moon people to join her in a fight to take over the universe. She brainwashed Darien's four finest generals: Jedite, Nephlyte, Zoicite, and Malachite. And then, knowing that Saban was in love with her, she began filling his head with lies and told him that he could rule the universe with her. Saban gave in and joined her in the Negaverse…

That was the last time I saw him as a normal person. I was so devastated. I had lost my best friend forever."

At this, Darien paused and took a deep breath. He looked like he was about to cry, but he held his tears back and went on.

"Anyway, if you remember, there was an attack on Earth before the attack on the Moon. I was one of the few people to survive it. I had been outside the palace walls trying to keep the enemy from getting inside. But it didn't work. A burst of energy came from sky and left the palace in shambles…

After that, the enemy stopped charging them and teleported off of Earth. Darien ran to the palace, all the way hoping that his parents were safe. When he reached what used to be the throne room, he was horrified. The room was totally destroyed! The energy blast must have hit it dead on. The dead bodies of the Royal Court were lying everywhere.

And then he saw his parents. They were lying near the place where the thrones used to be. Darien ran up to them. They were barely alive. It didn't look like they had enough strength to breath.

"Darien my son," his mother said as she grabbed his hand, "you have to go. The Moon Kingdom is in danger. You need to protect Queen Serenity and Princess Serena."

"But mother, what about you and father?" he asked.

"There is nothing you can do for us now, son," his father said, "but you can save the Moon Kingdom from the same fate that we experienced."

"Here my son, take this talisman and keep it with you always." His mother handed him a silver talisman connected to a chain. "Keep it, and remember us."

With that, his mother gave her last breath. "No!" he cried as he hugged her. "Mother, don't leave me!" Darien looked up and turned to his father with tears in his eyes. "Father," he said.

"It is alright, my son." His father was breathing heavily now. "We will meet again. I love you…Darien." His father's head fell back and his eyes closed.

"Father! No, no, no, you can't! Don't go, please! Father!"

Darien crawled over to his father's lifeless body. He held his father and cried and sobbed for what seemed like hours. He suddenly remembered about Serena and the Moon Kingdom.

"I have to protect her," he said to himself. "Serena's all I have left." Darien gently put his father's body down and stood up. He looked at the talisman and while putting it around his neck, gave his parents one last look.

"Goodbye," he whispered, and ran off.

***

Darien stopped. He desperately tried get that thought out of his mind.

"Your parents died right in front of you!" Serena said as she wiped the tears away from her eyes. "That must have been terrible."

"Yes, it was," he told her as he fought back his own tears. "Anyway, you know what happened next. I teleported to the Moon Kingdom to protect you and your mother. But Beryl was too strong. That's the last thing I remember."

"Goodness," Serena said, "what a story." And then a thought occurred to her. "Wait, I don't remember ever seeing Saban on the Moon before Beryl took us.

Darien thought for a moment. "You know, I don't remember him being there either. Strange…hey, can you hand me the talisman?"

"Sure," she said as she handed it to him. Darien flipped it over and over in his hands, and then looked at the inscription on the back. If you posses love, then you will hold the key to your destiny, he thought to himself. " I have always wondered what this inscription means," he said while staring at the talisman.

"Hmm, I'm not sure," said Serena. "Maybe one day you will figure it out."

"Maybe," Darien said.

"Hey, do you know exactly what happened to Saban. After we were sent to the future, I mean," Serena asked.

"Well, when Beryl turned me against you and the scouts, her goal was for me to fall in love with her and rule the universe with her. Even after Saban's many years of loyalty, Beryl still loved me. One day, after I had recaptured two of the rainbow crystal carriers, Saban couldn't contain his jealousy anymore…"

"Darien," Saban shouted, "I once called you friend, but that was long ago. You are my enemy and now you are trying to rule the universe with Beryl? It should be me ruling at her side, not you!"

As Saban said this, he powered up and threw an energy surge at Darien. "You will not take my love away from me!" But before the energy could reach Darien, something blocked it.

Darien looked up to see Beryl standing in front of him. He looked around her and saw Saban. He was trembling. He knew he had just made a horrible mistake.

"I'm sorry, Queen Beryl," Saban apologized, "My jealousy overpowered me and I couldn't control myself. I didn't…"

"Silence!" Beryl interrupted. "How dare you try to kill Prince Darien. He is a perfect ally for our mission to conquer the universe! I cannot tolerate your actions!"

"Queen Beryl, please! I'm sorry, it won't happen again!" Saban pleaded.

"You're right, it won't," she said with a smile, "There is no way you can hurt Prince Darien from Europa!"

"No! Queen Beryl! Please don't send me to one of Jupiter's moons!" Saban shouted. Beryl moved her hands over her strobe.

"You will spend the rest of your pathetic life there, traitor!"

With the touch of her hand on the strobe, Beryl sent an energy blast towards Saban. He screamed as he disappeared, never to be seen again…

"And that's the last time I saw him," said Darien. "The evil inside of him finally took over completely, and he couldn't escape."

"That's awful!" Serena said. "So, Saban is somewhere on Jupiter' moon, Europa?"

"Yes," he answered, "He probably has no idea that Beryl is even dead. You see, when he was banished, Beryl stripped him of all his powers, except the ones that his evilness gave him. So, he couldn't teleport off the moon or communicate in anyway with the Negaverse."

Serena got up and walked over to where Darien was sitting and gave him a hug. "I'm just glad that you survived that. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come back to me," she said.

"Well, right now, there's only one thing I'm worried about," said Darien. Serena let go of him and looked him in the eyes. "What's that?" Darien was silent for a moment, and then said, "Should Saban ever find a way off of Europa…we would be in big trouble."

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