Darien sat quietly one evening at his PC, staring blankly at the screen as his speakers softly played a soothing mix off a CD he had grabbed earlier. The little lights on the front of the tower blinked rapidly as the page loaded, and he smiled.
Serena's gonna love this he thought, clicking the mouse through the on-line flower store and looking for the perfect bouquet for the special occasion.
It had been a year since they had met, and he wanted to mark the day with a surprise, flowers and a night out, just the two of them.
He had already made reservations at a great four star restaurant and bought her a new dress.
After a few minutes, he smiled, and with a few quick seconds on the keyboard, he clicked twice, placing the order for a beautiful arrangement of flowers.
Clicking the window closed, he opened up a small program Amy had installed for him when he had decided to get the new PC.
A moment later, the screen lit up with a white screen, and the first few lines of an on-line chat room floated upward as he watched for the nickname he had been given.
Using the screen name 'MoonLover' he smiled as a few people welcomed him into the room in various ways, and he explained he was looking for someone.
"Who are you looking for?" the screen asked him, with the screen name 'F8fUl1'.
Fateful one? he thought, pecking away on the keyboard.
"She goes by 'QuickSlvr'." he replied. "I'm not even sure if she's awake."
"Oh, you mean Amy!" another person replied, using the nickname 'PrtyGrrl'.
"You know her?"
"Are you kidding, EVERYONE knows her!" 'F8fUl1' replied in huge, colorful letters.
As they talked, various other people came and went, and finally, after about twenty minutes, Amy's nickname appeared.
"Ahh, I see you mad it finally 'MoonLover' Amy said, tacking a cute little smiley face at the end.
"Yup, just sent you-know-who a huge bouquet of flowers."
"MsMoon?" she replied.
"Of course."
Another smiley face replied and he chuckled as she began to talk to her friends on-line.
"So, you liking the computer?"
"I see why you enjoy it so much, it is a great tool."
Amy's smiley face was all the reply Darien needed, and he knew she was blushing.
A few minutes later, a new name appeared, and Darien somehow knew who it was the moment he saw it.
'Fyrebyrd' was greeted with the same welcome Darien was, but she wasted no time on replies.
"QuickSlvr', glad I found you."
"What's up?"
"Problems with the usual bunch, we gotta get going..."
"On my way..."
Instantly, they left, and Darien also clicked the button to shut off the program, hoping he could find them in time to be of some help.
Sailor Moon dodged aside as the massive monster swung a massive bladed arm at her yet again.
This time though, it managed to tear the dress off her costume, and she was silently glad that was all he tore.
She staggered a bit, but stood up from the wet street and pulled her scepter.
"Ok monster, you not only tore my costume, you got me all wet and now I'll probably catch cold, you're SO much moondust!"
"Oh please Sailor Moon, must you be so over dramatic?"
Looking up, she saw a man standing across the street, shaking his head.
Glancing back at the monster, she barely avoided another blow, this one taking the bow off the from of her costume.
Scrambling backward, she hoped help would get here soon.
"Sailor Moon." Tuxedo Mask yelled over the monsters roar.
Standing and waving so he could see her, she smiled, knowing the other scouts couldn't be far behind.
Tuxedo Mask's smile quickly froze and shattered as she suddenly looked at her chest, her normally white costume now covered in blood.
"No!" he screamed, racing to be her side as his world collapsed.
The man stood, wiping the rain water from his clothes as best he could as a woman appeared over his shoulder.
"I got her." he said, chuckling.
"What is so funny?" Zoycite asked.
"It's amazing, you've had all these problems taking out such a whining, crying, spoiled brat, and I do in less than ten minutes what you can't do in two-hundred years."
"If I wanted your opinion, I'd give it to you." she replied smugly.
"Where's my money?" he asked, turning.
He wore a grayish-black jumpsuit, and carried a standard rifle any hunter could buy, but his face was far from average. His silver eyes and long white hair made him look almost like a living marble statue, and his personality wasn't much different from one.
His nickname was 'Clearcoat', mainly because no one ever saw him. A master of disguise and having an excellent knowledge of weapons and tactics made him a dangerous man, as long as he was paid well.
Zoycite smiled.
"Your money will be in the usual place."
He nodded, snapping the rifle in half and tossing it into a nearby trash can.
"I'll be in touch." she said before disappearing in a swirl of pink flower petals.
"I bet you will." he mumbled, walking away as if out for an afternoon stroll, ignoring the cries of the Sailor Scouts down the block as they mourned one of their own.
Darien sat in his bedroom in his apartment, staring at the floor and trying to figure out what he did wrong.
He ran the previous day's events through his mind for the millionth time, wondering if it was a dream.
Of course, it was all very real, and Darien stood and punched his wall in his rage.
As he sat down again, his hand bleeding from the four or five other times he had attacked his wall in a similar manner, he faintly heard his phone ringing.
Ignoring it, he stalked into the living room, memories of Serena and him sitting on the couch, staring at the moon and talking about nothing stared him in the face as he traveled into the kitchen.
As he poured himself a glass of soda, he looked at it for a second before tossing it into the sink, the sounds of it shattering into pieces momentarily made his feeling subside, but they soon returned ten fold.
Then, a knock on his door made him jump.
He slowly walked to the door as the phone continued to ring seemingly in the distance.
Serena... he thought I don't know if I can go on without you.
Opening the door, he was surprised to see a young man looking at him.
He wore a blue denim jacket over a white T-shirt and jeans, his bright red hair accented his blue eyes and his smile was warm, despite the chill in Darien's apartment.
"If you're with the police, I have nothing to say." Darien said, turning around and walking away, leaving the door open without a care.
"Nope, I'm not a cop." the man replied, his voice deep despite his slim build.
"Must be a reporter then..."
"Not a reporter either." the young man said casually, still not entering the apartment.
"What do you want then?" Darien asked, obviously annoyed at the man's tone.
"Well, for starters, you can answer the phone, Rei's worried sick about you.
Darien stared at the man for a moment, then decided he had done nothing to provoke him, and his attitude was unnecessary.
"Come on in."
The man walked in, shutting the door behind him and smiling as Darien picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"God Darien, are you OK?" Rei's panicked voice was apparent.
"I'm fine... I just woke up... took a tranquilizer to get some sleep last night."
Rei sighed happily.
"I was about to come over there."
The young man, across the room smiled.
"You should invite her over... in fact, you should invite everyone over."
Darien ignored Rei's questions for a moment as he looked over the young man.
"Do I... know... you?"
"No, and you should be glad."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Rei's asking you something." he replied in that same smug tone, as if laughing inwardly at some private joke.
Darien listened to the phone again, and heard Rei going on about a dinner party.
"...It would be good for all of us." she finished.
"Um yeah, we'll have it here... I'm not in the mood for crowds tonight."
"OK." she said, trying to sound as happy as she could. "How's eight o'clock sound?"
"Perfect, see you all then." he said, hanging up the phone.
The younger man was now sitting on the couch, watching TV.
"I think you have some explaining to do."
"Yup."
Darien was growing impatient again.
"Relax." the other man said.
"Who in the hell do you think you are?" Darien asked angrily.
The young man stood, and as he did, everything went totally silent, as if the entire world had stopped for a moment to watch him rise.
Turning and staring at Darien with those sparkling blue eyes, now cold as ice, he smiled an evil smile.
"I am the traveler of the planes, the one who finds souls lost in the abyss of their own making and leads them to the other world. I am the only person immune to the woes of time and space..."
Darien stepped backwards as the man's voice grew an edge that scared him beyond words.
"I am the ferryman between this world and the next..."
Staggering back one more step, Darien fell into a dining room chair.
"I am Death."
Amy quietly lay on her bed, fresh tears on her face as she struggled to find the way to go with her life now that her best friend was gone.
The phone rang, startling her to a sitting position.
"H..hello?" Amy sniffled.
"Amy?" It was Lita. "You OK?"
"I've been better." she replied faintly, wiping tears on her already damp sleeve.
"Get dressed, we're all heading for a party."
"A party?" Amy wondered aloud "Don't you think it's a bit early for a party just now, I mean Serena..." Her tears choked her words, but her point was well made.
"Yeah maybe, but Rei thought up the idea for Darien." Lita replied, sniffling herself now.
"He's taking it pretty bad I guess." Amy said, understanding.
"Yeah, I know it's hard, but Serena would want us to be strong and go on..." Lita's words died in a sob, and Amy's tears started anew.
"I can see her, you know." Amy said quietly. "She's happy and giggling... and wanting us to be happy with her."
Lita was quiet for a few minutes.
"Lita?"
"I'm OK Amy, just thinking."
"I'll meet you at Darien's." Amy said.
"Yeah, see ya."
Hanging up the phone, she cried again, not knowing Serena was truly watching over her as she did.
"Oh Amy..."
Serena sat on her friend's bed as she cried, unable to touch her or even say anything to soothe her pain.
"This is torture." she said quietly.
She was still dressed in the ragged, wet and bloody Sailor Moon Costume, but for some reason she only felt like Serena.
"Why are you doing this to me?" she yelled. "I understand I'm dead, but isn't there another world, or an afterlife? Why torture me like this? I was a champion of love and justice, I don't deserve this... do I?"
The last two words came out softly, and she blinked, and she stood in Darien's apartment.
Looking around she saw Darien on the couch, apparently asleep, Rei sitting beside him and Meena standing on the balcony.
"Why am I here?" Serena sobbed. "Is this to say goodbye to my friends?"
"Not exactly."
The voice startled her, because she knew someone had heard her.
"Who's there?" she asked, looking around in partial fear.
A young man appeared, his red hair and blue eyes put Serena at ease.
"Who are you?" she asked, reaching out to touch him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you... you might not like what you see."
"I... I don't understand..."
"I'm Death." he replied frankly "Though this appearance you see now is only an illusion."
"D..Death?" Serena shook in fear.
"Relax, I can't hurt you, you're already dead." he said, smiling. "It's just if you touch me, you'll see me how I truly am and most people find that pretty frightening."
Serena sat down, taking it all in.
"I really am... d...dead..."
"Afraid so." he said, sitting down next to her.
They sat in silence for a moment, before Rei spoke to Meena.
"Hey Meena."
Meena turned around, her face slightly damp from tears of her own, but she was smiling.
"You think Serena's watching us... from... wherever?" Rei asked quietly so as not to wake Darien.
Meena walked back into the house quietly, sitting next to Rei on the love seat.
"You feel it too?"
Rei nodded, sobbing suddenly.
Meena hugged her friend.
"Hey, what would Serena say if she saw you crying like this?"
Rei sat up, tears pouring from her eyes.
"I'd tell her to mind her own buisness, I can cry if I want to..."
Meena smiled and Rei chuckled, leaning on her shoulder once more.
Serena sat in the middle of the floor, her eyes closed now.
"Why am I still here?" she said, opening her moist eyes and looking at this young man who called himself Death.
"That's tough to explain." he said, standing and brushing himself off.
"Well explain it to me." she said, standing now too. "I'm not going anywhere for a while I imagine, or I think I would have."
"Smart girl." he smiled, walking toward the front door of the apartment.
"Hey, where are you going?" she said following him.
She passed through the door, not entering the expected hallway, but appearing in Molly's bedroom.
"Molly..."
Serena saw her friend sitting at her writing desk, working on trying to write a letter.
"Dearest Serena." She said as she wrote, her pen shaky in her hand as she worked.
"I pray that you get this message wherever you are now, I don't know how else to send it other than by pen and paper."
"Oh Molly..." Serena said, hugging herself as the wind picked up through the open windows.
"I hope you are happy, and I want you to know I understand about you're not telling me you were Sailor Moon."
"I couldn't..."
Molly paused for a second, and Serena wondered if she heard her.
"I want you to know I'll miss you... you were like a sister to me."
Serena sniffled, smiling.
"I hope you understand how important you were to me... I only wish I could have told you... before..."
Wiping tears with a beautiful pink handkerchief, Molly continued on a new line.
"Anyway, I only hope you hear me as I write this... and I want you to know I will try to be as strong as you were."
I know you will be Molly... Serena thought.
"Your friend forever... Molly."
Folding the paper up into a clumsy paper airplane, she tossed it out the window, where it disappeared into the city below.
"Why must I go thought this..." Serena said as Molly jumped onto her bed and cried.
"You'll see." Death said, disappearing out Molly's window.
Serena said nothing, not wanting to make him angry, and followed him once more.
They appeared in a small room where two little girls watched a TV in shock as the newscaster announced the death of Sailor Moon.
"No way, Sailor Moon can't die!" the first little girl said, jumping up and posing like Sailor Moon always did.
"Right, her body may be gone, but her spirit is invincible." the second girl added, standing and posing as well.
Serena was dumbstruck.
"You're starting to see the whole picture now." Death said quietly.
"I...people..."
"Yes." he sensed her words. "People respected you and loved you, even if they'd never met you."
"I...I never knew."
"There's a lot you don't know, and that will change... this way."
She followed him once more, this time appearing in a morgue.
"Oh no..."
"Yes." he replied, walking over to a small door in the wall, marked only as 'J-12, Asian Female'.
Opening the door, Death rolled out a metallic drawer with a body on it, covered only by a sheet.
"Do I have to?" Serena said, backing away.
"Look at what you were." he said, tossing back the sheet to reveal her body.
She cringed for a moment, not wanting to see the blood and damage she expected the bullet had caused.
"Do not fear Serena." the young voice said. "Look at yourself and see what other people have seen."
Serena squinted and looked at herself, and soon realized he was right.
She was naked, and pale from the cold, but not a mess like she expected.
"Gaze at what you were." he said.
Looking over her body, she saw the bullet hole that had taken her life was nowhere to be found.
"They did a nice job with the makeup." she said in a hoarse whisper.
"Look closer." he said.
Bending over a bit to look at her own face, she smiled at the expression.
"I... it... looks asleep."
"Look closer." he repeated.
Serena was about to say something else when the eyes on her body opened and stared at her.
Her world turned inside out, and she couldn't breathe. The cold and stiffness of truly being dead embraced her, and she couldn't fight back.
Instantly, she returned to the state she had been in, not dead, not alive, only existing between worlds.
After her body had looked at her, she had been flung across the room like a rag doll, the pain of her last moments in life dying off once more as her spirit regained it's form.
"I...I...understand..."
The young man created a blanket, and wrapped it around her, and as he did, she noticed she was no longer dressed.
"Cleansing the soul is often a dangerous job." he said, smiling. "but yours is pretty clean and stays in great shape."
She blushed, and he helped her to her feet.
"If I understand this right, you're helping me come back..." she said quietly, now feeling like Sailor Moon, clean and pure.
"It's not your time, and usually I just take souls to the other world, but in this case, I felt I had to step in."
"Isn't this breaking the rules?" She said, snuggling into the blanket as he put her body back where they had found it.
"I won't tell if you don't." he said, chuckling.
For the first time in what seemed like forever, Serena laughed, and truly felt alive.
Darien awoke from a nightmare to find Rei snuggled up on the floor in front of the couch in a huge blanket.
"You're awake?" Meena's voice said softly from behind him.
"She's been keeping watch over me?" he replied groggily.
"Yup... five and a half hours."
"Why?"
Meena smiled, handing him a cup of hot cocoa and sitting down to drink one herself.
"Everyone needs a friend when they lose someone they love."
Darien smiled for the first time in two days.
"I guess..."
They sat in silence for a while, watching the sun slowly set over the city, which was unusually quiet.
"Oh shoot." Darien said, putting the cocoa on the end table. "It's almost time for the party!"
"You get ready, I'll wake Rei."
Darien dashed off to get ready as the knock on the door came.
"I'll get it." Meena said down the hall.
Opening the door, she only caught a glimpse of the man before he smashed her in the face with a rifle stock.
"Heard there was a party here." The man known as Clearcoat said, smiling. "I LOVE to crash a good party."
Serena floated in a warm area of love between dimensions as she followed Death on his rounds.
Incapable of talking, they communicated through emotions in this non-dimension of goodness.
Death suddenly stopped, and his form flickered into that of a beautiful woman, with a golden dress.
Confusion surrounded Serena as she stopped behind Death quietly.
Turning, Death smiled, nodding for her to follow.
Her confusion flowed into wonder and sorrow, but she followed.
She silently appeared in a beautiful room of pink lace and red flowers.
Still mute, she could only watch as Death went about her buisness, taking the hand of a young girl as she lay sick in bed.
The little girl instantly understood what was happening, and though sad for having to leave, she knew she would no longer feel pain or sadness where she was going.
Death led the little girl down a long, beautiful path of flowers, listening to her as she talked about her parents and her life as it was, skipping unconcerned through the flowers as the silent woman holding her hand listened, smiling the whole time.
As Serena floated silently behind, watching as she was asked to do, she could only wonder how many such stories Death had heard though the countless years of having such a task.
Finally, they three travellers stopped at a beautiful river, a large boat tied to the near shore.
Serena held the boat while the little girl got in, though she didn't seem to notice, and Serena's confusion was apparent.
Death merely smiled, and got into the boat herself now, motioning for Serena to stay and wait.
Nodding, Serena sat in the grass, snuggling in the soft blanket and watching the two cross the river and disappear into the fog, wondering what lay on the other side.
Darien awoke to find himself tied to a dining room chair, Rei on one side of him tied in a similar fashion.
Looking around, he saw Meena, her nose and mouth bloody, being held up by her hair by this strange man who only sat and smiled.
Realizing struggle was pointless, Darien stared at the man, who was chuckling as he held Meena painfully off the floor.
"Let her go." Darien said quietly "If it's money you want..."
Clearcoat leapt to his feet, flashing a jagged knife to Darien's throat and yanking Meena across the floor with him.
"I don't want you money." he replied coldly "I want to watch you SUFFER."
"Then let her go." Darien replied just as icily.
"You DARE tell me what to do?"
"You dare come into MY house and push my friends around?"
The man laughed, dropping the unconscious Meena to the floor as he stood defiantly.
"Strong talk from a weak little man."
Darien smiled.
"That's OK, you don't have to apologize for being weak.. I forgive you."
Snarling, the man backhanded Darien out of his chair and onto the floor in a heap.
"Fool!" he yelled "How DARE you mock me!"
Struggling to roll over, Darien kept his smile up.
"You call that a hit? Geez, my girlfriend hits harder... and she's DEAD."
The realization hit him the same instant Clearcoat did, and Darien staggered under both blows as he tried to draw breath under the tremendous pain.
Serena he thought peacefully despite the chaos in his apartment I'll be with you soon.
Serena awoke as the familiar male voice of Death startled her.
"Sorry about the wait." he said, sitting down next to her "I'm not used to having people to come back over and see... and I forget how long one of these things takes.
"No it's OK." she replied, sitting up "It's your job... and besides, I have plenty of time."
He nodded, and the two stared at the foggy river in silence for a while, until he finally looked at her again.
"Can I ask you a question?"
She returned his look with her own, confused, but smiling.
"Um... sure."
He returned his gaze to the river, staring into the fog.
"What's it like... I mean, to be in love?"
Serena suddenly felt sorry for this being, and smiled compassionately.
"It's hard to explain exactly." she began quietly "It's just kinda of something you know the instant you see someone... it's kinda like butterflies in your stomach and tingling just under your skin... and you feel all warm and safe when you're around them."
"Would you believe I don't understand?"
She giggled, and Death looked at her in complete disbelief.
"You find that funny?"
"Of course, I mean it's understandable." she replied "You've been alone so long, you've forgotten what feelings are."
"You are truly one of a kind Serena." Death said, standing and smiling. "You understand me, and you laugh in a place that hasn't heard such a sound in an eternity."
She stood herself now, shivering slightly from the breeze rolling off the water.
"I'm nothing special." she replied softly "I'm like this with all my friends."
"A... friend." Death thought aloud "What a nice thought... to have a friend."
As Serena turned to follow Death again, she heard Darien's voice all around her.
"Serena... I'll be with you soon."
"Darien?"
Death sighed, and walked down another path in the road, one that had just appeared beside him.
"We haven't much time." he said over his shoulder as Serena walked behind him in confusion.
"But... what about..."
"Darien will be fine, I'll make sure of it."
Serena stopped, and Death turned around a moment later.
"Serena, I need you to trust me."
She blinked back tears, and nodded.
"Good girl." he smiled. "Now, take that path there to the end, and whatever you do, don't stop or look back, got it?"
"Yes." she replied, fear edging her beautiful voice.
"I'll meet you there soon." he said, turning and walking down the path "When I do, I'll explain everything".
Serena wasted no time, turning and walking down the path he had pointed to, silently praying Darien wouldn't end up like she was.
Oh Darien She thought, hoping he heard her Don't give up on me yet, my love. I'll return to you somehow.
Onward she walked, unaware she was being followed as she went.
Meena opened one eye and gasped as the pain rushed through her.
She was in Darien's bedroom, and the lights were out.
Before she could say anything, a familiar voice helped her sit up.
"Rei?"
"Shhh." she replied.
"What happened?" Meena said through the taste of blood in her mouth.
"Some guy busted in and has us all locked up." she answered, placing a cold, damp washcloth over Meena's nose and mouth "He's got all of us, me and you here in Darien's room, Lita and Amy are locked up across the hall in the guest room."
Meena took the washcloth and lay back on the bed slowly.
"Why not just clobber him?" she said, closing her eyes from the massive pounding in her head.
"He's got the doors tied together, so we can't open it." Rei sighed "And from the way he handled you, I doubt we'd be any match for him."
"What do you mean 'handled me'?" Meena asked quietly.
Rei explained the hair pulling and the gun the man carried, and how he had slapped Darien around before tossing them into the room a few minutes before Lita and Amy showed up and were tossed into the other room.
Meena simply lay quietly, taking everything in and trying to think of a plan.
"Meena?"
"Yeah Rei?"
"I heard Darien mumble something before that guy knocked him out..."
Sitting up and looking at her friend as she stared at the floor, Meena spoke.
"What did he say?"
"He said something about Serena." Rei sniffled.
"Well, tell me."
"He... he said... 'I'll be with you soon'."
Meena took her friend before she began to cry.
"Rei, listen."
"Hmmm?"
"Darien's a tough guy, and he's not one to just give up..."
"Yeah... I guess."
Just then, they heard a tapping through the ventilation covers.
"What's that?" Rei said, jumping up, ready for anything.
"Rei? Meena?" It was Lita's voice coming from the vent.
"Lita?"
"Amy, I got 'em!"
"Lita!" Rei said, pulling a chair up toward the vent and standing on it to hear better.
"You two OK over there?" Amy's voice asked quietly.
"Meena's a little busted up, but I'm OK." Rei replied.
"Yeah, Lita twisted her ankle kicking this guy, but we're OK over here too."
"You guys see Darien?"
"Nope, we thought he was with you." Lita's voice echoed through the vent.
Rei explained the events once more to the two other girls, leaving out the part about Darien's ramblings.
"OK, I have a plan." Lita said.
She explained the plan, and though Rei's face lit up in renewed hope, Meena, unable to hear, could only wonder what Darien meant by his words.
"OK." Rei said "We'll give it a shot."
Stepping off the chair and sliding it back where she found it, Rei thumped on the door a few dozen times.
A minute later, The man opened the door, pointing the rifle in the doorway first.
"What do YOU want, little girl?" he rumbled.
"I want to get a couple clean wash cloths, for my friend's face."
The man pondered silently for a moment, then shrugged.
"Sure, why not." he placed the gun to her head and walked her out the door and down the hall.
Meena waited until they were gone, and hoped Rei knew what to do.
Hearing Rei down the hall, Lita and Amy snuck out from their own room and Lita knocked the guy out with a steel candlestick while Amy rushed to Meena's side.
"You OK?" she said, sitting down to look over her friend's injuries.
"My head is KILLING me." Meena replied.
"No wonder... looks like a concussion." Amy replied. "You'll need to take it easy for a while."
"I'll be fine." Meena said as Lita and Rei dragged the man into the bedroom where Meena lay.
"How is she?" Lita said, dropping the man at the foot of the bed.
"She has a concussion." Amy repeated.
"Just give me the the guy's gun and go find Darien, I'll keep an eye on him."
"You need to rest..."
"Amy, I can rest while I sit here and watch him." Meena said stubbornly.
"She's right, besides, it may take all of us in case this guy has friends." Lita said.
"OK." Amy gave in.
Rei handed Meena the man's gun and smiled.
"You know how to use it?"
Meena shrugged.
"No, but if I point it at him, he probably won't try anything anyway."
"Right, let's go guys." Lita said, testing her ankle.
"You gonna be OK?" Amy asked.
"Yeah, I'll be fine once I trash some bad guy butt."
The three girls ran off toward the living room, leaving Meena with the monster that had caused her such pain.
Darien opened his eyes to see the young guy he had seen earlier smiling at him.
"You again?" he managed to say quietly, not daring to move for fear something was broken.
"Yup, me again, and don't worry, you're fine."
"You talk like you're a doctor or something." Darien shot back, trying to sit up.
Helping him up, the man chuckled.
"You could say that."
"OK, who are you really?" Darien said.
"I told you already, you don't believe me?"
Darien shook his head.
"I always though Death was a skeleton in a black robe with a scythe... or maybe a golden angel in silver robes and flowing white hair..."
"I have a lot of forms... mostly I'm just a normal type guy... or girl... depending on who I'm picking up."
"'Picking up'?"
"When you've done my job as long as I have, it isn't so personal."
"Maybe." Darien said.
"OK, I'll prove it to you." Death said.
"What are you gonna do, kill me?"
"I don't kill, I deliver souls to their resting place."
"Whatever." Darien replied, walking toward the kitchen just as Rei, Lita and Amy dashed in from the hallway.
"Darien!" they said in unison, carefully watching the man following him.
"Well, now I know you're not Death... unless it's all of our times." Darien said over his shoulder.
"Nah, like I said, I take a lot of forms."
"Who's this guy?" Lita said, stepping forward.
"Death." Darien said, chuckling "Or so he says."
Death bowed.
"He's not a bad guy?" Rei asked.
Darien shrugged.
"He hasn't done anything but annoy me or help me so far, so I guess not."
Amy watched the strange man as he sat down in a chair in the living room.
Lita, coming to her senses, told Darien about Meena and the guy that had captured them all, and Darien dashed back to take care of him, Lita and Rei hot on his heels.
Meanwhile, Amy sat and stared at this man in curiosity.
"You know, it's not polite to stare." he said, smiling.
She blushed, and turned her head, but the nagging feeling she was having was still there.
"Amy, isn't it?" he said, and she nodded.
"Thought so... Serena thinks highly of you." he continued, walking to the balcony to stare at the night sky.
Amy turned to look at him again, about to ask him what he meant.
"She's a nice girl, Serena." the man said, sighing. "No one like her deserves meeting me, at least not like she did."
"You... are.." Amy's face went white.
"Relax." Death said quietly. "I'm not here to take any of you away."
"Then..."
"In fact, I'm here to bring Serena BACK... if you can believe that." he chuckled.
Amy could only stare in shock, speechless for possibly the first time in her life.
Lita came back in then, limping slightly.
"Well, Darien tied that guy up, and Rei's bringing Meena in here while Darien calls the cops."
Rei appeared just then, carrying Meena on her back, like giving a kid a piggyback ride.
After getting Meena comfortable on the big couch, and Lita in a chair and her foot propped up and ice on the ankle, Darien walked back into the room.
"That guy's all talk once he gets caught." Darien said.
"You call the cops?" Rei asked.
"Yeah, they're on the way." he said, plopping down on the love seat next to Amy, who still stared at Death in shock.
"What's up Amy?" Meena asked "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Not exactly." the man said quietly.
"Guys." Amy said in almost in a whisper. "This really IS Death."
"Amy?" everyone asked simultaneously.
"She's correct." Death said.
Lita jumped up, walking backward, away from the man in horror.
"I've NEVER known Amy to lie, or say anything she truly didn't believe... so that means..."
Everyone suddenly reacted in fear then, except Darien, who simply laughed.
"Darien?" Amy said, scared, but worried.
"He's lost it." Meena said, in too much pain to move.
Darien's laughter continued for a minutes or so, until finally, Amy stood, frowned, and slapped him across the face.
Silence ruled for a moment, as Darien regained his senses.
"I'm sorry Darien..." Amy began.
"Thanks." he said, blinking.
"Well, the cops are on the way, and you guys need a day or so to let this sink in." Death said, walking toward the front door.
"Wait." Amy said, reaching for him.
"NO!" he turned, and she recoiled, her face bleaching once more.
Seeing their obvious fear, Death relaxed.
"Sorry, it's just that..."
"'Woe unto the one that lays his hands on Death, for they shall never again roam the mortal plane." Rei said, remembering something her Grandfather said once a long time ago to scare her as a little girl.
"Basically." he said.
"It's true..." Darien said softly.
"Yes Darien, and as I told Amy, Serena is safe, and in my care."
Lita pondered for a moment, and opened her mouth to speak.
"Right Lita." Death said. "Serena hasn't crossed over yet, and therefore can still be brought back."
"Yes!" Lita screamed, forgetting her fear for happiness.
A tear or two of joy escaped all the girls as they realized what would truly happen.
"Now, I have to make preparations." he said, turning once more for the door.
"When?" Darien asked simply.
Opening the door, Death looked over his shoulder.
"Before the funeral." he replied. "Get the body and bring it here."
Darien nodded, and looked at this strange being.
"Can you... tell her something?"
"Tell her yourself." Death said "She can hear your thoughts, and should be able to see you all now."
"She's here?" Rei said, looking around.
"Sometimes... Though you can't see or hear her, she can see and hear you."
With that, Death walked down the hall and was gone, leaving Darien and the four girls alone to sort out their thoughts and feelings a moment before the police busted in.
At that same moment, Serena ran as fast as she could run down a dark, lonely path.
"Run all you like." the evil voice breathed down her neck.
Serena ran on, ignoring the voice as it drew closer by the moment.
Finally, she saw a doorway at the end of the path, and running full tilt, crashed into it, tumbling and rolling into Darien's apartment.
Once she rolled to a stop, she looked over her shoulder to see what was chasing her, and gasped when she saw it.
It was her, only shadow-like. Yellow eyes glowed from the black silhouette as the creature laughed.
As Serena curled up in the blanket in the corner of Darien's apartment, she started at her shadow form, and for some reason, she understood what it was, and how it thought.
"You understand." it said quietly in her voice.
"You can't enter unless I invite you in." Serena said, standing now.
"Ahh how true." the shadow replied. "But you can't hide in there forever, you'll become a ghost... doomed to haunt Darien's house forever."
"Shut up!" Serena said, ignoring the living people that wandered through out the house.
The Shadow Serena laughed maniacally, her laughter echoing throughout the room, forcing Serena to hold her ears.
Just then, Death appeared beside Serena, and looked at the shadow, which vanished instantly.
"She bugging you?" he asked quietly as she covered herself in the blanket she dropped when she covered her ears.
"Yeah, she's creepy."
"She's your evil side." Death said "Means you've been here too long."
"So now what?"
"You stay in here."
"What about what she said?" Serena wondered aloud.
"Haunting?" he chuckled. "Nah, Ghosts are only souls that have unfinished business in the mortal plane... though for a while, you'll be about as close as you can get."
"You mean..."
"Yup, you can see you friends, and if you work hard enough, they can see you too."
Serena's spirits brightened.
"Can they hear me?"
"Depends on how hard you try... but now isn't a good time." he gestured to the Police and the general chaos in the room.
"I understand." she said, and sat down in the corner, feeling safe again.
"Yeah, you kick back, and take it easy, and don't worry, you'll be back to normal soon enough." Death said, turning and disappearing into nowhere instantly.
I hope so. she thought, curling up in the warm blanket and snuggling into the corner. I really do miss you Darien.