Note: I have nothing to do with Sailor Moon and its characters except to be a fan who enjoys the series and the movies very much. This story is my extrapolation of the storylines as received in North America. I apologize if this story doesn't quite fit into the Japanese series.
The doorbell rang. Darian took a deep breath and prepared to open the door.
It was three days after the battle with the Doom and Gloom Girls, and they had been long, empty days. Jed was gone, and the apartment was too quiet and lonely without him. Darian had spent the first hour of the first day trying to pack up Jed's belongings, but the silence had become too oppressive and the memories too overwhelming. He'd gone down to Andrew's arcade and had more or less ensconced himself there ever since.
Andrew had, naturally, asked after Jed. It had taken all of his control for Darian to tell Andrew in a level voice that Jed had returned to Hokkaido because of a medical emergency. Darian guessed that Andrew had noticed how upset he was over Jed's departure--though definitely not why--and had avoided mentioning Jed since.
Now, though, he had no choice but to think about Jed, especially since he had to give his friends the presents Jed had made for them. Everybody who knew Jed--with the exceptions of Rita, who was in Africa again, and Melvin and Molly, who'd had other plans for the evening--was coming over to Darian's apartment.
The gathering wasn't his idea. Ostensibly they were meeting for Greg's send-off party since the boy was leaving Tokyo again. Darian knew, though--courtesy of a little bird named Artemis--that Serena and the others were worried about him and hoped that a small party would help him out.
Darian had his own thoughts about that, but the party did give him a chance to distribute the presents.
Darian took another breath and opened the door.
Serena and the others bustled in, each one bearing some dish or another. In a very short time Darian's table was laden with things both personally prepared (courtesy of Lita) and bought (courtesy of everyone else). They settled down to eat.
For a time Darian was able to lose himself in the conversation at the table. Greg was talking about how difficult it was to make friends when he kept moving from school to school, and how glad he was to have made such good friend among those gathered around him tonight. Darian could sympathize, remembering how lonely he'd been until he'd met Andrew and Rita, and later Serena and the others. He deliberately forced himself not to think about Jed, but he couldn't quite suppress the pain that rose automatically. Then the topic turned to other things and he was able to relax a bit.
Dinner finally ended, though. After a brief lull during which Darian served coffee (for Andrew and himself), hot cocoa (for Serena), and tea, Darian decided that he couldn't put it off any longer. Steeling himself against the pain, he stood up and went to the closet, where he pulled out the bag that contained all the presents. He'd had to wrap them himself, and each second of it had been torture: handling the precious things had brought back memories of when he and Jed had discussed what would be most appropriate for each recipient.
He left Molly's gift in the closet and brought out the other nine gifts.
"Hey," Lita said, "I thought Christmas was still several months away."
Darian shook his head. "These--" He stopped and swallowed. "These are from Jed."
Silence immediately fell. Darian took advantage of the quiet to distribute the gifts. No one said anything. No one showed signs of opening their gifts. Instead, everyone--excluding the two cats--just sat there holding the wrapped boxes in their hands, staring down at them.
Darian, wanting to get it all over with, cleared his throat. "Andrew," he said, "why don't you open yours first?"
Andrew looked at him, then nodded. He tore away the paper and lifted the lid from the box. His eyes widened.
"What is it?" Serena demanded.
Andrew reached into his box and held up two intricate figurines carved from crystal, one large and one small. Both were clearly recognizable as Andrew and Lita.
"It's beautiful," Amy whispered.
Darian nodded. "Andrew, Jed knew how much you missed Rita when she left, so he made that large one for you. He wanted you to have something to remember her with when she left. He also made that smaller one for Rita so that she could take it with her. It's small so that it won't be a burden to her out on the savanna."
"She'll love it," Andrew said softly. "Darian, next time you hear from Jed, please tell him I really appreciate this."
Darian swallowed and looked away. "Sure, no problem," he said quickly. "Girls, why don't you open yours. Then Serena and Mina can open the cats' presents and Greg can open his."
That plan met with general approval, and everything was silent for a few moments as the girls unwrapped their presents. Then appreciative gasps filled the room as each present was lifted from their boxes.
Mina stood in miniature in a trailing kimono against the backdrop of a sun. Jed had somehow tinted the crystal in such a way so that her figure was clearly framed by a ring of light.
Rei stood beneath a torii remarkably like the one outside the Cherry Hill temple wearing a kimono tinted with the colors of flame and fire. Two birds perched upon her shoulders, and somehow--whether through another tint or the way they caught the light--they gave the impression of being black like ravens or crows.
Lita wore a long apron and a chef's hat. In one hand she wielded a whisk so delicately detailed that each individual tine was clearly separate from the rest. In the other hand she held a cornucopia from which finely carved grapes, apples, hams, and other fine foods tumbled to her feet.
Amy stood near a seashore with blue-tinted waves breaking behind her. She wore a long lab coat with a stethoscope draped around her neck and a clipboard in her hands.
Serena knelt in a prayerful position with the crescent moon rising behind her. Her gown was long and regal, with stylized butterfly wings rising behind her.
Artemis crouched in a stalking position, his eyes narrowed and focused on something unseen. Luna was frozen in a running stride, three of her four legs touching the ground while the fourth reached for its next placement and her tail trailed behind her.
"They're amazing," Lita whispered.
Darian looked away. "Go ahead, Greg," he said in a ragged voice. "Open yours."
Greg nodded and undid the paper. He opened his box and gasped. He held up a small disk of some sort of polished green stone. Some sort of scene had been brought out along its borders, but floating in the center in raised characters were the kanji for "friend."
Greg swallowed, studying the disk carefully. "This is--"
"It's jaedite," Darian said softly. He ignored the startled looks that the girls and the cats turned towards him. "Or, rather, it's jaedite jade. The clerk at the crystal store was very emphatic about that."
Andrew whistled. "That must have cost a lot!"
"Jed forwarded the money to me yesterday," Darian lied, knowing the girls and Greg would know that he had actually bought the disk. "He asked me to get something appropriate for Greg since he didn't have time to make something for him."
That brought louder gasps. "Jed made this?" Mina whispered, drawing her statuette closer.
"He made everything except the disk," Darian said. "Serena, he also made one for Molly, so could you give it to her later on?"
"Well, sure," Serena said slowly. "I'm sure she'll appreciate it."
Mina suddenly stood up. "Darian," she said, "where's your bedroom?"
Darian blinked. "Why?"
"Never mind that," she said impatiently. "Where is it?"
"It's down the hall," he said, confused. He watched as Mina hurried away.
* * *
Rei stared, as puzzled as everyone else, as Mina disappeared into Darian's bedroom. She reappeared a few moments later, bearing three sweater-wrapped bundles in her arms.
"Hey, Mina," she said, "what's in there?"
"These are Jed's presents for Darian," Mina said, placing them on the table in front of their host. "Jed told me about them a few days ago. I only realized just now that Darian probably hadn't found them yet."
Rei turned to stare at her one-time boyfriend. He had suddenly become very pale, and it seemed as though he were about to have a nervous breakdown or something.
"For me?" he whispered, his voice ragged.
Rei closed her eyes at the pain she heard in his voice. Why had none of them realized how hard Darian would take Jed's departure? She had distracted herself by flirting with Chad up at the temple, and Lita had probably cleaned her house several times over the past three days--not to mention cooking up a storm. She'd probably gone mall-trawling and hunk-hunting, too. Amy had Greg to distract her, and Mina surely had Artemis to comfort her. Darian should have had Serena, but the meatball head had immersed herself in borrowed comics to keep herself distracted without thinking about her boyfriend. True, she'd proven herself more responsible ever since Rini first arrived in the past--their present--but she backslid sometimes.
She watched sympathetically as Darian carefully--or painfully--drew away the first sweater.
Everyone gasped as the gift revealed itself, though probably not for the same reasons.
Just as Jed had crafted a Serena that looked dangerously similar to Princess Serenity, he had chosen to carve a Darian in the uniform and armor of the Prince of Earth. Andrew didn't seem surprised by it, though, and Rei knew why: it was all too easy to imagine Darian living in another age and time, armed with a sword and dressed in such attire. It helped her that she remembered seeing him dressed like that in the Moon Kingdom, but Andrew certainly wouldn't have that memory to aid him.
With shaking hands Darian reached for the second bundle. Rei hoped desperately that it wouldn't be so potentially explosive. She breathed a sigh of relief when Darian held up a rose. Like the other carvings, this one had been tinted with red around the petals and green along the stem and leaves.
This one affected Darian less than the first, but there was no doubt that it had touched him. He prepared to open the third bundle.
He stopped in the opening, the sweater hiding the gift from view. Rei's eyes widened as tears formed in his eyes. Darian let the sweater drop down again, then stood up and moved quickly onto the balcony.
Rei, unwilling to intrude on Darian's privacy but curious to see what had so affected him, drew back the sweater.
Jed and Darian stood together, back to back, arms crossed across their chests. Darian was once again in his garb as the Prince of Earth. Jed had dressed himself in the sailor's uniform--sans cap and the altered coloration--that she, Amy, and Serena had once seen him in. Both carvings ended at the waist with a huge chunk of jagged crystal beneath it. Plainly the figure was unfinished.
Rei bit back a sob. Now it would never be finished, not unless Jed took it up again sometime in the distant future. Then, her eyes caught some letters etched in near the base. "'For the best friend and cousin anyone could wish for'," she read. She felt tears rising and looked away before they could fall.
The others seemed similarly affected. For a moment nobody said anything.
Andrew started to rise. "Maybe I should go and talk to him," he offered.
Mina shook her head. "I'll go," she said. She stood up and followed after Darian before anyone could object.
"He'll be all right, Andrew," Rei said softly. "It will just take a little while."
"Are you sure?" Andrew asked. "I hate to see him hurting like this."
Rei nodded. "I do, too. But we can't do anything or him." She sighed. "He spent all that time alone. Then he found a family, only to lose it again." She sighed again. "All we can do is be there for him."
Andrew sighed. "I guess you're right. I suppose I'm the same way each time Rita goes back to Africa after returning for a visit. Darian's always there to cheer me up. Now I guess it's my turn."
Rei turned and looked hard at Serena. "Well, maybe Darian wouldn't be taking it so hard if someone showed him a bit more compassion instead of pigging out and reading comics all day."
"Hey, Rei," Serena snapped, "who are you calling a pig?"
"I call it like I see it," Rei retorted.
As she and Serena tore into each other with sharp barbs, Rei felt a little better. It hurt to grieve for Jed; it felt much better insulting Serena. Rei knew it wouldn't last, but Jed had always found their spats amusing, so she didn't think he'd mind this one too much.
* * *
Mina stepped out onto the balcony, closing the door behind her. She was only dimly aware that Artemis and Luna had slipped in also. "Darian?" she called softly.
Darian leaned on the rail, his shoulders slumped. "Go back inside, Mina," he said.
Mina shook her head and moved to stand beside him. The cats jumped up onto the rail. "You miss him, don't you?" she asked.
Darian started to speak, then slumped even lower. "Yes," he whispered. "I miss him. A lot."
He turned around. "You can't know what it's like, Mina," he said, his voice ragged. "All my life--that I can remember, anyway--I've lived alone. In the orphanage I didn't have real friends. It wasn't until I found my own apartment and met Andrew--and later Rita--that there was anyone I could really talk to, and even then I knew I didn't really belong with them. I could spend time with them, but I'd be an intruder. An outsider."
Mina said nothing as he turned around again to gaze out at the city.
"Thanks to everything that's been happening with the Negaverse and the Doom Tree and the attackers from Nemesis," he continued, "it's only been recently that I've had time to remember that I was alone. Then we freed Jed and he moved in with me. We started calling each other 'cousin.' At first it was just an explanation for his moving in." He shook his head. "But after a while, it became more than just that. We referred to each other as cousin so many times, and people saw us as cousins so often that it became real. He became more than just my friend: he became my family." He lowered his head.
Mina's eyes widened as Darian's shoulders shook. "Darian--"
"And now he's gone," he sobbed, "and I miss him so much!"
Mina had no idea what to do. As much as she liked Darian, he was Serena's boyfriend, not hers. Should she hold him while he cried? Should she go get Serena?
"It's all right," Luna said softly. "Go ahead and cry, Darian. You have a right to cry. He's your family and he's gone."
"But remember," Artemis said, "you'll see him again someday. Always remember that."
Mina nodded. "Artemis is right, Darian. You know you'll see him again someday. You know because you told yourself. Or, rather, the King of Earth told you." She frowned. "No, that's still you telling yourself." She knew she was babbling and tried to continue. Hopefully it would at least draw Darian part-way out of his grief.
Apparently it worked because Darian had turned and smiled at her, although his eyes were still bright with tears. "It's all right, Mina," he said, his voice still husky. "I know what you mean. And I guess I shouldn't be too upset, because I will see him again." The smile fell. "It still hurts, though," he whispered.
"It's good that it hurts," Mina said, remembering something she'd read or heard somewhere. "It's when we don't feel anything that we should worry, because it means we've died on the inside, and there's no longer anything to live for. But you have a lot to live for, including Serena, Rini, the Earth, and for Jed."
Darian stared at her for a moment, then nodded slowly. "You're right," he said softly. He turned away again. "Mina, could you leave me alone for a bit? I'll be all right, but I want to think for a while."
Mina gently placed her hand on Darian's shoulder. "Of course," she said. "Come on, Luna, Artemis." She opened the door and shooed the cats inside. She glanced back at her friend.
"Darian," she said, "we all miss him, too."
"Thanks, Mina."
Mina watched him for a moment, the stepped inside.
* * *
Darian gazed out at the city. The streetlights were bright and cheery in some places, dim and foreboding in others. Still, they together created a patchwork that reminded him of himself, and of Jed. Both of them had a lot of dark memories to deal with, but they had made great strides in balancing them out with bright, happy ones.
He smiled to himself. "Take care, Jed," he said to the night air. "When you come back we'll go and make even more good memories. The Negaverse is behind us now, and the future is ours to choose."
He turned and, with one last glance at the city, returned to the friends--Jed's friends and his--that awaited him inside.
* * *
The servant tapped timidly at the king's door. "Your Majesty?" he called.
"What is it?"
The servant swallowed. "There's a young man waiting in your office. He insisted on meeting with you today. I told him you were busy preparing for your wedding, but he refused to leave."
The door opened. The king stepped out, his face calm and neutral. "Well, I'd better go and meet with him then, if it's so important that he'd be willing to interrupt a wedding."
The servant held up a gift-wrapped box. "He said to give this to you and ask you to open it immediately." Seeing the king's eyebrow rise, the servant flushed. "Palace security has already scanned it, Your Majesty. It's not a bomb. It seems to be made out of some sort of crystal, but the scanners couldn't identify exactly what it was."
To the servant's surprise, the king snatched the box from his grasp, tearing the paper away in such haste that the servant half feared the box would fall to the floor.
He stared in amazement as the king drew out an intricate statuette of a crystal rose framed by a crystal crescent moon. At the base of the statuette were two lines of words. From his angle the servant was able to make out only the last words of each line: "wedding" and "cousin."
The servant stared as the king suddenly sprinted down the hall towards his offices. The servant shook his head and gathered up the discarded paper and box.
He would never dream of criticizing the king--it wasn't his place to do so--but it was still very surprising. The King of Earth was usually calm and sedate, and certainly courteous enough to discard his own rubbish. To see him so excited and rude...
The servant shook his head. Well, he'd find out the story sooner or later. Palace gossip being what it was, the truth about the relationship between the king and the stranger--maybe his cousin, if that statuette was any indication, though he couldn't recall the king having any relatives--would be old news by the time the wedding ended, and that only because nearly everyone in the palace would be watching the ceremony themselves. Speaking of which...
The servant hurried on his way, determined to find a good place to watch the wedding from.
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