Sweet Destiny
By: Jessica M. Moonflower & KTstarShot
Chapter 2
Rated: PG-13

Disclaimer: Do you think Naoko Takeuchi is TWO people? 
No? Didn't think so. *cheeky grin*

Anyway, this is Mae here. >> I'm uploading chapter two. 
*grins* Shhh... Jess doesn't know, yet. *cackles* Stay tuned, 
though, 'cause Jess will be writing chapter three! Anyway, 
read on!

Also, thanks goes to Ash for being my "counselor" for it. >>; 
*squishes on Ash* ^^;

	Serena walked into the petite café, checking her watch 
as a slight scowl marred the otherwise attractive features. She 
hung back and surveyed the tidy café for Mina, already guessing 
that she wouldn't be there just yet.

	She had called Mina this morning and asked her to meet 
with her for brunch at a café near her apartment. Mina wasn't 
there, yet. Serena had dressed in a khaki skirt, white blouse with 
a swirl of tan colors on it, and white heels for the outing. Grumbling 
under her breath she twisted one of the gold earrings that hung from 
her earlobe.

	Probably late as usual, she thought. She saw the waitress 
politely waiting for her to say something. She mumbled under her 
breath and decided to get a table for them.

	Walking up to the podium, the brunette waitress greeted Serena 
and asked how many people would be joining her.

	"Just one other."

	"All right, follow me, please."

	The waitress led Serena to a small booth in the corner of the 
café with a window view. She lay down two menus. "Is there anything 
you'd like to drink while you wait?"

	"Iced water would be great." Serena slid into her seat while the 
waitress walked away to get her drink. Serena tapped her foot 
impatiently, her heels click-clacking, drawing frowns from several 
other customers around her. Ignoring them, she flipped through her 
menu and searched for something to eat.

	The waitress came back with her iced water, a platinum-blonde 
girl trailing after her. Serena glanced up and murmured her thanks to 
the waitress as her water was set down. The blonde sat across from 
Serena and asked for a ginger ale.

	Serena looked up from her perusal of the menu and said dryly t
o Mina, "Well, it's about time you got here. I really wanted to talk to you 
last night, but I guess you were out with one of your male friends."

	"Oh Serena, drop the indignant act." Mina brushed her blonde 
bangs out of the way of her skyblue eyes. "I just got here and you're 
digging down my back about little nuisances such as time." She 
propped open her menu, chewed on her bottom lip and went straight 
for the more carb-filling breakfast page. "Plus, you just got here yourself. 
I saw you parking your car while I was walking from.. ah.." Mina trailed off 
as her gaze lifted and caught Serena's troubled eyes.

	"What's wrong?" she inquired, quietly.

	"I'm just tired. Of this. Of everything." Serena finished on a sigh. 
She stared at her hands; her fingers were laced together as she held 
her glass. "I met a man yesterday."

	Serena laughed, humorlessly, at the way that sounded. It was 
so utterly soap-operaish.

	A white-blonde eyebrow lifted at that statement. "A man, hmm? 
Was he tall, dark, and handsome?" Mina smiled, her eyes faraway with 
romantic dreams.

	Serena snorted softly, "Actually, you've hit the mark, as cliché as 
it may be. He was tall, dark, and handsome. Though, I'm not sure the 
word 'handsome' does him justice." Her lips went up slightly at the 
corners.

	Mina stared at Serena, amused. Well, this is a first, she 
thought. Serena actually mooning, even though it may be just a bit, over 
a man? This is something that should be taped! Serena never went even 
slightly gaga over a man.

	"Well, what's wrong then?"

	Serena's gaze locked with Mina's. "You know why."

	"Oh come on, you're going to let that tiny detail of your life stop 
you?" Mina rolled her eyes.

	"It's hardly a 'tiny detail', Mina." Serena's tone had gone stiff. "
Look, let's just order, then I'll talk about it."

	Mina scowled and started looking at the breakfast orders. As she 
continued reading the varying breakfast meals, a small part of her mind 
wondered and scoffed at the reason for Serena's distress.

	Personally, she wouldn't mind it if she were a vampire. Sure 
she'd have to drink a little blood, now and then, but if she had a whole
string of male admirers, and she would, she could take a little now and 
then. She'd live long, be beautiful for a long time, and have as many 
affairs as she liked. If someone wanted to cause her harm, she'd simply 
get rid of him.

	But, her mind argued, how long would you be satisfied with 
that? Mina knew she'd get bored, and fast. She sighed, drawing a 
glance from Serena.

	Serena had moved into her apartment earlier this year, and met 
Mina, a white-blonde girl, when she'd been walking in the park. Serena 
had been extremely depressed and lonely, and had contemplated, and 
wondered, committing suicide in the park's pond. She didn't know if she'd 
die. Hadn't been surprised when she didn't.

	Serena had just gotten over an affair in Singapore. She'd been 
getting attacked everywhere she went. From Australia to Brazil and then 
to Singapore.

	It was incredibly stupid, but the people that were after her had 
been well informed about where she stayed, where she went, and the 
weaknesses - and strengths - she possessed.

	While she'd been in Singapore, she had met a man she could 
easily fall in love with, a brunette singer with dreams of stardom in 
Hollywood, California. A young man whom was brutally murdered because 
he was a confidant of Rosalyn Tresky, Serena's alias earlier this year, 
whom had 'died' in an accident.

	With affections smeared and places targeted, Serena decided 
to move to a city with more bustle. One that was crowded with people, 
a place easily lost in. Serena had moved to New York City, USA, 
specifically Forest Hills in Queens. And the day she arrived, she'd ignored 
the U-Haul truck and the men's leering stares. She'd gone for a walk, 
staring dully at a photo - the last Seiya, her dear friend, would ever take. 
She couldn't believe he was gone. Still couldn't believe it. He'd been alive 
and robust, vitality flowing off of him in waves. Then murdered, his skull 
fractured in more places than she thought possible, swelling bruises and 
scratches marring the skin that had been tanned and smooth. Someone 
had wanted information on Rosalyn Tresky. And, someone didn't get it. 
So Seiya paid the price. Serena bit back bitter tears.

	So, the day she'd gotten off her plane and landed at JFK - John F. 
Kennedy -- airport, she'd been depressed. Then, entering a shadowed 
park, the leaves of oak trees blocking out most of the sun, Serena walked 
down a path strewn with leaves, rocks, and pebbles. Walking towards the 
center of the park, Serena had spotted a lake.

	There was a gentle and peaceful feeling that came from the water 
that lapped the edges of the sand and dirt. Azure eyes that were too old for 
a petite blonde that looked less than twenty-five, took on a steely gaze as 
they calculated the depth of the water, and how long it would take. How 
long she'd be able to stay under the water and pass on to death, from 
lack of air. She risked it. She dared. She crouched and with a move so
 fast, she was up and over the gate that blocked off what seemed to her, 
at the time, a haven. She splashed into the water, soaked to the bone, 
and let herself drift. Closing her eyes, she shuddered out a breath, and 
then inhaled the muddy water.

	Mina had been out, taking a break from her part-time job as a 
salon stylist, and was on the other side of the lake, daydreaming, when 
she'd heard a loud splash. Running over, she'd seen a blonde, floating 
head down in the murky gray-blue waters, and gasped. Curiosity and 
shock melded as she ran the path that took her to the other side of the 
lake, and climbed over the gate that separated her from the lake.

	She'd dragged Serena out of the water, and onto her back in the 
dirt. Feeling for a pulse, reminiscent of her old nurse classes, Mina 
didn't feel a thing. She fretted. Glancing up at the slightly older woman, 
Mina noticed a slight rise and fall of the lady's chest. Puzzled, Mina tried 
for a pulse again. Nothing. Not even a thread, or the lightest flicker of a 
pulse. But the rise and fall indicated breathing. Odd, she thought. What 
the hell? Then with a sigh, the blonde groaned and her eyes fluttered 
open. She met with Mina's sky-blue eyes. Startled, she jerked up.

	And that was how Serena met Mina. She'd done a lot of explaining 
when Mina recovered and asked why there was no pulse. Then she'd 
helped Serena get through the first month of depression and sadness. 
Mina was, literally, one in a million.

	And now that Serena was sitting in a café, with an order ready in 
her mind, her gaze slid to Mina.

	Mina was twenty-one, came from a stable household, but had 
aspirations to be a dancer. She paid off her classes with the money she 
made from a salon she worked at. She was the most giving and selfless 
person Serena had met, so far. And Serena loved Mina as much as she 
could love a sister. They were best friends, yet sister at heart. Smiling 
softly, Serena poked Mina's shoe with her own.

	"You done looking for what you want?" And knowing Mina, Serena 
knew she'd be ordering something sugary or loaded with carbs. "Might 
want to try something that won't fatten you up, you know."

	"Oh shove it, Sere, you know that I've got a metabolism that's too 
fast for any of the fat to stick to my bones." She grinned. "Plus, I don't 
believe in that rubbish about starving yourself so you can dance." Closing 
the menu, she slid it to the edge of the table where Serena's already was 
placed.

	As if on cue, a waiter came by, notepad in hand and pen tilted to 
take their orders.

	Serena looked up, caught his gaze. "I'll have a salad with the 
dressing on the side, please."

	Nodding, the waiter scribbled something down.

	"Uh-huh, sure, Sere. Anyway, I'll have the pancakes - they are 
homemade, right? Not that powder stuff from the box?" She looked at 
the waiter, inquiringly, completely serious.

	"Er, yes, ma'am." He nodded.

	"All right, well I'll have that then with extra syrup, and a muffin."

	Scribbling again, the waiter nodded, took the menus, and left 
for the kitchen.

	Amused, Serena sat back. "You know, you're exactly what I 
need every time I get into one of my sad moods."

	Sliding her gaze from the waiter's nice butt, Mina looked at 
Serena and smiled. "Of course. I'm the medicine for all needy people." 
She grinned while Serena snorted.

	"So anyway, what is wrong? Come on, pipe up and tell me." 
Mina sat forward, her chin resting on a hand. Her other hand played 
with the napkin on the table as she watched Serena's eyes. Everything 
you ever need to know about Serena is in her eyes, she thought.

	Serena kept her gaze on her hands as she relayed what had 
happened the night before. Her rescuer from the rain, the man with 
the unruly black hair and piercing cobalt blue eyes. Sighing, Serena 
looked back up at Mina with a thin glaze of tears, not yet ready to fall.

	He reminds me so much of Seiya, she thought. But the thought 
wasn't oblivious to Mina. Mina had seen pictures of Seiya. He might 
not be a twin-mirror of this Dare-person, but being tall, brunette, and 
with a lean body build was enough for Mina to know what and why the 
hurt was in Serena's eyes.

	"I just... can't see him." Serena said brokenly. "I couldn't stand it 
if something horrible happened to another person I care for." She 
stared at Mina forlornly.

	"Well, nothing's happened to me yet, so what makes you think 
anything will happen to him? I'm not ruling out the possibility, but if he's 
careful, then surely you can do something... perhaps meet-"

Mina was interrupted as their food arrived. She sent a sympathetic 
glance at Serena, then smiled wide at the waiter, who flushed at her 
attention. He set down their dishes, and with a backwards glance, hurried 
off to another table.

	Serena snickered and coughed. Mina threw a sharp look at her, 
then began to slather butter onto her pancakes. She added thick syrup 
and cut the pancakes into smaller pieces as Serena topped off some 
dressing onto her own salad.

	"So, what do you plan to do about it all? I mean, you can't 
alienate yourself from friendship or trust, y'know." Mina chewed 
thoughtfully. "Plus, just do what you do with me, with him. Don't spend 
a lot of time with him. And try to steer away from extremely public places, 
if you're with him. After all, nothing has happened to me." Mina smiled.

	With a pensive expression, Serena ate her salad. She really 
wanted to meet with Dare. A lot. But she didn't want a repeat of a 
"Seiya-murder", so to speak. She bit her bottom lip as she wondered 
about the situation. Maybe Dare would become another Mina, she thought. 
I could use more good friends. And it's a wonderful feeling to know 
someone's there for you.

	Mina sipped her ginger ale and watched the emotions that 
flickered across Serena's eyes.

	"Did you get his number, or anything?"

	The question cut into Serena's thoughts. Surprised, she 
answered, "Oh. No, I didn't. And I never gave him mine, though he 
knows where I live, now."

	Dismayed, Mina stirred her ginger ale with the straw, absently. 
That's not good, she thought. We need a way to get Serena off this 
depressed outlook. Need someone to liven things up a bit. It's too 
dull and routine, nowadays.

	Grumbling mentally, Mina ate the last bite of her pancake and 
set down her fork. Folding her hands ontop of the table, she leaned 
towards Serena, her pale blonde locks swinging forward.

	"Fine. So we probably don't have a way to get you to meet lover-
boy again, but fill me in on some more of the details. I want to know 
what he was like. How he looked. Come on, spill it, Sere."

	"Well, he's great to talk to. Easy to get along with, and he has 
this aura around him that makes me feel as if I've met him before." 
She paused and gave a half-smile. "If I thought reincarnation was true, 
I'd say I've met him in a previous form."

	Mina stared at Serena and stuck up a hand, a motion for Serena 
to stop. "Don't you dare go all philosophical on me." She squinted at 
Serena and in a high-pitched tone, she mimicked her teacher, "And 
class, don't forget to study pages fifteen to one thousand for tomorrow." 
Mina snorted and damned her parents who wanted her to major in 
something more "practical", rather than dancing.

	Serena lifted an eyebrow at Mina, used to her copycats of her 
teachers. Mina grinned and stopped so Serena could finish.

	"Anyway, he's considerate. Something I find that's a sort of 
endangered emotion, as most people these days are complete asses." 
Serena rolled her eyes. "But, my God, he's a brunette Adonis. Mina, if 
you saw him you'd absolutely melt in your seat. He has these wonderous 
deep blue eyes that sort of gazes into your own and you could get lost in 
there. And his arms. My God his arms."

	A cough from Mina brought Serena out of her revelry. Blushing 
slightly, Serena finished, "Well, yes, that's about it." Mina just tipped her 
head back and laughed.

	Embarassed, Serena tossed her napkin at Mina's face. "Be 
quiet! You're drawing attention to us!"

	Mina's laughter dimmed to a couple of chuckles while she 
tossed Serena's napkin back at her, along with the last piece of her 
muffin. "Quit throwing things at me. I still have some butter and syrup. 
Don't make me use them." With a mischievous glint in her cerulean 
eyes, Mina playacted pouring syrup onto Serena.

	A loud cough was heard behind Serena, and as Mina's gaze 
slowly went up, the plastic bottle full of syrup fell down, onto her lap. A 
mumbled 'oh my' was all Serena heard before she turned around.

	Two pairs of azure eyes widened slightly as Serena breathed 
out, "D-Dare."


Wait for the third chapter, coming soon [we hope] from Jess in AI 
search forums near you. *coughs*