RESCUE ME A Sailor Moon Lemon NOTE: Although this story contains hentai, it is not primarily a hentai story. If you're just looking for hot and heavy bodies-bumping-on-bodies action, look elsewhere. This is a *story* that just happens to contain a touch of spice. This is a sequel to my previous pieces, "Soul of Fire" and "See Me, Feel Me, Touch Me, Heal Me." It is necessary that you read the first before proceeding with this one, and very strongly recommended that you read the second. by Sailor Mac "I know what we can do," said Serena as she flipped through the book listing the karaoke song choices. "We can sing 'Wannabe' as the Spice Girls. I can be Baby Spice, Lita can be Sporty Spice, Mina can be Sexy Spice. . ." Raye looked up from her own song book and scowled. "If you ever say the words 'Spice Girls' in my presence again, you will die. Slowly. And painfully." The table at Java Jive, a coffeehouse which hosted a weekly all-ages karaoke, was crowded. Besides the five Scouts, Darien, Andrew, Chad and Molly were all in attendance. The girls had decided to all go up to sing as a group-except for Raye. "Are you sure you don't want to come up with us?" said Lita. "It won't be as much fun up there without you." "No, I'm going to do my own thing," she said, a funny, faraway look coming into her eyes. "It's. . .something that I. . .really want to do." Darien noticed that faraway look. Raye had been acting very strange lately. . .like she wasn't the girl he had gone out with anymore. She had started going into funny "space-out" periods, like her eyes were staring into another world. He knew she was a mystic, but still. . . He was interrupted in his thoughts by a poke in the ribs. "Hey! Aren't you coming up to sing with us?" Serena said. "No thanks, Meatball Head. I don't think the management of this place would appreciate me clearing out the joint." He looked at the pile of empty cups in front of her. "Uh, Serena, how many mochaccinos have you had?" "This is my fourth one. But the night is young yet. Oh, look, they're calling Andrew up to the stage!" Darien sent up a silent prayer that the Negaverse would not try anything funny tonight so that the world would not have to be defended by a Sailor Moon who was buzzed to the gills on caffeine. A roar went up from the Java Jive regulars as Andrew took the microphone. He'd started to get a reputation for his Elvis impersonations. Tonight, he was not going to disappoint. He'd chosen to sing "The Wonder of You," and about a verse into the song, couples started to get up on the dance floor in front of the stage, swaying to the music. "Wanna dance?" Darien asked Serena. "Delighted," she replied in a grandiose, putting-on-airs voice. Raye watched them twirling around in each other's arms. She no longer felt that sick jealousy in the pit of her stomach when seeing the two of them together anymore. No, now she felt something different while watching them, or any other loving couple. It was a longing for something altogether different from ordinary man-woman love, an experience she'd only had for a short time, the sweetest experience of her young life. She closed her eyes as the memories came flooding back-the powerful male figure running his hands over her body, touching, caressing, exploring. His lips burning on hers, his voice whispering words of love as his manhood filled her. And when her fantasy caused her to emit a low whisper of, "Oh, my Lord," it was no idle, Christian-style taking-God's-name-in-vain. For the lover she was remembering was literally a god, the god Mars, who had chosen her to be his priestess, lover and champion back in the Silver Millennium. "Raye?" Mina was saying. "Are you okay?" "Andrew's done," Amy added. "They're calling you now." Burning with the fire of her love for him, she walked slowly through the room toward the emcee. She'd chosen this song deliberately-it was the one song in the world that expressed just how she felt about him. All eyes were on her-nobody could keep from staring. She was radiating a strange, almost otherworldly magnetism. She didn't look at the words on the screen when they appeared in front of her. She knew them by heart. And her eyes were staring somewhere else. . . "Life is a mystery Everyone must stand alone I hear you call my name And it feels like. . .home." Not even Madonna herself had ever sung that song with such fervor, such passion. Raye strutted the stage as if she were in command of the world. As she sang, "I'm down on my knees. . ." she flung herself to the floor, her eyes following her hand as it stretched out to the ceiling. She closed her eyes at several points, her face showing an ecstasy one usually sees on paintings of the saints. It was the most electrifying performance ever seen on any karaoke stage. Her audience was so caught up in it that when the song neared its end, they clapped and sang along to the "choir" part-"Just like a prayer, I'll take you there, it's like a dream to me. . ." Back at her "home" table, her fellow Scouts were cheering her wildly-except for Serena, who stood transfixed to the spot, drinking in the song. And Darien, standing beside her, knew that his suspicions were confirmed. Some monumental, life-changing thing had happened to Raye. * * * He wanted to pull her aside to talk to her about it as they left Java Jive as a group, but she seemed in a hurry to leave, practically dragging Chad out of there along with her. As Darien headed for his car, a small figure sidled up beside him. She threw her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear, "Guess what? I told my mother that I was staying at Lita's tonight." Ordinarily, those words would ignite an immediate fire in his blood. But tonight, he felt a resistance. It wasn't just his concern over Raye. He'd felt a foreboding in the air the past few days, as if something bad was going to happen. And he'd been plagued by nightmares, nightmares of something evil reaching out of an endless void to claim. . . "Darien? Is anything wrong?" Oh no, she thought, not again! He's still hurting because of what Beryl did to him! I didn't heal him after all! "Wrong?" He turned and looked at the girl standing next to him, the pure love shining from her eyes. That look of hers would melt an iceberg. Maybe, he thought, holding her in my arms all night is just what the doctor ordered for me. Maybe I can escape these feelings of darkness. . .just for a little while. He gathered her into his arms. "Of course nothing's wrong. I'm just a little out of it. Hop in the car." "Oh, Darien!" She kissed him. "I have a wonderful surprise planned for you. . ." She held up her backpack, which looked stuffed to the bursting point. Suddenly, he felt the familiar warmth coursing through his veins, his heartbeat start to accelerate. Nightmares and feelings of doom were far, far away. "I can't wait to see what it is," he said. * * * "Why did you go flying out of there like a bat out of hell?" said Chad. "You've been acting very strange tonight, Raye." Raye hugged herself against the cold as they mounted the steps of the temple. "Look, Chad, I just want some time to myself in front of the fire right now." "Again? You spend so much time in front of that fire that it's a wonder your eyelashes aren't singed off." "Please, Chad, I. . ." Suddenly, she stopped stock still, and became deathly pale. "Raye?" he said. And then, he screamed her name when she collapsed to the ground. * * * "AAAAUUUGGHHH! I hate eyeliner! What kind of idiot would invent something so stupid?" Serena wet a piece of toilet paper and wiped away her third attempt to put on her eye makeup. Why didn't it come out as nice as it did when Mina showed her how to put it on? Mumbling under her breath, she picked up the eyeshadow and began to apply the color all over again. She didn't realize it, but the figure reflected in Darien's bathroom mirrors didn't really need the makeup-it was just gilding the lily. In her fancy, lacy nightgown, with her hair taken out of its "meatballs" and brushed out flat and straight, she was absolutely stunning. Finally, she managed to get her eyes looking presentable, and she put on blush and lipstick. A quick glance at her watch on the sink told her that she'd been in the bathroom for half an hour. Well, all the self-help books said that it was a good thing to keep a man waiting. . . Darien was sitting on the floor in front of the stereo, sifting through his CDs, more to keep his mind from wandering back to the "gathering gloom" than to find the perfect accompaniment to an evening of romance. When he heard the bathroom door open and close, he turned toward the sound-and was breathlessly stunned by the ethereal vision in front of him. Oh, Serena. Oh, how beautiful you are. Just looking at you makes my heart ache. . . "Surprise," she said, stepping further into the living room and doing a little pirouette. "Like what you see?" "Oh, baby!" He leapt to his feet and gathered her in his arms. They just stood there for a moment that seemed suspended in time, reveling in each other's body heat, the sound of their breathing, the thrum of their heartbeats. He buried his face in her long, long hair and inhaled its scent. No exotic perfumes could be as intoxicating, as erotic, as the scent of her coconut shampoo. He finally let go of her with a teasing smile. "Wait right there," he said. He went to the hall closet and came back with his camera, a professional model Olympus. Returning to the stereo, he put on the local dance station. "Want to model for me?" "Would I!" She leapt up on the couch and began striking seductive poses copied from what she'd seen in fashion magazines. He knelt on the floor and began clicking picture after picture of her, keeping up a steady stream of photographer-style patter. "That's it, Serena, work with me, show a little more leg, that's it, now give me a big smile. . ." She laughed and tossed her hair back, reveling both in the attention from her man and the fantasy of being a glamorous, adored supermodel. She leapt up from the couch and moved over to the lounge chair, and he followed. She leaned against the windowsill, draped herself across the coffee table, rolled over on her back on the floor, laughing all the while as he continued to shoot her. She ended up on her knees on the floor with her back to him, looking over her shoulder. He knelt behind her, firing off the last shots on his roll. Then, he put the camera aside, put his arms around her waist, and drew her to him. He lay back, pulling her with him. His hands moved up and down the lace and satin-covered length of her, feeling her long, shapely legs, her gently flaring hips, her slightly rounded stomach. Oh Gods, Serena, he thought, you feel so good. Your skin is so warm, so soft, so sweet. And this nightgown only makes it more alluring. Satin on top of satin. . .We are meant to be together, my love. I'll protect you from the demons without, you'll protect me from the demons within. . . As his hands squeezed and kneaded her breasts through the fabric, a long, low moan escaped her. She turned her head so she could bring her lips to his. Softly, they met, moving and shaping to accommodate each other. He felt himself flooded with a great thirst, a thirst that would only be quenched by drinking in the sweetness between her thighs. Gently, he pushed her upward. She knew what the gesture meant. She got to her feet, and he followed. They paused for a second, their mouths caressing each other, before walking hand-in-hand toward the bedroom. * * * Chad had picked Raye up and ran with her into the temple. Depositing her on the bench in front of the sacred fire where she spent so much time, he kneaded her hands and gently slapped her face, trying to revive her. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she came to. "What's wrong, Raye?" he said. "Are you all right?" Her eyes were filled with a dark, haunted look. She paused, momentarily. Then, she spoke. "Something's coming," she said. "It's dark. And it wants Serena." * * * He'd burned his fingers in his eagerness to get the candles on the bureau lit. She'd put them in her mouth to "make it all better," which only increased his ardor. He quickly shed his shirt and pants, feeling like a snake shedding an outgrown, unwanted skin. She moved back to the bed and draped herself across it, feasting her eyes on his unclothed beauty, reveling in the knowledge that all of this belonged to her. She ran her tongue along her lips-she had another surprise planned for him. He lay next to her, pulling her head to his, feasting on that delicate little rosebud mouth. Her hands moved down his back, slipping under the waistband of his shorts. She grasped his buttocks, squeezing and stroking them, answering his moan with a little purring sound. The underwear was soon removed and flung clear across the room. She could feel his hardened manhood pressing against her satin-covered body, and resisted the urge to remove the nightgown and send it sailing as well. He may have other plans for taking it off, she thought. . . Sure enough, he did. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, he slipped one strap down her arm until her breast was bared. She wriggled, thrusting her bosom towards him, trying to get him to kiss, stroke, suck. But he did no such thing until he had bared the second breast in the same fashion. Only then did he bury his face in the middle of her breasts, moaning, inhaling her scent as his fingers caressed the pink around her nipples. Groaning his name, she pushed his head toward where she wanted it, and he drew a hardened tip into his mouth, his tongue stroking as his lips gently tugged. Waves of heat pulsed from her breasts down to her liquid center, and her hips moved to the rhythm of his sucking. He lifted his head only long enough to whisper, "You like that, honey?" "Gods. . ." she groaned. He moved his mouth to the other breast and repeated the process. Her senses were reeling, her mouth wide open, her breath coming in gasps and pants. Somehow, she managed to retain enough of a grip on reality to be able to heed the voice which whispered in the back of her mind, "Serena. . .it's time." She rolled them over so that she was on top. Sitting up, she wriggled out of the nightgown and let it drop to the floor. Then, she headed straight for her goal, ready to do something she had not done up to this point, something she felt more than ready for now. But as soon as her mouth was wrapped around his manhood, her plan went awry. She had put it in too far, too fast. She fell back onto the bed, gagging and choking, and then she burst into tears. "Hey!" he said, moving down to the edge of the bed and gathering her into his arms. "What's wrong, honey? Don't cry." "Oh, Darien," she sobbed, "I wanted it to be perfect for you! I wanted to please you like I never have before! And instead, I screwed it up!" He rocked her and stroked her hair."Baby, baby, there's no way that you could *not* please me. You don't have to do fancy tricks to turn me on. Just being you is enough." "But. . .but you've done that to me so much, and I haven't done anything in return. . ." "I've done it to you so much because I enjoy it. You are absolutely luscious, do you know that? Here. . ." He slid two fingers deep inside her, making her groan and thrust against his hand, wanting more. But he withdrew the fingers, coated with her wetness, and put them in her mouth. "Taste yourself." She sucked eagerly on his fingers, finding the taste incredibly erotic. When he took them out, she sighed, "Oh, Gods, now I want to taste *you* more than ever." "Here." He sat on the edge of the bed. "Kneel on the floor in front of me." She complied. "Now take it in your hand-that's right-and very slowly slide a little bit into your mouth. Little by little. Yes. . .mmmm, that feels good. Now suck it gently-don't try to be a vacuum cleaner-and move your head up and down. Just do what you're comfortable with, don't. . .oohhhh." Contrary to what her teachers and Luna thought, Serena could pick something up pretty fast if she wanted to. And she took to this like a duck to water. If Luna could see her now, she'd say, "Oh, if only you'd put this much enthusiasm into learning how to fight. . ." Serena was moving faster and faster, growing bolder, more confident. She even was starting to bring her tongue into play. Darien could do nothing but tangle his fingers in her massive waterfall of golden hair, lean back and moan his pleasure as she electrified him. He'd fantasized about her doing this many, many times-but the fantasy was no match for the crazy, wild wonder of the reality. He could have lost himself entirely in her sweet, hot mouth, pouring his love down her throat like honey. But he didn't want to do that to her this first time-he didn't know how she'd react-and besides, he wanted to share the moment of beautiful oblivion with her. He lifted up gently on the sides of her head. Her eyes met his with a "did I do something wrong?' look. "You are absolutely wonderful," he said. "But I want to come inside you, and I want you to come with me. Want to put the rubber on me?" She reached into the nighttable drawer; retrieved her prize. Once it was unrolled in her hand, she got a wicked smile on her face. She popped it in her mouth and then took him back in. A lot of lip and tongue wriggling followed as she unsuccessfully tried to put the rubber on orally, and he bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from flying over the edge. Finally, she gave up, took the rubber out of her mouth, and rolled it on with her fingers. She climbed back onto the bed, and he sat up and positioned her so that she was straddling him. "Now, you little minx," he whispered, "it's payback time!" He guided her hips as he thrust upward into her. She moaned, her moans growing louder the deeper he sunk into her. She took up his rhythm and was soon pumping hard and fast, hearing the blood roaring in her ears as her heartbeat sped up more and more, leaning over to lick his chest, tasting the saltiness of his sweat. He wedged a finger down to where she was loving him and found her hot, swollen nub, and she let out a cry. He caressed it to the rhythm of her thrusting as she flung her arms around his neck, her lips seeking out his, and she shrieked her orgasm into his mouth. "Think you can handle more?" he said. "Oh, gods, I don't know. . ." "Come on, we're going to go for it together. Stay with me, baby. Stay with me." And he was pushing deeply inside her again and circling her clit and the second orgasm she didn't know she was cable of having was upon her all at once, and he yelled her name as he emptied himself. They remained snuggled together in a tight ball afterwards. She drifted off into a blissful sleep, emitting a soft, little catlike purr. Sleep, my love, he thought, pulling the covers over both of them. And I will join you there, and not be afraid of what awaits me on the other side. * * * Raye stared into the fire, but her mind couldn't, wouldn't focus. She felt shaky and sick. The evil was so close now, so close. . .She wanted to leap up and get her wand and communicator, to summon the others and transform, but she felt as if something was rooting her to the spot. Oh Gods, she thought, please let them be together right now. Please don't let Serena be alone when the evil hits. . . Then an agony ripped through her, and she screamed. * * * Serena was jolted out of her sleep by what felt like the whole room shaking. She sat up straight, clutching the covers to her breasts as if the whole world was looking at her. Nervously, her eyes scanned the room. What was that peculiar light at the window? As if in a trance, she got out of bed and started moving slowly toward it. . . Then, there was a rumbling and a tremendous howl of wind. The windowpanes shook, things fell off the bureau and broke, the closet door burst open. If the candles on the bureau had not burned out, the whole room would have been in flames. Darien leapt from the bed. "Serena!" He saw her standing by the window, trembling, the room flooded with an unearthly light. . . She seemed hypnotized by what was outside. Then, something within her became aware of his presence, and she was able to break out of the spell and run to him. Flinging herself into his arms, she sobbed, "Don't let them get me, Darien! Don't let them get me!" Then, the shaking stopped, the eerie light went away, and the girl in his arms fainted. * * * Raye felt her strength returning to her, the sickness going away. She was flooded with relief. The evil was gone. . .for now. She had sensed something else. . .something strange. She thought she had heard/felt Serena cry out for help, and her cry being answered. I must talk to her in the morning, Raye thought. Slowly, she got up and made her way to her bedroom, fell upon the bed, and lost consciousness without even taking her clothes off. * * * Darien awoke in the morning from the fitful, uneasy sleep he had drifted in and out of ever since the incident. He sought Serena in the bed next to him; when he did not find her, he feared the worst. Throwing on a bathrobe, he ran into the living room. There was a sound in the kitchen. He looked in the doorway-and saw her standing at the stove, wearing his shirt over her naked body, happily making French toast. "Good morning, Muffin!" she chirped. "Did you sleep well?" He flew to her and embraced her, holding on to her like he was afraid she was going to dissolve into thin air at any second. "Hey, hey!" she said. "I'm hot for you too, baby. But let's eat first. It will give us more energy so we can go at it longer!" Slowly, he put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up so she was looking in his eyes. "Serena. . .you don't remember?" "How could I forget? That was the best night we ever had!" "But. . .you don't remember the strange lights? The shaking room? And you were screaming 'Don't let them get me'. . ." She pulled his head to her bosom. "My poor Muffin, you're having nightmares again. Don't worry. Beryl is long dead. . .she'll never be able to hurt you again." He hugged her closer as confusion gripped him. Did the incident really happen last night? Or was it just a particularly vivid nightmare? * * * A few hours later, Raye picked up her phone and pushed auto-dial button number six-a button she had not pushed since they broke up. Darien's voice sounded rather ragged on the other end. "Hello?" "Is Serena there, Darien?" "No, she left about a half hour ago." (Thank Gods, Raye thought, she *wasn't* alone last night. . .) "She didn't tell me whether or not she was going home." "Darien. . .if you don't mind my asking. . .did anything. . .unusual happen last night?" He let out a big sigh of relief. So Raye had sensed it as it was happening. He didn't dream it after all. "Could you come over to my apartment later? We can talk about it." * * * After making the obligatory pitstop at home, Serena went to Lita's apartment. She was working on another "surprise" for Darien-she was going to learn how to cook a dinner for him. She was glad that her two surprises last night had gone so well-she sighed at the slight taste of him that was still lingering in her mouth. Lita met her at the door excitedly. "So, how was last night? Give me every gory detail!" Much as she loved Lita, Serena was not about to share every single one of her and Darien's most special, private moments with her. "Oh, he loved the nightgown. Practically tore it off me. And he took lots of pictures of me wearing it." "Oooh! Sexy! Did he shoot pictures of the two of you in bed, too?" "Lita! What do you think he is? Some kind of a pervert? Besides, how could he take pictures if we were doing it?" "With a tripod and a remote shutter clicker, like the one that Ken. . ." She clapped her hand over her mouth, a rather Amy-like blush starting to stain her cheeks. Serena giggled at her bold friend's sudden awkwardness. "Come on, Lita, show me how to do that chicken Kiev." * * * As Raye walked down the road toward Darien's apartment, she felt it grip her again. Oh no, she thought. Please, whatever you are, stay away. Far away. But the feeling of evil, the sick feeling of dread, continued to grip her, getting stronger and stronger and. . . * * * Serena was covered in flour almost head to foot, a particularly fetching dot at the tip of her turned-up nose. She looked like a little cookie. Her hands were busy dipping the chicken cutlets in a beaten egg-milk blend and rolling them in a mixture of flour and spices. So intent was she on her task that she almost didn't notice the rumbling of thunder and howling of wind outside. Lita raised her head. "What's that?" * * * Raye strained with all her psychic senses, trying to determine where Serena was, where the evil was. Please, Mars, help me, she cried out in her mind. If you ever loved me, help me. She was rewarded with a strong pulse of feeling and knowledge. Lita's place, she's at Lita's place, it's coming to get her there. . . Shaking off the sickness and lethargy, she took off for Lita's at a sprint. * * * Lita let out a scream as her cabinet doors burst open, pots and pans clattering to the floor. Serena was wandering over toward the window as the room shook, her eyes transfixed on an unearthly light outside. Stumbling over the debris on the floor, Lita raced for her bedroom and grabbed her wand. Holding it over her head, she shouted, "Jupiter power!" Nothing happened. She tried again, louder. "JUPITER POWER!" When Raye approached the apartment building, she saw it shrouded in a strange fog. Ignoring the pounding in her head and the tearing nausea in her stomach, she flew up the stairs and barged into Lita's door without knocking. As soon as she entered, Serena's trance broke. She ran to Raye and threw her arms around her, sobbing hysterically. "Don't let them get me, Raye! Don't let them get me!" Raye hugged the smaller girl to her bosom. "Who are they, Serena? Who are they?" But at that moment, the rumbling, wind and shaking stopped, and Serena went limp and fainted. * * * It was a very haggard Darien who opened the door to an equally harried Raye. Their eyes met, and they didn't have to go into any preliminary explanation of what had been happening. They knew. "It just happened again," she said. "At Lita's." "I know. I felt it. Is she all right?" "She hasn't got a single memory of it happening. She just woke up and said, 'Oh! I must have dozed off on the couch! I'm supposed to be learning how to. . .' Then she looked at Lita and I and said, 'What's with you two?'" "Did you tell her?" "Yes. And she said, 'Raye, you've been having the same nightmares as Darien' and went back to breading cutlets. Then Lita practically pushed her across the room and said, 'It wasn't a nightmare! It HAPPENED, dammit!' And Serena saw the mess on the floor, and got all shaken up. Lita and Serena went to her house to find Luna; they're over there talking about it right now." "So why didn't you go with them? Why did you come here?" "Because. . .I don't know why, but I have this feeling that we're the only two people who can help her. She specifically cried out to me for help, not Lita. . ." "What were her exact words?" he said, even though he already knew what the answer to that was. "She said, 'Don't let them get me, Raye! Don't let them get me!'" He exhaled a long breath. "That's what I was afraid of. Come on-have a seat." She sat down on the couch, and noticed the heaps of books on the coffee table and floor. She picked one up and looked at the cover-"Magickal Gateways." "What's this?" she said. "It's something that might help us to help her. When I was a teenager, I knew there was something different about me, something special. I didn't have a clue as to what it was. I knew I had psychic talents of some sort, but living in an orphanage, there was no one there I could talk to about it, no one to offer me any kind of guidance. . .so I began spending a lot of time in the library, reading up on anything paranormal, and that led to my studying Western ritual magick." "Not that Satanic shit, I hope." "No. This was actually a system not too far away from Shinto. . .it involves working with natural earth energies to stimulate psychic energy, much as you girls channel planetary and deity energies as Scouts. You said that Lita wasn't able to transform while that thing was active. Whatever it is, it knows how the Scouts' powers work, and it's blocking them. But maybe. . .just maybe. . .we can repel it with earth energies." He sighed. "If only we knew exactly what we were up against, and why it wants Serena. . ." She thought for a moment. "Are there any rituals and formulas in there for putting someone in a deep, deep trance state?" "Yes, there are." "I want you to put me in the deepest trance you possibly can. I want to go deeper into other worlds than I could with the fire. Then, maybe I can find out what this is all about from something. . .or someone." "Raye. . .this 'someone'. . .does this have something to do with how you've been acting lately?" "You've noticed?" "I know you better than any of the others do, Raye. You seem so different from the girl I used to. . ." She smiled. "It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it when the danger's past. Right now, we have to find out who our enemy is." Several minutes later, she was lying flat on the floor in the middle of a circle of salt. At each compass point of the circle was a lit candle. He was kneeling over her, holding her hand. "There was a time," he said, "when if we were in a position like this, we would have been asking for major trouble." "We asked for trouble," she replied. "And we didn't get it." His face clouded as he remembered the humiliating, bewildering incident-the one and only time in his life when he'd been unable to perform with a woman (in a consensual situation, that is). It had been as if something was blocking him from making the mind/body connection necessary for arousal. . . She squeezed his hand. "I shouldn't have brought that up. I'm sorry." "Don't worry about it. It's in the past. We have to worry about the here and now." He changed the tone of his voice so that it was a soothing monotone. "Now I want you to relax and visualize, Raye. . ." * * * She was in a corridor, an underground tunnel. At the end of it, she saw a bright flickering, a flame. And her heart sped up, because she knew what she'd find there. [i close my eyes, oh god i think i'm falling] Slowly, she moved toward it. She could see his form, silhouetted against the flames. . . [out of the sky i close my eyes] When she drew near, and her eyes beheld him for the first time in months, sobs began wracking her. He reached out his arms, and she fell into them, burying her face in his chest. Oh, how good it was to feel him holding her-like she was whole at last, at long last. [heaven help me] "Raye, darling," he whispered. [like a child, you whisper softly to me] "I never thought I'd see you again," she whispered back. [you're in control just like a child] "I told you that I'm never far away from you." [now i'm dancing] "But that's not the same as seeing you. . .touching you." [it's like a dream, no end and no beginning] "We weren't meant to be together like that, Raye. At least, not now." [you're here with me, it's like a dream] "But when? When?" "A future time. . .which may not come to pass if the vortex is allowed to take Serena." Oh, Gods, in the ecstasy of seeing him again, she'd forgotten her original mission. "What is the vortex?" "The primary weapon of an evil race from the far future which is trying to remove Serena from this time line, because they know that in their own time, she will be the focal point of a psychic attack that will destroy them and prevent them from taking over the world." "Is it the Negaverse?" "It's something even worse than the Negaverse. Darien was right-it knows how your Scout powers work. But its weakness is human psychic powers. You have developed your psychic abilities, and so has Darien. Serena has latent psychic abilities. She was able to sense on that level that the two of you were able to help. The reason the first two attacks were broken off was that one of you was with her." "What is the future time you were talking about?" "Look into the flames, Raye." She did, and was rewarded with a view of a beautiful, utopian society. "This is Crystal Tokyo, the restoration of the Moon Kingdom. Serena and Darien will rule over it as king and queen, and their daughter Reenie will be their heir. All of you Scouts will hold high rank. It will be a peaceful time, a time when gods will dwell on earth with humans." "And. . .you will dwell with me?" "Yes, Raye." [let the choir sing!] "But," he added, "it will only come to pass if you and Darien can stop this thing. You must remain completely focused on your goal, and you must be willing to do whatever it takes. Are you?" "Yes." "Then go back to your body and the world. They're planning another attack tonight, and they'll be expecting you and Darien to show up, so they'll triple their efforts. You'll probably have to enlist the help of the other girls-they may not have as much psychic ability as you, but at least they all have some." "Do I have to go back. . .now?" "Yes, my darling. I don't want us to be separated again either, but it must be done if the future is to be protected. Now kiss me. . ." Their mouths met, and she felt herself consumed by a brilliant, white-hot ecstasy. When it faded, she was back on the floor of Darien's apartment. "Raye?" Darien said. "What did you find out?" She shook the cobwebs out of her head. Oh, Gods, she still felt warm all over from being with him. . .Then, she remembered the seriousness of the situation, and her mind snapped to attention. "Give me some of those books," she said. "We have to devise a ritual-we have no time to lose." * * * "But why can't we call on our regular powers?" said Mina as she watched Darien forming the huge symbol out of salt on the temple floor. "We've taken on things like this before." "Not like this thing, we haven't," Lita replied from her seat on the floor, where she was unwrapping candles and fitting them into candlesticks. "I saw what it can do first hand. It makes it impossible for you to transform." "I still don't see," said Luna as she paced the room, "how this crude earth magick can turn away a force strong enough to suck Serena out of our timeline." "Don't knock it, Luna," Raye said. "Earth magick has proven to be a pretty strong force." "She's right," said Amy, taking one of the candlesticks from Lita and placing it at one of the compass points of the circle. "There are some who believe that earth magick was responsible for turning away a Nazi invasion of England during World War II." Serena stood just outside the perimeter of the symbol, frowning at it. "This looks like the symbol on my moon locket. Why couldn't I just use my moon locket to keep me safe?" "It's not just like it," Darien said. "See, it's a five-pointed star made up of interlocking lines. The five points represent the elements of earth, air, fire, water and spirit. The circle around it represents everything working together to form the universe." "So why do you have to draw it in salt?" "Salt has always been thought of as a powerful tool to drive away evil. We need all the protection we can get tonight." She sucked on her finger as she continued to study it. Oh, baby, don't do that, he thought, as he remembered the other night-before all hell broke loose-and warm feelings flooded his body. I'm going to need all the concentration I can get if I'm going to protect you. Raye stuffed a bag with her little sacred scrolls and tied it around her hips. "Okay, it looks like we're ready to roll," she told Darien. "With my Eastern magick and your Western magick, we'll hit this bastard coming and going." The two briefly clasped hands tightly, a look passing between them reminding each other of how much was at stake. Darien walked to the center of the symbol. "Okay, girls, it's showtime. Serena, you come to the middle with me. Raye, you stand over there by the red candle, Amy by the blue candle, Lita by the green and Mina by the yellow. Now remember what I told you-when something is going to attack you, call on the element, not the planet. And," he added jokingly, "May the Force be With You." Everyone laughed-it was a laugh they needed. Quietly, they began their vigil, listening for any kind of noise that might indicate something amiss. Serena began to feel sleepy. She leaned heavily against Darien, resting her head on his shoulder. He ran his fingers down the length of her long pigtails. I'll never, never let you go, Meatball Head, he thought. Nothing or no one, be it human, animal, or spirit, will ever take you away from me. They'd been there for about an hour when Raye felt the first jolt. Instantly, her hand flew to her bag of scrolls, like a gunslinger reaching for his pistol. She looked over her shoulder at Darien. He'd felt it too. "Here we go, ladies," he said. Stepping out of the circle, he drew out one of his roses and, pointing it at the floor, walked around its perimeter. In a sonorous voice, he said, "I conjure and create this circle of power that it may bind in love and magic and drive away evil." When he was done, he returned to the center. The girls knew this was their cue. "Power of air, be here with us now," said Lita, lighting the candle near her. "Power of fire, be here with us now," Raye said, igniting her own candle. "Power of water, be here with us now," Amy said, followed by Mina's "Power of earth, be here with us now." The all-too-familiar rumbling started, and the room began to shake. Luna, who was on the outside of the circle, began to fear for Serena. She started to run toward her young charge. "No, Luna!" Darien said. "Don't cross the boundary of the circle! You'll put Serena in grave danger!" "What's happening?" Mina said. Raye was battling nausea. "It's almost here!" "Darien! I'm so scared!" Serena cried, burying her head in his chest. His arms came around her, holding her close, as if he hoped to shield her from the evil by his body alone. "Sshh, my darling," he whispered. "We're going to beat it back, I promise you." Then, there was an earsplitting roar, and the temple trembled as if there were an earthquake. Raye felt an incredible pressure all around them, as if they were caught inside a tornado. She grasped a handful of scrolls and drew her hand back, ready to fire. Darien launched the attack. Letting go of Serena, he drew himself up to his full height and raised the rose above his head. "Dark force, begone! Torment this child of the universe no longer! By words and power we will drive you away!" He pointed toward Lita. "Power of air have I over thee!" she said, concentrating on drawing pure energy from the universe and flinging it outward. "Power of fire have I over thee!" said Raye. "Power of water have I over thee!" "Power of earth have I over thee!" Raye felt a huge surge all around her. "It's getting stronger!" "Concentrate harder! Raye, the scrolls!" Raye flung the parchments out into the void. There was a sound like an explosion and some puffs of flame appeared. The pressure lessened a bit before starting again. "Redouble the attack! Call the elements again!" As Raye threw more scrolls, the voices cried out again. "Power of air. . .fire. . .earth. . .water. . ." Darien added, "Power of spirit have I over thee!" But then Serena added something unscripted to the ritual, something that may have delivered the killing blow. Raising her arm over her head like she was going to transform, she cried in her most grandiose voice, "Power of love have I over thee!" There was a boom, a screaming noise, and everything was quiet and still. At first, everyone just stood there breathless. Then, it sunk in that the battle was over and they had won. They began shrieking and cheering, hugging each other. Darien grabbed Serena and spun her around and around as she laughed. "Oh, Muffin, you did it!" she said. "*We* did it. We all did it. You'd make a great witch, Meatball Head." "I'll get you, my pretty," she cackled, tickling him. He tickled back, and they playfully wrestled each other until they were drawn into a group hug. Raye embraced the others, feeling like she would sob with relief. It was over, they'd driven it back, Serena was safe. So why did she still have a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach? * * * Almost a week passed without incident. Serena went to school, daydreamed, goofed off, played video games, tried to get out of doing her homework. She also practiced and practiced her cooking. She was going to see Darien again on Saturday, and was determined to absolutely blow him away. On Friday night, her parents and brother were out for the evening. She was sitting at her desk, copying the recipes she wanted to use from a cookbook onto index cards. Luna approached her. "So, I see that you're finally getting some homework done." "Homework? Um, yeah, homework! Home economics homework!" Luna scowled at her. "Serena, it's great that you're learning to cook. But you need to know more than that. What about history, geography, literature. . .they're important too!" "Oh, Luna. What do I need to know all that stuff for if I'm a Moon Princess?" "A princess has to have the ability to carry on interesting conversations with all the important people she meets. I doubt that heads of state are going to want to discuss video games and manga." "Aaahh! Haven't you got somewhere to go?" "As a matter of fact, that's what I was coming to tell you about. I'm going to see Artemis at Mina's for awhile. You'll probably be asleep when I get back." Oh, she would be asleep, all right. She was planning to get plenty of sleep tonight. . .because she was going to see to it that neither she nor Darien got *any* sleep tomorrow! * * * Raye filled her grocery cart with fruit and vegetables. Grandpa's taking his health kick a bit too far, she thought. I don't think he's eaten anything without seeds or stems in weeks. As she passed the popcorn aisle, she grabbed a big box of Orville Redenbacher Lite. After what we went through last week, she thought, I deserve a treat. Then, as she was leafing through a copy of "Life" while waiting in a ridiculously long checkout line, she felt it. Oh, Gods, it can't be, she thought. We drove it off. It's gone. But she felt it again, stronger. A half mile away, Darien gripped the diner table where he was sitting with Andrew. Please, no, he thought. Let it not be that. Anything but that. . . "Darien?" Andrew said. "Is anything wrong?" "I. . .I have to go. I. . .forgot to do something. . ." Andrew was used to his friend's sudden, unexplained disappearances by now, but this seemed especially strange. "Is there anything I can. . ." He threw some money onto the table. "No, nothing. I'll see you later." He flew out the door, his heart beating so hard and so fast he thought it would fly out of his chest. * * * Serena was getting into bed when the room started shaking. "No!" she shouted. "Go away, whatever you are! Darien! Raye! Where are you? Help me!" But the strange light was filling her room again, and she felt herself hypnotized, transfixed. She slowly made her way to the window. . . * * * Darien and Raye met up about a block from Serena's house. She was running so fast that she almost outran his car. He pulled over and jumped out. "Is she still there?" "I can't tell." They flew down the street like Olympic sprinters-only to be greeted by a horrible sight. Serena's house was enveloped by what looked like a glowing, inverted cyclone. "NO!" Raye screamed. "SERENA!" Darien ran past her, up onto the lawn. But it was too late. As he approached, the cyclone whooshed away, vanishing into the night. "NO, SERENA, DON'T GO!" As Raye wept in her own shock and horror, she saw the man she'd always thought of as one of the most cool and unflappable in the world fall to his knees and sob like a baby. She threw herself down next to him, and they embraced, crying into each other's shoulders. "Oh, Raye, they got her," he sobbed. "The bastards tricked us into thinking we'd driven them off, and they got her!" "Oh, Gods, if only we had come a bit sooner. . ." "I can't live without her, Raye. She is my life. She is my soul." A dim flicker passed through Raye's mind, a flicker of memory from the Silver Millennium. Prince Darien and Princess Serena had died together, each unwilling and unable to face life without the other. . . Mars! Oh, Mars, please speak to me! Tell me there's a way we can correct this! Tell me she isn't lost for good, that we still have a chance of getting her back! Then, she heard the voice in her head, saw a picture of a seaside town. "The vortex is moving through time and space through your universe. In about six hours, it will be centered in a cave at the shore of this town. It will be your last chance to get her back and protect your future." "What are we supposed to do?" "There will be a dimensional doorway outside the vortex. One of you will open and close it with magick. The other one will go in and grab Serena. But I must warn you-it may mean doing battle with her captors, and it could be a duel to the death." "I have no fear," she said, "and I'm sure that he doesn't, either." "Then go, my love. Go and get your princess back." * * * Serena didn't know where she was. It felt like cold, dark nothingness. All she knew was there were horrible creatures in here. . .somewhere. She saw a niche in the wall of. . .whatever it was, and hid in it, trembling. Oh, Darien! Where are you? Am I never going to see you again? Her little body shook with sobs as she recalled the very first time she met Tuxedo Mask, on her initial mission as Sailor Moon. Right then and there, she knew she would never, ever love anyone else. And then, when she found out she was the Moon Princess and he was her prince. . . She thought of the song that Raye had sung last week at karaoke. It sounded like she was singing to someone specific, someone unknown to the other scouts. But to Serena, the song was about Darien, especially him as she first knew him. She began to sing in a small, high, clear voice: "Just like a prayer, your voice can take me there Just like a muse to me, you are a mystery Just like a dream, you are not what you seem. . ." Then, she burst into tears again. * * * "I thought for a second I heard her singing," Darien said as he sped down the highway as fast as he could. "You might have," Raye replied. "I thought a moment ago I heard her crying." If they had been stopped by a cop, they would have had some explaining to do about their attire, for both had transformed before taking off. They knew they wouldn't be able to anywhere near the vortex, and even though they knew that the creature could affect their powers, they also knew that Sailor Mars and Tuxedo Mask had a better chance against whatever it was than plain old Raye Hino and Darien Chiba. "All we've been through, all the battles we've fought and won, and we may have lost her to something out of a bad episode of 'The X-Files,'" he said. "Given that it's you and me on this mission," she said, "maybe we should call it 'The E-X Files." Her quip broke the tension, and they laughed. "Yep, that's us," he said. "Sailor Scully and Tuxedo Mulder." They both doubled their laughter, glad for a moment of release. * * * The cave was right on the beach, the surf coming almost up to its mouth. "How much longer?" he said. "Any minute. Weapons at the ready?" She drew a handful of scrolls from the bag at her hip, he produced an enchanted rose. "Raye. . .if you don't mind my asking. . .what was that story you were going to tell me? The one about your 'someone'?" "All right. A couple of months ago, I came back to the temple feeling down." She didn't want to tell him that the reason she was feeling down was because she had spent the night staring at him and Serena contentedly cuddled up and sleeping on the floor of Lita's place. "I sacrificed some flowers to the gods in the fire, and that night. . ." He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A god? He had figured out that the girls' powers came from divine energy as much as planetary energies, but a god making love to her in corporeal form, claiming her as his "priestess, champion, and lover?" Perhaps there was a lot more to the condition of being a Sailor Scout than he originally thought. . . Then, the rumbling noise began. "Here we go," he said. "All right, as soon as you feel the time is right, you open the doorway and I'll go in. . ." "Hey! Whoa! Back up a minute, Tux Boy! Who said anything about *you* going in?" "I'm going to rescue her. I'm her protector, Raye. . ." "YOU'RE her protector? You're her CONSORT! She can't live without you, and vice versa! I'm just a soldier in the princess' service. If anyone should risk their neck saving her, it should be me!" "But, Raye. . ." "No buts!" She turned to him, and a smile came over her face, a smile which spoke of an ecstasy beyond human words. "Besides, I have no reason to fear death. If I die, it doesn't mean oblivion. It means eternal union with the only man I will love with my entire heart and soul." The moment arrived. They both shuddered as they watched the terrifying inverted cone of winds and clouds form, with clammy gray mist at its center. "Raye. . .I cannot let you do this. Serena may be my one and only love, but that doesn't mean I don't still care for you." "Fine. I'll open the doorway." She concentrated her power on the scroll on her hand, then flung it into the mass of cloud and fog before her. But as he started in, she launched a karate kick which knocked him to the ground. "Darien, I'm sorry," she said as she dashed past him through the doorway, which closed behind her. * * * Serena became aware of a presence in the darkness which gripped her. Was it. . . "Raye?" "Hang on in there, Meatball Head. I'm coming!" She scrambled through the darkness, the cold, the howling winds, until she located the little bright spot in the endless gloom. When the girls saw each other, they embraced, and it was a hug which lasted a good, long time. To look at them, you'd never know these were two young women who'd spent huge chunks of time trading insults and blowing raspberries at each other. "Come on, I'm going to get you out of here." "Did Darien come with you?" "He's on the other side of the dimensional doorway. It's this way-follow me." Hand in hand, they made their way through the darkness. "How did you know where to find me?" "I had some help. I'll tell you about it later." They walked in silence for a moment, then- "Raye. . .can I ask you something?" "Sure, anything." "When you and Darien were going out, did you ever. . .you know?" She thought about what to say for a moment, then decided on the truth. "We tried. He couldn't." The look of surprise and shock on Serena's face was one for the ages. He couldn't? Her strong, sexy, ever-ready Muffin? Raye put an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "I think some higher power was saving him just for you, Princess." Just then, there was a terrible roar behind them. "Oh, no!" Serena said. Raye peered into the darkness, and saw something coming, some indistinct form. . . "Run, Serena," she said. "Run in that direction, and call out to Darien. He'll open the doorway and pull you out." "But Raye. . .aren't you coming with me?" "I have to stay here and deal with this creep, or else you'll never be able to escape. Now go, before it's too late! Run!" The two girls embraced again, and Serena ran off, sobbing. Raye turned and faced what was coming. It was some semicorporeal creature, a gray mass with a form that kept shifting and changing, now human, now animal, now just a blob. And it was giving off some very nasty energy. She faced it without fear. She didn't know if she would be able to draw on any of her Mars power, but she was sure as hell going to try. "You want a piece of the Princess?" Raye told the creature. "You're going to have to deal with me first. Let me tell you exactly who you're dealing with. I am Sailor Mars! Princess of the planet Mars! Consort of the God Mars! Priestess! Seeress! And warrior! AND YOU ARE GOING DOWN, ASSHOLE! MARS MAXIMUM FIREPOWER!" To her surprise, she was permitted to fling the fountain of fire-but it immediately rebounded. Before she could get out of the way, she was enveloped in her own flame, and she was dying, dying. . . * * * Darien heard Serena's cry just as he sensed the catastrophe inside the cave. Concentrating his power on the rose, he flung it to open the doorway just as he'd seen Raye do with the scroll. He reached into the opening and pulled out the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen in his life. "Serena!" "Oh, Gods, Darien. . ." she sobbed. They fell on each other, embracing as tight as their arms would allow, wetting each other's faces with their tears. "Baby, I thought I'd never see you again." "But I'm here. . .I'm here. . .oh, darling, you've never felt so good in my arms." They stood in silence for a few moments, just rocking each other. Then, she raised her head, and whispered, "Raye. . ." "Oh, I'm so sorry, darling. I felt it a minute ago. . .she's. . ." "Oh, no!" She buried her face in his chest and exploded in a fresh torrent of tears. * * * He was there. She could see his form through the flames. [i hear your voice, it's like an angel sighing] "Raye. . .you can't do this. It's not your time." [i have no choice i hear your voice] "You're needed on Earth. The Princess needs you. We will be together, but not yet, not just yet. You've preserved Crystal Tokyo. Our time will come, I promise you that." [feels like flying] He was stretching out his hands. The flames that were eating her alive were vanishing. "Mars. . ." "I could not let you sacrifice yourself. I will deal with this problem, Raye. Now flee!" "But. . .you're going to fight them alone?" "I brought help. Now please, flee, Raye, flee!" He kissed her, then pushed her in the direction of the dimensional doorway. She took off, looking back over her shoulder to see what looked lik e an army of gods descending on the vortex. Flashes of fire and sparks were jumping around. Knowing that an explosion was probably imminent, she doubled her speed. . . * * * Both Darien and Serena heard the cry. "Is that. . ." she said. He opened the doorway, reached in. A figure in red and white stumbled out and hit the sand. Both of them fell on her with embraces and joyous cries. "We've got no time to lose," she said. "We have to get out of here. The cave's going to blow!" The three of them stumbled up the beach to his car. Piling in, Raye and Serena crammed into one bucket seat, they looked back to see fire, smoke and sparks shooting out of the opening. Not long after they sped off, there was a huge explosion, and debris flew up in the air. The cave was gone-and the evil along with it. * * * None of them was up to the long drive home. They found an inn that had stayed open on the off-season. They were the only guests there. Raye took one room, Darien and Serena the room next door. Nobody did anything but sleep for about 12 hours. It was the first time any of them had truly felt at peace in days and days. Then, Raye was awakened by something brushing gently against her cheek. A feather? She turned her head and beheld. . . "Hello, darling. Because you were so courageous in saving Serena, I've been granted some more time with you." "OHH!" She threw her arms around him. "Oh, I can't believe you're here with me. It's like. . ." "A dream? I heard your song, Raye." "You did?" "Yes. And it turned me on to no end." "Hmmm. Well, then you're going to have to express what that song made you feel, aren't you?" "Yes, I think I'll have to." He leaned over toward her mouth. "It'll be a sacrifice, I'm sure. . ." "Oh, I think we'll survive it," she said, before the kiss began. * * * Serena woke up, stretched like a cat. "Hi there, Meatball Head," Darien said to her. "How do you feel?" "Like I want a bath." "Oh, I can take care of that. Would you like company?" "Mmmmm. . .that would be nice." She stood up, squinting at the bright sunlight pouring through the window. How beautiful it was to see the sun again! And the clouds, and the birds, and. . . And DEFINITELY that! Darien was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, wearing not a single stitch. He held out his hand to her. "Your bath awaits, my princess." She dropped her clothes to the floor, joining him in a state of blissful nakedness. * * * Raye feasted on his mouth, hungrily. His arms were like steel bands holding her, his tongue darting in and out of her lips. When she leaned back, it didn't really surprise her to see that he'd made her clothes dissolve, along with his own, and both were naked. She ran a finger slowly down his chest. "I could devour you," she growled. "Eaten alive? It would be a pleasure." He lay back on the pillows. "Care to give it a try?" She more than cared. She ran her tongue down his chest, flicking at the nipples. She swirled it in circles over his abdomen, moving ever-so-slowly down and down and down. Every nerve, every instinct was screaming at her to just go for it, to grab it and suck it until he exploded, but she fought it and continued her slow, steady pace. When she reached her goal, she took it in her hands and stretched it out in front of her. Gods, how enormous. . .Slowly, she moved her hands up and down it, listening for his moans and sighs. She reveled in the power of her sexuality-she could control even a god! Her tongue swept over it, base to tip, tip to base, then circling over the head. She loved the different sounds he made for each motion, each change of pressure. . .Finally, she took it in her lips and began to suck on it, moving her head slowly up and down. . . "Aaahh, you temptress," he moaned. "Whole kingdoms have been brought down by nymphs like you." She took it out of her mouth, came back up to him, kissed his lips. His hands grabbed her breasts, kneading the nipples. "Beautiful Raye," he whispered. "You outshine even the goddesses." She moaned, shifted beneath him. "What is it that you want?" he said. "Tell me." "I want your mouth on my breasts. . .and your fingers inside me." He complied immediately, his hot lips fastening on her nipple, sucking, pulling, drawing. His tongue came into play from time to time, first lashing, then stroking. She moaned and writhed against his hot mouth. . .and bucked against the big, strong fingers that were parting her petals, gently stroking, pulling, pinching. . . "Ohhh, baby," she whispered. "That feels so, sooo good. . ." He switched his mouth to the other breast as he slid two fingers inside her, while his thumb stroked her hot, swollen jewel. She groaned deeply, her hips pumping faster and faster as he stroked harder and harder. "Oh gods. . .I think I'm coming. . .I'm coming. . .AAAAHHH!!!" Before her spasms had even faded, he had whisked away his hands and replaced them with his cock. He pumped her and pumped her, and she screamed as she came again, her hips rising off the bed to meet his every thrust. "Oh, Gods, I can't take it, no more, no more. . ." "Yes you can, Raye. You can take it. And you want it." He stopped thrusting, his fingers slowly circling her nipples, his mouth nibbling on her neck. "Come on, baby, take me. Take all of me." And he was pumping her again, first slowly, then faster and faster. "OOOHHH!!! AAAHHHH!!!" Her whole body writhed with her third orgasm, a huge explosion which she felt in every pore, every hair follicle. * * * Serena sat up straight in the tub. "Raye has someone in there with her," she said. Darien pulled her back down to him, a slow, lazy smile playing at his lips. "Yes, she does, doesn't she?" "Who is it?" "An old flame of hers." "Huh?" "I'll tell you later. But first, I've got something better in mind. Let's get on the bed and I'll give you a counting lesson." "A counting lesson? Yuk! Darien, how can you think of math at a time like this? I hate math!" "But Serena. . .I'm going to teach you how to count to 69." After a moment, it sunk in, and her eyes widened. "Ooooohhh. . ." * * * Gods don't lose their erections easily. Raye had just experienced her fifth orgasm. She moved away from him and lay crumpled in a ball at the foot of the bed. "I can't take it. . ." "Yes, you can. Come on, just lie there like that and let me take you from behind. . ." "Oh, no! No way, buster! You're not sticking it up my ass! I don't care who you are!" "Who said anything about sticking it up your ass? I'm going to go in your pussy from behind. . .like this. . ." He raised her hips, and pushed forward and in. She felt it penetrate her deeply, much deeper than anyone had ever gone in her before. She let out a long, low sound. . .was he battering up against the mouth of her womb? Suddenly, she got her second wind, and she was bucking and moving beneath him and oh yes here it comes number six and its wonderful number six AAAGGGGHHH . . . * * * "Now, my little minx," Darien whispered to Serena in between kisses and nibbles at her breasts, "let's see which of us screams for mercy first." He began moving down, down, at the same time shifting the lower part of his body around so that his erection was within reach of her mouth and hands. They had to move around a little until they were both completely comfortable, but then, she felt his fingers parting her soft folds, and his tongue beginning to probe her ever-so-gently. . .She retaliated by stroking his manhood in her hands, feeling it get bigger. . .Her soft little tongue flicked experimentally along its length, and in reply, she felt him stick his tongue deep inside her. She moved her hips, encouraging him to greater and greater efforts as her mouth captured his cock and began sucking on it fiercely. He did the same thing to her hot little pearl. Serena made purring noises in her throat, pushing herself even further into his face as she opened as wide as she could go to take in more, more, more. . . * * * At last, Mars roared out his climax and came inside Raye just as she experienced number seven. She flopped back on the bed, totally drained of energy, as if she'd just had a close encounter with the Negaverse. But the Negaverse could never had made her feel sooooo verrryyy gooood. . . . Dimly, she was aware of the sounds in the next room. . .the sucking, the slurping, the moaning. Darien and Serena were feasting on each other like starving people at a banquet. * * * Oh, Gods, how many tricks with his lips and tongue does he know? He'd taken her up to the edge by rolling his tongue up and down her labia in long strokes, balanced her precariously on the precipice by raining soft little tongue-plucking kisses all over her soft wetness, and pushed her screaming into the abyss by nibbling on her most sensitive spot. She tried to keep up with him by licking all over his manhood, sucking the tip, massaging and caressing it with her hands. He's getting bigger, he's throbbing, he's going to. . .he's going to. . .She pulled her mouth away and backed off quickly as he reached the summit, sending a stream of whiteness into the air. Her gesture pushed her further onto his mouth, and she reached another peak, screaming his name as the flames ripped through her. * * * "Darien, hmmm?" said Mars. "Well, it sounds like the boy suffered no lasting ill effects from what I did to him." "What do you mean, what *you* did to him?" "Who do you think was responsible for that little embarrassing incident he had? I couldn't let the two of you do that. He belonged to the Moon Princess. And you belonged to. . ." "I belonged to you." "Yes. You belonged to me." She snuggled against his chest. "How much longer can you stay?" "Not long, my love. Within the hour, I'll have to go. But I will always cherish this time we spent together. . .a little preview of. . .forever." And in the other room, the word "forever" was also being uttered by the other couple between breathless kisses, as they tasted themselves on each other's mouths. "I'll love you forever, Princess," he whispered. "I'll love you and protect you forever." "I'll love you forever too, my Prince," she whispered back. As she snuggled onto his chest and drifted off to sleep, she thought, But I don't want to think about forever just yet. I just want to enjoy the beautiful, wonderful now. AUTHOR'S NOTES: The song "Like a Prayer," used in several places in this story, was written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, published by WB Music Corp./Bleu Disc Music Co. Inc./Webo Girl Publishing Inc., lyrics used without permission. The magickal ritual was an extremely simplified form of contemporary Western magickal practices, and was not intended to represent an actual rite. Usual Sailor Moon disclaimers apply-these characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing them.