PROLOGUE Like almost anything else that's happened to us, it started innocently enough. Serena and I had gone rowing on the lake. It was an unusually warm day for that time of year, and she looked so beautiful sitting there with her fingers trailing in the water, crying out with excitement whenever a pretty fish swam past. . . I felt so good, so mellow, that I was completely ignoring the warnings that my psychic senses were sending me, that something momentous was about to happen. We docked the boat and climbed out, and then suddenly we were in each other's arms, and our mouths were pressed together, and the whole world seemed to stand still. . . And that's when the child fell from the sky and landed on Serena's head. And our lives were never the same again. * * * I knew there was something special about her right off the bat, this Reenie. She seemed to radiate. . .magic, just like Serena and her sister Sailor Soldiers. I felt drawn to her right away. Serena, well. . .let's just say she didn't. But as I was carrying Reenie down the street on my back, I knew just *what* was so special about her. I was laughing at something she said when I felt. . .a mind reaching out to touch mine. The kind of feeling I'd only had before with Serena. But this wasn't Serena doing it. This felt too rudimentary, like the person didn't quite know what they were doing. My Gods, I thought, this child is a telepath! A wild talent, yes. . .but a telepath all the same. A half-formed thought passed from her mind into mine. Desperation. . .she had fled from somewhere frightening, and was looking for. . .was looking for. . . And then, no longer words, but a vision. . .a vision of a city that seemed made entirely of crystal. . . The contact abruptly broke off. She couldn't sustain it any longer. We reached Serena's house, and I put Reenie down. "Serena," I said, "don't you think your mother could help her find her parents?" She shot me an acid look. "Do we *have* to?" "Hey," Reenie snapped back, "I'm not enjoying this either!" Oh, boy, I thought. This could get *real* interesting. . . But if I needed any more proof that this was one unusual child, I got it when she met the Tsukino family. All of a sudden, she bounced her little cat ball on the ground, and an umbrella appeared, and she twirled it around. . .Within seconds, she had Serena's parents and Sammy convinced that Reenie was their cousin. And if it wasn't for the intervention of Luna's claws, she would have had Serena and I convinced as well. I went home that day perplexed, deep in thought. . . Who are you, Reenie? Why do you have such powers? And why do I feel that you hold the key to my and Serena's destiny? BAD DREAMS IN THE NIGHT A Sailor Moon Sekkushiaru Roman By Sailor Mac "MUFFIN!" She came flying at me like a missile and barreled into me like a linebacker. Her arms wrapped around me and squeezed so tight I could feel my ribs warping. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. "Meatball Head!" I said, hugging her, resting my cheek against one of her "meatballs." Oh, Gods, I thought, let time stop, let this moment go on and on. . . Then, she eased away from me, and said, "Darien, Reenie's missing. We have to find her. You remember what happened the other day with that wacko lady at the temple. . ." "I remember all too well," I said. "I'd been getting premonitions about new enemies. . .I just didn't think it would be this soon." "EXCUSE ME!" shouted a voice above us. We looked up, and saw Luna perched atop a brick wall. "If you two weren't so wrapped up in each other, you would have heard me say that I've spotted Reenie. . .she's in the park!" All three of us took off at a run. With Reenie so vulnerable to danger, we couldn't afford to leave her alone for a moment. There she sat, all alone on a swing, sobbing. And I could feel her mind reaching out for mine again, a confused jumble of swirling thoughts. . . I ran up to her and knelt beside her. "Reenie. . .come on, you have to go home. . ." "I don't want to go there! I want to go to my real home! I want my mommy and daddy!" "You have to tell us, Reenie. . .where *is* your real home? We can't send you there if you don't tell us." "I can't!" She broke out in a fresh torrent of tears. "I can't go back! Not without. . .not without. . ." "Whatever it is, Reenie, we'll help you. Me and Serena and all our friends. . .but you have to trust us." I held out my hand. "Come on. . .why don't we walk back to Serena's together. . ." She grasped my hand, and I felt the psychic equivalent of five thousand volts slam into my brain. Suddenly, all my sight was blocked out, and my head was flooded with a vision of that crystal city again. . .and Serena in the middle of it. . .and everything burning, burning and collapsing. . . I let go of her hand, gasped, fell to the ground. "DARIEN!" I heard Serena say from a thousand, million miles away. My body convulsed with the panic flooding through it. The vision itself faded away slowly, slowly. . .but the horror of it remained. . . Oh, Gods, what does it mean? And why did I see it? For Serena's sake, and Reenie's. . .I have to pull myself together. . . I took a deep breath, pasted on a fake smile and got back to my feet. "I'm all right, just a sudden headache. I'll take some aspirin, I'll be fine." I picked the child up and put her on my back. "Ready to go home, Teeny Reenie?" And I kept up the facade of being cheerful all the way home, while something inside me was screaming. * * * That night, the nightmares began. It started out beautiful. Serena and I were getting married. We were kissing at the altar, and all our friends were applauding. . . We walked down the aisle together, with her hanging tightly to my arm. "Oh, Darien," she said, "I can't believe we're married at last!" "I can't believe it either," I said. "I love you so much, Serena. . .more than life itself." "Oh, darling, I love you too. . ." And then there was an explosion, and the room was being ripped apart bit by bit. The flesh of everyone around us was melting away, leaving nothing but skeletons. . .and Serena was being pulled through a hole in the floor, screaming, reaching out for me, but I couldn't touch her, and then her flesh was starting to dissolve as well, even as I screamed, reached for her, beseeched all the gods to help her. . . And then came The Voice, sounding like the voice of doom itself. "Prince Endymion, if you do not stay away from Princess Serenity, it will mean her death!" "I can't stay away from her!" I shouted back. "She is my life!" "Stay away from her. . .or this will come to pass!" I woke up screaming, bathed in sweat. My psychic senses were on fire. . . Clearly, this was no mere dream. Oh, Serena, I thought. . .what can I do? I can't, can't stay away from you. . .if I were to lose you, I'd have nothing to live for anymore. * * * The next day, I was a wreck. I was late to class, and I couldn't concentrate. I spilled coffee all over the place in the cafeteria. I completely forgot I was scheduled for a lab period that afternoon. "Darien," Adam said to me outside biology class, "what's wrong? You're acting a little funny, buddy!" "Nothing's wrong!" I snapped back. "It's my own business, okay?" "Whoa! Darien. . .this is *not* like you." Oh, it's like me, I thought. The pre-Serena me. The me I never wanted to be again. . . I knew the girls were meeting up at Crown Cafe after school. I deliberately took too long in the lab. I didn't want to see her, didn't want to face her, knowing that I might have to shatter her heart. Maybe, I thought, it was a one-shot deal. . .maybe I'm making something out of nothing, maybe I'll have a sweet dream about her tonight and everything will be okay. . . I went home after dark. There was a message on my machine, and I knew very well who it was from. I forced myself to walk right by it. I couldn't eat. I tried to study, tried to watch TV, and finally gave up. Then, exhaustion stole over me, and I fell asleep on the couch. . .and the nightmare began again. The wedding. . .the disaster. . .and then the voice again, this time saying, "I'm warning you again, Prince Endymion. . .do not even think of seeing Serenity! If you do, you *will* put her in mortal danger! If you ever loved her, stay away from her!" I woke up screaming again. * * * The next day was even worse. There was no way I could concentrate on anything. All I could think of was the dream, the dream, the dream. . . Why, why is this happening to me? I thought. These dreams are coming from somewhere. . .but where? And why? Is it the new enemies? Or. . .something else? I deliberately hung around the campus again. But when I got home, the phone was ringing. . . And I had no way of avoiding the anguished message I heard on the other end. "Darien. . .it's me, Serena. . .where have you been? Why haven't you answered my message? Is it something I said? Something I did? Whatever it is, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. . .please, please call me, Darien. I love you. . ." I threw myself on the couch, sobbing. Oh, Gods, I thought, I can't take it any longer. I can't leave her in suspense like this any longer. . .I have to. . .have to. . . A picture flooded my mind, a nightmare daydream of myself calmly helping Reenie with her homework. . .and then Serena came in to pick her up, asking me why I'd been so distant lately, what was wrong. . .and then me replying coldly, "It's over, Serena. I don't love you anymore." And then I saw her flying from my apartment, sobbing, and collapsing in a phone booth, crying hysterically, her heart torn out. . . No! I thought. I will not, can not do that to her! I rose from the couch to call her. . .then I felt a dark shadow pass across my mind, and I fell to the floor in a faint. . .as if whatever was causing me the dream wanted to *force* me to have it. . . And then it started again. The wedding, the people melting away, Serena falling into the hole. . .and this time, the voice shouted, "You do not listen! You do not learn! If you love her, break up with her! Otherwise, she *will* die!" "STOP IT!" I shouted back. "WHO ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS" "I am someone concerned about her. . .and you." "LIAR! If you were concerned about us, you wouldn't try to make me hurt her like this! Who are you? Reveal your true self to me!" The only response was a rumbling noise. . .and then I saw a skeleton pop out of the ground, a skeleton wearing a tattered wedding dress and with remnants of long, long, long blonde hair still stuck to the skull. It fell atop me and stuck to my skin, knocking me to the ground, and it was coated with an acid that burned me, causing me physical agony that matched my mental agony. . . "STAY AWAY FROM HER!" the voice boomed. I was at the absolute end of my rope. Oh, please, I thought, someone, anyone show me the way out of this. . . Then, I thought of the one someone who could help, the one being who *could* guide me out of this horror. "OSIRIS!" I shouted. "GREAT OSIRIS, I CALL UPON YOUR POWER! HELP ME!" And then, a golden light appeared in front of me, and I saw my guardian deity materialize. He raised his arm, and the toxic skeleton vanished, and the nightmare background began disappearing, replaced by the kind of marble hall where I first encountered him, when he gave me the Earth Blade. "Rise, Prince," he said. "You and I have matters to discuss." He extended a hand to me, and I took it, feeling warm comfort flood through my body as he pulled me to my feet. "My Lord," I said, "is it you who has been sending me the dreams?" "No, my son. But I know who's been sending them. . .and I most definitely have to have a word with him. He believes he's testing the strength of your love for Serena, because you will have to rely on that strength during the times ahead. But all he's doing is torturing you needlessly. . .because your love needs no testing. The fact that you've survived what you have so far is testament to that." "Who. . .is *he*? Whoever he is, when I get my hands on him. . ." The god raised his hand. "There will be no need for that. He is not thinking straight right now. . .he's in unbearable mental anguish himself." "But who. . ." "I cannot tell you now, Prince. You will have to find out yourself. The answers lie in the future, in the far future. Remember, when the time comes. . .the key will take you there." "Key? What key?" "You will know in time. But for now, there are new enemies to deal with. They are a threat to your planet, and a threat to the little girl now under the Tsukinos' care." "And Serena? Are they a threat to her?" "Serena is, indeed, in danger, as are all of the Sailor Soldiers and yourself. But there is certainly no need to break up with her to protect her. In fact, it is to everyone's benefit that you stay together. With your love united, nothing can defeat you." "Thank you so much, my lord. . ." I dropped to my knees in front of him. He chuckled. "Arise, Prince. . .I told you before, I don't like bowing and scraping any more than you do. And now, I must go. . ." As I stood, I said, "One more question. . .who is Reenie? Why is she here?" "That. . .I cannot say. It is another thing you will have to find out yourself, in the future. Remember, when the time comes, the key will take you there. . ." The god and the marble hall faded away, and I was lying on my floor again. . .and there was a relentless pounding on my door. I looked at my VCR. . .the clock read 12:30 a.m. I knew exactly who it was. I opened the door, and we threw ourselves into each other's arms. She was sobbing. . .and as soon as I felt her hot tears wetting my shirt, I began crying as well. We just clung to each other, whispering each other's names over and over through our tears, feeling each other's heat, hearing each other's breathing. . . After a long, long moment, she slowly eased away from me and said softly, "Poor Muffin. . .you look like you've been through hell." "I have." "Come on. . .let's get you into a nice, warm bath, and then we can talk." She ran the bathwater and, when I got in the tub, she found a little plastic bath pillow and put it behind my head. Then, she placed a handful of something on the edge of the tub, and I had to smile when I saw what it was. . .Hershey's miniature chocolate bars. Once I was settled in, she sat beside the tub, rubbing my shoulders, and said, softly, "She told me that I should come to you, that something was terribly wrong. . ." "She?" "Isis. . .the Moon Goddess." Of course, I thought. She would receive divine intervention at the same time as me. Our Guardian Deities are husband and wife, they always act in tandem and are inseparable. Like Serena and I. "Something was wrong, all right," I said. She took my hand in both of hers. "Tell me, Muffin. Tell me all about it. . ." And I did, watching her face go from shock and horror to sympathy. When I was finished, she leaned over and kissed me. "It's all right, darling," she whispered. "I don't think you'll have the nightmares again." "I know. . .but the fact that I came so close to breaking up with you, to making the biggest mistake of my life. . ." "It would have been awful. I would have cried myself to sleep every single night." "Me too." I let out a sigh. "It's strange. . .every time one of us has had a significant dream, the other one has had it too. But it seems you never had the dreams at all. . ." "Not a single one. And when I tried to. . .you know, do the telepathic thing. . .it was as if you were. . .off the air. I couldn't reach your mind at all. Like something was deliberately cutting me off from you." "Whatever sent those dreams sure did their homework, because they're obviously familiar with *both* our psychic wavelengths. We really need this, on top of the new enemies. . ." She sat on the edge of the tub and stroked my hair. "Darien, the enemies. . .it's bad, isn't it?" "Yes. Osiris said the very Earth is in danger. And so are all of us, and Reenie." Serena sighed. "If only we knew more about Reenie, about where she came from and who she really is. . .she won't say a word about it." "He said we'll find out ourselves, in the future. . .and that a key will take us there, and we'll find the key when the time comes. I think. . .we have toend the threat the enemies pose to the here and now before we can go there." I covered her hand with mine. "And we *can* do it, Serena. Together." "Yes, together. Us, and all our friends. . ." She leaned over, and our lips met. Oh, her kisses never tasted so sweet. I drank in the sensation of her tongue caressing mine, her beautiful scent, the softness of her hair under my fingertips. . .all sensations I had wondered if I would ever experience again. I had the urge to experience more sensations. "I love you so much, Darien," she signed when the kiss broke. "I love you too. . .Now, you don't want to get your clothes wet, do you?" "Darien. . .if I'd said that, you would have called me a minx." "Hmm. . .but I *love* it when you're a minx." I sat straight up in the tub, making room for her. . . She stripped off her clothing quick as a flash and flung herself into the tub. Water sloshed over the side, and I didn't give a damn. I pulled her toward me and kissed her again, letting my tongue slide in and out of her lips, reaching up to gently squeeze her gorgeous breasts. I heard the low purring sound in her throat, and it only made my blood run hotter. "Aahh, my darling," I sighed, letting my lips trail down her neck, tasting her sweet skin as my fingers danced over her nipples, circling them, stroking them, gently squeezing. She moaned my name, and then I felt her own fingers moving up my thigh, by slow, maddening inches. She grasped me, gently but firmly, and I cried out, moaning louder as she started a rapid up-and-down stroke. "Serena. . .oh, Gods, what you're doing feels so good. . ." "What you're doing to me feels so good too. . ." I let one of my hands slip downward until my fingers were sliding into the wet velvet at the juncture of her thighs. I stroked her folds, feeling her body shiver, hearing her panting and low groans. . .I moved up and found the swollen little nub that was my ultimate goal. It swelled even more under my touch, and she shrieked with joy as I rubbed it ever-so-gently, as the tide of pleasure within myself rose higher and higher until I began to feel like I would literally explode with ecstasy. Ohh, yes, Serena, oh, how beautiful you are with your eyes closed and mouth open like that, an expression of agonized rapture on your face. . .I can never do enough for you. I want to give you more pleasure than a woman's ever experienced before. I want to make you feel like your soul has burst from your body and been flung straight into paradise, if only for a few moments. . . "Please. . .oh, please, Darien, let's get on the bed. . ." We jumped out of the water and ran for the bedroom, flinging ourselves onto the coverlet, not caring that we were getting it soaking wet. I pulled her into my arms and crushed my mouth against hers. Oh, baby, I thought, right now I wish I had a thousand mouths, because I want to taste all of you at once. I want to kiss your lips and suck your luscious nipples and thrust my tongue deep, deep inside you. . . She rolled me onto my back and positioned herself so her breasts were right at my lips. It was an invitation I was not about to refuse. I eagerly pulled in the hardened tip and feasted. She let out long, low moans as I switched back and forth, one to the other. . . "Darien," she whispered huskily, "oh, baby. . .I don't know how much I can take, I need you inside me. . ." I eased her away, and she went into the bedside table and got what she needed. My heart thudded with anticipation as she put it on me, then I felt her sweet sheath enveloping my manhood and I thought the top of my head was going to come off. She began a very rapid thrust, shifting her angle a bit here and there until she got maximum pleasure. There was going to be no playing, no teasing at this point. . .we both needed release too much. She thrust harder, and then she shrieked and I felt her body shudder, and that touched off my own climax. We shouted each other's names as we found blissful fulfillment. She crashed down on top of me, and we kissed softly. I rolled us so we were both on oursides and slid out of her, got rid of what I needed to, and then took her in my arms again. We whispered "I love you" to each other, then fell asleep, right on top of the damp coverlet. * * * I awoke several hours later, and just gazed at the lovely creature sleeping beside me. The endless expanse of spun-gold hair. . .the body which was both trim and curvy. . .the beautiful, shapely legs (how did such a tiny girl still manage to have legs that go on for miles?). . . Her body is as beautiful as her soul; her soul as beautiful as her body. Oh, Gods, what did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful person? I ran my hand down her arm and trailed to her side, then over the gentle swell of her hip. I leaned over and softly touched my lips to her throat, feathery, barely perceivable kisses. She stirred a bit, but didn't wake up. I moved down a bit more, until I was kissing over the curve of her breast. When I came to the dusky rose peak, I ran my tongue slowly, slowly across it, savoring the texture, the taste, the feel of it springing to life and hardening under my touch. Back and forth, back and forth, I rubbed it against her, feeling the nipple get harder and harder, and my manhood hardening in response. Her body stirred. . .she was awakening. I moved over to the other breast and began to suck on its tip, which drew a long, low moan. Her legs were parting, inviting me to move lower. . . Yes, darling. I will come taste your love. I turned my body around so that we were in "counting lesson" position, parted her petals and inhaled her intoxicating woman-scent. I kissed all around her folds, touching my tongue lightly here and there. . .And then I felt her sweet, hot mouth wrap around me. She was awake, all right. Oooohh, was she ever awake. . . I began to lick, exploring all over, a tickle here, a swirl there. . .And then, I plunged my tongue inside her, deep and fast, and I felt her body stiffen and shudder in response, and she increased the pace of her sucking. When she brought her hands into play, caressing the sac under my manhood as her lips and tongue continued to work their magic, I felt like I was going to go over the edge. I moved up to her pearl and began to lick around it, flicking back and forth across it as I had done to her nipples. . .oh, Serena, that's it, that's it, I feel you twisting and writhing beneath me, I feel your hot mouth all around me, I feel ready to explode into a billion blazing atoms, and I know you do too. . . I started to suck her jewel, and I felt her whole body shudder as the climax wracked her. Her mouth stopped for a few moments, as the hot waves flooded through her. . .then, she began again, and I resumed licking her hot spot with long, fast strokes. Together, my dearest, this time we're going to make it together. . .And then I felt her pull her mouth away and replace it with her hand seconds before the fiery explosion shot through me, and I felt her start to shiver again, and we both hit the peak, her shriek answered by my low groans of ecstasy. I kissed her womanhood a few more times, tenderly, then crawled back up to her. We kissed deeply, tasting ourselves on each other's mouths. "I love you," I whispered. "I love you, too." I reached over and set the alarm. "We've got to get up in a couple of hours, sweetheart. . .I have to smuggle you back into your house before your parents wake up. Don't wrinkle your nose like that. . .it's a school day for both of us. We'll have a real sleepover this weekend." She kissed me again. "I can't wait." "Me neither, baby." We got under the covers, snuggled up, and fell asleep. And that night, I didn't have a single nightmare. But then, I always sleep best with her in my arms. AUTHOR'S NOTES: I always wanted to do an alternate version of the begining of the Black Moon storyline, where Darien did *not* break up with Serena. . . The title "Bad Dreams in the Night" comes from the song "Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush. Coming soon: "Secrets of the Sexy Slippers," a multi-author project I am organizing. The stories involve a pair of magical high-heeled bedroom slippers sent into the past by Neo-Queen Serenity, and the *very* interesting effects they have on everyone who touches them! Authors currently scheduled to participate include Lady M. Harris, Mark Berger, Yohann DeSabrais, Sailor Star Love and the Amazoness Duo. Standard Sailor Moon disclaimers apply. These characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing them for a little while.