BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY
A Sailor Moon Sekkushiaru Roman

NOTE: This story was written for a story contest held by the
alt.hentai.sailor-moon newsgroup which, alas, never came to pass, so I
decided to officially "release" it. It's set during Sailor Moon R, shortly
after the Scouts arrive in Crystal Tokyo.

by Sailor Mac
	Deep within his hiding place, he sat and brooded.
	They're here, he thought. It will be over soon, my love-I hope.
	The separation from her was unbearable. She slept in her crystal prison,
while he remained concealed in the bowels of their palace. And on a
monitor, he watched as the hologram that represented himself greeted the
visitors to their desolate land, the visitors who represented their last
and best hope against the Black Moon Family.
	The sight of them made his heart turn over. There was his younger self, in
his full Tuxedo Mask regalia, a strong, young sapling of a man who was just
now beginning to come into his full power. There was the younger version of
his beloved, so sweet, so adorable, so full of love and hope and promise.
	And then, there was the little girl with them. Their daughter. His daughter.
	A knife of ice penetrated his heart at the sight of them together,
reminding him of all he had lost, all that he was not entirely sure he
would get back again.
	How happy they'd been together, he and Serenity. Their lives were filled
with ease and comfort, a reward for all the long, hard years spent fighting
against evil. They had time to fully enjoy each other, their daughter, and
the company of their very good friends, the Sailor Scouts, now their
official royal guardians.
	Then, the Black Moon Family came, and their world fell apart.
	He turned away from the monitor and wandered through the catacombs of his
hiding place. Officially, this area of the palace was used as the wine
cellar, and there were still racks of bottles against the wall.
	Champagne. The champagne that she loved so much. He had an image of her in
his mind's eye, raising a flute toward him, her eyes sparkling, saying,
"Here's to you, my darling. . .my only love for eternity." He squeezed his
eyes tight, trying to keep the tears from oozing out.
	Again, he thought of the young couple he had watched enter Crystal Tokyo,
the couple who had once been him and Serenity, and memories flooded him -
memories of the very first time they had drank champagne together. . .
* * *
	She was waiting for him at the door of his building when he got back from
his jog. As soon as she saw him, she flung herself into his arms at high
speed. "Muffin!" she squealed.
	"Whoa, now, easy there, Meatball Head! You nearly knocked me clear across
the street!"
	"I'm sorry, baby-but I'm so happy! I got great news from the doctor today.
He said I can stop wearing my leg brace!"
	Two weeks ago, she'd been hit by a car. She hadn't been seriously injured,
but she'd been laid up for several days-and she'd been forced to wear a big
brace on her knee, which she'd hated.
	"Terrific!" he said, picking her up and spinning her around. "Oh, baby,
that's great. Listen. . .I want to go take a shower right now, and then
we'll celebrate." They started to enter the building, then he turned back
to her. "Of course, we could start the celebration a little early if you
want to keep me company. . ."
	She got a wicked smile on her face, and slid her arms around his neck.
"Mmmm. . .that sounds like fun."
	"I knew you'd say that, my little minx."
	They kissed in the elevator, and kissed again as soon as the door shut
behind them. Hand-in-hand, they made their way to the bathroom, where their
bodies and mouths melded again He broke the contact only to turn on the
shower.
	"Would you like me to undress you, Princess?" he asked against her mouth.
	"Only if I can return the favor."
	Their hands tripped over each other in their haste to undo and remove
clothing, stripping away the fabric impatiently, like a couple of children
opening their birthday presents. "Gods, what a sight," he whispered once he
pulled away the last garment. "I don't think I knew what beauty was until I
saw you naked."
	She pulled away from him and stepped into the tub, a teasing smile playing
at her lips, and wrapped the shower curtain around her. "You want to look
at my beauty some more? You'll have to come and get me, big guy."
	With a growl, he leapt into the tub after her, grabbed her by the waist,
and started to tickle her. She giggled and tried to pull away, but he
relentlessly followed her. Then, his lips touched her neck, and the mood
started to change. . .
	She turned in his arms, and their mouths came together again. Slowly,
softly, their lips parted, and their tongues began the erotic dance of
lovers-touching, tangling, stroking. Both of them made low noises in their
throats, purring a wordless language of love that said more than flowery
speeches ever could.
	He broke the kiss only to run his lips down her neck. "Serena. . ."
	"Oh, Gods, Darien. . ."
	He reached for the soap, lathered his hands, and began to stroke them over
her torso. She shuddered. Amazing how an ordinary act like washing became
so erotic when Darien was doing it to her! His hands glided down over her
stomach, to her legs. . .He moved back up, caressing her skin gently but
firmly, and she parted her legs, ready for the expected invasion. . .
	But no invasion came. Instead, he bypassed her womanhood and slid his
hands up her hips, up her sides, to her shoulders, and then down her arms.
"Oh, please, honey," she moaned.
	"Please what, Serena?"
	"Please. . .wash my breasts, wash between my legs. . ."
	"Ssshh. Patience, my sweet, patience. . ." He stroked back up her arms, to
her shoulders, and then, finally, his hands started moving down her chest.
He paused to re-lather his hands, then cupped her breasts firmly and began
a massaging motion, squeezing and rubbing, his fingers sliding over her
nipples with maddeningly light little flicks.  Her breath began coming in
pants. Then, he began rubbing his thumbs firmly over the hardened little
buds, and she threw back her head and let out a howl.
	When he stopped, it was only to slide his hands downward, down toward his
ultimate goal. . .Again, she parted her legs, and this time, she was
rewarded. He soaped the silky blonde hair that covered her womanhood,
rubbing his palm back and forth over the outside of her folds. She groaned
in anticipation, arching her pelvis toward him, mutely begging him to touch
him where she needed it most. . .
	He answered her plea. His fingers gently parted her folds, and suddenly,
they seemed to be everywhere at once-stroking along her labia, teasing her
entrance, flicking across her hot pearl. "Oooohhh!" she cried. "Darien!"
	"Does that feel good, honey?" he asked in a husky voice.
	"Ohhh. . .it's wonderful. Please, more, give me more. . ."
	He slid two fingers deep inside her, and she thrust against them. A low,
deep moan escaped her throat. He sank to his knees and took a nipple in his
mouth as his fingers slipped out-and moved up to her passion-swollen jewel.
Gently, tenderly, he began to rub and caress it, his fingers sliding over
the nub as his tongue slid over her nipple. "AAAAHHH!" she cried. "Oh,
don't stop, that feels so good, I love you so much. . ."
	He pulled as much of her breast into his mouth as he could, still rubbing
and twirling his tongue over her nipple, and that sent her over the edge.
Her whole body arched, her head flung back, uttering a loud shrieking cry
as the pleasure roared through her.
	She sunk to the shower floor, totally spent. He kissed her tenderly. "Now,
was that wonderful, honey?"
	Her huge blue eyes, sleepy with spent passion, looked up at him with love.
	Then, she stood up, wordlessly, and reached above her for the shower head,
which was detachable and had a pulse/massage option.
	"What do you have planned, you little minx?" he said.
	"Mmm. . .you're about to find out."
	She leaned over and kissed him deeply, her tongue slipping in and out, in
and out of his mouth.
	Then she pulled back, set the shower head on pulse, and aimed it at his
manhood.
	He gasped as she moved the throbbing stream of water up and down, up and
down, stimulating different parts of him, circling the head, moving up and
down along the shaft. . . "Serena!" he gasped. "Oh, baby, oh yes, that
feels so good. . ."
	Dropping to her knees in front of him, she stopped stimulating him with
the water-only to take him in her mouth. She sucked gently, moving him in
and out, in and out, feeling him twitch with desire, hearing his low
groans. . .She turned the shower head back on him, stimulating the sac
beneath as her mouth continued to work on his length. "OOooOOhhHHh Gods
Serena!" he cried, feeling himself trembling on the brink. She pulled her
head away and aimed the water at the sensitive tip of his maleness again,
and he threw back his head and yelled her name as he released himself.
	As he trembled with the aftereffects of his orgasm, she took the soap and
tenderly washed his body. Once she had him rinsed off, they got out of the
shower, taking turns drying each other.
	They kissed as they left the bathroom and headed for the bedroom. "I have
a surprise for you, my love," he whispered.
	"Oooh! What is it?"
	"I told you that we'd celebrate your losing that brace. And we're going
to. . .with champagne."
	Her eyes lit up. "I've always wanted to taste champagne!"
	"I know you have. Now, we're only going to have a little. . .and please,
don't tell anyone about this. Especially your mother."
	She lay on the bed in a seductive pose and waited for him to return. He
came in carrying a little bottle, a half-split, and two glasses. She
watched eagerly as he poured the bubbly liquid.
	He handed her a glass, and clinked his own against it. "To you, my love,"
he said.
	"No. . .to you." She took a tentative sip. "Oooh. . .the bubbles are
tickly!" She sipped again. "It's really, really good! I like it!"
	"What's it taste like to you?"
	"It tastes. . .like love. Like liquid love."
	He laughed and kissed her forehead. "What a description. . .you come out
with the most amazing things sometimes, Serena. That's one reason why I
love you."
	"I love you too, my prince. I've loved you for the past thousand years,
and I'll love you for a thousand more. . ."
* * *
	She kept that promise, King Endymion thought. If anything, our love is
stronger than it was back then.
	My Serenity. How beautiful, how graceful she is. . .and to think, the very
first time I saw her in this lifetime, I thought she was a clumsy clod with
bad grades and a worse attitude. It shows you how wrong first impressions
can be. . .
	He thought of the glimpse of Sailor Moon he had caught as she entered
Crystal Tokyo. She was already beginning the journey from girl to woman, he
thought. Her baby fat was beginning to fade, and her figure was getting
long and graceful. And there was just something in the way she carried
herself. . .Something within her never let her forget that she was a
princess.
	And she looked so good, so right, standing there next to Darien, the boy
he had once been. Did they have any inkling yet of just how deep their
connection went? Did they know they were two halves of a much bigger whole,
one soul in two bodies? They must at least know that they're destined to
marry someday. . .
	For a moment, he felt jealous of his younger self. He can just reach out,
he thought, and touch her. A look, a smile, a few well-chosen sweet words,
will bring Serena into his arms.
	But I cannot touch my Serenity. She's sealed away from me. And I feel like
half a human being.
	Oh, it feels like forever since we were together. When was the last time
we made love. . .
* * *
	She was sitting at her nighttable, brushing out her hair, gazing in the
mirror dreamily. She could see the reflection of the full moon over her
shoulder.
	Centuries ago, their love began on the moon. And it had never faded, never
died. How very lucky we are, she thought. How lucky that we were able to
find each other in this incarnation after centuries of separation.
	She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear her husband sneak up
behind her. When he gently touched her shoulders, she gave a little start.
	"You scared me, darling!" she said.
	"I apologize," he said, dropping a kiss on the top of her head. "Small
Lady went back to sleep. I don't think she'll be having any more nightmares
tonight."
	"She's been having them an awful lot lately, hasn't she? I'm starting to
get worried."
	"It's something a lot of children go through," he said, although privately
he was worried as well. She kept talking in her sleep about "people with
upside-down moons on their heads. . .bad people."
	"Still. . .if it goes on any longer, I'm going to ask Amy about it. Maybe
there's some medical cause. . ."
	He pulled her into his arms. "Small Lady is her mother's daughter. She's
strong enough to fight off anything. . .including nightmares."
	"There was a time, you know, when I *wasn't* strong enough to fight off
anything."
	"No, there wasn't. You were born strong, brave, loving and beautiful. You
just had to realize it."
	"And you were the one who made me realize it." She stood up, turned
around, and kissed him deeply. "Endymion. . .words can't express how much I
love you."
	"I love you too, my sweet." He stroked her hair, the beautiful hair that
felt like finest silk, the hair that had served as a pillow for his cheek,
that she so often brushed tantalizingly against his bare skin. He leaned
into her, and his lips caressed hers again and again. His hands were
sliding up to the straps of her nightgown, easing them down, pushing the
silver silk garment down and down. . .
	"Ah, my beautiful one," he breathed as his hands came down and cupped her
bare buttocks, squeezing them gently as he kissed her neck. She purred,
reaching up to unbutton his shirt.
	"My love," she said, "I do believe you have dishonorable intentions toward
me tonight."
	"Oh, no, my lady, they're always honorable. I want to *honor* every little
bit of your sweet body."
	"Mmmm," she said, pushing his shirt and jacket off. She kissed his lips,
and began moving down his neck.  When she reached his collarbone, she
traced it with her tongue before continuing her descent. Her lips captured
a nipple, which she teased with her teeth before sucking on it. Her hands
stroked his inner thighs through his pants, feeling the muscles tense. Down
she moved again, kissing along his stomach, undoing his pants. Once she had
him naked, she backed up for a second, admiring his beauty.
	"The passage of years have only served to make you even more handsome, my
darling," she said, before bringing her lips to the head of his manhood.
She kissed it gently, moving her lips from one spot to another, making him
give a long, low groan. Her tongue came out, touching the ultra-sensitive
flesh, moving around in circles.
	"Oh, Gods, love," he moaned, as she began to suck him. He tangled his
fingers in her hair, emitting deep sounds of pleasure as her lips drew him
in deeper and deeper.
	His mouth thirsted for her sweetness. He wanted to return what she was
doing. Gently, he lifted her back up on her feet, then picked her up and
lay her on their bed.
	"Endymion. . ."
	"Ssh, love, no talking. Just relax. . ."
	He kissed her, his tongue flicking in and out of her mouth. He left a
trail of wet kisses down her neck, headed toward his first goal. . .
	When he began sucking her breast, she writhed. "AAAHHH!" she cried,
pulling his head closer to her, reveling in the tugging of his lips, the
flicking of his tongue back and forth on the hardened tip. She took the
other breast in her hand, offering it it him, an invitation he gladly
accepted. His mouth claimed the nipple as his fingers began teasing the one
his mouth had already stimulated. She didn't want him to stop. . .but she
wanted his mouth at her most secret juncture, as well.
	He began moving downward again, and she opened wide to receive him. He
reached the soft blonde curls covering her sweetness, and he nuzzled them,
his tongue coming out experimentally to taste her arousal. He inhaled
deeply, reveling in her intoxicating woman scent. "My darling one. . ." he
whispered before his tongue darted out and made contact with her soft
folds. Oh, she tasted so good! He began licking eagerly, wanting to lap up
every last drop of her honey. He felt her hips buck as she moved in rhythm
to the motions of his mouth. . . He reached up and caressed her nipples as
his tongue thrust deep within her, and she let out a keening wail.
	He knew he wanted both of them to reach the summit together. Reluctantly,
he pulled his mouth away from her and lay atop her, pulling her legs on
either side of him.
	"Oh, darling," she whispered, "make me one with you."
	"My Serenity. . .I need you so much. . ." He thrust forward, and they both
cried out. His hips began to move, pushing and pulling in a slow rhythm,
then gradually picking up speed. She moved beneath him, rising to meet
every downstroke, tangling her fingers in his hair, calling his name out
again and again like a religious chant. He brought his lips to hers,
kissing her with a fierce passion, taking her bottom lip in his teeth
gently. Her hands moved down to his buttocks, trying to pull him deeper and
deeper into her, her breath coming in pants and groans, her body thrusting
and thrusting with his rhythm. His manhood was kissing her hot jewel again
and again with every stroke, and the pleasure was building and building and
building and. . .
	"OOOOHHHHH!!!" she cried as her muscles locked up, the world remained
frozen in time for a moment, and then everything let go with furious
intensity, pulling him into the same blinding white ecstasy. His hoarse
cries mingled with hers as he released his seed into her, seed they hoped
would become a brother or sister for Small Lady-another child created of
their perfect love.
	They held each other tightly as they descended slowly to earth. "My queen.
. .I love you so much. . ."
	"I love you too, my king."
	And all was quiet in the royal bedchamber, as the King and Queen of
Crystal Tokyo drifted off to sleep.
* * *
	If only my daughter's nightmares hadn't come to pass, thought the king. If
only the Black Moon Family hadn't come. If only we hadn't been forced to
take such drastic steps to protect the queen. . .
	"Reenie!"
	That's strange, he thought. For a second, I thought I heard her voice.
	"Reenie! Where are you?"
	It *is* her voice, he thought. He turned in the direction of the sound,
and saw a small figure entering his hiding place.
	Not Serenity. Sailor Moon. . .Serenity as she was so many years ago.
	"Come on, Reenie, quit hiding! Where are you?"
	And then, she saw him, and he saw her, and they both gave a start. For a
moment that seemed suspended in time, they looked at each other. . .
	Then, she whispered, "Darien?"
	And the King of Crystal Tokyo found himself uttering words he hadn't said
in centuries: "Meatball Head!"
	She seemed frozen to the spot. "Are you. . .were you. . ."
	How beautiful she is, he thought. The girl just beginning to become a
woman. . .so sweet and innocent. . .so beautiful. . .not yet aware of her
great reserves of wisdom and strength. . .
	Oh, to hold her, to have my love in my arms again. A look, a touch, the
right words could bring her running to me. She could be all mine again.
	A picture flashed through his mind of himself, King Endymion, sinking to
the floor with Sailor Moon, his long-ago wife, in his arms. . .
	He took a step toward her, slowly, tentatively. Time seemed to stand
still. She remained rooted to the spot, standing like a statue, unsure of
what to do, where to go. . .Her mind kept saying over and over, "He's
Darien. . .but not Darien. . ."
	Then, he was close enough that they could look into each other's eyes, and
she could feel his breath on her face. . .
	And then the voice called, "I've found her, Serena!" A voice he knew very
well. . .because it was his own.
	The spell of the moment was broken. Serena turned and fled, back down the
entrance tunnel, back to Darien. . .*her* Darien.
	Endymion could see and hear them, but they didn't see him. He watched as
Darien picked up the little pink-haired child next to him, and said, "She's
falling asleep. She's tired. The time travel, and all this running around.
. ."
	Serena sighed, looking at Reenie. "Darien. . .do you think we're going to
be able to protect her future? Our future?"
	"Of course we will. We have your strength to draw on, and the strength of
the other scouts. And we also have the strength of our love."
	She leaned her head on his shoulder. "I hope so. . .I don't have any fear
of what's waiting for us, Darien. I'm not afraid of anything as long as
we're together."
	"There's no need to be afraid. I'll protect you always. And Reenie. And
our future together."
	She smiled. "Gods, the thought of us living together hundreds of years
from now, as king and queen of Crystal Tokyo. . ."
	"And it will come to pass, Serena, because we *will* beat these bastards."
	She kissed him. "I love you so much, sweetheart.. ."
	"I love you, too."
	King Endymion watched them leave the area together. Their love for each
other was so pure, strong, good, and beautiful. . .it was a love that could
withstand anything. And it was the same love he shared with Serenity. He
felt more hopeful than he had since this nightmare began.
	Yes, Serenity, my dearest, they will beat the enemy back. They *will* win,
and we *will* be together again. Because they're drawing on the greatest
power in the world. Their love. *Our* love.
	And suddenly, instead of brooding, he found himself full of happy dreams
for the future.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks to everyone at alt.hentai.sailor-moon who tried to
get the story contest off the ground. It's a real shame that it didn't work
out, because some real talents were involved. Oh well, maybe sometime in
the future. . .

Thanks, as always, to Mark Berger, to Jeffrey, Sally and the rest of the
Wizards, to Molly, Sailor Star Love, Artemis and Luna, Sailor November,
Sailor Swiftheart and all you beautiful people who've written to tell me
how much you like my stuff. (Can you believe that this is story #21 for me
already, not counting group projects and MSTings? It seems like just
yesterday that I published my first. . .)

Standard Sailor Moon disclaimers apply. These characters ain't mine, I'm
just borrowing them for a little while.