*To the tune of "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion.
As sung by Serena-chan about the typhoon and a certain
Tux-Boy who has a flair for throwing her to the ground
when danger is near.*

Every night in my dreams,
I see you, I hear you.
That is how I know you storm on.
Far across the distance,
And beaches between us,
You have come to show you storm on.

Near...far...wherever you are,
I believe that the storm rages on.
Once more, I'm thrown to the floor,
And I'm here in the mall,
And the storm rages on and on...

Heads can crack just one time,
Pain lasts for a long time,
When your head connects with the floor.
Pain was when my head hit,
One true time, my head split,
As Tux-Boy threw me to the floor.

Tanks...guns...wherever he runs,
I believe that I'll hunt his butt down.
Once more, I've come to abhor,
When my Tux-Boy gets brave,
And I'm thrown to the ground, hard ground.

You're here...storm surges I fear,
'Cuz I know that the storm rages on.
We'll stay in the mall's entryway.
But we're safe from the storm, though,
I'll soon turn Tux to filet mignon!

*Serena bows, and Angela and Aimee take the
stage*

Onward to chapter 2, dear readers! And don't forget
to write us at moonlit_eclipse@hotmail.com!

* @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--*

	Dragging her through the mangled opening the
blessed tiara had left, Tuxedo Mask threw himself
down upon the screaming girl, bringing them both
crashing to the mercilessly hard tiled floor. Sailor
Moon's head hit the ground with a sickening thud.

	Glass and heavy debris showered down upon them
as the tornado overtook the building with insatiable
fury...

* @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--*

Tempest Ardor
By Angela and Aimee

Chapter Two

	Tuxedo Mask wasn't sure when the deafening
roar finally subsided, fading into the distance to
leave the splattering of heavy rain and falling
debris. He slowly lifted his head, leftover surges
of adrenaline forcing him to gasp for air as he peered
into the darkness. He grunted against painful spasms
in his back as he gingerly tried to peel himself from
the prone girl lying beneath him, a cacophony of
shattered glass, plaster, and wood pieces clattering
to the ground as he rolled over with a groan.

	"Sailor Moon...?" he called softly. "It's
over for now...I think we're all right." An icy hand
of fear clutched at Tuxedo Mask's heart briefly as he
reached out to pull a handful of soaked golden hair
away from her face. She didn't stir. "Sailor Moon...?"
And then it rushed back to him, the memory of yanking
her through the splintered doorway and shoving her to
the ground, throwing himself upon her as the twister
unleashed its wrath on the area. He vaguely recalled
how harshly she hit the ground, letting out a ragged
sigh. "Sorry about that..." he murmured grimly.

	Tuxedo Mask pulled his legs underneath him,
rising slowly to his knees and making his way to his
feet, ducking beneath fallen support beams and tangled
wires. Dim light filtered through the crumbling
foundation of the building with each flash of lightning
outside, but it provided little visual relief before
plunging everything into blackness once again. The
rain continued in droves, and Tuxedo Mask could still
hear the incessant howling of the raging storm band as
it continued on its course.

	He also heard the ocean waves, closer than
they should be. Much too close. Cursing under his
breath, he bleakly realized that he would have to
hurry if they were to get to safety from the storm
surge.

	Edging his way along in the darkness, occasional
sparks lighting his way, he began looking for a path
to clear. He knew too well that the storm was fully
prepared to hang out, and that friendly little funnel
cloud could have just been the opening act of a much
grander show. He needed to find a safer place further
inside the walls of the building, but the debris that
was spread out in front of him would make it difficult.
The wooden beams and pieces of unidentifiable material
would have to be moved by hand. Quickly.

	His eyes finally beginning to adjust somewhat,
Tuxedo Mask was able to discern dark outlines of
debris as he inched his way across the slippery tiled
floor, clearing space around them.

	Sailor Moon first became aware of the scraping
sounds, rather loud and near to her, and then the
pounding of rain on concrete. It was cold. And dark.
Her limbs were slow to cooperate as she shifted, a soft
groan unraveling from her throat. She felt a firm hand
on her shoulder as she tried to sit up, and she could
hear the sound of boots sliding around on the floor.
"Don't move, Sailor Moon," she heard a deep voice issue
gently. A familiar voice.

	Realization came swirling back to her without
warning, the howling wind and sheets of rain pounding
in her head. "Tuxedo Mask?!" she cried softly, feeling
her chest constrict with anxiety.

	There was a distinct crunching of building
fragments as he knelt beside her. "Are you all right?
Does anything hurt?"

	"I don't...my head, a little. But then,
everything hurts a little."

	He couldn't help but smile. "I'll buy that,"
he replied, easing her to a sitting position. "Easy,
now."

	"Whoa...okay, hurts a *lot* now," she grimaced,
raising a hand to her temple.

	She felt his breath across her cheek as he
sighed heavily. "That was my fault," he said lowly,
reaching out to cover the gloved hand at the side
of her head with his own. "You've probably got a
bit of a concussion. I'm sorry...I was in quite a
rush..."

	She blinked slowly, then swallowed nervously
as she straightened. She couldn't see him yet as
her eyes continued to adjust, but she could *feel*
how close he hovered next to her, and the very thought
made her feel a mixture of apprehension and delight.
They had never worked so closely together as they had
out in the raging storm, and never had they been this
close afterwards. And she realized they were going
to be stuck together. For quite awhile.

	"What *happened*?  Did the tornado go over us?"

	"Mmm, sort of. We were lucky," he answered.
"But the storm bands are still coming, and there could
be more. We've got to get further into the building
until this thing finally runs its course."

	"It's so dark..." Sailor Moon fought her
rising panic as lightning flashed briefly outside.
She reached out towards the dim outline of Tuxedo
Mask's shoulder, doing her best to steady her voice.
"Are you all right?"

	His eyes clamped shut abruptly in pain when
her fingers grasped his injured shoulder. Exactly
how the wound had been inflicted, he wasn't certain.
Probably falling debris. But there was no sense in
worrying Sailor Moon with his ailments. She had her
own injuries to be concerned with. "I'm fine," he
lied as he rose to his feet. Turning away from the
girl, his eyes squinted in the darkness in the
direction of the wreckage he must move. If only he
could SEE what he was dealing with...

	"What are you doing?" she asked, rising to
her feet. She wavered to one side dangerously with
dizziness and was forced to grasp onto a wooden beam
to steady herself until her equilibrium balanced.

	"Moving debris," he replied. "From what I
can tell, we're very stuck. And unless you want to
spend the next few hours underwater, you might want
to stand back. I don't want you to get hurt."

	"Huh? Underwater?" she echoed, scratching
her head. It was then that she noticed how close
the sounds of crashing waves were to the mangled
door of the building. She whimpered in dread. No
way! Sure, the beach had flooded, but the mall
parking lot had been so lengthy and far away from
the coast! Well, at least it had SEEMED long and
distant when they were fleeing from the tornado...

	"Storm surges in excess of 20 feet, Sailor
Moon," he muttered with a grunt as he pulled an
unidentifiable piece of wood out of the huge pile
that blocked their escape further into the building.
"That's what the weather forecaster said."

	"Feet?" she squeaked nervously. "How big is
a foot*? And what's a storm surge?"

*They use the metric system in Japan. ^_~

	He chuckled lightly, almost nervously, under
his breath at the rate of speed she could ask questions.
There was no sense in scaring the poor girl. But then
again, she needed to know what a precarious situation
they were in...

	"A storm surge occurs when the high winds
of a typhoon force ocean water onto land. That's why
the beach disappeared on us. Stand back, Sailor Moon."
Another piece of wreckage was pulled away, and she
squealed as it hit the ground with a loud clamor.
"The surge is going to reach this building sooner or
later, preferably later, but I'd like to be on the
second floor when it does."

	"How high will it get? And what's a foot?"
she persisted.

	*CRASH*  More debris was pulled from the
remains, and Tuxedo Mask cursed as a mini avalanche
was created, pushing him back a few feet while the
dust settled. "Twenty feet equals about eight meters,"
he grunted. "Stack four of you up, one on top of the
other, and you'll be close. Oh, and let's not forget
about the waves or the riptide."

	Sailor Moon's jaw dropped. "Oh. Oh dear."

	"My thoughts exactly. Shall I continue?"

	She nodded, wide-eyed. "Please do. Can I
help? There looks to be quite a bit of debris."

	"Yes, we were lucky not to have been crushed.
Perhaps God isn't mad at me after all..."

	"Huh?"

	He chuckled, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Nothing. I don't suppose you still have that lovely
tiara of yours, do you?"

	Her hands touched her forehead, but all she
felt was one enormously sensitive bump that made her
suck her breath in sharply when her fingertips brushed
it. "No," she muttered angrily through gritted teeth,
blinking back tears. "It probably got caught in the
rubble when it tried to return to..." Her words trailed
off as she heard the quiet tinkling of water.

	The masked man turned towards the mute girl.
"What is it?"

	Removing her glove, Sailor Moon's hand shot
through the darkness to the ground. Her bare, shaking
fingers met with two inches of water that she had not
felt or noticed through her boots. Lightning flashed,
and Tuxedo Mask's gaze fell ominously to the briefly
lit-up ground as well. He let out a long breath as
the lightning reflected off of the rising water.

* @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--*

	Five feet. It had taken them an hour to dig
five measly feet into the wreckage. The water was
waist deep and rising by the second. All in all,
Tuxedo Mask was not a happy man.

	Sailor Moon was openly crying as her bruised
hands tore at the debris.  She was chilled from being
wet for so long, and her limps shook and tremored.
Her injured head pounded in perfect time with the
winds outside. "Tuxedo Mask...I'm so scared..." she
sobbed. "God...I don't want to die..."

	"Hey! Look at me!" he ordered, placing a hand
under her chin to lift it. "I've never let anything
happen to you before, have I?"  She shook her head,
eyes wide at the force of his words. "Well, I'm not
going to start now. You hear me? We're going to get
out of this. I don't ever want to hear you talk like
that again."

	His hands abruptly left her chin, and the
masked man continued to move aside the wreckage. His
hands felt up and down the pile of building material
before him. Surely it couldn't be much thicker. Two
feet under the water, his fingers came in contact
with something that made his eyes narrow with interest.
Resolutely, he ducked his head under the water, peering
through a small opening to the other side. An exit.

	Rising from the water, he blinked and rubbed
his eyes as salt stung them. "Good news," he told the
frightened girl.

	"This is all a bad dream?" she suggested, her
teeth chattering from both fear and cold. It wasn't
a joke. She'd pinched herself multiple times in the
last hour, hoping and praying she'd wake up at home,
safe from the storm's fury. She didn't want to think
about the water, which had risen another two inches.
But it became rather impossible to dismiss its
existence when she felt the sudden pulling of an
undercurrent. Grasping onto Tuxedo Mask's arm, she
clung to him to keep from being drug backwards by
the flow of water.

	Strong arms surrounded her waist and pulled
her in front of the heavily breathing man. "There's
a small exit under the water. Here." His hand took
hers and he brought it underwater, leading her finger-
tips to the entry. "Now hold your breath, and make
sure your hair doesn't get caught on anything. When
you get to the other side, wait for me. Understood?"

	The shivering girl nodded mechanically,
though she was forced to struggle to comprehend
the words, such was her fright. Gathering her long
ponytails into her hand to keep them close, she took
a deep breath and dove under the foamy water. Tuxedo
Mask's hands helped her maneuver through the hole in
the rubbish, and she observed with a thankful heart
that it was large enough to see them both to safety.
He guided her through until his fingers could stretch
no further in her direction. She slipped away and
rose above the water on the other side. Breathing
deeply, she shook her head, sending little droplets
of water flying in every direction.

	"I'm through!" she called, noting the water
was slightly deeper on the other side. The floor of
the mall seemingly had a declining ramp of some sort.
The seawater now reached her chest.

	"All right! I'm coming after you!" Tuxedo Mask
responded from the other side. "Don't move!"

	Holding his mask to his face, he dove under
the water and attempted to slip through the hole
before him. Something pulled unexpectedly at his
neck, nearly choking him as bubbles of air escaped
from his nose and mouth underwater. His cape stretched
out behind him, the edge having caught on something
unseen. Struggling underwater to free himself, he
felt his lungs begin to burn as he quickly ran out
of air. Attempting to backtrack through the opening
he realized he was caught too low and couldn't reach
the top of the water for oxygen.

	He tugged on the infernal material, feeling
it give slightly as it obviously tore from its snare,
but it wasn't enough to release him.

	"Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Moon called out after
his voice had disappeared for far too long. Her eyes
searched frantically in the dark as she waited for
his shadowy outline to emerge from the water. Something
was wrong...what if the rubble had collapsed on top
of him as he tried to swim through? "Tuxedo Mask!"

	She inched her way back towards the wall of
debris she had dove under, bobbing on her toes as the
water now neared her shoulders. She inhaled sharply
and plunged beneath the water, reaching out in the
murky depths. Forcing her eyes open in the burning
salt water, she felt panic grip her like a vise. She
could barely make out his form, straining against
some invisible binding. Taking no time to think she
propelled her body towards him, gripping his arm to
signal him. He grasped wildly at her hand, yanking
it behind him so that it came in contact with the
taught material of his cape. It wasn't going to budge,
not before he suffocated.

	Ignoring his gestures, she reached out and
patted over his shoulders for a much faster way to
free him. She could feel his struggling growing
weaker as no doubt he'd long since used the oxygen
held in his lungs. Her fingers grasped the clasps
that tacked the cape snugly to his shoulders, fumbling
with them only a second before they released beneath
her touch, and she was tugging him to the surface.

	As soon as they broke through, Tuxedo Mask
took a desperate gasp of air and promptly heaved a
lungful of water from his mouth, coughing wretchedly
as Sailor Moon clutched his arms.

	"Thank...you..." he wheezed, the black spots
fading from his vision.

	She nodded numbly in reply, fear enveloping
her once she could see he was all right, and she had
the chance to analyze how close that call had been.

	"Let's go," he grunted beside her, still
gasping. "The undertow is getting stronger. I was
fighting it down there. We're about to get slammed..."

	"Oh God!" Sailor Moon wailed as she bobbed
after him. Her feet were barely touching now, her
height a serious hindrance to their progress. She
fought her way after his form, half swimming, half
bouncing as the tenacious grip of the rising current
wore her down.

	Smaller chunks of debris were beginning to
dislodge themselves and swirl about with the tide,
the distinct howling of wind screaming through the
shattered building to announce the next wave of the
typhoon. Thunder clapped continuously through the
air, sending ripples in the already tumultuous water
as another surge blasted its way inward.

	"Come on, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask called
behind him, the urgency of the situation evident in
his panicked tone.

	"I'm--trying! I--" She felt his hand close
tightly around hers as he drug her through the water
towards him.

	"I know, just hang on to me, and keep kicking!"
he instructed her, shoving a large chunk out of the
way and dodging others too large to move. They were
wrestling with the pull of water now, riptides gaining
in strength with the continued force of the storm, the
crashing waves outside nearing the building, their
momentum impelling water in at an alarming rate.

	Sailor Moon heard Tuxedo Mask gasp beside her.
She threw her attention forward, gasping of her own
accord when she caught site of flashing sparks ahead
of them.

	"Wh-what is that?" she whimpered, her hands
digging into his shoulders.

	He swallowed hard, grimacing against the lance
of pain that shot through his left shoulder and down his
back. "It's...I think it's the escalator," he breathed.
"Just hang on, we're going to have to go up."

	"WHAT?!" she shrieked in his ear.

	As the tide slammed against them, sweeping them
forward in a surge of water, Tuxedo Mask's arm shot out
to grasp the slippery plastic edge of the escalator's
railing jutting out of the foamy water.

	"Grab on!" he hollered at her, straining to
maintain his grip.

	With a sob, she peeled her tingling fingers
from his arm and latched on to the railing, kicking
fiercely as she hooked her elbow over the side to
secure her hold.

	"We've got to get *over* it and onto the
steps so we can climb up!" he shouted to her back.

	Sailor Moon's head bowed as she fought
frightened whimpers. She was afraid to move, for fear
the undercurrents would overpower her.

	"I'm right behind you," he urged her. "I won't
let anything happen to you."

	Tightening her grip, Sailor Moon grunted and
strained with all her remaining might to move her leg
through the rigid water and hook it over the railing.
She felt Tuxedo Mask give her a shove from behind, and
with relief, she toppled roughly onto the metallic steps.

	Tuxedo Mask wasn't far behind, nearly crushing
her as she gripped his jacket and helped haul him
over. They clambered up the remainder of the rubble
covered escalator, gripping each other tightly,
before reaching the top. His legs were the first to
give out beneath him, bringing her stumbling down on
top of him, where she let her aching head drop to
his chest as his trembling arms encircled her. The
two lay on the dust-strewn floor, water pooling from
their drenched clothes as they gasped for breath.

	Eyes fluttering shut, they lay together
in fatigued silence for a long while, recuperating
bit by bit from the heavy exhaustion that had been
accumulating slowly since they'd first caught sight
of the wretched youma on the beach. They hardly
heard the lapping of waves below or the deafening
roar of the tempest outside as its fury echoed down
the empty halls of the mall.

	It was several minutes before the still
gasping Tuxedo Mask realized the girl beside him
was shaking like a rabbit. Opening exhausted eyes,
he peered through the darkness, trying to make out
her face amongst the thick shadows. Brief flashes
of lightning flickered through the overhead windows
on the ceiling, lighting up the pale, ashen face
of his companion. Her eyes were closed, and her
face was drawn up in pain and fatigue. "Sailor
Moon...?" he called, reaching to touch her cheek
lightly.

	Her head jerked sharply, as though she'd
been woken up abruptly. A pained whimper met the
ears of the masked man, and he immediately sat up,
pulling the wet girl from his chest and easing her
to the floor with gentleness. Removing his gloves,
he moved over her, pressing a bare hand carefully
to her forehead. She cried out unconsciously in
pain when his palm rested over the throbbing bump
on her forehead.

	But it wasn't the size of the injury that
caused Tuxedo Mask to curse ominously under his
breath. It was the burning heat that met his hand
when he touched her skin. She was wet and cold from
prolonged exposure to the seawater, and the fever
would only worsen under such conditions. She was
still shaking and trembling, and muted sounds of
shivering could be heard over the roar of the storm.

	'Shock,' Tuxedo Mask's scientific mind
realized grimly. 'She's going into shock.'

	Eyes fluttering shut in denial, he let out
a long, slow breath as he tried to gather his fleeting
thoughts enough to know what to do. First and foremost,
he would have to get her warm and dry. Then he could
take care of her fever and the nasty bump on her
forehead.

	Peering around the lightning-lit mall, he
saw that most of the stores were gated shut. Nothing
he couldn't break into, of course, thanks to the
expertise of his childhood buddies at the orphanage.
And thanks to the power outage left by the typhoon,
there would be no alarms to sound if indeed he broke
into one.

	But his mind paused hesitantly at the principle
of breaking and entering. To do so would be wrong,
but the girl in his arms needed help quickly.

	To hell with principle.

	"Sailor Moon...can you hear me?" he asked,
shaking her gently but firmly enough to get her
attention. She groaned pitifully, her feverish head
falling to one side in exhaustion. He grit his teeth
in frustration and worry at her unresponsiveness.
She couldn't even speak.

	Carefully, he lifted the trembling girl into
his arms as he stumbled to his feet, still gasping
in exhaustion. Hastily picking a direction to head
in since he was unfamiliar with the building, he
slowly made his way down the dust-covered hallways.

	"Shoe store...shoe store...manga store...
shoe store..." he muttered to himself, naming off
each store they passed. "Good grief, what kind of
mall IS this?!" The girl in his arms groaned painfully
at his frustrated cry, and he muttered a brief,
"Sorry," before continuing on in silence.

	Reaching the end of the long hallway, a
flash of lightning lit up the last store. Tuxedo
Mask's thankful eyes met with the most sensible
store ever contrived by mere mortals.

	Sears.

	God, he loved Sears at that moment. Everything
they might possibly need, from flashlights to blankets,
could be found with ease. More than that, the store
went up an extra third floor that could be useful
should the storm surge threaten them again. But until
the threat of more tornados had passed, he wanted to
stay as close to ground level as remotely possible.

	Carefully laying Sailor Moon on the ground,
he removed his jacket and bundled it up under her
head to cushion it against the hard tile. Situating
her into a position that appeared to be somewhat
comfortable, he turned toward the tall steel gate
that closed off the store.

	Finding the lock that fastened the gate to
the tiled floor, a smile graced his handsome features.

	"Child's play."

* @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--*

	Sailor Moon first became aware of her
surroundings an hour later. Wrapped in two thick
blankets, she lay on a large bed amongst other
store display beds. Even though the blankets were
practically smothering her, she shivered still. A
wet washcloth was on her forehead, and a battery
powered lamp burned brightly next to her. Groaning
as the realization of her headache hit her, she
clamped her eyes shut once more.

	"Tuxedo Mask...?" she called out weakly
through her hoarse throat. She could only vaguely
remember their trek down the flooded first floor.
How she got into this bed was beyond her. "Tuxedo
Mask!" she repeated, louder this time, eyes opening
to peer around her darkened surroundings.

	"You're awake!" his voice called back to her.
A shadow moved in the distance, and as it came closer,
she recognized the sharp beam of a flashlight cutting
through the blackness that stretched out before her.
His still-wet boots squeaked loudly on the tiled floor
as he approached the bed she lay upon.

	When Sailor Moon saw the exhaustion in his
eyes and his ragged appearance, she knew instantly
that he needed badly to rest. Wet bangs fell untamed
and unruly over his masked eyes. He had completely
abandoned his jacket, leaving him in a still damp
and slightly pellucid white dress shirt and black
suspenders.

	"Are you all right?" he was quick to inquire
as he walked towards her, eyes scanning her face
quickly.

	"I...I think so," she managed. "My head is
still pounding, though."

	"You're still shivering..." he murmured
quietly, moving to her side. "I don't know what
else to do. One more blanket, and you'll suffocate."

	Sailor Moon gasped quietly as the masked man
lifted her from the bed and pulled her into his arms.
Resting her against his chest, his hands moved up and
down her back and arms, trying to warm them. "Your
clothes are still wet..." he muttered angrily. "The
humidity that came in with the storm is making it
difficult for everything to dry."

	Leaning wide-eyed against a very warm chest,
she said meekly, "Your clothes are wet, too."

	"I'm not the one shivering."

	"You are, too!" she argued, feeling the
slight tremble of the body she was leaned against.
"We're going to have to get dry."

	"I don't see how we can in a timely manner.
Unless..."

	"Unless...?" she prompted, looking up into
the masked face that peered down at her.

	"Unless we detransform," he finished hesitantly.
The body pressed against his own shot backwards abruptly
in surprise, but he held her close. "Don't spat at
me yet, little cat. Hear me out."

	"I...I can't do that!" she sputtered in a
shocked tone. "I don't even know who you are! What
would the other senshi say?!"

	"They would tell you to get warm, that's
what they would say," he argued. "You're sick, Sailor
Moon. You have a fever...a high one. I could tell
how high if I could find a damn thermometer in this
hellhole. I refuse to allow your condition to decline
because you want to sit in a puddle in that tiny wet
skirt you call a uniform."

	"I'm not sitting in a puddle!" she yelled at
him.

	"It was a figure of speech!" he shouted back.
Before she could respond, two warm fingers touched
her lips, gently hushing her. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't
have yelled. We're both exhausted, Sailor Moon. We're
saying things we don't mean. Now let's calm down and
think..."

	Rising from the bed, he began to pace,
running his fingers through his hair in a nervous
habit. "We're both on the same side, aren't we?" he
questioned.

	"I think so..."

	"We both trust each other, right?"

	"I trust you."

	"And I trust you," he responded in turn.
"Give me a reason why we shouldn't detransform?"

	She scowled. "I'm not wearing any makeup."

	"Oh, for the love of God!" he shouted to
the heavens.

	"You're a man! You don't understand!" she
countered, crossing arms across her chest angrily.

	"Please tell me you're joking. Please, God.
*Tell me she's joking*..." he muttered into the palms
he'd pressed to his face.

	"Oh, all right!" she gave in with a huffy
pout, wincing momentarily as her yelling caused her
head to ache with even more fierceness.

	Relieved eyes met hers. "You'll do it, then?
You'll detransform?"

	"Only if you do. No tricks."

	"No tricks," he assured her with a nod.
"Let's do it at the same time...backs turned. When
we're finished, we'll both turn around."  ‘Like I
have a choice,’ he amended silently, knowing that
being this close to her upon her detransformation
would all but drive him to his knees.

	She hesitated, looking uncertainly into the
stormy blue eyes that peered down at her, partially
hidden by a white mask. How long had she wanted to
know who those beautiful eyes belonged to? "All right,
Tuxedo Mask," she agreed, turning around on the bed,
bringing trembling fingers to her locket.

	"Ready?" he asked, having turned away as well.

	She took a deep breath. "Ready."

	"Do it."

	Colored lights flashed and danced off the
walls, fluttering ribbons retreating from her
illuminated silhouette as energy swept through the
humid air. Serena's breath was momentarily sucked
away as the surge of power left her. She bit her lip
against the rush of pain she knew would occur, her
ability to withstand it in civilian form not nearly
as great.

	Darien loved dry clothes. Moreover, he loved
wearing them. Adjusting the collar of his shirt, he
closed his eyes against the flux of sensations that
coursed through him, feeling the pounding of his heart
subside as it always did when Sailor Moon detransformed.

	"Have you finished?" Darien heard a small
voice say. A very familiar voice...

	"Yes," Serena heard the deep voice respond.
Her heart leapt to her throat.

	They whipped around at the same time, wide
eyed and gaping in a flicker of silence cut with
sheer tension.

	And over the rising fury of the typhoon,
above the crashing of the raging waves, peaking over
the thundering echo of the pounding rain was the
distinct sound of a male and female voice, screaming
in agony and bitter denial.

* @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- *

We're not trying to be annoying. We swear! We just
like to end chapters in the darndest places! *wink
wink* E-mail us and let us know what you think!

moonlit_eclipse@hotmail.com

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Love 'n mush,
Aimee and Angela