NEGA NAGANO 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 works. Certain plot elements will make more sense if you have read the others first, especially "Out of the Past." by Sailor Mac PROLOGUE Supreme Negaverse General Wotite surveyed the generals gathered around him. A fine group, he thought. They will not fail me. We will take our first step toward recapturing our former glory, toward restoring the Dark Kingdom. "As you know," he told them, "a great gathering of Earth citizens is about to take place in an area called Nagano. They call it the Olympic Games. It's supposed to be a sporting event celebrating world peace. But what it really is. . ." an evil grin spread over his face. . ."is a plentiful supply of energy. I want you to bring back that energy. Feed the Negaforce with it. And soon, we will be able to attack Earth and establish the rule of the Dark Kingdom for all time!" With a chorus of voices yelling, "Yes, my liege!" the Negatroops departed for their goal. Wotite watched them go and chuckled. It was too perfect. All those humans together at once. All those heightened emotions, all that wild excitement. Not even Beryl had ever had such a rich energy pool. Oh yes, the return of the Dark Kingdom was at hand at last. . . * * * Darien opened his door to see a very excited Serena, who instantly flung herself at him like a linebacker. "Guess what?" she shouted. "What?" He knew what she was going to say, and he couldn't wait for her to say it. "I'm going! I got the assignment! I'm coming with you to Nagano!" "YES!" He swung her around and around, as they both laughed. When the editor of his college paper had assigned him to go to Nagano and cover the Olympics, he'd turned him down flat-until he'd learned there was a chance that Serena might have the same assignment for her own school paper. Sixteen days separated from her would have been unbearable. Sixteen days together around the clock would be paradise. "Oh, Gods, Muffin, I'm so excited! You all to myself! And live figure skating! I'm the luckiest girl in the world!" He chuckled when he thought of her fascination/obsession with figure skating. He knew that he'd find himself dragged to every single event, and would probably spend a great deal of time chasing down skaters' autographs as well. But it would be worth it. Oh, Gods, would it be worth it. "Come on-we've got to make plans for this. We have to figure out what to pack, when we're leaving, how much money we're going to bring. . ." He let her literally drag him to the couch and plop him down. She began to chatter and chatter, her face flushed with excitement. He could almost hear the excited fluttering of her heartbeat. Then, suddenly, it hit him. A quick pang of dread. . .a strange feeling of foreboding, a sense of danger. . . Stop it, Darien, he told himself. Can't you enjoy anything without thinking that the Negaverse may be involved? You're probably worrying over nothing. . . "Muffin! Haven't you been paying attention? I asked if you want me to bring my boom box!" He looked at her, sending up a silent prayer that, for her sake, his feelings of impending trouble were much ado about nothing. He embraced her. "Of course I want you to bring it, honey. We'll probably be wanting some romantic music. . ." * * * THE OPENING CEREMONY From "Olympic Journal," by Darien Chiba: There is nothing quite like the moment when the Olympic torch is touched to the cauldron and the flame bursts into life. Suddenly, the air is charged with a feeling of magic, and you get the sense that for the next 16 days, the world will be a little different. A little happier, a little more peaceful, a little like the world we always dream about, but know we will probably never see. . . From "My Olympic Diary," by Serena Tsukino: The coolest moment came when Midori Ito, one of the most AWESOME figure skaters of all time, stepped up to light the Olympic flame. She looked GREAT in her Noh Theater costume, and when the fire started burning in the cauldron, everyone in the place gasped. It was like the gods themselves had come into the stadium. I don't think I'm ever going to forget it. . . # Darien reached for Serena's hand at that magical moment, and they both stared at the newly flickering flame awestruck, as Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" swelled over the sound system. Suddenly, the ride on the overcrowded "bullet train" from Tokyo to Nagano, the chaotic mess trying to get checked in at the hotel, the jostling for position with the rest of the press corps seemed far, far away. "This is so, so incredible," she whispered. "And there's plenty more 'incredible' to come. We're just at the opening ceremony. There's 16 days of competition ahead of us yet." A few yards away from them, another young man sat. He looked like he blended in with the crowd. . .but he definitely was not just another Olympics fan. Ah, yes, my little lovebirds, thought Negaverse General Hematite. Sixteen wonderful days. Sixteen days for us to get every drop of energy out of you. . . # Back in Tokyo, Raye fed the ravens, feeling sad and listless. She hadn't felt so alone since before the day when Serena had stumbled into her temple and into her life. Darien and Serena were in Nagano. Amy and Mina were both out of town-Amy at an "Olympics of the Mind" competition in Osaka, Mina on a tour with her traveling volleyball team. And yes, Lita was still around-but she was very much involved with Ken, who had practically moved into her apartment. Even Chad had gone back home to visit with relatives. So here she was, all alone on a Friday night for the first time in months. . . But there was still one person who would always be there for her. She went into the main room of the temple and stoked the sacred fire. She took the position of meditation and prayer, preparing to go deep into her mind, deep where she could hear the one voice she most wanted to hear. . .the voice of the God Mars, who had chosen her to be his priestess, champion and lover back in the Silver Millennium. But instead of the voice of the god, she started to get visions. And they weren't pleasant ones. Visions of an Olympic complex under attack, of the Negaverse sucking energy from the people inside into a huge, dark orb. . . Raye jumped up and screamed. Darien and Serena were in the middle of that! They were in danger. . .they needed her help. . . She ran for her communicator. I have to get Lita. We have to be on the first bullet train out of here. . . # "Oh, Gods, that was so wonderful," Serena sighed, feeling happy and dreamy. Evening was falling over Nagano. After the opening ceremony, they had gone on a press tour to familiarize themselves with all the venues, then stopped for dinner, and now they were on their way back to the hotel. "Evening's still young, Meatball Head," he said, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. "When we get back to the hotel, I'll *really* show you *wonderful.*" "Ooohh. . ." Then, suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. His face was frozen in a mask of something akin to pain. . . "Darien? What's wrong? Darien?" # "What do you mean, we can't get a train until tomorrow?" Raye wanted to pull the ticket vendor over the counter and shake her. "I'm sorry, miss, all passage to Nagano is booked. . ." "But this is an emergency, dammit!" "Can't you just let us stand in the aisles?" Lita added. "Sorry, ladies, no can do. Against safety regulations. . ." "Safety regulations!?!? Who's in charge here? Let me speak to a manager. . ." "He'll just tell you the same thing." Please tell me this isn't happening, Raye thought. We have to be able to get to them. We just have to. . . # Darien broke out of his frozen trance and grabbed Serena's arm. "Go somewhere where we can't be seen, and transform. Now." "But. . .why?" "Something's coming. It's coming fast!" Serena and Darien ducked behind a building. Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask emerged on the other side-just as the hideous creature sprung up out of the street. It was something that seemed made of rock, and it had antennae all over it-antennae that seemed to be sucking in little bolts of bluish light from the atmosphere. Serena knew just what that bluish light was-human energy. This was a Negacreep, all right. She ran out to where the thing could see her, twirling her Moon Wand like a gunslinger's pistol. "Hold it right there, Negasleaze," she said. "I am Sailor Moon! Champion of justice! Enemy of sleazeballs who try to disrupt our Olympic Games! And that means you! In the name of the moon, I'll. . .AIEEE!" Her shriek came when the thing raised its arm and jettisoned a shower of little stones in her direction. She tried to duck away, but the stones followed her like a homing beacon, hitting her all over. The thing started to strike again when a rose was flung into its path. It bought her just enough time to pull off her tiara and go into her spin. "MOON. . .TIARA. . .MAGIC!" She flung the glowing disc at the monster, and it evaporated into moondust. Running toward her lover, she flung herself into his arms in characteristic fashion. "It's over," she said. "We got it!" But even though his mask, she could tell that his eyes looked worried. *Really* worried. "It's not over," he said. "This is just the beginning." "What?" "The Negaverse is here, Sailor Moon. They're going to use the Olympics as an excuse to steal energy. And we're going to have to fight them." "No!" "I'm sorry, honey. They're just going to redouble their attack now that they know we're here." "But. . .but we can't fight the Negaverse alone! We need the others!" Just then, Darien's psychic senses picked up something. A faint vibration, different from the negative vibrations he'd had before. . .a vibration that seemed to be saying "Hang on, help is on the way. . ." "Don't worry, honey," he whispered. "I have a feeling that we'll have backup sooner than you might think." # At the moment of the attack, Raye doubled over, as if in severe pain. Lita grabbed her shoulders. "RAYE! What's wrong? Raye!" Raye remained doubled over for a moment, then sat up, slowly. "The danger is past. . .for now. The first monster has attacked, but they defeated it easily." "What do you mean. . .for now?" "They'll be all right for the rest of tonight. But tomorrow. . ." Lita looked at the train tickets in her hand, the ones for a morning train to Nagano. "Will we be in time?" "I hope so. Oh, Gods, I hope so. . ." # They transformed back before returning to the hotel. Serena stayed snuggled as close to Darien as she could as they walked. The thought of having to spend their Olympic idyll fighting Negacreeps chilled her to the bone. He read her thoughts. "Oh, Serena, I wish it didn't have to be like this. . ." "Why here? Why now?" Because they're bastards, he thought. Because they're rotten bastards who will stop at nothing to get in the way of human happiness. . . "It's a lot of people in one place. A lot of people equals a lot of energy." "I'm not going to let them hurt you in any way." "And I'm not going to let them hurt you, either. I'd rather die then let any harm come to you, baby, you know that. . ." Once they reached their hotel room, she felt like she needed a shower. She took off her sweater-and he saw the little marks all over her arms left by the stones. "Serena! What did that Negajerk do to you?" "I'm all right. . .just scratches and bruises. . ." "They're *nasty* scratches and bruises. Come into the bathroom. . ." Once she was under the light, he surveyed the damage. Oh, my poor baby, he thought, that must have hurt. And you bore the pain bravely, more bravely than a lot of people would have given you credit for. . . He ran some water into the sink. "Let's get these cleaned up, and then you're going to go lie down." "I'm fine, really. . ." she said, suppressing a grimace as he gently stroked a soapy washcloth up her arm. "You were magnificent out there, by the way," he said. "Strong and brave and beautiful." She gave a little smile. "So were you." Tenderly, he cleaned her wounded arms, then patted them dry. And then he bent over and kissed the bruises and scratches gently, as if his lips could erase them, take away the pain. . . At the touch of his mouth on her skin, she felt a shudder pass through her that had nothing to do with cold or fear. Oh, yes, kiss me, my darling. Hold me. Take away my fears of what's out there waiting for us. . .because I know we can defeat it if we can draw on the strength of our love. He kissed up her arm, to her shoulder, then up her neck. She turned her head so that lips could meet lips, and the kiss was slow, soft and sweet. Then his mouth slowly opened like the petals of a rose, and hers opened with it, and their tongues stroked each other in an erotic dance. For a moment that seemed suspended in endless time, they were melded together. He broke the kiss only to nibble on her ear. "Baby. . .do you want this? Are you too sore? If you are, we don't have to. . ." "Oh, honey. . .yes, I want it. I don't care if my arms are a bit sore if you're in them." He picked her up in his arms and carried her back into the room, lying her down on the bed. As he bent to kiss her again, she tugged upward on his sweater, and he quickly rid himself of it. Her hands slid up and down over his torso, admiring his beauty, his finely sculpted form. She smiled and whispered, "I see something I want very much to taste." "What?" "These." She raised herself up so her tongue could lap at his right nipple, moving over to the left, taking it in her mouth and sucking. He groaned. "Ooh, you little minx, you know I'm going to have to retaliate for that. . ." He unsnapped and flung away her bra. When she finally released him, he launched his own assault, his head descending to her breast, his tongue circling and circling the pink around her right nipple. Her breathing began to come in pants and gasps. He was reaching down, unsnapping and unzipping her pants, and at the second his lips finally began tugging her nipple, his fingers found their way into her underwear. He found his ultimate goal, and soon, his tongue was rubbing back and forth across her nipple while his fingers caressed her hot jewel to the same rhythm. She writhed beneath him, whimpering, "Darien. . .oh, Darien. . ." "Let's get rid of the rest of this fabric, shall we?" He pulled away from her only long enough for both of them to rid themselves of anything else they were still wearing. Blissfully naked, they clutched at each other. She winced a little as his skin brushed against her abrasions-but the pleasure she was feeling was worth any pain. She flipped him on his back and wrapped her legs around his hips so that her slick petals were pressing against his swollen manhood. She rocked her hips, sliding back and forth across his length, feeling her nub swell as it rubbed against him, again and again. "Oh, honey," he moaned. "That's fabulous. It feels so damn good. . ." "Mmmm. . .oh, Darien. . ." She wanted to slide up and bear down and impale herself then and there, but she knew that they had to take precautions first. "The rubbers, please. . ." "In the big black bag by the bed. . ." She opened his carry-on bag, and lo and behold, there was the biggest box of rubbers she'd ever seen. "Oooh, look at this!" "That's how much I want you, baby. I want to use every single one of those on you." She retrieved what she needed, and made her way back to him. She took his member in her hand and gazed at it with something akin to awe. So big, so magnificently formed. . .and all hers. With haste, she put the rubber on him, then climbed back aboard, guiding him to the place where she wanted him the most. Oh, the sweet, electrifying feeling when he penetrated her and they became one being! She stayed still for a moment, just savoring the feeling. Then, she began to move, very slowly at first, then picking up speed. . . He lay under her, delighting in being devoured, enveloped, by her sweet body. Yes, darling, take me in, make me a part of you. Never let me go. Serena, Serena, you're the other half of my soul, the other half of my being. . . But rational thought soon left them both as she thrust faster and faster, and beautiful madness seized them. Moaning, gasping each other's names, they moved together, again and again and again, and suddenly she felt the universe explode, and her muscles clenched him tightly as she spasmed. But she kept moving, determined to bring him over the edge with her, and his hands were on her breasts, caressing and stroking her nipples. . .When he squeezed them ever-so-gently, she howled as a second orgasm overtook her, and this time, the clutching and squeezing within her pulled him into the same sweet oblivion. Shouting her name, he tasted white-hot paradise. She fell atop him, the last shivers still wracking her body. He held her close until their heartbeats slowed, their shaking stopped, their breathing returned to normal. Then, he rolled them both on their sides, pulling out of her and disposing of the condom. "I love you," she whispered in a sleepy voice, as she began to drift off. "I love you too," he replied, stroking her hair. It'll be all right, baby, he thought. Nothing will ever get you while I'm around. I'd give my life to keep you safe, because you're my life, my world, my joy, my one and all. . . * * * DAY ONE "What do you mean, the downhill has been canceled?" Darien and Serena were waiting with a group of other reporters, waiting to be transported to the area of the day's big event-only to be told it was not to be. "Sorry," the Olympic official told them. "Bad weather conditions on the mountain. We're going to try it again tomorrow." Grumbling, the reporters started to move away. Serena started to follow. "Oh, well. Guess we can go check out some of the shops. I told Molly I'd bring her back a. . .Muffin? Muffin, what's wrong?" Darien was rooted to the spot, a strange look on his face. The look he wore only when having nasty premonitions. . . "It's them," he said slowly. "This storm. . .it's being caused by Nega energy." "Oh no, not again. . ." "We'd better go transform. Any second now, something could happen. . ." # "Some bullet train," Raye grumbled. "This thing is moving slower than molasses." "Where are we going to stay when we get there?" said Lita. "I called the priest of one of the temples near the Olympic area. He's an old friend of my grandfather's. He's letting us stay there. I wouldn't want to impose on Serena and Darien." "It's sure starting to snow hard, isn't it? Raye? Raye?" Lita looked at her friend, who'd turned deathly pale. "Oh, no. . ." # Barely had the final stages of her transformation taken place when the creatures started appearing. Suddenly, it seemed, they were all around her. Strange things that looked like Frankenstein monsters made of plant matter. . . All right, she thought. No speeches this time. Just action. She reached for her tiara. . . And funny tendril things shot out from the plant-monsters and wrapped around her. She struggled and struggled, but the tendrils got tighter. They were choking the life out of her. . .she couldn't get a breath. . . # The train finally pulled into the station. Raye and Lita dashed onto the platform, pushing aside other passengers, desperately looking for transport into the Olympic area. . . # "Tuxedo Mask!" Sailor Moon managed to gasp. "Where are you?" Little did she realize that they'd grabbed him before they'd grabbed her, and he was being held and choked as tightly as she was. . .in fact, he was even closer to death. Her small body shook with fear. Yet one spark inside her kept her going, refused to go down without a fight. She kicked out with her long legs, feeling her foot connect with something. The creature's grip on her slackened. She thought she'd be able to get out. . . Then, the thing recovered and squeezed her harder than ever. I'm going to die, she thought, I'm going to die. . .she began to black out. . . And then she heard the voice yell, "MARS FIRE. . .IGNITE!" A flash of heat, and suddenly, Serena was free. She dropped to the ground, just as another voice shouted, "JUPITER THUNDER. . .CRASH!" Somebody was picking her up. No, not somebody. She knew exactly who it was. "Sailor Mars! You came!" "Couldn't leave you to host this party all by yourself. Now let's launch a combined attack against these bastards. . ." Serena launched her tiara, and Raye threw her fire at it, creating a blazing disc which flew on an arc, taking down four of the creatures at a time. Then, Serena saw one of them sneaking up behind Raye. . . "Sailor Mars! Look out!" Raye turned just as her opponent was about to grab her. . .and then, a rose landed in front of the thing, paralyzing it. Raye was able to take it out easily. "Tuxedo Mask!" Serena shouted. "You're all right!" "Thanks to your friend, here," he said, gesturing toward Lita. . .who was getting ready to throw a bolt at the last remaining youma. The thing reached out to grab her. . .but she vaporized it before it even had a chance. Everyone just stood there tense for a second, listening, watching, making sure that the battle was truly over. . . Then, they all rushed into a group hug. "When did you get here?" said Serena. "Literally, ten minutes ago," Raye replied. "Our bags are still down the hill." "And it looks like we arrived just in time," Lita added. "You were almost plant food!" "Tell us about it," said Darien. "I still feel like garbage in a disposal." "Are you going to stay in Nagano?" Serena asked. "We wouldn't dare leave you alone," Raye said. "Cool!" Serena said. "We can get you press passes and you can come to the figure skating events with us! It's going to be *so* awesome. We have the pairs coming up tomorrow and after that is the men's competition and then. . ." Lita and Serena broke away from the other two, walking ahead and talking about the upcoming events. Raye took a deep breath. "So, when did *you* start getting premonitions about this?" "The first ones came even before we left for Nagano. I brushed them away. I should have paid attention." "Do you feel anything right now?" He shook his head. "We've beaten them back. . .but I know it's only temporary. We're going to have to be on our guard at all times." Raye paused for a second, then said, "This isn't the first time something like this has happened, you know." "What do you mean?" "The Negaverse. . .and the Olympics. They attempted an attack in Atlanta two years ago. . ." "That bomb blast?" "Exactly. The FBI never figured out who did it. Some poor security guard got arrested. . ." "Hey, yeah! I remember that! But are you sure it was them?" "Oh, yes, I'm sure. I have. . .my sources." Darien nodded. He was the only one who knew the full truth about Raye's relationship with Mars. "So when do you think they're going to launch the next one?" She shook her head. "Could be tomorrow. Could be the next day. Could be next week. . ." * * * DAY TWO From "Olympic Journal," by Darien Chiba: The snow continues to fall over Nagano, and once again, skiing events are being canceled. But even the endless storms can't put a damper on the biggest ticket event of these games, the ratings-getter, the money-spinner: figure skating. Before a packed house at the White Ring arena, the pairs competition got underway, a display of grace and strength wrapped in spangles and flash. . . From "My Olympic Diary," by Serena Tsukino: I am a HUGE figure skating fan, and I've been dreaming about going to a live competition for a LONG, LONG time. Tonight, I finally got my chance when I went to the short program of the pairs competition, and it was everything I thought it would be. Nothing short of AWESOME. . . # And while Serena and Darien were enjoying the competition inside the arena, Raye and Lita were taking down youma outside of it. Both Raye and Darien had felt the approaching evil during dinner. They had both looked up from their plates with a start. Their eyes locked and held. They knew. Serena was talking about her failed attempt to get Tara Lipinski's autograph earlier that day. "She had about sixty thousand goons all around her, and they grabbed her and stuffed her into a van like she were a sack of laundry! They didn't even let her say two words to us! And then they were SO rude. . .Hey, what's wrong with you two?" Silence. "Oh, no. . ." "Don't let this stop you from going to see the skating," Raye said. "We'll handle it." "Are you sure?" said Darien. "At this point, guarding the Earth against the Negaverse is more important than filing our stories. We can always fake our stories from the TV reports." "Don't even think of it," Lita said. "You go do the job you came here to do. . .and we'll go do the job *we* came here to do." And sure enough, shortly after the crowds filed into the arena, the monsters began to materialize. But little did they know, two figures were waiting for them. . . "JUPITER THUNDER. . .CRASH!" Lita managed to blast three of them (gnarled, gnomelike things this time) with one bolt. She felt something start to grab her from behind. . .she whirled around and launched a karate kick. The monster reeled backwards, and Raye was able to fry it before it could hit the ground. "Is that it?" said Lita. A loud roar was their answer. They turned, and saw something that looked like a living tree rearing up behind them. . .It wrapped a branch around both their waists. Lita's arms were trapped, but Raye was able to bring hers up and launch a blast of fire. The thing dropped them, and they launched a combined attack, blowing it to kingdom come. "Okay," said Raye. "NOW that's it." They both breathed a sigh of relief as they transformed back into their everyday selves. "Gold medal performance," Lita joked. "It had better be," Raye said. "The stakes are too high for anything else." Inside the arena, Darien suddenly felt relaxed. He reached over and grabbed Serena's hand. "It's over," he whispered. "For now." * * * DAYS THREE THROUGH SEVEN From "Olympic Journal," by Darien Chiba: As we approach the end of the first full week of these Olympic Winter Games, there are some images that are already stamped on all of our minds: the jubilant face of Picabo Street, the American with the unique name and unique talent, as she finally achieved her dream of Olympic gold; the relentless optimism of Happy Harada despite his failure to achieve the same dream; the horror of the accidents during the men's downhill. Yet throughout it all, the word on the street here in Nagano has been about the weather. Grumblings are starting to surface in the skiing camp, grumblings that Nagano should never have been given these Olympics, that the weather conditions have been impossible, that some evil force of nature must be causing this relentless rain, wind and snow that has forced the cancellation of race after race. . . From "My Olympic Diary," by Serena Tsukino: Don't you just love the name Picabo Street? Isn't that the greatest name in the world? Last night was the men's figure skating short program, featuring one of my all-time favorites, the WICKED COOL Elvis Stojko. We also saw the stunning debut of the rising star in the figure skating world, Ilya Kulik, who skates like a ballet dancer and is really cute to boot! Right now, the gold is up for grabs-just about anyone could take it. . . # From the private journal of Raye Hino: Somehow, we got through the last 24 hours without an attack. Gods only know how. Maybe after what happened Wednesday, they've just worn themselves out. I've never seen Darien beat off so many youmas with his cane at one time. They all kept swarming around and attacking Serena like something out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. They left the rest of us alone-they just went after her and after her and after her. Finally, I got REALLY pissed off and launched a Maximum Firepower attack, and I blew a good chunk of them away. Then Lita pumped up the thunder and took care of the rest. (The attack she launched was so strong, she ended up blowing up a truck from the American TV network CBS. An American who saw the explosion said, "No big loss.") This, of course, was on top of the batlike creatures we had to take care of on Tuesday, and the gorilla-type things on Monday. It's a wonder that any of us have any strength left. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm crazy for telling Lita she can go home to Ken for Valentine's Day. But my psychic senses are detecting no evil, and neither are Darien's. I just hope we're both right. . . * * * DAY EIGHT-VALENTINE'S DAY As soon as Darien woke up, he took several deep breaths and cleared his mind. He reached out with his psychic senses, trying to detect the slightest trace of nasty vibrations. . . To his relief, he felt none. Please, Gods, he thought, let it stay this way. Let it stay quiet, just for the next 24 hours or so. . .just until I get to celebrate Valentine's Day with my baby. . . He snuggled closer to the little body next to him in the bed and lay a kiss on her temple. Her eyelids fluttered open. "Good morning, Meatball Head. Know what today is?" "Mmmmm. . .men's long program?" "WHAT?" She giggled and threw her arms around him. "I know, Muffin-it's Valentine's Day!" "It sure is. And wait until you see what I got for you. . ." A wicked smile spread over her face. She had one of her famous surprises planned for that night. Oh, he was REALLY going to like what she had planned for him. . . # Because of her anticipation, that day's slate of events seemed endless. They attended one of the hottest tickets of the Olympics, the ski jumping. Japan took first and third place, and the crowd celebrated wildly. Serena barely paid attention. Her mind kept cycling through daydreams. . . First, there was the pairs figure skating daydream. Serena in a little lacy white dress, similar in style to her Sailor Scout uniform. Darien in his Tuxedo Mask costume, minus the top hat and cape. The two of them gliding hand in hand over the ice together, then him lifting her up, tossing her into the air as if she were a feather, and catching her again. . . Then, there was the ladies' single figure skating daydream. Serena in a spangly silver outfit, spinning and jumping as the crowd roared its approval. . . And then came the daydreams of that night, which made her shiver-and not from the cold. After the ski jumping, they briefly looked in on curling, which Serena decided had to be the dumbest sport she'd ever seen in her life. Who in their right mind played a game that involved a big rock and brooms? On the way to dinner, she'd spotted Tara Lipinski again. But the pursuit for the American skater's autograph turned out to be as fruitless as the last one. She was grumbling slightly when they sat down in the restaurant. But then, Darien lifted her spirits right back up again. . . After the waiter took their order, he took her hand in both of his and kissed it. "You're positively stunning, you know that? All this mountain scenery is nothing compared to your beauty." "Oh, baby. . .and words can't describe how fabulous you are." They leaned over the table and kissed. Then, he broke away from her. . . "Serena. . .did you put our press passes for tonight in your purse?" "Did I? Oh, Gods, I don't know! Let me look. . ." She opened her bag-and lying within was a small, wrapped package. "Ooh, what's this?" "Happy Valentine's Day, my love." She unwrapped the box and opened it. . .and saw a beautiful gold chain which sported a unique charm. A crescent moon, on top of which was a rose. "Turn it over," he said. "Read the inscription." She did. "To my Serena-my love for eternity." Her eyes misted over with tears. "Oh, Darien. . ." She got up from her chair and threw her arms around his neck, and they embraced tightly. "Thank you. . .it's the most beautiful thing I ever received." "Beauty for a beauty. I love you so much. . ." He put the necklace on her. She swore to never take it off. Dinner was lovely, all kisses and hand-holding and staring into each other's eyes over the food. She was sorry when they had to leave to go to that night's figure skating competition. Imagine, she thought-me, Serena Tsukino, figure skating fanatic, not wanting to go to a live competition! But if it weren't for the call of duty and the column she was required to write, she would have asked Darien to just take her to the hotel then and there. Throughout the skating, Serena's heart was pounding-partly because of what she was seeing, partly because of what she was dreaming. The skaters were, indeed, thrilling, although she was shocked to see her favorite, Elvis Stojko, struggling with an obviously painful injury throughout his program. If only "Moon Healing Activation" worked on physical injuries, she thought. . . Then, after what seemed like decades, the medal ceremony was at last over, and they were on their way back to the hotel. It was time for Serena's Valentine's Day surprise. Once back in the room, they went for each other instantly, grabbing each other, drawing into a long, hungry kiss. Oh, Darien, I've been waiting to taste your lips like this all day, she thought. And it was well, well worth the wait. . . She pulled away. "Time for your presents." "I thought you were my present." "I'm just part of it. Now, you have to light some candles. . .you can't see your presents in the dark." There were two tapers in holders on the bureau. He quickly lit them both and turned off the light, while she pulled a shopping bag out of the closet. "Now," she said, "you have to be properly dressed for the occasion. I think this calls for. . .boxer shorts. And nothing but." She grabbed his shirt front and pulled him toward her for another kiss. Both of them quickly stripped down to their underwear, and he sucked in his breath at the sight of what she was wearing-a matching black lace bra and panty set, with a little red fabric rose at the junction of her breasts. "Oh, wow," he said. "That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life." "Now sit on the bed with me. . ." Once they were seated, she pulled the first wrapped box out of the bag and handed it to him. It was a big, traditional heart-shaped box of chocolates. "Thanks, honey," he said, kissing her. The second package yielded several chocolate roses, the third a motorcycle sculpted in chocolate. "Now you know, feeding my chocolate obsession like this could be dangerous," he told her. "Some say that chocolate is an aphrodisiac." She gave him a sly smile. "Why do you think I'm feeding it?" "Why, you little minx. . ." Their mouths came together in a long, hot, wet kiss. "There's one package left," she said, handing him something that looked like a wrapped catsup bottle. "Now what's this. . .chocolate syrup?" She kissed his neck and whispered, "Remember that Sunday we spent together a few months ago, when it was raining and we couldn't go to the beach? After we made love the second time, you told me you had a fantasy of pouring chocolate syrup on me and licking it off slowly. . ." She unfastened her bra and began to slide it off. "Your fantasy is about to come true." "Oh, Serena!" He pulled her into his arms, and their mouths collided like two runaway trains. His fingers reached for her exposed nipples, stroking them, kneading them, teasing them into hot little peaks. . . She lay on her back, reaching up to unfasten her hair, reaching down to strip off her panties. She stretched and preened, revealing all of herself to him, craving the touch of his hands, his tongue. . . He didn't know where to begin. First order of business, get rid of these damn boxers, he thought. Now, to turn her into the most delicious chocolate sundae ever. . . She felt the sticky liquid pouring over her stomach, up to her breasts, then back down. . .then his fingers began spreading it around, like a child working with finger paints. He was rubbing and stroking every part of her torso, it seemed. . . When he'd smoothed it around to his heart's content, he licked his hands clean. The taste of chocolate mixed with the taste of her. . .intoxicating. He had to have more. . . He leaned over and kissed her lips, letting his tongue slide in and out of her mouth. And then he pulled away, choosing to start his feast at a fairly safe point-her belly. Serena felt his hot tongue moving in circles on her stomach. Oh, it felt good! The touch was sending electric signals to every part of her. . .and he was moving up, slowly, slowly, by degrees. . .oh Gods, hurry, please hurry, I want you at my breasts, I want you down below. . .But he continued to lick slowly, at his leisure, and she started to whimper with need. . . "Mmmm," he said. "Delicious. . .even more delicious than in my fantasies. I think it's time to sample these two little chocolate kisses here. . ." And then, suddenly, his tongue was lapping at her left nipple, and she arched and cried out. He moved down further on her breast, cleaning the entire mound, slowly, slowly, before returning to the nipple again. . .He took the bottle of syrup, squeezed a fresh drop on her nipple, then licked it off. Squeeze, lick, squeeze, lick, squeeze, lick. . .Serena's mouth was wide open, her breathing ragged, her heart pounding. He only stopped doing what he was doing in order to move to the other breast and repeat the process as she cried his name out. "I need it. . .I need it!" she shrieked. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her, and she tasted intense chocolate. "What do you need, Serena?" he whispered into her lips. "I need you. . ." "I know what you need. Hold on a second. . ." He went into the bathroom and came back with a glass, into which he poured some of the syrup. "Now, don't you want to taste heaven, too? I'll take the bottle, you take this. . .and we'll give each other a counting lesson." She kissed his lips deeply, knowing exactly what he had in mind. They switched positions on the bed, so that his mouth was inches from her womanhood, and his manhood was within her grasp. And grasp it she did, dipping her fingers in the syrup and spreading it all over him, thoroughly coating him from base to tip. Meanwhile, she felt something being poured into her most secret juncture. . . Her tongue touched him at the same instant his touched her. Both made an "ooh!" noise and jerked, then the tongues started to move. . . She was running hers up and down his length, swirling it around, rubbing it back and forth, back and forth. . .The texture of him never ceased to arouse her, and he tasted so good. . .even *without* the chocolate coating. . . And meanwhile, he was dipping and circling, exploring every crevice, being sure not to miss a single delicious drop. When he'd licked it all off, he poured on some more. Chocolate and Serena. . .Serena and chocolate. I could live off this, I really could. . . She dipped her fingers in the glass and reached up to coat him again, but instead of licking, this time she took him in her lips and began to suck, moving in and out, in and out. He felt so, so good, tasted so good. . .Then, she made a noise in her throat somewhere between a purr and a growl as he began concentrating his efforts on her passion-swollen jewel. He stroked it, lashed it, sucked it. . .Her hips began to buck, pushing her further and further onto his mouth. He pushed his tongue down and in, deep inside her, thrusting in and out, in and out. . .just like his manhood was thrusting in and out of her lips. He brought his fingers into play, gently and tenderly stroking her pearl as his tongue continued to probe her. . .She felt the wave within her cresting, breaking, and she shrieked her pleasure with him still in her mouth. He began to groan deep in his throat, thrash about. . .She felt his manhood start to throb, and knew he was going to come. She pulled away just before the explosion. He moaned his pleasure into her womanhood as he came, and she came again, crying his name out. Dazed, spent, they switched their bodies back around so they were heart to heart and lips to lips. Their tongues eagerly probed each other's mouths, knowing they would taste themselves. . .and chocolate. "How was your fantasy, my love?" she whispered. "Even better than I ever dreamed. You're incredible. And edible." They both laughed. "But seriously. . .this meant a lot to me, Princess. I love you." "I love you too, my Prince." The gods answered my prayer, he thought as they cuddled up and started to go to sleep. No Negaverse. Thank you, whoever's responsible. . .thank you for this beautiful evening with my love. . . Unfortunately, the idyllic peace was not to last. * * * DAY NINE From "Olympic Journal," by Darien Chiba: No Olympic sport has been plagued with more accusations of faulty judging than ice dancing. The sport which was put on the map by Torvill and Dean has now fallen in status almost to the point where people are talking about throwing it out of the Olympics. Rarely, if ever, does a competition take place without someone hurling allegations that the judges had the winners picked out before a single blade cut the surface of the ice. This year's Olympic competition looks like it will definitely not be an exception. . . # Darien looked up from his laptop when he heard the knock at the door. He hit "save" and went to answer it. There on the threshold was Raye, holding a newspaper in her hand. "We've got to talk, Tux Boy." "Sure, come in. . .what's up?" "Look at this headline. 'Mysterious Flu Sweeping Olympic Village.' Now, this may very well be a true epidemic of flu. . .but what if it's not? It means they've found a way to drain energy from people that slips past your psychic radar and mine. Neither one of us sensed the presence of any. . . " She stopped as her eyes took in the bottle of chocolate syrup on the nighttable, the severely rumpled, chocolate-spotted sheets. She raised an eyebrow. Darien blushed redder than she'd ever seen Amy blush. After a pause, Raye said, "Well. Happy belated Valentine's Day." Darien chuckled, and said quickly, "So. . .back to the topic at hand. This flu. . ." "I think it's the Negaverse, Darien. I just wish I could be a hundred percent sure. . ." "Can't you do a fire reading?" Just then, the bathroom door burst open and Serena came out. "I'm ready to go when you are, my luscious chocolate sund. . .oh, hi, Raye." She was blushing as red as Darien had. "Maybe," said Raye, "we should all get out of this room. . ." # A few hours later, they went to the train station to meet Lita-who arrived with company. "Look what I found!" said Lita as she got off the bullet train. Right behind her was- "AMY!" Serena and Raye yelled in unison, running forward to grab their friend up in a group hug. "When did you get in?" Serena asked. "I came back from my competition on Friday. Then, yesterday was Valentine's Day, and I . . .spent the day with Adam." She was turning red. The theme for the day, Raye thought, is blushing. "Then, Lita called me and told me about what's been going on in Nagano, so. . ." "So now there's only one of us missing," Raye said. "Has anyone heard from her?" Amy shook her head. "I tried e-mailing her last night, but I don't think she has Net access where she is." As Serena and Lita continued to fill Amy in on the events of the week, Raye approached Darien. "You guys go back to the Olympic area. I have to go back to the temple for a few moments." "A rendezvous with an 'old flame'?" "You might say that. . . # She was kneeling in front of the fire. She emptied and opened her mind, and soon, she heard the voice in her head, the voice of the god Mars. . . "Danger, Raye. . .there's danger." "What kind of danger?" "The Negaverse is draining energy all over the place. They're feeding off the heightened emotions of the Olympic Games. All those athletes who supposedly have the flu are really suffering the effects of being drained by the Negaverse." "So I *was* right." "And every time an athlete gets hurt, they're feeding off the pain and anguish. When somebody wins and celebrates wildly, they're feeding off the joy. And since these kind of energy drains are more subtle than their usual ones, you can't pick them up with psychic abilities-that's why you and Darien haven't been able to sense all of what's been going on." "Are they planning an attack?" "Yes. Wotite wants to reestablish the Dark Kingdom on Earth, and he figures by the end of the games, he'll have enough energy. And he's strong, Raye. Right now, he's almost as strong as Beryl was." "We can take him. I know we can." "You can. . .but I'm warning you. . .there may be sacrifice involved." "What kind of sacrifice?" "I cannot say. . .just be on your guard, Raye. . ." She heard the voice start to fade away, felt herself returning to reality. . . An hour or so later, she ran breathlessly into the cafe where they had met up for lunch most days. Four faces turned toward her, their eyes all asking the same unspoken question. . . "What are we up against?" Raye took a deep breath. "It's bad news, guys. *Real* bad." * * * DAYS 10-11 From "My Olympic Diary," by Serena Tsukino: There's been so much action the last couple of days that I don't know where to begin. First of all, the American women's hockey team won the first-ever gold medal in their sport by beating Canada in a super-exciting game that went down to the wire. Then, Happy Harada FINALLY came through and scored the jump which helped Japan win the team ski jumping competition. He even set a new world's record. It was AWESOME, especially when everyone started yelling "Banzai!" while he was in mid-air. And "The Herminator," Hermann Maier, won a gold medal in the giant slalom. After seeing his SCARY wipeout during the downhill, it was great to see him not only get back up and ski, but win! "He gets knocked down, but he gets up again, you're never going to keep him down. . ." But the real fun starts tomorrow night, with the start of the ladies' figure skating competition, featuring my FAVORITE skater of all time-the SUPER WICKED AWESOME COOL Tara Lipinski. . . # From the private journal of Raye Hino: There's been so much action the last couple of days that I don't know where to begin. Youmas here, there, and everywhere. Lita and I had to take down a couple right outside the Olympic Village. The bastards actually disguised themselves as foreign journalists. Fortunately, Amy figured them out pretty damn quick, and we were able to blow them away. Serena and Darien were ambushed while going to cover one of the events. A whole bunch of buglike things started attacking her. He was able to transform and drive them away with his roses. Oh, Gods, then there was the attack in the shopping village. . .and the one near the ski lift. . .and those NEGABASTARDS who decided to drain energy from a bunch of innocent school kids. . . Any second now, I can feel it, that Wotite is going to strike. And when he does, we'll be more than ready for him. . . * * * DAY 12 "Come on!" said Serena. "We have to get to the arena-we're going to be late!" Darien groaned. "Meatball Head, the competition doesn't start for *two hours*. And even then, we're going to have to sit through sixty gazillion lower-level skaters before we see one hair on Tara Lipinski's head. Let's just relax and enjoy our dinner. . ." Serena had so many butterflies in her stomach, it seemed impossible to eat. At last, at long last, the moment she'd been dreaming of was at hand-she was going to be seeing the Olympic ladies' figure skating competition unfold live before her very eyes! True, she'd enjoyed the pairs, men's, and ice dancing competitions, but there was nothing like this, the true glamour event of the Winter Games. . . Darien reached over and took his girlfriend's hand. "Serena. . .I want to let you know how proud I've been of you. You've been doing a fantastic job both as a journalist and a Sailor Scout." She blushed. "Thank you. . .I just wish I didn't have to do both." He wished he could have assured her that she didn't have to anymore, but he couldn't. . .there was too great a sense of danger in the air. In fact, he felt danger growing closer this very second. . .closer. . .closer. . . He quickly signaled for the check. "We'd better get out of here." "Huh? A moment ago you said. . ." "Something's coming." She groaned. "Not again. . ." "I'm sorry, baby. . .but we have no choice." The bill came. He threw some money on the table, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out into the street. Sure enough, there was a funny glow in the distance. . . "Negacreeps?" "Definitely Negacreeps." And so, she said the words that were most appropriate for the moment- "MOON PRISM POWER!" Once they were transformed, they looked around, trying to see where the threat was- And something seemed to slam into her from nowhere, knocking her to the ground. She began struggling with whatever it was, felt Darien attempting to pull it off of her. . .it was some kind of invisible being. . . "Hang on in there, baby! Let's try the old standby. . ." A rose flew through the air and hit the creature, stunning it. Serena pulled away from i ts grasp, and saw its corporeal body start to appear-an ugly, slimy creature. . . "You're moondust," she said to it, taking off her tiara and preparing to vaporize it. . . Meanwhile, a small figure was watching the proceedings from the window of a passing limousine. Since arriving in Japan, Tara Lipinski had repeatedly heard the stories and legends about the magical, evil-fighting girl named Sailor Moon, and became fascinated. She could hardly believe she was getting a chance to see Sailor Moon actually do her thing in person. Wow, thought America's figure-skating sweetheart, this girl is *so cool*! And that guy she has with her is AWESOME. . . # Tara Lipinski placed second in the ladies' short program that night, behind her teammate, Michelle Kwan. Serena and Darien celebrated with a sundae (a real one) after the competition. Then they went back to their hotel and celebrated something else entirely-their love. And somewhere in the Negaverse, Wotite was saying, "It is almost time, Hematite. Friday. Friday, we will launch our attack. . ." * * * DAY 14 This day was quiet and uneventful. So much so, that it made Raye uneasy. "They're gearing up," she told Darien. "Tomorrow's it. Wotite himself will come to earth and all hell will break loose." "We can beat them, Raye." "Oh, I know we can beat them. . .what's got me worried is what Mars said about. . .sacrifice." "Did he say that it *will* involve sacrifice, or that it *might*?" "He said 'might'. . .but I just can't shake this feeling that the 'might' is a 'definitely will.'" Darien put a reassuring arm around his friend's shoulders. "We have to have faith in ourselves and each other, Raye. If we do, then nothing can stop us, and no sacrifices will have to be made." Please, Gods, she thought, let him be right. . . * * * DAY 15 From "Olympic Journal" by Darien Chiba: My girlfriend worships at the altar of Tara Lipinski. For months on end, I've watched with her just about every performance of the Girl Wonder of figure skating. I've heard all of the stories and stats. Tara grew up in New Jersey before her family moved to Texas, she was a roller-skating champion before taking up figure skating, when she was five years old, she watched the Olympics on TV and had her father build her a podium out of boxes so she could pretend to be a gold medal winner. . . It seems that my girlfriend is not alone in her obsession. Lipinski has been dogged by the media relentlessly throughout the Olympics. She's been photographed hanging out with Sumo wrestlers, eating lunch with the Canadian hockey team, and offering encouragement to her less fortunate teammate, Todd Eldridge. Everyone seems to be waiting to see if this Golden Child will have her official coronation tonight and become the youngest figure skating gold medalist in history, taking her place among such legends as Peggy Fleming, Dorothy Hamill, Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi. There's only one thing standing in her way. . .her own teammate, Michelle Kwan. >From "My Olympic Diary," by Serena Tsukino: "This is the moment / My final test / Destiny beckoned / I never reckoned / Second best! / I won't look down / I must not fall / This is the moment / The sweetest moment of them all!" - "This is the Moment," from "Jekyll and Hyde," by Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse Tonight's the night, figure skating lovers! Who will take away the ultimate prize, the gold medal in the ladies' figure skating competition? Will it be Michelle Kwan? Or Tara Lipinski? Or will somebody else pull of a MAJOR upset? If you've been reading my columns so far, you KNOW what I'm hoping is going to happen. . . # "We've got only 15 minutes before we're supposed to meet them for brunch, so we'd better step on it," said Lita, as she, Raye and Amy began the walk from the temple to the Olympic area. Just act like it's a normal day, Raye, she told herself. Act like this is not the day when the Negaverse attacks. . . "We're going to be listening to Serena go on and on and on about skating all day, that's for sure," she said. "I wonder what would happen if. . ." Suddenly, she turned white and doubled over. # "We're a little early," Darien said. "We'll just grab a table and have coffee until they get here." Just pretend it's a normal day, Darien, he thought. Pretend that this isn't the day that all hell breaks loose. . .Maybe if you wish hard enough, it will happen. . . Serena looked at her watch. "Only ten hours and five minutes until the competition! Oh, Muffin, I can't believe it's finally here at last! I feel like a kid on. . .Muffin, what's wrong? Muffin? DARIEN!!!" # Lita and Amy picked Raye up off the ground. "Raye. . .what happened? Are you all right?" Raye shook her head to clear the cobwebs. "We have to meet up with Serena and Darien. NOW. Any second, they're going to launch the attack. . ." # Wotite surveyed his troupes of warrior youma. "This is it," he told them. "This is the moment we've been waiting for since Beryl went down. The Dark Kingdom returns! Now go and eliminate those Sailor Scouts!" # Everyone was already transformed when they met up outside the cafe. "What are you feeling?" Raye asked Darien. "Very strong pulses of Nega energy. They're on the move, all right. Any second now. . ." Just then, a huge, tentacle-like thing burst out of the ground and grabbed him, rising into the air. Serena let out a shriek. Raye blasted fire at the thing, and it loosened its grip-but before she could deliver a second, killing blow, something else grabbed and hoisted her. Looking down, she saw two more vinelike things grabbing for Amy and Lita, and another one already wrapped around Serena. . . And then a voice shouted, "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM. . .SMASH!" The laser disintegrated the monster. Raye started to tumble to the ground, and was caught by Mina. "You made it!" "Luckily, my team all went to a cybercafe last night and I checked my E-mail. Now let's waste these bastards." Combining their attacks, the two got Lita free, and then the three of them were able to release Darien, Serena and Amy. But that was only the beginning. . . Wave after wave of every kind of youma imaginable was upon them, seemingly all at once. Buglike things. . .shapeless blobs. . .humanoids with glowing eyes. . .Flames, lasers, bolts, roses, ice bubbles and a glowing disc flew every which way. I don't know how much longer I can take this, Raye thought. . .my power is almost drained. . . Then, almost as suddenly as it began, it stopped. A group of exhausted Scouts collapsed to the ground. "Not a moment too soon," Lita said. "I don't think I have a single spark left in me." "Same here," said Mina. "I feel wiped out." Oh Gods, Raye thought, this is what they want, I'll bet. This first wave was just to wear us down, before. . . Just then, there was a huge flash of white light, and standing before them was Supreme Negaverse General Wotite. "So, my little Sailor brats, did you have fun with my playthings? Too bad you used up all your ammo in the preliminary rounds. You're going to miss the main event. . ." "In your dreams, Negacreep!" shouted Serena. "You don't know what you're dealing with! I'm Sailor Moon. . ." "Champion of justice, yadda yadda yadda, I know the drill," said Wotite. "Well, guess what, June Moon. . .you're just going to sit here and watch while I waste the world! DARK ORB POWER!" He raised his arms, and a glowing black orb appeared over his head. "This orb generates just the right frequency to keep you from materializing your little toys. No fireballs or lightning bolts or pretty little flowers." "We'll see about that. MARS FIRE. . . IGNITE!" Nothing. "VENUS CRESCENT BEAM. . .SMASH!" Still nothing. "And so," said the general, "I'll bid you adieu. But I'll be back. . .once we're about to launch the full-fledged attack." And with an evil laugh, he vanished. Serena collapsed to the ground and started to cry. "Everything we've done so far. . .all for nothing. . ." "There's got to be a way to stop them," said Mina. Lita shook her head. "I've been up against something like that Dark Orb thing before. You're powerless against it." "Maybe there's a way to disable it," said Amy, producing her computer and beginning to click at it. Darien held his sobbing girlfriend in his arms, smoothing her long pigtails. His eyes wandered around the scene, looking for some chink in the Negaverse's armor. . . And then, he saw his staff, with its Golden Crystal, lying next to her wand, with its Silver Crystal. . . "He only said we couldn't do physical manifestations," he said slowly. "He didn't say we couldn't channel our power into something else. . ." "What do you mean?" said Lita. "Remember when we found this Golden Crystal? Luna said that if it were used in cooperation with Serena's Silver Crystal, it could overwhelm any enemy. . ." "Oh, no you don't!" Raye said, leaping to her feet. "We haven't tested it. And our powers are weakened. You could both be killed." "And do you want the Negaverse to win?" Darien retorted. "I won't let you sacrifice yourselves! Isn't there another way?" Amy looked up from her computer and slowly shook her head. Serena looked up from Darien's shoulder, into his eyes. "Darien," she whispered, "I have no fear of us dying together. I know that we will find each other again in the next life. The only thing I fear is if you were to die and I were to live, and I'd have to carry on without you. . ." He held her tighter. "Oh, baby. . ." A couple of tears escaped from his eyes, running over his mask and down his cheeks. Lita put her hands on both of their shoulders. "We'll combine our powers. If you're going down, I'm going down with you." "Me too," said Mina. "And me," said Amy. Raye just looked at Darien and Serena. Sacrifice, she thought. He said there might be sacrifice. . . Oh, Mars, my lord and master, I will be a willing sacrifice. Take me before you take Darien and Serena. Let them stay together on earth. I will gladly end my earthly existence and become united with you. . . She hugged both of them, and they drew her tightly into a group embrace. They just lingered there for a second. . . Then, the white flash appeared before them, and they broke apart with a start. "So," said Wotite. "The time has come. I'm going to enjoy showing you every single nanosecond of the attack. And then, after you've enjoyed the sight of the Earth being slowly destroyed, I'll torture you all to death, as slowly and painfully as possible. . ." Darien and Serena looked into each other's eyes. They kissed. Then, each raised their stick of power. . . "Moon Cosmic Power!" she said. "Earth Cosmic Power!" he replied. They touched the crystals together, and a huge glow started to form. The others all reached forward to put a hand on one of the two sticks- "Mercury Power!" "Mars Power!" "Venus Power!" "Jupiter Power!" "NO!" shouted the general. "This can't be happening. . ." An enormous multicolored ball of light escaped from the combined crystals and shot toward the general. The Dark Orb exploded, and Wotite burst into flames, screaming. . . And as the glow spread and spread, all his armies of youma were destroyed as well. The attack was over. Only Hematite was left standing. With a scream, he realized what was happening, and hightailed it back to the Negaverse before he could be destroyed as well. The Scouts all collapsed to the ground, completely still. Then, Raye slowly, painfully got up. I'm alive, she thought. I'm alive! The others. . . She saw Lita slowly pick herself up, then Amy, then Mina. But Darien and Serena were still just lying there. . . "Serena! Darien! Wake up!" Raye crawled over to them, putting a hand on Serena's arm, trying to will some energy into her. . . The Moon Princess's eyelids fluttered. "Is it over?" "It's over," Raye said. "We won." Serena sat up slowly. "Darien? We won! Darien?" She stroked her lover's face. He felt cold, and was so still. . . Her mind flashed back to a horrible moment. Beryl's cave. . .him telling her, "Find yourself a wonderful boyfriend," then dying in her arms. . . "DARIEN! NO! OH, NO. . ." She threw herself on his prone form, shaking with sobs. No, my darling, it's not supposed to be like this, you can't, just can't leave me alone. . .I can't make it without you. . . Then, her ear detected a faint sound. A heartbeat. . .weak, but there. . . She grabbed her wand. The crystal was still glowing faintly. She touched it to his temple, and the silver glow enveloped him, pumping energy back into his body. . . His eyes opened slowly. "Meatball Head?" The nickname she once despised was the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard. "Oh, Muffin. . .Muffin. . ." They held each other as tightly as they could, both of them crying. Raye motioned to the other Scouts. "Come on. . .I think we should go back to the temple and rest up." They nodded knowingly, and left the couple alone. For awhile, they just embraced, enjoying the feel of each other's bodies. Then, she whispered, "We won, darling. We really did it." "It was the strength of our love that did it," he said. "Nothing can defeat us if we love each other." "Oh, baby. . .I do love you. With every little bitty bit of myself." "I love you, too. Mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually. . ." "Truly, madly, deeply," she whispered. They lay in silence, feeling a strange afterglow that was not unlike the afterglow of love. Then, she whispered, "Darien. . .I want to go back to the hotel and take a nap." "Of course, honey." "We can catch three hours sleep, then have dinner, and we'll still have plenty of time to get to White Ring. . ." He laughed and kissed her. "You're still my Serena, baby." # It was a tossup who screamed the loudest when Tara Lipinski found out she'd won the gold medal-the skater herself, or her biggest fan in the stands. Serena jumped up and down, hugging Darien. You'd never know from looking at her that she'd almost given her life defending the world just hours before. Afterward, they went for celebratory ice cream at their favorite Nagano cafe. As they were eating, they overheard a conversation between two American journalists at the next table. "I went backstage right after she won," one of them was saying. "She had all these movie stars and politicians clamoring to talk to her on the phone. And she kept saying there was only one person she wanted to meet. . .somebody called Sailor Moon." Serena's head snapped up. "Did you hear that?" "Hear what?" "Tara Lipinski wants to meet ME! Oh, Darien, we have to go back down there!" "How do we know that she's still. . ." Serena flew over to the journalists' table. "Excuse me. I happen to be a close personal friend of Sailor Moon. Is Tara still at the arena?" "Far as I know," said the journalist. "Who is this Sailor Moon, anyway? Is she some kind of Japanese rock star or. . ." But he got no answer, because Serena had already taken off like a bat out of hell, dragging her boyfriend with her. # "There's a couple of nuts in funny costumes outside," the security guard reported to Tara Lipinski's coach. "A girl in a short sailor skirt and a guy in a tuxedo. The girl keeps saying that Tara wants to meet her." The figure skater, who was packing her gym bag and preparing to leave the arena, snapped to attention when she heard that. "The girl," she said, "did she say her name was Sailor Moon?" "Yes, in fact, she did." "Oh, you HAVE to let them in! Please!" She's just a kid, the guard thought. She doesn't know yet about the kooks and stalkers out there. I'll let those two in, but I'll keep a close eye on them. . . When Serena entered the room, the two teenage girls just stared at each other for a second, awestruck. Then, they spoke. . . "Tara Lipinski!" "Sailor Moon!" And, in unison, "You are SO wicked cool!" They both laughed. "Can I see your medal?" "Only if I can see your moon wand." Serena draped the medal around her neck, turning around to show it off to Darien. Yes, my darling, he thought, you deserve a gold medal. Gold in the Tiara Toss. Gold in the Crystal Combined. And gold for Most Wonderful Woman in the World. . . The two girls chatted for a few moments, getting along like gangbusters. "Video games?" said Serena. "You play video games too?" "Oh, yeah! I found a great one in the little arcade just outside the Olympic Village. . .Super Sailor V!" "Cool! That's my very favorite!" Serena didn't even feel jealous when Tara turned flirtatious eyes on Darien. He flirted right back- "Tell me something. Are all figure skaters as gorgeous as you?" She giggled and blushed deep pink. But Serena knew that Darien meant nothing by the remark. After today, there could be no doubt that the two of them were truly united as one. Finally, Serena left with the autograph she'd been waiting for the whole Olympics to get, along with Tara's E-mail address. "We have to get together the next time I'm in Japan!" the skater told her. "Cool! Maybe by then the Ultra Sailor V game will finally be out. . ." As Serena and Darien left the arena, she squealed and danced a little jig. "That was SO SO WICKED WICKED COOL! That was the coolest thing that happened in Nagano. . ." Darien turned a slow smile towards her. "Is it really? I was thinking that something else was. . ." "What?" "Hmmm. . .just a particularly delicious chocolate sundae I ate. . ." A shudder passed through her. "Ooooh. . ." "We could have another, you know. There's still half a bottle left. . ." She giggled. "I suddenly feel *very* hungry. . ." * * * CLOSING CEREMONY From "Olympic Journal," by Darien Chiba: It seems like only yesterday that the Olympic Flame was kindled. Now, today, it will be put out. Much has happened during the 16 days in between-some of it good (the stellar performance of the Japanese ski jumpers, the crowning of the youngest figure skating gold medalist in history), some of it bad (the constant weather postponements) and some of it ugly (the disgraceful behavior of the United States men's hockey team). But all of it has been memorable. Soon, the athletes will go back to their respective sports circuits, the TV cameras will leave Nagano, and people will forget all about luge and bobsledding for another four years. But for those of us who witnessed it firsthand, a tiny spark of Nagano will still be burning in our hearts. . . From "My Olympic Diary," by Serena Tsukino: I can't believe it's over. What a fast 16 days! And how much was packed into those 16 days! There are some things I saw here that I will never forget as long as I live. The joy on the faces of the people who won and the pain on the faces of those who came all this way only to see their Olympic dreams go up in smoke. The niceness of all the people I met. The feeling that Nagano had become a kind of home-away-from-home to the entire world. . . # As the Olympic flame winked out of existence, Serena started to cry. Darien hugged her. "Hey, hey, Meatball Head. It's not over for good. There'll be a Summer Olympics in two years, in Sydney. A friend of mine from high school is living down there now. Maybe he can get us tickets, if you really want to go . . ." "That's not why I'm crying. I'm crying because we're going home right after this." The previous day, they had seen their friends off on the bullet train back to Tokyo. And as soon as the closing ceremony was over, they, too, would be boarding a train for home. He stroked her hair. "I don't want to go home, either." "I'm not going to be able to sleep," she sobbed. "My bed will feel so cold and empty after sleeping with you every night for two weeks. . ." "Mine too, baby, mine too. . .but think of it this way. Someday, we'll be married. We'll be together every night for the rest of our lives." "I can't wait that long." "It'll be worth it, I promise you. I love you, Serena. . ." "I love you too, Darien." They kissed and kissed, oblivious to the pageantry unfolding before them, knowing only that they were together and they loved each other. Some flames burn out after 16 days. And some burn on forever. AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is dedicated to my pre-reader, MSTing partner, and fellow staunch believer in the Miracle Romance, Mark Berger. Couldn't have done it without ya, pal. . . Special thanks to the one and only Sailor Accounting, Molly Puthoff; to Artemis and Luna, still the best friends that a fanfic author ever had; to Lady Jupiter for feedback and encouragement; to the High Priestess of All Things Darien, Jennifer Wand, whose Web site and beautiful fics are a never-ending source of inspiration (and if you haven't read "Darien's View" yet, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?); and to Jupiter Knight, Sailor Swiftheart, and the gang at Sakura Lemon for helping me spread my fics throughout Webdom. And no thanks to CBS for their lousy Olympic coverage. As a friend of mine said, "You're Nagano what happened until the next day." In this story, Lita gives them exactly what they deserve. Standard Sailor Moon disclaimers apply: these characters ain't mine, I'm just borrowing them for awhile.