Author's Notes: Just jump into it! Double chapter update, wooooo! :D
Darien had never believed in hokey astrology signs and the significance of "Scorpio entering the House of Jupiter," kind-of-junk. However, even he couldn't ignore such a blatant sign.
Professor Izumi's voice echoed in his head, "Nineteen days and the Moon and Earth will be the closest they have ever been in the history of time!" The Earth Prince and the Moon Princess would be reunited in nineteen days.
The Earth Prince and the Moon Princess would be reunited in nineteen days.
"Heeeeeello, Earth to Tuxedo Mask! Or should I say, Moon to Tuxedo Mask? Haha, I crack myself up!"
Tux snapped back to reality. Sailor Moon had finally arrived to their patrol location for the night – Starlight Tower rooftop. Shamelessly, she guffawed at her own joke. Looking up at her from a reclined position in his lawn chair, he admired how the vantage point elongated her legs and gave her a graceful, regal quality. The fact he could see up her skirt was a bonus. Reaching up, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her forward. Clumsily, she fell into his lap.
"Oops, sorry," she exclaimed, scrambling to get up. His arm held fast around her waist though, forcing her to shimmy more comfortably into him instead.
"You remember back when we started fighting the Negaverse? God, you were so clumsy that I wondered if you were the real deal." She punched his arm, offended. "But then, then I watched how your need to protect filled your eyes and dispersed all your fears. And for the five seconds it took for your tiara to move from your forehead to the youma, you were the most graceful, beautiful and deadly girl in the world to me."
"So what I got from that was you think I'm clumsy and that your turn-ons include tiara dusting. Tux, you sure that hat of yours isn't on too tight?"
Tux kissed her, slowly and sensually, overwhelmed by his frustration over a very wholesome date with Serena and his turmoil over the Moon omen. His hand creeped up her back and grasped the back of her head, pushing her closer to his face. With his other, he tenderly caressed her cheek.
"While this is very sweet, Moon brat, I'm afraid I will have to cut this touching moment short," a voice interrupted. Looking up, the pair met eyes with Zoicite and Malachite, hovering a few feet away from the tower's rooftop edge. Instantly, the two leapt to their feet and pivoted into a fighting stance, ready.
"What do you want?"
"Silly girl, why bother asking questions for which you know the answers? We want the rainbow crystals. You will hand over the rainbow crystals."
"Hmmm, what a convincing argument, let me think about that..." Sailor Moon mocked, "yeah... I don't think so. Why don't you just go burn in hell instead? Oh wait, isn't that where the bitch's lair is anyways – in a subterranean, dark exile surrounded by demons and the likes of you?"
Malachite's eyes narrowed. He threw up a deck of tarot cards in the air and snapped his fingers. Before they could fall to the ground, the cards coalesced into a beautiful, blue-skinned woman adorned with a purple, star-embroidered head scarf. Serena almost let out a sigh of relief. She stopped and watched in horror though as the youma turned its head 180 degrees and revealed a decrepit, deformed, old witch face on the other side.
The witch stared at Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon with its one good eye. In that glance, Tux and Moon felt naked to her probing gaze. The witch smiled disconcertingly.
"Ah, the ancient dilemma plagues these two, Master Malachite. Love or duty."
"Oh?" Malachite asked softly, intrigued. "Tell us, Tarotina."
As the youma whispered to Zoicite and Malachite, Zoicite started to laugh. First, it was barely a chuckle but then it escalated to full out hysterics – Zoicite was doubled over, trying to catch her breath.
Annoyed, Tux asked, "What?"
Zoicite brought her hand to Malachite's shoulder to steady herself. She took another moment to calm down before saying, "I just find your situation so hilarious, Tuxedo Mask." Her eyes glinted with malice. "You and Moon are so pityingly ignorant... the fact that you're so tortured over the Earth Prince amuses me."
"What do you know about the Earth Prince?" Moon and Tux asked in unison.
"Stop, Zoicite. It's not for us to interfere. Come, let us leave them to deal with Tarotina so that she may secure the rainbow crystals for us. Things shall come to pass on their own time," Malachite interjected sternly. Zoicite gave a sigh and disappeared in a flurry of flowers. Malachite followed.
Tuxedo and Sailor Moon looked to each other and then to Tarotina. So much for a stakeout night of canoodling.
Meanwhile, in another part of Japan, a slender, turquoise-haired woman walked out to her balcony and stared out at the Pacific Ocean, deep in thought. A taller woman followed, stopping behind her and resting her hands at the other woman's waist. She rested her chin atop the mass of green-blue hair.
"The tides are coming. They are coming faster and higher than ever. The moon pulls at them strongly."
The tall woman bent down to kiss the top of her head tenderly.
"Yes my love. The earth trembles as well."
"We must go soon." Aquamarine eyes stared up at her, regretful.
"Yes. As the moon approaches the Earth, so too must we rejoin and protect the Princess." The tall, sandy-haired woman took the other's hand, grinning, "But first, Michiru, let's go to bed. I know you get an appetite whenever the tides come in like this."
"Thank goodness you're here to satiate my thirst, lover. I would be a trembling mass of unsatisfied nerves if not for you." Michiru gave her a languid smirk.
"Always happy to help," the woman replied, lovingly rubbing the aquamarine pen nestled at Michiru's breast pocket. It was good while it lasted, she thought.
Author's Notes: Double the update, double the fun! Please review and give me your feedback, it's so helpful to have your thoughts guide me and help me identify gaps in my story. All the best, Serafina Sky!