Hey urrybody. I told you I'd be along with another chapter this week. This is a pretty long one.

Thanks for all your wonderful reviews! I always enjoy hearing from my audience, even if they just want to tell me about a hangnail they have or something. Well... er... you get the idea, right? ;D

Also, WARNING because it's lemon-flavored. That means adult content. So if you don't like lemonade, or lemon meringue pie, or whatever other food item you desire involving lemons that can be used to make a crappy metaphor, I suggest you skip that part. I mean, you'll know when that part is coming. It's not like I was all "tra la la, puppies, kitties, rhinos, OMG LEMON, butterflies." It's a gradual thing. I tried not to make it smutty or too graphic, because um, that's not how I do. At least, not in this story. But it is some strong lemonade. Or lemon meringue pie. Or... okay, you get the picture. ;)

Also, the next chapter will be lemon-flavored as well (but not the entire chapter, because believe it or not, this story is not about sex, haha, but it couldn't hurt to have some, right?) unless everyone hates it, in which case, it's not that essential to the plot so it can be removed for the sake of pleasing my audience. AND. People start dying a lot next chapter. And pretty much the rest of this story will be a little intense and kind of depressing as the NEGAVERSE (lmao) begins to conquer and pillage. You know how they be. I promise it will have a happy ending though. I PROMISE.

So. Sailor Moon ain't mine. I'm still working on it.

And without further crap spewing out of my mouth... enjoy the story. :D

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Haruka was awakened early the next morning by a knock on her door. She groaned at the interruption to her altogether-too-short slumber. Her late-night star watching with Michiru had kept her from her normal, developed sleep pattern, and she was not properly rested. Obediently she got out of bed to answer the door, finding Queen Serenity on the other side.

The Queen smiled warmly, raising a curious eyebrow. "Haruka, I apologize for the wake up call. I assumed you would be up by now."

Haruka bowed her head. "Usually so, Your Majesty. Michiru and I were out late last night. She had a… feeling."

The Queen smiled knowingly. "Of course." She handed Haruka an envelope sealed with the Silver Millenium crest, the trademark of her personal letters. "Normally I would have these delivered by my courier, but I wanted to deliver them myself. They have… special meaning for me." The Queen averted her eyes sadly. "There is to be a luncheon held tomorrow in honor of the completed senshi training." She looked up, and her smile returned slightly. "All eight of the senshi have finished at last. The envelope contains your invitation to the luncheon. It's not as grand as the initial ball, and the guest list is very restricted and limited, though you are welcome to invite whomever you wish… but it is still held in your honor, Haruka. I apologize for the short notice. I do hope to see you there."

Haruka nodded. "I will be there, my queen."

Queen Serenity smiled again, this time the smile reached her eyes. "Thank you, Haruka." She turned to leave. "Do enjoy the rest of your day. I have to be getting on with these." She indicated the remaining invitations in her hand.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

With that, the queen swept down the hallway, her long dress flowing around her ankles from her brisk pace.

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"I've invited my father," Michiru told Haruka nonchalantly, breaking the silence which had fallen over them. They had been studying together all evening, neither saying more than a few words to the other, though that did not make the situation awkward in the slightest. They both simply enjoyed each other's company, and did not feel the need for words.

The roar of the fireplace provided the soundtrack to their evening as they sat together in the private study lounge near their rooms, both bent over their respective books. Haruka looked up at the sound of Michiru's statement.

"Do you think he will come?" the blonde asked carefully.

Michiru laughed slightly. She continued to write for a moment before answering, "He has better things to do. He said he already knows I completed my training, and he could care less about the rest of the senshi." She shrugged, amused, and looked up from her writings. "Besides, I only invited him to be nice. I don't actually want him to come."

Haruka grinned. "Well, let's hope he doesn't show."

"If he does, I'll be amazed. Did you invite Tachi?"

The blonde shook her head. "He's completely involved with the economy on Uranus. You know that after the battle a few months ago there were severe repercussions to the stability of the economy. Tachi's been working day and night to try and stabilize it again." She sighed. "I feel guilty for not doing more to help. But I don't suppose I'd even know where to start. He's always handled those types of affairs."

Michiru caught Haruka's eyes. "Then you shouldn't worry. He can handle it, right?"

Haruka nodded. "I certainly hope so."

They went back to their studies again for a moment before Haruka spoke softly. "Have you had any more bad feelings?"

Michiru looked up again, her expression serious. "I can't shake this nagging feeling of foreboding. It's a small voice in the back of my mind telling me something serious is about to happen, I just don't know what it is. It's frustrating." She produced the Deep Aqua Mirror with one deft hand movement. "I've checked the mirror almost religiously…"

"And?" the blonde asked.

Michiru gazed into the shiny, reflective surface, but saw only her own worried eyes staring back at her. "Still nothing," she sighed.

Haruka noticed the aqua-haired girl's expression and frowned. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will make itself known eventually. All we can do is prepare ourselves the best we can."

Michiru nodded, staring blankly into the mirror, her voice a bare whisper. "That's what worries me."

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"Are you ready?"

Michiru nodded at her partner's question. She stepped out of her room in her semi-formal, pastel green dress and closed the door, then took the arm offered to her by Haruka, who was in a more casual variant of her Royal Uranian attire, though instead of being black it was a navy blue. They walked together to the ballroom where the luncheon was being held; it was the same room that had housed the Offering Ceremony, and held a certain sense of familiarity for the two senshi.

Upon arriving, Haruka noticed how the queen had been right in saying there was a much lighter guest list. She noticed that while many of the high-ranking nobles and ambassadors had been present at the Offering Ceremony, many of the guests at the celebratory luncheon were representatives of those nobles, and other unimportant people trying to feel important by appearing. The atmosphere gave her an uneasy feeling.

"You sense it?" Michiru asked softly.

Haruka nodded. "It's so… fake." The blonde felt almost offended at the gaily talking guests, completely oblivious to the approaching disaster. Michiru sighed.

"They are not to know, though," she said quietly. "Who can blame them for believing everything is peaceful? In their world, everything is."

Queen Serenity did not go unnoticed by the two senshi. Her dignified posture and flawless appearance did not hide the bags under her eyes and her general look of exhaustion that those who had been around her for any length of time would notice. It pained both of the senshi to see the Queen's smile, which did not reach her eyes, or the constant worried look in those eyes as she scanned the crowd.

Queen Serenity herself had been plagued by terrible nightmares for some time, and hadn't been sleeping. She spent many of her nights roaming her palace, checking in on her daughter, and standing on the balcony of her bedroom gazing at the earth. A general feeling of deep uneasiness followed her constantly. Sometimes she would sit in her chair for a minute, only to look up and find that hours had passed. She felt a pounding headache beginning to come to her, and stepped backstage for a moment, away from her roomful of guests, to place a hand at her temple.

"Your Majesty."

The Queen opened her eyes to see Pluto standing before her, wearing a sequined crimson dress which reached her ankles. It was the first time the queen had seen Pluto in something other than her fuku in more than 20 years, and her mouth dropped open for a second.

"Setsuna," she started in shock, not sure what to say.

The civilianized Guardian of Time chuckled slightly. "You seem surprised."

Queen Serenity quickly regained her composure. "Well, can you blame me? What's the occasion?"

Setsuna smiled and gestured to the ballroom of people. "Why, it's the Celebratory Luncheon," she laughed, genuinely amused.

The Queen returned her smile. "So it is." Setsuna frowned as she noticed the bags under the queen's eyes.

"Your Majesty, I've become concerned," Setsuna stated carefully.

"Oh?"

"You haven't been sleeping properly. Is something troubling you?"

Queen Serenity sighed. "Setsuna, must we play these games?" At Setsuna's sad expression she added, "You are the Guardian of Time. You know exactly why I haven't been sleeping."

Setsuna nodded and the Queen sighed again. "I'm sorry. I just… it's frustrating- not knowing what to expect, but knowing to expect something…" Setsuna put her hand on the queen's shoulder in understanding.

"I wish there was more I could do for you, Your Majesty."

"Me, too."

Setsuna was silent for a moment and Queen Serenity felt uncomfortable. She looked into the Guardian of Time's garnet eyes and suddenly knew why she was there. "Setsuna, you're here to tell me something."

The green-haired woman averted her eyes guiltily. "Your Majesty, I… I think you should relieve Hotaru of senshi duties."

The Queen narrowed her eyes. "Why? What could it possibly mean to relieve Hotaru of…" she trailed off. She knew why. "No!" She gasped, horrified. She covered her mouth with her hands, shaking her head. "No… Hotaru--"

"Hotaru is the senshi of death," Setsuna interrupted emotionlessly. "The senshi of rebirth. If she is present for the coming battle, she may be tempted to use her powers, and the timeline may be compromised. It is crucial to the space-time continuum to--"

"Oh, damn your space-time continuum, Setsuna!" Queen Serenity snapped in an angry whisper, her eyes tearing up. "Not little Hotaru." She covered her face with her hands, struggling to hold in tears.

"Your Majesty, it must be done. Need I remind you the absolute importance of--"

"No," the Queen said sadly, her voice shaking slightly as she lowered her hands to her sides. "No, you need not, Setsuna." She shuddered, then regained her composure. She looked into Setsuna's eyes again. "I apologize for my anger, Setsuna."

"I understand, Your Majesty."

The Queen nodded, shaking her head as if to clear it. Setsuna placed a hand on the Queen's shoulder; the Queen seemed to lose herself staring at nothing in particular. Setsuna gazed at Queen Serenity's distant expression and her blue eyes shining with unshed tears, and felt another small part of herself retreating to a place of emptiness.

"I'm… sorry."

The Queen looked up into her eyes and slowly nodded. "Me, too. Now, if you'll excuse me…" She turned away and returned to the celebration.

Setsuna was left alone for a moment to reflect. There were many times when she resented her duties as a senshi, even hated them. The only thought that gave her solace was that her deeds needed to be done, and it was for the greater good.

But that didn't make her job any easier.

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Haruka was sipping her glass of wine and observing her partner's conversation from a short distance away. Michiru's mentor and friend, Geole, had pleasantly surprised the young artist by making an appearance, and the two were catching up on events, though they had just seen each other at Michiru's birthday party.

While they were conversing, Haruka pondered her situation with Michiru. She felt slightly guilty for not putting all of her available brainpower towards the upcoming battle, but as she covertly watched Michiru talk with Geole, she felt memories surfacing of her time before she accepted her role as a senshi and the Offering Ceremony, where she stole glances at the Neptunian Princess, much as she was doing now. She sighed irritably. She knew she was not the same person as she was then, nor had her relationship with Michiru remained unchanged, but she didn't feel any closer to achieving the relationship she desired. She swirled her wine bitterly and took another sip.

Her interest perked when she heard the Queen call for the start of the luncheon presentation, and she took a seat beside Makoto, who grinned in surprise at the older senshi's choice of seating. Haruka winked at the brunette and focused her attention on Queen Serenity, who had taken center stage. Michiru sat down beside her, her calm demeanor and formal posture giving her a sophisticated look that Haruka adored.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the Queen began without much feeling, "For some this will be a second meeting, for others it will be the first. I welcome you all to the Moon Kingdom."

The audience broke out in polite clapping as the Queen paused, then continued, her tone much more emotional. "Several months ago, eight young women began to embark on a journey. It was not an easy road for any of them, and there were times when I'm sure each of them wanted to give up. There were many obstacles, and the training was very intense, to say the least. However, all eight of them have successfully completed their training programs, and will now stand before you, rightfully, as Sailor Senshi. Ladies, if you please…" She gestured to the senshi sitting on the front row, and carefully, they all rose to accept acknowledgement. The Queen stated their names and planets, and each bowed in response.

"I cannot express how proud of each of them I am," the Queen said seriously. "Standing there are eight completely different women than the eight who stood there months ago." She turned to look at the senshi. "Congratulations, girls." The senshi were seated to the sound of more applause, and the Queen cleared her throat uneasily. "Before we start the socializing, I have one announcement to make. Hotaru," the young 12-year-old looked up, surprised, her bright violet eyes a little fearful.

The Queen smiled gently, her eyes tearing up a little. "I would like to take this opportunity to relieve you of senshi duty for the time being. With the completion of your training, you have fulfilled your purpose as Sailor Saturn."

Hotaru nodded, looking somewhat confused, her short, dark purple hair rippling slightly at her head movement. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"You will be flying home tomorrow morning," the Queen instructed gently. "Do you have any questions?"

"No, Your Majesty," the young girl said obediently. "I understand."

"Very good." The Queen looked up, swallowed, and said in an evenly measured voice, "Please enjoy the food and festivities. Thank you." With that, she hurried off the stage. Startled at the unexpected hurried departure, the live band hesitated for a brief moment of silence, and then the conductor hastily struck up the band, filling in the resounding silence with soft, upbeat music.

Haruka cast a worried glance over at Michiru, who was frowning slightly. Both of them were more than a little concerned for their queen's health. They ate their lunch in relative silence, both lost in thoughts of their various perspectives on things, until the band played a familiar song. Haruka recognized it immediately as the song she and Michiru had danced to on Neptune.

She looked over at her partner, who had finished her meal and was sitting thoughtfully with her glass of wine. She stood up, moved very close to the aqua-haired princess and offered her hand. "Michiru," she murmured close to the girl's ear, "May I have this dance?"

Michiru smiled, shrugged, and finished her glass of wine in a very unladylike manner, causing Haruka to give her a wry grin. Then she grabbed Haruka's hand and let the blonde pull her gently to her feet. "Of course," she replied with a smile, and gracefully followed Haruka out onto the dance floor.

Halfway through the song, Michiru was feeling slightly intoxicated, but just enough to make the dance with Haruka seem almost magical. She seemed to almost melt into Haruka's protective, firm arms. Her mind wandered to her decision. Was it, really?

She sighed. She knew she had to tell Haruka the truth. Perhaps it was the wine, but she didn't think she could keep up the masquerade of pretending she didn't want an intimate relationship with Haruka any longer. She decided, right then and there, that she had to confess.

But another glass of wine couldn't hurt.

The song ended, and Michiru suggested they both grab another drink. After all, it was early evening- perfectly appropriate. Haruka agreed, and followed her back to their seats, where they found another glass of wine already waiting.

As the artist was lifting her glass for a sip, she heard a familiar voice.

"Michiru, pardon the interruption…"

She turned to find the senshi of Mars standing rather nervously before her.

"Of course, Rei," she said gently. "What can I do for you?" She sipped her wine casually.

Rei fidgeted uncomfortably, averting her eyes. "Well, I was just wondering… that is… I have a serious question." She hesitated uncertainly, then looked up into Michiru's eyes. "Have you been having any… nightmares?"

Michiru seemed slightly taken aback by the question, and glanced quickly at Haruka, then looked back to Rei. "To tell the truth," she said in a low tone, "Yes. I've been having nightmares for several days."

Haruka gave Michiru a questioning glance, surprised that her partner did not mention the nightmares to her. Rei went on to tell Michiru that she felt the forthcoming of an evil presence, which the aqua-haired girl confirmed. The senshi of Mars seemed relieved at the news.

"Michiru, thank you," she breathed. "I was concerned that perhaps I was going crazy, but then I remembered that you are also gifted with premonitions."

Michiru gave her a funny smile. "I don't know if I'd call it 'gifted,'" she laughed, "but you're always welcome to confide in me, Rei."

Rei bowed, grateful that she had the older, more experienced senshi to talk to. "Thanks again, Michiru. I appreciate your counsel."

"You're welcome."

Rei turned to leave, pausing to give them both a smile, then walking towards where the other inner senshi sat, arguing over something minor.

Silence fell over the two outer senshi, and then Haruka went to speak.

"Michiru, I-"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you-," Michiru interrupted quietly, staring into her wine glass, "-about the nightmares." She looked up briefly, her gaze catching the blonde's. "I didn't want you to worry. I feel like I've already troubled you enough with my premonitions, and it's bad enough I stay awake worrying…" She trailed off into awkward silence, feeling slightly ashamed and embarrassed.

"I'm your partner, Michiru," Haruka said softly. "You shouldn't be afraid to tell me anything. It's my duty to worry just as much as you do."

Michiru nodded, swirling her glass of wine. "I know, Haruka, I just…" she lowered her voice almost to a whisper, "wanted to spare you some of that."

Haruka sighed. "Michiru…" She reached up to cup the shorter woman's face, but Michiru grabbed her hand instead, entwining their fingers together, their eyes meeting.

Haruka felt like she could lose herself in the beautiful depths of Michiru's eyes, but Michiru brought her back to reality with her voice.

"Come walk with me, Haruka…"

The blonde nodded and let Michiru lead her out of the ballroom and away from the luncheon.

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Queen Serenity watched as Haruka and Michiru exited the ballroom, feeling somewhat glad that their relationship, which had become slightly estranged, was slowly returning to its old familiar closeness. The thought cheered her a little, but as she observed Hotaru talking with some representatives from Jupiter, her mood suddenly soured again.

She turned at the sound of heavy footsteps, and saw the tall, dark-haired man from Earth that her daughter had been 'secretly' seeing. Of course, very little about her daughter was secret from her, especially when it came to her safety, but she knew the man to be pure-hearted and virtuous, so she allowed their visitations to continue, undisturbed.

"Your Majesty," he greeted, sinking to one knee and bowing deeply. "It is an honor to meet you, at last."

The Queen smiled. "The pleasure is all mine, sir. It is an honor to meet you at last, as well."

The man looked up, a confused expression on his handsome features. The Queen laughed gently. "Please, rise, sir. There's no need for such formalities here."

The dark-haired man rose to his feet, and he was as tall as the Queen herself, with broad shoulders and a sturdy frame. He wore the uniform of the Earth's Royal Guard, and had a sword attached to his hip.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said sincerely.

"Now, what can I do for you?" The Queen asked, giving the man her full attention.

"I am Prince Endymion, from Earth," the man stated with another small bow. "I have come to you regarding a serious matter, I'm afraid." He cleared his throat a little before continuing. "I'm concerned about my home planet. We've never been a serious part of the Silver Alliance, thanks mainly to my father's doing. However, as Prince I feel it is my duty to do what is in the best interest of my people. I am here to forge an alliance on behalf of Earth. However…" He glanced around briefly before continuing in a lower tone, "Unlike my father, I'm not blind to what's been going on in the universe, or to the evil that seems to be advancing on us all. I've long suspected that several of my generals have fallen to the power of the Dark Kingdom. My planet has become infiltrated and overrun with their spies. It is with this knowledge that I have come- to offer you whatever aid I possibly can." The Queen listened attentively as Endymion continued. "Since the subtle changes have happened, I've begun retaliating and doing everything in my power to prevent a full-scale loss. I lead a resistance, which by no means is a force to take lightly, but I fear the worst. Please, Your Majesty, if there is anything at all I can do to help, only let me know."

Touched by the young man's offer, Queen Serenity smiled. "I can see why my daughter likes you," she said softly, a slight mischievous twinkle in her eye. Endymion was floored. He opened his mouth to speak, but the Queen continued. "Do not worry, Prince of Earth- your secret is safe with me." She winked, then became serious. "I know I can trust you with my daughter," she said quietly. "You will encounter no resistance from me. Your offer is quite generous, as well. Unfortunately, all we can do now is prepare for the worst and hope for the best, and continue to fight. I think we have a very small chance of winning, but it is still a chance."

Endymion nodded, absorbing the Queen's words.

"If I discover anything that may aid you, Prince Endymion, or any action you can perform that will help in our struggle, you will be the first to know," the Queen promised.

"Thank you, my Queen," Endymion said with another respectful bow.

"Now, weren't you about to see someone?"

Endymion blushed slightly. "Yes, Your Majesty."

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"Isn't it beautiful?" Michiru asked in a light voice as they walked slowly, hand in hand, through a flower garden. "I discovered it the other day. It's a minor garden in comparison to the others, but I find it especially exquisite."

Haruka only nodded as she breathed in the scent of the varied aromatic flowers growing around them and took in the many abundant colors. She had taken off her well-insulated, navy, uniform coat as they walked and had rolled the sleeves of her black dress shirt underneath up in an attempt to cool off. They were walking deliberately on a winding, narrow stone path that lead them down a gently-sloped hill and ended at a small, intimate gazebo carved out of solid, white glass. Growing on the roof and up the supporting columns were various vines containing many colorful, sweet-smelling flowers. The vines were so thick that they covered most of the open space between the roof and the low walls, giving the small structure a very private atmosphere.

All around the miniature pavilion were glass benches, small rose bushes that were trimmed in such a way that they looked as if they had wildly overgrown, and flower beds of every shape and size. There was a small pond with a low waterfall fountain that gave just enough of the sound of running water to be relaxing. Trees were spaced throughout the garden so that they created a sort of canopy overhead, blocking the more severe rays of the sun and letting just enough through to keep the plants beneath happy.

The sun was setting as Haruka and Michiru made their way to the center of the garden. The final rays of the sun that made it brokenly through the entwined tree branches above gave the pair a mottled look, and Michiru couldn't help but feel moved by the effect, though also a bit silly for feeling so. She was glad she had found this place; it was almost like an escape for her. Everything about it was perfect, and it really felt as though someone had set aside a little piece of heaven for her to find. Now that Haruka was here with her she felt complete in every way except for one. She swallowed as she became very aware of Haruka's hand in hers. She had been holding it for the duration of the walk but now she realized that she had been. She stroked the smooth skin of Haruka's hand with her thumb nervously and bit her lip.

Her action did not go unnoticed by Haruka, who looked at the aqua-haired girl questioningly. As if in reply, Michiru slowed her pace to a stop as they reached the entrance to the gazebo. She caught Haruka's eyes and entered the small structure, pulling the blonde gently by the hand. Once inside, she noticed the bench centered near the back wall, paused to observe the feeling of intimacy, and then turned to her partner, who had set her coat down on the glass bench.

"Haruka, I haven't been completely honest with you," Michiru started. At Haruka's steady gaze she continued. "That night on Neptune, when I told you that I felt an intimate relationship would complicate things, I was speaking on behalf of my father, not me." She lowered her head slightly. "I did feel that an intimate relationship would complicate things, but not to the point where I'd give up the chance to be with you." She squeezed Haruka's hand in emphasis. "After my father caught us returning to the party, he was furious. When you left, so did I, but I was intercepted by him. He told me that relationships between senshi are dangerous not only to the senshi involved, but also to the cause they serve." She sighed. "He was right… and he convinced me to give up my selfish desire to be with you. But how can I focus on being a senshi when all my thoughts, all I can think about is…" Michiru took a deep breath, and looked up into Haruka's deep green eyes. It was now or never. "Haruka, the nightmares I've been having have only reminded me of the lives we are living. Yes, we have committed ourselves to a cause, but does that mean our lives cannot have meaning or happiness other than what's directly related to our duty?" She moved closer to the blonde. "My nightmares have made me realize that our days are numbered, and it would hurt me terribly to know that if and when I die, I did not take advantage of every opportunity I had to spend with you." Michiru felt the beginnings of tears forming in her eyes, but she needed to keep going, to get everything off of her chest.

"Haruka, I-" Her eyes flew open wide when she felt the blonde's lips on hers. She couldn't withhold the slight moan she made as she melted into the kiss. She felt Haruka's arms encircling her, pulling her tight against her strong frame, and she was thankful for it because she wasn't sure she had the strength in her legs to stand. She wrapped her arms around Haruka's neck and kissed back with all the desperation she had felt for the past few weeks. When she finally had to pull her head back a little for air, panting slightly, she lost herself in Haruka's intense eyes.

"I love you," she breathed heavily, her lips brushing Haruka's. "So much."

Haruka kissed her again, gently, then turned her head and hugged her, whispering in her ear, "I love you, Michiru." They held each other for a moment, lost in the feeling of their bodies pressed together and being wrapped in each other's embrace, before Michiru pulled away and took a step back, sitting on the bench. Haruka moved to sit beside her, and Michiru laid her head on the blonde's shoulder, sighing contentedly.

They sat that way for a long while, until Michiru ached to be closer. She wanted more of Haruka's kisses. She had wanted more since that first night on Neptune, but had to restrain herself because of a self-convinced excuse that no longer held any bearing in her mind. She began to trace idle circles on Haruka's shoulder, anticipating her next move.

Haruka shivered slightly as she felt Michiru's fingertips begin gently tracing up and down her bare arm. Her body started to tense up at the sensual touch and she attempted to refocus her thoughts on something else rather than the feel of Michiru's warm fingers on her bare skin. She abandoned the idea, however, when she felt the aqua-haired girl begin to kiss her neck, softly, her warm breath sending shivers down her spine.

"Michiru," she breathed, turning to look at her partner. She leaned forward and kissed her, letting one arm go behind Michiru's back to rest on the bench for support, and cupping Michiru's face with her other hand. Michiru let one of her hands rest on Haruka's thigh, the other tangling itself in her partner's blonde hair, clutching it teasingly as the kiss began to intensify.

Michiru moaned audibly when Haruka's tongue met hers in a sensual, erotic dance. She could feel her body beginning to respond to Haruka's kiss, and she felt an overwhelming aching desire to be closer. Haruka's hand had lowered to Michiru's thigh, which had crossed over her own thigh in Michiru's effort to shorten the distance between their bodies. Haruka's arm had found its way around Michiru's waist and had pulled her in closer, stroking the bare parts of her back softly and making the artist shiver with pleasure at the slight caresses.

Haruka stroked Michiru's thigh through her dress teasingly, her hand moving further up with each return. Michiru was doing everything in her power not to squirm. She felt uncomfortable in her dress and was fighting the desire to simply take it off and let that be that.

The blonde finally broke the kiss and began to plant soft kisses on Michiru's neck, leaving Michiru's skin on fire in her wake. She reached Michiru's ear and began to tease it gently with her teeth, her warm breath making Michiru shake with desire until finally the aqua-haired girl, uncaring of the fact that she was in a dress, straddled the blonde's lap and kissed her firmly on the mouth, her hands gripping blonde locks tightly.

Haruka let her hands unconsciously wander, exploring the southern region of Michiru's body- her hips, thighs, and firm behind. Instinctually, Michiru's hips began to rock against Haruka's body, and Haruka could feel Michiru's warm region pressed against her lower stomach through their clothes. She swallowed at the thought of Michiru being so sexual, and when her partner pulled away for air, she began to kiss her bare collarbone.

Michiru felt constricted in every way possible. She felt the pressure inside her building with every movement of her hips, and her clothes constraining her. She wanted- needed more. Slightly frustrated and flustered, she let her forehead rest against Haruka's as she reached for the other's hands and guided them to where she needed them.

"Touch me, please…" she breathed desperately.

Haruka hesitated. "Are you sure?"

"Please…"

At the pleading tone in Michiru's voice, Haruka gave in and allowed her fingers to explore, found the spot that made her partner gasp, and worked it until Michiru was shaking against her, her thighs tensing and her hands gripping her shirt like a lifeline, her soft cry of release lost in Haruka's open mouth.

Afterwards, they relocated to one of the flower patches, decidedly insensitive to the care of their apparel as they lay on their backs in the plants. Michiru had her head resting on Haruka's shoulder as they looked up at the sky. The Earth was visible during that time of night, and they whispered to each other how they enjoyed the vibrant colors and swirling wisps of clouds encircling the small planet, and tried to identify familiar figures in the shapes of the continents, much how one might locate a constellation in the night sky.

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So um. That's another chapter down. Woo-hoo. The good news is, we've only got about... -counts- maybe 5 more chapters to go until the story ends? I know, I know, you're overjoyed. :)

If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask. Thanks again for all the great reviews. They make me feel like daaaancing...

And oh... the Earth Royal Guard mumbojumbo uniform that Endymion is wearing is his usual Prince Endymion outfit that he magically wears whenever he transcends time and becomes magical Endymion. Unfortunately, I am not having him throw roses in this story. Sorry. :(

See you next time, pals. :D