Blueeyedevio06 thank you for being my beta
Finding Love has a new chapter Love Poetry - I found an Ancient Japanese poem that worked perfectly for Darien and Serena.
Chapter 41 - The New Enemy
A little over a week later, Rui had just come back from a tennis tournament where she had placed very well. They were all sitting at lunch. Rui asked Mina, "So, how do I know if I met my soulmate?"
Mina's head snapped up, and she had a huge smile on her face. "Oh! You think you've found him?"
"I'm not really sure. All I know is that when he's near me he makes my heart beat speed up. It's almost like I can feel his presence. When he enters a room, I know without looking."
Mina smiled, "Who is he? We need to meet him!"
Rui blushed and replied, "His name is Masato Sanjoin. I met him this weekend."
Darien was about to mention that was a very short time to know someone and to think they were your soulmate.
Serena spoke first saying, "Oh! How wonderful. I am so glad you found someone."
He lovingly rolled his eyes at her. Of course she would want it to be true love.
After school, Rui was talking with Masato Sajoin on the phone. He said to her, "It feels like when you are around, all of the darkness flees. I just want to see you again and bask in your light."
She blushed and said, "I am free this Friday."
"It's a date."
That evening, four youma attacked the central markets in Tokyo. The Mercury computer picked up on the attack and alerted them all.
Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask raced to the location that Mercury gave them. They arrived right as one of the youma threw a car through a store window. The horn immediately was engaged and added to the cacophony of sound coming from the attack. People were screaming and running in terror, cars were being pushed around, and the youma were bellowing. It all added to the confusion as they saw what was happening.
Nephrite was there and yelled, "Starlight Attack!" Instantly, one of the youma was struck and stumbled back.
Sailor Moon charged her tiara and yelled, "Moon Tiara Action!" and launched her tiara at the monster turning it to dust. All of a sudden, she was off her feet and in Tuxedo Mask's arms being whisked away. Where she had been standing on the sidewalk no longer existed. All that was left was a creator.
She smiled up at him and said, "Thank you, Stud Muffin."
He winked at her and put her down on her feet gently. "Can't have any injury to that body of yours."
"Maybe you can give me a check up later tonight." she said while giving him a heated look.
"Seriously, guys! Not a good time for foreplay." Nephrite yelled.
Raye jumped in and launched her attack next.
Fifteen minutes later, the four youma were all destroyed. They all stood there exhausted and glad the noise had died down. Even the car horn had run out and quit.
They were about to head out and go home, when someone stepped out of the shadows.
He started to slow clap and said, "Interesting how you worked together to defeat the youma. It was quite an informative little display there."
"Who are you?" Amy yelled.
He gave a mocking bow and said, "General Sapphire. Beryl sent me. I look forward to destroying you all in the future." He then stepped back and through a portal.
They all looked around and Tuxedo Mask spoke, "My place in an hour. Team meeting."
Everyone ran in different directions so that they could disappear without a trace.
An hour later, in the penthouse dining room, they all sat around the table. It worked like a conference table with Serena at the head and Darien to her right.
"So, we have a new enemy who threw four youma at the city in order to see how fast we got there and how we fight. Not only that, but he wanted us to know that was what he was doing." Mina said. She was agitated and drumming her fingers on the table.
Darien nodded, "We may have given away that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are together too. Sorry."
Raye scoffed, "As if you two can keep from flirting. Raise your hand if you thought that the whole of Japan wouldn't know that they are together."
Darien and Serena were the only ones to raise their hands.
Zoisite commented, "I am just surprised it didn't come out sooner."
"So, now what do we do?" Jadeite asked. "I mean other than getting to where we kick his butt and then kill him."
Kunzite replied, "I think we need to assume he is always watching. We need to be careful that we don't do or say anything, in or after that battle, we don't want him knowing.
Nephrite sighed, "I guess our time of peace is over. I'm hoping that it won't mess up the date Lita and I are going to have Friday."
Luna twitched her tail, "You are hardly the only one with a love life."
"How is it going between you and Artemis, by the way?" Nephrite pried.
Everyone chuckled as Luna dropped her head in embarrassment. "He is very sweet."
Artemis scoffed, "That's not what she said last night."
"Artemis!" she hissed.
He replied, "You can punish me for it later, dear."
Darien paled when he realized he had some of the same sexual banter as the cats did. That had to be weird, right?
Serena just laughed and said, "Well, the enemy is back. Make sure you all have your communicators on you at all times. Good job, everyone, on getting there so quickly. And thank you, Darien, for saving me. I wonder if scorch marks would have come out of my uniform."
Darien rolled his eyes, "I would be more concerned about the blood, Buns. You have to be safer."
They heard the front door open and Sammy walked in. They had all been trying to act casual until they noticed it was just him.
He dropped his bag and rolled his eyes, "Okay, one, I wouldn't bring anyone here without telling Darien or Serena. Not when you are all superheroes. Two, you all suck at looking casual." He paused and added, "Three, I am really glad you are all okay."
Serena hopped up and hugged Sammy. "Thank you! How was studying?"
"Did you, of all people, just ask me about studying?" he was shocked.
She shrugged, "I ask about it because you actually do it."
"You should study too, Serena." Darien pointed out.
Serena sighed and said, "After we've talked about that haze that was around Sapphire."
"Haze?" he asked.
Serena nodded, "Yea, that blueish haze around him. Did you all see it?"
Raye nodded, "I did. I had a really bad feeling about it."
It was soon discovered that only Serena and Raye had seen the haze around Sapphire. They were all at a loss as to what it could mean.
Kunzite sighed, "I don't think we will solve it tonight. Next battle, we try to give Raye and Serena enough time to try and figure out the haze. Oh, and Amy should probably use her Mercury computer to analyze it."
Darien agreed, "I like that plan."
Everyone went home to finish up homework and get to bed. They knew they had to make sure to get enough sleep. It was hard work fighting as superheroes and trying to maintain good grades.
That night, Darien pulled Serena close. "Serena, I need you to marry me. Soon. I am struggling here. I tried to pretend to be okay today during the battle, but it was a fight too. I am confident in us. I just have too much baggage to be able to take this all in stride. I am terrified of losing you."
She wrapped her arms around him. "I will marry you tomorrow if that is what you need. We know my parents will gladly sign the paperwork."
"I don't want to take your dream wedding from you though," he admitted.
"My 'dream' wedding always fleshed out more like a nightmare in my head. Could you imagine how the parents of the bride would react?" she shuddered. "I think that, by marrying a prince, I get the wedding of every girl's dreams."
"Says the Princess of the Solar System." he sighed. "I don't want my needs to…"
"Oh, shut up. You don't want your needs to matter? Don't be ridiculous. Of course they matter to me. We are a team. We can even marry at Raye's temple and register our marriage by the weekend."
"But, I want you to be happy."
"And, marrying you wouldn't make me happy? Now you are just getting insulting." she huffed.
"So, what day do you want to get married?"
"Let's sign the documents Friday and have the ceremony Saturday. All of our friends can come." she advised.
He kissed her jawline, "I love it."
"I love you. Now, didn't you say you were going to check me over tonight? I think I have something that needs your expert attention." she whispered huskily in his ear.
He rolled her onto her back and started looking her over. "Everything looks absolutely perfect to me so far."
She slipped out of her nightgown and shook her head, "I am sure I am feeling very hot. I think you need to do something about it."
He touched her body, lightly trailing one finger down her and goosebumps trailed in its wake, making her nipples hard. He said, "It looks to me more like you are cold."
He then made sure she knew how much he loved her. He wanted her to truly know how much he appreciated her being willing to marry him so soon.
When they laid in each other's arms, they worked to catch their breath.
Darien let out huge panting breaths and said, "How did you get me to forget to have you do homework?"
"You're thinking about homework?!"
"No, I was working through what we would need to do to get married this Saturday. I was thinking you needed to go dress shopping with the girls, again. Then I realized that you probably have a lot of homework to do."
"Think I can order Amy to do it for me?" she asked with hope in her voice.
"No."
"Dang." she pouted. "I guess I could do my homework tomorrow and go shopping Wednesday with the girls."
He kissed her on the head. "That sounds like a great plan."
"Oh, but if you mention homework after sex again, I am going to smack you."
"Noted."
