Moriari

Chapter 8

A/N: Now that "Ramifications" is complete. I can focus on finishing this story up as well, even though we have a ways to go. All of the chapters have been revised, though not much has changed, just some of the language. Hope you all enjoy and as always reviews are highly appreciated and motivating.

Rating: M

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon

She gasped, clutching the center of her chest as her head rested against her knees. The glass in her hand was trembling so hard that tufts of water began spilling onto her fingers and dampening the floor beneath where she sat. Darien removed the cup from her hand and set it on the bedside table but made no move to comfort the blonde as she tried to steady herself beside him; it was better if he didn't touch her. For the last few days their relationship had been strained at best. He was worried for her safety and the safety of his people and was anxious to maneuver the tides of change. The growing tension between them and his mounting affection for her was causing a lack of focus that was affecting him so much that he found it difficult to concentrate on minimal tasks, let alone saving the world. To relieve himself from such feelings, he had taken to ignoring her most of the time, and only speaking to her when necessary. In fact, when they did have conversation, he didn't even attempt to look into her eyes and all the while continued to convince himself that things were better this way.

She coughed before easing deeper into the bed and lying on her back. Her vision was blurry and bright spots continuously flashed in her peripheral. Darien was standing there impatiently looking at her and she could feel his annoyance poking her to respond. He had been short and curt with her over the last few days and in her current condition, she was feeling all the more bitter and frustrated.

This evening had been the final meeting between her and a large group of humans from the nearest mining camp and the trauma she had suffered from it almost killed her. Her hands shook as they covered her face, the lights emblazoned on the ceiling burning her retinas as she squinted away.

"This isn't going to be easy," she said shakily.

"I think we've already come to that conclusion. What did they say?"

She rolled her eyes, before sitting up in bed and focusing on Darien. He turned his eyes away from her. "The humans are clearly aware that their lives will end on this planet and for their actions many of them are sentenced to this life as punishment for the things that they have done, but their sins are being reflected in the lives of their children, and their children's children. I don't quite understand how they're breeding down there, or how these children are surviving in current conditions, but there were many pregnant women on the council that I was speaking to earlier today."

She swallowed painfully, reaching for the glass of water and sipping it before continuing. "All they want is a better place to live for their kids, Darien. There are a lot of innocent people down there, and making them slave in the mines for twelve hours a day is punishment enough for their crimes. But they have no homes to go, there are no beds, there are no toilets, there is no electricity. They are living in constant darkness and it is killing their children. All they want is a home."

Darien mentally reasoned with what she was saying. "Define, a home? Building them houses and parks and places for entertainment is out of the question."

She frowned at his stubbornness. "They're not asking for a cinema, just…a community. Maybe instead of them being housed in small shacks right next door to the mercury camps, we could build mining guilds, small communities with enough affectations to satisfy their needs and relieve some of their unhappiness. It could be at a low cost, and similar to a large complex with multiple housing. If you would have cared enough to venture down before all your problems came to a peak, you would have seen how bad things are. No one deserves to live like that Darien, not even the condemned."

He ignored her snipe at him as he pondered what she said; a mining guild seemed something plausible for him to build. There was plenty of land on Moriari since many of the homes of its true inhabitants extended underground. Perhaps they could have farm lands and cattle; these guilds as she called them could even be self staining, alleviating their need to import such large quantities of food. And if the humans continued to procreate at the same rate they were, they would have much more workers available for the mine and their domestic product could grow.

"And they want wages."

"What?" asked Darien, looking at her for the first time this evening. She looked exhausted."Absolutely not. We provide them with everything, what could they possibly want wages for?"

"You apparently don't know what's it's like to live of a life of constant hardship. They work seven days a week. If you're going to give them something to help them enjoy what little excuse for a life that they have then at least give them the weekend off. You have no idea what it's like to be imprisoned by the notion of constant labor just as a means of survival," she said bitterly. Serena had been running since she was five years old; she never got a day of from fear, it was something that she carried around with her, a beast hovering in the distance waiting to pounce as soon as she let her guard down.

He searched her downcast eyes and realized she was speaking from experience. Some time ago, this had been her life. "Fine, we negotiate a work contract for them, and allow them days off, but I'm not paying them Serena."

"Fine."

"Is that all?"

"Health care."

"Okay. Anything else?"

She glanced up to find him staring at the ceiling looking extremely irritated. "You can't even look at me. Am I so appalling to you?"

His eyes closed at the hurt tone of her voice. Of course she wasn't appalling to him. Despite her flaws, she was perfect to him every conceivable way. But it had to be this way, if he pushed her away far enough, perhaps he could forget his love for her.

"You don't even talk to me anymore. You can't be with me fine, but you don't have to treat me like I don't matter to you," she said, standing shakily and walking toward him.

"Sit back down."

"No."

"Why do you have to be so stubborn?" he asked looking at her, his eyes emblazoned with resentment. "I'm doing this for you. Why can't you see that?"

"I didn't think you were a coward until now, Darien," she said honestly.

His eyebrows hiked. "A coward? You have no idea how hard this is for me."

"Again this keeps coming back to you. Don't you even care for a moment about how I feel?"

"Of course I do," he yelled vehemently. "I'm doing this for you."

"You're treating me like crap, for me? You expect me to believe that?"

"I expect you to respect that and do as I say."

"Don't pull that king crap with me. I'm not one of your subjects. Until a couple of days ago you and I were friends and you ruined that by kissing me."

"If I could take it back I would. Trust me."

She reached out and stroked his cheek. He didn't move away from her and when she neared closer to him, she could see the turmoil in his eyes. He was struggling with this as much as she was.

"Why can't you love me?" Her eyes were glossy with tears and when he looked to her, all he wanted was to gather her into his arms and hold her.

"Because it's forbidden," he said tiredly.

"Because I'm a Heretic?"

"Because you're a human."

Her mouth dropped. "What does that have to do with anything?" she asked indignantly.

"It is against our laws and would be a perversion of our race."

She was shocked and angered by his admission. "I'm not a disease, Darien!"

"I never said you were. But that's the law, Serena, and that's the way it has to be."

"I thought you were the king?" she asked, grabbing his face and tilting it towards her until she was staring into his eyes. "If you love me then change the law, Darien, and we can be together."

She struggled with his answer. "I can't!"

"You can't or you won't?"

"You expect me to just change decades of tradition just for you? I won't do that Serena, not for you, not for anybody. I'm the king, I have to set an example, I have to do what's best for my people and I must lead by example. This is the way things have to be between you and I," he said pulling his hands from her grip. "After these problems are solved you must leave the castle. I will send you wherever you want to go but you cannot stay here."

She moved to protest but he had already left the room before she had the chance to speak. He slammed the door behind him and rushed to his bed chambers. With a loud, thundering sound he closed the door and sat heavily upon his bed, burying his head in his hands. He was doing what was best for them both. He wiped the moisture from his hands as a small, velvety tear escaped his inner eye and slid down his face hanging off his chin before dripping down and disappearing into the blood red carpet that sat upon the cobblestone floor.

"Pack your things," he said, stepping into her room and waking her from her slumber. It hadn't been twenty four hours since their last encounter and he found himself inhabiting her bed chamber again.

"What?" she asked groggily, rising from the pillow and staring at Darien who was impatiently leaning against the door, taking in her appearance. Her eyes were bloodshot and she had clearly been crying as he had before sleeping.

"We're going to Embria for a couple of weeks."

She was too groggy to completely understand what was happening. "Embria?"

"A small city off the coast, about thirty miles away from here," he said edgily, fingering the rapier attached to the leather belt wrapped around his waist.

"Why?"

"We have decided that this will be the new spot for the Mining Guild you proposed. Our architects have already drawn up plans and have suggested that you accompany me. We want to make this place as comfortable as possible for the humans and we would like your approval."

A shocked expression overtook her face. "That was faster than I expected."

"Well our aim is to do this as quickly as possible. You have one hour to get packed."

He left the room before she could agree to his terms. Quickly she rose and shuffled to the closet and pulled out a large leather trunk. She began haphazardly tossing clothing, undergarments and shoes into the chest and slamming it shut.

They sat beside each other in the hovering transport as it zoomed speedily across the ground. This was the first time she had ventured out of the castle to see the planet, away from mining camps and coliseums. It could have been pretty if the atmosphere weren't so looming. She could see the potential when the flashes of lightening ceased and the gray clouds parted. Occasionally the full moon would wink at her, illuminating her face and causing her bright blue eyes to clash against the midnight navy of the evening sky.

They had quickly passed the forest that Serena had slept in during the first night of her arrival. As they continued to travel, the ground became more barren as they passed withering trees and sallow tufts of brown grass that otherwise covered the desolate wasteland.

"These lands are too far for us to send herders and people responsible for cultivation. There aren't enough places to find shelter if an emergency were to occur," Darien said, looking out the window, his eyes surveying just how much damage their current predicament had caused to his planet.

She made no response to his remark, still angry with him for his treatment of her. They sat in a pregnant silence, listening to the engine of the hover car as it leapt over the ground beneath them. She could see a small establishment nearing them and as they ventured closer, the quaint house turned out to be a massive mansion, bedecked in white marble and wooden lattice. Behind it was the ocean, the deep midnight waves crashing peacefully against the soft dirt in a rhythmic notation. It reminded her so much of home and she smiled sadly.

"Was is this place?" she asked, as they circled the house and landed inside a cemented enclosure, the whirring of the engine fading and being replaced by the sounds of sea washing against earth.

"This used to be a vacation house that my family and I would visit when I was a child. I haven't been here since they died," he said, stepping from the car and watching as one of his stewards helped Serena onto the ground. "After the Guild is completed, we will turn this house into the city headquarters."

"Don't you want to keep it?" she asked, following him to the wooden door towards the back of the garage.

"No. This house holds memories from a very long time ago, but it means nothing to me now."

She stepped inside and absorbed the simple elegance of the domicile. The shiny wooden floors were bedecked with several ornate rugs and from the ceilings hung detailed crystal and ruby chandeliers. The ballroom stairway led to a handsome hallway upstairs and various corridors emptied into bigger rooms hidden from her view.

Several workers passed by her and took their belongings up the stairs, disappearing into the dimly lit passageways. "Raye and I used to get into so much trouble for sliding down these banisters. I can almost hear my mother yelling, even now." His expression held a sad impression of nostalgia as he reached out to caress the wooden balustrade.

Serena did not react to his statement of reminiscence and walked to pass him when she felt his strong fingers latch onto her wrist and tug her toward him. She stumbled, but felt his free hand wrap around her waist and steady her movements. She looked up to find his sad eyes staring at her with more care than he had displayed since the kiss they shared, the night of disaster that decimated the planet.

"I'm truly sorry that things ended up his this way," he said, his lips moving against her temple. She stiffened in his embrace, not expecting this sudden exhibition of affection. His lips moved toward her cheek and hovered over her mouth for a bit before he let his lips press chastely against hers, his hands tightening around her middle. His mouth slid against hers, his tongue stroking her bottom lip as he pressed himself into her deeper. Slowly he pulled away before releasing her and quietly following the faint path of light up the stairs and to their separate bedrooms.

The day had been eventful, if not terribly boring. Several architects had arrived that evening to dine with them before walking them through the plans for the community. Darien had chosen the location based off pictures that he had seen of Earth. This was to be one of the biggest communities planned, and if it was successful, the first of many. There were various plans for housing and a public transit system that would be designed to not only take the humans to the mines and back, but to other mining towns as they were constructed. Many of the homes consisted of villa like apartment buildings, all properly equipped with plumbing, electricity and all the necessities for comfort. When she saw the detailed designs that the architects had drawn she was impressed by Darien's generosity; there were even plans for a town square and marketplace where the townspeople could barter and for entertainment to take place.

After they had surveyed the land and watched the architects and planners plot essential points for construction, the two of them and several servants resigned to the mansion several hours before dawn in order to avoid any chance of an accident. Quickly the engineers departed, returning to the castle and their own towns to gather materials and workers so that implementation might begin.

"I'm impressed," said Serena, stepping into the library and resting against a chic work desk. Darien looked from his reading, the embers of the flames dancing in the fireplace illuminating his face with various shades of red and amber. "You did a very nice job with those designs."

"I had nothing to do with that," he said honestly, holding her attention. "I just told them what to do and they created those designs."

She shrugged. "Still, you could have been cheap, you know. You added a lot of extra things we didn't talk about."

"I'm trying to do what's best for them."

His responses to her were short, a clear indication that he didn't want to talk. Accepting his silence she bid him goodnight and retired to her own room, removing her clothes and crawling beneath the wide bed sheets, her eyes blocking out the light of the rising suns.

She woke to darkness and an empty house. Darien was missing, and the only signs of life between these massive walls were the bustle of the servants cleaning the house and raising the heavy curtains from the windows. Moonlight briefly shined into foyer before being covered with black clouds and her eye caught a glimpse of the water shining beneath the glistening stars above it. Sensing no immediate danger she left the confines of the house to find herself drawn to the motion of the sea. Quickly she removed the black boots she was wearing and almost giggled when she felt the warm sand gather in between her toes. She walked along the shore quietly, the pale blue dress she was wearing dragging heavily behind her. She searched around for any glimpse of a shadow that could be watching her and after sensing that she was completely alone, pulled down the zip and let the dress drop to her knees. She stepped out of the fabric completely, a shiver passing though her as a calm breeze swept across the empty shore.

She pulled the clip from her hair, releasing the long, blonde locks so that they framed her body and covered her breasts, naked and unbound. Leaving the clump of fabric on the ground she neared closer to the ground where water touched soil and let her toes dip into the sea. The ocean was cold against her, but she ventured deeper into it until the water wet her white underwear staining it a pale yellow as the color of her skin seeped through the delicate lace. Her fingers pushed against the waves as they moved momentously around her and her body swayed from the movements. She danced with the water, following its pattern of motion until it came to her stomach, covering her belly button and encircling the smallest part of her waist. And there she stood, bathed in the luminosity of the stars above as nature flowed and ebbed around her. She was an Eve of sorts; her innate sense of power bearing seeds of sweet energy as she felt herself become one with the ground below her body.

And in her euphoria she became detached from reality around her and found herself meshing with the organic tendrils of life that had engrossed her. Unaware of the being in the shadows that stood watching in utter awe and silence, she closed her eyes and focused on the sounds of tranquility around her.

He hadn't meant to follow her outside and he briefly wondered what she was doing walking into the distance in complete solitude. Darien had followed her out towards the sea, tailing her quietly and watching her form as she made her way closer to the shore. He was about to call for her to come back to the house when she paused, reached around and removed her dress. He had watched as the fabric pooled around her knees, her pearly skin glowing beneath the evening radiance of a sparkling sky. She had reached around and let her hair down and he found himself immobile as the golden clumps of silk cascaded down her neck and rested at the small of her back. A lump rose in throat and his need to see more of her forced him to press on as she walked toward the ocean. He surmised the water had to be freezing as she had stopped right where the earth ended and the water washed over toes. His breathing was heavy and he swayed as she neared closer to the deepest parts of the sea. And when the water rose to the small stretch of fabric shielding her rear, the sight of the tender curves of her bottom filled him so completely with unbound desire that his stiffness would not allow him to come anymore near to her. And so he stood, watching the nymph as she splashed around, venturing farther away from him, her arms outstretched as she embraced the dancing sea.

For a moment she stood still, her eyes focused on the orb of light floating above her until the chilly air forced her to long for the warmth of her bed. Submerging herself, she gave one last glimpse to the sea before spinning to find her body parallel to a shadowy figure staring at her with voluminous eyes.

The coils of hair that had once covered her breasts had been tossed behind her and he could see her naked flesh completely despite their distance from each other. Her mouth sprung open in shock but she made no attempt to cover herself as he watched her silently, his mouth agape. She made no movement toward him and instead found herself captivated by his heavy stare. Her lips were parted and short breaths of air were escaping from her mouth.

Darien stepped forward toward the tantalizing figure as she stood motionless before him. And without thoughts to his actions, he found himself stepping towards her, the freezing water covering his toes, traveling up to his calves and rushing towards his upper thighs until he met her.

She was mere inches away from him and he was staring down at her body with mesmerized exaggeration as if he had never seen a woman nude and standing in the sea.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, her voice weak. She felt color stain her cheeks as he looked to her eyes. He made no motion to respond to her question and instead found his hands resting against her naked waist, pulling her into him.

Her breasts pressed against his shirt as her erect nipples scraped pleasurably against the fabric. As his mouth leaned into hers, she found her hands fisting into the material covering his chest. She hesitated as their lips drew near and his grip tightened around her. For a moment they sat in the stillness, until his need to touch her overcame his uncertainty and he pressed his mouth to hers.

She made no move to resist his advances and instead surrendered to his will. His mouth was aggressive against hers and his hands even more pervasive as they gripped and stroked every inch of her body. She felt her feet inching above the ground and realized that her sudden ability to float was a direct result of Darien lifting her from the ground and carrying her back toward the shore. She shivered against him as the cool winds blew against her wet bare thighs. His lips seemed to be everywhere at once, leaving hot kisses on her jaw, her neck and the skin above her breasts.

Whatever happened after that Serena could only remember as pleasurable flashes of sensual bliss. Somehow they had managed to find themselves back in the sanctuary of his seaside residence. She recalled being pressed against the wooden door of his bedroom as his mouth moved with hers, his tongue running across her lips, the tip of her tongue, the bottom of her lip as his right hand clung to her breast, which he used to flick her nipple, while the other closed around the doorknob before ushering them into his suite and closing them off from reality and introducing her into a fantasy world of measured movements and reassuring expressions of endearment.

And somehow she had ended up in his bed, his weight light against her as she peeled away his wet shirt. He leaned into her, his damp chest touching her own as he rested comfortably on top of her. He settled himself between her legs and even through his cotton pants she could feel his hardness pressing into that precious place in between her thighs. He grunted against her, grinding himself into her as spurts of pleasure shot through her body. His lips descended on hers again, her moans urging him to continue his pursuit of her treasure.

His hands seemed to be able to move so quickly that she hadn't realized what had happened until the result of it reminded her of their situation. Suddenly there was a burst of cold air in between her legs after he removed her panties and then his warmth was against her again, his bare thighs rubbing against her own nude skin.

In the back of his mind he knew the implications of their coupling, knew the result of their union could have disastrous consequences, but he could no longer deny his love for the woman panting beneath him, nor could he deny the pure need to possess her completely. He looked into her eyes as he laid kisses across her abdomen, the tip of his raw manhood brushing against her thighs, eliciting moans from his parted lips.

And when he entered her she gasped, her hands clawing into his back. He could smell her arousal and the fresh blood that spread when he broke the bonds of her virtue. He slowed his movements, letting himself rock gently within her, giving way for her inexperienced body to accommodate his length.

She quivered around him as her walls pleasantly stretched, the stinging sensation of her shattered virginity fading with each rock of his hips against her. She cried when he reached deeper, hitting a spot within her that she never knew existed. All the while he kept his eyes on her, even when pleasure betrayed his passive expression and he shuddered above her, even with every breath he used to moan her name.

She was tight around him and with each thrust he took them both to a new height of unified perfection. He had never in his life experienced love making so sweet, so flawlessly executed, full of such need.

As his movements quickened, she felt the coiling of pressure in her stomach and could feel a heaviness building within her, searching for release. She cried for him to go faster, harder, to push her over the edge into a chasm lights and stars. And he answered her cries, pushing into her as hard as he could without hurting her, his hands gripping the bed sheets roughly. She climaxed, her entire body tensing and releasing, a wave of gratification so intense that her eyesight faded to black for a moment before she slowly descend from paradise back to earth. And as she clenched and cried out beneath him, her orgasm sent him to the cusp with her and he spilled his seed within her, his body shuddering, his lips murmuring her name. For seconds more he moved inside her, the feeling of his length becoming flaccid as the ecstasy of their connection faded and he returned to the beautiful reality of the knowledge of what they had just done.

He rolled off of her, his chest heaving as he sought to catch his breath, the heaviness and intensity of his orgasm surprising even to him. She laid there quietly her eyes focusing on the ceiling, his heavy breathing penetrating the now silent room. He felt her shiver and pulled her into him, pulling the comforter that had toppled to the floor over them both as he held her.

They were equally silent, her hands resting against his chest, his fingers stroking the dimples on the small of her back. She raised her head to look up at him to find his eyes staring directly into hers. His fingertips danced against her face and he leaned in to give her a soft, meaningful kiss. For moments they laid like that; there was no need for words between them. They had an emotional connection now that would bind them for an eternity. And as pure and true as his love for her was tonight, a small outcropping of fear was chasing away the tranquil bliss of the moment. As they both sunk into the embrace of sleep, thoughts of tomorrows trials plagued them, even in their dreams.