Thanks for the foody suggestions guys! I'll certainly endeavour to give them all a try. A lot of them are my favourite foods, too! Yum!

Thanks to:deedee, Moon Princess Selene, Jenbunny, Usako, life705, Stacey, Bookworm, UniversalBunny, Miss Katrina Malfoy, Susan, x-YingYing-x, SulliMike23, ScarletL, TaliMoonAngel668, TropicalRemix, SerentiyMoonGodness and CharmedSerenity3 for reviewing the previous chapter.


Title: Akai Ito
Author: Crystal Saturn
Rated: T
Chapter: 14 – On Fire

"You're on fire when he's near you
You're on fire when he speaks
You're on fire burning at these mysteries"

"We're glad you're safe" Ami's blue eyes reflected concern.

"What were you thinking running off like that? And you didn't even tell us where you were or if you were OK afterwards. That's so irresponsible of you!" Rei berated, knowing full well that she sounded like a nagging parent. "I don't know what's worse, the fact that you didn't tell us where you were or the fact that you totally bailed on us in the middle of a battle. I almost lost an eyebrow trying to cover for your ass. Venus almost lost an arm!"

Serena sighed wistfully to herself as she recalled the events of the previous night and their second kiss. He was so gentle, and yet the way he acted toward her was still so cold. When she thought Darien's spirit was following her around, she had wished he was more like Tuxedo Mask. But now that she had Tuxedo Mask, it became clear to her that she missed Darien; the new Darien, or at least the one that her mind had conjured.

"-Are you even listening to me, Serena? Where were you?" Rei screeched loudly, breaking Serena's line of thought and snapping her back to reality.

"I-I... was with Tuxedo Mask." Serena frowned slightly, not wanting to tell her friends the truth, but also finding it impossible to keep secrets from them.

"Serena, not again." Mina sighed, "Sweetie, you know those visions of him that you see aren't real right?"

"No, it was Prince Endymion." Serena corrected. "He said he was Darien. He said he was starting to remember me."

"And so you ran off with him, idiot. You could have seriously been hurt." Rei threw her hands into the air with frustration.

"I think what she's trying to say," Lita interrupted, "is that it was a pretty dangerous move. It could have been a trap."

"I know." Serena nodded quietly. She wasn't about to let it slip that he wanted to see her again. She wouldn't let them know that she was going to see him either.

"Promise you won't do it again. Promise you won't see him without us." Lita watched Serena's expression carefully. She nodded slowly, avoiding all eye contact. Tilting her head slightly, Lita noted that Serena wasn't being completely sincere. She seemed distracted.

Beep beep beep beep!

Serena's communicator flashed its red light. She removed it from her pocket, flipping the screen open to see Luna's stern expression.

"Serena, there's trouble in the park. Everybody transform and get to the east side of the park as soon as possible!" The screen flashed and Luna's face was replaced with darkness. Serena leapt into action, thrusting her hand into the air and yelling out her transformation phrase. The other soldiers followed suit, surprised at their leader's sudden proactive behaviour.

Sailor Moon struggled to contain her excitement as she raced to the setting for the next battle and her next encounter with Prince Endymion. She suppressed a smile as she approached the clearing within the park and spotted Prince Endymion hovering effortlessly above the chaos. The squid-like monster had its tentacles stretched and latched onto any person within reach. Its chromatophores pulsated with an eerie iridescent glow as it drained the energy of its victims.

"Hold it right there!" Sailor Moon stood proudly just as the other scouts caught up, arriving at the scene. "I won't have you disturb these poor-" Her speech was cut short as a black rose sliced through the air, grazing across Sailor Moon's right arm. It pierced the ground at Sailor Mercury's feet. Sailor Moon's breath caught at the back of her throat as she clutched her wounded arm and looked up at the armour clad man with a teary pain filled expression in her eyes.

"Don't interfere, Sailor Moon." He stood boldly. His cape fluttered behind him as he crossed his well-toned arms. "These matters don't concern you, and unless you plan on relinquishing that Silver Crystal of yours, I suggest you leave."

"I told you he couldn't be trusted." Sailor Mars sneered quietly. Sailor Moon wasn't so sure. Was he really threatening her or was he trying to protect her by warning her to stay away? Either way, she wasn't given time to react to his statement.

"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter released a surge of electrical power toward the demon cephalopod weakening it, thus severing its hold on its victims. Sailor Moon took this as her cue.

"Moon Healing Escalation!" The dark magic twisted and warped around the image of a human man. He exhaled an agonising groan as he collapsed to the ground with exhaustion. Just as Sailor Moon regained her strength and balance, she found herself under attack once again. Prince Endymion had swiftly swooped toward her, reaching out his hands to strike her. Her heart began to pound within her chest as she barely managed to block his attacks with her hands. She shuffled backwards in an attempt to escape his brutal swipes.

"I thought I told you not to interfere, Sailor Moon." Prince Endymion reprimanded. "Now I will take your Silver Crystal, even if it means taking your life first."

"Darien!" Sailor Moon cried out desperately. Her eyes clamped shut as she felt her back firmly thump up against a tree. There it was. Sailor Mars sensed the familiar energy again. It was the same energy that she felt surrounding Sailor Moon in her first fight against Prince Endymion, but stronger. "Please, stop." Sailor Moon pleaded as Prince Endymion held her firmly against the tree using his left arm. With his right, he reached for his broad sword, skilfully hoisting it from its sheath and raising it to her throat.

"I'm sorry." The tall Prince of darkness towered over the petite soldier of the Moon. He whispered quietly into her ear, so only she could hear. "The Dark Kingdom is watching. I need your fear to be convincing." He leant against his sword, but found it would not budge any further. An invisible force was acting as a buffer against him. Try as he might, he could not get the steel of his sword to rest against the flesh of her throat. "Please meet me at the apartment later." With a painful groan, Sailor Moon nodded ever so slightly. Prince Endymion released his hold of her and softened his grip on his sword momentarily as she lowered her guard. With two hands, he swiftly gripped toward the centre of the hilt of his sword and struck upwards, partially succeeding in his objective to maim Sailor Moon. The blade of his sword barely cut across her cheek, leaving a shallow superficial scratch before it was repelled again by the invisible force.

"Crescent Beam!"

"Fire Soul!" Sailor Mars combined her attack with Sailor Venus' in an attempt to save their leader. Prince Endymion cursed aloud as the energy blasted him from behind. Searing heat and blinding light passed through his body and he leant on the pommel of his sword to steady himself. Grasping at his chest, he groaned loudly. Sailor Moon struggled against her will to remain calm and did not reach out to assist the dark warrior. Truth be told, he still terrified her. Twice he had succeeded in drawing blood from her during battle.

"You were lucky this time, Sailor Moon. But next time..." Prince Endymion panted as he continued to clutch his chest. His voice bellowed menacingly, but his eyes called to her. It was something in the way that he looked at her. With a maelstrom of black rose petals, he was gone.

"Sailor Moon!" Mercury, Venus and Jupiter rushed to her side as she slumped up against the tree.

"Are you alright?" Sailor Mercury examined and tended to her wounds. Sailor Mars remained still as she observed her leader from afar. The fiery priestess was the only other one on the field to notice that no matter how hard Prince Endymion tried, he simply did not have the strength to inflict much damage to Sailor Moon. Whether or not it was self willed or a force more powerful, she did not know. But one thing was for sure, something curious was protecting Sailor Moon. An invisible energy shadowed her every movement as a civilian, and enveloped her during battle.

"Thanks for your concern, everyone, but I'm alright. They're just scratches." Sailor Moon attempted to smile though she was still visibly shaken. "I'm tired. That took a lot out of me. I'm going to go home to rest." She cheerfully waved away Sailor Mercury's aid and bounded away toward Darien's apartment. Merely a block away, she snuck into an alleyway, fearing that the mid-afternoon light was still bright enough to expose her secret to any curious onlookers who happened to witness their favourite super heroine drop onto the building balcony. Sailor Moon powered down, veiled by the cover of partial shade.

Serena casually strolled out of the alleyway, patting down any stray hairs and adjusting her clothes. Nervously, she strolled into the lobby of Darien's building and headed straight for the elevator. Level eight, apartment number seventy five. Inserting the key and turning the door knob, Serena entered cautiously and shut the door behind her.

"Hello? Prince Endymion?" She called out as she stepped into the dimly lit room.

"You came." His deep voice echoed back in response from behind her. Serena spun around and came face to face with Tuxedo Mask. He stood in silence for a moment, observing the young girl.

"It's me, Serena. I thought it might jog some of your memories if you saw me like this, instead of as Sailor Moon."

"Yes, Serena." Tuxedo Mask nodded. He removed his mask to set a more intimate mood and approached the teenager. He was quietly cautious, prepared for the encounter to be a trap. She didn't back away, nor did she leave any indication of an impending attack. She simply gazed into his eyes and smiled as he said her name. "Serena." He whispered as he slowly raised his hand to her face. She leant in closer, closing her eyes and relishing his touch. With his thumb, he gently traced her cheek, brushing up against where he had cut her. Serena winced and pulled away slightly.

"That hurts." She broke her eye contact momentarily as a pained expression crossed her features. With that cut, he had hurt her in more ways than one.

"I'm sorry." Tuxedo Mask grasped Serena's hand, holding it within his own. With his free hand he reached down to caress her jaw line which gained her full attention once again. His cool blue eyes displayed a stern, penetrating quality as he studied the wound again. His eyes fell upon hers and locked in an intimate stare. She noticed that they softened and guilt replaced his steeled features. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I only wanted to make it look like I was going to."

"It's fine. It's just a scratch." A small smile tugged at the corner of Serena's lips. "I know you wouldn't hurt me." Tuxedo Mask endeavoured to hide his surprise. She believed and trusted him, even after he had blatantly attacked her. He leant down and ever so softly pressed his lips against the cut that he had created on her cheek. The strangest feeling of longing and nostalgia welled up within him. There was something oddly familiar about the intimate moment that they were sharing. It stirred up uncomfortable feelings within him, but he wanted more. Like a long forgotten memory, yearning to be rediscovered, Tuxedo Mask found that he simply couldn't leave her well alone, not until he worked out exactly what it was he was feeling.

"Serena," His voice was barely audible. Pulling away to look her in the eyes once again, he felt a rush of dark energy. He let out a low groan and Serena swore she could see passionate, possessive flames reflected in his eyes. Within an instant his demeanour changed. His arms snaked around Serena's waist, pulling her body closer and pressing her small frame against his. He hastily crushed his lips against hers in a passionate kiss, holding and claiming her like no man had ever done before. Serena's breath caught at the back of her throat as her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. The intensity of this kiss was a stark contrast to the tender innocent kisses she had previously shared with Darien. In spite of her lack of experience, Serena felt as though her spirit was on fire. Electric tingles flared across her lips and she clutched at Tuxedo Mask. Even though being there with him was completely taboo, she relished every second of it. It was thrilling, invigorating, and she never wanted it to end. With one hand securely on the small of her back, he allowed the other to creep up the side of her body ever so slowly. Serena's eyes snapped open in an instant as his hands brushed up against one of her breasts. She struggled against him, pushing him away.

"You're not Darien." She dashed toward the door, putting as much distance between them as she could. "Darien wouldn't..." Her face flushed a shade of scarlet red in embarrassment and anger.

"Serena, wait." Tuxedo Mask stalked the timid teenager down. "I'm sorry." He held her hand once again. "Don't you remember? Don't you remember our relationship on the Moon Kingdom? It was intense and passionate to say the least..."

"We..." Serena frowned as she recalled spirit Darien's words. "We're both different people now." She fumbled with her fingers nervously, avoiding his gaze. "I believe you're Prince Endymion, and I'm sure Princess Serenity loved you once, a long time ago. But in this lifetime I am merely Serena, and the man that I fell in love with is Darien." Serena blinked away tears as she lifted her hand to caress the strong line of his jaw. "You look so much like him, but he died last week. This, what we're doing now, is just a fantasy. It's a dream. A lie. Nothing more."

"Serenity. Sailor Moon. Serena." Prince Endymion slowly closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. "It's me, Darien." Serena shook her head gently. Tears threatened to fall from her cerulean eyes. "Even if it were just a dream, I only wish to love my princess. I wish for her Silver Crystal to set me free. You wish you could have Darien. You wish for me to share his memories. We both need each other. Can't we just dream together, even if it is only for a little while?" Serena closed her eyes and nodded quietly. She was playing with fire, and she knew the risks that brought with it.

"I'm glad. I must go now before the Dark Kingdom notices that I'm missing. Will you meet me again tomorrow?" Prince Endymion reached for Serena's hand, pressing his lips against them gently. Serena nodded obediently. Prince Endymion leant over and kissed her gently across her tainted cheek before disappearing in a flurry of black rose petals. Serena sighed as she leant back against the front door of Darien's apartment. He had her right where he wanted her. She was in love with him. He had her wrapped around his little finger.


. . .

There you have another chapter guys. The next one should be an interesting one... until then, Please review!

Crystal Saturn