Warning: Loooooooonnng intro ahead. Read at your own risk. If you want to skip it, feel free. I understand. Really. Ahem... And here we have another songfic, featuring Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask and their whole "relationship" thing. Not that they ever had one in the anime, but that's what fanfic writers like myself are for. =) Um...I think in the beginning Darien didn't know he was turning into Tuxedo Mask, so it was like a split personality thing, and I'm kinda using that here, only because I want this to be strictly Tuxedo Mask/Sailor Moon and for him to know who he is would drag their alter egos into it and it's not supposed to be that complicated. lol I know Venus didn't come on until the end and that Sailor Moon isn't named leader until much later, but for this story she's the leader and Venus is part of the group already. Also, the attacks used during the battles might be a little out of sequence with the timeline. Like, Mercury has her ice-bubbles, which didn't actually appear until the R season. The song used is "You'll be in my Heart" from the Tarzan soundtrack, written/performed by Phil Collins. I LOVE this song; I swear it makes me cry. I love the movie, too, btw. Um...I think somebody (forget the name of the author. Gomen) already used this song in a fic before, but I was already almost done writing this one when that one was posted, and I wasn't about to scrap the whole thing just 'cause somebody else beat me to the song. So no, I am NOT copying this other person's story. Just similar tastes in music, is all. But I DID change the title to my story, as it was (I think) very similar to the other one (mine was going to be called "In My Heart"). =) Story rated...PG13, I guess. I never go above that, really. Or I try not to, anyhow. Um...email addy is Stormlight@aol.com. Let me know what ya think! =) Oh, and disclaimers. Sailor Moon isn't mine. But it sure is fun pretending that she is! Erm...at least for my stories, anyway. I don't actually go around saying, "Hey! I own Sailor Moon!" or anything like that. Honest! I'm making no money off of this. Believe me, if I was, I wouldn't be working a thankless job for lousy pay. Just kidding. I love my job, really. But the pay IS lousy... Many, many thanks to Alicia Blade for her patient editing of my stories. It was a bugger getting this one finished, and if it wasn't for her suggestions, I don't think the ending would have ever come out right. So thanks, Ali-chan! Yer a pal! (Go read her stuff! Really. She's one of the best SM fanfic authors out there. She's what got me hooked on reading (and writing!) SM fanfic in the first place!) Okay...NOW it's time for the story... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "When Destiny Calls" by Stormlight ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Come stop your crying, it will be all right. Just take my hand; hold it tight. I will protect you from all around you. I will be here, don't you cry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sailor Moon was exhausted. To put it simply. In actuality, she was BEYOND exhausted. She was closer to that euphoric state really, REALLY exhausted people go into where your head feels detached from your body and is kind of just floating above it, and the world passes you by and you don't even realize what's going on around you... It's quite a pleasant state to be in, actually. Unless you happen to be fighting for your life in the middle of a fierce and bloody battle, as Sailor Moon was currently doing. She had been fighting this battle for what felt like eternity, and was quite ready to call it a night and go home to sleep until she was fifty. She was sick, after all. A nagging cold had been slowly wearing down her strength for the past two weeks, and these nightly battles could really take it out of a girl. She needed rest, and lots of it...but try telling that to some slime-covered youma whose only purpose in life was to make sure the only rest she got was in a box buried six feet under. She'd TRIED to kill the thing, of course; so had all of her Scouts, but the cursed creature simply refused to die. She wondered if Batman ever had this kind of trouble. "Sailor Moon, watch out!" she dimly heard Venus shout behind her, and turned at roughly a slug's pace to see a bright streak of silver heading in her direction. She managed--and later she still could not recall HOW she managed--to take a flying leap out of the way, only to land quite roughly on her stomach on the floor, knocking what little breath she had right out of her. Why these fights couldn't take place in something like "Mattress Heaven" or "Pillows R Us" was beyond her. It was always the street or a factory or some other equally hard, gloomy area. This time, it was the fifth story of a half-finished building in an empty construction site, and the youma looked like it might have been made of liquid steel...or maybe of mercury (the chemical, not the Scout). It was slick and fluid and impossibly fast, which might explain why it was so impervious to attacks. Simply because it was too fast for any of them to touch it. She had to hand it to Beryl; the witch sure knew how to pick 'em! "You meatball head! Watch what you're doing next time!" she dimly heard Mars shout at her. It sounded like she was shouting through a glass wall; either that, or Sailor Moon had cotton stuffed into her ears. She managed to slur a short "Sorry" and shakily got to her feet, feeling her legs trembling beneath her. She pulled off her Tiara, watching it turn into a disk of golden light. For the umpteenth time, she drew back her arm and whispered--having no energy to shout--"Moon tiara magic!" The disk streaked toward the youma, who had cornered Mercury against the wall and was about to spear her with slick, silver tentacles. It slammed into the youma's back, causing it to shriek--a sound like nails being dragged across a really dirty chalkboard--and then the monster whirled around with a snarl and fixed its ember-yellow eyes on her. She gulped. That had been the first attack to actually HURT the monster, and while that relieved her somewhat--it meant they were finally wearing it down enough to BE hurt--she had the feeling that it wasn't very happy with her at the moment. "Um...nice monster..." she squeaked, backing up a little. "Look...nothing personal, right? You were about to shish kabob my pal there...and...I couldn't let you do that, you know..." "Run away!" Jupiter yelled. "Wish I could..." Sailor Moon whimpered, but she knew as soon as she tried, her legs would give out. They were barely supporting her as it was... The youma lunged; like silver lightning it streaked toward her, and the only thing she could do was shriek and throw her arms across her face to block the view of her own coming demise. **So this is what it feels like when you know you're going to die...** When she felt something slam into her from the side, she knew who it was even before she saw the tell-tale flutter of black-and-scarlet or smelled the familiar scent of roses. It seemed Tuxedo Mask had finally made an appearance... A rose buried itself in the youma's silver-liquid chest... and the monster exploded. Simply exploded. Soundlessly. It began to reform only an instant later, of course, but by then Mercury and Jupiter were moving into action. "Mercury Ice-bubbles Freeze!" The half-formed youma was frozen in its tracks. "Jupiter Thunder Strike!" Lightning, apparently, had a rather nasty effect on possessed mercury, the laws of physics notwithstanding. It bubbled and hissed, and then, finally, vanished. But not without one, last desperate attempt to destroy its enemies. A silver tentacle shot from the bubbling mass and hammered into the floor beneath Sailor Moon's feet with all the force of colliding planets. The floor--with only weak, wooden planks holding it up until a more permanent foundation could be built--splintered with resounding cracks like gunshots, and began to collapse beneath even Sailor Moon's slight weight. She shrieked, clutching at empty air as her eyes grew wide, but of course the air offered no support, and down she fell. Tuxedo Mask was there in an instant, however, grabbing her hands and yanking back with all his might...but the weakened floor began to crack beneath HIS weight, as well, and he found himself falling right along with her as the Scouts shouted in alarm. "I won't let you go!" he shouted, tightening his grip on her hands and pulling her toward him. It seemed as though they fell an impossibly long way; the youma had apparently punched through ALL the floors in order to assure Sailor Moon's death. They finally reached the bottom of the building--the basement, apparently--with a tremendous smash that sent up a cloud of dust ten feet into the air. And then there was silence. After what seemed like years, there came a low moan, and Tuxedo Mask slowly raised his head. His hat was missing and his mask was knocked askew, but other than that he appeared to be fine. His increased strength had pretty much saved his life. Did that mean Sailor Moon was okay, as well? Panic seized him, and he looked frantically around until his eyes fell upon a dark shape laying a few feet away, a mass of golden hair spilling onto the floor. "Sailor Moon," he whispered, crawling over to her and pulling her onto his lap. She moaned quietly, and her eyelashes fluttered a little. A streak of blood traced down her cheek from the long, thankfully shallow, cut on her temple, and her breath was coming in painful gasps that suggested bruised ribs. "Sailor Moon, wake up," he called softly to her, wiping the blood from her cheek and staining his white gloves. Her lids fluttered open, the brilliant blue eyes blurry and confused as she looked around, and then up at him. "Whahappnd?" A small frown touched his lips at her slurred question. The inability to speak clearly meant possible concussion. "We just fell off a building, is what," he replied gently. She grimaced and tried to sit up; gave it up when he wouldn't release her and sank back into his arms again, her head resting weakly against his chest. "Are you sure?" she joked weakly, her voice clearer now. "It feels more like we got run over by a cement truck." He laughed slightly, encouraged by her ability to tease, and reached up to stroke her hair. She frowned and grabbed his hand, focusing on it with some effort. "Your hand's bleeding," she stated simply. "You got hurt." His eyes softened. "That's your blood," he replied gently. "From the cut on your head. You're the one who was hurt, I'm afraid." She grimaced and reached up to touch the sore spot on her head, frowning at the blood on her gloved fingers. "Guess I'd better get to a doctor..." she muttered, pulling away from him and getting shakily to her feet. Her legs barely supported her, and she tilted a little. He was there in a moment, supporting her. She shrugged sheepishly. "Guess I might need a little help," she added softly, not looking at him. "I'm here for you," he told her gently. "Don't worry. I'll always be here to help you." He gave her shoulders a small squeeze, and she suddenly felt much better. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For one so small, you seem so strong. My arms will hold you, keep you safe and warm. This bond between us can't be broken. I will be here, don't you cry. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ At that moment, a loud, foreboding groan filled the air, making them freeze in their tracks. "What was that?" Sailor Moon whispered sharply, looking around with wide eyes. The groan came again, from directly above them, followed by a loud crack, almost like a gunshot. It made her squeak and jump, and then, in horror, they watched as the ceiling began to slowly bend and crack. "What's going on?!" Sailor Moon wailed. Tuxedo Mask didn't answer. He'd spotted something in the corner of the dirty basement, and now he grabbed Sailor Moon and leaped toward it just as the ceiling gave another loud, protesting groan and began to cave in. Sailor Moon screamed, making him wince, but he ignored her as he dragged her into the large utility closet, yanking the door shut behind them. Immediately following there came a sound like thunder as the ceiling-weakened from the tons of wood and rubble that had collapsed from the above stories-crashed to the ground. Sailor Moon squealed and buried herself in his arms, her face pressed against his shirt, and he held her tightly. They stood inside the pitch-black closet for what seemed like hours, listening to the sound of their own breathing, waiting for something else to happen. When nothing did, Tuxedo Mask slowly began to relax. "I think it's okay now," he told her. "The roof caved in, but I don't think anything else can happen now." Sailor Moon slowly lifted her face from his shirt and looked around, feeling her heart start to pound at the sight of empty blackness all around them. She shuddered, stepping closer to him again. She HATED dark places! "Can we go out now?" she whimpered. "I...don't like small places with no light." "I don't blame you," came the soft, amused reply. "Hold on...let me find the door." She felt him moving and reluctantly released him, trying to see as he moved around. Shortly thereafter, she heard the doorknob jiggle, and then...nothing. She frowned. "Did you find it?" "Hold on," came the rather impatient reply. The knob jiggled again, and then there came a muffled thud and a small grunt. Silence, and then a soft, "Uh-oh." Her eyes went wide. "'Uh-oh'?! What do you mean by 'Uh-oh'?!" she demanded, immediately starting to panic. "We-we're trapped in here, aren't we? What'll we do if the air runs out? What if there're cockroaches or...or big, hairy SPIDERS in here?! How'll we see them? What if we die of thirst or something? What if..." "What if we sit down and wait for the Scouts to find us? And DON'T PANIC!" came the short, somewhat disgusted reply. She winced, slowly sinking to her knees. Her head hurt, and that exhaustion was creeping back over her again...but the thought of taking a nap in THIS place was enough to send the creepy-crawlies shivering over her back. "I'm sorry," she whimpered, trying not to cry. "I just...I really HATE dark places! And I-I'm so tired...so tired..." Despite her best efforts, a tear managed to escape to drip onto her arm. She sniffled and wiped it away, backing up against the cold, cement wall and burying her head in her arms. So what if she WAS Sailor Moon? She just didn't feel very heroic at the moment... She heard his cape rustling, coming toward her, and then she felt warm arms surrounding her, pulling her close to him, and the silk-lined cape was wrapped around her as strong fingers combed softly through her hair. "It will be okay," she heard him whisper. "I know you're tired, but you can't sleep. You might have a concussion, and it's dangerous for you to sleep just now. Try to stay awake, okay? Can you do that for me?" "I-I'll try..." she whispered, wiping away tears. "But I'm not very strong at the moment. I don't know...how long I can hold off..." He smiled in the dark. "You're the strongest person I know, little one," he replied tenderly. "I know you can do it, and I'll help you, okay?" He shifted a little, and then added, "Look what I found. Maybe this will help." A light flared, brilliant in the pitch black, making her blink rapidly. When her vision cleared, she saw he was holding a flashlight. One of those large, industrial-sized hand lanterns. "Ohhh...light!" she cried, reaching out for it. "Wonderful! Now I'll be able to see whatever spiders are creeping up on us!" He laughed softly. "A girl who can fight the Negaverse so bravely is afraid of spiders?" he teased. She wrinkled her nose at him. "Yeah...well...spiders are hairy and creepy and they always pop up when you least expect to see them, and they make those DISGUSTING webs that you don't even SEE until you run right through them..." She gave a massive shudder. "At least I can SEE when a youma's coming!" she sniffed. He smiled slyly. "So what happens when the Negaverse sends out a youma that looks like a giant spider?" he asked innocently. She gave another giant shudder and poked him in the chest. "Then you're on your OWN fighting, 'cause I'm not coming anywhere NEAR it!" she retorted. "And don't even joke about something like that! THEY might be listening!" She sighed and looked longingly at the closed door. "How long do ya suppose it'll take them to figure out we're not buried under all that rubble and open the door for us?" she added wistfully. "I can only imagine what they're feeling right now..." Her face took on a cast of sadness. "I always seem to be causing them trouble. It's a wonder they've put up with me as long as they have..." She felt her face being turned, looking up into Tuxedo Mask's deep blue eyes. **Funny...I never noticed what color his eyes were through that mask. Of course...we've never been this close to each other before...** The thought made her blush slightly, and she suddenly felt strangely warm. "Don't say such horrible things about yourself," Tuxedo Mask was scolding her firmly. "Your Scouts love you, and you know they'd give their lives for you...just like I would..." At her wide-eyed stare, he coughed slightly and turned away. "You're the leader of the Scouts, and their job is to protect you. You hold the key to finding the Moon Princess and defeating the Negaverse." She looked away. "Is that the only reason why...you always protect me? Because I'll lead you to the Princess?" she asked softly, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice. "The Scouts don't trust you, you know. They might be even more worried knowing I'm trapped down here with you. They think you're working for Beryl." "Do you believe that, too?" he asked emotionlessly. She looked up at him again, studying him silently for a moment, then sighed and shook her head. "No. I might be nuts...but I trust you. I always have. I know you'd never hurt me. Don't ask me why, though. Luna would say it's my hormones doing the trusting, and not my heart." She giggled slightly, then blushed as she realized what she'd said; that she'd practically admitted she had a crush on him. Thankfully, he didn't appear to notice her slip, and she wasn't sure whether to be relieved or insulted by that. "Who's Luna?" he asked quietly, thinking that the name sounded very familiar, but not knowing why. "Oh, she's my cat. The little black one that always hangs around? She's got a crescent moon on her head..." She shrugged. "Anyway, she can talk just like a person can. Don't ask me why." She smiled at the expression on his face. "Don't believe me? Well, if we get out of here alive..." She faltered a little, swallowing, then pasted the smile back on her face. "WHEN we get out of here...alive...I'll let you meet her for sure, then you can see for yourself that she talks just as well as a person." He smiled slightly, feeling his heart warm at her display of courage. What was it about this girl that made him feel so alive, just to look at her? "I'll take you up on that," he replied. "We'll get out of here alive...just so I can see a talking cat if nothing else!" "You're on!" she replied with a giggle, settling herself close to him and resting her head on his shoulder as though it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do. And for the both of them...it felt completely natural. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart from this day on, now and forever more. You'll be in my heart no matter what they say. You'll be here in my heart, always. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ They sat silently for awhile, each lost in their own thoughts, the beam of the lantern pointed upwards so that it lit the cement ceiling. Tuxedo Mask strained to hear any noise from outside, but only silence greeted him. Hopefully the Scouts were looking for them, but who knew how many tons of rubble they were buried under? It might take them hours to dig through enough to find the closet. He heard Sailor Moon sigh against him and glanced down. Her head was slumped forward and her eyes were closed. "Hey!" he exclaimed, alarmed. "Wake up! You can't sleep, remember?" "Sleepy..." she muttered, her lashes fluttering. "Need to sleep. Don't feel well..." "You CAN'T sleep! Not until I know you don't have a concussion! Wake up!" he commanded. She pouted, but her eyes were still closed. He frowned. Okay, she asked for it. Tilting her chin up, he lowered his head and planted his lips firmly on hers in a quick but gentle kiss. Her reaction was immediate as her eyes flew open and a surprised "Whammph?!" escaped into his mouth. He raised his head and sat back, smiling slightly. "I needed to get your attention SOMEHOW," he explained with a chuckle. She stared at him incredulously, then nodded once. "Well...you got it," she replied with a short laugh, hoping that there wasn't enough light for him to see the blush she could feel covering her face. He smiled back, indeed seeing her blush and feeling strangely pleased by it. "Stay awake," he commanded again. "Tell me something about yourself. Maybe talking will help." She gave a short laugh. "You actually WANT me to talk? That's new. Normally people want me to shut up," she replied wryly. "What do you want me to tell you?" "Well..." He shrugged. "I don't know. Tell me anything. Like...how did you become Sailor Moon?" "Luna," came the solemn reply. He raised an eyebrow. "Your cat turns you into Sailor Moon?" "Noooo, my cat gave me the locket that turns me into Sailor Moon," she replied with a grin. "But she's the whole reason I am who I am. I'd like to throw her out the window for it." She giggled, but he had the odd feeling that she was only half joking. Still, he smiled at the sound of her laughter. It seemed strangely familiar to him...like a half-remembered dream hovering right at the edge of reality before vanishing again. He strained to remember... "So how did YOU become Tuxedo Mask?" Her sweet voice jerked him back to the present with a snap, and he blinked down at her. Then he laughed lightly. "What do you mean, how did I become him? I AM Tuxedo Mask. I've ALWAYS been Tuxedo Mask." She seemed surprised. "Really? That's all you do? I mean...you don't have another life with a different name or a job or anything? What do you do when I'm not in danger?" He blinked, his brow furrowing slightly. "My job is to find the Moon Princess, and to protect you. It is all I live for," he replied. "What else WOULD I do?" She gazed at him, then smiled and shrugged. "Well...I just assumed that you had another life, like me," she replied. "I didn't even think that maybe all you do is look for the Princess and wait for me to get into trouble." He blinked again, frowning slightly. "I am...Tuxedo Mask. My life is to protect you and find the Princess," he repeated, but a small doubt was niggling at his mind. Another life... Didn't he have one? If so, why couldn't he remember? The only thing he COULD ever remember doing was to search for his destiny... She was watching him worriedly, her brow furrowed as she reached up to stroke his cheek. "Are you okay?" she whispered. "You look...worried." He smiled and took a deep breath. "I'm...fine," he replied, forcing unwanted thoughts away. There would be time to sort them later. As for now...Sailor Moon was there, and she needed him, and he would stand by her no matter what. He decided a change of subject was in order. "So...you say you have another life. What do you do when you aren't Sailor Moon?" he asked. She grinned and leaned back. "Oh, you know. The usual. School...shopping...hanging with my friends..." The last part caught his attention. "Friends?" She looked up at him again. "Yeah, friends. You know, people you care about that you hang out with a lot." She sat up a little straighter. "You do have friends, don't you?" He thought, a slight frown marring his features. People he cared about...that he "hung out" with a lot... His gaze found hers again. "I have you," he replied with frank honesty. She looked surprised again, but then a wide smile lit her features. "Yeah, and I have you. So that makes us friends, doesn't it? I mean...you've saved my life more times than I can count, and the only reason I'm not a quivering mess right now is 'cause you're here with me, so I'd say we're definitely friends. Which means, if we're friends, you CAN'T be working for the Negaverse 'cause friends don't betray each other like that! So that means that I'm right and the Scouts are wrong, doesn't it? I CAN trust you." He had to chuckle at her child-like logic. "Yeah," he agreed softly. "We are friends, and you can trust me." She smiled happily as she snuggled back up to him and laid her head on his shoulder again. "I feel much better now," she added cheerfully. "I'm glad," he replied softly. She shot him an innocent look. "Really. I feel a WHOLE lot better!" she insisted. "My head doesn't even hurt or anything!" She winced. "Well...not much, anyhow..." He shot her a quizzical smile. "That's...good to hear," he replied with a chuckle. "I'm glad you're feeling better." Her expression was practically catlike as she added innocently, "So...does this mean...I can take a nap now?" Laughter was her only answer as warm arms surrounded her and pulled her close. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why can't they understand the way we feel? They just don't trust what they can't explain. I know we're different but, deep inside us, we're not that different at all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He watched her as she slept in his arms, her breathing soft and deep, though steady. Her skin was pale and drawn, with dark bruises beneath her eyes that made her appear years older than she was, and he reached up to stroke her cool cheek gently, feeling pity stir in his breast. She was so young...so innocent. All his talk of being her "protector", and yet he couldn't protect her from the horrors she faced, the creatures out of nightmares or Hell that no one should have to be witness to. If he had the power, he'd take her far away from this city, to a place where things like evil and battles and monsters didn't exist. But she was Sailor Moon, and like it or not, the world needed her power and protection. He glanced down at her again as she stirred and murmured in his arms, her brow furrowing slightly before smoothing out again. She was deeply asleep; how long had it been since she'd been able to rest like this? He knew he probably wouldn't be able to wake her, even if he tried. He could only hope she hadn't slipped into a coma or something. A sudden, slight scratching sound from outside the door had every sense immediately on full alert. He stiffened, his ears straining, and sure enough, he could just make out the sounds of somebody digging through all the rubble blocking the door. Carefully, he laid Sailor Moon on the ground and placed his wadded-up cape under her head for a pillow, then stood and crept to the door, pressing his ear against the cold metal. "Look over here!" he heard someone--it sounded like Mars--call faintly, her voice muffled. "We haven't reached this area yet! Hello! Sailor Moon, are you here?" "Yes!" he shouted, banging on the door. "Here! We're in here!" There was a moment of silence. Then, closer, "Tuxedo Mask, is that you?" "Yes!" he replied. "We're trapped in a utility closet! There's something blocking the door!" "Where's Sailor Moon?" Even with a ton of rubble and a metal separating them, he could clearly hear the suspicion in her voice, and it irked him greatly. After everything he'd done for Sailor Moon, her Scouts STILL didn't trust him? Couldn't they see how much she really meant to him, that he'd rather die than allow anything to happen to her? "I left her out there!" he replied sarcastically. "You ought to be coming across her body ANY minute now..." "WHAT?!" He groaned, banging his head on the door. "She's in here with me, you moron!" he snapped, at his wit's end. "Where do you THINK she'd be?!" Another moment of silence. Then, "Well, there's no need to be RUDE! I was only asking!" came the highly indignant reply. He groaned again and sweatdropped. "Look, if you can kindly quit talking and get us out of here, we'd be much obliged!" he almost snarled. "I want to talk to Sailor Moon!" Mars demanded. "She's asleep," he replied shortly. "You can talk to me." "That meatball head! It figures!" came the disgusted reply. Suddenly furious, he leaped to her defense. "Well, I should think you'd show a little more compassion to your leader, considering she just fell off a building and she was exhausted to begin with, anyway!" he snapped, putting as much contempt as he could into the words. Again, more silence. Then, rather sheepishly, "Hang on, Tux Boy. We'll get you out. Get back from the door, got it?" Satisfied, he stepped back toward Sailor Moon and used the cape to wrap her up before he scooped her into his arms, gazing down at her pale little face tenderly. "We're almost free," he whispered to her, letting his lips brush her cheek. "Hold on, little one. You'll soon get the rest you deserve..." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart from this day on, now and forever more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Mars Fire Ignite!" A loud explosion sounded from just outside the door, and he could feel and see the heat rising from the cracks around the door, which turned faintly red. "Mercury Bubbles!" A thick white mist swiftly cooled off the door, and a moment later the knob jiggled. He sighed in relief, prepared to step outside. There was a moment of silence, the knob jiggled again, and then came Venus's highly annoyed, "Great job, Pyro! You melted the lock! They're still stuck in there!" "Well, excuuuse ME! I didn't see YOU offer any suggestions!" Tuxedo Mask groaned and sweatdropped as the two Scouts began arguing. Suddenly, he heard Jupiter exclaim, "Stand back!" and barely managed to leap back in time before the door suddenly exploded inward, followed by Jupiter's long leg as she kicked it in. Flipping back her ponytail, she grinned maliciously and brushed her hands. "Nothing like the direct approach," she added with a bloodthirsty smile, as the other Scouts all stared at her with sweatdrops appearing on their foreheads. "Uh...thanks," Tuxedo Mask stammered, coming forward again. He glanced down at the girl in his arms, half amused and half worried that she was still deeply asleep. He didn't miss the accusing glare Jupiter cast at him as she took Sailor Moon from his arms, still wrapped up in his cape. He immediately missed her warmth, as badly as he knew he'd miss his heart, should it ever be taken from him. "She's okay. She's merely asleep," he told the tall Amazon quietly. "I wouldn't allow anything to happen to her. Take her home. Let her sleep. She needs it." Jupiter didn't reply, but she shot him a grudgingly respectful look as she turned and walked away, followed by Mars and Mercury. Venus, however, lagged behind, watching him through disturbingly knowledgeable eyes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Don't listen to them, 'cause what do they know? We need each other, to have, to hold. They'll see in time, I know. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ He returned the look, waiting. She was the newest member of the group, and he didn't know her that well. He was curious to know what she though of him. No doubt he'd shortly find out. "Thank you for saving my leader's life," she told him seriously. "I am indebted to you." His look of surprise was hard to miss, and she smiled faintly. "The other three...don't trust you, I know. But I am the Scout of Love, and I see things that they do not. The tie that binds you to Sailor Moon is bright and clear, indeed. I have only seen one other like it in my life..." For a moment her eyes took on a faraway cast, as though she was seeing through great distances of time. But then the look was gone, and she was herself again. "Somebody with bonds that strong would not hurt my leader. You are meant to be with her, in one way or another, and I, for one, approve of the match." With those words, before he could shake his surprise enough to reply, she had turned and vanished into the light of the rising sun. He stared after her, a small smile touching his lips. Perhaps somebody understood, after all... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When destiny calls you, you must be strong. I may not be with you, but you've got to hold on. They'll see in time, I know. We'll show them together. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two nights later, Tuxedo Mask once again found himself searching the city, following the strong, pulsing link that always inevitably led him to Sailor Moon. He found her shortly thereafter in the park, standing beside a lake with a black bundle clutched in her arms. There was no sign of her Scouts or a youma anywhere. Confused, a little concerned, he stepped out of the shadows and approached her, and she turned with a smile. "I'm sorry if I worried you, but I didn't know how else to find you. I figured, if I transformed, you'd eventually find me," she told him sheepishly. "Are you...all right?" he asked carefully. "Oh, sure! Don't worry about me. I feel much better, now that I've gotten a few centuries worth of sleep!" She giggled. "Actually, I wanted to give this back to you." She held out the bundle, and he saw a flutter of scarlet. It was his cape. "Thank you," he replied, surprised at her kind gesture. He accepted the cape and swung it around his shoulders, fastening it securely. She smiled and nodded. "Now your costume is complete," she said wisely. "It just isn't the same without that cape. Makes it MUCH more romantic." He grinned despite himself. "Romantic, huh?" She blushed a little. "Yeah, well...ALL the best super heroes have capes!" she stammered, giggling. "Superman...Batman... um... Superman..." She giggled again and shrugged. He grinned at her. "You certainly know your super heroes," he teased. She grinned back and wrinkled her nose at him...a gesture that was absolutely adorable, in his opinion. "Yeah, well, I like to keep on top of these things. We heroes have to stick together, you know..." she replied proudly. Then her smile faltered, her gaze turning serious as she looked up at him. "I-I never got a chance to say thank you before," she added softly. "I mean...you helped me so much...and I know that it can't be easy, especially when the Scouts seem to be so against you..." He smiled softly. "Well...maybe not ALL of them are," he replied, remembering Venus's surprising--yet hopeful--words. "And basically...it's your opinion that matters the most to me. The others will...well, I'm sure they'll understand in time...what it is between us..." His voice was soft, filled with meaning that made her blush. She laughed shakily. "I hope so. Sometimes...even I don't understand what's between us..." Then her blush deepened and she giggled slightly. "Oh...I didn't just say that out LOUD, did I?" He smiled. "Yeah, you did. But that's okay, because I feel the same way." At her shy smile, he reached out and took her hands into his own. "No matter what anyone thinks, I want you to know that I will always, always be with you. I'll do whatever it takes to protect you. At first...I stayed because I hoped you might lead me to the Princess. But now...I stay because I want to be with YOU. And even if we never find the Princess, I will always stay." "Tuxedo Mask," she whispered, her eyes shimmering with tears--at both his words, and at what she felt she needed to tell him. "I...thank you..." She paused and took a deep breath. "It helps me to know that...you care so much. And I care for you, as well. But right now...I feel that it might be best if we...wait a little, before we become too involved. I can't let anything distract me from my mission. I owe it to my Scouts as their leader...and us being together...it might upset them. I feel as though I'd be betraying their trust if you became...involved with me as anything other than my protector, as much as I wish it could be otherwise. Perhaps, until they learn to trust you, or until we find the Princess, what is between us...should be set aside." His face was suddenly as expressionless as a block of marble, and she held her breath, wondering if she'd angered him. She'd hardly blame him if he was. But then he sighed, and nodded slowly. "I understand," he replied softly. "And you're right. Allowing our hearts to rule over our heads...would not help either of us accomplish our goals. We need to keep focused, and right now finding the Princess and defeating the enemy is far more important than how we feel, as unfair as it might be." Sailor Moon felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment building inside of her... until he spoke again. "However," he added in a low, intimate murmur. "No matter how far apart we are, it will not keep me from thinking of you, of longing to be with you. And as soon as both of our missions are completed...no force on earth or in heaven will keep me away from you." He smiled gently down at her, tracing her face with gentle fingers, and in his hand there suddenly appeared a small, golden locket shaped like a star. "I don't know where I got this. I've always had it, I think," he told her. "I believe...that maybe the Princess gave it to me, once upon a time." He held the locket up, dangling by its golden chain. "I want you to have it," he added, closing her fingers over the object. "Think of this as my heart, which you now hold in the palm of your hand." "I-I can't take this! The Princess...she gave it to you, so I know it must be important!" she gasped, her eyes wide. "Somehow...I don't think the Princess will mind if I give it to someone else I care about," he replied gently. "Especially if it's you." She looked up, her eyes glowing in the moonlight. "You...really care that much about me?" she whispered hopefully. "More than I could ever tell you," he replied, slowly lowering his head toward hers. Her eyes slipped shut as his lips touched her own in a gentle, passionate kiss, and in their intertwined fingers, the locket began to play a sweet, haunting melody. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'Cause you'll be in my heart. Yes, you'll be in my heart from this day on, now and forever more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The sweet moment drew to a close, and they finally, reluctantly parted, gazing into each other's eyes for long, intimate moments, silently conveying all of the forbidden love they held for each other. Then Tuxedo Mask bowed low over Sailor Moon's hand, kissing her gloved fingers tenderly, and with a sad, elated smile, he turned and, with a flutter of black and scarlet, vanished silently into the night. While within the shadows, clutched tenderly in a white-gloved hand, the locket still played its haunting melody, portraying more of the destiny of its two owners than either one of them realized... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oh, you'll be in my heart. No matter what they say, you'll be here in my heart, always. Always... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Beginning...