*To the tune of "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion. As sung by Serena-chan about the typhoon and a certain Tux-Boy who has a flair for throwing her to the ground when danger is near.* Every night in my dreams, I see you, I hear you. That is how I know you storm on. Far across the distance, And beaches between us, You have come to show you storm on. Near...far...wherever you are, I believe that the storm rages on. Once more, I'm thrown to the floor, And I'm here in the mall, And the storm rages on and on... Heads can crack just one time, Pain lasts for a long time, When your head connects with the floor. Pain was when my head hit, One true time, my head split, As Tux-Boy threw me to the floor. Tanks...guns...wherever he runs, I believe that I'll hunt his butt down. Once more, I've come to abhor, When my Tux-Boy gets brave, And I'm thrown to the ground, hard ground. You're here...storm surges I fear, 'Cuz I know that the storm rages on. We'll stay in the mall's entryway. But we're safe from the storm, though, I'll soon turn Tux to filet mignon! *Serena bows, and Angela and Aimee take the stage* Onward to chapter 2, dear readers! And don't forget to write us at moonlit_eclipse@hotmail.com! * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--* Dragging her through the mangled opening the blessed tiara had left, Tuxedo Mask threw himself down upon the screaming girl, bringing them both crashing to the mercilessly hard tiled floor. Sailor Moon's head hit the ground with a sickening thud. Glass and heavy debris showered down upon them as the tornado overtook the building with insatiable fury... * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--* Tempest Ardor By Angela and Aimee Chapter Two Tuxedo Mask wasn't sure when the deafening roar finally subsided, fading into the distance to leave the splattering of heavy rain and falling debris. He slowly lifted his head, leftover surges of adrenaline forcing him to gasp for air as he peered into the darkness. He grunted against painful spasms in his back as he gingerly tried to peel himself from the prone girl lying beneath him, a cacophony of shattered glass, plaster, and wood pieces clattering to the ground as he rolled over with a groan. "Sailor Moon...?" he called softly. "It's over for now...I think we're all right." An icy hand of fear clutched at Tuxedo Mask's heart briefly as he reached out to pull a handful of soaked golden hair away from her face. She didn't stir. "Sailor Moon...?" And then it rushed back to him, the memory of yanking her through the splintered doorway and shoving her to the ground, throwing himself upon her as the twister unleashed its wrath on the area. He vaguely recalled how harshly she hit the ground, letting out a ragged sigh. "Sorry about that..." he murmured grimly. Tuxedo Mask pulled his legs underneath him, rising slowly to his knees and making his way to his feet, ducking beneath fallen support beams and tangled wires. Dim light filtered through the crumbling foundation of the building with each flash of lightning outside, but it provided little visual relief before plunging everything into blackness once again. The rain continued in droves, and Tuxedo Mask could still hear the incessant howling of the raging storm band as it continued on its course. He could hear the ocean waves, closer than they should have been. Much too close. Cursing under his breath, he bleakly realized that he would have to hurry if they were to get to safety from the storm surge. Edging his way along in the darkness, occasional sparks lighting his way, he began looking for a path to clear. He knew too well that the storm was fully prepared to hang out, and that friendly little funnel cloud could have just been the opening act of a much grander show. He needed to find a safer place further inside the walls of the building, but the debris that was spread out in front of him would make it difficult. The wooden beams and pieces of unidentifiable material would have to be moved by hand. Quickly. His eyes finally beginning to adjust somewhat, Tuxedo Mask was able to discern dark outlines of debris as he inched his way across the slippery tiled floor, clearing space around them. Sailor Moon first became aware of the scraping sounds, rather loud and near to her, and then the pounding of rain on concrete. It was cold. And dark. Her limbs were slow to cooperate as she shifted, a soft groan unraveling from her throat. She felt a firm hand on her shoulder as she tried to sit up, and she could hear the sound of boots sliding around on the floor. "Don't move, Sailor Moon," she heard a deep voice issue gently. A familiar voice. Realization came swirling back to her without warning, the howling wind and sheets of rain pounding in her head. "Tuxedo Mask?!" she cried softly, feeling her chest constrict with anxiety. There was a distinct crunching of building fragments as he knelt beside her. "Are you all right? Does anything hurt?" "I don't...my head, a little. But then, everything hurts a little." He couldn't help but smile. "I'll buy that," he replied, easing her to a sitting position. "Easy, now." "Whoa...okay, hurts a *lot* now," she grimaced, raising a hand to her temple. She felt his breath across her cheek as he sighed heavily. "That was my fault," he said lowly, reaching out to cover the gloved hand at the side of her head with his own. "You've probably got a bit of a concussion. I'm sorry...I was in quite a rush..." She blinked slowly, then swallowed nervously as she straightened. She couldn't see him yet as her eyes continued to adjust, but she could *feel* how close he hovered next to her, and the very thought made her feel a mixture of apprehension and delight. They had never worked so closely together as they had out in the raging storm, and never had they been this close afterwards. And she realized they were going to be stuck together. For quite awhile. "What *happened*? Did the tornado go over us?" "Mmm, sort of. We were lucky," he answered. "But the storm bands are still coming, and there could be more. We've got to get further into the building until this thing finally runs its course." "It's so dark..." Sailor Moon fought her rising panic as lightning flashed briefly outside. She reached out towards the dim outline of Tuxedo Mask's shoulder, doing her best to steady her voice. "Are you all right?" His eyes clamped shut abruptly in pain when her fingers grasped his injured shoulder. Exactly how the wound had been inflicted, he wasn't certain. Probably falling debris. But there was no sense in worrying Sailor Moon with his ailments. She had her own injuries to be concerned with. "I'm fine," he lied as he rose to his feet. Turning away from the girl, his eyes squinted in the darkness in the direction of the wreckage he must move. If only he could SEE what he was dealing with... "What are you doing?" she asked, rising to her feet. She wavered to one side dangerously with dizziness and was forced to grasp onto a wooden beam to steady herself until her equilibrium balanced. "Moving debris," he replied. "From what I can tell, we're very stuck. And unless you want to spend the next few hours underwater, you might want to stand back. I don't want you to get hurt." "Huh? Underwater?" she echoed, scratching her head. It was then that she noticed how close the sounds of crashing waves were to the mangled door of the building. She whimpered in dread. No way! Sure, the beach had flooded, but the mall parking lot had been so lengthy and far away from the coast! Well, at least it had SEEMED long and distant when they were fleeing from the tornado... "Storm surges in excess of 20 feet, Sailor Moon," he muttered with a grunt as he pulled an unidentifiable piece of wood out of the huge pile that blocked their escape further into the building. "That's what the weather forecaster said." "Feet?" she squeaked nervously. "How big is a foot*? And what's a storm surge?" (A.N. *They use the metric system in Japan. ^_~) He chuckled lightly, almost nervously, under his breath at the rate of speed she could ask questions. There was no sense in scaring the poor girl. But then again, she needed to know what a precarious situation they were in... "A storm surge occurs when the high winds of a typhoon force ocean water onto land. That's why the beach disappeared on us. Stand back, Sailor Moon." Another piece of wreckage was pulled away, and she squealed as it hit the ground with a loud clamor. "The surge is going to reach this building sooner or later, preferably later, but I'd like to be on the second floor when it does." "How high will it get? And what's a foot?" she persisted. *CRASH* More debris was pulled from the remains, and Tuxedo Mask cursed as a mini avalanche was created, pushing him back a few feet while the dust settled. "Twenty feet equals about eight meters," he grunted. "Stack four of you up, one on top of the other, and you'll be close. Oh, and let's not forget about the waves or the riptide." Sailor Moon's jaw dropped. "Oh. Oh dear." "My thoughts exactly. Shall I continue?" She nodded, wide-eyed. "Please do. Can I help? There looks to be quite a bit of debris." "Yes, we were lucky not to have been crushed. Perhaps God isn't mad at me after all..." "Huh?" He chuckled, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Nothing. I don't suppose you still have that lovely tiara of yours, do you?" Her hands touched her forehead, but all she felt was one enormously sensitive bump that made her suck her breath in sharply when her fingertips brushed it. "No," she muttered angrily through gritted teeth, blinking back tears. "It probably got caught in the rubble when it tried to return to..." Her words trailed off as she heard the quiet tinkling of water. The masked man turned towards the mute girl. "What is it?" Removing her glove, Sailor Moon's hand shot through the darkness to the ground. Her bare, shaking fingers met with two inches of water that she had not felt or noticed through her boots. Lightning flashed, and Tuxedo Mask's gaze fell ominously to the briefly lit-up ground as well. He let out a long breath as the lightning reflected off of the rising water. * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--* Five feet. It had taken them an hour to dig five measly feet into the wreckage. The water was waist deep and rising by the second. All in all, Tuxedo Mask was not a happy man. Sailor Moon was openly crying as her bruised hands tore at the debris. She was chilled from being wet for so long, and her limps shook and tremored. Her injured head pounded in perfect time with the winds outside. "Tuxedo Mask...I'm so scared..." she sobbed. "God...I don't want to die..." "Hey! Look at me!" he ordered, placing a hand under her chin to lift it. "I've never let anything happen to you before, have I?" She shook her head, eyes wide at the force of his words. "Well, I'm not going to start now. You hear me? We're going to get out of this. I don't ever want to hear you talk like that again." His hands abruptly left her chin, and the masked man continued to move aside the wreckage. His hands felt up and down the pile of building material before him. Surely it couldn't be much thicker. Two feet under the water, his fingers came in contact with something that made his eyes narrow with interest. Resolutely, he ducked his head under the water, peering through a small opening to the other side. An exit. Rising from the water, he blinked and rubbed his eyes as salt stung them. "Good news," he told the frightened girl. "This is all a bad dream?" she suggested, her teeth chattering from both fear and cold. It wasn't a joke. She'd pinched herself multiple times in the last hour, hoping and praying she'd wake up at home, safe from the storm's fury. She didn't want to think about the water, which had risen another two inches. But it became rather impossible to dismiss its existence when she felt the sudden pulling of an undercurrent. Grasping onto Tuxedo Mask's arm, she clung to him to keep from being drug backwards by the flow of water. Strong arms surrounded her waist and pulled her in front of the heavily breathing man. "There's a small exit under the water. Here." His hand took hers and he brought it underwater, leading her finger- tips to the entry. "Now hold your breath, and make sure your hair doesn't get caught on anything. When you get to the other side, wait for me. Understood?" The shivering girl nodded mechanically, though she was forced to struggle to comprehend the words, such was her fright. Gathering her long ponytails into her hand to keep them close, she took a deep breath and dove under the foamy water. Tuxedo Mask's hands helped her maneuver through the hole in the rubbish, and she observed with a thankful heart that it was large enough to see them both to safety. He guided her through until his fingers could stretch no further in her direction. She slipped away and rose above the water on the other side. Breathing deeply, she shook her head, sending little droplets of water flying in every direction. "I'm through!" she called, noting the water was slightly deeper on the other side. The floor of the mall seemingly had a declining ramp of some sort. The seawater now reached her chest. "All right! I'm coming after you!" Tuxedo Mask responded from the other side. "Don't move!" Holding his mask to his face, he dove under the water and attempted to slip through the hole before him. Something pulled unexpectedly at his neck, nearly choking him as bubbles of air escaped from his nose and mouth underwater. His cape stretched out behind him, the edge having caught on something unseen. Struggling underwater to free himself, he felt his lungs begin to burn as he quickly ran out of air. Attempting to backtrack through the opening he realized he was caught too low and couldn't reach the top of the water for oxygen. He tugged on the infernal material, feeling it give slightly as it obviously tore from its snare, but it wasn't enough to release him. "Tuxedo Mask?" Sailor Moon called out after his voice had disappeared for far too long. Her eyes searched frantically in the dark as she waited for his shadowy outline to emerge from the water. Something was wrong...what if the rubble had collapsed on top of him as he tried to swim through? "Tuxedo Mask!" She inched her way back towards the wall of debris she had dove under, bobbing on her toes as the water now neared her shoulders. She inhaled sharply and plunged beneath the water, reaching out in the murky depths. Forcing her eyes open in the burning salt water, she felt panic grip her like a vise. She could barely make out his form, straining against some invisible binding. Taking no time to think she propelled her body towards him, gripping his arm to signal him. He grasped wildly at her hand, yanking it behind him so that it came in contact with the taught material of his cape. It wasn't going to budge, not before he suffocated. Ignoring his gestures, she reached out and patted over his shoulders for a much faster way to free him. She could feel his struggling growing weaker as no doubt he'd long since used the oxygen held in his lungs. Her fingers grasped the clasps that tacked the cape snugly to his shoulders, fumbling with them only a second before they released beneath her touch, and she was tugging him to the surface. As soon as they broke through, Tuxedo Mask took a desperate gasp of air and promptly heaved a lungful of water from his mouth, coughing wretchedly as Sailor Moon clutched his arms. "Thank...you..." he wheezed, the black spots fading from his vision. She nodded numbly in reply, fear enveloping her once she could see he was all right, and she had the chance to analyze how close that call had been. "Let's go," he grunted beside her, still gasping. "The undertow is getting stronger. I was fighting it down there. We're about to get slammed..." "Oh God!" Sailor Moon wailed as she bobbed after him. Her feet were barely touching now, her height a serious hindrance to their progress. She fought her way after his form, half swimming, half bouncing as the tenacious grip of the rising current wore her down. Smaller chunks of debris were beginning to dislodge themselves and swirl about with the tide, the distinct howling of wind screaming through the shattered building to announce the next wave of the typhoon. Thunder clapped continuously through the air, sending ripples in the already tumultuous water as another surge blasted its way inward. "Come on, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask called behind him, the urgency of the situation evident in his panicked tone. "I'm--trying! I--" She felt his hand close tightly around hers as he drug her through the water towards him. "I know, just hang on to me, and keep kicking!" he instructed her, shoving a large chunk out of the way and dodging others too large to move. They were wrestling with the pull of water now, riptides gaining in strength with the continued force of the storm, the crashing waves outside nearing the building, their momentum impelling water in at an alarming rate. Sailor Moon heard Tuxedo Mask gasp beside her. She threw her attention forward, gasping of her own accord when she caught site of flashing sparks ahead of them. "Wh-what is that?" she whimpered, her hands digging into his shoulders. He swallowed hard, grimacing against the lance of pain that shot through his left shoulder and down his back. "It's...I think it's the escalator," he breathed. "Just hang on, we're going to have to go up." "WHAT?!" she shrieked in his ear. As the tide slammed against them, sweeping them forward in a surge of water, Tuxedo Mask's arm shot out to grasp the slippery plastic edge of the escalator's railing jutting out of the foamy water. "Grab on!" he hollered at her, straining to maintain his grip. With a sob, she peeled her tingling fingers from his arm and latched on to the railing, kicking fiercely as she hooked her elbow over the side to secure her hold. "We've got to get *over* it and onto the steps so we can climb up!" he shouted to her back. Sailor Moon's head bowed as she fought frightened whimpers. She was afraid to move, for fear the undercurrents would overpower her. "I'm right behind you," he urged her. "I won't let anything happen to you." Tightening her grip, Sailor Moon grunted and strained with all her remaining might to move her leg through the rigid water and hook it over the railing. She felt Tuxedo Mask give her a shove from behind, and with relief, she toppled roughly onto the metallic steps. Tuxedo Mask wasn't far behind, nearly crushing her as she gripped his jacket and helped haul him over. They clambered up the remainder of the rubble covered escalator, gripping each other tightly, before reaching the top. His legs were the first to give out beneath him, bringing her stumbling down on top of him, where she let her aching head drop to his chest as his trembling arms encircled her. The two lay on the dust-strewn floor, water pooling from their drenched clothes as they gasped for breath. Eyes fluttering shut, they lay together in fatigued silence for a long while, recuperating bit by bit from the heavy exhaustion that had been accumulating slowly since they'd first caught sight of the wretched youma on the beach. They hardly heard the lapping of waves below or the deafening roar of the tempest outside as its fury echoed down the empty halls of the mall. It was several minutes before the still gasping Tuxedo Mask realized the girl beside him was shaking like a rabbit. Opening exhausted eyes, he peered through the darkness, trying to make out her face amongst the thick shadows. Brief flashes of lightning flickered through the overhead windows on the ceiling, lighting up the pale, ashen face of his companion. Her eyes were closed, and her face was drawn up in pain and fatigue. "Sailor Moon...?" he called, reaching to touch her cheek lightly. Her head jerked sharply, as though she'd been woken up abruptly. A pained whimper met the ears of the masked man, and he immediately sat up, pulling the wet girl from his chest and easing her to the floor with gentleness. Removing his gloves, he moved over her, pressing a bare hand carefully to her forehead. She cried out unconsciously in pain when his palm rested over the throbbing bump on her forehead. But it wasn't the size of the injury that caused Tuxedo Mask to curse ominously under his breath. It was the burning heat that met his hand when he touched her skin. She was wet and cold from prolonged exposure to the seawater, and the fever would only worsen under such conditions. She was still shaking and trembling, and muted sounds of shivering could be heard over the roar of the storm. 'Shock,' Tuxedo Mask's scientific mind realized grimly. 'She's going into shock.' Eyes fluttering shut in denial, he let out a long, slow breath as he tried to gather his fleeting thoughts enough to know what to do. First and foremost, he would have to get her warm and dry. Then he could take care of her fever and the nasty bump on her forehead. Peering around the lightning-lit mall, he saw that most of the stores were gated shut. Nothing he couldn't break into, of course, thanks to the expertise of his childhood buddies at the orphanage. And thanks to the power outage left by the typhoon, there would be no alarms to sound if indeed he broke into one. But his mind paused hesitantly at the principle of breaking and entering. To do so would be wrong, but the girl in his arms needed help quickly. To hell with principle. "Sailor Moon...can you hear me?" he asked, shaking her gently but firmly enough to get her attention. She groaned pitifully, her feverish head falling to one side in exhaustion. He grit his teeth in frustration and worry at her unresponsiveness. She couldn't even speak. Carefully, he lifted the trembling girl into his arms as he stumbled to his feet, still gasping in exhaustion. Hastily picking a direction to head in since he was unfamiliar with the building, he slowly made his way down the dust-covered hallways. "Shoe store...shoe store...manga store... shoe store..." he muttered to himself, naming off each store they passed. "Good grief, what kind of mall IS this?!" The girl in his arms groaned painfully at his frustrated cry, and he muttered a brief, "Sorry," before continuing on in silence. Reaching the end of the long hallway, a flash of lightning lit up the last store. Tuxedo Mask's thankful eyes met with the most sensible store ever contrived by mere mortals. Sears. God, he loved Sears at that moment. Everything they might possibly need, from flashlights to blankets, could be found with ease. More than that, the store went up an extra third floor that could be useful should the storm surge threaten them again. But until the threat of more tornados had passed, he wanted to stay as close to ground level as remotely possible. Carefully laying Sailor Moon on the ground, he removed his jacket and bundled it up under her head to cushion it against the hard tile. Situating her into a position that appeared to be somewhat comfortable, he turned toward the tall steel gate that closed off the store. Finding the lock that fastened the gate to the tiled floor, a smile graced his handsome features. "Child's play." * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->--* Sailor Moon first became aware of her surroundings an hour later. Wrapped in two thick blankets, she lay on a large bed amongst other store display beds. Even though the blankets were practically smothering her, she shivered still. A wet washcloth was on her forehead, and a battery powered lamp burned brightly next to her. Groaning as the realization of her headache hit her, she clamped her eyes shut once more. "Tuxedo Mask...?" she called out weakly through her hoarse throat. She could only vaguely remember their trek down the flooded first floor. How she got into this bed was beyond her. "Tuxedo Mask!" she repeated, louder this time, eyes opening to peer around her darkened surroundings. "You're awake!" his voice called back to her. A shadow moved in the distance, and as it came closer, she recognized the sharp beam of a flashlight cutting through the blackness that stretched out before her. His still-wet boots squeaked loudly on the tiled floor as he approached the bed she lay upon. When Sailor Moon saw the exhaustion in his eyes and his ragged appearance, she knew instantly that he needed badly to rest. Wet bangs fell untamed and unruly over his masked eyes. He had completely abandoned his jacket, leaving him in a still damp and slightly pellucid white dress shirt and black suspenders. "Are you all right?" he was quick to inquire as he walked towards her, eyes scanning her face quickly. "I...I think so," she managed. "My head is still pounding, though." "You're still shivering..." he murmured quietly, moving to her side. "I don't know what else to do. One more blanket, and you'll suffocate." Sailor Moon gasped quietly as the masked man lifted her from the bed and pulled her into his arms. Resting her against his chest, his hands moved up and down her back and arms, trying to warm them. "Your clothes are still wet..." he muttered angrily. "The humidity that came in with the storm is making it difficult for everything to dry." Leaning wide-eyed against a very warm chest, she said meekly, "Your clothes are still wet, too." "I'm not the one shivering." "You are, too!" she argued, feeling the slight tremble of the body she was leaned against. "We're going to have to get dry." "I don't see how we can in a timely manner. Unless..." "Unless...?" she prompted, looking up into the masked face that peered down at her. "Unless we detransform," he finished hesitantly. The body pressed against his own shot backwards abruptly in surprise, but he held her close. "Don't spat at me yet, little cat. Hear me out." "I...I can't do that!" she sputtered in a shocked tone. "I don't even know who you are! What would the other senshi say?!" "They would tell you to get warm, that's what they would say," he argued. "You're sick, Sailor Moon. You have a fever...a high one. I could tell how high if I could find a damn thermometer in this hellhole. I refuse to allow your condition to decline because you want to sit in a puddle in that tiny wet skirt you call a uniform." "I'm not sitting in a puddle!" she yelled at him. "It was a figure of speech!" he shouted back. Before she could respond, two warm fingers touched her lips, gently hushing her. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't have yelled. We're both exhausted, Sailor Moon. We're saying things we don't mean. Now let's calm down and think..." Rising from the bed, he began to pace, running his fingers through his hair in a nervous habit. "We're both on the same side, aren't we?" he questioned. "I think so..." "We both trust each other, right?" "I trust you." "And I trust you," he responded in turn. "Give me a reason why we shouldn't detransform?" She scowled. "I'm not wearing any makeup." "Oh, for the love of God!" he shouted to the heavens. "You're a man! You don't understand!" she countered, crossing arms across her chest angrily. "Please tell me you're joking. Please, God. *Tell me she's joking*..." he muttered into the palms he'd pressed to his face. "Oh, all right!" she gave in with a huffy pout, wincing momentarily as her yelling caused her head to pound with even more fury. Relieved eyes met hers. "You'll do it, then? You'll detransform?" "Only if you do. No tricks." "No tricks," he assured her with a nod. "Let's do it at the same time...backs turned. When we're finished, we'll both turn around." ‘Like I have a choice,’ he amended silently, knowing that being this close to her upon her detransformation would all but drive him to his knees. She hesitated, looking uncertainly into the stormy blue eyes that peered down at her, partially hidden by a white mask. How long had she wanted to know who those beautiful eyes belonged to? "All right, Tuxedo Mask," she agreed, turning around on the bed, bringing trembling fingers to her locket. "Ready?" he asked, having turned away as well. She took a deep breath. "Ready." "Do it." Colored lights flashed and danced off the walls, fluttering ribbons retreating from her illuminated silhouette as energy swept through the humid air. Serena's breath was momentarily sucked away as the surge of power left her. She bit her lip against the rush of pain she knew would occur, her ability to withstand it in civilian form not nearly as great. Darien loved dry clothes. Moreover, he loved wearing them. Adjusting the collar of his shirt, he closed his eyes against the flux of sensations that coursed through him, feeling the pounding of his heart subside as it always did when Sailor Moon detransformed. "Have you finished?" Darien heard a small voice say. A very familiar voice... "Yes," Serena heard the deep voice respond. Her heart leapt to her throat. They whipped around at the same time, wide eyed and gaping in a flicker of silence cut with sheer tension. And over the rising fury of the typhoon, above the crashing of the raging waves, peaking over the thundering echo of the pounding rain was the distinct sound of a male and female voice, screaming in agony and bitter denial. * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * * @}->-- * We're not trying to be annoying. We swear! We just like to end chapters in the darndest places! *wink wink* E-mail us and let us know what you think! moonlit_eclipse@hotmail.com Want to know when new chapters come out? Join Moonlit Eclipse's mailing list! http://www.geocities.com/moonlit_eclipse/ Love 'n mush, Aimee and Angela