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Diamohns are Forever	By : SailorSol Category: Sailor Moon > General Views: 22490 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 19
- 20
- 21
CONFUSION & REGRETS

As the others began to recover from the fight, the golden Senshi walked over to Sailor Moon, who stood near Tuxedo Kamen. When she got within a few feet of the pair, she dropped to one knee, and bowed her golden head.

"Princess." she said simply, her entire form showing her respect. "I am Sailor Sol, and I pledge my alliegance to you, as I did so long ago. As your Warleader, I offer my services to you."

"Please get up." Sailor Moon said, a blush coloring her face. "I don't really remember you too much, but I do know that there was always someone that I could turn to if I needed help or advice. At first, I thought that it was Sailor Pluto, but now I know that it was you all along."

"I am always here to assist you." Sailor Sol said serenely, rising smoothly to her feet, the material of her thigh-high boots creaking in the still air. "Remember that, Your Highness. And I will always be there whenever you need me."

"And I too." Sailor Terra said, walking up behind the golden woman, and kneeling as the first had done. "I am Sailor Terra, Your Highness. Though I have fought in the United States, I am here now, and ready to help you whenever I am needed." Then she also rose to her feet and bowed slightly to Tuxedo Kamen.

"Terra." the caped and masked figure inclined his head slightly, his voice carefully neutral. "It's good to see you again."

"Agreed." she replied evenly, gazing at his deep sapphire eyes behind the mask.

She didn't wait for him to answer, turning away almost immediately, as if merely being in his presence was painful to her. Her sharp eyes caught sight of the form of Kishi Mercury, who was once again staring deeply into his Planet Partner's eyes, seemingly oblivious to everyone and everything else. Unwittingly, her steps took her slowly toward them, as if she were unable to help herself.

"Mercury!" she called out, not knowing if he would be able to hear her at that distance, but desperately hoping that he would. The man turned abruptly in her direction, then grabbed his helmet, jammed it on his head, and sped off, leaving another loud sonic boom in his wake.

Sailor Terra stared after him in shock, and even Mercury looked amazed that he would do such a thing.

"I can�t believe what I just saw," Kishi Sol�s voice sounded behind her. "How inconsiderate can he be?"

She turned slightly to see the golden-armored form of Kishi Sol, and he held out his arms to her. Feeling terribly vulnerable at the moment, she moved into his embrace. She was somewhat surprised that his armor didn't feel cold, like the metal it resembled, but rather it seemed to radiate a comfortable heat that did much to soothe her.

"Why did he run away from me?" she cried softly, clinging to the tall, golden-haired Knight. "I do not understand him. All I did was call out to him. Was that so wrong?"

"Maybe he just got scared," the golden man rumbled softly. "We all felt like that when we first got our powers, and that might be the reason that he's run off like that. But I would never take off on you."

"I know that." she answered back.

And with that, he gently used one gauntleted hand to lift her dainty chin, then lowered his lips to hers in a soft, yet passionate kiss. She molded herself to his armored body. She knew that Taiyono did love her, and she returned the feeling.

When he finally ended the kiss, she murmured an apology, and, with a promise to see him at home, she dashed off so that she could change back to her civilian guise. A quick run back into the Library showed her that the huge room was currently vacant, and she ran back out onto the balcony she had used as her escape route. Quickly removing her tiara, she shifted back to her former self, and she dove off of the balcony into the thick rose bushes once again, wedging herself in securely, totally heedless of the tearing cloth and pain from the sharp thorns.

In another part of the sprawling campus around the Library, Kishi Mercury came to an abrupt halt in a small open glade, more than ready to resume his usual form. He was deeply shaken by both his transformation, and the deep-blue eyes of his Planet Partner. Literally thousands of ancient memories crowded into his whirling mind, each one vying with the others to be the one looked at first. He felt like he was going out of his mind.

"I've been waiting for you, Mercury." A soft woman's voice sounded from somewhere behind him. He whirled to see the tall form of a Sailor Senshi dressed in greenish-black, carrying a long key-staff with a garnet-red orb on the top. Her hair was dark green, very straight and fell to her knees.

"Pluto." he said, his voice a mere whisper. "What do you want of me?" He was more frightened than ever now, as even more memories came forward in his mind, threatening to overwhelm him.

"You have made a grave error in judgment." her voice seemed to echo. "You have activated the Planet Call. That is very dangerous you both of you, but I suppose that it cannot be helped now. The damage is done. But, if you want to survive to see the Crystal Kingdom of the future, you will do as I say."

"The future?" he asked numbly, not quite understanding what she was talking about. But something inside told him that he could trust her. "You know what the future holds?"

"Of course I do." she nodded enigmatically, a small smile gently curving her lips. "You must remain separate from the other Knights if you are to survive. Not one of them exist in the future, nor do some of the Senshi that were out there tonight. Tell no one who you are, for we must all remain secret to everyone. And, whatever you do, do not meet Sailor Terra. If you should ever meet her eyes, you will forget everyone you have ever loved. She does not live to see the Crystal Kingdom, so it would be pointless to meet her in any case."

"I'll be very careful." he nodded humbly, knowing that he should be able trust her words, yet feeling that there was something subtly wrong about it as well. Though he had loved Terra, the Princess of Earth, his passions had always run the hottest for Makoto, the Princess of Jupiter.

The tall Senshi seemed to accept that, for she nodded slowly, then vanished in a mighty leap straight up. Shaken by the events of the night, Kishi Mercury raced back inside the building, regaining his former hiding place in less than a second. A mere moment later he had placed the silvery sabre on the floor, concentrated for a moment, and picked up the sword-shaped letter-opener, which he slipped back into the inner pocket of his tuxedo jacket. Then, he huddled behind the heavy drapery, shaking with all of the knowledge that had become his during that evening.

In another small glade, Sailor Sol backed in, looking for a place where she could de-transform, coming to an abrupt stop when she bumped into someone. Whirling around, she came face-to-face with Kishi Pluto, who had also turned quickly, his huge naginata held at the ready. When he recognized who was there, his demeanor softened, and he lowered his weapon, heaving a great sigh as he did so. At first, it seemed to her that he was glad to see her, then his face appeared to fall, becoming a mask of sadness.

"Sol." he said simply, his resonant voice very soft. "Hoshiko. This complicates matters immensely."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she questioned, hot tears suddenly filling her large golden eyes. "You knew that I had my powers. You knew that months ago!"

"Yes." he replied with a slow nod of his head. "I was totally unaware that there was still more conflict to come at that time. Now, we are at war once again, and we each have our duties. I am truly sorry. Forgive me, Nikkou."

"Very well, Korio." she said softly, struggling to conceal the fact that it felt as if her heart were breaking in two. "Duty calls, and we must obey that call, whether we like it or not. I respect your decision, and I will abide by it."

"I don't like it any more than you do, Hoshiko." he admitted, a single tear tracing a wet line down his handsome angular face. "But we have no choice in the matter. It is the way it has always been, and it will always remain so."

"Times change, Korio." she did her best to smile, but it came out almost rueful. "And they always will. I thought that we would be able to change with them, but I suppose that it's out of the question. I guess that I'll be seeing you around then."

And with that, she slowly and purposely walked from the tiny glade, every step feeling like a hot nail being driven through her heart. When she had put some distance between them, she broke into a run, the tears streaming down her face until she reached the place where she had made her transformation. There, she fell to her knees and sobbed out her bitter agony. Blocking out everything else, including her Bonded mekake, she wrapped herself in her misery, wailing her extreme distress to the unforgiving skies.

In another area, Sailor Uranus saw Sailor Neptune beginning her retreat, and she called out to her, desperation showing plainly in her normally mellow voice. The aqua-haired Senshi stopped, and turned around, her surprise evident plain on her lovely face. She then waited until the tall, sandy-haired woman caught up to her.

"It�s been almost three months, Neptune," the taller woman cried softly. "It�s been two weeks since the wedding."

"You're kidding!" the other exclaimed, her disbelief showing in her sea-colored eyes. "How could it have been so long ago? I don't remember it being that long! A couple of weeks, maybe, but not three whole months!"

"Today is September First." Uranus said sadly, tears filling her eyes. " I don't do alone very well any more, Moon-Face and her friends sent out search parties, and took us to Aster�s house. We've been staying with her since then. She insisted on it."

"Oh, this is terrible!" Neptune wailed softly, her gloved hands going to her cheeks. "I had no idea. I was lost in the depths of space and time. I ran into him after the rehearsal, and when I met his eyes, I fell in, drowning in them, and I never wanted to come up. I don't remember too much after that. All I do know is that it is the most incredible thing that has ever happened to me. I've never felt anything like it before."

"I know what you mean." the sandy-haired one replied quietly, standing up again. "I had a similar experience, only I drowned in the fires of the sun. We call it a Soul Bond, because it seems to tie us together, soul to soul. I feel what she feels, and vice-versa. Sometimes, it's almost like living inside her head, as well as mine. Remember how we used to envy the tie between Moon-Face and her Mamoru? Well, that's about what I now have with Aster. But I always thought that we had something that was very much like it."

"I know." the aqua-haired woman nodded. "Pluto and I have the same thing. Not her, him. It's like we share the same soul somehow. It's hard to describe, but you know what I'm talking about, don't you?"

"Yes." the taller one nodded back. "You don't have to stay a stranger, you know. Hotaru misses you terribly. So do I."

"Then why don't I come over to see you tomorrow night?" Neptune asked softly. "If Aster doesn't mind, that is."

"She has a regular appointment that takes up her Saturday nights." Uranus told her. "But I'm sure that she would want to see you as well. She loves you too, you know. I know about it because I can see it in her heart. If you can make it, I'd really like it if you could come by tonight."

"I think that I can arrange it." she smiled up at her. "I'll even try and convince him to come with me."

" I think that it would be a great idea if you brought Pluto with you," the sandy-haired woman chuckled. " I'd love to stay and talk more, but I have to get back to her before she starts to worry about me too much. See you when you get there."

Blowing a kiss to the shorter woman, Uranus dashed off, heading for the place where she had exited the building, so that she could transform back and re-enter the huge Library as her normal self. When she got there, she saw Sailor Sol curled up in a tight ball on the ivy beneath the balcony, crying broken-heartedly.

She hurried to her side, gently drawing the golden-haired woman into her arms and rocking her. The reason for the tears then came to her mind despite the block set up by Sol, and she allowed herself a small smile. If things worked themselves out right, there would be no more need for tears, for either one of them. Before too long, her cries shuddered to a stop, and she sat up, wiping her eyes with one gloved hand.

"Are you alright now?" Uranus asked her softly, gazing down at her. When Sol nodded slowly, she went on in an even tone. "Then, we'd better get back in there, put in an appearance, and leave as soon as we can. How's that sound?"

"I think it's a great idea." the golden-eyed woman nodded again, slowly standing up and dusting herself off. "Let's get this over with. I think that I could use a drink and a long bath. At least I'm not freezing anymore."

"Neither am I!" the other suddenly realized. "Isn't that strange? I never noticed that before right this minute."

Neither one said any more as they took hold of their tiaras and firmly pulled them from their foreheads, thusly reversing their transformations back to what they had been before. Haurka assisted her koibito up onto the balcony, then levered herself up as well.

Poking their heads into the huge room, they heard several muffled noises that sounded like the soft cries of panicked people in hiding.

"Is it gone?" Aster called out softly, adding more than a hint of fright to her voice, pretending that she was just as afraid as everyone else still in the room. There were a few replies of 'Yes', 'I think so', 'I don't know', 'I don't hear it', and 'Maybe', so she walked back inside.

From many of the tables near her, terrified faces peeked out from under the long tablecloths, and some of them even tried venturing out of their hiding places. It was almost comical to see prim society matrons and proper gentlemen crawling out from under tables and the bandstand, but the fear stamped on their faces was all too obvious for mirth.

"Could someone please help me! I am stuck!" a thin voice drifted in from the opposite side of the room. Aster immediately recognized it as the voice of her adopted sister, and rushed over to see what she could do to help, with Haruka close behind.

Mamoru and Usagi dashed over from another direction, and Kojiro stepped out from behind the heavy curtain where he had been concealed. The five people met on the wide balcony overlooking the thick rose bushes.

At first, no one could see where she was, but the rustle of movement and the pale flicker of a shoeless foot showed them her location. She was nearly three feet away, angled head-first into the wide garden of dense bushes, her kicking feet only a foot or two below the balcony's floor, which put her head near the ground somewhere deep in the foliage. Mamoru almost jumped down to help her, but he immediately thought better of it. Fortunately, he didn't have to, for Haruka and Kojiro leaped over and began gently extracting her from the thorny branches, and there was precious little space down there as it was.

Mamoru winced as the two people below began gently pulling on Akari to try and extricate her from the dense bushes.

It took a little while, but her rescuers were finally able to pull her from the thorny grasp of the roses, amid the loud tearing of both cloth and skin, and the tangling of her long chestnut hair. When she was finally free, they gently lifted her up to the balcony where Aster, Mamoru and Usagi were waiting. Mamoru reached down to help pull her back up into the building, then drew her into his arms in a fierce hug while Haruka and Kojiro climbed back inside, totally heedless of the scarlet stains he was putting on his pristine tuxedo.

Tears of pain and shame rolled silently down her face as she clung to him, but he didn't notice. Usagi then realized that, though he had never known her while he was growing up, he dearly loved his onesan, and was worried about her.

Aster saw that the embrace seemed to be getting a bit more than familial, and she quickly moved to gently pull Akari away so that she could ascertain the condition of the older woman's face and clothes. Only then did anyone see the full extent of the damage done by the sharp thorns. Her heart-shaped face was covered with bloody scratches, as were her arms, hands and legs, her elaborate coiffeur was in ruins, but the worst devastation was to her gown.

The lovely dusty purple knit dress was rent in numerous places from her throat to below the waist, both front and back, with dozens of long gouges in her pale skin beneath it, each one oozing a deeply crimson liquid. The lavender float was nearly non-existent, hanging in shreds from her neck, and the beautiful orchid that she had so loved was totally destroyed. The gown was completely ruined, not that she could ever have been coaxed into wearing it again, and her gloved hands crept upwards to try and hide her wounds. The elbow-length gloves were also a total loss, now being little more than rags on her arms, stained thoroughly with her blood.

A single glance from Aster was all it took for Haruka to dash off, and return quickly with the long scarlet cloak that the golden-haired woman had worn when they arrived. Draping it around her sister's shoulders, Aster fastened it around her neck, and received a small warm smile in reply.

Akari pulled the cloak tighter around herself, holding it from the inside with both hands, her eyes more downcast than usual, as if she were trying to hide her shame.

The two other couples moved off, each one intending to make their apologies to Dean Seido, and leave quickly, and Akari was left alone with the Professor. She turned to see him standing there, her gaze never traveling higher than the center of his chest. He seemed to be relieved that she was mostly alright, but he also appeared to be very distracted by something else.

"Thank you for helping me, Professor." she said softly, bowing slightly, but being very careful not to let the cloak slip open to reveal the destroyed gown. "I do not know how I was going to get out of there if you had not assisted me."

"Think nothing of it." he replied calmly, reaching up and un-tying his bow-tie. "It was my privilege to help. Are you going to be alright now?"

"I believe so, Professor." she answered quietly. "I think that the scratches are only superficial, and will heal in no time. I am afraid that my dress is ruined, though. It was very expensive."

"Dresses can be replaced, you can't." Kojiro shrugged absently. "I'm just glad that you are in one piece. I think that the party is breaking up."

"It does appear to be that way." Akari said in her soft voice.

"Shall I take you home?" he asked, hoping that she would allow it, yet also inwardly praying that she had an alternate method of transportation.

"No, thank you, " Akari shook her head slowly, then bowed again. "I can get a ride with my ototo. Thank you very much for the offer. I assure you that there will be no problem with this."

With that, she gave him another bow, then turned and walked to where Mamoru and Usagi were talking with Dean Seido. Waiting until they were done, she then requested the needed transportation, her voice so soft that her brother had a very hard time hearing her.

Before too long, Mamoru, Usagi and Akari were in the Rolls Royce that had been given to him two weeks before, and were on their way back to the house they all shared.

Very little was said on the relatively short drive, and as soon as they arrived, Akari rushed upstairs to her room to slip out of the shredded gown, tend to her many scratches, and pull on a comfortable house-kimono. In practically no time at all, she was back downstairs, cooking a simple, yet filling meal for the three of them. The food was ready by the time the couple returned to the ground floor.

ChibiUsa had returned from her outing with Vincent sometime earlier, and was sound asleep in her room.

The four adults ate the meal together in relative silence, at his insistence. Mamoru could tell that both women nearly ached to discuss the attack, but he felt that they would be better off having a good night�s sleep, first.

***** *****

Shortly after Aster and Haruka arrived at The House of the Sun, they checked in to see that Hotaru was quietly reading in her room, which was decorated in dark purples. When they suggested that they all have something to eat, the woman-child readily agreed, and they all trooped out to the kitchen to see what was there. It took only a few moments to throw together a stir-fry, and they were soon sitting down to fill their rumbling bellies.

As they finished the simple meal, the Rodan gate sounded, and Aster stood smoothly to answer the door. She arrived before the visitor could knock, and opened the door to see the face of Kaiou Michiru as she mounted the steps to the porch. A small smile curved her lips, and she waited for the aqua-haired woman to reach her, then she slowly opened her arms, taking the other woman into her embrace.

"I thought that you would be mad at me." Michiru said in her soft voice. "I never meant to hurt anyone, especially not you, Haruka or Hotaru."

"I know that." Aster replied, burying her face in the mass of jasmine-scented waves. "I understand what happened. It had nearly the same effect on me, but we had Hotaru to bring us back to reality once in a while."

"I'm really sorry that I didn't call or anything." the aqua-haired woman sighed deeply. "I lost track of everything. Even time. But I'm back to myself now. I can't leave him, though. I hope you all realize that. It would be like trying to leave myself."

"Believe me," the golden-eyed one smiled crookedly, now looking her directly in the face, though their eyes didn't meet squarely. "I know all about that part of it too. That's why we call it a 'Soul Bond'. It literally links us soul to soul. Come on inside. Haruka and Hotaru are waiting."

Aster led the way back inside her Traditional house, waiting only until the other woman had shed her street-shoes, and donned the aqua indoor slippers before they went deeper into the her home. The sandy-haired woman and her adopted daughter were standing in the living room, a look of disbelief on the child's face. Michiru let out a muffled, high-pitched squeal, and rushed over to them, falling to her knees and drawing the raven-haired girl into her arms. Haruka joined them, making a sandwich of the child, but she didn't seem to care at the moment. Tears of joy and relief spilled down all of their faces, and Aster quietly slipped out of the door, leaving them alone for their re-union.

The words uttered by Kishi Pluto earlier that night kept echoing in her head, and her thoughts were sliding in a downward spiral that threatened to engulf her. All she could think about has that stupid stick that she had claimed as her own the day she was Heart-Snatched a few years before, and she knew that that was the root of her current problem. If she hadn't become Sailor Sol, then Pluto wouldn't have turned her away. Then, perhaps, Takagi wouldn�t have bonded to Michiru. He wouldn�t have split up the perfect partnership, and she wouldn�t be without him. She decided to go for a long drive to think things through.

Inside the house, the re-united family talked for over an hour, then gently put the sleepy Hotaru to bed, tucking her in with several of her favorite plushies, and softly closing the shoji-door behind them as they left. Then, taking her by the hand, Haruka led her former koibito to the room she sometimes occupied, un-latched it, and opened the sliding door.

Picking Michiru up, Haruka took her over to the raised futon-bed, and gently laid her down on the soft, but firm surface. Moving slowly, she began unbuttoning the pale aqua blouse, leaving a kiss behind on every pale inch of exposed skin.

At first, it felt rather strange not to have the ambient heat and golden skin of her mekake under her touch, but she also remembered the cool radiance of Michiru's body. This one was the first woman she had ever loved. This one was the one who held a special place in her heart. And this was the one that she was determined to win back.

By the time she had uncovered her full breasts, the aqua-haired woman was gasping in pleasure, and Haruka slowly sucked one hardened nodule into her warm mouth, teasing it with her even teeth and agile tongue. A long, low, shuddering cry spurred her onwards, and she kneaded the other fleshy mound with her free hand, running a practiced thumb over the nub in the center, feeling the hardness there grow even more as her excitement grew.

Michiru loved the feeling of those callused hands on her body, and realized that she had dearly missed them, though at the time, it had seemed unimportant. But now, those hands she loved were back, and she reveled in the sensation.

As the sandy-haired woman moved her lips to the other breast, her inner passions mounted, and her body began to cry out for something that had been lacking in her life for the past three months. Her head began to toss back and forth in her ecstasy, little mewling gasps escaping her perfect lips.

When Haruka noticed that her hands were joined by a second pair, she judged that it was time to move onward, so she left the wondrous mounds to the hands of their owner, and continued down the lithe body beneath her.

It seemed to take her forever, but eventually she had removed Michiru's tailored blue skirt, and her lacy panties. Leaning down and kissing the lower mound, she was rewarded by the slow spreading of her legs, gradually revealing their hidden prize.

The aqua-haired woman's Royal Pavilion soon came into full view, the moist folds opening like the peals of a rare flower, filled to overflowing with it's sweet-salt honey. The jutting nodule which was the center of her delight was fully erect, emerging from it's concealing sheath as if begging to be touched. Beads of wetness clung to the delicate skin, the tangy scent filled her nostrils, and Haruka could no longer resist. Diving down like a hawk, she slipped her tongue into those generous folds, tasting that sweet honey for the first time in three months.

Michiru let out a long moan of pleasure, her hips flexing upwards as her hands left her breasts and grasped the coverlet beneath her. Her firm thighs bunched as she moved with her koibito's actions, aching to feel her everywhere at once. Haruka also wanted to taste every part of her, but she was willing to take her time. Firmly grasping the legs where they met the hips, she held them relatively still, so that she could drive the other woman out of her mind.

Moving slightly upwards, she located the erect nodule of tender flesh, and gently took it in her even teeth, teasing it as she had done with those marvelous breasts. She heard a sharp gasp as she did this, and she then began softly licking it, circling the entire thing, then stroking up the hypersensitive underside, only to repeat the whole process over and over. She felt the woman's body quiver spasmodically as her cries became louder and higher, and then, the pinnacle was upon her, cresting through her like a gigantic wave. But Haruka wasn't done yet.

She had only do move downwards slightly to place her lips and tongue around the opening of her hot, quavering Heavenly Passage, eagerly tasting the wondrous honey that flowed from her wet well, thrusting her tongue deeply inside as if she couldn't get enough of it. Again and again she impaled the aqua-haired woman in her agile tongue, licking every part of her ribbed Golden Corridor, driving her ever upwards once again.

***** *****

Ami wandered across the now deserted campus of Tokyo University, heading for the building that had been described to her earlier that night. As she passed the place where the battle had occurred, she stared in awe at the area where the huge diahmon had been destroyed, noting that there were several largish craters dug into the grass, as well as numerous smaller ones, and a huge scorched patch of grass. Nearing the building, she was amazed to see that it was damaged as well, as more than a few large holes covered the wall that had been closest to the fight. Finally arriving at the back door she had been told about, she knocked softly.

"Umino?" a muffled voice came from behind the closed door. When she answered in the affirmative, he went on. "I need you to make me a solemn promise."

"Anything, Hayasa." she said easily, wondering what it could possibly be that was so important.

"You can't tell anyone who I am." he pleaded, his voice sounding strained. "I need you to keep this just between us. Please, Ami."

"I don't see the need for that." she began, suddenly rueing her quick decision and knowing that the others would soon be asking about her meeting with him. "We don't really keep secrets from each other."

"You must keep this one." his voice became more desperate. "If you don't, Pluto told me that I won't survive to see the future. I don't want to die when the others do. Please, Umino, you have to promise me!"

"Pluto�s wrong." she sighed heavily, feeling as if a massive weight had been placed on her shoulders. "Mini Moon says that she�s seen you, and she�s offered the right proof to Sailor Sol. All the knights survive, Hayasa, including you. This isn�t going to be like the moon. Sol told us about it. She said she�ll find other solutions. Nothing is going to happen to anyone."

He stood five feet ten inches tall, and had a crooked, sheepish smile on his lips, as if he were embarrassed by what he had nearly made her do because of his fears and Sailor Pluto's warning. Large, leaf-green eyes peeked out from beneath a shaggy mop of slightly wavy medium-blue hair that came down long enough to touch his collar. He was dressed in a dark-blue tuxedo, as if he had been attending some sort of formal function, though his tie and top button were un-done. He held out his arms, and she ran into them gladly, helplessly drawn to him, and totally unaware when he closed and locked the door behind her.

Even as their lips met in a feverish kiss, his name came to her mind again, but that was irrelevant at the time. All that mattered was the fact that he was there with her, holding her, and she wanted him in a way that was almost frightening to her. Granted, she had been dating, and pillowing with Martin Peterson, one of the men who lived at the Frat House, and had Bonded to him, but this was even more intense than that. The pull between her and the man who now held her tightly was so compelling that it bordered on obsession. And she found it to be irresistible.

***** *****

Not far away, in the darkened Chiba House, Akari lay wide awake in her bed, tears of pain and heart-ache spilling from her pale hazel eyes. The scratches all over her body hurt too much to allow Vincent to touch her. Then, there was the ongoing problem of her own Planet Partner, her brother Mamoru, who lived on the other side of the huge house with his wife. She still loved him, her body needing his tender touch, but it was forbidden to them now.

Earlier that night, she had thought that if she refused the powers that had been granted to her, her current troubles would vanish, but she had learned the hard way that such was not possible. Shortly after becoming Terra, she had driven to a high bluff overlooking the sea, and had thrown her henshin wand into the deep waters below, but when she returned to her car, it was sitting on the seat, waiting for her, totally dry. Several times she tried to rid herself of the purple stick, but it re-appeared every time. Finally, she had resigned herself to her fate, and returned home.

Finally, she turned away from her husband and cried herself to sleep.

***** *****

Dawn was not far away when Vincent Knight walked onto the pier near The Oyster Bar, a popular restaurant. He knew that his partner was at the end of it, and she was very depressed. He had taken a taxi to the area more than an hour ago, and had been wandering around after a sleepless night. He was aware that she was doubting herself, and he felt that she needed him desperately.

Strolling out onto the sturdy wooden structure, he soon saw her, leaning on the rail, her back to him, and it appeared that she was staring into the lightening sky to the east. He strode up to her, deliberately making noise, for he knew that she often carried more than a few rather small, but lethal blades, secreted in various places on her body. She didn't turn around, but he knew that she was aware that he was there.

"I'm stuck with it, Taiyono," she said sadly, holding up her henshin wand. "I've tried all night to throw it away, but it keeps coming back. I even tied a rock to it, but it didn't work."

"Ah thank we's all done tried t'throw our powers away, one time or t'other." he replied in his deep Southern Drawl. "But once ya've taken up with 'em, y�all cain't give 'em up. Ah don't know why, but Ah does know that it jest seems t'be so. Even Ah tried once."

"Pluto told me he had to stay separate," Aster started crying, hot tears running down her heart-shaped face. "What am I going to do now?"

"You ain�t thought about him bein� bonded to Neptune" Vincent moved forward and wrapped his strong arms around her. �He cain�t stay separate from the rest of us.� The fragrance of sandalwood and jasmine filled his senses, and he nuzzled into her luxurious golden hair.

"You are goin' home, crawlin' inta a hot bath, then layin' in a sunbeam an' gettin' some shuteye. You is gonna need yer strength fer yer reg'ler appoin'ment t'night."

"You have a one track mind, Vincent." she finally turned in his arms, and pillowed her head on his chest. "But I love you anyway, partner."

" Ah'm gonna have a talk with that boy." he vowed, wanting nothing more than to tear the man apart for what he'd done to her. "He needs a good lesson, an' Ah'm jest the one t'teach it to 'im."

"Leave it be, Vincent." she said firmly. "I won't have someone else fight my battles. Besides, you�re right about Neptune. She�s at my place right now, sleeping with Haruka. I have her, and I have Sean. I'll be just fine."

"Ah'll jest keep an eye on ya then." he replied softly, as he began to lead her back to her red Ferrari that was parked near the beginning of the pier. "Ah gots a right t'do that, don't Ah? Well, A'm fixin' t'do that fer as long as ya'll let me. Now, let's go home."

TBC
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Diamohns are Forever