Disclaimer:  Sailor Moon and all of her fellow cast 
members are created by Naoko Takeuchi and owned by 
Kodansha Publishing, TOEI Animation, and a plethora of 
other corporations.  I use these characters only in the 
most illegal sense possible.  Please don't sue me - I 
have no money to give you anyway!

**********************

"Akai Moment"
  	
by Kotetsu

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Timeframe:  Sometime, anytime, after the end of Sailor 
Stars.

Rating:  PG-13 or R, depending upon your tastes.

WARNING!  This is a non-explicit shoujo-ai fic.  It is a 
romantic moment between two women who are in love.  If 
this content offends you, please do not read any further.

Style: Experimental.  I know that real people would never 
talk or think like this.  I just wanted to play with the 
language a little bit, that's all.

Feedback, onegai?  Kotetsu@bishoujosenshi.com

Shameless plug!  Visit 
http://www.angelfire.com/in3/starlight

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	She was white marble, alabaster skin, garnet eyes 
shimmering above a warm smile that gave her solid flesh 
warmth and life.  Her hair cascaded over her bare 
shoulders like a waterfall of blood; her lips were ruby-
red, too, and full and soft and erotic in their shapes 
and curves.  Her body twisted and danced with shadow and 
light, hiding her secrets and her colors.  She blushed, 
and she blanched.  Her fingers danced and her arms 
embraced.  Her breath came in warm gasps and throat 
curved creamy-white and her collarbone heaved.  She shook 
and she shivered and she trembled.  And she feared.

	"Princess . . ."

	She pushed her lover's hands away.  And laughed, 
bitterly.  "I don't even know what you should call me, 
anymore.  Nothing makes sense."  She was warm all over, 
lightly sheathed in sweat, and throbbing in places that 
she was suddenly afraid to think about.

	The lover demurred, but still rested her hands on 
the princess's kneecap.  "What doesn't make sense?"

	"I'm scared."  She fluttered her eyelashes, brought 
her finger to her lips, and paused, contemplating, 
frowning.  "This is wrong.  This breaks all the rules."

	"We've broken rules before."

	"I'm not supposed to love you."

	"I love you.  Do you love me?"

	She didn't answer, but seemed to shrink, to withdraw 
into herself, without actually moving a muscle.  "I 
thought that I was stronger than this.  That I wouldn't 
be scared.  I'm so sorry . . . I didn't think that I 
would be scared."

	"Why are you scared?"  There was hurt in her voice.  
The princess winced.

	The princess then raised her eyelashes, fixing her 
ruby irises on her lover, sitting across the bed from 
her, waiting patiently, resting her hand on her knee.  
She was wild and tough and fierce, a blazing shooting 
star, a Fighter, and an uncontrollable one at that.  Wiry 
muscles bunched underneath her tanned skin, and loops and 
whorls of unruly raven hair framed her handsome face.  
She was unpredictable.  She could break the heart of a 
princess, in an eyeblink.  She had already broken the 
heart of a princess.

	The princess brought her hand to her chest and 
rested it on her pounding heart.  She could still feel 
the blood thumping through her skin, warming and arousing 
her senses.  "After all the hurt, you can still do this 
to me.  What if you hurt me again?"

	"I promised you.  I won't ever hurt you again.  You 
have to trust me."

	The princess was silent, waiting, receptive.  

	Sensing her mood, the Fighter drew her hand back 
from the princess's kneecap.  She felt the familiar 
defensiveness creeping back into her consciousness, but 
fought it, keeping her voice humble and soothing.  "You 
were my strength, and my shelter and my support, my 
marble pillar that could never be broken or destroyed.  
You were so beautiful and strong.  I had nothing without 
you.  I panicked.  I was alone, and I was facing a 
terrible enemy . . . The other two tried to help, but 
they had their own demons.  I could sense it.  We were 
treading water.  Like I said, I panicked.  And I missed 
you, simple as that.  She was . . . She was my Odango 
Atama, a Princess, a Lady, and a pillar of strength.  But 
not just for me - for everyone.  She touched everyone in 
that way, she pulled together the pieces when they fell 
apart, she brought rebirth from death, she was salvation 
and savior.  Just like you.  Like you are to us."

	The princess grew cold.  "She's not like me.  You 
were attracted to her for a different reason.  She was 
bright and sunny and cheerful and playful.  She was a 
kitten, you played with her as if you were a ball of 
string."

	The lover shook her head.  "No, please.  Not now.  
Not when I'm nude and in front of you.  Do you enjoy 
seeing me vulnerable?!"

	The princess laughed, the warmth returning to her 
cheeks and lips.  "See?  That's what I mean.  You're more 
similar to her than you are to me.  You're a joker and a 
laugher, a dancer in the dark.  I can't do that.  I can't 
be like that."

	"That's because you're strong.  You're the pillar, 
not me.  I laugh because that's how I cope.  That's how I 
fight the Darkness.  You can actually push it back away 
from you; me, I just laugh at it.  Because I'm scared.  
I'm not always strong enough to fight it."

	"Do you have any idea what we're getting ourselves 
into?" the princess asked.  Her voice was soft, a feather 
that floated across the bed and caressed the cheek of her 
lover.

	"I know.  I've given it years of thought.  I know."  
She brought out her hand again, this time resting it on 
the shoulder of the princess.  "I love you," she 
breathed.

	"I love you too," the princess answered without 
hesitation, shifting and moving herself forward to meet 
her lover.  There was an embrace, a kiss, teeth and lips 
and tongue nibbling and flicking and exploring, silent 
fireworks in the quiet bedroom.

	"Seiya . . . "  The princess sighed her lover's 
name, a song in her throat.

	"Kakyuu?"

	"Hmm, yes.  Just call me that."

	Suddenly, everything made sense again. 



 
		- The End - 

		12/20/00