And thus begins the 'first season' repost of Suiseiki, book one of
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Crystal.
Two more reposts will follow during the week, covering chapters 4
through 10. After that, the 'season finale', chapter 11, will be
posted.
Author's notes:
This takes place in the anime continuity of Sailormoon.
There is a great deal of sappy, WAFF material in this story, as well
as some mild lemon content. There's also some very dark material.
There are some viewpoints expressed in this fanfic which are not
neccessarily my own, nor are they neccessarily accurate opinions of
international affairs. They are included to set the stage for this
*fantasy* story (always keep in mind that you *are* reading a work of
fantasy fanfiction, lest you get swept up in overanalysis), and to
allow for an exploration into one of the characters.
I'd like to mention some authors to whom I owe thanks for inspiring
this through the Sailormoon fiction they have written:
-John Biles and Jeff Hosmer, "Sailormoon Z"
-Chris Davies, "Celebration"
-Ken Wolfe, "Secrets"
-Doug Helm and "Tuxedo" Will, "Tales of Younger" series
And I'd also like to thank my illustrious prereading team:
-Douglas Helm, the chief prereader for this project, whose comments
and advice have been a crucial part of the development of this thing.
-The beta prereaders, Christopher "God-Boy" Angel, Andrew Huang, and
Flashman, for all their wonderful feedback on the beta drafts of each
chapter.
As always, all comments and criticisms are welcome. MSTs, pop-up
reviews, or whatever the hell are also welcome. Flames are
discouraged, and will not be taken lightly.
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon property of Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha,
Toei.
Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Crystal
Book One
-Suiseiki-
PRELUDE: Kawagaze wa tsubasa ni noru...
Chapter One
Students milled through the gates of Namanai-gakuen, the steady hum
of multiple conversations filling the crisp, clean afternoon air.
Well, as clean as air got in the Minato ward of Tokyo, at any rate.
An almost nondescript girl, save for her unusual auburn hair, walked
through the gates, and to the curb of the avenue. At almost the
precise second her toes touched the edge of the sidewalk, a dark blue
Dodge Neon coupe pulled smoothly up to her. The driver, a
chestnut-haired boy with deep, dark eyes, barely visible behind
sepia-tinted sunglasses, leaned out and smiled at her. "Konnichiwa,
Naru-chan," he said.
Osaka Naru smiled, ruffling the boy's hair affectionately.
"Guri-chan," she said. "Right on time, as always." She handed him her
bookbag before stepping around to the passenger side of the remodeled
import car. "How was your day?" she asked.
Umino Gurio grinned. "Aced six pre-final exams. Got my scores back
on the last batch of entrance exams, too."
"Perfect as usual?" Naru said, giggling.
Umino smirked. "Not quite...not enough to beat Mizuno-san's
percentage, I'm sure." At Naru's sudden wistful expression, Umino
sighed. "Gomen, Naru-chan..."
Naru shook her head. "No, it's alright." She smiled. "So, are we
going out for a parfait? Or," she added, giving him a coy look, "do
we just head straight home?" She leaned against him, batting her
eyelashes.
Umino turned red. "Naru-chan, people are watching," he hissed,
eliciting a giggle from the girl. "Actually, we need to at least stop
in first. Mom said she was going to call sometime today..."
Naru nodded. "Yeah, and my mom's probably gonna call to yell at me
again about not finding a female roommate." She smirked. "It's just
her way of trying to encourage us to pick a date," she groused. Umino
chuckled, and drove away from the school.
*****
"It was sure nice of Osaka-san to...oops!"
An interesting scene unfolded in the living room of the Tsukino
household. The door had just opened, admitting a beautiful young
woman with long, elaborate golden pigtails and a lithe, graceful
figure, as well as a tall, thin man with short, dark hair. The girl
was blushing a light pink, and giggling softly, due to the spectacle
taking place inside.
On the couch...on opposite ends of the couch, to be precise, and
possibly attempting to hide *behind* the couch, sat two blushing
young teens. One was a slight, messy-haired boy. The other was a
delicate-looking girl with shoulder-length dark hair and deep violet
eyes. Her too-long legs were folder under her haphazardly, and her
face was approximately the color of a ripe tomato from her blush. The
boy had all but jumped behind the couch, and was divided between
trying to hide and glaring at the people in the doorway.
"Jeez, Usagi, give us some warning, willya?" the boy said.
"Gomen, Shingo-kun," Tsukino Usagi said, slipping off her shoes and
procuring a set of slippers. A mischevious twinkle entered her eyes
as she said, "You two weren't doing anything Mom would yell at you
for, would you?"
"No, of course not!" Shingo protested. The girl on the opposite end
of the couch continued to blush meekly.
"Aww, too bad," Usagi said. "Why weren't you?" At the shocked stares
that comment received, she lost it completely and broke down
laughing. The man standing behind her just groaned and made a great
show of placing his palm to his forehead.
Shingo, for his part, glared at his older sister. "You're a real
comedian, Usagi," he growled. "Mamoru, you *sure* you want to marry
this odango-brain?"
Mamoru sighed dramatically. "I suppose," he said airily. "We all
have to make sacrifices..." This earned him a stomped foot and a
glare from his fiancee. He grimaced, then chuckled. "I'm just
kidding, Usako."
"Hmph," Usagi said. "Just for that, don't expect me to come over to
your place for a few days," she huffed. The two teens on the couch
giggled, overcoming their embarrassment at being walked in on.
Finally, Shingo stood, offering a hand to his girlfriend. "Let's go
upstairs where we can get some privacy," he suggested.
"Oh no you don't," Usagi said. "If you're gonna do *that*, at least
have the decency to go to a motel or something."
"U-SA-GI!!" Shingo growled, blushing almost as fiercely as his lady
friend. "Don't be so vulgar! C'mon, Hotaru-chan, let's get out of
this nuthouse and find something better to do." With no further ado,
Shingo and Hotaru slipped on their shoes and left.
As the door closed, Mamoru chuckled. "Hotaru and Shingo...I'd never
have seen that coming in a thousand years."
Usagi giggled. "It surprised me, too. I always assumed Shingo and
Mika would still be together. They are an awfully cute couple,
though," she added.
Mamoru nodded. "Well, you'd better hurry and change if we're going
to make it there anytime soon," he said.
Usagi gasped. "Ack! I'll be right back," she said, zooming upstairs.
*****
Three women sat in a coffee shop overlooking a bustling street in
the heart of Tokyo. One of them was reading a newspaper. She smirked.
"The Americans really did it."
Another of the women snorted. "Took 'em long enough. What is it, two
years...?"
"Right, something like that. I wonder if they'll get the job done
this time?"
"All we can do is wait and see."
"And hope that the nutcase down there doesn't have any nasty
surprises up his sleeve..."
*****
The doorbell rang. "Guri-chan! Could you get that?"
"Hai!" Umino walked across the main room of their modest two-bedroom
apartment, and answered the door. "Konnichiwa!" he said, then gasped.
"No way!"
The two people standing in the doorway blinked, and glanced from
him, to each other, and back again. "Anou...I think we got the wrong
place by mistake," the pigtailed blond began.
"Usagi-san? Mamoru-san?"
This caused the pair at the door to blink again. "Umino-kun?" Usagi
asked. "Is that you?"
"Hai!" Umino said, grinning broadly.
"You've changed," Mamoru observed.
"Yeah, you look great. What happened to--?"
"My glasses?" Umino asked, chuckling. "They make contacts that work
for me now. But enough about me, look at you two! Usagi, you look
fabulous."
Usagi blushed. "Thank you, Umino-kun. Anou...where's--?"
A door closed in the back of the apartment. "Who was out there,
Guri-chan?"
"Naru-chan! We've got visitors!" Umino said. "You'll never guess
who!"
Naru appeared, and immediately rushed to the door upon seeing Usagi
and Mamoru standing there. "Usagi!" she said excitedly, throwing her
arms around her old friend. "What a surprise...we sure weren't
expecting to see you!"
Usagi returned her friend's hug fiercely. "It's been a long time,
Naru-chan," she said. "How have you been?"
"Great!" Naru said. "How about you? Oh, please come in and get
comfortable."
The group moved away from the door, taking a moment to catch up. "So
what brings you by?" Naru asked. "I didn't even know you knew where
to find us," she added with the barest hint of accusation.
Usagi flushed. "Gomen nasai, Naru-chan...I'd have been by before
now, but things have been so busy..."
Naru nodded. "I know, I can understand. School, life, romance..."
she smiled gently, but there was a hint of strain behind it.
"Well, your mom gave us the address when we were at her store,
picking out..." Usagi colored deeply, and choked on the words.
"Wedding rings," Mamoru supplied with a sheepish smile.
Naru's eyes widened. "You two are--?" They nodded. "When?"
"June 30," Usagi said, smiling. "That's why we came by, to drop off
your invitations. That is, if you want to come..." she trailed off.
"Are you kidding? Of course we want to come!" Naru exclaimed,
hugging her friend. "Oh, I'm so happy for you!"
Mamoru produced two invitations on wedding stationery and handed
them to Naru and Umino. "We decided to drop by and give them to you
in person instead of mailing them," Usagi said, in a somewhat
embarrassed tone, "to make up for all the time I haven't kept in
touch."
Naru smiled, sniffling and wiping away a tear. "That's just like
you, Usagi," she said.
"So, are you going with a Shinto ceremony or a Western ceremony?"
Umino asked.
"Actually, we decided to go with a combination of the two," Mamoru
said. "It was Rei's idea."
"She barely talked her grandfather into it," Usagi added, giggling.
"We're going to have the wedding at Hikawa Shrine."
"Should be interesting," Naru said.
Umino stood. "Why don't I get us all something to drink?" he
offered. "We've got lots of catching up to do."
*****
"It's going to be a lovely wedding."
"Yes. And they've chosen the perfect day for it."
"Yes, her birthday...and the same day her mother was married. Just
like the prophecy says..."
*****
Shingo and Hotaru sat in one of their favorite hangouts, a trendy
little indoor sweet shop. Shingo was slurping away at a milkshake,
while Hotaru daintily ate the second biggest banana split her
boyfriend had ever seen. "I thought only Usagi and Chibi-Usa could
put that much away," he commented.
Hotaru giggled. "I guess I picked up some bad habits from
Chibi-Usa-chan," she said.
Across the room, the proprietor kept a television. It was currently
tuned in to a cable news channel. /In international news, the
hostilities between Iraq and the United States of America have
escalated into a full-scale military conflict. US troops continue to
battle inland into Iraq, while a corps of Iraqi military engineers in
Baghdad are apparently attempting to erect a barricade around the
city to impede the Americans' advance. As yet, no other UN countries
have entered the conflict, but the UN Security Council remains on
alert. We will have more coverage of the conflict in the Middle East
after this./
Hotaru sighed. "I suppose it had to happen sooner or later."
Shingo nodded. "Yeah. Let's just be thankful that they found those
weapons when they did."
Hotaru held her spoon in her mouth for a moment, furrowing her brow
thoughtfully. "I hope they can put an end to this once and for all.
Nobody with such little regard for human life should have control
over the power to destroy everyone."
Shingo watched Hotaru, frowning inwardly. *She's really worked up
over this,* he thought. *Like there's a heavy weight she's carrying
around.* He leaned forward. "Hotaru-chan?" he asked quietly. "What's
wrong?"
Hotaru blinked, then pulled her spoon out of her mouth and giggled.
"Nothing, just thinking. I guess I'm being a little silly."
*No, you're really worried about this. I gotta figure out how to get
your mind off it.* Shingo smiled. "Well, what do you want to do after
this?"
Hotaru shrugged. "There's a revival of 'Air/My Pure Heart for Yours'
at the OmniPlex. I missed it the first time around."
"Even though you've seen it on DVD a couple hundred times?" Shingo
teased. "Honestly, Hotaru-chan, I don't see how you can stand to
watch something that depressing over and over again..."
"So you don't want to go?" Hotaru mock-pouted.
Shingo smiled. "Sounds like fun," he said.
*****
"Do you remember the prophecy?"
"Yes. The time is close at hand."
"Will it really happen?"
"We won't know until it does."
"And then what?"
"All hell breaks loose, probably."
"In the meantime...Hotaru-chan has been very happy lately."
"It's her new boyfriend. She doesn't worry about things as much
lately, since she's started seeing him."
"That's good. She doesn't need to worry about the world's problems."
"Not yet, anyway," Meiou Setsuna said, gazing at nothing in
particular. Her companions read the newspaper and drank their coffee
in heavy silence.
*****
As they chatted about the last few years, Usagi began to get the
feeling that Naru was upset. Umino had apparently sensed it too.
"Mamoru-san," he said, "Neither one of us has much time left as
bachelors. We should go out and make the most of it." He smiled
amicably, but Usagi noticed the worry in his eyes as he glanced
briefly at his fiancee.
Mamoru nodded. "Alright by me, if the girls don't object."
Naru smiled. "Go on, have a good time. We have some girl talk to
catch up on, anyway."
As the two men left, with much boisterous laughter and loud
proclamations of plans to get shitfaced, Naru stopped smiling. By the
time the door closed, she had fixed Usagi with a painful,
tear-filled, and somewhat angry gaze. "Why?" she whispered hoarsely.
Usagi grimaced; she had been afraid this might happen. "Why haven't
I kept in touch?" she asked gently.
"It's not just that," Naru said bitterly. "You shut me out of your
life a long time ago, Usagi."
Usagi sighed. "Naru-chan...I'm sorry I hurt you. Believe me, I never
intended to shut you out..." She swallowed a lump in her throat. "You
have to understand how hectic things were in those days...and after
you left, things got even more hectic..."
Naru frowned. "I know how it was, Usagi, with schoolwork and all,
but you had time for your other friends..." she paused. "Don't
misunderstand...I like the others, I really do. I always have. I just
don't get it...why did you have time for them, and not for me?"
Usagi sighed, bowing her head. "It's complicated, Naru-chan..."
"I tried calling," Naru said, wiping her eyes. "For the last few
years, I tried to call you dozens of times. At all hours. You were
never there." She favored Usagi with a cold, hard stare. "On Sundays,
you weren't there. After school, you weren't there. During break, you
weren't there. I even called late at night a couple times. You were
never there. I know..." she sniffled. "I know you're busy with your
friends, and Mamoru, but..." She recovered from her sniffles, and
laughed bitterly. "I know about your parties at Rei's temple. How
come nobody ever invited me? And have you been sleeping through
school, keeping those kinds of hours?"
Usagi winced, Naru's accusations cutting her to the quick, piercing
her heart like a burning stave. She struggled to find the words, even
as tears began to spill from her expressive blue eyes.
"All I want to know, Usagi...is why. Please, tell me why. That's all
I ask of you."
Usagi swallowed, trying to find her resolve. She didn't want things
to be this way with Naru, and she knew that it was her fault, even if
not her choice. Finally, she made her decision, and wiped the tears
from her eyes, looking up into those of her long-time best friend.
"Naru-chan," she said softly, "there is a reason, believe me. I never
wanted to hurt you the way I did, but things...things got very
complicated."
Naru folded her arms. "What things, Usagi?"
Usagi grimaced, knowing what she was going to have to do. She
reached into her handbag, withdrawing an ornate brooch. "Please
understand," she said, as she held the brooch before her. "And...you
have to promise that you can't tell anyone about what I'm going to
show you."
Naru's eyes widened. "That...I recognize that..."
Usagi held the brooch tightly, and in a whisper that somehow filled
the apartment like a sonic boom, intoned, "Moon Eternal Make-Up."
Naru's eyes widened as Usagi disappeared in a veritable hailstorm of
feathers, only to be replaced an instant later by Eternal Sailor
Moon. "U-Usagi?" she asked.
Sailor Moon nodded. "Hai, Naru-chan, it's me."
Naru blinked repeatedly, her face registering shock. "You...you're
really...Sailor Moon?"
"That's right, Naru-chan."
"I--I had suspected, but..." Naru slowly regained her composure.
"Who else knows? Does Mamoru know?"
Sailor Moon nodded. "Hai...Mamoru knows."
"What about your friends? Rei, Ami, Minako, Makoto?"
"They know," the sailor-fuku clad Senshi said.
Naru scowled. "You could tell them, and not me?"
Sailor Moon grimaced. "Naru-chan...do you remember when I met the
other girls? When you met them? I was already Sailor Moon..."
Naru frowned, and after a moment her eyes widened in comprehension.
"I see...they're the other Senshi, aren't they?" Sailor Moon nodded.
"So...those parties at Rei's temple..."
"Sailor Senshi meetings."
Naru was speechless for a moment, still in shock from the
revelation. "That explains a lot of things," she said.
"Naru-chan...please understand," Sailor Moon said. "The reason...the
reason I became distant..." She swallowed. "How many times were you
attacked by one monster or another, back in Juuban? I...I was
afraid," she said, her voice breaking slightly, "I thought that being
around me was causing you to be targeted. I...I was afraid that, that
one day...a day might come when you were attacked, and I wouldn't be
able to stop the monster in time to save you. I couldn't...couldn't
bear the thought of losing my oldest and best friend like that."
Naru stared at Sailor Moon for a long time, before breaking out in
tears and flinging herself at the warrior, arms open wide.
"Usagi-chan..." she said. "I...I wish I'd known...I'm so sorry for
all the bad things I thought..."
Sailor Moon hugged her friend. "It's alright, Naru-chan...I'm sorry
too, for a lot of things."
Naru backed out of the hug. "But...why couldn't you have just told
me?"
The Sailor Senshi sighed. "It wasn't that easy. What do you think
would happen if someone found out by accident who I really was?" Naru
thought about that for a moment. "A lot of people I care about could
get hurt if the wrong people knew about me," Sailor Moon continued.
Naru nodded. "I...I understand now," she said. Then she smirked.
"You're still not off the hook for not calling me, though," she
admonished.
Sailor Moon giggled, and reversed her transformation. By the time
Mamoru and Umino came back, almost totally plastered, the two girls
had made up for most of the lost time and hard feelings between them.
*****
Shingo decided to walk Hotaru home from the OmniPlex. They held
hands, making idle conversation, laughing, and enjoying each others'
company.
"I really like being with you, Hotaru-chan," Shingo said. "You're a
really special girl."
Hotaru blushed, and leaned against Shingo. "You're very sweet,
Shingo-kun. Arigatou." She gave him a peck on the cheek, causing him
to blush cherry red.
"Well, looky what we have here, boys," a voice said from behind
them.
"Lookit the little lovebirds," another voice mocked. The young
couple looked around, to find themselves surrounded on three sides by
tough-looking hoodlums, all probably around sixteen or seventeen. The
fourth side held no escape from the gang...only a dead-end alleyway.
"Hey little boy," a third sneered. "Beat it and leave the girl, and
we won't hurtcha."
Shingo scowled. "Get lost, jerk!"
The punks howled with laughter. "Oooh, the little fucker's tough!
C'mon, little fucker," the first boy said. "We like to fight before
we have our fun. Maybe we'll letcha live, if you're lucky."
"You leave us alone!" Hotaru said. This only elicited more laughter
from the street toughs. Their apparent leader stepped closer, and
took Hotaru by the chin.
"I wouldn't talk so smart, koneko-chan," he said condescendingly.
"Just be a good little girl, and we won't hurt you too much. We just
want to have a little fun."
Hotaru spat at the punk. He wiped the spittle off his face and
scowled, slapping her. "Bitch!" he roared.
Shingo growled, and leapt for the older boy's throat. "Leave her
alone, you asshole!" he yelled. The leader smirked, and punched
Shingo in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. For good measure, he
kicked him, sending him sprawling backwards into the mouth of the
alley.
"Shingo!" Hotaru cried, rushing to him. She dragged him partway into
the alley, looking at him with concern. "Are you alright?"
"Leave...Hotaru-chan...alone...bastard," Shingo coughed. The punks
closed in, roaring with laughter.
"Okay little girlie, it's your turn," the leader said.
"Ho...ta...ru..." Shingo gasped, still trying to regain his breath.
"...run...don't let...them...hurt you."
"I won't leave you!" Hotaru cried.
The punks were close now. "Then your boyfriend can watch while we
enjoy ourselves, can't he?" one of them taunted.
*They want to rape me,* Hotaru realized, terror filling her. She
looked down at Shingo, who was completely defenseless and badly hurt.
*Shingo-kun...I can't let them hurt you...but...* Indecisiveness
tortured her for what seemed like eons, as the gang drew slowly
closer. Finally, she made up her mind. *I know I shouldn't...but I
have to protect Shingo-kun. And myself!* A determined scowl fell upon
Hotaru's face as she summoned her henshin wand from pocketspace.
"Oooh, look," the leader taunted. "She's already gettin' out a toy
to play with," The other boys laughed.
Hotaru raised the wand above her head. "Saturn Planet
Power...Make-Up!"
The punks stopped laughing.
Shingo, his breath recovered, lay on the pavement, staring in
wide-eyed shock at the spot where his girlfriend had stood only an
instant before.
That space was now occupied by an extremely pissed-off Sailor
Saturn. The Silence Glaive appeared in her hand, and she pointed it
menacingly at the gang of street toughs. "If I were you, I'd leave
now," she said.
"Fuck! A Sailor Senshi!" One of the boys shouted before turning tail
and running.
"Fuck this, man. I don't wanna die!" called the second, taking off.
That left only the leader.
"You should follow their example," Saturn said. "The sailor-suited
Soldier of Silence, Sailor Saturn, does not show mercy to those who
would do harm to the innocent." *Good grief, how does Usagi keep a
straight face when she says stuff like that?*
"I ain't afraid of no chick in a skirt with a toy spear," the leader
said, advancing into the alleyway.
Saturn shrugged. "Death Ribbon Revolution!" The ribbons of shadow
ripped away from the Silence Glaive. The would-be rapist stood
transfixed, like a deer in the headlights. The punk was dimly aware
that he had just performed his last act on Earth; or rather, his
bowels had done so for him. The boy screamed as the dark strands of
energy tore through his body. It was over in seconds. All that
remained of the punk was a few bits of scrap from his jacket and a
wisp of smoke.
Saturn sighed, shook her head sadly, and knelt over Shingo, leaning
against the Glaive.
Shingo was still staring at her in shock. "H...Hotaru...?"
Saturn smiled down at him. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Y--you're...you're a...Sailor...S-Senshi..." Shingo gasped.
"Hai," Saturn said, "but let's just keep that a secret, okay?"
"H--hai," Shingo said, before fainting dead away.
Banishing the Glaive, Saturn picked him up, grunting from the
strain, and took to the rooftops.
*****
Hino Rei calmly meditated before her fire. She enjoyed the activity
when things were calm and relatively peaceful, as they were now...for
her and her fellow Senshi, at any rate. When there was no urgency to
the task of reading the visions in the fire, Rei simply let the
all-seeing flame fill her mind and soul for sometimes hours on end.
On a whim, Rei decided to ask the fire to show a vision of Usagi's
wedding. The difficulty of clarifying the vision troubled her for a
moment. When the vision did come, finally, Rei snapped out of her
trance, shock and panic consuming her.
"So you have seen what is to come," a chillingly calm voice said
from behind her.
Rei spun to see Sailor Pluto standing a meter away, Time Staff in
hand. "Pluto...what does this vision mean...?"
"You will understand when the time comes," the enigmatic guardian of
time said. She narrowed her eyes. "You must, in no way, attempt to
intervene or otherwise prevent what you have seen from occuring. It
*must* occur, Sailor Mars." With that, Pluto vanished.
Rei's mind whirled.
*****
Sailor Saturn dropped to ground level about a half kilometer away
from the Tsukino residence, using some bushes for cover. She laid
Shingo upon the ground, and he groaned. His eyes opened, and he
gasped. "Sailor..."
"Shhh," Saturn said, placing a finger over the stunned boy's lips.
"You're hurt, Shingo-kun. Hold on while I heal you." With that,
Saturn reversed her transformation, and sat down beside the injured
boy.
"Hotaru...it-it wasn't a dream..."
Hotaru shook her head. "No, it wasn't a dream. Now hold still." She
placed her hands upon Shingo, directing her healing energies through
his body. After a few moments, Shingo sat up groggily. As he did so,
he gave Hotaru a sharp glance which caused her to wilt slightly.
"You killed that punk," Shingo accused.
Hotaru bowed her head. "Hai," she answered. "I-it couldn't be
avoided," she whispered. Her eyes glistened with fresh tears.
"There...there was no other way," she said. "He would've have hurt
both of us...maybe killed us. I had to do it."
"But...did you have to kill him? Couldn't you...y'know, stun him or
something?" Shingo asked.
Hotaru shook her head. "My powers...the powers of Saturn...they're
different from the other Senshi. They don't leave room for mercy once
they're used." Tears spilled down her cheeks. "That's why
they...that's why I'm called the Soldier of Silence...the...the
senshi of death..." she began weeping. Shingo pulled her into a hug.
"Shhh...it's alright, Hotaru-chan...you did the only thing you
could..." He helped her to stand, and smiled softly. "It's not your
fault...people like that don't deserve any mercy, anyway." His eyes
betrayed his words; Hotaru could tell that he was deeply disturbed by
what had happened.
She smiled, however, and hugged Shingo. "Remember," she said, "you
mustn't tell anyone about me."
Shingo nodded. "I promise," he said. Then he gave her an odd smile.
"You know something, though?"
"What?" she asked.
"You look really great in that fuku."
Hotaru blushed. "Shingo-kun!" Both teens giggled. "Come on, we need
to get home before somebody worries about us."
Shingo smacked his forehead. "Argh! We're nowhere near your place! I
meant to walk you home!"
Hotaru giggled. "Don't worry about it, Shingo-kun. I'll just call
home, and they'll come pick me up."
Shingo contemplated that, then groaned. "You mean, we could have
avoided all this mess in the first place?"
Hotaru grew a sweatdrop. "Uhhh...hai, I guess so."
Shingo grimaced. "Wonderful."
"Ummm, gomen?" Hotaru offered. Shingo mock-growled and tackled her,
tickling her mercilessly. Hotaru giggled in helpless delight.
"Come on, you," Shingo said after finally letting her up. "Let's go
home."
Chapter Two
It had used up almost all of its energy, but some impulse drove it
onward.
Soon, it would be where it needed to be, and it could do what it
needed to do.
All it needed was more energy, enough to regain its strength, enough
to restore its power. Yes, energy. Lots of energy. Human energy.
A small Ainu tribe ritual in Hokkaido was interrupted by the excited
shrieking of one among their number, a young woman whose sister was
about to give birth. "It's time! The baby has arrived!" she shouted
excitedly. The closer family members shot up and ran into the small
hut where the new mother lay, with the midwife encouraging the new
infant to hurry forth into the world.
The baby was half-born when it coughed up a mouthful of fluid and
began shrieking. The mother's constant screams of pain took on a new,
horrifying pitch. Both mother and child screamed as though something
was ripping the life from their bodies.
In seconds, before the rest of the tribe could even determine the
cause of the situation, it was too late. The mother and the
partially-born infant were both dead.
As the dead woman's sister collapsed in a sobbing heap, and the rest
of the tribe moved in to pray to the gods and comfort the girl, a
flicker of darkness, a shadow which should not have existed, flitted
from the shack, completely undetected by the small Ainu tribe.
It is the energy of new life, something told the shade. A bright,
glowing energy more powerful than ten healthy young humans, and far
easier to take. With this knowledge firmly planted in its formless,
intangible consciousness, the shade continued southward, towards the
largest of the group of islands known as Japan.
*****
"Do you see her shining light? Even from this great distance, she
fills the darkness with her essence."
"You miss her terribly."
"Yes, I do. But my place is here, and hers is there."
"So you simply content yourself to stare out into the darkness,
wistfully?"
"I suppose I'm being silly, ne?"
"No...it's important to hold onto your dreams and romance.
Someone...close to me once told me that."
"Do you think...?"
"We'll ever meet her again? In life, many things are possible."
"But until then, it is the dreams in our hearts that will sustain
us, right?"
"Well said."
*****
The dress shop was a flurry of activity, young women and colored
fabric flying in all directions.
"This is too much...are you sure we can afford all this?" asked a
tall girl with a chestnut ponytail.
"Hey, Setsuna's picking up the tab for the dresses, remember?"
remarked a beautiful blonde who was admiring a rack of exquisite
evening gowns across the room.
"What's up with that, anyway?" the first girl asked. "I mean, it's
not like her to do something so...generous."
"I agree with Mako-chan," chimed in a slight blue-haired girl from
amid a rack of accessories. "It seems completely out of character for
her. Don't you think so, Rei-chan?"
Rei was sitting on a stool, trying on a pair of red leather pumps.
"Hmm? I don't know. I'm sure she has...some reason," she commented
absently.
"Hey, Rei-chan, you alright?" Kino Makoto asked. "You've been kinda
distracted lately."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little worn down from all the excitement, I
guess," Rei said, smiling at her friends.
"Well, I say don't look at a gift horse's teeth through the looking
glass," the blonde said, eliciting a groan from the other occupants
of the room.
Rei stood up, walked over to Minako, and rapped her knuckles against
the blonde's head. "I don't think anyone's home," she said. Minako
glared at her and made a rude gesture.
"Maybe you're right, Minako-chan...I think," the blue-haired girl
commented. "I mean, we all want to look our best for Usagi and
Mamoru's wedding. We should just be grateful to Setsuna-san and don't
worry about it."
That matter settled, more or less, the girls continued poring over
the wares of the dress shop, picking out dresses and accessories to
try on.
*****
On the other side of Juuban, a spectacle that could only be
described as comical was taking place in a men's formal wear shop.
"Anou...this is a rather unusual measurement," the sales clerk said
as she held her measuring tape across the chest of a young man with
sandy blond hair.
The young man smirked, raising an eyebrow. "Is it now?" he said
dryly.
The woman nodded, checking her measurement again. "Yes...I just
don't get it, I must be doing something wrong. A man with your build
shouldn't..."
From a bench near the entrance to the shop, Chiba Mamoru snickered.
"Haruka, stop teasing this poor girl."
The blond grinned. "Oh, okay. Spoilsport." She leaned in and
whispered something to the salesclerk, whose eyes widened. "Oh...I
see," she said, looking relieved. "Well then, that explains it.
Now...are you sure you want a tuxedo?"
"Positive," Haruka said, smirking.
"Okay...then let me finish taking your measurements, and we'll take
a look at colors."
The door to one of the dressing rooms opened, and Umino stepped out,
dressed to the nines in a handsome classic black tuxedo. "Well?" he
asked, turning for the group to get a good look.
"Oh, very nice," the clerk said. The others nodded agreement.
The other dressing room opened, and an embarrassed-looking Shingo
shuffled out, blushing furiously. He wore a slightly-too-large
tuxedo, with a white cummerbund and bowtie. "Hmm...needs to be
altered," the clerk said, "but otherwise, it looks just fine."
"How do guys stand to wear this kinda stuff?" Shingo groused.
Mamoru chuckled. "You'll get used to it," he said. Haruka snickered
as though at some private joke.
"What about you, Mamoru-san?" Umino asked. "Are you going to try one
on?"
Mamoru shook his head. "I've already been fitted. I'm having mine
special made." He grinned. "After all, I have to be the best-looking
guy there, ne?"
*****
/And in other news today, three more mysterious pregnancy deaths
have been reported. The first two reports came from the south shore
of Hokkaido, while the third report came out of a hospital in
northern Honshu. This most recent report has hospitals,
obstetricians, and expectant mothers all over Japan alarmed, as it is
now apparent that whatever is causing the mysterious deaths is
spreading. So far, a total of ten cases of death during birth have
been reported, all but one from Hokkaido, and all on a line that
seems to be stretching south by southwest, towards Tokyo./
Shingo switched off the television. "That's really weird," he
commented absently.
"What is?" Usagi asked from behind him.
"All those pregnant women and their babies dying in labor," Shingo
said. "They had three more, and the last one wasn't on Hokkaido."
"How terrible," Usagi said. "I wonder what's causing it?"
"Nobody knows," Shingo said, turning to face his sister. "It really
sucks, though."
"Yeah. So, how did the fittings go yesterday?" Usagi asked, deciding
a change of topic was in order.
Shingo smirked. "I really don't see how guys can look so calm
wearing that junk." Usagi giggled.
"You wouldn't think it's so bad if you saw the dress I'm wearing,"
she said. "It's gonna take me an hour to get into it, at least."
"Yeah, well..." he trailed off, staring at Usagi. The older girl
blinked, then frowned.
"What? Have I got something stuck in my teeth or something?" Usagi
asked.
Shingo shook his head as though to clear it. "No," he said,
"just...I dunno. For a moment I thought--"
"Thought what?"
Shingo waved the question off. "Nah, forget it. Just a trick of the
light."
Usagi gave her brother a puzzled glance, before heading upstairs.
As she left, Shingo briefly glanced at the spot where she'd been
standing. *Baka,* he chided himself. *It's just that incident with
Hotaru the other day. Your mind is playing tricks on you.* "Yeah,
just my imagination," he said quietly to nobody in particular, before
heading to the kitchen to grab a snack.
What his imagination had suggested continued to distract him all
day.
*****
Umino walked into the apartment, and received a surprise.
"Welcome home, Guri-chan!" Naru said. She twirled, showing off the
dress she wore. "What do you think?" Her dress was a simple yet
elegant cut, made of a shimmering pearl-colored fabric.
"Oh, you're beautiful, Naru-chan," Umino breathed. "I sure hope
Usagi has one special wedding gown, because you're likely to steal
the spotlight in that."
Naru giggled. "Silly," she said. "Besides, from what I hear, the
other girls are going to put me to shame."
Umino nodded. "Yeah...you know, I wonder where they're getting the
money for all the dresses and suits and everything. I mean, it's all
a bit much, don't you think?"
Naru shrugged. "Usagi has some rich friends. One of them decided to
pay for all the dresses and stuff."
Umino shook his head. "It must be nice to have that kind of money to
play around with."
"Well," Naru said, "I'm going to get out of this dress."
"Can I watch?" Umino said lecherously.
Naru blushed, then favored him with an impish wink and grin. "If you
*really* want to," she said. "If you're lucky, maybe you can even
help me take it off..."
Umino grinned and followed her into the bedroom.
*****
Usagi shuddered and gasped in pleasure, her back arching almost
acrobatically, then collapsed back onto the bed. "Oh, Mamo-chan," she
whispered huskily.
Mamoru collapsed beside her, snaking an arm under her head and
cradling her. "I love you, Usako," he said breathlessly.
Usagi rolled over to face him, and kissed him. They kissed for a
long moment, holding each other. Mamoru's free hand caressed Usagi's
thigh, up to her hip, and slowly all over. "Mmmm..." Usagi said, then
giggled as her lover's hand touched a particularly sensitive spot.
They lay like that for a long moment, then Usagi looked deeply into
Mamoru's eyes. "Mamo-chan...there's something I need to tell you,"
she said, smiling.
"Oh? What's that?" he asked, as he played with her long pigtails.
"Remember the last time we did this?" she asked. Mamoru nodded.
"Well, guess what..."
Mamoru froze, and looked into Usagi's happy, beautiful face.
"Usako...what is it?" he asked quietly.
There was a long pause, during which Usagi giggled for a moment,
before saying, "You're going to be a daddy."
Mamoru bolted upright. "Say what!?"
Usagi sat up slowly, not bothering to hold the sheet against her
nude body, and wrapped her arms around her fiance. "I'm pregnant,"
she said.
"Usako..." Mamoru breathed, his eyes wide. "You're...really...?"
Usagi nodded. Mamoru felt a strange mixture of excitement, happiness,
and fear. "I...I don't know what to say..."
"Well, whatever you say, don't say it to my parents," Usagi said. "I
won't start showing until at least a month after the
wedding...there's no need for them to know when we did the deed."
Mamoru blinked at her logic, but quickly forgot about it as she
leaned against him, rubbing her chest against his. "I love you," she
said.
Mamoru slowly grinned, and wrapped his arms around Usagi. "I love
you too, my odango-atama," he said. After a long moment, the two
lovers lay back down, and drifted off to sleep.
*****
"Argh! This stupid stuff is driving me crazy!" Shingo picked up his
algebra book and tossed it across the room.
Hotaru blinked. "Shingo-kun...does that run in your family?"
Shingo looked confused for a moment, then blushed, and put his hand
behind his head, laughing nervously. "Uhh...I hope not," he said. "I
don't wanna end up like my sister the dumpling-brain."
Hotaru giggled. "I tell you what, Shingo-kun..." she said, walking
over and kneeling behind her boyfriend. "Just take a break for a
little bit, and then I'll help you figure it out, okay?" She began to
rub his shoulders.
Shingo smiled. "Aaaahhhh...thanks, Hotaru-chan." He noticed the
newspaper Hotaru had been reading. "Anything interesting in the news
today?"
Hotaru's mood dropped, and she sighed. "The war in the Middle East
is getting worse." She looked depressed again, the way she'd been
that day in the ice cream shop.
"Hotaru-chan," Shingo commented, "I know the war has everyone
nervous, but it seems to bother you especially."
Hotaru smiled sadly. "And you'd like to know why, right?"
Shingo shrugged. "Well, yeah, if you feel like talking about it..."
Hotaru sighed. "You remember what I said about the powers I wield as
Saturn?" Shingo nodded, barely supressing a shudder. "Well, there's
more to it than that."
"How so?"
Hotaru was silent for a moment. "Shingo-kun, I'm the most powerful
of the Sailor Senshi."
Shingo's eyes widened. "No way! More powerful than Sailor Moon?"
Hotaru giggled. "Hai, more powerful than Sailor Moon. You see, my
powers...well, let's put it this way. When I emerged a while back,
some of the other Senshi didn't want me to live long enough to become
Saturn."
Shingo gasped. "What!? Why?"
"The Saturn powers exist only to destroy, to bring Silence." She
looked down, wringing her hands in her lap. "I have the power to
Silence this entire world."
Shingo paled, his eyes wide as saucers. "Silence the world...you
mean kill everyone on Earth?"
"Every person, every creature, every plant, and the lifeforce of the
planet itself," Hotaru said quietly.
Shingo trembled. "But...but why?"
Saturn shook her head. "I don't understand it completely myself. All
I know is that there are times when all things must cease, and that
is why Sailor Saturn was created."
The room was quiet for a long time. Then, Shingo softly said,
"That's why this war upsets you. You're afraid that you'll have
to...to Silence..." his voice failed him.
Hotaru nodded. "Hai." She swallowed heavily. "All the countries
fighting each other have access to weapons that could destroy all
life on Earth. If someone starts a nuclear war, we're all dead...but
it would be a very slow, and very painful death. It would take weeks
for the radiation to kill everything, and all the people who weren't
near enough ground zero to die instantly would suffer terribly." She
paused. "If those weapons are used, I will use my power, to Silence
the world before the suffering begins. It will be swift and merciful.
There will be very little pain before it's over."
Shingo felt like he could faint at any moment, hearing such ominous
things from the girl he was falling in love with. He moved over to
her side, and hugged her tightly. "It won't come to that,
Hotaru-chan," he said. "I just know it won't."
Hotaru broke down in tears, clinging tightly to Shingo, burying her
face in his chest. "You must...you must think I'm terrible now..."
Shingo shook his head fiercely. "No, Hotaru-chan...it's alright. I
understand."
"You couldn't..." Hotaru sobbed. "I...I think I should go..."
Shingo held her tighter, refusing to let her go.
"Hotaru-chan...don't go. Please." He tilted her chin up, and stared
into her violet eyes. "Don't go away...I care about you too much to
let you go."
"You...you mean it?" she asked, her lower lip quivering.
Shingo smiled. "I mean it, Hotaru-chan." He stroked her hair
affectionately. A sudden impulse seized him, and before he could
think about what he was doing, he pulled Hotaru close and kissed her
lips.
Hotaru's eyes widened as Shingo kissed her. The surprise fled
quickly, and she closed her eyes, kissing him back.
Neither of the two teens noticed the pair of cats sitting outside
Shingo's window.
"They're really getting along well," Artemis noted.
Luna nodded, her surprise evident. "I have to admit I never expected
to see this."
Artemis shrugged. "Hotaru could do a lot worse." They watched in
silence for a moment longer.
"If they don't come up for air soon, I'm going to scratch on the
window," Luna said. Artemis snickered.
*****
The shade exited the hospital the same way it entered, unnoticed,
freshly charged with the life energy of a human birth. With each
feeding, it began to regain its consciousness piece by piece.
Instinct no longer drove it to absorb energy. It now absorbed energy
to remember, to recreate its identity. It did not know what it was,
but it knew that it had been defeated, reduced to this wisp of its
former essence, in a mighty battle.
It sensed power...a lot of it, in this area. If it could seize that
power, it would be complete again...unstoppable...
*****
The two teens sat facing each other, blushing terribly.
"Um," Shingo said.
"Um," Hotaru replied.
There was a long silence, during which the young couple fidgeted
nervously, not daring to look at one another.
Finally, Shingo found words. "I'm, uh...I mean...was that okay with
you?"
Hotaru nodded. "Yeah...it was nice." She smiled.
There was another silence as they each contemplated a possible
change of subject. At length, Shingo remembered something. "Oh yeah,
Hotaru-chan...I wanted to ask you a question."
Hotaru looked up. "Hm?"
"I feel kinda silly asking this, but..." He paused. "A couple days
ago, I noticed something...I dunno, maybe it was just my imagination,
but...for a moment, I thought my sister looked like--"
Chapter Three
"There it goes! Don't let it get away!"
"Will you shut up already?"
"Oh great...it went down into the sewers."
Luna and Artemis stood to either side of a wide storm drain near
Crown Game Center. "Too bad...it looked like a great mouse," Luna
said. She glared at Artemis. "I'd have caught it if you weren't busy
jabbering."
Artemis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah...big de--" He instantly
clammed up. "Did you--?"
Luna shook herself. "I think so. What should we do about it?"
Artemis shrugged. "It's not very powerful. It's probably something
residual."
Luna nodded. "Still, I think we should keep an eye on it until we
know for sure." She paused. "We don't need to tell the Senshi about
it right now. It's not worth spoiling the good mood they're in."
Artemis peered down the storm drain. "Yeah, you're probably right.
Well, we won't get any more hunting done standing around here." The
two cats hopped up onto the sidewalk and padded away in search of
fresh game.
*****
The mouse slowed down as it realized that the two cats were no
longer pursuing it.
Up ahead, along the concrete bank of the sewer, something shiny
grabbed the rodent's attention. It scampered in to take a closer
look.
As soon as it got close enough to the object to touch it, the mouse
began to feel weak. Its body began to wither, and in seconds, nothing
was left of the unfortunate rodent but a thoroughly rotted corpse.
The shiny, crystalline object glittered a little more brightly,
while at the same time managing to absorb what little light existed
in the sewers. Surrounding it on all sizes were dessicated insect,
rodent, and lizard corpses.
*****
The Inner Senshi, minus Usagi, were busily preparing Hikawa Shrine
for the upcoming wedding. Rei's grandfather was busily coordinating
with a Catholic minister from a local cathedral, planning out the
flow of the unusual ceremony, and leaving the girls free to chat.
"You seem preoccupied, Ami-chan," Makoto commented. "Is something on
your mind?"
Ami paused, as though debating whether or not to talk about it.
Finally, she said, "you remember what Usagi told us the other day,"
Ami said. The others nodded. It had come as a bit of a surprise to
them that Usagi was pregnant, even knowing as they did how...active
she and Mamoru were. "Well, I looked at my old calendar from last
year...Chibi-Usa-chan's birthday is the same as Usagi's, right?"
Rei nodded. "Hai, June 30."
Ami furrowed her brow. "That's what I thought...do you realize what
that means about Usagi's baby?"
The others puzzled over that for a minute, then Makoto gasped.
"She's pregnant...but it's not Chibi-Usa?"
Ami nodded. "I don't see any way it could be Chibi-Usa. The baby
will be born months before next June."
Rei rubbed her chin. "Well, it's not like we know for certain
Chibi-Usa is Usagi's only child. I mean, she could have had lots of
children before Chibi-Usa's time, right?"
"Yeah, I mean, the way they go at it," Minako added, winking. The
others giggled.
Ami blushed. "Minako-chan! But, you're right...it just startled me,
that's all."
*****
"I feel like a sausage in this thing," Shingo groused.
"You look great though," Umino assured him. "Don't worry, you'll get
used to it." He leaned closer and whispered, "Besides, just think of
what Hotaru-chan's going to say when she sees it."
Shingo snorted. "She'll probably say 'Oh Shingo-kun, you look like a
penguin'..."
"Oh, Shingo-kun, you look like a penguin!" Shingo jumped. Behind
him, a feminine voice giggled lightly. "Actually, you look really
handsome," she continued.
Shingo turned around to face Hotaru...and gaped. He'd always thought
Hotaru was cute, even beautiful, but...no words could describe the
vision before him now.
Hotaru wore a knee-length, low-cut gown of deepest purple crushed
velvet. The skirt was not too tight, but not very loose either, and
swished fluidly around her thighs as she moved. A large bow made of
the same material as the dress graced the back of the waist. The
shoulders of the dress ended in pale orchid, silken puffs, and her
arms were covered by elbow-length, lavender satin gloves. Beneath the
dress she wore tights matching her gloves in color, and her long legs
disappeared into a pair of elegant violet high heels. For the
crowning touch, she wore a silver chain from which a pendant hung.
The pendant, worn just below her neck, was a beautiful, multi-pointed
crystal star. A light touch of makeup and crystal star earrings
completed the vision of loveliness that was currently the only thing
in Shingo's world.
"Hotaru-chan..." Shingo said softly. "So beautiful..."
Hotaru blushed. "You look very handsome, Shingo-kun," she said
meekly. Umino quietly excused himself to seek out Naru.
Shingo continued to gape at Hotaru. She giggled and asked, "Are you
alright, Shingo-kun?"
Shingo shook himself, and smiled. "Just wondering how I could be so
lucky, to be escorting someone so beautiful."
Hotaru blushed, and offered Shingo her arm. "Come on, we need to get
into position," she said. Wordlessly, Shingo took her arm, and
together they walked into the ceremony room.
*****
The ceremony room was packed with friends and family of the bride
and groom. Most of the guests were seated, while Usagi's parents
wandered around checking on various things, as did Rei and her
grandfather. The Catholic priest was reviewing the ceremony, which
was pretty unusual, even if he'd seen far more unconventional wedding
rituals in his time. He had to admit, though, that this would be an
interesting ceremony, especially if it went off without a hitch.
One thing that had surprised everyone was the decision of the bride
and groom not to select a maid of honor or a best man. Instead,
Usagi's friends and their escorts were to stand in a loose circle
around the couple as the ceremony was performed, four on either side,
as though standing guard over the soon-to-be-newlyweds.
Unlike a traditional ceremony, the priest himself would not be
standing before the couple, and they would not be facing him or
Hino-san, only each other. He would officiate the exchange of vows
and rings from Mamoru's side, while the elderly Shinto priest would
stand on Usagi's side with the ceremonial sake bowls. And for the
final touch, the young couple had written their own vows, which
nobody had seen or heard yet. Usagi and Mamoru were keeping the vows
a tight secret.
Yes, this was definitely going to be one of the more interesting
weddings he'd ever officiated.
*****
Only a few of the 'bridesmaids' were already in place. Rei was still
making some last-minute rounds, Minako and Makoto were helping Usagi
with her dress, and Hotaru had gone to retrieve her escort.
Michiru smiled approvingly as she looked at the dresses some of the
others had chosen. They had all agreed that it was only appropriate
to select dresses in the colors of their Senshi fukus. Hers was a
striking, off-the-shoulder dark aquamarine dress, a modest diamond of
cleavage formed by the crossed straps which overlapped each other in
front, and clasped behind her neck. A dark blue satin sash hung low
around her waist, separating the ankle-length skirt from the rest of
the dress. She also wore a pair of dark blue heels with
criss-crossing straps and wrist-length aquamarine gloves with dark
blue trim, and a round jade brooch pinned to the straps of the dress
topped off her outfit.
Of course, she amended to herself as she admired her escort, not all
of the Senshi had elected to choose color-coded dresses. Haruka stood
beside her, decked out in a dark blue tuxedo with a white dress shirt
and a yellow tie and cummerbund. The crossdressed Senshi grinned as
she looked out over the assembled crowd, towards the side entrance to
the ceremony room. "I think we have competition," she commented aside
to Michiru, gesturing.
Michiru giggled softly as Hotaru and Shingo emerged into the
ceremony room, and moved to stand in Hotaru's designated place.
Hotaru smiled and waved at her adopted family, who grinned back at
her. "You look great, Hotaru-chan," Michiru said. "You too, Shingo."
Shingo blushed, and Hotaru giggled. "You two look fabulous as
always," Hotaru said.
"Of course we do," Haruka replied, tossing her head arrogantly, then
chuckling.
"Are they always like that?" Shingo whispered to Hotaru. The
dark-haired girl nodded.
*****
Rei smoothed the pleats of her wide crimson skirt as she made one
more round of the room. Surprisingly, she had chosen the most plain
dress of all the Senshi. A simple cut, with simple accessories,
accented by a purple silk rose in her hair and, interestingly enough,
a pair of red star earrings matching those she wore as Sailor Mars
exactly. Ami still swore that Rei must have found some way to take
the earrings off as Mars and keep them around when she changed back.
By contrast, Minako had looked as though she was going to fall out
of her dress at any moment. There was no doubt that she wanted to
show off as much as Usagi would let her get away with, as she wore a
strapless, low-cut dress with a tight, clinging skirt. Then there was
Ami...for some reason, she had chosen a blue, body-hugging Chinese
number. It definitely flattered her. Makoto had opted for a
traditional ballroom gown, with all the classic accessories.
Setsuna's outfit had baffled the others. They expected her to come
wearing the most extravagant dress short of the bride's, but instead,
she had mixed and matched two of her usual, expensive business suits.
She wore a white silk blouse and jacket, a black skirt, dark nylons,
and black high heels. Aside from her usual garnet earrings, she wore
no special adornments or accents.
Rei briefly wondered what Usagi's dress was going to look like.
Aside from Minako and Makoto, who were helping her get dressed, and
Setsuna, who had been with her when the thing was ordered, nobody
else had seen it.
She continued her last round of the room. Three large tapestries had
been hung at the back of the room. One featured a beautiful young
woman with a familiar hairstyle. A brilliant crescent moon shone upon
her brow, but the rest of her face was cast in shadow. The second
tapestry portrayed a picturesque palace with sparkling fountains and
wide marble columns. The third tapestry was simply the full moon,
with a caricature of the milling rabbit situated over the actual
location where one might observe the tsuki no usagi. Rei chuckled;
she could only begin to guess what the wedding guests would think of
the first two tapestries.
Her rounds complete, Rei took her assigned position, and waited.
Mamoru made his entrance, walking up to the center of the room,
where the ceremony was to take place. His outfit drew numerous gasps,
and many whispered comments. Even those who had been expecting it
were blinking.
The groom wore a white tuxedo which someone seemed to have taken a
bit of purple dye to, resulting in a powdered lavender color. It
should have seemed odd, but instead, it suited him quite well. Adding
to the effect was the metallic-looking silver dress shirt beneath,
which shimmered in the light as he walked. White silk ruffles had
been added to the shirt, accentuating the unusual garment and somehow
making it all the more dashing. His cummerbund and bowtie were pure
white, as were the dress shoes he wore.
Hino-san made his way to the area of the ceremony. The priest looked
over Mamoru's outfit, and smirked.
Kenji walked over, and placed a hand on Mamoru's shoulder.
"Nervous?" he asked.
Mamoru smiled and nodded. "You bet," he said.
Kenji grinned. "I sympathize." He paused, frowning slightly.
"That's...quite an outfit," he commented.
Mamoru shrugged. "You know how it is when you get inspired to go
with something."
Kenji nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I see Minako and Makoto coming out
of the dressing room now, so Usagi must be ready." He gave Mamoru a
serious look. "You're going to take good care of my daughter, right?"
"Hai, of course. I love her with all my heart," Mamoru said.
Kenji smiled. "Then I don't have any more reservations about giving
her away today." With that, he stepped off to the side, taking the
traditional waiting position of the father of the bride.
Minako and Makoto walked up the aisle, and it was clear that
something had startled them. Makoto leaned over Ikuko as she reached
the front of the guest seats. "Usagi's ready for you," she said.
Ikuko nodded and swiftly made her way back to accompany her daughter
down the aisle.
The final two bridesmaids took their positions. Rei quickly glanced
around to make sure everyone was in the right place. On the side
where Usagi was to be during the ceremony, Naru and Umino stood to
the back, next to Makoto (who stood with Motoki, neither having
another escort), with Rei herself next, and Setsuna in front. Haruka
and Michiru stood at the back of the groom's side, with Ami in front
of them, and Minako in front of her. Hotaru and Shingo stood at the
front, completing the circle of 'bodyguards'. Yuuichirou silently
slipped into place beside Rei, and she smiled at him. Ami, Minako,
and Setsuna seemed to be the only ones lacking escorts. That
assessment was quickly amended as a white-haired gentleman in a light
grey tuxedo stepped over to Setsuna and took her hand.
*Tomoe-sensei?* Rei wondered. *He's the last person I'd expect to see
here...*
Rei leaned over and whispered to Makoto. "Ne, you seemed a little
shocked at something. What's wrong?"
Makoto shook her head, and whispered to Rei, "You'll see..."
Someone nudged Rei from behind. "Rei-san," said the organist, "It's
time..." She handed Rei a microphone.
Makoto raised an eyebrow. "What's that all about?"
Rei smiled. "Usagi asked me to sing something before she comes down
the aisle." She glanced at the bride's entrance to the room, and saw
a familiar pair of odango peeking up above the crowd. The face
beneath the hair was still shadowed, and Rei knew that Usagi wouldn't
make her grand entrance until the song was finished. She nodded to
the organist, who sat down behind an expensive-looking synthesizer,
and powered it up. She began to play a slow, romantic piano piece
which was all-too-familiar to the Inner Senshi. The music reminded
them all of a time long past, when their destiny was just beginning
to become clear to them, and when Usagi would mourn the loss of her
newfound love to the soft tune of a beautiful locket...
The cue came, and Rei began to sing softly, slowly:
Gomen ne sunao ja nakute,
Yume no naka nara ieru
Shikou kairo wa shotto sunzen,
Ima sugu aitai yo
Nakitaku naru you-na moonlight,
Denwa mou dekinai midnight,
Datte junjou dou shiyou,
Haato wa mangekyou.
Tsuki no hikari ni michibikare
Nandomo meguri-au
Seiza no matataki kazoe
Uranau koi no yukue,
Onaji kuni ni umareta no?
Mirakuru romansu...
The guests sat transfixed as Rei continued onward to the second
verse. When she finished singing, everyone applauded, and Rei handed
the microphone back to the organist, who set it aside, and began
playing the wedding march.
The wedding party waited anxiously as they watched the familiar
odango bobbing above the screens set up behind the last row of seats.
After what seemed like an eternity, Usagi and her mother stepped into
view at the end of the aisle. Most of the Senshi gasped. Had Rei not
been transfixed by what she saw, she might have noticed that across
the room, Michiru and Haruka almost kneeled.
"Serenity," Hotaru gasped.
Behind her, Minako shook her head, and whispered, "No, it's actually
Usagi. No crescent moon, see?"
Usagi's wedding dress was a near-perfect duplicate of the dress she
had worn every time the Senshi had seen her transform into her
ancient self, Princess Serenity. There were a few modifications,
however. She had added a thin silver belt above her skirt, which was
fastened with a heart-shaped silver buckle. The base of the heart was
adorned with a golden crescent moon. She also wore barrettes laden
with small white flower petals...or were they tiny feathers?...in her
hair, right in front of the ever-present odango.
The most notable change, however, was the brooch situated in her
lowered cleavage. Four interlocking silver crescent moons stood guard
around a large, shining crystal.
The Ginzuishou.
*****
The entire assembly watched, mesmerized, as Usagi gracefully walked
down the aisle alongside her mother, the clicks of their heels and
the soft strains of the wedding march the only sounds in the room.
Kenji and Mamoru both openly gaped at the beautiful angel walking
down the aisle towards them.
An eternity passed, and Usagi stood at the center of the room with
her husband-to-be, facing him, smiling, her blue eyes twinkling.
Mamoru was stunned speechless. Hino-san spoke a few prayers, and
carefully filled the first sake bowl, handing it to the bride. She
took a delicate sip, and offered the bowl to Mamoru. Recovering his
wits somewhat, he took the bowl, and sipped from it. When Usagi
received the bowl back from him, she noted with amusement that he had
drained half the bowl in one sip. She took the final sip from the
bowl, and handed it back to the Shinto priest.
"Dearly beloved," the other priest began, "we are gathered here
today in this place of worship, in the presence of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ," he paused briefly here, "and the kami, to join this
young couple in the bonds of holy matrimony.
"Marriage is a sacred union, not to be entered into lightly, nor to
be forsaken. I therefore ask that if any present should have just
cause that these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold
your peace."
The priest gave the assemblage exactly fifteen seconds, during which
time Hino-san passed the second of the three sake bowls to the bride
and groom. Once they finished with it, he began again. "Who is
present to give Tsukino Usagi away?"
Kenji stepped forward. "Her father, Tsukino Kenji. I give my
daughter's hand to this man, Chiba Mamoru."
The priest nodded, and Kenji sat down beside his wife. "Usagi and
Mamoru have written their own vows, and will now exchange them."
Mamoru took Usagi's hands in his. "Tsukino Usagi, my love for you
knows no bounds in depth or in time. I give myself to you, as your
husband, and promise to never forsake you. I pledge my mind, body,
and soul to you for all time; no matter what the future may bring, I
will stand by your side, rejoice in your happiness, comfort you in
your sorrow, and attend you in times of illness, under the blessing
of God, the protection of the Earth, and the watchful gaze of the
moon, till the day I die, and beyond."
Usagi's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she spoke her vows.
"Chiba Mamoru, my love for you knows no bounds in depth or in time. I
give myself to you, as your wife, and promise to never forsake you. I
pledge my mind, body, and soul to you for all time; no matter what
the future may bring, I will stand by your side, rejoice in your
happiness, comfort you in your sorrow, and attend you in times of
illness, under the blessing of God, the protection of the Earth, and
the watchful gaze of the moon, till the day I die, and beyond."
Hino-san passed the final sake bowl into Usagi's hands, and the
ritual sharing of the sake was carried out one final time. The old
Shinto priest said a few more prayers, and stepped back, head bowed.
"The rings, please?" the priest said. Hotaru and Shingo stepped
forth, handing the respective rings to the bride and groom, and
returned to their positions. "Mamoru, place the ring upon Usagi's
finger, and repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed."
Mamoru held the silver ring nervously. The crescent-moon setting
held a small, intricately faceted diamond, a small replica of the
crystal resting upon Usagi's chest. With trembling hands, he slipped
the ring onto Usagi's finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," he said.
"Usagi, place the ring upon Mamoru's finger, and repeat after me:
with this ring, I thee wed."
The ring Usagi placed on Mamoru's finger was a simple silver band,
engraved with three intertwined roses. A diamond chip was set into
the bud of each rose. "With this ring, I thee wed."
"By the power vested in me by God and by the kami," the priest said,
this time so caught up in the ceremony that the mention of Shinto
deities didn't faze him, "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may
kiss the bride."
Usagi practically fell into Mamoru's arms, and the crowd applauded
as they kissed.
It was at that moment that an impossible soft breeze began to fill
the temple. The guests murmured, and the ring of Senshi looked around
somewhat nervously.
Usagi took one step away from Mamoru, the breeze stirring her long
pigtails. The newlyweds gazed deeply into one another's eyes,
something deep and beyond understanding passing between them. Then,
Usagi took Mamoru's hand in hers, and both turned to face the
assembled guests. Everyone in the crowd gasped as a brilliant golden
crescent moon flared upon her brow. The breeze was now stirring
Mamoru's hair, as well as that of the Sailor Senshi. One by one, the
sigils upon their foreheads began to flare brightly.
Usagi tilted her head back, closing her eyes. Several of the guests
fainted as a pair of huge, feathery white wings burst from her
shoulderblades, spreading out behind her. The rising wind picked up
some of the loose down from her wings and tossed it about.
By this point, Usagi's parents were becoming hysterical, and Ikuko
was on the verge of fainting. Shingo looked nervously at Hotaru,
whose forehead was now glowing with the violet sigil of Saturn.
"Wh--what's goin' on?" he asked her.
"I don't know," Hotaru answered absently.
Motes of light danced around Mamoru, and formed into three new
accessories: a white cape flowing from his shoulders, a white mask
over his eyes, and a sheathed saber hanging at his side.
The Ginzuishou flared upon Usagi's...now Serenity's...chest, and she
rose from the ground, a pillar of soft white light flowing around
her. Behind them, the eight Senshi spontaneously transformed. No
henshin wands, no transformation phrases. Just a blinding flash of
light, and there they stood. Recovering from the initial shock, the
Sailor Senshi quickly assessed the situation, and in pairs began
dropping to one knee, heads bowed. Pluto had summoned her staff, and
Saturn held the Silence Glaive. Both Senshi held their respective
weapons still as flagposts. Shingo edged nervously away from Saturn,
but didn't move too far. Tomoe simply stood behind Pluto, seemingly
more curious than afraid. Yuuichirou, on the other hand, had fainted.
Motoki simply seemed shocked, while Naru filled Umino in on the
secret of the Sailor Senshi.
*****
"Look...! Her shine has become stronger!"
"Yes...it seems Sailor Moon has become her true self, Serenity."
"Absolutely beautiful...the brilliant shine..."
*****
The brilliant light flaring from the Ginzuishou spread outward from
Serenity's body, bathing the temple in its radiance. Everywhere the
light touched, the building itself seemed to be changing. Some of the
guests had fled in panic by this point, while Ikuko had fainted, and
Kenji had gone into shock. The Catholic priest was crossing himself,
and Hino-san alternated between staring at Sailor Mars, and chanting
a litany of prayers.
Wood, tatami, and ricepaper began changing into pure, brilliant
crystal around them. Wherever the light of the Ginzuishou spread, the
temple became smooth and beautiful, reflecting the dazzling light
show a million times from a million angles.
*****
On the street facing Hikawa Shrine, people stopped and stared as
columns and rays of light erupted from the hilltop temple. "What is
it?" one bystander asked. "What's going on up there?" murmured
another, as a small knot of people fled down the steps of the shrine,
screaming bloody murder.
As a crowd slowly gathered on the street, people forgetting their
destinations and tasks to stare in awe, wonder, and fear at the
impressive light show, the steps leading up to the shrine began to
glow, and within seconds, seemed to have become encased in ice, or
glass. As bizarre as this was, it paled in comparison to what
happened next.
The column of light erupting into the sky began to taper, and
solidify. It stayed that way for near a full minute.
When the light finally died down, a spire of crystal, easily visible
from the street below, rose into the sky from what used to be the
main temple of Hikawa Shrine.
Two cats who had elected (or rather, had been elected) to miss the
ceremony shared a glance, and dashed up the crystal steps to the
strange new building.
*****
The blinding light finally died down, and Serenity's feet touched
the smooth, glassy floor. The Sailor Senshi still knelt in a circle
around the recently-married couple. Shingo had taken a cue from
Saturn, and was kneeling, although he had absolutely no idea why.
Naru and Umino had also decided to kneel, as had Tomoe.
Serenity let her wings drop slightly as she landed, and smiled over
at her husband. Endymion returned the smile, and squeezed his wife's
hand.
Ikuko had recovered, and was staring at her daughter...or was this
her daughter? She wasn't sure of anything anymore. "U...Usagi?"
Serenity smiled, and shook her head slightly. "Yes, and no, mother,"
she said in a gentle voice unlike her normal tones.
Kenji stepped forward. "What...what's going on here?"
Serenity opened her mouth as if to speak, but was cut off by Pluto.
"All kneel before and hail Their Majesties, Neo-Queen Serenity and
King Endymion." Usagi's parents found themselves on their knees
before they consciously registered what they were doing.
Serenity smiled brilliantly. "You may rise," she said.
Kenji and Ikuko fell blissfully unconscious.
"I think that went well," Endymion commented.