It's time for my bi-annual revisions and updates to one of my longest works
to date, Sailormoon Crystal. Since it's been a while since I posted any of
this to the FFML, I figured I'd start at the top...yes, my friends, summer
is rerun season even in fanfic land...

Since book one is currently under minor revisions, updated versions are not
yet available at my website. Since the revisions are fairly minor, however,
please feel free to read what's available at the Lurkerdrome
(www.lurkerdrome.com) if you like. I'll post Part One tomorrow.








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.
Please note that in the interest of promoting story over accuracy, matters
pertaining to real-world politics were minimally researched, and certain
inaccuracies are to be expected. Courteous readers will suspend disbelief in
regards to these matters. :)
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
As always, all comments and criticisms are welcome. Flames will be laughed
at and summarily ignored.


Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon property of Takeuchi Naoko, Kodansha, Toei.
Supplemental material drawn from copyrighted sources is property of the
respective owners.


The Eternal Lost Lurker (lurker@lurkerdrome.com) presents:

                 Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon Crystal
                              Book One:
                              Ascension


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PRELUDE:  And the Earth joined the Moon, and the heavens rejoiced...
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                 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 toward the street. At almost the precise second her toes
touched the curb, 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, removing 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 scandalized 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.


       *****


Two women sat in a coffee shop overlooking a bustling street in the heart of
Tokyo. One of them was reading a newspaper. She frowned. "The sea is
troubled...there's a storm on the horizon."

"It's not our problem," her companion said airily, sipping her coffee. "Our
concerns don't involve politics."

"Mmm. Still, it's troublesome."


       *****

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 blonde 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. "I got corrective surgery last summer.
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..."


       *****


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. The reporter was droning on about the hostilities
in the Middle East, ages-old conflicts which seemed to be coming to a head
in recent months. One side had just discovered a hidden stockpile of nuclear
armaments the other side wasn't supposed to have, and a major controversy
had arisen from it.

Hotaru sighed. "Nuclear weapons...it's such a horrible thing..."

Shingo nodded. "Yeah...how dumb do you have to be to even think about using
that kind of thing?"

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.


       *****

"You're late."

"Only fashionably so."

"Mmm."

"So, is anything interesting going on?"

"Just discussing politics and the wedding."

"Ah yes, the wedding. 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."

The odango-haired girl 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..."

"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?"

"Things..." Usagi swallowed. "Things I can't tell you about. I'm sorry,
Naru-chan. There are things I can't tell anyone about..."

The auburn-haired girl stood angrily. "So that's it, then." Tears burned
their way down her cheeks. "I always thought you were my friend, Usagi. I'm
beginning to see you never cared about our friendship, if you can't even
tell me why you ended it."

Usagi moved to place her hands on the other girl's shoulders. "Gomen nasai,
Naru-chan...I really do wish I could tell you...everything. I always wanted
to tell you, but I couldn't. I just...I couldn't!" she cried, dropping to
her knees and weeping.

Naru looked down at her one-time best friend frostily, eyes full of
bitterness. "Why not, Usagi? We were best friends. We told each other
everything. *Everything*. What kind of secret could you have kept from your
best friend?"

Tears streamed down the blonde's face. "Naru, you have to understand.
This...this is something I can't even tell my parents. It's the kind of
secret..." Her breath caught in her throat. "It's just the kind of secret
you don't want the people you love to get caught up in if you can help it."

Naru was silent for a long moment. Finally, she knelt down beside Usagi, and
fixed her with a pleading, searching gaze. "Usagi...whatever it is, I'll
understand. But..." She felt her throat tighten. "You hurt me, Usagi. By
keeping this secret which drove us apart, you hurt me more than you can
imagine. If I ever meant anything to you...tell me why you abandoned me."

Usagi grimaced, knowing what she was going to have to do. She reached into
her handbag, withdrawing an ornate brooch. "Please...I hope you'll
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."

The auburn-haired girl nodded. "I owe you that, at least."

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..." Naru slowly regained her composure. "Who else knows? Does Mamoru
know?"

Sailor Moon nodded. "Hai...Mamoru knows."

"What about those other girls? Rei, Ami, Minako, Makoto?" The Sailor
Senshi's silence was enough of an answer. Naru scowled. "You could tell
them, and not me?"

Sailor Moon sighed. "Naru-chan...do you remember when I met the other girls?
When you met them?"

Naru frowned. "Vaguely."

The senshi turned to look out the window. "It wasn't very long after I
became Sailor Moon."

After a moment, Naru's 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 dearest
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 intend 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! The bitch is a fuckin' 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. Leave in peace, or surrender your life to the Silence!" *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 narrowed her eyes. "Only oblivion holds a place for a fool with a
tainted heart. Death Ribbon Revolution." Wispy strands 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 ribbons 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 what 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...large amounts 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. Mother and child 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 them 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 smallish, 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 not 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 handsome young fellow with
sandy blonde 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 blonde 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 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.

The fact that his imagination had just seen his sister in a sailor fuku with
ornate wings 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 asked.

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. They kissed for a long moment, holding each
other. Mamoru's free hand caressed Usagi's thigh, up to her hip, and slowly
roamed 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, grinning.
"Well, guess what..."

Mamoru blinked, 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..." She trailed off,
and a somewhat muted expression crossed her face.

"What's wrong?" Mamoru asked.

"Oh...I'm just thinking," Usagi replied quietly. "Something on the news
scares me...about pregnant women dying in labor..."

Stroking his fiancee's hair, the dark-haired man whispered, "I'm sure
there's nothing to worry about...whatever's causing that, they'll figure it
out long before you have to worry..."

"Mmm," Usagi mumbled sleepily. Eyes half-closed, she breathed out, "I love
you, Mamo-chan..."

Mamoru smiled, 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 quiet 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..."
She trailed off, sighing. "When my powers 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 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.

Hotaru's eyes widened. The surprise fled quickly, and she closed her eyes,
leaning into the lovers' embrace and returning the kiss.


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 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 maroon 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 stockings 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 taken the earrings off as Mars and kept 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 Maboroshi no 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 in the presence of Buddha 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.




-------------------------------------------

Studio ELL: Back in Crack!
http://www.lurkerdrome.com
The Eternal Lost Lurker
lurker@lurkerdrome.com
http://www.livejournal.com/users/lurkerdrome



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