A Night to Remember
Part 1 of 2
Haruka and Michiru invite Usagi and her friends over for some quality Senshi bonding time.
This story follows a few days after 'A Day in the Life'. Rated -M-.
. . . . .
Chapter 1:
"Phone call for you, Chiba-san."
The first-year student of Tokyo University looked up from a stool where he sat taking notes after a painstakingly difficult experiment. "Arigatou, Shimane-san." Mamoru slipped his pen into the breast pocket of his white lab coat. "It's probably my fiancee asking what time I'll be home."
"Tsukino-chan?" the sophomore asked. "I don't think so. It's a girl on the line, but it doesn't sound anything like her."
Puzzled, Mamoru walked past a row of microscopes and over to his professor's office. He picked up the receiver. "Moshi moshi. Chiba Mamoru speaking."
Setsuna's voice came on the line. "Konbanwa, Mamoru-san! I do hope I'm not interrupting your work."
"Think nothing of it, Setsuna-san."
"I'm calling with an invitation" the young woman said. "On behalf of Haruka and Michiru, I'd like to welcome you, Usagi and the girls to their home on Friday night. Their fiancees are also expected to join us, of course."
"Oh? What's happening? Anything serious?"
"Nothing involving Senshi matters, Mamoru-san. Just a friendly little get-together and a relaxing casual dinner party. Haruka told me that she and Minako in particular got off to a somewhat rocky start during your stay in Hawaii. This is her way of making amends and smoothing things over. Perhaps we can all use the time to better get to know one another."
"That's very kind." Mamoru checked his watch. "It's just after eight so I can assume the girls are still doing their homework. I'll call the shrine at once to let everyone know. I'm sure they'd be delighted to attend. I know Usagi and I will be."
"Wonderful! Since drinks will be served with dinner, anyone who wishes to can stay the night. This house has more than enough room, and we certainly wouldn't want you or the girls driving home under the influence."
"Of course, Setsuna-san. I'm looking forward to it. We'll see you tomorrow."
"We'll be expecting you around six-ish. See you then."
. . . . .
"It just isn't the same without Ami here to help us" Usagi grumbled. She stared forlornly at her notebook, one of four that sat open around the textbook-laden study table inside the Hikawa Jinja. "How am I supposed to make sense of all this gibberish without her help?"
"Are you sure it's not just your horrifically bad handwriting that's the problem, Usagi-chan?" Rei peered at the scribbles in the blonde's book from her place at the end of the table. "Looks like a bunch of chicken scratches from here."
"I can read my own writing just fine, thank you anyway!" the blonde miffed. "I don't understand what I wrote, that's all."
"Do you ever? Can anyone?"
"Hush, Rei-chan! If you aren't going to help, at least let me suffer in peace!"
Across from the odangoed blonde, Aino Minako breathed a happy sigh. "Just one more day of school before the weekend is here, Mako-chan! Just think, in twenty four hours we'll be back in our honey-loves' arms again! I'm so excited, it's making me dizzy!"
"I thought that was a permanent condition for you, Minako-chan" her brunette friend teased.
"Silly! Aren't you dying to see your Yuji again?"
"Of course I am! What do you think has been keeping me going all week? But we still have one more day of classes to get through first. I'll be in a much better mood when that last bell rings tomorrow."
"Another big weekend in Nerima coming up?" Rei asked.
"Hai!" Minako nodded vigorously. "The biggest! Rei-chan, you're spoiled. You can't possibly imagine how much Mako-chan and I miss our snuggle muffins. And neither can Ami. She and her lover boy have been making the most of their week alone, coming to school together every morning with big smiles all over their faces. Making those lovey-dovey eyes at each other all day long. They're behaving just like they're already married! I'm so jealous!"
"I'm sure you and Mako-chan will more than make up for the lost time with your guys" the miko snickered.
"When I see my Taro again, I'm going to hug him and kiss him and squeeze him non-stop!" Minako giggled, "And that's only the beginning!"
"No doubt" Rei chuckled, as the shoji door on the far wall slid open.
Yuuichirou entered the room, whistling a random off-key tune as he strolled over to the girls. "That was interesting. I just took a phone call from Mamoru."
"Please tell me my Mamo-chan is on his way here!" Usagi begged the apprentice. "I need some good news today."
"Gomen, Usagi-chan. He said he'll be tied up for at least another hour or so."
"Stupid university!" She reached for a huge handful of chips to drown her sorrows. "I hate that place!"
"Minna, we've all been invited to Haruka and Michiru's home tomorrow evening" Yuuichirou announced. "For dinner and a friendly chat. Taro and Yuji are invited too, and Mamoru said anyone who wants to can stay there overnight."
"That's very nice of them" Rei smiled.
Upon hearing this, Minako scowled and slammed her pencil down. "Forget it! I know exactly what this is, Yuuichirou-chan! Just another one of Hussy Haruka's wicked schemes to steal my honey love away from me! Well, we're not falling into that sneaky trap! We're not going!"
"I thought we were done with this nonsense" Makoto grumbled. "For the last time, Minako-chan, Haruka isn't interested in Taro. Or any other guy for that matter. She's gay. Why are you having so much trouble getting that through your thick skull?"
"Gay, schmay! I don't care! I'm keeping my man in Nerima where he'll be safe and sound" the blonde vowed. "And absolutely nothing can change my mind!"
Rei sensed the challenge and leapt in. "Yuuichirou honey, doesn't Haruka own one of those really exotic and powerful sports cars? A Ferrari, I believe you told me?"
"That's right, my love" the apprentice grinned, knowing exactly what his fiancee was up to. He played along with her mind game. "I've seen it. It's one wild set of wheels."
"And didn't she offer to let Minako take it for a spin some time?"
"Hmm... Now that you mention it, I think she did, darling."
The miko watched with satisfaction as the defiant blonde's willpower began to crumble before her eyes.
"A Ferrari!" Minako uttered the name in awe. Her blue eyes took on a familiar power-crazed gleam. "Imagine how fast it is! I so want to... drive..." She abruptly shook her head. "No! I'm not giving in to temptation!" She squeezed her eyes tightly closed and furrowed her brow. "Must... keep... focused..."
Rei continued, "It's a shame Minako will be in Nerima tomorrow night. That's a lost opportunity if there ever was one."
"Can't see how she could drive it from way out there" Yuuichirou grinned. "Oh well."
The blonde cupped her hands over her ears. "I'm not listening! La la la!"
"I know!" Rei exclaimed. "Since Minako obviously isn't interested in fast cars, I'll ask Haruka if I can take her place at the wheel. I bet it'll be so much fun."
"The opportunity of a lifetime" her young man agreed.
Makoto whispered to Usagi, "And I'll bet you a soda that Minako is going to change her mind in the next five seconds."
"I don't think so, Mako-chan" Usagi whispered back doubtfully. "She's awfully determined not to let Haruka anywhere near her-"
"Minna, I just changed my mind!" Minako blurted. "My Taro-love and I will attend this get-together thingy after all!"
"Told you, Usagi-chan" the brunette snickered. "She's very predictable. And you owe me a soda."
Rei laughed, "Are you certain, Minako-chan? A minute ago you wanted absolutely no part in this."
"I still don't, Rei-chan. But I'll think of some way to make sure my love muffin and Haruka are kept very far apart. That should be easy enough for a beautiful and intelligent Love Goddess like me to do." She cackled evilly, "And I'll finally get to drive that hussy's Ferrari too, oh yes I will! I'll drive it so hard its wheels come off!"
"I guess that's everyone then" Yuuichirou said with a wink at his fiancee. "Oh, except for Ami and Ryo. I haven't worked up enough nerve to call them yet." He chuckled, "I'm worried about interrupting their... uh... studying or something."
"Allow me to take care of that difficult problem for you, Yuuichirou-chan!" With another mischevious giggle, Minako leapt from the table and ran to the hallway phone.
"Hai, so predictable" Makoto sighed.
Minako returned a few minutes later. "That's strange. I dialed Ami's number a whole bunch of times but all I got was a busy signal."
Makoto and Rei exchanged glances. "Phone's off the hook" the brunette chuckled.
"Maybe I should try my Senshi communicator" Minako's lips became a wicked grin. "Ami wouldn't dare turn that off."
"Leave them alone, Minako-chan" Rei ordered. "They're obviously busy at the moment. You can tell them about the get-together tomorrow morning at school."
"Nani?" the blonde pouted. "Where's the fun in that?"
. . . . .
Both telephones at the Mizuno residence were, as Makoto had correctly guessed, deliberately disconnected.
The curtains in Ami's room were tightly drawn, the lights were dimmed, and two long-stemmed wine glasses sat empty and forgotten on her night table.
The blue-haired girl lay in a state of complete heavenly bliss, cuddled snugly against the boy who meant everything to her, the boy whom which she had shared once again her mind, body and soul.
"My Ryo-kun" she purred, her pretty face flushed and radiant in the afterglow of their passion. She reveled in the liquid warmth deep within her petite body that he had given her at the very peak of their shared ecstacy.
Ryo tenderly caressed her soft cheek with his fingertips. "I love you, Ami. I live now as I did once before, only for you."
Ami's hand rested against her lover's chest for a time, gently rising and falling with each breath he took. The teenage couple quietly savored the pleasures of one another, the closeness of their flesh, the sublime moment they now shared. There was no blushing, none of the shyness that normally accompanied them in their daily lives. Only the gentle beating of two contented hearts, bound together for eternity with a love that first blossomed ten thousand years ago, in that faraway kingdom on the moon.
Chapter 2:
"Just remember my important instructions, love muffin" Minako warned her fiancee. "Don't let Haruka get too friendly with you. And be careful with those wandering hands of hers! I'll be watching that wicked woman very carefully and if she tries anything, anything at all, run away and let me take care of everything."
Makoto muttered from the rear seat of Minako's car, "Minako-chan, you've told Taro that at least fifteen times in the last half hour. I think he's gotten the message by now. Are you trying to brainwash him or something?"
"Can't be too careful, Mako-chan" the blonde tutted. She raised one hand from the wheel and waggled her finger. "You know what they say, it's better to be safe than scary!"
Makoto glared at the back of Minako's bow-adorned blonde head. "The only thing scary around here is your driving. On second thought, terrifying is a much better word for it." A thought occured to her and she grinned, "I guess this visit has you in a real bind, Minako-chan."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, on the one hand you're obviously still upset at Haruka after what happened in Hawaii."
"So? I have every right to be, Mako-chan! You saw how that hussy behaved around my Taro! The nerve of that woman!"
"And on the other hand, if you aren't nice to her today she'll probably never let you even sit in her fancy car, much less drive it."
Minako's expression went completely blank. "I never thought of that!" She groaned, "But if I'm nice to her, she may think I approve of her naughtiness around my man! Now what am I supposed to do?"
"I'm sure you'll dream up something completely inappropriate" Makoto chuckled. "The way you always do."
Taro pointed to a rapidly approaching lane. "There's the road we're looking for, sweetheart. Turn left here and follow it up that big hill to the very end. That'll bring us to Haruka and Michiru's house."
"Their house, snuggle-love?" Minako muttered. "More like a Hussy Haven if you ask me. A place to lure innocent unsuspecting boys like you! Hmph! Well, not tonight it isn't!" The orange hatchback whizzed around the corner with a squeal of protest from its tires.
"I'm getting that bad old feeling yet again, Yuji honey" Makoto sighed at her fiancee. "Something tells me that another of Minako's big disasters is in the cards tonight."
"I think you're right, Mako darling" Yuji grinned.
"You know what your problem is, Mako-chan? You and your lover boy worry too much. You're so alike!" the blonde said in her mirror. "I'll deal with this challenge the same way I always do. In the traditional Aino Minako way!"
"How? By falling off their balcony?"
"Very un funny!" Minako's blue eyes grew wide as they refocused on the road. "Minna, look! There's Ami and Ryo! And they're in front of us!" She cackled evilly, "That just won't do. Let's pass them!"
"How about we don't this time?" the brunette pleaded. "I'd like to live long enough to- Minako-chan! Slow down!"
. . . . .
In the car ahead, Ami breathed a blissful sigh, stealing another loving glance at her young man while she coaxed her tiny sedan up a long and winding hill. "This week has been so wonderful, my Ryo-kun. Living together like husband and wife, or even pretending to the way we were, has truly been heaven for me."
"And for me, Ami my darling. Just remember, someday soon we won't need to pretend anymore" Ryo smiled. "I'm seriously thinking about confronting Setsuna and making her explain her objection to our wedding while we're here tonight. My heart just can't find peace until we make it official and I belong to you forever."
"You already do, my love" Ami whispered softly. The quiet road began to wend its way through a grove of stately elms as it rose. "I've never visited this outer ward of Tokyo before. It's quite scenic, isn't it?"
"Hai. And the view from the balcony of Haruka's large home is very-" Her fiancee was startled by a familiar orange blur that suddenly screamed past her door. The blonde at the wheel grinned and waved to them before pulling far ahead.
"Goodness!" Ami exclaimed. "That was rather alarming! Minako certainly isn't wasting any time today."
"Does she ever?" Ryo chuckled.
Ami frowned disapprovingly at her friend's antics. "I enjoy driving quickly just as much as the next girl, but I think Minako takes things just a little too far at times. In fact, I'm going to have a word with her later about her overly-aggressive behaviour."
They eventually caught up with Minako's car as the blonde slowed to turn in at a large gate.
"There it is, Ami darling" Ryo said. "Haruka and Michiru's estate. Big, isn't it?"
The love of his life remarked, "Quite impressive, Ryo-kun. Their home reminds me somewhat of the Kumadas' mansion in Okinawa, though its style appears much more in keeping with Japanese traditions." They followed Minako up a long driveway and parked beside her in an area for visitors. As the teens disembarked they were quickly joined by the last two couples as Hino Rei's red Mercedes pulled up.
Usagi instantly sprang into action, enthusiastically prying Mamoru from the rear of the miko's convertible. She waved at her friends, "Hi minna! Let's eat!"
Rei slipped out from behind the wheel of her car, rolling her eyes in disgust. "Eat? Let's not think of doing anything civil like greeting our hosts first, will we? Or even taking a minute to look around. Of course not, this is Usagi the Destroyer Of All Things Edible we're talking about! Usagi-chan, where on earth are your manners?"
"My manners happen to be very hungry at the moment, Rei-chan!" the blonde replied haughtily. "So save your annoying lecture! This is what you get for not letting me have that yummy bag of shrimp chips I brought along!"
"I'm not allowing you to fill up the back seat of my nice clean car with your filthy crumbs, you messy baka!" the miko retorted. "Although maybe I should have! Then everyone wouldn't have heard your stomach growling like a wild animal all the way here!"
Clutching tightly onto her Taro as though he might suddenly be swept away in the late-afternoon breeze, Minako strolled up to Ami and Ryo. "I see the Urawas have finally arrived" she teased. "Sorry to pass you like that, Ami-chan, but I simply couldn't bear to wait behind that little blue turtle of yours." With an evil giggle, she turned away from the frowning blue-haired teen and lead the group toward the large house. Minako froze in her tracks as she passed an opened carport. "There it is, Taro-love!" she gasped in awe. "Haruka's Ferrari!" She rushed over to the vivid yellow sports car while still dragging her fiancee along. "I simply must have one!"
"Stop drooling all over it, Minako-chan" Rei muttered. "And stop dreaming while you're at it. Do you have any idea what one of those things costs?"
"But that car is so me, Rei-chan!" the blonde insisted. "Elegant, sporty and oh so sexy! And the color is perfect too! I'd look good zooming around Tokyo in it!"
"Hai" Makoto snorted. "You probably would. Right up until your accident."
Before Minako could think up an appropriate retort, Tenou Haruka emerged from a side door wearing casual slacks and a cream-colored shirt. "Hey. Glad everyone could make it out tonight."
"Konbanwa, Haruka-san!" Usagi beamed. "We're here and we brought our appetites with us!"
"You'd bring your appetite to a funeral!" Rei hissed at her. The miko donned a polite smile. "Please excuse Usagi's tactlessness, Haruka-san. Thanks for inviting us over. Your home looks simply stunning."
"Arigatou, Rei-chan." The tall blonde noticed the death grip Minako now had on her fiancee's arm and couldn't resist stirring things up just a little. "Hello, Taro-chan. Did you enjoy our evening together in Hawaii as much as I did? I regret not having the opportunity to ask you before it all ended so prematurely."
"He had an absolutely miserable time, thank you anyway!" an evilly glaring Minako instantly replied for him. Then she remembered the Ferrari and took another long, lingering glance at it over her shoulder. "I mean... he had an ok time, I guess" she muttered. "But it wasn't that good!"
"I see" Haruka smiled. "Dinner together at that restaurant also was very enjoyable. Don't you agree, Taro-chan?"
The boy opened his mouth to speak. "Dinner was-"
"It was tolerable" the blonde interrupted her fiancee again before Taro had the chance to finish his reply.
"And the movie?" the older blonde inquired. "Did you like it?"
Taro politely tried again to get a word in edgewise. "The movie was-"
"The movie was good too, ok?" Minako cut him off. "At least the part he saw before everyone got thrown out of the theater!"
"It's so nice talking to you again, Taro-chan" Haruka grinned, ignoring Minako's suspicious glare. "Minna, let's go inside and relax a while before dinner. My Michiru fancies herself something of a skilled hand in the kitchen, and I tend to agree. She's a woman of many diverse talents."
'And so are you, if you count stealing guys away from their girls, you shameless hussy!' Minako thought. 'Just you dare try any more of that hanky-panky tonight and, Ferrari or no Ferrari, I'll blow up right in your face!'
Chapter 3:
The couples followed Haruka inside the mansion and made themselves comfortable in a spacious and tastefully appointed sitting room. As everyone expected, Minako eschewed a place of her own on the sofa, instead planting herself snugly in Taro's lap and slipping an arm protectively around her boy. A moment later Setsuna appeared in the doorway. "Welcome to Chez Kaioh" she smiled. "And Chez Tenou as well, of course."
"How are things in the kitchen, Sets?" Haruka asked.
"Michiru said we should be dining in about twenty minutes" the tall and sometimes aloof young woman replied. "She does request your assistance for a moment, Haruka."
"Sure. Minna, make yourselves at home."
"Anything I can do?" Makoto offered, feeling somewhat out of place without her usual responsibility of preparing the evening meal.
"You're one of our honoured guests, Mako-chan" Haruka replied. "There's no need to lift a finger here, though I'm sure Michiru would appreciate your critique of her work later." She added with a chuckle, "Please be kind."
After the short-haired blonde had left, Setsuna sat with her friends. "I trust everyone had an enjoyable time in Hawaii?"
"We really did!" Usagi exclaimed. "It's so beautiful there. Have you ever been to Hawaii, Setsuna-san?"
"I've travelled to many strange and exotic places, Usagi-chan" the young woman replied with a mysterious gleam in her eyes. "But never those particular islands."
"Then you should definitely go sometime. My Mamo-chan and I loved every minute of it!" Usagi noticed that the young woman wore no ring on her finger. "Excuse me for asking, but is there a special someone in your life, Setsuna-san?"
"Regretfully, no. My work does not permit me the luxury of such companionship, Usagi-chan. Or... the emotions that accompany it." The blonde could sense a faint twinge of sadness in Setsuna's voice. "You and the other Sailor Senshi are very fortunate to have rediscovered your own past loves. It was something that your first mother, Queen Serenity, was most concerned about. As the end neared, she worked hard in the brief time that remained to bring your futures to fruition."
"We owe her our deepest gratitude" Rei humbly agreed, softly squeezing Yuuichirou's hand with hers. "I wish there was still some way we could all thank her personally."
"I'm sure that your deep and abiding love for one another is the only gratitude she would deem necessary" Setsuna smiled. "If she could but see you now, I know she'd be very happy."
The room fell respectfully silent for a brief time as the couples reflected on Setsuna's words. Eventually, Usagi's curious eyes flitted about her unfamiliar surroundings, taking in its distinct musical motif. She pointed at a painting hanging nearby in its gilded golden frame. "Minna, who's that weird-looking character on the wall? Is he a relative or something? He isn't Japanese, so I guess not."
"If I'm not mistaken, that would be Johann Sebastian Bach, Usagi-chan" Ami spoke. "One of the world's greatest composers."
"Aha! So that's the guy responsible for some of that horrid music I had to suffer through on the yacht" Minako scowled at the painting. "He should have tried writing pop songs instead, but I guess he wasn't nearly good enough."
"Don't let Michiru hear you saying that" Setsuna chuckled. "Bach is one of her favourites."
"Oh, then she must know him really well!" Usagi exclaimed. "Has he dropped by here recently to visit her?"
Rei's head slumped forward in utter disbelief. "He's dead, you imbecile! He's been dead for hundreds of years."
Minako's evil grin reappeared. "Then he's not composing anymore, is he? Now he's decomposing!"
Everyone in the room stared at her.
"Nani?" the blonde asked innocently. "Did I just say something I shouldn't have?"
"Congratulations, Minako-chan" Makoto muttered. "You just won the award for tasteless remark of the day. Again."
. . . . .
After another fifteen minutes of cordial smalltalk, the couples were escorted through the large mansion to the dining room. Ami and Ryo had noticed with the passing time that Setsuna had tactfully deflected nearly every question she had been asked about the Moon Kingdom or the couples' future lives.
Michiru joined them at the table while Haruka and Setsuna brought out the fruits of her culinary labor. "The grilled salmon turned out somewhat darker than I'd planned" she admitted. "I do hope you will all still find it satisfactory."
"Looks perfect to me!" Usagi exclaimed, her mouth watering in anticipation. "Smells good too! Arigatou, Michiru-san!"
Rei nudged her fiancee. "Just look at that girl, Yuuichirou-chan" she muttered. "Usagi is one step away from having her tongue roll out of her mouth and onto the table. I think she was a snake or a lizard in her past life, not a princess."
"Quiet, Rei-chan! I'm no lizard!" Usagi refrained from sticking out her tongue at the miko to prove her point. "It wasn't very nice to call me that either!"
"I know you aren't really a lizard" the miko said.
"Good."
"Because lizards have much better table manners."
This time the tongue did pop out, followed by a scowl. "I'll remember that!"
The girls paused their newest quarrel when Haruka appeared with the wine and began filling everyone's glasses. After she had served Ami, the blue-haired girl raised the delicate stemware, slowly swirled the red liquid within, then gently sniffed its vapors. "This has a very pleasant bouquet, Haruka-san. Is it vintage? Perhaps... French?"
"You're quite the young connoisseur, Ami-chan" the tall blonde praised her as she moved on to fill Usagi's glass. "Lafite Rothschild, nineteen seventy-nine."
"Let me try doing that!" Usagi snatched up her glass, stuck her nose deeply into it and inhaled with a long, loud snort. "Ahh! It stings!"
"Would you like a straw?" Rei asked the blonde after uttering a groan of embarrassment. "Absolutely no class. None whatsoever. This isn't soda pop, you idiot. You're supposed to breathe in the wine's subtle aroma, Usagi-chan, not suck it up your beak like a human vacuum cleaner!"
"I know that now!" Usagi replied while tenderly massaging her nose.
The miko told her, "How about trying to behave like a dignified lady tonight, Usagi-chan, instead of always playing the buffoon."
Usagi retorted, "For your information, Rei-chan, I don't know how to play any buffoons, or any other musical instruments either. So there!"
"Kami give me strength."
"We'll be serving cocktails and anything else you may like to drink a little later, for those interested" Haruka told the couples. "That's why Michi-chan and I have invited everyone to stay overnight. And for those girls among you who smoke, feel free to do so on the second floor balcony. One of us will be happy to show you where to find it after our meal has concluded."
"Ami and I both enjoy an after-dinner cigarette" Rei said appreciatively. "Arigatou, Haruka-san."
Minako's ears had instantly perked up at the mention of her newest pleasure. "Cocktails, you say? Now there's something I know a thing or two about!" She bragged to Setsuna, "During the latest of my many world travels, I had a-"
"Please make her stop, Yuji-chan!" the brunette begged her fiancee. "I can't take it anymore!"
"You know your way around a cocktail list, Minako-chan?" Michiru asked in surprise.
"Hai!" the girl nodded brightly. "And tonight I want Mako-chan to try my favourite drink too."
"Really?" The green-haired young woman inquired, "With all the visitors we receive here, Haruka has become quite adept at mixing drinks. What would your favourite happen to be?"
"Tonight, Mako-chan and I will be having Sex on the Beach!" the blonde proudly announced to the entire room.
Haruka raised an eyebrow as she took her seat at the head of the table. "Oh? Do your fiancees approve of this behaviour?" she asked with a sly grin.
"That's not what she meant, Haruka-san!" Makoto blurted, her cheeks blushing crimson. "She means the drink, not the... uh... other thing."
Michiru smiled at her lover before replying, "Both can be rather enjoyable, Mako-chan, if you merely keep an open mind."
"I... wouldn't know much about that" the flustered brunette mumbled.
"Oh yes you do!" Minako teased her. "And so does your Yuji! Love-love was written all over your faces the afternoon we spent at that lagoon in Hawaii!"
"I'm going to strangle that girl of yours, Taro-chan" Makoto growled across the table. "Some day when she least expects it. Just so you know."
"I assume you have many guests dropping by, Michiru-san" Mamoru spoke. "That would explain the size of your beautiful home."
"Indeed we do, Mamoru-san. We've been known to entertain visiting classical musicians and conductors from around the world, as well as a number of my partner's auto racing friends. In fact, Haruka and I have a reputation for throwing some rather memorable parties."
Minako decided the time was right to drop her first not-so-subtle hint. "I love your yellow car, Haruka-san! Is that the same one you promised me I could drive when we were in Hawaii?"
"I said that?" the taller blonde puzzled.
"Well... you did say I could take it for a spin if I won our go-cart race." She poured on the charm, smiling sweetly at her host. "And even though I lost, though not by very much" she fibbed, "wouldn't it be a nice, friendly gesture to still let me? You know, like a consolation prize?" She swooned, "It would make my lifelong dream come true!"
"I thought your lifelong dream was to become a famous pop idol?" Makoto snorted. "And then a model. And there was a time you wanted to be a fashion designer in Paris-"
"Hush, Mako-chan!" Minako hissed from the corner of her mouth. Her voice again became saccharine sweet. "It really would fulfill my fantasy to drive a proper sports car just once in my life, Haruka-san."
"With the way you drive, you'll probably only live long enough to do it once" the brunette teased her again. Minako ignored her future sister-in-law, instead giving her host all the charm her beseeching blue eyes and expectant smile could muster.
"I suppose it would" Haruka chuckled. "Tell you what, Minako-chan. Let's sleep on it, and I'll see how I feel about the idea in the morning, ok? But it all depends on the weather. The Ferrari's current tires aren't suitable for rain."
"I can drive it tomorrow morning?" the blonde asked with a sharp gasp. "You mean when the sun comes up tomorrow morning? It's a deal!" Minako beamed happily. "Arigatou, Haruka-san!"
"Did I just made a deal somehow?" the older blonde asked herself.
Michiru giggled softly, "Hai, I think you just did, Haruka."
Chapter 4:
After enjoying their delicious meal the couples adjourned with their hosts to the parlour, a room the boys had seen before during their previous visit to the mansion-like home. Minako immediately frowned distrustfully at the grand piano, as though it would suddenly come to youma-like life and attack her with a wave of classical music. Usagi had no such cares and the blonde walked up to it and plinked a few random keys before becoming bored and returning to her Mamoru.
Michiru seated herself near Makoto and Yuji. "Please give me your honest opinion, Mako-chan" the young woman asked. "If you were to prepare the same dinner in your home, is there anything you would have done differently?"
"Nothing at all, Michiru-san. Except... maybe making slightly larger portions to keep Usagi full and happy."
"I'll definitely remember that for next time" Michiru smiled appreciatively. "I must know, is your famed prowess in the kitchen a result of a natural ability? I understand you're quite gifted."
Makoto replied with a blush of modesty, "I think any cooking skills I may have are there because I've been living alone for so long. Until I became a Sailor Senshi, my life was kind of dull. It was either settle for boring everyday foods, or try new things to spice things up a little, so I began experimenting."
"You're selling yourself short, Mako-chan. In any event, your experiments have certainly yielded excellent results from what I've heard" her green-haired host complimented her. "And now that you have been reunited with your Yuji, that living alone problem also seems well enough in hand."
"Hai" she smiled happily. "Yuji has changed my life in so many wonderful ways."
"I hope those changes are all good ones, Mako honey" her young man grinned.
"They are" she lovingly replied to the boy sitting close by her side. "The very best, my Yuji-chan."
Setsuna listened to the conversation unfold from a nearby high-backed chair, wondering if tonight was the appropriate time to reveal why she had insisted upon the postponement of Ami and Ryo's wedding. Not wishing to spoil the evening, she decided to remain silent.
Haruka strolled over to a pair of ornately inlaid wooden doors along one wall and slid them back to reveal a well-stocked mini bar. "Minna, who'd like to follow up Michi-chan's dinner with a little evening refreshment?"
"I'd love to, Haruka-san!" Minako instantly sprang from Taro's lap and hurried over.
"Sex on the Beach?" Haruka grinned.
"Two, please! One for me and one for Mako-chan. Oh, and an Asahi for my sugar muffin! Arigatou!"
The older blonde took her other guests' requests before she started. "Mamoru-san?"
"A touch more wine would fit the bill, thank you Haruka-san." He asked his fiancee, "Having anything, Usako? Remember not to overdo it tonight. Your tolerance for alcohol isn't very high."
"Just some water for me, Haruka-san" Usagi said. "I'm already feeling a bit woozy after that fancy French wine."
"And you only had half a glass" Rei teased. "Careful with the water, Usagi-chan. Too much of that stuff and you may pass out."
"I don't want to feel dizzy later when it's cuddle time with Mamo-chan, ok?" the blonde answered with a curt sneer. "Doesn't it make you happy to see how responsible I can be?"
"You're such a child!" the miko laughed.
"Am not! Nyaaa!"
"I rest my case." Rei joined Minako and Ami at the mini bar, turning her nose up at Minako's pedestrian choice of beverage. "I feel like something a little extra special tonight, Haruka-san. What would you recommend for a more sophisticated young lady like me?"
"Allow me to consult my guide" Haruka chuckled. She opened a small leather-bound recipe book and began thumbing through it, pausing when Rei asked about a section of loose handwritten notes stuffed between two pages.
"What are those?"
"I've been collecting recipes from other guests, Rei-chan. Most of which I must admit I've never tried. This one, for example, is from a young woman of Michiru's acquaintance who plays cello for an orchestra somewhere in Europe, I believe. It has a very unusual mix of ingredients."
The raven-haired girl was intrigued by the name on the page. "A Night to Remember... I'll try one of those, Haruka-san" she decided. "And a Sapporo for Yuuichirou, please."
"Coming right up."
Minako scurried over to her future sister-in-law with glasses in hand. "Here, Mako-chan! After you drink this" she giggled, "you can say you've had Sex on the Beach twice!"
"Will it never end, Yuji honey?" the brunette groaned despairingly. After giving Minako her brief silent glare treatment, she tried a small sip of the offered cocktail. "I have to admit it's not bad, Minako-chan."
"Tasty, isn't it? But I bet the real thing was a lot more fun!" the blonde tittered.
Makoto glared at her again. "Just... shut up and drink."
. . . . .
The couples sat together in the comfortable parlour, chatting about their lives. Usagi soon launched into a rant about her substitute teacher. "She kept me behind three times last week, that crabby old witch! It's a good thing she's gone!"
"I thought you said you were stuck with her for two weeks" Rei asked. As she sipped the mysterious, potent concoction she held, she began feeling its first effects but shrugged them off.
"We have Ami-chan to thank for that" Makoto grinned. "When the principal finally found out that she had given Ami a detention, all hell broke loose! She was replaced by a much nicer sensei before the morning was half over."
"Ami-chan saves the day!" Usagi cheered. "What would we do without her?"
"Get even worse grades than you already do, probably" Rei teased. "If that's possible." She found herself pressing her slender body more snugly against her fiancee and abruptly turned to smile sweetly up at him. "I love you, Kumada Yuuichirou."
"And I love you, my beautiful Rei" her young man smiled back.
Michiru remarked to the group's star student, "I'm somewhat surprised that you aren't enrolled in a more prestigious secondary school, Ami-chan."
"I have received a number of offers" the brilliant blue-haired girl admitted. "But that would mean being away from my Ryo-kun and my friends, so I immediately declined every one of them."
"Love conquers all" Haruka chuckled.
"It does..." Rei murmured, feeling increasingly, almost uncontrollably amorous toward her fiancee as the minutes passed. "Ami-chan, Yuuichirou and I are going outside on the balcony. I want to look at the scenery and have a cigarette. Would you and Ryo like to join us?"
Ami smiled, "Hai. We'd love to, Rei-chan."
Rei abruptly downed the last of her cocktail in a single swallow, stood and told her young man in a soft sultry tone, "Let's go gaze at the stars together, lover boy." Not waiting for an answer, she firmly pulled Yuuichirou from the sofa and kissed the wide-eyed teen passionately in front of everyone before slipping her arm around him and escorting him to the second floor stairs.
"Minna, please check the weather for me while you're out there!" Minako called after them. "I don't want any rain spoiling my chance of a fun drive tomorrow!"
"Rain? I can see it now" Makoto chortled at her. "Sailor Venus standing on the lawn all night, blasting every innocent cloud that happens to drift past with her crescent beam!"
"Hmm... Do you really think that would work?" the blonde pondered.
"On the clouds? Probably not. But you may end up shooting at any planes flying overhead. So don't do it!"
After the two couples had left the room, Usagi leaned forward. "Minna, is it just me or has Rei been acting even more frisky than usual with her Yuuichirou lately?"
Minako answered with a scoff from Taro's lap, "Pffft! You call that frisky? She isn't being frisky at all, Usagi-chan! At least not that I've noticed."
"Haruka, what was Rei drinking just now?" Michiru asked her lover.
"A little something a friend of yours added to my book last month, Michi-chan. She called it A Night to Remember. Why do you ask?"
"A Night..." Her partner's face turned pale. "Oh dear!"
"Is there something wrong with it?" the tall blonde puzzled.
"I was cautioned about that mix, Haruka. It seems to have a very pronounced effect upon any female who consumes it."
"What does it do?" Makoto asked the green-haired young woman. "Is Rei going to be sick?"
"Apparently it takes some time before its effects fully kick in. But then..." Michiru paused, "Mako-chan, you're aware of how you and the other girls always tease Minako about her... ah... how should I put this most delicately?"
"About how she can never keep her paws off her fiancee?" the brunette chuckled, eliciting a happy smile from Minako and a blush from her Taro. "That's true, we do, Michiru-san. And with very good reason!"
"Hai. Well... try to imagine Rei's behaviour tonight as... Minako times ten."
The brunette's face broke into a massive grin. "Sounds to me like poor Yuuichirou really is going to have a night he'll never forget!"
Chapter 5:
As Ryo had promised his love, the view from the mansion's balcony was indeed spectacular. A veritable ocean of sparkling light from the sprawling city shimmered beneath a late-evening sky, while in the distance the Tokyo Tower shone like a proud beacon in the midst of the Minato ward.
The two couples stood quietly enjoying the scenic beauty for a time, until Ami momentarily turned away from the balcony railing to open her purse. She abruptly looked up upon hearing Kumada Yuuichirou's sudden sharp gasp of surprise.
"Aahh! Rei-chan!"
The blue-haired girl and her fiancee looked across the wide balcony to find Yuuichirou slowly backing away from his betrothed. "Rei darling, we're in public! Our friends are here!"
"Is something wrong?" Ami asked the couple.
"Everything's fine, Ami-chan" Rei calmly replied without as much as a glance over her shoulder. Her gaze remained fixed on Yuuichirou. "My man is just acting a little timid tonight."
"I'm not that timid!" the apprentice gasped. "It's just that you really startled me, sweetheart! With your hand! Down there! Out here! On the balcony!"
"When you're in love with a woman and she arouses your innermost desires, don't feel embarrassed and try to hide it. Not like Mako-chan and Yuji did after being intimate on that Hawaiian beach." Her voice became a sultry whisper. "Revel in it, Yuuichirou-chan. Revel in... our passion."
Ami and Ryo exchanged puzzled glances, wondering why their friend suddenly seemed to be losing all control of her inhibitions. "Ryo-kun" Ami whispered, "I think that strange cocktail Rei had tonight must have affected her mind."
No sooner had she spoken when the miko turned and smiled at them. "There was nothing wrong with my cocktail, Ami-chan. I'm actually feeling great! I suppose my fiancee thought I was behaving a little too forward around our friends. Believe it or not, Yuuichirou can be nearly as shy as your Ryo is at times."
"Are you sure you're ok, honey?" Yuuichirou cautiously asked his future bride.
"Of course I am, my darling. Now come closer... still closer... It's ok. I don't bite."
"Gomen." Yuuichirou grinned apologetically at her, "Sorry for being so jumpy just now. I just felt... you... uh... nevermind."
"I forgive you."
The couples again returned their gaze to the city they called home and the apprentice slipped an arm around his beloved's slender waist.
"You know" Rei purred to him, "a girl can never have too much romance in her life. Or too much love and pleasure. Perhaps it's me" she mused. "Maybe seeing me around the shrine in my miko clothing just isn't romantic enough for you."
"I have absolutely no complaints, my sweet. You're incredibly beautiful no matter what you wear. I love you so very much."
"Then prove it" she abruptly demanded.
"Nani?"
"Prove your love to me, Yuuichirou-chan. Take me to bed."
Ami and Ryo stared in utter disbelief at their friend's unexpected forwardness, while Yuuichirou's eyes sprang as wide as saucers. "Right now?"
"Now."
Ryo leaned to whisper in Ami's ear, "I'm beginning to feel uncomfortable about this too, Ami-chan. Rei's mood is changing so fast."
Rei suddenly threw open her arms. "I'm waiting, lover! Take me, Yuuichirou! Take me now!"
"Oh my!" Ami gasped, her sudden blush equally matched by Yuuichirou's reddening face. "I'd expect this kind of behaviour from Minako, but Rei?"
The apprentice beat a hasty retreat across the balcony to stand behind Ryo. "Minna, she's gone wild!" he gasped. "It must be that weird drink she had!"
"Don't you love me?" the miko pouted. "I love you."
"I do love you,my darling! With all my heart! But it just wouldn't be right, not in your present condition! You aren't yourself! It's just the alcohol talking!"
"Let it talk! Let it sing! Oh, I want you so badly!"
An instant later the balcony door swung open and Minako sprinted out to the rail to peer anxiously up at the sky. "Minna, does it look cloudy to anyone?" She squinted upward, "I can't see anything because of all those silly city lights!"
"The sky only has a few tiny clouds, Minako-chan" Ami reassured her.
The blonde cackled gleefully, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. "He he! This means I'll be driving Haruka's Ferrari in the morning!" She watched Rei take one slow step toward her man, and then another, like a lioness stalking her prey.
"What's going on out here?" Minako puzzled for a moment. "On second thought, I think I know!"
"You know you can't hide from me, my love" the miko called to her fiancee.
"I'm sorry darling, but tonight I have to!" Yuuichirou gasped. "Please forgive me!" In panic, he fled back inside the house with his girl hot on his heels.
"Come back, lover! Come back and have your wonderful way with me!"
"Wow!" Minako giggled. "And I thought I was bad!"
"It was the cocktail, wasn't it?" Ami asked her.
"Hai!" the blonde nodded. "Seems that crazy stuff Rei drank tonight has a really interesting side effect! It's making her behave like everyone thinks I always do. Only a whole lot worse!" she giggled again.
"Poor Rei will feel so embarrassed at her behaviour in the morning" Ryo sighed.
"Hai, I'm quite sure she will, Ryo-kun." Ami mused, "Well, there isn't much we can do now except to let the effects wear off and allow nature to take its course."
"What are you two so worried about? I don't see any problem here" the girl with the red bow in her hair insisted. "It looks like a really fun evening ahead!"
. . . . .
The remaining couples chatting in the parlour were stunned to see Yuuichirou rocket downstairs, taking the steps two at a time, with Rei sprinting after him. "I'm still waiting, lover boy!" the miko cooed.
Yuuichirou shot across the room, positioning himself so the sofa Usagi and Mamoru were sitting on was between him and his girl. "Rei darling, don't be too hasty about this! You need to sleep that cocktail off first!"
"I'll sleep, Yuuichirou-chan, but only after you satisfy my deepest desires! Over and over again!"
"Ecchi!" Usagi blurted.
Makoto instantly facepalmed. "And so... it begins."
The miko's indigo eyes were ablaze with passion. She feigned a quick dart to one side of the sofa, then to the other, with Yuuichirou matching her moves. "I'm going to catch you sooner or later!" she laughed. "And when I do, Kumada Yuuichirou, you're in for the ride of your life!"
"Double ecchi!" Usagi blurted again.
Michiru looked at her partner with alarm. "What should we do, Haruka?"
"Not sure. How about we... sit back and watch the show?" the tall blonde suggested with a wry grin.
Growing impatient, Rei tried a shortcut and began climbing over the sofa between Usagi and Mamoru. "Come to me, my darling!"
"Get away from us, you crazy baka!" Usagi yelled at the miko.
"Do you want me to corral her?" Makoto asked the young apprentice, not knowing whether she should worry about her miko friend's well being or laugh hysterically.
"That would be good!" Yuuichirou gasped. "Please help!"
But before the brunette could clamber to her feet, Rei leapt across the top of the sofa toward her fiancee.
"Ahhh!" Yuuichirou spun on his heels and fled down the nearest hallway, his girl giggling as she chased him down.
"Rei-chan, please try to calm yourself!"
"Not until I've had my way with you!"
Their voices faded away as they ran deeper into the mansion.
"I see what you mean about throwing memorable parties here, Michiru-san" Taro chuckled. "It'll be hard to top this one!"
The deeply embarrassed green-haired young woman was almost beyond words. "Minna, Haruka and I are very sorry about this incident. It was just a simple mistake."
"I'm not sorry" Haruka grinned. "I'm rather enjoying it! Ow! Michi-chan!"
Minako ran back downstairs a moment later. "Did I miss anything? Has Rei caught him yet?"
Footsteps suddenly became louder and Yuuichirou reappeared. He tore across the parlour and headed up the stairway. His fiancee was still in hot pursuit, her long raven hair whipping behind her, eyes gleaming with unbridled lust for her young man.
"Not yet" Makoto deadpanned.
The teens heard a door slam when the apprentice hid in one of the upstairs guest bedrooms, followed a few seconds later by a cry of victory from the triumphant miko.
"Aha! Now you're all mine!"
The door opened, then quickly slammed shut again.
"Now she has" the brunette chuckled.
Usagi was cackling away, nearly doubled over with laughter. "Minna, I don't know about you but I'm never going to let Rei live this one down!"
"Usako, that wouldn't be fair to Rei-chan. She's obviously not herself tonight."
"I know that, Mamo-chan" Usagi giggled evilly. "I know, and this time... I don't care! He he!"
"Um... Haruka-san, may I have a copy of that drink recipe?" Minako asked. "Just in case-"
Everyone in the room answered the blonde. "NO!"
Chapter 6:
Ten minutes later, Ami and Ryo returned from the balcony to find Setsuna sitting alone in the parlour, idly flipping through the pages of a travel magazine.
"Where is everyone, Setsuna-san?" Ami asked.
"They've all embarked on a tour of the house and grounds, Ami-chan. Except for Rei and Yuuichirou, who are... um..."
"We have a very good idea where they are" the blue-haired girl giggled. The couple seated themselves across from her. "Setsuna-san, may Ryo and I talk to you about something very important?"
The Plutonian Senshi sighed. "I know what you're going to ask."
"Your reason for delaying our wedding is something we really want to know, Setsuna-san" Ryo spoke. "Is it because you think we're too young and immature?"
"No. That certainly isn't it." She smiled, "I've met many people far older than you who have nowhere near your's or Ami's level of maturity, Ryo-chan."
"Then perhaps you believe we're not able to manage our lives as an independent married couple" Ami suggested. She quickly pointed out, "Mako-chan has been living alone for several years now, and she's doing fine."
"Hai. She is." Setsuna closed her magazine and set it aside.
"Isn't there anything you can say?" Ryo pleaded. "I love my Ami. I love her more than life itself. If you still do not approve of our wedding this year, at least please tell us why."
The sixteen-year-old boy's sincere request caused the young woman to wonder if perhaps the time was right. After a last moment of silent contemplation, she stated, "So... you are truly determined to know? What if that which I were to tell you is less than pleasant?"
"Then we will deal with it the same way we will face all of life's future problems" Ami replied confidently. "Together, as a loving husband and wife."
"Very well." Setsuna's gaze gradually became increasingly distant, as though she were no longer looking directly at Ami and Ryo, but somehow straight through them.
"As the Guardian of Time, I have knowledge of many, but unfortunately no all, paths that your lives and those of your friends may take. You may think of it as a tree, where its trunk represents the present day, and its many branches the future. Some branches lead to a pleasant life, while other paths end in great tragedy. Ami-chan, Ryo-chan, this autumn wedding you both desire would be in fact choosing a path which ends in the latter. But... not for you."
"I don't understand that last part" Ryo said. "Are you saying my Ami and I would be fine if we married this year, but our wedding would somehow cause harm to... someone else?"
"Precisely, Ryo-chan. Your union in marriage," she continued, her tone now slow and measured, "if it is performed too far ahead of its allotted time, would initiate an unfortunate chain of events that I would be unable to prevent from occuring, nor alter in any way. I presently have no knowledge of the exact nature of these events, only the end result. It would lead to... the untimely death of two of your dearest friends."
The young couple gasped in disbelief, as Setsuna's vision refocused sharply on the teens. She finished, "The two in question being Kino Makoto and Tsukino Usagi."
Horrified, Ami and Ryo stared at each other in stunned silence.
. . . . .
The couples' hosts wrapped up their impromptu tour with a brief starlit walk around the mansion's spacious grounds. As they neared the carport, Minako's eyes lit up. "Haruka-san, may I sit in your Ferrari now?"
"Trying it on for size?" Haruka chuckled.
"I just want to get the feel of it before I take it out tomorrow."
"Sure. Why not?" Haruka reached under a storage bench inside the building and produced a key. She unlocked the driver's door and held it open for the blonde. "Enjoy, Minako-chan."
"I will! Arigatou!" Minako flung herself behind the wheel of the powerful sports car while Haruka wandered off to answer an urgent question Usagi posed about visiting hours to their kitchen. "Oh! I so love this! I can't wait to take it out on the road and see what it can really do!" She gently caressed the leather-wrapped steering wheel and ran her fingers lightly over the controls, dreaming about how quickly she could make the journey from Tokyo to Nerima if only this was hers.
"Any more of that touchy-feely stuff and Taro's going to be jealous" Makoto chuckled from outside.
"This car was made for a speedy girl like me, Mako-chan!" the blonde bubbled. "It has Aino Minako written all over it!"
"And after you drive it, it'll have a mailbox or a telephone pole all over it" the brunette teased.
"Hmph!" The blonde's eyes swept around the car and she frowned when she spotted something unexpected on the floor. "Nani? Why are there three pedals?"
"That third one is the clutch, Minako-chan" Mamoru replied. "Didn't you cover the basics of how to drive a stick shift during your training class?"
"Clutch? Oh, yes! The clutch!" she giggled. "I know all about that, Mamoru-san" she lied. "It must have just slipped my mind. Silly me!"
Eventually she climbed out of her fantasy and Makoto whispered to her, "You have absolutely no idea what that clutch thing is for, do you?"
"Not really" Minako giggled. "But I'll bet Ami does! I'll ask her to tell me all about it later. And if she doesn't know, I'll... ask Usagi for help!"
"And yet another Aino Minako disaster looms large on the horizon" the brunette sighed.