Hello!
This is my first attempt at putting a fanfiction online. Go easy, and
please review!
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any
character featured. Also I do not own to soon to be mentioned other
series because this is a crossover.
Warnings/Comments: Ummm...
crossover, AU, romance, Makoto-centered, first person POV
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A little tinkle from the bell above the door rings as Mrs. Saito steps into my little shop. I am only open for an hour this morning, but she insisted on having to be here for an arrangement of flowers that she ordered yesterday.
"Welcome. Good morning Mrs. Saito." I greet her with a warm smile. She has been a customer since nearly the beginning, and I really appreciate her patronage, and her stories. Mrs. Saito is a terrible gossip. I know more about my little section of town than almost anyone else, I figure.
"Hello, my dear. Do you have those tulips I ordered yesterday?" She always had a twinkle in her eye when she talked. It almost went against her stern, gray hair pulled back in a tight bun.
"It's in the back, ma'am. I'll go get it."
I could still hear her voice as I moved into the cooler in the back to get the flowers. "I am sorry dear, for making you do this on such a special day, but I am visiting my granddaughter today and I told her I would get her the prettiest flowers the next time I visit, and you do have the prettiest flowers."
"Thank you, Mrs. Saito."
"Did you hear about the Tanaka family? Their daughter married a foreigner… too much of that has been happening…"
I let my mind wander as I retrieved the flowers and did the last bits of preparation on them for the sale. I listened with half a heart to Mrs. Saito, making a noise here or there to tell her I was listening.
Things are just too normal here. It made it hard to believe such a drastically different future is coming. I never quite believed the future of Tokyo would be Crystal Tokyo. Chibiusa obviously existed, and I have traveled to Crystal Tokyo personally and saw it with my own eyes, but something always tugged at the back of my mind that perhaps it wasn't meant to be. I would never bring it up to my friends, because the idea of doubt, especially of such a bright and wonderful future, would have scandalized them.
I wish I could ask Ami, because I feel she could have assuaged my doubts. All she had to do was learn the secrets of time-travel. I think she could have done it, too. After all, she was Mizuno Ami, Sailor Mercury, and one of the best minds in the world.
I can't even say why I doubted, I have no evidence that what I saw was a lie, but I knew Time-travel couldn't be as simple as it seems, and we have been amazingly dense in messing with it as we have.
"Here are you flowers, Mrs. Saito." I place them on the counter and begin ringing them up.
"They are lovely, dear. You sure do have a talent for it." She gets out her little glasses to inspect the flowers closer.
"Thank you, ma'am. I am glad you like them." Inside, I am doing a cheer at the praise. Even after all this time, small compliments still go a long way with me.
She pays me and takes her flowers with her. I wave out the door and she proudly walks with her little bundle cradled in her arms like a baby.
I continue my previous train of thoughts about the future. It would make sense to ask Setsuna. I want to ask her, but I have no way of contacting her. She prefers to guard in solitude and only reach out to us when she needs help. I think Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru know how to contact her, but asking them would raise questions that I don't want to answer.
That is why I worked so hard after "retiring" as a senshi. I wanted my dreams to come true before Crystal Tokyo happened, if it did come to exist. I also wanted to make sure my life wasn't on hold as if waiting for a Crystal Tokyo that could never happen.
The phone rings. "This is the Little Cake House. How can I help you?"
"Hi. It is Suzuki. I heard that you are closed today, is that true?"
"Yes, Ms. Suzuki. I will be closed today. I am sorry."
"It's alright. I guess I will just have to suffer through someone else's for lunch."
"You are too kind. I will be sure to have something extra special for you tomorrow."
"Oh, Wonderful. Your cakes are divine. I cannot wait. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Ms. Suzuki."
"Bye, hon."
The previous mentioned ambition was how I came to own a cake/flower shop on the first floor of my house. It took me six years out of high school to realize dream, but I did it. The place was perfect for me. I am currently living on the second floor, and make some extra money by renting out the third floor to a tenant.
It was a quaint little shop, tucked away among a growing group of apartments in the Azabu-Juuban district of Tokyo. I would have liked to have been a chef and to make it a full restaurant as well, but that would have taken up too much room and I wouldn't have been able to have the flowers. And I absolutely love working with the flowers; they give a nice ambience for the people who come in for coffee and cake. Plus, the flowers are just as popular as the cakes are.
I only opened a year ago, so business was still very sporadic, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I moved into the building three years before and started renting out the third floor two years ago. He's a bit of a strange boy, honestly. I think he was a freeter, bouncing between jobs, but at least he almost always paid on time. I think that is because he works part time at my shop right now. So I know how much he gets paid.
"Ichirou, I am locking up the store now." I call up the stairs. I know he can hear me. "You know the drill today. We are closed. No exceptions. Not even Ms. Kato."
I wait a moment. "Ichirou. Can you hear me?"
"Yes, yes. I hear you. I understand." I hear faintly through the stair well. Good.
The reason my thoughts keep going to Crystal Tokyo is that I've been more anxious about Crystal Tokyo recently. Usagi and Chiba are getting married this week and the future, Crystal Tokyo or another, is approaching rapidly. When I say this week, I mean today. This gorgeous Saturday afternoon, Usagi will have a beautifully simple western wedding. I am in charge of the floral and food, of course.
It will be nice to see everyone again, though. Usagi is staying with her parents in Azabu-Juuban until her marriage, so I get to see her and Chiba often. I actually see Minako and Usagi's mom much more than anyone, since we have been doing the wedding preparations together. Minako has been helping out as much as she can, since she lives in Tokyo as well, pursuing her idol career.
My cell phone rings this time. "Hello," I say into the phone as it is pressed up against my ear. I am juggling three bags and keys right now.
"It's Minako. Are you coming yet?" Her voice is anxious. She has probably just gotten there and panicked. I have some important things with me.
"Yes, I am just locking up right now." I withhold the urge to sigh at her anxiousness. I would be acting the exact same way. "With bus and subway, I should be there in about 40 minutes. That should be plenty of time." I pause for a second. "Is Rei there, yet?"
"Yes, she got here a half hour ago. She has been so nervous you would think she would be the one getting married."
We share a small laugh at that. Rei had commonly stated in high school that she didn't like men very much and didn't plan to have anything to do with them. I think her current boyfriend, Chiaki, has her believing different now.
It will be exciting to see Rei again. I haven't seen her for a few months. She moved to Ise after high school to advance her studies in being a priestess at Ise Jingu, the biggest Shinto shrine in all of Japan, and Kougakkan University, one of the two universities authorize to teach people to become a Shinto priest or priestess. She visits every once in awhile, but can't make it to Tokyo that often. Of course, Rei made it into town for the wedding.
Of course, it will be awesome to see Ami as well. She moved to Germany as planned way back in high school. We talk over the internet and instant message each other often. Modern technology is wonderful. I miss Ami more than I expected. She was my best friend, and I haven't seen her in person for over five years. She is due to arrive in about an hour.
In fact, many people that I haven't seen for a long time are here. First, the Sailor Quartet: Jun, Ceres, Palla, and Vesta arrived last week. Umino and Naru came back for the wedding, along with Yuuchirou and Motoki. Yaten, Seiya, and Taiki have already been here awhile, along with their princess, Kakyuu.
Diana and Chibiusa can't be here, because there is something about time travel/important events that Pluto warned us about and prohibited them from showing up. It actually made me feel a little better, knowing that we were preventing a catastrophe, even if that meant Chibiusa couldn't be with us.
"Alright. I will call you when I am close. Don't worry. It will be good to see everybody again." I say into the phone.
"You better not be later than 40 minutes, or I will come drag you by your hair, Mako." I am glad I can hear the smile in her voice. Otherwise I would be a little worried, Minako can be vicious.
"Bye. See you soon."
"Bye."
Thinking about everyone showing up, Setsuna is actually planning on being there for the wedding. I might ask her about my suspicions about time travel if I get the chance to talk to her. It might be my only opportunity to raise my doubts without troubling everyone.
If anyone finds out about my worries, everyone will know, even as far apart as we all are. The cats, Luna and Artemis, are terrible gossips. The say it's part of group harmony and maintaining contacts between us, but I just think they enjoy talking, especially since we are the only ones they can talk to.
Like the fact that I even know about Chiaki, Minako's boyfriend Sano, or even Ami's boyfriend Kudo. How two Japanese people meet in Germany to fall in love, I have no idea. Hotaru even has a boy, Hanazawa.
It is a little sad that I won't have a date for the wedding. Shingo, Usagi's younger brother, ended up being my "date" for ceremonial purposes. I have been keeping myself wrapped up in my work and wedding preparation to really be looking for dates recently, at least that is my excuse. Honestly, after some more spectacular failures right out of high school, even more heartbreaking than the ones in high school, I gave up the dating game for a while.
The fall breeze is cool as I step outside. It is almost with a heavy heart as I lock the front door to my little shop. This is the first time I have closed the shop, except on my weekly Tuesdays. The wedding isn't until 2 o'clock, but I need an early start to make sure all the food and flowers are perfect before the wedding. I juggle my bags as I slip my keys into the purse.
I also need time to change into my powder pink dress. It is not my first choice of dress, but Usagi's theme is white and pink, with plenty of rabbits and moon everywhere for motifs. We are even having the wedding on the traditional day of moon-viewing, when there is a full moon in September.
I swear, even the weather is cooperating for Usagi. Lucky girl. Or maybe she had some help from the Ginzoushou. Though, I doubt she would use the powers for that purpose. That seems a little extreme, and against her principles. But weddings do funny things to people. There is a reason the term Bridezilla was created.
