Whoa. So. Holy crap. I haven't published a fanfic since 2011? And this is my first Sailor Moon fanfic. I hope this isn't too bad, and they are probably some grammar mistakes but let me know if I need to fix them.
This was written for keyofnik's Gargantuan Amounts of Friendship World Tour prompt on tumblr. Go check out the tag if you haven't, because its freaking awesome! My fic takes place in the Spring.
Cheers to a new story!
Title: The Sailor Senshi VS North Carolina
Summary: Written for keyofnik's Gargantuan Amounts of Friendship World Tour on tumblr.
Word Count: 3,635
Initially, there were no plans to visit North Carolina. However, somewhere along the tour, Usagi hears that Krispy Kreme doughnuts are the best doughnuts ever created, and they originated from The Tar Heel State. The rest of the girls argue that doughnuts are not worth stopping for, and Usagi sulks until Mamoru "casually" mentions that UNC Chapel Hill is considered "a step below Ivy League when it comes to the medical field." Ami's eyes show a slight interest, so Mako-chan ceases her arguing (which, to be honest, wasn't so whole hearted, as she wanted Usagi to be happy, but their budget couldn't afford a side trip just for doughnuts, logically, anyway) and says that this might be a good opportunity for Ami. With only Rei and Minako opposing, the group's leaning toward yes so they give up and go.
They fly to Fayetteville, mostly because it's a central-ish city so they can go to all their points of interest and be able to return back to an airport as soon as their done. Makoto's been through enough flights now to be somewhat calm and needs only half a sleeping pill. However, they've all unanimously agreed while she was asleep that they can take the bus if she seems like she's not up for it, regardless of whether she admits it or not, and they've sworn to Queen Serenity that they will not argue or complain. Plus, it's the third or second most populated city of North Carolina, so it's not unknown but not of mass overcrowd. Rei makes a bet with Usagi, however. If she can wait to try Krispy Kreme until the end of the trip, Rei will buy Usagi a dozen doughnuts, all for her. Usagi accepts with enthusiasm, and Minako snorts to herself, because she knows Rei will win this.
The first stop is Fayetteville Technical Community College's Rose Garden, which Mako-chan saw on a "This way" sign, is swooning over. (Let's pretend its Spring lol) There are many different roses, with lots of colors, and it's beautiful. Usagi is swooning as well, and taking lots of photos, but she insists that Mamo-chan's red rose will always be her favorite rose. Its Sunday, so there's no students or faculty, except four other people who are looking at the roses, one woman has a camera and her friend carrying a stand, the other two are a couple holding hands. Once the Senshi have taken all of the photos they can, they snap a group photo in front of the center fountain and Minako posts it to Instagram, then sees all of the roses that Usagi's uploaded.
They head back to the car, chattering about the beauty, when Makoto realizes she left her notebook with the rose names on the bench by the fountain, and turns to get it. She freezes. The rest all notice Mako-chan's stopped talking, and turn to see her staring out towards the fountain. They hush falls over them instantly. Makoto's eyes filled with a starry, daydreamy look of awe. Then man of the couple has gotten down on one knee. He's holding his girlfriend's hand and a ring in his other hand. The woman with her camera is snapping photo after photo, and her assistant is smiling with tears in her eyes. The moment the girl says, "I do," and embraces her new fiancé, the Senshi shriek with excitement. The couple looks over at the girls bounding toward them, stunned. "The blessings of Venus, the goddess of love are with you!" Minako cries happily, embracing the woman. The poor girl thanks her, and wonders if Minako's taking the same online Mythology class as she is. Mako-chan (who's been learning English from Ami) asks her what cake and flowers she'd want for the wedding, but blushes apologizes when she realizes she just said yes so she obviously wouldn't know. But the woman smiles and says that she's always wanted pink roses in her wedding, and that she loves Mako-chan's earrings; they're just the right accent of elegance for her wedding aesthetic. Mako-chan turns even redder, and says she'll be right back as she runs to the rental car with their luggage. Ami and Rei both offer and calm congratulations, and Rei smiles, knowing that there is a bright aura around the newly engaged.
Usagi's holding Mamo-chan close with joy, but spies the photographer and her assistant with their arms around each other, smiling but with a hint of sadness. She asks Mamoru to let her speak with them and translate (as he learned when he was going to go to America) because she knows that if there's someone showing sadness during a joyous occasion such as this, there's something horribly wrong. Mamoru agrees, and walks over to the women. He introduces himself and Usagi, then explains that she hasn't learned a lot of English yet, so he'll translate if necessary. Usagi asks them why they look upset if they're friends are happy, and the women explain that they are so happy for their friends, but it's also saddening for them, because they cannot marry. Usagi's confused, and Mamoru translates for her that gay marriage isn't legal in North Carolina, and when Mamoru translates the answer to Usagi's "Why?" Usagi is appalled. She thinks of Haruka and Michiru and her heart breaks. Then she's seething. And then something happens. Usagi, for a moment, is overcome with calm demeanor. She looks at the two women with benevolence, and says, in perfect English, "One day, you will be able to join in the union you deserve. The cosmos has blessed you, and you will have your day of love."
While this is happening, in the distant 30th Century, Small Lady Serenity notices her mother dose for a moment in the Crystal Palace's Rose Gardens. She smiles, and make note to bring her a cup of cocoa and a doughnut.
Back in Fayetteville, the two women are shocked and confused, but smile and thank Usagi for her prayers. They wish her and Mamoru happiness as well, and prepare to pack up the camera equipment. Usagi's eyes return to younger look of excitement, and whispers to Mamoru that as soon as they begin Crystal Tokyo, this law is the first one that will be abolished from the world.
Meanwhile, Makoto returns to the woman and hands her a small box. The woman is surprised and opens it, inside are a pair of pink rose earrings, identical to Makoto's. The woman shakes her head and insists she cannot take them, but Mako-chan says she has plenty of those same earrings, (as her parents got her a set for each birthday, and the Senshi all take turns to give her a set for each holiday. The one she's given the woman is from Senpai, actually, but she knows she's moved on from his memory and she wants someone to have them for a happy use.) The woman smiles and Mako-chan's elated from the thanks she's given. "Now," the woman smiles, "I have my 'something new.'"
The next stop is Raleigh. Rei, Ami, and Mamoru all take the day to explore downtown, and look at the Museums of Science and History. Minako and Usagi spend the first couple of hours with them, but leave when they realize the animals on display are taxidermy. Before they leave, they do stop at the butterfly room and both love it, and spend half an hour in there before grabbing lunch at the café next to butterflies. Usagi notices Minako's got a distant and sad look, and spends the next thirty minutes chatting with a surprisingly calm tone with Minako about random stuff from the tour and how she's glad that she's been able to spend this time with her. Minako doesn't answer as much as she normally would, but Usagi can tell by her smile that Minako is grateful for the distraction that Usagi's trying to provide.
(Then they get a text from Rei, saying they should go to the room by the café and meet them, and Usagi gets into a fight with her after she screams. "REI-CHAN WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN? I THOUGHT THAT HUGE PRAYING MANTIS WAS REAL!")
The Senshi watch a performance of cultural dances in the auditorium, with Rei taking notes on the belly dancers and their flaming swords and Mako-chan's in love with Chinese ribbons. Minako's quietly insisting that she could get her hair curlier than the Irish dancers', but Rei snorts.
During a speaking portion, Usagi quietly sneaks out for a restroom break. She spies the gift shop exiting when she's finished, and sees a sign through the glass window.
After the show, they all head out to the next location, which is the park, but only because Minako heard about the giant acorn that they keep there until they drop it on New Year's. They found it, in the center. Yes, jokes were made.
Also, they see flyers for the upcoming Animazment in May, and after some googling, they're surprised that they're known in North Carolina. Well, except for Minako. "Well, of course, we're all drop dead gorgeous soldiers!" She says with a hair flip and a playful wink.
On the bus to Chapel Hill, Usagi pulls out a bag that she got from the Museum gift shop. It's tiny, and filled with polished stones. She takes each one out carefully, and hands them out. For Ami, she's gotten an opal. For Rei, an amethyst. For Mako, a rose quartz. For Minako, she's actually gotten a little bottle of liquid that magnifies gold flakes. She then hands them each something else. Ami receives a ring shaped like a lily, set with a sapphire stone. Mako-chan's ring is a flower, set with a light colored jade. Rei's handed a star with a garnet in the center. And Minako tears up at hers. It's a butterfly, with a topaz in the center. The girls all laugh and thank Usagi, and all group hug (which is difficult on the bus). Usagi asks if she could maybe have a doughnut early, which is answered with Rei saying no and a lighthearted tongue insult. Usagi isn't upset, because she was able to buy crystal candy and of solidified sugar is colorful and sweet and she shares with Minako.
Later during the ride, Usagi pulls out another tiny bag, and hands Mamo-chan four stones, jadeite, nephrite, kunzite, and a zoisite. She says she knows that he didn't regain the original stones after Galaxia (because I feel like they remained in the Galaxy Cauldron when they weren't returned like it was said every other person was) and that she hopes these would ease the pain. Mamo-chan smiles and gives her a kiss of love and thanks. He doesn't tell her because she doses off, but he can feel warmth from these four stones, almost like a fluttering life.
When they arrive at UNC Chapel Hill, Ami's ecstatic. She and Mamoru immediately go off to sit it on some classes, while Usagi, Minako, Rei, and Makoto tour the school. Usagi's overexcited with the all you can eat dining hall, and in there they meet some Japanese foreign exchange students and ask them how they like North Carolina. They tell them it's exciting, but sometimes they miss home, and they miss the exciting news coverage on the Sailor Senshi, and they as if anything crazy has happened. Minako excitedly tells them that the Senshi are supposedly about to hit some big underground scandal and that Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon have officially gotten engaged. The students are excited and talk about how they need to Google it, but Rei shuts them down fast and says that the "underground scandal" is word on the street, and the press hasn't released anything yet. The students look slightly disappointed, but Usagi adds that Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask are engaged, and that's been reported on at least somewhat accurate tabloids. The students sigh with happiness and continue talking until they need to leave for class, and they exchange snapchats with the Senshi. When Rei demands why Minako would try to stir up trouble like that, she simply answers, "Because I didn't want them to be disappointed, and I knew you'd be able to cover anything I had missed, without destroying the whole story." Rei opens her mouth to argue, but lets it go because she did instinctively know what to improve to back Minako's story.
After eating, the girls walk to the building that Ami and Mamoru are currently in, and on the way there, some guys start hitting on Usagi. It's subtle at first, and since she doesn't know a lot of English, she tries to wave them away, until they start trying to cut her off. Mako-chan goes into instant defense mode, and punches one guy in the gut. The other makes a lunge towards her, but Minako knees him where it hurts punches him into the cement. Rei proceeds to scare the shit out of them by Akuryo Taisan-ing them. The spell keeps the guys a few feet away, but they linger so they can call the campus police about being attacked until Mamoru and Ami show up and eye them with hostility. Since Mamo-chan's wearing a (not green) blazer and his glasses, and Ami's got her schoolbag (since uses it as a purse as well, plus she's always carrying a book in there) and her glasses, the guys both assume it's a professor and a TA and scurry off. Ami asks what happened and Mako-chan informs her that the guys were bothering them, but not to worry because she just scared the shit out of them Ami's surprised that she could scare anyone, but Mako-chan assures her that she pulls of cool maturity and it intimidated them.
(Also, the Japanese students witnessed the whole thing from a distance. They can't confirm it, but they're in awe because they know somewhere deep down that they just met the Sailor Senshi. And they exchanged snapchats with them. They both silently swear to take this to the grave.)
The girls then head southeast to the city of Wilmington. Or, as Minako's read online, THE HOLLYWOOD OF THE EAST COAST. The college there is renowned for film studies and a handful of popular shows and movies were filmed there, Minako's notes teen dramas One Tree Hill and Dawson's Creek and films The Conjuring, We're the Millers, and Iron Man 3. It's also an ocean city, so they can all enjoy a spring breeze on the beach and feel closer to Michiru and Haruka since they haven't seen the Outer Senshi in a while.
The first stop upon arrival is EUE/Screen Gems Studios. Minako insists on using her Disguise compact to become Jennifer Lawrence and get them all in, but apparently they're allowed to tour as civilians. Minako's ecstatic and bouncing with flair, but gets rigid and still when the tour guide informs the group that being a drama queen isn't going to get anyone a gig anywhere except reality tv. And while Minako would love a reality show; the guide makes it sound like dirt and she's hurt. She still enjoys the tour, especially when the tour guide gets called out because his wife went into labor and they send in a new, upbeat guide. She seems to have graduated from UNCW's film program and speaks highly of the campus. When Usagi hears that there is another all you can eat dining hall, she demands that they visit, since "Rei-chan's a meanie and hasn't relented and let me try one doughnut!" This sparks another argument involving yelling and tongue sticking, but the rest of the group all chuckle and shake their heads.
At the campus, Minako sits in on a class that has a guest lecture-one of the producers of Silver Linings Playbook. Ami stops by the book store and Mako orders everybody drinks from the Starbucks that's downstairs. Minako snapchats everyone while she's in the lecture; it's in Lumina Theater, which is where they filmed a scene in The Conjuring. She also learns about the film festival, Cucalorus, which occurs in Wilmington every fall.
When the class finishes, Usagi urges them toward the dining hall and loves that there's a coffee station, a pasta station, and a pizza station. Ami settles for the sandwich station; they make wraps too and she can eat and read like she normally does. She's the most studious looking person in the hall, by far. She also eats a bowl of fruit and yogurt since she knows that she's been too excited from all the informative locations she's been to, she hasn't eaten as much as she normally would.. Makoto tries the pasta station; its good but she knows she can whip up a much better selection of pasta. Minako grabs a couple of grilled cheeses, and some fries and a salad. She's surprised at how the cheese is grilled perfectly; they almost match Mako-chan's grilled cheese. She's surprised when she realizes there's a tomato in the center, "Guys they stole Mako-chan's recipe!" But Makoto assures her it's common for people to make different grilled cheese sandwiches, and that there's a whole festival in some other state that consists of grilled cheese competitions. Rei eats a wrap and some pizza…and then she goes to grab some fries because Usagi stole some of her pizza. Usagi loves her pizza, because pizza is pizza and pizza's good. She also has some pasta made, alfredo with tomatoes and chicken. She sees the dessert bar (which she somehow missed) and Mamo-chan eats the rest of it, along with his wrap. They also all try a drink from the fountain called "Cheerwine," another thing birthed by NC. Usagi loves it, it's sweet and cherry and fizzy. Minako loves it too, and its extra fun because it gives her cherry lips. Makoto loves it but opts to drink more apple water, and Ami drinks at least five glasses of cucumber water. Rei's fine with her Coke. Mamoru drinks some milk, and when Usagi spies you can drink chocolate milk, too, she's downs about three glasses of it in seconds. She's stuffed when she's done, but she opts to make a trip to The Landing sandwich place on campus because she read on the campus dining page that they can make an ice cream sandwich with two freshly baked chocolate cookies. She gets simple vanilla, but having it between two warm and gooey cookies makes her life nirvana.
The group visits the beach at dusk, and it's cool and breezy and they all know that this is the beauty of the wind and the sea; this is the beauty of Haruka's and Michiru's bond and that they were made for each other. They miss them and laugh about the memories, and Minako gets a snapchat from Haruka of the Outers at a beach in Japan with the words "Missing you crazy kids J" And the group starts crying from happiness and nostalgia and Ami skypes them from her computer.
Right before they head back to the bus station, a guy stops Minako and begs her to come with him for a short half an hour, to which the Senshi get suspicious of this random guy and follow him to a set. He explains he's a casting director and he was short a few extras for Sleepy Hollow and if Minako can get prepped for backround now he'll sign for her to get paid triple what the other extras get paid for her initial appearance and whenever that episode is aired (which is roughly $80 and then $1.69, respectively, so $240 and $5.07) but Minako's so flattered that she insists that he doesn't need to pay her anything, but legally he does so she accepts anyhow. She's in and out in maybe an hour, and she's glowing and insists on signing autographs until Rei threatens to dye her hair while she's sleeping.
As they head back to Fayetteville, Usagi cries out, "HA! Rei-chan, you lost the bet." And sticks out her tongue. Rei grumbles that Usagi complained the whole time, and shouldn't get it, but resolves and buys her a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts when they get to Fayetteville. When Usagi takes a bite from the "hot and ready" doughnut, it melts in her mouth and she cannot describe how marvelous this doughnut tastes. She's ready to devour all of them, but she hands two to each of the Senshi and two to Mamo-chan and says she's happy that she had one. They all look at her with surprise and take a bite and even Mamoru's eyes turn into hearts because these doughnuts are delicious. Then Rei says "Hell with it, turn the car around." So she can order six more boxes from the drive-thru.
Later, on the bus ride to their next location, the group makes note of another trip to North Carolina, in the summer to go to Emerald Pointe, the Carolina's largest water park, and in the fall to go to Cucalorus and Usagi can try the ice cream place that's downtown that makes their own ice cream cones and she heard that you can smell the sugar from the street and the State Fair and to Carowinds to be in both North Carolina and South Carolina and then to be able to go to the Halloween themed Scarowinds at night. Usagi refuses until Rei calls her a scaredy-cat. More doughnuts are bet.
When Usagi falls asleep first, Makoto whispers to Rei that she knows that Rei gave in and gave her a doughnut before the bet was over, though Rei denies it. Makoto reassures her that it's okay, because they all gave Usagi a doughnut, too.
Also, I'd like to point out, I wrote this story on October 8-9, 2014 and on October 10, 2014, North Carolina legalized same-sex marriage. Is Neo-Queen Serenity's reign beginning or what?