This was written for the Miracle Deluxe! ( ) Prompt #4 Fresh Precure. Erin who is running Miracle Deluxe was kind enough to reblog it despite the fact that it was late. (I thought I would have the first week of June like the Prompt #3 had the first week of May to finish their posts - it got an extra week due to lack of submissions during April in an attempt for more. Fresh did not have that problem.).
Dedicated to June of . I have been following her since her Digimon fan art and had my love of the Sailor Moon anime reignited by her. Now, I have joined the fans of Pretty Cure since she started blogging it.
Tokyo, 0720
"Kento, do you have your things together?" his wife's voice echoed down the hallway as the young man finished pulling both his jacket on and briefcase up from the table as she came to join him.
"Yes Buki, I have my things, including the snacks you always make," her husband teased her as he leaned down and placed a kiss on her lips, a humored smile on hers. "Don't worry about it my Hime, the opening of the academy is perfectly planned with enough allowances in the schedule for if things go well or don't."
"I know, I know. It is just that you are the one who set the academy up and I want everything to go right for you," she said as she carefully hugged him to her.
"Hey, after four years of marriage and the adventures where you helped me out as Cure Pine, I would hope I rated some confidence," he teased her only for her to pound on his arm. "Don't worry Buki, everything will work out today. After all, Love is going to be there as a member of the staff and the head of the phys ed department. And you know she would enthusiasm roll over anything that got in the way," he added, smiling as she started to laugh at the ongoing joke that Love's enthusiasm was a steam roller analogue.
"That...is true...so true..." she managed to get out, a smile on her face as she finally got her laughter under control and looked up, only for him to capture her lips in another kiss.
"Don't worry about it. Go and finish with your customers at the veterinary hospital. After all, this is the last day you have before you are no longer allowed to work with any animals besides our own menagerie," he pointed out.
"She better like animals," was half scowled and half teased at the bulge that was her pregnancy. Her doctor was insisting that she end her practice today since she had several reactions to the various chemicals that her parents and the owners of the pets had used with their animals.
Since she had not liked the effects, she was not intending to ignore the prescribed maternity leave. She definitely had permission from her doctor and her family both to hate the fact it had to occur.
"Take care of Buki for me," Kento said as he turned to the floating Pretty Cure fairy that was paired with his wife. At it's chirp of assurance he kissed her one more time and, with a wave to the two of them, headed off to work.
Mikoshiba Enterprises would not run itself without it's chief executive officer after all.
Yamabuki "Buki" Inori smiled as she turned to gather her things even as Kirun was floating around her head. Grabbing her summer coat she headed for the entry way where her keys and purse were and decided that she didn't need anything else. Only to turn around when Kirun reminded her of her own food that she had prepared.
Laughing she headed for her parent's home and business, Kirun riding on her shoulder as they pulled out of the garage in her personal car. That was one way that they were different than most couples who one member ran a zaibatsu: each was as likely to drive themselves as rely on a company car. It did make things interesting when Kento's car was where he wasn't but that was a hazard of their simplicity.
She still didn't know how she convinced him of it other than she had emphasized the independence aspect. Smiling she turned into her childhood neighborhood and her family's business.
Tokyo, 0733
"Come on," the young man laughed out loud as his fiancée smacked him as she finally passed him at the doorway to their hotel room. "I don't want to miss the opportunity to surprise Kento with the fact that I am actually using the tickets to the opening ceremony he provided me with," the man said as he walked along next to the woman.
"Chinen Daisuke?" was the pointed question directed his way.
"Yes, Misato?" he asked calmly.
"Shut up," she ordered and was not surprised that he did so. After all, he was the first to admit when asked that the goofball behavior was an act he had begun to entertain. For the most part he would clarify. He really was a goofball he had no problem admitting. She looked over and saw the amused grin and smacked him in the shoulder before she finally wore one of her own. "So your best friend in junior and senior high now runs the family zaibatsu and has decided to open an all ages academy for what reason?"
"It is international so people who wish to apply from other countries can. The goal is to make the students as universal as they can be while challenging them at their own pace. That means that some subjects will see people that are traditionally to young and times when the older students will still be at that level, even if it's just for a review period.
"He wants to take the best of all schools in this academy."
"And you have any other friends working for him here?" she asked. Only to raise her eyebrows at the look of indecision on Daisuke's face. "Should I say former friends?" she restated the question.
"No, just the then girl I crushed on for six years once I realized what an attractive thing the other planet's inhabitants were," he answered, earning a smack at her preference for the Mars-Venus relationship books. Smiling he continued. "Momozono Love was, for the adolescent Daisuke, the perfect person to crush on." Turning his grin to Misato, he continued on. "Emphasis on the adolescent Daisuke to crush on. When I ran into her a couple of years ago the friendship was there but there was no pressing desire to have more with her.
"Of course, the fact that a lady of a certain Aioba family had captured my attention at that point," he teased, earning yet another smack and an averted blush on her face. "Later tonight we will be meeting up with Kento and his wife Inori. I understand that she is not able to make it today, preferring to see that last of her regular patients at her family's veterinary hospital."
"She loves animals?" Misato asked, glad they were moving on from his teasing of her and her less than hidden crushing behavior back then.
"Always has. Her father was renowned as an animal talker who knew how to understand what was wrong with the patients he treated. He is still regarded as the best outside of his daughter. Inori is better than he is."
"She gets accused of talking to them directly?" Misato asked as she looked over at Daisuke as they waited with the rest of the crowd to cross the current street in their travels.
"With do cause but that is something she needs to tell you of should she wish. No one in Yotsuba will discuss it unless they know it has been discussed. Just one of those things," he said with a shrug, before he helped her up into the bus that they were taking to the stop in front of the academy.
"So, how do I discuss that with her without her taking offence?" she asked after Daisuke introduced her to the driver and they had moved onto their own seats.
"Don't worry, the reason will not stay out of the way," was the last cryptic comment he would say on the subject, spiking her curiosity even more than he had before.
She was more interested in the fact that a number of other people were matching his smile regarding it. 'Curiouser and curiouser', she quoted the British novella's line to herself.
Tokyo, 0734
London, 2334
"We are rocking ladies! Wait another half hour and we will be ready for the final photo set," the lead photographer shouted to cheers. It had been an exhausting five day tour of the European capitals after all, with lots of day and night shooting of fashions native to each country.
Here in London the frantic schedule was over and done with. One last photo shoot and everyone would be able to actually sleep in a hotel bed in the morning as opposed to the latest plane flight for how ever long that took. Everyone was feeling it and, when the camera was not flashing showing it. Save the one person whose tag line was "I'm Perfect!".
Aono Miki was a lavender haired goddess of Japanese origin who always put her all into whatever she worked on, admitting when needed, that she found something where she was not perfect in or at. She also worked, preferably with media coverage so the awareness is increased, at whatever children's hospital was closest to her photo shoots. One thing about this whirlwind photography tour was that she was going to have to backtrack over the next two weeks so that she could visit the hospitals she had to miss because of it.
As always she was stretching out by going through several dance routines that she also did to keep herself in shape. Karen Reynolds, England's model on this tour, whistled in appreciation. "How can you do it every day?" the red head asked as she pulled her lightweight jacket on, the London night being just chilly enough.
"I have been doing multiple physically intensive activities since I was fourteen and involved in the beginning of my modeling career. This is nothing," she answered with a smile as she twirled in place as part of the routine.
"I would like to have your endurance," Karen wistfully said as she picked up her water bottle.
"Not with what I have had to do to earn this conditioning," Miki answered, a slight frown on her face.
"It involves that blue key fairy I occasionally see with you?" Karen asked quietly as she stepped next to Miki. The two of them had worked multiple photo shoots together and she had seen the fairy several times.
"Yes, but then I have told you that before," Miki answered with a teasing smile.
"Oi! will the two of you pick a language?" Matthias, the coordinator of everything in prep and on site, called over. "I swear the two of you switch languages every sentence."
The ladies just stuck their tongues out at him and then Karen turned back to Miki. "I want to know just one thing: why are you having Matthias force the British studio he is employing to have that broadcast from Nippon?"
"A new international academy is opening tomorrow and with the time difference I need to have him browbeat the Brits into providing me a live viewing. After all, one of my best friends is the physical education department head and another's husband is the one who is creating the academy.
"I want to see the opening ceremony. The weird thing is that we are having the departments present themselves in reverse Latin alphabetical order. So the administration will be the last to introduce themselves."
"Is there a surprise in the administration staff?" Karen offered, Matthias commenting "Mandarin is good," as she switched to one of the languages he knew only to repeat it in English when Miki actually paused her movements, her Mandarin not one of her strong points.
"I don't think so," Miki replied in English as well. "At least there is nothing that indicates that. But then, I don't know." A final flourish and she was done. "Well, I am going to get a small salad and then wait for the live news coverage. Want to join me?" she asked as she picked up her own windbreaker jacket.
"Of course," Karen said, flashing her a smile that Miki matched.
About half an hour to the midnight hour in London and the eight am opening ceremony for the Mikoshiba International Academy.
Tokyo, 0741
"Oh damnit! Mom and Setsuna would be so unhappy with me," the woman said as she finished securing the strap on her dress sandal and grabbed the protein shake she had sat next to herself. Twisting the cap off as she stood, she grabbed her briefcase and slung it over her shoulder even as she took a sip of the shake. "I am so going to be late!" she moaned as she looked at the clock in the entryway. "I will see you tonight Usapyon!" Love called back to the stuffed animal where it sat on the couch waiting for another movie night with Love and Chiffon, knowing that without Chiffon's magic, she would be able to respond only in the Land of Toys.
Locking the door behind her she turned and blinked before she broke out into a smile of welcome. "Kazuki-kun!" she shouts in greeting as she bounces down her walkway to greet the young doctor. "How are you?" she demands with a grin as she glomps him in a hug.
"Doing well Love-san. Doing well," he replies with a laugh as he returns her hug. "Let me guess: running late?"
"Yes," she replies with a smile and a raspberry.
"Good thing I have a car of my own then?" he teased even as he opens the door to the passenger side for her.
"Wait, you are going to Mikoshiba International as well?" Love asks him as she pulls the briefcase's strap off her shoulder.
"Yes, you are looking at their on site doctor," he replied with a grin.
"That's wonderful!" Love replied as she slid into the seat and, placing her briefcase on the floor, pulled her seatbelt in place. "This is so cool. I normally walk if I am not using the buses or trains to get around Yotsuba and Tokyo. I like the chauffer service," she teased him.
Kazuki laughed. "Yes, enjoy it. I can't allow my oni-chan's friend to be late on the first day of our jobs can I?" he teased back as he pulled into the street proper. "Any particular reason you were running late?" he asked as he turned into the main street, merging into the flow of traffic with no effort.
"Couldn't sleep. Previously Chiffon was present to make me go to sleep but she went back to the Sweets Kingdom to visit King Tarte and Queen Azukina. Supposedly she should be home today. I am sure if she is not there she will be at Kaoru's cafe though she might surprise me by showing up at the opening ceremony."
"She ever talk about Setsuna?" he asked as he reached their entry to the freeway.
"She visits her about half as much as she visits here but then she has three of us here on Earth. Only one of us lives in what was Labyrinth so she doesn't spend as much time there as she would here."
"Still miss Setsuna?" was the quiet question.
"Of course, she is my friend who I rescued from the evil of Moebius. Of course I will always miss her. But she, Soular and Westar are helping Labyrinth learn to be individuals in addition to no longer relying on the super computer that was Moebius. One day she will be able to return to visit or even have a second home here. But that is then, this is now.
"Which means we must focus on making the opening ceremony as awesome for the students as we can!" she proclaimed as she pumped her arm in a victory gesture as Kazuki laughed. Smiling at him she finished her shake and capped it again before she realized she didn't see a bag or bin for garbage or recycling.
"Drop it behind your seat Love-san. It is the recycling bin. Garbage is in the bin behind mine," he volunteered even as he maneuvered them to the correct exit.
"Thank you Kazuki-kun!" Love said as she reached behind her and dropped the bottle into the bin, a clinking sound from the can's reaching her ears told her she had succeeded in dropping it correctly.
"So who else have you met?" she asked as their destination came into view.
"Pretty much no one outside of my department. We are lucky in the sense that we have a rotating staff of six nurses, with a four hour overlap since we have a night shift as well."
"That's a given with the housing for the out of towners, never mind the international students. Everyone is fluent in English as well as Japanese correct?"
"Yes, King Amanda, sorry, Amanda King is a native speaker of English and a near native one of Japanese given her father is American and her mother is Japanese. Only occasionally have I had to explain a concept to her when the Japanese confuses her."
"Oh that's great. The students will love having someone who knows both languages to practice with!"
"The staff will as well, at least the male portion. She doesn't match Oni-chan or you three but she is definitely attractive," Kazuki pointed out as he pulled into the parking space for him.
"Oh, the best of mixed features?" she asked as she undid her seatbelt and picked up her briefcase.
"Yes, no doubt about it," he replied as he got out of his car.
"And you are as attracted," she stated as she came around and joined him as they walked toward the entrance to the building.
"And no matchmaking from you regarding anyone who is on the staff!" he sternly warned her as he looked over at her.
"Hey, I haven't done that since I insisted Yumi's crush date her!" Love responded, affronted.
"Oni-chan made it clear that was your modus operandi," Kazuki teased her back.
"Mou...," Love responded, pouting as she fell silent, Kazuki merely smiling at calling her on her reputation.
"Hey, Kazuki, how did you know I was a member of the faculty?" Love asked as a thought occurred to her.
"I saw your name listed on the confirmed staff listing. After all, how many Momozono Loves are there who use the English word for their name?" he teased her again, only to earn a glare and a smack on the shoulder. "Hence I figured it was you and also figured you might be running late. After all, Oni-chan always told me you took a bit to get going at times."
"I need to embarrass your sister at some point," Love scowled, only to give in and smile at Kazuki's laughter.
Tokyo, 0745
"Right, now I will be the first person to speak, opening the ceremony and then I will follow you as the last speaker. Is there anything else that we need to take into account?" Kento asked the one person he was with, the other two not actually joining the academy except as general purpose employees.
"No," she replied as she shook her head. "There is no other concerns I have. I think this plan will be an awesome way of accomplishing our joint goals."
"You will do wonderful," the other woman present beamed at her.
"I know, I know. This is the perfect way of carrying it out," she said with a sigh filled with a mix of emotions. "Thank you again Kento-kun."
"Not a problem. Good luck and everything," Kento said as he stood to head to where the last preparations were being accomplished.
"Everything will be fine sis," the man said, flashing a smile and a thumbs up at her, the other woman making enthusiastic overtures herself. "And we even have discussed the various time frames for the reaction," he teased her.
"I know. I know. Still doesn't deal with the butterflies."
"Can't have everything," the man laughed with a warm smile.
Tokyo, 0748
"Hello Kento-kun! Or should it be Mikoshiba-San?" Love asked as she and Kazuki greeted him as he entered the courtyard that adjoined the field where the opening ceremony was being held.
"I think it can be just Mikoshiba when it's public, Kento-kun when we are not public. After all you will be one my children's god parents Love-chan. The same applies to you Kazuki-kun."
"Thank you Kento-kun," Kazuki replied with smile. "I do have a question though: who is our administrator? There was no name listed yet in the employee listing that I have on file. Not to mention several other positions still unfilled."
"Don't worry, you will like the person. As for the rest of the positions, they are filled, we just have not processed their final hire paperwork. Make sure that you two are in the front row," was the cryptic response issued with a slight smile. "Now, off to make final check with the team recording this for the web cast. Talk to you two later," he said as he walked by them and into the media division's portable trailer.
"Did you follow that?" Love asked as she looked after her friend's husband and her boss.
"Nope. I expect that it will make itself known in due time. Oni-chan is still in Europe I know and she didn't major in anything useful to an academy's operation. Don't know who it could be," he said with a shrug as he looked at Love.
"We will find out soon enough. He pointedly said front row. So, lets get a pair of seats in front or the immediate sides of the podium," she replied as she motioned toward the presentation area.
"Ladies first," Kazuki said with a bow.
"Alright," Love called out laughingly as she preceded him toward the area in question.
Tokyo, 0858
London, 0058
"Oh My God! When did Kazuki get a job with Mikoshiba?"
Karen looked over at her friend who was staring slack jawed as she looked at the screen showing the opening ceremony for the Academy she had a friend working for. "I take it this Kazuki is a friend of yours as well?" she asked Miki.
"God no, its worse: he is my baby brother!"
"And he kept his new job from his big sister?" Karen asked, already knowing the answer. From the pain filled expressions surrounding them, other people had come to the same conclusion that Aono Miki could reach inhumanly high volume when she was shocked.
"And mom!" was the reply as Miki continued to watch her brother introduce himself, personally and professionally, to much amusement and applause. He then asked his staff to come up and gave a quick run down of each as they stood next to him.
"Do not blame the audience for the enthusiasm shown when he introduced Intern King," Karen said as she sat back down with another salad; she treated them as snack and desert when they were available.
"Wonder if big sister should try matchmaking," was the mumbled reply from the pouting woman next to her.
"Still pissed that he kept it from you?" Karen asked as she picked up a cherry tomato and tossed it into her mouth, it being the best vegetable from across the Pond in her opinion.
"What is the first clue," was the glare directed toward her.
"So, you have a brother complex?" Karen asked, hiding the smile from her friend.
"Not Toya from CardCaptor Sakura. Or equivalent!" was the response.
"Definitely have a brother complex," was said right before a mouthful of salad was placed in her mouth.
"KAREN!"
Tokyo, 1048
"And now for the actual school administrator. This lady I have had the pleasure of knowing for a number of years through the friendship she has with my wife. While she has not had the opportunity to attend the campuses she has earned degrees from their online/correspondence programs. Specifically a bachelor of science in business from Tokyo U, a masters in leadership psychology from University of Berkley, California, USA and a native fluency rating for both Japanese and English."
Kento had reclaimed the podium to introduce the final staff member of note, her brother and his wife being support staff instead of actual administrators. He was being very careful not to smile more than slightly. He knew he had Love's interest peaked; both she and Kazuki had sat up at full attention, having sat next to each other in the first row as he suggested. Needless to say the look of consternation as they tried to figure it out was expected.
"Now, without further ado, I present our administrator," he said, blanking his face as he stepped away and the mysterious woman stepped out onto the stage.
Tokyo, 1048
"Hey, Buki the administrator is coming on."
Buki looked up as she turned toward the TV that was displaying opening ceremony, idly scratching the ear of the dog that was her current patient, Kirun on her shoulder. They were waiting for the x-ray machine to be set up to view the dog's stomach which was feeling awful so she was keeping the Labrador and her owner's mother, who had brought her in, company.
"Now, without further ado, I present our administrator," her husband said as he stepped away and the mysterious woman stepped out onto the stage.
Other than her hair was much longer, Buki would have recognized her anywhere. Her eyes wide she stepped away from the exam table and pulled her linkrun from her pocket. "Answer you wonderful bastard," she half scowled, half warbled from joy as she dialed her husband, her patient understandably reprioritized for the moment.
Tokyo, 1048
London, 0248
"The BITCH!" was the shout of joy as Karen moved away from her friend, rubbing her ears. "Blun...its Akarun that can teleport isn't?" The fairy just chirped affirmative and were those ear plugs in it's ears?
Earplugs that were sounding divinely inspired accessories right now Karen mused to herself as Miki started showing that not only was she capable of communicating in several languages, she was fluent in the profanity of several more.
Tokyo, 1048
"Hello everyone. My name is Higashi Setsuna," she said with a bow before she took the podium properly. "I had briefly attended Yotsuba Junior High school when I lived here in Yotsuba and always viewed it as my first true home. I had always intended to return here when I was done with helping my family finish it's self appointed task and thanks to Mikoshiba Kento-san I have the opportunity to not only return but also help the next generation find it's purpose and happiness both.
"I will try and meet with every member of the staff in the next week and hope to have met almost all if not all of the students by the end of the next full month. We have a unique opportunity to create a model for others that are interested in..."
Whatever the rest of her speech was to be, it was interrupted by a shouted "Setsuna!" and a Love shaped missile knocking her from the podium. A couple seconds of shocked silence passed before Mikoshiba-san took the podium again, looking at a stopwatch in his hand.
"With eight seconds to go on that tier's time-frame. Don't worry everyone, Momozono-san's reaction was anticipated given the fact that her family hosted Higashi-san when she lived here in Yotsuba. We actually had several reaction time frames that we expected her to react in. And your welcome as well my love," he said as he addressed the cameras holding up his cell phone. "My wife is also one of the people who befriended Higashi-san all those years ago," he added as the audience started chuckling, his cell phone's ring tone ending mid-ring, apparently because his wife had hung up for the moment.
"Now let's move onto the closing comments..."
To the side of the stage, Love held Setsuna to her where they lay after the glomping occurred. "I am in trouble aren't I?" she asked her friend.
"I don't care Love. I am home here in Yotsuba," Setsuna said, tears in her eyes as she looked up at her friend.
"Welcome home Setsuna," Love replied, tears in her eyes before she pulled her friend to her in a fresh hug, not bothering to even sit up before hand.
Tokyo, 1123
London, 0323
"How many languages is that?" one of the costumers asked.
"I counted twelve," his coworker said as they watched Aono Miki rage at her friend and the husband of another friend from where the courtyard was. The final photo set of the London shoot was shot; she has been raging for at least a half hour so far since her other friend glomped the one she was so angry about.
"Fifteen with another four languages curse words outside of a sentence," Karen clarified. She had gotten out of the way with their salads and was finishing off what Miki had left, scowling at the dressing that Miki had chosen for hers.
"When do you think she will calm down?" Matthias asked from Karen's other side. Trading looks with the blue fairy that traveled with Miki, Karen just shrugged. "That was what I was afraid of," he sighed as he pinched the last of the salad leaves from Miki's plate.
Tokyo, 1323
"Kento!"
"Yes Buki?" her husband asked mildly as she stalked toward him. She was doing a fantastic job of doing so as well, despite being the most unthreatening member of the four friends. He had seen Aono Miki displeased and he really did not like getting on Setsuna's bad side since she was once quite focused on the infliction of misery - the fact it was when she was Eas of Labyrinth did nothing to change that Setsuna had skill at it. The fact that Buki was just about into her sixth month of pregnancy did not help her image as being threatening either.
"How dare you keep that from me!" she shouted as she stepped next to him.
"Would you have been able to keep it from Love?" was the response.
"That is why you kept it from me! I asked how!" was the flustered return.
"Simple: I wanted it to be a surprise for Love."
"I hate that I can't hate you," Buki scowled before she hugged him to her. Kissing his cheek she turned and looked around, spying her friends instantly off to the side at the food tables behind her husband. Dashing over she was held tight to her friend, both hugging the other intently. "Welcome home Setsuna," she simply said.
"Thank you Buki," Setsuna replied as she held her second friend amongst the group to her. Pulling back they welcomed Love into a three way hug, the two ladies dishes on the table next to them. "Grab a plate Buki," Setsuna said as they broke apart.
"I will," Buki replied, wiping her eyes of the tears in them, not needing to comment on the similar actions on Setsuna and Love's part.
"We are going to gather everyone tonight for a welcome home party Buki. We hope, given the time difference, Miki will have had a chance to sleep by that point so she will be somewhat rational." From the expression that Buki was shooting her, Love could only agree that it was a forlorn hope. "That said we are going to have Tarte and Azukina show up for it as well. Chiffon said she would be glad to get the two of them for us."
"Has she shown yet?" Buki asked as she finished with the salads they had backtracked to for her.
"No she hasn't but that doesn't mean anything," Setsuna said as they moved back along the reception's food tables to where she and Love had been at when Buki arrived. "She knows she can't show because she is a fairy native to the Sweets Kingdom," only to pause and look up at where Pirun, Kirun and Akarun were flying around above their heads, "and here I am being reminded that in Yotsuba that is not necessarily a problem." Her two friends laughed at her amusingly chastised expression.
"No it's not. Everyone pretty much knows that we are Pretty Cure after all," Love said, a malicious smile appearing on her face. "Here, let me take your plate," she said as she picked Setsuna's out of her hands.
"Love, what is ..." only for her to be interrupted as "Setsuna-mama!" was the only warning she had before a teenage missile hugged her, knocking her to the ground. "What the?" she managed to get out before realizing that Buki had set her plate down and was laughing into Love's shoulder as Love tried to balance both her and Setsuna's plates and the two Sweet Kingdom rulers that were suddenly on her, Tarte opposite Buki's shoulder and Azukina on Love's head.
Comprehension visibly dawned into Setsuna's eyes and she looked down at the teenage girl who had glomped her just as Love had done that morning. Chocolate brown eyes blinked up at her framed by a pair of pink pigtails. The skin color seemed to be Love's skin tone as was the absolutely mischievous grin that was on the teenager's face. With the exception of it being white, her clothing matched what Setsuna had worn once upon a time here in Yotsuba.
"CHIFFON!" immediately preceded a counter glomp as Setsuna hugged the teenager that she had helped raise once upon a time.
"Oh, she came to greet her other mother?" Kento asked as he stepped over to see what the commotion was all about. "Carry on with the family reunion," he said as he kissed Buki's cheek before he snagged a carrot off her plate and returned to the reporters he had been talking to. A couple had confused looks but kept quiet since the local ones obviously knew what was happening or at least could figure an explanation that worked for them.
An incline of his head was the only acknowledgement Kento gave to the man who passed them and waved a greeting to him, his curiosity about the woman with him kept off his face.
"OK," the man said to the woman, "now is as good a point in time to introduce you to them, despite the fact that they are down one member," he said as they walked over to where Love was helping Setsuna up, Chiffon having levitated herself to a standing position. "Oh, yeah, those three get an introduction as well," he said as he watched her stare at the pink, red and yellow...animated keys that were swirling around in what seemed to be a greeting of one another.
"This will be interesting," she said as she looked at them, only to change her attention to Kento as he joined them.
"It will be. Everyone this is Aioba Misato. From the top, lets start with the married couples. You saw Mikoshiba Kento as he presented the academy this morning, the lovely woman with him is his wife Yamabuki Inori though we call her Buki in the family. Next, the not ferrets are from a reality called Sweets Kingdom. This is Tarte," he said as he pointed to the gray one who had jumped to the table, "and his wife Azukina," he pointed as she joined him.
"Pleased to meet you," Tarte said with a bow while Azukina agreed with a curtsy.
"You did say they were not ferrets," Misato said with an uncertain smile, their speaking having thrown her for a loop, despite the fact she had seen and Daisuke had confirmed their arrival seemingly from thin air. "Pleased to meet you as well," she offered, a little overwhelmed. She then looked at the two women and the teenager with them.
"This is Momozono Love, one of my longest friends of the female species," he teased, earning a smack from Misato, "her friend and companion Higashi Setsuna, and the..." he paused as he tried to reconcile Chiffon's normal form without being insulting.
"Marshmallow puffball?" Chiffon offered to laughter around.
"...thank you for giving a description that actually is close to what I was thinking of. When she is not in her human form she can be described as such or my variant of a marshmallow teddy bear. She is also a fairy from the Sweets Kingdom...you three are fairies correct?" he asked the three of them.
"Yes, we are cute, cute fairies," Tarte proclaimed with theatrical gestures, eliciting laughter from everyone, including a slightly less unsure one than before from Misato.
"Anyways, Chiffon was a baby when Tarte first brought her to our reality. The four girls became parents for her though I am concluding that we will be meeting the fourth one tonight? Or is it tomorrow?"
"Tonight, she should have slept enough," Chiffon piped up.
"Wait, why do you..." Love started.
"...know that she is asleep?" Setsuna finished as they looked at the teenager.
"Because I put her to sleep before I came here," Chiffon said, finishing rather sheepishly.
"Is she safe?" Buki asked for everyone.
"Yes, she is with her friend Karen Reynolds Buki-mommy," Chiffon answered.
"Tarte?" Love asked.
"They were headed to their hotel rooms," Tarte responded.
"Don't worry Love, we made sure that they were fine. Blun saw us and indicated that Karen was a friend," Azukina spoke up.
"...before or after Chiffon made Miki fall asleep?" was the simultaneous comment from Love and Setsuna.
"...after mamas," Chiffon offered.
"Excuse us Misato," Love said as she took one of Chiffon's arms.
"We need to have a word with Chiffon," Setsuna said as she took the other.
"That is not good. Miki is the disciplinarian normally," Buki mused to herself.
"Ah, you know how it is," Tarte said with a shrug. "the papa is not here so it falls to the mamas."
"Only with Chiffon," Azukina said with a smile.
"Come on you two, lets get you off the tables and with your own plates of food. And ours," Daisuke said as he paused for a moment and then located where the food began. It was several minutes before they returned to where they had met up, Daisuke and Kento carrying Love and Setsuna's plates while Misato and Buki carried Tarte and Azukina's, the two fairies riding on the shoulder of the person who had their plate.
"Hello Chiffon. Any issues?" Daisuke asked as the two women and the teenager rejoined them, a plate partially assembled in the teens hands.
"...grounded," was the mumbled response.
"Oh well, little more planning?"
"Yes," she said as she chose her pasta dish and added it to the plate, Love and Setsuna taking theirs back from the guys.
"Now that we have dealt with that, lets move on shall we? Oh wait, does this mean that Soular is here as well?" Love asks as she sees Westar walking up, a woman laughing with him.
"Ah, Nishi Hayato and Manna. They are also staff members with Hayato working in janitorial and Manna in the secretary pool," Kento volunteered the name of each.
"Hayato?" Love asked as she and Buki looked first at him and then at Setsuna.
She shrugged. "We each had a name provided for us when we were sent to find Infinity. Higashi Setsuna turned to be as valid as Eas was. Westar was named Nishi Hayato while Soular was named Miniami Shun."
"Wait. You introduced them together," Buki observed.
"Hello everyone. I would like to introduce you to Manna," Hayato said as he gestured to the woman next to him, her pale blond hair a stark contrast to his vivid blond locks. "We have been married for close to three years now."
"Congratulations!" Love and Buki squealed as they greeted the newest member of their family.
"Thank you?!" an overwhelmed Manna replied as she awkwardly returned their hugs of welcome.
"You can tell us all about it after we have lunch. In the meantime, prepare for a grill session," Love warned Manna and Misato as they walked toward where they were going to eat.
"Daisuke! What have you gotten me into?" Misato demanded as she walked next to Buki on her left and Manna on her right.
"I told you, they members of the family and will be seen on a regular basis," he called forward to her from where he was behind her, walking with Hayato and Kento.
"Don't worry. They don't bite," Setsuna teased from where she was leading the extended family with Love and Chiffon.
"And you know this why?"
"When I moved to Yotsuba I stayed with Love and her parents. If I survived then you can as well."
"You are smiling as you say that. I think I should be scared," Misato dryly intoned, to the laughter of Buki and Manna beside her.
Tokyo, 2004
London, 1204
"I don't know what you are complaining about?" Karen said as she watched her friend fume inside the hotel room. "We models have our rooms for another two days."
"Stop smirking!" Miki demanded, though she wasn't yelling anymore which was an improvement. "I fell asleep in the hallway and you just told me it was a teenager with two pastel colored ferrets that apparently was the cause. One Tarte is not pastel colored, he is gray. Two, Azukina is neon pink as opposed to pastel pink. Third, who the hell was the teenager?" she came to a close, a confused expression on her face.
"Why don't you ask her since she is sitting on your dresser," Karen observed. It had been several hours since the enforced nap and now the teenager with pink pig tails was back again. Noticeably there were not any ferret type fairies hanging around her this time.
"Who, what, who?" Miki demanded as she spun around and regarded the teenager, Blun whirling around her head enthusiastically.
"Tagging? Of course you are," she said as she looked at Karen who was already picking up Miki and her purses, smiling at the teenager.
"What...?" Miki got out before there was a green flash of light and they were in a different location.
"Noon time in London, night time in Yotsuba! Welcome home Miki-Papa!" the teenager proclaimed before she engulfed Miki in a hug.
"Someone is a fan of Pretty Solider Sailor Moon?" was the dry comment Karen made as she looked around at the location they were in. It was a courtyard of a mansion of some kind. Knowing what she had gotten from Miki, it was probably her friend Buki's home which meant it was the Mikoshiba family mansion.
"Ye-es!" was the singsonged answer from the teenager who was lying on top of her 'papa'. "Hotaru and Chibi-usa for the win!" she declared with a fist pump.
"They are different generations," was the dry comment from under her.
"Time travel and never aging past physical prime for the win!"
"I can't really argue with that," Miki finally conceded. "Now, if you are declaring me your 'papa' you must be the marshmallow fairy I love," she said only to have the teenager beam at her and reverted to her normal form in a flash of green light and then back to the teenager in another several seconds later.
"Hello Chiffon. I missed you," Miki said as she sat up and hugged her adopted daughter to her. Only to no longer hold her after another flash of light.
"Sorry about making you nap," the teenager called from several feet away before she ran inside the mansion.
"You little fairy! Get back here!" Miki roared before she got to her feet and took off after the teenager.
"Well, that went ok I guess," Karen observed, Blun chirping agreement. Only to have herself twirled away from Karen's shoulder by the streaks of pink, yellow and red that hit her. "Ok, I think those are the same as Blun," Karen said as she followed the glowing keys that were dancing together in the air.
"Sorry about that," a voice called behind her. "They get a little excited when they get going." The woman who was walking up to her had a full mane of waist length black hair and was wearing a red and black accented business suit that was missing it's suit jacket. "The four of us, and them, haven't been together since Buki and Kento's wedding."
"You're the academy administrator, Higashi-san. Karen Reynolds, English model," Karen said as she held her hand out in greeting.
"Pleased to make your acquaintance, Reynolds-san. Love and Buki said you might tag along since you are one of Miki's friends in the modeling world," Setsuna said as she finished shaking hands. "Come, lets head to where everyone else is."
"Sounds great. And please, call me Karen."
"Setsuna then Karen. Will you want to go home to your hotel after the party or will you crash here?"
"Probably go back to the hotel. I conclude we will be exhausted after several hours since we just had a few hours nap before we woke up. That and I don't want to impose since I am an impromptu guest anyways."
"Don't worry. Your a friend of Miki's so its not an imposition at all. Hey Love, Miki's chasing Chiffon," Setsuna called over to her friend.
"Hey Karen. Welcome. Don't worry about it Setsuna. Miki won't do anything to Chiffon after all," Love said as she brought a can of soda over to Setsuna. "The bar with a wide selection of drinkables is that wall there Karen. Feel free to grab whatever though make sure you have water if you choose an alcoholic drink."
"Sounds good. What sodas are you drinking?" Karen asked as she spied where everyone was stashing their purses and had their coats hung up at the entrance to the courtyard.
"Something root beer with a natural no calorie sweetener. Lets see...sweetened with stevia."
"If there is a good bottle of beer or ale then I will have one to start with but I definitely will move to the sodas after that. Thanks you two."
"Not a problem," Love said with a smile, Setsuna matching it. Only for the three women to duck as the four Pikruns squealed and danced together as they careened around the courtyard, the other people present ducking in turn. "Well, it's been four years since the four of them were together after all," was the dry observation only to join Setsuna and Karen in laughter at their antics.
Tokyo, 2022
"You bitch!"
"That's all you're going to say as you greet her?" Karen called over in French when Miki finally showed up and greeted Setsuna who had merely opened her arms for a hug which Miki stepped into.
"I missed you," she told Setsuna as they held each other to themselves.
"I am home in Yotsuba Miki," Setsuna managed to say without her voice cracking. "So, our resident international superstar has mastered a few languages beyond Japanese and English?" she teased as they let go of each other.
"Yes, of course. After all, I am perfect!" Miki proclaimed, trying not to cry at her friend's return home and grateful for the teasing topic change.
"And she knows how to swear in several more beyond what she can speak," Karen called out, ruining the moment.
"KAREN!" Miki roared in indignation as she turned to her friend and fellow model. Everyone else was laughing including the two people who were walking up to them.
"Mom. Dad. I am home," Setsuna said as she hugged Love's parents to her. After all they were the ones who took her in when Setsuna decided to live her life after being discarded by Labyrinth.
"Welcome home Sets-chan," Ayumi said as she held her second daughter to her, Keitaro holding onto the two women as Love stood next to them.
"Yay, the whole family is here!" Love called out to laughter all around even as she handed Setsuna a tissue to wipe her tears up, one already in use on her own face.
"We just need Soular and Westar," Miki said as she finished touching up her face, her mother and brother walking up to rejoin the group after they found her and Chiffon. Who had reverted to her natural state and was riding on Keitaro's shoulder, having floated there after the family hug broke apart.
"Westar is here with his wife and Soular I think already popped by for a visit," Setsuna said as she let Love take her tissue and head for the garbage can with their parent's and their own.
"He still is, I think," Hayato said as he walked over with Manna. "Aono Miki, may I present my wife Nishi Manna."
"Pleasure to meet you Aono-san," Manna said as she bowed in greeting.
"Pleasure to meet you as well Nishi-san. Feel free to call me Miki," she replied as she returned the bow.
"Then call me Manna," she replied with a smile. Talking between everyone commenced as they caught up on their individual lives.
Tokyo, 2143
"Well isn't this just amusing in a self-destructive way," Hayato observed as he walked up onto the balcony that looked down on where the others still in attendance were.
"Go away Westar. I am not in the mood to talk to anyone," Miki said as she continued to watch Love and Setsuna as they reclined on an outdoor couch, Love animatedly describing something to Setsuna who was laughing at the story.
"Neither of you are going to have any luck with the one you love since you lost your chance when they met so there is no point in either of you moping about it," Hayato said as he regarded Miki and the pillar past the one she was leaning against.
"Neither...?" Miki said as she gave him his full attention.
"Yeah, you and Shun over there are both in love a woman who has probably not realized they chose the person they did, who happens to be the other's crush," Hayato stated.
"Wait a minute!" roared Miki and Shun as he spun from behind the pillar that he was leaning against. Miki looked back at him, noticing in that weird way the mind latches to information when shocked that he had exchanged the gray jacket from his assignment to Tokyo all those years ago for a blue one, and then turned back to Hayato, her expression shocked that Westar of all people had read her so clearly. From his expression, he shared the level of shock and surprise at his old comrade's deductive skills.
"Point blank Aono Miki," Hayato pronounced, "you have been in love with Momozono Love for years. To hide it and avoid dealing with first boys then men asking you out you had your brother Kazuki play your boyfriend. As for you Soular," he pointedly chose to use his Labyrinth name, "you have always placed yourself in partnership with Eas and then worked with her near exclusively when we returned to Labyrinth to help them learn to function as individuals.
"You two love the one woman you never can have because they choose the other's crush," Hayato observed before turning and walking back to the party. "You may want to just be silent support," he said to Karen as he passed her at the balcony entrance.
"I will be there for my friend," Karen said as she walked over to the pillar and leaned up against it on the side hidden from the courtyard. Miki stepped over to her and, upon seeing the supportive look, let herself cry into her friend's arms.
Shun meanwhile had turned to look into the courtyard where Setsuna was clearly relating some story to Love now. "When did Westar figure that out?" he asked aloud as he triggered a 'switch over' from his human identity of Minami Shun,
"Have a good night Miki-san, Ms. Reynolds," he called out as before he shifted to his home in Labyrinth.
"Have a good night Minami-san," Karen replied to the empty air, having met him earlier in the evening. She just stood there, letting her friend cry herself out, a truth she had not wanted to fully acknowledge forcibly presented to her.
Tokyo, 2256
London, 1456
"Ok Chiffon, since everyone is going to their homes, you need to send me and Karen back to the hotel room," Miki said about an hour later when the teenager returned from taking Tarte and Azukina home to the Sweets Kingdom. They had rejoined those that remained about half an hour ago, just in time to say goodbye to Daisuke and Misato when they left.
"Ok Miki-Papa!" the teenager chirped as she left the chair she had sprawled herself into.
"Take care you lot," Miki said as she hugged everyone in turn.
"You too," Love replied as she let go of her hug. "Thanks for coming Karen. Always a pleasure," she said as she gave the model a hug as well.
"Thank you," Karen replied as she returned the hug. "Thank you for having us," she said to Buki who hugged her as well once Miki had let her go.
"Not a problem. You have always hosted us when we visited Miki in the UK. It's just a return of the courtesy though I think you have become a member of the family," she replied as they ended their hugs.
"Would be nice. You take such good care of one another," Karen said with a smile.
"Consider it fact if Buki states it," Setsuna said. "Thanks for coming with Miki. It was nice to meet you," she told Karen.
"It was nice to meet you. Now I have a person to associate with the stories Miki has told, all of which are at least vaguely positive," she teased to Setsuna's over-acted eye roll.
"I am sure the ones about me as Setsuna are. We won't go into the ones from when I was Eas," she said with a smile as she stepped back and Chiffon bounded over to grab onto Miki and Karen, their purses in her hands already.
"Take care," was called out as Chiffon transported them a flash of green light.
"She was crying," Setsuna said as she looked between Love and Buki.
"Well, maybe it was a release from the whirlwind modeling tour and your return to Yotsuba?" Love offered, though none of them were buying it that much.
"No, that would be part of it but it wasn't the whole of it," Buki said with a shake of her head. "Something else happened to upset her but what?"
"Well, in time she will either tell us or resolve itself on her own," Setsuna said as she looked toward the entrance to the courtyard. "Is my room still there?" she asked Love.
"Of course. This week I was to look at the apartments that Kento had remodeled for the faculty. I have been living at home with mom and dad for the last few weeks while the work was finished. It will be just like old times again," Love proclaimed to smiles all around.
"Good. I have been living in Hayato and Manna's guest room. It will be nice to have a place of my own again," Setsuna replied as she started the ladies toward where the personal effects were.
"What about the apartment you should have as the administrator of the academy?" Love asked.
"Still waiting for it to be finished as well. Kento said it would be fitting to my position, whatever that means," Setsuna replied.
"If you and Love want to go in on a location the two of you can," Kento said as they reached the area with the coats and other personal effects. "A system is in place for those who pair up on rooms to have the value of the difference reassigned however they want it."
"Value reassigned?" Love asked, a questioning look on the ladies faces as well as Ayumi and Keitaro's since they had just gathered their items for their departure.
"Yes, every staff member is assigned a certain amount for their housing as part of their salary. If two or more people combine their housing stipends they will have the option of taking the savings and applying it to either their savings-taxable systems or if its less than a certain percentage, to their actual take home pay. Their choice," he explained as he held out the jacket for Buki he had brought out, the night having dropped in temperature suddenly.
"So Setsuna and I could share a better location than we would have been able to have individually?" Love asked as she took her jacket from Setsuna.
"Yes."
"Want to room together Love?" Setsuna asked, the answering smile enough of an indication to the unnecessary question. "That's settled," she said with a matching smile of her own. "Kento-kun, we will check in with you about it in the morning after the academy is in operation."
"Better make it afternoon. That's when I will be by to check on things. Mornings at Mikoshiba and afternoons at the Academy - my current activity schedule."
"Works for me. I will have Manna schedule it for the first thing when you arrive. You have classes then Love?"
"No, I have the period after lunch for my prep period. Works for me time wise as well. Thanks for the party and everything else Kento-kun," she said to their host and employer.
"This may be the calm before the storm Love-chan. This may be the calm before the storm," he replied.
"We know," Love and Setsuna chimed together, with laughter all around. At that the Momozonos and Setsuna waved goodbye and headed out of the Mikoshiba Estate. "Thanks for joining us tonight mom, dad," Setsuna said as she walked to one side of them, Love opposite on their other side.
"Don't worry about it Setsy," Ayumi said. "What time should I have breakfast ready for you to run to Hayato and Manna's?"
"Hmm…I want to say…oh, thank you," she said as Westar and Manna appeared in front of them with a clothing bag over Westar's shoulder and a travel kit in Manna's hand.
"Figured you would want to spend the night at your family home here in Yotsuba," Westar said before he handed the clothing bag to Keitaro.
"Your things from your bathroom," Manna said as she handed the travel kit over to Setsuna. "Do I run interference with your first appointments in the morning?"
"No I think we will be able to get up on time," Love laughed as a green flash announced Chiffon's return. "Especially as mom is planning to make breakfast for us, or at least for Setsuna," she teased her mother.
"Fine, then. None for you," Ayumi declared with an over acted air of snootiness. Laughter all around sounded on the street as they walked together to Clovertown Street. Hayato and Manna took their leave at that point while the Momozonos, Setsuna and Chiffon headed to their home.
Author's notes:
Buki honestly seemed to be the only one who would choose a man to be her partner, and Kento was played as humor but he took things seriously like when he was in charge of the family ship episode 41 Inori and Kento's Boat Party!
Daisuke came across as a decent person, actively looking for Love whenever he thought she was in danger and helping Cure Peach at times such as when he swam to shore with her after she was injured protecting him in the Okinawa episode. If Setsuna had not come into her life, I think Love might have actually chosen him.
Miki, especially in episode 23, The End of Eas! Cure Passion is born! is brutal in attempts to get Love to realize that as Eas Setsuna is their enemy. Her expression as she realizes how much her words have hurt Love is heart rending and it's only after seeing the battle between the two play out that she accepts that Love will fight for her friends no matter what.
Westar's insistence on getting through to Eas seems more of a sibling trying to get a rebellious family member to return home, with Labyrinth and Mobeus being the parents. I have never gotten a romantic vibe from their interactions.
Soular planned his strategies so that Eas would have a chance of completing her plan to steal Love's linkrun, the transformation device that the Pretty Cures use to transform. Later he was the one who tried to remind Setsuna that she was not Setsuna but rather Eas - it spectacularly backfired by getting her to face her past and accept it was the past and Cure Passion was her future.
The addition of Misato, Manna and Karen was to add depth to Daisuke and Westar while showing that Miki had friends in the modeling world as well.
Chiffon's human form is a natural extension of her power as Infinity. I deliberately modeled her appearance on Love and Setsuna's because she drops into their arms at the end of the second opener montage before Miki, Buki and Tarte join them.
Love-mama, Setsuna-mama, Buki-mommy and Miki-papa come from the outer scouts raising the reborn Hotaru in Sailor Moon (Haruka-papa, Mirichu-mama, Setsuna-mama). As for why it's Buki-mommy its because she is the one that she turns to when she is sick. As the disciplinarian, as implied at the end of episode 17 Leave Chiffon to me! Berry's new power! she was the one who was setting limits for Chiffon which, stereotypically or not, is usually the father figure's role.
Love and Setsuna as a couple that doesn't realize it is a natural outgrowth of their friendship. After all, they routinely act as extension's of one another. The episode where this is shown best is when they are talking in their sleep, Love dreaming of food while Setsuna promptly scold's her, still asleep as well (episode 38 Lets find the Clover Box!).