Note: Edited from first draft to bring it more in line with the first chapter.

Sailor Christmas

The black haired Catholic schoolgirl Rei Hino sighed to herself slightly, dampening the noise enough that the students working on the Christmas play couldn't hear. Raised in a Shinto shrine and having experienced strange and bizarre events and creatures as Sailor Mars, she often found it hard to take seriously the rites and traditions of the school.

Still, there were things that Rei liked about attending at this school. The Nuns held her in high regard, the schoolgirls liked her and except for the Minako incident she had a unsullied school record. When the time came to move on to college, Rei had a clear road ahead of her.

'Now, if I can just get through another Christmas,' Rei sighed to herself softly as she walked through the theater to the stage.

"Miss Rei," one of the women clambering about working the lighting smiled, "you got my message!"

"I did," Rei answered neutrally as she studied Chikaru Minamoto, the beautiful and serene head of the Theater Department. The black haired woman was known for the two red bows she wore on either side of her head, as well as her near obsession with cosplay. She had arrived as a teacher just last year, replacing a retiring nun, and had quickly shaken up the whole school.

Chikaru looked amused as she climbed down the ladder, the smaller woman's stylish skirt clinging to her thighs. "You aren't going to inquire why I asked to see you?' she asked.

Rei looked out at the actresses who were working on the play, "I assume you'll tell me."

"You're so cruel, Rei," Chikaru sighed dramatically. She looked up at Rei as she said, "You couldn't just smile for me a little, Rei?"

Rei couldn't help a small smile in return as she answered her mildly, "Ma'am, if I give a inch you take a mile. The last time I agreed to help you with a 'little thing' I ended up in concert in front of the entire school. In a hideous costume."

Chikaru smiled back sweetly as she noted, "I thought the costume was quite charming."

Rei grit her teeth silently. The costume might have been charming on someone smaller and more sweet in personality, but on her it had looked ridiculous. It had been slow torture to be up there singing in that candyfloss costume, and she had no intention of doing anything like it again.

"Maybe a tuxedo would have been better," Chikaru conceded after a moment.

Rei opened her mouth to protest THAT idea, then shut it with a snap. She was well aware of the girls who had crushes on her, not to mention a few of the Nuns! If she had appeared on stage in a suit, Rei was certain that a riot might have broken out.

"We're planing a play for the Christmas show this year," Chikaru said mildly.

Rei quickly blurted out, "NO!"

Chikaru ignored that and calmly continued on, "And I wanted to ask if you would play a small role in the production."

"No," Rei repeated then, despite her better judgement, had to ask, "How small a role?"

"The prince who rescues the princess with a kiss," Chikaru explained cheerfully, "we're doing a Christmas adaption of sleeping beauty."

"That's...," Rei blinked, digesting that idea. It might not be too bad if handled tactfully, but if played badly the Sisters would throw a fit. "You could get in a lot of trouble with the nuns if you do this wrong," she cautioned thoughtfully.

Chikaru nodded with a somewhat more serious look as the slightly older woman said, "Exactly. That's why I need your help, Rei."

Rei hesitated, then shook her head firmly. "No, sorry, but no," she said as she turned and strode out of the small theater.

"I thought she was going to say yes," a girl murmured from where she had been watching from the shadows.

Chikaru smiled back calmly, "Oh, she will. It's just a matter of time."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The next few days were a mild does of hell. Chikaru had leaked the news that Rei was going to be the prince, and the entire student body was all for it. She had girls gushing and squeeing wherever she went, many of them demanding if the princess role was still open. Even some of the NUNS were getting into the act!

Rei stalked into the dark theater, marching up to Chikaru as conversations stopped and everyone watched her worriedly. "Yes?" Chikaru asked sweetly.

Rei growled, "You're despicable."

Chikaru actually curtsied to Rei a bit as she said, "Why, thank you."

Rei cracked a smile reluctantly as she said, "We have to get you using your powers for good rather than evil, ma'am." She sighed and added, "If I hadn't carried through with preforming I think I would have been hung."

"I don't think they would have done that," Chikaru chuckled warmly. "Though I admit things would have been uncomfortable for you..."

The two walked down towards the brightly lit stage as Rei asked the teacher, "So who is the princess going to be?"

"Kagome Byakudan," Chikaru said, nodding to the brown haired girl emoting up on the stage.

Kagome Byakudan was one of Chikaru's success stories in the theater club. Formerly a shy girl who was small for her age, Chikaru had helped her build up her self confidence through acting. And while Kagome was small, she had begun to fill out nicely over the past year. She was actually a bit older than Rei, and was graduating this year.

"So Kagome eats the apple," Chikaru noted as they watched as the actresses played out the part on stage, "or drinks a poisoned cup of wine, we haven't decided. Then she falls into a deathly sleep until her prince awakens her."

Kagome crumpled to the floor, her brown hair falling around her as her attendants laid her out on a bed. Without thinking about it Rei jumped onto the stage, striding towards where Kagome lay as she asked briskly, "What's my line?"

"Let's see," Chikaru flipped through a script then she read it out.

"Fair princess," Rei knelt down by the sleeping Kagome as she declared, "you sleep like the dead itself. Woe, that our love cannot be realized!"

All the girls on stage were nearly entranced by Rei. 'God, when she turns it on she's nearly irresistible,' Chikaru thought, the teacher feeling more than a bit stunned by Rei's presence too, 'this is going to be the best Christmas show ever!'

"Fair maiden," Rei brushed aside Kagome's hair as she brought their faces closer, "as the fairies said, let true love's kiss awaken you once more." Rei tilted her head and kissed her cheek, knowing from a distance it would look like a lip lock.

"Oooh!" one lighting girl squealed.

Kagome's eyes popped open, LOOKING JUST a bit disappointed at not getting kissed as she met Rei's eyes. "Oh, my prince!" she declared, "You have broken the evil witch's spell!"

Rei helped Kagome stand up as the smaller girl looked up at her adoringly. 'Oh no,' Rei sighed to herself mentally. "Fair princess, I am glad you are well," she declared, holding the girl close but not too close.

That act of chivalry was swiftly undone by Kagome, who cuddled very close. "My prince," she sighed happily, "may we never be parted."

Chikaru clapped her hands and smirked as she saw Kagome aggressively cuddling Rei. "We ought to end right there," she said happily, "it'd be a instant hit!"

"The teachers would have a fit," Rei shot back as the tried to think of a polite way to pry the cute girl off her. Not that it didn't feel good but...

Kagome pulled back on her own, looking up at Rei with a warm smile. "I'm sorry Miss Hino," she bowed a bit, "but the script called for it."

'Knowing Chikaru it probably was spelled out in the script,' Rei mused. "It's all right," she reassured the smaller woman, "I kind of liked it."

"Really!" Kagome squealed happily.

Rei paled, 'Oh hell, how do I get out of this...?'

End.

Notes: In Sailor Moon's manga canon, Rei is kinda a chick magnet in her Catholic school. When Minako invades the school she finds Rei in a very yuri-ish situation as the admired upperclassman of several younger girls. Not to mention Rei and Minako kissing at one point. I just moved some of the Strawberry Panic students over to Rei's school...