Author's Note: This is the final chapter. No mas! Empress Satori, I don't live near there, Isidore didn't hit us with nearly enough rain to ease our drought, instead you guys got it all. Are you ready for Lilly?
Ayeka looked at the pale flower petals flying around on the breeze and her eyes sparkled. Today was the closing ceremony for the Games, and she had quite the show to give everyone. It had taken her a while to arrange without letting word get around, but she'd managed to keep the secret quiet. The most highly decorated athletes, three this year taking two gold medals each, stood on the step below her. The other Scouts stood on either side of the thrones for the royals, and Saturn stood in front of them, clearly in charge. She let her glaive float in the air as she placed the honorary pins on the two young men and the girl who looked like she was about fifteen, but claimed she was twenty-one.
"Now turn around, show them all your triumph," she said with a grin. The three turned and were met by a sudden increase in the volume of the shouting and screams form the stands. Then Saturn grabbed her glaive and held it up. She closed her eyes and noticed the stadium grew extremely quiet. After concentrating a minute or so, she thrust the glaive as high into the air as she could and threw her arms out wide as it reached the top of the toss. The glaive exploded into millions of little butterflies, all colors.
The crowd cheered and Ayeka could hear the other Sailors clapping behind her. Oh, the best was yet to come. Using a speaking crystal, Ayeka raised her voice to fill the giant bowl of the stadium and said, "I have an announcement to make," the people hushed a bit, but not as much as when she raised her ominous glaive. Ayeka held out a hand to Kamidake and he stepped forward to take it. "Kamidake, Knight of Jurai, and I are going to be married. Then I am going to be returning to Jurai." Her eyes were locked onto Kamidake's as she made her announcement, and he smiled.
As the people watched, Kamidake drew Ayeka into his arms and kissed her softly. This was reason for celebration, and the volume rose again. Princess Serenity was fairly surprised, as were the others, but then she smiled. Ayeka looked so happy. Then she gasped as a light glow came over Ayeka and Kamidake. As they parted, the glow fated and Ayeka was clothed in a long, shimmering gown of deep purple and silver. Kamidake wore light armor, and his marks as a Guardian returned.
Then the princess felt a warm humming in her bones and clamped her eyes shut. The ginzuishou was humming inside her. Why? The approach of a tall young man with pale hair from out of thin air made her stomach do flip-flops. Who was he? Endymion got to his feet to intercept, but Ayeka said, "Wait, it's Helios." Recognition flashed in her parents' eyes, and Serenity knew something was up.
Endymion allowed Helios passed and the grand guardian of dreams stood before the little girl Rini once again. The memories were there, the feelings were there, but very much matured. "Princess," Helios said, bowing.
Princess Serenity got to her feet and curtsied. "Helios, it is a pleasure to see you again old friend." She was barely holding back tears of happiness, the ones that come after meeting a long-lost friend. A slight grinding noise could be heard and a veil of light descended from the stone arch above the dais where they stood. It left Ayeka and Kamidake outside. Soon the others with the exception of Helios and Princess Serenity came out as well to watch the departing crowd.
"Since when did you play Venus?" Mina asked Ayeka. The Scout smiled and shrugged, tightening her grip on Kamidake's hand.
Then Queen Serenity turned to Ayeka and asked, "When did you decide to return to Jurai?"
Kamidake took the question. "We thought it would be best to raise any little Saturns near family. Near very safe, very powerful family." Ayeka glared at him, but didn't let go.
"TOKOIKO! GET DOWN RIGHT NOW!" Ayeka yelled. Her five-year-old pouted and started to climb back down the tree trunk. As she got within arm's reach, Ayeka reached out and hugged her daughter close. "Don't do that! These trees don't catch you when you fall." Red eyes, big and round, stared up at her. Ayeka sighed and set the child down. "I can't stay angry with you too long, just stay closer to the ground." Tokoiko ran off and Ayeka sat down next to Queen Serenity on the bench.
"It doesn't feel like it's been so long since I was watching little Rini play here," she said. Ayeka still had to admire her queen. The woman had aged barely a year since Ayeka and Kamidake left all those years ago. Little had changed since Ayeka left, except for Princess Serenity who was planning to get married to her childhood sweetheart, Helios.
Ayeka watched her daughter join her twin brother and said, "The Emperor, my uncle, thinks my giving birth to twins is an omen. He says it's never happened before in our family." Tokoiko's brother, Ken'ichi, ran after a girl with blond pigtails reaching out as if to try and pull one. "I don't know what to think."
"Don't worry, the future has yet to come, and after we're gone it will be up to them to carry on." Queen Serenity's bracelet played a cheery tune and she sighed. "I must go now. May the ginzuishou guide you." She got up, and walked away, leaving Ayeka to supervise the next generation.
"Don't strangle your sister with that black ribbon!"
:::Bwahahaha, the end.