A/N: i hope this chapter isn't overwrought or too fluffy! I desperately tried to beat away the fluff monster with a wooden stick. It's lucky that's I wrote so much during my college break because i havent had any time these past few weeks to right anything!

The vows in this chapter took the longest to write and so did Mamoru's thoughts just before the wedding begins. I hope you guys enjoy it! Please leave a review (and thank you all for the reviews last chapter :)

2 chapters left!

Mimi


The Ceremony

Earlier that day

Naru and Motoki sat anxiously next to the cars. They were waiting for the senshi and the shitennou to appear. They were charged by Mamoru and Usagi to take them to their cabins to dress for the wedding.

"Do you think they're going to be mad? I think they are! Especially Rei." Naru babbled nervously.

"The girls probably won't be... chilled out...but the guys probably will."

Naru shot Motoki a nasty glare.

"That's not helping!"

Motoki rubbed his neck apologetically. He hadn't meant to make Naru feel bad but it was the truth. He was about to reassure her properly when she jumped up.

"They're coming!" she said frantically. Motoki slowly got up and readied himself.

Hotaru was the first to spot them. At first she was confused the presence of the two figures in the distance but as they got closer she realised who they were. Jumping up and down, she waved to them.

"Motoki! Naru!" She shouted. The rest of the group's attention was quickly focussed on their two friends. Hotaru took off in a sprint, with the others following in fast pursuit.

"What are you guys doing here? Did Usagi inv... this has something to do with all those bags Usagi brought I'm guessing." Minako said slowly, her mind working at a million miles an hour.

Naru wringed her hands and nodded.

"The girls have to come with me."

"And the men with me" Motoki jumped in.

"Usagi and Mamoru have planned a surprise and it's important that you guys don't give them any trouble. Understood?" He eyed each one of them, taking in their slightly shocked faces. Motoki had never sounded so authoritative before.

"If this is what Usagi and Mamoru want then I am happy to oblige." Kunzite said quietly.

He motioned towards Jadeite, Zoicite and Nephrite, indicating that they should stand by Motoki.

"And I think we all want to make Serena Usagi" Michiru said loudly before Rei or Haruka could make any objections.

She grabbed them by their arms and pulled them over towards Naru.

Naru looked relieved.

"Thanks Motoki" she muttered to him before leading the girls off to the first cabin. He nodded once in reply and led the men to cabin next door.

/\/\/\

The scouts sat in the little living room of the cabin and waited for Naru, who had disappeared into one of the bedrooms, to appear. There was a loud thud followed by a 'oof'.

"Is everything okay?" Makoto called out.

A muffled 'fine' was sent back in response. Makoto raised a curious eyebrow but stayed in her seat.

"What do you think this is?" she mused out loud.

"Maybe they have some important announcement" Michiru offered. Minako gaped,

"MAYBE USAGI'S PREGNANT!" She squealed. Setsuna choked on her glass of juice.

"Speaking as the keeper of time, I can safely say that it's not time for Small Lady... yet" she said quickly to stop anyone's hopes from raising.

"Damn." Hotaru's face fell, "Well maybe she's going to tell us that she and Mamoru are trying to have a baby."

"Ewww... I really don't want to hear about their sex life" Rei made a disgusted face.

Haruka chuckled, "It's not like we don't know what they get up to anyway."

"That's not the point. The point is the less Usagi says, the less nightmares I have." Rei shot back.

"Maybe we should just wait and see instead of uselessly questioning" Ami suggested smartly.

Seven pairs of eyed swung towards the blue-haired girl in surprise.

"Did Ami just give us attitude?" Makoto said in wonder.

"I think Zoi is starting to rub off on her" Hotaru giggled.

Minako waggled her eyebrows suggestively, "...I think you meant rub on her" she giggled.

Setsuna frowned at the giggling blonde, "does that even mean anything?"

"It doesn't have to! All that matters is that Ami and Zoi are getting bus-ayy!"

A red-faced Ami opened her mouth to retort but before she could Naru stumbled into the room carrying 7 dress bags.

/\/\/\

Each bag contained a bridesmaid dress for each of the girls. Naru herself had designed them to match their personalities, as she had designed the groomsmen's' suits and the outfits of the bride and groom themselves. Haruka and Makoto rushed over to help Naru with the bags but very nearly dropped them when they saw what they were.

"Are these our bridesmaid's dresses?" Makoto asked in hushed tones.

A stunned silence filled the room. Naru cleared her throat nervously.

"Er... yes."

Rei was the first to explode,

"WHAT! HOW COULD USAGI NOT TELL US?" she shrieked but the end of her question was drowned out by Minako's outrage.

"SHE'S GETTING MARRIED WITHOUT TELLING US! I HAVEN'T EVEN BROUGHT MY MAKEUP!"

Naru wasn't very good with confrontation and this was her worst nightmare. Minako and Rei ranted and raved whilst the others tried to absorb what was happening and all Naru could do was shrink into the background, hoping no one would notice her.

"You!" Haruka turned to her.

Too late, she'd been noticed.

"You knew! You and Motkoi have been in helping them!" she accused.

Minako looked at her with reproachful eyes.

"Usagi couldn't trust us..." Mina said flatly.

Naru's eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously.

"No! No! It's not that at all! She wanted to surprise you!" Naru hastened to explain. Haruka, Rei and Minako eyed her suspiciously, mulling over what she had just told them.

Setsuna took pity on the poor girl and smiled benignly.

"Of course she did. That sounds exactly like what Usagi would do."

"We probably don't have much time to do our makeup and hair, so we better get started." Hotaru added.

Minako's face immediately lightened.

"Yes! I'm doing everybody's makeup!" she squealed in delight.

"I take it the makeup and hair supplies are in that room as well?" she asked Naru.

Pleased by the sudden lack of animosity aimed at her, she quickly assured Minako that she and Usagi had packed everything that Minako needed to make them all stunning.

"Well then we better get started!" Makoto grabbed Rei by the elbow and dragged her over to the bathroom.

"You're showering first, better let the water cool your hot-head before seeing Usagi" she teased.

/\/\/\

The next hour and a half passed by in a blur of activity. Naru, using her influence as an upcoming Tokyo designer, had managed to bring a team of stylists, who under Minako's careful directions, did the hair of each of the girls. Each wore a garland of flowers in their signature colours and were each given a bouquet to match.

Naru wasn't surprised to see Haruka, Setsuna and Ami ready first. Despite the fuss Haruka had made when Minako approached her with a palette of eyeshadow, she had dressed swiftly and preferred to help Michiru and Hotaru dress. Setsuna and Ami helped the other girls.

To Naru's amazement Makoto, who despite her tomboyish attitude, had her makeup and hair redone four times until she had achieved the perfect look. Rei hadn't been much better and of course Minako was the slowest. But finally they were all ready.

In a simple dress of white and her brown waves pulled from her face, Naru led the way out of the cabin where they promptly ran into the men.

Motoki, of course, had no troubles. The shitennou had expressed their initial shock but they had quickly got themselves together and dressed without fuss. They met the women outside their cabin and each were blown away by their beauty.

"Naru, you've done an amazing job" Zoicite complimented, his eyes firmly fixed on Ami's lithe form.

Naru blushed and graciously accepted the compliment.

"Since we are all gathered, I'm going to let Usagi and Mamoru know that we are ready, and then we can head over." Motkoi said as he texted Mamoru on his cell phone.

A ping alerted him of Mamoru's reply: Thanks Motoki, You can come now.

"Alright, follow Naru and me!"

He held out his arm to Naru, who cheerfully accepted it, and the wedding party set off towards the sand dune that hid the wedding.

/\/\/\

When they arrived at the fourth cabin, sitting atop the dune, they found the door open. As they filed in they were greeted by a breathtaking sight.

Perched delicately on a stool in her wedding dress gazing wistfully out of the window towards the beach, was Usagi herself. The ivory silk hugged her slender figure before flaring out at her hips. Her silvery hair cascaded down her bare shoulders and the colour seemed to enhance the blueness of her eyes. The air in the room seemed to have disappeared.

Upon their arrival, Usagi stood and greeted them with warm hugs.

"Surprise!" she exclaimed throwing her arms in the air.

Rei glared and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"You could've told us" she growled. Usagi rolled her eyes but didn't bother to respond to Rei's grouchiness.

"Mamoru is waiting for you down by the altar" she informed the Generals.

"We'll head down now." Jadeite replied warmly.

Serena smiled at Motoki and gave him another hug,

"thank you for helping us" she whispered in his ear before letting him depart with the Generals.

"I better go make sure everything is ready as well. Send the girls down in 5 minutes." Naru said as she checked her watch.

As Naru made to leave Usagi grabbed her hands and held them tightly in her own. No words were exchanged between them but Naru saw Usagi's gratitude in the way her eyes glistened with unshed tears and her hands trembled ever so slightly.

Soon it was just Usagi and her senshi.

"Why now?" Minako broke the silence as she straightened some of the roses in Usagi's hair with deft hands.

"The time is right." Usagi replied vaguely,

"That shade of lipstick looks good on you Michiru." She complimented the older girl in the hopes of distracting Minako.

"Thank you but nothing compares to your loveliness, Princess. I also think you should answer Minako's question."

Usagi pouted at Michiru for not letting her off the hook but sighed.

"Mamoru and I were tired of the endless organising and the huge affair it turned into. We wanted to be married. This way was easier and more satisfying." She explained.

"So this is what you packed all those bags for!" Hotaru said, cottoning on. Usagi nodded and grinned.

"I bet you all thought it was food." She teased.

The embarrassed shuffling of her guardians confirmed her belief and she burst in laughter.

"I bet at least two of those bags were food anyway" Makoto pointed out.

Usagi made no pretence of denying this but simply continued laughing. The remainder of the five minutes passed by in amicable chatting and light teasing. This was their comfortable routine. Finally it was time for the girls to leave Usagi and take their places down at the altar. Haruka hugged Usagi tightly, Ami surreptitiously wiped the tears from her eyes, Minako fussed with Usagi's hair one last time and then they were gone.

/\/\/\

There were a few moments in Mamoru's life that he would never forget and he was sure that this was one of them.

The sun was beginning to set over the ocean, casting everything in a brilliant orange glow.

It was time for Mamoru's arrival.

He waited with bated breath for his Princess, no his Queen, to appear from the white fluttering tent where she was currently hiding. His eyes roamed over the small crowd. It comprised only of Usagi's family bar Kenji, Luna and Artemis (in their human forms), Naru and Motoki. Beside him stood his four groomsmen, Kunzite, Jadeite, Nephrite and Zoicite.

Usagi had asked him if he wanted to pick a best man and in retaliation he had asked Usagi who would be her maid of honour. She quickly decided that the two positions were useless anyway. Usagi never played favourites. She was fair and just and that's what he loved about her.

On his left stood Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, Setsuna and Hotaru. They each held their bouquets and stood still and dignified. Haruka and Michiru stood slightly apart, waiting with their keyboard and violin. Neither of them had seemed very surprised when Mamoru had explained that Usagi wanted them to play as she walked down the aisle.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard them begin. It was a sweet and luscious waltz that Michiru had written herself. The music seemed to dance around them before finally beckoning Usagi out of the tent.

The moment Mamoru's eyes landed on her he felt his heart skip a beat. Usagi, accompanied by Kenji, walked slowly towards Mamoru, her expression serene and noble and her step light and graceful. A gentle breeze picked up and Usagi's long hair and dress fluttered behind her.

Mamoru's heart ached.

He had never witnessed anything so heartbreakingly beautiful before and before he knew it she was standing before him. She passed her bouquet of roses to Minako as Kenji lifted her veil. He kissed her on the cheek before taking his seat next to his wife. The music died away and Haruka and Michiru took their place beside the other bridesmaids.

The face that stared back at him, those beautiful blue eyes filled with warmth and love, the small pink lips, the delicate wispy fringe... everything about her was stunning. The officiant began to speak and Mamoru forced himself to focus on what the small, stooped man was saying.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Usagi Tsukino and Mamoru Chiba in marriage. Today we bear witness to one of life's greatest moment, a day in which we recognise the worth and beauty of love that bring these two together."

Makoto noticed Kenji sobbing into a scrap of lace as Ikuko sat watching her daughter transfixed.

Her gaze flitted across to the shitennou.

She wasn't surprised to see tears streaming down Nephrite's face- he was after all a very passionate man but she had never seen such tenderness in Kunzite's face before. Nor had she ever seen tears pool up in Jadeite's eyes or Zoicite's lips tremble with emotion. She had never thought of them as particularly emotional men but Makoto didn't mind. She preferred it this way.

"Usagi and Mamoru, will you now please share your vows and intent to enter into marriage?" the officiant asked.

Usagi reached for Mamoru's hand and held his cool hand with her warm one.

"Mamo-chan today I pledge my heart and soul to you. The love we share has been tested time and time again, it has undergone so many crushing trials that should have destroyed it, yet... it shines on. Your love is the light that guides me in the darkness. Your love gives me strength and courage when I'm weak and frightened. I vow to always protect you. I take you to be my husband." Usagi finished breathlessly.

Ikuko squeaked in joy loudly and was shushed by Shingo but all this was lost on Mamoru who was gazing dopily at Usagi. He never knew that he could feel so much happiness at once.

"Mr Chiba?" the officiant prompted gently.

Mamoru nodded in thanks and went to reach for his vows kept safely in his pocket. His hand hovered above his pocket for a second before he slowly lowered it. He didn't need to see the written words. They were already imprinted in his mind and on his heart.

"Before I met you, I lived a life of loneliness and distance. When I met you everything changed. You filled my life with beauty, warmth and love. You brought me friends and gave me a new family. You say that I'm your light but you're also mine. When I was blinded, you gave me back my sight. When I lost my way, you showed me where to go. When I was sick, you stayed with me and when I disappeared from your life, you never stopped believing that I would come back. You are my saviour and my angel. I love with you every fibre of my being and I will always protect you. Usagi Tsukino, I, Mamoru Chiba, take you to be my wife." The earnestness of his vows brought Usagi to tears.

Her hand quivered in his but he simply held tighter. For that moment, no one existed but them. They were lost in a world of their own.

Rei considered herself to be a perceptive person. She thought she knew her friends well and could hazard their reactions accurately. It turns out that she wasn't as good as she thought.

She hadn't expected to seem Ami, so controlled with her emotions, to raise a hand and brush her own tears away, or Minako, who she would've pinned as the first to blubber during the wedding, to stand dry-eyed and proud.

She never imagined Makoto to close her eyes as she listened to the wedding vows or Hotaru to grasp Setsuna's hand. She hadn't foreseen Haruka leaning ever so slightly against Michiru for support.

Most of all, Rei hadn't expected to feel so many emotions as she watched the once flaky, cry-baby, scatterbrained girl marry the boy of her dreams. She never thought that tears would roll down her cheeks as she watched them exchange their vows.

But this was one of the few times that Rei was happy to be wrong because everything and everyone was so much better than she had ever guessed.


next chapter: "IT'S NOT FUNNY" Minako shrieked, pegging one of her orange stilettos at him...