A Christmas To Remember
Author's Ramblings: (in a Mina-like voice) You know what they say... "Better late
than sorry"... Wait, that's not it...hmm...
Hi! Welcome to story 8...a bit late in coming, but here nonetheless. We hope you
enjoy this and be advised--weird stuff is about to ensue. Ah, but do not
fear...there will be NO hospitalized Mistresses in this episode! Count
them...none! (cheering)
Kate: no disclaimer today!
I have no proof that Ambriel is a girl's name. In fact, I don't think it IS a
girl's name... Well, I don't care, because Ambriel is a girl!
"Into the Woods" is a really great musical by Stephen Sondhiem. I take no
responsibility to owning it, and I'll never try. Please don't get angry that
Pheebs is studying it, either... It IS a good musical. (I have the script. I
should know.)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Re-cap du jour:
Alexandra was in a nasty drag-racing accident. Susan dined with Terrence,
Endymion, Serenity, and Reeny. Lyra found out that Richard is no longer going to
Crossroads and ate dinner with Melvin and Molly. Celeste became scared of dying.
Brian was announced to be Hannah's soul-mate, was granted immortality, and asked
her to marry him. Michelle got hurt in a Raider attack. Death died. A lot of
irrelevant orchestra scenes took place.
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I," announced Phoebe, staring at the tiny artificial pine tree in her
living room, "hate Christmas."
Her cat looked up from his spot on the couch. "You're such a pessimist," he
yawned, rolling over onto his side. "Just because Amy and Greg aren't around this
time..."
She shot him a look of disgust but ignored the comment otherwise and dug
through the box of ornaments. "I don't see how they can throw away memories so
easily," she thought aloud as she took a string of lights out and plugged them in.
"You know... Leaving me all alone and forgetting my meager existence."
"There is," Haley added helpfully, walking out of the kitchen with a plate
of cookies, "something called forgiveness."
Alice faked sniffling. "Beautiful," she choked, wiping invisible tears from
her eyes as she walked in behind the brunette. "Just beautiful."
Haley beamed her with a pillow.
"This is serious," sighed the blue-haired teen from her spot before the
tree. "I've never spent a whole Christmas alone before, you guys. It's so
weird..."
Pulling her long hair into a high, Lita-like ponytail, Alice shrugged. "I
was alone in sixth grade for Christmas," she volunteered. "Wasn't...really...all
that different." The other two looked at her with concern in their eyes. "I mean,
sure--my mom wasn't there and I was a bit lonely, but some of the best TV shows
are on Christmas night..."
Haley rolled her eyes. "That is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard,"
she observed, hanging an orange ball on the tree.
"What's pathetic," put in Orb, "is that tree. Reminds me of the Charlie
Brown Christmas Special."
Eight eyes stared at the fake foliage, which was a patchy four feet tall and
had been purchased at a garage sale a week previous.
"Well," sighed Phoebe, wrapping more lights around the shabby monstrosity.
"It was the best I could do."
"Really?" asked Alice with a confused gaze. "I've seen prettier things in
the Dumpster at my building..."
Haley glared at her and the auburn-haired teen backed down. "I, for one,"
she smiled, seeing that her friend had shut up, "am just glad to see this
Christmas!"
"Here, here," agreed Alice cautiously. "Who knew that the life of Sailor
Scouts was so tough?"
Tears coming to her ice-blue eyes, Phoebe didn't respond.
"And how about those Raiders?" asked Orb, sitting up. "I didn't know how
hard they'd be, but you Scouts dusted the first three like regular pros."
The brunette grinned. "We have our Moms to thank for that," she told him.
Phoebe clenched the lights tighter in her hands, not noticing what she was
doing until three bulbs snapped in her palm and the string died.
"That's it!" she yelped, turning on them. "I don't want to talk about Sailor
Scouts! I don't want to talk about Christmas! And I don't..." she glared at Haley
in a state of anger. "Want to THINK about my mother!" Standing, she quickly
stormed out the front door, slamming it behind her.
Blushing, Haley picked up the colored glass from the shattered bulbs.
"Ooops..." she gulped, studying the red, blue, and green fragments. "I guess I
should be more careful about what I say."
"It's not your fault," the other girl sighed. "We never stopped to think
about how Pheebs is taking this whole arrangement, did we?" Seeing the looks on
the cat and her friend's faces, she shook her head a little. "She hasn't been on
her own before, and this is just scary for her..."
The guardian jumped off the couch and sat between the two. "Go home guys,"
he softly said, a sad smile painted on his face. "I'll talk to Phoebe as soon as
she comes back."
Alice patted the cat's head. "Merry Christmas, Orb," she smiled.
"Merry Christmas," he sighed, looking at the dead Christmas lights and the
barren tree. "Merry Christmas."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Just a little taste?" pressed Susan, holding out the spoon to the blonde
child.
"Oh, no way, Miss Meiou," Celeste protested, backing up. "My mommy said
never to eat your food."
The woman groaned inwardly and resumed stirring the cookie dough. "Really,
now?" she inquired thoughtfully. "And why's that?"
Looking up at her babysitter, the girl smiled innocently. "Because it
doesn't taste very good," she informed her, sitting back down on the tile and
drawing on some blank paper. "And, besides," she added sweetly, staring up with
deep green eyes, "it doesn't smell good either and Lyra said..."
"I understand," interrupted the woman, clenching her fist around the wooden
spoon. "No need explaining."
Celeste shrugged. "If you say so, Miss Meiou," she grinned, picking up a
purple crayon.
The Guardian of Time let out a ragged breath. Mina had taken the three
oldest children shopping, and the younger kids had gone to see Santa with Andrew.
Celeste--who was terrified of Santa but had no desire to go shopping--needed a
babysitter.
"Saddle everything," muttered Susan sarcastically, "on cranky and pregnant
Guardian of Time."
"What was that?" asked Alexandra, coming into the kitchen laden with
unwrapped gifts. "You don't have enough to do?"
"Go to..." Seeing Celeste look up, the green-haired woman managed to fake a
grin. "...Sam Goody. I heard that the CD Haley wants is there."
"What are you talking about?" Alex deposited her gifts on the table. "I just
want some tape."
Susan stepped out of the way so she could get at some. "Have we heard from
Hannah?" she inquired as the sandy-haired woman dug through the drawer.
"Not since she went out with Brian last night," she shrugged, finding the
item of interest. "She probably got..." Seeing the child glance up again, she
smiled widely. "...a new video game from him for Christmas."
Trying not to laugh, Susan cleared her throat. "Has she been acting funny
lately?"
"Yeah," commented Alex, bending over to adjust the leg brace. "She really
has."
"Miss Ten'ou," called little Celeste innocently. "Are you feeling better?"
Rolling her green eyes, she patted the blonde head. "Fine, really," she
assured the child with minimal sarcasm. "My leg still hurts, but that comes with
the territory."
"Territory?" repeated Celeste. "What's that?"
Chuckling to herself, the woman picked up the gifts and started down the
stairs. "And Michi wonders why I don't want more kids," she laughed.
Shaking her head, Susan added a few more chocolate chips to the dough.
"Why me?" she asked aloud, not really caring who heard or responded.
The little girl's face gained a thoughtful expression. "You're one of the
destined, Miss Meiou," she told the woman, green eyes sweet and caring. "All the
destined have to do a lot they don't like."
"What?" Nearly dropping the bowl, she glanced down to where Celeste was
leaning against the cabinet.
"Well, I know that you're Sailor Pluto and all that good stuff," she
informed the adult, "and that's all well and good. But you're destined, and the
destined have a lot to do."
Looking in shock at her charge, the Guardian of Time put down her dish and
sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the girl. "How did you learn all this,
Celeste?" she asked softly, garnet eyes filled with confusion.
Smiling knowingly, the child winked a green eye. "I have cool parents," she
confided in the woman. "Now, can you please hand me that blue crayon?"
Not quite knowing what to say, Susan carefully obeyed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Merry Christmas," smiled Doubt, hanging a few boughs of holly in the
Raider's living room.
Violence, nearly passing out from the woodsy smell and the odd décor,
glanced quickly to the woman in the gray dress. "What," he shot, annoyance echoing
through his deep voice, "are you doing?" Red eyes flying from the tree, to the
holly, garland, berries, lights, and multi-colored boxes, he groaned. "Please tell
me that I'm having a nightmare and somehow got transported to another universe."
She made a face, still hanging holly from the mantelpiece. "You're so cranky
in the mornings," she chuckled, glancing at him with a hint of consideration in
her black eyes. "Don't tell me that, after all my briefings, you forgot what
Christmas is."
"I won't tell you," he responded, using his sword to clear off the couch.
"You can find it out for yourself."
Wrinkling her nose, Doubt snapped her fingers and watched in delight as a
roaring fire alit in the fireplace. "Christmas," she informed him dryly, "is a
seasonal event originally based on the birth Christ, the son of their God." She
sighed and began placing bright glass balls on the pine tree. "It's become
extremely commercialized over the last thousand years, but the fundamentals of
the festival are still intact."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Thank you, Raider Library," he commented
casually, watching the fire with a moderate interest. "But I'd rather go to the
dentist than celebrate the birth of some God."
"Well, that's good to know," she shot at him, anger building in her voice,
"but this all relates to our plot, and you can't be part of the plot without
understanding Christmas!" With an elaborate gesture, the living room faded out and
the two Raiders were in Violence's bedroom.
Falling to the floor (because he was no longer sitting on a couch), Violence
ran a hand through his crimson hair. "What in the name of..."
"The Andromeda was that for?" she finished in a tone similar to his. "Why do
you always snap at me before I get so much as a word out?"
He sneered, but said nothing.
"There is one part of Christmas," she continued, ignoring his expression,
"that I didn't mention. And that, Violence, is Santa Claus."
"Santa WHO?" he asked, eyes growing wide.
Shaking her head, she sat in a high-backed metal chair. "He is an imaginary
man...magical, they say...who lives in the North Pole. Gives gifts to children,
nice guy... Kind of like a saint."
Violence, catching the spark in her eyes, clambered to his face and took a
step backward. "No way," he spat at her nervously, tense. "I will not dress up as
Santa."
"Too late," she shrugged, seeing the frantic glint in his eyes. "You're
going to. I told the King, and he loves the idea."
"But..." protested Violence.
She smiled evilly. "Your suit is in the closet, and we go to the shopping
mall in an hour." Winking playfully at him, she faded out of sight.
Sighing, Violence shook his head. "Damn her."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly..." sang Hannah playfully as she danced
around the finished basement, setting out various decorations.
Alex and Haley, who were both wrapping a large stack of gifts, glanced
nervously at each other. Never before had the young woman gotten so excited over
Christmas.
The brunette teen pulled out a roll of paper and looked at her sister with
concern. "She's singing," the teen gulped. "She's dancing. She's smiling."
"Oh dear," her mother muttered, watching the dark-haired woman. "I'm scared
for her life."
Hannah made a face and smiled sweetly, with just a bit of wistful
consideration on her pale face. "I'm fine," she assured them. "I'm completely
fine. I'm BEYOND FINE!" Her grin grew beyond reasonable size as she looked at the
two others. "Can you guys keep a secret from Mama and Auntie Suse?" she giggled in
a school-girlish tone.
"You're positively bursting at the seams!" observed Haley with a thoughtful
gleam in her teal eyes. "Something's up, isn't it?"
Smiling enigmatically--which came as a learned behavior from growing up with
Susan--the older girl held out a hand. "Behold," she commanded, trying not to
laugh.
Her mother raised a sandy eyebrow. "It's your hand, dear," she noted,
examining the cream-colored skin and the purple fingernails. "And a lovely one at
that."
Making a grievous face, Hannah removed a gold ring. "THIS is the important
part."
Haley gasped as she saw the tiny silver diamond set in the bright fluorite.
"You mean that Brian...he asked you to marry him?"
Alex stared blankly at her child, not knowing what to say.
"I love him!" she grinned, replacing the ring and staring at it with starry
purple eyes. "I never knew it, but he's my soul-mate, and I love him, and I'm
going to marry him!"
Sighing sadly, the Mistress of Uranus fiddled with her leg brace. "How lucky
you are," she softly congratulated, a slight smile passing across her face. "I'm
very happy for you."
"Mom?" asked the teen, putting down the red ribbon. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," came the calm reply as the blonde mounted the stairs. Looking at her
two daughters, concern lighting their young faces, she paused on the fifth step.
"I'm going for a car ride," she sighed, continuing up the stairs slowly.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Looking at the seasonal signs, such as the brightly-colored tissue paper,
the red-and-green wrapping, and the ribbons that were scattered about her bedroom
floor, Tara let out a deep sigh. Christmas. The time of lights and love, when
romance and giving flowed throughout the air. Everywhere, there was that sweet,
spicy smell and certain fever in the world that just made it Christmastime.
Except at the Cherry Hill Temple.
Kicking over a box that was painstakingly wrapped and marked 'To Polaris.
From Earth', the temple maiden sneered, remembering her mother's sharp words.
"We are Shinto," Raye had spat, looking at the gifts with disgrace. "You may
give gifts, but not in the spirit of Christmas." Tara, at that point, had
attempted to disagree, but some sort of fury on her mother's behalf had halted
that attempt. "We do not celebrate Christmas."
"Well, Mother," Tara said aloud, snapping from her painful reverie with a
sudden glint of anger in her green eyes, "I really don't care. I love my friends,
and I will have my Christmas." Picking up the five wrapped presents, she started
out the door, finding herself blinking back tears...ones that suddenly ached to
fall.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Ms. Meiou?" asked Celeste in a very nervous voice as the woman--exotic,
young, intellectual--led her through the shopping mall.
Susan looked down, maroon eyes sparkling timelessly as the had since the
beginning of time. "You said yourself that the destined have to do things that
they don't want to do..."
The blonde girl sniffled as her babysitter pulled her into the seemingly
endless line of parents and children. "But...Ms. Meiou..."
"I used to fear Santa myself," she softly confided in the little girl,
smoothing her golden tresses. "As a mortal child, that was my one true hate."
Brushing dark green hair away from her eyes, the woman looked downward. "But I
learned, Celeste. And so must you."
With a look of terror upon her face, the child attempted to scream but was
halted by a scarily familiar voice.
"Ms. Susan? 'Leste?" A curly-haired teen, her redheaded boyfriend in tow,
came up and got into the line with the Guardian of Time and the blonde child.
"What in the world are you two doing here?" asked Lyra, a bit of twisted amusement
in her voice. "Celeste hates Santa."
Sticking out her tongue and pouting, Celeste wrinkled her nose. "Stupid
destiny," she muttered loudly, forcing a slight blush upon Lyra's face.
Richard raised an eyebrow just as his counterpart turned around to face him.
"I know, I know," he smiled sweetly. "And I'm not planning to ask."
With a polite gesture, Susan held out a hand. "I don't believe we've met,"
she smiled, pushing up her glasses. "I'm Susan Meiou."
"Richard Umino," responded the young man, shaking her hand eagerly. "You're
a friend of Lyra's?"
Lyra gulped. "Actually, this is Haley's aunt."
As he was about to respond, Richard felt his breath catch and heard a
scream.
"We are the Raiders!" boomed a voice.
Suddenly alert, Susan whirled about and stood upon her tiptoes. Sure
enough, a red-armored man and a gray-garbed woman were standing at the front of
the line, taking each child by the scruff of their neck and throwing them
haphazardly about.
The one in gray made a face. "Sailor Chibi-Star, we know you're here!"
Celeste gulped. "Lyra?"
"Susan?" asked the teen.
Richard glanced at the three. "Uhh..." he stammered, completely confused.
"Is this one of those times I shouldn't ask?"
His girlfriend let out a long sigh. "Yes, it is," she managed, obviously
distressed. "Can I go somewhere...without you?" she cautiously requested, a sad
look on her face.
Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around her. "I escaped your mom," he noted.
"And with you, no less. Some Raiders? Bah!"
"Don't joke like that," Susan scolded with a look of patient anger in her
eyes. "In the long run, it will only hurt." With an mysterious grin, she took the
younger girl in her arms. "Lyra, come."
"I guess this is goodbye," sighed the blonde, looking up sadly as she heard
more screams behind her.
He shrugged. "For now."
The words echoing only in her mind, Lyra Mokoti stuck one hand in her pocket
and then ran away from the Christmas set-up, leaving an upset Richard alone.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Perfection," observed Reeny cynically, "is a stupid cat thing."
Growling, Diana watched as her pink-haired charge paced up and down the
room with an encyclopedia balanced between the two nearly-round buns on her head.
"You're just jealous," she retorted smugly. "After two hours of practice, you
can't do one-hundred paces with good poise."
Letting the book fall to the ground with an immense thump, the Princess
turned on her cat. "All my friends are out Christmas shopping or doing something
else that's fun and exciting! But me..." She fell dramatically onto the bed,
knocking her cat halfway off. "I'm stuck practicing poise... Which I--by the
way--will never use!"
"You will," Orb assured her solemnly. "Trust me."
"MOM never used perfect poise." Reeny shot a glare at her cat's orange
brother. "And she's the Queen of the Earth."
Orb snickered, obviously thinking of an evil joke to make. "Maybe if she
would have known her poise," he suggested, "then she wouldn't have been put under
that Dark Moon spell when you were little..."
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" shot the teen, jumping for the cat. As he evaded her,
she glared at him with hateful red eyes. "You're positively evil!" With an idle
tear running down her face, she sat up on the bed. "My mother was trying to
protect me and all of Crystal Tokyo when that happened! It was just a freak
accident, and--if it weren't for her twentieth century self--you wouldn't be here
today, you little toad!"
Diana lowered her pink eyes. "That's enough..."
"And another thing--I don't think you, as a guardian, should be so damn
self-righteous! After all..." Freezing in place, she looked at the locket which
hung idly from her neck. "Well, I have a locket alert you ingrate, so I can no
longer beat you up over your stupid cat ways." Taking the locket and chain off her
neck, she glared at the animal. "But you just wait until I get back, Orb... you
are going to hurt all over."
His sister glared at him. "Had enough of Reeny's verbal abuse?"
"I haven't seen Phoebe all day," he sighed. "I'm coming with."
The Princess lowered her eyes at the offending guardian but instead of
giving him an ear-full, she cleared her throat. "Moon Galactic Power...make-up!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Phoebe Urawa walked down along Crystal Tokyo's bustling Main Street, hands
stuffed deep within the warm pockets of her orange parka. Everywhere, girls and
boys were being held and coddled, sparking an odd semblance of jealousy deep
within her very veins. For it was one week before Christmas, and it had been a
Urawa family tradition to go shopping together every year--on the date which was
one week from Christmas.
Instead, Phoebe walked alone down the street, with strangers feeling sorry
for the poor teenage girl without a family--the girl with the frown across her
fine, adult features.
"This is really pitiful," she thought aloud softly, walking into a fancy
gift shop. "All alone before Christmas."
The shopkeeper, a young sliver-haired woman with bright eyes, smiled gently
at the teen. "Hello, Miss," she greeted. "Looking for a gift for your family?"
"My family," responded Phoebe coolly, without any sarcasm in her young
voice, "is a cat."
Taken aback, the woman backed up a step, looking at her with doubt and
taking a large gulp of water. "Your friends, perhaps, need gifts?" she attempted.
Phoebe smiled warmly. "I didn't mean to frighten you," she responded in a
friendly tone. "What I meant was that my parents moved away and left me to stay
for schooling..."
"...With you cat," quipped the shopkeeper, relief in her voice. "I'm Marie.
Nice to meet you."
"Charmed," responded the blue-haired teen, offering out a hand. "Phoebe
Urawa."
After a hearty handshake, Marie looked at her young customer with a
thoughtful gaze. "You're not shopping, are you?" she questioned, not needing more
than Phoebe's blush to answer her question. "Happens to the best of us, once we're
on our own."
"How come you're so open?" Flushing, the teen turned away. "I...I didn't
mean it like that. I just meant..."
"...That I was talking to a strange girl who walked in off the street,"
finished the shopkeeper, running a hand through her oddly-colored hair. "Maybe
it's because I've been in our shoes, Phoebe."
Her ice-blue eyes sparkled as she turned around. "Really?" she gulped, not
knowing what to expect. "You've been alone for Christmas?"
Nodding, she winked. "Well, yes. One winter when I was sixteen." Sitting in
a chair behind the counter, she beckoned for her companion to sit down. "My
parents went far away for Christmas and took my brother with... He wanted to visit
his girlfriend, and so they went to Tokyo. He was nineteen then, and...well, I was
jealous that he got to go. So, I stayed alone."
"And..." Phoebe smiled politely.
"And I missed my parents and even my stupid big brother." Marie leaned back
in her chair. "But, my brother proposed to his girlfriend that Christmas, and I
had the most fun ever on my own, because it taught me how to get along alone." She
shrugged. "He and his gorgeous wife are now parents to a sweet but sarcastic
daughter and I now run a great gift shop."
The teen's jaw dropped. "Wow. I'm a cranky person, aren't I?"
Her friend shrugged. "Not really, Phoebe. You just don't get it." Pulling a
bag out from under the counter, she smiled widely. "This is...sort of...for you,
Ms. Urawa." AS the girl took it, Marie licked her lips. "And don't you worry about
your parents--it will all be right, soon enough."
As Phoebe exited, she stopped and looked back to see sparkling gray eyes
smile at her. "Will I see you again?"
Marie shrugged. "I think so," she responded warmly.
Just then, a warmth radiated inside her coat and the blue-haired teen
jumped. "Marie..."
"Hmm?"
"Can I use your washroom?" she asked, finding the Locket of the Sun in her
pocket.
It was warm.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"C sharp!" yelled Michelle, tossing down her baton in frustration. "Haley,
do you even know what a C sharp IS?"
The brunette frowned and looked up from the piano. "Yes, Mo... I mean, Miss
Kaioh," she stumbled, marking some notes in the music. "Mom hasn't gone over it
lately with me."
Alex glared at her daughter from her spot in front of the synthesizer. "We
did TOO go over it!" she retorted, hands flying to her hips. "You're just mad
because I told you to mark the sharps and you didn't listen!"
"Yes, I did mark them!" Haley shot back, warranting various giggles from the
orchestra members. "You're just an idiot and didn't tell me about the key-change!"
"You said you had it down!"
"Did not!"
"Yes, you did!"
"No I..."
"Enough, you two," shot Michelle, looking mostly to her blonde girlfriend.
"And Alex, I want to talk to you after the rehersal."
The woman made a face and played a grievous chord on her synthesizer, but
said nothing more.
The conductor smiled gently, picking the baton back up. "Measure
eighty-four, with Alice's cello solo. Try to play with some dynamics, and be sure
to..."
She was interrupted by the sound of a cello bow clattering to the wooden
floor.
The auburn-haired teen blushed considerably as the entire orchestra turned
expectantly to her, eyes staring.
From the back of the room, Haley stood quickly up, sticking one hand under
her shirt to where a little orange and silver disc hung from a leather strap.
Warm. The locket was warm.
"I...I have to go," stuttered the cellist, slowly rising. "Sorry. My...my
pager went off..."
Irina made a face. "But the concert's in three days, and you've hardly made
two rehearsals this week!"
The brunette at the piano smiled a bit at her friend before running out the
back door to the room.
Shaking her head, Alice's chestnut eyes turned sad. "I'm really sorry, but
there's just some things..."
Nodding her approval, the conductor smiled a mysterious half-smile. "Go
ahead."
The girl raced out of the room, Locket of Light clutched tightly in her fist
as she ran.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Placing a large gift on the front porch of the Mokoti house, the
black-clothed figure yawned and looked up at the darkening sky. It had to be
about five in the afternoon. But she managed to smile, because all of the gifts
had been delivered to their respective Scouts with minimal hassle.
And it was then that a certain heat radiated through her body and she knew
what is was.
Pulling her facemask off, Tara reached under her shirt and pulled out the
Locket of the Earth, looking at it with a slight smile.
"Destiny's a fickle thing," she observed, running her soft fingers over the
smooth surface of the tan and green Earth, a wistful smile across her face. "And
I'm stuck, aren't I?"
Shrugging to herself, she raised the locket high above her head, clearing
her throat as she did so.
"Earth Galactic Power..." she yelled, a certain ageless power in her voice.
"MAKE UP!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Die!"
Sailor Polaris clumsily rose to her feet, brown eyes sparkling with hate as
a red sword lobed off a few brown-gold curls. Jumping quickly to the side, she
touched the flattened top of her ponytail and grimaced.
"Watch out!" yelled Susan from her spot at the second-level railing. "He's
going to throw a quick sword jab at Chibi-Star if you don't do something about
it!"
The blonde reacted momentarily, pulling Chibi-Star out of the way within
seconds of the Time Guardian's warning. The Raiders then backed up to one side of
the tiny platform, and the two Scouts stood at the other end.
"A showdown," breathed Richard from his place behind a plastic palm tree.
As soon as the fight had begun, the mall had been evacuated, leaving two
Scouts, a green-haired woman, and the two evil entities. Worried for Lyra's sake,
Richard had hidden under a deserted information desk, later taking up his position
behind the tree.
"Give us the kid," demanded Doubt coolly, kicking the discarded Santa suit
away, "and we won't hurt you or your friend." Gesturing to Susan with an idle
hand, she smiled wickedly. "You can't possibly live through this, and we don't
want you to."
The younger Scout grabbed onto her sister's leg. "No..." she whispered,
tears coming into her green eyes.
"You," Polaris addressed Doubt, "seem to like deals. I'm willing to make
one."
Susan bristled, closing her maroon eyes quickly and allowing her
all-powerful senses to reach out and attempt to find gaps in the time-space
continuum. The Scout didn't notice this, but she did notice a sudden gleam of
desire flare up in the black eyes of Doubt.
"If you let the girl go," the Scout started, chewing on a lip, "then I'll
give you the Locket of the North Star." Her hand hovered near the light-orange and
gold mass, not touching it...yet...
The two looked at one another, and then back at Polaris. "Are you buying
time?" asked Violence in a low hiss, eyes suspiciously focusing on Susan. "Where
are the other Scouts?"
The girl bristled. "I have no way to reach them. They don't even know I'm
here." Running a hand through her shaggy blonde curls, she looked once more at the
female Raider. "Do we have a deal?"
Shaggy blonde curls? Richard started, navy eyes growing wide. There was only
one other person in the world who had curls like that! And the corn-blonde color
of Sailor Chibi-Star's pigtails...
"A deal." Doubt folded her hands together. "Chibi-Star is free to go."
The little Scout didn't move a muscle. "No..."
Bending down to her little sister, Sailor Polaris wiped all emotion off her
face. "You go to Susan right now," she hissed in an undertone. "You don't attack,
and you don't fight. You just go up the escalator, run over to Susan, and you tell
her what's going on. NO fighting."
"But..."
"Go."
As the child took one last look at the scene and took off running, Sailor
Polaris bristled and stood slowly, smoothing the light orange skirt of her fuku.
"A deal is a deal," she softly reassured them, her fingers touching the edges
lightly. "And I will give you the Locket of the North Star."
Doubt licked her parched wine-colored lips. "Yes..." she hissed, a wicked
grin spreading across her face. "Yes, give it here. Give me the power..."
The blonde Scout pulled the locket away from her chest, and there was an
instantaneous flash of golden light and her mortal form appeared.
Richard gasped in shock.
Sailor Polaris was Lyra.
As he stepped forward, prepared to intercept the locket in a noble,
chivalric gesture when he saw a pigtailed shadow appeared behind the Raiders.
With a slight smile, he looked once more at Lyra before slinking away behind the
information desk.
"I am Sailor Moon!" announced the shadow, jumping between the people and
snatching the locket from Doubt's grasp. "On behalf of the Moon..."
Smiling, the other girl accepted back her locket. "And on behalf of
Polaris..."
"You're punished!"
Four other Scouts appeared, all surrounding the platforms with grins on
their faces. "You're about to find out how the Galactic Sailors celebrate
Christmas!" announced Sailor Comet, running a hand through her brown hair.
The duo of Raiders glanced at the Scouts and at each other before
disappearing in two puffs of smoke.
"Whew, that was close," sighed Diana, jumping onto what appeared to be a
giant gift. "What in Heaven's name just went on here?"
Shaking her head, Lyra pocketed the disc. "I had to save Celeste's life,
and..."
"There you go, being noble again!" scolded the little Scout, jumping from
the second level and landing gracefully on the first. "Why do you do stuff like
that, Lyra?" She smiled lovingly and hugged her older sister. "Well, none the
less... I'm glad you did it."
Rubbing the back of her neck, she grimaced. "I just want to get home and
call Richard."
"Ooh... RICHARD!" giggled Sailor Moon, waving the Rod dangerously close to
her friend's nose. "What is it with you two? Are you an item or what?"
Lyra rolled her brown eyes and grabbed her little sister's hand, ignoring
the Scout. "Let's go home."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Fumbling for her keys, Phoebe shook her head and placed the bag from Marie
on the ground. "Where did I put those?" she asked herself, mentally promising to
act more responsible and adult...next time she stormed out of the house in anger.
"Today's been quite a day, hasn't it?" the orange cat put in, adjusting his
position on the girl's shoulder. "You got mad at your friends and ran off, I got
a verbal beating from our dear friend Reeny, then there was that nightmarish
fight..."
Growling, she kicked the door, interrupting the cat. "And I lost my keys!"
she shot, clenching her fists in anger.
"No you didn't," Orb responded in a serious tone. "You left them sitting
right on the kitchen table."
She lowered two ice-blue eyes into tiny slits. "What?" she demanded, glaring
at him. "You mean that, after I left, you used the cat door and didn't bring the
KEYS?" Anger resonated through her voice.
Blushing, the cat jumped to the ground, sitting and allowing his expression
to become very thoughtful. "Well, there has GOT to be a way inside," he assured
her, his voice a bit shaky.
Phoebe made a face. "You don't sound too sure yourself," she sighed, leaning
against the door. "Face it, Orb... The only way we're going to get into this house
is if..."
The door behind her then opened, resulting in Phoebe landing on her
red-skirted bottom halfway-in and halfway-out of the house.
"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" she roared, preparing to kill her cat. "What kind of
dirty trick are you trying to pull, Orb?"
Laughter behind and above her quieted the ranting as a pair of ice-colored
eyes glanced up.
And met familiar brown eyes.
"Hi, Pheebs. Long time no see," Greg managed between occasional guffaws.
"For being on your own, you sure forget a lot."
Clambering quickly to her feet, the teen wrapped her arms around her
father's neck and buried her head in his sweater. "Dad!" she exclaimed, nearly
crying as he smoothed her dark blue hair. "It's so nice to see you..."
He shook his head slowly. "There, there," Greg smiled, hugging her close.
"Didn't you get the message?"
"What message?" she asked, pulling away and looking up with doubt. "The
machine reset itself a few days ago..."
"I always said," came another, feminine voice, "that we need to get a new
answering machine. That thing just hates people."
Amy, clad in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, appeared out of the living
room. "And what exactly is that monstrosity? It's that ugly green thing covered in
garland and lights."
Sticking up her tongue, Phoebe let go of her father and picked up her bag
and her cat. "It's my tree," she chuckled, scratching Orb behind the ears. "The
best I could do."
Both parents smiled lovingly at their daughter before leading her into the
house and shutting the door behind them.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The sun was just setting as Reeny sat down in front of Queen Serenity's
fountain and stared into the clear, teal waters that swirled about the statue.
"Wow," commented the teen. "I'm just glad that Christmas is coming soon,"
she sighed, leaning back against the cool wood of the bench. "After all, even
friendship can't beat love..." Feeling a tear roll down her cheek, the Princess
knocked it away.
"Truth is," she told the fountain, standing and walking over to the basin of
water, "that I'm lonely. It's been a very long time since I've seen Helios,
and..." Plunging her hands into the cold liquid, she held them there for a brief
moment before pulling them out and placing them gingerly in her pockets. "It's
like sticking your hands in that water, loneliness is," she choked, shaking her
head of pink hair. "It hurts and...well, it's cold and encompassing."
It was at that moment that Reeny heard someone--obviously a very young
child--crying.
Quickly glancing around the little grove of cherry trees where the fountain
was located, the teenage Princess gulped. It was abandoned.
But the crying, loud and desperately sad, continued, despite the emptiness
of the area. "Hush?" she attempted, shaking a bit. "Quiet now?"
The sobs ceased into muffled sniffles for a brief time, which was long
enough for the Princess to find their source.
A tiny basket sat underneath the largest of the trees, obviously placed
there not in neglect but in careful consideration.
"What in Heaven's name?" breathed the teen, kneeling before the basket and
lifting the lid. "It couldn't possibly..."
Within the basket, swaddled in thick blankets and looking up with frightened
gray eyes was a child, no older than two years, with frizzy red hair. Reeny
touched the girl's forehead lightly, a habit that had developed from the time when
she had first seen Michelle handle the reborn Hannah during the twentieth century.
A surge of power ran through her arm, and Reeny pulled back her chilled fingers
in shock.
The child was of Silver Millennium bloodlines, and Reeny could feel the
sensation of it coursing through her veins.
"A baby..." she whispered, picking up the child and cradling her in cautious
arms. "Who left you here, little one?"
The child cooed, smiling a large grin from within the layers of blankets.
Whoever had left the child had done so carefully, covering it and insuring that no
warmth would be lost to the harsh winter night.
A sheet of paper floated to the ground, and Reeny picked it up, opening it
with one trembling hand while supporting the child with the other.
"Please," read the note in a messy scrawl, "take good care of my daughter.
There are certain things about her that I have yet to understand, and I need
someone to teach her. To love her." A tear ran out of red eyes as the Princess
read the note. "And...Ambriel. Her name is Ambriel."
Pushing a red bang out of Ambriel's stormy eyes, the Princess of the Earth
smiled sadly. "Well," she softly cooed, rocking the little girl in her arms. "It
seems I no longer have any right to be lonely, eh?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"No, Sarah," scolded Mina, smacking the brunette's hand lightly with her
spoon. "No more cookie dough for you."
Rolling the gooey substance into small balls, Lyra wiped some of the flour
off her forehead. "This is so much work," she observed aloud, placing two more
completed balls on the baking sheet. "Who knew that making cookies was so hard?"
Her brother Paul, a sarcastic eight years old, stuck out his tongue at her.
"We do this every year," he reminded her, mixing the dough with a wooden spoon.
"This is easier than beating up Raiders," pointed out Celeste helpfully,
then blushing as six of her seven siblings stared at her in either confusion
or--in Lyra's case--embarrassment.
But, before any of the Mokoti children could drill the loud-mouthed girl on
her comment, the doorbell rang. Springing from her stool, Lyra went to answer it,
her mother hovering not too far behind.
"Hi, Star," Richard smiled when the door was answered, stepping in the
house, gift bag in hand. "Could I talk to you?"
Six faces, ranging from ages ten to four, peeked curiously out of the
kitchen. They were all covered in various amounts of flour and dough, causing the
oldest family member to groan. "How's outside sound?"
He shrugged. "Great."
As they walked through the door, Mina cleared her throat in a tone that
could only be identified as devious. "Mistletoe," she pointed out, spoon aimed at
the plant above them. "House rule."
"MOM!" objected the teen, a deep blush creeping across her face. "That is
just about the STUPIDIEST rule that I've ever heard!"
The young man ran a nervous hand through his dark red hair. "Umm..." Kissing
her quickly on the cheek, he smiled hopefully. "There?"
Chuckling, the Mistress of Venus walked away.
Walking out onto the porch, Lyra sighed and shut the door carefully. "Is
something wrong, Rich?" she inquired, wringing her hands. "You seem upset."
"I am," he replied. "I mean, it's my own fault, but..." Trailing off, his
blue eyes met her brown eyes, and neither dared look away until a flash of light
interrupted the stare.
"Shooting star," breathed the blonde, chewing on her lip. "My mom always
said that shooting stars bless the couples that see them."
He sighed. "Lyra, when those Raiders attacked..." he stammered, gazing
lovingly at her as she stared off into the night sky. "Well, I didn't run. I hid,
yes, but I watched the battle."
Paling, she whirled around and met his gaze. "All of it?"
He nodded and stepped a bit closer to her. "I know that you're Sailor
Polaris, Lyra." Touching his hands lightly to her hips, he smiled. "But I just
want you to know that I don't care. This won't change anything."
"Really?" she gasped, staring up with an amazed half-smile.
"Would you like me any less if I were Tuxedo Mask?" he joked, making her
giggle sweetly. "I rest my case."
And, bending down and letting his hands slide farther around her slender
waist, Richard allowed his lips to meet those of his girlfriend.
Lyra, half shocked and half full of uncontrolled excitement, threw her arms
around his neck and leaned into the warm, loving embrace.
When they pulled apart, he picked up the gift bag that had been dropped
during the shooting star and handed it to her, still a bit shaken by the kiss.
"Merry Christmas," he wished her, touching his lips lightly to her forehead. "I'll
call you, alright?"
She nodded sheepishly and waved as he climbed into his black car and drove
off.
Opening the door, Lyra kicked off her shoes and leaned against the wall, a
wistful smile crossing her face as she touched her fingers to her lips in a dreamy
trance-like gesture.
Mina walked out of the kitchen and looked at her daughter, gaze filled with
both admiration and disdain. "Lyra?"
"Hmm?" asked the girl, glancing at her mom.
"There wasn't mistletoe on the porch, dear."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Gray-green eyes met green eyes as the Michelle crossed her arms.
"What has been wrong with you lately?" asked the violinist, glancing across
the office at her girlfriend. Seeing Alex grit her teeth, she continued. "Lately,"
she shot, "you've been cranky, cynical, and angry. Usually, I wouldn't be all that
concerned, but this... This is different."
The blonde tossed her head and avoided eye contact. "I really don't want to
discuss this," she coolly retorted, shaking her head. "Forget about it."
Michelle walked over to her love and placed one hand on her forearm. "I've
known you for quite a few millennia," she sighed, a sad smile passing across her
face. "You can't relieve me that easily."
"It's just... I..." Alex smiled down at her companion with a slight shrug.
"This morning, I realized something for the first time."
"Which is...what?" Confusion spread across the green eyes as the musician
stared upward.
"I want to spend forever with you, Michi," responded Alex, pulling away from
her lover's warm body. "Not just in the same house, same room, same children. I
mean..." Clenching her fists in frustration, the woman kicked the wall. "I want to
be married to you... I want us to share our lives in more that just the material
way, and..." A tear, extremely rare to the 'tough' Alexandra, fell to the white
carpet, a tiny spot appearing.
Her eyes considerate and her whole body shaking, Michelle stepped forward
and touched one of the strong shoulders that she loved so much. "I know, Alex, I
know..." she sympathized. "And, any other time, I would have side-stepped the
problem. But I've learned something in the last few weeks." The blonde turned
around, and her counterpart nervously massaged the back of her neck. "Why not,
Alexandra? Why not? Let's get married!"
Jaw dropping, the taller woman wrapped her arms around her beloved and
positively lifted her off the ground. "That's the greatest idea ever!" she
announced, pulling a bewildered Michelle close. "I'll call Raye and get that all
straightened out. And Endymion will, of course, have to be the best man, and then
there's the matter of clothes and..."
"Slow down," suggested the aqua-haired woman. "You'll hurt yourself." A
delighted smile passing across her face, she took a deep breath. "Are you sure
that you're ready to do this?"
Nodding, Alex dropped onto one knee. "Michi," she began in a serious tone.
"I love you. I've loved you about a million different times, in trillions of ways.
But it will not be enough until you're my wife." Smiling like a giddy schoolgirl,
the blonde tomboy pushed sandy bangs from her eyes. "And I want to do this before
Christmas."
Michelle choked on her own breath. "Before... Christmas?" she gasped.
Jumping to her feet in a fluid motion, the racer, pianist, and Planet
Mistress shot one last smile at her love. "I'll call Raye, and you call Endymion,
Serenity, home..." Taking Michelle's hands, Alex grinned excitedly. "Call everyone
you know!" she yelled in a voice that had never before been heard coming from the
Mistress of Uranus before. "Because we're FINALLY GETTING MARRIED!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well, what do we have here?" inquired Amy sweetly, staring at the
ultrasound screen with considerate navy eyes.
Susan just sighed. "I really wish that we could do this during the day," she
muttered cynically, looking at her doctor with a disgusted expression.
Shaking her head of blue hair, the Mistress of Mercury continued her work.
"It would look very suspicious," she informed the woman, chewing thoughtfully on a
pink lip. "Because you're a Mistress, you progress quickly." She pointed at
Susan's reasonably round belly. "It's been two and a half months, and look at you.
I don't even live in this country, on top of it." She shrugged. "And, besides, I
specialize in treating children, not exotic-looking pregnant women." Staring
blankly at the screen, she gasped a bit. "Oh my."
This made the Guardian of Time extremely nervous. "Is something wrong with
my baby?" she nervously asked, trying to contort herself to see the picture. But,
Amy had wheeled the machine into the room and positioned it at an angle that made
the patient unable to see what was going on. "Is it something bad?"
"That depends," responded Amy, "on how you look at the situation. Now, hold
still," she commanded. "I just need to get a good printout and then you get the
full run-down."
As the little printer ran off the first ultrasound sheet, Susan sat up and
pulled her black shirt back in place. "I really don't like maternity clothes," she
sighed with a shake of her head. "They're not at all nice looking."
Chuckling, the doctor handed a picture from the ultrasound to the
green-haired woman. "Tell me what you see," she smiled, folding her hands.
"I see a baby," the other woman commented. "Twice over."
"Twins," corrected Amy casually, picking up the rather thick file labeled
"Setsuna 'Susan' Meiou". "It's not the same baby."
Dropping the sheet, the Guardian of Time felt her strength drain away. "I
need to sit down."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Looking at the Princess with shocked eyes, Lisa dropped her armful of
towels. "A baby?" she repeated in doubt, staring into the basket. "What in
Heaven's..."
"Now, Lisa," Reeny cut her off, smiling down on the slumbering child,
"don't jump to conclusions. I found her in the Courtyard of Serenity."
The handmaiden ran a hand through her blonde tresses. "And why exactly do
you want my help?" she questioned, voice shaking nervously. "Just show your
mother, and..."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, the teen shook her head. "It's not really
that simple," she explained. "I can feel the power of Silver Millennium bloodlines
course through this child, and..." Leaning back, Reeny sighed. "If I take her to
mother right away, I know that I'll have to give her up. But I'm lonely..."
"Princess Serenity," groaned the woman, shaking her head. "I don't know if
it's in the royal decree, but hiding children from the Queen has GOT to qualify as
high treason."
"It's not hiding!" protested the girl, sitting straight up. "It's just
aiding me until I can consult Luna, Diana, Orb, the Galactic Sailors... and anyone
else who has half a clue about babies!"
Lisa backed up. "No way, Princess," she argued, blue eyes still glued to the
child's peaceful face. "It's treason!" She paused reflectively. "And, even if it's
not... Well... I have morals."
Turning cold, Reeny lowered her eyes. "As your royal Princess," she spat at
the blonde, voice resonating with authority, "I order you to help me."
"Princess..." whined the handmaiden, a beaten expression crossing her face.
"I don't want to..."
"Lisa," she softly said, voice caring and sweet, "you're the only one I
trust. In all of the Palace, I picked you to help me." Seeing a spark of sadness
in the pale eyes, Reeny grinned. "I know that I'm a big pest, and I am NO
Neo-Queen Serenity, but I need your help." She smiled sadly. "Please?"
Picking up the towels that had landed on the floor, the young woman shook
her head. "Somewhere in the laundry room, there's a box of baby clothes from when
you were young, and..." A hopeful grin crossed a teenage face.
With a shake of her head, Lisa sighed. "I'll be back in an hour."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Placing the phone in the hanger, Haley let a smile cross her face. "Hannah,
you'll never guess what Mom just told me."
The black-haired woman looked up from her chemistry notes. "Umm... They're
skipping town and won't be home to eat Susan's stew?" she mused, chewing on the
end of her pen. "Honestly," she sighed, "I haven't a clue."
"Mom and Mom," announced the brunette in an amazed voice, "are getting
married in a week."
Violet eyes grew wide as this news entered Hannah's ears. "You're kidding!"
she gasped, an excited smile passing across her face. "They couldn't be!"
"Well, they are," responded Haley in a casual tone, sighing wistfully. "I
didn't believe it either, but I guess Alex went to get some rings picked out and
Mom's calling everyone and inviting them to Cherry Hill next Sunday..."
Shaking her head but still grinning, the young woman sighed. "Did you ever
suppose that this would actually happen?" she asked softly, doodling little Sailor
Uranuses and Neptunes on the edge of her paper. "That they'd get married?"
Teal eyes glistened in amazement. "I blame it on your silly engagement," the
younger girl announced. "And, you know what?"
"What?" shot Hannah, a bit put off by her sister's words.
"Thank Brian for me," finished the teen with another smile and a wink.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Seven Galactic Sailors and three Moon cats stood around the tiny basket in a
circle. Bright, noontime sunlight filtered through the skylight and onto the group
as they stared down at Ambriel, how was contentedly playing with a Luna stuffed
animal.
"This is quite a Christmas," observed Alice with a half-smile. "Richard
knows about Lyra's identity, Michelle and Alex are getting hitched, Hannah and her
boyfriend are inches away from announcing their engagement..."
Phoebe cut in with a grin. "My parents are back..."
"Susan's having twins," announced Haley, tucking a few loose hairs behind
her ear.
"And," added Luna helpfully, her timeless voice strong in the marble
bedroom, "Reeny found a baby."
"Quite a Christmas," smiled Celeste.
"A Christmas," added Lisa, bustling into the room with baby clothes, "to
remember." Holding out a baby book, the handmaiden glanced down at the child.
"According to Doctor Spock here," she informed the motley grouping, "Ambriel is
about two years old. She should be able to walk and at least say something."
Picking up the little girl, Reeny placed her feet on the cool stone floor.
Sure enough, the child was toddling around like an expert within seconds. Her tiny
face was screwed into an expression of pure delight as she walked about the
circle, gray eyes meeting the gaze of each Scout and cat as she explored.
"Silver Millennium bloodline," confirmed Luna as soon as the child's glance
met her orange eyes. "I can feel it run through me."
Orb knitted his eyebrows together. "Then, how did she get here to the
thirtieth century?" he inquired curiously, looking at his mother with amazement.
"She's just a little girl..."
A flash of white light appeared and then, as if by magic, a pen of some
sorts dropped into Ambriel's outstretched palm. "Angel..." she cooed in a tiny
voice, holding the object out to the Princess as the light died. "Angel Moon."
Red eyes grew wide as Reeny took the pen from her. "Angel Moon?" she
repeated, fingering the silver, white, and gold pen. "What in the name of the MOON
does that mean?"
Clearing her throat, Tara folded her hands. "Angel Moon," she explained in a
soft voice, "is a legend that has been passed down for generations through the
Silver Millennium bloodlines." Everyone looked at her oddly, and she tucked her
black tresses back behind her ears. "When I was really little," she continued,
"and I got tired of my 'Sailor Moon' storybook, my mother would tell me the story
of Angel Moon, an angel who was born on Earth and abandoned suddenly in order to
preserve the stature of all the angels in Heaven. Angel Moon, through a bit of
sorcery, became a defender of love and justice and..." Her green eyes sparkled
knowingly as she said this, and Ambriel glanced up sweetly. "Well, it IS just a
legend," Tara finished. "But I wouldn't be surprised if..."
Her magenta eyes reflective, Diana cleared her throat. "If all Sailor Earth
says is true," the cat ruled, "then I feel that the royal family should raise
Ambriel."
"And, besides," pointed out Phoebe in a helpful tone, "Reeny found the kid.
It wouldn't be fair to give her up." All eyes turned to the blue-haired girl. "I
mean, she saved the kid's life, and she's been taking phenomenal care of her..."
"With some help," added Lisa quickly.
All the Scouts looked down at the child in silence, but it was Celeste who
next spoke.
The blonde girl crouched down slowly, and smoothed the fuzzy red hair that
hung limply at Ambriel's shoulders. "If there really IS an 'Angel Moon'," she
speculated innocently, "and if this little kid IS that person, would she be a
Chibi-Scout?"
"What's a Chibi-Scout, 'Leste?" asked Lyra in confusion.
She glanced up at her older sister with sweet green eyes. "Daddy told me
about it," she clarified. "In the world there are supposed to be six Galactic
Sailors and three Chibi-Scouts." With a shrug, she rose. "The Chibi-Scouts aren't
really Galactic Sailors, but they're not really Sailor Scouts, either..." Shaking
her head, her eyes turned sad. "I really don't understand," she admitted. "I just
listened to him talk about it."
Everyone considered this for a moment before the little orange-and-white
Guardian broke the silence.
"So," Orb cut in, "who gets the kid? Do we take her to Serenity, give her to
one of the Galactic Sailors..." He trailed off when he saw a sparkle of love in
the Princess' cinnamon eyes.
"I think that," she sighed wistfully, "that I could take good care of her.
Mom and Dad always wanted another child, and..." Looking to Lisa, her eyes turned
teary. "Lisa, do you think..."
The handmaiden glanced around at the seven girls and then looked to little
Ambriel, who was sitting at Reeny's feet, her gray eyes large with both confusion
and wonder. "You HAVE to talk to the Queen," was all she could say before
depositing the baby book on a table and stalking out of the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Raider King and the Spirit of Silver sat on opposite sides of the large
black chamber. Three of the seven star points--brown, green, and black--had both
shattered and disappeared, a solemn sight for both the crimson eyes of the Raider
and the all-seeing eyes of the spirit.
"I am not pleased," the Spirit of Silver spat, hovering toward the center of
the large star. "But I cannot say that I am displeased."
Sneering, the King crossed his arms angrily. "And what exactly can I do
about it?" he asked in moderate annoyance. "The Sailor Scouts are a tough group of
warriors, and that little girl..." He shook his head.
The Spirit's black slits, which marked its eyes, turned to its minion. "I
sense an incredible amount of power coming from Chibi-Star," he commented, a bit
of consideration in the ageless, vague voice. "Do we know her real identity?"
A large scroll appeared in the King's hands and he, with a slight bow,
cleared his throat. "Celeste Ann Mokoti," he read aloud. "The daughter of who we
think is the Mistress of Venus. Six years of age, with a coming birthday in early
May of this year. Quite possibly of some relation to Sailor Polaris or the Starlit
Prince. Shows a great connection to both." The scroll fading, it was all he could
do to run a hand through his crimson hair. "That's all the information we could
find."
"I'm rather impressed," smiled the Spirit. "And I am beginning to think that
we've been taking this whole problem from the wrong angle..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What do you think?" asked Michelle, standing up on a tiny platform in the
bridal shop. She was wearing a long, white satin wedding gown with a relatively
open back and no straps.
Wrinkling her nose, Haley leaned back in the powder-blue chair and sighed.
"I want to go help Alex pick out a tuxedo," she whined, sticking her tongue out
halfway.
Smacking her sister upside the head, the black haired daughter grinned. "It
looks gorgeous, Mom," she assured the musician. "I want one just like it!"
"Reduce, reuse, recycle!" giggled the brunette, quickly finding herself on
the receiving end of two angry glares. "I'm kidding, Mom," she sighed, teal eyes
thoughtful and loving. "That looks almost as good on you as a tux looks on
Alex..."
Throwing a wad of paper at her daughter, Michelle turned to admire herself
in the mirrors. "Stop it with the tuxedo talk!" she commanded, playing with her
hair. "You know very well that she took both Terrence and Brian to help..."
"Yeah," sighed Haley. "But then WE'RE stuck HERE with YOU and a bunch of
dresses."
Susan looked up from her book with a sigh. "You're such a tomboy," she
observed, looking over to the younger of her two nieces.
"I take after my mother...well, my OTHER mother..." joked the teen with a
sad smile. "I'm sorry, guys," she admitted. "This is just really strange for me."
All three women looked at the girl with soft smiles.
Stepping down off the platform, the aqua-haired woman looked deep into her
daughter's eyes. "Haley," she breathed, touching her shoulder lightly, "I know
that this is strange. You come from a very...UNIQUE...family, and none of us will
deny that fact." She smiled sadly. "But this is going to be the biggest day in
three lives--yours, mine, and Alexandra's. It's not every day that your mothers
actually do get married."
Clearing her throat, Hannah chewed on her lower lip. "I know that this is
supposed to be your day in the spotlight, Mom," the young woman said nervously.
"But I'm about ready to burst and it's really important that I tell you this
before going insane and..."
"Spit it out," yawned Haley, bored.
"Well..." An excited, almost maniac smile passed across her pale features,
and violet eyes flared with excitement. "Me and Brian...well...we're getting
married in April."
A squeal echoed through the shop as Michelle pounced on her older daughter,
kissing her on the cheek about eighty separate times. "I can't believe it!" she
exclaimed, tears of joy running down her cheeks. "My little girl is growing up so
fast!"
"Mother..." protested Hannah. "I'm only nineteen years younger than you..."
Haley shook her head. "To the real world," she observed, "you're
twenty-one."
A clerk walked over to the four. "Is everything alright here?" she asked
apprehensively. "We heard screaming and..."
Wiping tears from her cheeks, Michelle slowly stood and smoothed the dress.
"Umm...yes..." she smiled, wringing her hands a bit. "I just got a bit too
emotional, there..."
"Weddings," pointed out the clerk, "can be very emotional for everyone
involved." With another friendly grin, she folded her hands. "Found a dress you
like, Ms. Kaioh?"
"Suse?" inquired the musician nervously. "Girls?"
"It's a keeper," smiled Hannah.
Haley nodded, but muttered something about tuxedoes under her breath.
The Guardian of Time once again glanced up from the book, shrugging a bit.
"I hate to sound impartial," she commented, "but it really doesn't matter to me.
You're basically my sister, and I must say that you'd look radiant if you wore a
pair of sweatpants with one Alex's ratty old shirts left over from when you two
were in high school." A sweet smile crossed her face. "Love and weddings do funny
things to people, Michelle. And I'll be the first to admit it."
Rolling her eyes, the teenager looked up at her mother. "In plain English,"
she winked, "that translates roughly to: 'Gee, I like it.'"
"It's a keeper, then," grinned Michelle, twirling around in it one last
time. "I'll go change." As she walked into the dressing room, the clerk hovering
nearby, desperately trying to make a sale, the violinist stopped in her tracks.
"Haley?"
"Hmm?"
"Go find Alex and tell the guys that we're done here and need their help
with the bridesmaids dresses."
Haley's hoots of delight were heard throughout the mall as she ran out of
the bridal shop.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Walking slowly down the hallway toward her parent's room, Reeny juggled
Ambriel in her arms and let out a brief sigh. It was very odd and alien to her to
be holding a child...to be wanted and needed...to just be the one sole provider of
a life. "Well, little one," she breathed, looking at the girl in her arms. "Time
to face the music." Staring straight into two gray eyes, the Princess of the Earth
shook her head. "I just want you to know, Ambriel, though you sure as heck won't
understand, that I really do care about you." A sad smile passed across her
features, and it was all Reeny could to do fiddle with a pigtail to keep from
crying. "Sometimes, I feel really lonely, but you..."
"Mommy..." cooed the little girl, a tiny hand touching Reeny's face where a
tear had fallen. "Mommy..."
"No," corrected the teen. "Reeny. I'm not your Mommy..."
Leaning onto the Princess' shoulder, Ambriel let out a cute little sigh.
"Mommy Reeny?" she softly asked in a baby voice.
Giving up, she threw open the doors to her parent's room and placed Ambriel
cautiously on the floor. "Now, you behave," she commanded. "Leave all the talking
to me."
Serenity was at the desk and Endymion standing next to one of the many
windows when Reeny and her little foundling entered the room. Smiling, the
pink-haired teen cleared her throat, drawing two sets of blue eyes toward her.
"Silver Millennium bloodlines are few and far between, right?" she inquired,
not waiting for an answer. "And the legend of Angel Moon lives on, doesn't it? And
your lonely daughter is in line for happiness, don't you think?"
"Angel..." smiled Ambriel, attaching herself to one of the teen's long legs.
"Angel..."
Gasping, Serenity's azure eyes grew large. "Who is that child?" she asked
suspiciously, dropping out of the chair and to her knees. "And why on Earth did
you mention Angel Moon?"
The child toddled over to the golden-haired Queen, fearless yet obviously
innocent. Reeny cleared her throat again, growing more nervous with each passing
moment. "I found her," she explained as her mother smoothed the frizzy red hair.
"It was mostly accidental, really, and I took her in. Couldn't leave her out in
the cold night air..." Seeing Endymion, who had also walked over to see the young
girl, shudder, she continued. "And, well, I touched her forehead and felt this
certain surge of Silver Millennium power, which I couldn't put my finger on."
"Not Silver Millennium power," sighed Serenity, touching the Moon her
forehead and then placing the same finger on Ambriel's head. "Moon Power."
Reeny gasped as a silver crescent moon appeared on the forehead of the
little girl.
"Everything you've heard about Angel Moon," clarified Serenity, "is
completely true, except for one detail. Angel Moon--Ambriel--was born on the Moon
Kingdom of the Silver Millennium."
Endymion nodded sympathetically, a soft smile on his masculine face as he
smoothed his lavender suit. "She was, as legend tells, to reappear," he told his
daughter, "when the most powerful Sailor Soldiers of all time began their fight
for love and justice."
"Us?" gulped Reeny, wringing her hands. "You mean Ambriel is here to help
the Galactic Sailors?" Finding the pen in her pocket, she handed it to her mother.
"And this..."
"...Is her transformation wand," finished Serenity. "But she can't fight
yet. I won't let her."
The three looked at one another, and the Queen handed the wand back to her
daughter. "We," she announced, "are going to raise this child to be a Princess."
The other two stared at her in absolute doubt. "Just like my
great-great-grandmother on the Moon raised the first Angel Moon, we will raise
Ambriel." A half-smile crossed her face. "And Reeny... You are in charge of her
from this moment on."
Smiling, the Princess scooped up the little girl and hugged her, receiving
another sweet coo of "Mommy".
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the counter, Phoebe read over
her schoolwork. "Drama class is really hard," she commented to the cat next to
her. "This part I got stuck with is a nightmare come true."
Orb looked up from his saucer of milk. "What role are you playing this
week?"
"The witch from 'Into the Woods'." She closed the book. "A part that is a
real scary one. Long, involved, and not my type of character."
"That's nice." He shrugged. "Why don't you give me a little taste of this
'nightmare' character you are so intent on hating?"
She raised an eyebrow at this comment, but dismissed it quickly and cleared
her throat, placing the blue-covered script on the counter. "A-hem... 'Careful the
things you say'," she sang, "'Children will listen. Careful the things you do,
children will see... And learn...'"
As her voice filled the little kitchen, the cat laid down on the counter and
closed his eyes, humming along to the melody with appreciation. The two, in fact,
got so involved in the miniature performance that neither noticed the three people
walk into the room.
"'Careful the wish you make... Wishes are children...'"
"Phoebe?" asked a doubtful but slightly familiar voice.
The teen opened her icy eyes to find herself staring at a silver-haired
young woman with a slight smirk. "Marie?" she gulped, shaking her head as though
to clear the sweet tune from her ears. "What on Earth..."
With a chuckle, Greg leaned back against the wall with a knowing smile.
"Well, it seems you two have previously been introduced, so..." Winking a brown
eye at Orb, he smiled more widely. "Sis... Pheebs..."
"I didn't know that your brother was my dad!" exclaimed the girl, jumping of
the tan countertop.
At the same instant, a delighted grin crossed the woman's face. "I would
have thought that you'd opened the bag by now!" Marie retorted, pulling her young
friend into a tight hug.
Amy folded her hands in a considerate gesture. "Would either of you three
like to explain this?" she asked, knitting two blue eyebrows together. "It seems
that I've lost a bit of information."
Letting go of her aunt and hopping back on the counter (resulting in a
well-aimed glare from her young mother), Phoebe shrugged a bit. "I was lonely,"
she admitted solemnly, gaze flying from her mother, to her father, and then to
Marie. "The other girls had made a big deal about Christmas and how great their
mothers' help was, and..." Sighing, she studied the floor tile with interest. "I
stormed out of the house in a blind rage, and ended up at Marie's store."
"I," added the woman, running a hand through her silver hair apprehensively,
"happened to mention a certain Christmas when my brother finally proposed to his
lovely girlfriend." The two other adults paled noticeably. "I, of course, avoided
talk of immortality and all that jazz, but..."
Pretending not to notice the cryptic sentence, Phoebe smiled. "She gave me a
gift bag. I stowed it under the tree and didn't even think of opening it... After
all," she sighed, "I thought it'd be my only Christmas gift this year..."
Orb, who had left the room during the conversation, came back into the
kitchen, dragging two gift bags in his teeth. Spitting them out, he shrugged a
bit. "This one," he explained, gesturing to the bright orange one that Phoebe had
not previously seen, "is from Tara. The other one," he nudged a red bag toward his
charge, "is Marie's..."
Bending down and scooping up the red bag and extracted a rather large item,
well-wrapped in tissue paper.
"It's hard for me to explain why," her aunt attempted in a wavering tone,
"but, shortly after your birth, I got into an awful relationship and faded out of
your--and everyone else's--lives." Hearing a gasp from her niece, Marie smiled
sadly. "But, I had this in my store and...well... I just couldn't resist giving it
to you."
In Phoebe's trembling hands was a beautiful wooden music box, complete with
a little rotating sun inside. Strains of "You Are My Sunshine" floated gently
through the air as her eyes filled with tears. "It's so beautiful..."
Smiling a bit more, Marie touched one of the teen's shaking hands. "I just
want you to know that I'm really sorry, Phoebe," she sighed. "And that--from now
on--I want to be there for you."
Letting a salty tear trail down her cheek, Phoebe looked up from the box and
to her aunt. "I'm lonely a lot often than you'd think," she responded lovingly.
"And I'd really like that, Marie... AUNT Marie..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Staring at Susan in extreme doubt, Terrence gulped nervously. "What did you
just ask me?" he inquired.
She smoothed the light yellow dress, admiring herself in a mirror and not
daring to look at her boyfriend. "How much do you like children?" she repeated,
resting a hand on the slowly growing bulge that was her abdomen.
"Why?" he inquired suspiciously as she fooled with her hair. "Does it have
something to do with--" he nearly choked on the word--"our baby?"
Once again smoothing the dress, Susan nodded a little and looked at Alex,
who was studying a lavender bridesmaid dress in disgust. Dressed in a rather
conservative suit, the young "groom" had no intention of dwelling long in the
shop, and the Time Guardian knew it. "Alex?" she called across the room to her
friend.
The blonde looked up from the outfit. "Hmm?" she replied in a purposely low
voice.
"Tell Michelle that I really like this one," Susan quickly responded before
turning to the young brunette man. "What do you think, Terry?" she questioned
sweetly.
With a green-eyed wink, the man stepped up to her. "Lovely, Sets," Terrence
assured her, pushing his golden-rimmed glasses back into place. "Now, can you
PLEASE decipher your garble?"
Smiling bravely and attempting to put a bit of bravado in her rich voice,
Susan let out a shuddering breath. "Twins, Terry," she told him, not needing to
say much more. "Two children."
"Two?" His green eyes went wide as he gave her a careful hug. The false
valor in her voice was obvious. "I don't know how you feel about it," he admitted,
"but I can tell you're scared." Pulling her a bit closer, Terrence let his gaze
fall into her crimson eyes. "I don't want you to worry, Sets," he whispered.
"Because we'll be fine."
She was about to respond when little Celeste Mokoti, clad in a rather frilly
pink dress ran up, a grumbling Haley in tow. "Hi-ya, Miss Meiou," smiled the girl.
"Like my flower girl dress?"
Pulling away from Terrence, the dark-haired woman wiped any and all tears
from her red eyes. "Lovely, Celeste," she smiled at the little blonde. Eyes flying
to Haley, she suppressed a chuckle. "And what have we here?"
Haley made a face and pulled on her own dress--a larger version of the
blonde girl's outfit. "Not only," she spat, "am I going to be the oldest ring
bearer in history, but I'll be a female ring bearer... in an ugly, frilly, pink
mess!" Sticking her tongue out, the teenage girl managed one last grievous pout
before slinking off to find her parents and complain to THEM about the situation
at hand.
"Miss Meiou?" asked Celeste sweetly as soon as the chuckles subsided. "Do
you really think that I look okay?" She sighed deeply. "Cause I was thinking...
Haley doesn't like pink, and well...purple goes much, much better with the light
yellow bridesmaids' dresses..." Her green eyes looked up pleadingly, stars hidden
within. "And Miss Kaioh and Miss Ten'ou said that all big decisions should be up
to you cause YOU'RE the Maid of Honor and..."
Placing a hand on the silken blonde hair, Susan shook her head, a smile
crawling across her face. "You want a purple dress, don't you?"
"Mmm-hmm," she nodded enthusiastically. "Very much so, Miss Meiou."
With a shrug, the Guardian of Time swept back a few green hairs. "Hey,
Alex?" she called.
The woman looked up from her Sports Digest with a slightly bored glare in
her eyes. "What now, Susan?" she asked, faking a man's voice warily.
"We've decided to get the ring and flower girl's dresses in purple," she
announced, receiving a tight hug from a certain blonde child.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Doubt looked up at her companion, a bit of hidden nervousness on his face.
"You alright?" she inquired softly, flipping through the papers.
As if to clear his mind, he shook his head quickly. "Is the plan all ready
to go?"
"Almost," she sighed, cracking her knuckles a bit apprehensively. "But I'm
getting worried, Violence. These Scouts aren't as much of a blow-off as we think,
BUT..." With a shrug, she folded her hands and smiled sweetly. "I think that the
plan's going to work."
"So," he smiled back, "we're good to go?"
Shrugging once again, she winked a dark eye. "I'm ready."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I'm ready."
Terrence looked at Alex with a slight smirk. "Merry Christmas to you too,
Miss Ten'ou," he replied, leaning back in the pew. "But I have an odd feeling
that, when you two set the time as noon, Michelle and Sets decided that it meant
to get ready at ten till..."
Fiddling nervously with her black tie, the "groom" sighed and let out a long
sigh. "Only an hour," she gulped, looking around the church. The whole room was
decorated in yellow roses and lavender lilacs, with a white bow binding each
bouquet of flowers. Hannah, Reeny, and Haley had spent pain-staking hours with the
decorations, and--though she honestly found it gaudy and over-done--Alexandra had
found herself extremely proud of the three girls. It wasn't everyday that her two
daughters and the Princess of Earth teamed up to make her own wedding the best day
in history.
"You'll be fine, Miss Alex," smiled Brian, smoothing the lapels of his own
tuxedo. "I'm sure that--within five minutes--Haley will burst in here with some
sort of cute message from your lovely bride-to-be."
The blonde woman grinned. "Thank you two so much," she beamed, looking at
the young men with bright gray-green eyes. "I know that this must be the weirdest
feeling--being groomsmen for a woman at her wedding to yet another woman--but..."
She trailed off, gulping. "Just...thanks..."
"Hey," Terrence offered, patting her shoulder kindly, "years from now, you
and Michelle will look at the wedding pictures and say 'Why did we get those two
hair-brained idiots to be your groomsmen, Al?'" Hearing a chuckle from the woman
who had recently grown to be his friend, the man withdrew his hand and pushed a
pair of gold-rimmed glasses back up his nose. "And then, we'll all just laugh-Me,
you, your wife, Hannah, Brian, Sets, my kids, and Haley..."
Both of his companion's eyes grew large. "Kids?" gasped Brian, running a
hand through his hair.
The young man ran a nervous hand through his brown hair. "Well, Sets was
being pretty secretive about it, BUT..."
Just then, Haley burst into the sanctuary, Celeste following sweetly behind
her with an innocent smile. "Get her away from me!" roared the teen, showing no
modesty even though she was dressed only in a long satin slip. "This child will
not leave me alone!"
"Well..." sniffled Celeste, the grin quickly replaced with a large frown.
"My bigger sister isn't going to be here from at least a half an hour..."
Stooping over, Terrence winked at the little girl. "I know that this is
against policy," he whispered in a sly voice, "but how would you like to have a
nice big can of Diet Coke?"
"Ooh!" she screeched. Remembering the wink, she brought her little voice
down to a whisper. "Really?" she inquired in a tiny voice. "Can I?"
He nodded, taking her hand. "To the pop machines!" he commanded, winking at
Haley this time. Mouthing 'you owe me big' to the brunette girl, he led his
younger friend out the door, listening to her babble on about things that only
little children would know.
"Whew," breathed Haley, slumping into the spot that Terrence had once
occupied. "That was close." Then, with a cutely mysterious smile, she looked up at
the sandy-haired blonde, who had begun to pace. "Ma?"
Alex whirled around, wringing her hands. "What?"
"Mom says," her daughter informed, "that she knows you must be tearing
apart the floor by now..." Teal eyes floated to the scuff marks in the carpeting,
and Haley laughed at the sight, "but not to worry. She loves you and is so nervous
she can hardly function." The teen made a face. "And, on a side note--that woman
is FAR to preoccupied with how her hair looks!"
"Tell your Mom," chortled Alex, a bit of the nervousness melting off her
face, "that I love her too, and that this wedding will soon be OVER and we can go
back to fighting like cats and dogs."
Standing, Haley made a grievous face. "I sure HOPE not," she responded with
a roll of her eyes before bustling out the doors and into the hall, singing
Christmas tunes.
Brian, who was sitting in the seat closest to the aisle but in the second
pew, rested his chin in his hands. "It feels weird that this is Christmas," he
sighed, a wistful smile on his face. "I wish that me and Hannah had thought of
some romantic date to put our wedding on instead of just throwing it in the middle
of April."
This comment, as serious as it was meant to be, made Alexandra break out
laughing. Clutching her stomach, she wiped a few tears from her eyes before
looking over at the young man. "You don't know Hannah," she assured him with a
quirky smile. "She really doesn't like making a big deal about anything, and..."
It was then that Terrence waltzed back into the room, clearing his throat
and interrupting Alex. "To pick up where I left off," he announced with a shrug,
"Sets is pregnant with twins." He smiled proudly. "And I know, I know--she's
beyond scared. But, I'm... Happy, I guess..." Seeing confused looks from his two
friends. "I never thought that I'd have a chance for a family, but..." He smiled
again, this time more thoughtfully. "Now I've got a girlfriend that I really
love," he sighed with a shrug. "And two children on the way."
"And," put in Brian with a sly smile, "you'll be standing in this church
saying your OWN vows within three years."
Snorting, Alex shook her head. "You don't know Suse very well, do you?" With
a sigh, the blonde sat down on the edge of the pew, resting her elbows on her
knees. "Well, here I go," she sighed, looking at the pulpit where Raye would soon
stand. "Ready or not."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Ready or not," came a deep voice, forcing Lyra to jump a mile into the air,
"here I come."
Tugging on the blue dress, the blonde girl smiled as she saw Richard walk
into the room, something hidden behind his back. "I was sort of offended this
morning, dear," he confided in her with a smirk. "Here I am, taking off my shoes
while getting ready to come upstairs, when I find..."
"When did you get here?" she suddenly asked, attempting to latch her
sapphire necklace around her thin neck.
Taking the necklace into his own hands, Richard clasped the thin silver
chain himself. "About an hour ago," he sighed, "but I was curtailed by your
mother, and then Becky shoved all sorts of cookies down my throat." He smiled
gently and looked at her face through the mirror. "My God, you look radiant today.
What's the occasion?"
She blushed noticeably and glanced at the ground. "It IS Christmas," she
shrugged, chewing on her lower lip.
"Speaking of Christmas," he prompted, holding out the familiarly red gift
bag, "THIS was sitting on the shoe rack, discarded and ignored." Offering it
forth, he winked a blue eye. "I did add something, though--something I was saving
to give you at the reception but couldn't resist giving you with the present."
Lyra reached into the bag and pulled out a perfect rose of the richest red
in the universe. If it had been any darker, she mused, it would have been blood.
"Richard..." she breathed, words catching in her throat. She placed the rose in a
vase, which held her purple gift from the ball. Miraculously, the first rose
hadn't wilted or even lost its sweet sent in the two weeks that had passed since
the ball.
Lightly touching her shoulder with a hand, he nudged her a bit. "Don't stop
yet," he smirked. "You've got to open the rest."
"More?" She made a face and whirled around to face him. "Oh, Richard, this
is too much. I mean..." She bit her lip. "This had been a sort
of...sad...Christmas in our family," she sighed guiltily. "My father's out of a
job, and my little sister... Well, I found out some interesting things about
Celeste that plague me constantly. Not to mention that whole Mall incident..."
"Shhh..." he whispered, staring into her teary brown eyes. "Don't you even
think about crying, because-if you do-I'll have to hug you." She laughed a bit,
but it was nervous and forced. "And, if I hug you," he continued, eyes searching
her soul, "I just might not let go."
With a sigh, she pushed her hand through what seemed to be inches of tissue
paper and felt something soft and plush in her hand. Pulling it out, an amused yet
bewildered grin crossed her face. "A Sailor Polaris doll?" she asked, raising an
eyebrow.
It was about ten inches tall and made all out of a soft, "stuffed-animal"
type of fabric. The doll was, in fact, a very cuddly replica of the Scout, and
seeing the look on Lyra's face, Richard smiled at her. "After the attack," he told
her, "I went back to the Mall. Something was pulling me there, and so I decided to
go into the toy store." He gestured to the doll, flushing a bit. "This was the
first thing I saw in the shop and something... Something had drawn me to it. I
couldn't even think about resisting the urge." Running a hand through dark red
hair, he shrugged noticeably. "I don't know why..."
Throwing her arms around his neck, Lyra quickly buried her head in his white
dress shirt. "Richard..." she choked, near tears. "This is the absolutely SWEETEST
thing..." She glanced up, eyes filled with unshed tears. "There's something about
you..." she smiled. "Your eyes are just so blue."
Leaning toward her, Richard proceeded toward her lips, intent on a kiss...
When a light rap sounded on the door. "A-hem," coughed Andrew loudly. The
two pulled apart and jumped to opposite sides of the small room that Lyra and her
sister Becky shared. "I hate to bother you two, but we have a wedding to attend."
The blonde shot a devious grin at his daughter. "Unless, of course, you two would
rather stay here..."
"Daddy!" shrieked Lyra, pulling her ponytail into a clear butterfly clip
before grabbing her purse. "That is well enough!"
Richard choked after hearing the words, shutting his cobalt eyes as he felt
himself blush deeply. Feeling a small hand wrap around his own hand, he opened his
eyes once again.
Lyra grinned up at him. "Time to go," she smiled, dragging both him and her
father out of the bedroom before tightly shutting the door behind them.
Lacing their fingers together, he winked. "Not a moment too soon."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Not a moment too soon," breathed Michelle as Serenity placed the last
yellow rose in the elaborate hairstyle. Every last strand of long, aqua hair was
curled and piled expertly atop her head as it seemed only the Queen of Earth could
do. "I thought I wouldn't be able to sit still.
Beaming, the golden-haired woman flipped a pigtail behind her shoulder,
admiring the four flowers that adorned the bride's hair. "Just be careful not to
mess it up," she warned with a sly grin. "I wouldn't want to see your roses drop
onto the ground as you walked down the aisle."
The bride, her two bridesmaids, and the ring-bearer-girl Haley all chuckled
at this, and Celeste looked adoringly up at the adults. "I don't get it," she
asked, furrowing her tiny eyebrows. This set the five women into more hysterics.
It was then that the door opened and Reeny, clad in her Princess gown and a
silver tiara, dragged a screaming Ambriel into the dressing room. The little
redheaded grin was wearing a gown similar to that of the teen, but she looked much
more distraught about the situation.
"Mom..." whined the Princess with a sigh. "Ambriel will not stop crying!"
As if to prove a point, the little one threw herself on the ground and began
to have a massive temper-tantrum on the floor.
Pushing a stray hair behind her ear, Serenity shook her head. "I'm sorry,
Reeny," she told her daughter a bit guiltily. "Part of this deal was that you
would take proper care of the child, and..."
"I have to miss the wedding?" Reeny inquired in shock, looking in disbelief
at her mother. "That's not fair!"
"Yeah," chimed in Haley with a hopeful smile. "We Scouts have to stick
together."
The crying coming from the toddler got even louder, and the pink-haired teen
scooped her up and rolled a pair of red eyes. "I swear, if I let her live through
this..." she muttered, stalking out of the room with an upset look across her
face.
As the Princess left, Chad entered the room clad in his traditional temple
robes. "Hello, ladies," he said in his deep voice, a slight smile on his face. "We
need to get everyone lined up, so..." He flushed at Serenity. "Umm... Well,
M'Queen..."
The woman smiled and patted his cheek. "I'm on my way, Chad," she assured
him, winking to Michelle. "Good luck, all," she wished them before running out.
Taking a deep breath, Susan smoothed her dress. "It's showtime," she
muttered, glancing nervously into the hallway before finding Celeste's hand and
squeezing it.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It's showtime!" announced Phoebe happily, plopping down between Alice and
Tara in the second pew. "Are we all excited to be here?"
The temple maiden closed her bright green eyes. "My mother hates performing
non-Shinto ceremonies," she informed the four present Scouts and Richard. "She's
been complaining all day." Pausing, her eyes flew open and she stiffened. "I sense
danger," she whispered almost inaudibly.
"Not AGAIN," whined Alice, running a hand through her auburn hair. "Come on,
Tara--couldn't you wait until the reception to get carried away in all that
religious mumbo-jumbo?"
Restraining herself, the teen laid back in the seat and sighed deeply,
shutting her eyes and trying to get a reading on the evil she felt.
Music began to play and virtually everyone in the church turned around as
the doors opened and the wedding party began marching down the lilac-and-rose line
aisle.
First, of course, was Celeste--the flower girl. Her dress was, as promised
by Susan, purple and extremely frilly. Throwing rose petals and silvery confetti
everywhere as she walked down the aisle, she grinned happily at the four other
Scouts before taking her place across the way from where Alex and Terrence stood.
Next was Haley, who walked much more briskly on her way, a forced grin on
her face. She looked ridiculous--the purple dress was a bit too short and the
frills didn't seem to go along well with her short-cropped brown hair.
Then came Hannah and Brian, arm-in-arm, twin adoring smiles on their faces
as they went. They seemed almost reluctant to part as they reached the front, and
Hannah kept glancing kindly at her blonde mother, a proud smile that made everyone
in attendance feel warm.
The last of the wedding party was Susan, who looked--by far--the most
amazing of all the attendants. Green hair done in its familiar fashion, she had
permitted Serenity to place a ring of three interlocking yellow roses around the
single bun, and she had obliged. Something on the Time Guardian's face was alight
with wonder and caring, and her yellow dress, though a bit snug for reasons left
unspoken, made her look very regal and timeless.
As she stepped to her spot next to her elder niece, the well-known strains
of the wedding march started playing--but not from the organ. As the guests all
stood, their eyes wandered two four teenagers, all dressed in either a tuxedo or
in a tuxedo skirt, sat in the back of the large church. Alex almost choked as she
recognized them.
Kevin, Katie, Johanna, and Irina--all members of the Crystal Music Academy's
symphonic orchestra--were playing the wedding march for their two teachers.
And then... Michelle entered.
Holding tightly to King Endymion's arm, the bride looked about ready to
burst with happiness. The gown--most of which was either a fine lace or expensive
silk--was rather high-necked in the front, but low and open in the back. Long and
complete with a full train, it fit Michelle like a glove. There was no veil over
her face, but roses did protrude out of her curled hair. A bouquet of perfect
yellow roses combined with lavender lilacs completed the ensemble.
A tear ran down her face as the paragon of beauty-the woman who would soon
be her wife-came and stood beside the tall blonde. Michelle took one of her hands
from the flowers and touched one of Alex's trembling hands lightly. Then, Raye
cleared her throat and smoothed the red-and-cream temple robes she wore. "Who
gives this woman away?" she asked a bit harshly. Hearing her own tone, she shot
everyone an apologetic smile.
Trying not to chuckle, the King of the Earth glanced at the wrinkles that
Michelle had put in the sleeve of his lavender suit. "I do," he announced with a
smile.
"You may be seated," Raye told the group and, as they sat, she cleared her
throat and looked at the beaming couple. How long ago had she first met them? It
didn't seem to be all that long, but most of the crowd knew the truth. With a
grin, she opened the book before her.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A shadowed figure stood next to the Princess' bed as she slept with a small
smile on her face. At the foot of the four-poster bed was a crib and the visitor
knew that, in the crib, was one very troublesome two-year-old.
"Princess Serenity," he breathed, kneeling beside the bed and allowing his
face into the light. "I'm so sorry that you once again spent such a long Christmas
without me." A sad smile crossed has pale pink skin. "I promised you that I would
return, my love, and I soon will. But..." he sighed deeply. "Such chances aren't
very prevalent of late, Princess. But, I swear..." He touched one of her cheeks
lightly. "I will return. Before Ambriel, the angel of the Moon, is six years of
age, I will come back to you."
Standing slowly, he allowed a white rose to materialize on her pillow and
shook his head. "I know you must have many roses," he smirked, running a hand
through his silvery tresses. "But, pay no mind." Leaning forward, he kissed her
cheek lightly. "You are very much like your mother, my love," he chuckled, fading
a bit. "For it is only noon."
Reeny stretched and stirred in her sleep, a larger smile replacing the
previous, more mysterious one. "Helios..." she whispered, hand falling on the
rose.
She awoke with a start once she was pricked, placing her palm to her lips as
a bit of blood seeped from her new cut. Looking at the rose, its petals almost
having a silver sheen in the darkened room, she gulped back tears.
"Helios?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Do you, Michelle Kaioh, take this woman to have and to hold, to love,
honor, and obey until eternity ends?" asked Raye, her violet eyes almost filling
with tears at the sweet sight before her.
The bride nodded. "I do..."
"And, do you," continued the priestess, "Alexandra Ten'ou, take this woman
to have and to hold, to love, honor and obey until eternity ends?"
Wiping her own tears away, the blonde grinned. "That, I do..."
Raye cleared her throat, voice a bit shaky as she looked at the couple. Both
were beaming, their twin gold bands sparkling as the sun filtered through the
stained glass. "I now pronounce you married," she smiled as the two stepped closer
to one another. "You may now kiss to seal this bond."
And Michelle threw her arms around Alex's neck and they kissed passionately,
everyone cheering as they watched.
"May I present," announced Raye, arms wide, "Mrs. and...well... Mrs.
Alexandra Ten'ou!"
The quartet began their happy tune as Alex swept Michelle into her arms and
carried her down the aisle, leaving not a dry eye in the church as she did so. No
one had expected it, and everyone had seen it--the marriage of Alexandra and
Michelle.
And it was all ruined with a scream.
"HELP!" Celeste's voice carried quickly through the sanctuary as Raider
Doubt struggled to gag the child.
"Celeste!" screamed Lyra, jumping to her feet and groping into her purse for
the Locket of Polaris. "I'll save you!"
Suddenly, a black portal opened up and Doubt dragging the kicking and
screaming child through it, all guests staring and leaving four Sailor Scouts in
various stages transformation.
And Lyra dropped to her knees in grief and sorrow as all Hell broke loose.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Galactic Sailors Say!
Reeny: (appearing) Babies are a whole lot of work.
(Video clip of Ambriel's temper-tantrum)
Reeny: I mean, they spit up, and cry, and throw fits...
Terrence: (appearing) ...and they turn into teenagers like Reeny. (grins) Thank
you, thank you... I'll be here all week.
Reeny: (grimaces) But babies are also wonderful. They're loving and caring and...
(Video clip of Ambriel hugging Reeny)
Terrence: But you can't just magically think that babies can take care of
themselves. That's why you should read "Terrence Chiba's Guide To Good Parenting".
Reeny: (making face) There's no such book!
Terrence: (put off) Is too!
Reeny: You're not even a parent yet, Terrence!
Terrence: (smug) You're just biased.
Susan: (appearing) (over the argument) The point here, I think, is that you've got
to be careful around babies because they need a lot more help in life than the
rest of us.
Reeny: Duh!
Haley: (appearing) Plus, if you're not careful, they'll end up like...
(Picture of Kevin, Katie, Johanna, and Irina from the orchestra)
Reeny: (shrugs) Well, Sailor Moon says...
ALL: See ya!
-I Know-
Look around...
(Tara, sitting next to Queen Serenity, stares up at the night sky)
So many things aren't clear...
(Phoebe looks blankly at a math book)
Don't worry, though...
(Lyra smiles while picking up her tuba)
You know that I'll be there...
(Sailor Pluto and Haley smile knowingly at each other)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Alice looks sadly at a clock while the sun sets over Crystal Tokyo)
The future's on its way...
(Reeny holds the Locket of the Moon, smiling)
Look at my crying eyes...
(Luna and Artemis console an upset Diana)
Don't take your love away!
(Hannah sighs, looking at a sleeping Haley)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Mina looks at her children with Andrew behind her)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Alex and Michelle smile at one another and then blush deeply)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six girls, untransformed, hold their lockets high)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Lita smoothes the hair of a crying Alice)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Raye and Chad stand behind Tara, who is staring at her locket)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors stand in a half circle)
Times will change...
(Amy looks out of a window and at Crystal Palace)
People will change, too...
(Endymion looks at Serenity, who is pouring over a book)
But deep inside...
(Lyra hugs Celeste)
I always will love you...
(Diana falls asleep on Reeny's lap)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Alice and Phoebe stare blankly at one another)
The answers are so far...
(Michelle stands in front of the orchestra, talking)
But look at me and smile now...
(Tara lovingly hugs her father)
I am your guiding star!
(Haley smiles at a studying Hannah)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Mina looks at her children with Andrew behind her)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Alex and Michelle smile at one another and then blush deeply)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six girls, untransformed, hold their lockets high)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Lita smoothes the hair of a crying Alice)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Raye and Chad stand behind Tara, who is staring at her locket)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors stand in a half circle)
I know...
(The Planet Mistresses stand in a circle)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand in a circle)
All you need is love...
(The Mistresses and Sailors all stand together, holding hands, with their eyes
closed)
All you need...is...love...
(A single purple rose sits in a vase)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Yes, it is an interesting place to leave off.
Thanks to my mother who helped explain a lot of the wedding stuff to me... I
didn't quite understand what went where because I haven't seen a wedding since I
was...ohh...seven.
Till next time... We'll be sitting right here...
Kate and Christina
Author's Ramblings: (in a Mina-like voice) You know what they say... "Better late
than sorry"... Wait, that's not it...hmm...
Hi! Welcome to story 8...a bit late in coming, but here nonetheless. We hope you
enjoy this and be advised--weird stuff is about to ensue. Ah, but do not
fear...there will be NO hospitalized Mistresses in this episode! Count
them...none! (cheering)
Kate: no disclaimer today!
I have no proof that Ambriel is a girl's name. In fact, I don't think it IS a
girl's name... Well, I don't care, because Ambriel is a girl!
"Into the Woods" is a really great musical by Stephen Sondhiem. I take no
responsibility to owning it, and I'll never try. Please don't get angry that
Pheebs is studying it, either... It IS a good musical. (I have the script. I
should know.)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Re-cap du jour:
Alexandra was in a nasty drag-racing accident. Susan dined with Terrence,
Endymion, Serenity, and Reeny. Lyra found out that Richard is no longer going to
Crossroads and ate dinner with Melvin and Molly. Celeste became scared of dying.
Brian was announced to be Hannah's soul-mate, was granted immortality, and asked
her to marry him. Michelle got hurt in a Raider attack. Death died. A lot of
irrelevant orchestra scenes took place.
And that, my friends, is where the story begins...
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I," announced Phoebe, staring at the tiny artificial pine tree in her
living room, "hate Christmas."
Her cat looked up from his spot on the couch. "You're such a pessimist," he
yawned, rolling over onto his side. "Just because Amy and Greg aren't around this
time..."
She shot him a look of disgust but ignored the comment otherwise and dug
through the box of ornaments. "I don't see how they can throw away memories so
easily," she thought aloud as she took a string of lights out and plugged them in.
"You know... Leaving me all alone and forgetting my meager existence."
"There is," Haley added helpfully, walking out of the kitchen with a plate
of cookies, "something called forgiveness."
Alice faked sniffling. "Beautiful," she choked, wiping invisible tears from
her eyes as she walked in behind the brunette. "Just beautiful."
Haley beamed her with a pillow.
"This is serious," sighed the blue-haired teen from her spot before the
tree. "I've never spent a whole Christmas alone before, you guys. It's so
weird..."
Pulling her long hair into a high, Lita-like ponytail, Alice shrugged. "I
was alone in sixth grade for Christmas," she volunteered. "Wasn't...really...all
that different." The other two looked at her with concern in their eyes. "I mean,
sure--my mom wasn't there and I was a bit lonely, but some of the best TV shows
are on Christmas night..."
Haley rolled her eyes. "That is the most pathetic thing I've ever heard,"
she observed, hanging an orange ball on the tree.
"What's pathetic," put in Orb, "is that tree. Reminds me of the Charlie
Brown Christmas Special."
Eight eyes stared at the fake foliage, which was a patchy four feet tall and
had been purchased at a garage sale a week previous.
"Well," sighed Phoebe, wrapping more lights around the shabby monstrosity.
"It was the best I could do."
"Really?" asked Alice with a confused gaze. "I've seen prettier things in
the Dumpster at my building..."
Haley glared at her and the auburn-haired teen backed down. "I, for one,"
she smiled, seeing that her friend had shut up, "am just glad to see this
Christmas!"
"Here, here," agreed Alice cautiously. "Who knew that the life of Sailor
Scouts was so tough?"
Tears coming to her ice-blue eyes, Phoebe didn't respond.
"And how about those Raiders?" asked Orb, sitting up. "I didn't know how
hard they'd be, but you Scouts dusted the first three like regular pros."
The brunette grinned. "We have our Moms to thank for that," she told him.
Phoebe clenched the lights tighter in her hands, not noticing what she was
doing until three bulbs snapped in her palm and the string died.
"That's it!" she yelped, turning on them. "I don't want to talk about Sailor
Scouts! I don't want to talk about Christmas! And I don't..." she glared at Haley
in a state of anger. "Want to THINK about my mother!" Standing, she quickly
stormed out the front door, slamming it behind her.
Blushing, Haley picked up the colored glass from the shattered bulbs.
"Ooops..." she gulped, studying the red, blue, and green fragments. "I guess I
should be more careful about what I say."
"It's not your fault," the other girl sighed. "We never stopped to think
about how Pheebs is taking this whole arrangement, did we?" Seeing the looks on
the cat and her friend's faces, she shook her head a little. "She hasn't been on
her own before, and this is just scary for her..."
The guardian jumped off the couch and sat between the two. "Go home guys,"
he softly said, a sad smile painted on his face. "I'll talk to Phoebe as soon as
she comes back."
Alice patted the cat's head. "Merry Christmas, Orb," she smiled.
"Merry Christmas," he sighed, looking at the dead Christmas lights and the
barren tree. "Merry Christmas."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Just a little taste?" pressed Susan, holding out the spoon to the blonde
child.
"Oh, no way, Miss Meiou," Celeste protested, backing up. "My mommy said
never to eat your food."
The woman groaned inwardly and resumed stirring the cookie dough. "Really,
now?" she inquired thoughtfully. "And why's that?"
Looking up at her babysitter, the girl smiled innocently. "Because it
doesn't taste very good," she informed her, sitting back down on the tile and
drawing on some blank paper. "And, besides," she added sweetly, staring up with
deep green eyes, "it doesn't smell good either and Lyra said..."
"I understand," interrupted the woman, clenching her fist around the wooden
spoon. "No need explaining."
Celeste shrugged. "If you say so, Miss Meiou," she grinned, picking up a
purple crayon.
The Guardian of Time let out a ragged breath. Mina had taken the three
oldest children shopping, and the younger kids had gone to see Santa with Andrew.
Celeste--who was terrified of Santa but had no desire to go shopping--needed a
babysitter.
"Saddle everything," muttered Susan sarcastically, "on cranky and pregnant
Guardian of Time."
"What was that?" asked Alexandra, coming into the kitchen laden with
unwrapped gifts. "You don't have enough to do?"
"Go to..." Seeing Celeste look up, the green-haired woman managed to fake a
grin. "...Sam Goody. I heard that the CD Haley wants is there."
"What are you talking about?" Alex deposited her gifts on the table. "I just
want some tape."
Susan stepped out of the way so she could get at some. "Have we heard from
Hannah?" she inquired as the sandy-haired woman dug through the drawer.
"Not since she went out with Brian last night," she shrugged, finding the
item of interest. "She probably got..." Seeing the child glance up again, she
smiled widely. "...a new video game from him for Christmas."
Trying not to laugh, Susan cleared her throat. "Has she been acting funny
lately?"
"Yeah," commented Alex, bending over to adjust the leg brace. "She really
has."
"Miss Ten'ou," called little Celeste innocently. "Are you feeling better?"
Rolling her green eyes, she patted the blonde head. "Fine, really," she
assured the child with minimal sarcasm. "My leg still hurts, but that comes with
the territory."
"Territory?" repeated Celeste. "What's that?"
Chuckling to herself, the woman picked up the gifts and started down the
stairs. "And Michi wonders why I don't want more kids," she laughed.
Shaking her head, Susan added a few more chocolate chips to the dough.
"Why me?" she asked aloud, not really caring who heard or responded.
The little girl's face gained a thoughtful expression. "You're one of the
destined, Miss Meiou," she told the woman, green eyes sweet and caring. "All the
destined have to do a lot they don't like."
"What?" Nearly dropping the bowl, she glanced down to where Celeste was
leaning against the cabinet.
"Well, I know that you're Sailor Pluto and all that good stuff," she
informed the adult, "and that's all well and good. But you're destined, and the
destined have a lot to do."
Looking in shock at her charge, the Guardian of Time put down her dish and
sat down cross-legged on the floor next to the girl. "How did you learn all this,
Celeste?" she asked softly, garnet eyes filled with confusion.
Smiling knowingly, the child winked a green eye. "I have cool parents," she
confided in the woman. "Now, can you please hand me that blue crayon?"
Not quite knowing what to say, Susan carefully obeyed.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Merry Christmas," smiled Doubt, hanging a few boughs of holly in the
Raider's living room.
Violence, nearly passing out from the woodsy smell and the odd décor,
glanced quickly to the woman in the gray dress. "What," he shot, annoyance echoing
through his deep voice, "are you doing?" Red eyes flying from the tree, to the
holly, garland, berries, lights, and multi-colored boxes, he groaned. "Please tell
me that I'm having a nightmare and somehow got transported to another universe."
She made a face, still hanging holly from the mantelpiece. "You're so cranky
in the mornings," she chuckled, glancing at him with a hint of consideration in
her black eyes. "Don't tell me that, after all my briefings, you forgot what
Christmas is."
"I won't tell you," he responded, using his sword to clear off the couch.
"You can find it out for yourself."
Wrinkling her nose, Doubt snapped her fingers and watched in delight as a
roaring fire alit in the fireplace. "Christmas," she informed him dryly, "is a
seasonal event originally based on the birth Christ, the son of their God." She
sighed and began placing bright glass balls on the pine tree. "It's become
extremely commercialized over the last thousand years, but the fundamentals of
the festival are still intact."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Thank you, Raider Library," he commented
casually, watching the fire with a moderate interest. "But I'd rather go to the
dentist than celebrate the birth of some God."
"Well, that's good to know," she shot at him, anger building in her voice,
"but this all relates to our plot, and you can't be part of the plot without
understanding Christmas!" With an elaborate gesture, the living room faded out and
the two Raiders were in Violence's bedroom.
Falling to the floor (because he was no longer sitting on a couch), Violence
ran a hand through his crimson hair. "What in the name of..."
"The Andromeda was that for?" she finished in a tone similar to his. "Why do
you always snap at me before I get so much as a word out?"
He sneered, but said nothing.
"There is one part of Christmas," she continued, ignoring his expression,
"that I didn't mention. And that, Violence, is Santa Claus."
"Santa WHO?" he asked, eyes growing wide.
Shaking her head, she sat in a high-backed metal chair. "He is an imaginary
man...magical, they say...who lives in the North Pole. Gives gifts to children,
nice guy... Kind of like a saint."
Violence, catching the spark in her eyes, clambered to his face and took a
step backward. "No way," he spat at her nervously, tense. "I will not dress up as
Santa."
"Too late," she shrugged, seeing the frantic glint in his eyes. "You're
going to. I told the King, and he loves the idea."
"But..." protested Violence.
She smiled evilly. "Your suit is in the closet, and we go to the shopping
mall in an hour." Winking playfully at him, she faded out of sight.
Sighing, Violence shook his head. "Damn her."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Deck the halls with boughs of holly..." sang Hannah playfully as she danced
around the finished basement, setting out various decorations.
Alex and Haley, who were both wrapping a large stack of gifts, glanced
nervously at each other. Never before had the young woman gotten so excited over
Christmas.
The brunette teen pulled out a roll of paper and looked at her sister with
concern. "She's singing," the teen gulped. "She's dancing. She's smiling."
"Oh dear," her mother muttered, watching the dark-haired woman. "I'm scared
for her life."
Hannah made a face and smiled sweetly, with just a bit of wistful
consideration on her pale face. "I'm fine," she assured them. "I'm completely
fine. I'm BEYOND FINE!" Her grin grew beyond reasonable size as she looked at the
two others. "Can you guys keep a secret from Mama and Auntie Suse?" she giggled in
a school-girlish tone.
"You're positively bursting at the seams!" observed Haley with a thoughtful
gleam in her teal eyes. "Something's up, isn't it?"
Smiling enigmatically--which came as a learned behavior from growing up with
Susan--the older girl held out a hand. "Behold," she commanded, trying not to
laugh.
Her mother raised a sandy eyebrow. "It's your hand, dear," she noted,
examining the cream-colored skin and the purple fingernails. "And a lovely one at
that."
Making a grievous face, Hannah removed a gold ring. "THIS is the important
part."
Haley gasped as she saw the tiny silver diamond set in the bright fluorite.
"You mean that Brian...he asked you to marry him?"
Alex stared blankly at her child, not knowing what to say.
"I love him!" she grinned, replacing the ring and staring at it with starry
purple eyes. "I never knew it, but he's my soul-mate, and I love him, and I'm
going to marry him!"
Sighing sadly, the Mistress of Uranus fiddled with her leg brace. "How lucky
you are," she softly congratulated, a slight smile passing across her face. "I'm
very happy for you."
"Mom?" asked the teen, putting down the red ribbon. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah," came the calm reply as the blonde mounted the stairs. Looking at her
two daughters, concern lighting their young faces, she paused on the fifth step.
"I'm going for a car ride," she sighed, continuing up the stairs slowly.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Looking at the seasonal signs, such as the brightly-colored tissue paper,
the red-and-green wrapping, and the ribbons that were scattered about her bedroom
floor, Tara let out a deep sigh. Christmas. The time of lights and love, when
romance and giving flowed throughout the air. Everywhere, there was that sweet,
spicy smell and certain fever in the world that just made it Christmastime.
Except at the Cherry Hill Temple.
Kicking over a box that was painstakingly wrapped and marked 'To Polaris.
From Earth', the temple maiden sneered, remembering her mother's sharp words.
"We are Shinto," Raye had spat, looking at the gifts with disgrace. "You may
give gifts, but not in the spirit of Christmas." Tara, at that point, had
attempted to disagree, but some sort of fury on her mother's behalf had halted
that attempt. "We do not celebrate Christmas."
"Well, Mother," Tara said aloud, snapping from her painful reverie with a
sudden glint of anger in her green eyes, "I really don't care. I love my friends,
and I will have my Christmas." Picking up the five wrapped presents, she started
out the door, finding herself blinking back tears...ones that suddenly ached to
fall.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Ms. Meiou?" asked Celeste in a very nervous voice as the woman--exotic,
young, intellectual--led her through the shopping mall.
Susan looked down, maroon eyes sparkling timelessly as the had since the
beginning of time. "You said yourself that the destined have to do things that
they don't want to do..."
The blonde girl sniffled as her babysitter pulled her into the seemingly
endless line of parents and children. "But...Ms. Meiou..."
"I used to fear Santa myself," she softly confided in the little girl,
smoothing her golden tresses. "As a mortal child, that was my one true hate."
Brushing dark green hair away from her eyes, the woman looked downward. "But I
learned, Celeste. And so must you."
With a look of terror upon her face, the child attempted to scream but was
halted by a scarily familiar voice.
"Ms. Susan? 'Leste?" A curly-haired teen, her redheaded boyfriend in tow,
came up and got into the line with the Guardian of Time and the blonde child.
"What in the world are you two doing here?" asked Lyra, a bit of twisted amusement
in her voice. "Celeste hates Santa."
Sticking out her tongue and pouting, Celeste wrinkled her nose. "Stupid
destiny," she muttered loudly, forcing a slight blush upon Lyra's face.
Richard raised an eyebrow just as his counterpart turned around to face him.
"I know, I know," he smiled sweetly. "And I'm not planning to ask."
With a polite gesture, Susan held out a hand. "I don't believe we've met,"
she smiled, pushing up her glasses. "I'm Susan Meiou."
"Richard Umino," responded the young man, shaking her hand eagerly. "You're
a friend of Lyra's?"
Lyra gulped. "Actually, this is Haley's aunt."
As he was about to respond, Richard felt his breath catch and heard a
scream.
"We are the Raiders!" boomed a voice.
Suddenly alert, Susan whirled about and stood upon her tiptoes. Sure
enough, a red-armored man and a gray-garbed woman were standing at the front of
the line, taking each child by the scruff of their neck and throwing them
haphazardly about.
The one in gray made a face. "Sailor Chibi-Star, we know you're here!"
Celeste gulped. "Lyra?"
"Susan?" asked the teen.
Richard glanced at the three. "Uhh..." he stammered, completely confused.
"Is this one of those times I shouldn't ask?"
His girlfriend let out a long sigh. "Yes, it is," she managed, obviously
distressed. "Can I go somewhere...without you?" she cautiously requested, a sad
look on her face.
Chuckling, he wrapped his arms around her. "I escaped your mom," he noted.
"And with you, no less. Some Raiders? Bah!"
"Don't joke like that," Susan scolded with a look of patient anger in her
eyes. "In the long run, it will only hurt." With an mysterious grin, she took the
younger girl in her arms. "Lyra, come."
"I guess this is goodbye," sighed the blonde, looking up sadly as she heard
more screams behind her.
He shrugged. "For now."
The words echoing only in her mind, Lyra Mokoti stuck one hand in her pocket
and then ran away from the Christmas set-up, leaving an upset Richard alone.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Perfection," observed Reeny cynically, "is a stupid cat thing."
Growling, Diana watched as her pink-haired charge paced up and down the
room with an encyclopedia balanced between the two nearly-round buns on her head.
"You're just jealous," she retorted smugly. "After two hours of practice, you
can't do one-hundred paces with good poise."
Letting the book fall to the ground with an immense thump, the Princess
turned on her cat. "All my friends are out Christmas shopping or doing something
else that's fun and exciting! But me..." She fell dramatically onto the bed,
knocking her cat halfway off. "I'm stuck practicing poise... Which I--by the
way--will never use!"
"You will," Orb assured her solemnly. "Trust me."
"MOM never used perfect poise." Reeny shot a glare at her cat's orange
brother. "And she's the Queen of the Earth."
Orb snickered, obviously thinking of an evil joke to make. "Maybe if she
would have known her poise," he suggested, "then she wouldn't have been put under
that Dark Moon spell when you were little..."
"THAT'S NOT FUNNY!" shot the teen, jumping for the cat. As he evaded her,
she glared at him with hateful red eyes. "You're positively evil!" With an idle
tear running down her face, she sat up on the bed. "My mother was trying to
protect me and all of Crystal Tokyo when that happened! It was just a freak
accident, and--if it weren't for her twentieth century self--you wouldn't be here
today, you little toad!"
Diana lowered her pink eyes. "That's enough..."
"And another thing--I don't think you, as a guardian, should be so damn
self-righteous! After all..." Freezing in place, she looked at the locket which
hung idly from her neck. "Well, I have a locket alert you ingrate, so I can no
longer beat you up over your stupid cat ways." Taking the locket and chain off her
neck, she glared at the animal. "But you just wait until I get back, Orb... you
are going to hurt all over."
His sister glared at him. "Had enough of Reeny's verbal abuse?"
"I haven't seen Phoebe all day," he sighed. "I'm coming with."
The Princess lowered her eyes at the offending guardian but instead of
giving him an ear-full, she cleared her throat. "Moon Galactic Power...make-up!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Phoebe Urawa walked down along Crystal Tokyo's bustling Main Street, hands
stuffed deep within the warm pockets of her orange parka. Everywhere, girls and
boys were being held and coddled, sparking an odd semblance of jealousy deep
within her very veins. For it was one week before Christmas, and it had been a
Urawa family tradition to go shopping together every year--on the date which was
one week from Christmas.
Instead, Phoebe walked alone down the street, with strangers feeling sorry
for the poor teenage girl without a family--the girl with the frown across her
fine, adult features.
"This is really pitiful," she thought aloud softly, walking into a fancy
gift shop. "All alone before Christmas."
The shopkeeper, a young sliver-haired woman with bright eyes, smiled gently
at the teen. "Hello, Miss," she greeted. "Looking for a gift for your family?"
"My family," responded Phoebe coolly, without any sarcasm in her young
voice, "is a cat."
Taken aback, the woman backed up a step, looking at her with doubt and
taking a large gulp of water. "Your friends, perhaps, need gifts?" she attempted.
Phoebe smiled warmly. "I didn't mean to frighten you," she responded in a
friendly tone. "What I meant was that my parents moved away and left me to stay
for schooling..."
"...With you cat," quipped the shopkeeper, relief in her voice. "I'm Marie.
Nice to meet you."
"Charmed," responded the blue-haired teen, offering out a hand. "Phoebe
Urawa."
After a hearty handshake, Marie looked at her young customer with a
thoughtful gaze. "You're not shopping, are you?" she questioned, not needing more
than Phoebe's blush to answer her question. "Happens to the best of us, once we're
on our own."
"How come you're so open?" Flushing, the teen turned away. "I...I didn't
mean it like that. I just meant..."
"...That I was talking to a strange girl who walked in off the street,"
finished the shopkeeper, running a hand through her oddly-colored hair. "Maybe
it's because I've been in our shoes, Phoebe."
Her ice-blue eyes sparkled as she turned around. "Really?" she gulped, not
knowing what to expect. "You've been alone for Christmas?"
Nodding, she winked. "Well, yes. One winter when I was sixteen." Sitting in
a chair behind the counter, she beckoned for her companion to sit down. "My
parents went far away for Christmas and took my brother with... He wanted to visit
his girlfriend, and so they went to Tokyo. He was nineteen then, and...well, I was
jealous that he got to go. So, I stayed alone."
"And..." Phoebe smiled politely.
"And I missed my parents and even my stupid big brother." Marie leaned back
in her chair. "But, my brother proposed to his girlfriend that Christmas, and I
had the most fun ever on my own, because it taught me how to get along alone." She
shrugged. "He and his gorgeous wife are now parents to a sweet but sarcastic
daughter and I now run a great gift shop."
The teen's jaw dropped. "Wow. I'm a cranky person, aren't I?"
Her friend shrugged. "Not really, Phoebe. You just don't get it." Pulling a
bag out from under the counter, she smiled widely. "This is...sort of...for you,
Ms. Urawa." AS the girl took it, Marie licked her lips. "And don't you worry about
your parents--it will all be right, soon enough."
As Phoebe exited, she stopped and looked back to see sparkling gray eyes
smile at her. "Will I see you again?"
Marie shrugged. "I think so," she responded warmly.
Just then, a warmth radiated inside her coat and the blue-haired teen
jumped. "Marie..."
"Hmm?"
"Can I use your washroom?" she asked, finding the Locket of the Sun in her
pocket.
It was warm.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"C sharp!" yelled Michelle, tossing down her baton in frustration. "Haley,
do you even know what a C sharp IS?"
The brunette frowned and looked up from the piano. "Yes, Mo... I mean, Miss
Kaioh," she stumbled, marking some notes in the music. "Mom hasn't gone over it
lately with me."
Alex glared at her daughter from her spot in front of the synthesizer. "We
did TOO go over it!" she retorted, hands flying to her hips. "You're just mad
because I told you to mark the sharps and you didn't listen!"
"Yes, I did mark them!" Haley shot back, warranting various giggles from the
orchestra members. "You're just an idiot and didn't tell me about the key-change!"
"You said you had it down!"
"Did not!"
"Yes, you did!"
"No I..."
"Enough, you two," shot Michelle, looking mostly to her blonde girlfriend.
"And Alex, I want to talk to you after the rehersal."
The woman made a face and played a grievous chord on her synthesizer, but
said nothing more.
The conductor smiled gently, picking the baton back up. "Measure
eighty-four, with Alice's cello solo. Try to play with some dynamics, and be sure
to..."
She was interrupted by the sound of a cello bow clattering to the wooden
floor.
The auburn-haired teen blushed considerably as the entire orchestra turned
expectantly to her, eyes staring.
From the back of the room, Haley stood quickly up, sticking one hand under
her shirt to where a little orange and silver disc hung from a leather strap.
Warm. The locket was warm.
"I...I have to go," stuttered the cellist, slowly rising. "Sorry. My...my
pager went off..."
Irina made a face. "But the concert's in three days, and you've hardly made
two rehearsals this week!"
The brunette at the piano smiled a bit at her friend before running out the
back door to the room.
Shaking her head, Alice's chestnut eyes turned sad. "I'm really sorry, but
there's just some things..."
Nodding her approval, the conductor smiled a mysterious half-smile. "Go
ahead."
The girl raced out of the room, Locket of Light clutched tightly in her fist
as she ran.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Placing a large gift on the front porch of the Mokoti house, the
black-clothed figure yawned and looked up at the darkening sky. It had to be
about five in the afternoon. But she managed to smile, because all of the gifts
had been delivered to their respective Scouts with minimal hassle.
And it was then that a certain heat radiated through her body and she knew
what is was.
Pulling her facemask off, Tara reached under her shirt and pulled out the
Locket of the Earth, looking at it with a slight smile.
"Destiny's a fickle thing," she observed, running her soft fingers over the
smooth surface of the tan and green Earth, a wistful smile across her face. "And
I'm stuck, aren't I?"
Shrugging to herself, she raised the locket high above her head, clearing
her throat as she did so.
"Earth Galactic Power..." she yelled, a certain ageless power in her voice.
"MAKE UP!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Die!"
Sailor Polaris clumsily rose to her feet, brown eyes sparkling with hate as
a red sword lobed off a few brown-gold curls. Jumping quickly to the side, she
touched the flattened top of her ponytail and grimaced.
"Watch out!" yelled Susan from her spot at the second-level railing. "He's
going to throw a quick sword jab at Chibi-Star if you don't do something about
it!"
The blonde reacted momentarily, pulling Chibi-Star out of the way within
seconds of the Time Guardian's warning. The Raiders then backed up to one side of
the tiny platform, and the two Scouts stood at the other end.
"A showdown," breathed Richard from his place behind a plastic palm tree.
As soon as the fight had begun, the mall had been evacuated, leaving two
Scouts, a green-haired woman, and the two evil entities. Worried for Lyra's sake,
Richard had hidden under a deserted information desk, later taking up his position
behind the tree.
"Give us the kid," demanded Doubt coolly, kicking the discarded Santa suit
away, "and we won't hurt you or your friend." Gesturing to Susan with an idle
hand, she smiled wickedly. "You can't possibly live through this, and we don't
want you to."
The younger Scout grabbed onto her sister's leg. "No..." she whispered,
tears coming into her green eyes.
"You," Polaris addressed Doubt, "seem to like deals. I'm willing to make
one."
Susan bristled, closing her maroon eyes quickly and allowing her
all-powerful senses to reach out and attempt to find gaps in the time-space
continuum. The Scout didn't notice this, but she did notice a sudden gleam of
desire flare up in the black eyes of Doubt.
"If you let the girl go," the Scout started, chewing on a lip, "then I'll
give you the Locket of the North Star." Her hand hovered near the light-orange and
gold mass, not touching it...yet...
The two looked at one another, and then back at Polaris. "Are you buying
time?" asked Violence in a low hiss, eyes suspiciously focusing on Susan. "Where
are the other Scouts?"
The girl bristled. "I have no way to reach them. They don't even know I'm
here." Running a hand through her shaggy blonde curls, she looked once more at the
female Raider. "Do we have a deal?"
Shaggy blonde curls? Richard started, navy eyes growing wide. There was only
one other person in the world who had curls like that! And the corn-blonde color
of Sailor Chibi-Star's pigtails...
"A deal." Doubt folded her hands together. "Chibi-Star is free to go."
The little Scout didn't move a muscle. "No..."
Bending down to her little sister, Sailor Polaris wiped all emotion off her
face. "You go to Susan right now," she hissed in an undertone. "You don't attack,
and you don't fight. You just go up the escalator, run over to Susan, and you tell
her what's going on. NO fighting."
"But..."
"Go."
As the child took one last look at the scene and took off running, Sailor
Polaris bristled and stood slowly, smoothing the light orange skirt of her fuku.
"A deal is a deal," she softly reassured them, her fingers touching the edges
lightly. "And I will give you the Locket of the North Star."
Doubt licked her parched wine-colored lips. "Yes..." she hissed, a wicked
grin spreading across her face. "Yes, give it here. Give me the power..."
The blonde Scout pulled the locket away from her chest, and there was an
instantaneous flash of golden light and her mortal form appeared.
Richard gasped in shock.
Sailor Polaris was Lyra.
As he stepped forward, prepared to intercept the locket in a noble,
chivalric gesture when he saw a pigtailed shadow appeared behind the Raiders.
With a slight smile, he looked once more at Lyra before slinking away behind the
information desk.
"I am Sailor Moon!" announced the shadow, jumping between the people and
snatching the locket from Doubt's grasp. "On behalf of the Moon..."
Smiling, the other girl accepted back her locket. "And on behalf of
Polaris..."
"You're punished!"
Four other Scouts appeared, all surrounding the platforms with grins on
their faces. "You're about to find out how the Galactic Sailors celebrate
Christmas!" announced Sailor Comet, running a hand through her brown hair.
The duo of Raiders glanced at the Scouts and at each other before
disappearing in two puffs of smoke.
"Whew, that was close," sighed Diana, jumping onto what appeared to be a
giant gift. "What in Heaven's name just went on here?"
Shaking her head, Lyra pocketed the disc. "I had to save Celeste's life,
and..."
"There you go, being noble again!" scolded the little Scout, jumping from
the second level and landing gracefully on the first. "Why do you do stuff like
that, Lyra?" She smiled lovingly and hugged her older sister. "Well, none the
less... I'm glad you did it."
Rubbing the back of her neck, she grimaced. "I just want to get home and
call Richard."
"Ooh... RICHARD!" giggled Sailor Moon, waving the Rod dangerously close to
her friend's nose. "What is it with you two? Are you an item or what?"
Lyra rolled her brown eyes and grabbed her little sister's hand, ignoring
the Scout. "Let's go home."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Fumbling for her keys, Phoebe shook her head and placed the bag from Marie
on the ground. "Where did I put those?" she asked herself, mentally promising to
act more responsible and adult...next time she stormed out of the house in anger.
"Today's been quite a day, hasn't it?" the orange cat put in, adjusting his
position on the girl's shoulder. "You got mad at your friends and ran off, I got
a verbal beating from our dear friend Reeny, then there was that nightmarish
fight..."
Growling, she kicked the door, interrupting the cat. "And I lost my keys!"
she shot, clenching her fists in anger.
"No you didn't," Orb responded in a serious tone. "You left them sitting
right on the kitchen table."
She lowered two ice-blue eyes into tiny slits. "What?" she demanded, glaring
at him. "You mean that, after I left, you used the cat door and didn't bring the
KEYS?" Anger resonated through her voice.
Blushing, the cat jumped to the ground, sitting and allowing his expression
to become very thoughtful. "Well, there has GOT to be a way inside," he assured
her, his voice a bit shaky.
Phoebe made a face. "You don't sound too sure yourself," she sighed, leaning
against the door. "Face it, Orb... The only way we're going to get into this house
is if..."
The door behind her then opened, resulting in Phoebe landing on her
red-skirted bottom halfway-in and halfway-out of the house.
"WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?" she roared, preparing to kill her cat. "What kind of
dirty trick are you trying to pull, Orb?"
Laughter behind and above her quieted the ranting as a pair of ice-colored
eyes glanced up.
And met familiar brown eyes.
"Hi, Pheebs. Long time no see," Greg managed between occasional guffaws.
"For being on your own, you sure forget a lot."
Clambering quickly to her feet, the teen wrapped her arms around her
father's neck and buried her head in his sweater. "Dad!" she exclaimed, nearly
crying as he smoothed her dark blue hair. "It's so nice to see you..."
He shook his head slowly. "There, there," Greg smiled, hugging her close.
"Didn't you get the message?"
"What message?" she asked, pulling away and looking up with doubt. "The
machine reset itself a few days ago..."
"I always said," came another, feminine voice, "that we need to get a new
answering machine. That thing just hates people."
Amy, clad in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, appeared out of the living
room. "And what exactly is that monstrosity? It's that ugly green thing covered in
garland and lights."
Sticking up her tongue, Phoebe let go of her father and picked up her bag
and her cat. "It's my tree," she chuckled, scratching Orb behind the ears. "The
best I could do."
Both parents smiled lovingly at their daughter before leading her into the
house and shutting the door behind them.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The sun was just setting as Reeny sat down in front of Queen Serenity's
fountain and stared into the clear, teal waters that swirled about the statue.
"Wow," commented the teen. "I'm just glad that Christmas is coming soon,"
she sighed, leaning back against the cool wood of the bench. "After all, even
friendship can't beat love..." Feeling a tear roll down her cheek, the Princess
knocked it away.
"Truth is," she told the fountain, standing and walking over to the basin of
water, "that I'm lonely. It's been a very long time since I've seen Helios,
and..." Plunging her hands into the cold liquid, she held them there for a brief
moment before pulling them out and placing them gingerly in her pockets. "It's
like sticking your hands in that water, loneliness is," she choked, shaking her
head of pink hair. "It hurts and...well, it's cold and encompassing."
It was at that moment that Reeny heard someone--obviously a very young
child--crying.
Quickly glancing around the little grove of cherry trees where the fountain
was located, the teenage Princess gulped. It was abandoned.
But the crying, loud and desperately sad, continued, despite the emptiness
of the area. "Hush?" she attempted, shaking a bit. "Quiet now?"
The sobs ceased into muffled sniffles for a brief time, which was long
enough for the Princess to find their source.
A tiny basket sat underneath the largest of the trees, obviously placed
there not in neglect but in careful consideration.
"What in Heaven's name?" breathed the teen, kneeling before the basket and
lifting the lid. "It couldn't possibly..."
Within the basket, swaddled in thick blankets and looking up with frightened
gray eyes was a child, no older than two years, with frizzy red hair. Reeny
touched the girl's forehead lightly, a habit that had developed from the time when
she had first seen Michelle handle the reborn Hannah during the twentieth century.
A surge of power ran through her arm, and Reeny pulled back her chilled fingers
in shock.
The child was of Silver Millennium bloodlines, and Reeny could feel the
sensation of it coursing through her veins.
"A baby..." she whispered, picking up the child and cradling her in cautious
arms. "Who left you here, little one?"
The child cooed, smiling a large grin from within the layers of blankets.
Whoever had left the child had done so carefully, covering it and insuring that no
warmth would be lost to the harsh winter night.
A sheet of paper floated to the ground, and Reeny picked it up, opening it
with one trembling hand while supporting the child with the other.
"Please," read the note in a messy scrawl, "take good care of my daughter.
There are certain things about her that I have yet to understand, and I need
someone to teach her. To love her." A tear ran out of red eyes as the Princess
read the note. "And...Ambriel. Her name is Ambriel."
Pushing a red bang out of Ambriel's stormy eyes, the Princess of the Earth
smiled sadly. "Well," she softly cooed, rocking the little girl in her arms. "It
seems I no longer have any right to be lonely, eh?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"No, Sarah," scolded Mina, smacking the brunette's hand lightly with her
spoon. "No more cookie dough for you."
Rolling the gooey substance into small balls, Lyra wiped some of the flour
off her forehead. "This is so much work," she observed aloud, placing two more
completed balls on the baking sheet. "Who knew that making cookies was so hard?"
Her brother Paul, a sarcastic eight years old, stuck out his tongue at her.
"We do this every year," he reminded her, mixing the dough with a wooden spoon.
"This is easier than beating up Raiders," pointed out Celeste helpfully,
then blushing as six of her seven siblings stared at her in either confusion
or--in Lyra's case--embarrassment.
But, before any of the Mokoti children could drill the loud-mouthed girl on
her comment, the doorbell rang. Springing from her stool, Lyra went to answer it,
her mother hovering not too far behind.
"Hi, Star," Richard smiled when the door was answered, stepping in the
house, gift bag in hand. "Could I talk to you?"
Six faces, ranging from ages ten to four, peeked curiously out of the
kitchen. They were all covered in various amounts of flour and dough, causing the
oldest family member to groan. "How's outside sound?"
He shrugged. "Great."
As they walked through the door, Mina cleared her throat in a tone that
could only be identified as devious. "Mistletoe," she pointed out, spoon aimed at
the plant above them. "House rule."
"MOM!" objected the teen, a deep blush creeping across her face. "That is
just about the STUPIDIEST rule that I've ever heard!"
The young man ran a nervous hand through his dark red hair. "Umm..." Kissing
her quickly on the cheek, he smiled hopefully. "There?"
Chuckling, the Mistress of Venus walked away.
Walking out onto the porch, Lyra sighed and shut the door carefully. "Is
something wrong, Rich?" she inquired, wringing her hands. "You seem upset."
"I am," he replied. "I mean, it's my own fault, but..." Trailing off, his
blue eyes met her brown eyes, and neither dared look away until a flash of light
interrupted the stare.
"Shooting star," breathed the blonde, chewing on her lip. "My mom always
said that shooting stars bless the couples that see them."
He sighed. "Lyra, when those Raiders attacked..." he stammered, gazing
lovingly at her as she stared off into the night sky. "Well, I didn't run. I hid,
yes, but I watched the battle."
Paling, she whirled around and met his gaze. "All of it?"
He nodded and stepped a bit closer to her. "I know that you're Sailor
Polaris, Lyra." Touching his hands lightly to her hips, he smiled. "But I just
want you to know that I don't care. This won't change anything."
"Really?" she gasped, staring up with an amazed half-smile.
"Would you like me any less if I were Tuxedo Mask?" he joked, making her
giggle sweetly. "I rest my case."
And, bending down and letting his hands slide farther around her slender
waist, Richard allowed his lips to meet those of his girlfriend.
Lyra, half shocked and half full of uncontrolled excitement, threw her arms
around his neck and leaned into the warm, loving embrace.
When they pulled apart, he picked up the gift bag that had been dropped
during the shooting star and handed it to her, still a bit shaken by the kiss.
"Merry Christmas," he wished her, touching his lips lightly to her forehead. "I'll
call you, alright?"
She nodded sheepishly and waved as he climbed into his black car and drove
off.
Opening the door, Lyra kicked off her shoes and leaned against the wall, a
wistful smile crossing her face as she touched her fingers to her lips in a dreamy
trance-like gesture.
Mina walked out of the kitchen and looked at her daughter, gaze filled with
both admiration and disdain. "Lyra?"
"Hmm?" asked the girl, glancing at her mom.
"There wasn't mistletoe on the porch, dear."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Gray-green eyes met green eyes as the Michelle crossed her arms.
"What has been wrong with you lately?" asked the violinist, glancing across
the office at her girlfriend. Seeing Alex grit her teeth, she continued. "Lately,"
she shot, "you've been cranky, cynical, and angry. Usually, I wouldn't be all that
concerned, but this... This is different."
The blonde tossed her head and avoided eye contact. "I really don't want to
discuss this," she coolly retorted, shaking her head. "Forget about it."
Michelle walked over to her love and placed one hand on her forearm. "I've
known you for quite a few millennia," she sighed, a sad smile passing across her
face. "You can't relieve me that easily."
"It's just... I..." Alex smiled down at her companion with a slight shrug.
"This morning, I realized something for the first time."
"Which is...what?" Confusion spread across the green eyes as the musician
stared upward.
"I want to spend forever with you, Michi," responded Alex, pulling away from
her lover's warm body. "Not just in the same house, same room, same children. I
mean..." Clenching her fists in frustration, the woman kicked the wall. "I want to
be married to you... I want us to share our lives in more that just the material
way, and..." A tear, extremely rare to the 'tough' Alexandra, fell to the white
carpet, a tiny spot appearing.
Her eyes considerate and her whole body shaking, Michelle stepped forward
and touched one of the strong shoulders that she loved so much. "I know, Alex, I
know..." she sympathized. "And, any other time, I would have side-stepped the
problem. But I've learned something in the last few weeks." The blonde turned
around, and her counterpart nervously massaged the back of her neck. "Why not,
Alexandra? Why not? Let's get married!"
Jaw dropping, the taller woman wrapped her arms around her beloved and
positively lifted her off the ground. "That's the greatest idea ever!" she
announced, pulling a bewildered Michelle close. "I'll call Raye and get that all
straightened out. And Endymion will, of course, have to be the best man, and then
there's the matter of clothes and..."
"Slow down," suggested the aqua-haired woman. "You'll hurt yourself." A
delighted smile passing across her face, she took a deep breath. "Are you sure
that you're ready to do this?"
Nodding, Alex dropped onto one knee. "Michi," she began in a serious tone.
"I love you. I've loved you about a million different times, in trillions of ways.
But it will not be enough until you're my wife." Smiling like a giddy schoolgirl,
the blonde tomboy pushed sandy bangs from her eyes. "And I want to do this before
Christmas."
Michelle choked on her own breath. "Before... Christmas?" she gasped.
Jumping to her feet in a fluid motion, the racer, pianist, and Planet
Mistress shot one last smile at her love. "I'll call Raye, and you call Endymion,
Serenity, home..." Taking Michelle's hands, Alex grinned excitedly. "Call everyone
you know!" she yelled in a voice that had never before been heard coming from the
Mistress of Uranus before. "Because we're FINALLY GETTING MARRIED!"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Well, what do we have here?" inquired Amy sweetly, staring at the
ultrasound screen with considerate navy eyes.
Susan just sighed. "I really wish that we could do this during the day," she
muttered cynically, looking at her doctor with a disgusted expression.
Shaking her head of blue hair, the Mistress of Mercury continued her work.
"It would look very suspicious," she informed the woman, chewing thoughtfully on a
pink lip. "Because you're a Mistress, you progress quickly." She pointed at
Susan's reasonably round belly. "It's been two and a half months, and look at you.
I don't even live in this country, on top of it." She shrugged. "And, besides, I
specialize in treating children, not exotic-looking pregnant women." Staring
blankly at the screen, she gasped a bit. "Oh my."
This made the Guardian of Time extremely nervous. "Is something wrong with
my baby?" she nervously asked, trying to contort herself to see the picture. But,
Amy had wheeled the machine into the room and positioned it at an angle that made
the patient unable to see what was going on. "Is it something bad?"
"That depends," responded Amy, "on how you look at the situation. Now, hold
still," she commanded. "I just need to get a good printout and then you get the
full run-down."
As the little printer ran off the first ultrasound sheet, Susan sat up and
pulled her black shirt back in place. "I really don't like maternity clothes," she
sighed with a shake of her head. "They're not at all nice looking."
Chuckling, the doctor handed a picture from the ultrasound to the
green-haired woman. "Tell me what you see," she smiled, folding her hands.
"I see a baby," the other woman commented. "Twice over."
"Twins," corrected Amy casually, picking up the rather thick file labeled
"Setsuna 'Susan' Meiou". "It's not the same baby."
Dropping the sheet, the Guardian of Time felt her strength drain away. "I
need to sit down."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Looking at the Princess with shocked eyes, Lisa dropped her armful of
towels. "A baby?" she repeated in doubt, staring into the basket. "What in
Heaven's..."
"Now, Lisa," Reeny cut her off, smiling down on the slumbering child,
"don't jump to conclusions. I found her in the Courtyard of Serenity."
The handmaiden ran a hand through her blonde tresses. "And why exactly do
you want my help?" she questioned, voice shaking nervously. "Just show your
mother, and..."
Sitting on the edge of the bed, the teen shook her head. "It's not really
that simple," she explained. "I can feel the power of Silver Millennium bloodlines
course through this child, and..." Leaning back, Reeny sighed. "If I take her to
mother right away, I know that I'll have to give her up. But I'm lonely..."
"Princess Serenity," groaned the woman, shaking her head. "I don't know if
it's in the royal decree, but hiding children from the Queen has GOT to qualify as
high treason."
"It's not hiding!" protested the girl, sitting straight up. "It's just
aiding me until I can consult Luna, Diana, Orb, the Galactic Sailors... and anyone
else who has half a clue about babies!"
Lisa backed up. "No way, Princess," she argued, blue eyes still glued to the
child's peaceful face. "It's treason!" She paused reflectively. "And, even if it's
not... Well... I have morals."
Turning cold, Reeny lowered her eyes. "As your royal Princess," she spat at
the blonde, voice resonating with authority, "I order you to help me."
"Princess..." whined the handmaiden, a beaten expression crossing her face.
"I don't want to..."
"Lisa," she softly said, voice caring and sweet, "you're the only one I
trust. In all of the Palace, I picked you to help me." Seeing a spark of sadness
in the pale eyes, Reeny grinned. "I know that I'm a big pest, and I am NO
Neo-Queen Serenity, but I need your help." She smiled sadly. "Please?"
Picking up the towels that had landed on the floor, the young woman shook
her head. "Somewhere in the laundry room, there's a box of baby clothes from when
you were young, and..." A hopeful grin crossed a teenage face.
With a shake of her head, Lisa sighed. "I'll be back in an hour."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Placing the phone in the hanger, Haley let a smile cross her face. "Hannah,
you'll never guess what Mom just told me."
The black-haired woman looked up from her chemistry notes. "Umm... They're
skipping town and won't be home to eat Susan's stew?" she mused, chewing on the
end of her pen. "Honestly," she sighed, "I haven't a clue."
"Mom and Mom," announced the brunette in an amazed voice, "are getting
married in a week."
Violet eyes grew wide as this news entered Hannah's ears. "You're kidding!"
she gasped, an excited smile passing across her face. "They couldn't be!"
"Well, they are," responded Haley in a casual tone, sighing wistfully. "I
didn't believe it either, but I guess Alex went to get some rings picked out and
Mom's calling everyone and inviting them to Cherry Hill next Sunday..."
Shaking her head but still grinning, the young woman sighed. "Did you ever
suppose that this would actually happen?" she asked softly, doodling little Sailor
Uranuses and Neptunes on the edge of her paper. "That they'd get married?"
Teal eyes glistened in amazement. "I blame it on your silly engagement," the
younger girl announced. "And, you know what?"
"What?" shot Hannah, a bit put off by her sister's words.
"Thank Brian for me," finished the teen with another smile and a wink.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Seven Galactic Sailors and three Moon cats stood around the tiny basket in a
circle. Bright, noontime sunlight filtered through the skylight and onto the group
as they stared down at Ambriel, how was contentedly playing with a Luna stuffed
animal.
"This is quite a Christmas," observed Alice with a half-smile. "Richard
knows about Lyra's identity, Michelle and Alex are getting hitched, Hannah and her
boyfriend are inches away from announcing their engagement..."
Phoebe cut in with a grin. "My parents are back..."
"Susan's having twins," announced Haley, tucking a few loose hairs behind
her ear.
"And," added Luna helpfully, her timeless voice strong in the marble
bedroom, "Reeny found a baby."
"Quite a Christmas," smiled Celeste.
"A Christmas," added Lisa, bustling into the room with baby clothes, "to
remember." Holding out a baby book, the handmaiden glanced down at the child.
"According to Doctor Spock here," she informed the motley grouping, "Ambriel is
about two years old. She should be able to walk and at least say something."
Picking up the little girl, Reeny placed her feet on the cool stone floor.
Sure enough, the child was toddling around like an expert within seconds. Her tiny
face was screwed into an expression of pure delight as she walked about the
circle, gray eyes meeting the gaze of each Scout and cat as she explored.
"Silver Millennium bloodline," confirmed Luna as soon as the child's glance
met her orange eyes. "I can feel it run through me."
Orb knitted his eyebrows together. "Then, how did she get here to the
thirtieth century?" he inquired curiously, looking at his mother with amazement.
"She's just a little girl..."
A flash of white light appeared and then, as if by magic, a pen of some
sorts dropped into Ambriel's outstretched palm. "Angel..." she cooed in a tiny
voice, holding the object out to the Princess as the light died. "Angel Moon."
Red eyes grew wide as Reeny took the pen from her. "Angel Moon?" she
repeated, fingering the silver, white, and gold pen. "What in the name of the MOON
does that mean?"
Clearing her throat, Tara folded her hands. "Angel Moon," she explained in a
soft voice, "is a legend that has been passed down for generations through the
Silver Millennium bloodlines." Everyone looked at her oddly, and she tucked her
black tresses back behind her ears. "When I was really little," she continued,
"and I got tired of my 'Sailor Moon' storybook, my mother would tell me the story
of Angel Moon, an angel who was born on Earth and abandoned suddenly in order to
preserve the stature of all the angels in Heaven. Angel Moon, through a bit of
sorcery, became a defender of love and justice and..." Her green eyes sparkled
knowingly as she said this, and Ambriel glanced up sweetly. "Well, it IS just a
legend," Tara finished. "But I wouldn't be surprised if..."
Her magenta eyes reflective, Diana cleared her throat. "If all Sailor Earth
says is true," the cat ruled, "then I feel that the royal family should raise
Ambriel."
"And, besides," pointed out Phoebe in a helpful tone, "Reeny found the kid.
It wouldn't be fair to give her up." All eyes turned to the blue-haired girl. "I
mean, she saved the kid's life, and she's been taking phenomenal care of her..."
"With some help," added Lisa quickly.
All the Scouts looked down at the child in silence, but it was Celeste who
next spoke.
The blonde girl crouched down slowly, and smoothed the fuzzy red hair that
hung limply at Ambriel's shoulders. "If there really IS an 'Angel Moon'," she
speculated innocently, "and if this little kid IS that person, would she be a
Chibi-Scout?"
"What's a Chibi-Scout, 'Leste?" asked Lyra in confusion.
She glanced up at her older sister with sweet green eyes. "Daddy told me
about it," she clarified. "In the world there are supposed to be six Galactic
Sailors and three Chibi-Scouts." With a shrug, she rose. "The Chibi-Scouts aren't
really Galactic Sailors, but they're not really Sailor Scouts, either..." Shaking
her head, her eyes turned sad. "I really don't understand," she admitted. "I just
listened to him talk about it."
Everyone considered this for a moment before the little orange-and-white
Guardian broke the silence.
"So," Orb cut in, "who gets the kid? Do we take her to Serenity, give her to
one of the Galactic Sailors..." He trailed off when he saw a sparkle of love in
the Princess' cinnamon eyes.
"I think that," she sighed wistfully, "that I could take good care of her.
Mom and Dad always wanted another child, and..." Looking to Lisa, her eyes turned
teary. "Lisa, do you think..."
The handmaiden glanced around at the seven girls and then looked to little
Ambriel, who was sitting at Reeny's feet, her gray eyes large with both confusion
and wonder. "You HAVE to talk to the Queen," was all she could say before
depositing the baby book on a table and stalking out of the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Raider King and the Spirit of Silver sat on opposite sides of the large
black chamber. Three of the seven star points--brown, green, and black--had both
shattered and disappeared, a solemn sight for both the crimson eyes of the Raider
and the all-seeing eyes of the spirit.
"I am not pleased," the Spirit of Silver spat, hovering toward the center of
the large star. "But I cannot say that I am displeased."
Sneering, the King crossed his arms angrily. "And what exactly can I do
about it?" he asked in moderate annoyance. "The Sailor Scouts are a tough group of
warriors, and that little girl..." He shook his head.
The Spirit's black slits, which marked its eyes, turned to its minion. "I
sense an incredible amount of power coming from Chibi-Star," he commented, a bit
of consideration in the ageless, vague voice. "Do we know her real identity?"
A large scroll appeared in the King's hands and he, with a slight bow,
cleared his throat. "Celeste Ann Mokoti," he read aloud. "The daughter of who we
think is the Mistress of Venus. Six years of age, with a coming birthday in early
May of this year. Quite possibly of some relation to Sailor Polaris or the Starlit
Prince. Shows a great connection to both." The scroll fading, it was all he could
do to run a hand through his crimson hair. "That's all the information we could
find."
"I'm rather impressed," smiled the Spirit. "And I am beginning to think that
we've been taking this whole problem from the wrong angle..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"What do you think?" asked Michelle, standing up on a tiny platform in the
bridal shop. She was wearing a long, white satin wedding gown with a relatively
open back and no straps.
Wrinkling her nose, Haley leaned back in the powder-blue chair and sighed.
"I want to go help Alex pick out a tuxedo," she whined, sticking her tongue out
halfway.
Smacking her sister upside the head, the black haired daughter grinned. "It
looks gorgeous, Mom," she assured the musician. "I want one just like it!"
"Reduce, reuse, recycle!" giggled the brunette, quickly finding herself on
the receiving end of two angry glares. "I'm kidding, Mom," she sighed, teal eyes
thoughtful and loving. "That looks almost as good on you as a tux looks on
Alex..."
Throwing a wad of paper at her daughter, Michelle turned to admire herself
in the mirrors. "Stop it with the tuxedo talk!" she commanded, playing with her
hair. "You know very well that she took both Terrence and Brian to help..."
"Yeah," sighed Haley. "But then WE'RE stuck HERE with YOU and a bunch of
dresses."
Susan looked up from her book with a sigh. "You're such a tomboy," she
observed, looking over to the younger of her two nieces.
"I take after my mother...well, my OTHER mother..." joked the teen with a
sad smile. "I'm sorry, guys," she admitted. "This is just really strange for me."
All three women looked at the girl with soft smiles.
Stepping down off the platform, the aqua-haired woman looked deep into her
daughter's eyes. "Haley," she breathed, touching her shoulder lightly, "I know
that this is strange. You come from a very...UNIQUE...family, and none of us will
deny that fact." She smiled sadly. "But this is going to be the biggest day in
three lives--yours, mine, and Alexandra's. It's not every day that your mothers
actually do get married."
Clearing her throat, Hannah chewed on her lower lip. "I know that this is
supposed to be your day in the spotlight, Mom," the young woman said nervously.
"But I'm about ready to burst and it's really important that I tell you this
before going insane and..."
"Spit it out," yawned Haley, bored.
"Well..." An excited, almost maniac smile passed across her pale features,
and violet eyes flared with excitement. "Me and Brian...well...we're getting
married in April."
A squeal echoed through the shop as Michelle pounced on her older daughter,
kissing her on the cheek about eighty separate times. "I can't believe it!" she
exclaimed, tears of joy running down her cheeks. "My little girl is growing up so
fast!"
"Mother..." protested Hannah. "I'm only nineteen years younger than you..."
Haley shook her head. "To the real world," she observed, "you're
twenty-one."
A clerk walked over to the four. "Is everything alright here?" she asked
apprehensively. "We heard screaming and..."
Wiping tears from her cheeks, Michelle slowly stood and smoothed the dress.
"Umm...yes..." she smiled, wringing her hands a bit. "I just got a bit too
emotional, there..."
"Weddings," pointed out the clerk, "can be very emotional for everyone
involved." With another friendly grin, she folded her hands. "Found a dress you
like, Ms. Kaioh?"
"Suse?" inquired the musician nervously. "Girls?"
"It's a keeper," smiled Hannah.
Haley nodded, but muttered something about tuxedoes under her breath.
The Guardian of Time once again glanced up from the book, shrugging a bit.
"I hate to sound impartial," she commented, "but it really doesn't matter to me.
You're basically my sister, and I must say that you'd look radiant if you wore a
pair of sweatpants with one Alex's ratty old shirts left over from when you two
were in high school." A sweet smile crossed her face. "Love and weddings do funny
things to people, Michelle. And I'll be the first to admit it."
Rolling her eyes, the teenager looked up at her mother. "In plain English,"
she winked, "that translates roughly to: 'Gee, I like it.'"
"It's a keeper, then," grinned Michelle, twirling around in it one last
time. "I'll go change." As she walked into the dressing room, the clerk hovering
nearby, desperately trying to make a sale, the violinist stopped in her tracks.
"Haley?"
"Hmm?"
"Go find Alex and tell the guys that we're done here and need their help
with the bridesmaids dresses."
Haley's hoots of delight were heard throughout the mall as she ran out of
the bridal shop.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Walking slowly down the hallway toward her parent's room, Reeny juggled
Ambriel in her arms and let out a brief sigh. It was very odd and alien to her to
be holding a child...to be wanted and needed...to just be the one sole provider of
a life. "Well, little one," she breathed, looking at the girl in her arms. "Time
to face the music." Staring straight into two gray eyes, the Princess of the Earth
shook her head. "I just want you to know, Ambriel, though you sure as heck won't
understand, that I really do care about you." A sad smile passed across her
features, and it was all Reeny could to do fiddle with a pigtail to keep from
crying. "Sometimes, I feel really lonely, but you..."
"Mommy..." cooed the little girl, a tiny hand touching Reeny's face where a
tear had fallen. "Mommy..."
"No," corrected the teen. "Reeny. I'm not your Mommy..."
Leaning onto the Princess' shoulder, Ambriel let out a cute little sigh.
"Mommy Reeny?" she softly asked in a baby voice.
Giving up, she threw open the doors to her parent's room and placed Ambriel
cautiously on the floor. "Now, you behave," she commanded. "Leave all the talking
to me."
Serenity was at the desk and Endymion standing next to one of the many
windows when Reeny and her little foundling entered the room. Smiling, the
pink-haired teen cleared her throat, drawing two sets of blue eyes toward her.
"Silver Millennium bloodlines are few and far between, right?" she inquired,
not waiting for an answer. "And the legend of Angel Moon lives on, doesn't it? And
your lonely daughter is in line for happiness, don't you think?"
"Angel..." smiled Ambriel, attaching herself to one of the teen's long legs.
"Angel..."
Gasping, Serenity's azure eyes grew large. "Who is that child?" she asked
suspiciously, dropping out of the chair and to her knees. "And why on Earth did
you mention Angel Moon?"
The child toddled over to the golden-haired Queen, fearless yet obviously
innocent. Reeny cleared her throat again, growing more nervous with each passing
moment. "I found her," she explained as her mother smoothed the frizzy red hair.
"It was mostly accidental, really, and I took her in. Couldn't leave her out in
the cold night air..." Seeing Endymion, who had also walked over to see the young
girl, shudder, she continued. "And, well, I touched her forehead and felt this
certain surge of Silver Millennium power, which I couldn't put my finger on."
"Not Silver Millennium power," sighed Serenity, touching the Moon her
forehead and then placing the same finger on Ambriel's head. "Moon Power."
Reeny gasped as a silver crescent moon appeared on the forehead of the
little girl.
"Everything you've heard about Angel Moon," clarified Serenity, "is
completely true, except for one detail. Angel Moon--Ambriel--was born on the Moon
Kingdom of the Silver Millennium."
Endymion nodded sympathetically, a soft smile on his masculine face as he
smoothed his lavender suit. "She was, as legend tells, to reappear," he told his
daughter, "when the most powerful Sailor Soldiers of all time began their fight
for love and justice."
"Us?" gulped Reeny, wringing her hands. "You mean Ambriel is here to help
the Galactic Sailors?" Finding the pen in her pocket, she handed it to her mother.
"And this..."
"...Is her transformation wand," finished Serenity. "But she can't fight
yet. I won't let her."
The three looked at one another, and the Queen handed the wand back to her
daughter. "We," she announced, "are going to raise this child to be a Princess."
The other two stared at her in absolute doubt. "Just like my
great-great-grandmother on the Moon raised the first Angel Moon, we will raise
Ambriel." A half-smile crossed her face. "And Reeny... You are in charge of her
from this moment on."
Smiling, the Princess scooped up the little girl and hugged her, receiving
another sweet coo of "Mommy".
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the counter, Phoebe read over
her schoolwork. "Drama class is really hard," she commented to the cat next to
her. "This part I got stuck with is a nightmare come true."
Orb looked up from his saucer of milk. "What role are you playing this
week?"
"The witch from 'Into the Woods'." She closed the book. "A part that is a
real scary one. Long, involved, and not my type of character."
"That's nice." He shrugged. "Why don't you give me a little taste of this
'nightmare' character you are so intent on hating?"
She raised an eyebrow at this comment, but dismissed it quickly and cleared
her throat, placing the blue-covered script on the counter. "A-hem... 'Careful the
things you say'," she sang, "'Children will listen. Careful the things you do,
children will see... And learn...'"
As her voice filled the little kitchen, the cat laid down on the counter and
closed his eyes, humming along to the melody with appreciation. The two, in fact,
got so involved in the miniature performance that neither noticed the three people
walk into the room.
"'Careful the wish you make... Wishes are children...'"
"Phoebe?" asked a doubtful but slightly familiar voice.
The teen opened her icy eyes to find herself staring at a silver-haired
young woman with a slight smirk. "Marie?" she gulped, shaking her head as though
to clear the sweet tune from her ears. "What on Earth..."
With a chuckle, Greg leaned back against the wall with a knowing smile.
"Well, it seems you two have previously been introduced, so..." Winking a brown
eye at Orb, he smiled more widely. "Sis... Pheebs..."
"I didn't know that your brother was my dad!" exclaimed the girl, jumping of
the tan countertop.
At the same instant, a delighted grin crossed the woman's face. "I would
have thought that you'd opened the bag by now!" Marie retorted, pulling her young
friend into a tight hug.
Amy folded her hands in a considerate gesture. "Would either of you three
like to explain this?" she asked, knitting two blue eyebrows together. "It seems
that I've lost a bit of information."
Letting go of her aunt and hopping back on the counter (resulting in a
well-aimed glare from her young mother), Phoebe shrugged a bit. "I was lonely,"
she admitted solemnly, gaze flying from her mother, to her father, and then to
Marie. "The other girls had made a big deal about Christmas and how great their
mothers' help was, and..." Sighing, she studied the floor tile with interest. "I
stormed out of the house in a blind rage, and ended up at Marie's store."
"I," added the woman, running a hand through her silver hair apprehensively,
"happened to mention a certain Christmas when my brother finally proposed to his
lovely girlfriend." The two other adults paled noticeably. "I, of course, avoided
talk of immortality and all that jazz, but..."
Pretending not to notice the cryptic sentence, Phoebe smiled. "She gave me a
gift bag. I stowed it under the tree and didn't even think of opening it... After
all," she sighed, "I thought it'd be my only Christmas gift this year..."
Orb, who had left the room during the conversation, came back into the
kitchen, dragging two gift bags in his teeth. Spitting them out, he shrugged a
bit. "This one," he explained, gesturing to the bright orange one that Phoebe had
not previously seen, "is from Tara. The other one," he nudged a red bag toward his
charge, "is Marie's..."
Bending down and scooping up the red bag and extracted a rather large item,
well-wrapped in tissue paper.
"It's hard for me to explain why," her aunt attempted in a wavering tone,
"but, shortly after your birth, I got into an awful relationship and faded out of
your--and everyone else's--lives." Hearing a gasp from her niece, Marie smiled
sadly. "But, I had this in my store and...well... I just couldn't resist giving it
to you."
In Phoebe's trembling hands was a beautiful wooden music box, complete with
a little rotating sun inside. Strains of "You Are My Sunshine" floated gently
through the air as her eyes filled with tears. "It's so beautiful..."
Smiling a bit more, Marie touched one of the teen's shaking hands. "I just
want you to know that I'm really sorry, Phoebe," she sighed. "And that--from now
on--I want to be there for you."
Letting a salty tear trail down her cheek, Phoebe looked up from the box and
to her aunt. "I'm lonely a lot often than you'd think," she responded lovingly.
"And I'd really like that, Marie... AUNT Marie..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Staring at Susan in extreme doubt, Terrence gulped nervously. "What did you
just ask me?" he inquired.
She smoothed the light yellow dress, admiring herself in a mirror and not
daring to look at her boyfriend. "How much do you like children?" she repeated,
resting a hand on the slowly growing bulge that was her abdomen.
"Why?" he inquired suspiciously as she fooled with her hair. "Does it have
something to do with--" he nearly choked on the word--"our baby?"
Once again smoothing the dress, Susan nodded a little and looked at Alex,
who was studying a lavender bridesmaid dress in disgust. Dressed in a rather
conservative suit, the young "groom" had no intention of dwelling long in the
shop, and the Time Guardian knew it. "Alex?" she called across the room to her
friend.
The blonde looked up from the outfit. "Hmm?" she replied in a purposely low
voice.
"Tell Michelle that I really like this one," Susan quickly responded before
turning to the young brunette man. "What do you think, Terry?" she questioned
sweetly.
With a green-eyed wink, the man stepped up to her. "Lovely, Sets," Terrence
assured her, pushing his golden-rimmed glasses back into place. "Now, can you
PLEASE decipher your garble?"
Smiling bravely and attempting to put a bit of bravado in her rich voice,
Susan let out a shuddering breath. "Twins, Terry," she told him, not needing to
say much more. "Two children."
"Two?" His green eyes went wide as he gave her a careful hug. The false
valor in her voice was obvious. "I don't know how you feel about it," he admitted,
"but I can tell you're scared." Pulling her a bit closer, Terrence let his gaze
fall into her crimson eyes. "I don't want you to worry, Sets," he whispered.
"Because we'll be fine."
She was about to respond when little Celeste Mokoti, clad in a rather frilly
pink dress ran up, a grumbling Haley in tow. "Hi-ya, Miss Meiou," smiled the girl.
"Like my flower girl dress?"
Pulling away from Terrence, the dark-haired woman wiped any and all tears
from her red eyes. "Lovely, Celeste," she smiled at the little blonde. Eyes flying
to Haley, she suppressed a chuckle. "And what have we here?"
Haley made a face and pulled on her own dress--a larger version of the
blonde girl's outfit. "Not only," she spat, "am I going to be the oldest ring
bearer in history, but I'll be a female ring bearer... in an ugly, frilly, pink
mess!" Sticking her tongue out, the teenage girl managed one last grievous pout
before slinking off to find her parents and complain to THEM about the situation
at hand.
"Miss Meiou?" asked Celeste sweetly as soon as the chuckles subsided. "Do
you really think that I look okay?" She sighed deeply. "Cause I was thinking...
Haley doesn't like pink, and well...purple goes much, much better with the light
yellow bridesmaids' dresses..." Her green eyes looked up pleadingly, stars hidden
within. "And Miss Kaioh and Miss Ten'ou said that all big decisions should be up
to you cause YOU'RE the Maid of Honor and..."
Placing a hand on the silken blonde hair, Susan shook her head, a smile
crawling across her face. "You want a purple dress, don't you?"
"Mmm-hmm," she nodded enthusiastically. "Very much so, Miss Meiou."
With a shrug, the Guardian of Time swept back a few green hairs. "Hey,
Alex?" she called.
The woman looked up from her Sports Digest with a slightly bored glare in
her eyes. "What now, Susan?" she asked, faking a man's voice warily.
"We've decided to get the ring and flower girl's dresses in purple," she
announced, receiving a tight hug from a certain blonde child.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Doubt looked up at her companion, a bit of hidden nervousness on his face.
"You alright?" she inquired softly, flipping through the papers.
As if to clear his mind, he shook his head quickly. "Is the plan all ready
to go?"
"Almost," she sighed, cracking her knuckles a bit apprehensively. "But I'm
getting worried, Violence. These Scouts aren't as much of a blow-off as we think,
BUT..." With a shrug, she folded her hands and smiled sweetly. "I think that the
plan's going to work."
"So," he smiled back, "we're good to go?"
Shrugging once again, she winked a dark eye. "I'm ready."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"I'm ready."
Terrence looked at Alex with a slight smirk. "Merry Christmas to you too,
Miss Ten'ou," he replied, leaning back in the pew. "But I have an odd feeling
that, when you two set the time as noon, Michelle and Sets decided that it meant
to get ready at ten till..."
Fiddling nervously with her black tie, the "groom" sighed and let out a long
sigh. "Only an hour," she gulped, looking around the church. The whole room was
decorated in yellow roses and lavender lilacs, with a white bow binding each
bouquet of flowers. Hannah, Reeny, and Haley had spent pain-staking hours with the
decorations, and--though she honestly found it gaudy and over-done--Alexandra had
found herself extremely proud of the three girls. It wasn't everyday that her two
daughters and the Princess of Earth teamed up to make her own wedding the best day
in history.
"You'll be fine, Miss Alex," smiled Brian, smoothing the lapels of his own
tuxedo. "I'm sure that--within five minutes--Haley will burst in here with some
sort of cute message from your lovely bride-to-be."
The blonde woman grinned. "Thank you two so much," she beamed, looking at
the young men with bright gray-green eyes. "I know that this must be the weirdest
feeling--being groomsmen for a woman at her wedding to yet another woman--but..."
She trailed off, gulping. "Just...thanks..."
"Hey," Terrence offered, patting her shoulder kindly, "years from now, you
and Michelle will look at the wedding pictures and say 'Why did we get those two
hair-brained idiots to be your groomsmen, Al?'" Hearing a chuckle from the woman
who had recently grown to be his friend, the man withdrew his hand and pushed a
pair of gold-rimmed glasses back up his nose. "And then, we'll all just laugh-Me,
you, your wife, Hannah, Brian, Sets, my kids, and Haley..."
Both of his companion's eyes grew large. "Kids?" gasped Brian, running a
hand through his hair.
The young man ran a nervous hand through his brown hair. "Well, Sets was
being pretty secretive about it, BUT..."
Just then, Haley burst into the sanctuary, Celeste following sweetly behind
her with an innocent smile. "Get her away from me!" roared the teen, showing no
modesty even though she was dressed only in a long satin slip. "This child will
not leave me alone!"
"Well..." sniffled Celeste, the grin quickly replaced with a large frown.
"My bigger sister isn't going to be here from at least a half an hour..."
Stooping over, Terrence winked at the little girl. "I know that this is
against policy," he whispered in a sly voice, "but how would you like to have a
nice big can of Diet Coke?"
"Ooh!" she screeched. Remembering the wink, she brought her little voice
down to a whisper. "Really?" she inquired in a tiny voice. "Can I?"
He nodded, taking her hand. "To the pop machines!" he commanded, winking at
Haley this time. Mouthing 'you owe me big' to the brunette girl, he led his
younger friend out the door, listening to her babble on about things that only
little children would know.
"Whew," breathed Haley, slumping into the spot that Terrence had once
occupied. "That was close." Then, with a cutely mysterious smile, she looked up at
the sandy-haired blonde, who had begun to pace. "Ma?"
Alex whirled around, wringing her hands. "What?"
"Mom says," her daughter informed, "that she knows you must be tearing
apart the floor by now..." Teal eyes floated to the scuff marks in the carpeting,
and Haley laughed at the sight, "but not to worry. She loves you and is so nervous
she can hardly function." The teen made a face. "And, on a side note--that woman
is FAR to preoccupied with how her hair looks!"
"Tell your Mom," chortled Alex, a bit of the nervousness melting off her
face, "that I love her too, and that this wedding will soon be OVER and we can go
back to fighting like cats and dogs."
Standing, Haley made a grievous face. "I sure HOPE not," she responded with
a roll of her eyes before bustling out the doors and into the hall, singing
Christmas tunes.
Brian, who was sitting in the seat closest to the aisle but in the second
pew, rested his chin in his hands. "It feels weird that this is Christmas," he
sighed, a wistful smile on his face. "I wish that me and Hannah had thought of
some romantic date to put our wedding on instead of just throwing it in the middle
of April."
This comment, as serious as it was meant to be, made Alexandra break out
laughing. Clutching her stomach, she wiped a few tears from her eyes before
looking over at the young man. "You don't know Hannah," she assured him with a
quirky smile. "She really doesn't like making a big deal about anything, and..."
It was then that Terrence waltzed back into the room, clearing his throat
and interrupting Alex. "To pick up where I left off," he announced with a shrug,
"Sets is pregnant with twins." He smiled proudly. "And I know, I know--she's
beyond scared. But, I'm... Happy, I guess..." Seeing confused looks from his two
friends. "I never thought that I'd have a chance for a family, but..." He smiled
again, this time more thoughtfully. "Now I've got a girlfriend that I really
love," he sighed with a shrug. "And two children on the way."
"And," put in Brian with a sly smile, "you'll be standing in this church
saying your OWN vows within three years."
Snorting, Alex shook her head. "You don't know Suse very well, do you?" With
a sigh, the blonde sat down on the edge of the pew, resting her elbows on her
knees. "Well, here I go," she sighed, looking at the pulpit where Raye would soon
stand. "Ready or not."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Ready or not," came a deep voice, forcing Lyra to jump a mile into the air,
"here I come."
Tugging on the blue dress, the blonde girl smiled as she saw Richard walk
into the room, something hidden behind his back. "I was sort of offended this
morning, dear," he confided in her with a smirk. "Here I am, taking off my shoes
while getting ready to come upstairs, when I find..."
"When did you get here?" she suddenly asked, attempting to latch her
sapphire necklace around her thin neck.
Taking the necklace into his own hands, Richard clasped the thin silver
chain himself. "About an hour ago," he sighed, "but I was curtailed by your
mother, and then Becky shoved all sorts of cookies down my throat." He smiled
gently and looked at her face through the mirror. "My God, you look radiant today.
What's the occasion?"
She blushed noticeably and glanced at the ground. "It IS Christmas," she
shrugged, chewing on her lower lip.
"Speaking of Christmas," he prompted, holding out the familiarly red gift
bag, "THIS was sitting on the shoe rack, discarded and ignored." Offering it
forth, he winked a blue eye. "I did add something, though--something I was saving
to give you at the reception but couldn't resist giving you with the present."
Lyra reached into the bag and pulled out a perfect rose of the richest red
in the universe. If it had been any darker, she mused, it would have been blood.
"Richard..." she breathed, words catching in her throat. She placed the rose in a
vase, which held her purple gift from the ball. Miraculously, the first rose
hadn't wilted or even lost its sweet sent in the two weeks that had passed since
the ball.
Lightly touching her shoulder with a hand, he nudged her a bit. "Don't stop
yet," he smirked. "You've got to open the rest."
"More?" She made a face and whirled around to face him. "Oh, Richard, this
is too much. I mean..." She bit her lip. "This had been a sort
of...sad...Christmas in our family," she sighed guiltily. "My father's out of a
job, and my little sister... Well, I found out some interesting things about
Celeste that plague me constantly. Not to mention that whole Mall incident..."
"Shhh..." he whispered, staring into her teary brown eyes. "Don't you even
think about crying, because-if you do-I'll have to hug you." She laughed a bit,
but it was nervous and forced. "And, if I hug you," he continued, eyes searching
her soul, "I just might not let go."
With a sigh, she pushed her hand through what seemed to be inches of tissue
paper and felt something soft and plush in her hand. Pulling it out, an amused yet
bewildered grin crossed her face. "A Sailor Polaris doll?" she asked, raising an
eyebrow.
It was about ten inches tall and made all out of a soft, "stuffed-animal"
type of fabric. The doll was, in fact, a very cuddly replica of the Scout, and
seeing the look on Lyra's face, Richard smiled at her. "After the attack," he told
her, "I went back to the Mall. Something was pulling me there, and so I decided to
go into the toy store." He gestured to the doll, flushing a bit. "This was the
first thing I saw in the shop and something... Something had drawn me to it. I
couldn't even think about resisting the urge." Running a hand through dark red
hair, he shrugged noticeably. "I don't know why..."
Throwing her arms around his neck, Lyra quickly buried her head in his white
dress shirt. "Richard..." she choked, near tears. "This is the absolutely SWEETEST
thing..." She glanced up, eyes filled with unshed tears. "There's something about
you..." she smiled. "Your eyes are just so blue."
Leaning toward her, Richard proceeded toward her lips, intent on a kiss...
When a light rap sounded on the door. "A-hem," coughed Andrew loudly. The
two pulled apart and jumped to opposite sides of the small room that Lyra and her
sister Becky shared. "I hate to bother you two, but we have a wedding to attend."
The blonde shot a devious grin at his daughter. "Unless, of course, you two would
rather stay here..."
"Daddy!" shrieked Lyra, pulling her ponytail into a clear butterfly clip
before grabbing her purse. "That is well enough!"
Richard choked after hearing the words, shutting his cobalt eyes as he felt
himself blush deeply. Feeling a small hand wrap around his own hand, he opened his
eyes once again.
Lyra grinned up at him. "Time to go," she smiled, dragging both him and her
father out of the bedroom before tightly shutting the door behind them.
Lacing their fingers together, he winked. "Not a moment too soon."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Not a moment too soon," breathed Michelle as Serenity placed the last
yellow rose in the elaborate hairstyle. Every last strand of long, aqua hair was
curled and piled expertly atop her head as it seemed only the Queen of Earth could
do. "I thought I wouldn't be able to sit still.
Beaming, the golden-haired woman flipped a pigtail behind her shoulder,
admiring the four flowers that adorned the bride's hair. "Just be careful not to
mess it up," she warned with a sly grin. "I wouldn't want to see your roses drop
onto the ground as you walked down the aisle."
The bride, her two bridesmaids, and the ring-bearer-girl Haley all chuckled
at this, and Celeste looked adoringly up at the adults. "I don't get it," she
asked, furrowing her tiny eyebrows. This set the five women into more hysterics.
It was then that the door opened and Reeny, clad in her Princess gown and a
silver tiara, dragged a screaming Ambriel into the dressing room. The little
redheaded grin was wearing a gown similar to that of the teen, but she looked much
more distraught about the situation.
"Mom..." whined the Princess with a sigh. "Ambriel will not stop crying!"
As if to prove a point, the little one threw herself on the ground and began
to have a massive temper-tantrum on the floor.
Pushing a stray hair behind her ear, Serenity shook her head. "I'm sorry,
Reeny," she told her daughter a bit guiltily. "Part of this deal was that you
would take proper care of the child, and..."
"I have to miss the wedding?" Reeny inquired in shock, looking in disbelief
at her mother. "That's not fair!"
"Yeah," chimed in Haley with a hopeful smile. "We Scouts have to stick
together."
The crying coming from the toddler got even louder, and the pink-haired teen
scooped her up and rolled a pair of red eyes. "I swear, if I let her live through
this..." she muttered, stalking out of the room with an upset look across her
face.
As the Princess left, Chad entered the room clad in his traditional temple
robes. "Hello, ladies," he said in his deep voice, a slight smile on his face. "We
need to get everyone lined up, so..." He flushed at Serenity. "Umm... Well,
M'Queen..."
The woman smiled and patted his cheek. "I'm on my way, Chad," she assured
him, winking to Michelle. "Good luck, all," she wished them before running out.
Taking a deep breath, Susan smoothed her dress. "It's showtime," she
muttered, glancing nervously into the hallway before finding Celeste's hand and
squeezing it.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"It's showtime!" announced Phoebe happily, plopping down between Alice and
Tara in the second pew. "Are we all excited to be here?"
The temple maiden closed her bright green eyes. "My mother hates performing
non-Shinto ceremonies," she informed the four present Scouts and Richard. "She's
been complaining all day." Pausing, her eyes flew open and she stiffened. "I sense
danger," she whispered almost inaudibly.
"Not AGAIN," whined Alice, running a hand through her auburn hair. "Come on,
Tara--couldn't you wait until the reception to get carried away in all that
religious mumbo-jumbo?"
Restraining herself, the teen laid back in the seat and sighed deeply,
shutting her eyes and trying to get a reading on the evil she felt.
Music began to play and virtually everyone in the church turned around as
the doors opened and the wedding party began marching down the lilac-and-rose line
aisle.
First, of course, was Celeste--the flower girl. Her dress was, as promised
by Susan, purple and extremely frilly. Throwing rose petals and silvery confetti
everywhere as she walked down the aisle, she grinned happily at the four other
Scouts before taking her place across the way from where Alex and Terrence stood.
Next was Haley, who walked much more briskly on her way, a forced grin on
her face. She looked ridiculous--the purple dress was a bit too short and the
frills didn't seem to go along well with her short-cropped brown hair.
Then came Hannah and Brian, arm-in-arm, twin adoring smiles on their faces
as they went. They seemed almost reluctant to part as they reached the front, and
Hannah kept glancing kindly at her blonde mother, a proud smile that made everyone
in attendance feel warm.
The last of the wedding party was Susan, who looked--by far--the most
amazing of all the attendants. Green hair done in its familiar fashion, she had
permitted Serenity to place a ring of three interlocking yellow roses around the
single bun, and she had obliged. Something on the Time Guardian's face was alight
with wonder and caring, and her yellow dress, though a bit snug for reasons left
unspoken, made her look very regal and timeless.
As she stepped to her spot next to her elder niece, the well-known strains
of the wedding march started playing--but not from the organ. As the guests all
stood, their eyes wandered two four teenagers, all dressed in either a tuxedo or
in a tuxedo skirt, sat in the back of the large church. Alex almost choked as she
recognized them.
Kevin, Katie, Johanna, and Irina--all members of the Crystal Music Academy's
symphonic orchestra--were playing the wedding march for their two teachers.
And then... Michelle entered.
Holding tightly to King Endymion's arm, the bride looked about ready to
burst with happiness. The gown--most of which was either a fine lace or expensive
silk--was rather high-necked in the front, but low and open in the back. Long and
complete with a full train, it fit Michelle like a glove. There was no veil over
her face, but roses did protrude out of her curled hair. A bouquet of perfect
yellow roses combined with lavender lilacs completed the ensemble.
A tear ran down her face as the paragon of beauty-the woman who would soon
be her wife-came and stood beside the tall blonde. Michelle took one of her hands
from the flowers and touched one of Alex's trembling hands lightly. Then, Raye
cleared her throat and smoothed the red-and-cream temple robes she wore. "Who
gives this woman away?" she asked a bit harshly. Hearing her own tone, she shot
everyone an apologetic smile.
Trying not to chuckle, the King of the Earth glanced at the wrinkles that
Michelle had put in the sleeve of his lavender suit. "I do," he announced with a
smile.
"You may be seated," Raye told the group and, as they sat, she cleared her
throat and looked at the beaming couple. How long ago had she first met them? It
didn't seem to be all that long, but most of the crowd knew the truth. With a
grin, she opened the book before her.
"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A shadowed figure stood next to the Princess' bed as she slept with a small
smile on her face. At the foot of the four-poster bed was a crib and the visitor
knew that, in the crib, was one very troublesome two-year-old.
"Princess Serenity," he breathed, kneeling beside the bed and allowing his
face into the light. "I'm so sorry that you once again spent such a long Christmas
without me." A sad smile crossed has pale pink skin. "I promised you that I would
return, my love, and I soon will. But..." he sighed deeply. "Such chances aren't
very prevalent of late, Princess. But, I swear..." He touched one of her cheeks
lightly. "I will return. Before Ambriel, the angel of the Moon, is six years of
age, I will come back to you."
Standing slowly, he allowed a white rose to materialize on her pillow and
shook his head. "I know you must have many roses," he smirked, running a hand
through his silvery tresses. "But, pay no mind." Leaning forward, he kissed her
cheek lightly. "You are very much like your mother, my love," he chuckled, fading
a bit. "For it is only noon."
Reeny stretched and stirred in her sleep, a larger smile replacing the
previous, more mysterious one. "Helios..." she whispered, hand falling on the
rose.
She awoke with a start once she was pricked, placing her palm to her lips as
a bit of blood seeped from her new cut. Looking at the rose, its petals almost
having a silver sheen in the darkened room, she gulped back tears.
"Helios?"
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Do you, Michelle Kaioh, take this woman to have and to hold, to love,
honor, and obey until eternity ends?" asked Raye, her violet eyes almost filling
with tears at the sweet sight before her.
The bride nodded. "I do..."
"And, do you," continued the priestess, "Alexandra Ten'ou, take this woman
to have and to hold, to love, honor and obey until eternity ends?"
Wiping her own tears away, the blonde grinned. "That, I do..."
Raye cleared her throat, voice a bit shaky as she looked at the couple. Both
were beaming, their twin gold bands sparkling as the sun filtered through the
stained glass. "I now pronounce you married," she smiled as the two stepped closer
to one another. "You may now kiss to seal this bond."
And Michelle threw her arms around Alex's neck and they kissed passionately,
everyone cheering as they watched.
"May I present," announced Raye, arms wide, "Mrs. and...well... Mrs.
Alexandra Ten'ou!"
The quartet began their happy tune as Alex swept Michelle into her arms and
carried her down the aisle, leaving not a dry eye in the church as she did so. No
one had expected it, and everyone had seen it--the marriage of Alexandra and
Michelle.
And it was all ruined with a scream.
"HELP!" Celeste's voice carried quickly through the sanctuary as Raider
Doubt struggled to gag the child.
"Celeste!" screamed Lyra, jumping to her feet and groping into her purse for
the Locket of Polaris. "I'll save you!"
Suddenly, a black portal opened up and Doubt dragging the kicking and
screaming child through it, all guests staring and leaving four Sailor Scouts in
various stages transformation.
And Lyra dropped to her knees in grief and sorrow as all Hell broke loose.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Galactic Sailors Say!
Reeny: (appearing) Babies are a whole lot of work.
(Video clip of Ambriel's temper-tantrum)
Reeny: I mean, they spit up, and cry, and throw fits...
Terrence: (appearing) ...and they turn into teenagers like Reeny. (grins) Thank
you, thank you... I'll be here all week.
Reeny: (grimaces) But babies are also wonderful. They're loving and caring and...
(Video clip of Ambriel hugging Reeny)
Terrence: But you can't just magically think that babies can take care of
themselves. That's why you should read "Terrence Chiba's Guide To Good Parenting".
Reeny: (making face) There's no such book!
Terrence: (put off) Is too!
Reeny: You're not even a parent yet, Terrence!
Terrence: (smug) You're just biased.
Susan: (appearing) (over the argument) The point here, I think, is that you've got
to be careful around babies because they need a lot more help in life than the
rest of us.
Reeny: Duh!
Haley: (appearing) Plus, if you're not careful, they'll end up like...
(Picture of Kevin, Katie, Johanna, and Irina from the orchestra)
Reeny: (shrugs) Well, Sailor Moon says...
ALL: See ya!
-I Know-
Look around...
(Tara, sitting next to Queen Serenity, stares up at the night sky)
So many things aren't clear...
(Phoebe looks blankly at a math book)
Don't worry, though...
(Lyra smiles while picking up her tuba)
You know that I'll be there...
(Sailor Pluto and Haley smile knowingly at each other)
A lot of things are so uncertain...
(Alice looks sadly at a clock while the sun sets over Crystal Tokyo)
The future's on its way...
(Reeny holds the Locket of the Moon, smiling)
Look at my crying eyes...
(Luna and Artemis console an upset Diana)
Don't take your love away!
(Hannah sighs, looking at a sleeping Haley)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Mina looks at her children with Andrew behind her)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Alex and Michelle smile at one another and then blush deeply)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six girls, untransformed, hold their lockets high)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Lita smoothes the hair of a crying Alice)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Raye and Chad stand behind Tara, who is staring at her locket)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors stand in a half circle)
Times will change...
(Amy looks out of a window and at Crystal Palace)
People will change, too...
(Endymion looks at Serenity, who is pouring over a book)
But deep inside...
(Lyra hugs Celeste)
I always will love you...
(Diana falls asleep on Reeny's lap)
I suppose there are questions now...
(Alice and Phoebe stare blankly at one another)
The answers are so far...
(Michelle stands in front of the orchestra, talking)
But look at me and smile now...
(Tara lovingly hugs her father)
I am your guiding star!
(Haley smiles at a studying Hannah)
Sometimes, the road looks long...
(Mina looks at her children with Andrew behind her)
And sometimes, the world seems wrong...
(Alex and Michelle smile at one another and then blush deeply)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six girls, untransformed, hold their lockets high)
Sometimes, you feel weak...
(Lita smoothes the hair of a crying Alice)
And sometimes, the future looks bleak...
(Raye and Chad stand behind Tara, who is staring at her locket)
But I know, I know, all you need is love.
(The six Galactic Sailors stand in a half circle)
I know...
(The Planet Mistresses stand in a circle)
I know...
(The Galactic Sailors stand in a circle)
All you need is love...
(The Mistresses and Sailors all stand together, holding hands, with their eyes
closed)
All you need...is...love...
(A single purple rose sits in a vase)
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Yes, it is an interesting place to leave off.
Thanks to my mother who helped explain a lot of the wedding stuff to me... I
didn't quite understand what went where because I haven't seen a wedding since I
was...ohh...seven.
Till next time... We'll be sitting right here...
Kate and Christina
