Story of the Future
Episode Nine
"Fights and Making Up"
"Oh, Darien...isn't she beautiful?" Serena asked softly.
Darien couldn't form any words. He just nodded, blinking back tears. He gingerly held his daughter. [[My daughter! My own flesh and blood!]] he thought, rocking the sleeping baby gently.
Serena and Darien were now alone in their hospital room. The others had left after making sure both mother and daughter were surviving. Amy had rushed them out, hissing, "Let them be alone for awhile." to which Raye replied loudly,
"To do what?! She just had a baby!"
Serena laid down and began reorganizing her thoughts. There was so much to do now. There had to be a coronation ceremony, plans to organize an army against the Imperium, secretive rehabilitation for Lita, not to mention a really serious conversation between her and Darien about his mother. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
"Meatball-head? You ok?" Darien asked softly.
Serena nodded. "Just tired."
Darien smiled and glanced at his baby. He now had two tired girls to deal with. Not that he minded at all. He chuckled and said jokingly, "So when we gonna have the next one?"
Serena glared at him. "No."
"Just kidding!" he said, laughing. A nurse walked in impersonally and took the baby from his reluctant arms.
"She needs to be watched now. We'll update you." the nurse said coldly. She took the baby out of the room. Darien looked angry for a moment, but then let it go.
Darien leanned down to where his wife lay and kissed his softly on the forehead. "Oh, my wife, my queen, my love. I love so much. I'm so proud of you." he said softly as Serena softly slipped into a deep sleep....
***
"Oh, she's a beautiful girl! Yes she is, yes she is..." Mina said, looking at Rini through the glass.
Melvin grinned and slipped his arm around Mina. "Does this mean you'd like to try for one?" he said softly, blushing slightly.
Mina looked back at him. "Not on your life pal! I saw what that cute little princess did to Serena. I'll settle for being a godmother."
Raye laughed. "Nice try, Mina. I'm her godmother." she said.
Mina looked defensive. "I don't think so, Raye. Serena gave the job to me. After all, I AM second in command!"
Raye's eyes got a flash. "No, she distinctly told me that I would have that job. You may be second-in-command, but I'm her best friend!"
Amy picked up on the conversation. "That's funny, I could've swear Serena told ME I would be her godmother." The two glared at her. Amy sat back a little. "Well, I do know more about babies."
Luna and Artemis exchanged a small grin. It was almost like the old days. Luna caught sight of Lita. She and Andrew were talking. Luna assumed it was about Lita's "problem".
"I think I should be the one to take care of Rini! As the queen of Venus..." Mina said loudly. Raye hushed her down.
"Well, Mrs. Queen, you're about to massacred by a hundred people if you don't shut up!" she hissed.
"Really, you guys, what does it matter? If you ask me, I should be the one who decides who stays with Rini." Luna spoke up. The girls all looked at her with shock.
"You?! Why?" Raye asked.
"It's my future duaghter who will end up being her guardian. Isn't that right, Artemis?" Luna said slyly. Artemis coughed and turned a deep red.
"I think I smell tuna. Gotta go!" he said and dashed off. Everyone giggled.
***
"Lita, you're...what?" Andrew was shocked.
Lita couldn't look him in the eye. "I'm going to get help for my drinking problem. I'm...I'm sorry that I put you through this. I'm sorry I'm weak." A tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm so sorry that our marriage failed because of it."
Andrew quickly took Lita in his arms. "Oh, sweetheart. Our marriage hasn't failed, and our problems are not solely your fault."
Lita could only cry softly into his chest. Seeing Rini had brought back the pain of her miscarriage. She was tired, emotionally strained, and suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Andrew held her closely, and for once the problems between them didn't matter. It was destiny. Their love for each other that had carried them through millenium after millenium shone brightly as Andrew embraced his wife.
"Lita, everything will be okay. It will be hard, but we will make it work. I love you. I've always loved you."
Lita sniffed. "I love you, Andrew. I never doubted you didn't love me. But maybe our love isn't enough. Maybe we need something stronger now. I don't think love alone can fix things. I want to make it work so badly, but I'm so frightened it won't."
Andrew met Lita's eyes. [[I do love her. But can I live with her?]] he thought to himself. It wouldn't be easy. It would be a very big risk. [[Is it worth it?]]
Lita dried her eyes. "I have to stop drinking. I have a problem. I need your help."
"I will help you as much as I can." Andrew said immediately, taking her hand.
Lita nodded, and gazed off at the girls who were fighting over their rights as godmother. "I have a drinking problem." she repeated to herself. It was a hard thing for her to admit, but she wouldn't become a slave to the bottle again.
***
Raye glanced at Rini again. The little princess was sleeping soundly, small curls of blond hair caressing her forehead. [[I wonder when her hair turned pink.]] Raye thought mildly.
"Oh man. Now you want one too." a male voice said behind her.
Raye smiled and turned to see Darien standing behind her. "Well, I can let Serena one up me on this." she joked back.
Darien laughed. "You never could let Serena win. When should we be expecting a Martian princess?"
"Whoa! What's all this pressure now?! I'm in no hurry to have a baby." Raye said turning back to look at the nursery. "Though they are such wonderous miracles."
"You're telling me." Darien said, scanning for his little girl. He smiled when he saw the sleeping wonder. "She is beautiful, isn't she?"
Raye nodded. "Darien...I think we have a problem. This Imperium is planning something big, I can feel it."
Darien glanced at Raye. "Don't worry, whatever they pitch at us we can handle."
Raye shook her head. "No, it's much bigger than that. I'm not sure if there will be anything left to handle."
"Raye, we're fine. We have the best security, and if all else fails, we have the Crystal protecting us."
Raye looked seriously at Darien. "I see death. I see doom." she said, gesturing towards Rini. "You have a new responsibilty, a life to protect. Darien, do you want to take that risk?"
Darien glanced at his daughter in alarm. "I'll look into it. But that's all I can promise."
***
Mina and Amy sat in the waiting room, waiting for Lita and Raye. They were going to head out for some dinner, they hadn't eaten anything since Serena went in labor. "So Amy, how many lives have you saved?" Mina asked jokingly.
Amy smiled. "Oh, I'm just one doctor, Mina. There are so many who all contribute to one person. I never act alone, I have at least ten people aiding me."
Mina smiled. Amy hadn't changed at all, still as modest as ever. A wicked thought crossed Mina's mind as she wondered how much she could make AMy squirm. "So, you and Greg doing alright?"
Amy nodded. "Yeah, he's doing very well right now. My job is keeping us secure, and we have a private funding from Mercury to keep us going while he's in school."
"Any plans for children?"
Amy laughed. "Oh no. Too many responsibilies already! Although maybe one day..."
Mina blurted out, "What method of birth control do you use?"
Amy's jaw dropped. Her face turned a deep crimson shade. "Mina!" she gasped out.
"Oh, come on Amy," Mina was having fun with this, "I've fought by your side, been married by your side, been crown by your side...you can't tell me?"
Amy could barely speak. She was mortified that Mina would dare pry on that subject. "Mina, is it really necessary to know?" she asked.
"If it makes you feel better, I use the condom." Mina said, almost laughing at Amy's embarrassment at that comment.
Amy couldn't believe she was talking about this. "Mina! I don't want to know!"
Mina shrugged. Amy let out a sigh of relief, happy to be over this topic. Then Mina looked over at Amy and asked quite loudly, "How often do you need to use it?"
Amy wanted to die. Luckily, she was saved by Raye and Lita. The girls walked up.
"Oh, hi guys! We were just tlaking about..." Mina said brazenly.
"NOTHING!" Amy cried out. "We weren't discussing anything." she said, fiercely elbowing Mina.
Raye and Lita exchanged amused glances. They decided not to purse the subject.
"Hey guys, when are we going to organize a baby shower?" Lita asked, suddenly excited.
The girls began feverishly making plans. They already knew of the traditional coronation the baby would have, but that was political business. Too many people would be there, representing different planets, stones, and other allies. They wanted to have a shower just for Serena, not the queen.
"We could do it on Venus!" Mina said suddenly. The girls looked at her in puzzlement. "You guys ever seen the gardens? They're divine! And the parks? Plus, our planet could use some morale, we're not doing that well."
"Mina, this is going to be a friend affair, not an appearance by the queen." Amy reprimanded.
"Oh come on, it'd be lovely having you guys there, and maybe we could slip an apparance in. Please?"
It took awhile, but eventually the girls agreed Venus would the best place. They continued discussing their plans all through the evening.
***
Ariana stood at the bar, wiping it down. Suddenly she jumped and a memory assualted her mind...
***
"Mother, tell me about when you were Sailor Earth." a young girl said to her mother one day, while walking the grounds.
"Dear, I've told you every story I know. Which one do you want to hear?" the mother asked good-naturely, stroking her daughter's hair.
"Oh, tell me about the final battle where you brought peace to the planets." the girl said, sitting down.
The mother laughed. "You love that one. But remember, I didn't do it all by myself. All the Sailor Scouts contributed to it." Then she launched into the story of adventure, drama, and eventual victory.
The girl was enraptured by the tale of her mtoher's struggle to defeat the evil force threatening her home planet. She smiled and thought to herself. [[Someday, I'll rule the planet, just like mom. Someday I'll be Sailor Earth, and I'll go on adventures and defend the Universe. Just like Mom.]]
***
Ariana staggered. [[Where did that come from?]] she asked herself. Something strange was happening to her.
She got another flash, one of a small baby with golden curls around her head. It was a newborn infant, sleeping softly. Instantly, Ariana's heart went out to that infant. That infant had now become Ariana's hope. [[Maybe the baby and the memory are connected.]] she thought, and began wiping down the bar again.
Unnoticed by Ariana, there was a woman staring at her. Her dark red eyes penetrated Ariana, searching deeply. She smiled in victory.
"So, this is the one. 'In the year 3001, a new soldier will appear and conquer the Imperium.' I will come out victorious, and the Emperor will hold ME in reverence. She is the one." Sorcia said, before disappearing into the shadows.
Sorcia appeared before the Emperor and Rilian. "My Emperor, I have found the new soldier. She is located in Crystal Tokyo, working at a bar."
The Emperor looked up casually. "Oh, is that you Sorcia?"
Sorcia almost let out a groan of frustration. They had been searching for this girl for over two years, and when she had located her, all the Emperor could do was look at her! "Yes, it's me."
Rilian sneered. "My dear Sorcia, what does it matter when the whole Earth is going to perish anyway? She'll just be one of the many destroyed." he chuckled.
Sorcia stopped cold. She hadn't planned on that, but she should've seen it coming. She would have to find out more about what was going on to beat Rilian. She couldn't let Rilian beat her!
[pic]
Episode Nine
"Fights and Making Up"
"Oh, Darien...isn't she beautiful?" Serena asked softly.
Darien couldn't form any words. He just nodded, blinking back tears. He gingerly held his daughter. [[My daughter! My own flesh and blood!]] he thought, rocking the sleeping baby gently.
Serena and Darien were now alone in their hospital room. The others had left after making sure both mother and daughter were surviving. Amy had rushed them out, hissing, "Let them be alone for awhile." to which Raye replied loudly,
"To do what?! She just had a baby!"
Serena laid down and began reorganizing her thoughts. There was so much to do now. There had to be a coronation ceremony, plans to organize an army against the Imperium, secretive rehabilitation for Lita, not to mention a really serious conversation between her and Darien about his mother. She let out a sigh and closed her eyes.
"Meatball-head? You ok?" Darien asked softly.
Serena nodded. "Just tired."
Darien smiled and glanced at his baby. He now had two tired girls to deal with. Not that he minded at all. He chuckled and said jokingly, "So when we gonna have the next one?"
Serena glared at him. "No."
"Just kidding!" he said, laughing. A nurse walked in impersonally and took the baby from his reluctant arms.
"She needs to be watched now. We'll update you." the nurse said coldly. She took the baby out of the room. Darien looked angry for a moment, but then let it go.
Darien leanned down to where his wife lay and kissed his softly on the forehead. "Oh, my wife, my queen, my love. I love so much. I'm so proud of you." he said softly as Serena softly slipped into a deep sleep....
***
"Oh, she's a beautiful girl! Yes she is, yes she is..." Mina said, looking at Rini through the glass.
Melvin grinned and slipped his arm around Mina. "Does this mean you'd like to try for one?" he said softly, blushing slightly.
Mina looked back at him. "Not on your life pal! I saw what that cute little princess did to Serena. I'll settle for being a godmother."
Raye laughed. "Nice try, Mina. I'm her godmother." she said.
Mina looked defensive. "I don't think so, Raye. Serena gave the job to me. After all, I AM second in command!"
Raye's eyes got a flash. "No, she distinctly told me that I would have that job. You may be second-in-command, but I'm her best friend!"
Amy picked up on the conversation. "That's funny, I could've swear Serena told ME I would be her godmother." The two glared at her. Amy sat back a little. "Well, I do know more about babies."
Luna and Artemis exchanged a small grin. It was almost like the old days. Luna caught sight of Lita. She and Andrew were talking. Luna assumed it was about Lita's "problem".
"I think I should be the one to take care of Rini! As the queen of Venus..." Mina said loudly. Raye hushed her down.
"Well, Mrs. Queen, you're about to massacred by a hundred people if you don't shut up!" she hissed.
"Really, you guys, what does it matter? If you ask me, I should be the one who decides who stays with Rini." Luna spoke up. The girls all looked at her with shock.
"You?! Why?" Raye asked.
"It's my future duaghter who will end up being her guardian. Isn't that right, Artemis?" Luna said slyly. Artemis coughed and turned a deep red.
"I think I smell tuna. Gotta go!" he said and dashed off. Everyone giggled.
***
"Lita, you're...what?" Andrew was shocked.
Lita couldn't look him in the eye. "I'm going to get help for my drinking problem. I'm...I'm sorry that I put you through this. I'm sorry I'm weak." A tear trickled down her cheek. "I'm so sorry that our marriage failed because of it."
Andrew quickly took Lita in his arms. "Oh, sweetheart. Our marriage hasn't failed, and our problems are not solely your fault."
Lita could only cry softly into his chest. Seeing Rini had brought back the pain of her miscarriage. She was tired, emotionally strained, and suffering from withdrawal symptoms. Andrew held her closely, and for once the problems between them didn't matter. It was destiny. Their love for each other that had carried them through millenium after millenium shone brightly as Andrew embraced his wife.
"Lita, everything will be okay. It will be hard, but we will make it work. I love you. I've always loved you."
Lita sniffed. "I love you, Andrew. I never doubted you didn't love me. But maybe our love isn't enough. Maybe we need something stronger now. I don't think love alone can fix things. I want to make it work so badly, but I'm so frightened it won't."
Andrew met Lita's eyes. [[I do love her. But can I live with her?]] he thought to himself. It wouldn't be easy. It would be a very big risk. [[Is it worth it?]]
Lita dried her eyes. "I have to stop drinking. I have a problem. I need your help."
"I will help you as much as I can." Andrew said immediately, taking her hand.
Lita nodded, and gazed off at the girls who were fighting over their rights as godmother. "I have a drinking problem." she repeated to herself. It was a hard thing for her to admit, but she wouldn't become a slave to the bottle again.
***
Raye glanced at Rini again. The little princess was sleeping soundly, small curls of blond hair caressing her forehead. [[I wonder when her hair turned pink.]] Raye thought mildly.
"Oh man. Now you want one too." a male voice said behind her.
Raye smiled and turned to see Darien standing behind her. "Well, I can let Serena one up me on this." she joked back.
Darien laughed. "You never could let Serena win. When should we be expecting a Martian princess?"
"Whoa! What's all this pressure now?! I'm in no hurry to have a baby." Raye said turning back to look at the nursery. "Though they are such wonderous miracles."
"You're telling me." Darien said, scanning for his little girl. He smiled when he saw the sleeping wonder. "She is beautiful, isn't she?"
Raye nodded. "Darien...I think we have a problem. This Imperium is planning something big, I can feel it."
Darien glanced at Raye. "Don't worry, whatever they pitch at us we can handle."
Raye shook her head. "No, it's much bigger than that. I'm not sure if there will be anything left to handle."
"Raye, we're fine. We have the best security, and if all else fails, we have the Crystal protecting us."
Raye looked seriously at Darien. "I see death. I see doom." she said, gesturing towards Rini. "You have a new responsibilty, a life to protect. Darien, do you want to take that risk?"
Darien glanced at his daughter in alarm. "I'll look into it. But that's all I can promise."
***
Mina and Amy sat in the waiting room, waiting for Lita and Raye. They were going to head out for some dinner, they hadn't eaten anything since Serena went in labor. "So Amy, how many lives have you saved?" Mina asked jokingly.
Amy smiled. "Oh, I'm just one doctor, Mina. There are so many who all contribute to one person. I never act alone, I have at least ten people aiding me."
Mina smiled. Amy hadn't changed at all, still as modest as ever. A wicked thought crossed Mina's mind as she wondered how much she could make AMy squirm. "So, you and Greg doing alright?"
Amy nodded. "Yeah, he's doing very well right now. My job is keeping us secure, and we have a private funding from Mercury to keep us going while he's in school."
"Any plans for children?"
Amy laughed. "Oh no. Too many responsibilies already! Although maybe one day..."
Mina blurted out, "What method of birth control do you use?"
Amy's jaw dropped. Her face turned a deep crimson shade. "Mina!" she gasped out.
"Oh, come on Amy," Mina was having fun with this, "I've fought by your side, been married by your side, been crown by your side...you can't tell me?"
Amy could barely speak. She was mortified that Mina would dare pry on that subject. "Mina, is it really necessary to know?" she asked.
"If it makes you feel better, I use the condom." Mina said, almost laughing at Amy's embarrassment at that comment.
Amy couldn't believe she was talking about this. "Mina! I don't want to know!"
Mina shrugged. Amy let out a sigh of relief, happy to be over this topic. Then Mina looked over at Amy and asked quite loudly, "How often do you need to use it?"
Amy wanted to die. Luckily, she was saved by Raye and Lita. The girls walked up.
"Oh, hi guys! We were just tlaking about..." Mina said brazenly.
"NOTHING!" Amy cried out. "We weren't discussing anything." she said, fiercely elbowing Mina.
Raye and Lita exchanged amused glances. They decided not to purse the subject.
"Hey guys, when are we going to organize a baby shower?" Lita asked, suddenly excited.
The girls began feverishly making plans. They already knew of the traditional coronation the baby would have, but that was political business. Too many people would be there, representing different planets, stones, and other allies. They wanted to have a shower just for Serena, not the queen.
"We could do it on Venus!" Mina said suddenly. The girls looked at her in puzzlement. "You guys ever seen the gardens? They're divine! And the parks? Plus, our planet could use some morale, we're not doing that well."
"Mina, this is going to be a friend affair, not an appearance by the queen." Amy reprimanded.
"Oh come on, it'd be lovely having you guys there, and maybe we could slip an apparance in. Please?"
It took awhile, but eventually the girls agreed Venus would the best place. They continued discussing their plans all through the evening.
***
Ariana stood at the bar, wiping it down. Suddenly she jumped and a memory assualted her mind...
***
"Mother, tell me about when you were Sailor Earth." a young girl said to her mother one day, while walking the grounds.
"Dear, I've told you every story I know. Which one do you want to hear?" the mother asked good-naturely, stroking her daughter's hair.
"Oh, tell me about the final battle where you brought peace to the planets." the girl said, sitting down.
The mother laughed. "You love that one. But remember, I didn't do it all by myself. All the Sailor Scouts contributed to it." Then she launched into the story of adventure, drama, and eventual victory.
The girl was enraptured by the tale of her mtoher's struggle to defeat the evil force threatening her home planet. She smiled and thought to herself. [[Someday, I'll rule the planet, just like mom. Someday I'll be Sailor Earth, and I'll go on adventures and defend the Universe. Just like Mom.]]
***
Ariana staggered. [[Where did that come from?]] she asked herself. Something strange was happening to her.
She got another flash, one of a small baby with golden curls around her head. It was a newborn infant, sleeping softly. Instantly, Ariana's heart went out to that infant. That infant had now become Ariana's hope. [[Maybe the baby and the memory are connected.]] she thought, and began wiping down the bar again.
Unnoticed by Ariana, there was a woman staring at her. Her dark red eyes penetrated Ariana, searching deeply. She smiled in victory.
"So, this is the one. 'In the year 3001, a new soldier will appear and conquer the Imperium.' I will come out victorious, and the Emperor will hold ME in reverence. She is the one." Sorcia said, before disappearing into the shadows.
Sorcia appeared before the Emperor and Rilian. "My Emperor, I have found the new soldier. She is located in Crystal Tokyo, working at a bar."
The Emperor looked up casually. "Oh, is that you Sorcia?"
Sorcia almost let out a groan of frustration. They had been searching for this girl for over two years, and when she had located her, all the Emperor could do was look at her! "Yes, it's me."
Rilian sneered. "My dear Sorcia, what does it matter when the whole Earth is going to perish anyway? She'll just be one of the many destroyed." he chuckled.
Sorcia stopped cold. She hadn't planned on that, but she should've seen it coming. She would have to find out more about what was going on to beat Rilian. She couldn't let Rilian beat her!
[pic]