Title:
How Crystal Tokyo Came About
BY: ~SerenitySea~
Chapter:
9
Rating:
PG-13
Email: Serenity_Sea@Yahoo.com
Author's
Notes:
I realize
that chapter 8 was rather long. Bear with me. I'm finally getting into
the spirit. This chapter is dedicated to *insert drum roll here* my editor,
Carla, and two of my favorite readers, Hyper-Princess and Cassie-Chan. Thanks,
you guys, for sticking with me. Enjoy this, all the rest of you.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Sailor Pluto teleported to the Time Gates immediately. There waiting for her, was the King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo, locked in a kiss.
"Ahem."
Neo Queen Serenity sprung guiltily apart from King
Endymion and looked at Pluto. "Is everything all right with Reenie and
Hotaru?" She asked, anxious for her daughter and best friend's welfare.
"Everything
is fine. I think Small Lady wishes to come home with Hotaru, which is certainly
what Haruka intends to do, provided she asks Serena first. Rei seemed awfully
suspicious about the Uranus, Neptune and I."
Another voice cut in before Sailor Pluto could finish
speaking. "That's because you guys knew something we didn't.
It caused another rift between us. And then there was that whole thing with the
voices…" Sailor Mars trailed off, seeing the King and Senshi of
Pluto staring at her strangely. Serenity was giving her an indulgent look.
"The
voices…" She questioned, her sentence hanging in the air.
Rei left the gates of time in a huff, flashing out angrily
in a vibrant scarlet.
Serenity, Endymion and Sailor Pluto sighed. "She
seems so high strung lately. I wonder what's wrong." Endymion
mused, looking carefully at the place where Sailor Mars had just been.
"It's
about time for her to make her choice." Serenity spoke wisely.
"Yes,
but it's about time for all of them to make their choice, Sere." Endymion
countered. "Why should this affect her so much?"
"She's
afraid she made the wrong choice—or that something will happen from
making it again." Serenity said judiciously.
Pluto shifted from her left to right foot. "Your
majesties, if it's acceptable with you, I would like to get back to the
20th century."
Neo Queen Serenity nodded benevolently, and handed Sailor
Pluto a piece of paper. "Please give this to Reenie. She must read it to
past selves. It is our blessing."
Sailor Pluto nodded and disappeared, taking the Gates of
Time with her, which left the Royal Monarchs where they were shortly before
summoning Trista—their bedroom.
"This
could get interesting…" Endymion pondered aloud, seeing Serenity
ready herself at the door.
"Yes,
but only if you can catch me!" She said gleefully to her husband, before
darting out of the room and into one of the many hallways in the Palace of
Crystal Tokyo.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Rei stared deep into the fire. There was a man's silhouette,
one she was sure that was the man her mind had mentioned in passing before. If
she could just get a little bit closer… and suddenly, the flame flickered
violently before displaying a man she would have never thought possible. So she
sat there, completely shell-shocked, and kept staring at the flame, which
hadn't flickered to change its image yet.
Just then, another image came up next to the man's.
Rei recognized it as her own. And they were connected in some sort of embrace.
She found that she could not summon the revulsion that the situation so clearly
called for. And, staring off into the fire, she wondered why.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"She
hates me?" The voice asked of another.
"She
doesn't hate you," the woman's voice corrected gently,
"she's puzzled as to why she can't hate you—if that makes any
sense to you. She wants to hate you, and can't—which is really eating her up
inside.'
The first voice sighed. "Is there nothing I can do
to help her?"
"You
must wait until I bring you to her. Only then can you help or hinder her. Only
then." The voice repeated.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Haruka looked towards Michiru. As if sensing her gaze,
Michiru turned around. And she looked at the sleeping figure in her
friend's arms. Hotaru was fast asleep, and Reenie was dangerously close
to having her eyelids shut for the night.
Michiru excused herself, leaving Luna and Artemis to talk
amongst themselves. The aqua-haired woman made her way over to Serena, and
leaned on the back of her heels as she spoke.
"Serena,
if it's ok with you, we'd like Reenie to spend the week with
us."
Serena and Darien looked over towards their nearly
sleeping future daughter. *Should we let her go?* Serena asked of Darien, for she
wanted to spend some time with Reenie as well.
*Yeah.
Reenie almost never sees Hotaru. Besides, I'm sure you'll have some
time to spend with her before she has to go home. Why don't you let her
go, Sere? It's getting late, and you have to get home soon, anyway, if
you want to tell you parents about us.* Darien's voice reasoned in her
head.
Michiru cast a curious glance at her prince and princess.
They weren't talking, but staring at each other intently and
somehow—for Michiru was sure of this—they were somehow
communicating.
Serena gave her friend a smile. "Sure. That sounds
great. I'll be over to pick up the girls to go shopping sometime tomorrow
afternoon with Darien, if that's ok."
"Wonderful."
Michiru beamed a smile. "I know Hotaru will be so happy that she can
spend some time with Reenie."
Just then, Trista walked back into the shrine room. She
looked around for Rei, but she was nowhere to be found. Serena was talking with
Darien and they each gave Michiru deep smiles when she asked them a question.
Sensing that the time was imminent, she walked over to Haruka and regretfully
woke Reenie up.
"Wh…what?"
"Small
Lady, your parents wish you to read this to Serena and Darien before the night
is over. Will you do so? And then we will take you home with us—Michiru
already asked and it's fine with Serena and Darien."
Reenie groggily rubbed her eyes and fumbled for the note.
The more she read, the more awake she became, until she could read it with
complete awareness. "Friends of Reenie and our past selves: We are so
glad you wish to attend in this wedding. Whether you will be a bridesmaid or usher,
it matters not." Michiru cast a glance at Haruka, who seemed to be
greatly interested in the pattern of her shoelaces. "We wish to extend
our blessing as well. It is a marriage that will finally be completed. And yet,
your love for each other will never fade. Enjoy your last bit of innocence now,
for I fear that your maturity, which is needed for the future, will be upon you
sooner than you think." And on that eerie note, Reenie finished echoing
her mother's words.
No one had seen Rei, but it was time to leave and everyone
was tired. Darien and Haruka carried Reenie and Hotaru outside to
Haruka's car.
"Jeez.
Reenie's getting far too big for this." Just then, a warm feeling
enveloped him, and he turned around to see Serena, leaning against the
doorframe, watching her fiancé and future daughter. Haruka, curiously,
didn't notice the exchange. But she did lay Hotaru down in the car
gently.
"Oh
no. There's not enough room for all of them in the sports car. What will
we do?"
Serena came jogging over. "Is everything ok,
guys?"
"Haruka
says there's not enough room for them and Reenie in the car."
Darien explained.
"Oh."
Serena said. "Well, Reenie will be devastated if she's not with
Hotaru tomorrow… I know! Why doesn't Hotaru come home with us? This
way she and Reenie will be together, and I'll get to see Reenie, too.
Plus, you and Michiru and Trista can have some down time to chill." She
leaned in towards Haruka, confidentially. "Which, by the way, you look
like you could use."
Haruka laughed, but nonetheless, agreed. "Ok.
We'll get 'Taru and the bumpkin tomorrow then. Bye, Meatball Head.
Bye, Darien." She got in the yellow car, and revved the engine a couple
of times.
Michiru and Trista came running past them to get in the
car. "'Guess that's our cue." Michiru said to Trista,
as she hopped in the front. Trista said nothing, but helped Hotaru into
Darien's car.
The inners were staying over Rei's, but said goodbye
anyway. Luna decided to take a lift from Darien and hopped on Serena's
lap when she got into the car. With everybody going home, Artemis snuggled
under Mina's arm and settled in for the night.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Darien guided his car up to the Tsukino's driveway
expertly. He glanced at Serena. She was looking at the stars and petting
Luna's fur absently. *Serena. We're here.* He told her.
*I
know.* A sigh escaped her lips. *Everything was so perfect today, ya know? I
just don't want it to end.*
Darien got out of the car, and opened Serena's door.
When she went to wake up Reenie and Hotaru, he put his hand on her wrist.
*I'm coming back tonight. After we get the girls settled in. Will you be
ready?*
*I'll
be waiting.* She replied. *You know, this link thing could come in handy.*
Darien laughed, for his loveable Meatball Head was
back—with her out-of-the-blue statements, too. While he liked the mature
person Serena was becoming, he wasn't ready for the complete change just
yet.
*Why
not?* Serena's voice rang through his head.
*Why
not what?* he answered.
*Never
mind. Let's get these two inside.*
Darien picked up Hotaru gently while Serena shook Reenie
awake. It wasn't that they wanted to make Reenie's life miserable by
waking her up, it was simply because they needed her luna ball to hypnotize
Serena's family again, and because Hotaru tired more easily than Reenie.
Reenie unwillingly woke up and whispered for her Luna
ball. It appeared and she gave it a quick hug. Then a thought struck her that
rendered her awake instantly. *What if she could still talk to Helios?*
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The hypnotism was done. Serena's parents
hadn't even noticed the ring, and for once that day, she was glad. It
seemed, that all of the sudden, she felt like she'd been hit by a ton of
bricks. She and Darien had gotten Hotaru and Reenie settled, who each borrowed
a pair of her old pajamas. Reenie seemed awfully anxious about something.
Serena couldn't put her finger on it, but she had a feeling it had
something to do with Helios.
Seeing all the stairs ahead of her, she wondered if Darien
would forgive her for not wanting to go back out tonight, and if he would carry
her upstairs… or if that was just a weird question to ask.
"Of
course not, Sere." His voice startled her, and she jumped.
She had forgotten about the link again. Without another
word, he swept her up into her arms easily, a move that had been repeated for
over a 1000 years and still going strong. She rested easily against his chest,
feeling completely safe and protected. Nothing could harm her while she was in
Darien's arms. It was so nice and warm, she wanted to just stay there
forever.
Darien was listening to Serena's thoughts with
interest. As he continued his progress up the stairs, her eyelids closed, a
crescent of dark brown eyelashes contrasting to her pale skin. It seemed he would
be getting his fiancée ready for bedtime once more…
* * * * * * * * * * * *
After checking to make sure her friend was completely
zonked out, and even going to far as to making LunaP cast a guard over her,
Reenie touched a simple statue, and watched with interest, when it morphed to
the Crystal Carillon. She grabbed it easily now, for she was well over her past
years, and looked anxiously for a sign of Pegasus. There were none. And after
about 10 minutes of this, she grew tired, sad, and frustrated. When she was
about to lose all hope, she heard his voice.
"Maiden.
Why do you seek me?" Reenie looked all around the Crystal Carillon, but
saw no trace of him. No sooner had she leaned back onto her bed, defeated, than
she was in his arms.
"Helios!"
She exclaimed, so pleased to see him.
He clamped a hand over her mouth, looking pointedly at
Hotaru. She giggled.
"Oops."
He gave her a smile, she sat up, with his help, and they looked at the stairs
together, outside her attic window. "It's good to see you. I
couldn't believe it when mom and dad didn't let me see you for the
past 3 months. It's been torture."
He nodded solemnly. "It is true. Elysian has not
held its usual beauty without your beautiful dreams. Why have you not been
dreaming, Maiden? Or is there something you're hiding from me?" He
asked, his tone questioning.
She looked at him, her face earnest. "I didn't
want to get my hopes up when I knew I wasn't going to see you for awhile,
so I had Rei give me something to block the dreams. I hope you're not too
angry, Helios."
"Ah,
so that's why I was faced with a gate for which I had no key when I tried
to enter your dreams." He mused thoughtfully. "Well, at least
that's taken care of." he turned to her. "Have your parents
requested your return yet?"
"No
way, silly. I just go here today." She paused. "I came for Serena
and Darien's wedding."
She was tired. Helios knew he had to get her to sleep soon
if he wanted any access to her dreams, before she went into the dead-tired
'dreamless' sleep. He tugged gently at her waist, and she fell back
on the pillow effortlessly. Now they were lying side by side, in a caring
embrace. Reenie slowly drifted off to sleep and Helios removed his arms
carefully. He kissed her on her cheek softly, and headed back for Elysian right
away. Tonight he would be allowed access to Reenie's dreams again.
Elysian was blooming and blossoming gracefully, because its mistress had come
home, and their master was happy once more.
Serenity and Endymion may have forbidden him in the
present, Helios reasoned, but they couldn't stop him from the past, for
Reenie still have the Crystal Carillon. With that, she could summon him
whenever she wished.
It was happy thoughts that Helios, Priest of Elysian was
thinking as he approached his temple. It was just before he was about to drift
off into Reenie's dream when he finally sensed his King's presence.
* * * * * * * * * * * *