Chapter 2: Speech
"WHERE ARE ALL MY SPICES?" Makoto's voice reverberated in the ears of all people within a mile of the air ship. Pigeons filled the sky at the sound of her scream.
"I specifically asked for curry, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, oregano, parsnip, barley and a thousand other herbs! None of them are here!" yelled Makoto as she counted off the spices on her fingers. The unfortunate little man in a sailor's suit was trembling. "I cannot cook with salt and pepper alone! Do you expect the royal cuisine to be plain and BORING?"
"I'm sorry, Princess, it will never happen again. I'll have the spices delivered immediately!" squeaked the little man.
"Hurry!"
"Yes ma'am!" the little man yelled and ran off down a corridor.
"Mako-chan! Don't get so worried! You nearly scared the little guy to death!" lectured a voice from around the corner.
"Ami-chan. you just don't understand about cooking! If there are no spices there might as well be no food!"
Ami walked into the kitchen and was almost surprised at how clean it was. That was so typical of Makoto. cleaning and cooking, cleaning and cooking. Ami always thought that Makoto ought to spend more time reading or studying.
"Maybe so, but that's still no reason to give the first mate a heart attack! Besides, we're supposed to be relaxing on this cruise!"
"Ah. you're wrong for once Ami-chan! Usagi and Mamoru are supposed to relax on this cruise."
"Even so. I'm sure Usagi means for us to relax as well!"
"And are you so relaxed, Ami-chan? Minako tells me that you've been going gaga up on the bridge. She says that you've been going all out at the flight terminals and what not." said Makoto as she began to double-check the pantry.
"Well. someone has to do it! I wouldn't leave that kind of thing to a captain like Minako! She'd end up getting us sucked into a black hole, and you know it!"
"That's true. I'll bet that Minako is the only one of us that is truly relaxed. You know that Rei has taken it upon herself to be in charge of all the entertainment?"
"She is a wonderful singer," pointed out Ami.
"Yea. but she couldn't dance if her life depended on it!"
"Lets just hope she won't be dancing. Listen, I should go and find Chibi- usa. I want to help her with the speech. Don't get too uptight about being head chef. I don't want you to have a nervous breakdown."
"You got it, Ami-chan!" Makoto peeked out from the pantry and waved goodbye to Ami"
Ami left the kitchen and continued down the corridor until finally she saw light at the other end. She began to walk up the steps when a pink-haired blur shot from the sky and knocked her over.
"Sorry Ami! I'm in a hurry!"
"Chibi-usa! I was just looking for you!" exclaimed a surprised Ami who was sprawled at the bottom of a staircase with the little Princess on top of her.
"Me? Why?"
"Well, I thought you might want a little help with your speech."
"PERFECT!" yelled Chibi-usa, "Come with me!" She jumped up off of Ami's stomach and snatched her hand. She ran down the hall as fast as she could, trailing a confused Ami behind her. Chibi-usa finally came to an empty room and ducked inside.
"Ami, you have to help me!"
"Calm down, Chibi-usa! It's only a speech!"
"I know! But I don't HAVE a speech!"
"CHIBI-USA! No speech? You're mother and father are counting on you! How could you forget?"
"I-I don't know. I just forgot!"
"Chibi-usa, the whole WORLD will be watching this send off on LIVE TV!"
"I know! I know! That's why I need your help!"
"All right!" Ami sighed, "But one day, I'm not going to be able to help you!"
"I know," said Chibi-usa sheepishly.
"Now, you do know that this cruise is a big controversy, and a lot of news media will be there to cover it. Because you are the Crown Princess, everything you say, and I mean everything, has to be absolutely perfect. Whatever you do, you can't get stage fright!"
"Don't worry about that. there's not a single drop of stage fright in me."
"That's good. Now as for the speech. you should say things like 'This is a celebration of the glory of our King and Queen' and 'All the prosperity of our new world is because of the good my Mother and Father have brought with their rule'. I want you to make sure that you let the people know that your Mother and Father have earned this one vacation, and so have the people. Let them know that these are peaceful times and that nothing could possibly go wrong."
"Of course nothing will go wrong!"
"Of course, but you have to assure them!"
"Oh. okay."
"After the speech, the media will be asking you questions. The four Senshi will be there to back you up. If someone asks you a question that you can't answer just say that you can't answer any more questions and leave. We'll cover for you. Okay?"
"Okay, I got it! Thanks a lot Ami! You're always helping me out!"
"Yes, but next time be READY!"
"Okay! Okay!"
"WHERE ARE ALL MY SPICES?" Makoto's voice reverberated in the ears of all people within a mile of the air ship. Pigeons filled the sky at the sound of her scream.
"I specifically asked for curry, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, oregano, parsnip, barley and a thousand other herbs! None of them are here!" yelled Makoto as she counted off the spices on her fingers. The unfortunate little man in a sailor's suit was trembling. "I cannot cook with salt and pepper alone! Do you expect the royal cuisine to be plain and BORING?"
"I'm sorry, Princess, it will never happen again. I'll have the spices delivered immediately!" squeaked the little man.
"Hurry!"
"Yes ma'am!" the little man yelled and ran off down a corridor.
"Mako-chan! Don't get so worried! You nearly scared the little guy to death!" lectured a voice from around the corner.
"Ami-chan. you just don't understand about cooking! If there are no spices there might as well be no food!"
Ami walked into the kitchen and was almost surprised at how clean it was. That was so typical of Makoto. cleaning and cooking, cleaning and cooking. Ami always thought that Makoto ought to spend more time reading or studying.
"Maybe so, but that's still no reason to give the first mate a heart attack! Besides, we're supposed to be relaxing on this cruise!"
"Ah. you're wrong for once Ami-chan! Usagi and Mamoru are supposed to relax on this cruise."
"Even so. I'm sure Usagi means for us to relax as well!"
"And are you so relaxed, Ami-chan? Minako tells me that you've been going gaga up on the bridge. She says that you've been going all out at the flight terminals and what not." said Makoto as she began to double-check the pantry.
"Well. someone has to do it! I wouldn't leave that kind of thing to a captain like Minako! She'd end up getting us sucked into a black hole, and you know it!"
"That's true. I'll bet that Minako is the only one of us that is truly relaxed. You know that Rei has taken it upon herself to be in charge of all the entertainment?"
"She is a wonderful singer," pointed out Ami.
"Yea. but she couldn't dance if her life depended on it!"
"Lets just hope she won't be dancing. Listen, I should go and find Chibi- usa. I want to help her with the speech. Don't get too uptight about being head chef. I don't want you to have a nervous breakdown."
"You got it, Ami-chan!" Makoto peeked out from the pantry and waved goodbye to Ami"
Ami left the kitchen and continued down the corridor until finally she saw light at the other end. She began to walk up the steps when a pink-haired blur shot from the sky and knocked her over.
"Sorry Ami! I'm in a hurry!"
"Chibi-usa! I was just looking for you!" exclaimed a surprised Ami who was sprawled at the bottom of a staircase with the little Princess on top of her.
"Me? Why?"
"Well, I thought you might want a little help with your speech."
"PERFECT!" yelled Chibi-usa, "Come with me!" She jumped up off of Ami's stomach and snatched her hand. She ran down the hall as fast as she could, trailing a confused Ami behind her. Chibi-usa finally came to an empty room and ducked inside.
"Ami, you have to help me!"
"Calm down, Chibi-usa! It's only a speech!"
"I know! But I don't HAVE a speech!"
"CHIBI-USA! No speech? You're mother and father are counting on you! How could you forget?"
"I-I don't know. I just forgot!"
"Chibi-usa, the whole WORLD will be watching this send off on LIVE TV!"
"I know! I know! That's why I need your help!"
"All right!" Ami sighed, "But one day, I'm not going to be able to help you!"
"I know," said Chibi-usa sheepishly.
"Now, you do know that this cruise is a big controversy, and a lot of news media will be there to cover it. Because you are the Crown Princess, everything you say, and I mean everything, has to be absolutely perfect. Whatever you do, you can't get stage fright!"
"Don't worry about that. there's not a single drop of stage fright in me."
"That's good. Now as for the speech. you should say things like 'This is a celebration of the glory of our King and Queen' and 'All the prosperity of our new world is because of the good my Mother and Father have brought with their rule'. I want you to make sure that you let the people know that your Mother and Father have earned this one vacation, and so have the people. Let them know that these are peaceful times and that nothing could possibly go wrong."
"Of course nothing will go wrong!"
"Of course, but you have to assure them!"
"Oh. okay."
"After the speech, the media will be asking you questions. The four Senshi will be there to back you up. If someone asks you a question that you can't answer just say that you can't answer any more questions and leave. We'll cover for you. Okay?"
"Okay, I got it! Thanks a lot Ami! You're always helping me out!"
"Yes, but next time be READY!"
"Okay! Okay!"