Act Twenty - New Beginnings

The day had finally arrived. It was the day of Princess Lady Serenity's and Priest Helios' wedding, and everyone in Crystal Tokyo was filled with a sense that this would be the beginning of a new era, the era of dreams.

The ceremony would take place in the temple of Elysion, which Makoto had decorated beautifully with thousands of red roses, Chibi-Usa's favorite flower.

As the groom entered the temple, the sweet perfume of the roses greeted him like a cool breeze in the desert heat. The wedding was not scheduled to begin for another couple of hours, but there was something he had to do beforehand.

He slowly walked over the altar in front of the room and lit a simple white candle. The flame gave off a warm glow, much like the spirit of the woman the candle was lit in remembrance of. Then Helios kneeled before the altar, holding in his hand a perfect white rose, from which he now began to pluck its soft, fragrant petals. They fell gently to the ground as if they were snowflakes, covering the altar in a blanket of white.

"Aurora…"

The sound of the deceased Maenad's name echoed throughout the empty cathedral. Helios could feel her spirit surround him, comforting and peaceful.

"Aurora," he repeated, now in a small whisper. "I want to thank you for all you have done for me. I wound not be here today if it weren't for your sacrifice…"

A knot formed in his throat as he remembered that day. For the rest of his life, he would be forever be haunted by the image of Aurora dying in his arms, so young and pure.

"I want you to be happy, Helios," she had said during those last precious moments.

"I am happy," he replied, wiping away a tear. "And it's all because of you."

Helios glanced up at the candle. The burning fire began to flicker, dancing with joy. He smiled at the sight, and he knew that somewhere up in heaven, she was looking down at him, beaming with happiness.

"You truly are my guardian angel, Aurora."

"Chibi-Usa-chan, you look beautiful," Masago said, buttoning up the back of her dress.

Chibi-Usa blushed prettily at her new sister's compliment. She did look absolutely radiant in a gorgeous white silk gown trimmed with delicate lace. Shizu, who was serving as her maid of honor, picked up her veil and placed it on top of her head.

The bride stared at her reflection in the mirror, still unbelieving of the fact that this was her wedding day, the day she had dreamed of for so long. After today, she would finally be Helios' wife.

She fingered the star locket that was draped around her neck, the symbol of her love. She had not taken it off since the day of her return to Crystal Tokyo.

"You're going to need something new, something borrowed, something old, and something blue," Nagisa reminded her, pulling out a brand new lace handkerchief and handing it to Chibi-Usa. "Here's something new. I'm sure you're going to need it, Chibi-Usa-chan. I know I'll need mine."

"And here's something borrowed," Tomoko said, handing her a pair of perfectly round white pearl stud earrings. "I know you've had your eye on these, but I want them back as soon as possible. They're very valuable."

"I've got the something blue," Anzura exclaimed gleefully, giving Chibi-Usa a small box wrapped in silver paper and tied with a pink bow.

Chibi-Usa carefully unwrapped the gift, trying not to tear the paper, as Anzura watched with a mischievous gleam in her eye. When she lifted up the lid, she understood why. It was a sexy baby blue teddy with matching garter belt.

"Anzura-chan!" Chibi-Usa cried, her face red with embarrassment.

"Do you like it? I spent practically the entire day at Victoria's Secret, trying to find the perfect gift. I'm sure Helios-sama will absolutely love it."

She placed the teddy back in the box and set it inside her suitcase for the honeymoon. "I think I'll save that for tonight," Chibi-Usa replied, putting on the garter belt. "Thanks, Anzura-chan."

"Now all you need is something old," Amaya observed.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the girls, Masago had snuck out of the room. She now returned, holding in her hand a strand of onyx prayer beads.

"These once belong to my mother," she said softly, placing the beads in Chibi-Usa's hand. "They're antiques, almost 1500 years old. I want to have them."

"Are you sure?" Chibi-Usa asked. "Setsuna was your mother. You should keep them."

"She was your mother too, Chibi-Usa. Perhaps not in the biological sense, but she always loved you like a daughter. I know she would want you to have them."

"Thank you, Masago."

The two girls hugged tightly. Though it had been strange at first when it was revealed that she was King Endymion's daughter, Chibi-Usa truly saw Masago as her sister. Though they had always been close, there now was a special bond between them, one linked by blood, as well as friendship. They were family, and Chibi-Usa could not have asked for a better sister.

Neo-Queen Serenity entered the room and asked for a few moments alone with her only daughter before the wedding. After a few final words of encouragement, the bridesmaids quietly exited and prepared for the procession down the aisle.

"Mother, I'm getting married today," Chibi-Usa said, more her benefit than the queen's.

"I know, sweetheart."

The queen smiled, trying to hold back her tears. Her daughter never looked more beautiful than she did at this moment.

"Serenity, I wish you much love and happiness as you begin on this new journey, but I want you to also know that you will always be in your father's and my heart. In our eyes, you will always be our precious Small Lady."

"Mother…"

Mother and daughter hugged, holding onto this last memory. Tears clouded Chibi-Usa's eyes as she realized that she was no longer a child, able to lean on her parents for support. It was time to start out on a new life with Helios.

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, my Lady."

Diana interrupted their tender moment with news that the ceremony was ready to begin. "It's time, Sma… I mean, Serenity."

This was it.

As the organ filled the temple with the strains of the Wedding March, King Endymion offered his arm to his daughter, tears in his eyes.

The members of the party were already at the front of the room, their eyes focused on the entrance. Diana, who was acting as flower girl in her human form, proceeded down the aisle first, tossing hundreds of blood red rose petals on the gold carpet. Then everyone rose as the bride and her father appeared, murmuring at her beauty.

Chibi-Usa looked ahead at the altar, where Helios was standing proudly. Their eyes locked, and to the two lovers, it was as if nobody else was there. They were alone in their own private universe.

When they reached the altar, the king turned to his daughter and lifted her veil, kissing her tenderly on the cheek. Then he gave her hand to Helios.

"Take care of her, Helios," he said before taking his seat next to the queen.

The priest presiding over the ceremony stepped forward and placed his hands over their grasp. "Today begins a new journey for these two people. What once was two separate lives will now become one. They will share dreams and nightmares, success and disappointment, highs and lows, good times and bad, but they will always draw strength from each other through all of life's mysteries. May I please have the rings?"

Shizu and Goku, serving as Helios' best man, handed the simple gold bands to the priest, who blessed them with holy water. "These bands will be a symbol of your love and commitment toward each other. Helios-sama, place this ring upon her finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I take you as my partner in life and vow to love you completely, with all my mind, body, and soul, until the day I take my last breath upon this soil."

Helios slipped the band on her left hand and repeated the priest's words as Chibi-Usa fought to hold back her tears of happiness. The priest then handed the other ring to her and asked her to place it on Helios' hand.

Her voice quivered with emotion as she repeated the same vows that Helios had said to her. There wasn't a dry eye in the temple, including Helios'. The love between them was unmistakable.

After they exchanged rings, Chibi-Usa and Helios each lit a flame, which they used to light a large white candle as a sign of their forever lasting love and devotion.

"May the Lord keep this flame burning eternally in the hearts of these two lovers. I now pronounce you husband and wife. Helios-sama, you may kiss the bride."

Helios cupped her chin in his hand and kissed his new wife softly on the lips, causing the locket around her neck to open and begin to play its mystical melody for everyone to hear. From her seat in the front pew, Neo-Queen Serenity looked over at her husband and reached for his hand, a smile on her face.

"And they lived happily ever after."