By: Shirley Ann Burton
The--Oh, You Know This!
The Magician is copyrighted by Gaumont Multimédia. Sailor Moon is copyrighted by Naoko Takeuchi. You know the rules for original characters and asking for permission from me first. This story takes place a couple of days following Ticked Off by a Cook-Off.
Inside the Magic Express, Cosmo was showing off some of his video games to Serena and Rini. "This turbo bike real-time simulator is one of the coolest games around. You get the feel of driving around Electro City without ever leaving the room."
"That's so cool!" Serena exclaimed. "I've seen some of these back home, but I didn't expect someone to have it in their own home."
Rini walked around the simulator looking at it curiously. "I guess I'm just too small," she said dejectedly.
Serena saw Rini's face and turned to Cosmo. "Is there any way she could ride it, perhaps with you sitting behind her?"
"Hey, that's an awesome idea!" He walked over to Rini and grabbed her by the waist. "Up ya go, Rini!"
"What're you doing?"
"I'm gonna let you ride on this thing. I'll sit right behind you so you won't fall off."
"Thanks, Cosmo!" She smiled at Serena. "Thanks, Meatball-Head."
The Moon Princess took it more as a compliment than an insult. "Anytime, squirt. I'm gonna head to the living room for a bit."
Ace and Angie were sitting on the couch in the living room, going over the careful plans for a special night planned for the next evening. "Okay, Angie, Mona's got most of the plans in place for the triple date at the Croesus tomorrow night. Unfortunately for us, Jack's getting released from the hospital today."
"Aw, don't worry about it, Ace," said Angie. "Mona said the doctor forced her father to take it easy for about a month--no stress whatsoever. For the next month, Clockwise is in charge at the Croesus."
"But Clockwise doesn't--"
"Like us either, I know. She said leave everything to her."
Serena walked in on their conversation. "Leave everything to whom?"
Ace replied, "Mona. What do you think, Angie? Should we go ahead and tell her?"
"Sure, but I think it'd be better if she and Darien were both here. Angel, please tell Darien to meet us in the living room, okay?"
"I will summon him immediately," said the computerized voice.
Darien was reading a book in his guest room when Angel's holographic form appeared. "Hi, Angel. What's up?"
"Ace and Angie would like to see you in the living room. Serena is already there."
Darien walked from the room and met the others. "Okay, I'm here. What's going on?"
Angie smiled and said, "Darien, Serena, how would you both like to be part of a triple date at the Croesus Palace tomorrow night?"
"Triple date?" asked Serena.
"Yeah. You and Darien, Ace and Mona, and Victor and me. Mona's already got a booth picked out for us."
"How does she do it?"
"Her father owns the Croesus Palace," Ace answered. "Mona's very influential when it comes to getting us in, since her father and I aren't exactly on the friendliest of terms."
"You're not?" asked Darien.
"Nope. Not since I broke away from his gang years ago. He doesn't like me being around his daughter. Since he's been told not to have any stress for the next month, he's put his lawyer Clockwise in charge at the Croesus, meaning it still won't be that easy for us to get in. However, if he tries to cross Mona, things will be more difficult for him than for us."
"I'm happy for this opportunity, but I hope Rini won't be too upset. I've got some day plans with her tomorrow."
"I don't think she'll mind," Serena said. "Right now Cosmo's keeping her busy on that bike simulator."
"That's good. I don't want anyone staying home tomorrow night, so how about having Cosmo take the others to the DNA Mall while we're all on our date."
"That'll work," said Darien. "I'll go tell Rini and the others what the plans are for tomorrow. It'll be fun doing a triple date at one of the glitziest places in town."
Serena spoke with a royal voice. "I must dress accordingly."
Her cat Luna walked in and said, "Hopefully no jeans or shorts."
"No way, Luna," the girl laughed. "I'm not that crazy." Serena left the room to start finding a good dress for the special night.
I couldn't be more proud of her, Luna thought. She's really grown up since our encounter with Angie's darkness and the Daeldrios Plant. She's not the selfish, unreliable girl she once was. She may still talk about Darien, but not as frequently as before. This trip has done wonders for her maturity.
As Serena walked through the hallway, Raye called to her. "Hey, Serena, would you come help us for a little while? We need some help packing up Lita's trophy from the cook-off."
"Sure thing, Raye, but let me handle the box. If I try holding the trophy, I could break it."
Amy stuck her head out the door and said, "Don't worry, Serena. That's what we were going to ask you to do."
Serena would normally take that personally, but not this time. "I kinda figured that. Come on, let's see if we can get that trophy packed properly."
Darien joined Cosmo and Rini in Cosmo's workshop, where he told Rini of the news. "Our plans for tomorrow won't be affected, but tomorrow night you'll be going to the DNA Mall with him and the others while Serena and I go on our triple date."
Rini smiled. "Okay, but let's get back in plenty of time for you to get ready for your date."
"You're not upset?"
"Uh-uh. You two deserve alone time together, triple date and all."
Darien embraced the little one warmly. "Thanks, Rini. I'm glad you understand."
"Me, too. I think this vacation's been good for all of us so far."
Back in the living room, Ace received a call from Mona via the vid-phone. "Clockwise gave me a hard time for a few minutes, but he finally caved in when I said I'd tell Father if he threw you and Angie out. Everything's all set for tomorrow night."
"Great, Mona. Serena and Darien have learned of our plans as well. I just hope tomorrow night turns out to be peaceful."
"Ace, I think we all do. Believe me."
The next evening, Cosmo had already gone with Rini and the others to the DNA Mall. Ace, Angie, Darien, and Serena were all putting the finishing touches on their formal clothing.
Ace and Darien were all set in their formal tuxedos, Darien in basic black and Ace in a special white tuxedo. "Looking sharp, Ace," said Darien.
"Thanks. I'm eager to see how the girls look."
In Serena's guest room, Angie helped with the flower for her hair. "Almost got it, Serena. Just one more little touch and...there."
"It's perfect, Angie. Thanks for your help. Now, shall we surprise the gentlemen?"
"Of course."
Angie looked stunning in her midnight blue sequin-covered evening gown while Serena had the look of a princess with her light pink party dress.
The two women walked from the guest room into the living room, making both Darien and Ace gasp. "Both of you look...so beautiful," said Darien in awe.
"I agree. Victor and Mona should be here in their cars any second. Darien, why don't you give Serena her bouquet?"
"Huh, what--?" He held out his right hand and noticed a bouquet of red roses. "Right. Serena, for you."
Serena took the roses and smiled. "Thank you, Darien. They're beautiful."
Angel's form appeared in front of them. "Ace, Victor and Mona have arrived."
"Thank you, Angel."
Mona and Victor joined the others in the living room and commented on how lovely Angie and Serena looked in their dresses.
Victor walked up to his girlfriend and gave her a bouquet of red and white roses. "Beautiful flowers for such a beautiful woman," he said.
"Oh, Victor, I love them. Thank you."
Ace made his own bouquet appear in his right hand. "These are for you, Mona, but you outshine them, as usual."
"Orchids, oh, how lovely! Well, everything is all set. Let's just hope we don't run into problems from Clockwise or my father's two...other employees, Spade and Diamond."
"All right, we'll meet you at the Croesus as soon as possible," said Victor. "Shall we all get going?"
Mona nodded. "Serena and Darien can ride with Ace and me in my car. Save the Racer for another time."
"I'm looking forward to this," said Serena. She turned to Luna and said, "We'll be back somewhat on the late side, I think. But we'll be fine."
"All right, Serena. All of you have a good time this evening."
Victor said, "Don't worry, we will."
Victor helped Angie into his car while Ace and Darien helped their girlfriends into Mona's. They left while Darien was seating himself beside Serena. Ace said, "Okay, we're all ready. Time to have a night out on the town." Within 20 minutes, Mona's car arrived at the Croesus, and she parked next to Victor's car.
He was waiting patiently with Angie. "Ah, there you are. Shall we go in?"
Mona said, "Ace and I will take the lead, just in case we run into trouble."
"Into trouble?" asked Serena.
Ace reassured her. "Remember, Mona's got a lot of say around here. If Spade and Diamond try to stop us from getting in, she'll give them a piece of her mind. It's similar to some of your past temper tantrums."
Mona turned and gave him a mock glare. "Ace, I'm not that bad, and neither is Serena."
"I did say past temper tantrums. Relax."
Serena laughed. "It's okay, Ace. It's no longer a problem for me. Come on, let's go in before it's too late for dinner."
"Still wanting to eat a lot of food?" Darien joked.
"That, my dear Darien, depends on what they've got to offer."
Everyone laughed as they approached the front entrance to the Croesus.
Standing at the door were Spade and Diamond. Diamond had not been completely recovered from his encounter with Malkyrion days earlier, but he was well enough to return to the job. "Well, look who's here."
"Yeah, and we can't do anything to keep them out," Spade said.
Mona was first to speak. "I've brought five friends with me this evening. May we enter, please?"
"Only if you keep Cooper and Jacobs out," mumbled Diamond.
"I heard that, Diamond," said Mona sternly. "In case you have forgotten, two of my guests are from Japan. Would you like to create an international incident, which in turn could make things look bad for Father?"
Spade gasped and said, "Uh, never mind, Mona. Go on in."
"Thank you, Spade. You're so gracious. Come on, everyone."
As soon as they were out of earshot, Diamond asked, "Did she mean what she said?"
"I think we'd better take that seriously, Diamond. Otherwise, the boss could have our heads."
"Uh, okay."
Entering the restaurant area of the Croesus, Serena giggled. "Goodness, Mona, you really do have a lot of clout around here, don't you?"
"It sure pays when my father owns the place. Spade, Diamond, and Clockwise couldn't stop me from allowing you all in without me telling Father. And he is supposed to relax for the next month."
Once they were seated at their private booth, Victor said, "This is wonderful. I didn't think we'd ever have a date here, Ange."
"Me, neither, Vic. I'm just glad we have a good friend in Mona to get us in here in the first place."
Serena looked around the restaurant with curiosity. "It's so beautiful in here at night."
Darien agreed. "Yeah, but I'm glad we're not below in the casino part of the building. We'd lose all the money we're paying for dinner tonight if we went gambling."
"Who said you were paying?" replied Mona. "Tonight, everything is on me. Besides, the casino part is open only to those 21 and older. Sorry, Serena."
"That's okay. I'd rather not gamble anyway." She added with a whisper, "We did that already with that plant."
"No kidding," said Angie. "We took some huge risks, but we had no choice. Now let's forget about past events and just enjoy the night."
"I'm definitely for that."
The waiter walked up to them. "Good evening, Miss Malone. I see you have friends with you this evening."
"Yes, I do. May we have the menus, please?"
"Here they are." He passed them to Mona and the others.
"Thank you. Now there are two of us here for the first time who will need some extra time to choose what to eat."
"Of course, Miss Malone. Take all the time you need."
Serena was overwhelmed with the selection. "It's all foreign to me, but then it was the same way for you when you were in Japan, wasn't it?"
"I still remember the natto miso shiru from that restaurant," said Mona.
Darien gasped. "You actually ate that soup? I've never known anyone who could eat fermented soybeans in fermented soybean paste! How did you manage to keep it down?"
"A lot of water with lemons. I must've used seven lemons in that water."
Ace added, "I ate a soup with wasabe, and I ended up with a four-alarm stomach."
"Now that's courageous," joked Serena. "Unless you're really used to it, wasabe will burn your stomach alive." She looked over the menu carefully. "Since I am here, I'd better not overdo it. I think I'll take...the New York strip sirloin steak with baked potatoes and steamed vegetables."
Darien was surprised. "That's not even a fourth of the amount you'd normally eat."
"Darien, this is a restaurant in America, not Japan. I've overdone it so often I can't stand it anymore."
"I'm sorry, Serena. I won't make cracks about your eating habits anymore. Let's see, I'll go for steamed lobster done in a tartar sauce."
Angie made her decision. "It'll be the shrimp-kabobs with okra and wild rice for me."
Victor chose a T-bone steak with skewered vegetables. Mona opted to eat chicken con carne while Ace went with a simple filet mignon.
After the waiter collected the menus, he asked, "What would you like to drink this evening?"
Everyone chose water--everyone, that is, except Serena. "I'd like a triple chocolate milkshake please."
The waiter chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry, Miss. We don't serve milkshakes here."
Serena felt disappointed. "I was kind of hoping to have one here."
Angie came up with a fast idea. "Waiter, could you bring us three scoops of ice cream, a half-cup of chocolate syrup, and a large glass? I think I can solve this problem without any type of incident."
"Okay, Miss. I'll be right back with what you've requested."
Serena looked at Angie strangely. "I don't get it. What's the idea?"
"Simple, Serena. I'm going to turn an ice cream sundae into the best chocolate milkshake on the planet--with a little magic."
"An impromptu performance," laughed Victor. "This oughta be fun."
The waiter returned with water and the ingredients for Angie's quick magic trick. "Here you are."
"Thank you. Now, without using a blender, I'm going to transform all these ingredients into a chocolate milkshake and make no mess in the process." Angie took the three scoops of ice cream and put them into the glass. Next, she took the half cup of chocolate syrup and poured it all over the ice cream. "So far, so good. Now for my special touch." She put her hand forward, lifting the glass and its ingredients about four feet into the air. The glass started spinning very quickly, and it only took around ten seconds to finish. When she lowered the glass back onto the table, the milkshake looked complete. "Serena, taste it and tell me what you think."
The Moon Princess said, "Wait, I need a straw."
One snap of Angie's fingers, and a straw appeared in the milkshake. "There you go."
"Thanks, Angie." Serena took a sip of the milkshake. "Wow! This is the best milkshake ever!"
That caused an applause among the audience who saw Angie's milkshake magic. Angie stood up and took a bow. "Thank you, thank you. It just goes to prove you can make a milkshake even if the place you go doesn't offer them."
The waiter was very impressed. "That was wonderful, Miss...Jacobs. I'm sorry; I should have recognized you. Only you could do a recipe with magic. And not one drop on the table, either. You know, I think I'll recommend adding milkshakes to our menu so no one will have to ask you to do that again."
"That's probably a good idea. Thanks again for your help."
"I'm glad I could assist. As for your meals, they will be coming in about ten minutes, so here are some dinner rolls."
"Thank you, waiter," said Ace. "Well, let's enjoy these dinner rolls, shall we?"
Serena grabbed at least two and scarfed them down in less than ten seconds. "Mmm, those were good. Mind if I have some more?"
"Serena," said Darien, "where are your manners? What would Luna say?"
"Oops, that's right. Sorry, everybody." She blushed in embarrassment. "Looks like I can't break some of my habits so easily."
Angie smiled. "Don't worry about it, Serena, but just relax and enjoy the meal."
Everyone received their meals, and immediately Serena started eating it as if tomorrow would never come.
Darien looked at her and quietly said, "Easy, Serena. Slow down."
"He's right," added Angie. "The food's not going anywhere."
"I can't help it," Serena admitted. "I haven't had anything like this before."
Darien said, "I know that, but you'll give yourself a stomachache if you keep eating at that speed."
"You're right. I do want to savor the taste of this food. It's so good!" She slowed down on her eating to a tolerable level. "Mmm, this really is good."
After Serena was the last to finish her meal, the lights dimmed, creating a romantic atmosphere for all three couples.
"Serena," said Darien, "may I have the honor of the next dance?"
She gently took his hand and said, "I'd be delighted."
The pair went onto the dance floor and went slowly on a waltz. "How do you feel?" Darien asked.
"Like the real Moon Princess," she whispered. "Oh, Darien, I'm so glad Ace invited us to come here. This is the best alone time I've ever had with you."
"The feeling is mutual, Serena. In this light, your eyes shine like the reflection off a beautiful and clear lake."
"Your face...is as warm and caressing to the touch as the light of the moon itself," she added just before she kissed him.
The others were pleased to see Serena and Darien so happy with each other's presence in the spotlight. "Aren't they a lovely couple?" asked Mona.
"Yes, they are," said Victor. "Angie, shall we dance?"
"Of course, Victor."
Victor and Angie stepped onto the floor and danced cheek-to-cheek, their love as strong as ever. Ace and Mona soon joined their friends on the floor, with Mona leading because of Ace's not-so-graceful feet when it came to dancing. "It's all right, Ace. Besides, you're too handsome to notice your two left feet."
Ace smiled. "I appreciate that, Mona. One of these days I've just got to take some decent dance lessons."
"Never mind, Magician. Let's just dance and worry no more about this evening."
"A wonderful idea, Mona. Let's make our worries disappear, even if only for a short time."
Up in the main office, Clockwise was closely observing all three couples on the dance floor. "That's right, Mr. Black Jack. Mona is currently dancing with Cooper."
"You think I don't see that, idiot?" said Jack, resting in bed at his own home and watching all the action on his own closed-circuit television. "Considering what I've been through, I don't see anything wrong with Cooper being allowed into the Croesus. When I get back to work, though, I'm going to throw him out!"
"Watch your temper, boss. Remember what the doctors told you. You have to relax for the next month."
"Oh, I hate this, Clockwise. I hate that I can't do anything to keep Cooper out of my casino."
"Mona had her way, boss. She said Spade, Diamond, and I would be in trouble with you if we tried to stop Cooper and Jacobs from entering."
"And this is true, Clockwise. If my daughter invites them in, then let them in. By the way, who is the youngest couple, the one with the young lady with incredibly long hair?"
"I do not know their names, but Mona did say they came from Japan."
"In that case, let us show our respect to these Japanese visitors while they're here in Electro City. The last thing I want is an international incident."
"Of course, boss. I understand."
As the evening drew to a close, they walked out of the Croesus, each couple holding each other. "I'll never forget this night," Serena said as Darien held her close to him. "I never knew how romantic this place really was."
"There have been lots of couples getting engaged here," said Mona. "Father should know. He's kept a record of all of them for the past...20 years."
"Any famous couples?"
"More than 100 of those, and mostly incognito."
"That's understandable, since celebrities--"
Suddenly, a mini-recorder came up to Serena's face. "Excuse me, Miss. Ronald Sikes of The Inquisitor. May I ask who you are and why you're here with power players Ace Cooper, Mona Malone, Victor Ra--"
"We're just here on vacation," said Darien indignantly, "and we happen to know these people. They're good friends of ours."
"Oh, yeah, right. I wouldn't be surprised if you two were just a pair of flunkies for these power players."
Darien continued keeping his cool, even though he was growing angry on the inside. "Mr. Sikes, we are flunkies to no one. We met Ace Cooper and his friends when they came to Japan more than three years ago. He invited us to come here when we were given an opportunity. Thanks to a friend of ours, we took advantage of that chance and came here. We have been enjoying ourselves during our stay, until now that is.
"If you don't stop harassing us immediately, I will report this to the Japanese embassy. Now, do you want to cause an international incident, or will you let us leave?"
Sikes realized the implications of this situation and let them walk by while struggling to say something.
When out of earshot, Darien said, "Not the best way to end our evening, was it?"
"No," said Ace, "but you gave us an amusing ending, to say the least. Let's go home, shall we?"
"Yeah," said Darien. "I can't wait to tell Rini what we did here tonight."
Serena turned to him and asked, "You won't tell her all the intimate details, will you?"
"Now why would I go and do a thing like that? It's just not my style."
When everyone arrived home, they were expecting Cosmo, Amy, and the others to ask every conceivable question about what had happened. To Ace's surprise, though, the only being there was the little grey tabby kitten Diana. "So, Darien, how did everything go?"
"It went better than Serena and I expected."
"Wait," said Mona. "We need to get a photo of all six of us."
Ace smiled. "I've got this one. Angel, do you mind?"
"Not at all, Ace." The holographic form told them all to stand still, and she took their photo. "Should I develop this now or wait until tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, Angel. I think the rest of us need to get our sleep."
Victor looked at Angie. "I've got to head out of town tomorrow for the horse training certification."
"How much longer, Vic?"
"Just two hours remaining. I'll get one hour tomorrow, and then one hour two weeks afterward. Call you Wednesday?"
"Of course, Vic. I love you." She kissed him and escorted him to his car.
After he left for the evening, Angie went in and turned off the living room lights, ending an evening to remember.
The End