I post all my works at Ariasink before I post them here. This was first penned on November 26, 2003, and so is nearly three years old. I'll be posting the rest of my stories here within the next couple of days.
Tuesday, November fourteenth dawned brisk and cold. The chill air breezed about Tokyo, pinking the cheeks of pedestrians. Leaves crunched under quickly treading feet. Bleak November was wearily giving way to December, and the Earth was busily at work refreshing itself for the approaching spring.
It would snow soon, or so the weatherman said, and Mamoru Chiba was on his way to purchase his yearly winter clothing. His old, worn scarf just wasn't cutting it anymore, and the zipper of his overcoat was long past its useful days. He jogged around a corner, fully intent upon getting to the mall before his fingers completely froze (he needed a pair of gloves as well). He skidded to a stop, shoving his chilled fingers into his jeans pockets as his eyes focused on the assortment of televisions in a store window. It was the news, of course, the channel most often displayed…but the subject matter was exciting.
Apparently, foreign royalty had arrived in Tokyo. Well, not just foreign. A picture of the Queen and Princess that would be visiting Japan flashed across the screen. Their hairstyles were out of this world…literally. Her Imperial Majesty, Queen Selenity of the Moon Kingdom, and her daughter, Her Imperial Highness, Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom were to be visiting Tokyo to arrange an engagement between the princess and Emperor Demando of Japan. Aliens and royalty were a curiosity of Mamoru's, and this strangely-garbed princess was fascinating.
Slowly, he dragged himself away from the store window, and into the mall.
In Emperor Demando's palace, Serenity was being shown to her room. A maid was busy putting away her things, but Serenity quickly took up the task herself.
"Is there anything I can get you, princess?" The maid asked, curtsying.
"Actually, yes, if you don't mind. I would be very appreciative if you could procure me some normal, civilian clothing about my size…something appropriate for a teenage girl. Oh, and don't tell Mama." Serenity said, grinning cheekily.
The maid nodded, a bit confused, and swiftly left to do the princess' bidding.
Shortly after the maid left, the door burst open. A vibrant, blue-eyed blonde dashed through it, leaping onto the bed. The expensive, original gowns laid out there flew into the air and onto the floor. The blonde had no eyes for it, and began speaking excitedly.
"Guess what! Mako-chan says there's the cutest palace guard down by the kitchen, and he looks exactly like-"
"Her ex-boyfriend? Yes, Mina, I know. She also said that about my Astrology tutor. You know, the one with that awful toupee?" Serenity arching a brow. Mina giggled, bouncing on the bed – an action unbecoming of the seventeen-year-old Princess of Venus. She sighed, and flopped back on the bed, thoroughly ruining the remaining silk and satin clothing resting there.
"I like it here, Sere. Earth is such a beautiful place. I wouldn't mind living here. Venus is kind of dull, you know." Mina sighed.
"Yes, well, you don't have to marry a man you've never met." Serenity said, bitterly.
"You don't, either." Mina pointed out, sticking out her tongue childishly.
"No, but I've only got eight months to find someone I want to marry. It's not like I haven't tried to find the right man, Mina…but it's….difficult." Serenity sighed. She pressed her palm to her forehead, and closed her eyes.
A soft knock on the door heralded the reentrance of the maid, who had retrieved an assortment of clothing. Serenity swept the remaining gowns off the bed, and carefully laid out the clothing.
"Hmm. Mina, what would you suggest?" Serenity asked, beseeching her more fashion-inclined friend. After carefully examining all articles of clothing, Mina selected a blue sweater and a pair of jeans embroidered with flowers.
"These should go nicely with your eyes and hair, Sere." Mina said, holding the sweater up to a strand of Serenity's famous silvery hair, and nodding contently. She selected a pair of jeans and an orange blouse for herself.
"Oh!" Serenity turned to the maid. "Do you know where we could get a few pairs of…of…oh, what are they called, Mina? Tennis shoes?"
"If you'll wait just a few moments, I'll see what I can do, princess." The maid curtsied and backed out of the room. She returned about ten minutes later with two pairs of shoes and a pair of scarves.
"It's chilly outside, your highnesses…you'll want these if you plan to go out. His majesty begs you to take advantage of his personal exit in the library. It is the easiest way to escape from the palace unnoticed. He extends his best wishes and promises to keep your mother distracted." The maid said.
Serenity blinked in surprise.
"You mean he actually doesn't care if we leave the palace?" she asked.
"No, princess," The maid shook her head, "he doesn't mind at all. He sneaks out often enough himself to understand, I suppose."
"Well…I guess that's that, then. All I need is my purse, and we'll be going," Serenity said, tossing the scarf around her neck. She wriggled her fingers into a pair of gloves she'd bought on Venus two years ago, and tucked her tiny wallet into her pocket.
"Hold it." Mina grabbed Serenity's shoulder, preventing her from leaving the room. "Let's do something about that hair of yours first, right?"
"Oh, yes. It might not be that noticeable on the moon, but I suppose it would be, here." Serenity said. She quickly twisted her long hair up into a bun, and pinned it in place. "I suppose that will do." She said.
They quickly exited Serenity's room, walking briskly down the hall towards the library. The maid showed them to the back of the library, down the dusty row of books labeled 'Archaeology'. At the very end of the row hung a painting of a particularly disapproving-looking man, which the maid swung open to reveal a stairwell. She flipped a light switch on the inside wall, lighting the passage, and motioned for Serenity and Mina to go through it. As soon as they were inside, she instructed them to walk about a quarter mile until they reached the guard station. From there, they would be on the main street and free to roam the city as they wished.
Mina and Serenity thanked her, and made their way down the passage way. About ten minutes later, they reached the guard station, and were escorted to the street by a pair of kindly guards.
The meandered down the street, taking in their new surroundings.
"It's too bad Rei couldn't come. She would have loved this." Serenity sighed.
"I'm sure she's loving sparring with one of those gorgeous palace guards, too," Mina sniggered. Serenity stopped in her tracks, gazing into a store window.
"An arcade!" She gasped. "Oh, Mina, let's go in!"
The girls entered the arcade, greeted by the friendly young man at the counter. They sat down to talk a while with him and indulge themselves in the specialty of the local hang-out - chocolate milkshakes.
Serenity decided to try her hand at a video game called "Sailor V", and was struggling through level three when the poor heroine of the ill-used video game met her untimely demise falling off the roof of an office building.
"Wow, you really suck," A male voice said, laughing. Serenity turned around, about to give the man a piece of her mind…but, face-to-face with the too-gorgeous-to-be-true young man, she found that every word stuck in her throat.