Have a Little Faith Chapter 5
I still must give all credit to the wonderful Naoko-sensei for the main characters in this story…I only own the plot and the characters I have made on my own.
( I had hoped to post this yesterday, but I got caught up making AMVs. I know…for shame, right? Well, If you went and watched my Usagi/Seiya tribute Memorare…I fixed it so go visit and watch Memorare Revisited an Usagi and Seiya Slide Show. I managed to only make one shot repeat and it was by accident. I am far more pleased with that one. ^_^ I have others too!
Some translation notes now…
Amai Hikari – (roughly) light that is too kind…hikari means light and amai means too kind directly
Fukkatsu – (literal) revival
Koi Bakudai Ni Hoshi – (roughly) the infinite love of a star
Mujaki Bijin – (literal) innocent beauty
Side notes…
Before toothpaste was invented or available in most Asian countries, ginger leaves were used to cleanse the mouth and the palate. For those of you who enjoy sushi or other Japanese cuisine, you'll find they often bring you a plate (or include on your plate) some sliced ginger. I thought that a similar plant would be the oral hygiene method on Kinmoku. So when you read about leaves of a plant being used to clean one character's mouth, please remember that. ^_^
Preclampsia (I'm not sure if I spelled that correctly) is a potentially lethal condition for pregnant women and their unborn child. What can I say, my fiancée is going to school to be a nurse and he wants to specialize in neo-natal intensive care so I pick up on some of his studies. The symptoms can include fever and mild delirium, but the most prominent is high blood pressure and a fast pulse. Most women who develop this are hospitalized for the remainder of their pregnancy since it can also lead to premature births. Hence Michiru's constant medical monitoring.
In this chapter you will find out just how Mamoru lived and wound up on Kinmokus! For fans of PGSM you'll catch it dead on. For those who have not seen the show, I will include a note at the end. Happy reading!)
"Finally she's sleeping peacefully," Ami said to Haruka as she watched Michiru.
Haruka had climbed into bed to hold Michiru in her arms and that had helped to ease her into a much needed sleep. "It looks as though I am bedridden myself." Haruka gave a soft smile. There was still pain in her eyes, but something told her that everything would work out. Her doubt toyed with her and made her uneasy and too weak to help Michiru. That helped her regain her strength.
Ami was glad to finally see Haruka smile again. 'Several hours have gone by and only the soft motion of Michiru's chest was what must have allowed her to relax.' Ami checked Michiru's pulse and smiled. "Its back to normal, Haruka-san."
"Thank you." Haruka felt sleep calling to her. It had been a long and exhausting experience since last night began.
Haruka's yawn was all Ami needed to see. "Go ahead and get some sleep. I'll catch up on my homework at the desk. I will continue to check her pulse and temperature every twenty minutes."
Haruka surrendered to sleep with Ami's comforting words. 'I'm so glad she's here…Thank you Ami-chan…You have no idea what this means to us,' were her last coherent thoughts before she was asleep.
'It looks like all signs of preeclampsia are gone…But we'd better keep her on bed rest. Even just this one incident increases the chance of premature birth and birth defects,' Ami thought as she opened up one of her textbooks and began her homework.
"Priest Helios, may I intrude and ask you who that man was you brought to the palace recently?" It was Hikari Amai, the beautiful shrine maiden with the orange hair. She wore it pulled up into five interestingly combined braids. It seemed this was a popular style on Kinmoku.
Amai had always followed Helios around since his arrival. She worked harder than any other shrine maiden. She meditated three times daily which was more than even Rei. She was one of the temple's top three shrine maidens. Her determination for peace and balance on the planet…For all to live in harmony with one another and with nature…For her dedication to the fires of Kinmoku…All of these things had finally cleared the fog around her. Behind the fog was a bright golden glow. 'My Maiden!' "That man is a dear friend. His name is Chiba Mamoru. His arrival was a surprise to say the very least. He is devoted to Setsuna-san."
"That is wonderful. Now she does not have to be alone! Do you have a few minutes free to speak with me?"
"Yes, of course you may speak with me. I have a few days left to plan the arrival ceremonies for the Duke and Duchess of Shori." Helios felt nervous all of a sudden. He shook it off as merely the discovery of another golden mirror. "What can I do for you, Amai?"
Amai's face lit up. 'I feel so…So alive when I am near him.' "That's actually what I wanted to discuss with you. May I be of assistance in the ceremonies? I will stay and tend the flame if that is what you require of me…I only wanted to know if…"
"It is not selfish to want to leave the temple once in a while." Helios smiled at the girl. "I was hoping that you would be interested in the ceremonies. If the Duchess returns with child…"
"In Cosmos' name on behalf of the Sacred Flames of Kinmoku we pray," they said in unison.
"If she does, I wanted you to perform the blessing and be Serenity-Megami's spiritual council throughout her pregnancy. Only a prime shrine maiden such as yourself could be entrusted with this. I would be putting a lot of faith in you, Amai."
"I would be honored." Amai curtsied low and kissed Helios' extended hand. It was a simple enough custom…Kissing a priest's hand…But Amai's heart was pounding as she took her leave. Her face flushed with a blush unlike any she had ever known.
As Helios watched Amai leave his sight he stared in contemplation. 'Another Golden Mirror? Perhaps it is as simple as one existing on each planet…Still they are so rare…Maybe it is only every solar system.' Helios looked up at the now flawless likeness of the Angel Cosmos, Sailor Cosmos, resting beside the one of Guardian Cosmos. 'It can't be HER. No…My maiden has lifetimes to be born yet.'
Kakyuu and Galaxia were alone in the music room. Galaxia had spent her existence alone and she enjoyed listening to the melodies Kakyuu could play on her preta. Somehow it felt as though every song Kakyuu played when they were together pierced her heart. Galaxia had been trying to think of a new name, but she was having trouble. She had never needed name other than her senshi title. Living as a lone senshi made it irrelevant. When Kakyuu played, names would flood into her mind, though none felt like they fit. Still, Kakyuu played faithfully on hoping that it would help.
The women neither hid, nor announced their feelings for one another. With talk flying around about Rei and Nephrite, Ami and Taiki, Michiru's health status, Mamoru's unexplained reappearance on Kinmoku, and the homecoming preparations of the newlyweds, it did not seem the right time to go waving any banners and shout it out to the world.
The only people who seemed to take notice were Kunzite and Zoicite, who only gave knowing glances once in a while. Other than that their world together was an unintentional secret…and for now that was fine.
It was almost at the instant of a crescendo that a name rose up from within Galaxia. As she felt the name fall upon her, her lover Kakyuu smiled and slowly ended the song peacefully in a manner that reflected the name. "Fukkatsu…Fukkatsu is my name! Kakyuu, I've finally found it!"
Kakyuu placed her preta gently on the table beside her. "Then I will arrange for Helios to perform your naming ceremony to your specifications. It will still need to wait until our newlyweds return, of course. If Usagi-chan is pregnant, there will be festivities for that. For now I'll call you Katsu-chan." Kakyuu smiled and moved from the fainting couch she had sat upon to the love seat and sat beside her newly dubbed Fukkatsu. She took her love's hand.
Fukkatsu leaned into her precious Kakyuu and took in her scent. She could not ever remember feeling happier. 'No longer must I constantly bear the burdens of the past with my senshi name as my only name.' The steady rhythm of Kakyuu's heart combined with the gentle caresses of Kakyuu's hand through her hair allowed Fukkatsu to drift off into a comfortable sleep.
Kakyuu continued to run her fingers through her sweet Katsu-chan's two-toned hair. She enjoyed the peaceful look displayed on her face while she slept. On rare occasions Fukkatsu would still thrash about in nightmares that Kakyuu could only speculate were ghosts of her past while she could see what Chaos did and she was powerless to stop him. Somehow, Kakyuu's touch always calmed her back down again. 'It feels nice to be needed like this..So wanted and loved…So very nice.'
Yaten was pacing about her room. She never did have much patience. Her mind and heart felt like they might explode at any moment. She could not get her precious Minako off of her mind. The flowers resting in their vases were whimsical. 'Just like her…' The candles soft glow was the fire in her eyes when she, as Yaten the man, had pinned her against the wall for being irresponsible. 'I'll never forget those eyes.' The soft yellow paint on the walls were so like her hair that Yaten nearly reached out to touch the nearest one. 'I'll bet that hair is soft.' Yaten threw herself onto her bed. 'Of course it would be these sheets today. The blue and green ones…Just like our eyes…Snap out of it! She'll never go for it.' Yaten took hold of one of her softest pillows. 'At least I can imagine having her in my arms during my nap,' she thought as she cried herself softly to sleep.
"Ok, Seiya-chan, we've been shopping all day. We ate at that quaint café. Its time for you to spill."
"Spill what?" Seiya's confusion made it obvious that he had not heard the term while on Earth.
"It means I know you're keeping a secret and I want you to tell me what it is…Now." Usagi smiled.
"Oh." Seiya laughed a little. "It's a surprise, Odango." Seiya gave her that trademark smirk and a wink.
As much as Usagi tried to maintain her composure and make Seiya know that it would not work on her forever, she still melted inside a bit every time he did it. What's worse was that it was obvious he could tell.
"Odango, let's go to the hotel suite and get ready. The show starts in four hours and we have to dress and have dinner before then." Seiya took his wife's arm. Neither had any bags, despite their many purchases as all of the shopkeepers had arranged them to be delivered to their hotel suite. Arm-in-arm, the pair made their way to the hotel.
The hotel was amazing. The suite they had secured had intricate crown molding and the bed was made of a wood similar to mahogany and in it's carvings were semiprecious stones, though at the center of the canopy's headboard was the carved crest of Kinmoku with a fire diamond gem larger than Usagi had seen as of yet. The bathroom floor and counter tops matched the red marble-like floors in the front hall of Kakyuu-hime's retreat. Seiya smiled as his new wife threw herself onto the bed and sighed at the softness of the bed underneath her.
"Odango, come here. I have something to show you."
Usagi stood up and followed Seiya to the balcony. The view was beyond breathtaking. Usagi had heard the skyline would be beautiful at night, but the day view was more amazing than she could have ever imagined. She could not wait to see the night scenery. She leaned into Seiya. "I'm so happy you got your world back. Its beyond beautiful," Usagi said as she started to cry.
"Its our world now, Odango…And it was you who gave it life again." Seiya turned to face Usagi and leaned in for a kiss. As he stood upright again he wiped away a tear from Usagi's face. The tear turned into a tiny crystal on his fingertip. There were a few moments of awkward silence as they stared at the tear before Seiya decided to break the tension. "You know, Odango, if you keep this up we could raise a lot of money for the temples by selling crystallized goddess tears." He let off a soft smile to see if Usagi would appreciate the joke.
Almost immediately Usagi began to laugh. Seiya gestured for Usagi to go back inside. Usagi did so and Seiya closed the door behind him as he followed her.
Usagi went and opened the closet door to see the dress she would be wearing tonight. Her jaw fell leaving her mouth agape at the sight of her gown. It had sheer bell sleeves similar to Kakyuu-hime's but they were shimmering red sleeves with flecks of gold. The main dress was a princess cut wedding gown style. It was solid but had the same shimmer to it that the sleeves did. On the dressing table, laid out on a red velvety pillow, rested a jewelry set. The earrings and necklace were a set of thinly wired gold wound about in knot-like patterns surrounded by fire diamonds cut to form the crest of Kinmoku. There was a matching small tiara for her as well with similar knot patterns that were a bit wider. Strapped red high-heeled shoes rested next to the table.
Seiya was even awed by the jewelry collection chosen for Usagi. "Kakyuu-hime lent you some of the crown jewels?" It was more of a question than a statement. Seiya's shock and words magnified Usagi's.
In the closet Seiya found a red suit with a black shirt and a shimmering red tie that matched Usagi's gown. The tie clip and cuff links were gold and also had the crest of Kinmoku carved out of fire diamonds. He walked towards the bathroom.
A sudden knock on the door startled Usagi who had just finished taking her hair down. She rose to answer it since she could hear the shower running.
"Are you the Duchess of Shori Kou Serenity," the young woman asked. She was wearing what appeared to be a hotel spa uniform. "I am here to fix your hair and prepare you for your outing, Your Grace." The girl dropped into a low curtsy.
"Oh," Usagi said as her eyes grew wide. 'I guess I need to get used to this stuff. I am a kind of celebrity here…Is that what you'd call a duchess or someone who was recently dubbed a goddess even?' "Of course, come in please."
The girl rose and entered nervously and motioned for Usagi to sit at the bench in front of the dressing table. Once Usagi had seated herself, the girl began to brush any knots out of Usagi's hair. When she was finished, the girl fetched the gown from the closet. As awkward as it felt Usagi allowed the girl to dress her. Not that Usagi was ashamed of her body…She had met the real Galaxia while completely nude. It was more the idea of someone dressing her as though she was a doll. She had to break the silence. "What is your name?" 'Good you spoke properly…Keep it up.'
"Me? Your Grace Serenity wishes to know MY name!" Once the dress was fastened properly, the girl fell to her knees and bowed her head low to the floor. "Bejin…Mujaki Bejin," she said as she slowly rose back up to her feet. Oce she was upright again, she motioned for Usagi to sit once more. She removed her apron and placed it around Usagi to prevent make-up and hair products from getting onto her gown. By the time Seiya was dressed and out of the bathroom, Usagi's hair and make-up were finished. Her hair reminded them both of their wedding day. The tiara was not so overwhelming that it made Usagi feel as though people would be staring at her. She knew they would be…But it would not be because she was wearing a tiara. All that was left were the necklace and the shoes.
Seiya motioned to the girl to stop. Tenderly he placed the necklace around Usagi's neck, before handing Bejin some red coins. Bejin curtsied low and took her leave. Seiya slid Usagi's shoes one one-at-a-time and fastened them gently. He then helped her up and reached into the dressing table's center drawer. He handed Usagi a sparkling red handbag containing opera glasses, a mirror, and a tube of lipstick for touch ups after dinner. She fastened the golden clasp as Seiya took her free arm.
"Shall we," Seiya said smiling at Usagi.
"The time has come for him to remember," Cosmos' projected image said to the Guarian Sailor Saturn.
"I will make it so." Saturn knelt before the image.
Cosmos' image faded from Saturn's view. Unfazed by the sudden disappearance, she went to the bookshelf. She pulled a book with a swift motion and the shelf opened like a door. On the other side was an even larger library. Without so much as a glance she pulled a book down. These were the books of the records of people's lives. They helped Saturn to guide them if they became lost on their way to their afterlife. The name on this book was Chiba Mamoru. It would give her a private link to his mind that even Helios would not be able to notice easily. Soon Mamoru would not only know why, but also how, he lived still and had found his way to Kinmoku.
Dinner had been an amazing feast that touched every place on their collective palettes. The full skirt had made sitting a bit awkward for Usagi, but she had managed not to fall or even slip. 'Ever since Cosmos blessed me…Its like I've grown into the person I was always meant to be.'
Seiya paid the check and led Usagi to the carriage. Before they knew it, they were outside the opera house.
"Odango, now that we are here I will show you my surprise."
"Really?" Usagi was grinning widely.
Seiya handed his beloved Odango her program. "It was written shortly after we arrived."
"So its about your return?"
"Not just Taiki, Yaten, and myself…Read the title."
"Koi Bakudai Ni Hoshi…Seiya-chan…Is this about US?" Usagi was in complete shock as Seiya stood by her side smiling widely.
Sometime after midnight, Mamoru shot up and out of his sleep. "I remember now!"
Setsuna jumped at the jolt of being awakened in this manner, but she smiled as she heard Mamoru's words. "What do you remember?" Setsuna knew of Mamoru's amnesia. She knew how comforting it had been for him to have Endymion's memories, no matter how false they were. From afar she had seen his glow from such a simple thing.
"I remember how I got here, Sets!"
"That's wonderful."
"I'll need to speak with Helios tomorrow, just in case it was only a dream."
"Tell me about it. You can still ask Helios if you want to tomorrow. He spends far too much time buried in his work." Setsuna gave Mamoru a wink.
"Well, it started off and I was wandering in this desert. There were many gates that appeared to lead to nowhere…There was even a strange well just sitting there in the middle of the gates."
Setsuna's eyes lit up. 'This was no dream. Saturn is telling him what happened. She has described this desert to me before.'
"Well, all of the gates had guards and I could not find one that was welcoming."
'Exactly as she had described.'
"I fell into this sand hole. It scared me, but I knew that I was dead. Under the sand hole there was a large dark room."
'The lost souls' well?'
"I was all alone in the dark. I'm not sure how much time passed while I was in these strange places. It felt like hours but it could have been days or even weeks for all I know. A great shining light blasted it's way into the room."
"Usagi? Cosmos?"
"No…Serenity-hime."
"What?" Even as the Senshi of Time this was quite a shock. "Why? How?"
"She told me that she was about to die. Saturn was sealing her again. She said she was going to use the last of her power to bring me to Setsuna…That even though she was ripped from her true love, I should not be. I floated through space for some time by my guess," Mamoru said rubbing Setsuna's belly. "I washed up on the beach outside of town just in time to see Seiya and Usagi flying away."
"So Hotaru died to seal Serenity until her rebirth and Serenity died to give you life? Was she trying to redeem herself?"
"It would seem so."
"Well, I don't care how you came back, I'm just happy to have you by my side."
The couple snuggled into one another and drifted back to sleep.
When Seiya woke up in the morning, his Odango was not at his side. He could hear her in the bathroom. The sounds were not pleasant, still Seiya entered and held Usagi's hair back for her as she continued vomiting. 'She hasn't had her cycle the whole month we've been here either…Does this mean? Please, Odango, I promised Kakyuu-hime an heiress.'
Once she was finished, Usagi placed a hand on Seiya's shoulder to steady herself as she stood and then she flushed the toilet. She then moved to the sink and washed her hands before pulling some leaves off the violet vidra plant. She had gotten used to it's bitter taste, but she sure missed her peppermint flavored toothpaste. It still astounded Usagi at how much technology Kinmoku had, but how they used it so sparingly. They were a society of conservationists who had high education standards. There was no television, but digital news programs could be watched at the convenience of the people in the home via hologram. All other entertainment was music, theatre, and books.
For the remainder of their honeymoon Usagi was miserable. She was nauseous and dizzy. Her balance and coordination were slightly off as well. Seiya said nothing, but he sensed good news at their homecoming.
When they finally arrived home, it was a simple greeting from Kakyuu-hime and the other Starlights. This was far from what Usagi had been expected, but she was grateful. It was not long, however, before a medical team of nurses and midwives came to take her to an examination room to be checked. The machinery was strange in appearance compared to the ones she had seen anywhere on Earth. When the examination was over, the head midwife on Usagi's birthing team said, "It is confirmed, Your Grace." She then curtsied and left Usagi to be dressed by the other women and gather her thoughts so that she could have the honor of telling her husband on her own.
'I'm pregnant…I'm…We're going to have a baby,' Usagi thought as she allowed the nurses to dress her. She was numb with shock. It had happened. She had not disgraced the kingdom. A warm smile came to her face and she began to glow with that shimmering light that surrounded her whenever she was experiencing pure happiness now. 'I can't wait to tell Seiya-chan.'
(For those of you who have not seen PGSM : spoiler alert : Serenity-hime comes to Usagi who is in a darkened room alone after Serenity-hime destroyed the world. She uses her strength to revive Usagi. The Shitennu revived Mamoru too. I wanted a name that would show the renewal of Galaxia without making it sound toom much like something that you might see regarding Hotaru. I hope you enjoyed it!)
UPDATE : Due to an overwhelming writer's block on the story, "Have a Little Faith" will be on hiatus for a while. I hate putting these notes as chapters so I am opting to post it here and on my profile. I also refuse to post anything I am not satisfied with as you well know. As soon as I can find my center for the continuation I will. I love the story and hate the fact that every time I sit down to write it I end up staring at blank paper for hours. Right now my muse has turned toward Inuyasha and the story begs to be written as much as "Sometimes You Just Neeed to Believe" did. I even dream about the scenes I am planning on writing for it. That's how bad its demanding my attention. The prologue is already posted. You can find the link on my profile or search for "There Must Be More to Life Than This" It is under the M rating for language since in the Japanese version Inuyasha and Kouga swear quite a lot. I'm not into making characters swear for no reason, but I also like to keep them in character. IT is a story with several pairings, but the main one is Rin and Sesshoumeru...Sort of. See, its Rin's reincarnation and not the Rin who sees Sesshoumeru-sama as a father figure. She is a classmate of Kagome's who has supernatural powers. It is listed under the supernatural and romance catagories. The other pairings are as follows : Kagome and Inuyasha, Sango and Miroku, and a one-sided *sniffles* Kouga and Kagome. I love poor Kouga. It takes place near the end of the manga and after the manga so there are some major spoilers for anyone who has not finished the manga since it continues like 300 issues after the anime ends. They really should finish it! The good news is the issues are short so it would really be like a season or so...Maybe a season and a movie. Another reason it is rated M is I will be attempting my first lemon...I'm really nervous about it and hope it turns out well. Now the lemon is not the focus of the story so it is not there just to be there. It is there for a few reasons and I cannot see them not moving the story along. As soon as I can I will continue this story. I am very upset that I cannot seem to get anywhere with it. When I sit to write it I stare at the blank paper and if I do write something it is only a line or two. The good news is that I am making progress on the doujinchi. I have some of it storyboarded and have begun to draw the details in the first few frames. This does take time so I'm sorry.