Note: This chapter continues from Eternal City Crystal Tokyo chapter 68. It would help to read that story first.

Magical Atoner Lyrical Alicia

Summer

The group was meeting at a maid cafe, not far from the school. Why a maid cafe? Because they wanted to go someplace different from the usual, and it was very popular. Plus, it was considered 'secure' by the palace, considering it was staffed by dragons.

"You were there when they announced they were engaged?!" Catrine demanded excitedly. She visibly pouted, "I was on duty and couldn't go."

"That's got to suck," Subaru agreed. She sipped her tea, "Yeah, tho apparently they didn't tell anyone other than the Queen and the Senshi, so it surprised almost everyone else."

Alicia looked at her friend admiringly, "I'm still not up on the politics of all this. I understand there's some fall out?"

"Some, but Erica might be better to ask that," Subaru admitted.

Erica looked faintly annoyed at them interrupting her snuggling with Catrine, but she was more in the know than anyone else there. "Well, there's going to be some fall-out with the Khanite and the Jurai Empire," she admitted.

"I'm not sure if I get why," Alicia conceded.

"Both are old fashioned monarchies based on family lines, and were hoping for a marriage alliance with us," Erica elaborated.

"Marry USAGI?" Catrine blinked then burst into laughter.

"She's not that bad," Subaru offered, but was smiling wryly.

"Admittedly, I can't really see her entering a state marriage," Erica conceded.

"And there's her relationship with Hotaru." Catrine noted.

"Group marriage in Jurai," Subaru observed.

"I can't imagine some poor Jurai princess managing with those two as her wives," Erica agreed.

Alicia was just shaking her head, amused. "Do you think they'll persue an alliance by marrying someone else in the inner circle?" she wondered.

"Well, there IS the noble lady of the Khanite that likes Ran...," Erica mused.

"I met her, I think...," Alicia remembered.

Before anyone could add anything else to the conversation, the pretty strawberry blonde maid walked up to their table. "Is everything all right?" Tohru asked, dressed in a black maid's dress and a white blouse.

"The tea has been wonderful, thank you," Alicia said, once again wondering about the odd, coral like horns sprouting from the other woman's head.

"Not to rush you," Tohru looked apologetic as she said, "but we're sort of forced to limit visits to half an hour."

"Oh, right," Subaru noted the time and how crowded the cafe actually was.

Lucoa, a very busty green haired woman, was being drooled over by hordes of young men. Kanna, the silver haired teenager, was popular with both young men and women. And Elma, the slightly older office lady type, was beloved by the fans of the 'clumsy maid type.'

"I am NOT clumsy though," Elma complained.

She then tripped, putting the lie to that statement.

The school girls got organized and headed out, deciding to walk back to school.

"I have to admit, Ms Kobayashi's Maid Cafe lives up to the hype," Catrine conceded cheerfully.

"I liked it, though Ms Lucoa was... a bit over the top," Subaru noted, blushing.

Alicia made a face. Lucoa had mistaken the boyish Subaru for a young man and had kind of 'vamped' on her. Poor Subaru had blushed bright red, amusingly.

Erica smiled slightly at how annoyed Alicia had looked. If she could have smacked Lucoa, she rather thought Alicia would have. She wondered if her friend actually understood what that kind of jealousy could mean...

They arrived back at school before lunch break ended, then hurried to class.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Veronica Aston-Martin, newly appointed ambassador to Earth, was dressed in a woman's formal suit, Mid-style. Military style jacket, under blouse, black mid-length skirt and comfortable but stylish boots. She had chosen it both for looks and comfort in movement.

"The ceremony is in twenty minutes, ma'am," her watch design device noted.

"Thank you, Pallas," Veronica answered as she exited the transport and looked up at the palace. It was just days after the Queen's birthday, and her formal arrival at court was happening as the political events continued to unfold.

'I wonder how this would have played out at home?' Veronica wondered as she went through security. She smirked, 'At least Grandma Vivio was smart enough just to elope.'

"Ambassador," Miki Kaoru smiled as the blur haired young man greeted her near the enterance to the main hall.

"Ambassador-presumptive. The Queen can always refuse me," Veronica noted mildly.

Miki smiled wryly, "Well, other than annoying Lady Venus I don't think you've offended anyone else..."

Veronica kept a poker face as she answered, "I try, sir."

Miki looked amused. "You've been briefed on the ceremony, yes?" he asked.

"Yes. I get announced, approach the throne, the queen officially recognizes my ambassador-ship then I move aside for the next delegate," Veronica recalled.

"She may want to chat with you a bit," Miki noted, "we've got some flex in the timing, if that does happen."

"Ah," Veronica nodded.

"And here we go...," Miki noted as they reached the main doors.

A woman was standing by the doors, her hair a spiky blonde. Siobhan Quinn cleared her throat, "The honorable Veronica Aston-Martin, of Midchilde, Descendant of Vivio Takamachi, Presented with..."

Veronica listened with some bemusement as her full list of commendations, awards and medals were listed. She was faintly surprised to hear several that were supposed to be still classified. 'Lady Venus demonstrating how good her intelligence is?' she mused.

"Approach the throne!" Quinn prompted briskly.

Veronica strode forward, feeling the eyes of the men and women who mobbed the main hall resting on her. 'Kaiser, please don't let me trip,' she thought, thankfully reaching the thrones without incident.

Queen Serenity smiled warmly, her silver-white hair shimmering as it fell in twin tails. Beside her King Endymion gave a somewhat cooler smile, the dark purple-black haired man studying her thoughtfully.

"I would like to formally welcome you to Earth, Ambassador," Serenity smiled warmly, "congradulations on your appointment."

"Thank you, Queen Serenity. I'm honored to be here," Veronica bowed formally.

"And we look forward to closer ties with our dimensional neighbors," Endymion added.

"I'll do my best," Veronica nodded. They exchanged a few more pleasantries, then Veronica moved on to join the crowd of onlookers.

It had been oddly nerve wracking up there. Even with her military and police experience, dealing with thousand year old women that looked like they were in their twenties was a ODD experience. Plus the immense cosmic power.

"Incoming call," her device, Pallas noted.

Veronica slipped out of the hall, standing in the corridor as she ordered, "Accept call."

Veronica was more than a bit surprised to see Alicia Testarossa's image appear. "Congradulations on your appointment," the teen smiled shyly.

"Thank you," Veronica smiled back. "I haven't heard from you since we met a few months ago..." she noted mildly.

"Well, I have to admit I was a bit cranky when I realized that you attempted to bug my device," Alicia noted dryly.

"Ah," Veronica made a face. "I didn't expect you to catch that, actually."

Alicia gave her a look. "I'm not totally foolish," she said, "I upgraded Bardiche after acquiring him. It seemed reasonable."

Veronica nodded, conceding that. "I was asked to do that by a trusted associate," she explained, "the program, as I understood it, "would have kept certain unsavory individuals from contacting you."

"I think I am fully capable of deciding who I'll contact or not," Alicia said very frostilly.

"Understood," Veronica said quietly.

Alicia gave her a thoughtful look. "I am... intrigued by knowing I have lining relatives," she admitted, "but I don't like feeling I can't trust you."

"I...," Veronica started.

"I'll try to be a bit better staying in contact," Alicia finished then cut the call.

Veronica sighed at the dramatic tendencies of teenagers, but she did feel a pang of regret. Clearly, going along with Signum's request hadn't been the best idea...

To be continued...

Notes: Yes, more OC. Will probably have her be more of a background character after this. I still need to do the 'Asgard has Mid gear' plotline, and may tie her into other plots in both series.

YES that is Ms Kobayashi's Dragon Maid. I have a idea on how she's still alive in Crystal Tokyo too. Will cover that in a chapter here or over in Eternal City Crystal Tokyo.