Note: This chapter occurs at ROUGHLY the same time as Chapter 83 of Eternal City Crystal Tokyo. This is (mostly) a standalone chapter though.
Magical Atoner Lyrical Alicia
Chapter 31
"Lady Vivio!" Subaru Yagami blurted as she saw the woman near, as they stood in the crowd watching the wedding unfold.
Vivio Takamachi-Stratos looked amused, "Just Vivio, remember?"
"Sorry," Subaru said sheepishly.
"I'm surprised your not farther up front," Alicia Testarossa noted, standing protectively nearby the nervous Subaru.
Einhart looked amused, "Actually positioning in the ceremony is MOSTLY based on political considerations."
"Really?" Alicia blinked.
"Jurai is BIG, along with the Khanite and the powered beings on Earth," Vivio noted. "WE, as in Mid and the TSAB, are somewhere in the middle," she added.
"Sorry, sorry, coming through," Veronica Aston-Martin said breathlessly as she hurried up.
"Is everything all right?" Alicia asked the diplomat.
Dropping her voice she said, "We had got a report that Neo-Belka extremists might try something. I was waiting to hear if Signum and the Cloud Knights had stopped them."
All the ladies looked alarmed. "We could go help?" Subaru offered, frowning.
Veronica shook her head, "TSAB forces intercepted them, it's covered."
Despite that, she still looked nervous as they watched the ceremony.
"You two look nice," Vivio added to Alicia and Subaru, making both young woman look slightly embarassed.
"You too," Alicia agreed.
Vivio was wearing a variation of her 'Saint' armor, which looked almost like she'd stepped out of a fantasy novel. Breast plate, helm, swirly cape, and such. Einhart was also in her combat wear, designed for mobility rather than armor.
"Here they come!" Alicia whispered excitedly, her dress shimmering as the huge doors on one end of the chamber swung open.
Princess Usagi was (of course) in a pinkish wedding gown, while Hotaru was in a purple-black tuxedo. Both were stunning, as they exchanged their vows in front of the Goddess, Belldandy.
"Awww," Subaru sighed, dressed in a simple black tuxedo.
All around them were guests from across the galaxy, and from other universes. There were aliens from Jurai, the Khanite, human colonies from the League of Non Aligned Worlds, emessaries from the solor system colonies, and many others.
"Who is that huge skeleton? I'm getting chills just being neat him," Alicia muttered.
"Ainz Ool Gown," Vivio said disapprovingly, "he's a powerful mage from a distant reality. He's where Queen Serenity dumps the really evil entities."
"Seriously?" Subaru blinked.
"Well, if they can't be cured or rehabilitated," Einhart pointed out firmly.
"Ah," Alicia nodded, not really seeing a problem with that. Then again, she was from a thousand years in the past...
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"WHY COULDN'T I GO!" Nene Scaglietti complained, sitting in the Embassy offices as she watched a live stream of the event.
Not that Nene seriously expected to go to the wedding as a mere diplomatic assistant,. In fact the event was SO packed there had been questions if her boss, Veronica, would even get to go.
Olivia Fiat, visiting from Mid, sat in the chair opposite her desk, the fellow assistant looking amused. "It COULD be worse," she pointed out.
"Oh?" Nene asked.
"We could be out on the cruiser with the Cloud Knights intercepting the neo-Belka warriors," Olivia said wryly.
"Point," Nene admitted.
They had gotten a report from Colonel Signum that they had intercepted one group, and had a lead on a stolen vessel with the others. The combat footage was impressive as hell.
"Has Lady Shamal gotten scarier too?" Nene mused as the healer used force fields to slice weapons in half and maim enemies.
"I think she got tired of being a pure support member," Olivia agreed.
Vita still just relied on her giant hammer, Zafira rampaged around in giant wolf mode, and Signum used her flaming sword/lash to frightening effect.
In a matter of minutes, the enemy was down and the few still conscious surrendered.
"So they questioned them, and found out about the ship?" Nene clarified.
"Hmm. It's a commercial transport, they might be trying to sneak into the system," Olivia agreed. "Vita said they'll update us ASAP."
"Oooh, they kissed!" Nene blurted, watching the wedding on another screen.
"Hotaru Tomoe is SO handsome," Olivia sighed. "Too bad she's been hung up on Usagi II forever," she added.
"I heard she and Lady Minako dated a bit, in the war years," Nene offered.
"I have a hard time imagining that," Olivia admitted.
"Fair," Nene agreed. They then got a communication request, "Huh, it's the Cruiser 'Intrepid' that's assisting the Knights."
A attractive twenty something woman with long blue hair appeared, smiling wryly, "Commander Harloun, could I speak to Nene?"
"Cousin Gina!" Nene beamed.
Gina Harloun smiled wryly, "Nene, good to see you. This is work, though."
"Right," Nene smiled, "carry on."
"We've intercepted the stolen ship," Gina said, "they self-destructed instead of being allowed to be captured."
"Seriously?" Olivia blurted. "Are the Cloud Knights okay?" she added.
"They're fine," Gina reassured her, "And Shamal and Zafira shielded the assault team, too."
"Thank goodness," Nene sighed.
"So we don't know what they were planning, or even if they were going for the Wedding," Olivia concluded.
"Correct," Gina nodded, "we'll get a forensics team on site, hopefully recover computers or intact devices. Hopefully, we can learn something."
"I'll pass that on to Ambassador Aston-Martin," Nene said, "thanks."
"We're also stopping in to Earth," Gina added warmly, "and I'm looking forward to catching up with you."
Once Gina signed off, Olivia asked Nene, "You had the oddest look when she said she was coming here."
"Well, it's family rumour mill news," Nene cautioned, "but I remember hearing she has a history with Veronica Aston-Martin ..."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"THAT'S OUR DAUGHTER!" Yuchiro Yagami cried once she showed up on screen.
"She and Alicia look so splendid together," Rachel Yagami agreed.
The two would save the footage and show it to all their family and friends. Subaru, of course, was hugely embarrassed.
Meanwhile, the party after the ceremony was a LOT smaller and more intimate.
"Congratulations," Subaru squeaked nervously to the happy couple.
"Thank you," Usagi chuckled, holding on to Hotaru's arm and beaming.
A somewhat less nervous Alicia (Having not been raised there nor in awe of them as Royals or Sailor Soldiers) asked, "Where are you honeymooning?"
"A somewhat remote alternate universe," Hotaru said. She grinned, "We actually heard about it because of you."
"Eh?" Alicia blinked.
"New Londonium," Usagi smiled, "where you were Knighted. It's far enough off the beaten track where we can honeymoon in peace."
"Ah!" Subaru nodded. "I assume in disguise."
"Exactly," Usagi beamed, "we'll be a nice, normal couple enjoying our honeymoon there."
Alicia smiled and nodded, even as she hoped nothing would go wrong. Because if it DID, she was almost certain they'd ask her to help out.
Hotaru noted the pained expression, "Don't worry! I'm sure nothing will go wrong."
"Right, of course," Subaru said forcefully as she poked Alicia in the side.
"Enjoy your honeymoon," Alicia added.
...
Two days later, they in fact found out something had gone wrong.
To be continued...