Mercurial > moonlitnights

annotate stories/cunpnk2.txt @ 0:ed1308d04df2 moonlitnights

Find changesets by keywords (author, files, the commit message), revision number or hash, or revset expression.
[svn r1] initial import
author rlm
date Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:24:59 -0500
parents
children
rev   line source
rlm@0 1 Author's notes: ^_^
rlm@0 2
rlm@0 3 Most of the important stuff can be found in part one, so I won't
rlm@0 4 bore you with it here again. This is where the fanfic starts to earn
rlm@0 5 it's R rating, just as a reminder. This is also where you'll start to
rlm@0 6 understand why a certain plot point may or may not be a part of the
rlm@0 7 actual manga. :)
rlm@0 8
rlm@0 9 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rlm@0 10 Chibiusa no PYUA na kokoro
rlm@0 11 (Chibiusa's Pure Heart)
rlm@0 12 Part 2
rlm@0 13 By Andrea Doolan <ajhd@king.igs.net>
rlm@0 14 "Sailormoon no ichiban daifan"
rlm@0 15 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
rlm@0 16
rlm@0 17 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 18
rlm@0 19 A scream rang out in the halls of Crystal Palace. This was in
rlm@0 20 stark contrast to the blue skies and singing birds outside the building.
rlm@0 21 For a few seconds there seemed to be silence all around, and the sun
rlm@0 22 seemed to shine just a little bit brighter. Then the cheers could be
rlm@0 23 heard all around the planet, or the solar system for that matter. The
rlm@0 24 date was June 30. 2001.
rlm@0 25
rlm@0 26 A child was born.
rlm@0 27
rlm@0 28 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 29
rlm@0 30 A solemn dark figure stood at the door where the celebrations
rlm@0 31 were taking place. The girl's features betrayed her overall appearance,
rlm@0 32 though, as she had a rather large smile on her face. A single tear
rlm@0 33 trickled down her cheek in both sorrow and happiness.
rlm@0 34
rlm@0 35 "Sayounara, Chibiusa-chan."
rlm@0 36
rlm@0 37 A gloved hand reached out and touched her on the shoulder. It
rlm@0 38 belonged to a blond haired women. Beside her stood a women in a green
rlm@0 39 fuku.
rlm@0 40
rlm@0 41 "It's time."
rlm@0 42
rlm@0 43 Without another word, Saturn stepped back from the door and
rlm@0 44 followed her parents down the corridor. They had already said their
rlm@0 45 goodbyes to the other Senshi, but had stayed behind just long enough to
rlm@0 46 see the miracle occur.
rlm@0 47
rlm@0 48 Saturn didn't think it fair that she, Uranus, and Neptune had to
rlm@0 49 leave Crystal Tokyo and Earth, but she knew exactly the reason why.
rlm@0 50 During the time Small Lady was growing up, all 901 years worth, she
rlm@0 51 hadn't seen a single one of them. Only when she travelled to the past
rlm@0 52 for the second time did she meet these Senshi. Pluto had explained the
rlm@0 53 timeline to Saturn very well, so she understood perfectly, but it still
rlm@0 54 almost felt as if she was losing a piece of her heart.
rlm@0 55
rlm@0 56 Uranus had also explained it to her in terms of duty. They were
rlm@0 57 the Senshi of the outer planets, and their mission was to protect
rlm@0 58 Crystal Tokyo and Earth from threats outside the solar system.
rlm@0 59
rlm@0 60 Still, leaving the only home you had ever known and your newly
rlm@0 61 born best friend was a little too much for a seventeen-year-old to
rlm@0 62 handle. The tears starting streaming down her face without her control.
rlm@0 63
rlm@0 64 Neptune looked back at the Senshi that quite possibly held the
rlm@0 65 most power of any of them, besides the Queen herself. She sighed
rlm@0 66 inwardly, and held her only daughter in an embrace. For a moment she
rlm@0 67 thought about using a name they had abandoned a few years before, but
rlm@0 68 thought better of it. She spoke in a slightly forceful voice, but not
rlm@0 69 one without compassion. "Saturn."
rlm@0 70
rlm@0 71 The black haired Senshi looked at Neptune with her purple eyes
rlm@0 72 full of sorrow. She blinked, and almost magically they appeared full of
rlm@0 73 duty and honour. "Hai, I know." She broke off the embrace reluctantly,
rlm@0 74 and continued with her parents down the long corridor.
rlm@0 75
rlm@0 76 At the end was a fairly large chamber decorated as if it held a
rlm@0 77 special purpose. Pluto was waiting for them there, Garnet Rod in
rlm@0 78 hand. The three just looked at her and nodded knowingly. The goddess
rlm@0 79 of time nodded back, but took special care to smile at the purple clad
rlm@0 80 Senshi. Without a word, Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn vanished from Earth
rlm@0 81 for the better part of the millennium.
rlm@0 82
rlm@0 83 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 84
rlm@0 85 It wasn't as if Titan was a lonely place. Far from it. She got
rlm@0 86 frequent visits from Uranus and Neptune, and she visited them frequently
rlm@0 87 as well. If it wasn't a visit in person, they were always talking over
rlm@0 88 the monitors at least once a day. And about once a month, one or two
rlm@0 89 Senshi from Earth would come visit them (without the princess'
rlm@0 90 knowledge, of course) to see how they were doing. Sometimes the Queen
rlm@0 91 herself would come. One could tell Serenity felt more than a little
rlm@0 92 guilty for sending them out there, but Titan's Senshi stood proud and
rlm@0 93 was always pleasant. This made the Queen feel better, after all, which
rlm@0 94 was important.
rlm@0 95
rlm@0 96 It certainly didn't seem lonely, anyway. But for Saturn she
rlm@0 97 always had the thought of a certain pink haired girl in the back of her
rlm@0 98 mind. Her duty came first, but the memory of her dear friend could
rlm@0 99 still sometimes bring tears to her eyes. Even after all these years.
rlm@0 100 Though when this happened she always reminded herself of a pact they had
rlm@0 101 made when she was only twelve years old. She laughed sometimes when she
rlm@0 102 thought about it. It was a little childish, but somehow the knowledge
rlm@0 103 of it filled her heart with strength, and let her carry on.
rlm@0 104
rlm@0 105 Saturn walked over to the largest monitor in Titan's observation
rlm@0 106 room. She touched a control pad, and an image of the planet Saturn
rlm@0 107 appeared before her. Kirei, she thought. The swirling pieces of cosmic
rlm@0 108 dust and ice converging in a ring-like structure around the planet was
rlm@0 109 truly a sight to see. Sometimes she could just watch this for hours on
rlm@0 110 end, letting her mind flow into the planet's energies. Sometimes she
rlm@0 111 tried to replicate the effect using a technique similar to when she
rlm@0 112 would simulate the big bang as a child. It always had a calming effect
rlm@0 113 on her.
rlm@0 114
rlm@0 115 "I wonder what she's doing now..." she said aloud
rlm@0 116 absentmindedly. She shook her head and tried to get the thought out of
rlm@0 117 her mind. Thinking about it always made her depressed. How many more
rlm@0 118 years would it be? she thought. A few hundred more, she reminded
rlm@0 119 herself. She sighed. Being depressed was getting her no where. She
rlm@0 120 still had lots of great friends whom she saw often, and loving parents.
rlm@0 121 Plus she was a Senshi. A Senshi of death, she joked to herself, but a
rlm@0 122 Senshi of rebirth as well. Really, she was quite content right now.
rlm@0 123 And one day she would get to return to that blue-green sphere. To that
rlm@0 124 cheerful girl who brought so much joy into her life.
rlm@0 125
rlm@0 126 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 127
rlm@0 128 A faint pink beam of light shone briefly on a hill overlooking
rlm@0 129 Crystal Tokyo, and then flickered out as silently as it had come.
rlm@0 130 Standing there in its place was a girl in a blue and white sei-fuku
rlm@0 131 [school uniform]. The bright sun flickered off the royal buildings,
rlm@0 132 just as it always had. The girl smiled briefly in appreciation. She
rlm@0 133 then looked forward, and her smile grew even wider. She saw her
rlm@0 134 parents, of course, and Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus. Pluto was
rlm@0 135 standing beside them as well. As good as it was to see those people,
rlm@0 136 something else caught her eye right away.
rlm@0 137
rlm@0 138 "Masaka... Hotaru-chan! Hotaru-chaaaan!!" For a moment she
rlm@0 139 just stood there in disbelief, but then started running as fast as she
rlm@0 140 could. She ran into the slightly taller Senshi and hugged her closely.
rlm@0 141 Then she drew back and looked into her eyes. They seemed to be smiling
rlm@0 142 at her. "Hota-" she cut herself off, blushing slightly. "Gomen,
rlm@0 143 Sailorsaturn. Doushite?"
rlm@0 144
rlm@0 145 The other just kept looking at her, happiness filling every pore
rlm@0 146 in her body. She choked back some tears. "Okaerinasai."
rlm@0 147
rlm@0 148 By this time everyone had evidence of strong emotions on their
rlm@0 149 features. Chibiusa glanced beside Saturn at another welcome sight.
rlm@0 150 "Uranus! Neptune!" She could barely hold back her shock.
rlm@0 151
rlm@0 152 "Yo, Chibi-chan," said the blond playfully.
rlm@0 153
rlm@0 154 "It's been too long," said the Senshi of the sea.
rlm@0 155
rlm@0 156 Chibiusa felt like she was in a dream state. Was she really
rlm@0 157 home? Had the future been changed somehow? She looked over at Pluto
rlm@0 158 who just had a smile on her face. This was all very confusing for her.
rlm@0 159 Finally she let go of Saturn, and walked over to her parents. She bowed
rlm@0 160 respectfully. "Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity and Diana reporting
rlm@0 161 home from the 20th century. If it pleases the court, we would like to
rlm@0 162 return and live again in the 30th century."
rlm@0 163
rlm@0 164 Neo Queen Serenity just smiled. How proud she was of her
rlm@0 165 daughter. She had certainly come a long way over the last few years,
rlm@0 166 and was on her way to becoming a wonderful Lady and future Queen. "It
rlm@0 167 does please the court. Welcome home."
rlm@0 168
rlm@0 169 Chibiusa flung herself into her mother's arms and was then
rlm@0 170 greeted by everyone in turn. She wanted answers, of course, but right
rlm@0 171 now it was just good to be home.
rlm@0 172
rlm@0 173 ~*~*~*~*~ (from now on, I won't refer to her as Chibiusa)
rlm@0 174
rlm@0 175 "So, all those years... You were alone?" Small Lady was still
rlm@0 176 in shock and was trying to sort out some confusing feelings. She just
rlm@0 177 couldn't believe that all this time Uranus, Neptune, and Saturn had
rlm@0 178 been alive. She wasn't sure what had happened to them, but she knew she
rlm@0 179 had never seen them. She thought they must have died somehow, but
rlm@0 180 nobody would tell her. Now she understood why.
rlm@0 181
rlm@0 182 Saturn laughed a little bit. "No, I was far from alone. Uranus
rlm@0 183 and Neptune were there and the rest of the Senshi came to visit.
rlm@0 184 Besides, orbiting Saturn in Titan Castle was a wonderful experience. I
rlm@0 185 had forgotten what it was like to be so near my namesake. At first it
rlm@0 186 was overpowering. From my previous life, before I was reincarnated for
rlm@0 187 the first time, back in the Silver Millennium, I had very faint memories
rlm@0 188 of it. And even then I hadn't awakened, so I was in a dream-like state.
rlm@0 189 It took a little getting used to being away from Earth and everyone
rlm@0 190 here, but it was fine in the end. Now it's a very dear place in my
rlm@0 191 heart."
rlm@0 192
rlm@0 193 Small Lady's eyes looked as if they were going to shed tears,
rlm@0 194 but they were held back as best as they could. Right now it was just
rlm@0 195 her and Saturn on a grassy hill overlooking the ocean. There had been a
rlm@0 196 very big celebration when Small Lady returned, and everything was
rlm@0 197 explained to her. It was still that same night, but it was very late.
rlm@0 198 Her and Saturn had decided to take a walk and talk a bit. "But you did
rlm@0 199 all this just for me, and to protect Earth? I would have been so
rlm@0 200 scared."
rlm@0 201
rlm@0 202 "You're exactly the same as I remember you, Small Lady. Which
rlm@0 203 isn't surprising, as you just saw me less than twenty four hours ago."
rlm@0 204 Saturn tried to comfort her as best as she could. "Yes, we did it for
rlm@0 205 you and to protect the kingdom. *Any* Senshi would have done the same
rlm@0 206 thing. I'm not going to pretend that I didn't miss Earth...that I
rlm@0 207 didn't miss you, because I did." It was Saturn's turn to hold back her
rlm@0 208 tears. "But everyone's love filled me, and made me strong. There's
rlm@0 209 something else, too. I remembered the pact we made...to always be
rlm@0 210 friends. It kept me going. Whenever I remembered I would see you
rlm@0 211 again, it made me happy."
rlm@0 212
rlm@0 213 Both women lost control and tears started coming down their
rlm@0 214 cheeks. They hugged each other tightly; a hug that told of the 909
rlm@0 215 years they had spent apart.
rlm@0 216
rlm@0 217 "I can't believe you remembered," said Small Lady between sobs.
rlm@0 218
rlm@0 219 "Of course I did, baka," she joked back.
rlm@0 220
rlm@0 221 "So, even after all this time, we're still best friends?"
rlm@0 222
rlm@0 223 "Mochiron! Zutto zutto! Eien ni."
rlm@0 224
rlm@0 225 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 226
rlm@0 227 The years passed in Crystal Tokyo as they always did. The
rlm@0 228 unpleasantness brought about by Sailorgalaxia in the 20th century was
rlm@0 229 far behind them. Crystal Tokyo thrived again as the seat of power for
rlm@0 230 the solar system. Neo Queen Serenity brought back the greatness that
rlm@0 231 was once the Silver Millennium. The Earth, now free from evil, was
rlm@0 232 united and stood like a glistening Christmas ball in the blackness of
rlm@0 233 space. The other planets were now thriving, too. The great cities that
rlm@0 234 were held inside the planets' castles started to revive and were
rlm@0 235 prosperous once again. A princess was coming into her full glory and
rlm@0 236 beauty, and now had the appearance of an eighteen-year-old. She was
rlm@0 237 actually 910.
rlm@0 238
rlm@0 239 And two friends were enjoying life together.
rlm@0 240
rlm@0 241 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 242
rlm@0 243 "Small Lady, hayaku!"
rlm@0 244
rlm@0 245 "Hai! Ikimashou ne!"
rlm@0 246
rlm@0 247 For the moment, these two girls weren't an heir to the royal
rlm@0 248 throne and a Senshi who could destroy the universe with one swipe of her
rlm@0 249 Glaive. They were two friends going on a little trip together.
rlm@0 250
rlm@0 251 "You sure you know how to drive this thing?"
rlm@0 252
rlm@0 253 "Well, Uranus taught me, so I shouldn't be too bad."
rlm@0 254
rlm@0 255 The transport started off with a jolt. It left a slightly
rlm@0 256 startled expression on the younger girl's face, but it was quickly
rlm@0 257 replaced by a smile. They were taking a long needed vacation. The two
rlm@0 258 had hardly seen each other for the past couple of months with the many
rlm@0 259 diplomatic missions both had to go on. Now was their time to relax. As
rlm@0 260 evidence, both were wearing casual clothing. Sometimes it felt good to
rlm@0 261 get out of the sailor fuku and princess gowns they were always wearing.
rlm@0 262
rlm@0 263 Though even in her lose fitting pants and pullover top Princess
rlm@0 264 Serenity looked regal and glowing. She had really turned into quite the
rlm@0 265 lady. The tresses that flowed from her two odango had grown down to her
rlm@0 266 knees, and were now missing the "poofy" look they once had. Indeed,
rlm@0 267 from the shoulders up she looked like a certain Black Lady the 20th
rlm@0 268 century Senshi had fought all those years ago. Not that the princess
rlm@0 269 remembered any of that. She had also grown quite a bit over the past
rlm@0 270 couple of years. She now stood at 155 centimetres, just a hair less
rlm@0 271 than Saturn. Her body was, of course, proportionately built, just like
rlm@0 272 her mother's.
rlm@0 273
rlm@0 274 For Saturn's part, she hadn't aged in the past 905 years. Well,
rlm@0 275 not on the outside at least. She still had her purple-black hair cut
rlm@0 276 just above her shoulders, but her deep purple eyes told the whole story,
rlm@0 277 and let people know her true age. She had stopped her growth spurt at
rlm@0 278 the age of 22, growing into a lovely woman. I guess that's something we
rlm@0 279 have in common, thought Saturn. We both grew up in a rather odd way.
rlm@0 280 Today she was wearing a pair of khaki shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt.
rlm@0 281 Very normal, indeed.
rlm@0 282
rlm@0 283 It was Sunday, and the pair made their way to the Northeast of
rlm@0 284 Crystal Tokyo, about 120 kilometres from the centre of the city. The
rlm@0 285 transport they were in was a sleek new model, and was designed for
rlm@0 286 speeds of 200 km/h for normal travel. It could go much faster, if need
rlm@0 287 be. It also had a very good shock system, which made the trip through
rlm@0 288 the air especially smooth.
rlm@0 289
rlm@0 290 "What's our ETA?" asked Small Lady.
rlm@0 291
rlm@0 292 "A little over half an hour," replied her friend.
rlm@0 293
rlm@0 294 "I can hardly wait! I haven't been to your beach house in so
rlm@0 295 long!"
rlm@0 296
rlm@0 297 The older girl laughed. The mini palace the Outer Senshi
rlm@0 298 shared was situated on the shores on the Pacific Ocean. The appearance
rlm@0 299 of the outside of the building had all the earmarks of the modern
rlm@0 300 buildings in Crystal Tokyo. It's fundamental element was crystal, with
rlm@0 301 some stone and glass thrown in just the right places for good measure.
rlm@0 302 It's sleek angles shimmered in the sun as it made it's arc across the
rlm@0 303 sky. The inside, however, was remarkably different. It's most
rlm@0 304 prominent architectural style was from the Victorian times in England.
rlm@0 305 Though one could also make out some 20th century designs and some modern
rlm@0 306 ones as well. They all blended together to form an elegant structure
rlm@0 307 that most designers cited as a wonderful example of architecture from
rlm@0 308 any time. Even though this was a mini palace, with the building and
rlm@0 309 grounds covering about 50 hectares of land, the Senshi still refered to
rlm@0 310 it as the "beach house." For the obvious reason that it was on the
rlm@0 311 beach.
rlm@0 312
rlm@0 313 "Ne, will Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto be there, too?" asked the
rlm@0 314 younger girl farther into their trip.
rlm@0 315
rlm@0 316 "Ee. Uranus and Neptune will be there for sure, and I think
rlm@0 317 Pluto's going to try and stop by, too."
rlm@0 318
rlm@0 319 "Good, I've hardly seen any of them lately." Small Lady sighed.
rlm@0 320 "It seems like our lives are just getting more and more hectic."
rlm@0 321
rlm@0 322 The other girl smiled. "That's why we're taking this vacation.
rlm@0 323 Sometimes it's good just to sit back and watch the world go by. Kami
rlm@0 324 knows the Senshi deserve it."
rlm@0 325
rlm@0 326 "Yeah, even though it's just for a week, it's better than
rlm@0 327 nothing."
rlm@0 328
rlm@0 329 The computer in the transport beeped slightly and then said,
rlm@0 330 "Incoming message for Princess Serenity. Sailorvesta from Crystal
rlm@0 331 Palace is on com channel 5."
rlm@0 332
rlm@0 333 With a little laugh Small Lady pressed the button that would
rlm@0 334 receive the call and put Vesta on the view screen. "Hai, moshi moshi.
rlm@0 335 Small Lady desu."
rlm@0 336
rlm@0 337 "Konnichiwa, Small Lady," said the red haired girl in a sailor
rlm@0 338 fuku. "I know you just left, but we just got a request from the colony
rlm@0 339 of Africa for you to visit there late next month."
rlm@0 340
rlm@0 341 Small Lady looked slightly annoyed. "This couldn't have waited
rlm@0 342 until I got back?"
rlm@0 343
rlm@0 344 "Gomen, they asked for a reply right away. Besides, the Prime
rlm@0 345 Minister there is a friend of mine, and I owed him a favour..."
rlm@0 346
rlm@0 347 "Okay, okay. I see where this one is going." Vesta looked
rlm@0 348 slightly embarrassed. "Of course I'll go. Hmm, I really like Africa in
rlm@0 349 the fall. But, Vesta, no more calls, please. Not unless it's really
rlm@0 350 important."
rlm@0 351
rlm@0 352 "Hai, wakateru. Enjoy your trip!" With that the communication
rlm@0 353 ended and the screen went black.
rlm@0 354
rlm@0 355 "Honestly, I still think the Quartet needs more training." said
rlm@0 356 Small Lady.
rlm@0 357
rlm@0 358 "Maybe you could send them back to the past," kidded Saturn.
rlm@0 359 Both girls started to laugh at the idea.
rlm@0 360
rlm@0 361 "Ah! Mite!" said the princess excitedly. The transport slowed,
rlm@0 362 and came to a stop in a garage of sorts beside the beach house. "Sugoi!
rlm@0 363 It's just like I remember it." Both girls got their luggage from the
rlm@0 364 transport and walked to the front doors of the "house."
rlm@0 365
rlm@0 366 "Tadaima!" said Saturn as she walked into the front hall.
rlm@0 367
rlm@0 368 "Okaeri." came a voice from one of the rooms off the main hall.
rlm@0 369
rlm@0 370 "Ohayou," came the greeting from Small Lady.
rlm@0 371
rlm@0 372 A head popped out from one of the doorways. "Ara, Small Lady.
rlm@0 373 Ohayou. Saturn told us you'd be coming." Neptune looked elegant as
rlm@0 374 always in a flower print sundress.
rlm@0 375
rlm@0 376 "I'm going to take her upstairs," said Saturn with a smile.
rlm@0 377 "We'll be back down for lunch." The two girls took the staircase up to
rlm@0 378 Saturn's bedroom and got their luggage settled. Really, there were many
rlm@0 379 free rooms that Small Lady could have used, but both wanted to spend
rlm@0 380 their vacation together. The bed was more than large enough to fit two
rlm@0 381 people, and they liked to tell stories and play games before they fell
rlm@0 382 asleep. Someone might have mistaken them for actual teenagers, if they
rlm@0 383 didn't know better.
rlm@0 384
rlm@0 385 "It's such a pretty room," said Small Lady. "You've still got
rlm@0 386 all your lamps." The room was done in purple colourings. The walls
rlm@0 387 were a very light purple, while her curtains and bedspread were much
rlm@0 388 darker. Most of the furniture in the room including her desk and
rlm@0 389 dressers were white. It made for a very interesting effect with the
rlm@0 390 lamps turned on at night.
rlm@0 391
rlm@0 392 "Yeah, every now and then I'll even pick up a new one, if I like
rlm@0 393 it." She smiled at the younger girl.
rlm@0 394
rlm@0 395 Small Lady walked towards her and held her hand. Let's make
rlm@0 396 this a vacation to remember. With so much going on, we have to make our
rlm@0 397 time together count!"
rlm@0 398
rlm@0 399 The other girl agreed. They had to make the most of their
rlm@0 400 friendship when they had the chance. This was going to be one of the
rlm@0 401 best weeks of their lives!
rlm@0 402
rlm@0 403 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 404
rlm@0 405 The sun shone brightly on a Wednesday afternoon in August. It
rlm@0 406 was about 35 degrees C, which made the warm Pacific waters even more
rlm@0 407 inviting. The calmness of the waves washing ashore and the gentle sea
rlm@0 408 breeze was only interrupted by the happy cries of two friends having a
rlm@0 409 good time.
rlm@0 410
rlm@0 411 "I'm going to get there first!" cried the pink haired girl.
rlm@0 412
rlm@0 413 "Oh no you're not! I'm a better runner than you, and you know
rlm@0 414 it!" exclaimed her black haired companion.
rlm@0 415
rlm@0 416 There was a temporary splash as both girls reached the water at
rlm@0 417 the same time, and then began laughing. Their adventurous attitude was
rlm@0 418 accompanied by a brief, if not large, water fight. Afterwards, the two
rlm@0 419 just stood in the water happily, but out of breath.
rlm@0 420
rlm@0 421 "I would have beat you if I still had Neptune's mirror," said
rlm@0 422 the princess slyly.
rlm@0 423
rlm@0 424 "Ha! She's my mama, she would do anything to protect me,"
rlm@0 425 replied the other with a defiant expression on her face. The charade
rlm@0 426 didn't last long, though. Both girls immediately broke out laughing
rlm@0 427 again. They started to swim normally in the water, both under and on
rlm@0 428 top. It really had a calming effect, and was a place anyone would feel
rlm@0 429 at peace. No wonder Neptune loves it so much, they both thought.
rlm@0 430
rlm@0 431 An hour or so later they both reluctantly started to emerge from
rlm@0 432 the water. Both were pretty tired, but it was a great swim, and it
rlm@0 433 relaxed a lot of the built-up tension in their muscles due to Senshi
rlm@0 434 duties.
rlm@0 435
rlm@0 436 Saturn was a few steps behind Small Lady, and was almost out of
rlm@0 437 the water. Unfortunately, she tripped on a rock she didn't see,
rlm@0 438 crashing into Small Lady, and sending them both to the sandy ground.
rlm@0 439 The scene was a pretty big mass of tangled limbs. Saturn ended up
rlm@0 440 straddling Small Lady's torso, with her arms on either side of her head.
rlm@0 441 She managed to stop herself a few centimetres before she flattened the
rlm@0 442 girl.
rlm@0 443
rlm@0 444 There was silence as both girls just looked into each others
rlm@0 445 eyes. Their breathing was hard, and they could feel each others hot
rlm@0 446 breath on their cheeks. Several moments passed where no one moved at
rlm@0 447 all. The calming sound of waves on the shore could be heard again.
rlm@0 448 Then, ever so slightly, they both moved at the same time. Their lips
rlm@0 449 met in a kiss that was timid at first, but grew into something more
rlm@0 450 passionate quickly.
rlm@0 451
rlm@0 452 As if something snapped in both their brains, the kiss came to a
rlm@0 453 crashing halt. Saturn retreated off of the princess with a terrified
rlm@0 454 expression on her face. Small Lady's features almost matched hers, with
rlm@0 455 her eyes displaying great shock.
rlm@0 456
rlm@0 457 Small Lady was the first to speak. "Sa..turn..." But as soon
rlm@0 458 as she started, Saturn was already up, and running towards the house,
rlm@0 459 tears streaming down her face. "SATURN!!!" yelled the princess after
rlm@0 460 her, but she didn't look back. "Saturn..." said the princess again as
rlm@0 461 she started to cry. She tried make any sense she could out of the
rlm@0 462 situation.
rlm@0 463
rlm@0 464 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 465
rlm@0 466 Saturn reached her bedroom and shut the door with a slam. Thank
rlm@0 467 kami Uranus and Neptune weren't home, she thought. She flung herself on
rlm@0 468 the bed and started to sob. A million confusing emotions were running
rlm@0 469 through her head. Not the least of which was the total rush she felt
rlm@0 470 when Small Lady's lips touched her own. Kami, kami, that had been so
rlm@0 471 stupid, she scolded herself. She tried to remember why she had done it,
rlm@0 472 but she couldn't. It was like a big blur in her mind. The tears kept
rlm@0 473 streaming down her face. Had she really sacrificed all those years of
rlm@0 474 friendship, all those years of waiting? Small Lady was her first friend
rlm@0 475 and her best friend. She was someone who would be friends with her when
rlm@0 476 no one else would. No one was forcing the princess, she *wanted* to be
rlm@0 477 friends with her. That had been a first for Saturn, all those years
rlm@0 478 ago. Now Saturn thought she had thrown it all away, that her best
rlm@0 479 friend in the world hated her and no longer wanted to be her friend.
rlm@0 480
rlm@0 481 "Damn these lamps!" she screamed. "Damn these lonely lamps!"
rlm@0 482
rlm@0 483 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 484
rlm@0 485 Small Lady was really no better off. She was still down at the
rlm@0 486 beach. She just couldn't find the energy to stand up. She kept going
rlm@0 487 over and over the events that had happened. She still didn't understand
rlm@0 488 any of it. Besides the kiss itself, she was mostly terrified of
rlm@0 489 Saturn's reaction. She just ran away, she thought. And that look she
rlm@0 490 gave me... Is she really disgusted with me? It was all so confusing.
rlm@0 491 The worst part was she didn't know if they were still friends. The
rlm@0 492 thought of not being friends with Saturn chilled her to the bone. She
rlm@0 493 didn't know if she could live without her. But what had the kiss meant?
rlm@0 494 Was is just a kiss? Or was it something more...? Small Lady tried to
rlm@0 495 think about it, but it was like her brain turned to mush. She just
rlm@0 496 wasn't sure of anything anymore.
rlm@0 497
rlm@0 498 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 499
rlm@0 500 A sporty looking transport pulled into the garage of the beach
rlm@0 501 house. It's three occupants got out, and started taking in groceries.
rlm@0 502
rlm@0 503 "With all this technology, you'd think they be able to sell ripe
rlm@0 504 tomatoes, wouldn't you?" complained Neptune.
rlm@0 505
rlm@0 506 Uranus just laughed. "Maybe something else in here needs a
rlm@0 507 little ripening, ne?"
rlm@0 508
rlm@0 509 Neptune threw a sultry glance her way. "Maybe you're right.
rlm@0 510 You can never tell until you feel the softness..."
rlm@0 511
rlm@0 512 Pluto, being used to similar exchanges for centuries, virtually
rlm@0 513 ignored them, and started to put away the groceries. Young love, she
rlm@0 514 thought absentmindedly. Suddenly she realised Saturn and Small Lady
rlm@0 515 weren't there to greet them. "Saturn to Small Lady wa?" she asked the
rlm@0 516 couple who were now in an embrace.
rlm@0 517
rlm@0 518 "E?" asked a puzzled Neptune. "Maybe they're still down by the
rlm@0 519 beach. Saturn mentioned something about going for a swim today. Maybe
rlm@0 520 you better call them, dinner will be ready in half an hour."
rlm@0 521
rlm@0 522 Pluto nodded, and walked out the patio doors onto the deck. She
rlm@0 523 couldn't see anyone on the beach, so she decided to look through the
rlm@0 524 house instead. She heard some soft humming coming from one of the rooms
rlm@0 525 down the hall, so she went to check it out. There, sitting in a
rlm@0 526 darkened room, she found Small Lady listening to some music with a head
rlm@0 527 set.
rlm@0 528
rlm@0 529 "Oh, hello, Puu," she said calmly. "I didn't hear you guys get
rlm@0 530 back."
rlm@0 531
rlm@0 532 "Small Lady," asked Pluto cautiously, "is there something
rlm@0 533 wrong?"
rlm@0 534
rlm@0 535 "Hmm? Oh no. Nandemonai." She just smiled.
rlm@0 536
rlm@0 537 The older Senshi looked at her strangely, then decided just to
rlm@0 538 tell her when dinner would be ready. The princess said she'd be there
rlm@0 539 on time.
rlm@0 540
rlm@0 541 The Senshi of time had a similar experience when she found
rlm@0 542 Saturn in her room. She just sat there calmly on her bed reading a
rlm@0 543 book, acting as if nothing was wrong.
rlm@0 544
rlm@0 545 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 546
rlm@0 547 Dinner was an interesting experience to say the least. Both
rlm@0 548 Small Lady and Saturn got there at the same time, but didn't seem to
rlm@0 549 look at each other. Their faces showed signs of considerable stress,
rlm@0 550 and they bowed their heads while they ate. The other three Senshi tried
rlm@0 551 to strike up conversations with them the whole time, but the most either
rlm@0 552 would give were one word replies. The three, knowing something was
rlm@0 553 wrong, could just look at each other and shrug. If this kept up, they
rlm@0 554 would have to do something, but right now it was best left alone.
rlm@0 555
rlm@0 556 Small Lady stared down into her rice bowl and tried to imagine
rlm@0 557 it as a snowy mountain in the winter, and skiing down it with the wind
rlm@0 558 blowing through her hair. It would be better than being here, she
rlm@0 559 thought. God, anywhere would be better than here right now. She...she
rlm@0 560 won't even look at me. She must hate me. The sight of chopsticks in
rlm@0 561 the bowl brought her back to reality again. She just sighed. Baka,
rlm@0 562 baka, baka. I'm such a baka.
rlm@0 563
rlm@0 564 Atashi no baka, thought Saturn. How could I just throw away
rlm@0 565 years of friendship for a kiss? It's funny how something as simple as a
rlm@0 566 kiss can change one's life so drastically. The memory kept tearing away
rlm@0 567 at Saturn's heart. The thought of losing Small Lady... She just
rlm@0 568 couldn't handle it.
rlm@0 569
rlm@0 570 The dishes were beginning to get washed up. "Don't forget your
rlm@0 571 baths tonight, you two." Sometimes Neptune forgot just how old they all
rlm@0 572 were. Saturn just nodded and headed up the stairs. Small Lady's heart
rlm@0 573 ached as she watched the other leave. She waited until she was out of
rlm@0 574 sight before she went up, too.
rlm@0 575
rlm@0 576 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 577
rlm@0 578 Saturn warmed the bath water, and settled in for a nice relaxing
rlm@0 579 soak. She hoped some of the worries of the day would somehow just wash
rlm@0 580 away. She was wrong. Somehow her mind wouldn't let her think of
rlm@0 581 anything else.
rlm@0 582
rlm@0 583 Small Lady stood in the toilet room just outside the shower/bath
rlm@0 584 room. She was ready for a bath, and was just wearing a robe. She
rlm@0 585 sighed. Part of her wanted to run in and make up with Saturn right
rlm@0 586 there. The other half wanted to run as far away as possible. She went
rlm@0 587 over her options. If this was all a big misunderstanding, she could go
rlm@0 588 in and talk to Saturn about it and work things out. On the other hand,
rlm@0 589 if Saturn hated her she could be told to get out and go back to Crystal
rlm@0 590 Tokyo. Was the pain of not knowing worse than being rejected as a
rlm@0 591 friend? Small Lady didn't know, but she did know that she needed
rlm@0 592 answers. So far the night had been awful... It couldn't really get
rlm@0 593 much worse. That's when she decided. For better or for worse, at least
rlm@0 594 they were going to talk about it.
rlm@0 595
rlm@0 596 The door to the shower room slid open, and Small Lady stepped
rlm@0 597 in. Saturn was caught completely off guard, and instinctively lowered
rlm@0 598 herself in the tub to hide her body.
rlm@0 599
rlm@0 600 "We used to bathe together all the time. Are you really that
rlm@0 601 ashamed now?" Small Lady chanced a smile.
rlm@0 602
rlm@0 603 "Small Lady, I..." Saturn trailed off. She couldn't think of
rlm@0 604 the words to say.
rlm@0 605
rlm@0 606 "Look, Saturn... We, we have to talk about this! I can't go on
rlm@0 607 if things are going to be like tonight. It's killing me! I couldn't
rlm@0 608 stand it if you weren't my best friend!" Both girls were sobbing.
rlm@0 609
rlm@0 610 "Then... You don't hate me?" Saturn looked so timid.
rlm@0 611
rlm@0 612 "Hate you? Me? I could never hate you! You're my best
rlm@0 613 friend!" Small Lady walked up to her, and sat on the edge of the tub.
rlm@0 614 "I thought you hated *me*..."
rlm@0 615
rlm@0 616 "No! Never!" Saturn looked away from the girl. "I'm sorry for
rlm@0 617 the way I acted. I had no right to kiss you. Then I was so afraid of
rlm@0 618 what you were going to say, that I just ran away. I was scared."
rlm@0 619
rlm@0 620 "So that's why..." Small Lady wiped away a few of her tears.
rlm@0 621 "I thought you were disgusted because I kissed you..."
rlm@0 622
rlm@0 623 Saturn laughed. It felt like the first laugh in a very long
rlm@0 624 time. "I guess there was a little misunderstanding between the both of
rlm@0 625 us. So...we're still friends?"
rlm@0 626
rlm@0 627 "Always and forever, right?" Small Lady smiled. Something was
rlm@0 628 still tearing at her mind. "But I don't think we can just leave it at
rlm@0 629 that. Something...happened between us. I think we need to figure out
rlm@0 630 why."
rlm@0 631
rlm@0 632 Saturn looked depressed again. "I couldn't get passed it
rlm@0 633 either. The kiss, how did it make you feel?"
rlm@0 634
rlm@0 635 The other girl blinked. "Nani?"
rlm@0 636
rlm@0 637 "How did it make you feel? Inside?"
rlm@0 638
rlm@0 639 Small Lady thought back to the moment her lips touched Saturn's.
rlm@0 640 It was like someone had set a fire in her body. Her head felt light,
rlm@0 641 and all she knew was that she wanted to continue... "I can't lie. It
rlm@0 642 felt good. Very good. But I don't want you to be scared away! Just
rlm@0 643 staying friends is good enough for me."
rlm@0 644
rlm@0 645 Saturn looked at her, gratitude in her eyes. "You'd do
rlm@0 646 something like that for me... The truth is, I enjoyed it. too. I'm
rlm@0 647 just not sure what that means. Small Lady, why don't you come in? The
rlm@0 648 water's nice and warm."
rlm@0 649
rlm@0 650 She hesitated a bit, but undid her robe, and then stepped into
rlm@0 651 the tub. She submerged herself until her breasts were covered by the
rlm@0 652 soothing water. "I don't know what it means, Saturn. But I know I
rlm@0 653 can't just ignore my feelings! Whatever...whatever happens between us,
rlm@0 654 I don't want our friendship to be affected. I think that scares me more
rlm@0 655 than anything else."
rlm@0 656
rlm@0 657 "Atashi mo. Today I've done a lot of thinking. I don't think I
rlm@0 658 realised how strong my feelings were towards you. It scared me. It
rlm@0 659 scared me a lot."
rlm@0 660
rlm@0 661 Small Lady moved over to her friend to comfort her. "Don't be
rlm@0 662 scared, Saturn. We'll always have each other." The princess leaned in
rlm@0 663 closer and kissed the black haired girl. She expected the other might
rlm@0 664 back away, but she didn't. Instead she returned the kiss with the same
rlm@0 665 vigour. When they broke the kiss no one ran away. There were no broken
rlm@0 666 hearts.
rlm@0 667
rlm@0 668 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 669
rlm@0 670 Later that night in Saturn's bed, both girls laid on their
rlm@0 671 backs, and looked at the ceiling. They were holding hands.
rlm@0 672
rlm@0 673 "It's almost as if someone removed a cloud from my mind," said
rlm@0 674 Small Lady. "I think my feelings for you have been more than just
rlm@0 675 friendship for some time. I didn't realise it before, though. It's
rlm@0 676 like we were such good friends that our friendship grew into love."
rlm@0 677
rlm@0 678 The other girl looked over in surprise. "Love?"
rlm@0 679
rlm@0 680 The princess blushed. "Hai, love. I love you, I really do.
rlm@0 681 With all my heart and soul."
rlm@0 682
rlm@0 683 Saturn just gasped. "I think it was the same for me. Our
rlm@0 684 friendship was just so strong that it sort of mutated into love. Now
rlm@0 685 that I see it, it all looks so clear." Saturn looked Small Lady
rlm@0 686 straight in the eye. "I do love you. More than I will ever be able to
rlm@0 687 tell you." Both girls smiled. Saturn went on. "I think... I remember
rlm@0 688 being on Titan and thinking of you sometimes. Sometimes I would think
rlm@0 689 of holding you, of being close with you. But I buried the feelings so
rlm@0 690 deep that I didn't recognise them. Until now."
rlm@0 691
rlm@0 692 Both girls got closer to one another so that they were almost in
rlm@0 693 an embrace.
rlm@0 694
rlm@0 695 "I don't ever want to let you go."
rlm@0 696
rlm@0 697 "Me neither."
rlm@0 698
rlm@0 699 They moved closer again, and touched lips for the third time.
rlm@0 700 Their hands travelled up and down each others bodies, exploring the new
rlm@0 701 feelings they had. They stopped for a moment and looked into the
rlm@0 702 other's eyes. The both smiled as they saw the love and caring in them.
rlm@0 703 They whispered "aishiteru" to each other, and went back to kissing and
rlm@0 704 trying to remove their partner's clothes.
rlm@0 705
rlm@0 706 A special night followed for both of them. Special because of
rlm@0 707 the fact it was the first time for both of them, and because they were
rlm@0 708 glad to finally share how they felt with someone they loved more than
rlm@0 709 life itself. Not just their bodies, but their souls touched that night.
rlm@0 710 When their souls touched, they fused together as one, making the
rlm@0 711 partners two beings of one whole. Forever, they would always be united
rlm@0 712 as one.
rlm@0 713
rlm@0 714 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 715
rlm@0 716 Birds chirped, and the sun cast a ray of light over the land
rlm@0 717 signalling the beginning of another day. A body stirred slightly in a
rlm@0 718 bed. The figure's eyes slowly opened, and were greeted with a welcome
rlm@0 719 sight. She moved forward slowly, and kissed the other girl. Her
rlm@0 720 friend's eyes fluttered open, and a smile crept across her face.
rlm@0 721
rlm@0 722 "Ohayou, Saturn."
rlm@0 723
rlm@0 724 "Ohayou, Small Lady."
rlm@0 725
rlm@0 726 They both just laid unmoving for several minutes. They couldn't
rlm@0 727 take their eyes off of each other. They would look up and down the
rlm@0 728 other person's body, all the time breathing in their wonderful sent. It
rlm@0 729 was like a dream state, and neither one wanted to leave.
rlm@0 730
rlm@0 731 "I suppose we should get up, ne?" said the princess in a voice
rlm@0 732 that told she really didn't want to.
rlm@0 733
rlm@0 734 "I suppose," the other replied.
rlm@0 735
rlm@0 736 Several more minutes passed where neither one moved.
rlm@0 737
rlm@0 738 "Although..." chanced Saturn, "we *are* on vacation..."
rlm@0 739
rlm@0 740 Small Lady's eyes lit up. "Sou ne... It's not like we have any
rlm@0 741 official business we have to do..." She leaned forward, and their lips
rlm@0 742 met again in a passionate kiss. "After all, we're here to have fun."
rlm@0 743 Now a wicked smile crossed her face, which made the other girl laugh.
rlm@0 744
rlm@0 745 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 746
rlm@0 747 Small Lady and Saturn were late coming down for breakfast. The
rlm@0 748 others were worried because of the way the two had acted last night.
rlm@0 749 They weren't sure what was going on. They were beginning to think they
rlm@0 750 might never come. Needless to say, they were shocked when the two girls
rlm@0 751 came bounding down the stairs happily, while holding hands.
rlm@0 752
rlm@0 753 "Ohayou gozaimasu!" chimed Saturn.
rlm@0 754
rlm@0 755 "O- Ohayou," replied Neptune. She had a look of confusion on her
rlm@0 756 face.
rlm@0 757
rlm@0 758 "What's for breakfast?" asked Small Lady. Then she saw the eggs
rlm@0 759 and rice already laid out for them. "Ah! Arigatou. Gomen, omatase."
rlm@0 760 She stuck her free hand behind her head to show her slight
rlm@0 761 embarrassment.
rlm@0 762
rlm@0 763 The rest of breakfast went fairly normal for everyone. Uranus was
rlm@0 764 reading the paper, Pluto was sipping her coffee, and Neptune was reading
rlm@0 765 a good book she had started last night. Small Lady and Saturn happily
rlm@0 766 talked away while consuming their meal. The only strange thing was they
rlm@0 767 never stopped holding hands the entire time.
rlm@0 768
rlm@0 769 Uranus threw a glance over to Neptune, who raised an eyebrow. But
rlm@0 770 neither said anything. It was when the plates were being put away that
rlm@0 771 Pluto finally spoke up.
rlm@0 772
rlm@0 773 "Saturn, Small Lady, can we talk to you for a minute?"
rlm@0 774
rlm@0 775 The two girls just looked at each other with puzzled expressions
rlm@0 776 on their faces, and nodded. The five made their way over to the living
rlm@0 777 room, and sat down. At first there was only silence.
rlm@0 778
rlm@0 779 Uranus was the first to speak. "We're...concerned about you two.
rlm@0 780 Yesterday it seemed like you didn't want to have anything to do with one
rlm@0 781 another, but today you're close again. Even closer than before."
rlm@0 782
rlm@0 783 Neptune jumped in. "Don't get us wrong, we don't want to invade
rlm@0 784 your privacy. If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to.
rlm@0 785 You're both adults; you can handle you're own problems, but we just want
rlm@0 786 to let you know we're here if you wanted to talk."
rlm@0 787
rlm@0 788 Pluto decided to add something. "We love you both dearly. We
rlm@0 789 don't like seeing you hurt. Sometimes it helps to talk to other
rlm@0 790 people." She smiled at them.
rlm@0 791
rlm@0 792 Small Lady looked at her friend, and smiled slightly. Saturn
rlm@0 793 smiled back and squeezed her hand reassuringly. "There's really no
rlm@0 794 sense in keeping it a secret. I think we should tell them everything."
rlm@0 795
rlm@0 796 Saturn nodded. "There shouldn't be secrets in a family. I guess
rlm@0 797 we should just get it out in the open first. Small Lady and I are
rlm@0 798 partners. We're in love." The two sat closer together, and held each
rlm@0 799 other protectively.
rlm@0 800
rlm@0 801 The three glanced at one another, and blinked a couple of times.
rlm@0 802 There was no denying the shock they felt. Then large smiles crept
rlm@0 803 across their faces.
rlm@0 804
rlm@0 805 "We're glad for you," said Neptune. "It's always wonderful to
rlm@0 806 find someone you love." She looked over at Uranus who was already
rlm@0 807 looking at her.
rlm@0 808
rlm@0 809 Saturn and Small Lady let out a sigh of relief. Well, the worst
rlm@0 810 part was over. "Arigatou," said Saturn. "Your blessing means a lot to
rlm@0 811 us."
rlm@0 812
rlm@0 813 "I knew it," said Uranus half jokingly. "It's too bad all the
rlm@0 814 pretty girls are already taken." She winked at Small Lady, who had a
rlm@0 815 very large blush across her cheeks.
rlm@0 816
rlm@0 817 "Uranus!" scolded Saturn. They all laughed. The family was back
rlm@0 818 together.
rlm@0 819
rlm@0 820 "But," broke in Pluto, "that still doesn't explain the way you
rlm@0 821 were acting yesterday. Why were you both so depressed?"
rlm@0 822
rlm@0 823 Small Lady sighed. It still brought pain to her heart to think
rlm@0 824 about it. "Up until yesterday, we weren't sure of how we felt.
rlm@0 825 Actually," she laughed a little, "we weren't even really aware of it."
rlm@0 826
rlm@0 827 Saturn jumped in, sensing her friend was having a hard time.
rlm@0 828 "There was a misunderstanding. Our feelings were confused. During
rlm@0 829 dinner we weren't sure what to say to each other, and we were ashamed.
rlm@0 830 Both of us were afraid of losing a friend. But," Saturn looked Small
rlm@0 831 Lady in the eye, "we talked about it, and we managed to work it all out.
rlm@0 832 That's when we revealed how we truly felt." She left out the details
rlm@0 833 about the kiss, and the night that followed, but it was enough to make
rlm@0 834 her parents understand. Besides, they were probably filling in the
rlm@0 835 details for themselves anyway.
rlm@0 836
rlm@0 837 "Are you going to tell the others?" asked Uranus.
rlm@0 838
rlm@0 839 "Hai," said Small Lady. "Actually, we plan on discussing it with
rlm@0 840 my parents first. Mama's been bugging me to find a koibito for the last
rlm@0 841 little while, so we'll see how that goes. Then we'll tell the others."
rlm@0 842
rlm@0 843 "So," said Saturn, "before we have to go back on Saturday, we plan
rlm@0 844 on enjoying the last few days. No worries, no troubles. Just a couple
rlm@0 845 enjoying their time together." They both smiled. The next few days
rlm@0 846 would be bliss.
rlm@0 847
rlm@0 848 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 849
rlm@0 850 Later that day Saturn was alone in the kitchen trying to find
rlm@0 851 something to snack on. She didn't hear anyone come up behind her.
rlm@0 852
rlm@0 853 "Saturn," said a woman with long aqua hair.
rlm@0 854
rlm@0 855 "Ah, Neptune," said Saturn as she turned around. "Doushitano?"
rlm@0 856
rlm@0 857 Neptune didn't say anything, but showed how she felt with her
rlm@0 858 actions. She hugged the younger girl and held her in her arms.
rlm@0 859
rlm@0 860 "Neptune?"
rlm@0 861
rlm@0 862 "Gomen," said the woman, still holding her. "Saturn, I really
rlm@0 863 want you to know how happy I am, how happy we all are about you and
rlm@0 864 Small Lady. And I want to let you know that we'll support you in any
rlm@0 865 way." She laughed a little. "But why do I feel like I'm losing you?"
rlm@0 866
rlm@0 867 "Mama," Saturn said in almost a whisper. "I'm 915 years old. I
rlm@0 868 think it's time you let go."
rlm@0 869
rlm@0 870 The other laughed. "I suppose you're right. But you'll always be
rlm@0 871 my little girl. I hoped you'd find someone to love and be loved by.
rlm@0 872 Now you have. I hope you become very happy, musume."
rlm@0 873
rlm@0 874 "Arigatou, mama. I love you."
rlm@0 875
rlm@0 876 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 877
rlm@0 878 Saturday morning rolled around far too quickly for the happy
rlm@0 879 couple. They wanted to stay at the beach house for all eternity,
rlm@0 880 without having to face the real world, but they couldn't do it, and they
rlm@0 881 knew it. The morning was being spent packing up luggage and saying
rlm@0 882 goodbye. It could be months until they got to see these Senshi again.
rlm@0 883 It surprised them when Uranus offered to drive them back to Crystal
rlm@0 884 Tokyo. They accepted, of course, but they sensed a motive behind her
rlm@0 885 asking.
rlm@0 886
rlm@0 887 Pretty soon they were on the road, or the sky, actually. With
rlm@0 888 Uranus driving it would probably take them twenty minutes to arrive at
rlm@0 889 their destination. Or it would, if she drove as fast as she usually
rlm@0 890 did. Today it seemed almost as if she was holding back. Neither girl
rlm@0 891 knew why, but they were just content to sit in the back seat holding
rlm@0 892 hands. They would get to Crystal Tokyo soon enough.
rlm@0 893
rlm@0 894 "I have a little story to tell you," said Uranus, which slightly
rlm@0 895 surprised the girls. "It goes back quite a ways, but I think it's
rlm@0 896 important."
rlm@0 897
rlm@0 898 Saturn winced slightly. She knew what was coming. She didn't
rlm@0 899 know all that much about Uranus or Neptune before they became her
rlm@0 900 parents, except the little bits they told her. She knew for a fact that
rlm@0 901 it was very painful for both of them, so she never pressed the issue.
rlm@0 902 She was a little scared, so she squeezed Small Lady's hand. The other
rlm@0 903 looked at her slightly confused, but smiled at the same time.
rlm@0 904
rlm@0 905 "It's about Neptune and I...when we were young." She seemed to
rlm@0 906 pause for a bit. "When I first laid eyes on her, I couldn't believe
rlm@0 907 how beautiful she was. She was like a shimmering angel trying to pull
rlm@0 908 me out of the darkness of my existence. I had been having dreams about
rlm@0 909 her and the mission for some time. So while I was overjoyed at meeting
rlm@0 910 her in real life, I pushed her away, because I was afraid of the
rlm@0 911 mission, and all I would have to give up. But she wouldn't give up.
rlm@0 912 She always has been persistent." She stopped and laughed. "Actually
rlm@0 913 she told me she had been following my F1 career long before she knew
rlm@0 914 about the mission. She would always watch from a distance...
rlm@0 915
rlm@0 916 "Anyway, I eventually gave into her. I couldn't help myself, I
rlm@0 917 had fallen in love. For the next little while we were very concerned
rlm@0 918 about the mission. It meant saving the world from the silence, so we
rlm@0 919 had to stay focused. But at the same time... At the same time we grew
rlm@0 920 closer as a couple. I began to wonder how I ever lived my life without
rlm@0 921 this woman. Before any of this had happened I had already left home.
rlm@0 922 Being at home was just too painful. After I left I vowed to make *my*
rlm@0 923 family life a happy one." Uranus winked at Saturn, who smiled. "But
rlm@0 924 Neptune was still living at home. She was distant from her parents,
rlm@0 925 they really didn't seem that interested in her, and I think they fought
rlm@0 926 a lot.
rlm@0 927
rlm@0 928 "Something happened that I'll regret for the rest of my life. Her
rlm@0 929 parents were on vacation. I think it was Hawaii or some such place.
rlm@0 930 So, Neptune invited me over. It was a very special night. We ate by
rlm@0 931 candle light, and played a lovely duet afterwards. It was almost
rlm@0 932 magical. I should have went home right then, but I didn't. Her scent
rlm@0 933 intoxicated me, and drew me in. I couldn't leave her arms." Uranus
rlm@0 934 coughed a bit, sensing the blushes on the other girls' cheeks. "To make
rlm@0 935 a long story short, her parents came home unexpectedly that night. They
rlm@0 936 were none too pleased when they found me sharing a bed with their
rlm@0 937 daughter... They said some horrible things to Neptune, to us both.
rlm@0 938 Needless to say we left that night and never looked back, thereby
rlm@0 939 severing our family contacts forever."
rlm@0 940
rlm@0 941 Uranus looked back at the couple, they had slightly pained
rlm@0 942 expressions on their faces. "Gomen, I didn't tell you that story to
rlm@0 943 scare you. Far from it. Small Lady, you're mother is a very caring
rlm@0 944 woman, you have nothing to worry about. But you have to be prepared for
rlm@0 945 the reaction of the masses. You're Princess Serenity, heir to the
rlm@0 946 throne of the Moon Kingdom, wielder of the most power force in the
rlm@0 947 galaxy. You have to expect some sort of negative reaction to your
rlm@0 948 decision."
rlm@0 949
rlm@0 950 "Uranus, this is Crystal Tokyo. We're in an age of peace and
rlm@0 951 love. People's opinion's have changed over the past 900 some years."
rlm@0 952 said the princess in a calm voice.
rlm@0 953
rlm@0 954 The blond woman tried to smile. How naive she is, she thought.
rlm@0 955 "That's true. You'll have an easier time than Neptune and I ever had,
rlm@0 956 but you have to expect some resistance. Some of the fringe religious
rlm@0 957 groups are still around, and they can get quite opinionated."
rlm@0 958
rlm@0 959 By this time Small Lady was slightly angry. "So what do you want
rlm@0 960 me to do, Uranus? Just give Saturn up? I can't do that! I'm not going
rlm@0 961 to bow to any sort of public pressure!"
rlm@0 962
rlm@0 963 "No, no, please don't get me wrong, princess. You know how I feel
rlm@0 964 about your partnership. If anything I'll be the first to protect you if
rlm@0 965 any controversy comes of your announcement." She sighed. How could she
rlm@0 966 make the younger girl understand? "I just don't want this to be a shock
rlm@0 967 for you. I want you to stand strong if any resistance does come up."
rlm@0 968
rlm@0 969 Saturn had been sitting quietly for some time, but now spoke up.
rlm@0 970 "Uranus," she said in a loving voice, "believe me, we appreciate your
rlm@0 971 concern. We understand what you're trying to say. But Small Lady and I
rlm@0 972 have a force stronger than any resistance we might come up against. We
rlm@0 973 have love. If we stand together, no harm will come, ne?"
rlm@0 974
rlm@0 975 "Sou," said Small Lady. "All we need is each other. It might be
rlm@0 976 a little selfish view, but it's true. We'll be together, and that's all
rlm@0 977 that matters."
rlm@0 978
rlm@0 979 Uranus smiled. "Yokata na. Forgive me, I just wanted to make
rlm@0 980 sure that you were ready. Now there's no doubt that you are."
rlm@0 981
rlm@0 982 The transport picked up speed, and zoomed along to Crystal Palace,
rlm@0 983 which was just starting to appear in the distance.
rlm@0 984
rlm@0 985 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 986
rlm@0 987 "Serenity-sama," said a servant, "you have visitors."
rlm@0 988
rlm@0 989 "Thank you, Naomi-san. Please show them in."
rlm@0 990
rlm@0 991 Neo Queen Serenity sat in one of her private chambers overlooking
rlm@0 992 a spectacular view of Crystal Tokyo. Of course, any room in the palace
rlm@0 993 had a spectacular view since it was situated in the centre of the city.
rlm@0 994 This particular room, however, was facing the south, which held a
rlm@0 995 dazzling view of the Tokyo Tower. After all these years it was still
rlm@0 996 standing. King Endymion was in the adjoining room attending to some
rlm@0 997 paper work. Serenity herself was just about to start work on answering
rlm@0 998 the many communiques she had received over the past day.
rlm@0 999
rlm@0 1000 The door to the room opened slowly, and in stepped Small Lady in
rlm@0 1001 her full princess gown and Sailorsaturn in her star fuku, Silence Glaive
rlm@0 1002 in hand. Both women bowed respectfully, which slightly surprised the
rlm@0 1003 older woman who wasn't used to such formal treatment by her daughter and
rlm@0 1004 close friends.
rlm@0 1005
rlm@0 1006 "Small Lady, Sailorsaturn. Please come in and have a seat."
rlm@0 1007
rlm@0 1008 "Mama, we're sorry to disturb you, but we would like to talk to
rlm@0 1009 you about something important. I'd like papa to come in, too." The two
rlm@0 1010 sat down on the couch and held hands.
rlm@0 1011
rlm@0 1012 "Small Lady, I'm never too busy for you," she said with a smile.
rlm@0 1013 She called to the other room. "Endymion, Small Lady and Saturn are
rlm@0 1014 back. They'd like to talk to us."
rlm@0 1015
rlm@0 1016 A man in a lavender tuxedo entered the room with a smile on his
rlm@0 1017 face. "Okaerinasai. My, don't we look formal today?" He gave a little
rlm@0 1018 wink.
rlm@0 1019
rlm@0 1020 "I hope you both enjoyed your vacation, ne?" asked the queen.
rlm@0 1021
rlm@0 1022 The two couldn't help but smile. "Hai, it was the best week of
rlm@0 1023 our lives, Serenity," spoke Saturn.
rlm@0 1024
rlm@0 1025 "Now, what would you like to talk to us about?"
rlm@0 1026
rlm@0 1027 Saturn squeezed Small Lady's hand. It was a bit harder than
rlm@0 1028 telling Uranus-tachi, but they couldn't back down now. Small Lady
rlm@0 1029 squeezed back, and had a look of confidence on her face.
rlm@0 1030
rlm@0 1031 "Mama, while I was on vacation...I fell in love." Saturn beamed.
rlm@0 1032 So far, so good.
rlm@0 1033
rlm@0 1034 Happiness and shock seemed to express themselves on the king and
rlm@0 1035 queen at the same time. "That's wonderful, Small Lady," said the queen.
rlm@0 1036 "Who's the lucky person?"
rlm@0 1037
rlm@0 1038 "She's right here. Mama, I fell in love with Sailorsaturn."
rlm@0 1039
rlm@0 1040 "Queen, King, before you say anything," spoke Saturn with clear
rlm@0 1041 devotion in her eyes, "please listen to what I have to say. I love your
rlm@0 1042 daughter. I lover her dearly. As you know, we've been friends for a
rlm@0 1043 long time. Long ago we swore we'd never be apart. Over time, and
rlm@0 1044 partly without our knowledge, that devotion and friendship turned into
rlm@0 1045 love. It's a deep love and we cherish it dearly. Please, you have to
rlm@0 1046 see that we're taking this very seriously." Saturn was looking the
rlm@0 1047 queen straight in the eye, trying to look as sincere as possible.
rlm@0 1048
rlm@0 1049 "Saturn," said the queen softly, "daijoubu yo. I know you would
rlm@0 1050 not make an announcement like this without thinking it through
rlm@0 1051 thoroughly. I can see how deeply you care for one another."
rlm@0 1052
rlm@0 1053 Small Lady and Saturn didn't quite know what to think at this
rlm@0 1054 point. Was that a blessing, or was there going to be a "but" to this
rlm@0 1055 statement. Waiting was killing them.
rlm@0 1056
rlm@0 1057 The queen surprised them slightly by getting up from her chair and
rlm@0 1058 walking over to them. She surprised them even more when she began to
rlm@0 1059 give them both a big hug. "Omedetou ne! I'm so happy for you both!"
rlm@0 1060
rlm@0 1061 "So, you're okay with it?" asked Small Lady hesitantly.
rlm@0 1062
rlm@0 1063 "Okay with it? I'm overjoyed! We both want to see you happy
rlm@0 1064 with someone, and now it's come true. We're glad you could find love in
rlm@0 1065 such a close friend." The queen looked like she was glowing.
rlm@0 1066
rlm@0 1067 "Small Lady, Saturn, Serenity and I wish you all the best. We
rlm@0 1068 love you both." spoke the king with clear emotion in his voice.
rlm@0 1069
rlm@0 1070 "Papa, mama," said the princess with tears in her eyes.
rlm@0 1071 "Arigatou." She held Saturn in an embrace and hugged her tightly.
rlm@0 1072
rlm@0 1073 "Do you plan to tell the others?" asked Serenity, while wiping the
rlm@0 1074 tears from her face.
rlm@0 1075
rlm@0 1076 "Hai. Uranus-tachi already know, and we'll tell the other Senshi
rlm@0 1077 whenever we can get them all together. And...I know I'll have to make
rlm@0 1078 an announcement to the world soon. It'll just get leaked to the press
rlm@0 1079 anyway. I'm prepared, mama. We both are. But we're also both strong
rlm@0 1080 enough to get through any hard times. Love conquers all, ne?"
rlm@0 1081
rlm@0 1082 "Sou ne," spoke her mother. "Love is everything."
rlm@0 1083
rlm@0 1084 ~*~*~*~*~
rlm@0 1085
rlm@0 1086 To be continued in part 3. ^_^;
rlm@0 1087
rlm@0 1088 Well, that was a whole lot longer than part 1, eh? Parts 3 and 4
rlm@0 1089 may not be as long. I don't really know. ^_^;
rlm@0 1090
rlm@0 1091 Okay, there will be fairly long author's comments this time. Yay! :P
rlm@0 1092
rlm@0 1093 Chibiusa and Hotaru as a couple. Some of you may be thinking, "Is
rlm@0 1094 this girl out of her mind?" But it interested me, and I thought it
rlm@0 1095 would make a good fanfic. :) There's only circumstantial evidence to
rlm@0 1096 support it in the manga, but those few pictures were enough to peek my
rlm@0 1097 interest. Stay tuned for the next two parts, though. They may just
rlm@0 1098 surprise you (ooh, plot twist! :P).
rlm@0 1099
rlm@0 1100 It took all my will power not to call Saturn "Hotaru" and Small
rlm@0 1101 Lady "Chibiusa." Or to use Haruka, Michiru, and Setsuna's names, for
rlm@0 1102 that matter. Never in the manga do we see them using their human names
rlm@0 1103 in Crystal Tokyo, so it's fairly safe to assume that they never do.
rlm@0 1104 And, of course, we *know* Chibiusa was a 20th century invention and that
rlm@0 1105 everyone in the future calls her Small Lady. Still, it was hard. I had
rlm@0 1106 to hit backspace more than a few times, lemme tell ya. ^_-
rlm@0 1107
rlm@0 1108 Now a note about all the ages and dates I threw at you. Some of
rlm@0 1109 them may not seem to make sense, so I'll go over them in detail.
rlm@0 1110 Remember, this is canon as per the manga. :)
rlm@0 1111
rlm@0 1112 * June 30 2001 - this should be when Usagi turns 22, if we assume she
rlm@0 1113 turned 17 in June 1996 (this is when the fifth series manga came out,
rlm@0 1114 and Usagi was in second year high school (Grade 11) at the time). The
rlm@0 1115 second series manga establishes she rises to power and gives birth to
rlm@0 1116 Chibiusa when she turns 22 (since Usagi and Chibiusa share the same
rlm@0 1117 birthday, this seems to be the only plausible date). Plus it makes
rlm@0 1118 sense since 2001 is the first *real* year of the new millennium.
rlm@0 1119
rlm@0 1120 * Hotaru at twelve-years-old - I meant in appearance. She'd actually be
rlm@0 1121 about a year old at this point (since the reincarnation).
rlm@0 1122
rlm@0 1123 * Small Lady at 910-years-old looking 18 - If we assume she turns 904 in
rlm@0 1124 1996 (she turned 902 in '94 in an enikki), and since she looked 12 in
rlm@0 1125 '96, we can assume, if she continues to age normally, that she'll look
rlm@0 1126 18 when she turns 910. In the 30th century, the year would be 2911
rlm@0 1127 (2001 plus 910).
rlm@0 1128
rlm@0 1129 * Saturn not ageing for 905 years and stopping her growth at age 22 - We
rlm@0 1130 know Usagi stopped ageing at 22, so it's probably the same for the
rlm@0 1131 others. By 22 I mean the appearance of age 22. Saturn would have
rlm@0 1132 actually been 11-years-old, and the year would be 2006. Subtract 2006
rlm@0 1133 from 2911 and you get 905 years.
rlm@0 1134
rlm@0 1135 * Saturn at 916-years-old - 2911 subtract 1995 (when she was
rlm@0 1136 reincarnated) equals 916.
rlm@0 1137
rlm@0 1138 If there are any other dates that I missed, they should all fit this
rlm@0 1139 timeline in a similar fashion.
rlm@0 1140
rlm@0 1141 If any details don't make sense, like who Sailorvesta is, or what
rlm@0 1142 Titan Castle is, you'll have to read the manga to understand fully. It
rlm@0 1143 doesn't make much sense to go into a long explanation here. :)
rlm@0 1144
rlm@0 1145 Yes, I know I based Uranus' speech on anime events, but nothing is
rlm@0 1146 mentioned about it in the manga, so I took a little artistic license. ;)
rlm@0 1147 And I think I kept it general enough that it probably fits the manga
rlm@0 1148 anyway. :)
rlm@0 1149
rlm@0 1150 Okay, feedback time. ;) If you have any questions or comments,
rlm@0 1151 just email me at ajhd@king.igs.net. And if you don't, but liked the fic
rlm@0 1152 anyway, arigatou. I know I never email people even when I like their
rlm@0 1153 fanfics. ^_^;; Well, that's not true. I did email Tim Nolan once. ^_^;
rlm@0 1154
rlm@0 1155 Extra special thanks to Jay Dee Archer (aka Jupiter Knight) for
rlm@0 1156 proof reading my fanfic for me! Arigatou gozaimashita! Go see Jupiter
rlm@0 1157 Knight's fanfic archive, he has lots of great stories. ^_^
rlm@0 1158
rlm@0 1159 http://www.dragonfire.net/~JupiterKnight/
rlm@0 1160
rlm@0 1161 Music I was listening to when I wrote this: Disc 1 & 2 from the
rlm@0 1162 Memorial Music Box (first season BGM). Actually, by pure coincidence,
rlm@0 1163 I was listening to the same BGM that played during the end of ep 88 when
rlm@0 1164 I was writing the 'Chibiusa returns home' scene. Any similarities can
rlm@0 1165 be blamed on that. :P
rlm@0 1166
rlm@0 1167 Completed: Aug 20th 1998.