Chapter Three

	"There it goes! Don't let it get away!"
	"Will you shut up already?" 
	"Oh great...it went down into the sewers." 
	Luna and Artemis stood to either side of a wide storm drain near
Crown Game Center. "Too bad...it looked like a great mouse," Luna
said. She glared at Artemis. "I'd have caught it if you weren't busy
jabbering."
	Artemis rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah...big de--" He instantly
clammed up. "Did you--?"
	Luna shook herself. "I think so. What should we do about it?"
	Artemis shrugged. "It's not very powerful. It's probably something
residual." 
	Luna nodded. "Still, I think we should keep an eye on it until we
know for sure." She paused. "We don't need to tell the Senshi about
it right now. It's not worth spoiling the good mood they're in right
now." 
	Artemis peered down the storm drain. "Yeah, you're probably right.
Well, we won't get any more hunting done standing around here." The
two cats hopped up onto the sidewalk and padded away in search of
fresh game.

	*****

	The mouse slowed down as it realized that the two cats were no
longer pursuing it. 
	Up ahead, along the concrete bank of the sewer, something shiny
grabbed the rodent's attention. It scampered in to take a closer
look.
	As soon as it got close enough to the object to touch it, the mouse
began to feel weak. Its body began to wither, and in seconds, nothing
was left of the unfortunate rodent but an already-rotted corpse. 
	The shiny, crystalline object glittered a little more brightly,
while at the same time managing to absorb what little light existed
in the sewers. Surrounding it on all sizes were thoroughly rotted
insect, rodent, and lizard corpses. 

	*****

	The Inner Senshi, minus Usagi, were busily preparing Hikawa Shrine
for the upcoming wedding. Rei's grandfather was busily coordinating
with a Catholic minister from a local cathedral, planning out the
flow of the unusual ceremony, and leaving the girls free to chat.
	"You seem preoccupied, Ami-chan," Makoto commented. "Is something on
your mind?"
	Ami paused, as though debating whether or not to talk about it.
Finally, she said, "you remember what Usagi told us the other day,"
Ami said. The others nodded. It had come as a bit of a surprise to
them that Usagi was pregnant, even knowing as they did how...active
she and Mamoru were. "Well, I looked at my old calendar from last
year...Chibi-Usa-chan's birthday is the same as Usagi's, right?"
	Rei nodded. "Hai, June 30."
	Ami furrowed her brow. "That's what I thought...do you realize what
that means about Usagi's baby?"
	The others puzzled over that for a minute, then Makoto gasped.
"She's pregnant...but it's not Chibi-Usa?"
	Ami nodded. "I don't see any way it could be Chibi-Usa. The baby
will be born months before next June." 
	Rei rubbed her chin. "Well, it's not like we know for certain
Chibi-Usa is Usagi's only child. I mean, she could have had lots of
children before Chibi-Usa's time, right?"
	"Yeah, I mean, the way they go at it," Minako added, winking. The
others giggled.
	Ami blushed. "Minako-chan! But, you're right...it just startled me,
that's all." 
	
	*****

	"I feel like a sausage in this thing," Shingo groused.
	"You look great though," Umino assured him. "Don't worry, you'll get
used to it." He leaned closer and whispered, "Besides, just think of
how Hotaru-chan's going to say when she sees it." 
	Shingo snorted. "She'll probably say 'Oh Shingo-kun, you look like a
penguin'..."
	"Oh, Shingo-kun, you look like a penguin!" Shingo jumped. Behind
him, a feminine voice giggled lightly. "Actually, you look really
handsome," she continued.
	Shingo turned around to face Hotaru...and gaped. He'd always thought
Hotaru was cute, even beautiful, but...nothing compared to the vision
before him now. 
	Hotaru wore a knee-length, low-necked gown of deepest purple crushed
velvet. The skirt was not too tight, but not very loose either, and
swished around her thighs as she moved. A large bow of the same
crushed velvet as the dress graced the back of the waist. The
shoulders of the dress ended in pale orchid, silken puffs, and her
arms were covered by elbow-length, lavender satin gloves. Beneath the
dress she wore tights matching her gloves in color, and her long legs
disappeared into a pair of elegant violet high heels. For the
crowning touch, she wore a silver chain from which a pendant hung.
The pendant, worn just below her neck, was a beautiful, multi-pointed
crystal star. A light touch of makeup and crystal star earrings
completed the vision of loveliness that was currently the only thing
in Shingo's world. 
	"Hotaru-chan..." Shingo said softly. "So beautiful..."
	Hotaru blushed. "You look very handsome, Shingo-kun," she said
meekly. Umino quietly excused himself to seek out Naru. 
	Shingo continued to gape at Hotaru. She giggled and asked, "Are you
alright, Shingo-kun?" 
	Shingo shook himself, and smiled. "Just wondering how I could be so
lucky, to be escorting someone so beautiful." 
	Hotaru blushed, and offered Shingo her arm. "Come on, we need to get
into position," she said. Wordlessly, Shingo took her arm, and
together they walked into the ceremony room.

	*****

	The ceremony room was packed with friends and family of the bride
and groom. Most of the guests were seated, while Usagi's parents
wandered around checking on various things, as did Rei and her
grandfather. The Catholic priest was reviewing the ceremony, which
was pretty unusual, even if he'd seen far more unconventional wedding
rituals in his time. He had to admit, though, that this would be an
interesting ceremony, especially if it went off without a hitch.
	One thing that had surprised everyone was the decision of the bride
and groom not to select a maid of honor or a best man. Instead,
Usagi's friends and their escorts were to stand in a loose circle
around the couple as the ceremony was performed, four on either side,
as though standing guard over the soon-to-be-newlyweds.
	Unlike a traditional ceremony, the priest himself would not be
standing before the couple, and they would not be facing him or
Hino-san, only each other. He would officiate the exchange of vows
and rings from Mamoru's side, while the elderly Shinto priest would
stand on Usagi's side with the ceremonial sake bowls. And for the
final touch, the young couple had written their own vows, which
nobody had seen or heard yet. Usagi and Mamoru were keeping the vows,
and the rings for that matter, a tight secret.
	Yes, this was definitely proving to be one of the more interesting
weddings he'd ever officiated.

	*****

	Only a few of the 'bridesmaids' were already in place. Rei was still
making some last-minute rounds, Minako and Makoto were helping Usagi
with her dress, and Hotaru had gone to retrieve her escort. 
	Michiru smiled approvingly as she looked at the dresses some of the
others had chosen. They had all agreed that it was only appropriate
to select dresses in the colors of their Senshi fukus. Hers was a
striking, off-the-shoulder dark aquamarine dress, a modest diamond of
cleavage formed by the crossed straps which overlapped each other in
front, and clasped behind her neck. A dark blue satin sash hung low
around her waist, separating the ankle-length skirt from the rest of
the dress. She also wore a pair of dark blue heels with
criss-crossing straps and wrist-length aquamarine gloves with dark
blue trim, and a round jade brooch pinned to the straps of the dress
topped off her outfit. 
	Of course, she amended to herself as she admired her escort, not all
of the Senshi had elected to choose color-coded dresses. Haruka stood
beside her, decked out in a dark blue tuxedo, a white dress shirt,
and a yellow tie and cummerbund. The crossdressed Senshi grinned as
she looked out over the assembled crowd, towards the side entrance to
the ceremony room. "I think we have competition," she commented aside
to Michiru, gesturing.
	Michiru giggled softly as Hotaru and Shingo emerged into the
ceremony room, and moved to stand in Hotaru's designated place.
Hotaru smiled and waved at her adopted family, who grinned back at
her. "You look great, Hotaru-chan," Michiru said. "You too, Shingo." 
	Shingo blushed, and Hotaru giggled. "You two look fabulous as
always," Hotaru said. 
	"Of course we do," Haruka replied, tossing her head arrogantly, then
chuckling. 
	"Are they always like that?" Shingo whispered to Hotaru. The
dark-haired girl nodded. 

	*****

	Rei smoothed the pleats of her wide crimson skirt as she made one
more round of the room. Surprisingly, she had chosen the most plain
dress of all the Senshi. A simple cut, with simple accessories,
accented by a purple silk rose in her hair and, interestingly enough,
a pair of red star earrings matching those she wore as Sailor Mars
exactly. Ami still swore that Rei must have found some way to take
the earrings off as Mars and keep them around when she changed back. 
	By contrast, Minako had looked as though she was going to fall out
of her dress at any moment. There was no doubt that she wanted to
show off as much as Usagi would let her get away with, as she wore a
strapless, low-cut dress with a tight, clinging skirt. Then there was
Ami...for some reason, she had chosen a blue, body-hugging cheongsam.
It definitely flattered her. Makoto had opted for a traditional
ballroom gown, with all the classic accessories. 
	Setsuna's outfit had baffled the others. They expected her to come
wearing the most extravagant dress short of the bride's, but instead,
she had mixed and matched two of her usual, expensive business suits.
She wore a white silk blouse and jacket, a black skirt, dark nylons,
and black high heels. Aside from her usual garnet earrings, she wore
no special adornments or accents. 
	Rei briefly wondered what Usagi's dress was going to look like.
Aside from Minako and Makoto, who were helping her get dressed, and
Setsuna, who had been with her when the thing was ordered, nobody
else had seen it. 
	She continued her last round of the room. Three large tapestries had
been hung at the back of the room. One featured a beautiful young
woman with a familiar hairstyle. A brilliant crescent moon shone upon
her brow, but the rest of her face was cast in shadow. The second
tapestry portrayed a picturesque palace with sparkling fountains and
wide marble columns. The third tapestry was simply the full moon,
with a caricature of the milling rabbit situated over the actual
location where one might observe the tsuki no usagi. Rei chuckled;
she could only begin to guess what the wedding guests would think of
the first two tapestries. 
	Her rounds complete, Rei took her assigned position, and waited.

	Mamoru made his entrance, walking up to the center of the room,
where the ceremony was to take place. His outfit drew numerous gasps,
and many whispered comments. Even those who had been expecting it
were blinking. 
	The groom wore a white tuxedo which someone seemed to have taken a
bit of purple dye to, resulting in a powdered lavender color. It
should have seemed odd, but instead, it suited him quite well. Adding
to the effect was the metallic-looking silver dress shirt beneath,
which shimmered in the light as he walked. White silk ruffles had
been added to the shirt, accentuating the unusual garment and somehow
making it all the more dashing. His cummerbund and bowtie were pure
white, as were the dress shoes he wore. 
	Hino-san made his way to the area of the ceremony. The priest looked
over Mamoru's outfit, and smirked. 
	Kenji walked over, and placed a hand on Mamoru's shoulder.
"Nervous?" he asked.
	Mamoru smiled and nodded. "You bet," he said.
	Kenji grinned. "I sympathize." He paused, frowning slightly. 
"That's...quite an outfit," he commented.
	Mamoru shrugged. "You know how it is when you get inspired to go
with something."
	Kenji nodded thoughtfully. "Well, I see Minako and Makoto coming out
of the dressing room now, so Usagi must be ready." He gave Mamoru a
serious look. "You're going to take good care of my daughter, right?"
	"Hai, of course. I love her with all my heart," Mamoru said. 
	Kenji smiled. "Then I don't have any more reservations about giving
her away today." With that, he stepped off to the side, taking the
traditional waiting position of the father of the bride.
	Minako and Makoto walked up the aisle, and it was clear that
something had startled them. Makoto leaned over Ikuko as she reached
the front of the guest seats. "Usagi's ready for you," she said.
Ikuko nodded and swiftly made her way back to accompany her daughter
down the aisle. 

	The final two bridesmaids took their positions. Rei quickly glanced
around to make sure everyone was in the right place. On the side
where Usagi was to be during the ceremony, Naru and Umino stood to
the back, next to Makoto (who stood with Motoki, neither having
another escort), with Rei herself next, and Setsuna in front. Haruka
and Michiru stood at the back of the groom's side, with Ami in front
of them, and Minako in front of her. Hotaru and Shingo stood at the
front, completing the circle of 'bodyguards'. Yuuichirou silently
slipped into place beside Rei, and she smiled at him. Ami, Minako,
and Setsuna seemed to be the only ones lacking escorts. That
assessment was quickly amended as a white-haired gentleman in a light
grey tuxedo stepped over to Setsuna and took her hand.
*Tomoe-sensei?* Rei wondered. *He's the last person I'd expect to see
here...*
	Rei leaned over and whispered to Makoto. "Ne, you seemed a little
shocked at something. What's wrong?" 
	Makoto shook her head, and whispered to Rei, "You'll see..." 
	Someone nudged Rei from behind. "Rei-san," said the organist, "It's
time..." She handed Rei a microphone.
	Makoto raised an eyebrow. "What's that all about?" 
	Rei smiled. "Usagi asked me to sing something before she comes down
the aisle." She glanced at the bride's entrance to the room, and saw
a familiar pair of odango peeking up above the crowd. The face
beneath the hair was still shadowed, and Rei knew that Usagi wouldn't
make her grand entrance until the song was finished. She nodded to
the organist, who sat down behind an expensive-looking synthesizer,
and powered it up. She began to play a slow, romantic piano piece
which was all-too-familiar to the Inner Senshi. The music reminded
them all of a time long past, when their destiny was just beginning
to become clear to them, and when Usagi would mourn the loss of her
newfound love to the soft tune of a beautiful locket...
	The cue came, and Rei began to sing softly, slowly:

		Gomen ne sunao ja nakute,
		Yume no naka nara ieru
		Shikou kairo wa shotto sunzen,
		Ima sugu aitai yo
		Nakitaku naru you-na moonlight,
		Denwa mou dekinai midnight,
		Datte junjou dou shiyou,
		Haato wa mangekyou.
	
		Tsuki no hikari ni michibikare
		Nandomo meguri-au
		Seiza no matataki kazoe
		Uranau koi no yukue,
		Onaji kuni ni umareta no?
		Mirakuru romansu...

	The guests sat transfixed as Rei continued onward to the second
verse. When she finished singing, everyone applauded, and Rei handed
the microphone back to the organist, who set it aside, and began
playing the wedding march.

	The wedding party waited anxiously as they watched the familiar
odango bobbing above the screens set up behind the last row of seats.
After what seemed like an eternity, Usagi and her mother stepped into
view at the end of the aisle. Most of the Senshi gasped. Had Rei not
been transfixed by what she saw, she might have noticed that across
the room, Michiru and Haruka almost kneeled. 
	"Serenity," Hotaru gasped. 
	Behind her, Minako shook her head, and whispered, "No, it's actually
Usagi. No crescent moon, see?"
	Usagi's wedding dress was a near-perfect duplicate of the dress she
had worn every time the Senshi had seen her transform into her
ancient self, Princess Serenity. There were a few modifications,
however. She had added a thin silver belt above her skirt, which was
fastened with a heart-shaped silver buckle. The base of the heart was
adorned with a golden crescent moon. She also wore barrettes laden
with small white flower petals...or were they tiny feathers?...in her
hair, right in front of the ever-present odango. 
	The most notable change, however, was the brooch situated in her
lowered cleavage. Four interlocking silver crescent moons stood guard
around a large, shining crystal.
	The Ginzuishou.

	*****

	The entire assembly watched, mesmerized, as Usagi gracefully walked
down the aisle alongside her mother, the clicks of their heels and
the soft strains of the wedding march the only sounds in the room.
Kenji and Mamoru both openly gaped at the beautiful angel walking
down the aisle towards them. 
	An eternity passed, and Usagi stood at the center of the room with
her husband-to-be, facing him, smiling, her blue eyes twinkling.
Mamoru was stunned speechless. Hino-san spoke a few prayers, and
carefully filled the first sake bowl, handing it to the bride. She
took a delicate sip, and offered the bowl to Mamoru. Recovering his
wits somewhat, he took the bowl, and sipped from it. When Usagi
received the bowl back from him, she noted with amusement that he had
drained half the bowl in one sip. She took the final sip from the
bowl, and handed it back to the Shinto priest. 
	"Dearly beloved," the other priest began, "we are gathered here
today in this place of worship, in the presence of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ," he paused briefly here, "and the kami, to join this
young couple in the bonds of holy matrimony.
	"Marriage is a sacred union, not to be entered into lightly, nor to
be forsaken. I therefore ask that if any present should have just
cause that these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold
your peace."
	The priest gave the assemblage exactly fifteen seconds, during which
time Hino-san passed the second of the three sake bowls to the bride
and groom. Once they finished with it, he began again. "Who is
present to give Tsukino Usagi away?"
	Kenji stepped forward. "Her father, Tsukino Kenji. I give my
daughter's hand to Chiba Mamoru."
	The priest nodded, and Kenji sat down beside his wife. "Usagi and
Mamoru have written their own vows, and will now exchange them."
	Mamoru took Usagi's hands in his. "Tsukino Usagi, my love for you
knows no bounds in depth or in time. I give myself to you, as your
husband, and promise to never forsake you. I pledge my mind, body,
and soul to you for all time; no matter what the future may bring, I
will stand by your side, rejoice in your happiness, comfort you in
your sorrow, and attend you in times of illness, under the blessing
of God, the protection of the Earth, and the watchful silvery gaze of
the moon, till the day I die, and beyond."
	Usagi's eyes glistened with unshed tears as she spoke her vows.
"Chiba Mamoru, my love for you knows no bounds in depth or in time. I
give myself to you, as your wife, and promise to never forsake you. I
pledge my mind, body, and soul to you for all time; no matter what
the future may bring, I will stand by your side, rejoice in your
happiness, comfort you in your sorrow, and attend you in times of
illness, under the blessing of God, the protection of the Earth, and
the watchful silvery gaze of the moon, till the day I die, and
beyond."
	Hino-san passed the final sake bowl into Usagi's hands, and the
ritual sharing of the sake was carried out one final time. The old
Shinto priest said a few more prayers, and stepped back, head bowed.
	"The rings, please?" the priest said. Hotaru and Shingo stepped
forth, handing the respective rings to the bride and groom, and
returned to their positions. "Mamoru, place the ring upon Usagi's
finger, and repeat after me: with this ring, I thee wed." 
	Mamoru held the silver ring nervously. The crescent-moon setting
held a small, intricately faceted diamond, resembling a tiny
Ginzuishou. With trembling hands, he slipped the ring onto Usagi's
finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," he said.
	"Usagi, place the ring upon Mamoru's finger, and repeat after me:
with this ring, I thee wed."
	The ring Usagi placed on Mamoru's finger was a simple silver band,
engraved with three intertwined roses. A diamond chip was set into
the bud of each rose. "With this ring, I thee wed."
	"By the power vested in me by God and by the kami," the priest said,
this time so caught up in the ceremony that the mention of Shinto
deities didn't faze him, "I pronounce you husband and wife. You may
kiss the bride."
	Usagi practically fell into Mamoru's arms, and the crowd applauded
as they kissed. 
	It was at that moment that an impossible soft breeze began to fill
the temple. The guests murmured, and the ring of Senshi looked around
somewhat nervously.
	
	Usagi took one step away from Mamoru, the breeze stirring her long
pigtails. The newlyweds gazed deeply into one another's eyes,
something deep and beyond understanding passing between them. Then,
Usagi took Mamoru's hand in hers, and both turned to face the
assembled guests. Everyone in the crowd gasped as a brilliant golden
crescent moon flared upon her brow. The breeze was now stirring
Mamoru's hair, as well as that of the Sailor Senshi. One by one, the
sigils upon their foreheads began to flare brightly.
	Usagi tilted her head back, closing her eyes. Several of the guests
fainted as a pair of huge, feathery white wings burst from her
shoulderblades, spreading out behind her. The rising wind picked up
some of the loose down from her wings and tossed it about.
	By this point, Usagi's parents were becoming hysterical, and Ikuko
was on the verge of fainting. Shingo looked nervously at Hotaru,
whose forehead was now glowing with the violet sigil of Saturn.
"Wh--what's goin' on?" he asked her.
	"I don't know," Hotaru answered absently. 
	Motes of light danced around Mamoru, and formed into three new
accessories: a white cape flowing from his shoulders, a white mask
over his eyes, and a sheathed saber hanging at his side. 
	The Ginzuishou flared upon Usagi's...now Serenity's...chest, and she
rose from the ground, a pillar of soft white light flowing around
her. Behind them, the eight Senshi spontaneously transformed. No
henshin wands, no transformation phrases. Just a blinding flash of
light, and there they stood. Recovering from the initial shock, the
Sailor Senshi quickly assessed the situation, and in pairs began
dropping to one knee, heads bowed. Pluto had summoned her staff, and
Saturn held the Silence Glaive. Both Senshi held their respective
weapons still as flagposts. Shingo edged nervously away from Saturn,
but didn't move too far. Tomoe simply stood behind Pluto, seemingly
more curious than afraid. Yuuichirou, on the other hand, had fainted.
Motoki simply seemed shocked, while Naru filled Umino in on the
secret of the Sailor Senshi. 

	*****

	"Look...! Her shine has become stronger!"
	"Yes...it seems Sailor Moon has become her true self, Serenity."
	"Absolutely beautiful...the brilliant shine..."

	*****

	The brilliant light flaring from the Ginzuishou spread outward from
Serenity's body, bathing the temple in its radiance. Everywhere the
light touched, the building itself seemed to be changing. Some of the
guests had fled in panic by this point, while Ikuko had fainted, and
Kenji had gone into shock. The Catholic priest was crossing himself,
and Hino-san alternated between staring at Sailor Mars, and chanting
a litany of prayers.
	Wood, tatami, and ricepaper began changing into pure, brilliant
crystal around them. Wherever the light of the Ginzuishou spread, the
temple became smooth and beautiful, reflecting the dazzling light
show a million times from a million angles.

	*****

	On the street facing Hikawa Shrine, people stopped and stared as
columns and rays of light erupted from the hilltop temple. "What is
it?" one bystander asked. "What's going on up there?" murmured
another, as a small knot of people fled down the steps of the shrine,
screaming bloody murder. 
	As a crowd slowly gathered on the street, people forgetting their
destinations and tasks to stare in awe, wonder, and fear at the
impressive light show, the steps leading up to the shrine began to
glow, and within seconds, seemed to have become encased in ice, or
glass. As bizarre as this was, it paled in comparison to what
happened next.
	The column of light erupting into the sky began to taper, and
solidify. It stayed that way for near a full minute. 
	When the light finally died down, a spire of crystal, easily visible
from the street below, rose into the sky from what used to be the
main temple of Hikawa Shrine.
	Two cats who had elected (or rather, had been elected) to miss the
ceremony shared a glance, and dashed up the crystal steps to the
strange new building.

	*****

	The blinding light finally died down, and Serenity's feet touched
the smooth, glassy floor. The Sailor Senshi still knelt in a circle
around the recently-married couple. Shingo had taken a cue from
Saturn, and was kneeling, although he had absolutely no idea why.
Naru and Umino had also decided to kneel, as had Tomoe. 
	Serenity let her wings drop slightly as she landed, and smiled over
at her husband. Endymion returned the smile, and squeezed his wife's
hand. 
	Ikuko had recovered, and was staring at her daughter...or was this
her daughter? She wasn't sure of anything anymore. "U...Usagi?"
	Serenity smiled, and shook her head slightly. "Yes, and no, mother,"
she said in a gentle voice unlike her normal tones. 
	Kenji stepped forward. "What...what's going on here?"
	Serenity opened her mouth as if to speak, but was cut off by Pluto.
"All kneel before and hail Their Majesties, Neo-Queen Serenity and
King Endymion." Usagi's parents found themselves on their knees
before they consciously registered what they were doing.
	Serenity smiled brilliantly. "You may rise, Mother, Father," she
said. 
	Kenji and Ikuko fell blissfully unconscious.
	"I think that went well," Endymion commented. 

	*****

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"Try to control yourself..."
"Hey, I'm 20. I'm male. I'm single. I'm not 
getting any. What do you expect?"
"...I stand corrected. And you...just...stand."
-Conversation between Lurker and an 
anonymous AOL user
---
The Eternal Lost Lurker
...gettin' ficcy wit' it...
EternalLostLurker@worldnet.att.net
http://www.geocities.com/~etlostlurker

"Heeere leezard, leezard, leezard..."
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