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Chapter Three

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"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."

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 a thoroughly 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 dessicated insect, rodent, and lizard corpses.

The Senshi, minus Usagi, were busily preparing Hikawa Shrine for the upcoming wedding. Rei's grandfather was coordinating with a Catholic minister from a local cathedral, planning out the flow of the 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...Chibiusa-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 Chibiusa?"

Ami nodded. "I don't see any way it could be Chibiusa. The baby will be born months before next June."

Rei rubbed her chin. "Well, it's not like we know for certain Chibiusa is Usagi's only child. I mean, she could have had lots of children before Chibiusa'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 what 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...no words could describe the vision before him now.

Hotaru wore a knee-length, low-cut gown of deepest purple crushed velvet. The skirt was not too tight, but not very loose either, and swished fluidly around her thighs as she moved. A large maroon bow made of the same material 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 stockings 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, 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 a tight secret.

Yes, this was definitely going 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 uniforms. 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 with 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 taken the earrings off as Mars and kept 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 orange dress with a tight, clinging skirt. Then there was Ami...for some reason, she had chosen a blue, body-hugging qipao. It definitely flattered her. Makoto had opted for a traditional ballroom gown in green, 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 powdered lavender tuxedo with a 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?"

"Of course, sir. 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. "Hino-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 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 guests sat transfixed as Rei sang a slow, soft romantic ballad. 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 Maboroshi no Ginzuishou.

The entire assembly watched, mesmerized, as Usagi gracefully walked down the aisle alongside her mother, the whisper of silk 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 in the presence of Buddha 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 this man, 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 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 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, a small replica of the crystal resting upon Usagi's chest. 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 ponytails. 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 shakily.

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, forced) 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 newly-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. "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 Royal 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," she said.

Kenji and Ikuko fell blissfully unconscious.

"I think that went well," Endymion commented.

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