The Wedding Part 3: The Ceremony By Mark Berger Starting Notes: For anybody who has never seen the dub, Terri Hawkes (through most of the series), Katie Griffin, Stephanie Morganstern, Karen Bernstein and Susan Roman are the North American voices of the Inner Senshi, and Toby Proctor is the North American voice of Darien through most of the series. For the first ten episodes, plus episodes 21 and 41, the voices of Serena and Darien were Tracey Moore and (??). After Episode 65, Toby Proctor quit the cast because of scheduling conflicts and money and Vince Corazza (who previously voiced Alan) took over the voicing of Darien. However, I feel that the best voice artists representing Serena and Darien are Terri Hawkes and Toby Proctor. The "Do you like what you see" bit is swiped verbatim from Troy "Silver" Stanton's "Sailor Moon V" series. * * * June 1, 1997 Nearly a year of feverish preparations had passed, with Serena extremely anxious for the Big Day. At her bridal shower, she had invited nearly everybody she'd met through Sailor Moon and gotten to know as Serena, and more friends, besides. It had been then that she had announced the big one: whether Molly or Rei would be her Maid of Honor. * * * "Okay," sighed Serena, "We took everything into consideration when we were deciding who would be my Maid of Honor." She paused appropriately, then grinned and added, "And it came down to flipping a coin." She walked over to Molly and hugged her oldest friend. "Congratulations, Molly." Then, she turned to the others. "My bridesmaids are gonna be Rei, Ami and Lita." The other Inner Senshi crowded around and congratulated Molly, with Rei first, much to Serena's relief. The raven-haired Senshi had been hoping greatly to be Serena's Maid of Honor, and Serena had been afraid she'd take it badly. * * * She stepped into her wedding dress, which was very close to what she'd worn on that last fateful night on the Moon, except without the shoulder flares. Ikuko helped her lace up the back. Save for the tiara and the Moon Crescent, she looked like Neo-Queen Serenity. Outside, the head usher asked a group of people their names. "Terri Hawkes." "Katie Griffin." "Stephanie Morganstern." "Karen Bernstein." "Susan Roman." "We're with the bride's party," added Hawkes. Next was a blond-haired man. "Toby Proctor. I'm with the groom's party." For this special occasion, Serena had chosen to do her hair differently: the meatballs remained, but the pigtails were braided together behind her head into a single long, braided ponytail. She had taken a while to get used to the hairstyle, making sure that Darien knew nothing of the change. Finally, all was in order and Serena was ready to begin the walk down the aisle. The music started, and first down the aisle were Molly and Andrew, who was Darien's best man. Following were Rei and Chad, Lita and Ken, Ami and Greg. Finally, it was time for the couple to process. Serena joined Darien, and his eyes registered surprise for a moment, then acceptance. *Do you like what you see?* asked her eyes. *Very much, my love,* answered his. The rest of the ceremony was a bit of a blur to Serena, but her heart leapt during the second reading: First Corinthians, chapter 13. "Love suffers long and is kind, love does not envy, love does not put on airs,..." Serena thought of all the times she had thought she had lost Darien to another, and knew it was her love for him that brought her through the darkness. "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things..." Darien thought of the times he had been separated from Serena, and when they had finally come back to each other, and knew that it was true. "And now keep faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love." The two nodded unconsciously in total agreement, and each shed a single tear, knowing that the worst was yet to come, but they would, as they always had before, see it through together. Her mind leapt to the ceremony again as soon as the priest began to intone the traditional vows. Both Serena and Darien responded as was tradition, "I do." As soon as Serena and the bridesmaids left the church, the other girls crowded around her and hugged her. "Congratulations... Mrs. Chiba," cried Rei happily. Although she still bore romantic feelings toward Darien, she was ecstatic that the two people she loved most in the world had finally found what they needed: each other. Finally, after the seemingly endless reception line, the couple got into the limousine. The reception was at the Dia Kingdom embassy, which the royalty of the Dia Kingdom had insisted on for some reason. Serena relaxed into Darien's arms. "We finally made it, Darien!" "Yeah. I was afraid that we'd run into some new hideous monster somewhere along the way and have to show everybody who Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask really are." "Right. Even the NegaVerse knows better than to attack us on our wedding day." Serena kissed him eagerly, and he kissed back firmly. At the reception, Lita was already anxiously running around, making sure the catering was right. The Inners had come up with with sufficient funding in the form of loans and personal money to give to Lita on her eighteenth birthday to open a restaurant. Lita had returned their investment in full, with interest, by the end of her first month in business. When the Senshi had tried to refuse the repayment, Lita insisted in no uncertain terms. She was one of the most successful new business owners in Tokyo, making nearly two million dollars in her first six months in business. Wealth, of course, hadn't changed Lita one bit; she was still the same tomboyish, impulsive girl she had always been. * * * At Lita's Grill, a few patrons who hadn't been around in a month tested the door before noticing the sign on it: On June 1-2, this restaurant will be closed, for the celebration of the wedding of Serena U. Tsukino and Darien M. Chiba. It will open again for business on June 3. Thank you for your understanding. As she saw her Princess and friend, Ami couldn't help but rise out of respect for her. Everybody else noticed and stood up as well. Some joker started clinking his silverware against his glass, and everybody else joined in. Finally, the newlyweds relented and kissed, to everybody's applause. The food, as always, was excellent. It took an act of will on Serena's part to eat at a civilized pace, and to moderate the quantity that she ate, but she managed it. The dance started, and Serena and Darien took a turn on the dance floor. In the car, Serena had unbraided her pigtails and allowed them to fall freely, as usual. Since fourteen, she had grown a few inches, and she was now tall enough to see over Darien's shoulder when they danced, which was the way she liked it. Suddenly, Queen Serenity appeared. Everybody fell silent as she appeared right in the center of the ballroom. Nearly unnoticed, the Senshi transformed into their Sailor forms, the proper forms for the Sailor Senshi when the Moon Queen appeared in public. "May I have the attention of everyone, please," asked the Queen. She was holding in her hands Neo-Queen Serenity's tiara. "I must tell you all, who are the closest friends of Princess Serenity, the truth about her lives and deaths." Queen Serenity related the story of the Moon Kingdom to all those present. Somehow, Serena's family avoided losing consciousness due to shock through the story, although she saw her father look as though he was about to pass out when he heard Serena's voice pick up the tale of the final battle against Beryl and Metallia, and the fight with Fioret, and her deaths. When the story was finished, Queen Serenity handed the tiara to her daughter, and said, "My reign is ended, Daughter. May yours be fruitful. In the Name of the Moon, you are free again." "Thank you... Mother." With that, Queen Serenity died, and her essence flowed into Serena's transformation brooch, causing the girl's body to transform from Serena into Neo-Queen Serenity. Her face became more regal and wise-looking, her bearing shifted into a more-erect stance and her dress became the dress worn by Neo-Queen Serenity when the Inner Senshi had seen her in the future. Sailor Mars murmered, "The Queen is dead..." Sailor Pluto intoned, "Long live the Queen." Everyone save for the Senshi, who knew the speech about to come since they'd heard it before, knelt before the new Queen, who tearfully commanded them to rise. "Please, do not ever feel that you must kneel in my presence! I may be Queen, but I am still your friend, Serena!" Almost as if to prove her point, she stepped forward and forgot to lift the hem of her dress, tripping on it. She recovered her balance, but her point had been made. "I am no different than any of you, save for an accident of birth. If you ever feel that you must kneel before me, than I have failed you in some way, for I do not want to rule over people who fear me." Sailor Pluto nodded her head in agreement with the Queen's words. People did not have to fear her, for the gentleness that was so ingrained in Serena's nature would not fade in a thousand years, but be still as much a part of her as ever. "Neo-Queen Serenity," said Luna, "You now have a new power which you can use, in addition to all of your others. Lift your Eternal Locket to the sky and say, 'Moon Royal Make Up.'" "MOON ROYAL MAKE UP!!" In a transformation akin to her first one as Sailor Moon, Serena's body became engulfed in light. When it faded, she was in her costume as Super Sailor Moon, but now the first two segments of the shoulder parts were made of a transparent crystal, and the third became a billowing sleeve which flowed from her breastplate to her gloves. On the back were the wings of Eternal Sailor Moon. "You are now Royal Sailor Moon, Serena. This is the most powerful form of Sailor Moon, but I don't remember what your powers as Royal Sailor Moon are!" "Then I'll wing it, Luna, just like I did back when I was just Sailor Moon!" Darien became Tuxedo Mask, and the two essayed a waltz while the others in the room watched the first dance of the Royal Couple. After the first dance was finished, everybody stayed on the fringes until Sammy dared out on the floor with Mika in tow. The two had started as just friends, but since reaching sixteen had fallen in love. After that, everybody else started to dance again, as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask became Serena and Darien again. It was after midnight before the reception ended, and Serena and Darien were able to retire to the bridal suite. "Oh, Darien! This is so perfect," said Serena as Darien set her down from carrying her across the threshhold, per tradition. "As it should always be, my Queen, as it should always be." Darien stroked his fingers gently along his love's cheek. The two busied themselves with more important matters than mere speech, and much later finally fell asleep beside each other, together forever, at last. * * * At Cherry Hill Temple, Chad and Rei hugged each other tightly. "Rei," asked Chad, uncharacteristically serious, "Are you really gonna live forever?" "We think, but nobody's really sure," responded Rei. "Promise me something: when I'm gone, promise me you'll love again." Rei kissed the neophyte, her fiance, and promised him, "I will. I promise. Serena wouldn't ever forgive me if I didn't," At Chad's confused look, she added, "You know, my grandpa Magami and her grandpa Magami are brothers. That means her mom and my mom were cousins, and that means we're second cousins. I always felt a deep connection with her, even before we ever knew about the Silver Millennium. I just never realized what it was until we went through our family trees after Serena mentioned her grandpa Magami one day." Rei and Chad settled down next to each other, and their soft, deep breathing lulled each other to sleep. Next: Part 4: the Honeymoon.