Hello to one and all from the climatic madhouse that is New England! Thanks for choosing to read my latest bout with insanity. And to think they called me mad at the University! Bwahahahaha!!!
Standard Disclaimer: I do not now, nor have I ever owned Sailor Moon and her associates. They are the rightful property, in North America, of DIC and Toei Corp in Japan. Sailor Moon sprang from the fertile imagination of the incredibly gifted Naoko Takeuchi. Lorilei is the brain child of Karyana, Princess of the Moon and all points south of Delaware, and is used here with her gracious permission. The S'Eyre are mine, lock, stock and gates. Please ask my permission if you want to use them, or I'll be forced to put the curse of "Mary Malone and Her Nine, Blind Orphan Children" on you.
Please write to me at MearaRI@aol.com. I love mail - who doesn't? And remember to be nice. The good you do comes back to you, but bad Karma is forever.
 
 
"Royal Wedding"
A Sailor Moon story in at least three parts
By Meara
Rated "PG" 
 
Chapter Two: "If The Devil's In The Details Should I Set Another Place For Dinner?
 
Why on earth did they call it morning sickness, Usagi wondered. Here it was, four in the afternoon and she was once again vigorously attempting to up chuck her toes. At least she had help this time. 
"About done?" came the disgustingly cheerful voice of her husband (she just loved the sound of that word - husband!). He was holding her very long hair out of her way as she prepared to do battle with the commode yet again.
Usagi merely shook her head. Everything she'd eaten in the past two thousand years was getting its revenge on her, she decided. Just the thought of one of those triple fudge, whipped cream topped, calorie laden sundaes she used to consume sent her over the edge. This time seemed to bring some relief, however, and she slumped onto the cool, marble floor with an amazingly articulate grunt.
Mamoru smiled as he handed her a damp face cloth. Usagi took it and rubbed it about her face and shoulders. "You're enjoying this way too much." She groused at him.
Mamoru laughed and helped her to her feet. Together they made their way to the large bed they shared. He tenderly assisted Usagi onto it and reached for the crackers that were on a near by night table. "Sorry. Are you ready for these?"
"No." Usagi flopped down and pulled a pillow over her head as she groaned. "Are we having fun yet?"
"I don't know about you, but I find the sight of the Queen calling 'Ralph' on the big white 'phone very amusing. I can just hear the Major Domo now." Mamoru cupped his hand and lowered his voice. "Introducing Her Expectant Majesty.."
"Serenity the Nauseous!" came the voice under the pillow. Usagi sighed loudly. Tossing the pillow aside and onto Mamoru, she slowly and cautiously propped herself into an upright position. Mamoru was about to make another, pithy comment, but a black look from Usagi stopped him. He handed her a small cracker.
"You know, we've got to decide when we're going to tell the world that you're pregnant." Mamoru said.
The crackers tasted like salted sand paper and stuck to the roof of her mouth. "We've got plenty of time for that, Mamo-chan. I'm not going to start showing for another couple of months. Besides, no one even suspects anything is different."
"I'm not so sure about that, Usako." She stopped chewing at his statement. He made a small circular motion with his hand and she dutifully chomped on the saltine. "The old 'the Queen has the flu' excuse is just about at the limit of it's credulity."
Usagi forced another cracker in her mouth. "No one's said anything to me" she mumbled around bites.
Mamoru laughed. "What did you expect? Somehow I can't see the Prime Minister slipping it in with small talk. 'Nice day we're today, your Majesty. By the way, I can't help but notice that you're hurling everyday at eight and four. Would your Majesty be pregnant, perhaps?' It can't hurt to let at least a few people know that we've got a little bun in the royal oven." He leaned over and patted her stomach gently.
"Okay, okay, you win. But let's tell our friends first. Ami all ready knows, of course. We have to tell Mako, Rei and Mina before we let anyone else know. Oh, And Luna and Artemis, too! Luna's going to be so ticked off at me for not telling her sooner." She took another bite of the cracker, but looked at it suspiciously. "These things are really awful. Who decided this was good for a pregnant woman, anyway? Some man who never has to eat them, that's who!"
Mamoru planted a quick kiss on Usagi head. "I'll assemble the troops. You just rest for a few minutes." He leaned down and gently kissed her stomach. "You be a good baby for Mommy and let her rest." That done, he set off to arrange a meeting.
<<<<<>>>>>
By and large Aino Minako loved her job and it surely loved her. 
With a face and body that could have inspired Botticelli, hair the color of sunshine and eyes that were bluer than the sea, she was simply made to be photographed. Minako could wear an old burlap bag and make it look good. Her acting skills were such that she was more than capable of delivering any and all Palace news with just the right amount of sincerity, joy, annoyance, outrage, or whatever emotion was called for. And she made it look easy. Normally , for her at least, it was easy.
Today, however, was not normal. No day had been normal in the last two weeks since Usagi and Mamoru had decided to renew their wedding vows in a public forum. Mina had been spending a good portion of every day dealing with just the sort of person before her. Fixing a diplomatic smile on her face, she asked the question she really didn't want have answered.
"And you are who again..?"
The young woman in front of her drew herself up into a stance that she obviously considered regal. She flipped one, long, badly died blonde pony tail over her shoulder carefully. The woman turned her head so that the crescent moon she'd painted on her forehead with enameled nail polish caught the light.
 
"I am her Royal Highness, Tranquility, Princess of Demos and Phoebes. And I demand to see my cousin, Serenity at once! I simply must be have at least four invitations to her ceremony!" She began to move about, gesticulating her hands in a manner that was nothing short of bizarre. "I am Tranquility, the pretty soldier of love and fairness! You must give me what I need! If that doesn't happen, then in the name of Demos and Phoebes, I'll punish you!" As she finished her speech one of the "odongos" perched precariously on her head began to shift.
"I'm so sorry, 'Princess', but as I said before, unless you're on the list, I can't give you an invitation to the Renewal." Said Minako as she realized that she wasn't getting paid nearly enough to deal with all of this. "If you'd like to leave me your address, I'll bring it to the Queen's attention as soon as possible. I'm quite sure she'd simply love to have her dear cousin, Tranquilizer..."
..."Tranquility!"
Mina simply smiled again. "Whatever...her very dear cousin with her on that special day. She'll be in touch". Rising out of her chair she took the flustered "Princess" by the elbow and moved her toward the door. Mina ignored the long litany of titles the woman spouted and simply said, "Thanks for coming by." as practically shoved the wayward royalty out the door. One of the odongos finally lost its battle with gravity and hit the floor. Before it could bounce twice Mina caught it and quickly closed the door behind her. She leaned against the closed door and sighed heavily. In the background she could hear the faux "princess" complaining loudly as the guards showed her the quickest way out.
"Let me guess" came a voice she knew all too well, "long lost twin sister?"
"Close, a cousin." Mina went to her desk and plunked down into the chair. She sighed, rubbing her temples gently. "I've dealt with three cousins, five sisters, and two Queen Selene's just this morning. But only one a long lost twin." 
Artemis jumped gracefully onto the desk and rubbed his head against her arm. "Not like the old days is it?" A wicked smile played across his feline features. "Remember when we were the ones trying to get in a casting agent's door? I seem to recall the time you said you were the Princess of Venus to get an audition for a margarine commercial."
"Don't provoke me, furball, I've a had a long week and it's only Tuesday!" Mina smiled to negate the implied threat. "Besides, not only would I have been fabulous in that commercial, but I really am the Princess of Venus."
Artemis brought one paw up to his forehead in mock dismay. "And now, poor girl, she's forced to live in a palace. She slaves away at a dreary job that makes her the fifth most recognized person on the planet. How does she stand it?"
Minako scooped up her one time guardian in her arms. "I'll have you know that I'm now the fourth most recognized person according to a new poll done by "Newsmonth" magazine. I managed to beat out that nauseatingly sweet purple dinosaur this time."
"Congratulations. Need a break?" asked Atremis. "Usagi and Mamoru have called a meeting in a little over an hour."
Actually, it was exactly the type of excuse she'd been looking for. The chance to flee her office before any more previously unknown lunar royalty showed up was to good to miss. Planting a kiss on Artemis's furry little head, she made for the front door. Opening it a crack, she hissed to the guard just down the hall.
Gordon MacLaren had been in the army almost 30 years even before the rise of Crystal Tokyo. He'd been quite happy to accept the position of Sargent At Arms when it was offered to him. The truth be told, the Scotsman liked his "Wee Queen" and her staff. Mina reminded him of the daughter he'd never had and was especially fond of her. She was a sweet and pretty girl. He knew that she was the type who'd never dealt with anything more serious than a hang nail. He liked to make sure that he was around, just in case someone decided to try and get rough with her.
"Is there a problem, Mina?" he asked with a thick Scots burr in his voice. "Are any of these so called Ladies and Gentlemen giving you a hard time?" There was no doubt that MacLaren would make short work of anyone who did.
"The Queen's called a meeting in an hour. Would you be a dear tell all of these nice to people to go away?"
This caused MacLaren to laugh softly. "And when would you be wanting them to come back?"
Mina thought a moment. "In about a year sounds right!"
"Hold up a minute, lass." He said raising a hand, "Is this meeting official or personal?"
Atremis hopped out into the hall from in back of Mina's legs and looked up at Sargent MacLaren. "Personal, this time, my good man." The Lunar cat knew that the gruff old Scot had never really adjusted his life view to include talking felines. He loved to yank the poor man's chain when ever possible. "And it'll be in the King's study. You can post as many guards around it as you want." 
MacLaren gave Artemis a look that had been known to make recruits soil themselves. "Aye" It was amazing just how much meaning he could put into that one word. Mina winked at him and blew him a kiss before shutting the door.
The Sargent at Arms was moving the herd of royalty wannabe's out to the front gate of the palace when it happened. His steel gray moustache began to itch. This was never a good thing. In the thirty years he'd been in the service he'd learned that his tingling cookie duster could mean one of two things. There was either going to be rain or trouble. Since there wasn't a cloud in the sky, it had to trouble. MacLaren moved the protesting tide of peers along as fast as possible. If his hirsute face was right, he was going to be needed and soon.
<<<<<>>>>>
"You're what?!"
Minako, Rei(who all ready knew, of course, but wasn't about to tell the others that she'd found out because she'd been eavesdropping!), Makoto and Luna all managed to blurt out the question at the same time. The chorus made all the participants put hands to mouth, or paws in Luna's case, in shock. No one had meant to shout, it seemed to just happen.
"Pregnant." Replied Usagi from her very comfy chair by the fireplace. "You know, expecting, pregers, in the family way, that sort of thing."
Luna gave an exasperated sigh. "I know what pregnant means, Usagi. What I really meant to ask is how this happened." Luna blushed as soon as the words were out of her mouth.
Usagi was enjoying her friend's discomfort. It was a chance to repay Luna for years of that feline "know-it-all" attitude. "Well first of all, when a mommy and a daddy really love each other..." Mamoru, who was standing behind the chair began to laugh.
"Usagi! I know all about how sex works!" Luna shouted. Artemis waggled his eyebrows at her. This was not going well at all. "Oh, God.." she murmured, "That's not quite what I meant."
Usagi merely batted big, blue eyes at her in all innocence. "Are there any other questions you don't really want to ask me, Luna?"
Luna was mercifully cut off by a burst of silver light. Mamoru jumped in front of wife as the other Senshi took up defensive positions. The light resolved itself and faded to reveal a regal looking young woman with hip length green hair. 
"Sailor Pluto?" Mamoru finally asked. "Setsuna, is that you?"
Enigmatic Pluto gave the barest hint of a smile before bowing to the Queen and King. "I greet you in the name of Pluto your Majesties! I have come to congratulate you on the coming birth of your child."
The Senshi relaxed as they too finally recognized the Keeper of the Gate of Time. "It is you, Setsuna!" called Ami. She went to the tall woman and gave her a short hug. "Where have you been? When we couldn't find you after the awakening, we feared you were lost like Uranus and Neptune."
Setsuna smiled again. "Forgive me for not coming to you before now, but I've been...busy with a few details. I'm so happy to see that you all survived the great sleep and are together again."
Mina spoke up. "Usagi and Mamoru are going to renew their wedding vows in public. You're just in time to be a part of that, Setsuna."
"Oh, I will, " replied Setsuna, "but for now I have to keep a low profile." She turned to face the King and Queen with a formal flair. "I've also come to let you know that you're going to have some visitors very soon. Please rest assured that they aren't new enemies. Luna and Artemis should be able to fill you in on some of the details."
Makoto was in charge of security and couldn't help but ask the obvious question. "If you're here, who's watching the Timegate?" she asked.
Setsuna shrugged. "The Timegate is part of me, where I go, it goes, too." She turned to face the lunar cats. "By the way, the Senshi of Silence sends her greetings. She stands ready."
Luna and Atremis gave each other a knowing look. "You mean Kalliopea?" Luna finally asked. "Has she finally been reborn? How wonderful for you!"
"Thank you, "Setsuna replied politely. "Although she's called Lorilei, now." The blank looks on the human faces told her that they hadn't the slightest clue what she was talking about. "And yes, it is so good to be together again." 
 
They didn't remember about Lorilei! Did this mean that they didn't remember about the Treaty of Selene? Oh dear, this could be trouble. Setsuna needed to think about what to do next. There were times when having the reputation as being inscrutable came in handy. You could suddenly leave and people thought you were off to do something profound. 
"I must go now, but rest assured that I will be back." The silver light appeared again and she stepped into it. "Take care Usagi! And try a little plain, white rice instead of the crackers. It'll sit better on your stomach."
Setsuna could hear the other Senshi peppering Usagi and Mamoru with questions about the baby as the portal into the Time corridor shut behind her. Before she could go more than a step a large, wet, ball of snow hit her dead center on the back of her head.
"Hey Suna! I got a portal open to some place - the North Pole I think! And guess what? It's snowing there!" A tall woman, the mirror image of Setsuna, but dressed in jeans and a lilac colored sweater, walked toward the Senshi of Pluto. She had another snowball in her hand that she was tossing up and down.

Lorilei was her twin from the Silver Millenium, Kalliopea, reborn. She'd been awakened, as Sailor Charon, when the Timegate had nearly been stolen before the Plague and Great Sleep. The battle for it had almost cost all of them their lives. But Usagi's loving heart and fighting spirit had saved them all. When Sailor Moon had helped them repair fractured time, all memory of Sailor Charon had vanished. They knew Lorilei only as the reincarnation of the twin Setsuna had mourned for almost a thousand years. Luna and Atremis alone knew that the Senshi of Silence was a code name for the last great secret weapon of the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Charon. But the others should have known who Lorilei was. Had everyone lost so much of their past to the Great Sleep?
~~~~~For the whole story, read "Gates of Time" by Meara and Karyana~~~~~

"Lori, we've got trouble." Setsuna turned to face her twin. She brushed away the last of the snow from her hair. "The others don't remember our forthcoming "guests", or the treaty of Selene."
Lorilei threw the now melting hunk of snow over her shoulder. She grimaced as if she'd tasted something bad. "Shimata! How did they take the news about Jameth when you told them?"
Setsuna stared back at her other half, silent for a long moment. Lorilei moaned when she realized the truth. "Oh Suna, you didn't tell them did you?"
"Well, no." admitted Setsuna slowly. "What was I supposed to say? 'By the way everyone an alien race that thinks it's been allied with you for two thousand years is coming to call. Oh and one of them wants to marry Usagi.' Mamoru would have hit Jameth before his travel gate was closed. The last thing Crystal Tokyo needs at this point is a war with the S'Eyre." replied Setsuna, a little taken a back.
"I know you did what you thought was best, Suna" continued Lorilei in a soothing voice, "But don't you think a strange Prince showing up to court and marry Usagi is going to come as something of a shock to the newlyweds?"
Setsuna gave one of those tiny, confident shrugs that drove some folks mad. "We both know that Jameth can stand stark naked under a full moon and sing love songs at Usagi until he's hoarse. It won't do him any good. Usagi has and will always love only Mamoru. Besides, she's expecting his child. Having the woman Jameth's courting pregnant by another man will cool his ardor, I'm sure."
Lorilei gave her sister a knowing look. "That's not going to matter to that twit Jameth - or the High King for that matter. Children are a gift to the S'Eyre, anyone's children."
"Like I said..." started Setsuna.
"...We've got trouble." Finished Lorilei. "Oy, have we got trouble!"

<<<<<>>>>>

The last hour was one of the happiest the Senshi could remember spending in a long while. With the news of Usagi's pregnancy, joy had transformed the tired stewards of Crystal Tokyo into young women again. They laughed and talked and ate as in days of old. Mamoru and Artemis had decided early on that this was a time for 'the girls". They had gone off to discuss how soon the government could get the baseball leagues up and running again.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you all sooner. Everything seemed so complicated and we were all so busy.." Said Usagi as she reached another orange. She fumbled with the thick peel. 
Makoto answered for them all. "Hey you told us now, that's what important. Have you thought about names, yet?"
"Mina is a nice name" smiled Minako. "Princess Minako of Crystal Tokyo. That has an elegant ring to it."
Luna got her two cents worth in, "Or you could go with the traditional name, Serenity. After all, that's what you're known as. Take your mother into account and she could be Serenity the third."
"Princess of Crystal Tokyo." Started Ami.
"Heir to the Moon Kingdom..." added Rei.
"...And the Imperium Silver Crystal!" finished Mako.
Usagi was still trying to start her orange. She turned it around and around in her hand attempting to find a promising place to begin peeling. "I don't know about that guys. If we call the baby Serenity and I'm still going by Serenity, there could be confusion." She finally gave up and just bit into the peel, spraying a fine orange mist on everyone as she did so.
"I can just imagine what it's be like when she's a teenager and the phone rings." Said Mina lightly. She pretended to pick up an imaginary telephone and hold it to her ear. "What's that you say? A call for Serenity? Which one do you want? Big Serenity or little Serenity?"
Rei could see where this was going. "Young Serenity or old Serenity?"
Usagi had just popped a segment of the fruit into her mouth. She spoke through a mouthful of sweet juice. "Hey! If I'm old in fifteen years so are you guys!"
It was Ami's turn. "Serenity the Queen or Serenity the Princess."
Makoto couldn't resist adding fuel to the fire. "Serenity the mother or Serenity the virgin?" This got her chortling. She exploded into hearty laughter as a new thought occurred to her. "I can't wait to see how Mamoru will take it when she's old enough to date! That'll be fun to watch!"" 
This set the rest of them off and all began too laugh uproariously. It was such a relief to be able to be silly again that it caused them to be absolutely giddy. Usagi laughed so hard she almost choked on her orange. "Oh boy!" she giggled as she wiped away the tears of joy, "It's been too long since we did something like this."
Ami spoke through laughter. "Maybe this means things are finally starting to quiet down some."
The pounding of feet outside in the hall sounded even before Ami had finished speaking. There was a hasty knock at the door. It opened a crack to reveal the bewhiskered features of Gordon MacLaren.
"Your pardon, ladies, but the King asked me to fetch you, Your Majesty. There seems to be a bit of a ruckus at the front gate that requires your attention." The Sargent at Arms accent was especially thick in his excitement and it took the girls a moment to understand him.
"Well," sighed Ami, "I have been known to be mistaken now and then."
Makoto gave the others a telling look. "You go ahead, Usagi, we'll be along in a minute. We have to, um.." she looked at the Scotsman and paused. The everyday identities of the Sailor Senshi weren't public knowledge yet. "...change first."
Disregarding protocol, MacLaren had insisted on going before the Queen into the open courtyard. It was very difficult to shield someone if you weren't in front of them. And he always had thought that the white gowns the Queen liked to wear made her a splendid target. 
There was a large crowd gathering at the front gate by the time they got to it. Usagi saw Mamoru standing with the recently transformed Sailor Senshi. "Stay back, Serenity" he called, doubly mindful of her safety now that she was with child. "This might be dangerous! Sailor Senshi, to the Queen!"
They ran to the Queen and formed a protective circle about her. MacLaren grunted once in relief that the Queen's special guard was there before taking off to order his own men.
"Guys, I can't see!" protested Usagi as she jumped up and down trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid!"
Makoto stepped ever so slightly to the right so that Usagi could get a fine view of the unfolding spectacle.
About twenty feet from the Palace's front gate was a huge silver door. It was open and shone with a light from within. What was even more amazing were the men who came through it at even intervals. They each carried a brightly colored package which they set down not five feet from the gate's entrance. That done, they politely bowed and made their way back into the gate, only to be replaced by a new gift bearer.
"Think these are the visitors Pluto told us to expect?" asked Mina.
"Well whoever they are," Rei remarked dryly, "these people don't exactly travel light do they?"
The pile of colorful boxes grew for about ten minutes before the last bearer vanished back into the silver door. There was a pause, a blare of trumpets and, of all things, a bright, red carpet that unrolled itself as it came through the door. A man stepped through the portal with a flourish. 
Mina took one look at his outfit and gave a gasp of horror. "Sweet mother of pearl..."
He was dressed in garment chosen with exquisite bad taste. His hair was silver and tied back at the neck. The bright green morning coat, complete with tails, clashed vigorously with the orange shirt he had on underneath it. His knee length pants were vivid blue. His socks and shoes were a glittering red. He waved and smiled delightedly at the people gaping at him.
"I am Jameth, son of Maivelle and Groven!" He shouted to the assembled crowd, "Royal Scion of the house the Cordae! Prince of the S'Eyre! Grand Duke of Killdore, Count of Sethfeld, Baron of Ceancee, Lord of the Seven Marshes.."
Mamoru had come back to where the Senshi were still surrounding Usagi. He leaned over and spoke in a low voice to his wife, "Jackass of the First Order...". Usagi whacked him on the shoulder.
Jameth continued, undaunted, "Master of Nothwyn Castle, Holder of Danjir, Spear of Light and Ambassador of His Imperial Majesty Cryill, High King of all the S'Eyre to the Court of Crystal Tokyo and the Moon Kingdom!"
As he finally paused for breath, Luna ran to Usagi. Before Luna had a chance to ask any questions, Jameth saw her, smiled and bowed deeply. 
"Wise One, Great Luna!" he called in her direction, "I have come to fulfill the ancient treaty! I have come to claim my bride..."
Every eye in the courtyard (and the entire world it seemed to the lunar cat) turned to look at Luna.
"...Serenity, last Princess of the Silver Millenium!"
Mamoru stiffened at the pronouncement and snorted like an enraged bull. Usagi was still staring at those ruby red shoes. For a long moment she heartily wished that he'd click the heels together three times and go back to where ever the hell he came from. Luna sighed nervously, as she raised one paw to her long suffering brow and mumbled, "...Oh,dear!"
<<<<<>>>>>>
Next: Chapter three - "The Unwelcome Guest" or "Don't Let The Gate Hit You Where The Dog Just Bit You."