Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Tides of Fortune and Destiny ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Siarene 
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.23.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 253 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Sailor Moon Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 04.23.2007 | Pages: 4 | Words: 6.6K | Visits: 253 | Status: Work In Progress
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Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny
By: Siarene
Chapter One
Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.
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<p>The heavy mist filled the room with condensation. Various shades of peach and orange attempted to peek thru its thickness in a vain attempt to avoid the hazy mist as it threatened to consume every part of the room. The bedroom consisted of nothing more than a queen-size bed with its peach colored sheets and comforter, a vanity with an oval mirror, a 6-drawer chest, two over stuffed chairs, and a modest walk in closet. Closer inspection of its warm colored interior would find its seemingly simple order disrupted by the distinct differences in the clothing littering the floor and thrown over chairs. Off to one side, was the open door that led into the bathroom, the source of the hazy mist. The bathroom’s décor was also cast in the same peach and orange hues. Inside was a basin, toilet, large marble inlay bathtub and a shower stall, currently occupied with the owners of the scattered clothing.
“Please …closer,” came a moan from the bathroom that was distinctively female. Despite the frosted glass of the shower recess, the shadows of a male and female could be seen in a most compromising position. The female’s head set back against the shower stall as water spread upon her bosom. Her partner leaned closer to entice her with his words, his hands once again sliding down the plains of her smooth, taut stomach and down to her womanhood to caress her as she moved against his hand as she continued to moan. The woman cried out with pleasure as her lover hit the right spot. She could hear his warm chuckle vibrating within his chest.
“Right there, is that what you want?” The woman shuddered as her lover slid a finger into her moist depths, sending waves of building pressure thru her. Her lover knew she was getting close to the point of exploding her passion as he caressed her inside and bent forward to suckle her ample breasts. The woman groaned as she indicated she wanted her lover to stop playing with her. He chuckled once again, no longer needing to hear her pleas. He knew her intimately as he had never known any other love in his short life of twenty-eight years.
“Please, stop teasing me.”
No sooner were the words out of the young woman’s mouth than she felt herself being deliciously invaded by her lover. Together, they moved as one until she could no longer take anymore. Her body unleashed its rapturous waves of passion as she clamped onto her lover as he exploded within her.
“Kun…..”</p>
~*~
“What the hell?” Minako woke up with a start, her body assaulted by surges of passion as if she had just experienced the woman’s pleasure as if it had been her own. “It’s that dream again. Why do I keep dreaming about this woman and man in the middle of making love? It’s never the same scene. It’s always something different.”
7am, Minako thought as she looked at the clock. Ever since the final battle with Galaxia, she started having dreaming about this couple in the throws of lovemaking. Just as she was on the brink of knowing who the man was, she would always wake up. Something about these dreams seemed familiar somehow, as if they were fragments of another lifetime. A time when peace reigned supreme and people were able to have their passions sated.
Minako started remembering bits and pieces of her past, and as the days passed by, so too the other scouts regained their memories. However, as far as she was concerned, her memories were coming much too slowly for her liking, that was, until she started having these recurring dreams about this couple. The dreams started when she saw what she thought to be an apparition of the commanding general, Kunzite. Once again, she wondered who about the identities of this couple and why she was dreaming about them. Did it have something to do with her past, and did he have something to do with it as well?
No, of course not, blondie, he was evil. You had nothing to do with the likes of him –her feelings on the matter were neither here or there. Minako looked at the clock once again and groaned. It was time to get up and get ready to go see the girls.
“Come on Minako, time to get up.” Artemis stretched out from his spot on Minako’s pillow.
“I’m already awake, Artemis. I have been awake for the past ten minutes. That dream woke me up again.”
“What dream, Minako? You keep saying you are having these dreams and by the flush on your face, they are not normal dreams. Yet, you won’t tell me, your guardian, what they are exactly.” Artemis got up and padded over to the window to look out for the telltale signs of a storm that was brewing and hadn’t notice the figure sitting across the street looking into Minako’s window.
“Is it going to storm again, Artemis?” Minako asked as she pulled on her robe, and moved towards the window, and joined Artemis. It had been rather stormy for almost a week now.
“Looks like it will. I wonder where all this unseasonable rain is coming from. I feel something evil at work.”
Minako looked at Artemis and laughed. “Rain evil? Really, Artemis, you are growing more paranoid by the day. There is no more evil nemesis to deal with. Galaxia has been defeated and Chaos is too minute a threat to be any trouble for us. What other evil could there possibly be?”
“There is always evil in the universe, Minako. The balance depends on both good and evil. I just have a feeling something is lurking out there and we have yet to detect it.” Artemis looked at Minako as she walked into her bathroom to shower and dress for school.
“Well, I for one am going to relax and enjoy the rain. We had that dry spell that almost killed off all the plant life. I am not really concerned if evil is lurking out there or not at this point, I simply want to get my last year of school over and done with so I can start my new life.” Minako poked her head out of the bathroom door.
“Well, you should worry if there is evil out there or not. You still are Sailor Venus after all.” Artemis pouted as he opened Minako’s bedroom door to go find some breakfast.
~*~
Meanwhile, outside, the lone figure watching Minako’s apartment looked up one last time before turning to leave and return to the house he shared with his three roommates. He wished he could have seen more of her than that fleeting glimpse of her as she looked out at the sky. The man wondered how Minako was doing. It seemed like ages since he had seen her. Each night he would wander around town and always end up at the same spot, looking up at her window. Oh how he wished he could just appear to her and talk to her. He had materialized before her once before, but she thought him nothing more than a ghost -- an evil that had died years earlier. No, he was not dead, not at all. In fact, he was very much alive -- living in a state of endless misery. His companions seemed to be content living their own lives, but not him. No, he was destine to be alone and live with the memories of what had once been and would never be again.
The stranger continued to walk down the road, his feet taking him not where his mind instructed him to go, but in the opposite end of town, to a high-rise building. The stranger looked up, stopped for a moment in contemplation. He approached the doorman who looked very bored as he watched the tall figure coming towards him and smiled in recognition.
“Welcome sir, she is in at the moment.” The security guard then opened the door for him as he nodded his thanks and walked quickly towards the elevators. He knew exactly where he was going.
The door closed and encased him within the confining walls of the elevator as he thought about what he was doing. Did he really want to talk with this woman again? Yes, of course he did. She knew him and was the only one he could confide in. His companions were much too busy to bother listening to his problems. This woman was very powerful and had been the one who had given them back their lives, under a deal she arranged with them. ‘Yeah… and what a life she had given me, one where the only one I love hates what I have become and ran after I appeared in front of her.’ He thought as he heard the sound of the elevator chime as it stopped and its doors opened.
The hallways decorated in a dark blue carpet, not at all like the beige floor coverings one normally encountered in apartment hallways. There was a cream border either side running its length snaking its way throughout the entire floor. Above, the ceilings adorned with crown moldings fashioned from oak where the walls met the ceiling and faithfully followed the carpeted surface below.
The stranger then walked down the long corridor, not broken by any doors except the one at the very end. This was the penthouse suite after all. He continued down the endless hallway until at last he reached the single solid oak door with its elaborately carved gold handle. He was about to knock on the door’s polished surface but hesitated, his hand suspended mid-air, trying to decide should he knock or just leave. As he was about to turn on his heel and leave, the door opened and a little girl popped her head out and giggled.
“Hotaru, what are you doing at the door?” A woman’s voice demanded from somewhere in the background behind the door as she opened it enough to see what the little girl was looking at. A young woman with green-black hair with eyes that seemed ageless regarded the visitor and smiled, opening the door wider and beckoning him to come in.
“Come in, Kunzite…” Setsuna smiled warmly as Kunzite crossed the threshold into her home. Setsuna’s accommodations were warm and inviting. The interior decorated in a series of greens and garnets. Setsuna guided Kunzite to the dining room table where Tokyo’s skyline lay resplendent through the large panoramic windows that lined the wall on the left side of the dining table. Upon the place set for Hotaru was her half eaten breakfast.
“Come Hotaru, finish your breakfast and get ready for school.”
The little girl bowed respectfully then climbed back into her chair to finish the last few bites of her waffles then skittered off down short hallway into her bedroom. She reappeared a short time later in her little sailor suit school uniform. Kunzite hadn’t moved as he watched the little girl get ready for her day.
After she had hugged Setsuna, the older woman ruffled her hair, and Hotaru left for school, Setsuna finally spoke to Kunzite. “I would offer you wine, but I do believe at 8 am in the morning, wine would be a bit too much, so how about some tea then?” He nodded, and smiling, she turned on her heel and they moved into the kitchen. As the tea brewed, she quickly cleaned up after Hotaru. With that task completed, she brought the teapot over to the table, poured them both a cup, sat down across from Kunzite, and waited for him to speak.
.::.Chiba Residence.::.
“Mamoru hurry up we are going to be late meeting the girls,” Usagi yelled after her husband of six months, who was rarely late for anything.
After the battle with Galaxia, Usagi had freed her friends and chosen to continue her life as it was before. She had woken up next to Mamoru and then almost immediately they decided to get married. Within 4 months, they wed in a small ceremony with all the sailor scouts acting as bridesmaids.
“I am coming, Usagi. If you had not turned off my alarm, we would be on time.” Mamoru called out from the bedroom.
“But that thing makes a horrible sound. Maybe I should get you a new one today when I go shopping with the girls.” Usagi wailed in protest as she watched her man walk out wearing his horrible green jacket. No matter wherever she hid that thing, he always managed to find it.
“Come on, let’s go. I don’t want to keep your friends waiting, seeing as I won’t allow you to drive my car.” Mamoru waved her towards the door and opened it for his beautiful bride. She smiled and strode out the door into the hallway. He then closed the door behind him and locked it.
“You’re just a paranoid big baby. You think I will wreck your precious little car. I am a very good driver I’ll have you know, according to mom.” Usagi pushed the down button on the elevator a little harder than she had intended, getting annoyed with him over the car issue. She had just gotten her license and could see no reason why she couldn’t drive his red sports car.
“You’re right, I am. I saw what you did to your dad’s car a couple months ago.”
As the elevator arrived and the doors slid open, they stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close in silence. Usagi stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at him. Mamoru simply gave her a pointed look telling her he was not impressed -- The sound of the elevator doors opening broke the silence as Usagi giggled for some unknown reason.
“What?” Mamoru asked, a little perturbed.
Usagi just giggled some more as she passed Eugene, the doorman on the way out of the apartment building and they made their way towards the red sports car parked out front.
Usagi put on her seatbelt as Mamoru started the engine. It roared to life and the sleek sports car pulled out from the curb. They were soon heading for the mall in the center of Tokyo. Mamoru was just dropping Usagi off to meet her friends for the day since they were in the middle of their short summer break.
“I am a little worried about the girls, especially Minako. She seems troubled by something. She always seems flushed for some reason. She says it is nothing, but she has been acting strange for three weeks now. Artemis said she saw someone in the park that had her pretty freaked out, or so says Luna.”
Mamoru kept his eyes on the road, trying to think of something to say. He himself had been having strange dreams concerning the past and his four Shitennou. He had seen all four of them as ghosts standing above their gemstones that had somehow disappeared from his nightstand drawer. He missed those stones as they had been his advisors. He even thought they might be locked inside each gemstone. They were standing at the Gate of Time with Sailor Pluto, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. What did seeing the Shitennou with my future self mean, and what could the possible outcome have been? Why did the stones disappear after that dream as well? Mamoru thought, as he got ready to answer Usagi.
“She will tell you when she is ready, Usagi. Whatever happened three weeks ago is probably none of your business. And yes I know you are her friend, but that does not mean you have to know everything.” Mamoru saw the look of displeasure on his wife’s face.
“How can I help her if she won’t tell me what is wrong. She says she is only having dreams like the rest of us. But I don’t by that. There is something else to these dreams, more than she is letting on.” Usagi was not happy about being kept out of the loop. There was something going on and she would find out what was troubling her friend.
“Just let it go for now. She will tell you eventually.” Mamoru stopped the car as the lights turned red. He waited for them to turn green as Usagi chattered on. Finally, Mamoru drove for a few minutes more before taking a left into the mall’s parking lot. I should really think about getting her own car, something small and safe to protect our little miracle. Yes, Usagi was three months pregnant with their first child. They did not understand why she was pregnant, because it could not possibly be Chibi Usa. They had gone to see Setsuna to get some insight into why Usagi was pregnant, but Setsuna kept her council and was very tight lipped about the whole thing only saying she could not give away the future.
.::.Setsuna’s Home.::.
“I know I should not even be around her. But I keep dreaming of our past. Those dreams keep me up at night. That’s why I go on long walks to clear my head. But I always end up at her apartment below her bedroom window watching all that goes on inside. I even materialized in front of her one night in a vain attempt to put her memories aside. She thought I was a ghost and ran away.”
Kunzite was not the kind of man to get frustrated all that easily. Ever sense Neo-Queen Serenity had brought him and the others back, he had been on the edge of frustration when he should really be hoping for some kind of redemption he felt he would never garner.
Setsuna just sat there sipping her tea and thought of a response, “It is quite natural to feel how you do. To seek redemption after one’s wrong doing…”
Kunzite interrupted Setsuna mid-sentence.
“But I gave up the right to be with her and my redemption the day I sold my soul to Beryl.” Kunzite said, and was most adamant about that.
“You have to understand, Her Majesty brought you back in order for you to gain redemption and give your life back to you. She understands that you were seduced by Beryl. Your own prince even forgave you for the betrayal you all committed against him as his Shitennou. Forget about Minako for the moment. You have other concerns right now. You will have to show yourself to your prince soon. Don’t worry he will not know you.” Setsuna watched as his eyes unfocused then refocused.
“Minako recognized me, so what makes you so certain my prince wont?”
Setsuna nodded sympathetically, understanding exactly where his thoughts were going and moved quickly to reassure him. “He misses the stones and he also misses you and the others for the advice and company you gave him. So when he sees you, he will remember you as his old guard, not as the dark kings.”
“Advice he never listened too.” Kunzite countered. Setsuna simply smiled as she studied Takehiko. He was always the quite and serious one of the Shitennou, the Four Heavenly Kings.
“Well you were brought back to earn your redemption as well, to be there to guide the prince thru the upcoming trials in preparation for the formation of Crystal Tokyo. He also needs to be prepared for what lies ahead in the immediate future in respect to the “great sleep” and the darkness that shall engulf the earth as it spreads before the dawning of the new era.”
Kunzite listened attentively for a while longer until she had finished before excusing himself. He then stood up ,indicating he had to leave. Setsuna soon joined him, walked him to the door, and saw him out.
I hope you made the right decision, Your Majesty, when you brought them back to life to seek their redemption, because right now, I doubt it was a good idea considering the way Takehiko is moping about judging himself so harshly. Everyone deserves a second chance, but how can I get him to see that? Nothing I have said so far has done any good. Setsuna thought as she went to her office to work on a sketch of a new dress she was working on for her boutique.
.::.Tokyo Center Mall.::.
“Where is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago,” Rei huffed as she looked at her watch again.
They were supposed to be looking at baby stuff today. Usagi wanted to look and see what kind of furniture she would like to buy for the baby. The girls just looked at her and smiled.
“Come on Rei, give her a break. When has Usagi ever been on time for anything?” Makoto pointed out as the girls laughed.
“Well her wedding,” Minako offered as Rei started to look steamed. Even after all these years, Rei still gave Usagi a hard time about everything. She still called her meatball head, even though she was pregnant and more prone to hysterics than usual.
“Don’t be so mad, Rei. Hey look, here she comes,” Ami pointed out as Usagi and Mamoru walked along the sidewalk lined with stores and their colorful windows residing on the first floor of the shopping mall.
Usagi came bouncing up to them as if she had eaten to much sugar. “You did not give her hot chocolate again for breakfast, did you, Mamoru. And you’re late, meatball head. What took you so long?” Rei waggled her finger at Usagi’s happy face.
Instead of crying as she usually did, Usagi simply smiled. “No, I shut off his horrible sounding alarm, so he woke up late. Then he took forever getting ready. I have to get him a new alarm clock, one that sounds much better than that horrible buzzing sound his current one makes. So where too first?” Usagi asked as she looked at her friends eagerly. She heard someone cough behind her. She turned around to find Mamoru standing there with an expectant look on his face. Then it suddenly dawned on her.
“Sorry, Mamoru.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. He kissed her back then stepped back and smiled. He waved goodbye to the girls and turned to leave. He had some studying to do at the university’s library.
“Did you eat breakfast, Usagi?” Minako was hungry, as, she had rushed out of the house without eating even one of the delicious small muffins in the cake container on the table.
“Breakfast sounds good, Minako. I sure did not eat anything this morning after my workout. So where should we eat. I heard there was this new place opening up called Katana’s,” Makoto put her two senses in.
“What kind of name is Katana’s for a restaurant? That is a weapon,” Ami said in a matter of fact manner as they entered the mall and started to look for said restaurant.
They walked by a selection of stores that sold: clothing, accessories, books-- that were still Ami’s favorite -- cookware and video games. They passed no baby stores on their search for Katana’s. None of the baby stores was on the third floor of the five floors of the mall.
“Mako-chan…, hey, where is this place? We have passed 5 restaurants now and I am getting very hungry.” Usagi complained as they passed a sixth restaurant.
“Maybe you should have eaten while Mamoru was getting ready, meatball head. That would have saved us all your whining.”
Usagi was about to retort when Makoto announced they had arrived at their destination. Katana’s was a quaint little place decked out in navy and creams. Makoto could see where it got its name. There were several sets of Katana’s on display upon the walls as decoration. There were other sorts of knives and swords gracing the walls of this fascinating restaurant. The girls found a table big enough for all of them and seated themselves. And each picked up their menus and began to look through them.
“What are you guys going to get? I think I will just settle for Hot Chocolate and a fruit salad….”
The girls looked at Usagi and instantly said, “ no” to the hot chocolate. The last thing they needed was a hyper-pregnant woman on their hands. Plus, chocolate had caffeine in it and that was not good for the baby. Well, small doses were ok, but not in the amount, Usagi liked.
“Try some milk, or juice, Usagi. That is much better for you than chocolate.”
Ami started to argue with Usagi as the waitress came up to take their orders. All argument stopped when the waitress introduced herself and asked them what they wanted. Makoto went first, ordering French toast, milk, Minako ordered Belgian waffles, apple juice, Rei ordered a blueberry muffin, and grape juice, Ami ordered scrambled eggs, sausage, and water, and Usagi reluctantly ordered a fruit salad and orange juice.
“All right ladies, I will go put that in for you and be right back with your drinks.” The waitress left to place the orders into her computer and get their drinks.
“That was a smart choice, Usagi.” The doctor to be in Ami said, commending Usagi as she looked around the restaurant. There looked to be about twenty tables inside the modest restaurant, the color of the walls almost identical with those of Setsuna’s home, set out in various shades of green and garnet.
“Did it strike you guys as a little funny that the decor looks just like Setsuna’s apartment?” The others shrugged, indicating it hadn’t occurred to them.
“So, where do we start looking first?” Minako, always up for shopping just like Usagi, asked first.
Usagi looked off into the depths of the restaurant as if she was willing the waitress to bring them their food faster. “I guess the baby furniture stores…. Mamoru gave me enough money to get all the furniture and a few miscellaneous items. You know: things like a few clothes, bottles, stuff for a crib, changing table, rocking chair, stuff like that.” Usagi said excited. She loved shopping and shopping for the baby would be so much fun.
“So, he basically handed over his credit card to you to shop for the baby.” Rei was skeptical. Usagi just smiled.
The girls chattered for a few more minutes until their food arrived and all chatter stopped as each girl concentrated on her food. Eating at a leisurely pace, it only took the girls thirty minutes to eat. As they waited for the check, they fished out their money to pay for their meals. When the check finally arrived, the girls paid up and left the nice little restaurant.
“So which store first?” Ami asked as they headed for the elevator that would take them to the third floor where all the baby stores were located.
“How should I know, Ami? But I did hear of a store called Purple Turtle. What kind of name that is I don’t know, but it said during the ad that it was one of the best places to get baby things.” Usagi answered as they stepped into the elevator and Makoto pushed the third floor button.
“That is a pretty pricy store, Usagi. I saw an ad in the paper with some prices listed. I am not sure you want to go there, but we can look anyway,” Makoto commented as the elevator rose.
“Well there is no harm in looking, Mako-chan, but I have to agree, if it is pricy, I would not want to shop there,” Minako added as the elevator stopped and opened silently onto a busy promenade and they got out. They walked a fair distance to the left of the elevator and found the Purple Turtle. They went inside and headed for the cribs. Usagi zeroed in on a natural wood crib.
“Look at that. I have never seen a genuine timber one before. Those I have seen always had a stain finish on them, veneer.” Usagi examined it some more when Makoto tried to get her attention.
“Um Usagi, come look at this!” Makoto held up the tag tied to the side of the crib. She waited for Usagi to look at it. She did and made a sound half a squeak and half a whistle.
“3000 for a crib that is outrageous. Mamoru would kill me if I ever spent that much on anything. Ok, Makoto, you were right. Let’s leave and go find a different store.” The girls turned and left the Purple Turtle. Once out of the store, They turned left and walked down a few more stores before entering a store called Sophia’s Baby Land. Once again, they went looking for the cribs and found them at the back of the store.
“Hey guys, come and see this one, it’s a wooden one with a reddish stain finish,” Usagi pointed to the crib she was standing in front of as the girls crowded around to look. Usagi had leaned over to look at the price tag when a sales clerk came over to see if the girls needed any help.
“Who is the expecting mother?” The sales clerk asked as she looked at the girls, trying to assess, which one of them was pregnant.
“I am ma’am.” Usagi answered as she studied the crib some more. She really liked it and reasonably priced too, at 250. It looked like it would fit in well with the color scheme of the room they had set up for the baby. They were having a girl, so the red would definitely work. The crib itself had a child safety lock where you could lower the side for better access to the child. She looked up at the saleswoman, saw the look on her face, as the woman asked Usagi how old she was. Usagi just smiled and turned away to examine the crib once more. But the woman could not get off the topic of Usagi’s age. Rei saw the look the woman gave Usagi and decided to step in.
“Do you have something to say to my friend?” the fire within Rei’s voice would have melted the sales person if she were solid ice. Before the woman could answer, Usagi put a calming hand on Rei’s arm.
“Let it go, Rei. She did nothing wrong, but present an unprofessional face and comment to a customer who is likely to spend a lot of money in her store.”
Walking by and hearing this comment from Usagi, the shift manager approached the group. “What is going on here, Susan?”
Before the salesperson named Susan could answer, Rei cut in hotly. “She asked who was pregnant and my friend Usagi answered and this woman gave her a disapproving look and comment that was rude and inappropriate for her to say to a paying customer,” Rei ranted as the girls tried to get her to calm down.
The manager looked between Usagi and her sales person. Usagi finally spoke up, “Please forgive my friend. She gets a little over zealous where her friends are concerned. I understand that people look at me and think I am too young to be married and pregnant. That is ok with me. I would just advise that you tell your employees to show some discretion when dealing with a customer. Now come on girls lets start our shopping.” Usagi said in a softer-spoken manner than she usually did.
“Ma’am when you finish shopping, have Susan come find me and we will work something out for you.” The manager put her hand on Susan’s shoulder and politely steered her away from Usagi and the girls to have a private discussion.
“Rei, next time you plan on embarrassing me like that, please give me full notice ahead, so I can leave. Now what do you girls think about this crib? I think it would look grate in the study, which we emptied out to make room for the baby.”
“I think it is pretty, Usagi and it is a great price, unlike that other one. What theme are you going to choose for the nursery?” Minako asked as she ran her eyes over the part of the store she could see: there were bunnies, Winnie the Pooh, Care Bears, Disney themed things.
“She’s going to pick bunnies, I know that for sure,” Makoto declared, all the while Usagi was blushing. Yup, they knew her that well. The girls just laughed at Usagi.
“Shut up you guys. So what if she guessed right. It’s not that funny. So shut up and let’s get to looking.” Usagi peered into her purse and pulled out the list Mamoru had made for her. Let’s see .I need a crib, changing table, chest of drawers, hamper, stroller, bassinet, bedding for crib and bassinet, and baby book. Plus whatever else I see that I want. Usagi called for the girls and showed them the list. They each took an item and went off to go find it. Minako chose to stay with Usagi. Usagi looked at her friend and became a little worried about her friend. “You look tired, Minako. Did you get any sleep last night?”
Minako shrugged and pointed to a changing table in the same reddish color as the crib. “How cute, you know, one of these days you are going to need to talk about what is bugging you.” Usagi ran her hands over the wooden surface of the table and made a mental note to tell Susan what she wanted to buy.
“When I figure out what is going on, I will let you know, Usagi. Look, I think Rei found you a chest of drawers.” Minako picked up her pace as she walked over to Rei, who was standing by a chest that matched the other two pieces. Usagi ambled on over, noting that Susan was quietly hovering in the background. “Oh good, it has five drawers. I have a feeling we are going to need them. Oh look, Makoto found the bassinet.” Usagi rushed over to look at what Makoto had found and then her eyes widened with delight as she checked out what Ami had found. It was a collapsible hamper with pink and white bunnies all over it. All that was left to go was the bedding, stroller and baby book.
“So what is left on the list, Usagi?” Ami asked as Usagi smiled and headed off towards the bedding department.
Usagi looked for about a half hour thru all the bedding choices they had and finally found a set that had the bumper crib sheet, and a comforter with bunny motifs. The girl’s ooed and ahhed over the bedding as they moved towards the stroller section. They found a stroller that would work with a car seat. So asking Makoto to help, Usagi picked out the stroller and matching car seat that of course was decorated with white bunnies.
“I’m only three months and I am already getting tired and we have not even been shopping 2 hours.” Usagi complained as she picked out a baby book with bunnies on it. She flipped thru it and saw all the pages she would have to fill out.
“Oh that is pretty, Usagi. You should go ahead and get it. If you’re tired, let’s just go and pay for these things and have Makoto take it to her car so we don’t have to tote it around and then go find some place to eat lunch.”
“Ok, sounds good to me. Let’s go find Susan and get to see whatever the manager wanted.” Usagi looked up, headed towards the front register, and found Susan patiently waiting for them. Makoto brought up the stroller and Rei carried the car seat.
“Yes ma’am… I will go get Mrs. Morgan for you.” Susan turned and hurried off to the left where a door to a nearby office was located. She returned a few minutes later with the manager, who asked if they found everything all right.
“Yes ma’am, we did. I do, however have a few pieces that will need to be delivered.” Usagi listed which pieces were to be delivered. The manager wrote them down on a delivery form. She then scanned the stroller, baby book and car seat.
“Well Mrs.…..”
“Chiba Usagi,” Usagi answered.
“Well, Mrs. Chiba we thank you for shopping here at Sophia’s Baby Land. I am going to give you thirty percent off everything you’ve purchased today as well as free delivery. If you will just fill out the top part of this form and we will get these to you tomorrow.” Usagi did her part and filled out her address and phone number. She handed the form back to the manager and waited to hear the total price for the furniture.
“Well Mrs. Chiba your total comes to 1693.51.” Usagi fished out the card Mamoru had given her and gave it to the manager. She slid the card thru and handed it back to Usagi. Usagi waited for the receipt to come out and when it did, she signed it. Handing the receipt back to the manager, she smiled and walked out of the store.
Title: Tides of Fortune and Destiny
By: Siarene
Chapter One
Disclaimer: These are not my characters by any means. However the baby when she is born will be. I am just barrowing these characters for my story.
.:.:.:.
<p>The heavy mist filled the room with condensation. Various shades of peach and orange attempted to peek thru its thickness in a vain attempt to avoid the hazy mist as it threatened to consume every part of the room. The bedroom consisted of nothing more than a queen-size bed with its peach colored sheets and comforter, a vanity with an oval mirror, a 6-drawer chest, two over stuffed chairs, and a modest walk in closet. Closer inspection of its warm colored interior would find its seemingly simple order disrupted by the distinct differences in the clothing littering the floor and thrown over chairs. Off to one side, was the open door that led into the bathroom, the source of the hazy mist. The bathroom’s décor was also cast in the same peach and orange hues. Inside was a basin, toilet, large marble inlay bathtub and a shower stall, currently occupied with the owners of the scattered clothing.
“Please …closer,” came a moan from the bathroom that was distinctively female. Despite the frosted glass of the shower recess, the shadows of a male and female could be seen in a most compromising position. The female’s head set back against the shower stall as water spread upon her bosom. Her partner leaned closer to entice her with his words, his hands once again sliding down the plains of her smooth, taut stomach and down to her womanhood to caress her as she moved against his hand as she continued to moan. The woman cried out with pleasure as her lover hit the right spot. She could hear his warm chuckle vibrating within his chest.
“Right there, is that what you want?” The woman shuddered as her lover slid a finger into her moist depths, sending waves of building pressure thru her. Her lover knew she was getting close to the point of exploding her passion as he caressed her inside and bent forward to suckle her ample breasts. The woman groaned as she indicated she wanted her lover to stop playing with her. He chuckled once again, no longer needing to hear her pleas. He knew her intimately as he had never known any other love in his short life of twenty-eight years.
“Please, stop teasing me.”
No sooner were the words out of the young woman’s mouth than she felt herself being deliciously invaded by her lover. Together, they moved as one until she could no longer take anymore. Her body unleashed its rapturous waves of passion as she clamped onto her lover as he exploded within her.
“Kun…..”</p>
~*~
“What the hell?” Minako woke up with a start, her body assaulted by surges of passion as if she had just experienced the woman’s pleasure as if it had been her own. “It’s that dream again. Why do I keep dreaming about this woman and man in the middle of making love? It’s never the same scene. It’s always something different.”
7am, Minako thought as she looked at the clock. Ever since the final battle with Galaxia, she started having dreaming about this couple in the throws of lovemaking. Just as she was on the brink of knowing who the man was, she would always wake up. Something about these dreams seemed familiar somehow, as if they were fragments of another lifetime. A time when peace reigned supreme and people were able to have their passions sated.
Minako started remembering bits and pieces of her past, and as the days passed by, so too the other scouts regained their memories. However, as far as she was concerned, her memories were coming much too slowly for her liking, that was, until she started having these recurring dreams about this couple. The dreams started when she saw what she thought to be an apparition of the commanding general, Kunzite. Once again, she wondered who about the identities of this couple and why she was dreaming about them. Did it have something to do with her past, and did he have something to do with it as well?
No, of course not, blondie, he was evil. You had nothing to do with the likes of him –her feelings on the matter were neither here or there. Minako looked at the clock once again and groaned. It was time to get up and get ready to go see the girls.
“Come on Minako, time to get up.” Artemis stretched out from his spot on Minako’s pillow.
“I’m already awake, Artemis. I have been awake for the past ten minutes. That dream woke me up again.”
“What dream, Minako? You keep saying you are having these dreams and by the flush on your face, they are not normal dreams. Yet, you won’t tell me, your guardian, what they are exactly.” Artemis got up and padded over to the window to look out for the telltale signs of a storm that was brewing and hadn’t notice the figure sitting across the street looking into Minako’s window.
“Is it going to storm again, Artemis?” Minako asked as she pulled on her robe, and moved towards the window, and joined Artemis. It had been rather stormy for almost a week now.
“Looks like it will. I wonder where all this unseasonable rain is coming from. I feel something evil at work.”
Minako looked at Artemis and laughed. “Rain evil? Really, Artemis, you are growing more paranoid by the day. There is no more evil nemesis to deal with. Galaxia has been defeated and Chaos is too minute a threat to be any trouble for us. What other evil could there possibly be?”
“There is always evil in the universe, Minako. The balance depends on both good and evil. I just have a feeling something is lurking out there and we have yet to detect it.” Artemis looked at Minako as she walked into her bathroom to shower and dress for school.
“Well, I for one am going to relax and enjoy the rain. We had that dry spell that almost killed off all the plant life. I am not really concerned if evil is lurking out there or not at this point, I simply want to get my last year of school over and done with so I can start my new life.” Minako poked her head out of the bathroom door.
“Well, you should worry if there is evil out there or not. You still are Sailor Venus after all.” Artemis pouted as he opened Minako’s bedroom door to go find some breakfast.
~*~
Meanwhile, outside, the lone figure watching Minako’s apartment looked up one last time before turning to leave and return to the house he shared with his three roommates. He wished he could have seen more of her than that fleeting glimpse of her as she looked out at the sky. The man wondered how Minako was doing. It seemed like ages since he had seen her. Each night he would wander around town and always end up at the same spot, looking up at her window. Oh how he wished he could just appear to her and talk to her. He had materialized before her once before, but she thought him nothing more than a ghost -- an evil that had died years earlier. No, he was not dead, not at all. In fact, he was very much alive -- living in a state of endless misery. His companions seemed to be content living their own lives, but not him. No, he was destine to be alone and live with the memories of what had once been and would never be again.
The stranger continued to walk down the road, his feet taking him not where his mind instructed him to go, but in the opposite end of town, to a high-rise building. The stranger looked up, stopped for a moment in contemplation. He approached the doorman who looked very bored as he watched the tall figure coming towards him and smiled in recognition.
“Welcome sir, she is in at the moment.” The security guard then opened the door for him as he nodded his thanks and walked quickly towards the elevators. He knew exactly where he was going.
The door closed and encased him within the confining walls of the elevator as he thought about what he was doing. Did he really want to talk with this woman again? Yes, of course he did. She knew him and was the only one he could confide in. His companions were much too busy to bother listening to his problems. This woman was very powerful and had been the one who had given them back their lives, under a deal she arranged with them. ‘Yeah… and what a life she had given me, one where the only one I love hates what I have become and ran after I appeared in front of her.’ He thought as he heard the sound of the elevator chime as it stopped and its doors opened.
The hallways decorated in a dark blue carpet, not at all like the beige floor coverings one normally encountered in apartment hallways. There was a cream border either side running its length snaking its way throughout the entire floor. Above, the ceilings adorned with crown moldings fashioned from oak where the walls met the ceiling and faithfully followed the carpeted surface below.
The stranger then walked down the long corridor, not broken by any doors except the one at the very end. This was the penthouse suite after all. He continued down the endless hallway until at last he reached the single solid oak door with its elaborately carved gold handle. He was about to knock on the door’s polished surface but hesitated, his hand suspended mid-air, trying to decide should he knock or just leave. As he was about to turn on his heel and leave, the door opened and a little girl popped her head out and giggled.
“Hotaru, what are you doing at the door?” A woman’s voice demanded from somewhere in the background behind the door as she opened it enough to see what the little girl was looking at. A young woman with green-black hair with eyes that seemed ageless regarded the visitor and smiled, opening the door wider and beckoning him to come in.
“Come in, Kunzite…” Setsuna smiled warmly as Kunzite crossed the threshold into her home. Setsuna’s accommodations were warm and inviting. The interior decorated in a series of greens and garnets. Setsuna guided Kunzite to the dining room table where Tokyo’s skyline lay resplendent through the large panoramic windows that lined the wall on the left side of the dining table. Upon the place set for Hotaru was her half eaten breakfast.
“Come Hotaru, finish your breakfast and get ready for school.”
The little girl bowed respectfully then climbed back into her chair to finish the last few bites of her waffles then skittered off down short hallway into her bedroom. She reappeared a short time later in her little sailor suit school uniform. Kunzite hadn’t moved as he watched the little girl get ready for her day.
After she had hugged Setsuna, the older woman ruffled her hair, and Hotaru left for school, Setsuna finally spoke to Kunzite. “I would offer you wine, but I do believe at 8 am in the morning, wine would be a bit too much, so how about some tea then?” He nodded, and smiling, she turned on her heel and they moved into the kitchen. As the tea brewed, she quickly cleaned up after Hotaru. With that task completed, she brought the teapot over to the table, poured them both a cup, sat down across from Kunzite, and waited for him to speak.
.::.Chiba Residence.::.
“Mamoru hurry up we are going to be late meeting the girls,” Usagi yelled after her husband of six months, who was rarely late for anything.
After the battle with Galaxia, Usagi had freed her friends and chosen to continue her life as it was before. She had woken up next to Mamoru and then almost immediately they decided to get married. Within 4 months, they wed in a small ceremony with all the sailor scouts acting as bridesmaids.
“I am coming, Usagi. If you had not turned off my alarm, we would be on time.” Mamoru called out from the bedroom.
“But that thing makes a horrible sound. Maybe I should get you a new one today when I go shopping with the girls.” Usagi wailed in protest as she watched her man walk out wearing his horrible green jacket. No matter wherever she hid that thing, he always managed to find it.
“Come on, let’s go. I don’t want to keep your friends waiting, seeing as I won’t allow you to drive my car.” Mamoru waved her towards the door and opened it for his beautiful bride. She smiled and strode out the door into the hallway. He then closed the door behind him and locked it.
“You’re just a paranoid big baby. You think I will wreck your precious little car. I am a very good driver I’ll have you know, according to mom.” Usagi pushed the down button on the elevator a little harder than she had intended, getting annoyed with him over the car issue. She had just gotten her license and could see no reason why she couldn’t drive his red sports car.
“You’re right, I am. I saw what you did to your dad’s car a couple months ago.”
As the elevator arrived and the doors slid open, they stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close in silence. Usagi stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at him. Mamoru simply gave her a pointed look telling her he was not impressed -- The sound of the elevator doors opening broke the silence as Usagi giggled for some unknown reason.
“What?” Mamoru asked, a little perturbed.
Usagi just giggled some more as she passed Eugene, the doorman on the way out of the apartment building and they made their way towards the red sports car parked out front.
Usagi put on her seatbelt as Mamoru started the engine. It roared to life and the sleek sports car pulled out from the curb. They were soon heading for the mall in the center of Tokyo. Mamoru was just dropping Usagi off to meet her friends for the day since they were in the middle of their short summer break.
“I am a little worried about the girls, especially Minako. She seems troubled by something. She always seems flushed for some reason. She says it is nothing, but she has been acting strange for three weeks now. Artemis said she saw someone in the park that had her pretty freaked out, or so says Luna.”
Mamoru kept his eyes on the road, trying to think of something to say. He himself had been having strange dreams concerning the past and his four Shitennou. He had seen all four of them as ghosts standing above their gemstones that had somehow disappeared from his nightstand drawer. He missed those stones as they had been his advisors. He even thought they might be locked inside each gemstone. They were standing at the Gate of Time with Sailor Pluto, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion. What did seeing the Shitennou with my future self mean, and what could the possible outcome have been? Why did the stones disappear after that dream as well? Mamoru thought, as he got ready to answer Usagi.
“She will tell you when she is ready, Usagi. Whatever happened three weeks ago is probably none of your business. And yes I know you are her friend, but that does not mean you have to know everything.” Mamoru saw the look of displeasure on his wife’s face.
“How can I help her if she won’t tell me what is wrong. She says she is only having dreams like the rest of us. But I don’t by that. There is something else to these dreams, more than she is letting on.” Usagi was not happy about being kept out of the loop. There was something going on and she would find out what was troubling her friend.
“Just let it go for now. She will tell you eventually.” Mamoru stopped the car as the lights turned red. He waited for them to turn green as Usagi chattered on. Finally, Mamoru drove for a few minutes more before taking a left into the mall’s parking lot. I should really think about getting her own car, something small and safe to protect our little miracle. Yes, Usagi was three months pregnant with their first child. They did not understand why she was pregnant, because it could not possibly be Chibi Usa. They had gone to see Setsuna to get some insight into why Usagi was pregnant, but Setsuna kept her council and was very tight lipped about the whole thing only saying she could not give away the future.
.::.Setsuna’s Home.::.
“I know I should not even be around her. But I keep dreaming of our past. Those dreams keep me up at night. That’s why I go on long walks to clear my head. But I always end up at her apartment below her bedroom window watching all that goes on inside. I even materialized in front of her one night in a vain attempt to put her memories aside. She thought I was a ghost and ran away.”
Kunzite was not the kind of man to get frustrated all that easily. Ever sense Neo-Queen Serenity had brought him and the others back, he had been on the edge of frustration when he should really be hoping for some kind of redemption he felt he would never garner.
Setsuna just sat there sipping her tea and thought of a response, “It is quite natural to feel how you do. To seek redemption after one’s wrong doing…”
Kunzite interrupted Setsuna mid-sentence.
“But I gave up the right to be with her and my redemption the day I sold my soul to Beryl.” Kunzite said, and was most adamant about that.
“You have to understand, Her Majesty brought you back in order for you to gain redemption and give your life back to you. She understands that you were seduced by Beryl. Your own prince even forgave you for the betrayal you all committed against him as his Shitennou. Forget about Minako for the moment. You have other concerns right now. You will have to show yourself to your prince soon. Don’t worry he will not know you.” Setsuna watched as his eyes unfocused then refocused.
“Minako recognized me, so what makes you so certain my prince wont?”
Setsuna nodded sympathetically, understanding exactly where his thoughts were going and moved quickly to reassure him. “He misses the stones and he also misses you and the others for the advice and company you gave him. So when he sees you, he will remember you as his old guard, not as the dark kings.”
“Advice he never listened too.” Kunzite countered. Setsuna simply smiled as she studied Takehiko. He was always the quite and serious one of the Shitennou, the Four Heavenly Kings.
“Well you were brought back to earn your redemption as well, to be there to guide the prince thru the upcoming trials in preparation for the formation of Crystal Tokyo. He also needs to be prepared for what lies ahead in the immediate future in respect to the “great sleep” and the darkness that shall engulf the earth as it spreads before the dawning of the new era.”
Kunzite listened attentively for a while longer until she had finished before excusing himself. He then stood up ,indicating he had to leave. Setsuna soon joined him, walked him to the door, and saw him out.
I hope you made the right decision, Your Majesty, when you brought them back to life to seek their redemption, because right now, I doubt it was a good idea considering the way Takehiko is moping about judging himself so harshly. Everyone deserves a second chance, but how can I get him to see that? Nothing I have said so far has done any good. Setsuna thought as she went to her office to work on a sketch of a new dress she was working on for her boutique.
.::.Tokyo Center Mall.::.
“Where is she? She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago,” Rei huffed as she looked at her watch again.
They were supposed to be looking at baby stuff today. Usagi wanted to look and see what kind of furniture she would like to buy for the baby. The girls just looked at her and smiled.
“Come on Rei, give her a break. When has Usagi ever been on time for anything?” Makoto pointed out as the girls laughed.
“Well her wedding,” Minako offered as Rei started to look steamed. Even after all these years, Rei still gave Usagi a hard time about everything. She still called her meatball head, even though she was pregnant and more prone to hysterics than usual.
“Don’t be so mad, Rei. Hey look, here she comes,” Ami pointed out as Usagi and Mamoru walked along the sidewalk lined with stores and their colorful windows residing on the first floor of the shopping mall.
Usagi came bouncing up to them as if she had eaten to much sugar. “You did not give her hot chocolate again for breakfast, did you, Mamoru. And you’re late, meatball head. What took you so long?” Rei waggled her finger at Usagi’s happy face.
Instead of crying as she usually did, Usagi simply smiled. “No, I shut off his horrible sounding alarm, so he woke up late. Then he took forever getting ready. I have to get him a new alarm clock, one that sounds much better than that horrible buzzing sound his current one makes. So where too first?” Usagi asked as she looked at her friends eagerly. She heard someone cough behind her. She turned around to find Mamoru standing there with an expectant look on his face. Then it suddenly dawned on her.
“Sorry, Mamoru.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. He kissed her back then stepped back and smiled. He waved goodbye to the girls and turned to leave. He had some studying to do at the university’s library.
“Did you eat breakfast, Usagi?” Minako was hungry, as, she had rushed out of the house without eating even one of the delicious small muffins in the cake container on the table.
“Breakfast sounds good, Minako. I sure did not eat anything this morning after my workout. So where should we eat. I heard there was this new place opening up called Katana’s,” Makoto put her two senses in.
“What kind of name is Katana’s for a restaurant? That is a weapon,” Ami said in a matter of fact manner as they entered the mall and started to look for said restaurant.
They walked by a selection of stores that sold: clothing, accessories, books-- that were still Ami’s favorite -- cookware and video games. They passed no baby stores on their search for Katana’s. None of the baby stores was on the third floor of the five floors of the mall.
“Mako-chan…, hey, where is this place? We have passed 5 restaurants now and I am getting very hungry.” Usagi complained as they passed a sixth restaurant.
“Maybe you should have eaten while Mamoru was getting ready, meatball head. That would have saved us all your whining.”
Usagi was about to retort when Makoto announced they had arrived at their destination. Katana’s was a quaint little place decked out in navy and creams. Makoto could see where it got its name. There were several sets of Katana’s on display upon the walls as decoration. There were other sorts of knives and swords gracing the walls of this fascinating restaurant. The girls found a table big enough for all of them and seated themselves. And each picked up their menus and began to look through them.
“What are you guys going to get? I think I will just settle for Hot Chocolate and a fruit salad….”
The girls looked at Usagi and instantly said, “ no” to the hot chocolate. The last thing they needed was a hyper-pregnant woman on their hands. Plus, chocolate had caffeine in it and that was not good for the baby. Well, small doses were ok, but not in the amount, Usagi liked.
“Try some milk, or juice, Usagi. That is much better for you than chocolate.”
Ami started to argue with Usagi as the waitress came up to take their orders. All argument stopped when the waitress introduced herself and asked them what they wanted. Makoto went first, ordering French toast, milk, Minako ordered Belgian waffles, apple juice, Rei ordered a blueberry muffin, and grape juice, Ami ordered scrambled eggs, sausage, and water, and Usagi reluctantly ordered a fruit salad and orange juice.
“All right ladies, I will go put that in for you and be right back with your drinks.” The waitress left to place the orders into her computer and get their drinks.
“That was a smart choice, Usagi.” The doctor to be in Ami said, commending Usagi as she looked around the restaurant. There looked to be about twenty tables inside the modest restaurant, the color of the walls almost identical with those of Setsuna’s home, set out in various shades of green and garnet.
“Did it strike you guys as a little funny that the decor looks just like Setsuna’s apartment?” The others shrugged, indicating it hadn’t occurred to them.
“So, where do we start looking first?” Minako, always up for shopping just like Usagi, asked first.
Usagi looked off into the depths of the restaurant as if she was willing the waitress to bring them their food faster. “I guess the baby furniture stores…. Mamoru gave me enough money to get all the furniture and a few miscellaneous items. You know: things like a few clothes, bottles, stuff for a crib, changing table, rocking chair, stuff like that.” Usagi said excited. She loved shopping and shopping for the baby would be so much fun.
“So, he basically handed over his credit card to you to shop for the baby.” Rei was skeptical. Usagi just smiled.
The girls chattered for a few more minutes until their food arrived and all chatter stopped as each girl concentrated on her food. Eating at a leisurely pace, it only took the girls thirty minutes to eat. As they waited for the check, they fished out their money to pay for their meals. When the check finally arrived, the girls paid up and left the nice little restaurant.
“So which store first?” Ami asked as they headed for the elevator that would take them to the third floor where all the baby stores were located.
“How should I know, Ami? But I did hear of a store called Purple Turtle. What kind of name that is I don’t know, but it said during the ad that it was one of the best places to get baby things.” Usagi answered as they stepped into the elevator and Makoto pushed the third floor button.
“That is a pretty pricy store, Usagi. I saw an ad in the paper with some prices listed. I am not sure you want to go there, but we can look anyway,” Makoto commented as the elevator rose.
“Well there is no harm in looking, Mako-chan, but I have to agree, if it is pricy, I would not want to shop there,” Minako added as the elevator stopped and opened silently onto a busy promenade and they got out. They walked a fair distance to the left of the elevator and found the Purple Turtle. They went inside and headed for the cribs. Usagi zeroed in on a natural wood crib.
“Look at that. I have never seen a genuine timber one before. Those I have seen always had a stain finish on them, veneer.” Usagi examined it some more when Makoto tried to get her attention.
“Um Usagi, come look at this!” Makoto held up the tag tied to the side of the crib. She waited for Usagi to look at it. She did and made a sound half a squeak and half a whistle.
“3000 for a crib that is outrageous. Mamoru would kill me if I ever spent that much on anything. Ok, Makoto, you were right. Let’s leave and go find a different store.” The girls turned and left the Purple Turtle. Once out of the store, They turned left and walked down a few more stores before entering a store called Sophia’s Baby Land. Once again, they went looking for the cribs and found them at the back of the store.
“Hey guys, come and see this one, it’s a wooden one with a reddish stain finish,” Usagi pointed to the crib she was standing in front of as the girls crowded around to look. Usagi had leaned over to look at the price tag when a sales clerk came over to see if the girls needed any help.
“Who is the expecting mother?” The sales clerk asked as she looked at the girls, trying to assess, which one of them was pregnant.
“I am ma’am.” Usagi answered as she studied the crib some more. She really liked it and reasonably priced too, at 250. It looked like it would fit in well with the color scheme of the room they had set up for the baby. They were having a girl, so the red would definitely work. The crib itself had a child safety lock where you could lower the side for better access to the child. She looked up at the saleswoman, saw the look on her face, as the woman asked Usagi how old she was. Usagi just smiled and turned away to examine the crib once more. But the woman could not get off the topic of Usagi’s age. Rei saw the look the woman gave Usagi and decided to step in.
“Do you have something to say to my friend?” the fire within Rei’s voice would have melted the sales person if she were solid ice. Before the woman could answer, Usagi put a calming hand on Rei’s arm.
“Let it go, Rei. She did nothing wrong, but present an unprofessional face and comment to a customer who is likely to spend a lot of money in her store.”
Walking by and hearing this comment from Usagi, the shift manager approached the group. “What is going on here, Susan?”
Before the salesperson named Susan could answer, Rei cut in hotly. “She asked who was pregnant and my friend Usagi answered and this woman gave her a disapproving look and comment that was rude and inappropriate for her to say to a paying customer,” Rei ranted as the girls tried to get her to calm down.
The manager looked between Usagi and her sales person. Usagi finally spoke up, “Please forgive my friend. She gets a little over zealous where her friends are concerned. I understand that people look at me and think I am too young to be married and pregnant. That is ok with me. I would just advise that you tell your employees to show some discretion when dealing with a customer. Now come on girls lets start our shopping.” Usagi said in a softer-spoken manner than she usually did.
“Ma’am when you finish shopping, have Susan come find me and we will work something out for you.” The manager put her hand on Susan’s shoulder and politely steered her away from Usagi and the girls to have a private discussion.
“Rei, next time you plan on embarrassing me like that, please give me full notice ahead, so I can leave. Now what do you girls think about this crib? I think it would look grate in the study, which we emptied out to make room for the baby.”
“I think it is pretty, Usagi and it is a great price, unlike that other one. What theme are you going to choose for the nursery?” Minako asked as she ran her eyes over the part of the store she could see: there were bunnies, Winnie the Pooh, Care Bears, Disney themed things.
“She’s going to pick bunnies, I know that for sure,” Makoto declared, all the while Usagi was blushing. Yup, they knew her that well. The girls just laughed at Usagi.
“Shut up you guys. So what if she guessed right. It’s not that funny. So shut up and let’s get to looking.” Usagi peered into her purse and pulled out the list Mamoru had made for her. Let’s see .I need a crib, changing table, chest of drawers, hamper, stroller, bassinet, bedding for crib and bassinet, and baby book. Plus whatever else I see that I want. Usagi called for the girls and showed them the list. They each took an item and went off to go find it. Minako chose to stay with Usagi. Usagi looked at her friend and became a little worried about her friend. “You look tired, Minako. Did you get any sleep last night?”
Minako shrugged and pointed to a changing table in the same reddish color as the crib. “How cute, you know, one of these days you are going to need to talk about what is bugging you.” Usagi ran her hands over the wooden surface of the table and made a mental note to tell Susan what she wanted to buy.
“When I figure out what is going on, I will let you know, Usagi. Look, I think Rei found you a chest of drawers.” Minako picked up her pace as she walked over to Rei, who was standing by a chest that matched the other two pieces. Usagi ambled on over, noting that Susan was quietly hovering in the background. “Oh good, it has five drawers. I have a feeling we are going to need them. Oh look, Makoto found the bassinet.” Usagi rushed over to look at what Makoto had found and then her eyes widened with delight as she checked out what Ami had found. It was a collapsible hamper with pink and white bunnies all over it. All that was left to go was the bedding, stroller and baby book.
“So what is left on the list, Usagi?” Ami asked as Usagi smiled and headed off towards the bedding department.
Usagi looked for about a half hour thru all the bedding choices they had and finally found a set that had the bumper crib sheet, and a comforter with bunny motifs. The girl’s ooed and ahhed over the bedding as they moved towards the stroller section. They found a stroller that would work with a car seat. So asking Makoto to help, Usagi picked out the stroller and matching car seat that of course was decorated with white bunnies.
“I’m only three months and I am already getting tired and we have not even been shopping 2 hours.” Usagi complained as she picked out a baby book with bunnies on it. She flipped thru it and saw all the pages she would have to fill out.
“Oh that is pretty, Usagi. You should go ahead and get it. If you’re tired, let’s just go and pay for these things and have Makoto take it to her car so we don’t have to tote it around and then go find some place to eat lunch.”
“Ok, sounds good to me. Let’s go find Susan and get to see whatever the manager wanted.” Usagi looked up, headed towards the front register, and found Susan patiently waiting for them. Makoto brought up the stroller and Rei carried the car seat.
“Yes ma’am… I will go get Mrs. Morgan for you.” Susan turned and hurried off to the left where a door to a nearby office was located. She returned a few minutes later with the manager, who asked if they found everything all right.
“Yes ma’am, we did. I do, however have a few pieces that will need to be delivered.” Usagi listed which pieces were to be delivered. The manager wrote them down on a delivery form. She then scanned the stroller, baby book and car seat.
“Well Mrs.…..”
“Chiba Usagi,” Usagi answered.
“Well, Mrs. Chiba we thank you for shopping here at Sophia’s Baby Land. I am going to give you thirty percent off everything you’ve purchased today as well as free delivery. If you will just fill out the top part of this form and we will get these to you tomorrow.” Usagi did her part and filled out her address and phone number. She handed the form back to the manager and waited to hear the total price for the furniture.
“Well Mrs. Chiba your total comes to 1693.51.” Usagi fished out the card Mamoru had given her and gave it to the manager. She slid the card thru and handed it back to Usagi. Usagi waited for the receipt to come out and when it did, she signed it. Handing the receipt back to the manager, she smiled and walked out of the store.