Sailor Moon Monthly Fanfiction Challenge - Day 31
Ami leaned her head against Zoi’s shoulder as Michiru and Haruka treated everyone to a duet, the violin and piano complimenting each nicely. She looked around the room, smiling as she took in all of her friends, gathered together to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next.
For the first time she could remember, Ami was truly excited about the festivities which commemorated the changing of the year.
Rei caught her eye as the smaller woman glanced over at her and smiled. One hand rested on her stomach - though any “baby bump” was still in her imagination. Jade was behind her, holding his fiancé and their unborn child closely, his hand occasionally slipping down to caress the womb. There was no question that pregnancy was quite becoming on the Senshi of Passion.
Minako was sitting on Kunz’s lap, her forehead touching his head. Most striking about the couple’s position was that Kunz was smiling. The man who could be so difficult to read, who kept his emotions close was smiling. She heard a chuckle and glanced up at Zoi, seeing that he had followed her eyes. “Marriage has been good for him.”
“For both of them.” Ami had noticed that Minako had been better able to strike the balance between serious leader and fun loving singer since they’d gotten married. She was still Minako, but she no longer seemed like two different people.
The music came to a close and everyone applauded whole heartedly. Haruka rose and moved to Michiru, taking her hand and lifting her to her feet as they accepted the applause, Michiru dipping into a curtsey while Haruka bowed gracefully.
When the applause died down, Rei stood, dragging Jade up with her as she did so. “Our turn.”
“Rei…”
“Come on, Jade. You know the rules. Everyone takes a turn.” Mamoru smirked a bit, his arm around Usagi’s waist. “We can argue it again this year, but you’re eventually going to have to go.”
Jade grumbled and shot his prince a look that clearly communicated that he felt betrayed. Unfortunately, the only answer he got was Usagi giggling.
Jade reluctantly picked up the guitar. Rei kissed his cheek and he rolled his eyes, “The things I do for you.”
“You love it, and you know it.”
Ami chuckled as she snuggled closer to Zoi. They went through this every year, and Ami found it comforting.
Jade had tuned the guitar earlier in the evening and now he began to strum, providing the accompaniment for Rei. The song she sang was appropriate for the New Year, being focused on hope.
Ami glanced over to Makoto who was sitting on the floor in front of Neph, her head leaned back Neph was running his fingers through her hair which she had left down for the evening. Her eyes were closed, and it was clear to Ami that her friend who had been lonely for so long was in heaven right now. She glanced up at Zoi before looking back to Makoto, thinking that she could relate.
With a sigh of contentment, Ami closed her eyes, letting the words that Rei was singing wash over her.
As the song came to an end, she opened her eyes and gladly joined in the applause.
“Our turn! Our turn!” Chibi Usa pulled a laughing Hotaru onto the make-shift stage with her.
“Well, since I have to go back tomorrow, and I promised Puu that I would not argue about it, I won’t get to be here for the start of Crystal Tokyo. And there’s a lot of stuff I wanted to see that I have to miss.” She glanced over to her future parents. “Or you two could wait? I don’t mind! Really.”
Usagi blushed as Mamoru’s stern voice rang out, “Usa…”
“Kidding!” Everyone laughed as Usagi hid her face against Mamoru’s chest.
“Hey, Book Worm. I think Usagi’s got you beat on blushing for the evening. Zoi, you’re not doing your job, guy.”
“Hush, Star Gazer.”
Zoi threw a throw pillow at Neph’s head, causing more laughter.
“Anyway, since I don’t get to be there and I’ve heard so many stories about it. I wanted to sing a song from the coronation. Puu said it was ok and wouldn’t change anything.”
Everyone glanced over to Setsuna to get confirmation on that. Chibi Usa huffed as Setsuna nodded with a chuckle. “It’s fine.”
Minako gasped while the other girls started giggling uncontrollably as Chibi Usa and Hotaru proceeded to sing “C’est la Vie.”
Before the song was half way over, all of the Inners had joined the teenagers on the stage and were singing with them.
When the song ended, there were giggles and hugs as everyone went back to sit in the living room.
Before Ami could sit, Zoi stood, “I guess it’s our turn.” He held his hand out to her, smiling as she blushed.
“Well, you are the only ones who’ve not gone… so… great demonstration of that intelligence there, Peacock.”
“Eh, you’re just jealous, Soul Boy.”
“Let me help with that.” Haruka slipped her arm out from behind her Michiru, whose hands - like Rei’s - were resting on her stomach, causing Minako to flash her a subtle “V for Victory.”
Once the harp was set up, Ami sat behind it, thanking Haruka as Zoi sat the at the piano.
“I don’t think any of you have heard this piece before. I wrote it with Ami’s help.” Ami shook her head slightly at that and blushed.
“Ah, there we go!”
“Jade, shut up.”
“Anyway, it’s called ‘My Pledge’.”
He nodded at Ami and together they began the piece. Ami’s fingers dancing over the strings of the harp as she lost herself in the music and the memory of the night in which Zoi had finished it. The smile on her face as she played with Zoi reflected the bliss she felt, and she could not imagine a better night than this.
As the last notes slipped away, she opened her eyes, and was surprised that none of their friends were applauding. She frowned slightly, confused rather than insulted, wondering why Usagi seemed to have tears in her eyes.
She blinked and turned to look towards Zoi, she knew that the piece had been performed flawlessly and with feeling, so she could not understand why the others were not reacting. Until she saw Zoi.
He was one knee beside her, and as she turned to look at him, he took her hand in his. “Ami.” Zoi grinned, “Nymph. I don’t know of any words that can express how I feel better this piece. I love you. I want nothing more than a second chance, and I swear to you that I will get it right this time. Please, will you marry me?”
Ami could feel her cheeks burning, and though she knew how much she was blushing, a very small part of her mind pointed out that Jade was not saying anything. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak as she felt a couple of tears slip down her cheeks.
Zoi’s smile was a sight she would never forget as he stood and pulled her into his arms and off her feet, kissing her soundly. She did not protest, but wrapped her arms around his neck, eagerly returning the kiss.
Then the applause started, and as the kiss ended and Zoi set her on her feet, Ami finally found her voice. “It has been a good year.”
For the first time she could remember, Ami was truly excited about the festivities which commemorated the changing of the year.
Rei caught her eye as the smaller woman glanced over at her and smiled. One hand rested on her stomach - though any “baby bump” was still in her imagination. Jade was behind her, holding his fiancé and their unborn child closely, his hand occasionally slipping down to caress the womb. There was no question that pregnancy was quite becoming on the Senshi of Passion.
Minako was sitting on Kunz’s lap, her forehead touching his head. Most striking about the couple’s position was that Kunz was smiling. The man who could be so difficult to read, who kept his emotions close was smiling. She heard a chuckle and glanced up at Zoi, seeing that he had followed her eyes. “Marriage has been good for him.”
“For both of them.” Ami had noticed that Minako had been better able to strike the balance between serious leader and fun loving singer since they’d gotten married. She was still Minako, but she no longer seemed like two different people.
The music came to a close and everyone applauded whole heartedly. Haruka rose and moved to Michiru, taking her hand and lifting her to her feet as they accepted the applause, Michiru dipping into a curtsey while Haruka bowed gracefully.
When the applause died down, Rei stood, dragging Jade up with her as she did so. “Our turn.”
“Rei…”
“Come on, Jade. You know the rules. Everyone takes a turn.” Mamoru smirked a bit, his arm around Usagi’s waist. “We can argue it again this year, but you’re eventually going to have to go.”
Jade grumbled and shot his prince a look that clearly communicated that he felt betrayed. Unfortunately, the only answer he got was Usagi giggling.
Jade reluctantly picked up the guitar. Rei kissed his cheek and he rolled his eyes, “The things I do for you.”
“You love it, and you know it.”
Ami chuckled as she snuggled closer to Zoi. They went through this every year, and Ami found it comforting.
Jade had tuned the guitar earlier in the evening and now he began to strum, providing the accompaniment for Rei. The song she sang was appropriate for the New Year, being focused on hope.
Ami glanced over to Makoto who was sitting on the floor in front of Neph, her head leaned back Neph was running his fingers through her hair which she had left down for the evening. Her eyes were closed, and it was clear to Ami that her friend who had been lonely for so long was in heaven right now. She glanced up at Zoi before looking back to Makoto, thinking that she could relate.
With a sigh of contentment, Ami closed her eyes, letting the words that Rei was singing wash over her.
As the song came to an end, she opened her eyes and gladly joined in the applause.
“Our turn! Our turn!” Chibi Usa pulled a laughing Hotaru onto the make-shift stage with her.
“Well, since I have to go back tomorrow, and I promised Puu that I would not argue about it, I won’t get to be here for the start of Crystal Tokyo. And there’s a lot of stuff I wanted to see that I have to miss.” She glanced over to her future parents. “Or you two could wait? I don’t mind! Really.”
Usagi blushed as Mamoru’s stern voice rang out, “Usa…”
“Kidding!” Everyone laughed as Usagi hid her face against Mamoru’s chest.
“Hey, Book Worm. I think Usagi’s got you beat on blushing for the evening. Zoi, you’re not doing your job, guy.”
“Hush, Star Gazer.”
Zoi threw a throw pillow at Neph’s head, causing more laughter.
“Anyway, since I don’t get to be there and I’ve heard so many stories about it. I wanted to sing a song from the coronation. Puu said it was ok and wouldn’t change anything.”
Everyone glanced over to Setsuna to get confirmation on that. Chibi Usa huffed as Setsuna nodded with a chuckle. “It’s fine.”
Minako gasped while the other girls started giggling uncontrollably as Chibi Usa and Hotaru proceeded to sing “C’est la Vie.”
Before the song was half way over, all of the Inners had joined the teenagers on the stage and were singing with them.
When the song ended, there were giggles and hugs as everyone went back to sit in the living room.
Before Ami could sit, Zoi stood, “I guess it’s our turn.” He held his hand out to her, smiling as she blushed.
“Well, you are the only ones who’ve not gone… so… great demonstration of that intelligence there, Peacock.”
“Eh, you’re just jealous, Soul Boy.”
“Let me help with that.” Haruka slipped her arm out from behind her Michiru, whose hands - like Rei’s - were resting on her stomach, causing Minako to flash her a subtle “V for Victory.”
Once the harp was set up, Ami sat behind it, thanking Haruka as Zoi sat the at the piano.
“I don’t think any of you have heard this piece before. I wrote it with Ami’s help.” Ami shook her head slightly at that and blushed.
“Ah, there we go!”
“Jade, shut up.”
“Anyway, it’s called ‘My Pledge’.”
He nodded at Ami and together they began the piece. Ami’s fingers dancing over the strings of the harp as she lost herself in the music and the memory of the night in which Zoi had finished it. The smile on her face as she played with Zoi reflected the bliss she felt, and she could not imagine a better night than this.
As the last notes slipped away, she opened her eyes, and was surprised that none of their friends were applauding. She frowned slightly, confused rather than insulted, wondering why Usagi seemed to have tears in her eyes.
She blinked and turned to look towards Zoi, she knew that the piece had been performed flawlessly and with feeling, so she could not understand why the others were not reacting. Until she saw Zoi.
He was one knee beside her, and as she turned to look at him, he took her hand in his. “Ami.” Zoi grinned, “Nymph. I don’t know of any words that can express how I feel better this piece. I love you. I want nothing more than a second chance, and I swear to you that I will get it right this time. Please, will you marry me?”
Ami could feel her cheeks burning, and though she knew how much she was blushing, a very small part of her mind pointed out that Jade was not saying anything. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak as she felt a couple of tears slip down her cheeks.
Zoi’s smile was a sight she would never forget as he stood and pulled her into his arms and off her feet, kissing her soundly. She did not protest, but wrapped her arms around his neck, eagerly returning the kiss.
Then the applause started, and as the kiss ended and Zoi set her on her feet, Ami finally found her voice. “It has been a good year.”