Chapter 318 Four Years later….

Serena was standing on a balcony of the apartment she shared with Darien. The view was as usual magnificent and captured much of Tokyo’s beauty in the night. Darien came up behind her and he smiled gently at her.

“In two days we’ll finally be married,” he said.

Serena nodded.

“I’m keeping my name by the way,” she said.

“Oh?”

“Yes, I like it better than yours, Skeeeeno...” she said pronouncing it. “Serena Skeeeno, sounds nice.”

“So does Serena Shields.”

“I dunno…sounds like an out of work actress to me,” Serena said.

“Whatever you want,” Darien said and sighed. “That really isn’t the important part.”

The two hugged and were soon kissing.

“Look at those two,” Luna said with a smile. Artemis sat beside her smiling as well.

“Makes you wish we could get married too doesn’t it?” the white cat asked.

“Not really no, we’re cats after all,” Luna said.

Artemis sighed.

She smiled at him and gave him a face rub.

“I do worry though, this will be the first time in nearly four years the scouts are all back in Tokyo…” Luna said. “Something suggests to me chaos is going to ensue.”

“It always does,” Artemis said. “Still we can just hope for our happy couple’s sake that they keep control of themselves.”

And within a few hours night had become day.

Raye awoke to a smell she hadn’t been used to. She bolted up and followed the source, only to find Rick in the kitchen of the temple cooking.

“Why are you cooking?” she muttered.

“I was hoping to surprise you,” Rick said.

“It smells like the place is on fire.”
“It’s not, come taste this,” Rick said and plopped an egg down on the plate. Raye glanced at him and took a bite.

“Why is this good?” she asked. “When did you learn to cook?”

“You’re very confusing,” Rick said. “You seem more disappointed that it actually tastes good, than if it tasted bad.”

“I’m more concerned about you randomly deciding to cook and actually pulling it off. What other secrets are you hiding?”

“I once was a pirate?”

“You were not, now let’s eat.”

“Can’t, not done,” Rick said.

“Just how much are you making?”

“Enough.”
Raye glanced at him.

“There are some times when you just make no sense,” she said.

Rick glanced back at her.

“And you’re the one saying this…”

Raye just glared at him.

“Ok just what is this actually about?”
”How is it that Serena is getting married before we are?”
”Um…well isn’t that your fault?” Rick asked.

“My…fault…….” Raye growled.

“Uh oh…” Rick said. “That was clearly the wrong way to put it.”

“Just a bit…” Raye snarled.

“Breakfast is ready…” Rick said meekly.

“So how mad do you think Raye is at Rick for not marrying her before Serena got hitched?” Lita asked.

Mina looked up from the table and grinned.

“I’d guess he’s going to need some medical attention,” Mina said with a smile.

“It’s her own fault though,” Lita said.

Mina nodded.

“True….This is nice to have the place to ourselves in the morning without the guys around,” Mina added.

“Steve and Mike apparently had to go into work early, I’m not sure what exactly for though. Sounds important, but then again they exaggerate.”

“I’m just glad I’m on summer vacation,” Mina said.

“The kids have been driving you nuts, I noticed you’ve been especially frazzled these past few weeks,” Lita asked.

“It’s hard to believe I was one of them, I mean yes…am I a lunatic? most people say yes, but these students…they’re off the wall, it takes practically all of my guile to handle them,” Mina said.

Lita laughed.

“Lita, when are they going to let you know if you got into culinary school?”

“A few weeks,” Lita said. “It’s stressful, but work keeps me busy. I don’t talk about it much but I love working in a florist shop.”

“It’s good to enjoy work,” Mina said and sighed.

Lita just smiled.

Miles away a meeting was occurring in a darkened room. Several figures were clustered around a table.

“We’ve brought the stuff,” one was saying.

“Let’s see it before we pay,” another responded.

“Very well.”
A truck was soon backing into the room. Several men opened the back of it. Others looked inside. A large group of penguins stared back at them from inside the frozen truck.

“Excellent!” one of the figures said. “You have done well.”

“All right! Hold it right there!” came a shout. Lights shined into the darkened room.

“This is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police,” the voice continued.

The group of hoodlums all scattered, as the penguins began squawking. Police cars began to converge on the area, but one grey car skidded through the perimeter and out towards the street.

“Figures one would have a fast car,” Mike said steering his police car after the hoodlum’s car. Steve stared intently on from the passenger’s seat.

“Ya wanna ya know…hit the siren there Steve,” Mike said.

“Oh…right right...I get so focused sometimes…I forget…” Steve said.

“And somehow we got through the academy, amazing.”

Their squad car and several others chased the fleeing criminal up onto the highway.

“This could get a bit crazy,” Mike observed.

“Nice day for a drive,” Steve replied.

A half mile up ahead a small red car was working its way through traffic.

“Be careful, there’s a police chase behind us,” Hotaru calmly said from the passenger seat.

“A what?” Greg asked in surprise.

“Like I said…a police chase,” Hotaru said.

“Great…” Greg muttered.

Within a few seconds the grey car raced into view dodging traffic and steering past Greg’s car, the wave of police cars shot past as well.

“I knew it,” Greg said.

“Knew what?” Hotaru asked.

“I knew that Serena getting married was going to make the entire city descend into madness.”

Hotaru let out a huge laugh.

“Yes you’re right, it’s going to be terrible,” She said and continued to laugh.

“Hotaru it’s not really that funny.”

“Sorry you know my sense of humor hasn’t fully recovered yet, at least I laugh.”
”That’s true,” Greg said.
More lights appeared in his rear view mirror. Greg eased the car out of the lane as another police car whizzed by.

“Hey…wasn’t that…” he said.

“Yes,” Hotaru said.

“This chase is getting annoying, look at the traffic backing up, we’re going to be late getting to the airport,” Greg said.

“I’m sure they won’t mind,” Hotaru said.

“Fortunately we’re getting the road clear of the people, but this guy’s nuts,” Mike said continuing to follow the grey car.”

“Makes me wish I could just blast it with a sword,” Steve said.

“Neither of us had that good aim,” Mike said.

“Yeah…” Steve muttered.

“I hope someone’s warning the airport,” Mike said. “Because apparently that’s where this guy is headed.”

“Odd choice, what’s he going to do, steal, a plane,” Steve said.

“Attention, attention,” came a voice over the radio. “Be advised, suspect may have a plane waiting for him, we’re checking it out.”

Mike and Steve glanced at each other.

Amy and Taiki emerged from the gate and looked out a long window at the plane that had carried them northern Japan.

“It was a smooth flight at least,” Amy said.

Taiki nodded.

It was the they noticed several police cars racing across the airport tarmac.

“Wonder what’s that is about,” Amy said.

“Hopefully nothing that will involve us,” Taiki said.

Amy looked him over.

“You’re afraid it will.”
“Just a bit,” Taiki said. “You know how things go in this crazy city.”

Amy sighed.

The two had almost reached the doors to the airport when they saw a police officer was blocking the way.

“No one can go outside, there’s a situation,” he was saying.

“What sort of situation?” Amy asked.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “But it’s dangerous.”

Outside other police officers were herding people out of the way, as the grey car sped towards the terminal. Amy and Taiki looked out the airport windows in surprise.

“What’s going on?” came a voice. They both turned to see Seiya, and Yaten standing a few feet away.

“Fancy meeting you here,” Taiki said.

“Look at that,” Amy said as several police cars skidded to a stop in front o the terminal. Emerging from the lead car was a familiar face.

“What a coincidence,” Yaten muttered.

“How close is he?” D.V. said into the car radio and stared ahead.

“Thirty seconds,” Mike replied
The cops all could see the cars approaching in the distance, but also to their shock a lone bicyclist was pedaling towards the airport as well.

“Where the heck did they come from?” D.V. snapped. The cops all began to shout at the bicyclist who looked in surprise, panicked and slid to the street in shock. He slowly stood as the chase raced at him.

“How awfully cliché!” Patterson snapped and jumped into his car.

The bicyclist looked into the oncoming chase in fear and was only saved by a last minute motorcycle racing up. The driver grabbed him and carried him to the side of the road, skidding the cycle to a stop as the chase raced by them, smashing the bicycle to bits. The cops scattered from their barricade. Mike gunned the engine on his patrol car and hit the back of the grey car at an angle that caused it to swerve. Patterson’s car lurched forward and bumped the car from the other side causing it to swerve more slowly back the other way. The cop cars swarmed pushing themselves up against the criminal’s vehicle and stopping it. He was soon dragged out of the car and handcuffed.

“There’s nothing worse than a penguin smuggler with a fast car,” Mike said.

“That’s telling him,” Steve muttered.

The motorcyclist walked up and pulled off her helmet.

“Craziest chase I’ve ever seen,” Haruka said.

“Thanks for the assistance, crazy bicyclists,” Patterson said.

“This happen to you often?” Haruka asked.

“More than I’d like,” Patterson said.

“Not exactly something that happens often up in the country, but I’m glad to help,” Haruka said. “Who was that guy.”
“Smuggler, of the most annoying kind,” Patterson said.

“Superintendent!” a cop said hurrying up. “The chief is on the radio looking for you.”
Patterson sighed.

“Hey look,” Mike said pointing over at Amy, Taiki, Seiya, and Yaten who had emerged from the airport along with hundreds of other bewildered people.

“Hiiii AMY! And other people I don’t really like!!” Mike shouted waving.

Amy waved politely.

Haruka walked back towards her bike. The bicyclist was sitting on the ground breathing heavily.

“You got lucky,” Haruka said.

He nodded.

“Haruka…what have you managed to get involved in this time came the most familiar voice she had ever heard. She whirled.

“Michiru, you’re early,” Haruka said and gave her a hug.

“Yes the plane somehow got in earlier then they said,” Michiru replied.

“How was Europe.”
“I’m more than happy to tell you, it’s just it seems like this is a bit of a crime scene, maybe later?”

Haruka blushed and nodded.

“Is that Amy over there?” Michiru asked. “Oh and the lights, I haven’t seen them in a while...”
“We have a suspicion that Serena’s wedding is going to perhaps lead to some nuttiness, perhaps this coincidence is but the beginning,” Haruka said walking her bike towards the others, with Michiru following.

The police started trying to clean up the mess, but Mike and Steve managed to head over to where there friends were standing.

“Just another day at the office,” Mike was saying.

“Why do I suspect you were more likely the cause of this chaos than the solution,” Yaten said.

“Actually Yaten, Mike to my surprise pulled off a fairly tough driving move to help bring that guy down,” Seiya said. “This might be the only time he’s done something correctly.”
“Not true Seiya, I very ably stole Mina’s heart away from grey hair over here,” Mike said.

“Ouch,” Seiya said.

“How is Greg going to get through this mess to pick us up?” Amy asked.

“That’s a very interesting question,” Steve said. “It may take us awhile to clear this all out, and all the rental car places are blocked off too right now.”
“Might as well rest inside then,” Taiki said.

The others nodded and headed back into the airport.

“Did you see who was here?” Mike asked walking up to Patterson.

“Yes yes, unfortunately we don’t have time for gabbing, all the higher ups are coming,” Patterson muttered.

As if to illustrate his point, black sedans were pulling up and figures emerging, first came Police Chief Shinobu Ozaki, following her was Commissioner Kino, and from another car came Governor Tsumura, and his public safety director, Ozaki. Patterson and the officers nearby offered a salute.

“Well this is a bit of a situation here isn’t it,” Governor Tsumura said. “All because of Penguins as I understand it?”

Patterson nodded.

Greg and Hotaru had finally parked in a parking lot at the edge of the airport and started walking.

“If we have to I’ll take the monorail,” Greg said.

“This really is worrying me,” Hotaru said. “It is very possible everyone’s fears are truly going to happen.”
“Wonderful,” Greg said.

On the outskirts of the airport a military transport plane bearing United States markings was pulling to a stop. Several personnel climbed out including Tashiro Takara. He looked around at the police cars surrounding a hangar in the distance and the seeming chaos beyond.

“Apparently it’s quite a mess,” Ayeka Mizuno said walking up to him, clad in her SDF uniform.

“Hello Lieutenant Mizuno,” Tashiro said. “What’s happening over there.”
“I hear it’s about Penguins,” Ayeka said with a grin and lead him to a jeep.

“Penguins?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence that Serena’s wedding isn’t going to cause the collapse of civilization,” Tashiro said.

“Don’t tell me you’ve been worried about that too…”

“I wasn’t until Ai told me she was having dreams.”

“Uh oh, where is Ai by the way.”

“She and Akiro flew commercial from the U.S. They should be here any moment…thanks for the ride by the way.”
”No problem, but I think we’ll have trouble collecting the others with all this police stuff going on.”
”Could be worse I guess,” Tashiro said.

It was about the time that Greg and Hotaru reached the terminal and located the others that Akiro and Ai came down a corridor and joined the growing group.

“This is quite the reunion,” Michiru noted.

“Strange how it all happens this way,” Hotaru said.

“Scary,” Akiro said. “Looks like Ai was right.”
“I sure hope not,” Ai said.

“Right about what?” Haruka asked.

At the National Diet building a variety of people had crowded into a large committee room, as a panel of diet members sat behind a large table. A grim faced older man gaveled the committee into session.

“The Committee on Security is called to order,” Diet Member Nagumo said. “Today we’re welcoming in the leadership of the Self Defense Forces, gentlemen if you please…” Nagumo said motioning to a table in front of the committee members. As the SDF leaders took their seats, the member next to Nagumo, Sylia Coral leaned over to her right.

“This the calm before the storm,” she said to the member next to her. Representative Setsuna Meio looked back, smiled politely and nodded.

“So I hear,” Setsuna said.

Chairman of the Joint Staff Council Patterson looked up towards the assembled group. Beside him sat several of his staff and Doctor Tomoe.

“General, apparently some on this committee are curious about your budget choices, I for one am not,” Nagumo said. “But we are about fairness here, so we’ll have to start the questioning up soon.”
Patterson nodded.

“You all finally made it in safely I see,” Darien said flanked by Serena, Raye, and Rick at the temple. The former scouts at the airport all nodded and smiled.

“Hope I’m not late,” Setsuna said hurrying up the steps. “These days are pretty long in the Diet.”

“Just in time,” Serena said. “I’m so glad you’re all here…now…everyone have fun!”

And a carefully planned party began.

“Have you noticed something,” Mina said whispering to Mike.

“You mean that Rick and Raye seem to be hiding their annoyance,” Mike whispered back.

“Yeah…exactly,” Mina said.

“Yep, looks like Raye is still mad at him,” Mike said.

“I’m going to change that, right now.”
“Right now??” Mike said aloud.

Everyone at the party stopped and looked at the pair.

“Yes…” Mina said blushing in embarrassment. She whirled towards Raye. “Raye, you are my friend, and I love you, but you are nuts for holding this against Rick for so long.”
“What…...” Raye said.

“She’s right,” Lita added.

“Wha…”

“Fraid so,” Serena said. “Raye, Rick is in love with you, and you refused his original marriage proposal three years ago for whatever reason.”

“It was important, I couldn’t get married that quickly,” Raye said. “I was still in college.”
“Yeah well you scared him off, no wonder he hasn’t proposed since,” Mike said. “He’s been trying to figure you out.”
“I told him we could get married after I graduated college…” Raye said. “But did he propose? No.”
Rick was just staring at the ground caught in a rare embarrassing position.

“Course he didn’t, he expected you to refuse him again,” Lita said.

Raye paused, for some reason, the logic of all they had been saying finally clicked, and her memory solidified.

“Rick is that true?”

“Of course it is,” Rick said.

“Oh,” Raye said.

“I still have the ring you know…if you’d just stop being scary, I could propose…”

“Oh,” Raye said. “Really?”

“Yes…” Rick said and sighed.

She gave him a hug. The rest of the group just watched with grins on their faces, until the two blushed and pulled apart.

“Glad we settled that,” Haruka muttered.

“Ok now Rick proposed second, who’s going to be third?” Mina said glaring at Mike.

“Oh...um…”
“I’m third!” Steve shouted and pulled a ring out of his pocket and practically crammed it into Lita’s hand.

“Oh wow! Yes, of course!” Lita said.

“Drat…” Mike said. “Too slow,” he said producing his own ring.

“This is peculiar,” Hotaru said.

“Just a bit,” Setsuna said.

“I suppose this isn’t the time to point out that I already have a ring,” Amy said holding it up.

“WHA??” the other girls shouted.

“Ya know…maybe you guys should all get married with me,” Serena said.

The five girls glanced at each other and smiled.

“What just happened…” Setsuna said in a bit of surprise.

The next day the five friends had descended on a bridal shop in the hopes of finding dresses quickly to support their spontaneous decision. Darien was calling up the various people involved with the wedding trying to make sure the logistics would work, as well. As for Taiki, Mike, Rick, and Steve, the four were sitting on the edge of a fountain staring off into space.

“So……” Mike began.

“Yeah….” Rick said.

Greg walked up to them and sat down beside them.

“I didn’t want Hotaru to feel left out…” he said.

“You didn’t?” Taiki asked.

“I did,” Greg said.

The five stared off into space together.

“That doesn’t appear to be healthy,” Yaten said as he Seiya, Haruka, and Michiru watched from a distance.

“Not at all,” Haruka said.

“Think they’re just getting temporary cold feet?” Seiya asked.

“Taiki I think is just surprised as the irrationality of the decision, the other four are lunatics,” Yaten said.

“That’s pretty much true,” Haruka said.

“Greg is only slightly insane,” Michiru said pleasantly. “To be fair.”

“So should we try to help them somehow?” Seiya asked.

“That’s a tricky one,” Haruka said.

“There must be some way to snap them out of this before the girls see them like this,” Michiru said.

“Leave it to me,” came a voice. They turned to see a bear costume moving towards them. Ai trailed behind the bear.

“Akiro…what are you doing…” Seiya said.

“It’s not Akiro, it’s Bearaku! Guardian of shell shocked men of love!” Akiro said from within the bear costume. “Tally ho!”

With that Akiro hurried towards the fountain, leaving the others looking after him in surprise.

Ai walked up and pointed to her ring finger.

“I hope you can make it to our wedding, it’ll be two years from now at a beautiful place in Okinawa, I hope,” Ai said.

“Wow…one of you actually has some patience, I’m impressed,” Seiya said.

“I want it to be special, and specialness sometimes takes great planning,” Ai said.

“Look at him…” Yaten sighed.

Akiro the bear was dancing around the five despondent guys on the fountain until finally he pushed them all in, and they leapt up yelling before tossing him into the fountain as well.

Miles away at Police Headquarters D.V. Patterson let out a huge laugh as he viewed the scene through his hidden cameras. A knock on the door caused him to stop and stare stoically at the entrance.

“Come in,” he said. Setsuna and Ayeka came in and glanced at him.

“We know you were laughing,” Setsuna said and Ayeka started chuckling.

“So I was,” D.V. muttered.

“I just wanted to let you know that several members of the Diet will be attending the wedding, and some of our security will be there,” Setsuna said.

“And because your uncle will be there as well as several other SDF bigwigs, I came to tell you the SDF is sending liaison officers over to deal with that,” Ayeka said.

“Of course I won’t be in personal charge of security after the planning is over, but my assistants can handle it,” Patterson said. “It apparently will be a mess now that everyone is getting married, but we’ll get through it somehow.”

“I’ve got to get back,” Setsuna said.

“Me too,” Ayeka said.

The two headed out.

“Ayeka, I’m curious, aren’t you caught up in this fever?” Setsuna asked.

“Weddings? Are you kidding?” Ayeka said. “D.V. and I are hardly ready to deal with anything like that, he works 20 hour days and so do I, we see each other enough, we’re not like other couples, and weddings, heh, no no no, not anytime soon.”
“Oh….strange…”

“What about you though…” Ayeka said.

“ME?”

“You haven’t found someone?”

“No…never,” Setsuna said. “It can’t happen.”

“Oh…sorry…”

“It’s all right,” Setsuna said and smiled weakly. “Ayeka, perhaps you’re the only one of the girls who can possibly understand why sometimes, love just isn’t enough to overcome other responsibilities.”

“I’m sure Haruka and Michiru know that.”
“No…they try to pretend…but no, they don’t understand,” Setsuna said.

The next day one of Tokyo’s larger churches was surrounded by police and military vehicles. Friends, guests, and family members were arriving, as were members of the press trying to figure out why some of the most important people in Tokyo were showing up.

“Wooo!” Serena said spinning around in a circle, letting her dress flow. The other five girls in their dresses smiled back at her. Setsuna, Michiru, Haruka, Ai, Ayeka, Molly, Rita, and others were clad in bridesmaids dresses as well. Serena’s mother was already crying with joy. Mina’s mother was trying to keep subdued but was there as well. The door opened slowly and Amy’s mother stuck her head in. Amy looked over at her and smiled running to hug her.

“Thanks for the invite,” Dr. Anderson said. The two embraced further. Hotaru, Lita, and Raye all looked at the ground briefly, but recovered and managed smiles in support of their friend.

“Won’t be long now,” Serena said bubbling over with joy.

In front of the church the guys were all standing watching as the guests arrived. They had been joined by Andrew, Chad, and Ken. Melvin wandered up the steps shaking hands with everyone. Greg briefly pulled him aside.

“Melvin is it true that you invented cold fusion?”

“Not officially no, but wait till you see what we my lab reveals next week,” Melvin said with a smile.

An array of SDF vehicles pulled up, General Patterson emerged followed by General Mizuno, Colonel Mizuno, General Nagumo, and several other staff members. SDF security fanned out over the area as the group headed inside. A smaller motorcade of cars arrived right afterward, Governor Tsumura stepped out followed by Director Ozaki, Chief Ozaki, and Commissioner Kino. A similar group of body guards surrounded the church. More people were arriving, the dark moon group arrived with Diamond at their lead in a white suit that very much resembled his villain garb. The four negaverse generals also emerged from the crowd.

“Who would have thought we would be here for this,” Malichite said with a smile.

More friends, and family were arriving. A group of loud sirens wailed down the street.

“Is that…” Steve said trailing off.

“It is,” Patterson remarked.

A wave of black cars skidded up and suited figures rushed in all directions. Sylia Coral emerged from a car, as did Representative Kanzaki and Representative Nagumo. Joining them was a younger man. They walked up the steps.

Mike grinned.

“That’s quite a surprise guest,” Mike said.

“Say hello to the Prime Minister everyone!” Sylia said.

The guys all managed some form of hello as the Prime Minister passed by.

The group was followed by Doctor Tomoe.

“I brought fudge,” Tomoe said with a smile and began to cackle.

“And with that I think we had better get ready,” Rick said.

Not long afterward, Darien, Mike, Steve, Rick, Greg, and Taiki stood at the front of the church. The other best men, ushers et cetera were standing next to them in the crowded church area. The bridesmaids emerged from a side door. The music played and the six brides were lead in, Raye was escorted by her uncle to the front, and the six were soon standing next to their husbands to be.

“This will perhaps be the most unusual ceremony I have ever presided over,” the priest said. “But here we go.”

Time passed as seemingly half the city of Tokyo watched. When things wrapped up the six couples head out the front steps being showered with rice.

“It shouldn’t surprise you all that I’d like some food!” Serena shouted. “Let’s go!”

The group all headed on their way, with crowds trailing after them.

Luna and Artemis sat nearby.

“Sometimes I wonder…” Luna said.

“Oh?”

“I wonder…oh it’s too hard to put into words…you know what I mean.”
Artemis grinned.

“Yes…I do,” the white cat replied.