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Diamohns are Forever	By : SailorSol Category: Sailor Moon > General Views: 22490 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
BREAKTHROUGH

Two weeks passed in relative peace. Aster cautiously allowed Takagi to take her out on some dates without Haruka or Sean present. The girls blithely went about their business of high school and dates on weekends without thinking much about the attacks.

None of them spoke about the attacks, almost fearing that talking about them would bring another one.

October had come, the younger girls and their boyfriends were arranging a birthday party for Aster and Akari. Akari had been born on the third, and Aster on the fourth, four years apart.

Aster went shopping with Sean and Haruka, looking for an additional present for her sister. She already bought Akari and new car, custom painted metallic plum with custom lavender leather interior. It was due to be delivered the next day.

While Sean was in the jewelry store with Haruka, Aster went across the street to a store she had noticed, and never entered.

The store specialized in women�s intimate apparel, and what caught Aster�s attention was a nightgown and robe set on a mannequin in the window. It was a deep purple, and Aster had a sudden fantasy of the look on Vincent�s face if he saw Akari in it. Akari needed a boost to her feminine confidence, since giving birth. This was just the thing to put the sparkle back into Vincent�s eye when he looked at his wife.

She giggled like a fiend and went to the back of the shop, where she could see another mannequin, with a dark blue one on. She could envision Haruka in it, but she knew her chances of getting her mekake into it were slim and none.

There were two racks, one with the gowns, and one with robes to go over them.

Even happier, Aster got to work. All of the girls except for Hotaru and ChibiUsa were deeply involved with Kishi. She knew most of the girls were using contraception of one kind or another. Giving them a little something to spice up their love life wouldn�t hurt anyone.

She came out of the shop several minutes later with a sales clerk and several boxes. The woman helped her across the street and helped her put the boxes into the trunk of the car. She gave the woman a tip and watched while she crossed the street and reentered the shop.

�What was all that about?� Haruka asked from the sidewalk.

Aster turned and smiled at her.

�Just a bit of a surprise for the girls,� Aster said, smiling. �Not to mention you.�

�A surprise for me?� Haruka asked. �You came out of a lingerie store.�

�I didn�t say that I expected you to wear anything,� Aster said. �You go in and tell Sean I bought you two a surprise at the store across the street, and ask him what he thinks.�

�Fine,� Haruka said. �He�s almost done, anyway.�

She went inside and spoke to Sean, who was speaking to the manager of the store. Sean turned sharply to Haruka, turned to look at Aster, and then looked through the window of the store to the lingerie shop. He touched Haruka�s arm and pointed to the lingerie store. Aster saw Haruka look, and then look again.

The look on her face was worth the price of all twelve expensive silk nightgowns.

***** *****

When they arrived at the house, Aster insisted on sorting through the boxes and bringing all except the one meant for Hotaru and one of the two for her over to what they were calling Chiba House. She also retrieved a tangle of purple ribbon in several colors and attached the keys to the car that would be delivered in the morning.

At the house, a spatula-wielding Usagi ordered Aster to go through the solarium and into the living room, on threat of being struck with the wooden implement. Aster meekly joined Akari there, piling her eight boxes on the floor next to the chair she dropped into.

�What is in the boxes, Aster?� Akari asked, peering at the boxes curiously.

�Something guaranteed to raise temperatures and eyebrows,� Aster replied. �It�s just a pity that I�m never going to know what effect these have, for some of you.�

�Why not?� Akari asked.

�Because nobody but me or Minako would be seen outside of a bedchamber in one of these,� Aster said. �I even bought one for someone who will never wear it.�

�Who?� Akari asked. When Aster didn�t answer, she followed her sister�s ardent gaze to where Haruka was speaking with Usagi and gesturing at the closed shoji that led to the dining room.

�You are right, Aster,� Akari said. �You would never get her into anything remotely like women�s clothing, and certainly not lingerie.�

�I know,� Aster sighed, her eyes running up and down her mekake�s lean form.

Their conversation was cut short by the appearance of Minako and Rei from the kitchen. Minako squealed when she saw the boxes next to Aster. She headed straight for the two sisters, and tried to get the lid off of the top box.

�Get your hands off of that!� Aster admonished her. �You�ll get yours when I decide, and not a moment sooner!�

�But I want mine now!� Minako protested. �I�ll model it!�

�That�s tempting,� Aster said. �I don�t know how happy Eduard will be, though.�

�An� why should I not be �appy,� Eduard asked, coming into the living room with the rest of the Kishi. He took Minako�s hand and drew her into his arms. He nuzzled into her neck and murmured something to her in French that made her blush.

�I bought Minako something naughty,� Aster said, smiling. �She offered to model it. I would like one of the girls to, and Minako certainly has the figure for it.�

�Somezing naughty?� Eduard asked. His eyes sparkled as he smiled at Minako. �I would very much like to zee �er in it.�

�Okay,� Aster said. �Have a stick ready, though, to keep the other guys off of her.�

�It looks like you �ave enough for all the girls,� Eduard observed. �Per�aps ze other men will want to see zeir own girls in zuch finery.�

�Okay,� Aster said. She sorted through the boxes and picked one out of the pile.

�Akari,� she said. �I�m putting you in charge of these boxes. Don�t let anyone look into them until I say so. Eduard, get everyone into the living room so they can all see it.� She took Minako by the hand and took her into the spare room next to the entrance to the solarium and pool, which they used for a changing room.

Minutes later, Minako emerged, swathed from throat to ankle in a silk robe that was a warm red. She looked around at everyone, looking at her expectantly, and blushed to the roots of her hair.

�Come on, Mina,� Rei said. �You put it on so that you could show it off. Let�s see it.�

Minako looked hesitantly at Eduard, and then quickly unfastened frogs that closed the robe and untied the belt to let it fall to the ground.

Abruptly, they could hear ChibiUsa and Hotaru playing video games in the basement.

The nightgown was essentially two panels of bright orange silk. They started just above Minako�s upstanding breasts and fell to her ankles. Silk cord was decoratively sewn to one side of the top of the panels and met in an ornate knot on the opposite shoulder. The opposite corner folded gracefully. More silk cord attached at the bustline, the waist, and the hips. Other than that, Minako was wearing nothing but her red bow and her abundant hair.

�Merde,� Eduard said softly.

�Lad,� Sean said, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. �Ye jus� said a mouthful.�

�I�ll say,� Vincent said. �Honey, d� you mean you got one o� those fer all the girls?�

�Yes,� Aster said. �I couldn�t just get one. I had to get one for everyone.�

She walked over to the stack of boxes and started handing them out.

�For Rei,� she said. �Black with a red robe, to give Robert his own shocking experience.�

�For Ami, ice blue with a sapphire blue robe, to make Martin stand up and take notice.�

�For Makoto, emerald with a pink robe. When we finally find out who Kishi Mercury is, she can stop him dead in his tracks.�

�For Michiru, turquoise with an aquamarine robe, to make Haruka and Takagi lose their eyes on the floor.�

�For Usagi, an ivory gown to give Mamoru fits, and a sliver robe fit for the Moon Princess.�

�And last but never least, for the woman who started me on this binge, a lavender robe and a royal purple gown for the first woman I loved in this life, to see if I can give my partner a heart attack.�

�Thanks, sunshine,� Vincent said, smirking. �Who�s modelin� next?�

�I will,� Aster said. �I�m going to see how many of you faint.�

She picked up the last box and disappeared into the room herself. She had thought long and hard about this, and she had decided that it was time to let Takagi know he was forgiven.

She came out in a crimson robe that gave her the undivided attention of everyone in the room. ChibiUsa and Hotaru had come up from the basement, and were admiring Usagi�s gown, still in the box.

Hotaru glanced over at Thomas, and then looked at Aster.

�Did you get me one, too?� she asked.

�As a matter of fact, I did,� Aster said. �I got you a plum colored gown and a black robe. It�s ready when you are.�

She walked over to where Takagi and Sean were sitting and started unfastening the frogs on her robe. Sean started thinking erotic thoughts almost immediately, and Takagi crossed his legs in an effort to hide his burgeoning erection.

�I don�t know if this is suitable for children,� Mamoru said as Aster started untying the sash of her robe.

�Why not?� Minako asked. She was sitting in Eduard�s lap, her new nightgown on full display.

�I�ll cover my eyes,� ChibiUsa said, suiting actions to words and putting her hands over her eyes.

Aster smiled at her and finished unfastening the sash and let the robe drop to the ground at her feet.

The absolute silence was worth even more than the look on Haruka�s face.

Every Kishi in the room, except for Quentin, broke into a sweat.

�I thought she was stunning transformed,� Martin murmured.

�I�ll second that,� Robert said. The two of them then false-fainted on the couch where they were sitting.

�I think I�d like to paint you in that,� Michiru said softly. Aster turned towards her, startled by the quiet declaration, and their eyes met for the first time.

Aster suddenly knew what Takagi had meant about drowning and not wanting to come up for air. She felt like she could plunge into the depths of the sea and never surface again.

Michiru now knew what Haruka had experienced, feeling like a moth drawn to a candle flame, knowing that danger lurked, but unable to stop her forward motion. She knew without a doubt that if bonding with Aster meant immolating herself, she would do it gladly, and with no regrets.

Aster broke the eye contact first, with a suddenly nauseated look on her face. She ran to the closest bathroom, leaving everyone else wondering what happened. Michiru was thrown off balance by her sudden departure and fell down onto a �floor pillow� that was sitting nearby.

�Oh, dear,� Michiru said, rubbing her stomach. �I�ve had a headache since I bonded to Takagi, but now I feel sick.�

�I�ve had one most of the time since I bonded to Aster,� Haruka said. �I�ve been nauseous a lot, since I bonded to Sean. I wonder if there�s a correlation?�

�I hope she�s not pregnant,� Sean said. �We�d have to figure out who it was.�

�That can�t be the reason for my headaches,� Haruka said. �Not without immaculate conception.�

�Unless you were getting it from Aster,� Michiru said. �We should check on her.�

�Let me help you up, lass,� Sean said, holding out one massive hand to help the aqua-haired woman to her feet.

Michiru took the assistance, and then looked up to thank him.

Again, there was complete silence as emerald eyes met aqua.

�Kuma,� Michiru murmured after a moment. �I never knew that you felt that way.�

�I never meant you to know,� he said. His eyes widened after a moment, and his face took on a look of panic.

Without another word, he bolted up the stairs, one hand over his mouth.

In the aftermath, Michiru looked at Takagi and Haruka in surprise.

�I feel fine now,� she said. �No headache, and no nausea, either.�

Aster came back in a few moments later, with a damp cloth in her hand. She was pale and shaking.

�I don�t know where that came from,� she said, sinking down next to Haruka. �It was just all of a sudden.�

�Yeah,� Haruka said. �Right after you looked at Michiru.�

�Right after I bonded with Michiru,� Aster corrected. She was pensive for a moment, and then she looked at Haruka speculatively.

�You�ve been nauseated ever since you bonded to Sean,� she said. �You had the bond with Michiru, and then with me, and then with Sean. We�ve never known anyone with more than one bond that wasn�t Planetary. We don�t know what happens. What if the nausea is part of the triple bond?�

�I don�t want to go through the rest of my life nauseated,� Haruka said grimly.

�You may not need to,� Michiru said. �My nausea went away when I bonded to Kuma.�

�Do you have a suggestion?� Haruka asked.

�I do,� Aster said. �Takagi�s bonded to Michiru, and so are you, and so am I. Michiru�s now bonded to four people. Maybe if you or I tried to bond to Takagi, the nausea would go away.�

�That would mean that he and Sean � � Haruka paused as she saw the potential, both in complications and in resolution.

�It�s worth a try, isn�t it?� Michiru asked. �Aster, go over there and look Takagi in the eyes.�

�That�s easier said than done,� Aster said. �Why don�t we try your theory another way? Why doesn�t Takagi go find Sean where he�s throwing up, and look him in the eyes? I can stand the nausea for a while. I don�t think Sean can.�

Takagi nodded and went upstairs to find the other man and try the idea. It would be interesting, to say the least. He was completely unaware that the three women followed him.

He came on Sean washing his face in the bathroom. The smell of sickness hung in the air, but the Irishman had lit a stick of joss to chase the smell away.

�Feeling better, Sean?� Takagi asked.

�No,� the other man confessed. �I just have nae more to lose in me stomach.�

�Aster and Michiru have an idea,� he said. �They think that you and I could bond, and it would stabilize you.�

�Anythin�s worth a try, I suppose,� Sean said, turning towards him.

Takagi deliberately raised his eyes to meet those of the taller man. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, it was as if a floodgate opened in their minds, and each of them was inundated with information about the other.

Without conscious volition, both men moved towards one another. Their hands met first, and then Sean backed Takagi up against the wall of the bathroom. Takagi lifted his face to meet Sean�s lowering his head, and their lips met as if guided by rails.

For a timeless spell, they lost themselves in the taste and feel of one another. Takagi was experienced in intimacy with another man, and his memories guided Sean in what Takagi would find pleasurable at his hands.

They had progressed to unfastening each other�s clothing when they were interrupted by a sharp intake of breath and turned towards the doorway.

Michiru, Haruka, and Aster stood there, all three wide-eyed and open mouthed.

�I never thought the sight of two men kissing would be so � stimulating,� Michiru said softly.

�I did,� Aster said, smirking. �I will admit that it is a completely different from watching Kunzitosama and Zoisito kiss, though.�

�Equally stimulating?� Haruka asked.

�Yes,� Aster said.

�Whoever had the idea,� Sean said, trying to distract the three women. �It�s a good one. I feel fine, now.�

�Okay,� Aster said. �My turn, I guess.�

She stepped forward, and glanced at Takagi.

�You�re going to have to help me with this, Korio,� she said. �There is no way I can meet your eyes on my own.�

�Very well,� he said. He reached out, pulled her into his arms, and firmly took possession of her mouth.

She was prepared to be ordered to look at him. She was not prepared to have her mouth plundered with a thoroughness that left her breathless. Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself feeling as though she were adrift in a timeless place. She was flooded with information for the second time that day. In that moment, she forgave Takagi for losing himself, and he abased himself before her in apology.

When he finally released her, she looked over at Michiru with her surprise easy to see.

�It�s gone,� she said. �I�m not nauseated anymore.�

�Oh gods,� Takagi moaned.

�No you don�t Pluto,� Haruka said. She reached out with effortless grace and captured his chin in her hand. She turned him to face her and deliberately met his eyes with her own.

To the surprise of the three watching, Haruka pulled him closer and brought her lips up against his. His arms wrapped around her waist and she ran her hands over his head as they deepened the kiss.

�Great gods and little kami,� Aster whispered, unwilling to disturb the scene before them.

�You said it,� Michiru said.

After an eternity, the two of them separated, hyperventilating as if they had just run a marathon.

Takagi tightened his arms around Haruka�s waist, and his hands slid down to cup her buttocks as he pulled her up tight against him. The two of them were of a height, so they aligned almost perfectly.

Haruka pulled the ribbon out of Takagi�s hair and ran her fingers through his hair while she caught her breath.

Neither of them looked away from one another�s eyes. It seemed to the three watchers that they were just waiting until their breathing evened out before they plunged into the kiss again.

To forestall that, Aster cleared her throat.

Startled, both Haruka and Takagi looked at her, to find her smiling at them.

�I take it there won�t be any problems with him and Michiru moving in, Speedy?� Aster asked.

Haruka blushed to the roots of her hair. She pulled away from Takagi and would have bolted from the room, but they were in their way.

Sean reached out and captured her cheek in one large hand.

�No, Wind Dancer,� he said. �You can�t run from it. You have to face it. You�ve been running ever since you and I bonded, and I was willing to let you come to terms with it yourself. Now, I think you�ve found out that it�s not what you thought. Am I after being right?�

Still blushing, Haruka nodded, refusing to meet his eyes.

�It�s nothing to be ashamed of,� he said. �You told me why this is happening. Have you forgotten?�

�No,� she said, turning her eyes to Aster. �I haven�t forgotten at all.�

***** *****

The party itself started as smoothly as any of them could have wished. Usagi proved to have a flair for planning, and the menu she put together worked admirably. She got Rei to make tempura, Makoto to make a cherry cake with chocolate fudge frosting and cherry filling, and Ami to make sweet rice balls. ChibiUsa was to set the table up and get the Kishi to decorate the dining room and the living room annex where they had all huddled together before the first daimohn attack.

In all of it, Minako�s task was to keep the two sisters from snooping into the arrangements for their party. She sat with them, completely unselfconscious of the revealing lingerie that she was wearing, and chatted about clubs in Shinjuku, school, clothes, and her plans for the coming winter: ice skating, skiing, snowball fights, and an ice sculpture contest that was being held at the civic center.

Finally, Usagi came out, wearing the rabbit apron that Aster had bought for her. Her timer was ticking away in her pocket, and she had flour on her forehead. She smiled at them, though.

�Everything�s ready!� she declared. �I see that Aster�s dressed for the party, but what about you, Akari?�

�Me?� Akari asked. �You wish me to parade around in that scrap of nothing that is only fit for the bedroom?�

�We�re Nihongo, Akari,� Usagi reminded her. �The idea to hide your body is a Western attitude. It�s not like I�m saying that we should go out to a restaurant like that. I�ve just finished talking the rest of the girls into wearing them, too. I sent ChibiUsa upstairs to put on her nightgown and robe, and Hotaru�s waiting to talk to Aster.�

She grabbed the box that Aster had given Akari earlier, put it on top of her own box, and dragged Akari up the stairs to change clothes.

Aster turned at a touch on her shoulder to look into the dark violet eyes of the girl that she thought of as a daughter, despite less than five years difference in their ages.

�I think I�m ready,� Hotaru said. �I just hope that Thomas is.�

�We can hope,� Aster said. �He hasn�t taken his eyes off of my legs since I took the robe off.�

�Thomas doesn�t think that people should pillow until they get married,� Hotaru said. �What do you think, Aster?�

�Sweet Pea,� Aster said. �I�m not married. I probably will never be married. For me, fidelity is something that belongs on a sound system.�

Hotaru giggled, something she did too rarely for Aster�s taste.

�It�s in your bedroom, Hotaru,� Aster said. �I�d suggest bringing it over here to change. You could catch a cold, crossing the yard in it.�

�Maybe someone can help me keep warm,� Hotaru said, smiling. She turned and left the room, heading out to the solarium, and presumably to the House of the Sun to retrieve the lingerie.

Aster smiled at her retreating back and crossed her legs. She saw Thomas blush a bit, but his eyes never left the length of golden tinted thigh that she was revealing to any interested party in the room.

Mamoru watched Thomas quietly, understanding the younger man�s frustration with desires that were in opposition with his upbringing.

Finally, Mamoru stood up and walked over to Thomas.

�Let�s talk, Thomas,� he said. �I think you and I should have talked some time ago.�

He led the way into the solarium, where they could see the roof of the House of the Sun.

�You seem to be a bit conflicted,� he said, choosing a seat among the many chairs and lounges that were in clusters.

�More than a bit,� Thomas confessed, sitting down in an adjoining chair.

�Tell me what�s bothering you,� Mamoru said.

�Everything,� Thomas said, sighing. �I was raised to think that powers like ours were witchcraft, and that it was wrong. I was raised to believe that women should be modest and quiet, but none of these women are, except for Akari and Ami, but I like them better. I find them unbearably attractive, especially � �

�Especially Aster, Akari, and � Usagi,� Mamoru finished for him.

�That�s supposed to be wrong, too,� Thomas sighed, frustrated. �Akari and Usagi are both married women. Aster acts in a fashion that would have gotten her branded as a whore where I grew up.�

�Aster is anything but a whore,� Mamoru said. �If anything, she is more restrained than she used to be. I remember � �

�That�s another thing I have trouble with,� Thomas said. �I have memories of other times, and other places, and of doing things that I�ve been taught were wrong.�

Mamoru leaned forward.

�Doing what things, Thomas?� he asked.

Thomas blushed to the roots of his hair, and then he raised his eyes to meet Mamoru�s. The amount of confusion and desire he saw there made Mamoru pause.

�So you remember that, too,� Mamoru said. �I almost thought that it was my imagination, Tsuki.�

�I was taught that it was wrong,� Thomas said. �Sodomites and homosexuals burn in hell. So do witches.�

�Thomas,� Mamoru said. �I don�t know how to solve this problem for you. I don�t know enough about your beliefs. Try talking to Aster, or to Vincent. They are both good at giving advice, and they were both raised in your country. Now, is anything else bothering you?�

�Other than lusting after two married women, and a child?� Thomas asked, a note of hysteria creeping into his voice. �What else could be bothering me?�

�Hotaru�s not a child, other than legally,� Mamoru said. �In the not so distant past, she would have been married by now, and probably have borne her first child. Tsuki, you have to stop thinking in terms of what you�ve learned this life, and think in terms of what you have learned in all of your lives.�

�That I should engage in debauchery with anyone I desire?� Thomas asked. �That I should use these powers?�

�Good done in the name of evil is still good,� Aster�s voice came from not far away, startling both men.

Thomas couldn�t help but stare at her, clad in two lengths of silk and some silken cord. She looked like a goddess that had descended from Heaven, or a demon from Hell to tempt him.

�What do you mean by that?� Thomas asked.

�It�s something that Asian philosophy has accepted for millennia, Thomas,� she said. �It is the action and the results that matter, sometimes far more than the original intent behind them. Demons do good all the time, sometimes because they want to meddle with another demon�s plans, sometimes because they�re bored, or sometimes because of something unrelated that they did. It is still good, just as evil done in the name of good is still evil.�

�Like the witch trials,� Thomas said in growing understanding. �Like the crusades.�

�Yes,� Aster said. She came over and sat in the chair opposite Mamoru, and then put a warm hand on Thomas� knee.

�I have a basic understanding of Christianity, Thomas,� she said. �There is nothing that I am aware of that prevents you from remembering a past life. I seem to remember something about �great men who were of old men of renown�, or something like that. That seems to me, to indicate that those �great men� had lived before. You were a great man, before. You went up against impossible odds, into a battle you knew would kill you, so that other people could escape.�

�I did?� he asked. �I don�t remember.�

�I remember,� Aster said, sighing sadly. �I�ve had nightmares about that battle all my life. Now that I�ve planet bonded to Vincent, it�s crystal clear, and so are my memories of that time.�

�We were told to stay away from our partners,� Thomas said. �Pluto said something about the Planet Call.�

�There is an undeniable pull,� Aster said. �It leads to an almost irresistible compulsion. The good news is that it doesn�t last that long. If you give into it keep your eyes locked on theirs, then it passes fairly quickly. Vincent and I were only at it for one night.�

�Small comfort to me,� Mamoru said. �How do I avoid the Planet Call?�

�It shouldn�t be a problem for you,� Aster said. �The trick would be getting Akari to look you in the eyes, while you�re both transformed. The bad news is that you won�t be any stronger until it happens. I noticed a leap in my powers, and in the pain of transformation, at the college event. Sean told me that Vincent�s Solar Spikes made holes thrice as large as they used to. Also, my memories of the Silver Millennium are crystal clear. They were more than slightly foggy after I got my powers, and nonexistent before then, except for the nightmare about the battle.�

�Mamoru says that you always know what to tell people,� Thomas said. �What advice do you have for me?�

�All I can give is advice, Thomas, not answers,� Aster said. �The advice I�m thinking of isn�t going to rest easy with you.�

�What is it?� Thomas asked.

�Don�t judge based on a single lifetime�s worth of learning,� she said. �You were always a bit of a philosopher and scholar. Stop fighting your incilinations.�

�You mean that I should study religion, like I wanted to,� Thomas said. �I�ve already spent so much time on Astronomy, though.�

�They�re not incompatible,� Aster said. �After all, no matter what your beliefs, a deity created the universe, which means the stars, and therefore exploration of the stars and exploration of spirituality are linked. If money is an issue, let me know. In fact, I�m going to make sure that everyone�s student loans are paid off. I don�t want you boys worrying about money. I�ve got more than I�ll ever spend, and Sean and Takagi have more.�

�You do know what to say,� Thomas said. �What do I do about Hotaru, and Akari, and � Usagi?�

�Play it by ear,� Aster said. �I know you�ve been with Akari, already, the night that Usagi got married.�

�Do you two talk about everything?� Thomas asked.

�Almost everything,� Aster said. �We don�t talk about other people�s secrets. We do talk about what troubles us. She and I were both � testing theories. I was connecting with my partner, and she wanted to see what would happen if she connected with a satellite.�

�What happened?� Thomas asked, curious in spite of himself.

�A marginal power burst for Akari,� Aster replied. �A major power burst for me. Vincent�s spikes made holes the size of my head. He said that they were the size of a baseball before. That�s a quantum leap.�

�Do you think that would happen for everyone?� Thomas asked. �We could be more effective against these creatures � � He stopped when he realized what he was considering, and its impossibility for one set of partners.

�Yeah, well, we have to work on that,� Aster said, shifting uncomfortably.

�Do you think that connection with satellites has something to do with it, as well?� Thomas asked.

�My ability to sense the Sun improved each time I made connection with a Planetary Senshi,� Aster said. �It wasn�t that noticeable, and I didn�t feel any different transformed. Maybe it has to be in a transformed state. There wasn�t any connection with Vincent the first time I met his eyes, but when we were both transformed, it was like � Bonding with Haruka, or Sean.�

�That�s something I don�t understand,� Thomas said. �I don�t remember any multiple bonds, except for Charon, Cerberus, and Calypso.�

�I know,� Aster said. �I think it�s because of me. My stepfather was � abusive. It�s made me � less than stable. To be warleader, I have to be steadfast. I to make decisions with confidence. I need to know that everything is sound. So, something, somewhere decided that I needed more than one.�

�Four?� Thomas asked.

�The most stable structure in the world is a pyramid,� Aster said. �It has four anchor points and a peak. It will never blow over, or collapse, unless one of the supports is removed.�

�Do you think that Hotaru and I � � Thomas was unable to finish the sentence.

�I think so,� Aster said, smiling at him. �Neither of you has changed much since then. Hotaru has some separation issues, but the Bond would take care of that.�

�I hope I�m as ready as she is,� Thomas said. �I will talk to the college about extending my funding for a while longer.�

�Not necessary,� Aster said. �I�ll take care of that end of things for you. What good is money if I can�t use it to take care of family?�

�I�m not family,� Thomas pointed out.

�You are,� Aster said firmly. �We may not have been born of one blood, but all of us here are family to one another in a way that supercedes any of that. We can depend on one another, talk to one another, take care of one another, and help one another. Somehow, I think that your studies are going to be very important to all of us.�

�If you say so,� Thomas said. �It�s funny, how things work out. I was raised that women should do as they�re told, but doing what you tell me is as natural as breathing. I hope everyone can be patient with me. It�s not easy to do this.�

�I think that we can,� Aster said. �After all, what is family for? Now, shall we go see Usagi and Akari in their new nightgowns, and all have our hearts broken at once?�

She led Thomas out into the living room again, in time to see Usagi and Akari coming down the stairs, both of them dressed in the robes that covered the most revealing thing either of them had ever worn.

�Okay,� Rei said, her red robe loose over her black gown. �Let�s see them.� Next to Rei, Ami had her arms crossed to hold closed her robe, but Makoto was wearing hers like Rei, and had her hands on her hips.

Blushing furiously, Akari slowly unfastened the robe and slid it off of her slim shoulders.

The pale lavender silk clung to every curve of Akari�s form, from the upper curves of her breasts to the inner curve of one thigh as she stood, staring at the ground.

It was Vincent that recovered from his paralysis first.

��Kari,� he said, stepping forward to take her hand. �I always knew you was the most beautiful woman in the world. Now, everybody else here knows it too.�

�Oh, no,� she said. �Usagi is far more lovely than I could ever be. I am as plain as dirt.�

�Who told you that?� Makoto demanded, moving forward. �I�ll pound him into mulch!�

�Do not concern yourself, Jupiter,� Akari said, trying to calm the excitable girl. �It is my own observations that have led me to this conclusion, not the words of anyone else.�

�Takara telling her that she was worthless at every turn didn�t help,� Aster said. �Okay, Usa-chan, let�s see what yours looks like.�

Usagi took a deep breath, and then she released her hold on the silver silk and let it slide to the ground to puddle at her feet.

As if under a spell, Mamoru rose to his feet and approached his wife, his face slack with awe.

�Usako,� he said. �You look like a goddess in that. No one that saw you would ever doubt that you were from the moon, or that you would one day rule all.�

�Amen,� Thomas said softly.

�Hey,� Makoto said, trying to diffuse the heavily charged atmosphere. �The food�s gonna get cold if we don�t eat soon.�

As if they suddenly remembered (and they did), everyone quickly moved to the closed shoji doors that blocked off the dining room.

The room was decorated thoughtfully, if not tastefully, with red and purple streamers accented with gold.

In deference to the blood pressure of the assembled men, all of the women wearing the silk creations resumed their robes, covering the tantalizingly bare skin so that everyone could concentrate on the excellent meal, instead of trying to decide how to seduce a Senshi.

TBC
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Diamohns are Forever