If My Heart Had Wings

The Room Behind the Waterfall was draped in beautiful white lilies; the aisle carpet was a brilliant shining ivory, and Hikaru Takashi, the Sullustan Knight, watched as his fiancé, Azuri Shina, walked down the aisle, taking slow steps in time with the familiar tune that was echoing throughout the Room. The audience stood up as she rounded the corner and took the final steps.

Her long white gown accentuated her flame-red hair and trailed behind her in a train that she struggled to keep neat. Her normally odangoed hair was pinned up in a complicated hairstyle with lilies poking out. Her dress was lined in crystals from Piringiisi, and her hazel eyes were starry with tears

Her bridesmaids, Fuukou Ippin, Seijoutai Priire, and Kisaki Nami, all wore matching dresses of light blue. Each carrying a bouquet of white flowers, they all took their places behind Takashi. Then as Shina reached the altar, the crowd gave a sigh of relief, Mori emitting a cry of sadness.

"Oh, it's all just so wonderful!" she cried out, burying her face in a tissue and blowing rather noisily. Kleppa patted her on the back, her own blue eyes tearing up at the sight of her cousin finally getting ready to make the biggest decision in her life since becoming a Sailor Senshi.

Yoda, the wise Jedi Master who had been chosen to marry the two, cleared his throat before beginning to speak. Shina grasped Takashi's hand firmly, squeezing it tighter, her hands beginning to sweat. If she loved him, why did she feel so nervous? She gulped silently and tried not to think about the jittery feeling that racked her stomach.

"A partnership this joining is," Yoda said. "Fuse not two minds can, merge not two souls can. If two are foolish enough to try this, overwhelm the other one must. Respect and remember those differences and learn to understand them you must, for patient, willing to compromise love is. Hard times there will be, face them as warriors you must, side by side. Sadness as well as joy there will be, and support one another you shall. Willing to be guided you both do; guide each other you both will. Come to this joining ready you have, fully committed you are." Yoda took a silken cord of silver and blue. Shina extended her right hand, and Takashi his left, and Yoda bound them together with the cord.

"No longer fear the storm you will; find shelter in each other you do. Winter cannot harm you, for warm each other with love you shall. Where there were two paths, there is now one. May your days together be long upon the earth, and each day blessed with joy in each other," Yoda spoke, giving a final nod of approval.

Then, the ceremony over, they turned to face the audience and raised their bound hands above their heads. The cheer that erupted shook blossoms off the walls. Flowers were everywhere, the air so thick that it looked like a blizzard. Beneath the storm of flowers, the pair paused long enough for a kiss, one they had been waiting for from this life and their past.

Then the pair walked outside, where they would greet their guests. All of them filed out, waiting to get a chance to talk with the married pair.

Link darted back and forth, getting pictures of the two shaking hands, kissing, shaking hands, and kissing again. Then his stomach began to rumble.

"I need some of those wedding goodies," he said, patting his tummy.

"Oh you!" Mika said as she walked in, waving to the two as she walked him off to get something to eat.

Megami Hisui, aka Mara Jade, walked over arm-in-arm with her husband, Luke Skywalker. "Many congratulations, you two," the senshi said, fanning herself with her long black opera gloves. "Now, I'd better go see if Link hasn't eaten all the food yet. You two are going to love the cake!"

Then it was Chikako's turn to greet them. The shy senshi walked over and kissed Shina on the cheek. "Hello, Chikako," Shina said, as she whispered to her friend to go see what the flowers were up to. The girl's eyes lit up at the mention of her new job, and she, followed by Aiko and Kalei, rushed to fulfill her new duty.

Annika Nesicha smiled excitedly as she embraced Shina and then Takashi. "Oh, it's so good to see that you two have finally tied the knot!" she said. "I've been waiting for you two to do something about it." She sighed. "It won't be long before we'll have a little Chibi Sullust running around sometime."

"Don't worry," Xarae Sarin said as she arrived right after Annika. "I'll go find her something else to do," she whispered, her red dress billowing around her.

Shina blushed, but Annika just fluffed her pink dress before Xarae dragged her away, eager to meet the rest of the guests. She didn't even notice that Priire, Ippin, Nami and Kyoshi were all heading around the back towards the landspeeder...

"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Nami asked as Priire took out two bottles of shaving cream and started to do her dirty work. "I mean, it's kind of not very nice."

"Of course it's nice," Priire answered as she wrote 'JUST MARRIED' in huge block letters. "Shina'll love us after this. And Takashi will think it's a big hoot."

"Well, okay," Nami said reluctantly as she took out her own shaving cream can.

"Now," Priire asked, "where are those balloons?"

Nom Da'Gara sauntered up to the couple, her gold glittering platform boots making a sharp contrast to her blast rifles slung over her back. She clunked up to the pair, shifting the rifles as they began to slide. "So, Mr. and Mrs. Hikaru, I have a big surprise for you too!" she announced, winking.

"You have won a trip to the planet of your choice on one of the best ships in the Commercial Business, brought to you by yours truly!" Nom announced, embracing Shina again. "Congratulations, cousin!"

"Nom," Shina said, at a loss for words. "This is... wonderful. Thank you so much!"

"Ditto," Takashi added, grinning as he wrapped his arm around Shina. "So, Mrs. Hikaru, where would you like to go?"

"Oh wow," Shina said. "Do I have to choose now?"

"Of course not!" Nom answered, tapping her platformed feet. "Take all the time you need. Although, I recommend Sullust for people like you." Winking, she strode off to talk to the other senshi.

A dark figure in a dark dress walked up to the two, peering to make sure no one was looking at him or her. It slowly removed its hood, which was covering her face, to reveal...

"Tashita!" Shina whispered, drawing back her Force senses, which had become wary at the sight of the newcomer. "Welcome! I thought you weren't going to make it!"

"Well, something came up, so I dropped off to see you well," the Sith replied. "I just wanted to tell you that I care about you, cousin, and that I wanted to give you this."

She held out a box. "Don't open it until you're safely on your honeymoon," the girl warned, and Shina slipped the box into her pocket, checking it to be sure. She reached out and tapped it. Nothing of the Dark Side seemed to inhabit the present, so she was sure it was safe.

"Thank you, cousin," Shina whispered, kissing Tashita on the cheek. The girl pulled up her hood and disappeared into the crowd. "Good luck," Shina said.

"Darling!" Shina heard as Yuki took the floor, wearing an elegant blue dress with crystal shining in her hair.

"Thank you," Yuki managed to say as she quickly walked away. Maybe I can spike the punch, she 'pathed to Shina, who giggled as she waved.

"Hi, Shina," Kairiku said softly as she smiled at her friend. Anakin Skywalker, her boyfriend, sighed as he greeted the couple, but Shina could tell that he was really enjoying himself.

"Hello, Anakin," Takashi greeted the young Jedi. "So, are you enjoying yourself?"

Suddenly Shina burst into giggles and couldn't stop until the two had passed. "I'm sorry," she said to her husband. "We'll have to apologize later."

Finally it was time to finish greeting the guests and the newlyweds headed around to the back, where a pavilion had been draped in white silk and lilies. The couple walked inside to find white cloths and lilies-of-the-valley in bouquets at every table.

"I must remember to thank Mara and Chikako after this wedding is over," Shina muttered to her husband. "This is lovely."

They stepped up to the platform, where the cake was elegantly decorated in the traditional white frosting, with flowers carefully arranged by Chikako. Everyone had already taken his or her seats, and Takashi looked for the knife to cut the cake.

"The knife's gone!" he cried, looking around for the evil culprit who could have done such a deplorable act.

"Here's one," Shina said, handing it to him.

"Oh, phew," Takashi said, relieved that his favorite utensil hadn't run off somewhere.

Grabbing Shina's hand, Takashi placed hers on top of his and they slowly sliced through the cake as the guests cheered, the littlest children eager to get the biggest piece.

Suddenly, Takashi grabbed a big piece of cake and shoved it into Shina's mouth. Gasping with anger and laughter, she snatched up her own piece and did the same. Laughing, they cleaned up, chewing their bits of cake, and made their way to the table, where Yoda, Mace Windu, and some other members of the Jedi Council were sitting.

"Proud of you we are, young Jedi," Yoda said. Shina wondered if he was a little sad. "Fulfilled part of your destiny, you have. But there is another Hikaru. One more senshi, there will be." His gaze flickered to Shina, and she reached out with the Force inside herself. She heard Yoda's voice in her head.

A Chibi Sullust, you have, Shina, Yoda spoke softly, and Shina's eyes rose to meet Yoda's as she nodded, accepting what she would have in the future.

As the guests began to eat, the crowd's voices slowly died down, and the youngest guests walked off to leave with their parents, their tummies full and their eyes struggling to stay open. Then all the Sailor Senshi each pretended to leave, but secretly walked to the landspeeder to give the newlyweds the biggest surprise of the evening.

Then finally Shina and Takashi left, with the remaining guests promising them that they'd clean up. "You go enjoy yourselves," one man said, his eyes kind. Shina peered into them, remembering someone that she knew... he looked like...

"Come on, dear," Takashi said, pulling her arm gently. "Let's go. We have to use that gift that Nom gave us."

"Alright," Shina replied, as she turned to look at the man who had spoken to her. "I'll be right -" she paused, glancing around for him. "What? Where did he go?"

"Where did who go, Shina?" Takashi asked. "Come on, you want to get out of here, don't you?"

"Okay," she said reluctantly, following him around to the landspeeder.

"Thank you, Priire," Shina giggled at the sight of shaving cream decorating the vehicle. "What a nice gift," she noted.

"Well, my lady," Takashi said, opening the door, then jumping back as hundreds of balloons came flying out. Shina covered her hand to keep from laughing as she got in, checking to make sure there were no more surprises.

Takashi sighed loudly before getting inside and shutting the door. That was the cue for the Sailor Senshi to jump out and cheer loudly. The couple jumped, then chuckled as the landspeeder started, then failed.

"Come on," Takashi said as he hit the engine with his foot. The vehicle then roared to life and everyone cheered as Shina fastened her security belt.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot!" she realized. Opening the hatch, she grabbed her bouquet and threw it into the air, not looking back to see who caught it as she shut the hatch again.

The bouquet seemed to glow with a fiery power unlike any other. Everyone looked up to see an image of two people, their looks strangely resembling Shina's. The bouquet rested in the woman's arms before the image and the bouquet both vanished, leaving the senshi to wonder.

Back in the landspeeder, Shina took out Tashita's gift and found a ring. She looked closely enough to see some sort of power in the jewel, and slipped it on her right ring finger. It fit perfectly, and she marveled at its beauty.

"Thank you, cousin," she whispered, then turned to look at her husband. He seemed much more beautiful now, and as she reached inside herself with the Force again, she knew that there was a little life beginning there. She leaned towards her husband, and the couple looked at each other, love in both of their eyes.

They had time for one last kiss before speeding off to their destination, to whatever fate their lives had planned for them.