Cats Don't Get Married

"Mika! Mika!" Priire hissed. "Get over here!"

It took the odangoed blonde a few minute to navigate the hazards of the garden to where Priire stood. The ex-mercenary looked almost respectable in a floor length blue dress.

"We're working on a crisis here," Priire informed her.

Mika glanced down at her own green dress, fearing she'd spilled something on it. When she found out she hadn't, she questioned Priire. "What could be such a crisis that all the senshi in the galaxy couldn't handle it?" she asked, referring to the party that her twin - Annika - had thrown. "Are we out of candy? Is it one of the kids? Did you shoot someone important?"

Priire shook her head. "Worse. It's the bride."

"Uh oh. What is it this time?"

"She says," Priire tried not to sigh "that she can't get married."

The other girl frowned. "Why not?"

"She says cats don't get married."

In another part of the huge Bakuran Palace, a gray tabby paced up and down the halls. He had on a top hat and a bow tie, but he did not look happy. "I don't know what's happenin'! We've been plannin' this for months! I bet she did it just to drive me crazy. Man, that is one weird feline."

"Solai... you're making me dizzy," Souru complained. "Sit down! It's just jitters. Give her a few minutes. She'll be fine!"

"I just can't!" a beautiful calico cat sobbed. She had a veil crowned with baby's breath and a satin bow around her neck. "It's not right! I'm a cat!"

"She's been like this for a half-hour," Priire whispered to Mika. "We don't know what to do."

Annika glared at the pair. "Schylar," the Princess soothed. "It's love. You two really love each other and you're meant to be together. You know you love him!"

Schylar's response was to start crying again.

Priire helped Mika up from where the other blonde had tripped over the threshold. "See the problem? If Schy and Solai don't get married, then we don't have UsaNeko and Starr. And then they can't go back in time...and the whole timeline is destroyed."

"What do you want me to do about it?" Mika asked, confused. "What can I do?"

"You're the senshi of cats! Think of something!"

"Perfect!" Priire laughed. "You're a genius!"

Solai was still pacing. "What if baby never comes around? What if..." he glared at Souru. "Stop laughing; this is not funny!" He glared at Souru and swished his tail.

Which only made the handsome man laugh harder. "You," Souru laughed, "look ridiculous!"

"What? Is my bow tie crooked?" Solai glanced down and promptly let out a yelp. "All my fur's gone! Baby, what did you do to me?"

He directed the last question at Priire, who had just walked in the door with Mika. "It wasn't me," Priire grinned as she pointed to Mika.

"Oh, it was little ol' Twinkle Fingers. You made me human!" He got up off of the ground and straightened his bow tie in the mirror. "And a handsome one too!" He looked at himself from all directions in the mirror. He was tall, green eyed, with white hair. His hair fell a little past his shoulders. "I am one fine spe-ci-men!"

The two girls rolled their eyes and went to find Schylar.

Annika looked down in surprise. Suddenly, the cat in her lap had gotten *very* heavy. "Oh my gosh! Schylar!"

"What?" Schylar sniffled. She went to rub her red-rimmed eyes with her paw and gasped. Instead of a snow-white paw, she saw a lace-gloved hand. "I'm human!"

"Yup," Priire grinned from the doorway. "Now you can get married!"

Schylar leapt up to look at herself in the mirror. Her long, slightly wavy auburn hair was decorated with a wreath of baby's breath. She put a hand to it in awe. "I'm... I'm beautiful!"

Mika smiled at her. "You're a perfect bride."

Priire grabbed part of her dress in one hand and started to dash down the stairs. "Mika, I have to go change into my bridesmaid..."

The green-eyed blonde didn't get a chance to finish her sentence in anyway other than a startled yelp. Mika had tripped down the stairs and fallen on top of Priire. As they reached the bottom of the very long flight of stairs, Mika started apologizing. "Priire, I am so sorry! Are you ok?"

It took Priire a minute to respond. "I'm fine. I think."

Mika grabbed Priire's arm to help the other blond e up. It didn't work. Priire's ankle was - at best - badly sprained. Uh oh."

"It's ok, Mika," Priire sighed. "At least now I don't have to change."

Xarae sighed as she looked out over the mass of sailors present. "It won't be long," she frowned, "before we'll be unable to meet like this."

The girl Xarae was talking to hung her head. "I know," Kyoko frowned. "It had to happen...but with Anakin gone, the coming Darkness is much nearer. How's Kairiku holding up?"

"She's doing as well as to be expected." Xarae's mouth quirked up in a slight smile. "Her ex-boyfriend did just turn to the Dark Side."

Kyoko shook her head. "At least..." she sighed and didn't finish her sentence. "I hate to see her so unhappy."

"I know." Xarae put an arm around her friend. "It'll be ok, and she will find someone else. Someone who's right for her."

"Put me down!" Priire giggled. "Or else!"

Kousotsu shook his head. "Nothing doing. I'm going to make sure you get on the front row of this church."

"But that's where I was going!"

The dark haired man smiled as he finished his sentence. "Without finding your way to any assortment of weapons."

Priire mock-pouted. "Ooo, you're no fun!"

Kousotsu raised an eyebrow at her, making the girl laugh again. He caught her attention again and pointed toward a sad girl at the end of the row. Priire nodded and grinned. He was so thoughtful!

Doing her best to look lady-like, she scooted down the row to where Kairiku was sitting. "Kairi-chan, are you ok?"

The odangoed blonde dabbed tears from her eyes. "Oops, I used all my tissues and the wedding hasn't even" she sniffled "begun!" She had the two red streaks braided until the reached her odango. At that point they were loose and wrapped into the "Gungan eyes".

"It'll be ok," Priire said, putting an arm around her little friend. "At least you know how the story ends."

"But it's so hard getting there," Kairiku sniffled.

Priire nodded. The Earthborn senshi were suddenly finding out just how hard it was to know the future. And with Anakin's recent fall, they knew the darkness was nipping at their heels. It wouldn't be long until the Jedi and the Sailor Jedi would be gone and forgotten.

With a sigh, Priire leaned back against the pew and realized Tashita was sitting next to her. Smiling at her daughter, Priire resumed thinking. This should cheer everyone up...slightly. She looked around to make sure everyone else was ok. The entire place seemed subdued. Another sigh left her lips and she hoped that the happiness would come back to the Sailors, even if it was only for a moment.

Music started wafting around her ears and Priire turned her face back to the front of the building... just in time to catch a lap full of flowers. "Chikako! What are you doing?"

The brunette winked at her. "All the bridesmaids are carrying bouquets... and I found this one left over."

"Thanks," the blonde smiled.

The music swelled to a gentle presence in the room. All of the senshi were now watching the front. Yoda and Solai were standing up front. The green Jedi Master looked around, watching everyone. Solai was extremely nervous but trying not to show it. He clasped his hands together to avoid fidgeting. The handsome man had on a dashing tuxedo that set off his platinum blonde, near white, hair. The blue that held the white rose to his tuxedo accented his blue eyes and lent to his over all handsome-ness.

Priire knew what was coming next; she turned to watch the double doors in the back. Tenshi and one of the other knights held the doors open.

The first pair to walk through was Yuki and Kami. Kami was more dashing than ever in his black tuxedo with the beautiful Hothan Princess on his arm. Yuki herself had on a purple gown that fell off her shoulders in simple folds and barely swept the ground. She had an ice-blue ribbon around her waist that matched her hair perfectly. Considering the occasion, it was easy to convince Yuki to let Xarae and Seiyun tease her blue locks into tiny ringlets that framed her beautiful face. The bouquet she held in her arms was created from her favorite snow-white flowers and the purple blooms that Schylar loved so much.

The couple walked to the end of the aisle and paused. Kami bowed and Yuki curtsied to Master Yoda before taking their places, Yuki to Yoda's right, Kami to his left. Kami put a hand on Solai shoulder to reassure the cat-turned-human.

It had taken a bit of convincing and bribing to force the next man to be a part of the proceedings. Obi-Wan walked with Annika to the front. Considering Anakin's downward turn, it was risky for the young man's Master to be in the public view. After assuring him that the senshi could take care of anyone - and stepping on his toe - Annika had convinced the Jedi Master to come with her.

The Senshi of Love herself was dressed in the same lavender dress as Yuki, but it was tied with a silky pink ribbon that matched her odango. In addition to her usual odango, Annika's hair was curling its way around her shoulders with several strands forming ringlets around her blue eyes. Obi-Wan smiled as they walked along. AT least he had remembered to take the thorns out of the pink and white roses that completed Annika's bouquet. One less thing for her to hurt herself on.

As they reached the front, the Jedi had to catch Annika as she tripped on her floor length dress. No one seemed to notice. The pair bowed and moved off to stand with the others.

The last pair was a slight change from the original plan. Originally, Kousotsu was supposed to stand next to Solai as the best man from the start. Ippin and Priire were supposed to walk with Schylar and hold her dress. Of course, the plan before the two cats became human was for Ippin and Priire to carry Schylar.

Due to the rapid change, Kousotsu escorted Ippin. He'd always looked good in a tuxedo and today was no exception. Ippin, on the other hand...she came close to outshining every other girl in the place in her lavender dress and its fiery orange-red sash. The colors were perfectly suited to her, along with the flowers in her purple-and-fire colored bouquet. She took a minute from being beautiful to glare at Priire. As usual, the blonde was up to trouble: aiming a paper airplane at Riku.

After everyone was in his or her place, the music swelled to a crescendo. Two cute little girls tried their best to walk and throw flowers like dignified children. The one on the left was a lilac haired girl with her hair up in star-shaped odango and a mischievous glint in her green eyes. On the right was a girl with pink and white striped hair up in double odango. She had wide blue eyes that looked everywhere.

The two lavender dressed girls threw out purple and white petals for the bride to walk on. Unfortunately, they were more than generous with the flowers and ran out before they reached the end. The pair looked at each other and shrugged. They dropped their baskets and raced each other to the front. Yuki grabbed the lavender haired girl, while Annika caught the pink haired girl. "UsaNeko!" the Bakuran girl chided. "You and Starr behave!"

UsaNeko giggled and put her head on Annika's shoulder while wrapping her little tail around Annika's wrist. Starr looked at Yuki very seriously. She looked a little comical because of the gold star on her forehead, but she spoke seriously. "'E ran ou' o' flo'e's."

Yuki tried not to laugh. "Next time you run out of flowers," she smiled, "don't run up the aisle!"

Everyone was quiet and watching the double doors, which were now closed. Very gently, strains of imported Earth music lent themselves to the atmosphere. Schylar's taste in music generally tended to be towards the finer forms. Therefore, Beethoven's Fur Elise had been playing for the entire ceremony. Now the music became vocal, as well as instrumental. "I knew I loved you before I met you, I think I dreamed you into life..."

Solai's face had been getting more and more pale. With a grin, Kousotsu patted his shoulder, trying to be reassuring. The human feline was still pale. Priire, on the other hand, seemed fine and dandy. She and Tashita were handing out tissues to everyone around them.

A breath after the music had started, the double doors opened. Tenshi and the other knight were bowing to the beautiful lady who walked through. Schylar took everything one step at a time, clenching Souru's arm.

Her dress was in gentle shades of purple and white with gorgeous gold workings on the front and the top. Her hair was almost bound by flowing purple and tiny baby's breath. The flowers held in her hands were purple just the same as the ones in her hair with a few tiny blue ones. Around her neck was a pearl necklace set with a beautiful blue stone. She'd borrowed gold hoop earrings from Kaedama Chrone, and Priire had found her a pair of ancient pearl combs that held the flowers in her hair. Everything else was brand new.

"Gives this ca...woman, who does?" Yoda asked as Souru and Schylar reached the front.

"The Sailor Jedi do," Souru told him, bowing. He moved off to the side. Schylar didn't have any parents, so the senshi did the next best thing.

Schylar reached out a trembling hand and Solai took it and lightly kissed it. Ippin reached out and took the auburn haired bride's flowers. Schylar shoot a suddenly terrified look at Ippin. The fire-haired senshi just smiled.

Vows were exchanged, promises were made and the couple seemed ever more nervous.

"Take Schylar to be your wife, do you?" Yoda asked softly.

"I... I do, baby," Solai said, his voice suddenly hoarse.

Yoda smiled. "Take Solai to be your husband, do you?"

Schylar bit her lip, suddenly realizing that this was going to be forever. She had a moment's thought of running away...forever was so long..."I do," she whispered.

"Kiss the bride you may," Yoda told them and smiled.

It took the pair a moment. Ippin tried not to giggle as she caught Kousotsu's eye. The dark haired man smiled. Ippin counted to three then gave Schylar a Force-push. Kousotsu did the same to Solai.

All of the senshi clapped and threw flowers at the couple as they ran out the doors. "Maybe we oughtta practice that last part a little more, baby!" Solai laughed. Schylar giggled in agreement.

Kairiku turned around to watch the happy couple run out to their landspeeder. As she sighed, she thought she could feel a cold breeze flow through her soul. The girl's eyes narrowed and she scanned the back of the room. Her eyes caught a trailing black cape as the wearer disappeared out a side door. 'Anakin!' her heart cried.

Maybe he heard her heart, because he paused, his cape still blowing through the door. Then he was gone.

She watched the door he'd gone out for a moment before turning back to the happy people in front of her and smiled sadly. Kairiku took one of the purple flowers from the floor and twisted it into her odango.

Out on the road, Solai wrapped his arm around Schylar. "Hey, baby, I love you."

"I know," Schylar sighed as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "I love you too."

"This ain't gonna last much longer baby," Solai sighed.

"I know," Schylar said with a tiny smile. "I don't care. I don't mind being a cat... as long as I'm with you."

Solai grinned and looked at the sun setting in front of them. This was going to be beautiful... for eternity.