"Before I get started with the next chapter of my tale," Setsuna spoke up. "I'd like to wait for our other two guests."
"Which guests?" Usagi asked curiously.
Before Setsuna answered, the door to the restaurant opened and a too familiar voice shouted: "We're here, Setsuna-mama!"
Usagi groaned as she saw Hotaru and her best friend come over to their table, her oh-so-beloved daughter of the future, Chibiusa. That spore was the last thing she needed.
Luna frowned. "You're not still mad at her, are you?"
"Mad?" Usagi huffed. "No, I'm not mad. I actually love it that she put too much detergent into the washing machine this morning, and that Mom blamed me for the incident as well."
"Well, you were supposed to watch her..." Luna began, but decided to close her mouth for now. The way Usagi was glowering at her, she decided she wanted to keep the rest of her lives for today.
Chibiusa grinned as she and Hotaru reached the table. "Hi, everyone!"
Makoto scooted over so Chibiusa had a place to sit next to her on the bench, while Hotaru pulled another chair at the table to sit next to Setsuna.
"Hey, you two!" Rei greeted them. "Let me guess: It isn't just a coincidence that you came as well, right?"
Hotaru shook her head. "Nope. Setsuna-mama promised us to tell a neat story."
Chibiusa nodded. "Yeah, something about the Seven Wonders of the World... we didn't miss anything, did we?"
Setsuna felt slightly guilty. "Well, I expected you to show up a little bit earlier, so I already told them the first two parts..."
Chibiusa glared at the green-haired woman. "I expected better of you, Puu!" she finally said.
"Gomen nasai!" Setsuna replied apologetically and lowered her head.
Hotaru patted her back. "It's okay, I already heard the story when you told it to Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa. As long as you can still tell us the third part..."
"Oh, don't worry, I was just going to begin, but I wanted to wait for the two of you. Your timing really was impeccable."
The waiter came and Setsuna ordered two children's menus for Hotaru and Chibiusa, then she began the third part of her tale...
----
A long time ago, in ancient Greece, there was a beautiful valley, situated near the town where the Olympic Games were being hold, Olympia. The valley was being flanked by two mountains, each of them having a small domicile on top.
On the western peak, a small gang of bandits, known as the 'Olympian Furies' was living...
"WHAAAAAAAH! WHAAAAAAH!"
Reis winced as she put her hands over her ears, to block off the infernal crying of the youngest member of the household. "Can't you just switch her off?" she grumbled.
Her friend Minas shook her head. "Sorry about that, but you know how babies are: Whenever they want attention, they have to cry."
The third member of the gang was standing at the table and prepared some porridge in a small bowl. "I believe you are way to stern with the little darling," Makos said. "In my opinion, she's the most adorable cutie ever."
She took the bowl and a spoon and looked over the tiny form of the pink-haired infant that was sitting in the crib. "Isn't that right, honey?"
The baby girl just gurgled something in baby talk and angrily hit the bowl with her tiny, but furious little fists, so that the whole porridge got splattered over Makos' face.
A frown appeared on the pony-tailed thief's face, which quickly turned into a grimace of anger. Reis and Minas quickly grabbed their friend and pulled her away from the child.
"Lemme go!" Makos snarled. "I'm gonna teach that little tyke a lesson!"
"Just what's going on here?" a stern voice shouted as the door to the next room opened, and the final member of the bandit gang entered.
The other girls gulped nervously upon seeing their leader. "Um, hi there, Amis... We weren't doing anything, I swear," Reis quickly said. The other two girls nodded.
"You know I'm brooding over a big problem," Amis sternly said. "I have to find a solution, or everything has been in vain."
"But... we have still many years until the big event," Minas protested.
"I know, but I will need even more years if I'm always pestered by your racket. Now, keep it quiet, okay?"
That said, the blue-haired bandit leader went back into her own room to take care of whatever problem she was dealing with.
"I just remembered..." Minas suddenly said. "We don't even have a name for our little adoptive child."
"Oh! You're right!" Reis said and started thinking. After a while, she snapped her fingers and grinned. "Regarding what we have planned for her, we should call her 'Chibiusas Runas'."
Makos chuckled. "Good idea."
Then she winced in pain, as Chibiusas bit into one of her fingers, which she had carelessly put into the baby's crib.
----
In the small shack on the eastern mountain, the infamous cat burglar Harukas and her love interest Michiris were living.
Harukas just came home, carrying a sack full with glittering jewels and grinned. "Just take a look at the booty I collected today."
Michirus smiled. "Wonderful, love! Dinner will be ready in a while."
Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by the cry of a baby:
"Whaaaaaaaaaaah!"
Michiris sighed. "It looks like the small one has awakened."
"So I noticed," Harukas grumbled. She looked over to the blanket, on which the tiny, purple-haired baby was lying. "Once and for all, stop that infernal yelling, or help me I'll..."
"Now, now, Harukas..." Michiris scolded. "Stop that! She's just a baby, after all."
She smiled down at the baby. "Isn't that right, honey?"
The baby blinked at her... and then bit into the finger Michiris was offering her.
"OW! You little..."
Harukas laughed. "Now, now, Michiris! She's just a baby, right?"
"Will you two calm down here?" a grim voice called from the corner of the room, where a green-haired woman was sitting at her own table. It was Setsunas, the former advisor of the king of Olympia and designated traitor to the throne.
"It's not our fault the brat keeps on yelling," Harukas grumbled. "What are you bitching about anyway? We still have much time, you know?"
"But my preparations will take some time, you know that. And it would help if you would not make as much noise as you do."
"All right, Setsunas," Harukas sighed. "We'll stop being noisy, and you stop nagging."
"Fine with me," Setsunas proclaimed and returned to her studies.
Michiris massaged her hurt finger. "What do you think, what name should we give her?"
"Hmmm... if you think about what our plans with the girl are... let's call her 'Hotarus Hopas'."
"Good idea!" Michiris giggled.
----
And so, even in their cribs, the two girls didn't know what their foster parents had planned... and that one day, they would be the most skilled Olympic athletes of all times.
And that their friendship would one day be the birth of one of the Seven Wonders of the World...
Read the comments on this episode
See other episodes by Shritistrang
(Posted Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:41)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.