Welcome to the Cherry Blossom Festival 2015 Flash Fiction Challenge!

This challenge is for anyone who likes to write, and everyone who loves to read. Below are five prompts that have something to do with cherry blossom festivals (and some photos for inspiration!). Your challenge is to write a piece of flash fiction for each of the prompts before the end of the festival. 

Everyone who participates by submitting at least one story will receive this lovely bumper, made by Yunie! 


Those who manage to finish all five will get an extra special bumper to proudly display. 

 
Rules & Guidelines

• To qualify as “flash fiction” stories need to be 100 – 1000 words in length.
  
• You can submit one story per prompt (five stories in total).
  
• All stories must be rated PG-13 or less.
  
• Stories do not have to be Sailor Moon related.
  
• Stories must include the prompt, but interpret it however you wish.
  
• You can submit your finished pieces in any order; go with whatever prompts work best for you!
  
• You can do as few or as many prompts as you’d like.
  
• Stories must be submitted by the end of the festival (May 20th).
  
• Don't forget to tell us at the beginning what prompt the story is for.
  

You don't have to finish all prompts to start posting - once you finish a story, please share it by posting it as a reply to this thread. If you enjoy reading the stories, don't hesitate to tell the authors that you loved their work!


Prompts
1. Cherry blossoms
2. Pink
3. Yatai (stall)
4. Park
5. Illumination

For a little bit of inspiration (and to explain a few of the prompts) take a look at the photos below. 

Cherry Blossom Festival Photos:

Can't wait to read what you come up with! 
Good luck!

Can you enter multiple times, like once for each prompt? Or do you just pick one to enter into the contest?

You can enter up to five, so as many prompts as there are; one story per prompt. It's not a contest that's going to be judged or anything, it's just for writing fun!

However, if you are able to complete stories for all five prompts, you get a special bumper!

Ohhhh, Ok. Thanks for clearing that up! I want that bumper. 

No problem! Sorry it wasn't clear. I went back and edited the original post, so hopefully that helps!

ooh this is exciting

Do the stories themselves have to do with the cherry blossom festival, or can they be anything as long as it pertains to the prompts?

As long as it pertains to the prompts, it's okay!

And do we submit it to you or do we post here?

Post it as a reply to this thread, please!

Alright, here's my little prompt :




Yumiko stood by the pond in her soft pink colored kimono and sash, her hair tied back over her nape with a delicate soft clothed red lace. She held a folded letter in her hands, gazing upon the other side of the pond and the many cherry blossom trees that lied there. The afternoon sun was just beginning to set over the horizon, the sky just about ready to be graced with a strong orange hue.


The wind breeze shook Yumiko’s hair and kimono gently, creating soft ripples on the pond. Yumiko had come here alone to seal the door on her regrets, and she wanted to do it away from her friends; she knew too much of social etiquette to damper their mood when they were having so much fun here at the festival. They had invited her here in an attempt at cheering her up, and she would not shame their kindness - and therefore herself - by showing her real feelings.


She always enjoyed the cherries’ blossom; walking under a corridor of trees and having the petals fall on her hair, and admiring their elegant, dignified beauty. But now they seemed a terribly short moment of comfort in a life filled with burden. What is the use of such fleeting beauty when it takes the whole year ‘round to express it? A whole year of disappointments, hard work and turmoil? Why is pain and duress so omnipresent, while life is merely “ephemeral”? Yumiko had read the letter she held moments before:


Dear Yumiko, with this letter I say goodbye to you. I wish I could say I was proud of you, and that you brought me nothing but joy.


Since you were becoming a young child, I saw in you the eyes of a rebel, an idealist. That is no good; not then, and certainly not now. I watched you struggle in your growing years, and rightly so. Many times I’ve warned you and tried to educate you into the life that was meant for you. Once I finally decided it was useless, I left you alone to run to what was coming for you. Oh, how you cried and came to me with your pithy eyes to ask me why no one would befriend you. And yet, still nothing seems to have changed from then. Like a stubborn rock you don’t let the water break into you. You claim married life was not meant for you, claiming in my face with arrogance that it was a stale ritual and that you never saw any joy in mine or your father’s conjugal life. You dismissed then the very nucleus that was the reason for your existence. My child, it’s never about love; all men are the same. Only some serve their purpose well, and others don’t. You chose not to marry the fine boy we picked for you, claiming you did not love him. Love would’ve come in time, no matter how you felt about it. You will see the hard way that all the men you’ll pick will not be there for you in the end, because your heart is treacherous and will not serve you well.


I can also tell you that you will not find solace in men, religion, art, and certainly not your ideals. The only solace you will find is in knowing you performed your duties well, to the very end. And yet, because you were so eager to prove me wrong, I did not find joy in raising you to the best of my abilities. I wish I could hold you when you were just a helpless newborn again, so I could have another chance at teaching you everything I strived so hard to learn and to perform to perfection. Now I fear for your future Yumiko: what will the ultimate expression of your life be? Not service, like mine.


You are now free from me, just like I know you’ve always wanted. Again, you’ll run into what is coming to you. When you find no one takes pity in your vain battles, you will think of me and remember how I tried to turn you into something everyone would’ve cherished. And just like me, you will learn that you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.


Please, if you still have any affection for your mother, take care of your father until he joins me in the other world. Though I know you hate me, know that I did everything out of love. Many times I wished you were right, for your own sake.


With love,
Mama.


‘You are wrong, mama. I’ve become just like you, made friends and found my place in the world. And it still feels like an empty ritual that brings me no solace. I guess your sorrow will forever be my inheritance.’


The cherry blossom trees stood tall and proud around the park’s paved pathways. Silently they focused their whole existence in expressing this one moment of beauty and extravagance; their protest against the inexpressive fight for survival and every day’s sustenance, an oasis of color and tenderness amidst the bland and harsh life. ‘Oh, cherry trees… Will there ever be a time when you’re not confined to a moment of single expression? To become the rule and not the exception?’ Yumiko thought.


She ripped the letter to tiny pieces and threw it in the pound. The wind suddenly blew, scattering the cherry petals everywhere.


“Hey, Yumiko! Come on now! We have to hurry and secure our front seat by the main cherry tree for the illumination show! People are already gathering there!” said one of her friends standing by the yatai and holding his skewer.


Yumiko cleared a single tear from under her eye and turned around with a joyous smile on her face, holding her tied hair together.


“I’m coming! Wait for me!”


And she ran off.

Okay so here's my flash fiction for the prompt "Pink":

Amber walked into the Cherry Blossom festival with her sisters. They were each in pink outfits to celebrate the blooming of the cherry blossoms. Amber loved this time of year. Pink was one of her favorite colors and she just loved being outside. Her and her sisters loved the outdoors, they had all taken a lot of time to get ready for the festival. They'd all saved up some money so they could spend it at the festival. 

There was pink everywhere, the beautiful flowers blossoming on the trees were the best though. They were so pretty and they reminded her of home. When her and her sisters were younger they'd had a grove of cherry trees next to their house and they'd played in it for hours. When the trees would bloom her whole family would go outside and have a picnic and just relax out in the grove. When they moved away they didn't have that chance. So the festival was a big deal for them. They loved how the pink petals rained down when the trees were in bloom. 

Amber looked over at her sisters and smiled. "You girls ready for some fun?" Amber asked. They walked into the festival and started to look around. Eventually Amber got hungry and found her sisters. They went out and picked food for lunch and then found a good spot for a picnic. They all smiled at each other. It was almost like old times, except their mother and father were no longer with them. They set up a blanket and sat down to eat lunch. They all smiled at each other. It was going to be a great day.

Two great starts to the challenge!  

Ray, I liked the images you used in yours, especially with the kimono and rippling pond waves. Sad story, but hopeful at the end.

Princess Luna, I like the nostalgia that you tied into the cherry blossoms in your story, and I also like that it ends on a happy note, despite the fact that there is clearly some sadness there.

I hope it's still alright for me to tell RayOfHope here that I absolutely loved her short story!  I felt that I could really get into what Yumiko was feeling as I read that story, and I felt sorry for the way her relationship with her now-deceased mother went.  A great example of generational conflict as times change.

While I'm at it, I'll say that Princess Luna's short story, though opposite to RayOfHope's short story in so many ways, also had its good points.  For example, I liked how the women were able to recreate good family times together in the best way they could.

My story for "Park"

(A story on my muse, my OC- Zena)

Zena sat in the park, gazing out at the people around her, observing their every move. She hoped to have a simple life like some of the people she had observed, but lately her mission had been keeping her busy. She was hoping for a break, a chance to spend some time with someone who she had grown to admire since she had arrived on site for her assignment. 

She was lost in her train of thought when she heard someone sit next to her and then felt someone's arm wrap around her, she turned quickly, ready to attack, but only smiled and gave the person sitting next to her a playful punch. "You gave me quite a scare Felix, you should know better than to sneak up on me like that," she said her voice calm but her heart beating as she realized that she was this close to Felix, someone who she had grown to admire more than a friend in the weeks since she had met him.

She lightly rested her head on his shoulder as she found his hand, lacing his fingers with her own. "You know, sometimes I just wish I could have the simple life, you know like all of these people walking in the park. They are just walking along enjoying the views and each other's company, it's so peaceful." She said as she let out a sigh. 

"I know we have a mission, but can't we ever take a break from following those people of the Moon Kingdom?" She asked with a huff as she rested her head on Felix's shoulder. She felt him put a hand on her head and heard him speak softly, telling her to be patient and soon they would have many peaceful days. Once they carried out their mission and got revenge for their home planet things would be normal and Zena could do anything she wished with her time. 

Zena felt Felix pull her hand to his lips as he lightly kissed her hand and told her to continue to be patient and everything would pay off.

Zena playfully pushed him away as she spoke, "whatever you say Felix, just promise me once this mission is complete, you and I can go away someplace nice, just the two of us. There is so much to see in this world and I want to see it all," she said as she got up and dragged Felix along. She spotted the paddle boats and asked him, eyes big, "let's try this!"

She saw hesitation in Felix's eyes but smiled when he nodded. The two made their way to the paddle boats and strolled out onto the lake where they were able to forget about their mission, their planned revenge on the moon kingdom and just enjoy a special moment together.

Okay so here's mine for the prompt "Cherry Blossoms":

Selene was having a really bad day at school. One of her professors was giving her a hard time about a project and she was already overloaded with papers and tests she had to prepare for. She was upset because it was gorgeous outside and all she really wanted to do was relax outside. Unfortunately, she didn't think she was going to be able to do that. When she finally got home she grabbed her laptop and made sure it was fully charged so she could get to work. 

She walked into the living room with her text books and laptop when her roommate, Alexis surprised her. "Selene!" Alexis said, "I know you've got a lot to do, but come outside really quick, I want to show you something!" Selene was worried about all of the work she needed to do, but she trusted her best friend Alexis. If she asked her to do something, it was probably important. So she followed her outside. She opened the patio door and saw that her roommate had set up a little study area for her outside. 

There was a cushioned bench set up under a their beautiful Cherry Blossom tree in front of their apartment building. She had fed an extension cord through the bottom of the door to the bench so she could plug in her computer. She had even put some snacks out there for her. Selene turned to her best friend and smiled. This one thing, no matter how small it might have been for Alexis to set up, made her so happy. "Thank you Alexis!" Selene said and hugged her friend. "I know you've been having a rough day so I set this up for you." Alexis said to her, "I'm going to let you get to work then." She smiled and left Selene so she could work.

Selene sat down on the bench and looked up at the Cherry Blossom tree. It rained down petals as she worked on her papers and studied for test. This, somehow, was the most relaxing place she could be to work. She breathed deeply and started on her work. Soon Selene started to realize that she was getting things done faster, maybe it was because she was calmer than she had been all day, or maybe it was because she was happy. All Selene knew was that her roommate had helped her make her day the best it could have been.

Here's my first one! I plan on doing all of them! 

1. Cherry blossoms-Memory
How many years has it been, my dear? Another festival has come, and, once more, I go there alone.
Would you cry if you knew I went alone? You probably would; you always were very empathetic. If you were here, there is no doubt you would be standing next to me and shouting at me to stop wallowing-to find another.

But this is something that I cannot do.

Remember when we first met? We were but children, mystified by the petals. You were so mystified that you were walking, staring straight up above you and tripped. I caught you and we both tumbled to the ground, our parents running to us to dry our tears and kiss our injuries.
Do you remember when kisses could heal anything? Whenever I was upset, you would just kiss me and kiss me until the tears stopped flowing. If only you were able to do that during the day you left this world.

a child passing by with his family stopped and asked me why I was alone, his small eyes full of concern. his eyes were like yours, and reminded me of the most important thing. The memories of the time we shared together is plenty company, like a piece of fine china to wipe and clean whenever you see fit. I thanked this boy, for he was the reason for this revelation and sent him on his way.

I watched as he left the side of his mother to run up to a small girl about his age, and picked a fallen flower out of her hair and presented it to her. She laughed and threw it at him, and they began a game only they would know. The family stayed at the bark of the tree, observing their play. 


The Cherry Blossoms are Beautiful this year.

Here's my first one! The prompt for this one is "Park".

--

The battered soldier strode through the trees and thickets. She did not care if there was a trail of blood and upturned leaves signaling her path. And her broken leg? Bah, who cares! She could not let a simple thing like that slow her down...though perhaps she should not go too fast. She had to lead these demons away from her princess.

"Over here!" the soldier shouted in a hoarse voice once she reached the top of a hill. She undid her emerald-green hair, which was already falling loose from its intricate hairstyle, and let it cascade down her back. CereCere always let her hair down when she wanted to relax on this hill. "Come and get me, demons!"

Before long, she heard the telltale growls and thumps of the demons chasing her down, and she set off in a jog, dodging fireballs as she did. Once, she used a bolt of lightning to overturn a fountain, momentarily blocking the demons' path. VesVes once accidentally dropped her phone in this fountain.


There were three of them now chasing her. Rather ugly beings, they ran faster than appeared possible. Luckily, as an acrobat and an athlete, the soldier did not break a sweat. Sometimes, she stopped running, instead taking rather ingenious methods to tease the demons somewhat into chasing her. They could not lose interest in her. Ever. She had to protect the princess.

Once such method she implemented was to roll down one of the hills. Not at an angle that would let her gain momentum, but rather one that would slow her down, make her an easier yet more exciting target. PallaPalla used to laugh merrily as she rolled down these very hills.


All around her, Crystal Tokyo burned and burned, and the flames were already consuming trees. Yet what burned even more were the memories, the good times and the bad, that flashed through her very mind. She wanted a moment to just sit and cry, weep for the losses she had.

Sailor Juno did not allow herself that moment. Chibiusa always kept fighting until the very end. And so will I.


"AMAZONESS! ELECTRIC ARROW!"


--

Well that got sadder than I intended it to. At first it was going to be Juno reminiscing in a park...then this happened. But now I want to do all of the prompts.

Cherry Blossoms

Usagi had been waiting for this moment for many months Today she would be going to the Cherry Blossom Festival with Mamo-chan. Usagi woke early to take a shower and dry her hair. With the help of her mother, Usagi was able to get her hair in a beautiful wavy style with braids peeking out here and there. Usagi got dressed with the help of her mother in a beautiful teal kimono with pink cherry blossoms on the sleeves and along the bottom. The kimono made her blue eyes pop. 

Her mother helped add a touch of make up here and there. Ikuko smiled at her daughter and told her how beautiful she was. Usagi thanked her mom, giving her a hug before she stood and walked downstairs. She grabbed her small bag and made her way to the door, slipping into her Zori and told her mom goodbye before heading to the park to meet Mamoru.

She felt a smile forming on her face as she saw Mamoru approach her, he had dressed in traditional clothes too and Usagi thought that he looked absolutely stunning in the traditional apparel. She walked over and greeted him. She embraced him and spoke softly telling him how great she thought he looked. She laced her arm with his as they walked.

Mamoru's breath was taken away the moment he saw her. He always thought she was beautiful, his eternal goddess, but now, seeing her in that Kimono, seeing her golden locks fall, and the hint of make-up she added, was enough to take his breath away and stop him in his tracks.

Mamoru returned her embrace and took a moment longer to take her beauty in. "Shall we?" He asked offering her his arm, which she gladly accepted. He walked her along the path and the two admired the cherry blossoms, stopping here and there to take a seat and admire the trees, talk with others at the ceremony and to spend time alone with each other. 

Mamoru took Usagi to some of the games where he won a small jade rabbit with a cherry blossom painted on it. He presented it to her with a smile. Being true to his dork self, he said, "a bunny for my bunny." 

Usagi smiled and accepted the gift thanking Mamoru for it, and continuing to smile at his dorkiness. He may be the biggest dork she knew, but he was her dork and in this moment that was all that mattered.

She walked with him to the grass area to watch the fireworks show, remaining close to her one true love and enjoying every moment up to and beyond this point that they would share together.

Prompt number 2: "Pink."

His head was spinning. The lights were flickering. The phone was ringing. There was so much noise, both outside and inside his head. His heart was racing with anticipation and worry; one thought was more evident in his mind then the others.

Pink, or Blue?

He began to pace, his steps eventually falling into the same pattern as that infomercial that has repeated itself for the umpteenth time. There was a man and a woman, faces plastered enough so that they would shine brightly under the lights, and they were advertising various accessories. Handbags, jewelry, and hats. They came in a variety of colors as well. 

Pink, or Blue?

The woman at the counter has become irritated with him. She's standing up, and walking to him. Her hands are on his shoulders, and she is calmly trying to have him sit. It's not working so well. The man is too jerky-too nervous. His knees are knocking, and others are watching. They think this woman is being quite rude, for the question is on the minds of them as well. They step in and say he is of no bother, and she reluctantly leaves him alone. Keeping an eye on the man, they return to their magazines and gadgets; their minds a flutter:

Pink, or Blue?

Suddenly, the doors open. All action ceases. A man in a white coat and donning surgical masks and gloves has emerged. Everyone waits with bated breath as the man, nervously, asks the fated question, his eyes as wide as dinner plates-fearing the worst answer. The doctor has not removed his mask, so reading his expression is difficult. A woman emerges from behind him, her outfit similar. She is carrying a balloon. A pink balloon. She removes her mask and hands it to this man, smiling.

He collapses in relief, clutching this balloon. This pink balloon. His wife has survived the operation. It's a baby girl.

I liked that last story (by Cosmos-Hime) enough to compliment it.  I liked how it was a different, novel twist on the theme 'pink' than the other stories.  And I liked how it drew out the drama inherent in that story.

Prompt [Only admins are allowed to see this link] "Stall."

Shei sat there, unmoving. This took the most precision she had to muster. Any sudden movement of the wrist or fingers would render the product unedible. She had told her friends she was no cook-her coordination was terrible-but they insisted. Slowly and carefully, Shei flipped the frying pan and the pancake flew out of the pan and missed it by inches, landing on the dirty counter under it.
 
She sighed and began to clean up the mess. It's not like anyone noticed her blunder. Nobody visited this stall since the opening night. Her friends had convinced her to watch the stall, and that it wouldn't be that big of a job. They would return-don't worry, we know you're not good at cooking. Shei looked at her watch. 17:30 blinked back at her. It has been 5 hours since they left her to deal with this daunting task alone. Clearly she needed better friends.
 
Then again, Shei could understand why. This stall was infamous-well, the cart was. A few years back some student messed up something awful-the teachers made sure it was covered up quickly, so nobody knew the full story. She'd heard all the rumors-from food poisoning to getting severely burned by the equipment to even the student getting kidnapped from the stall. The minute the teacher handed out the cart to her group, everybody knew that whatever product or service that would be offered would be of little matter. The stand already had a dreaded reputation, even if it was unclear. Shei had tried to remain optimistic. As if people would remember some unknown incident from years gone by? Well, she was wrong. And her friends knew this, which is why they left her and her misguided optimism to go enjoy the festival.
 
A few people had walked slowly by the stall, as if in deep observation, but whenever Shei tried to flag them over with a smile and a wave, they would avert their eyes and rush by, looking as though they wished they never laid eyes on it. What was it about this stand that scared people so much?
 
 During her down time, which was the entire time she was present, Shei had examined the stand. Each and every inch. Shei memorized every crack, every splinter, every nail. If she were to shut her eyes, the stand would still be there-perfectly replicated in her minds-eye. Other than its age and obvious need of repair, it seemed like an ordinary stall.
 
"Um, excuse me, miss?"
 
With a small yelp, she was pulled back into reality. A small boy, looking about the age of eight, was staring at the frying pan expectantly. Shei mustered up her smile and spoke routinely- the first time she acted the part all night.
 
"Welcome to class 11's pancake house! Thanks for stopping by! How many pancakes would you like?"
 
The boy put a finger to his lips, reading the menu. It didn't take him long to pull out a small blue satchel and remove a few coins and bills from it.
 
"I would like two, please!"
"Well, thank you very much for being our first costumer of the night!" Shei declared passionately, making the boy giggle as she slid the money into the register. "As a special treat, I can make them into shapes, just for you!"
 
"Really? You'd do that for me?"
 
"As thanks for being a precious customer." Shei giggled. "Now, what would you like?"
 
"A heart!"
 
She carefully held the frying pan with two hands now, his eyes watching her hands with hope. She couldn't make a mess now! With a quick flip, Shei didn't miss a beat. The boy clapped excitably, and she couldn't' beleave it. Her first successful flip! Unable to contain her pleasure, she slid the pancake onto a paper plate and focused on the second. It was as easy as the first! Two in a row! Shei felt on top of the world. She gave the boy his plate, and he eagerly gobbled up the pancakes.
 
"Thank you, lady!" He squeaked. "You worked really hard on those pancakes, I can tell." His eyes twinkled. "I'll make sure everybody knows about class 11's pancakes!" With a small skip, the boy was off. She was ready for the rest of an easy night.
 
But suddenly more and more customers started showing up. Before Shei knew it, she had sold more then all the other classes! She wasn't messing up the pancakes anymore either! This was like a dream come true! When it came time for the stalls to close, only then did Shei reunite with her friends. She was ready to yell at them for ditching her, but she noticed that they were pale-faced.
 
"No need to look so shocked. It was just one person doing the work of five, after all." Shei retorted.
 
"We admit, we were wrong to ditch you. It's just that...nobody ever goes to that cart. So we figured you'd have an easy night. Then time got away from us, and next thing we knew we were gone for four hours. The minute we realized it, we rushed back..."
 
"And we ran into a boy. He told us about the crowd heading to the stall, so we decided to lend a helping hand...but.." Her other friend hesitated, looking to the others before continuing. "He vanished before our eyes. It was so scary, It took us awhile to get ourselves together to come back here!"
 
Shei blinked. "No way. You guys are just doing this to mess with me. Not fair, messing with the one girl in the group that managed the stand that put all the classes to shame."
 
"No really!" One of them pulled something from her purse. A small blue sachel. Shei gasped.

“You mean to tell me…the boy was..?”

They nodded solemnly. With the festival over, the girls ran into the school to talk with the first staff member they saw.

The teachers had a lot of explaining to do.

Another one worth complimenting, Cosmos-Hime - for much the same reasons as your 'pink' story.

Prompt [Only admins are allowed to see this link], "Park"
“Pluto, are you sure today is the day?”

Sailor Pluto, in her pine skirt and auburn bows, bent down on one knee and bowed deeply. “Yes, my lady. Chibiusa has reached the age. Today is the best day to take the correct course of action.”
Neo queen serenity stood before the Senshi, and waved her hand, signaling for Pluto to rise. “Thank you, Pluto. I understand my mission must have been difficult for you to undertake.”

Pluto smiled, knowingly and sadly. “Not as difficult as it was for you to conduct, my lady. Now go. As I have promised, I have pinpointed the correct date for you to take action.”

Neo Queen Serenity stood there, quiet and noble. For their future, for Crystal Tokyo’s future, this was necessary. The pieces had to fall correctly into place, otherwise their present would become an alternate reality. Her beloved Endymion as well as Sailor Pluto were well aware of this. Why wouldn’t they? Even the other Senshi, noting the days, were becoming increasingly aware. They had come flocking to Serenity’s chambers, advising her and reminding her of those days long past.

As if she had forgotten their significance. Nodding at Pluto, she took her leave of the time door and returned to the castle. Chibiusa was skipping and playing with Diana in the main room, Endymion watching from afar. He noticed her determined gaze, and immediately knew. So, she had gone to Pluto to confirm. Was today the day? He sat back and watched as she approached their daughter-stopping her skipping by lightly resting a hand on her tiny shoulder.

“Mama!” Chibiusa squealed, leaping into her mother’s arms. While returning the embrace, Endymion noticed the look in his Queens eyes. But still he waited for the signal.

“Chibiusa, darling, why don’t we go to the park today?”

Endymion felt his heart twist with pain. The signal has been brought to attention. Even Luna and Artemis led their daughter Diana away-any slight deviation could destroy everything. The kitten looked at her parents as the royal family left the doors.

Endymion held an umbrella over his family as they walked. Chibiusa darted ahead, jumping in the puddles and giggling. This was the only chance he had to talk to his wife before she got back.

“You know what you’re going to say, Serenity?”

She gave a small nod. “You’ve been telling her of my past, correct?”

Endymion nodded back. “Every night this week. All about the battles with Queen Beryl.”

Serenity watched her little girl skip and play in the rain. Her heart grew heavy, and she could feel tears rushing to her eyes. Endymion placed a firm hand on her shoulder. “We have to do this-for her future.”

She grabbed his gloved hand and rubbed her cheek softly against it. “I know what needs to be done. She needs to know of Sailor Moon. She needs to feel doubt in her heart. She needs to go back in time.”

With each word, Serenity’s heart grew heavier and heavier. Oh, if only there was another way! But their timeline was absolute-and they knew it. In order for the future to stay, she had to go back and meet her mother as Sailor Moon. The very fact that all the Senshi remembered the entire battles that Chibiusa assisted with in their era before her birth, even though it’s been thousands of years was evident of that. Serenity stood tall as Chibiusa called their names from the swing set. She bounced off, and began running toward the two of them, unaware of the deep puddle in front of her.
She could feel Endymion clench her hand, both in reassurance and in togetherness. This is the moment they would have to break her heart. Sure enough, as the Chibiusa of the past had told her when she was a Sailor Senshi, she slipped and fell; and began to cry and beg her parents for help. 

The two refused to help her up.

“You’re a big girl. “ Serenity said calmly. “You’re of the royal family. You can stand up on your own. You don’t want to get sick from the cold, do you?”

The look in her child’s eyes was enough to knock the wind from her lungs. She couldn’t even hear what her husband said to follow suit, it hurt too much. Before they knew it, she ran off-just as foretold all those years ago. There would be no need to look for her, for the wheels of time were already in motion. Exhausted, Serenity walked over to a bench and sat, ignoring the rain and her clothing getting wet. If only the rain could wash away the harm that she has just committed!

“You know, we never found out the reasons why Chibiusa took the crystal.”

Serenity looked up. It was Endymion holding the umbrella over her. She smiled sadly. “I’m afraid not. The Chibiusa of our past never told me that. Did she tell you anything?”

Endymion shook his head. “She never did say why she had the crystal of the future-our present-around her neck. You know, we didn’t need to do this. We can still find something else. There may be another way.”

“You’re wrong, my love. She has to awaken as a Senshi. She was, or will be, a key player during the final battle with chaos. The bond with Hotaru as sailor Saturn was also necessary-and with Elysion and Helios as well.”

Endymion listened carefully. Everything Neo Queen Serenity said made sense. She seemed so sad. Endymion kissed her eyelashes gently. Was it the rain, or tears coming from her eyes?

Hand in hand, the two walked the rest of the park and watched the rain fall in somber recollection. This was hard, but for the sake of all the silver crystals, past, present and future, this was something that could not be avoided. Neo queen serenity found herself giving a quiet prayer;


Please, Sailor Moon! Look after our daughter!

I want to write more, but I'm not feeling encouraged at the moment. I will try to get some more up, but right now I am kind of in a gloomy place.

Artemis wrote:

I want to write more, but I'm not feeling encouraged at the moment. I will try to get some more up, but right now I am kind of in a gloomy place.

Maybe channelling some of that into a story will help!

Maybe. I'm just feeling like my writing sucks and no one likes it, but maybe that can help me write a story too.

I also wanted to comment on everyone's stories, since you took the time to write them and participate! So here it goes!

Artemis, reading your first flash fic made me want to read more about Zena and her background and mission. The second one sounds like a really nice day between Usagi and Mamoru! I also like that you kept them in traditional wear. 

Princess Luna, your cherry blossoms one was a sweet story! I would absolutely LOVE to work outside under a cherry blossom tree. What a nice surprise from an awesome friend. I also liked the relatability to park - it made me think of a lovely spring day.

Cosmos-Hime, you're so close to finishing all the prompts (yay!). Your cherry blossoms prompt was really sad, and it made me wonder who it was about. The pink one was super cute, and I liked your take on using the colour. Your stall one made me laugh and I enjoyed the light-heartedness of it. Your park one was my favourite of the four. I thought it flowed really nicely, and I liked how you could see Serenity and Endymion really being parents in it.

Empress Vesta, I've personally never read any stories with the Amazoness Quartet, so it was a nice change for me. I liked the memories that you put throughout the story.

Keep up the great work everyone!

Prompt [Only admins are allowed to see this link], “Illumination”(edited once because I saw a few typos.)

So tonight is the end of this year’s cherry blossom festival. For those of you that don’t know, it’s when the finale includes the biggest and most historic trees having spotlights on them to honor our national flower.

Now normally, me and my three buds would just go to the lights together-or just bring that special girl along. It’s been me, Satoshi, and Ichiro since as long as we can remember. We’ve grown up on the same street, gone to the same schools and now that we’re in our last year of high school, we decided to make this year really special. After all, we’re going to different universities, so why not have this be the best final cherry blossom festival ever?

Now if that’s the case, why am I laying on my bed, staring at the ceiling instead of being there with them?

It all started yesterday. I was sitting in the school courtyard when Ichiro approached me. I greeted him with my usual “Sup, man!” but he didn’t look right. He wasn’t looking me in the eyes, he was flushed, his hands stuffed deep into his pockets. I’ve never seen him like this before. He looked really unraveled.

“What’s wrong? Did your choice for the illumination dump ya?” Jeez, he must have really liked this girl. He looks like he’s about to cry.

“No, it’s not like that. I haven’t asked…her yet.” He turned his head away and is now deep breathing to calm himself and running his hands through his hair. She must be something special. I can’t help but grin; he’s been bitten by the lovebug, alright.

“No worries, bro. Just be yourself! Man, you really like her, dontcha? You’re a mess!” I laugh. I’ve never seen him like this. Most of the time when we were talking about girls or who was the hottest actress or looking at porn we snuck into class, he seemed anything but indifferent. Who knew he had it in him?

“Look, Ichiro.” I pat him on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, and I’m gonna help make this happen between the two of you. “

“It’s-it’s not like that!” Now he’s flushed two shades tomato.

“Nope. Not with that reaction. I gotta help you now. You really like her, don’t you?”

“It’s not a “her” Daichi!” Ichiro belts out. I’m baffled by his sudden declaration. What does that mean? Before I can comment-he inhales deeply and continues.

“It’s-It’s Satoshi.” His voice is cracking. “I-I’m in love with Satoshi.”

---------

So, here I am, wracking my brains and dealing with my anxieties. Ichiro explained to me that he had loved Satoshi for a long time, ever since we were little kids-even before he knew what he was feeling was love. He knew we were graduating soon and going our separate ways; and he couldn’t bare not telling his feelings any longer. He said he was gonna invite Satoshi and confess to him right there, under the illuminated cherry tree.

Well, that would explain why he was never involved in our teenage discussions about women. Though I always thought he was just shy. I never thought he was disinterested.

What’s going to happen out there? Satoshi isn’t the kind of guy to break someone’s heart, right? After all, we’ve known each other for most of our lives. Satoshi isn’t going to do anything stupid, is he? And man, how could Ichiro keep a secret like that for so long? It must have been lonely….

I clutch my pillow and turn over. My parents were asking me why I wasn’t doing our yearly thing, and what was I supposed to tell them? Come to think of it, should I be there? Or would I be a third wheel?

How am I so okay with this? I mean, I’m surprised, sure, but it doesn’t strike me as anything odd. But I know that others might not be as accepting. Is Satoshi one of those people? Nahhhh, this is Satoshi! The fun loving, class clown! He won’t break Ichiro’s heart, at least too harshly, right?

I hear fireworks in the distance. So I’ve missed it. The last year of high school and I missed our tradition. I should have gone, maybe I wouldn’t be so worried if I did.

--------

I arrived early to school this morning. I hardly slept last night, I was too nervous. When I see them, how do I bring it up? Did Ichiro even confess, or did he flake out? Is Satoshi gonna wonder where I was? No that’s too selfish-this was Ichiro’s moment, not mine. Heck, while I was busy freaking out, Ichiro must have gotten an answer, whatever it must have been. Neither of them have contacted or texted me wondering where I was either.

“Hey, Daichi!”

“Yo, Daichi, where were you last night?”

I must have screamed like a hyena, because Satoshi an Ichiro are looking at me funny. It looks like the came together, too. Do I ask them, or just pretend nothing happened? I don’t want to be rude! The two of them started laughing, apparently I wasn’t hiding my internal distress too well.

“Oh man, Daichi you should see how uncool you look right now!” Satoshi is in stitches. Ichiro isn’t in any better shape.

“Well-well whose fault do you think that is!? You guys had me worried!”

They both blink. “Worried? About what?”

“Um..well, you know..” I glance at Ichiro. Did he flake out?

“Aw, Daichi. I didn’t take you for the sappy type.” It was Satoshi that answered. “No worries bro, everything’s fine. We’re going out now.”

I blink, then can’t help but laugh. These jerks had me all worried for nothing! As we enter the school, I wonder if the dynamic is going to change? We’re still conversing like we do every other day-it’s like nothing changed.

Ya know, I think I can handle being a third wheel. Somebody has to keep these two idiots in line.