A Ceremony on Queen Earth Part II A Short Story by Jayne Soohoo Berg Adapted from the Manga Story Written and Illustrated by Ikeno Koi & English Translation by Tomodachi Anime Early next morning, Seiya and Ririka waited at the designated meeting place. The sun sparkled across the dew covered grass, and the birds sang sweetly to greet the new day. A gentle breeze rustled the trees, and the sparkling water from the fountain splashed merrily over the marble statues. The palace gardens were indeed tranquil, and indeed beautiful, but the two waiting did not notice any of it at all. "Mimina’s late." Ririka stated flatly, crossing her arms. "Yeah, and she’s the one who said to get up early," grumbled Seiya. They had both stayed up too late the previous night, and were not in the best of moods. "HELLO! Sorry I’m late!" shouted Mimina. She ran up to them, with a sleepy looking Malulu clutched in her arm. "So, what’s so urgent that you needed to talk to us about?" asked Ririka, rather crossly. "Well, to the north of us, there’s a place called the Valley [Mimina] of Sadness." "Valley of Badness?" asked Seiya. "No, the Valley of SADNESS! There’s a legend. Whoever possesses the Teardrop Jewel from the Valley will obtain happiness. I want to find it, and give it to Helena and Kanon. I want them to be happy! They’ve gone through so much hardship already. Ririka, Seiya, please help me find it! PLEASE!" "Oh, Mimina...." tears welled in Ririka’s eyes. She glanced at Seiya, and even though he didn’t say anything, she knew that he felt the same as she did. She answered the pleading girl. "Okay, Mimina. Let’s find it together. It’ll be a gift from all of us!" "OH WOW! Thanks so much, Ririka!" Mimina gushed, and gave her a big hug. Before Mimina could hug Seiya, he quickly suggested that they could start the search immediately. Malulu promptly transformed himself into an aircar with two rows of plush seats. Mimima climbed in the front, and Ririka hopped in the back. Seiya climbed in next to Ririka, but his knees ended up almost touching his chin. "Hey, I’m getting squished!" he exclaimed. "Seiya’s gotten too big," Malulu remarked dryly. "Ready to go to the Valley of Sadness? Hold on tight!" A few minutes later, Malulu had passed the cultivated farmlands that surrounded the castle, and was now soaring high above the tree tops. Ririka looked out over the edge of his body, and could see lush forests and fields, with winding rivers below. In the distance, rolling hills were dotted with cattle. The Flower of Life was abundant everywhere. "Wow, it’s so beautiful! It’s hard to believe that this place was ever desolate," said Ririka. "That’s for sure," agreed Seiya. Ririka continued to look out at the scenery, and Mimina turned to Seiya. "Psst....hey, Seiya, ever kissed Ririka?" she asked. Ririka turned back around. "Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Seiya tried to shrink into his seat. "Never mind!" he said to her. I guess he hasn’t.... Malulu looked back at his passengers. "I’m going to teleport us now. Hang on!" In a blink of an eye, Malulu teleported. They found themselves flying between sheer granite mountains. Malulu dipped in and out of the rocky terrain, and finally landed in front of a small cave. "Here we are!" he exclaimed. "This should be it!" As soon as they all climbed out, the ground started to shake violently. "AAAHHH! Not again!" Mimina screamed. "That was worst than the last one," said Ririka, trying to keep her balance. Huge rocks and boulders started falling around them. "WATCH OUT!" a voice cried out, and Ririka was pulled out of harm’s way. Mimina threw herself at Seiya. "Ugggh...you’re choking me!" he gasped. The rocks settled, and the dust cleared. Mimina was still clutching onto Seiya. Dewey was crouched protectively over Ririka. He stood up. "What do you think you’re doing here?" he said angrily. "Wanna die? The epicenter is in this area!" "Epicenter?" asked Seiya. "And WHY is Princess Mimina here?" Dewey shot an accusing glare at them. "DEWEY! QUIET!" Mimina ordered. "But, I’m just doing my duty as head of the Imperial Guard...." "DEWEY!" "Yes....,"Dewey answered a bit nervously. "Your duty is to protect a Princess from danger, is it not?" Mimina asked him. "It is," he answered. "Well, we are merely here to find the Legendary Teardrop Jewel. YOU will escort us," she said. "WHAT??!! That’s...," Dewey protested. "That will work out perfectly." Dewey said quietly, with his head bowed, "Princess Mimina, I don’t really agree with you on this...." "YOUR PRINCESS ORDERS IT." she stated flatly. She turned to the others and smiled. "Okay! Let’s go! ....besides," she added cheerfully, "in case of trouble, we have Nurse Angel too!" Yikes! thought Ririka. With Dewey leading the way, they soon were weaving their way through the narrow passageways of the cave. Having gotten her wish, Mimina was trying to soften the harsh way she had treated Dewey earlier. "Know anything about the Teardrop Jewel?" she asked. "I’ve heard of it," he replied. "Hasn’t there been anyone you thought you’d like to give it too?" she inquired. HUH? "You can tell me....," she teased him. "NO! There hasn’t been!" he shouted, as his face turned red. "I don’t have time to concentrate on anything except the Earthquakes! Lately, they’ve been very strange." "Oh? What do you mean?" Ririka asked. Dewey hesitated, and then answered. "I sense feelings of rage...of anger." Ririka and the others all stopped where they were. They could now feel it too. Suddenly, they felt as if their minds were being assaulted. PAIN! PAIN! WHO ARE YOU? WHY ARE YOU INSIDE OF ME WITHOUT MY PERMISSION? The ground started shaking violently, and more rocks tumbled downward. Dewey hugged Mimina close to himself, protecting her with his body. "RIRIKA!!!" Seiya screamed, trying to reach her. "Seiya!!!" Seiya stumbled over the debris, trying to find Ririka in the clouds of dust. "Princess Mimina, are you okay?" Dewey asked anxiously. "I’m fine....just a bit scared," she said. Seiya found Ririka, amid some rocks and rubble. She looked a bit dazed. "Ririka, are you okay?" he asked, helping her up. "OWWWW....got hit in the head. How about you?" "Guess I’ll live," Seiya replied. Rowwwwl..... Ririka turned her head. "I heard something, from that direction!" She took off down a side passage. Seiya followed her. They entered a large cavern. They saw a huge animal crouched in one corner. It turned towards them, and spread out its wings. [dragon of sorrow] ROOOOOWWWWWWLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!! "Dr---dragon?!!" they both gasped. They heard a voice, inside their heads. DON’T COME ANY CLOSER. WHO ARE YOU? Mimina and Dewey had caught up to their friends, and they stumbled into the cavern. "AAAAAAAGGGGHHHH!" Mimina screamed. Dewey drew out his sword. "Princess! stay back!" OH, MY HEAD!!!!! The dragon reared up his body, and he thrashed his head back and forth, as if in agony. Flames wildly out of his mouth, and smoke steamed from his nostrils. "Ririka! Look Out!" Seiya cried, as he threw himself in front of the flames that shot towards her. Ririka gasped in shock. "NOOOO! SEI---YAAAA!!" She ran to his fallen body. "Seiya....Seiya! Hang on!" "I remember now!" said Malulu, who had retreated with the others into the passageway. "That must be the Dragon of Sorrow!" "Yes, the one in the legends that absorbs the sorrows of our people, and purifies them," said Dewey. "Dark Joker’s invasion four years ago must have overwhelmed him." Malulu peered around the cavern opening. "He looks like he’s been infected with the black vaccine too. He is in such pain...." "I don’t understand,"Mimina said. "The fields are blossoming with the Flower of Life now. Wasn’t the Black Vaccine completely destroyed?" "Perhaps the Flower of Life couldn’t reach the depths of a cave like this to heal," Malulu reasoned. "Ri-ri-ka...," Seiya whispered from where he lay. "Take care of the dragon first...." "Seiya...!" she cried. "Hehehehe...," he gasped. "I’m immortal, ya know. You can take care of me later...." She had thought that she would never need to say the words again. Sadness filled her heart, and silent tears streamed down her face as she realized that there was no other way to combat the presence of evil...she needed to summon the healing power once again. She lifted her face skyward, and spoke the familiar words: Holy Power.... Holy Prayer.... She raised her left hand. BE HERE! Her Nurse’s watch appeared on her wrist, with rays of bright light shooting out. She felt her hair loosen and flow down her back. Her clothes vanished in a shimmering haze, while her body was caressed in a warm beam of light. The nurse’s cap appeared on her head, and as transforming light shone from it’s center, her dress, shoes, gloves, and purse clothed her body. She could again feel the magical pink ribbons forming through her upraised fingertips. They broadened and lengthened, swirling around, to finally settled down upon her shoulders to form a scarf. As spheres of pearlescent energy surrounded her, she held out her right hand in a gesture of entreaty, and spoke the final words: The Bright Light of the Ages.... The Spirit of the Voice of the Earth.... NURSE ANGEL! THE SPIRIT HAS SENT ME!! Dewey and Mimina stood in awe as they watched the transformation in front of them. The dragon groaned with pain again, and roared. He thrashed about wildly, his foot hitting the side of the cave, causing another avalanche. Mimina screamed as rocks tumbled down again. "Mimina! Dewey! Watch Seiya!" Ririka ordered. "We will! Dewey, carry him to safety!" Mimina said, as they scrambled towards the other end of the cave. RAAAAA AAAAAWWWWWLLLLL The dragon screamed again, and black smoke and orange flames shot out of his mouth. Ririka leapt out of the way, and not a moment too soon. The smoke was stifling, and she tried to cover her breathe from the evil fumes. "The black vaccine...," she coughed. "You’ve been suffering from it, for FOUR years!" Her baton appeared in her palm, and she cried out, "Dragon, I will heal your agony! [Nurse Angel] Ririka faced the dragon, with the baton held in front of her. Bright white light mixed with pastels emanated from its center jewel. The whole cave was awash with swirling colors. The dragon ceased his thrashing, and the wild look in his eyes disappeared. He calmed down and just stood there as the bright light gradually faded away. Ririka walked up to him, and he leaned forward as she gently reached for his face. Mimina and Dewey looked from their hiding place, sick with trepidation. Would the dragon attack Nurse Angel? "Oh," Ririka exclaimed, as she looked closely at him. "You DO look better. The evil color is gone from your eyes." THE VALLEY OF SADNESS IS MY HOME. I AM THE DRAGON OF SORROW. ARE YOU THE NURSE ANGEL? His thoughts echoed in their minds as he peered closely at Ririka with his red eyes. She smiled and nodded at him. His thoughts continued. I AM GREATLY NEEDED TO PROTECT QUEEN EARTH. ON BEHALF OF MY PLANET, I THANK YOU. Dewey was amazed. "The dragon was so violent before, now look at him! So, THIS is the power of the Nurse Angel!" "Thank goodness, Ririka....," gasped Seiya. Ririka turned quickly around and ran back to where Seiya was lying. "Seiya! How are you?" she asked. "Not too bad," he said slowly. "Actually, REALLY bad. But, not to worry... After all, I’m immortal." He grimaced and closed his eyes in pain. "Seiya...," Ririka whispered, her eyes filling with tears. She held out her baton over his prone form, and shimmering white light emerged to bathe his body. Seiya remained unmoving, his eyes closed. "Oh, no! It’s not working! Why?" she sobbed in frustration. The dragon’s voice floated in her mind. HE PROBABLY WAS INFECTED WITH GRIEVOUS SORROWS AND THE BLACK VACCINE AT THE SAME TIME. I AM TRULY SORRY. "No! Seiya, you’ll be fine! I’ll find a way to help you!" NURSE ANGEL, OPEN THE HIDDEN PART OF YOUR MIND... BE TRUTHFUL WITH YOURSELF, AND MAKE A WISH. Ririka looked up at the Dragon. Be truthful with myself....? "Ririka..." Seiya opened his eyes. Ririka looked down at him. His face was deathly pale. She took his hand. "Oh, Seiya. Thank you for always protecting me." "Don’t talk like that, Ririka," he whispered. "It’s embarrassing." "But, you’ve always been there for me. I’ve taken it for granted,"she said quietly, as memories of Seiya and herself flew through her mind. [memories of Seiya] She saw Seiya time and again, valiantly putting himself in danger to protect her from Dark Joker.She saw him deflecting the cutting remarks made by snooty White Dove Academy students; She saw a laughing Seiya as they sledded down a snow covered hill together so long ago. She saw Seiya with a bouquet of flowers, bigger than himself, that he had made to give her on her birthday. She remembered how she had felt when she thought he would die from the black vaccine...how alone she would feel, how empty life would be without him... Her breath caught in her throat.Why hadn’t she realized sooner how she felt about him? "Oh, Seiya," she said, sobbing and choking out the words, "now and forever, I want to spend my life with you." Seiya’s eyes opened wider. "Wh-what did you say?" Ririka didn’t answer, but just wept silently. Seiya squeezed her hand, and closed his eyes in pain. Ririka tried to compose herself, and spoke again. "I guess I sort of knew...," she said haltingly, "how I felt about you." She clutched at her baton. "Seiya, I love you! I don't want you to die!" she cried. The pain was unbearable, and Seiya felt a cold blackness descending on him. So, this is what death is like, he thought. He wondered if he had been hallucinating...he had heard that people did that before they died...did Ririka really say those things he thought he had heard, or was it wishful thinking on his part? No matter...this was the end, and giving up his life to protect Ririka was worth it.... "Seiya...." Seiya opened his eyes. Ririka was bending over him. She still had tears in her eyes.. "Ririka...?!" he said, with a questioning look on his face. She sobbed, "Oh Seiya, BE WELL!" She lifted her baton over him once again, and willed, with all of her might, that her life forces would flow from her into him. Please, God and Holy Spirits, please heal Seiya! Don’t let him die! Take my energy, so that he may live! Sparkling golden lights streamed from the center of the baton, and bathed Seiya. Seiya felt the pain ebb away, and the cold was replaced by a gentle warmth that washed over him, a warmth that enveloped his whole body with a feeling of love and contentment. This healing felt so intimate...so unlike the healings he had had in the past. Ririka...what did she do? Was Ririka now a part of him? He felt embarrassed at the thought. He sat up. [Ririka] "Ririka..." [Seiya] "Oh Seiya! Thank God! You’re Well!" she exclaimed. "Ririka, I...I...." stammered Seiya. Before Seiya could finish, Ririka leaned towards him, and gently kissed him on the lips. It caught him off guard. Time seemed to stand still as they looked into each other's eyes, their faces just inches from each other. Then, before Seiya could react, Ririka drew back. Seiya’s heart was pounding, and he felt his face flush. What had just happened? "Ri...Ririka?!" Ririka grinned back at him. "Heh heheh heh...." she seemed a little giddy. She stood up. It MUST be true, all of what Ririka had said earlier, thought Seiya. It COULDN’T have been a hallucination! He jumped to his feet. "Ririka!" Seiya blurted out, "I want to be with you too! Forever!" Ririka ignored him, turned to the others and sang out "Seiya’s fine! Let’s all go now!" "Ririka! All this time...all this time I’ve loved you too!" Seiya tried to tell her, but Mimina had grabbed Ririka’s arm, and was screaming in her face. "WHAT!! You sneak! I love Seiya too!" The confrontation was interrupted by the thoughts of the dragon. They turned to look at him. The dragon leaned his head towards Ririka. NURSE ANGEL, WHEN I WAS INFECTED BY THE BLACK VACCINE, IT AFFECTED ME MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. THE KINDNESS OF YOU AND THE HEALING POWERS OF THE GREEN VACCINE IS SPREADING THROUGH ME. I AM SO GLAD..... A teardrop formed in the dragon’s huge red left eye, and rolled down his face. It crystallized as it fell, and landed in Ririka’s outstretched palms. As she held it up to the light, it sparkled and shimmered. Could this be the Legendary Teardrop Jewel? "I thank you for your gift, Dragon of Sorrow," she said. "THANK YOU! WOW! THIS IS FANTASTIC"! Mimina exuberantly added. The dragon indicated that he needed to rest, so they bid their farewells, and made their way back to the surface. Malulu again transformed himself back into an air car, and Dewey joined them. They were all quiet on the trip back, each occupied with their own thoughts, trying to sort out all that had happened. They arrived at the castle in time for the evening’s festivities, and threw themselves into the gaiety of the occasion----for tomorrow, Queen Helena and Kanon were to be married! The castle was bustling with activity. Mimina had gotten Ririka involved with some last minute preparations, and so Kanon, always the gracious host, and also to distract himself from last minute wedding jitters, gave Seiya an intensive tour of Queen Earth. Seiya was again amazed at how beautiful and tranquil the planet was, and was thankful that he had a part in saving it. Soon, night was upon the land, and the castle sky was lit with fireworks. Inside, the ceremony had begun. [Wedding] Queen Helena, beautiful and stately, walked down the center aisle of the throne room. The Dragon’s Tear glistened from a golden chain around her throat. Midway, Kanon joined her, and together, they walked towards the front. As they passed Mimina and Dewey, Mimina could only think how beautiful her sister looked. Ririka, overcome with the loveliness of it all, started crying. Seiya, too, was touched by the ceremony, and tried not to shed tears. He glanced down at Ririka, and slipped her hand into his. All too soon, the wedding ceremony was over, to be followed by Kanon’s coronation as a Prince of Queen Earth. Following that, there were more festivities which lasted long into the night. The next morning was another beautiful day. Ririka and Seiya were back in the same fields where they had first arrived. They were surrounded by Helena, Kanon, Mimina, and Dewey. Even though they had only visited for a few days, it felt hard for them to leave. "I guess it’s bye now," Seiya said. Helena took Ririka’s hands in her own. "Ririka, Seiya, thank you so much for coming. We should make plans to see each other again." "Yes, we should, Queen Helena," Ririka replied. "Hey, when you have a baby, I’ll come with a gift!" quipped Seiya. Kanon smiled and Queen Helena blushed. "Whoops! Just kidding," Seiya quickly added. Kanon took Seiya aside while the girls continued with their farewells. "Seiya-kun, take care of Ririka-kun. Make her happy." Seiya nodded, and they clasped each other’s shoulders as they shook hands. "WHAT! What was that??!!" screeched Mimina, who had heard part of the exchange. "Seiya, I’ll visit you next time!!" "Princess, calm yourself," said Dewey, restraining Mimina from flinging herself towards Seiya. Final good-byes said, Ririka and Seiya walked towards the swirling portal. This time they were unafraid, and soon, they were again in front of Kanou-Senpai’s old home. They stepped out of the portal. It was dusk. They were back in their own time. They watched the portal vanish. They looked at each other, not knowing quite what to do. "We’re back," Ririka said rather dejectedly. Tears started welling in her eyes. Soon, she was blubbering. "What, still crying?.... Here," he said, reaching into his pocket, "this’ll help you stop." He tossed something towards her. She caught it, and looked at the object in amazement. "But Seiya, this is a....," she said, puzzled. Seiya winked at her. "The Dragon gave it to me. Hey, It’ll bring you happiness." Ririka clasped the Dragon’s Tear in her hands, close to her heart. "Oh, Seiya, THANK YOU SO MUCH!" her eyes glistened with tears, but from happiness this time. Seiya turned his back to her and started walking. "You know," he commented nonchalantly, "this doesn’t mean that we won’t ever see Queen Helena or Kanon ever again...." "...How about if we invited them to OUR WEDDING?" he rushed out, taking a big chance. His heart was in his throat. What would she say? [endpix] "Yes! That’s a good idea, Seiya!" Ririka cheerfully replied. Oh man! She didn’t deny it! I don’t believe it! Oh, my knees feel weak... "Seiya, what’re you doing down there? Shouldn’t we go home?" "I can’t. My legs got weak...," Seiya muttered, still shocked. Ririka tried to pull Seiya up. "I want to invite Helena and the rest as soon as possible, so let’s get married as soon as we can...." Oh God, I hope this is not a dream.... Back on Queen Earth, the Dragon of Sorrow smiled, for he knew that because of his gift, THEY WOULD LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER. AND, THEY DID! --------------------------------------------------------------------------- A heartfelt thanks to K. Duffy of Tomodachi Anime who gave her gracious consent in allowing me to use her "A Ceremony on Queen Earth" script as a basis for my story. If you would like to see the original Manga story on video tape, translated into English and set to music, visit Tomodachi Anime for the Manga Escapees tape. There is also a Fushigi Yuugi and Marmalade Boy manga story on the tape. It's a real treat! Of course, none of this would have been possible in the first place, if it weren't for the wonderful characters and storyline created by Ikeno Koi, and published by Ribon Mascot Comics. You can find the original manga story in Vol. #4 Nurse Angel Ririka SOS tankoubon by Ribon Mascot Comics. (ISBN4-08-853878-1). To them, I also give my thanks! End Notes: The illustrations are from the manga story, which I scanned, touched up, and colorized, using a combination of Paint Shop Pro, colored pencils, and oil pastels. I hope you like the result. If you compare the Manga Escapee translation and my story, you will find some differences in wording, some changed or extra "scenes," and definitely bits of character interpretation. Just call it creative license on my part. After all, each person looks at the world differently. This is how I viewed it. If you'd like to drop me a line---Comments to Jayne : soohooberg@compuserve.com Also, please contact me if you wish to reproduce this story in any way, shape, or form! Back to Jayne's Favorite Anime