The Final Prom Started on: 4/27/01 Players: Ruby, Michiru, Jennifer, Jeremy, Jay, Mark, Elizabeth, Lucas, Nephrite, Jakurin, Dura, and Jonas ------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun started to descend in the afternoon sky and throughout the city teenagers pulled on tuxedos and elegant dresses preparing for the night of their lives. Everywhere couples complemented one another on how handsome or beautiful they were, corsages and boutineers were exchanged. Dinners ate, gentle signs of affection shared, conversations carried. For many of the junior class it was a night they had been waiting for, a chance to go to the biggest school event of the year, to dress up and hang with their friends. For some seniors it marked the culmination of their entire high school careers, a moment to be celebrated, but also one that had come too soon. For the couples it was a night that was to be spent in one another's arms, worrying about nothing but one another and the passion they shared. Yet for others it was the beginning of the worse night of their lives. They were the ones who were alone or longed for someone to spend such a special occasion with. They were the ones that went only to please their parents and because they know they'll regret not going more than going. No one in Tokyo could say that Prom didn't bring out all sorts of personalities.
Jennifer Satterlee looked at the camera as it flashed again and again, her mother not wanting to miss a moment of her first prom and intending on using up an entire roll just on her and her dress. The young cheerleader shook her head as the camera flashed, it was the least she could do for her mother after everything they had been through. After all the times she had vanished to play Senshi and risk her life, that was over now with the loss of her powers. Finally the camera quit flashing and she turned to leave, her mother's voice following her, "Be careful tonight." Jennifer nodded, "Thanks, Mom. I will." With that the dateless cheerleader left her home and headed for an unforgetable night.
Jeremy Satterlee stood at the window of his house and let the cool spring air blow in through his window. He stared at the tux hanging in his closet knowing he had little choice but to go to the prom, but it wasn't the event that was bothering him, nor the fact that the Dark Kingdom might choose this night to strike. No, something else sat in the back of its mind and it had nothing to do with his life as Guardian.
Michiru looked at the dress that hung on the hanger. She shook her head and turned away to stare out the window. "Thank you, Dark Kingdom, for ruining yet ANOTHER great moment in my life. I swear if I could find a lawyer that would believe my story I would sue the hell out of you for every freaking dime I could get," she muttered, crossing her arms and looking longingly at the shiny wheel chair in front of her.
Lucas adjusted the Blue Knights pin on his lapel. He stared on the rose corsage on his dresser with a sigh. He could still feel the sting of Lynith's refusal to go with him to the Prom. But she did have a point. She couldn't have Manx at the Prom and that would mean no eyes for the night. He hadn't asked anyone to go with him in his place and felt somewhat lonely. Pushing the feelings aside he headed out the door to the school.
Twenty minutes was all it had taken for Jeremy to make up his mind. There were times when everything had to be damned including appearances, and this was one of those times. The words echoed in his ears as he slid into the window and he spoke up calmly from behind Michiru, "Don't let them ruin your night." He took a breath, antcipating the laughter that would result from his sitting in her opened window in a full tux, hell even he would laugh if he were younger.
"T-thanks for going with me, Kitsune," said a shy drama writer. "After that weird dream, I've been in therapy, and I'm really shocked that-" "Ah, think nothing of it, said the lemon blonde, swinging around to face him in the back seat. Tudo was driving Jakurin and Maestro to the prom. "I'm so happy!" said the boy, but he nervously shifting in his seat. Jakurin gave him a comforting smile. "Hey, it's not every day I get asked out by an upper classman. Also, I never pass up free flowers, food--!" "Anything that's free is Jakurin's friend," chuckled Tudo as he pulled to a stop in the parking lot. The two hopped out cautiously: Maestro dressed in a dark purple tux, Jakurin with a matching periwinkle dress with jacket. Tudo honked the horn to their embarrassment, waved, then left them to walk into the prom.
Michiru looked over at the window and laughed lightly. "If I had a camera within reach right now." she said with a giggle. "I don't plan on letting them get to me, I'm just planing my revenage and it deals with a lot of money!" she said. "Don't worry Jeremy, I'll see you there."
Dura coolly tended the punch table as all the prom attendees filed in. Her emotions were a mixed bag, and right now, she figured it would be best if she just disconnected the whole lot from her psyche before she freaked. She stood well over 7 feet tall now, and that scared off the dates. But she wasn't growing taller anymore because she'd lost her powers. But that meant she was easy pickin's for the Dark Kingdom if and when they showed up. Her mom did everything but stand up and push her to go to the prom. She thought her dad would protest the expense, but he figured it was acceptable overhead to corner the corsage market there. She didn't feel like bringing a date she couldn't get, and anyway... Ehh. Forget the whole thing. Straightening her apron, she went back to spooning punch.
Elizabeth had put on the silvery dress for tonight for some reason. She was not sure why she did. Her parents didn't even bother to tell her to have a good time. Elizabath's mother asked her what was going on and all Elizabeth said was that there was a prom at school. "That's nice," was all Elizabeth's mother could say. As Elizabeth walked towards the school. There was a limo at home but she wanted to walk. *This sucks. My parents don't care that tonight is the last prom for me and I don't have a date but I am going anyway," she thought to herself.
Jeremy nodded and let a blue rose appear in his hand and tossed it on the bed beside Michiru, "I'm glad. I was afraid I'd actually have to physically drag you there as my date," he said with a slight tug of a smile on his face. He had dropped his defense around Michiru since her discovery and he had to admit it was nice to have them down at times.
Lucas entered the gym, music pumping loudly all around. He went to the punch bowl and smiled at Dura. "Hey, you look lovely tonight, why aren't you dancing?" he asked over the music as he grabbed a cup of punch.
Michiru picked up the rose and laughed. "Well, at least I have a corsage now." she said holding the rose. "Just save me a dance, if I don't roll over your feet that is."
Nephrite adjusted his tux. "Ruby, are you ready?" he called up the flight of stairs. "We mustn't keep everyone waiting." Ruby stood in her small room and clasped a gold necklace and matching bracelet around her neck, the necklace and bracelet had small pearls intermittenly strung on the chain. Ruby looked down and smoothed out her dress. She smiled at the gown, it was the most gorgeous dress she had ever seen. It was a white strapless dress which the back laced all the way down and tied at the bottom, the dress itself was woven with silver thread and made the dress shimmer as she walked. The gown complimented her lean and trim body perfectly, her curvy figure and toned body was easily detectable by the way the gown hugged her body. The dress was tight all the way down to her waist where the dress then a-lined out and the white shoes Ruby had found to match peeked out from the bottom. Her makeup was done with white eyeshadows and some ice blues to match her eyes, and her cheeks had a light dusting of silver glitter. Her hair was parted in a zig zag part back and curled in spiral curls pinned all over the back of hair. She smiled at herself in the mirror knowing she looked exceptionally pretty tonight. Everything she had planned had come together perfectly and the look she would receive from Nephy tonight would make it all worth it. Perhaps the after party as well. She came out of her room and descended the stairs to Nephy, "Yes I am ready. Sorry I took so long." Nephrite turned and looked at the decending beauty before him. "You look wonderful. I do believe that dress is worth every penny and then some." he said, tying a corsage to her wrist. "I only wish I could be your escort tonight, but being a teacher, showing up with a student is against the rules. But I hope you will save me a dance?" he asked with a dashing smile. She pouted, "I wish you could be my escort Nephy.." She whined and looked up at him, "But of course I will save you a dance. But what if no one wants to dance with me and I am bored the entire night?" She frowned suddenly worried about the upcoming evening.
Jonas stood by the door of the Gym and tried not to slouch. His feet were aching and the Prom had only just started. Jonas rolled his eyes. Just his luck to be dragged into this, where he had to make sure there was no trouble tonight. Adjusting his collar, and smoothing some non-existant creases in his white tux, he made his way over to the punch bowl to get himself a drink. He deserved it. As he poured his drink, he hardly noticed the seven foot girl stood next to him. She was only five inches taller than him, and it wasn't that much, he found himself thinking as he returned to his post next to the door.
Jeremy simply nodded, "Who else would even think of approaching me?" With that he tiped backwards and dropped to the ground before heading torwards the sports car he had parked a couple houses down. He was agile in a tux, but not stupid enough to make the whole trip on foot.
Dura smiled shyly at Lucas' complement. "Thanks, that's sweet," she said. "But I couldn't get a date. Besides, I'm a sophomore, an underclassman. I'm pretty sure someone else will come next year. Besides, someone has to..." "To make sure no one pours whisky or Spanish Fly into the bowl?" interrupted someone behind her. Dura turned, and saw a powder blue tuxedoed teacher. "Guarutonu-sama?" A grin cracked above his golden beard. "Come now, I'm a chaperone, let me chaper. I think I can tend the table for a bit. Besides, I think that Jonas fellow over there needs someone to talk to." And before Dura had a chance to say "yes" or "no," he swiped the apron and draped it around his front. Lucas chuckled softly. "So does that mean you'll dance with me, or you just lost your job?" he asked. Dura shot a playfully dirty look at Guarutonu-san. "I'll get him for this," she remarked. "I'm not sure how, or when, but I WILL settle the score." Then she sauntered out: her dress was a simple but nice forest green gown. It wasn't fancy, and didn't try to be. It didn't make a point of being lovely; it simply was. She moved over to Lucas. Sure, she towered over him by almost two feet, but as long as the music stayed peppy, she'd fine about it. "I would like to save a dance for Jonas, but sure! Let's boogie!" Of course, with her luck, that'd mean the next song would be a slow moving '80s love ballad, but what the heck.
Ruby smoothed out her gown and sighed, "It means I am a complete and total loser at school, I know no one and no one is going to want to dance with me." She stumbled over to Nephy and put her arms around his neck for a hug.
Jeremy entered the prom in his simple black tux with white shirt. His single eye darted, searching for the trouble he half expected to be here and too his surprise failed to notice the Coach, *Peace for a few moments.* He adjusted the royal blue bow tie he wore to match his vest and simply slid along the walls, watching for both the Dark Kingdom and the trouble normal students could cause. Jennifer Satterlee hovered toward the back of the room, purple, shimmering dress around her body as she watched the others. She came to these things all the time back home, but here in Japan she was still an outsider. She let out a slight laugh at Jeremy's entrance, at least she wasn't the only outsider around.
Nephrite kissed Ruby's forehead gently. "The first person is call you a loser is the first person to die tonight. I want you to have fun, Ruby. Enjoy your prom, its the last one there will ever be." he said smiling.
Michiru wheeled herself into the gym, looking over everything. She was going in stud, unless her wheelchair was concidered a date. She was wearing an aqua colored dress with a white sequence greek style neckline. Her black hair was curled and pinned in a bun in the back of her head with pearls pinned into her hair. She wore a pearl necklace with matching earrings and braclets. She had taken out all the..unusal piercings after the accident, so most of the holes were closed up. Only the Panda tatoo on her back was showing, which she had covered with glitter, to make it shiny in the lights. Lucas smiled at Dura. "Great." he said getting her on the dance floor. "I've been having a strange feeling all day. I tend to recall that every dance this school has had in the past few years has ended in a fight of some sort. It really makes me nervous." he said looking around the room at the dancing and smiling face. "Maybe I'm just paranoid."
Ruby smiled at Nephrite, "You always know how to make me feel better." She giggled a little bit and looked at him again, "Are we ready to make our entrance then?"
"Hai," said Dura, who started to move her shoulders, head and legs to the beat, but hadn't worked the rhythm to the hips. Yet. "Sheesh, with all the anarchy that's burst through, I'm amazed we can get through one day of class without fleeing for our lives." She did a Pulp Fiction-esque hands-over-the-eyes pass. "So, do you need a big, strong someone to escort you home tonight?" She felt a little light-hearted, thanks to the music. Then she noted Michiru in the wheelchair. "Well, hey!" she exclaimed. "Look who joined the party! Michiru!" Jay had been hanging around near the punch bowl, trying to work out a way to spike it with some of his special 'home brew moonshine' when he heard Michiru's name mentioned, even over all the noise. He looked up and saw her roll on in. He would go and talk to her later...maybe. He thought he would. But then, Jay was getting more nad more confused with life. It pretty much sucked. "Guess who?" giggled Jakurin, placing her hands over Michiru's eyes and resting her chin on the girl's head. Maestro gave a light, shy smile as Jakurin turned and bent her knees so she could look up at Michiru. "Ano, you're going stag? Since when do you not have a date??" she asked in astonishment. Michiru looked at Jakurin and smiled. "I do have a date. I call him Wheels." she said patting her chair slowly. "When you miss so much class people tend to forget you exist. Therefore, you have no date." Dura overheard Michiru's lament, and for the first time felt sorry for her. Sure, having no sweetie before was bad enough, but to be the school 'hot property' then be chucked just because you're handicapped... well, that got her angry. Dura reminded herself to try to get Michiru to see her mom for some moral support. Then she noticed her mind drifted away from Lucas. But between him, Michiru, Jonas, Jay, the beat, and her old spot by the punchbowl, it was hard to stay focused. Jonas watched everyone walk in, happy and joyful. Jonas sighed. He was tired. That darned Coach had kept him on his feet all day. Jonas closed his eyes. Just for a moment... Three minutes later the giant was fast asleep, still on his feet. Jakurin giggled, embarrassed. When she missed her own Junior Prom and then thought she wouldn't live to see her senior year... well, it was a surprise that Maestro hunted her down for a date. Sister Noshiko would have a fit if she saw what she was wearing, but she didn't like the nun and therefore didn't heed her opinions. "Mmm, hey!" she laughed quietly again as Maestro left to get him and his date punch. She pointed over to the wall. "There's Jonas, and I do believe he's snoring!" Dura took note, and looked over to Lucas. As soon as the current song ended, she said, "Excuse me, but could you please excuse me for a second? I'd better check Rip Van Winkle before he falls over." And she snagged a Mountain Dew and sauntered over to Jonas and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey, sleepy," she said cheerily. "Don't tell me you're partied out already!" Jakurin stopped laughing as Dura approached the sleeping student teacher. She hadn't really noticed, but Dura had grown immensely tall due to her powers. And now the Benefactor had stripped her, stripped them all... for whatever reason. Guess he didn't care as much about those crystals, or gave up since the Dark Kingdom had some as well. Her smile fell as she realized again the magnitude of the situation. Maesto reappeared at her arm and Jakurin stood back up, accepting the punch. "Well, I'll see you later, then," she said quietly, allowing to be moved away by her date.

Jonas opened one eye and looked up at the taller girl. "No, it's just been a long day, and then coach drags me into doing this, and I must say it is boring watching other people having fun and not being able to yourself. I can't move from this door. I am here to stop hooligans and such getting in. As I am tall, I was the first choice naturally. I wish I was a foot shorter." With the last comment Jonas opened his other eye and stretched. As he did so, he gave Jay a frosty glare, noting the bottle of some extremly strong alcohol the little punk was ready to pour in the punch bowl.

Jay grinned at Jonas, then put the bottle away. He'd save it for later. Or to strip some paint. Then he walked to Jonas and said to the big teacher, "You sure you up to this? You fall asleep again and the hall will be burnt down while you aren't looking."

Jonas nodded slightly. "I won't fall asleep now that I have something to work on. I'll be watching you like a hawk..." With that, Jonas gave a crooked grin that looked like it verged on the thin line of insanity.

Dura handed Jonas the still frosty, unopened Mountain Dew with a smile. "Let me know if and when somebody comes to take your spot. I'll see if I can roust someone trustworthy myself." And with a wink and a smile to Jonas, she went over to Jay, clapped a soft-skinned, graceful yet large, strong hand over his wrist, and towed him towards the dance floor. "C'mon, shorty, let's see if we can keep you busy and out of trouble," she said. Then the music slowed down greatly, and the mirror ball lazily turned its sparkles of light around the room. A saxophone wafted its melodies, as couples drew closer. Dura gulped. *Caught by the love song!*

Ruby walked in the door in her glimmering white dress and looked around, "Social functions, gag me." She muttered under her breeath and walked into the crowd. *Well, I am here, now what?*

Jonas stood there with the can in one hand. he wasn't thirsty, he'd keep it for later. As he wondered whether anything was on tv that night, a woman in a white dress entered. She looked as bored as he was. "May I help you?" he enquired.

Jay looked around, noticing how close people were while dancing to the slow music. It was a little unsual for him, a mad derranged killer, to get into a slow dance. "Is this a good time to mention that I can't really dance?"

Elizabeth sighed as she walked around. She wasen't sure why she was here now. Elizabeth watched as people slow danced to the music. This reminded her of the past long burried and forgotten. A past she wished she could relive once more but could never go back to. Stopping at a chair she sat down and looked around for anyone she knew.

Dura chuckled a little bit. "That's okay, neither can I." She gently drew Jay's right hand around her waist, and draped her left around his neck and shoulder, and held the others lightly up. "And I guess we can step lightly in a box like everyone else. Like this, see?" And she led, fluidly moving with the beat. As she did, it dawned on her: she was finally dancing with a boy. Admittedly, the top of his head didn't quite reach her chin, but she didn't dwell on that.

Jay was mildly suprised, not to mention amused, to find he could actually dance. He'd simply never tried before. What was a hell of a lot more suprising was for once, he actually felt normal. Not evil and pshyco like he normally did. "Why Dura, I do think we may well have gotten it wrong. It looks like we can dance after all. Or at least we can untill we run someone over."

Part II