Chaos Finale: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon Satellites Side Episode
A Light in the Dark

        Story settings; the holidays are coming up and for the first time, Bryony gets to see snow. Pressure is building between Lupinus and the girls until he nearly snaps but it´s all put into perspective by Bryony´s and Lavandula simple gift of thanks.

Opening
        With sisters arguing, cousins arguing, and generally, a lot of cat fights and you´re the only man around, poor Lupinus is close to snapping but with a good holiday cheer and a phrase of great meaning, it´s all put into perspective.

        Noise could be loud. When you have three sisters who don´t always get along, it can be a little more than loud, it can be deafening.
        "NO!" Bryony stamped her foot in frustration. "I want to get Mama something!"
        "Bry, you ARE getting Mom something," Avon glared at her younger sister. "It´s a gift from ALL of us!"
        "I want to give her something on my own!" Bryony screeched.
        "Leyla!" Avon looked over at her other sister.
        "Why not make her a card and write a poem?" Leyla suggested to Bryony.
        Bryony thought about it. Avon merely looked irked. "Why doesn´t she listen to me?"
        "You don´t bother seeing eye to eye," Leyla muttered.
        "Excuse me? I do so!"
        "No, you´re always assuming that as the eldest, we should bend over backwards."
        Avon´s fury was all over her face, her eyes chips of ice as she bared her teeth when she spoke. "I do not assume that at all. It´s not fair because you don´t see eye to eye with me!"
        "I do to!"
        "No, you don´t!"
        "Please!" Lupinus stormed into the living room, glaring at them. "You´ve been arguing for the past half hour. My poor grandmother condones this type of behavior, you know?"
        "Why would we care what your grandma thinks?" Bryony asked loftily.
        "For the love of God, be polite!" Avon cried out in a near shout.
        "Make me!"
        Lupinus whapped his head. "Augh, girls! Good grief, it´s a never ending cycle!"
        "What is?" Tulipa poked her head in. "Dinner´s ready!"
        "Yea!" Bryony shoved past Lupinus. His jaw set as his gaze narrowed and he breathed heavily.
        "I´m sorry.." Leyla reached out but he instantly raised a hand, blocking her from touching him. "Ah.."
        "Hey, she was just trying to be nice," Avon stiffened at the hostile look on Lupinus´ face. "Leyla, head into the kitchen. You," She jutted a finger at his chin. "Raise a hand against my sister again and I´ll pulverize you. Don´t take your anger out on us, if you don´t want us here, we´ll leave. Got it?"
        She stomped past him. He rubbed his face.
        The days that passed were strained. It was a bit much to be surrounded by females. Lupinus thought he´d be happy about it but when he had to act as the older brother, it was a lot of pressure.
        Bryony, though, had hatched a plan. She pulled Lavandula to the side. "We should get your cousin a great present! Momma always said we should reward those who do good and he´s the best, right?"
        Lavandula, in most aspects, was a vain and selfish child but her mother raised her with the same morals. Which is why the two of them decided they´d head downtown to find Lupinus a great present.
        Of course, there were several problems with this. First off, they had no idea what to pick for him, not knowing what he´d like. Another problem was that when they left in the early morning, they didn´t tell the others where they would go.
        And the last problem came when the other girls and Lupinus finally realized how long it had been since the two had left and that night was falling fast.

        "He´ll love it!" Lavandula beamed brightly as Bryony nodded in happy agreement. They trudged down a street, silent and partially dark. The florescent lights of the tall lamps sent out their silver yellow light as the air crisped and soft particles of ice drifted down.
        "Oh, wow!" Bryony looked around in surprise. "It snows here?"
        Lavandula looked up to the skies. "I think it´s because when people first settled here, they brought technology. A weather changer?"
        "Wow.." Bryony reached out a hand, fingers splayed as the snow was caught upon her skin. "So pretty. I´ve never seen it before."
        "It´s getting dark," Lavandula looked around. "What happened to all of the people?"
        "It´s the time when we all go home. Let´s get to the bus!" But upon getting there, Lavandula checked the bus post.
        "Oh no," She breathed. "No more buses!"
        "You mean we have to walk?!" Bryony asked incredulously. "But I´m tired!"
        Lavandula rolled her eyes. "It only took us five minutes to get here, we can walk it." Of course, she didn´t take into account that driving took far less time than on foot. She just assumed that walking would be just as fast.
        After twenty minutes and realizing that she might´ve taken a wrong turn, she bit her lip as she glanced at Bryony. "You lead now, you´re older."
        Bryony stared at her. "I´m not a leader!"
        "I don´t know where we are!"
        "You don´t!" Bryony couldn´t mask her fear, a lower lip trembling. "We´ll never get home."
        "What if someone attacks us?" Lavandula stage-whispered.
        Bryony´s eyes grew as big as saucers as her face paled. "Daddy…" Her eyes filled with tears as her lip trembled.
        Lavandula recognized that look from herself. It was the prelude to a continuous wail. "Shhh, shhh!" She began hurriedly. "It´ll be all right! We can get home! We´ll be safe! We´re soldiers, remember?"
        Instead of helping, poor Bryony gave a whimper. "I want my sisters!" She wailed.
        Lavandula looked around wildly but having left the main part of town and into a location where few roamed, she felt her eyes fill with tears.

        "This is all your fault, you know!" Lupinus was raging at Tulipa and Avon. Rosa and Leyla had their faces plastered to the car windows, trying in vain to see the two younger girls.
        "It´s snowing harder!" Leyla chewed her lip worriedly.
        "It´s getting so cold," Tulipa fretted.
        "This isn´t anyone´s fault!" Avon was glaring at Lupinus.
        "It is always your fault!" Lupinus glared at the street, blinded by white. He swore angrily.
        "That is IT!" Avon shouted. "Stop the car!"
        He yanked it over. "Leyla, come on!"
        Tulipa twisted in her seat. "Wait! Where are you going?"
        "Finding destiny elsewhere," Avon spoke coldly. "If we cannot work together, then why bother fighting against our enemy. We´ll leave since his royal Assness can´t stand us!"
        "No!" Rosa wiggled, trying to open her door. "Wait! It´s too cold out there!"
        "If we freeze, that´s our fate," Avon muttered. "I´d rather freeze than have him tell me how awful it is to be around me!"
        "Lupinus!" Tulipa unsnapped her seatbelt. Rosa was already out the door. "Hey, guys! Wait for us!"
        He stared at them in shock. "Get back in here!"
        But he was left alone with his stalled car, the engine the only sound in the cold night.

        "We just stay here then," Lavandula was trying to get Bryony to follow her into an alley.
        "It´s dark," Bryony whispered.
        Which was probably why Lavandula wasn´t trying to hard. "We need to get warm, at least." She pulled her coat against her. "Let´s make a wall out of those garbage cans. Block the cold wind."
        The two worked as one, making a partial shield. "And we just sit together, one jacket over our back and the other over our laps," Lavandula instructed.
        Bryony sniffled.
        "We´ll be fine, as long as we can keep warm," Lavandula jumped as Bryony curled around her in a hug. She wrapped her arms around her, both of them starting to shiver.
        "Why´s your cousin so angry lately?" Bryony asked her finally.
        "Lupinus? He gets angry all the time. He´s not nice."
        "He´s nice. Why would he offer to take my sisters and me in?"
        Lavandula blinked. "Well, he likes you, I think."
        "But Avon and him are always arguing."
        Lavandula unexpectedly giggled. "Maybe they like like each other!"
        "Eww!" Bryony shuddered. "Gross!"
        Lavandula laughed.
        Bryony grew somber as she looked out at the darken street, the white snow ashen gray in the shadows. "This will be the first Christmas without Mama… or Pappa."
        Her head fell down slowly, her tears falling. "I miss him so much."
        Lavandula´s arms tightened around her. "My daddy died cause he got sick. We tried to help him but he died and left us."
        "But.." Bryony sniffled. "My daddy says that there is a light, even where it´s dark."
        "We have to stay strong, that´s what Mom always said," Lavandula smiled at the older girl. "We´re a lot alike."
        "Do you think.." Bryony shifted, her eyes still wet. "That they watch us?"
        "Our daddies? I think…" Lavandula looked up at the stars. "We´re always watched. We had protectors, right?"
        "But we´re the protectors now. Will we… also fail?" She asked hesitantly.
        "No," Lavandula´s eyes grew misty. "Because if they had truly lost, would we be here?"
        They moved tighter together as the wind picked up. "What does it mean, there is a light in the dark?" Bryony asked finally. "Daddy told me it meant that everything, even in the bad stuff, had some good."
        "It means to be strong and not lose hope," Lavandula explained. "It´s what we do best, I think."
        There was a faint shout, carried by the winds.
        "That sounds like Tulipa!" Lavandula poked her head up and whipped it back under the makeshift shield. "Cold wind!"
        "We´re here!" Bryony shouted.
        "Come on!" Lavandula pulled her up, dragging her into the coming wind.
        "Hello!" The two children shouted against the wind. It changed direction, whipping around them as the snow let up and the darkness cleared.
        "Bryony! Lavandula!" The two girls were jumped on by Rosa. "We finally found you!"
        Bryony burst into tears, pulling away to jump into Leyla´s arms. "Leyla!" She wailed, holding her older sister tightly.
        Avon finally reached them, puffing and holding her side. "Girls!"
        She was on the ground, sitting as Bryony hugged her. "I´m sorry! I´m sorry!" She blubbered.
        "Shh, shh.." Avon brushed her sister´s hair back. "You´re freezing!"
        "Thank god!" Lupinus came up with a weak step. "Girls.."
        He was stared down by all but Bryony and Lavandula. Bryony turned and stared at the others in surprise before glancing at Lavandula and they nodded at each other.
        "Here, Lupinus," They moved to stand in front of him, holding out the gift they had gotten him. "It´s not much."
        "We wanted to thank you, for protecting us," Lavandula scuffed her foot shyly.
        "And that you help so much," Bryony added.
        He stared at the small, rectangular box. He opened it to find a pen. It was white and had a stylized red cross, a symbol of the hospital, near the far end. It was engraved with ‘Dr. Lupinus´ and he smiled weakly before it wavered. He closed his eyes tightly.
        "Thank you," He gave a soft, gentle smile. "I love it."
        "And.. I´m sorry." He looked up with a sad gaze. "I guess I´ve just been a, a.."
        "A prick?" Avon suggested.
        "Aggressively angry?" Tulipa added.
        "Water under the bridge!" Rosa exclaimed. Leyla nodded.
        Bryony smiled. "We need to be together. Or we´ll never find the light in the dark."
        Avon blinked in surprise. "Dad used to say that…"
        "And I will too!" Bryony smiled at her hands. "It´s what Daddy would´ve wanted."
        "Then I´ll say it too!" Lavandula began to shiver.
        "We need to get you guys home!" Lupinus waved them forward. "But you´re still in some trouble!"
        "As long as it´s not a lot, I´ll be happy about it," Lavandula stuttered.
        
        At home, wrapped in blankets safe and warm, the two girls fell fast asleep as Tulipa and Rosa went to bed shortly afterwards.
        Lupinus found Avon staring out the window at the falling snow. "It´s late, shouldn´t you be getting to bed?"
        Avon hadn´t been facing him but he saw her wipe her face hurriedly. He sighed and stood next to her to peer out. "It´s going to be a cold winter."
        "Really cold," Avon agreed.
        For a moment, they stood next to each other before he lazily let his hand dance at his side before letting a finger touched her hand at her side. He waited before she laced fingers with his.
        "I miss him," Avon whispered, her eyes staring forward. "We´ve never celebrated without our parents. Mom will be so lonely."
        "But we have to make sure they´re protected," Lupinus said carefully. "My mother didn´t want us to leave but I promised I´d protect my family."
        Avon snorted. "Not me. Leyla did that for me."
        "But you´d still want to protect them, right?"
        "Of course," She turned to face him. She had to tilt her head high.
        "Pipsqueak," He smirked.
        "Shut up," She pushed at him playfully.
        "It´s late. I have to be at work early and you all have to go all crazy with decorations."
        She rolled her eyes. "You´re going to regret it."
        "Please, I love the lights."
        "Yes but will you be able to stand the color schemes?"
        "Why would I care about that?" He snorted. "As long as it´s done with joy, that´s all that matters!"
        "You´re a terrible liar."
        He laughed as she rolled her eyes, sticking out her tongue at him. "Grow up, Avon."
        "Make me!"
        He snickered as they came to the stairs. She stepped up a few before a hand touched her shoulder. "Yes?"
        Lupinus blinked before giving a small smile. "Sleep well, Avon."
        She gave a small smile. "Of course."
        As she entered her room, Lavandula carefully closed the door to her bedroom. Bryony stood next to her as they giggled quietly. "Told you so," Lavandula said smugly.
        Bryony grinned. "Avon and Lupinus sleeping in a tree, K-I-S-S-ing in a tree.."
        "Go to bed." They jumped in the air as Lupinus waited outside the closed door. Satisfied to hear nothing more, he smiled as he walked to his own room.
        "So, do you think you´ll have a good Christmas?" Lavandula whispered.
        "Uh huh.. But next time, we need to get my Mama a present."
        "We´ll go next week!"
        "Don´t forget to tell us where you´re going," came Tulipa´s sleepy voice from the next room.
        They stared at each other in surprise.
        "These walls are so thin," Tulipa was heard muttering before silence filled the air.
        The two girls giggled as they settled into their beds. "Night, Bry."
        "Night, Lavandula."