SECRETS OF THE SEXY SLIPPERS: MINA
Part of a Multi-Author Sekkushiaru Roman Series

By Sailor Mac
	Neo-Queen Serenity entered her private study, the room where her crystal
ball was kept. She'd just come from a nice, long, post-dinner walk around
the grounds with her daughter, and wanted to just relax and unwind a bit
before bedtime. Her royal duties could be stressful, but the queen was
usually able to keep in a positive frame of mind.
	Wish I'd been more like that when I was a kid, she thought. There were
some times when life really got to me, when I got depressed, or cried all
the time, or felt ready to scream. . .or was just bored out of my mind.
Like after the Galaxia thing. . .
	She smiled to herself when she remembered what had cured her then -
discovering the magical slippers sent by her older self, the ones that
brought love and passion to whoever received them.
	I've sent them to every one of my fellow Sailor Soldiers now, she thought.
Every one. . .except one. She just couldn't seem to find the point in time
when Mina received them.
	Mina had certainly never mentioned getting the slippers during her younger
days. Nor had she ever given any indication that there was a time when she
was sad, tired or bored, even when the rest of them had been dragging. The
queen couldn't remember her friend ever having a down period in her
relationship with her one true love, Lord Glendon Farthinggale.
	Frowning, she peered into the crystal, willing it to focus on Mina back
then. A series of images appeared. . .Mina at school, in a restaurant with
Glen, at home with Artemis, performing in a school play. . .The queen
stretched out with her psychic senses, trying to determine if the Mina in
the glass was experiencing any emotional distress, any need of comfort. She
came up empty.
	Is it possible, she thought, that Mina never received the slippers at all?
	She willed it to bring up more images. . .one of Mina celebrating her
birthday with her friends, shopping in the mall, rushing off to one of
those auditions she used to go to with Artemis in a basket. . .
	And then, she felt it. This image of Mina was different from the others,
all right. The queen could sense a desperate air about Mina, a kind of deep
anxiety, even though she appeared on the surface to be as relaxed and happy
as usual.
	I think I've found my starting point, she thought. Mina wasn't always as
happy as she seemed.
* * *
	"Okay, two more auditions today," Mina told Artemis as they rushed down
the street. "Then we call it a day for now. . .unless I got a callback on
that sitcom. . ."
	"Mina, slow down a little."
	"But we only have ten more minutes to make it to. . ."
	"I don't mean slow down walking. I mean slow down with the auditions.
Every waking moment that you're not in school nowadays, you're running from
one studio to the other. You're going to burn yourself out!"
	"It's just for awhile, until I get my first real acting or singing job.
Then, once I'm established, I'll only go to one or two a week."
	"But by the time you're *established*. . .you'll be in the hospital for
exhaustion!"
	"Don't worry, I'll be fine! Hey, I kept up the pace of being both a
student and a Sailor Soldier for years, didn't I?" They stopped at a
crosswalk, and Mina pulled a newspaper out from under her arm, glancing at
the audition notices. "Oooh, look, they're looking for young girls for a
new sci-fi show! Hey, you think I could make a good alien?"
	"You don't know that you won't have to *be* a Sailor Soldier again one of
these days. Just because it's been quiet since the end of the Galaxia
business, that doesn't mean there's not something else waiting to. . ."
	"And if there is, I'll give this up and concentrate on that. But I *want*
to do this, Artemis! I just *know* I'll be successful. After all, the
secret to a good audition is to draw as much attention to yourself as
possible, right? And I'm *very* good at that!"
	Well, she's got a point there, Artemis thought. But still. . . "Why are
you so hot on the idea of being a star? You *know* what your future is
going to be. You're going to be Queen Minako, one of the right-hand women
to Neo-Queen Serenity. . .you may even reestablish a civilization on Venus!
That's just a *bit* more important than being just an actress or singer."
	They were drawing near to the building where the audition was. "That's a
long way off," Mina said, "and I want to have fun while I'm still young."
She pushed Artemis back down into the basket. Just as well, she thought. I
don't want to hear his I'm-worried-about-you talk. Not now. Not when
opportunity is right within my grasp.
	Taking a deep breath and making sure her skirt was straight, she got into
the elevator. This is it, she thought. I've just got a good feeling. . .I'm
going to *get* this part!
	A snooty-looking, big-haired receptionist greeted her sight upon reaching
the floor. "Yeah?"
	"Hi! I'm Mina Aino. I'm here to see Mr. Rutherford."
	"Sure. Sit down, and I'll. . ."
	"This really is a terrific office! Mr. Rutherford must be a good guy to
work for. I'd say that. . ."
	"Look, girlie, just take a seat. Mr. Rutherford's time is short."
	How rude, Mina thought as she sat down. She got out her compact and looked
at herself. Is that a mascara speck under my eye? she thought. I can *not*
have that!
	The door opened, and a tall, graying man came out. "Mina? I'm Bill
Rutherford. Won't you come in?"
	"Mr. Rutherford! What a pleasure it is to meet you! I think I've seen
every TV show you've directed! I don't think I ever missed an episode of
'Under One Roof,' and. . ."
	In the basket, Artemis sank to the bottom. Here we go again, he thought.
The secret of success may be to draw attention to yourself, but the secret
of failure is to draw *too much* attention to yourself. And that's her
specialty.
	He raised his head just enough so he could peek over the very edge of the
basket. Mina was going through a pre-audition interview.
	"How long have you been. . ." the director was saying.
	"How long have I been a performer? Oh, literally all my life! I used to
perform for all the guests we had in the house when I was a child! Then,
when I was about 12, we moved to England for two years, and I got a job as
a model - for the Sailor V videogame, no less! And I was on the volleyball
team at my school at the same time. I love sports, I've played them since I
was a little kid. I think sports is a kind of performing because you. . ."
	The director raised his hand. "I was *going* to ask you how long you've
been going to auditions."
	"Oh, about the last five, six months. I was busy before that. . .umm, with
school. But I'm all caught up and ready to go now!"
	"I can see that," the director said dryly. He handed Mina a script. "I'd
like you to read a scene from the show with me. You're Tiffany, a girl
who's secretly having an affair with her high school chemistry teacher.
I'll read the part of her lover, Bruce. Now start at the top of the page. .
."
	Mina's eyes scanned the script. Piece of cake! she thought. I've been
acting out this kind of thing in private all my life! She began to read,
carefully enunciating each word, filling her voice with as much drama as
possible. . . "But Bruce! There's no way I can get away next weekend! I
promised Brittany I would go on a ski trip with her and Courtney. . ."
	The director read back, "Tiffany. . .I *have* to see you alone. Please, do
anything you can to get away!"
	"But Brittany's been my best friend all my life! You're asking me to
betray her, go behind her back. . ."
	"I see I don't mean anything to you, then."
	"No!" Mina began to make dramatic gestures, flinging her arms around.
"You're everything to me! Everything!"
	The director stopped. "Okay, I think I've heard enough."
	What? Mina thought. There's no way he could judge my performance on just a
few lines. I have to give him more. . .
	"Wait! Before I go, I want to do something else for you. This is a speech
I memorized in my drama class at school." She clasped her hands together
and rolled her eyes toward the ceiling. "Live without him? Oh, if only I
could! He is my life, my joy, my guiding star! He is my. . ."
	"Miss Aino," the director said tersely, "did I ask you to do that?"
	"Um, well. . ."
	"You just ruined any chance you might have had to get this part. Now, good
day!"
	She picked up the basket and rushed out of the office, feeling tears start
to sting her eyes. Another rejection, she thought. And I tried so very,
very hard. . .But no, I can't let it get me down. I have another audition
after this. . .I'll get *that* one!
	Once they were out in the street, Artemis said, "Mina, take my advice. .
.next time, *please* lose the extra monologue. It's cost you at least three
roles so far!"
	"Oh, don't worry. I won't be doing it at the next place we're going."
	Thank the gods, he thought. She's *finally* starting to see reason.
	"It's not an *acting* audition this time. It's for an all-girl singing 
group!"
	Artemis groaned and sank deeper into the basket.
	When she arrived at the next place, a rehearsal hall in a building near
Crown Arcade, she found a large crowd of other girls, some older than her,
some younger, some in street clothes, others in full dance leotards. A few
were changing from street shoes to dancing slippers.
	Wow, Mina thought, these people look like real pros. People who have been
around the business for a *long* time. I'll have to work extra-hard in
order to compete with them!
	A woman came out of the back room with a clipboard. "Okay, we're going to
be taking you in groups of five. First up, we want Preston, Shubert, Aino,
Thomas and Wagner. . ."
	Oooh, I get to go in right away! Mina thought. That means the producer
will see me before he gets all tired out and bored of looking at young
girls. This is a good sign!
	Artemis felt the basket sway as she carried him into the rehearsal hall,
then the bump as he was set down. He could hear the producer talking to the
auditioners, telling them, "We want to hear how you sing as part of a
group. . ."
	She'll manage to upstage everyone, Artemis thought. Which will only serve
to irritate the producer. Which will result in her not getting the gig.
Then she'll just get more determined to try twice as hard. And before you
know it, she'll have made herself literally sick.
	He knew all too well how obsessive Mina could get sometimes. He remembered
more than one occasion when she'd try to matchmake "the perfect couple,"
spent all her time thinking about it, and then was very disappointed when
it didn't pan out, sometimes to the point of depression.
	I just hope she doesn't get depressed over this, he thought. She's got to
realize life is more than being a star.
	He peeked over the top of the basket. The auditioners were being taught a
song to perform. He saw Mina already gearing up to go into overdrive,
making gestures and doing little dance steps as she sang. This is going to
be a fiasco, he thought.
	"All right," the producer said. "Now on the count of three, everyone sing.
And a-one, and a-two, and-a three!"
	Sure enough, as soon as they started singing, Mina was singing louder than
everyone else. And as the song went on, it only got worse. She began making
little arm movements, swaying them to the beat. . .which soon gave way to
full-blown dancing, hopping from one foot to another and shaking her hips.
	The producer stopped the song. "Miss Aino. . .what do you think you're 
doing?"
	"Well, we're supposed to dance as well as sing, right? So I thought I'd
show you how I dance."
	"Miss Aino, the dance audition comes *later.* Now just *sing.*"
	The music started again. This time, Mina stood still. . .but now she was
three times louder than her fellow auditioners. Artemis shook his head.
Typical, he thought, all too typical.
	When the song was over, the director said, "Okay, I want Preston, Thomas
and Wagner to stay behind. Meet with the choreographer in the next room,
you'll do your dance audition next. . ."
	Mina just stood there thunderstruck. They didn't call me? she thought. But
I thought I did so well! I certainly caught the producer's eye, didn't I?
After all, she stopped the whole song because of me.  . .
	She began to run after the woman as she was on her way to get the next
batch of auditioners."Ma'm. . .can I please try out again? I'm familiar
with the song now, I know I can give it a really *good* try my next time. .
."
	The woman turned to her, her eyes like ice. "I saw all of you that I
needed to see, Miss Aino. Now good day."
	Mina slowly made her way to where she'd put down the basket. I can't
believe it, she thought. Two auditions, two rejections. . .
	As soon as she was out in the sunshine, Artemis said, "Are you all right,
Mina?"
	No, I'm not all right, she thought. I feel like I'm banging my head
against a stone wall. No matter what I do, I'm not going to be able to make
my dream come true. . .
	But she firmly pushed the thought away. Failure is *not* an option, she
thought. Hey, I went on all those auditions earlier this week, right? One
of them has *got* to come through!
* * *
	Mina rewound the tape in the answering machine. "I've got to hear that
again," she said. "I must have heard it wrong. All three messages *can't*
be rejections!"
	"Mina," Artemis said gently, "have you ever thought that you might be
trying too hard? Maybe you should ease up a bit."
	"No way!" she said, flinging her tote bag next to her bed and jumping onto
the mattress, landing flat on her back. "I'm fine, Artemis. I just haven't
found my *thing* yet, you know? The right part, or the right music group. .
.Once I find it, everything will be all right."
	Will it? she thought. Will I *ever* find the right thing for me? Am I
doomed to spend my life. . .what time I have left before Crystal Tokyo. .
.dreaming of being a star, and never achieving it?
	"Sure, everything will be fine," she said aloud. "Probably one of the
auditions I'm going on tomorrow will pan out, and I'll be on TV, or on the
radio, before you know it! And I'll. . .I'll. . ."
	Her effort to console herself wasn't working. Tears were rolling down her
cheeks, unchecked. Artemis noticed this, and jumped on the bed beside her.
"Mina. . ."
	Finally, her emotions exploded. She seized a pillow and flung it across
the room. "Dammit! I'll never do it, will I? I'll never be a star! I'll
just go from audition to audition, and nothing will happen, and then there
will be a nuclear war or some other damn thing and the whole world will go
to sleep and when I wake up it'll be Crystal Tokyo."
The tears began falling faster. "I don't know how much *time* I have left
to do this, and I hate it! Crystal Tokyo could happen tomorrow, and I'll
have all these responsibilities on my head before I've had a chance to
*live*!"
	Artemis nuzzled up to her, and she captured her guardian cat in her arms,
burying her face in his fur, her whole body shaking with sobs. I knew that
this was going to happen, he thought. I knew that happy front she was
putting up was hiding anxiety. Whether it was the Galaxia business, or
realizing how fast she and her friends were growing up, something put the
fear of the future into her.
	"Mina," he said softly, "why is your happiness so tied up in this dream of
performing? It's not as if it's the only thing in your life. You have Glen,
you have your friends. . ."
	"I know that, Artemis. But, it's like. . .it's hard to explain. . ."
	"Try me."
	"Well, it's like the need to perform has always been a part of me. As much
a part of me as my hair or my fingernails. When I was a little kid, I used
to put the TV on and act out whatever it was I saw on the screen, and I
would fantasize that it was *me* that millions of people were watching."
	"But do you *really* need to be watched by millions of people?"
	"Yes! I want to make people happy. I want to hear them applaud. It sounds
silly, I know. . .but that's the way I am."
	She *is* obsessed, Artemis thought. And that obsession is only dragging
her down and making her unhappy. She needs to think about something else.
Fortunately, there's a perfect "something else" almost ready to head for
Japan.
	"You'll feel better about life tomorrow," he told her.
	"What could make me feel better?"
	"I can't believe you forgot! We're supposed to be at the airport at four
to pick up. . ."
	"Glen!" She sat bolt upright, almost flinging Artemis across the room. "Glen 
is coming tomorrow!
	"Yes! You'll want to make sure you have your bag packed before you go to
school tomorrow."
	She flopped back onto the bed with a sigh. "I can't face him."
	"What do you mean?"
	"I can't face him with nothing but one failure after another behind me!
What will he think of me?"
	"Mina, don't be silly! Glen loves you just as you are, whether you have a
showbiz career or not!"
	"Last time I saw him, I promised him the next time he came to Japan, I'd
be on my way to being a star."
	"Do you think he took that seriously?" Artemis said, marching up to her so
they were almost face-to-face. "He loves *you*, not some glamor girl
performer you're trying to be."
	She got off the bed slowly, as if her rejections were literally weighting
her down. "I just won't mention any of this, that's all. We'll just talk
about his life. Because there's nothing worth talking about in mine right
now."
	Artemis sighed and shook his head. If only there was something more I
could do, he thought. But I can't. Maybe Glen can have some positive effect
on her. Quietly, the cat left the room.
	Mina sat on the floor and reached for the big red canvas tote bag she
always took to auditions, unpacking its contents. . .some candy wrappers, a
couple of trade papers with audition notices circled, multiple copies of
the "Glamor Shot" she was using as her audition photo. . .
	And then, she found something unusual in the bottom. What's this, she
thought. Shoes? Did I pick up someone else's shoes at the girl group
audition?
	She drew them out, and saw they weren't true shoes, they were bedroom
slippers. . .the type you saw in lingerie catalogues. High-heeled, trimmed
in maribou feathers, with a single jewel on each one. . .
	Geez, Mina thought, who would bring these to an *audition*? She tossed
them aside.
* * *
	"These slippers *again*?"
	Mina was packing her overnight bag. . .since she was picking up Glen
directly from school, she knew she had to do it before she left the house
in the morning. Okay, she was going to be a bit late for school. . .but
hey, it wouldn't be the first time that had happened. Besides, Serena would
probably be even later than her. . .
	She'd dropped a lacy bra on the floor and had bent to pick it up. . .and
there were the slippers right under it. Funny, she thought, that's not
where I put them last night!
	Holding the shoes up, she took a good look at them. They *are* nice, she
thought. Sexy. The kind of thing I'll bet Glen would like to see me
wearing. . .
	She sighed. Why doesn't that thought fill me with excitement the way it
usually would? she thought. I know why. . .it's because I'll be facing him
with nothing but one failure after another behind me.
	Almost subconsciously, she dropped one of the slippers on the floor and
stepped into it. It fit her *perfectly*, as if it had been made for her.
Wow, she thought, someone else at the audition had exactly the same foot
size as me! How strange. . .
	She took the slipper off, put the bra in her bag and started to zip it up.
Then, she paused. . .
	"Oh, what the heck," she said, picking up the slippers and shoving them in
the bag as well.

* * *
	Several hours later, she was at her by-now-familar spot at the British
Airways arrival gate, scanning the passengers for the sandy-haired boy who
had been at the center of her universe since they met at school back in
England. He's *never* one of the first people off the plane, she thought.
Geez, you'd think that since he travels first class, he'd be out of there
as soon as they opened the door!
	And then, there he was, carrying his usual small suitcase and shoulder
bag, still wearing his upper-class-private-school uniform. She rushed over
to him, arms open. "Hi!"
	"Mina!" He drew her to him, and they kissed, a soft, gentle touch of lips
that usually made her feel warm all over. But she just felt as cold as she
had all week. Slowly, she drew away. She saw a look of puzzlement in his
eyes. . .she usually kissed back, and hard.
	"How was your flight?" she said, trying to sound as cheerful as possible.
	"Oh, the usual. Takeoff got delayed by half an hour. The fellow in the
seat next to me fell asleep as soon as the plane took off and snored
through the whole flight - loudly. Food was barely edible. You know, I
could really go for a cheeseburger right now. . .can we stop at that Crown
Cafe you took me to before on the way to the hotel?"
	"Sure," she said, as they started to walk out toward where his customary
limo was waiting.
	Something's wrong, he thought. Usually, by the time we get out the door,
I've heard three stories about Serena, two about Raye and one each about
Lita and Amy. Plus a few complaints about teachers and a couple of raves
about new stores she's found. She's *far* too quiet.
	Once they were settled in the car, he said, "So what have you been doing
these past few weeks, anyway? You haven't told me much online."
	"Oh, nothing much. So how's school? Still ready to kill Old Man Hewitt?"
	"Well, I think he finally admitted his test questions are completely
unfair, and he's started grading on a curve. I'm back on the honor roll
again, which, of course, made my mother relieved. She's determined to see
me get that scholarship. How are things at *your* school?"
	"Oh, the same. How are Peter and Harry doing?"
	She *never* asks about my friends, he thought. She's deliberately avoiding
talking about herself, and she keeps trying to turn the conversation over
to my life. This is *not* Mina.
	The car arrived at the cafe, and they got out. "My friends are fine. How
are yours doing? I haven't heard anything about them yet."
	"Oh, they're all okay." She picked out a booth near the back, sat down,
and immediately buried her face in the menu, as if she were trying to hide
behind it. That does it, he thought. I'm getting to the bottom of what's
wrong with her.
	"Mina, are you okay?"
	"I'm fine."
	"You're a lot less talkative than usual. If something's wrong, you can
tell me, you know that."
	"Glen, nothing's wrong. I'm fine. Really."
	He shook his head. "You're *not* fine. I know you too well, Mina, to know
that. . ."
	At that moment, the waitress arrived, and Mina seemed all too happy for
the distraction. Glen watched her as she placed her order. Her cheerfulness
definitely seemed forced. Something was *really* bothering her.
	Once the waitress left, Mina leaned over the table. "So. Did you ever find
out what university your friend was going to? You know, Roger or Rodney or.
. ."
	"Mina, we were talking about your problem."
	He's not going to give up, Mina thought. "Problem? What problem?"
	"I want you to look me right in the eye and say, 'Glen, I don't have a
problem.'"
	The oldest trick in the book, she thought. Well, little does he know that
I'm a *master* at faking that kind of thing! She took a deep breath, looked
in his eyes and said, "Glen, I don't. . .have. . .a. . ."
	She couldn't do it. And suddenly, the emotions she'd been holding down all
day came bubbling up from the depths of her, and she found herself choking
back sobs, the tears starting to leak from her eyes.
	"Honey. . .it's okay." He got out of his seat, came over and sat next to
her, pulling her into his arms. "It's all right. Let it out, and tell me
what it is. . ."
	She buried her face in his chest, wetting his shirt with her tears. How
good it felt to cry . . .it was as if she'd been holding those emotions
inside forever.
	"I. . .I can't pass an audition, Glen! I've been going from one tryout
after another, acting roles, singing groups, you name it, and everybody
rejects me! All I've ever wanted is to be a performer, I've wanted it all
my life. . .and I'm so afraid I won't get to do it, before. . .before. . ."
	She exploded in a fresh torrent of tears, and he held her closer, gently
rocking her back and forth, stroking her hair. He could see people in other
booths turning to look at them. He didn't care. All that mattered to him
right now was taking his loved one's hurt away.
	"Mina, Mina. . .you've been knocking yourself out, haven't you? That's why
I haven't heard from you much lately. You've been spending every free
moment going to auditions. You don't have to do that."
	"But I do! It's *so* important to me. I *know* I was born to be a star."
	"You *are* a star." He lowered his voice to a whisper. "You're a celebrity
two times over, as Sailor Venus and as Sailor V."
	"But that's not *me*!" she whispered back. "I mean, Sailor Venus and
Sailor V are *part* of me, but I want to show the world what *I* can do,
*without* magic!"
	"If that's the case, honey, then all you have to do is relax and be
yourself. Now tell me about some of these auditions you've gone on. . ."
	So she told him about the humiliations of the previous day, about the
director and the record producer rejecting her on the spot. He listened
with a thoughtful expression on his face. As she was speaking, their food
came. Both of them ignored it.
	"You see, I did everything I thought I had to in order to draw their
attention to me! But instead. . .nothing! Just like every other audition I
went to. . ."
	"Sweetheart, your problem is you're trying *too hard.* The person that
they're seeing is *not* Mina. Stop trying to act like a star and just act
like *you*." He brushed her hair away from her face. "If they see the
person you really are, they'll love you. People are naturally drawn to you,
Mina. Besides, if you don't become a star, is it *really* the end of the
world?"
	Is it? she thought. Never being able to perform for a mass audience, never
having the love of millions, never hearing thousands of people shriek in
ecstasy just at the sight of her alighting from a limousine and waving to
them. . .
	He took her hand in both of his and kissed it. "No matter what happens in
the future, we'll still be together."
	We'll be together, she thought, but what will *I* be? Will I be famous? Or
will I be in his shadow, just another lord's wife who spends her entire
life just going to charity balls and gossiping?
	No, she thought, that's ridiculous. I'd never end up like that. That's
just not *me.*  Glen has said he never wanted anyone like that, he wanted
someone full of *life.* He once told me I seemed to be onstage every moment
of my life, always performing, whether it was for a crowd of people or just
him.
	I don't mind it when he's my only audience, she thought. In fact, I like
it. I feel so loved every moment with him, so appreciated. . .
	As loved and appreciated as an audience can make me? she thought. What
means more. . .a room full of cheering people, or hearing him say "I love
you?"
	Her heart knew the answer before her head did. . .and when the full
realization finally burst into her mind, it was like a bolt from the blue.
	Being a star really isn't the one greatest dream of my life, she thought.
There's one greater.
	She thought of when the Sailor Soldiers had gone to Crystal Tokyo, and
walked into the Crystal Palace. There had been one wall with a series of
portraits hanging on it. . .portraits of each of them with her families.
She remembered seeing the painting of her older self with an older Glen,
three children around them. She'd been so happy when she'd seen that
picture, because she knew it had represented. . .
	The fulfillment of her *ultimate* dream. . .the dream of living with
someone she loved and being happy.
	I *know* that one is going to come true, she thought. And suddenly, it was
as if a giant weight was lifting off her shoulders.
	She leaned over and kissed him. "I know," she said. "Now, let's eat. .
.the burgers are getting cold."
	"Yes. . .let's." He picked it up and dug in, watching her start to eat
with relish. . .she wasn't quite as bad as Serena, but she could still put
it away. And if she was eating like that, she was feeling like herself
again.
	As if he needed further proof, she said between bites, "Did I tell you
what Serena did the other day? We were in the bookstore, and she knocked
over this *whole rack* of manga magazines, and when she tried to pick them
up, she just ended up knocking over *another* rack. So the manager came up
to her and. . ."
* * *
	It was quite some time later that the limousine finally pulled up at his
hotel. After the burgers and ice cream, they'd gone next door to the
arcade, where they won two games apiece of Marvel vs. Capcom. She was her
old, spirited self, he noticed, cheering enthusiastically when she won a
game, sprinting over to the UFO catcher machine to check out the new dolls,
finding a dropped coin on the floor and claiming it as her own. . . "You
know what they say. Finders, keepers, jeepers, creepers, where'd you get
those peepers!"
	By the time they got to his suite, she was laughing. "I've got a surprise
for you!" she said.
	"Oh? A nice one, I hope."
	"Just you wait! Have a seat."
	Mina took her bag and went into the bathroom. She took out makeup, a
hairbrush, a lacy nightgown. . .and the slippers. As she touched them, they
seemed to send little pulses of energy into her body. Funny, she thought,
it's almost as if these things were *alive*!
	She stripped down, put the slippers on the floor and stepped into them.
And suddenly, the pulses of energy seemed to become a tide sweeping over
her whole body. The last lingering traces of anxiety and doubt vanished
from her mind. She felt energized. . .and sexy. Her whole body started to
feel warm, and images were filling her head. . .images of what she wanted
to do to him once she got out of there.
	Wow, she thought. I can't remember feeling like this before! I've never
felt. . .so alive!
	She pulled the nightgown over her head and reached for her cosmetic bag.
She wanted to look better than she ever had in her life, because she wanted
to give him a night to remember!
	Meanwhile, Glen was sitting on a chair in the bedroom. He had stripped
naked and put on a bathrobe, and candles were burning on the bureau and
bedside table.
	Why on earth is she so obsessed with being a star? he thought. She's
always been a star to me. She is very dearly loved by her friends. And as
for performing. . .she puts on a show every moment of her life, and
everyone who sees it eats it up.
	He remembered when they were in school together in England, how Mina could
make everyone around them smile and laugh with a few well-chosen words. She
could make even the stuffiest upper-crusters loosen up. That, he thought,
is the sign of someone with real charisma, real talent.
	He heard the bathroom door open. . .and then, a voice saying softly, "Come
to me, my love. . ."
	He followed the sound. . .and the sight that greeted his eyes made him
suck in his breath.
	There stood an angelic vision in a sheer white nightgown, her golden hair
tumbling over her shoulders and down her back, seeming to glow in the
candlelight. Her face bore an expression which looked both angelic and
seductive.
	And on her feet, a pair of high-heeled, feather-trimmed slippers which
struck him as the sexiest shoes he'd ever seen in his life.
	He approached her, slowly, whispering, "You have *never* looked more
beautiful." He pulled her into his arms and brought his lips to hers. She
pulled him closer, her mouth opening with a gasp, her tongue flickering in
and out, teasing his tongue, then pulling away. His hands roamed up and
down her back, feeling the heat of her skin through the thin fabric as he
kissed down her neck, feeling the pounding of her heart in the veinsof her
throat.
	"Glen," she whispered. "I love you so much. . ."
	He raised his head. "I love you, too. More than you'll ever know."
	Oh, she was feeling *hot.* His touch seemed to be igniting a fire in her
blood. She wanted to stoke that fire even higher. Her hands found the tie
of his robe, and swiftly undid it. The blue terrycloth was soon in a pool
at his feet.
	She stepped back and took a look. "Fabulous," she whispered, leaning over
to kiss his neck, and then working her way slowly down. Oh, he felt so
good! His skin was so soft, and yet the muscles under it so firm. . .
	Her lips curled up in a wicked smile as one of her hands caressed his
chest. Hmm, she thought, all the rowing they make him do at that snooty
prep school is paying off. Her fingers brushed a nipple, and as she felt
him shudder, the heat in her rose even higher.
	She leaned over, and her tongue snaked out of her mouth, barely touching
the hard knot. He gasped. She licked the nipple a bit longer, savoring the
taste of him, then took it in her lips and began to suck. He gave a
strangled cry, his fingers tangling in her hair. . .a cry that only got
louder when she reached down and began to brush her fingers lightly,
ever-so-lightly across his hardened manhood.
	"Ah, my love," he moaned, "you're driving me crazy."
	She raised her head and began to lick toward the other side of his chest.
As her lips closed on the other nipple, she began to rub the palm of her
hand in a circular motion on the head of his erection. He groaned, leaning
backward, his fingers twined in her hair. Pleasure throbbed hotly through
his body, and he could do nothing but groan.
	She came back up so she was level with him, reached downward and stripped
off her nightgown in one swift motion. As her lips claimed his again, she
wrapped one leg around his hip, so her womanhood was pressed against his
manhood. Both of them moaned and began to grind their hips, rubbing
together, feeling shockwaves of heat shoot everywhere.
	She lifted her mouth from his. "What do you want next, darling?" she
whispered. "Would you like me to get on my knees in front of you and take
you in my lips? Would you like me to use my hands on you? Would you like to
taste me?"
	"Let me show you what I want," he replied. He pulled away from her and,
with one swift motion, picked her up and carried her to the bed. He lay her
down, gazing reverently on her perfection. . .at this moment, she *was*
Venus, *was* the goddess of love.
	And then, he bent swiftly and took her nipple in his lips, as she had done
to him. She gasped, moaning his name as he suckled hungrily, his fingers
stroking and caressing the other breast. He pulled his head back only to
lick at her, lapping the hardened dusky-rose bud with long, slow strokes,
then drawing it back in again.
	"I love you," she moaned. "Oh, oh how I love you. . ."
	He raised his head, both hands cupping her breasts, squeezing them,
rubbing his thumbs over her nipples. "I love you, too. You're so beautiful,
so sexy. . .I'm so, so lucky that you're mine. God, I could look at you
every second of my life. .  ."
	She began raising her hips, mutely begging him to touch lower, kiss lower,
do *anything* lower, she needed fulfillment, needed it so bad. . .
	He lowered his head again, kissing one nipple, then the other. . .before
his tongue began moving over her stomach. He was shifting his body around,
so he was kneeling astride her head. . .Ah, she knew what he wanted.
	Her lips closed around his manhood at the same instant his tongue began to
caress her folds. Both of them groaned deep in their throats and began to
pleasure the other faster, more intensely. . .
	Mina sucked him enthusiastically, taking him deeper than she ever had been
able to before, actually getting bold enough to reach down and caress the
sac beneath, letting her fingers softly and gently flutter over it. .
.while he explored her slowly, licking up and down her petals, teasing her
entrance, putting it in just far enough to make her shudder. . .
	He could feel the heat within him building, building, but he wasn't sure
he wanted to come yet. He wanted this night to go on and on as long as
possible, he wanted to give her more pleasure than she'd ever felt before.
. .He licked up to her jewel and began to circle it, flicking across it
very quickly and lightly, just enough to tease her. She let out a groan and
began to suck him faster. He started to lash at the swollen pearl in
earnest, and she felt the waves of passion cresting, cresting. . .
	And suddenly, the sweet explosion came, and delicious shudders wracked her
over and over. She shrieked around his manhood as he continued to drive
into her mouth. . .
	When the last shivers died away, she sagged, and he gently withdrew. But
she still felt hot, she wanted more, more, more, she wanted to go all
night. . .
	She rolled on her stomach and drew herself up on all fours, giving him her
most seductive smile over her shoulder. "Do you like what you see?" she
said.
	"I *love* what I see," he replied, bending over to kiss her right buttock,
gently nibbling at it. She made an "mmm" noise and arched her bottom toward
him, an open invitation he was all too happy to take her up on. He kissed
it some more, then moved to the left one, nipping at it, then laying a slow
line of kisses over the curve. When he reached the spot where her buttocks
joined her spine, he kissed it slowly, running his tongue over the
sensitive flesh. She let out a low, throaty sound of pleasure.
	He pulled away from her, and she was going to cry out, protest. . .until
she heard the sound of a condom packet being torn. We've never done it with
me on all fours and him behind me, she thought. But oh, I want to do it
now. I want to experience *everything*!
	She felt him grasp her hips, reaching down to caress her bottom, stroke it. . 
.
	"I'm going to take you," he whispered. "I'm going to make you mine."
	"I'm already yours," she replied. "Always and forever."
	He pulled her toward him, and she felt his manhood pressing on the
entrance to her sheath. She pushed her hips backward, wanting him in,
wanting him to fill her more completely than ever before.
	The first thrust made her suck in her breath. Oh, Gods, was he deep, she
didn't think she'd ever felt him so far inside her before. He began to move
in and out, in and out, and warm pleasure began to steal over her.  .a
pleasure than only intensified when he reached under her and grasped her
breasts again, stroking the nipples, making her toss her head around and
utter long, low groans of pure passion.
	He reveled in the feeling of her soft wetness surrounding him, pulling him
in, making them totally one. Waves of intense feeling were starting to
course through him, and he thrust faster, harder, wanting to bring both of
them to the peak together. . .
	She bucked against him, panting, feeling like her blood had become liquid
fire. Every flutter of his fingers, every plunge of his manhood just drove
her one step closer to sweet madness. . .
	Time stood still for a split second, both lovers gasping, feeling like
they were about to hurl themselves off a cliff. . .and then, she shrieked,
ecstasy blazing from the center of her being all the way to her toes, and
the tugging and throbbing of her sheath set him off as well. He cried out
her name hoarsely as he was consumed by hot sensation, as he released
himself.
	They collapsed to the bed, panting. Neither could remember their
lovemaking ever being so intense. It was as if the very air around them had
been charged with a kind of magic.
	He slowly, reluctantly pulled out of her and disposed of the condom, then
took her in his arms, kissing her tenderly.
	"Gods," she sighed, "that was. . .unbelievable."
	"I know. It was better than ever." He kissed her again. "I feel like a rag
doll right now. . .but it's a *nice* feeling."
	"I know. . .I feel the same way, too." She stroked his face. "I love you.
With all my heart."
	"I love you, too."
	"Oh, almost forgot something. . ." She kicked the slippers off, letting
them fall over the side of the bed. "Can't go to sleep wearing those. If I
kicked you in the middle of the night, with those heels. . .you'd be in
trouble." Both of them laughed, and he drew her closer into his arms, with
her head on his chest.
	Whispering their love to each other again, they fell asleep.
 * * *
	Mina woke up around nine the next morning. She snuggled closer to her
still-sleeping lover. She couldn't remember feeling warmer, more content .
. .more at peace.
	The heck with the future, she thought. It doesn't matter what happens a
few weeks, months, years down the line. I'm happy as I am right now. I wish
this moment could go on forever.
	She reviewed the previous night in her mind, and felt a shudder of desire
pass through her. It was incredible. Simply incredible. Like no encounter
between them had ever been before.
	"I love you so much," she whispered to the man sleeping beside her. He
stirred, but didn't awaken.
	She sat up and yawned, stretching. Might as well call my answering machine
and check my messages before he gets up, she thought. Maybe one of the
girls wants to meet up with us later. . .
	Picking up the phone, she dialed her number, then the access code. The
first message was a "we're sorry, your call did not go through. . ."
Obviously a telemarketer. The second was Amy. . . "Are you and Glen going
to be around tomorrow around noon? Adam and I would love to meet you for
lunch at Matsushima. Call me tomorrow morning if you can. 'Bye!"
	And then, the third. . .
	"Mina, I'm sorry to be calling at this hour. . .this is Mike Murray, from
'Endless Dream.' We'd like you to come back in for another reading sometime
next week. Give me a call sometime over the weekend. . ."
	A callback, Mina thought. I got a CALLBACK! She couldn't believe it. .
.she thought she'd blown that audition! It had been the end of the day, and
she'd been tired. . .
	Of course, she thought. I was tired. . .so I didn't do my usual theatrics.
I just did the reading. . .as myself. Just like Glen said!
	She hung the phone up and flung herself on the bed. "Glen! GLEN! Wake up!
It's so wonderful, so very wonderful. . ."
	He stirred. "Hmm? Mina. . .wutizit?"
	"I got a CALLBACK! For a soap opera! They want me to come in for another
reading next week!"
	"A. . ." Suddenly, the meaning of what she had just said penetrated his
sleepy mind, and he shot bolt upright, grabbing her and pulling her into
his arms. "That's FABULOUS! Oh, God, that's terrific! Congratulations!"
	"I'm so happy," she said. "So very, very happy. . ."
	I know I'm going to go to that audition with a different state of mind,
she thought. I'll be calmer, less desperate. If I get the part, fine. . .if
I don't, that's fine, too. I'm still *me*. . .and I still have *him.*
	As the couple embraced, neither noticed the slippers on the floor vanish
into thin air.

* * *

	Neo-Queen Serenity watched the happy scene in her crystal ball, feeling a
sense of accomplishment.
	I did it, she thought. I brought happiness to *all* the Sailor Soldiers.
How fitting that the person who gave the slippers to me. . .Queen Minako. .
.would be the last one to benefit from them.
	Slippers, she thought, you've done your work. Now, it's time for you to
return. She stretched her hand over the crystal ball, ready to begin
working the spell that would bring them back to her. . .
	And then, other images began filling her head. . .images of the people who
*weren't* Sailor Soldiers who had gotten the slippers. A magician/priest
and his apprentice in one dimension, an inventor and his lover in another,
two star pilots in a third. . .
	How many other people are there in the multiple universes, she thought,
who are tired and depressed. . .whose relationships have gone stale and
dull. . .
	Who could benefit from my slippers?
	She lowered her hand. "Keep going, slippers," she said. "Go find anyone
who needs you. . .and bring them as much happiness as you brought my
friends."
	At that moment, she heard a sound in the next room over. . .the royal
bedchamber. A masculine voice humming a tune, the sound of covers being
turned down. . .and then the sound of candles being lit.
	The queen smiled to herself. Hmm, she thought, something's going on in there. 
Perhaps I should investigate. This could be quite an *interesting* evening ahead of 
me.
	"Crystal ball," she said, "it's time to call it a day."
	And with that, she covered the crystal. . .the crystal in which she'd
watched all her fellow Sailor Soldiers find their happiness. . .and left
the room.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: All the Senshi have now received the slippers. . .but that
doesn't necessarily mean the series is at an end. There's still plenty more
possibilities for writers to make slippers stories out of -- minor
characters and reformed villans from Sailor Moon, characters from another
series, original characters. . .If you'd like to write a slippers story,
the members of Lemon Tree encourage you to do so. All we ask is that the
story not involve anyone who's appared in a previous slippers story, that
there be an emotional bond between the lucky recipients, that participants
in lemon scenes be at least 15 years of age and that all activies be
mutually consensual. If you do a story, send it to sailormac@wjjz.com.

Thanks, as usual, to my editor, Steve Savage, and a HUGE thank-you to
everyone who participated in this series. We've had some GREAT stories from
the cream of the lemon-writing crop. . .take a bow, everyone, you deserve
it!

Standard Sailor Moon disclaimers apply. These characters ain't mine, I'm
just borrowing them for a little while.