Prompt 1:
Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is…
The last ornament was always her favorite. It was a delicate piece of dark blue glass in the shape of a five-pointed star. Golden glitter, but nothing ostentatious, was in the concave center in the shape of a crescent moon laid on its back. There were other small, delicate displays of glitter around each arm of the star, but the moon was her favorite part. Her fingers caressed it carefully as she stood mesmerized in front of her Christmas tree. With the smallest smiles on her face, she lifted it up to eye level, and found the most immediate branch before her. She wanted it to be the first thing she saw, front and center, every time she looked at the large evergreen in her living room.
Once it was hung, Minako Aino stepped back to admire her work. The tree, as always left to her excellent taste, was adorned with gold and navy blue, with hints of silver or red in the more unique ornaments. Of course, there were hints of vibrant green or light blue from gifts she had received from her friends. There was even one, very homemade piece that Usagi had given her; what it lacked in elegance was made up for by its endearing sweetness. Her blue eyes, always a bit darker than her friend’s, glanced over it with a broad smile.
She turned away from the tree, crumpling the old newspaper back into the box, and thought fondly of Usagi as she began to put away the empty cases of decorations. Her friend was spending the first of December welcoming the first snowfall with Mamoru, who had surprised her with plans to make a snowman in the park together just as the snow on the ground passed six inches. Minako was on the phone when it happened, and Usagi practically squealed with excitement between apologizing for hanging up so quickly. Recalling this, she smiled as she placed the last box on a stack that was to return to the back of the closet later. What Mamoru and Usagi had was truly a miracle.
Slender fingers wrapped around the mug of cocoa as she curled up on her favorite chair; no matter how old she got, her love of sweets never seemed to fade. Sipping it slowly, though it was far from hot, she drew her knees up to her chest and balanced the mug on them. Her eyes went immediately to where they always did, her window, which had the best view in the entire apartment. It was positioned just so that if she slid down gently in her seat, she would be able to view the sky alone. No buildings or skyscrapers to mar the scene; only the warm glow from below hinted at Tokyo’s existence. In her private time, she’d like to keep it that way.
Her mind wandered from Mamoru, Usagi’s miracle, to her own. It had been a long time since Mamoru had revealed the stones to her, but she had not forgotten them since that day. She actually thought of them often, which is probably why he kept them hidden in the first place. Still, Minako wondered about them with marvel. If their spirits were still contained, couldn’t they be resurrected somehow? The Silver Crystal and Golden Crystal have worked greater miracles. Why, she wondered, could they not give her one?
With a sigh and another sip of the warm chocolate, Minako pushed these thoughts away but tried not to remember her own private curse. With calm reason and her enduring hope, she assured herself that this was all part of her destiny. Any good soldier knew her purpose was to her Princess, and any good leader knew that things cannot be circumvented just for her own desires, no matter how strong. The Soldier of Love scolded herself, recalling her love for her Princess always came first.
She wondered gently about the other girls. Usagi had her happiness, as it should be, and Minako simply dreamed of it. Did the others dream of it, too? Silently, she hoped so. How wonderful and deserved it would be if all of them found their own little loves. In her opinion, there would be none better than Endymion’s own guard; who else would understand royal guardianship in this day and age? Minako smiled, thinking of each pair becoming peaceful and happy together, until her eyes drooped with fatigue.
A star twinkled in the sky, and Minako’s eyes brightened momentarily as they caught it with dreamy hope. It was early for Christmas wishes, she thought as she yawned, but it couldn’t hurt. She smiled at her childish urge to whisper her wish aloud. Grateful for the first time that night that she was alone, a simple hope came out in a small, unclear voice. “If you’re listening, Santa, I think we all could use a miracle this year. Even you’ve got to admit, we’ve been pretty good girls.”
