Between Friends 2
part 1


        Hikaru was waiting with the rest of the usual crowd as the NSX 
touched down on the huge field it occupied when in Cephiro.  Lantis smiled 
as she bounced up and down on her heels, watching her rather than the 
massive space vessel.  "You seem especially anticipatory today, Hikaru," he 
observed.  "He's only been gone a few days this time."
        "But he brought his sister back with him this time!" Hikaru replied 
enthusiastically.  "I've never met Corona-san before!"
        Lantis smiled.  "She's a very pleasant woman," he recalled.  Due to 
his involvement in the restructuring of Cephiro's government system, he 
hadn't been able to accompany Hikaru and Eagle on any of the several trips 
that had occured since the blond commander had woken from his Deep Slumber, 
but he knew that Corona hadn't been at Eagle's home on Autozam any of the 
times Hikaru had gone.  Something about those ancient Autozamian ruins that 
she so adored....
        Lantis had never been able to get interested in "archaeology," 
despite his many other collegiate interests while on Autozam.
        During this latest trip to Autozam, Eagle had sent a message that 
his sister would be coming back with him in early preparation for the 
weddings, which were just over a month away.  President Talon wouldn't be 
coming until a few days before the actual ceremonies, being unable to get 
away from the affairs of state for that long.  Hikaru had been on "pins and 
needles," as Fuu said, since she'd received the news.
        "Yes, but I've never met Corona-san before, and you both speak so 
highly of her!" Hikaru exclaimed.  Then her mood changed abruptly from 
enthusiasm to worry, as it tended to do when they spoke of Corona.  "Do you 
think she'll like me, Lantis?" she asked nervously, biting her lower lip.
        Lantis smiled reassuringly, and gently hugged Hikaru to him by the 
shoulders.  "Corona will adore you, Hikaru.  Even if you were totally 
uncouth and rude, which you are not in the slightest, she'd like you 
because you make Eagle happy.  She'll love you for yourself, though.  Do 
you really think Eagle's sister would be so different from him as to 
dislike you?"
        Hikaru smiled and relaxed a little into his arms.  "You're so good 
at making me feel better, Lantis."
        "You can return the favor next week, when we have to meet your 
family," Lantis replied.  He was slightly dreading meeting Hikaru's family, 
who Umi and Fuu had described as being made up of three elder brothers who 
"would stop at nothing to make sure Hikaru was safe and happy."  He also 
recalled Umi's iteration of the fact that a condition of "dating" Hikaru, 
much less "marrying" her would be to defeat all three brothers, experienced 
swordsmen, in combat, and *then* win their respect and trust.  The only 
thing he was remotely pacific about concerning the meeting was that Eagle 
would hopefully be able to charm Hikaru's mother (a quiet, refined woman 
from all reports) into accepting her daughter's choice of husbands.  
Apparently on Earth "marriage" was a custom usually celebrated only between 
one man and one woman, no multiples or variations allowed.
        He looked back up from his red-haired fiancee as one of the outer 
portals of the NSX--an "airlock"--opened, and Eagle emerged, dressed in 
full Autozamian military uniform.  Once the wedding ceremony was completed, 
the young Commander would be shifted laterally to the position of 
Ambassador, and Geo would then be advanced to the position of Commander of 
the NSX, which had recently been designated as Autozam's official 
Ambassadorial vessel.  Lantis had found some delight in teasing Geo over 
the fact that that would make it *very* convenient indeed for Geo to 
continue his new relationship with the apparently-interested Chizetan 
princesses.
        He hadn't known Geo knew how to blush, and wondered if Eagle had 
taught him how.
        Eagle caught sight of Lantis and Hikaru then and waved briefly, 
smiling.  Then he straightened up and walked over to where Ferio was 
standing, stopping not two yards before the smiling young man, and bowing 
formally.  "Prince Ferio," he said, speaking just loud enough that all the 
assembled could hear his words, "May the crew and passengers of the NSX 
have your permission to disembark, and your sanction and protection during 
our stay on Cephiro?"
        Lantis noted and smiled at the extra formality and showmanship 
evident in Eagle's words.  He and Ferio went through this every time the 
NSX touched down on Cephiro, but as of late, and especially this time, 
Eagle had been adding little bits of flair to the ceremony.  Lantis rather 
liked it; it was a pleasing extension of Eagle's subtle eccentricity.
        "The crew and passengers of the NSX are welcome to Cephiro, as 
always," Ferio replied in that same semi-formal tone, still smiling.  
"Welcome back, Commander Vision."

        As if to mark the end of the ritual Eagle and Ferio went through 
each time the NSX came back, two giggling black-haired children broke from 
the open doorway of the spaceship and seemed to race one another to Eagle.  
That seemed to signal that the spectacle was over; the crowd started 
breaking up.  Hikaru smiled and looked up at Lantis.
        "Shall we go over and welcome Eagle back?" Lantis asked her, 
correctly reading the look in her eyes.
        "Mmm!" Hikaru agreed with a firm nod, starting walking with 
Lantis.  She glanced over at the NSX, seeing some of the passengers 
beginning to depart, Geo, Zazu, and some of the other crew helping them.  
She smiled to notice that Geo took special care helping a red-haired woman 
down the slight ramp.  As the woman glanced up, Hikaru could see, even from 
this distance, that her features resembled Eagle's.  She must be Corona, 
Hikaru thought to herself.
        A tall dark-haired man followed her down the ramp, and helped to 
steady her and the bundle she carried when they reached the ground.  She 
smiled up at him, and together they, too, headed towards Eagle too.
        As Hikaru and Lantis neared Eagle and the Prince, the two men 
looked up from where they were conversing with the two little girls... 
identical twins, Hikaru could see right away, with black hair framing their 
pixie faces and reaching to their shoulders.
        "Lantis, Hikaru," Eagle said, smiling.  "Allow me to make an 
introduction.  These are my sister's stepchildren, Camry and Celica."  He 
pointed at each of the sisters as he said their name, and they giggled, as 
if uncomfortable that he could manage to tell them apart.  "Camry, Celica, 
these are the people I am going to marry, Lantis of Cephiro, and Shidou 
Hikaru of Earth."
        "Wow, you look exactly alike!" Hikaru marvelled, kneeling down to 
be on the same eye level as the twins, who looked to be about six.  "How do 
people tell you apart?"
        One of the two, Camry, answered while her twin remained bashfully 
quiet, "Most people can't.  Mama Corona can't.  She has to do our hair 
differently to be able to tell us apart."
        "Do you dress differently sometimes?"
        "They refuse to," a new voice broke in.  Hikaru looked up and saw 
Corona and the man she had been with before joining their group.  Corona 
smiled down at Hikaru and the girls.  "They're terrible at switching places 
on us."
        "When did you get married, Corona?" Lantis asked.  "And may I offer 
my congratulations?"
        "About a year ago, Lantis," she replied with a smile.  "This is my 
husband, Toyota Tacoma."  She gestured at the man standing beside her, who 
wore a genial smile and a style of clothing that reminded Hikaru strongly 
of the clothing that Eagle wore, but with a subtle difference that 
indicated they were not of the same clan.  Clan ties were very important in 
Autozam, Hikaru had learned, influencing almost everything, even who wore 
what fashions.  "And our daughter," Corona continued, gently tilting the 
soft violet bundle of cloth she carried to reveal a sleeping infant, 
"Cressida."