Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or anything related to sailormoon, nor do I claim to.  I am not profiting from this piece of fiction (::cough:: Crap! ::cough::), etc. etc…  It's just for fun, please don't sue me. 

Author's Notes:  I don't know where this thing came from.  I rather suspect that it had something to do with my sitting in my poorly ventilated room amongst open bottles of white-out for extended periods of time.  You might wonder why I would sit amongst open bottles of white-out, and let me tell you, you don't want to know.  It's one freaky-ass cult. 

No, really, I have no idea where this story came from.  I also have no idea where the thing about white-out came from.  The things that wander around in my head. 

Anyway, as for REAL author's notes…  1.) I choose to use the name "Elios," because although I personally feel that Ms. Takeuchi probably was REFERING to "Helios," "Elios" seems to be more mainstream, and therefore it makes more sense to me to use it in a story which (hopefully) a lot of people will be reading.  2.) Chibiusa is now sixteen.  I think we all agree that sixteen suits her most, what with "sweet sixteen" and her obvious relationship with sugar and all that.  Or something.  Elios is about the age of a seventh grade boy according to Ms. Takeuchi, or so I hear.  Well I don't like that, and I'm going to pretend like I DIDN'T hear it, and say he's about eighteen or nineteen.

Uh, anyway, I'm going to quit talking now, and get on with the actual story. 

I. In which a Vacation is taken

In the background, jazz blared from an ancient radio.  The reception was a bit fuzzy—Lord knew that there was next to nothing that a radio could get in the core of the Earth.  This radio, however, was trying its level best, and managing to pull in strangled chords of jazz from a radio station that was apparently somewhere in eastern Yugoslavia.

It was better than nothing.

His fingers twitched hesitantly as they moved toward the box that he held in his other hand.  Slowly they moved forward, and pulled one long, cylindrical shape out of the box. 

So far so good.

He dropped the box on top of the radio, and fumbled in his pocket for a moment before pulling out another vaguely cylindrical shape. 

Flick.

Fire danced to life over the top of the second object, and he stared at it for a moment, contemplating the beauty of the small flame's dance. 

Then, ever so slowly, he began to bring the objects together.

"Elios!" 

His eyes grew very wide, and he hastly shoved both objects back into his pocket.  He plastered a smile onto his face before turning to face the maenad. 

"I-Ino…  Nice to see you, what are you doing?"

"I think the question, Elios, is, what are you doing?"

"Me?  Doing?  I'm not doing anything, just taking a break from praying, you know, working the kinks out of my legs." 

"The kinks out of your legs?  Since when do you get kinks in your legs from praying?"

"You try kneeling in the same position for hours and not get kinks in your legs." 

The maenad was slightly taken aback.

"Why, Elios, you've never complained of this before." 

"I'd never noticed before, not back when I used to have something to pray for.  Not back when I got real visions and revelations all of the time."

"When was the last time that you had a revelation?"

"Three days ago, when I realized that this is all a load of…  of…" he tried desperately to think of a word, "of HOOEY," he finally spat.   

As much as she tried, Ino could not supress the laughter that bubbled up from within her. 

Elios looked away sadly. 

"See?  No one appreciates me anymore." 

Ino stopped laughing and approached him.  Putting an arm around his shoulder, she sighed. 

"Oh, Elios, we do so appreciate you.  Everyone appreciates you." 

"Who's 'everyone'?  You and Halia?  Wow, a whole two people.  No one in Crystal Tokyo even remembers us.  When was the last time we got a visit from anyone?"

"Er…" 

"Exactly.  They don't even know we exist anymore, although they'd sure as… sure as…" 

"Sure as hell?"

"Yeah… sure as that feel it if we didn't exist anymore." 

"Elios, when was the last time that you had a vacation?"

"A vacation?" he sputtered indignantly.  "Why on Earth would I need a vacation?" 

"Well, look at you."

"Look at me?  What about me?"

"Elios, you're standing in the middle of an empty room in front of a radio, and… what's that?"  She stooped to pick up the box that he had thrown on top of the radio earlier.  "Cigarettes?" she asked disbelievingly.  "Elios, what on earth are you doing with cigarettes?"

"I'm too nice, Ino.  Doesn't it get annoying?"

"No."

"I just thought I needed some sort of vice.  Some sort of bad habit."

"Oh, great.  And you just had to choose one that'll kill everyone around you too, eh, Elios?  Halia and I don't want your second hand smoke, so you had better pick a different vice."

"Okay—hey, wait!  It's my vice, isn't it?  I want to choose it!"

"Choose something less disgusting, Elios.  Earth, however perfect Serenity seems to have made it, is still riddled with vices of every sort.  I'm sure you'll find something, wherever you decide to go for your vacation."

"What vacation?"

"The one that starts tomorrow and lasts for the rest of the week.  Better go get packing!" 

            "Ino," he whined as she turned to go.  "What am I supposed to pack?  I don't have any clothes except these robes.  And where am I supposed to go?  I don't have family to visit.  I don't know anyone but you and Halia."

"You'll figure something out.  Go visit…"  She thought for a moment, and then a smile dawned over her face.  "Go visit Chibiusa." 

"Chibi…Chibiusa?" 

"You haven't forgotten her, have you?"

"Of course not!  …But has she forgotten me?"

"Only one way to find out.  Be up bright and early tomorrow, Elios, and Halia and I will see you off." 

He sighed. 

"Fine."