DECK THE MEHORAH WITH ROWS OF CRANBERRIES

	"What is this for?" the long-haired blond asked, lifting the 
string of blood red berries up for him to see.
	"Those are for the tree," the silver-mane man answered, trying 
to fasten a section of fragrant green garland to the wall.
	"A tree?" she asked with a hint of surprise.
	"Hai," he grounded out as he drove the fastening through the 
wall. "Later on we shall go out and find the perfect tree."
	She giggled.  "Oh, how exciting this all is!"  She began to sing 
a song with no words, twirling around and around the room, until she 
realized she was all caught up in the berries.  "Ah, General Kunzite?" 
she called, a helpless child.
	He turned, and chuckled.  "V, you amaze me," he said, lifting 
the rows of berries free from her.
	"Why?" she asked with a happy smile.
	"Because you make me love you more and more with each passing 
moment," he answered, leaning forward to kiss her.  But she blushed and 
turned away at the last moment, leaving his lips to caress her cheek 
instead. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her, holding her 
tightly, before letting her go.
	"Do you think the others are alright?" she asked, walking over 
to one of the windows.
	"The others are fine," he answered, moving back to the wall and 
it's hanging decorations.  "Now come help me get this garland up or we 
will never have it ready in time for tonight."
	She followed him, happy, smiling, picking up more greenery and 
handing it to him.  "Why do your people celebrate holidays in such cold 
weather? And with such strange decorations?  Imagine!  Bringing shrubs 
and leaves inside one's home!"
	He chuckled, reaching down to take the garland from her.  "Earth 
is a diverse world with many different cultures.  We are not like the 
other planets in our solar system.  Many of are people are not even 
aware that there is life outside are world."
	She gasped, surprised and shocked.  "On my home world, even the 
youngest child knows there is--"
	"Yes," he calmly cut her off, "But Venus is a member of the 
Silver Millennium.  Earth is not."
	She shut her mouth and nodded mutely.   "It is the diversity of 
your world that Serenity finds so fascinating."
	"Is it just the diversity?" he asked teasingly.  A blush was his 
only answer. "It the diversity of our world that sometimes hinders us."
	"What do you mean?" she asked with a puzzled frown.
	He thought for a moment.  "Do you see that star over there?" he 
asked pointing to the five pointed star that was just bigger than his 
hand. She nodded and he continued.  "That star represents the star the 
three wise men followed to find a babe nearly one thousand years ago.  
Many people on Earth believe that babe to be the Son of God.  They call 
this babe Jesus Christ, and those who follow him are called Christians.  
It is the birth of Christ these Christians celebrate when they 
celebrate Christmas. "
	"It is pretty," she said, picking up the star.    He nodded, 
looking around the room.
	"Do you see that candle holder over there?" he asked, pointing 
to another side of the room.
	"This?" she asked, walking over to where he pointed.
	"Yes, that is a menorah," he said reaching for more garland.  
"The people called Jews celebrate Hanukkah at this time.  They light a 
candle each night to celebrate times long gone by when their God saved 
them from darkness."
	"How lovely," she sighed, turning the menorah in her hands.  
"And these?" she asked, picking up a small wooden object that was 
resting next to the menorah.
	He shot a look over his shoulder.  "That is a dredil.   Children 
use them as toys."
	She smiled, placing the dredil back down next to the menorah.  
She looked around as all the greenery they were putting up.  "Why all 
the shrubs and leaves?"
	He laughed lightly again.   "They are more of a tribute to the 
Pagan religions," he answered, reaching down for more garland.
	"Pagan?"
	"Yes, those people who believe in more then one God, unlike the 
Jews and Christians who believe in just one god."  She handed him 
another section of garland. "Many pagans are natural people."
	"Natural people?" she asked with a teasing smile.  "You mean the 
other people of your world are not natural?"
	"That's not what I mean at all, you minx!"  She laughed and he 
smiled.	"No, the pagans tend to enjoy and appreciate more of nature.   
They celebrate Yule or the Winter Solstice, when the sun has reached 
its southern most point in the sky and begins to retreat back into the 
northern sky."
	She frowned.   "But the sun does not move at all," she said, 
holding back another section of garland.
	"No, the sun itself does not move, but its position in our sky 
does," he answered, reaching out and taking the next section of garland 
from her.  "The Pagans bless an evergreen tree from the woods and then 
bring it inside.  They decorate it with handmade gifts, which they will 
exchange with one another.  They search their forests for evergreen 
limbs which the children then twist and weave into garlands that can be 
hung around the house, spreading it's sweet fragrance.   Sometimes they 
will build a large bonfire and throw logs onto it, singing songs and 
dancing."
	"It sounds like a party!" she exclaimed with delight. He smiled 
and laughed.
	"Yes, the pagans have many such festivals."
	She walked over to the window and looked out.  "So many 
different customs is wonderful," she sighed.  "We have nothing like 
that home."
	"It is not always that great," he sighed, fastening the last bit 
of garland.  "The diversity of our world also leads to many wars 
because people can not accept something that is different from what 
they know." He turned to look at her, but she was staring out the 
window.  He walked up to her, but she was too busy watching the scene 
outside to notice until he leaned up against her and looked over her 
shoulder out the window.
	"He is a fool to take her on that mountain," he whispered, upset 
at his friend for endangering one of the Moon Princess's guardians.  
But the goddess of his heart was smiling and leaning back into him, 
easing his temper.
	"I would not worry about Mars or General Jedite," she whispered.  
She turned her head to look at him, as though sharing a great secret.  
At least that is how he felt.  "She's holding back now, though why, I 
can not guess."
	"Holding back?" he asked, shocked.  But his goddess nodded her 
head solemnly, and they both turned back to look at the two bodies 
flying down the mountainside.
	"She is used to skiing much larger mountains that that little 
one right there," the long-haired blond replied.
	He laughed, at his friend's expense, and pulled the goddess in 
his arms closer, loving the feel of her there.  She relaxed for a 
moment... just a moment, though, and then she pulled away.
	"They will be chilled when they finish," she said, moving away 
from him. "I will go make them some hot cocoa."
	He sighed, but let her leave.

*********

	The long-haired blond carefully balanced the hot cocoa, holding 
it far from her, least some of it slip and try to burn her.  "Want some 
more?" she asked, holding up the kettle with a huge inviting smile.
	"Thanks." The raven-haired girl answered with a smile.
	The blond knew her friend was upset, thought she didn't know 
why, and, after filling up two mugs with the warm dark brown liquid, 
she sat down next to the raven-haired girl on the couch.
	"Would you like to talk about it?" she asked, hoping she could 
help in some way.
	"Thank you, but no, I'd rather not," her friend replied, taking 
another sip of cocoa.
	She was persistent however, sure she could help her friend.  
"Talking about it might make you feel better, and who better to talk 
to?  After all I am--"
	"V?" a male voice called from the other room, sending shivers of 
excitement racing through her veins.  "Come help me hang this 
mistletoe!"
	The blond rolled her eyes but got up smiling, more then willing 
to join the tall silver-mane man who'd been stealing her heart away 
with each passing moment.  She shot a look back to her friend, winking 
and silently wishing her luck.
	"Why do you need my help--" she began until she saw another man 
with her love.  "Oh!  I'm sorry General Jedite.  I did not know you had 
come in, also.  Would you like some--"
	"Jed's a big boy," the silver-mane man said, cutting her off.    
"Come over here and help me."
	"Thank you," the blond haired Jedite replied, bowing to her.  
And then he stood up and went off in the direction she had come.
	"Who's a big boy?" the blond asked, gliding across the room to 
her silver-mane man.  She smiled up at him, shaking her head.  
"Whatever do you need my help hanging another weed for?" she asked, 
watching him climb down the ladder.
	He grinned.  "Oh, but the mistletoe is not just another weed!" 
he protested.  "Now, come here, I have to see if it is working."
	"What ever are you talking about?" she asked amusedly, but she 
still went over to where he was standing under the mistletoe.  He 
pulled her into his arms and smiled down at her.
	"The people of my world also have another custom," he said, 
staring into her shining blue eyes.  He inched closer, whispering.  
"Whenever a person stands beneath a mistletoe," he inched closer, 
whispering softer, "they must receive a kiss!"
	Her heart beat wildly against her chest.  She knew he wanted to 
kiss her.  In truth she wanted to kiss him, also.  But she was scared.  
She didn't know of what.  Only that if he kissed her, something would 
change. Something drastic might happen.
	His scent surrounded her, intoxicating her.  She felt her eyes 
flutter close and her body reach for his.
	And then his lips played delicately over her own, brushing back 
and forth, back and forth, like tiny wisps of air, caressing with 
barely a touch.
	She sighed, and leaned more fully into his embrace.
	He smiled and pulled her closer to him, loving the feel of her 
body against his, her skin beneath his hands, her scent dancing around 
him. Loving her.
	"I love you," he whispered, pulling back just enough to look 
into her face.
	She smiled.
	"And I, you."