Disclaimer: I wrote this in one night. It takes place in the Silver Millennium, not
long before Metallica attacks. It's
mostly about Setsuna and Professor Tomoe (obviously not his name in this
world). I created another parallel
universe apart from the manga and anime.
Pardon me for interfering with the timeline but this was one of those
tales that just screams inside your head to be written.
In my
heart, I felt it. In my heart, I knew
it. She was the one I had been waiting
for. No woman I had ever met or would
ever meet could compare with her. How
could they?
I wanted
to go up to her right then and spill out my feelings before her feet like a
suitor with jewels. Except that my
feelings could not possibly be worthy of her, this woman with her hair as dark
as those trees that the Earth's inhabitants called firs. Though I had never touched it, I was sure it
would be softer than swans' feathers.
Indeed, those fine hairs already flowed like silk from her
shoulders. She was wearing it in her
customary style, partly twisted into a smooth bun, the rest left to fall
against her back.
At her
back alone, I could have spent hours staring.
So smooth were those faint ridges where the usual bone structure
protruded. Her skin was a fine light
tan that I found very alluring. Most of
the women at the ball tonight, the rest of the Senshi being prime examples,
were mostly pale. Naturally, I have no
such prejudices against skin color for everyone is beautiful in their own right
but somehow the very tint of this woman's skin made her seem more real to me
than the rest, who were so beautiful as to be ethereal, like something out of a
dream. This woman was surely someone
who responded to her feelings and would voice her concerns and needs.
But, how
foolish was my imagination. This was,
in fact, the most remote of the Senshi.
She guarded the Gates of Time with an authority that only the foolhardy
would challenge. In fact, short of
Queen Serenity and her daughter, not to mention my own daughter, I would have
called her the most powerful of the Senshi.
How could I even dream of touching her, let alone talk to her? She was not one to take in the arrogance
that came with most royalty. At the
previous ball, I had heard some uncouth suitor tried to persuade her in a most
ungentlemanly fashion. The man was last
seen recovering from a prodigious head wound and was profoundly polite to
women, no matter their station. Many
women who had encountered this man before his " change " pronounced
the Princess of Pluto a blessing. If
the Sailor of the Lower World was their saint, then the Sailor of the Skies, or
Upper World, was surely their protector.
There were few men who could match the temper or strength of Sailor
Uranus after all. Nevertheless, hers
was a strength that was admired but not imitated. It caused quite an uproar when she and Sailor Neptune declared
their true love for each other. I went
to congratulate the " groom " before the vows. She was really quite a figure of honor and
justice; had she been a man she would have quite uplifted our gender and proven
a splendid model.
Oh, but I
have gotten off-topic. I glanced about
me and noticed the angel who had captured my attention. She was walking towards one of the many
balconies with her dancing partner, the Princess of Uranus who I had mentioned
earlier. They were speaking and for
some reason, the Princess of Neptune came up behind them and yanked her mate's
cape. I barely managed to repress a
chuckle when Uranus returned the favor by hauling her erstwhile wife over her
shoulder. They headed towards the
gardens that had been built along the roof of the grand hall. The palace of the Moon Kingdom is an
intricate affair and I hope someone will write about it someday. But it will not be me for I am no expert at
architecture. The sand castles I built
as a boy collapsed as soon as the first sea breeze blew by.
After a
moment's hesitation, I walked over and whispered a comment about the departing
couple. She was about to answer, then
seemed to catch herself. When she
turned around, I was nearly blinded by the sight before me. It took nearly all my self-control to remain
standing and even then, I felt weak on my knees.
She was
wearing a gown so dark that at a quick glance it seemed black, but if you
looked closer, you could tell it was crushed red velvet. It clung to her like a second skin, wrapping
around most of her upper body, except for where it left her upper back bare and
around her hips and thighs before billowing around her knees and ankles. There was a slit on the left side that came
just up to the top of her knee. I had
to remember to breathe. Her shoulders
and arms were bare. Her arched neck
bore a silver chain with a cabochon garnet pendant. As she turned her head, I could see that tonight, her ears were
bare of the chipped garnet that most of the women of the Royal House of Pluto
wore. Those earrings had their purpose,
though; one time, I had seen this woman's mother take one of hers off and used
it to release a fairly potent sleeping gas. Tonight, a different pair of garnets, in the same oval shape as
her pendant, dangled from her lobes on tiny silver links. I admit that women's ears have a strange and
perturbing effect on me. Before she
died, my wife had often ended our few arguments by tucking a strand of hair
behind her ear. Similar movements
distracted me constantly from various council meetings, treaties, contracts,
and my dinner. Inwardly, I gave a sigh
as I thought about her and wondered what she would think of my actions
now. Not long after our daughter was
born, she had made me promise that if anything ever happened to her I must not
let grief strike me away from duty, our daughter, or my own happiness. Her selflessness brings tears to my eyes
even now.
Quickly,
I brought my eyes back to her face lest she sense my ogling and then lost all
the breath I had left. Her face was
beyond my dreams and even now, I felt like I was in one of them, that if I
blinked, she would be gone. Just for
insurance, I did blink and she was still there. Her face was neither oval nor heart-shaped, but somewhere in
between the two. Her cheekbones were
high, just short of being angular and her chin ended in a delicate point. Her nose was straight and I could imagine
the embarrassment I would have felt if she had been looking down that delicate
feature at me. There are some things to
be said about height although I would have risked a pile of amethysts that she
could make you feel two inches tall without even moving. Like her back, her facial skin was smooth
and lightly tanned. There was not a
glimmer of a freckle or beauty mark in sight.
Her lips were full, not quite pouty, and were a dark shade of pink. They must have been her natural color
because all I could see was a trace of lip-gloss on those captivating
lips. But it was her eyes, those
glowing garnet orbs that drew me in. I
had seen her talisman before and I knew that her eyes had to be the same shade
as that crystal ball. Her brows were
fine and thin without being plucked and were the same shade as her hair. There was a slight scar, a tiny one, right
near the edge of her right brow. I made
a note to ask her about that when I knew her better.
As we
started talking, she drew me into speaking of my wife. It had been the first time I had ever spoken
of her to anyone, save Hotaru. She made
me feel so comfortable; I quailed at what she would do once she knew of my
feelings for her.
Thankfully,
my dear daughter saved me from blurting out the truth and making a fool of
myself. I find it hard to accept that
Hotaru is growing up; she has always been my little girl and it is hard to
convince myself that someday she will marry and have children of her own. At least I pray that is so because the
portents of the future, and the more frequent attacks do not bode well for the
Alliance. But before she does marry, I
hope she will be able to trust me enough to acquaint me with her love before
they tie the proverbial knot.
Naturally, I will give this person the " third degree " as the
Earthlings refer to it (the rest of the galaxy just think of it as a rite of
passage); after all, he will be marrying my daughter and I will take every
precaution to make sure he will be deserving of her. I say " he ", but I will not disown her if she chooses one of her
own gender. Although the idea does make
me somewhat nervous, such unions, despite Uranus and Neptune being a good
example, are not profuse.
This
really lets me know I am old, despite what my daughter's teacher says. Planning Hotaru's future before she has even
become a teenager! That is the way of
parents, it seems. No matter my dreams,
I just hope she finds a happy, peaceful, content future ahead of her. That, too, is the way of parents. Even though we know we cannot shelter our
children forever, we do try to lessen the harsh reality of life.
I gaze
once more at the woman who has captured my attention. She is talking to my daughter right now, her melodious voice soft
and gentle. They make a pretty picture. Of course, neither resembles the other, not
like Keiko and our daughter did, but it is an interesting picture nonetheless.
My
daughter looks pensive, contemplating.
Setsuna -- ah, well, I cannot hide her name any longer -- Setsuna
glances at her, and in her eyes I see the concerned look of a mother for her
child and it makes me love her even more, if that is possible. Beckoning for the tall woman to bend down,
Hotaru whispers something in her ear and whatever she said makes Setsuna
straighten up rather suddenly and blush.
It might sound rather impetuous, but she looks even cuter when she
blushes.
"
Hotaru, " I call, " what did you ask Setsuna? Remember what we talked about before. "
Hotaru
sighs and actually looks exasperated as she says, " I know, I know. Although I would still like to know why
women who are fa--, er, stout, are constantly going to the bathroom. "
Setsuna
gives me a mystified look and this time, I am the one blushing.
"
Hotaru, not all women who are, er, round about the middle constantly go to the
bathroom. Only some women, and those
women usually have pragmatic reasons. "
"
Like what? "
"
Some may be pregnant, some may have bladder problems, etc. " This conversation
was really not what I had in mind and was definitely not getting rid of my
blush. It was instead making it more
intense, and even more so because the woman I was falling in love with was
smiling at me amusedly.
"
Hotaru, perhaps we could pursue this conversation another time? "
"
Papa, I am already eight years old! You
said asking questions is not a bad thing. "
"
Asking questions is not a bad thing, " Setsuna said firmly, stepping
in. " But there are some things
that are better discussed in private, little one. "
The two
shared a look and Hotaru nodded and said, " I see what you mean. But I would still like to know why being
pregnant makes you go to the bathroom a lot. "
"
Hotaru, you know how the baby is inside the woman, right? " I said
quickly.
"
Uh-huh. "
"
Well, the place where the baby is, is right on top of the bladder and
well...you see? "
Hotaru
nodded sagely.
"
Pregnant women have bladder problems. "
"
Well, uh... " I gave up and glanced helplessly at Setsuna. I may have studied genetics but that does
not make me an obstetrician. I really
do not find it easy to explain matters concerning human anatomy, particularly
female anatomy.
Setsuna
gave me a wry look and shook her head before kneeling down in front of Hotaru
and explaining.
"
What your father means, Hotaru-chan, is that for now, many women who are
pregnant have to go to the bathroom often.
However, if you talk about it, please try not to do it often. "
"
Why? "
"
It's just that most people are not...comfortable with having to go to the
bathroom often. Imagine if you had to
go to the bathroom, say, every five minutes. " At Hotaru's age, five minutes often felt like half an hour but
Setsuna had managed to get the point across.
"
Okay, " she agreed. "
Arigatou, Meiou-san. " Then, she
hugged Setsuna around the waist. I
gather from the surprised look on her face that she was not used to being
hugged often, but in less than a second, her look faded from surprised to
something like content as she stood up slowly and cradled Hotaru with the
expertise that could only have come from experience. I was startled but also rather pleased. The fact that Hotaru allowed Setsuna to hold her added to my own
belief that Setsuna had a warm and kind heart and fueled the tiny hope I held
that she might listen to, if not accept, my feelings. I have trusted Hotaru's judgement before that day.
There was
a time when a council of every planet leader in the solar system had gathered
to judge two companies of traders that did business in our solar system. Each company had their own representative. One was cold and distant, seemingly dismissive
while the other was engaging with a warm air and often cracked small jokes near
the end of each assembly. I found that
Hotaru, only six at the time, would often follow the former representative, who
glanced at the child at his heels occasionally but otherwise did nothing
else. But she shrank away from the
other representative who on occasion gave her some sweets and ruffled her
hair.
Less than
a week after the first assembly, a plot was uncovered concerning the second
company who was working with some envious folk outside our solar system who
were jealous of our prosperity. They
were planning to infiltrate the council and kill us off, one by one. How they thought they could manage this
absurd scheme was beyond comprehension.
Nevertheless, I have taken into mind the way Hotaru acts around people.
"
You look pensive, Your Ma-Souichi, " Setsuna recovered just in time,
blushing once more. If anything, it was
more bewitching than before, although I wished she would feel more comfortable
calling me by my birth name. She must
have been rigorously trained in court etiquette.
" I
was just thinking about how easily you hold her, " I said, gesturing
towards my daughter. Her face was calm
in sleep, her dark-violet hair falling just past her shoulders, her body held
in arms that I only wished I could stroke and her head resting against
Setsuna's breast.
She
shrugged slightly and I gulped, snapping my eyes back to her face and shouting
mentally at myself for acting so rudely.
" I
used to baby-sit the rest of the Senshi when they were little, mostly Haruka
and Michiru, " she said, absently cradling Hotaru. " The memories help...to take away the
loneliness. "
"
You are lonely, then? Your post cannot
be an easy one, no matter how much of an honor it is. "
"
You seem to be the first one to see it besides Queen Serenity, and the rest of
the Outer Senshi. " Her voice was flat, monotone.
" No
wonder you and my daughter understand each other so much. " The words were out of my mouth before I
could stop them.
Instead
of growing colder, her eyes glimmered faintly with something resembling
tears. Bowing her head, she stared at
my daughter's face, stroking her fingers against one small cheek. Hotaru whimpered softly and I stroked the
fine hairs across her forehead; that gesture always seems to quiet her. As she stopped, I removed my hand slowly so
as not to disturb her and without thinking, brushed it across the top of
Setsuna's breast. I colored even more
deeply than I had from Hotaru's questioning but she seemed not to have
noticed. I saw a shiver run through
her, though. Unsure of whether it was
from my faux pas or from the slight chill that began to settle in the air, I
chose to remove my cloak and draped it over her shoulders.
"
You should not do that, " her quiet voice interrupted. " You'll catch a cold. "
"
Rather me than you, " I replied.
"
Rather none at all, " she retorted and wrapped the other end around my
shoulders, moving closer as she did so.
As we
drew closer to conserve the heat, I noticed her eyes upon mine and decided to
take a risk. I stared back and nearly
fell backwards. She knew. She had known all along, ever since she saw
my face.
"
How can you? I am more than ten years
your senior, I have been married, I have loved another. That is my daughter you are holding. The future is not assured. "
"
No, it is not. " Her eyes held me
and I looked away, ashamed, for who should know better about how time works
than its Guardian?
" I
have told you, " she continued, " that I am lonely, yet I have never sought
anyone to tell that loneliness, too.
You are the first man that has understood me besides my father and I
believe that I love you. I know you
loved your wife, and I thank her for it because if you have loved before, you
may love again. Do you not love me?
"
Her eyes
bore into mine and I saw that same selflessness that my wife had. She would not cling if I refused but neither
would she stop loving me. If that
should happen, she would still be a true foster mother and teacher to my
daughter and would treat me in a polite, if not friendly, manner should we meet
again. Yet, if I accepted her love, she
would accept me in return, without hesitation, wholeheartedly, without turning
back. She would not try to erase the
love I had born for my wife out of my heart, not that she ever could. That is what her eyes told me, promised me,
and at that moment, I knew why I had survived all these years after Keiko's
death. Not just to raise Hotaru and
take care of my realm, but also to meet the one whom I would be with until the
end of this life and in all the lifetimes to come.
" I
love you, Setsuna, Princess of Pluto, Guardian of Time, Senshi of the Lower
World. There are not enough words for
me to say what I feel for you. I love
everything I have seen and known about you and I would like to spend the rest
of my life, with you, learning about you, loving you. I love you as King of Saturn, Lord of the Planet of Destruction. I love you as the father of Hotaru. But most of all, I love you as Souichi, a
mere man, one who will live and die and perhaps be reborn again to join you
once more. Can you accept me as I am?
"
Her eyes
lit up joyously, and she whispered simply, " I can accept you as that and
more. "
Then her
lips met mine, and I was shattered.
Everything faded away except the feeling of her in my arms, a child
between us, not one made by both of us, but one who had, in the end, brought us
together. The cloak fell off our
shoulders. I wanted to hold her
forever. Even without the kiss, that
would have been enough.
We broke
apart as Hotaru woke up, yawning.
She
blinked and looked at us quizzically before asking, " Papa, are you and
Setsuna-san going to get married yet or do we have to wait until the
moonblossom falls? "
The
moonblossom was an exceptional flower that grew from a gigantic, leafy
tree. There was only one bud each year,
and it always fell without ever blooming, except for every thousand years,
where it would bloom for a night and day and then fall to the ground. Ever since the founding of the Moon Kingdom,
these trees have existed only in a particular glade and members of the Royal
Guard are sanctioned nearby to guard the trees in case anyone would be
sacrilegious enough to bring them harm.
"
Yeah, she's right, " said a new, somewhat familiar voice nearby. The Senshi of Fire and Princess of Mars,
Rei, stepped out from behind a bush in the back.
"
It's about time, " chorused Makoto and Minako, Senshi of Thunder and Wood
and Senshi of Love, respectively.
"
Glad to see you made up your mind, " Haruka offered.
"
Actually, she's really disappointed that you're no longer single, "
Michiru teased Setsuna, and then squealed as Haruka tickled the back of her
neck.
Apparently,
the Senshi of Wind and the Senshi of the Seas were in full accord once more and
none the worse for wear from their " excursion " in the garden.
"
You guys planned this? " Setsuna demanded, her face blazing mostly from
embarrassment rather than fury.
"
Not really, " Makoto said.
" It
was Serenity's idea, " Rei broke in.
"
Did someone call my name? " the cheerful Princess of the Moon piped
up. She was leading a reluctant man in
a white mask, black top hat and cape, and tuxedo.
"
Why, you- " Haruka was rearing to go.
"
Haruka, two words, " Michiru said sternly. " Fight. Couch.
"
Haruka
deflated and subsided, muttering. There
were several muffled giggles from the rest of the Senshi, most of them from
Serenity.
" I
am pleased to see you made it, Mamoru-kun, " I said, calling the Prince of
Earth by his alias.
Endymion
blushed from the neck up.
"
Well, it wasn't easy, but this plus Serenity was worth it, " he sad.
" What do you mean 'plus'? "
Serenity demanded.
"
Usako... " Those two were at it
again. Everyone just rolled their eyes
and sighed. What else could one do?
"
Speaking of moonblossoms, " Princess Ami of Mercury, Senshi of Water,
spoke up, " I've done some calculations- "
All of
us, even Serenity and Endymion, groaned in unison.
"
-And they say that the moonblossoms should be falling, oh, right about now,
" Ami finished up with a grin.
There were gasps all around and every one of us made it to the railing
in time to receive a blast of translucent, luminescent petals in their faces. When we managed to clear our eyes, we were
in time to see the shower of moonblossom petals.
Did I
forget to mention that though the flowers bloom only once every thousand years,
that blossom is
about twenty feet in diameter and has, according to
statistics, millions of petals?
As we
stood there, watching the shower, I felt a warm hand grasp mine. I turned to smile at Setsuna and we
exchanged a quick kiss before she sighed and leaned into me. I saw that Endymion and Serenity were
similarly engaged, as were Haruka and Michiru, and the Inner Senshi had their
Knights. Hotaru looked at me, then at
Setsuna.
We shared
a look, and then Setsuna lifted Hotaru into her arms, as I wrapped my hand
around her waist. My cape, once more on
my shoulders, fluttered behind us in the wind.
I rested my chin on Setsuna's head, inhaling her scent. Hotaru and I smiled at each other and then
she settled into Setsuna's hold, resting her head once more on Setsuna's
breast.
We stood
there, all of us together, staring at the night sky with the thousands of stars
twinkling in the night. Never in my
life had I felt so content. I looked at
Hotaru thoughtfully; maybe I would get use to saying " our " daughter
again one day, who knew?
" It
looks like we have no excuse now, not with the moonblossoms falling, "
Setsuna said to me.
"
Isn't that the way it should be? " I asked her. She sighed in contentment and so did I.
As
always, destiny would have the last word.
