This is what happens when you have writers block and don't want to write the angsty, intense scenes you should be writing and instead try to count how many planets are in the solar system… and keep coming up short even though you're including Pluto. Hint - it's Earth. Anyway, that got me thinking to when the demoted Pluto, and then I felt like Setsuna would have some pretty strong things to say about that, and then this whole backstory with her hating her father developed… I am the worlds best procrastinator, trust me. Anyway, just a little drabble. Enjoy.
Meiou Setsuna considered herself to be a fairly reasonable and patient person – she had, after all, centuries of practice at her disposal. Through eras she had stood quietly at her post, drowning out the sound of screams as humankind ripped itself apart because the three laws she was held to demanded it – she simply could not leave her post.
When large blue eyes had begged her to defer, begged her to tell her what would happen she hadn't waivered. When similar tearful red eyes had done the same, begged for answers, she had stayed strong, albeit caving a little by giving Small Lady a key to travel in time. Still, in a lifetime of standing strong she hardly considered that to be a mark on her record.
A soft twinkling could be heard as the crystal keys around her hips tapped against each other, a reminder she hadn't powered down yet. Still, despite the security system Haruka and Ami had designed she didn't feel safe until she'd checked every inch of the house herself. But first, she would rest.
Tonight's battle had been particularly grueling, but Pluto never complained – it made her feel alive to be protecting her princess instead of standing dormant at the gates of time. Her father had condemned her to that position out of jealousy for her true destiny, her chance to get away from the darkness of the underworld. He would never forgive her for her gift of foresight, her star seed that glittered brighter than his or those of her brothers.
"Kronos you old fool," she whispered to no one in particular, crossing her long legs and placing the heels of her boots on the coffee table as she stirred her lemon soda thoughtfully. The newscaster droned on about this and that and something else but she didn't pay him any mind until a word he said piqued her interest.
"Big news today for the planet Pluto!" He began, a painted smile marring his average features. She eyed his flawlessly gelled hair, the way he brushed his hand against the knee of his female coworker too frequently, the way she pretended to laugh it off despite obvious discomfort. Women could be so ridiculous; Setsuna would have had him on his knees with the sharpest points of her garnet key at his jugular for such a trite act. Perhaps that was why she struggled to find love in the modern day.
"Capping years of intense debate, astronomers resolved today to demote Pluto in a wholesale redefinition of planethood that is being billed as a victory of scientific reasoning over historic and cultural influences. But already the decision is being hotly debated."
She sat forward, abandoning her lax posture of moments before for a tense spine, her fingernails digging into her palm as she gripped her garnet key, elbows resting on her knees as she leaned forward.
"Officially, as of today, Pluto is no longer a planet."
Pluto stared back at the huge screen blankly, blinking as she took in his words. She ran her hands over her face, through her hair, along her side, over her legs. Well she certainly still felt like she belonged to a planet. Her garnet key still glowed just as brightly, and one glance at her reflection told her the insignia of Pluto on her forehead still glittered just as bright as it had before.
"Pluto is not a planet," the flashy man continued, smiling as if he were simply relaying the weather to her. "There are finally, officially, eight planets in the solar system. Pluto is dead."
She stood slowly, face neutral as she smoothed her obsidian black skirt over her toned thighs. He was certainly twisting the knife in, alright. She could almost picture him, shrouded in darkness, laughing gleefully at this turn of events. Most likely he had been waiting centuries for this. She turned from the television, walking slowly towards the kitchen.
"Pluto is now considered to be a dwarf planet, of which there are millions. There is nothing special about Pluto anymore, nothing unique that sets it apart from the millions of other dwarf planets. In fact, to most people this won't matter one bit –"
"Dead scream," she murmured quietly, flinging the garnet orb directly at the television scream. It shattered into a thousand pieces, smoke rising from her garnet orb as it returned to her hand, hot to the touch. She blew gently, fanning the smoke away with her cool breath as her dangerously glittering eyes locked on a calm Haruka.
"I take it you heard the news," she drawled, stepping over the shards of glass littering the living room. "Shame you had to take it out on my T.V."
"I give it a day. It's just Kronos trying to get his last laugh in." She brushed Haruka off with a wave of her hand, glass crunching beneath her feet. "Those were the words that littered my childhood before Queen Selenity took me away, Haruka. I'd recognize them anywhere."
And with a long toss of her jade-green hair the senshi of Pluto stalked out of the living room to seek council with her princess, who she was very certain would consider her to be very much a planet and condemn this whole thing to a farce.
"Take that, Kronos," she whispered with a satisfied smirk, blowing a poisonous kiss towards the ground where he was locked for eternity.
FIN