Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the its characters. All original characters, however, are mine.
Solstice
Chapter 7
"Usako! Where's my breakfast?"
Mamoru stood in the kitchen, frowning with displeasure. On top of no apparent breakfast, the kitchen was absolutely filthy. A mountain of dirty dishes filled the sink, threatening to spill over on the sticky floor. The stove top was covered in grease and the white counters now had colorful food stains. But the kitchen was not the only victim of his fiancée's laziness. Their entire apartment looked like a neglected museum. Clothes, about two week's worth of laundry, covered the living room couches. A thick layer of dust hung on the television and window sills. The dinner table wobbled under slight pressure. And worst of all, Mamoru could spot the tail end of a cockroach scurry under the bathroom door. What the hell was wrong with Usagi?
"UUUsako!" He called again, this time stretching out the nickname. "I need some-,"
"I already told you I wasn't cooking this morning."
She answered from the bedroom. When Mamoru moved to stand in the doorway, he saw her fastening a knee-length black dress. It was not Usagi's normal style. The last time he checked she loved bright pinks and blues and yellows. In fact, there was not a floral print or set of stripes Usagi didn't like. But this dress was not only solid black but tight. Not scandalous, nightclub tight of course. However, Mamoru didn't appreciate that its slim silhouette accentuated Usagi's curves for all to see or the modest V-neckline still exposed skin.
"I don't think that dress is appropriate for you."
Her blue eyes rolled. "Arigato, okaa-san."
"You don't have to be rude, Usagi. I'm just trying to look out for you."
She hated when he sounded more like a brother than her fiancé. But Usagi chose to say nothing as she focused on brushing her hair into a decent ponytail. It was getting too long again, too hard to manage.
"I need a haircut." The blonde sighed.
"Iie. You want a haircut. But what you need is a job." Mamoru frowned. "I hope this is for an interview."
Usagi glanced at him in surprise. "Don't you remember?"
It was hard to remember anything. Any problem Ryo Takeda had in life was also Mamoru's problem. Lately, the chairman was encountering many problems between acquiring Ueda Steel and helping the New York office through a Wall Street scandal. Chairman Ueda was hesitant on signing the final contracts, irritating the board of both corporations. He was an old man with a useless son who no one wanted to see take the reins after his father retired. Nevertheless, Ueda held onto to the belief that a family business should stay within the family. New York was an even stickier situation. Several executives had been indicted on fraud and embezzlement. When the office's president arrived in Tokyo and proved himself to be a clueless figurehead, Ryo had gone insane. All inside the executive suite cowered in fear as Ryo's loud roars echoed from his office and valuable art objects crashed against its supposedly soundproof walls. Now, because the chairman refused to go to the Big Apple himself, Mamoru was responsible for helping Akihito Anzai- the new president of Takeda Financial New York- in his transition.
Then, as if an angry boss wasn't bad enough, Mamoru also had to figure out why charming, amiable Motoki was suddenly harassing almost the entire marketing department. The Board of Directors hated dealing with the drones in human resources, so they charged Mamoru and several other secretaries to maintain a relative amount of peace in the executive suite. And then there was the Ajibana deal...
"Norio Tsuhara's funeral is today," reminded Usagi. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she took in his light green sweater. "You promised to go with me."
Oh yes. That. Mamoru shifted uncomfortably. Norio Tsuhara was, or had been, Usagi's boss. His family owned Tsuhara Gym where she'd been working as a personal trainer and fitness instructor for almost three years. He had been a very nice man who was also dedicated to his job. Unfortunately, Tsuhara chose to be dedicated the night of Lord Charon's attack, sneaking back into the office without telling anyone. During the ogre's rampage, a wall fell and crushed him to death.
"Gomen nasai, Usako, but I have an important meeting today."
Mamoru knew she would not understand. She hadn't been the same since that night. The attack left the gym completely destroyed but, even though she stayed home all day, Usagi refused to clean or find a new job. For the past two weeks, the blonde moped around with a sad glimmer in her eye. Often, she stared off into space for hours at a time, sighing. And some days, Mamoru came home to find Usagi weeping in bed, absolutely crying her heart out. Yet whenever he tried to comfort her, she quickly dried her eyes and coldly asked him to go away.
"You promised."
Indeed, he had. However, Yayoi Takeda was waiting for him with Sakura Hideo in Ginza: Tokyo's most upscale shopping and dining district.
"Usako, the last thing I need right now is grief."
"Why do you never make time for me? It's always about you or your lousy job or-,"
"My job may be lousy," interrupted Mamoru angrily. "but at least it helps pay the bills! What are you doing now, Usagi? This place is a pig sty, which I might forgive if you were actually job hunting!"
For a moment, Usagi looked as if she would fly into one of her old temper tantrums. She instead turned away to put on pearl jewelry. The earrings were simple studs but seeing a little "M" charm dangle from the necklace- a strand of beautiful white pearls-made Mamoru's eyes bulge.
"Is that Mikimoto? Because if it is, take it back right now!"
That she would buy expensive jewelry while he slaved to keep food on the table made his blood boil. Usagi, however, didn't bother to acknowledge her fiancé's outrage.
"This necklace belonged to my grandmother." The blonde calmly replied. "As for me not helping out, I talked to my parents yesterday. They've agreed to pay my half of the rent until things get better. Here's the check."
She handed it to Mamoru from her purse and gasped as he promptly tore it into confetti.
"Not all of us have mama and papa to run home to." He growled, recalling his lonely childhood. "I refuse to live on your parent's money. Either get a job or move out!"
Now the Moon Princess was glaring. "You don't rule the world yet." She shoved past her prince on the way out, intentionally butting his shoulder. "Remember that."
"That was the saddest funeral in history!"
Minako Aino was sometimes over-dramatic but, in this case, her friends agreed with her wholeheartedly. Norio Tsuhara's funeral happened an hour ago and the Inner Senshi still felt plagued by the memory of the sobbing mourners. He had been a great man, a devoted son, an awesome friend, a wonderful husband, and also a good boss. Ami, Rei, Makoto, and Minako had not known him personally. However, it was obvious by her behavior that Usagi needed them there. Their normally cheerful leader was in an insurmountable stupor. Nothing her friends did or said could shake the sorrowful look off her face or loosen the stiff, robotic way she walked. Even worse, instead of releasing her pain at the funeral, Usagi was the only person who sat through the entire ceremony without crying.
"I didn't even know the guy and I was bawling!" Makoto exclaimed. "It's so sad about his wife. To be six months pregnant and already a single mom..."
"Unfathomable." Ami concluded. Her deep blue orbs glittered sadly. "Do you think it was wise to let Usagi-chango like that?"
"It's not like she gave us a choice." Rei sighed. "She obviously blames herself for what happened."
After paying respects to the grieving widow, Usagi had walked off in a daze despite her friends' pleas to wait.
"Mamoru should have come. I can't believe he ditched her for a business date!"
Makoto glanced knowingly at the dark-haired priestess. "So you've noticed it too?"
"Noticed what?"
The question came from Ami who, though young, was happily married to her college sweetheart, a fellow doctor named Jiro Nakamura. Makoto and Rei, on the other hand, were living the single life which in Tokyo meant enduring a series of bad boyfriends and broken hearts. They noticed that, whenever a conversation came to Mamoru, Usagi no longer got stars in her eyes. Gone were the long, yearning sighs and her annoying habit of talking about him nonstop. Nowadays, the blonde barely spoke about Mamoru or their relationship at Senshi meetings- a direct contrast to the day after she had moved in with him three years ago. That day, Usagi could not stop giggling or texting Mamoru or blushing like crazy whenever Haruka teasingly made implicit references to sex.
That day, she was happy, carefree Usagi: a princess madly in love with her prince charming. But now...
"Hey, I have an idea!" Though ever unlucky in love, Minako did not notice Makoto and Rei's silent exchange. "Since we're all dressed up, let's go somewhere nice for lunch. My treat!"
Minako was a rare, refreshing breed of prestigious pedigree meets down-to-earth attitude.
Her father owned a pharmaceutical company though a stranger would not know it by looking at her. Minako hated flashy designer labels or notice-me pieces of jewelry. So whenever her middle-class friends asked why she shopped at the same stores as them, she would joke, "What am I, a billboard?" Nevertheless, Rei, Ami, and Makoto knew that "somewhere nice" for Minako meant a swanky, Michelin-starred restaurant.
Surely enough, they walked into Black Widow fifteen minutes later and were amazed by its dark, sensual interiors. During the day, the infamous nightclub doubled as a respectable restaurant on its lower floors, so one could never know if the elite guests who were delicately consuming Western cuisine now had been shaking their asses on the dance floor last night.
"Wow, there are so many famous people here!" Rei whispered as the maitre'd recognized Satoru Aino's daughter and quickly led them to a prime table.
Ami nodded in agreement. Though not public celebrities, everyone else here either owned a major corporation or was associated with one. "Do you know all these people, Minako-chan?"
The waiter helped each Senshi into her seat and then handed out menus. "Sure, I guess. No one I'm friends with though." Minako's big blue eyes scanned the crowd around them, flicking over both young and old faces. She spotted the CEO of Sadao Manufacturing, one of her father's many business associates. Three tables down, there was also Ginko Watanabe- a woman Minako's mother absolutely despised- with junior committee members of the Tokyo Aid Fund. Many others looked vaguely familiar, probably attendees of her parents' boring social functions.
The Senshi of Love shrugged and then growled at her menu. "I hate when they put everything in French! We live in Tokyo, not Paris!"
"Too bad Usagi-chanisn't here." Makoto pointed out. "She actually understands this stuff."
After barely being accepted to the same high school as her friends, Usagi had decided to take her studies more seriously. She still could not rival Ami in academics. Honestly, who could? But once she actually focused on schoolwork, Usagi became a very good student. She was a bright girl who liked to think about the world at large, gaining an interest in politics as well as a talent for foreign languages. By the end of freshman year, Usagi was tutoring her friends in French grammar, not the other way around. Sometimes, Ami suspected that if Usagi had not been so eager to marry Mamoru, she would have gone on to university. Maybe even in America since her English was superb.
"I'm really worried about her, girls." The blue-haired doctor slowly sipped on her glass of water. "Where do you think she went?"
"Maybe she went to visit Pluto in the hospital." Rei suggested.
Norio Tsuhara was not the only victim of the ogre attack. Sailor Pluto was discovered a mile away the next morning, bruised and battered. Fortunately, she had been found in civilian attire, her Senshi form having powered down because of her weak energy levels. Ever since then, the Time Guardian only drifted in and out of consciousness. The Inner Senshi believed that Pluto had lured the enemy away from Usagi to fight him one-on-one and the Outers agreed with them. Hotaru lived abroad with her father's family, so she was harder to reach. But Haruka and Michiru were now on their way from Osaka with the cats to discuss strategies for the future.
But wasn't their future supposed to be one of love and peace? At least, that was what Minako always saw when she envisioned Crystal Tokyo. No one, especially not Pluto, had ever drawn a creep by the name of Lord Charon into the picture.
"This new Lord Charon seems like a real creep." Rei said, unintentionally echoing her blonde friend's thoughts.
Minako nodded. "We're lucky the police attributed the gym incident to a broken pipeline. But if this guy can already summon ogres who disappear into thin air, not to mention beat Pluto into a pulp, what does that say for us next time?"
The waiter returned to take their orders. Much to his surprise, they all ordered hamburgers— the only option they understood. Ami watched as he refilled her glass and then placed her head in her hands, contemplating. "Until Luna and Artemis return with the Outers, I think all we can do is wait."
"Like sitting ducks?"
"No, Makoto-chan, she's right." The Senshi of Fire replied. Her tone turned sullen. "As much as I hate to say it, we know nothing about Lord Charon. Not where he comes from or who works for him or even what he's planning to do with the Ginzuishou. All we can do is wait and look after Usagi-chanin the meantime."
The Senshi of Thunder hated waiting but she also wasn't anxious to return to full-fledged Senshi duty. Battle after battle. Youma after youma. After defeating Chaos, their supposedly last enemy, life had become relatively normal for the girls. While Makoto made amazing pastries at a popular bakery in Shinjuku, Ami was finishing her residency at Tokyo Municipal Hospital. And when not busy pursuing an MBA, Rei helped operate Cherry Hill Temple with her grandfather. Minako still wished to become an idol but also worked part-time at a fancy public relations firm. The Inners had approached these careers with a grain of salt: taking them seriously but always remembering that Crystal Tokyo was around the corner.
"Speaking of waiting," The Senshi of Love's voice became an excited whisper. "Did you see what a hunk our waiter is?"
Ami sweat-dropped when her friends immediately burst into girlish giggles as well as recollections of old boyfriends. None of them had really changed since high school, which was in many ways a good thing. They were the same group of friends who loved and cared for one another. The same warriors who had successfully defeated some of the universe's greatest evils. If Lord Charon attacked again, Ami was confident the Senshi would be ready for him.
"Is everything to your liking, sir?"
Only after analyzing every decorative detail did Titan reluctantly nod in approval. Under his orders, the hotel staff had transformed his suite into a lovers' paradise. The suite's contemporary furniture was replaced with soft, white sofas and chaises. Dozens of lit tea candles created a dim, romantic atmosphere. Sensual jazz played in the background. Red and white rose petals covered the plush carpeting and nearly everywhere one turned was a bouquet of gorgeous flowers. Chocolates from the gourmet shop downstairs were artistically arranged on the coffee table beside rectangular velvet boxes. Meanwhile, in the dining room, attendants put the finishing touches on the table settings: arranging precious white China, gold flatware, tall white candles, and also fluffing the now silk-covered chairs.
"What about the food?"
"Just as you requested, sir." The chief attendant replied. "Three courses of French cuisine. All warm and ready to be enjoyed."
Titan swept a critical eye over the uniformed butlers who would be serving his meal tonight. "I am expecting the hotel's full discretion."
Strangers were always nosy when it came to these sorts of things. Therefore, Titan was paying everyone here extremely well to keep their mouths shut about Usagi's presence.
"Not a whisper shall escape these walls, sir." The chief attendant assured. "You have my word."
"Excellent. I told her to come at seven forty-five but she's always late. Please have everyone out of here in ten minutes."
Titan knew Usagi very well. Even though she no longer stampeded to wherever she needed to go, the blonde was more often late than not. Their evening would start at eight o'clock just as he planned. Though forgetting to thank the attendants, Titan quietly entered his bedroom so as not to disturb them. It had a similar romantic aura except petals covered the bed instead of the floor. After exchanging an old sweater for a Versace dress shirt, Titan thoughtfully stroked the pillows. His eyes glowed as he imagined long, golden hair spread across them. Usagi's flushed face filled with loving desire. Her shrill shrieks of pleasure as he thrust into her tight-
"Yamete." Titan commanded himself, trying not to feel the heat spreading through his body. "Bunny may not even be in the mood."
But, oh, how he hoped she was! They had not made love since before her accident two weeks ago: an eternity on Titan's timeline. Yes, Titan was horny. So much so that it was affecting his job performance.
However, at first, waiting was no problem. Sex did not even enter his mind as he fretted over Usagi's physical condition in the hospital. His rabbit had been unconscious for two whole days and it killed Titan that he couldn't see her. Mamoru and all her friends visited Usagi during lunch and after work: the only times Titan could leave work himself without suspicion. Yes, he could have played the concerned friend but Titan doubted he'd be able to maintain that charade if he saw his angel all bruised up and Mamoru not doing anything to help her. So as soon as he learned Usagi was awake, Titan sent a concerned apology note with the prettiest strand of pearls he could find at Mikimoto.
For the next three days, he did not hear a reply. Usagi was obviously angry with him, Titan had believed. During that period of silence, he constantly cursed himself for not properly caring for her, wondering how or even ifhe could make it up to her. But on the fourth day, when Titan entered one of the chauffeured company cars to return home, he was shocked to find Usagi already in the backseat.
"Bunny!" Titan had exclaimed. "What are you-,"
"You look so cute when you're surprised." Her smile relaxed into a longing sigh. "I needed to see you."
With that, the blonde attacked her lover with sweet kisses and soft caresses. Titan recalled how she had begun to grind against his groin, driving him crazy. How he had slid off her sweater and unfastened her bra. The way Usagi cooed when he sucked her nipples while sliding a hand into her jeans, cupping her hot core. They kept that up for several blissful minutes: grinding, tasting, and touching. Making it even hotter was the fact the chauffeur had no clue what was happening behind the tinted window, too busy focusing on the heavy traffic ahead. But just as Titan was ready to impale Usagi on his rock-hard member, she pushed him back. "Gomen nasai. I-I can't do this!"
The blonde hurriedly fixed her clothes and leapt out of the car as soon as it stopped, weaving through honking cars just to get away from him. Titan had been left a hot, confused mess but what disturbed him more was the sad, empty look in Usagi's eyes when she apologized. His rabbit was obviously hurting. How could he have missed it? What had happened during their time apart?
"Sir?" The chief attendant called at Titan's bedroom door. "Everything is ready. Was there anything else you needed?"
"Hai. Please bring up a bottle of your best champagne."
"Right away, sir."
Wine would be served with dinner but champagne was more likely to help Usagi relax. She hadn't confided in him since the explosion- a fact that made Titan frown. They worked to make their secret love like any good relationship: one built on trust and understanding. Usagi's engagement to Mamoru had never stopped her from sharing all her hopes and fears with Titan. In return, excluding his plans for Mamoru, he never kept secrets from the blonde. She knew all about his darkest desires, his deepest insecurities, even his silent yearning for something more fulfilling than corporate life.
"It's almost time."
Titan envisioned how the night would proceed. The flowers. The candlelight. The sweet kisses and tender touches. First, he would properly restore their emotional intimacy. He would try not to pressure her. But maybe, after helping her begin to heal, Usagi would reward him with lovemaking. Titan sighed. He was definitely getting soft. There had been many women before Usagi but none of those gold-digging whores had made him feel so in love, much less alive. The dream, no, vision of his beloved in a beautiful wedding dress haunted Titan every night.
But it was also a source of encouragement, spurring Titan to pursue this happy fate more aggressively. He no longer believed Usagi would leave him. Especially not if her ties to Mamoru crumbled first.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Titan smiled. It was exactly eight o'clock.
"Return to the festivities."
Elegantly beautiful in a lovely black evening gown, Nanako Shijo returned the keys she had just stolen from Tokyo Municipal Hospital's administrator to her purse. The drunken fool would not miss them since he was still at the hospital's annual charity banquet several blocks away. Since Nanako's husband sat on the Board of Trustees, she had automatically garnered an invitation to the glamorous event. But tonight, she held no interest in socializing with corporate dogs or backstabbing socialites. All Nanako cared about was accomplishing her mission. Plain and simple.
"Why must I always go?" complained Arisa. She tossed her head defiantly. "You never treat me like a true Mordae! Why?"
"Because a true Mordae would never question her queen's orders!"
Sheglowered at the young blonde: her supposed second-in-command. Aurora did nothing but test Nox's patience. Being a privileged heiress did not to prepare one for the life of a proud Mordae. Living on earth had made Aurora too soft. She knew nothing of strength, of obedience. Every day, she refused to respect superiors or even her fellow Mordae, offending all except Lord Charon who would have ended the silly girl in a single breath. Yet worst of all, Lord Charon was beginning to question why Aurora was making no motions of servitude towards the Moon Princess. She had relearned the rituals yet did not seek her mistress out. Nor did she paint her nails black or brand Serenity's initials upon her thigh. And instead of training for war, Aurora lazed about the palace, enjoying luxuries she did not deserve. Nox had soon realized Aurora needed to be handled quickly if she were to become of actual use. The breaking would start as soon as Nox completed her task.
"If I had needed you," The Mordae Queen growled, "then I would have commanded your presence. Go now before I throw you down the staircase!"
Her green eyes flashed maliciously, promising pain and misfortune. Aurora huffed in response but wisely turned to leave. Nox had done far worse and those stairs were wicked tall. Besides, one lousy mission was not worth risking her life.
Once the sound of Aurora's stiletto heels disappeared, Nox opened the door to a small, private room. On the right was a hospital bed on which lie Setsuna Meioh— better known to her friends and enemies as Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of Time. After quietly closing the door behind her, Nox crept up to the bed. A smirk twisted her lips as she observed the sleeping woman's battered state. Ugly purple bruises. Swollen eyelids. A broken arm. A broken collarbone. Shattered femur. Burnt flesh. All of this was the handiwork of Lord Charon who grew stronger every day.
"You certainly aren't pretty anymore." Nox playfully slid a finger along Setsuna's brow while eyeing her hair in satisfaction. It had been savagely cut short by the Acheron Dagger: a gross insult since even slaves were allowed long, flowing hair. "Then again, I imagine none of your friends will be soon."
Princess Serenity would be the only one granted mercy since her beauty and charm was the key to securing the emperor's favor. The other Senshi would not be so lucky.
"You are lucky. My mission is not to kill you now. But eventually, you all will die. In the same manner, we Solarians died after the Moon murdered our emperor and then turned our planet into a barren wasteland. We can never return to the Sun. But I believe our people shall enjoy ruling Earth. It is only fair, ne?"
Setsuna's chapped lips grimaced. Not even an induced coma could stop the Guardian of Time from hearing all, knowing all. It was her curse.
"You know, of course, that my master has conquered Elysian. I'm sure that is why you suddenly reappeared in Tokyo. To warn the Senshi, am I right? If only you could have done the same for poor Helios…"
The boy was not dead. He knew much about the natural magic found in Elysian's lands. Lord Charon, therefore, gave Helios to the Mordae and they had broken his will to defy the new order. The Guardian of the Golden Crystal was now a slave to Ajax, the pitiless Keeper of Beasts who also enjoyed manly love.
"I imagine Ajax rapes his tight, little ass every night— another cruel fate you could have prevented." Lifting her voluminous skirts, Nox sat down in a chair beside the bed. She grabbed Setsuna's hand with her gloved ones. "You could have prevented all of this, Time Guardian, had you remembered your place. But, no, you chose to meddle. You chose to aid the Moon Queen's rebellion. You erased the memories of not only the Moon Princess but also your fellow Senshi. Shall I repeat the tale?"
Ten-thousand years ago, just as it did now, the Sun gave light and life to the galaxy. Its people, Solarians, were a great warrior race who wielded magic along with mortal weapons to form an even greater empire. Their men were powerful. Their women were brilliant. Their soldiers were courageous in expanding the empire yet also fearless in maintaining its celestial borders. Every planet and star had its own royalty but each ultimately answered to the Sun and its capital Solaria. In return, all was guided by the mighty Emperor Leonides: an immortal warrior-king who was said to be the human embodiment of the Sun. A god in man's flesh. Hailed as champion of the stars, he had ruled with a lion's strength and a fox's cunning.
"My master, Lord Charon, was the emperor's most loyal general. And I, I was a Mordae."
Eyes closed, Nox stroked the hand she held gently while remembering grander days. She had lived in a world of order— a world where everyone knew their place yet in which advancement was possible. Lord Charon's father, Lord Thanatos, had established the Mordae: an elite, all-female urban cohort drawn from the lowest dregs of society. Nox recalled how, as a child, she had never known her own father. She recalled the shame of living in a brothel, of being doomed to follow the same path as her whoring mother. But one day, Lord Thanatos had come, seen the spark in Nox's eye, and taken her away. Alongside orphans and other fatherless daughters, little Nox endured the horrific nature of Mordae training. She was beaten regularly to develop high pain tolerance, whipped whenever she failed a lesson, and starved so that she could maintain fighting form on even the smallest rations. Every day, she viciously fought fellow trainees, sometimes killing them on her instructor's demand. Training succeeded in freeing Nox from compassion and self-will: unnecessary traits for a soldier. The whore's daughter was soon alpha trainee. Therefore, upon completion of her training, Nox was selected to protect one of Solaria's most elite families: the Aventii.
"I joined the House of Aventii just as Lord Thanatos passed into the afterlife. So, it was to Lord Charon that I made the sacred vow to protect and to serve. Galaxia took the same vow yet our paths diverged so. All because of your meddling." Anger flashed across Nox's face. With a flash of stealth strength, she broke Setsuna's thumb. "But that is another tale. Your worst injustice was against the Moon Princess."
Princess Serenity had been raised and educated in Solaria alongside other foreign children of noble birth, including Prince Endymion and the Inner Princesses. Though Endymion was several years older and often occupied with keeping peace on earth, Serenity had been infatuated with him until her sixteenth birthday when her father forced her to join the Sun's royal court. Nox had not attended the princess's debut herself. However, by the end of the night, the emperor was absolutely enchanted with Serenity. The immortal soul began to pursue her with relentless intensity, surprising all who had believed he was incapable of loving a woman for longer than a night.
"How Emperor Leonides looked at Serenity…" Nox coolly broke Setsuna's index finger. "Such love has never been seen since. The princess eventually abandoned her hopes for Endymion, of course. Nearly as soon as she did, wedding plans were underway. The news certainly did not please you or the Moon Queen. She was always plotting rebellion. I imagine even then she was planning for Crystal Tokyo. That so-called utopia."
The middle, ring, and little finger all snapped. A low whine escaped Setsuna's mouth, making the Mordae wonder if she could actually feel the pain.
"Who'd have thought that Queen Serenity's plan would be so successful? On the solstice, instead of celebrating the first royal wedding in Solarian history, we were mourning Emperor Leonides's death. The Divine One sacrificed his immortality to save your princess but you still erased Serenity's memories of him. Just so she would love Endymion again. And yet, the Guardian of Time is supposed to be neutral in all things. I suppose that's why you've allowed Serenity her lover now, ne? Making up for past grievances…."
After surveying her handiwork- a mess of crooked fingers- Nox began searching through the set of drawers next to Setsuna. Inside the bottommost one, on top of some clothing, was Sailor Pluto's transformation stick. How could the Senshi be stupid enough to leave it? Slightly disgusted at such incompetence, Nox placed her find next to the stolen keys in her purse. Breaking Pluto's attack hand assured temporary disuse of the Garnet Rod, which she could summon even in civilian form. However, losing the power of Pluto would severely weaken its effects on the time stream.
"You…will not…succeed…"
Setsuna still lay still. The Mordae smirked when she realized the Senshi had spoken telepathically, rather than aloud. "I already have."
It was time to return to the corporate dogs and backstabbing socialites. After smoothing her skirts, Nanako Shijo patted her purse as she elegantly descended the staircase. Mission accomplished.
Author's Note: Nice and extra-long! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well as the back story I've provided. Please remember to read and review!
