Disclaimer:
I don't own Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi-sama does. Toei Animation made the series, DiC abused it and ViZ Media owns the N.A. Rights to it now. That said, this is a labor of love not of profit. All I ask is for feedback.
Hotaru's Date part 10
Inner Dialogue
by
Lance the Flamesniper
No one knew who was more upset when the meeting was called. But when the Outer Senshi call a meeting it must be important. It was to be held at the Cherry Hill Temple. Thus, at four in the afternoon, four girls in their early twenties gathered at the Temple.
"Couldn't this wait? I was in the middle of work and had a deadline!" whined Usagi.
"Can it Meatball brain! We all have lives that were interrupted!" Rei huffed. She was in the middle of writing a new song and had not want to be disturbed.
"Rei! Why are you so mean to me!?" wailed Usagi.
"This," A male voice began, "Is the Moon Princess?"
"Hard to imagine, I know," A female voice added teasingly.
The four turned to see what at first glance would seem a set of twins. The two had raven black hair and violet eyes. However the way that the girl, Hotaru Tomoe, also known to her fellow Senshi as Sailor Saturn, leaned her head on his shoulder gave away that they were in no way related and that their looks mere coincidence. On the man's other shoulder sat a grey cat with violet eyes.
Just then the ever late Minako arrived. For a long moment no one spoke. Then came the sound of a speeding car screeching to a halt. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna walked casually into the yard a few minutes later.
"You are aware," Setsuna began. "That there are speed limits posted for driving in the city right Haruka?"
"And those limits are?" Haruka shot back.
"About forty kph less than what you drive," Setsuna said under her breath.
"I see you've seen the reason for our Meeting," Michiru said ignoring the argument and indicating the young man standing next to Hotaru.
"He's the reason you called us in?" Makoto asked looking very skeptically at the man.
"Hey I remember you! You're James Everwolfe. I was at your art show last night!" Usagi gushed.
"Yes, your majesty, I remember you as well," James replied with a slight bow.
"You're the one I gave the fire reading to!" Rei said remembering him.
"Guilty as charged," James agreed. Upon seeing these five relatively new people suddenly go into defensive stances made him raise an eyebrow to Haruka.
"As much as I hate to admit it, He's not an enemy. He's a guardian. Specifically he is the Saturn Knight," Haruka said with an sigh.
"A guardian?" All five inner Senshi responded.
"The guardian of Saturn," Setsuna cut in. "Athena and I will explain."
Just then the cat on James's shoulder spoke up. "I'm from the future you see, I was sent back to find the guardians. James was the first I found. For six years we've been battling Somnius who is looking for Crystal Dreams."
"Crystal Dreams are the heart of Crystal Tokyo," James added.
"Okay, so what about these Guardians?" Makoto asked.
"There are six Guardians. They're are made up of four princes, a knight and the Earth King," Setsuna answered.
"Only six? Why only six and which three don't have one?" Minako asked silently hoping that she would have a guardian.
"Well clearly we know two that do. The Earth Prince belongs with Sailor Moon. And Saturn has one," Ami said sparing a glance at the dreamy looks being passed between the pair from the ringed planet.
"Yes, but so does Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Pluto," Hotaru added as she broke out of her dreamy-eyed state.
"Wait! I don't get one?" Minako asked frantically as her worst fear was realized.
"That's right," Haruka said. "But neither does Neptune or Uranus.
"That… That's so not fair!" Minako groaned.
"You can blame Beryl for that," Setsuna said mysteriously.
"Why is that?" Minako asked.
"Do any of you remember the final night?" James asked.
"We were told about it. None of us remember it except maybe Setsuna," Ami stated.
"Okay well from what was pieced together in our post battle meeting the Guardians of Uranus, Neptune and Venus were not on the Moon for final night and thus were not sent forward," James said.
"Wait… Post-battle meeting?" Makoto asked.
"One of Somnius' nightmares attacked Michiru after the art show last night," Haruka said. "We found out about James being a guardian during the battle."
"We're going to have to find the other Guardians and fast. Somnius is very powerful and we need to defeat him before it's too late," James said and was rewarded with the others nodding.
It was early evening now and the Meeting had broken up. Only Setsuna and Athena remained. Setsuna stared wistfully as the setting sun her mind drifting back several years into the past.
"You know I'm not from the future you know of don't you?" The cat said.
Setsuna was quiet for a moment then answered. "Yes, I do."
"In my future, this mission fails. Do you know why?"
"I know many things about the way this Timeline should be, but not all things."
"We found all but one Guardian, according to the history I was told. But then, we weren't able to find the last one and Somnius destroyed all of us."
"I see. Have you told James of his failure?"
"No. I was sent back with the knowledge so that I could stop him from failing. However, the last Guardian was yours."
"What?"
"We never found the Guardian of Pluto. The others turned up but when it came time to look for yours, he was never located. Somnius was able to find the Crystal Dreams and destroy everything."
"I know where he is," Setsuna said with a trace of sadness. "But, I can't get to him. Not yet at least."
"Then I suggest," Athena said as she got up to leave. "You find a way to do so. Or the future is doomed."