I made a Babylon 5 reference. I couldn't contain myself. If you catch it, you are cool and get brownie points.
Rei went about her afternoon sweeping, killing the last thirty minutes before everyone showed up to go back in time. Pluto had talked to her last night, explaining she was to meet her aunt, Reita, at some 'rebellion' camp and work from there for some reason. Pluto didn't say why, or give details…just confused her. She swept harder. What to expect?
Mamoru walked up the steps, carrying a black backpack on one shoulder. Rei glanced up, "Good morning, Mamoru-san," and leaned her broom against a pillar.
"So, I guess we're a team?" He shifted on his feet, just slightly.
"Yeah… I guess." She shrugged while she sat down. She stared into the distance, gazing at the cherry blossoms. "Setsuna-san gave you the run through I'm assuming."She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear that had been moved by the wind.
"Mostly, focus on Reita and Kyte and figure out what's going on. That's what I got out of it. And 'run an errand' as she said." He slid black bag off his shoulder letting it hit the ground.
She shrugged her shoulders again, not looking at him. "Yeah, she's terribly vague with everything."
"That Setsuna-san is. She never gives anymore than she absolutely has to away." He sat down on the steps and glanced out into the lawn where she was looking. After a moment of silence he added awkwardly, "The trees are gorgeous this time of year."
"Yeah." She fiddled with her white kimono. "Are you okay working with me…alone?"
"Its not a problem, you're good at what you do, Rei. Let's just get this done and get back in once piece."
"For some reason, I have the feeling this is a lot more complicated than we realize." Rei brushed more hair out of her face with a sigh. "Setsuna doesn't send back nine people in time to move a Tyldran. She could have done that herself."
"I know. But, we won't know what we're missing until we're there huh?"
"No… I think, there is a reason our memories are so short. And I think we're going to find out why." It was quiet for another minute or two. Rei just watched a few cherry blosoms fall from a tree wonder to the ground lazily.
"Rei, can I use your restroom to change? Setsuna gave me a whole pile of clothes so I blend in." He stood up abruptly.
"Sure, its back that way…to the left" She pointed into the temple. "I should go do that to."
Michiru dropped their bags into the small yellow sport's car's backseat. That was the easy part. Now, she had to go back upstairs to their condo and convince a cranky, upset, sleep deprived, Haruka to not only drive (semi safely) but to go to a 'Senshi meeting' that Michiru knew she would abhor.
She opened the white door to the condo slowly and quietly. "Haruka?" She spoke softly, almost hoping that she was asleep.
"What?" She grumbled walking out of the bedroom in a yellow sports bra and shorts, her lanky body even skinnier because she hadn't been eating well. She ran her hands through her oily unbrushed hair, messing it up even more. She looked cranky.
"You didn't get any rest." The bags under her eyes were worse, Michiru was frightened by her appearance. This was not her Haruka. "We need to go to a senshi meeting."
Haruka groaned and plopped down on the couch. "Michiru… just go without me, I don't want to deal with them."
"You need to be there…" Her voice was quiet. Haruka looked like she wasn't going to move another inch.
"No, I don't. You won't even let me go to the castle to look for the damn tyldran anyway. I'm useless." She looked out the window not meeting Michiru's eyes.
"You are not, Haruka…" She trailed off thinking about what to say. "they think that your nightmares are being induced by one of the brothers." She brushed some of her aqua hair out of her face. She hated lying. She had no idea why Haruka was having nightmares and that gave her a sick feeling in her stomach.
"You told them!" Haruka's eyes went wide, suddenly she was very attentive and slightly angry. Michiru stepped back, looking down, her shoulders shaking slightly. She just wanted Haruka to be better. She tried to say something, but failed. Haruka's anger faded fast. "I'm okay Michiru. Really, I'm okay." She got up and pulled Michiru's smaller body close. "Michiru, you're to beautiful to look upset." Michiru just leaned into Haruka taking in her smell, even like this she smelled good.
"Just come. It will be alright when this is over."
Haruka sighed. "Let me change. Can we take the convertible?"
Michiru smiled, that was her Haruka, wanting to hit the road at unbelievable speeds. "Of course, don't take to long or we'll be late." She was teasing her, trying to get her to focus on something she enjoyed so much.
Haruka grinned at the challenge, it was the happiest she'd looked all week. "Not if I'm driving."
Just a few minutes later, the inner Senshi stood in front of a purple swirling time gate, it looked like a psychadylic wormhole.
"Setsuna-san? Where are Haruka-san and Michiru-san?"
"They are coming… I got to talk to them separately. Stay on the paths and go where you need to. Use the key to contact me to come back. Good luck."
They disappeared as Haruka made the last screeching turn into a parking spot near the temple. Michiru unphased by the driving, looked at her watch.
"Haruka, we're late."
"Damn, if Usako's here she's never going to let me hear the end of it." She slammed the door to the car.
Michiru grabbed the two black bags, which Haruka had not noticed.
"What are those for?"
"Umm…" Sailor Pluto walked up and interrupted them both. "We need to talk privately, Now."
As if on verbal cue, the purple vortex opened behind them. Michiru looked at Haruka who had a shocked 'wha?' look on her face. They entered the time gate. Instead of being transported to a different time, the three of them stood in the void between time, between the tick and tock. They were on a platform, surrounded by a sky of surrealistic purple and black swirls. If you focused enough you could see little pictures of what time they represented, floating everywhere.
"Why are we here? Setstuna-san?" Haruka looked around. This place was disorienting at best.
"Kinryoku had a telepathic connection with you. Here though, he can't… and you're making a visit to the past to play doubles with yourselves."
"We're what?...telepathic bond? What in the hell is going on!"
"Short story, I'm keeping the universe from falling under Kinryoku's rule. Long story is a bit more complicated and you are involved…what I can tell you I will. The rest, you're going to have to experience back in the Silver Millennium."
Haruka was assimilating the information slowly. All that was in her head was 'going back to him' It confused her. "Silver Millennium? Why, what's really going on?"
"This just needs to get done… I can't say much more." Setsuna gave an apologetic glance towards Haruka.
"Setsuna! You have all the time in the world and you won't give out anything!" Michiru put a hand on Haruka's shoulder, trying to calm the angry senshi down. "I'm not up for these riddles or these games. I want this to be done and stopped and I need all the information as to how and why so this can be done!"
She cut her off with a wave of her hand. "You'll have exactly enough. Now, for your mission, you need to meet your past selves." Setsuna adjusted her staff and the garnet orb glowed slightly. Right in front of them appeared two slightly disoriented princesses.
The Silver Millennium Michiru was stunning. It looked like she'd been transported straight from some type of royal ball, her silk aqua dress fit tightly and flared out at the end, shimmering just slightly. Her hair was back in a silver barrette, auqa tendrils flowing down the side of her face, framing her piecing blue eyes. Michiru Kaiou in comparison looked like an unrefined school girl, dressed in a simple skirt and blouse.
The Princess looked at Setsuna, confused. She glided across the platform, circling the future Michiru, staring at her if she was some type of prey.
The Haruka's just stared at each other. Princess Haruka was in a nice suit, the Sword of Uranus in a sheath at her side. She looked stronger than Haruka, but that was probably because of how Haruka had been feeling lately.
They turned from each others gaze and to Sestuna. "What do we do?"