An hour later, Setsuna was laying next to Ga-netto, her head resting against his bare chest. How much longer do we have? she thought. Until tomorrow? I wish we could have forever.
Ga-netto stroked Setsuna's hair. Why must I leave her? he thought bitterly. There is no escaping fate. Perhaps we'll have longer than today. I wish I could stay with her until the end of time.
They both gazed at each other with a longing that could never be fulfilled, a love that could never be extinguished, and a hope that was rapidly dying within themselves.
Suddenly a sharp knocking was heard at the door. "Suna-chan!" Haruka's voice called. "Are you in there?"
Setsuna and Ga-netto bolted upright and began to throw on their clothes which were scattered all over the floor. "I'll be there in a second!" Setsuna called back, grateful she had remembered to lock her door. After dressing in a matter of seconds, Setsuna kissed Ga-netto and pushed him out onto the balcony, throwing his shirt and boots after him. As she closed the door she heard him yell, "Ouch! Watch where you throw those things!"
"Suna-chan?" Michiru called.
"Coming!" Setsuna responded quickly tying back her tangled hair. She opened her door and greeted her friends, trying to make her voice sound said.
"You said that you wanted to talk to us," Haruka said.
She was about to say more when Setsuna interrupted. "How about we go to the gardens and talk?" she suggested in a rather loud voice.
"All right," Haruka said slowly. She knew something about Setsuna was different. Her face was flushed and there was something else that Haruka could not quite put her finger on. Haruka glanced at Michiru briefly and knew that Michiru had noticed this too.
"Come on," Setsuna said in the same loud voice. "Let's go," she said as she ushered her friends down the hallway.
"Suna-chan, what's wrong?" Michiru said.
Setsuna almost said that nothing was wrong when she remembered why she wanted to talk them. She instantly became genuinely sad and told her friends about her duty and her grandmother's theory.
"So there is hope," Haruka said as they walked through the gardens.
"Yes," Setsuna replied. "But I don't know how I can do it! It seems impossible."
"Well you have a while to figure it out, Suna-chan. We know you can do it," Michiru said, hoping that she could before they were gone.
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A minute or so after Ga-netto heard Setsuna's door close and their footsteps fade down the hallway,
Ga-netto emerged from the balcony. He sat at Setsuna's desk and wrote her a note.
Dearest Tenshi,
I hope I will be able to see you soon. You are in my heart and mind always, love. Please meet me in my room as soon as possible. I hope you can come before you leave tomorrow morning. But if I have to leave before we meet again, then always remember that I am in your angel's heart forever.
Yours eternally,
Ga-netto
Ga-netto felt a chill behind him and spun around. There stood the hologram of Nephrite. Ga-netto jumped up and bowed to the image.
"I see that you have gotten very close to the princess. What information did you gather?" he said in an imperious tone.
Ga-netto hid all of his emotions from his commander. He was trained well. "She will not be a help to us much longer, sir. She must take her mother's place tomorrow as the Guardian of Time." He cursed himself mentally. Why can't I stand up to him? I have to stop him, but how?
An idea flew through Nephrite's mind like wildfire. "Who is guarding the Gates at this moment?" he said urgently.
Ga-netto answered hesitantly. "No one, sir."
"This is our chance!" Nephrite exclaimed. "With the Time Gates unguarded, we can take them by surprise! It is the perfect time to invade! You will be generously rewarded Ga-netto." With that, the image flickered away.
Ga-netto's eyes filled with horror. What have I done?! he screamed at himself. I have betrayed Setsuna! I have to warn her before its too late. Ga-netto ran out of the room and towards the gardens, determined to protect his love.
********************************************************************************************
"Maybe astral projection isn't the key at all," Haruka suggested, resting on a park bench. "Maybe you can separate by other means."
"What other means?" Setsuna asked in a weary voice. Her friends had yet to come up with a good suggestion. All Setsuna wanted to do was find Ga-netto and stay in his arms forever. But she could not just leave her friends without an explanation, and they were already suspicious of her.
Haruka thought for a while, legs stretched out in front of her, eyes gazing at the endless sky. "I don't know," she finally admitted.
"Maybe you just have to practice often. It isn't as if there will be much excitement at the Gates," Michiru said.
Setsuna sighed. What if I can't figure it out before my friends are gone? she thought gravely to herself. And Ga-netto as well. She watched the distant, tiny sun set behind the ebony castle. As the streetlights turned on all about Setsuna, she thought back to the previous night where she sat with Ga-netto at this very moment, where they shared their first kiss. It seems like years ago, she thought.
Suddenly there was a shout. "Setsuna!"
Setsuna leapt up and saw Ga-netto running towards her. Haruka and Michiru also jumped up and watched as Setsuna ran over to Ga-netto and, without thinking, embraced him.
"Setsuna," he said breathlessly. "The Dark Kingdom. . .they're going. . .to. . .attack," he said as he desperately tried to catch his breath.
"What? Ga-netto, you're not making sense. Come sit down and catch your breath," Setsuna said. They both sat down. Haruka and Michiru still watched them intently, highly suspicious of Ga-netto. They saw how the two embraced, addressed each other so informally, and touched each other as if the other was a porcelain doll that they have to protect.
"So that's it," Haruka said grimly to Michiru.
"She's fallen in love," Michiru responded, a tiny smile crossing her face.
"That's a good thing?" Haruka said, feeling possessive of Setsuna.
"Oh come on, Haruka! She can't be our little girl forever," she said teasingly of her older friend.
Ga-netto caught his breath. "Setsuna, the Dark Kingdom is planning to attack tonight. We must warn the others."
"The Dark Kingdom!" Setsuna exclaimed.
"Tonight?" Michiru asked, completely shocked.
"How would you know?" Haruka demanded.
"There isn't time!" Ga-netto said. "Tenshi," he said to Setsuna, "they will be here any minute! They will most likely be attacking the Moon since. . ." Ga-netto never got to finish his sentence. Setsuna, Michiru, and Haruka heard a piercing scream inside their heads. They flinched in pain. "Setsuna!" Ga-netto exclaimed, holding her close to him. "What's wrong?"
"The princess," Michiru said. "She's in trouble. We must go help!"
"I'm coming with you," Ga-netto said. Michiru and Haruka teleported away before they heard him.
"Come," Setsuna said solemnly, grasping his hand. They both teleported together to the Moon.