Part 2:
Chapter 4: I've never found the words to say
Setsuna's eyes open slowly, silently swearing at herself for falling asleep while Tenma was still hurt. She smiled finding that she had returned to her form of Setsuna rather than Sailor Pluto, been covered at some time with a large soft blanket and that Tenma's fingers were intertwined with hers. Shrugging off the blanket, she moved to Tenma's side, cautiously touching his face almost to reassure herself that he was actually there. He stirred slightly under her light touch, as if knowing that it was his princess who tenderly ran her fingers along his cheek.
His name fell from her lips, softly as if she wished not to disturb the sleeping prince, yet wanted to see him awake at the same time.
A soft hand touched Setsuna's shoulder, startling the guardian out of her inspection. Half-turning she looks directly into the gentle eyes of Serena.
"He has been through a lot…"Serena spoke calmly, giving the older woman hope "but he's going to be fine. You probably saved his life."
"What do you mean I saved his life?" Setsuna's eyes widened in worry as the prospect of losing Tenma again raced through her mind.
" I mean, according to Ami if you had not taken him from the gateway when you had…." Serena's angelic blue eyes turned sad at the thought "He most likely would not be here right now."
It was Setsuna's sharp intake of breath that caused Tenma to awaken. Slowly he opened his impossibly blue eyes to see the Princess of the Moon comforting his beautiful guardian. Faintly remembering falling into her arms in the gateway of time, he stretched out his hand again, reaching for her.
"Pluto.." the word died on his lips as he stared at her. A slight smile crossing his lips as she turned quickly to him, a look of worry and concern etched on her timeless face. Softly taking his hand in hers, Setsuna shivers slightly her mind crying out * His hand..It's like ice *
Harsh racking coughs shake his body as he struggles to stay conscious. "Princess….My beautiful Princess…I knew I would find you again.."
Shushing him softly, Setsuna ran a soothing hand along his cheek. Her words coming with the hint of tightly controlled emotion. Then smoothing back his wild ebony hair, she softly kissed his forehead.
"There is time later for talk my Prince…Now sleep and regain your strength."
With a slight nod, Tenma's eyes closed again. Almost holding her breath Setsuna watched until his breathing became deep and regular. Serena laid a leading arm on the older woman's shoulder, directing her out of the room and to the large living room. There the senshi sat in various spots, Ami in the large armchair with Rei sitting on the armrest. Makoto and Minako shared the couch while Michiru and Haruka sat in the loveseat. Serena moved to stand with Darien near the window as Setsuna took a leaning stance against the wall leading to the hallway. Sighing as she lowers her head, she speaks softly at first.
~Somewhere in my memory
I've lost all sense of time
And tomorrow can never be
Cause yesterday is all that fills my mind~
" It is about time that you all knew who he is. Darien… you should have the right to know the most out of everyone here. Tenma…is your twin brother, separated by a few seconds at the most."
Darien's eyes grow wide as the words of the guardian release a floodgate of memories. When there was once only the sight of one raven haired boy at the palace of earth, there is now two almost identical save a more roguish features shown on the face of the younger of the two, the prince known as Tenma. Setsuna continues as she watches the memories return to Darien,
" There only needed to be one heir to the throne, so your twin was forgotten…by some that is." It is here that she paused, a smile like that of one remembering a past that was long forgotten by the rest of the world. "Out of the pair, he was the more reckless one, the better swordsman and yet you both shared that commitment, to those you cared about…that same fire."
Minako caught the look on Setsuna's face, her eyes widening as the thoughts of love raced through the Senshi of Love's mind. A wide grin spread across her face as she giggles for a moment then fights to compose herself.
"You seem to know a lot about Prince Tenma. Did you know each other well?"
A slow blush came over Setsuna's face as she turned her head away from the still giggling senshi of Love. Her bangs hung low over her eyes as she speaks in a different voice than usual, this tone filled with an ageless longing and pain.
"Yes, he and I were very close…" Her eyes quickly cleared as she returned her gaze to the assembled senshi. "Tenma will stay here with the outer senshi for now, until he regains his strength. But I'm sure you will all excuse me, I must return and check on Tenma."
As the guardian exited the room, the assembled senshi exchanged worried looks. Serena continued to look deep in thought as she searched through her memories for Tenma. The pictures, so fuzzy before cleared in her mind as she too saw not one, but two dark haired princes of earth. Her voice sounds almost mechanical as she speaks her memories, each tumbling out like a waterfall.
"I remember him now…He..He never stayed at any of the balls on the moon, he always seemed to disappear. Then I brought Pluto to a ball on Earth, they danced together all night long almost like for one night Pluto was free to be like the rest of the girls there." A sigh of sympathy falls from her pale lips as she continues, Serena's eyes closing as if the memory caused her as much pain as it did Setsuna. " It was the last night of the Silver Millennium, I followed my mother outside and saw Tenma and Setsuna together, she was crying because she knew the future of the Moon Kingdom and he was trying to comfort her. My mother, she told Setsuna it was time to leave because the guardian must be at the gateway. I saw her get torn away from him…her scream out his name as she was locked away…" As the last words slipped from her lips, her azure eyes released glittering tears as she hears over again Pluto's last desperate attempt to call to Tenma, her own cry out to Endymion a mimicking call for love.
Sighing softly the future Queen leaned heavily against her king, as if even remembering the past was draining her. A single tear carved it's way down her porcelain cheek as she wrapped her arms securely around Darien.
"Maybe this time…she'll finally have peace."