Act Six - Party Time

As Yasashiku pulled into the parking lot of Clouds (he refused valet parking, fearing that something would happen to his precious Sayoko), Setsuna let out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness they were finally there. If she heard one more thing about cars, races, and his sainted mother, Setsuna was going to scream.

Seriously.

Not even bothering waiting for him to help her out of the car, Setsuna quickly got out and began walking toward the restaurant, Yasashiku jogging to catch up with her. When he finally caught up, he wrapped his arm around her waist, much to Setsuna's irritation. "You in a hurry, babe?" he asked.

"You could say that…"

Yeah, in a hurry to pawn you off on some other poor girl, Setsuna thought with a sly smile on her face.

Unfortunately, Yasashiku misinterpreted the meaning of that smile. He grinned cockily. "I see. Can't wait to get this thing over with so that we can finally be alone together, can you?"

Over my dead body.

Seeing the rest of her family piling out of Michiru's Mercedes, Setsuna discreetly took his grubby hand off her hip and ran over to greet them. "Hey, guys! Did you have a nice drive?" she asked, noticing that Michiru looked a little green around the mouth.

"Never, never, never again," the aqua beauty said, shooting Haruka a look. "I never knew my car could go so fast. It's a miracle we didn't get a speeding ticket."

Haruka tossed Michiru her keys and grinned. "I was only going 80 m.p.h. I thought I was going slow. Besides, you were the one telling me to step on it so we wouldn't be too late."

Michiru shook her head in exasperation. Haruka had this amazing ability to turn everything she said into something completely different. "I meant that you should go the maximum speed limit, not try to break the sound barrier. We could have been killed out there! See, this is why I never let you drive the Mercedes. This isn't one of your race cars, Haruka. Leave the speed for the track and drive like a normal person on the highway."

The racer simply rolled her eyes at Yasashiku, who managed to catch up with Setsuna again. "She never lets me have any fun, you know."

Yasashiku laughed as Setsuna once again started walking away. "Hey, babe, where ya going?"

"To the party. We're already fifteen minutes late."

"So what? What will a couple of more minutes matter?"

She rolled her eyes and continued walking. He obviously didn't know her very well. Eventually the rest of the gang began following her to the restaurant.

Clouds was recognized as one of the best and most exclusive restaurants in the Tokyo area, the product of Makoto's sweat and tears. The restaurant was her baby, and Makoto was involved in every aspect of the business, from the food to the interior design to even the beautiful rose garden that surrounded the building.

Walking into the waiting room, Setsuna was impressed with the subtle improvements she saw. It seemed like every time she came here, the restaurant became even more and more beautiful. It was Kino Makoto herself that greeted the group of five.

"Hey, guys," she said, smiling from ear to ear as she helped take off Michiru's stunning mink stole. "You're a little late, aren't you?"

Setsuna sighed and glared at her date. "Yes, we would have been here earlier if a certain someone had shown up at six like he was supposed to…"

Brushing off Setsuna's comment, Yasashiku stepped forward and kissed Makoto's hand. "May I be so bold as to ask your name, my lovely?"

Makoto giggled. "Boy, aren't you the charmer? I'm Kino Makoto, and I assume you are Setsuna-san's date?"

"Yes, I am. Suguri Yasashiku is my name, but you can just call me Yasa-kun. That's what all my lady friends call me."

"It's very nice to meet you, Yasa-kun. Let me show you to your table."

As the brunette Amazon led them to a long, rectangular table in the center of the restaurant where most of the other girls and their significant lovers were already seated, Setsuna hid a smile. This was going to be too easy. Yasashiku obviously considered himself quite the ladies' man. All she had to do was steer him toward another stunningly beautiful girl and she would finally be free.

"Usagi-chan and Mamoru-san haven't shown up yet?" Michiru asked, taking a seat beside Haruka. Yasashiku sat on the other side of Haruka, with Setsuna between him and Ami. Hotaru, surprisingly, took a seat on the other side of the table next to Usagi's younger brother, Shingo, blushing faintly.

"No, I'm afraid not, Kaioh-san," Usagi's mother Ikuko answered. "But why am I not surprised? Usagi's my daughter, and I love her, but she has never been on time for anything in her entire life. I'm sure she and Mamoru-san will show up in a couple of minutes."

Sure enough, the happy couple arrived about ten minutes later, just as the first course was being served. But Setsuna was surprised to sense a little tension between the two lovers as they took their seats at the table. Another person could easily fit in the empty space between Usagi's and Mamoru's chairs, and they hadn't said a word to each other since they arrived.

Had they had a fight? Setsuna wondered if anyone else sensed the strange vibes she was picking up, but everyone else seemed in pretty high spirits. She was probably just imagining things. Nothing would ever come between Mamoru's and Usagi's love for each other. Right?

At the other end of the table, Makoto let out a giggle as Shinozaki got to the punch line of a dirty joke he was telling. He was so funny, not to mention incredibly handsome, especially in the tuxedo he was wearing tonight. The famous chef thought she would melt into a pile of butter when he shot her one of his cute grins.

Shinozaki was thinking along the same lines as he lost himself in the beauty of his best friend's gorgeous green eyes. She was so beautiful, both inside and out. He only wished he had the courage to tell her how he really felt.Ever since the day he found Makoto standing in the rain, staring after her former boyfriend as he walked away, the two of them had been the best of friends. Most people had thought it strange that a boy and a girl could be just friends, but it worked for them. Their relationship had been one of the most fulfilling things in Shinozaki's life, but now he found himself wanting more.

He didn't want to be her friend; he wanted to be her lover. For years, Shinozaki fought his emerging feelings for Makoto, not wanting to ruin what they already had, but he was finding it harder and harder to deny how he felt. Makoto never had much luck in the romance department. The few long term boyfriends she had were all jerks, at least in Shinozaki's opinion. She deserved so much better. She deserved someone like him, who loved her for who she really was, not just her body. And tonight he would finally reveal his heart.

Shinozaki reached across the table and took Makoto's hand in his own. A faint blush traveled across her cheeks, making her appear even more beautiful if that was even possible. "Mako-chan, I…uh…"

Before he could get the words out of his mouth, their conversation was interrupted by the arrival of Asanuma Itto, a close friend of Mamoru's, as well as Makoto. The pretty brunette stood up to give her old friend a friendly hug.

"Asanuma-kun, I'm so glad you could make it," she greeted him. "I was worried you weren't coming. It's been such a long time since we last saw each other."

"I wouldn't miss this party for the world," Itto said. The handsome young man planted a kiss on her cheek, causing Shinozaki to scowl in annoyance. "And might I say, Mako-chan, you have grown even more lovely since the last time I saw you."

"Oh, don't be silly, although I must say that you look pretty good yourself. Have you been working out?"

"Just a tad. I've actually been taking a karate class at university. It's a great way to keep in shape and to work off stress."

Shinozaki cleared his throat loudly, not appreciating being ignored. Makoto blushed at her rudeness, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Asanuma-kun, you remember my friend Shinozaki-kun, don't you?"

"Yes, of course. Good to see you again, Shinozaki-san," he said, holding out his hand. Shinozaki reluctantly shook his rival's hand, hoping that Itto was sitting at another table so he could get back to what he was about to say to Makoto.

He didn't get his wish. Makoto, being the kind of girl she was, insisted that Itto sit down in the empty seat beside her. Shinozaki was practically glowering at the two of them as they began eating their meal and talking about old times. This guy was ruining everything for him. Itto obviously was attracted to Makoto, and even though he hated to admit it, she appeared to like him too. From years of hanging around Makoto, he knew her flirting style, and she was definitely turning on the charm for him.

Though he tried to talk to Makoto, Shinozaki found himself constantly interrupted every couple of minutes, as either she or Itto recalled some other amusing anecdote they just had to share with him. He was getting quite sick of it. Finally, after Itto excused himself to go to the restroom, Shinozaki stood up and asked Makoto to dance.

A small orchestra began playing a romantic waltz as the couple walked onto the dance floor. Shinozaki pulled her close as they began to dance, enjoying the feeling of Makoto in his arms. "So, you and Asanuma-kun seem to be pretty good friends," he remarked, trying to keep the jealousy out of his voicce.

"He's one of the greatest guys I've ever met," Makoto replied. "We've been friends forever, practically as long as you and me."

"Really? Did you ever date?"

"No, of course not," she laughed. "What kind of question is that? We're just friends, nothing more."

"He seems to like you."

"Oh, Asanuma-kun's just a huge flirt. He's like that with all the girls, although you never would have guessed it when I first met him. And Shinozaki-kun, if I didn't know better, I would think you were jealous."

"Whose to say I'm not?"

As Shinozaki dipped her, Makoto's eyes widened. Was he actually saying what she thought he was saying? She slowly pulled herself up and allowed him to gently touch her cheek. Was it possible? Could he…

"Mako-chan, I love you," he whispered.

Makoto smiled as she brushed away a tear of happiness. She had waited so long to hear him say those words to her. This was unbelievable. "Oh, Shinozaki-kun, I love you too!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into the most passionate kiss of his entire life.

Smiling at the sight of Makoto and Shinozaki practically making out in the center of the room, Rei, wearing the sexy red dress that Usagi had bought for her, set down her fork and poked Minako, who was sitting right beside her, in the ribs. "Hey, see that? Looks like those two have finally gotten together, and all I have to say is, it's about time."

"Who?" Minako asked in a dreamy, spaced out voice, unable to take her eyes off her handsome escort for the evening. Rei rolled her eyes. It really must be love.

"Mako-chan and Shinozaki-kun, of course, silly!"

Minako reluctantly steered her gaze from Asai's beautiful eyes to the dance floor, a smile on her face as she watched Shinozaki pull Makoto in closer for another slow dance. As Rei said, it really was about time. It seemed like everybody except for Shinozaki and Makoto had known that they were in love with each other. As the soldier of love, Minako was glad to see that they had finally figured it out.

"Aw, they look so adorable together," Minako cooed. "I think I hear wedding bells in their future!"

"Oh, please, Minako-chan. It took them over ten years before they even kissed. I'll be surprised if they get engaged before the Black Moon attacks Crystal Tokyo in the 30th century."

"Rei-chan, do I sense a little bit of jealousy?" she teased. "After all, it now appears that you're the only Inner who doesn't have a boyfriend, fiancé, or husband. Although, if you ask me, Yuuichiro-kun is absolutely perfect for you."

Rei glanced over at her date for the evening, wondering once again why everybody kept telling her that the two of them were made for each other. She really didn't see it. Yes, Yuuichiro was handsome, especially ever since he finally shaved and got a haircut, but that was about the only thing he had going for him. Rei groaned as he accidentally spilled some of his wine on his only good white tuxedo shirt. She grabbed her napkin from her lap and began trying uselessly to wipe most of the wine off his shirt. This was really the man who she was supposed to marry? She'd rather be a nun.

"Yuuichiro-kun, you have to learn to be more careful," Rei lectured as the caretaker grinned. "I'm never going to be able to get this stain out. I guess you'll just have to buy a new shirt for the wedding."

Yuuichiro buttoned his jacket, trying to make the stain less conspicuous. "It's no problem, Rei-san. It's just a little stain. You can't even notice it unless you're looking for it," he replied.

"I'll notice it."

Yuuichiro sighed. There was just no pleasing her. And that was why he loved her so much.

An exotic looking woman with long, raven hair and eyes the exact color of emerald arrived at the restaurant. The hostess standing by the door led her to a small table in a dark corner of the room, giving the woman a perfect view of Serenity and Endymion. She smiled as she saw how the couple seemed to be ignoring each other completely.

Everything was working perfectly. Only one more thing was needed to ensure her success. She studied the other guests gathered around the table, her mystical eyes landing on a gorgeous woman with long green hair, garnet red eyes, and flawless cocoa colored skin. She was just the woman she was looking for.

The uninvited guest reached into her purse, pulling out a smooth green stone. The stone caused a surge of power to flow through her veins as she rubbed the surface with her thumb. Soon, she would get her revenge. Serenity and Endymion would pay for what they did to her mother. They were going to pay big.

Setsuna yawned as she listened to Haruka and Yasashiku talk about the big race coming up, bored out of her mind. Couldn't they talk about something that was more interesting than cars? Well, at least Yasashiku seemed to have forgotten that she was his date. That was something.

"Will you excuse me?" she asked, standing up. "I think I'll go for a walk in the gardens."

Yasashiku, breaking away from his conversation, glanced up at his date. "I'll go with you, babe. Keep you company."

"That's okay, Suguri-san. I'll be perfectly fine by myself."

Despite her wishes to be alone, Yasashiku stood up and led her to entrance to the gardens. He wrapped his arm around her waist as they began their stroll. Setsuna scowled, but decided not to make a big deal about it.

"The moon sure looks lovely tonight," she commented, trying to make polite conversation.

"Yeah, it's okay, I guess."

"Did you know that the moon is the Earth's only natural satellite?"

Setsuna could practically see the boredom wash over her handsome date as she continued with her lecture. She recognized the look on his face. It was the same exact look Usagi got whenever Ami tried to explain something she didn't understand (which was about every time the young doctor talked).

Still, she went on, describing the phases of the moon and about its composition, hoping that Yasashiku would eventually die of boredom and get the hint that she wanted to be alone. She wasn't so lucky. He instead grabbed her hand and turned her to face him. "Babe, why don't we talk about something more…interesting?" he suggested, a twinkle in his eye.

"Okay. Have you read about the new studies some scientists are conducting about time travel? Supposedly by the year 2080, humans will actually be able to travel back to the past. It's all quite interesting, although highly unlikely, in my opinion. Humans just don't…"

Laughing, Yasashiku put a finger to her lips, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Haruka warned me that you liked to talk about science and physics," he said. "Not exactly what I'd expect from a world-class fashion designer like yourself, but that's what I like about you. You're full of contradictions, Meioh Setsuna."

"Really? In what ways?"

Yasashiku placed his hands on her hips, pulling Setsuna closer toward him. She shot him a nasty look, but all he did was smile. "Take right now as a example," he said. "Here we are, in a beautiful garden with the moonlight shining down and nobody around, and you're still playing hard to get. You can quit the game, babe. You already have me. I was yours from the moment I first saw you, wearing this incredible dress that I have a feeling would look even better on the floor."

His hands traveled up from her waist to the daring neckline of her burgundy dress. Setsuna took in a shallow breath, not liking where this was heading. She reached up and pulled his hands away. "Suguri-san, I'm afraid I've given you the wrong idea," Setsuna said. "The truth is I only agreed to go out with you because Michiru wanted me to. I really have no desire to pursue a relationship with you."

"Who said anything about a relationship? Can't two consenting adults have a little fun together without it turning into something it's not? All I'm suggesting is that we ditch the party and head back to my pad, maybe drink a little champagne, put on some music, and see where it heads from there."

Setsuna was insulted. To think that the man in front of her actually believed that she would be willing to jump into bed with him on their first date! There was no way that she was going to become another one of the racer's many conquests.

"Suguri-san, I'm not that kind of woman. Now let's just go back inside the restaurant before everyone begins to worry where we've gone." She turned to go back in, but Yasashiku roughly grabbed her wrist.

"What if I'm not ready to go back?"

Setsuna's eyes narrowed. "Then stay out here and go play with yourself."

He pulled her toward him, pressing his body against hers. She struggled to get free from his grasp, but Yasashiku was much more stronger than she was, even with the extra strength she had as a Sailor Soldier.

"I'd rather play with you, babe," he growled, and kissed her forcefully on the lips.

Back inside the restaurant, Michiru was getting worried. Setsuna and Yasashiku had been gone for almost twenty minutes and still hadn't returned back to the table. Surely it didn't take that long to take a stroll around the gardens.

"Haruka, have you seen Setsuna or Yasashiku-kun anywhere?" she asked.

"No, but I'm sure they're just having a little bit of good old-fashioned fun," Haruka answered, grinning slyly.

The aqua-haired beauty swatted her lover on the arm. Trust Haruka to turn an innocent comment into something dirty. "Well, I'm going to go look for them before they miss dessert. You know how Setsuna loves Makoto's cakes."

Mamoru stood up before Michiru could get out of her chair, anxious for any excuse to leave the table. The silence between him and Usagi was becoming unbearable. "Don't worry about it, Michiru-san. I'll go find them."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. It's no problem."

Mamoru left the table and headed to the entrance of the gardens, taking in the beauty of the many varieties of roses surrounding him. He had always been partial to roses, especially red ones. Makoto really was an expert at growing the most incredible flowers.

He slowly strolled down the pathway through the small garden, searching for any signs of Setsuna and Yasashiku. A man and woman's voices could faintly be heard in the air, one of them sounding like Setsuna. Mamoru followed the voices to the back of the garden where the silhouette of a couple kissing could be seen against the night sky.

Though he couldn't make out their faces, he could tell from the woman's movements that she was struggling to get away from the man. Instinct took over Mamoru's body, and he ran over to the couple, grabbing the man by the collar of his shirt and pulling a clean punch against his chin. He then threw the attacker on the ground, the man holding his injured jawbone. The moonlight shone on his face, revealing it to in fact be Suguri Yasashiku and the woman with him was Setsuna.

Mamoru stood threateningly over the man, his faint shadow falling over Yasashiku like a blanket. "You better leave if you know what's best for you," he ordered. "If your sorry butt is not off these premises in two minutes, I'm going to call the cops."

Like the coward he was, Yasashiku quickly got up and ran toward the parking lot, his red Ferrari racing past about a minute later. Setsuna took in a deep breath, still a little shaken by the whole ordeal.

"Setsuna-san, are you okay?" Mamoru asked, giving her a comforting hug. "Did he hurt you?"

"I'm fine, Mamoru-san," she replied, her voice slightly shaking. "You got here before he could do anything. Thank you."

The lawyer in him taking over, Mamoru pulled out his cell phone and handed it over to Setsuna. "Here, call the police."

"No, that's okay," she said, shaking her head. "He didn't do anything. It's over and done with. All I want to do is just go home and go to bed."

"I know that he is Haruka-san's friend and you don't want to get him in trouble, but he attempted to rape you, Setsuna-san. I was a witness to the entire thing. You owe it to yourself and to society to turn Suguri Yasashiku in to the police before he does something like this again. If you don't do it, then I will. That bastard deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars."

"No, Mamoru-san," she pleaded. "Please don't. I just want to forget about the entire thing. I don't think he actually would have raped me. He was just trying to kiss me, and I didn't want to. That's all."

"That's not what I saw."

"Please, Mamoru-san."

Mamoru sighed as he put the cell phone back into his pocket. He still thought that Setsuna should turn that jerk in to the police, but if she didn't want to, then he wasn't going to force her. "At least allow me to drive you home since it looks like you don't have a ride."

"But what about Usagi-chan and the others? You can't just leave right in the middle of your own engagement party. Go back inside and have fun. I'll just call a cab or something."

"I would feel a lot better if I drove you back to the house, though. You're still vulnerable and I don't think you should be by yourself at a time like this."

Reluctantly, she agreed to let him take her home. Truth was, she did feel a little bit shaken up by what had happened. Mamoru pulled out his keys, then led her toward the parking lot, not even bothering to tell Usagi where he was going.