Second chapter. Please R/R, although it's worthless to beg.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, never have, never will. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi, and I'm only borrowing them a bit.
***
Her breath coming in short, quick gasps, Minako ran from the heavy velvet curtains and stumbled through the empty ballroom, worry and fear causing her to step erratically. She pushed her way past milling servents to the tall, double doors of the throne room where she could only pray Selenity sat. "Your majesty!" Minako yelled, pushing open the doors in a hurry. She realized a nanosecond too late that she might be interrupting something important, but decided that she didn't care. "Your majesty!"
It didn't matter much anyway, the room was empty. "Shimatta!" Minako cried, trying to quell her rising panic. She knew she had to find the queen--and fast. She had overheard something she knew she shouldn't have. Two women discussing the overthrow of the White Moon. A revolution. The heavy drapes just outside of the balcony had muffled some of the words, but had Minako heard the name Setsuna? And something about the princess's death?
She tore frantically down the hallway, her common sense completely abandoning her and leaving her at the mercy of the panic. It just barely registered in her brain when she slammed into a body.
"Gomen," she said hurriedly, tucking a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear and looking up. Makoto's familiar green eyes were looking at her with concern.
"Mina-chan? What could it be that has you tearing around the castle as if the hell hounds are at your feet?" Makoto asked, slinging an arm around her blond friend's shoulders.
"Mako-chan..." she choked out, "I heard something...not good...there's a group of...terrorists or something, they want to kill Selenity..." Finally her instincts caught up to her and she burst into tears, sobs racking her body. Makoto held her tight and led her to a padded bench.
"Sit down, Mina-chan, and tell me exactly what you heard," Makoto said soothingly, stroking Minako's hair.
"I was in the ballroom," Minako explained, "and I heard two women on the balcony, talking. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, Mako-chan, honest. I thought it was good gossip. But it was about a group of some sort, one that wanted to take over Crystal Tokyo and kill Selenity. The woman in charge --she called the other woman 'Number One'-- said that the White Moon brought oppression and should be destroyed. And I swear that she called Number One Setsuna."
Was it her imagination, or did Makoto stiffen? "Setsuna, you said? As in, Guardian of Time Setsuna? Sailorpluto Setsuna?"
"Kami-sama, Makoto," Minako said irritably. "Do you know any other Setsunas?"
"Good point." Makoto's body shuddered in a deep sigh. "Oh, this isn't good. Not good at all. Have you told Selenity?"
"I couldn't find her." Minako swallowed and sat up. She was beginning to think rationally once more. "We need to tell the senshi."
"Do you really think it's a good idea?" Makoto countered.
Minako's spine straightened. "What do you mean?"
"What if the other senshi are in league with this woman? Letting them know that we know is dangerous."
"I guess you're right. I mean, Setsuna's already working for her, why not the others?" It killed her to say it. Ami, Rei, Haruka, Michiru? Her loyal, dependable friends, in league with a woman who wanted to kill their queen? And what of little Hotaru? Just a toddler now, as was her nature, but if she grew old enough, if she grew impressionable enough...she was Death itself. She could bring a revolution, all right...a death reborn revolution, in one fell swoop. Horrifying.
Then a more horrifying thought occurred to her. What if Makoto was one of the conspirators? One of them? Maybe Minako was next on the list. Maybe even as they spoke, Makoto was planning to kill her.
"Yes, why not the others?" Minako said, slowly getting to her feet. Suspicion overwhelmed her brain, and she glared at Makoto with fearful eyes. "Why not the others, Makoto? Why not you?"
"You must be joking," Makoto said, her tone calm yet disbelieving. She rose to Minako's side, towering over the other woman. It was just Makoto's natural height, but her indignance of the accusations, coupled with Minako's frantic paranoia, made it seem almost menacing. "You can't honestly believe that I'm in a conspiracy against Selenity."
"I don't know what to believe," Minako wailed, tears flooding her eyes. "They're going to kill Selenity. And they're going to kill me because I know." She turned tail and ran frantically through the halls of the castle.
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, never have, never will. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi, and I'm only borrowing them a bit.
***
Her breath coming in short, quick gasps, Minako ran from the heavy velvet curtains and stumbled through the empty ballroom, worry and fear causing her to step erratically. She pushed her way past milling servents to the tall, double doors of the throne room where she could only pray Selenity sat. "Your majesty!" Minako yelled, pushing open the doors in a hurry. She realized a nanosecond too late that she might be interrupting something important, but decided that she didn't care. "Your majesty!"
It didn't matter much anyway, the room was empty. "Shimatta!" Minako cried, trying to quell her rising panic. She knew she had to find the queen--and fast. She had overheard something she knew she shouldn't have. Two women discussing the overthrow of the White Moon. A revolution. The heavy drapes just outside of the balcony had muffled some of the words, but had Minako heard the name Setsuna? And something about the princess's death?
She tore frantically down the hallway, her common sense completely abandoning her and leaving her at the mercy of the panic. It just barely registered in her brain when she slammed into a body.
"Gomen," she said hurriedly, tucking a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear and looking up. Makoto's familiar green eyes were looking at her with concern.
"Mina-chan? What could it be that has you tearing around the castle as if the hell hounds are at your feet?" Makoto asked, slinging an arm around her blond friend's shoulders.
"Mako-chan..." she choked out, "I heard something...not good...there's a group of...terrorists or something, they want to kill Selenity..." Finally her instincts caught up to her and she burst into tears, sobs racking her body. Makoto held her tight and led her to a padded bench.
"Sit down, Mina-chan, and tell me exactly what you heard," Makoto said soothingly, stroking Minako's hair.
"I was in the ballroom," Minako explained, "and I heard two women on the balcony, talking. I didn't mean to eavesdrop, Mako-chan, honest. I thought it was good gossip. But it was about a group of some sort, one that wanted to take over Crystal Tokyo and kill Selenity. The woman in charge --she called the other woman 'Number One'-- said that the White Moon brought oppression and should be destroyed. And I swear that she called Number One Setsuna."
Was it her imagination, or did Makoto stiffen? "Setsuna, you said? As in, Guardian of Time Setsuna? Sailorpluto Setsuna?"
"Kami-sama, Makoto," Minako said irritably. "Do you know any other Setsunas?"
"Good point." Makoto's body shuddered in a deep sigh. "Oh, this isn't good. Not good at all. Have you told Selenity?"
"I couldn't find her." Minako swallowed and sat up. She was beginning to think rationally once more. "We need to tell the senshi."
"Do you really think it's a good idea?" Makoto countered.
Minako's spine straightened. "What do you mean?"
"What if the other senshi are in league with this woman? Letting them know that we know is dangerous."
"I guess you're right. I mean, Setsuna's already working for her, why not the others?" It killed her to say it. Ami, Rei, Haruka, Michiru? Her loyal, dependable friends, in league with a woman who wanted to kill their queen? And what of little Hotaru? Just a toddler now, as was her nature, but if she grew old enough, if she grew impressionable enough...she was Death itself. She could bring a revolution, all right...a death reborn revolution, in one fell swoop. Horrifying.
Then a more horrifying thought occurred to her. What if Makoto was one of the conspirators? One of them? Maybe Minako was next on the list. Maybe even as they spoke, Makoto was planning to kill her.
"Yes, why not the others?" Minako said, slowly getting to her feet. Suspicion overwhelmed her brain, and she glared at Makoto with fearful eyes. "Why not the others, Makoto? Why not you?"
"You must be joking," Makoto said, her tone calm yet disbelieving. She rose to Minako's side, towering over the other woman. It was just Makoto's natural height, but her indignance of the accusations, coupled with Minako's frantic paranoia, made it seem almost menacing. "You can't honestly believe that I'm in a conspiracy against Selenity."
"I don't know what to believe," Minako wailed, tears flooding her eyes. "They're going to kill Selenity. And they're going to kill me because I know." She turned tail and ran frantically through the halls of the castle.