Chapter VII b)- Confrontation: Friend Against Friend

The noise of broken porcelain pulled her out of her reverie.

"Oh, Hotaru-chan…"

The baby regarded her with bright eyes, alight with delighted pride. On the floor next to the tall baby-chair lay the shards of what had been Setsuna's coffee cup.

"Look at the mess you've done…" she said in a scolding tone, but instantly felt contrite, as Hotaru's eyes filled with tears. "No, little one, I know it's not your fault, I should have been paying attention…" She bent to pick the broken pieces. "I need a bigger cup anyway…" she said with a small trace of bitter irony.

"What's going on here?" Haruka's head popped through the kitchen door, and the blonde eyed the mess on the floor. "Uh-oh, did you try feeding her carrot puree again?"

"I don't feel quite that brave today", the other replied. "She just knocked over my cup of coffee."

"Need help cleaning this up?"

"Not really…it was my fault anyway. I should've kept my eyes on her, but I was miles away…"

"Where were you?"

Both of them turned at the sound of Michiru's voice. Setsuna immediately recoiled at the question—she had been acutely aware of her friend's veiled prodding the past days, and felt somewhat hassled.

"Right next to her—but she's quick!", she replied, purposely misinterpreting the question. She had often resorted to that tactic with Michiru lately.

"Right."

Haruka felt the friction between them, a tension that had been escalating recently. She was well aware of Michiru's suspicions that Setsuna was hiding something—and mostly agreed to her partner. What she did not understand was the blue-eyed girl's unusual assertiveness, her unexplained irritability towards their friend. Silently, Haruka thought Michiru had a secret reason of her own, but had been reluctant to bring up the topic in the already tense atmosphere of late.

"Maybe Hotaru was just looking for your attention", the aqua-haired girl said with a small shrug. "Babies feel abandoned easily at this age."

"I didn't think of that…I'll spend more time with her."

"You could take her along on your walks…"

Setsuna let out a small sigh, and replied in a neutral tone:

"Yes, I could." She walked towards the door. "I'll get a towel to clean that mess", she said by means of pretext.

Michiru cut her retreat, her usually good-natured expression replaced by a serious, almost demanding appearance.

"Will you tell us what is going on?"

Setsuna dodged the directness as she had dodged the subtleties.

"I haven't learnt anything about the new enemy yet. I will let you know as soon as…"

"That's not all I was referring to."

Hearing the edge in her partner's voice, Haruka decided to stop the game of innuendos and ask the question directly.

"Something is happening to you, isn't it?"

Her inquiry was met with not so much as a flinch. In truth, Setsuna felt her equanimity slip away. But her millennia-long duties had taught her to rein her inherent temper—she had developed patience and an indissoluble composure. Straight-faced, she shrugged in feigned puzzlement.

"I'm not really sure what you're talking about…"

"Come on, I know you, we know each other too well for this dance…" Haruka replied in a jaded tone.

"Indulge me", the green-haired young woman replied, in a voice dripping sarcasm. "Perhaps you'd like to explain the interrogatory."

The sudden antagonism from one she had always pictured as the quintessence of level-headedness shocked Haruka. Instinctively, she backpedaled:

"It's not…"

"Save it, Haruka! I'll gladly explain it."

Michiru kept a low tone, yet her expression conveyed annoyance.

"Do so already!" Setsuna challenged.

"Alright…"

Had she been any calmer, she would have noticed the same heated expression mirrored on the other's face, and perhaps backed down. But she didn't.

"You don't take part in the fight, refuse to discuss the new threat or drop a single word on it, disappear for hours doing God-only-knows what—and please" she said with a wave of her hand, "don't even try to tell me it's all part of some mission of the guardian of Time. I've heard you all these nights, and seen you drift off during the day and almost constantly avoid all of us, even Hotaru!"

"Maybe I was avoiding the constant grilling—"

"Maybe there wouldn't be a need for grilling if you'd only tell us—"

"There's nothing to tell!"

Setsuna was shocked at her own shout—she couldn't remember the last time she had been so angry.

A frightened cry erupted from behind them. Hotaru regarded her three adoptive parents with wide, fearful eyes. Giving her friends a reproachful look, Haruka moved to comfort her, while the other two remained motionless, their bodies still tense from the confrontation. The sandy blonde took the baby in her arms, all clumsiness gone from her moves. She walked to the door, and motioned Michiru out of the kitchen as well—she had no intention of allowing the conflict to escalate any further.

Her partner nodded in silent agreement and preceded her out.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Once Hotaru was safely in her cradle, Haruka had come downstairs, to find Michiru waiting on the sofa. Some of the anger on her partner's face had vanished, but not all.

"Not really. You're not the one I want to hear talking right now", the aqua-haired girl replied almost rancorously.

"Michiru, listen to yourself. This doesn't sound like you at all! Setsuna didn't sound like herself back in the kitchen, either!"

"She hasn't been acting like herself recently."

"Neither have you."

Michiru raised a regretful gaze towards her partner. She swallowed hard before speaking again:

"I've…seen her. In the mirror. It was different from any signs I've seen before! It…looked bad. I know something is wrong."

"I know…but she always has a reason to keep things to herself. I don't like it any more than you do, but I'm not willing to start this kind of arguments over it."

"She has to let us help, this time."

"You've seen the extent of Setsuna's powers, Michiru. Give her credit… she can handle a lot. I'm worried, too, but I trust she'd ask for our help if she needed it."

"You don't understand, Haruka…"

She sounded genuinely frightened.

"I saw her light burnt out… I… I think I saw her die. "

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

AN: The last chapter is written—but it will take a bit longer to get there.

Meanwhile, I'd love to get some more reviews—honestly, if it hadn't been for the hit count (or whatever they call it) system I think my story would have died an early death. As it is, I plan on putting my best effort to finish it :) but that's because Iwhat happensin the next chapters;) and promise it'll be good!

So, make sure you let me know what you think this far!

Myosotis