Part 2 – Silent Night
With the last of their friends departed, Setsuna sat in the library quietly enjoying what was left of the evening.
"Setsuna-mama?"
The voice led her to put her book aside as a pajama-clad Hotaru came into the room. With a yawn and a grin, the girl hugged her goodnight, her sleepy eyes partially hidden under the rim of Haruka's Santa hat.
Setsuna lifted the hat from Hotaru's head and straightened down her hair. "Pleasant dreams," she said, leaning forward to kiss the child's cheek.
When she was once again alone, she held the hat in her hands and studied it with more intent than one would usually give such an object. A soft smile touched her lips, and she decided she would also take this with her.
Closing off the lights in the library, she began the night's plans in an unhurried fashion. The house was dark and quiet when she finally made it back to her room, and she set the hat on her dresser before moving over to the closet. Using a small stepstool, she reached up to the top shelf and pulled down a neatly wrapped package and a smaller unwrapped one. The two, along with the hat and an oversized candy cane, were placed into a bag, and then Setsuna called forth her staff.
It had turned out to be a quiet, uneventful night on the moon… for everyone but Pluto. She stood at the Gate, following the instructions in the note she had received from herself several days ago. Just as the note had told her, she hadn't said anything to anyone in the palace about where she was going or what she was doing, and she was terribly curious as to what was going to happen.
She had only to wait a few minutes more to find out. The doors began to open in onerous fashion, thick white mist spilling forth and billowing down the marble steps that led to them. A second later, Pluto watched her future self emerge through the mist. The smile the woman wore clearly indicated this was not a crisis situation, and Pluto's curiosity was piqued even more… along with her concern that either Chronos or the Goddess would strike her down for this breach in conduct.
"Don't worry, they won't," said Setsuna as she stepped down to the level where her younger self waited. She reached into her bag to pull out the unwrapped present and candy cane. "I'll be back in one hour. If Serenity asks you about it later, feign ignorance. It will amuse her."
"Feigning ignorance won't be difficult," answered the younger Pluto with a crooked grin. "Since in this case I really am."
"If necessary, you know how to find out," replied Setsuna good-naturedly. Then she held out the box and candy cane. "Merry Christmas."
Her younger self looked at her in confusion. "Merry what-what?"
"Christmas," answered Setsuna. "Consider this your future warning," she added lightly, almost laughing at the tentativeness with which her younger self accepted the unexpected gift.
She left the younger Pluto to debate over opening the box and made her way to the palace. How odd it felt to be back here. The simple joy of familiarity she'd felt at the Gate trickled away as the ghosts of her past surrounded her. Her chest was suddenly heavy, and she wondered if she would be able to do this after all. But then she was standing at the door to the queen's apartment, the guards on either side ignoring her but no doubt wondering what was taking her so long to enter.
Steadying herself, she took a deep breath and put her hand to the keypad.
The door swooshed open, and a blonde head popped up from behind a large, cushioned chair.
"Pluto!" squealed the princess. She ran over to her guardian and held out her arms. "I didn't think you were coming to see us tonight."
Pluto lifted the little princess, immediately finding tiny arms wrapped as tightly around her neck as they could get.
"I try never to miss an evening with my favorite princess," answered Pluto as she pried the child loose. "Though I expected you to be in bed by now."
The princess grinned. "I wasn't sleepy, so Mama said I could play a game to help me get sleepy. I'm practicing my hide-and-seek so Minako can't find me. She always finds me first." Then the princess noticed the bag slung over Pluto's shoulder. She leaned over as far as she could to see, trying to reach the zipper. "What's that?"
"This," replied Pluto, righting the child and setting her back on her feet, "is something private for your mother." She took the princess by the hand and led her back to her room. "I bet you're starting to feel sleepy now after playing your game."
The princess thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No, not yet."
"Yes, you are," countered Pluto. In the princess' room, she lifted the child and set her on the edge of the bed. "You just don't realize it yet. Lay down and close your eyes, and you'll be sound asleep before you know it."
"Oh. Okay," answered the princess, fully believing that if her Pluto said it, it must be true. So she climbed under the covers, smiled up at her Guardian, and puckered her lips. "Kiss goodnight."
Pluto chuckled and leaned down so the little princess could kiss her cheek. Then she tucked the child in fully before going to visit her queen.
"I thought I heard you come in," said Serenity with a smile when Pluto appeared in her doorway. She set aside the computer pad she had been studying and leaned forward in her chair. "Is Usagi still playing her game?"
"She's in bed," answered Pluto, not budging from where she stood. "Though I don't know for how long."
Several moments passed with nothing more said as Pluto stood in her spot and simply watched her queen watching her. A thin robe covered the queen's silky white gown, and her hair was down in a braid, ready for bed. Glittery toenails peeked out of fuzzy white slippers, and that beautiful smile waited for her to announce why she had come. A warm smile that found itself wrapped around a giggle.
"Well?" laughed Serenity. "Are you going to tell me why you're here after you said you wouldn't be tonight, or did you just come to stand in my doorway and stare at my divine beauty?"
Pluto grinned. "Yes."
The queen shook her head and motioned to her mate. "Come in. And show me what it is you have behind your back."
"This," began Pluto, "is something I discovered on a new world I've been observing." She set the bag on the bed, enjoying Serenity's sudden curiosity.
The queen stood from her chair and moved over to the bed to see what Pluto had brought for her.
"They have a yearly tradition that I rather like," went on Pluto. "It involves a myth about a portly, elderly gentleman with a kind and generous spirit named Santa Claus. Once a year while everyone sleeps, he dresses in a red, fur-trimmed suit and flies through the land delivering gifts to those who have shown kindness to others. The people of this world copy the example by giving gifts to those they care for." She pulled the Santa hat from her bag.
"What is that?" giggled the queen, flicking at the fuzzy white ball on the hat's point.
"This is the hat Santa Claus wears with his suit," answered Pluto, placing it on Serenity's head and adjusting it properly. "I borrowed it, so that we might celebrate properly."
"Well, well," said Serenity as she observed herself in a mirror. "I like it. What do you think?" she asked, posing.
"Very lovely," answered Pluto, earning another giggle. Then she pulled out the wrapped package.
Serenity's eyes lit up. "The gift giving part of the tradition?"
Pluto nodded.
Gleefully, Serenity accepted the gift and laughed when she saw the nametag. "Look at this. Whoever this Santa Claus is, he knows to call me Ren."
Pluto huffed. "Obviously, he has no sense of decorum… Your Majesty."
Serenity stuck out her tongue, then set about carefully undoing the shiny bow and pretty paper. What she found beneath them was a purple velvet box with a gold pressed label. She ran her fingers lightly over the velvet as she read the unfamiliar name. "Godiva?"
Then she lifted the lid.
The heavenly fragrance touched her senses even before her eyes registered the wonderful assortment of chocolates before her. Her eyes shone brighter than a Christmas tree, and she turned that adoring gaze to Pluto. "If I didn't already love you more than anyone else, this would have catapulted you to that position." Eager fingers hovered, trying to decide before finally settling over a dark piece. Her eyes closed in ecstasy as the chocolate mixed with a sweet cream she had never before tasted.
Pure heaven. The Goddess herself could not have created something more perfect.
"Do you like it?" asked Pluto with amusement.
"Must you even ask?" returned Serenity. She inhaled the sweet scent of the chocolates, then questioned, "Who is the chocolatier, this Godiva?"
"Not from our world, I'm sorry to say," answered Pluto. "Neither are they part of the alliance, so guard that box well."
A bit crestfallen, Serenity reluctantly replaced the lid on the box. "Well, that is unfortunate. Still, this was a wonderful surprise. Thank you. Perhaps, in the future, you and I will celebrate this foreign holiday privately and secretly as you continue to observe this world. Perhaps we might even find another top secret box from Godiva?" she ventured with a conspiratorial smile.
Pluto chuckled, but made no promises.
Serenity set down the box and moved back over to Pluto. She put her arms around her Guardian's waist and smiled up at her, the cap making her look a bit more mischievous than she was really trying to be. "And what shall be your gift, Pluto? You may have whatever you wish for… What did you call it?"
"Christmas, Your Majesty," replied Pluto. She brought up a hand and gently stroked Serenity's cheek. "For my gift, I would like one hour this evening with you."
"You may have my company any time you wish it," answered Serenity. "That's hardly a gift."
"For me it is," said Pluto softly, fighting to keep her smile. "For me it is."