"We have to head south, now," Setsuna said as soon as everyone was gathered together. They tore their gazes from Houki, who had grown even more since she awoke last night. She was nearly seventeen, if Setsuna's guess was right.
"No, we have to go find out where to awaken our Goddess," Tama said stubbornly.
"I think Setsuna's right, of course. I knew that someone else would realize that south was the right direction," Hotohori said, still watching Houki. "Are you sure it's possible for our baby Houki to grow up so quickly?" Houki looked at him, irritated, and then nodded shortly.
"Where we are going is not open for debate. Houki and I are going south whether you come or not is, however, up to you. Houki, we must leave now" Houki nodded in agreement with Setsuna's statement and stood up, wearing her blue fuku. Setsuna had also discarded Nuriko's kimono for her own fuku. She and Houki stood up, each holding their Glaive and going to the door.
"Well, of course we're going with you!" Miaka said abruptly. "Wait for us, will you?" She stood up and shooed the men out, grabbed their packs, and headed out with Setsuna and Houki.
Getting out of the town turned out to be even more exciting that Setsuna had anticipated. They needed the help of Nuriko, Tamahoma, Tasuki, Mitsukake, Chiriko, and Chichiri just to walk out of the street. The guards weren't as willing to give as the citizens had been and found themselves bound and gagged in their guardroom. Setsuna was just grateful that it was nearing the end of their watch so that someone would find them soon. No one in the group (apart from Houki) understood the urgency with which she was making hem move, but they seemed to be feeling it.
They walked for most of that day, stopping briefly for lunch and then prepared to move on again. "You go ahead. I have something I need to do," Setsuna said. Houki looked at her curiously.
"I'll wait–you may need help." Setsuna nodded to her, but when the others offered to wait, she told them to move on, that she and Hotaru would catch up and could more than take care of themselves. Reluctantly, they started off ahead of them.
When they were out of earshot, Setsuna moved to the clearest point in the road, directly in the sunlight. Houki followed curiously. "Stay in the shade, I'm going to try something that I haven't one since childhood."
"What's that?" Houki asked, stopping at the edge of the sunlight.
"Speak to my father," she said quietly. "I'm hoping that the God of Time will see fit to give us some clues as to what path each of our actions will take."
Houki looked shocked. "You haven't talked to your father since you were little?"
Setsuna burst out laughing. "Most people would be shocked that my father was the God of Time or that I would have the nerve to even attempt speaking with him–not that his daughter hadn't spoken with him for awhile." She grinned at Houki who answered with a chuckle of her own
"Be carful, Pluto. There's only one Guardian of Time that I know of," Houki said solemnly Setsuna nodded to her, then turned her back on her and glanced up at the sun
She took a deep breath, then planted her Glaive firmly in front of her and slowly fell to her knees, clasping her hands under her chin and watching the garnet on her Glaive flash in the sun. She focused on the rhythms of time flowing in her blood, becoming more aware of Houki as the cycle of life, death, and rebirth began to pulse even mor strongly in her heart. Her breathing slowed and she slowly lost awareness of all around her, everything but the light reflecting, breaking up, and slowly becoming brighter in the garnet in her Glaive. "Father," she whispered soundlessly, "help us please..."
Houki watched nervously, restraining the impulse to ask if anything was happening as the silence stretched out. She shifted from one foot to the other, occasionally using her Glaive to rest on. She finally slid into a crouch, holding the Glaive in front of her with both hands. She looked back to Setsuna and found herself suddenly riveted on her. Life, Death, Revolution. Her attack began pounding through her head in an oddly hypnotic rhythm, but not so compelling that she had to speak. Her eyes began to water from not blinking for a long time, braking the strange trance that seemed to have come over her. She stood up and stumbled, barely catching her balance and found herself shaking and fatigued. She looked to Setsuna again; ready to call this off when the garnet flashed and grew into a giant pillar of light, engulfing Setsuna and stretching up tot he sky. As the light struck the ground, she found herself thrown from her feet, landing on her back.
How long she lay there on the ground, she was unable to say, but judging from the sun, not long. Houki pulled herself to her feet, feeling as if her face had been sunburned. She got to her knees, dragging herself to her feet on her Glaive. "SETSUNA!" she cried, seeing her laying motionless beside her still upright Glaive. She ran over and rolled Setsuna over, finding her skin hot to the touch. The only response she received was a groan, but it was enough to let her know that the Guardian of Time still lived. "Don't worry, Mama-Setsuna, I'll get help." She was about to jump up when a hand grabbed her wrist.
"No," a dry voice whispered. "I'm all right. Just help me to stand and we'll catch up to them." She stared at Setsuna's eyes an then slowly nodded. She helped pull Setsuna to her feet and then they started slowly on their way down the road, Setsuna leaning heavily on Houki.
They walked for what seemed to be a long time, but didn't get very far–and Sailor Pluto wasn't getting any better. Houki finally called a halt to it, stopping under a cherry tree and setting her down to lean against the trunk. "I can keep going," Setsuna protested tiredly.
"I'm sure you can, especially since I've been carrying you the whole way," Houki retorted. "I'm getting help; you wait here and don't get into trouble." Setsuna snorted as Houki stood and started briskly after their friends. "Stubborn, I knew she would be, so why did I let it go so far? I'm at least as stubborn as she is. Who knows how far head they are! She could be dead if I don't get help back here quickly..." She gnawed worriedly on her lower lip and picked up the pace.
She caught up to them nearly two hours later. Mitsukake was the first to notice her approach alone. He leapt to his feet and quickly came towards her, grabbing her by the shoulders and shaking her. "What happened? Where's Setsuna?"
Houki huffed and puffed a bit. "Let her catch her breath," Hotohori said, walking over and surprising everyone by offering his arm to support her while pushing Mitsukake's hands off of Houki.
Houki took a deep breath, getting herself under control, and then told them where she'd left Setsuna and why. She couldn't help but notice how frantic Mitsukake seemed to be and found herself beginning to wonder... "Come now, you sit here. We'll make camp while someone goes back to get Setsuna–she's a capable woman, I'm sure she'll be fine," Hotohori said. She leaned on him, feeling suddenly drained and allowed him to lead her to a pile of blankets and gently set her down. Once sitting, he sat behind her and began to rub her back and she sighed in appreciation.
"I'll get her," Mitsukake said. "If she's hurt, I'm the best one to go. I'll be back in about..how long did you say it took you to catch us, Houki?"
"Two hours," she said grimly, tensing up again with worry. She and Setsuna had been together through more than she could believe. When she was alive, the Guardian of Time was always there to help her between her birth and death. She couldn't imagine another Guardian there and shuddered slightly.
"Relax, I'm sure she's fine," Miaka said, sitting nearby. Mitsukake grabbed a water bottle, blanket, and some food before starting off.
"Give me a bit more than four hours. Start after me if you must, but I'll be back." The rest nodded quietly, watching Houki closely as her eyes betrayed how sick with worry she was becoming.
Mitsukake moved quickly, breaking into a bit of running as he went, worry pounding in his heart. Since she had arrived, he'd found himself becoming more and more intrigued with the woman...and when he'd seen her in the kimono, he knew that his heart had stopped living within him and was walking beside him. Until Tasuki had called him away to look after his eye. He had felt the separation keenly and now felt as if he were dying again, as he had with his beloved Sheena. Setsuna had no idea about his feelings, he knew, but if she was alive, he decided abruptly to rectify that. He hadn't thought to ever love again, but hadn't been able to stop the beginnings of real love after holding her briefly to remove the cockroach. He smiled slightly, remembering that moment. It was tempting to put on in her hair so that he could hold her again.
The time went quickly, and he found the cherry tree sooner than he'd thought. He saw Setsuna slumped over to her side and nearly lost control, thinking her dead. He ran over to her, dropping everything and gathered her into his arms. "Little Sakura," he said softly, brushing her hair back. Her skin was very hot, but her pulse, he discovered was strong. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders, cradling her against his chest and cupped the back of her head with his left hand. Reaching into his gift of healing, he slowly ran it through her body, checking for any life threatening injuries–but found only exhaustion. He let his breath out in relief, dropping his forehead to touch hers. "Sakura," he repeated, and then lightly kissed her forehead. He looked down at her, rubbing her cheek with his thumb, then gently brushed his lips to hers. She stirred slightly, her eyes opening briefly as she groaned tiredly.
"I can walk," she whispered hoarsely. Mitsukake snorted and shook his head, reaching for the water bottle. "Houki? Where's Houki?"
Mitsukake held the water bottle to her lips and she drank thirstily, dropping her head against his shoulder when she was done. He wrapped the blanket around her, deciding food might be a bit much for her at the moment, and then picked her up, food and water slung over his shoulder. "She's with the rest. She thought you were dying," he said softly. He managed to grab her Glaive while holding her, but changed his mind. He set her back down and tied the Glaive to his back, then picked her up again. "You're not dying, but whatever you did has left you with no energy."
"I can walk," she protested, slinging her arm over his shoulder, her grip barely registering in his mind from the weakness of it.
He shook his head again. "I don't doubt it...the question is whether or not we would get anywhere, Sakura." He began walking back the way he'd come, relief making her weight seem as nothing.
"Sakura...I'm Setsuna," she murmured, head on his shoulder.
"You are my little Sakura," he said softly, brushing his lips to her forehead again. Setsuna didn't hear him, having either fallen asleep or passed out, he never knew which.
As evening approached, Houki was found leaping to her feet again. "I have to go find them! Something could have happened and Sailor Pluto may need my help!" She started off, yet again, and was yet again puled back by Hotohori.
"I have told you many times, woman, that Miaka would know immediately if any harm had befallen Mitsukake. She's sleeping like a babe, why don't you follow her example?" He pulled her into a sitting position beside him.
Houki found herself doing something she had never thought to do in front of relative strangers: she began sobbing. "They could be dead!" she wailed burying her face in her hands.
"They're not, Mitsukake is very capable, and if Setsuna is as stubborn as you are, then there's nothing to fear." Hotohori pulling Houki gently into his embrace and she found herself crying in fear and worry on his shoulder. "Don't cry, very few people can pull looking good and crying off at the same time and I wouldn't want you to risk that fine line."
"You're no help at all!" Houki cried, leaning back and hitting him in the shoulder. She threw her arms around his waist again, hiding her face in his shoulder and quivering from her tears.
"Here now, let me see that again," Hotohori said, tilting her face back up to his. "Well then, you can cry on. You seem to have that special gift for looking good while crying," he said with a gentle smile. He wiped one of her tears away with his thumb, and then kissed her other cheek. He leaned back against a rock and pulled Houki with him. She lay against his chest, hiccoughing and sniffling, feeling strangely better. "They'll be all right, I promise," he said, rubbing her shoulder. "As a matter of fact, I think I'll give them a royal command to come back safely."
Against her will, Houki found herself giggling. "As if they'd obey. I thought you'd spent more time with them than that!" He laughed with her, rubbing her back. "Miaka will really know if something happens to Mitsukake?" He nodded. "And if he hadn't found her, he would have returned by now, right?" He nodded again pulling the blanket up around her shoulders more. "Then why are you being so nice to me?"
He blinked, taken aback by the question. He pondered it a moment, rubbing up her back to the nape of her neck. "I must admit to being intrigued by you...but your obvious loyalty tends to put you in my better graces. And, although not nearly as beautiful as myself," he said teasingly, "you're not as bad looking as some women. Yes, I would go as far as to say that you're the most beautiful woman I've seen, with a heart of pure gold." Houki leaned back to look at him surprised. He smiled slightly, and then cupped her chin in the hand that had been rubbing her back and leaned down, kissing her lips. She didn't move a moment after he'd moved away again, her eyes still wide in shock as she stared at him. "And then, there's the most obvious reason of all...love..." he said softly. He leaned down again, and this time she found herself kissing him back. "Beautiful Sakura," he whispered, pulling her close to him again. She fell asleep leaning on him.