Time Waits
As guardian of time, Setsuna tended to see a lot of things. No, it was
more than that. She also tended to know a lot of things. It was true
that time was a murky subject. Shifting and changing, sometimes due to
the funniest thing. For instance, lets say that you decide you'll
wear your black pants on Tuesday but whent it rolls around instead
you're in the fancy red pants and suddenly because of your choice in
fashion, you have a date.
Time was a funny thing that way. With all of its changes, making the
littlest things important in the long run, in the big scheme of
things. It was almost as if waited until the very last second to show
what really mattered.
Now, Setsuna guarded time and because of this, she also waited.
She waited a hell of a lot. I mean, she waited thousands of years for
the Senshi to get reincarnated on Earth so they could battle evil once
more and she could wear a cute little fuku again. Hey, she might be
guardian of time, but it was noted she was a woman of fashion. Even if
her tastes might be off every now and again.
Clothing designers are wacky people, after all.
For almost as long as she waited for the Senshi to reincarnate,
Setsuna had been waiting for her one true love. Okay, maybe not
entirely waiting. She'd done some looking here and there, when she was
averting the apocalypse or watching alternate universes.
Alternate universes were like real life soap operas. Just try and
imagine flipping from universe to universe to see the oddities that
occur. A world where Rei's Tuxedo Kamen? One where Makoto is Sailor
Uranus and she lands Michiru? Or, the best yet, one where she herself
had a harem of admirers who tended to her every need and...
That last one was probably a fantasy but who honestly knows.
Anyway, she looked around for her soulmate or whatever you'd like to
call it. Soulmate sounded so cliché to Setsuna, personally. She would
rather call it something like eternal snuggle bunny or everlasting
love maker. Something like that. But again, like clothing designers,
guardians of time are wacky people.
Which is maybe why Setsuna didn't have much luck in looking for her
eternal snuggle bunny. Everyone she had the slightest interest in
ended up with someone else or there was some sort of mishap in the
time stream that she couldn't see coming to prevent.
She'd never forget that handsome cobbler... run over by an ox drawn
cart. Thinking of him now, she sighed. He wasn't terribly bright but
boy could that man cobble.
Then there was Endymion, she didn't know what she was thinking with
that. He was probably the most involved a person could get. Never
ending reincarnated love? Who messes with that? Herself and Rei
apparently. But still, she gave up after a few years of pining while
Rei trudged on. Setsuna honestly hoped that girl had a break through
one of these years. She certainly deserved it for all of the angst she
heaped on herself.
Things weren't bad now, certainly not. Everyone was getting along...
the Starlights had poofed back into obscurity, leaving Usagi safe from
Seiya's sex changing advances. Not that Setsuna had anything against
Seiya. He was a nice man/woman alien Senshi person and he/she was
quite dashing, in either form. Even with the leather. Mmm...
especially with the leather.
Seeing Mamoru back and with Usagi didn't pain Setsuna any. She was
used to it and besides that, it made her glad to see her Princess
happy. What really got to her was her day to day life with perfect
couple number two aka Haruka and Michiru.
It didn't matter what anyone said or tried to claim, Haruka and
Michiru, when they wanted to be, were a million times mushier and
predestined than Usagi and Mamoru could be on any good day. Setsuna
knew this as she was exposed to it almost every time she was at home
with them. Part of her wished she wasn't a few millennia old and was
instead Hotaru's age, so she could block them out with the TV and some
Sailor Senshi video games.
Not that she didn't love Haruka and Michiru. Oh no, they were her
closest friends, the ones who probably best understood her annoyance
at her lack of love life and the sense of utter loneliness she had at
times. Well, they understood because they used to have that
themselves. Then they met each other and wham! Color them happy.
Setsuna colored them happy as a strange mix of orange and aqua. It was
an ugly color that didn't go well in any outfits but still, that was
the color of Haruka/Michiru happy and together.
The couple didn't like seeing Setsuna unhappy as it tended to warp
their orange and aqua world and she was their close friend/co-mother
of Hotaru, so they took it upon themselves to help her out with
solving her lack of romance woes. And so it begins...
---
Setsuna stared at Haruka and Michiru as if they were bonkers. Utterly
and completely bonkers. Then she took a sip of her tea and stared at
them like that some more. When she was done, she put the cup down and
said skeptically, "You made a chart?"
"A graph," Michiru correctly primly. She smoothed out her skirt then
picked up the pointer which was resting comfortably on the elaborate
stand she and Haruka had bought to display said graph. Never say they
didn't put out the bucks when it counted or even when it didn't
sometimes. "One of your various romance potentials." She whapped the
graph hard with the pointer and tracing it, she said, "We've charted
each one and it peaks when you have something in common with them
according to category. Of if they have a quality we think you'd find
particularly appealing."
"I see," said Setsuna as she arched an eyebrow. "Can I ask a question
though?"
"Sure," replied Haruka easily, leaning back in her seat and grinning
widely at Setsuna. She was feeling pretty proud of herself. Not only
had the graph been a great idea, it was pretty damn funny to look at
as well. "Ask away."
"Why chibi? And why in their fukus?" asked Setsuna, referring to the
way the various people on the graph were represented by stickers of
them as chibis and wearing their Sailor Senshi fukus.
"It's funny," answered Haruka and Michiru with smirks.
"I see," Setsuna repeated, sounding all the more skeptical. "Another
question then. Why only Sailor Senshi? I could date someone who isn't
one of us, you realize."
"Yeah, but it would be a pain in the ass," said Haruka bluntly.
"Besides," she grinned at Setsuna and drawled, "don't tell me you'd be
upset to be with one of them."
"Haruka," said Michiru in a warning. She whapped the blonde on the top
of her head with the pointer then turned to Setsuna. "It would be
easier and better, we think, if you could be with one of the Inners,"
she explained. "I think it would be hard to work around the absences
caused from Senshi duty with a regular person."
"And we need the new toaster oven we get if we recruit you," Haruka
added, only to be whapped with Michiru's pointer of death again. "Ow,"
she groused, rubbing her head, "you don't have to be so gung ho with
that thing."
"Sorry," said Michiru sweetly, looking utterly adorable but snapping
out of it as she faced Setsuna. "Now," she began as she turned all
business, "you'll notice that when it comes to Rei, you share a lot in
common with your abilities. Since Rei is psychic she does know what it
is to see into the future and to see things that you wouldn't like. We
think you'd be able to share a lot of your problems caused from your
duty with her."
"Yeah," chimed in Haruka, nodding her sore head. She paused to smirk
big then leaned into Setsuna and said lowly, "I got one thing to say
to you... catholic school girl."
At this, Setsuna arched an eyebrow yet again and returned the smirk.
Michiru watched this and ran her fingers over her pointer,
contemplating if she needed to use it again. Instead she huffed and
said loudly, "Her downfall though," she traced the graph to the low
point on Rei's adjusting line which tracked her good and bad
qualities, pleased to see she had Haruka and Setsuna's attention once
again. "We're afraid will never go away."
"What's that?" asked Setsuna, her lips quirking up in a smile. This
really was amusing.
"Impossible love for Usagi," Haruka and Michiru sang out.
"Been there," Haruka snorted, leaning back in her chair and smirking.
"Done that," Michiru finished giving Haruka an attractive wink.
"I see..." said Setsuna, deciding that would be her response to
anything she really didn't have a clear answer for during this line of
conversation.
"Next up, Ami," pronounced Michiru, whapping the graph again. "As you
can see, out of all of the Inners, Ami is the one you'd be best able
to discuss your scientific interests and theories with. She's quite
knowledgeable and always curious, so your discussions could range over
all things. You wouldn't have to hold back in that area."
"Plus, you have to remember to look out for the quiet ones," said
Haruka with a confident nod. "That girl is bound to be a spitfire in
bed." After she said this, she scooted back and away from the reach of
Michiru's pointer which seemed to be aimed at her head again.
"And her downfall?" asked Setsuna, taking a sip of her tea. Oddly
enough, she was finding this spectacle more and more entertaining.
"Too nerdish," Michiru sighed with disappointment. "She needs a more
adventurous spirit and zest to her if you ask me. Also..." She trailed
off, looking at Haruka.
Crossing her legs, Haruka looked deep into Setsuna's eyes and stated,
"We're pretty sure she's got the hots for Makoto."
"I see," said Setsuna with a smirk, tapping the edge of her cup. "I
never realized." She tilted her head to one side then asked, "And
isn't zest a type of soap?"
"She's playing with us again," said Haruka darkly, looking at Michiru
with a slight scowl. "I don't think we should even explain Makoto's
graph to her now."
"Now, now, don't be a sourpuss," Michiru chided affectionately, giving
Haruka a loving smile. She turned to Setsuna and this time, whapped
her on the top of her head with the pointer before turning back to the
graph. "We have a job to do."
"That does hurt," Setsuna commented with a wince, rubbing her head as
she looked at Haruka who nodded solemnly at her.
"I told you," said Haruka. Then leaning in, she said in conspiratorial
tones, "Personally, I think she gets a kick out of hitting others with
pointy metal sticks. It's weird and disturbing."
For this comment and their brief conversation involving her, both
Haruka and Setsuna got whapped on the top of their heads with
Michiru's pointer of death. Then she returned to the graph which was
currently featuring chibi Makoto in her Sailor Jupiter fuku.
"Makoto and you have quite a few common interests and personality
quirks, actually," said Michiru thoughtfully as she followed the line
of the graph. "As you can see, you both love plants, cooking, and the
domestic life. Like you are now, Makoto will someday make an excellent
mother. She's often stubborn and sometimes takes off on her own to
deal with problems she feels are purely her own, but often involve
others."
"Mmm," Setsuna murmured, eyeing the graph, more than a little
surprised to find that on thinking of it, she did have a lot in common
with the girl. Looking to Haruka, she smirked and said, "Don't have
anything to add?"
Smiling slowly, Haruka leaned back in her chair. "Nice chest, firm
breasts even though they're too big for even my hands." She sighed
thinking of them only to pale on seeing the pointer just inches away
from her head. Coughing loudly, she added, "But there is that fault
she has."
"Being in love with Ami, yes," agreed Setsuna with a nod, sipping her
tea. "It is bothersome, I know. They will make a cute couple in the
future though. If that's any consolation to you both."
"I told you she was playing with us," Haruka said indignantly to
Michiru who sighed then went onto the next graph which featured the
final Senshi on display, Venus.
"Minako," began Michiru in loud, self important tones, only to pause
after saying this.
"Minako...?" prompted Setsuna with a smile, setting her cup down with
a clink.
"Minako," repeated Michiru, reddening a bit as she looked to Haruka.
"Yeah, Minako," said Haruka, coughing and nodding her head.
Setsuna smirked at them both before turning her eyes to the graph that
they had made for Minako. If it had been a heart monitor then the poor
girl would've been flat lining. Giving a low chuckle, she said, "You
couldn't think of anything I had in common with her?"
"No," the couple said morosely.
"Well, at least she doesn't have any faults then," Setsuna continued
to chuckle. Rising to her feet, she regarded the chibi Sailor Venus
who was giving her patented v shaped sign with her fingers. "I guess
that makes her as much a candidate as anyone else, hm?"
They watched as Setsuna walked out of the room then Haruka looked up
at Michiru and smiled slowly. "I think we know who she's going after
now, don't we?" she drawled in her best naughty tones.
For a response, Michiru whapped her with the pointer.
---
Minako was god of video games. Or at least she was god of Sailor V
video games. This was mostly because she figured that if people were
poaching her original identity to make games off of it then she was
obligated to do her very best to beat them all. Still, she really
wished she was getting some of the profits from them. If she was then
she'd be rich and she could live on a deserted island with only a
legion of devoted fans to serve her.
Sometimes she wondered if that's what Crystal Tokyo was going to be
like for Usagi. Other than the deserted island part. Ah well, it
wasn't for her to find out. At least, not yet. That's why she was
busying herself with playing the newest Sailor V game in the arcade.
She was doing pretty damn well too, at least until someone stepped in
next to her, popped in a coin and suddenly Sailor V was challenged by
a new enemy.
Her first instinct?
Destroy them! Utterly at totally! Sailor V showed no mercy to her
enemies and neither did Minako. Mostly because she used to be Sailor V
and well... yeah, that was that. So Minako didn't show mercy to her
opponent and she quickly unleashed a barrage of secret moves on them
but was surprised to find the person next to her, whom she hadn't had
time to glance at, she was too busy trying to decimate them, was
managing to hold up against her.
That was it. She now had to release the big guns. There was no
surviving for those who dared to stand in the way of Minako's
undefeated reign when it came to Sailor V games. Pushing an elaborate
and headache inducing series of buttons, Minako produced the most
powerful, and stupidly named, attack they had given her in this video
game.
Sailor V's These Boots Are Made For Stompin' attack. To make the
attack worse yet, as it went on a techno version of the song by Nancy
Sinatra played, but with the lyrics altered to say stomped and
emphasized the shouldn't be playin' portion of the song.
Yes, that was the attack and yes again, the creators of the video game
were idiots, despite the fact they had already made millions off of
it. The entire situation made Minako want to weep.
But despite it's horrendously titled name, the attack was effective
and her victim... ehh, opponent was now reduced to a slimy mass of
goo. Minako laughed her triumph laugh, which according to Artemis was
really freaking scary, then turned to face them finally so she might
further gloat in her victory and see the pain etched on their loser
features.
Then she froze on seeing Setsuna smiling at her.
"Setsuna-san," squeaked Minako, her eyes bulging out. She quickly
whipped her head around the taller woman and searched for the person
she had played but there didn't look like anyone nearby had just left
the game. That meant... "Ehh," she laughed nervously, turning back to
look at Setsuna who arched an eyebrow at her. "Good game?"
"Yes," laughed Setsuna quietly, "it was a lot of fun while it lasted.
I don't think I got even a shot in at the very end." She smiled warmly
at Minako and said, "You're very good."
"Only at Sailor V games," confessed Minako, rubbing the back of her
head. "I sort of see it as my duty to be good at them, you know. How
embarrassing would it be if the real Sailor V couldn't beat her video
game foes?"
"Valid point," said Setsuna with a chuckle. She nodded to the game and
asked, "How far are you in this game? Close to beating it or could you
be pursuaded to have lunch with me?"
Her blue eyes lighting up, Minako smiled widely and exclaimed
brightly, "I can definitely take a break for that!" Walking with
Setsuna out the door, she asked, "Where do you want to go?"
"The café you always eat at?" suggested Setsuna easily, slowing her
walk and smiling again as Minako bounced to her side, beaming at her.
"Or would you like to try somewhere different?"
Pausing to consider that if they went to the café, the other Inners
might be there and for some reason, she rather felt like having some
time with Setsuna alone. This might be a good chance to get to know
the remote guardian of time. Then again, she looked up at Setsuna who
was still smiling warmly at her, face open and kind as she gazed at
the blonde, she didn't seem remote now. No, not at all. Was this how
Hotaru, Michiru, and Haruka got to see her? If it was then they were
lucky and Minako hoped Setsuna would share it more with all of them.
"Somewhere different," said Minako finally, returning Setsuna's smile.
"Of your choice."
"I know just the place," Setsuna replied in vaguely mysterious tones,
hooking her arm in Minako's and leading her down the street. Minako
blinked at this action but quickly smiled again and hurried up her
pace to keep up with the taller woman.
They finally ended up in a small French bistro and looking at the
menu, Minako frowned on noticing there wasn't any prices listed.
"Uhm..." she began, looking to Setsuna who glanced up from her menu to
smile at her on hearing her speak. "How much is this stuff?"
"Don't worry," Setsuna reassured, turning back to her menu, "it's my
treat. Just pick whatever you think you'll like the most. Consider it
a gift to the most beautiful of the Senshi."
Reddening at this, Minako nodded at this and when the waiter came, she
ordered just like Setsuna said she should. She ordered the one thing
that looked interesting to her. Unfortunately, it happened to be
something that was flambé. Which Minako had no idea meant it would
come to her on fire, this happened to be an interesting turn of
circumstances that involved a pitcher of water from another table and
a soaked and grumpy waiter.
But still, it did cause Setsuna to give him a hefty tip.
Her shoulders slumping, Minako didn't look at Setsuna as they exited
the restaurant, sure that everyone in there was laughing over the
situation as they walked away. Peering into the bistro, she was met
with a couple pointing her way and the girl giggling demurely and she
turned red. Facing the window, Minako scowled and shouted at them,
"Not everyone knows what flambé is, you know!"
"Minako?" asked Setsuna carefully, fighting to keep the smile from
spreading on her lips. When the blonde Senshi looked her way, she
said, "It's all right. I did the very same thing myself."
"No you didn't," Minako groused, getting a little sick of Setsuna's
ultra nice attitude today. What was with the time guardian anyway? She
never spoke with anyone other than the Outers and now she was suddenly
Miss Friendly? What was going on? "That has to be a lie and you know
it."
"Well, I didn't react quite the same way you, like it was a fire
hazard, but I was a tad clumsy back then and the meal ended up on the
floor where it came into contact with the fancy drapery which caught
on fire and well..." Setsuna smiled wryly at Minako and shrugged.
"They had insurance."
"You didn't," said Minako, sounding amused but disbelieving, "there's
no way that you did that."
"I did," said Setsuna with a solemn nod although her eyes were
twinkling as she spoke. "I was barred from their restaurant and from
that day forward every place in that district considered me to be a
fire hazard of the highest degree. I even had a nickname... Sets You
On Fire. I had to hear it every time I went there to get some
groceries."
"Setsuna!" cried Minako with a laugh, shaking her head. She studied
the tall woman then smiled, hooking their arms and starting down the
street. "How long did it take for them to forget it?"
"I'm not sure," said Setsuna thoughtfully, tilting her head. "We could
go visit and see."
Laughing again, Minako sighed, looking ahead and into the crowd of
people on the street. She wasn't sure where they were going but she
did know one thing, she was having fun. "This is nice," she said
finally. Feeling Setsuna's eyes on her, she continued, "We don't get
to spend much time together so I never knew what you were like. I
never knew you could be like this."
"Like what?" Setsuna prompted gently.
"Fun," said Minako simply. She paused to form a horrified expression
and she stood in front of Setsuna, saying quickly, "I didn't mean it
that way! To sound like you're boring and--"
"Minako," interrupted Setsuna with a smile, placing her finger softly
over the blonde's lips. "It's all right. I know how serious I can
sometimes get. I'm afraid it comes with the job." She gazed at her
for a long while then said, "I think you know what it's like... to
feel that way as well."
"Sometimes," Minako admitted quietly. Gazing up at Setsuna, she
noticed for the first time, that light in her eyes. One of hope and...
blue eyes went as huge as saucers before Minako formed a sly smile on
her features. Well, well, maybe their entire meeting did make a bit of
sense. "Come on!" she declared suddenly, grabbing Setsuna's hand in
her own and dragging her off. "I want to take you somewhere right
now!"
The only thing that Setsuna could do was to allowed herself to be
dragged away. Of course, it wasn't like she exactly minded being
dragged anywhere by the likes of Minako. Who would?
---
When Minako was done dragging Setsuna, they ended up in a deserted
portion of a nearby park. One that had an old fountain that was
falling apart but was still somehow charming to Setsuna's eyes. She
sat down on the edge of it and looked at Minako who was now pacing in
front of her as her mouth opened and closed silently, as if she was
having a conversation with herself.
"Minako?" asked Setsuna, tilting her head to one side. As entertaining
as it was to watch the girl converse with herself, she thought that
she'd been brought here for some reason. Being a halfway curious
person, she wanted to know what that reason was.
Whirling around to face Setsuna, the blonde Senshi smiled hugely then
she pointed at the guardian of time and exclaimed, "And that's that!"
"What is what?" Setsuna arched an eyebrow and held back the urge to
chuckle.
Looking from side to side, Minako frowned at Setsuna. "I said that all
to myself, didn't I?"
"I'm afraid so," said Setsuna humorously as she gave a nod.
"Damn," said Minako under her breath. "Oh well," she shrugged, "I'll
just start again from the top." Clearing her throat and facing
Setsuna, she opened her mouth to speak but froze. Giving another
frown, she muttered, "Forget it. This is too much work. I like the
direct approach better."
The next thing Setsuna knew, Minako's lips were on hers and Minako
herself, was on Setsuna's lap, her hands laced in thick green hair,
drawing them closer together. The blonde's lips were sweet and her
tongue was warm and eager as it pressed into her, opening her up to
deepen the kiss as she leaned forward. So caught up in the feeling,
in the sensation of the moment, Setsuna moved her hands from gripping
the edge of the fountain to run over Minako's body.
Unfortunately, with her doing that and Minako leaning forward the
harsh mistress that was gravity took over. She knew it was now that
she could make the Senshi her bitch and she decided to do that with
all of the swiftness of a teenage track star. They went falling into
the fountain, wet as can be, but their kiss uninterrupted until
Setsuna realized water wasn't good for her outfit.
Then they went bursting up from the fountain, Setsuna leaping out of
it and fussing over her outfit while Minako sat there, watching her
the entire time with a satisfied smirk on her features. Feeling those
eyes on her, Setsuna paused to look at Minako and put her hands on her
hips.
"What?" asked Setsuna peevishly, blowing a wet lock of hair from her
eyes.
"That's what you get," began Minako with a playful drawl, her eyes
twinkling, "for trying to seduce me of all people. Don't you know I
always do the seducing?" she asked as she rose up in the fountain,
looking ever like the goddess of love she proclaimed to be. "And
that," she smiled wider and flipped her blonde hair over one shoulder,
"is that!"
Seconds later, Setsuna was in the fountain again, tackling Minako in
an embrace, both of them soaked as yet another make out session was
instigated. They wouldn't be removed until one of the more
scandalized park visitors informed the authorities and they were
forcibly told to take their business elsewhere. To which Minako
replied wickedly, "What business? This is all fun."
Then they ran off, laughing like children, high on life and probably a
little giddy from all of the exposed pruning they'd experienced from
their time in the fountain. Setsuna was particularly happy because her
wait, it was finally over. Time had rewarded her and she now had her
eternal snuggle bunny that would be hers until the end of their days.
It was too bad they ended up severely bed ridden because of their
antics. Oh well, Setsuna thought with a sniffle and a cough before she
rang her bell to get slave girl Haruka to fetch her more tea. She had
known that would happen from the very beginning.
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