Continuing Tales

The Ties that Bind

A Sailor Moon Story
by Firefly-shy

Part 13 of 30

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The Ties that Bind

Artemis smoothed his tail once more, muttering a private mantra to himself while he disinfected his claws.

Konnor, holding somebody's handkerchief to his bleeding hand, and glad that it wasn't his bleeding face, allowed himself a scowl in the cat's general direction.

Silver eyes met greenish blue eyes and a mutual loathing was clear.

"Tell me again why you chose to attack me when I offered you no violence?" the King asked, his voice chillier than a glacier.

"You know why!"

A throaty cat hiss accompanied this mysterious reply. Konnor's face darkened considerably, his eyes following his enemy's to rest on Mina's golden head for a brief second.

"Oh, do I?"

"Yes, you insolent, platinum playboy!"

"You go too far," Konnor warned.

"Gonna slice me in two with that miserable excuse for a weapon, you trumped-up, primping namby-"

"Artemis!"

"Kunzite!"

Konnor slowly sat down, and Artemis settled for flicking his tail.

"I don't care why -" the irate blond interrupted, "But if either of you tries that again you're both going to regret it - understand?"

"Yes," they chorused, eyes still telegraphing death threats.

Mina continued to glare at Konnor and Artemis, her hands on her hips. Konnor, in sudden inspiration, stood up and removed a golden hair from Mina's sleeve, giving Artemis a wicked smile as he did so. The cat started freaking out again until Mina threw her shoe at him.

"This is ridiculous -"

"I agree," Mamoru added, "Not to mention suspicious. Artemis and Luna, why do I get the feeling that there's something you aren't telling us?"

The two cats, surrounded by the four Senshi, four Shitennou, and two royals still high on battle rush, felt a bit out-numbered as well as out manuvered by the circumstances. But they weren't easily defeated.

"Erm, well, that is..." Luna began, not wishing to offend Mamoru, "Uh...it's for your own protection."

"Well, that clears everything up."

Rei expressed herself with her usual delicate sarcasm.

"There are some things you just weren't meant to know."

Artemis sulked like there was no tomorrow - even Mina evenutally relented - but only enough to promise him a mild beating rather than drawing and quartering him like she'd planned.

"I agree."

Everyone turned swiftly, several necks cracking in the process, to stare at the tall woman who had appeared in the room without any of them noticing it.

The Shitennou immediately stood and adopted protective stances, but the Senshi heaved an almost communal sigh of relief.

"Setsuna!" Luna breathed.

"Yes," Setsuna replied, walking toward them all with the grace of centuries. Her gaze flitted from one to the next of the Shitennou.

"So it's true."

She motioned to Usagi - almost a courtly gesture of asking permission - and Usagi moved aside and let her sit down in the chair she'd been resting against.

"It's a long way here from Italy," she murmured, giving the Time Guardian a smile, "You must be tired."

"How did you know to come?"

Setsuna merely gave Rei the look an older sister gives a younger when she asks her how she learned to drive, or whether dating boys is as fun as it's cracked up to be. A very tired, very wise look.

"I understand there was a battle today - the first in three years."

"Yes, the enemy -"

"Excuse me, " Konnor interrupted Ami, politely, "But, who is this person?"

The four men watched the woman with the ancient eyes watching them.

"This is Setsuna, she's the Senshi of Pluto - the Time Guardian."

There were several audible gasps among the men.

"But, I thought that she was just a legend -" Nolan began.

"Well, that's a little unflattering, seeing as I'm sitting here in front of you," Setsuna countered - and Makoto giggled quietly at the abashed look on Nolan's face.

"You weren't supposed to leave your gate, though," Jade replied, "Isn't that true, at least?"

"In some respects."

They waited for her to elaborate, in vain.

"That's it?"

Zoe exchanged glances with the other men and then turned back, bewildered, to Setsuna who seemed to be watching him with a bit of amusement.

"That's all you're going to say?"

"Yes."

Zoe made a silent 'O.K.'.

"The enemy?" Setsuna prompted Ami.

"Oh, yes," Ami coughed, hiding the blush that would creep onto her cheeks when she had been looking at Zoe (and not noticing how good looking he was in or out of his uniform...better not pursue that thought!):

"There appeared to be two creatures - er - beings, one with similarities to a dog, and whom the other referred to as such. And the other resembled a wolf-like creature - both were supernaturally strong and had claws that lengthened and retracted beyond normal lengths for such animals -"

"Did they say why they were attacking you?"

"Well, they did mention that they served someone called the Phantom Queen - and that there were possibly others in her employ."

"She said she wants Usagi," Mina cut in, her voice hard, "She said she wanted Usagi to 'return to her side, once more'...Do you know anything about that?"

Setsuna's garnet eyes were shadowed with thought.

"I don't know, nor have I ever heard of a Phantom Queen."

"Not even in the future?" Luna asked, sharply.

"The future is not stable, like the past - despite what you may think, the future is as maleable and capricious as a stream of water - the direction of flow is constantly in flux and influenced by 'present' events."

For some reason her eyes came to rest on the Shitennou as she finished this.

"Did she say anything else?"

"Just that she wanted me to come back to her...she said I belonged with her..."

Mamoru tried to be patient, but couldn't stop his hand from reaching out to touch a tendril of blond hair.

"And something about a child of ruin, too." Rei added.

Setsuna's eyes widened.

"The child of ruin," she repeated, "That's - that's another name for Saturn."

"What!"

"What do they want with Hotaru?" Usagi demanded, protectively.

Setsuna shook her head.

"I don't know, but I will warn Haruka and Michiru."

"I was hoping that you, at least, might have some answers - ," Luna noted.

"There are so many things 'going on' at the moment, I am sure that there are some things that the two of you might give answers to, if you wanted to..."

The cats were desperate.

"So is there something you aren't telling us?"

"Uh - er - that is," Luna said, trying not to meet Mamoru's eyes, "it's not really..."

"So there is something! You sneaky cat!"

Mina poked Artemis mercilessly.

"Now Minako -"

"AND it's something huge! You never start an explanation that way unless you've done something terrible!"

"That is absolutely not true!"

"You shouldn't keep secrets from your charge," Konnor noted, matching Mina's tone of disapproval.

"Go stuff yourself," Artemis suggested.

Another fight seemed imminent but Setsuna stopped them with a word.

"Fate."

Everyone turned to stare at her, even Konnor and Artemis.

"That's the only explanation I can think of for this aberration."

"This is fated?" Makoto gave Rei a significant look (but since she didn't remember her own string, it wasn't as significant as it might have been).

"No, it's not," Setsuna emphasised, "And that's what's wrong. Somehow we have gone against fate, himself."

"Himself?"

"I told you so," Rei muttered.

Setsuna sighed.

"Let me see if I can explain. There are many doors, or gates, in the realms beyond this world - one is the Time Gate, of which I am the guardian. Another is the doorway of Fate. It is guarded by a being who is a descendent of a god or goddess, like most of us. I learned of him from your mother - I mean, Queen Serenity."

"But, how did my mother know about that?"

"Your mother had lived a very long time, not as long as I have -" she stopped suddenly, a little embarrassed, and tried to cover the slip, "That is, she'd lived a long time and had made use of her life to study and travel. In the course of all that, before Princess Serenity was born, the Queen had discovered that there were other god descendants besides the Senshi and herself, many of them, in fact."

"So she talked to Fate - or she met him?"

"I don't know, she was never very clear about him - she sometimes said that he guarded the door with only one companion, and could never leave. Other times she said he had three helpers, all women. The only thing she was clear about was that he had a very difficult job and required a helper for it."

"That's strange," Rei commented, "From what I remember the Queen was usually pretty straight forward."

"That's true. Well, whatever the reason, or the case, the Queen described Fate to me as one of the many demi-gods, or half-gods, in the universe. Like us, he is an avatar. But even his protection isn't perfect...and I fear that I may have inadvertently made his job harder."

"But what could you ever do -?"

"Tell me something, Usagi, has your crystal behaved oddly in the past few weeks?"

"Uh..not really, it's been pretty normal. See?"

She held it out to Setsuna.

"Well, perhaps it occurred when you were otherwise occupied - the crystal does react to you wherever you are because of your bond with it. But sometime in the past four weeks, I think that you may have made a wish - a very powerful one - and combined with the focus of the crystal that wish actually altered fate and time."

Usagi was pale.

"But I didn't mean - I don't even know -"

"No, I'm sure you didn't," Setsuna mediated, "It was probably involuntary - you could even have been asleep at the time. You just don't understand how powerful the crystal is - combined with the will of a descendant of the Moon Goddess, especially you, it can become the most powerful thing in the universe. It can alter the fabric of time. Which I fear is precisely what happened four weeks ago, when a glitch in time occurred..."

Usagi sank into the vacated chair, staring at the crystal in her hand. It winked back at her, like a very ordinary, multifaceted diamond.

"Us," Jade said.

"The glitch was us, wasn't it?"

Setsuna gazed at him sadly, surprised at the gentle self-knowledge in his eyes.

"We aren't supposed to be here."

Slowly, she nodded her head.

Nolan let his face drop into his hands, and Makoto no longer tried to understand the urge she had to cross the room and comfort him, or the urge she felt to cry. Rei was confused, her guess has been confirmed, but perversely why did she feel sad? Why were her eyes stinging?

Zoe's gaze swung wildly between Ami and Konnor, neither of which knew how to answer his look.

"What do you mean?" He demanded, "Trying to tell me that I'm here with my friends - my brothers - and the - these ladies, and my liege and best friend," he was now almost on the verge of tears himself, "And you're saying I'm not meant to be here!"

"I don't think I understand." Konnor said, quietly.

"And I'm not sure I can explain, but I'll try."

Setsuna straightened.

"In the past, you four were fated to die on the Moon, to die in the last battle of the Silver Millennium. And then to be resurrected as de-"

"Don't say it," Zoe hissed, closing his eyes.

"As the enemy," she amended, "And then to be defeated by the Senshi. That was the way it happened and was meant to happen. But now time...and perhaps fate... has been changed."

In the silence the only sound was that of Mamoru's clock in the hall.

"Our lives are forfeit," Jade quoted, suddenly. He looked up at Setsuna.

"She said our lives are forfeit - because we violated the laws of Fate."

" That was...a bit harsh, perhaps," she replied, "I do not see how this Phantom Queen could exercise such authority...unless she is Fate's emissary, which seems highly unlikely."

"So, I'm getting tired of asking this," Mamoru sighed, "But what do we do?"

They looked at him in surprise.

"Well, obviously, this Phantom Queen can't take Usagi. And if she thinks she can take you four away from me too, she's insane. She probably is, most of our enemies aren't that well stocked in the sanity department..."

"We will fight," Usagi told him, grabbing his hand," I don't want them to go either. If the crystal brought them here, then this is where they're suppose to be - no matter what anyone says."

The couple turned to look at Setsuna, and she was strongly reminded of a similar time - so many centuries ago - when this same couple had come to her with a similarly outrageous suggestion and identical determination that it would be done.

She gave in to the urge to smile.

"Very well, if Fate decides to assert his rights, he will attempt to find the Shitennou and I will be forced to return them to their rightful place in the time stream (if such a thing is even possible)."

"If it isn't?"

Her eyes darkened.

"O.K., then." Jade nodded, "So either way, it's gonna be an uphill battle. But since when hasn't it been one?"

"But then," Ami began, timidly, "If what you say is correct, Setsuna, then these men have been brought to this time before they were turned by Beryl? Is that right?"

"As far as I can tell."

"Then they have never betrayed anyone," she finished, "They were never our enemies."

The women gazed at the Shitennou with mingled looks of guilt and relief...and also of hope.

"I told you so," Zoe muttered.

"Woohoo!" Mina crowed, nearly giving several people heart attacks.

"I'm deaf now, thank you," Rei grumbled.

"Be happy for once, this is good news," Mina declared, slamming Rei on the back.

"But, wait," Usagi complained, "If they're from the past - and the crystal pulled them here - then how do they have normal lives?"

Setsuna turned to gaze at the men, speculatively.

"You all have normal lives? With families?"

"Yeah - I have an uncle and aunt that I live with at home - " Zoe began, pulling out his cellphone to show them the number.

"I have family as well," Nolan replied, the first time he'd spoken since finding out the truth. He still seemed shaken.

"It would seem that the crystal is more powerful than even I imagined," Setsuna murmured, "It has caused everything to fit into place like a puzzle."

She turned to Usagi with a marveling expression.

"Your wishes are quite amazing."

Usagi blushed and looked pleased with herself.

"Of course Usagi would wish for them to have families," Makoto grinned, "Didn't you always say you wanted a normal life?"

"I wish!" Usagi laughed, then clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Yeah, don't throw those wishes around," Rei smirked, "Who knows what could happen?"

Ami opened her mouth to voice her doubts about the numerous logic holes in this crystal theory, but then decided to keep her thoughts to herself. For the present...

"So we're all agreed then?" Mamoru asked, "The Shitennou stay?"

The Senshi nodded without hesitation.

"We'll protect them like we've protected you," Makoto said, her look when it rested on the Shitennou was positively tender.

"Uh-ahm," Konnor cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed.

"So now for the coup de grace," Mina said, crossing her arms and looking at the cats, who had slunk into the corner.

"Don't you think it's time they knew?" Setsuna asked.

"But," Luna said, "But what if - I just can't bear to see them hurt."

The Senshi looked alarmed.

"They'll remember by themselves," Artemis pouted.

"Remember what?" Mina demanded.

"Artemis, either you tell now or I will never wash your back in the shower again!"

There was a thunk as Konnor knocked over a table in his rush to stand up. His eyes, when they fell on the cat, were murderous.

"What have you done?" his voice had become silky and dangerous.

"Now, uh, it's not what it sounds like -" Artemis began, ducking a swat from Luna.

"You lecherous old tom cat!" She shrieked.

"I think of Mina as a child! A child!" he yelped.

"That's what makes it perverted, you idiot!"

"No, that's what makes it the last thing you'll ever do!" Konnor thundered.

Together he and Luna decended upon Artemis, whose fate seemed sealed.

"I understand why Luna would be upset," Rei commented calmly, "But why is Konnor-san so angry?"

Jade gave her a measuring look.

"You can't think of anything?" he asked, "Nothing that would account for why Konnor is now consumed with homicidal jealousy."

Makoto and Ami gasped.

"Artemis, I will only save your life if you tell us what's going on!"

"I will! I will! Please Mina!"

Mina swooped in and grabbed the white cat before he could be throttled to death by an angry Mau guardian and Shitennou.

"Oh, thank you Venus," Artemis muttered, panting against Mina's shoulder, his body weak with relief.

He heard a low growl and caught the silver glance that stared him down behind Mina.

"Fess up."

Mina held him out at arm's length and he hung there like a sulky sack of potatoes.

"Alright, alright. The truth is...in the silver millennium...all of you...and the Shitennou...you and K - ...K-...Kunzite," he barely got the name out without choking on his anger, "were...were...gods, I can't say it -"

"Were lovers," Setsuna finished.

Mina, completely without malice or intent, dropped Artemis on the floor.

"W-what?" she whispered.

"Oh," Setsuna caught herself, "I beg your pardon, I meant that in the old fashioned sense of the word...not the uh - literal - sense...at least, I wouldn't have known - that is - I mean I assumed - the manners of the time being what they were - it was really all court speculation and gossip anyway -"

"Sets, it's ok," Mamoru murmured, patting her on the shoulder. She blushed and promptly shut up.

"It's true!" Ami squeaked, her eyes turning to Zoe involuntarily. He smiled slowly.

"Oh, yes it is."

He started to move toward her.

"Stay!" she commanded, and he halted, but he looked very put off.

"Then, all this time, these feelings I've been having - " Makoto turned to Nolan, who was staring at her, "Then they're real?"

"You do...feel...something?" He asked.

She blushed.

"Hold on!"

Mina was still trying to recover from Setsuna's revelation.

"Just hold on - then those memories we've been having about the Silver Millennium - those are about - you?"

She pointed at Konnor, who stood like a statue in front of her.

"And the red thread that Rei saw between Makoto and Nolan - that's because of - of -"

Nolan positively glowed.

"What red thread?" Makoto demanded.

"But you were there, Mako-chan," Mina answered, confused, "Remember, you fainted."

"So that's why she fainted," Jade muttered.

"I thought I fainted because of the heat..." Makoto turned to look suspiciously at Rei.

"Well, I didn't know why you didn't remember," the priestess defended herself, "And since you fainted the first time I told you about it, I just thought maybe it was too much for you to handle."

"Is that the only reason?" Jade asked.

Rei looked scared.

"Of course."

"There's no other reason that you might want to hide the truth from everyone?" he pursued.

She shook her head, but her skin was pale.

"It couldn't be that you knew the truth all along."

The Senshi, Usagi and Mamoru turned to Rei with a gasp.

The priestess tried to hold it together, but finally wilted. A small tear hovered on the edge of one eye lash.

"I'm sorry," she said, quietly, "I have had a suspicion that they were more than our enemies for a long time..."

"How long?" Usagi whispered.

"Since we fought the Dark Kingdom."

"Rei!"

"What?" She snapped at Mina, "Would you have believed me if I'd said then that the men we were fighting were our l...former allies?"

"You could have tried me -"

"Maybe so," she conceded, miserably, "But I wasn't sure - all I knew was that it you were so familiar - "

Jade stiffened.

"I didn't know why - I was still just a child - but it was so hard to fight you - because a part of me kn- recognized you -"

She couldn't continue, and Usagi embraced her.

"Poor Rei-chan," she murmured.

Jade clenched his jaw until he could feel his teeth grinding against each other. He wanted to move the Moon Princess aside and gather Rei into his arms, but he knew better.

"I guess it's all true then," Makoto mumbled, "Even if I don't remember it."

"Well, actually, you did remember it," Luna spoke up, shame-faced, "In fact, when you recovered from your faint, you seemed to have your Silver Millennium memories completely intact. But we...er...suppressed them."

Makoto looked literally thunderstruck.

"Oh, Luna..." Mina shook her head in exasperation.

"Well, we thought it was for the best."

"Well, at least I don't have to feel bad about thinking they're hot."

Everyone turned to look at Makoto in surprise. She seemed to have taken the news surprisingly well - but perhaps the reality hadn't set in quite yet.

"You think I'm attractive?"

There was the hint of a hopeful little purr in Nolan's voice.

"Uh, well. " Mako's cheeks were tinted pink.

"It seems to me," Mina announced, "That this all deserves a lot of time to think about - which we don't have at the moment. So, until we can get things sorted out, let's just focus on making sure this new enemy gets dusted - the sooner the better."

The others nodded.

"And as for you," she pointed at Konnor, "There's a new Thai restaurant I've been dying to go to for months now but it's too expensive on a college student's budget -"

"Dinner it is, then," Konnor replied.

"Excellent," Mina nodded, "Then while the leaders are discussing 'leader business', the rest of you stay out of trouble."

The other Senshi stared at her, then looked at the remaining Shitennou.

"Mina, aren't you just doing that so you can go on a d-"

"Leader Business!" Mina yelled.

She walked toward the door of Mamoru's apartment and Konnor was there to open it for her, tossing one satisfied glance back at Artemis.

"Her curfew is ten!" the cat nearly screamed.

"I'll have her back in time," the silver haired man promised, smiling, "Don't worry."

"I'll have your ass back in time," the white cat grumbled, "As far back in time as Setsuna can throw you."

"Do shut up, dear."

The Ties that Bind

A Sailor Moon Story
by Firefly-shy

Part 13 of 30

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