Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Son of Darkness and Night ❯ Secrets Revealed ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Note: This is the revised version of Chapter 2, not the version that was posted originally in late August on ff.net.

Disclaimers: None of the original SM characters are mine, but the all the new characters are (a grand total of two so far, that could increase). If you wish to borrow anything from this story or its original characters, please contact me (the author) to gain permission. Otherwise... I DON'T THINK SO!!!!!!!! I'll send one of my favorite havoc wreaking peoples after you!!!!

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Son of Darkness and Night

Chapter 2: Secrets Revealed

By Meio-Sei No Musume

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Japanese Glossary

Hime-princess

Nani-what (commonly used for questions or exclamations)

Doushite-why (commonly used in questions)

Gomen-sorry

Gomen nasai-I'm sorry

Daijobu ka-are you okay?

Konnichi wa-good afternoon, hello

Demo-but

Onegai-please

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Michiru sent a worried glance at the door. It had almost been a day since Setsuna had disappeared in the arms of that mysterious man. The felines and the Inners were in their hideout under the arcade trying to find leads on the man that had taken Setsuna. Haruka was out; she had to compete in another car race and Hotaru was at home with Michiru. 'Why now of all times?' she wondered silently. 'The dawn of Crystal Tokyo is approaching. Is this the final test? Or is this something totally different? Why was Setsuna the only one to sense the coming danger?'

"Michiru-kaasan! Michiru-kaasan!!" Hotaru shouted at the top of her lungs as she tore down the stairs and bolted into the living room. "Please, come quick!"

"Calm down, Hime-chan. What is it?"

"It's about Setsuna-kaasan!"

Boy, did THAT get her attention. She turned around to face Hotaru. "What is it?"

"She's in her room!!"

"NANI?!" Michiru jumped out of her seat and ran with Hotaru to Setsuna's room.

Like Hotaru had said previously, Setsuna was in her room, sleeping comfortably. She stirred. "...What happened..." she mumbled and fell silent.

Michiru and Hotaru exchanged looks.

"This makes no sense," Hotaru stated as they exited the room, quietly closing the door behind them. "I don't get this at all."

"You're not the only one," Michiru replied and then she sighed. "I better call the others and inform them of the current situation."

"Why do I get the feeling that Haruka-tousan is going to be the least happy of the group?" Hotaru muttered.

Michiru glanced at Hotaru. "Maybe I should just wait until Haruka gets back to call the others."

"THAT sounds like a GOOD idea," Hotaru agreed.

~~ A couple hours later that day... ~~

Everyone was gathered at the Outer Senshi's house for an impromptu meeting. Presently they were all scattered around the spacious living room. Almost no one was in a good or compromising mood. The battle had destroyed their fragile, hard-won normalcy. With the prospect of more battles to fight, their dispositions were ruined entirely. Negotiations between the two groups of Senshi would be very hard today.

"So you're saying that he brought you back when you were asleep? Unharmed?" Haruka had a very dangerous edge in her voice.

Setsuna sighed inaudibly. Haruka and her over protectiveness again!! She told her friend tartly, "If he wanted to hurt me he would have. Do I look like I've been put through torture, Haruka?"

"Well...no. But still he could have..." Haruka protested only to be cut off by Setsuna.

"He wouldn't." The moment the words came out of her mouth, she immediately wondered why she said that. Her memories had returned briefly before she fainted, but now they were gone as quickly as they had come. Again, she knew nothing. But she felt as if she could trust the unknown man. Doushite? That's what she wanted to know.

"Honto ni?" Haruka sounded rather skeptical.

"Gomen..." Setsuna glanced at her lap. "My memories returned briefly before I fainted and I've lost them again. It's so confusing..."

"Is it possible that your memories were erased?" Ami inquired.

"Hai..." Setsuna agreed softly. "It seems like they were..."

"Who could have done that to Setsuna-kaasan? Doushite?" Hotaru asked. "Is there something that they're trying to hide?"

~ Hai... ~ whispered a voice in Setsuna's mind. It was the voice of the man that had appeared during the battle against Yosoru's youma and had saved her life during the skirmish. ~ Search down into the depths of your memories... ~

Setsuna gasped softly and the others glanced at her curiously. Images began to flash through her mind...

~*~*~*~*~*~

... Sailor Pluto stared listlessly at the Garnet Scepter with haunted eyes as silent tears fell down her cheeks... Her fuku was stained with blood. Hers or another's she could not tell... She slowly raised the ancient staff of Time and Space over her head and uttered several unheard words... A strange light emanated from the Garnet Orb and it slowly began to cover her in a nearly transparent bubble of shimmering light... Suddenly, the bubble broke and she dropped to the ground unconscious...

~*~*~*~*~*~

...Setsuna's eyes widened as she was catapulted abruptly and rather viciously back into the present time.

"Daijobu ka? What's wrong, Setsuna-san?" Usagi asked worriedly.

"Nothing. I'm fine," she lied carefully.

"You sure?"

"Hai, I am. I was just startled for a few seconds."

Fortunately for her, the others dismissed the issue and began to discuss the different possibilities there could be on how this situation came about and how it was to be dealt with. First, the Senshi asked Setsuna about what she knew about Yosoru and her reply ignited more controversy and swaying opinions. Yosoru turned out to be from another part of the galaxy and evidently conflicted with Setsuna when the Silver Millennium still existed. It had something to do with altering the course of the timeline, Setsuna had told them, but had deliberately left out the exact thing that had been Yosoru's wish to alter. After fifteen minutes of loud debating, bringing up various scenarios, nearly exploding tempers (mostly Rei and Haruka's), and attempts to calm everyone down before anything became hazardous to the health (this of course was attempted by the more reasonable and calm of the ensemble), the group was clearly divided into two factions. One division claimed that the mysterious man could be trusted and the other hotly proclaimed that he could not be trusted regardless of the fact that he had saved Setsuna's life during the battle with the youma.

The first faction consisted of all the Inner Senshi excluding Rei, who claimed to have sensed something strange from the man. The other group was made of Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru and Rei. The three Outer Senshi lived up to their reputation of being more cautious and more distrusting than the Inner Senshi. Strangely, despite her habit of having a strong opinion in important matters, Setsuna didn't take a side in the issue; she remained silent throughout the entire fifteen minutes when her opinion was not mandatory. In fact, the others were so absorbed in debating that they did not notice Setsuna's absence of opinion. Nor did they notice her quietly slip out of her seat and leave the room.

Setsuna wandered through the large house, her mind on the day's events. She in particular didn't like how two men from her past had so abruptly charged into her life again in just one day with their personal problems in tow. One she had faced in a battle long ago and had sealed away, but he had somehow managed to break free and push his case1 again in this time. The other she had no memories of but she knew that he was indeed from her secret past. The painting she had in the library was firsthand proof. Walking up the stairs, she entered the library and lounged on the large couch in the room. She picked up a book lying on the nearby table and began to read.

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"By the gods! Why do things have to be this way?!"

"Calm down."

The other man struggled to control his emotions. Curse the Fates for all the trouble he was going through!! Curse that damn idiot Yosoru for ruining everything!! After a minute he replied, "I'd love to see you in my place, Hades. You'd have the same problems, I wager."

"Hmm..." Hades glanced at the portal in front of them from his throne. "This is rather intriguing. The group is evenly divided into two smaller groups that have totally opposing beliefs. It's a marvel that they can actually work together."

"They've sworn their lives and loyalty to their princess. She's the uniting force of the group. The division is only temporary."

"Hai, and I suppose you've been observing them for quite some time to know that, ne?"

The man flushed faintly. "That should have been obvious from the beginning. But I have my reasons for doing that, as you already know."

"So, how did it go?"

"It could have been worlds better if that wretched bastard hadn't shown up. He HAD to bring his cursed youma with him. It ruined my plan."

"The one that you claim should be thrown into Tartarus for some reason or another?"

"He killed me millennia ago. And that action alone caused a great deal of pain to the person closest to me. I may have become an immortal afterwards, but to her, it makes no difference. I am still dead."

"Charon, " Hades began, his sympathy showing in his voice, "Now there isn't any certainty that history will end up repeating itself. He can no longer kill you."

"But what about her memories? There's almost no chance that they'll return entirely. The others are apprehensive of me. They won't let me even go near her. Especially after how I disappeared with her after the battle."

"She's alone right now," Hades informed him.

"And you're suggesting that I go now since there won't be any interference for a while?" Charon asked the ruler of the Underworld with a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Why not?"

"Very well."

"Good luck," Hades told Charon before he left.

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"Konnichi wa," greeted a quiet voice.

Setsuna jumped in surprise at the intrusion. The book fell from her hands in the process and landed on the carpet underneath the couch. She straightened in her seat and pressed her back against the couch. Slowly, she reached towards her communicator to call the others.

He sighed softly and held up the object in his hand. "About to use this?"

Her eyes widened slightly with surprise. "My communicator. How..."

"It's quite simple actually," he replied and moved closer.

"Why are you here?" Setsuna asked, a little fazed by his proximity to her.

"You don't remember me, do you?" he asked.

"No," Setsuna replied slowly, "but I do know that I can trust you."

He glanced away with a sad expression on his face. "Somewhere deep in your heart, you still remember me. No spell, no matter how powerful, can erase that."

She looked at him with more shock than surprise. "You knew that-"

"I know you better than you think," he interjected. "I've been watching over you, but truly powerless to do anything."

"Doushite?"

He avoided meeting her gaze. After a pause he said, "I couldn't help but wonder why someone like you would be given a job like guarding the Gate of Time and Space."

"It was my duty as the Princess Pluto and as the daughter of Chronos."

"I know. It was a duty you held with pride and honor despite the fact you were placed in a situation you hated."

"I find it highly unfair that you seem to know so much about me and I know hardly anything about you," she told him.

"To the point as you always are. And what does my lady wish to know about her most humble servant?" It was quite obvious that he was being downright silly.

Setsuna fought the urge to laugh aloud at his response but she settled for visibly smiling. "Your name for starters."

He gave her a tiny impish smile. "My lady does not remember?"

She gave him her version of a withering look.

He held up his hands in defeat. "Alright! That was a really stupid question! I'll tell you! I hate it when you look at me like that."

"Well?" she asked with mock impatience.

"It's Charon," he answered abruptly.

"Charon..." she murmured softly. "That name does sound familiar..."

"Does it? And should I be surprised?" Charon asked her.

"I don't know," she replied. "The name just seems to be." Suddenly she felt something brush lightly against her cheek and realized that he had just kissed her. She glanced up at him in surprise at the bold move. But he had disappeared the same way he came. In his place was a single black rose in full bloom.

"Sweet Serenity," she whispered aloud as she picked it up carefully, "I haven't seen one of these in millennia." Then the full meaning of the simple gesture hit her forcefully and left her feeling emotions she thought she could never experience after millennia of isolation. Emotions of despair and heart-wrenching pain should have been already cleanly erased with all that she had witnessed as Guardian of the Gate of Time and Space! She stared at it numbly for several whole minutes that seemed to be days before she slumped back into the couch, the rose still in her hand and wept.

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"Are you sure that was the right thing to do?"

*Sigh* "She would have found out later anyway."

"Perhaps. What is the next move?"

"It shall depend on how events play out in next couple of days. Only then will we make our move."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I'm fine, Michiru."

"How can you be 'fine'? You were crying! Something upset you!"

"I don't want to talk about it." Setsuna told her in a forced monotone.

"Demo..." Michiru protested.

"A black rose?" Haruka asked when she saw the strangely colored blossom. "Where on Earth did you get that?"

A pained look came across Setsuna's face and she whispered, "Don't ask me that, onegai."

"Setsuna-kaasan?" Hotaru asked quietly.

"Hai, Hotaru-chan?" Setsuna replied wearily.

"Doesn't a black rose have a certain meaning to it when it's in that stage of bloom?" Hotaru inquired.

Setsuna felt her eyes fill with tears at the question. "It...it really isn't...that important, Hotaru-chan." She answered shakily. "Excuse me, but I'm not feeling well." Before the others could say anything else, she quickly retreated to her room.

~~ To be continued... ~~

1 Sorry, can't tell you this quite yet. It's part of the plot!! ^_~

Meio-Sei No Musume: Unfortunately, I have nothing really to say. All I can say is thanks to my two friends from "way back when", Angel and Keir, for helping me with this fic in various ways.

Keir: Beta-Reader's notes!! Heavens know the Angel hasn't done much… Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist.

<Piano falls on Keir>

Angel: HAHAHAHAHA…

Meio-Sei No Musume: *BIG sweat drop* I KNEW that was gonna happen… That makes it what, the millionth time this school year already? Yeesh. Violent teenagers.

Keir: Angel no Baka!! *Mallets Angel all the way to a black hole* Shhh…don't let them know we're teenagers. Who knows, one of them could be a sociopath with an unhealthy fixation on teenagers. *Shrieks as a tranquilizer dart hits Keir*

Meio-Sei No Musume: *sigh* Oh dear…I wasn't the one who did that…Angel didn't either… Anyways…ja ne, minna-san!!