Pluto and the Tiger By Sailorstarcrusher It was a very lazy type of day in Tokyo and franky Usagi was taking full advantage of it. She lay sprawed on Rei's bed at the Cherry Hill Temple laughing hysterically at her friend's new mangas. "Usagi-chan, please." Rei huffed, "Must you be so loud?" "Ara, sorry Rei-chan." Usagi giggled. "They're really funny though." Ami on the other side of the room sighed hopelessly and put her nose back in her geography book. Setsuna was sitting on the floor reading a book to Chibi-Usa and Hotaru when the door slid open at the side of the room. So far only Rei, Ami, Setsuna, Hotaru, Chibi-Usa and, surprisingly, Usagi herself, had shown up for the Sailor Senshi meeting. Chibi-Usa jumped out of Setsuna's lap and welcomed in Sailors Neptune and Uranus. Michiru and Haruka entered smiling. Michiru had worn a sweeping blue dress that hung at her ankles, just above a pair of neat black shoes. Her hair hung loose about her head. Haruka however, who couldn't stand dresses, wore tan kahkis and a yellow T-shirt with navy sneakers. Her motorcycle helmet was clenched under her left arm. Usagi looked up at them and smiled. "Konnichiwa, Haruka-san, Michiru-san. How goes things?" "Pretty good." Michiru answered, seating herself next to Setsuna. "School's good, social life's good. Everything's great." "We saw Mako and Minako-chan on the way up here." Haruka said." They should come soon. Mako-chan saw a bake sale and wanted to scout around." "Bake sale huh?" Usagi said, eyes lighting up as they always did with the mention of food. "Maybe we should go meet them there." The door then slid open again and Makoto stummbled in with an arm load of goods. Minako stumbled in after her. "I bought a ton at that bake sale." Makoto puffed. "And there's still stuff there. Any volunteers to help me carry it all?" "Me!" Usagi shouted, jumping up. She wanted to see any cookies Makoto might have taken it into her head to buy. Luna, who had been sitting on the teenager's lap, tumbled to the ground with a yowl. Artemis pranced out from behind Minako. "Nice landing." he joked, seeing the prim cat sprawled in an embarrassing fashion on the mat. "Cute, Artemis, very cute." Luna growled. "Guess we can all carry some stuff for you." Rei told Makoto. Standing up she rolled up the sleeves of her sweater. "Let's go." "Great!" Minako said, settling her goods on the floor. "If I carry more than one box again I might break something essential. Like my spine maybe?" Setsuna laughed. "We'll all help." "This outfit is so loose!" Fish-eye complained, trying to tighen the waist of his shirt. "I'm dying here guys!" "You are not." Hawk-eye snapped. "Besides, you don't have to suffer ." The amazon warrior scratched at his arms, pushing the sleeves of his sweater up as far as they would go. He hated wearing anything that covered his shoulders. "At least I wear sleeves enough that I don't have an allergic reaction to them." Fish-eye teased, sticking his tongue out at his companion. Hawk-eye looked desperately at the leader of the trio. "Can't we change?" he moaned. "If you wore anything else you'd give us away." Tigers-eye grummbled. He wasn't all that thrilled about wearing a full shirt either but at least he had gotten a T-shirt. "You heard what the ring master said. We have to appear normal if we're going on the look out for those Sailor Senshi." "Ugh." Fish-eye sighed. "They get those neat fuku. Lucky snobs. Girls get to dress like that." he whined, pointing to a pair of teenagers in tank tops. "Couldn't we just masqurade as girls or something?" "Fish, are you insane!?" Hawks-eye cried. "You might look like it but if we tried to be girls..." he gestured to himself and Tiger-eye. "We'd get caught in a cinch." "Awww......" Fish-eye whined. "Shut-up." Hawks-eye grumbled. "Ara, hush up, both of you." Tigers-eye snapped. "Hey look!" he pointed to a sign with an address on it. "Bake Sale, 26 Juban St. Everything's on for six Yen or less. Hmmm.... The Jupiter Senshi is rumored to like cooking, let's check it out." As the Senshi strolled up juuban street Chibi-Usa began laughing. "I just thought of the funniest joke." she giggled. "Hey Usagi-chan, Knock knock...." Usagi, unable to resist, answered with, "Who's there?" "Orange." Chibi-Usa told her "Orange who?" "Orange you glad I'm not that two ton pile of schoolwork you left at home?" Usagi doubled over in hysterics, then snapped her head back up with a long "Hey!" of comprehension. The majority of the other senshi laughed. "That's not a very funny joke, Chibi-chan." Harkua said, cocking her head. "It's not?" Chibi-Usa asked, drawing back to look up at the girl. "No." Haruka teased, crossing her arms defiantly, eyes taunting the petite Senshi to dare her to do better. Hotaru, beside Chibi-Usa, gave the pink haired girl a warning look that went unheeded. "Haruka..." Michiru began in a warning voice. Harkua paid her no attention. "Okay." Chibi-Usa frowned, predidictibly asking. "What's funny?" "This. The smartest guy in tokyo, a school boy and a preist are in a crashing airplane with only two parachutes and......." "Usagi-tachi?" Setsuna had stopped several feet behind the group staring at a trio of young men coming up the other side of the street. "Don't those three look kinda... familiar to you?" she asked. "No," Rei said, not bothering to look, her voice full of suppressed aggravation. She just knew Usagi would throw a screaming fit when she found out she was broke or that Makoto had cleaned out the sale. She wanted to get it over with and Setsuna was only holding them up. Setsuna however couldn't have been more oblivious to the tone as she briefly made eye contact with one of the strangers. Dark vibes shot through the time gate guardian like a bullet through water. She gasped. "Setsuna-san?" Michiru asked. "What is it?" "Them!" Setsuna sputtered. "Those guys! Heading past the sale! It's the amazons. He looked at me I felt it!" "What?" Luna cried. "He looked me in the eyes." Setsuna said, shivering. "Terrible dark vibes. I'm telling you. It's the Amazons." "We should check it out." Artemis said. "Better transform." Makoto commented. "Not yet, someone might see you." Luna advised. "Let's catch up with them first." The Senshi tore after their enemies. "Guys." Hawks-eye said urgently, poking Tigers-eye gently between the shoulder blades. "I think we might want to dissapear about now." "What for?" Fish-eye asked, turning around. "Well, you know the Senshi we're looking for?" Hawks-eye replied. "Yeah." Tigers-eye said warily. "I don't think we need to look anymore!" "There they are!" Rei shouted from the end of the block. "Sailors transform!" Luna cried from the Mars Senshi's feet. Outcrys calling power from the planets of the solar system, echoed around the amazons. Uranus and Neptune jumped down from the wall lining the road, and stood back to back, sword and mirror outstretched, blocking the path of the enemy. the amazons spun back they way they had come, only to be blocked by Mars and Mercury. At the side was gathered Super Sailor Moon, Chibi-Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto. The Senshi closed in on them, trapping their three nemesis in a semicircle. As they backed up towards the wall next to the sidewalk. Fish-eye looked up. It wasn't a very high wall, but enough of one to run up and do a back-flip over the heads of a few Sailor Senshi. "Hey. Do you guys remember what the gymnasts taught us last week?" he asked. The eyes of the three companions lit up with genius. "Let's go!" Simultaneously the three ran full force toward the wall, using their momentum to run up the wall itself and back flip over the Senshi's heads. Spinning on their heels they tore away. The Sailors tore after them, Mars howling in outrage. "We had em'!" she screamed, hair flying behind her in a whirlwind of sun tinted black. "We had them!" "I hate to tell you Rei-chan." Uranus said from a few paces back. "But for every way into something there's a way out." "Hey guys!" Usagi puffed. "Slow down!" The three amazons stuffed themselves deeper into the pipe as ten pairs of Sailor shoes stopped in front of the construction yard. "We lost them!" Mars snarled. "They had to much of a head start." Pluto puffed, doubling over to rest her hands on her knees. Her pine green locks fell about her head. "We'll get them next time." Uranus vowed. "For now... let's get a drink ." "Okay." Usagi puffed. "Who's for burgers to go with that?" "What about my stuff at the bake sale?" Makoto demanded. "Can we get some candies?" Chibi-Usa chimed in. As the chattering voices faded into the distance the amazons crawled from their hiding place. "You know what?" Fish-eye grummbled, trying not to smash Hawks-eye's face into the mud as he climbed out of the pipe. "If we could infiltrate them we could figure out who they are and have them defeated in no time." "Fish that's the best idea you've had in your life!" Tigers-eye exclaimed. "It is?" Fish-eye asked. "Yes. They have secret identities right? So we could infiltrate them under a secret identity, get them to trust us and reveal themselves and then we can check out their Dream Mirrors. Even if we don't get the Pegasus from them we'll wreck their mirriors and they'll be out of the picture permanently!" "Forgive me," Hawks-eye interrupted, voice harbouring a sarcastic tone. "But how do we go about doing that? What identity could we have that would make them trust us enough to reveal themselves?" "It would have to be really anonymous don't you think?" Fish-eye asked, as Hawks-eye wriggled from the pipe. "Either that or a really bad rip off of Tuxedo Kamen." Fish-eye snorted a laugh. "Yeah.... I am Raincoat Kamen! I throw poison fruit cocktail umbrellas!" The two began to laugh uncontrollably. "Point taken." Tigers-eye growled. "But I have an idea that just might work." As the light poured onto the blank paper Fish-eye paced behind Tigers-eye, tapping a pencil against his lips. Hawks-eye was sprawled out on the sofa in their small apartment, near the circus grounds. "How about, ‘ I'm a big fan and I'd love to meet you.'?" Fish-eye suggested. "It's too..... ‘general populace' Fish." Hawks-eye said. "How about,' I'd kill to know ya personally.'?" Tiger-eye stuck out his tongue. "Yech! Too violent. Here. How's this?" he handed his compatriots each a peice of paper. "That's good, Tiger." Fish-eye said. "We can use this." Hawks-eye agreed. "Just one thing?" "What's that?" "Which Senshi and which one of us?" "I'll do the masquerading." Tiger-eye offered. "We'll use my initials. T.E. As for which Senshi...... we'll pick one at random." "How about Super Sailor Moon?" "She is a trusting one, Hawk, but she's fallen for that Tuxedo Kamen dummy." "Why not romance him instead?" Fish-eye asked, a dreamy look in his eyes. "FISH!!!!" Hawks-eye and Tiger's eye yelled in unison "What about... the Mars Senshi?" "Are you mad!?!" Hawks-eye screamed. "She's the one with that wild temper! Romancing her ‘d be...like... suicidal !" He clutched his flame styled hair, as if he were ready to pull it out strand by purple strand in sheer terror. "You're right. We have to pick the one that's lonely and venerable." "Sailor Pink Pigtails?" Fish-eye joked in a dumb voice, giggling as he created rabbit ears over his head with two fingers, humorously imitating the bright pink pinnacle odangos of Chibi-Usa. "FISH!!!!!!!" the two others screamed. "Chibi-Moon is nine years old, you dingbell!" Hawk-eye snapped "I meant Sailor Pluto." Tigers-eye explained. "She's been the time gate guardian for ages. Think how lonely a life that must have been. Even with friends, she must be so unfulfilled still." "She's not as venerable as Chibi-Moon." Fish-eye said. "But as far as lonely goes..." said Hawk-eye. "She's absoloutely perfect." Tiger's eye finished Tiger's-eye snuck carefully up behind Super Sailor Moon as the senshi gathered in front of her to guard their princess and leader from the two Amazons attacking. Fish and Hawk had them perfectly distracted. He got just close enough and jammed the evelope into one of her blonde odangos. "Aah!" Super Sailor Moon cried and swung around. The other senshi followed suit. When they turned back the two Amazons had left. "That's weird. They usually fight us forever." Minako said. "Hey, Usagi-chan, what's that in your hair?" Michiru asked plucking the envelope out of the Moon Senshi's blonde locks. "I knew something poked me." Usagi muttered, rubbing her head. "Hey, Setsuna-san, it's for you." Haruka said, reading the front of the envelope over Michiru's shoulder. Setsuna started. "What!?!" she screeched, dropping her time key onto Sailor Chibi-Moon. "Hey!" the pink haired little girl complained, unheard by the others as the weight of the huge key on her back knocked her over on her face. She struggled to get up, yelling to Hotaru who was preoccupied with Setsuna. "Haruka's right." Michiru said. "It says ‘To Sailor Pluto.'" "It does not!" the Setsuna shrieked. "Let me see that!" she demanded, grabbing the letter. Sure enough it read, ‘To Sailor Pluto.' She began to open it...but found eight pairs of eyes peering over her shoulders. "Read your own mail." she snapped, clamping the note against her chest. The senshi retreated as she read the letter........ Dear Sailor Pluto, I see no reason to write this other than I am as lonely as you seem. If you are reading this than I am far more lucky than my credit. You have always seemed so sad to me, even with all the friends you must have among the other senshi. I would like so much to know that you are not lonely and, if only in my wildest dreams, to know that I was the one who filled that gap. It would be an honour if I were ever to meet you. Know you for a person rather than a fighter. If you would ever like to know me there are directions enclosed. I will wait there at night. I leave at midnight however. I am only human. I do need rest. But that aside I do hope to someday see you at my place. And, if only within a sweet, sweet dream, in my arms. Yours (if you wish) T.E. Setsuna could barely believe what she had just read. The letter shook her to the core of her soul. It was.... .unreal. She'd never had a secret admirer before!^_^! Eight voices from behind her piped up loudly. They shouted in eager unison, "So, what did it say!?!" Setsuna didn't answer. She just walked quietly away in a daze. "Hey, uh, guys?" Chibi-Usa said casually, still pinned to the ground by Pluto's key. "No rush or anything like that but GET THIS THING OFF OF ME!!!" It was late at night when Setsuna finally returned home. She was so tired she could probably just collapse right there on the mat and snore away like Usagi in math class. She removed her shoes and untied the bun in her hair. She sighed. It had been a long day. The Pluto senshi couldn't remember any time that she had done more. Of course she had spent a lot of time as a lonely guardian to the gate of time. As she tiptoed through the upstairs she peeked into each of the rooms. Her's was of course empty. Hotaru slept soundly in her bed. Michiru's room was empty and sure enough Setsuna found her curled up asleep in Haruka's bed, head resting against her lover. It was simply uncanny how much they loved each other. Setsuna stepped into the bathroom and ran a tub of hot water whilst stripping down and tying her hair up. As the water stopped she lowered herself into the tub with a sigh. As the soothingly warm liquid lapped gently against her aching muscles she looked up at the ceiling, mind drifting away. Through times past. Her past..... *** "Oh! Daddy, is it really mine?!" Princess Pluto gasped as her father laid the key to the time gate in her nine year old hands. "Yes, my little Moon-ray..." King Pluto smiled, patting her on the head. "...It's yours. But you must remember. This may be an honor but when you are of age you must go and guard the gate of time forever. Leave home for your duty." "Leave you and Mama?" She gasped. "But Daddy..." "No arguments Setsuna. You have to. And besides. You have many years before you are of age." *** Eighteen had seemed so far away then. She had barely stood the loneliness all those years guarding the gate. Oh, how she had longed to go home. Run into her father's arms and never leave again. Even now with friends all around nothing had filled the desperate need for heartfelt love and closeness that had run itself so deep into her soul. She hugged herself. Why did she have to remember that all the time....? It was scarcely seconds before Setsuna was fighting tears. She sniffled and looked at the note she had set on the vanity, the one Michiru had found in Usagi's hair. It had been a secret admirer's note. She wondered if it wouldn't be so bad to take this T.E. up on his offer and meet him in the park at midnight like he'd said. He seemed nice enough. And she really had liked his writing style....... It was very quiet in the park that night. Setsuna shivered as the wind whipped through the trees she stood under. Why do I do this to myself? She wondered, miserably. She hadn't seen anyone since she had arrived. It was a few minutes after midnight. Maybe T.E. had gone home to bed. This was not a night to wear a sleevless, pantless fuku. And yet here she was in her Sailor uniform, waiting for her mystery admirer. As she shivered she felt a presence behind her. She whipped around to face a shadow shrouded figure standing on the opposite side of the tree. "Hello Pluto." he said, his voice hushed and penetrating. "T.E.?" she asked softly. "Yes." he replied. "I'm T.E." "Well, I feel kind of stupid calling you by your initials. What should I call you?" Setsuna asked, determined not to spend the evening talking to a practically anonymous shadow with two letters for a name. "Er... my name's a little strange actually. Just call me.... Ecurie." It was the first thing he had said to make him sound like a human being. "Ecurie?" Setsuna repeated, trying to supress her laughter. "It's my middle name," he stated indignantly, "And believe me it isn't half as weird as my first one." "I'm sorry." Setsuna said, taking note of his downcast face. "I didn't mean it like that." "What's your name?" Ecurie asked, brightening. "I only know you by Pluto." "I don't know if I should tell you." Setsuna said, easing the words from her mouth, reluctant to reveal her identity to this virtual stranger."How about if you call me by my middle name?" "Okay." Ecurie agreed. "So what's your middle name?" "Animo." "Okay then. I'll call you Animo-kun. You are younger than me right?" "How old are you?" "Twenty-one?" Ecurie said, sounding as if he was just guessing. "I'm younger, Ecurie-san." Another wind whipped through the trees, blowing leaves into Setsuna's hair. She shivered convulsively. Then felt something warm around her shoulders. "Here." Ecurie offered. "Take my jacket. It's too cold for a Sailor uniform. Would you like to come to my place for some tea?" "I guess." Setsuna said. "Great. I live a few blocks from here. Let's go." As they entered the apartment buliding Setsuna finally saw Ecurie's face. Whilst he hung her borrowed coat she gawked at him. Her admirer had shoulder length tresses of golden-blond hair, tied back in a pony tail, and vividly blue eyes that shimmered in the light. His face seemed as if chisled out of soap as his skin was a smooth creamy colour. Pale tan was all Setsuna could describe it as. He was a good head and shoulders higher than her with a slight build that seemed to shadow how strong he must have actually been. He turned to her with an infectious smile and Setsuna had the eerie feeling she had seen him somewhere before.... He lead her into the adjoining room to the hall and invited her to sit down while he made them some tea. "Do you like sugar?" he called from the kitchen as she removed her knee boots and knelt down on the mat next to the table. "No, actually," she called back, "No, I don't like sugar." "Good." Ecurie smiled, bringing her a brimming cup, "Because I don't like it either and I never buy any. Hope you don't mind green tea." "No, It's my favorite." Setsuna giggled. "So...." How to start a conversation? "...read any good books lately?" "A few actually." Ecurie replied. "One was an english novel translated to Japanese. It's about a time traveler from Berlin, Germany in World War Two. He's a Nazi traitor and it 's all about how he meddles in the life of this woman named Laura in the future. It's really interesting. I just finished it. It's called Lightning." "Hmmm..." Setsuna said, sipping her tea, not having expected him to take the question literally. "Last book I read was a math text. I can handle it if I try but homework drives me crazy. I don't call high school the easiest thing I've ever done." Ecurie smiled. "You know what Animo-kun?" he said, propping his chin in his hand, an adoring look on his face. "You're really pretty when you're cold." "Hmmm?" Setsuna asked. "I'm not cold at all, it's nice and warm in here." "Yeah, but your cheeks are all red from being outside." "Are they?" Setsuna asked, rubbing her cheeks, blushing herself even redder. "Don't worry about it." Ecurie smiled taking her hand. "You look fine." Setsuna blushed again and folded her hands in her lap. Would she ever have a time of explaining what had happened tonight in her journal. It was a few days later that Setsuna recieved an inviation to a Saturday lunch at Ecurie's house..... Ecurie ushered her inside. She hadn't bothered to wear her Sailor fuku this time and had picked out a long green dress from her closet. It matched her hair perfectly and Ecurie made a note to comment on it. "I hope you don't mind tuna-fish sandwiches." he said, pulling a tin from the pantry. "It's all I've got at the moment." "Tuna's fine." she replied plucking a pretzel from the bowl on the table. She crunched it between her teeth and said. "I was meaning to ask you how you got that letter into Sailor Moon's hair." "Sailor Moon's hair?" he asked. "That's where you found it? Geez, all I knew was that the wind picked it up when I was waiting for the bus. It must have blown into her hair then." "Talk about your dumb luck, huh, Ecurie-san?" "Yeah. So how are you at school?" "Hopeless." she replied. "What's your worst subject? Mine was physics." "Oh kakkoii!" Setsuna said. "Phsyics is my favorite." "So what's your trouble spot?" Ecurie asked. "Math rots." Setsuna insisted. "Math's my strong point. If you ever want some study help haul your texts over here." Ecurie smiled, laying a tuna fish sandwich in front of her and sitting down across from her. "Would you help me? I've got exams at the college next week." "No problem." he picked up his own sandwich and took a bite. "What do you want to do for a living?" he asked. "Oh, easy question." Setsuna said, taking a bite of her lunch. "Fashion designer." "So you like to sew?" "Oh yes. I love it." "I wanted to be a business man." Ecurie said. "What do you do now?" Setsuna asked. Oh shimatta, Tigers-eye thought. I had to bring up careers. Come on Tiger. Brain storm something. The truth snapped into his head, Something viable Tiger.... "Just odd jobs really. I have two roommates so it works out that we can keep the apartment." "Hmmm. Two roommates. Do you drive each other nuts?" "I get along well enough with the one of them that we don't kill each other....." Ecurie said. "But the third is a gay crossdresser. He freaks the both of us out. Amazed yet appalled." "Seriously?" Setsuna said, sounding like that was nothing. "Uranus and Neptune aren't ‘freaky' exactly, but I must admit they're in a category of their own." she smiled. "I live in the same house with them and Sailor Saturn." "I didn't know that." Ecurie grinned, sounding impressed. " So do they drive you nuts?" "If I didn't have broad horizons I'd never survive them. A pair of lesbians, a nine year old and me, the dateless responsible one. You should have seen the rainy day when Haru...." Sestuna caught herself just before she let Sailor Uranus's identity slip. "Er...Uranus tried to teach Saturn to play baseball....inside the house. It was a total mess! They broke Neptune's favorite vase." "I can imagine. My roommates threw this party once... and I got to clean it up as a surprise present." "That couldn't have been good for them." "It wasn't." Ecuire said, smiling evily. Setsuna laughed. ‘Ecurie' turned up to be quite a lot of fun and over the next months Setsuna saw him at least another hundred or so times. She had a great time when she was with him and she never had any suspsicion of him. Tigers-eye also found just playing the part of Ecurie fun. Dispite the plan he didn't think about deception much when he was out with ‘Animo'. She was a riot for jokes and though serious and often desperate when it came down to exam time study help he was dangerously beginning to enjoy himself...... Setsuna was spralwled out on her bed on a lazy Sunday afternoon, musing rather dreamily over Ecurie, when Michiru came into the room with a basket of laundry. She settled a few shirts onto the bed and said. "Gomen, Setsuna-san, I can't find your other red sock." "Nani?" the pluto senshi asked, sitting up with a questioning look. She hadn't been listening. "Gomen, Michiru-san, I didn't catch that. What did you say?" "I said I can't find your red sock." Michiru repeated. "Setsuna-san, is something on your mind?" She asked. "You seem distracted lately." "Hai." Setsuna said softly. "You noticed?" "Hai." Michiru answered, sitting down on the bed. "What's going on?" Setsuna was quiet a moment, then got up on her knees on the bed and pointed sternly at a perplexed Michiru. "First I want you to understand that I only call you by your senshi names, he doesn't know where I live and he calls me by my middle name." the pluto senshi said, rambling like Ami at a computer convention. "Who calls you by your middle name?" Michiru chuckled. "Ecurie." Setsuna said solidly, and crossed her legs on the bed. "Who's Ecurie?" "He was the one who wrote me that letter you found in Usagi's hair. It was this sort of secret admirer thing and I went out and actually met the guy." "Honto ni!" Michiru squealed, getting up and closing the door. "Oh god, Michiru -san. He's so sweet. He's been helping me study in math. He's probably the sole reason I passed my last six exams..........." "Is he kwwaii?" Michiru asked with a wicked grin. "Michiru-san!" Sestuna exclaimed, but answered her question. "Bishonen." She sighed. "I don't know what to think about it. He's just so great!" "Hmmm... A to good to be true relationship." Michiru said. "Haven't you been stuck in one of those for a couple years now?" Setsuna teased. Michiru laughed. "Ah, Haruka's not that perfect." she said. "Do you know I found her socket wrench in the butter dish yesterday. And it was dirty too." "Michiru-san." Setsuna said softly, flopping back on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. "I think I'm in love." "Ara, Setsuna-san!" Michiru gasped. "Do you really think so!?" "I don't know! I've never been in love before!" Setsuna said in exasperation. "How do I know what it's like? Everything just feels so right...." "Like a dream?" Michiru asked. "Now that you mention it...... hai." "Setsuna-san?" "Yeah?" "You're right. You're in love." The day was entirely too hot to be walking around wearing sleeves. Tiger's eye had long ago removed his jacket, tying the arms around his waist as he kicked at a stone on the sidewalk, waiting for the light to turn green. He sighed and turned to look into a shop window as car horns began beeping. The light wasn't going to change. God how he hated being a pedestrian. The amazon leaned toward the window behind him. A jewelry shop. As he scanned over the merchandise his attention was snagged by a collection of necklaces. They were silver circular pendants on chains. Within each circle was a crescent moon made from a coloured stone. There were yellow ones and green ones. And purples and pinks and blues. As his eyes fell on the crescent of dark red his thoughts took a turn toward Animo. Those were her senshi colours. Something like that would be a really nice gift. They had been dating for nearly a month now. Maybe he could get it for her. Like an anniv.... What the? Tiger what the hell are you thinking!?! You're tricking her remember!?! Oh yeah. With a sigh he pulled back from the window. Why on earth had he been thinking that about her? Animo was an enemy. And she was also really pretty and nice and fun to be around and she was a really really good kisser. With a start it hit him. Tiger put a hand to his face. "Oh damn." he groaned. He cared about her! Damn, damn, damn! Turning back around he looked for several seconds at the necklace. A frown crossed his face. He looked at the price. 73 yen. Hmm it wasn't that much. He sighed. Ah what the hell! Opening the door he slipped into the store and walked up to the main desk....... Setsuna smiled tiredly, resting her head on his shoulder. It had been a been a perfect date. Walking around in the park with ice cream all afternoon, talking and having fun and now they were just standing together by the lake. The sun didn't seem to be setting at all anymore, it was totally still on the horizon, frozen in a perfect moment as Ecurie picked up a flat stone from the ground and skipped it across the water. He turned to her quietly, a warm arm sliding around her shoulders. In an instant he was kissing her. Setsuna stood still for a long moment. She had decided when she was very young that french kisses were disgusting. I mean, who would want to have someone else's tongue licking around inside your mouth? But he didn't kiss her like that, at least not in the intrusive way she had thought about so many times, just gentle lips, mouths meeting tenderly. And that sweet burning sensation in the core of her chest....... In an instant it hit her. Oh god! Michiru was right! I love him! I'm in love!!! Abrupty Ecurie broke the kiss. "I have something for you." He swiftly hooked a silver necklace around her throat. Setsuna stepped back and leaned over the lake, studying the reflection of the pendant in the softly rippling surface of the water. It was a dark red crescent moon set in a silver circle. Dark red and silver. The colours of her Senshi uniform. "Oh Ecurie-chan, it's gorgeous!" She gasped, hugging him hard. "Thank you so much, I'll keep it forever." Ecurie kissed her cheek. "I wouldn't mind keeping you forever." he said, holding her closer. Setsuna gave a short laugh and looked up at him, only to find his expression totally serious. "You know right?" He asked quietly, "You know.....I love you." He kissed her again but Setsuna broke the kiss and buried her face in his shoulder. "I know." She whispered. "I always knew." "Would you like to come back to my place for dinner?" Setsuna smiled. "It's Uranus's night to cook at my place. Sure!" Setsuna settled down on the couch. "You're not a bad cook Ecurie-chan." she said, stretching her arms over her head. "You're not a bad eater." he replied, flopping down beside her. "Wanna watch some TV?" "Nah. I tape all my favorite programs." Setsuna replied. "Let's just talk." Ecurie moved over closer to her on the couch. "Let's not." he said quietly, and kissed her heavily. They stayed like that for several moments, before his hands roamed to her hair, fingers stroking the thick bun loose. The pine coloured locks fell around her face. He continued to kiss her. As the both of them leaned back further on the couch the question came from out of the blue. "Ecurie-chan?" Setsuna asked. "Are you ever going the tell me what T.E. stands for?" "It stands for my name." he replied, kissing her again. She snuggled comfortably into his embrace, just managing to catch herself before she told him that she loved him. She was silent for several moments, enjoying his gentle caresses. She'd never known a person like him in her life. Never known this kind of closeness. The gentle touches, deep kisses. The hours spent simply being held. She'd wanted this kind of love, needed it. But nagging at her in the back of her mind was her suspicion of him. She hadn't really given it much thought until she had told Haurka about Ecurie. "Don't you think it's a little weird how he won't tell you his name?" she had said. "It's not like he has a secret alias or something right?" That was the whole problem. Maybe he did have some sort of alias? An evil alias. It certainly was hard to suspect someone when you liked them as much as she liked Ecurie. And it was especially hard if they were kissing you. "What is your name?" she asked, pushing him off her. It took a good dose of effort. She liked this little game of theirs far more than she wanted to admit. "I want you...to tell me your name." she said seriously. Ecurie sat back with a sigh. "You'll be mad at me Animo-chan." he said quietly, running his hand through his hair. "I don't want to loose you..........and I will if I tell you. "How will you know if you don't try it?" Setsuna asked. "Because you're one of the Sailor Senshi and to you..... I would be the enemy." "But then you would have to be either Hawk-eye, Fish-eye or.... Tiger-eye...." The Pluto Senshi trailed off. "T.E..... Tiger-eye?" she asked finally. He looked at the floor, the pain in his eyes unavoidably noted. "You can kill me now if you want." "Kill you!" Setsuna exclaimed. "Perish the thought! I'm amazed!" "You are?" he asked, stunned by her reaction. "If you just told me the truth then yes. If you had a crush on me all this time I can't imagine how you stood the other two trying to kill us Senshi all the time." "It is the truth." Tiger-eye mumbled, "But not the whole truth. And I'll never be able to live with myself if I don't be honest with you." "What do you mean?" "You see when I left that note it was, originally, a plan to get you and the other Senshi to reveal yourselves to me and the others." Setsuna bolted off the couch. "What?" she cried, not wanting to believe that this man who she had grown so close to, loved so much, could have been plotting to double cross her all along. "It was all a plan?" "Was Animo-chan, I'm calling it off." "What for!?! You have me right here!?! Sailor Pluto in the flesh!" she spread her hands wide. "Here I am! Call in your buddies and finish me off!" "I can't Animo-chan." Tiger-eye said, standing up. "You don't understand..." he said, taking her hands as tears welled in her eyes. "I couldn't do it to you," he said softly, stroking the side of her face. "Not now, not after this......." There was a long minute of scilence between them. ‘Ecurie's' eyes filled with desperation. Voice trembling with fear and anguish he said it. "I love you." "If you loved me....." Setsuna said quietly, sounding as if she forgave him. "...then you never would have done this!!!" Breaking the chain in two she snatched the pendant he had given her and threw it at his feet. With flames leaping in her eyes she swung her hand, striking him hard clear across the face. She turned from him in hot anger and stalked out slamming the door in her wake. When Fish-eye and Hawk-eye returned home late that evening they found Tiger-eye curled up on the far side of the sofa in tears. "Tiger?" Fish-eye asked, "Hey what's wrong?" he sat down next to his friend and put an arm around his shoulders. "Hey, Tiger, are you okay?" Tiger-eye took a deep shuddering breath. "No..." he said quietly, wiping at his eyes. "Animo-chan's gone." he sniffed. "So you blew the plan." Hawk-eye said, sitting down on the other side of him. "Big whoop. We'll think of another one. It's nothing to cry over." "It's not the plan, Hawk...... " Tiger-eye sniffed, trying to think of a viable reason for his tears. If he didn't he'd have to confess to them. He loved Sailor Pluto...... "She was really mad at me and I hate being yelled at, you know that." "So she yelled a bit." Fish-eye soothed. "And the plan's blown, it's okay. I still don't get why you're so upset. It was just one of those Senshi." "That's what you don't understand!" Tiger-eye sobbed, breaking down. "I...I loved her...." Setsuna bashed the door aside and tore through the house in a whirlwind. "Ara! Setsuna-san!" she heard Michiru gasp, but couldn't see where she was in the room through her tears. She bolted up the stairs and opened the first door she came to. Kicking it violently shut she tumbled to the floor in tears, chest heaving with the aching sobs that racked her body. She had thought she had known heart break when she had left her family on Pluto when she was eighteen. Now she knew. Heart break was this. Losing Ecuire. Heart break was the rage that had over ridden the want to forgive him. To forget all about his betrayal and be held again. It was this. This pain. And it was unbearable...... Setsuna was still weeping when she felt the hand on her shoulder. The small hand, with it's innocent warmth that made her look up from the carpet. She saw little Hotaru standing beside her, nine year old face worried. "Setsuna-mama?" she said, "What is it? Did you have a first fight with Ecurie?" The pluto senshi sniffled. "He....he..." she stammered sorrowfully. "Ara! Hime-chan he isn't who he says he is!" she sobbed. "I made him tell me his real name... I wish I hadn't! Oh, Hime-chan!" she felt a pair of little arms wrap around her trembling body as she buried her tear streaked face in her hands. " T.E.... stands...for.... Tiger's -eye....!" she wailed. "He's...he's one of the amazons! Him and Hawks-eye and Fish-eye.... they were trying to trick us into getting our identities and our dream mirrors! He sent the note and set it all up and I ... I......" she trailed off into a fit of convulsive sobbing. "Setsuna-mama don't be sad." Hotaru said, softly. "What else did he tell you?" The time guardian hesitated. But the eyes of the age reverted Saturn held sincere promise than she would feel better. "Hime-chan, if you can believe this, he said....he said he loved me. And that he was calling the plan off because he loved me and that he couldn't go through with it now. I...I wanted to tell him I loved him too. I wanted to forgive him but... I was so mad. I yelled at him and I walked out on him. I...I broke that necklace he gave me..... I hit him Hime-chan. Ara, I wish I hadn't. I can't leave him. Not now. I love him so much. I never knew love like that. Shimatta! Nothing's ever hurt so much!" She screamed, clutching her chest as though the pain were physical and hideous. Her fist hit the floor. She started crying again. "Setsuna-mama?" Sestuna looked up at Hotaru, the child's head lying on her shoulder. "He certainly doesn't hate you." she advised. "Go find him. Explain it to him, just like you did now. He'll forgive you I'm sure." "Hime-chan, before I go." Setsuna said. "You have to promise me." she said. "Promise you won't tell the others okay?" "I promise." "That rotten Sailor Senshi!" Fish-Eye shouted, pounding his fist into his opposite hand. "I feel like I could just rip her limb from limb..!!!" "I know what you mean. Poor Tiger. He's been crying for at least a half an hour now." Hawk sighed, wincing at the sobbing he could still hear from his friend's room upstairs. Fish Eye let out a deep sigh and relaxed into the couch. "I wish we could do something but he seems determined to tough it out on his own. Hey, maybe we could rip that senshi limb from limb." he said. Hawk grinned. "Or all of them. A sneak attack, just to kick their butts a little, for hurting Tiger. Wadda ya think Fish?" "Just as long as I can gawk at Tuxedo Mask if he shows up to save Sailormoon's butt again." Fish said. Hawk's eye sighed. "Oh fine. Let's make a plan." Setsuna shook as she rapped softly on Tiger's Eye's door. A tired, tear stained face answered her. Tiger's Eye. "What are you doing back?" He asked, inviting her into the hall. "I came to ask if you hate me." She mumbled as he closed the door. "No." Tiger said softly. "I couldn't hate someone I love." "I just want to know how you could do it." Setsuna said. "I...I'm still mad at you you know." "Animo-chan, I'm sorry!" He cried, throwing his hands in the air, beginning to cry. "I don't know what else to say! When this started I didn't love you, hell I didn't even know you! Now look at me. I'm shaking and I'm crying and all I want to do for the rest of my life is hold you." "You lied to me!" Setsuna shouted, trembling as hot tears streamed down her face. "You're not Ecurie!" "What do you base that on?!" he shouted back. "You only know me as one person! Ecurie! Who for all you know is exactly the same as Tigers-eye!" "But you lied!" "And now I'm sorry I did! I apologized! I lived up to it Animo-chan what more can I do but that?" "You could show what you really are like." Setsuna said softly. "I'd like to know who...." "I can't be someone else than Ecurie!" Tigers-eye snapped. "He is me by a different name!" "If Tigers-eye is the same as Ecurie...." Setsuna choked. "Than it's you I've fallen in love with." Sobbing she looked at the floor. Noticing that the silver and red crescent moon necklace still lay on the carpet she picked it up and clutched it against her chest. "I..I guess I'll go." she sniffed, but soon found she couldn't turn around for the strength of the arms around her shoulders. "Animo-chan, don't go." Tiger whispered. "You can still call me Ecurie." She looked up at him. Her tear filled eyes void of their previous flame. She lifted the necklace crudely knotting the chain and unfasting the hook at the back. She lifted it around his neck. "I know I broke it but I'd like you to have it." She fastened the clasp under his hair. He bent to kiss her.....Then both of them heard the huge crash from outside. Setsuna and Tiger ran outside to find the Sailorsoldiers, Hawk-eye and Fish-eye battling in the field across the road. "They're going to kill each other!" Setsuna cried as Jupiter sent a thunderbolt zanging past a screaming Fish-Eye. "We've gotta stop them!" "Or stop time?" Tiger hinted. "Sorry, it's against the rules." Setsuna shook her head. "I'll take my guys, you stop the senshi." Tiger said. Setsuna raisied her henshin pen. In a few seconds she was transformed. "Nice henshin." Tiger said with a wink. "Go reign in your friends... Ecurie." Tiger and Setsuna hit the field running and took positions between the opposing groups. "Great Pluto! You're here!" Usagi cheered. "And you brought the third one too." Jupiter grinned. "No wait!" Setsuna cried. But Uranus had already rasied her hand, shouting her henshin, and her World Shaking power went into effect, hammering the amazons to the ground. Setsuna shouted to Tiger's eye who narrowly ducked a love chain blast by Venus. She was in love with him now. And she would be damned if he was killed. As the three amazons struggled to recover from Uranus's World Shaking, Super Sailor Moon raised her scepter, ready to destroy them. Seeing her Pluto lunged. "Sailor Moon, NO!" she cried, snatching the scepter, and pointing it off target. "You can't kill him!" she shouted. "Please stop!" "Pluto, stop it!" Neptune snapped, pulling her friend away from the lead Senshi. Pluto lunged forward again, trying to get her hands on the scepter. "Haruka, help me hold her!" Neptune cried, struggling to keep a grip on Pluto's arm and her Deep Aqua Mirrior at the same time. "Setsuna-san!" Haruka cried, grabbing the Pluto Senshi by the other arm. "Have you gone mad!?! Stop it!" "Usagi!" Pluto screamed, as Uranus and Neptune held her back. "Usagi, if you were ever my friend you won't do it!" She yelled. "Pluto they're the enemy." Super Sailor Moon said. "I might be a little dumb but I'm not insane. Rainbow.......... Moon ......" "Usagi! Don't!" Pluto cried as the blast gathered energy. ".........Heartache!" "Ecurie!!!" Pluto screamed, breaking free of Neptune and Uranus as the deadly energy rained down on the Amazons. "NO!!" As the smoke cleared she dove for the prone form of Tiger- eye, falling to her knees next to him. "Sailormoon, how could you!!!" she screamed, sobbing uncontrollably as she clutched the hand of the lead amazon to the side of her face. "How could you!" she wailed, gasping tears choking her words. "Ecurie...." She whispered, salt water running rivulets down her cheeks. "Oh Ecurie-chan. Gomen..." She touched his face tenderly, stroking her gloved finger down his throat. There, around his neck, she found the pendant he had given her, the little crescent moon in red and silver. The one she had rejected when he'd told her the truth. She bent her head over him in mourning, crying, clutching his limp body to her heaving chest. The Sailor Senshi gathered quietly at the back of the weeping Pluto. "Usagi, how could you?" The sobbing Senshi sniffed, trembling as she clutched the pendant. "How could you do it to him? To me..?" "Setsuna-san, he was the enemy." Uranus consoled. "What are you upset about?" "No." Hotaru said softly. "You don't understand." she stepped out to face the crowd, arms wide as if guarding the trembling Setsuna. "Till now Tigers-eye was the infamous Ecurie. She loved him." A horrified gasp went up among the crowd of Senshi. "Go ahead," Setsuna sobbed. "Laugh, be horrified, don't believe me for all I care but I loved him.....and that was the end of it!" Chibi-Usa, who had been only half paying attention was looking around the field. "Ya know." she said, "They're still here. Don't they disappear usually?" "You're right." Ami said, peering through the rising smoke at Hawks-eye and Fish-eye. A flash of realization hit her. "Move over." she instructed, kneeling down next to Tigers-eye and Setsuna. "Put his head in your lap." Setsuna complied, placing her love's head on her folded knees. Mercury pressed her ear to his chest. "He's breathing." she comfirmed. "Setsuna-san does he have a pulse?" Pluto shifted her fingers to his wrist. She nodded, feeling the welcoming beat against her fingertips. "He's alive." she choked, starting to cry again. "Rei-chan, Minako-chan, we need pillows and blankets." Ami said. "And bring me a first aid kit." Venus and Mars ran off to get the supplies from the Amazon's house while Ami straightened out Tigers-eye's sprawled legs. The Amazon let out a weak cry of pain as she touched his left ankle. His eyes snapped open looking up with a pained expression into the tear washed eyes of Pluto. "Ecurie! Ara, you're alright!" "That's more than I can say for this ankle." Ami commented, lifting Tigers-eye's foot gently onto a pillow as Minako returned with an armload of them. Pluto stuffed a few under the amazon's head and kissed him deeply. "Animo-chan?" He asked softly. She nodded, choked with emotion. "Call me Setsuna." she whispered, hugging him hard. "Setsuna," he mused, "I wondered.....OUCH!" Tigers-eye sat bolt upright, clutching at his foot. Ami batted him away. "Lie down." she said sternly. "What are you doing to me?!" He exclaimed in an agrivated tone as Pluto made him lie down and be quiet. "I'm straightening your bones." Ami snapped. "Now lie still and hush up. You might break something else." "It's alright." Setsuna soothed. "She's good at this. You can trust her." "What if I can't?" Tiger-eye asked suspiciously. "I'm the enemy to them." "Then I'll use my Dead Scream on her." Setsuna grinned. "Does anything else hurt you?" "You mean other than my head?" he asked, raising a hand to the throbbing lump that had risen on his forehead. "Yeah." "In that case, I think I busted a nail." he said, examining his right thumb. "Oh, Ecurie." Setsuna sighed, kissing him again. "What about Fish?" Tigers-eye asked. "And Hawk?" Setsuna looked up pleadingly at her friends. "We'll get em." Haruka announced, placing her hands on her hips. "We will?" Usagi asked. "Yes, we will." Rei said, handing Ami the first aid kit and blankets and giving the first Moon Senshi a demanding look. Tigers-eye almost laughed as Usagi said. "Yeah, that's right, we will!" and took off toward Fish. Michiru, Haruka and Rei followed. "Race ya!" Haruka shouted, tearing past Usagi and without question beating her to Fish-eye's side. "Ara, Haruka!" Michiru exclaimed, running after her lover. "Just everything is a race to you!" "Who are all of these Sailors exactly anyway Anim...er...Setsuna?" Tiger-eye asked. "Well this is Mizuno' Ami and Anio' Minako and Kino' Makato and Tomoe' Hotaru, and Chibi-Usa over here and over there is Tenoh' Haruka, Kaioh' Michiru, Hino' Rei and Tuskino' Usagi." "Let me guess." Tigers-eye said. "Usagi-sama is the one with the odango pigtails right?" "Right." "And the pink haired kid is Chibi-Usa-sama right?" "Mm-hm." "And Ami-sama is the one hurting me?" Setsuna laughed. "Normally you'd have an anesthetic but hey..." Ami said. "I can't just go out and buy the stuff." "Ara! Tiger! You're not that insane." Hawk-eye said as Rei settled him on a blanket next to the lead amazon. He grinned at Setsuna. "She's a pretty one. You're not entirely crazy." Tiger-eye laughed. "Anything broken?" Ami asked, shifting her gaze from Tiger's ankle to Hawk-eye. "Tell me I didn't at least sprain my wrist and I've got a condo in Florida to sell ya." he grimaced, holding out his arm. His right wrist was twisted into a position that it was never meant to assume. He winced as Ami touched it. "Fractured at the least." she said. "I better not do anything to it. That's for a certified doctor." "Terrific. Like I have insurance coverage." Hawk-eye grummbled. "You mean to tell me that you guys work in a circus with no insurance?" Usagi asked as she, Michiru and Haruka dragged Fish-eye onto a blanket. "He's got to be in shock Ami-chan." Michiru said worriedly, as Haruka tossed another blanket over him. "Let me see." Ami said. Lifting Fish's eye-lid. "It think he's just knocked out." Ami said. "But try and wake him up. He could have a concussion." "Ami!" Haruka yelled. "We dropped him six times hauling him over here! He's in a coma!" "I heard that you planet-powered nut case." Fish-eye muttered, rolling onto this stomach. "And all those blond jokes are rather true from what I can tell." "WHAT DO YOU KNOW!!!" Tigers-eye, Usagi, Minako and Haruka screamed in unison. The third amazon flinched. "When this wrist heals I'm chasing you all over town you, blockheaded, cross dressing twit!" Hawks-eye threatened. "This was all your stupid idea!" "What!?! You said we should get her back!" Fish screamed. "I did not!" Hawks-eye yelled. "Why don't ya just hang me already. Sure, I'm ridiculed for liking other guys. Go ahead! Shoot me down for being diverse." Fish grumbled. "Since when is that the subject we're talking on?" Tiger demanded. "I'm getting ahead. The conversation always turns to me in situations like this." "Just cause you're the one who messes those situations up!" "You three fight like brother's or something." Chibi-Usa interjected. The arguerers froze. "Brother's!" Tigers-eye and Hawks-eye yelped. Fish-eye's first two eyes lit up. "Yeah!" he said. "Wouldn't it be so kakkoii if we really were brothers?! Huh guys?" The two others shivered. Fish-eye pouted. (two weeks later) "Well, I can walk." Tiger said with a smile, settling himself beside Setsuna on the sofa. He settled his crutches onto the side of the couch. He now lived with four sailor senshi, Pluto, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus. Michiru smiled at him from where she knelt across the table. "Walking is good." she said, handing Setsuna a cup of green tea. "Tiger-san?" Hotaru asked. "Will you play cards with me after supper?" "Do I have to lie on the floor?" Tiger asked, thinking of the pain his foot would endure getting up and down from the carpet. "No. We can play on the table." Hotaru replied and set the deck on the table beside the tea tray. "What do you want to play? Crazy Eights, Go Fish, Cribbage... Black Jack?" Setsuna gave Tiger a light slap on the arm at his last hint. "Eights please." Hotaru said, then turned to Michiru. "Michi-mama? What's black jack?" "I'll tell you when you're older Hime-chan." Michiru said. "Nonsense, Michiru!" Haruka laughed and leaned over toward Hotaru. "It's a Las Vegas card game where rich people loose lots and lots of money to jerks who deal with trick decks." she explained, grinning. Michiru rolled her eyes. "I'm going to take my tea onto the porch." Setsuna said picking up her cup and saucer and getting up. "I'll join you." Tiger said. "I had already jumped to that conclusion." Setsuna grinned. The two of them, Setsuna walking, Tiger aptly swinging about on his crutches, left their three companions inside and settled onto the porch swing outside. Tiger swung his arm aorund Setsuna's shoudlers and kissed her forehead. "I have to say a month ago I didn't picture myself like this." he mummbled. "You mean engaged to a sailor senshi or sitting on a porch swing watching the cars go by?" Sestuna asked. "Ah... both." Tiger chucked a bit and rubbed his fiances's shoudler. "A month ago I couldn't get a date." she said. "Animo-chan I have no idea why." Though it had been some time since their days of first dates neither of the two had manged to give up calling each other by their middle names. Most people considered the callings to be like nicknames. Only the Sailorsenshi and Amazon's knew the whole story... Setsuna settled her tea cup in it's regular place on her knee and leaned into Tiger's arms. "I used to really miss my home." she said. "But I think I've figured out why I shouldn't be missing it." "Why not?" Tiger asked. Setsuna smiled and kissed his cheek. "Because home is right here." Authour's Rant- I'm pretty darned scary, ne? Okay I admit it's a really weird pairing but I had so much fun writing this! I think it's just so cute. Bad Guys that turn good are my favorite kind of bad guys. My second favorites are bad guys that have a really good reason to be evil. Possibly a Star Wars crossover that pairs Pluto with the dateless and responsible Luke Skywalker would be better..... but heck I'm just a nutcase. What do I know? (other than several phrases and words in Japanese) Anyway I hope you enjoyed my story. It's one of my only works centered around Pluto.