Setsuna held her Time Key steady on the now sweating Haruka. "This hellion hasn't learned the true meanings of Honor or Sacrifice," she growled. "Truly, of all of us here, only one has the qualities at such a level that might just make her acceptable, if they were added to her own."
Michuru stiffened in anger; but before she could move to interrupt, a tanned arm snaked around her neck as she felt a widely-spaced pair of rounded points poke into her kidneys. She glanced down and to the rear to see a Time Key with a pair of cat's ears on the metal heart design. Those same ears were what was prodding her back, placing her spine in perfect alignment for a point-blank Dead Scream. She froze in place.
The Senshi of Time continued, sparing a quick nod to her felinoid twin. "I suggest this, your majesties," she continued. "We regress her age, to allow her to be placed alongside the person I would have her learn with. She will be, for all intents and purposes, this person's adopted sister. She will be inseparable from the target, until such time as she has learned the true meaning of honor." She paused in her statement, calculating. "She'll be with them for about ten years."
Serenity coughed. "Ten. Years?" she ground out. "Forgive my confusion, my senshi; but would that not cause our situation to be in peril?'
Purrenity began to chuckle into her hand. The others in the room bean to stare at her. She spoke through her giggles. "Oh, sister," she confided, "your Time Guardian has a wonderful plan!" She brought her head close, then whispered into her ear. Within moments, both princesses were shaking with merriment.
The human princess nodded her head. "I believe that this plan will be sound," she granted. "But We desire that all be allowed to watch what she will be doing." She produced the Silver Imperium Crystal and released a beam of opalescent white light that enveloped Uranus.
"Your highness,..." the trapped blond began.
"QUIET!" the now-enraged Serenity demanded in a Voice of Command. She continued in a normal volume, but no less forcefully. "You attacked a potential teammate, Haruka Tenou. Such an act might have been forgiven, had you not already done so on several other occasions. Were it my own decision alone, you would be stripped of your linkage with your planet and cast from My court." She rose to her feet and strode slowly toward the struggling woman. "You should feel lucky, however, that this plan of Setsuna's will give you a chance to redeem yourself." She now stood beside Haruka, her mask of rage now morphing into a sad, yet hopeful smile. Leaning in, she kissed the woman upon her brow. Her lips left behind a heart symbol, within which was her mark of her planet. The markings faded. "For now," she concluded, "Haruka Tenou will sleep and Haruka Saotome will be in her place."
The Moon Princess turned away, as Haruka was engulfed in a flash of light, leaving a younger version of herself. A small, scruffy-looking blonde-haired child of about six years of age. The little girl blinked once, then fainted in shock.
Both princesses returned to their civilian forms. The human Usagi stepped toward her catgirl counterpart. Without turning, she addressed Sailor Pluto. "Have the retrained Haruka back by morning... and could you have the training made up to look like a movie?"
Setsuna giggled. "Consider it done," she acknowledged. Sweeping chibi-Haruka into her arms, she opened a portal to the Gates of Time. "Set up the DVD player, Rei," she called over her shoulder. "And have plenty of popcorn ready."
As the human Senshi scrambled to set up for the entertainment, the members of Team Ranma assisted their efforts where they could. Within an hour, the Fire Senshi's sitting room was set up as a home theater. Bowls of caramel corn, tubs of candies and cases of drinks were placed around the movie-goers to allow for easy access. Everyone present was waiting for Setsuna to arrive.
She stepped out of thin air, a set of three disks in hand. "I'm back," she called out unnecessarily, waiving her prize. "Let the show begin." Suiting action to words, she slid the first disk into the awaiting device.
Upon the screen were displayed the words:
Dark Moment Productions
Presents:
The
Trials of Princess Haruka
Giggles erupted, as the image opened upon a pair of six-year olds, wearing small backpacks...
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(Posted Mon, 06 Sep 2004 11:58)
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