"Well?" Usagi asked when Setsuna scooped up the last bit of her dessert.
"Well what?" the green-haired storyteller asked.
Usagi shuffled forward a bit on her chair. "Did Ugasi forgive him?"
"In the end, yes. I suppose she understood that this disaster could have been averted if she hadn't used the Glowing Stone to ensnare her love. You could say she felt bad herself after the whole affair."
"And what about the tower?" Luna asked. "According to this book, the true Lighthouse of Alexandria was supposed to be standing for many years to come."
"Well, then I guess it must be true, then," Setsuna shrugged.
"But in your story..."
Setsuna put down her spoon. "I only said that ONE lighthouse has been destroyed. Who said that they didn't rebuild it?"
The others blinked and looked at each other. That made sense.
"So that was it?" Minako asked in a disappointed voice. "No more stories?"
"I'm afraid that was the last one," Setsuna smiled.
"Awww, bummer!" Chibiusa whined. "They have been so exciting..."
"True, and I only got to hear about two of my previous incarnations," Hotaru sighed.
"Still, Setsuna... I really can't believe that everything happened just as you told us," Luna scowled. "I mean, come on: A Rubik's Cube in ancient Egypt? Magical seeds that make visions of the future come true? A robotic Colossus of Rhodes? And a glowing stone that could be used as a light source AND a way of making someone fall in love with you? That all sounds pretty unbelievable to me."
"Well, she must know it, right?" Ami shrugged. "I mean, she is the Guardian of Time, after all."
"That, and maybe a first-class swindler..." the black cat grumbled.
Setsuna seemed to be thinking of something. She then nodded to herself and called for the waiter. "The bill, please!" She paid him and stood up after he left.
"Okay, everyone, follow me!"
"Why? Where are we going?" Makoto asked as they followed the older Senshi out of the restaurant.
"I'm gonna show you the Eighth Wonder of the World. Maybe that will convince you that every part of my story was nothing but the genuine truth."
"EIGHTH WONDER?" they all shouted in surprise. "I thought there have been only Seven Wonders," Usagi added.
Setsuna smirked mysteriously. "Just take out your transformation wands."
"Why should we do that?" Rei was more than puzzled.
"Only Senshi are able to reach that place. Now hurry up and do it!"
----
"Well?" Setsuna turned around and smiled. "What do you think? Isn't the Eighth Wonder the greatest of all?"
The Inner Senshi, along with the two cats, Chibiusa and Hotaru, were all sweatdropping, as they stared at what was standing in front of them.
The Gates of Time.
"You wanna tell us THIS is supposed to be one of the Wonders of the World?" Luna shook her head in disbelief. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Well, the Moon Kingdom has been around for a much longer time than most cultures, and the Gates of Time ARE their most impressive achievement of combining Senshi magic and an excellent piece of architecture with the stream of time."
The Guardian of Time then sighed. "Well, the other Wonders have all been remarkable as well, of course. What a pity that most of them have been destroyed over time..."
Minako stepped closer to the Gates of Time and examined the elaborate engravings on its surface. Shen then chuckled and raised her finger. "Yeah, as if I would now touch the gates right here and they would collapse..."
"NO!" Setsuna suddenly screamed. "DON'T TOUCH THAT SPOT!"
But Sailor Venus' outstretched finger had already touched the Gates' frame, where an invisible mechanism was hidden underneath the surface. A faint click later, and the whole construct started rumbling.
"MINAKO, YOU DIMWIT!" Pluto screeched. "You activated the NASA (Nearly Automatic Self-destruction Activator)!"
A short while afterwards, only some rubble remained of the most remarkable piece of architecture in the history of the Moon Kingdom.
Minako backed off nervously, while her fellow Senshi stared at her.
"Heh heh, oops!" she said with a nervous grin. "Ummm... sorry?"
Setsuna started to growl. She grabbed her Garnet Rod like a mace and approached the Senshi of Venus with a grimace of fury.
Minako realized that she was in trouble now. With a frightened 'eep', she jumped backwards, turned around and started running.
"MINAKO!" Setsuna yelled while running after her and swinging her rod around. "You'll rebuild that for me, stone after stone, after you'll have recollected every single piece of rubble. Do you hear me?? STOP RUNNING AND TAKE YOUR PUNISHMENT LIKE A SENSHI!!"
Sailor Moon, Mars, Mercury and Jupiter couldn't think of anything appropriate to say, so they just stared at the bizarre scene.
Chibimoon groaned as she sat down next to the rubble that had once been the Gates of Time. "I kinda already knew something like that would happen..."
"It's strange, isn't it?" Saturn sighed. "Circumstances may change over the years and centuries... but certain things will never change."
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(Posted Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:47)
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