Makoto Kino blinked upon answering her door and finding Setsuna there. Not only did the lofty Guardian of Time rarely visit anyone... she was looking a bit... frazzled.
Nonetheless, Makoto was prepared to be a good hostess. "Setsuna! Come on in... I'll make some tea..."
Setsuna nodded, and entered, slipping her shoes off at the door to Makoto's apartment. "Thank you... and some tea would be just wonderful right now..."
A few minutes later, tea was served. Makoto sat across from Setsuna, looking curiously at the manila folder she had set down on her table. "So, Setsuna, what brings you by? Sailor business?" Makoto doubted that, but with Pluto, one could never tell...
"Not directly. Recent events have made me realize that I didn't know the pasts of the other senshi as well as I thought."
Makoto blinked. "Does this have something to do with Ami leaving so suddenly?"
Setsuna nodded. "Yes. She's gone to look for her father, she has a situation that only he can deal with. And as that was something surprised me, I decided I should look into the rest of you as well..." Setsuna trailed off.
Makoto felt a lump form in her throat. Could it be...? "Is that why you're here? You found out something about my... family?" Considering that she had been very young when her parents had died, she knew very little about them. "Are... are they still... alive?"
Setsuna sighed. "Yes and no."
"Huh?!"
"The people who raised you are quite dead, I'm afraid. And I'm also sorry to have to tell you - they weren't your parents."
"This is a joke, right?"
"I'm afraid not."
"I don't believe you."
"I'm sorry you feel that way."
"Damn it, Setsuna!!" Makoto's fist slammed into the table. "What are you trying to pull here?!"
Setsuna blinked, and then narrowed her eyes. "I'm trying... to help you. These are things you need to know... especially about the family that raised you! Or would you really rather I sat on this information? Makoto... you have a family out there!"
"What the hell are you talking about Setsuna?!" Makoto was nearing the end of her rope.
"Calm down, and I will tell you." After Makoto took a few deep breaths, Setsuna continued. "The Kino family were one of the last few members of the Sokaku Shinobi clan. They were also quite unable to have children themselves.
"Now, the Sokaku have been in a feud with another Shinobi clan - the Shiranui - for ages. Learning that the head family of the Shiranui was expecting another child... they took steps..."
"No..."
"Yes, I'm afraid so. They paid off the doctors at the hospital, and took you away minutes after you were born. You're real parents were told you died suddenly, not common, but not unheard of either. In the meantime, you were given to the Kino family to raise... and eventually to turn you into another facet to keep a pointless feud going. When they died in that crash, you fell through the cracks. Eventually though, someone in the Sokaku might remember you and contact you."
"And... and what about..." it felt so weird to say this, "my real family?"
Setsuna opened the folder. "All the information is here. In a nutshell, your parents are Mai and Andy Shiranui, the best warriors produced by the clans in generations." Makoto looked at the picture in the front of the folder, and gasped in shock. The woman - Mai - was dressing in a flashy red outfit that had more material than the senshi uniform... yet still managed to be more revealing. But beyond that... Makoto wasn't as... developed, but she looked very much like the woman in the picture. She was standing next to a long-haired blond man in a white and black jumpsuit. Strangely enough, although very handsome, he didn't remind her at all of her old boyfriend...
"These are... my parents?"
"Yes. You also have a little sister - Min, two years younger than you." Setsuna pulled out a new photo of a girl with strawberry-blond hair and a body that seemed too developed for her age.
Just like I was, Makoto thought to herself.
"They also have a ward, an orphan they took in. They named him Hokutomaru." This picture was of a short, energetic young man, with messy brown hair. Looking at the picture, Makoto had the impression that sitting still wasn't in his vocabulary.
Makoto set the pictures down. "I... I want to meet them."
Setsuna smiled. "They're already on their way."
Makoto glared at the older senshi. "Couldn't you have waited to ask me, first?"
Setsuna had the grace to blush slightly. "Forgive me, I have had a lot to do recently. I hadn't meant to send the not until after I had talked to you."
Makoto shook her head. she could never tell if Setsuna meant that, or was just saying something to placate her. "When will they get here?"
"Probably the day after tomorrow. I'll give you what warning I can." Setsuna stood up. "Now I have other people I must speak to. Thank you for the tea, Makoto. It was excellent, as usual."
Setsuna walked away, but before she could leave, Makoto yelled out, "Setsuna? Thanks."
Setsuna smiled. "You're welcome, Mako-chan."
After leaving, Setsuna checked her watch. Excellent! King should be done thoroughly embarrassing Haruka by now, so it would be safe to talk to Michiru.
When the Shiranui arrived, Makoto wasn't the only one who would have a family reunion...
"Hi, Setsuna-mama!"
King raises an eyebrow. "Oh, my. Is this someone else I should meet?"
"MOM! It's not like that!!"
Read the comments on this episode
(Posted Wed, 07 May 2003 08:09)
Questions? Problems? Suggestions?
Send a mail to addventure@bast-enterprises.de
or use the contact form.
らんま1/2 © Rumiko Takahashi
All other series and their characters are © by their respective creators or owners. No claims of ownership of these characters are implied by the authors of this Addventure, or should be inferred.
The Anime Addventure is a non-profit site.