Well, here's Three.  BTW, Part four will *not* be out next Sunday, as
I'm struggling a bit with it.  I'll try to post it before I leave for
Otakon, though.

Remember, Part Two was reposted last week to account for a plot change.
So if you're asking, "Hey, when did Sean have part of the blackness in
him?", you read the first version, not the second.

And hopefully the line break problems that have scuttled me of late are
fixed as well.


Made of Stone
by Sean Gaffney

Sailor Moon is (C) 1997 Naoko Takeuchi.  The various authors I namecheck
are (C) themselves.  This fanfic is very bad for you and should not be taken
internally.


3. Sixteen

     Sean looked on in amazement as Hotaru picked out outfits.  They had 
stopped to do some shopping before they headed out.  Sean had left his 
camping gear back at the apartment, and needed to get a tent and some 
sleeping bags.  Furthermore, he insisted that Hotaru get some clothes on 
her that actually left something to the imagination.
     Her choices surprised him.  She'd gone with a simple T-shirt and 
jeans, with black slip-on shoes and a beige fedora.  It looked wonderful 
on her, and more to the point...
     It was exactly the sort of outfit he'd have chosen if he'd been in 
her position.
     For some reason that he couldn't fathom, Hotaru had not only aged to 
sixteen overnight, but also seemed to get some of his own memories.  They 
weren't personal experiences, they were just general twentieth-century 
trivia.  She joked about Mystery Science Theater 3000, and namechecked 
Bill Hicks and Steven Wright.
     Sean had the rather disturbing idea that Saturn was behind this.  
For some reason, Saturn wanted Hotaru to be linked to him.  This wouldn't 
bother him normally; indeed, he'd definitely been drawn to the little girl 
he was leading around.
     But that was totally different compared to what he was feeling now.
     Hotaru had been treating him as her boyfriend from the moment they'd 
left.  She'd hung on his arm, made little wisecracks at what he was saying.
He'd reminded her that they were still supposed to be hiding, and she'd 
gone on about how romantic the whole thing was, just like Ingrid Bergman 
and Cary Grant...
     Did she really feel anything for him?  She was certainly acting that 
way, but he didn't know if it was just a show.  For that matter, he 
couldn't be sure that her feelings weren't being manipulated by Saturn.
     He was also developing new feelings for her, something he definitely 
did _not_ want to think about.  She was only two days old, fer Chrissakes!  
Admittedly, she looked especially cute and attractive, and she seemed to 
be attracted  to him, but...
     It was too soon.  He couldn't go into those feelings now.  He'd wait 
to see what happened.  She looked to be about sixteen now, presumably 
Saturn wouldn't have her age much more.  That gave him a little time to 
work out exactly what the relationship was between himself and Hotaru.
     *And of course, we're still on the run, and we don't have a real 
concrete plan for getting away, and there's Hotaru's collapse yesterday 
to worry about.  Just another red-letter day,* Sean thought.
     "Sean, look!"  Hotaru had dragged him to another shop window.  This 
one featured...
     A wedding cake.
     Gently dragging her away, Sean said, "Hotaru, let me teach you about 
a marvellous concept called subtlety..."

***

     They'd just left the gates.  Sean felt a _lot_ better now.  The senshi
didn't go past the borders of Crystal Tokyo unless they had to.  The other
countries preferred that Serenity kept her magic well out of their affairs,
and Serenity held to their wishes.
     This did leave the problem of safety, though, as once outside Crystal
Tokyo, all bets were off as to how long you'd last.  Sean had taken a small
gun with him when they left the station.  He'd purchased it in North America
during his first visit there, and smuggled it back in.  He hated the thought
of using it, and mainly wore it as a threat to others when out in the real
world.  Now, however, he wasn't just protecting himself.  He was protecting
Hotaru.  If anyone tried anything with her, he'd have no qualms about using
it.
     Not that he expected _too_ many problems.  The area immediately outside 
of Crystal Tokyo was generally acknowledged by all as neutral territory; no 
questions asked, no answers provided.
     Hotaru was looking around curiously.  "Where are we headed now?"
     Sean smiled a bit.  Growing up hadn't gotten rid of her intense 
curiosity; perhaps that was a Saturn trait.
     "We're going to stay with some people I know for the night.  They live 
out here, for the most part, and won't spread the alarm if we happen by.
*Not that I'm going to tell them who she really is,* he added to himself.
"There are a lot of people that live out here.  They're not exactly 
homeless, they just...the peace of Crystal Tokyo can be an addictive thing
to some people.  If they can't get it directly, they try to be as near to
it as possible."
     Hotaru grinned.  "You sound so philosophical."  Suddenly she doubled 
over in pain.  She didn't cry out, but Sean could tell it was a strain not
to.  Immediately he was holding her in his arms, stroking her hair and 
attempting to soothe her the way he had the day before.
     "It's OK, Hotaru-chan, I'm here.  It's all right.  We'll -- mmmph!"
     Hotaru had grabbed Sean and twisted him around, and was now kissing
him passionately.  His mind reeled.  At first he wanted to stop her, then
realised that if he did, she might get even worse.  Then, after a moment
or two, he didn't want to stop her.  He let her deepen the kiss, wrapping
his arms around her.  It seemed to go on forever...
     After a while, he realised that she had stopped trembling.  In fact,
he'd swear she was all right.  He risked pulling away a little bit.
     "Hotaru-chan?"
     She smiled up at him.  "Thank you, Sean.  I feel all right now."
There wasn't a hint of guile in her voice.  Sean wondered, however, just 
how long she'd held that kiss after recovering.
     She was looking at him in a come-hither way, and he coughed.  "I'm
glad you're better, Hotaru-chan.  Do you know what's causing the problem?"
     She frowned at this.  "I...think I do, but it's not...my mind won't
go near it.  It's...the same thing happens when I try to think of Saturn,
but I don't think they're connected..." Her face was confused.
     Sean was shocked.  *It's _not_ Saturn?  Then what the hell is it?
Oh, gods, she's not going to turn into Mistress Nine again, is she?*
Suddenly he remembered Haruka and Michiru, the night of her birth.  *She
could destroy us all.  What she could become could destroy us all.*
     What if they weren't talking about Saturn?
     Sean came out of his stupor to find Hotaru-chan tugging on his arm.
"Sean, wake up!  I thought you said that they're weren't any Senshi out
here?"
     Looking up, Sean noticed five figures in the distance, headed towards
Crystal Tokyo.  *What the hell?* he thought.  They were wearing sailor 
suits, no mistaking that image.  Looking around, he noticed a large tree 
nearby.  He grabbed Hotaru and shoved her up into its branches.  "I'll 
see what they want, and if they've been ordered to capture us.  You are 
to stay here, unless they start to take me away.  Do you understand?"
     Hotaru looked down from the tree, a little uncertain.  "Yes..."
     "Good.  Stay here."  Sean turned, and began to casually wander over
towards the senshi.  As he got closer, he realised that there were a 
lot of them that he didn't recognise.  *What, did they have a recruiting
drive recently?*  Then he noticed who was at the head of their party.
     "Usagi?  Is that you?"
     Usagi Small Lady Serenity smiled at him.  "Hello, Mr. Gaffney.  I
imagine it's been a few years since you've seen me, huh?"
     Sean gaped.  "You can say that again!  You look...really grown-up!
You should call me Sean now, speaking of that.  I guess Sailor Chibi-Moon 
is no longer an option, huh?"
     Usagi laughed.  She had more of an alto voice now, sounding nothing
like her mother.  *Probably for the best,* Sean mused.  
     "Let's hope that I can convince the others as easily," she said.
     Sean returned to the topic at hand.  "So," he said, attempting to
sound natural, "what are you doing out in the sticks?"  Suddenly her
remembered something from one of the mangas he'd read.  "Are you trying
to find that boyfriend of yours?  Elric?"
     She blushed.  "Elios.  No, not yet.  Soon, though," and she smiled
again.  *One hell of a smile,* Sean thought.  *Crystal Tokyo better
duck when she gets back.  Not as beautiful as Hotaru's but...* Sean 
immediately clamped down on that thought.
     Then he noticed the other senshi around her.  "Oh, right!  The
Amazoness Quartet!"  The four girls frowned, and he could swear that
he saw sparks fly from one of them.  "Um...check that, the _former_
Amazoness Quartet.  Currently the Asteroid Senshi, right?  Sailor John, 
Paul, George, and Ringo?"
     This was not helping their mood, which was turning rather dark.
Usagi came to his rescue.  "You'll have to excuse Sean, he acts like
this sometimes.  He's from another dimension."
     "Barcelona.  In Spain." Sean added.  He heard a faint giggling from 
the tree near him.
     Usagi paused in confusion, and then went on as if Sean hadn't spoken.  
"Perhaps if you just introduced yourselves."
     The four spoke up in turn.  "Sailor Pallas."
     "Sailor Juno."
     "Sailor Vesta."
     "Sailor Ceres."
     Sean bowed low.  "Delighted to meet all of you at last."  He turned 
back to Usagi.  "So this is why you haven't been around for the past
year or so."
     "That's right.  My parents wanted me to practise with my powers, but
there are very few threats in Crystal Tokyo.  In addition, I wanted to 
look for my friends.  It seemed about the right time, for some reason."
     "Gut feeling," Sean said.  "Believe me, we _all_ get those.  Well,
I guess congratulations are in order."
     Usagi smiled.  "Thank you."
     Sean grinned.  "I had assumed you were back in the past, trying to
seduce your father again."  Usagi glared at him, and Sean realised he'd
gone a bit too far.  "My apologies, your highness.  I tend to speak without
thinking.  You have grown into a truly beautiful woman, and I can only
assume your skills as a senshi are equally wonderful."
     Usagi grimaced.  "Thank you, empty flattery always takes the sting out
of an insult."
     Sean decided to change the subject.  *We're really doing well here,
dickweed.  What's the matter with you?* he muttered to himself.  "Heading 
back to the palace?"
     Usagi nodded.  "I want to formally swear them into the senshi proper.
Then...I don't know.  We might go back out there."
     "They don't want you there," Sean sighed.  "Most of the world sees
Crystal Tokyo as an aberration.  They certainly don't want five girls out
righting wrongs."
     Usagi looked at him.  "Do you have any other suggestions?"
     "Nope.  Crystal Tokyo is an island unto itself.  My advice would be
to try and find a position in the Royal Court.  Because monsters and
the like are in short supply here."
     He paused.  "Sorry, I don't mean to get you down.  Why not try the
non-senshi life for a while?  Go to college, date, whatever.  You're a
real heartbreaker, you could knock a few eyes out.  All of you," he added,
looking around.  "Though the five-foot braids are...a bold fashion 
statement, to say the least."
     Usagi looked like she was ready to wrap up the conversation; the
others looked ready to kill him.  "We'd best be going, Sean.  Good luck 
on your travels."
     "Hm?  Oh, yes, just another trip, nothing out of the ordinary at 
all."  Sean rubbed the back of his neck and tried to look innocent, a
look that did not come easily to him.  "Again, my congratulations to all
of you."
     Usagi smiled, though the others looked as if they weren't entirely 
convinced of his sincerity, and the five of them moved off back to the 
gates of the city.
     *That could have gone better,* he thought.  Sean frowned.  Though he
was never much of what you'd call a people person, he usually knew when 
to shut up.  Evidently he was more tired than he thought.
     (Inside him, a piece of darkness snickered.)
     Sean waited a few minutes, then went up to the tree.  "Coast is
clear."  He waited, then looked up.  Hotaru was sitting in the tree
with a blank look on her face.
     *Uh-oh,* he thought.  "Hotaru-chan?  What's the matter?"
     She finally looked at him.  "I...knew her, didn't I?  I think I 
can remember her...well, not me, but Saturn.  She...she was one of my
friends, wasn't she?"
     Sean helped her out of the tree.  "She was your best friend, 
Hotaru-chan.  I think that's the real reason she stopped going back to
the past.  It hurt too much to see you gone."
     He hugged her suddenly.  "That's why we're doing this, Hotaru-chan.
To give you another chance to live.  And I'll bet the two of you will
be best friends again."
     He waited for her to draw out of the hug, but that wasn't about
to happen, so he finally broke it.  The two of them headed off towards
a small hill, with Hotaru gripping Sean's arm like a vise.
     Sean sighed, and attempted once more to sort out the conflicting
feelings in his head.

***

     After a few moments, another shape detached itself from the tree.
The small grey cat stood quietly for a moment, looking at the couple that
had just left.
     "Diana?"  Usagi came running back.  "There you are!  Why didn't you
come with us?"
     "Princess, we need to get back to the palace as soon as possible."
Diana surprised Usagi by changing to her human form, a short young woman
with grey hair.  "I think there might be a problem."

***

     Hotaru was surprised.  She had assumed, despite what Sean had said, 
that they were essentially going to be sleeping with the homeless and
dispossessed .  But the people gathered at the edge of the city seemed to
be from all walks of life.
     "This is...well, the closest thing I can think of to compare it to 
is a Traveller's site.  Or maybe a gypsy caravan.  Lots of people here who
just don't want to live in the city, but don't want to be killed out in
the rest of the world, so they come here.  I found them about three years
ago.  Put my mind at ease, I can tell you."  They came up to one of the 
larger fires.
     Sean was in full host mode.  "Hotaru-chan, let me introduce you to a 
few acquaintances of mine.  This is Mikado, he's probably the only one 
that's here every day."
     "Evening, miss." A tall, charming man wearing an apron and tending
the cooking fire grinned at her; his teeth seemed to sparkle.  "A pleasure
to meet you."
     "Actually," Sean added, "you haven't met her at all."
     Mikado looked askance at this.  "Sean, are you in trouble?"
     "Not enough to need help yet, but a little.  Anyway, the rest of the
group tonight.  We have Kentaro over there, he's the quiet guy, and then
we have - where is everyone, Mikado?  The house is practically empty."
     "Things have been quiet lately, Sean.  Actually, Ron's been my only
regular customer."
     "Oh, yes.  Ron."  Sean turned to Hotaru.  "This guy is very special,
Hotaru-chan.  It's never been proven, but it's suspected that he's lived
almost four thousand years."
     Hotaru's eyes bugged out.  "You're kidding!"
     "Nope."  Sean walked over towards the ragged-looking man, stopping 
about ten feet short.  "This is really as close as anyone wants to get to 
Ron.  Ron!  I want you to meet Hotaru-chan!"
     The man looked up, and Hotaru could see his eyes.  For a moment, she
could truly imagine he'd lived for as long as they said.
     "Buggrit!  Buggrem millennium hand and shrimp!"
     Sean didn't stop grinning.  "That's wonderful, Ron!  Thanks!"  He
turned back towards Hotaru.  "Oh, I almost forgot to mention.  He's
completely barking mad.  But he pays his bills, somehow, so no one really
cares."
     Hotaru looked up at Sean.  "You really love it out here, don't you?"
     Sean looked down at her.  "For a while, yeah.  I don't think I 
could ever live out here, though."
     While Hotaru puzzled over that, Sean went to find them some seating.
"What's the entertainment for the evening, Mikado?"
     Mikado merely grinned, and held up a battered guitar.
     Sean reacted oddly, in Hotaru's opinion.  She could see his eyes 
light up, and yet at the same time he started protesting loudly.  "Oh,
no you don't.  There is no way you're getting me to play that.  I don't
care what you do to me.  Threats are useless.  I will never pick up that
guitar."
     Mikado's grin got even wider, if that were possible.  "Come on,
Sean.  One song."
     "Well, all right.  You talked me into it."  Sean grabbed the guitar, 
and Hotaru suddenly realised that the whole thing had been a little joke
between the two of them.  She relaxed, and looked around.  A lot of
people seemed to be gathering around now, and even Ron looked up, though
he continued to mutter.
     Sean sat down and began to tune the guitar.  "Any requests?"
     No one spoke up, apparently waiting for Sean to make the first move.
He grinned.  "All right, then, how about something from the early 24th
century?"
     _That_ got a reaction.  The audience resoundingly booed the idea.
It didn't seem to faze Sean in the least.
     "No soap, huh?  OK, how 'bout the Stone Roses?"
     This got a much better reaction.  Hotaru couldn't take her eyes
off of Sean.  He seemed more relaxed than she'd ever seen him.  She'd
only known him for two days now, but still...
     He began to pick out a melody on the guitar, and sang.

~ Your knuckles whiten on the wheel
The last thing that your hands will feel
Your final flight can't be delayed... ~

     Hotaru sat back and let the music wash over her.  She had woken up
this morning incredibly confused, with all sorts of new knowledge in her
head.  For most of the morning, she'd just let it wash over her, and had 
acted more like Sean than anybody else.  But now she seemed to be 
settling down, becoming herself once more.
     What was herself?  She knew, deep inside her, that she was Sailor
Saturn.  She was trying very hard not to think about it.  If she became
Sailor Saturn there would be obligations, and duties.  If she became 
Saturn, she might have to give up being Hotaru.
     Sean had said that he'd love her no matter what, but she had been
younger then.  Did he feel the same way now?  She didn't know how to
describe the feelings she had now.  She'd memories of several movies that 
dealt with love, but they all seemed so shallow compared to the real 
thing.
     Would he love her?  The same way that she loved him?  When he was
comforting her, as the attack got very bad, she'd kissed him.  At first
because of the pain, then because of sheer need.  He'd broken away, but
looked regretful.  Was he regretful they'd stopped, or was he regretful
that they'd kissed?
     She wished that she'd gotten useful memories this morning.  Sean
said that all the thoughts in her head were his.  Then why didn't she
understand him better?
     Plus there were still some things that she hadn't told him.  She
winced as the pain in her head got worse.  She wasn't about to fall over
in another attack, but it hadn't gone away.  It pressed on her head, and
she worried.  *Is that Saturn?* she wondered.
     The pain in her head increased, and she knew that it wasn't.  It was
something else.
     She had to concentrate.  She couldn't let this happen to her.  Not
for herself, but for Sean.  At times, it seemed as if she was the only
thing holding him together.
     She focused on the music even harder, ignoring the dull throb in her
mind.

***

~ Sometimes I fantasise
When the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars they burn below me
Don't these times fill your eyes
When the streets are cold and lonely
And the cars they burn below me
Are you all alone?
Are you made of stone? ~

     Sean finished the guitar outro and sat back.  For some reason, 
playing depressing music always made him feel better.  He saw Hotaru in
the front of the group, staring at him.  He grinned uncomfortably.
     Mikado stood up.  "Nicely done, Sean," he said.  "Anyone else want
to follow that?"
     There were a few laughs, but nobody stepped forward.  Then Hotaru 
raised her hand.  "I'd like to try."
     Sean was surprised.  "Did you get any songs from the memories you
got last night?"
     "No," she said.  "But I memorised that tape you played me, and there 
are a few songs there I could sing."  She got up and came to the front.
Mikado offered her the guitar, but she passed.  "I don't play guitar, so
I guess I'll just have to sing by myself."
     Sean was trying to remember when he gave her a tape.  *When - oh,
last night.  Gods, I was tired.  Wonder what she'll sing?*  He rummaged 
in his duffel, and found the Walkman he'd given her last night.  Popping
the tape, he read the label.
     SOUNDTRACK - BITTER END - ZEN
     *Oh, _great_,* he moaned.
     Hotaru had quieted the audience down, and was beginning to sing.

~ Like a birthday card from a previous year
The weather in Chayco is sparkling and clear
The girl lies in bed, the boy sits in the yard
He wants to talk sleep, but he has to keep guard... ~

     Sean was impressed.  She had a lovely voice, a soprano rather than
the alto he assumed she would have.  And, if you were going to choose a
song from that tape, you could do worse.  He'd been afraid she'd try to
sing 'Shitlist' or something.
     Listening to Saint Etienne, particularly with Hotaru singing it,
got him melancholy as always.  What the hell were they going to do?  If
Serenity wanted Hotaru dead, there really wasn't going to be any way he
could prevent it.  These attacks also bothered him.  Hotaru had told him
that it wasn't Saturn, but something else.  He had no answers, and he
needed them.  Hotaru was relying on him.  And to top it all off, he was
getting more and more tired.  Certain things were coming out of his mouth
before he could stop them, always a sign of fatigue.

~ She stirs from her sleep and she calls for a beer
He knows there are none and pretends not to hear
She hears his breath like she's heard it before
She cuddles his sheets as he slips out the door... ~

     Hotaru may not have been the most precise singer in the world, but
the emotion she was putting into the song captivated everyone, including
Sean.  He could see her eyes glistening as she sand the words.  *Is she
worried about me leaving?  I told her that wouldn't ever happen...*
     But he might have her taken from him.  And he found that that 
thought terrified him more than any other.
     He sighed.  Suddenly, a memory came into his mind...

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

Six years ago.

     Sean closed up the station with a sigh.  It was eight in the morning, 
and he'd just done another all-night shift.  Nobody had called this time, 
making him think that he was alone out there.  He had tried playing a few
songs guaranteed to annoy, but it was no use.  These people just didn't
get upset at anything.
     He'd had the nightmare again last night.  Reliving the moment where he
died, only this time it didn't end, he just lay there in agonising pain, 
feeling the flesh burn away from his body...
     He'd complained to Serenity about the downside of immortality.  But 
now that he'd actually experienced death, he found that he didn't want that
option either.  He didn't want to live forever, but he didn't want to die.
     He was getting into difficult financial straits as well.  The last
journey to North America had cost him much more than he'd planned, and the
salary from the station wasn't covering it.  He certainly couldn't bring
himself to ask Serenity for a loan.  Besides, ever since the Black Moon
War, there was a coolness in the palace when he was around.  He'd stopped
going there after a while.  *Presumably Serenity didn't like what happened
to the people in the shelter.  Not that I liked it any more.  I was an
idiot.*
     So now he was doing something he considered beneath the pale, but had 
to do anyway:  he was entertaining.  A young woman had heard about his 
occasional guitar shows.  He tried to keep them quiet; playing the guitar
was something he liked to do in front of a *small* audience, and so he
only did it once in a while.
     But the woman had offered him an extraordinary amount of money.  It 
would almost get him out of the hole he'd dug himself.  All he needed to
do was...
     Was entertain at their daughter's birthday party.
     Eeeeeergghh.
     He arrived at the address, one of the nicer homes in the city.  Not
that all Crystal Tokyo homes didn't look lovely, as you'd expect, but this
one had a lot of class to it.  For one thing, it used _wood_, and thus
achieved an effect that glass and crystal could not.  Sean had no idea how
they'd gotten permission.  Maybe they had influence with the throne.
     Knocking on the door, he was met by a woman dressed for a night on
the town.  Warning bells rang in his mind, but he introduced himself 
anyway.
     "Hi, Sean Gaffney.  I'm here about your daughter's party...?"
     The woman seemed to be a fount of energy.  "Yes, please, come in!
This is my husband, Kyousuke," she pointed to a nondescript man who 
smiled shyly, "and Setsuna should be down shortly.  She's really looking
forward to meeting you!"
     Sean had jumped slightly at the name.  *Setsuna?  Naaaahh...couldn't
be.  It's a common name, and we'd have heard if...*
     Sean's train of thought was derailed by the entrance of a young girl
down the stairs.  She came down the banister, sliding to a halt in front
of him.  "Hiiiiiii!!" she yelled.  "I'm Setsuna!"
     That wasn't what had stopped Sean.  What had stopped him was her
dark skin and green hair.  Now, neither of her parents possessed either 
of those traits.  Either she was adopted or...
     He looked at her again.  She smiled up at him cutely.  *Then again,*
he thought, *it _could_ just be a coincidence.  I can't imagine Pluto
behaving like this...*
     The parents had their coats on.  "We'll leave you with her, then, and
you can plan everything out.  We should be back in a couple of hours!"
     This finally penetrated Sean's fogged consciousness.  "What?"
     The mother blissfully ignored him.  "Setsuna, behave yourself!  Bye!"
And then they were out the door.
     Sean stood there in shock.  *When did this become babysitting?* he
thought.
     Setsuna smiled happily up at him.  "I thought we could talk about what
I want you to play at my party!"
     Sighing, Sean sat down on the couch.  "All right, but keep in mind my
repertoire doesn't include too much modern material."
     "No problem," she chirped.  "Can you play George Michael?"
     Sean sat up in sheer terror.  "EEEEHHHH???"
     Setsuna grinned happily.  "He's great!  And Phil Collins, and Michael
Bolton..."
     Sean had locked into a rictus grin, while his mind screamed at him
in the background.  Suddenly, a thought struck him.  *How the hell does a
six-year-old know about those guys?*
     There was only one obvious answer.  Sean relaxed and leaned back on
the couch.  "And I suppose a bit of ELO?  Or Rick Astley?  Why not add
Billy Ray Cyrus, that might make my head explode."
     Setsuna sat on the other end of the couch.  She was still grinning 
her wide grin, but there was a craftiness in her eyes.  "Can we get down
to business now?"
     "I suppose."  Sean felt uncomfortable.  The palace had not mentioned 
Pluto being reincarnated lately, and that was something that was sure to 
make the papers.  The fact that she was still 'in the closet', as it were, 
gave Sean reason to be wary.  "What would you like to talk about?"
     "Whatever's in your head, Sean.  You haven't dropped by the palace
lately.  In fact, it seems all you do every day is go back and forth 
between your radio station and your apartment.  I'm really impressed.
Since you got here nineteen years ago, you've developed one of the poorest
social lives I've ever seen."
     "Ah," Sean mused.  "Abuse."
     "Yes."  Pluto sat up and looked directly into his eyes, and Sean now
had no trouble believing that this was Sailor Pluto.  "Sean, grow up.  
You're almost forty-five years old in chronological terms, yet you're 
still whining about the same things.  I listen to your show, after my
parents have gone to bed.  The whole thing is one long moan.  'Immortality
is awful, Crystal Tokyo is dull, why has this happened to me'.  Quite
frankly, Sean, I've no idea.  When I first saw you all those years ago, I 
knew that you would either be the saviour or the death of this city.  I
can't imagine why I thought that.  You couldn't save anything."
     Sean was feeling really guilty about all this.  It was basically the
same argument he told himself every day, but hearing it from someone else 
made it more real.  He got a little angry.  "Hey, I'm trying to change this
city, you know.  It's not responding..."
     Setsuna cut him off, on a roll now.  "And who decided that Crystal
Tokyo needed changing?  God, I'm amazed Serenity hasn't thrown you out.
You act as if this is an evil place.  Sean, you're the only one who hates
it!  For almost the entire population, Crystal Tokyo is the utopia 
Serenity promised.  And you're trying to change it!"
     Sean snorted.  "Utopias are overrated."
     Setsuna leaned forward and slapped him hard.  It wasn't all that
painful, coming from a six-year-old, but it brought Sean to a halt.  He
rubbed his face and stared at her.
     Her eyes were narrowed almost to points.  "You are such a selfish
bastard, you know that?  If this world isn't to your liking, you'll just
change it, is that it?  Well, this isn't your world, Sean.  It never was.  
It is *our* world, and we all would appreciate it if you just left it
alone!  It's not fictional, and you can't rewrite it to suit yourself!"
     She sat back, leaving Sean to think about what she had said.
     Was he really that much of an egotist?  That he would ruin the 
lives of thousands of others just so that he could see the world the way 
*he* wanted it to be?
     He looked at Setsuna, and felt the need to say something, to fill
the void of silence that lay between them.  "Maybe you're right.  Maybe
I am still seeing this as a fictional world.  Sailor Moon, created by
Naoko Takeuchi, heir to the Bandai legacy, made into a bad dub by DIC.
Buy our stuff or we'll send ninjas to your house.  It's difficult to 
reconcile that with the city around me, with the woman on the throne."
     Setsuna didn't even blink.  "I know.  Even you, of all people, 
haven't been able to do it."
     Sean grimaced.  "Thanks a lot.  I suppose you're right.  I've got
to stop thinking of this as fictional.  I've got to...realise that I'm
here to stay, that this is my home."
     Setsuna's voice was quieter now, more like the child she was.  
"It's more than that, Sean.  You've become convinced that you're living
in some sort of story, and that if you just coast, the next plot point
will whisk you away to a new adventure.  But this isn't a story.  It's
just a man who got accidentally transported here one day, and still
hasn't been able to deal with it.  The end."
     Sean grinned at her.  "Whatever happened to that purpose I was 
brought here for?"
     Setsuna leaned back.  "Right now, Sean, the chances of that future
happening are so remote as to be almost non-existent.  Forget about it.
You blew your chance.  Now what you have to decide is do you want to
continue to coast along, waiting for something that will never happen, 
or do you want to get on with your life, make something of it?  You've
certainly got all the time in the world.  Why not use it?"
     Sean sat back.  For a few minutes he didn't move at all.  Finally,
he spoke.
     "I'll try.  That's all I can promise.  It's...not easy for me to
take charge.  I'm very used to letting others make the hard choices for
me.  So at the moment, all I can say is that I'll try."
     Setsuna gazed at him for a few moments.  "I suppose that's all I
can expect.  At least you're telling me the truth."
     Sean snorted.  "Lying to you is like playing Ping-Pong with nitro.
What would be the point?  By the way, I take it no one should know of
this conversation?"
     Setsuna smiled.  "At the moment, no one knows that I have awakened
as Sailor Pluto.  They come by, waiting to look for the telltale signs,
but I've been able to fool them.  No Pluto has ever been able to have a
normal childhood.  I want to.  When the time is right, I'll reveal 
myself."
     Sean nodded.  "I'll respect your silence, then."  Suddenly, he
thought of something else.  "By the way, just so you'll know, I will 
continue to try to get this city to loosen up."
     Setsuna rolled her eyes.  "Of course you will.  Well, I should have
expected as much."
     Sean grinned.  "Hey, I gotta be me."  He began to sing.  ~ I just 
gotta be meeeeee!!! ~
     "Stop it!" Setsuna snapped.
     "But I'm supposed to be arranging for your birthday songs!  After
all, your parents are paying me a lot to make sure you have a good time!
Now, what would you *really* like to hear?"
     Setsuna realised that she wouldn't get any more introspection out
of Sean today.  *Well,* she mused, *at least I've put him on the right 
track.  I hated to lie to him like that, but he's got to be in a better
frame of mind if Hotaru is to come out of this safely.*  For a moment,
she looked almost wistful.
     Then she he grinned, suddenly a six-year-old again.  "Vanilla Ice!"
     "No."
     "Menudo!"
     "No."
     "Weird Al!"
     "_Now_ we're getting somewhere!"

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

     Sean snapped out of his memories as Hotaru finished her song.

~ God had derailed the Lonestar train
That can take her away from sadness and pain
He acts like a saint, but the strain really shows
The boy scouts of America taught him all that he knows... ~

     She was looking at him as the audience clapped, and he made sure to
give her a big grin as well as a lot of applause.  His mind was elsewhere.
*Why the hell did that come back to me all of a sudden?* he thought.
     Suddenly it came to him in a rush.  Could Hotaru have been what Pluto
meant all those years ago?  He'd pushed the idea aside, because she'd told
him later that it wasn't going to happen.  But it all made sense now.  The
behaviour of Haruka and Michiru, Hotaru's attacks.  Was there something
wrong with her?  Something that could mean the end of the world?
     He decided to ask her later.  She tended to get uncomfortable when he
mentioned Saturn, but they were running out of time.  He'd wait till they
were going to sleep.

***

     "The caravan site?"
     "That's where they were headed, your Majesty."
     "Haruka, Michiru -- "
     "We're on it."
     "Please _hurry_!"

***

     Hotaru unrolled her sleeping bag.  Sean had been quiet ever since
she'd finished singing, and he wasn't really paying attention.  She was
starting to get really worried.  Did she do something wrong?
     She started to strip out of her clothes, and noticed Sean blush.
"Hotaru-chan, maybe we'd better sleep in our clothes.  Um...we might have
to leave quickly."
     "Oh.  All right."  She put her shirt back on.  She could see there
was another reason he didn't want to mention.  Did he not find her 
attractive?  She'd looked in the mirror in the store before they got here.
Maybe she was too short.  Or perhaps he just didn't like her body.  After
all, it's not all that great...
     Hotaru gasped as a pain went through her head.  It was getting worse 
again.  She found that it lessened when she stopped thinking of Sean, but
she couldn't help herself.  She was in a frenzy, wondering whether Sean
really liked her, or if he was thinking about how to get rid of her, or...
     She cried out again, and could feel Sean by her side, stroking her
hair.  But it wasn't enough this time.  She could hear a voice within her.
It was telling her that Sean just saw her as excess baggage, that she was 
ruining his life, making him a fugitive.  All he really wanted to do was
to get rid of her.  It's not as if he cared about her, anyway...
     **NO!!**
     Another voice, even deeper inside her, screamed in rage.  Suddenly
she felt power coursing through her, power she hadn't been able to access
until now.  It was only a fraction of what she knew she could have, but 
it was enough.  She identified the blackness that had lain within her for
so long.  It had gotten stronger, but so had she.  She reached into
herself and grabbed it, feeling a great resistance.  But it was too late
now, she knew what she had to do.  With a mighty cry, she expelled the 
blackness from her body.
     Immediately, she felt as if a pure white light had stabbed into the
depths of her soul.  She sighed, and then collapsed.

***

     The blackness cried out in pain as it was forced from Saturn.  It
had dwelt with her spirit for nearly three millennia, and to finally be
expelled was almost more than it could bear.  It lashed, out, seeking the
nearest receptacle it could -- 
     And found the man, the one who had comforted her.  The one which 
had made it possible for her to beat him.  The one that gave her 
confidence and hope.  Him!
     There wasn't much it could do anymore.  To survive, it needed power,
and this man had none.  But he did have something it could use.  He may not 
have any powers as the senshi did, but his body had been touched by the 
Silver Crystal.  It was not enough to survive, but it would serve for the 
purposes of revenge.  The blackness could do one thing more.  If it could 
not survive, no one could.  When this body died, it would release all of 
itself in one moment, destroying not only this city but perhaps the 
entire planet as well...
     It concentrated on the young man's confused thoughts.
     *Know well, Sean Gaffney, that you will become the instrument of
my vengeance.  Through you, I will cry out my wrath to the heavens!*
     The man began to run.  It was useless.  There was nowhere he could 
go.

***

     "Can you see anything with the mirror?"  Haruka scanned the tents, 
looking for any signs of the pair.  "Remember, it's been almost three 
days now.  Saturn could be adult in appearance now."  She deliberately 
avoided using the name Hotaru, to try and keep her feelings inside.
     Michiru shook her head.  "There's too much interference!  I can't
get a good lock at all!"
     Haruka had focused on a shadow in front of them.  "Never mind, I
think we've found at least Sean."
     They raced up and grabbed the shape.  It was indeed Sean, wearing
his usual grey jacket and black fedora.  Haruka spun him around.  
"Where is she?"
     Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and the pair gasped.  They were 
totally black.
     He stared at them blankly.  "Help..." he whimpered before 
collapsing.
     Haruka grabbed him and began to head for the palace.  "Come on!
We'll see what Serenity has to say."
     Michiru looked back towards the caravan site.  "What about Saturn?"
     Haruka glanced down at the darkness in Sean's eyes.  It almost 
seemed to shine.
     "Somehow, I get the feeling that Saturn is no longer our biggest
problem."


End of Part 3

--Sean Gaffney