WARNING: nasty language and occasional adult situations.  You have been 
	 officially warned. <insert standard disclaimer here>



*Why Do I Bother? - Part Three - Around, and Around, and Around...*



	The next morning, Setsuna woke up refreshed, and ready to face 
yesterday's problems again.

	Then she decided that she must be running a temperature, and went
back to sleep.

				***

	When she woke up again an hour later, three women in shiny black 
leather were leaning over her.  "AIEEE!!!" she commented. "What are you 
doing in my bedroom?!"

	"You don't have to take a fit."  Sailor Starmaker pouted.

	"No, of course not."  Setsuna responded sarcastically.  "What are
you doing in my bedroom?!!" her voice spiraled upwards.

	"Ooh, she's changing color!"  Sailor Starhealer bounced on the 
foot of the bed.

	"Let me try this one more time."  Setsuna sat up, and wrapped her
hands around Sailor Starfighter's neck. "What_Are_You_Doing_In_My_Bedroom?"

	Sailor Starfighter gurgled, changing color herself.

	"You're so mean to us!"  Starhealer burst into tears.  "Why don't
you like us?"

	"Let's just say I have trouble dealing with men who turn into 
women, who turn into men..." <I'm getting a headache again...> "And 
also...  YOU'RE IN MY BEDROOM, AND YOU WON'T TELL ME WHY!!"

	"Ow, ow, ow!  Watch the decibels!"  Starmaker clutched her ears.

	Starfighter sighed and massaged her neck.  "We just wanted to 
know why we weren't in the story.  We feel we have the right, as senshi, 
to..." (My fourth wall!  Look what you've done to it!)

	"Don't make your speeches at me.  I don't have control here."  
Setsuna rolled her eyes.  "Go bug the author."

	"Okay."  The three Starlights left.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Later...

	(Augh!  Get away!  Transvestite senshi on the loose!  Leave me 
alone!  No, I will not put you in the story...  What do you mean you 
already broke in?  No!  Make them go away!  Mommy!!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Setsuna walked along the street, glad that the Sailor Starlights 
had distracted the author from writing about her getting dressed.

	(For the sake of fan service, we now show Setsuna wearing a 
hunter-green Merry Widow, with black lace.
	Verity!!
	Oops.  Back to the story.)

	Briefly, Setsuna mused on Mamoru's having tragically fallen 
through a plot hole.  Then she turned her mind to the more immediate 
problem facing her.  Not bothering to hope too much, she directed her 
steps towards the temple.

	Then she remembered Sailor Saturn.  Sighing, she turned to go to 
the professor's instead.

				***

	Collecting Saturn was easy.  The front door was locked, but as 
Setsuna had suspected coming down the street, the back door was wide 
open.  She held her breath, and plunged through the acrid-smelling 
smoke, into the house.  She had to admit, it was a very pretty color of 
orange, though.

	Setsuna slung the girl over her shoulder again, and grunted.  
"How can somebody so tiny be so heavy, anyway?"  Then she left by the 
front door, avoiding the now red-gold smoke still pouring out the back 
way. <No wonder Hotaru's got nerves of steel,> Setsuna mused, <living 
with this all the time.>

				***

	When Setsuna arrived at the temple, things were remarkably calm.
It appeared that the girls were adjusting to this century.  Either that 
or shock had set in.  For the most part, the senshi had detransformed.  
The ones who had were wearing Rei's clothes.  Except for Mercury, who 
appeared to be trying to wear Yuuichiro's.

	Mars and Neptune had declined to detransform for some reason.  
Since Rei's grandfather had barricaded himself in his room, and was now 
babbling about �the vengeance of fire and water', Setsuna could guess 
why.  She wasn't far off.

	"That pervert made a very indecent proposal to the Princess!"  
Sailor Mars railed.  "Nobody says such things to a member of the Lunarian
royal family!"

	"Ah, yes, I see," Setsuna nodded.  "Where are the cats?"

	"They presumed too much," Mercury explained icily.  "So we locked
them in the bathroom."

	"Yes, they were acting as if they had the right to order us 
around," Venus nodded.  "Really.  Imagine, a couple of Mauvian advisors 
who think they have the right to demand anything of the royal senshi.  
It's just ridiculous!"

	Yuuichiro was nowhere to be found.  Setsuna didn't dare ask.

				***

	"Okay, it's time all of you got back to the right era."  Setsuna 
pulled out her transformation pen.

	"Actually," the princess interrupted, "we have decided to stay 
here."

	"You mean �we' as in the royal �we', right?"  Setsuna asked 
cautiously.

	"No, she meant �we' as in all of us."  Mars grinned ferally.  "We
*like* this era."

	"Oh no, not a chance.  No *way* I'm going to let you mess up this 
era."  Setsuna gripped her pen tightly.  "Pluto Planet Power, Make Up!"

	One transformation later, Sailor Pluto stood, hands on hips and 
one toe tapping.  "All of you are going back now," she told them.

	"Well, what if we don't want to?"  Venus demanded.

	"Maybe I didn't make myself clear."  Pluto loomed threateningly 
over the senshi.  "You.  Are.  All.  Going.  Back.  To.  Your.  Own.  
Era.  Right.  Now."

	"Make us."  Jupiter crossed her arms stubbornly over her chest.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Five minutes later, Sailor Pluto turned to the Princess.  "I 
trust you have changed your mind about staying?"  She smoothed her hair 
back into a semblance of order.

	The Princess nodded, wide-eyed.  "Did you really need to hit them
all over the head with your staff, though?" she asked plaintively.

	"Yes.  Yes I did."  Pluto transported them to the Time Gate.

	Opening a time tunnel, Sailor Pluto waved the Princess in.  
"After you, dear."  The girl gave her a Look, but went in anyway.

	Pluto unceremoniously chucked the other senshi in after her, then
followed.  She hummed vaguely to herself as she wandered down the royal 
passage.

				***

	On the other side, she nearly fell over the pile of unconscious 
senshi.  Shrugging, she stepped around them and closed the passage.

	"Wakey, wakey!" she chirped. "Rise and shine, you lot of 
lazybones!  Up and at �em!"

	"Did anybody ever tell you that you're a sadist?"  Mercury 
mumbled.

	"Don't insult the guardian of your destiny, dear."  Pluto 
responded sweetly.

	"Whose hand is that?"  Venus asked.

	"What hand?"  Jupiter's voice was quite muffled by the pile.

	"The one that's holding my butt."

	"Oops, sorry," came Uranus' voice.  "I thought you were Neptune."

	"I'm over here, hon."  Neptune called.  "Mars, would you please 
move your hand off of my chest?"

	"I can't breathe down here," Jupiter commented.  "And you're 
kinda heavy.  Would you mind getting off my face?"

	"Sorry.  I'm trying."  Mercury answered.  "But it's kinda hard 
with Saturn pinning down my legs."

	"Mars, I asked you very nicely to get your hand off my chest."

	"But there's only one other place I can put it!"

	"And that is?"

	"Here."

	"Mars, you will move your hand back to my chest *Right Now*!"

	"Okay."

	"Did anybody get the licence plate of the planet that hit me?" 
moaned Saturn.

	"Oh, you're awake.  Good."  Pluto grinned.  "Have a nice nap?"

	Saturn gave her a funny look as she heaved herself off of the 
pile.

	The other senshi eventually managed to sort themselves out and 
onto their feet.

	"That was hardly very nice."  Mercury whined at Pluto.  "My head 
really hurts now."

	Pluto sighed.  "Wimp," she muttered under her breath.  Then she 
raised her voice again.  "Okay, everybody together.  I don't want to have
to make more than one trip.  Come on, come on, I don't have time to 
waste!"

	Grumbling and complaining, all the girls clustered around Pluto.
She transported them back to the moon easily.  Leaving the senshi in a 
handy courtyard, she popped back to the gate.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

	"Okay now...  I have to go back and stop myself from picking up 
the wrong senshi, and then I've got to find the right girls and return 
them to their time, and then I've got to figure out what I'm going to do 
to Chibi-usa for causing this in the first place..."



Authorial Babble: Hello again!  Sorry for the delay, but after the 
		  comments I got on the last chapter, I decided to do a 
		  little rewriting.  Can you beleive this whole thing 
		  started out as a short story?  Only two more parts to 
		  go!  And, since part 5 is exeedingly small, I'll be 
		  posting them together soon.  As usual, C&C would be 
		  greatly appreciated.

Jelynne

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