Theme 15 Memory, Passage of Time, Seasons
Author: Kagewolfchild
Theme: #15 Memory, Passage of time, Seasons.
Title: Saving Grace
Summary: All that was left to them was a passage of time, both cursed with immortality. After first loves die all they have is each other and the reminiscing on how they came to be.
Pairing/Characters: Setsuna Meiou/Angel (BtVS, Angel)
Rating: PG-13/Teen
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of these shows, nor do I gain any money for the written work.
For theme # 15. Memory, Passage of time, Seasons.
Summary:
All that was left to them was a passage of time, both cursed with immortality. After first loves die all they have is each other and the reminiscing on how they came to be.
(AU) Setsuna Meiou/ Angel (Angel/BtVS)
Saving Grace
Soundless steps make there way down the darken sidewalks, not an ounce of urgency surrounded them. Gently the long cloak of black swayed in the winds that shifted the grime of the alleyways. There was not one ounce of color to found on his person and the shadows kept his identity safe. The steps stopped then and a whisper of a sigh escaped them. "Setsuna." It was a soft call.
"Yes?" Another soft voice returned as there was a small flash of dim light. There was a click of boots while someone stepped into the light of the streetlight. Flash of garnet eyes were seen, and a long ruffle of dark green hair swayed while she walked.
"I’m finally free."He stated as the relief nearly flooded the pair.
"Your meeting with the Queen went well." She spoke.
"Yes." He parroted
"Then come let’s get a cup of tea and relax." Setsuna offered. The male nodded and followed Setsuna into a small bistro. Quietly they grabbed a small table and ordered a couple cups of tea.
"How long do you have from the Gates?" He inquired.
"About an hour." She answered. Absently Setsuna glanced around the small bistro and smiled.
"What?" The male asked.
"This is where we had our first meeting." Setsuna intoned. "Do you remember Angel?" She inquired.
"Yeah." He answered with a wince.
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It was a beautiful quiet day, Setsuna had been given a break while Hotaru watched the gates for her. A fashion magazine was open slightly in front of her as she sipped her tea and scan the page. She shook her head as she glanced over the newest fashion designer works. "Really, that trim with that neckline." She sighed out. Taking another sip of her tea she was surprised when the front glass window shattered and a body was deposited in front of her. "Well, I didn’t see that coming." Setsuna muttered as the body groaned and stood up. The person shook the glass from their body and glared out the broken window. Slightly intrigued Setsuna glanced in that direction and immediately summoned her henshin wand. The stranger immediately leapt out the window and Setsuna followed as Pluto. "Youma." She growled out.
"Mofo demon." The other corrected as he picked up a battle ax that had been laying on the sidewalk. He swung the ax quickly slicing into what was considered arm muscle.
"Dead Scream." Pluto whispered. The energy built in her talisman and fired. A dead silence fell over the land as the magenta orb flew toward the demon. The orb impacted in the demon’s stomach giving the male enough time to free his ax and behead the creature. Pluto remained on guard even as the demon died and vanished into the air, there was still a strong sense of magic.
"Thanks for the distraction." The male stated as he turned toward her.
"Angel!" A brunette female called and the male turned to her. "The spell that makes you immune to the sunlight is going to wear off soon." She informed and Pluto took this second to make her exit. As she disappeared onto the rooftops she mourned her tea and quiet day.
"Thanks Cordy, let me just get the name of the woman who helped me..." Angel said as he turned and blinked at the empty air.
"What woman?" The brunette asked. Angel merely shrugged and together they headed back to the hangout they purchased for a case. "I don’t want to go back to L.A." Cordy added as they turned a corner.
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"I wonder how much was it to replace that window?" Angel muttered as he glanced at the said window.
"You have a penchant for getting hurt every time we met." Setsuna mused as they reflected on time that actually introduce themselves.
"That time though it was your fault." Angel muttered.
"Indeed." Setsuna agreed.
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Angel stalked the streets of Juuban on a night hunt, there had been rumors of unusual deaths around this particular area. He figured it must have been the demon they were hired to take down. It would be nice to actually return to his office in Los Angeles. A scream had him directing his feet to a quick path toward the left, he arrived just in time to see a most odd scene.
"Invited by a new age, Sailor Pluto appearing mysteriously." The green-haired woman spoke as she alighted on the top of a street light.
"Damn Senshi." The demon yelled or what Angel assumed was a demon. The woman merely leapt from the street light and land right before the demon. Concerned Angel ran toward her, but a very familiar scent and sound stopped him.
"Dead Scream." She whispered and the magenta energy destroyed the demon. "Left over youma." Pluto muttered and turned around to be confronted with Angel. Still in battle mood she whacked at him with her staff.
"Hey, not an enemy!" Angel yelled out when she managed to strike his shoulder. "I’m the guy you helped in the battle the other day with the mofo demon." He informed her. She nodded and lowered her staff showing her understanding.
"What do you need?" Pluto inquired while looking at the male before her, there was something off about him.
"A name would be nice." He notched.
"Sailor Pluto." With that she bowed and turned to leave.
"Wait, do you have any information for Angel investigations?" His question was in vain because she was gone. "That’s the second time she’s done that." Angel muttered and returned to seeking out the demon while absently rubbing his sore shoulder.
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Setsuna smiled in apology as the vampire stared at her with an accusatory glare.
"You find that funny." Angel informed her.
"I find it amusing yes." Setsuna responded. "Then again I found our third meeting amusing as well." She added.
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Setsuna had finally a full day off without any interruptions, she found that heavenly. It was dusk as she was walking back to her apartment in the Meiou Condominium complex. A shattering of glass had her tensing and drew her attention to an alleyway. Her hand all ready slipping to grab her henshin wand. "There’s no need for that Pluto." A familiar male voice informed her, but that merely struck her to transform and pin the man with her Garnet Rod. "Calm down, I just need some information." He informed her, but the shadows kept his identity.
"I will never reveal the senshis’s identities." She informed him as she back flipped to give her some fighting room.
"Senshi?" He asked confused as he finally stepped into the pale light of twilight. Seeing the dark hair and deep brown eyes of the odd man she sighed.
"Why are you following me, and how did you know it was me?" She asked.
"Your smell." The man informed her.
"First off name, and second, smell?" Pluto asked, wondering if this was a new enemy her princess would have to fight, the time gates hadn’t shown it to be so.
"Angel." The man introduced himself. "Second, I’m abnormal." He substituted. Pluto raised an eyebrow, but their conversation was interrupted by a long-fang man. Her eyebrow rose higher as Angel’s face changed to a similar one as they brawled. A few seconds later Angel produced a wooden stick from his sleeve and turned the other man to dust. Pluto had seen this several times over the passage of time, vampires still existed in this era.
"Abnormal, try Nosferatu." Pluto chided when Angel turned back to her with his visage still changed, and her mind sharpened on the features. "Angelus." The time guardian growled out and energy built in the garnet orb. The man vampire held up his hands in the universal sign for peace.
"Wait, I was Angelus, but I now have a soul." Angel tried to diffuse the situation. "Can I hope for a nice chat?" Angel asked, Pluto powered down the energy and they walked toward her apartment to talk.
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Setsuna sighed as she felt the time line flux it meant her hour was almost up. "I don’t mind reminiscing, but I’m running out of time today." She informed him. "So, tell me of the meeting with the Queen." She instructed.
"Well, the pink-haired Queen states she wants you to visit more." Angel started while leaning back in his chair. "Using her crystal she made so that I can walk in the sunlight without fear, but since I’m a champion she cannot remove my vampirism." He stated. Setsuna nodded, and stood up, together they both walked out of the small bistro. Reaching a small alleyway Setsuna transformed into Pluto, before she raised her Garnet Rod Angel tugged on her arm. Pluto fell into his embrace as he kissed her fiercely. "See you tomorrow." He stated.
"Same time?" Pluto inquired with a small smile.
"Same time." Angel answered back with another small kiss before letting her go to the Gates. He fell back into reminiscing as she left his sight.
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Angel wondered what he was doing back in Japan, it had been several centuries since he was last here with Pluto and Angel Investigations. It was Cordelia’s anniversary of death, Buffy’s had been a month and a half ago. His two loves were dead, not that he was surprised as they were only human, well some what human, but not immortal. The rest of the Investigation group had died off at one point or another after the battle with the Senior Partners at Wolfram and Hart. He was once again left alone, oh he did visit Buffy over the course of her life, but he never stayed.
Absently he wondered about his sired child Conner and his vampire rival Spike. Connor had grown up wonderfully overtime becoming a very successful athlete, he was proud and happy for him even though his son didn’t remember him. Spike had last been seen by him touring Europe with Buffy before she died, after that he didn’t see Spike at all. Sadly he was once again on his own, and his brooding left him traveling the world again. In a ironic sense he found himself on the sidewalk that belong to the senshi of Pluto. A sad smile lit on his lips, he doubted that she stilled lived as well. Surprise he was when she stepped out looking as healthy and just as young as she did when he saw her all those years ago. "Setsuna?" After sometime she had finally told him her civilian name before he returned to Los Angeles.
"Hmm?" She heard her inquire and turned to him with a surprised expression. "Well, still lurking vampire?"Setsuna asked with an affliction of humor in her sentence. Seeing Angel trying to grasp her presence she sighed. "Come in for a bit of tea?" She invited as she walked back into her apartment, happy, but confused he followed her in. Looking forward to a long conversation and explanation on how she survived the centuries.
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Pluto sighed and leaned up against the doors that were known as the Gates. She had to thank Chibi-Usa for this idea of small breaks while someone else watched the Gates. Even if she was no longer known as Chibi-Usa, she finally felt her cheeks cooling from the expression of affection. She was glad that she could finally have a love to call her own, even if he was a little odd. Even Angelus liked her and didn’t cause her torment, then again this could be of the magic the Neo-Queen had placed on him. Shrugging she instead turned to more happier memories like the first time she found herself actively pursuing a relationship with a man that wouldn’t die due to the passage of time. She had lost her first love that way even if he was never even hers, she still cared for him.
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It had been a half a year since Angel had returned to Japan and they shared a small dinner each time. Some of the senshi were skeptical of having a soul vampire near them they never ousted him because of it. After awhile Setsuna had felt the betraying emotion in her heart that should not exist in this senshi. As it would distract her from her duties as a eternal guardian of the Gates. Seeing this her wise Neo-Queen urged her to go after him, but first she needed to docile out the more evil Angelus. Whatever spell she had use obviously worked as Angelus no longer leapt to cause havoc. After that they met a little more frequently and he surprised her one dinner date by offering her a rose, it was a pale blue. He had called her a unique find and then laid a small kiss on her lips before turning away thinking she would reject him. Setsuna merely hugged him with a smile and they continued their meetings all though this now included small kisses.
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Setsuna knew all about the gypsy curse that went along with his soul. About the true moment of happiness and when it is normally achieved. When this information was imparted to her, she had brought her worries to her queen as relationships weren’t her forte.
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Setsuna observed as the two blondes in the room stopped talking. Quietly she walked to the throne and bowed before the confused queen who shared a look to the blond. The other blond was Venus and they were merely arguing over who was the better actor of the decade. Setsuna had to stem to the thought to roll her eyes. Seriously they were both married queens and they were arguing over who was the better male actor? Ignoring that she turned her attention back to the waiting queen. "My liege I wonder about the gypsy curse on Angel." Setsuna began.
"You know that I can not and will not remove it." The queen responded.
"I know, but what if I wanted to pursue a deeper relationship?" Setsuna asked. Venus tilted her head before smiling evilly.
"Is our untouchable senshi thinking naughty thoughts?" Venus joked, Setsuna merely glanced at her. Venus sobered and offer a small smile.
"Don’t worry, Venus and I will take care of it." The Queen cut in with a understanding smile.
"Senshi Honor!" Venus chirped as Setsuna nodded with a bow. The Queen waved her bow off but gave her another smile. Setsuna left the throne room feeling extremely, but strangely elated.
That night when their dinner date approached, Setsuna broached the subject of the curse. Angel had glanced down sadly when he mentioned that he couldn’t experience true happiness even if Angelus didn’t try to kill everything in existence anymore. Setsuna smiled and informed him of her chat with the two blond Queens. After that Setsuna saw the first true smile on the age-old vampire since she had met him. "So, stop brooding." She chided. He had stood from the table when he was brooding over the curse. Following her news he walked around the table and pulled her up to give her their first passionate kiss.
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They hadn’t gone any further then that, even though they are mature enough to carry that relationship. Since they had all the time in the world they preferred to make each day a new memory. A dash of pink sprinkled on her olive cheeks, and that relationship, was memory she was looking forward to.
FIN.
Notes: Angel comes from Buffy the vampire slayer and Angel, the television series.
Coverart : http://pics.livejournal.com/wolfchildblazer/pic/000026q8/