by Haruka

I feel like a burglar in my own home, Zoisite thought as she crept down the hallway. It was two-fifteen a.m., and she'd been ravenous ever since arriving home with Malachite. The monster had purposely had lasagna for dinner so that the entire mansion would be filled with its delicious aroma. Zoisite stayed closed up in her room, avoiding both Malachite's smug expression and the murder charge that would result from eating him alive.
She had held out as long as she could, but her stomach was cramping so badly that sleep would be impossible unless she sneaked a snack. Although it wasn't likely she would run into any of the staff at this hour, she nevertheless moved stealthily down the stairs.
It was with a great sense of triumph that she slipped into the kitchen. Food, at last! She wasted no time and grabbed an apple from a bowl on the counter.
A deafening boom and jarring of the floor knocked her off her feet. The apple rolled away, forgotten in her terror of what had to be an earthquake. The ground was still shaking under her as she scrambled to the doorway, which she knew was the safest place to be. She'd no sooner reached it when Malachite came tearing down the stairs, keeping a firm hold on the bannister.
"It's an earthquake!" Zoisite cried.
He looked her way in surprise, grabbing the bannister with both hands to maintain his balance. "What are you doing in there?!" he demanded. "And it's not an earthquake! Something huge just crashed in the back yard!"
"You're kidding?!" Zoisite ran to the back door and out onto the patio, stopping to stare in amazement at the white light that obliterated everything else from view. Malachite came up beside her.
"What is it?" she whispered.
Malachite was pale. "I don't know."
The light gradually reduced in intensity as the ground simultaneously ceased to rumble. By the time it was over, several of the servants had gathered behind Malachite and Zoisite. It was a cloudy night, and no one could see what might have generated the light.
"Shall I call the police, Sir?" Graham asked.
"No, I'll investigate myself," Malachite walked down the steps into the courtyard.
"Not without me, you won't!" Zoisite took the steps in two jumps and landed beside him. They passed the fountain and the swimming pool, and continued on down the centre path through the orchard trees that bordered it. As they approached the end of the path, the clouds parted and moonlight shone down over the area. Zoisite gasped and without thinking, grabbed Malachite's arm. "What is that?!"
Looming before them was what appeared to be an enormous tree. It dwarfed all other trees in their orchard both in height and volume. Branches and bowers spread out, crossed over, and looped in all directions. The leaves, flowers, and vines that grew from it were magnificent in their perfection and a wonderfully fresh scent seemed to emanate from all around it.
"How on earth did it get here?" Zoisite wondered aloud.
"It's like no tree I've ever seen before," Malachite admitted. "It doesn't look dangerous, and yet how can we know?"
"Did you hear that?" Zoisite asked suddenly.
Malachite looked at her sharply. "Hear what?"
"I could swear I heard giggling," Zoisite scrutinized the tree suspiciously.
Her stepbrother shook his head. "You're losing it." He took a deep breath. "Well, it's late, and it would seem the activity is over for tonight. Let's go back to bed, and on the way, you can fabricate a believable lie about why you were in the kitchen."
Zoisite turned reluctantly away from the tree, but not before she caught a flash of pink amongst its uppermost branches.

"Miiiichi," Haruka sang softly in her bedmate's ear, "are you awake?"
"Mmmmm," was Michiru's response as she snuggled further under the blankets.
Haruka kissed her earlobe and slid a hand over the curve of her hip. "Come on, love. I know you're in there."
"Haruka, it's the middle of the night," Michi murmured sleepily.
"And aren't you flattered that my desire for you transcends normal routine, like sleeping?" Haruka began kissing down Michi's slender throat, and the green-haired girl finally relented and rolled over to face her.
"You naughty little imp," she whispered.
"Would you rather have me any other way?" Haruka glided her palm over the other girl's thigh.
Michi moaned softly and pressed against her. "Never."
A squeal of tires nearby followed by a dying engine made Haruka pause. As Michi began kissing the hollow between her breasts, the engine started up again and Haruka's green eyes widened.
"That's my car!" she declared.
Next thing Michi knew, she was alone, and all that was left of Haruka was the bedroom door swinging behind her.
"This better be good," Michi murmured and reached for her robe.

Lita was feeling pretty proud of herself. She'd actually managed to start Haruka's car, steer it out of the driveway, guide it around the deserted block, and pull it back in the driveway without a single lesson from anyone. Granted, there had been a lot of trial and error involved, and the ride certainly hadn't been the smoothest, but the important thing was she'd done it. A little more practice and she might be able to pull off her date after all. Once she showed Haruka and Setsuna how well she could drive, she knew one of them would lend her a car.
She was so preoccupied that she almost didn't notice Haruka standing in her path until it was too late. She fumbled desperately to find the brake and succeeded in stopping the car less than a foot from the golden-haired tomboy.
"Man, Haruka!" Lita exclaimed as she got out of the car. "You of all people should know better than to stand in front of a moving car!"
"My car wasn't moving when I left it here earlier," Haruka said coldly.
Lita finally realized that the other girl's expression was nothing short of furious. Michiru slipped out the front door and hurried to Haruka's side, regarding she and Lita worriedly. "What's going on?"
"Lita 'borrowed' my car to give herself a driving lesson," Haruka said tightly. "Stop me if I'm wrong, Lita."
"You aren't wrong," Lita admitted. "And I'm sorry I was so sneaky. But I had to prove to myself and you guys that I could do it."
"What gives you the right to use my car to do it?!" Haruka demanded. "Maybe you and Zoisite are a good match after all! She's an underhanded car thief, too!"
Lita's eyes flashed. "Hey, I apologized, didn't I?! And who are you to be so self-righteous, anyway?! We all know you're too young to have a driver's license! You've been driving illegally for who knows how long!"
"Don't you dare try to turn this around on me, Lita!" Haruka warned. "I didn't go out on the streets until I knew what I was doing, and I did it in my own car!"
"Stop it, both of you!" Michiru broke in. Lita was surprised to find that Michi had positioned herself between the two of them, as if she were afraid they would come to blows.
Setsuna chose that moment to open the front door. "What are you three doing out there? You've woken the entire house if not the whole neighborhood! Get in here before they call the police!"
Haruka met Lita's gaze angrily, and made a point of snatching her keys from the car ignition before stalking into the house with Michi. Lita trailed after them, and Setsuna shut the door firmly once she was inside.
"Just what was going on out there?" she asked.
Haruka's gaze was icy on Lita's, but the brunette made a plea with her eyes, anyway. After a long moment, Haruka turned and stomped up the stairs. Michiru glanced between Lita and Setsuna before following her.
"Lita?" Setsuna questioned.
"Goodnight," Lita said in defeat, and headed upstairs herself.

Setsuna finished brushing her long green hair and set to tying the sides into her customary bun at the back of her head. She saw in the mirror that her expression was a troubled one, which didn't come as a surprise. What happened with Lita and Haruka the previous night troubled her greatly, and she wasn't even sure of the details.
Although she had a strong hunch.
Haruka had plainly been upset with Lita, who coincidentally had been the only one of the three girls in the driveway who was fully dressed. So when Haruka retrieved her keys from the car, who was the likely one to have put them there?
"Setsuna, are you all right?"
She looked down to where Luna was regarding her in concern and tried to smile. "I'm fine, Luna."
"You don't look it," the mooncat replied with her usual frankness. "Come on, tell me what's wrong."
Setsuna sat down on the bed. "It's what happened last night. I know Lita was either planning to or had just finished taking Haruka's car out, but when I asked her about it at the time, she wouldn't answer me."
"And you're dissatisfied by that?"
"Yes!" Setsuna exclaimed. "I know I'm not her mother or even her big sister, but damn it, I'm the one whose name is on all the paperwork as being her guardian. What if the neighbors had called the police last night, or what if she'd been picked up while driving? I'd get blamed for letting her run wild! And besides all that, she shouldn't be getting away with it. She could have hurt herself or somebody else."
"All true," Luna agreed.
Setsuna looked at her. "Did you or Artemis talk to her yet?"
"I tried," Luna admitted. "She said there was no offense intended, but as a cat, I couldn't possibly understand how important her date with Zoisite was to her."
Setsuna sighed. "I do understand, that's the problem. But it still doesn't excuse her actions."
"Why don't you try talking to her again?" Luna suggested.
After a few moments' silent consideration, Setsuna shook her head. "She'll just tell me to mind my own business. I have no authority over her, Luna."
"Especially if you don't exercise it," Luna replied.
"That's not fair," Setsuna told her. "We went all over this yesterday, remember? I'm not ready to be anyone's guardian."
"So who is, when the responsibility becomes theirs?" Luna asked. "Do you think Artemis and I never get frustrated or angry? There've been times when I wished I had hands instead of paws for no other reason than to spank Serena!"
Setsuna chuckled. "I don't think things with Lita have gotten that bad yet."
"Good thing, because there seems to be no one here who could effectively scold her, let alone punish her." Luna's tail twitched. "It worries me, Setsuna. None of these girls have ever been part of a large family before, and that's very much what we are here. I know they're good girls, but even the best slip up once in a while." She sighed. "And here they are without parental guidance, except that which Artemis and I can offer. Where scout business is concerned, I know they take us seriously, but when it comes to day to day living, our advice is all too easily ignored."
Setsuna wished she could argue with that, but she knew it was true. There'd been tales told in the past of Serena's reading comic books while Luna tried everything short of eating them to get her to study math instead. On the other hand, if her mother caught her goofing off during study time, she'd been grounded or given extra chores. Once Serena and the others realized there were now no authority figures to interfere, they might be tempted to try anything.
Taking someone's car on a joyride without knowing how to drive, for instance.
"Breakfast is ready!" Lita called from downstairs.
"Don't look so disheartened," Luna said to Setsuna. "There is a bright side."
"I'd like to know what it is," Setsuna replied flatly.
"The girls want a harmonious household as much as we do. If one of them causes too much trouble, I think the others will come down on her as hard as we could. Loving adult guidance plus a little positive peer pressure equals a happy home."
"Great theory," Setsuna remarked. "But I wonder how practical."

Zoisite bounded down the stairs, barely noticing where her feet were landing. She sped past Malachite, who stood looking out the glass doors that led to the back patio.
"What's your hurry?" he asked in amusement.
"As if you don't know!" she called from the dining room. "I'm starving to death!"
Malachite walked into the dining room to find his stepsister wolfing down her breakfast. In fact, she'd been seated less than thirty seconds and was almost half-way through. Deciding he'd better start eating himself before she cleaned both their plates, he took his seat.
"That thing is still out back," he said. "It looks even bigger in the daylight."
"Mmf ont err," was Zoisite's response.
"Don't talk with your mouth full," he told her.
She swallowed and shot him a glare. "Then don't speak to me if you don't want an answer! It's your fault I'm so hungry, anyway!"
"You're the one who stole my keys," he replied. "Don't tell me you expected to go unpunished."
"Heavens, no," she snapped. "I would never expect leniency from you, Malachite."
"Then stop complaining about things that are of your own doing," he told her. "Like your failed fiasco last night. You may not have had a chance to eat, but that was your intent when you sneaked down to the kitchen."
Zoisite stopped chewing abruptly and washed down her mouthful, giving him a wary look. "What are you saying?"
"You disobeyed me, Zoisite. What do you think I'm saying?"
She sighed heavily. "Oh, all right, let's hear it. You've probably been waiting half the night to lay this on me."
He leaned forward in his seat, meeting her eyes. "You're canceling your date tonight."
"What?!" she cried. "You can't do that!"
"I just did."
"But it isn't fair! Making kids go without dinner went out with the dark ages! And this is the first date that's promised to be interesting in over a month!"
"Punishment isn't meant to be comfortable or convenient," Malachite said.
"No, it's just meant to give you satisfaction watching me suffer through it!" she retorted.
"If you're going to be insolent I'll simply ground you and then you won't go anywhere with anyone."
Zoisite's face turned red from fury, but she held back the angry words that threatened to get her in deeper. As a further preventative measure, she got up and headed out of the dining room.
"Zoisite!"
She stopped in the doorway and answered tightly, "What?"
"Don't get any ideas about sneaking out on this date as you did to get food," he warned. "When I see Setsuna today I'll be informing her of the situation. I'm sure she'll mention it to Lita even if you don't."
Zoisite's eyes burned like green fire, but she lifted her chin and stalked out of the room without a word. She went to the glass doors and slipped out onto the patio.
Malachite was right about one thing; the tree looked bigger in daylight. It seemed to reach up into the clouds and spread out just as far. Despite not knowing its origin or why it had suddenly appeared, Zoisite felt no fear. She might have taken time to investigate it close up, but without transportation to school, she had a long walk ahead of her. As she turned to go back inside, she heard the faint strains of flute music from somewhere nearby.

"I still can't believe you did that, Lita," Serena said as the group of girls rode to school in Setsuna's car.
"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Lita said testily. It seemed that everyone had something to say about her driving expedition the previous night, and their unanimous judgement was that she'd been an idiot. She supposed they had a right to their opinion, but did they have to voice it every two minutes? The only ones who hadn't bugged her that morning were Haruka and Michiru, and that was because they weren't speaking to her.
"So what are you going to do about your date?" Mina asked.
It was a question Lita hadn't wanted to face. The idea of canceling the date outright made her stomach hurt, but would that really be worse than telling Zoisite she couldn't drive after all? Either way, she wouldn't be going out with the older girl.
"She's going to tell Zoisite the truth," Setsuna answered for her.
"I am?" Lita looked at her.
"You am," Setsuna said firmly. "You shouldn't have lied in the first place. And after last night I'm not sure you can be trusted not to 'borrow' another car and attempt to take Zoisite out. She'd be risking her life unknowingly and you must know that isn't fair."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Lita admitted. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt Zoisite.
"Hey, isn't that Zoisite up ahead?" Amy asked.
Lita peered around Serena's head and saw the familiar ponytail swinging across Zoisite's back as she set a face pace.
"She's walking?" Raye said in surprise. "She lives further away than we do, doesn't she?"
"About half a mile further," Lita agreed. "Can't we pick her up?"
"Only if she wants to ride in the trunk," Setsuna answered with regret. "The girls are already too crowded back there and you can't hold two people on your lap."
A vision of chucking Serena out the window passed through Lita's mind before she shook her head to clear it. Their car passed Zoisite and kept going.
"There are only two more blocks to school," Setsuna said gently. "She'll be okay."
"You know what I wonder?" Mina said. "Why isn't she riding to school with her stepbrother? The college is just across the street."
Good question, Lita and Setsuna thought.

Zoisite used her locker for support as she slipped off her shoe and massaged her foot.
"Good thing I don't have track today," she muttered.
"Are you okay, Zoisite?"
She looked up at the pair of adoring girls who were part of her usual fan club. If I had time, I'd have them rub my feet for me, she thought.
"I've been better," she answered, slipping her shoe back on and closing her locker. "I have to get going."
"All right," one of the girls said reluctantly. "See you later."
Zoisite walked away, wincing at the tenderness of her soles. School shoes were not meant for long-distance walking, she decided. She also came to the firm conclusion that she would never again attempt that forced march from home. She was too proud to hitchhike, but she could at least cover cab fare for a couple of days. After that, she'd have to think of something else.
As she entered the main corridor, she saw Lita and her friends arriving. Lita spotted her at the same time, and a strange look crossed her face. The purple-haired girl whom Zoisite had seen forming her own court gave Lita a nudge, nodding significantly in her direction. Lita's shoulders drooped slightly, and she headed toward her. Zoisite felt her stomach tense. Now was when she'd have to tell Lita about the date being off. It would be humiliating and degrading, and once Lita's friends knew it would be all over school. Everyone would know how her stepbrother controlled her life.
I hate you, Malachite, she thought flatly.
"Hi Zoisite," Lita said with a weak smile.
She returned it. "Hi."
"Listen," Lita scuffed her shoe against the floor while avoiding her eyes, "I have to tell you something."
"I have something to tell you, too," Zoisite admitted.
Lita looked a little relieved. "Okay, you go first."
"No, that's okay," Zoisite said quickly.
"Really, I'd like to hear what you have to tell me," Lita urged.
Zoisite drew herself up and met the other girl's eyes. "Lita, I insist you speak first."
Even a tough girl like Lita couldn't easily refuse Zoisite's withering stare. She sighed heavily in defeat. "I won't be able to take you out tonight."
Zoisite's eyes widened. This was not at all what she'd expected to hear, but it certainly solved her own dilemma. She needn't humiliate herself at all now!
In the midst of her relief, however, it struck her that Lita was cancelling out on her. _No one_ had ever broken a date with her before. Her tone chilled considerably as she regarded the younger girl. "Exactly why can't you take me out? Changed your mind?"
"No, not at all!" Lita said so vehemently that Zoisite knew she was sincere.
"Why, then?" she asked in a softer voice.
Lita's cheeks flushed and she looked as if she might cry. "Because I lied to you. I told you I could drive, and it isn't true. And last night I even took Haruka's car and tried to teach myself, but I couldn't learn soon enough to make it safe for you." She sighed. "No one will let me near their car now, anyway."
Zoisite couldn't help feeling impressed. She knew some people were desperate to date her, but to her knowledge no one had risked their life before. It was enough to spur her into an impulse of honesty.
"Lita, listen," she put her hand on the other girl's arm, "it appears we're both victims of circumstances beyond our control."
"How so?" Lita asked in confusion.
"What I had to tell you was that I had to cancel our date, too," Zoisite admitted. "Not by my own choice, I assure you. Malachite took exception to my borrowing his car yesterday, and although it's a long story, the bottom line is--" her voice faltered, unable to complete her confession.
Lita did it for her. "You're being punished."
Zoisite winced as though the words pained her. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Hey, don't worry about it," Lita said cheerily. "He didn't say you could never date me, did he?"
"No," Zoisite answered.
"Then if you don't mind doing the driving, we can still go out sometime," Lita said in a hopeful tone. "That is, if you still want to date me after I lied to you."
A mischievous twinkle lit Zoisite's green eyes. "I've been known to tell an untruth now and then myself. I think I can forgive you."
"Great!" Lita grinned.
"One thing, though." Zoisite's expression turned serious. "I don't intend to tell Malachite about the next date we set up, and I'd rather you didn't tell your mutual friend Setsuna, either."
"Why?"
"Because if Setsuna knew, she might mention it to Malachite, and he would find a way to ruin it for me," she said frankly.
Lita was doubtful. She almost said that things couldn't be that bad between them when she saw a picture of Zoisite walking to school while Malachite would be parking across the street. "He really treats you badly, doesn't he?" she asked in a quiet voice.
Zoisite looked loathe to admit it, but she nodded. "His greatest pleasure is derived from tormenting me. He's been on a power trip ever since our parents died." She met Lita's eyes suddenly. "You won't tell anyone, will you? People respect me here, but they won't anymore if they learn of my home situation."
"He shouldn't be allowed to get away with it, Zoisite," Lita insisted.
The older girl shrugged. "There's nothing anyone can do. I doubt very much I'd get any sympathy, anyway. It's not as if he's abusive; just unreasonably strict. And it's not due to inexperience as a guardian, either. He knows exactly what he's doing."
"Geez, and Setsuna thinks he's such a nice guy." Lita shook her head.
"At least you know better," Zoisite said, hugging her books to her chest. "So, do you still want to go out, even if you can't tell her?"
"Of course I do," Lita answered promptly. "But what are you going to tell Malachite? Won't he ask where you're going?"
"You let me worry about that," Zoisite told her.
"Okay," Lita conceded. "When do you want to try again?"
"Tomorrow," she replied. "He'll be too paranoid to let me out of the house tonight in case I'm disobeying him to see you."
"What about a car?" Lita asked uncertainly. "You don't have one, do you?"
"Unfortunately, no." Zoisite grimaced. "I can drive, but His Majesty refuses to get me a car of my own and won't let me use his."
"I guess we're skunked then." Lita sighed.
"Not necessarily," Zoisite said. "I can hot-wire Malachite's car."
"No way!" Lita told her. "If he catches you, you'll be in even worse trouble, and he'd tell Setsuna and then everybody at home will find out about it. I don't want the kangaroo court getting on my case again." She paused for a moment. "I have one idea."
"Which is?"
"Your place is only about half a mile from ours. I can get there easily enough on foot, and maybe we can walk to somewhere in your area and have something to eat and talk."
"It's quite a hike to get to any place like that, Lita," Zoisite told her. "Where I live it's all huge mansions with sprawling grounds surrounding them."
"Then how about I just walk to your place and we hang out together there?" Lita said finally. "If it's all that big, there's bound to be stuff we can do."
"Of course there is," Zoisite said. "There are the stables and tennis courts and two pools." She frowned slightly. "The drawback to being at my house is that Malachite could horn in on us at anytime. He loves to embarrass me in front of people."
"So we'll ignore him," Lita said firmly. "How about it? Do we have a date?"
"We do." Zoisite smiled. "Come by around seven."
"Great!" Lita grinned. "See you then!" She headed back to her waiting group of friends with a bounce in her step.
"What happened?" Mina asked. "You don't look like someone who just had to break a date."
"She must have taken it better than you thought," Raye commented.
"Yeah, she did," Lita said. "She's a lot more understanding than we gave her credit for. We're going to try the date again sometime."
"Good for you!" Amy smiled.
"How do you do it, Lita?" Serena moaned. "How can you break a date with the most popular girl in school and still have her willing to try again?"
"Just lucky, I guess." Lita laughed. "Come on, the bell's going to ring soon."
While the others moved toward their lockers, Serena watched wistfully as Zoisite disappeared down the hall. "Did you guys notice how her hair is the exact colour of warm butterscotch?"
"How do you do it, Serena?" Raye mimicked her. "How do you manage to equate everything with food?!"
Serena lifted her chin. "It's a gift."

End of Chapter 4

Story contents (C) 1997 Tenou Haruka

Sailor Moon characters (C) Naoko Takeuchi