by Haruka

Malachite glared at Zoisite's unusual rescuers and jumped to his feet. "So you're responsible for that big tree being here! Well, you can just take it and yourselves off my property before I call the authorities!"
"What are they going to do?" Alan asked in amusement. "Arrest the tree?"
"How about arrest you two?" Malachite demanded. "You're trespassing!"
To his shock, Alan vanished, reappearing beside Ann and Zoisite.
"As you can see, no authorities could possibly hold us," Ann said smugly.
"We get our life energy from the tree, so we're not leaving it," Alan remarked. "And since it was the tree that brought us here in the first place, it looks like we're going to be staying a while."
"Are you saying you have no control over this thing?!" Malachite waved a hand at the tree.
"How much control do most kids have over their parents?" Ann asked.
"We were born from the tree," Alan explained. "We're the last of our kind."
"I don't care if you're the rarest species in the universe! I'll have you and that tree out of here if I have to chop it down to do it!"
Zoisite gasped. "Malachite, you can't do that! If the tree gives them life energy, then chopping it down will kill them!"
Ann laughed. "Don't worry, sweet thing! It would take a team of lumberjacks working 'round the clock for a year to make a dent in _our_ tree. Not that any of them could get close enough to do real damage."
"The tree can defend itself and us," Alan told Malachite. "So get used to the idea of having us here, because we're staying."
"I don't believe this!" Malachite yelled and stomped off toward the house. Zoisite watched him go with a sense of triumph.
"He won't try anything to hurt your tree, he knows you were telling the truth." Zoisite suddenly realized that Ann was still holding her. As nice as it felt, she didn't want the tree sprites to think she was completely helpless. She started to get up, and both Ann and Alan helped her. "Thanks," she said, and looked at them, "for everything. You literally saved my butt."
"We've been watching the two of you interact for a couple of days," Alan said. "We could tell something was going to happen before long."
"Well, you're more perceptive than I am, because I walked right into it." Zoisite pulled on her cover-up and regarded the pair curiously. "Do you really live in the tree? I mean, isn't it kind of uncomfortable?"
"Not at all," Alan replied. "There's always lots of shelter and warm places to sleep."
"But now that you know about us, we'll be living in the house," Ann added brightly.
Zoisite tried not to smile. "I don't think Malachite would go for that."
"I don't think we care," Alan answered with an impish grin. "We can better protect you from inside, and until he learns to appreciate you and treat you decently, we plan to stick close by."
"Hey, you'll get no complaints from me. All I'm saying is Malachite is going to be ticked, and that makes both of you potential targets if you aren't already."
"Consider us duly warned," Ann told her without a trace of concern. "Now how about showing us around?"

Setsuna walked into the living room where several of the sailor scouts were lounging. Haruka was playing the piano while Michiru divided her time between studying her and drawing in her sketchbook. Mina and Serena were across the room playing a two-man video game, and Lita was curled up in a chair, reading a romance novel.
"Has everyone done their homework?" Setsuna asked.
Haruka hit a wrong note and all heads turned toward Setsuna.
"Uh, I did," Mina said uncertainly.
"Yeah, me too," Lita replied.
"I'm doing mine right now." Michiru nodded at her sketchbook. "This is for art class."
"What about you two?" Setsuna looked at Serena and Haruka.
"I've just got some math left," Serena said cheerfully, popping a new game into the machine. "I'll do it later."
"There's only an hour and a half until bedtime, you'd better get to it."
Serena and Mina exchanged a look, and Mina mouthed, "Bedtime?"
Setsuna had turned her gaze on Haruka, who started her piano piece over again. "Haruka?"
"I don't have any homework," the tomboy answered, her fingers gliding over the keys.
Setsuna's expression became skeptical. "We've only been here a couple of days and are still catching up to our classes. How can you have no homework?"
"I've done enough writing for one day," Haruka said shortly. "I'll finish it in the morning."
"Now," Setsuna said firmly.
The short-haired blonde stopped playing and turned slowly to meet the older girl's eyes. The others held their collective breath, including Michiru, who looked anxiously between the two.
Finally, Haruka got to her feet and headed out of the room, pausing by Setsuna with sparks in her eyes. "I'm doing this because I promised to try, but I've got a limit, Set. Be careful you don't reach it."
Setsuna watched her leave, followed a moment later by Michiru. She turned back and Serena leaped up. "I'm going! I'm going!"
Mina sighed and shut off the video game. "You sure know how to clear a room, Setsuna."
"Maybe," the eighteen-year-old smiled, "but I got my way in the end, didn't I?"

Malachite came up the stairs from the kitchen with a cup of caffeine-free tea. He hoped it would help him sleep, despite his frustration over what happened with Zoisite. It galled him that two pointy-eared children with hair the colour of cotton candy could undermine his authority so effectively. He'd been in his study earlier and had heard their voices in the house. Presumably, Zoisite had invited them in. And why not? They had obviously appointed themselves her protectors--she'd be foolish to turn them away. If there was one thing he knew about his stepsister, it was that she was no fool.
It wasn't until he reached the top of the stairs when he heard the flute music.
The tune was vaguely familiar, and he quickly realized it was the same one he'd heard in the distance over the past couple of days. This time he followed it straight to its source--one of the spare bedrooms that happened to be right beside Zoisite's room. The door was closed, and he threw it open without hesitation.
The music stopped as the tree sprites looked up at his entrance. Both were seated on the double bed. Ann had one knee drawn up and the other leg dangling over the edge, while Alan sat cross-legged, a long white flute with a green vine pattern in his hands. They both wore silk nightwear; a pink baby-doll for Ann and blue pajamas for Alan. Malachite wondered vaguely where the clothes came from--silk wouldn't last long in a tree. He shoved aside the unimportant question and glared at them. "What do you think you're doing here?"
"You mean right now?" Ann asked.
"I mean at all!" Malachite exclaimed. "Just because I can't get your stupid tree off my property doesn't mean you're moving into my house!"
Zoisite's voice came from behind him. "Yes, it does."
He whirled around to face her. She stood just outside her bedroom door wearing her favorite lavender robe. "I forbid it, Zoisite! I want them out of here now!"
"So try and throw them out, then," she said in a maddeningly calm tone as she walked over to him. "The moment you get near them, they'll just disappear. Then they'll come back as soon as you're gone." She smirked. "Give it up, Malachite. You're not going to win this one."
Malachite suspected she was right, and that doubt hardened his determination further. Zoisite was barely seventeen and the hairballs couldn't have been more than fifteen, tops. There was no way the three of them were going to start calling the shots in his house.
"Everybody has a weakness, Zoisite," he said chillingly and jerked a thumb toward the sprites. "Including them. I'll find out what it is and use it, I promise you. So they can either wait until that time and suffer the consequences or get out while they still can."
Zoisite looked toward the sprites, who smiled with confidence.
"We'll take our chances," Alan said.
Malachite stiffened. "Suit yourselves," he said icily. "But I better not hear _that_--" he pointed at the flute, "again tonight."
"We're going to bed now, anyway," Ann replied. She pranced over to throw her arms around Zoisite. "Goodnight."
Malachite took some satisfaction in his stepsister's startled expression. Even when their parents were alive, they had never been a demonstrative family. "Uh, goodnight," Zoisite said uncertainly.
Alan went over and hugged her next, and Malachite noticed the flute was no longer in his hands nor did it rest upon the bed. Where did it go? he wondered with a frown.
"Is something wrong?"
Malachite turned his head to find Alan studying him curiously. The close-up view of the dark blue pupils surrounded by sparkling blue irises rendered him momentarily speechless. He shook his head and answered brusquely, "Everything, since you got here."
Alan sighed. "I wish you didn't see it that way. We could help you, if you'd give us a chance."
"The only help I need is finding a way to get you two out of my life!" Malachite stomped away to his own room, his soothing tea long since gone cold.

Michiru closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensation of Haruka's slender fingers travelling across her skin. For all her earlier frustration and the bad day at school, her lover remained tender and gentle in bed. Still, she could sense that Haruka hadn't gotten over the latest scene with Setsuna, and she didn't want her to go to bed angry. Taking the tomboy's pretty face in both hands, she softly kissed her lips. "Do you want to talk about it?"
"Talk about what?" Haruka feigned innocence.
"You know what," Michiru said patiently.
Haruka rolled onto her back. "You mean the fact that Setsuna is going nutso?"
"Because she asked you to do your homework?" Michiru said in amusement.
"Because she _told_ me to do it," Haruka clarified. "I tell you, Michi, this guardian stuff is going to go to her head if it hasn't already."
"Give her a chance, love. This is all new to her, too." She smiled mischievously. "And you must admit, you wouldn't have your homework done otherwise."
"I said I'd do it in the morning."
"But now you won't have to." Michi stroked her bare arm tenderly. "That means we can stay in bed a little longer."
Haruka smiled wanly. "You want this to work, don't you?"
"Of course. Don't you?"
"Truth? I'd rather not answer to anybody but myself."
"I know that," Michi said gently. "But I honestly think that if everyone co-operates, it won't seem so uncomfortable."
"I hope you're right." Haruka sighed, then gathered Michi into her arms. "Let's not talk about it anymore."
Michiru didn't have a chance to argue before Haruka's hands began working their magic once more.

Ann stretched luxuriously as the early morning sun filtered in through the bedroom window. She glanced down at Alan, still sound asleep beside her, and smiled. He looked so peaceful it seemed a shame to wake him. Not enough of a shame to keep her from doing it, however. Taking the end of her long hair in hand, she carefully tickled his nose with it. The nose wiggled, then Alan sneezed, opening his eyes. "Ann?"
"Good morning!" she greeted, brushing his nose with her hair again. He grinned and pounced on her, tickling her mercilessly.
Outside the bedroom door, her fist poised to knock, Zoisite hesitated upon hearing giggling and shrieking from within. It sounded as if Alan and Ann were sharing a rambunctious lovemaking session. The thought made her cheeks burn. She was certain they were both younger than she was, and yet they were already in a serious relationship that involved sex first thing in the morning.
Despite plenty of chances, Zoisite had yet to experience sexual intercourse with either a male or a female. None of her dates thus far had been worth a second date, much less the privilege of touching her intimately. The lack of sex didn't bother her--she was in no hurry. She did, however, envy those who had someone special to love and be loved by. As admired as she may be at school, she knew that nobody really loved her. She didn't even have a loving family, and never had had one. With Malachite her only surviving relative, she never _would_ have one. If she thought about it all too much, her self-confidence began to slip and loneliness would sweep over her. Now was not the time for self-pity, she thought resolutely. She had to talk to the tree sprites, have breakfast with Malachite, then get to school. Later on, Lita would be coming over. Her big problem was going to be keeping Malachite out of the way so he wouldn't embarrass her.
First things first, she told herself, and knocked on the door. The giggling stopped and Alan called out, "Come in!"
Zoisite opened the door and tried not to look surprised. Alan was kneeling over Ann, who had her hands on his shoulders. The curious thing was that both were wearing their nightclothes. She must have been wrong about what they'd been up to just now, but they _had_ shared the one bed last night. Why had they put their nightclothes back on instead of getting dressed?
"Zoisite, hi!" Ann greeted happily. "Thanks for interrupting, Alan wouldn't stop tickling me!"
"You asked for it," Alan told her fondly, and moved off her so she could sit up. Zoisite entered the room feeling confused.
"He was tickling you?" she said uncertainly. "That's what all that noise was?"
"Yeah," Ann said, cocking her head to regard Zoisite curiously. "What did you think it was?"
Although she wasn't much of a blusher, Zoisite could feel her face heat up once more. "Uh, well ...."
Understanding dawned on their faces, followed by smiles. Alan patted the bedspread between them. "Come and sit down, Zoisite. We'll try to explain something."
She went over and took the place offered, and Alan surprised her by taking her hand in his as he met her eyes earnestly.
"Ann and I love each other very much," he said. "Love energy makes the tree flourish, ours most of all. She and I were born in the same pod, designed to be playmates _and_ lovemates."
"But we're not lovers in the same sense that humans are," Ann continued. "Lovemaking for us is holding, kissing, and touching. There's no penetration involved."
"Our anatomy resembles yours, but our instincts are different," Alan said. "Maybe it's because our kind doesn't breed, but we don't feel the need for intercourse."
"But if you can't have children, how will your species continue?" Zoisite asked.
"We think the tree is waiting until we grow up, and then it'll provide children for us to raise," Ann replied.
Zoisite paused thoughtfully. It was an amazing concept. They were free to have unprotected sex because they couldn't reproduce, and yet intercourse didn't interest them. Their version of sex was innocent, sweet, and pressure-free. She was intrigued in spite of herself.
"I guess that sounds kind of silly to you, huh?"
Zoisite looked up and realized that the sprites had mistaken her silence for disapproval. They both looked embarrassed and a little hurt.
"Not at all," she said quickly. "Actually, I was just thinking that it sounded kind of refreshing."
They smiled in relief and gratitude. "We can imagine what you must have been thinking when you came to our door," Alan said. "We hope that our sharing a bed doesn't make you uncomfortable now that you know more about us," Ann added.
"I'm not uncomfortable at all," Zoisite said, and it was the truth. In fact, the more time she spent with the tree sprites, the more at ease she felt around them. "I do have one question, though."
"Sure, ask us anything," Alan said generously.
"Where did your clothes come from?" she inquired, glancing at his silk pajamas. "You didn't bring them in with you last night."
"We didn't have to." Alan stood up and spun around once in place. In that split second he went from wearing the pajamas to the vine- patterned bodysuit she'd first seen him in.
"These are our usual outfits," Ann said, and Zoisite saw that she, too, was suddenly back in her original clothing. "We can change into anything we want in an instant. We can even disguise ourselves to look human if we have to."
"It must be nice to be able to work magic," Zoisite remarked. "I love the disappearing trick you guys can do."
"It's been our experience that magic doesn't solve everything, but it's nice to know you've got it." Alan grinned.
Zoisite sighed wistfully. "I could sure use some magic. I've got a date coming over later today and I just know that as soon as Malachite finds out, he's going to deliberately embarrass me."
"Don't worry, just leave it to us," Ann assured her "We'll handle Mr. Tall, Blonde and Belligerent."
"Really?" Zoisite said hopefully. "You think you can distract him?"
Alan and Ann exchanged an impish look. "Let's just say he won't be a problem for you," Alan promised cryptically.

"Lita, are you okay? You've been spacey ever since you got up."
Lita looked at Mina, but the pretty blonde wasn't the only one regarding her strangely. Amy and Raye were studying her as well, no doubt remembering how she'd mindlessly cracked an egg into the toaster at breakfast.
"I'm fine, guys. I know it doesn't seem that way, but I am."
Her friends looked relieved. "Then what's been your problem this morning?" Raye asked.
What could she say? That she was preoccupied with wondering how her date with Zoisite was going to go that afternoon?
"Uh, I'm just thinking about physics class," Lita said hastily. "I'm not sure I did last night's assignment right."
"Why didn't you show it to me?" Amy asked. "I would have checked it for you."
"Oh, you had enough of your own work to do." Lita waved a hand blithely.
"Setsuna would have been glad to help, too," Raye pointed out. "She was really good in physics."
"It's not that big a deal," Lita replied, trying to keep her irritation in check. She loved her friends, but she was starting to see how living with all of them would afford her very little privacy. She supposed she should be glad it wasn't Serena bugging her--if she'd known she was thinking about Zoisite, she'd never leave her alone.
"Hey," Amy said suddenly, "isn't that Zoisite's brother?"
"Stepbrother," Lita corrected without thinking about it, and followed Amy's gaze. It was indeed Malachite who was striding down the hall toward them, his handsome face lit with a smile of extreme satisfaction.
"Ladies," he greeted politely, inclining his head to them as he passed. They watched him leave the building, his trademark cape billowing behind him.
"He looked happy, didn't he?" Raye remarked.
"I think 'smug' is a more apt description," Amy said. "Like the proverbial cat that ate the canary."
Lita had the sinking feeling that the canary in question was Zoisite, and that she probably didn't even know it yet.

"...And that's what happened," Zoisite concluded. Art class had yet to begin, and she had just gotten through recounting the tree sprites' arrival to Michiru, whose eyes were huge.
"That's an amazing story, Zoisite. Not to mention fortunate for you."
"Tell me about it." Zoisite shook her head. "I never thought Malachite would go completely bonkers and attack me like that, but I'm sure glad they were there when he did." She looked at Michiru with sudden fear in her eyes. "You won't tell anyone about what happened, will you? I only told you because I needed to talk to somebody, but I don't want it made public."
"Of course I won't tell anyone," Michi promised, not adding that if Haruka suspected she was helping keeping a secret, she'd make life difficult at best. "But what's going to happen with Alan and Ann? Are they just going to stay with you indefinitely?"
"I guess so." Zoisite shrugged. "I won't mind if they do. I never realized until they came how lonely I've been at home. I like talking to them and they're both really cute. It's like having a younger brother and sister."
Michiru noticed the art teacher was now at the doorway, talking to a student messenger who handed her a folded note. She thanked him and took the note to her desk to read. After scanning its contents, she looked directly at Zoisite. A sly smile spread over her face.
Zoisite didn't see it. She was digging through her purse and came up with a roll of mints. "Want one?" she asked Michiru.
"What?" Michi turned back to her and glanced at the offered candy. "No, thanks."
Zoisite took one herself and popped it into her mouth. "Didn't have much time for breakfast," she explained. "Malachite was already gone when I came down, which is weird in itself. He never leaves early."
The bell rang, and their teacher got to her feet. "All right, class, today we're going to try drawing a single model, and I want you to concentrate on proper shadings as opposed to other details." She seemed to scan the room, but her gaze came quickly to rest on Zoisite. "Why don't you be our model today, Zoisite?" she asked smoothly.
"Okay." The tall girl stood up and brought her chair to the centre of the room. She sat down gracefully, crossing her legs at the knee.
"Fine," the teacher said. "Now everyone, I want--" she stopped, frowning at Zoisite. "Are you chewing gum?"
"No, it's a mint."
"Get rid of it," the teacher said sternly. "You know there's no eating in class allowed."
"A single tiny mint is hardly eating," Zoisite retorted, but swallowed what was left of the mint. More than any other teacher, this one got on her nerves. She seemed to go out of her way to pick on her, just like Malachite. Ever since the 'inhale paint fumes and die' incident, however, she tended to back off when Zoisite got testy.
Until today.
"Don't smart-mouth me, young lady!" the teacher said angrily. "You either apologize or go stand in the corner!"
Zoisite couldn't believe this ditz was pulling rank now, after they'd long since reached an understanding. She was supposed to do whatever she wanted, and the teacher let her to avoid being cut down in front of her class. Whatever made her think Zoisite would suddenly start bowing and scraping like everyone else?
"I 'm not apologizing," she said, trying not to laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole situation, "and I'm certainly not standing in any corner."
"Then you can just march yourself up to the office!" the teacher went over to the intercom and picked up the privacy phone. "I'll tell them to expect you."
"They can expect an earful about this, that's for sure!" Zoisite headed for the door with a toss of her ponytail. "By the time I'm through, you'll be busted down to crossing guard, you air-brained bimbo!"
While the rest of the class watched her go in stunned silence, Michiru saw the same sly smile reappear on the teacher's face as she spoke quietly into the intercom phone.

Haruka looked up from the motor she was working on in auto shop. There had been an indignant shout from Michiru's art class across the hall, and now Zoisite came striding out of the room and stalked away. "I guess it was her making all that noise," she commented to no one in particular. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Zoisite's beautiful, but she's got a temper," one of her classmates remarked. "Her teachers are all afraid of her."
"So am I!" another boy laughed.
"Why should the teachers be afraid of her?" Haruka frowned.
"Her parents were trustees, and they had a lot of pull with the school board," the first boy explained. "They're gone, but I guess the administration never got over the 'let's keep the kids happy' syndrome."
"It was worse when her brother a student here with her," the other boy said. "Both of them would get away with murder then. They were probably the only two kids in the school who were exempt from corporal punishment. Now I guess Zoisite has the kingdom to herself."
"So why do the kids like her so much?" Haruka asked. "Don't they resent her favoured status?"
The boys shrugged. "Who can explain it?" the second one said. "She's pretty, confident, and smart, plus she's one of the best athletes in school and _that_ she earned all by herself." He grinned. "All I know is if she said 'jump', I'd ask 'how high?'"
Haruka shook her head in disgust and turned her attention back to the motor. As far as she was concerned, she'd just wasted five minutes of class time.

"I mean, it was only a stupid mint, for crying out loud!" Zoisite exclaimed, her five-minute tirade in the process of winding down. "You really should send that woman for psychological testing, I'm not sure she's safe to be around kids."
The Principal sat calmly back in his chair. "Are you done?"
Zoisite blinked. This was not the usual response she got when dealing with this man. Generally, she told him the problem and he assured her that it would be dealt with. From the way he was looking at her, she almost thought he considered _her_ the problem.
"I'm going to be straight with you, Zoisite," he said slowly. "We both know you've enjoyed a privileged position at this school ever since the beginning. I'm not proud that this was allowed to go on, or that I had a hand in it myself. However, I was under pressure by the school board to let it continue lest your parents withdraw their financial support." He met her eyes. "That's all over now."
A knot began to form in Zoisite's stomach and she knew that whatever she heard next, she wouldn't like it. "Exactly what do you mean?"
"As of this morning, there will be no further donations from your family," the Principal stated.
"Y-you won't accept any?" she asked uneasily.
"There won't _be_ any," he repeated. "Your brother has cut off support."
"Stepbrother," she murmured vaguely, her mind swirling with all the implications of Malachite's latest scheme. She barely heard the Principal's next words.
"That means you are now relegated to the status of common student. And that means outbursts in class and insulting your teachers will no longer be tolerated."
The few seconds of silence that followed finally got Zoisite's attention. She raised her eyes to look at the Principal and froze.
"Stand up and place your hands on the desk," he instructed, a flat wooden paddle held firm in his grip.

End of Chapter 6

Story contents (C) 1997 Tenou Haruka -- Sailor Moon characters (C) Naoko Takeuchi