by Haruka

Setsuna looked toward the foyer from the kitchen upon hearing the front door open. She spotted Haruka and Michiru passing by. "Hey, you two! How was track practice?"
"Fine," Haruka answered absently. "Where is everybody?"
"Amy went to the public library, but she promised to be home for dinner. Everyone else is upstairs."
"Okay, we'll be up there for a while ourselves," Haruka said.
Michiru added, "Please call us when dinner is ready."
Setsuna nodded, and they went upstairs. She thought their behavior strange, as if something were weighing heavily on their minds. Although they'd always been an entity unto themselves, they'd also been able to discuss concerns with her freely. It troubled her to think they might be keeping things from her now. Was it because she insisted on taking the guardian role? Had officially relegating herself to the position of authority figure ended that trust forever?
The doorbell rang and she went to answer it, grateful for a respite from her unanswered questions. She was more than a little shocked to find Malachite on her doorstep.
"I hope you don't mind my intrusion." He gave her a charming smile. "I had some business in town today which is why I wasn't in class. I missed seeing you and thought I'd drop by on my way home."
"Come on in." Setsuna stood aside to let him in. Artemis padded into the foyer from upstairs and paused, watching Malachite warily.
"You have a lovely home, although it's not nearly so grand as you deserve," Malachite remarked, surveying their surroundings. His gaze fell on Artemis, then passed over him.
"I don't need a fancy house. Just a big enough one to accommodate myself and the girls." Setsuna began heading back to the kitchen. "May I offer you some tea?"
"Thank you." Malachite took a seat at the kitchen table. He noticed the white cat had followed them and now stood in the doorway. While Setsuna was getting the tea, Malachite watched the cat watching him. He had the irritating, inexplicable impression of being measured and coming up short.
"Here you are." Setsuna put his cup down and followed his gaze to the cat. "That's Artemis. He belongs to Mina."
"Yes, I remember her. The one with the bow." Malachite paused, still studying the cat. "Beautiful creature."
Setsuna raised an eyebrow slightly. Was he talking about Artemis or Mina? She shook her head, wondering if now _she_ were becoming paranoid. That errant thought brought up the image of Zoisite, and her fear that Malachite sent her spying for him. Was it an irrational concern, or did it have a basis in reality? Was Zoisite really a brat like Malachite claimed, or was he the one jumping to conclusions? Maybe there were misunderstandings on both sides that could yet be resolved.
"How has Zoisite been?" she asked carefully.
"Very well," Malachite said dryly as he sipped his tea. "Especially since the unwelcome addition of two tree sprites to our home."
"Tree sprites?" Setsuna said in surprise.
Malachite nodded. "A boy and a girl. Their tree planted itself in the orchard and the sprites have moved into my house."
"You said they were unwelcome, but you invited them to live with you?" Setsuna said in confusion.
"Invited, nothing! They just moved in!" A brief scowl crossed his handsome features. "They can teleport instantly, which means they can do pretty much anything they want and no one can stop them. Zoisite's no help at all, she likes the hairballs."
"Why don't you?" Setsuna asked.
"Because they didn't have my permission to move into my house, and didn't care if they did have it," Malachite replied, his pale blue eyes flashing. "They mock me and interfere between myself and Zoisite. It's difficult to maintain control of your own home when you're not only outnumbered, but have magical forces working against you."
Setsuna felt torn in her sympathies. It certainly sounded as if Malachite were being unfairly steamrollered. Who was to say these magical sprites weren't dangerous? She could understand his resentment at having them barge into his home. Then she remembered Zoisite, lost and alone, struggling to maintain some dignity despite obvious physical and disguised emotional pain. If she enjoyed the sprites' company, it might be for the best that they were there. The mansion had to be a lonely place for her with she and Malachite not getting along.
"Maybe the sprites are looking for a home," she suggested. "A family."
"Then they should turn themselves in at the orphanage," Malachite stated. His voice softened at the shock in her eyes. "You must understand, Setsuna, that when you have a lot of money, would-be relatives start crawling out of the woodwork. I feel as sorry for homeless kids as anyone else, but no one can save the world."
A tiny smile flitted across Setsuna's face. "I'm not so sure about that," she murmured, then remembered what they were discussing. "Listen, if they aren't doing any damage to the property and Zoisite enjoys them, why not just leave them alone? It's not as if they're living off you--tree sprites don't eat, right?"
"That's true," Malachite said, sounding as if admitting that much was painful. "But it still sets a bad example for Zoisite. She can't respect me if she sees I've lost control."
"I saw Zoisite today," Setsuna said quietly. "She seemed lonely to me. It would be a gracious gesture on your part to let the sprites remain."
"It's a moot point, my dear, as I can't get rid of them, anyway." Malachite studied her closely. "Where did you see Zoisite?"
"Hello, Malachite."
The pair looked up to see all the girls and the two cats watching them. None of the expressions were friendly. Lita and Haruka both had their arms folded and their eyes were cold.
"Hello, girls," he said. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks," Lita said. "I'm glad you're here. You can give me a ride over to your place."
Malachite frowned. "I don't understand."
"Zoisite and I rescheduled our date for tonight. We're spending it at your house," Lita explained. "I trust that's okay with you?"
Malachite glanced at Setsuna questioningly and she shrugged. "I didn't know a thing about it."
"No one did," Lita said. "We had a feeling that telling others would jinx it, if you get my meaning."
Setsuna didn't, but Malachite did. He smiled at Lita--a smile that didn't quite touch his eyes. "Well, we couldn't have that, could we? I'll be glad to give you a ride, Lita."
"You should have been at track practice, Malachite," Haruka remarked casually. "You'd have been proud of Zoisite. She broke her own record."
Malachite stiffened. "Zoisite was at track practice?" he asked tightly.
"Of course," Haruka said in feigned surprise. "Why wouldn't she be?"
"I thought--" Malachite stopped himself and narrowed his eyes at the girls. "Did nothing unusual happen at school today?"
"Not unless you count my not getting detention in Japanese class," Haruka replied.
Setsuna watched this exchange suspiciously. Something was being carefully avoided mention on both sides, yet everyone seemed to know what the true story was. Except her.
At that moment, Amy returned from the library. "Hi everyone!" she greeted and walked over to join them. Her gaze fell on Malachite and she gasped, "What are you doing here, you--"
Raye quickly silenced her with a hand over her mouth and pulled her out of sight into the foyer. Urgent murmuring followed, confusing and frustrating Setsuna further.
"What's going on here?" she asked.
Malachite glanced at his watch. "I'm afraid I must be going. Lita, are you ready?"
"Yes," she said firmly.
"What about your dinner, Lita?" Setsuna asked.
"I had something to eat when I got home," she answered, and headed for the door. Malachite stood and smiled at Setsuna.
"Thank you for the tea. I'll see you in class tomorrow."
She watched him leave with Lita, then turned to the group of scouts. "All right, what was that all about?"
"What do you mean?" Haruka asked. Setsuna focused her attention on her.
"You were downright hostile to him and I'd like an explanation!"
"I thought I was perfectly polite," Haruka replied. She put her arm around Michiru and they began following the others upstairs.
"Haruka!"
The tomboy paused and looked back. "What is it, Setsuna?"
"I know you're keeping something from me about Malachite and I demand to know what it is!"
"I'm not at liberty to discuss it," Haruka said firmly.
"And yet you feel at liberty to be snide to my guest?" Setsuna retorted. "You owe me an explanation!"
"Bill me later," Haruka replied and continued toward the stairs with Michiru.
It was too much for Setsuna. She was thoroughly confused over Malachite, Zoisite, and who was to be believed about the other. Haruka could help clear things up, but was being a smart aleck instead.
"Haruka, you're grounded!"
The blonde stopped so abruptly that Michi almost stumbled. Haruka turned back, her expression incredulous. "You're kidding me!"
"I am not," Setsuna told her sternly. "Except for track practice, you're to come straight home after school for the next week."
"Are you out of your mind?!" Haruka yelled. "I have two races this weekend! And Michi has her first swim meet in a few days! I'm not missing that!"
"Yes, you are," Setsuna's tone was even. "Unless you want to apologize to both myself and Malachite for your rudeness."
"I'm not apologizing to that guy for anything," Haruka declared forcefully.
"Have it your way then. Go to your room."
Haruka held her gaze for a moment, then stormed upstairs without waiting for Michi. Setsuna went back to the kitchen to finish dinner, knowing a lot of pots and pans would be banged around in the process.

Malachite glanced at Lita out of the corner of his eye. They'd been alone in the car for a few minutes, but she hadn't said anything. Funny thing, considering her attitude back at the house. It hadn't been hard to see that Setsuna's girls had all turned on him. He wasn't sure what had happened to bring that on, but it was clear the die was cast. The only saving grace was that Setsuna didn't seem to be in on the conspiracy. Yet. He glanced at Lita again and decided that if she wouldn't bring it up, he would.
"Are you going to tell me why you and your friends looked at me as if I were a criminal?" he asked bluntly. "Has Zoisite been telling lies again?"
Lita gave him a funny look. "Zoisite wouldn't talk about you at all. She even tried covering up the facts about your treatment of her. We found out, anyway. We finally convinced her she can trust us, and now she tells us everything."
That was the last thing Malachite wanted to hear. He tried not to let his anxiety show. "Don't believe everything she says," he warned. "She can be very misleading."
"And you're a straight-shooter, huh?" Lita said skeptically. "Don't insult me by thinking I'll buy your story over Zoisite's. There's too much evidence to support her side."
"Just what have I done that's so terrible?!" he demanded. "She lives in a mansion with her own private bath and servants to wait on her "
"Spy on her," Lita corrected.
"She has more amenities than a country club and gourmet food every day--"
"Yeah, when she's allowed to eat and isn't confined to her room."
"She was being punished!" Malachite nearly shouted. "That girl is far too cocky and I'm not going to let her walk all over me!"
Lita glared at him. "She may not be an angel but she's not a demon, either. You're an unreasonable power-freak. If she's not doing something wrong, you invent something and punish her for it."
At that moment, Malachite wanted nothing more than to punish _Lita_ for daring to speak to him this way. There was a more pressing matter he had to find out about, however. "Setsuna doesn't seem to share your opinion."
"She doesn't know the truth yet." Lita faced forward, her voice evincing her frustration. "Zoisite won't let us tell her."
Malachite was both stunned and suspicious. Why should Zoisite break down and tell everyone about their homelife except Setsuna? It didn't make sense. She wouldn't have admitted he'd bested her to anyone before Alan and Ann showed up.
The tree sprites, he thought fiercely. This had to be their doing. Well, he'd find a way to deal with them. But first there was this impertinent girl to bring down to earth.
"You know, Lita, if I so choose, I can make it very difficult for you to ever date Zoisite again."
She gave a short laugh. "Try it and I'll tell Setsuna everything, despite Zoisite's request."
"Maybe she won't believe you," he said icily.
"Maybe she will," Lita replied. "And I'm betting you won't want to take that chance."
She was right. Malachite wasn't ready to admit defeat, though. He shrugged. "I guess it's an irrelevant matter. Now that Zoisite seems to feel she has unlimited freedom, I'm sure she'll be playing the field quite a bit. She's wanted to date for a long time, and I doubt she'll settle for one fourteen-year-old girlfriend when she gets offers from people closer to her own age."
Lita blinked and Malachite knew he'd hit home. He and Setsuna had talked about her girls and their personalities, and he remembered her saying that Lita had low self-esteem. He may not be breaking she and Zoisite up with this tactic, but the seed of doubt was planted. When it came right down to it, what he said would likely be true, anyway.
Lita took a deep breath. "Even if she does want to date other people, I'll still be her friend." She gave Malachite a warning look. "We all will be."
They'd reached a stand-off. Neither was satisfied with the outcome, but there was nothing more to say. They continued the ride in cold silence.

"Feeling better?"
Better was an understatement as far as Zoisite was concerned. It had been a while since the tree sprites tended to her 'injury', but the erotic sensation of gentle hands smoothing the cream over her tortured skin stayed with her. She didn't even care that one of those hands on her naked flesh had been Alan's--his touch was tender and that's all that mattered. By the time he and Ann were done, her bottom no longer burned. She couldn't say the same for the rest of her love-starved body, however.
God, I need a girlfriend, Zoisite thought.
"Zoisite?"
She looked at Alan and Ann, who were watching her anxiously. It was then she realized that she still hadn't answered Ann's question. "I'm fine now," she assured them. "Thanks to you two."
They beamed. "We're glad we could help," Alan said.
"We're not done yet," Ann said. "We haven't forgotten about keeping Malachite busy during your date."
"I'm not even sure I've still got a date coming," Zoisite admitted. "Lita knows what happened today, she may figure I'm not in the mood for company."
"Is that true?" Alan asked.
Zoisite shrugged. In a way, it was. She couldn't muster much enthusiasm for the date, which surprised her considering what she'd been thinking a minute earlier. She did like Lita, and wanted to stay friends with her, but were they really a good couple? Lita was very pretty and tall, which Zoisite needed with her own long legs. But the truth was she didn't feel desire for Lita. She'd never felt that particular way about anyone. Attraction maybe, but not desire.
A picture of Setsuna's beautiful face and long green hair flashed through her mind. Okay, she amended, maybe once she had felt desire. And the more she thought about Setsuna, the stronger the feeling became.
Oh, get real, Zoisite, she scolded herself. She's under Malachite's spell. Even if she weren't, she'd never be interested in you. God only knows what Malachite told her about you. She probably thinks of you as a spoiled child. And if she didn't already, she surely would if she knew about the paddling.
Which was exactly why she hadn't let the others take Setsuna into their confidence.
"Malachite's back," Alan said suddenly.
Zoisite heard the murmur of voices downstairs and tensed. If Malachite had found out what happened that morning, now was when he'd come torment her about it. She heard his approach up the stairs, then he appeared in her doorway, scowling at the sight of the tree sprites.
"You have a guest downstairs," he said. "I stopped by Setsuna's on the way home and Lita accompanied me over."
Conflicting emotions tugged at Zoisite simultaneously. First came relief that he still didn't know about the paddling, then a flash of ...something ... at hearing he'd spent more time with Setsuna, and finally, the realization that Lita was here early and she wasn't prepared.
"You look fine," Ann told her with a pat on her shoulder. "Go ahead, we'll take care of you-know-what." She winked.
"Thanks, guys," Zoisite said gratefully. She passed by Malachite without a glance and made her way down the hall to the stairs. There was no longer any hint of physical pain in her stride. Malachite glared after her, then turned his cold eyes back to the sprites, only to find that they'd vanished from sight. Shaking his head in frustration, he headed for his own room. First he would change, then he'd haunt Zoisite and Lita the entire time they were together and ensure no covert plotting took place. He went into his room and shut the door.
The tree sprites materialized in the hallway and pressed their pointy ears to the bedroom door.
"He's in there," Alan confirmed. "Let's do it."
Before Malachite had changed clothes, his outer doorknob was secured tightly to the banister across the hall with a vine donated by the tree. Alan and Ann sat down on either side of the door and grinned at each other as the doorknob finally wiggled and Malachite cursed.
"What the hell's wrong with this door?!" he demanded, trying to pull it open. "What's going on out there?!"
"Sorry, Pretty Boy," Ann sang out. "You're staying in there until Zoisite's date is over."
"It's not that we don't trust you," Alan said, then laughed, "Actually, that's _exactly_ it!"
Inside the room, Malachite resisted the urge to start pounding on the door. He might be able to attract the staff's attention, but none of them would mess with the tree sprites. For some stupid reason, they were all afraid of them. But he wasn't, not even close. Forcing down his rage, he walked over to the telephone, looked up a number in his book, and dialed.
"Hello, Jadeite," he said coolly. "I'm calling in that favour you owe me. I want you to get me every bit of information you can gather on tree sprites. I'm especially interested in any weaknesses they may have."

Lita dangled her legs in the pool and smiled at Zoisite, but privately she knew something was wrong. She'd waited until they were well away from the house before asking how she was feeling. Zoisite assured her that the tree sprites had taken care of her, and she was also confident that Malachite wouldn't bother them. Despite all this, Lita suspected Zoisite was preoccupied. It didn't help that Malachite's predictions kept running through her mind. Was Zoisite just feeling lousy after her awful day, or was she sorry they'd arranged this date at all?
"I guess I should have known this wouldn't be a good time for our date," Lita remarked.
Zoisite looked at her apologetically. "I'm sorry, Lita. We worked so hard to get to this point, and now--" she sighed.
Lita stared down at the water. "You really aren't interested in me after all, are you?"
Zoisite placed her hand quickly over Lita's. "I like you very much, honestly I do. I really hope we can stay friends."
Lita groaned. "I can't believe it, Malachite was right. Only even he thought we'd have one full date before you dumped me."
"Don't listen to anything Malachite says," Zoisite told her firmly. "He's a jerk and a troublemaker."
"But in this case, he was right."
"No, he wasn't," Zoisite insisted. "This is my own problem, it's got nothing to do with you." She took a deep breath. "Lita, when I accepted your invitation, it was because you stood out among our schoolmates. That still holds true. You're a beautiful, intelligent, interesting person."
"Then why won't you give me a chance?" Lita asked.
"I would, if I were as selfish as Malachite thinks I am," Zoisite admitted. "But I don't want to lead you on. See, what none of us counted on was my falling for someone who doesn't even go to our school."
Lita's eyes widened. "You mean this just happened recently?"
"Today, in fact," Zoisite confirmed, then shrugged. "It's a useless crush, she'd never be interested in me."
"Why not?" Lita demanded. "Everyone at our school wants you."
Zoisite smiled ruefully. "I have a feeling everyone at her school wants _her_. I'm doomed to be an anonymous admirer, just like the girls who follow _me_ around."
"Ha!" Lita laughed. "You've never been anonymous before, Zoisite. I don't think you ever could be."
"Thanks," Zoisite said gratefully and glanced at Lita. "You don't seem upset."
"I guess I'm not, now that I know the reason why," Lita said. "I can relate to love at first sight. It happens to me at least once a week."
Zoisite grinned. "Then I guess we're both better off, since you probably would have dumped me within a week anyhow."
Lita giggled. "I think you're right, though, we should stay friends. The girls at my house are all glad to be on good terms with you now."
"It feels good to me, too," Zoisite confessed, then frowned slightly. "Did Malachite say or do anything out of line when he was at your house? Other than trying to upset you about me, I mean."
"Oh, he was feeding Setsuna a song and dance about your tree sprites and how they have no right to be here. She tried to convince him to let them stay, since you like them so much."
"She did that?" Zoisite smiled.
"We didn't hear all of their conversation, but that seemed to be the gist of it. She told him she saw you today and that you seemed lonely."
A hot blush flooded Zoisite's cheeks and she quickly averted her face, but not before Lita noticed. She wondered what it was about what she'd said that could affect Zoisite like that. Was it the thought that Malachite might gloat about her isolation? "I'm sure Setsuna didn't mean any harm by telling him that," Lita hastened to add.
"Of course she didn't," Zoisite said emphatically. She looked at Lita with conviction in her eyes. "Setsuna would never hurt anyone."
It struck Lita like her own lightning bolt. Setsuna. The girl from another school that had captured Zoisite's heart was _Setsuna_. She felt a sudden rush of sympathy for Zoisite. How awful it must be for her to know Malachite was already dating Setsuna. What made it worse was that Lita knew the two girls would make a great couple. They were both graceful and ladylike, but had no qualms about standing up for themselves. It didn't matter that Zoisite was still in high school while Setsuna was in college. Zoisite had been independent for a long time. Losing her parents and dealing with Malachite had forced her to grow up quickly.
Still, she didn't think it would be a good idea to tell Zoisite that she'd guessed her secret. Instead she'd see if she and the others could do some quiet matchmaking on the side. With a little help and a bit of luck, Zoisite and Setsuna would come together and be happy.
And _she'd_ be happy just to see the look on Malachite's face when he realized he'd lost Setsuna to his stepsister.
"Hey, you know what?" Lita said, changing the subject. "I'd really like to meet those tree sprites."
"Okay." Zoisite got up with a grin. "Let's go in and see what they've done to Malachite."
The two girls went into the house and up the stairs. Lita marveled at the splendor that Zoisite had grown up in. It just went to prove that money didn't buy happiness. Although, Lita suspected, it made waiting around for happiness a lot more comfortable.
When they got up to the second floor, Zoisite stopped short and stared, then began laughing. Lita was too stunned to laugh. The sight of the two colorful tree sprites was such a shock, she barely noticed the vine connecting the doorknob to the railing.
"Hi Zoisite!" Ann greeted as she and Alan stood up. "Is this Lita?"
"Yes," Zoisite said. "Lita, this is Ann and that's Alan."
"A pleasure." Alan bowed gallantly.
"It's really nice meeting you," Ann added with a warm smile.
"Same here," Lita said, trying not to stare and failing. "Wow, you two are beautiful," she finally stated.
The sprites blushed with pleasure. "You're very kind," Alan said. "I hope we can be friends."
"Sure thing." Lita finally saw the vine and realized its purpose. She grinned. "Pretty smart."
"Thank you," Ann replied. "We think he may be up to something though."
"After initially trying the door and finding it wouldn't open, he gave up," Alan explained.
"That does sound suspicious," Zoisite admitted. "But so long as he's still in there, I guess it's okay." She smiled at the sprites. "If it's safe for you to leave your post, why don't you come with Lita and I? We can play doubles tennis."
"We've never played before, but we can give it a try," Ann said eagerly.
"And don't worry about him." Alan gestured at Malachite's door. "He's not going anywhere, and none of the servants could damage the root if they tried."
"Then let's go!" Lita said enthusiastically.

"_You_ knock," Serena told Raye as she, Mina, and Amy stood outside Haruka and Michiru's bedroom door.
"Why me?!" Raye demanded. "I don't want Haruka taking my head off!"
"Michi's in there, too, and she won't let Haruka attack anyone," Serena said.
"Then why won't you do the knocking?!"
"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Amy said in exasperation and knocked firmly on the door.
"Go away!" Haruka called out. Michi's soft voice murmured to her, then the tomboy said more calmly, "Who is it?"
"It's us, Haruka," Amy answered. "May we come in?"
"As long as Setsuna's not with you, yeah."
Amy opened the door and the girls filed into the room. Michiru smiled softly at them from where she sat on the bed beside Haruka, holding her hand.
"We missed you both at dinner earlier," Mina told them.
"I told Michi she could go down, but she didn't want to," Haruka said. "And I certainly wasn't eating at the same table as that green-haired tyrant."
"So what are you going to do?" Amy asked. "Eat out every night?"
"Hey, I was mad, okay? I still am," Haruka ran a hand through her short gold hair. "She had no right to ground me."
"If you look at it her way, she did," Raye remarked. "She's the only one who still doesn't know how Malachite treats Zoisite. She had no way of knowing why we were all mad at him. All she knows is that you were rude to her guest and you won't explain why."
"I can't explain why!" Haruka declared. "Zoisite won't let me!"
"Setsuna doesn't know that," Serena said quietly. "Look at it from her perspective."
Haruka sighed in frustration. "Okay, okay. Maybe I did come across as a brat. But it just galls me to see her eating up that creep's lies when we all know what he's really like."
"It's not going to matter much longer."
Everyone looked toward the doorway where Lita stood with a knowing grin.
"Hi, how was your date?" Amy asked.
"As a date, it bombed, but as time spent with a new friend, it was fun." Lita closed the door and joined the others, her eyes sparkling mischievously. "I've got big news, and let me tell you, you're not going to believe it."
"Wait, hold it," Raye interrupted. "Before you start on a new subject, can you clear something up about the first one? Why is it that you sound so happy after a lousy date? I thought you really liked Zoisite."
"I did. I do. It's just now I like her in a different way. We wouldn't work out as a couple, especially since she's fallen in love with someone else."
"Who?" Everyone leaned forward curiously.
Lita beamed. "Setsuna."
The responding outcry was so loud that Michiru had to hush everyone lest Setsuna come to investigate. "You're kidding us!" Mina said to Lita. "When did this happen?"
"Just today," Lita answered. "And personally, I think they'd make a great match."
"You may be right," Amy said thoughtfully.
"Zoisite would sure be an improvement on Malachite," Haruka commented.
"Just what I was thinking." Lita smiled. "And exactly why we should do everything possible to bring them together."

End of Chapter 8

Story contents (C) 1997 Tenou Haruka

Sailor Moon characters (C) Naoko Takeuchi