Bishoujou Senshi Sailor Moon : Shadow Plays ------------------------------------------- Vignette 5 : Serenade Moonlight gleamed brightly across the balcony of Setsuna's apartment, flowing like quicksilver through the half-opened doorway, casting soft shadows through the room. The open curtains fluttered silently in the breeze, thin gauze drifting lazily into the night. Setsuna lay half-asleep on her bed, staring, watching for a time the play of light and shade on her skin, before turning silently to gaze into the entrancing beauty of the night sky. The thin sheets clung uncomfortably to her body in the humid air, the heat denying her the final, comforting drift into sleep. How long she had lain awake she did not know, the inexorable drift of moon and stars the only hint that time was even passing at all. For a brief moment, the shadow of a cloud blocked the moonlight, and some flicker of motion caught her eye. There was someone... a woman, standing on the balcony outside. The light behind her obscured her face from view, leaving nothing but a statuesque shadow against the glass. Who was she? How long had she been watching? The woman seemed content merely to stand at the window. Watching. Waiting. Setsuna lay motionless beneath the sheets, eyes barely open, her heartbeat racing in her ears, forcing herself to calm her shallow breathing. Moments stretched into a trembling eternity as she waited for some sign of action from the watcher. Finally the woman seemed to arrive at a decision, walking slowly towards the doorway. Long, dark hair flowed behind her as she moved, seeming almost to drink the very light from the air around her, a cloak of purest darkness. Setsuna was shocked to realise that she had been holding her breath, letting it out in a gentle sigh of relief. The woman paused for a moment at the threshold, before slipping silently inside, every movement breathtakingly graceful. Again she waited, just inside the doorway, almost vanishing into the shadows of the room. Setsuna closed her eyes, hoping desperately to avoid detection as she strained to hear some sign of her visitor. Feather-light footsteps pressed slowly across the carpet towards her, until it seemed her heart would burst from her chest, so rapidly did it beat. Warm, slow breaths drifted gently across her skin, together with the merest memory of lavender and incense. Fabric rustled softly at her side, and then she could feel the woman's breath, burning hot against her cheek. "What do you dream about, Setsuna-san?" she asked, her voice barely a sibilant whisper. Soft, warm lips brushed delicately against her skin, and she gasped, eyes flying open with a start. She was alone, the bedsheets clinging tightly to her sweat-damp skin, the only sounds the shuddering of her breath and the hammering of her heart. Outside, the waning moon dipped low in the sky, the curtains fluttering softly out into the darkness. FIN