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Chapter Text

A BEGINNING

Sailor Pluto frowned as she gazed into the swirling chaos that was Time. It had distorted a great deal ever since the Black Moon and Small Lady had recklessly and repeatedly travelled through time, but the combination of the Silver Crystals of Present and Future had repaired those distortions. From her Space-Time Door, she witnessed the repercussions of that battle. The swirling colours had halted for a moment, and then started swirling in a different direction. The chaos had maintained this direction for a while, but Pluto had recently started seeing black blotches appear in the colours, as if something was in the process of changing irreparably.

I've never seen anything like this before. What does it mean?

Thoughtfully, Pluto turned around, and raised the Time Key to close the Doors behind her. They thudded shut with an echoing creak, and the etchings of the phases of the moon gradually lost their light.

She stared out at the foggy mists surrounding her. It gave her something to do. Although it was just a habit, as she was staring at the same nothingness she had lived in for the last thousand years.

I suppose I shouldn't complain. I don't need to eat. I don't need to sleep.

But it will never end.

She turned her head back to the Space-Time Door, as if hoping for them to open again.

I don't remember the last time I saw her. I suppose she's older now.

One of the side effects of her eternal vigil at the Space-Time Door is that the Mists of Time could visualize her memories. Sometimes this was a comfort to Pluto, because she could relive her brief moments of happiness. But most of the time, it gave her pain.

A misty apparition of a pink haired girl in a flowing white dress bounded out of the Space-Time Door, calling out excitedly, "Puu! PUU! I've missed you so much!" It was partially transparent, so Pluto knew that this was just her memory of the child. Small Lady had not come to visit. No one else did, either.

I did tell them that this place was forbidden. No wonder no one comes. I even raised my Key to execute Sailor Moon. How foolish I was. How stupid the rules are.

As if in spite, the mists recreated a foggy vision of Pluto preparing to kill a confused and frightened Sailor Moon.

"Are you trying to mock me?"

The mists dissipated quickly.

Pluto sat down on the cold, misty floor. It was hard to see under the swirling clouds, but the floor was comprised of infinite dark blue tiles bearing Pluto's planetary symbol. As if to show her that this was, and forever shall be, her home.

I miss them. I want to see them. I want to see him, as much as it kills me.

She began to shake her head. "No, no! You're not going to make me look at him again," she said to the mists. She had no idea why, but they seemed to listen to her. Ridiculous idea, really.

Suddenly, a sweet voice echoed from the darkened chamber. "I think it is time for a change."

Pluto stood up and gripped her key, holding it defensively. She was not going to attack unprovoked again. "Who's there? Who are you?" She looked around her quickly, trying not to show her fear.

A golden light appeared in the centre of the chamber, filling the dark room with warmth. From within that golden light, a tiny person materialized, floating in the air. She had long, silver-white hair, and translucent silver wings.

The spirit of Queen Serenity smiled at Sailor Pluto. "Do you remember me?"

In shock, Pluto dropped her key, and fell down to her knees. "Your Majesty! You...I thought you were...but...how..." At a loss for words, she bowed deferentially again to the Queen.

Queen Serenity frowned slightly. "That is not necessary, Sailor Pluto." Then she smiled again. "But I am glad you remember. Please stand up. I wish to talk with you."

Sheepishly, Pluto picked up her Key and slowly stood up. "How...how can I be of service?"

Whenever she would see those few visitors, Pluto had always acted aloof, and tried to maintain calmness and formality at all times. She did not want to show too much attachment. But her relationship with Queen Serenity was different. She could not relax around the Monarch, but she could, for once, show vulnerability.

Before Queen Serenity could speak, the mists swirled again and formed an image of a tiny green-haired child in a black dress, listening to an impossibly tall and regal woman with silver hair give her instructions.

"My dear child," a kind voice with an empty echo said to the girl.

"Yes, ma'am?" Princess Pluto's eyes were wide. She had never seen a woman so resplendent with kindness and magic.

"I am going to ask you to do something. It is perhaps the most important job a Sailor Senshi will ever have."

"A Sailor Senshi? What's a Sailor Senshi?'

"You mean you've never...? Well. I'll be speaking to your father later. In the meantime, take this." A dark purple rod appeared in the Queen's hand. On the top of the rod was a stylized depiction of Pluto with two moons orbiting it. She handed it to the young Princess.

As Princess Pluto grasped the rod, it flashed a dark purple light. Her dress instantaneously changed into a child's version of the Sailor Uniform. Her collar, skirt, and boots were black, and her ribbon trim was a dark maroon. In her right hand, a giant silver key materialized. It glittered with yellow topaz jewels. And it dwarfed the child, but she did not have any trouble carrying it. It felt weightless.

Queen Serenity smiled warmly at the child. "You are the first of the Sailor Senshi. The one who is the guardian of Pluto. And, as I said, your responsibilities will be among the most important. You will help protect our Solar System from outside invaders. And, you, Princess Pluto, daughter of Chronos...will be the Mistress of Time."

The child Sailor Pluto began running around the Gates of Time with excitement. "I'm a Sailor Senshi! I'm the most important Sailor Senshi!"

Serenity chuckled. "Hold on, my dear, there is something I need to tell you. There are duties you will need to uphold. And three rules, Three Taboos, that you must never break."

"No, I think we both remember the rules very well. It is not necessary to see me explain them again." The spirit Queen Serenity waved her hand dismissively, and the mists disappeared.

The mists then suddenly made the form of the child Sailor Pluto again. But she was aging rapidly. The child Pluto's eyes sparkled with purpose and ambition. Soon she grew to around Small Lady's current age, eyes still bright. Then an awkward preteen with legs that had gone through a growth spurt before the rest of her body did. Pluto flushed with embarrassment. Then a stunning teenager somewhat older than Usagi. Instead of standing straight and tall, she slumped a bit, as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. It still did not diminish from her beauty. And finally, the mists formed Pluto's current age, an elegant adult. But her eyes no longer sparkled; they were clouded with loneliness.

Pluto had never quite understood why she'd aged in a place where time stood still. But after the fall of the Silver Millennium, she'd ceased to age. She had maintained this exact form for over a thousand years. The sparkle never returned to her eyes. They had been dulled from centuries of isolation. And, unlike all the other Sailor Senshi, only she alone was never reincarnated.

Queen Serenity cocked an eyebrow slightly. "How long have the mists been reacting to your memories?"

Pluto paused, trying to remember. Memory and time meant nothing here, really. She was asking an almost impossible question.

Hesitantly, she spoke. "A while."

"I see. Well, that gives me more than enough reason to grant you a little bit of freedom." She smiled once more at the solitary soldier.

Freedom?

Something she had never known.

The spirit floated over to the Space-Time Door, resting in front of them. The Queen studied them carefully, and then raised a hand. The Gates obeyed, slowly opening to reveal the swirling chaos.

She spoke, the normal echo of her words absorbed within the Gates. "I would like you to do something for me. I shall explain what I require of you. You will then freely have a choice to accept the mission or not. It's the least I can do for you."

Pluto stared at the spirit cautiously, then nodded.

"The Black Moon was only the second of the enemies that the Sailor Senshi shall face. You, too, I'm sure, have observed the spikes in Time that have been caused by future battles. And future changes."

Pluto nodded.

"I would like for you to leave your post. This would be temporary, but you will not have to fear intruders attempting to manipulate Time for evil gains. The Gates will remain protected. In exchange for this freedom, you are to travel to the 20th Century. And watch over my daughter and her friends. Help them. Influence them. But remain unseen."

"So...I can't talk with them?"

"Not as Sailor Pluto, and even then, you shouldn't communicate unless absolutely necessary. When you reveal who you are, it will change everything. That spiked change you see in Time before you? That will be you."

Pluto stared at the swirling spike, feeling guilty over an act she had not done yet.

Serenity smiled once more, and continued. "In the 20th Century you shall create yourself an identity. A life. Sailor Pluto, eternal solitary guardian of the Gates of Time, shall only be an aspect of yourself."

But Sailor Pluto is all that I am.

Pluto gripped her Time Key, and sadly turned her eyes away from the Space-Time Door, and looked at the ground.

"You would be free to make your own choices in the 20th Century. You would influence the future with your every action. And, you will fight alongside them. For your power is needed." Serenity's eyes lingered on the Time Key. "Have you ever heard of the Talismans?"

"I have seen glimpses of them. All that I know is that they are powerful artefacts with a specific purpose."

Serenity nodded. "That's correct. In addition to assisting your fellow Senshi, I must ask you to seek out the Talismans. And, as a Senshi of the Outer Solar System, I must ask you to join with your other Outer Senshi and protect the Earth from outside invaders."

"Are there any more tasks required of me?" Pluto sounded slightly more insolent than she intended to.

Queen Serenity's expression became deadly serious. "Yes, there is one more thing." She closed her eyes. It was now her turn for her memories to be visualized.

Queen Serenity was on her hands and knees, sobbing bitterly. The Moon Stick lay next to her hands, the Silver Crystal gleaming.

There were echoes of screams, of cruel laughter, and of explosions and crashes.

Then, a shadowed person's footsteps echoed behind the Queen.

Queen Serenity turned her head behind her.

The person stepping out of the shadows was a black haired Sailor Senshi clad in purple.

The Senshi's eyes were clouded and her expression was emotionless. She slowly held a gleaming white sickle over her head.

"So...it's you." Serenity's past self echoed, her eyes hardening. "It's all over then."

The Senshi nodded, but would not speak. Then she lowered her sickle in a perfect arc.

And all went silent.

Pluto's eyes widened with shock. "I've seen signs of that girl! She's another Sailor Senshi! But...what was she doing?"

"Ending everything." Serenity's voice was wrought with pain. "Sailor Saturn. The Soldier of Death and Rebirth. The Soldier of Destruction. It wasn't the Dark Kingdom who ended the Silver Millennium for good. It was her. And I watched her, and everyone else except the cats, die immediately after she lowered her Silence Glaive. All that was left was for me to use the Silver Crystal. You'd sensed massive changes in the Timestream, so you were here. I imagine you'd detected the Silver Crystal facilitating the rebirth of everyone."

Pluto nodded, recalling the incident. "Was Saturn reborn like the others?" She couldn't help feeling a touch of resentment.

"Yes. Sailor Saturn is born with power capable of destroying a planet. If Sailor Saturn should appear before you, know that the end has come."

Pluto's insides went cold with fright.

But I sensed her appearance in the future!

She dashed back over to the Space-Time Door. Raising her Time Key, she silently ordered the swirling mists to show her, once more, the vision of Sailor Saturn.

Without her actually stepping into through the Gates to experience them, her visions of events in Time would only appear as visions in Pluto's mind. Her visions of the future were always dark, and full of symbolism rather than explicitly described. But this vision was darker than usual.

A black maelstrom of evil power was tearing up the ground. Directly in the line of the maelstrom's direction were blurry visions of what Pluto sensed were the other Sailor Senshi. They were dead, that much the vision was telling her, but how they'd died was a mystery. Their bodies were disintegrated in the chaos. And then, a woman appeared on a broken ledge. No, wait, a girl. The longer Pluto focused on the person on the ledge, the blurrier her age and body seemed to be. Her eyes were glowing a dark, malevolent purple. A scythe appeared in her hand. Is this...Sailor Saturn? But then, the girl leapt off the ledge and slaughtered the Seer with her scythe.

She broke out of the vision, panting and with her heart pounding. It wasn't her that had been killed, but she felt as though she had anyway. No matter how many times she witnessed the vision, she couldn't make much sense of it. But seeing it once more strengthened her resolve. She raised her Key again, and the Doors closed once more.

I have to do something.

"I am asking you to prevent Sailor Saturn's awakening at all costs. For if all the signs are correct, history will repeat itself and she will unleash her destructive power once again. She dies immediately as a price of using the power of Death, so she only appears when all else is lost. She uses her powers as a last resort." Queen Serenity took a deep breath, with difficulty. "So I am asking you to change the future."

She looked into Pluto's eyes. "Shall you take on this mission? It is difficult, I realize. I will not judge you if you choose to stay here."

Pluto walked a bit, deliberately not looking at Serenity's face. She clenched her fists, her heart torn between fear, duty, and excitement.

"How can I possibly say no?"

Chapter Text

STEPPING INTO THE LIGHT

Pluto stepped out from the open Space-Time Door into a courtyard bathed in blazing sunlight, and the doors disappeared silently behind her. She shielded her eyes instinctively. Her eyes had not viewed natural light in a millennia. But the warmth of the sun felt wonderful. She'd been cold for so long. Her eyes gradually acclimatized to the light, and she relaxed, surveying her surroundings. The ground was paved with pink granite bricks. An elegant white metal table was shaded by a weeping willow, with two matching metal chairs waiting invitingly for someone to use them. The bank containing the weeping willow tapered off into the Pacific Ocean, glittering greenly in the sunlight and smelling fresh and salty.

A wafting early spring breeze breathed over her skin. She had never felt the wind before. Nor had ever she smelled the ocean. Pluto breathed in deeply, enjoying the awakening of her senses. She then heard footsteps and a soft conversation tinged with laughter not far from her.

Oh goodness! I can't be seen like this!

She held up her transformation rod, and took a deep breath. It flashed in response to her thoughts, and her transformation melted away in a couple of seconds. It had been equally long since she'd taken a civilian form, and she would never get used to the temporary sensation of her nudity between transforming and de-transforming. She didn't like feeling vulnerable.

Before leaving the Space-Time Door, Pluto had used the Time Key's powers to give herself a civilian identity. She had not been reborn on Earth like the other Senshi, but due to her Time manipulation powers, for all intents and purposes, she was now an Earthling. She had no memory of what her life was before she stepped out of the Space-Time Door, but her name was Setsuna Meiou, born October 29th, 1974. As the date she arrived in the 20th Century was March 19th, 1994, she was chronologically 19 years old. She noted that it was an exceptionally warm March.

She was wearing a mauve jacket with a matching skirt. The skirt was perhaps a tad short, but Pluto had always thought her legs were her best feature, so she decided that if she was going to be a real 20th Century college student, she'd play them up. Tucked into the skirt was a ruffled white blouse with a bright red ribbon. Dangling from her ears were diamond-shaped maroon earrings. And, just to play up the legs a bit more, she wore black stiletto sandals. Having worn boots for centuries, it would take Setsuna a few weeks to get used to the high-heeled shoes.

Setsuna was also holding a small black satchel containing the necessary documents that would allow her to assume a normal life. Some of the documents were generated by the Time Key, so she did not yet know their contents. As she began walking to get used to the sandals, she noted, with surprise, the olive tone of her skin. At the Space-Time Door, light and companionship were at a premium, so she had never noticed that she was not as pale-skinned as the other people she had met. She decided to shrug this off for now. Perhaps her dossier would give her some answers.

She continued walking, and the footsteps and conversation she'd heard earlier became louder. Suddenly, to her chagrin, the stiletto heel of her left sandal had become wedged in the hole of a broken brick paving.

Oh dear! I hope no one sees this!

She had a great deal of trouble getting her foot loose. The couple, spotting Setsuna, stopped talking in surprise. They were both wearing maroon-brown school uniforms. The taller one, a handsome, sandy-haired and green-eyed man, called out to her, "Miss, do you need any help?"

Setsuna flushed. "Yes...if it's not too much trouble."

The man ran up to her quickly. "It's no trouble at all." He winked at her, and kneeled down. He gently gripped her ankle, carefully pulling the heel out, and resting her foot on the ground. He flashed his most charming smile at Setsuna. "Anything for a beautiful woman."

"Tch! There you go again, Haruka." The man's partner, a stunningly beautiful young woman with wavy aqua-coloured hair, looked at him with irritation.

Haruka's face turned white momentarily, and he stood up with surprising agility. "W-Well, she IS beautiful, Michiru! Surely I can pay her a compliment!"

"I'm not so sure that it's just a compliment," Michiru said coldly as she sat down at the white metal table. "Now come sit down. Your lunch is getting cold."

Setsuna flushed again, much deeper.

Five minutes in the 20th Century and I already caused a couple to argue.

"Um...thank you, sir." Setsuna bowed to Haruka politely. She wasn't sure, but she detected a flash of amusement in Haruka's eyes. "Enjoy your lunch."

Setsuna decided to leave the courtyard quickly before causing any more damage. Watching the ground in front of her to make sure she didn't step in any more holes, she opened her satchel and pulled out the map that would lead her to K.O. University, and the small unused apartment in Azabu Juuban that she would be using during her stay in the 20th Century.

Behind her, Haruka and Michiru were still arguing, but now with a much more lighthearted tone.

"I don't really know why you wanted to come here again, Michiru. We were just here yesterday," Haruka said grumpily.

"I like it here," Michiru said crisply, instantly ending the discussion.

Setsuna chuckled with instant affection. She hoped all 20th Century residents were as interesting as those two were.

All three of them could not shake the feeling that something important had just happened.

Chapter Text

THERE ARE NO COINCIDENCES

Setsuna was somewhat disoriented while walking around 20th Century Tokyo. Fortunately, the Time Doors deposited her right near both K.O. University and her future apartment.

Come to think of it, everything's close to each other in Azabu-Juuban.

She wasn't sure why, but decided to take the long way around to her apartment and explore the area a bit. She had a distinct sensation that fate was directing the course of her actions. She smiled a bit at that.

Destiny and fate have a great deal of power, but it's the individual's choice that really counts.

She walked along a street that was mostly populated with stores and restaurants. Two stores, adjacent to each other, caught her eye. The first one was noticeable for the cacophony of varied sounds that were pouring out of its sliding doors; bells, clacks, and computerized sound effects. Setsuna had always been fascinated by computers, so she peered inside. She studied the computers for a while, gradually realizing that they were games rather than tools. She longed to try out the video games and crane machines arranged strategically inside, but decided to walk on, reasoning that a grown woman playing arcade games would probably look ridiculous.

She then passed by a casual but elegant cafe. The chairs looked comfortable, and the drinks looked delicious. Setsuna opened up her satchel to see if there was any money inside. She was shocked and disappointed that it contained everything else except money.

I guess I'll have to get a job.

She sighed. She wondered what kind of work a complete fish out of water could get. But she resolved to figure that out later. Setsuna reluctantly walked past the cafe. As she passed a window, she overheard a heated conversation between a group of teenage girls. Curious, she stopped to look.

"I don't wanna!" a blonde girl said.

Her friend, a blue haired girl, looked at the blonde with horror. "We are going to be entering 9th grade in just a few weeks! 9th grade, Usagi-chan. Do you understand what that means?" Her voice was somehow both authoritative and apprehensive.

Usagi sniffed. "No...?"

Another girl with long raven hair sighed explosively. "It's the last grade before high school, dummy! Which means high school entrance exams!"

Usagi was so repulsed by the idea of the entrance exams that she leaned hard on the table. "Well, maybe I don't wanna go to high school!"

Her friends sighed with exasperation.

"There's a great prospect for our future," another blonde girl, but wearing a red ribbon, said with heavy sarcasm. "Future Queen of the World and she doesn't even want to go to high school."

Queen of the World?!

A brown haired girl with a kind face turned to Usagi. "I know that the exams are scary, Usagi-chan. I'll have to work very hard to pass them too. But maybe it won't be so bad if we all study together?"

Usagi's eyes watered. "Mako-chan..."

The blue haired girl's expression brightened instantly at the suggestion. "Yes! Let's all study together! We're bound to help each other succeed!"

"And by that, Ami-chan, you mean that you will help us to succeed, right?" The girl with the ribbon teased.

Ami pressed her fingers to her forehead and sighed. "I suppose so. But it doesn't mean I'm going to let you slack off, Minako-chan!" She waved her finger commandingly at Minako.

The raven haired girl then suggested, "Let's use one of the rooms in my temple to study. We've got more rooms than we know what to do with!"

"But Rei-chan," said Mako. "You go to a different type of school than we do. Are you going to be taking the same exams?"

Rei flushed deeply. "Actually...um...I won't be taking an entrance exam at all. I move on to my high school automatically."

Usagi and Minako reacted explosively, and, in tandem, yelled at Rei. "EHHHH? THAT'S NOT FAIR!"

This made Rei's temper flare up again. "I'm offering my temple as a study space, aren't I? And I still need to study for regular tests and exams, so what's the difference?"

Usagi started thrashing around and crying loudly. "I don't wanna go to high school! I don't wanna take exams! DON'TWANNADON'TWANNADON'TWANNA!"

Setsuna decided that she didn't want to hear any more. She wondered if the reference to the loud teenager being future "Queen of the World" meant anything. The girls certainly looked like they could be the Sailor Senshi. Setsuna mentally kicked herself for only closely examining the Senshi's past and future, not their present. She would have known for sure then.

Thinking of the Senshi's future made her mentally visualize the apocalyptic vision again. She shook her head to try to rid her thoughts of it. As Setsuna walked away, the raven-haired teenager suddenly shivered.

As Setsuna entered the Azabu neighbourhood, she checked her map again. Fortunately, her destination, her apartment, wasn't too far away. She quickly spotted an upscale high-rise apartment building with wide windows and elegant sliding glass doors. Taking a moment to take in the sight of the place she would call home for the next few months, Setsuna took a deep breath and walked in. The lobby was simple, with just some potted rose bushes and a red carpet decorating it. She did note that the lobby's hallway was overly long, however.

She had a decent idea of how elevators worked, since they were based on basic concepts of physics. Pressing the up button, she waited nervously. If she was being truthful to herself, she was far more nervous about what her dossier would contain than she was about her new apartment.

The elevator landed, and she apprehensively walked inside. She took a moment to study the long columns of buttons inside it.

Goodness, this building has a lot of floors!

She pressed the 29 button just as a black-haired man dashed through the sliding glass doors. In his arms was a long cardboard tube.

"Wait! Wait! Please hold the doors!"

Not knowing how to react, Setsuna scrambled to find a way to keep the elevator doors from closing. She ultimately ended up using her foot to hold the doors open.

The man rushed into the elevator, then stopped to pant. "Th-thank you," he said with shortened breath. As the doors closed, the man straightened up and pressed the button for the 29th floor, and then looked at Setsuna properly.

Oh my God, he looks just like HIM!

The elevator was rising painfully slowly. They spent a few awkward moments in silence. Setsuna felt somewhat embarrassed that she couldn't locate the 29th floor button on her own.

Unable to bear the awkward silence anymore, the black haired man asked her, "I don't think I've seen you here before. Are you visiting someone?"

"Oh, um, no. I just moved in here."

"Oh! Uh...Welcome to the building then!" He paused, cursing his inability to make small talk. "Are you a university student, by any chance?"

She was having trouble focusing on her thoughts. It was so much easier being solitary. It was difficult holding a conversation while both parties were socially awkward.

"N...not yet. But I plan to enrol at K.O. University."

He noticeably brightened up at that, as it was something he could easily talk about. "I'm a third year there! Double-major in chemistry and biology, plus a minor in computer science."

She was taken aback. "Isn't that a lot of work?"

He shrugged. "I'm used to it. I don't feel comfortable with myself if I don't work hard." His eyes became distant. "We were all born on this planet for a reason. I have to give everything of myself, so I can fulfill the purpose I was born for."

He looked at his free hand mysteriously. "I...want to be a doctor someday. I figure hard work is just a part of the job description."

Setsuna was trying desperately to conceal her blushing.

Figuring that discussing university was a safe topic, he continued. "So, what are you planning to major in?"

Another eventuality Setsuna forgot to think of.

"Astrophysics," she blurted out. She was thinking she would major in something simple to pass the time. But when she spoke, something clicked in her mind. The black haired man's words inspired her. This was the right decision. This was what she was born for.

His beautiful blue eyes widened. "Are you planning to become an astronaut?"

"No," Setsuna answered, her words moving faster than her thoughts. "But I want to study the stars and the planets. I need to know what's out there. What's coming for us."

He laughed nervously then. The elevator slowly thudded to a halt on the 29th floor, and made a pleasant dinging noise.

"Well, um, this is my floor!" he said to her with faux cheerfulness, and he exited the elevator. Setsuna slowly inched her way out of it and looked around the quiet hallways. More potted rose bushes. More red carpet. The black-haired man watched her with curiosity.

"Do you also live on this floor, then?"

Setsuna's momentary distraction disappeared. "Oh! Yes. I'm in 29E."

"I'm in 29A. I guess we'll be neighbours, huh?" He suddenly started laughing in embarrassment. "I'm sorry! Forgive my rudeness, I should have introduced myself. I'm Mamoru Chiba," he said, moving the cardboard tube into his other hand so he could shake hands with Setsuna.

"I'm Setsuna Meiou," she said softly. When she clasped his hand, she felt a wonderful warmth that gave her strength.

But curiosity finally overwhelmed her. "What's in the tube?"

Mamoru laughed again. "Oh, this. I was just at a printing and framing store. They were selling a beautiful poster print of the Milky Way galaxy. I had to have it. That's also why I was surprised to hear that you're majoring in Astrophysics. I'm...really happy that someone else shares an interest in space!"

Her eyes shone with wonderment. He was so much like Endymion.

I do not think this meeting is a coincidence.

Mamoru cleared his throat. "Anyway, my girlfriend is coming over, so I need to get this framed before she arrives. Hopefully I'll see you soon, Meiou-san? It was nice meeting you!" He then unlocked his apartment door and promptly went inside.

Setsuna quietly walked over to 29E, her new apartment. She pulled out a tiny gold key from her satchel. It glowed, and opened the door.

As she walked inside and gently closed the door behind her, she whispered, "Nice to meet you too, my King."

Chapter Text

ANSWERS AND QUESTIONS

As Setsuna expected, the apartment was completely empty. There was a lone white curtain covering the wide window in the master bedroom, but otherwise nothing else. The tiny Gold Key in her hand was pulsating with power, as if in anticipation of fulfilling its final task. She had chosen this key off of the collection of small Gold Keys that Sailor Pluto wore on her belt. Each Key on her belt had the ability to access the Powers of Time, but in a limited way, which is why Small Lady's Key was not a foolproof way to travel back and forth in time. Unlike Pluto's large, silver Time Key, the little Gold Keys had no offensive capabilities, nor could they open the Space-Time Door.

Setsuna raised the Gold Key in her hand, and closed her eyes. The key began pulsating harder, radiating out a dark maroon rippling glow that filled the apartment.

The best part is, I can create whatever I want.

Couches, chairs, tables, lamps and a television materialized in the living room. Framed prints of artwork decorated the walls. Towels and bath mats appeared in the bathroom. A desk materialized near the bedroom window, which was then filled with textbooks and a computer. Finally, a large, soft bed appeared in the corner of the bedroom, which was covered with pillows and blankets.

Setsuna smiled with satisfaction. Before entering the 20th Century, she had arranged for the superintendent of the building to be paid for a full year of rent. She lacked money right now, but there were certain advantages to knowing what will happen tomorrow. She had the option of generating herself infinite food and toiletries, but decided that she'd rather earn the money to pay for those herself. She was born to be independent, so independent she will be.

Instead, she planned to use the last of the Gold Key's power to generate herself a wardrobe. She'd never admit it to anyone, but she would often sift through the mists of Time just so she could view the changes in fashion over history. Sailor Pluto was supposed to be the enigmatic, solitary soldier. Not a fashionista.

She prepared to raise the Key once more, but it suddenly became white-hot in her hand. She shouted in pain and dropped the Key. It landed with a tinkle on the hardwood floor. It then made a fizzling sound and vanished into nothingness, leaving a tiny trail of rising smoke in its place. Setsuna dropped down to her knees in shock.

"Oh no no no, you've got to be joking, no."

She glanced at her empty closet with chagrin. She realized with dawning horror that until she started bringing in a great deal of money from her future job, she was stuck wearing the mauve outfit. She didn't even have any slippers to wear around the apartment. She wondered why the Gold Key ran out of power so quickly. Maybe her using it to generate herself a life and a history took more of its limited power than she'd expected.

The trail of white smoke fizzled one more time and dropped a white computerized key card. Setsuna laughed bitterly.

Well, at least I can get back into my own apartment again.

She stood up and surveyed her surroundings.

I suppose it could be worse.

She walked over to where she'd temporarily deposited the satchel to examine the documents that were inside. She should at least know what had cost the key so much. She kicked off the stilettos and sat down on her bed.

The first one on the pile of documents was her birth certificate.

Hmm. Setsuna Meiou, born October 29th, 1974. Blood type A, 6 pounds 7 oz. Knew most of that already.

She scanned the rest of the document.

FATHER: Jikan Meiou

MOTHER: Nadja Meiou

Nadja? That doesn't sound like a Japanese name.

She flipped through more of the documents. A sharp pang of pain struck her heart; at the bottom of the pile of documents was a pair of death certificates. Her Earth mother's death, in 1990, had preceded her father's cancer death by two years. Nadja had an undiagnosed heart condition, and, judging by Setsuna's birth certificate, Jikan was already in late middle age when he fathered Setsuna. So, in Setsuna's past, she was orphaned as a teenager. She studied the two documents carefully, although every word pained her. She had no memories of them.

And I never will.

Stapled to her mother's death certificate was an autopsy report. The coroner confirmed the death certificate's noting of Nadja's heart condition, and listed heart failure as the cause of death. He also noted that Nadja was not ethnically Japanese, but Romani, hypothesizing that her condition was genetic.

Romani.

She glanced at her olive skin.

So that's why.

She glanced at the documents that gave her clues to the life her Earth parents had. She wondered what they were like. Maybe they shared Setsuna's love for science, or maybe Nadja loved wearing beautiful clothing. Was Jikan as cold as Chronos was? She wondered when her mother came to Japan, and how. She wondered how they met. How they fell in love.

What did they even look like?

As if waiting for her to ask this, one last ripple of maroon energy radiated on her desk. A small framed photograph materialized. Torn between sorrow and curiosity, she walked over cautiously to the photograph, and then picked it up to examine it.

Setsuna resembled her mother greatly, although Nadja's hair was dark brown instead of dark green. Jikan's short hair and moustache were white, and the lenses on his glasses were very thick. He held his arms proudly around both his wife and teenaged daughter, who, like Sailor Pluto as a teenager, had legs that were slightly too long compared to her other proportions.

So that is the Meiou family.

They were her real parents, and the life she'd shared with them actually happened. But because this Setsuna came from an alternate reality, she would never know them. The only "parent" Sailor Pluto ever knew was Chronos, and he allowed Queen Serenity to take her away and station her at the Space-Time Door.

No matter what, Sailor Pluto must always be alone.

She sat back down on the bed again, and sighed. She carefully put the documents away, making sure to set the ones related to K.O. University aside. She then slowly reclined to lie down on her bed. Sailor Pluto had already been denied a chance to grow up with a normal family. To be raised by people who loved her. It seemed too cruel that this was to be Setsuna's fate as well, even though she was partially expecting this.

The sun was only just setting, but Setsuna felt extremely drained and tired. She curled up on her pillows, and, for the first time in 1000 years, she slept.

The Mists of Time were merciful to her. They filled her dreams with visions of Setsuna Meiou's past. She never knew if the visions were real memories or not. But she didn't care.

Chapter Text

CONNECTIONS

The next morning, Setsuna reluctantly smoothed down her rumpled mauve suit and put on the uncomfortable stilettos. The bun in her hair had fallen out while she slept, so she took a little time to fix it. She had more tasks to take care of in order to establish her 20th Century existence. She went over to her desk and briefly flipped through the university-related documents that were generated within her satchel. One document was a registration form, and, surprisingly enough, another one was a full scholarship awarded to her for an excellent research essay she'd written. She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Another enormous change facilitated by the Gold Key. Wish I knew what it was that I'd written.

She searched through all of the documents again, but to her dismay, did not discover a resume or award-winning essay included.

This is going to be a problem...

She sighed, put the university documents back inside the satchel, and prepared to leave.

She sighed with relief that Mamoru was not in the hallways nor in the elevator. She didn't think she could bear to see him again so soon.

Sailor Pluto had watched the progress of Prince Endymion and Princess Serenity's relationship back in the time of the Silver Millennium. She certainly thought that he was attractive and dashing, but had no real attachment to him.

It was when she looked into the future that everything changed. King Endymion, as she knew him, was a wise, brilliant ruler, who always knew when to step back and allow his wife, the true ruler of Crystal Tokyo, to show her power. He made decisions carefully. He was a doting father to Small Lady, and a loving husband to Neo-Queen Serenity. He projected an image of seriousness to the public, but in private, he was warm and he demonstrated a great sense of humour. The pale lavender of his cloak reminded her of the colour of sunrise.

The realization had crept up on her gradually, but she discovered she was in love with him.

But Sailor Pluto understood the importance of duty more than anyone else. She would never do anything that would threaten the peaceful future awaiting the Senshi. She would never do anything to hurt the Princess.

So she would love him from afar. Only she knew the truth that was in her heart, and this way she could preserve the Timeline and ensure the happiness of the two people she loved dearly.

Setsuna exited the elevator and walked through the sliding doors out onto the street. Checking her map once more, she rounded the corner and took a short walk to arrive at K.O. University.

Convenient.

As was typical with most university campuses, it took her a while to find the student registration office. It was a bustling place filled with students lining up to make arrangements for the coming school year. There were two secretaries handling the registrations. One was a young dark pink haired woman with a cheerful smile and a friendly demeanour. The other secretary had dark brown hair and was surly and critical of all the students.

Setsuna secretly prayed that she would get the friendly secretary. Learning how to live as a 20th Century woman was hard enough without being criticized harshly.

The lineup was long, and the wait was slow. Setsuna's mind wandered as she waited. Her thoughts alternated between those of her mission and those of the dreams she had the previous night.

"Can I help the next person, please?"

Setsuna was first in line.

Oh, thank goodness!

The pink haired secretary beamed at Setsuna. "How can I help you?"

"I'm here to register to study here, ma'am." Setsuna pulled the registration and scholarship letters from her satchel and handed them to the secretary.

The secretary studied the documents carefully. She frowned a bit. "Hmm, says here that you want to major in Astrophysics. There might be a problem with that. The number of students admitted to that program is limited."

Curse university bureaucracy.

Her expression suddenly brightened. "Oh, you're the daughter of alumni! I can pull some strings then, as you'd qualify for a legacy admission. As for this scholarship document, I'm going to fax it to the financial aid office and they'll contact the donors separately."

Setsuna breathed a huge sigh of relief, but then startled with curiosity as it meant that there was one final puzzle piece of her Earth parents' lives awaiting her.

The secretary signed and stamped a few places on the registration form, and handed it back to Setsuna. "Take that document to the Science Dept. and have them enrol you in the Astrophysics program. Welcome to K.O. University!"

Setsuna smiled and bowed politely to the secretary, and then walked towards the exit. Her eyes scanned the registration document, and then noticed that a specific section asking if the applicant was descended from a K.O. University alumni was filled out. She'd expected her father's name to be listed, but stopped walking abruptly.

Nadja Meiou, Biology '72

So Mother was a lover of Science too. Setsuna smiled, grateful for the proof that she'd inherited some traits from her Earth parents.

Her next task was to find a job, but she had no idea where to start with that. She certainly had marketable skills - she was brilliant, thoughtful, talented with science, good with children...

But she couldn't exactly put "Guarded the Gates of Time for 1000 Years" on her resume. Nor could she put Queen Serenity as a reference.

She sat on a bench in the K.O. University commons to try to work out her predicament. Suddenly, she felt an inner sensation that she'd thought she'd forgotten.

Her stomach rumbled.

Oh dear.

Then, she felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her stomach. She wasn't just hungry, she was starving. She doubled over, clutching her stomach in agony. Her negligence at including 20th Century money in her satchel was becoming more and more dangerous.

Then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you all right?" a sweet and somehow familiar voice asked her.

Setsuna groaned. "I'm..."

She was not going to admit this incredible blunder to anyone. She was supposed to be infallible, with perfect judgement. But her stomach rumbled again.

The girl lifted her hand off Setsuna's shoulder and then began rustling in her bag. She pulled out a large bag of lunch, lovingly packed with bright and feminine handkerchiefs. "Mako-chan gave me this to share with Mamo-chan, but I think you need it more." Setsuna looked up at the girl with astonishment. She was the blonde girl from the Crown Fruits Parlour cafe. Then the bright sun hit her eyes, and for a split second, Setsuna saw a hazy vision of a woman with rainbow butterfly wings.

Must be the hunger. I'm seeing impossible things.

She took the food carefully, her heart hurting with gratitude to the girl. The girl named Usagi had been so immature before, but now she was showing incredible friendliness and compassion.

Setsuna hesitantly unwrapped the lunch bag, revealing a perfectly packed bento box with beautiful (and delicious) looking food.

"Try it, try it!" Usagi said excitedly. "Mako-chan's food is the best in the world!"

Setsuna cracked apart the wooden chopsticks and took a small mound of rice. As she popped it into her mouth, her senses almost exploded with pleasure. The rice was flavoured with green tea! She thought she'd never get to have green tea again. Instinct kicked in and she began eating the rice ravenously.

Usagi sat down beside her. "Wow, you must have been really hungry! My name is Usagi Tsukino, I'm in 9th grade and almost 15." Setsuna forced herself to swallow and pause from eating. "I'm Setsuna Meiou. I just started studying here." She then flushed with embarrassment at her gluttony and started wrapping up the food bag.

"Why aren't you going to finish it?" Usagi asked confusedly.

"Well...I thought I'd save it for later..." Setsuna couldn't meet Usagi's eyes.

"Mako-chan's food has to be savoured all at once!" Usagi nodded with conviction.

Setsuna flushed even deeper and mumbled her answer. "I don't know when I'll be getting more food."

Usagi peered into Setsuna's face. "You mean you don't have any money?"

Unable to vocalize the answer, Setsuna shut her eyes tightly and shook her head.

Usagi grasped both of Setsuna's hands. "Then let me help you out, okay?" Her face was full of determination.

"You don't have to do that.."

"Yes I do! I'm not going to ignore a person in trouble! ...Especially a hungry person!" Usagi beamed at Setsuna. "I'm just going to talk to Mamo-chan, and then we're going to go visit Mako-chan, okay? And you're not allowed to say no!"

Setsuna's eyes widened in surprise and gratefulness. Could there really be someone on Earth as kind as this girl?

Mamoru was searching around the university with mild irritation, and spotted the two women chatting on the bench. "Oh, Usako! I thought we were going to meet at the cafeteria?"

Usagi elatedly got up from the bench and threw her arms around Mamoru. "Mamo-chan! It's Mamo-chan!"

He laughed with surprise and embarrassment. "Usako! We shouldn't act like this in public!"

"I don't care who sees that I love my Mamo-chan!" She nuzzled her cheek against his arm.

Mamoru looked up at Setsuna. "Oh, hello again!"

Setsuna felt a painful swoop in her stomach that had nothing to do with hunger.

Usagi looked back and forth between them. "You know each other?"

Setsuna stood up quickly and awkwardly. "We just met yesterday. We're neighbours." She forced herself to smile at Mamoru. "So this is the girlfriend you mentioned?"

Mamoru laughed and smiled down at Usagi. "Yes, this is my Usako."

Seeing the two lovers look adoringly at each other hurt Setsuna's heart, but warmed it at the same time.

So I have met the Princess then.

I will do everything in my power to make sure they're happy together.

Since Setsuna knew who Usagi would be in the future, Setsuna felt a newfound love and admiration for the future Neo-Queen Serenity that was even deeper than what she felt for King Endymion.

Mamoru was intrigued by Setsuna's enigmatic smile, but chose not to say anything. "So what were you two talking about?"

Usagi laughed dismissively and waved her arm. "Nothing to worry about, Mamo-chan! Just girl talk!"

Setsuna felt a further rush of gratefulness that Usagi chose to keep her shame secret.

Usagi pulled a sheet of paper out of her purse and scribbled something down on it. She handed it to Setsuna, and whispered to her, "This is my phone number. Call me around dinner time tonight, and I'll tell Mako-chan about you. We'll help you out. In the meantime, enjoy that bento!" She winked and smiled at her new friend.

She wrapped herself around Mamoru's arm again and they started to walk away. "Shall we go now, Mamo-chan? I already ate Mako-chan's lunch so we'll have to eat somewhere else."

Mamoru winced. "Let me guess, I have to pay again?"

Usagi deliberately made her eyes watery. "Don't you love me?"

Mamoru's face fell; he knew she had him. "Okay, okay. Where did you want to go?"

Usagi turned back and waved at Setsuna. "See you later, Meiou-san!"

Setsuna instinctively bowed to Usagi, which confused Usagi a bit since she was not used to her elders showing deference to her.

But Setsuna could never see herself not bowing to Neo-Queen Serenity.

Chapter Text

WHAT A WAY TO MAKE A LIVING

Setsuna retreated to a small alcove near the university commons and finished the bento lunch. She wasn't sure if it was because she hadn't eaten in centuries, but it was the most delicious food she'd ever tasted.

Her mood and physical state bolstered by Makoto's food, she marched purposefully into the Juuban downtown area in hopes of spotting a "HELP WANTED" sign.

Unfortunately, every place she stopped at wanted documented experience and references. She even considered working at a fast food restaurant, but reasoned that they couldn't pay her enough for her to come home reeking of deep fryer fat.

Setsuna began to feel desperation and despair, but then spotted an imposing building situated at the midpoint of three different diagonal streets. She walked closer to it. It was enormous, with more floors than she could count. She squinted at the logo above the doors. It was a black star with an infinity sign on it. "Mugen Academy, huh?" She shrugged and apprehensively went inside.

The lobby was enormous and opulent, with a golden fountain tinkling merrily in the centre. Setsuna spotted several teenagers walking together. They were wearing the same uniform as the couple she'd met on her first hour in the 20th Century. Then she saw more students, much younger than the teenagers, in the same uniform.

I wonder what kind of school this is?

She walked over to the main office and bowed to the secretary. "Good afternoon, ma'am. I'm a student from K.O. University. I'm wondering if you have any job openings."

The secretary was a young woman with bright orange hair, and, unusually, she was dressed in a lab coat. She had her nose buried in a tabloid magazine full of pictures of teen idols.

"Um...ma'am?"

The secretary's head jerked up. "Oh! Sorry, what did you say?" She had a high-pitched, almost squeaky voice.

Setsuna flushed. "I'm wondering if you have any employment opportunities."

The secretary blew a bubble from the gum she was chewing. "You'll have to talk to the Professor. He owns this building and oversees all employees." She pointed northwest. "Head in that direction and go downstairs to the basement. He's working in his lab right now, so watch your step."

Setsuna nodded and bowed again to the secretary, who didn't notice because she was reading the tabloid magazine again.

As she walked to the stairs leading to the basement, Setsuna couldn't help feeling a sense of foreboding. The echoing clack of her shoes hitting the marble floors made her feel like a target. She began her descent downstairs, but before she reached the halfway point, she spotted a woman with long red hair ascending the stairs. She was wearing a short red dress with a neckline cut so low it was scandalous. Their eyes met, and the red-haired woman scowled. Setsuna was utterly confused by the woman's reaction, but decided to continue going downstairs.

"I hope you're not here looking for work," the red-haired woman sneered.

Setsuna stopped and turned back to the woman. "Why?"

The red-haired woman's eyes flashed with malice. "Because the Professor already has the most capable people possible working for him."

Setsuna was extremely annoyed by this point. "Well, I'll let him decide that. Good day, madam." She turned with a swift swivel and began descending the stairs quickly.

The red-haired woman watched Setsuna disappear into the lab, and clenched her fists in rage.

Setsuna tentatively rapped on the lab's door. "Excuse me? I was told to speak to the Professor?"

A low chuckle emanated from the other side of the room. "You've found him. Come in."

Setsuna, who still couldn't shake her uneasy feeling, slowly entered the lab. It was dark and damp, and full of test tubes filled with some sort of dark pink goo. She looked around in confusion and horror.

What on earth is he experimenting on in here?

The Professor chuckled again. "Manners and protocol demand that you introduce yourself, young lady."

Setsuna startled and stood up straight. "I'm Setsuna Meiou, sir. I'm an Astrophysics student at K.O. University."

"Really now, Astrophysics? Have you heard of the Tau Star System?" He turned around to face her. The shadows of the lab left only his glasses and mouth visible.

"Um, no, sir. I haven't. But I-"

"Good, good." He smirked. "Come closer, my dear. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

Setsuna wasn't sure if it was more polite to accept or refuse. Or even if it was wise to drink something made in this lab. "J-just a small cup, thank you."

He laughed then, a deep and guttural laugh that set Setsuna's nerves on end. "I'll make you the most delicious coffee you've ever tasted. Now, tell me about yourself. You are looking for a job, correct?" He began crushing the coffee beans in a mortar and pestle.

"Yes sir." She paused, then decided to sell herself as best as she could. "I'm very skilled with the sciences, and I'm a very, very hard worker. A lot of people say I make very reasonable decisions. And, since I see this school has students from all grade levels, I should mention that I'm good with children."

"Good with children, eh?" More chuckling. She found his constant laughter unnerving. "And you said you're skilled with sciences? I'm a man of science myself. As you can see. Which sciences?"

"Oh, uh...most of them, sir. I've dabbled with chemistry, biology, botany, physics, and now astrophysics. I recently won a full scholarship for a research essay I wrote."

She watched the Professor place the crushed coffee beans on top of a large, wide beaker filled with water, and then he placed it over a bunsen burner.

The Professor stood watching the water boil. "We allow our most talented students to become teachers here. You would have been an excellent teacher. It is a shame you did not choose to study here." Setsuna wasn't sure, but she detected a hint of resentment in his words.

"However. Our nurse recently left her job. The reason why is unimportant. But I shall offer this job to you."

Temporarily forgetting her uneasiness, Setsuna was filled with gratitude and excitement. "Thank you, sir! When should I start?"

He laughed again. "Right away, of course. I'll pay you handsomely. I have more money than I know what to do with."

He pointed to a door that led to a room full of lockers. "The former nurse's locker is in there. It's the only one not locked. You'll find a padlock on the table to your right. Put on a lab coat, and then report to the medical office on the 3rd floor."

Setsuna blinked, grabbed the padlock, and went over to the locker room. It was easy to spot the open locker, as there was graffiti scrawled all over it.

Sheesh, the kids in this school need some discipline.

But as she walked closer to the locker and was able to read the graffiti, her blood went cold. The graffiti was all death threats directed at the former nurse, and they weren't even all in the same handwriting. Setsuna suddenly wondered if she was making a grave mistake taking employment at this mysterious school. But she didn't have any other choice. She grabbed the lab coat from the locker, put it on in a rush, and then slammed the door closed and locked it securely. She smiled a bit at the tiny silver key that she would be using to access her locker.

No matter what, I am surrounded by keys.

She exited the lab quickly, glad to be out of its sinister atmosphere. As she ascended the stairs to the medical office on the third floor, she realized with a start that she'd forgotten to get the Professor's name.

And forgot to drink his coffee.

Chapter Text

THE FADING FIREFLY

Setsuna knocked on the closed door of the medical office. She waited a few moments, but no one answered. She slowly turned the doorknob and opened the door. "Excuse me? Is anyone in here?"

The medical office was, in fact, deserted. There was even a small layer of dust over the bed, the chair, and the first aid supplies.

This won't do at all.

Setsuna grabbed the closest thing she could find to a dustcloth, which was a large strip of gauze, and began dusting the medical office. It took her over an hour to clean the office to her liking. She wondered if she was the only employee in this department.

She stood up on a chair to try to dust above the cabinets. The chair, unfortunately, had wheels, and it did not stay still. Setsuna then crashed to the floor. Her pride was more deeply wounded than her body was, but there was still a large purpling bruise on her left knee. She sighed and wished she was wearing a longer skirt. She looked up at the undusted cabinets.

I guess I'll leave those till later.

She hoisted herself up onto the chair, cursing the pain in her knee. Then she heard a soft knock on the door.

She turned on her chair to see who the visitor was. "Come in!"

The person at the door was a tiny, pale girl with short black hair and violet eyes. Setsuna's heart had a sudden ache when she saw her, for the girl had the saddest eyes she'd ever seen.

The girl hesitated at the door, her shyness making her regret her decision to visit the school nurse.

"I-I'm sorry. I shouldn't be here. I'll leave now."

"No, wait! If there's something you need to talk about, that's what I'm here for." Setsuna put on her most encouraging smile.

The girl nodded, and walked into the office. She looked around, and then sat on the small bed in the corner of the room. "I'm glad you cleaned this place. It looked so empty with all that dust."

Setsuna laughed and sat on her rolling chair. "I hate messy places. I'm surprised that no one came to clean in here before I did."

The girl's face fell. "People were scared to come in here."

Setsuna's back stiffened. "Why was that?"

The girl shook her head and shivered. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry."

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. This girl was very peculiar, but it was clear that something was wrong in this place. "Anyway, how can I help you? What's your name?"

Still shivering, the girl answered. "Hotaru Tomoe. I'm...sick. I was thinking that maybe the new nurse could help me, but that's silly. If doctors can't help me, no one can."

Good grief.

"Even if I can't cure whatever's wrong, sometimes it helps just to talk to someone about it. Stress can make people sicker. Go on, I'm listening." She smiled at Hotaru, her heart full of pity.

Overwhelmed by hearing the first friendly voice in years, Hotaru's worries spilled out. "Well...for the past year or so...no, longer than that. I've...been blacking out. Things will happen while I'm not aware, and they scare me. And I always feel sick, I can't run or play without feeling like I'm going to faint. I think I've been hurting people while I'm blacked out. Everyone hates me. And my father ignores me now. The only one who talks to me is Kaori, and I hate her! And...the doctors can't help me. I'm not sure what I'm afraid of more, of hurting someone I love...or that I'll die."

So much pain for such a small girl.

Setsuna didn't even know where to begin; Hotaru's life had more problems than she'd ever heard of.

"What did you mean when you said that everybody hates you? It can't possibly be everybody."

"...yes it can. I have no friends here. Even before I started hurting people, they said I was a freak. So they all stay away from me. And they're right. I am a freak."

"Nonsense. You seem perfectly normal to me." Setsuna reasoned that Hotaru was probably exaggerating her condition.

Hotaru stood up, her eyes not meeting Setsuna's. "I am a freak. Let me show you why."

She laid her hand on the bruise on Setsuna's knee. A faint purple glow emanated from Hotaru's hands, and both the discolouration and the pain disappeared.

Setsuna gasped. "How did you do that?"

"I've always been able to do that. It was useful when I was a kid because I could always mend my cuts and bruises. But no one wants to be touched by a freak. Not even you, I bet."

"That's where you're wrong," Setsuna said, now able to kneel to meet Hotaru's eyes directly. "I think your ability to heal is wonderful. You could save lives with this."

Hotaru's eyes shone. No one had ever said this to her before. For the first time in her life, she felt useful.

"Now, regarding your father, I'm sure he doesn't mean to ignore you. He's probably very busy. You could try talking to him and asking him to spend more time with you."

"I...guess I could try that. But Kaori won't let me talk to him. She's always telling me he's too busy to see me."

Setsuna felt a rush of loathing towards this Kaori, whoever she was. "Who's Kaori?"

"My father's assistant. I hate her. She thinks she's going to be my father's next wife. She always says nasty things to me. I'd tell him to fire her, but she always gets in the way."

Setsuna sighed. She had this urge to directly intervene in whatever was going wrong in Hotaru's personal life, but she was bound by her vow to Queen Serenity that she would not intervene in situations unless she absolutely had to.

"I'm so sorry, Hotaru-chan. If it helps, you can always come talk to me whenever you like. And if you feel yourself start to faint, come here right away and you can use this bed here."

"You...don't mind?"

"Not at all. We've just met, but I like you very much."

It had been so long since anyone had shown Hotaru any affection, it was overwhelming for her. She burst into hysterical tears.

Oh goodness!

Hotaru tried to speak through her shuddering tears. "I'm sorry. It's just...you're so kind and I don't even know your name..."

Setsuna smiled. "Well, that we can solve right away. My name is Setsuna Meiou. You can call me Setsuna."

Hotaru stopped crying, though she still had some shuddering sniffles. "Oh no, I couldn't. I have to call you Meiou-san, or at least Setsuna-san."

Setsuna laughed. "Fair enough. Setsuna-san, then. May I call you Hotaru-chan?"

Hotaru nodded and smiled. The girl was so thin and pale, but colour and health seemed to bloom inside her when she was happy.

Hotaru then got a funny look on her face. Setsuna was trying to figure out what Hotaru was thinking.

Hotaru impulsively threw her arms around Setsuna, and began sobbing again.

Instinctively, Setsuna hugged Hotaru tightly, trying to convey all the love she already felt for the young girl.

They stayed like that for a little while, as Hotaru cried out all her sorrow, and both felt the warmth of companionship. Setsuna could not shake the sense that this child was someone important to her, and that their first meeting was significant. Two lonely souls connecting for the first time.

Who are you, little one?

When Hotaru had finally stopped crying, she stood up and dried off her tears. "Thank you, Setsuna-san. I feel much better. I'd better go home now. I'll come see you again soon, okay?"

Setsuna beamed. "Anytime you like."

But as Hotaru exited Setsuna's office, Setsuna's eyes suddenly clouded with the apocalyptic vision. The vision of the Messiah, both woman and child and yet neither at the same time, blended with the present-day sight of watching the girl walk away.

Hotaru Tomoe...Who are you?

Chapter Text

THE MIKO'S VISIONS

A week or so passed, and Setsuna's spirits were definitely high after landing a well-paying job and being given a week's worth of food by Makoto Kino. One drawback was that now Setsuna was regularly eating food, there was one more bodily function she'd almost forgotten she needed to see to. She would eventually get used to it, but she always found the experience undignified.

Setsuna reasoned that Makoto must be another Sailor Senshi since she and Usagi were so close. She quite liked Makoto, or Mako-chan, as she insisted she be called, as she was an infinitely kind and courageous girl.

They found an unexpected common ground when Mako revealed that she lived alone and that she had been orphaned from an airplane crash. For several emotion-filled moments, the two women sat quietly drinking their tea, thinking about their respective losses. Usagi, who was lucky enough to have a two-parent home and a relatively good relationship with both (poor grades notwithstanding), was unable to relate to Mako and Setsuna's loss.

But despite all her flaws, Usagi had an incredible intuition for empathy. She took the hands of both girls, and said firmly, "We'll be each other's family now. No one has to be alone."

If only that were true.

Still, Setsuna's heart was warmed just from knowing what kind of person Neo-Queen Serenity was like as a teenager. She finally understood where her infinite healing power came from. And, although she wanted to spend more time with her two new friends, they both suddenly became busy as they had now entered the crucial 9th grade.

Having nothing else to do for the moment, Setsuna was doing more exploration of the neighbourhood. She came across a long staircase leading up to a quaint Shinto temple.

Hikawa Shrine, huh?

Having known and been born from literal Gods, Setsuna was not particularly religious, but seeing as Shintoism was pantheistic, she figured she had nothing to lose by visiting the shrine and offering a prayer. As she walked towards the prayer bell, she passed by a young man who was sweeping leaves. She noted with distaste that he was poorly shaven.

She rang the bells, clapped her hands, and closed her eyes.

Please. Help me to save the world. This world that I have grown to love.

As she prayed, she couldn't help but visualize the apocalyptic vision yet again. She hated how it was becoming more vague, and yet more menacing at the same time. Setsuna turned around, and thought she heard some chatter, and some snoring, behind her. She figured it must be the temple's residents.

As she descended down the stairs again, one of the sleeping people in the temple woke up with a start.

The next day, Setsuna was wearily walking home after a long day. She'd had an extensively intense lesson at the university, and a stressful shift at Mugen Academy. She hoped she could keep up with the pace of being a student and a nurse. She was also sick of wearing the same outfit over and over. People were starting to notice. She hoped she'd get her first paycheque soon.

Suddenly she heard a commotion. Across the street, Usagi and her raven-haired friend had accidentally bumped into each other.

What's that girl's name again? ...Rei Hino, I think. Probably another Sailor Senshi.

They bickered back and forth for a while, each one blaming the other for the accident. Setsuna goggled at the girls arguing, not quite understanding how they could be friends if they get along so poorly.

She decided to watch over the girls from afar. She was exhausted, but it was more important to know what the Princess was doing, and to make sure she was safe.

Rei and Usagi took turns using the water fountain to cool their sore foreheads, and then the tone of their conversation changed. Rei's eyes had suddenly turned blank and cold, and stood stiffly. Setsuna's eyes narrowed. Something was wrong.

Rei's demeanour towards Usagi changed completely. Instead of continuing to be harshly critical, Rei started a conversation with Usagi about their hopes and dreams.

Ah, she has a sweet side. This is why they're friends.

The girls soon parted, with a promise that Usagi would come to Rei's place for a study session at Hikawa Shrine.

Hikawa Shrine?! Then those girls I heard talking yesterday were...

Setsuna changed her mind. It would not be the Princess she would be watching over today, it would be Rei Hino.

Making sure to follow quite a distance behind, Setsuna followed Rei home to her temple. When Rei went inside, Setsuna decided to sit on a bench under a gingko tree and do some homework reading. She had a bad feeling about Rei, but didn't think there was any other way to help her other than to watch over from afar.

She heard a door slide open, and saw that Rei had changed into her Miko clothing. Setsuna knew now for sure that Rei was Sailor Mars, as she had seen her use her Miko abilities in battle countless times. Rei then slid open another door, which led to a wide room with a pedestal in the centre, meant to be used for fire divination. Setsuna knew now that Rei was about to do something significant, so she silently crept closer to the temple. Rei had conveniently forgotten to close the door completely, so Setsuna was able to peer through a crack in the door.

Rei lit the fire, and began chanting. She was perspiring with effort, and it was obvious that she was desperate for answers.

And then Setsuna and Rei's minds linked.

Setsuna saw, through Rei's eyes, a shortened and more mysterious version of the apocalyptic vision. She could sense Rei's terror, and the premonitory grief Rei felt at watching her friends die and being helpless to stop it.

Setsuna forced herself to break away. Not caring to be quiet, she dashed away from the temple and hid behind a tree, panting.

She's seen the same vision! But how? Why?

Meanwhile, Rei found no answers.

She forlornly walked outside, and went over to the area of the temple where the fortunes were kept. She climbed over, and pulled one out. The heartbroken look on her face signalled that the fortune she received was an unlucky one. Rei walked over to the tree that was covered in the hopes, dreams, and wishes of the temple's patrons, and whispered a wish that her friends would be safe. She tied the unlucky fortune to a branch.

Suddenly, the tree started warping, and black light started emitting from the tree. Setsuna turned around in horror. The monster said, in a harsh, guttural voice, "I will have your Pure Heart that worries about your friends!"

The enemy is here already?! And what does she mean, "Pure Heart?"

The tree warped into a humanoid monster themed around a Shinto temple. Setsuna watched as Rei considered something for a second, and then ran away to force the monster to follow her to an open area a considerable distance away from the temple.

Setsuna ran after them, with Queen Serenity's warnings not to interfere echoing in her mind. She hid behind a tree, hoping that Rei, who was Sailor Mars, could handle the monster on her own.

It was not to be. The monster trapped Rei against a white brick wall by turning her own hands into concrete, sealing Rei's wrists to the wall, and then regenerating her hands. Rei was forced to drop her transformation wand.

What kind of powers does this monster have?!

Both Setsuna and Rei feared what this monster was going to do to her. A woman then appeared next to the monster, referring to her as "Daimon Mikuji." The woman said to the Daimon, "This girl may have a Talisman inside her." Setsuna was at the wrong angle to see who the woman was, and didn't dare try to move. Mikuji opened up her robe, revealing a black star above her cleavage. Setsuna couldn't help feeling distaste at the brazenness of the monster.

Then a black light emitted from the monster's star, which hit Rei right in the centre of her chest. Rei started screaming in pain and agony. Setsuna could not bear to listen to it, but felt helpless.

Please, PLEASE let the Sailor Senshi come soon!

Then, suddenly behind Setsuna...

"MOON CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!"

Setsuna turned around in astonishment as she watched Usagi transform into Sailor Moon. She felt a sigh of relief, since if Sailor Moon was there, everything would turn out all right.

Sailor Moon interrupted the Daimon's torturing, condemning her for attacking her "pure hearted" friend, and telling her that she would punish her.

Pure Heart. There's that term again.

The Daimon then replied that Rei was targeted for her Pure Heart.

What?! Pure Hearted individuals are targets? And that woman...she said something about Rei holding a Talisman. What does this mean?!

Setsuna didn't have time to ponder out these questions, as she watched in horror as the Daimon thrashed Sailor Moon around. The amount of power these monsters had was unfathomable.

Three other girls ran up to the clearing from within the trees. It was the sarcastic blonde, the intelligent blue-haired girl, and Makoto. They lifted up their wands to transform, but were pinned against trees by yet another power that the Daimon possessed.

So I was right, Mako-chan IS a Sailor Senshi. And so are Usagi's other friends. But how are they going to defeat this monster? I can't reveal myself yet!

Tuxedo Mask tried to distract the Daimon and gain Sailor Moon an opportunity to attack, but even Sailor Moon's "Moon Princess Halation" attack was useless.

And then, the unthinkable. Mikuji pinned Sailor Moon against a tree with her concrete limbs, and then bit off her Crystal Star brooch. Sailor Moon's transformation melted away in a stream of pink ribbons, leaving Usagi trapped and powerless. Tuxedo Mask and the Guardian Cats attacked in desperation, but were taken out by Mikuji effortlessly.

Rei was near-unconscious. Setsuna and the other Senshi had to watch helplessly as Mikuji resumed extracting Rei's Pure Heart. Usagi was screaming and begging the Daimon to stop. The black light vanished, and a glittering pink crystal floated away from Rei's comatose body.

I have no choice!

I have to do something NOW!

Setsuna gripped her transformation wand.

"PLUTO PL-"

Suddenly a yellow sphere of energy caused Mikuji to shake violently, and then an aqua sphere melted her away with the force of an ocean.

Mikuji turned back into the fortune tree, and an egg popped out of it, broke in two, and a malevolent black spirit evaporated. The restraints on the girls disappeared, and they ran over to help their unconscious friend.

Who..?

She looked up, and in a particularly leafy tree there were two women. They muttered something to each other. One was holding Rei's Heart Crystal in her hand and examining it closely. They were too obscured by the foliage to make out, but Setsuna wondered if they were the other Sailor Senshi Queen Serenity told her about. If they were Sailor Senshi, why were they keeping themselves secret?

The woman tossed the Heart Crystal back down, which disappeared back into Rei's body. She awoke, and Setsuna heard her tell her friends that she was okay. She breathed a sigh of relief, and decided to take her leave before any of the girls spotted her. She hated having to watch without intervening, but at least things turned out all right.

She looked up, and watched the two possible Sailor Senshi hop out of the tree and disappear. They were running much too fast for Setsuna to keep up with, especially in her ridiculous stiletto shoes. Setsuna missed her Sailor Pluto boots.

As she walked down the stairs to exit the temple grounds, she turned back to look at the temple.

I'm so sorry I gave you those visions, Hino-san.

Chapter Text

WE MEET AGAIN AND AGAIN

After the first few awkward weeks of living in the 20th Century, Setsuna's life entered into a routine and she gradually acclimatized herself to living like a "normal" college student. She earned enough as a nurse to feed herself comfortably, but still didn't have enough to afford the fashionable clothes she desired. She ended up buying herself unremarkable blouses and jackets, which were usually obscured by her long, loose lab coat.

As Setsuna was walking to work on one sunny afternoon, she started thinking about the events of the last few weeks. It was very strange, but no matter what she was doing or where she was going, she always managed to run into, or at least observe, one of the Senshi. After multiple instances of these supposed coincidences, Setsuna briefly sat down on a bench and began to ponder things out. It was very warm out, and the humid heat of summer caused her forehead to sweat a little. She slumped over in thought, her elbows on her knees and her fists held under her chin in frustration.

I just ran into the Prince and the Princess AGAIN! Juuban isn't that small a neighbourhood, so what's going on?

I met him on my first day. I met her on my second. And then I met the rest of the Senshi within a week.

Something out there is pushing us together. The Solar System Senshi and the Guardian of Earth seem to be inextricably drawn to each other.

We meet again and again.

She sighed, got up, and continued walking to work. Setsuna hoped she wouldn't feel the premonitory tingling sensation at the back of her neck. Whenever she felt it, she knew that the Senshi were in danger. She had developed a kind of Sixth Sense as to when the Daimons were attacking, but after nearly revealing herself when Rei was attacked, she decided she would only intervene if it seemed that the Senshi were in mortal danger. So she hid herself in shadows and in corners, and observed. Observing from afar had its advantages anyway.

She learned that the two mysterious Senshi were Sailors Uranus and Neptune, two older, wiser, and more powerful Senshi with a mission contrary to the Inner Senshi's duties. She'd watched the Inner Senshi and Uranus and Neptune form an uneasy alliance, which was quickly broken and repaired again depending on how the older Senshi reacted to a Heart Crystal. Setsuna found herself unable to choose between the Inners' idealism and Uranus and Neptune's cynicism. Having seen the end of the world with her own eyes, she wanted to stop it at all costs. But she wasn't sure she was willing to sacrifice lives to save the world. And, as much as she loved and trusted the future Neo-Queen Serenity, she was still human, and still capable of making mistakes.

If I reached the point of no return, what would I choose?

She hoped she'd never have to determine the answer.

The weeks went by quickly. Heart Crystal after Heart Crystal, Daimon after Daimon. Setsuna eventually realized that the woman in red who was commanding the Daimons was probably the same woman who was so rude to her back when she was applying for the nursing job. But she never saw the woman at Mugen Academy again, so she was never able to confirm for sure. Every time she tried to make her way down to the lab where the Professor worked, she felt nauseated. She told herself that maybe she was allergic to some of the chemicals he was experimenting with, but she knew that there was something very wrong with her employer. But, having no other options, she continued to work as a nurse at Mugen Academy.

Other than Hotaru's occasional visits, the only people Setsuna regularly interacted with were Haruka and Michiru. Neither one ever needed Setsuna's nursing services (Setsuna once marvelled at Haruka's athletic perfection), but Haruka had recognized her while passing the office, and, wanting to try to smooth over the bad impression she'd made when she and Setsuna first met, decided to lay on the charm.

"Hey there Ms..." Haruka glanced to the nameplate outside the nursing office. "Meiou. Do you remember me? I'm Haruka Tenou." She flashed Setsuna a cocky, handsome smile.

Setsuna was organizing her first aid equipment, but stopped immediately and couldn't help but beam at Haruka. "Yes, I remember you. You were the one eating lunch by the ocean with your girlfriend, right?" She put down the box of bandages on the table and stood up to shake Haruka's hand.

Haruka shook hands with Setsuna, smirked a little, but then turned around her to make sure no one was listening. "Yeah, that was me. Michiru was kind of annoyed with me for a few hours after that."

Setsuna felt a twinge of guilt. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

Haruka laughed, and leaned over in the doorway, her hands in her pockets. "So how long have you been working here, Ms. Meiou?"

Haruka was wearing a cologne that made her smell mysterious, and brought images of a warm summer wind to Setsuna's mind. "Call me Setsuna, please! And I've just been here for a few weeks. I must say though, you Mugen students are a handful."

Haruka laughed again, then flopped herself onto the examination bed. "I'm not feeling so well, Setsuna-san. Would you be willing to give me a physical?"

Setsuna flushed so deeply she was practically purple. "I-I've never done a physical before. I don't have the training." She was desperately trying to think of other excuses. Never mind that Haruka had a girlfriend, it would be tremendously inappropriate for a nurse to flirt with a student.

Haruka then sat up with incredible agility, the scent of her cologne wafting in the air. "I'm just kidding!" She paused. "Jeez, it's warm in here." She then took off her jacket.

Setsuna went white.

Although the Mugen Academy boys' uniform jacket concealed her gender well, once the jacket was off, there was no concealing that Haruka was a woman. The white shirt could not hide Haruka's relatively rounded breasts.

Setsuna unthinkingly stared at Haruka's chest, and stuttered, "You're...You're a woman!"

Haruka glanced down at her chest. "Yes?" Even she began to flush a little at knowing that a woman she was flirting with was staring at her chest.

Setsuna placed a hand to her forehead and flopped down onto her chair in exasperation. The chair squeaked under the sudden weight dropped onto it.

Haruka burst out laughing. "Well, you're not the only person I've fooled." She reached over to put her jacket back on.

Setsuna turned to Haruka, torn between irritation and amusement. "Pretty good disguise, MISS Tenou," she said sardonically.

Haruka was about to reply when she spotted Michiru's wavy aqua hair swing into the doorway.

"THERE you are, Haruka!"

Michiru was standing in the doorway holding a violin case and staring daggers at Haruka. Michiru was all elegance and grace, but apparently would not put up with her girlfriend's flirtatious nature.

Uh oh.

Setsuna rolled her chair backwards as if to try to hide herself.

Haruka stood up stiffly. "Hello, Michiru! Done with concert practice, I see?"

"I was done 20 minutes ago. I've been looking all over for you." Michiru's voice was clipped, and her eyes narrowed.

"I was just introducing myself to the new nurse. Michiru, you remember Ms. Setsuna Meiou, don't you?" Haruka gestured over to Setsuna, who softly yelped in embarrassment.

Michiru turned with mild irritation to look at Setsuna, then her expression softened. "Oh, yes. The one with the stuck shoe. Welcome to Mugen Academy, Ms. Meiou."

Setsuna was relieved at Michiru's politeness, and coughed and tried to sit up straight. "Thank you, Ms...?"

"Kaiou. Michiru Kaiou. You might have heard of me, I'm a concert violinist and painter." She put her violin case down on the floor as if to emphasize it.

Setsuna had seen some of Michiru's paintings displayed in Mugen Academy. They were absolute masterpieces.

She smiled. "Yes, I have heard of you, Ms. Kaiou. My favourite painting of yours is the seascape of a coral reef. It made me feel like I was swimming in an endless, calm ocean."

Michiru's face immediately brightened.

As it was the end of the day, the three women were able to pass the hours in lively conversation, and quickly became friends. Haruka and Michiru began visiting Setsuna in her office on a daily basis. Setsuna was grateful for their friendship, as it gave her the intellectual conversation she desperately craved. She knew that if she talked to Mamoru he would be equally brilliant, but she had resolved to minimize her contact with him. She was used to loving him from afar.

Upon later reflection, the aspect of her life in the 20th Century that Setsuna cherished the most was her opportunity to experience love. She knew she would never have a romantic lover, but she, Haruka, and Michiru became inseparable companions. She loved them like they were her sisters.

And, as Hotaru gradually came to visit her more often, although Setsuna would not admit it to herself, she began to love the child as if she were her daughter.

Setsuna was in the middle of an important late-night exam when she got the tingling sensation that the Senshi were in grave danger. The Princess was in grave danger. She was dying. She glanced at the clock, but there was more than an hour left in the allotted timeslot for the exam. She had to choose - abandon the exam and fail the course, or finish the exam and hope for the best. She weighed her options.

This program is so competitive. If I fail even one course, my GPA plummets, and there's a chance I won't be accepted into the later year courses.

But if something should happen to the Princess, I could never forgive myself.

But the Senshi have proven that they can handle anything.

Can they hold out for just a little longer?

Reluctantly, Setsuna finished the exam as quickly as she could. She knew her performance on the exam wouldn't be up to her usual high standards, but this time she chose duty over education. She wondered if Sailor Mercury ever had to make choices like this. As she burst out the exam hall doors, she rounded a corner, and transformed, knowing that the heightened physical abilities of being a Senshi would get her to the source of the problem quicker.

It was a surprisingly cold evening, as the air was stagnant. It was as if Tokyo itself knew that something significant was happening.

Sailor Pluto ran to the Tokyo Tower as fast as she could.

But she was too late.

She watched as an explosion of glass and energy destroyed several pillars on the tower, and heard a woman scream for someone named "Professor." Then a rounded block of glass plummeted off the Tower, and disappeared into the darkened night. There was silence. Oddly, she didn't hear any sort of smashing sound, though the smell of rusty metal permeated her senses.

She didn't have time to contemplate this anomaly, as she saw the movement of tiny figures exiting the Tower. It must have been the Sailor Senshi. They'd survived!

Thank goodness!

Pluto hid behind a corner as the Senshi went down the stairs to exit onto the street. The first two people to emerge were Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune. She couldn't see them very well, but she recognized Neptune's scent, which smelled like saltwater. Pluto rounded around the corner cautiously. Uranus had a severe cut on her shoulder, and she was obviously trying not to show how much pain she was in.

"Let's get you home," Neptune said.

"Agreed."

And the two ran off at a speed Pluto had never seen two women maintain before. She marvelled at just how talented Uranus and Neptune were. She wanted to stay to see how the other Senshi fared, but something told her that it was time to follow Uranus and Neptune.

She was glad she had transformed, since she could run faster as Pluto, and her intuition was stronger as well. Something about Uranus and Neptune made her feel more drawn to them than she ever felt for the younger Senshi. She loved them, but she was forbidden from making an alliance with them.

Pluto trusted her intuition to lead her to where the two Senshi were. As she passed by the entrance to a nearby park, she heard a deep voice calling to her.

"Looking for us?" the voice said with a cocky lilt.

She looked up, and saw Uranus and Neptune were hiding in a tree again. It was softly blowing in the summer breeze that had returned to the city.

Sailor Neptune jumped down from the tree branch. Her face was partially illuminated by a nearby streetlight. "We knew that someone was following us, but we had no idea it was yet another Sailor Senshi."

Uranus jumped down as well. "Are you with them?"

Pluto hesitated, then spoke. "No. I'm on my own."

Uranus scoffed and began to turn away. "What do you want, then?"

Pluto was hurt by Uranus' demeanour. "It's not a want...it's a need. I need to know who you are. Don't you feel it too? That there's a connection between the three of us?"

Uranus grimaced and looked off into the distance. Neptune's face was carefully composed to be inscrutable, and she chose not to speak.

Uranus then looked Pluto right in her eyes. "We'll tell you who we are since we know you won't let us leave without an answer. But don't expect to work with us." She turned to look at Neptune. "She and I have a mission that we cannot divulge to anyone."

Pluto sighed. Uranus was rather bull-headed, but she supposed it was a defence mechanism. She decided not to reveal that she already knew that they were after the Talismans.

Neptune tried to smile at Pluto, but her expression was pained with guilt. "I am Sailor Neptune, the Soldier of Embrace." She gestured to the woman beside her. "This is Sailor Uranus, the Soldier of the Sky."

Uranus' face fell. "You're not even going to let me introduce myself?"

Neptune smirked. "Well, you were too busy trying to rebuff her, weren't you?"

Pluto couldn't help smiling despite her annoyance with Uranus. She cleared her throat. She held up her Time Key to emphasize her powers. "I am Sailor Pluto. The Soldier of Revolution."

Neptune's looked at the enormous silver staff, and her eyes widened in shock. "Sailor Pluto? The Goddess of Time?"

Pluto had to laugh at that. "Well, I'm not actually a Goddess. But yes. I am she."

Better not mention that I'm literally the daughter of a God.

Neptune then clasped her hands pleadingly. "Please...tell us what is to happen. Is it true that The Silence is approaching?" She began to slowly walk over to see Pluto clearly.

Uranus glared at her. "Neptune!" She said warningly. But she, too, looked at Pluto with pleading eyes.

Pluto observed Neptune with a new light. It seemed that Sailor Mars was not the only Senshi besides herself to have visions of the apocalypse. She was impressed by Neptune's intuition. She shut her eyes suddenly as the vision of the harbinger of silence filled her eyes again.

She steeled herself to answer clearly. "I have seen glimpses of The Silence, yes. But... I believe it is preventable."

Neptune looked at Pluto with confusion. "But how?"

Uranus sighed. "We already know how! We have to find the Talismans!"

Neptune cocked an eyebrow at Uranus. "I thought we weren't going to tell her our mission?"

Uranus' eyes widened and she flushed with embarrassment. "Well, it doesn't matter now, does it?" She turned to Pluto. "Neptune and I are trying to prevent The Silence by gathering Talismans. The only way we can do that is to examine Heart Crystals taken from Pure-Hearted individuals."

Pluto nodded, concealing that she already knew this.

Uranus' expression softened. "So you already knew about Talismans and Heart Crystals? You're better than I expected."

But then her eyes hardened again. "Do not interfere. Our mission is essential to saving the planet. And if it means getting our hands dirty, so be it. Do not interfere."

Neptune's eyes didn't meet Pluto's. Her expression was sadly resigned.

Pluto regarded Uranus. "I understand. I am here to observe from afar anyway, so I will try not to interfere. But I cannot promise I will not act when it is necessary. I won't allow innocent lives to be sacrificed."

Uranus' face was pained, and she ran away.

Neptune turned to Pluto sadly. "That's just it, Sailor Pluto. The Pure-Hearted individual cannot survive without their Heart Crystal. To save the world, we must kill three innocent people. It's...a hard reality, but we have no choice." She then turned and ran away as well, following Uranus.

You two talk tough and pretend you're okay with your mission, but you hurt inside. Deeply. And you're very bad at concealing it.

Learning the realities of Uranus and Neptune's mission left Pluto standing in shock. What a choice to have to make. Let three innocent people die...or watch the world be destroyed. The Time Key materialized in her hands and she gripped it reflexively.

Could I make such a choice?

Can I stand by while they make theirs?

The streetlight above her fizzled between illumination and darkness.

Chapter Text

THE HEAT OF SUMMER

When Setsuna arrived, it was early March and the school year had not yet begun. Now it was suddenly the beginning of August. She reflected, upon checking her school agenda, that the Mistress of Time was suddenly having trouble keeping track of it. She wasn't sure if this was because she was used to a place where Time didn't march on, or if everyone felt the effects of Time passing too fast.

Everyone in all levels of education was on summer break. Setsuna was very grateful for this, since not only was she not used to Time passing, she wasn't used to extreme swings in temperature either. The cicadas droned almost constantly, and looking out her bedroom window, she could almost see the heat rising from below. She brushed the sweat off her forehead, and took off her jacket. The white blouse would suffice as a top for now. At least she wasn't wearing long, thick pants.

Setsuna didn't go out as much during this time of year, because she felt that the heat was almost unbearable. The consequence of being a shut-in, of course, was that she was lonely. The only person she regularly communicated with was a young woman she'd met at the university's sciences department. Her friend was named Reika Nishimura, and she was both brilliant and stylish, but Reika was also tremendously ambitious, and thus tremendously busy. They were only able to chat on the phone once every two weeks.

While chopping vegetables for her dinner, which was a sensible salad, Setsuna thought to herself that she had to make a decision.

I have to go out. I shouldn't waste my first, and probably only, summer vacation.

As she carefully ate her salad, she glanced out her bedroom window again, and saw that the sun was setting and the stars were beginning to twinkle into view. Setsuna was always somewhat disappointed that she couldn't see the galaxy in all its twinkling glory, since Tokyo generated an incredible amount of light pollution. It certainly made her astrophysics studies more difficult.

Setsuna frowned and carefully lowered her chopsticks to the table. She stood up from her table with a determined expression.

I WILL go out. I will fight against this loneliness!

Reasoning that the temperature would be cooler at nighttime anyway, Setsuna grabbed her satchel and keys and walked out the door before she could second-guess herself. She pressed the elevator button with almost excessive force, and walked through the lobby as quickly as she could.

And what was awaiting her outside on the main streets of Juuban was a summer festival. Setsuna's senses were almost overloaded with new experiences. The smell of the grilled food, the sound of the people talking, the beautiful yukata that the young women were wearing. Setsuna looked sadly at her own ensemble, and hesitated.

If I go to the festival looking like this, they'll think I'm being disrespectful.

She decided that merely observing the festival would suffice. After all, observing from afar is what she usually did anyway. So she sat down on a nearby bench near an enormous taiko drum stage. And she sat and watched silently.

"Oh...Setsuna-san!"

Setsuna startled and looked up at the person addressing her. It was Reika, wearing a lab coat and looking harried.

"Reika-san! It's been a while! How are you?"

"Fine, fine! I'm just in a hurry right now. There's some sort of specimen that Professor Sato wants me to look at. I'm kind of annoyed about it, because I was ready to go to the festival with Motoki this evening."

Setsuna frowned. Prof. Sato was being unnecessarily demanding considering the university was supposed to be closed for summer break. "I'm sorry, Reika-san. If it's any consolation," she laughed bitterly, "I won't be going to the festival either."

Reika regarded Setsuna with surprise. "Why not?"

Setsuna choked on her words. How could she explain that she only had one nice thing to wear?

"I only recently moved here. So I don't know the customs. And I don't have a yukata to wear."

Reika brightened then. "Well, THAT I can help you with. We're about the same size, and I can't wear it tonight anyway, so how about you borrow my yukata for the evening?"

Setsuna caught her breath. "You'd lend it to me?"

Reika laughed and tossed her head. "Of course I will! Come with me, Setsuna-san. I've got the yukata in my car." She grabbed Setsuna's arm and pulled her towards the nearby parking lot.

Reika's car was a small and sensible white sedan. She popped open the trunk and pulled out a carefully wrapped package. She gently undid the silk ribbons, and her beautiful yukata flowed down. It was primarily a dark plum purple, with dark red leaf accents. The red leaves shimmered as the fabric moved under the light.

"Oh...Reika-san. It's beautiful. I couldn't possibly -"

"Oh, no you don't. You're going to accept this yukata, put it on, look incredibly beautiful, and have a fun evening!"

Setsuna looked at her friend helplessly. "I-"

"You can pay me back by buying me a drink next time we see each other, okay?" Reika winked at Setsuna, handed her the yukata, and then locked her car. "I need to get going now. I'm going to be late, but the old man can wait a bit." She laughed, and then waved to Setsuna as she hurried off towards the university.

Setsuna stood stunned for a few moments, then collected her thoughts. She ducked under some dark trees to change into the yukata. She stuffed her clothes into her satchel (which, thank goodness, was enchanted to hold anything without generating weight) and straightened her mussed up hair. She put on her bravest smile, and walked under the gate to enter the street festival.

She decided that, for once, she was going to enjoy herself and not worry about the consequences.

Constant worrying is bad for one's mental health anyway.

She sampled delicious, albeit unhealthy foods. She bought a souvenir fan that was decorated with sakura branches. Daintily using it to cool herself off, she continued down the street and took in the sights, smells, and sounds of every kiosk. One kiosk was particularly noisy, she noted. A young woman was banging on a fish-shaped drum and inviting people to try the goldfish catching game. The woman looked familiar, so Setsuna moved closer.

It was Usagi, and 3 of her friends were staffing the goldfish tanks.

We meet again and again.

"Good evening, Usagi-san!"

Usagi stopped drumming.

"Setsuna-san! It's so nice to see you again!" Usagi gave Setsuna a hug, and nearly dropped her drum in her enthusiasm.

Setsuna nodded politely to Ami and Minako, and shared a smile with Makoto. She turned back to Usagi. "So how come you're doing this work instead of having fun at the festival?"

"Oh, it's 'cause Rei-chan was on the festival planning committee and needed volunteers for this booth. And I said I wanted to play a drum, but not THIS drum! I wish I could go to the festival! Our breaks aren't nearly long enough!" Usagi pouted.

Setsuna chuckled. "Well, at least you're doing something that helps the community!"

Usagi sighed. "I guess so. Oh! By the way, would you like to come and catch a goldfish?" She started banging on the drum again as if to emphasize it.

Setsuna was taken aback. "Oh...well, I don't think I'd be able to take care of a goldfish. I'm so busy..."

Usagi pouted some more. "But but but but but!"

Remind me again how this girl is going to be the future Queen of the World?

Suddenly, behind Setsuna, she felt someone gently tugging on her extended sleeve. She turned around, and there was Hotaru, shyly trying to get Setsuna's attention. She looked beautiful and tiny in a dark blue yukata, and it was obvious that it was made of the highest quality materials, like Setsuna's yukata was.

"Hotaru-chan! So nice to see you! Are you enjoying your break?" She kneeled down to talk to the girl.

Usagi regarded Hotaru with curiosity. "This is someone you know?"

Setsuna smiled at both girls. "Yes, this is Hotaru Tomoe. She comes to visit me in my nurse's office sometimes."

Hotaru glanced around and then said to Setsuna in a low voice, "I've been too sick to enjoy very much. But I thought I'd go out tonight since I haven't been to a summer festival in 4 years." She smiled weakly. "My father used to go with me, but he was too busy to take me tonight and said I'm too sick to go out. So I snuck out of the house on my own."

"Tsk, your father's going to worry about you, you know!" Setsuna chided.

Hotaru sighed. "Yes, I know."

Usagi kneeled down as well. "What kind of sickness do you have, Hotaru-chan?" She observed the girl with concern.

"Oh...well, the doctors don't really know. But...I faint a lot." Setsuna knew that Hotaru was deliberately concealing details. But she understood why.

Hotaru looked at the goldfish tanks. "I used to have a goldfish when I was little."

Setsuna studied Hotaru's expression carefully. "Used to?"

Hotaru's large purple eyes saddened. "It died. Somehow the bowl broke. Kaori said it was my fault. But I wasn't even in the room when it happened." Tears began rolling down her cheeks.

Setsuna wrapped her arms around Hotaru. "I'm so sorry, Hotaru-chan," she whispered.

Usagi observed them with a heartbroken expression. She glanced at the tanks, then at her friends, who all nodded with agreement.

"Hotaru-chan?" she asked tentatively.

Hotaru broke away from Setsuna. "Y...Yes?

Usagi handed her a goldfish catching paddle made of paper. "Here. It's on the house." She smiled encouragingly at Hotaru.

Hotaru brightened noticeably, and Setsuna noted with surprise that colour had returned to Hotaru's cheeks, making her look healthy for a change.

Hotaru moved quickly to grab the paddle, then stopped and remembered her manners. She bowed politely to Usagi. "Thank you, Miss...?"

"Usagi Tsukino. And these are my friends, Ami Mizuno, Minako Aino and Makoto Kino," she said, pointing out each of her friends in turn.

"Nice to meet you, Hotaru-chan!" the girls told her in unison.

Hotaru's eyes shone with excitement, as she bent down to examine the goldfish in the tanks. Setsuna stood by and watched, grateful once again for Usagi's kindness. Then she noted Hotaru's expression. The happiness had been replaced by intense concentration. Hotaru's intelligent eyes scanned the tanks, searching for the perfect fish. Then, with surprising speed, she struck with the paddle and perfectly flipped a particularly brightly coloured goldfish into the catching cup.

The happy expression returned. "I did it!" She showed the cup to Setsuna. "I did it, Setsuna-san! I caught a fish!"

The others all applauded enthusiastically. Hotaru's cheeks became rosier. "Thank you so much, everyone."

"Here, let's get that fish wrapped up," Ami said as she gently poured the fish and some water inside a plastic bag. "Carry it carefully, now!"

Hotaru nodded. "I will! Thank you again!" She proudly carried her new pet out of the kiosk and back out onto the street. Setsuna waved goodbye to the others and walked alongside Hotaru. She was staring excitedly at the fish. "I didn't think I'd be able to catch it, Setsuna-san! Especially not on the first try!"

Setsuna chuckled. "You looked so intense there, I don't think there could have been any way for you not to take one home."

Hotaru's expression then became thoughtful. "I can't keep it in this little bag forever. I wonder if my father will buy me a new bowl for it?"

"Why wouldn't he?"

Hotaru's face darkened. "Kaori might tell him that I'm too irresponsible. Or he might say he's too busy to go shopping."

This Kaori is a ridiculous bully.

"Tell you what, Hotaru-chan. The pet store is just around the corner. Let's go and see if they're still open."

"Oh, good idea!" She paused. "But I don't have any money."

"Well then, it'll be my treat."

"You don't have to do that, Setsuna-san!"

Setsuna laughed. "Of course I do! You were so happy there, you looked healthy. It's my job to make you more healthy, isn't it?"

Hotaru flushed again, but followed Setsuna to the pet shop. As luck would have it, they were open late for the summer festivities. (It seemed they had anticipated a lot of new goldfish owners.) Hotaru picked out an elegant glass bowl, bright purple gravel, and a large jar of food. Setsuna winced a little at the total cost, as it would almost entirely wipe out the money she'd been saving for fancy clothing, but reasoned that Hotaru's need was greater at this moment.

Hotaru smiled gratefully at Setsuna. "Thank you so much, Setsuna-san!"

Setsuna grinned back. "It's no problem at all, Hotaru-chan."

"I'd better get home now before they notice I've gone. I'm going to hide the goldfish in my bedroom so Kaori can't get to it."

"Are you okay to carry all of your things home?"

"Oh, yes! They're not very heavy. And I don't live too far away." Hotaru smiled thoughtfully. "I'll have to think of a name for the fishie!"

Setsuna laughed. "Be sure to think of a good one!"

"I will! Have a good evening!" She walked off with excitement, waving behind her.

Setsuna waved back, smiling with pride that she was able to make her little charge so happy.

She turned and walked back towards the festival.

Chapter Text

Setsuna was walking back through a large open square surrounded by trees. It was deserted, other than one small house and a tall wooden stage with a taiko drum in the centre. She supposed that the area would fill up when the performance began.

In the house, she saw a young woman practicing her drumming technique. She was sweating with effort, her face full of concentration and determination.

Whoever this girl is, she's got astounding drive and dedication.

Suddenly, a white hatchback car came tearing through the park with an incredibly careless speed. Setsuna dove behind the house in terror to try to avoid it. She crouched down and peered suspiciously at the driver.

She was a red-haired woman wearing glasses and a lab coat, and she looked very agitated. The woman glanced in all directions trying to locate something, and then grabbed a handheld speaker and activated a megaphone connected to her car.

"Maya Tohno, please. Can Maya Tohno please come outside? There is a message for Maya Tohno."

The drummer stopped practicing and looked up with confusion. She went outside, and looked around. "I'm...Maya Tohno. Someone had a message for me?"

The woman in the car then leapt out of it, and held up a gun filled with a sickly pink fluid. She was pointing directly at Maya's heart.

NO!

Setsuna got up to try to intervene, but the red-haired woman was so quick to shoot Maya that Setsuna had no chance to act. The gun let out a malevolent black force similar to what the Daimons used, and Maya's Heart Crystal instantaneously popped out from her back. She collapsed lifelessly.

This is horrific! They're so brutal!

Setsuna crept backwards towards the darkness and retrieved her transformation wand from her satchel.

They're not far away. Please, please let the Sailor Senshi come. Please.

She was truly beginning to hate her incognito role, because she felt like a coward.

The red-haired woman smirked and walked over to Maya's lifeless body to examine the Heart Crystal.

"Hold it right there!"

The woman turned in fury. "Who's there?"

Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars were standing back to back, illuminated by the light from the house. Mars' expression had a particular rage to it. Sailor Moon was saying something angrily to the woman, but Setsuna couldn't quite hear. She then crept closer to listen.

"I'm the Pretty Sailor Suited Soldier of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

"Agent of Love and Fire, the Pretty Sailor Suited Soldier, Sailor Mars! In the name of Mars, I will chastise you!"

The woman was unimpressed by the two Senshi's gestures and threats. She tore off her coat, revealing an outfit comprised of a red bra top, loose red pants, and an absurd spiky black skirt. "So you're two of the Sailor Senshi. I am the first and greatest of the Witches 5, Eudial." Her eyes then glittered. She flipped a switch on her car, and its back door swung open, revealing a metal box with a star insignia on it. "Come out, Daimon!" The box began to expel smoke, and someone called out, "Soiya!" The Daimon was shaped like a drum, with spiky red hair and a cruel expression. She leapt out of the car and challenged the two Senshi. She threw red-hot fireworks at them, which they were only barely able to dodge.

Eudial chuckled maliciously as Soiya distracted the Senshi. She slowly walked over to Maya's body. Setsuna was torn. She wasn't sure if she wanted to help the Senshi, or to help Maya.

Where are the others? Where are Uranus and Neptune?

Eudial crouched down and snatched the Heart Crystal. She looked at it carefully, and her face contorted with rage. "This isn't a Talisman! Damnit!"

She turned around to Soiya. "Keep them occupied while I destroy this Crystal!"

She ran to her car and prepared to pull out another gun, this one smelling faintly of brimstone.

The Senshi were helpless, as Soiya had now trapped them within oversized duplicates of her own drums. Soiya generated two enormous spiked clubs, and taunted Moon and Mars. "Which one shall I play first?"

Soiya raised her clubs, and Eudial prepared her gun.

I have no choice!

"PLUTO PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

Swirling purple mists surrounded her, and she became Sailor Pluto once more. The Time Key materialized in her hand. She gripped it with rage.

You will not touch this innocent girl.

She rushed up behind Eudial and hit her in the back of her head with the top of her staff. Eudial's eyes bugged out and she fell over. She recovered quickly, and turned around to face her new adversary. "Who are you?"

Soiya and the other two Senshi were momentarily distracted by Pluto's presence. Sailor Moon and Sailor Mars' expressions dawned with recognition.

"You're..." Sailor Mars began.

"Guarded by Pluto, Planet of Time! I am the Soldier of Revolution, Sailor Pluto!" Pluto held up her Time Key intimidatingly.

"Sailor Pluto! What are you doing here?" Sailor Moon asked.

Eudial, still rubbing the back of her heard, paused and considered her odds. Then, in a display of sheer cowardice, she threw aside the Heart Crystal, leapt into her car, and tore off, yelling, "YOU TAKE CARE OF IT FROM HERE, SOIYA!"

Taking the opportunity, Pluto speedily returned Maya's Heart Crystal, watching with satisfaction as the colour returned to her cheeks.

Soiya sputtered a bit in surprise, then turned to Pluto and began to charge towards her, holding the spiked clubs.

Pluto stood up and held her Time Key horizontally, and felt the mists of Time and the spirits of the dead flow around her. In reverence, she whispered her attack, "Dead Scream." The jewels on the Key flashed, she spun around quickly, and a large purple planet of energy hurtled towards Soiya. The Daimon was unable to dodge it, and screamed in agony.

Soiya collapsed on her knees, singed and ragged from the force of Pluto's attack. Pluto looked up and saw that Mars was pulling Sailor Moon free.

"Sailor Moon! Please!" Pluto called out to her.

Sailor Moon cried out in reply, "Right!" She prepared her attack, twirling the Moon Spiral Heart Rod at a dizzying speed. "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!" An enormous glowing pink heart whirled out from the crystal on her weapon, smacking Soiya head-on. "Lovely!" she cried, as she faded out and became an egg and drum once more. As usual, the egg cracked and the malevolent spirit dissipated.

Mars, now freed from the taiko drum, ran up to Pluto. "Sailor Pluto...I thought you were always supposed to be guarding the Gates of Time! Why are you here?"

Sailor Pluto studied the two girls' faces steadily, and chose her words carefully. "I have observed twists and turns in the Timestream that I have never encountered before. I believe that the Earth is in danger, and I am here to try to prevent things from getting worse."

Mars flinched a little, and Pluto could swear she could almost see the echoes of the apocalyptic vision in Mars' eyes.

Sailor Moon gently held on to Pluto's arms. "Are you here to help us? Will you fight alongside us?"

Pluto smiled slightly. "I have always fought alongside you, Neo-Queen Serenity."

Sailor Moon's eyes watered slightly, but she accepted the vague answer.

Pluto then lifted up her Time Key. "If you'll excuse me, ladies, there are pressing matters I need to attend to." She then leapt up and out of sight, taking advantage of her heightened physical abilities to hide from the two Senshi.

Pluto held up her transformation wand, and her transformation melted away, leaving Setsuna once again in her beautiful yukata. She secretly watched Moon and Mars become Usagi and Rei again too, and they ran over to tend to Maya.

About an hour later, Maya ascended the wooden platform and began her performance. The square was bustling with excitement, children dancing along to the rhythmic beats. The Inner Senshi, now relieved of their goldfish catching duties, watched Maya's performance with pride.

Setsuna enjoyed it too, having never experienced a taiko drum performance before. It seemed to make the blood rush inside her and give her strength.

"Oh, you're here too, Setsuna-san?"

Setsuna turned around her, and there were Haruka and Michiru, looking perfect in their blue and yellow yukata.

Setsuna nodded. "I wouldn't miss something like this for the world."

Haruka smiled. "Well then, let's watch this together." She stretched her arms so she was embracing both women, who both laughed at her outrageousness.

Setsuna's eyes shone with happiness.

Looks like my cover's blown.

But I have my companions.

Chapter Text

SELF-SACRIFICE

"Would you like some more tea, Hotaru?" Setsuna lifted up an elegant teapot decorated with stylized pomegranates.

"Yes, please! I really like your green tea," Hotaru answered with a grin.

It had been gradual, but the two lonely people found themselves no longer needing to use honorifics to refer to each other. Setsuna felt, and sensed that Hotaru felt the same, that they were almost like a family. Setsuna carefully poured the tea into Hotaru's cup, then got up and went to the kitchen to get some more snacks. Hotaru was now coming to visit Setsuna in her apartment almost on a daily basis. Hotaru preferred the atmosphere of the apartment over the nurse's office, since although she craved companionship, she craved privacy as well.

Setsuna utterly adored the young girl, and felt somewhat guilty about all the time she was spending with her instead of watching over the Senshi. Eudial attacked target after target, and Setsuna was never able to get there in time, though sometimes she had to intervene in battles where Sailor Moon was on her own and out of her depth. Uranus and Neptune remained aloof.

Setsuna placed a tiny plate with a few almond cookies gently on the table. She paused, then looked at Hotaru critically.

"Your father doesn't know you've been coming here to visit, does he?"

Hotaru shuddered with shock, and nearly dropped the tea. "I...how did you know?"

Setsuna grimaced. "Because every time you come to meet me at the nurse's office, you keep looking around to make sure no one is there. You're rather bad at secrecy, my dear."

Hotaru flushed. "Well...you know that things...haven't been going too well at my house."

Setsuna nodded. "Yes, I know. But keeping secrets from your father isn't going to make things better. And considering he's my boss, I could get in a lot of trouble for not telling him where you've been going."

Hotaru sighed, then took a small sip of tea. "I guess it's not really him I'm keeping secrets from, even though he doesn't really care about me anymore. It's Kaori that I'm trying to avoid. Being with you is so much better than being with her. I wish you were the secretary."

Setsuna smiled wistfully. "I wish I could be there too, so I could look after you and protect you from her. But that's just not how things worked out. Regardless, tonight you are going to speak to your father. If you have to, explain that you are staying with me out of concern for your health and because it is my duty to be your nurse."

Hotaru's wide purple eyes were pained, but she nodded with reluctance. She looked down at her lap, and her fists were clenched. "I've been blacking out more often these days." She trusted Setsuna, but didn't dare mention that she'd been waking up in a room she didn't recognize, wearing a bizarre clown-like outfit, and she was surrounded by heavily damaged plush toys. She knew that even Setsuna wouldn't take that news very well.

Setsuna studied Hotaru's face, trying to find answers she knew she didn't have the expertise to give.

"When I'm with you, I don't have the blackouts. When I'm with you, it's the only time... I'm happy." Those last two words came out choked and pained. Hotaru put down her cup, leaned onto the small table and began sobbing hysterically. "I'm so scared, Setsuna! I feel like I'm going to die, and that I'm all alone! That even you can't save me!"

Setsuna leapt up from her chair and embraced the girl tightly. "Please don't cry, my little Hotaru. You are safe." She paused, sensing a sudden change in her heart. She gripped her tighter. "You are mine. No matter what happens, no matter what you do, you belong to me and I belong to you."

Hotaru continued to cry for a while, but gradually calmed down. Setsuna cleaned up the tea set and leftover cookies, then glanced at the clock on her kitchen wall. "It's time to go home, Hotaru. ...Try to talk to your father this evening, won't you?"

Hotaru wiped her face with her sleeve, flushing slightly in embarrassment. "Okay. I have homework anyway. They sure work you hard at a genius school," she said with a pained laugh.

Eudial was furiously typing away at her computer, sweating from the pressure and effort. She knew she was running out of time, and that there was a new coldness in the Professor's voice when he would talk to her on the phone. But she was at a loss. She knew how to program her computer into finding Pure-Hearted subjects, and she'd extracted all different kinds of Pure Hearts. And yet none of them were a Talisman.

The phone next to her monitor began to ring. Eudial hesitated to pick it up, but took a deep swallow and lifted the receiver. "Hello, Eudial here."

"Good morning, Eudial-kun. How goes the hunt?" The Professor let out a deep, sinister chuckle.

Eudial hesitated. "I'm trying to determine what it is that is special about the Pure Hearts of the Talisman holders. Merely being Pure-Hearted doesn't seem to be enough." She paused and then tried to sound cheerful. "But I'm sure I'll arrive at an answer soon!" She laughed awkwardly.

The Professor chuckled again. "Fortunately, I have been getting signs from Our Lady that being Pure-Hearted is enough, at least for her."

Eudial looked confused. "Why, what has she been saying? Does she know something?"

"She doesn't know who the Talisman bearers are, no. But she believes that Heart Crystals will be the key to reviving her. We will need to sacrifice the perfect Pure Heart to her."

"So should I steal the Heart Crystals away anyway, even if they're not Talisman Crystals?"

It was now the Professor's turn to hesitate. "No, Eudial-kun. I would like you to just concentrate on finding the Talismans. I will assign the task of reviving Our Lady to one of your colleagues."

Eudial sputtered in outrage. "But I am the leader of this office! The most important tasks should be given to me!"

"And there is nothing more important than finding the Talismans. Our Lady needs the Holy Grail, and our entire operation would be destroyed should it fall into the hands of the enemy. Just concern yourself with locating the Talismans."

Eudial sighed. "Yes sir. I'll get back to work, shall I?"

"You do that, Eudial-kun."

She hung up the phone, though her real desire was to throw it against the wall.

She tapped her pen against the table. She was trying to get back to thinking about the kind of Pure Heart that would hold a Talisman, but her mind kept having flashes of rage that the Professor was already assigning essential tasks to the others. How can they possibly be skilled enough to know what kind of Pure Heart would be the perfect sacrifice for the Messiah?

Sacrifice...

She had a sudden stroke of inspiration. With a renewed energy, Eudial started typing furiously on her keyboard.

Setsuna examined the thermometer that she'd just taken out of a patient's mouth. She frowned at it. "Well, Daisuke-chan, it looks like you have a fever."

Daisuke was a tiny child, one of the youngest at Mugen Academy. He was a piano prodigy who was often in Setsuna's office, as he was much too young to cope with the pressures that his parents and the school were putting on him. Usually he just needed a nap in her office, but this time he was genuinely ill. He swayed slightly as he sat on the examination table, and his forehead was covered in perspiration.

"What am I going to do, Setsuna-san?" His eyes, which were so large they reminded her of Hotaru's, looked at her with apprehension.

"Well, I'll contact your parents, and they'll take you to the doctor. In the meantime, lie down and rest for a little while, okay?" She tried to show cheerfulness, but had trouble concealing how concerned she was for him. He was so tiny.

She pulled out Daisuke's patient card containing his contact information, and then picked up the phone on her desk. She dialed his father's work number twice, his mother's work number three times, and his home phone number another two times. None of them picked up, or even connected to an answering machine. She put down the phone and looked at the child, who was curled up on the examination table and beginning to shiver.

She glanced at the clock above the door. Her shift wouldn't be done for another hour. And in the meantime, she didn't have the expertise for caring for a child clearly suffering from flu symptoms. She pulled out a woollen blanket from a low cupboard, and put it on the shivering child. What was she going to do? His parents seemed to be entirely unreachable, and there was no one else she could contact for help.

He let out a pitiful whimper of pain. That clinched her decision.

She gently picked Daisuke up, making sure to keep the blanket wrapped around him. She bent her head down and said in a low voice, "I'm going to take you to the hospital, okay Daisuke-chan?" His eyes were tightly closed from the pain, but he nodded.

Not bothering to close and lock her office door, she rushed outside of Mugen Academy as quickly as she could. She was a decently athletic woman, but she found that carrying a limp 6-year-old was overwhelmingly difficult, and felt that she had to get to the hospital before her strength gave out. She stopped briefly on a nearby sidewalk to kick off her high heels, as they were slowing her down. She continued running towards the Juuban Hospital, praying that Daisuke's condition wouldn't get worse, and that she wouldn't run out of strength.

"...Setsuna-san?"

She stopped, too startled to remember her task.

She turned behind her. She'd run right past Mamoru without even noticing him, but he'd clearly recognized her.

"Oh...Mamoru-kun. Nice to see you." She glanced down at the child in her arms. "I'm sorry, but I can't stay to talk. I'm in a hurry." Her expression was strained from the effort of carrying Daisuke.

Mamoru glanced at the child, and then at the direction Setsuna was running towards, his quick mind putting two and two together. "Are you taking him to the hospital?"

"Yes. He has a fever. And I couldn't get ahold of his parents."

"Let me help you then. I can tell you're having trouble carrying him."

Setsuna's eyes widened. "Oh, no! I couldn't burden you like that! Don't worry, I can handle it."

"Nonsense," Mamoru said, as he gently cradled Daisuke. "I'm used to carrying people. It's no problem at all." Daisuke curled up to Mamoru, and he'd stopped shivering as if his temperature had dropped down to normal.

Setsuna's eyes watered, but she steeled herself to keep from crying at Mamoru's kindness. Daisuke needed her.

The two adults exchanged a glance, nodded, and then continued running towards the hospital.

Daisuke was out of danger. A cold towel was placed on his forehead while he slept in a hospital bed.

Setsuna was sitting in the chair next to his bed, and Mamoru was waiting outside as if standing guard. She was starting to nod off; carrying Daisuke for that brief amount of time exhausted her. It was somewhat difficult, however, as a child visiting another patient in the hospital was making an excessive amount of noise and his parents had done nothing to quiet him.

Suddenly an earsplitting crash travelled from the hospital's ground floor, and the building shook from a mysterious impact. The hospital patients began to cry and yell in fear and pain from the shockwave.

Mamoru was instantly alerted by the crash. "Setsuna-san, I'm going downstairs to investigate! Stay there, please!"

Setsuna uttered a sound of protest, but then nodded reluctantly, and Mamoru took off. It seemed that she would have to choose between her duties today.

What is more important? Being a nurse and guardian to this helpless child, or being a Senshi? Everything is always an impossible choice.

Fortunately, Daisuke had not awoken from the crash. He still slept soundly and peacefully. A young female nurse burst into the room to check that the patients were okay. She had long dark blonde hair that ended in ringlets, irresistibly reminding Setsuna of a certain someone. Daisuke's roommate whined bitterly, and took the opportunity to complain that her pillow wasn't fluffy enough and the food was bland. Rolling her eyes, the nurse walked over to Setsuna and Daisuke.

"How's the little guy doing?"

Setsuna smiled down at him. "Sleeping like a baby. It seems he really needed to rest." Setsuna's eyes then drifted over to the window, where there was an enormous amount of chaos surrounding the site of the crash. "I wish I knew what was going on down there."

The nurse blinked in surprise. "Why?"

Setsuna shrugged. "Oh...just thinking I might be able to help..."

The nurse crossed her arms and studied Setsuna critically. "You said you work part-time at Mugen Academy as a nurse, right?"

"Yes. He came to me for help, and I couldn't reach his parents, so here I am." She then tenderly adjusted Daisuke's blanket so it covered him properly.

The nurse cocked her head. "You're the type that likes to help people, huh?"

Setsuna blinked in surprise. "I suppose so? I don't even think about it. I just try to do what I can."

The nurse smiled. "Go on then. I'll watch over him."

"Are you sure? I don't want to inconvenience you..."

"Nah, don't worry about it. I wish half of my coworkers were as proactive as you are. They're constantly trying to get around their duties. Sometimes I wonder why they even became nurses." The nurse laughed. "Oh, I should introduce myself before you run off. My name's Madoka."

Setsuna stood up and extended her hand to shake it. "Setsuna Meiou. ...No last name?"

The nurse laughed again. "I don't like my last name. Anyway, go on now. Go help people."

Setsuna nodded and exited the hospital room. She suddenly stopped and turned back. "Thank you, Madoka-san."

Madoka simply waved and gestured for Setsuna to get on her way.

Setsuna tore through the hallways as quickly as she could, which was difficult as they were filled with patients, nurses, doctors and machines, and they were all in a chaotic state because of the crash. She was glad that she was able to borrow some indoor slippers when she arrived at the hospital, as she would not have enjoyed trying to navigate the hallways barefoot.

She raced down the stairs, panting from the effort.

I hope no one is hurt. I hope I'm not too late.

She was about to reach the exit of the hospital emergency room when there were renewed screams, followed by the feedback from an activated loudspeaker.

"Setsuna Meiou. Will Setsuna Meiou please come out to the hospital courtyard? Setsuna Meiou."

Setsuna froze, her eyes fearful. She had recognized Eudial's voice.

Has she found out who I am?

What do I do?

"Setsuna Meiou. If you do not come outside, I will cause more damage to this hospital. And I don't care who I hurt in the process."

Oh please, no!

Setsuna resumed running, and burst out from the sliding doors of the hospital.

Eudial's eyes narrowed in malice. "Very good, Ms. Meiou." She had a gun pointed at a group of people who were huddled together in fear.

Setsuna was panting, and her eyes searched over the surrounding area, surveying the damage. Eudial's white car had crashed directly into the wall of the hospital, which had sent bricks and dust flying everywhere. The car itself was undamaged. None of the civilians had any visible injuries. Mamoru was standing in front of them protectively, a fierce look on his face.

Eudial smiled as Setsuna took some tentative steps toward her. "Ms. Meiou, I am going to ask you to surrender quietly, or..." Her smile turned into a smirk. "I'm going to have to use my dear little Fire Buster." She patted her gun affectionately.

Setsuna swallowed. She knew it was pointless, but decided to call Eudial's bluff. "...And if I don't surrender?"

Eudial laughed. "Surely you know the answer to that."

Chapter Text

THE GARNET ORB

Setsuna's mouth was dry. One impossible choice after another. But for her, there was never any hesitation.

"Fine. I surrender. But I will not go quietly. Let these people go. Now." Setsuna's eyes were fierce, and had taken an almost fiery tone.

Eudial laughed dismissively and waved her hand. "Whatever you like. I'm not interested in...average people."

Keeping her challenging gaze set on Eudial, Setsuna addressed Mamoru. "Mamoru-san, please get these people out of here. I don't want them to be hurt."

Mamoru stuttered in protest, and gestured at Eudial in outrage. "But, Setsuna-san! You can't-"

"Please don't tell me what I can't do." Setsuna closed her eyes painfully. "I will not allow innocent people to suffer."

Mamoru's angry expression softened to sorrow. "...I understand."

"Thank you."

Eudial snorted. "Get on with it!"

Mamoru clenched his teeth, but quickly organized the frightened civilians and led them out of the chaos. As he passed Eudial, he turned to her and said, "This isn't over."

"And what do you think YOU can do?" Eudial scoffed.

He turned away from her and continued to lead the line. "You'd be surprised."

Setsuna watched the civilians leave, and as the last one was safely out of range, she threw out her arms.

"You allowed the civilians to leave without being hurt. So I will keep up my end of the bargain." A tear trickled out of her eye. Goodbye, Hotaru. I'm so sorry.

Eudial raised her Heart Crystal gun slowly. She studied Setsuna carefully. "There is something quite respectable in being willing to sacrifice yourself for others. Meiou-san, you are a worthy opponent." She then pulled the trigger.

Pain. Searing pain.

And then nothing.

Setsuna's body did not slump down like many of the others. She fell gracefully backwards, her long green hair spreading behind her. Her Heart Crystal floated in the air, pulsing with a maroon light.

Setsuna was still conscious, but felt a deep emptiness inside her.

She remembered love. She remembered loss. She remembered duty.

But she couldn't feel them. She was empty, and yet her chest felt heavy.

"I knew it! This Heart Crystal is different! It's a Talisman!" With a whoop of triumph, Eudial ran towards Setsuna's Heart Crystal.

She was interrupted by a sharp-tipped rose crossing her path. It embedded itself in the cement.

"Mamoru...san..." Setsuna whispered.

Tuxedo Mask jumped down in front of Eudial, brandishing his cane. "A hospital is a revered place of knowledge and healing. I will not allow you to turn it into a scene of violence."

Eudial made a groan of frustration. "You will not interrupt me today. Not this time." She pulled out her Fire Buster gun roughly. Anticipating her actions, Tuxedo Mask blocked her from reaching the trigger. She struggled awkwardly against his cane.

"Damnit! I have had enough of pests like you! Come out, Daimon!" The hatchback of Eudial's car burst open and began billowing smoke. But nothing came out.

Tuxedo Mask was stunned in confusion. Eudial smirked. "You fell for it." With astounding agility, she broke his cane in half and fired the gun at Tuxedo Mask, hitting him in the chest. He fell backwards with a roar of pain, and landed on the ground, unconscious. The searing heat from the ball of fire made his hat and mask fall off. He fell to the ground as Mamoru.

Setsuna remembered love.

"NOOOOOOO!" she cried in a choked scream. She struggled to move.

Eudial was panting, her eyes glinting with triumph. "Still conscious, are you?" She paused and looked around. "Is that the end of the interruptions?"

"You better not count on that!"

Sailor Moon was standing at the edge of the courtyard, the setting sun behind her casting a long shadow.

"Not only have you damaged a hospital and endangered the lives of those we need to care for most, you just attacked the most handsome man in the world! I will never, ever forgive you!"

Eudial cocked her eyebrow in disbelief.

"I'm an Agent for Love and Justice, The Pretty Sailor Suited Soldier, Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

Eudial sighed and waved her hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, I've heard all that before. Say something new, why don't you?"

"How dare you! My introduction speech is very important!" Sailor Moon crossed her arms and glowered at Eudial grumpily.

Setsuna groaned, forcing herself to sit up.

She remembered duty.

She mentally fought against the dual heaviness and emptiness in her chest.

Sailor Moon glanced over Eudial's shoulder and saw Setsuna struggling to move. Her eyebrows lowered in anger. "How could you...how could you hurt Setsuna-san? Why do you attack innocent people?!"

"You'll see. I'm a little busy with her at the moment. If you'll excuse me..." Eudial lifted up her Fire Buster.

Setsuna staggered, but stood up. She slowly reached out towards her floating Heart Crystal. She was moving automatically.

Sailor Moon wielded her Spiral Heart Moon Rod defensively. "Bring it on, Eudial! I'll defend Setsuna-san with my life!"

Eudial smirked. "If I can get rid of you, it'll be two birds with one stone! Fire..."

Setsuna's fingers closed around the Heart Crystal. It became blazing hot, and the maroon light began pulsing brightly.

Both Sailor Moon and Eudial turned around, distracted. Mamoru's eyes opened slowly.

Panting with pain and knowing her death was imminent, Setsuna tried to will her Heart Crystal back inside her. "I...will not die...not remembering what love feels like. I will die...in the line of duty..."

The pulsating light reversed, and began to create a barrier around Setsuna. Her strength finally gave out, and she closed her eyes. Then she slowly began floating off the ground, her long hair gracefully hovering around her body.

Eudial said in wonder, "Is this...the power of a Talisman?"

The pulsing light stopped, wrapped itself around Setsuna, and instantaneously transformed her into Sailor Pluto.

Sailor Moon's eyes widened in shock, and she nearly dropped the Spiral Heart Moon Rod. "Setsuna-san is...Sailor Pluto?!"

Mamoru sat up and groaned. Replacing his mask, he smiled painfully. "Yes...of course she is..."

The Time Key materialized in front of Sailor Pluto.

A familiar sweet voice spoke in Pluto's head.

Take it.

Sailor Pluto instinctively grabbed her Key, both tool and weapon, the symbol of her Power. The Heart Crystal's light grew brighter.

Eudial snapped away from her confrontation with Sailor Moon. "I WILL have that Talisman!" She ran towards Pluto and reached out to her Heart Crystal, but painfully bounced off of Pluto's protective aura. Her body flew backwards, dragging slightly along the cement.

The Heart Crystal made a beautiful chiming sound, then morphed into a large, elegant jewel. It was a gleaming garnet accented with topaz gemstones. In her body, Pluto felt its power moving through her. Power she never knew she could wield.

The Garnet Orb, the voice whispered.

Who are you? Pluto responded.

I'm waiting for you back home, was all that the voice replied.

The Garnet Orb's topaz jewels glowed, and Pluto's Heart Crystal materialized. It gently returned to its mistress, disappearing within her chest. There was no pain this time. But she felt whole. Her chest lightened. She felt love, loss, and duty again. She smiled, as crystalline tears formed in her eyes.

Small Lady...Hotaru...Mamoru-san...Usagi-san...

I love you...oh, how I love you...

My love gives me strength.

Pluto opened her eyes and held out the Time Key towards the Garnet Orb. Her eyes shone reverently at the Talisman. The Talisman that was hers.

The Garnet Orb floated towards the Time Key, then the jewel flashed and joined with it. Pluto felt the shudder of its power coursing through her veins.

This is your Garnet Rod, the voice told her.

My Garnet Rod, she whispered. She brought her Garnet Rod to her chest, hugging it both protectively and gratefully.

Pluto gently floated back down to the ground.

Eudial, now singed and unhinged by the barrier's power, leapt up. "Give me that Talisman! I found it! It's rightfully mine!" she shrieked.

Pluto stared at Eudial fearlessly. The returned sensation of love made her fiercely protective. "No, madam. I do believe that it is mine."

She lifted the Garnet Rod, and its jewel activated in sync with her thoughts. The mists of Time began to flow around her, exponentially increased in power by her Talisman. She pointed the Rod right at Eudial.

This is for Mamoru.

"Dead...SCREAM!"

The whirling planet of light smacked right into Eudial, who was unprepared for the sheer amount of force a Talisman's powers could grant. She screamed in agonizing pain, and lay on the ground, panting in horror.

"My turn!" Sailor Moon laughed in excitement. "MOON..."

Eudial's eyes widened in fear, and she made a dash towards her car. Leaping into it, she recklessly drove away, just barely missing the force of Sailor Moon's attack.

Tuxedo Mask glanced in the direction of where Eudial escaped. He scoffed. "Coward."

Sailor Moon ran towards him. "Are you alright, Mamo-chan? Does it hurt anywhere?" Sailor Moon began to wail.

Tuxedo Mask steadily held up a gloved hand. "It hurts, but I'll recover." He turned to look at Pluto. "What about you, Setsuna-san?"

Pluto started at the usage of her civilian name.

Oh dear, that's right. They know now.

"...I'm fine...Mamoru-san." She smiled at him, and loved him, and was grateful he wasn't seriously injured.

She turned to Sailor Moon. "I'll leave him in your care, Usagi-san. There's a child who needs my attention right now."

The couple beamed and nodded. "We'll need to talk about some things later on, Setsuna-san...if that's okay." Tuxedo Mask's blue eyes studied Sailor Pluto's maroon eyes seriously.

Once again, I don't have a choice.

"...Yes, that's fine."

She turned to leave back towards the entrance to the hospital.

Blocking the door were two figures, standing back to back from each other.

"There are some things the three of us need to talk about as well, Sailor Pluto." Sailor Neptune's eyes were cold.

Chapter Text

GUARDIANS OF THE OUTER SOLAR SYSTEM

Sailor Pluto sighed heavily. "What do you want?"

Uranus turned her head and stared at the Garnet Orb. "That. That's a Talisman, isn't it?"

Pluto lifted the Orb to her face, gazed at it with befuddlement and wonder. "As far as I know."

Sailor Neptune could not make herself look at the Orb. "You understand that we're going to have to take that from you, correct?"

Pluto's eyebrows lowered. She stared expressionlessly at Neptune. "No. You're not."

Uranus clenched her teeth in frustration. "We don't have a choice! We need the Three Talismans to save the world from destruction!"

Pluto turned to Uranus. "So you do. But you're still not taking my Garnet Orb from me. It came from my heart. It's mine."

Uranus growled in fury. "Don't you understand? If you don't give us the Talisman willingly, we'll have to kill you!"

"You won't kill me," Pluto said simply.

Neptune started and her eyes widened. "How can you be sure of that?"

"You forget that I am a Sailor Senshi too. If I must, I will defend myself against you."

Uranus' expression then became cocky. "Oh really? We have more powerful abilities than the others, and there are two of us to one of you." She then raised up her right arm in preparation of her attack. "World..."

Neptune cried out, "Uranus! Wait!"

Pluto sighed. So be it.

Before Uranus could finish crying out her attack incantation, Pluto had summoned the Mists of Time, whipped around, and fired an enormous maroon planet directly at Sailor Uranus. The Dead Scream attack, powerfully augmented by the Garnet Orb, tore straight through the World Shaking attack, and hit Uranus hard enough that she fell backwards. With characteristic agility, Uranus immediately jumped back on her feet and assumed a battle stance.

"Not bad, Sailor Pluto." She paused to wipe blood away from her mouth. "But how long can you keep that up? You nearly died tonight."

Pluto glared at Uranus and shook her head. "You are a complete fool, Sailor Uranus."

Neptune then stepped in between the two Senshi and threw her arms out to stop them attacking each other. She looked behind her shoulder to her lover. "Stop it! ...She's right, Haruka. We can't kill her."

Startled at the use of her civilian name, Uranus relaxed her stance.

Pluto chuckled softly. "Haruka? That makes sense."

Neptune was steeling herself to keep from showing emotion. "This is our friend, Haruka. Our dearest friend. This is Setsuna-san. Please. There must be another way."

Uranus paused, then practically slumped with defeat and regret.

"So this is what our mission has done to me, Michiru. I'm tainted."

She lifted up her hands to her face. Her eyes, blank with sadness, stared unseeingly at them.

Neptune dropped her arms, ran over to Uranus, and took her hands in hers, kissing them softly.

"I'm sure there is another way," Pluto said softly. "We're companions."

Uranus and Neptune looked curiously at Pluto.

"Haruka-san...Michiru-san...we have laughed, worked, played and dreamed together. As Senshi...we can fight together as well." Pluto's eyes looked towards the full moon. "If you can promise me we can find a way to avoid bloodshed, I'll lend you my powers, and I'll lend you my Talisman."

Neptune replied, "But we can't promise that. The Talisman owners are supposed to be sacrifices. That's what our dreams told us. Honestly...neither of us can understand why you survived."

"I only just barely did. I was still conscious, and still had my willpower. If I didn't have that desire to live keeping me tied to this world, and if I wasn't a Sailor Senshi, well..." She turned towards the crash site. "I'd be lying there right now."

Uranus' expression was still stricken. "I admit...I had a little hope, seeing you survive having your Talisman revealed. I'd hoped for a second that all of the Talisman bearers could live. How stupid I am."

"Oh, Haruka..." Neptune choked, and embraced her lover. Their transformations melted away while they were still embracing. Pluto decided to de-transform herself as well. As the Garnet Rod faded away, she felt the power of the Garnet Orb return to inside her heart, there to be retrieved whenever she needed it.

She watched silently as the two women clung to each other. After some moments, she spoke up. "You two have had an enormous burden on your hearts, haven't you?"

Michiru sniffled a little. "Such is the fate of a Sailor Senshi."

Setsuna took a deep breath. "I have to get back to the hospital, but I wish to say this before we part for now. Let me share your burden. I was sent here to assist with this battle. The three Sailor Senshi of the Outer Solar System should work together, as we did in the past." A sudden flash of forbidden knowledge struck her. As we will in the future.

She continued. "The fact that our enemies have managed to settle on Earth from outside the Solar System is because the three of us were not awakened soon enough to stop them. The others have been able to hold them off for now, but the enemy will get stronger, and it is our responsibility to defeat them. This is our mission. This is our burden. The three of us will find the other two Talismans, we will defeat these invaders..."

And we will prevent the awakening of Sailor Saturn.

Hotaru was tiptoeing softly through the hallways of Mugen Academy towards Setsuna's office. She wanted to avoid seeing anyone else at any cost.

As she reached the office, she looked around her once more to make sure the coast was clear, then knocked on the door. Silence. She knocked once again. No answer.

Surprised that Setsuna wasn't there, Hotaru tried opening the nurse office's door. It was unlocked, but the office was empty, and the lights were off. Hotaru's shoulders slumped with sadness and confusion. It wasn't like Setsuna to not be there when she needed her.

The phone suddenly began to ring, startling her. Hotaru wasn't sure what to do, so she didn't answer it. The phone then went to voicemail, with a hysterical female voice speaking to it. "Hello? HELLO? You said that Daisuke is ill? Where is he? I need to find him! Please answer me! Hello?!"

Hotaru was disturbed and annoyed by the woman's hysterical shrieking. She felt a painful pounding in her heart.

No, no. Not again.

Hotaru collapsed on her knees, the pounding getting harder and more painful. She panted in agony, then blacked out.

She woke up again in her own bed, with a woman with long red hair tucking her in.

"YOU-" she started in horror.

"Me," Kaolinite curtly replied.

Eudial was sitting at her desk tapping her pen in a combination of frustration and concentration.

I found a Talisman, damnit. I found one!

And yet because I couldn't steal it, the Professor is angry with me. How could I have stolen it? It was impossible!

Still...

Eudial typed out a few more programming parameters. Adding in the information that Setsuna Meiou was actually a Sailor Senshi would provide interesting results. The more information she entered about Setsuna, the more likely Eudial would be able to track down the other two Talisman bearers.

Sacrifice...Possible Sailor Senshi...Double Life...Gifted...Loyal...Pure Hearted

Finishing her frantic typing with a flourish, she expelled her breath in exhaustion. The program was now sorting through thousands of potential people with Pure Hearts. After a few moments, the program halted and began beeping an alert.

A blonde-haired girl with a red hair bow was presented on the screen.

Chapter Text

LUCID NIGHTMARE

Setsuna was on edge. She had felt this way for at least a week since the incident that revealed her Garnet Orb. Eudial not only knew she was Sailor Pluto, but that she had one of the precious Talismans. Eudial was bound to strike back. It was just a matter of when.

She knew that something was going to happen, and happen soon. And whatever it was, it was going to be more significant than even the revelation of a Talisman. When she observed those moments from afar back at the Space-Time Door, then noted how the timeline went off on a severe tangent after those events, she called them the "Turning Points." When nothing would ever be the same as it was before. A Turning Point was coming soon, she was sure of it. And this time, she'd be a part of it.

"Ms. Meiou? Are you alright?"

Setsuna snapped back to reality, having been lost in tense thoughts. She was in the Mugen Academy nursing office, and she was treating a patient who'd gotten a minor burn in the chemical lab.

"Y-Yes. Pardon me." She rubbed a gentle ointment on the burn. The student winced, then sighed with relief.

"Thank you."

Setsuna beamed. "Of course. I'm glad you're feeling better." She pressed the little squeeze tube of ointment into the student's hands. "Apply that twice a day until it heals. If it starts getting worse or the skin starts peeling too much, go to a doctor. And keep your forearm away from the Bunsen Burner next time, okay?"

The student nodded, and skipped out of the room.

Setsuna smiled serenely. She genuinely loved her job. Her peaceful mood vanished in a second as she remembered her other job, and the severe sacrifices involved with it.

Sometimes, Setsuna wished she could be normal.

Suddenly, her vision began to blur and she felt dizzy. She couldn't fight it off. Setsuna forced herself to lie down on the examination bed. She then succumbed to the dizziness and passed out.

She found herself standing inside the scene of the apocalypse.

No! No, it can't have happened yet!

Setsuna whirled around in terror, seeing charred corpses and destroyed buildings everywhere. The stench of decay was overpowering. Her long hair was blowing everywhere with the violent howling wind. The sun was gone.

The vision had never been this vivid before.

She spotted the stone statues of the Senshi.

If the Talismans can supposedly save the world, I must try using mine now.

She willed the Talisman to appear out of her heart, but felt nothing. She gasped in shock. Setsuna then pulled her transformation wand out of her pocket and held it high.

"PLUTO PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

Nothing happened.

Setsuna was helpless.

She ran to the statues, wrapping her arms around the one that was once Sailor Moon.

"Please! Please come back to me! The world needs you! Please!" Tears of grief and horror were streaming out of Setsuna's maroon eyes.

Instead, the statue crumbled in Setsuna's arms, and the pieces of stone flew into the wind.

So I can do nothing? Nothing at all?

Sensing the presence of another person, she turned around to see the Messiah of Silence. She was placed on a pedestal, wielding an enormous scythe. The Grim Reaper in apocalyptic form.

Setsuna steeled herself. She studied every feature of the Messiah. She assumed this must be Sailor Saturn. The Messiah had large purple eyes. She had short hair.

No...it's just a dream, it's just a dream...

I can't believe what I see in dreams...

The Messiah said nothing, but held her scythe in a battle position.

I can do nothing.

But I will not die like a coward.

"Do it, then." She closed her eyes, and just like she had done with Eudial, she threw her arms out.

With no hesitation, the Messiah leapt up, and slaughtered Setsuna.

Setsuna woke up in her office, drenched in sweat and panting.

That was the worst nightmare yet!

Her heart, already gripped with tension, began panting. Setsuna forced herself to sit up.

It was just a vision, it wasn't reality, the Messiah can't be her, Sailor Saturn can't be her, no no no no no...

"Meiou-sensei?"

Setsuna's head jerked up. Knocking on her door was one of the student teachers. She'd never quite understood the system, but particularly talented students were allowed to teach classes. This one was named Yui Bidou, who had pale skin, silver-white hair, and a curvaceous frame. She led one of the science department's classes.

Setsuna wiped her brow. "Yes, what is it?"

"...are you feeling alright?" Yui stared at Setsuna in surprise.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just felt a little dizzy."

Yui smiled then. "That's good. I'm wondering if you can do a favour to help out the school."

"What's that?"

"The student teachers are supposed to be an example to the others by encouraging participation in the community. What we decided to do this year is a blood donation drive, which is particularly needed this year as there have been...a lot of accidents."

"So you want me to donate blood?"

"No, actually! Because you're a nurse, and you're so good with the younger students, I'm wondering if you're willing to help administer taking the donations."

Setsuna was too drained to consider the matter further. "I would be glad to help."

Yui clapped her hands in pleasure. "That's great! You're the last volunteer we need to get the program running!"

"Glad to hear it," Setsuna said a little raggedly. "When does the blood drive start?"

"Tomorrow!"

Setsuna started. "Tomorrow?! Why such short notice?"

Yui waved her hand dismissively as she walked out the door. "Oh, you know. I've been busy with my experiments and whatnot."

This was not much of an excuse, but Setsuna decided to let the matter go.

She hoped she would be able to sleep soundly tonight.

She closed the office door quietly, and locked it. She turned off the humming florescent lights. Then she sank back down onto the examination bed, put her head in her hands, and began to sob.

Chapter Text

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

"Minako-chan, don't you think you've given enough?"

"Nonsense! A Pure Person gives everything of themselves! You know the saying. God helps those who help others!"

Artemis sighed. "It's 'God helps those who help themselves,' Mina."

Minako blushed. "Yeah. That's what I meant. Anyway. Usagi, hand me that energy drink!"

Usagi cringed and handed Minako the little bottle. Minako proceeded to chug the whole thing in one gulp.

She burped loudly.

"Tastes awful! But a Pure Person endures sacrifices!"

Artemis rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say, Mina."

Minako skipped gleefully to the next blood donation bus. "Time to share a little more of my precious Pure Blood!"

Usagi and Artemis were at a loss.

Minako climbed the stairs into the bus, and was surprised to see Setsuna, fully dressed in her nurse scrubs, sitting in it.

"Oh, Setsuna-san! I didn't know you were helping out!"

Setsuna smiled. "I didn't know I was going to be seeing a friend!"

Setsuna felt a pang of guilt from referring to Minako as a friend. Minako was the one Senshi she hadn't gotten to know yet. It was somewhat understandable as Minako was...unique.

Minako cheerfully laid down on the reclining chair. "Please allow me to help the unfortunate!" Her eyes sparkled joyously. She pointed repeatedly at a spot on her inner elbow. "This is the good spot! Right here! By the way, I'm Type B!"

"Well, that saves me a little bit of time." Setsuna smiled as she set up the donation bag marked as B type. She examined and cleaned the spot that Minako indicated. She paused and furrowed her eyebrows with concern.

"Um...Minako-san?"

"Yes, what is it?"

Setsuna had noticed that there was already a tiny red dot on her inner elbow. "...have you already given blood recently?"

"Oh, uh, yes. Just last week! I guess the spot hasn't healed yet." Minako beamed so brightly she almost looked manic.

"The minimum period of time between blood donations is 56 days. I'm sorry, but I can't take your donation today." Setsuna began to put away the equipment.

"Oh, no! I meant two months ago! Silly me. I've been giving so much of myself lately, I can't remember all of the incidents." Minako giggled creepily.

Setsuna cocked an eyebrow. "Minako-san, are you lying to me?"

"Not at all! Pure People don't lie!"

Whatever that means.

"Please, please let me save a life! It means so much to me!" Minako paused. "It's what a leader would do!"
Setsuna smirked. "A leader, huh?"

Minako nodded. "That's right! A leader has to be an example to others!"

Setsuna sighed, and knowing that she would probably sincerely regret her decision, she carefully inserted the IV. As Minako donated blood for the third time in one day, her eyes sparkled with rapturous joy. THIS is what a Pure Person does, she thought to herself.

Usagi peeked her head in. "Are you almost finished, Minako-chan?" She then noticed Setsuna. "Oh, Setsuna-san!"

Setsuna looked up to Usagi rather awkwardly. This had been the first time they had spoken since the incident at the hospital.

"Good afternoon, my Queen." Setsuna bowed her head reverently.

"Oh, so you know about that? Oh, wait. Of course you know!" Usagi giggled with embarrassment. "But listen, please just call me Usagi, okay?" She climbed into the bus and hugged Setsuna's right arm. "I don't want my dear friends to feel awkwardly around me. I'm just Usagi."

"Just Usagi, huh? Okay, Usagi-san." Setsuna smiled again.

Dear friend.

That's what she thinks of me.

Dear friend.

"So is Minako-chan almost done?"

"Almost. The bag is filling rather slowly. If you want, go help yourself to some juice and cookies. There haven't been a lot of donors today."

"COOKIES?!" Usagi dashed over to the little snack table and stuffed her face. Both Minako and Setsuna chuckled.

Setsuna was monitoring the equipment and Minako's state carefully. "How are you feeling, Minako-san?"

"I'm just fine, just fine! Pure People can endure anything! ...Actually, that reminds me! Usagi-chan said it's really painful to have your Heart Crystal stolen. How did it feel that your Heart Crystal was a Talisman?"

"I suppose Usagi-san told you everything that happened?"

Minako nodded.

Usagi temporarily stopped eating the cookies. "I'm sorry, Setsuna-san. But I felt it was important."

"That's alright. Unfortunately, Minako-san, there really isn't much I can tell you. Yes, it was excruciatingly painful. No, I don't really understand how I survived. And no, I don't have any idea who the other Talisman bearers are."

Minako blinked in surprise. "You sound like you've answered these questions before."

"I've had a lot of time to think about it." She glanced at the bag. "Almost done!"

WHAM.

The bus had been hit hard by something massive. The three women screamed as they toppled over and they were buried under food and dislodged medical equipment.

"Owww..." Usagi moaned. "Setsuna-san, Minako-chan, are you alright?"

Minako groaned, still attached to the IV. "I think so. This hurts, though..."

Setsuna pushed the debris that had fallen on top of her out of the way. "Hang on, I'll disconnect you..."

"Don't move."

Setsuna tentatively turned her head to see Eudial pointing her Heart Crystal Gun straight at Minako, whose back had been turned to the entrance after the bus was hit.

"What are you doing?!"

"Don't interfere, Senshi. Don't forget that I'm coming for you next. If you stay still, I promise your death will be painless." Eudial smirked.

Setsuna's eyes narrowed. "I already know that's a lie, Eudial."

Eudial shrugged. "Whatever." Without warning, she shot the gun straight into Minako's back.

Minako barely reacted, her eyes going blank in surprise. Her Heart Crystal materialized in front of her.
Usagi screamed in horror. "Minako-chan!"

Setsuna scrambled to get to Minako, her movement hampered by the enormous mess.

Minako then lunged forward and cradled her Heart Crystal.

"The Heart Crystal came out! I'm Pure!" She giggled maniacally. "I told you I was Pure!"

With astounding agility, she leapt out of the debris and tore out of the bus, not even noticing that she knocked Eudial flying. The IV tube, which had been torn out in Minako's mania, was still hanging off her elbow. On the crook of her other arm, Minako appeared to be holding a shopping bag full of something, but Setsuna couldn't tell what.

Usagi was next to react. "Minako-chan! Minako-chan, come back!"

She climbed over the mess and ran after Minako. Eudial was still struggling to get up from the ground.

Setsuna had to make a decision quickly.

Should I challenge Eudial, or make sure that Minako-san is okay?

Eudial found her footing and growled in fury. "COME BACK HERE!" she shouted as she jumped into her car to follow Usagi and Minako.

Setsuna sighed. Well, that was one choice she didn't have to make.

She raised her transformation wand. "PLUTO PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

She transformed into Sailor Pluto, and leapt out of the blood drive bus. She saw that Eudial had rammed the bus with her car. She lamented the damage done to the bus, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

She ran in the direction that the three other women ran in, but could not spot either of them. She was stopped in her tracks when Ami, Rei, Makoto, Luna and Artemis leapt out of the bushes.

Ami turned around in surprise. "Oh, Sailor Pluto, it's you!"

Rei's eyes were full of concern. "Did you see what happened? Is it Minako-chan?"

Pluto nodded.

The three Senshi looked at each other in determination, and all transformed at once.

"Luna, Artemis, please wait for us in the bushes!" Sailor Mercury instructed.

Minako was collapsed unconscious on the ground, having finally run out of energy. She had attempted to hide herself in an underground parking garage, but had been followed there by Usagi, Eudial, Haruka and Michiru. Her Heart Crystal hovered above her, quietly glittering. Upon Eudial's instruction, the Daimon Doorknobdar sealed all exists to the parking garage. Usagi and Haruka muttered independently of each other about the situation; none of them could transform without revealing their identities to each other and to Eudial.

Eudial walked over to Minako's body, her arm outstretched to steal the Heart Crystal.

"Wait!"

Eudial turned around in surprise to see Usagi raising up her Cosmic Heart Compact. "MOON COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!" In a blinding blash of glowing hearts, Usagi transformed into Sailor Moon. Eudial, Haruka and Michiru gasped in shock.

"So it WAS her!" Haruka shouted.

Eudial snapped her fingers. "Doorknobdar, kill her!"

The Daimon hesitated, and blushed. "I'm just good at locking up, not so much at combat..."

"JUST DO IT!"

Cringing in fear, Doorknobdar shouted, "Doorknobdar Reluctance Attack!" and pinned Sailor Moon to the ground. She then started pounding on her with a thick steel door. Sailor Moon cried out in pain.
Eudial chuckled maliciously as she bent down to grab the Heart Crystal, but was hit hard on the back of her head by the bizarre UFO Catcher Doll that Minako had pressed on Michiru as a gift earlier that day.

"Wha-"

"I'm afraid I can't let you have that," Michiru said simply.

Eudial cried, "Doorknobdar, get rid of them first!"

The Daimon reluctantly leapt up once again, only to be pelted in the face with another doll thrown by Haruka.

"We have no choice," Michiru said to Haruka quietly.

"I agree," Haruka replied. "Besides," she added. "Setsuna already knows. One more person can't hurt."

"NEPTUNE PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

"URANUS PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!"

The lovers transformed into Sailors Uranus and Neptune.

Sailor Moon whispered, "Haruka-san and Michiru-san were..."

Eudial goggled in shock. "THREE Sailor Senshi?!"

"WORLD SHAKING!" a golden planet of pure air hit Eudial in the face, blowing her lab coat apart.

"Most unfortunate," Neptune said smugly. She walked over to Minako and examined her Heart Crystal.

"Wait, stop that, Michiru-san! Please! Please return that Crystal!" Sailor Moon pleaded.

"This is not a Talisman," Neptune said quietly, as she returned Minako's Heart Crystal.

The group of Senshi continued following their friends, but saw nothing. Sailor Mars suddenly stopped. "I feel their presence. They're somewhere near." She glanced around, then spotted an underground parking lot that was sealed with a metal door. She pointed at it. "There!"

Mercury studied the door dubiously. "It's sealed very tightly! How do we open it?"

Mars stepped forward. "Let's try the simple approach first. BURNING MANDALA!" She aimed the fiery discs at the door, which caused it to glow red for a second, but no damage was done to it.

"Damn! Let me try! SPARKLING WIDE PRESSURE!" Jupiter, hurled a ball of lightning at the door which reacted in the same way that it did to Mars's attack.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!" No change.

Mercury held her hands together in fear. "Minako-chan could be dying! What are we going to do?"

Pluto stepped forward, and gripped her Garnet Rod. "I might as well give it a shot. Dead Scream!" The gigantic ball of purple light hit the steel door head on, and managed to dent it, but it still refused to move.
Pluto gritted her teeth in fear and fury. If anything happened to Usagi or Minako, it would be her fault...

Suddenly, the door faded out of existence. Inside the underground parking garage, there were bits of broken asphalt, and a piece of a door with a cracked egg was lying on the ground.

Eudial was standing opposite Sailor Moon, holding an enormous flamethrower. "So you're here, Sailor Senshi. It seems my Fire Buster, which is still awaiting a patent, managed to defeat Sailor Moon's ultimate attack. Now, all of you get together into one group. Otherwise," she looked at Minako, "I'll make a roast out of that girl lying there."

Uranus, Neptune and Moon silently walked over to where the other Senshi were standing at the exit to the parking garage. Pluto began to step forward.

"Let me-" she began.

"No, Pluto. We stand together this time," Uranus said firmly.

"I'll send you all to the afterlife in one blow!" Eudial crowed as she prepared to pull the trigger on her Fire Buster. She was suddenly pelted with a dozen UFO Catcher Dolls. "What?!" She turned to see that Minako was conscious, and had thrown the entire shopping bag of prizes at Eudial.

"VENUS STAR POWER, MAKE UP!"

Eudial was shaking with shock. "Is everyone in Tokyo a Sailor Senshi?!"

"VENUS LOVE-ME CHAIN!"

The golden whip burst a hole in the Fire Buster, rendering it useless. Her last line of defence destroyed, Eudial scrambled into her car. "JUST YOU WAIT," she screamed. "I SAW WHO YOU REALLY ARE!" She then recklessly drove her car out of the parking lot, and nearly ran down the Senshi outside the door in her haste to retreat.

Once she was gone, there was silence.

Then Uranus, Neptune and Sailor Moon's eyes met.

And they were looking at each other with distrust.

"What...happened?" Mercury said softly.

Neptune eyes shifted to look at Mercury. "It seems that we had to transform in front of each other."

"So...who are you?" Mercury asked with a wavering voice.

"They're Haruka-san and Michiru-san." Sailor Moon said softly.

The Inners gasped with shock as Sailor Pluto tried hard to conceal her lack of surprise.

Well, I suppose that was inevitable.

"Our friends. Our supposed friends who are willing to kill people." The bitterness in Venus's voice was hard to ignore.

Uranus turned to Venus. "If the choice was between a few deaths and the deaths of everyone, what would you choose? Would you make a choice at all?!"

Sailor Moon began to cry. "Minako-chan is your friend, Haruka-san, Michiru-san! And you were ready to let her die! How could you?"

"Why won't you work with us?" Venus demanded.

Uranus deliberately made her face blank. "You wouldn't understand. Don't interfere with matters that are not your concern." She turned to her lover. "Come on, Neptune."

Neptune looked back behind her. "It's better not to get involved," she said.

They began to walk out of the parking lot, not willing to look their friends in the eye.

Neptune muttered, "It seems that our friendship with those girls has grown strained."

Uranus bottled her emotions, as she always attempted to do when it came to her mission. "We only have each other in the end anyway. The Kittens will be fine."

As they reached the exit, Neptune noted Pluto's conflicted expression. "Come with us. I'll explain what happened when we get home."

Pluto nodded. She turned to the Inners. "Are you all alright?" With their assenting nod, Pluto walked alongside Uranus and Neptune. Their transformations melted away.

Setsuna looked back behind her to see the girls hugging and pampering Minako. She always felt awkward around them. She never felt that way when she was with Haruka and Michiru. She loved the younger girls, but she'd never truly understand them, and they'd never truly understand her. It was better to pull away. Less chance of being hurt.

Her eyes were downcast as she thought to herself.

I'm sorry.

I don't belong with you.

Chapter Text

THE STORMY SEAS

This was the first time that Setsuna had visited Haruka and Michiru's home. Setsuna expected something expensive and flashy, but the sheer opulence of their penthouse apartment took her breath away. There was fine art on every wall (only some of which was Michiru's own work), mirrors with solid gold frames, a magnificent antique grand piano, vases with fresh flowers, dark red curtains with gold trim, and Michiru's precious Stradivarius violin, the Marine Cathedral, was locked in a glass cupboard. Michiru smiled mischievously at Setsuna's gaping expression, and said, "So, what do you think?"

"It's...incredible. I would have trouble tearing myself away from such a home."

Michiru chuckled. "Thank you. Go have a seat, and I'll make us some tea."

Haruka turned to Setsuna. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. I'm just going to put my things away." She walked down a hallway and disappeared into a bedroom.

Setsuna sat down on a couch with velvet upholstery, and gazed around at the beautiful apartment. She couldn't help noticing how quiet the apartment was, however. As Michiru returned into the living room with a tray holding three cups of green tea, curiosity overwhelmed Setsuna.

"Michiru-san, is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

Michiru handed Setsuna her cup, then gracefully sat down on a chaise. "Go ahead. We shouldn't have secrets between the three of us, should we?"

Setsuna nodded nervously. "...How old are you and Haruka-san? I know you're both in high school, but..."

Michiru smiled and took a small sip of tea. "We're both 16. And yes, I know neither of us acts like a 16-year-old. The circumstances in our lives have forced us to grow up faster than we should have."

"You mean the mission?"

Michiru put her cup down carefully and looked at Setsuna directly. "No, I'm referring to something else."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't follow."

Haruka returned then, and sat down next to Michiru. "You know that we both live alone, right? Have you figured out the reason why?"

Setsuna's eyes flicked uncomprehendingly from Haruka to Michiru, then it dawned on her. "Is it because you're together?"

"Something like that." Michiru smiled ruefully. "My father is a billionaire businessman. And he...didn't like that his only daughter was interested in women. First, he demanded that I act like a 'normal' woman should. Then he forbade me from going out without a chaperone. Then he tried offering $1 million to the first man who could win my heart. I'd had enough, and I left. We haven't spoken to each other in over a year."

"Oh, Michiru-san, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. I'm much happier this way. My father and I were never close in the first place. And my mother, well...she barely even noticed me, even when I was a child. I can support myself quite well with my art and my performances, so I don't mind being on my own at all." Michiru smiled again and took another dainty sip of tea.

Haruka was looking at Michiru with concern, but decided not to say anything and just sipped her tea.

"What about you, Haruka-san?"

Haruka grinned. "Most of my relatives moved to Hawaii. I see them every now and then. I was there just a few months ago to get my Driver's Licence."

"Do they know-"

Haruka interrupted her. Laughing, she replied, "Setsuna, look at me. How could they not know?"

Setsuna laughed as well. "I guess you're right."

Haruka frowned a bit. "It doesn't bother you...does it?"

Setsuna's eyes widened in surprise. "Why would it? I admit I was surprised when I found out you were a woman, but other than that, I'm just happy to see how much you two love each other."

Haruka and Michiru looked at each other and smiled warmly. Haruka then remembered something. "Oh, right. We were going to tell you what happened earlier." The pair then recounted the events in the parking lot to Setsuna.

"So you found out about Usagi-san and Minako-san, then. And they found out about you." Setsuna sighed. "Well, I guess there are worse things than Sailor Senshi knowing each other's identities."

Michiru's eyes were distant as she looked out of a nearby window. "It's made things more difficult, though. It will be harder preventing those girls from getting involved."

"You still aren't willing to work with them?"

"We can't," Haruka replied. "They're too kind. Too idealistic. Even if we were somehow able to save the Talisman Bearers, there's no doubt that we will have to execute whoever Sailor Saturn is."

Setsuna dropped her teacup on the floor in shock, and it smashed. "You...know about her?" She then gasped in horror as she bent down to clean up the mess. "I'm so sorry, Michiru-san!"

Michiru waved her hand to stop Setsuna. "Don't worry about it. I have more teacups than I know what to do with." Her eyes became steely. "Anyway, yes. We have had dreams about her. Every night, Haruka and I dream of the apocalypse. We see the Talismans. We see the destruction of the Earth. The black wind howling, the corpses, the people turned to stone. And we see...her."

Haruka nodded. "Sailor Saturn...the Messiah of Silence. We can't really tell who she is, though. We see a vague image of a cruel woman shrouded in darkness. And we know she is directly responsible for the coming armageddon. Then we see each other in our dreams, and we tell each other that only she and I can prevent the destruction of the Earth."

Setsuna nodded. There were small variations between their premonitory dreams and the visions she had seen, but this confirmed that the three of them were all seeing the same harbinger of destruction, and that the three of them must work together. She wondered if her accidental passing on of the vision of the future to Rei was possible only because of Rei's psychic abilities, or whether she could share her knowledge with Haruka and Michiru directly.

Haruka snapped out of her mournful reverie. "Setsuna! What is that?!"

Setsuna glanced down and saw that her chest was emanating a maroon glow. Her heart felt hot, and like it was calling to her. It seemed that the Garnet Orb was responding directly to her thoughts. She closed her eyes in concentration, and the Garnet Orb materialized itself, its giant jewel gleaming from the reflected light of the ocean view outside of Michiru's apartment.

"So...the Talisman can be summoned at will, then." Michiru studied the Garnet Orb carefully, feeling that it was necessary to know all of the properties of the Talismans.

Setsuna held the Garnet Orb carefully, its power suspending itself in midair between her hands.

I understand now. It was the Orb that had conveyed that image to Rei-san...because it had been lurking in my heart all along.

"I...want to share some information with you. This Garnet Orb can show visions of the future."

"Your Talisman is tied to your elemental powers! That means...only you can use it." Haruka smiled ruefully. "That's both a blessing and a curse."

The Garnet Orb made a deep echoing sound, and its jewel became a portal. Setsuna held the Garnet Orb out to Haruka and Michiru, who peered into it. "Let me show you what I have seen in the future."

The vision's clarity was now amplified, a combination of the three versions of the premonition that the women had experienced. All three gaped in horror at the details of the vision, which was far more grisly and dark than they had ever experienced before.

And there, standing, watching, and waiting, was the Messiah of Silence.

"That's Sailor Saturn, right?" Michiru said.

Setsuna paused, considering the shadowed woman carefully.

"I'm...not sure." The Orb's light began to flicker. The vision of the shadowed woman began to flicker as well. Setsuna spoke automatically, in a low monotone. "Both child and adult, and neither at the same time. Good, neutral, and evil, all at the same time. Both saviour and destroyer. Both victim and perpetrator. Both life and death." Suddenly, the shadowed woman stopped flickering, and Setsuna was able to see her clearly. Once again, she had the short black hair and wide purple eyes.

Then the Orb's light faded out, and it silently returned itself to Setsuna's heart.

Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru sat in silence, trying to take in the horrors they had just seen.

Michiru then looked up at Setsuna. "What did all of that mean? Both child and adult...?"

Setsuna sighed. "I think the Orb is trying to tell us that we need to tread carefully. That the future is malleable. That whatever we think we know may not be the truth."

"The Messiah of Silence did seem to take the form of a recognizable person though. She almost looks familiar." Haruka laid back in her seat, her hand on her chin in deep thought.

"That-" Setsuna began, but then she stopped herself.

"'That' what?" Michiru replied.

Setsuna clenched her fists in terror, not willing to say what she was thinking. Finally, she choked out the words, "I recognized her."

Haruka and Michiru exclaimed in shock.

"Then who? Who is she?!" Haruka began.

"I-" Setsuna shook her head.

If I tell them, they'll kill her!

Michiru gently placed a hand on Setsuna's. "Setsuna," she began, her voice both serious and compassionate, "I promise that we will not act unless we all agree to act together."

Tears were streaming down Setsuna's cheeks. "I hope I'm wrong. I hope it's just the subconsciousness of my everyday life interfering with these premonitions of the future. But...the girl in the vision is...Hotaru Tomoe."

"Hotaru Tomoe? The daughter of the chairman of Mugen Academy?!" Haruka shouted.

"Yes. She has been a patient of mine. I didn't intend to...I honestly didn't...but I became close to her."

A few tears trickled out of Michiru's eyes then. "That's why...we don't allow anyone to get involved. It's easier to be a monster that way."

Haruka bit her lip in frustration, then walked towards the window overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

"I understand how you feel, Setsuna." Haruka began. "I came to love Odango as well. I didn't want to imagine a world without her."

Michiru looked over at Haruka adoringly and whispered, "And a world without you in it is not worth living in."

Setsuna was crying openly and hysterically now. She'd never cried like this before. She wished she could never cry again.

"Please...please, let's be careful. She's not evil, I swear she isn't. She's just a little girl-"

Michiru held up her hand to Setsuna's face to stop her. "Haruka and I have had suspicions about Professor Soichi Tomoe for a long time. I suggest we investigate him first, and only turn our attentions to his daughter if we have to."

Setsuna stopped crying, and, biting her lip, she nodded.

Haruka spoke then, her eyes still on the ocean. "You'll need to leave your job, Setsuna."

Setsuna peered at Haruka confusingly. "Why?"

"Because we believe that whatever is going on with Professor Tomoe, it's going on with the entire school. That's why we enrolled there. And while we can do investigations as students, an employee of the school snooping around is going to attract far more attention. And far more danger."

Setsuna nodded sadly. "You're right. But how will I pay for food, toiletries, clothing? How can I pay for my apartment utilities?"

Michiru smiled then, and then held her right arm out, spreading it to gesture at her opulent apartment. "You'll live with us." She then regarded Setsuna seriously. "You also will have to sever your relationship with Hotaru. For her sake, and for yours. And that will be easier if you are no longer her nurse."

Setsuna's heart seized with pain then.

"I can't!"

"You can." Michiru said simply. "You must. You must also be prepared to sacrifice the Talisman bearers to save the world. And you must also be prepared to execute the Messiah of Silence, even if it is your little friend, because if you don't, everyone else you have ever known or loved will die." Michiru then stood up and began to clean up the teacups, including the broken one on the floor. Her shoulders shook with repressed sadness.

Setsuna could only respond with painful silence. She suddenly felt the enormous pressure of exhaustion.

Michiru returned from the kitchen. "Let me show you to where you'll be staying from now on. We'll gather your things from your apartment tomorrow."

Michiru led Setsuna to a comparatively simple room, which still had all the necessary high-quality furniture and decorations. There were no panoramic windows or fresh flowers here, however.

"Thank you, Michiru. I am incredibly grateful." She placed her hand on Michiru's shoulder fondly. Michiru smiled back at her.

"It will all turn out for the best, Setsuna." Michiru then walked away quietly, shutting the door behind her.

Setsuna sighed as she entered her bedroom. She lay down on her magnificent bed, and curled into a fetal position. She then muttered softly, "The problem is, Michiru, is that I've seen that it won't."

Chapter Text

LADY MACBETH

"That's the last of it, I think," as Haruka closed up one last cardboard box containing Setsuna's belongings. "You sure have a lot of stuff for someone who didn't exist until 6 months ago."

"I did exist," Setsuna corrected. "I just don't remember any of it." She looked around the now empty apartment to see if there was anything left besides the large furniture (which would be left behind as there was no room for it in Michiru's apartment). Her eyes darted to her desk. One textbook had been left behind; a worn copy of The Complete Unabridged Shakespeare Tragedies that was filled with Setsuna's handwritten notes and annotations. She grabbed it and tossed it into the cardboard box.

Haruka looked at the book with confusion. "I thought you were studying astrophysics. Why do you have a book of English literature?"

"I took it as an elective. I'd been doing a lot of reading to try to acclimatize myself to 20th Century culture, and Shakespeare's name and influence kept popping up everywhere. He has a gift for verbalizing what it means to be human. How our emotional experiences and choices affect us. He's influenced Japanese culture too. Akira Kurosawa and so on."

"Akira who?"

Setsuna laughed. "Seriously?"

Haruka flushed slightly. "I...kinda don't pay attention to fine culture unless Michiru twists my arm into it. The only magazines I read are ones for automotive enthusiasts. I used to do it a lot as a kid, but reading's too slow an activity for me, really."

"Fair enough," Setsuna replied. "Anyway, that's the last of my belongings, so let's pile these last few boxes into your car."

Haruka sighed as she hoisted up a few boxes and walked out into the hallway. "Sportscars aren't made for this kind of abuse."

Setsuna shut and locked the door behind her. "Why don't you get a more practical car, then?"

"Perish the thought!"

The women laughed as they walked into the elevator. They lapsed into silence as the elevator went down, the only sound being the humming of the florescent light above them.

"Do you think it's okay that I didn't inform anyone that I was moving? I mean, Mamoru-san..."

"The fewer people know, the safer you are, and the safer they are," Haruka answered.

Setsuna studied Haruka carefully. "You're able to shut everyone out so easily. I've been alone for so long, I don't like having to let go of the relationships I've formed."

"I don't exactly shut everyone out. Even in my most isolated moments, Michiru is still there. We've had to face a lot of hardship, but we've never been alone. She's all I've ever needed to survive. Well, until you came into my life," Haruka said while smiling at Setsuna.

Setsuna's eyes lowered and she stared at the floor.

Do I need Haruka-san and Michiru-san to survive?

Do I need Small Lady? Do I need the King and the Queen?

Do I need...Hotaru?

All of this is so temporary.

When the battle's over, I'll be alone again.

Haruka sensed Setsuna's pensive mood and decided not to press her. She carefully placed the boxes into her sportscar as Setsuna put her seatbelt on. Haruka drove home, both she and Setsuna lost in thought.

In a hidden corner of Setsuna's apartment, a tiny machine with blinking green lights began to beep. The green lights turned red, and set off an explosion that consumed the entire apartment and made the apartment building shake as if it were an earthquake. Broken glass plummeted to the ground, and acrid smelling smoke began to billow out of the destroyed door and windows.

Mamoru had been working on a programming assignment in his apartment when the explosion went off. The tremors knocked him off his chair as he cried out in alarm. People in the surrounding apartments began to scream. He raced out into the hallway, and gasped in horror when he saw that it had been Setsuna's apartment that was destroyed.

Leaping over chunks of splintered wood and plaster, he screamed into the blackened apartment.

"Setsuna-san? SETSUNA?! SETSUNAAA?!" He began to cough from inhaling the smoke.

An elderly neighbour called after him. "Chiba-san, we need to evacuate now. This is dangerous. Let the emergency crews deal with this."

Biting his lip with fear and frustration, he nodded and began descending the stairs to the lobby.

"Although the apartment appears to have been completely destroyed, police state that the apartment had been abandoned recently. No bodies were found at the scene."

Michiru was watching the television report, her back rigid with fear. Above all, she must retain control, she must not show weakness. She betrayed her true emotions, however, when she grabbed a handkerchief out of her purse and began pulling it. Her hair whipped around when she heard the front door open.
"We're home," Haruka called as she put the boxes down.

Michiru leapt up and stomped towards Haruka and Setsuna. "Where have you BEEN?! I've been watching the news report and thinking that you'd...you'd..." She tore off to her bedroom to sob privately.

Haruka and Setsuna looked at each other with confusion, then they both turned to the television set that had been left on. They saw the small crater in the high-rise caused by the explosion, and the dark black smoke billowing out of it.

"Holy—!" Haruka gasped.

Setsuna's eyes became hard. "If we'd stayed there even a few more minutes..." She turned to Haruka. "Go talk with Michiru-san. I'm fine."

Haruka nodded and ran off towards their bedroom.

Setsuna sank down on the couch slowly, trying to take in the sight of her destroyed apartment, and the bits of information the news report was giving her.

"No bodies found," she mouthed.

Mamoru wasn't hurt!

The camera then focused on the residents of the apartment. A paramedic was treating Mamoru for smoke inhalation. Setsuna wasn't paying attention to the reporter now, her eyes were only on him. Mamoru pulled off the oxygen mask when he spotted the reporter, and he ran towards the camera.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt, ma'am, but may I please say something?"

The reporter was taken aback, but held her microphone over to him.

"The woman who owned that apartment is an important friend of mine, and no one knows where she is or has seen her. Please, if you're watching this, Setsuna-san, let me know that you're okay. Please." Mamoru then sadly turned back towards the paramedic.

Setsuna's heart seized with shock at learning that he'd thought of her as an important friend. That was more than she ever could have hoped for.

Haruka and Michiru came out of their apartment at that moment. Michiru's eyes were red, but she was putting on a brave face.

"Good thing we got everything out of that apartment in time, huh?" Haruka said.

Setsuna nodded. "Listen, I'll be back soon, but I need to inform people that I'm all right. They may think I died in that explosion."

The lovers nodded, as Setsuna dashed out of the apartment.

It took 30 minutes for her to arrive back to the high-rise on foot. By then, most of the chaos had cleared and people were being allowed to return to their own apartments. Mamoru was sitting next to Usagi outside, their faces both white with fear and grief.

"Mamoru-san! Usagi-san!" Setsuna breathlessly called, as she ran up to them. She was still catching her breath when Usagi threw her arms around her and began sobbing.

"We-we-we-we thought-" Usagi began.

"I know. I wasn't home. I'm sorry I scared you." Setsuna patted Usagi on the back.

"That was a lucky miss, Setsuna-san," Mamoru said quietly. "Do you have anywhere to stay?"

"Fortunately, yes," Setsuna answered. "I don't know what I would have done otherwise. What about you?"

"I can stay with Motoki until the repairs are completed. The explosion was very isolated…only your apartment was affected. Like you were deliberately targeted."

Mamoru's serious blue eyes met Setsuna's. "I'm frightened for you."

"How could this happen? Who could want to kill you?" Usagi wailed.

"Eudial," Setsuna replied simply.

The following day was grey and rainy, and there was tension in the air. The Senshi all awoke with the feeling that something was going to happen, and nothing would ever be the same. As each Senshi spent her day in isolation, their thoughts drifted to the Outers' impossible choice: Sacrifice the innocent, or save the world?

Setsuna had been pacing in her bedroom for the whole day, wracked with the horror of the second brush with death that Eudial had treated her to. She finally distracted herself by finishing her Shakespeare readings.

Haruka and Michiru returned from school, both with stern, distant expressions. They parted without speaking to each other. Haruka went to sit beside a window, and Michiru disappeared into her bedroom to change into a swimsuit.

She stopped as she passed Setsuna's room. "I had a dream last night," she began quietly.

Setsuna looked up from her book. "About the Messiah?"

Michiru shook her head. "It was about the other two Talismans. They're going to be revealed. And soon. Eudial's attack on you shows that she's tired of waiting."

"I guess we'll just have to be ready," Setsuna said softly.

Michiru nodded, and went off to have a swim. The three women passed the afternoon in silence, each one lost in their own thoughts. Each one grappling with the choices that they would have to make.

The sun was going down as Michiru left her pool. Setsuna was drifting into the living room, but stopped in the hallway as she sensed the tension in Haruka's emotional state.

It was then that Michiru's phone began to ring. Haruka ignored it, and it went to the answering machine.

"Eudial here. Yes, I know who you are, and yes, I know that Ms. Meiou escaped my little deathtrap yesterday. It is for this reason that I propose a showdown, once and for all, for the Talismans. Not only have I discovered that Ms. Meiou was a carrier, I have discovered the two other Talisman holders as well! For I am the smartest, the greatest, and the most formidable-"

The answering machine cut off.

The phone began to ring again. Haruka didn't react this time either.

"HEY!" Eudial's voice on the answering machine shrieked. "THIS THING CUT ME OFF! Anyway. So there you have it. If you want the Talismans, you will have to answer my challenge. Meet me at Marine Cathedral tomorrow night. I will send along the directions." The answering machine beeped again, and a map printed out of the fax machine.

"She's probably telling the truth," Michiru said quietly, while drying her hair with a towel.

The thunder rolled, and Haruka turned away from the rain. She held up her hands and stared at them with revulsion. "I'm prepared to take lives," she muttered. "For the sake of the world, yes, but I'm not afraid of the cost. Innocent people are going to die because of me. But I'm not afraid to kill." Her eyes hardened. "My hands...are dirty."

Setsuna looked down at her collection of Shakespeare tragedies sadly.

Out, damned spot. Hell is murky.

She glanced up in surprise to see that Michiru had silently taken Haruka's hands. She lovingly and tenderly caressed them, infusing every bit of love she felt for Haruka into her touch. "It's all right," she began softly. "I like your hands."

And that, Setsuna thought, makes all the difference in the world.

She disappeared into her bedroom to allow her friends some privacy.

Chapter Text

RENDEZVOUS WITH DESTINY

The following afternoon was fading into a brilliant sunset when Setsuna arrived home from her classes. Haruka and Michiru, still in their school uniforms, were having a terse discussion.

"You do it." Haruka spat out with frustration. "I'm no good at this sort of thing."

Michiru sighed. "Always trying to run away from everything. Even now." She closed her eyes in resignation and walked over to the phone, and picked it up.

"What's going on?" Setsuna asked in confusion.

Haruka put her finger to her lips as her eyes remained staring at Michiru.

"Hello, Usagi?" Michiru was speaking with a falsely cheerful voice. Usagi wouldn't have known Michiru was faking it, but Setsuna saw the coldness in her eyes. "I'm fine. How are you? Listen, Haruka and I want to talk to you about something. Will you please meet us at the Juuban Aquarium in half an hour? It's at the top of that tall building with the 50 floors. Yes, that's the one. No, we need to talk to you about it in person. Thank you. See you soon." She quietly hung up the phone.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to Usagi-san about?" Setsuna looked at her two friends with concern.
Haruka and Michiru's eyes met, their expressions unsure.

"We are going to be challenging Eudial tonight, and we want to make sure she doesn't get involved," Haruka said quietly.

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "How on earth are you going to do that? As soon as she learns that we're in danger, she'll be insistent on helping out."

"She won't, this time. We'll…convince her." Haruka's eyes were downcast, too ashamed to look at Setsuna as she spouted these half-truths.

Setsuna sighed. "Well, since we're meeting her in half an hour, I guess we'd better get going."

"You're staying here," Michiru said firmly.

Startled, she stared at Michiru in disbelief. "What do you mean, 'I'm staying here'?"

"We are challenging Eudial for the Talismans. She already knows that you have one. We all know that this is a trap. You mustn't put yourself in danger."

"I'm a Sailor Senshi! It's my duty to protect the Earth! I can't just sit at home and wait and not know what's happening to you!" Setsuna was completely incredulous.

"Yes, protecting the Earth is your duty," Michiru replied. "But how will you do that if you die, and Eudial steals your Talisman? If Haruka and I fail, you will survive, and you will be able to continue our mission."

"But…"

"Michiru and I agreed on this long ago," Haruka said firmly. "The mission is the most important thing. And right now, what is most important to the mission is that you, a Talisman bearer, are safe. If we lose you, we lose everything."

"In more ways than one," Michiru said softly.

Haruka started to walk towards the front door. "We need to go now. Hopefully we'll be home soon."

Michiru followed her without a word, and Setsuna ran after them.

"Please! Please let me come along. I can't stand it!"

Haruka pressed the up button on the elevator as Michiru turned behind her to look at Setsuna.

"And I can't stand the thought of losing you. Please stay."

Defeated at last, Setsuna slumped with depression. Her eyes welled up with tears.

"Come home safely then," she choked out, as the two women entered the elevator.

"We will," Haruka said with a cocky smile. The elevator closed and began to ascend to the roof.

Setsuna wandered back into the penthouse in a daze, but she couldn't silence her thoughts.

Why did they go up? she wondered.

A sudden racket nearby made her turn to the panoramic window in alarm. Her view was almost obscured by a helicopter flying off at high speed…and piloted by Haruka.

A helicopter?!

How many vehicles does that woman own?!

Setsuna watched the helicopter fade out into the distance. Although she'd agreed to stay home, she still felt conflicted.

You will need to be at Marine Cathedral tonight or all is lost, a voice whispered in her head.

Well, she thought. That decides it.

She pulled on her stilettos and ran out of the penthouse to follow her friends to Juuban Aquarium.

"This place is incredible! I didn't know there was an aquarium at the top of this building!" Usagi shrieked with excitement. "Can I bring my friends next time?"

Haruka and Michiru were silent.

"…Ca-can I?"

Her expression a mixture of anger and resignation, Haruka said softly, "Don't show your face in front of us ever again…Sailor Moon."

Usagi was hesitant, but forced herself to smile. "We're both the same…we're Sailor Senshi…We can't fight together?"

Haruka walked towards Usagi. "I won't allow you to slow us down with your immature play-war."

She grabbed the Cosmic Heart Brooch off the front of Usagi's uniform. Usagi tried to fight her off, but was no match for Haruka's athletic perfection. She shoved Usagi to the floor as she tore the Brooch off.

"I'll hold on to this…" Haruka continued as she walked back to Michiru's side.

"Wait! Please! Please don't go after people's Pure Hearts anymore!"

Haruka's heart twinged with guilt and pain as Michiru attempted to maintain a poker face. "Don't say that. Listen, the next time you show yourself in front of us…you will die."

Haruka and Michiru transformed into Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Before leaving, Uranus explained the situation to Usagi one last time. "We are searching for the Talismans that are sealed inside Pure Hearts. We have found one Talisman already, but the Holy Grail will not appear until all three are gathered in one place."

"Silence…a time of destruction is approaching this world right now. Haruka, Setsuna and I…we've all seen it. And we'll do anything to prevent it. The only one who can save us is the Messiah, the one who can use the Grail."

Usagi was uncomprehending.

"It has nothing to do with you," Uranus finished, as the sliding doors of the aquarium slowly opened to reveal Haruka's helicopter, already running and waiting for its pilot.

Uranus and Neptune left without another word as Usagi screamed their names. She watched the helicopter disappear into the sunset, feeling helpless and frightened.

Unseen by the three Senshi, Setsuna had finally caught up with her friends, and had watched the last moments before Uranus and Neptune departed.

Already knowing what Usagi would do next, she revealed herself to Usagi. "Will you go rescue them? They have headed to the place where their destined battle will begin. But today, even those two are in danger. They are knowingly walking into a trap…and they insisted that I stay behind."

"Setsuna-san…" Usagi began. "Those two are in danger?"

"Will you go rescue them?" Setsuna repeated. "But you might be in even greater danger, since you can no longer transform…"

Usagi was resolute. "Please! If you know where they've gone, let's go there together!"

Hotaru's final class for the day had completed. With excitement, she quietly made her way to the nurse's office. It had been several days since she saw Setsuna, and she was anxious to see her again.

She stopped in the hallway suddenly when she saw that the nurse's office was dark. She wondered if maybe Setsuna was sick, or if she had to leave her office for some reason. Hotaru decided to leave a note for her in the office. She tried to open the door, but it was locked.

Something was wrong. Setsuna never locked the door, reasoning that a student might need a bed when she wasn't around. Hotaru tried pulling the door open again, but it wouldn't budge. Hotaru began to panic, and tears started to flow down her cheeks.

Where are you?

"If you're looking for the nurse, she quit," a high-pitched female voice spoke to her from behind.

Hotaru turned to the woman speaking to her. "What do you mean, she quit?!"

Mimete waved her hand dismissively. "I wasn't there. All I know is that the Professor was very upset that he's lost two nurses in one year."

Hotaru was desperate for information. "Did she tell my father anything?"

Mimete blinked with surprise. "Oh, you're the Professor's daughter? Sorry. You'll have to ask him." She shrugged and began to walk away.

"Oh, by the way - since you're the Professor's daughter, maybe you'll know. I need to borrow some snails - do you know where the Biology department is?"

"17th floor," Hotaru replied automatically, as the growing pain in her heart began to make her feel faint again. She sank to the floor, her heart pounding.

"Setsuna," she cried. "Please don't leave me. Don't leave me, Setsuna. You promised you wouldn't… Please…please…" She began to sob.

"Oh, for goodness sake. You're crying AGAIN?" Kaori said venomously, startling Hotaru into hysteria.

"Leave me alone!" Hotaru shrieked. "I never want to see you again!"

"As much as I'd love to, I'm under strict rules from your father to bring you home. Now shut up, and get going."

In her hysteria, Hotaru became dangerously defiant. "No! I'm not going anywhere with you!"

Kaori seized her arm and began to squeeze it painfully. "You can either come quietly, or we make this painful. Your choice."

Hotaru began to scream in horror as she tried to free herself from Kaori's grasp. "Setsuna! SETSUNA! Please! Please help me!"

Kaori sighed. "Painful it is." A shock of energy seared Hotaru's arm where Kaori was squeezing it. The pain was too much for Hotaru's frail body, and she passed out. Kaori then warped the two of them back into Hotaru's room, and shoved Hotaru into her bed.

She stared at the child with loathing.

"I think I shall have to speak to the Professor about this 'Setsuna.'"

Chapter Text

FEARLESS, TRUE LOVE AND SELFLESS

Neptune’s perceptive abilities were an asset on this trip. The Marine Cathedral was still under construction, and, befitting its name, was built on an island in the Pacific Ocean. Neptune had laughed bitterly when she read Eudial’s map and saw the name of the place where their final confrontation would take place. It had the same name as her precious Stradivarius, and she was never sure if it was coincidence, or fate. If it was fate, there was a certain poetic beauty in it…

As Uranus piloted, Neptune searched the seas for the ill-fated church. They landed, and stood outside the door with mixed apprehension and excitement.

“We’ll finally find the second Talisman…” Uranus said quietly.

Neptune reached to hold Uranus’s hand, but her affection was rejected. Uranus was single-mindedly thinking of the mission now. Michiru loved Haruka’s hands, but Uranus’s hands were off-limits. Uranus had no time for love when she knew she was about to kill someone.

“Uranus…you understand, that no matter what happens, we will acquire the Talismans. And we’ll keep Setsuna safe. From here on, we will not worry about each other, and press on alone if necessary.”

Uranus was not even aware that she’d rejected Neptune. “What are you talking about now, of all times?”

Neptune laughed bitterly and pulled her hand away. “You’re right.” Uranus did not need reminding of their agreement. Neptune was reminding herself.

The hallways were empty except for some eerie blood-red panels featuring cherubim with bows and arrows. 

“For someone who invited us, this is rather unwelcome,” Uranus said sardonically.

One of the panels began making a soft whirring noise. Uranus was oblivious, but it was much more difficult to fool the perceptive Neptune. She turned and looked at the whirring panel suspiciously.

It suddenly moved out from its place in the wall, and dozens of other panels began to move to the centre of the halllway, surrounding them.

“So it WAS a trap after all!” Uranus said.

“Well, we already knew that,” Neptune replied.

The panels then began hurtling towards the two Senshi, at such a speed that Neptune and Uranus had difficulty dodging them.

Uranus had had enough. “WORLD…SHAKING!”

“DEEP…SUBMERGE!”

The panels were obliterated by the forces of wind and tide.

Uranus caught her breath and smiled cockily. “How’s that?”

Another panel began to activate behind Uranus, and it flew toward her too quickly for her to dodge.

Neptune forgot their mission.

“URANUS!” she cried, as she pushed her lover out of the way of the red panel. It slammed her against the wall, then spun around to hide her in another room. The panel faded away as Uranus screamed for Neptune and tried to run after her.

The church’s speaker system activated, and she heard the sinister Toccata & Fugue in D Minor played by the church organ.

Eudial cackled with triumph. “Sailor Uranus! Now, I have the owner of a Talisman!”

There was no one else in the cathedral besides herself, Eudial and Neptune. Uranus didn’t understand. “What are you talking about?!” she screamed.

Eudial chuckled. “I was really surprised as well, though considering your little nurse friend’s history, I suppose I shouldn’t have been. Where is she, by the way? Surely the Pure Heart of Selfless Sacrifice wouldn’t be able to stand by while her friends are in danger.”

Uranus became impatient, and repeated herself. “What in the world are you talking about?!”

“You didn’t know the truth either…but I’ll tell you. The owner of the second Talisman is your partner, Sailor Neptune! I will soon extract the Talisman from Neptune. How do you feel about that? If you want to watch, come to the main hall.”

Not knowing what else to do, Uranus relied on her instincts, and began to run down the enormous, almost never-ending hallways of Marine Cathedral.

Neptune is the owner of a Talisman?! That’s impossible! She would have seen it!

Panting with exhaustion, Uranus arrived at the main hall to find Neptune bound to the cherubim panel by thick thorny vines. She was unconscious and clearly in pain.

Their love and their mission were, for once, one and the same. Uranus ran in a panic towards her partner, forgetting to guard herself against another trap. Whether she was more desperate to save her lover or the Talisman bearer, she never knew.

More red panels turned to point towards Uranus as she ran across the bridge leading to the pipe organ, and they began firing hundreds of tiny little bullets at her. She fell to the ground in agony.

Eudial laughed with triumph. “You fell for it!” She stopped the cassette tape she was miming playing the organ to, and picked up her Heart Crystal Extracting Gun.

“You fool,” Eudial began. “If anyone besides me crosses this bridge, they receive divine punishment!” she explained with blasphemous irony.

“Divine punishment?” Haruka repeated.

That’s just what I deserve, she thought to herself.

“You’ll be comforted to know that I haven’t pulled out Neptune’s Talisman yet. There’s another Talisman I want to get first.”

Uranus was frozen with disbelief. “ANOTHER owner of a Talisman?”

That means…the three Talismans can be brought together!

Uranus had a fleeting moment of hope, when Eudial aimed her gun right at Uranus’s heart.

“I mean…YOU. I’m talking about your heart. The one that tried to save the world, without fear of soiling one’s hands!”

Neptune awoke to find Uranus pinned to the ground by Eudial. She whispered her name.

“Talismans are sealed within Pure Hearts,” Uranus said with severe self-loathing. “There is no way I could be holding a Talisman…”

“You’ll see soon enough… The Pure Heart of Fearless Sacrifice! Although with those wounds, the force from this gun alone will kill you.” Her eyes narrowed in malice. “It’s rather obvious, when you think about it. Three Sailor Senshi, three Pure Hearts of Sacrifice, Three Talismans. Your partner, by the way, has the Pure Heart of True Love’s Sacrifice.” She pretended to cry mocking tears. “It’s lovely and tragic, don’t you think?”

Neptune tore herself from the binding vines, screaming Uranus’s name. Uranus was willing to sacrifice anyone to save the world, but for Neptune, if it required Haruka’s sacrifice, the world was not worth saving. 

She painfully ran towards her lover, and was immediately hit by the panel’s bullets. “Haruka…” she gasped. “I won’t let you die.”

Uranus’s eyes were seized with fear, as she knew what would happen if Neptune tried to save her. “Wait, Neptune! Don’t move!”

The bullets hit Neptune again, and again, with her screaming in agony. She collapsed to the ground in pain, but forced herself to stand again. This time, the panels had run out of bullets and did not fire, and Neptune had taken hundreds of hits but was still standing.

Neptune moved to attack Eudial, who panicked and hit Neptune with the Heart Crystal Extracting Gun. Neptune’s Heart Crystal shot out of her back, and began to shimmer.

Uranus was paralyzed. She was flooded with memories of the previous day - of Michiru’s love, her reassurance, the loveliness of her smile, the tenderness of her touch. She’d insisted to herself that the mission was paramount, but was it worth completing if it meant that she had to lose Michiru? Was this the way things were supposed to be?

The Heart Crystal began to emit an aqua glow as it transformed itself into a teal hand mirror with golden trim. Neptune lay lifeless on the ground, as Eudial panted with fear. “So this is the second Talisman. I’ll take yours next!” she cried, as she turned to Uranus.

“We are the ones in whom the Talismans were sealed,” Uranus whispered. She knew that although Pluto would survive thanks to Michiru’s insistence, she and Neptune were going to die. And maybe that was what they deserved for being willing to kill. She turned her head upwards to look at the butterfly-shaped stained glass skylight. “O Messiah…is this the divine punishment we get?”

The last rays of sunlight shone through the skylight as Usagi cried, “Hold it right there!” The light illuminating the girl created an illusion - Uranus thought she saw a beautiful fae woman with butterfly wings. 

Messiah… she thought.

The vision cleared, showing Usagi and Sailor Pluto standing next to each other, with Pluto defensively wielding her Garnet Rod.

“You’re…” Eudial began.

Not stopping to think another second, Usagi charged and bodychecked Eudial, knocking the Heart Crystal Extracting Gun out of her arms, and causing her to nearly lose her balance. 

“Dead…SCREAM!”

Eudial jumped onto a hanging ornament to avoid Pluto’s attack, but what she thought was a decoration turned out to be a weighted pulley that plummeted to the basement.

Usagi then turned her attention to the seemingly lifeless Neptune. “Please hold on, Michiru-san! Sailor Pluto…do you know how to return the Heart Crystal to Michiru-san?”

Pluto paused, trying to remember the events that led to the revelation of the Garnet Orb. “I am afraid I do not. The problem here is that Sailor Neptune is far closer to death than I was at the time. There may not be enough life left in her to activate her Talisman’s powers.” Her eyes were downcast as she spotted a despondent Uranus out of the corner of her eye. “Perhaps this is what the visions meant about the Talisman bearers dying.”

Usagi was desperate. Without her Silver Crystal, there was little hope of her being able to heal Neptune enough to save her. “Please, Talisman…turn back into Michiru’s Heart Crystal!”

“Please stop that,” Uranus interrupted, her voice flat. Her eyes would not meet either Usagi's nor Pluto’s. “The remaining Talismans have been found. This is the way it should be…”

Usagi and Pluto both sputtered out their objections, but Uranus would not hear them.

“You’re so unfair, Michiru,” Uranus muttered. “To leave for a world of your own…”

She threw the Cosmic Heart Brooch back at Usagi.

“I’ll return that to you. You really were reckless, you knew you couldn’t transform. And Pluto…you are lucky that Neptune doesn’t know you’re here.”

Uranus picked up Eudial’s gun.

Usagi screamed, “DON’T!” and began to struggle with Uranus for the second time that evening. The situation was too chaotic for Pluto to intervene. “There is another Talisman inside me!” Uranus shouted. Usagi insisted, “Even if we don’t have the Talismans, we can save the world!”

“No, we can’t,” Pluto said simply, which briefly distracted the other two Senshi from their struggle.

Usagi looked at both Uranus and Pluto. “I’ll…save the world…”

Uranus’s expression finally softened. “It’s strange…when you say it like that, it really feels like you will. A few minutes ago…for some reason, you looked like the Messiah. But I know otherwise. I can’t believe in miracles.”

Once again, Usagi was overpowered, and pushed away with force.

“Sailor Moon…please combine the Talismans and retrieve the Holy Grail. Sailor Pluto…I can’t understand why you brought her along. But please continue the mission in our stead. I can’t believe in miracles…but I can believe in you.”

She aimed the gun at her chest. Usagi scrambled to get up as Pluto tried to intervene, but as always, Uranus was faster. She pulled the trigger, a Heart Crystal faintly glowing navy shot out of her back, and she knew nothing more. The Heart Crystal transformed into the shape of a jewelled sword, but nothing more happened, as Uranus was near death.

Usagi was sobbing helplessly, as Pluto stared at her Garnet Orb.

She’d come to the 20th Century to find the Talismans, to stop Sailor Saturn, and to save the world. Her life as Setsuna Meiou was never meant to be anything more than temporary. She had never expected to find friends like Haruka and Michiru. She had never expected to love someone as much as she loved Hotaru.

And now, in the space of only a week, Sailor Pluto was a solitary soldier once again.

Chapter Text

THE PRINCE'S PREMONITION

Sailor Uranus' breaths were slow and ragged. Usagi was on her hands and knees, feeling helpless. The other Senshi had just arrived, but were far too late.

"Please..Haruka-san, please tell me how to return these Talismans to your bodies."

Uranus's eyes were unseeing. "I don't care what happens to us. Please…take care of the Talismans. Use them to find the Holy Grail. I'm counting on you…Odango…Setsuna…"

Her eyes widened, and Usagi once again blended into a vision of a nude fae woman. Her wings were as brilliant and colourful as a butterfly's, and her expression was both loving and powerful.

"Hand the Grail to the Legendary Messiah…"

"Legendary Messiah?" Venus asked with confusion.

"Who is that?" Mars demanded.

Uranus knew that passing on the knowledge of her premonitory dreams was crucial. Someone had to carry on the mission, and she wasn't going to leave it solely on Setsuna's shoulders.

"Our saviour, who can rescue us from the time of destruction…The horrible world of the Silence. There is a woman known as the Messiah of Silence, who will turn this world into an empty shell of nothingness. Michiru, Setsuna and I…we've seen it. Everyone will die in agonizing pain. We…have to prevent it. There are Messiahs for both good and evil. The Legendary Messiah is the only one who can prevent the Silence. Give the Legendary Messiah the Grail. When the Legendary Messiah gets hold of the Grail, the world will be saved. If the Messiah of Silence takes it…all is lost."

Her eyes closed and her head lolled to the side.

Usagi's grief was so powerful that she practically twisted from the pain of it. Her shrieks of anguish echoed throughout the Cathedral.

She sobbed hysterically until Jupiter wrapped her arms around her Princess. Usagi continued sobbing, but her cries were much more subdued.

"I don't even know where to begin to find this 'Legendary Messiah'," Venus said with frustration.

"Or what to do about these Talismans. Or…their bodies," Mercury said softly.

Pluto's mind, which had temporarily become numb with shock, snapped back into place as she recalled her medical training.

She knelt down and lifted up Neptune's wrist.

"What are—" Mars began, but she quickly understood.

Pluto pressed down on Neptune's wrist, silently counting the seconds in her head. Without saying a word, she then did the same on Uranus' wrist.

The Senshi looked at her expectantly.

"They're alive. Their pulses are slow, but…they're alive."

Jupiter punched her hand with both relief and frustration. "Then…let's return those Talismans! Put their Pure Heart Crystals back inside them!"

The next thing all of the Senshi knew was a sensation of searing, unbearable pain. Eudial had fired an enormous column of flame directly at the Senshi, and, taking advantage of the confusion her attack had caused, snatched the Talismans from midair.

She cackled with triumph. "As was inevitable, I have taken the two Talismans."

Usagi was furious. "You can't do that! MOON COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!" She transformed into Sailor Moon. "Those Talismans are the Heart Crystals of Haruka and Michiru! GIVE THEM BACK!" she shrieked, as she moved to attack Eudial.

Eudial was too fast for her though, and hit her with a direct shot from her Fire Buster. As Sailor Moon fell backwards from the impact, the flames then surrounded the Senshi. They gasped with horror at the increased abilities of Eudial's attack.

Eudial smirked and bragged, "How do you like the power of the Fire Buster II, Patent Pending? It now has even more firepower than before! I'm quite the genius, aren't I?" she cackled.

"SHINE AQUA ILLUSION!"

It was a practical idea, but Mercury's attack had no effect on the flames. Mars made the heat of the flames even worse, as she failed to realize that "Fight fire with fire" was just an expression.

"Your attacks will not be able to extinguish my flames. You'll all burn to a crisp, into cute little piles of ash!" She winked at them. "Then I'll just loot that lovely little jewel from Sailor Pluto's corpse. See ya later." She then hopped off, with the Talismans in tow.

"If we don't think of something, we'll die!" Jupiter said in desperation.

"Sailor Pluto…please, do something!" Sailor Venus begged.

Pluto was trying to fight off the flames with her Garnet Rod, which only served to heat its metal base. "I'm sorry, I don't know what to do!"

I'm so sorry, Uranus and Neptune!

Suddenly a black figure burst through one of the windows of the Cathedral, shattering the stained glass. Tuxedo Mask landed on the Cathedral floor.

"Tuxedo Mask! Help us!" Sailor Moon cried.

"I overheard what Eudial was saying. I think if you use your attacks in a way that she does not expect, you may be able to defeat her flames!" Tuxedo Mask's eyes were steadily resting on Sailor Pluto's face.

"If we don't succeed, Tuxedo Mask, please take Usagi and go!" Mars pleaded as she pushed Sailor Moon forward.

"I won't leave you!" Sailor Moon shrieked.

"You don't have any say in the matter!" Mars said imperiously.

"We don't have time to argue! We need to think!" Mercury interrupted.

Attacks used in a way that Eudial doesn't expect. How do you defeat flame? Water didn't work, more fire certainly didn't work, we can't remove the oxygen from the room, there's no wind…

Wind…

MIST!

The Garnet Orb's maroon glow flickered to life as Sailor Pluto closed her eyes in concentration. She felt the Mists of Time gathering around her, but she did not whisper the Dead Scream attack incantation. She begged her Talisman to do her will. The Mists became thicker, and thicker. She begged the Talisman to help her. The flames were getting closer, and getting hotter.

"What is she doing?" Venus asked in confusion.

Pluto's eyes then flew open, and the Mists dispersed around her in a perfect radius with a sound not unlike a sonic boom, which instantly extinguished the flames.

"Th—that was amazing!" Mercury spluttered.

"Thank you, Sailor Pluto!" Sailor Moon said with admiration.

Pluto held up her Garnet Orb. "It seems my Talisman has secret powers I am yet to discover."

"Hurry, the Talismans…" Tuxedo Mask reminded.

The Inner Senshi nodded and ran in the direction Eudial had escaped to, but Sailor Moon and Pluto had not left yet.

Sailor Moon looked at the unconscious bodies of Uranus and Neptune with earnest eyes. "Wait for me, Uranus…Neptune. I will get the Talismans back! I swear it!" Pluto felt a chill down her back.

Whatever else happens today…my Queen will never give up. She'll save us all.

She then realized she'd lapsed back into referring to Usagi by her royal title. Was it emotional detachment, or was it because her young friend was so extraordinary?

"Sailor Pluto, Tuxedo Mask, can you guard Uranus and Neptune for me?" The two adults nodded as Sailor Moon turned to leave.

Pluto's eyes followed Sailor Moon as she disappeared out of the main room of the Cathedral.

"Setsuna-san," Tuxedo Mask began. "I had a dream last night."

She turned to look at him while trying to hide her concern.

"In the dream, the world was a dark, empty place full of nothing but death. I had never felt more terrified in my life. I had lost what was most important to me. I knew it was all over. …and then I saw you."

Pluto's heart clenched with emotion.

He dreamed…of me?

"You were crying. You were looking at your reflection in a puddle of water, and you looked like you hated yourself. Then you closed your eyes, and leapt up into the sky. You were floating in midair. You lifted your Garnet Rod, it began to glow, and then…everything stopped. I couldn't move. I couldn't think. I was alive, and yet not alive at the same time. I felt like my body was awake but my mind was asleep. And then you…were gone. After that I woke up."

Pluto's eyes widened with surprise, but she tried to recover. "So…you've seen the Silence."

Tuxedo Mask nodded. "But I'm afraid I don't understand most of the dream. If it is a premonition, what was the meaning of your actions at the end? Why did you disappear?"

Pluto folded her arms and sighed. "The Three Taboos."

"Taboos?"

"Yes. Although I am discovering new powers and abilities every day, there are limits to my abilities. When Queen Serenity assigned me the post of guarding the Space-Time Door, she told me that there were three laws I was bound to obey. One, I must not travel through Time. Two, I must not ever abandon my place at the Gates. And Three…I must not stop Time. In your dream, you watched me stop Time. The situation must have been very grave for me to choose to do that, for I will immediately forfeit my life the instant that the flow of Time has stopped."

"But if you are here…haven't you already broken two of the Taboos?"

Pluto nodded. "However, I am here in this era specifically at Queen Serenity's instruction. As for—"

"Hang on," Tuxedo Mask interrupted. "Do you mean Princess Serenity's mother, or Neo-Queen Serenity?"

"Her mother."

"But isn't she—"

"Dead? Yes. But at the Space-Time Door, there is no Time. What no longer exists in your world, or does not exist yet, does exist in mine. Which is why I have not actually broken the second Taboo at all. In a place without Time, I have never actually left the Gates. I stand there now, observing and occasionally acting."

Pluto suddenly looked confused.

"I…didn't know about my other self until just this moment. How did I…?"

So you have finally caught on, Setsuna Meiou.

Pluto gasped with realization. That voice in her head…that voice which had been giving her guidance and helping her to make crucial decisions…that voice…

Is you.

"Are you all right?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

I am you. Our thoughts are linked across Time. Forgive yourself for concealing this until now. I reveal my presence at last, so I might continue to guide us both towards the glimpses we have seen of the Turning Points. The Turning Point tonight must result in the creation of the Holy Grail.

"The Holy Grail…" Pluto whispered.

I know how to summon it. But in order to do so, I must allow our thoughts to merge. You must allow me to take over.

"But…"

"Who are you talking to?" Tuxedo Mask was utterly perplexed at this point.

"Myself," Pluto replied, knowing that it wasn't much of an answer.

It will be temporary. Although you are alas too human and too loving in this current form, the lessons we have, had, and will learn are essential to our survival. After my task is finished, your thoughts will be your own again. Please prepare yourself now as we shall merge.

Pluto then felt a rush of tingling energy flow from her mind down to her toes. She felt invigorated. She felt dutiful. But she also felt empty. The Pluto at the Space-Time Door did not know her other Senshi. But the Setsuna who had known Earth still existed, the one who wasn't afraid to guard her emotions and to make mistakes. She was still there.

Echoing down the hall was Sailor Moon's screams of pain.

"Usako!" Tuxedo Mask prepared to rush to the source of the screams.

"Hold, Prince," Pluto said. Her voice was suddenly deeper, and more serious.

"But—"

"Your place is here, guarding my partners, Sailors Uranus and Neptune. Part of the mission of the Outer Senshi, my mission and theirs, is to ensure that the Messiah of Silence does not awaken and destroy this world. Do not fear. Tonight, I will reveal the Holy Grail. I have the knowledge to summon it."

"You're…different somehow. What happened?"

Pluto smiled slightly.

"The Setsuna Meiou you know is bound to this era, but Sailor Pluto is not. At any time, my past, present or future self, or all three at the same time…can act, and change the course of the future. For the sake of clarity, you should consider Sailor Pluto and Setsuna Meiou as different people who share the same soul."

"Why are you here tonight?"

"My civilian self unintentionally changed the timeline when she left the Space-Time Door to help protect the Earth. She did not know she had the Garnet Orb Talisman, for example. While I could have given her that information, I know from my observations outside of Time that there are lessons that she…that I…need to learn. That there are some experiences she must have that she cannot know back 'home.' I am here because the Holy Grail must be summoned tonight. She lacks the knowledge of how to do so, so I have temporarily taken over. I have access to knowledge that my 20th Century self does not."

"Tell me, Sailor Pluto. Is the Silence inevitable? Or can you prevent it?" Tuxedo Mask's eyes were pained by the memories of his premonitory dream.

Pluto regarded him seriously. "I have told you before that one should not know too much about their own future. My 20th Century self will do all that is possible to prevent the Silence, but unlike me, she is only human. I cannot reveal to you, or to Setsuna, what will happen, as you or she may make choices that will irrevocably change the future even further. With my powers as guardian of the Space-Time Door, I can nudge the Timeline in the right direction, Endymion-sama, but I am limited by the Three Taboos."
Tuxedo Mask sighed.

"I am telling you this, Endymion-sama, because of my great trust in your judgement, and because you have foreseen my future. But I must ask you not to tell the others, particularly Sailor Moon, that I have come here tonight. They may try to rely too much on my abilities, and after tonight, Setsuna is on her own. For you see," Pluto smiled, "I'm breaking the Second Taboo by being here. Now, I must go. It's Time."

Chapter Text

SELF-SACRIFICE

Pluto turned and then ran off down the extended hallways of the Cathedral. She had to stop when she came across the four Inner Senshi, who were glued to the floor and all looking thoroughly ridiculous.

Surveying the prone four Inners, Pluto spoke: “Eudial had another trick up her sleeve, it seems.”

“No kidding,” Mars said with characteristic sarcasm and severe irritation.

“Where is Sailor Moon?” Pluto asked, quickly scanning the halls ahead, then letting her eyes come back to rest on the gummed up foursome.

“Ahead,” Venus said curtly, one eyebrow twitching with annoyance and still looking mortified at the situation.

With a furious jerking of her muscles, Jupiter desperately tried to free herself from the mysterious adhesive so that she could at least sit up to listen to the Senshi of Time. But it was futile even for the strongest of the Inner Senshi to struggle, and with her shoulders trembling with the twitching of a frustrated athlete, Jupiter sank down again.

“May I offer a suggestion?” Pluto turned to Mercury, kneeling down so that Mercury and the others could more easily hear her.

“Please do,” Mercury said eagerly but blushing in embarrassment for her undignified position, stuck to the floor.

Pluto then used the key end of her Garnet Rod to pull Mercury’s left arm free from the glue. It was a struggle, but eventually her arm became unstuck with a popping sound. Mercury’s right arm was already free of the glue.

“Shine Aqua Illusion did not work on her flames, but I would imagine it would work on this glue.” Pluto looked into Mercury’s eyes steadily.

Mercury nodded quickly.  Although it was extremely awkward for her, now that both arms were free,  Mercury could perform her Shine Aqua Illusion attack. She aimed her hands directly at the glue, which solidified, then shattered into tiny shards, to her elation. The Inners quickly got up, flexing the limbs that had previously been glued.

“Let’s go,” Venus commanded.

In one of the large side rooms, Eudial and Sailor Moon were duelling. Sailor Moon was losing rather badly; her power was outmatched by the Fire Buster II.

In a coldly calm voice, Eudial stated her intentions. Her face was illuminated by the coloured lights of the stained glass windows. “You have humiliated me so many times, Sailor Moon. Tonight, I will pay you back for that humiliation. FIRE…”

“Hold it right there!” Pluto interrupted.

“What?!” Eudial shrieked, spinning around.  Then she smiled in contempt. “Oh, it’s the little nurse. Are you here to deliver your Talisman to me?”

“Eudial, I will have you return the Talismans to us.” Pluto’s voice was firm, deep and commanding.

“No, I don’t think I will.” Eudial was still smiling contemptuously.  “But thank you for making it easier for me to take the third Talisman!”

The Garnet Orb glowed, and detached itself from the Rod. But instead of going to Eudial, it floated down to Pluto’s hand. “I will not let evil beings like you have the Talismans!” Pluto cried. She held out her arm and the Garnet Orb began to glow with a sweet chiming sound. Beckoned by the summoning of their sister Talisman, the Deep Aqua Mirror and Space Sword floated away from Eudial, despite her scrambling to regain hold of them.

The two Talismans floated into place, forming a perfect floating triangle with the Garnet Orb. All was silent for a moment, then Pluto’s tiara disappeared, replaced by her planetary symbol glowing on her forehead. Elsewhere, with Tuxedo Mask observing in wonder, Uranus and Neptune’s tiaras also disappeared and became their planetary symbols as well. Their bodies phased away, reappearing standing, though still unconscious, in the large room in front of their Talismans.

Internally, Setsuna could feel Sailor Pluto working her will. It all seemed so simple, just using the Garnet Orb to summon the other two Talismans. Pluto, Neptune and Uranus were connected by destiny, and always would be. All she would have to do is will it, and they would join her.

You, Setsuna, were able to activate your own Talisman because you had a strong will to live, Sailor Pluto told her present day self. Your partners felt that they deserved to die, but instead, I will give Haruka and Michiru a reason to live as well.

Let us summon the Holy Grail together, Pluto whispered in Haruka and Michiru’s minds.

The Heart Crystals, with a soft whooshing noise, removed themselves from the Talismans.

“The Crystals of their Pure Hearts?” Jupiter said softly.

They disappeared back into the Hearts of Uranus and Neptune, their tiaras reappearing. Tuxedo Mask rushed into the room at that moment to witness the miracle.

“They’re going back…” Mars said.

With a sigh of joy and relief, Sailor Moon clasped her hands together. “I’m so glad…”

Uranus and Neptune awoke, and gasped. “The true Talismans…” Uranus began.

“…didn’t have to be sacrificed after all.” Neptune finished, with a secret “I told you so” smile at Uranus.

The two lovers smiled at each other, and for a split second, there wasn’t anyone else in the world but each other.

“The Talismans have this much divine power?” Venus said with wonder.

Uranus and Neptune grasped the handles of their Talismans, which began to emit a brilliant white light that danced throughout the room. The Garnet Orb glowed in response. The lights continued dancing until they converged together. The three Talismans’ powers connected, and formed a pyramid of sparkling light. With a sound like tinkling glass, the Holy Grail came into existence, floating in midair above them.

It was a beautiful gold and pink cup, decorated with wings, moons, hearts, and coloured jewels. On the top of it was a golden crown with a crescent moon in the centre. The Senshi could see the Grail’s softly glowing white light, and sense its incredible power emanating throughout the Cathedral.

“Depending on who uses it,” Pluto said, “it is said that the Holy Grail can lead the world to destruction or salvation…thus the Holy Grail has infinite power.”

“The Grail…” Eudial whispered. “I’ll have it!” she suddenly shrieked, firing her Fire Buster II directly at the Outer Senshi. Uranus and Neptune shrieked in pain, while Pluto remained silent. Eudial then fired again, this time at the Inner Senshi.

Let me use the Mists of Time again! Setsuna begged.

No. Not this time. Watch and see. Pluto instructed.

Eudial ran towards the Holy Grail, chuckling in triumph. Suddenly, Sailor Moon leapt out from the flames. “I won’t let you have it!” She took a direct hit from the Fire Buster II again, but this was not enough to stop her. She cringed in pain for a moment, but then got up and matched Eudial’s pace. The cries of agony from her friends urged her on. Nothing would stop her when her friends were in danger.

Eudial and Sailor Moon leapt up to snatch the Holy Grail, but Sailor Moon edged in front of Eudial with only an instant to spare. Her Cosmic Heart Brooch reacted instantly to the Holy Grail’s power, and shone with a brilliant pink light. Eudial fell backwards as the Cathedral was filled with the light of Sailor Moon’s energy. The flames disappeared instantly, and although it was nighttime, the room was filled with light as bright as daylight.

The lid of the Holy Grail opened, and a cloud of rainbow butterflies flew out of it. They landed gently on Sailor Moon’s uniform and transformed it. Her pink back ribbon turned pale pink and translucent, and the tails of the ribbon trailed behind her elegantly. Her shoulder pads became translucent wings, wing-like hair clips appeared on her head, her earrings became large crescent moons, and her skirt and collar became a beautiful rainbow gradient, resembling the colours of the dawn.

“Is this a new awakening?” Tuxedo Mask asked.

Is she the Legendary Messiah? Setsuna asked, but Pluto did not reply.

Eudial tried attacking one last time. “Fire…BUSTER!” She aimed directly at Sailor Moon, who was still glowing with divine power. Silently, Sailor Moon held her hand up to stop the flames, which then reversed and hit Eudial directly. The force of her rebounded blast was such that she was thrown through one of the stained glass windows. Outside, the distant sound of Eudial’s body hitting the ground echoed into the broken window.

“Sailor Moon is…” Uranus gasped.

“The Legendary Messiah that is prophesied to save the world from Silence?” Neptune finished.

Pluto merely smiled as Setsuna felt her other self’s presence disappear. The tingling sensation in her toes slowly began to rise up her body.

Wait! Please don’t leave! Setsuna begged.

My task is done, Setsuna.

But there’s still so much I need to know! Setsuna felt limited, flawed, and foolish.

You of all people should know that one must not know too much about their own future. Know this, however: You figured out how to defeat Eudial’s flames on your own. Even without the advantages of the Space-Time Door, you are a resourceful and competent warrior.

The tingling sensation left the present day Sailor Pluto’s body, and Setsuna sensed the severing of the telepathic connection with her other self. Whatever would follow next was up to Setsuna alone to act on. Her outward expression was inscrutable, but in Setsuna’s own mind, she was going through emotional turmoil.

Is it better to know what will happen, and prevent disaster?

Or is it better not to know…and then learn from my mistakes?

But what did Pluto mean by “too human and too loving?” Hadn’t Sailor Moon demonstrated that to love deeply was the greatest power possible? Could Setsuna’s capacity for love be a mistake somehow?

The butterflies’ sparkling glow gradually faded, and Sailor Moon, now reduced back to her regularly powered self, slumped to the floor with exhaustion. The room became dark once more, as if the very light of day had disappeared. Tuxedo Mask ran to Sailor Moon quickly to catch her. “Sailor Moon?” he called to her with worry. She opened her eyes and smiled at him warmly. “Mamo-chan…”
Her guardians surrounded her. “Are you alright?” he asked.

“Hold yourself together!” Mercury said, equally worried.

“I’m feeling really lethargic…like I’m weak all over.” Sailor Moon said softly.

“Perhaps Sailor Moon isn’t the Legendary Messiah…” Uranus said sadly. “The Messiah is supposed to be able to use infinite power. If even this little power causes Sailor Moon to collapse with fatigue, she isn’t…” She looked away with frustration.

“Then the true Messiah is somewhere else,” Neptune said.

“Looks like we have a new mission now,” Uranus said.

But if Sailor Moon isn’t the Legendary Messiah, who else could it possibly be?! And who…is the Messiah of Silence?

Setsuna had thought that this day would finally give her answers. Instead, there were further questions. And the Sailor Pluto of the Space-Time Door was not willing to answer them.

—-
Meanwhile, back at Professor Tomoe’s mansion, Hotaru was on the ground panting in agony. The Grail’s appearance had caused a torrent of negative energy to awaken within her, and she had no understanding of the cause.

“Setsuna…please help me…” she whispered. She whimpered in fear. “I’ll die without you…please, Setsuna…”

Professor Tomoe was observing Hotaru from a crack in her door. “Take better care of her, Kaori.” He commanded. “We have plans for her.”

“Yes, of course, Professor.” Kaori bowed her head deferentially.

“I’ll be in my lab if you need me. Make sure not to forget to feed her, or I shall be very upset with you.” Professor Tomoe said as he walked away.

He chuckled as he opened the door to his lab. “And I won’t forget to ‘feed’ her either.”

Chapter Text

THE HEALING FACTOR

Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna limped out of the parked helicopter as dawn was breaking. Although the Holy Grail had healed some of the wounds that Eudial had inflicted, the three Senshi would be feeling the consequences for days to come. Every step was agony. Their wounds were much milder than they would have been if they were normal human beings, but this was no ordinary battle. While riding home in the helicopter, Setsuna carefully tried to touch one of her burns to make sure there was no nerve damage. Although they were a deep, angry red, and Setsuna cringed in severe pain from touching one of them, Setsuna determined with relief that they were only second degree burns. They would not leave scars. The bullets that Eudial fired at Uranus and Neptune turned out to be entirely made of energy, and left no visible damage besides bruises.

Setsuna blinked blearily into the blinding sunlight. "When we get inside I'll…get some burn cream. And some bandages. And painkillers. Shall I?"

Haruka mumbled something in assent. Michiru was unwilling to comment for fear of sounding undignified. She might have nearly lost her life tonight, but she was damned if she was ever going to lose her dignity.

Holding each other up by the shoulders, the three women slowly walked through the automatic sliding glass door into the hallway leading to Michiru's penthouse. As they walked, Michiru's eyes teared up from pain and her teeth were clenched. Haruka's eyes teared up from anger and shame. The thick dark red plush carpeting in the hallway leading up to the elevator was a welcome relief for them, as it softened their footsteps and reduced some of the pressure on their aching feet. They slumped onto each other as the elevator made its painfully slow descent down to Michiru's penthouse.

As they slowly walked over to the front door, Michiru stumbled, and made an involuntary whimper of pain. Distracted, Haruka clumsily reached into her pocket to retrieve her keys, but fumbled them when she tried to put them through the lock. She cringed when they clattered on the marble floor.

"If you chip that floor, you're paying for the repairs," Michiru said flatly.

Her face flushed with embarrassment and exhaustion, Haruka groaned as she bent down to retrieve the keys from the floor. "They're just keys, Michiru! The floor is fine!"

"Here, let me," Setsuna said, as she gently took the keys and unlocked the door. Of the three Talisman bearers, she was the only one who still had her wits about her. She had more than an inkling of what Haruka and Michiru were going through, but even the terrifying experience of temporarily losing her Heart Crystal paled in comparison to what her friends just survived. After they'd entered the penthouse, she softly closed the door behind her and made her way over to the bathroom where she kept her medical supplies.

Haruka limped over to the gold-trimmed lounge chair and flopped down on it gracelessly. She grabbed a silk cushion and forcefully held it against her forehead, groaning in pain. Michiru was miraculously able to sit down next to Haruka gracefully and silently. She closed her eyes and leaned on Haruka's shoulder. The lovers waited patiently while Setsuna bandaged her own wounds.

"Almost…done!" Setsuna called from the bathroom.

"Take your time," Michiru's exhausted voice replied.

Setsuna limped back into the living room, carrying salve, bandages, and painkillers. She silently treated Haruka's wounds, and handed her a pair of pills, which Haruka swallowed instantaneously without the use of water. Setsuna then treated Michiru, who hesitated while looking at the pills in her hand.

"Should we really be taking these?" she asked softly.

"There are some injuries that no one can bear without a little help," Setsuna replied.

Michiru nodded slightly, then, with the burns on her arms throbbing in pain, she forced herself to take the pills.

Haruka and Michiru then sagged back down on the lounge chair, and almost instantaneously, the combination of exhaustion and the soporific effects of the painkillers made them pass out while still leaning on each other.

Satisfied that she'd done her best to help her partners, Setsuna dragged herself into her bedroom. She groaned as she lifted herself into her bed, but she too passed out almost as quickly as Haruka and Michiru did.

—-

She awoke in the late evening, her stomach growling. Setsuna was surprised that her body still felt the need to eat even considering all the pain she was experiencing. She forced herself to sit up, and examined her bandaged burns. She peeled one of the bandages off, and gasped with shock. Checking her alarm clock to verify that she had the time right, she observed with surprise that although her skin was peeling, the burn wounds were already less red and sore than they had been only 12 hours ago. She now understood why Senshi rarely had any lasting wounds, despite their sometimes horrific battles.

We have a healing factor, she thought with wonder.

With the occasional stumble, Setsuna managed to walk over to the kitchen. She passed Haruka and Michiru on the way, who were still sleeping on each other, Haruka snoring softly. Setsuna had the dilemma of wanting to prepare something nutritious to assist with the healing, but still low maintenance enough that it wouldn't exacerbate her wounds. She settled on making a simple chicken broth with egg noodles, since all she would have to do is boil the water until the noodles were soft. She sat on a dining room chair and zoned out as the chicken broth bubbled.

Haruka awoke groggily from the smell of the soup. "Are you… cooking something, Setsuna?"

"Soup," she replied. "Are you up to eating anything?"

"Yes please," Michiru's voice answered weakly, her eyes still closed.

As Setsuna carefully finished preparing the soup, she began to feel the need to sleep again.

Hang on…just a little bit longer…

Haruka and Michiru held each other up as they, while awkwardly limping, forced themselves to sit at the dining room table. Setsuna placed three bowls of soup down on the table, and the three women ate in silence. They then slowly made their way back to their respective bedrooms, Haruka and Michiru leaning on each other as they entered their bedroom, both feeling too weak to bother closing the door.

"I don't ever want to sleep alone again," Michiru said softly, as she slowly laid down on her bed.

Haruka stopped in the middle of gingerly fluffing up her pillow and raised an eyebrow. "Hm?"

"Stay with me," Michiru choked out, well aware that Setsuna could hear what she was saying.

"Aren't I always with you?" Haruka asked in confusion, as she carefully forced herself to sit down on the bed to look at Michiru.

"I mean…" Michiru looked at the bedroom walls furtively. "I can't live without you being there with me…"

Tears began to trickle out of Michiru's eyes, despite her attempts to force herself to shut down her emotions.

She suddenly embraced Haruka and began kissing her desperately. Setsuna was in the process of entering her bedroom, but had frozen in her tracks from both surprise and embarrassment.

Haruka forced herself to break apart from Michiru, holding her by the shoulders. "Whoa, WHOA! We're too injured to do this sort of thing! What's gotten into you?" She was too concerned about Michiru's sudden change in behaviour to feel embarrassed about how Setsuna was listening to them.

"I never…" Michiru choked back tears. "I never want to have to imagine a world without you again. Never. Never."

Haruka's expression softened. "You won't have to," she said reassuringly, as she ignored the pain from the burns so that she could wrap her arms around Michiru. "When we die, we die together, okay? When I die, I want your hands to be the last thing I touch."

Setsuna then turned and reached to softly close Michiru and Haruka's bedroom door to give them some privacy. She couldn't help feeling like a third wheel at that moment. Haruka and Michiru were so careful to be private about their relationship, but she supposed there were some moments when their overwhelming need to be with each other superseded any thoughts of social propriety. She closed her own bedroom door, and got back into bed.

—

Setsuna awoke in the middle of the morning and immediately noticed that the scorch marks on her arms and legs were still stinging, but now had an itching effect. Another sign of the skin healing. She forced herself to sit up and held her head, which was swimming from dizziness. She blindly reached for her bedside table and felt around for the tube of burn salve she'd retrieved from her first aid kit. She began to rub it on the burn marks, which had faded from red to pink.

Look on the bright side. At least you don't require skin grafts.

Setsuna knew she must be feeling a little better if she was resorting to gallows humour. But for all the unfathomable power she possessed as a Senshi, it was almost not worth it on days like today, when the battle scars would be difficult to cope with and difficult to hide. But the wounds were definitely healing at an accelerated pace, and soon they wouldn't be any trouble at all. There were some wounds, however, that would never heal.

She'd dreamed of the Silence again. The same nightmare, the same scenes, the same terrifying first-person perspective of her impending death. But having revisited the dream once more, Setsuna began to realize something.

Purposefully, she slowly stood up and left her bedroom. Haruka was lazily watching daytime TV, with her arms and legs spread out on the couch haphazardly, a huge bowl of potato chips was sitting precariously on her lap, and her shirt was mostly unbuttoned.

"Feeling better? I see you're having fun." Setsuna said sardonically as she walked up to Haruka, carefully lifted one of her legs out of the way, and sat down on the couch.

Haruka grinned sheepishly. "Well, I do need time to recover!"

Setsuna raised an eyebrow. "Indeed. Did you tell Mugen Academy that you and Michiru would be absent today?"

Haruka's eyes widened. "Oh crap! I forgot!"

Setsuna sighed. "Let's hope that they're not stringent about checking attendance. Where's Michiru?"

Haruka shrugged. "Sleeping, I think?"

"You don't know?"

"She said she needed to be alone. Which was kinda funny considering how she was a few hours ago…" Haruka coughed and tugged at her shirt collar slightly.

"That's just as well. There's something I need to talk to you about privately." Setsuna looked seriously right into Haruka's eyes. As she expected, Haruka began to shrink backwards. She did not take criticism well.

"What's wrong?" Haruka said tentatively.

"Your logic."

"What?" Haruka's eyebrows were raised in baffled surprise.

"Your logic. It's flawed. Last night, you said that Sailor Moon was not the Legendary Messiah, because she was not able to use the Holy Grail's power for long. You said that if she was truly the Messiah, she'd show that the Holy Grail's powers are infinite."

Haruka blinked in confusion. "Well, it's true!"

"How do you know that it's true?"

"The premonitory dreams told me as much. That the Holy Grail's power was infinite, and that only the Legendary Messiah could make the best use of it." Haruka held a cushion to her chest defensively.

Setsuna held up a finger. "These same dreams told you that all three of the Talisman bearers would have to be sacrificed. And yet, all three of us are still here. And you still trust in the premonitions and think your dreams are infallible?"

Haruka started and began to sweat from pressure. "Well, uh, don't you have those same dreams?"

"Yes, and I just had the same dream again. Which made me realize something. The information we're getting in these dreams is incomplete. Distorted. Do you know why?"

Haruka shook her head.

Setsuna smiled confidently. "Because the future isn't set in stone. That with every action we take, the images in the dream fluctuate between different possibilities. And that the things we do manage to understand are inaccurate. You told me on the way home that Eudial said that our three Pure Hearts had names. Yours is the Pure Heart of Fearless Sacrifice, Michiru's is the Pure Heart of True Love's Sacrifice, and mine is the Pure Heart of Selfless Sacrifice. Don't you see, Haruka? We weren't supposed to be sacrificed to save the world! We will save the world because of what we are willing to sacrifice!"

Haruka looked dumbfounded. "Well…all of that makes sense. But what does that have to do with the Legendary Messiah?"

Setsuna's expression then became serious. "Do you know what the Phantom Silver Crystal is?"

Haruka looked thoughtful. "Isn't that the symbol of the Silver Millennium? Odango uses it to transform, right?"

Setsuna nodded. "Yes, but its power is a whole lot more complex than that. It's the most powerful object in the galaxy."

Haruka cocked an eyebrow. "Wait, how can it be the most powerful if the Holy Grail's power is infinite?"

"That's just it. I don't think the Holy Grail's power is infinite. I think we've gotten distorted information again, and I have to partly blame my other self for that. She's probably trying to force us to work the truth out for ourselves. We know that there are two possible futures: One where the Messiah of Silence uses the Holy Grail to destroy the world, and one where the Legendary Messiah uses it to save the world. It's undoubtedly a tremendously powerful object, but I don't think its power itself is the aspect that it is infinite. It is the possibilities of how its power can be used that are infinite. I mean, we just saw it upgrade Sailor Moon's uniform. If it's meant for the Legendary Messiah's use alone, it wouldn't have had such a versatile function. But there's one more problem with your logic, Haruka."

Haruka sighed. "And what's that?" Her lips tightened. Haruka didn't like what she was hearing, but if it had been anyone else besides Setsuna or Michiru correcting her, she wouldn't have listened at all.

"Even if the Holy Grail's power really was infinite, no living being can possibly be infinite. Especially if the Legendary Messiah is human. The Phantom Silver Crystal has astounding power, but if Usagi-san uses too much of it…she dies. Power is a double-edged sword. If the chosen wielder of the most powerful object in the galaxy is inherently limited by it, it stands to reason that the Holy Grail probably has similar restrictions on its power." Setsuna took a deep breath. "Ultimately, Haruka, you were much too hasty in eliminating Sailor Moon as a possible Legendary Messiah."

Setsuna then slumped back on the couch, her intellectually inspired burst of energy now having been spent.

Haruka flushed and stammered. She recalled how she'd seen visions of Usagi as the Legendary Messiah. She didn't quite understand why she was so willing to dismiss her own instincts. She supposed that she didn't ever want to be dependent on Sailor Moon for anything.

"I guess I'll keep her in mind," Haruka said curtly, her eyes deliberately not meeting Setsuna's. She wasn't about to admit she was wrong.

"Please pass on what we have discussed to Michiru. You can pretend that it's your own theory. I chose to speak to you alone to," Setsuna smirked, "minimize potential embarrassment."

Haruka flushed even deeper. "Thanks," she muttered sarcastically.

The television they sat in front of then began to play the opening music for a breaking news segment. Both Haruka and Setsuna turned to watch.

"Good afternoon, I'm Sasaki Masahiro with the TV Asahi breaking news report. Emergency rescue crews are in the process of removing a white minivan from the Pacific Ocean. The minivan went out of control on a sharp turn and plunged into the water. It is believed that there was one casualty. As the brakes in the car were entirely removed, foul play is strongly suspected. Tune in tonight on TV Asahi at 7 pm for more." As the newscaster spoke, the camera was focused on a giant crane gradually lifting the waterlogged minivan out of the ocean. On the back of the minivan was a black star; the symbol of the Death Busters.

Setsuna's blood went cold, and Haruka's face was pale.

Chapter Text

THE BETRAYAL

Setsuna had settled into a life where she lived happily with Haruka and Michiru, but was forced to spend most of her time studying. Her excellent grades made her the envy of her class, and her professors were specifically seeking her out to encourage her to consider moving on to grad school. "I'll consider it," was all that she could say.

The free time opened up by no longer working at Mugen Academy had reminded Setsuna that she did not truly belong in the 20th Century. That her stay here was temporary, and that she was only at university to learn as much as she could before she would have to return to the Space-Time Door. She would have loved to attend graduate school, but she knew it was impossible.

More than half a year has gone. How much longer can I stay?

On one afternoon not long after Eudial's final battle, Setsuna was lost in thought as she wandered home after a gruelling calculus lecture. She was exhausted and did not particularly pay attention to the route she took home, and ended up passing by Mugen Academy. As it was early evening, the campus was almost entirely deserted.

She then heard a little voice calling to her.

"Setsuna! Setsuna! Where have you been?!" Hotaru was yelling, joyfully running over to join her.

Setsuna froze.

What do I do?

Hotaru's chest then seized up, and she fell to her knees before reaching Setsuna.

Her medical instincts instantlytaking over, Setsuna ran to help Hotaru to stand again. "Are you alright?" she asked her.

Hotaru was panting with pain. "I am now. I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Setsuna muttered, her eyes not quite meeting Hotaru's.

Hotaru reached to hold Setsuna's hand. "Why have you been avoiding me?" The pain in Hotaru's voice was self-evident.

"I haven't been avoiding you…"

My first lie.

"…I've just been extremely busy with my studies." A highly rehearsed excuse. Setsuna felt deeply depressed.

What am I doing?

"Oh…I see." Hotaru sighed sadly, then she looked up at Setsuna and smiled hesitantly. "I miss drinking tea with you."

The sweetness and innocence in Hotaru's wide purple eyes made Setsuna's heart hurt. "As do I, Hotaru."

I have to stop showing affection. I have to stop!

"Can we go have some tea somewhere? I need to talk to you." Hotaru's plaintive tone made the hurt even deeper.

Forcing herself not to cry, Setsuna replied, "I can't, Hotaru. I'm very sorry."

"Why not?" Tears began to form in Hotaru's eyes.

"As I mentioned before, I'm very busy. I have an exam I need to study for. I need to go now." Setsuna looked away. She desperately wished Hotaru would let go of her hand. She couldn't bear to force her to do so.

Hotaru continued to stare at Setsuna. Her eyes slowly became sad. Her head drooped. For a moment, she stared at the ground, still holding on to Setsuna's hand. As she raised her head again, the hurt in her eyes penetrated Setsuna's gaze, though the girl was silent. The hurt became piercing. Her mouth firmed. Anger and hurt sparked out of Hotaru's no longer innocent eyes.

"Why did you lie to me?" a distorted voice replied. The voice came from Hotaru's mouth, but it was clearly not Hotaru speaking.

Startled, Setsuna looked at Hotaru again. "What?"

The eyes sparked with an even deeper rage. "You're lying," the distorted voice said coldly. "I can tell. I can tell by the way your blood flows through your veins. Why did you lie to me? Why did you abandon me? I trusted you." Hotaru's grip on Setsuna's hand tightened.

Frightened and confused, Setsuna tried to break free from Hotaru's grasp. The child's hands were vicelike and shockingly strong for such a sickly and tiny girl. "Please, Hotaru! You're hurting me! Let go of me!" Setsuna looked around her in hopes of some help, but the street was deserted.

Hotaru's nails dug into Setsuna's skin. "Never lie to me," the voice said coldly. "You don't love me."

But I do!

Hotaru was screaming in her own voice, and was trying to pull her own hand away. "Please! I don't want to hurt her!" Hotaru screamed again, her childlike voice morphing once more into the cold, distorted voice.

Setsuna then began to sense a tremendously powerful malevolent energy emanating from Hotaru's hand. The energy she sensed every time she dreamed of The Silence.

What ARE you?

"If you love me, give me your energy. Give me your Heart…" The distorted voice said, becoming deeper. The voice took on an otherworldly echo as Hotaru's eyes took on a sinister golden glow.

"No! Let go of me!" Setsuna continued to try to pull her hand free.

For a split second, Hotaru's grasp loosened and her eyes became purple again, but then her expression became bitterly angry as the eyes glowed once more.

"You don't love me," the distorted voice repeated, as it used Hotaru's hand to send a deadly electric charge through Setsuna.

Setsuna screamed.

And woke up in Juuban Hospital. Painfully bright lights were shining in her eyes.

"Hey, Michiru. She's awake." Haruka's voice floated above Setsuna. Her eyes refused to focus.

Setsuna felt someone take and hold her hand, and deduced it was Michiru, as the skin was incredibly soft.

"How are you feeling?" A voice from Setsuna's right side. Michiru's voice.

Setsuna groaned. "Like my entire body has been bruised."

"I figured as much. You had a real scare there. You've been unconscious for a day. The doctors can't figure out what happened to you. When you didn't come home on time, Haruka and I went searching for you. We found you lying in a heap outside Mugen Academy."

Setsuna pressed her hand against her forehead in embarrassment.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Haruka's voice came from Setsuna's left.

"I…ran into Hotaru."

Haruka and Michiru gasped.

"And she did that to you?" Haruka said in horror. "We thought you'd been targeted by a Daimon or something!"

Setsuna's eyes watered. "I'm not really sure what happened. But it was almost like…death itself was coming from Hotaru. Her voice was…so strange. So cold and malevolent."

"Death itself?" Michiru repeated. She looked up at Haruka, who nodded.

"It's okay if you didn't see anything, but was there a glowing mark on Hotaru's forehead?" Michiru asked.

"Not that I know of," Setsuna answered.

Haruka gripped the side of Setsuna's hospital bed. "That means…Sailor Saturn is able to activate her powers without transformation. Without awakening, even!"

Setsuna rolled her head to face Haruka. "So you're convinced then that Hotaru is the Messiah of Silence we've seen in our dreams?"

"It certainly looks that way," Michiru said. "You said the power felt like death itself. That is what Sailor Saturn does, as you know. I do not wish to speculate, but she may have tried to kill you because you are trying to prevent The Silence."

"She'd have to know that I was a Sailor Senshi, though." Setsuna interjected.

"That may not be necessary. The Messiah of Silence may have the ability to recognize other sources of power. Whatever she was thinking, we know now for sure who our target is." She looked at Haruka, who nodded.

"Hang on," Setsuna interrupted. "We have no proof that she is Sailor Saturn! I don't want to harm an innocent child!"

"An 'innocent' child who just put you in the hospital?" Michiru countered.

"I can't tell you how I know for sure, but I know that Hotaru isn't at fault here. She had no control over her actions. She needs help, Michiru! I won't be able to live with myself if we attack her."

Michiru sighed and closed her eyes.

Haruka spoke up then. "Hotaru may not be the one who voluntarily did the damage, but we know that something inside her is tremendously powerful, and evil. She may harm other people. Can you live with yourself if she hurts someone else, Setsuna? She may kill next time. You only survived because you are a Senshi."

"But…"

"Setsuna," Michiru began, in a stern voice. "You know I respect you deeply. But you need to see sense here. She. Tried. To. Kill. You."

Setsuna opened her mouth to reply, but found herself speechless.

Only because I was abandoning her.

The three women sat in silence for a moment, when Setsuna spoke up again.

"Please, let's not act hastily. We don't know what it is that is wrong with Hotaru. Let's not attack her until we're sure that she is indeed Sailor Saturn, and the one who will bring about the Silence."

"What do you propose that we do, then?" Haruka asked her.

"Let's keep on eye on her from afar. And we'll step in if it looks like she might hurt someone."

"Fine, we'll be cautious and observe her for now," Michiru said. "But if she awakens as Sailor Saturn, we immediately strike Hotaru down before she can hurt anyone else. Agreed?"

Haruka nodded. "Agreed." They both looked at Setsuna expectantly.

Setsuna's eyes widened in horror.

After a long pause, she said weakly, "I can't. I can't!"

Haruka and Michiru stared at her.

"You know what the consequences will be if we don't stop her," Michiru said firmly.

And I know what the consequences will be if we do!

"I can't!" Setsuna cried.

A nurse then knocked on Setsuna's door. "Visiting hours will be closing in 5 minutes."

Haruka sighed and stood up. "Guess that's our cue to go. We'll discuss this tomorrow. Try to get some sleep, Setsuna, and I'll come to pick you up tomorrow morning, okay?"

Michiru squeezed Setsuna's hand, then got up and walked out with Haruka. She shut off the light and quietly closed the door, leaving Setsuna alone in the darkness.

Setsuna rolled over onto her side to try to sleep, but it did not come. Over, and over, Setsuna visualized the attack at Mugen Academy. But she could not decide what was worse: The mysterious entity that tried to kill her, or her abandonment of the tiny, sickly child that she adored. She knew she had no choice. If Hotaru was indeed Sailor Saturn…she would have to kill her. To kill the little girl she loved like a daughter.

The duty of being a Senshi would cause wounds that would not heal.

There was a betrayal here. A deep, unforgivable betrayal.

The question here is…who betrayed who?

Chapter Text

THE PICNIC

“Mamo-chaaaaan!” Usagi began, in a pleading, plaintive tone.

Mamoru twitched in apprehension. “What is it, Usako?”

“I’m so bored of studying all the time. I need a break. I wanna do something different for a change!” Usagi’s lower lip trembled as she hugged Mamoru’s left arm.

“Well, what did you have in mind?”

Usagi stopped to think for a second, but then her eyes grew sad and distant. “I miss Chibiusa. I wish we could do things as a family again, just the three of us.”

Mamoru nodded. “We’ll be able to do that again someday.” He smiled encouragingly. “We’ll just have to be patient.”

Usagi sighed. “What I’d like to do is to go to a lovely park and have lots of delicious food. But…I want it to feel like a family gathering.”

“That sounds good. Shall we go tomorrow? Did you want to invite your friends?” Mamoru picked up his telephone off of his side table and handed it to her.

Usagi nodded and grinned, and began to dial numbers.

“Sorry, Usagi, but I have to sell charms tomorrow. I said I’d do it if Grandpa would stop hitting on people for a month.” 

“I wish I could, Usagi-chan, but I’m planning to be at cram school all day tomorrow. Besides, don’t you think you’re being a little irresponsible?”

“Oh, no, Usagi-chan! I just couldn’t! I have a full day planned tomorrow that is very important!” “She means she’s going to be posing in the mirror all day.” “ARTEMIS!”

“I would love to come, Usagi-chan. But I have a major test for home economics that I have to prepare for. They’re testing us on soufflé! Before you ask, yes, I promise to save some for you to have later.”

Usagi sighed as she hung up the phone. “Well, they’re all busy. I’m trying to think of other people I could call. Naru-chan, Umino and I have kind of drifted apart, so I’d feel awkward inviting them. And if this were a month ago, I could invite Haruka-san and Michiru-san, but now…”

Mamoru looked thoughtful as he stared ahead at his living room wall. As he glimpsed his giant Milky Way galaxy poster, he had an idea.

His eyes still focused on the poster, he said, “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

Usagi looked at the poster, and her jaw dropped. “Setsuna-san! Of course! But do you think she would want to come? She’s so…sophisticated.”

Mamoru smiled. “Why wouldn’t she?”

Usagi cuddled against Mamoru’s arm. “I don’t know. I guess I feel…immature, compared to her.”

“Don’t feel that way. She deeply respects you. Go on, give her a call.” He kissed her forehead reassuringly.

Setsuna was alone in Michiru’s apartment when the phone began to ring. She sighed deeply, as she was used to the calls always being for her roommates and never for her. She wandered over to the closest telephone, which was a gold-plated antique ostentatiously displayed in the centre of the living room.

“Hello?” Setsuna began.

“Setsuna-san!” Usagi squeaked with excitement. “I was hoping to talk to you! Do you have plans tomorrow?”

Startled, Setsuna blinked in surprise. “Tomorrow’s Sunday, right? No, I don’t have plans.” She was expecting to spend another day studying, which was getting monotonous.

 “Great! Listen, can you meet us outside my house at 11 am tomorrow?”

“Us? And what were you planning to do tomorrow?”

“Me and Mamo-chan. We’re going to have a family picnic!”

“F-family? Are you sure you want me along? Wouldn’t you rather—“

“You’re family,” Usagi interrupted. “You’re practically Chibiusa’s auntie, after all! Besides, I see all of my precious friends as family.”

Setsuna was so touched that she was stunned into silence.

“So will you come?” Usagi asked with excitement.

“Yes, I’ll come. What kind of food would you like me to bring along?”

“Oh, don’t worry about that, I’ll handle it. I’ll bring lots of delicious food!”

Setsuna chuckled. “Until tomorrow, then.”

Mamoru interjected briefly. “See you tomorrow, Setsuna-san!”

Usagi miraculously woke up early the next morning to prepare for the picnic, and even more miraculously, successfully prepared an enormous amount of food. She would not admit to anyone that Ikuko Tsukino also “coincidentally” woke up early. 

Usagi dragged her enormous picnic basket out her front door and over to Mamoru’s car. 

“Usako, you’re bringing an awful lot of food for three people,” Mamoru told her with apprehension.

“But I got up early just to prepare all this, Mamo-chan!” Usagi replied with a slight whine.

“Well, I appreciate it. But…I hope it’s going to fit in the trunk.”

Setsuna was highly reluctant to attend such a special occasion in her usual mauve suit. She paced back and forth in her bedroom, trying to come up with a solution.

Michiru tapped on Setsuna’s bedroom door. “You do know I have an entire room of this penthouse just for my clothing, right?”

“Oh, Michiru, I couldn’t. Your clothes must be worth a fortune.”

Michiru waved her hand dismissively. “They’re just clothes. Come on, let’s see what I can find for you.”

Although Setsuna was taller and curvier than Michiru, Michiru successfully found some spare clothing to lend Setsuna for the day. Michiru had found a mulberry coloured blouse that brought out the colour in Setsuna’s eyes, as well as a knee-length black skirt that had swirling silver lines embroidered at the hem. The embroidery on the skirt shimmered in the light. Michiru also lent her some makeup, and applied it carefully, bringing out Setsuna’s best facial features without being too obvious. 

Setsuna looked elegant, and, to her surprise, she finally saw that she was beautiful.

“Now for the acid test,” Michiru said with a wink.

Haruka was absent-mindedly eating a late breakfast when Setsuna came up to her.

“H-how do I look?” she said shyly.

Haruka’s mouth dropped open, and the metal spoon slipped out of her hand and clattered on the kitchen table. 

Michiru tittered. “Looks like you passed the test. No more need to fret. Off you go, now. You look stunning.” Michiru smiled at Setsuna, who blushed.

“Enjoy the picnic,” Haruka said with a mouth full of cereal.

Setsuna briefly clasped the hands of her partners, and with a smile, turned and walked out the door.

Usagi and Mamoru heaved the picnic basket into the trunk, then started pushing in tandem on the trunk door in hopes of shoving the basket inside just by sheer force of will. The latch finally closed just as Setsuna was about to turn the corner onto the street where Usagi lived.

She paused, swallowed deeply, and continued walking.

Usagi was panting from effort when she spotted Setsuna. “Setsuna-san! You came!”

Setsuna laughed brightly. “I said I would.”

“You look…really nice today,” Mamoru said with a smile. “We’re going to be going to a botanical garden tended by a former schoolmate of mine. He’s a specialist on roses, which is why we became friends. Is that all right with you?” Mamoru asked.

Setsuna flushed, and couldn’t meet Mamoru’s eyes. “Thank you. And that sounds lovely.”

Usagi was oblivious to Setsuna’s emotional reaction, but Mamoru raised an eyebrow. 

Usagi then jumped into Mamoru’s car. “Let’s go, let’s go! I want to be a family!”

“We are,” Mamoru assured her, and smiled at her warmly.

The botanical garden was quite possibly the most beautiful place Setsuna had ever been, as its beauty was rivalled only by the Moon Kingdom’s lush flower gardens. There were at least a dozen greenhouses, all containing thousands of plants Setsuna had never seen before. Her eyes shone with excitement as she absorbed as much knowledge as possible.

“This place is amazing, Mamo-chan!” Usagi said with a childish squeal.

“Wait till you see the rose greenhouse!” Mamoru said. “My Sempai is likely to be working there.”

Mamoru’s Sempai, Yoshiki Kurebayashi, was a man in his late 20s, with deeply tanned skin, perpetual five o’clock shadow, a beat-up straw hat, and thick square glasses. But what was most notable about this man was not his looks, but his family.  Yoshiki was surrounded by 6 tiny children, all of whom were hanging off of his limbs and excitedly pressing their mother’s prepared lunch into his hands. “Ooh, did she make croquettes for lunch?” he said with anticipation. “Yes, yes!” his many children said in reply.

“Sempai!” Mamoru called to him.

“Ah, Mamoru-kun! It’s been a while! As you can see I’ve…” He gestured to both his children and the greenhouse. “…been keeping busy.”

Mamoru, Usagi and Setsuna were all blushing as they beheld Yoshiki’s children. “So many children!” Usagi whispered.

Yoshiki overheard. “Yup, and there’s a 7th on the way!” He laughed loudly. “I suppose I should stop having kids, but…”

“But what?” Usagi prompted.

“Well, it’s like my job as a botanist. I enjoy the, uh, fertilization process too much!” Yoshiki laughed loudly again.

Setsuna had to quickly shield her face in her hands due to a combination of deep blushing and wanting to laugh.

Mamoru laughed awkwardly, while Usagi’s face was full of incomprehension. Mamoru decided it was better not to try to explain the pun.

Yoshiki then hugged all 6 children at once. “Now, go take care of your mother!” The children all ran out of the greenhouse, just barely missing an orange-haired woman in a khaki trench coat who was lurking outside.

The quartet wandered around the many greenhouses for at least an hour, with none of them wanting to break away from the flowers even to eat lunch. When they finally set up the picnic blanket and the plates, Setsuna, Mamoru and Yoshiki were trading science questions with each other at a rapid-fire pace. Usagi felt somewhat left out, but she was so happy to see Setsuna enjoying herself, she didn’t mind too much.

Setsuna, however, still felt very awkward. She couldn’t bear it whenever Mamoru’s eyes met hers, and she kept instinctively turning pink and looking away. She did this so often that Mamoru decided that although he loved having intellectual conversations with Setsuna, it was time to change the subject.

“I’m pretty hungry, Usako. What did you pack for us?”

Usagi, finally given an opportunity to talk about something that she was an expert on, excitedly pulled out many boxes of food. She pressed an enormous serving of everything into Mamoru and Setsuna’s hands as Yoshiki took out his wife’s bento lunch.

“How have your studies been going, Usagi-san?” Setsuna asked her, between bites.

Usagi made an uncomfortable face. “Well…about as well as could be expected. On the bright side, though, Ami-chan thinks I’m ALMOST ready to start passing exams!” Usagi then grinned triumphantly.

Setsuna laughed awkwardly, desperately hoping that this was the appropriate reaction. Fortunately, Usagi’s attention was momentarily distracted.

“Mamo-chan! You’re not eating your green peppers!”

Mamoru looked at the peppers like a little boy forced to eat brussels sprouts. “Oh…do I have to?”

“Don’t you looove—“ Usagi began, before Mamoru held up a hand to stop her and began choking down the green peppers. She then turned to Setusna. “You too, Setsuna! They’re good for you! They match your hair!”

Setsuna vastly preferred other kinds of vegetables, but made herself eat the green peppers as well in order to make Usagi happy.

Hidden in a floor of the greenhouse above them, Mimete dubiously examined her intended target, Yoshiki. She didn’t find him remotely attractive, and firmly believed that attractive men were far more likely to have the best quality Pure Hearts. Her gaze then drifted to a laughing Mamoru. “That guy is MUCH better!” she thought with an evil grin.

After lunch, the quartet went inside the greenhouses devoted to Yoshiki’s enormous collection of roses. Quickly, however, they were accosted by Mimete. She held up a pot containing a random plant to Mamoru’s face. “Excuse me, can you tell me what kind of flower this is?”

“Oh, sorry. You should ask the botanist, I’m just a visitor.”

“Oh, me tooooo!” Mimete simpered, as she winked flirtatiously at him. “Would you like to go off alone together and learn about the plants?”

Usagi was thoroughly irked, and possessively stood between Mimete and Mamoru, and stared daggers at Mimete. Setsuna was mortified that Mimete was being so ridiculously forward with Mamoru.

“Sorry, I’m here to spend time with my family,” Mamoru replied as politely as he could.

Mimete stared at Usagi and Setsuna. “Are they your sisters?” she asked with confusion.

“No, they’re my future wife and sister-in-law,” Mamoru said with irritation. He then put his arms around Usagi and Setsuna’s shoulders and led them away.

Usagi was drooling with lovesickness. “Wi-wi-wi-wife? He said future wife!” she said with passion.

“‘Sister-in-law’?” Setsuna asked with confusion.

Mamoru winked at her. “Close enough, isn’t it?” He now expected her to blush again, and smiled ruefully when she did.

Behind them, Mimete was boiling in rage. “How DARE he ignore me! I suppose that tall dark-haired woman is his fiancee. That other one must be the sister-in-law, she’s far too young for him. But never mind all that, I’m far more beautiful than she is! He belongs to ME!” Suddenly, she heard the Professor’s voice in her head.  Yoshiki was the target he had chosen, and he was counting on Mimete to bring a Heart Crystal back to the Death Busters at last. For a few seconds, she grappled with her desire to choose Mamoru as a target with her duty to go with the intended target.

Lurking in her attache case was a yellow rose-themed Daimon called Ubara. Like the others, its function was to suck the victim’s Heart Crystal right out of its mouth, then return to Death Busters HQ. So far, Mimete had failed half a dozen times. She continued to stare at Mamoru and Setsuna in a jealous rage. She then saw a red rose fall out of Mamoru’s pocket. That clinched her decision for her.

Suddenly, however, a hailstorm began rattling on the roof of the greenhouse, making an enormous racket. The hailstones were so large and numerous, they began shattering the roof of the greenhouse. 

“Oh no!” Yoshiki cried. “I have to protect these saplings, I’ve spent a year developing them to be resistant to disease!” He pulled out a pair of ladders stored below the shelves containing the many rose breeds, along with some wooden boards. “Mamoru-kun, can you hammer a board into that broken window panel? I’ll take care of this one.”

As Mamoru set up the ladder, Usagi was kneeling on the floor, cowering with fear at the sound of the thunderclaps. Yoshiki was struggling to hold the board still while hammering it, but Mamoru was having a far more difficult time, since he had had no experience with these kinds of repairs at all. Setsuna silently climbed up the ladder and held the wooden board still while Mamoru hammered a nail into it. She resolutely stared ahead at the board, refusing to be distracted from holding the board steady.

Mimete whipped her magic staff at the ladder, which caused it to fall down. Mamoru and Setsuna came crashing to the floor, with Setsuna landing on top of Mamoru’s body. He groaned, and Setsuna gasped in horror when she saw that his right cheek had been bruised badly. “Mamoru-san! Are you alright? MAMORU-SAN!” she called to him.

He opened his eyes and smiled weakly at her. “I’ll be okay…where’s Usako?”

“I don’t know, let me go look for her—“

“Stay where you are,” Mimete said coldly.

Mamoru and Setsuna looked up in confusion.

“Even now, you would brag about your relationship in front of me? This man’s heart is MINE!” Mimete shrieked.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Setsuna replied.

“I’m talking about THIS! Come out, DAIMON!” She opened up the attache case, and clouds of smoke poured out. A Daimon resembling a giant Yellow Rose then stood up and announced itself.

Setsuna then understood. “Mamoru-san, get up and get out of here. NOW!”

Mamoru struggled to his feet. “I don’t run away from battles, you know that.”

“But—“ Setsuna began.

“Find Usako, okay? I’ll be fine.”

Setsuna sat up and frantically looked around for Usagi. Behind her, she heard the sounds of the Yellow Rose Daimon pursuing Mamoru. He was fast at dodging the Daimon’s attacks, but not fast enough. Ubara grabbed Mamoru by the collar. “I’m going to steal this handsome man’s heart!” she cackled triumphantly. She began to suck out Mamoru’s Heart Crystal.

Setsuna was revolted and horrified when she saw Mamoru collapse, but finally spotted Usagi hiding in a corner, still shaking with fear. “Usagi-san!” She hugged her future Queen tightly. “Listen, you need to be brave. Mamoru-san has been hurt and you’re the only one who can heal him.” Usagi whimpered slightly, but looked Setsuna in the eyes and nodded.

“MOON COSMIC POWER, MAKE UP!”

“PLUTO PLANET POWER, MAKE UP!”

The smoke and lights cleared, and Sailors Moon and Pluto stood side by side, directly challenging Mimete and Ubara.

“Like the beautiful trillium, if a man like that is plucked away, you won’t find another one like him for a generation! How dare you refuse to take care of our planet! I’m the Agent of Love and Justice, the Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I’ll punish you!”

“A true lover of flowers could never try to destroy a source of their beauty. You should know better than that! I am the Soldier of Revolution, Sailor Pluto! In the name of Pluto, your time is up!”

Mimete growled in frustration. “Kill them, Ubara!” Ubara lifted up her arms and fired four steel-tipped yellow roses at Moon and Pluto. Pluto whipped the roses away with her Garnet Rod. “Tsk,” she said. “If Tuxedo Mask were here he’d be very bothered by your copycat tactics.”

Ubara became enraged, and began hurling one plant-based attack at the Senshi after another. Pluto was much better at dodging attacks than Sailor Moon was. Unbeknownst to the others, Uranus and Neptune were lurking nearby, concealed by the thunderstorm-created darkness.

“Should we intervene?” Neptune asked.

“It seems that Setsuna and Odango are handling things just fine to me,” Uranus answered.

“Let’s continue to watch over them then,” Neptune said.

Ubara finally caught Sailor Moon with an attack, and began crushing her with thorny vines. Sailor Moon cried in pain, as the semi-conscious Mamoru tried desperately to move to save her. 

“Dead Scream!” Pluto cried, aiming her attack directly at Ubara’s arms. The thorny vines ripped apart, leaving Ubala without any arms at all. Suddenly, thick tendrils of roots spurted out from the holes where the thorny vines were, and, smiling deviously, Ubara thrust the vines below her.

“What is she doing?” Sailor Moon asked.

Pluto, however, knew that the roots would be coming from underground, and looked for a place to escape to higher ground. Nearby was a shelf intended for plant saplings. She pointed to it. “Jump onto that top shelf, Sailor Moon!” She instructed. Moon was confused, but she followed the instructions as the pair jumped away from the floor.

Ubara’s roots burst out of the ground, but she noticed with horror that not only had Sailor Pluto anticipated her attack, she was now literally rooted to the floor. Mimete shrieked indignantly. “How could you let yourself be tricked like that?!”

Pluto smirked at Ubara and Mimete as they raged. “See what a little appreciation of science gets you?” She turned to Sailor Moon with a smile. “I think they deserve a little extra punishment for attacking Mamoru-san, don’t you?”

“I agree! CRISIS, MAKE UP!” Sailor Moon was filled with the energy from the Holy Grail as the rainbow butterflies transformed her uniform once more.

The Spiral Heart Moon Rod then appeared in Sailor Moon’s hand as the Garnet Orb began to glow.

Together, Sailor Moon and Pluto charged up their attacks. In unison, they cried, “RAINBOW MOON DEAD SCREAM!” Their attacks fused, with the rainbow ribbon of light containing many tiny magenta planets whirling through it. Ubara, still rooted to the ground, was obliterated, leaving a potted yellow rose, Mamoru’s Heart Crystal and a broken egg in its wake.

Mamoru weakly smiled and whispered, “I never doubted them for a minute.”

Mimete growled in frustration. “You Sailor Senshi ruin everything!” She then ran off before Moon and Pluto could react.

“Usagi-san,” Pluto said calmly. “Mamoru’s heart is yours. You should be the one to return it.”

Sailor Moon nodded as she frantically carried Mamoru’s Heart Crystal to him. They held hands as the Heart Crystal faded back inside Mamoru’s chest. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, proud of her and happy to be alive.

Pluto jumped down from the shelf as her transformation faded. She smiled at Sailor Moon and Mamoru, and was happy for them. Tears crystallized in her eyes.

Mamoru’s gaze turned to Setsuna as he continued to hold Usagi.

In some other lifetime, I could have loved you, he thought as he looked at her. I hope that someday you find someone who will see what I see.

Setsuna knew, however, that there would only ever be one man in her heart, and she was fine with loving him from afar.

Chapter Text

A MEETING OF MESSIAHS

“Usagi-chan, you know Rei-chan is going to be annoyed with you if you dawdle after school,” Ami lectured.

“I know, I know. But Papa gave me my allowance today and I am determined to spend it!” Usagi said with enthusiasm.

Makoto sighed. “You don’t want to save a little bit of it for later? Goodness knows I’m always regretting buying this or that. I feel guilty tapping into my parents’ savings.”

Usagi regarded Makoto sadly. “I’m sorry, Mako-chan. I keep forgetting how good I have it. Listen, I’ll just buy one little itty bitty thing, we’ll skip visiting Crown, and then we’ll go straight to Rei-chan’s. Okay?”

Mako and Ami laughed affectionately as they followed Usagi into her favourite store. Every single shelf was practically exploding with plush toys, clothing, decorations, tools, and school supplies, all bearing various cutesy designs. Most of the products were intended for children, but Usagi never let a silly thing like target demographics thwart her.

As Usagi went bounding down the aisles while excitedly giggling, Ami noticed the cashier had a grey pallor and kept shifting her eyes nervously towards the back of the store where Usagi was browsing. Ami walked over to her. “Is something the matter, ma’am?”

“Oh…no,” the cashier said hesitantly. “Just…” Whatever was scaring the cashier, she was reluctant to say.

“I might be able to help you,” Ami said sweetly.

Bolstered by Ami’s kindness, the cashier took a deep gulp and looked around her to check that no one was listening. Shielding her mouth with her hand, the cashier began to explain in a low voice, “See, there’s this regular customer. She’s sickly and she’s very strange. She creeps me out.”

“What’s the matter with her?”

“She’s cold. And she’s mean. She comes in, she makes a huge mess, and she destroys a whole bunch of toys. She’s like some kind of demon.”

“Why don’t you ban her from the store then?”

The cashier’s expression became pained. “I’m not allowed to. See, her family is rich. Very rich. And her dad pays for everything that she destroys, no questions asked. He even adds in a bonus for us putting up with her.”

Ami tapped her finger on the cashier’s counter thoughtfully. “Sounds to me like she’s spoiled.”

“It’s…a lot worse than that,” the cashier choked out.

“Ami-chan? Can you come over here?” Mako’s voice echoed from the back of the store.

“I’ll be right back,” Ami said as she bowed to the cashier. As she walked down an aisle, she was disturbed to see that many of the shelves were in complete disarray, getting more and more messy as she got closer to the rear of the store.

Mako’s face was set in a wary glare, her green eyes steely as she regarded the enormous mess in front of her. There were multiple plush dolls tossed into a pile, many of them torn in half, their cotton stuffing littering the floor. Sitting in the centre of the pile was a tiny girl with black hair, who was muttering unintelligible things to herself. Her skin was as pale as a ghost, her figure gaunt, and her eyes were empty.

She picked up a plush pink cat, and hugged it for a few silent seconds. Then, without warning, she screamed in rage and began to twist the cat’s head off. She then picked up a plastic toy ladybug and began to slowly tear off its legs, one by one. 

“Hey, stop that!” Mako yelled in alarm.

Hotaru suddenly stopped, her head jerking up unnaturally to meet Mako’s eyes. Hotaru’s eyes were sunken, and had a malevolent golden tinge to them that made both Mako and Ami’s blood run cold.

“These toys don’t belong to you. You can’t do that,” Mako said, her voice wavering from unsettlement.

“I have to destroy those that don’t love me enough,” Hotaru snarled.

“How can they love you if you destroy them?” Ami asked, as she grabbed Mako’s arm for emotional support.

“The toys don’t talk to me. They ignore me. I hate them for not talking to me. I hate them for going away. I’ll hurt those who hurt me. Who don’t love me enough,” Hotaru droned.

What is wrong with this child? Ami wondered.

“We need to get out of here,” Mako whispered to Ami. They prepared to back away.

“What’s up?” Usagi said loudly behind them, making both Ami and Mako cry out in surprise.

“Oh, uh, nothing, Usagi-chan,” Ami said with an unconvincing laugh.

The girl in the centre of the pile was alerted then to Usagi’s presence, and turned her head to view her with hatred. Something about Usagi was repelling the worst of Hotaru’s dark side.

Usagi unexpectedly perked up at that moment. “We’ve met before, haven’t we? I recognize you from the summer festival!” Her cheerfulness clashed uncomfortably with the tension that Mako and Ami felt.

Hotaru’s mind flashed back to the summer festival, where she was given a free try at the goldfish catching game. But it was a happy memory with Setsuna, so she quashed the memory as best as she could. “Yes, I remember you as well. Go away,” she said flatly.

Usagi finally noticed the mess that Hotaru had made. Her cheerfulness faded into worry. “What have you done to all of those toys?” she asked with a slight whimper.

Hotaru regarded the destroyed toys expressionlessly. “They weren’t good enough. They couldn’t love me enough.” Her voice became otherworldly and hollow. “They had to die for that. Die painfully.”

Mako and Ami were reflexively backing away, gripping their Star Wands in their pockets.

Usagi, though, bent down on her knees so that she could talk to Hotaru at the same level. “Don’t think like that. They will give you all the love that you give them in return. You have to give your plush friends a chance!”

“A chance?” Hotaru repeated. “And what if they waste that chance? What if they let me down again? And again? And again? AND AGAIN?!” she shrieked.

“That’s just one of the risks you’ll have to take with friendship,” Usagi said softly. “But it’s worth it when you can find someone you really trust.”

“Someone you really trust,” Hotaru murmured. She unexpectedly lowered her guard.

Usagi spotted an intact pink backpack with a bunny doll sewn into it and picked it up. “Take this friend for example. The bunny will always be with you, she’ll shoulder your burdens, she’ll hug you close. That’s a friend worth keeping, don’t you think?” She handed it to Hotaru.

“I can’t believe she’s doing this,” Ami said under her breath to Makoto.

“That’s Usagi-chan for you,” Mako said with a nervous laugh.

Hotaru regarded the bunny backpack seriously as she slowly stood up, her legs wobbling from weakness. Usagi stood up as well, smiling at Hotaru.

“I don’t like to see anybody feeling lonely,” she said to Hotaru. “So think of this bunny as your friend. I’ll be your friend too.”

At that, Hotaru’s face fell into shock, and the warmth gradually returned to her eyes. “You mean that?” her voice was now full of emotion. “Truly? I’ve been left alone so many times…” Tears began to stream down her cheeks. “I sometimes think I can’t bear it anymore…”

“Can you remind me what your name is?” Usagi asked sweetly.

“Hotaru Tomoe,” Hotaru answered softly.

“Are you the daughter of Professor Soichi Tomoe?” Ami asked in shock.

Hotaru flinched and lapsed into her dark side. She looked behind Usagi to regard Ami with suspicion. “You know of my father?”

“…Y-yes. I’ve read his academic papers on his genetic engineering.” Ami answered.

Hotaru nodded, and calmed down once she recognized that the girls knew nothing of the Death Busters. “What are your names?” she asked them.

“I’m Makoto Kino, she’s Ami Mizuno, and this,” she gestured to Usagi, “Is Usagi Tsukino. We’re… pleased to meet you.”

“Usagi…” Hotaru repeated. She held up the bunny backpack. “Like this backpack.”

Usagi giggled then. “Yup!”

“Then I shall have to name this backpack ‘Usagi-chan.’”

“Thank you!” Usagi said with a grateful smile.

Usagi’s warm smile at Hotaru made her transition to her true self again. The shock of her wild personality changes drained her remaining strength. Hotaru’s wide violet eyes widened as her legs gave out and she began to fall headfirst. Ami and Makoto involuntarily stepped forward.

“Hotaru-chan!” Usagi called out in shock as she tumbled forward, with her arms outstretched to catch Hotaru. Hotaru felt dangerously light and vulnerable. As Hotaru tried to regain balance, her hand accidentally rested on Usagi’s Cosmic Heart Brooch. It reacted to Hotaru’s touch, and began to glow softly. The energy from that brief touch sent a jolt through Hotaru’s veins, temporarily strengthening her body and bathing her in a soft pink light.

“Oh crap,” Makoto said under her breath.

Hotaru stood on firm ground again, the strength to her legs temporarily restored. Her face became expressionless as the emotion drained from her eyes. “You…” she began.

Usagi began stammering, not knowing how to explain what had just happened.

“A Pure…Heart.” Hotaru said flatly.

“Eh?” Usagi said, caught by surprise.

Hotaru then went walking purposefully to the front of the store. She turned to look up at the cashier. “I will be taking this backpack. You may send the bill for the other toys to my father, Professor Soichi Tomoe. He will cover all expenses,” she told the cashier coldly.

She turned behind her to look at Usagi, Makoto and Ami. “I hope I will see you again soon, Usagi Tsukino.”

Usagi began laughing to try to disguise her confusion. “Of course! Any time!”

Hotaru then turned and walked out of the store. The cashier let out an explosive breath. “Thank goodness. I thought she would never leave. I’ll probably get fired for telling you about her,” she said morosely.

“I think we should leave as well,” Ami said softly.

“I agree.” Makoto replied.

“Oh! Wait! Nearly forgot!” Usagi then rummaged inside her pockets. She walked over to the cashier. “I’d like to take this Pink Froggy plush, please!”

“Eh? …Sure. That’ll be 500 yen.” Usagi handed her the bill, then skipped out of the store excitedly.

Ami and Makoto bowed to the cashier, then followed Usagi outside.

“What do you make of what just happened?” Mako asked Ami quietly.

“I think our Princess is a tad too trusting, personally,” Ami said seriously. “We need to talk to Mamoru-san, Rei-chan and Minako-chan, and keep an eye on this Hotaru Tomoe. She may be just a child, but there’s something seriously wrong.”

Mako nodded.

“In the meantime, I think I’ll do a little research on Professor Tomoe. And maybe check my medical textbooks for possible diagnoses for Hotaru’s symptoms.”

Makoto laughed nervously. “Sure. You…you do that.”

As they continued to walk towards the Hikawa Shrine, they passed by a flyer posted on a billboard for a special show at the Planetarium.

Chapter Text

QUE SERA SERA

“And she befriended her, just like that?!” Minako asked incredulously.

“Yup,” Mako said with a sigh. “Ami-chan and I were expecting to have to defend ourselves from her, she was so creepy.”

“She wasn’t just creepy,” Ami said grimly. “She was unstable. It was almost like she was changing personalities from one moment to the next. And at least one of those personalities has violent tendencies. We both felt a malevolent energy emanating from her.”

“I see,” Minako replied. The four girls stared unseeingly at their notebooks, each lost in thought about how to protect Usagi best. They were at Hikawa Shrine for another study session, and had taken the opportunity to discuss the situation with Hotaru while Usagi was running late (as usual).

“Just out of curiosity,” Rei began, “What did she look like?”

“Tiny and frail, her skin white as a sheet. And she had short black hair and wide purple eyes,” Makoto answered.

Rei’s vision suddenly clouded with the image of the Messiah in her nightmares. A child who was forced to be a killer.

“Poor little girl,” Rei said softly, as she shivered.

Minako looked up to study Rei carefully. “What do you mean? Aren’t you worried about Usagi-chan?”

“Of course I am!” Rei spat out indignantly. “I just…know that whatever is wrong with Hotaru Tomoe, she can’t help it.”

“How can you be so sure?” Mako asked.

“I just have this feeling that there’s much more going on than we can even begin to know,” Rei murmured mysteriously.

“I agree with you, Rei-chan,” Mako said. “From the things she said, I got the feeling that she’d been…neglected. That she felt unloved, unwanted.” Her eyelids lowered. “If you can’t get away from that kind of situation, it eats you up inside. She might be dangerous, but I empathize with her.”

Ami put her hand on Mako’s arm. “Do you mean to say that you sometimes feel like she does?”

“Oh no, not anymore. But I did a few years ago, just after my parents passed. I was sent to live with my uncle, who was much older than my mother and not at all prepared to take in a child. I’d lost the two most important people in the world to me, and he wasn’t interested in trying to be a parent. He said I cried too much.”

“That’s disgusting!” Minako said with outrage.

“It got worse. He said that if I was going to live with him, I should earn my keep by cooking and cleaning for him. As it turned out, I happened to love cooking and cleaning, but I hated how cold he was to me. And he hated that I wasn’t growing into the ideal young woman. The criticisms about my crying turned into criticisms about how I wasn’t feminine enough.” Mako sighed deeply, then continued. 

“After I was expelled from the second school, he kicked me out. And I was glad to leave…I probably would have moved out on my own anyway. I moved to Juuban, and have lived on my own ever since. I don’t know what I would have done without my parents’ inheritance. But while I lived with my uncle, I absolutely hated myself. Even more than I hated him, because I reasoned that it was my fault. I still struggle with self-esteem now, as you all know. That’s probably why I got into so many fights. I was so angry, so lonely, so traumatized.”

The other three girls got up from their cushions and silently hugged Makoto tightly. They stayed there for a few emotional minutes, then gradually broke apart.

“Well then,” Ami said as she brushed away the tears in her eyes. “Maybe Usagi-chan has the right idea by reaching out to that child.”

“I don’t know,” Minako said doubtfully. “I still feel uneasy. And I’m annoyed with her for knowingly putting herself in danger like that.”

“All we can do is protect the Princess, as we’ve always done,” Mako replied, “But hopefully in a way that doesn’t hurt a child. I’m not willing to do that.”

“What will you do if we have no choice but to attack her?” Rei asked.

“Then we’ll attack, but only in self-defence. As reluctant as I am to do so, Usagi-chan comes first. We’ll know what to do when the time comes. Whatever will be, will be.” Mako then moved to close her notebook. “I don’t think Usagi-chan is going to show up, and we’re not really concentrating anyway. Let’s call it a night.”

Ami blurted out a note of protest, but decided not to press the issue when she saw Minako and Rei also moving to put away their school supplies. Then suddenly Rei froze, with a look of unseeing terror in her eyes.

“Is something the matter, Rei-chan?” Ami asked.

“N-no. Nothing. Don’t worry about me.” Rei laughed unconvincingly.

Ami frowned. She concluded that there was something wrong, but whatever it was, Rei wasn’t ready to talk about it yet. She’d meet privately with her another time.

Rei, on the other hand, was ready to talk about her apocalyptic premonitions, but not to her friends. She waved goodbye to them as they left the study room, then moved to grab her shoes from her bedroom. She hurriedly shoved her shoes on as she ran off to get some answers from the only person she knew who could give them.

“What are you working on?” Michiru asked interestedly as she peered over Setsuna’s shoulder to see the large number of flyers and pamphlets spread across her desk.

“A mandatory part of my astrophysics program is to spend a set number of hours volunteering at a facility that is staffed by professional astrophysicists. I’ve just been mulling my options here. I’m trying to decide between working at the Observatory under Dr. Kakeru Ozora or helping to organize a children’s show at the Planetarium which is narrated by an American DJ.”

“You’re good with kids, why don’t you go for the Planetarium job?” Michiru squeezed Setsuna’s shoulder affectionately.

Setsuna flushed. “That’s actually what I was thinking. Anyway, my professors seem to think Dr. Ozora’s a bit strange, and I’ve got enough strangeness in my life as it is.” She laughed awkwardly.

“Tsk, they really shouldn’t be disparaging one of their colleagues in front of their students,” Michiru said with disapproval. “Very unprofessional.”

“I thought the same thing, actually,” Setsuna said with a frown.

“Anyway, I’ll let you get back to your work. Sorry for interrupting, I was just fascinated by all of that paperwork,” Michiru said.

“I don’t mind at all,” Setsuna replied. “Come in for a chat anytime.”

The doorbell for Michiru’s apartment then rang. “Wonder who that is?” Michiru mused aloud. “I’ll get it!” she called out to Haruka, who was once again watching television in the living room.

“Thanks!” Haruka called back with a lazy yawn.

Michiru rolled her eyes as she opened the door, and to her surprise stood a very agitated Rei Hino. “May I speak to Setsuna-san, please?”

Michiru opened the door wider to allow Rei to come in. “Setsuna! A visitor for you!”

Blinking her eyes in surprise, Setsuna laid down the Planetarium flyer to greet the visitor.

She was both surprised and not surprised at all to see that it was Rei. “Come into my bedroom, Rei-san. Let’s talk privately,” she said seriously.

Setsuna carefully closed the bedroom door as Rei stepped in. Rei asked quietly, “You know why I’m here, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Setsuna answered. “But I would like to hear it in your own words. Just to be sure.”

“You know that I have premonitions. Vague, hazy visions of the future. I’m almost never wrong. I can almost always figure out what the message is. But not this time. For months now, I’ve had a terrifying recurring nightmare of the world ending. I haven’t told the others because I don’t want to frighten them needlessly.” Rei blinked tears out of her eyes.

Setsuna nodded sadly. “That was what I expected. You would like me to explain these dreams to you, I assume?”

Rei nodded.

“It’s my fault you have them, I’m very sorry. Your psychic ability is so strong, you picked up on a vision of the future I witnessed back when I was at the Space-Time Door. Unless things change, the vision will come true. We will all die, and the world will be covered in Silence.” Setsuna closed her eyes and involuntarily hugged herself.

“They’ve been getting more vivid and more frequent recently,” Rei said. “I’m used to divination giving me symbolic predictions, but never like this before. Who is that woman-child who appears before me? Why does she attack me? And how could someone who slaughters possibly be a ‘Messiah’?”

“I think Haruka explained to you about the two Messiahs, right? The figure in your dreams is the Messiah of Silence. Should she awaken and become powerful enough, she will be the harbinger of…something that will turn the Earth into a silent husk of death. On the other hand, the Legendary Messiah is the true wielder of the Holy Grail, and the one who will prevent the Silence. As for who the Messiah of Silence is, I’m not sure, but the three of us have some idea.”

“Oh? Will you tell me? I think I deserve to know,” Rei said firmly.

“Yes, of course you do. We believe the Messiah of Silence to be Sailor Saturn, the last Sailor Senshi yet to be awakened in this era. Unlike the rest of us, who exist to protect and defend, she exists only to destroy. Her power is enough to destroy an entire planet, and she controls the power of Death.”

Rei gasped. “Why would a Sailor Senshi have powers like that?”

“I’m yet to understand it myself. But it seems that even for us, when we have passed the point of no return, she is there to bring an end to everything. A last resort. But there are mysteries I still struggle with. First, if she is a Sailor Senshi, why is she on the ‘side’ that will bring about the Silence? And second, because I know so little about her powers, I have been trying to find a possible reason for them to exist. I refuse to believe that a Senshi could be entirely evil and destructive.” Setsuna folded her hands thoughtfully.

“It doesn’t sound right to me, either,” Rei replied. “I guess I can keep doing fire divination to seek some answers, as I have been doing all along. Thank you for telling me. At least now I know what we’re up against.”

“You understand though, Rei-san, that you can’t keep it a secret from the others for much longer?” Setsuna regarded Rei seriously.

“I do. But I don’t even know where to begin to explain all of this,” Rei shuddered. “I don’t like not feeling 100% confident. I don’t like that time is running out.”

Setsuna pondered for a few seconds, then said, “Do you think you could convince the others to meet me at the Planetarium next week? I will be volunteering there to organize an informative show for children, but I have this strong premonition that something significant will happen that day. I think that day should be the day that I help you to explain your nightmares to the others.”

Rei nodded. “That shouldn’t be a problem. I guess I should get going now.” She prepared to leave, then stopped suddenly.

“What is it?” Setsuna asked.

“May I ask you a personal question? I don’t want to seem impertinent, but…”

“Go ahead.”

“Shouldn’t you know exactly what’s going to happen?” Rei asked. “You see the past, present and future, and you have powers over them, and yet you have such uncertainty. It’s very different from how you were back when we met at the Space-Time Door.”

Setsuna chuckled. “That’s quite true, the situation is very different from how it was in your past. I don’t know what is going to happen because this time, I’m part of the battle. I observed the battle of the Black Moon from the Door, willing myself not to become involved. Each time we use Time Travel, the original timeline splits off into a new one, and the situation changes. Because the Death Phantom was defeated in the past using two different Silver Crystals, Small Lady unintentionally created a new future where Crystal Tokyo was never destroyed in the first place. It was actually quite fascinating to see the timeline change like that.”

“So your presence in this present created another new future?”

Setsuna nodded. “And I don’t know where exactly it’s all going, or how it’s all going to end. I don’t have the power to cause events, nor do I have the power to prevent them.  I think much of what has happened and will happen will remain unchanged; perhaps some events were always meant to occur in a certain sequence, and a certain way. I am still not used to being a part of history as opposed to merely observing it.”

Rei sighed. “So then you can’t ensure that the world won’t be destroyed?”

“I’ll do the best that I can to protect the Earth, just like you and everyone else will. But whatever will be, will be. See you next week.”

Rei nodded and exited the apartment without another word.

Setsuna then turned to her desk. “I guess I’d better get to work,” she said to herself. “At that Planetarium awaits my academic future…and a Turning Point awaits us all.”

Chapter Text

THE AWAKENING

“Mimete.” Professor Tomoe’s deep voice was very low and quiet. He was standing behind her messy office desk, his glasses reflecting the dim light of her television.

“Y-y-yes, Professor?” Mimete squeaked in reply, quivering with terror.

“It seems that yesterday, you were touching things that don’t belong to you.”

Eternally impulsive and foolish, Mimete stammered out a lie. “I don’t know what you mean, Professor!”

“I couldn’t get back into my house yesterday after you begged me to get snacks for the office. Do you know why I couldn’t get back inside, Mimete?”

Mimete’s round glasses slipped off her nose from her shaking. “No, Professor.”

An edge of menace began to creep into his measured tone. “You overloaded my machines, Mimete. We found the blackened remains of playing card sets and board games. I merge my Daimon Eggs with only one item for a reason, Mimete. The machines created a dimension of warped space that enveloped the entirety of my home. The Daimon was powerful, which I’m sure is what you thought you were trying to create, but it was unstable. You little fool. You presumptuous little fool.”

She backed away slowly from Professor Tomoe, her chair squeaking on the concrete floor.

“Can you teleport, Mimete?” Tomoe asked her sardonically.

“No, Professor,” she whimpered.

“Neither can I. Neither can your colleagues. I had two choices. I could call the Sailor Senshi for help and risk raising their suspicion, or…”

A tall woman clad in a long black dress stepped out of the shadows.

Kaolinite walked over to Mimete’s desk, glaring imperiously down at her. “He had to call on me.”

“She wasn’t supposed to return to us this soon. In the end, she had to kill the Daimon herself.”

“And do you know who I found trapped inside the pocket dimension?” Kaolinite asked Mimete, her eyes glittering with a malicious smirk.

“N-n-no one was supposed to be inside…” Mimete replied, her voice now so timid it was practically a whisper.

Professor Tomoe screamed in rage, and pushed all of Mimete’s things off her table. The television smashed loudly, crackling with the exposed electricity. “HOTARU WAS IN THERE, YOU IDIOT!” he screamed. “SHE WAS INSIDE, AND YOU VERY NEARLY KILLED HER. YOU VERY NEARLY DESTROYED EVERYTHING FOR US!”

Mimete fell off her chair and hid under her desk. “Please don’t kill me, Professor! I’m sorry! I didn’t know! I didn’t know!” She began to wail as she clung to the table’s legs.

“We’ll decide on your fate later,” Kaolinite replied, her voice smooth. “For now,” she produced a suitcase emblazoned with the Death Busters’ logo, “Take this and go find another target. And God help you if you come back here empty handed.”

“Why are you here?” the white cat asked worriedly.

Setsuna was carrying a large stack of papers: the script for the narrator for that evening’s presentation at the planetarium. She jerked with surprise, and only barely caught the script in time. “I’m-I’m sorry?” she stuttered.

Artemis stared at Setsuna and sat up straight. “I’ll ask again. Why are you here?”

“I don’t understand,” she replied softly, unbalanced by the sudden appearance of Minako’s partner.

“You are not supposed to be in the 20th Century. You’re supposed to be standing at the Space-Time Door. You’re supposed to be the solitary guardian that we are forbidden to even know about. Yet…here you are. I must know why, because I know this means something is wrong.” Artemis’ large blue eyes were direct and penetrating with concern.

Setsuna paused. It was clear that Artemis would not be satisfied with anything but the entire truth. “Meet me in the staff room in 5 minutes. The children will be pouring in soon and we’ll need privacy, plus I need to drop off this script. Would that be acceptable?”

Artemis nodded, and quietly walked away.

Setsuna began to sweat from the stress and pressure, but she shook her head and willed herself to function. She sprinted down the hallway towards the main room of the planetarium, where the narrator, an American DJ named Thomas Harris, was waiting.

“Here’s your script, Harris-san!” she called, panting from the effort of running down the aisle stairs.

Harris was a gregarious person, and he patted Setsuna on the shoulder. “Is everything okay?” he asked her, with a worried expression.

Setsuna forced herself to laugh. “I’m fine, thank you!”

“Okay. Go ahead and take a break, you’ve worked so hard on this presentation. I really appreciate everything the interns have done to make this event a success.” Harris smiled at her, and began making a ‘shoo’ gesture with his hands.

Setsuna nodded and bowed, and skipped off towards the staff room. Artemis was already there, as she expected, and sitting on a coffee table while still staring at her. She found his demeanour to be distressing.

“I’m afraid I won’t be telling you anything until you’re calmer,” she said firmly as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

“I assure you that my manner is only because this appears to be a very serious situation. You need to tell us why you’re here. How were you even able to leave the Space-Time Door?”

“The Queen has given me a mission,” Setsuna replied curtly.

“The Queen? So you’ve travelled back in time from Crystal Tokyo?” Artemis raised his eyebrows.

“No. Our Queen. Our…past…Queen.” Talking about Queen Serenity was painful for her, as she had trouble not visualizing the violence of the Moon Kingdom battle.

“How is that possible? She’s dead!”

“Not in a place where Time doesn’t move.” Setsuna looked at Artemis calmly, her maroon eyes piercing.

Artemis frowned and raised a paw to his cheek thoughtfully. “You know, if you’d described that kind of abstract concept to Mina, she wouldn’t understand at all. But I feel better knowing that you’re here on the Queen’s orders.” He smiled at her, and relaxed. “Can you tell me what she asked you to do?”

Choosing her words carefully, she replied, “I’m here to try to prevent the end of the world. This enemy, the Death Busters, comes from outside our Solar System. That is why Uranus, Neptune and I have to prevent it. Destroying outsiders is what we were born for. But I’ve seen what will happen if we fail. The destruction of the Earth would be catastrophic.”

“Can you tell me more?”

Setsuna shook her head. “What I’ve seen is visually abstract and in constant flux. I know what can happen. But not what will happen.”

“What must you do to prevent this armageddon?”

She hesitated. Talking to someone besides Haruka and Michiru about potentially sacrificing Hotaru was more than she could bear. “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,” she said mysteriously.
 
“Or the one?” Artemis raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Setsuna flushed as Artemis winked.

“I live with Mina the Aspiring Idol, Sailor Pluto. At any rate,” he jumped down from the table, “I trust you…as long as you fill in the others truthfully. Which I’m sure you will.” He smiled and quietly scampered away as Setsuna watched after him.

Hotaru’s breathing was ragged. She assumed she’d gone to school that day, but couldn’t remember a single moment of it. Her face was dark with pain as she staggered down the streets of Juuban. She had no idea where she was going.

Lately Hotaru had felt two polar opposite compulsions directing all of her actions. In her lucid moments, she felt like there were three sides to her soul - the good, the neutral, and the evil. One side loathed the weakness of her body and longed to hurt others in order to reduce the constant pain. One side wanted to just be left alone with her books and her lamps, and was not afraid to resort to questionable tactics in order to regain her solitude. And the final side was terrified of her own violence, endlessly trying to think of ways to stop herself from hurting people. She didn’t know which side she really was, and she was completely subject to their respective whims. It was particularly hard telling the difference between the “evil” and “neutral” sides of herself, as both seemed intrinsically linked with the will to destroy…but for different reasons that she could not grasp.

But today, the foreign parts of her soul were both leading her towards the same place. Her footsteps were automatic. Her eyes were blank with exhaustion and pain.

This is where they are going to be, her mind whispered.

They? her mind replied.

Just a little farther.

To who?

You’ll see.

With enormous effort, Hotaru automatically pulled the heavy doors of the Planetarium open, and silently slipped inside.

Usagi was happily enjoying the planetarium’s presentation when she felt a prickle on the back of her neck. She turned around and her eyes met Setsuna’s, who was standing in the hallway at the back of the planetarium. Usagi signalled to the others that it was time to start the meeting.

They were in one of the observation rooms, surrounded by plaques and dioramas of various astronomical wonders. It was suitably very quiet there, as everyone else was involved with Thomas Harris’ production. The five Senshi smiled at Setsuna, who bowed to them and greeted them warmly.

“Did Rei-san tell you what we will be talking about today?” Setsuna began.

“Not exactly,” Usagi said with a grimace at Rei. “Just that you had information about the enemy.”

Setsuna nodded. “She has been having premonitory dreams about the enemy’s ambition. Dreams that I, Haruka, and Michiru have also had. These dreams were part of our mission to defend the Solar System from outside invaders, but since fate has decided to include your group as well, I see no reason not to tell you what is going to happen unless the three of us prevent it.”

The five women looked at Setsuna nervously, Rei most nervously of all.

Setsuna produced the Garnet Rod from her heart, and watched as the light of the Garnet Orb began to pulse with an ethereal echoing sound. She lowered it over to them. “Please place your hearts inside the light of my Garnet Orb, and I will reveal as much as I can.”

The Inner Senshi closed their eyes with concentration as they all began to see the same images present in Setsuna’s nightmares.

“The…the city…” Makoto cried as she saw the petrified and destroyed buildings, and the broken ground.

“This is…” Ami began, unable to continue her thought as she witnessed the destruction of the Silence.

Usagi let out an involuntary gasp of horror when she saw herself and her friends, petrified like the destroyed buildings.

“This is what you have been seeing, Rei-chan? Over and over again?” Minako said with barely suppressed terror as the Senshi’s bodies crumbled into dust.

“Over and over again,” Rei confirmed with a whisper.

They all cried out in shock as the mysterious shrouded figure leapt off of her pedestal and slaughtered Rei with her curved scythe.

Almost automatically, Makoto wrapped her arms around Rei to support and comfort her.

“This violence is the Silence,” Setsuna explained. “This is what the enemy wants to do. To use the energy of the Earth, and reduce us to a barren shell in the end.” She crossed her arms to steady herself, and to stop herself from shivering. “If the enemy should obtain the Holy Grail, and if the Messiah of Silence should awaken…it is the end of us all.”

“What can we do?” Usagi protested.

“This is not your battle. This is Uranus’, Neptune’s & my responsibility. The three of us were reborn in the 20th Century in order to defeat this enemy and save the earth. This enemy we now know is called the Death Busters.”

“The Death Busters?” the five replied in confusion.

“Usagi-san, I believe that the Holy Grail is safe in your care. Please do not ever let the enemy have it, under any circumstances. Promise me, please?”

Usagi hesitated, but nodded.

A bead of sweat trickled down Setsuna’s cheek. “And promise me…that you will not hate us when you find out what it is that we must do?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, almost afraid of the answer.

“We know who The Messiah of Silence is…she is the last of the Sailor Senshi. The forbidden one who should not ever awaken. The Senshi of Destruction…Sailor Saturn.” Setsuna’s eyes couldn’t meet Usagi’s after saying this.

“But if she’s a Sailor Senshi, isn’t she the same as us? Can’t we fight together?” Ami interjected.

“I wish it could be so, but her only power is to reduce everything to nothing. To restart human civilization as we know it. It was she who destroyed the Moon Kingdom in the end, and history will repeat itself unless her awakening is prevented. There is no victory in battle if Sailor Saturn is involved. She will have to die…or we all will.”

“There has to be another way!” Usagi shouted.

“There isn’t,” Setsuna replied curtly. “She has already begun to hurt people. Time is running out for all of us. The three of us have to kill her whether we want to or not, and no amount of protesting can ever change that.” With the shared vision of the nightmare now complete, the Garnet Rod quietly disappeared into silver sparkles.

“The Senshi of Destruction…” Rei repeated. “Is she the woman with the Scythe?” she asked Setsuna.

Setsuna closed her eyes and nodded. “It is the Silence Glaive, Sailor Saturn’s weapon.”  

She was suddenly startled by a cry of terror from inside the Planetarium.

“Sounds like someone’s in trouble,” Makoto said matter-of-factly.

“Here we go again!” Minako said with a shrug, as the 6 Senshi transformed.

The battle was going very poorly, to say the least. The Daimon, U-Chouten, was completely wild, and was sending explosive bolts of star-shaped energy everywhere she could.

“Do you suppose we should assist them?” Neptune asked mildly.

“Not without making it worse,” Uranus said. Then her jaw dropped, as she saw the tiny hunched figure of Hotaru emerge from behind a row of seats.

“That’s—“ Pluto began in shock. “What is she doing here?”

“It seems she is ordained by the same fates as the rest of us,” Neptune replied.

Hotaru was doubled over with ragged breaths, her eyes bugging out from the pain and loss of control. No one was helping her. No one even seemed to notice she was there.

Pluto took a step towards her, but her wrist was grabbed by Uranus’. “Let’s watch her and see what she does. Perhaps the chaos of the battle will force her to awaken.”

The battle continued, with the Daimon growing ever more destructive. Suddenly, a piercing glimmer of energy sounded, and Hotaru’s body began to glow with a powerful purple energy. On her forehead was a glowing purple symbol - the planetary symbol of Saturn.

The other Senshi were transfixed by the sudden commotion of Hotaru’s awakening.

“A Sailor Senshi…” Sailor Moon whispered in surprise and wonder. She then recognized Hotaru as the strange child from the toy store. That girl is a Sailor Senshi? she thought to herself, almost incredulously.

U-Chouten moved to take advantage of the distraction, but Hotaru suddenly glared at her with hatred and anger. The Daimon was affixed to the spot, and cried out in terror.

Sailor Moon quickly used the Holy Grail to upgrade herself, and immediately obliterated the now helpless U-Chouten with her Rainbow Moon Heartache attack.

“We kill her now, while they’re distracted.” Uranus said to her partners in an undertone.

“But—“ Pluto began.

“You already agreed to this,” Neptune replied, her eyes hard. “It’s either her, or everyone else you have ever loved.”

Pluto hesitated again.

“KILL HER NOW!” Uranus shouted. “WE HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE!”

Not waiting another second for Pluto’s conflicting inner turmoil, Uranus and Neptune began their World Shaking and Deep Submerge attacks. Her heart breaking from the terrible choice she had to make, Pluto activated her Dead Scream attack as well.

The three attacks combined into a colourful maelstrom of pure energy as they hurtled down the planetarium hallway to where a transfixed Hotaru stood with an empty smile.

“Wait!” Super Sailor Moon screamed. “You can’t!”

But she was too late to get to Hotaru in time as the energy bomb hit its target. It made an enormous explosion that caused the entire building to shake, and clouds of dust to appear. When the dust cleared, Hotaru was still standing, and still glowing. Not even her uniform was damaged.

“This…this can’t be!” Neptune sputtered in disbelief.

“What are you doing?!” Venus shrieked.

“How could you attack an innocent child?” Mercury screamed in horror.

Uranus pointed at the entranced girl. “This is the Senshi of Destruction, Sailor Saturn! We must kill her or she will destroy the world! We have to do this, and you mustn’t try to stop us!”

A voice echoed out from between Hotaru’s lips. It was older, and more serious. “Believe what you want to believe of me, Sailor Uranus. You cannot kill me.” Her wide purple eyes met Sailor Pluto’s, the woman who was supposed to protect her, but just tried to destroy her. “Not even the daughter of Chronos can prevent the Destruction. What must happen, will happen.”

Hotaru’s eyes subtly shifted in shape, and the voice morphed into an echoing emptiness, with a malicious tone. “You cannot stop The Silence,” the voice said, her wicked eyes gleaming at Pluto. “And it will have been your doing that caused this, Sailor Pluto. I rejoice in the hatred you have sprouted within her!”

Pluto breathed a quiet gasp of guilt and terror.

Hotaru began to cackle insanely, then suddenly vanished without a sound. Uranus swore under her breath.

Pluto collapsed to her knees. “I just tried to kill her…and it was all for nothing.”

“It’s not over yet,” Neptune said quietly, as she looked at the spot where the seemingly indestructible Hotaru stood.

“It’s all my fault,” Pluto whimpered to herself.

Sailor Moon quietly walked over to Pluto and gently held her shoulders.

“It isn’t your fault,” she said to Pluto sweetly.

Pluto looked up at her future Queen with tears in her eyes. “How can you possibly know that?”

“Because I know you, Sailor Pluto. Every choice you make is the right choice in the end.” Sailor Moon smiled at her, took her hands, and held them.

“I agree,” Jupiter chimed in.

“Me too,” said Mars, as Venus and Mercury also smiled warmly at Pluto.

“And you know we’re always with you too, right?” Neptune said to Pluto with a subtle smile.

Pluto sighed with a shudder. “You’re right. I can’t let myself fall apart like this.” She stood up, and gripped her Garnet Rod tightly. “I am Sailor Pluto, the Daughter of Chronos,” she said proudly. “And whatever must happen, will happen.”

Chapter Text

WHATEVER THEY OFFER YOU, DON'T FEED THE PLANTS

"…so. Mimete's gone, then." Uranus muttered.

"Killed by her own colleague," Neptune assented, with a layer of disgust lightly affecting her tone.

"She may even be still alive. Imagine being stuck in one place for all eternity, and being aware of it the entire time," Uranus wondered.

Pluto raised an eyebrow at Uranus.

"…that was a little tactless, wasn't it?" Uranus muttered.

"Just a little," Pluto replied. "Hotaru isn't here, so shall we go home now? Or were you planning on doing that silly 'I'm so mature and aloof and so much better than you are' act for Sailor Moon again?"

"NOW who's being tactless?" Uranus replied with a pout as Neptune tittered.

The trio, who had been watching the Senshi's final battle with Mimete inside Mugen Academy's auditorium, turned around quietly and made their exit without addressing the others.

They surfaced as their civilian selves into Mugen Academy's opulent atrium, when Michiru suddenly stopped and looked thoughtful.

"What is it?" Haruka asked her with a curious tilt of her head.

"I just sensed someone. Or something. I can't place where it was, or who it is, but that burst of energy came from inside this building." Michiru closed her eyes in concentration.

"Your perceptive abilities are growing stronger by the day," Setsuna observed.

"I don't think we should waste this opportunity. The Death Busters are here, and I'll find them if it's the last thing I do. Haruka, come with me, let's go back to the computer control room. We'll see you later at home, Setsuna." Without waiting for her girlfriend to answer, Michiru grabbed Haruka by the wrist and led her back through the deserted hallways.

Setsuna wisely decided that it was time for her to make herself scarce, in case someone inside Mugen Academy recognized her and questioned why the school nurse had suddenly returned.

As she hurried down the streets of Juuban, she passed a boarded up flower shop covered in paper advertisements that were announcing its grand reopening.

I may not be able to know the future flawlessly anymore, but I know an enemy plot when I see one.

It's always the new businesses…

Wisely, she noted the location of the 'new' flower shop and resolved herself to investigate it tomorrow. If she was lucky, she could foil this latest plot without anyone getting hurt.

"Okay Gardening Club, it's 6 pm! Time to wrap up!"

Makoto sighed and wiped the sweat off of her forehead with her forearm. Carefully putting away her spade and gardening gloves, she nodded in satisfaction at the growing camellia lily sapling that she was nurturing.

"I can't wait to see it fully grown, Kino-san!" gushed a fellow member of the Gardening Club. "You've got a real gift, you know. My poor dahlias just aren't responding."

Makoto blushed, but she smiled gratefully at the compliment. "I don't really do anything special. Maybe try singing to the dahlias? It couldn't hurt."

"Oh goodness no, my voice is so bad I'd kill the poor things right away!" laughed the fellow gardener, as she waved goodbye to Makoto.

Makoto waved back, and set off in the opposite direction towards her home. She usually spent her solitary walks excitedly planning her meals for the next week.

Let's see here…some onigiri for lunch tomorrow…

…and I should make some nikuman as well, Usagi-chan really loves them…

…Chocolate chip cookies for the study session tomorrow? No, I did those last week. Oatmeal raisin? No, wait, Minako-chan hates raisins…

Her peaceful reverie was suddenly broken, however, when her path was blocked by a gigantic noisy crowd all trying to force themselves inside a flower shop.

"What's going on?" she asked a random potential patron.

"It's these new Tellun Flowers! They don't require water or fertilizer and turn into a beautiful blossom after only 2 days, and they only cost 10 yen!" the person answered breathlessly.

"No water or fertilizer needed?" Makoto repeated incredulously. She folded her arms and frowned at the crowd. "That's impossible! What a scam!" The crowd immediately halted and stared at her with an angry silence. The fanatic reaction of the crowd unnerved her, and she backed away slightly.

Suddenly, a woman with bright green hair woven into multiple buns appeared at Makoto's elbow. "Well then dearie, why don't you take a free sample? Come back in two days, and you can provide everyone with a testimonial! They're a flower that will bring you happiness!" The green-haired woman's smile was so cheery it was almost manic, and Makoto felt a strong sense of dislike.

She rummaged through her pockets, pulled out a 10 yen coin, and thrust it into the green-haired woman's hand. "I'll try out your plant," Makoto said firmly, "But I don't need your charity." The woman's smile somehow grew even larger as she handed Makoto a Tellun Flower.

Makoto stared distrustingly at the Tellun Flower as she carried it home. Her innermost energy crackled with purpose.

I WILL figure out what you are.

The feverish crowd emptied out Tellu's stock of the Tellun Flowers within hours. All that was left was a single flower, waiting for just the right person to buy it. Setsuna had returned to investigate the shop alone, as Haruka and Michiru were still trying to find out where the Death Busters' lair was hidden in the expansive Mugen Academy campus. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that the store was already completely empty.

They sold out their entire stock in one day and no one's suspicious?!

She tried to walk casually towards the flower shop as if she were window shopping, but was mentally recording every detail that she could. Posters taped to every wall proclaimed the miraculous properties of the Tellun Flowers.

"Can I help you, madam?" came from a woman's voice near the entrance of the flower shop.

"Just looking, thank you," Setsuna replied politely.

"Well, there's nothing to look at, as you can see!" the green-haired woman laughed as she walked up to Setsuna. "This is my last Tellun Plant. They've become such a hit that I'll have to completely restock tomorrow!" She thrust a pot with the last remaining Tellun Plant into Setsuna's arms. "Take it for free! Its beautiful bloom will make it a lovely present for anyone!"

Setsuna shot the woman a sharp glance. "Why are you giving this to me when you could easily just sell it?"

The woman was taken aback for an instant, but shakily replied, "These lovely Tellun Flowers pay for themselves! They bring the owners so much happiness, I have more than I know what to do with."

"Mmm." Setsuna's face was neutral, but her mind was whirring with plans for examining the plants.

Makoto came home from school to find every single one of her plants, save the Tellun, was dead. They had been destroyed beyond merely wilting or withering; each leaf was completely brown and crumbled into dust at the slightest touch.

"How could this—" she blurted out with shock and loss, before she turned to her true target. The Tellun Flower was pulsating a sickly red energy, having stolen the life force from the other plants. Makoto's forest green eyes narrowed. "I knew it," she growled. The Flower's red energy began to flash malevolently.

Makoto grabbed the pot, intending to destroy the flower, but the energy of the Tellun Plant had caused it to become white-hot to the touch. She screamed and recoiled in pain. The Plant shot out a bolt of light that was as sharp as a needle, aimed straight at her heart. She only barely managed to dodge by rolling behind her couch.

It's trying to take my Heart Crystal! But I can't transform here!

As luck would have it, nearby to Makoto was a table where she kept her gardening supplies. With a fierce determination, she grabbed her gardening gloves and pulled them on as the Tellun Plant sent out repeated bolts of light.

"How dare you?!" Makoto growled, as she charged towards the Tellun Plant with a challenging cry. She seized the pot in one gloved hand as she opened her balcony door with the other. The gardening gloves only protected Makoto's hands a little, and she cried out with rage at the throbbing ache in her palm. Channelling that anger, Makoto used her superhuman strength to throw the flowerpot as far as she could. The Tellun Plant helplessly soared over the streets of Juuban, before it finally smashed into the brick wall of a highrise apartment. Makoto watched with satisfaction as the pot exploded on impact, and the flower and its soil floated lifelessly and harmlessly to the ground.

Makoto peeled off her gloves to see that the Tellun Plant had attempted to siphon Makoto's life force through her touch, and had left painful but mild burns on her dominant hand. She clenched her good hand in determination as she prepared to find Usagi and inform her about the plants.

"It was worth it."

At the same time, Setsuna was performing her own investigation. She set up her Tellun Plant in a contained observation chamber, and used K.O. University's computers to document her findings.

"The power to absorb water in the atmosphere into its body? Impossible…" She muttered to herself in consternation.

She stopped to stare at it, with her suspicions about the dangers of the plant increasingly growing. "I wonder what else this plant is capable of?"

As if it was responding to her question, the Tellun began to glow in the same red energy that had attacked Makoto. The glass containment chamber shattered, and the Tellun bloomed. It was indeed a beautiful pink flower, but the force of its blooming made Setsuna stand up in surprise.

"What?!"

The Tellun's pistil emitted a pair of claw-like clouds of energy, that slowly began to wrap around Setsuna. Unable to do anything else, she shielded herself with her arm in terror. But instead, a maroon sphere of energy emerged in between the flower and Setsuna, which instantly dispersed the Tellun's claws. The sphere then formed the most sacred of Sailor Pluto's possessions: her Talisman, the Garnet Orb.

"The Garnet Orb…" Setsuna whispered in wonder. "It protected me?!"

"It will come to me in my greatest times of need…"

Usagi, Luna and Artemis patiently tried to follow along with Makoto's frazzled recounting of her encounter with the Tellun Plant, and how she suspected it was intended to steal Heart Crystals.

"This is very different from their previous plans," Artemis murmured. "It's as if they're trying to get many Heart Crystals at once."

"What could they possibly need them for?" Luna wondered fearfully.

The conversation stopped when they heard a person panting from running nearby to Usagi's house. Setsuna paused to catch her breath, but blinked in surprise when she realized Makoto was also there.

"If you're here to tell Usagi-chan about the Tellun Plants, I've already filled her in," Makoto informed Setsuna with a friendly tone.

Setsuna smiled. "Well then, that saves us some time." Her face then became serious. "Let's go."

Usagi, Makoto and Setsuna sneaked into the store using its back entrance. Usagi peeked through the back entrance door to see that the room had been filled with a noxious gas, the entrances had been barred, and a large group of people were passed out on the floor, their Heart Crystals floating above them. The green-haired woman Makoto and Setsuna had met earlier was now dressed in a green and black outfit that evoked images of petals and vines. She collected all of the Heart Crystals into a small black star-shaped charm on her palm.

"It's just like you and Mako-chan said, Setsuna-san," Usagi whispered. "…those plants steal Pure Hearts!"

Makoto clenched her fist in anger as she moved closer to the door. "How dare she…"

"Let's transform first," Setsuna said firmly.

Sailor Moon was the first to speak. "Hey now!" she said admonishingly. "A flower's life is short, and is mostly filled with pain!"

To her right, Jupiter blinked and confusedly muttered a soft "Wait, what?" in response to her friend's bizarre summation of a plant's lifespan.

"I can't forgive using these flowers for evil things, just as they're about to bloom! For love and justice, the pretty sailor suited soldier, Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!"

The green-haired woman smirked. "Sailor Soldiers, huh… To find out about this place so quickly… You aren't as stupid as I thought! I am the third of the Witches 5, Tellu!"

"You're the stupid one!" Jupiter cried in response. "A true lover of nature wouldn't create a plant that destroys all of the other flowers around it!"

"Shut up! I guess I'll take your Pure Hearts as well!" Tellu shouted, as the pots of Tellun Flowers behind her began to shoot out red bolts of energy.

Sailor Moon and Pluto just barely managed to dodge the flowers' bolts, but Jupiter backflipped onto a display shelf of Telluns, aggressively kicking them out of her way.

"There's no escape," Tellu told her. "This shop is filled with Telluns."

"Then I'll solve that little problem myself," Jupiter told her. She paused to gather power.

Please lend me your powers, my planet of wood!

"FLOWER HURRICANE!"

Beautiful pink blossoms formed in the air, and created a powerful cyclone with crashing lightning. The Tellun Plants all began to wilt, weakened by the very flowers whose lives they sought to destroy.

"Dammit! How dare you destroy my plants!" Driven wild by anger, Tellu began erratically shooting thick green vines from above her wrists.

Sailor Moon was too slow to dodge them.

"SAILOR MOON!" Pluto cried, as she pushed her out of the way. Pluto became painfully ensnared by the vines, which were as white-hot as the pots the Tellun Flowers came in. She was helpless.

No! It's not supposed to end here! Pluto thought desperately.

Suddenly the vines snapped, their power severed by Tuxedo Mask's carefully thrown rose. Tellu was thrown back from the force of her vines snapping, and shrieked in pain. Pluto, weakened from Tellu's attack, fell into Jupiter's arms.

"Flowers are supposed to bring serenity to humans," Tuxedo Mask monologued, "I will not allow using them for evil. Sailor Moon, purify this flower shop."

She nodded and used the Holy Grail to upgrade herself. Without wasting a second, she began her finishing technique.

"RAINBOW MOON HEARTACHE!"

Tellu screamed and dove behind her cashier desk as Sailor Moon's powers finished what Jupiter had started. The remaining Tellun Flowers were obliterated.

Sailor Moon then dropped to her knees in exhaustion, as all of her energy had been used up to destroy the plants.

With a dangerous growl, Tellu appeared from behind the display pedestal. "Don't think it's over yet," she sneered, as she plunged a needle into the final Tellun Flower that she had been holding. "You'll regret making me angry," she said ominously, as the Tellun began to grow and expand. It became as large as a tree, and its stem and leaves had turned a sickly grey.

"I call this the Hyper-Tellun. It feeds on only Heart Crystals, and will self destruct along with the owner of the Pure Heart. Scary, isn't it?" she simpered, as the top bloom opened and growled, having grown flesh-eating teeth.

"I'll leave you to deal with it," Tellu said as she removed the black star charm. "I have to deliver these Heart Crystals to the Professor!"

Tuxedo Mask instinctively moved to react, but Pluto reacted first. "I won't let you! DEAD SCREAM!" She fired the maroon planet straight at Tellu, which not only knocked the star charm out of her hand and shattered it, but sent her flying straight into the path of the Hyper-Tellun.

The charm shattered on the floor, instantly releasing the stolen Heart Crystals. Tellu foolishly made a grab for them as the Hyper-Tellun turned to attack her. Tellu had created her own monster, a mindless drone unable to determine friend from foe. She screamed in horror as the Hyper-Tellun ensnared her in its gigantic leaves.

"What are you doing?! Let go of me! LET GO!" Tellu shrieked.

Sailor Moon cried out in concern as she moved to try to rescue Tellu, but was held back by Jupiter.

"You're out of energy now, Sailor Moon! There's nothing we can do! Don't die for the sake of someone like her!" Jupiter told her, as she gritted her teeth in frustration.

"But—!" Sailor Moon cried, as she fruitlessly fought against Jupiter's hold.

"This woman could destroy all of the plant life on Earth, which would kill us all in turn!" Jupiter implored.

"This pains me as well, Sailor Moon, but we must do nothing," Pluto agreed.

Tellu desperately tried to destroy her own creation with her vines, but she was too late. As the Hyper-Tellun executed its only purpose, the purpose she had given it, her screams echoed throughout the flower shop. Pluto's blood went cold at the sound of her dying screams.

Tellu left no body, but only a Mugen Academy student guidebook. Her civilian name, it seemed, was Teruno Ruru.

"Mugen Academy is definitely suspicious." Tuxedo Mask said to Sailor Moon.

He turned to Pluto. "I'm going to use the university's internet network to find out all that I can about Mugen Academy. Setsuna-san, I will get in touch with you as to what I have found. I'll contact Ami-chan as well."

Jupiter sighed and kicked a small pile of dirt near her boots. "These things killed all of the plants I owned. I'll have to start again from the beginning."

"Would you like me to assist you?" Pluto offered kindly.

Jupiter grinned at Pluto. "No, that's alright! This will be an opportunity to grow even bigger, stronger, and more beautiful plants. A little hard work never hurt anybody!"

"Ehhhh? No way! Hard work hurts me constantly!" Sailor Moon said with a little wail.

Chapter Text

DEAD TO BEGIN WITH

“We’re heading over to Mugen Academy now,” Haruka said as she pulled on her winter jacket.

Setsuna looked up from the book she was reading in the living room. “What for?”

“The school is hosting the next national practice examination, so most of the students and teachers will be too preoccupied to notice us snooping around,” Haruka answered with a sardonic grin.

Setsuna turned to Michiru, who was slowly and carefully tying her scarf in the hallway mirror so that it would be perfectly even. “What do you hope to find?”

“Whatever we can,” Michiru answered, her eyes not leaving the mirror. “We know that the Death Busters have something to do with that place, and we’re going to be exploring the areas that the students are barred from.” She finished tying her scarf and turned to regard Setsuna seriously.

As Michiru opened her mouth, Setsuna shook her head. “Don’t worry, I already know what you’re going to say. I’m staying here, since I would be far more conspicuous than two legitimately enrolled students would be. Have I got it right?” Setsuna said teasingly.

Michiru chuckled softly. “We’ve grown to know each other very well,” she murmured.

“Are we ready to go?” Haruka asked her partner.

Michiru nodded as she preceded Haruka out of the penthouse door.

“Be safe!” Setsuna called after them.

“Of course we will!” Haruka said cockily as she shut the door behind her.

Setsuna’s gaze lingered at the closed door for a few moments.

I have a very bad feeling. I almost don’t want them to find anything.

She tried to return to reading her novel, but repeatedly found that her attention was wandering. She read the same sentence over and over, but couldn’t absorb a single word of it. With a sigh, she placed her bookmark carefully and closed the book with a snap. She frustratedly flopped backwards onto the couch she was sitting on, while her imagination kept taunting her with split-second glimpses of Haruka and Michiru being captured, tortured and murdered.

Stop that. You know perfectly well that they’re quite capable of taking care of themselves, she said to herself admonishingly.

She nearly jumped in surprise when Michiru’s antique phone began ringing, but quickly got up to answer it.

“Hello?”

“Oh, Setsuna-san. I’m glad you answered,” Mamoru said with obvious relief.

“Is something the matter, Mamoru-san?”

“I’ve finished doing my research on Mugen Academy. I didn’t like what I found. I wanted to talk to you about it first before I explained my findings to Ami-chan and the others,” Mamoru replied with his usual serious tone.

“Go on,” Setsuna said hesitatingly, willing herself to be calm.

“Professor Soichi Tomoe is the owner of Mugen Academy, and he opened it 3 years ago. That I’m sure you already knew. And you already know that he is the father of Hotaru Tomoe.”

“Yes.”

“But he’s got a rather sordid past, to say the least. Five years ago, his wife Keiko died in a fire at their mansion. Four years ago, he was banned from the scientific community for performing illegal genetic experiments. It seems he opened Mugen Academy a year after that,” Mamoru told her.

“A shady man by any measure,” Setsuna replied quietly.

“I haven’t told you the worst part,” Mamoru said with a sigh.

Setsuna’s grip on the phone involuntarily tightened.

“The reason why he was exiled was because there was a disaster in one of his laboratories. One of his experiments exploded, causing a fire that killed all of his assistants.”

“That’s horrible!”

“Professor Tomoe survived the explosion, obviously…but so did Hotaru.”

“…She was there?” Setsuna asked with surprise. “How could she have survived?”

“No one knows. The newspapers and authorities weren’t ever able to determine the cause of the accident.”

“Unless he deliberately intended it that way,” Setsuna said with suspicion.

Mamoru made a reply of agreement, but Setsuna’s ears suddenly started ringing, and his words were garbled. Her vision blurred for a few seconds before she fainted, and dropped the phone with a bang.

Mamoru heard the cluttering noises from his side of the line. “Hey, Setsuna-san! Setsuna-san! Can you hear me? What happened? SETSUNA-SAN?” his voice echoed outside of the telephone’s speaker, but Setsuna couldn’t hear him as she felt Michiru’s penthouse melting away around her.

Setsuna was far away, 4 years in the past, standing in Professor Tomoe’s genetics lab. She saw an 8-year-old Hotaru, excitedly leaning on the glass enclosing Tomoe’s latest experiment.

”Papa!” she called, her voice reverberating within the pocket of time that Setsuna was observing. There was a second rhythmically thumping noise that Setsuna couldn’t recognize.

“Now Hotaru, it’s dangerous if you get too close like that,” Professor Tomoe warned his little daughter. Setsuna noticed with a start that his glasses were normal, and didn’t have the strange star-shaped lens she remembered.

Professor Tomoe turned to speak to the other people in the room, who included his assistants and university officials. “Take a look! This is a special space that I prepared for delicate gene splicing experiments.”

Setsuna turned to look at the gene splicer. Her eyes narrowed when she saw a black shadow fading into view in the centre of the splicer. Hotaru noticed it too, her tiny face frowning with surprise and concern. The shadow began to expand, taking the form of a tiny star system. Setsuna shouted out a warning, but no one reacted. She was just an observer of this moment in the past, she wasn’t living it.

“Papa…what’s that?” Hotaru asked her father fearfully.

The second Professor Tomoe turned around to look, a striking purple light pierced out from the centre of the tiny star system. Hotaru and Professor Tomoe screamed as the light attacked everyone in the room with a blinding explosion. Setsuna shielded her eyes, temporarily forgetting that a past explosion could not touch her.

As the explosion penetrated out of the enclosing glass, it shattered, and all of Tomoe’s scientific equipment lit on fire. The echoing effect made the sound of the explosion bounce all around Setsuna. As the light cleared, debris was everywhere, and the bodies of the assistants and university officials were lying around the room, some burned beyond recognition.

The fire spread, its smoke billowing everywhere. In the centre of the room was Professor Tomoe, kneeling on the ground and cradling his child. His lab coat was tattered, and his forehead was trickling blood. “Hotaru! Please speak to me! HOTARU! Please…PLEASE…” he begged her.

The scene froze silently for a moment as Setsuna gazed upon the father and child, fully comprehending what she was seeing. The rhythmically thumping noise had stopped.

Hotaru didn’t survive the explosion.

She was dead.

She’s been dead…all along…

The dream resumed as both Professor Tomoe and Setsuna howled in grief and heartbreak.

“Do you want to save the life of that girl?” a deep and otherworldly voice asked. It was coming from the spot of where the gene splicer was, and for a moment, Setsuna forgot that it was not addressing her.

Professor Tomoe and Setsuna looked up to see a glimmer of light hovering above them. But unlike other forms of light, it shimmered black and green, colours that reminded Setsuna of the most potent poisons. This light did not illuminate. And it was not of this Solar System.

“What…?” Professor Tomoe choked out in reply.

“I will save the lives of you and that girl, on one condition,” the light replied coldly.

“P-please save us! I don’t care what happens to me, but Hotaru…!” Professor Tomoe shouted in desperation.

No, wait…!!

Setsuna was shaken and alarmed at how quickly Hotaru’s father accepted what was bound to be a Faustian bargain.

“So be it. Then I will take over your bodies…”

BODIES?

The light implanted itself in Professor Tomoe’s right eye, covering it over with a white geometric star. Setsuna then realized the parasite was within Tomoe’s eye itself, not what she thought was merely an abnormal glasses lens.

But then…what’s going to happen to Hotaru? What…or who…has taken over HER body?

As the now possessed Professor Tomoe cackled with triumph and glee, the entire building exploded with a searing rush of power.
 
Setsuna woke up with a start, and it took her a few seconds to realize she could still hear Mamoru’s worried voice shouting for her on the other end of the telephone. She could feel her heart painfully racing, taunting her with the knowledge of how she had been able to hear that Hotaru’s heart had stopped. Still laying on the carpet, she reached over to the receiver and held it to her ear. “It’s okay, Mamoru-san. I just felt faint for a moment. I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Mamoru sounded unconvinced.

“I am sure. Thank you. Please pass on this information to Ami-san. I’ll talk to you soon.” she answered emotionlessly. Not waiting for Mamoru to reply, she sat up, hung up the phone, and then lay back down on the lush carpet, her long green hair fanning out around her.

If I were a normal woman…just a normal woman…

If I were Hotaru’s mother…

Wouldn’t I make the same choice?

Wouldn’t I also choose to give myself up so that sweet little girl could live? He’d just lost his wife, after all…

Setsuna sighed and closed her eyes. She knew there would be a catch to any kind of bargain. Such bargains were impossible for a Sailor Senshi to agree to. Her will was not her own.

But I am not a normal woman…

I never was…

I never will be…

And that child never will be normal either…

Hotaru died 4 years ago. I know that now. All that is left is what is being artificially reanimated. Kept alive by the Messiah of Silence, Sailor Saturn.

She gripped her hands into the carpet, as if it would dull the pain of her still fearfully thudding heart.

At least, I assume it’s Sailor Saturn. She has the power of rebirth…

But something feels wrong.

She frowned. She was smarter than this.

It CAN’T be Sailor Saturn.

That light was not of this Solar System.

The horror as to what Hotaru was truly living with struck her all at once.

Could there be…MULTIPLE entities within Hotaru?

She quickly stood up and began pacing, her mind furiously working all the while. Michiru’s apartment seemed to shrink away as Setsuna became lost in her own thoughts.

This is what I know. This is what I’ve learned. I’ve seen how she acts. How she’s sweet, then suddenly hateful, then suddenly neutral. I know I’ve just seen what actually happened in the past. This was different than what my future visions show me. I have finally gotten some answers.

She stopped pacing, and began tapping her foot thoughtfully.

Is it possible that Sailor Saturn and the Messiah of Silence are not one and the same?

Is that why Hotaru has such wild personality divergences?

Setsuna’s eyes widened as she realized she’d finally hit on the truth.

I’ll release her from this.

It’s not Hotaru who has to die.

Because she was dead to begin with.

Setsuna stood frozen for a few moments as her sadness sunk in.

And Sailor Saturn…is not the enemy. At least, she’s not working for the Death Busters. What her true agenda is…I will have to find out.

I know now that I can kill the Messiah of Silence without fear. I can fight alongside Uranus and Neptune, without hesitation, without guilt. I saw this vision so that I would know the truth. I’m the only one who knows what really happened to Hotaru, and it must stay that way. Because I am Sailor Pluto, and it is my destiny to know what others could not.

I cannot tell the others what I've seen, but I must try to persuade them to save Hotaru. If I were to tell Haruka and Michiru, they would kill her no matter what, and wouldn’t even consider any other way.

If the three entities were once separate, then maybe they can be forced apart again?

Setsuna grimaced, as she knew that she had no idea how to separate the three entities.

Sailor Moon might be able to use the Silver Crystal to heal Hotaru, but what if that harms her too? I cannot sacrifice the Queen, not for anyone. But what if the entities cannot be separated without killing at least one of them?

Sailor Saturn may still have to be eliminated, but since she is not the Messiah of Silence...

...then perhaps there is hope?…

But she could hear the winds howl and the seas churn, and knew that it would take a miracle that Sailor Pluto alone could not achieve.

It's not my place to say if Hotaru should live or die, but it is my mission to eliminate threats from beyond the Solar System. That, I cannot change or refuse to do.

If the entities cannot be separated…

Setsuna finally made up her mind at last.

I love this child.

I will protect this child if I can.

I will try to protect her in her father's place.

I will try to honour the man who gave his sanity to save his only daughter.

I will try to honour the child whom I have given my heart to.

I have looked in the eyes of Hotaru Tomoe. She is a sweet, kind, intelligent girl. She deserved a happy life and a loving family. She should have been healthy. My heart still aches to think of her suffering.

I have seen the true heart of Hotaru Tomoe. The real Hotaru Tomoe is not these parasites that seek to destroy. All that Hotaru Tomoe ever wanted was to be loved.

Setsuna tasted the bitter, salty tears that flowed down her cheeks.

But I am Sailor Pluto.

And my duty must come first. This is bigger than me, or Hotaru. I’m only here to save Earth. I was specifically instructed to defeat Sailor Saturn. If I must choose between her and the Earth, the Earth comes first, as it always must.

I’ve made my choice.

I must try to heal her...

But in the end...

If there is no way to save her…

Then I will end Hotaru's pain. And she can rest at last.

Chapter Text

THE HARBINGER APPROACHES

Usagi was snoring loudly and mumbling in her sleep. Luna, who was sharing her bed as usual, opened one exasperated eye and stared at her companion resentfully. It was close to midnight, and she hadn't been able to sleep at all. Luna wanted to blame Usagi for it, but she knew in her heart that her insomnia was because of a growing sense of unease. The Senshi had all been tense since they witnessed the vision of the apocalypse through Setsuna's Garnet Orb, but there was something in the air tonight that oozed malevolence. Luna wondered if she was more attuned to supernatural energies because she was a cat.

"Oh well."

She sighed with resignation, yawned, and stretched luxuriously, being careful not to awaken Usagi. The moment she prepared to jump down from the bed, the watch communicator on Usagi's bedside began flashing and beeping.

"Mamoooochhuhhh?" Usagi mumbled as she was pulled out of her dream. She groaned and slowly hoisted herself into a sitting position, and groggily picked up the watch and opened the latched cover.

"What is it, Rei-chan? I was sleeping!" Usagi whined.

"You can sleep later, Usagi!" Rei scolded. "Listen, I just saw a vision in the fire of the entire student body of Mugen Academy being hypnotized and forced to come to the school. We need to deal with it now, so get your butt out of bed!"

"Ugggh. I guess I don't have a choice," Usagi replied huffily. "I'll be there soon."

"Good," Rei said with satisfaction. "I'll alert the others. Oh, and Usagi?"

"Yes?"

"Fix your bedhead, you look like a scarecrow," she teased.

"REI-CHAN!" Usagi growled resentfully, as she closed the watch face without saying goodbye.

"Okay, Luna, I gotta go. You'll be staying here, right?" Usagi asked as she pulled off her pajamas.

"Yes. Maybe I'll actually get some sleep now." Luna said with a grin.

"Why weren't you sleeping?"

"I was sharing a room with a warthog suffering from sinusitis."

"LUNA! Geez, why is everyone teasing me? I just wanted to sleep! What even is a 'sinusitis'…Luna's making up words…" Usagi muttered angrily as she got dressed, grabbed her Cosmic Heart Compact, and hurried out of her bedroom door.

Luna hopped over to the bedroom window that overlooked the streets of Juuban, and silently watched Usagi run towards Mugen Academy. "Take care, Usagi-chan. Be safe." Luna said softly. "Please be safe."

Although she'd made the trip many times in the last few months, Usagi hated the long jog to Mugen Academy, which was especially difficult when she was sleep-deprived. She was gasping for breath within minutes, and was forced to stop and catch her breath.

"M-maybe," she said to herself, "I should transform first to make this easier."

She quickly scanned the area around her to make sure she was alone. Pulling the Cosmic Heart Compact out of her pocket, she began to call, "MOON…"

A sudden crack of black lightning hit Usagi on the hand, knocking the Compact several feet down the sidewalk.

"OWWWW! What was that?" Usagi screamed in alarm. She started forward to pick up her compact, only to find her movement suddenly frozen. Her entire body felt like it was being painfully shocked into paralysis.

Kaolinite materialized in front of Usagi, her dark amethyst eyes glittering, and her black dress flapping in the wind around her as she floated in midair. "How nice to see you again, Usagi Tsukino!"

"Kaolinite!" Usagi gasped. "I thought you were—"

"Dead?" Kaolinite interrupted with a smirk. "I was. I will have to personally thank your comrade Sailor Uranus for killing me. And don't try to pull tricks on me this time. I know you're Sailor Moon. I've been watching you, you're very bad at concealing your identity, aren't you? In fact…" She raised her hand and threw another bolt of black lightning, which hit Usagi directly in the stomach, making her cry out in pain.

"That was for that pathetic attempt at deceiving me." Kaolinite explained.

"What do you want?" Usagi said with gritted teeth, the tears of her pain crystallizing in her eyes.

"My superior has been looking for a particularly pure Heart Crystal. The Witches 5, silly twits that they are, think they should go for quantity over quality. As we speak, the final Witch, Cyprine, is taking every Heart Crystal from every Mugen Academy student. She'll fail to find anything worthy of the Messiah of Silence." Kaolinite paused, and pulled a mockingly pitying expression. "I do wonder how your fellow Senshi will do without you? They'll be crushed like worthless little ants without you to do all the work."

Usagi fruitlessly struggled against the paralysis Kaolinite was holding her. "Let me go, Kaolinite! LET ME GO!"

Kaolinite suddenly darted in front of Usagi, their faces directly in front of each other. "Don't you get it, little girl? Yours is the purest Heart Crystal. The best Heart Crystal there is. You, my dear little darling, will have the esteemed honour of awakening our Messiah at last."

Unlike Usagi, Setsuna was tossing and turning in her bed, but unable to sleep. It was getting increasingly hard for her to rest. When she was able to sleep at last, each passing day brought more vivid nightmares.

Suddenly, her bedroom door flew open and Michiru, still clad in her negligee, ran into Setsuna's bedroom and shook her shoulder.

Setsuna opened her eyes blearily. "I'm already awake…Michiru? What is it?"

"Something's wrong. Something's wrong," Michiru said in a low voice, desperately trying to conceal how alarmed she was.

Setsuna sat up and turned on her desk light, her heart pounding. "I actually haven't seen anything, I wasn't sleeping. What did you see?"

"This woman with blue hair, clearly one of the Death Busters, was commanding me to come to Mugen Academy, to give my Heart Crystal to her…"

"I assume you're not going to follow that instruction," Setsuna said sardonically.

"I was almost going to, then I saw a green and gold mirror…that mirror that was my Talisman. It reflected the light to destroy that woman's darkness, and cleared my mind, and I awoke. I think it's been doing that all along."

"Interesting…what about Haruka?"

"She's okay. She had that same hypnotic dream, but I was able to awaken her before it was too late."

"So then why are you so agitated?"

"I'm not —" Michiru started, with a slight flush on her face, but quickly assumed an expression of utter calm. "I'm…concerned, because I know that the other Mugen Academy students do not have the protections Haruka and I do. She and I are going to wear our uniforms, pretend to be hypnotized, and do what we can to protect the other students."

"That's not all of it. I know you too well for you to be this worried, even about a premonition."

Michiru's blue eyes met Setsuna's maroon ones as she caught her breath.

"The mirror…showed me…the Moon Princess. Dead."

Haruka, who was pulling on her uniform jacket in the hallway outside of Setsuna's bedroom, froze.

"What did you say?" Haruka and Setsuna both said in unison.

"She wasn't moving. She wasn't even breathing."

"Odango wasn't… Never mind the plan to pretend to be hypnotized, we're taking the helicopter. Now." Haruka said firmly.

Setsuna pulled her transformation wand out from her bedside table. "Ladies…I think our final battle is finally beginning."

Luna still couldn't rest.

"I can't stay here," she said to herself decisively. Taking advantage of Usagi's open bedroom window, Luna leapt down to the streets, intent on following Usagi.

Luna's unease grew as she ran.

The night was still, the air was stagnant, and it was far too quiet.

"Where is she? I should have caught up with that slowpoke by now!"

Then she stopped, and what she saw caused every strand of fur on her body to stand on end.

Sitting directly in front of Luna on the sidewalk was the Cosmic Heart Compact, but Usagi was gone.

"What have you brought us, Kaolinite?" Professor Tomoe asked as he stood in front of the throne where the Messiah of Silence slept.

Kaolinite contemptuously dumped Usagi's unconscious body onto the floor. "A gift for the Messiah. The best Heart Crystal available."

Tomoe adjusted his glasses as he stared at the helpless Usagi. "Haven't you used this girl before? Are we serving leftovers to the Messiah now, Kaolinite?"

A droplet of sweat trickled down Kaolinite's face, but she pretended to be unconcerned. "Just because her Heart Crystal didn't contain a Talisman doesn't mean it can't be useful. It was, by far, the purest and the brightest Crystal. None of the others even came close to finding a Heart Crystal as high quality as this girl's is."

"I see," Professor Tomoe replied. "You have done well for Our Lady."

Kaolinite's face flushed. "I also did this for you, Professor."

"That's nice," he said obliviously, as he turned to the parasite infesting his only daughter.

"As you can see, my Lady, we have prepared a most suitable sacrifice for you."

"Excellent. Let us build the altar." The Messiah's voice was so harsh it was practically a hiss.

Both Professor Tomoe and Kaolinite jumped in surprise as a stone pedestal rose from the floor under Usagi's unconscious body, and four surrounding poles materialized, connected by thin criss-crossing wires that had tiny tinkling bells attached to it.

"What are these poles for?" Kaolinite asked the Messiah.

"I have erected a barrier. I don't want us to be interrupted," she replied.

Suddenly, from far above the Death Busters, there was an enormous explosion and two voices screaming in pain.

"What's that, Professor?" Kaolinite turned to her mentor inquisitively.

"Cyprine must be toying with the Sailor Senshi," Tomoe replied smugly.

"No. Cyprine and Ptilol are dead," the Messiah's harsh voice said emotionlessly.

Tomoe and Kaolinite turned to her in surprise.

"How do you know?" Kaolinite demanded, then flushed, and adjusted her tone. "I mean, how did you come to learn this, my Lady?"

"It is unimportant. But I am opening a wormhole, and so the Senshi will be joining us soon. I would like them to see this." The Messiah rose Hotaru's arm as the space in Mugen Academy's basement warped, and she opened a portal from Professor Tomoe's penthouse office to his secret basement lab.

Uranus touched down the helicopter not far from Mugen Academy. She was single-minded in her fear for Usagi, and she barely waited for Neptune and Pluto to exit the helicopter before she was off and running.

Pluto chuckled affectionately as she and Neptune followed Uranus. "She pretends to be this big tough warrior, but she really loves the Princess, doesn't she?"

"So do we all," Neptune agreed. "But yes, in her own way, she's a big softie and the most deeply loving out of the three of us." She paused, a subtle expression of sadness growing on her face.

"When this is over, you'll be leaving us, won't you?" she asked Pluto.

Pluto's eyes widened in surprise. "…Yes. It's true, I will be returning to the Space-Time Door after we seal Sailor Saturn. I guess I don't need to ask how you know this."

"I'll miss you, you know." Neptune said quietly.

"You know I'll miss you terribly," Pluto replied.

"I almost want to prolong this battle so that you can stay a little longer. Don't get me wrong, I can live through anything as long as Haruka is with me, but I'll miss your conversation, your cooking, your intelligence, and your quiet presence. And I'll be terribly vexed to think of you standing all alone at the Space-Time Door and will simply have to demand that another mission begins so that we three Outers can be united again."

Pluto's eyes watered, touched by Neptune's high regard for her. "Thank you, Neptune. Thank you."

"Oh, and if you ever tell anyone that we had this conversation, I will destroy you," Neptune said to Pluto with a teasing glint in her eye.

"Yes ma'am," Pluto replied mildly.

Pluto was never sure if Neptune was serious.

Pluto and Neptune caught up to Uranus, who was peering up at the Mugen Academy building, her mind rapidly running through possible infiltration plans.

Suddenly above them, a blue and red light created an enormous explosion.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" Uranus screamed, as she shoved Neptune and Pluto away from the bottom of the building, seconds before thousands of glass shards rained down on the spot where they were standing.

"Uranus, as much as I enjoy your touch, can you manhandle me a little more gently next time, hmm?" Neptune said sardonically.

"But I was —" Uranus began indignantly.

"Just kidding, dear," Neptune said as she patted her lover's left arm affectionately.

Pluto, who was feeling a bit awkward at that moment, was suddenly hit by a wave of nausea that caused her knees to buckle.

"PLUTO!" Uranus and Neptune cried in alarm.

"What's going on?" Uranus asked.

"Space…is warping…" Pluto struggled to say. She raised her arm and pointed to the dimensional corridor that had materialized in front of the entrance to Mugen Academy.

"I bet that leads to the Death Busters' lair," Uranus said with a grimace. "It's an obvious trap, though…"

Neptune's eyes narrowed as she saw a man and two cats running up to the school. "Isn't that…?"

Tuxedo Mask, flanked by Luna (who was carrying the Cosmic Heart Compact in her mouth) and Artemis, was attempting to break open the locked doors of Mugen Academy with his cane.

"What should we do?" Neptune asked her partners.

"Are the students still inside the building?" Pluto asked Uranus.

She nodded.

"You two go into that dimensional corridor," Pluto commanded Uranus and Neptune. "I'm going to help Tuxedo Mask and the Cats evacuate the students. He and I will join you afterwards. I wouldn't be surprised if the other Senshi were nearby, as well."

Uranus and Neptune nodded, then they took off together and fearlessly disappeared into the dimensional corridor.

"Where could that stupid Usagi be?" Mars asked irritatedly.

"You called her, right?" Jupiter asked.

"Yes, and she said she was on her way!" Mars answered.

Mercury, who had activated her visor while tapping on her mini supercomputer, replied, "Perhaps Usagi-chan wasn't able to get into the building? Space is warping enormously here."

Venus kicked aside a wood chunk from the destroyed desk that belonged to Professor Tomoe. "At least we showed that we're not completely dependent on her. We didn't need 'Moon Spiral Heart Attack' to defeat this enemy with teamwork."

"It still doesn't feel right fighting a battle without her," Jupiter replied.

"We'll just have to fill her in as to what happened later. By the way…" Mercury began. "Why were they called the Witches 5 if there were 6 of them?"

"To trick us, I suppose," Mars murmured, tapping her high-heeled foot in annoyance. "Any luck figuring out what that warped space in front of us is?"

"Yes," Mercury answered. "It leads to the Death Busters' hideout, as we expected. But the space is very unstable, and Usagi might not be able to find us if we go in there."

"I don't think we've got a choice," Venus said decisively. "We don't have another way of exiting this office, and this building feels like it could collapse at any second. We'll find her, don't worry."

The other three Senshi nodded and entered the dimensional corridor. The space and darkness inside the Death Busters' lair was so oppressive, they instantly all felt uneasy.

"Let's go carefully," Venus said. "We don't know what we're going to find at the end of this corridor."

"Wait, look!" Mars said, pointing out Uranus and Neptune, who were standing in front of a strange altar not far ahead of them.

"Welcome, young Sailor Senshi!" Professor Tomoe's deep voice boomed. "You are very lucky. You have arrived just in time to witness a grand ceremony!" His lab coat was billowing from the rising dark powers that were surrounding him.

"So you finally decided to show up," Uranus said to Professor Tomoe with a cocky smirk.

The light behind Professor Tomoe illuminated the altar where Usagi lay unconscious, and both Uranus and Neptune gasped.

"ODANGO!" Uranus screamed to her friend, as she dove forward to rescue her. Uranus screamed in agony as she rammed into an invisible electrified barrier that sent her flying several feet backwards.

"URANUS!" Neptune cried out, as she helped Uranus back to her feet.

The four Inner Senshi caught up to Uranus and Neptune at that moment.

"I see the rest of you have arrived," Tomoe said with a low chuckle.

"You are—" Mars began, then her heart stopped for a moment when she saw Usagi. "USAGI! USAGI!" she screamed, as she instinctively ran forward.

"Wait!" Uranus warned, but she was too late to stop Mars from ramming into the barrier as well, and she was thrown back even farther than Uranus was. Mars was barely down on the ground for a second before she leapt up and prepared to try to penetrate the barrier again. Jupiter had to grab her around the waist and hold her.

"Let me go, let me go, Jupiter! My pain is nothing if I let them get to her!" Mars screamed, tears flowing from her eyes.

"You can't protect Usagi-chan if you're dead!" Venus yelled at her harshly, bringing Mars back to her senses.

Kaolinite's eyes gleamed viciously as she addressed the Senshi. "Soon the Messiah of Silence will awaken. She will use the Pure Heart of this girl named Usagi as her energy," she told them.

Behind them on the throne overlooking the altar, the body of Hotaru began to glow a sickly purple. "The Pure Heart…" her otherworldly voice droned.

"USAGI!" The Senshi cried, though they didn't dare try to get closer to the barrier.

Professor Tomoe turned around and gasped in excitement as the awakening ceremony began. Hotaru's eyes glowed an angry, violent red as she automatically stood up and prepared to steal Usagi's Heart Crystal.

"The Messiah of Silence!" Tomoe exalted, as he ignored the cries of the Senshi begging the Death Busters to stop.

They were horrified into silence as a claw-like arm made of the Messiah's energy reached out from Hotaru's heart. It stretched in a jerky, alien fashion towards the unconscious Usagi. It stabbed itself into Usagi's heart, torturing her, and jerking her awake as she screamed in pain and tried to pull the claw out of her. Her blurry vision cleared as she saw where the claw was coming from. "It's…Hotaru?…this is too cruel…she's only a —" she weakly said, but her Heart Crystal was ripped out of her body before she could complete the sentence. The pallor of Usagi's skin instantly became ashen.

"No! Usagi!" Mars screamed in terrified heartbreak. "How could you do this?!"

"Beautiful," Tomoe said. "A Pure Heart fit for the Messiah of Silence…"

"This is bad!" Uranus said. "If Sailor Saturn awakens, the whole world will be destroyed!"

"Please! Stop, Hotaru-chan!" Mercury called out to her. "Professor Tomoe, please stop her, if you're her father, if you love her…"

"Love?" Tomoe turned back to look at the Senshi with a sneer. "I don't know what you could possibly mean."

The Heart Crystal, glittering and shining like no other Heart Crystal in the world, floated into Hotaru's open mouth. As she swallowed it, her body became that of an adult's, her hair became an infinitely long curtain, and her bizarre dress disappeared into an elegant dark blue blouse with a shadowy black skirt.

"That's not Sailor Saturn!" Neptune shouted in confusion.

"I am the Messiah of Silence, Mistress 9," the adult woman confirmed. She looked and sounded like Hotaru would as an adult woman, but her hungry and cruel expression instantly showed that, whoever the Messiah of Silence was, she was no Sailor Senshi, and she was certainly not Hotaru Tomoe. Lightning cracked and winds howled around her due to the sheer power she wielded.

"She's a member of the Death Busters!" Mercury confirmed. "Hotaru was already possessed by a powerful enemy, and now it has awakened!"

"Already possessed?" Uranus turned to Mercury. "Then where's Sailor Saturn…?"

"This is our victory, Professor!" Kaolinite turned to her superior with joy in her eyes.

"Sorry to have given you such a demanding responsibility, Kaolinite." He replied tonelessly.

"Your approval is the greatest reward for me, Professor! I lo—" Suddenly, a bolt of lightning thrown by Mistress 9 hurled Kaolinite directly into the barrier, instantly vaporizing her.

"Kaolinite's job is complete," Mistress 9 said coldly. "Besides," she continued. "She failed at her task anyway. This Heart Crystal is imperfect."

Professor Tomoe's face fell. "Imperfect, my Lady?"

"She picked the wrong sacrifice. The energy here is not quite r—" Mistress 9 stopped suddenly as she internally explored the unique energy that only Usagi Tsukino's Heart Crystal could grant her. Her eyes widened.

"My Lady?"

Mistress 9 chuckled darkly. "It seems that your lovesick assistant stumbled upon an even greater sacrifice than she knew."

Chapter Text

THE IMPERFECT HEART

Mistress 9’s eyes glowed a deep, malevolent crimson, as all of the light in the dimensional corridor was sucked in by her immense power. “Get out,” she snarled, as she pointed her flat palm towards the Senshi. A wave of energy blew the Senshi backwards as Mistress 9 and Professor Tomoe disappeared into the darkness. The energy wave had knocked all of the altar’s pillars askew, which broke the barrier and allowed the Senshi to access Usagi’s body.

“SHE’S NOT BREATHING!” Mercury cried in alarm, as she lifted up Usagi’s wrist and tried to feel for a pulse.

“Usagi-chan! Please wake up! Can you hear us?” Venus called to her, but Usagi was unable to respond.

“…The last thing I said to her was to scold her! We didn’t even say goodbye!” Mars choked out as she rubbed Usagi’s ashen cheeks, desperately trying to bring warmth to them. “I don’t want our last words to each other to be…”

“We need to get out of here,” Neptune interrupted. “I can feel this corridor beginning to collapse. Haruka, can you carry her?”

“I’ll do it,” Jupiter said before Uranus could answer. She slung the unconscious Usagi over her back. “No offence, Haruka-san, but…I have to do this. Do you understand?”

“Of course I do. Let’s go, we need to tell Sailor Pluto what happened.”

****

The Senshi were all holed up in Mamoru’s apartment, with Haruka and Michiru waiting outside in the hallway while Setsuna spoke to the others.

The heartbreaking sight of Usagi’s friends’ reaction to her comatose body was one that Setsuna wished she could forget, but she never would. Ami was flipping through Mamoru’s medical textbooks, desperately looking for a cure she knew that would never be there. Makoto was looking out the window at the stormy skies, her emerald eyes reddened with tears. Minako was rubbing Usagi’s cold hands, her eyes steely with resolution. Mamoru was cradling her in his arms, his face pale and his eyes blank with shock. The worst sight of all was Rei, who was hysterically sobbing and cursing herself for being too hard on Usagi.

“Everyone…”

They all turned to look at Setsuna.

“You’re leaving to challenge the Death Busters, aren’t you?” Ami asked her.

“Yes. Haruka and Michiru are waiting for me right now. But I didn’t want to leave without…” She paused. She wanted to say ‘without saying goodbye,’ but knew that was too final a statement to make. “I didn’t want to leave without planning our strategy,” she continued.

“Strategy…” Minako mumbled, while still rubbing Usagi’s hands. “What do you suggest we do, Setsuna? We’re at a severe disadvantage without Sailor Moon’s powers.”

Setsuna grimaced. “That’s true. …But you’re not helpless.”

Rei sniffled and rubbed her nose with a facial tissue. “We weren’t able to protect Usagi, but there are still things in this world we can protect in her place.”

“We can protect the city,” Makoto said. The others nodded in agreement.

Minako placed Usagi’s hands in Mamoru’s and stood up. “While we’re gone, Mamoru-san, you need to keep Usagi alive.” Mamoru nodded and instantly began donating his life’s essence to Usagi. She began to glow softly.

Having secured Usagi’s safety for now, Minako turned to the other girls. “Here’s what we’re going to do. We can focus our powers into a barrier, just like our future counterparts did in Crystal Tokyo. We’ll each take a corner of the Omega Area that the Death Busters have taken over.”

“Thank you, Minako-chan. I’m glad you thought of something that we can do to help. I was at a loss.” Ami smiled warmly at her.

Setsuna felt an inkling in her heart that the plan wouldn’t work for long, but, knowing that there was nothing else to be done, she decided not to speak up.

The four girls took each other’s hands. “For Usagi,” they said in unison, and then they broke apart and ran out of the apartment.

In the silence that followed, Setsuna realized that she and Mamoru were alone for the first time since they met.

Mamoru was the first to break the silence.

“Setsuna-san…please tell me. I’m at a loss as to what to do. Can I keep her alive? Can we save the Earth without Sailor Moon?” Mamoru said as he cradled his lover in his arms.

“I’m very sorry, Mamoru-san. If I knew the answers, we wouldn’t be in the current mess we’re in now. I never, ever thought the Messiah of Silence’s sacrifice would be her.” She paused. “I thought it was going to be me.”

Mamoru’s striking blue eyes were filled with fear and sadness. “I can’t lose her, Setsuna-san…”

“You won’t lose her. We’ll find a way to free her Heart Crystal. But listen…there is something I want you to do.” Setsuna looked at Mamoru with deep conviction.

“What is it?” he asked.

“When this is all over, I want you to tell Usagi-san every day, how much you love her. I know it isn’t easy for you to express affection, but this will make her more happy than anything else. When this is all over, you’re going to marry that wonderful girl and give the world the gift of your daughter, that precious daughter created with true love. When this is all over, I want you and Usagi-san to love each other for the rest of your lives.”

Mamoru blinked in surprise, then smiled weakly. “I think I can do that.”

Setsuna glanced at the pale, quiet, and almost lifeless form of the future Queen of the Silver Millennium. “Take good care of her.” Setsuna gripped Mamoru’s hand briefly as a goodbye as she stood up to walk away.

“Setsuna-san…wait.” Mamoru said softly.

“What is it?”

“I…know how you feel about me. And I’m sorry I can’t return your affections. I hope someday you’ll find someone who will love you as much as I love Usako.”

Setsuna smiled and shook her head. “Don’t apologize. The best thing you could do for me, as someone who…loves you,” she said as she took a deep breath, “…is to continue to be the kind, intelligent man who loves and protects the girl who loves the whole world. The more you and Usagi-san love each other, the happier I’ll be.”

She smiled again, and quietly left Mamoru’s apartment.

***

Mistress 9 was taking deep, heaving, painful breaths. Unable to sit or stand, she was on her hands and knees. Her physical form seemed to sputter in and out of visibility, like poorly conducting electricity.

“What is wrong, Messiah?” Professor Tomoe asked her with alarm.

Mistress 9 struggled to answer him. “It’s…this Heart Crystal. It’s…rejecting me…”

“How can that be?!” He cried. “Who in this world could possibly have a stronger Heart than that girl?”

“It’s not just the strength of the Heart…” she explained. “It’s the…compatibility. That stupid secretary of yours screwed up.” Mistress 9 then detected a surge of energy in the nearby area, and her painful grimace twisted into a snarl. Her physical form stabilized again. “Those girls have created a barrier. I need to destroy them before this body breaks apart.” Her eyes flashed and the Mugen Academy grounds began to rumble.

In another room, Professor Tomoe’s stockpiled beakers of unformed Daimons all cracked open. The Daimons congealed into a sticky dark red goo, and began to pour out of the doors and windows of the Academy. They were a hissing, snarling mass, and were heading straight for the barriers that Mercury, Mars, Jupiter and Venus had just created with their life energy. But in Mistress 9’s haste to destroy the Senshi, she neglected to create a protective barrier around Mugen Academy.

At the same time that the Daimon Mass was converging on the girls, Uranus’ helicopter smoothly landed in front of the school. Mistress 9 also detected their presence, and hissed. “The other, older Senshi have arrived as well. Dammit. This isn’t good.” Her chest began to glow pink, as the Heart Crystal once again tried to force its way out from inside her.

“Germatoid!” She barked, and Professor Tomoe startled. “Kill them. Kill them and then I can reveal the Holy Grail.”

“How can you do that, my Messiah?” Germatoid/Tomoe inquired.

“This Heart Crystal…it is the other Messiah’s. If only I could summon it right now, this battle would be over! Curse this infernal broken body!” Mistress 9 began to tear at her own hair in frustration.

“Calm yourself, Mistress. I will take care of those Sailor Senshi. We have a score to settle anyway,” Germatoid/Tomoe said in a soothing tone.

***

Uranus, Neptune and Pluto were running through the now empty, damaged halls of Mugen Academy towards the centre room. But Uranus’s pace suddenly screeched to a halt when they reached a room full of rubbery, empty-looking man-dolls. Both their eyes and their chests bore the Death Busters insignia.

“What’s this?!” Pluto cried in alarm, having been thoroughly creeped out by the dolls.

Tomoe/Germatoid appeared then, snickering gleefully. “These are…bodies that I have created,” he answered. “Don’t you know it’s against school rules for the three of you to come in here? I may have to expel and fire you,” he said with a giggle.

“Go forth for your own justice. These were your own words, Chairman,” Uranus reminded him.

Tomoe/Germatoid ignored her. “It’s a shame, really. I wanted to use the bodies of superior humans like yours for Daimon vessels. Vessels just like this man…Professor Souichi Tomoe…” Germatoid giggled even more. The giggling became insane shrieking, as the infection point in Tomoe’s right eye exploded into a bloody mess, and Germatoid revealed its true form at last. Germatoid was truly alien; a base like a beating heart, with sharp plant-like tendrils. Behind it, Professor Tomoe’s body collapsed to the floor, completely unconscious.

“So he was possessed by a Daimon!!” Neptune concluded. Pluto, having already known this, nodded in agreement.

Uranus fired a World Shaking at Germatoid, and it exploded into tiny, sick-looking blobs that landed on the floor in front of the dolls.

The Outers stayed on their guard. “It’s too easy. This isn’t over yet,” Pluto told the others.

Suddenly, the blobs were absorbed by the bodies, which quickly began to fill out into muscular, but rubbery copies of the original Germatoid. Each one was identical, and all shared Germatoid’s insane laughter.

“It’s no use,” Germatoid crowed. “I’ve already analyzed all your attacks. You can’t win against me.” True to his word, when Neptune used Deep Submerge on them, the Germatoid copies absorbed the attack without any damage whatsoever.

For every physical attack the three Outers attempted to use against the copies, they were either completely absorbed, or dodged. Both Uranus and Neptune had been trapped by the copies wrapping themselves around their limbs. They were running out of options, and running out of time.

Out of desperation, Pluto tried one last magical attack. But as she prepared to use Dead Scream against them, one of the copies wrapped itself around her legs to trip her, and then around her Garnet Rod. In the struggle to free herself, Pluto underestimated the strength of the dolls, and pulled on her Rod too hard.

The Garnet Rod snapped in half.

And then it disappeared, leaving only the Garnet Orb.