Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Crystal Trials ❯ A Time for All ( Chapter 4 )

BlueDolphin

Absently, she brushed her fingertips across the mirror-like surface before her, ignoring the searing cold that ran through her hand. Her mind elsewhere, she barely saw the image before her waver and change.

(...the answers...I want to find so many, but where do I look?...)

Her garnet eyes peered into the dimness around her as if the answers she sought could be found in the red-brown swirls that made their slow progress across the deep, fathomless blackness. The woman sighed and ran a hand through her long, dark green hair in frustration as no answers presented themselves by sheer will alone. With an impatient gesture, a dark green goblet appeared at her elbow. She plucked it out of the air and drank deeply of the water it contained, inwardly grimacing at herself. Not five years ago the thought of eating and drinking here wouldn't have crossed her mind. It just wasn't required outside of the timestream.

She had lived for countless generations outside of the timestream, guarding the Gates of Time from those who had no business being there. However, she had taken to abandoning the post she and others before had guarded diligently and appearing inside the timestream as Meioh Setsuna. That wasn't her real name; unlike the other senshi, she was never given a new life by Queen Serenity. The life she led now was the same life she had led during the Silver Millennium a thousand years ago. After accepting the Staff and becoming Sailorpluto, she had forgotten who she was prior. It just wasn't who she was any longer.

In her own eyes, Setsuna thought she was spending too much time away from her post and inside the timestream. Had anybody accused her of that, however, she would deny it as vehemently as she could. She was simply guiding the senshi to a Destiny dominated by good instead of darkness. Lately, though, she had been wondering how much of an influence she really had. It seemed to her that, one by one, the strings she held tied to the senshi she guarded were falling out of her hands.

In a sudden fit of anger at herself, Setsuna ran both her hands over the glass-like surface of the open door before her, barely feeling the deathly cold as she concentrated on the future. The surface rippled in sudden agitation at the power of the command, turning first a sickly green, then a milky white as Setsuna intensified her command. Finally, the Keeper's will won out and the door cleared.

Setsuna had seen the room displayed in the door times enough to put a name to it-the throne room of Crystal Tokyo. Sweeping columns ran the length of both sides, columns of a light blue-grey marble. The dais held three thrones of a matching material and hue, and on these three thrones sat the royal family-Neo-Queen Serenity, King Endymion, and their daughter Princess Usagi. Positioned behind the royalty, far enough away so as not to be obtrusive yet close enough to be at hand in a heartbeat, were the four guardians of the royal family, the inner senshi. The entire scene had an insubstantial feel to it, for the future was never definite for very long.

As Setsuna watched (she could hear nothing), one of Serenity's heralds entered through the large doubledoors, said something, then withdrew the way he had come. Instantly, anxious looks graced the faces of the royalty, then quickly vanished as the doors opened once again to admit a woman flanked by two attendants. The woman's sailor uniform was in tatters, and bloodstains showed up vividly on the light material. Her legs and arms were burned and bloodied, and her head was bowed. However broken she looked, she walked unfalteringly down the room and approached the royalty who made no attempt to hide their shock and horror. Only once did the woman's legs give beneath her as she drew close to the dais, and when the two attendants tried to assist her, the woman threw back her aqua hair and snarled something at them that caused them to shrink away. At the sight of her face, Setsuna was on her feet, tears streaming from her eyes. One of Sailorneptune's eyes was gone, lost beneath a jagged gash that stretched from her hairline down across her eye and to her left ear. Blood stained the entire left side of her face, while her right remained relatively untouched. Sailorneptune's expression was blank and emotionless, as if she had seen too much.

On her feet, Serenity asked something of the woman, who answered with a short shake of her head. Serenity said something else, staggering slightly when Sailorneptune responded with another short shake. 'Why?' Setsuna saw Serenity ask, to which Sailorneptune lowered herself painfully to her knees and prostrated herself before the shocked queen as if in supplication. Her shoulders quivered as if she were crying.

Setsuna banished the image. She watched impassively as the glass surface faded until it showed nothing but her own reflection, absently fingering the goblet she held half-raised to her lips. From experience, she knew that what she saw through the Gate wasn't necessarily what would happen, but there was always a chance it would. Always a chance.

Tired, both mentally and physically, Setsuna turned from the glassy surface framed by carved ivory pillars and walked purposefully through the swirling mists. The farther she drew from the Gate, the windier it grew, until it grew so windy that it sent Setsuna's dark green hair whipping about her. Unfaltering, Setsuna continued forward until just before the gale would blow her down. Abruptly, she was swallowed up by the mists.

Setsuna blinked, casting aside the disorientation that assailed her senses even after centuries of doing that same task. She was in her room, right where she wanted to be. She glanced at the clock, not very suprised to see that a full two hours had passed. Nearly dinnertime, she noted absently as she exited her room in search of the other members of the household.

She found Michiru in the kitchen, standing over the stove and cooking. Her aqua hair was pulled away from her face and she wore dingy clothing spattered with paint; her 'studio look' as Setsuna had come to call the outfit Michiru wore as she was painting. Michiru faced Setsuna as the woman entered, and Setsuna swallowed as she saw the ravaged face of the Sailorneptune of the future superimposed over Michiru's normal face. "Hello, Setsuna," Michiru greeted amiably, the bloody image moving its lips to match Michiru's words.

Setsuna remained impassive, forcing herself with all the hundreds of years of practice behind her to ignore the image. "Hello, Michiru. How has your day been?" she asked, keeping her voice level.

"Uneventful," the woman replied, turning back to the stove. A pause, then Michiru asked, "Have you seen Haruka?" "No. She's been gone all day," Setsuna said gently. "I think she may be racing."

Setsuna saw Michiru's frame flinch slightly at her words as if she had been struck. And in a way, she had. "I'll not expect her for dinner then," was all Michiru said, her voice totally calm.

Setsuna turned away to the fridge then, savagely glaring at the carton of milk she drew out as if it were its fault. Haruka and Michiru still shared aroom and talked together amiably enough, but anybody could see that things weren't the same. Haruka's trust had dried up some, and the entire house was suffering for it. Setsuna didn't know who to blame or where to throw her anger or frustration, for it was a series of coincidences that had caused Haruka to fail her Trial and deliver a crippling blow to the woman. Or was it really Destiny stepping in again? Even Setsuna couldn't tell. She poured herself something to drink and put the carton back.

Turning back, she nearly flinched as she saw the leering, bloodied face over Michiru's gazing at her. "You're pale, Setsuna. Is something wrong?" Michiru asked, concerned.

"I'm just tired," Setsuna replied glibely, taking a drink to wet her dry throat. Visions like these came and went at random, always attaching themselves to the ones she knew as if they tested her strength of mind. Or mocked her for her powerlessness. "I see you're in your studio clothes. Have you begun painting again?" Setsuna asked, changing the subject.

All at once the grim visage vanished, leaving Michiru's calm, if tired, face. "Just doing some cleaning. I haven't much felt like painting," she responded with a touch of bitterness in her voice. She turned back to the stove and said, "Go get Hotaru. Its almost time to eat, if you're hungry."

"Hotaru?" Setsuna called, rapping on the door softly. The door, not fully latched shut, came open at her touch. Hesitating only momentarily, she entered.

The room was dim and shadowy as Setsuna entered, the early evening sunlight cast through the window in the hall behind her dispelling some of the gloom. Hotaru sat with her legs crossed on the foot of her bed, her arms crossed against her chest and her head cocked to one side. "Hotaru?" Setsuna questioned, an icy finger of fear pressing against her spine as she turned on the nearest light. Hotaru's pupils were dilated, and her crossed arms seemed more like she was hugging herself in the soft lamplight. "Hotaru?" Setsuna asked more urgently as she grasped the girl's shoulders and gave her a small shake.

"Wha...huh?" Hotaru blurted out as she jerked awake. When she saw Setsuna standing over her in concern, color flooded her cheeks as if embarassed. "Oh..." she said softly.

"What happened, Hotaru? Why were you like that?" Setsuna asked.

"I..." Hotaru started, her eyes sliding off Setsuna's face. "Nothing...thinking..."

"Are you sure everything's alright? There's nothing you want to tell me?" Setsuna asked probingly. Though she wanted to know what was wrong, she knew Hotaru had limits. She saw the girl hesitate again, then shake her head. "Well I came in to tell you that dinner's ready. If you're hungry."

After a moment of studying the carpet, Hotaru replied, "Yes, I am." She picked herself off the bed carefully as if she were far older than what she was and followed Setsuna down the stairs.

Dinner was a solemn affair around the large table, the little conversation that did take place was mostly one-sided and responded to in monosyllables. Finally, though, Michiru pushed her half-finished plate away and regarded Setsuna closely. "You will be Tested soon," she said at last. "I can feel it."

"I know," Setsuna said. "It was bound to happen."

Hotaru looked up sharply from her barely-touched fish. "Be careful, Setsuna," she said in a near-whisper. "Your past will come back to haunt you."

Her words carried all the weight of a prophecy of doom to Setsuna, and it was a few moments before she found voice enough to ask, "What do you mean?"

Hotaru gave herself a little shake as if waking from a dream. "I...don't know," she replied, dropping her gaze to her plate.

"Hotaru, how do you know this?" Michiru asked sharply.

"A dream..." Hotaru replied evasively.

"Hotaru, look at me," Setsuna said firmly. It took a moment or two, but Hotaru's violet eyes finally found Setsuna. When Setsuna was sure she had the girl's attention, she went on in a slightly gentler tone, "Tell me how you know this."

"Setsuna, I-" Hotaru started urgently, biting back her denial when Setsuna's face sharpened noticeably. Finally, she sighed and said miserably, "Sometimes...sometimes I hear voices. In my head." She snuck a look at Setsuna's face to see if they thought her crazy, then dropped her eyes again. "Usually its a woman's voice, and she tell me good things. But sometimes...sometimes its not so nice."

"Is it Mistress 9?" Michiru asked, looking between Hotaru and Setsuna as if expecting either to answer.

Hotaru shook her head vehemently. "Not the good voice. Her voice-at least, I think its a woman-gives me hints about the future. They don't always come out the way she says, but mostly she's right," Hotaru explained, flicking her urgent gaze back and forth between Setsuna and Michiru as if begging them to understand.

"And the other voice?" Setsuna prodded, forcing herself to keep her tone level. It wouldn't do to be angry at Hotaru when it wasn't her fault.

"That voice...I don't know. Its harder to tell what it wants from me," Hotaru replied hesitantly. "Sometimes it offers me power, if only I become what it wants and do what it wants, and sometimes it pretends to be the Good Voice just so I listen. But I know the difference."

Setsuna, more troubled by Hotaru's words than she let on, reached out and put her hand over the girl's. "You know not to listen to the Bad Voice, right?" she asked.

Hotaru nodded. "They've only been in my head since my Tri-" she stopped, swallowed, then started again, "..for a few months. But I know the difference."

Setsuna regarded Hotaru closely, noting the miserable look on her face, looking decidedly childish as she sat slumped in her chair. Wondering at the sudden childish change, Setsuna said into the silence, "You may go, Hotaru." Gratefully, Hotaru rose and left the room hurriedly, as if she fled. "I'll help you with the dishes, Michiru," Setsuna said quietly after the girl departed, rising and beginning to clear off their half-finished plates.

Michiru rose and assisted Setsuna mechanically, not speaking until the two were alone in the kitchen rinsing the plates off. "What do you think, Setsuna?" she asked finally, handing a wet plate to her.

"I think we need to watch Hotaru closer than ever before," Setsuna replied, drying the plate off and setting it aside.

"And the Voices?" Michiru asked.

"Mmm.." Setsuna said thoughtfully. "I can't say for sure, but I think something more happened to her during her Trial, something even she doesn't realize. You heard her slip." She stopped talking long enough to finish drying another plate, then continued. "Her powers have been split somehow. On one hand, she has the black essence of Death and Destruction, the root of her senshi being, somehow given a voice and trying to sway her. On the other, her humanity and pure conscience required of all senshi is trying desperately to counteract it."

Michiru was silent, turning this thought around in her mind as she washed the last of the dishes. "Hotaru never was very clear on what happened to her," she said off-handedly. Setsuna knew from her expression that Michiru was holding the thought that their Trials might have real world effects against her own ordeal. "What could happen?" she asked after a moment, handing Setsuna the last few pieces of silverware.

"We can hope that her mind will right itself of its own accord. Certainly, that would be the best case," Setsuna replied thoughtfully. "Or, Hotaru could grow to learn to shut out the 'Bad Voice,' however, then she may shut out access to her power with it. And then, she may give in to the 'Bad Voice'..." Setsuna trailed off, deliberately folding the towel she had been drying with in half and draping it over the oven door to dry.

"...And?" Michiru prompted, turning her full attention on the older woman.

"With her power? Anything.." Setsuna replied, leveling her intense gaze on Michiru.

Michiru shivered at the woman's ominous tone, glancing out the window over the sink at the nearly-dark sideyard. The first few stars were beginning to show in the navy sky, and a few lightning bugs made their meandering paths over the lawn. Michiru wished that her life was as peaceful as the scene before her.

Just then, the sound of the front door opening cut through the oppressive silence that had settled over the pair. "Hello?" they heard Haruka's voice call from the hall.

"In here, Haruka," Setsuna replied.

A moment later, the sandy-blonde entered the kitchen. She greeted them with a quick smile that faded just as quickly when she saw their faces. "What is it?" she asked, unable to fully mask her suspicion.

Slowly, Michiru explained Hotaru's plight, somehow managing to keep the strongest of her emotions from showing. When she had finished, Haruka touched Michiru's arm briefly before moving off to the refrigerator. It was a common gesture for Haruka who rarely showed compassion any other way, yet Setsuna could see that Haruka's heart wasn't fully in it. It was a reflex now, nothing more. "What do we do?" Haruka asked finally.

"Nothing, save watch her. We don't know how persuasive the Voices are," Setsuna replied.

The three stood facing each other in the center of the kitchen looking grim as an unspoken agreement passed among them. It was an agreement reminiscent of the one pledged during the time of the Death Busters. If Hotaru, the girl they all had a hand in raising from infancy, proved to be a serious threat to the safety of the planet, they had to kill her.

Michiru turned away. In a choked voice that spoke volumes about her feelings she said, "I'm going to bed."

Haruka's face tightened slightly. "Michiru, you know we-" Michiru wheeled. "Leave me be," she interrupted in a low, meanacing voice. Her eyes, though, spoke clearly the grief that the knowledge of what she would be forced to do if things went terribly wrong produced in her. Turning abruptly, she left the kitchen.

Setsuna watched indecision play across Haruka's face. Finally, the blonde turned away to the fridge, muttering under her breath. "Aren't you going after her?" Setsuna asked, arching a questioning eyebrow.

Haruka caught Setsuna's look out of the corner of her eye and scowled. "She doesn't need me. She must deal with this on her own," she said. "I'm disappointed that she reacted the way she did. There was a time not long ago when our duty was all we lived for."

"She has changed, Haruka. Usagi has seen to that," Setsuna said patiently. "Through her, both of you discovered that perhaps there are ways other than killing to achieve goals."

Haruka turned the full weight of her intense gaze on Setsuna. "Do you honestly believe we could talk whatever drives Hotaru if she turns to darkness out of doing what it wants?" Without waiting for Setsuna to respond, Haruka laughed derisively. "Perhaps Usagi has softened you too, Setsuna. I've never heard you speak the way you just did."

Setsuna stiffened, matching Haruka's contemptuous stare gaze-for-gaze. "Never call me soft, Haruka. Do not presume you know what my life has been like," Setsuna said in a deadly-calm voice. "I was just defending Michiru from accusations you wrongly make."

Haruka looked at Setsuna a moment longer as if deciding how long to pursue this argument. Finally, though, she turned away again. "I have not been softened," she said almost to herself, then walked out of the kitchen.

Setsuna watched Haruka go, forcing her irritation back down. She noted just before Haruka disappeared around the corner that she was limping slightly. A constant reminder of the accident she was involved in that crushed her left leg. Haruka tried to hide this weakness as much as she could, but every now and again Setsuna saw her favoring her right leg. Though she knew better than mentioning it.

Shaking her head at the wide gulfs that were springing up left and right between them, Setsuna slowly finished cleaning up the kitchen and made her way ot her room. As she lay in her bed much later that night, she stared up at the moonlight on the ceiling and wondered if she really could kill Hotaru if that was what it came to.

(...have I become soft?...)

By the time the grey dawn creeped into their house, Setsuna had reached a decision. Pen in hand, she wrote a brief note and pinned it outside her door. Having done this, she took a cursory glance around the room to be sure nothing lay out in the opening that she didn't want seen. Finally, though, she closed her eyes and forced everything out of her head.

(...open for me, doorway to the Gates. Open for me, your Keeper, Sailorpluto!...)

Weightlessness. Then she felt herself propelled forward until she felt the clammy mists cling to her skin. Opening her eyes, she surveyed her surroundings with a slight sardonic smile on her face.

(...welcome home, Sailorpluto...)

"I don't understand, Haruka. Why would she leave so abruptly?" Michiru asked as she passed the note again around the table.

Hotaru picked it up and read its contents over again. It wasn't long, but the content confused her.

I have decided to return to the Gates until the time I am needed returns. Haruka, Michiru, you know what I want you to do. I will know if anything changes.

She put it back down, adding, "And what is it that she wants you to do?"

Haruka remained silent as she had since finding the note, simply staring down at it before rising and turning away to the kitchen. Michiru barely glanced up. "Whatever the reason, it must have been good," Haruka said firmly from where she stood. Hotaru might have been mistaken, but she thought that Haruka's words carried some unspoken conviction. "We must leave it at that."

Hotaru looked uneasily between the seated Michiru and Haruka's back as the blonde turned away again. More and more frequently she felt as if she were caught in the middle of something she didn't fully understand. She knew (or thought she did) that it had something to do with Haruka's Trial, though nobody had been very clear when asked. "Haruka? Michiru? What's wrong?" she finally asked.

Silence. "Nothing, Hotaru," Haruka finally responded, turning her head and casting a slightly strained smile back at the girl. Hotaru didn't push the issue.

Time passed. Setsuna couldn't help that.

She had been keeping a close watch over the senshi for nearly a year and a half of their time, seeming both minutes and centuries to the woman. Only once had she ventured back into the tiemstream from her self-imposed exile, to a wedding. King Endymion and Neo-Queen Serenity-simply Mamoru and Usagi until Crystal Tokyo came into being-were finally united. She had made a brief appearance to this event, enough to congratulate the new couple and to remind them of what their joining meant, then returned to her post at the Gate. All without meeting any of those she once lived with.

After leaving, Setsuna watched her former household closely. It seemed as though she triggered something when she left, for Haruka and Michiru began having intense arguments, usually ending with either one of the other leaving for a day or two and then returning. Caught in the middle, Hotaru began spending more and more of her time in the company of Usagi and the other inners. Setsuna thought it was only a matter of time before Hotaru went to live with Usagi. The outers were falling apart right before her eyes.

And then, as always when she thought of her once-life, she thought of her Trial. Setsuna had felt the call of whatever it was several times now, resisting it each time. She wanted to know how badly it wanted her. She knew she couldn't hold out forever-each time the call came it grew harder to resist than the last-but she was content to wait. Waiting was what she knew best.

Setsuna twirled her time staff idly as she watched a series of images play across the Gate. Several she didn't recognize yet (people and places of great future significance appeared at random), but she saw a few of the inner senshi that made her smile. Then, the mirror-like surface suddenly went blank. Frowning, Setsuna drew closer, wondering what would cause it to suddenly stop. As she drew closer, she noticed that it was simply showing blackness rather than going blank. Hesitantly, she reached out to touch the surface, placing both her hands palms down over it.

The mirror remained black, but the contact caused images to flash in her mind at amazing speeds. Crystal Tokyo. Usagi. Hotaru. Neo-Queen Serenity. King Endymion. A dark, frozen world. And more, many more that Setsuna couldn't catch. This had happened to her once before, just before the time when Sailormoon was awakened for the first time on Earth, so she knew what it meant. An important event was close to happening, one that would change the world. Crystal Tokyo.

Setsuna sagged, her hands still touching the Gate's surface. She had been preparing for this as best she could, but so soon? The inners were barely out of school, the outers needed to be pieced back together somehow, she still needed twice as many answers as before... She wasn't even sure she knew where to start.

Hands closed over hers, wispy hands pulling from within the Gate she still touched. Gasping, Setsuna tried pulling away, but the hands held her fast.

(...come!...)

Gritting her teeth, Setsuna poured every ounce of her being into fighting.

(...I will not!...)
(...you must. It has to be...)

The hands began pulling her forward into the Gate. The searing cold felt excruciating on her hands and wrists. And still it dragged her on.

(...let me go!...)
(...I cannot...)

Her upper arms were in now, and her body was being slowly absorbed. The pain as it hit her chest and face was unbearable. At last, she gave up struggling and allowed herself to be dragged in.

"Why did you fight me?" a voice asked. Forcing herself to unclench her teeth gritted against the cold that seemed deep in her bones, Setsuna opened her eyes.

At first she thought she was still at the Gates of Time. But as she picked herself up from where she lay sprawled, she realized she was looking through the opposite side of the Gate back at where she came from. Looking around, though, she saw nothing.

"I ask again, Keeper of Time, why did you fight me?" the voice asked again.

"As a test," Setsuna replied after a moment, eyes darting around the darkness in search of the source of the voice. Where was it coming from?

"It is not wise to test the tester. You presume much," it said.

"I try not to walk into something unknowingly," Setsuna returned in an impassive voice. "If I could, I wished to go on my own terms."

"That is impossible, as you should know," the voice said, its tone sounding none-too-pleased. "You had no right to defy what must be in the end."

Though angered by the voice's imperious tone, Setsuna wisely did not push the subject. "Who are you?" she asked instead.

"I am what you are," it replied after a moment.

"I asked who, not what," Setsuna shot back, eyes narrowing. "Though that was a very enigmatic response in itself." She briefly considered plunging into the darkness around her in search of the voice's origin, then thought better of it. Not only did she not know what lay concealed in the darkness, it really wasn't necessary. Yet.

"You are a very stubborn and persistent individual, Sailorpluto. You seem to think you deserve an answer to anything you require," it remarked scornfully. "Is this because you have so few answers to your questions?"

Setsuna, determined to match this being's enigmatic and irritating answers, responded, "Among other reasons, yes. You know much about me, yet I know almost nothing about you."

"You are here for your Trial; knowledge is not necessary," the voice returned in that infuriatingly-imperious tone.

"Then give me it," Setsuna said with some exasperation. "I am tired of the wordgames. Perhaps I can learn more during my Trial." The voice was silent, brooding. Setsuna had the distinct feeling that she was being scrutinized very closely, from all angles, both inside and out. It was all she could do not to rub the goosebumps rising on her arms. "Well?"

"It..it isn't that simple..." the voice said, breaking the silence, sounding unsure of itself for the first time, almost confused. "I cannot find a suitable Trial."

"Then send me back. I have automatically passed, have I not?"

"No. I cannot do that."

"Then why am I here?"

Silence. Well-acquainted with the dark, Setsuna felt her unseen tester's presence vanish. Frowning, she considered her options. Wait here by what may be her only way out. Venture out into the oppressive darkness. Not very appealing options; still, she had to do something.

She started with the doorway she had come through. Turning, she closely examined it, probed it with her hands and mind. Her hand passed through the image, causing the whole of it to waver and shift. It almost seemed to turn to mist on the edges, and, fearing it vanishing before her, she withdrew her hand. Her heightened magical senses helped her not at all; according to them, it wasn't even there. So much for an easy way out.

Waiting wasn't at all appealing, for who knew how long she'd be waiting for the being to return, if at all? For all she knew, she may have angered it enough for it to leave her. That only left venturing out into the darkness.

Keeping an eye on the glowing rectangle that led back to the Gates, Setsuna ventured out a few steps. As soon as she stepped beyond the small circle of dim light cast by the doorway, darkness swallowed her. The doorway, her only reference, vanished. Setsuna thought she was on fairly good terms with darkness, but this degree of darkness (if darkness could be said to have degrees) seemed hostile and foreign. All sorts of imagined dangers leaped at Setsuna then, dangers that could very well be hidden in the complete darkness and sneaking up on her, using her blindness to their advantage...

Setsuna prided herself on always keeping a cool head. There was nothing out there save more darkness, she told herself sternly. This was no time to be exercising her imagination, not from what she assumed from hearing the accounts of her friends. What was real in Trials came from the mind, and the more she let her imagination run unchecked, the greater the possibility something just might leap out at her. With this in mind, she told herself that there was nothing around her except vast emptiness, nothing below her except firm ground. She took a few more steps. Confidence growing, she continued more boldly on until she took a step into nothing. And fell. The only way she knew she was falling in the complete darkness was the sudden disorientation and then wind rushing past her face. Startled, she almost gave way to panic, forcing her hands to stop their flailing. The only thing she was accomplishing was causing her to tumble end-over-end, which only made her disorientation worse. Laughter reached her ears then, over the rushing wind. Somebody was watching her. Furious, she forgot her present danger and demanded loudly, "I know you can see me! I want to know why I'm still here!"

The suddeness of impact drove all the air out of Setsuna's lungs. On her back, she could only lay in that position and pray the pain she felt in her back didn't mean she had broken anything. A thought surfaced in the back of her mind as she lay there-had she landed on her head, no amount of superior senshi skill would have kept her neck from snapping. Her mouth working soundlessly in a futile attempt to force air back into her lungs, she angrily waited for the voice to say something.

It said nothing. The laughter had vanished, but Setsuna could still feel somebody watching her. Slowly, she moved her arms and legs, regaining a sort of low crouch. The pain in her back flared as she moved, then subsided somewhat as she remained crouched. It wasn't broken, much to Setsuna's relief, but neither was it without pain. "You are there," she said through gritted teeth, more to herself than the voice as she slowly rose to her feet. As soon as she achieved solid footing, Setsuna found that she couldn't move. Before she could analyze what held her, suddenly Setsuna felt a sharp pain across her side, followed instantly by one across her already-tender back, her legs, and even across her chest. Gasping at the slashes that left no mark that she could tell, she wobbled on shaky legs. "You think you have the right, Sailorpluto?" the voice thundered. "None of your friends have questioned too closely my motives. My motives are my own and you have no authority to question them! What you just felt will be nothing but a breath of wind compared to what will be in store for you if you proceed to question."

"Though I don't have the authority you seem to," Setsuna grimaced at the concession she was forced to make, "I still guard the Gates. I have some authority. You cannot kill me."

A powerful blow smashed Setsuna in the face. A small corner of her mind registered the fact that it was nothing but solidified air. Clutching her face, she swallowed down a cry of pain. Never would she give this being the satisfaction of having her cry out. "I will not be bullied," she managed after a moment. "Not when you have no Trial to give me and are holding me against my will."

Silence. Setsuna stared hard into the surrounding murk as she awaited a response. It felt to her as if the being lay almost within arms reach of Setsuna, that if she reached out she would touch a face. An unsettling thought. Sharp blows akin to the ones before suddenly began raining down on her, coming from all directions slowly at first, then gaining in speed and intensity. "You have no right to speak like that," the voice said conversationally as the blows continued. "You need to be taught obediance."

Setsuna clenched her teeth tight and swallowed a scream as the blows continued, screwing her eyes shut. "I....am not...some...dog..." she forced out behind clenched jaws.

"STOP THIS!" a new voice thundered overhead.

Setsuna heard the first voice gasp, and the pain vanished just as quickly as it had come. She risked opening her eyes, though nothing but blackness greeted them.

Breathlessly, almost fearfully, the first voice said, "Forgive me. But this one refuses to cooperate." This last statement was said almost accusingly, as if more for Setsuna's benefit than the new voice.

"THEN SHE HAS PASSED, HAS SHE NOT?" the new voice asked. Setsuna tried to determine who the speaker was, but, like the first voice, it seemed genderless, timeless, and powerful. "THERE IS NO NEED FOR THIS VIOLENCE. YOUR TEMPER NEEDS IMPROVEMENT."

"I cannot find a proper Trial for this one," the first voice said hurriedly. "What shall I do?"

"IS THIS HER FAULT?"

"No..." the first voice said hesitantly. "But I thought-" "ENOUGH, HOSHI. SENSELESS VIOLENCE PLACES US NO BETTER THAN THOSE WE FIGHT," the new voice said paitently.

"Forgive me," the first voice mumbled ashamedly.

"GIVE THE KEEPER OF TIME WHAT SHE AND THE OTHERS DESERVE."

"Wait!" Setsuna demanded. "Who are you?"

"She is gone," the remaining voice said. "Besides, you couldn't address her in that tone anyway."

Setsuna clenched her fists to retain her calm. "Then perhaps you can give me some answers. We four have done what you've asked of us, some not as satisfactorily as others, but nevertheless we should get some sort of reward."

The voice laughed with more merriment than before. "You have earned your right, ruler of Pluto. You may ask what you will of me and I will answer what I can. I cannot answer all your questions, however."

Setsuna's first question was one that didn't require much thought. "Who are you? Let me see you."

Almost instantly, the darkness vanished beneath the soft glow of a large glowing orb. Beneath the orb stood a young woman no older than Haruka or Michiru by Setsuna's guess. She wore loose white robes that covered her feet and nearly swallowed her hands as well, and a tight silver choker wrapped around her neck. The only bit of color on her person was her deep red hair, tied up by a silver band into one incredibly long pigtail that brushed the backs of her knees. Her eyes, almost an exact shade of red, gazed at Setsuna intensely. Her pale complexion and white robes made her eyes and hair stand out shockingly against the light colors. Especially her eyes. "This is who I am," she said simply. Indeed her voice was the same as the one that orchestrated her Trial, though it lacked the timelessness and echoing property it had before.

A memory tickled the back of Setsuna's mind

(...chibi?...)

but it wouldn't come forward. Instead, she asked, "Do you have a name?"

The redhead regarded her curiously. "You don't remember...?" she started, then shook her head firmly. "I did once, but it no longer fits who I am," she said at last, a slight wry smile on her face.

Setsuna let that slide. No doubt she wouldn't get a clear answer anyway. "You were to test us?"

"Yes."

"Why? To what purpose? Haven't we already proved ourselves through our struggle to get here?" Setsuna demanded.

The woman hesitated. "To pass into the New Age, you must not only be strong in body but also strong in mind and character," she said at last. "True, you have proven your physical strength in many ways, but the strength of your minds was questioned on a few occasions."

"And these Trials were held to test our minds?" Setsuna asked. With a short laugh, she said, "You've broken us apart more than ever before. Fighting has broken out amongst us. Distrust, denial, you've planted these in our heads. How can this possibly be used to bring us to the New Age?"

The woman shrugged. "It is not my place to speculate. I have given tasks, you have completed them. Perhaps this fighting you speak of is part of a much larger test."

Setsuna was quiet, studying this new thought. If this was true, then things were worse off than she had originally thought. "Was there more to my Trial?" Setsuna asked after a moment.

The redhead looked infinitely sad for a brief moment, before she bowed her head and clasped her pale white hands under her chin. "There is more, Keeper," she said quietly. Her penetrating red eyes closed. A soft glittering glow lit up her hands, hands that clenched unconsciously around some object. "Much more," she nearly whispered as her eyes reopened. Drawing her hands away from her chin, she held one outstretched hand toward Setsuna, palm up, displaying the object she held. Her eyes never left Setsuna's puzzled face.

Setsuna hesitantly reached out to the object the woman held, usure of what it was in the bright light it eminated. Her hand closed around cool crystal, and the dazzling light abruptly winked out. The crystal she held was five-sided, and came to a point at one end. She drew it close to her eyes, sure she glimpsed something at the very tip. Its shape reminded her vaguely of something. "I don't understand...." she said, turning it over in her hands. Then, with the abruptness of a strike of lightning, it het her. The shock almost caused her to drop the crystal. "This is...." she started, not able to force the words beyond her dry mouth. Never before had she been so shocked, shocked to the very core.

"Warrior of Oceans, Soldier of Death, Guardian of Winds, Keeper of Time, your final Trial has begun," the woman with the red hair and eyes said. She turned and began walking the other way. Setsuna was struck again by how familiar she looked before the floor shattered into deep, fathomless darkness.

Setsuna came awake all at once. Glancing around wildly, she quickly took comfort in the familiar swirling mists of the Gate. Wasting no time in reflecting, she took a quick glance at the crystal still nestled tightly in one hand and took off running through the mists. She had to get back.

Within moments, she was back in her room, back in the timestream. Setsuna knew that her arrival would be felt throughout the household, but she didn't care. Her eyes roamed her study, looking for a proper place to safeguard this precious object as the awaited knock came at the door. "Hello? Who's here?" Michiru's voice demanded as the knob turned. "I could swear I felt something..." she added in an undertone as the door swung open and she entered. "Setsuna!" the aqua-haired woman gasped. Setsuna, her back to Michiru, calmly placed the crystal on its perfectly flat bottom above the fireplace. The best place to hide something was in plain sight.

"Yes, I have returned," she said quietly, not turning around.

Michiru took a hesitant step forward. "I felt something in here...what is that?" she asked, looking uneasily at the small crystal, no taller than five inches. Setsuna heard the unasked question of what had caused her to return in the first place in Michiru's voice.

"The crystal?" Setsuna questioned in an odd voice, finally turning to face the woman. Her back complained slightly, reminding Setsuna that injuries there had real-world effects. She stared Michiru straight in her blue-green eyes and said flatly, "This is the future."

The crystal sat quietly on the mantle. It caught the light shining through a part in the heavy curtains, and glowed once, as if in response.

Curled up on the couch whle she watched TV, Tsukino Usagi shivered as she felt a chill creep over her. She felt a fluttering in her mind, not unlike the feeling she got invoking the ginzuishou. A sort of resonance, as if it were reacting to something. Almost as soon as the feeling started, however, it faded. Faintly uneasy, Usagi settled back on the couch and attempted to put the event out of her mind.