Title: Forgotten

Author: Kamel

Pairing:

Word Count:

Genre: Angst, Drama

Rating: PG-13

Feedback: Please and thank you.

Summary: Protecting the Gates of Time can be real lonesome for Setsuna, especially when memories of the past and a former partner return to haunt her.

Chapter One

Twice a year, Sailor Pluto ventured to the Moon Kingdom from her position at the Gates of Time, but she never went far from the palace and never stayed too long either. The ageless sailor senshin always made a beeline to the Chamber of Fallen Angels, a Chamber that had only been used once and how she desperately wished that count would have remained at zero; twice a year she bitterly wished of it, but it was an empty wish. She was the Guardian of Time, she was suppose to protect time, not alter it. Entering the all too familiar Chamber, Pluto left her time staff leaning up against the wall and proceeded heading down the aisle between rows of pews in the white room. Her garment colored eyes were staring, transfixed, on the crystal clear coffin propped up ahead of her upon the plain alter. A small frown played her lips as she took a seat on the very edge of the first row. Half a century ago today, the woman within the light purple liquid filled coffin had been driven to insanity. It was hard to keep her eyes on the young woman in her dark senshin uniform with her long, raven black hair.

Pluto lowered her head, slumping her shoulders. She rested her forehead against her open palm, elbow resting on her tight. The woman's dark red colored eyes, so cold, yet so comforting at the same time, still burned clearly in her mind. She remembered that day fifty years ago as if it were yesterday. Not to mention, visions of the past often replayed themselves during her watch of the Gates – the memory was etched into her mind and she spent countless of hours trying to figure out how everything had turned to be so wrong, so horrible. There must have been something Pluto could have done to make things different. There had to have been. She didn't want to believe she let Tanaka down.

"The gardens are very lovely this time of year, aren't they, Pluto?" Queen Serenity had asked with a faint smile as she walked between the rows of the many patches of flowers, her senshin following right behind her. She glanced over her shoulder towards Pluto. "It is great to see you away from the Gates, even if for a short period of time."

"With only visions of the past, present and future to accompany me, I do need the time to actually socialize with others, my Queen," Pluto replied, coming to a stop when Serenity had turned around to face her. For a split second, Pluto could have swore she had said something offensive – she reminded herself she had taken the position of the Guardian of Time herself, that she knew what she was getting into and she shouldn't be sounding ungrateful now, but Queen Serenity only continued to smile, erasing all doubts from her mind.

"Speaking of the Gates," Serenity began, walking over to the nearest bench. She took a seat and signaled Pluto to do the same. Pluto sat on the opposite side of her Queen, as instructed. "I have come to the conclusion that you are in need of a partner, a friend to keep you company, if you will."

A partner? The idea of having someone with her protecting the Gates intrigued her, that was for certain, but who did the Queen have in mind? All of the other senshin had their duties to keep to. The Inner-Senshin had to protect the Queen along with the Kingdom and the Outer-Senshin, herself included, had to defeat the universe from the presence of evil from foreign planets. "My Queen, thought I am grateful for the idea, but all the others are busy. I don't want them juggling their mission and watching the Gates."

"And neither do I, Puu," Serenity agreed, shaking her head. "Do you remember what occurred nearly fifteen years ago among the outer parts of our solar system?"

Pluto nodded in response. "Yes, the people of Planet X retaliated among each other, causing a Civil War," she answered. "And when we finally got wind about it, it had been too late. Civilization on that planet as we knew it had destroyed itself."

"Do you remember the sole survivor of that planet?" Serenity asked.

"Yes, the infant child, Princess Tanaka," Pluto stated. "I was the one who took the child from the planet. My Queen, I'm afraid that had I not been watching the Gates, we could have saved Planet X."

"This is no time for regrets, Pluto," Serenity reminded. "I asked you to do your duty at the Gates." The planets Pluto and X, now an empty wasteland, closely orbited next to each other. They had concluded X had once been a part of Pluto, but due to a natural disaster of some sort, the two had split. There was also the theory that X had been one of Pluto's moons. What they were sure about was the origins of Planet X were shrouded with mystery. "Princess Tanaka began her senshin training a year ago and when she reaches the age of eighteen in two years, I shall assign her to the Gates of Time, it is her destiny after all – X being the sister planet of Pluto."

The planets may have been close, but that couldn't be said about the two women. Pluto hadn't seen Tanaka since she was an infant and the thought of her becoming a senshin hadn't crossed her mind at all. "Have you told her that is her destiny? Have you told her she's destined to watch the past, present, and future? My Queen, with all due respect, I don't want her going into this blind. I want her to know what she's getting into."

"She will be well aware of the requirements for the position, Pluto," Serenity replied.

Pluto forced herself to look back up at the crystal coffin. No, she hadn't been well aware of the requirements. Sailor X could not handle viewing visions of the past, the present, and the future. They caused the young woman nightmares, drove her to insanity. Pluto had tried her damn best to help X, gave her time away from the Gates to clear her head, what she needed. The girl had become a close friend, a sister almost – like their planets. Pluto's attempts to help X had ultimately all failed in the end. It wasn't enough to save her. She shouldn't have left X alone for a second, not in her condition, what had she been thinking?

If anything, Pluto should have taken X with her. X was part of the Outer-Senshin as well and Pluto was going to a meeting to discuss the recent new presences of evil among Neptune, Uranus and Saturn, but X stayed behind to watch over the Gates, she had volunteered to stay behind to watch the Gates. Pluto should had automatically assumed that as not normal behavior. Upon returning to the gates, Pluto couldn't find X. When she had found the Gates empty, she immediately headed to the Moon Kingdom only to find it in complete ruin.

Vividly, Pluto remembered the endless piles of rubble that had once been their gorgeous Kingdom, the crackling fire. The sky was covered with a thick layer of ash and smoke, making it near impossible to breath. She remembered Eternal Sailor Moon approaching her to deliver the most dreadful news. Sailor X had gone rogue and had attempted to use her forbidden attack – the Shizuka na Shi. There had been no other way, they had stop X and they had. X had died. Pluto had always been haunted by the images of the past, present and future, but it was mostly this part, the unbearable part of the past of her Queen's Kingdom that disturbed her. "So many were injured because of my false judgment," Pluto murmured to herself. "Little One, I wanted things to be differently, I really did. I'm sorry…"

With a heavy sigh, the Senshin of Time and Space stood up from the pew. Her stays in this Chamber were never long; she came here simply out of respect. Pluto walked up to the alter with a small frown. She placed a tiny kiss on the tip of her gloved fingers and pressed them against the crystal, wishing she could see life in those hidden dark red eyes just once more.

XXX

"Setsuna?" Haruka asked, noticing her friend had been starting off into space while she had tried to tell her of the new attack that occurred this afternoon.

"Hmm?" Setsuna blinked and looked up, crashing back down into reality.

She had been sitting in an armchair in the living room of the Outer Senshin household. Realizing that she was currently being watched by not only Haruka, but Michiru and Hotaru as well, Setsuna felt a bit embarrassed for being caught off guard. It had been a long day and they didn't realize that. She hadn't told anyone else about Sailor X, about Tanaka. "I'm sorry," she quickly said. "I dozed off, Haruka, I'm pretty tired."

"Are you going to be okay, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked, concerned.

Setsuna flashed her small lady a smile. "Of course, hime-chan. Now, what were you saying?"

"My mirror picked up a new presence of evil," Michiru began. "We aren't exactly sure at the moment what it is, but whoever they are, they are obsessed with collecting human energy."

"According to the others, the monster intended of giving the energy to a source," Haruka added.

"Setsuna-mama, they want to awaken a powerful being," Hotaru chimed in. "We have to protect the universe again."

"That's what we are, Little One," Setsuna reminded with a faint grin, patting Hotaru on the head. "Guardians of the universe – how exactly are they collecting the energy? Do we know who'll be endangered next? Anything?"

"When Haruka and I were on vacation – when Haruka was sick, mind you, the Puppet and the Puppet Master were collecting the essence of energy from the audience. We believe whatever is attacking now uses the same method," Michiru answered. "And if that is the case, anyone can be a target next. I'll be keeping a close eye on my mirror."

Setsuna nodded, "I'll be watching for anything unusual at the Gates." Thought she was very tired and wanted nothing more but to rest for a while more, she forced herself onto her feet. There was work to be done and she had to return to the Gates. Her sudden movement caused the other three to rise as well. "I might be able to find something out about this if I return to my post."

"Can you stay for dinner, Setsuna-mama?" Hotaru asked, taking a few steps closer to the older woman to grab her hand. "We don't see you around much anymore.

Kneeling down, Setsuna wrapped her arms around Hotaru. "Of course, hime-chan, I'll stay."

To Be Continued