-Three Years Earlier-

Why, oh why, do sailor suits have to be complete with heels? thought Sailor Pluto, trying to stand entirely still as she noticed her feet aching more and more with each passing second. I just took a break to the past like, thirty hours ago, she thought. I guess I'll just have to suffer for a while longer before I leave again…or maybe I'll just cut this shift short…

You will not, said another voice in her head. You're lucky you even have breaks now. Remember the past, when the solar system was in danger, and you couldn't move for centuries at a time?

Yes, well, said the other voice, my feet hurt.

She sighed. Stupid heels. At least all of the other sailor scouts wore heels too, and had to share in the fashionable misery.

Tuxedo Mask doesn't have to wear heels.

She laughed at this thought. Of course he didn't. He was a man; the only male guardian in the entire solar system…and a very attractive one at that. With his dark hair, and midnight blue eyes, it was hard not to notice. She let her mind wander to the time Small Lady was a toddler, and managed to get herself lost in the palace. The King was frantic, the Queen was on a trip to the past, and Setsuna had searched and searched with him, finally finding her in a cupboard under one of the many kitchen sinks, sleeping, with her tiny hands clutching onto a bottle of (thankfully unopened) window cleaner. Mamoru had been so worried that he almost started to cry, and upon finding her, he pulled Setsuna into a giant hug and squeezed her tightly. It was nice…he was warm…and he smelled good. She could have stayed like that for hours…and maybe it was her wishful thoughts warping the memory, but he wasn't too happy with the idea of letting go…

She heard something in the distance and snapped back to reality, as realization dawned on her about what kind of reactions her mind and body were having to this memory. Wow, Setsuna, she thought. Don't go there; I thought you were over that?

"Yes," she decided to herself quietly. "I'm very, very over that. I mean he's obviously very good looking; so what if I have a crush? It's harmless. I'm sure all of the other girls have had crushes on him, with the exception of Haruka and Michiru, obviously. It's not like anything could ever happen…"

Except, maybe…

"Hi, Miss Setsuna!"

Her heart leapt at the sound of a friendly voice, and came crashing down when she realized that it was Small Lady, calling her Miss Setsuna. Was she too old to call her Puu? She then realized, when Chibiusa came into focus, that she was with Helios. No wonder. Like she would call her Puu in front of her boyfriend.

"Hi, Chibiusa," she said, avoiding 'Small Lady' to avoid the 'I'm not small, I'm nine hundred and thirteen years old' conversation.

"We were just," started Chibiusa, giggling as Helios wrapped his arms around her from the back, "Coming to visit, and stuff."

Setsuna's heart panged a little as she noticed that Small Lady's dress was hanging a little more off one shoulder and that her lips were redder than usual.

"Oh," she said, forcing a smile at them both. "That's very sweet of you guys. But you're awfully far from home…shouldn't you be heading back? It's probably getting late in Crystal Tokyo. Mama Usagi is probably getting worried."

Helios stepped up beside Chibiusa and nodded seriously. "I told her I'd have you home by nine."

Well, thought Setsuna, at least he's somewhat responsible.

Chibiusa rolled her eyes. "I guess. Mom can be so overprotective."

Actually I was just thinking if she's protective enough, letting her thirteen old daughter go to the gates of time, at night, with a sixteen year old boy.

Setsuna didn't say anything, but she nodded.

Chibiusa left Helios and got within a few inches of Setsuna's face. "Are you okay, Puu?" she whispered.

Setsuna's heart lifted a little. "I'm fine, Small Lady," she murmured back. "Just fine."

Chibiusa's face broke into a wide smile. "Good. I'll come visit you again soon, okay?"

"All right," said Pluto, smiling back at her. "But I'm not kidding, you'd better get home. You don't want Miss Usagi getting mad at you." She winked at the pink haired girl standing before her. Since when was she so tall?

"Fair enough," she said, rolling her eyes once more. Bye, Miss Setsuna!" she said louder, as she turned and started walking back with Helios, who also waved a silent, shy goodbye. She noticed how her long hair flew out behind her as she walked, and shined, even though there wasn't any light reflecting off of it in the moderately dark and cloudy areas surrounding the gates. Just like Usagi's. She noticed her confident walk. Just like Mamoru's.

Setsuna felt like the most horrible person in the entire universe, for all of the thoughts that were running through her mind at that moment. But at that point, she'd already decided what she was going to do. Once she was sure Helios and Small Lady were gone, she whispered the code to the gates of time, and watched as they opened before her. Heart thumping with guilt and excitement, she slowly walked towards them. She had a plan.