"Pluto? May I speak with you?"

"Yes, your highness. What can I do for you?"

"Bring your staff...oh no, perhaps I should explain first."

"Is there something wrong your majesty?"

"No. Well, not really. And yes." Until this moment the Queen had had dry eyes about Mars's death. She knew that Rei would have wanted it that way. But as one of her last senshi approached, she could feel the tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. "You are so mature and graceful Pluto." Pluto blushed and was taken aback by this declaration. "But I won't envy you. The last time I envied a solider she died to give me everything she had left. I don't want you to go." She played with Pluto's black sailor coller.

"Mercury died in the best way a senshi could have- by successfully protecting her princess for all eternity."

"Will you die Pluto? Do you know? The people say because you control Time that you will just go back to guarding the door between dimensions. Is that true?"

Pluto listened carefully. After gazing into her eyes Pluto reached out her hands and cupped her Queen's fingers- just like Jupiter had done.

"Do you remember what you told me Mercury's last words to you were? That she would always be with you. We all will be. That why you have their powers within you- now you'll never be apart. It's our final gift to you. Understand?"

She didn't and she did. In either case, hearing those words made her feel a little more comfortable. She could still feel Mercury and the others within her. For the time being, she supposed she would just have to trust that this was everyone's final destiny and when it at last came, she'd be ready for it. She nodded is recognition.

Pluto was still marginally taller than her Queen so pulling her into a sweet embrace was easy and natural.

The Black soldger never had a real daughter. Chibiusa was the closest replacement. But feeling Pluto hold her in such a way made the Queen remember her own earthly mother Ikuko-mama. She thought about the old photo album almost decayed but for the work that Pluto and Neptune had done to keep the pages fresh. She wondered vaguely where it had gone to. The library? Ah yes, she remembered what she had to ask.

"Pluto?" She pushed back from the hug and looked up into that womanly face. "I want to learn how to control time- before you leave me. So I can gain all knowledge and learn from the past. This way I'll be able to see you anytime and be able to look towards the future."

Pluto was surprised at this sudden request but agreed. "When, Your Majesty?"

"Now." Replied the Queen. She knelt down on the spot and waited for her to join.

"…I will need my talisman for this."

Pluto taught her. Sometimes Venus sat in on the lessons. It was a long and detailed process indeed. Pluto showed her how to fill a wide black bowl with water so carefully that if one more drop was added, it would ruin the tension of the surface and break the spell- this was so others could see clearly what she was seeing only more simply- like a movie screen. She showed her how to find the place and time she was looking for without even knowing exactly what she was looking for. And many of the skills and techniques would not come until Pluto passed on her special abilities but the things she taught her queen were very useful more in understanding HOW time works. They both assumed at some point that all this was unnessiary, after all, she hadn't needed to take lessons from Uranus to learn how to successfully use the wind to bless the wheat farmers nor had she needed training to bring death as completely as Saturn did. But Time was a more complex abilty and Pluto had had several lifetimes to learn to get it right. Perhaps they could have gone through these discussions sooner but it had never occurred to Serenity that she would someday loose the time-keeper. In any case, it felt good to spend the next eight years learning how to weild her powers in combination with the others to bring even more protection to the Earth. With these lessons, she felt she had gained an entirely new power.

It was sudden when Pluto passed at the access of time. Everyone was very suprized to hear it. Perhaps it was her usual somber nature that masked her heavy decision. Even Venus was surpised as they had just been talking about things to do the next day.

She had wandered off at dawn and was found a good time later at the foot of the gate by Diana who sat with her for a very long time before reporting it.

The Queen came to see her beloved friend leaning her long figure against the frame of the grand door, her head drooping forward. Queen Serenity tried not to weep but rather laid Setsuna down so her body could rest comfortably and her long white locks would be spread around her ever-youthful face. Then she went to call in a servant to remove her from here to be given a proper burial.

The King leaned over her and kissed Pluto's forehead in respect and love. He seemed particularly touched by her passing. He closed his eyes and wept just a little while his love was gone. When he opened his eyes the body of the Time-keeper had disappeared. He and his Queen supposed the gates of time had taken her up so that her soul could truly find immortal peace unlike any normal mortal soul. So the funeral was held there at the gate with no marker but the grand stone carvings that told her tale and blocked the way of any intruder and a small brass watch a Prince had once given a Princess. They knew that somewhere she was still guarding it.

All this time, however, the queen kept a close eye on Venus.