A purple haired girl steps into the hall and looks around. "I know you are out there, I may not be able to see you, but I sense you. You're trespassing in the Hall of Memories. You have no business here." She says as she slowly steps closer towards the Scouts, her purple dress slowly sliding across the floor as she touches the staff in her hand to the floor as the area around them becomes pure white, lighting the area up.
Mercury looks right at the purple haired female before speaking. "I know you! We saw you fighting with Hiro in his memories." The girl smiles softly, but sadly. "Uncle Hiro… I miss him you know. He's been gone over one hundred thousand years." The Scouts jaws drop as they can't believe it. "One hundred thousand years…" Sailor Moon manages to stutter out.
The girl just nods her head. "Yes he's been missing that long. Time where we are from has went on without him. Everything he knew and I knew is gone. I am the protector, the Goddess of both Sertye and the Hall of Memories." She says as she walks closer to Mercury before smiling a bit more. "I see how you got passage now. You have the key, only Hiro could have made that. How is Uncle Hiro?"
The other Scouts look down as Mercury seems to have trouble speaking, but as she gets ready to the other girl stops her. "I see, don't worry. Just answer one question." She says as her eyes stare right into Mercury as if she was looking at both her heart and soul. "He died to protect you and your friends, but mainly you right? He gave his all to protect you right?" Mercury nods softly as the girl looks at the scene and finally understanding what Hiro was trying to do.
"I exist both now in your present and in my future. I know what is to come." The girl says softly as she turns away and walks towards the door, as she stops and faces Mercury again. "Ami Mizuno, Princess of Mercury, Sailor Mercury. You must honor his words. Regardless of what your emotion tells you. More then your fate and the fate of your world depend on this." She starts back walking as Mercury looks at her, before shouting after her.
"Wait! Why? Why does he have to suffer? Why do I?" Mercury looks right at the girl who has tears in her eyes. The girl slowly wipes her eyes before speaking. "Because of me, he has to suffer because of me. I sent into motion a chain of events that have went out of control. I never meant to do that. The destruction of his homeworld, his exile from his time, his running from the crazy psychopath, all of it caused by me. I am trying to atone for my sins by protecting the reborn Sertye Empire and her people, but nothing will ever fully atone for what I did to him." She says wiping her eyes from more tears.
Mercury wipes her own eyes and looks at the girl. "I will save him. He's alive again some how, I will save him. You should be here in his place!" Mercury shouts at the girl. "Your right I should be the one sentence to being damned, not Uncle Hiro. He has protected and guarded me for most of my life, he protected my mother too. His fate wasn't one he diverse, but she's too strong. Even if I could defeat her, I would be left too drained from the battle to help him." She says softly.
"Who? And who exactly are you?" Mercury asks. "Firona is her name. She has chased us through many worlds and times. She met the ones you call The Dark Moon Clan on one of those trips. They promised to show her how to make Hiro obey her in exchange for her power to destroy their enemies. So Firona tossed Hiro into your world to try to cause this destruction," the girl walks to the door and smiles. "You have just a couple of more memories, the most painful ones to go through. After that you will be given the final test."
She walks to the edge of the door and looks at them all. "Good Luck. And to answer your second question, my name is Ami Sertye, Crown Princess of Sertye, Goddess and Protector of the Sertye Empire and her people." She waves at them all as the door slams shut and they are surrounded by the darkness again. "Princess?" Mercury says softly. "Don't worry, she seems to be trying to make up for her mistakes." Sailor Moon says as she puts a hand on Mercury's shoulder. "Besides we need to focus on these last two memories and the final test that is supposed to be coming."
Suddenly the place changes as they realize this is the last major battle they had, the one Hiro died at. They watch as there past selves launch attacks as Mercury sees what's happening. She watches as Hiro appears and sees the ambush they are heading towards as he runs quickly towards her in slow motion. "Hiro… I have to stop this! I am being given a chance!" Mercury says as the event starts to play out towards its normal end as Mercury's hand began to glow with her attack as her other self looks towards her for a minute and trips.
"No… Please god don't let it be that…" Mercury says as she backs up into the others as they watch Hiro take the attack meant to kill Mercury, but it starts to kill him instead as the scene slowly fades away as Hiro dies in her arms. Sailor Moon looks at the pale face on her friend. "Mercury what's wrong?!" She asks as her friend keeps getting paler and shaking her head. "No… No… No… How could I…" Mercury mumbles as she looks up at Sailor Moon. "I killed him… My desire to save him killed him…" She gets out between tears and heavy sobs.
The other Scouts look at her in shock unable to believe they are hearing Mercury blame herself. "It's not your fault Mercury as we saw he ran right in front of the attack in his own free will." Mars says softly as Mercury shakes her head again. "No, I tripped and couldn't get my attack off. I caused it. I sensed myself in the past because of my anger! My desire to save him! I didn't listen to his words… That's why he said that to me." She sinks to her knees and begins to cry heavily.
"What words?" Mars asks softly. Mercury still cries heavily as she manages to speak through the tears. "Do not interfere… You're not allowed to interfere… You must just watch everything and do not interfere… This is mine and your past… You can not interfere…" Mars looks at her as Sailor Moon keeps holding her close. "You didn't interfere Mercury. You kept your word." Sailor Moon says softly while holding her.
"No I did interfere… I was about to blast the monster with my new attack… But my past self sensed it and saw me, causing the trip and Hiro's life… I killed him…" She cries softly as the scene around them changes again. This time they appear in a black colored room, where a pod sits in the middle with Hiro laying on it as the girl who called herself Princess Wicked Lady walks in with another female, who is cloaked. "Queen Crystal, we retrieved his body and his life is back like she said it would be, but he's not accepting the dark energy so you can control him. His mind and his body refuse it."
The cloaked figure laughs a bit before turning away. "He will still serve our purposes. Then you can have him as we agreed." The other girl bows a bit before speaking. "Thank you for the gift your highness, but what about the one that calls herself Firona? The one who told us about him?" The cloaked figure shrugs for a minute then speaks. "She hasn't come around in about two years, so I think she gave up on him. Ready him to destroy the Scouts." They both leave the room and shuts the door as Mercury runs next to the pod. She wants to interfere, but holds that instinct in check.
"Ami…" Hiro mutters as his eyes open and close as Mercury grabs his hand. "I am here Hiro." She says softly. "Help me please… They are trying to turn me into a monster…" He says as he looks at her before his eyes shut again. "Don't worry Hiro, I will help you, I will not leave you to rot or die in a place like this. I promise you Hiro, I will save you." Mercury says with a look of determination on her face.
Hiro smiles softly as he looks up at her. "De corde totaliter, Et ex mente tota, Sum presentialiter." He says as he looks up at her. "With all my heart and all my soul, I am with you. Always no matter if I am far away…" She says to him as the scene vanishes as the door behind them begins to open. Sailor Moon looks around and then speaks. "Is that it? Is there another test?" Mercury smiles, finally understanding the test, "No, I passed the test. I understand it now. Let's go home and save him." She walks towards the door with a single goal in mind, saving Hiro.
Back in the Warehouse, 10 minutes before the Scouts arrive back
A figure looks over at the green haired Timekeeper next to him. "Thank you Sailor Pluto. I knew she would pass." Pluto just nods and looks at the figure, "Do you think she can save him?" The figure just nods and speaks. "He believed in her and her friends so much, he used part of his soul to power that door." Pluto nods slowly. "That's why I couldn't detect it. He's very powerful and strong. He could have taken the Gates of Time to get home." She says. The figure nods no and speaks again. "Hiro would have not broken your rules or hurt you to get by. He only bent the rules in this case to help Mercury see."
Pluto looks at the figure again and then at the gate. "He's protected her and them for so long. They shouldn't suffer anymore. This is enough." She says with conviction. The figure chuckles a bit before speaking. "If that's the case are you willing to involve yourself in this? Remember Chaos isn't coming like you expected the one that gave Crystal her power, destroyed Chaos. So think carefully about what you're getting involved in. You will not be in your little protected world by your little gate anymore."
Pluto just looks at the figure again and steps back a bit. "How do you know so much, who are you exactly?" The figure looks right into her eyes and smirks as his green hair can be seen. "Just a friend, you're always alone. I know the feeling. We are keepers of the secrets and we are always alone. Your not alone Pluto." The figure backs up a bit. "Like Hiro watches over Ami, I have someone I watch over. So take care so I don't have to sacrifice myself like Hiro did ok, Setsuna?" Pluto looks at him in a look of shock.
"How do you know…" She spits out as he just smiles and vanishes. She blinks a few times as she thinks. 'I have a Guardian Angel? There is something not right about that young man. I have seen him before. I know I have.' She jumps to the floor and waits, watching the door very carefully as it seems to be glowing somewhat and giving off a very weird type of energy.
Present Time
Pluto just looked at the door as it had been opened for two minutes but there was no sign of the Scouts but she could hear walking coming towards her. She hoped it was actually the Scouts and not a monster coming towards her. Her thoughts drifted back to the young man from earlier. 'Green hair. Deep Voice. Caring Eyes. I know I have seen all three of those before. Earlier I saw them, but where.' She keeps thinking to herself as the Scouts emerge and look at the deep in thought Pluto.
"Oh man, are we in trouble because of the Gates of Time thing?" Sailor Moon asks while staring at Pluto, but blinks when she gets no response. "Pluto are you ok?" She stands in front of her waving her arm as Pluto seems to snap out of her trance. "Princess, I am sorry about that. I was in thought." Pluto said softly. "No problem, Pluto before you punish us for the Gat…" Sailor Moon starts to say as Pluto holds up a hand to stop her.
"It's ok Princess. Two people explained to me the importance of your journey and how Mercury would pass her test and not alter anything." Pluto looks at Mercury and smiles softly. "Sailor Mercury you had more control then I ever thought possible. You did not interfere even though it meant you watched him die again and you could have stopped it." Mercury nods slowly and speaks. "It wasn't just about what I wanted Pluto. He diverse to be saved, but he wouldn't want it at the cost of others. I will save him without having to sacrifice others to do so." She says smiling.
Pluto nods and smiles. "They both said as much. I came here with the intent of destroying the door, but I realized that my power wouldn't work against the door." The Scouts look at her and blink. "Why is that Pluto?" Mars asks quietly. "Well because something occurred to me. If Mercury could open this gate on her own, then whatever it was could alter time itself. I can't interfere with that power because of the rules. Plus he was here and explained to me Mercury is the only one who can control the door." Pluto says.
"Pluto I am going to shut that door, I understand my tests and trials. I understand everything he wanted to explain to me." Mercury says softly as she turns to the door as she wills the door to shut as it does and it seems to become inactive. "I believe the gate is now shut down and now won't work anymore." She says with a small smile as she then drops from her Sailor Scout state breathing heavily. "That took a lot of energy to train, even normally I feel much stronger." Ami says while looking to the others.
