Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or Dragonball Z. Those shows/manga/etc. belong to their creators.


Usagi's sudden toppling over caught everyone off guard, but no time was wasted. No sooner had she crashed against the ground that Ami and Rei were at her side, the others moving closer to them and standing at attention. The teamwork of these first two senshi was quick to overpower any form of confusion as they immediately sought action, huddling around the fallen girl and turning her over. Usagi's eyes remained closed, her unresponsive body seeming at peace and contrasting the panic the rest of her friends were feeling.

"What happened?" Rei asked, voicing the concern that was on every girl's mind. Her eyes desperately sought the others around her, quickly turning from one face to another. "Did anyone see anything?"

Silence was the only reply she received. Ami had long since activated her visor and was rapidly tapping away into the palm-sized computer on her hand. Setsuna kept her attention focused on the blue-haired girl, knowing that any answers they might receive were sure to come from her.

Ami's eyes darted from one side to another as she struggled to keep up with the information flashing through her visor. A moment later she gasped as her body lurched forward, and by the look in her eyes Setsuna knew the news would be bad.

"Her energy is draining away," Ami said. "She's already lost so much. If we don't do something soon, Usagi is going to die!"

The invisible strain over the group intensified as each senshi drew back at the words. Setsuna turned from Ami to Usagi, only then seeming to notice just how pale their leader had become in such a short amount of time. She could sense the girl's energy quickly fading away, as though an intangible force were sapping at her very existence.

No, she thought, feeling as though she were pleading with fate itself. Not like this. Not Usagi.

But her prayers would go unanswered and Usagi remained motionless, seeming to grow paler with each passing second. Quickly composing herself, Setsuna closed her eyes and brought the tip of the Garnet Rod to rest against her temple. There was a reason behind this, she was sure of it. Now it was only a matter of reaching the answer before it was too late.

She focused on emptying her mind, straining to push away the turmoil of the situation along with the numbing sensation that was beginning to grow within her, but to no avail. The void that had once been the future was all that came to her, its bleakness seeming to taunt her resolve. For far too long she had been a master of time, able to witness even the most minuscule detail surrounding the threads of fate. Now, when that guidance was needed more than ever before, the answers seemed to escape her grasp, hovering just close enough that she could sense them but too far out of her reach.

The future had changed far more than what Setsuna had initially thought. She could no longer see any possible outcomes ahead, and she knew the reason for it was due to an unforeseen event affecting the flow of time. Something had altered the timeline so drastically that it was practically forcing the future to be rewritten. The premature death of the future queen of Crystal Tokyo, she realized with growing trepidation, would certainly qualify as such an event.

Not seeing any other possible answers, and not knowing what else to do, Setsuna felt herself succumb to panic, the world around her seeming to come to a crawling halt as her resolve vanished on the spot. The irony of the situation did not escape her, but she could find no mirth within the private joke as she stood there, processing the horrible truth that had just fallen over her. She could easily follow the movement of each senshi as they struggled to find a way to help Usagi, but she could not find the strength to inform them that any attempts would prove futile.

Usagi, it seemed, was destined to die. Fate itself had preordained it. Only a miracle would be able to save her now.

Goku, having heard Ami's words, turned to Piccolo. His expression was even and controlled, and his eyes flashed with determination as he spoke.

"Do you think a Senzu Bean could help?"

"It might," Piccolo said. Seeing Goku's features momentarily shift at his words, he frowned. "But I don't have any with me."

"Korin might have some, Goku," Krillin said. "He should know by now to always have a few ready in case we need them."

"That still won't do us any good, Krillin," Piccolo said. "The lookout is too far away. No mater how fast we fly Sailor Moon will probably be dead before we even get there."

"Don't say that!" Rei snapped from where she knelt at Usagi's side, glaring in Piccolo's direction. "She's not going to die!" Her features softened as her eyes strayed back to the blonde-haired girl lying next to her. "She can't…"

Piccolo would have liked to agree with Sailor Mars, but all the wishing in the world would not change anything. Sailor Moon was growing weaker with each passing second, and he could sense her life force slipping as it slowly faded away. Unless some drastic change took place in the next few minutes the girl would certainly meet her end, and not even the dragon balls would be able to bring her back from what appeared to be a natural death.

"You're right. She's not going to die."

All eyes were immediately on Goku, who stood facing the senshi, his features resolute. Ami, who had ignored all previous conversation, tore her eyes away from her computer and turned to the saiyan, surprise reflected on her face.

"Do you have a plan?" she asked Goku. Seeing him nod, Ami found herself daring to hope.

Goku moved closer to Usagi, the other senshi stepping back so that he could kneel by her side. Rei scooted away and kept her eyes on Goku, watching solemnly as he pushed back the shorter bangs from Usagi's temple before closing his eyes and stretching both hands over her limp form.

Silence hung in the air, no one daring to move or speak as they kept their eyes on Goku. Time slowly passed as they waited for whatever plan he had to take effect, but Goku remained frozen, with no signs of effort on his part save for the hands that continued to linger over Usagi's still body, which continued to grow paler with each passing moment.

After waiting what felt like an eternity without seeing any results, Rei rose to her feet, both hands cuffed to her side.

"If you're going to do something to save her then do it!" she yelled at Goku, causing some of the other senshi behind her to jump in alarm. The saiyan warrior did not reply, nor did he give any inkling that he had heard her words. Desperation getting the best of her, Rei lunged at the unmoving saiyan, ready to push him away from Usagi, but one of the other senshi reached her before she could get far, pinning their arms under hers and raising her feet off the ground. Unable to move, the dark-haired girl settled for thrashing in place, her frustrated cries ringing over the vast terrain as time continued to run out.

"You have to calm down, Sailor Mars," she heard Makoto whisper in her ear, her voice gruff with the effort of keeping the girl pinned. "This isn't helping."

"Neither is he!" Rei screamed back. Her words seemed to get through to Goku, who lowered his hands and turned to Rei. Had she not been feeling so angry she might have smirked at finally getting a reaction out of him, but she settled for easing onto Makoto's hold as the saiyan continued to stare at her.

She expected him to be angry, had almost wished for it. At least then she could pour out her frustration on being helpless to save Usagi onto someone else without feeling guilty about it. But as he looked at her she could see sympathy reflected in his eyes. There was no anger, only an understanding to her pain that took the fight out of Rei, and she barely felt Makoto let her go as Goku spoke.

"I know it's not easy, but I need you to please be quiet. I promise that I'll do my best to help her."

Rei found herself nodding silently, and Goku turned to Usagi once more. With his ki finally gathered, he pushed a great amount of energy outward, guiding the source from the tip of his palm into the unmoving body before him. Usagi was bathed in a golden light, its luminance causing the others to shield their eyes until its intensity diminished and the wave of energy disappeared.

The work done, Goku felt his body slump forward. The sudden release of energy had left him feeling lightheaded, but he quickly shook the effect off and focused on Usagi's energy reading. He had probably given her more energy than necessary, but it was better not to take any unnecessary risks. Feeling her energy rise again was enough for him to know that the threat had been momentarily taken care of. Taking a deep breath, he rose to his feet and turned to Ami.

"That should be enough until we can get a Senzu Bean."

Wondering just what a Senzu Bean was, Ami turned back to her scanner. Whatever Goku had done, it seemed to have helped enormously. Usagi's vital signs had shot up greatly, and for a moment Ami was tempted to believe that they would stabilize, but no sooner had the thought crossed her mind that their team leader's readings began to plummet once more.

"It's not enough. Her energy is dropping again."

Haruka cursed under her breath. "What is going on here? This has never happened before."

"Isn't there anything else we can do?" Sailor Venus asked.

Makoto turned to Goku. Though he did not seem fatigued she could tell that giving Usagi his own energy had taken great effort. Small beads of sweat had begun to form on his upper brow and his breathing had picked up ever so slightly. Even without these telltale signs she could sense that his energy had taken a sudden drop. It made her wonder just how much energy he had passed on to Usagi and how much he could afford to pass on again, but her concern for her fallen friend far outweighed that of his further becoming winded.

"Please, Goku," she said, moving past Sailor Mars and gazing deeply into the saiyan's eyes, "try helping Sailor Moon again."

"It won't make a difference," Tien said. "Goku gave her more energy than what should be needed, and already she's lost over half of it. She needs a Senzu Bean, Goku."

"Yes, but the only way to get one is by flying to the lookout," Piccolo said. "We'll never make it there in time."

"Then I'll just have to go get it."

Piccolo turned to Goku, surprised at his confidence. The last time he had seen Goku in action, the saiyan clearly outclassed any of them, but it was still not enough for what needed to be done.

"You're fast, Goku, but not that fast."

Goku, however, merely gave Piccolo a cryptic smile. "Trust me. I'll be back in no time."

The coolness in the tone caught Piccolo off guard. He was fully aware of how strong Goku had become in his absence, but even his super saiyan transformation would not lend him enough power to carry out this task. Still, he was curious to see what made Goku believe with such certainty that he would be able to succeed. Had his skills really improved to such an extent since they last saw him on Namek? It was possible, Piccolo knew, but it seemed very unlikely.

All eyes were once again on Goku, who moved away from Piccolo and turned to the senshi.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine," he said to the other group, then closed his eyes and raised a hand to his face, letting two fingers rest on his forehead. The others watched him with bated breath, waiting for his next move, yet once again it seemed as though whatever Goku had planned was taking time, something they could not afford to waste.

Ami turned from the unmoving saiyan to the computer in her hand and back again, feeling her hope fade away and panic set in once more as she watched Goku stand there, his features solemn as he stared off into space. Already her computer was flashing warnings and beeping in rapid succession. Usagi had reached a critical level. Time was almost up. Unless some miracle happened within the next minute they were going to lose her.

Closing her eyes, Ami felt the world around her vanish. All of her knowledge and studies in medicine had been useless in the end. She had failed Usagi, and now her best friend was about to leave them for good.

She felt a hand reach for her, its strong grip clasping around her wrist and giving it a firm tug. Composing herself, Ami opened her eyes to find Usagi staring up at her, a concerned expression on her face.

"Ami, are you alright? Is something wrong?"

Ami openly gaped at the blonde-haired girl, struggling to formulate a response. Was this real, or had she somehow cracked under the pressure, unable to cope with reality, and now her mind was showing her what she wanted to see?

The grip on her hand intensified, causing Ami to wince. No, this was real. This was definitely real.

Rei, who had turned at the sound of Usagi's voice, stared in disbelief before reaching for the girl and embracing her.

"Usagi!"

The cry caused everyone to turn from Goku to the dark-haired girl and then to Usagi. Minako and Makoto quickly joined the other two senshi next to their leader, each one embracing Usagi from different sides. The blonde-haired girl remained confused, but smiled against herself as her friends continued to voice their concern. Haruka and Michiru chose to keep their distance but both looked on with a mingled sense of relief.

"You gave us quite a scare, kiddo," Haruka said, smiling at Usagi.

"Why?" the blonde-haired girl asked. "What happened?"

"You passed out, dummy," Rei screamed at her, grabbing Usagi by the arms and shaking her lightly. A part of her realized that she should just be grateful that Usagi seemed to be okay, but she ignored it as she continued to glare in the blonde's direction. "Your energy was draining and you almost died. Don't ever scare us like that again!"

"Calm down, Rei," Makoto said. "Let's just give her some room and be thankful that she's fine." Turning to Ami, she asked, "She is fine, isn't she?"

Ami had wasted no time in checking Usagi's reading on her computer. Now she turned to the other girls and nodded. "Everything seems okay. Vital signs are stable again." Turning back to Usagi she asked, "What happened, Usagi?"

"I don't know," Usagi said, her brow creasing in worry. "I felt fine just a minute ago. The next thing I knew I was on the ground with all of you staring at me."

The sailor senshi looked at one another, at a loss for words. This was the second time now that Usagi had come close to meeting a disastrous end, and they had all been unable to prevent either scenario from playing out. To Rei it seemed too much like a bad omen. The fighting had not even begun and yet she had almost lost a dear friend twice on the same day. What, then, could they expect once the time came for them to risk everything they had to secure the safety of every world in existence?

She reached for Usagi, taking hold of one of her hands and squeezing it. On the girl's other side Ami did the same. They remained huddled together, no words needed from the two inner senshi to convey their silent support for their friend. Usagi turned from one girl to the other, smiling earnestly in spite of the dangers that had just passed.

Her expression quickly changed, however, and her features became somber once more.

"Why do all these strange things keep happening only to me?"

The rest of the senshi turned to Setsuna. The senshi of time had remained silent, her features blank as she contemplated their leader's words. What answer could she give that would assuage her future queen? She herself did not know for sure. Usagi seemed on the verge of death, yet now it seemed as though nothing had ever happened. Was this merely a backlash from the experience she had undergone within the Gates of Time, or was there something more hidden within the ordeal?

One way or another, she would be making it a priority to discover the answer for herself.

Knowing that the others were awaiting her response, she shifted her grip on the Garnet Rod, giving the impression that she was carefully weighing her words. Finally, she said, "This does not seem to be a mere random occurrence, nor do I believe it to be a coincidence. The trials you endured within the Gates of Time must have had a greater effect than we realized, but now is not the time to address this issue. Once we have returned to our world we will discuss this matter. Until then, let us count our good fortune as a blessing."

No one questioned her judgment. Usagi nodded in agreement and sighed inwardly in relief. As long as Setsuna remained calm about the issue she truly believed she had nothing to worry about. The older senshi might seem cold and distant at times, but Usagi still trusted her with her life. She trusted all of the senshi, and knew that they all felt the same way about her.

Piccolo watched the group in silence. How close had they come to losing Sailor Moon? He was not sure, but he knew enough to tell that the girl had been knocking on death's door. Fate, it seemed, had been on their side this day.

"It looks like she's fine," he told Goku, keeping his gaze on Sailor Moon. "Her energy reading isn't dropping anymore. I've never seen such a drastic reduction of energy occur so sporadically before. What do you make of it, Goku?"

Not hearing a response, he tore his eyes away from Sailor Moon and turned to the saiyan. Goku, however, was no longer standing next to him. Turning around, Piccolo was surprised to find that he was nowhere to be seen.

Krillin had also noticed the saiyan's absence. "Hey, where's Goku?" he asked, catching the attention of the other fighters around him.

"He's right here, Krillin," Yamcha said, turning to his side. His eyes widened as he stared at the empty space. "That's weird. He was just here a second ago. Where did he go?"

"Right here."

Yamcha jumped back, whirling around to find Goku standing behind him. Wasting no time, Goku hurried past his awestruck friend and knelt next to Usagi, holding what appeared to be a small pebble between his thumb and index finger and raising it close to her face. Only then did he seem to notice that she was now wide awake and staring at him with just as much surprise as he felt.

"Your energy feels normal again," Goku said, more to himself than to those around him. "Did someone give you more energy?"

"No, her energy reading stabilized on its own," Ami said, closing the palm-sized computer and storing it away. "One moment it was nearly gone and the next it was back to normal. We don't even know how it happened."

"That's great," Goku said as he turned from Ami to Usagi, grinning from ear to ear. "Your power feels just as strong as it did earlier, but try to take it easy for now, okay? We don't want you losing any more energy."

Usagi, feeling dumbfounded, merely nodded in silence, and Goku handed the Senzu Bean to Ami.

"Keep it just in case," he told Sailor Mercury. "You never know just when you might need a Senzu Bean."

Ami stared at the small green object in her hand. It seemed like an ordinary uncooked bean, its rough texture and slight weight only serving to annoy her. How was such a small thing supposed to help Usagi? From the way the others had spoken about it, this Senzu Bean was going to save Usagi from losing all her energy. Was such a thing even possible?

Deciding not to further pursue the train of thought, Ami simply thanked Goku and fastened the Senzu Bean to the ribbon firmly tied around her waist. She would make a mental note of studying it once they returned to their world.

Nodding to both senshi, Goku stood up and turned around. Only then did he realize that all of his teammates were staring unblinkingly at him. Frowning, he said, "Why are all you guys looking at me like that?"

Tien turned to Chiaotzu. "Did you see him move?"

"Not at all," Chiaotzu said. "It's like he just vanished and reappeared. I didn't even sense him leaving or coming back."

"A Senzu Bean," Yamcha mumbled, gaping at Goku. "But that's impossible. He was just here a second ago. We all saw him. There's no way anyone could have made it to Korin's Tower that fast."

"Yet he did," Piccolo said, and as shocked as he was to see that Goku had indeed managed the impossible, his voice had yet to lose its cool demeanor. "Maybe it would help if you told us how you did it, Goku."

Goku smiled apologetically, but even then his eyes seemed to flicker with mischief. "Sorry, I guess with all the commotion I forgot to tell you guys. It's a new technique I learned while I was on the planet Yardrat."

With that he began to retell of his time spent on the alien planet and the ability he had acquired while recovering from his battle against Frieza. At first Setsuna listened with rapt attention, seeming as amazed as the other senshi at his apparent mastery of spatial movement. But as Goku continued to explain his newfound technique she found herself tuning out his words. She was more than familiar with the concept of instantaneous movement, and as amazing as it seemed that he had achieved such a skill her thoughts were far too preoccupied with other matters. Usagi's current predicament weighed heavily on her mind, but now that the threat had ostensibly passed she found her thoughts returning to the initial concern. The cryptic warning brought back from a distant time and the implication that lay within it returned to her, and with it, the fact that the future had become an unraveled mess.

Their short stay on ths world had seemed to change everything, and not even the future that had once been a sure thing seemed like a possibility anymore. So innumerable were the branching paths representing their fate that Setsuna did not know where to begin to look for answers. It was as though the sheer magnitude of the daunting task that lay before them was clouding their fate. The journey had definitely provided her with much to consider, but even so, the priority had not changed. This new threat would be faced, and they would battle together as they had done many times before. Now was not the time to dwell on the prospect of an abating future. Instead, she would do everything to ensure that the utopian kingdom came to pass.

If such a path ended up requiring a sacrifice on her part, then so be it. Nothing would keep her from fulfilling her duties as the Guardian of Time.

Seeing Ami and Rei help Usagi to her feet broke her out of her reverie. By then Goku had already finished his explanation and had begun to address his son and Piccolo. Motioning to Usagi, she waited for the blonde-haired girl to move closer before saying, "It is time to take our leave. Do you feel prepared to undertake the journey back?"

"Yes," Usagi replied after a moment of consideration. "I don't feel any weaker than before. I think I'll be okay."

Setsuna nodded before turning her attention back to Goku. Moving past Usagi, she drew closer to him and Piccolo.

"I regret our parting must be like this, Goku," she said, "but it is time to take our leave. Until we are once more required to stand united, may you all go with the blessings of the stars."

"Thank you," Goku said. "You all take care, too. Know that we'll be with you in spirit wherever you go."

The others behind Goku nodded to emphasize his words, and Setsuna felt a smile cross her lips. These fighters seemed like such a mess of a group, each one vastly different from the other, but their fire-forged friendship was as strong as the senshi's own. From the normal fighters, who had overcome the limits of their human bodies, to the young boy, who stood grinning from ear to ear, clearly far too young for the heavy burden that had been placed over him, and Piccolo, whose reserved and calculating demeanor lay betrayed by the way he silently watched over the others. They had all come together to form a family of their own, and at the very center of it was Goku, the link that united them and kept them all together. He returned her smile, seeming so much like the small boy she had seen so long ago, now all grown up but still pure at heart.

"I believe the word the other girls would use is 'corny', but your sentiments are greatly appreciated, Goku," Setsuna said, bowing once more. "Until we all meet again."

Moving back to Usagi, Setsuna motioned to the other senshi. A strong sense of déjà vu struck her as she waited for them to move closer, and she found herself unwilling to stray from Usagi's side. The blonde-haired girl did indeed seem fine, and yet Setsuna could not shake off the unnerving sensation that the danger which had almost claimed her life would return, resurfacing when they least expected it to. No one was safe. That much had been made clear to her during their brief stay on this world. Until the new threat was taken care of, anything was fair game.

Ignoring the worst of the fears that raced through her mind, Setsuna focused on mentally preparing herself for the journey back to their world. She tightened her grip on the Garnet Rod as the others quickly drew close to her.

Only one girl delayed in joining her friends.

Rei stood before Goku, her face downcast as she called out to him. Feeling his attention fall on her made Rei freeze up, and she could feel her face begin to burn and her chest plunge as she struggled to find the words she wanted to say.

"About earlier," she heard herself say, "I shouldn't have…I should have been more patient. I just…"

The hand that fell over her shoulder caused her to stop. Looking up, she did not see the anger she had expected for a second time, but a genuine smile that held no ill will. It was enough for her to realize that, even if she had not attempted to swallow her pride and apologize, Goku had long since forgiven her.

"You really care about her a lot."

Momentarily wondering just who Goku was speaking of, Rei followed his gaze to where Usagi stood surrounded by the other senshi. Turning back to him she smiled, nodding slowly in confirmation.

"Keep her safe," Goku said.

"I will," Rei replied, and then moved away from the saiyan and his companions towards where the other senshi were waiting for her. Standing next to Usagi, she reached down, clasped the other girl's hand, and gave it a faint squeeze. Usagi smiled, her already radiant features seeming to glow even brighter. The gesture might have seemed trivial, but it was enough to convey everything that could have been put into words and more.

Turning back to Setsuna, Usagi said, "Let's go home."

Nodding to her, Setsuna closed her eyes and raised the Garnet Rod to her face, once again letting the crimson orb rest against her temple. She barely registered as both teams said their farewells, delving deeper into her mind and concentrating on opening the dimensional gate that would take them back to their world. A few seconds later she felt the gate open for them and begin to pull her away from that world, but not before a lone voice called out to her.

"Thank you, Sailor Pluto."

Smiling to herself, she sent out a final message that she knew the small boy would receive.

Stay safe, young warrior.

Focusing on the journey ahead, Setsuna felt her consciousness fade away as they stepped through the Gates of Time.

. . .

Goku turned to his remaining friends. All eyes were on him, a look of grim determination on every face.

"I guess it's time then," he said, motioning for Piccolo and Gohan, who stepped next to him. Looking back at the others, he asked, "Do you guys want to join us, too?"

"We'll pass, but thanks, Goku," Tien said, pointing towards himself and Chiaotzu. "We'll train together and do all that we can to prepare."

"I was thinking about asking Master Roshi to help me train," Krillin said. "If that doesn't work, then I'll stay with him and train by myself."

"Same here," Yamcha said. "Train by myself, I mean. To be honest, I don't think I'd be able to keep up with you guys."

Goku nodded. That meant that they would be going their separate ways until it was time to face the androids. Three years. It almost seemed as though they were merely looking forward to the next World Martial Arts Tournament. The thought brought a smile to his face. He thought it odd that he felt so relaxed in spite of the dark future that lay before them, but he was confident in his friends and what they could do. What was more, they were not alone. They had new friends who would stand with them and face this threat.

"You guys take care," Goku said, raising a hand in farewell. Nodding to Gohan and Piccolo, he took to the air and felt them do the same. The others below quickly shrank away as they soared through the sky, flying towards a lone house in the mountains that both father and son called home.


A/N: After about five months, the next chapter is here. Thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing or for letting me know that you're waiting for the next chapter to be posted. Without an audience there's no point in writing a story, so thank you all. I hope you look forward to the next update!