~Wavering Destiny~
by Strawberry Moon Rose

Wow, thank you so much for the reviews! :D Sometimes it's hard to understand and be some of these characters, and I'm glad you like my takes on them.

Enjoy! :D

Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. They belong to Naoko Takeuchi.

Chapter 24: Crisis

Everyone stared at her in surprise. In the middle of their heated discussion, they weren't expecting a twelve year old to interrupt them.

Hotaru clutched the basket in her hands. "Sorry," she apologized to the floor. "I didn't think anyone was home, so I let myself in. Is this...a bad time?" Her gaze flitted from the three women looking at her with mixed emotions.

Michiru was sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, Setsuna was situated in the chair nearby, and Haruka stood against the wall with her arms folded in front of her chest. They exchanged glances with each other, mentally debating whether or not to fill Hotaru in.

Setsuna finally spoke. "She's part of this too. She has the right to know," she said quietly to the others. Haruka and Michiru nodded in agreement.

Hotaru dubiously crossed the room and seated herself next to Michiru on the sofa. Tension seemed to hang in the air like smog. She sat the picnic basket of cookies on the floor by her feet. Her hands in her lap, she nervously balled them. "What's...going on?" she asked again.

Haruka sighed. She brought her fingers to her forehead, pressing lightly between her eyebrows. When she spoke, her voice was strained. "Our Princess has messed up the future," she said.

Hotaru was secretly relieved they hadn't been arguing about her, as silly as that seemed. But maybe that would have been better. "The...future?" she repeated.

"Hotaru," Michiru begun, looking uncomfortable. "You remember how close Seiya and Usagi were last year, don't you?" she asked.

Hotaru wondered what that had to do with anything. She pursed her small lips as she recalled the leader of the Starlights. They'd only encountered each during the battle with Galaxia. Even though she didn't know the Starlight that well, she could see that Usagi and Seiya had formed a special connection and strong friendship. "Of course. We made them stay away from each other when we found out their true identities. But they met up a lot anyways. Those two caused a lot of trouble for you guys."

"That's an understatement," Haruka muttered under her breath.

Michiru ignored her lover's comment and turned to the younger girl sitting beside her. "Last week Sailor Moon and the others went to their home planet," she explained.

"Their planet? Why? Was something wrong?"

Michiru shook her head, aqua curls bouncing at her shoulders. "No, I don't think so. They kept it a secret from us for some reason though, which was awfully fishy. It looked like they were only visiting, so we didn't worry or act on it. But now..." She shuddered. She couldn't see everything in her mirror, Kinmoku was too far away. She had assumed everything was okay until Setsuna showed up earlier that afternoon and dropped the bomb.

Violet eyes widened. "What happened?" Hotaru demanded, sitting forward on the edge of the couch. She hated being left out of the loop.

Michiru chose her words carefully. "They seem to have gotten much closer during their visit."

"Closer? Seiya and Usagi?" Hotaru asked. "Close as in...?"

Michiru nodded.

"That's..." Hotaru was at a loss of words. She couldn't imagine her princess with anyone other than their prince. Was this for real?

Hotaru recalled asking Sailor Star Fighter if she loved Sailor Moon. She remember her saying 'yes'. It was rhetorical question, of course she loved Sailor Moon, it was painfully obvious. I guess I didn't realize Sailor Moon loved her the same way too.

Haruka slammed a curled fist against the wall, startling the three of them and rattling the picture frames that hung above her. "That bastard. I bet she forced her into something. The way that girl treats women...I never trusted her," she muttered.

Under normal circumstances, Michiru would have scolded her partner for saying such rude things, but given the grim situation, she didn't. She too was just as upset with the news. She knew the player Seiya could be, and Usagi's carefree nature would naively fall right into it. Even if Seiya wasn't a man, she was still a wolf capable of devouring cute little kittens. Or bunnies, in this case.

Setsuna turned to Hotaru and said calmly, "Her actions have changed the current future's course. As of now, she is choosing Seiya over Mamoru, and the consequences will be settling soon enough. If it continues like this, Crystal Tokyo will cease to exist."

Hotaru let the reality sink in. It had always seemed very unlikely that Usagi and Mamoru would not end up together. They had all come to depend on it happening, it never occurred to anyone that it may not. Both of them were human after all, and things could change.

Hotaru swallowed. "What are we supposed to do? Crystal Tokyo has to exist, doesn't it? If they're not together, then everything will change-" her voice choked off. The color drained from her face. Her hands in her lap began to tremble.

"Hotaru?" Michiru asked, her voice rising. She reached over and gently clasped her hand on the young girl's shoulder. It was as if she hadn't heard her. Hotaru continued to stare blankly ahead with a glossy gaze.

"Are you okay?" Setsuna stood from the chair. In one stride, she was knelt at the side of the couch.

Hotaru's breathing increased through her open mouth. "Chibi-Usa!" Hotaru gasped at last. She snapped her head up, bringing her panic-filled eyes to meet Setsuna's. Her fragile hands gripped the older girl's forearms with an amount of strength that surprised them both. "Chibi-Usa... She won't be born!" she cried in horror.

Setsuna nodded, slightly relieved her reaction was just shock, and not some kind of episode she was known for in the past. "We know. And no matter what, I won't let that happen," she said.

"This is awful!" Hotaru moaned, covering her face with her hands. "That can't happen! It'll mess everything up!"

"Exactly. And it'll screw up a lot more than just that," Haruka said. "What about our futures? The power of the silver crystal is supposed to stop our bodies from aging when Crystal Tokyo sets in. It's our duty as guardians to protect the Princess eternally. Without that promised path, can that still happen?"

"What does the future look like, Setsuna?" Michiru asked urgently. "Surely you can see that much. How terrible is it? Just how desperate is this situation, or are we overreacting?"

Setsuna closed her eyes, somewhat regretting her decision to come to the others. As she suspected, it may have been best if she'd acted on her own without telling them. But they had come to work together in the past years, and it wouldn't have felt right to leave them uninvolved. There was too many complicated questions. Yes, she knew things, but she wasn't a psychic. Even if she had the answers, she wasn't at liberty to tell anyone.

Michiru comforted Hotaru, patting her softly on the back. She looked back up at Setsuna, trying another approach. "How much longer do we have until Chibi-Usa...?" She didn't want to say it.

Hotaru cringed again at the thought; a world without her best friend. It was possible she'd never see those big, crimson eyes and pink updo again. Never hear that bubbly laughter and small voice calling cheerfully, "Hotaru!". She may have already missed her chance to say goodbye. When was the last time she'd seen her? It'd been so long ago she could barely remember. Hotaru hugged her knees to her chest, resting her chin on them. Her day had started out so wonderful, but with each second it was growing bleaker.

Setsuna's lips pursed. "It's difficult to say for certain. The future is constantly changing, as I said before. She's alive now in the 30th century, which means the relationship between Usagi and Seiya hasn't settled yet with definitive certainty." Setsuna's eyes drifted from their stares, as she was focused on something else faraway. "Being so close to Small Lady in the future has given me a close bond with her. I've always been able to sense her presence... But lately I've been losing sight of her for brief seconds. It was subtle at first, I thought I was imagining it. But the intervals are getting longer and more frequent when she fades out. If this continues, it won't be too much longer before she completely vanishes."

Haruka took a step away from the wall. "Then it's settled. We go to this Kinmoku planet and bring them back with us. Knowing our Princess, she's too naive to realize what this little decision is going to do. Once she understands, she'll have no choice. It's simple."

Michiru nodded. "I think so too. I'm sure if we explain to her she'll come back with us. She has to. I can't see her staying and giving up her daughter, that's not like her at all."

"I say the sooner we leave the better," Haruka continued, leaning against the side of the sofa. She lowered her husky voice. "Besides, I want to have a word with her. She needs to understand when it's time to give up." Out of all the people Usagi had to fall in love with, why her?

"No."

Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru's gaze snapped over to the eldest guardian who'd spoken. Setsuna met their objecting stares with a firm countenance. Sienna eyes did not waver as she spoke in a calm, collected voice. "I will go to Kinmoku alone," she stated.

Haruka knitted her brows, her lips parted in protest. "But-" she started.

"You three cannot teleport without Sailor Moon," Setsuna explained, cutting her off. "As the soldier of Chronos, I can manipulate time and space, I must go by myself."

Michiru exchanged glances with Haruka and Hotaru. "But we're stronger now," the aqua-haired beauty argued. "In our Super forms, I'm certain we could try without her..."

Setsuna looked away. She knew it may be possible, but it was unnecessary for everyone to go. Not to mention the extra trouble Haruka would cause with Seiya...it would be a nightmare. She knew her dissatisfaction for the specific guardian went past the fact that they were intruders from the outside solar system. It was personal, and they didn't need that when they had a bigger crisis at hand. It would be easiest if she went alone.

Hotaru stared into her lap. Black bangs fell into her eyes, hiding her expression. She didn't care if she went with, she just wanted her friend to be okay. She looked up. "Setsuna-Mama, just please bring Usagi back. Chibi-Usa is my best friend, I can't lose her. I don't think Usagi is doing this on purpose, she wouldn't. Promise me you'll come home with all of them, no matter what."

Setsuna nodded. "Of course," she told her gently.

"I still say we come too," Haruka objected. "Who knows what's on that planet of theirs? They may not let her go so easily. What if they demand a fight? Can you take them alone?"

Setsuna shook her head. "We can't leave the Earth completely unprotected. You three have to stay here and be on guard. This is nothing more than a misunderstanding. Everything will return to normal when we fix this. There's no reason to argue, let alone fight. It'll be short and sweet, I promise."

"Let's hope so," Hotaru said quietly so no one heard. She didn't think Usagi was going to take the news very well.

"We're counting on you," Michiru told her, giving an encouraging nod.

Haruka sighed, running a hand through her short, dirty-blonde hair. She stared out the window, watching as a violent gust of wind shook the tree branches outside. Dark clouds were rolling in, making the sunlight disappear. She hated defeat, but she knew Setsuna had a point and couldn't argue with it. "Don't come back without her," she said at last.

Setsuna nodded again. "Of course."

It was quiet for a few minutes. The news was still shocking and hard to wrap their minds around. They used the silence to think about what was going to happen next. Surely when she returned with the five of them, it would go without saying that there would be no more trips to Kinmoku. They couldn't risk this happening again. In fact, it may be best if they said goodbye to the Starlights for good, for the sake of the future.

"You should leave as soon as possible," Haruka urged, turning her forest-green eyes back to her, "who knows how long it'll take to get there."

"Yes, I must allow a day or two," Setsuna agreed as she rose. She looked around the room, eyes stopping at each of them for a few seconds. "Take care," she said. She exchanged nods with Haruka and Michiru before turning to the youngest member of their group.

Out of the four of them, she and Hotaru had the strongest relations with Chibi-Usa, and it wasn't hard to sympathize with her. She placed her hand on top of the girl's head. Hotaru's glossy hair shimmered a pretty shade of purple under the living room lights. Their drastic height difference forced her to bend down when she spoke to her. "Please don't worry, Hotaru. I will do everything I can to make sure Small Lady lives," she promised.

"Thank you," Hotaru said quietly.

Setsuna stood and crossed the room. She paused at the doorway before giving a final nod. With that, she was gone. Hotaru's eyes drifted to the picnic basket on the floor by her feet. It looked like one share of the chocolate chip cookies she'd made wouldn't get to be eaten any time soon.

Stepping outside, it was noticeable that the skies were darkening. Clouds rolled in, melting to a murky gray color and churning grumbles in the distance. Holding her hand out, a single raindrop fell from above and landed on her tanned skin.

Is this any indication of how this will turn out? Setsuna thought soberly. She sighed and continued down the wooden porch steps. She planned on leaving right away, just as she'd promised. Still, a part of her felt somewhat reluctant about the decision she'd come to. Losing Small Lady was out of the question, and she wouldn't stand for it. It really left her no other choice.

But if there was one thing she hated besides cockroaches, it was intervening with the future. She was a firm believer that things should play out on their own. And technically, that is just what was happening now between Usagi and Seiya. It may have been Haruka and Michiru's spot to take action, but it didn't feel right for her. At the same time she couldn't live with herself if she let Small Lady die. Being torn between these two arguements was the reason why she'd waited so long before going to them. She knew how the two of them would feel about the situation, but seeing Hotaru's reaction made her realize she was doing the right thing by intervening.

"Setsuna!"

A male voice startled her. Looking up, she was shocked to see Mamoru making his way up the driveway. He held his hand to his face, shielding himself from the light rain.

Setsuna frowned. "Is something wrong?" she called to him. Why on Earth is he here?

Mamoru jogged up the porch steps two at a time. He stood before her, slightly out of breath. He ran his large hand through his bangs, brushing them out of his face. "I'm so glad...you're still here," he managed.

Her forehead creased in confusion. "I don't...understand," she said. She quickly smoothed the wrinkles out of her dress and fluffed her dark green bangs when he wasn't looking.

Mamoru stood erect, looking her directly in the eyes. "I'm coming with you," he told her.

She studied his face. He was a handsome man indeed. His strong, blue eyes were full of nothing but determination. The pitter pattering of rain against the cement driveway picked up. Both of them took a step closer to the house under the porch roof. "What do you mean?" Setsuna inquired.

"I had a dream last night," Mamoru explained. "Well, more like a nightmare, actually," he muttered to himself. After that haunting vision, he couldn't fall asleep. Chibi-Usa's pleading voice reverberated in his head all night and into the morning. He couldn't get that infatuated look on Usagi's face out of his mind. He finally dozed off around five AM, only to sleep until noon, missing his classes and work. But Mamoru didn't care. The first thing he did was take the next bus to the edge of town, getting deposited a few blocks from the large Victorian-style home shared by the three guardians.

"A dream?" Setsuna repeated.

"Yes. I get what you were talking to me about a few days ago. Usako is involved with that the leader of the Starlights, I know everything about Chibi-Usa too." Mamoru took a step closer to her and placed both of his hands on her shoulders.

She flinched at his warm touch. He leaned in as he spoke in a worn voice.

"Please, let me come with you to Kinmoku," Mamoru said again. "I want to speak with her myself. Once she sees my face she'll come right back to me, I know it. I can't stand sitting around here doing nothing. I won't lose to..." He couldn't hide the smudge of bitterness that crept into his voice.

Setsuna studied his face. Truthfully, she could physically take him with. In fact she could have taken them all with. It was a taboo to even use her power like that, but given the circumstances, she didn't think Neo Queen Serenity would mind. Not when her existence was at stake too. Even though he wasn't king in this era, it was hard to tell him 'no' when she'd always thought of him with that status, even in this time.

"I suppose it would help if you were there. She will most certainly listen to you of all people," she agreed. Setsuna looked over her shoulder, motioning to the front door right behind them. "But it's only you and I. The others are staying here to be on guard in case anything were to happen."

"Fine with me," Mamoru said with a smile. He dropped his hands from her shoulders. "When do we leave?" he asked.

"Right now."