CHAPTER 2: RUBEUS'S VISITATION
Prince Dimando had a very important mission for the red-headed man known as Rubeus. Pulling him away from his campaign on the past, he needed him to attend a masquerade ball held by Neo Queen Serenity and King Endymion on the Moon roughly six months before the NegaMoon's attack on Crystal Tokyo. Rubeus's mission was to spy on the royal couple during their conversations with the Sailor Warriors of the future. To do so though he needed to get there, and have a really good excuse to get in--Sailor Pluto. Rubeus would have to go through her to get there, and she had supposedly received an invitation to the ball out of the courtesy of the queen, knowing she would not be able to attend. If he could get her to go with him now that her freedom was granted, he could easily listen to the conversations of the queen. Although he wished it would have been that easy. He wished that it wasn't going to be love at first sight of Pluto not trying to kill him and him seeing her in a calm, tranquil state and accepting her sincerest apologies of her behavior toward him earlier. He just had to know more about her, beginning with her real name.
" Setsuna." She replied, not as shaky as with Dimando.
" Setsuna." he replied softly, thoroughly checking her out." Where are you from?"
" The Ancient Moon Kingdom." She replied.
Rubeus was shocked to hear this reply," How old are you?" He asked.
" I would have been 21 but I'm sure you mean standard Earth years to your time." She said.
Rubeus was confused but nodded.
" 5.1 billion years old." She then said.
Rubeus thought to himself," Damn, she is old, but damn is she fine!" but then said a more appropriate reply," You look good for your age."
Pluto just giggled and shook her head.
" Hmm, you're dressed rather formal." She then said.
Rubeus looked down at his garb, a rather plain but decent tuxedo, complete with a silver party mask that he had not yet attached to his face. He was just flipping it nervously through his fingers.
" Yeah," he said shyly," I'm on my way to a masquerade ball."
" Then, why would you be here?" Pluto asked, confused.
Rubeus then said," Oh, it's in the future, well I mean my time, but in the past of my time, not the time I'm at not the time at now but the time I'm from originally..."
" I understand," Pluto said, shaking her head in a chuckle," Time is not an easy concept."
She looked at Rubeus, who seemed to be embarrassed for he was looking down and blushing slightly.
" He is rather cute," Pluto said to herself," maybe I should give him a chance, he looks as if he means no harm."
Which is not true, for Rubeus is currently Dimando's top general in the war against Earth; and who's mission in the past is to destroy Tokyo of the past so that Crystal Tokyo in the future will cease to exist, as well as to get a hold on Chibi-Usa and the Silver Crystal while he's at it.
" You knows Setsuna, funny you should ask where I am going." Rubeus began," You see this ball is being held by Neo Queen Serenity, a good friend of yours I believe, and well, I was wondering if, um, you'd like to come with me?"
" Rubeus, I'm flattered, but you know that I must stay here." She said.
" Not true, remember? Prince Dimando's promise?" Rubeus corrected.
" But how is it possible?" Pluto asked.
"Droid Plutonia!" Rubeus shouted.
Then a copy of Sailor Pluto appeared before them.
" Sailor Pluto, meet Sailor Pluto, or should I say Droid Plutonia. She will take your place while you are gone. She knows everything you know, everything you do, but all she needs is the Time Key." Rubeus explained, and watched as the real Pluto examined and walked around the clone in awe.
"Are you ready to go?" Rubeus said, holding his hand to her.
" Wait a minute." Pluto said, raising her Time Key. She closed her eyes and spun around until a dark cloud surrounded her. When it disappeared, Pluto's appearance changed dramatically.
She was wearing a black dress with a tight bodice laced up in the back with spaghetti straps and a long bloused out but not flounced skirt that 'swished' when she walked. Her hair was tied up in a large bun with the ends curled and hanging loose from the bun and the sides of her face. On her hands she wore high black gloves and she held a large, black silk fan.
She handed the Time Key to the droid and walked toward Rubeus and took his arm.
" I am ready now." She said.
The droid then opened the Door of Time for the couple and then stepped into the void and prepared to enter the Time Warp to their destination.