Setsuna hummed to herself as she brushed her long emerald hair. Her mind was on Ga-netto. What is he doing right now? she thought. Is she thinking about me? Does he love me as much as I love him? She stopped herself. "Love?" she said aloud. "Be reasonable, Setsuna. You've just met him. You couldn't possibly be in love," she chided herself. But she still felt something, something new and strange and frightening and altogether wonderful. It was as if her world had exploded in a burst of light and although she was terrified out of her mind, she was captivated by the beautiful light surrounding her. Nothing she had ever felt before equaled this rush of emotions, and she had an odd feeling that nothing ever would.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a knock at the door. Setsuna set her brush down and went to open the door. Behind the door was a woman with identical features as Setsuna. But although the woman had the same hair and complexion as Setsuna, there was an outstanding difference between the two. The woman looked world-weary and broken, her eyes showing an immeasurable amount of wisdom and intense pain. Setsuna had always feared that she herself would look like this woman, her mother, one day or experience whatever hell she had been through.
"Mother!" Setsuna exclaimed, surprised at her mother's visit. She rarely saw her mother and had never talked to her for more than ten minutes. It had been like that since Setsuna's birth, with nurses and tutors rather than her mother raising her. Setsuna knew that her mother had a very important task to do, one that occupied all her time, but she didn't know what it was. But that wasn't the only reason that her mother never came to see her. Her mother was a distant and uncommunicative woman who seemed to loathe all human contact, especially her only daughter. Setsuna knew this as well and tried to be sympathetic toward her mother rather than angry. "What brings you here?" she asked, puzzled.
Her mother entered the room and sat down on the bed, her shoulders slumping. She wearily lifted her head and looked up at her daughter. "Setsuna, please sit down. I have to tell you something," her mother said in a worn-out yet urgent voice.
Setsuna immediately obeyed. It must be important if she came to tell me in person, Setsuna thought as she waited for the queen to speak.
"Setsuna," the queen began with a bit of difficulty. "Do you know what my duties are? What I must constantly attend to at all times?"
I know that it is what makes your body droop and your eyes full of pain. I know it is what makes you cold and distant; more dead than alive, she thought bitterly. She could not say this aloud so she simply shook her head.
The queen sighed. "The Plutonian royal family has the blood of Chronos, Father Time, in our veins. It is the duty of the Queen of Pluto to guard the Gates of Time. The Guardian can only leave her post on the rarest of occasions, and when she does. she must find a suitable replacement. Setsuna, soon it will be your turn to become Guardian of the Time Gate." She paused. "Do you understand all of this, Setsuna?"
Her jaw dropping, Setsuna absorbed this rush of new information. "The Guardian can only leave her post on the rarest of occasions. . . ." Is that what made my mother so distant? The years of solitude? A new realization hit Setsuna like a suffocating tidal wave. Will I become like her?! It was Setsuna's greatest fear. She was always worried that she would become as emotionless and dead as her mother. Setsuna had clung to life and her loved ones with all her strength, hoping to be so different from her devoid mother, only to now find herself being torn away by fate.
"Setsuna?" Her mother pulled Setsuna out of her thoughts.
"Is there any way to change this Mother? Or some way to at least lessen the pain? Please, I can't just abandon life like this! What about my friends? Can I see them?" Setsuna pleaded, desperate for some alternative, some escape from destiny.
The queen shook her head gravely. "This is your fate, Setsuna until the day you die, as it was my fate. And you cannot see your friends. It is forbidden."
"There must be a way! I cannot be made to suffer this way!" Setsuna shrieked, seeing her worst nightmare come to life. Tears filled her eyes. She rushed over to her mother and took her hands. "Please, there must be some way." Setsuna said softly.
Setsuna's mother looked concerned and a bit frightened of her daughter's tears. She didn't know how to help her daughter. She withdrew her hands and looked away. "Well, your grandmother . . . she thought . . . she found a way. . . ." the queen said haltingly.
A rush of hope surged through Setsuna. "What is it, Mother? Tell me! Please! I need to know!" she exclaimed.
"Don't get your hopes up, Setsuna. It was just a theory. Anyway, it never worked for me," she said solemnly.
"Mother! Tell me now!" she pressed urgently.
The queen sighed. "Your grandmother said that if you could successfully separate the astral body from the physical body while still retaining consciousness in both, then one body could stay at the Time Gate and one body could go back to the world."
Setsuna was perplexed. "How would I do that? I have heard of astral projection, but this? How can it be done?" Still, Setsuna was relieved that there was a faint shimmer of hope, the slightest ray of light in her pitch-black fate.
The queen shook her head. "I don't know. I already said that I was never able to do it. I haven't the slightest idea how." She stood up and, after a slight hesitation, awkwardly kissed the top of Setsuna's head. "Goodbye my daughter, and good luck. May you find the happiness I never did." She turned to walk out of the room.
"Mother," Setsuna said softly, looking up at her weary mother. "When do I start?"
The queen turned around, a soft smile crossing her face. "Tomorrow," she replied and left the room.
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The next day, the queen was dead. She had plunged her husband's sword through her chest after her discussion with Setsuna. They said that a small smile was on her face when she was found.
Setsuna plodded along at the head of the funeral procession next to her sullen father, her head bowed. She had not slept at all the night before. She had spent the entire night studying all the books in the castle library about astral projection, then practicing it herself. She was completely unsuccessful. At 6:30 a.m., one of her servants had burst through Setsuna's door and told her the news of the queen's death.
Setsuna was not surprised in the least. She had expected it to happen. But the rest of the universe did not. Pluto was immediately thrown into mourning for their distant queen. Monarchs from every galaxy in the universe attended the funeral, cramming into the tiny planet. Even the mighty Queen Serenity, with her beautiful daughter, had come, wishing to pay her last respects.
During the service, Setsuna gazed at her mother's pallid face. Shouldn't I be sad? she thought. But she wasn't. She was only filled with a horrible foreboding. She looks more alive now. All the pain and weariness has left her face. She looks at peace.
After the service, Setsuna's duty was to receive condolences and thank the never-ending line of mourners for coming since her father had retired early. Among them were Haruka and Michiru. They both gave Setsuna a hug.
"I'm so sorry, Suna-chan," Michiru said sympathetically. "Is there anything we could do?"
Setsuna looked at the long line behind her friends. "I need to tell you something," she said. "Meet me in my room in two hours." They nodded. Haruka kissed Setsuna's cheek and they left.
Further down the line was Queen Serenity and her daughter. "I'm sorry, Setsuna-hime," Queen Serenity said. "Has your mother told you about your duty?" Setsuna nodded. "You must begin tomorrow. I will come for you in the morning." Setsuna nodded once more. Queen Serenity embraced her and walked on. Princess Serenity politely offered her condolences and followed her elegant mother.
Setsuna continued to greet and thank each person in line mechanically until the very end. The last person bowed low and kissed her hand.
"My poor Setsuna-hime," he said, still clasping her hand.
Setsuna almost didn't notice him; she was too lost in thought. Her eyes opened wide at his voice.
"Ga-netto!" she gasped, remembering to keep her voice low. "I'm so glad to see you." She pulled him into the shadows of the dim room and rested her head on his shoulder, her arms encircling him. She was too mentally and physically exhausted to think about what she was doing. She just knew that she wanted to be in his arms, and that it felt so right being there. Ga-netto was a little surprised at her actions, but held her close, burying his face in her sweet-smelling hair. How can I betray this beautiful angel? he thought to himself.
"Ga-netto-san," Setsuna began.
"Just Ga-netto, tenshi," wishing that he could stay in her arms forever.
"Ga-netto," she began again. "I have a duty. I must guard the Time Gate. I cannot leave my post. I'll have to leave you. . . ." A tear trickled down her cheek.
Ga-netto wiped away the tear and held her closer. "Don't worry, tenshi. We can find a way. It'll be all right," he murmured reassuringly. Guardian of the Time Gate! his mind screamed. No! She can't be taken away from me so easily! I will still go to see her. Surely Nephrite would know a way. . . . His blood ran cold at the thought of the general who would force him to abandon either his love or his life. But which will I choose when the time comes? he asked himself. I could never allow Setsuna to be harmed, no matter what the cost. He knew then which he would sacrifice.
"Setsuna. . ." Ga-netto started. He prepared to tell her of what his real intentions had been, of his affiliation with the Dark Kingdom. But he could not find the words. He could not bear the look of pain that surely would have crossed her face.
"Yes?" Setsuna replied. She searched his troubled face. "What is it?"
"If I can't be with you. . .if I have to. . .leave. . ." he could not tell her that he would most likely be a dead man in a few weeks time, "the don't worry about me. Don't cry for me. I don't want any tears to mar your beautiful face. I will be in your heart always. I love you, Setsuna." He said the last sentence quietly, as if he did not want her to hear it.
"I love you too, Ga-netto. But why would you have to go?"
"It's beyond my control, tenshi. I can't do anything about it. I'm so sorry Setsuna." He wiped another tear off her soft cheek. Ga-netto kissed her lips, gently at first, but then with a passion, a longing for all they should have had, for everything they would miss.
Setsuna kissed back just as passionately, unable to think of anything but Ga-netto and the burning desire to remain like this for all eternity. They heard movement in the room and were startled out of their reverie. "Let's go up to my room," Setsuna whispered, clutching his hand as if it were life itself.