Act Eight - Prisoner of Time

Setsuna woke up the next morning, immediately glancing over at the empty spot beside her on the bed, as if she expected someone to be laying there with her. She'd had the strangest dream last night. A shiver traveled up her spine in the coldness of the autumn morn, causing the green-haired woman to pull the covers up over her shoulders. Only then did she realize she was completely nude.

"What happened last night?" she asked herself, sitting up in her bed. "Did I…"

She quickly shook her head. No, that couldn't be it, right? Mentally, she went through the events of the previous evening, trying to remember what had happened. Yasashiku was late. She remembered that. They arrived at the party seventeen minutes after it was scheduled to begin (she took notice of such minute things), but the guests of honor weren't there yet either. Usagi and Mamoru then showed up a few minutes later and dinner was served. She'd gotten bored, so she went for a walk in the garden with Yasashiku. Though she tried to get him to leave her alone, Haruka's friend didn't take no for an answer and he-

She shuddered at the memory. Yasashiku tried to take advantage of her, but somebody rescued her from the monster. Someone with gorgeous sapphire eyes and hair the color of night. Chiba Mamoru, her princess's fiancé. He'd offered to take her home, and she had invited him in for some coffee. And then he kissed her…

Setsuna closed her eyes and took in a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. It wasn't a dream. She had made love to the one man she could never have.

"What have I done?" Setsuna moaned, hiding her face in her hands.

Usagi would kill her if she ever found out that she had slept with Mamoru, especially on the night of their engagement party. But she had been vulnerable after the incident with Yasashiku, and Mamoru had treated her with such kindness and understanding... He was her knight in shining armor. Who knew what might have happened if he hadn't show up at just the right moment. It was only natural that she would turn to him for comfort.

Setsuna remembered Mamoru had been hurting, too. He and Usagi got into an argument before coming to the party and were barely speaking to each other. She had tried to comfort Mamoru in his grief, but somehow Setsuna ended up falling deeply in love with him, just like that, almost as if she was under some kind of spell. She couldn't explain it, but in him, she finally found someone who understood the profound loneliness she felt in her heart and knew the pain of living under the uncaring eyes of Destiny. They were kindred spirits who turned to each other in a time of deep anguish.

But now what would happen? She, of all people, knew the possible consequences of her actions last night. That single night of passion with the future king could put the entire course of time in jeopardy. If Usagi ever found out and decided to call off the wedding, Crystal Tokyo and Small Lady would cease to exist, and it would be all her fault.

She needed to talk to Mamoru. He had to understand that no matter what happened last night, and no matter what feelings they had for each other, Usagi could never know about their betrayal. The wedding must go on as scheduled, despite the unhappiness it would cause.

The aroma of fresh brewed coffee coming from the kitchen tickled at her nose, luring Setsuna from her bed. She quickly put on her longest robe and pulled her hair into a ponytail, hoping she didn't look too horrible. She then reached for her phone to call Mamoru, but decided that now was probably not the best time, especially if Usagi had spent the night, so she promised to call him later and went to the kitchen. Downstairs, the rest of the family was already dressed and eating the breakfast Michiru had made. Haruka shot the time guardian a knowing grin as Setsuna sat down at her usual spot at the kitchen table.

"Aren't we the sleepyhead this morning?" the tomboy teased. "I presume the date went better than expected, although you could have at least told us you two were leaving instead of sneaking out."

"Yeah, whatever," Setsuna mumbled, peeling an orange from the fruit bowl. The last thing she wanted to talk about was Suguri Yasashiku.

Beside her, Michiru playfully dug her elbow into Setsuna's ribcage. "So, what happened? We want to know all the details. Well, maybe not everything… Are you two going out again?"

Setsuna shook her head. "No, I don't think so, Michiru."

"Why not?"

"Let's just say that he didn't satisfy me."

Haruka, always the one to take a comment the wrong way, spit her coffee back in the mug and began snickering loudly, causing her lover to reach across the table and slap her on the hand. Quite honestly, Setsuna didn't care how they interpreted the sentence. If Haruka wanted to take it as meaning that Yasashiku was bad in bed and decided to make jokes at his expense, that was fine by her. In fact, Setsuna hoped she did. It was high time somebody took that guy's ego down a couple of notches.

Hotaru, glancing over at the wall clock, stood up and began clearing her place. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" Setsuna inquired, taking the attention off her for the moment.

The teen blushed as she put her plate in the sink. "Tsukino-kun asked me to the movies. We're going to catch an early matinee and maybe go hang out at the mall for a couple of hours."

Haruka immediately went into her protective father mode at the mention of her adopted daughter's impending date with the handsome boy. "And just when were you planning on telling us about this date?"

"It's not a big deal, Haruka-papa. I wouldn't even call it a real date."

"A date is a date is a date. What movie are you going to see? It better not be that new Chris Winters flick. I heard that movie has more sex than a whorehouse in Vegas, and I wouldn't want young Tsukino-kun to get any crazy thoughts in his head."

Hotaru rolled her eyes. Sometimes Haruka could be just as bad as the infamous Tsukino Kenji, Shingo's father. "Don't worry. We'll probably go see that new horror movie that just came out."

"That's almost just as bad. Don't think I don't know what happens during the scary parts of a horror movie. I've pulled that trick plenty times before myself."

"On whom?" Michiru asked, jealously dripping in her voice. "You never put the moves on me at the movies."

"That's because you never give me the chance. You're too busy talking about how the monsters in that movie are completely unrealistic and that if they asked you to design the monsters, you would show them what a youma really looks like."

"That doesn't mean I don't want you to comfort me! And who were those other girls?"

Hotaru, sensing a fight brewing between the two lovers, started walking toward the door. Setsuna followed. A Michiru/Haruka fight was not a pretty sight. "I'm going to go get ready now," the teen called out.

"I want to have a talk with Tsukino-kun before you leave, Hotaru-chan," Haruka said.

"Fine."

"Don't change the subject, Tenoh Haruka! I want names and dates."

The two of them slipped out of the kitchen just as the shouting match began. Setsuna let out a loud sigh of relief. Michiru and Haruka rarely fought, but when they did, it usually concerned the tomboy's tendency to flirt with other girls or her racing.

"I didn't mean to cause another fight," Hotaru said mournfully.

"It'll be okay, Hotaru," Setsuna assured her. "Go upstairs and get ready for your date."

"But…"

The older woman shooed her up the stairs. "They'll work it out, just like always. I promise. They love each other and nothing will ever change that. Don't worry about it."

"I guess you're right," she conceded, going up to her room.

"Of course I am. Love conquers everything."

As she watched her daughter racing up the stairs, Setsuna felt a tear run down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away. True, love had the power to overcome almost any obstacle, but one would always stand in her way.

Her destiny.

Bright morning sunlight blinded Mamoru as he slowly opened his eyes and groaned. He felt horrible. He must have had a little too much to drink at the party last night. Funny he only remembered having one glass of champagne and that disgusting cup of coffee at Setsuna's house…

Setsuna. He moaned even louder, suddenly remembering the events of last night. Her silky cocoa skin, her soft lips, her nubile body… Mamoru quickly sat up, rubbing his pounding temples. What had they done?

The silhouette of his fiancée stood staring out the window, a mug of coffee in one hand and a rumpled tissue in the other. Mamoru was surprised to find Usagi up so early. She usually didn't wake up before him, and she never got out of bed so early in the morning unless he physically dragged her off the mattress.

"Usako…"

She turned her head toward him, revealing her puffy, bloodshot eyes. It was obvious that she had been crying. Mamoru felt a pang of guilt in his heart. He never wanted to hurt her. He slowly got out of bed and went over to Usagi, resting his comforting hands on her shoulders.

"Don't touch me," she ordered, pulling away from his grasp.

"What's wrong?" he asked, dreading the answer. "Why were you crying?"

Usagi turned around and stared directly into his eyes. "Where were you last night?" she countered, giving him one last chance to come clean. All she wanted was the truth, even if it meant learning that her fiancé had slept with another woman. That was forgivable. Lying was not.

His gaze lowered, not trusting himself. Usagi could never know what happened last night. It would destroy everything. "I told you I was out."

"With who?"

Mamoru let out a breath. "A friend," he finally answered truthfully. "I gave a friend who wasn't in any condition to drive a ride home."

"They couldn't have called a cab?"

"I didn't think she should be alone. Something…something happened to her."

"Her? It was a girl friend?" Usagi's voice was quivering. Although she had expected as much, it still hurt to hear him admitting to it. "Does this friend have a name? What happened to her?"

He shook his head. "I'd rather not talk about it, Usako. It was a rather sensitive situation, and I don't think she would appreciate me blabbing about it to every person I meet."

"I suppose I understand," she said softly after a few seconds of silence. Usagi wiped away some of her tears and smiled softly. Perhaps she was just being foolish about this whole thing. He loved her, right? She should have known that he wouldn't cheat on her. Mamoru was just helping out a friend who got in some trouble. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Mamo-chan."

Noticing the time, Usagi gave him a kiss on the cheek and then headed toward the bathroom to take a shower. Relieved that he managed to keep the affair a secret, Mamoru let out a deep breath. He hated lying to Usagi, but it was imperative that she never find out what really happened last night.

He needed to call Setsuna and discuss what they were going to do about this. She knew just as well as he did that they made a huge mistake last night. The entire future could be in danger if Usagi ever learned that he had made love to the beautiful guardian of time.

Mamoru pulled on a pair of ratty pajama pants and grabbed his cell phone out of the pocket of his tuxedo jacket, hoping against hope that Usagi remembered to recharge the battery like he asked her to do yesterday. He then went outside so that his fiancée wouldn't hear.

His fingers shook as he punched in Setsuna's telephone number. Hopefully she was the only one up this early in the morning. He had no idea what he would say if Haruka, Michiru, or Hotaru picked up the phone. However, he couldn't bring himself to complete the call.

What would he say to her? Sorry, Setsuna, we made a big mistake last night, so I think it's best we never see each other ever again, okay? No, he couldn't do that. Despite the fact that he loved Usagi, he couldn't deny his feelings for Setsuna. He didn't want her out of his life. Besides, she was a Sailor Soldier. It was inevitable that they would have to face each other at some point.

Frustrated, Mamoru banged his fist against the iron rail he was leaning against, the pain traveling right up his arm, but he barely noticed it. He was such an idiot. What was he going to do?

Setsuna sat at her desk in her room, supposedly trying to work on a couple of her designs for the upcoming fashion show. However, fashion was the last thing on her mind. She threw aside her pencil and crumpled up one of the pages, easily throwing the rejected design into the wastebasket. This was ridiculous. She had to stop thinking about Mamoru.

Her garnet eyes fell on the telephone sitting on the corner of the desk. She really needed to call him. They had to decide how they were going to handle this delicate situation. But something held her back. Maybe it was fear of Usagi picking up the phone instead of Mamoru. Or maybe it was the fact that she was in love with him.

She quickly blocked Mamoru's face from her mind and instead focused her attention on the hourglass. The sand moved so quickly through the funnel. With every grain that fell, she could feel a tiny part of her life slip away from her. There was so little time left.

It just wasn't fair! A quarter century worth of freedom compared to thousands as a prisoner of time? The payoff didn't seem quite equal in Setsuna's eyes, though she would treasure those few fleeting moments as if they were the rarest jewels in the world.

Time could be such a cruel punishment. For one single night of passion, hundreds more would pass and she would be alone, alone for all eternity. For the first time in her life, she felt something that could only be described as love for a man, but he was destined to be with another.

If only it was possible to defy fate, to take her life into her own hands and create a new destiny. Since the day she was born, Setsuna had been chained to her duty and destiny as the guardian of time. Even in the days of her long ago childhood before she was awakened, she always felt trapped in a life she couldn't control. There was no such thing as happiness in the place she lived in, hidden away from the world she longed to experience so much. Obedience and duty were all there ever were.

But all that changed when she was reborn on Earth with the others. For the first time in her ancient life, Setsuna was free of the bonds that tied her to her duty as keeper of the gate of time. She experienced a happy childhood, something she never had before, despite of her parents' death when she was only seven years old. The elderly woman she went to live with after the funeral was always very kind to her and gave her everything she ever wanted, although Setsuna never grew to love her as much as her own mother. Then, as she grew older, she blossomed into a beautiful teenager. She even managed to snag herself a boyfriend.

Setsuna smiled fondly as she remembered Masafumi Akira's handsome face. He had been her first lover during the summer between her last year of high school and college, and at the time, she thought she was very much in love with him. In retrospect, her feelings for Akira were nothing more than a huge crush coming from a girl who wanted nothing else but to fall in love with a man that could take away the loneliness she felt. Still, sometimes she wondered what had
become of him.

It was soon after they began dating that the dreams of Crystal Tokyo began and once again the chains of destiny had wrapped around her heart. At first, she tried to deny it, even losing her virginity to Akira in a bid to convince herself that she was in control of her own decisions. But still the dreams, or nightmares as she eventually came to view them, kept reoccurring night after night. She could still remember the beautiful, melancholic face of her future self as clearly now as when the dreams first began. Even then, the teenage Setsuna could sense the woman's sadness. There was a secret hidden in the depths of her dark garnet eyes. But what was this enigma that caused the time guardian to feel such sorrow?

The last dream she had was of her death in the 30th century. That was probably the most horrifying thing she witnessed in her visions. Mamoru was right about the great burden knowing one's future was. Nobody should ever have to go through the pain of witnessing their own death. That night, Setsuna woke up screaming beside Akira, her body covered in sweat. He tried to comfort her, but there was nothing he could do. He wouldn't have understood. Nobody would have understood. How could they?

That dream was the turning point in her life. No longer was she Meioh Setsuna, the aspiring fashion designer/physicist. She was Sailor Pluto, the reborn guardian of time and defender of justice. The morning after, Setsuna packed her things and left to begin her new life, not even bothering to say goodbye to Akira or Mrs. Sasaki, her kind caregiver. It was best that they didn't know the truth.

Her journey lead her to Tokyo, far away from the tiny town where she grew up. There was something about that beautiful capital city that immediately captured her heart. It was a town of magic. She could feel the power all around her, strange yet familiar. But she could also sense evil nearby, emitting from the brand new Mugen School located on the Delta. Setsuna rented an apartment on the coincidentally named Meioh Bank and enrolled in a nearby university so she could keep an eye on the happenings at the school. She was not fully awakened, but she knew that it was only a matter of time before her services would be needed.

That day came sooner than she thought. Setsuna remembered it had been a nasty day, weather-wise. Storm clouds had covered the area in a blanket of darkness for about a week or so. Setsuna and one of her professors were working on some studies about the Delta, because she had had a hunch that the area was the site of dimensional warping, although she couldn't quite explain why she felt that way. Her professor thought she was just jumping to conclusions, so she didn't put much value on her thesis at the time, but it was soon to be proved correct.

That was also the first time she met Mamoru's friend Furuhata Motoki, who she had to admit was pretty cute. His friend (and future wife) Nishimura Reika was a classmate of Setsuna's, and they had dropped by to ask if she wanted to go out for dinner, but she declined the offer, preferring to continue her research on the Delta area and to try to sort out the strange feelings she had been having.

Around that time, a new breed of plant called Tellun was becoming quite popular around town. It was grown by Teruno Lulu, a student at Mugen School. Setsuna sensed something suspicious about the plant and had bought a couple to investigate. The claim that Tellun would grow without watering seemed too good to be true.

Unfortunately, she was right. The plant lived off the Hoste of humans, sucking away all their lifeforce energy. She herself was almost killed by one of the plants before two women suddenly appeared before her, the astrological signs of Uranus and Neptune glowing brightly on their foreheads. If she had a mirror, she would have seen the sign of Pluto on her own. She had finally awakened as an Outer Sailor Soldier and the holder of the third Talisman, the Garnet Orb, which sat atop her Time Staff.

Though a part of her resented being forced to become the guardian of time once again, she was also grateful. If it wasn't for her awakening, she never would have met such wonderful friends, especially Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru, whom she loved with all her heart. With the Sailor Soldiers by her side, the loneliness she felt disappeared. They were the family she always wanted.

But soon she would have to say goodbye…

Setsuna sighed as she glanced down at her watch. It was almost ten o'clock at night. She heard footsteps walking outside her room which she suspected were Hotaru's, home from her date with Shingo. The time guardian smiled. They made such a cute couple.

Setsuna then closed her sketch book and placed it in one of her desk drawers, knowing that no matter how hard she tried, there was no way she was going to get any work done tonight. Maybe I should go downstairs and watch a movie to get my mind off things, she thought. She could use a break.

As she passed by Hotaru's slightly open room, the sound of her adopted daughter's voice filled the air as she talked on the phone with Kimi. She was happily describing her date with Shingo, a slight blush on her face. Setsuna was so glad things turned out so well. Hotaru had had a difficult life, and she, more than almost anyone, deserved some happiness.

Setsuna didn't linger long at Hotaru's door, respecting her privacy. She was sure they would get the full rundown at breakfast tomorrow morning. Instead, she headed downstairs.

In the living room, she found that Haruka and Michiru had had the same idea. A cheesy old black-and-white horror movie was playing on the TV in the darkened room.

"Haruka, Michiru, mind if I join you?" Setsuna asked, walking in.

Silence greeted her. Setsuna looked over at the couch, where the two lovers had fallen asleep in each others arms. They looked so peaceful, laying there. Haruka was sitting up, her head resting against the back of the couch, while Michiru leaned against her, the tomboy's arms wrapped around the aqua-haired beauty possessively. It appeared that they had finally made up after their little fight this morning, as usual.

Setsuna turned off the TV and covered them with an afghan, then silently went back upstairs to cry herself to sleep as a storm began raging outside.

Jade Green pulled back the velvet drapes and looked out the second floor window of her mansion at the dreary city. Her blood red lips curled up into a small smile. Soon, this world would all be hers. It was only a matter of time.

She chuckled lightly to herself. After all these years, she would finally get revenge for her mother's death and achieve the power Queen Beryl always dreamed of possessing. All she needed was the Silver Crystal, and she would have that soon enough.

"Mommy?"

Jade turned around at the sound of her son's voice, surprised that he was still awake. Damian stood in the doorway of her bedroom in his favorite pair of pajamas, rubbing his tired eyes.

"Damian, what are you doing out of bed?" she asked as he ran over and wrapped his arms around her leg.

"I'm scared, Mommy. The thunder keeps waking me up."

Jade gently ruffled her son's ebony black hair. "Honey, thunder is nothing to be afraid of. It can't hurt you. Now go back to bed."

"I don't want to. I want to stay here with you."

"Is this anyway for a prince to behave?"

"What are you talking about? I'm not a prince."

She sat down on her neatly made bed and motioned for Damian to sit down beside her. It was time for her son to finally know the truth. After all, someday he would be king. "Yes, you are, my special little boy," she said. "You are the crown prince of the great and powerful Dark Kingdom."

"The Dark Kingdom? Where is that at, Mommy? I've never heard of it."

Jade's beautiful green eyes darkened at the memory. "It was destroyed eight years ago, shortly before your birth," she answered softly. "But the time has come for the Dark Kingdom to rise again, my son. We will get revenge for what those Sailor Soldiers have done and reclaim what is rightfully ours."

"Who are the Sailor Soldiers?" Damian asked.

Jade snapped her fingers, calling for her crystal ball. The glowing sphere appeared before them, seemingly floating in the air. Her son's eyes danced at the sight. He reached out and poked the light, checking to see if it was real. Damian gasped as the light dimmed and an image formed in the glass sphere.

At first, the vision was blurry. Then the outline of five teenage girls dressed in short sailor fukus slowly became recognizable, along with a tall man dressed in a tuxedo and a strangely beautiful woman with long red hair and matching eyes. Her skin was a slightly yellowish tint, but it did not lessen her beauty. In fact, Damian could see a slight resemblance between the woman and his mother.

"Who are they?" he asked his mother, pointing at the ball.

Jade silently shushed him. "Watch, my son."

The man in the tuxedo sent a blast toward the girls in the ridiculous outfits, almost knocking them over. The girl with the weird hairstyle seemed shocked at the attack. A few seconds later, the woman wrapped her hair around the young girl's neck, practically choking her. She was shouting something at the girl, but Damian couldn't make it out. Another girl, this one dressed in orange with a red bow in her long blonde hair, whipped out a chain and tried to attack the woman, but her attack was repelled. Not one to give up a fight, the girl willed a stone sword into her hands, but it was too heavy for her to hold. A tall brunette in green grabbed the sword and used it to slice through the woman's hair, freeing the blonde, whom Damian assumed was the sailors' leader. Finally, the first girl took the sword again and stabbed the woman in the gut, blood pouring out of the wound.

The little boy covered his eyes and cried out in fear, jumping into his mother's arms. "Who was she, Mommy?" Damian asked between sobs. "Why did those girls kill her?"

Jade clenched her fist in anger. Even now the thought of what those Sailor Soldiers did to her mother made her blood boil. "She was Queen Beryl, the ruler of the Dark Kingdom and your grandmother," she said. "And those girls were the Sailor Soldiers, our greatest enemies. The one with the pigtails is their leader, Sailor Moon, as well as the princess of the Silver Millennium, a rival kingdom. She is the reason why the Dark Kingdom no longer exists."

Jade ran her hand down her son's back, comforting the young child. She knew it must be shocking, but he needed to know. Damian needed to understand. "But the time has come for us to get our revenge, my sweet Damian," she continued, kissing the top of his head. "The princess and her prince will pay for what they've done to our kingdom. Once I get my hands on that crystal of hers, nothing will stop us. The Dark Kingdom will rise once again, with me as queen and you as crown prince. My mother's dream will finally come true. Everything will be ours, as it rightfully should be."

"I'm going to be a prince?" Damian asked, wiping away his tears with the sleeve of his pajamas. "With a castle and everything?"

"Anything you want, sweetie," Jade replied, giving him a hug. "Now, go to your room and get some sleep, okay? The storm's almost over."

"Okay, Mommy. Good night."

"Good night, my special little prince."

Damian crawled out of her lap and headed back to his bedroom, his shoulders back and his head held high as if he were wearing a crown. Jade smiled at the sight. Her darling son was going to be a wonderful prince one day.

But once Damian closed the door behind him, her grin was replaced with a determined scowl. The crystal ball was glowing again as the scene shifted to that of the prince and princess, kissing underneath a full moon. Jade's green eyes flared with sparks of fire.

"You will pay, Serenity," she growled. "All of you will pay for what you have done!"

With those words, Jade grabbed the crystal ball and hurled it against the wall, causing it to break. It gave her a small feeling of satisfaction to see the thousands of pieces of shattered glass fall to the ground like so many broken dreams.

She would destroy all their dreams if it was the last thing she did.