Servant of Fate
Except for Chronos and the High Queen, the
throne room of the Silver Palace was completely empty that morning. For
this, they both were glad. The barest hint of a smile upon his face, Chronos
cocked his head, and studied the High Queen with amusement. There was a
mutual respect between the two of them. After all, he was a god, and she
was the supreme ruler of the Kingdom in which he had made his mortal home,
not to mention a descendant of his exalted sister, Selene. Chronos bit
back a laugh as he watched a storm of emotions chase one another across
Serenity's face. It was obvious to him that she was trying to make sense
of what the god had just told her without seeming disrespectful, or losing
her air of regality.
"My elder," she began at last, addressing
the god as was proper for the mortal descendant of a goddess, "far be it
from me to question your judgment—I know well that you are wiser in such
matters than I—but do you not suppose there may have been some mistake?"
"Unfortunately, I do not." Chronos replied.
"It is indeed Setsuna's destiny." Serenity raised herself from her throne,
and began to pace before it, wringing her hands as if that could somehow
help her to better understand the situation.
"I find this extremely difficult to accept,"
she declared, frowning deeply. "Why, Setsuna is Lady Moira's eldest daughter.
Surely it is indeed her destiny to become Sailor Pluto. It has been so
for generations!" Chronos nodded.
"I also believed that at first," said he.
"I am certain now, however, that Setsuna was not born to become a Sailor
Soldier and succeed the throne of Pluto, but rather, to serve another purpose."
Serenity did not reply, but shook her silver head in dismay.
Chronos sighed. "Majesty, you must trust me. It
is not as uncommon as you might think for a mortal to be swept into an
erroneous destiny due to the assumptions of those around her. I believe
that is what has happened to my granddaughter. Because of her lineage,
she was forced to take on a destiny that we all reasonably believed to
be her own. In truth, however, she was born to assume an entirely different
role."
"Yes, I know it is possible," Serenity conceded,
"but the Guardian of Time, Chronos! Surely that would be too heavy a burden
for her to carry." Chronos winced. He had been worried for just that reason.
"It will be a difficult load to bear," he admitted,
averting his gaze, "but it is, as I said, a weight she was born to carry.
No mortal is ever given a destiny she simply cannot bear the weight of.
She will be all right. That much I can promise you." Serenity was still
uncertain, but Chronos knew it was completely within her rights to be so,
and upheld his patience, even through the High Queen's persistent questions.
"How can I be certain that you speak the truth?"
she asked. "I doubt not—nay, I know as surely as I live that you are honest,
and would not intentionally impart to me any untruth, but such a claim
as this is frankly quite unbelievable." Chronos smiled a bit.
"Yes, I know. To be honest as you say I am, I seriously
doubted my own sanity when first these suspicions haunted me. Consequentially,
I ignored them for many years. Then, after Setsuna was sworn as Sailor
Pluto, I at last paid a visit to the Sacred Gates and learned that they
were true—that it was truly Setsuna's destiny to lay down her mortality
and take my place as the Guardian of the Gates of Time."
"After she was sworn!" the Queen exclaimed. "My
elder, that was six years ago! If you have known for so long, why have
you waited until now to tell me? Why have you let her follow the wrong
path all this time?" Chronos could not meet Serenity's bewildered gaze.
"I have my reasons, Majesty. I am afraid I must
ask you not to question me on that particular matter. You know full well
that the Rules of Time that bind me do not allow me to reveal all that
the future entails." Serenity sighed.
"Yes, I know," she agreed grudgingly, sitting down
upon her throne once more. She was not satisfied with the Time God's answer,
true as it was.
"If you truly desire further proof," Chronos told
her, "I suggest you speak with my granddaughter. If it is truly her destiny
to become the Guardian of Time, she will have felt the call of the Gates.
When a mortal desires for something more than what life has given him,
it is not due to any flaw in human nature, as many believe." Serenity raised
an eyebrow skeptically.
"Is it not?"
"No. More often than not, it is due to the fact
that he has not fulfilled the destiny that we gods had planned for him."
Serenity considered this, and nodded, her expression much less troubled
than before.
"Yes, I suppose I could speak with her." Then, a
cloud of worry darkened her lovely face once more. "My elder, if it happens
that her destiny is what you say it is…what shall we do?" Chronos glanced
at the High Queen in surprise.
"Pardon?"
"If Setsuna is truly destined to spend eternity
confined at the Gates of Time, what actions must I take?"
"I am afraid I do not quite follow, Your Majesty."
Chronos said, although he perhaps understood a bit more than he was willing
to say.
"As of now, Setsuna is allegedly destined to inherit
the throne of Pluto, produce a daughter, and train her as Sailor Pluto
in her place. If she is truly to become the Guardian of Time, Pluto will
be left without a Queen when Lady Moira's life comes to an end. Worse yet,
Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune will be left to fight on their own. You
know as I do that Lady Neptune, Lady Pluto, and Lady Uranus trained their
daughters along side one another that they might maintain the balance between
the Heavens, the sea, and the world below. Should Setsuna be taken from
the battlefield, would not that balance be upset?"
"Not as long as one of Lady Pluto's descendants
still lives." Chronos reminded her. "Is there not some course of action
that was decided upon should a Sailor Soldier be unable to fulfill her
duties? What did you do when Uranus and Neptune came before you?"
Serenity searched her memory. About three years
before, Princess Haruka and Princess Michiru had come before her to say
that their last series of battles had uncovered a deep love for one another.
It never even occurred to Serenity to keep the pair apart. She knew that
her own power was no match against the forces of love and destiny. Not
to mention the fact that she was a good Queen, and she would have thought
quite a bit less of herself if she did not allow two people in love to
spend their lives together. The only problem she could perceive was the
necessity to continue the royal lines. Obviously, it was impossible for
either girl to beget a child by the other. Serenity and her court had mulled
over the dilemma for quite some time before finding the answer hidden among
the options they had already known were available to them.
Based on their lineage, Sailor Soldiers were sworn
either to protect the reigning princess, or defend the Kingdom from outsiders
using whatever methods were necessary. Occasionally, that even meant sacrificing
her own life. Each battle the celestial warriors fought was highlighted
by the knowledge that one of them might not return alive. Only rarely did
the Kingdom lose a Sailor Soldier to one of her battles, for they were
highly skilled warriors, gifted with divine powers. Still, rare as it was,
it did happen. When a Sailor Soldier was lost before she was able to bear
a daughter and train her in the use of her powers, the High Queen and her
court turned to their families.
It was not only the princesses who were gifted
with enough planetary magic to become Sailor Soldiers. Any firstborn daughter
with the blood of a planetary goddess flowing through her veins had sufficient
power. Only the princesses, however, were ever trained to call for their
power. Other girls never learned to use any more of their power than what
could be found in their Auras. That is, unless it became necessary to train
her beyond such basic abilities—if the Sailor Soldier of her bloodline
could not fulfill her duties.
Knowing all of this, Serenity and her court soon came to a consensus
on a solution that would allow Haruka and Michiru to be together, but would
not leave their home worlds lacking Queens or Sailor Soldiers. Although
both girls would continue their roles as Sailor Soldiers, neither would
be regarded as the heir to the throne of her home planet any longer. The
throne of Neptune would be left to Michiru's elder brother and his bride.
Haruka had no brother to whom she could leave the Uranian throne, nor had
she any female cousins who could serve that same purpose, so Lady Eriu
and Lord Camulus agreed to try to conceive another child to take the throne.
"We shall do anything to ensure that our dear daughter
can spend her life with the one she truly loves." Camulus had declared
vehemently. It was agreed that the first daughters born to the Prince of
Neptune and Haruka's younger brother or sister would be trained as Sailor
Soldiers by their aunts when they came of age. Until that time, though,
both Haruka and Michiru would continue to defend the Kingdom of the White
Moon as they had always done.
Some time afterward, Haruka's sister, Fand, was born, and the girls
formally renounced their claims to the thrones of their respective home
planets. Only months later, Haruka and Michiru were wed. Smiling broadly
as she remembered the girls' beautiful marriage ceremony, Serenity almost
agreed to Chronos' proposal. Then, a realization struck the High Queen,
and her face darkened slightly.
"Elder, Setsuna has neither brother nor cousin to
take the throne. Should she assume the role of Time Guardian, Moira would
be forced to bring forth a second child."
"I am sure she will agree to do so. It is not as
if she has any sort of choice in matters involving destiny." Chronos declared.
For a moment, he was silent, frowning deeply as if contemplating a very
serious matter.
"Elder?" Serenity asked a bit timidly. Chronos snapped
to attention, smiling a smile that did not seem to suit him.
"You needn't worry yourself over my daughter-in-law,"
he said. "She is young yet, and has certainly not passed her child-bearing
years. A second child should harm her not at all."
"I know this, my elder, but that is not what concerns
me. When I allowed Uranus and Neptune to be together, it was with the understanding
that each would train her own niece when the proper time came. Setsuna,
bound the Gates of Time, would not be allowed to leave them, even to train
the firstborn daughter of her brother or sister. If Setsuna cannot train
the girl, who will?"
"Why, Moira, of course." Chronos replied sounding
surprised that the Queen had not thought of this. Serenity shook her head.
"No, that cannot be, my elder!" she declared. "Moira
is young now, but she will age, as all mortals must. If, by some miracle,
she survives long enough to see her granddaughter come of age, that means
not that she will be able enough to train her as a Sailor Soldier!"
"Age will weaken her body, not her mind." Chronos
replied, amused. "She will have knowledge and power enough to train the
girl, I daresay."
"Yes, but only if she lives." Serenity countered.
Chronos laughed outright.
"The most common reason for leaving a throne to
a Sailor Soldier's brother or cousin is her death," he pointed out with
a chuckle, "and as you most certainly know, one cannot teach another beyond
her grave. Fear not, Majesty. I shall speak with my sister, Morganna. She
is a reasonable goddess, and I am positive she will see the merit in keeping
Lady Moira from her grave longer than would generally be acceptable." Serenity
thought of Morganna, the goddess of death and rebirth, whose role it was
to free souls from their dying vessels and bring them before Lady Pluto
for judgment. According to all the High Queen had heard, Morganna was,
as Chronos said, a reasonable goddess, and good of heart. Surely she would
agree to leave Lady Moira alive long enough to train her granddaughter
to ensure that the Kingdom of the White Moon could be protected.
Serenity sighed heavily. Everything Chronos had
told her thus far seemed to make perfect sense. It was all so plausible
that she could actually believe it was, in fact, Setsuna's true destiny
to take her grandsire's place at the Gates of Time. Yet, somehow, Serenity
felt that some part of it did not ring true within her. Somewhere on this
intricate chain upholding them all was a weak link that felt ready to snap.
Serenity knew that if the chain were to break, it would send all of them
tumbling into oblivion, into a deep hole, which they would never be able
to climb out of. She chose, however, not to give in to her reservations.
Chronos understood the force of destiny better than she could ever hope
to.
"So be it, elder," she agreed, dismissing the Time
God with a wave of her hand. "Send for your granddaughter. If she has felt
herself miscast as Sailor Pluto, as you say she would have, we will let
her say so, and proceed from there. You are dismissed." Chronos smiled.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," said he. "I knew
that you would understand." The High Queen's blue-violet eyes narrowed
sternly.
"Make no mistake, my elder," she said firmly. "I
cannot hope to understand. But I trust you."
"Princess Pluto, we are ready to land." The voice
of her escort startled Setsuna of Pluto from a gentle reverie. Snapping
to attention, she turned to the uniformed man, offering him a tight-lipped
smile. Such was the most pleasant greeting she could give to him, for she
did not care for the man in the least.
"That will be fine, sir. Thank you." the young woman
replied politely, albeit a little coldly. "You are dismissed." Her escort
bowed formally, then turned on his heel and marched from her chambers without
a word. He was no fonder of Setsuna than she was of him.
As soon as he was gone, Setsuna released a short
breath of laughter. There was no real reason, she realized, that she and
her escort should dislike one another so. Neither had ever done anything
to deserve the other's antagonism—or had they? Setsuna thought back, trying
to remember if he had ever been at all rude to her, or if she had ever
acted arrogant towards him. She could not recall. As a matter of fact,
she found it very difficult even to recollect the day they had first met,
although it had been only a year or so before.
Such an event as that does not seem to hold much
importance with me, she thought, smiling a little bit. Not so much
as the day that I was sworn as Sailor Pluto. That day I can recall as if
it were yesterday, just as I can recall each battle I have fought over
the past six years with great clarity.
After a moment of consideration, Setsuna pulled her wand from the air
and raised it above her head.
"Pluto Planet Power, Make UP!" she shouted, and
immediately felt the Voices' power flowing through her. Even after her
transformation ended, she could feel the magic coursing through her veins,
filling her with energy and strength. And with it, as always, there came
that frightening sense of uncertainty. Sailor Pluto sighed. It happened
every time she transformed herself. Always there was that vague, yet powerful
sensation of something gone wrong that made her want to revert back to
her normal self and throw her wand into the fireplace, that she might never
have to look upon it again. But of course, she never did. She was desperately
needed upon the battlefield—especially now. Recently, it had seemed as
if she barely had time to recover from one battle before she and her friends
were called into another.
Pluto shuddered. Every battle she had ever fought
stood out clearly in her memory. Time had not been enough to blur the images
from the battlefield. Especially clear were the visions of battles that
had resulted in death. As long as she lived, Setsuna knew that she would
never forget the first time her own magic had stolen the life from one
of her foes, nor could she ever wipe away the impressions made by the countless
times she had seen her comrades wounded, or witnessed the pain of some
nameless civilian whose loved one had been killed before the Sailor Soldiers
reached them.
Sighing, Pluto gently stroked the Garnet Orb with the tip of one gloved
finger. She had found these past six years to be very trying times. Besides
her numerous battles, and the fact that she had unwillingly begun to question
her own destiny, there had been the issue of Uranus and Neptune's love
for one another. Now, it was not at all unusual for two people of the same
gender to fall in love with one another. Everyone knew that Lady Venus
worked in mysterious ways, and that no one truly had control over the person
they fell in love with. One could only place her trust in Lady Venus and
wait for destiny to guide her to the one she was meant to love. Still,
it had rather unnerved Pluto when her comrades had first announced their
love for one another. Eventually, though, she had come to accept it.
"Princess Pluto?" Pluto started. Her escort had
returned.
"What is it?"
"We have landed, Princess. I believe Her High Majesty
will be waiting for you." Pluto nodded vigorously.
"Yes, I suppose she will. Thank you."
"Will you be needing my services beyond here, Highness?"
he asked, and Pluto suppressed a smile at the hopeful note in his voice.
"No, my good man. I believe I shall be quite alright
on my own, thank you." Her escort did not bother to hide his relief.
"As you wish, Your Highness." Pluto dismissed him
then. A moment later, she left her chambers.
Once outside her ship, the young warrior turned
her thoughts to the matter hand. Why, she wondered, had Queen Serenity
called her to the Silver Palace? Her message had said that she should come
just as soon as her duties allowed, that it was no urgent matter, but somehow,
Pluto's instincts told her otherwise. Surely whatever it was that had prompted
the High Queen to send for the Princess of Pluto, it was nothing that could
be ignored for long.
Inside the Silver Palace, a young guard stopped Pluto, for he was required
to stop anyone who entered the home of the High Queen.
"In the name of Her Majesty, Queen Serenity, state
your name and business," he ordered, just as he had been trained to do.
Pluto smiled, remembering how frightened she had been the first time she
had encountered the guards twelve years ago.'
"I am Sailor Pluto, Sailor Soldier of the Afterlife,
and the Princess of Pluto. Her Majesty called me here, for there is something
she wishes to discuss with me." The guard bowed, and left in the direction
of the throne room, promising to return with the Queen's reply. Pluto had
no doubt that Serenity would receive her, and simply waited patiently for
the guard to return with one of the royal advisors, who she knew would
be employed to escort her to the throne room.
The guard returned moments later, saying that the Queen would see Sailor
Pluto immediately. To Pluto's surprise, however, it was not Luna or Artemis
who came to walk with her to the throne room.
"Grandfather!" Pluto exclaimed in delight. "I certainly
was not expecting to see you here." Chronos smiled at his granddaughter,
and gestured for her to follow him.
"If you did not expect to see me," he said as they
walked towards the throne room, "then I do not suppose Her Majesty told
you why she wished to speak with you?" Pluto shook her head, confused.
"No, she did not, Grandfather," she admitted. "Have
you any knowledge of her reasons?" Chronos stared straight ahead as he
answered, his expression unreadable.
"Yes, I have, my dear child," he responded, "but
let us wait until we are with Her Majesty to discuss it, alright?" Pluto
nodded in agreement.
Just as Pluto had expected, the High Queen was seated
upon her throne when she and her grandfather entered the throne room. Without
a moment's hesitation, the Sailor Soldier marched up to the throne and
dropped to one knee, bowing her head respectfully. Placing the Garnet Rod
on the floor before her, she laid one arm across her raised knee, and let
the other hang at her side. The gesture was curt and business-like, completely
void of the grace and placidity of the curtsies she performed while wearing
the garnet gowns of the Plutonian princess. While in the uniform of a warrior,
she was to act like a warrior.
"Your Majesty." Pluto murmured in greeting.
"Arise, Setsuna." Serenity said firmly, and Pluto
obeyed. "You may do away with the formalities. I have called you here to
discuss a very serious matter regarding your destiny."