1.1.1.1 Chapter 15
Good-byes
Setsuna did not return to Pluto that evening. Rather, she spent a sleepless night at the Silver Palace, alone in the chambers she had shared with her friends while in training all those years before.
More than once throughout the night, Setsuna's fervently racing mind touched upon the irony of the fact that after her meeting with Queen Serenity, she had been eagerly counting the hours until she could retire to her chambers without arousing any concern. While she knew that Chronos and the Queen would undoubtedly understand her desire to work through the shock in peace and solitude, she knew that she would only become frustrated if she tried. Steeling herself against a storm of emotions, Setsuna had forced herself to keep busy, struggling to maintain a pleasant demeanor. Although Princess Serenity and the Sailor Guardians must have known that Setsuna was at the Silver Palace, they did not approach her, for which Setsuna was grateful. The last thing that she wanted was to have to explain herself to them.
At last, night had fallen, and Setsuna had escaped to the solitude of her chambers. At first she had truly tried to fall asleep, to drift into that dream world where, for a time, she could forget what she had learned that day. It would never do for her to be yawning when she met with her parents and comrades in the morning to relay the news of her new destiny. But after tossing restlessly for several hours, she had given up, resigning herself to the fact that slumber was inclined to evade her that night. Not even the familiar ticking of the old grandfather clock could bring her comfort tonight.
Or perhaps it was truly her own mind that was inclined to remain alert. Every tick that the grandfather clock emitted sent the same three words tumbling through her mind: …Guardian of Time…Guardian of Time…Guardian of Time…
Can such a thing really be? The young woman wondered. Could I truly have been walking the wrong path my entire life? Then, a thought slipped into her mind, though it was not wanted there. And if I have, can I trust grandfather to show me the correct path?
The next morning, Princess Haruka, Princess Michiru, and Setsuna's parents all arrived at the Silver Palace, answering the High Queen's summons. Chronos was the one to inform them of the situation. Chronos had fully expected Setsuna's parents and comrades to be upset when they learned of her new destiny. He knew that they had every right to be. Therefore, he did not even bat an eye at the general outcry that arose from his announcement, although it brought forth a noticeable shudder from Setsuna.
"Guardian of Time?" Haruka exclaimed in disbelief.
"You jest!" Michiru cried at the god, throwing aside all etiquette.
"No, Princess Neptune, I do not. I would not banter about such a serious matter." His answer prompted a feeble cry from Lady Moira. Looking to her mother, Setsuna found her to be dreadfully pale and shaking violently.
"Then…then, you mean it is all true? My daughter's true destiny awaits her at the Sacred Gates of Time?" she asked in a quivering voice. "She is not meant to follow me to the throne of Pluto?" Chronos shook his head.
"No, Moira. She is not. You shall have to bear another child to serve that purpose."
"But what of the child I already have?" the Plutonian Queen demanded. "What of my eldest daughter, Setsuna? What will happen to her?"
"She will come with me to the Gates of Time, where I will train her as the Guardian of Time. Once it has been determined that she has sufficient knowledge of the Rules of Time, and can properly mind the Time Stream, she will surrender her mortality and assume the title of Time Goddess, for that is the role she was born to play."
"Chronos." Moira began timidly, her voice small and meek. "Elder, father-in-law, grandfather to my child, answer me just this: will I ever see my girl again?" Chronos could not reply, nor could he meet his daughter- in-law's pleading gaze. Until that moment, Setsuna had remained silent. Now she spoke.
"No, mother. Once I am made into the Time Goddess, I shall never again be permitted to leave the Sacred Gates." Setsuna's reply startled Chronos for two reasons. For one, the woman's voice was surprisingly even and calm despite her words, though he supposed that could only be because she was still quite a bit numb from the shock. What most surprised him were the words themselves. When he had warned Setsuna of this unfortunate seclusion that would accompany her new position, she had given no indication that she had heard, but it was clear now that she had. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Chronos wondered just how much more his granddaughter had heard and understood.
Moira wept at her daughter's reply. Putting both arms around his wife to console her, Hades turned to his father, his eyes snapping with fury.
"Father, I am appalled!" he informed the Time God. "Truly, I cannot believe I am addressing the man who sired me! God or no, you have not the right to force my wife to bear a second child, and take the one we already have and love away from us forever, claiming it is her destiny!"
"I am not 'claiming' anything, Hades." Chronos answered coldly. "You must not think that I can draw any pleasure from this situation."
"I know not if it gives you pleasure or if it does not!" Hades retorted. "All that I know is that my daughter will have no part in your games!"
"Games?" Chronos roared, suddenly rivaling his son's anger. "You think to call guiding Setsuna to her proper destiny a game?"
"That is precisely what I think to call it!" Hades returned viciously.
"Father," Setsuna murmured uncomfortably, "Grandfather, please." Neither one seemed to hear her.
"You cannot hope to understand the destinies that my brothers and sisters have laid out for your daughter or for you!" Chronos snapped. "It is my duty as the god of time to see that those destinies are fulfilled!"
"You would put your duty above your family?" Hades demanded scathingly. "Daughter, tell me truly. Did your grandfather ever ask you if you wished to become the Time Goddess?" Setsuna bristled at her father's accusations, but then she realized that he was right. Although he had always claimed to love Setsuna well, and hold her high in his affections, Chronos had not presented her with any sort of choice in the matter of her allegedly destined role as the Guardian of Time. Flushing hotly, Setsuna stared at her feet, refusing to answer her father. Hades turned back to the gathered in triumph.
"You see?" the King of Pluto sneered. "Even his own granddaughter becomes a mere pawn in that despicable game of destiny that the gods play!"
"Blasphemy!" Chronos shrieked, aiming an accusatory finger at his son. Queen Serenity held up a hand, commanding silence.
"Enough!" she said sharply. "Both of you! I will not have a father and son quarrelling before my throne! I did not come here to settle such a feud!" Setsuna had to smile, for both Hades and Chronos appeared quite abashed. It seemed to her that no matter how chaotic the situation, the Queen's mere presence could always restore order among her subjects.
"Majesty…" Hades protested, albeit a touch meekly. Serenity narrowed her eyes at him.
"I also refuse to hear from anyone who profanes the gods I serve with such filthy words as those that have just left your mouth, Lord Hades." Hades lowered his eyes, clearly subdued.
"I…I apologize, Your Majesty. You are correct. I apologize to you, as well, Father." He drew in a deep, calming breath. "Now, I am prepared to discuss this rationally, if my father is also so inclined."
"I am." Chronos agreed. "Son, I do not want to take your daughter from you, but you must understand that at times, my duty calls me to do things I would never dream of doing otherwise. Lady Moira, as a Sailor Soldier, you surely could comprehend the situation.
"Yes, elder." Moira admitted, "I can understand that. I only wish it was not Setsuna."
"As do I," said Chronos, "but it is her, and we must learn to face and accept the situation."
"How soon do you wish to take her to the Sacred Gates?" Hades asked.
"Immediately. Today if it is at all possible. Of course, if she desires a final night at home, I shall wait and take her on the morrow." Michiru suddenly spoke up.
"Elder, I should like to know. What of Setsuna's sworn duty as Sailor Pluto?"
"Yes, elder, what of it?" Haruka asked, eying Setsuna significantly. "Recently, the three of us have been fighting a most terrible foe."
"We shall discuss the details with you at a more appropriate time, Majesty," Michiru promised quickly, noticing the High Queen's curious stare. "But the fact of the matter is, we believe we will require Sailor Pluto's help if we are to emerge victorious against this enemy."
"I am afraid I must say that Setsuna is Sailor Pluto no longer." Chronos answered, a troubled expression upon his face.
"Grandfather, did you not say that I will not be bound to the Gates until I am officially named Guardian of Time?"
"I must admit that I did say that." Chronos answered with a sigh. "Until she is named the Time Goddess, she will be free to come and go as she pleases. And because the safety of this Kingdom could be at stake, I suppose I could allow you girls to call upon my granddaughter when you urgently need her in battle." Setsuna smiled.
"So you needn't fear in those respects, friends," said she.
"Dear father-in-law," Lady Moira said, "do you suppose that…Setsuna could come home to me? Just once or twice before she is named Guardian of Time?" Chronos set his mouth into a grim line. He had hoped Setsuna had not heard him when he told her of that particular freedom she would have. If she became too accustomed to coming and leaving the Gates of Time freely, she would never be able to bear remaining there forever after she inherited his place as Guardian. On the other hand, the poor thing was already doomed to spend all of eternity at that horrible prison between realms. The very least Chronos could offer his granddaughter was a bit of freedom before that time came. Such could also act as an offering of peace between the Time God and his son. Chronos was certain that Hades and Moira would be far more willing to accept their daughter's fate if they at least had time for a proper good-bye before they gave her up forever.
"Very well, Lady Moira," he said. "I will allow Setsuna to return home periodically before my Passing leaves her bound to the Gates of Time." Moira, weeping gratefully, impulsively embraced the god. Then, coloring slightly at her little breech of etiquette, she stepped back, and faced her daughter.
"Setsuna, my girl, will you be leaving with your grandfather right away, or will you pass the night with your father and me at the palace."
"I shall spend the night with you, Mother." Setsuna replied. "I should like, however, to speak with Grandfather before we return to Pluto. Will that do?" Her parents agreed, and the High Queen dismissed them all. Setsuna and Chronos separated from the others, and headed off in the direction of her chambers, that they could speak in private.
As they walked silently through the halls, Setsuna suddenly realized that she had no idea what she wanted to say to her grandfather. Briefly, she considered returning to her parents, and demanding that they take her home right away, but no. Setsuna was eighteen years of age now, and a Sailor Soldier. She was entirely too old to run to her mother and father whenever something frightened her.
Setsuna certainly was frightened by this new fate of hers, now that the initial shock had worn off. The worst part of the entire affair was seemed to be the fact that becoming the Time Goddess would indeed make her into a goddess, an immortal. Setsuna found the thought of immortality a thousand times more terrifying than death had ever been. As Ruler of the Life Beyond Death, she knew that the very thing that made life precious was the knowledge that it would end one day. But you are not the Ruler of the Life Beyond any longer, she reminded herself. You are the apprentice of the god of time, who is your own grandsire.
The next moment found Setsuna and Chronos at the door to her bedchamber. Chronos held the door open for his granddaughter, who silently stepped inside. Chronos gently closed the door behind them. For a moment, both were silent.
"You wished to speak with me, dear one." Chronos said at last. "What did you wish to say?" Setsuna flinched. Where did she begin?
Chronos could see that Setsuna was searching for the proper words. Lacing his fingers together, he gazed steadily at his granddaughter, patiently awaiting her response.
"Grandfather," she said at last, "why was it me? Why did you choose me as your successor." Chronos shook his head.
"Setsuna dear, it was not I who chose you, but my brothers and sisters. I am not the god who lays out destinies. I only make certain that they are fulfilled. Your destiny awaits you at the Sacred Gates of Time." Setsuna felt hot tears coating her lovely garnet eyes.
"Well, why did they choose me?" she demanded in a choked voice. "Grandfather, I am so confused! Why have the gods done this to me? I always believed myself to be worthy of their favor! What have I done to deserve such a punishment as this?" Chronos shifted uncomfortably.
"Why, dear one! You do not truly believe that my brothers and sisters have done this to punish you, do you?" Seeing her grandfather's initial reaction to her question, Setsuna felt anger well up within her.
"Grandfather!" she cried, "I am not a child! Do not think to treat me as one!"
"I am sorry, Setsuna." Chronos answered with a guilty expression upon his face. "You are correct. I really must stop speaking to you as if you were still a little girl."
"That is not what I mean!" Setsuna informed him angrily. "Do you think I am completely ignorant to what my new destiny will entail? Well, I am not! I know exactly what it means, and I can tell you that I want no part of it!" Chronos regarded the angry young woman wearily.
"Why must you fight this so?" he asked. In his voice there was a note of beseeching that, although it startled Setsuna, was not nearly enough to quiet her wrath.
"Because I do not wish to spend eternity alone at those wretched Gates of Time! I do not wish to be separated forever from those people here whom I care about! I want to live beside them, and in due time, die as I, a mortal woman, am meant to! If I become the Guardian of Time, I will never see my mother and father again, even after they die, for not even a free soul can journey to the Gates of Time!"
"You are so certain?" Chronos asked offhandedly. Setsuna eyed him warily.
"Of course I am. I know as well as anyone that you alone are allowed at the Gates of Time. Not even the other gods are permitted there unless they are escorted by you."
"True, true." Chronos conceded. "And mortals are not allowed in the Realm of Gods, either, am I right?"
"Yes," said Setsuna slowly, "but I fail to see how that relates to—."
"Yet when mortals pray, they are certain to be heard, yes?" Setsuna sighed. She was quickly growing weary of her grandfather's riddles.
"Yes," she muttered with the air of a child facing a lecture.
"Mortals and gods beyond their Passing are not allowed in one another's realms. Yet, when one speaks to the other, they are always heard clearly. The same is true for a free soul and a firstborn daughter from the race of Lady Pluto." The hopeful glow that lit the young woman's face made him smile.
"Do you mean that I can still speak with the Voices? Even from the Gates of Time?" she asked.
"That is exactly what I mean." Setsuna's joy rapidly faded into skepticism.
"You told Haruka and Michiru that I am no longer Sailor Pluto." Chronos chuckled.
"I also told them that they will be permitted to call upon you when they need you in battle," he reminded her. A humorless smile teased Setsuna's lips.
"That you did, but I shall only be able to go to help them until I become the Guardian of Time. Will not my powers leave me forever when that time comes?" Chronos' face grew serious.
"No, child, they will not. They cannot. You are your mother's firstborn daughter, and not even an eternity at the Gates of Time can undo the effects of twelve years' training."
"Can it not?" Setsuna countered with the barest hint of amusement.
"No, it cannot." Chronos said firmly. "Nine years ago, you reached your awakening. In that moment, your abilities as a daughter from the royal line of Pluto were ingrained in you forever. I cannot reverse the effects of your awakening. Nothing can. You shall be able to speak with the Voices of the Dead until the day you join them."
"That is a day I shall never see." Setsuna lamented, and smiled sadly. "But I know that I haven't any other choice. In your own words, Grandfather, 'destiny is forever'." With that, Setsuna stood, dried the tears she had refused to shed, and swept out of the room to meet up with her parents and return to Pluto. Chronos watched her go, a kind of fear haunting his eyes.
" 'What is meant to happen will.'" Chronos quoted, raising his eyes to the Heavens. "Thus said the Queen. Give me strength, my celestial kin. I am afraid of what must be done."
The following morning, the princesses of Uranus and Neptune transported themselves to Pluto to see their comrade off on her first visit to the Gates of Time. They found Setsuna inside the palace, saying her good- byes to her mother and father. Both Hades and Moira had tears in their eyes as they embraced their daughter, but Setsuna herself was oddly stoic.
"Just remember, Setsuna," Lady Moira was saying, "that no matter what happens, you are our dear daughter, and we love you."
"Wherever you are," Lord Hades added, "you are in our hearts, always. It matters not how much time passes in this world."
"And I love you both." Setsuna replied, kissing the cheek of each parent in turn. Then, she turned to embrace her friends.
"Good luck, Setsuna." Haruka told her.
"May the gods bless you as you walk your destined path." Michiru said. Setsuna repressed the urge to laugh outright; she had the haunting suspicion that all of her friends' well wishing would prove in vain. But she forced herself to smile, and nodded her thanks.
"Gods bless you both. I wish you luck as well," she said, lowering her voice, "against the enemy." Haruka and Michiru sobered in an instant.
"I fear we may need more than luck in this battle, my friends." Michiru said grimly. "I would to Selene that you were not destined to guard the Sacred Gates."
"Let us be glad of the fact that your grandsire is letting us call upon you when we believe it necessary," added Haruka.
"That can only be until Grandfather's passing into the Realm of Gods." Setsuna reminded her. "But I, too, am grateful that he is allowing me to fight when I am needed. I should never forgive myself if ever the Kingdom fell to ruin because I could not be there to help." At this statement, Chronos winced, though the action went unnoticed by the gathered.
"Setsuna," he said to his granddaughter, "we must be going." Setsuna did not have to be told twice. Bestowing a final good-bye upon her friends and family, she moved to join her grandfather, who took her by the hand as if she were but a child. Scowling slightly, the woman opened her mouth to protest the action. Then, thinking better of it, she drew her lips together in silence, and prepared to call upon her power and teleport. Chronos, feeling the summons that the young warrior sent out to her magic, placed his free hand upon her shoulder to stop her.
"You are not the Guardian of Time yet, dear one," he whispered. "I have deemed you worthy of admittance to the Gates of Time, but you must yet be escorted there by me." Before Setsuna quite knew what was happening, she felt her physical body dissolve, and her soul was whisked into the timeless oblivion that she had come to know so well. This time, however, being there felt different. This time, it was not the magic of her own Aura, powered by the Voices of the Dead, that she felt carrying her across space to her destination. It was someone else's magic, some foreign power that surrounded her essence, and frightened her with its strangeness.
The feeling brought the shadow of a memory upon Setsuna. She knew the sensation from long ago, when she and her friends were learning to teleport another person under their own power. Every time Haruka or Michiru's power had surrounded her, she had reappeared dazed and quivering, her heart thudding wildly behind her ribs.
"That is to be expected, my little Sailor Soldier," her mother had assured her. "No mortal gifted with powers such as yours can feel at ease with another's powers surrounding her." Remembering her mother's words, Setsuna tried to calm herself, but to no avail. This time, she was being borne across space by the power of the god of time, not by the comparatively simple magic drawn from the Aura of a Sailor Soldier. Her grandfather's magic reeked of divinity, the likes of which no mortal should ever be subjected to. Setsuna was positive that even Serenity's magic would pale in comparison to Chronos'.
After what seemed like an hour, but was of course, in actuality, no time at all, Setsuna felt a slight ripple pass through her. This startled her, for she had never felt anything of the sort while teleporting. As a matter of fact, while teleporting, she had believed herself to be incapable of feeling anything at all.
Several more nonexistent moments had passed, Setsuna felt herself returned to her physical body. Dizzy from her journey, she saw the darkness blur before her. Her grandfather's voice penetrated the haze.
"Welcome," he said, "to the Gates of Time."
Good-byes
Setsuna did not return to Pluto that evening. Rather, she spent a sleepless night at the Silver Palace, alone in the chambers she had shared with her friends while in training all those years before.
More than once throughout the night, Setsuna's fervently racing mind touched upon the irony of the fact that after her meeting with Queen Serenity, she had been eagerly counting the hours until she could retire to her chambers without arousing any concern. While she knew that Chronos and the Queen would undoubtedly understand her desire to work through the shock in peace and solitude, she knew that she would only become frustrated if she tried. Steeling herself against a storm of emotions, Setsuna had forced herself to keep busy, struggling to maintain a pleasant demeanor. Although Princess Serenity and the Sailor Guardians must have known that Setsuna was at the Silver Palace, they did not approach her, for which Setsuna was grateful. The last thing that she wanted was to have to explain herself to them.
At last, night had fallen, and Setsuna had escaped to the solitude of her chambers. At first she had truly tried to fall asleep, to drift into that dream world where, for a time, she could forget what she had learned that day. It would never do for her to be yawning when she met with her parents and comrades in the morning to relay the news of her new destiny. But after tossing restlessly for several hours, she had given up, resigning herself to the fact that slumber was inclined to evade her that night. Not even the familiar ticking of the old grandfather clock could bring her comfort tonight.
Or perhaps it was truly her own mind that was inclined to remain alert. Every tick that the grandfather clock emitted sent the same three words tumbling through her mind: …Guardian of Time…Guardian of Time…Guardian of Time…
Can such a thing really be? The young woman wondered. Could I truly have been walking the wrong path my entire life? Then, a thought slipped into her mind, though it was not wanted there. And if I have, can I trust grandfather to show me the correct path?
The next morning, Princess Haruka, Princess Michiru, and Setsuna's parents all arrived at the Silver Palace, answering the High Queen's summons. Chronos was the one to inform them of the situation. Chronos had fully expected Setsuna's parents and comrades to be upset when they learned of her new destiny. He knew that they had every right to be. Therefore, he did not even bat an eye at the general outcry that arose from his announcement, although it brought forth a noticeable shudder from Setsuna.
"Guardian of Time?" Haruka exclaimed in disbelief.
"You jest!" Michiru cried at the god, throwing aside all etiquette.
"No, Princess Neptune, I do not. I would not banter about such a serious matter." His answer prompted a feeble cry from Lady Moira. Looking to her mother, Setsuna found her to be dreadfully pale and shaking violently.
"Then…then, you mean it is all true? My daughter's true destiny awaits her at the Sacred Gates of Time?" she asked in a quivering voice. "She is not meant to follow me to the throne of Pluto?" Chronos shook his head.
"No, Moira. She is not. You shall have to bear another child to serve that purpose."
"But what of the child I already have?" the Plutonian Queen demanded. "What of my eldest daughter, Setsuna? What will happen to her?"
"She will come with me to the Gates of Time, where I will train her as the Guardian of Time. Once it has been determined that she has sufficient knowledge of the Rules of Time, and can properly mind the Time Stream, she will surrender her mortality and assume the title of Time Goddess, for that is the role she was born to play."
"Chronos." Moira began timidly, her voice small and meek. "Elder, father-in-law, grandfather to my child, answer me just this: will I ever see my girl again?" Chronos could not reply, nor could he meet his daughter- in-law's pleading gaze. Until that moment, Setsuna had remained silent. Now she spoke.
"No, mother. Once I am made into the Time Goddess, I shall never again be permitted to leave the Sacred Gates." Setsuna's reply startled Chronos for two reasons. For one, the woman's voice was surprisingly even and calm despite her words, though he supposed that could only be because she was still quite a bit numb from the shock. What most surprised him were the words themselves. When he had warned Setsuna of this unfortunate seclusion that would accompany her new position, she had given no indication that she had heard, but it was clear now that she had. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Chronos wondered just how much more his granddaughter had heard and understood.
Moira wept at her daughter's reply. Putting both arms around his wife to console her, Hades turned to his father, his eyes snapping with fury.
"Father, I am appalled!" he informed the Time God. "Truly, I cannot believe I am addressing the man who sired me! God or no, you have not the right to force my wife to bear a second child, and take the one we already have and love away from us forever, claiming it is her destiny!"
"I am not 'claiming' anything, Hades." Chronos answered coldly. "You must not think that I can draw any pleasure from this situation."
"I know not if it gives you pleasure or if it does not!" Hades retorted. "All that I know is that my daughter will have no part in your games!"
"Games?" Chronos roared, suddenly rivaling his son's anger. "You think to call guiding Setsuna to her proper destiny a game?"
"That is precisely what I think to call it!" Hades returned viciously.
"Father," Setsuna murmured uncomfortably, "Grandfather, please." Neither one seemed to hear her.
"You cannot hope to understand the destinies that my brothers and sisters have laid out for your daughter or for you!" Chronos snapped. "It is my duty as the god of time to see that those destinies are fulfilled!"
"You would put your duty above your family?" Hades demanded scathingly. "Daughter, tell me truly. Did your grandfather ever ask you if you wished to become the Time Goddess?" Setsuna bristled at her father's accusations, but then she realized that he was right. Although he had always claimed to love Setsuna well, and hold her high in his affections, Chronos had not presented her with any sort of choice in the matter of her allegedly destined role as the Guardian of Time. Flushing hotly, Setsuna stared at her feet, refusing to answer her father. Hades turned back to the gathered in triumph.
"You see?" the King of Pluto sneered. "Even his own granddaughter becomes a mere pawn in that despicable game of destiny that the gods play!"
"Blasphemy!" Chronos shrieked, aiming an accusatory finger at his son. Queen Serenity held up a hand, commanding silence.
"Enough!" she said sharply. "Both of you! I will not have a father and son quarrelling before my throne! I did not come here to settle such a feud!" Setsuna had to smile, for both Hades and Chronos appeared quite abashed. It seemed to her that no matter how chaotic the situation, the Queen's mere presence could always restore order among her subjects.
"Majesty…" Hades protested, albeit a touch meekly. Serenity narrowed her eyes at him.
"I also refuse to hear from anyone who profanes the gods I serve with such filthy words as those that have just left your mouth, Lord Hades." Hades lowered his eyes, clearly subdued.
"I…I apologize, Your Majesty. You are correct. I apologize to you, as well, Father." He drew in a deep, calming breath. "Now, I am prepared to discuss this rationally, if my father is also so inclined."
"I am." Chronos agreed. "Son, I do not want to take your daughter from you, but you must understand that at times, my duty calls me to do things I would never dream of doing otherwise. Lady Moira, as a Sailor Soldier, you surely could comprehend the situation.
"Yes, elder." Moira admitted, "I can understand that. I only wish it was not Setsuna."
"As do I," said Chronos, "but it is her, and we must learn to face and accept the situation."
"How soon do you wish to take her to the Sacred Gates?" Hades asked.
"Immediately. Today if it is at all possible. Of course, if she desires a final night at home, I shall wait and take her on the morrow." Michiru suddenly spoke up.
"Elder, I should like to know. What of Setsuna's sworn duty as Sailor Pluto?"
"Yes, elder, what of it?" Haruka asked, eying Setsuna significantly. "Recently, the three of us have been fighting a most terrible foe."
"We shall discuss the details with you at a more appropriate time, Majesty," Michiru promised quickly, noticing the High Queen's curious stare. "But the fact of the matter is, we believe we will require Sailor Pluto's help if we are to emerge victorious against this enemy."
"I am afraid I must say that Setsuna is Sailor Pluto no longer." Chronos answered, a troubled expression upon his face.
"Grandfather, did you not say that I will not be bound to the Gates until I am officially named Guardian of Time?"
"I must admit that I did say that." Chronos answered with a sigh. "Until she is named the Time Goddess, she will be free to come and go as she pleases. And because the safety of this Kingdom could be at stake, I suppose I could allow you girls to call upon my granddaughter when you urgently need her in battle." Setsuna smiled.
"So you needn't fear in those respects, friends," said she.
"Dear father-in-law," Lady Moira said, "do you suppose that…Setsuna could come home to me? Just once or twice before she is named Guardian of Time?" Chronos set his mouth into a grim line. He had hoped Setsuna had not heard him when he told her of that particular freedom she would have. If she became too accustomed to coming and leaving the Gates of Time freely, she would never be able to bear remaining there forever after she inherited his place as Guardian. On the other hand, the poor thing was already doomed to spend all of eternity at that horrible prison between realms. The very least Chronos could offer his granddaughter was a bit of freedom before that time came. Such could also act as an offering of peace between the Time God and his son. Chronos was certain that Hades and Moira would be far more willing to accept their daughter's fate if they at least had time for a proper good-bye before they gave her up forever.
"Very well, Lady Moira," he said. "I will allow Setsuna to return home periodically before my Passing leaves her bound to the Gates of Time." Moira, weeping gratefully, impulsively embraced the god. Then, coloring slightly at her little breech of etiquette, she stepped back, and faced her daughter.
"Setsuna, my girl, will you be leaving with your grandfather right away, or will you pass the night with your father and me at the palace."
"I shall spend the night with you, Mother." Setsuna replied. "I should like, however, to speak with Grandfather before we return to Pluto. Will that do?" Her parents agreed, and the High Queen dismissed them all. Setsuna and Chronos separated from the others, and headed off in the direction of her chambers, that they could speak in private.
As they walked silently through the halls, Setsuna suddenly realized that she had no idea what she wanted to say to her grandfather. Briefly, she considered returning to her parents, and demanding that they take her home right away, but no. Setsuna was eighteen years of age now, and a Sailor Soldier. She was entirely too old to run to her mother and father whenever something frightened her.
Setsuna certainly was frightened by this new fate of hers, now that the initial shock had worn off. The worst part of the entire affair was seemed to be the fact that becoming the Time Goddess would indeed make her into a goddess, an immortal. Setsuna found the thought of immortality a thousand times more terrifying than death had ever been. As Ruler of the Life Beyond Death, she knew that the very thing that made life precious was the knowledge that it would end one day. But you are not the Ruler of the Life Beyond any longer, she reminded herself. You are the apprentice of the god of time, who is your own grandsire.
The next moment found Setsuna and Chronos at the door to her bedchamber. Chronos held the door open for his granddaughter, who silently stepped inside. Chronos gently closed the door behind them. For a moment, both were silent.
"You wished to speak with me, dear one." Chronos said at last. "What did you wish to say?" Setsuna flinched. Where did she begin?
Chronos could see that Setsuna was searching for the proper words. Lacing his fingers together, he gazed steadily at his granddaughter, patiently awaiting her response.
"Grandfather," she said at last, "why was it me? Why did you choose me as your successor." Chronos shook his head.
"Setsuna dear, it was not I who chose you, but my brothers and sisters. I am not the god who lays out destinies. I only make certain that they are fulfilled. Your destiny awaits you at the Sacred Gates of Time." Setsuna felt hot tears coating her lovely garnet eyes.
"Well, why did they choose me?" she demanded in a choked voice. "Grandfather, I am so confused! Why have the gods done this to me? I always believed myself to be worthy of their favor! What have I done to deserve such a punishment as this?" Chronos shifted uncomfortably.
"Why, dear one! You do not truly believe that my brothers and sisters have done this to punish you, do you?" Seeing her grandfather's initial reaction to her question, Setsuna felt anger well up within her.
"Grandfather!" she cried, "I am not a child! Do not think to treat me as one!"
"I am sorry, Setsuna." Chronos answered with a guilty expression upon his face. "You are correct. I really must stop speaking to you as if you were still a little girl."
"That is not what I mean!" Setsuna informed him angrily. "Do you think I am completely ignorant to what my new destiny will entail? Well, I am not! I know exactly what it means, and I can tell you that I want no part of it!" Chronos regarded the angry young woman wearily.
"Why must you fight this so?" he asked. In his voice there was a note of beseeching that, although it startled Setsuna, was not nearly enough to quiet her wrath.
"Because I do not wish to spend eternity alone at those wretched Gates of Time! I do not wish to be separated forever from those people here whom I care about! I want to live beside them, and in due time, die as I, a mortal woman, am meant to! If I become the Guardian of Time, I will never see my mother and father again, even after they die, for not even a free soul can journey to the Gates of Time!"
"You are so certain?" Chronos asked offhandedly. Setsuna eyed him warily.
"Of course I am. I know as well as anyone that you alone are allowed at the Gates of Time. Not even the other gods are permitted there unless they are escorted by you."
"True, true." Chronos conceded. "And mortals are not allowed in the Realm of Gods, either, am I right?"
"Yes," said Setsuna slowly, "but I fail to see how that relates to—."
"Yet when mortals pray, they are certain to be heard, yes?" Setsuna sighed. She was quickly growing weary of her grandfather's riddles.
"Yes," she muttered with the air of a child facing a lecture.
"Mortals and gods beyond their Passing are not allowed in one another's realms. Yet, when one speaks to the other, they are always heard clearly. The same is true for a free soul and a firstborn daughter from the race of Lady Pluto." The hopeful glow that lit the young woman's face made him smile.
"Do you mean that I can still speak with the Voices? Even from the Gates of Time?" she asked.
"That is exactly what I mean." Setsuna's joy rapidly faded into skepticism.
"You told Haruka and Michiru that I am no longer Sailor Pluto." Chronos chuckled.
"I also told them that they will be permitted to call upon you when they need you in battle," he reminded her. A humorless smile teased Setsuna's lips.
"That you did, but I shall only be able to go to help them until I become the Guardian of Time. Will not my powers leave me forever when that time comes?" Chronos' face grew serious.
"No, child, they will not. They cannot. You are your mother's firstborn daughter, and not even an eternity at the Gates of Time can undo the effects of twelve years' training."
"Can it not?" Setsuna countered with the barest hint of amusement.
"No, it cannot." Chronos said firmly. "Nine years ago, you reached your awakening. In that moment, your abilities as a daughter from the royal line of Pluto were ingrained in you forever. I cannot reverse the effects of your awakening. Nothing can. You shall be able to speak with the Voices of the Dead until the day you join them."
"That is a day I shall never see." Setsuna lamented, and smiled sadly. "But I know that I haven't any other choice. In your own words, Grandfather, 'destiny is forever'." With that, Setsuna stood, dried the tears she had refused to shed, and swept out of the room to meet up with her parents and return to Pluto. Chronos watched her go, a kind of fear haunting his eyes.
" 'What is meant to happen will.'" Chronos quoted, raising his eyes to the Heavens. "Thus said the Queen. Give me strength, my celestial kin. I am afraid of what must be done."
The following morning, the princesses of Uranus and Neptune transported themselves to Pluto to see their comrade off on her first visit to the Gates of Time. They found Setsuna inside the palace, saying her good- byes to her mother and father. Both Hades and Moira had tears in their eyes as they embraced their daughter, but Setsuna herself was oddly stoic.
"Just remember, Setsuna," Lady Moira was saying, "that no matter what happens, you are our dear daughter, and we love you."
"Wherever you are," Lord Hades added, "you are in our hearts, always. It matters not how much time passes in this world."
"And I love you both." Setsuna replied, kissing the cheek of each parent in turn. Then, she turned to embrace her friends.
"Good luck, Setsuna." Haruka told her.
"May the gods bless you as you walk your destined path." Michiru said. Setsuna repressed the urge to laugh outright; she had the haunting suspicion that all of her friends' well wishing would prove in vain. But she forced herself to smile, and nodded her thanks.
"Gods bless you both. I wish you luck as well," she said, lowering her voice, "against the enemy." Haruka and Michiru sobered in an instant.
"I fear we may need more than luck in this battle, my friends." Michiru said grimly. "I would to Selene that you were not destined to guard the Sacred Gates."
"Let us be glad of the fact that your grandsire is letting us call upon you when we believe it necessary," added Haruka.
"That can only be until Grandfather's passing into the Realm of Gods." Setsuna reminded her. "But I, too, am grateful that he is allowing me to fight when I am needed. I should never forgive myself if ever the Kingdom fell to ruin because I could not be there to help." At this statement, Chronos winced, though the action went unnoticed by the gathered.
"Setsuna," he said to his granddaughter, "we must be going." Setsuna did not have to be told twice. Bestowing a final good-bye upon her friends and family, she moved to join her grandfather, who took her by the hand as if she were but a child. Scowling slightly, the woman opened her mouth to protest the action. Then, thinking better of it, she drew her lips together in silence, and prepared to call upon her power and teleport. Chronos, feeling the summons that the young warrior sent out to her magic, placed his free hand upon her shoulder to stop her.
"You are not the Guardian of Time yet, dear one," he whispered. "I have deemed you worthy of admittance to the Gates of Time, but you must yet be escorted there by me." Before Setsuna quite knew what was happening, she felt her physical body dissolve, and her soul was whisked into the timeless oblivion that she had come to know so well. This time, however, being there felt different. This time, it was not the magic of her own Aura, powered by the Voices of the Dead, that she felt carrying her across space to her destination. It was someone else's magic, some foreign power that surrounded her essence, and frightened her with its strangeness.
The feeling brought the shadow of a memory upon Setsuna. She knew the sensation from long ago, when she and her friends were learning to teleport another person under their own power. Every time Haruka or Michiru's power had surrounded her, she had reappeared dazed and quivering, her heart thudding wildly behind her ribs.
"That is to be expected, my little Sailor Soldier," her mother had assured her. "No mortal gifted with powers such as yours can feel at ease with another's powers surrounding her." Remembering her mother's words, Setsuna tried to calm herself, but to no avail. This time, she was being borne across space by the power of the god of time, not by the comparatively simple magic drawn from the Aura of a Sailor Soldier. Her grandfather's magic reeked of divinity, the likes of which no mortal should ever be subjected to. Setsuna was positive that even Serenity's magic would pale in comparison to Chronos'.
After what seemed like an hour, but was of course, in actuality, no time at all, Setsuna felt a slight ripple pass through her. This startled her, for she had never felt anything of the sort while teleporting. As a matter of fact, while teleporting, she had believed herself to be incapable of feeling anything at all.
Several more nonexistent moments had passed, Setsuna felt herself returned to her physical body. Dizzy from her journey, she saw the darkness blur before her. Her grandfather's voice penetrated the haze.
"Welcome," he said, "to the Gates of Time."