**IMPORTANT Author's Notes at Bottom!!**
Enjoy!
@~~~~~~
Beyond the Staff
Chapter 3 - For all eternity...
By: Bethany
Editor: Meara
Rated: PG 13
@~~~~~~
Genjo swept me around so that he could see towards the stairs. He
nodded stiffly, looking back at me. "That's got to be him."
I bit my bottom lip, wondering what to do now. My heart was
pounding in anticipation; I couldn't think. Genjo must have felt me
tense up in his arms because he guided me towards the balcony doors,
away from the music and lights; away from the man I had never laid eyes
on, even though his blood ran through my veins.
I was thankful to be outside in the night's cool air, however. I
felt I could breathe deeper out here, without my mind clouded up with
fear. Genjo held me close to his body, rubbing my back reassuringly.
"Now what do I do?" I mumbled against him, staring out at the gardens
in the back of the palace. "Go up to him? Introduce myself? Will he
recognize me?"
"Shhh," Genjo whispered. "Don't think so much about it, just calm
down. You'll be fine."
But I didn't feel fine, I felt like if I went back in that over
crowded room I would suffocate, faint and cause a huge scene. Squeezing
my eyes shut I gripped Genjo's tuxedo jacket with nearly a death grip
while he continued to whisper reassuring words in my ear.
After nearly a half hour passed, I felt my heart begin to calm
slightly. We sat down in one of the shadowed benches that looked out
over the kingdom. As we sat in the silence, I found myself wondering
what it would have been like if my mother and father had married; if I
had grown up in this palace with riches and gold beyond my imagination.
Would I still have known the love I had known with my mother? Or would
material things eat away the meaning of love and gratitude? I hadn't
known this life, though. And I'm not too sure I would have picked it
over the one I had. All of those people in there, with their fancy
dresses and plastered smiles; I didn't envy them. I wasn't even sure if
I wanted to fit in with them.
"You ready to go back in?" Genjo asked quietly, his lips near my
ear.
I nodded, shakily standing. Genjo pressed me firmly to his side
as we made our way back in the palace. The room was now so full of
people that it was hard to distinguish one person from the next. Women
stood in clumps, talking. Men stood together, laughing loudly. Some
couples dances, others ate. I didn't see my father anywhere as Genjo
pulled me out onto the dance floor again, holding me close.
His lips brushed my temples as we spun around, making me giggle.
We danced song after song, caught up in the lights and sounds of the
music that filled the hall. And I was so happy; so content in his arms
that I could have stayed that way for all eternity.
... for all eternity ...
A shot and then a scream. It seemed to slice the music in half,
cutting off every conversation. Someone else screamed. I turned,
looking around at the clump of panicked people. Some were running for
the exits, others were down on the ground. Women cried, men shouted.
Again, a scream... was that me? Genjo shoved me to the ground,
his body covering mine. His breathing was heavy in my face as he looked
around wildly for what was going on. "Oh God," he mumbled. "Someone...
someone is shooting..." I could hear the shouts of people, the
screaming--it all blurred together into one frightening wave of panic.
Genjo suddenly gasped, his eyes glaring hard across the room.
"Setsuna," he whispered to me, his breath hot on my ears and face.
"Stay down. Whatever you do, don't move."
"What are you..?" I gasped as he suddenly bolted up and ran
towards the front doors. "GENJO!" I screamed, turning over to see where
he was going. "NO GENJO! COME BACK!" But it was no use...
No use...
A shot...
I could see the blood splatter, guards running in the room from
every door. Blood... blood...
Everywhere... it was everywhere...
I stumbled up, clutching my sides as I ran, my bare feet stinging
on the marble floor as I threw my shoes off to run faster. Genjo fell
backwards, holding his hand over his chest. Blood. Everywhere. Every
sound stopped, silence ripped through me; nothing but the scream that
ripped through my lips and pierced the still night. "NO!"
I slid to my knees at Genjo's head, taking no heed of the bodies
lying around me. I didn't notice the guards fighting to over take
several mad men and drag them away. I didn't notice that the body next
to my husband's was none other than that of my father's. All I could
see was Genjo' blood staining his white shirt under his tuxedo jacket.
I ripped the jacket away, my eyes staring blankly at the large area of
blood growing larger still. Genjo was fighting to keep his eyes open,
his trembling hand reaching up to touch my cheek. "Oh GOD!" I screamed,
placing my hand over the wound. "Genjo... Genjo, you got to be all
right. PLEASE!" I cried.
Genjo's cold hand brushed away a tear on my face and I covered
his hand with my own, leaning down so I could kiss his lips. "Please,
don't die, Genjo. Please don't die..." I begged, kissing his lips over
and over... and over... "Please..."
"I love you, Setsuna," he whispered, a tear rolling down the side
of his face and onto the white marble floor. "Always... always remember
that I'll love you... always love you..."
"... for all eternity ..."
His brown eyes; those beautiful, piercing brown eyes that had
stared at me with such longing, such love, such passion... rolled back
in his head as his eyes closed for the last time. His hand that I had
been gripping so hard fell limp. I stared at his lifeless body in
shock, my mouth open in a silent scream that refused to leave my
throat. I stared, my eyes began hurting, but I couldn't move. Someone
was trying to take his hand from me, but I wouldn't budge. I couldn't.
"Come on dear, there's nothing we can do," someone, a woman, was
saying in my ear. "Come on, then," she whispered, trying to help me up.
I shook my head fiercely, still gripping his hand. We had just been
dancing... just kissed... just... he was just...
Gone.
I screamed. Over and over again I let out a piercing scream that
even hurt my own ears; tears flooded my face in a gush like a river
breaking over a dam. Scream and scream, and scream again. And suddenly,
thankfully, all went black.
@--------
I awoke slowly, my head pounding so hard that I couldn't think.
Candles dimly lighted the room I was laying in and in I could hear
people talking in quiet tones. Groaning, I sat up. That's when I saw
the blood on my hands, arms and dress. It all came crashing back to me
like a bad dream, Genjo... Genjo, my husband, was dead - dead. I'd
never wake up to see his smiling face again. Never would I see the
slight blush that stained his face when I caught him staring at me.
Never would I feel his arms around my body again. Never again. Just
like my mother.
I gripped the sheets with my hands, head bowed as I cried my
heart out. My newly repaired heart that had learned to love again after
my mother passed away, only to be broken again in less than a month's
time. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore, until I was dry. But that
didn't stop the painful pounding of my heart and the aching that would
make its home in my body for thousands of years to come.
There was a suddenly hush of the people that was across the room.
I paid them no attention though, until a new, deeper voice, told them
to leave me be. Heavy footsteps came across the room, but only when
they stopped at my bedside did I look up. It was my grandfather.
He sat on the edge of the bed, uncomfortably, it seemed, and
stared at the floor. After what seemed an eternity, he spoke, without
looking up. "I'm--I'm sorry about Genjo," he said quietly, twitching
again uncomfortably. "I came to tell you... that, well, my son -- he
was--is dead, too."
I gasped, staring up at him though he continued to stare at the
floor. My father? I hadn't even got to say a single word to him... he
was dead? I bit my lip, trying to hold back another wave of tears that
threatened to fall from my eyes. It didn't work. I buried my face in my
hands and cried again, for a father I hadn't got to know. For a husband
I barely knew, for my mother whom I had failed.
I don't remember Chronos leaving me. I didn't care anyways. I
fell back onto the bed, burying my face into my pillow as I wept for
all that should have been. Unknowing of what lay ahead, of my future.
Uncaring if the world stopped today, for it would make no difference to
me. I cried myself into a deep sleep, again thankful for the darkness
behind my eyes that allowed me to forget for a few precious hours.
The next morning a woman brought me a tray of food and bugged me
until I ate something. She practically dragged me to the baths and
washed me herself, mumbling all the time. "You poor dear," she said
sadly, her own eyes filling with tears. "Your husband... you poor
dear..." she whispered, brushing my hair until it was practically dried
and gleamed. I didn't care, though. I didn't care if I ever looked
pretty again. It didn't matter.
The woman bustled around, getting me dressed as I sat and stared
straight ahead. She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth,
shaking her head at me. "Just lay down and rest, dear," she mumbled,
covering me up. "Just rest."
The day came and went, and I paid no attention. Just laid in bed,
my eyes closed as I tried to forget my pain. In the early evening a
guard came into my room, bowing respectfully as he approached. "Excuse
me, Miss, I'm sorry to bother you. His Majesty wants a word and I was
sent to fetch you."
I didn't have the strength to argue. I pushed the covers aside
and stood up, following the guard down several halls until we stopped
in front of a set of doors that looked vaguely familiar. It wasn't
until we stepped in that I realized it was Chronos' set of rooms. He
was sitting in one of the chairs by the fire, staring at the flames;
memorized.
I sat down across from him, looking at the same flames that held
his rapt attention. Minutes ticked by, we said nothing, didn't even
move. I can't say it was a comfortable silence, but it wasn't tense,
either. We just sat and stared in silence until suddenly his voice
broke it.
It wasn't the voice I remembered; the cocky attitude was gone,
leaving what appeared to be a grieving man. Against my will, I found
myself listening to him. "I have something to tell you, to explain to
you. Something that will be as hard for you to hear as it is for me to
say; to own up to." He sighed greatly, his body seeming to shrink from
the effort. Slowly he began talking again.
"Fifteen years ago your mother came to this palace, summoned
randomly to be a lady-in-waiting for my youngest daughter. From the
moment she was introduced to me, I was enthralled. She was so
beautiful, even in her grief for her parents. I sought her out, tried
to talk to her. But she wanted nothing to do with me." He sighed and I
found that my hands were clutched on my knees as I stared at him, my
knuckles white as I waited with baited breath for him to continue.
"For months, against my better judgment, I sought her out. She
refused me time and time again, even began spending more time with my
son so that I couldn't approach her. She even threatened to tell him
what I was doing if I didn't stop. But I couldn't... and in the end, I
raped her." His words died in the air, but in my head I heard them over
and over again. My mouth fell open, but I lacked the coherent thoughts
to say anything. I just stared as Chronos hung his head low, his eyes
closed.
I couldn't believe my ears. Surely this was a nightmare, built
upon so many. I would wake up in my bed, my mother's calming voice
telling me it was all right. Surely... surely if I closed my eyes, and
reopened them. Please...
"I understand if you hate me. I hated myself for doing it,"
Chronos' voice came to me as if from the far end of a long hallway,
echoing through my mind. "She came to me a couple of months later and
told me she was with child, and threatened to tell the kingdom of my
attack. Before I could stop her, she ran to my son. But she didn't tell
him, like I feared. No, she had grown to love my son and couldn't stand
telling him she was pregnant with another's child. Especially his own
father's. So she told him it was his."
My mind reeled, making my vision blur. I shook my head, digging
my nails into my arms, which bled. "No," I mumbled. "No--you're lying!
My mother told me... she told me how she fell in love with my father...
how she became pregnant... she..." I chocked down a sob, hugging my
arms around me tightly. "I don't believe you! My mother wouldn't lie to
me!" I screamed tears running down my face though I cursed them for
making me appear weak. "You're lying!"
Chronos stood, going over to the fireplace and stared into the
dancing flames. He took a deep breath and turned to me. "I'm not lying.
When I asked your mother about it, she said that she had slept with
Setsutarou when she was two months pregnant. She was planning to let
him think she was having a premature birth." He laughed, insanely. "By
the time she gave birth, she wanted that child --you-- to be
Setsutarou's so badly that I think she believed it. Really believed it.
Of course, I couldn't have her running around the kingdom telling
everyone about you, so I banished her and you. I told her I'd kill you
both if she returned and just hours after she gave birth, I kicked her
out."
"You bastard," I spat, my eyes, though still filled with tears,
burning now with hatred. I stood up shakily, glaring at him as if
willing him to die on the spot. "You evil, low, dirty bastard! How dare
you rape my mother! How dare you stand here so casually and talk about
it as if it were nothing! You... you..." I staggered forward, pulling
my hand back and slapping him across the face as hard as I could and
spat at him, my breathing heavy.
Chronos said nothing; he didn't even look up at me. I just stood
there, paralyzed by what he had said--what he had done. The side of his
face grew red in the shape of my hand, but I felt no remorse. Just
hatred. A burning hatred that would take me many years to overcome.
"Why?" I spat, my eyes boring into him. "Why did you tell me this now?"
Chronos walked away from the fireplace and sank into one of the
chairs. He didn't remind me in the least of that strong man whom I had
meet just three days prior--he looked defeated in life. Behind him lay
the bodies of his children... except one. And if he thought he was
going to make everything better in my life, he was dead wrong. But that
wasn't what he had in mind.
His magenta eyes stared up at me again, his eye lids dropping
low, his jaw line no longer strong, but weak. "Setsuna, whatever your
feelings are--you are the only child I have left. My daughter died
years ago... and now my son... I know there is nothing I can do to
repair the past. I have always known this, as it is my curse and
destiny, just as it is yours."
"What are you talking about?" I mumbled, still staring at him
from where I stood at the fireplace. I don't know how I kept my legs
from buckling so that I could stand there, glaring at him. I felt so
weak and trembling inside that I could faint, but I wouldn't. I would
be strong. I would do what I had to do. Just like I always had--like I
always would.
"Setsuna, we are the holders of Time. Our family has kept it a
secret from anyone that we possess the ability to move through time.
But now... now Queen Serenity has come to me with a request for a
Guardian of that Gate. There is a small mass of people on Earth who
have found out about the Moon Kingdom's people and their life span and
wish to obtain it. The Moon Kingdom is strong, and the Queen believes
she can contain this problem -- but she is still in fear for the Time
Gate. For in the wrong hands it will kill us all."
He swallowed, once more raising his eyes to look at me. "I told
her about you and that I would speak with you about it. There will be a
transport in two hours time if you choose to accept. Setsuna, I'm not
asking you to do this for my sake. I'm an old man who has done so many
wrongs in my life that surely the God Hades will have no mercy. I'm
asking you this for the good of us all."
I swallowed, though I didn't feel better for it. There was a
thick substance in my mouth that burned like fire. My arms still
wrapped around my mid section, I started towards the door, not once
looking back.
My hands shook as I sat on the bed, staring at the wedding band I
hadn't wore but five days. Its matching band would be buried on my
husband's finger. I shivered, another gush of tears welling up from
inside me. Tears that would do me no good. I fought them back, taking a
determined vow that I wouldn't cry another tear for another human. I
wouldn't allow myself to become so close to another that my heart could
be ripped apart like it is now. A vow that I would break in good time.
I stood, filling my pathetically small suitcase with what few
belongs I had. My wedding band was laid in the bottom, with a picture
of Genjo and his Mom and Dad I had found in his belongings, clothes,
brushes and at last... I reached up to remove the necklace from around
my neck, but couldn't. The small key laying on my chest would forever
stand as the key to my past, the key to where my heart would forever
lay--in a small grave with my husband, and the cold unmarked grave of
my mother. A small knock on the door that startled me away from my
memories. "Yes?"
"His Majesty wants me to inform you the transport is here. Will
you be boarding it?" the guard asked.
I nodded my head and quickly he came over to take the small bag
from my grip. "Follow me, then."
The halls again all look the same, just as they did when I first
entered this palace four days ago. The transport was nothing more than
a tall glass room with a button that was currently glowing. I stepped
in, caring not that my father wasn't here; I didn't care if I ever laid
yes on him again. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and pushed the
button. There was a giant rushing sound, but I felt nothing. Then, just
as quickly as it began, it stopped.
My first thought was that it hadn't worked, I was still on Pluto.
However, the man that opened the door was definitely not the same guard
I had seen a moment before. His eyes were light blue and his skin was
whiter than any I have ever seen. I blinked, gathering my bag closer to
me. "Setsuna, Princess of Pluto?" the man asked in an official voice.
I nodded, surprised at the title. I wasn't a Princess. I didn't
even want to be related to the King of Pluto. But given this man didn't
know all of that, I nodded more firmly and stepped out of the transport
room. My mouth gapped open at what I saw as I stepped out of that room
and into the Moon Kingdom. Things such as I had only read about in
school were now before me. The Earth hung gently in the sky, the sun
basking down on my skin so warmly that I could feel it. The sun had
reached Pluto, but never like this. Never so bright it nearly blinded
you, and so strongly that the warmth kissed your skin.
The guard walked slowly, as if understanding this was so new to
me that all I could do was stare around. Beautiful flowers as I had
never laid eyes on were everywhere. There were fountains that pushed
water ten even twenty feet into the air. We walked into a corridor and
all of the outside was blocked from my view. It was replaced with
paintings and carved marble, such beauty that it took my breath away.
There was a shouting ahead, and gales of laughter. Curiously I came up
beside the guard who had stopped and waited.
Flying around the corner of the hall was a toddler, her blonde
hair up in two small pony tails and a tiny white gown on her figure.
She stopped when she seen me, barely looking back for the person who
was running after her. "Who are you?" she asked so clearly that I was
startled. Was it normal for children so small to talk so clearly?
I bent down to her level so I could look into her bright blue
eyes. On her forehead, proud and bright, was a crescent moon. I gasped.
This wasn't just any toddler, this was Princess Serenity! It took me a
moment to get my voice to come out as clearly as I would like. "I'm
Setsuna," I whispered, still in awe of the two year old before me.
Suddenly someone scooped her up and she squealed. I looked up to
see a woman in a white nursing outfit put the child on her hip and look
at her scolding. "Princess, you know better..." she huffed, still quite
out of breath.
The toddler Princess shrugged, still looking at me as the nurse
apologized to the guard and started off. "Bye-bye Setsuna!" the toddler
called, waving her small cubby hand. I lifted my hand, waving to her as
they rounded the corner, a silly smile on my face.
The guard once again started moving, making no comment about the
Princess or anything else. I followed him to a large set of double
doors that had beautiful carvings of the Moon on it. He opened the door
wide and allowed me to walk inside. In front of me was a long table
that seated eight people. Each of them I recognized almost instantly
from the many books I had read as a child. Sitting at the head of the
table was Queen Serenity, her long silver hair just as he was described
in books, up in two ponytails with buns at her head, a bright crescent
moon, identical to Princess Serenity's, shining on her forehead. To her
left was Aphrodite, the Queen of Venus. To her right, Ares, the King of
Mars. Down the left side of the table next to Aphrodite were the Queens
of Mercury and Jupiter. Down the right side of the table, next to Ares
was the Queens of Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. I couldn't help my stare.
"Please, Princess, come forth and join us," Queen Serenity said
to me in a pleasing, soft voice that was gently aligned with amusement.
I sat down next to the Queen of Jupiter, trying not to show how nervous
I felt being in the room with the Queens and Kings of the Planets. "I'm
sorry that Chronos couldn't join us today. Setsuna, we have asked you
to come to us to discuss the protection of the Time Gate. Since you are
here, we assume you have accepted this position."
I nodded slowly, still in awe of my surroundings. All these women
were dressed in such beautiful clothing, their complexions so bright
and their posture so assured. And here I was, in my worn and hand me
down clothing, sitting amongst them.
Queen Serenity closed her hands in front of her, smiling gently.
"Then, shall we discuss how this will come about?" she asked the Queens
at the table.
"There should be some rules, of course," the Queen of Jupiter,
Rhea, said immediately. "Taboos of a sort that aren't to be trifled
with."
"Those taboos should be punishable by death," spoke up Ares in
his booming voice. I felt a shiver go up my spine at those words,
though surely I'd never find reason to bring that fate on myself.
Queen Serenity's eyes darken at this comment, I noticed. She
folded her hands before her, staring at them a moment. "I digress. If
everyone agrees, I would like to discuss this privately. When we have
made our decisions, we will bring forth Setsuna and explain them as
told." She turned her soft eyes to me, smiling. "The guard will lead
you to the kitchens if you would like something to eat. We will call
for you shortly, my dear."
I swallowed, standing, forever grateful to escape the
confinements of that room. My stomach felt hollow, and my heart pounded
in my head to the point that it was becoming painful. I left the room,
following the guard to the kitchens where a small meal was prepared for
me. I ate mechanically; barely noticing how different the food was from
that I was accustomed to. My mind stayed on the discussion in the room
where all the leaders of the Planets were meeting.
A short hour later the guard returned, as promised, to fetch me
and bring me to Queen Serenity. When the double doors opened, I was
surprised to see the room empty but for the tall, graceful figure of
Queen Serenity. Slowly I stepped forward, glancing uneasily at the
three things laying on the table beside where Queen Serenity stood. She
turned, her lips again in that serene smile that put my heart at ease.
She picked up the first object, a long pen looking devise with a
small model of the planet Pluto on top. "This," she began. "Is your
transformation stick. When you use this, you will become the Solider of
Pluto. This will enable you to use the fullness of the powers you have
from your planet. Hold it above your head, and shout the words 'Pluto
Planet Power Make-Up!'"
I took the small stick from her hands, turning it over in my own
to inspect it. Then with a determination I held the stick high, my face
uplifted towards it. "Pluto Planet Power - Make-up!" There was a
crashing, brilliant light that engulfed me. A tingling that began in my
feet and traveled up my body, feeling of every curve and line in my
skin. It was over as quickly as it started, and slowly I opened my
eyes. In the mirror behind us, I could see that I now wore a sailor
outfit; a short skirt, tall boots that nearly reached my knees, and a
small tiara on my forehead. I blinked at my reflection; she looked so
much older and wiser than I felt.
Queen Serenity smiled again, her hand now holding another object.
It was a red orb that glowed slightly. "This," she began, her eyes
glazed over. "Is a Talisman. There are three; you hold the third and
most powerful. The other two will be placed inside of two other Senshi,
for safekeeping. If you join the three together, you will call on the
Holy Grail. This object will purify everything in the known universe,
purging it of evil. Let us pray the day never comes that we need to
bring the three Talismans together." She handed the orb to me, its cool
surface still glowing slightly. The last object she picked up was a
long chain of keys. "These are the keys of time. They will open the
heavens and allow the holder to travel through time."
I fastened the keys around my waist, my eyes still lingering on
the orb and then moved to Queen Serenity. She looked sadden as my eyes
meet hers. "There are three rules, things you must keep in mind and
hold above anything else. You can't break these rules, for anyone. The
first rule: You must never leave the Time Gate. To do so would put the
Universe's past, present and future in danger. Your job from now on is
to guard the Time Gate with your life.
"Rule two: Time travel is forbidden. To alter a past or future
could destroy the delicate waves of time and bring terrible, terrible
consequences. Two figures cannot survive in the same time together,
they will perish within hours. As such, to ensure this doesn't happen,
to travel through a time not one's own, is forbidden.
"Rule three, and this Setsuna, is the most important of them all.
For if you break this rule, you in turn give your own life. You must
never stop time. Even though you have the power to do so, you must
never use it. Never."
I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Could do nothing but stare at
the Queen, my legs trying to give out from under me. I wouldn't fall, I
wouldn't show weakness.
"Setsuna," the Queen said once more, her eyes downcast. "The last
thing I tell you is your own choice. And while I don't agree with it,
it is the best thing all around. No one is to know of the existence of
the Time Gate. The current Kings and Queens of the Solar System know,
the royal Pluto family know, and my royal advisors, Luna and Artemis,
know. You are given the power to pass judgment on any who would
trespass into the sacred territory you guard or break any of these
taboos. If you so choose, you may execute any who dare approach the
Time Gate. I don't agree with it, but I do see where you may not have
another choice. To take another's life is a grave thing but only you
can judge the heart of the one who dares to approach you. I leave this
up to you to decide."
Her eyes flashed at me, not my face though. Gently her hand came
towards me, picking up the tiny key shaped charm on my necklace. "May I
see this?" she asked quietly. I took the necklace off, handing it to
her hesitantly. She took the key off the chain, handing the chain back
to me. To my amazed eyes, the charm floated in air between us and
suddenly started to grow. The bottom of it expanded until it hit the
ground as the top grew larger. When it stopped it was nearly seven feet
tall.
Queen Serenity took the orb she had given me earlier and placed
it atop the staff where it locked in place. The ends of the metal key
came up to join around the orb in a heart shape. I gasped as she handed
it to me. "You'll know what to do with this if the time ever comes."
I nodded, wrapping my fingers around the staff and looking up at
its majestic beauty in awe.
@--------
The sun fell behind the Moon's horizon that night, and I never
saw it rise up again. I bid farewell to my Queen, and stepped into
the Time Gate and the fog that would shape my days. My footsteps echoed
around me, my breathing seemingly increased a hundred fold.
For four thousand years I walked the Corridor of Time, hearing
nothing but an empty silence in my ears. Through a small channel that
allowed me to see beyond Time and Space, I seen the Moon Kingdom fall
to the evils that had begun just twelve years before. I watched as
Queen Serenity give her last breath to save her child, the Soldiers of
the Planets and all the people who died in the war. That day I cried. I
cried for the people who so innocently lost their lives, I cried for
the Princess that killed herself for the one she loved. I knew how she
felt, I understood perhaps better than anyone the need to die along
with that person who held your heart.
That was the last day I watched the screen. I couldn't bear to
lay my eyes on the ruined Moon Kingdom, or the vast emptiness that
followed until those people would be reborn. Day and night made no
difference to me, I cared not what time it was, what year, what month.
Time had trapped me so that it didn't matter.
My lonely life spared me from the pain of loosing those I would
love, but didn't spare me the pain of needing someone to love; of
needing something to grasp onto. Something real, not images, not
memories.
It came to me one day in the vast emptiness in the form of a
toddler, no more than two years old. A toddler who looked so much like
the one I had laid eyes on in my youth. With a crescent moon symbol
shining brightly on her forehead -- just like the child before me.
Uneasily I picked her up, looking into her large cinnamon colored eyes.
She cocked her head at me, smiling. "Who are you?" she asked through a
clear voice, so clear that I gasped.
"I'm Sailor Pluto," I told her, the sound of my own voice
frightening me. How long had it been since I had spoke to another
human?
"Pl..plu..." she tried to sound out, the word obviously foreign
to her lips. "Puu?" she asked, her head once more cocked to the side.
I smiled at her; a smile that she returned as she suddenly
wrapped her arms around my neck. "Puu!" she giggled, her warm body
pressed against mine. I felt a trickling of tears come back to my eyes.
My heart warmed and filled with a feeling I couldn't quite place. It
made my heart pound and warmth spread through my entire body.
"Who are you?" I asked her, suddenly having an urge to place a
kiss on her soft strawberry colored curls.
"Princess Small Lady," she told me, her head held higher. So
young, yet so smart. Just like Princess Serenity. I wondered...
"Hello?"
Both Small Lady and I jerked our heads towards the voice. The
time had come, I knew. Queen Serenity's words echoed in my heart. I had
the right to kill those who entered the passage. But could I do it? I
looked at the toddler in my arms whose eyes were huge. "Mama?" she
whispered.
From our left clicked shoes on the marble floor of the Corridor.
Slowly the fog pulled back, allowing a figure to come through. I
gasped. A long white dress, two buns that held floor length hair up, a
crown... and a golden crescent moon brightly shining from her forehead.
She stopped, her mouth and eyes also wide open. She looked from me to
the toddler I held and back again. I couldn't move. "Q--Queen
Serenity?" I breathed. But I had seen her die! my mind screamed. She
used the Power of the Moon to send the Princess... the Princess...
"No," I whispered. "Princess Serenity."
The woman just stared at me as I shakily got to one knee, placing
Small Lady on the ground. "Who are you?" she whispered as Small Lady
ran up to her, tugging on her dress.
"Puu!" the child giggled, pointing at me. "That's Puu!"
"Puu?" Serenity repeated, her eyes glancing at Small Lady and
then back to me. "You can't be... Sailor Pluto?" she whispered, picking
the child up so that she would stop pulling on her dress. I nodded,
still on one knee. "I thought you were just a legend," she whispered.
"My goodness! I--I shouldn't be here then. You are to bring death on
any who enter your Corridor..."
"Your Majesty, I would never bring harm to you," I told her
firmly, laying my Time Staff down. "My loyalties have always lain with
the Moon Queen and her daughter. And now," I added, glancing at the
pink haired child in her arms. "Her daughter's daughter."
"Usako?"
Another voice; deeper, stronger. I gasped as a man came into the
corridor, standing just behind Princess Serenity and gaping at me. I
knew that man, had seen him so many thousands of years ago. On the
Moon, falling into Princess Serenity's arms... "Prince Endymion?" I
whispered, my mouth gone dry. "You lived. You... " I felt tears clog my
throat as I seen him wrap his arm protectively around Serenity. "You
were reborn, you found each other!" I gasped, so thankful. At least her
story didn't end as mine did.
"Please, Sailor Pluto," Endymion said, obviously not nearly as
surprised by my existence as Serenity was. "Please forgive Small Lady
for disturbing you. We'll be sure she doesn't return."
"No!" I squeaked before I even had time to think about what I was
doing. "No, it's fine. I don't mind her coming in here at all. It would
be... be an honor for her to visit me, keep me company. I--I really
don't mind."
Serenity's eyes looked at me and she smiled, the same smile I had
seen on her mother oh so many years ago. That serene smile that said
she understood human emotions far better than anyone that lived in any
lifetime. Love for all; endless caring for anyone who crossed her path.
It was beautiful.
That day marked the end of my solitaire existence. Small Lady
came to me again and again, and I watched her grow into a beautiful
Princess. I broke the rule I made for myself; and I grew to love her
like she had been my own. Representing all the children I didn't or
would never have. She and her parents became my life. My reason for no
longer fearing the rest of eternity inside the gate.
I suppose some rules were meant to be broken. And others would be
whether they were meant to or not. For Time is strange that way. It
bends, stretches to accommodate so much -- and still flow on...
For all eternity...
--The End.
Now, let's talk author's notes ^_^ For anyone who reads my stories
enough to notice that it's been forever and a day since I've updated,
allow me to make my excuses. I'm sorry to say that what I've wondered
about for years is finally happening. I'm not as motivated to write
anymore, at least not like I used to. I'm especially turning away from
writing SM fanfiction. This means a couple of things:
The series that I promised with stories like this one, on all of the
Senshi, will not be done. This will be the only story. I've simpily
lost the desire to do into dept with each character. I'm happy with
this story and I don't want to ruin it with forcing stories on the
other senshi.
There will be a lot of time between updates of my remaining unfinished
SM stories. I plan to finish them, but we're looking at apx. one
chapter a month, if that. I do plan to finish all work I have in
progress at this time. I will still put out more stories, but not
anything in length like I have been. Unless I get some inspiration from
somewhere, but I don't look for it.
So if I'm not writing SM fanfiction, what am I doing? I've started some
pieces of Harry Potter fanfiction. But other than that, I haven't been
writing. This could just be a phase I'm going through, I did it one
other time and then returned to writing full fledge. But it seems a
little different than that this time around. So I want to thank
everyone who has supported me through out my writing career, and I hope
that other authors more motivated than me continue to put their dreams,
thoughts and ideas into words for the rest of us to enjoy.
3 Bethany
12-18-02
Enjoy!
@~~~~~~
Beyond the Staff
Chapter 3 - For all eternity...
By: Bethany
Editor: Meara
Rated: PG 13
@~~~~~~
Genjo swept me around so that he could see towards the stairs. He
nodded stiffly, looking back at me. "That's got to be him."
I bit my bottom lip, wondering what to do now. My heart was
pounding in anticipation; I couldn't think. Genjo must have felt me
tense up in his arms because he guided me towards the balcony doors,
away from the music and lights; away from the man I had never laid eyes
on, even though his blood ran through my veins.
I was thankful to be outside in the night's cool air, however. I
felt I could breathe deeper out here, without my mind clouded up with
fear. Genjo held me close to his body, rubbing my back reassuringly.
"Now what do I do?" I mumbled against him, staring out at the gardens
in the back of the palace. "Go up to him? Introduce myself? Will he
recognize me?"
"Shhh," Genjo whispered. "Don't think so much about it, just calm
down. You'll be fine."
But I didn't feel fine, I felt like if I went back in that over
crowded room I would suffocate, faint and cause a huge scene. Squeezing
my eyes shut I gripped Genjo's tuxedo jacket with nearly a death grip
while he continued to whisper reassuring words in my ear.
After nearly a half hour passed, I felt my heart begin to calm
slightly. We sat down in one of the shadowed benches that looked out
over the kingdom. As we sat in the silence, I found myself wondering
what it would have been like if my mother and father had married; if I
had grown up in this palace with riches and gold beyond my imagination.
Would I still have known the love I had known with my mother? Or would
material things eat away the meaning of love and gratitude? I hadn't
known this life, though. And I'm not too sure I would have picked it
over the one I had. All of those people in there, with their fancy
dresses and plastered smiles; I didn't envy them. I wasn't even sure if
I wanted to fit in with them.
"You ready to go back in?" Genjo asked quietly, his lips near my
ear.
I nodded, shakily standing. Genjo pressed me firmly to his side
as we made our way back in the palace. The room was now so full of
people that it was hard to distinguish one person from the next. Women
stood in clumps, talking. Men stood together, laughing loudly. Some
couples dances, others ate. I didn't see my father anywhere as Genjo
pulled me out onto the dance floor again, holding me close.
His lips brushed my temples as we spun around, making me giggle.
We danced song after song, caught up in the lights and sounds of the
music that filled the hall. And I was so happy; so content in his arms
that I could have stayed that way for all eternity.
... for all eternity ...
A shot and then a scream. It seemed to slice the music in half,
cutting off every conversation. Someone else screamed. I turned,
looking around at the clump of panicked people. Some were running for
the exits, others were down on the ground. Women cried, men shouted.
Again, a scream... was that me? Genjo shoved me to the ground,
his body covering mine. His breathing was heavy in my face as he looked
around wildly for what was going on. "Oh God," he mumbled. "Someone...
someone is shooting..." I could hear the shouts of people, the
screaming--it all blurred together into one frightening wave of panic.
Genjo suddenly gasped, his eyes glaring hard across the room.
"Setsuna," he whispered to me, his breath hot on my ears and face.
"Stay down. Whatever you do, don't move."
"What are you..?" I gasped as he suddenly bolted up and ran
towards the front doors. "GENJO!" I screamed, turning over to see where
he was going. "NO GENJO! COME BACK!" But it was no use...
No use...
A shot...
I could see the blood splatter, guards running in the room from
every door. Blood... blood...
Everywhere... it was everywhere...
I stumbled up, clutching my sides as I ran, my bare feet stinging
on the marble floor as I threw my shoes off to run faster. Genjo fell
backwards, holding his hand over his chest. Blood. Everywhere. Every
sound stopped, silence ripped through me; nothing but the scream that
ripped through my lips and pierced the still night. "NO!"
I slid to my knees at Genjo's head, taking no heed of the bodies
lying around me. I didn't notice the guards fighting to over take
several mad men and drag them away. I didn't notice that the body next
to my husband's was none other than that of my father's. All I could
see was Genjo' blood staining his white shirt under his tuxedo jacket.
I ripped the jacket away, my eyes staring blankly at the large area of
blood growing larger still. Genjo was fighting to keep his eyes open,
his trembling hand reaching up to touch my cheek. "Oh GOD!" I screamed,
placing my hand over the wound. "Genjo... Genjo, you got to be all
right. PLEASE!" I cried.
Genjo's cold hand brushed away a tear on my face and I covered
his hand with my own, leaning down so I could kiss his lips. "Please,
don't die, Genjo. Please don't die..." I begged, kissing his lips over
and over... and over... "Please..."
"I love you, Setsuna," he whispered, a tear rolling down the side
of his face and onto the white marble floor. "Always... always remember
that I'll love you... always love you..."
"... for all eternity ..."
His brown eyes; those beautiful, piercing brown eyes that had
stared at me with such longing, such love, such passion... rolled back
in his head as his eyes closed for the last time. His hand that I had
been gripping so hard fell limp. I stared at his lifeless body in
shock, my mouth open in a silent scream that refused to leave my
throat. I stared, my eyes began hurting, but I couldn't move. Someone
was trying to take his hand from me, but I wouldn't budge. I couldn't.
"Come on dear, there's nothing we can do," someone, a woman, was
saying in my ear. "Come on, then," she whispered, trying to help me up.
I shook my head fiercely, still gripping his hand. We had just been
dancing... just kissed... just... he was just...
Gone.
I screamed. Over and over again I let out a piercing scream that
even hurt my own ears; tears flooded my face in a gush like a river
breaking over a dam. Scream and scream, and scream again. And suddenly,
thankfully, all went black.
@--------
I awoke slowly, my head pounding so hard that I couldn't think.
Candles dimly lighted the room I was laying in and in I could hear
people talking in quiet tones. Groaning, I sat up. That's when I saw
the blood on my hands, arms and dress. It all came crashing back to me
like a bad dream, Genjo... Genjo, my husband, was dead - dead. I'd
never wake up to see his smiling face again. Never would I see the
slight blush that stained his face when I caught him staring at me.
Never would I feel his arms around my body again. Never again. Just
like my mother.
I gripped the sheets with my hands, head bowed as I cried my
heart out. My newly repaired heart that had learned to love again after
my mother passed away, only to be broken again in less than a month's
time. I cried until I couldn't cry anymore, until I was dry. But that
didn't stop the painful pounding of my heart and the aching that would
make its home in my body for thousands of years to come.
There was a suddenly hush of the people that was across the room.
I paid them no attention though, until a new, deeper voice, told them
to leave me be. Heavy footsteps came across the room, but only when
they stopped at my bedside did I look up. It was my grandfather.
He sat on the edge of the bed, uncomfortably, it seemed, and
stared at the floor. After what seemed an eternity, he spoke, without
looking up. "I'm--I'm sorry about Genjo," he said quietly, twitching
again uncomfortably. "I came to tell you... that, well, my son -- he
was--is dead, too."
I gasped, staring up at him though he continued to stare at the
floor. My father? I hadn't even got to say a single word to him... he
was dead? I bit my lip, trying to hold back another wave of tears that
threatened to fall from my eyes. It didn't work. I buried my face in my
hands and cried again, for a father I hadn't got to know. For a husband
I barely knew, for my mother whom I had failed.
I don't remember Chronos leaving me. I didn't care anyways. I
fell back onto the bed, burying my face into my pillow as I wept for
all that should have been. Unknowing of what lay ahead, of my future.
Uncaring if the world stopped today, for it would make no difference to
me. I cried myself into a deep sleep, again thankful for the darkness
behind my eyes that allowed me to forget for a few precious hours.
The next morning a woman brought me a tray of food and bugged me
until I ate something. She practically dragged me to the baths and
washed me herself, mumbling all the time. "You poor dear," she said
sadly, her own eyes filling with tears. "Your husband... you poor
dear..." she whispered, brushing my hair until it was practically dried
and gleamed. I didn't care, though. I didn't care if I ever looked
pretty again. It didn't matter.
The woman bustled around, getting me dressed as I sat and stared
straight ahead. She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth,
shaking her head at me. "Just lay down and rest, dear," she mumbled,
covering me up. "Just rest."
The day came and went, and I paid no attention. Just laid in bed,
my eyes closed as I tried to forget my pain. In the early evening a
guard came into my room, bowing respectfully as he approached. "Excuse
me, Miss, I'm sorry to bother you. His Majesty wants a word and I was
sent to fetch you."
I didn't have the strength to argue. I pushed the covers aside
and stood up, following the guard down several halls until we stopped
in front of a set of doors that looked vaguely familiar. It wasn't
until we stepped in that I realized it was Chronos' set of rooms. He
was sitting in one of the chairs by the fire, staring at the flames;
memorized.
I sat down across from him, looking at the same flames that held
his rapt attention. Minutes ticked by, we said nothing, didn't even
move. I can't say it was a comfortable silence, but it wasn't tense,
either. We just sat and stared in silence until suddenly his voice
broke it.
It wasn't the voice I remembered; the cocky attitude was gone,
leaving what appeared to be a grieving man. Against my will, I found
myself listening to him. "I have something to tell you, to explain to
you. Something that will be as hard for you to hear as it is for me to
say; to own up to." He sighed greatly, his body seeming to shrink from
the effort. Slowly he began talking again.
"Fifteen years ago your mother came to this palace, summoned
randomly to be a lady-in-waiting for my youngest daughter. From the
moment she was introduced to me, I was enthralled. She was so
beautiful, even in her grief for her parents. I sought her out, tried
to talk to her. But she wanted nothing to do with me." He sighed and I
found that my hands were clutched on my knees as I stared at him, my
knuckles white as I waited with baited breath for him to continue.
"For months, against my better judgment, I sought her out. She
refused me time and time again, even began spending more time with my
son so that I couldn't approach her. She even threatened to tell him
what I was doing if I didn't stop. But I couldn't... and in the end, I
raped her." His words died in the air, but in my head I heard them over
and over again. My mouth fell open, but I lacked the coherent thoughts
to say anything. I just stared as Chronos hung his head low, his eyes
closed.
I couldn't believe my ears. Surely this was a nightmare, built
upon so many. I would wake up in my bed, my mother's calming voice
telling me it was all right. Surely... surely if I closed my eyes, and
reopened them. Please...
"I understand if you hate me. I hated myself for doing it,"
Chronos' voice came to me as if from the far end of a long hallway,
echoing through my mind. "She came to me a couple of months later and
told me she was with child, and threatened to tell the kingdom of my
attack. Before I could stop her, she ran to my son. But she didn't tell
him, like I feared. No, she had grown to love my son and couldn't stand
telling him she was pregnant with another's child. Especially his own
father's. So she told him it was his."
My mind reeled, making my vision blur. I shook my head, digging
my nails into my arms, which bled. "No," I mumbled. "No--you're lying!
My mother told me... she told me how she fell in love with my father...
how she became pregnant... she..." I chocked down a sob, hugging my
arms around me tightly. "I don't believe you! My mother wouldn't lie to
me!" I screamed tears running down my face though I cursed them for
making me appear weak. "You're lying!"
Chronos stood, going over to the fireplace and stared into the
dancing flames. He took a deep breath and turned to me. "I'm not lying.
When I asked your mother about it, she said that she had slept with
Setsutarou when she was two months pregnant. She was planning to let
him think she was having a premature birth." He laughed, insanely. "By
the time she gave birth, she wanted that child --you-- to be
Setsutarou's so badly that I think she believed it. Really believed it.
Of course, I couldn't have her running around the kingdom telling
everyone about you, so I banished her and you. I told her I'd kill you
both if she returned and just hours after she gave birth, I kicked her
out."
"You bastard," I spat, my eyes, though still filled with tears,
burning now with hatred. I stood up shakily, glaring at him as if
willing him to die on the spot. "You evil, low, dirty bastard! How dare
you rape my mother! How dare you stand here so casually and talk about
it as if it were nothing! You... you..." I staggered forward, pulling
my hand back and slapping him across the face as hard as I could and
spat at him, my breathing heavy.
Chronos said nothing; he didn't even look up at me. I just stood
there, paralyzed by what he had said--what he had done. The side of his
face grew red in the shape of my hand, but I felt no remorse. Just
hatred. A burning hatred that would take me many years to overcome.
"Why?" I spat, my eyes boring into him. "Why did you tell me this now?"
Chronos walked away from the fireplace and sank into one of the
chairs. He didn't remind me in the least of that strong man whom I had
meet just three days prior--he looked defeated in life. Behind him lay
the bodies of his children... except one. And if he thought he was
going to make everything better in my life, he was dead wrong. But that
wasn't what he had in mind.
His magenta eyes stared up at me again, his eye lids dropping
low, his jaw line no longer strong, but weak. "Setsuna, whatever your
feelings are--you are the only child I have left. My daughter died
years ago... and now my son... I know there is nothing I can do to
repair the past. I have always known this, as it is my curse and
destiny, just as it is yours."
"What are you talking about?" I mumbled, still staring at him
from where I stood at the fireplace. I don't know how I kept my legs
from buckling so that I could stand there, glaring at him. I felt so
weak and trembling inside that I could faint, but I wouldn't. I would
be strong. I would do what I had to do. Just like I always had--like I
always would.
"Setsuna, we are the holders of Time. Our family has kept it a
secret from anyone that we possess the ability to move through time.
But now... now Queen Serenity has come to me with a request for a
Guardian of that Gate. There is a small mass of people on Earth who
have found out about the Moon Kingdom's people and their life span and
wish to obtain it. The Moon Kingdom is strong, and the Queen believes
she can contain this problem -- but she is still in fear for the Time
Gate. For in the wrong hands it will kill us all."
He swallowed, once more raising his eyes to look at me. "I told
her about you and that I would speak with you about it. There will be a
transport in two hours time if you choose to accept. Setsuna, I'm not
asking you to do this for my sake. I'm an old man who has done so many
wrongs in my life that surely the God Hades will have no mercy. I'm
asking you this for the good of us all."
I swallowed, though I didn't feel better for it. There was a
thick substance in my mouth that burned like fire. My arms still
wrapped around my mid section, I started towards the door, not once
looking back.
My hands shook as I sat on the bed, staring at the wedding band I
hadn't wore but five days. Its matching band would be buried on my
husband's finger. I shivered, another gush of tears welling up from
inside me. Tears that would do me no good. I fought them back, taking a
determined vow that I wouldn't cry another tear for another human. I
wouldn't allow myself to become so close to another that my heart could
be ripped apart like it is now. A vow that I would break in good time.
I stood, filling my pathetically small suitcase with what few
belongs I had. My wedding band was laid in the bottom, with a picture
of Genjo and his Mom and Dad I had found in his belongings, clothes,
brushes and at last... I reached up to remove the necklace from around
my neck, but couldn't. The small key laying on my chest would forever
stand as the key to my past, the key to where my heart would forever
lay--in a small grave with my husband, and the cold unmarked grave of
my mother. A small knock on the door that startled me away from my
memories. "Yes?"
"His Majesty wants me to inform you the transport is here. Will
you be boarding it?" the guard asked.
I nodded my head and quickly he came over to take the small bag
from my grip. "Follow me, then."
The halls again all look the same, just as they did when I first
entered this palace four days ago. The transport was nothing more than
a tall glass room with a button that was currently glowing. I stepped
in, caring not that my father wasn't here; I didn't care if I ever laid
yes on him again. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and pushed the
button. There was a giant rushing sound, but I felt nothing. Then, just
as quickly as it began, it stopped.
My first thought was that it hadn't worked, I was still on Pluto.
However, the man that opened the door was definitely not the same guard
I had seen a moment before. His eyes were light blue and his skin was
whiter than any I have ever seen. I blinked, gathering my bag closer to
me. "Setsuna, Princess of Pluto?" the man asked in an official voice.
I nodded, surprised at the title. I wasn't a Princess. I didn't
even want to be related to the King of Pluto. But given this man didn't
know all of that, I nodded more firmly and stepped out of the transport
room. My mouth gapped open at what I saw as I stepped out of that room
and into the Moon Kingdom. Things such as I had only read about in
school were now before me. The Earth hung gently in the sky, the sun
basking down on my skin so warmly that I could feel it. The sun had
reached Pluto, but never like this. Never so bright it nearly blinded
you, and so strongly that the warmth kissed your skin.
The guard walked slowly, as if understanding this was so new to
me that all I could do was stare around. Beautiful flowers as I had
never laid eyes on were everywhere. There were fountains that pushed
water ten even twenty feet into the air. We walked into a corridor and
all of the outside was blocked from my view. It was replaced with
paintings and carved marble, such beauty that it took my breath away.
There was a shouting ahead, and gales of laughter. Curiously I came up
beside the guard who had stopped and waited.
Flying around the corner of the hall was a toddler, her blonde
hair up in two small pony tails and a tiny white gown on her figure.
She stopped when she seen me, barely looking back for the person who
was running after her. "Who are you?" she asked so clearly that I was
startled. Was it normal for children so small to talk so clearly?
I bent down to her level so I could look into her bright blue
eyes. On her forehead, proud and bright, was a crescent moon. I gasped.
This wasn't just any toddler, this was Princess Serenity! It took me a
moment to get my voice to come out as clearly as I would like. "I'm
Setsuna," I whispered, still in awe of the two year old before me.
Suddenly someone scooped her up and she squealed. I looked up to
see a woman in a white nursing outfit put the child on her hip and look
at her scolding. "Princess, you know better..." she huffed, still quite
out of breath.
The toddler Princess shrugged, still looking at me as the nurse
apologized to the guard and started off. "Bye-bye Setsuna!" the toddler
called, waving her small cubby hand. I lifted my hand, waving to her as
they rounded the corner, a silly smile on my face.
The guard once again started moving, making no comment about the
Princess or anything else. I followed him to a large set of double
doors that had beautiful carvings of the Moon on it. He opened the door
wide and allowed me to walk inside. In front of me was a long table
that seated eight people. Each of them I recognized almost instantly
from the many books I had read as a child. Sitting at the head of the
table was Queen Serenity, her long silver hair just as he was described
in books, up in two ponytails with buns at her head, a bright crescent
moon, identical to Princess Serenity's, shining on her forehead. To her
left was Aphrodite, the Queen of Venus. To her right, Ares, the King of
Mars. Down the left side of the table next to Aphrodite were the Queens
of Mercury and Jupiter. Down the right side of the table, next to Ares
was the Queens of Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. I couldn't help my stare.
"Please, Princess, come forth and join us," Queen Serenity said
to me in a pleasing, soft voice that was gently aligned with amusement.
I sat down next to the Queen of Jupiter, trying not to show how nervous
I felt being in the room with the Queens and Kings of the Planets. "I'm
sorry that Chronos couldn't join us today. Setsuna, we have asked you
to come to us to discuss the protection of the Time Gate. Since you are
here, we assume you have accepted this position."
I nodded slowly, still in awe of my surroundings. All these women
were dressed in such beautiful clothing, their complexions so bright
and their posture so assured. And here I was, in my worn and hand me
down clothing, sitting amongst them.
Queen Serenity closed her hands in front of her, smiling gently.
"Then, shall we discuss how this will come about?" she asked the Queens
at the table.
"There should be some rules, of course," the Queen of Jupiter,
Rhea, said immediately. "Taboos of a sort that aren't to be trifled
with."
"Those taboos should be punishable by death," spoke up Ares in
his booming voice. I felt a shiver go up my spine at those words,
though surely I'd never find reason to bring that fate on myself.
Queen Serenity's eyes darken at this comment, I noticed. She
folded her hands before her, staring at them a moment. "I digress. If
everyone agrees, I would like to discuss this privately. When we have
made our decisions, we will bring forth Setsuna and explain them as
told." She turned her soft eyes to me, smiling. "The guard will lead
you to the kitchens if you would like something to eat. We will call
for you shortly, my dear."
I swallowed, standing, forever grateful to escape the
confinements of that room. My stomach felt hollow, and my heart pounded
in my head to the point that it was becoming painful. I left the room,
following the guard to the kitchens where a small meal was prepared for
me. I ate mechanically; barely noticing how different the food was from
that I was accustomed to. My mind stayed on the discussion in the room
where all the leaders of the Planets were meeting.
A short hour later the guard returned, as promised, to fetch me
and bring me to Queen Serenity. When the double doors opened, I was
surprised to see the room empty but for the tall, graceful figure of
Queen Serenity. Slowly I stepped forward, glancing uneasily at the
three things laying on the table beside where Queen Serenity stood. She
turned, her lips again in that serene smile that put my heart at ease.
She picked up the first object, a long pen looking devise with a
small model of the planet Pluto on top. "This," she began. "Is your
transformation stick. When you use this, you will become the Solider of
Pluto. This will enable you to use the fullness of the powers you have
from your planet. Hold it above your head, and shout the words 'Pluto
Planet Power Make-Up!'"
I took the small stick from her hands, turning it over in my own
to inspect it. Then with a determination I held the stick high, my face
uplifted towards it. "Pluto Planet Power - Make-up!" There was a
crashing, brilliant light that engulfed me. A tingling that began in my
feet and traveled up my body, feeling of every curve and line in my
skin. It was over as quickly as it started, and slowly I opened my
eyes. In the mirror behind us, I could see that I now wore a sailor
outfit; a short skirt, tall boots that nearly reached my knees, and a
small tiara on my forehead. I blinked at my reflection; she looked so
much older and wiser than I felt.
Queen Serenity smiled again, her hand now holding another object.
It was a red orb that glowed slightly. "This," she began, her eyes
glazed over. "Is a Talisman. There are three; you hold the third and
most powerful. The other two will be placed inside of two other Senshi,
for safekeeping. If you join the three together, you will call on the
Holy Grail. This object will purify everything in the known universe,
purging it of evil. Let us pray the day never comes that we need to
bring the three Talismans together." She handed the orb to me, its cool
surface still glowing slightly. The last object she picked up was a
long chain of keys. "These are the keys of time. They will open the
heavens and allow the holder to travel through time."
I fastened the keys around my waist, my eyes still lingering on
the orb and then moved to Queen Serenity. She looked sadden as my eyes
meet hers. "There are three rules, things you must keep in mind and
hold above anything else. You can't break these rules, for anyone. The
first rule: You must never leave the Time Gate. To do so would put the
Universe's past, present and future in danger. Your job from now on is
to guard the Time Gate with your life.
"Rule two: Time travel is forbidden. To alter a past or future
could destroy the delicate waves of time and bring terrible, terrible
consequences. Two figures cannot survive in the same time together,
they will perish within hours. As such, to ensure this doesn't happen,
to travel through a time not one's own, is forbidden.
"Rule three, and this Setsuna, is the most important of them all.
For if you break this rule, you in turn give your own life. You must
never stop time. Even though you have the power to do so, you must
never use it. Never."
I couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Could do nothing but stare at
the Queen, my legs trying to give out from under me. I wouldn't fall, I
wouldn't show weakness.
"Setsuna," the Queen said once more, her eyes downcast. "The last
thing I tell you is your own choice. And while I don't agree with it,
it is the best thing all around. No one is to know of the existence of
the Time Gate. The current Kings and Queens of the Solar System know,
the royal Pluto family know, and my royal advisors, Luna and Artemis,
know. You are given the power to pass judgment on any who would
trespass into the sacred territory you guard or break any of these
taboos. If you so choose, you may execute any who dare approach the
Time Gate. I don't agree with it, but I do see where you may not have
another choice. To take another's life is a grave thing but only you
can judge the heart of the one who dares to approach you. I leave this
up to you to decide."
Her eyes flashed at me, not my face though. Gently her hand came
towards me, picking up the tiny key shaped charm on my necklace. "May I
see this?" she asked quietly. I took the necklace off, handing it to
her hesitantly. She took the key off the chain, handing the chain back
to me. To my amazed eyes, the charm floated in air between us and
suddenly started to grow. The bottom of it expanded until it hit the
ground as the top grew larger. When it stopped it was nearly seven feet
tall.
Queen Serenity took the orb she had given me earlier and placed
it atop the staff where it locked in place. The ends of the metal key
came up to join around the orb in a heart shape. I gasped as she handed
it to me. "You'll know what to do with this if the time ever comes."
I nodded, wrapping my fingers around the staff and looking up at
its majestic beauty in awe.
@--------
The sun fell behind the Moon's horizon that night, and I never
saw it rise up again. I bid farewell to my Queen, and stepped into
the Time Gate and the fog that would shape my days. My footsteps echoed
around me, my breathing seemingly increased a hundred fold.
For four thousand years I walked the Corridor of Time, hearing
nothing but an empty silence in my ears. Through a small channel that
allowed me to see beyond Time and Space, I seen the Moon Kingdom fall
to the evils that had begun just twelve years before. I watched as
Queen Serenity give her last breath to save her child, the Soldiers of
the Planets and all the people who died in the war. That day I cried. I
cried for the people who so innocently lost their lives, I cried for
the Princess that killed herself for the one she loved. I knew how she
felt, I understood perhaps better than anyone the need to die along
with that person who held your heart.
That was the last day I watched the screen. I couldn't bear to
lay my eyes on the ruined Moon Kingdom, or the vast emptiness that
followed until those people would be reborn. Day and night made no
difference to me, I cared not what time it was, what year, what month.
Time had trapped me so that it didn't matter.
My lonely life spared me from the pain of loosing those I would
love, but didn't spare me the pain of needing someone to love; of
needing something to grasp onto. Something real, not images, not
memories.
It came to me one day in the vast emptiness in the form of a
toddler, no more than two years old. A toddler who looked so much like
the one I had laid eyes on in my youth. With a crescent moon symbol
shining brightly on her forehead -- just like the child before me.
Uneasily I picked her up, looking into her large cinnamon colored eyes.
She cocked her head at me, smiling. "Who are you?" she asked through a
clear voice, so clear that I gasped.
"I'm Sailor Pluto," I told her, the sound of my own voice
frightening me. How long had it been since I had spoke to another
human?
"Pl..plu..." she tried to sound out, the word obviously foreign
to her lips. "Puu?" she asked, her head once more cocked to the side.
I smiled at her; a smile that she returned as she suddenly
wrapped her arms around my neck. "Puu!" she giggled, her warm body
pressed against mine. I felt a trickling of tears come back to my eyes.
My heart warmed and filled with a feeling I couldn't quite place. It
made my heart pound and warmth spread through my entire body.
"Who are you?" I asked her, suddenly having an urge to place a
kiss on her soft strawberry colored curls.
"Princess Small Lady," she told me, her head held higher. So
young, yet so smart. Just like Princess Serenity. I wondered...
"Hello?"
Both Small Lady and I jerked our heads towards the voice. The
time had come, I knew. Queen Serenity's words echoed in my heart. I had
the right to kill those who entered the passage. But could I do it? I
looked at the toddler in my arms whose eyes were huge. "Mama?" she
whispered.
From our left clicked shoes on the marble floor of the Corridor.
Slowly the fog pulled back, allowing a figure to come through. I
gasped. A long white dress, two buns that held floor length hair up, a
crown... and a golden crescent moon brightly shining from her forehead.
She stopped, her mouth and eyes also wide open. She looked from me to
the toddler I held and back again. I couldn't move. "Q--Queen
Serenity?" I breathed. But I had seen her die! my mind screamed. She
used the Power of the Moon to send the Princess... the Princess...
"No," I whispered. "Princess Serenity."
The woman just stared at me as I shakily got to one knee, placing
Small Lady on the ground. "Who are you?" she whispered as Small Lady
ran up to her, tugging on her dress.
"Puu!" the child giggled, pointing at me. "That's Puu!"
"Puu?" Serenity repeated, her eyes glancing at Small Lady and
then back to me. "You can't be... Sailor Pluto?" she whispered, picking
the child up so that she would stop pulling on her dress. I nodded,
still on one knee. "I thought you were just a legend," she whispered.
"My goodness! I--I shouldn't be here then. You are to bring death on
any who enter your Corridor..."
"Your Majesty, I would never bring harm to you," I told her
firmly, laying my Time Staff down. "My loyalties have always lain with
the Moon Queen and her daughter. And now," I added, glancing at the
pink haired child in her arms. "Her daughter's daughter."
"Usako?"
Another voice; deeper, stronger. I gasped as a man came into the
corridor, standing just behind Princess Serenity and gaping at me. I
knew that man, had seen him so many thousands of years ago. On the
Moon, falling into Princess Serenity's arms... "Prince Endymion?" I
whispered, my mouth gone dry. "You lived. You... " I felt tears clog my
throat as I seen him wrap his arm protectively around Serenity. "You
were reborn, you found each other!" I gasped, so thankful. At least her
story didn't end as mine did.
"Please, Sailor Pluto," Endymion said, obviously not nearly as
surprised by my existence as Serenity was. "Please forgive Small Lady
for disturbing you. We'll be sure she doesn't return."
"No!" I squeaked before I even had time to think about what I was
doing. "No, it's fine. I don't mind her coming in here at all. It would
be... be an honor for her to visit me, keep me company. I--I really
don't mind."
Serenity's eyes looked at me and she smiled, the same smile I had
seen on her mother oh so many years ago. That serene smile that said
she understood human emotions far better than anyone that lived in any
lifetime. Love for all; endless caring for anyone who crossed her path.
It was beautiful.
That day marked the end of my solitaire existence. Small Lady
came to me again and again, and I watched her grow into a beautiful
Princess. I broke the rule I made for myself; and I grew to love her
like she had been my own. Representing all the children I didn't or
would never have. She and her parents became my life. My reason for no
longer fearing the rest of eternity inside the gate.
I suppose some rules were meant to be broken. And others would be
whether they were meant to or not. For Time is strange that way. It
bends, stretches to accommodate so much -- and still flow on...
For all eternity...
--The End.
Now, let's talk author's notes ^_^ For anyone who reads my stories
enough to notice that it's been forever and a day since I've updated,
allow me to make my excuses. I'm sorry to say that what I've wondered
about for years is finally happening. I'm not as motivated to write
anymore, at least not like I used to. I'm especially turning away from
writing SM fanfiction. This means a couple of things:
The series that I promised with stories like this one, on all of the
Senshi, will not be done. This will be the only story. I've simpily
lost the desire to do into dept with each character. I'm happy with
this story and I don't want to ruin it with forcing stories on the
other senshi.
There will be a lot of time between updates of my remaining unfinished
SM stories. I plan to finish them, but we're looking at apx. one
chapter a month, if that. I do plan to finish all work I have in
progress at this time. I will still put out more stories, but not
anything in length like I have been. Unless I get some inspiration from
somewhere, but I don't look for it.
So if I'm not writing SM fanfiction, what am I doing? I've started some
pieces of Harry Potter fanfiction. But other than that, I haven't been
writing. This could just be a phase I'm going through, I did it one
other time and then returned to writing full fledge. But it seems a
little different than that this time around. So I want to thank
everyone who has supported me through out my writing career, and I hope
that other authors more motivated than me continue to put their dreams,
thoughts and ideas into words for the rest of us to enjoy.
3 Bethany
12-18-02