Intruder at the Gates 5:
Losing to You Again
Slowly Setsuna opened her eyes, her lungs suddenly drawing in a sharp breath of sweet mist. Her body felt stiff, her stomach lurched. She tried to stand up but only made it to her knees before she vomited. Soon after Setsuna began to feel better, but her head still swam in an ocean of disarray. Back at the Gate of Time. Back where this whole... damn... story began. And surely where it would end.
A prickle of anger slowly and discretely crept through her veins, chilling her blood as it circulated through her entire body. As this cold anger grew and rushed through her, her body began to quiver. Soon her entire body trembled and wracked with a rage, violent and thrashing. A rage at Usagi, at Duo, at herself. Everything she told herself before was no longer a fleeting hope but a cold, desolate lie. Duo would never love her, nor would anyone else. And above all else, she definitely {could} hate her queen.
Her queen who lived lavishly in her magnificent palace, guarded by her closest friends, married to the man of her dreams, mother to the most loving child. This "queen" had every luxury a human, young or old, would die for, while the guardian of Pluto gave up everything for her duty, her punishment. Setsuna had let up every talent, every wish, hope, dream, the bliss of living. Now she would never experience love, marriage, child birth, growing old, the blessing of death.
Maybe the pain of her sentence would be lifted a little if any one of her so called "friends" would visit her, but the only face she saw rarely was the sweet child Chibi Usa. A girl who was like a daughter to her. And of course, the child's true mother was her queen. Oh yes, Setsuna found it now easy to hate that blonde mess of joy, the one whom she before called so affectionately "Queen".
All these thoughts vibrated through Setsuna's head, ricocheting through her veins. Setsuna gasped at the sudden pain in her heart, bringing her hands up in front of her face, trying to cover her vision, but unable to look away from reality. Pulling her quivering bent over form up Setsuna clenched her eyes tightly shut, lifting her head up to the heavens and screamed, releasing all of her pain.
{"Fine! Fine, I don't care anymore; do what you want with me! Jest! Jest damn you, jest! Go ahead Heavens, take away all of her happiness, but you sure as hell had better jest! Where would the great Heavens be without their monkey to play with?!" Setsuna screamed, her voice made of hatred, pain, tears and stone cold rage. Setsuna fell silent, and then a few moments later listen to her words echo back to her. When her voice echoed back at her, they hit her with the force of a Tsunami. The force knocked Setsuna over backwards. She didn't even struggle to stay on her knees, just simply let herself fall. Lying in the gentle mist she dissolved in to sobs, covering her face with her hands and curled into a tiny ball. Silence fell over her, yet it did not hush her sobs. The silence only emphasized the loneliness of this bleak, barren wasteland.
"Duo..." Setsuna let escape her lips in a hushed, wounded whisper. Immediately she scolded herself, trying to banish all thoughts of him. Trying to banish any thoughts at all, for every thought hurt worse than the last. As she lay curled in the mist, a heavy, warm sleep came over her, a sleep that she did not try to struggle against. A faint smile formed on Setsuna's face as she fell deeper and deeper into a dreamless, warm coma...
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"Dove.... my dove, please wake up now..." A warm masculine voice called to Setsuna deep within her sleep, soft and distant. Slowly it retrieved Setsuna's soul from deep within the frozen mirth of her heart, bringing her back to the conscious world. Setsuna opened her bleary eyes and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Slowly she stood to her feet, still fuzzy. Everything felt fine, peaceful and at ease. At least until Setsuna remembered that she wasn't alone. Someone had woken her up. Alarums went off inside her head and Setsuna pulled out her Time Staff, prepared to dispatch anything, be it friend or foe. A white gloved hand placed itself on her shoulder. Setsuna quickly whirled around and froze mid attack. Standing in front of her was a mirror image of herself, Senshi fuku and all. Setsuna was about to attack again, but her image spoke, halting Setsuna in her track. For this new Setsuna spoke with a man's voice. Setsuna dropped her staff in shock.
"Who are you?" Setsuna asked, in morbid fascination. Her counter part chuckled and smiled lightly.
"You're confused, of course. My name is long since forgotten, so it won't help you. But I can give you some adored nick names that I have been tagged with. Samiel, Lucifer, Satan, take a pick. Or, if those names are uncomfortable, Dometry will do finely. But as far as who I am, I am Shinigami of Hell." Her masculine voice laughed at Setsuna's stun. When Setsuna didn't speak, her mirror image continued.
"My Dove, I'm so glad you're awake! I feared it was too late, you'll never open your lovely garnet eyes!" the fake image of Setsuna gently placed her hands over Setsuna's cheeks, caressing them. Setsuna quickly jerked away from the foreign touch.
"What are you talking about... too late? I was just sleeping..." Setsuna barely managed to say, slowly fading out of shock.
"That was no mundane sleep my dove; you would never have awoken if I had not come. You cast a very complicated spell, a spell designed by your heart. You wanted to just fade away, never to wake up again just to face another miserable day. I know, I've felt all your pain." The masculine voice said, Setsuna's own eyes comfortingly gazing at her. Setsuna squirmed awkwardly under the gaze.
"You are mistake; I have no magic." She said, her voice cold like a frosty wind. "Dometry" laughed.
"You don't, but you're Garnet orb does. The Garnet orb is a funny thing; it is an ascension being, it has its own soul. Ever wonder why it seems like it is listening when you talk to it, recording your voice like a diary? That is because it is. The Garnet Orb... is very maternal. It felt your suffering, so it merged with you, anything to make its precious child feel better. And with it as part of you, your deep emotions tapped into the Garnet Orb's power. With the Garnet Orb as your other half, you have an unharnesed power, limitless. That is why your eyes are now a beautiful Garnet red. Does that answer your questions, my dove?" Dometry said, a crooked smile on its face. He then reached out and placed his hand, palm down against Setsuna's heart.
"Do you feel it? Do you feel its boundless power?" His hand then moved down, cupping his hand over Setsuna's left breast. Immediately Setsuna knocked his hand away sharply and strongly. Dometry laughed and her precaution. "Look inside yourself, look at your weapon, look at your eyes within mine; it's all true."
Setsuna then recoiled back one step. Her eyes untrusting, Setsuna looked to the ground where her Time Staff lay. The Garnet Orb was gone. She looked up at her mysterious counter part and saw her mirrored eyes were garnet. Her hand swiftly retrieved her Time Staff. It looked so barren and bleak without its shiny red orb. But it was true, she supposed. Every time she talked to the Garnet Orb, recording her voice and image, it felt as tough the orb was listening. Glaring at her image, Setsuna finally found words.
"No." She said, her voice still colder and stronger than steel. Dometry seemed slightly offset by her sentence, but quickly regained his aloof grin.
"And what do you mean by that?"
"No, you haven't answered all of my questions. If you are Shinigami, then why do you mirror my image? Show me your true form!"
"I look like you because I have no true form in this plane. My body may never leave Hell, so to appear before someone I can only take their shape. If you indeed wish, I shall show you my true form, which is stuck in hell." He said, waving his left hand through the air to his left. The area that his hand swept through turned into a silvery solid, then like a clear glass. The mirror rippled, then an image of a man sitting on a sleek black metal throne. He had flaming red hair, long and straight with bangs that swept in front of his eyes. His eyes were a glowing golden yellow. His outfit was a black army general's, minus the metals. And lastly, he had large black, leathery demon wings. Setsuna scowled at the image, satisfied that the man inside the mirror was indeed Shinigami (And a small thought in her distant mind couldn't help but find him attractive). And since this was Shinigami, she couldn't touch him.
"Now," Setsuna began, not changing her tone, "Why are you here? I'm sure you know well enough that a god cannot possess the power of the universe, so don' even try. If your body cannot travel, the why let your mind wander? It can serve no purpose here."
Again Dometry laughed in his non chalant manner. "With the Garnet Orb as part of you, you have become more powerful than your strongest nemesis... or friend. As my body cannot leave my home plane, I need to harness your power. Or I need you to, more precisely." Dometry pulled out a piece of pure white parchment. "I have a list of people... that couldn't have helped but snare my undying hatred and I would give nothing more than to see them suffer in my Hell. So I—"
"Get the Grim Reaper. Bother me no longer, and be gone from my sight."
Again he laughed. "Ol' Grimmy doesn't do personal favors. He has a long list of souls already, so he won't do special orders. The kind ol' chap he is said he would be glad in one of them appeared on his list, but he would do nothing more than be glad. SO I need you."
"Why me?" Setsuna asked, losing patience but becoming slightly intrigued. Dometry paused his speech to walk around Setsuna, then run an ungloved hand up Setsuna's neck and gently traced her cheek. She shuddered under his touch and quickly stepped away. If it were a man's shape she could over look the uncomfortable touch, but as it were Setsuna's own form touching her, she had to oppose.
"Do not touch me again, Shinigami, or I shall kill you sooner you raise you hand. Do you not remember you are still in shape of my image?" Setsuna said tensing her shoulders. Dometry laughed.
"Yes, I do tend to forget that little detail. But you—I have chosen you for your power... and because I have something that I can offer you in return. For your services, I offer you death. Yes, you have died before, but this I offer to you is a final death—one you won't be reborn from. You can come to Hell with me and be my queen, sit at my right in your own throne. A Throne you deserve. Wouldn't you agree? That you deserve after all this time to become queen?"
Setsuna swallowed, her throat becoming parched like a desert. Her heart skipped a few paces, jumping to attention. Death? Queen? Had these things become what her heart wanted most? {'Yes'} a cold thought breathed through her mind. Setsuna's stomach sickened at the thought of what she now wanted the most. She quickly shook her head empty of all emotions, trying for clairvoyance.
"I could not live with myself for eternity watching the souls of dead men being tortured. I could not."
"Then," Dometry said, trying to hide his oddly placed disappointment, "I shall get you into Heaven. Duo made a deal with the Fates for Hilde, is shall do it for you. Can't you almost feel it? The Eternal bliss? Can't you taste it on your tongue, so close?" Dometry said, lifting her chin to look herself in the eye. Setsuna closed her eyes tightly, feeling her stomach turn, knowing the next words that would come out of her mouth. When she re- opened her eyes tears threatened to betray her firm, cold, steely exterior.
"All right... what do I have to do...?" She whispered, the defeat obvious in her voice. She saw herself smile at her, then hand her the piece of soft white parchment.
"One at a time, or maybe two if the people are together, names and where you can find them will appear in the center. Once you kill the designated target, another name will appear. Don't worry; there aren't many people on the list. Only a few. I wish I did not have to make such an innocent dove as yourself do such an unspeakable task, but you are the only one strong and able enough for the tasks. Not just in power, but in mental stability."
Setsuna nodded gravely. "So how do you want me to kill them?" She whispered, suddenly feeling nothing be a stone lock on her heart. Dometry's smile grew as he stepped towards her using her own image, then took Setsuna by the shoulders and kissed her. Seriously pissed Setsuna took hold of her staff and swung it at Dometry. The staff knocked Dometry away from her. Her anger spit at him through her eyes.
"How dare you, you miserable--!" Setsuna began, sputtering in rage.
"What? This is what you have asked for. I have bestowed upon you the method to which you shall kill your victims. Hmm, maybe you'll even get revenge from this. Funny though, isn't it? Judith of the bible betrayed Jesus, his lord, with a kiss didn't he? Thank you, my Dove, I wish you he best of luck with your mission. And... Thank you for the kiss." Dometry said as he turned around and began walking away, fading into the ever present fog.
Again Setsuna stood alone. The cold darkness flooding her veins felt alive, pounding through her with and insatiable feeling, whispering to her. As she calmly stepped through the open Gates of Time, she agreed with the darkness inside herself for once: It was time to end this misery...
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Duo ran through the entire safe house and forest surrounding, soon breaking into the village town near by. He was boarder line hysterical. Setsuna was no where to be seen. Usagi, who had followed him, soon caught up with him.
"Duo, stop!" She called out, and when he obeyed she ran up to him and grabbed a hold on his sleeve, breathless and panting. Duo looked broken.
"Duo, what are you doing? Why are you running like a madman all over?"
"Usako, I can't find Setsuna. I've searched everywhere, even combed through the forest. She just left, gone, no trace behind..."
Usagi quickly put a hand over his mouth so to silence him. "Duo, I don't know why she left, but I can guess where she went."
"WHAT? Where?!" Duo then burst out, grabbing Usagi by the arm.
Usagi winced and pulled away. "Duo, don't yell; you don't have to." She said softly trying to solace him.
Duo sighed, trying to relax his muscles. "Sorry, you're right. Okay, where would she be, and how do we get there?" He said, his comical determination returning. Usagi smiled.
"Great! We start at the Gates of Time! I bet all of Tokyo's money she'll be there!" Usagi squeaked in excitement. Duo blinked.
"Tokyo? What's a Tokyo?" Duo asked. Usagi laughed in return.
"Oh come on! We haven't time to waste, you know!" Usagi then henshined into Eternal Moon and pulled out her Ginzoushou.
"Silver Crystal... take us to the Gates of Time!" Usagi cooed to her precious. The crystal shimmered and then emanated a blinding light. When the light cleared away and their vision returned the bleak atmosphere of the Gates of Time greeted them less than warmly. Setsuna wasn't there to make the place anymore pleasant either. Usagi shivered as a hollow wind blew over them.
"I had forgotten how unpleasant this place was... how lonely it must be... I feel so badly for Setie-chan. I should have the Senshi and I visit her much more often... what a hell this must be..." Usagi said quietly. Duo glanced at her, almost surprised.
"Your group doesn't visit her? At all?"
Usagi winced and nodded.
"Do you think she'll come back on her own? Or will we never see her again?" Duo said, all hope fading fast from his voice.
"I'll tell you where she went."
Duo blinked. "Usako, how could you know that?" Duo asked, turning around to see Usagi. And when he did, Duo had to take a double-take. There was Usagi, but she was standing behind an older, more mature looking Usagi, who just happened to be smiling at Duo, enjoying his confusion like a joke. Usagi waved to Duo from behind the woman, also enjoying the inside joke.
"Hello Duo... I am Neo-Queen Serenity. I am the future Usagi Tsikino. I cannot tell you exactly what Setsuna is doing, but I can get you on her path. Her path will lead you to her, though not obviously. She is about five normal days ahead of you, so it will be a difficult journey to just catch up. Then when you find her, you must change her heart. She has become far stronger than either of you, so do not waste time trying to weaken her; she'll only use it against you anyway. You must show her the love that her mind has blinded her to."
Duo blinked, then nodded. "Oh... kay. I'm sure Usako understands that better than I do, so I'll leave comprehension up to her. Hey, who are those two coming up?" Duo asked, referring to the two shadows that were coming up behind the three, eventually taking shape of two men. When the fog parted around them, Duo and Usagi didn't know whether to faint, laugh, or gasp. One figure turned out to be a much older, more mature looking Quatre, and the other was a much older, not necessarily more mature, Duo. Both men were dressed as kings. Quatre walked up behind Queen Serenity and wrapped one arm around her waist and his other hand to hers. Usagi did a double take as Serenity blushed. Duo looked at his older counter part with suspicion.
"Wha—what ... why?" Duo eventually got out. His elder laughed, his voice aged.
"Why not? Duo, find Setsuna. The future is still unstable and easily changed. Don't lose her; she's the world to me, I would never forgive myself—namely you—if something happened to her or us."
"So... I don't end up marrying Mamo-baka?" Usagi asked excitedly. Serenity nodded, a bashful smile on her face as Quatre gently kissed her neck form behind her. It was indeed odd to see such a bold Quatre, but Usagi couldn't help but like it. All expressions then turned grave.
"You must once again save the future, Usagi, Duo. It is cruel to place so much on your shoulders, but you mustn't take this light heartedly. We are in a grave, unbalanced situation. Go no, and know you have our prayers." Serenity said, biding them good bye. Quatre and Serenity turned around and left into the mist. The elder Duo gave Duo a firm 'don't mess this up' expression, then followed Serenity and Quatre. Duo pouted.
"Even my future self doesn't trust me!" He exclaimed. Duo sighed, defeated. "Well, my and my future's love is at stake. Let's go!" Duo exclaimed...
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Setsuna stepped through the time vex and looked around. The land was very lush and peaceful. Pulling out the white parchment Setsuna waited for the name to appear. And sure enough, in blood red scrawling, a name appeared. {"Charon"}. How descriptive. She sighed in exasperation.
{"And what is this? A name, a hotel, a house? A title—wait, this is familiar. Charon is the moon of Pluto. Is that where I am? Hmmm, there is a village over there. They will know something."} She thought as she began walking the short distance to the town. After twenty minutes of walking Setsuna reached the street of the small village. As she was walking she could hear whispers from the town's people as they ran inside their homes.
{"She wears a Senshi outfit, buy I don't recognize that one!"}
{"Is she a new Senshi? What if she's some villain posing as a Senshi?"}
Tons of voices sifted over to Setsuna. {"So there are Senshi in every dimension."} Setsuna thought. {"This will make things harder to accomplish. Charon... what did that have to do with—"} Setsuna's thoughts were interrupted by a distinct, old voice.
"We should contact the Sailor Senshi of Phobos and Demos!" The voice rang out clear and loud over the whispers. Setsuna turned to the voice. An old woman sat in an old fashioned racking chair on a porch, completely at ease. {"The village leader? Seems so."} Setsuna thought as a woman ran indoors to complete the said task of contacting the two Senshi. Setsuna was taken inside the home of the village leader and was seated in the most comfortable chair she had ever felt. As one woman rambled in front of her about such and honor to house such an important blah, blah, blah, Setsuna's thoughts reeled.
{"Charon, Moon, Phobos, Demos, Moons, Senshi... shit. Senshi Charon. I have to kill the Senshi of my moon. What luck. This won't be and easy task. But it will happen. I will get my final rest. It will stop hurting."} Setsuna closed her eyes tightly, biting her lower lip, biting back tears.
"Is something wrong, My Lady?" A man asked, bringing Setsuna out of her thoughts. She shook her head, then recomposed herself. After half an hour Guards form the royal palace came and took Setsuna away from the village to the inner kingdom, the into the palace where many, many Senshi awaited her. Sailor Galaxia was standing in front of them, crown on her head. She could recognize what moon the Senshi belonged to by colour. Two for red, one for purple, and so, so many green. The list went on. But most importantly, one for purple. Sailor Charon. Her complete opposite. She had dark, ruby black hair and green eyes. All of her hair was pulled into a bun except the front sides of her hair that framed her slightly tan face perfectly. The woman looked up at her excitedly, eager to become once again friends. Just like in the silver millennium, before the worlds of the Planetary Senshi and the Lunar Senshi was divided. The used to be like sisters, always close, always together. Setsuna bit her lower lip again, fighting the urge to run away. Her one and only true friend, she had to kill for her own sanity.
{"Yes... my sanity. She will die for my sanity. This... must... be done."} Setsuna thought grimly.
"We meet again, Sailor Pluto, but with welcome and honor." Galaxia said, smiling even more brightly than the sun. Galaxia then reached forward and grabbed Setsuna in a tight hug. Setsuna inwardly grimaced. She hadn't quite forgiven the bitch for all that death and shit. Sure, she turned good, but that hardly constitutes for dying next to the girl who was like a daughter, the girl she had raised, by her other 'friends' hands, not to mention after fading out the other girl, Chibi Usa who was even more like a daughter than Hotaru—nope, not forgiven.
Al formalities were then cut and Setsuna was shown to a room, given a banquet, and all those lovely luxuries her own 'friends' had never once shown her before. The Senshi of the moons adored her, constantly thanked her for her sacrifices, things that Setsuna had become desperate to hear. Setsuna was seriously beginning to doubt the point of her mission until a giggly moon child of Venus, she didn't care which one, brought up the subject of love. Her pain returned immediately, and her entire mission seemed worth it...
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AN: All right you guys, I AM SERIOUSLY PISSED! I mean, come on, 4 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!! HOW COULD YOU ALL, I HTOUGHT YOU LOVED ME?! Where's the love folks? Does my story suck now? Have I taken a bad direction? Or is it because of how long it took me to post/ I swear, that'll never happen again, I was going through some rough times, can ya blame me? REVIWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Please... I'm beggy begging you! *Sniff* so, should I keep writing? Do like the direction? IS this a story you would consider an epic? I can make it one. Did you pick up on the foreshadowing? TELLLLLLL MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please... oh god please..........
Come one guys, this is my favorite story that I am writing, give me a reason to keep going! I can either give you crap, or give you gold. It's all up to you.
Bye bye!
Losing to You Again
Slowly Setsuna opened her eyes, her lungs suddenly drawing in a sharp breath of sweet mist. Her body felt stiff, her stomach lurched. She tried to stand up but only made it to her knees before she vomited. Soon after Setsuna began to feel better, but her head still swam in an ocean of disarray. Back at the Gate of Time. Back where this whole... damn... story began. And surely where it would end.
A prickle of anger slowly and discretely crept through her veins, chilling her blood as it circulated through her entire body. As this cold anger grew and rushed through her, her body began to quiver. Soon her entire body trembled and wracked with a rage, violent and thrashing. A rage at Usagi, at Duo, at herself. Everything she told herself before was no longer a fleeting hope but a cold, desolate lie. Duo would never love her, nor would anyone else. And above all else, she definitely {could} hate her queen.
Her queen who lived lavishly in her magnificent palace, guarded by her closest friends, married to the man of her dreams, mother to the most loving child. This "queen" had every luxury a human, young or old, would die for, while the guardian of Pluto gave up everything for her duty, her punishment. Setsuna had let up every talent, every wish, hope, dream, the bliss of living. Now she would never experience love, marriage, child birth, growing old, the blessing of death.
Maybe the pain of her sentence would be lifted a little if any one of her so called "friends" would visit her, but the only face she saw rarely was the sweet child Chibi Usa. A girl who was like a daughter to her. And of course, the child's true mother was her queen. Oh yes, Setsuna found it now easy to hate that blonde mess of joy, the one whom she before called so affectionately "Queen".
All these thoughts vibrated through Setsuna's head, ricocheting through her veins. Setsuna gasped at the sudden pain in her heart, bringing her hands up in front of her face, trying to cover her vision, but unable to look away from reality. Pulling her quivering bent over form up Setsuna clenched her eyes tightly shut, lifting her head up to the heavens and screamed, releasing all of her pain.
{"Fine! Fine, I don't care anymore; do what you want with me! Jest! Jest damn you, jest! Go ahead Heavens, take away all of her happiness, but you sure as hell had better jest! Where would the great Heavens be without their monkey to play with?!" Setsuna screamed, her voice made of hatred, pain, tears and stone cold rage. Setsuna fell silent, and then a few moments later listen to her words echo back to her. When her voice echoed back at her, they hit her with the force of a Tsunami. The force knocked Setsuna over backwards. She didn't even struggle to stay on her knees, just simply let herself fall. Lying in the gentle mist she dissolved in to sobs, covering her face with her hands and curled into a tiny ball. Silence fell over her, yet it did not hush her sobs. The silence only emphasized the loneliness of this bleak, barren wasteland.
"Duo..." Setsuna let escape her lips in a hushed, wounded whisper. Immediately she scolded herself, trying to banish all thoughts of him. Trying to banish any thoughts at all, for every thought hurt worse than the last. As she lay curled in the mist, a heavy, warm sleep came over her, a sleep that she did not try to struggle against. A faint smile formed on Setsuna's face as she fell deeper and deeper into a dreamless, warm coma...
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"Dove.... my dove, please wake up now..." A warm masculine voice called to Setsuna deep within her sleep, soft and distant. Slowly it retrieved Setsuna's soul from deep within the frozen mirth of her heart, bringing her back to the conscious world. Setsuna opened her bleary eyes and pushed herself up into a sitting position. Slowly she stood to her feet, still fuzzy. Everything felt fine, peaceful and at ease. At least until Setsuna remembered that she wasn't alone. Someone had woken her up. Alarums went off inside her head and Setsuna pulled out her Time Staff, prepared to dispatch anything, be it friend or foe. A white gloved hand placed itself on her shoulder. Setsuna quickly whirled around and froze mid attack. Standing in front of her was a mirror image of herself, Senshi fuku and all. Setsuna was about to attack again, but her image spoke, halting Setsuna in her track. For this new Setsuna spoke with a man's voice. Setsuna dropped her staff in shock.
"Who are you?" Setsuna asked, in morbid fascination. Her counter part chuckled and smiled lightly.
"You're confused, of course. My name is long since forgotten, so it won't help you. But I can give you some adored nick names that I have been tagged with. Samiel, Lucifer, Satan, take a pick. Or, if those names are uncomfortable, Dometry will do finely. But as far as who I am, I am Shinigami of Hell." Her masculine voice laughed at Setsuna's stun. When Setsuna didn't speak, her mirror image continued.
"My Dove, I'm so glad you're awake! I feared it was too late, you'll never open your lovely garnet eyes!" the fake image of Setsuna gently placed her hands over Setsuna's cheeks, caressing them. Setsuna quickly jerked away from the foreign touch.
"What are you talking about... too late? I was just sleeping..." Setsuna barely managed to say, slowly fading out of shock.
"That was no mundane sleep my dove; you would never have awoken if I had not come. You cast a very complicated spell, a spell designed by your heart. You wanted to just fade away, never to wake up again just to face another miserable day. I know, I've felt all your pain." The masculine voice said, Setsuna's own eyes comfortingly gazing at her. Setsuna squirmed awkwardly under the gaze.
"You are mistake; I have no magic." She said, her voice cold like a frosty wind. "Dometry" laughed.
"You don't, but you're Garnet orb does. The Garnet orb is a funny thing; it is an ascension being, it has its own soul. Ever wonder why it seems like it is listening when you talk to it, recording your voice like a diary? That is because it is. The Garnet Orb... is very maternal. It felt your suffering, so it merged with you, anything to make its precious child feel better. And with it as part of you, your deep emotions tapped into the Garnet Orb's power. With the Garnet Orb as your other half, you have an unharnesed power, limitless. That is why your eyes are now a beautiful Garnet red. Does that answer your questions, my dove?" Dometry said, a crooked smile on its face. He then reached out and placed his hand, palm down against Setsuna's heart.
"Do you feel it? Do you feel its boundless power?" His hand then moved down, cupping his hand over Setsuna's left breast. Immediately Setsuna knocked his hand away sharply and strongly. Dometry laughed and her precaution. "Look inside yourself, look at your weapon, look at your eyes within mine; it's all true."
Setsuna then recoiled back one step. Her eyes untrusting, Setsuna looked to the ground where her Time Staff lay. The Garnet Orb was gone. She looked up at her mysterious counter part and saw her mirrored eyes were garnet. Her hand swiftly retrieved her Time Staff. It looked so barren and bleak without its shiny red orb. But it was true, she supposed. Every time she talked to the Garnet Orb, recording her voice and image, it felt as tough the orb was listening. Glaring at her image, Setsuna finally found words.
"No." She said, her voice still colder and stronger than steel. Dometry seemed slightly offset by her sentence, but quickly regained his aloof grin.
"And what do you mean by that?"
"No, you haven't answered all of my questions. If you are Shinigami, then why do you mirror my image? Show me your true form!"
"I look like you because I have no true form in this plane. My body may never leave Hell, so to appear before someone I can only take their shape. If you indeed wish, I shall show you my true form, which is stuck in hell." He said, waving his left hand through the air to his left. The area that his hand swept through turned into a silvery solid, then like a clear glass. The mirror rippled, then an image of a man sitting on a sleek black metal throne. He had flaming red hair, long and straight with bangs that swept in front of his eyes. His eyes were a glowing golden yellow. His outfit was a black army general's, minus the metals. And lastly, he had large black, leathery demon wings. Setsuna scowled at the image, satisfied that the man inside the mirror was indeed Shinigami (And a small thought in her distant mind couldn't help but find him attractive). And since this was Shinigami, she couldn't touch him.
"Now," Setsuna began, not changing her tone, "Why are you here? I'm sure you know well enough that a god cannot possess the power of the universe, so don' even try. If your body cannot travel, the why let your mind wander? It can serve no purpose here."
Again Dometry laughed in his non chalant manner. "With the Garnet Orb as part of you, you have become more powerful than your strongest nemesis... or friend. As my body cannot leave my home plane, I need to harness your power. Or I need you to, more precisely." Dometry pulled out a piece of pure white parchment. "I have a list of people... that couldn't have helped but snare my undying hatred and I would give nothing more than to see them suffer in my Hell. So I—"
"Get the Grim Reaper. Bother me no longer, and be gone from my sight."
Again he laughed. "Ol' Grimmy doesn't do personal favors. He has a long list of souls already, so he won't do special orders. The kind ol' chap he is said he would be glad in one of them appeared on his list, but he would do nothing more than be glad. SO I need you."
"Why me?" Setsuna asked, losing patience but becoming slightly intrigued. Dometry paused his speech to walk around Setsuna, then run an ungloved hand up Setsuna's neck and gently traced her cheek. She shuddered under his touch and quickly stepped away. If it were a man's shape she could over look the uncomfortable touch, but as it were Setsuna's own form touching her, she had to oppose.
"Do not touch me again, Shinigami, or I shall kill you sooner you raise you hand. Do you not remember you are still in shape of my image?" Setsuna said tensing her shoulders. Dometry laughed.
"Yes, I do tend to forget that little detail. But you—I have chosen you for your power... and because I have something that I can offer you in return. For your services, I offer you death. Yes, you have died before, but this I offer to you is a final death—one you won't be reborn from. You can come to Hell with me and be my queen, sit at my right in your own throne. A Throne you deserve. Wouldn't you agree? That you deserve after all this time to become queen?"
Setsuna swallowed, her throat becoming parched like a desert. Her heart skipped a few paces, jumping to attention. Death? Queen? Had these things become what her heart wanted most? {'Yes'} a cold thought breathed through her mind. Setsuna's stomach sickened at the thought of what she now wanted the most. She quickly shook her head empty of all emotions, trying for clairvoyance.
"I could not live with myself for eternity watching the souls of dead men being tortured. I could not."
"Then," Dometry said, trying to hide his oddly placed disappointment, "I shall get you into Heaven. Duo made a deal with the Fates for Hilde, is shall do it for you. Can't you almost feel it? The Eternal bliss? Can't you taste it on your tongue, so close?" Dometry said, lifting her chin to look herself in the eye. Setsuna closed her eyes tightly, feeling her stomach turn, knowing the next words that would come out of her mouth. When she re- opened her eyes tears threatened to betray her firm, cold, steely exterior.
"All right... what do I have to do...?" She whispered, the defeat obvious in her voice. She saw herself smile at her, then hand her the piece of soft white parchment.
"One at a time, or maybe two if the people are together, names and where you can find them will appear in the center. Once you kill the designated target, another name will appear. Don't worry; there aren't many people on the list. Only a few. I wish I did not have to make such an innocent dove as yourself do such an unspeakable task, but you are the only one strong and able enough for the tasks. Not just in power, but in mental stability."
Setsuna nodded gravely. "So how do you want me to kill them?" She whispered, suddenly feeling nothing be a stone lock on her heart. Dometry's smile grew as he stepped towards her using her own image, then took Setsuna by the shoulders and kissed her. Seriously pissed Setsuna took hold of her staff and swung it at Dometry. The staff knocked Dometry away from her. Her anger spit at him through her eyes.
"How dare you, you miserable--!" Setsuna began, sputtering in rage.
"What? This is what you have asked for. I have bestowed upon you the method to which you shall kill your victims. Hmm, maybe you'll even get revenge from this. Funny though, isn't it? Judith of the bible betrayed Jesus, his lord, with a kiss didn't he? Thank you, my Dove, I wish you he best of luck with your mission. And... Thank you for the kiss." Dometry said as he turned around and began walking away, fading into the ever present fog.
Again Setsuna stood alone. The cold darkness flooding her veins felt alive, pounding through her with and insatiable feeling, whispering to her. As she calmly stepped through the open Gates of Time, she agreed with the darkness inside herself for once: It was time to end this misery...
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Duo ran through the entire safe house and forest surrounding, soon breaking into the village town near by. He was boarder line hysterical. Setsuna was no where to be seen. Usagi, who had followed him, soon caught up with him.
"Duo, stop!" She called out, and when he obeyed she ran up to him and grabbed a hold on his sleeve, breathless and panting. Duo looked broken.
"Duo, what are you doing? Why are you running like a madman all over?"
"Usako, I can't find Setsuna. I've searched everywhere, even combed through the forest. She just left, gone, no trace behind..."
Usagi quickly put a hand over his mouth so to silence him. "Duo, I don't know why she left, but I can guess where she went."
"WHAT? Where?!" Duo then burst out, grabbing Usagi by the arm.
Usagi winced and pulled away. "Duo, don't yell; you don't have to." She said softly trying to solace him.
Duo sighed, trying to relax his muscles. "Sorry, you're right. Okay, where would she be, and how do we get there?" He said, his comical determination returning. Usagi smiled.
"Great! We start at the Gates of Time! I bet all of Tokyo's money she'll be there!" Usagi squeaked in excitement. Duo blinked.
"Tokyo? What's a Tokyo?" Duo asked. Usagi laughed in return.
"Oh come on! We haven't time to waste, you know!" Usagi then henshined into Eternal Moon and pulled out her Ginzoushou.
"Silver Crystal... take us to the Gates of Time!" Usagi cooed to her precious. The crystal shimmered and then emanated a blinding light. When the light cleared away and their vision returned the bleak atmosphere of the Gates of Time greeted them less than warmly. Setsuna wasn't there to make the place anymore pleasant either. Usagi shivered as a hollow wind blew over them.
"I had forgotten how unpleasant this place was... how lonely it must be... I feel so badly for Setie-chan. I should have the Senshi and I visit her much more often... what a hell this must be..." Usagi said quietly. Duo glanced at her, almost surprised.
"Your group doesn't visit her? At all?"
Usagi winced and nodded.
"Do you think she'll come back on her own? Or will we never see her again?" Duo said, all hope fading fast from his voice.
"I'll tell you where she went."
Duo blinked. "Usako, how could you know that?" Duo asked, turning around to see Usagi. And when he did, Duo had to take a double-take. There was Usagi, but she was standing behind an older, more mature looking Usagi, who just happened to be smiling at Duo, enjoying his confusion like a joke. Usagi waved to Duo from behind the woman, also enjoying the inside joke.
"Hello Duo... I am Neo-Queen Serenity. I am the future Usagi Tsikino. I cannot tell you exactly what Setsuna is doing, but I can get you on her path. Her path will lead you to her, though not obviously. She is about five normal days ahead of you, so it will be a difficult journey to just catch up. Then when you find her, you must change her heart. She has become far stronger than either of you, so do not waste time trying to weaken her; she'll only use it against you anyway. You must show her the love that her mind has blinded her to."
Duo blinked, then nodded. "Oh... kay. I'm sure Usako understands that better than I do, so I'll leave comprehension up to her. Hey, who are those two coming up?" Duo asked, referring to the two shadows that were coming up behind the three, eventually taking shape of two men. When the fog parted around them, Duo and Usagi didn't know whether to faint, laugh, or gasp. One figure turned out to be a much older, more mature looking Quatre, and the other was a much older, not necessarily more mature, Duo. Both men were dressed as kings. Quatre walked up behind Queen Serenity and wrapped one arm around her waist and his other hand to hers. Usagi did a double take as Serenity blushed. Duo looked at his older counter part with suspicion.
"Wha—what ... why?" Duo eventually got out. His elder laughed, his voice aged.
"Why not? Duo, find Setsuna. The future is still unstable and easily changed. Don't lose her; she's the world to me, I would never forgive myself—namely you—if something happened to her or us."
"So... I don't end up marrying Mamo-baka?" Usagi asked excitedly. Serenity nodded, a bashful smile on her face as Quatre gently kissed her neck form behind her. It was indeed odd to see such a bold Quatre, but Usagi couldn't help but like it. All expressions then turned grave.
"You must once again save the future, Usagi, Duo. It is cruel to place so much on your shoulders, but you mustn't take this light heartedly. We are in a grave, unbalanced situation. Go no, and know you have our prayers." Serenity said, biding them good bye. Quatre and Serenity turned around and left into the mist. The elder Duo gave Duo a firm 'don't mess this up' expression, then followed Serenity and Quatre. Duo pouted.
"Even my future self doesn't trust me!" He exclaimed. Duo sighed, defeated. "Well, my and my future's love is at stake. Let's go!" Duo exclaimed...
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Setsuna stepped through the time vex and looked around. The land was very lush and peaceful. Pulling out the white parchment Setsuna waited for the name to appear. And sure enough, in blood red scrawling, a name appeared. {"Charon"}. How descriptive. She sighed in exasperation.
{"And what is this? A name, a hotel, a house? A title—wait, this is familiar. Charon is the moon of Pluto. Is that where I am? Hmmm, there is a village over there. They will know something."} She thought as she began walking the short distance to the town. After twenty minutes of walking Setsuna reached the street of the small village. As she was walking she could hear whispers from the town's people as they ran inside their homes.
{"She wears a Senshi outfit, buy I don't recognize that one!"}
{"Is she a new Senshi? What if she's some villain posing as a Senshi?"}
Tons of voices sifted over to Setsuna. {"So there are Senshi in every dimension."} Setsuna thought. {"This will make things harder to accomplish. Charon... what did that have to do with—"} Setsuna's thoughts were interrupted by a distinct, old voice.
"We should contact the Sailor Senshi of Phobos and Demos!" The voice rang out clear and loud over the whispers. Setsuna turned to the voice. An old woman sat in an old fashioned racking chair on a porch, completely at ease. {"The village leader? Seems so."} Setsuna thought as a woman ran indoors to complete the said task of contacting the two Senshi. Setsuna was taken inside the home of the village leader and was seated in the most comfortable chair she had ever felt. As one woman rambled in front of her about such and honor to house such an important blah, blah, blah, Setsuna's thoughts reeled.
{"Charon, Moon, Phobos, Demos, Moons, Senshi... shit. Senshi Charon. I have to kill the Senshi of my moon. What luck. This won't be and easy task. But it will happen. I will get my final rest. It will stop hurting."} Setsuna closed her eyes tightly, biting her lower lip, biting back tears.
"Is something wrong, My Lady?" A man asked, bringing Setsuna out of her thoughts. She shook her head, then recomposed herself. After half an hour Guards form the royal palace came and took Setsuna away from the village to the inner kingdom, the into the palace where many, many Senshi awaited her. Sailor Galaxia was standing in front of them, crown on her head. She could recognize what moon the Senshi belonged to by colour. Two for red, one for purple, and so, so many green. The list went on. But most importantly, one for purple. Sailor Charon. Her complete opposite. She had dark, ruby black hair and green eyes. All of her hair was pulled into a bun except the front sides of her hair that framed her slightly tan face perfectly. The woman looked up at her excitedly, eager to become once again friends. Just like in the silver millennium, before the worlds of the Planetary Senshi and the Lunar Senshi was divided. The used to be like sisters, always close, always together. Setsuna bit her lower lip again, fighting the urge to run away. Her one and only true friend, she had to kill for her own sanity.
{"Yes... my sanity. She will die for my sanity. This... must... be done."} Setsuna thought grimly.
"We meet again, Sailor Pluto, but with welcome and honor." Galaxia said, smiling even more brightly than the sun. Galaxia then reached forward and grabbed Setsuna in a tight hug. Setsuna inwardly grimaced. She hadn't quite forgiven the bitch for all that death and shit. Sure, she turned good, but that hardly constitutes for dying next to the girl who was like a daughter, the girl she had raised, by her other 'friends' hands, not to mention after fading out the other girl, Chibi Usa who was even more like a daughter than Hotaru—nope, not forgiven.
Al formalities were then cut and Setsuna was shown to a room, given a banquet, and all those lovely luxuries her own 'friends' had never once shown her before. The Senshi of the moons adored her, constantly thanked her for her sacrifices, things that Setsuna had become desperate to hear. Setsuna was seriously beginning to doubt the point of her mission until a giggly moon child of Venus, she didn't care which one, brought up the subject of love. Her pain returned immediately, and her entire mission seemed worth it...
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AN: All right you guys, I AM SERIOUSLY PISSED! I mean, come on, 4 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!!! HOW COULD YOU ALL, I HTOUGHT YOU LOVED ME?! Where's the love folks? Does my story suck now? Have I taken a bad direction? Or is it because of how long it took me to post/ I swear, that'll never happen again, I was going through some rough times, can ya blame me? REVIWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!! Please... I'm beggy begging you! *Sniff* so, should I keep writing? Do like the direction? IS this a story you would consider an epic? I can make it one. Did you pick up on the foreshadowing? TELLLLLLL MEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please... oh god please..........
Come one guys, this is my favorite story that I am writing, give me a reason to keep going! I can either give you crap, or give you gold. It's all up to you.
Bye bye!