Disclaimer: I own nothing in this story but the idea and the title.

A/N: Is it just me, or do I have more and more people to thank every time? I love you guys! This time, special love goes out to v1786 (for taking the time to review such a tiny, pointless chapter) Lokileysmith (just because Jadeite got lucky once doesn't mean she won't nail him next time!) Very special thanks go to two people. First, to Lysia Croft for being the most constant reviewer and support. Kisses, girl! Second, to my never-ending source of sanity, aiisha. Everyone stop by and check out their stories. Aiisha just put up her first, called Sara's Journey, focusing on one of the greatest characters in Ragnarok, and she needs some more reviews!

"Are you hungry, Hotaru?"

Setsuna watched her "daughter" through worried eyes. They had been walking along the sidewalk, but now the young girl stood strangely still, watching a playground of children across the street. She did not seem to hear her guardian's words.

"Hotaru? Do you want something for lunch?"

In the playground, one of the children, a little girl with curly pigtails, chased a boy around a slide, both giggling. Hotaru watched them, her eyes narrowed intently.

"Hotaru!"

Her head snapped around, and Setsuna blinked in surprise. For a moment that young face seemed so lined with deep hate it should belong to someone else, a stranger. But it cleared so fast that Setsuna wondered if she had seen it at all. In the place of that frightening mask, Hotaru smiled sweetly.

"Hai, Setsuna-mama?"

"What's the matter with you, sweetheart? Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course," she said in an innocent voice. "I was just watching those children. They look so…"

Her voice trailed off, her eyes again riveted on the pair playing. Setsuna frowned and watched as well for a moment, when inspiration struck her.

"Oh, I see! She reminds you of Small Lady, doesn't she?"

"Nani?"

"Chibiusa."

The girl caught the little boy in a hug, and kissed his cheek. He shouted a protest.

"Chibiusa," Hotaru muttered slowly, as though tasting the name. "Hai… That child would remind her of Chibiusa…"

Setsuna felt her alarm growing. Attempting to distract her, she asked, "Hotaru, aren't you hungry?"

"I'm always hungry."

"Well, what would you like to eat? We could get pizza, or a hamburger if you've had enough pizza recently. Or maybe a-"

Hotaru's sharp intake of breath froze the words on Setsuna's lips.

Across the street, the little girl fell to her knees. She burst out crying, and a woman ran to her, picking her gently up. A trickle of blood ran down her scraped knee.

"Poor thing," Setsuna murmured, turning again to Hotaru.

Instead of looking concerned, or pitying, Hotaru wore a tiny smile. Watching the mother wipe away the blood, she licked her lips slowly, her eyes alighting with some alien emotion that frightened Setsuna.

Then she turned those purple eyes up to the older woman. "Is something wrong, Mama?"

"What were you thinking, just now?" Setsuna asked.

"I was thinking of Chibiusa," Hotaru explained, her smile widening. "Imaging if she had been the one to fall… the one to bleed."

"That would make you happy?"

"The thought of Chibiusa always makes me happy." She looked once more to the child. "I'd love to see her again."

"Well, that won't be for some time. She needs to be in Crystal Tokyo with her parents. She doesn't belong here. She belongs to the future." Setsuna smiled. "But once the Princess and Prince raise Crystal Tokyo, and become Queen and King, we'll see her again."

"Crystal Tokyo… a thousand years from now… that's a long time, for a human."

"We seem to keep ourselves busy," Setsuna reminded her wryly. "Come on, you said you were hungry. Do you know what you want to eat?"

"Hai," Hotaru muttered longingly, watching the little girl being carried away. "But I suppose I'll settle for a hamburger."

They started walking again, and Hotaru asked, "Where are Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa?"

"At home. They needed a little time to themselves. We've been running around so much recently they haven't had much time alone."

"So at the first convenient moment, they push us out the door."

"Now Hotaru, you know that's not true! Haruka and Michiru were worried to death about you all last night. That was a terrible thing you did!"

"I know. I was no match for the Abyss. Nothing is."

Setsuna put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't be silly. We'll find some way of stopping this thing. After meeting Chibiusa, we know the future is beautiful."

"But in that future you never saw any Shitennou," Hotaru reminded her. "The destiny of Earth has been turned around. And maybe that is for the best."

"What do you mean?" Setsuna asked cautiously.

"Don't you ever think things could be different?" Deep, fathomless eyes rose tohersand snagged her like a hook. Setsuna stopped dead, unable to move. She felt strange, helpless, like she was sinking into those eyes, and Hotaru's voice was a stone around her ankles.

"Don't you ever think things could be better?" that heavy voice whispered. "What makes her the Princess? What is it about her that makes her the one to be Queen?"

"She is the heir to the Silver Millennium."

"The Silver Millennium?" Deep in her skull, a laugh rumbled. "A failed experiment in the foolishness of compassion. The heir brought its downfall."

"Iie…"

"She is responsible."

"Iie…"

"She is the reason so many died, the reason peace failed."

"Iie…"

"If she had obeyed the laws, none of it would have happened. She defied the gods, and played at love for her own amusement. Did she think of anyone else?"

Setsuna could not move her lips to answer. The world had narrowed, become a tunnel of pointless sound and movement leading into those terrible eyes. How had she never noticed before how incredibly dark they were?

"Everything is changing, Time Keeper. Changing for the better, isn't it? Why should the world be shackled to the weakness of a royal line incapable of protecting it? Queen Serenity failed, and her daughter will do the same in the end.

"You are sworn to protect this world, Time Keeper, sworn to protect this entire solar system. Do not be bound by anything as destructive as loyalty to the weak. Why should you sacrifice everything to protect a Princess so bent on her own self-destruction, and with her the destruction of everything else?

"Save those you can, and annihilate those who stand in the way. Finish her, become a true Queen, and take your husband, your daughter."

"I…" Setsuna tried to tear her eyes away. "Iie… I love her, too…"

"Love is a weakness you cannot afford. Think, Time Keeper. You must protect this world, no matter the cost to yourself. Take her man, and take her out of this world's misery.

"It is for the good of all. Only you can do this. Remember, Time Keeper."

A cold wind rushed through her hair. Setsuna shuddered, and staggered back, confused.

"Setsuna-mama? Are you alright?"

The world felt strange, like it had tipped on its axis. A little hand held hers. She looked down at Hotaru, and smiled wanly.

"Hai, I just… did you same something?"

"Me? No, mama, why?"

"I thought… what were we talking about?"

"Getting lunch. Are you still hungry?"

Setsuna gave a distracted nod. "I think so. What did you want?"

"I don't think you're feeling well, Mama. We should go back to Mamoru's apartment, don't you think?" Hotaru asked in a concerned voice.

"Mamoru… hai, lets go."

Setsuna squared her shoulders, a look of pained resignation in her face. "It's for the best."

Trailing behind her, Hotaru giggled.