Here's the same chapter now that it's back in order.

I don't own Sailor Moon.

Collides With Beauty

By: Rini

Chapter 16: Future Perfect

" She can't keep going on like this for much longer."

" She'll keep going until she gets what she wants."

" She'll be no good to us if she's completely drained of power."

" Do you want to be the one to tell her to stop?"

A pause of silence.

" Exactly."

Rei, as Sailor Mars, got up from the group who were all currently at the Shrine sitting in the back courtyard. After the little escape Diamond made with Rini, Imperial Moon, otherwise Serena, had done whatever possible to keep herself busy. While the other Scouts had been helping Mercury try to come up with a plan for traveling in Time, Imperial Moon took it upon herself to vent her frustration, namely fighting against Tuxedo Mask, until someone came up with a solution.

Mercury, frustrated, let her computer drop," I have tried over a dozen calculations on how to travel through Time and I haven't found one equation that works. I've been working on this ever since we found out they came from the future and I simply find it impossible to do."

Venus frowned," But if Diamond and the rest of them can do it then so can we."

Jupiter turned," Can't we do a Sailor Teleport?"

Mercury ran a hand through her hair," That only works when traveling to a specific place. It doesn't bend to other dimensions like Time travel does."

" Isn't it worth a try?" Mars asked.

" There's no telling where we might end up."

Jupiter sighed and laid back down on the grass in the sun and closed her eyes," Well there was my good idea for the day."

" Do you think Serena will know how to do it?" Venus wondered.

Mars stood up," Then wouldn't she have done it already."

Venus muffled a response.

" Our best guess until then is hope that when Luna and Artemis get here, they'll have worked out a plan. They have more knowledge on this than I do."

" I just hope they get here before Tuxedo Mask completely loses to Imperial Moon. For all our sakes."

Sweat beaded down her forehead, sliding down her face and stinging her eyes. She remained focused on the enemy in front of her. As long as she remained focused on the obstacles ahead, then she would never have to face the disappointment behind her. How could she have allowed all this to happen? How could she have allowed her to be taken so easily?

Tuxedo Mask parried another blow from Imperial Moon's scepter. Her eyes seemed distant and her mind appeared to be wandering, but her reflexes and aim were as sharp as ever. Not even paying attention and he was still losing poorly to her. Yet, he couldn't blame her. He was trying as hard as she was to forget what had just happened as well.

" How could I let them hurt her?"

It was a weak voice, as though she didn't even realize she said it out loud. Tuxedo Mask listened to her continue on.

" I did everything for her and I couldn't even save her. How can I ever be her guardian like this?"

Her internal conflict played on. All Tuxedo Mask could do was listen and reflect on just how he too felt as useless as she did.

" Hey you guys! Luna and Artemis are here!" Jupiter yelled.

Imperial Moon snapped out of her self-imposed trance and put her scepter away, " Thank you for helping me to regain my focus."

It was short and curt and she left before he could offer a word in edgewise. He sighed and put his staff away as well.

" So did you contact her?" Imperial Moon asked.

Luna shook her head," Unfortunately there is no way possible to gain contact with her. The only way to reach her is if she reaches you herself. She remains cut off as usual at the Gate."

" Who?" Venus asked.

" So then how do we get there?"

" We need a plan B," Artemis began," Since we're completely cut off."

" Time out!" Mars yelled," Start over. Who is this person you're trying to contact?"

Luna cleared her throat," Traveling through Time is incredibly difficult. It requires a vast amount of knowledge about the place you want to go. Attempting to open the Gates can result in disaster if one doesn't know how to properly close them. I'm amazed at how the Black Moon Family has done so for as long as they have already."

" Well she definitely didn't tell them how to. So how did they learn?"

" My guess is Wiseman already knew how to long ago," Artemis answered.

Mars burst in-between Imperial Moon and the cats," Ok. Enough with the three person conversation here! We are a team and we need to work together. So mind telling us what's going on."

Luna stared up at the group and cleared her throat," As you know, the Black Moon Family isn't from this time. They come from the future. They traveled back in time to retrieve the Silver Crystal and Serena to prevent her from becoming her future self. They came here from the 30th Century."

Artemis nodded," Our guess is that someone had to show them how to weave through the Gates of Time. There is only one person known who has that ability to do so, and it's impossible she showed them how. Our guess is they arrived here after Rini did. They must have followed her here through the same opening."

" So you mean they just tailed her here? But how did she know how to get here? She's just a child. How can a child navigate through Time?" Mercury questioned.

" Good question Amy. The answer is this."

Luna flipped in the air and produced a small key. The key was no larger than the palm of a hand. It was gold and encrusted with diamonds and rubies. It was delicate looking with lines traced all around it and the loop in the shape of a heart. Venus picked it up in her palm, weighing it from hand to hand, before giving it to Mercury.

" I knew she had to have one," Imperial Moon exclaimed, cheer making it's first appearance to her voice.

" What is it?"

" It's a Time Key. These are used to open the Time Gate to travel from one Time Stream to the next. They don't have much power in them and only last until they go through the door they originally opened. Rini used this key to leave her time to open to door to this one."

" So this little thing is what we need to go to the future?" Jupiter responded, skeptic of the whole thing.

" My guess is that Rini had help getting here," Luna added," She couldn't have known all along how to use it. Someone helped her get here. There probably isn't much strength left and we don't know exactly how it works."

" Which is why we need more power to use it and someone to guide it," Artemis finished.

" That's what I'm here for," Imperial Moon chimed.

" No way," Tuxedo Mask vehemently added.

Imperial Moon glared," What do you mean by that?"

" We don't know what we're getting into. We have no idea how to use that key let alone if it actually works. What if we end up somewhere completely different?"

" We won't. I know what I'm doing."

" Have you ever used it before?"

" No."

" Have you ever traveled through Time before?"

" No."

" Then we should just wait until we know what we're doing before we rush into something."

" Absolutely not! I will not let Rini suffer in his hands a moment longer! Don't you even care that your own daughter is with him?"

Six pairs of eyes flew to Tuxedo Mask.

" Of course I do, but I can't risk losing you and everyone else trying!"

" Why can't you just trust me?"

" I do trust you."

" Then believe in me," Imperial Moon pleaded.

Tuxedo Mask looked away," If this is what it takes."

" Then listen up," Luna commanded," Everyone form a circle. Focus your energy on Imperial Moon and remain focused. You can't lose concentration or else you might become separated and lost in the Time Stream. Keep in mind where you want to be and don't let go."

Tuxedo Mask picked up Luna and Artemis while the girls formed a circle around him.

" Mars Star Power!"

" Mercury Star Power!"

" Jupiter Star Power!"

" Venus Star Power!"

" Guardian Chronos, Ruler of Time and Space, I command you! Open your Gates for us! Take us to the Future! Imperial Celestial Moon Power!"

Five columns of brightly colored light reached up into the sky and disappeared a moment later. Nothing was left, but a star streaking across the bright sunny sky.

Clouds covered everything. Everything was blurry. She tried to reach out a hand, but it just gripped the same bleak nothingness she saw. It was everywhere. There was no color. No real sources of light. It was like a place frozen over. No movement anywhere and for a moment, she thought she was dead.

" Venus? Can you hear me?"

" Mars?"

Venus slowly let her eyes focus around her. She shook her head and looked again. Sharp splashes of color jumped out against the stark surroundings of where she lie. Venus saw Mars holding her partially up. Mercury was right behind her typing away with numbers flashing across her visor.

" Where are we?" Venus asked groggily.

" It's not a where, but a when."

Imperial Moon pushed through the fog, whisking some of it away with her hand. Right behind her was Tuxedo Mask, still holding Luna and Artemis, and Jupiter. Jupiter rushed over to help Mars pick Venus up.

" Still like to nap huh?" Jupiter joked.

" She's lucky I keep waking her up," Mars laughed," Sooner or later I won't be there and then she'll be gone."

Venus glared, not liking the negative attention mocking her like that.

Imperial Moon quirked a smile and then rolled her eyes," I can't believe it's taking her this long."

" Impatient as ever I see Princess."

Everyone turned around as some of the fog lifted and let the veiled shape take form. It was a tall woman with dark tanned skin, intense forest green hair, and bewitching magenta eyes. In her hand was a long staff in the form of a key, the top resting against her shoulder. Her outfit was black and white, resembling that of those girls in front of her.

" Is she?" a flabbergasted Venus spoke.

" Sailor Pluto. Long time no see," Imperial Moon hugged the strange woman.

Pluto bowed her head," I see your fondness for breaking the rules is ever present Princess."

" Who is this?"

" That is Sailor Pluto, the Guardian of the Time Gates," Luna answered.

" She's been here ever since she was appointed by Serena's mother, Queen Serenity," Artemis added.

" You've been here for over a thousand years?" Tuxedo Mask asked.

" Time doesn't affect those here. It moves neither forward or backward."

" So where is this then?"

" This is inside the Time Gates. This is the point that connects all the Time Streams together. From here, I have the ability to check on any point to see that everything is going as planned."

" So can you affect anything here?" Mercury pondered.

" No. From inside the Gate, nothing can be touched, only observed."

" That's her job. Her job is to make sure Time flows smoothly. It's against the Laws of Chronos for her to interfere," Imperial Moon answered.

" Laws of Chronos?"

" Go ahead Serenity. Since you seem to remember so much, continue," Pluto nodded.

" A long time ago, my mother was friends with the royalty from all the planets. Just as you are all Princesses of your planets, so is Pluto. She was chosen as one of the two to do a more important task. My mother appointed Pluto the Guardian over the Time Gates. She must therefore abide by the three Laws of Chronos."

" So what are these Laws?"

" It's forbidden to interfere with Time, I can never stop it, and I can't leave my post."

" That's crazy," Venus shouted," Why must you be stuck here forever? That's completely unfair."

" It's because of enemies like this," Pluto frowned.

" So you already know about the Black Moon Family," Mercury said.

" Why didn't you stop them then?" Mars shouted," All of this could have been avoided!"

Pluto shook her head," I'm afraid I can't interfere. I have already done far enough damage as is."

Imperial Moon sulked," What happened?"

" Not long ago, The Black Moon Family passed through these very Gates. I approached them and told them that the Laws forbid them to enter here, but it proved useless. I wanted to attack them, yet I was incapable of doing so. My powers were blocked by the magic built here. It seems this is something that must run its course."

" Run its course?" Jupiter asked.

" Certain events are destined to happen," Pluto explained, opening a window showing the ancient kingdom on the Moon as it was over a thousand years ago," Just as I saw the end of the Silver Millennium one thousand years ago, I am bound to not interfere. I can only do so much to influence events that will occur, but I must not change what happens."

" So that means they were destined to come to the past," Tuxedo Mask concluded.

" Then that means we are destined to beat them," Mars fiercely added," They can't stop the Sailor Scouts. With our new powers, we're invincible!"

Mars and the other Inners cheered in triumph, but a stoic Pluto and indifferent Imperial Moon remained as motionless as before. Imperial Moon took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She gathered the cats from off the ground and handled them back to Tuxedo Mask.

" We've been here too long already. We have to save Rini and the others, and that means we have to leave immediately," Imperial Moon commanded.

" But I thought Time doesn't move here?"

Pluto nodded," Yes, but the Time Stream you'll enter is set at a different day from the one you left. You're already two days behind them."

" Can't you get us there before they arrive?" Venus asked.

" It's the only Gate you'll be able to enter. I'm sorry, but I've already broken enough rules as it is. I'm forbidden to get you there sooner than you're expected."

" Then two days it is," Tuxedo Mask replied, albeit dejectedly.

Pluto picked up her staff in both hands and twirled it high above her head, the Garnet Orb began to glow and she brought the staff hard against the floor with an echoing clash. A bright white light in the shape of a door began to glow until a large gate appeared before them. Phases of the moon were etched along the archway and carvings of flowers, people, planets, and symbols covered the door from head to toe. The two doors began to open and a large crystal palace could be seen far off in the distance.

" Here is your destination."

Everyone was in awe. Mars looked over her shoulder to Jupiter and nodded. They both walked forward and disappeared into the image. Mercury and Venus waited a moment and walked through also.

Tuxedo Mask turned to face Pluto and Imperial Moon," Coming?"

" You go ahead. I have to stay for a moment."

Tuxedo Mask hesitated before finally walking through the Gate. Imperial Moon walked to just before the image and held a hand out, tracing in the air the outline of the castle.

" So this is home?"

" Possibly."

" Will we have the peace we wanted?"

" Possibly."

" All this is my fault."

" Possibly."

" You won't answer any of my questions will you?" Imperial sighed.

" You have always found new ways to exist in the world. I have been amazed countless times by you, and considering I can see all of Time, me being amazed is something not easy to do. I've watched you grow into being a Princess, fall in love with a Prince, and die for love. I've watched you born as a normal girl, transform into a hero, become a leader, assume royalty, and one day become Queen. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders, but I have the weight of Time."

" I wanted to change and I was willing to do anything for it. This is my punishment isn't it? For defying the gods?"

" You have it backwards. The gods have been trying to defy the moon royalty for ages. They haven't succeeded yet."

" And they never will."

Imperial Moon walked through the gate and the door sealed away behind her. Pluto stood still, resting against her Time Staff, and a look of sorrow swept over her timeless features.

" To defy Destiny. Is it really possible?"

Pluto looked down at her hands, seeing the invisible chains that Time wound around her, hold her down.

" If anyone can do it, she can."

Mercury and Venus landed on solid ground. It was with a small fall in the air that they safely landed on firm ground. They looked around them and didn't immediately spot Mars and Jupiter. Mercury pulled out her computer and visor, but her visor wasn't working correctly and neither was her computer. Venus stood on guard, sweeping the area with her eyes.

" It won't work. Maybe traveling through to a new dimension disables it."

" I don't see them anywhere. Do you think they were taken?"

A thud sounded behind them and Tuxedo Mask dropped down with the cats safely in his arms. He set them on the ground gently and looked around.

" Where are Mars and Jupiter?"

Mercury turned around," Where's Sailor Moon?"

" She was talking to Pluto."

" There!" Venus shouted.

Mars and Jupiter came back walking side by side. Mars outstretched her hand and a torn red ribbon lay in her palm.

" No one was here when we landed so we got suspicious. We looked in the houses, but there wasn't anyone around. All we found was this red ribbon."

Everyone looked around them. They stood next to what must have once been a beautiful water fountain with a statue of a Pegasus in the center. The horse's head and wing was all that was unharmed in the rubble surrounding the structure. Two story houses lined the streets, built out of pure crystal, stone, and marble. Signs for stores were torn and broken. No house was left intact. No store had any items in them. No signs of life could be seen for miles.

" Depressing."

Everyone swiftly turned around and saw Imperial Moon standing on the remains of the tall fountain. Her arms were crossed and lips curved into a set frown.

" It doesn't look too far off. We should make it before it gets dark if we keep a steady pace," Imperial jumped off the fountain with grace.

" Where are we going?"

" The Palace," Luna said.

Artemis twitched his tail," The best bet for finding anything is to search there. There has to at least be someone still inside."

The group followed after Imperial Moon in silence. Everything they passed was demolished. Roads were torn up, as though something charged up out of the ground relentlessly. The farther they walked towards the palace, the worse the destruction was.

" Who could have done all this?" Mercury cried.

" The Black Moon," Imperial answered.

" I'm sure Emerald wasn't going to hesitate hurting people."

" But where are all the people?" Venus shook," All these homes and stores. It's a huge city here. There has to be tons of people, especially if it's Tokyo. How could all these people just vanish?"

" They must have came and stole all their energy. It's the only answer I can think of," Mars spoke up.

" You'd still find bodies," Tuxedo Mask replied," It's unlikely they would just vanish without energy."

" Maybe Diamond took them all?"

" For what?"

" If they were smart," Luna began," They probably left for shelter in other cities during the attack. A high scale attack like this takes time. They must have fled."

" A whole city. Gone. In the blink of an eye," Venus whispered.

" Let's keep going. The palace isn't far from here now. Maybe another hour or so. There has to be something up there we can use."

Venus brightened," That reminds me. I wanted to say something earlier, but we had other things to do. I guess I forgot."

Mars narrowed her eyes," This better be important then."

Venus ran in front of Imperial Moon and held her arms out," Earlier when we were back at the Shrine and you and Darien were fighting, you said our child. You were talking about Rini right? What did you mean by our child? Is there something you guys aren't telling us?"

Imperial Moon stopped, as did the others, and put her hands on her hips. She stared Venus in the eyes before pushing her arm down and walking past her.

" We're not far. Keep moving."

Venus gaped and looked at Tuxedo Mask, " Well?"

Tuxedo Mask closed his eyes and continued to walk on," You heard her."

Venus scowled," Don't I get an answer?"

Jupiter put her hand on Venus' shoulder," Let's go one step at a time. We'll go to the palace and get our answers there."