Interlude: Minako P.O.V.
Usagi was on the move.
She was waist deep in the midst of some scheme and none of them had read the signs, not until it was too late; and an hour into their investigation, Minako realized they had been far, far too late.
As Mamoru and Artemis accompanied Naru to the hospital, as Matsuo left to meet Makoto a block from the location of Rini's communicator, as Minako and Ami waited for the remaining Order members to arrive, she was left with the gut wrenching sensation that this was exactly what Usagi wanted. They were playing into her hand. Not long after the others had arrived and been debriefed, Minako was proven right as Makoto called in with an update.
"Usagi's on the run. She stole Rini's key to the future and locked her in a closet." Her voice was nearly a snarl. "She's been in here for hours. Usagi tricked her into revealing what she knows about Crystal Tokyo and then stuck her in there for hours."
The Warehouse was silent as the Order processed her words. After a moment, Ami concluded, "She's going to the future. That's why she took Berthier."
Kunzite pushed off the conference table and began to pace. "So she betrayed us."
"No." Rei spat. The others turned to her, but Rei's gaze remained on the supercomputer. She took a breath, as though to calm herself. "No, Usagi wouldn't do that. We can't just jump to conclusions."
"Well, that's what it's beginning to look like."
"Shut up Kunzite. You don't know anything. Usagi was been working to help the Order, she wouldn't just turn around and betray us." She turned to Minako. "Something's changed. Tell them what we know. Whatever's happening must have something to do with the investigation."
Minako looked at her, stomach heavy.
Something had changed, surely, but that did not mean Usagi was working in the Order's interest. Minako didn't have the unwavering faith in her that Rei had gained. No, looking at the evidence, it was apparent that no matter what had changed to push Usagi, she had taken clear steps to undermine the Order. Beside Rei, Luna sat in silence, observing her companion's reaction. Luna had been with Rei the longest out of any of them; she had a good understanding of Rei's feelings, and if she was not going to speak her mind then Minako should also tread carefully.
"Investigation?" Ami echoed. "What investigation? What have you two been keeping from us."
All eyes were on Minako now. Her gaze remained on Rei though, that fierce determination that pleaded with Minako to believe in Usagi. She steeled herself and explained; Rei and Usagi's discovery, the ensuing investigation, their suspicions of a traitor within.
Before anyone could voice their disproval — and from the expressions Minako was seeing, there was quite a lot of it — Rei took control of the conversation. "Usagi knows something we don't. We need to consider that she might have figured out who the third party is and why they've been watching us. If Nephrite's missing…"
"Either he's the traitor or he's been brought into the fold." Minako finished. "We know it can't have been him though. He was still under the control of the Dark Kingdom at that time."
Rei shook her head. "But he wasn't. Think about it. Usagi cleansed him well before the sword appeared-"
"You would dare suggest one of the Generals is a traitor?" Zoisite interjected darkly.
"Why else wouldn't he be here?"
"Perhaps he is assisting Usagi."
She scoffed. "Perhaps you haven't noticed, but those two are not exactly on the best of terms."
That was true. Usagi always seemed slightly on edge when Nephrite was near; it wasn't an outright dislike by any means, but there still always appeared to be some tension to her. Minako glanced between Zoisite and Rei as they continued to bicker, that sinking feeling continuing to eat away at her. Somehow Minako didn't think that Nephrite had much to do with the current state of affairs.
In the span of a single day, Usagi had gone out and obtained everything needed to succeed in her endeavor. She had procured priceless information on Crystal Tokyo, a hostage to bargain with, and a route to the future all while disposing of their only way to follow her. She'd left her tracker behind, meaning she'd known about it for some time. Why wake Naru's mother though? Why bother unless… unless the tracker, waking Naru's mother, and Nephrite's disappearance were all a ploy. Distraction tactics.
She had scattered them like mice, and here what remained of the Order stood, bickering amongst themselves. Wasting time.
Usagi was probably already in Crystal Tokyo.
Her hands slammed down on the table, silencing the room. Minako waited until she had everyone's attention. "Enough. Ami, I want everyone save Naru called back. If Usagi's intention is to divide us then now is the time to set aside our internal differences."
Luna added, "There is still a possibility that she has not yet gone to the future. We may yet have a window of opportunity to stop her. First, however, I say it is imperative we find Nephrite; he may be the key to locating Usagi."
Nephrite… he was not the type to betray. He was, above all else, loyal. The actions Usagi had taken today… he couldn't possibly know, or he would not have helped her.
Minako looked to Ami. "Find him."
Interlude: Nephrite
Nephrite liked to think himself a practical man.
A loyal, unbelievably attractive man with a good head on his shoulders and a preference for logical solutions. It was rare that others saw the rationale to his plans; often times they were blind to the utter brilliance of them — a curse Nephrite bore with resilience — but that was not to say that his solutions lacked reason. Each of his plans were always well thought out, his comrades simply lacked the capacity to truly appreciate the flair Nephrite brought to the table. When Nephrite schemed, he did so with equal elegance and logic.
So how it was that he came to sneak away like a thief in the night, at the behest of a clear madwoman, was entirely beyond him.
Usagi had declined to mention the finer details of her plan past 'I'm going to save Serenity and I need fake Elsa to do it.' And when one paused to consider, even the words themselves made little sense. She had asked him to leave his communicator behind and like a fool, he had. Perhaps his temporary lapse in judgement had come from finding himself in the unfortunate position of being between Usagi and the thing she wanted.
A truly terrifying place one ought not to be.
Yet maybe it had been something deeper than that. It remained an unsaid truth that each of the Generals owed her a debt; one so monumental that they may never repay it. Usagi did not seem to understand what it was that she had done, at least not truly. To some degree he did not doubt that it had dawned on her, yet even then… She simply did not grasp what exactly she had saved them from, and how could she?
To have been so forcibly tainted by darkness, mind body and soul… it was not the kind of stain one stood to walk away from, not without great struggle. Willingness aside, each of them had done horrible things; each had worked under the control of greater forces, unable to remember, unable to break free. Years in the Dark Kingdom… Nephrite wouldn't wish it upon anyone. Usagi had been their salvation, she-
She jerked him by the arm, pulling it around her shoulders until she was tucked into his side, far closer than Nephrite could reasonably be comfortable with. He really wasn't sure about Mamoru's taste. Tsukino Usagi was not a girl; she was, quite obviously, a harbinger of destruction taking the deceptive form of a young girl, and one did not attempt to woo such abject terrors.
Usagi wagged a finger in Nephrite's direction, adjusting her grip on Berthier. "Now Nephrite, hold on tight or its possible you'll get lost along the way and die in a dreadfully painful manner."
"Oh." He tightened his hold on her, and then the words registered. "Wait, what?"
But it was too late. Usagi summoned a great deal of energy and, using the moon scepter, shot them off in a beam of light. There was a brief sensation of weightlessness, followed by a rapidly forming ground that Nephrite only just managed to brace himself for. He felt their prisoner stumble, though Usagi seemed to catch her well enough. As his vision adjusted to the pale light, the world around them began to take shape, and it was… familiar. Nauseatingly familiar.
They stood in the ruins of the Moon Palace.
It was as though time had come to a complete halt, in this wretched place where their last stand had been made. Standing here, forced to face the aftermath of that great and terrible battle, Nephrite was starkly reminded of that final night. Endymion's desperation to preserve the Moon Kingdom, to save his love from the very people he had once ruled. The Generals had failed to quench the rebellion, and therein failed to save their Prince. None had held the power to defeat Queen Beryl. The Golden Kingdom had shattered under her heel, and so too would the Moon Kingdom.
And it had.
Nephrite had watched, bleeding out on the ground, as Endymion was struck down and Serenity took her own life. Then he too had followed.
He pushed back a wave of grief at the memory. Usagi stepped forward, eyes taking in the half crumbled structure and the stains that marred the white stone. Reddish brown for dried blood, black for fire, and deep cuts in the earth from their weapons. There were no bodies, however. Nephrite was grateful for that.
Lowly, almost to herself, she said, "She never told me… It wasn't supposed to look like this."
He wondered where her resting place lay. No one had ever thought to ask. None knew the manner in which she had died, and judging from the expression she wore, it would be an unwelcomed question.
"Let's keep moving." Usagi walked off, taking the lead and seemingly shedding whatever it was that haunted her. It was almost without thought that she wove her way through the palace, cutting past deathly quiet passages and corridors, side doors and inner courtyards with confidence as Nephrite became hopelessly turned around. He had never spent much time in the palace; most peace talks with the Moon Kingdom had taken place in Elysion, the capitol of the Golden Kingdom. Even Endymion's secret rendezvous with Princess Serenity were kept almost exclusively to Earth.
Without Usagi's knowledge of the palace, they would have had a hell of a time doing… well, whatever it was they were attempting to accomplish here. Nephrite honestly wasn't sure why she had brought them here of all places, but he assumed it had something to do with Princess Serenity. The question was on the tip of his tongue, yet just as he began to ask, Usagi came to a dead stop, stiffening.
"No…" She took off, running out into the main courtyard.
Nephrite sped up to keep pace with her, dragging Berthier behind him. She made no resistance, had in fact been incredibly passive this past week of imprisonment. He remained suspicious, of course. Caution was always best when handling a captive. Usagi had stopped in the middle of the courtyard and knelt. Moving around her, Nephrite saw that she gazed at a sword that stuck out of the ground.
He stared at the hilt, an exact replica of the one that hung on Minako's wall at headquarters. "That's… no, impossible."
Though the blade was partially buried into stone, upon closer inspection Nephrite thought he spotted flecks of dried blood. He tore his gaze away, to Usagi who continued to examine the sword grimly. As she stood, he voiced his thoughts. "Surely that cannot be the Legendary Sword. It must be a fake."
"Why would there be a fake in the Moon Palace?"
He… didn't know. It was doubtful that anyone had even known they would be coming here. Usagi's certainty struck him, and he turned back to the sword. Nephrite knew, without a doubt, that the sword at Elysion headquarters was Sword of the Silver Crystal. It had come to the Sailor Scouts in a time of great need. Minako had used it countless times; striking down Queen Beryl, besting the alien siblings and their wicked tree. "…What does it mean then, if both swords are real?"
Her expression, if possible, became even more grim. "It means the person playing with us isn't from the present. That sword has clearly been there for millennia, stuck in that stone since the fall of the Silver Millennium. The sword that presented itself to Rei has to be from the Future."
His heart skipped a beat. Usagi continued. "Someone was watching us for far longer than I'd anticipated. Being from the future means there isn't a limit to when they could have started. They sent the sword of their time to Rei… but for what purpose?"
"What do you mean, watching?"
She glanced at him. "That's right, you don't know."
"Well," She began blithely, "Rei and I have been looking into a possible… threat, to the Order. We pieced together that someone has been manipulating us, we just didn't know when it started. Good news though! Clearly it wasn't an inside job. We were worried about that for a while, had to look into it, got caught, it wasn't fun."
Nephrite gritted his teeth. "And that's good, how? You have just told me that both you and another Order member stumbled upon a threat to our organization, kept it to yourselves, and then, if I'm to understand correctly, began an unsanctioned investigation into other Order members."
Usagi considered that. "To be fair, Minako knew and she's pretty high on the metaphorical totem pole. Also, the fact that our target seems to be from the future is super convenient for me."
"Lovely." Nephrite turned his attention to the sword and, after a moment, reached for it.
Only, as he closed in, a blazing white light swallowed the sword, and both Nephrite and Usagi stumbled back. A figure stepped forward to reveal themselves, and as the face clicked in his mind, Nephrite found himself falling down to one knee in spite of the utter shock that had gripped him, Berthier dragged down at his side.
"Your Majesty." He choked out.
Queen Serenity did not return his greeting, did not spare him the slightest of glances. Instead, Her gaze bore into Usagi with an intensity that left him flinching. For her part, Usagi had paled considerably, jaw clenched, and yet she did not kneel as was customary. An immense pressure filled the air as the two locked eyes. After a beat, Usagi uttered out a command. "Nephrite, leave us."
Sensing the brewing storm, Nephrite did the reasonable thing and retreated back the way they had come. Berthier trembled under the tension.
It had become clear to the Order that Usagi's past life had not been an entirely pleasant one. Her response to Queen Serenity... it made the relationship between them quite telling. Whatever was about to be said here looked like it might turn ugly.
It was a conversation he wasn't willing to stick around for.
Main POV
This was it.
If there had ever been a time in which I wished to disappear from existence, it was now.
The wraithlike form of Queen Serenity stood before me with death in her gaze. She knew. Without having said a single word, I could see that she knew the truth. Imposter, fraud, thief. She knew.
Parasite.
Her lips curled. "You have no place here. Get. Out."
I swallowed. "I can't do that."
"You dare defy me? The Moon Palace is sacred. You file it with your very presence, girl. Leave!"
"I can't!" I snapped. "I need to be here in order to save your daughter."
The Queen's expression wiped clean, becoming unreadable. After a beat, she laughed and softly said, "Save her? No, I'm quite sure that is no longer possible. You made certain of that, erasing what remained of her upon your entry into this dimension. Do not condescend to supply me with false intentions. Serenity is long past saving."
A slight tremor had begun in the tips of my fingers. Queen Serenity stepped forward with a sort of grace that even her daughter had not had. Beyond that poise and carefully constructed expression, I could all but taste the bloodlust. I reminded myself that she was not corporeal. She could not hurt me in any physical capacity.
Yet this woman could ruin me with but a few words, if she wished to.
As I fought to calm myself, the precision of her words struck me, and something within me stilled. "…How could you know that I'm not of this dimension, that part of Serenity was erased?"
The Queen lips turned up in a deadly smile. "Insolent girl. How do you think? I plucked your miserable soul from the ether. I am the one who gifted you with this second life in order to save my daughter from the forces that sought to be her undoing. Yet you murdered my child before I could separate her soul from the body it inhabited. She was innocent, and you were so quick to destroy her. You killed Serenity. You killed my child!"
"NO!" A voice boomed, my voice. Only I hadn't said a word. The Silver Crystal at my chest burned. Blinding white light spilled out from the crystal. Serenity appeared between us, her back to me as she stood against her mother, similarly wraithlike. "Sailor Moon is to be my salvation, mother."
It seemed to take a lot out of her. Serenity was barely, barely visible, only the faintest impression of herself. Her mother, features stricken, reached for her and seemed to
only grasp air. The light surrounding Serenity flickered, fading. She slipped out of existence, unable to hold her form, and left in her wake an echo of words. "Harm her, and I will not forgive you."
The world seemed to hold its breath for a moment as Serenity's words settled, heavy as a vow carved into stone.
"Kneel." The Queen commanded.
And I did.
Survival instinct won out over my pride. There was not much that truly frightened me in this world anymore. Beryl could have never made me yield; Metalia had tried and failed. I was proud of that; proud to have withstood such enemies. They had thought themselves an absolute authority, a form of higher power, and yet neither had managed to thwart me.
Queen Serenity was the catalyst of my rebirth.
If she had brought me into it, had held such immense power even beyond death, then I saw no reason to test whether or not she could take me away. I swallowed my pride and shame. I hated this woman. Part of me burned with the desire to end her. A greater part of me was terrified of her and what she could do. Queen Serenity… death had not been enough to stop her; what hope did I have, if I decided to make her my enemy? When my end came for me, I sensed that she would be waiting in the afterlife. The Queen was not someone I wanted to go against, so long as she did not stand in my way. I smothered the resentment within me, that innate urge to rage and defy. This was not about my pride, or fear; this was about Serenity, and what it would take to save her.
For Serenity, I knelt.
There was movement in the corner of my eye. Nephrite had returned peering through the archway. At his side, Berthier stared at us with new interest, a hint of fear in her features. The power of the Silver Crystal must have brought them.
Queen Serenity circled me, gaze unyielding. "I call upon the traitor Sailor Moon, to pledge yourself to Princess Serenity, Heir to the Moon Kingdom; to serve and protect. Swear your loyalty from this day until your last, and I shall grant you mercy. No word of the past shall fall from my lips. None shall learn of your indiscretions. Pledge your life to my daughter, and the heinous crimes you have committed will never come to light."
Pledge my life… and therefore my future.
Queen Serenity expected me to hand over my very freedom to ensure the truth about my past never surfaced. She was, by all accounts, the last loose end. No one else in existence stood to dispute the lies I had fabricated. Serenity was my ally, Jadeite had lied for me. Only Queen Serenity was left. Her silence would save me from ever being found out. No one ever needed to know what I was, if only I could give up my freedom.
"I will not." I said, the words surprising even myself. Still I continued, voicing my train of thought. "My so-called crimes are not mine to bear alone, Your Majesty. I cannot be threatened by the notion of exposure when it was you who forced my hand to begin with. To reveal my misdeeds would be to reveal your own, and I daresay they are equally insidious in nature."
She stopped in front of me, sneering down. What she had tried to do by shoving me into this life was an offense far greater than mine. If I was to go down, I'd drag her reputation right with me.
"However," I continued. "I swear this: no matter who stands in my way, I will save Serenity and bring her to Earth. As the stars are my witness, I will be the force that guides her return."
I loved Serenity. She was my sister in all but name. Being here, having betrayed the Order and set aside my personal feelings, was more than enough proof of my resolve. I had set out to rectify Queen Serenity's gravest error. As the only other being in this universe aware of what she had done, I remained the sole person able to do so.
She knew it, too.
It did not matter if she revealed the true nature of things to the others. There would be no one else as devoted to her daughter's return, no one else with as in depth knowledge of what had been done and which steps would be best taken in order to succeed in Serenity's return. Firsthand experience made me suited to this task. I had come to this place using my own means, I had planned down to the bones a course of action for every possible obstacle in my way, and then had cut each one down for the sake of this mission.
Queen Serenity needed me.
It was the only reason I would not taste her wrath on this day.
"I accept your terms."
Nephrite returned in silence some minutes after Queen Serenity's disappearance.
He had heard half of the conversation, of that I was certain, yet he appeared to have nothing to say on the matter. Perhaps he was simply smart enough to grasp that any comment or questions would go unacknowledged. I was still reeling over the information I'd acquired. Queen Serenity…
This was all her fault.
Every moment of fear and paranoia, every second spent scheming and plotting, throwing away the morals I'd once stood for in order to survive, it was all because of her. All the times I'd nearly died, when Matsuo had nearly died, they were her fault. I wasn't supposed to be here. She had dragged my soul into this world. She had caused me so much suffering.
Yet… she hadn't been the one to kill me.
My death had come at my own stupidity. I was responsible for the suffering I had surely caused my family. A family that I never thought of anymore, a family I hardly recalled. Becoming Usagi had changed me in ways I still had yet to discover.
Eventually, Nephrite turned away and spoke. "We should continue on. How much further have we to go?"
"I'm afraid this is where our partnership ends." Things had progressed differently than expected. The sword, Queen Serenity… they'd thrown me off my game. With little hope of knowing what next to expect, I thought it best to get going while the going was good. Berthier had been far more passive than I'd anticipated; I wasn't going to have much trouble on my own with her, if any. Nephrite's added strength no longer looked to be necessary and in light of that, he'd officially outlived his use to me.
Perhaps he sensed this, too, because as he turned sharply to face me, his expression was immediately on guard. "What?"
"I don't need you anymore, Nephrite." I pulled Berthier out of his grip. She followed the movement in complacency, utterly silent. Eerily silent, if I was honest; what had happened to the brazen girl from the fight? It was almost worrying, given her previous temperament, but I knew my strength. As did she. I focused back on Nephrite. "Where I'm going, you cannot follow. Time waits for no man, and all that jazz."
His jaw clenched. "You said you required my help. I assumed whatever plan you had, we would follow together."
"I daresay you won't be interested in following my plan. Frankly, it goes against Elysion policy and pretty much everything you lot stand for. Besides, I don't think you want to tag along anyway."
"And why not?"
I grinned. "Because, Nephrite, there's someone that needs you far more at the moment. I suspect Naru is going through a great deal of shock… The two of you have grown quite close, no?"
The blood drained from his face. "What have you done?"
"Only what I had to." I adjusted my grip on Berthier. "Decide Nephrite. Which is of more importance? Taking Berthier back from me, or going to Naru's side? If you choose to fight me, you won't be in any condition to return to earth, of that I can assure you. Take a few steps in my shoes, Nephrite. You can only prioritize one: loyalty to the Order, or loyalty to one of your precious people."
"What do you need her for?" He spat, gesturing to Berthier. "If your true intentions are to rescue Princess Serenity, what use could you have for this prisoner?"
"That doesn't concern you."
He didn't appear to agree though. As Nephrite looked at us, his features morphed into dawning revelation. "You… You're going to leverage her, aren't you?"
I pointed the moon scepter his way. "Now what makes you think I'd answer that? Don't forget to plant your feet." And before he could say anything further, Nephrite was struck by the very same moonlight that had transported us here, returned to a (hopefully) dry bit of land somewhere in Tokyo.
And that was that. I turned my attention to Berthier.
"You've got two options." I told her. "You can play along for now and cause me trouble whenever you next see fit, or you can ally yourself with me. Both have consequences. I imagine each is equally severe in their own capacities."
Berthier blinked and, for what Minako would have me believing to be the first time since her capture, spoke.
"What kind of consequences?" Her voice cracked, dry from disuse. She was listening though, responding; it was all I'd need.
I released my hold. "Well, should you be willing to take an active part in this endeavor of mine, I'd certainly be inclined to ensure your freedom from the Order. You could start a new life, get a job or go to school." At this, her expression became befuddled, and I paused. Maybe she wanted to return to her clan; that was a promise I couldn't abide by. Their existence created too great of a risk. Now that I knew our third party hid somewhere in the future, all threats to Serenity were conveniently in one place for me to take care of. I wasn't going to miss this opportunity, and I needed to be frank with Berthier in order to succeed.
Then again… perhaps returning to the Black Moon Clan wasn't her intention. What had she ever known outside of it? I considered that. "The world… it's a rather large place, Berthier. There's so much more to it than the darkness you've chosen to enclose yourself in. The future — your future, is limitless, so long as you have the resolve to see it through. Even if you decide you won't become my ally, at least consider that. To die for a cause that wouldn't care to see you go is an utter waste of life."
As she puzzled over that, I withdrew a blindfold from my bag and moved behind her, careful not to catch her hair while tying it and continued, "Of course, to ally with me would put you in the awkward position of opposing your precious Black Moon Clan, and somehow I get the feeling they aren't the forgiving type of crowd. In return for your cooperation, I wouldn't ask you to fight any of them. Hell, I'll protect you from both them and the Order. I'm more interested in your intelligence than fighting power. No offense."
To be fair, I wasn't much of a fighter myself.
I preferred the sound philosophy of fight in order to run away, and it had worked out pretty well for me thus far. Only sheer rage had allowed me to stand my ground the few times it'd been necessary. With Berthier's hand in my own, I guided us through the palace, taking long, complicated paths to ensure her confusion on our way to the secret passage. Only after we were thrown into darkness, circling up the winding steps, did Berthier find herself musing, "And what if I were to betray you? What then?"
There was no intent in the words, her tone soft and curious. I almost faltered over the next step as it truly dawned on me how little of a threat this girl had become.
The cockiness she'd worn like a second skin was nonexistent now. One lost fight couldn't have humbled her so much; it certainly wouldn't have humbled me. What had happened to change her so drastically?
Though I couldn't see it in the dark, my gaze hovered over the Silver Crystal at my chest. Unease burrowed its way into my gut. That little blessing trick… how much of a punch did it pack, exactly? And if it was causing reactions like Berthier's, how the hell was it affecting me and my body as the one preforming it?
I filed the thought away for later contemplation. Now wasn't the time for an existential crisis. We reached the top of the passage, and light began to flood in. I opened the door, bringing us out into the hall, and placed Berthier off to the side in order to close it again. Only once we were at the entry way of that accursed door did I remove her blindfold.
"If you betray me, I'll punt you across the Sea of Serenity. Even if I have to cut through every member of the Black Moon Clan to do it." The door thrummed with energy, beating at a pace that had become familiar to me. Berthier, unused to the sensation, was drawn to the door. I slipped into her line of sight and held her gaze. She needed to understand what it would mean to double cross me. "You'll find I can hold a grudge. Koan, for example, is on my bad side currently. It is not a place you want to find yourself, Berthier."
She tensed up. My hand tightened on the moon scepter reflexively.
"Spare Koan." She said, and now it was her determined to hold my gaze. "Spare my sister, take that darkness away as you did with me. If you swear to save her, I'll help you. Whatever you want. Just… don't hurt her."
"Oh." I stared at her. That… sounded like a remarkably easy task. Spare Koan. I'd thought for sure that she would ask for something more difficult… but I could do that. An incredibly small price to pay for her loyalty. Still, it seemed a strange request. "Why Koan? I mean, I'll do it. I just want to know why."
Her muscles eased, relaxing at my agreement. The determination, however, remained. "She's my sister. My little sister. I was… I'm supposed to take care of her."
Her sister… the words planted a seed of something unpleasant. Understanding, perhaps, and the slightest bit of guilt. Koan, as loathsome as I found her to be, was someone else's little sister, and I'd planned to do her in. There was something highly disturbing about looking a family member of your sworn enemy in the eyes and knowing you'd almost taken a precious existence to them.
It made my skin crawl. Empathy was the worst.
I shuffled back a little. "Alright, I'll save your damn sister. Consider her collateral. Just stop looking at me like that. it's gross."
Brow furrowed, she said, "How am I looking at you?"
"Like a human being. Rich with emotion."
"But I am human."
Yes but I hadn't really considered her one. It wasn't exactly easy to grasp what a complex and profound creature an individual could be when said individual happened to be in the midst of attempting your murder.
"Whatever. We have an agreement then." I approached the doors, ready to get away from all the weirdness this journey had thrown at me thus far. The door, I suspected, was not locked, and so I left the key around my neck next to the silver crystal as my hand fell against the gilded handle.
It opened out with ease, in silence.
Beyond was a white landscape covered in fog as far as the eye could see. It looked like it went on forever... a place outside of time. Surely, getting lost here would spell one's end. Fortunately I had an idea of how to go about reaching the other side. With Berthier in hand, I summoned my resolved and stepped into the unknown, gaze straight ahead even as the door shut with clear intent behind us.
We walked for quite some time, always moving straight. I counted seconds, then minutes, before losing the number and starting all over again. Our pace continued for at least half an hour before the figure appeared from within the fog. I remained firm even as Berthier tensed in surprise.
The woman was tall. Long limbed, built like an Amazonian with the coloring of one. Her skin held a natural tan, eyes dark. What was unusual was the hair; dark green, the color of pine, of early spring. Same awful uniform and tiara. Wielding a heart shaped scepter.
My smile was coy as she approached. "Greetings, Sailor Pluto."
Her gaze cut into me, inquisitive, yet not surprised. She bowed her head ever so slightly. "Sailor Moon. What brings you to trespass in my realm?"
"Oh, don't mind me. I'm simply passing through." Pausing, I added, "I suspect you already knew that though. Rather, I'd go so far as to say that you've been expecting me."
She pursed her lips, but didn't acknowledge it.
Her silence was telling enough. I understood little of the concept of time, truth be told, but I did know this: the Order of Elysion that existed in Crystal Tokyo had already experienced battle with the Black Moon Clan in their youth. Time, in some regard, was simply repeating itself to come full circle. The Order in Crystal Tokyo knew I would come at some point; there would never have been any doubt that I'd come, if only for Serenity.
Sailor Pluto knew, as well.
Her gaze darkened after a moment. I followed it down to the stolen key around my neck.
"That key does not belong to you." Her tone was strained, as though she was working to control it. I recalled then, her relationship with Rini.
I considered the key for a moment, then slipped it over my head and offered her the chain. I didn't need it, had only taken it to ensure that Rini and everyone else would not follow. Hesitantly, Sailor Pluto closed the distance between us and took the necklace into her palm.
"Continue straight." She pointed in the direction she had come. "Do not be led astray of the path. The door you seek will reveal itself."
I arched a brow. "You are not going to attempt to stop me then?"
"I could." Sailor Pluto admitted. "However, you could say I'm under orders not to interfere with Sailor Moon. I see you already know that much though."
I met her gaze. "You delivered the notes."
"Yes."
But she didn't write them. Of that I was certain. Sailor Pluto was the keeper of time, it was not her duty to observe and manipulate.
But there were only so many she answered to.
I mulled over that thought as we continued on our way.
A/N
In autumn I lost eleven chapters worth of content between this story and E&R after my computer froze and decided to update. I was only just able to bring myself to write again recently. Chapter is what I was able to piece together in the last two weeks. I'll be taking a month off to edit and clean the story up a little once this arc is complete.
There will be a Christmas update.
