Chapter 26: The Breaking Point

"I can't believe it. I knew if I told you …"

"You can't stop me. They will need me in this war. The messenger that came was surprised you hadn't told me yet." Pluto hid her own shame that the messenger had barely recognized her.

"I was going to take your place in the war."

"Don't you have a place in the war to begin with?"

Charon looked to her. "I wasn't planning on fighting. Don't take me for a coward, but rumors say these people are strong…whatever darkness has corrupted the Earth will seep into this place and I fear the blood spilt will create rivers even my sister or Neptune cannot control. What more, I don't see how we should fight for people who have neglected us? They are blaming me for the mishap because the Princess used my portals to reach the Earth, and now they are afraid they will find a way here through them. Pointed fingers and misguided words. And I guarantee you they don't know you, truly you. The Queen or Princess rarely asks to see your face, and what's more-"

"Are you upset because I wasn't invited to the party tomorrow? You know its in good reason…If they do end up here I need to be present to guard the Gates."

"No. It's that you were never invited to any of the others either. And why can't somebody else guard the gates? I know you get lonely Pluto. You must. It just seems like a cage…and I've seen everyone enjoy the world outside this without such a burden on their life."

"Charon I do get lonely. But I have you. And…I'm sure they know who I am."

"But if you die in war, who will I have?" Charon looked to her in a small glimpse. "I know the same could be said, that without me you would not have anyone. But I think that only strengthens my point…"

Pluto felt the pain in his heart. She saw the terror in her own eyes, hided by the brave guise of a senshi. She felt he heartbreak…already knowing how the story ended. All of these memories were so dark…she could feel her own heart weighing with them.

"I can't believe she said that. Why does she do this? You're a girl…is that it Styx?" He looked at his younger sister, the same silver hair, but pale blueish eyes. He paced about Pluto's planet, as his sister visited, one of the few people who still used his portals.

"You worry. She's strong…I mean even I've never seen her…but if she's like the other Senshi Guardians she'll survive the war. We all will. You should fight it too…"

"We're fighting a war for two…dare I say, ignorant people…we're supposed to spill our blood to protect the two people that got us into the war. Or rather just our Princess…I don't care much for the Earth Prince. Since when were lives weighted so unequally…"

"You were always a little pessimistic brother. You know my powers are in healing. I can change waters form. I'll use this to help everyone. Not many people have this that are both Moon and well…Mercury or Sedian or something…"

"I know your father was a different one to mine, but that naivety must also be a genetic trait I never received." Charon sighed. "I swear by you Styx, if things don't end up as you say they will I will never be the same again…or more I-"

"Enough brother. Everything will be fine. Now will you fight with us when the time comes? Some of us are leaving to train…plus there is the ball tomorrow at the palace! Can you believe I got an invite?"

Pluto felt a strange weight in Charons heart for this memory; bitterness that even his sister got an invite that She had not, a sense of nostalgia to his family member, which led to the curiosity of where Styx would be now…and a fore-looming pain at the thought of it.

Pluto saw the next memory flash before her. And before it even started, she began to remember it herself from her own experience: the first time she truly had tried to protect the Gates at the sight of this dark Earth threat. Suddenly her own heart wished she hadn't remembered this. Suddenly things felt a lot darker.

Charon walked in to see Pluto confronted by two dark men, with a strange glow to their eyes. They had to be spies from the Earth's evil colony. He noticed how she looked torn. Her staff infront of her but hesitant to use it.

That's when he spotted the young girl in the grasp of one of the men.

"Our general requested we take the key from you, if not by force then by wagering the death of this Moon girl."

"I can't let you take it."

"But you won't fight us?"

Charon watched the torment in her eyes… her role as protector versus the life of a child. She was torn. He assumed that was why she was not using her Dead Scream attack.

Pluto swallowed. Charon had been right.

He didn't want them to see him. It would be best if he could strike them at a time unknown with his own power…although teleportation never worked in this place. He knew one would either have to travel outside of these boundaries or to another time to use a portal like his. This place was a restraint and closed off place. How the men got in was definitely an interesting feat in itself.

"Fine, then I guess we'll strike." One of the men loomed towards the young girl, just as Pluto's eyes widened.

"No!" She moved to stop the attack when the other man moved his own sword, swallowed in a similar dark power, towards her.

Charon moved as swift as he could, in the fastest way he could…as his wolf self. He reached the spot and felt a deep gash hit his shoulder just as he landed in front of her. He'd stopped the blade from hitting Pluto. He saw the red blood spill over his silver fur in the corner of his eye.

Pluto recoiled. The feeling of Charon's pain. The recollection now of her own memory of this…seeing Charon get hurt ...the reason why the rest went so sour. It may have all been her fault.

"Charon!"

There it was. Her first mistake, letting Charon take the blow.

Charon winced as he turned back to himself. If the man hadn't been so off put by his sudden appearance he would have been dead. His own staff appeared and created a dark green blast that moved the men backwards, teleporting them within this barriered space of the Gates, just a bit farther back, in a weak attempt to keep the men away from Pluto, since he could not teleport them outside.

"Dead Scream!"

Then the men were gone.

"Charon…"

"Why didn't you do that sooner…" Charon felt the gash, deep through his shoulder as he rose up.

"Because of the- the girl!" Pluto ran over to the girl, who seemed asleep on the ground off to the side. When the fog parted, Pluto saw a terrible scene.

She remembered it now. This had been her second mistake. One of the reasons she'd been so drawn to Rini…those red eyes. The girl's eyes were red like Rini's, young and helpless like Rini's had once been. Empty, like she feared would happen if history replayed itself. The feelings of pain, that she couldn't even protect the girl whose innocent blood was spilled all for the name of war. She felt a broken rage inside of her, understanding now, if just a bit, how Charon felt about the spilt blood of war. She feared something inside of her was breaking.

"If this has happened the war will likely start sooner than later." Charon said breaking the silence.

"Then I will have to go and warn them. Is the ball not taking place?"

"Yes the ball is, but no. You … you need to stay here and protect this Gate. I will go in your place to war."

"With that shoulder? And now you're telling me what to do? To stay here? I thought you only wanted me to see the outside of this place?"

"Not like this. Not in war. This is my guidance. You cannot control what I do. I will leave now and go in your place. You cannot leave this place unarmed; it is the duty of your Guardian Senshi oath. They will only put you on the front lines, and you will … I don't need to see your blood shed for some war out broken by people who do not care much for you. I'd rather know my time as your Guardian was well spent."

"Well then I guess you're not my Guardian anymore." Pluto's back was turned to him. This was her third.

"What?" Charon felt the blood in his hand now. He would not die. But her words had sent a sharp pain on the same left side of his chest, just a little lower.

"I renounce your place as my Guardian. Now you are just a subject of the Moon, and as a Senshi, Protector and Princess… I order you to stay here. I have locked the gates. Stay with this girl so she can have a proper burial. Since I cannot leave without knowing someone is protecting this place, that is the terms I will accept the invitation to war on. If you want to leave me happy Charon…stay here."

She felt Charon's own heart tear apart at these cold, emotionless words. Her coldness had only been to protect him…they'd both wanted to sacrifice themselves for each other but all they had done was broke each other's heart…they'd both died in a sense then.

Maybe it had been the death of the girl, staring it straight in the eye. Death was actually part of her realm as a Senshi of Pluto, and yet seeing it straight on in the eye reminded her of her own mortality – how every time she died she would end up in the same place; alone, protecting the Gates of Time.

The next memory had moved forward. The war was over. Charon stood upon the wreckage of the Moon, with his now Allies.

Charon looked over it. He recalled the image he'd seen upon escaping the Time Gate, and returning too late to stop anyone's death. He'd seen his sister die. Her words burned in his memory: "She'll survive the war. We all will… Everything will be fine."

Now nothing was left. It was all too real, and all too well how he'd predicted it.

"Can you believe she sent them to the same Planet that released such darkness and great evil powers? I don't understand the logic." Sedna's voice chimed in breaking his thoughts.

"She was weak. Some bleak last hope, and then watch, they'll all be reborn there and be fighting a new war with new blood." Varune shook his head.

"And the cycle repeats." Ixion walked over. "Such a shame, I bet they won't remember any of this. I was still hoping for a chance-"

"Don't even. They started a war over their stupid love. They erased everything that had existed here, and then told the world to not be afraid of war by dancing around in ignorance."

"Woah, Charon…" Ixion said.

"We all knew someone in that war. Someone we couldn't tell to turn around and see it for how it was. Most of us were neglected true Senshidom because we weren't chosen as Guardians. Who knows if the fight would have wavered with some of our powers on their side, no matter however dark they are." Varune calmed the air again.

"And it seems Erida's brother has died in war. She's taken his place as heir of Eris." Orcus suddenly appeared behind them, now too overlooking the ruin.

"So that was the terrible scream I heard early this morning… they were always the most vicious. To think his own love for war as an art form as he called it would be his downfall."

"War is not an art form. He was in love with the justice of it: The destruction of the other who pains your soul. In some cases, that is how we define true justice." Varune added.

"Oh you're always so 'deep' and profound Varune. Almost as deep as the darkest of oc-"

"Enough with the remarks Ixion." Sedna snarled. "Erida and Charon have been isolated from everything, more than we were. Maybe one day something good will come of this."

"As long as history does not create another hierarchy as the one we witnessed…there may one day be a chance." Charon turned away. Everything inside him was broken. It was dark now. But knowing he had time to grow…maybe it would be a good time to learn how to make portals that would work inside the Gates of Time. At least then he could blame himself more for everything that happened…

Pluto felt her heart snap. His pain. His desolation. The replaying of his sisters death…but did he see her own death? What exactly had happened?

Suddenly the looming feeling of the Demon Seed overcame her for a moment. Now…now this was her own memory…

She blinked as she felt herself suddenly in a new surrounding. War. The war of the Moon in the Silver Millennium. Was she reliving the past? The other Senshi fought off the Generals around them, until each one of the Scouts was over taken by a darkness that seemed to wipe out almost everyone else too.

And then it was her.

She was alone, when she heard the yell of a bell voice. Could it be the Princess? She ran to the steps of the castle, to see the Princess standing there, helplessly revealed for an attack.

Pluto used her power to help protect the girl.

She panted out. It was harder than she recalled, her mind still reeling with all of Charon's pain in her memory now and sitting still in her heart as some after affect of witnessing it all.

"Are you alright?"

Pluto turned around to see the Prince of the Earth beside her Moon Princess.

"I am now."

"We must get out of here. Another is coming…" The Prince took a protective stance, grabbing her hand to guide her along.

"Wait…" The Princess said stumbling behind him. She turned to look back to Pluto.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Sailor Guardian Pluto. I … I normally…protect the gates…" Pluto felt a guilt pit in her stomach for leaving Charon. Then it hit her.

"Wait…you…you don't know who I am?"

Suddenly she felt the brutal pain in the memory of her own death come sweeping onto her.