In the Great Hall.
Serenity is kneeling to hug her daughter, her smile straining at the corners.
At the sound of Minako's hysterical giggling, Rei snaps around to face her. "What did you do?" she hisses.
Minako stiffens. "Saving her," Venus replies, her voice a contemptuous lash, "Are you going to stop me?"
As a loud "World Shaking!" erupts outside, Sailor Venus flashes to the side of the queen. Before she reaches the princess she is intercepted by an crackling purple barrier.
"Why are you doing this?" she cries, "How can you let her die?"
Two hours ago in the hallway outside the Great Hall.
"How can you smile Usagi, when Serenity-chan is going to die! She'll never grow up or have her first kiss or a real life or any of those things!" Minako is yelling, frantic.
"Before she was born," Usagi whispered, "I promised to let her go. It was the only way she could have been born."
"A promise like that is worthless! We can still save her! You can't honestly mean it!"
"If it was anyone else, Minako, if I had promised anyone else, I would have kill them before the words left my mouth. But I promised her anything she wants, and this is the only thing she wants!" It tore out, through the ragged smile still on her face.
Serenity paused for a moment to recompose herself and then placed her fingers along Minako's mouth. "Smile, Mina-chan, like this."
She is touching her mama's crystal, and it hurts, hurts, hurts. Mina-chan called this "dying", but she doesn't think it is dying, because dying stops doesn't it? This isn't ever going to stop. The crystal isn't meant to be used like this, maybe, but she's special. She can make it do anything she wants it to. She wishes she has some of Mako-chan's apple muffins. They make everything better. Time is really funny, and watching through Luna-P is making her dizzy. She likes staying in Artemis-P better, it's so pretty! It has the shiniest (blackest) best hair ever even if it can't change like Luna-P can and always has to stay at the Time Gates (for now). She keeps seeing another girl with red eyes like hers. She wants to ask Mama-in-the-future if the girl is her sister, but Mama-in-the-future always cries when she visits and doesn't listen, even when it's about monsters. Maybe the girl will listen (she'll send Luna-P).
In the morning, outside the garden.
The sound of a slap is echoing silently inside of Michiru's head. "You've changed," a quiet voice interrupts from above. Michiru looks up to see Hotaru sitting on a thick branch, an apple dangling forgotten in her hand. Her voice hardens, "But the situation hasn't changed. Remember what it means to be an outer senshi."
Nine years ago.
In the garden, Pluto is sitting with her younger self in her arms. "You have a duty," she whispers, "And it is the only thing that matters."