Chapter 17: No More Hiding

*Serenity~Chibi-Usa*

It was unusually quiet, considering everything that was going on. Serenity was worried for her younger sister, worried about the mysterious Botan, even worried for poor Seiya who was a mess without Kiyoko. And then there was the worrisome matter of her Senshi…. They seemed a little too comfortable with Botan and now she couldn't locate two of them. Vesta and Pallas were not on the grounds of the Crystal Palace anywhere. And when Serenity had questioned Ceres about it early, she seemed unconcerned. What Serenity wouldn't give for Kiyoko's telepathic powers right now!

Her beloved husband took her hand and tried to reassure her, "Serenity, Kiyoko will be alright. And we are prepared if this Botan tries anything. As far as the Senshi go, they're younger than the others and didn't have the time traveling or life altering experiences you've had. Perhaps something is wrong with them, but worrying yourself sick over it won't do any good." He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it softly, gentleness and peace were always his way. Somehow this made Serenity worry on occasion as well, how would her beloved fair if real war broke out? He was a priest, not a warrior.

Her mind automatically compared her husband and her sister as it often did. Kiyoko was unique. She was a priestess, but she possessed the strength and skill of a warrior as well. Their father had seen to it that she would be prepared for anything life threw at her. It seemed her emotions were her greatest vulnerability. She felt everything so deeply that it sometimes consumed her. And it appeared to have gotten more frequent and intense since their father passed. However, Seiya seemed to be good for her. Serenity found herself oddly thankful for the Senshi that had stolen her sister's heart… Even though it took her away from Earth most of the time.

Serenity found herself thinking about what her sister would do in this situation… What her father would do…. They would both protect their people and they wouldn't hide from the enemy as she was hiding from Botan. Serenity made up her mind. She looked at Helios, "I am going to see Botan. I am going to get to the bottom of this!" Now she just had to figure out where Botan was, since her Senshi weren't reporting in regularly.

Helios smiled, seeming to read her mind yet again, and said, "Let's go and see Setsuna in the surveillance room. That should tell us where to find her." Serenity looked at Helios warily, not entirely sure what to say. He laughed, "I hope you didn't think I would let you go alone. Not this time." He thought back to the resurrection of the Shitenou and how difficult that had been. Helios wouldn't leave her side this time. Serenity smiled and kissed her husband before the two of them set off to determine Botan's location.

Just as the two of them rounded the corner of the hall were the surveillance room was, they caught sight of Rei running towards them. She stopped in front of them and had to catch her breath before speaking. At last she said, "Botan is gone and I cannot locate any of the Asteroids either! Surveillance has nothing!"

"What? And where is Setsuna? She was given surveillance duty," Serenity shouted, unable to control her voice.

Rei looked apologetically at her, "I offered to take over for a few hours so that Setsuna could take a break. She said that she needed to see Endo, that she had plans with him and Usa-chan."

Serenity was about to say something when suddenly the ground shook. Rei's communication device started beeping. She grabbed it and turned it on, a hologram of Michiru appeared, "We're under attack! All Senshi report to the south side of the Crystal Palace! Now!"

The three of them exchanged a look of panic and Serenity snapped, "We'd better get moving!" She turned to Helios and told him, "Make sure the children stay inside the castle!"

All of the color drained from Rei's face, "Setsuna said she was taking Endo and Usa-chan to the field where the sun and moon meet!" Without a second thought the three of them took off running….. But they were not prepared for what waited for them.

*Kiyoko*

The motorcycle came to a stop and both Kiyoko and Haruka got off. Without saying a word, Kiyoko handed Haruka the helmet and jacket. Then she stood there, "Let's get started, shall we?" Kiyoko knew she sounded a little bitchy and that they were only doing their duty, but she still felt a bit ganged up on here.

Michiru looked at her coldly, "Who are you, really?" Her expression like a beautifully sculpted stone.

"I have told you what I can, Michiru-san," Kiyoko said and then turned her eyes on Haruka, "What did you call me earlier? Mysterious siren… that was it." Kiyoko knew that she was baiting Michiru, however she needed time. Everything weighing on her heavily. She'd found the person who could get her home, where she knew she needed to be, but how could she leave Seiya like this…. And how would the wound in her heart affect the timeline?

Kiyoko knew she'd been at least partially successful when she saw Michiru shoot Haruka a look for a split second. But then Haruka began questioning Kiyoko, "You're hiding something. You referred to Keneko-chan as our princess earlier…. Why? Who are you and why are you trying to get close to her?"

A smile threatened Kiyoko's lips as she glanced at Setsuna out of the corner of her eye, "I am hiding many things. But not for the reasons you think. And what about you Haruka-san? You, all of you, hide from the world…. Are you really any better than me?"

Setsuna finally spoke, "We have our reasons and our duty. If you see yourself the same as all of us, then tell us the truth."

Kiyoko shook her head, "If life were that black and white we would not be here and you know that. You know all too well how complicated things can be."

Haruka cut in there, "Again you act like you know us!" She seemed particularly frustrated when Kiyoko didn't respond, keeping her eyes on Setsuna.

As she looked at Setsuna and all of the power she felt from the guardian of time, even like this, it came to her… How she could protect the timeline….. But it meant seeing Seiya again…. Feeling Haruka's eyes boring into her back, Kiyoko finally turned and snapped, "Does it bother you more how well I know you or how well I know Seiya?" It was a question that she'd wanted to ask many times over the years when she was angry, but here and now it wouldn't be the same…. Though it might throw Haruka off of her game for a minute.

"Both… I don't trust him or his friends… And I don't trust you…. I can't," Haruka said with her hands at her side, balled into fists. Kiyoko could tell that Haruka wanted to be able to trust her, but the protector in her wouldn't allow blind trust.

"I know, " Kiyoko said. She felt like saying more would lead to more harm than good. She also understood what it was to have the heart of a warrior, always protecting others and what that took. Kiyoko too had fought to protect others, she too had been put in the position of deciding whether someone was trustworthy. It was why she'd been so adamant to keep her children away from Botan… Her children… With that she decided it was time. Kiyoko bolted over to Setsuna and took both of her hands. Without the golden crystal Kiyoko knew it wouldn't risk binding her, like Seiya and Haruka were in the future, but she could show her enough to make her understand.

Kiyoko closed her eyes and channeled her magic, feeling wind whipping all around her as she did. She opened her mind to Setsuna…. And she felt the shock as the power passed the knowledge of who she was and where she was from to Setsuna, hearing her gasp as understanding set in. Under other circumstances Kiyoko would laugh, being one of the few people who surprised Setsuna on any sort of regular basis.

When she opened her eyes, Kiyoko looked into Setsuna's and knew she saw the truth and the slippery slope of the situation. Setsuna looked back and Kiyoko and spoke, actually addressing Haruka and Michiru, "What she says is the truth. She is not a threat. Please leave us alone." It was clear both of them were about to object when Setsuna shot them a hard look, the look she gave those who dared defy time. Haruka and Michiru nodded and sped away on Haruka's motorcycle. Once they were gone Setsuna bowed briefly, "Princess," and then she looked at Kiyoko in nearly the same way she did Haruka and Michiru, "You should not be here. No one is to know you will exist….. I shouldn't even know. You have to go back."

With a small voice Kiyoko replied, "I know Setsuna… But there is something that has to be done first…. To preserve the timeline." As Kiyoko thought about what she had to do…. To her beloved Seiya…. The pain in her heart threatened to overtake her…. But she knew it was the only way.