Chapter Three

Secure the timeline for the future and then return to take up your duty at the Door of Space-Time.

Such as it was, that was Pluto's order. A vague order to be sure, and the one who'd given it to her long ago should have known better than anyone that no future was ever guaranteed. No matter how carefully planned for, no matter how fervently wished for, everything could be swept away in a heartbeat.

But since it was her order, Pluto had to carry it out to the best of her ability; to ensure, as much as she could before she left this current time, that the world and her friends were in a stable enough position that only the greatest of unseen disasters would be able to threaten the future.

And as she watched them all at the Christmas Party that day, Setsuna knew the Sailor Team had never been stronger. The bond between Usagi and Mamoru was obvious for all to see; likewise the love the Inner soldiers shared for each other and the Princess, their feelings only growing deeper with each passing year. Haruka and Michiru were back to being as dedicated to their relationship and their duty as they'd ever been, the mess caused by Metalia finally fixed.

Hotaru had already reached adulthood and willingly taken up her new task as Chibiusa's soldier and seemingly more besides.

There was the repository of knowledge at the Mansion and a whole secret medical facility tailored to senshi needs underneath her own house. Setsuna had been doing all she could to ensure her friends would have every kind of resource they might need to get them all safely to the prophesized golden age of the New Silver Millennium.

With the increasing strength and stability of her friends as they grew into their powers and responsibilities, Setsuna too had noticed the timeline becoming quiet. Aside from that slight disturbance a few weeks ago, she hadn't sensed anything for nearly twelve months.

Even the arrival of the Starlights hadn't caused any disruptions. Setsuna still would have liked to stay long enough to see that situation resolved, but could she really justify it? No matter when she left, there'd always be loose threads she couldn't tidy. The point was, the Earth wasn't in crisis, and after this last year of watching Setsuna hadn't seen anything to make her doubt that the Sailor Team would be capable of taking care of any future crises without her.

In her heart, Setsuna knew it was already time.

She stood back and watched them all, her friends, her family, telling herself she mustn't forget this. This warmth, this laughter, this love. She mustn't ever forget that this was what she fought to protect, even if she could never feel it again for herself.

As often happened at Usagi's parties, things were already descending into chaos. Minako had gotten hold of some trashy gossip magazine with an article speculating on Haruka's supposed womanizing, and was reading out bits of titillating prose and grilling Haruka mercilessly about the unexplained love bites that had appeared during Michiru's time away.

Of course they all knew there was zero chance of any actual infidelity between Haruka and Michiru, but that didn't mean they knew how the love bites had gotten there. And it appeared that Minako at least was determined to try and find out. Her baiting just led to Haruka being stubbornly silent on the subject, but Michiru was enjoying herself, telling the Inners a dramatic tale about how Haruka had admitted to meeting a beautiful, mysterious woman late one night.

Expression hovering between boredom and amusement, Seiya got up unobserved and wandered towards the Conservatory, where Usagi had disappeared some time ago. Setsuna did a quick survey and accounted for everyone else, including Mamoru, who was engaged in a discussion with Yaten and Taiki that looked rather more intellectual than the standard Minako had set for her group.

Yaten's eyes also followed Seiya as she left, Setsuna noticed. Were the other two Starlights also watchful in case their leader should once again fall for Usagi's charms? Even Haruka had to admit that it didn't seem like Seiya was habouring feelings for their Princess this time around, but she might have just gotten a lot better at concealment.

Setsuna definitely didn't need an unhappy love triangle clogging up the timeline she'd worked so hard to secure.

Meanwhile, Haruka had finally snapped and was yelling at Minako she'd duel her in the snow to defend her good name, and Michiru was rubbing her arm soothingly and reassuring her that no one actually believed what was in the trashy magazine.

Yaten used the distraction to quietly slip away after Seiya, and Setsuna herself soon followed.

Usagi was crying in the midst of Mamoru's red conservatory roses, their bright colour contrasting sharply with the snow falling softly outside the thick glass walls. Keeping well hidden, Setsuna watched Seiya approach the Princess, and noticed Yaten watching some way ahead of her.

"Princess," said Seiya gently, "what are you doing in here crying by yourself? You should be with your friends."

"I know." Usagi sniffed, and seemed to make a super-human but ultimately unsuccessful effort to stem her tears. "It's just that right now I feel so happy I can't help it, and I know it would upset everyone to see me cry. I wouldn't be able to make them understand it's not a bad thing. That's why I came in here."

Apparently deciding to abandon her half-concealed watch, Yaten joined the other two and briefly brushed her hand over Seiya's arm. "You're crying because you're happy?" she said to Usagi. "That doesn't make sense."

Wiping her eyes and smiling at them Usagi murmured, "all that I ever want is for everyone I love to be happy together. But so often it doesn't work out like that. Too often, they suffer because of me, and I know that they wouldn't change, even if I asked them to. So feeling everyone's happiness today…Makes me glad. I hope we can finally be peaceful for a long, long time."

Seiya touched Usagi's cheek with something tender in her expression that made Setsuna's gut twitch warningly.

"You haven't changed, Princess," said Seiya quietly. "Not a bit."

Her voice less prickly than Setsuna had ever heard it, Yaten agreed, "her warmth is just the same as I remember."

Usagi looked at them and blinked. Setsuna was gearing herself up to intervene when a light touch landed on her shoulder. She half jumped and turned to see Taiki standing just behind her, a smile flickering about her lips.

"If you're worried about Seiya," she said in a low voice, "there's no need. She isn't in love with your Princess any more. She just cares for her deeply, the way you all do."

Still watching warily, Setsuna replied, "can you really be sure of that, Taiki? Without even realising it, Usagi draws people in with her light. I don't want you to think I'm being cruel to Seiya; I know an unrequited love is painful – but I can't allow something like that to threaten the stability of the future."

"Seiya isn't in love with Usagi. Believe me, I'm sure."

The certainty in Taiki's voice piqued Setsuna's interest, and she half-turned to look at her. "Do you mean Seiya's found someone else?"

Dismay flickered across Taiki's features, and Setsuna surmised she'd let slip more than she meant to. "I can't really tell you that. It's…Well, it's up to her to say when she's ready."

"Like us, huh?"

"Us?"

"Well. Aside from Haruka and Michiru on my side, and Seiya and Yaten on your side, no one at this party even knows, do they? And we're not going out of our way to tell them."

"Do you want to?" asked Taiki, looking a little confused.

"No."

Seiya and Yaten had cheered the Princess up to the point where she was nearly laughing.

"That's not a complication I want right now. I just meant; I understand."

No point, Setsuna thought. No point telling them. Soon I'll be gone. Soon they'll forget I was ever here.

Taiki's voice whispered in her ear. "So how about we see each other tonight, then? The last few days, the search has kept me too busy…"

"I would never want you to discard your duty for me," Setsuna said quickly, meaning it. "You're fighting to save your world. Nothing is more important than that for a soldier."

She was spun around so fast she was dizzy for a moment. There was old, old pain in Taiki's eyes and desperation in her lips as she fervently sought Setsuna's mouth in a crushing kiss.

"And what would you say constitutes a world?" she whispered, just drawing back. "And how do you go on once you've lost it?"

Before Setsuna could even begin to untangle an answer, the voices of Yaten, Seiya and Usagi sounded, much closer than before. Setsuna and Taiki barely had time to leap apart before their respective Princess and friends rounded the nearest corner, chatting easily.

Seiya saw them first and stiffened, giving Setsuna a glare she could only wish was unwarranted.

Either oblivious to or disregarding Seiya's reaction, Usagi smiled at Setsuna and Taiki warmly, not seeming to be surprised at stumbling upon them in the conservatory. She also either didn't notice, or politely ignored, the flushed state of their cheeks.

"Setsuna, Taiki; I've barely gotten the chance to catch up with either of you lately. Is everything…okay?"

Her gaze lingered on Setsuna longest. Had perhaps Haruka or Michiru said something? No, it was doubtful. They wouldn't bother the Princess with Outer Solider business.

"I'm well, Princess," said Setsuna reassuringly.

"Me also," said Taiki, returning the Princess's smile. "And we should be getting back to the party. The others will be wondering where we are."

"That's what we were doing," Seiya muttered, giving Taiki a slight eye roll that was still quite fond.

When they got back, Setsuna discovered that Haruka had apparently been dissuaded from dueling Minako, though she was still throwing the occasional scowl her way. Minako looked totally unrepentant.

Seemingly glad of a fresh outlet for her annoyance, Haruka switched her attention to the new arrivals. "What were you lot doing?" she asked with a suspicious frown that was mostly directed at Seiya.

"Group orgy," said Yaten. "Obviously."

Seiya swept up the trashy magazine from where it had been discarded on one of the couches and waved it in Haruka's direction. "You know, Tenoh, not that I care or anything, but if you don't want these kinds of rumours circulating, you could try actually releasing a statement to the press."

"The press doesn't need to know about my personal life in order to assess my racing skills!"

"So you'll just say nothing and let people think the worst?"

"If they're the sort of people who would think that about me, their opinions don't really matter."

Usagi was looking unhappily at the trashy magazine now clutched in Seiya's hand. "I wish people wouldn't write horrible things like that. Don't they care they might be hurting others?"

Haruka uncrossed her arms in a gesture of surprise. "It's really nothing to worry about Princess. Michiru and I are fine, right?"

"Right," Michiru confirmed, meeting Haruka's glance with a soft smile.

A few spontaneous rose petals drifted down, as if to settle the matter, and the Princess held out her palm to catch one, closing her hand around the small velvety fragment and bringing it close to her heart. She tilted her head forward and closed her eyes. "I'm glad," she murmured.

Mamoru, who'd been absent for the last few minutes, stepped into the room wearing a pink frilly apron. "Usako – everyone – Christmas dinner is ready. Shall we head to the dining room?"

Amidst a chorus of happy exclamations, Seiya began to hold out her arm to escort the Princess, but Haruka quickly stepped forward. "I think you'll find that's my job," she said curtly.

Seiya looked amused. "Your job? I thought the job of an Outer Soldier was to watch from afar."

"And to intervene when necessary in order to provide protection."

"What do you think I'm going to do? Go all Prince Demand and kidnap Odango?"

"Oh honestly," Rei muttered. "We'll be here all day." She reached forward and plucked Usagi neatly from between the two bickering rivals, tucking her hand under her own arm.

"Usagi, I'll escort you. Those two numskulls can find something else to fight about."

"Numskull?" said Haruka in an affronted voice, as Michiru chuckled.

Appearing to take the loss of the Princess more philosophically than Haruka, Seiya barely missed a beat before offering her arm to a surprised-looking Michiru.

"Perhaps, then, you'll do me the honour?" she asked with an exaggerated bow.

"Me?" said Michiru, "I'd be delighted." Delicately, she placed her hand on Seiya's arm and together the two of them glided off towards the dining room.

Haruka's eyebrows twitched dangerously and her eyes focused on Seiya's retreating back with a death-ray stare. Minako hastily grabbed her arm and began dragging her towards the dining room as well.

"Hurry up, Haruka. I'm hungry and I want to eat."

"When we find out for sure she's an enemy," Haruka hissed, not taking her eyes off Seiya, "I get to be the one to kill her, okay?"

Complaining loudly enough that Setsuna could hear her even after she left the room, Minako said, "why is it always violence with you? Can't you take up a nice, relaxing hobby like – like origami or something?"

Taiki's expression hovered between laughter and worry as Ami and Makoto and Mamoru and Yaten paired up ahead of them. "Haruka isn't serious about killing Seiya, is she?"

"Not as long as she isn't an enemy," said Setsuna, and for a moment there was the unrelenting coldness of an Outer Guardian in her voice.

The half-amusement hovering on Taiki's face vanished and her reply was sharp. "You still think we might be enemies?" She glanced around quickly to make sure the others had left and lowered her voice. "Even though you keep going to bed with me? What kind of person does that?"

"One who can't ignore her duty."

"If you're really not sure of me, Setsuna, you shouldn't be with me at all." Taiki held Setsuna's eyes, waiting for her to say something, and when she didn't, looked away unhappily. "Perhaps seeing each other tonight isn't such a good idea after all," she said.

It was just a small stumble; the kind from which recovery would not have been difficult if Setsuna had actually found the courage to speak. Of course with how much integrity Taiki had she wouldn't be okay with being used by someone who half-thought she might have to harm her later, and she was probably feeling worse for trusting Setsuna enough to reveal the loss she'd mentioned before in the conservatory.

Just a touch probably would have been enough to reassure her, if Setsuna had slid her fingers through the brown silk of Taiki's hair, if she'd clasped her hand and whispered the truth in her ear. But instead Setsuna looked away herself and let the familiar cold feel of isolation settle over her heart as she pulled her arm away.

"Whatever you like," she replied softly.

#

Setsuna thought she'd long mastered the skill of hiding her emotions, but either she was becoming less successful at it or Haruka and Michiru knew her even better than she thought, because they could obviously sense something was wrong on the drive home that evening.

The pretty drifting snow that had fallen throughout the day turned to icy sleet after sunset as the wind began to rise. Inside Haruka's car with the hood up, things were cramped and uncomfortably silent. Setsuna watched Haruka's hands on the steering wheel, her thoughts straying into odd places she'd have preferred them not to go.

Haruka and Michiru were going to have sex again tonight; Setsuna could tell from the slightly-too-tight grip Haruka was keeping on the wheel, and the way Michiru was sitting in the front seat beside her, extra prim with her knees together and her hands folded in her lap.

Over the years, Setsuna had deliberately trained herself not to notice things like that, but tonight…

She jumped as Michiru suddenly turned and spoke to her.

"Was it Haruka's fault?" she asked, brow crinkled and eyes worried.

"My fault? Was what my fault?" Haruka said, tossing a glance towards her partner.

"What do you think? Taiki avoided Setsuna all afternoon at the party. Was it because of what Haruka said about Seiya?"

Setsuna shook her head. "No. It was because of something I did. It doesn't matter."

Michiru's frown deepened. "What do you mean it doesn't matter?"

"It's probably for the best."

Without warning, Haruka abruptly pulled over to the curb with a quick screech of brakes, jerking all of them forward into their seat belts.

Eyes flashing in exasperation, she also turned to look at Setsuna. "What do you mean it's for the best? Of course it isn't! I've seen the way you two are around each other. Don't try telling me she doesn't care about you, or you don't care about her. Whatever crazy logic you're using to try and justify this to yourself – whatever reasons you have for thinking you need to come to terms with giving her up – trust me, it's not worth it."

Before Setsuna could say anything, Haruka had turned back to the road and wrenched the car into gear, wheeling them round so they were heading in the opposite direction and narrowly avoiding about six cars in the process.

"And where might we be going?" inquired Michiru calmly as they sped back down the road they'd just been driving up moments before.

Haruka caught Setsuna's eye in the rearview mirror. "To see the Starlights, of course."

#

The Starlights were not pleased to see them. At least, Seiya wasn't, and she was the one who opened the door of the apartment.

"Now what? Come to check we're not about to put some nefarious plan into action?"

"No," said Haruka calmly. "Setsuna has come to see Taiki."

Seiya gave Setsuna a surly glance. "Taiki is in her room."

"I believe the usual course of action is to go and knock politely," Haruka prompted.

"Why should I?"

"Because whatever Setsuna did, she's come to apologise for it. Right?" The look Haruka gave Setsuna left no room for disagreement.

Not that that should have mattered. Not if Setsuna really was trying to sever all the bonds that tied her to the world. Yaten approached and interrupted before she could reply. It had been happening to Setsuna all day. Or maybe she was just taking every opportunity to slip away from having to answer, hiding behind each and every new distraction that presented itself.

Green eyes sparkling with anger, Yaten said bluntly to Haruka, "you're the one who should be apologising to Seiya for what you said today. Have you forgotten that we once protected this world and your Princess after all of you fell? How could you even dare—"

"I will apologise, if Seiya wants me to."

It was hard to say who was most shocked by this thoroughly unusual offer. Certainly Setsuna hadn't seen it coming, and her blood pounded guiltily with the knowledge that Haruka was probably doing it only for her benefit.

Recovering faster than Yaten, Seiya gave Haruka a half-smile that wasn't so much friendly as a recognition of the cessation of hostilities. "If I really were here to hurt Usagi, Uranus would be right to kill me. I don't need an apology for that."

"I give up," muttered Yaten, throwing her hands in the air and walking away. "As soon as we left the party you wouldn't shut up about being owed an apology, and now you go and forgive her just like that. You're impossible Seiya!" She emphasized her last, rather loud assertion, with a robust door slam as she went into what was presumably her bedroom.

Taiki stuck her head out from behind a different door, one headphone hanging loose and another still plugged into her ear. "Seiya," she said, before she caught sight of the trio of guests at the front door, "what have you done to upset Yaten now?"

"Never mind that," Seiya said with a flourish. "Tada, we have guests!"

Coolly looking Setsuna, Haruka and Michiru over, Taiki turned her attention back to Seiya without acknowledging them. "You should go talk to Yaten. Otherwise you know she'll be sulking for days."

"Taiki!" Taiki's name slipped from Setsuna's grasp, emerging throaty and urgent from her unwilling lips.

Taiki's expression might have been set in stone. Pushing past Seiya, who made a belated and half-hearted attempt to stop her, Setsuna grabbed Taiki's hand and disappeared with her into the room she'd just come out of.

Seiya, Haruka and Michiru were left staring awkwardly at one another, until Seiya spoke. "Tenoh, if this ends up going wrong, I blame you. Remember that. Now, if you'll excuse me, Taiki was right and I actually do have to talk to Yaten or she will be sulking for days, and that's always a complete pain. Michiru – always a pleasure to see you. Goodnight."

#

"I understand why you did it now," Michiru said on the quiet drive back. "The way Setsuna said Taiki's name, and how hurt Taiki was by whatever happened at the party…It's love, isn't it?"

Haruka let out a breath. "Oh yeah," she agreed. "It's love."

"Then why do I have this terrible sense of unease?"

"I don't know, but I have it too."

Reaching into her bag, Michiru pulled out her Mirror and looked into its silvery surface. Whatever she saw made her turn it face down on her lap quickly.

"What did it show you?" asked Haruka curiously.

"Setsuna and Taiki."

"What, you mean – what they're doing right now? That?"

"I think it was Setsuna's bedroom I saw, so it's not showing me what's happening now. But they were…"

"Yeah, I get the idea." Haruka frowned into the dark, sleety night outside the windscreen. "So the bad feeling is something to do with them. Maybe I shouldn't have taken Setsuna to see Taiki after all."

"Yes you should," said Michiru. "You were right in everything you said to her. Her reasons for wanting to stop weren't legitimate. As soon as she saw Taiki her resolve crumbled. I don't think it was even personal pride over not wanting to apologise for whatever she did."

"So what then?"

"We'll have to wait and hope she tells us."

"You think she will?"

"Whatever she's struggling with, I think she'll tell us once she's made a decision about it. That's what she tends to do."

"Yeah I guess. I figured it out, by the way."

"Figured what out?"

"What you were thinking about the other night – all that stuff about Christmas Eve."

"Did you?" said Michiru in an interested voice, the sort that meant that Haruka should actually stop talking. She kept talking anyway.

"The news was everywhere that December, so I'm guessing Christmas Eve must have been the night you—"

"You don't need to spell it out, Haruka."

Haruka glanced away from the road to examine Michiru's stiff profile. "Mine happened about a month after that," she admitted. "On my birthday." There was more regret in her voice than she expected.

"Because you'd heard about me?"

"Pretty much."

Michiru relaxed a little. "Idiot," she murmured.

"I know."