While everyone else was so distracted, the Guardians helping Venus stay calm, after her outburst, the Shitennou staying with the upset King and Queen, and Uranus not moving from Neptune's side, Pluto left the room, and decided to return to the fourth dimension. She would be able to think more clearly there, she thought. She opened the door, and stepped out. Or rather, stepped in. She looked around her, at the stars burning brightly in the distance. Here, one would sometimes get the impression that they were floating in space. If she concentrated enough, she could see and feel the floor beneath her feet. Pluto could name all the stars and constellations by their proper name. It would be odd if she couldn't, as she spent her life surrounded by them.
Just by using her willpower and imagination, she closed her eyes, and willed to travel to the river. No one, not even she could cross the river, she knew. She'd been told many times. Now that she had recovered the memories of her childhood, she could hear on the doctors telling her she must never cross the river. As part of her training, apart from standing in the night, gazing at the stars, or the simulation to give the impression that she was surrounded by emptiness on all sides, she had been taught almost to fear the river. The times she had spent on Earth, or anywhere outside the fourth dimension, she had always had a fear of rivers, sometimes even of water, even though she was told that there would be no water. Eventually she had been taught to dominate her fear, so that she feared water no longer. On Earth she could see running water in fountains and such. Now she knew why, she thought. The rivers elsewhere had running water, she knew. There was no water in this one, she could see.
This was the River of Death . She'd never dared to approach it before. Pluto raised her Garnet Rod and Orb, and summoned. However, the river kept running. The only thing that happened was a splash, as though someone had thrown a relatively large pebble in to the river.
"Nothing."she said to herself. But shouldn't they answer my summons, she wondered.
Pluto was aware she was relatively new at this. Perhaps she hadn't said the summons properly. Or she hadn't willed for them strongly enough. She tried again. Maybe if she went back to Charon Castle , and consulted the vast library, she might find something there. Although she had only been there once, or twice, she knew there would be a library, all the castles did, especially about the domain of the senshi of that particular planet, and most likely, she could find anything referring to time, space, and death there. Before turning to leave, she looked back at the river, she'd have to find some more information first.
Wait, she thought. She had spoken to someone from the river before, hadn't she? After she'd found out about her origins. Queen Serenity. Or maybe the queen wasn't in the river. Maybe they couldn't be summoned just yet. Pluto realized that she had a lot to learn. Or maybe it was because this was more Saturn's domain. Apart from herself, Saturn was the only who would be able to glimpse, or influence the river. Still, something had happened when she had said the summons. Maybe it was trying to come, but somehow couldn't? Couldn't free itself from the rest of them?
Pluto walked around what she thought of as the river's edge, even though there was nothing visible. It simply…appeared. She didn't take her eyes off the water, for lack of a better word, kept running. Unlike real water, it made no sound. If she looked closely, or focused on one, she could see distinguishing features among them. A face, a hand, anything. They all looked so peaceful, she thought. As if they were simply asleep, as they floated with the current. One wouldn't think they were souls of those passed away. Suddenly, on the other side of the river, she thought she saw something. Uneasily, she looked around, hoping to see a bridge that would allow her to cross, when one appeared before her, as if out of nowhere. Not stopping to think, or wonder where it had come from, how, or why, she simply crossed it. The river kept running, smoothly, as if nothing had happened.
As soon as she stepped off the bridge, onto the opposite side, the bridge disappeared, just as quickly, and mysteriously as it had appeared, and the view changed. Looking around, she could still see the river behind her, and just as she had seen nothing on this side, when she stood on the opposite bank, now she could see nothing but darkness on the bank she just left. Now, however, she seemed to surrounded by light, and a sense of joy suddenly overwhelmed her.
"Your Majesty!"she exclaimed, seeing Queen Serenity sitting on a divan, and bowed.
Queen Serenity looked up, folded her book, and picked up her fan.
"I'm glad to see you Pluto."said the queen. "Have a seat."she said, as she gestured toward a chair which appeared before her.
"Oh, no!"answered Pluto, anxiously. "I could never sit in the Royal presence! It wouldn't be right!"
The queen smiled.
"But you aren't really in the Royal presence now, are you?"she said, looking amused. "The Royal presence would be if you were before my daughter, Serenity."
"But you're…"Pluto fumbled for the right words. "you're the Queen Mother."she settled at last.
Queen Serenity waved her fan, as if to dismiss Pluto's words.
"Well, I am not the reigning queen, and, I would like you to sit. I command you to sit. It's uncomfortable to have to look up at you. I'd be much more comfortable if you sat."
Pluto obeyed, uneasily, and she took a seat. She'd never sat before the queen, king, or even the crown princess.
"And what has brought you here today?"the queen asked her.
"I…wanted to…speak to someone, Majesty."Pluto answered, timidly. "I wanted to summon them out of the river, but maybe my powers aren't…ready yet."she finished.
Queen Serenity stood and walked to the edge of the river.
"It couldn't be someone on this side of the river. I know very few who would be willing to leave, if any."she said, smiling. "Maybe that would be why."
Pluto looked around her.
"I don't think they could be here."she said. "So…they must be in the river."
She explained to the queen what she'd seen as she'd summoned. Serenity frowned.
"Only a piece of a soul."she sighed, and shook her head.
"What do you mean?"asked Pluto.
"I could not tell you everything, Pluto, even if I knew. The soul you wanted to summon, has been torn."
"Torn?"asked Pluto looking confused.
She looked at the river. How could a soul be torn? All the ones there looked whole. I'll have to return to Charon,she thought.