Sailor Pluto ran down the hall as fast as she could, trying to prevent herself from running back and taking her child with her to the future. This is for the best, she convinced herself. You know you will see her again.

But it's not the same, her other self argued. How can you leave your child behind? What kind of mother are you? What kind of sailor soldier leaves one of their own behind?

If it's for the better, then the soldier does it. This is the right thing to do. Hotaru belongs here.

She belongs with you.

Pluto shook her head. She belongs here.

My poor baby….

Reaching the top of a corner tower, Pluto checked around behind opening her portal to the future. It was time to go forwards from this moment on.

She couldn't help but look in the direction of where she had come from, though. Trista wished she had given her daughter a more proper goodbye.

You can still make up for it. It is not too late. Now go!

Sadly, she turned away and stepped through the portal back to the Time-Space Gate.

**********************************************************************************************************************************************

Things were no better in the Underworld as Fate ran back to her tower. "Where's Pluto when you need her," she muttered. She had searched in vain for Hades' whereabouts, seeing as how the fog and the evil energy had interfered with her powers. It was no use, though, and she gave up—all up until the Grim Reaper had announced he would meet Pluto as the Cocytus River. The River of Forgetfulness…he probably wouldn't remember Trista even if she came to rescue him.

Pluto would need backup. The Reaper was killed once, he could be killed again. But what if…Sailor Moon's Silver Crystal would purify him?

She would send Karma. It would be the only way.

Sailor Fate ran faster, praying she would go unnoticed and her mission would succeed.

**********************************************************************************************************************************

Sailor Pluto stepped out of her portal and back into the tower of Fate. She was pleasantly surprised to see Fate entering the room a moment later. "Fate," Pluto whispered.

"Where did you come from? I should really ask, where did you go?" Fate questioned her.

"You should know where. You knew all along, didn't you? You and Oracle both knew what I had to do." Pluto was almost angry for them not telling her.

Fate sighed. "As you should know by now, you probably would not have done it or it may have altered your destiny had I told you what you would be doing. Now, there's so much going on—what is it again that I should have told you?"

Pluto replied, "I took Hotaru back to the past."

Fate nodded. "Ah. The Silver Millennium. Then it is done."

"What is done?"

"The prophecy has been fulfilled and all is well in the world."

"The prophecy?" Pluto was confused.

"The prophecy of the past. Oracle told them all—even you—that the scout of destruction would come. Now that is done, or has been done for quite some time now. Speaking of time, how much time did you spend there? You don't have much time left here to rescue Hades."

The thought of Hades in trouble was unsettling to Pluto. She sat down next to Fate. "Well, going back in the past, for me, does not alter time here, nor does it alter my physical age. Ha, if it did…well, I would be significantly older."

"How much older?"

"About 2539 years."

Fate's jaw dropped. "I had no idea. Honestly. You are almost older than me."

"Almost?"

Fate waved her hand. "That's not important right now. What you are saying is that your trip—say it took fifteen minutes or so in the past—took no time here because you returned to the same exact moment you left?"

"Something like that, yes."

"That's certainly impressive. As you can tell, my specialty is not in time travel or portals. I look towards the present and future," Fate said. "Right now, unless we can save Hades, it looks like a dark destiny from here."

"I'm going to help him. I already have an idea," declared Pluto.

Fate responded, "Well, I hope it is a good one. You do know what river the Reaper was talking about, right? The River of Forgetfulness. Trista, you might get your Hades back, but he might not remember you."

Sailor Pluto was astounded. "I did not think about that. Surely…surely he could remember our love? Is there not some sort of cliché—love conquers all?"

"Well, I certainly hope in your case that comes true. I am going to send Karma back to fetch Sailor Moon so that the Silver Crystal can purify the Reaper once and for all. With your power and hers, you should be able to defeat him."

Pluto nodded. "I understand. I need to get something before I go to the River—and I am running out of time. Send her to me; I will be ready."

*****************************************************************************************************************************************************

I never thought I would actually use this, Pluto thought. To the naked eye, there was no one crossing the water and going to the Cocytus River. However, Pluto was really invisible, wearing the helmet Hades had given her upon her return to the Underworld. As she continued along the path to find her lover, she began to feel a bit faint. Does the River make you forget when you are near it, she wondered. I thought Hades mentioned something about it…but I cannot quite remember…She shook her head. I can't let this get to me. I have to move on.

Sailor Pluto kept walking, holding her staff ready at a moment's notice. Then she saw him—wandering as if he was a loner, a vague memory of the world. It saddened her deeply to see him so lost. Walking towards him, she noticed he was drenched. He must have been thrown in the river, she figured. My Hades…As he stumbled about, she walked to him. He stood still, as if in his madness, he had heard someone. Mumbling and grumbling to himself, he looked suspiciously around. Taking the opportunity at hand, Pluto leaped forward into his arms and kissed him as passionately as she could.

It took a moment for the stunned Hades to break off the kiss, but when he did, he had a look of pure confusion. "What the hell?" He stepped back. "Why am I at this river? And who the heck just kissed me?"

Trista took off her helmet, grinning. "My love…"

"Ah! So it is you! I was hoping so…I was wandering in the darkness…so cold…so dark…and then, your light shone. I thought it was another hallucination in my mind…but then…your kiss….I remember myself properly now." He held Pluto close. "My dear Trista…"

"As much as I would like to watch this sappy scene," interrupted a sarcastic voice, "I really do have better things to do. Why did you not bring Hotaru, Trista?"

"I must have left her somewhere," answered Sailor Pluto defiantly. "I will not allow you to mess with my child's future!"

"Ah, but that is the wrong answer," replied the voice. Out of the fog stepped the Reaper. "You do not want the curse of my wrath."

Hades held out his right arm and appeared his silver rod, flashing with its power. "You have no power here!" he roared. "Not while I am in charge!"

"You see, little brother, that is where you are wrong," chimed in another voice.

Pluto asked, "Charon?"

"Good guess, dearest Trista. Yes, it is me. You see, I planned to rule the world with you child…maybe even love her, since she is a woman after all. I see, however, you have defied me. Well, you have defied me for the last time! Reaper!"

"Yes, sir," replied the dark spirit. Holding out his scythe, he swooped it in the air sideways, aiming to cut off Pluto's neck. It was met, however, not by Hade's staff, nor Pluto's staff—but by another scythe. "What is this?" asked the Grim Reaper angrily.

"I can't see a bloody thing," said Charon. With a wave of his arm, he made the fog disappear.

Certainly it was an interesting sight. The cause of the stop of the Reaper's scythe was Sailor Saturn. "Saturn?" Pluto asked. She remembered to breathe again. "But…how did you get here?"

"Simple. Sailor Moon was coming here, and there was no way I was going to let her do this alone, especially after discovering that you are my mother. I have a right to be here, and I probably have power in this world as well," answered Sailor Saturn, grinning.

Charon let out a laugh. "Ah, so you did bring her. Lovely. Well, at least I won't have to change diapers. Hotaru, my dear, your mother was just trading you for her precious Hades. How do you feel about that?"

"What?" Saturn's grip on her scythe faltered a bit. "How could you?"

"It's not like that," Pluto replied. "Please, Hotaru, you have to believe me."

"Why? So you can abandon me again?"

"Hotaru! Your mother and I love you very much," said Hades, despite his obvious confusion in seeing his daughter all grown up. "Trista would not trade you—not for anything in the world. She came here alone, not knowing you would be here. And now, with your appearance, you have put us all in danger."

Saturn's jaw dropped. "I did? But…how can you blame me for this?"

Charon was standing back, watching the show. "Ah, it is so good to watch other people fight. This is why I hate dealing with family matters anymore."

"Oh yeah? Well, deal with this! Silver Starlight Crystal Blast!" From far behind Sailor Saturn, a beam of pure white light hit Charon straight in the chest, causing him to fall several feet behind.

"Sailor Moon!" Sailor Pluto was never so happy to see anyone.

"What took you so long?" asked Saturn.

"I kept tripping over these darn rocks. It was so foggy just a few minutes ago," retorted the blonde, who started to prepare an attack on the Reaper. "Silver Starlight Crystal—" She was interrupted, however, by the Reaper's swift movements.

He disappeared and reappeared next to here, holding his scythe to her throat. "You stay out of this, little Moon scout. Do not force me to return the favor you did for me a while back—I should hate to hate to kill you again."

Pluto whispered to her daughter, "Hotaru, listen. Your father and I have great power. Surely, if you join with us, we can defeat these men and I can explain everything to you later. It is not as easy as it sounds, coming from Charon. I have had to let you go before, but never again. I cannot do it—and I never will. Do you understand me?"

Saturn nodded. "Yes, mother."

"Then let us defeat this evil. Hades?"

"Yes ma'am." Hades held up his silver rod. Pluto held up here next to his. In the middle, Saturn's scythe crossed both of theirs. A strange, silver light suddenly flooded the Underworld, causing everything to be bright, almost as if it was daytime.

"With our powers, three in one—combine them, Chronos, and let us be done!" shouted Pluto. A red beam, like a laser, cut straight through the Reaper, causing him to fall. Sailor Moon stepped back, afraid of the light. "Don't be scared," said Sailor Pluto. "Use your power!"

"Right. Silver Starlight Crystal Blast!" Sailor Moon touch where the head of the Reaper would be with her staff, and a white spirit evaporated from the black cloak.

The body of the Reaper fell, as if there was nothing under the cloak at all. "Thank you," whispered the small white ghost, and the three scouts and Hades watched as the spirit headed towards the river Styx.

"That was interesting," Hades muttered.

Pluto said, "Now his spirit is finally purified."

"Too bad that didn't work on me," said Charon. He appeared to have finally recovered from Sailor Moon's attack. "My turn. Hell Thunder Blast!" Voltage of high intensity rained from the top of the Underworld, headed for Sailor Moon.

"No!" shouted Sailor Saturn. "Death Reborn Revolution!" Her attack interfered with the voltage, causing a loud crash and an enormous explosion, knocking everyone to the ground. Well, almost everyone. Charon's body fell in the river. He resurfaced, gasping for breath and crawling on shore. Sailor Moon, Sailor Saturn, Sailor Pluto, and Hades observed Charon as he looked around, almost as if he had never been to the Underworld before.

Noticing the group standing before him, Charon asked, "Um, do you know where I am?"

Sailor Pluto smirked. Now Charon had lost his memory. Oh, the irony. Speaking of which…I wonder if Fate had anything to do with that.