AN: I now introduce you to: my fastest update of all time! I started this chapter on Sunday at 2pm and I just finished Monday at 11pm. I now present the end of the Full Council Meeting.

Chapter 24: Garnet Orb

February 20, 8983

"Tell us what your goddess said."

Haruka leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling as she let her meeting with the blonde goddess replay in her mind. There was only truly one part of her conversation with Uranus that was important to all of the senshi. "She said that I am her last senshi."

"What?!"

"So the Silver Millennium is truly doomed."

"Is there nothing we can do?"

Haruka waved her hand, requesting silence. Minako, Rei, and Makoto leaned forward, hoping that the blonde had answers for their questions. "She told me that I am the most powerful senshi of her lineage and that after I am gone, she'll never need another. I don't understand what she means, but she did say that the Silver Millennium is not necessarily going to end because I am the last Sailor Uranus. She said there are two paths. One will lead to the destruction of everything we know and the shattering of the Planet Crystals." The four Inner Senshi reached into the pouches at their waist, each of them staring into the depths of the dark crystals they had already sacrificed so much to find. Were they destined to lose, destroying these precious stones? "The other path will lead to a glorious future where my children will shine as golden lights in the darkness."

"Your children? Yours specifically?"

Haruka nodded and turned to Minako. "Uranus said that one of my children will guard the dreams of the past, and the other will guard the souls of the future. That was all she would say, except that my first daughter will not be the heir to my power, but she will have a destiny greater than anything we can understand."

"Did she say anything about the planet crystals? Did she tell you how to unlock them?" Ami had her computer out again, clearly hoping that the Goddess of the Skies had offered more information beyond her cryptic words about Haruka's strength and her children.

"You four already know that your past incarnations were the last senshi to carry the planet crystals. Uranus said that our souls are traveling through time together, so I was Queen Nao the Conqueror and Michiru was Queen Yuuka the Magnificent. Uranus said that Nao is the one who told the other senshi that they had to seal the planet crystals as Sailor Pluto ordered, and she was also the only one who knew how."

"Does that mean that you know how to reverse it?"

Haruka shook her head, sinking back into her seat with a sigh. "Uranus said that I was the only one who could figure it out. She didn't tell me if I should, either, only that it will be my choice alone. Something she said, though . . . it gave me an idea. When we go to Uranus, I will try to connect with Nao's spirit and see if I can find the answer."

Minako shrugged. "I suppose that our plan will remain the same for now, then. It's a little strange that so much is resting on you, Haruka."

"If it wasn't for her interference in that fight on Mars, we wouldn't be together," Rei pointed out. "And her thread in that time knot thing is the most prominent."

"Speaking of the time knot, I think I understand the origination point." Haruka pulled the image in front of her once more, pointing at the golden thread that represented herself.

A flash of garnet light interrupted the blonde, all eyes turning to the chair reserved for the Queen of Pluto as Setsuna nonchalantly returned to her seat. Michiru, Ami, and Serenity blushed and looked away, unwilling to chance meeting the dark queen's gaze, but Setsuna was staring at Haruka in shock and barely noticed the others. "You came."

"I said I would," the Uranian retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. Feeling the swell of breasts that were usually bound, Haruka glanced down, uncrossing her arms when she realized that the action just emphasized her bosom. Michiru giggled at the action, turning away from her wife's irritated gaze. "I had some things to take care of first."

"Yes, I did notice the fleet massing above the Moon."

"It's necessary for my fleets to protect the rest of the solar system from the darkness in your time knot and Michiru's vision. The Jovian and Martian fleets are welcome to join in the defense, but Uranus will lead as we always do."

"Do you think such a measure will help?"

Haruka tilted her head to one side in disbelief. "Do you think not doing anything is going to help more? I have resources at my disposal, and I have done something. It's better than my people rebelling and tearing this solar system apart to find me."

Setsuna sighed and ran her fingers through her hair, forced to admit that sending the young blonde warrior away from Uranus with a crisis brewing might not have been the best decision. "I shouldn't have sent you away. Koshu might have offered you the crown if you stayed."

"No, he never would," Haruka replied, a new power in her vibrant emerald eyes that Setsuna had not seen before. On Miranda, Haruka had been physically strong, but her heart had been weak, desperate for attention and love from anyone, so Setsuna had told her to leave. When she told Kazeko to do the same, so many decades ago, the blonde had returned stronger, happier, and ready to be queen. Haruka . . . her strength was beyond that. She looked strong enough to be queen, confident enough to lead the senshi against any darkness, and powerful enough to save the Silver Millennium. She had a light in her eyes that Setsuna had not seen in thousands of years, not since . . . not since Uranus had last favored one of her senshi with a kiss.

Setsuna's eyes widened as she stared at Haruka, shaking her head imperceptibly. "She kissed you. Uranus . . . she hasn't done that since Nao."

Haruka felt Michiru contain her jealous reaction to the words, both of them knowing that they could never reveal their relationship to the dark queen of Pluto. "Why is this damn kiss so important?! I didn't ask for it and I don't understand why it matters. I visited her this morning to ask for advice and she jumped me!"

"That's how Uranus gives her avatars some of her power. She kisses them. She gave you something today, something she hasn't offered in thousands of years. Uranus has many powers she could have given to you, and there's no way to know what it was until you are able to use it."

Haruka raised her fingers to her lips, thoughtful eyes losing focus for a moment. "You say that she kissed Nao? Whatever power she gave to my predecessor, she might have given to me, too. Maybe it's enough to save the Silver Millennium from that vision."

Setsuna turned her head to the side at the reminder of the vision that had sent her crying to the Moon and Serenity's arms. Her hand, resting on the table, clenched into a fist as she struggled to control her emotions. It had never been so hard before to maintain her calm, aloof façade, not even the day she left her lover and newborn child alone on the Moon. Princess Serenity stared at the dark queen across the length of the table, pale blue eyes examining Setsuna for a moment before she decided to speak. "Do you love my mother, Setsuna?"

All eyes turned to the Plutonian as she looked up in shock, garnet eyes meeting the gentle blue ones of her lover's child. She had no idea what prompted the question or why every queen and princess was watching her with such anticipation, but she knew that Serenity deserved an answer. "Yes, I love her."

"Then why have you left her alone to cry herself to sleep for fourteen years?"

Setsuna actually stopped breathing for a moment, the icy shock filling her body almost enough to end her mortal existence. The secret had lived in silence for fourteen years, but this blonde child was threatening the safety of the entire Silver Millennium with her question. She had no idea the danger she was bringing upon them with her words. "I had to, Serenity. I had to leave her. Being with her . . . it broke the ultimate taboo and I had to leave or the Silver Millennium would be destroyed."

"Then why did you go back?"

Now she understood. Setsuna blushed, spinning to face her fellow Outer Senshi as Michiru glanced down at her mirror in embarrassment, admission in her action. "You were able to look in on us? How? Michiru . . . you should never have been able to force that mirror to show me."

"Who are you that you are protected from Neptune's mirror?" Minako's voice banished the last of the blush from Setsuna's cheeks, her voice demanding an answer.

"I can't tell you."

Michiru reached for her mirror, teal eyes determined. "I can find out."

"No!" Setsuna stood from her chair and reached across the table to grab Michiru's wrist, preventing her from touching her talisman. Garnet eyes warred with determined teal for a moment until Haruka's long fingers wrapping around Setsuna's wrist.

"Tell us who you are, or I will let her look in that mirror."

Setsuna relented as she released Michiru's wrist, unable to meet Haruka's gaze. "I will tell you what I can." She glanced to her right, to the queens watching her with expectant gazes, and she sighed. "You five cannot hear this. My identity . . . there are things that I have done that you might figure out, and you cannot protect yourselves from Her if She learns that you know my ultimate secret. You have to leave."

Yumemi stood from her chair, gesturing for the other queens to follow her. "If your secret is that dangerous, I'd rather not know." She led her fellow queens out of the large council room and into the smaller meeting chamber where their kings were waiting, closing the huge doors behind herself.

Setsuna returned to her seat, watching Serenity claim the Sailor Pluto chair across from her as the senshi watched her patiently. Setsuna closed her eyes for a moment, glad that the Moon Princess could not understand what her actions meant, or how appropriate they might be. Taking a deep breath, Setsuna opened her eyes. "I'm sure you have all heard that there are two types of Sailor Pluto. One of them, the most common Sailor Pluto, is significantly less powerful and has the ability to guard the time gate from Charon Castle but cannot walk in the time streams. The other type . . . well, the other type is me. I am the only true senshi of Pluto, the only one who can control time, and the only one to carry the Garnet Orb. I am reborn every time there is a need for powerful senshi, and this is my . . . sixteenth incarnation." She took a breath, trying to decide how to explain the difference between herself and the other senshi. "There are two meanings to the word avatar, the first referring to all of you. You women are descendants of your gods and you carry their power. The other meaning refers to a god taking a mortal form so they can interact with all of you. I am the second type."

Haruka leaned forward across the table, shock in her grey eyes. "You're a god?" Setsuna nodded. "Then why can't you just use your powers to stop this darkness?"

"For two reasons, Haruka. Rei, hand me a knife, please."

The Martian rose from her seat, slipping one of the combs from her hair and passing it to the dark queen. "How did you know I would have one?"

"I saw your fight on Mars," Setsuna replied dryly, examining the tiny weapon. She held her hand out above the table where all of the princesses could see, using the small knife to slice into her palm. Blood welled up from the cut, dripping onto the table's surface until her senshi healing sealed the small wound. She handed the weapon back to Rei as she returned to her seat, staring at the dark stain on the wood in front of her. "Gods don't bleed. I'm mortal, Haruka. I was born from a mortal mother, I grew up at the normal rate, and one day I will die in battle or in my sick bed, just like all of you. In this form, I am bound by the same restrictions that prevent you from releasing the full power of your planets. If you did, you would destroy yourselves, just as I would. I'm not a god right now, and I can't even access any of my powers that weren't bound to the Garnet Orb thousands of years ago or risk destroying my mortal form. Zeus learned this lesson too well millennia ago, and taught us to be cautious when we choose to live as mortals. No matter my ancestry, I'm just one of you."

"But much older," Haruka pointed out. "What's the other reason?"

"When the Silver Millennium was created, there were certain restrictions placed on the gods to prevent them from using their powers to influence the people of these worlds. We thought that it would be best if you mortals were allowed to live and die on your own terms, with free will and without being forced into servitude to divine beings. When you were fighting on Mars, Rei, and almost died to Rikuriko's sword, Ares could not save you. Believe me when I say that he really wanted to. And when your soul screamed, Minako, Aphrodite was beside herself with desperation. She yelled at me and cursed my laws because she could do nothing to help you. Tranquility disagreed with the ban on divine interference, but Serenity and I convinced him that it was for the best."

Setsuna watched the senshi in the silence that followed, wondering who would figure it out first. Something stirred in Minako's blue eyes, but she was still thinking about that fight on Mars and couldn't concentrate on Setsuna's other words. Rei's amethyst eyes were narrowed, probably focusing on the free will part of Setsuna's explanation, but she would not be the first, either. Haruka's eyes were a strange mix of grey and green as she digested Setsuna's story, but as a warrior she was thinking about how they could use this new information to their advantage. Serenity was so young, so innocent, and her pale blue eyes were full of joy as Setsuna, the lonely queen, finally shared something of her past with her fellow senshi. Ami and Michiru were both staring at Setsuna with their heads tilted, sapphire and teal eyes blooming with understanding at the same rate.

Ami spoke first and with more confidence than Setsuna had expected from Amami's usually reserved child. "You're the third god who created the Silver Millennium."

"The dark one," Michiru added. She glanced down at her hands for a moment while she thought back to the visions on Mars and Jupiter, smiling as she looked up. "You're Se."

Setsuna bowed her head, proud of the two geniuses for figuring it out. "I am the only child of the God of the Underworld, Hades, and his wife, Persephone."

Haruka leaned back in her chair, running her fingers through her short blonde hair. When she sat like that, her intense eyes watching Setsuna in amazement, she truly looked just like her mother. The spirited little girl who wanted everyone to see that she was just as much a lady as the other princesses had grown into a beautiful woman, a woman so much stronger than Kazeko could ever have anticipated. "I never expected that," Haruka murmured at last. "Why did you choose to live among us through sixteen incarnations if you're such a powerful god?"

"Because I am the only one who can guard the time gate correctly, and because you need someone to guide you."

"Why have you stayed so long this time? I've looked into your records; you were born over a hundred years ago, though you don't publish that information."

Setsuna glared at Ami, crossing her arms over her chest. "I don't think I will bother asking how you looked into my records, though I'm sure it involved something illegal. As for why . . . I was waiting for this. I'm only born when a great crisis is at hand, like the Antares Uprising and the Jupiter Wars of Unification, but my mortal mother was very ill as a child, and she became infertile because of it. She would never have been able to have a normal child, so I allowed myself to be born a generation early. A little more than seventy years after I was born, there was a spectacular ball on Ganymede celebrating Princess Meika's victory in the Ganymede Invitational Tournament, and an unexpected guest arrived." Setsuna smiled as she remembered that moment, the instant she first saw Serenity and fell in love with that shy lavender-eyed princess. "She thought she could hide herself, but I knew who she was at once. She was so beautiful in the light from Jupiter, and I had to dance with her. By the end of the night, I had fallen in love."

Serenity leaned forward, realizing that Setsuna was talking about her mother. "Is she your soul mate, Setsuna?"

"Why this question, all of a sudden? You've been spending too much time with Minako; she's infected you with the Venusian obsession with soul mates."

"It's important," Serenity whispered. "I saw the vision, just like you. You love her, but is she your soul mate?"

Setsuna leaned forward, resting her arms on the table, sighing as she considered the question. "I don't know, Serenity. Gods . . . gods don't really have soul mates. In order for a soul to bind with another, they have to be born and die together through many generations. It's the death of the body that encourages the soul to search for something permanent, someone to love. Gods don't die."

"But you do," Haruka pointed out. "After fifteen deaths, your soul must be screaming."

Setsuna leaned back in her chair, Haruka's words cutting her more deeply than she could ever imagine. She rested one hand over her heart, tears unexpectedly filling her eyes as she considered the simple truth in those five words. Your soul must be screaming. She was as close to mortal as any god had ever come, and it was entirely possible . . . for thousands of years she had been mourning her lost lover, the goddess Serenity, but in that moment on Ganymede, she hadn't thought about Serenity at all. She had fallen in love with a mortal for the first time in ten thousand years, and she had even let her emotions overwhelm her when she saw that vision. She, Setsuna the Dark Queen, the Lonely One, had run crying to her lover for comfort, despite the dangers and the risks. "Maybe," she whispered at last.

"The Scream of Time," Ami whispered, "from the Prophecy of the Fall of the Silver Millennium. It does mean you."

"Of course it does," Setsuna replied, forcing her tears away. "Who else could it mean?" Then she realized what the Mercurian had said, and shock filled her frame once more. "You didn't. You . . . you found that book. The Ancient Law doesn't say 'the Scream of Time', and I know that there was only ever one copy of the Prophecy of the Fall of the Silver Millennium. I never intended for anyone to find that."

"Sure you did," Rei replied; "otherwise you would have just destroyed it. You wrote it in the most difficult language you knew, then you had Sailor Neptune encrypt it. We found it because we have been desperately searching for anything to help us fight this darkness. That book didn't tell us much, except that the sun is probably calling for Sailor Sol, and for whatever reason, she can't be born."

"That's a lot more information than you think," Setsuna replied, pulling Garnet Orb into her hands. She focused on a single room in her father's palace and a tiny stone that had been locked there thousands of years ago. The small gem, a silvery white pearl, was silent, sitting on its cushioned pedestal as it had been since the day that its last senshi died. "The Sun can't be calling for a senshi, because Sailor Sol cannot be born without Sailor Moonlight present. The Moonlight Crystal is still asleep."

"Maybe that's why Sailor Sol can't be born," Makoto pointed out. "But the Sun is most certainly Calling; have you seen the sunspot reports from the last twenty-one years?"

Ami projected an image of the sun above the table, hundreds of dark spots marring its fiery surface. Setsuna leaned forward and stared at the image, shaking her head in denial. "This is . . . how is this possible? I have never seen the sun so active. This is beyond calling for a senshi, though increased sunspot activity has been observed before each Sailor Sol's birth. No, this is worse. This is some evil influencing our star."

"This is the darkness," Haruka replied, pushing the time knot forward. "That black line, the one that ends everything, is the same darkness that is destroying the sun."

"But we still don't know what it is. Knowing that an evil exists that can affect the sun does nothing for us."

"No, Setsuna, but all of my Lesser War Queens are going to take their ships into close orbit around the sun and report all of their findings to the Mercury Royal palace through Taichen Laira. That information could be very useful." Haruka gestured for Ami to close the image of the sun before making her image of the time knot much larger. "And, in any event, I have figured out the origin point of your time knot." Setsuna raised one eyebrow, waiting for the answer, a little surprised that Haruka had figured out something that had been bugging her for a month after looking at the time knot for less than an hour. "The origin point of your time knot is the day Kazeko died and I was born."

"Why didn't I think of that? Why didn't I see that? Haruka, how did you know?"

The blonde turned to Michiru, some silent communication passing between them for a moment. Michiru nodded and picked up her talisman as Haruka summoned her sword and held it before her. She closed her emerald eyes as Michiru's free hand twined with hers, the Neptunian turning her mirror toward the senshi seated to her left. Setsuna walked around the table and leaned over Michiru's shoulder, Serenity leaning over Haruka's. The mirror's surface darkened as Michiru struggled to pull the vision from Kazeko's memory, through the Space Sword, and show it to her fellow senshi.

Kazeko sat on her throne, alone in the great chamber, nine months pregnant and clearly very tired. She sighed as she ran her hand across her belly, smiling as her baby kicked her. "So strong, little one. You're going to be the greatest queen of all time."

"Of course she will," a gentle voice replied from the shadows. Kazeko gasped in shock as Uranus entered the throne room, the goddess's blonde hair sparkling with diamonds and her navy dress covered in gold filigree. "She's my daughter."

"What do you mean?"

"She carries the soul of my daughter, the same soul Nao carried, and she has been a great queen in every incarnation. She will be strong and, this time, she will be my greatest senshi ever." Uranus climbed onto the dais and touched Kazeko's belly, emerald eyes filled with joy.

"I knew that she would be strong," Kazeko replied, smiling at her goddess as a ripple crossed her belly. "I've known that as long as I've known that I will never see her."

"I'm sorry, Kazeko," Uranus whispered, tears filling her eyes. "I never wanted to lose you, but there are some things that I cannot control. A great darkness is coming, and she has to be ready to fight. I don't know how you saw your own death so many years ago, but you have given your daughter a chance. She will be alone for a while, but it will make her strong enough to save the Silver Millennium."

"Watch over her for me, will you? And make sure she is loved."

"I will," Uranus replied, lifting her hand as another ripple danced across Kazeko's belly. Contractions. The fragile queen was going into labor. "Kazeko, I do love you, as I have always loved each of my avatars. I will miss you more than I can say. If you could wish one thing for yourself, what would it be?"

"Knowing that I am dying even as my daughter struggles to be born?" Kazeko sighed and glanced down at her belly, feeling her daughter begin to kick in earnest. "I wish to be strong enough in my next life to be with my soul mate. I wish to be strong enough to protect the people I love. I wish to be strong enough to create a world of peace where no one has to live alone."

Uranus leaned forward and kissed Kazeko's brow, the golden symbol of her planet appearing there for the last time. "Kazeko, you will be magnificent. Your parents will love you, Shousha will be yours, and together all of you will create an era of peace."

Kazeko smiled through her tears, emerald eyes meeting emerald as the vision faded. "If you can promise that, then I am ready to die."

The Space Sword fell on the table, Haruka having spent all of her strength to pull that vision from her mother's memory. She collapsed in her chair, her eyes closed as she reached for her planet and tried to replenish her energy. Michiru placed her mirror on the table, wishing that she could help her wife, but she didn't have the ability to give Haruka power through their bond. Silently, Setsuna returned to her seat, Serenity also taking hers again, all eyes turning to the time knot. "So all of this . . . it's all about Haruka?"

"Seems so, Minako," Setsuna replied. "Uranus . . . if she knew that her daughter's soul had been reborn, if she knew that this darkness was coming, why didn't she say anything to me? What else does she know that she hasn't told me?"

Minako looked at Haruka, realizing that the pale blonde was in no condition to recount her visit with her god, so the leader of the Inner Senshi decided to tell Setsuna what they had learned before her arrival. "Uranus said that Haruka is her last senshi."

"Her last?" Setsuna leaned back in her seat, running her fingers through her hair while she considered the words. "Each of the gods intended to create a perfect avatar, the ultimate senshi. The final one. They never said what would happen afterwards. If I remember correctly, Uranus was the one who told them all how to do it. Knowing her, I doubt she told anyone else her true and final plan."

"Ares said that I am his perfect avatar, the most powerful Sailor Mars of all time." Rei shrugged as the other senshi turned to look at her; modesty had never been part of the Martian character.

"Aphrodite said I am the most perfect avatar of love and beauty."

Haruka, the slightest of color having returned to her cheeks, leaned forward. "Uranus said that souls travel through time together; it's not just soul mates, but close friends are bound together, as well. If Rei, Minako, and I are the ultimate senshi of our gods, then Michiru, Makoto, and Ami must be, as well. If we are the most powerful senshi, what are we supposed to do? What do they expect of us?"

"You have to save the Silver Millennium."

"It sounds easy when you say it like that, Setsuna." Makoto waved her hand dramatically in the air, indicating that she had no idea how to accomplish that goal. "How are we supposed to know that we're the strongest?"

"Well, I hear that you were training in every sort of environment over the last week; tell me what you learned."

"Well, we learned different sword fighting styles, archery, unarmed combat . . ."

"Your powers," Setsuna interrupted, sensing that the women were reluctant to reveal that information. Minako blushed and glanced at Rei, something passing between light blue and brilliant amethyst eyes before the blonde relented.

"We've been practicing combining our powers. Rei and Haruka learned to create heated air to melt the snow on Deimos. Rei and I can combine our powers to make glass filled with golden light, and Haruka and Makoto managed to create an electrical storm covering half of the Tosha Plains on Metis to confuse the predators there." Setsuna's eyes were dark, concern in those garnet depths, widening in shock at Minako's final words. "On Venus, Michiru, Haruka, Ami, and Makoto created the most intense thunderstorm I have ever seen, complete with freezing rain and hurricane-force winds."

"That's . . . none of your mothers were ever able to combine their powers."

Michiru tilted her head in disbelief. "Really? It's not like we were trying to make that storm. It just happened."

"What were you doing when the storm happened?"

Rei, Makoto, and Haruka managed to continue staring forward without reaction, but Ami, Michiru, and Minako looked away, blushes staining their cheeks. Haruka coughed and pushed herself forward, catching Setsuna's attention and giving the three senshi time to control their reactions to the memories of Sunrise Bay. "We were training," the blonde replied, "but we never expected to be able to create that powerful of a storm."

Setsuna shook her head slowly, trying to determine why three of the senshi were visibly uneasy and the others were avoiding her gaze. "I'm just not sure. That's not enough to say whether you are the ultimate senshi or not."

Serenity leaned forward, eyes focusing on the Time Key beside Setsuna's chair. "Can you look? I've heard that you have the power to look into someone's future by touching them, so perhaps you can see if these are the strongest senshi of all time."

Setsuna sighed and reached for her Garnet Orb, removing it from her staff before walking around the table. "It's very unpredictable, Serenity. I can't always control what I see, and I would prefer to try all of you at once."

Serenity nodded and stood from her chair, Michiru and Makoto helping Haruka to her feet while Minako and Rei took up position at Setsuna's elbows. Ami, taking her place between Makoto and Rei, placed her hand on the Orb first, followed by her girlfriend, Minako, and Rei. Serenity carefully touched the tips of her fingers to the dark red surface, followed by Michiru and finally Haruka. Closing her eyes, Setsuna focused the powers of the time stream into her orb, concentrating on her fellow senshi.

A petite blonde woman stood on a low hill overlooking a crystal city. Her long hair was tied up in the traditional royal style, a dress of gossamer silk cloaking her form. The delicate crown on her head marked her as a queen, and the man dressed in light purple armor standing so proudly behind her had to be her king. Arranged behind the pair in a loose semicircle, eight women guarded her faithfully, as they had always done and as they always would. The first senshi was small, her dark blue hair framing an elfin face, sapphire eyes watching her queen intently beneath a golden tiara holding a sapphire stone. Her senshi uniform was white, a light blue bow on her chest with a dark blue star in the center, the colors matching the colors of her double skirt and the sailor cape over her shoulders. Her long white boots, a blue band and gold star at the top, emphasized the length of her slender legs, and the white gloves that covered her arms ended in three blue bands above her elbow. Her blue choker with a gold star in the center matched the rest of her uniform, two long blue ribbons flowing from the bow on her back and blowing in the wind.

Beside the first warrior, towering over the blue-haired woman, the second soldier was strong, tall, and proud. Her long, chestnut hair, restrained in a simple ponytail, twisted in the wind, two loose strands framing her face. Her emerald eyes matched the darker, more prominent green color present in her uniform, her longer underskirt a few shades lighter. The bow on her chest was a rosy pink, an odd shock of color against the green of her uniform, but the color seemed to suit her. She also wore a golden tiara, the stone in the center a dark emerald green, and nobility cloaked her strong form. Beside her, taller than the first woman but shorter than the second, a dark-skinned warrior watched the queen in silence, a tall key-shaped staff in one hand and an oddly content smile on her face. Her long, dark green hair reached past her knees, bangs almost covering the garnet in the center of the simple tiara on her brow. Her white uniform boasted a black double skirt and dark red bow, her long white boots and gloves the same as her follow warriors'. Despite the black color prominent in her uniform, she was clearly happy, no darkness in her striking garnet eyes and no tension in her stance.

The next pair were vibrantly colored, as if in contrast to the first three. The first, just barely taller than her partner, wore a uniform colored in red, the underskirt pink and the bow on her chest purple. Her eyes matched that vibrant amethyst shade, and her long, raven hair shone purple in the sun, bangs covering her golden tiara and the red stone in the center. She was a warrior, but there was a softness in her eyes while she watched the queen that told of a loving heart beneath her tough exterior. Standing just beside her, the woman with vibrant golden hair seemed made to match the raven-haired warrior, light for her fire, and it was clear that they had shared a great deal over the years. Her pale blue eyes were filled with joy, but there was a harder undertone, the mantle of a leader evident in those orbs. Her uniform had an orange skirt with a yellow underskirt, orange ribbons hanging from her back and orange bands on her boots and gloves. The woman dressed in light bore a single spot of darkness, the navy bow on her chest with an orange star in the center. Her hair was mildly restrained by a red bow, the tiara on her forehead holding an orange stone.

The last three warriors stood together on the opposite side of the queen, two of them taller than the third but all of them powerful. The tallest exuded strength, from the muscles of her legs and arms that could not be hidden by white gloves and boots, to the power glowing from her emerald eyes. She had the shortest hair in the group, her messy blonde locks teased by the gentle breeze, a simple tiara with a navy-blue stone hiding beneath those strands. She wore her uniform proudly, the dark navy skirt brightened by a lighter blue underskirt, a golden bow on her chest with a navy star in the center. If the long-haired blonde in the center was a leader, so too was this woman wearing opposite colors, but she had no worry in her vibrant eyes. She was a warrior who had won, the commander of a victorious army who had finally lived long enough to celebrate life. In one hand she held a sword, the jeweled scabbard attached to the navy ribbons on her hip as if by magic, and the gentlest of smiles graced her lips.

Standing by her side, the warrior's partner was a full head shorter and far more feminine. Her long, wavy aqua hair seemed accustomed to the gusting wind, a golden tiara with a teal stone revealed on her brow. Her eyes were an odd shade of blue, somewhere between teal and sapphire, the color almost a match for her teal skirt and lighter sea green underskirt. The bow on her chest matched the bluest shade of her eyes, and the mirror in her hand was also colored in a rich sea green. She glanced up at the tall blonde and smiled, their partnership too old to require words to convey the joy she was feeling at the moment. By her side, the smallest of the warriors watched the queen in silence, her dark purple eyes matching the dark purple of her skirt, a lighter purple coloring her underskirt and the bands on her gloves and shoes. The stone on her tiara was white, an empty color, while the bow on her chest was an odd dark red. Her short hair reached just past her shoulders, its vibrant purple color matching her eyes, and in her hand she held a black and silver scythe. Her weapon was powerful enough to destroy the world, but from the smile on her face and the joy in her stance, she had no intention of using it for such a purpose.

Setsuna fell to her knees as the vision ended, barely able to hold her orb as the other senshi pulled away. Serenity leaned down and grabbed Setsuna's arm, helping the older woman to her feet, light blue eyes smiling at the dark queen. "Did you see?"

"Yes," Setsuna whispered, unable to comprehend that perfect, happy group of warriors standing with their queen.

"What was it?"

"The future," she replied simply. "That could be this life or our next lives, but there is no question that our souls will see that future."

"Did you see my hair?! Black! No self-respecting Martian princess would be caught dead with black hair!" Setsuna rolled her eyes; she had not expected Rei to be the first person to find fault with her appearance.

"You looked fine," Minako replied, a soothing lilt to her voice. "Makoto had brown hair and you don't see her complaining."

"I like my green much better," the Jovian replied, pursing her lips. "The rest of you looked the same; how is it only me and Rei are going to have different colored hair?"

"Those uniforms are not the same ones we have now," Ami pointed out, leaning forward to stare at the Garnet Orb. "Is that a future evolution of our powers?"

Setsuna nodded slowly, remembering that the senshi uniform had changed slightly over time, so it made sense that it could change again if the soldiers were powerful enough. "I don't know what could make you so strong, but I think that your changed uniforms are proof enough that all of you are your gods' ultimate senshi."

"You were there, too," Michiru noted, glancing at her mirror on the table beside her. "It seems that you are also capable of becoming stronger."

"You're missing the most important part of that vision," Haruka whispered. "There was an eighth senshi, wearing the same uniform as the rest of us. That girl with the purple eyes . . . she had to be Sailor Saturn. She had the scythe, but she wasn't using it. From the strength of her stance, I would guess that she had been Sailor Saturn for nearly as long as the others had been senshi, fighting with them, growing stronger together."

"It's possible for her to fight as a senshi," Serenity whispered, joy in her light blue eyes. "Setsuna, if she can fight in the future, then maybe she will help us push back the evil from your time knot. Maybe she's rising to save us all."

"It's possible," Setsuna conceded, an odd hope fluttering in her chest. These women were the strongest senshi of all time and together they might be able to defeat the greatest evil that had ever threatened the Silver Millennium. She didn't have to worry and fret because her partners were powerful and their future was bright. She smiled at the other women, narrowing her eyes as she remembered Serenity's king. "Who was that man?"

The petite blonde smiled, raising her hands to her chest in joy. "That was Endymion, currently the Prince of Earth. He's going to be my king."

Setsuna smiled wryly as she ran her fingers through her long, green hair. "Well at least I know why you were on Earth to find that book of prophecies. An alliance between the Moon and the Earth could be good for the Silver Millennium."

Serenity nodded excitedly, grabbing Setsuna's hand and pulling her toward the door. "We have to go tell the kings and queens the good news!" The dark queen summoned her Time Staff from the other side of the table and returned the Garnet Orb to its place on the top as she let the small blonde drag her out of the room. Ami, Makoto, and Minako followed the Plutonian, Michiru and Rei supporting the still-weak Uranian as the group headed for the door. Letting her talisman vanish, Haruka leaned heavily on Rei's strong shoulder, trusting the crimson-haired warrior to support her. Michiru grabbed her mirror and followed her wife, glancing back at the empty Council Chamber with a smile on her face. The meeting had lifted the dark aura of gloom that had been cloaking the senshi for weeks, giving them something that they all desperately needed.

Hope.

Tranquility sat in a simple chair overlooking the pen, trees on either side hiding Beryl's work from the eyes of curious onlookers. Dozens of cupids ringed the area, eyes alert for any danger or trespassers, some of them watching Beryl warily. The newest member of the Cult crouched above a prone form just outside the huge pen, the dying human barely able to breathe anymore. She reached down and rested a hand over his heart, a malicious grin covering her face as dark energy flowed from her into the coughing human. He screamed as her power filled him, but the red-headed woman never faltered. A moment later, the human was silent, his body morphing into one of the strange shadow beasts that filled the pen beside Beryl. The cupid smiled lovingly, like a mother to her children, and took what passed for the creature's hand in her own, leading him to the gate. She opened it and gently urged him inside, locking it behind him. She swayed from the effort of turning the man, two cupids by her side in an instant. They helped Beryl ascend the five steps to Tranquility's observation deck, letting her sit in the only other chair under the bamboo awning.

"It's becoming harder to find the injured and the dying, my lord."

Tranquility shrugged. "Can't you convert healthy Earthlings?"

"No, my lord. In order for them to change into youma, they must die, and I don't have the power to kill a healthy soul. If I make enough, though, I will be able to corrupt the minds of healthy men and force them to do my bidding."

Tranquility nodded, staring into the pen where nearly a hundred of Beryl's youma milled about, not needing sustenance or sleep and completely under her control. He had never seen an army like it. "The Earthlings are a warlike species; I am sure you can stir some of them to fight and kill each other. I will give you a contingent of cupids to help you in that task, then you can convert the recently dead bodies of your fellow Earthlings."

Beryl smiled and bowed her head, accepting Tranquility's offer. In the back of her mind, the dark whisper she had come to know as Metallia seemed pleased, as well. "As soon as I have a thousand or so youma, I can use them to drain power from the Earthlings living in nearby villages, granting me enough power to convert generals into my army. Once I am strong enough for that, the speed of my process will increase a hundredfold. When that happens, we will be ready to hunt down your troublesome senshi."

Tranquility smiled, reaching over to take Beryl's hand and kiss it gratefully. "Then the talismans will be able to summon Serenity, and I will have my beloved sister back. Thank you, Beryl, for giving me a gift beyond anything a cupid has ever managed."

"What gift, my lord?"

"Hope."

AN2: Bwahahaha! That's how I end a chapter of hope!

Haruka Tenou: Here you go, I hope I didn't make your head explode or anything from updating so fast. Also, I have decided to use the Shitennou, but probably only a bit.

Vientocortante: It was time for a chapter focused on the goddess and politics of Uranus, especially since the War Queens have been actively stirring for something like 20 chapters. The senshi watching Setsuna in the mirror was a setup for the conversation about Setsuna's identity in this chapter, and to show that she is becoming more like them over time, more human.

Meneldur: Now that we've had the physical part of Serenity and Setsuna's relationship last chapter, this one gets to focus on the feelings behind them. Haruka's eye color is something that has kind of accidentally evolved over the course of this fic, but honestly you can't find two pictures of her from the anime and manga that agree on the color of her eyes. Even Naoko uses grey, gold, blue, and green alternately, and the color in the anime is pretty washed out but usually green. So I used the green mainly because it's such an intense color, but the other shades play their part. Minako needed a chance to be the comic relief for just a moment, since she has needed to be so serious as the leader of the senshi, and Rei likes to remind Minako who she belongs to. The mirror scene was a setup for the conversation in this chapter, but it also let Michiru show that her own powers are very strong, despite the fact that her power is not as well suited for war as some of the others.

Shousha finally gets some sympathy last chapter. She is, after all, alone, and she isn't a bad person, just a very angry one. She's finally beginning to be ready to face the truth of the Rukaze/Haruka issue; though she is clearly unimpressed with Haruka in this chapter, her tune might change when she sees the Uranian for real. I admit, the ships suddenly appearing over Neptune and the Moon were cheap plot devices to get Shousha off of Titan and make Setsuna return, but Haruka wasn't willing to risk a conversation with Shousha about the ships for fear that she couldn't preserve her disguise. She appeared on Titan in reaction to Michiru's distress, and she has been distracted ever since, so she only just now remembered that she dispatched all of her fleets throughout the system and that the queens might want to know. Conversations become much easier without Shousha there, in any case.