Racing Against Time: Save the King and Queen!

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

"UH!" Setsuna awoke with a start, gasping for air while she clutched at her chest. Her skin still glowed in perspiration, and her cheeks were flushed while her eyes still leaked tears.

She looked around at the others, who looked to be terribly worried about her. She did not know what to say to them, for the echoes of her own inner guilt still ached within her.

She locked eyes with Tiger, and collided with him, wrapping her arms around his neck while she wept. She did not make much noise, except for a few sniffles, and she stayed like that for a few moments. She was not used to this. She'd only ever shown so much emotion in front of Tiger. But now, Makoto and Rina could also see her at her most vulnerable.

She pulled back from him, covering her mouth as she wept, realizing now that she was sitting on the floor on her knees again. She ran her hand up her forehead, now grasping at her bangs with her fingers. "I...I was dreaming." She murmured quietly, staring blankly at the floor.




* *

 

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

Rina sighed a breath of relief when Setuna woke, but quickly grew concerned again when she saw Setsuna crying. "Setsuna-Sama? Are you alright? You seemed like you were having a nightmare."

Queen Makoto, who had rushed over when Setsuna was still sleeping, gently gripped Setsuna's elbow and made to help her back onto the couch. "I'll go get you some water." She turned and quickly left the room.

Rina knelt in front of Setsuna. "Could you please tell me what the dream was about?"  

[GS Tiger Eye]

"Setsu..." He joined Rina and helped Setsuna back up on the couch. He put his hand on Setsus forehead. "Shes kinda warm. Do you guys have ice?" He didnt know what else to do but he listened to hear what Setsunas dream was about. "You nearly made me poop myself." He tried to joke hoped that it would cheer her up.  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

Setsuna shook her head in protest. "No. I don't need ice." She had thankfully stopped crying, but she started to shiver from the cold that grazed her skin because it was still damp from her perspiration.

She looked in between Tiger and Rina, finally starting to calm down and collect her thoughts. "It was...such a strange dream." She began, shaking her head at the ridiculousness of the situation. "...it seemed more like something that Neo Queen Serenity would have dreamed about...for it was a tropical forest full of fruits that tasted of candy and sweets." She wanted to laugh at the thought, but she didn't have it in her at the moment.

"I ate them because I was hungry...and then...I remembered my children. Then suddenly I was falling...falling forever into a black vortex of my own guilt." She shut her eyes tightly for a moment, trying to get the memories out of her head. "It was as though I was stuck in my own dream. I...I couldn't get out." She ran her hands into her bangs for a moment to regain her composure.

"After that...I felt and saw a warm, green light, and everything stopped. Miaka appeared to me and...freed me. Then I woke up."

* *

 

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

"A vortex of your own guilt? Setsuna-San, what is there for you to be guilty about? You've done nothing wrong!" Rina took Setsuna's hand and held it, wanting to be of some comfort to the woman who was like a second mother to her.

Outside of the room on the other side of the door, Queen Makoto stood listening to the conversation. Her hand tightened on the glass of ice water she held as Miaka's name was mentioned. She waited for more details about the nightmare.

*I want to believe what Tiger said.* Makoto thought to herself. *But how can I be sure? I'll wait for another minute; hear what her response is, if there is one.*  

[GS Tiger Eye]

"Shes right Setsu. I dont know what went on but it sounds like your torturing yourself and you shouldn't be." He kept close to her. "Do you got a blanket somewhere for her Rina?"  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

Setsuna shivered more, not realizing how cold she was as she protested. "No, I don't need a blanket. I'm fine." Normally she would have preferred being colder, as the climate of earth was much warmer than that of Pluto. Her body, however, was very out of balance from supporting these babies, so she never knew when she'd be hot or cold.

Her thoughts returned to her horrible nightmare. "Even if the guilt was false...it was still painful. You're right. I am torturing myself." She hugged herself tightly as she sat there. "Yet something about the dream seemed magical, like someone outside of me was trying to keep me there...to drive me mad." Setsuna couldn't explain it any better, and thought for sure that they thought she was insane by now.

"If Helios were only here...he could help me with this..." She felt like crying, but her well of tears was completely dried up.

* *

 

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

"I'll get a blanket. Be back in a minute." Rina placed the little crystal heart into Setsuna's hand and walk ever to open the door; saw Queen Makoto standing on the other side with tears in her eyes.

"There you are. I was wondering where you'd gone." She dropped her voice so not to be overheard. "I'm assuming you heard everything that was said just now. So I hope you understand the situation. Setsuna-Sama would never order Tiger-Eye Sama to kill Miaka-Chan." Rina brushed past Queen Makoto and left the room.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as Queen Makoto brought the still cold water over to Setsuna and then sat next to her.

"Setsuna-San? About Miaka...I....." She paused, trying to find the right words to properly apologize for thinking that one of her closest friends ahd betrayed her, when in fact it was the complete opposite.  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

"Mako-chan!" Setsuna seemed surprised to see her sit next to her, especially after all that happened. She wanted to say something to her, but she did not know what. She continued to sit there, hugging herself with a slight shiver as she looked upon the ground.

She found her mind wandering, thinking about the bizarre dream and all it's contents. It was a mixture of her false guilt, and of a nightmare, and...something else. She could sense negative energy there. She noted that it had been a long time since she'd had a nightmare of such a high caliber, and while it was perfectly normal to have strange dreams while pregnant, she could not help but wonder.

"What if dreams are being affected because Helios is being held by a being of dark energy?" She said aloud, not necessarily meaning to.
* *

 

[GS Tiger Eye]

"What? Sensei is in trouble?" He growled. "Are you sure that could happen babe? I mean come on! Helios-sensei is so powerful!"  

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

Rina came back in with a blanket and covered Setsuna in it. "There. That should keep you....do you guys hear that?" She held a hand up to her ear.

A faint whinny echoed in the room. Rina looked around. "We don't own any horses......" She looked out the window. "Oh my God! Look!"

A pegasus with a gold horn stood just outside the window looking in. Both Rina and Queen Makoto got up and ran outside to the side of the house where the pegasus stood.

"Papa! You're alive!" Rina ran towards the pegasus, but as she tried to hug it, she fell through him. She gasped in shock as her knees and hands hit the ground. The pegasus turned and laid it's head on Rina's shoulder as she began to cry.

"King Helios....is the really you?" Queen Makoto asked.  

[GS Tiger Eye]

"Sensei?" He felt his ears twitch when he heard the sound but he tucked the blanket around Setsuna before he looked up. "Stay warm babe. I'll be right back." He ran out where the girls were. "SENSEI! Is that you?"  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

Setsuna hardly had time to speak before noticing the familiar white pegasus in the window. "H-helios?" She suddenly found herself alone, however, as the rest of them sped outdoors.

She settled beneath the blanket, still holding onto the small, green stone which encased Miaka's soul. She kept looking at it, gently rubbing her thumb across the faceted surface.

She had a bad feeling, for how would Helios have known that they were in trouble? But of course, the dream realm was his domain, and he had a connection to everyone's dreams. Of course, if her nightmare had been something truly serious, he would have been able to tell. After all, it could have been Helios trying to get to her all along, perhaps to provide her with a warning. There were so many questions still left unanswered.

And yet, the bigger question that left her unsettled was...how did Helios possibly escape from Mila?
* *

 

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

The pegasus nods, and his voice suddenly echoes into their minds.

"Everyone, please listen closely. Small Lady and I are being help captive in the old hideout of what was known as the Dark Kingdom. It's location is..."

"D-Point, at the North Pole." Queen Makoto finished. "It's been a long time since I've had to think about that place. But how did you ecsape?"

Pegasus looked over at Rina, who still sat on the ground crying. "I think it should be obvious by now. This is my other form, the one that hid inside my maiden's golden mirror when Nehelenia was alive. My real body is with Small Lady, trapped in a cage. This form is merely a mirage, similar to the illusion of Sailor Evolution which is created by the little piece of her crystal in Setsuna's hand." He looked through the window to Setsuna.

"Tiger, the nightmare Setsuna-San just encountered was of Mila's doing. She's trying to put doubt in Setsuna's mind, to turn her against us. The same might happen to my daughter."  

[GS Tiger Eye]

He scratched his head and looked at Makoto. "Whats D-point?" He looked back at Helios and listened to the rest of it. "Don't worry Sensei. I'll let Setsu know, and I'll protect Rina."