Racing Against Time: Save the King and Queen!

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

This role-play is officially back in progress! Remember to use appropriate language, and have fun!

-Captain Crystal~Sailor~Jupiter  

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

Racing Against Time: Save the King and Queen!


Prologue:

April 24th, 3020.

The sun shone bright, the wind a light, crisp breeze. A huge crowd gathered in front of the enormous, glittering palace, eagerly waiting for their king and queen. Cheers and yells float like waves over the crowd, streamers floated over head in the breeze. The cheers and yells become louder and louder as the huge, wide doors to the palace open, and a couple approaches the pedestal in front of the steps. The man, in a dashing white and lilac suit and a billowing white cape, his golden-colored eyes sweeping the crowd, raised his hands in an unspoken command for everyone to settle down, before beginning to speak.

"Welcome to the Crystal Palace, loyal subjects of 30th century Crystal Tokyo. I, King Helios, bring exciting news. It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you all you future ruler! Yesterday afternoon, our daughter, Princess Rina, was born!"

King Helios turns to his wife, a slim woman with long, pink hair styled with buns at the top of her head, wearing a pink strapless, long flowing gown, stepped forward with a bundle in her arms. Her bright red eyes expressed the love flowing in them as she revealed a beautiful baby girl with light pink hair, sleeping in her mother's arms. The crowd roars as Queen SL Serenity carefully hands the new-born princess to the king and addresses the crowd in a slightly soft, sweet voice.

"My great people of Crystal Tokyo, I ask that you give my daughter the same respect and admiration that you give to us. Please treat her well."

Queen SL Serenity turned to the group applauding from the sidelines, smiling at the couple who stood in the front. The former King and Queen of Crystal Tokyo, Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, beamed like the shining sun and embraced their daughter as she ran over to hug them. Behind them, Sailors Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto stood with their families, taking turns in congratulating the new parents and welcoming the new princess into the world.

Queen SL Serenity felt a tug at the bottom of her dress, looked down to see two beautiful girls. One with brown hair and teal eyes, the other with snowy-white hair and light blue eyes. A young woman broke free of the group and rushed to grab the girls. She brushed her white hair from her face and her teal eyes held a sheepish expression as she addressed the queen.

"Your Majesty, I apologize for letting them out of my sight. They can be quite devious at times."

Queen SL Serenity laughed gently and shook her head. "There is no need to apologize, Sailor Nebula. I'm sure my own daughter will do the same at some point. How old are your girls, again?"

"They are both two years old, Your Majesty." Sailor Nebula responded.
"They are fraternal twins. This is Miaka." She pointed to the girl with brown hair. "And this is Ayami." She pointed to the girl with white hair.

Queen SL Serenity smiled at the two girls who stood proudly by their mother's side. "They both have little bits of you in them." She looked at Miaka. "But I would say that this one looks a lot more like her grandmother."

"I still have a hard time believing I am a grandmother." a woman's voice responded.

Nebula and the queen looked over to see Sailor Jupiter, otherwise known as Queen Makoto Kino, the ruler of planet Jupiter, approach the group. Her long brown hair hung in a curled ponytail, her green eyes filled with warmth as she embraced Queen SL Serenity.

"Congratulations, Chibiusa-Chan. I am so happy for you and Helios. I look forward to watching the new princess grow up to be as beautiful and kind as her parents."

Blushing, Queen SL Serenity looked over to where Helios stood with their daughter and her parents. "I hope she does." She responded.

Suddenly, the sky darkened; the wind picked up so that it howled. Lightning flashed, people began screaming and rushing back to their homes as trees were lifted from their roots, the ocean roared and became violent with enormous waves that crashed against the rocks below the cliff where the palace stood. A sphere of dark matter formed in front of the palace steps and a woman appeared out of it. Her long, black wavy hair and her black gown billowed in the wind, her deep amber-colored eyes narrowed towards the group trying to brace themselves against the elements. Her laugh echoed in the wind, and Neo-Queen Serenity gasped at the sight of the unwelcomed guest.

"It can't be! I sent you back to your mirror of darkness and sealed it permanently a long time ago! How did you escape again? Answer me, Nehellenia!"

The former queen of darkness, Nehellenia laughed at Neo-Queen Serenity's outrage. King Endymion stepped in front of his wife as King Helios grabbed Queen SL Serenity and pulled her behind him. All the sailor senshi formed a line of protection in front of the royal family, much to Nehellenia's amusement.

"Why, I simply came to congratulate the new parents." She met Queen SL Serenity's eyes. "And to bring a gift for the newborn princess."

Sailor Jupiter stepped forward. "We will not allow you to harm any of them, Nehellenia. I don't know how you escaped, but this time, we will stop you for good! You will not make it out alive!"

Nehellenia's smile disappeared; her eyes became flat and lifeless. "We will see just who makes it out alive!"

The senshi took their fighting stances as Nehellenia raised her staff and a dark glass sphere appeared before her and hovered over her head.

“If I can’t destroy the royal family of the accursed Moon Kingdom, then I will destroy everyone they hold dear to them!” Nehellenia screamed.

Her horrid laugh echoed in the howling winds as she tossed the sphere into the air and shot a black lightning bolt at it. The sphere shattered, unleashing thick, black smog that headed towards the royal family.

“Sailor Saturn! Sailor Pluto! Quickly, get the royal family inside before they get hurt! The rest of us will take care of Nehellenia!” Sailor Mars shouted.

Sailor Saturn and Pluto both nodded and ushered the royals into the castle, except for Neo-Queen Serenity. King Endymion stopped as he realized his wife was not following them.

“What are you doing, Serenity?!” he exclaimed. “We need to get inside! Hurry!”

Neo-Queen Serenity shook her head. “This is my responsibility, Endymion. Nehellenia should have been sealed away forever in her mirror of eternal darkness. But I did something wrong, and she somehow managed to escape. I will not stand by and allow her to exist any longer! Go, protect our daughter and granddaughter. I will come back to you, I promise! Now, GO!”

King Endymion reluctantly nodded and forced his daughter inside with Helios and their daughter before Pluto and Saturn closed the doors to the castle. Neo-Queen Serenity turned back to the battle in progress.

“Mars Flame Sniper!”

“Mercury Aqua Rhapsody!”

“Venus Love and Beauty Shock!”

“World Shaking!”

“Deep Submerge!”

“Jupiter Oak Evolution!”

One by one, the attacks were swallowed up by the approaching smog. Nehellenia laughed as the senshi tried in vain to stop its advance on the castle.

“It’s no good! Nothing will work on this thing! We can’t stop it!” Sailor Uranus shouted.

“Of course you can’t!” Nehellenia yelled. “It is a curse of my own creation, meant to eliminate anyone it comes in contact with! There is nothing you can do, nothing!” She laughed again as the senshi continued to attack the smog again and again, to no avail.

“Damn it! What can we do?!” Sailor Venus exclaimed.

Sailor Jupiter and her daughter Nebula watched helplessly with the others as the smog grew closer and closer. Neo-Queen Serenity raised her staff that held her silver crystal and created a protective shield. Suddenly, two small faint, yet familiar cries echoed in the wind. Sailor Nebula looked halfway down the palace steps, her eyes widening in horror as she spotted her two daughters holding each other and screaming at the smog that was just inches away from them.

“Miaka! Ayami! Noooo!” She ducked under the protective shield and rushed down the steps towards her children. She gathered them into her arms and ran back to the protective shield. Sailor Mercury and Neptune each took a child and moved aside to make room for Sailor Nebula.

“Nebula, look out!” Sailor Jupiter screamed.

Sailor Nebula looked over shoulder a second too late; the curse swallowed her up before she could get back into the protective shield and proceeded to swallow the entire group, shield and all.

“Yes! It’s finally happened! I finally killed that wretched queen and her guardians! Victory is mine at last!” Nehellenia laughed once more as the smog approached the castle doors.

Then, in the middle of the smog, a faint, shimmering light appeared. Nehellenia’s laugh subsided, her eyes narrowed, then widened as the light grew brighter and brighter, until the light became so intense she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Suddenly the smog was blasted back by a strong force. Nehellenia opened her eyes and stared in disbelief as Neo-Queen Serenity emerged out of the smog, followed by her guardians.

“Impossible! How could you have survived that?!” Nehellenia screamed.

“I’m sure you know by now, Nehellenia, that we will not be defeated so easily.” Neo-Queen Serenity responded. “The same, however, cannot be said for you. Now, be gone from this realm of existence, forever!”

She raised her staff once more; the senshi all raised their weapons and poured their power into the silver crystal until it shone brighter than the sun. Nehellenia squinted against the glare of the crystal, glanced over to see a small part of her curse that had not been destroyed by Neo-Queen Serenity’s power. She aimed her staff at the small portion of the curse, and directed it too the first body she saw; the shaking little body of Miaka Kino. The curse flew and hit Miaka in the chest; Miaka sank to the ground as Nehellenia shouted her final words:

“You think you have won, but this isn’t over! You will be destroyed one day, I swear to you!”

With that, Nehellenia vanished in the crystal’s light, never to return again.  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

EDITED for accuracy***

Setsuna had been afraid that something like this would happen.

She stood the closest to the doors, facing them, with her arms firmly crossed, guarding it closely that no one would come in, or go out. Not until she said it was safe. Nostalgia would creep in, as it were, and she couldn't help but shake her head in spite of herself.

There was a great deal of energy being released on the outside, including a familiar dark aura; one she could not quite place.

She had previously vocalized her concern to the party, telling them about the tremor she felt, including telling them that she did not know the origins of this warning.

She had explained that she was no longer the guardian of the time door, and that her son now had charge of it. Glancing into it for what is to come, is something she couldn't do without traveling there and consulting him. She proceeded to tell them that because she is connected to her element by aura and blood. This is why she could still detect the tremors that would resonate throughout the timeline.

Of course, she could always try to consult her Father, given that he'd get back to her in time to even prevent any damage. Such an option was unreliable and unpredictable at best.

There had been trouble back home, for which her husband had needed to stay behind. This trouble was what she had assumed had been the cause of the tremor she had felt. However uneasy it had been for him to let her go by herself, he'd agreed, and sent his apologies with her for his former teacher, Helios.

Setsuna had prayed to the primordials, hoping that her assumptions about the threat were over.

She concluded that now she was wrong. Her gaze remained stern as her deep, cherry eyes remained locked upon the door, as if she were trying to bore her gaze directly through it to focus on something way out into the distance.


* *

 

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

12 Years Later…. (Present Day)

“Miaka! Wake up, child! Your grandmother would like a word with you. You mustn’t keep her waiting.”

Miaka quickly sat up in her bed, blinking her eyes against the bright sunlight shining through her bedroom window. Her dark brown hair tumbled around her shoulders; her vivid green eyes sleepily looked towards the housekeeper who had awakened her from her slumber.

“Carlotta, it is only after six in the morning. Can’t it wait a little longer?”

“Your Highness, you know the queen waits for nobody. Now, hurry and get dressed. Her Majesty is already growing impatient. She is awaiting you in the dining hall.”

Miaka grudgingly rises from her bed and takes off her pajamas as Carlotta hands her a green, floor-length, long-sleeved gown made of silk. As soon as Miaka dressed Carlotta brushed her hair and styled it into a ponytail. Miaka walks from her room and down the stairs into the dining hall where her grandmother sat at the head of the table sipping a cup of tea with closed eyes.

“You are late again, my dear. Really, when are you going to learn to wake up on time?”

Queen Makoto Kino opened her eyes and looked at Miaka, eyebrows raised. Her slightly graying hair swayed from her long ponytail as she rose from her seat and walked to Miaka, who curtsied in return.

“I apologize, Grandmother. I forgot to set my alarm again.”

“Honestly, child. You are fourteen years old. It is high time you got your priorities into place.” Queen Makoto sighed. “You must be more responsible. One day you will be taking my place as the queen and protector of this planet. I need you to take your position more seriously. Do you understand, Miaka?”

Miaka bowed her head. “Yes, Grandmother.”

Queen Makoto smiled and hugged Miaka. “I only want what is best for you. After your mother passed away, I did my best to raise you to become a beautiful, strong, independent lady as well as a brave sailor senshi, like your mother and I.”

Miaka looked over to the small table set below the grand window in the dining room, toward the silver-framed picture of a beautiful white-haired woman with green eyes. She was holding a laughing baby girl in one arm and smiling down at something in the picture, though whatever it was had been blocked off by the frame.

“It has been twelve years, Grandmother. I know that she is gone, but there is something in the back of my mind telling me that I am forgetting something important about her. I don’t know what it is, but I feel… scared. It’s almost as if my mother…forget it. I’m sure it is just my imagination, right?” She looked up at Queen Makoto.

Queen Makoto was silent for a long moment, looking at the picture of her late daughter, before smiling and turning her attention back to Miaka. “Well now, I think it is time for your next training session. Let’s head over to the practice area, shall we?”

“But Grandmother! Today is Princess Rina’s birthday, don’t you remember?
We were invited to her party later this evening. Can’t we skip the training today? Please?”

Queen Makoto shook her head. “I’m afraid not, my dear. Even if it is Her Highness’s birthday, we cannot put aside our duties. You know that your training is vital in your education. Now, let us be off. The faster we get started, the sooner we will be done.”

Miaka sighed. “I don’t see the point of these emotion control lessons. I am perfectly capable of handling my emotions. Besides, all these so-called ‘lessons’ are just basic yoga and humming ridiculous chants.”

“You will thank me for this in the future, Miaka. One day, you will understand why this is important.”

“Why can’t that day be today?”

“You are not ready to know just yet, my dear.”

“Grandmother…”

“Not another word about it.”

“But…!”

“I said not another word, Miaka!”

“But Gran…!”

“That’s enough, young lady!” Queen Makoto interrupted and whirled around to face her granddaughter. “You will continue your lessons. End of discussion.”

Miaka narrowed her eyes at Queen Makoto’s back, her anger beginning to slowly rise as they approached the shrine next to the castle grounds. The trainer bowed as the queen entered the shrine with Miaka just behind her. She stopped as the trainer addressed Queen Makoto.

“Your Majesty, a pleasure to see you and Her Highness, as always. I trust the Princess is ready for her lesson today?”

Queen Makoto nodded. “Yes, I think she will do well, today, isn’t that right, my dear?”

Miaka stomped past her grandmother and the trainer to sit in her usual spot in the middle of the shrine. The trained bowed once more before retreating to join Miaka. Queen Makoto left the shrine and closed the doors, but not before Miaka looked back to the entrance, anger still visible in her face with red irises in her eyes instead of their usual green. More than a little shaken by what she had just seen, Queen Makoto walked through the grounds back to the castle, recalling the chilling conversation between Neo-Queen Serenity and herself twelve years ago.

*Begins flashback*

“Usagi-Chan, I still don’t think it was necessary to erase their memories.”

“There is no other way to keep the both of them safe, Mako-Chan. Neither of these girls will be safe unless Miaka can learn to control her emotions as she grows older.”

“What do you mean by that? I do not understand.”

“Do you see this, Mako-Chan?” Neo Queen Serenity points to the dark crystal hovering just above Miaka’s chest. “This is Miaka’s sailor crystal, which has now been tainted by Nehellenia’s curse. There was no other way to destroy this remaining piece except for sealing it inside something.”

“What does this have to do with Ayami, Usagi-Chan?”

“Let me finish. This curse is exceptionally dangerous. It has the power to take over one’s mind and body, if allowed to roam freely. As long as Miaka is able to control her emotions, the curse will remain dormant inside her crystal. But if she was to lose herself in a fit of rage, or unable to control this curse dwelling inside her, the curse will take over and something terrible will happen, not only to her, but to you and Ayami as well.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

“What I’m saying, Makoto, is that Miaka will turn into something evil and hated among us all if this curse finds a way to control her. Do not let Miaka give it that chance!”

“And what if it does?! What will happen to her?! What will she be turned into?”

Neo-Queen Serenity sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t think I want to know. I’m sure you don’t either. Just keep a very close eye on her, Makoto. Teach her how to control her emotions, before something horrible happens to us all.”

*Flashback ends*

Queen Makoto entered the castle and walked into the dining hall to sit in the same chair she had been before, holding the picture of her late daughter.

“Please, Nebula.” She whispered to the picture. “Help me figure out what to do. I want to keep your daughters safe from harm. I wish you were here right now. I miss you so much, my beloved daughter.”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty?” a voice interrupted. “I received a letter from the Crystal Palace in Crystal Tokyo on Earth. It says to remind you and Her Highness of Princess Rina’s birthday party this evening. I assume you would like me to set out a suitable outfit for the occasion for Her Highness?”

Carlotta approached Queen Makoto, who appeared to not have heard a single word as she blinked tears out of her eyes, still staring at the photo of Queen Nebula.

“Your Majesty?! Are you alright? Are you hurt?” Carlotta asked, worried.

Queen Makoto blinked and looked up at Carlotta as if she was coming out of a trance. “I…I’m sorry, Carlotta. I was just…”

Carlotta smiled gently and placed a hand softly on her shoulder. “It’s quite alright, Your Majesty. I understand. I will have something picked out for Her Highness for the ball tonight.”

The queen smiled and wiped her eyes. “Yes, thank you Carlotta. Miaka should be done with her lesson any minute. I suppose I will head up to get ready myself. Please pick Miaka up in my stead. I need a couple minutes alone.”

Meanwhile, over at the Crystal Palace in Crystal Tokyo...
 

[Tomoe-Hotaru-Sama]

“Mother? Rina and I would like to talk to you about something.”

Neo-Queen Serenity turned around to see the two girls standing just inside the doorway, a little nervous. She smiled and gestured for the girls to approach. Princess Ayami Tsukino, her long white hair floating like waves down her back, stood silently in front of Neo Queen Serenity for a minute before looking up at her with a sheepish expression in her light blue eyes.

Princess Rina, her light pink hair styled just like the other women in her family, her red eyes downcast, waited just behind her best friend as Ayami began to speak.

“Mother…I was wondering if…well….” Ayami sighed. “I don’t know how to ask this…”

Neo-Queen Serenity merely smiled and waited patiently for Ayami to speak again. Ayami took a deep breath, her hands clenching the skirts to gown, and tried to address her mother again.

“Mother…could Rina and I please go flower picking for a while? We already finished our senshi training today.” She spoke quickly before Neo-Queen Serenity could respond. “We won’t be gone long, and we will be just outside in the flower garden. Please?”

“Exactly how long will you two be gone?” A voice responded behind them.

Everyone looked behind to see Queen SL Serenity standing in the doorway, arms folded, looking at her daughter as Rina walked over to her.

“Please, Mother? Can’t we go for an hour?” Princess Rina asked hesitantly.

“I know the ball will be starting soon, but Ayami and I thought that we could spend a little time away from it all before we get ready. We’d really just like some time alone. Please?”

Queen SL Serenity looked from her daughter to Ayami, who still stood by her mother’s side, a pleading look in her eyes. Her eyes met with Neo-Queen Serenity’s; both gave each other a slight nod. She looked back down to Rina, who was still waiting for an answer.

“I’ll let you two go. But only for an hour. You both still need to get ready for the ball tonight.”

Rina’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Really?! Oh, thank you Mother! I promise we will both be back very soon!” She grabbed Ayami’s hand and raced for the door, picking up the two weave baskets on the way out.

Queen SL Serenity simply shook her head. Neo-Queen Serenity suppressed a chuckle. “You do realize,” Neo Queen Serenity began “that those two are using flower picking as an excuse for them to…”

“Yes Mom, I know very well what my daughter is up to.”“that those two are using flower picking as an excuse for them to…” Queen SL Serenity sighed. “Even after I specifically told that child not to boast about it for a time. Honestly, I don’t know how you put up with me for so long, Mom.”

“I did the same with Ayami. I guess neither of them can help it.” Neo-Queen Serenity looked out the window to the flower garden where the two girls huddled. “Tonight is the night where Ayami will finally meet her sister for the first time in twelve years since the incident. I wonder how they will react to each other, if they will recognize each other.”

“Let’s not forget that Ayami is Rina’s best friend, despite the two year age difference. I wonder if Miaka’s arrival will cause resentment and jealousy in Rina.” Queen SL Serenity replied.

As the two queens watched from the window, Rina and Ayami sat in the little flower garden just beyond the castle doors. They talked for a few minutes, laughing over something one of their training instructors had done during the session. After both had collected some flowers in their baskets, Rina leaned her head towards Ayami and lowered her voice, to avoid being overheard.

“Hey Ayami I need to show you something. My mother gave this to me earlier this morning, as an early birthday present. Take a look!”

Rina dug into a pocket on the side of her gown and pulled out a small pink crystal. Ayami’s eyes widened a little as the crystal seemed to glow from the inside.

“Rina, is that you’re…Is that your sailor crystal?!”

“Shh! Not so loud, Ayami!” Rina whispered as a few maids walking by stopped and looked over to them. “Yes, it is, and my mother finally said it was time for me to learn how to use it. She said that this used to be her crystal, but had it modified for me. I am so excited! I finally get to become the next sailor senshi in the family! Now all these stupid physical fitness lessons can stop.”

“Rina, you and I both know that the physical lessons are necessary, especially if you’re going to start your real training now.”

“Yeah, I suppose you’re…wait a minute. How do you know that this is my ‘real’ training?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t try to evade the question, Ayami. How do you know this is the start of my ‘real’ training? You sound almost as if you know what is going to happen.” Rina narrowed her eyes towards Ayami, who suddenly became very busy picking flowers. Rina’s eyes widened as the light dawned on her.

“You already have your crystal, don’t you?! You’ve already started your training!”

“I couldn’t help it, Rina. My mother wanted me to begin my training sooner than I expected, and she asked me to keep it a secret. She thought you would get really mad at me if you knew I began sooner than you.”

“Exactly how long have you been training as a sailor senshi, Ayami?"

“Well, almost two years.” Ayami clasped her hands together as Rina’s eyes widened again. “I was given my sailor crystal when I was twelve, and I started my senshi training almost immediately afterwards. I’m really sorry, Rina. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“It’s alright.” Rina sighed. “Come on, we should finish picking flowers and head back. Otherwise out mothers are going to drag us back in to get ready for the ball.”  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

Charon palace rested upon the snow-adorned, mountainous region of the Plutonian Empire, overlooking the main, majestic city, whose appearance resembled a harmonious marriage of Egyptian and Grecian styled architecture, complete with wear and tear. It felt as though one were stepping into an exotic, foreign world, especially with the violet-colored sky of early morning, filled with calming green ribbons of aurora dancing across it. A soft, crimson moon floated overhead, shining with a comforting pink light.

It was at least three in the morning, and Setsuna had not yet been to bed. It wasn't as though going to bed mattered much this night, for she had an important party to attend in a few hours. A birthday party.

The time difference between the hours of Pluto and the rest of the solar system had never posed a problem. This night had been an exception, for Setsuna had been kept up by more than just a reason not to sleep. Her mind had been swimming with thoughts about the tremor that had struck her 12 years ago.

It could not be a simple coincidence that another tremor of a similar aura would make itself known to her upon the eve of Princess Rina's birthday, according to Earth's calendar.

She'd had other problems as well. Political ones, but those she would have to save for a later date.

After this new tremor she had experienced the previous day, she had taken a careful walk to the temple of Era, an ancient building of severe ruin that had once been dedicated strictly to the Primordials, the gods which her people revered. In this place, Setsuna would pray.

The temple had been quiet and decaying as usual, but Setsuna had brought a bouquet of black roses there, as an offering to her Father. She had directed her prayers solely to him this time. She had humbly requested that if He could answer her before morning, she would be extremely grateful.

No such answer had arrived.

Setsuna had bitterly resided herself to the fact that no answer would come that night. She ended up spending the night in her laboratory, working on one of her recent projects analyzing a rare plutonian mineral called Viromagnum. This remarkable stone had been ruled off as a non-renewable resource nearly centuries ago, and it was certainly something worth studying again.

This task had kept her distracted from her thoughts for a time, but of course she would revisit her concerns as the hour grew late.

Setsuna had also taken the liberty to get dressed and ready to leave, since the point of rest had become less and less valid as the night turned to early morning.

Her long, evergreen hair was pulled up onto the top of her head, all tied up into an elegantly twisted bun, with two wavy whisps on either side of her face, leaving her bangs the same as they always were, with a ceremonial, golden tiara resting upon her brow. In her ears were a pair of dangly, teardrop earrings of garnet, outlined in silver, and around her neck was a striking, black choker. She wore a rich, black roman-stylized gown of heavy velvet fabric which gathered beneath her bosom and draped elegantly over one shoulder. The gown fell all the way down to the ground in gentle waves, leading to softer black fabric upon the bottom edges. Her normally, moderately slender figure was currently adorned in slightly more curves than usual, the most obvious one being her large, growing belly, which would be seen moving on occasion if one were to boldly stare.

These days, her hair was leaning more towards emerald in terms of color, and after spending so many years on Pluto, her skin had gradually regained some natural pigment, a reverse effect, and was now more of a soft cinnamon color. In age, however, Setsuna did not look any different. As it was with someone who was cursed with immortality, she never would.

She steadily paced around her lab, her face rigid and stern as she continued to let her concerns churn within her sharp mind. Her unborn child had also been in protest of sleep, and had seemed to let her know through consistent movement. Setsuna kept her hands clasped together as she paced, pressing them against her lips as she pondered, her face remaining locked in her stern expression. The soft swishing of the heavy fabric of her gown brushing against the laboratory floor was the only sound that provided her company.

On the north wall of her laboratory, a screen filled up the majority of space, with the remainder of the walls filled tidily with calendars of nearly every planet in the system, with the mother control board located directly below the main screen, looking very much like the controls of an airplane than anything else. The upper left hand corner of the large screen contained one main virtual clock, combined with various other clocks surrounding it in one clean border. The main clock said 3:29, which meant that in another minute, Setsuna would have to awaken her husband, that he may be ready in time to leave at 4:00.

The west wall contained a plethora of equipment which mostly consisted of medical apparatus's and a tidy table space, complete with a deep sink and clean metal table tops. Along the wall was also a door, behind which, contained nothing but items in storage.

The eastern wall was very much a rainbow in its own right, containing various beakers, burners, microscopes, cylinders, rods, bulbs, dishes of various sizes, buret's, flasks, funnels, clamps, pipets, along with various test tubes, most of which were full of colored liquids, and various other equipment that would be foreign to someone of no scientific experience. Below these various shelves rested more table space, with three separate projects strewn out across them with various notes Setsuna had taken. A door upon this wall, which served as the only disturbance in the rainbow's consistency, contained a safe room where more dangerous and challenging experiments were performed. This place was, of course, locked up tight, and for the time being would remain avoided for obvious reasons.

The south wall was nothing but an empty wall with a two-door doorway which Setsuna would leave open all the time, at the request of those that cared for her.

The restless, ancient senshi continued to pace until she heard the familiar sound of the main clock going off, and she promptly exited the room. She travelled rather quickly, her elegant stride not yet burdened by her child to the point that she would walk with a slight waddle. Thankfully this would not occur until a much later time.

She had explained to Tiger previously that they would be traveling by GChron, a type of plutonian aircraft that resembled the Earthlings 'airplane' in a way. The GChron was compact, royal starship with a slick, shiny black paint job, with a build that resembled the majestic manta ray. The interior was luxurious and cozy, and handled like a motorized vehicle.

By leaving at 4:00 am Plutonian time, they'd be able to make it to the party with time to spare.

Once she reached the end of the hall, she pulled open the doors at the end of it, entering her bedroom. The room was quite large, but cozy, adorned in an extravagant combination of deep, velvet crimson and black curtains and tapestries ordained in silver and gold plutonian designs. The walls themselves were always black-painted gypsum. The bed in the center was large and oblong in shape and was canopied, adorned in crimson, gold-lined bedding complete with the support of black wood.

"Tiger." She called in a soft, but stern voice, coming over to switch on the bedside lamp. "Tiger. Wake up." She repeated, re-checking the bags that she had placed by the door the previous evening, knowing that she had hers and Tiger's things all ready to go. "Tiger, it's time to get ready." She spoke once more, her voice remaining stern, yet always calm as she approached the bedside, using one hand to shake his shoulder. "It's 3:30. We must leave in half an hour."

Setsuna was aware that she sounded a bit harsh, but getting her husband out of bed was never an easy task. It was always like waking a sleepy child.

* *

 

[GS Tiger Eye]

Tiger rolled over shirtless in bed with his head and flowy curls underneath the pillow. He reached his hand out blindly feelin' for Setsuna. "mruhfufufff." he mumbled and pulled his head out from under the pillow and turned over with his arm behind his head. "Eeey. Hey babe." He cleared his throat his deep voice sounding gravelly and tired. He grinned at her and reached for her. "What you all dressed up for? Not that Im complainin'." He growled and grinned. He frowned when she mentioned what time it was. He shoved the pillow back over his head and groaned. "NNNNNUHHHHH. I dun wanna." His keen pointy ears twitched and he moved the pillow off and looked at her. "Hey. You never came to bed last night." He held out his hands to her. "You tryin' kill me? I can't go long without affection." He snickered and gently took her wrist. "I'll wither away to nothing." he teased and wiggled his eyebrows. "C'mon. Gimmie some sugar." He smirked and leaned and made a kissy face.

.....he knew her well enough to know that the party was important to her. "So the party...I missed the last one. I didnt get to see Helios sensei." He grinned sleepy and hopped up. "I'll be ready in a flash, babe." He ran to the bathroom.
He looked at himself proud and grinned. "Why....good morning handsome." At the stunning age of 44 he was in his best shape ever. His flame gold hair was longer and it fell long and wavy over his broad shoulders. He grumbled when he saw some grey pieces and he wanted to yank em out but it hurt. He had lines on the outer corners of his eyes. His smile lines and his dimples were deeper but it just made him look even more sexy. He admired his perfect body in the mirror and flexed a little but stopped when he felt some pain in his right arm. "Grrr....stupid." his whip elbow had been hurtin' him a lot and it was about to pissi him off. He got showered and dressed in a slick white slacks and a blue collared shirt and left the first 2 unbuttoned at the top. He put on a matching white blazer and slapped on a beefy gold watch and a pair of gold stud earrings. He didnt wanna do the ponytail today so he left his gorgeous hair alone. "Stay handsome while I'm gone." He snickered and winked at himself in the mirror. "I know I will."

He came out and spun on his heel and held his hands out. "Fine wine, eh?" He waltzed up to her and stole a kiss of her cheek and rubbed her arm. "So you ok? Hows the cub?" He thought she looked fine but he could tell when she was worried about somethin. "No prob. I'll load up the ship and we'll get going." He smiled at her genuine and loaded himself up with the luggage and carried everything to the ship. He went back for her and helped her in it too. "Watch your step babe. Its kinda slick." He made sure she was safe and buckled in the passenger seat and went around and got in and cranked it up. "All passengers please remain seated until the vehichle is in the air. All important cargo should be strapped in secure." He joked and pretended he had a remote mic. "Roger roger, ready for take off. " He gripped the wheel and looked over at Setsuna. "You ready, beautiful?" He grinned and took off and set the course straight for earth. "Two of us ridin' nowhere...dun dudn dun...onnnn our waaaaayyyyy back home...." He sang in a funny voice and bobbed his head a little.  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

Setsuna was very thankful that Tiger was being understanding this morning, despite the fact that she ended up rolling her eyes at him several times, something that she did moreso an act of anticipation than ridicule. She was indeed in a stressed state, but she would never harm him for anything. "I'll kiss you when you're awake." She remarked, unable to stifle a small smile on his behalf.

As she waited for him to get ready, she'd pulled out her compact and the time to apply a fresh coat of crimson lipstick, making sure to keep the lines even as she finished. "You look dashing." She replied to him promptly, giving him another fond smile.

Setsuna couldn't help but smile more in the midst of his attempts to cheer her up. "I am quite alright, and the baby is fine." She pressed her hands there for a moment, before a disturbing thought came across her mind. She didn't want to think that the tremor had anything to do with their child, but at this point, what was she supposed to think? She couldn't get answers from anyone.

With these concerning thoughts, Setsuna's brooding mood returned. "The baby was restless throughout the night. As was I." She proceeded to explain to Tiger, making sure to grab her small, elegant drawstring purse of black velvet on the way out. She followed closely while Tiger loaded the remaining luggage into the GChron. "I don't know why I kept expecting an answer from Father. I figured after all the times he's ignored me that he....owed me, I suppose." She felt foolish, thinking that she could rely on her father for anything.

With the Primordial gods, or with any of them for that matter, nothing came without a price.

It was well known that the Primordials were proud of being the predecessors of the Olympians, and in so doing, demanded a much higher price to be paid in exchange for a gift or a favor. Exceptions were made, of course, and given freely depending upon which god or goddess was giving it.

The gracious Lady Artemis had been good to Setsuna in recent years. Even Lady Athena had taken part in insuring the preservation of Setsuna's great wisdom. As for her father, her flesh and blood, Lord Chronos. That was a different story entirely. She was fully and painfully aware that being a god was no easy lot to be settled with, but she was his daughter. His flesh and blood.

She turned her attention back to her husband, noting that she was thankful that he too was eager to get a move on.

As the GChron had ascended upon takeoff, Setsuna had become quite sick, a situation she'd hoped had settled down as her pregnancy had progressed. She had proceeded to close her eyes while placing one hand over her mouth, and the other on her belly in instinctive protection. It wasn't as though Tiger was driving it like a madman either, for she knew he was being quite careful. The nature of the travel simply made her sickness resurface in an unpleasant way.

Once they'd settled on the steady course set for Earth, Setsuna was able to relax and ward off the sickness. She wiped the faint glisten from her brow, then reached into the glove compartment in front of her to pull out a soft, lavender blanket. She draped it over herself to fight off her minor cold sweat, soon finding her forehead resting against the passenger window. Her deep, cherry eyes remained fixed as she watched the beautiful stars go by as the violet sky gave way to the vast reaches of black, empty space.

Tiger's singing did not bother her, and she'd learned to block it out if she needed to. Normally she would be smiling at him. Laughing even.

She felt her eyes become heavy as the twinkling lights went by. She could see Neptune far off in the distance before them, at least until her eyes closed and she quickly drifted off.

Tiger had been the light of her life for twenty-five years now. As difficult as it was to believe, he had become her unexpected best friend. The best she'd ever had.

He was also her lover. A brilliant lover, in fact, and while Setsuna was not a promiscuous woman by any means, she was grateful for his...companionship.

He was also her husband. A man who had taken the traditional Plutonian vows with her. A man who had his palm slashed open to press against her identical wound, to symbolize the joining of husband and wife by blood. To this day, they still share these scars on each of their right palms.

When she had found her true love, Setsuna made the decision to return the Time Gate to her Father. A difficult task that left her scarred and worse off in His already discerning eyes. But these small things were a small price to pay for love.

She had thought that she'd loved Endymion long ago. Watching someone from afar was a painful type of love, especially when his attentions were meant for another woman, a woman whom Setsuna would come to love as a sister. Setsuna had also once foolishly thought that she'd had a responsibility to Hotaru, to become her real mother, and to marry the lonely Souichi.

Things change however, when you take a step back and truly look at your own life.

Setsuna would meet her true love, never in a million years thinking that this kind of man would be her type. It would seem that opposites truly do attract, and ultimately adhere.

Their life together had never been perfect. They'd quarreled like any other couple in a relationship. They'd also gone through many hard times.

By now, Setsuna had long since accepted the devastating fact that Tiger would grow old and die, while she remained the same. But she knew, that considering she wasn't killed, and if she continued to live on, she knew that whatever she did in her past, or whatever she would do in her future, it could never be as grand as the time she'd spent with him.


* *

 

[GS Tiger Eye]

Tiger kept going on and watched the planet Saturn when they went by it. He kept his hands on the steering and looked up in the rear view mirror and looked at his teeth. He ran a hand through his thick hair and smirked at himself. "Hey Setsu." He kept his eyes lookin' forward. He waited but she didnt answer him and he glanced over. He saw her sleeping and smiled softly at her. He took his hands off the wheel and leaned over on the arm rest and rested his cheek on one hand. He tilted his head a little and watched her sleep and smiled softly.

He suddenly felt the ship slowly start to swerve and a huge sweatdrop popped over his head. and he panicked and grabbed the wheel. He set it straight and sighed in relief and looked over at Setsu and was relieved he didnt wake her. He grinned at her again and tucked the blanket over her shoulder. "I love you." He whispered.

He put his hands back on the wheel and sighed. "Doo doo doo...scooby doo...where are you?" He chanted and watched the other planets go by and finally saw earth. "Wow. Weird seeing home from this angle." He stared at the earth and leaned over to wake up Setsu. "Hey babe. We're about to enter the atmosphere. Might wanna be awake for the shakes." He leaned forward and shifted the gears to slow it down comin' in where the windows turned red. It stayed smooth as it could on the way down and he started to see the crystal palace come in view. "Hope they don't mind where I land this thing." He snickered a little and concentrated on a smooth landing. He kept looking over at Setsuna nervously to keep making sure she was alright. He got the ship on the ground as careful as he could in front of the palace. "Damn! Forgot how bright it was here." He snickered and got out his sunglasses and put them on. "Gonna go blind here if Im not careful." He snickered and got outta the ship and flicked his hair. He went around to Setsu's side to help her out. "Hey, you going to be alright?"  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

Setsuna abruptly opened her eyes to Tiger waking her, surprised to hear that they would soon be entering the Earth's atmosphere. "Earth already?" She slowly shifted in her seat, partly in disbelief that she'd allowed herself to fall asleep. "I must have needed that nap." She stated quietly, slowly moving the blanket off of herself, then tidily folding it before placing it back into the glove compartment.

She pulled the overhead mirror down, taking a moment to check her hair and makeup, making sure that nothing was askew. She leaned over with some difficulty, to pick up her purse from off the floor. She fished through the velvet bag, pulling out her lipstick once more. She applied a fresh of the rich, crimson color for good measure. She looked over at Tiger as she closed the mirror. "I'm sorry Tiger. I didn't mean to fall asleep on you." She apologized, wishing that she had not succumbed to her fatigue.

She turned her attention to the view outside of the window, gazing upon the Earth in front of them. She had once lived there with Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru. What a time it had been, to experience raising a little girl for the first time. Caring for Hotaru had given Setsuna the first taste of motherhood, and it had been something that she ached for within her very soul, to someday be a real mother.

She could not know that in the coming years, she would be blessed so graciously.

Setsuna's thoughts returned to the breathtaking view of Earth, finding herself wishing that her home planet was not so far away. "It's beautiful." She remarked quietly, turning to look at Tiger for a moment, giving him a fond smile. "I am glad we came."

Setsuna braced herself against the sudden jolt that came from entering outermost layer of the atmosphere. She suddenly felt sick, clasping her hand over her mouth once more, only this time using her other hand to grip Tiger's wrist. She silently questioned why the turbulence was making her so nauseous. Her mind wandered back to her concerns about the awful tremor, and how her maternal concerns had led her to think that perhaps the child was in danger.

Perhaps it had not been safe to travel, even in such a smooth, flying machine as the GChron. Perhaps the flight had harmed the child in some way. Setsuna couldn't know, but the thought made her even more unwell.

When they had discovered the pregnancy, the two of them had agreed to wait to discover the baby's gender upon its birth. It was something they'd never done, nor ever been able to do. They had agreed that being surprised would be a good experience.

Setsuna ceased to wonder further, concentrating more upon fighting against her terrible sickness. She fought fiercely, and was able to make it when they landed, but with great difficulty.

Once the GChron was settled, Setsuna remained very still, concentrating on taking several deep, calming breaths. She wasn't about to let a small bout of sporadic nausea beat her. After a couple of minutes, the rosy blooms of color had returned to her cheeks, and she felt much closer to normal. As Tiger opened her door for her, the smell of fresh, Earthen air helped her feel much better.

She took his hand, gripping it firmly as she slowly stepped into the fresh, foreign air. Once she stood up, she took a moment to stretch, pressing her palms against her lower back. She craned her neck as she gazed upon the bright blue sky, her deep, cherry eyes sparkling slightly with familiarity. She released a quiet groan after stretching, lowering her eyes to look upon her swollen abdomen. "Quite the trip, wasn't it baby?" She took a moment to brush off and slightly adjust her gown. Her back still hurt her a bit, but even so, she would always keep her posture straight as a lady should.

"I am fine, sweetheart. Don't worry." She replied, turning back to Tiger. She leaned up, placing a tender kiss on his cheek. She then made sure to stash her small purse within her dress pocket, which was hidden in an obscure and stylish way within the folds of her gown.

"Now, let us go inside." She stated, eager to enter the palace."It looks as though we have time to spare, but I am anxious to see everyone. Especially Small Lady." She found herself suddenly mulling over those words, noting that Chibiusa, or rather, Usagi the second, was no longer the little girl she once knew. That little girl had been Setsuna's first true friend, and perhaps her longest, in regards to consistency.

Setsuna was still very fond of Small Lady, and loved her very much. That much had never changed. To see her with a family, and a daughter of her own was something that was still registering, even within Setsuna's sharp mind. However, to Setsuna, Usagi the second would always be her beloved Small Lady.

Setsuna pressed on, carefully climbing the steps to the doors then proceeding to knock, hoping that someone would answer them.

* *

 

[GS Tiger Eye]

Tiger tipped his sunglasses down and smirked at her. "Yeah. Its too bad we couldn't have a romantic ride out here." He wiggled his brows and slid the shades back up and held out his arm for her to take it. He helped her up the steps. "By the way You look beautiful." he leaned and said to her and kept walking with her. Beautiful wasnt enough of a word to describe Setsuna.

"ANYBODY HOME?" He stood with her and knocked on the doors.  

[Crystal_Sailor_Jupiter]

Neo Queen Serenity hurried to open the doors for the early guests.

“Welcome, Setsuna-San and Tiger’s Eye. Please, come inside.” She quickly ushered them in before closing the doors. “I apologize for making you wait,” She began as she led the way down the wide hallway and towards the enormous throne room where the ball would take place. “I wasn’t expecting anyone to arrive so soon. My granddaughter and Ayami are preparing themselves as we speak. I’m sure they will both be quite pleased to see you both.”

Neo-Queen Serenity opened the doors to the throne room which was still in progress. Servants scrambled to set tables and chairs, plates and glasses. Others hurried to arrange flower pots strategically around the room. The three throne chairs were adorned with pink and gold ribbons, the walls draped with pink and gold banners. Pink and gold balloons floated at the ceiling. The banner just behind the thrones read “HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS RINA!” in bright pink letters. Neo-Queen Serenity smiled at the woman who stood in the middle of the room, trying to control the chaos that reigned in the room.

“No, no, put those flowers next to the doors over there! The tables must be covered with a gold cloth before being set! And don’t forget the pink napkins! Everything needs to be perfect before the guests arrive!”

Queen SL Serenity turned as she heard the doors opened and she saw the group in the doorway of the room. Her beautiful red eyes, shimmering with faint annoyance, blinked a few times before they widened with excitement and her bright, eager smile took over.

“Setsuna-Sama! Tiger’s Eye-Sama! You’re so early!” She exclaimed as she hurried towards them, her arms reaching out ready to embrace them. “I’ve missed you both so much! Rina will be so happy to see you here! She was worried that you two wouldn't be abe to make it to the party. Now she has even more to be excited about! Oh, how is your baby doing? You must be exhausted after traveling for so long. Please, come take a seat. You won’t be disturbing anyone here.”

She pulled back a chair from the closest table to them and guestured for Setsuna to sit down. "You won't believe how much she has grown over the past two years since you've last made a visit to Earth. Her training as the newest sailor senshi of the family has progressed much faster than any of us could've imagined."  

[Crystal Sailor Pluto]

Setsuna had really expected a warmer welcome from Neo Queen Serenity, but ultimately she concluded that the woman was simply stressed and preoccupied with the various birthday preparations for her granddaughter.

She was once the original Sailor Moon, and Setsuna, the original Pluto, but times had changed. Setsuna's eldest daughter, Suzuka, was now Sailor Pluto, and now Rina would perhaps soon be taking the title from Queen SL Serenity. If not now, Rina would inherit the mantle eventually.

"It is good to see you Usagi." Setsuna replied, hoping that her old friend would not mind if she used such an informal name. Surely they knew each other well enough to be able to do so. "You must be very proud." She said to her in the midst of the decorating chaos. "I am sorry that we are early, but I would not be much of a time senshi if I showed up late to anything." She stated with a calm smile.

Setsuna's attention was turned however, when she locked eyes with Queen SL Serenity. "Small Lady..." She smiled calmly as she was embraced, returning the gesture as her deep-cherry eyes softened in recognition. "Please forgive me for calling you that. My intentions are not to embarrass you. Even after many years since you've grown into a beautiful lady, I will always see you as my Small Lady."

Setsuna nodded calmly as she took the seat that was offered to her, fighting back the hormonal emotion that threatened to well in her eyes from her reunion with SL Serenity. Thankfully she was able to hold her emotions back as she sighed quietly, appreciating the relief of tension in her back that was provided by sitting down.

Setsuna smiled softly on as she listened to SL Serenity speak about Rina and several other things, chuckling lightly at the pink-haired woman when she noticed that she still possessed the same vibrant spirit she did as a little girl. "I look forward to seeing Rina again. She deserves to be happy this day."

Setsuna felt a faint flush in her cheeks when asked about the baby. "I admit, I am a bit tired." She replied, glancing at her husband. "Even though I accidentally napped on the way over...which I didn't need to do." She placed a hand upon her belly, giving it a gentle rub. "The baby is doing well. Very active, and yet...growing very quickly it seems." She looked to Tiger, smiling fondly at him. "We have decided to wait until it is born to know the gender. It is something we haven't been able to do before."

* *