Setsuna was sitting in her room in the Charon Castle. She looked up at the stars.
“ They are so beautiful,” she said aloud to herself. “ Something is very peculiar about them. It seems as if they are all forming a picture. I cannot quite see it, though.”
“ Princess….” A voice called behind her.
Setsuna turned around. It was Urawa Shingo. A male servant in the castle. She gave him her complete attention and interest. Shingo stood and shyly spoke to her. “ You…I mean… you have a visitor.”
“ Arigadou, Shingo-kun. I appreciate it.”
“ Dou itashimashite, Setsuna….. I mean…. Princess. She’s right outside.”
Setsuna brushed past Shingo as if he was no longer there. Shingo blushed.
Setsuna found Ann standing before her. “ Sailor Pluto, I am very sorry to bother you. I was too afraid to go to anyone else. I need your help. You must help me. I may be in deep trouble.”
“ Why should I help you?” Setsuna asked.
“ Because no one else can. You see, Alan has been captured.” Ann explained. Her face was full of rue as if she were to begin crying. “ He has been captured by negative forces.”
“ Alan? Who are these negative forces?” Setsuna commanded. “ Is it the dark kingdom?”
“ No, Sailor Pluto. These are much more stronger and more powerful. They’ve found a way to travel through time.”
“ IMPOSSIBLE!” Setsuna exclaimed. They can only travel through a time warp which can only be done through any blood of Chronos. Are you sure you are correct?”
“ I’m sure. I must leave now, but I’m begging you. Kudasai, if you can. Travel through time to find my Alan. Rescue him.” Ann requested. She then left and Setsuna watched her every step.
A few days later, Setsuna had made her decision. She called Shingo to her room.
“ Yes, Princess?” he said with a questioning look.
“ Call Ann back. I must speak with her.”
“ Done, Princess,” he said and took one step out the door. “ Is that all?”
“ Yes. I mean no! Shingo-kun, could you do me a favor? Call me, Setsuna.”
A big smile spread across his face. “ Sure, Prin… I mean Setsuna.”
Setsuna told Ann that she would do it. Ann became excited and hugged Setsuna. “ Also, I have another thing to ask. May I go with you? So I can be there when Alan is released?”
“ You must be very careful,” Setsuna warned. “ But, I’ll let you come.”
The time came and Setsuna decided that she should go in her senshi fuku.
“ PLUTO PLANET MAKE-UP!”
Sailor Pluto and Ann, entered the Time Gate. She looked inside the door. “ Show me Alan!” she commanded.
Alan suddenly appeared, and he seemed to be in a lot of pain. He struggled to be released. Setsuna tried to step through the door, but something held her back. She couldn’t go through! Setsuna stared at the door, puzzled.
“ Is something wrong?” Ann asked.
“ I cannot go through. Nothing can hold me back!” Setsuna cried.
Setsuna spent days trying to figure out what was going on. She never could understand it though. She went to her father for his advice. “ Setsuna, I do not know what to tell you. I can’t figure out what could have kept you back. This is something you must fight on your own,” he said.
Setsuna sat on her bed when there was a knock on her door. She turned to face Shingo again. “ Hello, Setsuna. Is something wrong?” he asked.
Setsuna poured out the whole story to Shingo and he listened well. “ Well, I don’t know much about these things, but…..” he started.
“ But what?” she asked.
“ Only related blood of Chronos can control the time gate. So, this negative force can be right here in the family,” he suggested.
“ But who could it be?” she asked.
“ There’s some documents and records on the family in the library. Look at see who seems most suspicious and capable,” he said.
Setsuna jumped up and hugged him tight. “ Arigadou, Shingo-kun! Arigadou!” She gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Setsuna and Shingo blushed.
Setsuna spent weeks in the library until she found a record of one person that she had a strange feeling about. It was another girl about her age named Setsuna. She had filled the same requirements to be responsible of the time gate. She was very capable of it also. Setsuna wondered why she hadn’t been the time guardian. Setsuna took a break and sat beside the time door. She looked to see how Alan was doing. But this time he was in a different place.
HE WAS IN THE DOOM TREE BESIDE ANN!
Something just wasn’t right and Setsuna finally figured it out. She called Ann back once again to take her to the time gate. She watched Ann closely, because she knew there was something fishy about her. There was more to this than Alan in “captivity”. Ann was up to something.
This time, Sailor Pluto was able to reach the place where Alan was “captured”. It was a dark place somewhere in time. She looked to her right to see Ann biting her fingernails. What was bothering her? “ You go left, and I’ll go right. Give me a signal when you think you’ve found him. I will rush toward your aid.”
A smile appeared on Ann’s face as she turned towards the other direction without saying a word.
Sailor Pluto felt bad that she had let Ann out of her sight, but she didn’t want Ann to know that she was on to her. Or that she knew something was up. She stepped further. “ ALAAAAANN!” she called with fear in her voice.
She heard a rustling sound, so she tried to move towards it. She heard it again. She moved more. It was too dark to see anything, but she felt as if someone brushed past her shoulder. “ HELLOOOO?’ she called.
“ Hello? Hello? Hello?” came her echo.
Something grabbed her foot and she fell to the ground. A large net covered her. She looked up to see a figure heading toward her with a torch. Apparently, it wasn’t Alan or Ann. A familiar face appeared behind the fire.
" SETSUNA!" Sailor Pluto calledto her accusingly.
" So you know who I am. I'm impressed."
" Who are you and what do you want?"
" I want you dead, and it looks like I'm gonna get my wish. I'll have Alan and Ann take care of you. If not, I'll have the pleasure of doing it myself."
Suddenly, they appeared. Alan was laughing like a maniac. " Help me Sailor Pluto!" he mocked. Then he laughed some more. " What an idiot!"
“ Ann, you were behind this the whole time, weren’t you?” Sailor Pluto asked.
Ann stared at the ground and mumbled something. Alan put his arm around her and she still didn't look up. “ Why, yes,” replied Alan. “ We couldn’t have done it without her. She was serious the first time she met you, but she found out and helped us carry out the plan by giving us certain information.” He squeezed her.
Ann took his arm off her shoulder. She moaned. Sailor Pluto couldn’t understand why she was acting this way, but at the same time she was struggling to free herself from the net. She figured that the longer she stalled them, the better chance she has of freeing herself. She turned back to Setsuna. “ What is your motive? Why do you want to kill me?”
“ Don’t tell me that you don’t know, Sailor Pluto,” Setsuna said. Setsuna pulled up a rope that Sailor Pluto felt tug the net. “ Well, enough talking. It’s time to go for the kill. And I do mean kill.”
That must be attached to the net, Sailor Pluto thought.
“ You have exactly five minutes to live. Say your last wishes.” Setsuna said putting the torch to the rope. Fortunately, the rope was long, Sailor Pluto noticed. “ Let’s go,
Alan. Ann. Your job has been well done.” They all turned and left.
The fire continued. Sailor Pluto concentrated all her power into escaping. She managed to get out of it. She ran and got lost. She found a tunnel and went inside it. She hadn’t gone far before she heard the voices of Alan and Ann.
“ Ann, I want you to go to the palace tomorrow with me,” said Alan. “ We’ll speak to the King and put on a good show like we’re ordered. Alright?”
Silence filled the air. Ann mumbled something and then they were both speaking in a low whisper. It was as if they sensed that she was there. Sailor Pluto didn’t stick around to find out.
She returned to the palace and fell asleep as Princess Setsuna again.
The Princess sat up in her bed to see the time. It’s awfully late, she thought. It’s very unusual for me to oversleep. “ I don’t know what’s come over me. I feel so exhausted,” she said to herself aloud.
“ That’s strange,” a voice answered her.
Setsuna looked up to see none other than Shingo. “ Oh, hello,” she mumbled.
“ You seemed so lively this morning. I don’t know what could have changed,” he said.
“ Lively? This morning?” she asked aloud. “ Shingo, you must be confused. I’ve been asleep all day.”
“ Could’ve fooled me,” he said and walked away.
What had he meant by that?
When Setsuna stepped out of her room to catch up with Shingo, she was stopped by her father. “ I know that I’ve said it so many times today, but I want to say it again. I’m proud of your accomplishments,” he said.
“ Demo..…Otou-san…” Setsuna started.
“ No buts. You were brilliant. A time warp trap? Wow!” he exclaimed and walked away.
What’s wrong with everyone?
Setsuna saw Shingo in the kitchen. “ Father was saying the strangest things. I don’t understand,” she said to him.
Shingo’s face became flushed with anger. “ Would you stop?!?! This pretending to not know game is getting annoying!”
“ Shingo, I….” she started, but she was cut off.
“ NO! Just leave me alone!” he exclaimed. “ I’m sick of your stories and lies! I thought you were a swell girl, but you’ve just proved me wrong.”
“ Shingo!”
“ NO! GO AWAY!” Shingo exclaimed as he walked off.
Setsuna felt tears forming in her eyes. She bit her lip to try and hold them back. “ Why am I crying like this?” she asked herself aloud. “ Could it possibly be……” she started, but she felt that she already knew the answer.
She had affectionate feelings for Shingo.
Setsuna rushed off to her room. For no one should see her like this. She was desperate to find out what was going on. Maybe if she found out, Shingo-kun would understand and forgive her.
Think, Setsuna, think, she thought. She tried to remember the day’s events.
When she woke up, Shingo-kun said she had seemed lively that morning. And her father said something about trapping someone in a time warp. When, she really hadn’t.
An idea popped into Setsuna’s head. Of course! Why had she not thought of it before? Someone had been posing as her and fooled everyone. But who?
SETSUNA! She could’ve disguised herself. Well, she didn’t even have to do that much. There was quite a strong family resemblance between the two. Setsuna could’ve fooled anyone.
EVEN SHINGO!
The mystery was halfway solved. What did a time warp trap have to do with anything?
Then her father’s voice came to her: This is something you must fight on your own.
And again: I’m so proud of you!
She recalled Alan and Ann’s conversation. “ …We’ll put on a good show at the palace as we’re told….” Alan had said.
MYSTERY SOLVED!
Setsuna transformed, rushed out of the castle and headed towards the time gate. She had figured it out. Setsuna, the other Setsuna, posed as Sailor Pluto. Alan and Ann came back claiming that Sailor Pluto had captured the enemy. The King would have never thought that they were the enemies themselves. There was still more in question. Why did Ann act so strangely? That was the one and only thing that she really needed to figure out.
” Sailor Pluto! So glad that you could join us! I see you’ve escaped your death,” Setsuna said.
“ Yes, I did.”
“ Well, you won’t escape this time, I assure you.”
“ I know what you’ve been doing. Posing as me at the palace. You won’t get away with this.”
“ Hmm. I don’t know about that.” Setsuna said. “ Look what I’ve got.”
Sailor Pluto looked up to see Setsuna waving her time staff back and forth. Sailor Pluto didn’t realize that she had lost it. “ Thanks,” Setsuna started. “ Alan and Ann, you’ve been a great help, and I’ll assure you’ll get rewarded as well as me.”
Alan cackled, but Ann remained silent. She fiddled with her fingers, and Sailor Pluto finally figured out what was wrong. “ Ann! Help me! You don’t want to do this! I know it!” Sailor Pluto had to trust her instincts. Even though Alan and Setsuna cackled at her, she had to keep trying. “ Ann, don’t feel forced to do something that you don’t feel is right. Trust your heart! Let it be your guide! That is the best thing you can do.”
Ann remained still and silent. She looked at Sailor Pluto with tears in her eyes. Setsuna continued laughing, but Alan stopped. He realized something was seriously wrong with Ann. He went to comfort her. Sailor Pluto decided that she’d have to convince Alan to let her go as well as Ann. “ Alan, why do you do this?”
He murmured, “ The doom tree is dying.”
Sailor Pluto understood. Setsuna promised them life to feed the Doom Tree to help it live.
If the tree died, they died. Ann felt she had to do this for her life. She didn’t feel it right to take Sailor Pluto’s life. Sailor Pluto had to make a disastrous decision, but she knew it was right.
” Go to Earth,” she said.
” What?” Ann asked. It was the first time she spoke.
“ Go to Earth,” she repeated. “ And if anyone asks, Queen Beryl sent you.”
Setsuna had stopped laughing enough to understand that they were making a deal. “ Alan, Ann, what are you waiting for?” she asked. “ Kill her.”
“ No,” Ann said.
Alan and Ann stood guard and Sailor Pluto stood beside them. Setsuna took her aim with the time staff. She has the power, Sailor Pluto thought. She has the power to destroy us.
One scream for the dead would kill them all instantly at the same time. Setsuna was about to aim when………………
A figure kicked her to the ground. The mist and dirt swirled vigorously in the air and the figure was hidden amongst the darkness. Alan called out, “ Show your face!”
A person stepped out and Setsuna recognized the face.
”SHINGO-KUN!” she cried. “ You’re here!”
” Yes, Sailor Pluto.,” he said. “ I have realized just how important you are to me. I saw you leave, so I slowly followed behind.”
” Oh, Shingo,” Sailor Pluto said in awe. “ I realized I had feelings for you also.”
Sailor Pluto and Shingo embraced each other for the slightest second, which seemed like a lifetime. They were interrupted by Setsuna. “ Aww. How cute,” she said in a mocking voice. “Now that you’ve had your little Romeo and Juliet scene, It’s my time to get even. “
Sailor Pluto looked at her. “ Before you kill us, tell me something,” Pluto said. “ Why do you want to be time guardian?”
” What makes you think that’s what I want?” she asked.
” Now that I remember, there is something that makes this whole thing clear. When two twins are born, they are given the same name. I thought about that when I learned of your name. One of the twins have the duty as time guardian, and the other……..”
” Sailor Pluto, please don’t say it,” Setsuna begged. “ I’ve been through it, and I’m very afraid to speak of it.”
Pluto knew she had to continue, despite her words. “ The other is sent away in some mysterious time that no one knows about. It is forbidden for other heirs to cross,” she explained. Each word seemed to hurt Setsuna more. It seemed that Setsuna had become weaker and weaker. “ But there is a good side. Which you must have figured out, because you tried to kill me. You knew that the only way you’d become the Guardian was if I was….dead.”
Tears were running down the enemy’s face. “ Setsuna, can we make a deal? I’ll stop everything if you just drop the duty as time guardian,” she said. Sailor Pluto was silent. “ Think about it. You can have a secret place all to yourself. No disruptions. You can choose who can trespass. It would be a perfect place that you can dwell in, and never have to face reality.”
Sailor Pluto stood strong. “ Absolutely not,” she said. “ The idea is proposterous. I will never stand for it.”
