Freezing red deserts turn to dark Energy here in every part It's so very lonely, you're six hundred light years from home It's so very lonely, you're a thousand light years from home It's so very lonely, you're a thousand light years from home The Rolling Stones, 2000 Light Years From home ------ ---Tokyo, the Present--- Lady Jupiter looked at herself in the compact Michiru loaned her, noting how the whites of her eyes now looked red because of the burst blood vessels. She thought all she had to deal with was saving this time's Sailor Minerva. She was wrong. There was now an innocent child involved, causing more waves across the oceans of time, possibly wrecking the future she'd come from. Who knew how important the child was? She may be the grandmother of a great explorer or a future prime minister. She frowned when she thought of all the repercussions the disappearance might have in her time, and frowned more when she considered the grieving parents she'd met after the foot chase. She looked at the main building of the Hikawa Jinga Shrine, waves of nostalgia washing over her. It seemed so simple back then, so clear cut. School, the restaurant, the Crown, Usagi's whininess. They'd destroy a youma and go to hang out as a group later. Of course that was all before... She heard footsteps coming up behind her and turned to see Makoto staring at her, a strange look on her face. She smirked in response. "Awkward, isn't it?" she asked. Her past self just nodded her head. "That's one way of putting it." she answered. "By the way," she said, pointing at her future self's right arm, "How..." Lady Jupiter grinned, "You should know better than that. I can't tell you how it happened." "She's right." a familiar voice said behind her, "It could affect the future." Both women turned to see Setsuna, along with Hotaru, walking over. Lady Jupiter looked down uncomfortably and sighed deeply before looking up into the younger girl's dark eyes. "Hotaru-chan." she began, "I... I want to apologize for zapping you and leaving you on the ground like that. All I was thinking of at the time was stopping Saeko and saving La... Sailor Minerva. I know you've had a hard life up until now, and after getting to know you over the centuries, I... You're a very loving, very caring young woman with a big heart, and I'm sorry I hurt you back there." The young girl looked at her a few seconds before smiling sweetly, "It's okay." she said as she blushed at the sincere complements, "I think I can understand." she said, offering her hand. The future Senshi smiled as she took it, bowing slightly as she shook her hand. She then turned to Setsuna. "Sets-chan, I..." The Time Senshi held up a hand, "Don't." she said, "I understand. Besides, we have far more important things to worry about." "Right." Lady Jupiter said, "Such as, how is Ami doing with the ball?" "I'm afraid Ami-chan is having trouble figuring it out." Setsuna said, sounding down, "It's the only thing we have to get Kiho-chan back, and..." The Senshi from the future came over and put her hands on Setsuna's shoulders, "She'll figure it out, Sets-chan. I'll help her. I'm from the same time period as the ball, I may be able to answer some technical questions for her." she then looked Setsuna straight in the eyes, "When I left my time period, I promised your future self I'd save Minerva. Have faith." Setsuna nodded her head slightly, "I... I'm trying, but it's been over three hours now." Lady Jupiter sighed. They both knew what Minerva was facing, and both recognized that her chances were grim. Pulling her away from Hotaru and her past self, Makoto leaned over to her so that the others wouldn't hear. "Sets-chan, how is an anomaly like this even possible? I mean, a separate universe where Pharaoh Ninety won?" "It's because of the nature of time." Setsuna whispered back, "The idea of a time line is completely false. History isn't a line; it's a tree. At certain key points in history, the time line will split off into separate branches. There are hundreds of different worlds by now, some where the dinosaurs were never killed off, some where Napoleon won the battle of Waterloo..." "And some," Lady Jupiter now interrupted, "Where the Death Busters defeated us?" Setsuna nodded her head gravely, "Exactly." "Then let me ask you this; does that mean there are multiple Sailor Plutos running around? If so..." Setsuna shook her head adamantly, "I know where you're going with this." she said, "Yes, each time line has its own Senshi of Time, its own Sailor Pluto. But we are forbidden from interfering in one another's realities. I... I've never even met one of the other Sailor Plutos." Lady Jupiter was about to suggest something else, when Haruka and Michiru came over, both looking extremely perturbed. Makoto walked over to them. "Anything?" she asked. Both shook their heads. "Nothing." Haruka admitted, "She refuses to help us figure out how the ball works, and won't give us any more information than... than where she sent Kihomi." Hotaru looked at her Haruka-papa, "Papa? What is it? Where did she send oba-san?" "Ami's still trying to figure out the thing herself." Michiru interrupted, trying to intentionally change the subject, "But I'm afraid the technology involved is leaving her mystified." "I know." Lady Jupiter said, "Setsuna's already informed me. I'm going to go now to try and help her." "Wait a second." Hotaru said, a bit of annoyance in her voice, "I just asked a question. Where did she send Kiho-chan?" "May I join you?" Makoto asked her future self. Lady Jupiter shrugged her shoulders. "Sure, the more the merrier. We..." "Don't anybody move!" Hotaru now said angrily, "Now something's going on that no one wants to talk to me about. Where-is-Kihomi?" she asked. Haruka looked at the ground, swallowing hard as she avoided her daughter's glare. "Mistress Nine." the Senshi of the Air said in a voice barely above a whisper, "She sent Kihomi to a world where the Messiah of Darkness won." All the color left Hotaru's face as she took in what her papa was telling her. "N... No." she choked out, shaking her head as tears began to form in the corners of her eyes, "Oh God no." ---An Alternate Reality, the Present--- "War Arrows!" Minerva shrieked, sending the attack hurdling toward the tentacles reaching out to her. The appendages exploded on impact, but more soon sprang up, rising from the ground and reaching for the Senshi and young child straddling her back. She quickly did the only thing she could think of; she leapt in the air away from them. Meanwhile Mistress Nine looked on, tears of laughter rolling down her sunken cheeks. She hadn't had this much fun since she'd killed the queen ant. She could still remember forcing her to live as everyone around her, all her friends, family, and fellow Senshi ants died. She then forced her to watch as the rest of the world was likewise engulfed in the silence. The look in her eyes at the end was priceless. As Mistress Nine reveled in memories of the past, Minerva was slowly tiring out. The tentacles were springing up everywhere now, making the landscape look like a garden in Hell. Every time she was about to land, she'd have to use her attack to clear the ground, then take off as quickly as possible. The strain was becoming exhausting. They needed to get to high ground, somewhere the tentacles would be unable to reach. It was then that Minerva remembered the statue. "War Arrows!" the Senshi screamed again, blasting away another horde of tentacles before she landed, the child still clinging tightly to her. Taking off again, she headed to her left, in the direction of the giant figure of Mistress Nine. It took nine more leaps before she finally reached it. Using her attack one last time, she landed at it's base and jumped as hard as she could, landing on the figures left hip. As she grabbed onto the skulls in front of her, she found some footing and turned back to the young girl holding onto her. "Hoshi-chan." she grunted out, "Are you okay?" "Sailor Minerva-sama, my arms are getting tired." The girl sobbed. Minerva, who was already fighting the urge to panic, did not find much comfort in the answer. "Hoshi-chan, I just need you to hold on a little while longer. Can you do that?" "I... I'll try." the girl answered. Bracing herself, Minerva leapt again, landing on the images left shoulder. A final leap found them on the statue's head. The figure swayed ever so slightly, causing the Senshi's heart to skip a beat. She quickly reached behind her and helped the girl down off her back. She picked her up and cradled her in her arms. The child still had her eyes closed, just as Minerva had told her. "Useless." a cruel voice said. Looking ahead by the light of the shield, Minerva felt her breath catch in her throat. There, hanging in the air grinning before her, was Mistress Nine. Her pale white face, stood out against her black lips, the black star on her forehead and the darkness all around her. She stretched out her arms once again, showing her scarred and bloody palms as she started to grimace as if in pain. Sailor Minerva thought she heard a sound like cracking bone and ripping cloth. She held up her shield and squatted down as she prepared herself for what may be coming next. With a final tearing sound, the back of Mistress Nine's cloak ripped open as two large, leathery bat-like wings emerged and spread out. Her cloak fell from her body, exposing her bare flesh to Minerva's view. As dark blood continued to flow from the open wounds in her hands, she tilted her head to the side. The whole effect was one of a ghastly blasphemy of a Roman Catholic corpus. It was then the Senshi noticed it; the squishing, slurping sound. She looked down to see the tentacles climbing the statue, weaving up and through the skulls like monstrous killer weeds. The slimy tendrils were already up to the figure's knees, and rising fast. "Why?" the Messiah of Silence asked, "Why do you still continue to fight? It's over. Look around you. I am the bread of corruption; all have eaten of me, and all have died. I am the Messiah of Pharaoh Ninety. There is no escape, no hope. Why do you continue to play the hero? What do you hope to accomplish?" Hoshi, her arms sore from holding on and being jostled about during Sailor Minerva's leaping, was becoming curious. Unable to fight the temptation any longer, she opened her eyes. The child immediately started to scream. ---Tokyo, the Present--- Ami was looking over the metal sphere while Usagi watched when the present Makoto and future Lady Jupiter walked in. Ami began to rub her temples, "I... I can't do it." she moaned, "I've tried my best, but I can't make heads or tails out of this thing. I..." Lady Jupiter placed an understanding hand on her shoulder, "Shh... It's all right." she said tenderly as she sat next to her, "We all know you're doing your best. This technology is from my time period. I'm better at cooking than science, but I may be able to help here." she said as she took her gloves off. Both Ami and Makoto now had an almost unobstructed view of Jupiter's metal arm from the sleeve of her fuku down. It was made to look as natural as possible, with the closure of where the metal seams met showing up only if the light hit it just right. They watched the hinged elbow joint moved as she took the orb and examined it. "Um... what exactly are you trying to do?" Usagi asked as Makoto walked over to stand behind her future self, "I mean, all it's currently capable of doing is sending people into an alternate universe." "We need to make it do more." Lady Jupiter explained as Usagi and Rei entered the room, "We need to be able to open a portal that will momentarily allow for travel back and forth between the dimensions." Ami was about to interject when Michiru and Haruka came in, dragging a very angry looking Saeko into the room. Saeko glared angrily at the Senshi present, but stopped when her gaze fell upon Lady Jupiter. She began to smile evilly. "You're here not just for Lady Minerva and Pluto's sake, are you?" she asked, "You want to save the future too." Michiru looked angrily at their captive, "Saeko, we're giving you one last chance to..." "Ah yes, the future." the scientist said, a dangerous gleam in her eye, "Hey Lady Mercury." she said, looking at Ami, "It is you, isn't it? You're the brains of the group, how'd you like to know the formula of the grand unification theory?" Lady Jupiter stood up quickly, her eyes widening in panic, "Saeko, don't..." "You!" she said, indicating Usagi, "You're the princess, aren't you. Do you know how Crystal Tokyo will be born?" Usagi tilted her head, "Well, I..." "No, damn it!" the future Senshi cried, "Don't listen; she's trying to change history!" "History?" the scientist sneered, "Ah yes, history. Here's a history lesson for you. Jupiter, Mercury; aren't you both curious about the future Jupiter's arm?" "Shut her up, damn it!" Lady Jupiter pleaded. Haruka went to cover their prisoner's mouth with her hand, but the scientist bit it. "Ow!" the Senshi of the Air yelled, " You stupid bitch, I'll..." "Mercury! You did it!" Saeko screamed as Lady Jupiter rushed toward her, "You used one of your attacks on her, and you..." she was cut off as the Senshi from the future knocked her unconscious. In the stunned silence that followed, Lady Jupiter looked up into the now guilt-ridden faces of the two Outer Senshi who'd brought the scientist into the room. Finally, Michiru spoke. "We're sorry." she whispered, "We were trying to force her to help, and..." her voice drifted off as Jupiter turned around to see Usagi and Makoto looking down at Ami. The young med student looked up to Lady Jupiter, a tear running down her cheek. "Is it... Is it true?" she asked, hoping that the scientist had been lying. One look at Lady Jupiter's sad expression quelled those hopes. "It wasn't your fault." The future Senshi answered, "You... you were temporarily out of your mind. I've never blamed you, Ami-chan. Ever. You should know I love you too much for that." Makoto reached over and rubbed Ami's back, trying to comfort her. Usagi spoke up. "Ami-chan." The blond began, "I'm so sorry, I..." "We don't have time for this." Haruka said, trying to snap everyone back into focus, "Kihomi and that little girl are still in danger, remember?" Lady Jupiter looked back at the sandy blond, and nodded, "Haruka's right. We can deal with all this later. Right now we have to focus on the girl and on Kihomi." Ami wiped the tears from her eyes with unsteady hands, "Kihomi." she said in a low voice as the future Senshi sat next to her with the orb, "Right, we have to save them." She began to refocus on the sphere as Lady Jupiter began to offer her assistance. ---Crystal Tokyo, 3043--- Lady Saturn looked on as her oba-san continued to fade away. Even now, after all the years and all the past events, the family ties between her and her adoptive parents remained a strong one. "Oba-san." she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. There were only a few people Saturn felt close to. There were Ladies Neptune, Pluto and Uranus of course. And Usagi II, whom she'd always been close to both as a friend and, later, as something more than a friend. And of course the Inners, who accepted her and stood by her even before her adoptive parents did. Then there was Minerva, whom she'd always looked up to as something of an older sister. And now, her oba-san was fading off into nothingness. As she sat back on her calves on the marble floor of the royal court, watching her beloved friend gradually disappear, a pair of arms wrapped around her from behind. "Saturn." a gentle voice said. The dark-haired Princess of Death closed her eyes as she inhaled the sweet fragrance of cherries. "All my powers," Saturn sobbed, "All my... I can't help her. I can't save her. My... My oba-san is dying and..." The younger princess and royal heir to the throne pulled her love closer, "I know." Usagi II whispered as she ran her fingers through Saturn's straight black hair, "I know." ---Tokyo, the Present--- Sailors Mars and Venus had stayed behind with Hoshi's grieving parents. Now that they'd received the call that Ami and the future Jupiter had finally figured the sphere out, they felt it only right to bring the couple with them to the familiar shrine up on Sendai Hill. Meanwhile, Lady Jupiter took the orb and walked over to Neptune. "Okay, we have the ball working so that it'll both teleport from one dimension to another and create a mini wormhole between the two worlds. Neptune, I'm trusting you with the orb." she said just as Mars and Venus showed up with the parents, "Mars, Sailor Moon, everyone, I need you all to stand behind Sailor Neptune." "Wait a second." Pluto interjected, "What are you planning? Why are we all getting behind Neptune?" "You're all getting behind her because she's going to shine the ray on me. I'm going in there." "What?" Sailor Moon asked, not believing what she'd just heard. "You?" Neptune asked, "Against Mistress Nine?" "I plan to send myself in, find Kihomi and the child, and then return to where I entered in order to come back. Then you'll need to reopen the temporal portal, only this time hold it open long enough for the three of us to get out. I'm thinking once the portal's opened Venus could send her Love Me Chain in as a lifeline, and..." "Wait a second, back up." Mars said as she finally caught up to the others, "Why would you go in? Surely Setsuna or..." Lady Jupiter shook her head, "The timeline has already been damaged enough. I'm in no danger; I already exist in the time I come from. To be perfectly blunt Mars," she said as she met the Senshi of Fire's dark eyes, "None of you are expendable. I am." Turning to Neptune, she swallowed hard, "I'll need five minutes, then reopen the portal. Venus will then have to send in a Love-Me Chain. Only hold it open for ten seconds at the most. If... If there's no sign of any of us at the end of ten seconds, shut it off. We can't afford Mistress Nine or Pharaoh Ninety getting into this universe." "Stop." Sailor Uranus said, "Even... Even if you are expendable, you're an Inner." she said bluntly, "How do you expect to be powerful enough to defeat Mistress Nine." Lady Jupiter looked at the sandy blond and smiled, "I don't have to defeat her." She quipped, "Just outrun her." Looking back at Neptune, her smile faded. "When I tell you, hit me with the ray. And remember; five minutes." she reiterated, looking Neptune sternly in the eyes. The Senshi of the Seas nodded her head, and Lady Jupiter began to turn around. She stopped when she saw Ami and her previous self watching on pensively. Her eyes met Ami's, and she quickly walked over. "I... may not come back." she said, her voice suddenly much more emotional, "And I... I can still remember the first time we met. Usagi had brought me into an arcade, and then you and Rei joined us. Luna was sitting in your arms, and as Rei and Usagi started arguing about something stupid, I petted the cat and smiled. You looked at me then, and you blushed. It was just about the cutest thing I'd ever seen. At the time, if I remember correctly, I was too preoccupied over some loser who dumped me to understand the significance of the moment, but..." she took a deep breath as she continued, "Forget Saeko's words, and forget this." She said, pointing to her artificial arm, "I love you, Ami-chan. I'll always love you. Never doubt that, ever." Ami looked up into Lady Jupiter's eyes, her own once again beginning to tear up. Makoto likewise began to become emotional, hearing her future self say the things she wish she could if she were only more eloquent. Lady Jupiter turned away and took a few steps, turning back to Neptune, "Okay, now!" A flash of blue light, and the future Senshi was gone.
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