Chapter 12

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"Is she dead???" Sailor Moon demanded yet again when Starfighter was taking her pulse.

"No...her pulse is weak, but it's there." Starfighter said, de- henshining to Seiya.

"It looks like this character is trying to pick us off one at a time...if Pluto had not been here." Seiya said, picking her up in his arms. Pluto de-henshined to Setsuna in his arms. She was too weak to hold the transformation anymore.

Sailor Moon looked over Setsuna, hot tears streaming down her face. "He's taking all of my friends...he's taking everyone that I hold dear...he must really want his revenge on me.." She said sadly. "I just wish I knew what I have done to upset him."

Seiya quickly looked at her. "You didn't do anything to that freak!" He exclaimed a little louder than he had intended. "You didn't do anything to him...who knows why these psychos act the way they do? His grandmother probably danced around in nothing but peanut butter covering her body and chanting to herself in front of him...that could have made him the way he is." Seiya said defensively to Sailor Moon.

"You take Setsuna to your apartment and let her recover...I have a feeling she is going to need all the rest she can get." Uranus said, becoming Haruka again. She looked to Sailor Neptune and Sailor Saturn. "Let's try to get some rest before the next attack."

MEANWHILE

Taron laughed at the conquest of having defeated Pluto. "I can't believe she was so easy to defeat." He said, taking his wineglass and drinking from it.

"What is our next move?" Umbra asked quietly.

"Our next move is the outers...we can't leave them lying around now, can we?" Taron said, motioning his seer. Up came a creature that seemed to be made of pure wind and clouds. "Uranus....she is the next one to suffer." He said, bringing the creature forth.

"Now go!" He said, releasing it.

MEANWHILE

Setsuna was in a state of trouble. Seiya tried to keep watch over her as best he could, but he was getting worried about the loss of blood and the condition of Setsuna. He was beginning to fear the worst.

In Setsuna's dreams, however, there was another dimension in front of her. When she came next, she saw her father, Chronos.

"Chronos." She said, bowing down to him.

"Get up, my daughter." He said quietly, motioning with his hand for her to rise.

"I don't understand what is going on..." Setsuna started. "..it seems that the new enemy has the powers of the timegate...he can control it just as easily as I can."

"Setsuna...there is a great secret about the captain of the guards that your Liba and I never told you." Chronos said, looking sadly out into the abyss of the timespace.

"A great secret?" Setsuna asked quickly. "What is it?"

"Unfortunately, he knows of it...it was because of this secret that your mother was afraid of him. She was afraid of his power...she was afraid of what he would do." Chronos said, his voice drifting sadly along the airless waves of the timespace continuum.

"I know he was in love with Princess Serenity before she killed herself for Prince Endymion in front of Queen Beryl." Setsuna said quietly.

"Yes, this is true...when he saw her esteem for him, it sent great shockwaves through him...the truth is, he was not only at Queen Beryls' side, he was her King." Chronos said quietly.

"What? So that is the secret? That is how he gained the power he has...? Through Queen Beryl?" Setsuna asked cautiously.

"Unfortunately, I can tell you nothing further...just know this..your mother and I always loved you very much. More than you would ever know...and in such, we gave you a small protection in case something like this should happen." Chronos said, presenting a white glowing orb in front of Setsuna.

"What is this?" She asked, attempting to take it cautiously.

"Unfortunately, you can only use it when your emotions are at their peak. After that, it will never leave you. Once you have attained it, it won't leave you....however, you must work to attain it." He said, and just as he said that, the orb shot into the air and revealed a picture of Sailor Pluto. She looked over herself to find that there were some differences.

Her garnet staff had turned from the dark green that it was, to a black color. On the top of the garnet staff, where the garnet orb talisman was, was a diamond atop of the garnet orb. Setsuna looked at herself in the picture. She looked older, but not by too much. She looked much more a warrior than she had ever seen herself. In place of the gemstone on her chest where a brooch was lay a garnet star. Her fuku had changed color only slightly. Her body was glowing with a lilac aura.

"A new henshin.." She whispered, to which Chronos responded.

"Yes....a new henshin with powers you would not think imaginable." Chronos said, giving his daughter a loving look.

"That is all that we can give you..." He said, seeing a sad look on Setsuna's face.

"Don't be sad, child...you will need this far more than your mother and I ever needed it." He said, giving her the orb and seeing it resend into the timestaff.

Chronos spoke one more itme. "At one point...your staff will break...then you must make a decision...." He said before he disappeared and Setsuna found herself on a bed in Seiya's room.

She moaned and groaned and sat up. Her wounds had been bandaged and there was some fruit on the table next to her. She cautiously picked it up and bit into it.

Seiya was on the chair across from the bed snoring. Setsuna looked out and the sun was just starting to come up. She sighed a breath of relief and startled Seiya out of the chair with a plop.

"Setsuna...you're awake!" He said, walking over to her and hugging her.

"How long have I been out of it?" Setsuna asked.

"Three days." Seiya answered, still hugging Setsuna tightly.

Seiya spoke drabfully. "I do have some really bad news.." He said, looking at her for the first time.

"Oh no...what has happened?" Setsuna asked.

"It's.....it's....Sailor Uranus.." Seiya answered hesitantly.

"Uranus?" Setsuna said quietly.

"She's....dead." Seiya finished.

"No...." Setsuna said, her voice cracking as tears threatened to pierce her eyes.

"After you collapsed, I brought you here...no sooner had I bandaged you that we got the call that the senshi were in trouble again. And there's something else.." Seiya said, adding to it.

"What?" Setsuna asked, not wanting to hear anymore bad news.

"Sailor Chibi-Moon was attacked....she did not make it." Seiya said, his voice still cracking.

This hit home with Setsuna. "No!" She shouted. Seiya held her tighter, trying to console her pain. "Usagi has retreated with Mamoru to grieve their loss....she sent me here to look after you...it seems that this Taron has a good stronghold now...he has managed to tear the senshi apart. Neptune has taken into hiding with Saturn....Moon and Tuxedo Kamen are in hiding as well...and my brothers and I have no choice but to put on a concert tomorrow night that we haven't even rehearsed for." Seiya said, still holding Setsuna tight.

"Oh yes...the one that you promised to propose to Usagi in." Setsuna said, starting to back away.

"Uh...yes.." Seiya said, still trying to hold her tightly.

"When is the concert?" Setsuna asked sadly.

"Tomorrow night." Seiya said, still holding Setsuna.

"You don't need to hold me up, Seiya...I think I can walk by myself now." Setsuna said, at which time Seiya released her.

"Will all of the others be there?" Setsuna asked.

Seiya answered quickly. "Yes...they said they would be there."

"That is good...." Setsuna said. "I'll be happy for you if Usagi says yes...if not....I'm sorry." She said, walking out of the room.