Bridges of Time
BY ALINA
Chapter 2:
Notes:
1) Usual Disclaimers (keep forgetting those!). I don't own the Sailor Moon
characters...never have never will.

2. I know, I know I'm mixing Japanese names w/Dub names...and I'm mixing
Manga elements with Anime elements and the result is a story that is in a
continuity of its own! And I know, I don't edit this enough.... But I hope
you enjoy and can forgive my laziness in that respect.

3) Like most time travel stories, things can get confusing. So
here is a semi-spoiler for the story just to help if
you think you'll get confused. I REPEAT: THIS IS KIND OF A SPOILER
********************************
In the beginning, when all the outer scouts were first created,
Pluto is sent to the gate before the Moon Kingdom is destroyed.
There she is approached by Neo-Queen Serenity, who has recently
created Crystal Tokyo. Pluto is
at first confused how the Neo-Queen seems to have already met her and know
her. Though she stays close to the gate, Pluto finds herself drawn to
the King. Eventually, this pushes Pluto to seal her memories away. Her
questions about what she missed in the Moon Kingdom past are soon answered
when Queen Selenity sends for her. Pluto returns to the future, and the
events in this story start. Ok, its not much of a spoiler, but
I hope that helps if you're liable to be confused about "when"
this is taking place. For Pluto it starts after Crystal Tokyo
started but before Rini/Chibi Usa's birth.
******END SEMI-SPOILER************************

CHAPTER TWO:

They trudged along in silence, each wrapped in a barely concealed
state of confusion. The changes in their surroundings
were pale shadows to the emotions tumbling in their
minds. They were each so focussed on their own thoughts
that they almost were knocked over by a car that whipped
by them.

Endy reacted quicker, perhaps because he had more familiarity
with the growling sound of a speeding car. With a deft
lurch to the side, he threw his weight into Pluto. They
fell softly against the tufts of grass covering the hill beside
them. Dust and smoke rose from the ground, temporarily blurring their
view of the automobile that had barely missed killing
them. Its bright blue color, however, made it stand out
as the clouds of dirt settled and the air cleared.

Endy rose, his eyes tracking the car as it sped
down the road. But a sudden realization chilled his
anger at the person's carelessness, and left Endymion
feeling submerged in ice.

"That's my father--" He stuttered, his head rotating to
watch the car disappear from view. At the last he had
a glimpse of its shape--a sports car adorned with a ridiculous red
bow. "That's my car--the way it looked when I first got it!
That was last week... but he's alone...
and he's driving towards the house!? How is this possible?"

"We must have arrived at a point before where we
met...I am not sure why." Pluto explained.

"So the accident hasn't happened yet?" He asked, his mind
leaping quickly to the implications of her statement.

"No." She replied warily. Though she saw no use in denying what
he could determine himself, she hesitated to explain any more.

"Wait...if it hasn't happened, then maybe...how
much time until it happens? We have to stop it!" He
grabbed her hands, pleading more with the sadness in his eyes than the
words he used.

She looked down and away, trying for control. "Endymion,
we cannot do this. Our presence here
may cause further degradation in this timeline.
You cannot change the past--" Even as she said it, she knew
her words fell on deaf ears.

"And you can? If I understand you, you came from the future. You
stepped in front of our car and caused that accident. So you
already changed the past--what's a little more change?"

"What I did has no bearing on this! You were reborn in the wrong
time. If I could, I would change things so you were not reborn here at all.
But I couldn't pinpoint when you were. I cannot now change your
existence here."

"So why do they have to die? I mean if I just told them not
to get in the car with me, or if..." His mind spun calculating how
to change the flow of events. He released her hands and
turned to stare at the moon.

"IT IS FORBIDDEN " She cautioned strongly, as if that without
explanation was enough.

"By who!? What does that mean??" He challenged, his back
still towards her. She couldn't see his face, but
she could see the tension in the way
he stood, his shoulders pulled together a bit, legs wide
and hand pounding into his fist. He would not back
down, not without a better explanation from her. He
said in a lower voice. "What kind of wicked person
are you, that you would hurt two innocent people just
to save this world you hope will exist!?"

She rebounded as if he'd slapped her. In a voice so
quiet that the waves of the sea almost drowned the words
she replied "I only do what I have to do."

"That again...How can you do things like that without
even trying to find another way!?!?"

She didn't answer him, but stared mutely at the reflected
moonlight dancing on the sea. It was her own mistake that had
caused his parents in this world to die--her own weakness
that made it seem necessary. Perhaps he was right there
was another way--but then, with the attack by the creatures
on the Door of Time she needed to be careful. Any further
manipulations could lead to even more tragic deaths. Yet
who was she to judge which way was best and decide that
two deaths were necessary to save the world?

"Come on, answer me! Are you stupid as well as evil?" He demanded
then, hoping to get some reaction out of her for
she seemed to be caught in a trance.

She turned her head to the side, and the wind
carried away her response. Yet he though he heard
a suppressed cry, and her breath became uneven.
He walked around her, so
he could face her.

He instantly regretted his accusation upon seeing
her face. She quickly lowered her head, but he could see the
moist residue of tears on her lashes.

"I didn't mean that...I'm sorry." He started to say, but
she interrupted him, holding up a hand.

"Perhaps I deserved that...Am I wicked for trying to protect a world I
love? I don't know why I have to do certain things,
but I do know there are consequences
of changes in Time." Again, she looked at the
moon, through its reflection in the ocean,
as if asking for help. "I never meant for any of this to happen.
But now that it has, I'm afraid I cannot undo it."

"I believe you--at least, I believe you believe that.
I'm really not angry at you, but its just.." He paused realizing he didn't
know her name. "Say, What is your name?"

She looked surprised at the change in topic. "Setsuna"

"Set--" He stumbled on the odd name.
"Is it ok if I call you Serena? I've always liked that name."

For a second he glimpsed a bitter amusement in her eyes, before
the guarded look returned. "No. Someone else bears that name."

"Set--whatever it is, if you help me save them, I'll be reborn
or whatever it is you want." He offered that before he
thought, but he couldn't help it. She just looked so
sad and helpless, and he felt guilty about having just
yelled at her.

"It may be too late already." She said, her voice dusky
with despair. "I am powerless!"

"Powerless? Set, you say you're the Guardian of Time! How is that
possible? Come on....we can't give up so easily.
But lets get out of the road way...no sense getting hit
by another car." He grabbed her arm as they ducked under
the cover of the trees.

The cool night air nestled against the pine needles, sending
a few sprinkling down on them. Pluto jumped, pausing for
an attack.

"What are you doing? Did you sense something?" Endy asked,
as she circled, looking about her. An owl perched on
a branch let out a soft cry, rotated its head, and went
flying off into the night for prey. A tiny squirrel
ran out, and leaves scattered across the ground as it fled.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I've just never seen
anything like this before! What are these?!" She
said looking up at the huge redwoods that encased them.

"Trees!" Endy breathed in,
and let the familiar scent of the forrest
calm his whirling mind. "They're very very old trees,
actually."

"They remind me of somewhere...." She said quietly.
"A place that I 've been, but I can't quite recall."
She placed a hand against the surface of the giant
tree, and leaned against it. Somehow it felt similar
to the wood in the Door of Time, but younger and more alive.

"You mentioned that you wanted to stop me from being born here."
Endy said trying to regain her attention.

"Yes." She nodded. "But I'm not sure what I can do now!"
Her attention still lay focussed on the trees. The wind
shifted a bit, and a slight fog began to pour down around
them in grey-silver blasts.

"At least where we are right this second we know that
I was born 18 years before. The day my father got that car
was my birthday.."

"You want to go back and stop yourself from being born?"
She asked incredulously, standing up and finally leaving
the tree.
How could he have changed positions
so quickly? And even if he were willing, would she be
damaging time too much to try such a thing? Was that
better than simply removing him through the "accident", and
letting history continue as if "Endy" Shields had died? If
she hadn't interfered, what would have happened? Somehow,
she had not thought to check before she entered the flow
of time.

"Not really. I'm just saying its possible. To be honest,
I've always felt like something was missing from my life.
As if...I don't know, as if I was out of place." He began
to pace the floor. "So maybe there
is something to what you're saying. I can't deny that door, and
being back in time. A few hours ago...well I thought
I could just ignore it but I cannot now. This is no
dream. I don't understand it, any of this, but
I know you're not lying about who you are. And maybe, you're
right that I belong somewhere else....with someone else." His
steps brought him within inches of her face and he studied
her expression.

"Are you saying you'll cooperate?" The light began to glow in
her dark eyes with an unanticipated hopefulness. Perhaps
there was a way to correct her mistake.

Her questions made him reconsider. His eyes narrowed
as he stared at her.

"I'm not sure...but we have to find some way to
save my parents. I just want to know they'll be
ok without me. You came here because of me, and I
don't want anyone else to be involved."

"But it may be too late...You were there! You saw what happened.
I lost control of Time. I do not know what is
going to happen to me now..." She trailed off, lost
in the implications.

He put his hand on her shoulder, startling her. "Set,
if that is true, then you're trapped here, in this world.
And everything seems ok here--except I'm a week ahead of myself.
I'm willing to try to help you, but if not,
then you can just stay here with me....and maybe that's
really the best you can do."

Their eyes met and held for what seemed eternity, until Setsuna
nodded sadly. "There may be some truth to that."

"In fact, I might like it, if you stay." He added. "If
we can just sort out this time stuff."

"I might too." She replied, then blushed, regretting her honesty.

Despite the dim light and her dark skin, Endy could
see a noticeable flush color her cheeks. The hint of red brought
out the delicacy of her features, and Endy slowly felt
himself drawing her closer, as if to protect her from the sadness
etched in her eyes.

At first she relaxed into his embrace, until he sought to bring
his lips to hers.

With a snap, she pulled back. Tears slid softly down her
face. "Please, do not." She pleaded as she turned away. "
I cannot do this." She sounded ashamed, to his surprise.

"Why not? Not much makes sense to me right now, but what
is wrong with..." He frowned. He could think of a million
reasons why that was wrong given what she claimed her
role to be. Besides, something inside him told
him it felt wrong to comfort her in that way. "I'm sorry." He added.

She nodded. "You are young, and this is a stressful
situation. I should have been more prepared for such a typical
reaction, and handled this better. It is my fault."

"Reaction? Stress?" The blow to his ego almost hurt him physically.
With a tightening of his stomach and throat he shot back
"I don't react without feeling something....and
you felt something as well--"

He felt the slap, though he could have sworn he never saw her
move. Rubbing his jaw, he turned away. "What was that for?"

"Just because I cannot kiss you doesn't
mean I don't have feelings." She said, over her shoulder.
Her back shook as she angrily added "How dare you!" the words
coming out slightly shredded by her suppressed emotions.

"Cannot?" He asked stepping closer. "What feelings?"

She turned around, but kept her eyes low and away from his.
Somehow, his actions had stirred to life the sediment in her
memories that she'd hoped never to recall again.
"I have known you my whole life. I will know you my whole
life. I've dreamed of meeting you, as
equals, outside of time without commitments--but
this is a dream! What I want I cannot have, and I
cannot further betray those I love by pretending I can."
That was why she'd closed her memories, in the first
place, to avoid the bittersweet feeling of her growing love for
King Endymion. A love that could never be returned, as
he was in love with his wife, Neo-Queen Serenity.
The Queen's loving face filled Pluto's mind and Pluto
wrenched her eyes shut as if to close of the deep sense
of guilt over what had almost happened between her
and Endymion.

"You dream about me?" He asked stunned, not aware of
the conflict torturing Pluto. All he could realize was
this beautiful, complex woman dreamed about *him*. "She
cares about me!" he realized slowly. He couldn't
move past that realization to be able to say anything
in response. What did he feel for her? What could
he say?

"I've said too much. Do not do that again. Please."
The last word tore out of her with all the emotion
she felt so that it sounded ruff and filled with unshed
tears. She looked up, somehow hiding her emotions behind the
red garnet depths of her eyes, even as she stared
right through him. "Even if it looks hopeless, I
must believe I can restore the timeline!" Even if it
meant she would give up this one chance to be with
him, she had to do this. He belonged with Serenity, and
she would see that he was reunited with her. Pluto
loved him too much to let anything, even herself, stand
in the way of that future. She looked
into his eyes with renewed purpose. "I won't give up." Not now, not
when she knew what she had to do and abandoned all her
doubts.

He nodded silently, trying to understand the
rapid change in her mood. Whatever had just happened
between them could wait. "So what do we do now?"

She seemed more in control, but he could still
sense that there was much that troubled her.

"We should--the Staff" She said, in another abrupt shift of mood from
melancholic determination to an almost manic militarization.
In a flash of dark violet light, she transformed to Pluto.
"It's glowing! I hear something again..." She began
to reenter that trance state he'd interrupted earlier. "
Someone is trying to reach me...I understand.." Her eyes
shifted to a far off point
as she strained to hear the message meant only for her "
We must reenter the timestream and stabilize the Door."

"How do we do that!? "
He countered as she yanked him towards the door. "Hey,
why are you taking me!?"

"I have to....look, the door has cracks in it!"
She said as they stepped
through. He could see splinters and holes that
somehow he'd missed before. He did not get a chance
to examine the damage, for she tugged him hard.

A slight hopefulness began to peek
through her usually somber voice. "I was wrong--the
future is not destroyed yet!
But you must clear your mind of everything or
we will end up in your past again."

The walls surrounding them seem composed of nothing, at
least nothing they could detect. Violet panes of energy
swirled around them, casting the landscape in a never ending
masquerade of shadows. Somehow, as they steadied each
other, they knew that falling to one side or the other
would trap them in eternity.

"Do you hear that?" Pluto asked Endy.

"That voice...it's getting louder!" He replied
trying to make out the words.

"This is what I heard in your world--please,
let me listen!"

"It's too late to prevent them from looping to the
past at all--but if you try, you can stop how much control over
time they have. Then, they will only be able to access
one corridor between two relative points in time."
A voice spoke, somehow disembodied and yet they both
sensed a presence near them.

"It's talking about time." Endy said as Pluto
strained to listen.

"Crystal Tokyo has
been attacked. The Princess escaped to
the past through Pluto of Now's intervention.
I've sent this message
to reach you, Pluto of Before, wherever you are.
You must close the rift, before they seek to travel
beyond the block I created. So far, they've targeted
only one time--the time to which Pluto of Now has
sent Small Lady. Pluto of Now will guard us here and then--
but you must close the rift. They must not be
free to travel the time corridor where they--"

"What's it talking about?" Endy asked.

"Not now!" Exasperated she ignored him, hearing the strains
of the message repeat itself as it faded.

"It's too late to prevent them from looping to the
past--but if you try, you can stop how much control over
time they have. Then, they will only be able to access
one corridor between two relative points in time. We
must hold them to this time bridge, and prevent any
further intrusions along the time corridor!" The
voice repeated as it faded away "Crystal Tokyo has--"

"We must hurry!" Pluto said, turning to him. "This
way."

Silently he ran along beside her. "I can't keep up!"

"You must transform!" She said.

"Transform? That weird mutation thing you did? I
can't do that, can I?" He gasped as he struggled to
keep pace.

"If you will it." She came to an abrupt halt fingering
the space of nothingness before her. "Here--" Her
eyes began to focus on something only she could see.

He stopped, lowering his head to his knees to still
his racing breath. What he saw below him almost made
his pulse beat even faster--a line of people walking.
Five teenagers, one little girl, and a man dressed in
formal wear with two cats, parading along a plane
that was almost perpendicular to their own. To
him, they appeared as if they were walking up a wall
supporting the floor on which he stood.

>From their faces, it was obvious, they couldn't
see him. Though a mask obscured the man's face,
Endy knew he was looking at himself.
Perhaps from this past life Pluto had told him of,
or from the future one she wanted him to lead.
"He doesn't look very happy. Wouldn't
want to trade places with him." Endy noted,
as he felt Pluto tug him hard through something,
Ironically, his face mirrored the same expression
he'd seen on the Tuxedo-clad man.

"I feel it--there are two time bridges violating
the time-space! We must destroy them!" She announced
removing her hand from the space.

"They look so young!" Endy said. "What have they done?"

"Not them..." She smiled so briefly, he wondered if
he imagined it. "No, the bridges. Their presence
assures me that Time can be restored! But we
must hurry. I see when they are headed--it is
the same as one of the points of the Time-Bridge.
Come."

As they moved, Endy felt his body turn inside out in
the strange pressure of the Time Corridor. With
relief he felt it stop as they stepped into
a palace of immensely beautiful crystal.

They seemed to be in a control room of some kind. At least,
that was the best term Endy could apply to explain the
huge console of buttons and devices before him. This was far
more sophisticated than any car dashboard, or other
instrument panel he'd ever chanced to see or dreamed
possible. Nothing had a label, nor did the geometrically
based ordering reveal the button's purposes.

Above it all a giant screen rose high into the ceiling, the size
of a drive-in Movie Theater. Yet far from being made of
cheap canvass, it, like all else, appeared composed of a
crystalline substance that sparkled softly in rose light.

"Pluto!?" A voice called out, as they turned to face
a ghost like figure. "Has something gone wrong with
Small Lady's transport?"

"King Endymion!" Pluto said as she bowed slightly.
"I...I am not the Pluto of this time I think.."
A flush colored her cheeks, and she bit her lip.

The King studied her, and then noticed Endy standing
in shock, staring at the older version of himself.

The King, for some reason took in his younger self
without even batting an eye. "I see. I did not
notice the different uniform. Forgive me Younger Pluto, I was
unaware that you crossed time to the future. We
are in grave danger here. Crystal Tokyo is under
assault by the Dark Moon's Dark Crystal. They
are attempting to follow Small Lady into the past.
Somehow, they have created a temporal bridge from
Nemesis to 20th century Tokyo. I remember that
they attacked us there, but somehow we defeated
them...Unfortunately, after the Cold Sleep, I
do not remember how. Your present self would not
reveal much more, Younger Pluto." He smiled as he
gently reproached her for her secretiveness. "So
please, Explain a little better this time."

"I cannot, King, for I know none of these
events." She said. "I'm sorry". Her voice seemed
softer and she shifted back a bit self-consciously.
"Are you really unhurt?" She asked before she
could stop herself.

Endy glanced at her as she looked at the King. "She's
in love with him!" He realized with a start.

"Why have you come--and with my younger self?"
The King studied Endy briefly. "I look different
than I remember." A whimsical smile replaced his
serious expression.

"Endy is you from another life, King. One
you do not remember." Pluto explained. "I think
it is in creating him that these temporal
instabilities were generated."

The King nodded. "The Palace Guardian attempted
to contact you for some reason, perhaps it is
related to this. The Pluto I know from this
time is occupied defending the Gate and watching
for Small Lady's signal. Because of this, she has
been unable to deal with the Enemy's route to the past, and
thus they've been attacking us there as well
as here. Perhaps you can
destroy that path to the Past."

During all this, Endy had begun to feel more
and more impatient and annoyed. The two
had been talking almost as if he were not there, and
he didn't like it. Added to that, though he couldn't explain
to himself why, he felt bothered by the way Pluto
seemed to gaze adoringly at the King.
He rounded on Pluto.
"What is this place? That future you spoke of?
This weird crystal city where I'm a ghost? This
is what you want to make me live? A war torn
waste-land? Forget it Set-Pluto. Let's go."

The King stepped between them, and tried to reason with
his younger self. "Do not
be fooled, Endy! What you see is the result
of Evil forces. These forces can make any paradise
a problem, even the safest of Utopias. You and I
are the same person, and we both have a destiny
to fulfill."

"Destiny...I'm sick of this destiny!" Endy spat
as he pushed past the Ghost figure. He
crashed into a wall, having expected a
solid person to be standing in front of him.

The King ignored that, but touched a small
crystal on the wall. "This is the Crystal
Tokyo of the Future. This is what we fight
to preserve."

The screen began to play a series of images
that seemed almost real in their clarity. The
planes of the city glistened softly as music
played and people walked gracefully in the streets.

Above it all, from a beautifully sculpted, gleaming
castle, a couple stood watching contentedly
over the streets. The screen focussed closer on their
faces. Endy's eyes widened as he took in the
woman's graceful form. "I know her?" He thought in
wonderment. "She seems so familiar." The scene shifted so the viewpoint
focussed entirely on her, removing the man from the picture.

She stood, smiling down over the balcony. Long blonde
hair trailed down in pigtails, from two buns on her head.
Two soft tendrils of hair
traced the curve of her smile, above which her deep blue eyes
shone with a gentle love for all she saw.
A form-fitting dress encased
her to her shoulders, where it stopped to allow her wings
to spread. She was more beautiful
than any woman he'd ever imagined. As the scene shifted,
her eyes seemed to shine right into him, as he could hear
her voice say "Endymion, we've done it, This is Crystal
Tokyo --our city!"

The pull towards her was
stronger than the growing attraction he'd felt to
the Time Guardian. So much stronger that he looked
away to distract himself from the image. How could
a picture make him feel so much?

"Who...who is she?" He asked in spite of himself.

"She is Neo-Queen Serenity, My Wife." The Ghost answered, and
Endy felt a stab of jealousy so intense it shocked him.
"She sleeps encased in crystal...to protect her from the
Dark Forces that attack this city. My own body was deeply wounded,
and my Spirit wanders as it must to protect her and our
city." He pushed another button, raising a hologram of
a crystal cage holding the sleeping Queen.

Endy fingered the glass of the crystal cage that appeared
as if from nowhere. "Who would want to hurt her?" He asked
in wonder, enchanted by the sleeping Queen. Seeing her made
him feel complete--how could anyone want to do anything but
love such a Goddess? He could have spent hours just looking
at her.

"The forces of Darkness...They have always wanted to
destroy the light she brings and she will always
fight them." Pluto answered. "We must hurry, Endymion.
We must seal their Time Bridge before they can do
more damage!"

He nodded, snapping to action as the video and the
crystals disappeared leaving them in an empty gazebo
like room.

"You must go to Nemesis." The voice that spoke
accompanied a disembodied figure, rather like the
King. The image that accompanied it was a slightly built
man, neither young nor old, with dark hair and eyes. He
seemed very weary and weak.
"There you must find the source of their Dark Gate
and destroy it or do as much damage to it as you can.
This device will help you." He tossed them a strange
shaped object, rather like a colorless jewel. "Go, Pluto
...I have faith in you." He paused. "You may need
more power than you currently have....and though none
of us have ever understood how you work, I've attempted
to enhance your power." He tossed her a small square
watch-like device decorated with the symbol for Pluto.
"Whatever you are thinking of, you'll see in this
screen, as it exists, across a relative span of
time--about 1000 years. Of course, the further away the
event is from you, the less accurate the representations are.
And you cannot focus on yourself or events too
close to you--the feedback loop
becomes unstable. An hour to a millennium, that's the
range...Good luck."

"Who was that?" Endy asked, as the man disappeared.

"The Guardian of the Royal Eternal Guard. I do not have time to
explain, Endymion." She took the device, and the jewel.
studying it. She suppressed the memories that were
flowing faster and faster into her mind, and tried
to focus on her current mission.

A small holographic map appeared showing schematics
that apparently, she understood. Endy couldn't understand
a thing--it looked like strange circles and hyperbolic curves
intersecting.

He turned his attention to the watch-like device.
"This city is amazing--with technology like this, how
could anyone defeat them? I wonder what the other side
has?" Endy commented, as he watched her. He fiddled
with the watch--amazed when it showed a blurry
picture of the Queen's sleeping form. He concentrated,
surprised to find the picture changing. He briefly
thought forward, and the picture changed, to show
a grainy vision of the Queen smiling, her arms opened
wide to hug a small pink haired girl. He wondered
if that was true, that the Queen would be cured, and
the fairy-tale perfect land would be restored. How
could anyone see the future before it happened?

He looked up, and saw Pluto holding her staff up
above her head.

"Dark Dome Open!" She intoned as the door appeared,
and opened. "Come Endymion, Nemesis awaits."