Chapter 226

"I grow weary of your failures," Queen Nehelenia said.

"There is little you can about it, and you have yet to advise us to any success," a goddess said.

"True. But you do not possess the power needed to destroy the sailor scouts it seems."

"They've been incredibly lucky."

"And you have not accounted for that! The scouts exist with all of the unnatural forces of the universe behind them, destiny, luck, it's all theirs. You must develop strategies that can beat even that. You sent two goddesses to fight two different groups of scouts, both were defeated."

"Sailor Mercury and Guardian Neptune put up unexpected resistance. We did not think they would be able to fight us like they did."

"You underestimated both of them. Do not underestimate anyone!"

"As for Sailor Mars and Guardian Uranus, we would have been able to defeat them both if we had had more time. However, Sailor Moon's location as well as Sailor Uranus and Sailor Neptune prevented that."

"I know what happened, now tell me what you plan to do about this."

"We plan to use even more devastating warriors."

"Oh..I see even more devastating then what you managed to prepare before."

"Yes...I give you a goddess capable of controlling time itself."

"What?"

"Yes my queen," a goddess said stepping forward.

"And why was such a great power held back this long?"

"Because it involves the expenditure of a large amount of energy."

"How large an amount?"

"A very large amount. If we use it now we will be unable to mount operations until our reserves are replenished."

"And how long would it take to return our reserves to that level?"

"Nineteen earth days."

"I see. So this power of time. What will it allow you to do?"

"There are many possibilities, though we only have enough energy to do one thing."

"Perhaps we should build up the energy to do more."

"There is no time for that."

"What's your hurry?"

"The scouts will eventually find their way to us."

"How?"

"They are quite resourceful."

"Whatever, what will your powers allow you to do?"

"We will be able to either travel through time, or slow it down."

"Slow it down? How?" Nehelenia asked.

"Within a small space, we can create another dimension running parallel to this one. While the entire universe continues on it's way. The area enclosed in the space will move at a slower speed."

"And what will this accomplish?"

"Since I am immune to the effects of the dimension I will be able to attack at normal speed and move much faster then they could imagine."

"They will be unable to react. However, how far can you travel in time?"

"A few minutes."

"Hmm..you aren't as useful as I thought, and to give up nineteen days to attack..."

"Queen Nehelenia, I assure you of victory. With time slowed down no one can stop us. All I have to do is lure the entire group of scouts within the zone."

"And what of Sailor Pluto? She has power over time."

"Nothing that can counteract this we believe."

"You had better be right."

"Actually Queen, there is a surefire way to get all the scouts. When they are at school."

"Tuxedo Mask won't be there."

"With the other scouts destroyed, it won't matter."

"Hmm..true."

And at an apartment.

"Setsuna...you all right? You seem distracted," Michiru said.

"I am," Setsuna said "I can't help sensing that something is very wrong."

"Why do you say that?" Michiru asked.

"It's just a sense."

"Are you usually right when you feel this way?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I know what's going to happen."

"Does it have something to do with time or the universe or something?"

"Maybe. Michiru I'm going to call in sick," Setsuna said.

"Are you sure?" Michiru asked. "Do you want me to be sick too?"

"No...as much as I hate to say it, if the bait isn't good enough the goddesses may not take it," Setsuna said.

"You think they're planning a trap," Haruka said.

"If they can mess with time, they'd try to get all of us within an enclosed area. They wouldn't have the power to mess with it on a wide scale," Setsuna said.

"But Setsuna, serving us up to them.." Haruka said.

"Is dangerous, but we have to get them to play their hand," Setsuna said.

"They might not, still, if they see you're not there," Michiru said.

"I know," Setsuna said. "But actually I have a way of doing better then calling in sick."

"Now I'm going out. When I return you are to explain to me the situation as if I had never heard it before."

"Why?"

"Because of the effect of what I'm going to do I won't remember."

"Why?"

"Trust me," Setsuna said and headed out the door. Seven minutes later she returned.

"Haruka..Michiru," She said. "What's going on?" she asked.

Haruka and Michiru told her.

"I see..it's taken care of," Setsuna said. "Let's get to school."

Haruka and Michiru glanced at each other and followed her out.

"What did you do?" Michiru asked.

"Spies may be listening," Setsuna said.

"Setsuna, if something happens what do we do?" Haruka asked.

"Nothing," Setsuna said.

"Nothing?" Michiru asked.

"I know what I'm talking about," Setsuna said.

"I guess so," Haruka said.

"You two have to trust me, have I let you down before?" Setsuna asked.

"No, you're right," Haruka said.

"We'll trust your judgement," Michiru said.

"I knew you would," Setsuna said.

The goddess of time grinned as she stood watching Juuban High School.

"This is the beginning of the end for you scouts," She said with a grin. With the powers all goddesses had she was able to concentrate and see Setsuna Meio's classroom fill up with all the targets. Haruka and Michiru were the last ones in, followed by Setsuna herself.

"Hmm..even that ditzy Sailor Moon is there early today, how convenient. This shall take some time to build up the energy...but it will be worth it."

She closed her eyes. Energy slowly began to swirl around her. She prepared to use her energy to manipulate time itself. She could feel the very essence of time flowing through her.

She grinned slightly and continued the process.

"It's good to see everyone's here," Setsuna said. "Even Serena."

"Yes..well here I am," Serena said.

"Hey Miss Meio, how about we skip the lecture today?" Mike asked.

"Would that please you?" Setsuna asked.

"Well yeah."

"Too bad, if my job was to keep you happy I'd quit."

The class let out a chorus of "oos."

"Setsuna's getting hardcore," Steve muttered.

"Now..let's begin," Setsuna said and pulled out her textbook. She didn't noticed Hotaru staring at her intently.

Something is going on. She thought and glanced at both Haruka and Michiru.

They know too. She sensed.

Several hours passed. The goddess of time continued the process of preparing herself to control time. She could feel the control passing through her, the energy itself becoming a tool.

"It won't be long now," She said to herself.

At lunch the group was having several conversations at once.

"So..Setsuna really bit a chunk out of you didn't she?" Mina asked.

"It's only natural for her to want to do that," Mike said. "I don't blame her."

"But I thought it took the fun out of it when the teacher goes that far."

"Not for me it doesn't," Mike said.

"It's good to see you back too one hundred percent Amy," Urawa said.

"Just a little head cold caught me for a day or so," Amy said.

"Yeah, those things can be rough," Lita said playing along.

"I hate these muffins, why does my mom make them for me?" Serena said staring at one.

"Why don't you ask her not to?" Raye asked.

"That'd be insulting."

"Then how's she supposed to know you don't like them?" Raye asked.

"If she ever bothered to taste one she'd find out," Serena said.

"Let me try it," Raye said.

"Very well," Serena said. Raye tasted it and spit it out.

"Jeez..you weren't kidding. Then again it would really have to be bad for you not to eat it."

"You're right," Serena said.

"Have you ever eaten an aluminum can Serena?"

"What do you mean by eaten?" Serena asked.

Raye glanced at her.

"I think Ken's going through what we went through," Lita said.

"Trying to get friendship out of a former romance?" Steve asked.

"If you want to call it romance."

"Hmm..well he seems like a nice guy."

"Misao seems to be nice too, but I think she overacted."

"It should work I hope."

"What is going on?" Hotaru asked looking at Haruka and Michiru.

"We don't know," Michiru said.

"Setsuna's handling it," Haruka said.

"Are you sure of that?" Hotaru asked.

"Why wouldn't she?" Michiru asked.

"I do not know. I was just asking," Hotaru said.

"But why would you?" Haruka asked.

"I have my reasons," Hotaru said.

"Which are?" the other two asks.

"Unexplainable at this time," Hotaru said.

Setsuna stood on the roof of the school staring at the city.

"Where are you?" she asked herself. "Come on goddess. Show yourself," She said her eyes narrowing.

"You're out there somewhere. Why keep us waiting?"

The goddess meanwhile had finished her preparation and was ready to begin her assault. She walked towards the school, brimming with energy, surrounded in a swirl. She faced the school and unleashed the energy. It surrounded the immediate area in a field of energy. Setsuna's eyes widened.

"She's done it," She said.

The goddess grinned as the school was surrounded in a field of time.

"Now it's time to take care of them all," the goddess said forming an energy blade in her hand.

A wave of dark energy flew through the air and plowed into the goddess. She stumbled forward wincing in pain and whirled. Sailor Pluto dropped to the ground and swung her staff.

"How did you?" The goddess shouted in surprise.

"I'm as much in control of time as you are!" Pluto said and hit her again. The goddess stumbled back. A barrage of roses flew at her. She dived out of the way and right into one of Pluto's blows. Pluto knocked her away from the school. Tuxedo Mask dropped down to the ground beside her and attacked with his staff. Pluto fired a blast from her staff as well.

The goddess dodged both attacks, unleashing her own energy attacks as she did so.

The two scouts jumped out of the way.

The goddess unleashed a wave of energy from her hands which slammed into Pluto.

"I'm an accomplished fighter!" she said and then vaulted into the zone.

"We have to follow," Tuxedo Mask said.

"You can't," Sailor Pluto said. "Passing from one time to another without preparation will kill you."

"But they're all vulnerable in there," Tuxedo Mask said.

"Not if I can take down the zone from here?"

"You should go after her," Tuxedo Mask said.

"I already am."

"What?"

The goddess raced in the doors of the school. Because she was moving so quickly, everyone looked like they were standing still.

She grinned and headed for the cafeteria.

She reached the doors quickly and moved towards them, only they swung out and hit her knocking her back down the hall.

"What?"

"Pluto Dead Scream!" came a shout. Sailor Pluto stepped through the cafeteria doors.

"How..how..did you.." the goddess said before hit and thrown down the hallway again.

"You.." the goddess said in shock and threw a wave down the hallway. Pluto neutralized it with her own attack and fired a blast from her staff.

"This is impossible," the goddess said.

"You should be careful when you delve into the realm of time. An incursion into the natural linear order can be corrected by a second incursion in order to maintain balance," Sailor Pluto said.

"What do you mean?"

"It means that I am going to stop you here," Pluto said.

Another energy wave flew at her.

Pluto blocked it with her own energy.

"You're going to have to put up some offense, or you'll never stop me," the goddess said.

"You might think that,"Sailor Pluto said. "But we have all the time we need don't we?"

The goddess charged forward with her energy blade. Sailor Pluto met her and the two started to spar.

"This is my world now..what makes you think I can't modify it!" the goddess said.

"Because I am the Guardian of Time!" Pluto shouted back swinging her staff.

"Not of this time!" the goddess shouted and swung her energy sword at an abnormal rate cutting through Pluto's left arm. He staff fell, but she swung out with her right hand and hit the goddess, who rolled back quickly.

"I can speed up time for myself,," The goddess said.

"You can't do that very often," Pluto said.

"Enough to destroy you!"

A wave of energy flew out quickly and slammed Pluto into the doors of the cafeteria, she staggered up holding her staff with her one free hand.

A second wave flew too fast for Pluto to counteract it. She flew into the cafeteria and smashed through a table. The goddess leapt in and moved towards the table where Haruka, Michiru, and Hotaru sat apparently unmoving.

Pluto fired her staff and knocked the goddess off balance. The goddess raced forward quickly swinging her sword right at the three. Pluto leapt in front of them, the blade sliced across her. She let out a cry. The goddess moved to try again.

One speed burst left. She thought and swung forward.

A figure slid in front of her and blocked the blow with her staff. Sailor Pluto.

"What?" The goddess shouted. One Sailor Pluto lay in great pain. The other held her staff up and then kicked the goddess back.

"Surprise, like she said..one incursion in time can be met by another one. She's that incursion, and I'm your real threat," Sailor Pluto said.

The other Sailor Pluto stood up.

"You may have injured me...badly..but I will have plenty of time to heal," she said and advanced. "You cannot beat both of us."

"I can try!" the goddess said and unleashed another wave.

"Pluto dead scream!" The two Pluto's shouted and their attacks cut through her and blasted her back through the cafeteria doors.

"Are you all right?" Current Pluto asked.

"I will heal at the gate..but I must go now..while I still have the strength to get back," Alternate Pluto said.

"Good luck," Current Pluto said. Alternate Pluto limped away. Sailor Pluto stepped through the doors.

"Just how long can you keep a dimension like this open huh?" She asked. The goddess stood up and slid forward with her energy sword. Sailor Pluto blocked it and hit her with her staff, sending her stumbling backward.

"Not much longer I think, but you certainly can't keep it going if you're dead!" Sailor Pluto said and hit the goddess with a combination. She quickly grabbed the goddess and tossed her through a window of the school.

Tuxedo Mask watched in shock and then pulled out a rose. He tossed it at the goddess only to see it shrivel up and disintegrate as it passed through the zone.

"So much for that idea," He muttered.

Sailor Pluto jumped out of the window and avoided another goddess blast. The goddess leapt up and charged at her, energy sword in hand. Pluto blocked it again.

"This isn't working for you," Sailor Pluto said hitting her repeatedly.

The goddess swung connecting with Pluto's left arm. Pluto let her staff swing with one hand and hit the goddess. She then kicked the goddess back through the barrier. Tuxedo Mask threw barrage of roses, that flew right into the goddesses back. The goddess screamed.

"Pluto Dead Scream!" came a shout. The goddess evaporated and the time barrier melted away.

Pluto winced. Tuxedo Mask hurried to her side.

"Are you all right?" He asked.

"Nothing that won't heal in time." Pluto said.

"You should see a doctor, that cut looks deep," Tuxedo Mask asked.

"Maybe..so what'd you think?"

"Think about what?"

"Oh that's right, you didn't see the look on her face when she saw two of me."

"There were two of you?"

"Well..there's me, and then future me," Pluto said with a slight grin.

"Don't even try to explain it," Tuxedo Mask said. "Is everyone all right?"

"Barely, but they didn't get touched," Sailor Pluto said.

They heard various shouts from the school.

"Looks like they just discovered the damage," Sailor Pluto said.

"They're going to have a hard time explaining this huh?" Tuxedo Mask said.

"Oh..you know...the school's going to wonder just what happened to me," Sailor Pluto said. "I've got to change back and tell them."

"Tell them what?"

"I don't know yet," Sailor Pluto said.

"Things don't just spontaneously explode. One second a table's there. The next it's broken!" Principal Oksua shouted. "And what happened to the hallway!"

The entire student population looked at him also clueless.

"Looks like something happened," Michiru said.

"Time must have fallen out alignment and then been returned to it's original state," Hotaru said.

"But all the damage?" Haruka asked

Setsuna staggered in with a bleeding left arm.

"Setsuna! What happened?" Principal Oksua said.

"Invisible force of evil," Setsuna stammered. "The scouts chased it off."

"How do you know what it is if it's invisible," Oksua said.

"The scouts told me, I got attacked by it as I was walking down here," Setsuna said.

"You should see a doctor," Oksua said. "Why do they always attack here!"

"Maybe they're after you," Miss Haruna said with a grin.

"Not funny!" Okusa muttered.

The entire cafeteria started laughing anyway.

Later.

"So Setsuna..what did happen?" Haruka asked.

"It's very hard to explain Haruka, but the goddesses' messing with time should be over for a while. The energy they needed to keep that going must have been enormous," Setsuna said.

"How'd you beat a goddess with just yourself though," Michiru said.

"I can be resourceful," Setsuna said.

"And just how many of you were there?" Hotaru asked.

Haruka and Michiru glanced at Hotaru strangely.

"And why do you think there was more then one of me Hotaru?"

"Because it was the most logical explanation," Hotaru said.

"Well there was only two of me, we managed," Setsuna said.

"So which one of you did we walk to school with?" Michiru said.

"Obviously the other one," Haruka said.

"Correct," Setsuna said. "See I told you to trust me."

"And just what happened that none of us remember?"

"It's not a matter of remembering it. You never saw it happen."