Surving Pluto- Sailor Moon One-Shot

Surving Pluto- Sailor Moon One-Shot

Unread postby Storyteller » September 2nd, 2015, 7:20 pm

Here is a one-shot I wrote a little while ago. It was already posted upon Sufficient Velocity, but it gets very little traffic, so I am posting it here as well. Comments and criticism would be welcomed, I am attempting to improve in writing. Thank you for your time.



Surviving Pluto​




Princess Serenity stood by her mother as the diplomatic party of Earth walked into the palace. The young princess carefully kept her face schooled, preventing her smile from revealing her happiness. Her Endymion was back. Serenity inclined her head and allowed him to take her hand as the two walked through the palace doors. The princess froze for a second, catching sight of the Senshi of Time, Pluto’s reflection in the carved crystal. The words that the Sailor had asked after Serenity returned from a quite meeting with Endymion returned, only to be ignored as the doors closed behind the pair with an air of finality. Serenity knew that she had done nothing wrong after all.


Are you prepared for the consequences



Not many, if any enjoyed the presence of the Eldest Sailor. At times it seemed that the entire citadel capital of the Moon Kingdom would be on edge when the Keeper of Time had one of her rare visits. Venus, leader of the Inner Sailor Senshi did not mind per say the company of Pluto. She personally preferred when it was calm, diplomatic Pluto summoned to speak for the Outer Senshi. In comparison of the forceful and brash personality of Uranus, or the precise and sometimes cold calculations of Neptune the Keeper made for more, pleasant, discussion. What Venus did mind was her need for a healer whenever the Queen summoned Pluto. The summons that had to be delivered by one of the Senshi. While the journey itself was not simple, it was the welcome they received that made all wary of the trip.


When the Gates had first been established, it had been decided that for the security of the Gate's location, only Uranus and Neptune would have a direct communication. Truthfully, Venus suspected that it had not been completely a matter of choice. The few times that Saturn had been deployed, the feared Sailor had arrived almost before a decision had been made.


What stood as far as the Inner Senshi knew was that Uranus and Neptune could contact Pluto, (with Saturn in some manner listening in) and Pluto in the case she fell a distress signal would be sent to Queen Serenity, Uranus and Neptune with the latter two going to ground.


Which still left the problem of summoning Pluto while the duties of Neptune and Uranus left the pair incommunicado, as Saturn while easily found could not communicate with any, Venus had found the single time she had asked.


The situation left the necessity of the Senshi delivering the summons unannounced, to a being who except for these rare summons, all unannounced visitors were attempting to either attack, maim, kill, otherwise incapacitate or evade her to gain access to her charge. It was a situation that as Venus had once said, was rather poorly thought out. Which is why the Queen's adviser Luna found the Senshi playing a game of Fading Trails, a child's game to fob work onto whoever picked the comet that faded first. When questioned as she began her walk to the city gates Venus had explained that while Pluto had the least variety of experience, and often except for the newest of Senshi, the least, she was a combatant that spent nearly all of her time practicing to defend one single location. One fell to the Dead Scream, and then hit. Or one dodged the Dead Scream and then was hit. Either way, one was clobbered with a giant key.


And if Saturn was not found, the Senshi would approach in pairs. Venus had a scar upon her back from Saturn's glaive from the single time that the group had not followed that protocol. Pluto, and Saturn in that one case, were always apologetic after they realized that it was not an attack. Venus did enjoy Pluto's insight during her visits to the capital, and was thankful for during her visit to the Orphanage. Pluto had somehow convinced Luna that the two of them at all times had maintained bearing "bearing suitable to a servant of the crown" without a single lie. Mostly by describing her behaviors as if they applied to both of them. Pluto was a contradiction in terms of the Outer Senshi to Venus, the hard duty associated with them, but had enough give to be approachable. Somewhat, as she always returned quickly to her post.


Perhaps that was why when Venus walked in with a report, to see Pluto requesting an extension of leave to stay until the diplomatic party from Earth left Venus was concerned. And upon the Queen's refusal, and explanation that it was difficult to present a truly peaceful atmosphere with Pluto's presence, Venus followed her comrade into the hall and asked if she should speak to the Queen on her behalf.


Pluto's response circled in Venus's mind even as she ordered additional patrols of the area surrounding the moon.


I cannot ask you to do so.



Mercury enjoyed when Pluto showed up in the library, partly. On one hand the woman respected Mercury's work, and never gave away answers that Mercury could find herself. On the other hand, the woman never gave away any information that one did not have to pry out of her. Mercury in her private musings compared her to the teacher in the back of the room, alternating between taking pride in her students learning, and dodging with double meanings accompanied by silence actually giving the answers away. Mercury suspected from their discussions and the timing of the pauses therein, that Pluto knew more about the future then she admitted, and less than what the common courtier thought.


Mercury in her quiet research when Pluto was away was well aware that like Saturn, Pluto was tightly bound to both oaths to the throne and geas to her planetarian post. How much room the woman had to twist and bend the laws that governed her Mercury did not know, but she had long realized that there was such room. The few times that she had begun an experiment that would lead to devastating and lethal results the messages would come quickly and while hinting, hinted quite sharply to halt those attempts and pointed to old history books that detailed the results when taken in collaboration. That was why when Pluto sat several books, old records of invasions and details of weaknesses of Lunarian weapons coupled with defenses in front of her, Mercury took note of it, and read those books.


Mars was surprised when she found Pluto in the armory, inspecting weapons and armor. The two had a long standing understanding that they would avoid each other. Pluto left strange eddies in Mars' sight. She knew too much of the future and brought it to the present, distorting what Mars could see, oily water that constantly wavered from ripples. It brought headaches in close proximity, and Pluto knew it. Mars also was the keeper of the armory, so Pluto should not have been within its walls without her notification.

Perhaps more concerning than Pluto’s intrusion upon her territory for Mars, was that Pluto had truly sneaked into the armory. Especially as the entire city was preparing to see her leave with the chimes calling the end of the working hours. Pluto was hiding, Mars realized as she peered into the oily streams, looking at the possible futures of various guards looking for the Sailor, so that the Queen could dismiss her in view of the diplomatic party as a symbol of good will. And Mars was not sure what disturbed her more, that Pluto was hiding to stay when she tended to silently leave early or that the Sailor was twisting the limits of plausible deniability to disobey the Queen.

Perhaps that was why she allowed Pluto to stay within the armory without a word, working side by side with the Senshi of Time in oiling blades, and cataloging damage. When Jupiter finally found them, Mars blamed her pounding headache for her lie that she had asked Pluto to help her. Jupiter nodded, before turning to Pluto. Everyone in the room knew it was a lie.

Jupiter did not understand Pluto. Pluto hinted what Jupiter stated clearly, and circled where Jupiter charged. What she did not understand was the constant duplicitous behavior that Pluto would engage in, whenever the elder sailor appeared without being summoned. Jupiter was no fool, she knew that Pluto had oaths and duties to keep. That she would keep both civilians and comrades as safe as she was able, would tell you the truth if you asked, and would inform you she couldn't if that was not in her power. But she also knew that the woman preferred to be blunt and to the point whenever she was able. Yet, in conversations she kept twisting, ribbons in the wind.

That was why after Pluto stared at the capitol as she left, stared as if she was not certain she would ever see it again, Jupiter asked for advice. One had to directly ask to get a clear response Jupiter had long ago realized. The answer she had received tumbled in her mind even as Jupiter raced over the glittering lights of the capitol in search of Venus.

Be careful.

Uranus was concerned when she returned to find Neptune and Pluto both waiting for her at her base camp. Neptune and she had agreed that Uranus would subdue any approaching invaders while Neptune investigated the collapse, and suspected sabotage of the guardian systems surrounding Lunar-controlled Space. Pluto, Pluto was for all her greater age often the voice of naive hope, urging caution when haste was warranted, and occasionally mercy to a foe. But Pluto did not interfere with their work after the decision was made, not often at least. Pluto was dependable to only begin shaking the boat when needed, a trait Uranus valued in the reserved warrior. Uranus trusted Pluto's judgement, and knew something was terribly wrong.

Pluto was hesitant, looking towards the unseen capitol, light years away. Neptune was often irritated by Pluto's tendency to creatively interpret her own orders but knew that it was rarely blatant. There was nothing subtle in Pluto scouring the outskirts of the Moon Kingdom for her, and then waiting for Uranus. Not when she had been bade to return to her post. Not when Pluto's parting rang in Neptune's ears as she and Uranus rushed to the Capitol. Pluto was eternally dutiful, and she had not returned to her post.

Do not leave any regrets

Saturn knew something was wrong when she felt the Talismans resonate, all three in close proximity. The Senshi of Destruction knew her, were they comrades or handlers, could feel her approach even if she could not feel theirs. If Pluto left her station, and met with the others, Saturn would position herself nearby in recognition of the possibility of her deployment.

Saturn knew that Pluto had left her Gates for longer than usual. She had known when Pluto left, and followed her upon her return. She called herself one of the Outer Sailor Senshi, and keeping an extra eye upon the Gates of Time was one of the few jobs that she was suited for.

Saturn was not surprised that Pluto was pouring tea for her, or that there were two extra cups for Uranus and Neptune. The air surrounding the Gate gave the warrior pause, taking in how red crept into the air, skids of oily color that coiled around the Gate like ribbons of blood. Saturn gave a start as she realized why Pluto had left her Gates for so long. This point of time was cut off, with no way to change it, or warn of it. The Gate was just a doorway to empty air.

Saturn closed her eyes, taking in that the extra cups rested upside down. Pluto was ever hopeful, first to begin bending rules, to bet for a better outcome over a certain one. It annoyed Saturn, sometimes. There was a cruelty in how Pluto despite being so old, could still have so much hope left. Yet, while the cups were there, Pluto did not expect any to return.

The two waited in the silence of the timeless Gates, blind to whatever happened outside. Waiting for news, good or ill.

Pluto closed her eyes when Saturn stood, glaive in hand. The news had come, and Saturn would fulfill her duty.

Forgive me

The silence echoed as Pluto asked for forgiveness in failing to find a way to bend the rules she could not break, to warn, to prevent. Saturn turned and continued to her duty but told Pluto one wish.

Survive

Pluto was left alone and reminded of a title given to her by the enemies of, the now destroyed, Moon Kingdom. She survived, as she always did. Left behind to tally the damage, Pluto's mantle passed rarely and everyone knew it. She survived, again as the only survivor. She shelved the report, tallying the lives lost, damage done, survivors. Pluto the Surviving they called her. And they were right Pluto grimly acknowledged as she remembered the final words of the report.

Surviving: Pluto
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