Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Russian Roulette ❯ Chapter 6

The driver of the bus was very nice, Haruka noted. The bus had a left towards the back just like her mother's van did that brought her inside the vehicle and held her still. After making sure she was secured, the driver went back to his seat and started the bus again. Haruka felt the upper half of her body jiggle as the old machine trudged down the road. It was kind of fun.

 

As it turned out, Haruka's street was one of the first stops the driver made. He drove all around town picking different kids up. Some young, just starting school like Haruka, some older, eager for the day in spring when they would graduate to junior high. Lots of them paired up and sat with their friends. Others quietly took a seat by themselves. No one sat next to Haruka, of course. There was no seat to sit next to her on. But there was a seat across from her. And after four or five stops, it was taken by a young boy who looked to be in first grade and his friend.

 

"Hi there!" he said, looking over. "I'm Moshi, what's your name?"

 

"Haruka Kaiou," Haruka replied.

 

"I'm Shiro," Moshi's friend announced. He glanced down at Haruka's transportation.

 

"How come you're in a wheelchair, Haruka?"

 

"'Cause I can't walk," Haruka explained.

 

"Why not?"

 

"I dunno. My legs won't move."

 

"Are they broken?"

 

"No, they just don't move."

 

"That's weird."

 

"You're weird, Shiro," another voice piped in. Haruka glanced up. A little girl in the seat in front of her was kneeling so she could get a clear view of her fellow passengers. And she didn't look very happy either.

 

"Why do you say such mean things?" she demanded of the two boys, who looked at each other sheepishly.

 

"What mean things?" Moshi asked. "We just wanted to know."

 

"Well, maybe she doesn't want to tell you. I don't know why anyone would talk to a couple of stupid boys like you anyways." At this, Moshi stuck out his tongue and the girl did the same.

 

"Ignore them," the girl assured Haruka. "They're just airheads."

 

"It's okay," Haruka asked. She'd gotten used to people looking at her strangely, though this was the first time anyone had asked her to her face why her legs didn't work. She had tried to explain it simply, the way her mother had. Her mother said that she was a special girl. And just because she couldn't walk didn't mean she was any worse or better than any other person. Michiru-mama had said that many times.

 

"I'm Haruka, by the way," she said, turning back to the girl who had defended her. The girl smiled and tossed her brown hair, done up in a ponytail with a two-beaded hairband. Her rose earrings sparked as they caught the sunlight.

 

"Haruka..." she said, sounding the name out. "I kinda like that. Nice to meet you. My name's Makoto." She reached down her hand, which Haruka took and touched with friendship. It seemed that school would be fun after all.

 

It turned out that Moshi and Shiro were not in first grade, they were actually in kindergarten with Haruka, as was Makoto. The driver helped Haruka out of the bus once again, this time telling the lift to move her outside and down to the sidewalk. Makoto waited patiently until her new friend was ready.

 

"I'll walk with you to class," she volunteered.

 

"Sure," Haruka replied, gasping the wheels on her chair. "It's right down this way. My mama took me for a tour a couple days ago."

 

While Makoto and Haruka went to meet their teacher and explore their new classroom, Usagi sat unsettled at home. She knew Chibiusa was fine, of course, but something still bothered her. Something Michiru had said the last time she was over at her house. Why hadn't they moved on the Crystal Tokyo yet? Why were the other senshi starting to be reborn now? Usagi didn't want to think about it, but something told her that something had gone horribly wrong in that last battle with Chaos. She only hoped the situation was somehow reversible.

 

As Usagi sat pondering, she suddenly felt another presence in the room, like she wasn't alone. She turned around and much to her shock, her eyes met with the last person she ever expected to see.

 

"S-setsuna!" Usagi exclaimed. There before her was an image of Setsuna, or rather Sailor Pluto, standing solemnly in her black sailor fuku. Her body was slightly transparent, this was not Setsuna in the flesh. But whether a ghost or a vision, Usagi didn't care. All she knew was Setsuna was in front of her once more. She stood to embrace her, but the solitary soldier only shook her head sadly.

 

"I am not Setsuna," she said. "Setsuna Meiou was killed in the battle with Chaos. You have not forgotten that so quickly?" Usagi lowered her head.

 

"I'm sorry, Pluto," she said. "I was just so happy to see you. I thought, maybe... maybe somehow you'd come back."

 

"When my body was lost in the battle with Chaos, I returned to my post at the time gate in 30th Century Tokyo. However, by an order given to me by Neo Queen Serenity, I have returned here to deliver an important message."

 

"What message?" Usagi asked. Pluto sighed.

 

"I don't know how to tell you this, but by now I'm sure you've noticed that some of the senshi are being reborn, here in this time."

 

Usagi nodded, so Pluto continued,

 

"This wasn't supposed to happen. The battle with Chaos was supposed to be one last stand against the dark power. A final battle in which at the end of it, Chaos was destroyed and you Sailor Moon, along with the rest of us were to be thrust into the 30th century, reborn in our new forms."

 

Usagi listened frightened to Setsuna's words. Their future... it wasn't forming the way it was supposed to? "Then why did things happen as they did?" Usagi asked aloud. Pluto again shook her head in a sad lost sort of way.

 

"The only explanation I can think of is that somehow Chaos got a look into the future. She saw what was her fate, to be destroyed at your hand, and she decided that she would prevent that fate at all costs. So instead of attacking us as a group, she prepared a tower. A tower of deadly traps in which you and the prince would be held captive at the top. And in exchange for your freedom, Chaos would leave forever. As long as some of us remained alive and there was no final battle of destruction, Chaos' fate could not be fulfilled." Pluto gripped the handle of her Garnet Rod in frustration. "I apologize for missing something this obvious," she said.

 

"Why don't we go find Chaos?" Usagi demanded. "Neptune, Tuxedo Mask and I will find her and destroy her. Then destiny can take its course, right?" She looked at Pluto desperately, but the guardian of time did not move to her cries. "Right, Pluto?" Usagi asked again.

 

"It's too late for that," Pluto said. "An alternate future has already been set in motion. The only way to correct it now is to awaken all the senshi and fight Chaos as one, the way we were meant to. I myself will be joining you again on earth soon."

 

"You mean... you'll be returning as Setsuna?" Usagi asked.

 

"Please be aware that my memories are from guarding my post at the time gate. I will not have the same emotions that I did before as Setsuna Meioh. But yes, I will be returning. Unlike the others, I am able to travel through time and take on different guises without being reborn from childhood."

 

Upon hearing Pluto's words, Usagi felt warm tears beginning to dampen her eyes.

 

"I'll be waiting for you, Setsuna," she said. "We all will."