"Damn!" The woman stood up. "That little brat found it!" She struck one tight fist into her other hand and stood up. Hito watched her warily, chewing on the last few bites of the meal she'd brought. Whatever she was upset about, it probably wasn't good. . . She turned frightening red eyes on him. "I have something else for you to do. She undid my plan in a very indirect way, so it's harder to counter act." She looked down. "I'll just have to keep her busy after my next divergence of the time line. I keep her in the wrong one long enough and she'll forget the first, since she's foolish enough to live partially within the time stream."
The woman in black nodded and began to look more relieved, allowing Hito to relax a little. This sounded like she'd want him to do more, but at least she wasn't angry anymore. He was truly frightened of what she might do to him if she became angry again. He just wanted to home. . .
Hito swallowed the last of the food and sighed in contentment. Whatever else could be said for his crazy captor, she sure knew where to get good food. He heard a loud clatter and saw the woman's staff fall to the ground and roll a little ways toward him across the ground. The woman was holding her head in pain. "NOOOOO! You little fool! You hopeless idiot! You can't let her die! How could you kill her like that!" The cords on the woman's neck stood out and she swept down to snatch up her fallen staff. She paced furiously back and forth. "Wait. Maybe I can change things to my benefit...yes...that just might work!" She turned burning eyes on him and fear clenched his stomach so tight he thought he'd lose the meal he'd just eaten. She snarled at him. "Get up boy, we have an emergency. My enemy has allowed someone very important to die in her attempt to thwart my plans." She pulled him roughly along behind her into the horrible swirling vortex of the Time Door.
When his vision finally cleared he realized he was sitting on top of the roof of a building. He began to stand up with a wild cry when a hand clamped over his mouth and an arm yanked him back down. He turned frightened eyes to his left to see the lady in black shaking her head at him. He calmed down a little and she let him go, putting one of her gloved hands up to lay her forefinger against her lips.
"Shh. . .you don't want anyone to notice you. I have some protection, but if any of the those American soldiers caught a glimpse of a young Japanese boy like you, they'd rip him to shreds, and ask questions later."
"American soldiers? Why would they want to kill me?"
"Baka, we're back in World War II. Hadn't you figured that out yet?" She turned away in annoyance. "Humans." She shook her head and began to watch the grounds below very intently. Hito shut his mouth and looked too. Suddenly he saw a faint flash of light on a roof across the compound.
"Hey," he hissed as he pointed at the other roof, "did you see that?"
"What?"
"Someone's on that roof over there! Are they the enemies you're looking for?"
The lady in black examined the roof carefully. "Maybe, maybe, only something's different-one of them has a strange feel about her. . ." She studied her hands as she thought. "The strange one. . .it has to be the one we're looking for, only from a different stream. Hmm. . .interesting." The woman jerked her head up and centered it on Hito again. He swallowed nervously-he hated it when she looked at him like that-it made him feel like a piece of meat on sale at the market. "Okay boy, time to do another task for me. There are two women over there. One will look like me." Her glare sharpened and Hito caught his breath in fear. "Exactly like me, only she won't know who you are. The other one will be wearing a suit like mine, only it will be blue-" The lady suddenly tilted her head and her eyes stared off into space. "Probably. It will probably be blue." She looked down. "You can never really tell about these things," she muttered to herself, then pinned him down with her eyes again. "You must make sure that the one in blue does not get hurt. Do you understand me?"
Hito nodded. "The one that doesn't look like you cannot get hurt. I understand. What about the one that does look like you? What if she gets hurt?"
The lady laughed. "Well, if she dies, you won't ever have to worry about any of this, now will you." Her face darkened suddenly. "Don't ask such stupid questions, boy." She turned back to the roof and Hito turned his head to look too. He saw two silhouettes stand up on the other roof and the lady grabbed him around the waist and, after making sure no soldiers were looking, jumped straight down off the building. Hito opened his mouth to yell but the woman landed safely and put him down gently. "Don't do that, boy. Remember about the Americans." Hito nodded unsteadily. "Now watch out for that one girl." She pointed toward the other building and Hito looked at her in amazement. She didn't want him to attract the American's attention by shouting but she wanted him to run across the plaza? That made no sense!
She ran off, leaving a hopelessly confused Hito to stand in the alley, cautiously poking his head around the corner of the building. He watched as a girl in blue, just like the lady in black had said, ran out from the other building. His mouth dropped open. She was Japanese, just like him, and she ran into the middle of the courtyard and then waited calmly for the men who were chasing her to catch up. She had impossibly long blue-black hair and an outfit almost like the lady's on, except for its color. Could she travel through time too?
"Hey!" Hito looked up as he heard one of the Americans shout in alarm. "Who are you?" The girl simply looked at him silently. "Hey, are you one of those filthy Japs? Answer me!" The man's face reddened with anger and he brought his gun up. The girl's eyes widened with worry.
"Iie! Don't shoot at me already! I need more time!" She was talking in Japanese-that wouldn't help! Hadn't she had English in school? Hito felt tempted to close his eyes-he just knew she was going to get shot-but he couldn't allow that, or the black lady wouldn't let him to go home. He gathered up the tatters of his courage and ran into the courtyard just as another soldier joined the first.
"No!" he shouted in English, hoping his accent wasn't so bad that they couldn't understand him, "Don't shoot her! Wait!" The soldiers looked at him in surprise and kept their guns trained on the girl, and now him, but didn't shoot quite yet. The young woman turned to him with surprise.
"Who are you?" she asked in rapid Japanese. "You shouldn't be here-you could get killed!"
"So could you!" he whispered furiously. "I'm here to keep you from getting killed."
"What?" Her eyes widened. "Do you have powers?"
"Powers?" Hito could hear the confusion in his voice. "What powers?"
The woman looked at the soldiers who were warily closing in. "No, of course not. You just throw yourself into danger for no reason, with no weapons or defenses." Despite her annoyed words she smiled at him kindly. "I'm going to do something surprising. Hold on to my arm, and when I run, you run, ne?"
Hito's eyes widened, and he just nodded. She was much kinder that the lady in black. If she was allied with the second lady, maybe he should get away from the bad one controlling him. He held on to her arm as she raised them and splayed her fingers out before her. "Shabon Spray!" Bright bubbles flew out from her hands and spread around them, creating a thick fog. "C'mon! While they still can't see!" The girl tugged him along, and after a second of shock he sprinted after her, still holding her arm. Two shots rang out in the courtyard and Hito desperately stifled an urge to yell. "This way! We have to get back to my friend! I can't distract them any longer!" Hito obediently followed her, and they ran back into the building the blue girl had just left. Hito could hear others pursuing, and he could only hope the fog was thick enough that they would have a hard time following them. Suddenly he heard something exploding ahead and tried to pull the girl back, but she yanked back and kept them moving forward. "Pluto! Sailor Pluto! What's wrong?" she shouted as they stumbled into a room filled with smoking electronic equipment. Hito tried to pull back more strenuously now as he saw the black lady standing in the center of the room, looking very upset. When he couldn't stop the girl from going forward he turned to leave, only to notice two soldiers had managed to follow them into the room. He walked with her then, hoping the lady could protect them both.
"Mercury! Hurry! They're behind you!" Hito and the girl he assumed was named Mercury ran to her side and turned to face the two American soldiers who had followed them in. The lady in black started looking around with worry. Hito thought she looked a little younger somehow. Suddenly her eyes fell on him, and though he drew back in automatic fear, she gave him a truly friendly smile. "Who are you? What is a Japanese boy doing here?"
Hito opened his mouth to answer when his jaw dropped. "Look!" His finger shook as he pointed at a figure that stood in the shadows. It looked like the lady again. Suddenly he realized that he was with the wrong lady and began to shake with fear. The one in the back corner of the room shot him a quick look of anger and ducked behind some smoking machinery, hiding herself from the blue girl's quick glance. If he went with this other one, he'd probably never get home!
"What do you see, young man?" the wrong black lady said curiously, but Hito stepped away from her.
"They look really angry, Pluto. Are we going to leave now?" the blue girl asked worriedly. Hito looked at the soldiers again and saw one of them cocking his gun, getting ready to fire.
The wrong lady held out her hand to him. "Nevermind that. Come here, you're in great danger." Hito shook his head and backed away from them. Her face tightened, then she shrugged. "Very well, we don't have any time to waste. I'm sorry, boy."
She raised her staff, just like the real black lady did when she was about to travel through time, and Hito watched in fascination, wanting to see it from outside for once. As he was watching he remembered his task. He had to complete it, or the lady would never let him go home! The men already had their guns cocked. What if one of them shot the blue girl before they got away? He looked back at the soldiers and saw one carefully aiming his gun. "Iie!" he shouted and ran at the man, hoping to put his aim off enough.
"What the-" the man shouted in surprise at the boy's cry. He quickly turned in an attempt to aim at Hito, but Hito was too close, and he tackled the man before he could get a good shot. The gun went off just as Hito collided with the soldier and the two women disappeared, and the shot went wild. Hito covered his head with his hands, hoping against hope that the bullet wouldn't find him somehow. Wouldn't it be unfair if he ended up getting killed?
He was slowly raising his head when he felt a strong hand grab a hold on his shirt and pull him to his feet.
"Well, what do we have here? The others may have gotten away somehow, but I suppose we can always question you." Hito quailed at the angry snarl in the American's voice. His panicked mind couldn't remember how to speak a single word of English as the man shook him angrily. Where was the black lady?
"Dead Scream." A bright ball of energy appeared out of nowhere, creating even more havoc in the already decimated room. Hito and the two soldiers were thrown back against a wall and lay there, stunned. The black lady walked up to Hito and pulled him to his feet. "Very good, boy. You managed to save her. Let's go. I started too late to stop her from negating my plan, but I think I've found another way. But before that I have another quick job for you" Hito descended into unconsciousness as he felt them begin another dreaded trip through time.
*****
Pluto fought to hold back tears. Mercury was going to die, and it would all be her fault. If only she'd gotten them out sooner. If only she'd chosen someone else to help her fight. If only...
She lifted her head when she heard a strange noise. A boy stepped up to her in battered clothes, his eyes heavy with fatigue. She'd never seen him before. He walked nervously, as if expecting an attack any second.
"How'd you get here?" Pluto stuttered, frightened. If a normal school boy could wander in here somehow, did she dare even try to leave the Door long enough to fix things?
"I don't exactly know..."
"Try to remember!" she snarled, frustrated. The boy didn't answer, he just stared in horror at Mercury and at the wet, red stain that covered both of them now. Pluto couldn't help marveling at the fact that this brave little Mercury was even breathing. She pulled the blue senshi toward her, trying to hide her from the boy's intruding gaze. "Leave her alone! Stop that!"
The boy shook his head and looked back at her. His eyes were a little wild. "I've been given a message to deliver to you."
"By whom?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you."
Pluto surged to her feet, leaving Mercury on the ground. "Tell me, or I'll kill you!"
"No."
"I will kill you!"
He swallowed, but somehow stood his ground. "I believe you, but I'm even more frightened of the person who gave me the message. I won't tell."
"Why? What does she hold over you that's more precious than your own life?"
"My family's."
Pluto opened her mouth to say something, but stopped, struck by the desolation in the boy's voice. She slowly shook her head. It was stupid to blame the messenger. If only she didn't feel so helpless. Maybe then this would all be easier to bear. "Fine, then. What's the message?"
He pointed at Mercury. "You have to stop protecting her from the effects of changes in the time stream."
"Why?"
"Because if you don't do it soon, your only chance to save her will be lost."
"How do you know this?! I don't even know!"
The boy looked surprised at her question. "She said you might say that. She said that there is more than one time stream. You can also step outside of this one."
"And what's that supposed to mean."
He shrugged, frustration peeking through his mask of fear. "I don't know. I was just told to tell you that."
"Oh." Pluto dropped down next to Mercury's side again, and to her surprise, so did the boy.
"I'm glad I could help you..." the boy whispered quietly as he took Mercury's limp hand. "This is the only thing I've done so far that I can feel proud of."
Pluto considered ignoring his message, but she saw the worry on his face as he looked down on Mercury, and decided it was worth the risk. And as to the other part of his message...she'd have to think on it when she had some extra time. She placed her hands on her younger friend and released her protection from the time stream.
They both knelt on either side of Mercury. The boy gasped as her hair shortened and her uniform became that of Eternal Mercury. Pluto gasped as the wound suddenly disappeared, and the blood with it. Only her uniform, still splattered with blood that had no longer been shed, gave any testimony to Mercury's sacrifice. The boy looked up at her, and new memories born from yet another diversion of the time stream finally let her recognize him. "YOU!" she shouted, pointing a finger at him just as Mercury opened her eyes and looked around in confusion. The boy backed away in fear.
"Who are you?" Mercury asked him, curious. He shook his head and said nothing. "Where am I? Pluto? What's going on?" Confusion was evident in her voice.
Pluto spared a bit of attention for her friend. "You don't remember anything? You don't remember going to the past, or the other time line, or getting shot?"
"SHOT?!" Mercury looked down at herself in her impeccable uniform. "I haven't been..." Her voice trailed off as she took in the battered and bloody state of Pluto's uniform.
Pluto nodded. Now she was the only one who remembered the boy. She stood up. "Well? Who are you, boy? How are you traveling through time like this? Are you a friend? An enemy?"
His mouth worked silently for a second, then he sighed. "I think I'd like to be your friend, but the one I'm working for isn't." He shivered. "I'm sorry. I have to go now, or who knows what she'll do to me or my family?" He turned around and began to run.
"Wait!" Mercury reached out toward him, but he kept going, soon disappearing into the fog. Her hand dropped to her side. "He looked so scared."
"And he should be. He's been doing some major jumping around through time." Pluto pulled Mercury to her feet. "C'mon, I need to call a Sailor meeting-I think it's time I told everyone what's going on.
*****