Okay, so maybe she hadn't always been best friends in all the worlds with the girl, but it hurt her to see Usagi in such a state. Tears flowed down one pale cheek and one purpling cheek. When Mamoru broke the news to her, the same news she'd stammered out to her just now, Usagi'd hit him, and gentlemen that he was, Mamoru had hit her back. Future king of Crystal Tokyo he might be, Meiou Setsuna wanted to kill him.

She was at a loss why Usagi had come to her instead of one of the Inners, but she tucked her skirt beneath her and knelt beside the blonde girl, trying her best to avoid getting on either of their hair. Usagi quickly threw her arms around Setsuna and hid her face in Setsuna's dark green hair.

"Tell me everything that happened, Usagi-chan," she requested softly but firmly.

"You know what he said, what he did," the younger girl choked out. "Setsuna-san, they knew."

Alarm spread through her at the implications of that statement, but still she had to ask first and be certain. "The Inner Senshi knew what Mamoru was doing?"

Usagi nodded faintly against her shoulder. "Hai. They said she'd make a better queen that I ever would."

There it was; the betrayal that sent the Princess to her door in tears. Not that her boyfriend had slept with her best friend. It wasn't that he'd hit her hard enough to leave a rather ugly bruise on her cheek. No. It was the betrayal by her other close friends, who she had fought so hard to save last October, only a few months past.

"Why didn't you go to Haruka and Michiru?"

"Michiru-san is in concert in Osaka. Haruka-san went with her. They took Hotaru-chan with them; Dr. Tomoe told me," Usagi answered, slowly lifting her head to gaze at Setsuna. "I wish I'd never been born, Setsuna-san."

"None of that now, Usagi-chan. There are other things we can do."

"Like what?"

"I can take you to another time, let you make a fresh start there. When Haruka-tachi get back from Osaka, the Outer Senshi will join you there without the Inners being any the wiser. How does that sound? Want to?"

"I don't really want to leave my family, but," here she paused for a long moment, "maybe; it would be nice. Hai, I would like to, Setsuna-san, please."

~ * ~ * ~ *

Only a few minutes later, the pair stood in front of the Time Gate, Usagi in plain clothes and a lot of make-up to hide the bruise and Setsuna as Sailor Pluto. "This place I'll be taking you is the future that has now been set into motion."

"A future without Crystal Tokyo?"

"Not the same Crystal Tokyo kingdom and it barely lasted a hundred years," Pluto smiled to herself, "mostly due to poor leadership. I'm taking you to a time several hundred years after it faded."

"Faded into what?"

"Into a small pacifistic nation that has since been taken over and fought over. I'll stay long enough to get you settled, then I'll come back for Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and Luna, okay?"

Usagi smiled faintly. "Okay, Pluto-san." She sounded a little distracted, and Pluto glanced over her shoulder to see what was bothering her.

"What are you doing, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi laughed faintly as she continued to fiddle with her hair. "I'm starting over with this too. No more odangos."

Setsuna quickly came around behind, took down the twin buns, and did Usagi's hair in a quick braid. "That'll do until Michiru and I can come up with something else. Now let's go."

Together they stepped through the Time Gate into another world.

As the Cherry Road faded, Sailor Pluto quickly detransformed back into Setsuna. Usagi was looking all around her, an awe-struck expression on her face. "Sugoi! Cho kakkoi, Setsuna-san!"

She had to smile at that, then she forced herself to be a bit more serious. "Can you get yourself in an apartment, Usagi-chan?"

Usagi stopped spinning around, an equally serious expression on her face. "Hai." She frowned for real now. "I'll still have to go to school, won't I?"

Setsuna laughed briefly at the disappointment in the White Moon Princess's voice. "I'm afraid so."

"I guess I'll make a new beginning there too; I'll try my best to do good in school and not just slide by."

"When you sign up, list me as your guardian and older sister, or something of the like. That should avoid too much trouble."

"Okay, Setsuna-san."

"I'll see you later, Usagi-chan. Take care of yourself until I get back."

"I will. See you later, Setsuna-san. Please don't let Haruka-san beat up the Inner Senshi. I'll see you all soon."

Setsuna nodded and turned to reopen the Cherry Road leading back to the Time Gate, gesturing at it to open. Then gesturing again. And again. After trying nearly a dozen times and ready to scream uncharacteristicly in frustration, she turned back to the blonde teenager.

"What's wrong, Setsuna-san?" Usagi prompted.

"Three words, Usagi-chan: We. Are. Stuck."