Just a deconstruction of Setsuna as the interfering "anything for crystal Tokyo" stereotype.

I don't own Sailor Moon

It was a few months after Galaxia, and the senshi had gathered at the Outers' house for their monthly meeting. Monster activity had been quiet, so mostly these were simple catch-up meetings, and gossip sessions. Since everyone was in attendance, and the main issues of practices and patrols had been wrapped up, Ami took advantage of the chance to ask a question.

"Setsuna, I have a question. Why are the planets named the same now as they were in the Silver Millennium?" Conversation died out.

"What do you mean? It's their names, aren't they?" Usagi asked.

"The planets were named after Roman gods of myth," Ami explained. "Mars was named after the god of war for its blood red color, and Venus was named after the goddess of beauty for its glow in the sky. Etcetera. But these names came from Roman mythology, which only came about after the fall of the Silver Millennium. So why are the names the same?"

"Ohhhhh," she said. Everyone turned to Setsuna, who smiled.

"Because I interfered, is why," answered. "I've interfered with the time line in numerous places either because it was required of me, or simply to make things easier in the future."

"But how?"

"In the case of the myths, it begins in Greece, where I spent a lot of time as a seeress at Delphi, as well as a wandering prophetess. Then I simply whispered in the ear of some Roman higher-ups to change the names of the myths. Although I wasn't perfect," she added with a pout.

"Wadda ya mean, you weren't perfect?" Haruka asked.

"Have you noticed anything about Saturn and Pluto? About the myths?"

"Ami, what does she mean?" Usagi whispered.

"I think I see. In general, our powers match those of our myth forms. Venus was the goddess of beauty and love. Jupiter was the god of lightning. Uranus was the god of the sky, and Neptune ruled over the oceans."

"But?"

"But Saturn and Pluto are mixed up."

"In reality," said Setsuna, "we know that Saturn has power over death, while I am the guardian of time. In mythology, however, Pluto was the god of the underworld, and thus death, while Saturn was the titan of time."

"Oh, so did you two get your powers confused?" Usagi asked.

"Not exactly, Usagi," said Rei. "How did that happen, anyway?"

"I think he was a little too drunk when I was whispering in his ear," Setsuna said with a shrug. "Considering all the trouble I'd gone too, and what I knew I'd have to do once astronomy became a more exact science, I didn't think it was important enough to try and change."

"Wow, you are tied up in a lot of history," Ami mused.

"Mako-chan, are you alright?" Usagi asked. The tall brunette hadn't spoken a word throughout the entire discussion. She was staring intently at Setsuna.

"No, I'm not," she answered.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm having bad thoughts." She sat up straighter and leaned forward still looking at Setsuna, who looked back unperturbed.

"Bad thoughts?"

"I'm thinking something I shouldn't be, but I'll never be able to rest if I don't find out." She drew in a deep breath. "Setsuna, you never died during the fall, right? You stuck around, guarding the Time Gates, and you messed with time, like you just said. You can travel through time and see the future, right?"

"Not quite," Setsuna corrected. "The rest of that is mostly correct, but I cannot see the future. What I can do is travel to the future, find out what's wrong and right with it, and find out what made it that way, and make sure that happens. It's a bit hit-and-miss."

"Still," said Makoto, "you see the future. You mess with time. So…" She drew in a deep breath. "Did you have anything to do with my parents' deaths?"

"Mako-chan! That's a horrible thing to say!" Usagi shrieked. The rest of the room had recoiled as the implications hit and were looking between the two of them.

"I know it is, but I have to be sure," Makoto told Usagi, "and she hasn't said no yet." Everyone looked at Pluto, who looked impassive.

"I'm trying to think of a way to answer," Setsuna said carefully, "that won't have you try to kill me before I've explained why you shouldn't try to kill me."

Makoto's knuckles whitened. "How about the truth?"

"Setsuna. Explain," Usagi ordered. The eldest of the senshi sighed.

"I should have expected this. Very well. I did not arrange the accident or arrange for them to be on the plane, Makoto. But I am guilty of letting it happen." The brunette senshi scowled, but was held back by her princess's hand on her arm. "Prior to allowing them to die on the plane, however, I interfered to save their lives on two earlier occasions." Makoto froze as this processed, and she deflated.

"Why?" Rei asked, eyeing her uncertain friend. "Why any of that? Why let them die after saving them?"

"Are you certain you want to know?" Setsuna asked darkly. She looked hard at Makoto. "It's not a pretty story, and you may be better off not knowing."

"I think I don't have a choice," Makoto said. "Tell me."

"Very well. I allowed your parents to die in the plane crash because I made the executive decision that it would be less painful for you than what would happen if they didn't."

"Less painful! What is that supposed to mean?"

"They were going to die anyway, weren't they," Rei deduced quietly.

"Yes. I could save them from the plane, but I couldn't save your mother from the cancer that would have taken her life less than a year later." Makoto paled. "It would have been a long and painful journey, Makoto. You and your father would watch her slowly waste away, leaving you with a hatred of hospitals when she finally departed. Your father, in the meanwhile, would have turned to the bottle in an attempt to cope. It wouldn't end well."

"Tell me," Makoto choked out as Setsuna trailed off.

"As you wish. Among other things, he would have lost his job, drunk away most of his savings, and become slightly abusive. You would have come home, three months or so after your mother passed, and found him hanging from a rafter. I traveled to that future, saw how screwed up and hurt it left you, and decided it would be less painful for you to lose them in one fell swoop, rather than drag it out." Setsuna sat back and awaited judgment. There was a long silence.

"Thank you," Makoto finally choked out, almost silently. "Not for me, but for sparing my mother and father that. Thank you." She bowed.

"What about the rest of us?" Rei asked. "Did you have anything to do with my mother?"

"I discovered early on that I couldn't save your mother, Rei. I did try, but it didn't work. Instead I focused on saving your grandfather." Her eyes widened.

"You did?"

"In the original timeline, he would have died in a car accident when you were four. Without him to care for you, you were pretty much raised by a succession of nurses in your father's employ."

Rei winced. "I bet I was pretty screwed up, huh?"

"If you met that version of yourself, you wouldn't be friends with her," Setsuna said. "Remember the Moon Wand? In this timeline you are Usagi's most trusted friend, which is why she asked you to take care of it. In that timeline you stole the wand because you didn't trust her, and you constantly undermined her leadership." Rei winced.

"I'm so glad that isn't me," she muttered. Usagi pulled her into a hug.

"What about me?" the princess asked.

"In the original timeline your father would have died in a car crash when you were in diapers. Your brother would never have been born. You would have been raised by an overworked single mother who didn't spend as much time with you as either of you wanted. You'd have been less trusting and optimistic, and wouldn't have befriended the other senshi as easily."

"Thank you, Setsuna," Usagi said simply. "I guess I owe you my brother's life, huh? And dad's."

"It's all part of the job, Princess."

"What about me?" Haruka asked.

"I didn't interfere in your and Michiru's lives at all, Haruka. I didn't see the need to, after I figured out that there was no way to make Michiru's parents approve of your relationship."

"Thank you for trying," Michiru said quietly.

"And me, Setsuna?" Ami asked.

"Ami. In the original timeline your mother would have died during a nasty epidemic when you were five, and your father would have taken up your guardianship. He wouldn't have been able to fully nurture your brilliance or provide a stable home, and he realized it, so he convinced his sister to take care of you. He'd have visited often, but you'd have been raised—"

"In Okinawa," Ami finished, "which would cause some problems. Thank you Setsuna."

"What about me?" There was no distrust or anger in Hotaru's voice, just curiosity. She'd had the hardest life of anyone there, but she also saw Setsuna as her mother, and loved her.

"Oh, Hotaru," she murmured, and scooped the girl into her arms. "If I had known what your life was like I'd have changed it, come hell or high water, but this timeline is the first time I could find anything about you. If I had known…"

"It's okay, Setsuna-mama," Hotaru said, and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you."

Everyone awed, and dog-piled the two of them in a group hug. After they sorted out whose limbs were whose, they sat back to grill Setsuna on the past and future timelines.