"Isn't it exciting?" Fuyuko exclaimed. "We're bringing Seisui to the Crystal Palace!"
"Yeah," Akiko added sarcastically, "real exciting. I'm just thrilled."
Usako, who was leading the group back home, turned around and looked depreciatingly toward Akiko; her crimson eyes narrowed somewhat eerily. Akiko winced slightly and took the cue to shut up.
"Since we're out of school, Seisui, I'll introduce you to the last member of our team," Usako said cheerfully, holding up her trademark bunny adorned bag. Seisui looked toward her, somewhat perplexed.
"In there...?" she asked skeptically.
Usako nodded; a small gray cat poked its head out of the bag, her fur slightly frazzled from sitting inside of it all day. Seisui suddenly felt foolish as she saw the tell-tale crescent moon symbol on the cat's head and realized who it must be.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Han'i," the cat said politely.
"Diana, is it?" Seisui said a bit nervously as Diana nodded her head. "Er--a pleasure to meet you, as well, Miss Diana."
"You don't have to be so polite to Diana," Natsuko told Seisui, "She doesn't deserve it, anyway."
"Natsuko!" Hiroshi scolded as Diana blushed. "Honestly..!"
"Well, no one calls her 'Miss Diana,' anyway. You can just call her Diana, Seisui," Natsuko explained. "And I was just joking, Hiroshi. You get way too uptight about etiquette."
"But still, Natsuk--"
"It's quite all right, Mr. Hiroshi," Diana said apologetically, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Diana is fine."
Seisui looked toward Usako; she seemed incredulous. "Yeah, I know it's kinda strange to have a cat talking to you," Usako said, responding to Seisui's look, "but you'll get used to it."
It wasn't the talking cat that Seisui could hardly believe. It was Diana's exacting dedication to politeness in her speech.
"When we get to the palace, I'll show you around," Usako explained, "At least to all the important places. After that you can have dinner with us and we can talk about...what we agreed to talk about."
"So what did you agree to talk about?" Haruko interjected. Hiroshi glanced toward Haruko warningly; maybe he could understand the Sailor Quartet's misgivings about Seisui, but their openly rude behavior...!
Usako continued to make various kinds of small and irrelevant conversation with Seisui, which Seisui tried to answer with shy enthusiasm. By the time they reached the Crystal Palace, Seisui was incredibly thankful; she hated talking to anyone extensively, especially someone she didn't know.
The Crystal Palace was even more impressive up close than when it loomed warningly in the distance. The tall crystal obelisks twinkled in the sunlight; whether their sparkle was inviting or threatening, Seisui thought, was up to personal interpretation. People moving around inside the castle could be made out as vague, shifting blurs; the facets inside of the palace made it impossible to see anything more of what was inside than that. There was a broad, paved road of crystal concrete which lead up to the front of the Palace. What puzzled Seisui, though, was the fact that there was apparently no door to get inside.
"Uhh... Usako?" Seisui asked somewhat nervously.
"Yeah?" she responded.
"How do we get in?"
"The door appears when we get close," Haruko explained.
"Really?" Seisui replied, trying to sound impressed. "Does it appear for just anyone? It seems like it would be awfully easy to get in that way..."
"No. Only members of the royal family," Haruko replied, sighing in exasperation.
"How does it know who's a member of the royal family?" Seisui continued. If she had to make an escape or call for help, knowing how to get in and out was a very large plus.
"The door knows who has or used to have a Sailor Crystal," Usako explained, joining in on Haruko's explanation. "That means that only Sailor Senshi, Endyminion, Helios and Neo Queen Serenity can get in or out. It's actually kind of a pain, because we have to keep letting servants in or out any time they leave or come back...a lot of them have the keys to the windows near the ground floor, though, and they often crawl out that way if we're busy. I guess they get sick of running to get us every time."
"The door disappears inside as well as outside?" Seisui asked with interest. Usako nodded and approached the palace; two huge, ornately carved double doors appeared and swung open as she approached. The group walked casually inside of the palace, which was far more impressive than Seisui's father could ever have dared to describe. The huge foyer branched off in several directions--there were hallways branching out on every side except for the side they had entered on. The hallways extended out in a circle around the base of the palace floor; the widest of these hallways lay directly in front of them. The only break in the many halls were two huge stairways that lead up from the foyer to countless layers of balconies; the balconies themselves were entrance ways to many more halls. Seisui stared in wonder, impressed and simultaneously bitter; what would Usako, the pretty princess of a huge palace, think of living in Seisui's pathetic hovel? Usako acted as if Seisui understood little; yet Usako herself was so mind-numbingly ignorant of how the poor fared in her own city.
Usako smiled courteously toward Seisui. "I hope you like my house okay," she said a bit sheepishly. "I think maybe it's a little too elaborate."
"Yeah..." Seisui said dully, "I can see why you might think that."
"Anyway, there's no way we'd have time to show you the whole place, but I'll show you the first floor, anyway."
"Is your room on the first floor...?" Seisui asked Usako.
"No, my room is on the top floor. All of the Senshi have rooms on the top floor."
"Neo Queen Serenity, too?"
"No," Haruko interjected, "her room is somewhere else."
"Really?" Seisui asked, forcing herself to sound only mildly curious. "Where's that...?"
Usako opened her mouth to say something, but Akiko jabbed her in the ribs. Hiroshi looked angrily toward Akiko.
"Somewhere else," Haruko repeated, returning Hiroshi's glare. "But we're not here to see the queen anyway, right? Besides, we'll see her at supper, won't we?"
Usako straightened up and looked toward Haruko angrily. "Seisui won't--"
"We'll have to get to know Seisui real well--right, Usako?" Natsuko said warningly. "You can show her more of the palace then."
If Seisui wasn't outrageously shy and nervous, she could have said something really nasty.
"Look, why don't you four get a head start on our homework? I probably won't have time, and there's no sense in all of us failing our homework, right...?" Usako suggested.
"But your highness--" Haruko began.
"Girls, please...Seisui has had enough bad experiences with the royal family. I don't think she needs you four adding to a lot of already bad memories. Please...take Usako's advice." Hiroshi glanced meaningfully at the Asteroids as he voiced his request. The four girls paused for a moment; then they exchanged uneasy glances between each other and left, talking amongst each other nervously as they made their way up the first flight of stairs.
"Please excuse them, Seisui," Hiroshi said apologetically.
"It's okay," Seisui replied, smiling weakly, "I'm used to it."
"I wish I had known about all of this sooner, Seisui...maybe we could have found a better outcome for your father."
Seisui paused for a moment. "Err... It's okay. Too late to think about it now, anyway."
Usako showed Seisui around the first floor quite extensively, which included a huge library, several offices, kitchens, and living rooms. There was also a strange, empty room with several tall tables scattered evenly on the floor. Seisui asked Usako what the room was for, but Usako only shook her head nervously and moved on. Eventually, they made their way to a set of huge double doors at the end of the wide center hallway. Usako hesitated and turned toward Seisui.
"This is the Control Room," She explained. "It's a huge computer, it has a lot of really important and top secret data in it. I'm sorry...I can't let you see it. It's not that I don't trust you...My dad doesn't even like it when I go in there."
"Your own father doesn't trust you to keep the things in this room a secret?" Seisui said, her voice mildly surprised. In reality, her mother had already told her Endymion was over-cautious; something she had heard, no doubt, from her father long ago.
"Well..." Usako hesitated and looked a bit uneasy.
"No, Seisui...but Endymion has to keep a certain image to the councilors and ambassadors who visit, and if he lets his daughter roam around somewhere like this, it will make a bad impression. Even though Endymion knows Usako would keep the things in here a secret, the people who visit the palace might mistakenly think that her father is trusting her with too much responsibility, considering that she's 'only' a teenaged girl."
"Isn't she over 900?" Seisui asked, trying to sound unsure.
"Both Usako and I exceed that age," Helios affirmed. "But many people judge too readily on outside appearances...I'm sure you can relate."
Seisui frowned and looked a bit uneasy.
"Hiroshi!" Usako scolded. "You made Seisui feel uncomfortable."
Hiroshi blushed and inclined his head toward Seisui. "I didn't mean--"
"It's okay," Seisui interrupted, trying to hide her annoyance. "I know what you meant. You didn't mean any harm."
Usako stood there for a moment, looking pensively at Seisui's face. Hiroshi turned and looked up at an elaborate crystal clock on the wall; its hand was approaching six o'clock.
"Look, Usako," Hiroshi observed, "it's almost six. We better head to the dining hall, right?"
"Shouldn't we change first...?" Usako asked.
"Seisui came here in her school clothes," Hiroshi explained, "I think it would make her feel awkward if we dressed up while she was still dressed so casually."
"That's all right. It doesn't matter what I look like," Seisui assured him.
"Don't worry about it, Seisui," Usako replied. "If it doesn't matter what you look like, it certainly shouldn't matter what we look like."
"If you're certain..." Seisui said nervously. Hiroshi nodded affirmatively toward her and then turned to Usako; she looked more than a little worried. Hiroshi couldn't blame her; after all, who knew what would happen when they introduced Seisui to the rest of the royal family?
"Come on, Usako..." Hiroshi said soothingly. He took her hand and smiled at her; Usako tried stubbornly to repress her own smile but failed miserably. Hiroshi lead Usako down the hall by the hand and motioned for Seisui to follow.
Well...now Seisui would finally meet the queen.
Supper, Seisui realized, was not something that anyone in the Crystal Palace cared to miss. The entire royal family was assembled. At the head of the table sat Neo Queen Serenity; King Endymion was quietly seated at its foot. Along each side of the table were the princesses of every planet--minus Pluto--and the four Asteroids. It was impossible, Seisui noted, to miss the irritated expressions on the Asteroid's faces. There were two empty seats next to the Queen; Usako walked past them and toward one of the many maids, who were bustling about and rushing to arrange all the food-laden silver trays on the elaborately chiseled marble table. The maid turned toward Usako in surprise; she looked toward Seisui, her expression dumbfounded.
"Can you pull a chair up for my friend here, please...?" Usako asked politely. The maid, still slack-jawed, responded by obediently pulling a chair toward the table. Usako then seated herself, followed by Hiroshi; Hiroshi motioned for Seisui to sit next to him. Pulling the chair out from the table, Seisui noticed that the chair seemed to be made of a substance that resembled fine porcelain; though the sheer impracticality of porcelain chairs seemed to rule out the possibility of anything more than a resemblance. Of course, the world was being run by Neo Queen Serenity...anything that lacked common sense could probably be attributed to the queen. Seisui sat delicately down in her chair.
After several minutes, during which the Queen sat very impatiently, all of the food was ready. Neo Queen Serenity immediately reached toward the nearest dish with great enthusiasm; however, she was very suddenly interrupted by a sharp glance from Endymion.
"Before we start eating," he began in a formal manner, "Perhaps Lady Serenity should introduce her friend."
Seisui blushed self-consciously.
"This is Seisui," Usako explained, "Seisui Han'i. She's a new friend that I met at school."
The Royal Family collectively paused for a moment, trying to recall why the name was so familiar; it slowly dawned on each of their faces, and they looked toward Usako in shock.
"Usagi Small Lady Serenity!" Haruka exclaimed in dismay. "Do you know who this girl is?"
"My...this is an interesting turn of events," Michiru said, looking more lost and unsure than anything else.
"Perhaps Chibi-Usa-chan is unaware of this girl's heritage," Hotaru suggested. Makoto sneered at Seisui and held up a fist.
"If you're trying to trick Chibi-Usa, Han'i, I'll--"
"Everyone, settle down!" Endymion interjected. The Sailor Senshi collectively shut up and looked alternately at the King and Queen for guidance. The Queen looked visibly upset but said nothing. "Now... Chibi-Usa..."
"My name isn't Chibi-Usa," Usako interjected. "My name is either Usako, or Lady Serenity. I'm not a baby anymore. You know that, Daddy."
Endymion sighed and nodded. The other Senshi looked a little surprised; strange, since from Usako's reaction, Seisui guessed that the subject was not a new one.
"Very well...Lady Serenity. Tell me...what is the meaning of bringing a member of the Han'i family into the Palace?"
"Just because Seisui's father did something wrong, doesn't mean that Seisui is also at fault!" Usako began defensively. "I'm surprised everyone doesn't understand that. If we are representing the people of this planet, we must act with understanding and compassion!"
"I can understand your wanting to forgive his daughter, Lady, but bringing her in the palace like this is dangerous!" Haruka objected, turning toward Usako.
Seisui picked up the juice glass in front of her plate and began to finger it nervously. Whenever she was upset, keeping her hands busy always served to relax and distract her.
"Councilor Han'i left scars in this household, Usako," Michiru told her. "Bringing his daughter here was an invitation for strife."
"I agree with Usako," Ami objected, smiling weakly at Usako. "It's unfair to judge Seisui because of her father."
"Be that as it may, we don't know if we can trust her yet!" Makoto interjected. "Usako should have gotten to know her better outside of the Palace first. It can't have been more than a week--at most--since they've met!"
"What harm can she possibly do?" Minako asked in annoyance. "She's just a normal girl."
Seisui resisted the urge to smile.
"There are other ways to cause harm than with the power of the Sailor Crystal..." Rei reminded them. "Blackmail, for example."
"This girl couldn't be a day older than 14! What does she know about those kind of things?" Minako exclaimed.
"These things are learned from parent to child," Michiru explained. "She could have learned such trickery from her father. He was a skilled politician..."
"That is not possible," Hotaru dissented quietly. "Councilor Han'i was purified while Seisui was still very young--if my memory serves me."
Seisui dropped the glass she had been fingering squarely down on her plate; the impact was not enough to shatter it, but it did cause a large 'THUNK' to resound through the dining hall.
All eyes were on Seisui; she shrunk down nervously in her chair. Hiroshi looked warningly toward the other Senshi, and his glare lingered especially long on the Sailor Quartet, who, thankfully, had declined to comment during the argument.
"Regardless, Seisui Han'i is currently our guest," Endymion reminded them, breaking the deadly silence. "We will discuss this further some other time." Then he turned toward his wife, who was noticeably upset but had said nothing during the fight.
The food was served and dinner was eaten--but to compound Seisui's unease, nothing was said during the duration of the meal. And every time she looked up from her plate, someone was looking either distrustfully or sympathetically toward her.
"I'm sorry, Seisui," Usako apologized they walked down a long hallway toward one of the palace's many small sitting rooms. "I thought they might be upset, but I didn't think they would go so far as...well...it must have been very humiliating."
"It's okay," Seisui said, looking down at the granite floor and feeling very, very subdued. "I'm used to it."
"To be used to something as horrid as being ridiculed by most of Royal Family is indeed something," Hiroshi said sympathetically. "You must have been through some trying times, Seisui."
Seisui didn't respond.
"Here we are," Usako said, trying to sound cheerful as she motioned toward a small door of the same porcelain material as Seisui's chair. She opened the door and walked inside, motioning for Seisui and Hiroshi to follow; the room was small and comfortable, and paled in comparison to many of the grand living rooms and halls of the palace. There were three small couches, all perfectly matching, with a marble coffee table in the center. On top of the table was a silver tray with a pot of what Seisui guessed was hot chocolate, judging from the inclusion of a small silver bowl of marshmallows. Accompanying the cocoa were four small dishes of rice pudding.
"Please sit down, Seisui. We'll get this whole mess over with and never speak of it again, okay?" Usako said encouragingly. Seisui sat down on one of the four couches; the one farthest from Usako. Hiroshi picked up one of the bowls of rice pudding and offered it to Seisui, who politely nibbled on it despite disliking the texture of the dessert. Usako grabbed her own and scarfed it down before Hiroshi had even finished pouring all of the hot cocoa.
"I was thinking, Seisui," Usako began, "I don't think your father could be promoted back to councilor, no matter what. But he is on a register that keeps him from getting an important or high paying job--"
"You mean he's blacklisted," Seisui corrected.
"Well..." Usako looked a bit taken aback. "That's not exactly the same..."
Seisui shook her head. "I spoke out of turn. Please...continue."
"So...I thought maybe I could convince my mother to give him a public apology, and we could take him off the register. That way, your father could get a higher salary."
Seisui paused for a moment; Hiroshi handed her a cup of hot chocolate. Seisui gingerly took it from him and stared dazedly into the murky liquid. Usako sipped on her own quietly, waiting for Seisui to say something.
"Don't bother," Seisui replied quietly.
"Why not?" Hiroshi asked. "It could really help you, Seisui. Your father might be able to regain some respect, and people might not pick on you so often. Plus, you'd be in a much better financial situation."
"Can you unpurify him?" Seisui asked, looking up from her hot chocolate as her face filled with desperation. What was she saying? She knew that there was no such thing as 'unpurifying.' Once you're purified...
"Seisui...once we purify someone, they're purified forever." Usako said apologetically. "But that's not a bad thing, right? Purification isn't a punishment. It..." Usako stuttered, reminded of Seisui's words earlier that day.
"Tell me...what would have happened, Usako, if all of those times, you had no hatred? What would you be like today?"
"If it isn't a punishment, Usako, then why is it done to criminals?" Seisui asked.
"It isn't just done to criminals," Hiroshi explained. "We mostly do it to criminals now because they're the ones who need it the most. But there were times when other people were purified as well."
This piqued Seisui's curiosity. "Like who...?" she asked.
"Well..." Hiroshi began, pausing for a moment. "A long time ago...after the age of the Death Phantom, Queen Serenity was afraid that there could be other evil forces lurking among the mortals. So she gathered the Sailor Senshi and all of her energy, and purified everyone on the entire earth--so that the evil would not return."
"She what?" Seisui gasped in shock. "Is that... Is that true?"
"Y-Yes..." Hiroshi replied somewhat uneasily. "She thought about doing it more than once, actually. Several decades later, right before the age of the Black Moon Family...the crime rate had gone up severely then. It was during the time that she considered it that the Black Moon Family left... they were against purification."
"But I thought the Black Moon family was against the Queen because they thought immortal life was blasphemy. They thought that the Silver Crystal was a sin against god..." Seisui told Hiroshi, remembering her many books on Neo Silver Millennium history. "Was that untrue...?"
"No," Hiroshi responded. "They also believed that. But Purification was one of the things they opposed. After all, it was one of the factors that lead to the new age of prosperity after the exile of the criminal Death Phantom."
"Why isn't any of this in the textbooks?" Seisui asked in a tone she decided might have been a little too demanding.
"It was in the textbooks," Usako explained, "But they chopped it out. Mom was against it, too... she didn't see anything to be ashamed of. But Dad...he said he thought it over a long time and decided that people--especially in the western countries--would misunderstand what purification was and think that it was brainwashing. The only documents that still have any semblance of a record of the Great Purification are some of the religious texts that were created around Neo Queen Serenity."
"Is that what you call it...?" Seisui asked, her voice full of pain and dismay. "The Great Purification...?"
"Y-yes...that's right...Seisui..." Usako trailed off; her voice was full of uncertainty. "Seisui, there's nothing wrong with being Purified..."
"Usako..." Seisui began, tears trailing down her cheeks. "I can see why you would think that purification is right. You've been raised to believe that. But...if you lived with someone...who was like--like that--I don't know if you can ever understand, but--" Seisui broke off into a sob, unable to regain her composure. "If you lived with someone who had been brainwashed like that--and believe me, that's what it is--then you could never, ever think that there was nothing wrong with it! Never!" Seisui put down her hot chocolate and stood up, turning toward Usako. "I--I better go...I...I'll see you later!" Seisui blurted, running out of the sitting room.
"Seisui, wait a second...!" Hiroshi began as Seisui ran off.
"Helios...what are we going to do? I really do believe she's a nice person...she means well, but she doesn't understand..." Usako told Hiroshi, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "She never smiles...she reminds me of Hotaru. I want to make her understand."
"I believe in you, Usako." Hiroshi said, hugging Usako tightly.
"Thanks..." Usako replied.
"Now c'mon..." He smiled, putting his arm around her in encouragement. "Seisui probably won't be able to get out of the castle without our help. We better go find her. I don't think she'll want to talk anymore today, though...but we can at least get her home and give her some encouraging words, right?"
"Yeah," Usako replied, smiling half-heartedly. "Let's go."
Seisui ran out of the parlor room and immediately headed for the main entryway. If everyone else's rooms where on the top floor, Neo Queen Serenity's would undoubtedly be nearby. Whether Haruko was telling the truth or not when she said the Queen's room was "somewhere else" had yet to be seen. So, using what Usako had told her as a guide, Seisui dashed up four sets of stairs; while the pathway to go higher up the staircase was lit, the halls on either side didn't appear to get much use, as they were neither lit nor, Seisui observed, dust free. Seisui ran into one of these hallways and opened the nearest door; it was a large, ornate bathroom with ceramic tiles. Perfect.
"Titan prism power, make up!" Seisui shouted as a swirl of black water transformed her into Sailor Titan. Stepping out of the bathroom, she smirked bitterly to herself.
"I'll kill you, Serenity...or die trying." With this, she continued running up the stairs. The maids, thankfully, must have been busy picking up after supper and cleaning up the surrounding area; the upper stories were devoid of people. The only trick was getting to the Queen's room without being spotted by another Senshi.
The top story seemed pretty quiet at the moment; although the lights were on and Sailor Titan could hear people stirring within the rooms. Sailor Titan quickly glanced on either side of her; on the right side, the end of the hall could visibly be seen. There, she saw a large pink door with a moon emblazoned on it, which Sailor Titan presumed was most likely Usako's room. On either side of the right hall were more rooms that she presumed to be those of the outers and asteriods. The left side of the hall went down further; the rooms of the Queen's four Sailor Guardians were on either side. At the end of the hallway was a smaller, crystal door which resembled any number of other doors in the palace.
Sailor Titan smirked. Was this the hardest it was going to be? She looked on either side of her to make sure no one was coming; then she dashed to the end of the hall and opened the crystal door as quietly as possible, shutting it behind her. On the inside of the door was a short staircase, which led to another short hall and then a huge, elaborate door of clear crystal. This was it, Sailor Titan thought nervously. This was the end of all of this.
Sailor Titan walked up the stairway and looked at the door. Her heart was pounding furiously; she did not know what would come of all of this, but she remembered the grave look on her fathers face as he left for court...
"When I return, Seisui, I will be your father no longer. Remember me as I am... not as what I will become."
Sailor Titan struggled to hold back tears as disappointment filled her. She couldn't save her father. Now he was only a shadow of his former self, and he would be stuck that way for all eternity. Her hatred for Queen Serenity fueled her will, and Seisui swung open the door in her fury. Surprisingly, the door hardly made a sound.
She was sitting there, all alone. Her back was turned to Sailor Titan; she was holding a box that gently tinkled the tune of "greensleeves" into the otherwise silent air around her.
There was no point in wasting time. Titan looked around the room for something to attack her with; a blade through the back of her neck would mean a swifter and quicker death than using something loud and noisy like an attack. To Sailor Titan's left, a huge stone broad sword hung ominously on the wall; The Sacred Sword that protected the princess over a thousand years ago. Sailor Titan smiled as she quietly approached the blade; an end both ironic and fitting.
Sailor Titan pulled the blade from it's place on the wall, causing a soft "shik" to sound in the room. Sailor Titan cursed as the sound aroused the Queen's attention and she turned away from the music box in surprise.
"Is that you, Mamo--"
The Queen gasped in shock as Sailor Titan held the Sacred Blade in front of her, smiling bitterly.
"The soldier of retribution has arrived," Sailor Titan announced righteously. "For the sake of Titan, I will spill your blood."
"W-Who are you?" Serenity stuttered, leaning against her dressing table in fear and knocking her music box to the ground. Sailor Titan approached her slowly, holding the Holy Sword outward.
"I am Sailor Titan, representing the moon Titan of this Solar System."
"Titan... you mean... Sailor Saturn's castle...?"
"The name is taken from my moon," Sailor Titan replied matter-of-factly.
"Senshi.. of the Moons... but... I was the only Sailor Moon!"
"There was time before you, Queen Serenity," Sailor Titan smirked. "And there will be time after you, as well."
"You can't be a real Sailor Senshi," Queen Serenity murmured. "You are an impostor, dressed like a senshi of this solar system! The senshi of this solar system are dedicated to serving the holy crown!"
"The only holy crown I serve is my own; Titan, the moon with the sea of darkness and the soil of blood."
"Soil of blood... are you an agent of Chaos...?"
"I am a Sailor Senshi of a moon, just as you once were, Queen Serenity. I have come to end your life, which has profaned and erased so many others." Sailor Titan lunged toward the Queen, the Holy Sword pointing strait at the Queen's neck. Serenity moved abruptly to the right; Sailor Titan's momentum as she ran forward kept her from changing her course, and the Sacred Sword smashed into the mirror on her dressing table and straight through the other side of its thick marble frame. Sailor Titan turned her face away to keep the many shards of reflective glass from piercing her face; however, she refused to let go of the Sacred Sword, even though the glass had made several cuts along her skinny arms.
Looking down at the floor, Sailor Titan could see the music box that the Queen had knocked aside. At first, her eyes passed by the meaningless object; but the writing on the inside of the golden music box cover caught her attention. Emblazoned in bold black lettering were the words "vonDarkmoor;" A name which Sailor Titan recognized but could not place.
Sailor Titan could feel two hands wrapping themselves tightly around her own; she turned back toward the mirror and saw Serenity, holding Sailor Titan's hands firmly on the Sacred Sword's hilt. Sailor Titan struggled to free her hands, but Titan had little in the way of strength, and the Queen, while still not strong, easily outmatched her.
"Tell me... 'Sailor Titan'... for what purpose do you wish to kill me?"
"Vengeance!" Sailor Titan hissed. "You have ruled poorly and selfishly. You have brainwashed people into loving you instead of proving your worth through your actions! You are despicable!"
"Poor creature," Neo Queen Serenity said sadly. "You're been blinded by hatred and suffering. You create a Sailor Senshi and seek justice using their name as proof of your worthiness... I will see to it that your suffering is lifted."
"NO!" Sailor Titan screamed. "DON'T PURIFY ME!" Sailor Titan struggled desperately to escape, but the Queen's grip managed to hold her; the Holy Sword almost seemed to respond to the Queen, holding her hands onto it's hilt as if they were bonded by some kind of inexorable seal.
"Be at peace, poor child..." Neo Queen Serenity said soothingly, lifting one of her hands and placing it gently on Sailor Titan's head. Sailor Titan tried to take the chance to move pull her hands away from the Sacred Sword, but they were stuck... it was horrifying...
"BLACK STREAM DEATH!" Sailor Titan cried in desperation. Without her arms free, she did not expect the attack to work; but fierce, snake like creatures with wolf like jaws extended outward from between her fingers and bit savagely into the Queen's hand. Serenity pulled her remaining hand away; Titan found, to her relief, that she was able to pull her hands away from the sword. Serenity's other hand was still resting on her head; Sailor Titan pulled it away and glared fiercely into the Queen's blue eyes. Sailor Titan could hear footsteps behind her; the door to the Queen's room swung wide open, and Sailor Titan could see Sailor Uranus entering the room.
"Who's there!" She shouted urgently, looking toward the queen. "Who is this? What did they do to you!" She hissed in anger.
Sailor Titan backed away a couple of steps.
"Is she a senshi...?" Sailor Jupiter asked in bewilderment.
"No way..." Sailor Venus murmured in shock. "It's... the Rebel Sailor Senshi..."
Sailor Titan knew that there was no way in hell she was going to beat down eight Sailor Senshi and the King. Her only hope was to throw them off, punch through and make a run for the front door.
"Black stream death!" Sailor Titan cried as more of the demonic, snake-like creatures launched themselves at the Sailor Senshi. They seemed taken aback by her attack, and thankfully, were caught off-guard. The snakes wrapped themselves around the soldiers and began to bite at their flesh; Sailor Titan started to leave, but paused for a moment to pick up the golden music box. Then she made a dash for the door. It was only a matter of time before the attack wore off and the rest of the senshi were right behind her.
She rushed down the small hallway and the short stairs, through the hall and onto the great staircase; she could hear the running footsteps of the Sailor Senshi behind her, though they still seemed far away. They staircase seemed to go on mindlessly, and she could hear the Senshi catching up to her... please, Sailor Titan thought as she gasped for breath, let me get out of here... get me out of here...
"Remember me as I am... not as what I will become."
Sailor Titan began to feel dizzy as she thought of meeting her father's fate... her father's dull, meaninglessly happy expression appeared in her mind. Everything that meant anything to her would disappear...Tokimo...the kindness she had shown her would mean nothing. Was it too late? Was her family doomed forever? The taunts of her peers echoed painfully through her mind. The horrible, false accusations of slander...
The stairway ended just as Sailor Titan was getting ready to give up; the huge double doors appeared before her. She was going to get out. Approaching the doors, Sailor Titan glanced quickly behind her; thank god, the Sailor Senshi were still several yards away and were only just leaving the staircase.
The door flung open. Sailor Titan paused for a moment as she looked behind her; all of the Sailor Senshi had stopped dead in their tracks and were staring at Sailor Titan in complete and total shock. Sailor Titan didn't waste any time gaping back; she clutched the music box tightly and dashed out of the door, filled with dread as she realized this was an incident she would come to very strongly regret.
"...The door." Sailor Mars murmured.
"She went through the door." Sailor Venus said, a dumbfounded expression crossing her face.
"No way!" Sailor Uranus shouted. "No way that's a real Sailor Senshi!"
"Isn't the attack proof enough? She had senshi powers! It would be obvious that she's a senshi." Sailor Jupiter retorted.
"She could have been an agent of Chaos." Sailor Neptune informed her. "Chaos's vessels often use such attacks."
"It would seem that would be the most logical explanation," Sailor Mercury said uneasily, "Yet, if that were so, how could she run through the front door like that? Only those will Sailor Crystals can enter and leave the Crystal Palace!"
There was an uneasy pause as the Sailor Senshi debated this in their minds.
"Maybe she's stolen the star seed of another senshi, like Galaxia and the Sailor Anima Mates," Sailor Mars suggested. "That would explain her powers."
"But who did she steal the star seed from? And where did she find Chaos? We don't even know what Sailor Senshi she is--or supposedly is." Sailor Venus responded in frustration. "Besides, Galaxia's agents wore the sailor crystals on their gauntlets."
"Before our arrival, this Senshi was conversing with the Queen," Sailor Saturn informed them. "Perhaps she knows the name of her mother star."
"I will talk to her." Endyminion told them. "It's late, and staying up until two o'clock discussing this serves no purpose. The rest of you should go to bed."
"Yes, your majesty." Sailor Saturn replied. The other Sailor Senshi looked at each other uneasily.
"What about Chibi-Usa and her... er... visitor...?" Sailor Venus timidly asked him.
"Don't worry. Chibi-Usa can take care of that much on her own. Please... Excuse me." Endyminion requested as he turned around and headed back up the long, spiral staircase alone, his lavender cloak flowing behind him. The Sailor Senshi stood and watched him leave; then slowly, they too headed back up the staircase, until only Sailor Uranus and Neptune remained.
"Michiru...?" Sailor Uranus asked uneasily, watching the others leave.
"Yes...?" She responded, leaning slightly on Uranus's shoulder.
"Is it just a coincidence--"
"Let us leave such questions for tomorrow, Haruka." Michiru interrupted. "Small Lady will see great hardship soon enough; let us not rush to bring it upon her."
"You're right..." Haruka replied uneasily, taking Michiru's hand and heading up the stairs.
Sailor Titan gasped, breathing in the air around her gratefully as she reverted to Seisui. She pulled out her communicator and contacted Tokimo. She could have taken the bus home, but she didn't want to go home alone; she needed companionship right now.
"Hiya!" Tokimo said cheerfully as she appeared on the screen. "Is it time to kick ass yet?"
A few tears fell down Seisui's cheek as she realized how happy she was to hear Tokimo's inane voice and equally inane comments.
"Huh? What's wrong, Seisui?" Tokimo asked, her voice simultaneously concerned and confused.
"I'm fine. I'm just glad to be alive and myself." She responded, wiping away her tears.
"Did that little pink brat try to kill you?" Tokimo asked, anger evident in her voice. "I'll beat her up, Tokimo-style!"
"No... I almost got purified, though... by the Queen.. I was so terrified..."
Tokimo blinked in confused.
"Huh? Purified? The Queen? Just what were you doing, huh, huh?" Tokimo asked.
"It's a long story... can you get me a ride? I'm in front of the Crystal Palace."
"The Crystal Palace!" Tokimo exclaimed. "What were you doing there?"
"Also a long story."
"Well... okay." Tokimo replied. "My mom can give you a ride. See you soon, then!" Tokimo said cheerfully, waving as the communicator bleeped out.
Tokimo nibbled absentmindedly on a raspberry strudel as Seisui explained her experiences in the Crystal Palace to Tokimo. Seisui was surprised how easily she was able to retell the somewhat traumatic events that had occurred there; but it was hard to be depressed in Tokimo's room, where decor was completely and meticulously centered around purple bunnies. And if the purple bunnies didn't dispel any personal anguish, Tokimo almost certainly would; she had even set up a cute little table with a pile of very, very unhealthy pastries and tea. As the girls discussed their problems, they sat on top of two fluffy purple bunny-print pillows.
"But there's one thing I don't get..." Tokimo began as Seisui completed her story. "What is Purification?"
"Purification?" Seisui paused for a moment; the topic still made her uneasy.
"Yeah. You said that Usako didn't understand why it upset you that your dad got purified. And then there was that whole bit about "The Great Purification"... I didn't get that, either." Tokimo explained. "So whazzit mean?"
"All Sailor Senshi have two different influences," Kouken interjected, noticing Seisui's uncomfortable expression. "One that is physical, and one that is abstract. Sailor Moon's physical element is light, but her abstract is Purity and Sanctity."
"Soooo...?" Tokimo prompted Kouken.
"So, Sailor Moon's crystal can be used on people to Purify them. When people are purified, all of their hatred and unhappiness is removed."
"But that's good, right...?" Tokimo asked in confusion.
"No, it's not." Seisui interrupted. "It sounds really pretty when you say it, but in reality it does horrible things to a person. It's almost like brainwashing. Removing someone's unhappiness doesn't just mean that they aren't unhappy. It means that everything they ever hated, anyone that ever hurt them... those feelings of dislike are removed, stripped, raped of them. A whole half of their personality is completely missing!"
"So what you're saying is that if I get purified, I'll think roast pork is the best stuff around?" Tokimo said in distaste.
"Not the best stuff around, just good, like everything else." Seisui amended.
"Huh?" Tokimo asked in confusion.
"Negative and Positive emotions act almost like a gradient," Kouken explained. "Together, they blend together and make a sort of barometer, with some things being more negative to a person and some things being more positive; so if you hated roast pork, it would be a negative feeling and thus more negative than positive. If you absolutely loved, say, strawberry pie, though, that would be a positive emotion and thus would be more positive than negative. But if you just take away one side of a gradient, it only leaves one color. So you would like all things equally; you would love all of them."
"I think I kinda get it." Tokimo replied, still looking a bit confused.
"If Sailor Moon purified you, Tokimo, you wouldn't want to fight Sailor Pinkmoon and you wouldn't want to hurt Diana, even. They would mean as much to you as your parents mean to you. You would love every one and all of them." Seisui explained.
Tokimo paused, an expression of disgust crossing her face. "I would love Diana as much as my own Parents?" She responded.
Seisui nodded gravely.
"Sailor Moon did that to your Dad! Then that means--"
"My father no longer believes what Queen Serenity was doing is bad. He no longer loves me as his daughter. He loves me just because I exist."
"Then...what is the Great Purification...?" Tokimo asked warily.
"An entire generation of people--everyone on the planet--whose hatred was wiped out; wiped clean like a chalkboard." Seisui replied angrily.
"That's...horrible..a whole generation...and she did that to your own father, too...and now you mean no more to him that that little pink brat...Seisui..." Tokimo looked up at Seisui, who was sniffling and wiping away tears.
"Don't worry about it, Tokimo." Seisui said weakly.
Tokimo slammed her fist on the table angrily and looked toward Seisui, her face filled with determination.
"I'll find a way to bring your father back." Tokimo vowed. "I promise, Seisui. No matter what!"
Seisui smiled and wiped away the last of her tears; Tokimo's words filled her with encouragement.
"That's right," Seisui replied hopefully. "No matter what."
~EPISODE THREE: FIN~
NEXT EPISODE
Usako: Seisui's disappearance and Sailor Titan's coincide. I am faced with the possibly of future betrayal; but I cannot believe it--Seisui is my friend! But how can I convince anyone but my dearest Helios? Even the Sailor Quartet is against me. My mother is reluctant to side with me after my decision to fight in secret. How can anyone blame me for wanting my independence...!
Seisui: Suspicions about my identity begin to surface in the Royal Palace. There is no proof of Sailor Titan's identity, but rumors reach the outside and accusations soon fly amongst the public...
Tokimo: The reappearance of "the Han'i" as the distrusted friend of Usako brings back old memories and conflicts. Even though Usako defends her as a friend, the words of the greatest authority are heeded and Seisui is seen as a threat by her peers. Seisui... how could people treat you so thoughtlessly?
Yamiko: Conflicts caused by ignorance are no concern of mine. I cannot and will not get involved with this fight. But I must warn Usako...if she does not know the truth and accept what must be done, only more ill can come to her and this planet. But all forms of love, past, future, present--romantic, parental and friendship--are blind to the conflicts around them.
Seisui: The world is against me. Tokimo...what should I do...?
Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--
"Denial"
Evil returns to those who create it.
