To Part A

Yamiko wasn't sure what she was doing.

She could only believe it was her utter confusion that was propelling her forward. She had lost all sense of direction; now Seisui hated her, the Crimson Eagle hated her, even the royal family hated her. Not only did everyone hate her, but she hated herself. She hated her own aimless meandering through this entire conflict.

Maybe that was what compelled her to find Seisui's house. It was in the poor section of town; that didn't surprise Yamiko. As she walked past the mildew-stained houses, however, she began to regret her treatment of Han'i's demotion as trivial. Poverty, while not fatal, was still an unpleasant fate.

"What am I doing?" she asked herself, looking contemplatively at the trash-ridden yard of a nearby house. "I hate Seisui. Besides, no matter what happened to her father, he isn't..." Yamiko paused; she reached into her pocket and looked contemplatively at a small, pill-filled bottle. Opening the bottle, she placed one of the pills in her mouth and, with difficulty, swallowed.

"It was his own fault, wasn't it?" Yamiko defended herself. "He shouldn't have said those things. I had every right to betray them. It was only the right thing to do. Killing people is wrong, no matter what they did."

How would you feel if I killed the people that are dear to you? Wouldn't you want revenge?

Yamiko's words echoed in her mind.

"What kind of a hypocrite am I?" she asked herself. "Even if I do go to Seisui's house--even if I do decide that she's justified--what does it matter? I've already changed my mind too many times. They wouldn't accept me back."

Well, Yamiko's so dense I would almost expect her not to notice.

Tokimo's mocking leer appeared in her memories.

"Even if they did, I wouldn't want them to!" Yamiko told herself reassuringly. "The minute I changed my mind, Tokimo was already dead set on me as her enemy."

We can go to my house. I have a ton of manga! Oh yeah, my dad has some normal books, too...

"Why am I thinking about that?" Yamiko snapped, trying to banish the image of the once-amiable Tokimo. "I didn't even know her back then. I didn't even want to know her back then! I didn't!"

"Or did I...? Do I? What do I want, anyway? I don't know! I hate it. I don't know what to do. Sailor Saturn, Purification, murder, anger...madness...is there any sense in all of this?"

"Is something wrong, young lady?" A docile, male voice asked from the yard of a nearby house.

Yamiko turned around and blushed.

"Excuse me. I overheard you talking to yourself. Perhaps...you know my daughter?"

Yamiko looked up at the man who had begun talking to her. He was attractive and plainly attired. The yard he had walked from was overflowing with plants of all kinds; the house, although somewhat grungy, was comparatively clean next to some of the nearby unkempt homes.

"Who is your daughter?" Yamiko asked, though she had a sinking feeling that she knew well enough.

"Ah. Seisui Han'i... she's a troubled girl, I'm afraid. I've tried to tell her to embrace the light and the Queen, but she seems set on blaming her for my Purification. She seems to think it akin to brainwashing."

Yamiko gave the man a somewhat incredulous look. This was a bit hard to swallow. "Are you the man who tried to lead a revolt against the Queen?"

"Ah, yes, but I was foolish in those days. After seeing the Queen's light, I learned the error of my ways."

"You mean... after being Purified?" she asked.

"You could say that. It was then that I realized we are all children of her light, bound to live under her and love all people equally."

"Bound to live under her?" Yamiko repeated a bit skeptically. "Don't you have any ambitions of your own?"

"Our lives have no meaning but that of promoting equal love and kindness for each other."

"But what about your own desires? What about Seisui...what about her future?"

"My greatest dream is that Seisui will realize how kind and beautiful everyone in this universe is."

"Everyone?" Yamiko asked huffily. "What about murderers? Rapists? How about Chaos?"

"Everyone is equally wonderful."

"Even Seisui? Is she equal, too? Equal to rapists, to Chaos?"

"Everyone is equally wonderful. Why would I love Seisui more than anyone else? That would hardly be fair."

"What's wrong with you?" Yamiko spat. "You must hate someone--love someone more than someone else! Everyone does. Aren't you just hiding your inner bitterness toward the Queen with this facade of 'enlightenment?' Or are you living in denial--convincing yourself you've forgiven her more than you have?"

"There is no pretending, no denial. The truth of kindness, sharing and love is self-evident. Why would I need to pretend or convince myself of that?"

Nothing would have happened to me. I hate to admit it, but it's because I felt hatred that I was motivated to go forward.

"I've made a mistake," Yamiko said, mostly to herself. "I felt sorry for myself because my mother and father died; it's true that I was deprived of years of their love. But this... living with this every day...looking this in the face...How could I... how could they..." she stammered pathetically.

"There is nothing to be so upset about, young girl. Everyone is happier because of what was done to me. This way, I can teach Seisui that wanting preferential treatment is wrong. We should all love each other equally."

"No...no...that's not right. Your own daughter, and you think nothing more of her than anyone!" Yamiko began to cry. "You might as well be dead!"

Yamiko turned around and ran away. Ran away from the dark, grungy house. Even after this, her heart still felt confused. Murder and Purification...honor and revenge. She couldn't take it anymore. She'd had enough. She felt the cool glass of her bottle of sleeping pills and the lumpy, thick feeling of five, ten tablets inching down her throat. She'd go to sleep. If she were asleep, she could escape from all of this.

"Seisui!" Tokimo's voice cried worriedly. Seisui could feel a jerking motion in her limbs; the ghostly figure of Black Water disintegrated into Tokimo's shiny hair.

Seisui sat up and looked dazedly around her; Tokimo backed off and faded into the small group of people gathered around the bed. Her mother and sister were also nearby, and her mother's hair stuck to the sides of her face, a haunting resemblance to her dream. At the foot of the bed sat Kouken. He looked on with the same pensive concern as Seisui's sister.

Her mother hugged her, a departure from her usually composed behavior. Seisui could feel her shoulders shudder a little bit as her mother repressed a sob. After a few moments, the hug was broken off, and Seisui was left sitting rather nervously in her bed, uncomfortable with the attention on her.

"What happened after I passed out?" Seisui asked, looking toward Tokimo nervously. "Did she..." Seisui trailed off; she didn't want to think about that possibility.

Tokimo shook her head.

"No. I somehow managed to teleport away. It was sooo close. Two more minutes with Sailor Saturn, and..." Tokimo shook her head animatedly. "Well, no use worrying about that. No one knows now."

"After I teleported away, Kouken found me. He must have guessed I'd be near my house; which was a good thing, since he found me lying in the middle of the sidewalk. He woke me up, but he couldn't do anything for you. So I managed to carry you back here." Tokimo flopped on Seisui's bed, her arms outstretched. "You were soooo heavy!"

"Me and mom were watching you," Ana told her. "She and Tokimo told me about your secret. We probably should have called a doctor, but the circumstances..."

"Kouken told us you'd be okay," her mother interrupted. "But your sleep looked troubled."

Seisui clenched her comforter. "I dreamt about Dad," she replied.

"Don't worry Seisui!" Tokimo encouraged her. "We'll bring your dad back. It'll be like he never left!"

"He didn't leave," Seisui said dejectedly, "That's what makes it so hard."

"You know what I mean!" Tokimo retorted. "Seisui...we have to keep working for the future. Maybe if we kill Sailor Moon, the curse on your father will be lifted. You know, like the monsters in comics. As soon as the magical girl blasts the monster to NegaNega Land, the horrible sleeping curse is--"

"Tokimo!" Kouken snapped. "This is hardly the time. Come on, let's go."

"Let's go?" Tokimo repeated in annoyance. "But how is Seisui going to be cheered up if we just leave?"

Kouken glanced at Seisui's mother; she was casting a somewhat disapproving look on Tokimo. Tokimo, unlike this woman, knew that thinking about a nasty past was hardly the way to a good present. However, as she was outnumbered, her distractions would have to wait for later.

"Okay," Tokimo agreed antsily. "We can leave."

With that, she tramped somewhat rebelliously out the door, her ferret in tow.

"Dad always thought the world of you, Sei," Ana told her. "You were always his favorite. He thought you were the smartest kid that ever lived."

"'You talk about him like he's dead,'" Seisui said in annoyance. "That's what she'd say right now."

"That girl, you mean?" Ana asked her. "Tokimo?"

"No..." Seisui trailed off, "No, not her. Someone else."

"Who?" Ana queried.

Seisui shook her head.

"Seisui...there's something I need to show you." Her mother got up and motioned for Ana to come with her. Ana got up and followed, and Seisui lay back down in her bed, trying to relax and focus on the gentle breeze and the ethereal sound of the silver chimes her father had brought from his travels in Europe.

Several minutes passed before her mother returned. Whatever she was going to show her, it must have been hard to find; though Seisui was hardly looking forward to receiving it. It probably had to do with her father--and the pain of those memories was sharp enough in her mind without some physical remembrance coming to further agitate the wound.

"Seisui," her mother began as she reentered. "Sit up. Your father told me to give this to you when you were old enough to understand it. I should have given it to you sooner, but..."

Seisui sat up and looked toward her mother. In her hands, she carried a thin gold and white volume; Seisui guessed that it was a diary. It was unusual to see paper diaries in this day and age; electronic journals were faster to write, and much easier to manage and safeguard.

"But what?" she asked.

"I didn't want you to follow in your father's footsteps. Seeing one family member come home was enough," She shook her head in regret. "But even I could tell well enough that you'd grow up to be like your father."

She handed Seisui the book; Seisui nervously pulled open the white, gleaming cover and began reading.

FOR MY DEAREST DAUGHTER

SEISUI

AS A MEMOIR TO PRESERVE MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS.

~ANDREAS LAZARUS HAN'I~

Seisui paused for a moment; the opposing page held a picture of her father, reading a book to her as a young girl. Seisui stifled a sob as she closed the book and held it against her chest.

"I am no mere mortal anymore, father," she said. "This hell is for us to banish."

"Seisui..." her mother trailed off, looking down at her daughter sadly. "Please reconsider this. You may be a Sailor Senshi, but you can't oppose the Queen alone. No power is as great as that of the Queen."

"You're wrong," Seisui replied. "Queen Serenity was a Moon Senshi, too. Our power is alike. Tokimo and I are the only ones who can do it. This is our last chance to free the Earth!"

"There are worse hells than this," her mother replied. "And the worst hell of all would be seeing you die like your father! I can't allow you to do this, Seisui."

"But you can't stop me, can you," Seisui shouted. "You know you can't. And I won't let you!"

"Seisui! Please! If you were purified, I'd--"

"No! I won't let father's life be in vain. If I don't do anything, his...death will have been meaningless! I won't let anyone stop me--not you, not anyone! I...I don't care what happens to me," she said decisively.

"Andreas is dead, Seisui," her mother replied, her tone pathetic and weak. "There's nothing you can do to bring him back. I've told you that so many times; but somehow, you never listen. There's nothing you can do to make your father's Purification meaningful; it's already done, it's already become meaningless, and I've already shed too many tears because of it. The only way you can make your father's purification meaningful to me is for it to teach you the lesson that there are some battles you simply cannot win. Maybe, in the end, I can't stop you; but I can't help trying, because if you lose your mind to that horrible creature, I will never forgive myself."

Her mother turned around and left the room; Seisui could understand why, since a stifled sob rose in her voice. She couldn't imagine her wanting to be seen crying in front of their child; Seisui couldn't help wanting to avert her eyes at the sight. Parents were supposed to be the strong ones in situations like these, but recent events had revealed to her what a delicate person her mother really was.

Seisui opened the journal back up and touched her fingers lightly on her father's long, European name. It was hand written in a dark, black ink; the paper on the front page was thick. Most of the pages in the diary had never been written on; her father, after all, had only written one entry. Seisui flipped through the book's empty pages; a small, silver skeleton key fell onto her lap. Seisui stopped at the page with the key in it.

"I'm sure whatever it is, it must be gone by now," Seisui said with a sigh. "I haven't looked up there in ages, but I doubt I would miss something like that. Besides, that was probably in our old house."

Still, curiosity overwhelmed her logic, and she grabbed a stool from inside the small closet and stood on her tip-toes. She could just barely manage to put her arm over the edge of the high shelf; unsurprisingly, there didn't seem to be much up there. Seisui was not even as tall as her diminutive mother, and storing things in such an out-of-the-way place was hardly practical. She shuffled her hands around for a moment until she found a small box; it felt cool and smooth to the touch. She pulled the box carefully toward her, and as she pulled it down off the shelf, she could see that it was primarily made of glass; the edges were smooth wood and were painted glossy black. Seisui sat down on her bed and slowly opened the lock with the small skeleton key; and what lay there, oddly enough, was a knife.

What could he mean by giving her this? After reading his diary entry, he obviously had no intention of encouraging her to assassinate the Queen as well. He had called it a symbol of her strength; maybe it was merely a gift of looks, a way of saying that he knew she had the responsibility to take care of such a gift. The weapon, after all, was hardly fashioned for combat; it had an ornate handle of ivory, heavily carved, and the blade was in a black, leather sheath. The top of the handle was a small, garnet orb held in the teeth of a viper. The snake had two black, onyx eyes fixed in its sockets; they shone eerily in the light of her room.

"A snake, huh..." Seisui murmured to herself. She set the dagger back inside the box for a moment; but she felt strangely compelled to keep it on her, and shoved it absentmindedly into her pocket. You never know, she thought to herself.

"I don't see why I had to leave," Tokimo grumbled as she walked down the sidewalk. "Seisui needs friends at a time like this. Her mom and sister weren't cheering her up at all."

"There are times when people don't want to be cheerful, Tokimo," Kouken sighed.

"When would someone want to be unhappy?" Tokimo asked. "Sounds pretty stupid to me. What's the point?"

"Sometimes people need to have serious discussions," Kouken replied. "Sometimes people need to be alone with their family."

"Well, why can't I be a member of Seisui's family? I care about her, too!"

"It's not the same."

"Why isn't it?"

"Because you aren't her relative. You weren't by her side when her father was purified," Kouken explained irritably.

"But I was by her side all those other times!" Tokimo protested. "When she found out she was a Senshi, when we fought together--and I always helped in her plans. And I was the one who gave her hope for her father when she was down. Me and my mom were the ones who came and picked her up from the palace that evening! Doesn't that count for something?"

"Maybe it does, but you're always acting like a clown."

"So? Maybe what we need is a bit of a clown. Everyone else is so depressed!"

"Distracting someone isn't the only way to comfort them, Tokimo!" Kouken snapped. "Blind encouragement isn't always helpful, either. Sometimes it's enough just to know that someone understands you. Seisui's family can do that for her. You can't."

"I understand! I understand Seisui more than anyone!"

"You don't understand anything, Tokimo, let alone Seisui!"

"Why are you so insistent that I'm stupid?" Tokimo shouted. "I'm not stupid!"

"Then why are you always doing stupid things?"

"Because...because, because I can!"

"You really are stupid, if that's the only way you can reply," Kouken grumbled in annoyance.

"That's not the only way I can reply!" Tokimo cried.

"Oh?"

"No, it's not!" Tokimo continued. "I could sit around and mope like Yamiko, you know. Or I could get revenge, like Seisui! And if I am stupid, well, being stupid isn't as easy as it looks. And even if I am stupid, I'm a lot better off than you, Kouken! At least when Seisui is crying over her dad, I don't tell her that it's none of my business, and I don't leave her alone with her mopey family when she's all alone and upset. I know it's my business, because I'm her friend! Someone has to be, you know. And you aren't!"

"I never said I was hanging around because I wanted to be your friends!" Kouken hissed.

"And that's why you're such a crappy animal mascot," Tokimo retorted. "Because even the grumpiest animal mascot, when it comes right down to it, really cares about their magical girl. But you, Kouken, you don't care about anyone. All you care about is the mission and my cucumbers. We'd be better off without you, anyway--Seisui and I do most of the work."

"I gave you your brooch, and your communicators!"

"Yeah, I know. And that's about all you're good for!" With that, Tokimo picked up a small rock by the sidewalk and threw it straight at Kouken's head. "Screw you! I'm going home!"

Kouken rubbed his head gingerly as Tokimo ran off into the distance. Stubborn to the last, he thought to himself. Some people just didn't understand their place. Now he was going to have to find someplace to sleep, and somewhere to eat breakfast. He could probably find a home with Seisui, but for the time being, he was all alone.

"Who does she think she is, anyway?" Kouken complained. "Leaving me out in the street like this. It's just like before the beginning of this whole big mess, when I had to tramp around the city, looking for some random Moon Senshi, with no one to talk to or anything..."

"You haven't got a name!? But all mascots need a cute name to go with their equally cute appearance! It can be...let's see...I know, we'll call you Kouken!"

Kouken paused for a moment. Why had Tokimo's words come to him now? An odd feeling lingered in his throat, but he ignored it and walked indignantly toward Seisui's door.

"You were gone so long, Usako," Hiroshi said worriedly. Gangs of school kids were exiting the building, murmuring about a weird incident on the way to school and about the girl that appeared in the paper. "What happened with Seisui?"

Usako look down at the ground. She wished that Hotaru were there; she could have explained things well enough, and saved her the trouble of having to do it.

"A lot happened," Usako mumbled. "I got involved in a fight."

"With Seisui? That doesn't seem like her..."

"No, it wasn't a fight with Seisui," Usako told him, shaking her head. "It was a fight with the Moon Senshi. Me, Hotaru...and all of them."

"A fight?" he said in shock. "Goodness...Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" he asked anxiously, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Was it both of them? You could of gotten killed; even with Hotaru there, it's a scary thought that you--"

"I can take care of myself!" Usako cried in annoyance, pushing his hand away. "I don't need you to look after me all the time."

There was a moment of silence. Hiroshi's face was grave and hurt; a feeling of guilt swelled up within Usako and she covered her flushed face with her hand.

"Hiroshi... I'm sorry, I didn't mean--"

"It's alright. Don't worry about it. You're upset; whatever happened, it must have been hard on you."

How did Hiroshi manage to be so calm in situations like these? If he had done that to her, the outcome would have been much different--but she hadn't even finished her apology before he had understood. The guilt and shame sank a little deeper, and she took his hand in an attempt to offer some meager penance.

"Will you tell me what happened, Usako?" he asked, looking cautiously toward her.

"I didn't talk with Seisui for long. Sailor Charon appeared before I had really gotten anything in; and things just went downhill from there. Sailor Titan appeared--"

Usako paused; Yamiko's warnings echoed in her mind. Sailor Charon attacks...Seisui dashes away in shock...Sailor Titan appears, and both of them would laugh over her bloody body. That morbid image materialized in her head.

"Sailor Titan appeared, and...?" Hiroshi gently prompted.

Usako shook her head and looked back toward him. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "After that, she began attacking, over and over. Sailor Saturn easily blocked her attacks with her wall; but she kept on attacking until a man appeared out of that strange, dark liquid. He had a halberd, and he was coming toward us...but at the last minute, he disappeared. Sailor Titan passed out. She and Sailor Charon disappeared--then, Sailor Phoebe began attacking. She thinks that Sailor Saturn killed her in her past life. I found out that she's Yamiko--something she said tipped me off--and then..." Usako paused.

"What happened?" he asked, a little taken aback by the sheer extent of what had occurred in his absence.

"She told me Seisui and Tokimo were Titan and Charon. But, that couldn't be true--she probably just thought so, too, from the paper...There's no way that could be true."

Hiroshi didn't say anything. Before, he had been perfectly willing to believe that Seisui was not Sailor Titan; after all, there seemed to be no definite proof that indicated it. But Yamiko had known Tokimo and Seisui; and the reason that the three knew each other...it was a bit much to be coincidence. But Seisui hadn't shown any kind of aggression toward Usako, even when she questioned the way Usako thought--even then, it was peaceful. Whatever doubts swirled in his head, there was no point in sharing with Usako something that was uncertain, especially something that would make her very upset.

"That was pretty much everything," Usako sighed, relieved to have finished relating the disturbing events. "There was a conflict between her and the Crimson Eagle. It's unlikely, after their argument, that they'll still be working together. Between Charon, Titan, and him, Sailor Phoebe seems to be on her own. I'm not sure what's going to happen now."

"Do you know what happened to Seisui?" Hiroshi asked.

"No," Usako replied. "She could be anywhere, now, but she's probably at least headed home. She was pretty upset when she left; she might even have skipped the rest of the day. Especially after that argument with Hotaru..."

"Are you okay with Hotaru getting involved?" Hiroshi asked.

"I'm not sure." Usako said with a sigh. "I trust her...I think she wants to help. But she came in so late. There's just so much that she doesn't understand. Even the Asteroids don't understand Seisui, and even though they mean well...I just don't think I could trust them with everything I know about her. Even Hotaru...she's my best friend, but how far does her loyalty go when her Queen is involved? It's frightening. The idea that I might not be able to trust something with her is incredibly frightening."

"I think you can trust her," Hiroshi assured her. "You haven't been friends all this time for nothing; you were the one that encouraged her in her time of darkness. I think, if anything, Hotaru sees herself in Seisui, and that's why she wants to help her. And if she thinks she's Sailor Titan, she would have even more reasons to care; Titan is one of Saturn's moons, and the name of her castle. It seems unlikely that they would have had no connection, at least politically, in the past."

"You're right," Usako agreed. "But I'm still not sure that Hotaru getting involved is a good thing. Having me around, I think, can be intimidating for Seisui. Having Hotaru around as well must be even worse."

"Don't worry," Hiroshi comforted her, squeezing her hand slightly. "For Seisui, I think, having friends is comfort enough. If something goes wrong, we'll be there to help her out."

"I wasn't able to help her today, though..." Usako trailed off. Seisui had run off before she had gotten the chance to say anything; where was she now? How could Usako help her?

"It's not too late," Hiroshi told her. "We can go see her now. If we look up her address, we can track her down."

Usako sighed. "That'll take a while, though."

"I think that you need to talk to Seisui, Usako--no matter how long it takes. You need to understand why she feels the way she does; finish the conversation you started."

"I need to...?" Usako paused. "Aren't you coming along?"

"I'll help you get there, but I think you should talk to her by yourself. That's what she wanted before, and I'm sure her sentiment hasn't changed much. As much as I'd like to go with you, doing so will only make her even more distrustful and upset."

"Are you sure?" Usako asked.

"I'm sure. Now come on; let's find her house together. I'll wait outside for you, okay?"

"Okay," Usako said, smiling weakly. "Let's go."

"Let's see..." Hiroshi began, entering Seisui's run-down neighborhood. "She should be along this street. We just have to watch out for her number."

Usako didn't reply; instead, her attention was taken up by the trash-ridden yards and the run-down apartments. On some of them, mildew stains festered beneath air conditioners; on others, the porches were rotting and breaking apart. Many of the apartments and houses looked like they could be a hundred years old or more; and from the looks of it, that was probably the last time they had been worked on.

"I didn't realize that there was anywhere in Crystal Tokyo that was so run-down," Usako murmured, looking around in disillusioned awe. "I mean, I knew not everyone was rich, but..."

"The Queen's power, I suppose, can only go so far..." Hiroshi replied, a bit surprised himself. "At least no one can starve anymore; and that's what's most important, that these people can stay healthy and alive."

"I suppose..." Usako said a bit dubiously. "But health must be a small comfort when you live like this. I'm not sure that anyone can be really happy just making ends meet."

"I'd like to think that people can be happy just knowing they're loved by their friends and family. In the end, money isn't going to make your life complete."

"Yeah..." Usako trailed off, watching two boys leave a run-down red house and walk out into their yard.

"Do you think they're done, Jirou?" The younger boy asked, looking fearfully toward him.

"Fuck," he replied, glancing back toward the door. "Who knows with them. They're always like that." He sighed. "Pretty soon, they'll be hitting each other...son of a bitch. What was she huffing when she married him?"

"Usako? What's wrong?" Hiroshi asked, putting a hand on her arm.

"N-nothing," Usako stuttered, turning around. "Is this really where Seisui lives? Didn't you get the street wrong?"

"I don't think so..." Hiroshi muttered, looking down at his slip of paper. "It should be around here."

"Seisui can't live here, though, can she?" Usako insisted, taking his hand.

"Seisui is poor," Hiroshi explained. "Poor people can't afford to upkeep their houses. Over here, the real-estate is cheap because this is part of old Tokyo. It attracts people who don't have a lot of money; and if you don't have a lot of money to buy a house or an apartment in Crystal Tokyo, it's unlikely that you'll have enough money to take care of your house properly. Besides, the fact is, not eating still makes you feel hungry. Most people will take food over material possessions; and once the money for food is gone, there's nothing left to buy things or take care of a house. I hate to say it, but it only makes sense that Seisui lives here. Her father is a janitor, and after the incident, it's unlikely that her mother was able to do much better."

"Seisui must have felt awful, seeing my lunch," Usako reflected. "All she had was white rice."

"Who knows, with Seisui..." Hiroshi mused. "Although she tries to push the blame away from the Queen, I believe she feels some resentment. Even if she believes her father's punishment to be her father's doing, she definitely believes that Purification is wrong. Especially after hearing about the Great Purification..."

"But Mama doesn't understand Purification," Usako defended. "She doesn't know that it changes what you are. I didn't, either...I'm still not sure I understand."

"Once we get to Seisui's house, I'm sure you will," Hiroshi said somewhat distractedly.

"Seisui's father..." Usako trailed off. "I wonder what he's really like?"

"Seisui," the familiar voice of Ana murmured into the crack of her bedroom door, "Seisui, you have a visitor," she continued, opening the door.

Seisui was glad she had put away the dagger; her sister might have been somewhat concerned about her carrying it around like that, and anyway, she didn't want to make her feel bad about her father's display of favoritism.

"Who is it?" Seisui asked, picking up the glass case and heading toward her bureau.

"A girl named Usako," Ana told her. Seisui's glass case fell on her dresser with a distinct "thud;" Ana looked a little uneasily at Seisui's flustered face.

"Maybe I should tell her you're not feeling well? You did go through quite a lot, as I understand it. You were fighting, right?"

"Send her in---No, wait--" Then, pausing a moment, "Have her wait for me in the garden."

"Alright," Ana agreed, leaving her room and shutting the door behind her.

Seisui clasped her locket; This time, this time, definitely...

Of all things, Usako thought, the Han'i garden must truly be the jewel of this district. The tulips, crocuses and single, stately cherry tree looked as finely landscaped as any garden around the palace, and each flower seemed to hold many times that amount of love and care. The petals of the cherry tree gently drifted down like a rain shower; the perfect sign of a Japanese spring, she thought to herself.

Seisui's father had been in the front yard, but she hadn't been able to do any more than glance at him before being greeted by Ana, who was evidently Seisui's sister. He seemed to be looking down the street, interested in something that had happened there. However, Usako was sure that she wouldn't avoid talking to him forever; eventually, she would really, truly know what purification meant.

The door swung shut lazily as Seisui walked onto the porch; Usako was standing in the garden, and Seisui gave her a dull, angry look. The look confused her; why was she angry? Maybe she should have followed after her when she left. But then, Sailor Titan and Charon had shown up, and there was no time to look for Seisui...

"What's wrong?" Usako asked, walking through the garden toward Seisui. Seisui looked coldly down on her; she raised her hand above her. "What are you doing?"

"Titan prism power, make up!" she shouted. Usako gaped in surprise; Seisui's hand hovered there for a moment as a quiet breeze passed by it. Her eyebrows arched downward in anger and frustration. She looked upward and raised her hand higher. "Titan prism power, make up!" she cried once more, looking upward in expectation.

"Seisui...why do you think you're..." Usako stuttered, watching her in fear. "Don't tell me, that even you believe that you're Sailor Titan...?"

Seisui swore to herself. How would she defeat her without being transformed? She looked at her locket; it showed no signs of life. What could have happened?

Seisui paused. It must have been the fight; it had taken all the energy out of her, and now, she even couldn't transform, let alone attack. But she couldn't let his chance go; especially not after Usako had seen her say that. Even she could live in denial only so long; and if not her, then Hiroshi would be her undoing. There had to be something she could do--she thought for a moment, and then slowly reached her hand inside of her pocket.

Usako watched a vicious smirk crawl across Seisui's face like a snake. The sadistic look seemed evil and wrong on Seisui's face, like some kind of horrible nightmare. It was the disgusting, hateful look of Sailor Titan; the look of someone crazed by hate and madness. Usako backed away in fear.

"Seisui...?"

Seisui pulled the dagger out of her skirt, and threw the sheath aside. The she ran forward, the cold steel of the dagger aimed for Usako's face; Usako ducked down and pulled out her locket, only half concious of her own actions. Her thoughts were numb with the confusion and surprise she felt.

"Pink crystal moon power, make up!" She shouted, only half aware of what was going on as her uniform formed around her. She turned toward Seisui, who was still holding out the dagger.

"Seisui..." Sailor Pinkmoon murmured, "Seisui, what are you doing...?"

"I've had enough of this," Seisui said seethingly, her teeth clenched. "I'm sick of playing pretend with you. Every day I look at your face and I see your mother's. Your blind acceptance of purification. Your obsession with changing my opinions to fit your own. You're just the same as her!" she said with a scowl. "Not only that, but you're selfish enough to feel sorry for yourself. While I was suffering day by day, living under the persecution of the masses, you were loved and admired by everyone. And yet, you had the nerve to pout over your stunted growth and your parents' busy lives." Seisui stifled a sob. "My father can't have a busy life, because of what your mother did to him! And I have to smile at you every day with the knowledge that you would have done the very same thing, if you were her!"

Tears fell absently from Sailor Pinkmoon's eyes. Maybe she had been selfish; but she knew what it was like to be ridiculed and alone. The only daughter of the Queen was considered a black sheep, a failure, a disappointment. She knew something of what it was to be persecuted, and she, like Seisui, had tried to hurt and find revenge because of it. Looking at Seisui, the dagger in her hand and the madness in the her eyes--in the end, they were the same.

"Seisui," Sailor Pinkmoon cried. "I'm sorry about your father! I don't know what my mother did to him, I don't know how it hurt you, but I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry!"

"No matter how many times you apologize," Seisui hissed, "you can never bring my father back!"

Seisui held out her dagger toward Sailor Pinkmoon, and Sailor Pinkmoon looked away in fear. There were tears streaming from her eyes, and Sailor Pinkmoon, even if she had been able to, did not have the heart to attack. Somehow, she was sure, everything would turn out alright; Seisui, she believed, even now, even knowing that she was--yes, she must be--Sailor Titan...once it came to the deed, she could not do it.

But the blow never came; and when Usako looked up, she saw a tall man holding back Seisui by her shoulders. Seisui, shrinking away from his touch, dropped to the ground. It was Seisui's father; he was standing above her and looking sadly down at her.

"Seisui," he said gently. "Even you must know that this is wrong. Why would you kill someone because of me? You know I would never approve of it."

"You aren't my father!" Seisui screamed, holding out her dagger. "My father gave me this. My father knew what was right!" She put down her hand and looked up into his cloudy eyes. "When I look at you, I do not see my father! All I see is her!"

"Seisui, you should put the past behind you. Accept me as I am now; what happened in the past doesn't matter. All that matters is that we work toward peace in this future."

"That's right," Seisui cried. "That's what you always said. When I came home bruised, beaten... 'Look toward the future, look toward the future...don't hold grudges, and they will forgive you, they will learn to love you...' You horrible shadow, you liar! They never forgave me! Nobody ever, ever forgave me, except for--" tears began falling from her eyes. "Tokimo..."

"They will forgive you...all people live in the Queen's grace, and will learn to accept her wish for peace."

"Please stop!" Sailor Pinkmoon implored, walking in front of Seisui and looking toward her father. "What you're saying...my mother does love her people, and she does want them to be peaceful...but what you speak of is only a dream!" she shouted. "As long as places like this exist...as long as people like Yamiko, like Tokimo and Seisui exist...like the boys who beat Seisui up, or weakness of my heart that turned toward Chaos...or even, the weakness of the Queen herself, who is always so small, and lost, and confused in the greatness of everything around her--as long as people like that exist, the world can never be peaceful!"

"If we accept the Queen--"

"Shut up!" Sailor Pinkmoon shouted, surprised at her own words. "Look what you've done to her!" She motioned toward Seisui, who was slumped on the ground crying, ignoring the world around her. "Look at what you've made her become. No one should ever, ever have to feel like they have to do this to find peace!"

"That's why I say such things. If Seisui let her heart be calm, then the need would be gone."

"How could anyone be calm when they have to look at you, like this, every day...It must have killed her, knowing that I was the daughter of the woman who did this to you!"

"I'll...kill...you..." Seisui choked, getting up and holding the dagger toward Sailor Pinkmoon. "I'll...kill...you..."

"Watch out..." Andreas said vaguely, pushing Sailor Pinkmoon aside. Seisui ran through the space in which Pinkmoon had stood; faltering, she fell to the ground, her dagger pointing downwards into the earth. Sailor Pinkmoon stared in shock, realizing how close death had come to her.

"You'd better leave for now, Your Highness," he said politely. "Perhaps someday Seisui will realize the truth, but until then, you are not safe here."

Sailor Pinkmoon continued to stare in shock at Seisui's hunched form, which clawed at the cultivated earth with horrible fury. She backed away in fear--then ran away, resigned that she had no power to subdue Seisui's fury.

~EPISODE SIX: FIN~

Softly mumbling, "Don’t cry," to myself,
I cry under the distant moon rising on the horizon

Even if I wish on that Moon, my wish won't be realized, will it?

I’m not at fault, right? It’s everyone else's fault, right?
If you think so too, if you’ll believe in me,
I’ll be so happy, because I want only that happiness, because I absolutely hate this destiny

Lulululu..........


Naicha dame yo to jibun ni sotto tsubuyaite
Chiheisen ni noboru tooi tsuki no shita ni naiteru no

Sono o-tsuki-sama ni negattemo nozomi ga kanaenai ne

Watashi ga waruku nai deshou ne hoka no hito no sei na no ne
Anata mo sou omoeba watashi ni shinjite kureba
Totemo ureshiku naru sono shiawase dake hoshii kara kono unmei zettai iya kara

Lulululu..........


NEXT EPISODE

Fubuki: This is none of my business.

Seisui: The scope of the Queen's responsibility covers the entire world. In a world known as paradise, there is no place for the poor and the miserable.

Fubuki: I refuse to interfere in the world of the Moon Senshi, but even I cannot resist the tide that swirls around them. Jirou and I reconcile, and the reasons to fight become even stronger. I hate this world of lies and masks.

Yamiko: The deepest hour of despair has come; I refuse to fight. But the sight of Seisui's father scars my conscience and sends me into another, stranger battle.

Usako: Now that I know the truth, I cannot ignore what has happened. Who could blame Seisui for her impassioned hatred as the Senshi of Revenge? But at a loss as to how to help her; telling my family would be dangerous, and despite my attempts to join her, she hates me as strongly as ever.

Seisui: Sailor Moon... I will never, ever forgive you...

Usako: Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--

"Fallen Paradise"

Seisui: Evil returns to those who create it.