Though I hold a mysterious destiny,
I'm still wondering to where I will struggle on, being led by the moon
Listening to a gentle lullaby, I think just a little of the past
It’s full of mistakes and sorrow, but since
You are here, I won't regret it

Though I’m under the pink moon,
I need an even stronger comfort
Even if I make only mistakes,
Say, "I love you," okay?

Shinpi-teki na unmei motsu noni
Tsuki ni michibikarete doko ni tadoritsuku to mada kangaete iru

Yasashige na lullaby kiite kako wo sukoshi dake omou
Machigai mo hiai mo ippai dakedo anata ga iru kara
Koukai-shinai

Pink-iro no tsuki no shita ni iru kedo
Motto tsuyoi nagusame ga iru no
Tatoe ayamachi dake shitemo
I love you tte itte ne

Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo

Episode Seven:

"Fallen Paradise"

When Fubuki left the putrid, pristine cleanliness of the hospital, she knew exactly what she needed to do--something that would really piss off her mother. She had already vandalized the church, which was probably the worst thing she could think of; now, she would have to settle for taking a big whiff of pot. She put the blood-caked coat on her back; she almost wore that blood with pride, a sacrifice she had made in her fight against oppression. Looking down the sidewalk at the rancid families and their rancid happiness, it couldn't help but make her feel nauseous. She needed to talk to someone who understood how fuckin' stupid the world was.

"Where the fuck is Jirou, anyway?" she asked, taking another puff. How long had it been since they'd seen each other? Two, three days? The time seemed to have blended together into meaninglessness. Well, fuck. He'd probably have forgiven her about their fight, anyway, especially once he got home. After all, even the nastiest of peers was nothing next to his parents. It was only six o'clock; she had woken up early that morning, and the doctors had let her leave. The wound would take care of itself, more or less, for a week or two; after that, she'd get her stitches out. The unsightly scar, to her, would be a badge of honor. She almost wanted another one.

Jirou would probably be smoking, too. Things had been especially bad at home, and between that and their fight, there was nothing better to do than burn his brains out. She'd probably find him behind the bushes in the park. Fubuki needed to talk to him. Stupid jackass had been right about her mother; the only reason the bitch had left for caring about Fubuki was making sure her smoking, cussing daughter didn't mar her reputation. Her punishment, which Fubuki planned on ignoring, would probably have something to do with keeping her out of public sight. Grounding, most likely. What a laugh. As if that would deter her.

Fubuki walked down the Serenity-fuckin' shiny sidewalk and threw her huffie behind her. The park was in the center of the neighborhood; near the shopping strip, the school, and the upper-class section. Just behind the mall, conveniently hidden from view, was the poor section of the district.

When Fubuki entered the park, she headed for the bush behind the fountain, the place where she and Jirou always hung out. Sure enough, he was there, a curl of smoke flowing gently away from his face. Smoke was the perfume of the miserable.

He looked up at her and carelessly blew the smoke into her face. "What the fuck do you want now?" he asked.

Fubuki didn't say anything. She sat down, heedless of the numerous cigarette butts on the ground, and let out a low sigh.

"Did you go through with your dumbass plan?" he asked scornfully. His face was wrinkled in worry.

"Yeah. The statuary is ruined."

"Mother Serenity," he sighed, throwing down his cigarette and crushing it with his foot. "I can't believe you, Fubuki. I told you breakin' up that church was a bad idea, but dammit, you--"

"I know what I did!" Fubuki snapped. "I have no regrets about that. The stupid bitch deserved it, dammit!"

"But what the hell did you accomplish?" he asked her. "So you broke the church--big fucking deal. What's gonna come out of it for you? For anyone?"

"I'd think you'd be happy about my smashing up that shiny piece of shit--god knows the money that went into that fuckin' statue could've gone to your parents. Maybe that would shut them up for awhile!"

"Leave my parents outta this, bitch!"

"You know they're fighting because of the money!" Fubuki continued. "I've gone over to your house. I've heard the screaming! And the way your brother cowers in the corner like that, it's fucking pathetic!"

"Whatever happened to hating your family? Why is it mine all of a sudden?" His tone became resigned. "Stupid fucking rich bitch...how the hell would you know what it's like living in a shithole."

"I haven't been with you all these years, listening to your problems, to hear that!" she shouted. "You know it's the queen's fault that you're so poor. You should be happy I destroyed that statue!"

"What the hell does it matter, even if I am?" he snapped. "There hasn't been a welfare program in almost a thousand years, and none of the councilors look like they're interested in one. Poverty is shit in the can, Fubuki. When you can't starve, nobody gives a fuck."

"Doesn't it make you a little happy to see something that symbolizes her destroyed?"

"My parents have been 'married' for 20 years, Fubuki. For me, that was 17 years of hell. When your parents fight every night over who's going to pay the bills and the taxes and everything else, you just learn not to give a fuck about anything anymore. There's nothing I can do for my parents, and there's nothing anyone can do about mother fucking Serenity. I've tried to reconcile my parents, and when I was young and stupid, I thought I could be like that poor dumbass Han'i and kill the queen. But if Chaos can't beat her, Serenity knows who can. Don't waste your time making a criminal record for yourself. It's over."

"Not according to that weasel."

"I wouldn't trust anything that came out of the mouth of some shithead weasel," Jirou replied scornfully. "I don't care about the 'Moon Senshi' or whatever. The queen has all that support behind her, and her lollipop-head daughter has just as much--plus her crystal. Don't waste your time."

"That's all I do anyway. Waste time. There's nothing left in me that isn't wasted." Fubuki sighed and let her head hang between her legs. "It's over between us, anyway, isn't it? You certainly don't seem interested. I've had enough of this life. Maybe if I become a Sailor Senshi I can go out with a nuke."

"Don't be a dumbass," Jirou complained, pushing her injured shoulder and sending her headlong into the butt-ridden dirt of the park.

"Shit!" she shouted loudly, grabbing her shoulder. "What the fuck are you doing? Those are my stitches!"

Jirou looked down at his hand. The coat had a strange, crusty residue where he had pushed her, and his palm was faintly dusted red.

"What the fuck is this? Stitches? Fubuki, what the hell happened, anyway?"

"Two other Sailor Senshi found me," she admitted, still cringing from the pain. "One of them was named Sailor Phoebe... the other, the Red Eagle or some kinda shit. They tried to keep me from wrecking the church. Stupid bastard...they knocked me out and left me in there. Then, the priest found me..."

"I'm sure your mom had something to say about that," Jirou interjected. He smirked sardonically and kicked a rock. "Were the two others Moon Senshi?"

"They must've been. Maybe there's more to this than that fuckin' weasel told me; beats me. Anyway, my mother has some genius punishment worked out. Probably grounding me again. Stupid bitch; she knows I'll just disobey her. She only bothers because she wants to feel like she tried to do something about it."

"Serenity! Fubuki, if you're going to do something that fuckin' stupid, you have to be more careful. And now you've ruined your goddamn coat, too."

"I must have untransformed when I passed out," Fubuki half-heartedly mumbled. "The blood from the wound soaked through."

"And you just let it sit here and stain? I thought this coat was 'so important' to you. Remember, a memento of your father?" He shook his head. "I guess it's not as important to you as I thought it was."

"It's not like it's fallen apart. Besides, the coat is black."

Jirou held out his hand.

"Give me the coat."

"The hell! Why the fuck should I? Are you going to rip it up, too? Trying to see just how careless I can treat it?"

"There's a fountain over there. I'm going to wash it out, dumbass."

Fubuki paused for a moment; she handed him the coat. He walked over toward the fountain and Fubuki followed him. He dipped the shoulder of the coat into the water, and the blood began to dilute in the fountain, leaving a cloudy mass of brownish pink. Jirou began scratching at the blood with his fingernails; Fubuki sat down near him on the fountain.

"That girl's in pretty deep shit." Jirou told her as he worked the dark splotches out of her coat.

"What girl?"

"That Han'i girl. They found out she was Sailor Titan; or at least, they think she is. Now, they're looking for proof."

"How the fuck did she end up getting caught? Lying weasel bastard. 'Needle in a haystack' my ass..."

"She snuck into the Crystal Palace and tried to assassinate the Queen."

"Fuck. What the hell was she thinking?"

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jirou snapped, looking toward her. "You were thinking of it just now. The same thing could happen to you."

"Who the hell cares," Fubuki muttered, swirling her fingers in the cloudy water.

"Don't even say that, dammit," Jirou said bitingly, ringing out her coat. The stain, for the most part, was gone; the dark color of the coat managed to hide it. He handed her the coat; she took and looked down at. She was too proud to admit feeling guilty for constantly fighting with Jirou. He said a lot of dumbass things, but he was all she had. Why did things have to be so harsh between them...?

There was a long moment of silence between them; a truant officer walked by and didn't give them a second glance. They didn't bother anymore. Delinquents like Fubuki and Jirou were the dirt that got lodged between the sidewalk cracks; collecting in the unclean corners of the city, the blemishes on a well-swept street.

"I didn't know Han'i had that much nerve," Fubuki said, somewhat subdued. "I thought she was just some lamer looking down her nose at the queen, without the guts to do anything."

"You're going to help them, aren't you?" Jirou said with a sigh. "The fact that you were beating the shit out of each other before doesn't matter."

"I don't care what kinda shit-heads the others might be," Fubuki replied. "If they can help me get rid of that whore, I don't give a damn."

The train squealed to a halt. Her parents were boarding. Her father was always away on business, she thought with a pout. Always working, always up in his office, and never with her. She didn't see much more of her mother; every day after junior high it was cram school, cram school, cram school. She didn't have time to hear her talk anymore, except when she was nagging.

"You need to study to get into Girls' Benkyou High," her mother had told her. "You and your sister will have to take over the business, you know."

Yamiko didn't want to go to Girls Benkyou. She didn't want to go anywhere. Everyday, it was just some kind of meaningless routine. Get up, go to school, come home and eat with her sister and a mother that did nothing but think about the future. She couldn't even talk to her sister much anymore; she was already seventeen, and her life was devoted to studying so she could go to college in Osaka. Everyone was completely focused on the future. The future, the future, the future...pretty soon, her future would be gone. Who cared, anyway? She forgot where her parents were going. Who cared? Another business trip. Another trip for the future...

"In other news, last week a speed train heading for Sapporo was bombed by an unknown terrorist. The only clue left on the scene was a wooden, life-sized marionette..."

Then, the future stopped.

Seisui could feel a lump overwhelming her throat as tears ran down her cheeks, forming a small stream to the dirt below. She clawed the dirt with hands; a feeling of despair overwhelmed her. She couldn't think, couldn't feel; her whole being felt numb. Her father looked down on her as she let out great, choking sobs.

"Seisui, banish your anger from you."

"Go away," Seisui whimpered, laying her face into the dirt, "Go away."

"Seisui, you--"

"Go...away!" She screamed. Councilor Han'i shook his head and walked back inside, leaving Seisui alone.

Usako knew who she was. Everything was over. Seisui pondered just lying in the dirt forever, waiting to die. The cherry blossom petals would fall on her corpse, burying her in their flurry of disgusting pinkness.

"Where am I going?" she sobbed to herself, clenching the sweaty dagger in her hand. "Where have I been?"

Sailor Pinkmoon was gasping for breath when she reached the street. Although the distance was short, the journey had taken everything out of her; the effort to hold back her tears was much harder than any physical endeavor. Hiroshi stood up from a nearby bench as she approached him; his expression was bewildered as Usako stood in front of him, gasps wracking her chest as he hugged her.

"My God," he murmured. "What happened, Usa?"

Usako shook her head as she detransformed. Hiroshi was afraid to press her; he broke off the embrace and put his arm around her as they walked down the street. Usako cried all the way. By the time they had reached the end of the block, her sobs subsided to silent tears. The street corner had a small green; there was a tiny fountain in the center of a group of benches. Hiroshi sat down the bench and gently pulled her down by her hands to sit next to him.

"What happened?" he finally asked her.

Usako paused for a moment. She wiped away her tears; but the mere thought of what had happened, much less talking about it, brought forth more sobs. Hiroshi pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes for her. He was willing to wait as long as she needed.

"Seisui..." Usako mumbled. "It's all true...everything...about Sailor Titan...Seisui...she tried...she tried..." Another round of sobs broke her off and she hid her face in her hands.

"What did she try?" Hiroshi asked, hugging her gently and rubbing her back.

"To kill me..." Usako managed to blurt out as her chest quivered and she let out another whimper.

Hiroshi didn't know what to say. Usako had said it herself; everything that Endymion and the Senshi had suspected was true. Usako, all along, had believed that Seisui loved her as a friend. Even believed that Seisui thought Usako was the only one who understood her. She had been fighting for Seisui's innocence; now, that meant nothing. Hiroshi cursed himself; he had thought he was sending her to Seisui's house to reconcile them, and he was really sending Usako to what could have been her death.

Hiroshi waited for her to stop crying. Eventually she did, her sobs subsiding into an occasional stutter. Even then, a silence hung over them as they sat on the bench.

"I suppose...I suppose she has been through a lot," Hiroshi finally said. Strangely, he had no feelings of anger for what she had tried; only concern for Usako, who had been through it. Usako would be hurt by what Seisui had done, but he knew she would not be angry, and that she would rather seek an answer to Seisui's behavior than resort to condemning words.

Usako nodded. "I...I can't blame her. What happened to her father was horrible. Even though it was my mother, and not me, I used to believe that purification was right, that Seisui just didn't understand. I tried to convince her of that. And even though I might have been changing my mind, by the time Seisui knew my feelings, I'm sure she wasn't willing to trust me. By then, she had already equated me with my mother."

She shook her head. "I always used to idolize my mother. When I was little, all I could think of was becoming more like her. I look back on that, and I realize that my mother was never that perfect. Of course, she's good--and she can be strong, at least when she's fighting Chaos--but I can also see how hopelessly fragile she is, and how little she understands her own subjects. Crystal Tokyo is no wonderland, Hiroshi. Things are just the same as they always were. People are just pretending that they're happier because they think they're supposed to be...and if they truly realize that they aren't, then they know they'll suffer for that knowledge. People have convinced themselves that pretending is enough. But people can't cope with their problems by denying them; they need to be solved."

"Then...despite her betrayal, there may be something good that will come of Seisui," Hiroshi replied. "Because in realizing that, you're already a greater person than your mother."

Usako looked at Hiroshi; even though he loved her, his duty as a priest was to the king and queen. She would have expected him to agree that the Queen had faults, but what Hiroshi had said could almost be seen as degrading to the Queen.

"Hiroshi...do you really think I'm a better person than my mother?"

"I do. You couldn't have forgotten that at I first thought you were the maiden I was looking for?"

"No...I haven't." Usako frowned. "But it was my mother, and not me; she was the maiden you were looking for."

"It couldn't have been just a mistake, Lady Serenity. You were the maiden I noticed, not your mother--even if you weren't the holder of the silver crystal, you had the purest heart."

He smiled. "And furthermore, now you are the holder. So now you have matured; both in your soul, and in that you are now the holder of the crystal. Your very own pink crystal, as well; not just a handing down of that which was once your mother's. You have inherited your mother's power, but you have also found something which is your own; and that makes you far more precious to me."

Usako smiled back. She took his hand and turned away; at the top of a fountain was a statue of her mother. Someday, she would be the ruler over this city; but it would be a city that regarded its problems without shame, instead of hiding them behind a shining street. She had Seisui to thank for this revelation; although, she thought sadly, it was coming at a terrible cost.

"I wonder..." she said sadly. "if Seisui and I will ever be friends again."

"You're going to rectify your mother's mistakes," Hiroshi responded. "It's because of Seisui that we now know what needs to be changed. And once she understands that, I think that you will be reconciled."

"I'm afraid to confront her..." Usako replied. Tears were threatening to return; the memories were flooding back to her head, frightening and unreal. "I'm afraid of what she might do."

"I will be with you."

"Then, no matter what it takes," Usako vowed, hugging Hiroshi, "I will do my best make things right again."

"Her condition is stable," the doctor told Tokimo, looking toward his mind-numbingly complicated panel of screens, buttons and measurements. "She should be waking up any moment now."

"Do you know if Sayoko is coming?" Tokimo asked, looking toward him.

"I don't know, yet," the doctor informed her. "I sent my secretary to call her and tell her yesterday evening. But I suspect so. She'll probably be here in a few hours, if she found out quickly enough."

"Good. It's very important that Sayoko comes, so don't mess up!" Tokimo admonished him, waving her finger toward him.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, miss." The doctor's gravity was surprising, given Tokimo's unusual behavior; in fact, since he wheeled Yamiko into the hospital room, Tokimo had done nothing but threaten him. Shouts of 'I'll kick your ass if she doesn't pull through!' were hollered every fifteen minutes or so. The doctor turned back toward her, flipping through some papers on a clipboard. "I'll leave her to you. I've found that the presence of strangers is usually unwelcome in cases like these."

Tokimo watched as the doctor left the room; she sighed as a stray petal fell off one of the daisies Tokimo had bought for the "ailing" Yamiko. Whatever possessed people to kill themselves was beyond her; she had never understood how someone could be sad enough that they were willing to throw something as valuable as their life away. Maybe it made some measure of sense with Yamiko, however, given her complete inability to enjoy life or the company of others. Maybe she had just gotten sick of being involved with the Moon Senshi, and couldn't think of another way out. There were some people, Tokimo decided, that just weren't meant for the job.

Yamiko's eyes began to open; Tokimo watched as tears formed in her eyes, making them bleary and glassy. Yamiko raised a weary hand to wipe it away; then she turned toward Tokimo, who was sitting in a chair beside her.

"Why am I alive?" she asked. "And why are you here?"

"I found you lying on the street when I was leaving Seisui's house."

Yamiko cursed herself. She should have known better than to take them somewhere public, but her neurotic delirium had kept her from thinking in anything resembling a logical state.

"How long have I been out?" she asked, as though it were a matter of course.

"Only overnight," Tokimo replied. She got up and looked down at Yamiko, who was looking back at her. Her infuriated expression barely seemed to touch Yamiko's unconscious; maybe the little escapist was trying to pretend she was still going to die.

"What?" Yamiko finally asked.

"What?" Tokimo angrily replied. "What the hell were you thinking, anyway? Are you really that pathetic? Seisui put up with things ten times as bad, and she never thought about suicide. I know your parents died, but--"

"How did you know my parents died?" Yamiko asked, waking up from her trance and pulling herself painfully upward.

"I tried to call your parents when you came in. Then I found out you didn't have any; only Sayoko."

"It wasn't because of my parents. Not this time, anyway," Yamiko replied. "Sometimes I still think about them...and their death was very strange, but...that's not what it was."

"Well, then, what was it?" Tokimo demanded.

"A lot of things."

"Like what!" she insisted.

"Like it's none of your business!" Yamiko snapped, turning toward her. "Since when do I have to tell you my motivations? Stay out of my life. Stay out of my problems. I'm not your friend, and I'm not interested in being a Sailor Senshi."

"If you're not interested, then why are you helping the Crimson Eagle?"

"I'm not helping anyone!" She turned away from Tokimo again, pulling up her knees and resting her forehead. "I...I betrayed the Crimson Eagle. I tried to kill Sailor Saturn when I met her. I remembered my past..."

"Then, are you switching sides again?" Tokimo asked. She wasn't sure if she wanted Yamiko joining them; especially not since she might 'change her mind' again and end up causing more trouble in the long run.

"I'm not doing anything!" she sobbed, hugging her knees and looking out the window. "Why do you think I tried to kill myself? I'm so confused. I'm so sick of this. I don't understand what's going on anymore. You and Seisui are so lucky; you just have everything all figured out for yourselves. Whether it's right or not, you aren't given the burden..." Yamiko trailed off.

"The burden of what?" Tokimo pressed her.

"Of self-doubt. Of questioning if you've done right; of knowing you don't really know anything."

"What a load of crap," Tokimo replied. "You say that you know nothing; really, you're saying 'I'm too wishy-washy to take a side.' That's not knowing nothing, that's being too lame to take a real stand.You know, doing the right thing and sticking to it isn't always easy. Of course, I'm sure you would understand that, since you don't seem to be able to do it."

"I was just trying to do what made the most sense at the time!"

"Were you really? Or were you just trying to do what was easiest?"

"I wasn't!" Yamiko protested. "After I attacked Sailor Saturn, Usako told me about Seisui. I wanted to find out the truth for myself, so I went looking for her father. And...I found him."

"So you finally know why Seisui hates Sailor Moon."

"I wish you...she...I wish you had told me! I never knew about Purification. How could I have? You never said anything. I sought revenge on Sailor Saturn because I lost my parents in my previous life...I didn't know that Seisui's father had suffered a fate so similar, and maybe even worse..."

"Death would have been a better punishment!" Tokimo said vehemently. "Then, at least, his memory wouldn't have been dirtied!"

"I...you may be right. I felt so sorry for myself. But all this time, what Seisui had to endure was just as bad. I can't live with myself anymore. I'm sick of not knowing who's right, not knowing anything at all. Queen Serenity ruled prosperously for so long. People seem to adore her. I couldn't believe that Seisui's hatred was justified. I was certain I was in the right."

"Well, you weren't."

Yamiko glanced up at Tokimo, her expression racked with pain. "...I'm sorry."

There was a long pause. Yamiko didn't expect Tokimo to accept her apology; Tokimo was stubborn, and she was sure Tokimo had a host of other reasons not to like her.

"It's all right," Tokimo replied. "I suppose you responded like any normal person would have. Thankfully, I'm not normal. But the one you really owe an apology to is Seisui. She's the one who's suffering the most from all of this."

Yamiko nodded. "Maybe I'll try to talk to her."

Tokimo paused. "Well...I better go check on Seisui. You can talk to her tomorrow, okay?"

Yamiko frowned. If she was going to have to do something as difficult as talking to Seisui, it would be best done quickly. "Do you mind if I come with you?"

"Well, I think that--"

"Yamiko!"

The hospital door banged against the wall with a resounding thud. A short woman stood framed in the doorway; her hair was cut in the style of women who spend a little too much time downtown, and her clothes, a red tube top and a black skirt about the same size, seemed to reaffirm Tokimo's suspicion.

"S-Sayoko?" Yamiko said a bit nervously. She turned toward Tokimo with an accusing glare. "You told Sayoko about this?"

Tokimo, sensing this was her cue to leave, waved animatedly and ran briskly out of the room to avoid further trouble.

"Yami! What the hell were you thinking? I thought you were better. Did you forget to take your medicine?" Sayoko asked, her tone incensed.

"I could hardly have forgotten; I took so many that they had to pump my stomach."

Sayoko paused. Her initial anger, Yamiko noticed, had been abated by the afterthought of concern.

"Yamiko...why? I know mom and dad are gone, but..."

"It's not mom and dad," Yamiko interjected. "A lot's happened since you left for Osaka. I didn't mean to bring you back; I wish you hadn't come."

"Gee, thanks," Sayoko replied irreverently, pulling a chair up next to her bed. "Well, I'm here now, so you better tell me."

"It's a long story."

"Well, you better get started, then, because I'm not leaving until it's done."

Yamiko sighed. "Why do I even bother?"

"Stop beating around the bush, Yami."

"Okay, fine," she snapped. "You've heard the news, right? About Sailor Titan?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So, she's not the only Moon Senshi. I am, too."

Sayoko paused. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head, too?"

"No! I didn't. Here, I have my locket," she replied sharply, pulling out the black and silver brooch. "I'm Sailor Phoebe. And Tokimo, the girl that just left, is Sailor Charon."

Sayoko opened the brooch and slowly examined it. It definitely looked genuine, but her face became more and more skeptical as Yamiko proceeded to explain her story of the discovery of the quest against Queen Diana, her alliance with the Crimson Eagle and the idea of Purification.

"I have to say," Sayoko replied, handing the locket back to her, "I have trouble believing the Queen would do something like that. She's insanely forgiving, and while she might try to change Han'i's mind, I don't think she would force her opinions on someone."

"It's definitely true. I saw Councilor Han'i myself..." Yamiko shuddered. "What happened to mom and dad is nothing compared to that."

"I don't know, Yamiko," Sayoko said with a sigh. "I really think you should stay out of this. I'm sure Tokimo and Seisui's intentions are noble, but their motives seem warped. And anyway, if you're going to choose an occupation, being a Sailor Senshi is just about the worst. You say Purification is horrible, but if you and your friends are caught, then I'm sure that's what's in store for you... And honestly..." Sayoko looked downward and pulled out her pocket mirror, pretending to be interested in her make-up.

"Yeah?" Yamiko asked.

"Well, I'd rather not have a daikon radish for a sister."

"I need your guidance."

Sailor Pluto turned around. She was surprised by the suddenness of Hotaru's entrance, and the strangeness of her request. After the Black Moon had been defeated, the entrance of someone through the gates of time usually meant a Saturday visit. Hotaru, evidently, had other things on her mind.

"Has something happened?" Sailor Pluto asked.

"Many things. But I need to speak with you, alone--before the others do."

Sailor Pluto looked on in confusion. "The rest of the royal family, you mean? But why?"

"It's complicated. But suffice to say, the royal family has been busy lately; a new threat has appeared, and--"

"If Chaos had attacked, I should have been able to sense its presence."

"This isn't Chaos. There is a strange new group of Sailor Senshi, called the Moon Senshi. Do you know anything about them? They say they are trying to prevent a former queen of the moon, Diana, from being reborn in Chibi-Usa's daughter. Is there any truth to that story?"

"Moon Senshi..." Sailor Pluto paused, thinking to herself. "I know very little about them. They came before my time."

"Before your time? I thought you had no time; your life began at the beginning of time itself."

"My power over time extends that far, but not my life," she explained. "There was another Sailor Pluto, during the time of a ruler named Diana. Diana was Queen Serenity's mother."

"Do you know anything about her, or the time in which she lived? About the war of the Moon Senshi?"

"Very little. Only that shortly after a war, the former Sailor Pluto was killed, and I, her daughter, was sent to replace her. The Senshi of the moons were said to be a proud and warlike people; but these were only rumors, spoken by mortals when I was small, and they soon disappeared. I always believed the war to be a legend."

Hotaru couldn't help being a little disappointed. Sailor Pluto knew no more than Luna and Artemis had, and traveling through time to find out more was forbidden. Her only consolation was that the other Senshi would learn nothing more than she did, and that would buy her time while the others were still looking for evidence that Seisui was Sailor Titan. In the meantime, she would have to find some way of gleaning more information on her own.

"But Hotaru..." Sailor Pluto said, interrupting her thoughts. "Why all this secrecy? What is it that you need to know before the rest of the royal family? Is there some reason they can't be trusted?"

"I'm trying to save a lost lamb," Hotaru responded, "before it becomes a sacrifice."

"Who is it? Surely you don't think the royal family would hurt an innocent person?"

Hotaru said nothing.

"Why wasn't I consulted about the Moon Senshi sooner, Hotaru? Just what is going on?"

"Everyone has been very busy," Hotaru replied. "I'm sure they'll want your advice soon."

"This isn't just about the Moon Senshi, is it? Hotaru, what do you mean to try that wouldn't have the King and Queen's approval? Who is this lost lamb--is it one of these Moon Senshi?"

"Thank you for your guidance, Setsuna. I'm afraid I have matters to attend to now..."

"Hotaru, you are the leader of the Outer Senshi! Surely you don't mean to keep me--us--in the dark about this?"

"This has nothing to do with my being your leader. This is a matter of personal importance."

"Has something happened to Small Lady?"

"Chibi-Usa is fine," Hotaru said absently.

"That couldn't have been sincere," Sailor Pluto said, her voice taking on a firm, almost angry tone. "Small Lady is the only person you treasure above anyone else. But you know Small Lady is important to me, too. Even if you don't tell the others, I need to know what has happened to her."

"The others already know anyway..." Hotaru sighed. "That was how I came to know, after all."

Sailor Pluto looked gravely down at Hotaru; Hotaru sighed. She knew that Sailor Pluto was at least as close as she was to Chibi-Usa. After all, it was Sailor Pluto who had let Chibi-Usa escape to the future; it was Pluto that Chibi-Usa had affectionately called "Puu."

"Chibi-Usa has befriended Seisui Han'i," Hotaru explained. "And Seisui Han'i is highly suspected to be Sailor Titan. And Sailor Titan...Well...she recently attempted to assassinate the queen."

"My God..." Sailor Pluto mumbled. "Why wasn't I told?"

"As I said, everyone has been very busy and very worried about Chibi-Usa. She had been fighting the three Moon Senshi for some time before she said anything to us; and the information was more or less forced out of her. The only person she confides in anymore is Helios. And I'm not sure what Seisui has been telling her, but...well, I've learned of some very disturbing ideas she's picked up."

"Do these ideas have anything to do with Councilor Han'i?" Sailor Pluto asked. "Does she know...?"

"I don't think so," Hotaru interrupted her, sparing her the effort of explaining. "Though, as I said, I'm not certain exactly what Seisui has been telling her. But as a point of fact, these ideas seem unrelated to anything Councilor Han'i once said; the ideas have primarily to do with Purification."

"What about it?"

"Seisui seems to have convinced Chibi-Usa that it's wrong. I don't know why, but...well, I'm trying to find out more, both about the Moon Senshi, and, if possible, Seisui."

"But what are you trying to hide, Hotaru? Why are you sneaking around like this?"

"I've been sent to Goban to keep an eye on Chibi-Usa. The possibility that I will find proof that Seisui is Sailor Titan is extremely high, and if I do, when the royal family finds out..."

"She will be purified, of course," Sailor Pluto replied. "And as long as Small Lady believes that purification is wrong..."

"Chibi-Usa has suffered. The loneliness of having such busy parents was hard on her; the humiliation of being trapped as a child almost signaled her downfall. These wrongs were not intended, but no matter how she hides it, I know that Chibi-Usa feels resentment toward her parents. If it came to pass that Seisui was purified, however, I do not think Chibi-Usa would ever entirely forgive them. Certainly not if purification is, in fact, harmful."

"Then, before Seisui is purified by the King and Queen, you need to convince Small Lady that Seisui is really her enemy."

"I'm not so sure I want to; as I said, I'm trying to save a lost lamb. I want to reconcile Seisui's anger. I'm not sure why she hates purification, but if I can convince her to forgive the queen, then her and Chibi-Usa's friendship may be able to thrive. If I don't, and Chibi-Usa finds out about Seisui's true identity before I'm able to change Titan's mind..."

"Don't you think that's a bit much to hope for?" Sailor Pluto replied sadly. "If she knows about her father, and believes that he was right..."

"Chibi-Usa and Usagi were able to look past the evil in my heart. It would be unfair to treat Seisui differently."

"But Hotaru, you were possessed by Chaos; if anything, you were a victim, not a perpetrator. Seisui's flawed character is the source of this crime."

"My character was flawed as well; weak enough to let myself become possessed by Chaos."

"Everyone is weak sometimes, Hotaru, and Chaos is a powerful foe. You couldn't have been expected to resist it, especially not when you were so young--"

"Seisui is young, and Seisui is weak. The evil in our own hearts is the very same evil that Chaos is made of."

Sailor Pluto looked at Hotaru. If Seisui's opinions followed those of her father, the chance of her being reconciled with the Queen was seemed small. Councilor Han'i had not cared what happened to him. His life meant the destruction of that which he despised, and he was happy to sacrifice it; Seisui, she feared, may very well have grown up the same way. Hotaru, she felt, was being too optimistic--assuming that Hotaru's own transformation from sinister to good could be repeated with Seisui. Sailor Pluto, however, was loath to share her skepticism; perhaps there was some hope for Seisui that Hotaru, having met her, was able to cherish.

"Very well, then," she said at last. "Good luck to you, and give Small Lady my regards."

Hotaru inclined her head and left through the great prison door of time.

To Part B