"Usako..." Hiroshi said, knocking lightly on her door. "Usako, I want to talk to you about something. Are you awake?"

Usako ran to the door. It was unusually early for him to want to talk; school wouldn't begin for another three hours. Usually, if Hiroshi wanted to talk to her before school, he waited at least until breakfast or the walk to campus.

"Did something go wrong?" Usako asked, opening the door and motioning him in. "Something else, I mean..."

"No...I think you should tell your mother about Purification. If Serenity apologizes and makes amends, maybe Seisui will be less anxious to take vengeance."

"Of course..." Usako trailed off, looking into her mirror. "I was planning on telling her myself. I just haven't had a chance, between Seisui's...conflict with me, and the Asteroids, and Hotaru...and I was hoping for things to calm down a little bit. I'm not sure how welcome the news would be right now--especially with everyone so suspicious of Seisui. They might think she was using some kind of coercion, or feeding me lies...that was what the Asteroids seemed to think."

"If you were telling everyone, I would agree. But I think your mother will be more understanding. After all, she defended Hotaru, despite her history."

"Maybe, but...I still think she would tell the others. Mother never makes executive decisions without consulting everyone. And I can see why they would be skeptical of Seisui, too--but even if they decided to find out more about her and gave her a merciful punishment, they would become even more involved. I don't want them finding out anything else about her..."

"Well, maybe you could tell Hotaru. I'm sure she would be willing to give advice...or maybe she could work out some kind of deal with your mother. She could claim to have found out about Purification some other way. Seisui's father isn't the only person who's been purified. Hotaru could have met someone who was a victim of the Great Purification. Or maybe your mother could agree to have her investigate alone."

"Yeah...maybe."

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 Eight:

"Apocalypse"

"Seisui Han'i," Erik said, walking toward her. The bell hadn't rung yet; Usako was sitting in her own corner, the Asteroids once again by her side. She cast a few pensive glances toward Seisui but didn't venture to talk to her; Tokimo and Yamiko sat anxiously next to their ally. Tokimo watched Erik with a suspicious eye.

"Yes?" Seisui half-whimpered. She had decided to come to school, despite all her problems, but she had been in better emotional shape.

"You're needed in the office," he explained. "I'll walk you there."

"Seisui can walk to the office herself!" Tokimo replied suspiciously, looking toward him. There had been something odd about Erik vonDarkmoor from the beginning. "Why should she need your help?"

"It was requested," he said. "I was asked to bring Seisui."

"Then I'm coming, too!" Tokimo demanded. "Me and Yamiko, both!"

Erik frowned reflectively. "No...I'm afraid that's not possible. I'm sure Seisui will be willing to tell you what went on when she returns."

"I wasn't giving you a choice." Tokimo stood up and looked at Erik threatening.

"It's okay, Tokimo," Seisui interjected. "I'm sure it's nothing important. They're probably just asking me about my absence or something."

"She's right, Tokimo," Yamiko agreed. "If something goes wrong, I'm sure she'll let us know. If you make a fuss, it'll probably make things worse for Seisui."

"Fine..." Tokimo sat down. They did have the communicators; if it weren't for that, she would have followed them.

"Let's go," Erik said to her, motioning for Seisui to follow.

Erik led Seisui down the hallway. He looked coldly back at her once or twice, but ventured no comment. They entered the office, its usual bustle strangely absent. Erik led her to the back door in the office. He opened the door; sitting at the desk was Hotaru, calmly staring at them both.

"I suspected as much," he said, looking warily toward Hotaru. Seisui stood slightly behind him; her heart skipped a beat as she saw the occupant of the room, and the desire to run away seized her immediately.

"Pardon me, Mr. vonDarkmoor, but it was Seisui that I asked for...I need to talk to her alone. Was there a reason why you escorted her?"

"There are a lot of people bullying Seisui, especially after the article that was printed in the paper just recently," he explained, "I thought it prudent to see to it that Seisui was not walking alone."

"You told me you were asked to come along," Seisui accused him. "What exactly are you--"

"I'll wait outside the door, Ma'am. My class can wait a few minutes...this won't take long, will it?"

Hotaru looked at him coldly; he probably suspected her of harassing Seisui, especially after the disagreement between her, Seisui and Usako that had occurred only the day before yesterday. Hotaru could also see how leading Seisui unwillingly away that day could have looked odd.

"I will try to make it as brief as possible. You may, however, wish to return on your own, and send someone else to look after Seisui; I cannot guarantee that this meeting will be brief."

Erik nodded; he peered coldly at Hotaru, but motioned Seisui inside. He stepped out and shut the door behind him.

Seisui looked nervously at the door; she slowly walked backwards toward it, her feet moving noiselessly on the green carpet.

"I'd like to talk to you, Seisui," Hotaru sincerely told her. "Please have a seat."

Seisui looked distrustfully down at Hotaru.

"I'm not going with you," Seisui said, her palms flat against the sliding door. "I won't let you purify me!"

"Calm down, Seisui. I'm not taking you anywhere, and we're not going to purify you. In fact, I'd like to prevent you from coming into any kind of conflict with the royal family."

"It's too late for that, even if you were telling the truth. And right now, I have no reason to believe that you would like to prevent my capture, or that you're not trying to find my 'true identity.'"

"I'm not interested in any of those things...I just want to know about Purification."

"What would I know about Purification that you don't already? After all, it's your queen who uses it. My father was only one of its lucky recipients." Her voice was filled with unrepentant sarcasm, her look spiteful.

"Where did you get your ideas about Purification?" Hotaru asked, looking urgently toward her. "I need to know. And I need to know why you're trying to kill Usako and the queen!"

"Tokimo was wrong, then, wasn't she?" Seisui looked downtrodden. "She did tell you..."

"Who told me what? You mean Tokimo?"

Seisui hastily shook her head. "Never mind. I'm not trying to kill Usako or the queen; you're looking for Sailor Titan, I'm afraid."

Hotaru sighed in exasperation. No matter how desperate the lie was, Seisui would stick to it. "At least tell me what you know about Purification. I need to know what happened to make you feel that way. Usako told me what happens when someone is purified. She told me that without hatred, people aren't motivated. Seisui, what did you tell Usako to make her believe that?"

"I don't even want to tell you. If you--you and the royals--haven't been able to figure it out, not after purifying an entire planet, not after ruining my father...I don't want you to know. You and your white-washing...you and your brain wiping! And then, too stupid to understand...too shallow to know...I don't even want to tell you!" Seisui tried to repress the waver in her voice, hold back the tears that threatened to spill.

"The fact of the matter is, Seisui, it's only so long before someone finds out that you're Sailor Titan. The royal family can't wait forever to find proof, not when the risk is so high. They sent me to try and find a way around the problem, but if you continue to be a threat, you can be sure they will capture you and interrogate you, even purify you. If you want to survive, you're going to need to cooperate with me, and with Usako."

"I'd rather be captured than cooperate with you. I feel dirty enough just talking to you. Besides, I'm not Sailor Titan, and there isn't any proof that I am. You can't do anything until you know."

"Seisui, it's only a matter of time before someone finds out. Eventually, they will, and then it will be too late."

"It isn't too late if I'm not Sailor Titan. Then there's nothing to find out."

"Seisui! I need to know what happened to your father. I need to know why you hate Purification!"

"Or else what? You're going to punish me? For the crimes I didn't commit?" she asked, looking defiantly toward her. Usako hadn't told Hotaru; and if she hadn't told Hotaru, who was known to be her very best friend among the Senshi, it was unlikely that anyone else knew either.

"For your own good, you must tell me! Saturn crystal power, make up!"

A blur of purple surrounded Hotaru as she transformed into Sailor Saturn. Before Seisui could even turn away, A glaive was poised at her throat.

"I hate to do this, Seisui," she told her. "But unless you tell me the truth, you will be punished unfairly. And then, not only will you be subject to your own detested punishment--but Usako, who cares for you, will forever resent the parents who love her."

"Saturn crystal power, make up!"

Erik clasped his mouth as his stomach reeled. He had heard Seisui and Hotaru shouting in the other room, but until now, he could make out nothing of their conversation.

"A transformation phrase? Then, that teacher is--"

His sentence was broken off as he groaned in pain and slid onto the floor, watching his surroundings become fuzzy. His eyes watered, and a dark, vague shape materialized before him. He wiped the tears out of his eyes, knowing well enough what it must be. It was the mask.

Erik repressed a shudder as cold iron wrapped around his face and his consciousness was wiped away into nothingness.

"So you want to know what Purification does, huh?" Seisui said coldly, her voice filled with sarcasm.

"That is correct--that, among other things," Sailor Saturn replied.

"Then I've already told you. It whitewashes, brain wipes. Purification destroys a person's ability to distinguish good and bad. When there are no longer any distinctions between 'bad' and 'good' all things become good. And then, all things are loved equally. My father loves me as much as he loves you. I am no longer anything of importance."

"But the fact that your father loves other things equally doesn't change the fact that he loves you."

"Yes it does!" Seisui hissed. "I don't want to be loved like other people. I want to be special! I want to be important to my father. I'm his daughter, not a stranger! Not just another human being! I want to be Sei..." She whimpered, repressing a sob. "I want to be Sei, not Seisui. Not Seisui Han'i. I want presents...I want to be told I'm special, to be hugged and read to...That bitch did something horrible--something beyond horrible--something cruel, something so awful--! I'll never, ever forgive her!" Seisui screamed.

The Crimson Eagle slid the door open. The girl, who was visibly upset, was undoubtedly Sailor Titan; he wasn't sure whether Sailor Saturn knew this, or was merely acting on a hypothesis.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking toward Saturn.

"Despite appearances, I am acting in her best interest. I need to know the truth in order to save her--perhaps, you as well. This was the only way."

"Just what is it that you needed to know that you had to threaten her to learn?"

"I needed to know about Purification," she explained, glancing at Seisui. "The subject seems--understandably--to be a rather personal grievance. There were other things I needed to know, as well, but those were not so urgent."

"Concerning what?"

"The Moon Senshi. I need to know more about their history, and their present motives."

"Then I don't see why you need her," the Crimson Eagle replied. "She may be able to inform you of Purification, but I doubt she knows anything about the Moon Senshi. Even if she did, it wouldn't be in her best interest to tell you."

"I am sure that Seisui is Sailor Titan," she replied. "And I need to know the truth."

"The truth?"

"Yes. I have heard Queen Diana mentioned; been told that she ruled the kingdom before Queen Serenity. And the Moon Senshi, whether because of her tyranny or their own warlike tendencies, were destroyed. I don't know how this came about, or who was responsible, nor do I know anything about the time during which the Moon Senshi lived. It is strange to me that in the three-thousand year history of the Sailor Senshi, there are next to no records of the Moon Senshi, and yet, so many years later, they mysteriously appear."

"I can tell you about these things, and I can tell you far more objectively than either the Moon Senshi or your own comrades could. If you want to know, however, you must allow her to leave," he said, motioning toward Seisui.

Sailor Saturn turned toward Seisui, who was standing defiantly in front of her glaive.

"You have told me about Purification; your information, though given unwillingly, is a valuable asset. Thank you."

"It was my pleasure," Seisui mordantly replied. Sailor Saturn put down the glaive, and Seisui promptly made her way out. Sailor Saturn's concern did not assuage her bitterness.

"I don't know what to say to her," Sailor Saturn said somberly.

"Her anger is deep. She does not forgive," he replied. "No one could reach past her enmity."

"In any case, I need to know the truth about Queen Diana. Please tell me as much as you know about what happened in the past."

"The period of time which seems to be missing from your history is called the Rainbow Millennium. For hundreds of years, it was largely prosperous. The three powers of each planet kept order. There were the Moons, who ruled the heavens. The Planets, who ruled the land; and the Priests, who ruled the underworld. The Moon Senshi and Planetary Senshi each had crystals, much like Sailor Moon's and Tuxedo Mask's. The Priests, like Helios, had a holy land, one for each planet. If one of the three powers fell, the other two would soon go with it--each of the guardians' bodies slowly dying along with their planets."

"Then why do the Planetary Senshi still exist? Shouldn't we have fallen with the Moon Senshi and the other priests?"

"There's a sort of...I guess you could call it a loophole. If a surviving guardian finds someone who still possesses a crystal--in this case, Sailor Moon--they can continue to live by feeding on its power, preventing their inevitable death. Very few people knew about this process, however, and it was just as well; the co-dependency of the three powers prevented them from attacking each other, or even attacking other planets for fear of bringing their own destruction when the planet retaliated. However, an oracle named Neherenia discovered the loophole, perhaps by clairvoyance."

"Neherenia? The same Neherenia that lead the Black Moon Circus and cursed the Moon Kingdom to fall?"

"Cursed? Neherenia was hardly capable of cursing anyone; no mortal is. It is entirely possible, however, that she could have predicted its downfall at the hands of the Dark Kingdom."

"But if Neherenia was working for the queen of the Moon, then why was she banished from the Kingdom?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," he replied. "I have no way of knowing what happened to Neherenia after my death. But it seems likely that the Neherenia who served Diana and the Neherenia who ruled the Dead Moon were the same person, especially since Diana owed her success entirely to her prophecies. In both instances, Neherenia held the power to inspire terror or confidence in others because of her seemingly dead-certain knowledge of future events. You see, Neherenia foretold that Queen Diana would come to rule Sol.

"The word of an Oracle, in that time, was respected as law. Time and time again prophecies came true; so when news of her prediction spread, the other powers froze in fear. Diana began a campaign to take over Sol, and the Planets gathered with the Holy Lands and Moons to negotiate an immediate surrender.

"The Moons refused to negotiate. They knew that there was no way Diana could hope to conquer the entire solar system, and they made this fact very well known. The fear among the planets, however, prevailed. For a time, there was silence between them as the planets tried to find a solution which would not sacrifice their lives.

"Then, Diana informed the planets of how their lives could be spared. If the planetary Senshi surrendered to Diana, they could live off of the life-giving energy of her crystal. The planets quickly agreed. At that time, the Moons knew that their cause was lost."

"If they knew there was no chance of survival, why didn't they choose to join Diana along with the planets?" Sailor Saturn asked.

"Diana was infamous in her kingdom as an uncompromising and power-hungry tyrant--she would have had to have been, in order to act on Neherenia's prophecy. With the three powers separated, the crystals of the Moon Senshi were useless; they lost virtually all their power. The only set of three powers to remain intact, Diana and her trinity held the most power in the universe. Because of this, the majority of the Moon Senshi didn't even bother to try and fight. Most of them chose a noble death, rather than submitting; as far as I know, those Moon Senshi who tried to submit were turned away. After their defiance of the prophecy, Diana no longer trusted them. Moreover, not allying with the Moon Senshi ensured that no other set of three powers would remain intact. That meant there would be no other crystals whose power matched the Silver Crystal; and with no other crystals, Diana was free to control Sol as she saw fit. Even the Knights, who were sworn to protect all senshi, perished along with the Moon Senshi. Joining the planets meant destroying the Moon Senshi, and taking up the futile battle that the few Moon Senshi decided to wage meant opposing the planets. No honorable Knight would consent to the agenda of either side. It would mean breaking the code."

"Is this the code that Yamiko spoke of?"

"That is correct. Knights are bound to three rules. They must favor no Senshi. They must not call themselves by the name of their moon. They must not use their crystal."

"Who created this code, and why?"

"Sailor Senshi are the rightful heirs and users of a star's power. Knights must serve as shadows, who protect everyone from a distance and no one exclusively. I do not know who created it."

"Isn't it unfair to keep Knights in the shadows and expect them not to wear the name of their star?"

"That is the way things are done. It does not affect you; therefore, I see no reason for you to be concerned. Are you interested in knowing about the Rainbow Millennium, or are you interested in learning about Knights?"

Sailor Saturn shook her head. "Excuse me if I entered into affairs where I did not belong. Please continue."

"As I said, the Moon Senshi who took up the futile fight died in battle; the rest took their own lives, or they, along with the people who lived on the Moons, were slaughtered. Queen Diana wanted no remnant of their civilization, no record to tell the tale of the Moon Senshi--except for the way she wanted it to be heard. After Diana had finished, she swept the power of her crystal across Sol, a sort of purge that wiped out any trace of the civilization of the Moon Senshi. This was the beginning of the Silver Millennium, a time ruled by only one Moon."

"Then all records of the Senshi..."

"Destroyed--except, perhaps, those portraying them as bloodthirsty savages."

"And what about the Priests? Were they on the side of the Moon Senshi?"

"They disappeared shortly before the war. No one knows where they went...I searched for them, hoping to find answers, but couldn't find them."

"No wonder they're so angry...what a blood-stained history."

"Yes, well, now you know all about it. I would appreciate it if you ceased harassing her, and instead told your fellow kinsmen of your new knowledge. I advise you not to judge too harshly; though the Moon Senshi seek blood, they have lost their share of it. I will do what I can to protect you--however, should I find you discover your own, cruel means of retaliation, I will defend the Moon Senshi as well. I have, perhaps, acted unfairly already--though I do not think you would use this information to harm them, you may see any opponent of the Moon as villainous."

Sailor Saturn nodded. For all the Crimson Eagle's distant mystery, there was something about him that was undeniably akin to Erik vonDarkmoor. Besides their height, they both shared an aloof aura and a voice that was deeply tragic.

"I promise you, I will only use this information to try to understand this conflict--not to escalate it. Thank you for your help, Mr. vonDarkmoor," she replied, curious to see his reaction.

"I know not of whom you speak," he responded. "I am the Crimson Eagle, and go by no other name. Whoever you think I am, he does not exist to me."

With that, he turned around with a sweep of his cloak and left, slamming the door behind him.

"Interesting," Sailor Saturn mumbled, unsure of what his response meant.

Despite everything that had gone wrong, when lunch time came, Seisui breathed a sigh of relief. She was able to walk out with Yamiko and Tokimo; she was able to sit down and eat with Yamiko and Tokimo; she was able to ignore Usako completely.

"You can have some of my lunch, Seisui," Tokimo said, offering her half a sandwich. "My mommy made it."'

Yamiko opened her black lunch box and placed a candy bar in Seisui's lunch box.

"I really don't want any food..." Seisui bashfully replied.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm not that hungry anyway," Tokimo patted Seisui on the back. Seeing the candy bar, she turned toward Yamiko's lunch box and noticed a lunch consisting primarily of rice balls and sizable chunk of cake. "but Yamiko, I'm surprised at how much of your lunch is dessert. I would have thought you'd eat sushi or something."

Yamiko wrinkled her nose. "I don't like sushi."

Tokimo looked up from Yamiko's lunch box and glanced around the school yard; she could see Usako nearby, glancing occasionally toward Seisui. She seemed to be having an intensive conversation with the Asteroids. Tokimo saw her get up and start walking toward Seisui, Hiroshi right behind her.

As she approached them, Tokimo got up and stood defensively in front of Seisui.

"Stay away from her," she threatened, looking menacingly toward Usako.

"Please...I want to talk to Seisui."

"No!" Tokimo replied. "You can't talk to her. Even if your opinions were valid, Seisui has enough things on her mind right now. The best thing you can do is just go away. Nothing you say is going to bring us to your side, so don't even bother trying!"

"But I just want to help you!"

"I'm sure that's what you want, but that's not what you'll do. So go away--before I make you go away! This is a problem for the Moon Senshi."

"Tokimo..." Yamiko warned, afraid that in her fervor she might give away some of their plans.

"But Seisui--" Usako stammered.

"Usako..." Hiroshi said softly, taking her hand. "Now is too soon. Part of this problem is ours, but we will deal with it in our way. Talking to Seisui won't do much at this point."

Usako stared at Seisui for a moment; was she even listening when she had said she agreed that Purification was wrong? Maybe Seisui hadn't heard. Or maybe, in her effort to find vengeance, she didn't want to listen.

"Okay," she agreed, walking back toward the Quartet, Hiroshi behind her.

"Sorry if I interrupted you," Usagi apologized, turning toward Hotaru.  "I know it's still the middle of school, and the palace is kind of far away..."

"It's all right," Hotaru replied, sitting down on a upolstered chair next to Usagi's bed. "I should have reported to you myself. I would have done so sooner, but I had to gather quite a bit of information."

"Hotaru…did you find out anything about Seisui? About Chibi-Usa?"

"Yes. I also found out a great deal of information about the Moon Senshi and their history. Although I can't be sure, I feel the source is reliable."

"Well?"

"There appear to be two motivations influencing the Moon Senshi. The first is the battle from their history."

"From their history?"

Hotaru explained what the Crimson Eagle had told her: the prophecy of the oracle Neherenia, the threats of Queen Diana, and the untimely death of a whole legion of Sailor Senshi. Usagi looked on gravely during the tale, disturbed by a story that illustrated her own grandmother was tyrannical.

"Who did you hear this from?"

"From the Crimson Eagle. I tried to ask Seisui, but he interrupted me before I had the chance. It may be just as well that I heard the story from him; he wishes to bring the two sides together, rather than seeing one side victorious over the other, and may have given a more accurate account than Sailor Titan or some of our own ancient texts could have. Naturally, Queen Diana would be personified as heroic in our own history; those that would have said otherwise were destroyed."

"Then I guess there's no doubt that Seisui is Sailor Titan," Usagi sighed, her look becoming dejected. "I'm sorry, Chibi-Usa..."

Hotaru frowned. "To be sure, there is no solid evidence that Seisui is Sailor Titan."

"Really?"

"Yes. I just have other reasons for believing that this is true; Seisui's and Sailor Titan's motivations definitely seem to match. Some of them seem understandable, if not honorable," Hotaru told her, explaining the account Seisui had given her of purification. It, unlike the Crimson Eagle's story, could have been biased; but then, if Purification were not so bad, it was unlikely that Seisui would have been so angered by it.

Usagi's eyes widened. "That...it can't be true!" she denied, looking downwards. "There's no way that it could be true. If it were true, how could we have not noticed after the Great Purification? How we look blindly on as people's love for each other deteriorated?"

"It is because of the nature of purification that we never knew, Usagi--at least, if Seisui is telling the truth. We are not privy to the personal lives of our subjects; we were not there to witness the change in their love for one another."

"Then...what would have happened to the children of the parents who lived during the Great Purification?"

"Children are innocent, Usagi, but they are selfish creatures, and demand special attention--especially from their parents. If Seisui tells the truth, I do not care to think of it. I'm sure there would be many children who were raised to be content with liking everyone, but felt a void. Maybe they, too, would have been angry; but unlike Seisui, they had no one to tell them that what was going on was unusual. Seisui, I'm sure, was taught from a very young age to question authority, no matter how kind it seems; her father, after all, was a politician--and a surprisingly rebellious one, at that."

"Seisui must have told Chibi-Usa all about it..."

"I'm sure she has. Perhaps Usako has even met Seisui's father. Now, that is really the key point. If Usako has met Seisui's father, then Seisui is probably right. If not, then she could be lying or exaggerating; her father's demotion did condemn her to poverty, and even if it didn't mean the loss of a loving parent, that alone could make her bitter."

"We need to ask Chibi-Usa right away!" Usagi half demanded. "How could I not know about something this important? If Seisui is telling the truth, then...then..." Usagi sat down on her bed and covered her face with her hands. She contemplated the Great Purification; a generation of kinder, happier people, her subjects had called it. And maybe, in theory, it was; at that time, everyone did love one another. But how could she accept a world in which her love for Mamoru--even, her love for her daughter, her friends--could have meant nothing? "If Seisui is telling the truth, then Sailor Titan was right."

I have come to end your life, which has profaned and erased so many others.

"Sailor Titan was right...I have profaned...I have erased..." Tears started pooling in her eyes, and her chest ached with guilt.

Hotaru's brow creased in pity. "Usagi..." she said with a sigh, looking down at her abject grief. "There was no way for any of us to know this. If subjects are happy, it is not a cause for alarm, and for all appearances, the time of the Great Purification was prosperous. We had no way of knowing what we were doing."

Usagi walked over to her commode and pulled a tissue out of a silver lined box. The mirror had only recently been replaced; Mamoru, concerned about the pain the sight of the broken mirror could cause, had wasted no time in replacing it. Usagi milled over the items on her dresser, perhaps hoping to find some comfort in their familiarity. Her brush, her make-up, her hair bands...

Her hand reached toward a vacant space on the dresser, pausing there for a moment. Her music box was missing. Her frown deepened as its absence woke her up to the guilt of her crimes; her flushed face was soon streaked with more tears, and she reached for another tissue.

"Even if what you say is true," Usagi muttered, wiping away another tear, "I still feel responsible. Seisui's problems are all because of me..."

"Your Highness, even if we had known about Purification, what Seisui's father did went beyond forgiveness. He had been warned about his crimes in the past, and no amount of hatred he could have borne for you justified your murder."

"Still...by punishing him in that way, I am responsible for Seisui's crimes. She wouldn't have borne such hatred for me if I hadn't purified her father."

"You can't assume that," Hotaru replied. "Councilor Han'i, I'm sure, would have raised her to hate you just as much, if not more, if he were unpurified to do so. And the fact that Seisui is almost certainly Sailor Titan would only add to her biases. Usagi--Your Majesty--you cannot let your pity blind your judgment. I care for Seisui as well, and I worry about her well being. But she is dangerous, and if we do not watch her and lead her down the right path, she will fall farther. Even worse, if Chaos were to find her somehow, then the consequences could be devastating. You were able to help many whose anger overwhelmed them through your kindness. Chibi-Usa and I both owe our lives to you, and the other Senshi respect you as their most treasured friend. You were able to help us because you were strong and believed that we could see the good side of things."

"But what if I'm not so good after all?" Usagi snapped, turning away from her mirror and toward Hotaru.

"Don't let a mistake blind you, Usagi," Hotaru murmured. "I believe that you have the power to save Seisui." Hotaru bowed her head; there was little else she could say to comfort her. Usagi, she was sure, would find strength on her own; she knew she could get past her mistakes and believe in herself, if only to help another.

"So you're really going through with this, huh?" Jirou asked Fubuki. The bus had left them almost directly in front of the palace; at midnight, almost all of its gleaming lights had faded, leaving only a few stray fireflies of light in the cold, glassy structure.

"I've made up my mind," she told him, holding her cool, metal brooch in her palm.

"Fuck," he said with a sigh. "Don't get yourself killed, you moron."

"I won't. Not that you'd miss me," she said, a sardonic smirk on her face.

Fubuki's smile faded; for a moment, the only sounds were the occasional passing of a truck. Fubuki put her arm around Jirou, and he returned the hug.

"Mother Serenity," he said with a smile, "You're getting all fuckin' sentimental on me."

Fubuki shoved him briskly away, sending his butt unceremoniously onto the pavement.

"Get the hell out of here, you dickhead," She said, a grin on her face.

"What the fuck was that for?" he spat.

"So you won't miss me," she replied, spitting on his shoe.

"The hell," he mumbled, standing up and scraping some of the spit off with the bottom of his other shoe. Fubuki's smile faded as he walked off in irritation; not far beyond him, Tokimo, Seisui and another girl were approaching. Tokimo, of course, was in the lead; the ferret, as far as she could see, wasn't with them.

Tokimo looked her over skeptically as she approached. "What are you doing here?" she asked her in an accusatory tone. "Picking a fight once wasn't enough?"

"I wasn't picking a fight," Fubuki snapped. "I'm not interested in fighting you right now. If you want to do that, we can worry about it later."

"So what do you want, then? Huh?" Tokimo held her fists up defensively.

"I heard you yesterday, when you were talking about the Queen."

"If you get in our way, I'll--"

"Don't shit in your pants yet, Tokimo. I want to help you. After all, you need all the manpower you can get to help take out the Queen, right? I can help you distract the Senshi while Seisui goes for the Queen."

"We don't need your--"

"Hold on, Tokimo," Seisui interrupted, stepping forward. "If Fubuki wants to help us, let her help. She's right...we could use it. There are few enough of us as it is."

"But she tried to hurt you, Seisui!" Tokimo retorted. "And anyway, how do we know she wants to help us? What if she tries to give us away?"

"There isn't much she could do now," Seisui replied. "If she runs in with us, the most she could do is switch sides and start attacking us--and that seems unlikely, given Fubuki's personality and the fact that in all likelihood, they wouldn't trust her more than any of the rest of us."

"She could follow you up to the bedchamber!"

"You'd notice she had left right away," Seisui reassured her.

"Then she could have told them ahead of time. Like she said, she heard us yesterday!"

"It seems unlikely, again, given Fubuki's personality. Besides, why would she need to meet us here to do that? Putting herself alone with us would only leave her vulnerable if we found out."

"Seisui has a point," Yamiko added. "Besides, after vandalizing a statue of Serenity--which could have no way of benefiting her--it seems unlikely that she would have enough love for Serenity to help save her life."

"How the hell did you know about that?" Fubuki shouted, turning toward Yamiko. "You weren't even there!"

Yamiko looked uneasy. "Well, actually...I'm Sailor Phoebe. The one that attacked you..."

"What the fuck? You're worried about my being a traitor? This one put me in the hospital after I smashed up the fuckin' Serenity statue!"

"Yamiko changed her mind," Seisui said.

"Well then, you sure as hell can't deny me the chance to beat the shit outta someone," Fubuki said indignantly.

"We aren't denying you the chance," Seisui told her, "You're welcome to come along."

Tokimo looked at Seisui pleadingly; although even she could see the practicality of Fubuki's accompanying them, her desire not to cooperate was overwhelming.

"Just think, Tokimo," Seisui said cheerfully, "We're going to beat down the Queen. And for the first time in my life, I've found other people who know the truth--I've found people who were willing to listen to the truth."

Tokimo smiled and gave Seisui a hug. Yamiko frowned, feeling a little out of place; she hadn't exactly been willing to listen to Seisui. Of course, then, she hadn't had many chances, either.

"Right!" Tokimo replied, pulling out her brooch. "There's no time for us to fight each other! Now we've gotta kick some ass! Charon prism power, make up!" Tokimo's body appeared blurred and distorted as her purple and back uniform became visible.

"Titan prism power, make up!" The writhing, twisted form of black water enveloped Seisui as her red and blue uniform appeared.

"Phoebe prism power, make up!" Darkness fell over Yamiko as her silver and black uniform materialized.

"Miranda prism power, make up!" A blinding snowstorm gathered around Fubuki as her green and black outfit formed.

"You three go through the front door," Sailor Titan told them. "I'll run to the window and wait for the alarm to sound. Okay?"

Tokimo nodded vigorously. "Let's go, everyone!"

Tokimo and the other two ran off; as they ran, the magnificent, towering doors of Crystal Tokyo appeared all too eagerly before them. Sailor Titan watched the doors swing open as they entered the palace. She paused briefly before she headed toward the castle's right flank.

"Please, everyone," Sailor Titan murmured as she ran toward a glimmering window on the wall of the palace, "Please, succeed."

To Part B