To Part A

Usagi looked blankly at the gleaming houses of Crystal Tokyo as they drove back toward the palace. It would have been more direct to just turn around and go back through the less affluent part of town, but Rei knew better than to expose Usagi to the sight of the poor once more. Although she still looked vacant and depressed, her grief had subsided somewhat. Her attitude of complete self-blame frustrated Rei. How could she take on all responsibility for this? There was no way to her know the truth about Crystal Tokyo. There was no way for any of them to know. And still, Usagi stared blankly out the window, obessed with her crimes.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Rei asked. Usagi could see Rei's eyes reflected in the rear-view mirror; huffy, angry, self-righteous. Typical Rei. "This isn't your fault. How were you supposed to know about Purification? We would have had to know someone before and after they were purified, and we would have had to know them personally. After all, if we just walked up to anyone, we probably wouldn't know any better. Everyone loves you, Usagi. And you couldn't have known about the poverty, either. No one told us anything. We told the Councilors to go out an find the problems. They didn't. They told us lies, sugar-coated Crystal Tokyo for us. And we knew after the Black Moon that going outside the Palace is too dangerous to do on a regular basis. Besides...what if Seisui is possessed by Chaos? It's true that purifying her father was a mistake. But Seisui's anger is so intense that it may well be possible that Chaos got to her and corrupted her. Don't lose hope yet."

"Seisui wouldn't have to have been possessed for her to be so malicious. After meeting her father, even I can see that," Usagi replied, her voice cracking as a few more tears made their way down her cheek.

"Usagi..." Rei sighed. "I know this is all very upsetting to you. I can tell that the fact that you've done...this is very hurtful to you. You've made a terrible mistake, and now you don't know how to make up for it. But...you can't expect that you'll be perfect all the time. I think it's amazing that you've managed to make things so peaceful. You've tied so many people together, and reconciled them. Even before you were Queen--just look at the Outer Senshi. They were ready to kill you before you taught them that we could work together. I know you want to get along with the Moon Senshi, too, and make all the bad things you did go away, but...you can't. And you can't expect to make everyone get along all the time. You shouldn't blame yourself for it."

"I used to be able to. I'd wave my wand, and everyone would be happy and pure again..."

"It doesn't matter if you have any easy way out or not. You've managed to help a lot of people, even during the times when you haven't used the Silver Crystal to make things right. I don't think anyone else could get the world to cooperate the way you have."

Usagi didn't reply, and Rei didn't press it. Usagi would wake up eventually. She always did, and then, things turned out okay. Somehow, even in the worst of situations, things turned out okay...

Rei's rambling train of thought was abruptly interrupted by a large, yellow sign labeled "DETOUR." Looking beyond it, she could see why.

There was a crowd of cars and people jammed together for as far as the street extended--even beyond, walking up the street. From here, Rei couldn't see what they were gathering for; but knowing what had popped up in the news this morning, she could hazard a guess that it had to do with Sailor Titan. Part of her felt an urgency to return to the castle, but she couldn't help being a little curious--and worried--as to the source of the giant spectacle. She glanced in the mirror toward Usagi. She appeared to have calmed down; no longer crying, she looked out the window, an expression of mounting concern on her face. If Rei didn't find out what was going on, Usagi would find a way; and better for her to see why the crowd was here for than for Usagi to sneak out on her own.

"Usagi, do you mind if we pull over for a while?"

"What's going on? It isn't...a riot, is it?" Usagi looked worried. Poor Seisui had gone through enough, without this kind of response from the public...

"I don't think so. Let me get out and see." Rei parked her car alongside the road and stepped out, feeling a bit daunted by the unending line of cars down the street. Sure enough, the throngs of people looked far too organized and calm to be rioters; they all headed toward a huge, crystalline structure. A obelisk jutted out at the top, a silver-colored moon shining at its peak. It was almost a miniature replica of Crystal Tokyo. Rei crinkled her eyebrows in concern. Rei remembered hearing something about a church that worshiped Serenity--but she knew nothing about it, so she couldn't be sure that what this bulding was. Other buildings throughout the world often mimicked the architecture of the Crystal Palace. She turned toward Usagi. "It looks like some kind of gathering. They're all heading toward a huge building...it looks a little like the palace. I'm going to go check it out."

"I'm coming with you," Usagi replied, exiting the car.

"I'm not sure if that's a good idea," Rei warned her. "The meeting probably has something to do with Seisui, and regardless of whether it's positive or negative, these people are bound to have a strong reaction to meeting the Queen. You're in no condition."

"I'll be fine, Rei," she assured her. "I promise. I can't run away from my people any more...so please, let me come with you."

Rei sighed. "Once you're convinced, Usagi, there's no point in arguing. Just...keep a low profile. If that's possible. Maybe you should use your transformation pen..."

"I don't want to hide behind a disguise," Usagi disagreed. "It feels like lying, now that I've seen what kind of ruler I really am." She frowned. "And anyway, a lot of people can see through the disguises."

Rei sighed again. No point in arguing... "Okay...fine. But put on a cloak, at least. I don't want people mobbing you."

Usagi frowned but duly complied. They had brought the cloak in case the spring weather got chilly; a good call in retrospect. The cloak, at least, covered her clothing and her hair, the telltale signs of Queen Serenity. If anyone recognized her, they'd have to do so by her face--less identifiable, considering that the Queen was seldom seen in public.

The faces of the people around them looked worried. They seemed intent on working toward their destination; surrounded by people, Rei could only begin to see past the obelisk. As she approached, the purpose of the building became chillingly clear.

Huge marble statues rose above them, their bodies the very likenesses--without a doubt--of the Sailor Senshi. One side held the Inners, the other the Outers. Their expressions, though god-like, showed hints of their real-life personalities. Mercury was wise, Saturn was mysterious, Uranus was proud.

Looking upwards, Usagi only seemed confused. Rei wasn't sure what was going through her head, but the whole idea that someone had made this must have been as amazing to her as it was to Rei. She had heard of the Church of Serenity before, even, heard that the church was a popular spectacle. But this...whoever built this must have put hours of time and effort into hailing the Queen's greatness.

Rei tapped the person in front of her. A woman, she wore a garment of pure white, glittering with rhinestones on the edges. It looked more like a wedding dress than anything else.

"Excuse me..." Rei asked as the woman looked patiently toward her. " What's going on here?"

"We are all here to pray for the swift end of this tragedy. We are scared of the Rebel Senshi. They are a sign of Chaos...they may be the end of our paradise. We look to Serenity's greatness in our hour of darkness, for She always leads us to happiness and peace."

"That's...a lie..." Usagi mumbled. Rei looked warningly toward her; it would not do well for her to denounce people's faith at their own meeting--or risk revealing her identity by doing so.

"The Church is open to everyone today," the woman told her. "All of us are hoping for the swift end of the Senshi traitors. Chaos is within them. They have accepted darkness into their heart. Come--you should pray with us."

"I see," Rei said sedately. "Er...maybe I will." The woman bowed her head politely and continued her trek toward the Church.

Rei was barely able to make her way into the church. The pews were full, the aisles were full, the balcony was full--the church was full of followers. Some of them were completely clothed in the color of one of the eleven Senshi. Others were simply dressed up; there were people in ordinary street clothes, too, and a few people who wore work uniforms or business suits. In the center of it all, a diamond statue proudly stood, a glimmering likeness of the queen. Strangely, her face was missing.

A Priest, clothed in white, stood on the podium in front of the statue. His speech, apparently, had been going on some time; when they entered, people were listening quietly to him talk, entralled. "...Have come here because of your fears of the Rebel Senshi. That is the primary reason for this great meeting. The second reason is the symbol of the promise we have made to be strong--like our queen--despite our fears. I refer, of course, to the dedication of this statue. Made of diamond, it is even stronger than it is beautiful; it is a testament to our great queen. The strength of this stone shows the strength of our leader! The strength she gives to us, her followers. My people, I promise you, our queen's greatness will not be driven back by a few rebellious children. Was not the goddess of death and rebirth, Sailor Saturn, able to see her great light? Were not the great outer warriors enlightened by her power?"

"Yes! yes!" the crowd screamed enthusiastically.

"Did she not go to the great depths of darkness to drive back Chaos? Did she not promise us all a bright future?"

The crowd once again screamed agreement.

"Is this not the very Messiah of our people, who saved us from the obelisk of death? This is Serenity, the goddess of all life, the guardian of light and sanctity! Her brightness extends infinitely. These Senshi are merely fragments of Chaos. Their shadows cannot hope to oppose her brilliance!"

Usagi looked downwards in shame. What lies, what horrible lies...

"That is why I dedicate this statue today. That is why we all dedicate this statue, because our Queen cannot lose!" The priest held a glittering piece of opal above him, carved perfectly in the likeness of Serenity's face. Her face smiled gently above them, promising them a bright future. "That is why we put this final piece on the statue! Her face, perfectly preserved despite the vandal's extensive damage. For there is only one weakness in our Goddess's heart; that is her soft, gentle love for everyone. And that is her beauty that shines down on us all!"

Usagi covered her face and began to cry. "That's a lie...it's all a lie!" Rei looked at her worriedly as her weeping attracted the stares of a few churchgoers; looking toward her, they whispered various words of concern. Soon people were huddled around her. They had worked themselves between her and Usagi; Rei struggled to get closer, but soon, she knew, the inevitable would happen.

"There, my sister, do not hide behind this cloak...bring your grief to the Queen's light!"

And down it went. Her bun-coiled hair for the world to see; her kind, soft face, her glowing white gown, and most of all, her shining silver crown. People in the crowd gasped, or laughed, or cried in joy. They pulled her up and motioned to the priest.

"The Queen cries from your words, Father!" they shouted. "The Queen is moved to tears!"

Before Rei could even move, they were clearing a path for the Queen to the podium, shouting enthusiastically, bowing before her. Amidst the people, Usagi merely looked lost as tears continued to stream down her face. Somehow, she was moved robotically forward by the crowd, moved by her own confusion. It was always Usagi's most emotional moments, Rei thought sadly, when she did the most dangerous things.

"My Queen," The priest said to her, kneeling downward, "please...set your glorious face into the statue. If you touch this statue with your holiness, your kindness and wisdom will surely shine down on us forever."

Rei was surprised to find that despite her overwhelming sobs, Usagi complied. She gently wrapped her hands around the opal face and held it before her. She climbed up the stairs leading to the head of the diamond statue, turned toward the crowd, and let the light from the crystal obelisk shine down on the sparkling face.

"Farewell," she shouted, half-sobbing to the crowd. "Farewell, to the me who was foolish!"

Her hands flew apart. The white opal dropped downward. As it collided with the steps, its sparkling fragments flew everywhere; onto the steps, into the crowd, down to the podium.

For a moment, there was silence.

"Listen to me," she told them. "There is no Goddess. There is no great Queen! There is no light for you to look on. There is no Neo Queen Serenity! There isn't even a Sailor Moon. All there is is me--Usagi Tsukino. A flawed ruler, a terrible parent, an innocent, stupid crybaby. Forget this Church. Forget this Paradise! Look out your windows, beyond the sparkling mansions, and see the world I've really created! A world where people fight over their bread. A world where people live in poverty. A world where I have purified, brainwashed the parent of an innocent girl, and by doing so, corrupted her forever! Leave this church. Find your own answers! Try to fix what I have destroyed." She looked down at the opal fragments below her. "You are not my people. You are something much better than that." She paused. "You are your own people."

The crowd did not move, and Usagi took that opportunity to run. She did not know what would happen after she left, but she knew it was too late for her to do anything about it.

Rei followed after her, unable to think of anything except getting her away from here and back into the safety of the palace.

Seisui woke up with a start.

White burned in her eyes. White burned through her brain. Was it purification? Maybe some seed of her true self slept inside this terrible whiteness...

"You're awake, I see," a voice told her. "You slept all night."

Seisui sat up. No, not purified; it was just the room that was so hideously white. It was her prison; if it could be called that, for it looked identical to any sitting room in the Crystal Palace. Seisui turned toward the door; it was clear, probably made of crystal, and locked tightly. Through the door she could see Sailor Jupiter, eyeing her critically as she leaned on the wall. Seisui looked down; her fuku gone, she was wearing the blue jumper she had changed into after school yesterday. Fumbling into her pockets, she was disappointed but unsurprised to find that her locket was missing.

At that moment, she was so overwhelmed by the situation, she had no response except a blank stare toward the marble floor. She had lost...she had lost...soon, something so terrible would happen...

"We've never had to guard our prisoners before. You can take it as a compliment, if you wish, that a Sailor Senshi was necessary to make sure you didn't try anything else that was foolish." The sound of Sailor Jupiter's voice, evidently, carried through the door.

Seisui smirked. "I would have rather you spared me the compliment and given me the chance."

"Even knowing what I do about you, I can't understand why anyone would want to kill Usagi. Chaos was one thing...there, it was power. Or is that what you want, too? Sailor Charon named you as our queen's replacement. Was that what you wanted? A chance to be queen?"

"I didn't know she said such a thing," Seisui replied. "I suppose it is the sort of thing she would say. Only she would have that kind of confidence in me. As for myself, I don't care who takes the Queen's place, as long as she and the royals are gone. Or should I say I didn't care? After all, everything is all over, now..." Seisui's voice wavered. She probably would have cried, but her heart, perhaps trying to save her some suffering, had numbed itself. She had already given up. Tears were there to alleviate pain; with no end to her pain in sight, they would only be a burden.

"But why? Why would you want such a thing? I know Serenity may have made mistakes, but how could it justify her murder? If you wanted to change things, why work against us? What were you hoping to achieve?"

There was silence for a moment. "Well?" Jupiter asked her. "What?"

"What was I hoping to achieve? I'm not sure, myself. I suppose, in my mind, anything was better than Queen Serenity. She committed unspeakable crimes against my father. The only thing left of him was his negative reputation, which I carried every day of my life. I'm not even sure if I was hoping to achieve anything. I wanted her to feel my pain." Tears fell down her face unheeded. "Looking back on this, I can see that I was foolish. I could have killed her both times. I came so close. But I waited. Because I wanted her to feel, with horror, what she had done to me. Because that might, for a moment, let Neo Queen Serenity see what I find most odious about her." Seisui looked listlessly toward the white-washed walls. "Because she cannot stand to hurt people, she locks herself away in a crystal tower where she never has to see their pain."

"That's a lie!" Sailor Jupiter snapped. "Do you realize what could happen if we left the Queen wander around without the protection of the palace? We did once, and she nearly died! Even with all of us protecting her, you never know when the enemy might have a moment's chance--and then, the safety of the queen--"

"Safety?" Seisui interrupted in revulsion. "Safety? People live in run-down houses and apartments, live with brainless parents--and you talk of safety. I'm sure, to you, her safety is important. But safety is never, ever worth that kind of ignorance! It's the kind of response I'd expect from someone of the White Moon."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing!" Seisui snapped. "Why should I bother? My fate is already set in stone. I will be purified, and as far as I'm concerned, that is the end of my life. I only pray for death, that I might live preserved in the memory of others."

"If you want that," Sailor Jupiter replied in annoyance, "you want to be remembered as a murderer. If that's what you want, you really are a terrible person."

"You can think what you like," Seisui replied. "It won't change my fate either way."

She lay back down and hoped for sleep, and in it, escape.

"Tokimo..." she murmured sadly, wrapping her face in her arms.

"So," Fubuki asked, looking toward Tokimo, "what the fuck are you going to try, anyway?"

"Even if we storm the palace, Tokimo, we won't be able to do anything," Yamiko said. "They'll be ready for us, this time. Besides, I've heard there are crowds camping by the palace, waiting to hear the outcome of the trial. I'm sure they'd like nothing more than to put an end to this by capturing all the Moon Senshi and 'ensuring the safety of the world.'"

"Yamiko is right, Tokimo," Kouken agreed. "A plan like that goes beyond even your normally insane ideas."

"Shut up, Kouken," Tokimo retorted, glaring at him. "I wasn't planning on storming the palace. I was thinking I could teleport into Seisui's prison and rescue her! Then we'd be out of this mess, and it'd be back to old times..."

"The fuck? I thought you didn't have any control over where you ended up," Fubuki replied.

"I know," Tokimo replied. "I don't. But I thought if we pooled our powers together, I might be able to do it."

"Pooled our powers?" Fubuki repeated skeptically.

Tokimo nodded. "Uh-huh. Just like the Senshi always used to do. Y'know, get in a circle and Kouken shouts 'Sailor Teleport!' I saw it in a documentary once in school, during the part that I wasn't reading my manga. How 'bout it, huh, Kouken?"

Kouken paused. "Hard to say if it would work. The problem with that idea is that it takes a lot of energy and time. Besides, is it really wise for everyone to go? You just want to rescue Seisui. You might want to bring less people and try to be quicker rather than bring more people and risk another person getting caught."

"I agree," Yamiko added.

"Weeelllll..." Tokimo crinkled her brow in thought. "What Fubuki if and Yamiko tried to put their powers into my naginata or something, and just help me teleport?"

"Would that even do anything?" Yamiko asked Kouken.

"It probably would, if you concentrated hard enough. You can use your transformation phrase like a channel for your power, too..."

"Sounds like a plan! Come on, let's give it a try."

"But Tokimo..." Kouken warned, "there's no guarantee that you'll teleport into Seisui's prison. You've never been able to teleport to anywhere specific before. Who knows where you might end up? You might teleport into the throne room and find yourself surrounded. And then you'll be no better off than Seisui."

"I can teleport away," Tokimo told him. "Anything is better than letting Seisui get purified!"

Kouken nodded, and Tokimo held up her hand.

"Charon prism power!" she cried, focusing her power into her Naginata as it materialized in her hands.

"Miranda prism power!"

"Phoebe prism power!"

Beams of green and black moved toward the Naginata as it glowed with purple light. The colors converged and turned to a murky black.

"Please! Bring me to Seisui!" she cried, and felt herself disappear.

Hotaru remained perfectly calm as a vague, black and purple form began to materialize in her bedroom.

"Hello, Tokimo," she greeted her, turning her head toward the rapidly appearing senshi. Sailor Charon held up her Naginata, ready to attack at any moment. "Sorry I can't get up to greet you. I'm still recovering from my wounds, and need to rest in bed."

"How do you know who I am, huh?" Charon asked angrily.

"Sailor Phoebe--or rather, Yamiko--told me. But that was a little while ago, now." Hotaru smiled. "I take it you're not here to see how I've been recovering."

"If it was up to me, you wouldn't be!" she angrily replied. "Because of you, Seisui was captured, and I wasn't able to save her! Because of you..." Sailor Charon held up her Naginata.

"Things may have been worse for Seisui, Tokimo, if I hadn't been there."

"How could they be worse? She's going to be purified, now! What's worse than that?"

"I'm sure your television hasn't been on all day, Tokimo, so it comes as no surprise that you didn't know this. But the Queen snuck out this morning. It isn't known where she went for the entire day, exactly, but she definitely made a stop at the Church of Serenity."

"What, you mean that wacko church? Why should I care? That doesn't bring back Seisui."

"Here, turn on the TV."

Sailor Charon looked at her strangely; but Hotaru certainly wasn't in a position to attack her, and if she hadn't screamed for help yet, she probably wasn't going to. She shrugged and turned on the TV.

"--there is is me--Usagi Tsukino. A flawed ruler, a terrible parent, an innocent, stupid crybaby. Forget this Church. Forget this Paradise! Look out your windows, beyond the sparkling mansions, and see the world I've really created! A world where people fight over their bread. A world where people live in poverty. A world where I have purified, brainwashed the parent of an innocent girl, and by doing so, corrupted her forever! Leave this church. Find your own answers! Try to fix what I have destroyed. You are not my people. You are something much better than that--You are your own people."

"Those are the words of Neo Queen Serenity this afternoon when she mysteriously appeared at the service of a nearby church. The source of the Queen's agitated and emotional manner is unknown, but most people believe it to be a momentary lapse in self-confidence because of the presence of the Rebel Senshi. The news channel has been unable to get in contact with her majesty or any other members of the royal court because of the trial."

Sailor Charon turned off the TV. "What is this?"

"Yesterday, before you attacked, I told Usagi about purification, informing her that I had no concrete proof. Presumably, she wasted no time in finding that proof herself. Now she knows about purification. And you can see how she feels about it now."

"What does that mean to me?"

"It means that Seisui will almost certainly not be purified. I was going to defend her myself at the trial, but as you can see, that is no longer possible."

Charon paused. "Even if Seisui isn't purified, they'll still find some other way to punish her! Even..."

"I assure, Seisui will not be executed. Even King Endymion, who is protective of his Queen, would not do that. As for what her punishment will be...I have no idea. I'm sure Usako will appear to defend her, and the Queen will as well, and those are perhaps the greatest allies to have. But no one else will. And unless one of you decides to make an appearance, no one will know the story of the Moon Senshi. The Crimson Eagle told me, but as I said before, I cannot share your story for you."

"What, you want me to go to Seisui's trial and defend her?"

"No one knows your story, Tokimo. And of all the Senshi, even the Moon Senshi, you are the only one who seems to have been with Seisui from the beginning. You have believed what you do--what she does--unwaveringly from the very start. No one will listen to Seisui's story. They probably believed you were merely swept up by lies she fed you. Only you can convince them otherwise."

"Why do you want to help me and Seisui, huh? I thought you were on the other side."

"I am the soldier of death and rebirth. I hover between light and darkness. I understand you and Seisui, even if I do not agree with what you are doing--and I do not wish to see Seisui unfairly punished. If she is, our sides will never reconcile. Even if she escapes--which, while not the worst of situations, is definitely not preferred--it is better than seeing her purified or banished. Please...speak for Seisui, and for the Moon Senshi. Make the others understand who Diana was, and what happened to you. If you do, I am sure they will be forgiving."

Sailor Charon paused, looking down at Hotaru's imploring face. She would rather kill the Queen, get rid of the Senshi as they were. What they were doing to Seisui was absolutely unforgivable. But the Queen seemed to finally understand the true horror of her crime. Hotaru seemed to genuinely want to reconcile them. And while Charon might not trust them or even agree with their ideas, going to the trial could mean saving Seisui. Trying to get to her prison now would be next to impossible.

"How am I going to get to the trial, huh? They won't let me in the front door, and I can't teleport well enough to get right in the court room."

"Helios can teleport. He's loyal to the royal family, and I'm sure he doesn't want Seisui roaming free, either--but he sympathizes with you and won't want Seisui's punishment to be unfair. I'm sure he'll agree to help you."

Sailor Charon looked a little uneasy. "Well, okay. But he better be there before the trial begins! Or I'll kick your ass!"

"I promise. Will you be able to get out?"

She nodded, holding her Naginata above her. She was going to save Seisui. No matter what...

Hotaru relaxed as Sailor Charon teleported away. Somehow, she was sure, everything would be okay.

Seisui looked on. Her fate was to be decided by a group of people who did not understand her and her father, who did not want to understand them, who would never understand them. She sat up stiffly, handcuffed. The royal family sat around her. All of them were staring at her, and all that stood between her and an eternity of meaninglessness was the royal family--her greatest enemy.

"I hate to have the trial without Saturn," Neptune said with regret. "She probably knows more about the Moon Senshi than any of us."

"It can't be helped. Besides, Saturn's injury is most likely as much Seisui's fault as it is Charon's. That alone says something about her guilt," Uranus replied.

"In any case, we should wait for Lady Serenity and Helios. Even if Saturn can't defend Seisui, I'm sure Lady Serenity will have something to say," Mercury replied.

"I'll be just as glad when this is over with," Jupiter said angrily. "I've had enough of these Moon Senshi. Once, I would have liked to make amends. Now..."

Mars looked a bit uneasily toward Jupiter.

"Is something wrong?" Jupiter asked. Perhaps she had been too harsh, after all...

"Maybe...it's hard to say. I'm sure it will come up soon enough."

Serenity's face paled a little at Mars's words, and Serenity wrung her hands together nervously. Endymion, sensing her discomfort, looked at her in concern.

"Are you feeling well, Usako?"

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. I'm just a little nervous. This is the first time something like this has happened." Usagi sighed in relief. The others, evidently, hadn't heard of what happened earlier today. They had probably been too busy arranging the trial to watch the news.

"That is true," the queen of Pluto added. "It is not often that all of us are assembled together. The fact that even I have been called from my post at the Space-Time Door speaks of the importance of this trial."

Their conversation was cut off by the sound of the huge doors being swung open into the courtroom. Between them appeared Lady Serenity. Queen Serenity would always remember little Chibi-Usa in her fluffy pink princess dress--but now, on her growing, almost adult figure, it looked elegant. For a moment, Serenity wished that Chibi-Usa was still a child.

Wordlessly, she walked through the courtroom and took her place beside Queen Serenity. Wasting no time, Helios followed; and behind him, someone that the Sailor Senshi were not expecting.

"This is the Sailor Senshi that attacked Saturn--Sailor Charon!" Jupiter shouted. "What could she be doing here?" Jupiter turned toward Usako. "Did she force her way in, Usako? Threaten you or something?"

"What on earth can she mean by coming here?" Venus asked with concern.

"Please, calm yourselves," Helios interjected. "I was requested to bring her here by Sailor Saturn."

For a moment, there was confused silence.

"Did this Charon girl tell you that?" Endymion asked. "It makes little sense to me why she would request you to bring the very person that attacked her!"

"Saturn asked me herself," Helios told him.

"Saturn wanted her own murderer present at the trial? What could she have been thinking?" Mercury wondered.

"Saturn has her own way of doing things. Coming from her, this doesn't surprise me at all," Pluto replied.

"I'm here 'cause I want to be!" Sailor Charon interrupted. "Because I'm sick of all of you messing things up for Seisui! You want to pass judgment on Seisui as a Moon Senshi and as a person, but you don't even know anything about us, or about her!"

"This is too much to stand," Uranus interjected. "You cannot expect us to hear Sailor Charon defend Seisui when she is just as murderous! We should be trying them both at once!"

"Enough, Uranus," Endymion warned her. "Let us reserve judgment on Charon until another day. Saturn wished us to hear Charon defend Seisui; therefore, let her do so."

"You better!" Charon retorted.

Endymion looked toward Seisui bitterly. "My first proposition, is, of course, that Seisui must be purified. I feel--"

"No!" Lady Serenity shouted.

"We mustn't purify her!" Queen Serenity interrupted him, her voice lost admist Lady Serenity's.

"If you do that, I'll never forgive you!" Sailor Charon yelled, overpowering both their words.

Endymion, a bit taken aback by the simultaneous surge of dissent, looked on in confusion. "But why not? I can see Charon's disagreement, but my daughter and my Queen--you, surely, cannot deny Seisui's dangerous nature. If we purify her, she'll no longer be a threat."

"Daddy! Purification isn't what we thought it was. It isn't a mild punishment at all! If you purify Seisui, you'll destroy her. I know it sounds strange, but it's true. By removing a person's hatred, you're also removing the way they distinguish their love. Seisui will love anyone as much as she loves her friends. Her worst enemies will be treasured as much as her best friends!"

"I know Seisui tricked you into becoming her friend," he told her, "but you can't believe what she said. She probably just told you that because she wanted to carry out her ambitions--and having you think negatively of purification aided that goal."

"You're wrong, Daddy! I saw Seisui's father with my own eyes. I saw what the crystal did to him! He isn't even a shadow of his former self. He has no goals, no dreams...he just sits around! Can you imagine having a father like that? You would have been better off executing him!"

"Lady Serenity!" he admonished her. Execution was a punishment that those of the Neo Silver Millennium refused to consider. "How can having seen Seisui's father once or twice given you any real knowledge of what it was like to grow up like--like her?" he asked, looking down at Seisui.

"Once you see a victim of purification, even once, there is little doubt in your mind about its effects," Seisui told him.

"I'm sure you would say so," Endymion replied.

"No!" Neo Queen Serenity interjected, tears forming in her eyes. "What Seisui says is the truth."

The Sailor Senshi turned toward Queen Serenity; all but Mars, in shock.

"I, too, met Seisui's father, this very day. Everything Lady Serenity says is true. I purified a generation of people, I purified countless criminals, thinking I was being merciful. But I was condemning them to a meaningless life! Seisui's hatred of me is only natural. Her desire to kill me is justified! Therefore...please do not make me look at her face any longer. I fear the guilt will destroy me. Let her go free, and I will try to make amends for my crimes."

Everyone looked at Serenity. A unanimous expression, a simultaneous question of "is this true?" crossed their faces. If Serenity said it was true, who could doubt it? It was the word of their queen. But this was so much...too much....

"Queen Serenity..." Endymion began, his words grave. "Even so, we can't just allow Seisui to go free--"

"Shut up!" Seisui snapped. "I want to hear it. I want to hear more." Her face broke into an eerie grin. "I always wanted to hear it. I wanted to see you crying, miserable, realizing what you had done to my fa--"

"How could you!" Mars shouted, standing up and looking toward Seisui. "How could you? The Queen is pouring out her regret and pity to you, and you scorn her, you take pleasure in seeing her suffer! How pathetic. Before, when I went with Usagi to see your father, I felt pity for you. But hearing you say this, I see what kind of person you really are!"

"You can't blame Seisui for wanting revenge!" Sailor Charon retorted. "For the Moon Senshi, our past is nothing but watching the Queen of Luna eternally make mistakes! In our past life, we were killed by her grandmother in the pursuit of power. And in this life, we are purified for bringing to light her mistakes! If I were Seisui, I'd feel the same way!"

"Charon is right!" Lady Serenity agreed. "Even if Seisui's anger is too strong, even if it isn't justified, how can anyone blame her? After what we've put them through..."

"After what we put them through, they should be angry--not bloodthirsty!" Uranus replied. "As it stands, I cannot justify giving the Moon Senshi mercy. I understand that Purification is no longer an option, but Seisui simply cannot be allowed to go free."

"But what, then, will we do with her?" Sailor Mercury asked.

"Your highness," Helios began. "I believe that the best option, in this case, is imprisonment. If we imprison Seisui, her personality will remain intact. She can still see those who are important to her. Seisui's anger, I believe, is understandable. But it has grown so great that it has become dangerous. If Seisui's rage abates, I believe we could eventually pardon her and even work with her and the other Moon Senshi to repair those problems in the Neo Silver Millennium which have recently surfaced."

"I think that Helios puts forward a good suggestion," Neptune agreed.

Lady Serenity looked toward Helios in disappointment; she didn't want Seisui to be locked away. She understood Helios's feelings, but how could she reconcile herself with the idea of imprisonment?

"I would like to follow Helios's suggestion," Endymion replied. "I think it is appropriate. Unfortunately, I cannot agree to do so, and for one reason only; Sailor Charon."

"That's right! Because I'm not giving up until you let her come back with me!" she shouted.

"You must understand that we can't just let Seisui leave without punishment!" Uranus retorted.

"No, I don't understand! I've been with Seisui from the beginning. I know what a good person she is!"

"If she's a good person, she'll realize that killing Neo Queen Serenity is not the answer to her grievances," Uranus told her.

"What if it is? She's messed up this badly. She's attracted Chaos all those times. She's made people live in poverty. In some cases, ruled selfishly! She's caused people to follow her blindly. She made Seisui sad! And from the way it looks to me, she'll keep making people sad!"

"Silence!" Endymion demanded. "Not only are you speaking about the queen of the Earth, but you are speaking about my wife. You may want Seisui to leave with no sentence. Some of you may want imprisonment. As I said, this is not possible, because of Sailor Charon. You see, she has demonstrated at least once that she can teleport significant distances. If we lock Seisui away anywhere near here, Sailor Charon will teleport her out. And if we lock her away anywhere on Earth, I'm sure she will travel there to free her."

Lady Serenity could feel tears streaming down her face. "You can't be suggesting--"

"In this case, I fear that banishment may be our only choice. Seisui is a severe criminal. Too dangerous to risk her getting loose. I would suggest capturing Sailor Charon at this very moment to prevent a punishment this severe, but it would both go against the wishes of Sailor Saturn and, I'm afraid, it would prove to be ineffective. After all, if Charon can teleport Seisui out of her prison, I'm sure she could teleport herself out."

"I can't even do that!" Sailor Charon shouted in rage. "I haven't even been able to teleport the same place twice, let alone end up where I want to go!"

"The powers of a Sailor Senshi are an extension of their willpower. I'm sure you could find the strength to teleport Seisui away, if you truly felt a desperate need to do so."

"Then why couldn't I just teleport to Nemesis?"

"Nemesis is far enough away that I doubt you would have the power for that--even if you did possess the will," Endymion replied. "Additionally, you have no clear conception of where it is, and that alone would make it nearly impossible to teleport there."

Sailor Charon began to cry. "If you banish Seisui, I'll never see her again!"

"I am afraid, under the circumstances, you have left me no choice," Endymion replied.

"But your highness," Helios objected, "When you last sent someone to Nemesis--"

"I understand your concern, Helios. But I feel that with its purification, Nemesis is now safe."

"Mamoru!" Serenity cried. "Seisui doesn't deserve to be condemned to that kind of loneliness!"

"I'm sure we can arrange for Seisui to be visited. Sailor Pluto will not have any objections."

"Of course. I would be happy to accompany anyone who wishes to visit Seisui, provided they pose no threat," she agreed.

"You can't do that!" Lady Serenity shouted. "Seisui is my friend! I won't let you...!"

"Don't bother trying to defend me. The feeling, I assure you, is not mutual," Seisui said, looking toward Lady Serenity. "It's too late to do anything now. I should be content with my sentence. I have not been purified. I have seen Serenity suffer. For now--perhaps, forever--that is all the comfort I will have."

"I will allow you to say goodbye to your friends and family, Seisui, and I promise they will visit you," Endymion assured her.

"I don't want to say goodbye. Just take me. I can't stand the sight of this Earth that holds no promise of freedom."

"They can't do that!" Sailor Charon cried, tears streaming down her face. "Sailor Saturn, you liar! I hate you! I'll kill you! Chaos--"

"Charon!" Seisui shouted. "You mustn't. You must escape from here! If you attack, they will banish you as well. And then, who will carry on our hopes for this world, and the Moon Senshi? "

"No! I can't leave you behind. It isn't right! I already left you once. I won't do it again! I absolutely won't!"

"I will take Seisui to the Space-Time Gate, your majesty," Sailor Pluto told him. "From there, I can bring her to Nemesis. We can send the necessary supplies afterwards."

"Please, Charon! I don't want you to come with me. You are the only friend I've ever had. You were the only thing that gave me hope. Please, please continue to do so. We are only the first of the Moon Senshi..."

"Come along, Seisui. I do not think your deadly dreams will be realized." With that, Sailor Pluto put her arm around Seisui's shoulder and lead her from the courtroom hall. Sobbing, Seisui did not resist.

"Seisui! Seisui! Seisui!" Charon sobbed. Watching the Senshi rise from their seats, Charon knew it was only a matter of time before they tried to capture her. She held her Naginata above her head. She watched the energy gather to it. She prayed this had all been a nightmare.

"I am sorry that things came to this. I hope that you will find it in you to cooperate with Neo Queen Serenity, rather than nursing your anger," Sailor Pluto said kindly to Seisui, opening the gates of time-space and leading her gently into Nemesis.

"Leave me be."

"As you wish."

The doors swung behind her, sealing the outside world forever.

Forever.

"Forever...forever..." Seisui looked out upon Nemesis. No longer shrouded in the Death Phantom's energy, the sun shone through an expanse of white clouds. A beautiful, sunny day.

Seisui fell to the ground. "Forever..." She closed her eyes as sobs racked her stomach. She fell to the ground.

"I've failed, forever...lost, forever...died, forever...nothing is left...this planet will be my grave. This barren, lifeless womb of eternity. No...no...no..."

"No!" she screamed, listening to her echo sound through the barren world.

Seisui clawed the ground. She got up. She started to run.

She didn't know where she was going.

"Tokimo..." her mother said quietly, opening her door. "Tokimo, I know you're still upset about Seisui, but...I think you should start to think about going back to school. Your father's worried, too. It's been so hard for him to work with you like this. I'm sure you can see Seisui again sometime. The whole 'Rebel Senshi' fiasco is starting to settle down, anyway. I'm sure if things stay quiet, they'll pardon you, and you'll get visit her on Nemesis."

"I'm sorry, Mommy," Tokimo said quietly, sitting up in bed. "I'm not ready for school yet. I promise...I promise..."

--You were the only thing that gave me hope--

Tokimo shook her head. Try not to think about Seisui.... "I promise I'll go back soon. Maybe next week."

"Okay, sweetheart. But remember...you promised me you'd go out once a day. Here. I'll bring your note, in case a truant officer gets suspicious. You go get dressed and promise me you'll try to have fun. Why don't you call some of your other Moon Senshi friends? I'm sure they'll know what you're going through."

"I told you mom. The only one who was that close to Seisui was me. The most that they'd feel is pity."

"Well...okay." Her mother left the room, glancing worriedly behind her.

One week.

Tokimo had never been depressed for that long in her entire life. She tried not to think about it. She tried to listen to her mother say "you can visit her." But it wasn't the same. Not after seeing her sent to Nemesis. Not after all the plans they'd worked so hard for were gone. There was no more 'get rid of Chibi-Usa.' No more 'kill the queen.' The last time she had even looked at her transformation brooch was a week ago, at the trial.

"I'll go with you today, Tokimo," Kouken said, slipping through her bedroom door.

"I don't want to think about being a Moon Senshi right now. I'm not ready to go to school, and I'm less ready to think about Queen Diana. Maybe in a month or so. Usako's not going anywhere."

"It's nothing like that," he told her. "I wouldn't expect you to fight right now. I just figured you could use the company."

Tokimo looked down at Kouken. She didn't know the hairy little rodent thought about anything but cucumbers. Since Seisui had left, Tokimo's mother had been taking care of him. Maybe the novelty of a talking ferret had helped to keep her going. "Okay," she replied.

"I'm sorry I haven't been around more, Tokimo..." Kouken apologized, walking beside her. "I figured that you wouldn't want me around."

"It's okay," Tokimo apathetically replied.

"There's a lot of Moon Senshi, you know," he told her. "I bet they're all over the world, just waiting to be discovered, just waiting to join us in our fight. And when they do, maybe there's hope for Seisui."

"But where are they? And how can I find them? I'm stuck here. Even my mom wouldn't let me do that."

"They'll begin to awaken, and they'll come to us. They've seen the Rebel Senshi in the papers, right? They're bound to start remembering. Now that the Rebel Senshi scare is starting to quiet down, I bet we'll start hearing about them. And then, we can gather them together..."

Tokimo smiled. "That's right! And then we could save Seisui!" She frowned. "But...who knows how long it'll take? And how would we get to Nemesis?"

"If you had the energy of all the Moon Senshi, not just Fubuki and Yamiko, I'm sure you could make it to Nemesis."

"Still...it would take so long. And there's no way we could find the Moon Senshi on our own. You were lucky enough to find us."

"True...it was a bit of guesswork and a bit of luck. There were bound to be Moon Senshi in the largest city in the world. More than 60 Moon Senshi is a lot when you've got them all together, but you spread them all over the globe...you suddenly realize that around 60 Senshi isn't even more than a bus or two of people."

There was silence as Tokimo felt disappointment over her sudden lack of options.

"But hey!" she suggested, looking toward Kouken. "Maybe I could try it with just the Sailor Senshi we have now!"

"It'd never work," he told her. "It didn't even work to get you to Seisui's jail cell. How could it work to get you all the way to Nemesis?"

"Because I want to! Asshole told me. A Sailor Senshi's power gets determined by how much they want to win! So If I really, really wanted to teleport to Seisui..."

"That may be true, Tokimo, but you aren't even at your full power. Maybe if you had your crystal, you could teleport between planets. But not with the way you are now!"

"It's worth a try. What have I got to lose?"

"Who knows where you could end up? It could be in Germany, or Antarctica, or the ocean--or even, space!"

"Well, I'd rather be in space than here where I might never see Seisui again. I'm going to try it."

"You're just as fucking crazy as always, Tokimo."

Tokimo turned around; it was Fubuki, smoking a cigarette. Jirou, several yards away, leaned against a concrete wall and sported his own trail of smoke.

"Don't you wanna see Seisui?" Tokimo said defensively.

"Not really," Fubuki replied. "I just don't give a fuck anymore. This whole Moon Senshi idea was stupid to begin with. Jirou was right..."

"But what about Queen Diana? What about Seisui's dad?"

"Queen Diana can't be any worse than what we have now. And I guess you mean Purification, huh? If it's anything like what people have been saying in the news, it's probably an improvement. Maybe I should take my mom to the Queen. That'd get her to shut up."

"How could you say that?" Tokimo shouted, assuming a fighting posture. "After what we've gone through to kill the queen! You really are Fubitchy!"

"Yeah, well, you can go fuck yourself, for all I care. Sailor Senshi are pussies anyway. I never should have gotten involved. There's no way you're getting to mother fuckin' Nemesis, anyway. Even if you had all of the Sailor Senshi."

She threw her cigarette to the ground and started to walk off.

"Fine!" Tokimo shouted after her. "You can be the first to die, when Diana wakes up!"

Fubuki didn't respond.

"Hey, Yami," Sayoko called. "Phone for ya."

Yamiko walked slowly, full of dread, toward the phone.

"Hi! It's Tokimo. I need your help. I want to borrow your powers again, so I can teleport to Nemesis."

"Not interested. Goodbye," Yamiko replied, moving the phone back toward the receiver.

"No!" Tokimo shouted. Yamiko sighed and for some odd reason kept the phone next to her ear. "You can't be okay with Seisui's banishment, can you?"

"I can't say that I'm okay with it, but I'm not going to do anything about it. Seisui knew the danger she was putting herself in. I did what I could to save her. As far as I'm concerned, it's over for the Moon Senshi."

"But what about all the Moon Senshi we haven't found yet? There's still hope for our cause! We can't just let Queen Diana take over the world!"

"Well, you can find those other Moon Senshi. Count me out. This time's for real. Goodbye."

With that, she hung up the phone.

"Yamiko..." Sayoko began, her voice worried.

"There's nothing I can do," she replied guiltily. "Just forget about it."

"That's it!" Tokimo shouted. "They can all be purified, for all I care! There's no way I'm leaving Seisui alone any longer! Absolutely, positively No way!"

"Tokimo, you're just excited. Seisui's not going anywhere. There's plenty of time to save her! We'll find the other Moon Senshi, and then--"

"You suck, Kouken! I don't wanna wait. I can't wait for a friend! I'm leaving! Now! So say goodbye, Yamiko! Say goodbye, Fubuki! I'm saving Seisui!"

"Tokimo--"

"Charon prism power, make up!' she cried. She held her Naginata above her head.

"Whoever, whatever! Bring me to Seisui!"

Kouken looked worried as she disappeared.

Eventually, the barren nothingness ended.

Seisui had traveled miles since she first arrived here. Sailor Pluto always brought her supplies. They gave her a tent, with a promise to build a small house later. They asked her if she wanted her family to visit. She wasn't ready yet. She always said no.

She could see something large in the distance. It intrigued her that there was something here. This was the farthest she had ever been on Nemesis, and she was beginning to wonder if she was seeing an illusion. It was the middle of the night. But even at night, Nemesis was burning with a sky full of stars. She could still see now as well as at Earth's twilight, but she still wondered if the darkness was playing tricks on her.

She approached a strange, crag-like feature. It took her at least fifteen minutes to get there. When she arrived there, her curiosity was hardly satisfied.

The 'crag' was the beginning of a gigantic expanse of ruins.

The figure was a statue, a woman. She was larger-than-life; seven feet tall, and dressed in a flowing gown. The statue looked to be made of marble, but it was splotchy and charred in several areas, as if it had been near a fire. Her wavy hair reached to the bottom of the flowing dress, and her eyes were turned downward toward the earth. She held one hand to her chest. Who was she? Why hadn't anyone discovered this? In a way, it wasn't too surprising. Untouched since the fall of the Black Moon family, Nemesis could hardly have been explored.

She continued on through the ruins. The huge statue was not alone; there were others behind it. Many of them appeared to be unfamiliar Senshi and Knights, 20 or more. The senshi had short, puffed sleeves and tall, skin-tight boots. The knights wore a simple, tunic-like garment with a cape. Oddly, they did not wear masks. In the center, there were eight men and one woman, dressed in a strange but familiar way. Each held a weapon. A bow, a chain, a glaive, a sword...they looked menacingly toward her. Their garments held four lapels; each statue's lapels had the symbol of a different planet emblazoned upon them.

Something about them made Seisui uncomfortable. They looked as if they wanted to move. She walked on toward the ruins.

It was like a disintegrated palace. Cathedral-style arches and flying buttresses were strewn about everywhere. Stained window glass was shattered across the ground. Most of it was shattered so badly that its original images could not be made out, but Seisui could swear she saw the same woman that had appeared in the statue in one of the fallen windows. The only thing intact lay in the center of the destruction; a well, filled with water, still and clear as glass. The sides were black and smooth and reflective, like obsidian. Seisui walked toward the well and looked inside.

Nothing. Just her murky reflection...

Seisui shivered. A strange sound rose from the well, like a dead person laughing.

Seisui....

The image of her father appeared in the well.

He was happy, smiling. But not the dull smile of Purification. Not the meaningless happiness. Crying, she realized the laughing was her father's. The laughter that was dead to her. She could see him hugging her affectionately, the hug he would give her if he were able to see her again. Because it was her in the well. The her that was looking into the well. She looked around her for her father. Was the reflection her reality?

Seisui gasped. Of course, no one was there. Of course not...she looked back into the water, hoping to see her father again. Now there was nothing in the water but herself.

"Daddy!" she screamed, looking vainly into the water. It must have been an illusion. She wasn't that stupid. But vain hopes and wishes overcame her, and she could feel the icy cold water wrapping around her as she dove mindlessly into the well.

There was no one there. Of course. How foolish. There was nothing there, of course...

Then Seisui saw a long, smooth handle. It glowed, dark and purple, like a black-light. It was attached to smooth, black glass, a round, obsidian portal. A door...

Seisui grabbed the handle. The light intensified. She could feel rumbling. She could feel herself rising back through the water as it poured off of her and onto the ruins below her. There was a spire rising below her, near-black purple, vaguely similar to Crystal Tokyo. The obsidian door shattered and she began to slide down the spire. Her hands were wet and slippery; she could not hold on. She fell into the gray, sandy dirt below her. Getting up, she began to run. There was something rumbling, slowly rising below her feet, and she had to get away...

Seisui could see the sky clouding over as she approached the statues. She could hear a rumbling in the skies. The earth continued to shake.  She began to run past the statues; she stopped, terrified, as they were surrounded with dark light. The light swept across the statues and the stone disappeared, as living bodies replaced them.

A man with black hair looked down at her and licked his lips. "The first kill of the season, I see."

He held out his hand and a corpse appeared from the soil. Nothing was left of it but bones. On its forehead, Seisui recognized a black, reversed crescent moon; the symbol of the Black Moon family. "Poor Saphir was right," he said, smiling. "In the end, youma are the most faithful." The skeleton was soon covered in a dark, glass-like substance. It moved toward Seisui, its right hand sharpening into a knife-like blade.

Seisui looked on, dead with fear. The man swore as his creature shattered. A woman, clad in purple, stood above it. She held a glaive in her hand.

"The hunt hasn't begun yet, Crius," she admonished him. "And we don't know if Sailor Nemesis wants to use her."

She held out her free hand and the same dark light gathered into it. The familiar form of Seisui's brooch hovered gently above her palm.

"Take this," she told her, "And run from this place."

Seisui, confused beyond questioning, took the locket. The woman held out her glaive and the seven others made a path for Seisui to escape through. Terrified, she ran, not wanting to know the true meaning of what she had done.

Gasping for breath, another figured appeared before her. Seisui stopped dead in her tracks, afraid of who or what it could be.

"Seisui!" a familiar voice cried. "What the heck is going on, huh?"

Seisui, despite her terror, broke out into a smile. "Sailor Charon! Tokimo, how did you get here?"

"I got here 'cause I'm awesome. But what's with--"

The castle exploded. the Crystals shattered, and the land turned into darkness and ruin. A black, poison colored palace replaced the shining white one--

Tokimo remembered this. It was her dream...

"Tokimo?" Seisui asked, looking worriedly toward her.

"Nothing. We gotta get outta here, Seisui! Let's go!"

Sailor Charon held her naginata above her head. She shuddered; something dark and terrible rose through it. No matter; she and Seisui disappeared. They would return to Crystal Tokyo, safe from the strange and ominous darkness.

~ARC ONE: FIN~

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 ARC:

Yamiko: The darkness has awakened.

Tokimo: A new and entirely different kind of enemy appears! Threatening the very solar system we live in, our fight against Diana and Queen Serenity is set aside for a greater evil. Now, we are forced to work toward saving the lives of everyone on the planet.

Yamiko: A mysterious man, clad in black, finds his way into my life. Uninterested in the attention of this strange Adonis, he nonetheless works a kind of unexplainable charm...

Erik: The horrors of my life, past and present, begin to surface. I do not remember because I cannot bear to; but the familiar presence of the Priests soon awakens my inner demons.

Tokimo: Kouken's promise was not in vain. Two new senshi make an appearance! Each of them, however, possess their own strange mysteries...

Yamiko: Two brothers, bound by the darkness of Sailor Nemesis, leave death in their wake. Is what brings them together the love of a family, or the hatred of each other...?

Seisui: Everyone else is trying to save this earth. But I cannot stand the thought of cooperating with the people I abhor. I must kill Queen Serenity! I must destroy the white moon! I must kill them--before I kill myself...

Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO:

ARC 2: SENSHI OF CHANGE

Mayumi: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.