Treason

This is a joint fic between LiR and myself (Odango).  We were experimenting with the format of actually portraying the storyline and decided that it would be good from Seiya's point of view.  . ;; Though we all know how fickle LiR can be *notes her shooting not-so-nice glares in her direction* we may go to our usually style of third person perspective. Oh well, have fun with the ground work!

1

(Accusations)

It seemed an unlikely place for me to end up on this winter's day, in a bar of all places.  The snow fell softly, already beginning to blanket the world with its somber tone.  Taking my eyes from the window I looked across the table at my unusual companion.  A small chuckle escaped my lips, as all the unlikely scenarios had played together to create this one in its own.

"My pain?"  I asked, realizing I had not answered his question fully, but more so answering it with a question of my own to see if in fact I had gotten it right.

Kintra sat across from me, a hot cup of a frothy beverage warming the air before him.  There was a sullen expression budding in her features, but it was apparent that he was trying to hold it back, perhaps for my benefit.  The simple nod of his head was all that I needed to suffice my answer.

I let out a heavy sigh, knowing full well that this wasn't going to be an easy tale to tell, and that we were going to be here for some while.  "My pain.  Where did it begin?"  I questioned myself aloud, taking no mind if anyone had cared to be listening.  "Zankou, I'd like to say that Zankou was the cause of my pain, but then that would be pleading my own innocence at the same time, ne?  No, my pain is not directly caused by one soul."

I bowed my head deeply, my raven locks falling before my eyes, shielding my contemplation from my fellow Starlight.  "The very same month that we were released of Chaos, we headed here, home.  According to Taiki's calculations it had been nearly five years since we had last step foot on this soil.  I couldn't even begin to describe to you the overwhelming lust I had for this planet, but then again, you being the same as I, I'm sure you know all about it."

"I came back with the will to finally be happy.  Knowing that I had helped in protecting the fate of the entire universe, a feat no mere man or woman could hope to ascertain.  I can remember the day like it was yesterday.  The sun was high in the sky, casting it's afternoon rays down upon us, leaving only the trees that lined the streets to shield us from it's warmth.  There is an unmistakable sweetness here in the air on Kinmoku-sei, it isn't as apparent now in the depths of winter, but oh the way that it fogs the senses on those warm spring days."

"Seiya, you must keep in mind that I am very well aware of the emotional stirrings brought upon by the seasons, but what does this have to do with your trial?"  Kintra questioned from his patient seat across from me.

"Perhaps the weather could be blamed for what has happened to me."  I suggested lightly.  "I will not tell you any of what happened on Earth just yet, because I will get to that later.  I will begin with our long awaited arrival home."

"The energy broke away from us, clearing our vision to catch sight of our home world for the first time since Galaxia had struck.  Kakyuu, Yaten and Taiki's faces mirrored the shock that we all felt at that moment.  The once lush world that we had known had been completely restored and a warm haze passed over the orange tinted fields, welcoming us home."

"The same warmth that I had remembered from all those years ago flooded my senses and coming swiftly up before us I saw the familiar faces of the other Starlights and our friends.  You however were not among them, since you hadn't made it home yet as I later found out.  Over zealous faces peered at us longingly, faces I had feared that I would never see again due to this senseless war, we could all finally be at peace."

"The first of the group to come forth were Sailor Star Chaser and Developer.  They both wore their hearts on their sleeves as they bowed before the Princess with tears streaming down their faces.  The formalities of duty shining forth over their friendship of us and the Princess.  You know as well as I do what effect this would have on our Princess.  In gracefully movements she was beckoning Chaser and Developer to their feet."

"With her arms spread wide she welcomed them with a constructed sigh of 'My Starlights'.  Before the reverie went on and our allies were back in our arms, Chaser and Developer sped past the Princess towards me.  There was such determination in their eyes that it took me completely off guard.  Such a look to be bestowing upon a friend and allie."

"'Sailor Star Fighter' Chaser spoke, being the taller of the two and just a bit taller than myself, she charged upon me without fear.  Not even suspecting for a moment that this senshi would be out to harm me, I made no motion to move out of her path. 'You are under arrest.'  Even though Chaser said these words, doesn't mean that I understood their full implications."  I shifted in my seat as though recalling this memory to tell Kintra was causing me some sort of physical pain.

"I looked at Chaser, her dark orange, wavy hair was tied back in its usual fashion, she was exactly the way I remembered her.  No, this was no imposter, no matter how many faults I sought to see in her features.  The hold she took in restraining my arms was anything but friendly."

"I'm sure you can imagine my complete horror and shock at this little scene that they were presenting.  I looked questioningly over at the Princess after screeching out my disbelief.  Healer and Maker too were taken completely off guard.  'Is this some kind of a joke?' Healer questioned, clearly not amused, while Maker stood wide-eyed and staring."

"I felt my other arm be taken hold of and looked over to see the brown hair of Developer and her all too familiar features facing me.  Along with her extra protection, more of their actions were explained.  'You are under arrest and sentenced to trial by jury for the accusations of treason against you.'  She sounded as though she didn't want to say these words, I could plainly hear the hesitation in her voice, but that didn't make them untrue."

"By now I was thoroughly pissed off and struggling against their hold.  I remember screaming for them to let go of me, and my disgust of the whole situation.  The deepest feeling of betrayal flowed through my body as I looked from each one of their faces to the other.  These were my friends, my partners, and somehow now my lynches?  No I don't think so." 

I shook my head, ashamed that I had just admitted my temporary doubts of my longtime companions to Kintra.  I looked up and over at him to see his reaction to all of this so far, but his calloused eyes gave away nothing as he sat as poised as ever.  This was partially why I agreed to explain my story to him.  He wasn't with us on Earth, and he wasn't there when the others were told of my 'deceit'.  His deductive reasoning, essentially he seemed as though he was a much older man trapped in this youthful body.  True he did have this eerie calm about him, but it was masked by the innocence of his features that never truly gave way to the mastermind behind them.

"Healer soon joined my struggle against Developer and Chaser commanding them off me forcefully seeing as how her words had no effect on them.  The two wouldn't budge though, I don't think I ever remembered them being so powerful.  I'd like to blame my infidelity on the energy I exerted in coming home, but there's no need to point out my short comings now, is there?"  I chuckled a bit at my own displaced humor and noted a faint smile passing Kintra's lips.

Setting his cup down, Kintra looked at me questioningly, as though I had left an important piece out so far.  "And the Princess, she didn't have anything to say about all of this?"

"Oh on the contrary, she was outraged.  I have never seen her with so much fury in her eyes towards us, I mean she was even more pissed than when Healer and I were playing all of those practical jokes on one another and each one backfired on the Princess.  Anyway, back to that, the Princess demanded an explanation of their actions and they both released my to present her with a VERY deep bow.  I knew for sure that they were acting upon orders and truly didn't want to be partaking in this misguided judgment."

"'Princess, we were sent on orders to arrest Fighter when she returned for her heinous acts of treason against the crown of Kinmoku.'  Chaser explained to the Princess, possibly in hopes of her providing a counter explanation as to the matter at hand.  Now you and I both know that the Princess would never give such an order as this, and especially not to me!"  I flipped my hair over my shoulder, I was relaxing more, I had left the tension back at the palace, but it still lurked in my mind that I would return to it soon enough.

"This is the explanation that I received word for word, and you tell me how easily you swallow it: 'These orders were from Zankou.  Once we were restored, thanks to your efforts and combined with the powers that Sailor Moon possessed, we waited patiently for your return.  Zankou watched Earth closely to make sure that your highness and the Starlights were safe and on your way home.  Since you did not return immediately after Galaxia had been defeated, this stirred suspicion.  Zankou found that your return home was being held up indirectly by the doubts Fighter was having in her loyalty.'"

"I immediately spat back that it wasn't true, I still couldn't believe what was happening here, to be being accused of such a ridiculous crime!  Even though I know now that Chaser had nothing to do with the implications of this action, I still didn't waste my time in burrowing my eyes deep and dead set into her.  She was the one that explained the charge, so she was the one I focused my anger on."

"Clearly unphased by my expressions of hate towards her she continued on with her explanation.  'With Fighter's loyalty in question, and it in turn keeping your highness away from the safety of her home planet much longer than necessary, it was clear that treason was at hand.'"

"'You know nothing!' Healer barked in my defense, reminding me that I had someone on my side still.  The Princess also came to my aid, 'This is absurd!  I won't hear any more of it!'  Kakyuu turned to Developer, the brunette that still held to me.  'Release her, she is cleared of these charges.'"

If there was any lightness in my face, it vanished as soon as I came upon this part of my story.  All joking aside, a serious tone crossed my features, one that I was sure Kintra was unaccustomed to witnessing.  "Then he came.  Zankou began to part the crowd like impending death coming to settle our dispute.  'Princess, I'm afraid this matter can not be placed into your hands.'  He spoke to our Princess in this manner, as though she was a mere child he was to look after."

"'Your friendship with the Starlights may not let you see the true danger at hand and we can not be sure that Fighter has not used a mind charm on you.'  His old and decrepit face uttered these words and caused my fury to burn hotter inside of me.  Can you imagine me?  ME of all people using a mind charm on our Princess?  I think I'd die first."

Kintra offered up his words, I'm assuming to calm me down enough to continue my tale.  "You have to understand that he did put up a very well designed mask for the public though.  I still have no idea what happened on Earth, and if I didn't know of your character, the way the public doesn't, Zankou's accusations wouldn't seem out of place at all."

I felt my teeth grinding together in frustration, but realized that he was still on my side and that he was merely urging me to see the other side.  "Regardless of it all right now, I remained quiet and pretty much tried to kill Zankou with my looks.  Healer on the other hand, as you well know, could not be as discrete as Maker or I and began to yell at Zankou, 'I'll kick your butt from here to Katchetsu and back!', she threatened and caused the public to eye her suspiciously as though she may have aided me in my apparent crime.  Maker put her hand on Healer's shoulder forcefully pulling the silver haired Starlight back away from the commotion, we didn't need two of us in trouble."

"'Take her to the palace.  The hearing shall start tomorrow.'  Zankou motioned for Chaser and Developer to continue on with their task, ignoring the complaints and curses that arose from Healer and me.  Kakyuu stood still, not quite fathoming the whole situation, only knowing that it wasn't right, I could see it in her eyes."

Kintra listened intently and had now caught up to the where he did in fact come to the scene.  "I returned just after this whole charade took place and was sitting in our quarters when Yaten and Taiki came in."

"I take it they weren't too pleased?"  I chuckled, my mood lightening slightly, right now I'm going to blame it on the rum in my drink.

"Are those two ever pleased?"  Kintra jested but continued on, apparently pleased with the smirk he had caused to rise from me.  "Through their conversation is how I found out about all of this."

(Yaten and Taiki)

"Some welcome home, ne?"  Taiki walked into Yaten's room, closing the heavy door behind him.

"What the hell is going on?"  Yaten muttered under his breath as he continued to look out the window at Chaser below.  "They have to know that Seiya is innocent, they've grown up with us, they know he'd never commit treason!"

"Even so, they do still have to follow the orders of Zankou."  Taiki came beside the shorter male and gazed out the window.

"That's bullshit too!  Since when can Zankou dictate that the Princess isn't fit to be giving commands?"

Taiki sighed, having already come to terms with this, seeing no way around the process now, only thinking of how to prove Seiya's innocence.  "The Princess is almost like a puppet figure with branches and branches of delegates beneath her skirts.  Kinmoku is not truly run as a monarchy as the majority tends to believe, but instead the fate of this planet and judicial system rests on the many hands of the government.  One of those hands being Zankou.  Coming from the outside you have to see how he does make a valid point in saying that Kakyuu's judgment may have been warped by Seiya."

"But Seiya wouldn't do that."  Yaten answered quickly not letting any of what Taiki had just told him sink in.

"You know that and I know that, but that's not important right now since we're not the ones who are keeping Seiya under guard, are we?  We have to accept that this is happening and think of a way to help him, to prove his innocence."  The tall Light was nearing the point of frustration.  It was no surprise though, only Seiya and Yaten could truly push him to this point.

"Alright so what's your plan genius?"  Yaten asked, waiting for Taiki to lay his ultimate plan on him, the one that would save the world and free Seiya at the same time.

Taiki shrugged in response.  "I don't have one."

"Nani?!"  Yaten's green eyes were wide as he looked disbelievingly at Taiki.  "You don't know what to do for once?"

"Shut up Yaten, we have something else to worry about right now."

"And what is that?"

"The Sol Senshi."  Taiki answered thoughtfully.

"What about them?"

"Since Seiya is being tried for treasonous acts that he committed on another planet, witnesses from that planet will be brought in to testify."

"No, that means…"

"Exactly Usagi and the others will be her for the trial and have to give their statements."

"Oh great!! If they let Haruka take the stand Seiya is definitely a dead man!"

(End Yaten and Taiki)

"All along I sat quietly to the side."  Kintra had by now finished his cup and was reaching for his scarf draped over the back of the chair beside him.

"They'll be here tomorrow."  I thought wistfully.  My trial had already begun with the customary proceedings, pretty much just gaining my account of the events in question.   Tomorrow was the true beginning, and I couldn't help but wonder how my fate would turn out, it was after all in the hands of Odango and her friends.  They had no idea that one wrong word could seal my fate, and I was also questioning whether or not Haruka would tempt those boundaries purposely or not.