It was all over her. Red on her body. Red in her eyes. Red all around her.
Red. Red. Red.
The myriad twirls of an elemental. Mocking, jeering, laughing.
Morrigan.
Anger. Hatred. War.
Red.
There was energy inside of her. It wanted to get out, but there was no place for it to go. Angry power, power like fire. Surging and boiling. But heavy.
She wanted it to blow away.
But someone was watching her. Watching, and laughing...
suki 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
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?
Moon Senshi: Unmei no Kodomo
Episode Ten:
"The Beautiful Shadow"
"Deidre," a voice encouraged her. "Deidre, wake up. You're home." He opened the car door and shook her gently.
She woke up with a jump. She looked into the tired old eyes of her new father.
"No!" she said urgently, grabbing him. "N-not Deidre! Please...Kazeko."
"But Deidre...you don't think that changing your name is going to make you look Japanese, do you?" The man shook his head. "Listen, there are a lot of foreigners in Japan now. It's no big deal. Besides, just because your name is different isn't going to make you look any different. You look as Irish as anyone can. And that's a good thing. See? You have such pretty red hair." He brushed through her long, coarse hair. "You'll be very popular."
"I-I...I don't want to be popular!" Kazeko stuttered, the scarlet images crawling back into her brain. "P-p-please don't say that, Mr.--Mr.--"
"Shirochize," he reminded her gently.
"Y-yes. Please, call me Kazeko."
"Calm down...Kazeko. You're fine, see? You have a new house, with new friends. Now stop stuttering like that..."
Kazeko tightly shut her eyes, vainly hoping to will away the confusion of this new place. She didn't want a new house. Only a few hours ago, they had picked her up at the orphanage. Kazeko overheard them talking to the caretaker...her Japanese was bad, and they were pretty far away...but she could make out bits and pieces...
"We're looking...very nice...lady...polite. Oh, please, let her be pretty. I'd like a pretty girl."
Her "mother" was neat. She dressed like a man typically does--except for her long, thin skirt.
"...exciting? A daughter...our own. ...can't wait!"
Her "father" dressed almost exactly the same as her mother. He was wearing a gray outfit, and he had a thin, hide covered case. The case made Kazeko nervous. The caretaker nodded.
"I know...perfect. A little shy, but she has beautiful hair. ...very sensitive, though."
They talked about her like a flower, Kazeko thought. Pretty, but--as far as they were concerned--brainless.
Kazeko stepped out of the car and looked around her. It was strange. She hated this place--so few plants and trees. Even the orphanage wasn't like this...was this, as they said, the place where the gods dwelt? What power did they have, so far from the Source? There was no smell of rotting leaves or damp here, even though it was springtime.
"It isn't the Eire," she mumbled.
"No, it's not Ireland. But you left Ireland, remember?" Her mother took her hand gently. "All by yourself. That's impressive. I wonder how you managed that...Kazeko?"
"I..I left on a plane," she mumbled.
Her mother chuckled kindly. "No, Kazeko, I was just wondering where a fragile little thing like you got the money for a plane ticket. But we can talk about those things later. It's not imp--"
Kazeko became fearful. Her face began to flush. "I-I-I--I begged...for the money.."
"Dei--Kazeko...what's come over you all of a sudden? You look feverish. "
Red..I have to escape...I have to run away...
"T-t-t-the dreams are bad," she muttered. "I've got to go. I've--I've got to calm down...I have to find a tree..."
"A tree? Kazeko, what are you mumbling about?" her 'father' asked. "Come on, now, be a good girl and tell me what's wrong."
"I'm looking for a tree!" she said urgently, grabbing his arms. "Please, help me! D-d-don't ask me why!"
"There's a tree in the backyard," he replied, putting his hands gently on her shoulders. "Please try to calm down."
"I-In a moment..." Kazeko ran to the car trunk and flung it open, digging her cotton cloak out of one of the hide-covered suitcases. It was worn, handmade. She put it on, clinging to it desperately, and fumbled toward the tiny backyard.
It was a cedar. Kazeko ran toward it and placed her hand upon it. She breathed deeply. She had to relax.
Cedar. A tree for repulsing negative energies.
The branches almost seemed to wilt upon her touch. This tree was old; it had been assaulted by progressive waves of energy. First darkness. Then light. Then darkness again. The tree used the darkness and the light to bring balance. Combined, those energies made it whole again...
Sorry, she thought. Sorry, but I need to get rid of it.
Kazeko felt her hand become heavy like lead as darkness pulled away from her and into the tree. Slowly, slowly, make it disappear...
"Disappear..."she murmured.
She could hear footsteps distantly, in the back of her mind. They were coming toward her, behind her...
"You have to escape, Deidre--"
The patter of footsteps, inside the brush--running, running, closer behind her...have to escape, have to escape--!
A hand fell onto her shoulder. Kazeko gasped. Her hand pulled back. She cringed as the energy she had concentrated so hard to remove siphoned back into her, filling her body like a syrupy poison.
"Deidr--"
"K-Kazeko!" she corrected him. The fear in her voice made it snap.
"Sorry...Kazeko." He paused for a moment. Kazeko didn't turn around to see the expression on his face. Probably fear, shock, or disgust.
"W-what?" she finally replied, trying to breathe deeply despite her irrationally lit fears. She turned toward him.
"Kazeko..are you all right? Why is your hand on the tree like that?"
Kazeko fumbled for her pendant. A knot with three points, smooth cold silver. "N-nothing. Just looking. It's...a nice tree."
"Kazeko...I know things were hard, but--"
Red.
Kazeko winced.
"But try to relax, okay? It's very safe in Crystal Tokyo. This isn't sketchy like some of those European towns, and there's not any dangerous wilderness..."
Kazeko frowned. The man, her foster father Mr. Shirochize--whose first name she did not even know--looked at her.
"Kazeko...please give things a chance? I want us to be a family."
"O-okay. I understand. I just...I have trouble with new places."
"It's okay," he said comfortingly. "Come on, you can go inside and rest. I'll bring you your dinner. Try to calm down, okay?"
He held open the door as she walked inside.
It was Crystal Tokyo.
Home of the Tuatha De Dannan.
"King Endymion...I have some very unsettling news," Sailor Pluto said.
The meeting had only just started. Every morning at eight o'clock, the council convened. Usually only one or two members of the sailor senshi attended, depending on the issue. Today, only Serenity and Endymion attended. The councilors immediately fell silent at Pluto's interruption. The king and queen turned toward her.
"What is it?" Serenity asked, worried.
"I went to Nemesis less than an hour ago in order to check on Seisui and restock her supplies. Upon my arrival, however, I found that she was missing--and not only was Seisui gone, but..." she paused, an expression of worry crossing her face.
"Yes?" Endymion urged her.
"There's a new enemy on Nemesis--or so I presume. When I arrived, there was a towering castle. The sky had become murky...there was a huge, black obelisk at the center of the palace..."
There was silence for a moment. A councilor looked toward Pluto.
"Then, the Black Moon family--"
"Who knows? But it looks like another enemy--probably an incarnation of Chaos--has appeared. What I fear even more than this is that Seisui is gone. She could be dead--but even more than I worry about that, I hope that she hasn't been captured and taken under this new enemy's...influence."
"Then there is no choice but capital punishment, now that Seisui is corrupted!" shouted Councilor vonDarkmoor, the blonde-haired representative from Germany. He stood up from his seat as he spoke. Perhaps he did so, Endymion thought, to make up for his lack of height.
"We don't know that she's corrupted," Serenity objected quietly. "Moreover, even if she were, I could purify her."
"That isn't even the issue. If Seisui is corrupted, she'll be inside that palace. And I don't think it would be prudent to rush in on this place right away--we aren't even sure if it is Chaos or some other enemy," Sailor Pluto interjected.
"Don't forget, your majesty, that Sailor Charon can teleport," another councilor suggested, scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Sailor Titan may already be on Earth again."
"That seems highly improbable. Sailor Charon does not have the power to teleport anywhere near that far."
"Do you know that?" Councilor vonDarkmoor asked.
"Sailor Saturn has informed us that Sailor Charon, upon trying to teleport into Seisui's prison, ended up in Saturn's room. Is it really feasible that she could teleport to Nemesis?"
"I would argue it is, your majesty," vonDarkmoor continued. "The power of a Sailor Senshi is an act of will. If Sailor Charon was able to get only a few floors away from her best friend when she was imprisoned on the same planet, how far could she go if something much worse happened--say, if she thought she would never be able to see her friend again? No, I think it quite possible. Perhaps not probable, but possible--and the risk that Seisui could be running freely on Earth again is not one we should ignore.
"Moreover, it seems odd to me that these rebels--these 'Moon Senshi'--appear right before a new enemy. While we have already established that these are real Senshi and not impostors, could it not be possible that they chose to work in league with Chaos or one of it's minions? It wouldn't even be necessary for them to be corrupted, would it? It could even be a condition of their cooperation. I can see Chaos making a deal if it were advantageous. The rebels might say, 'we'll confuse and scatter the Sailor Senshi, you go in for the kill...but we refuse to be corrupted.' It's a well thought-out tactic. After all, the Moon Senshi have distracted us--but that is all they can do. They don't have the power on their own to destroy the queen. But with the help of Chaos, they could. And Chaos, I'm sure, would benefit from the queen's emotionally weakened state--"
"Enough. There is nothing to support this hypothesis," Endymion interjected. "If I see any proof that the Moon Senshi are allied with Chaos, I will investigate it further, but for right now I shall assume that they are separate enemies.
"I will, however, consider the idea that Sailor Charon could have teleported Seisui. While it is unlikely, I suppose it is possible; it is even possible that this enemy could have seen it beneficial to teleport her back to Earth instead of taking her under their wing. God knows she's caused enough trouble without being corrupted. Knowing the Moon Senshi's less-than-graceful strategies, it wouldn't surprise me if she were merely back at home. Sailor Pluto?"
"Yes, your majesty?"
"Please find Seisui. If you do, return her here. We can't afford to delay any time in coming to a decision on this--not now that a new enemy has appeared."
Sailor Pluto bowed. "Yes, your majesty."
"I will inform the others of the new enemy, and we'll begin research immediately--though often, I'm afraid, little can be gleaned before the first attack."
When he awoke, there was blood.
It was an endless pool. Extending for eternity. It was up to his knees. A Sailor Senshi stood before him. She looked into the lake of blood.
"I am...dead..."
Her form became vague. A thousand countless Sailor Senshi split from her. They walked toward him, arms dangling at their sides, limp, hanging as if on hinges.
"We are...dead..."
"Who are you?"
"It's your fault, isn't it? It's our blood, isn't it? You couldn't protect us. You couldn't serve us."
"What are you talking about?"
"So you killed us."
He looked around in panic. The voices came from everywhere, from nowhere. Hollow laugher, and then sinking. They all fell, one by one, their bodies splashing limply into the stagnant, iron-scented pool.
Then, a black mask. It smirked, mockingly.
A dark, tall man. Long hair, and a cloak. Armor like iron. The black cloak had a red underside, red entrails spilling from the black, iron cloth.
"What are you afraid of? Of me? Of course...you would want to forget, wouldn't you...?"
Erik's eyes snapped open.
He could still smell the iron. He had become used to the smell; his hobby was blacksmithing. It had become, even, like an old friend or a companion. But the iron-tinged scent of blood had given it new, terrible meaning.
4:30 am. Not any worse than a school day; it was a two-hour trip by train. He was used to seeing the deep blue morning, and even on weekends, he'd only wake up an hour or two later than this.
But he hadn't had a choice lately. Not since he'd taken up his new job.
The nightmares weren't bad at first. A few vague shadows, a sinking feeling of shame.
But they had gotten worse, more detailed, bloodier. Faces jeered at him, mocked him for some literally unheard of crime.
And then, the mask.
It had only been in dreams before. But once he started going to Tokyo, it would appear in front of him during the day. And then, hours lost from time.
This time, he woke up with a wound. He had to go the hospital, make up some excuse about an accident when he was forging a sword. The doctor looked skeptical. An accidental wound on the shoulder?
He brushed the bandage. Touching it filled him with a vague and distant shame.
He shook his head and walked into the kitchen. Vague and fearful thoughts yielded no answers.
"Seisui...hadn't you better hide somewhere? It won't be long before they find out you're gone." Seisui looked at the cherry tree as her mother spoke to her. The blossoms were starting to fall off. Now, it was almost uglier than it was beautiful; a mish-mash of pink, a beautiful head of hair with bald spots all over it.
"Yes, I should...but...where would I go?"
"You could stay at Tokimo's, right? No one knows she's a Senshi. And she seems like a nice girl...one of the few left in this world."
"I see what you're saying, and it would be okay for a little while, but...what am I going to do? I'm back, I'm finally safe, but what does that mean? I can't go to school, or they'll catch me. I'm too young for a job, and even if I weren't, they'd do a background check. It may be less lonely here, but the prospects are just as grim. I can't live off you forever."
"Seisui..." Her mother frowned. "I would gladly support you for the rest of your life and have you here with me than far away and out of my care." Her mother walked up behind her and rubbed her back comfortingly. "As for Tokimo...it's just for a little while, and I'll send them money. We're not rich, but I've managed to take care of you this long, I can scrounge it up. They'll forget about you eventually, if you stop making trouble. They'll know that you've given up."
Seisui clenched her fist. "I wish I believed you. But...after what I did...they'll tear this world apart looking for me. Right now, I am the most dangerous criminal..."
"They won't find you. They'll give up. Where will they look? Please, stay with Tokimo for a few days. There's no doubt that they'll come looking for you here. Please? I'd rather miss you for a few days than an eternity."
"Mom..." Seisui looked at her. Her mother hugged her; Seisui hugged back. "I'll go."
"Coming!" Tokimo's mother shouted as the doorbell chimed.
She opened the door. Her welcoming smile hung a little limp as she saw Seisui standing there with a canvas bag in her reddened palms.
"Excuse me for intruding..." Seisui stuttered. This, she realized, was probably the most rude behavior imaginable. What had her mother been thinking? Her mother, of course, probably had other things on her mind than politeness. Seisui only prayed that what Tokimo's mother had said about Shiwaumians being laid back was true...
Tokimo's mother shook her head as if she were remembering something. "Seisui! What's wrong with your hands? Did you walk all the way here with that bag in your hands? Why, I bet it even has your alarm clock in it, knowing you. I'm amazed you could fit everything in there!" she said admonishingly, pulling the bag from Seisui's hands. It was, indeed, a little heavy; most of the weight, however, seemed to be her school books, which bulged out conspicuously from the bottom of the bag. "It must be at least an hour's walk from here to Tokimo's. Why didn't you take the bus?"
"I...I...didn't want to be seen..."
"Well, I can forgive you for that, I suppose. Come on in, or else you will be seen--and it's a wonder you weren't already. You should have called me. I could have given you a ride."
"I didn't want to be a bother..."
"Well, it's too late for that anyway, so you might as well make the best of it. Besides, you can be a bother anytime you like. You know Tokimo won't have any problems with it," she said with a smile, moving out of the way so that Seisui could walk through.
"Hey, Mommy!" Tokimo shouted, running out of her room. "Who's--"
"Hello, Tokimo," Seisui said, smiling.
"It's Sei!" she shouted, hugging her tightly. "Are you gonna stay over, huh huh?"
"For a few days, I think," she told her. "Hopefully, I won't have to stay too long. My mother will send you as much as she can," she added, looking apologetically toward Tokimo's mother.
"Don't worry about the money. My husband makes more than enough, especially since Tokimo is our only child."
"I'll try to help around the house," she added. "I can't go to school right now, either..."
"My mommy doesn't care, Seisui," Tokimo told her.
"Tokimo, why don't you help Seisui catch up in her schoolwork? Just because she can't go to school doesn't mean she can't learn, you know. Maybe they'll pardon the charges someday. Then you'll be ready."
"But I don't wanna come home and do more schoolwork after I've already done it!"
"It's okay, Tokimo," Seisui replied, "I'll just read your books. I usually catch on pretty quickly, anyway."
"Well...okay..." Tokimo pouted. "But right now, it's time to have fun! We can go to the mall! I'll put you in a super spy Tokimo disguise! No one will ever recognize you!"
"Not right now, Tokimo," Seisui replied. "I don't feel up to it. Maybe in a little while."
"Oh..." Tokimo replied, a little disappointed. "Well...okay."
"Seisui isn't here," Seisui's mother said firmly. Despite her complete distaste for the royal family, she tried to cooperate with this woman--this "Setsuna." If she did, they might lose interest sooner. They might give up on trying to find Seisui. "You were the ones who put her on Nemesis. You're the only ones that know where she is. Nemesis is a big place, or so the books say. Maybe she's just wandered somewhere on the planet...?"
"I assure you, Mrs. Han'i, that is not the case," she replied, sipping a cup of tea. "I have completely scoured the planet. If Seisui were present, I would know about it."
"Then I don't know what to tell you."
"If you did, I'm sure you wouldn't tell me," Setsuna calmly replied.
"If that's true, there's no reason for you to be here."
"Certainly there is," she disagreed. "If Seisui were in this house, you wouldn't have let me investigate the premises. To be sure, your house is small enough that if Seisui were here, I would have found her. Therefore, it is logical that she must be somewhere else."
"Where do you think she is?" Mrs. Han'i asked. "Do you have any clues...?"
"I'm afraid that I'm in no position to divulge this information," Setsuna replied. "However, if I hear word of your daughter, I will be sure to let you know. While what happened to her is sad, it would be better for your sake that we found her. We have certainly put no restrictions on your visiting; if Seisui is not found, however, you may never see her again."
"That's true," Mrs. Han'i agreed. "Despite my misgivings, I will let you know if I hear of her."
"Thank you being so cooperative," Setsuna replied, picking up her purse and setting down her cup. It was still half full. "I must be going. I can't afford to waste any more time here, and so I bid you good-bye."
"Of course," Mrs. Han'i said, "I understand completely."
"I told you so," Usako mumbled as the door opened. The hinges were always well oiled. They didn't creak. But Usako could see it open in her mirror.
"Usako..." Hiroshi mumbled, standing in the doorway. He had opened her door three, four times since Seisui had been banished. This was the first time she had said anything to him--at least, anything meaningful. She hadn't been going to school for the past week, but in all other respects, she had feigned health. She came down to eat every meal. She pretended to be interested in the small talk of the court. She assured her mother she'd be fine in no time. But after dinner and meetings and all the other family gatherings, she came upstairs and sat in her room. Hiroshi opened the door just like this, a crack, looked in on her, left. She'd be drawing, reading, sleeping.
"I'm sorry, Usako."
Her silence was broken by the clicking sound of her pencil falling onto her desk. She had been drawing absent-mindedly...vague, sketchy figures were tearing their way across the page--strange eyes, vague frowns, wine or blood falling from goblets.
"I didn't want to be right. I wanted you to be right. Even though I was angry because you trapped her, I thought, if you were right, if she were only imprisoned--I could see her, maybe--convince father to let us talk for awhile...maybe...
"But you weren't right. I was right. Right when it counted. No one thought I was right about Purification or Seisui's innocence. Maybe, like Mom, they believed it when they saw it themselves--but not when I told them. Even you...doubted me."
"I never doubted you, Usako. I doubted Seisui. I think what happened to her was awful, too. I wanted Crystal Tokyo to change after finding out the truth. But Seisui was too full of anger for anyone's safety. She needed time to see that we could change. To see that we weren't just aiming to persecute her."
"But we were, weren't we?" Usako sobbed. "We did. We are! Seisui has been persecuted. And if you don't believe that, you can go to Nemesis yourself and see how happy she must be! Even when she escaped purification, it was only the next best thing for her!"
"Usako! Get a hold of yourself! It's never over. Talk to your father. Convince him that it's safe to imprison Seisui here on Earth! Maybe if we're there to help her, she'll change her mind. If we have to, we can go to Nemesis, talk to her there...maybe we could even live there with her for a while," Hiroshi reasoned.
"Seisui won't listen to me. She never has."
"If that's true, why are you still friends with her? What's the point of this argument?"
"I don't know!" Usako stuttered, resting her head on her desk. "I'm still in love with you, too, and you won't listen to me either. At least Seisui agrees with me, even if she hates me."
"I do agree with you, Usako! What happened to Seisui was terrible!"
"Then why did you entrap her?"
"Just because the queen hurt Seisui's father, that doesn't mean she should go and kill the queen! You don't believe she should, do you?"
"No...of course I don't."
"Then you must see why I did that!" Hiroshi replied.
"No, I don't see! I could have handled Seisui myself. I could have stopped her! Why did you need to? If you hadn't done that, I still would have had the chance to teach her, to help her..."
"Usako, I'm not sure you could have taught her. Usako, seeing your mother in pain made Seisui smile. Your mother's pain was a feeling she relished. And I hate to say it, but her feelings toward you seemed to be the same way."
"I could have taught her not to be that way..."
"Usako, you're being completely irrational! Settle down! How can you teach Seisui anything if you don't think she'll ever listen to you? You're not making sense anymore. I--"
A hollow knocking interrupted him. Usako quickly grabbed a tissue from her desk and began fiddling with her face, trying vainly to wipe away her tears. Hiroshi stepped back toward the door and opened it just wide enough for himself to be seen.
"Hello, Hiroshi."
It was Setsuna; she wasn't transformed. Even when Sailor Pluto did venture out of the gate of time, it was usually in Sailor uniform so that she would be ready to protect the gate if the need arose. But her dark blazer and skirt told him that she was still out on business.
"Oh...hello. Is there something you wanted to say to Usako?"
"Well...to get to the point, I wanted to know if Usako might know where Seisui was."
"What do you mean?" Usako asked, pulling herself out of her chair. "She's on Nemesis, isn't she?"
"Lady Serenity..." Setsuna hesitated and glanced down the hallway. She didn't want to keep any secrets from Chibi-Usa... "Lady Serenity, a new enemy has appeared. There's a strange palace on Nemesis, and a huge influx of evil energy. And Seisui is gone."
"Gone?" Helios exclaimed. "Then that means--"
"Maybe. We aren't sure. It is possible, though unlikely, that Seisui could have escaped via Sailor Charon. Despite the unlikelihood, however, it is still worth looking into."
"Then...Seisui may have escaped?" Usako murmured.
"Maybe," Setsuna repeated.
There was a pause. Usako sat back down. Helios stood in the doorway. Setsuna continued to stare.
"Do you know where she might be, if she were on Earth again?" Setsuna asked.
"If I told you, you would capture her again," Usako said dully.
"Yes, I would."
"Then I won't."
"But Usako...now that Seisui can't stay on Nemesis, she might receive a fairer punishment," Helios replied. "They might just imprison her, or put her under house arrest..."
"Do you think I have any reason at all to trust the clemency of my father's judgment?" Usako shouted, turning toward Helios. "When has he ever shown Seisui any mercy? Any pity? Any understanding at all?"
"I think, Lady Serenity, that would be a lot to ask of your father. You know how much Usagi means to him," Setsuna told her.
"Well, then, you must realize how much it is to ask of me to tell you where Seisui could be!"
"But Lady," Setsuna replied. "Aren't you concerned for the welfare of your mother?"
"I'm concerned for Seisui's welfare too, Setsuna!"
Setsuna widened her eyes a little. Chibi-Usa always called her 'Puu...'
"I want to save Seisui. I'm 914. I want to be able to make my own decision about my own problems. And I decided that there was hope for Seisui. I decided that she isn't as hateful as she wants other people to believe she is. Seisui had so many chances to kill me! And even the worst of them didn't seem wholehearted. I was one of the only people that ever treated her with kindness, and I can't believe she would just forget that completely!"
"There is nothing I can do to make you talk, Lady Serenity, and therefore, I will leave. However, I am bound by the king's orders. I must find Seisui. Please take care of yourself, Small Lady."
"Wait!" Hiroshi interjected.
Setsuna stopped turning around and looked at him.
"Seisui has a friend...her name is Tokimo. I'm not sure what her last name is, but...it's an odd name. If you go to the school, they'll probably know who it is."
"Thank you, Hiroshi...though part of me wishes you had not told me," she said, shutting the door.
The room was bathed in shadow. The curtains were closed. It gave everything in the room a lonely gray light.
"Why did you do that?" Usako whispered.
"I want to protect you. I didn't want to tell Setsuna behind your back, and I'm afraid Seisui will hurt you..."
"Whatever happened to 'Usako needs to be independent', 'Usako isn't a child', 'let Usako take care of this'?"
"I'm afraid for your life. I want to protect you," he said sorrowfully.
"No, you don't!" she said, turning away from him. "You want someone else to protect me! If you had protected me, you would have done it. You would have shielded me and healed me and helped me tell Seisui she was wrong. But you didn't. You just told my father. It isn't you who's protecting me, Helios! It's my father! And don't you dare tell me otherwise!"
"Usako, I--"
"I just wanted to be like Mama. I wanted to protect someone, help them, make a brighter future. But I can't. 914 and I'm still 'too little.'"
"Usako, I just--"
"Go away, Helios. I'm too little of a person to forgive you right now. I can't even think straight anymore."
Helios stood there for a moment, a feeling of helplessness overcoming him. He walked out the door and closed it behind him.
Clasping his hands together, a thousand particles of light gathered toward him. He prayed; the light gathered together and drifted him away. He would go to Elysion, a paradise with no company.
"Hey, Yamiko."
"What do you want? I went to school like you asked me. I took my pills on time. I didn't study too much. I did well on my English test. What more do you want?"
"Movie night!" Sayoko shouted enthusiastically. "What a great way to spend the weekend! We can rent some special effects movies...hey, I can pull out my old smell simulator! We could rent one of those old cooking shows with the smell simulator..."
"Don't you think that's a bit cheesy? I can make food myself. And then I can actually eat it."
"Ah, come on. We can watch some old anime or something. 'Shy na Venus...'" she began to sing, flailing her arms around as if she were at a rave.
"I am not going to watch anime. Or cooking shows. I'm going to sit here and read."
"We could go shopping!"
Yamiko sighed.
Sayoko frowned. "Come on, Yami...please? You've been so...routine."
"First I stay home too much, now I'm too routine."
"A little shopping would do you some good. We could go to Shibuya and check out the freaks and goths!"
"Sayoko, please. Just let me read my book."
"Hamlet isn't very cheerful company, you know."
"No, but he's a lot more intelligent."
"Yeah, right. I don't let my girlfriends drown themselves."
"I should hope not, you're straight. At least, the last time I checked," Yamiko dully replied.
"Comr on, Yamiko, please go out with me? Please? You spend too much time inside."
Yamiko threw down her book. "Unless I go with you, you'll never shut up. Is that what you want me to say?"
"It works in the movies."
"Fine, fine, whatever. I'll go to Shibuya. You better buy me something."
Sayoko shrugged. "It's all our inheritance. Even if I buy it for you, you're kind of buying it for yourself."
Yamiko shook her head. "Whatever. Just...let's go."
"Excuse me, Ma'am...I'm looking for a girl named Seisui Han'i."
Tokimo's mother stepped outside and locked the door behind her. She did not like the look of this woman, so mechanically and perfectly clad in office lady attire.
"Seisui Han'i is a wanted criminal. She's not here."
"I will be the judge of that myself, ma'am. Please allow me to enter."
"I will not allow you to enter. This is my home. You have no business inside of it."
"I do, I assure you. And I will enter--by force, I'm afraid, if that becomes necessary."
"I thought that the royal family was supposed to be a representation of the proper, moral course," Mrs. Joshi replied.
"What is right is not always clear-cut, I'm afraid, and sometimes sacrifices are necessary for the safety of everyone. If I do not investigate the possibility that Seisui Han'i is within this home, she may hurt someone."
"Seisui Han'i is only thirteen! Show a little mercy! Think of what the child has been through! Moreover, how much damage can she do against people with such great power? Even with the powers she has, she was imprisoned on Nemesis, helpless and alone!"
"And yet, now she is gone from Nemesis. She almost killed the queen. She tried to kill Lady Serenity, as well."
"Listen. I don't care what you blue bloods think, but I think Seisui is a sweet girl with a kind heart. I don't pretend to know everything...but I think for Seisui to do something that drastic, she must have been driven to it by something else."
"Seisui may be kind. She may have been driven to her crimes. But she is still responsible for her own actions. This is my last warning. I do not wish to hurt you."
"What's the world coming to," she mumbled, moving aside.
"You're looking for me, right?"
Setsuna looked blankly down at Seisui. She was just standing there, looking up at her, angry and sad at the same time.
"Of course," Setsuna replied.
"I would have appreciated a week or two of freedom," Seisui said apathetically.
"I'm glad I found you on Earth," she told her. "The alternatives were far worse. But I'm surprised you didn't try to run away."
"It's useless..." Seisui mumbled, tears falling down her face. "It's...useless."
"It isn't useless. I'm sure you will be free someday. Try to be patient."
"Chaos compass!"
Setsuna turned around. There was no one there. Without time to transform, she summoned, at least, her staff. She could feel something tugging the fabric of time space...tugging, pulling, ripping...
Sailor Charon's naginata screeched across her staff--Setsuna had blocked it without a moment to spare. A few stray sparks flew into the air.
"I knew this wasn't like you," Setsuna said with sigh.
"Seisui," Sailor Charon shouted, "Run away!"
Despite her overwhelming surprise at Tokimo's attack, Seisui only paused for a moment before dashing toward the nearest room in the hope of reaching a window.
"There is no time left for the Moon Senshi," Setsuna told Sailor Charon as her naginata screamed against her staff once more. "Now there is a greater enemy! We cannot waste time with this useless battle!"
"The only enemy is the one that threatens my friends!" Sailor Charon said.
"There is no time..."
Setsuna stepped backwards and flung her staff toward Sailor Charon's fist. Her naginata fell out of her hand. Setsuna swung her staff around again and rammed Sailor Charon squarely in the stomach. She fell backwards onto the ground, clutching her stomach in pain.
"Sei..." she groaned.
Setsuna wasted no time. She ran into the room that Seisui had gone into, and, with difficulty, climbed through a conspicuously open window. Seisui had not gotten far. She could see her.
"PLUTO CRYSTAL POWER, MAKE UP!" she cried, transforming as she ran. "I'm sorry, Seisui, but you don't leave me many choices.
"Dead scream."
Seisui fell. Sailor Pluto ran to where she had fallen and picked her up gently. She wasn't dead; her injuries were severe, but she could be healed. It may have been her power that kept her injuries from being fatal.
"There is no time..." she said sadly, looking down at the limp, puppet-like figure. "Poor dreamers. Your nightmares will not come to pass. Other nightmares, I'm afraid, will replace them."
"Hey, Yamiko, what do you think?"
It was a black vinyl tube top with rhinestone trim.
"Tacky and sleazy," Yamiko replied. "Just like everything else you wear."
"Hey, maybe you should try it on, Yamiko," Sayoko said cheerfully. "You like black, right?"
Yamiko turned back toward the dress she had been admiring. It was velour. Black, with long bell sleeves. She liked it, but everyone was wearing this dress. She had seen the goths in Harajuku wearing it before. If you wanted to look original, you had to make your own dress...
"You should wear something blue--to go with your eyes," a man told her as he approached.
Yamiko hated the sort of frivolous girls who were swept off their feet by some nameless, handsome mystery man. They'd be rescued from a speeding train or plane or tricycle, and suddenly--without logic or evaluation of said mystery man--they would be hopelessly in love. Girls like that made Yamiko want to puke.
That said, the person who spoke to her was the most attractive man she had ever seen.
Not that it said anything for his character, but his looks were nearly angelic. Platinum blonde hair. Pale skin. Dark eyes. As if to contrast the naturally cliché, saintly look of his face, he was wearing a dark, heavy trench coat of velvet.
"Who are you?" Yamiko asked skeptically. She dropped the sleeve of the dress, which she had been holding to admire the fabric.
"My name is Kane. I suppose I should have told you that before I made the comment about the dress. But you do have nice eyes, if you want to know."
"Don't flatter me," Yamiko said in annoyance. She began to walk toward Sayoko, who was pawing through some albums on the other side of the room.
"Bright blue eyes are kind of unusual," he said nonchalantly. "I wouldn't call it flattery."
"It doesn't matter what it is," Yamiko snapped. "I don't like it. So stop."
"I like your haircut, too. Very original."
"Go away."
"Why?"
"Because you're bothering me."
"Because I'm complimenting you?" he asked, a little perplexed.
"Because I want you to go away!" she retorted.
"But I think you're kind of interesting...I mean, at least you didn't fall into my arms and shout 'take me now!'"
"Look, if you don't stop, I'll tell the store manager to kick you out. My sister has some old friends who work here."
"What are you going to tell them? 'Excuse me, ma'am, this gentleman had the gall to say that I had nice eyes!'" He shook his head in disbelief. "I mean, it would be one thing if I was a creepy old man, but..."
Sayoko glanced upwards and noticed Yamiko with a really hot guy. She put back the album she had been looking at and walked toward her.
"Wow, Yamiko! Look at the pretty boy you picked up!"
"Sayoko!" Yamiko groaned.
"Are you her sister?" he asked, looking toward her.
"Yeah. Say, do you have any friends?" she replied.
"Not really," he responded. "I was telling your sister how she had nice eyes."
"Doesn't she?"
"Yeah, kind of a rare color. A little mysterious."
"But Yamiko isn't mysterious, you know. She's just very angsty."
"I think she's mysterious. She didn't fall into my arms and exclaim 'take me now!'" he disagreed.
"I'm not sure I would call that mysterious..." Sayoko said a bit doubtfully.
"Sayoko!" Yamiko exclaimed, stepping between her and Kane. "Can we go now? I'm not interested in this...person."
"Kane," he reminded her.
"Oh, Kane, is it?" Sayoko replied. He nodded.
Yamiko just shook her head and walked out.
"Ah, looks like I'm being left behind. Well, see you later, Kane! Tell your friends about me--the beautiful and sexy Sayoko!" Sayoko said, waving as she ran after Yamiko.
The pallid, frail body lay before the king.
"I brought Seisui, as you requested," Sailor Pluto told him. "I would have healed her, but I did not feel it appropriate to ask Chibi-Usa, and I was unable to find Helios."
"Helios has disappeared?" Endymion asked. "Has something happened to Elysion?"
"Not that I know of--but, as it is not part of the underworld, I have no jurisdiction on it. If something were to happen to Elysion, however, I am sure that Helios would let you know immediately."
"Still, it is odd...but thank you for bringing Seisui here."
"Your Majesty...I have a request to make," she said, looking down at Seisui.
"Yes?"
"Please allow Seisui to go free."
Endymion looked a little incredulous. "I realize what Seisui has been through, Setsuna, but still--"
"This has nothing to do with whether I believe Seisui deserves to be punished or not," she told him, observing the scratches around Seisui's closed eyes. "It's because I simply believe that is the only course of action. Now that the enemy has reawakened, Nemesis is no longer safe. Moreover, Seisui could be freed, along with her locket, as many times as we want to put her in prison. Sailor Charon shows no sign of giving up Seisui to us under any conditions.
"I can see what you're saying, but...we should at least have someone watching her. Seisui is dangerous. Even if we had to give up one of our number, I think--"
"Even if we sacrificed one of us to supervise Seisui--an ill-advised move at such a crucial time--it would only give Seisui an opportunity to try and kill whoever was supervising her. And sending multiple people to supervise her would be even more dangerous now that an enemy has appeared. I realize this is a lot to ask of you, your Majesty, but I think that it would be best for everyone. I recommend posting guards around the palace and leaving it at that. We can protect the Queen well enough once we know someone is in the palace."
"You're asking me to put the queen's life in danger, Pluto."
"The danger from the enemy is far greater than the danger from Seisui."
Endymion looked down at Seisui. Despite all of the cuts and gashes across her body, her mind was innocently sleeping. If he could keep that innocence forever...
"There is no hope, I suppose, for purifying Seisui," he said with a sigh.
"As I heard it, that would devastate the feelings of her Majesty."
"Very well, Pluto. I will follow your advice, as much as it pains me to do so. Please take Seisui to Chibi-Usa. She can heal her with the Pink Crystal. I'm sure she would be happy to do so. After that, please return to your post at the gate of time. I am sorry to keep you there so often, but with recent events, I did not feel safe leaving it open to attack."
"I understand, your Majesty," she said. Pluto looked up at him a little sadly. "And thank you."
With that, she gently picked up Seisui and carried her away.
Seisui woke up with a start.
Usako smiled. "You're awake," she said happily. Seisui gasped a little for breath and leaned forward, clutching the comforter on the bed.
"What, are you holding another trial already?" Seisui asked incredulously, standing up quickly and looking for a sharp object. She'd need something to defend herself...
"No...there isn't going to be one. Papa decided to let you go free."
"What, did he feel sorry for me?" Seisui asked, disgusted. Despite her efforts, there wasn't anything in the room which she could use to defend herself with. No matter--evidently, it wasn't necessary. She briefly debated trying to kill Usako--but for the time being, at least, she knew her cause had no hope.
"Unfortunately not...there just wasn't any feasible way to punish you. Not now that a new enemy has appeared."
"What, you mean the queen hasn't already destroyed the next demon spawn your shiny thing attracted?" she said scathingly.
Usako frowned. "I know you hate my mother because she purified your father, and I know you hate Diana because she destroyed your kingdom...but why do you hate me, too? Is the Pink Crystal? Is it because my crystal attracts Chaos?"
"You are yourself," Seisui said. She walked over to Usako's curtains and pulled them open with agonizing slowness. The light pooled on her face and went streaming around her, filling the room with its long-absent presence. "It runs in your blood and flows through your words. It shines in your eyes and burns in your heart. That disgustingness that is you. That disgustingness that is Luna. They make the same mistakes over and over. They can't possibly live up to the perfection they desire. But they keep trying to anyway. They keep trying to be something they aren't."
Seisui turned her face toward Usako, extinguishing the light on her face. "Why do I hate you? I couldn't tell you. I couldn't give you a real reason. I could give you a thousand reasons. But none of them would be quite right. None of them would say exactly how I feel. All I know is this. I look at my father, and all I see is you. That hateful family that floats in the sky and mocks me."
"Seisui...I'm not like the others. I won't do the things that Diana and Mama did!"
"No. You'll do something else. You'll find something else to do that is equally horrible. I've accepted it. I'm waiting for it to come. Someday, you too will do something horrible to me."
Seisui walked out. Usako stood behind and watched her leave.
"Congratulations!"
There was a lot of clapping and cheering as Tokimo's mother set down the cake, the words "You're Free" emblazoned enthusiastically across it in the sloppiest English handwriting imaginable.
Seisui sighed. "I'm free, but I'm back to square one. I wasn't able to get any of the things I wanted to accomplished."
"Sure you did. Now the Queen knows about Purification. There'll be some major reform! And it looks like the Queen is working on a bill for the poverty-stricken, too!" Tokimo's mother said, rubbing Seisui affectionately on the head.
That was good and all, Seisui thought, but it didn't make her father any less purified.
"If you even think about following in your father's footsteps again, Seisui--so help me--I'll lock you in your room for the rest of your life, if I have to!" Seisui's mother admonished her. Even though she said that, Seisui noticed, there was a smile creeping across her face. Both of the families had united together to celebrate the end of Seisui's charges. Even though Yamiko and Fubuki had been an immense help to their cause, Seisui was just as glad they hadn't come.
"This cake is great!" Tokimo's father said, turning toward his wife. "I didn't know you could make cakes so well!"
"I didn't make this cake," she replied happily, "I bought it from the grocery store."
"Well, whatever it is, it's good!" Tokimo's father replied.
"But still...don't you think we ought to home-school Seisui for awhile?" Ana turned toward her mother. "The bullies will be terrible..."
"I'll protect Seisui!" Tokimo cried, shaking her fist in the air. "I might not have been able to stop Sailor Pluto, but if a bully even tries to lay a finger on Seisui..."
"Now Tokimo, calm down a little and eat your cake," her mother told her.
"Seisui...do you want to go back to school right away...?" Ana asked, looking toward her.
"I've missed enough school as it is," Seisui responded. "I don't care if people bully me. I'll cope somehow. Besides, I have more friends at school with Tokimo than I do home alone."
"I suppose you have a point..." her mother replied with a sigh. "Well, I'll let you go. But if things get rough, I'll home school you for a while."
"Okay," Seisui agreed. "Don't worry. I'm sure things will be fine if Tokimo's around."
Kazeko's eyes eased open as the faintest hint of dawn cracked into her window. She got up immediately.
Today, she had to go to school.
Her foster parents had insisted that she start immediately, but Kazeko hated the idea. She had never been to school before. Her brother taught her everything she needed to know in the forest. The things she didn't need to know they taught her at home, so she could pass those tests the government sent out. Her Japanese was heavily accented and always sounded nervous. Everything she said sounded nervous now.
She told herself yesterday she'd go see the statues of the Tuatha De Dannann, but her father made her stay home. Other people worshipped them, too, but under the new names. It didn't matter what they called them. The pagans knew they had returned.
Kazeko gathered her school books and put them in her bag. She didn't feel like eating anything this morning. Her parents had already given her a new dress, some strange thing that seemed to be very popular around here. It looked a little like the uniforms that Tuatha De Dannann fought in. Kazeko thought this must be why it was popular, but she wasn't sure if she felt comfortable wearing the same things as the gods. She left the dress hanging on the hook and went out the door.
Why?
Why was everyone dressed exactly the same?
There were only a few people up this early, but they ran down the halls and giggled, or just stared. Or they whispered to their friends. Kazeko stood there, dressed neatly, quaintly, in a dark blue blouse and a green skirt. She had thought it perfectly acceptable for any public place, and yet, they found something so odd about it...
"Hey, look at that..." one murmured, snickering to the other.
"What is she trying to say?" a guy said to his friend. "She rich or something?"
1-3...That was her classroom...she opened the door a crack, peeking inside nervously.
"It's a little odd for you to be early, isn't it, Erik?" Tokimo asked, pulling out a pencil and haphazardly scribbling deformed teddy bears across her notebook.
"Not really," he replied. "It isn't odd for me to be anything. I was early all last week. The week before I was on time. The week before that I was late. Maybe tomorrow I'll get here after class and stay here until the next morning."
"What, are you gonna sleep on your desk?" Tokimo asked incredulously.
"Maybe."
Tokimo yawned. "Sei, why did we have to come here so early?"
"It's dangerous to walk to school during the normal time. There's more people around then," she said.
"But...I'm soooo sleeeeeppyyy..." Tokimo sunk down, her head resting on the desk. "Let's not do this anymore. I'll beat up an army if it means I can sleep in tomorrow."
"Uh--umm--excuse me..."
Erik turned toward the girl, unsurprised. "Kazeko?"
"Y-yes..."
"That can't be your real name...trying hard to assimilate?"
"Y-yes..."
"Looks like you had mixed results..." he said, motioning toward her clothing. Kazeko looked downward.
"Y-yes."
"Did they laugh at you?" Seisui asked, looking up at her.
Kazeko didn't respond. She clutched her hands together.
"Didn't your parents tell you we wore uniforms?" Tokimo asked. "Were they trying to make you look dumb?"
"I-I don't k-know...I don't...think so."
"It's okay. They keep spares in the office, right?" Seisui asked, looking toward Erik. Erik nodded. "I'll take her. She'll be fine."
"But...Seisui..." Erik said as she stood up, "Are you sure if it's a good idea for you to take her? Your pardon was just in the news this morning, and I'm not sure if--"
"If Seisui wants to take her, she can take her! And I'm coming, too!"
"Tokimo, Seisui will be conspicuous enough as it is. Even if you insist on Seisui going, I think it's best if you stay behind--for Kazeko's sake."
"But if Seisui goes without me, who knows what'll happen to her?" Tokimo objected angrily.
"Tokimo! I realize you're worried about your friend, but if you make a fuss over the first person that gives Seisui a malicious glance, you're going to cause more problems than you solve!"
"But what if someone tries to beat Seisui up? What then, huh?"
Erik paused for a moment. He sighed. "Fine. Do you think you can keep yourself quiet? And I mean it. Unless someone tries to punch Seisui in the face, I want you to be quiet."
"But--"
"Tokimo, I'm serious. This is for Seisui's sake. You can't fend off the whole school. From now on, you're going to have to choose your battles."
"Fine," Tokimo grunted. "You better be right. Or else!"
"Thank you," Erik replied, choosing to ignore Tokimo's excited threat.
Seisui sighed, walking slowly toward Kazeko and bowing. "My name is Seisui Han'i."
Kazeko looked down at Seisui awkwardly.
"Seisui..." Erik said, turning his chair toward her. Seisui stood up and faced him.
"Yes?"
"Do the poor thing a favor, and hold out your hand."
"Oh, uh...certainly." Seisui held out her hand and Kazeko took it a little weakly.
Kazeko almost fell back. There was immense power coming from this person! Festering, unhappy energy...it felt like something rotting and crawling and hissing, squirming in a deep, dark pool. But it wasn't Fomorii...
"I'm Kazeko Shirochize," she said, smiling weakly. What poor human walked around like this, with such a festering energy in their being? "Pleased to meet you."
They dropped hands and Kazeko breathed a sigh of relief. Erik looked toward her, a little puzzled, but didn't say anything.
"I'm Tokimo Joshi," Tokimo announced, standing up. "I'm Seisui's friend."
"Pleased to meet you, too," Kazeko said a little anxiously.
"Right. Now that that's over with, let's go!" Tokimo said, opening the door and walking outside.
"Remember to be quiet, Tokimo," Erik reminded her as Seisui and Kazeko followed.
When Kazeko left the classroom, the looking and whispering only increased.
"Hey, look. There's a strange girl with Han'i..."
"She isn't wearing a uniform...maybe Han'i's friends think they don't have to follow the rules...?"
"Grrr," Tokimo mumbled, clenching her fist. "Can't beat 'em up...can't beat 'em up..."
"T-They're talking about you, right?" Kazeko looked toward the faces that were staring at Seisui, looks of disgust on their faces. "Is it...my fault...?"
"No. It isn't your fault," Seisui darkly. She sighed. "I probably shouldn't have brought you, Kazeko. I'm surprised you haven't heard of me..."
"Heard what?"
"I--" Seisui paused for a moment and looked at the faces around her. "Nothing. Nothing."
When they entered the office, everything stopped immediately. All of the employees looked at her. The principal walked up to her, straightening his tie and looking nervously at the strange jewelry she wore on her bow.
"You realize, Han'i, that I must call the police."
"Nuh-uh!" Tokimo said complacently. "You can't do that. You can even call the palace, and they'll tell you--"
"What are you talking about?" The principal interjected. "There's no way--"
"It's true, Mr. Kanada," A secretary informed him, looking up from her computer and pulling back the input microphone. "Seisui has been pardoned. Haven't you heard?"
"There's no way I can let a dangerous criminal like this go to our school!" the principal said, his face flustered. "This is a public risk!"
"The law says you can't turn down someone's right to an education, sir," the secretary continued. "There's nothing we can do."
"Is your name Serenity?" Seisui asked quietly, looking up at him meekly.
"What kind of a question is that?" the principal asked.
"If it isn't, you're safe. Now, if you can get past the fact that I'm in school, my classmate left her uniform at home. Would it be too much to ask that she could borrow one?"
"I-I'm sorry," Kazeko stuttered. She wasn't sure what was going on. Was Seisui a criminal? Is that what she meant by 'shouldn't have brought you?' Did it have a connection to the energy crawling inside of Seisui? "I-I didn't know we had to wear uniforms."
"Kazeko, right?"
Kazeko nodded.
"Your parents were sent one. Didn't they give it to you?"
Kazeko paused. "Well, m-maybe, but--I didn't know--I'm sorry--I'm sorry--"
"It's all right," the secretary said, getting out of her chair. "We'll let your borrow one. I can handle this, Mr. Kanada."
The principal nodded and walked off.
"Come along, Kazeko. I'll bring you into the back. Would you mind waiting here, Ms. Han'i and--er--your friend?"
Seisui shook her head. Tokimo scowled and clenched her fists. The secretary glanced nervously toward Seisui as she gently led Kazeko to the back room, her hand placed comfortingly on the young girl's shoulder.
"Is Japanese hard?" The woman asked in English, her speech accented heavily.
"Yes," Kazeko replied timidly in English, "a little."
"Will it be easier if I keep speaking in English?"
"I think so," Kazeko said, looking downward.
"What is your size?"
"Err--medium," Kazeko stuttered.
"My English is not good," she told her, "but you need to know something. That girl you is talking to--Seisui Han'i--is criminal."
"W-w-what did she do?" Kazeko asked.
"She tried to kill Queen Serenity," the woman told her. "Two time. She is Sailor Soldier..."
"T-that girl?!" Kazeko asked, shocked.
"Yes."
"Seisui is one of the Tuatha De Dannann?"
"What is that?"
"N-nothing," Kazeko stuttered.
"She says she is Sailor Titan," she continued, "which, I think, is a moon of Saturn. That's what the newspapers say. There is liquid--strange liquid that she uses to try and kill people. Please stay away from her. She is dangerous. Okay?"
"O-okay," Kazeko muttered, deciding it best to agree with the woman. But the place of a Tuatha De Dannann--even if they represented death, war or famine--that was something to honor and respect. All parts of life were essential.
The woman handed Kazeko the uniform and placed her hand on Kazeko's shoulder again. The woman was filled with fear. Kazeko stepped out of the room and looked, in awe, toward Seisui--she was sitting in a chair, attracting the stares of everyone who came into work.
Was what the woman said true?
Was Seisui a god?
"Lady Serenity!" a shrill voice chimed. "Lady Serenity!"
Usako turned away from her commode and looked downward.
"Hello, Diana. What do you want?" she said dejectedly.
"Don't you think you should go to school?" she asked, jumping up onto the commode. "It's been a week! His Majesty is beginning to be very worried."
"School has already started, Diana. I'll go tomorrow, okay?"
"But Monday is the most important day of the week! If you go, you can still catch the rest of your classes. Please, Lady Serenity?" Diana placed a paw on Usako's hand and looked pleadingly up at her. Usako had trouble resisting the cuteness--even though Diana was grown up, she still looked like a kitten.
"Diana..." Usako sighed.
"Where has Hiroshi gone, Lady Serenity? Is that why you're not going to school today? You told his Majesty you would go to school today..."
Usako turned away from Diana.
"Lady Serenity!" she persisted, tapping her back with her paw. "Do you know where Lord Helios is?"
"Helios is in Elysion," she snapped. "What's so unexpected about that? It's where he lives, isn't it? He should be there now anyway, since the enemy is here."
Diana paused for moment and took her paw off Usako's back. "You got in a fight with Lord Helios, didn't you?"
"You don't have to call him Lord," Usako said with a sigh. "It sounds really silly."
"Didn't you?"
"Please, Diana. I don't want to talk about it."
"Your sailor warriors are worried about you, Lady Serenity. Please go back to school. I'm sure Lord Helios will come back. He must be very lonely without you."
"Diana..."
"I have tried very hard to give you some space, Lady Serenity, because I realized that you were very distressed. But...you can't stay like this forever. Even if you just have to keep up appearances for a while. I'm sure Lord Helios will come back and you two will make up. In the meantime..."
"Fine! I'll go to school. I'm sorry, Diana, but things just aren't the same anymore. I'm so lonely. Nobody understands..."
"That is not true, Lady Serenity! Seisui was pardoned. Even though Seisui is free to harm you, you have been allowed to go back to school. Therefore, your family must have some confidence in you!"
"Say, Diana...?"
"Yes?"
"Do you think Seisui will ever be my friend again?"
"I don't know, Lady Serenity. But if it is possible, I'm sure you will accomplish it. Now get on your school uniform, or you will be even later!"
"Okay, fine."
"Thank you," Diana said, smiling and rubbing against Usako.
Usako grabbed her school uniform and put it on in a hurry. She didn't feel like doing her hair this morning, so it sat streaming around her face and falling everywhere. Seeing the inevitable impracticality of this, she grabbed a ribbon from her commode and tied her hair in a loose ponytail.
The glimmer of the clear glass bell caught her eye.
"You should bring it, Lady Serenity," Diana said happily. "If you encounter the enemy, you could certainly use Lord Helios' help. And afterwards, you may have an excuse to make up with him, right?"
"Jeez, Diana!" Usako said in annoyance. Nonetheless, she grabbed the little bell and tied it gingerly to her bag. "Let's hope you're right," she mumbled to herself. "There must be a solution to this, after all...I just wish you had more faith in me."
"U-SA-KO!"
Usako covered her ears as she prepared to hear a spiel from Haruko.
"You are sooooo late! Would it have killed you to go to school once in a while? The way you were holed up in that room by yourself, I thought you were were turning into a rabbit!" Haruko complained, shoving her face up close to Usako.
"Uh-huh!" Fuyuko chimed in happily. "Usako's rabbit hole!"
"But...where is Hiroshi? You two are usually glued at the hip..." Natsuko asked, looking down at her bag.
"Well, you know," Usako replied nervously. "Business. It's not safe to go walking around anymore, right?"
"That must be it," Akiko agreed. "She even has the bell on her bag. She wouldn't have the bell on her bag if it was really a fight, would she?"
"She might, if she was trying to hide the fact..." Haruko disagreed.
Fuyuko giggled. "We should call Hiroshi and find out!"
Usako clasped the bell protectively. "D-don't!"
"Hmm...definitely a fight," Natsuko said, nodding.
Haruko nodded. "Yeah, it's a fight."
"It's none of your business," Usako snapped.
"Hey, but...why do you think they got in a fight?" Akiko wondered.
"Hey, hey, Usako, why did you get in a fight?" Fuyuko asked, poking her shoulder. "Why? Why?"
Usako didn't reply.
"Why? Why?" Fuyuko continued, poking her in the cheeks.
"I said, it's none of your business!" Usako grabbed Fuyuko's hands and threw them away. "I don't want to talk about it. So just...leave me alone."
"Is it about Han'i?" Fuyuko asked.
"Why do you say that?" Haruko wondered. "Did you hear something?"
"I heard that Puu found Seisui at one of her friends' house. And I'm sure that Puu didn't know any of Seisui's friends. Usako would never give up where Seisui was, but Hiroshi is a little more equitable, so I thought--"
"There's nothing equitable about what Hiroshi did!" Usako snapped, repressing a sob. "He said he believed in me, and then he went and told Puu! I thought he had confidence in my abilities!"
"He does believe in you. He just wanted to protect you from Seisui. And besides, you got what you wanted in the end, anyway. That freak is walking around school again," Akiko said.
"Seisui isn't a freak. She's a human. She's human, and she hurts! And I wanted to be the one to save her."
The quartet turned toward each other, looks of skepticism across their faces.
"Well, I think you should show some gratitude for what Hiroshi did," Natsuko said with a sigh. "Even if you didn't like it, he did it because he loves you."
"I wish he'd love me a different way," Usako said dejectedly.
"What a stupid plan."
"Did I ask for you input, Coeus?"
"No," he said with a smirk. "So?"
"So why are you giving it?"
"Because it's a stupid plan."
"It isn't a stupid plan."
"Yes it is. You haven't made much progress yet, have you?"
"I haven't even done anything yet!"
"Exactly. Thus, a stupid plan."
"Look, blueberry, go make some diabolical plan or something. Or kiss ass. You're good at that."
"I don't kiss ass. I just have good plans, so I don't have to kiss ass. Unlike you."
"Who's in charge of Crystal Tokyo?" the man snapped, turning toward Coeus with a look of death.
"Mmmmmeyou."
"Right. Nemesis obviously sees something in me, if she put me on the most important front. Where are you, again? Tahiti? Guam?"
"Veeery funny. Actually, I'm in Australia."
"Oooh. Australia. What are you gonna do, fight the kangaroos?"
"At least I'm not like you. Then I'd be seducing the kangaroos."
"A broken heart yields a lot of kakon, Coeus."
"Whatever, Eros. Just remember, before you go down, you have to go up. And while you're wooing someone, you're making as much agathon as you are kakon. Moreover, I have some other issues with your brilliant plans. For one, they might be so disgusted with you afterwards that they'll just hate you and move on. And that doesn't yield a lot of kakon, now does it? Just a drop in the bucket."
"I choose my targets well. I know who's vulnerable," Eros snapped.
"You haven't made any progress so far. And as far as vulnerability goes, you don't seem to be doing too well."
"Just watch, asshole. You'll see," Eros said. He fell back into a nearby chair covered in smoky, wilted velvet. He picked up a tiny, tempera portrait from a black granite coffee table and examined the doll-like face upon it. It was painted delicately, as if to conceal any defects that the subject might have possessed.
Coeus laughed. "Of course. I'll enjoy watching you fail."
Coeus walked over to another chair nearby--wooden, splintered and withered looking. A strange, ghost-like woman was hanging limply in a chair, dressed beautifully in red and purple silk. Too bad she was dead. Coeus tapped her mockingly on the forehead. He laughed again. "Lady, silence is beautiful in women."
He waved his hand with sarcastic friendliness and walked out the door. Eros swore as Coeus entered the wretchedly lit corridor. It was lined with jeering corinthian columns, mocking faces carved in their myriad feathers.
EPISODE TEN: FIN
Kokoro kareteru you ni asu ga kuraku naru kara
Koe ga kurushiku kasureru hodo sakebitai
Donna toki mo kimi no ibasho sagashite
Setsunai omoide mo mune ni motte
Sorazorashii wake no kage ni kakureteru boku mo iru
Sadame wo kowaseba mirai nante aru ka na
Demo maketaku nai kara akiramenai yo donna aite demo
Sadame to iu mono ha michi wo kimeru dakedo
Kaiki gesshoku demo kimi wo me ni suru
Kimi ha umarekawattemo boku no Radiance dakara
Because, as if my heart's withering, tomorrow will get darker
I want to scream until I get painfully hoarse
Searching for where you are no matter when it is
And holding painful memories in my chest
There is also a me who's hiding behind empty reasons
If I destroy predestination, will there be a future at all?
But because I don't want to lose, I won't give up, no matter who my opponent is
That which is called predestination decides our paths, but
Even during a total lunar eclipse, I'll remember you
Because, even though reborn, you are my radiance
NEXT EPISODE
Eros: The heart is as a rose. It withers and dies.
Yamiko: Kane continues to pester me. Despite all my attempts to get him to leave, he shows an infuriating and continued interest in my existence.
Helios: I am summoned by need and love. But, Usako...take care of yourself...
Usako: The arguments of the past make way for heavier concerns. Reconciled for now, the future is given precedence.
Fubuki: Enemies? Why should I care? Still, if it means escape...
Seisui: The twisted demon of unhappiness chases me. My feelings squirm in anguish...
Kazeko: Even those gods that are evil have love within their hearts. Seisui, take courage from that.
Next time, on MOON SENSHI: UNMEI NO KODOMO--
"A Rise And Fall In Time"
Mayumi: Everyone needs a little forgiveness.