**********
Foreword
**********
I'll make this short given that there's
little importance here. First
posted
fic ever and I'm feeling pretty nervous. Anyway, if you like this
style
of writing, mail me. If you hate it,
mail me. If you don't know
what to
think and want more, mail me. Be as
cruel as you want in your
flames
and be as generous as you want in your praises. All feedback
accepted.
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone
who accepted this fic and
posted
it! Second, I'd like to thank my two
editors Lita Juno and Bethany.
They
provided an amateur, disillusioned, unconfident, aspiring writer with
the
inspiration to push aside his fears and begin posting.
Disclaimer: Everything associated with
Sailor Moon is in no way, shape,
or form
owned by me. I don't intend to make any
money off of this; that's
up to
the larger than life corporations out there. All that jazz about
Sailor
Moon in tons of disclaimers out there apply.
email:
doniswong@hotmail.com
Rating:
R (mild swearing and illegal activities)
"Clean"
Chapter 1
A fanfic
by
Don
"Do you believe in happiness?"
I quickly turn toward my drinking
companion and shake my head. "No. We
live,
we die, and we pay all the way. What's the joy in that?"
Me? I'm a reporter for a U.S. magazine,
The Globe.
Her? She's... she's... some lady I met
tonight.
She asks, "Kind of bitter, aren't
you?" and with good reason too.
Currently, I'm in Japan, a happy little
world known as Crystal Tokyo to
be
exact. In case you've been living under a rock for the better part of a
millenium,
allow me to enlighten you on its origin.
A thousand years ago, a group of
mini-skirt clad school girls, calling
themselves
the "Sailor Senshi" saved the world from utter destruction. They
did it
a few more times and we all called them heroes. They did it some
more
and Japan became their official pet. They did it again and the Earth
fell to
its knees in awe. They did it about two and a half times more and
formed
a utopia called Crystal Tokyo. Simple story, really, I don't know
people
are all in an uproar over their latest develop-
"So what brings a stranger like you
to these parts?
I observe the olive floating around in the
martini and pay no attention
to the
lady. Besides, I want to be alone tonight and she isn't helping any.
"Hello? Earth to- What's your name
again?"
She wasn't taking the hint. Might as well
live with it. The last thing
I want
is a crazed freak following me around asking for my name. "Evan
Wilson.
People call me anything ranging from Ev to motherfucker. Take your
pick."
Her lips curl up at my coarseness. I could
immediately tell that she
was
Crystal Tokyo material, all brainwashed from the harsh reality of life.
Here,
you have everything based on an honor system, but outside... you'd be
surprised
at the sheer poverty and sadness lurking in the shadows.
"I think I'll stick with Mr. Wilson,
thank you very much."
Do I sense a hint of annoyance? My, my,
this place is getting more and
more
interesting every second. "What's the matter?" I inquire while taking
a swing
of my drink, "I thought all you people were suppose to be dolls and
not
take offense to anything. What? Something messed up in your genetic
programming?"
Maybe I should elaborate. Twenty or thirty
years ago, a group of rebels
calling
themselves the Black Moon Family attacked Crystal Tokyo. They
weren't
really powerful compared to the "Oh-So-Godlike" Senshi, but they
were
able to convert many unsatisfied citizens, thereby continuing the war.
One of
the dictators - Mars I believe - got the bright idea of "Purging"
the
general population in the city to avoid more traitors. Of course, they
were
able to do it. They systematically eliminated the id in each of their
citizens.
The id, in case you don't know, is the animal within each of us,
the
part of you that looks out for number one and not anyone else.
Imagine what happened after that. Their
perfect society became a
gathering
of perfect people... It makes me sick just thinking about it.
They
killed freedom.
I can picture those devilish women-
"No, nothing went 'wrong' with my
genetic programming." I realize that
it was
a while before she answered my insulting question. "And I am NOT
from
Crystal Tokyo, so lay off."
"Growing an attitude?" I smirk
as she gazes menacingly at me. "If
you're
not from this forsaken land, then what's up with the goody-two shoes
act?"
"What's wrong with being nice to
strangers?"
"Everything!" God, this woman IS
from Crystal Tokyo. "Have you seen the
world?
At every corner, there's a parentless child begging for food. In
every
house, there is a starving mother of five giving herself up to a
richer
man's pleasures so that her children can eat a meager meal!
Governments
are fighting amongst themselves; some try to solve problems,
others
fight for bribes!!! The world SUCKS, you can't trust anyone! This
fantasy
is the only place where you can honestly say hi to a person and not
get
clubbed because you're wearing clean clothes!"
Sorry, I had to get a little passionate on
her to prove my point.
"If you detest this place so, why
don't you leave?"
"Can't," I reply, "My boss
is making me do this segment on those bitchy
Senshi
chicks. It's.... Forget it, you won't understand."
She lifts her beer up and downs it
completely before prying. "Try me."
Well, at least I'll be talking to a drunk
hooker who'll forget
everything
I tell her tonight. "We suspect there's something wrong in this
heaven.
Me being his only reliable onsight reporter, he's sent me here to
check
out the place. We have our theories about what's wrong, but they're
only
theories. I'm out to prove something."
"What's the theory?"
Should I tell her? Eh, who will it hurt?
"One of the Senshi quit."
"Interesting," she says,
"And what makes you think that?"
"For one thing, those infamous royal
balls aren't being held anymore.
It's
like they're retreating to a private life while at any other time in
history,
they're living it up in the spotlight. There's bound to be
something
wrong if they're doing that. No picture has been taken of them
for two
freakin' years!"
"Twisted logic, but nevertheless,
sound. And is this all you do? Dig up
dirt on
people and try to topple Serenity's rule through your pen strokes?"
Good question. What am I trying to do?
"I'm trying to survive." That
about sums it up. "Frankly, I don't care
about
anything else. These Senshi can have their happy little world, I want
to live
in my own."
"This is all for money? You're
risking your life, flying all over the
world,
dodging bullets, and sleeping in dumpsters because of money?"
"Yes." I wave the bartender over
and pay for another drink. Maybe
cognac,
or whiskey, or rum, or some sco-
"It seems you love your id."
"At least I have one. Unlike you, I'm
fully human..."
From the look in her eyes, I say she took
offense to that statement. "I
told
you, I'm not from Crystal Tokyo."
Damn it, this chick is getting nowhere
with me. She's asking a bunch of
useless
questions that I don't have time to answer. She's probably one of
the
Senshi's snoops that go to the "dark" areas of their city to dig out
"scum"
like me. Don't pretend it doesn't happen; everyone except for the
inhabitants
here know thought is carefully monitored. Better make a quick
exit
before I'm "asked" to leave and shipped off the island... I still
have
a story
to cover.
"Leaving so soon, Mr. Wilson?"
"Yeah, I'd love to sit and drink, but
I have a job."
"Will you be back tomorrow
night?"
"No."
Cold? Yes, I agree, but like I said,
Crystal Tokyo people aren't
suppose
to care. You can say "Fuck you" and they'll ask whether-
From out of nowhere, I hear the lady
mumble, "God damn no good high and
mighty
reporter."
I decide to leave it alone and not pummel
the snot out of her.
Everything
is a conspiracy and I'll probably play right into their hands.
As I get up from my seat, I ask the
bartender for a coin to use the
phone.
"Son," he says, pointing over to
the corner, "Just use 'em all you
want.
You don't have to pay."
Oh yeah, I forgot I was in
"paradise." Everything minus booze is free.
At
least, that's the only I've had to pay for so far.
Cab service... Let's see... 555-5555.
Strangely, this thing reminds of the old
20th century phones, nothing
like
what I have at the office. No monitor, no voice recognizer, no
security
features, just a stick with two ends. How do I know that I'm
getting
the taxi service and not some crazed murderer tapping into the
phone
lin...?
"Yes sir, this is Reiko from Crystal
Tokyo's commuter department. Would
you
need any help today?"
Crystal Tokyo... Right.... No hackers or
murderers.
"Send a taxi over to where I'm
calling."
"Would that be 555 Mercury Avenue?"
Damn, they even name STREETS after those
dreadful Senshi! "Sounds
right."
"Anything else?"
Time for some fun. "Yeah, I want your
body."
"Sorry sir, but I don't
understand."
"You heard me, I want your
body."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible.
Please don't be offended but I have
already-"
I hang up before she gets into her
complete, unedited, and uncut life
story.
Nice people are so fun to mess with.
After exiting the bar, I take a seat on a
bench outside and wait for
cab. It
shouldn't take too long, but I'd like to have my own car. Of
course,
it'll have to be one of those solar cars that are completely safe
and
gentle to the environment. Translation? It can't go over 35 mph and
would
survive the brunt of a tactical missile. I'd probably drive one of
those
if I was going to war, but not going to work. What ever happened to
the gas
chugging Corvettes and stylish Eclipses?
My mind begins to wander for a better part
of ten minutes before I
realize
that the cab isn't arriving. What? I thought they had a network of
public
transportation that eliminated the need to wait! God... Hypocrites,
all of
them.
A clear thud comes from behind and I see
the chick I was with stumble
out
semi-drunk and not walking so hot. At least, that's what I thought
until I
got a few more seconds to observe her.
As it turns out, her gait wasn't affected
by liquor; she was a cripple.
In
other words, in case you're completely ignorant, something was wrong
with
her leg. Fine, so maybe I was wrong about her. There were no cripples
in
Crystal Tokyo because everyone is born perfect.
Her condition turns the sympathy meter in
my heart up a few notches, so
I ask
if she needs any help.
I get a stabbing glare for my efforts.
"No," she hisses, "I wouldn't
want to
dirty your hands because I'm from Crystal Tokyo."
"Come on! Give me a break here! I'm
trying to act nice and you're
shrugging
me off!"
"All people should be treated equally,
be they from Russia or Tokyo.
You, my
friend, seem to be blind to that fact. If living away from this
bubble
has taught me one thing, it's that people like you are the ones that
cause
those orphans and starved parents to be where they are!"
Ouch. Now that stings. I never look at it
that way, but then again,
when do
I ever need to? "I'm sorry, ok? Afterall, like yourself, I'm
human!"
Since, I know she's not a crazy maniac and
actually has a mind, I
invite
her to join me on the bench. "Take a load off. I'm waiting for a cab
and can
use some company."
Not seeing another place to sit, she
begrudgingly accepts my offer and
mumbles
an inaudible word of thanks.
"Well," I say, breaking the
momentary silence, "You know all about me,
so what
about you?"
"What about me?"
"A name would be nice."
She considers giving me a false name and I
prepare to question her
first
alias.
"Minako."
Minako? "So you're Japanese?"
"No, I'm Indian from the native land
of Pakistan!"
"Touché... Any last name?"
"Aino. Minako Aino, Aino Minako -
it's all the same, depends on where
you go,
really."
"Minako Aino..." I roll the name
over my tongue and find that it's a
rather
lovely name. Exotic, yet quiet simple at the same time. Sure beats
all
those Johns, Brets, and Gregs that I see everyday. Not to mention
Pauls.
"Charming... At least I can pronounce it, unlike all those
Nakarkotomagsi
whatevers."
Raising her eyebrow, she giggles a little
and relaxes, "From all my
years
of living here, I have never heard anything like that!"
Actually, her giggle sounds really
childish, almost conjures up
memories
of kids happily playing on a junglegym or something. If I didn't
know
better, I'd say I'm beginning to get attracted to this female...
Might as well be direct. "What's your
number?"
Again, a giggle, "Fast worker, aren't
we Mr. Wilson?"
"Cut the Mr. Wilson crap. Sounds like
a character from a campy kids
show."
"I won't give you my number, but I
COULD use some company, especially
since I
hold some of your... ideas... about the Crystal Tokyo population.
Meet
you back here tomorrow? Same time?"
Can I resist such an offer? "Sure,
you can bet your-"
A cab pulls up to the curb before I finish
my sentence.
The thought of becoming a gentleman and
scoring points with this young
lady
crosses my mind, so I walk up to the rear door and open it. "Would you
like to
step in? I'll take your cab when it comes."
She daintily accepts my offer, and regally
- if you can envision that
at all,
she's a cripple for God's sake! - enters the cab.
We wave a friendly goodnight and she
departs.
Wow... What an experience. I just got
hooked up with a beautiful blonde
who
hated me mere moments ago. Maybe Crystal Tokyo ain't all that bad...
Ok, so
it may still be bad, but one thing happened that was good. The rest
of it
still sucks like none other.
Besides, where's that other cab?! I'm
gettin' cold sitting out in the
night
doing nothing! And unlike American cities, there are no outdoor fires
made by
hobos or bodily warmth from foot traffic to warm the air! Come to
think
about it, there's not a living soul in sight! Talk about terrible
night
business; I wonder why and how this bar manages to-
"Mr. Evan Wilson?"
I turn around and spot two huge men
towering over me. From their
uniforms,
I conclude that they're part of the cities' police force.
"Speaking
and soon leaving."
"Would you please come with us,
sir?" one of the behemoths asks, "You
have
violated clause 1417A of the tourism pact signed by the U.S. and
Crystal
Tokyo in 2817-"
"I don't need a run down of
history!" I interrupt.
"Very well. You are being charged
with sexual harassment. Our vehicle
is over
there, allow us to escort you over."
The LAST thing I need is this shit. Better
play along and get it over
with.
What can they do? They'll probably stick me in a video room, make me
watch
something about the importance of speech, and send me on my merry
way.
Besides, I was looking to kill some time
tonight.
*********
"... and furthermore, your actions
display a clear malicious..."
I let the cop grumble on with his
monologue. No use in stopping him
since
he'll just politely silence me and continue. Are these pep talks
suppose
to set people straight? I'm amazed that a hardcore con hasn't
walked
in here and massacred all these people! Lord knows there's no lack
in
crazy people on this desolate rock.
"... in concordance with
clause..."
Whatever happened to that good old theory,
"Innocent until proven
guilty?"
I mean, they're hauling me in here on the word of some ten year
old
operator who could be a professional swindler!
"... Crystal Tokyo does not
condone..."
Hehe, yeah. This isn't the U.S. anymore.
I've got to get used to that
fact.
"Do you have anything to say for
yourself, Mr. Evan Wilson?"
The brief, fleeting idea of saying
"Up yours!" to the hulking mass of
muscle
and flicking him off comes and goes in my scatter-brained mind. I
may be
itching to kill some time, but I'm not keen on killing myself.
"No officer," I drone
insincerely, "Please forgive me for what I have
done."
Like I expected, he takes the pathetic
apology as a heartfelt one and
proceeds
to finish up the paper work.
10:37... I'll be out at 11, so I might
still be able to catch midget
wrestling
on the International Channel if I hurry back to the hotel.
"Ok sir, we only need your version of
what happened before you are let
go.
Please be honest."
This is way too easy. "I was sitting
in a space ship eating cookies and
suddenly
a gigantic glob of-"
"A plausible story, Mr. Wilson. If
you're going to lie, at least do so
convincingly."
Cops. Gotta love 'em. "Fine, fine,
fine, you got me. So I was at a bar
drinking,
minding my own business. You know the feeling, kicking back with
some
nice booze- Opps, my mistake, you guys don't know the meaning of
kicking
back." I get an odd stare for that one. "Anyway, I was talking with
this
chick and got bored, so I went to call a ca-"
"What was this 'chick's' name?"
"Why do you need her name?"
"Potential witness to your
crime."
These guys expect me to incriminate
myself?! This is hilarious!!!!
Through my laughter, I hear the man say,
"I assure you, sir, that
unless
you commit more serious offenses, you have been 'let off the hook,'
as they
say."
"Ok, ok...." I wipe the tears
from my face and spill it. "Her name was
Minako
Aino."
And that was that. They let me go, I
called a cab (Without the "sexual
harassment"
part.), and went back to the hotel to enjoy a carefree night of
midget
wrestling...
... until someone came pounding on my
door.
**THUMP** **THUMP** **THUMP**
God, what kind of lowlife would come
pounding on a person's HOTEL room
at
midnight?! I swear, even if this guy is room service, I'm not going to
forgive
him.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, who the hell is
it?"
From the other side of the door,
"Crystal Tokyo authorities! Open up!"
I knew it! They were trying to incriminate
me with my own words
afterall!!!
"Up yours, pig!" I wail at the top of my lungs before bolting
to the
window. I've heard horror stories about people from foreign
countries
being forcefully "purged" and I don't want to confirm them.
"Look, you have five seconds to open
this door before we come in there
and act
REALLY pissed off!"
In another time, in another place, I would
have found the threat
mind-boggling...
But this is not the time, nor the place to think about it.
Grabbing my duffel bag, I hightail it to
the patio and look for a fire
escape.
Just my luck, there was none!!!
What'll happen if an arsonist or terrorist
bombs the place and-
Uh huh, Crystal Tokyo equals no bad guys.
I forgot.... AGAIN.
"One... Two... FIVE!!!" Damn,
that was the quickest five seconds I ever
had to
go through.
I expect the door to fly open and come
crashing down on my bed twenty
feet
away, but instead, I'm treated to a familiar **click** followed by an
opening
door. They probably had the key all along and wanted me to sweat
bullets.
The first two apes coming through didn't
surprise me at all: they were
the
cops that arrested me at the bar. However, the next two people were
quite a
shocker.
For the past few weeks, I have been
halfheartedly searching for Senshi.
Now,
not one but two are strolling into my room! I don't know whether to
call
this bad luck or dumb luck.
The brunette, the one wearing green, steps
forward and asks, "Evan
Wilson,
I presume?"
"Maybe, who wants to know?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm
Sailor Jupiter. This is my
colleague,
Sailor Mercury," she points over to a semi-shy person in the
back, "And
you've met these two gentlemen before. We have a few questions
to ask
you-"
"Hold it! I thought you said I was
off the hook!"
"You are," she replies with a
dreadful grin, "We want to know more
about
the girl you met tonight."
The girl? Who does she- "Oh, you mean
Minako?"
That relieved expression I got from the
two Senshi could not have been
a good
sign.
Jupiter makes a "shooing" motion
with her hands and the cops leave,
closing
the door behind them. I'm left in a room with two legendary figures
whom I
despise.
Arrogantly, the brunette says,
"Aren't you going to offer us a seat, or
are we
suppose to stand all night?"
Play time! "I'd prefer you stand.
It'll save you time when you find the
compulsion
to walk over here and deck me in the head."
They didn't know whether to laugh at me or
frown in disgust. So, they
simply
took some chairs around the coffee table and sat while I stood
outside
the patio, duffel bag in hand.
When all is said and done, I rethink my
position in this place. From
the
moment I heard about the Sailor Senshi in my infantile years, I thought
I could
stand up to them. None of them were the imposing figures others
made
them out to be. I always thought they were hyped-up rich people with
sticks
shoved up their asses. Now, when I see them before me, there's some
kind of
charisma, some kind of mysterious aura that's quite unsettling, a
quality
that gets under my skin and sends shockwaves up every nerve.
Back in the day, I took a few self-defense
courses and I remember the
way my
teacher walked: silent, deadly, always alert. These two had those
same
qualities, only magnified by about two hundred times... and believe
me, my
kung-fu master was one freakin' imposing figure. He could be staring
down
the barrel of an automatic shotgun and somehow still manage to pull
out
enough balls to make the gunman run away in blind terror.
Imagine the trepidation I'm feeling now,
standing into front of these
two
people while they take their time visually picking apart my every
fiber.
A lot of it has to do with those horror stories that I've heard over
the
years; however, there's a side that no one will understand until they
actually
meet up with one of these chicks.
My view of them immediately flies up a
couple notches just through the
pure
respect I'm giving them.
"Uhhhhh, what's this about
again?"
Mercury glances up from her computer and
states, "Aino Minako."
Minako.... The blonde I met tonight. What
does she have to do with the
Senshi?
What does a cripple have to do with a bunch of superhuman, thunder
slinging,
mini skirt wearing girls like these two?! "Why are you looking
for
her? Is she a terrorist? Part of the 'Black Moon Family' that went to
war
with you guys a while back? Who is she?"
Jupiter sighs, "I assure you, Mr.
Wilson, that we are not here to
conduct
an interview for your newspaper. Who Aino Minako is does not
concern
you." She turns toward her friend and examines the mini-computer
she's
holding, "Are you ready, Mercury?"
A nod. I assume that's a bad thing?
"Alright," she continues,
"I'm going to ask you a series of simple
questions.
Answer truthfully or to the best of your knowledge."
She doesn't even wait for me to agree.
"What does this person look
like?"
"Nuh uh," I reply, shaking my
finger at them, "You aren't getting an
ounce
of info until you tell me who this character is!" Hey, the journalist
in me
took over for a split second.
The brunette groans, "She is a very
dangerous individual, capable of
killing
you in a heartbeat. She is also very skilled in evasion and has
hidden
from us for..." She pauses, mentally editing the information, then
continues,
"a long time. So far, you're the first person to see her."
I catch Mercury glancing up and frowning
at Jupiter. What could that
mean? A
disagreement between the two? Do I sense a slight bit of friction
flying
around?
When I'm about to drop a bomb on them, I
realize something crucial:
Minako
is a cripple!!! "Wait a minute, you mean you guys couldn't catch a
cripple?!"
A brief moment of shock comes over their
faces, but they hide it well.
If my
attention span had been a little shorter, I would have missed it.
After shock, what's the emotion that comes
next? Sadness? Relief? They
wouldn't
be feeling that if Minako was a terrorist or someone against them;
however,
I can't decipher anymore. They've put on stoic masks and are
approaching
me with the utmost care.
"What did she look like?"
Jupiter reiterates.
Eh, what the hell? I'll play along for
now. "Long blonde hair, had some
of the
largest blue eyes you'd ever see, and had a very nice giggle. In
case
you didn't get it before, she walks with a definite hobble."
"What was she wearing?"
"Tight black skirt going down to the
knees. A white shirt and a black
unzipped
jacket that looked leather but probably wasn't. She also had a
pair of
incredibly high heels."
"Nothing distinctive? No earring? No
bow?"
Why do I get the feeling they already know
everything about Minako
except
where she is? "No, so stop pestering me about it."
"And this is at the bar you were
arrested at?"
I roll my eyes, "No, this was on the
moon!"
They ignore me on that one and go back to
whispering among themselves.
Questions
overtake my mind about the giddy girl I met tonight. What was her
connection
with the Senshi? Was she lying to me all the time? Could SHE be
that
missing Senshi I was talking about? So many questions, so little
answers,
and only one way to find out.
"If you guys give me a day, I can
show you where she's at."
Mercury and Jupiter whip around and gaze
at me. Naturally, I smile at
their
dumbfounded looks.
"Sometimes things require a man's
deadly charm!"
*********
"Here we are, miss. Do you need me to
wait outside for you?"
I hand the driver a tip and shake my head.
"This will be a long stay,
you
better get going."
Evan Wilson... Tabloid reporter and noted
cynic of journalism. He turns
interviews
into interrogations and cover stories into criminal
investigations.
Funny, isn't it? I always hated the media, especially ones
of his
breed, but now I find another kindred spirit in the most unlikely of
places
doing the job I most despise.
Ironic, but life is fully of ironies. I
should know...
"Ma'am? Are you alright?"
Shaking myself from the unwanted revelry,
I step out of the car and
watch
it blindly speed off to pick up another customer... blind like a
lemming.
Like everyone else in Crystal Tokyo.
A pang of guilt strikes my heart as I
flashback to that fateful day ten
years
ago... I remember it like it was only yesterday...
People dying... Armies falling...
Multitudes of trusted officials
leaking
information to the enemy... Complete and utter chaos...
I still hear the cries. Cries of agony,
despair, and desperation.
I still see the war...
"Minako! We've got to do
something!!!"
Ami getting pinned down by a plethora of
monsters...
"Save her..."
One of my commanders dying in my arms,
begging for me to save his
wife...
"Don't clam up on us now!!!"
Me, huddled in a dark corner, wishing for
the world to go away...
"Fall back!!! It's an ambush!!!"
Youma and demons popping up from all
sides...
"Get out of the-"
A lowly ground troop diving in front of
Wiseman's blast of energy...
"You're the leader! Do
something!!!"
The Senshi all coming down on me for
answers...
"Venus... Five thousand are dead...
Two generals defected..."
Damage reports...
"You killed him!!!"
Heard too numerous times to count...
******HONK!!!******
I nearly jump out of my skin, but it's
only a car... nothing to be
afraid
of. Nobody is coming for me... the war is over; it only exists in my
mind.
Stranger still, the war is not eating away
at my conscience. It's the
Purging.
At the time, it seemed like such a great
idea. No more crime, no more
defectors,
no more horror stories, just blissful happiness. We had heaven,
so why
not make angels?
It wasn't until we accomplished our task
did I feel the full effects of
our
hasty actions.
Artificial smiles, phony words of
condolence, false sense of freedom -
the
Sailor Senshi had become what they fought, and I, as their leader,
never
knew it. We became unwitting dictators and power hungry mongrels no
better
than Beryl...
Justice became a lost cause...
Love was insincere...
Truth became lies...
I quit after the Purging; the rest of
Senshi had no idea what happened.
One
night I was laughing and dancing, then the next morning, I was gone. I
know
they searched for me. I know they were and probably still are, lost. I
know
leaving was cruel...
... but what we did was inexcusable.
In the matter of seconds, we dirtied our
hands with the blood of
generations.
Not only will the purging be felt by people of this time, but
their
children and their children's children will never taste freedom. They
will
never think for themselves. All they will know is the spoon fed
happiness
that the Senshi force into their mouths... We killed them before
they
were even born.
Am I angry? Maybe when I first realized
what I did. I wanted to blame
it all
on Rei... it was so easy - she suggested it, she pushed for it, so
she
should take the fall. I'll be lying if I said I feel no animosity
toward
her or the rest of the Senshi. I've just gotten over the hard part,
that's
all.
Guilty - there's a word to describe my feelings.
I took part in the
Purging,
I approved of it, and I could have but didn't stop it.
Ten years... For ten whole years I've
wandered the globe, trying
desperately
to forget. I wanted to see some remnants of human emotion, be
it
happiness or sadness. But, what I saw on the outside only made me feel
worse.
In here, there's utter blissfulness, so
blissful that it's sickening.
In
other countries, there's only despair and loathing. The general public
is so
poor that... that... it's indescribable. There's the small population
of rich
people, living off of the poor, taking advantage of them at every
turn.
To tell you the truth, even the rich aren't that well off, and
surprisingly,
they know it. The middle class? They're a rare breed of
people,
hated by rich and poor alike. They have enough money so that they
won't
starve but don't have enough to flaunt their wealth. The rich see
them as
pitiful wannabe's, the poor see them as arrogant millionaires
living
amongst their dilapidated huts.
What do they think about Crystal Tokyo? I
actually had the nerve to ask
a few
people. They look at it like some kind of twisted standard where
everything
is the way it should be. They strive to maintain this land's
pristine
condition and utopian ways, but they only succumb to deceit and
failure.
There's too much working against them to succeed...
That's why I came back. I had this nagging
faith in the Senshi, I had a
gut
feeling that they somehow undid the Purging... but, again, I was wrong.
I came
back expecting to see a shred of hope but ended up seeing my damned
handiwork...
After all that is said and done, I'm still
no farther to the bar than I
am 10
minutes ago. Evan is probably drinking himself to oblivion and I'm
out
here fantasizing about days long past. Don't you love it when you get
old?
I practice my limp a few times and walk
around a bench. Part of my
cover -
no one will ever expect a Sailor Senshi to hobble like a cripple.
Makes
me look unthreatening and gets me the drop on lots of unsuspecting,
arrogant
no-goods.
Satisfied with my performance, I push open
the door and saunter in.
Funny,
everything is quiet. No music, no people except for-
"Minako..."
I lift my head and almost yelp. In the
back of the sultry room, Ami and
Makoto
are seated at a spacious table with five chairs. Not exactly Ami and
Makoto,
more like Mercury and Jupiter, but the effect is the same.
First instinct? Run. I don't belong with
them anymore. I've hurt them
by
leaving them without a leader. They probably feel betrayed. I feel... I
don't
know what I feel. Happy to see them, yet not.
I yield to that thought and run, but
before I can turn around, a strong
hand
comes to rest on my shoulder. Battle senses kick in. I ditch the limp,
deliver
a short elbow which is blocked, and roll forward in the middle of
the
room. At least I'll have more space to maneuver-
Haruka and Michiru are leaning against the
door. They snuck up on me
while I
was shocked. Figures Makoto would come prepared; she's like a
hardcore
girlscout.
The Sailor Senshi... How did they know I
was here?! No one-
Evan Wilson... That little piece of-
I contemplate transforming and going
toe-to-toe with four of my former
soldiers,
but one look into their eyes and that idea flies out the window.
They're
not here to fight; they came here to get me back.
Might as well dispel any ideas here and
now.
"No."
Ami looks a bit hurt by the sudden
refusal, but everyone else maintains
their
composure. I think they expected to establish contact before I said
anything.
As always, Michiru swoops in to make the
save, "We're not here to take
you
back, Minako. We want to talk as friends, to catch up on what you've
been
doing..."
Nice... They sense something is wrong and
want me to simply sit down
with
them instead of storming out. Judging by the poor expectation for
diplomacy,
I'd say this was set up by Makoto.
"Well?" asks Haruka, slightly
jittery, "Are we going to stand here all
night
or are we going to get crackin'?"
Can I talk to them? Oh God how I miss
their voices. I want to sit down
and
laugh the night away, but I'm afraid I'll alienate them further. Ami
and
Michiru MIGHT (One BIG might.) understand my predicament, but Makoto
and
Haruka will tend to jump to conclusions. I... I... can't explain what I
want to
say. It's so clear, yet confusing at the same time, I'm afraid
they'll
take it wr-
"Please?" Ami begs, tears
forming in her eyes, "We need you, Minako..."
Her
voice trails off to a whisper.
Clean breaks. They're the best. I can
never be a Senshi ever again... I
just
can't do it. Guilt stains my heart and blood cakes my hands. I don't
want
war, I don't want fake smiles, I don't want the world looking at me
anymore!
I want to disappear, disappear back to a time when I still had a
shred
of innocence and no one expected anything of me.
I cannot go back with them no matter what
my heart wants.
"Minna..." Clean breaks are the
best... "I should not, cannot, and will
not go
back to the palace with you..." The Purging... Guilt... "Tell
everyone
to stop worrying and stop looking. I'm fine, and always will
be..."
Screams... Cries... Death... "This is my final warning and final
command
to all of you..." Clean breaks... "Stay away..." Or what?
Remember...
Clean breaks... No tears... Make them go away... "... or I will
kill
you..." Tears... Shock... Hurt...
Silence... Then, "I quit."
We're all absorbing the news, even myself.
I can't believe I said that.
Kill
them? Would I ever raise a hand against any of them? Can I turn my
back on
what I was destined to be? Am I being selfish, or am I right for
not
supporting them? Are they still the people I knew or have they changed
for the
worse? Should I give them a chance to explain?
Too late to find their answers to those
questions. I just threatened to
kill
them. I just turned my back on the Sailor Senshi. I'm being selfish. I
just
made them think they're changing for the worse. I didn't give them a
chance
to explain.
Clean breaks... They're the best, but are
they the least painful?
Makoto growls under her breath, "Baka
Mina..."
Ami is trying to look strong and has her
mouth sewed shut.
Haruka shakes her head in disgust and
leans further into the door.
Michiru is boggled and wants to know more.
Clean breaks... Can't lose sight of it
now. I literally spat on a
thousand
years of existence together. If this is not a clean break, I don't
know
what is.
I
don my indifferent, stoic expression, the one I've worn so many times
before
to make myself look strong when I was shaking in my sandals... the
composure
Sailor Venus used to carry around twenty four seven. I walk up to
the
door and gaze up at the taller blonde.
"I'll be leaving now."
She looks down at me with pitiful eyes and
calmly says, "You're not my
commander
anymore, Venus. There's two ways to get out this door: with us or
through
my dead body."
Five seconds after I make my threat and
I'm called to see it through.
"Just tell us why," Michiru
whispers, breaking the mounting tension
between
me and Haruka.
Clean break... Don't make them doubt
themselves. Don't stir up the
ranks.
Don't explain it. They'll only hold you back for more explanations.
Either
you'll shake their faith or they'll draw you back. Clean break... Go
your
separate ways, never to meet again...
I say again, but this time with a
malicious snarl, "I'll be leaving
now."
Figures. Haruka doesn't back down one
centimeter. Rather the opposite,
she
stands taller and gains more confidence. "Like I said, pick one of two
ways."
"Stop it you two!!!" screams Ami
from behind.
Haruka glances up and Michiru raises an
eyebrow. This is the
distraction
I need.
Since they're standing quite close
together, I throw a wide roundhouse
kick
and nail both of them in the faces. I know my blows don't hurt too
much;
afterall, they're powered up and I'm not. I'm only going for the
shock
factor. With the two stunned, I barrel out the door and into the
streets,
looking for a mode of transportation. My guess is that they'll
take to
the roofs when they recover, which will be in the next few seconds.
I need
place were they'll never suspect...
"Pssst! Minako!!!"
Evan steps out from an alley and motions
me over. Seeing no other
option,
I follow.
We dodge some obstacles, and halfway
through, I hear the door to the
bar
swing open. Up ahead, a cab is waiting for us and without a bit of
hesitation,
we dive in and simultaneously tell the man inside to drive.
"Where ya young'uns goin'?"
Simultaneously, "AIRPORT!"
************
And that's how we parted ways. We didn't
talk to each other. Somewhere
in the
back of my mind, I hoped that she didn't know I gave her away. For
the
first time, I actually felt guilty about getting a story, about
betraying
someone.
Maybe it was her charisma or her
mock-naive attitude. Maybe it was my
conscience
finally catching up with my darkened heart, or my body fearing
for its
life. I never knew why I felt sorry, but I knew I was.
From the bar to airport, she had her arms
folded; her eyes were glued
on the
window. Like I said, I hoped she didn't know, but she did. I was
fully
expecting some kind of retribution...
... but it didn't come.
I had a mini-tape in my hand: it contained
the entire conversation
between
her and the Senshi. Did she know I taped it? Again, I was never
certain.
Like a bad dream, the car stopped and we
got out. All my luggage was on
me
since I semi-planned this out. As for Minako, she didn't carry anything,
only
herself; I bet that was all she ever needed.
As we strode away from each other, she
going toward the European gates,
me
toward the North American gates, a faint pang of loss stabbed into my
heart.
Another great girl gone because of my devotion to my work - that
makes
an even twenty. But unlike the rest, I just couldn't shrug her off.
Everyone
else I admired for the looks, but Minako, I loved her for her
mind...
that questioning and sly yet ironically gentle and playful mind...
Loved...
That was a funny word to use. I talked with her for less than
thirty
minutes, but yet I loved her. A line from the conversation came back
into my
mind.
"You're not my commander anymore,
Venus."
Venus... Goddess of love. Was Minako the
goddess' harbinger or was she
her
avatar? Did Minako invoke a sense of love in everyone? Did she rekindle
that
lost flame of human emotion in all whom she met? Did she work her
magic
on me? Did I ever forget how to love?
Before I realized it, I was on a plane
heading back to my native land.
I
stared out the window to the next plane over and caught a glimpse of
Minako's
radiant face as her flight taxied out to the runway. I swore she
waved
to me. No, no, not one of those malicious, "I'll get you next time"
waves,
but one reserved for a friend.
Immediately following hers, my plane took
off into the night sky. As it
was
leaving the ground, the rest of the fuku-clad band filtered onto the
runway,
undoubtedly hunting for the golden haired princess. I took pleasure
in
knowing we beat the odds and eluded the famous, infallible Sailor
Senshi.
Getting up from my seat, I made my way to
the John, mini-tape in hand.
After
locking the door, I dropped the source of my pain into the toilet,
pissed
on it, and watched it flush away. I didn't feel any better. On the
other
hand, I felt foolish for throwing weeks of hard work into the drain.
It was
like an apology, a gesture of regret after the fact...
After the fact...
"This one's for you, Minako..."
***********
Afterword
***********
This is a saga that I would like to
pursue; however, I want to gauge
reader
reaction before I go on. Email me
anything, even if it's just to
say
hi. Regardless of reaction, I plan to
post Chapter 2 of this fic, so
stay
tuned (If you really wanted to know, it's a prelude to this story.
Each
chapter takes place in a different country and documents Minako's
travels
in the Crystal Tokyo era.).
Hope you enjoyed reading this story as
much as I enjoyed writing it!
-Don.
