The chapter title is a reference to a quote by Mary Wollstonecraft


What I did was not wrong. I did it for everyone, for happiness, for peace, for utopia. It was never wrong. At the time one doubts their actions because they don't see the result of it. But look before you. There is a land filled with tall crystal spires, progress as was never seen before in history and most of all peace. Do you not see the beauty and the majesty of Crystal Tokyo? This planet prosperes for what I did. Had I hesitated, had I truly thought that it was wrong, no one would be left.

Yes, I did it for the greater good. I did it because only I could do it. Only I could fight Chaos. And when it comes back, I will be prepared. Though I cannot use the Ginzuishou anymore, as it has reverted from the Silver Moon Crystal, I have a new person to keep it shining. That is my daughter.

What leftover threats of people who saw what I did, people would would threaten my hard-earned peace, people who learned of the power I used, the people who I could not cleanse after their starseeds had turned black, or found the ashes, I cast to the far reaches of this solar system, to Nemesis. Because what I did was never wrong, and what I did the younger Usagi, the younger me would not understand. There is a price for happiness and I did no wrong in obtaining it. Now Small Lady must understand this too...

It stopped working after that. The crystal that was shell cast off of Guardian Cosmos's breast had stopped working. It had passed from Queen Serenity to Princess Serenity--Dead to Tsukino Usagi to Neo-Queen Serenity and through all the battles it had gone through it simply stopped working. It would have died and gone black if not for one minor detail--Mamoru had proposed to Usagi and in Usagi's happiness he'd spent the night.

Perhaps this happiness wasn't just the fact that he asked her, finally, but that even though she'd done all those horrid things and had to banish the people she could not purify that she'd brought back to life, nor kill with her left over fading power, that he was still willing to love her. He still believed she was the same. She wanted to believe that too, desperately.

Even with the world destroyed and many government buildings turned to dust, she seemed like the beacon of light that people wanted to turn towards. Was she not the thing that had defeated the darkness? Was she not the person that had brought peace and promised them more peace? Crystal Tokyo looked like a haven, and a dream to the people of Earth after their lives, friends and homes had been destroyed systematically, as after the grieving of a disaster, the humans wished to rebuild.

Despite this the Ginzuishou, the once Silver Moon Crystal, reverted to it's seed form, and would not listen to Neo-Queen Serenity. It would never listen to Neo-Queen Serenity again. For the Ginzuishou knew what no one else would admit.

So how does one build a Kingdom further when the very thing you used to build it--the corner stone, the keystone is gone and no longer at your disposal? Are there not 8 other full-fledged Sailor Crystals and one Prince Crystal to use? Have they not lent power before?

And this is what Neo-Queen Serenity was slowly led to think. It was not a thought that started at the beginning of her reign--for that was truly happy, no later, when people spoke out against her in the newspaper, posted slander in the tabloids and gave rumors and false truths while she was pregnant.

How were they any different than those shells she'd cast to the far reaches of the universe before. She's promised them eternal life. But no, they did not listen. But she suppressed these thoughts, she did so for a long time, until one day just before her daughter was born, and in a fit, she called the power of the other crystals. Those who would complain about her never complained again.

"What have you done Odango?" Uranus asked her.

The thought of her own power to supply the dead Ginzuishou made her head spin.

The only ones who ever found out were the senshi from the outer Solar System. She couldn't steal the power as she thought, discretely.

"It was not right," Neptune said seething. Neo-Queen Serenity could feel the surge of power from her.

"I did not mean it..." Neo-Queen Serenity started.

Saturn held up her staff to the queen.

"I have seen darkness and pain. I've seen the very heart of Chaos and fought against you. You are not what you once were. You are not the Princess we were sworn to protect," Saturn said.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry," Neo-Queen Serenity said.

Somehow those words sounded empty even to her. Neo-Queen Serenity had destroyed starseeds, forever.

But the three soldier advanced on her still. That was when Neo-Queen Serenity realized something--her daughter was going to be born soon, the connection between mother and daughter was strong. She could do it.

The Ginzuishou pulsed in its case and came to the side of its new master, but fell short, not realizing what it had really arrived into. The three Sailor soldiers were banished to their planets to sleep for eternity and to protect the barrier.

Again, the ginzuishou fell dead, confused by the impurity in its new user. Neo-Queen Serenity apologized to the crystal again, which no longer float in her hands and returned it to its rightful place.

"They would disturb my utopia--what else could I do?" Neo-Queen Serenity tried to explain to the inanimate object.

Neo-Queen Serenity explained after that that the senshi from the Outer Solar System had gone to their planets to set up a superior shield. No one questioned her, because who would question a person who had created peace on Earth and prosperity that came with it? This was happiness.

Princess Tsukino Usagi Small Lady Serenity was born. Known to everyone as Small Lady. The bright pink hair and sweet disposition rather reminded Neo-Queen Serenity of her younger self, but this child was the only one who could use the Ginzuishou. It needed to be activated soon. But Neo-Queen Serenity found other ways to keep the peace, because this was happiness.

And this was how the peace was maintained, while the rest of the people enjoyed full lives they never questioned how it was achieved. This was happiness. No one questioned for a second why the Earth was never over populated. What crystal could prevent accidents? In over a hundred, no 200 years of reign that not for a second people questioned her rule. It was happiness after all.

Small Lady grew up into a beautiful child. Neo-Queen Serenity knew that her daughter was getting teased, but said nothing. She could not stand to see the face of her daughter because it reminded her as more the days passed of herself. The older Small Lady got, the more that Neo-Queen Serenity went on trips, though she still tried to be a good mother and smile.

Endymion? Did he not sense it? Did he not see it when she asked never to be called Usagi anymore and for those civilian names to be shed like outgrown clothes? Perhaps in a passing thought, and edge of a memory, but who would want to admit such a thing, the events that happened were behind them, long long ago. Even when she asked if he could use the Golden Crystal, he didn't want to think that the warm body across from him could not see the difference in the human soul. The world was at peace as was once promised, this was happiness.

She did it because she thought it was right. How could anyone deny her that? Who would do so well in her position? This complacency was through careful thinking and choosing. If one could make wolves into dogs, then what of humans? Mercury had thought that up once in a passing thought when her murmurs would not stop inside of her nightmares. Neo-Queen Serenity could do it. This was happiness.

The more she used the people around her into thinking that they were supporting the Ginzuishou the less complaints were raised which meant that people were happy. If no one asked about the high job rates and the lack of homeless, then the Ginzuishou must have done it. Nobody reasoned why Small Lady could not use the Ginzuishou and why she was not let near it for much of her childhood--900 years worth of it. And no one questioned anything. Who would? This was happiness.

And then the day came--the time came for Neo-Queen Serenity to help her daughter activate the Ginzuishou herself. This is why the holographic beds were made and she was prepared. She knew when the Black Moon family would attack--not in the name of power, but of social justice. The Moon Family could live and survive.


You get the drill by now. Specific comments please.