SM Monthly Challenge Theme #63 (04MAR06)
Title: Playing for Time
Author: Raya
Theme: Villains / "If we are bound to forgive an enemy, we are not bound to trust him." -- Thomas Fuller
Genre: Drama
Version: Manga (Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All major and secondary characters were created by Takeuchi Naoko. Paper dolls, including Rahidi, however are free for anyone to play with.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism. Please let me know if you see something that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Playing for Time
"Uranus," Neo-Queen Serenity protested weakly.
Below her at the foot of the steps to the entrance hall of the Crystal Palace, the white headed senshi shook her head side to side once, tightened her grip on her Space Sword, and let the steel bite a little deeper into the prisoner's neck. Super Sailor Jupiter and several sturdy guards held tightly to the chains that bound him in place. Behind them, a large crowd of reporters and citizens who had been lucky enough to stake out a spot waited anxiously for the sentencing to begin.
The rest of the senshi, except for Super Sailor Pluto and Super Sailor Saturn who were not present, stood on the steps and protectively surrounded the royal family. King Endymion stood beside his wife, close enough to offer his support, but not touching her. This was her jurisdiction, and he did not wish to diminish her authority in any way.
Neo-Queen Serenity bit her lip, and then looked anxiously down towards her young, impressionable daughter. She really would have preferred for Small Lady to stay inside, but only Super Sailor Pluto had been willing to miss the sentencing and she was too busy to properly guard the inquisitive child. Even though the man below her was the head of the insurgency, there was always a chance that one of his followers would take advantage of the situation and try to take her as a hostage. And so, Small Lady peeked nervously out from behind her mother's skirts.
The Queen of Crystal Tokyo turned her attention back to the heavily guarded prisoner. Her azure blue eyes searched his thin black face and his dark brown eyes looking for any sign of guilt or remorse. All she saw was carefully manufactured fear.
"Majesty," Super Sailor Mercury said as she turned towards her queen and formally began the sentencing hearing. Her voice echoed off of the front of the palace and out to the far reaches of the crowd. "This creature, known as Death Phantom, has been formally tried on the charges of theft, inciting to riot, extortion, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, torture, brainwashing, attempted murder, murder, and treason. He had been found guilty of all counts, and remitted to you for punishment." Her solemn cobalt blue eyes met and held her queen's azure blue ones. "What say you, Neo-Queen Serenity-ojousama?"
As all eyes turned to the unhappy queen, Death Phantom had to fight to keep a look of satisfaction off of his face. 'Foolish humans,' he gloated privately. 'You think you have won. But, I know your weakness.' His dark eyes lingered on the white-haired queen's torn face. He let a look of fear and pleading enter his expression as she turned to look at him once more. 'Even better, I know hers.'
"Rahidi-san," she said softly, "have you... have you anything to say?"
"Rahidi-san is dead," Super Sailor Mars said coldly before he could reply. "We told you that, Serenity." She turned her snapping violet eyes towards her queen and her expression softened slightly. "You know that I would know," she added more gently. "I can sense only one entity in that body."
Death Phantom instantly recognized his opportunity. "M-majesty... Help me... Help me, please. It wasn't me. Those horrible things... I didn't do them. You know I wouldn't..." His voice cut off as Super Sailor Uranus pushed her blade deeper into his throat, but his eyes continued his desperate plea.
"Rahidi-san," Neo-Queen Serenity said as hope filled her eyes.
"It's a trick, Majesty," Sailor Venus said coldly as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You know it is a trick." A crafty look crossed her face as a thought occurred to her. "Offer to cleanse him," she continued as she turned a triumphant glance towards the prisoner. "If he truly is Rahidi-san..."
The white haired queen nodded, and then turned hopeful eyes towards the prisoner. 'Clever,' he thought poisonously. Out loud, he said, "A... A cleansing? But, that would kill me, wouldn't it? Even though that thing isn't here anymore, my body still feels so tainted... Is it to be death one way or the other, my Queen?"
Her hopeful expression fell and her shoulders sagged. Then, her expression tightened. "No. No it is not." She looked around at her tense senshi and her taut husband. She looked down at her innocent young daughter who did not understand the choice her mother was being forced to make or the potential consequences of the decision.
Suddenly, King Endymion moved. Everyone turned startled eyes towards him, and watched as he walked down the stairs. His cold, ocean blue eyes studied Death Phantom for a long moment, and then he turned to look up at his wife. He held out one gloved hand, and above it a golden sphere began to glow.
Moments later, he held Rahidi's crystal ball. The king studied it for a long moment, remembering the first time he had seen it in Hilel's hotel room. If he had only destroyed it all those centuries ago, none of this would have happened. This time, he would not make the same mistake. And if it changed time, so be it. He never wanted to watch his daughter go through that again anyway.
Death Phantom stared hungrily at his crystal, and reached for it with his mind. He was just about to make use of the power it held when he saw the white clad king lift it high into the air. His eyes widened in shock, horror, and disbelief when King Endymion threw it towards the ground. Before he could react, it shattered into a million pieces, and released all of its power.
Instantly, King Endymion formed a golden shield over the remains and forced them back down through the marbled stone and into the earth. The streams of power followed, and soon nothing was left. On the stone he had used to smash the crystal ball, the sigil for Earth appeared, glowing lavender and gold.
He lifted his head, ignoring the stunned man beside him, and looked towards his wife. "His power is no more, Serenity. Do with him what you will."
Neo-Queen Serenity's eyes brightened, and then she nodded towards him. Her compassionate gaze went to Death Phantom once more. Super Sailor Mercury spoke before she could.
"Remember the victims, Serenity-sama," she warned softly, mindful of the crowd. "If you set him free, he will not last long. I don't think there's any place that he would be safe except maybe inside the Crystal Palace. And, if you set him free, they will feel betrayed. They are trusting you to give them justice."
The queen closed her mouth, and then sighed. "True, Mercury. Thank you for reminding me," she murmured back.
"And remember what Rahidi-san was like before Death Phantom found him," Super Sailor Neptune added. "You may forgive him, but you can never trust him especially if he is still truly Death Phantom. No matter what you do, no matter how you wish otherwise, he will always be your enemy."
Reluctantly, Neo-Queen Serenity turned to the man who had destroyed her city and threatened her adopted world. She paused a long moment, and then began to speak again.
"There is a chance that you are still human," she said loudly enough for all who were gathered to hear. "I cannot... will not kill a human, no matter what the cause. Therefore, I banish you to life in prison. To pay for your crimes, you will be in solitary confinement, and to protect you, you will be sent with enough food, water, and other provisions to another planet in our system. A habitable dome will be built to shelter you. There, you will consider your crimes until you truly come to feel sorry for them." She paused, and then spoke again. "You will be eligible for review and removal from solitary confinement in five years."
She nodded her head to show that she was done, and turned to retreat back into her palace. As she moved, she quickly grabbed her daughter's hand and brought her along. The king followed a step behind her, still showing her his support. It wasn't until the doors closed with a loud chime that the silence was broken.
The large crowd of people began to mummer in shock, unable to believe that their queen had been so generous with so foul a criminal. Not looking too pleased themselves, the senshi quickly moved to return Death Phantom to his secured cell. He was still too deep in shock at the destruction of his crystal ball to resist or protest.
Two days later, burdened with a habitable dome and a year's worth of supplies, the senshi transported him to the newly discovered planet of Nemesis. Although he fought against them and tried to return with them, they managed to leave him on his cold, dark prison.
The following year when they visited the world to bring him new supplies, Super Sailor Uranus and Super Sailor Neptune were shocked to find that he had built a large, elaborate castle. Although they walked the halls for several hours, they could not find him. Deciding that he had made some hidey-holes and was watching them from somewhere, they put the supplies in a central location where he would be sure to find them, and then left.
Exactly a year later, they returned with more supplies. When they noticed that the previous year's supplies had been untouched, they returned to Earth and quietly informed the King that the prisoner appeared to be dead.
And so, he was forgotten. Until, three centuries later, a dark, cowled figure appeared to a group of young rebels and offered to help them in their fight against the rulers of the White Moon.
Author: Raya
Theme: Villains / "If we are bound to forgive an enemy, we are not bound to trust him." -- Thomas Fuller
Genre: Drama
Version: Manga (Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All major and secondary characters were created by Takeuchi Naoko. Paper dolls, including Rahidi, however are free for anyone to play with.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism. Please let me know if you see something that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Playing for Time
"Uranus," Neo-Queen Serenity protested weakly.
Below her at the foot of the steps to the entrance hall of the Crystal Palace, the white headed senshi shook her head side to side once, tightened her grip on her Space Sword, and let the steel bite a little deeper into the prisoner's neck. Super Sailor Jupiter and several sturdy guards held tightly to the chains that bound him in place. Behind them, a large crowd of reporters and citizens who had been lucky enough to stake out a spot waited anxiously for the sentencing to begin.
The rest of the senshi, except for Super Sailor Pluto and Super Sailor Saturn who were not present, stood on the steps and protectively surrounded the royal family. King Endymion stood beside his wife, close enough to offer his support, but not touching her. This was her jurisdiction, and he did not wish to diminish her authority in any way.
Neo-Queen Serenity bit her lip, and then looked anxiously down towards her young, impressionable daughter. She really would have preferred for Small Lady to stay inside, but only Super Sailor Pluto had been willing to miss the sentencing and she was too busy to properly guard the inquisitive child. Even though the man below her was the head of the insurgency, there was always a chance that one of his followers would take advantage of the situation and try to take her as a hostage. And so, Small Lady peeked nervously out from behind her mother's skirts.
The Queen of Crystal Tokyo turned her attention back to the heavily guarded prisoner. Her azure blue eyes searched his thin black face and his dark brown eyes looking for any sign of guilt or remorse. All she saw was carefully manufactured fear.
"Majesty," Super Sailor Mercury said as she turned towards her queen and formally began the sentencing hearing. Her voice echoed off of the front of the palace and out to the far reaches of the crowd. "This creature, known as Death Phantom, has been formally tried on the charges of theft, inciting to riot, extortion, kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, torture, brainwashing, attempted murder, murder, and treason. He had been found guilty of all counts, and remitted to you for punishment." Her solemn cobalt blue eyes met and held her queen's azure blue ones. "What say you, Neo-Queen Serenity-ojousama?"
As all eyes turned to the unhappy queen, Death Phantom had to fight to keep a look of satisfaction off of his face. 'Foolish humans,' he gloated privately. 'You think you have won. But, I know your weakness.' His dark eyes lingered on the white-haired queen's torn face. He let a look of fear and pleading enter his expression as she turned to look at him once more. 'Even better, I know hers.'
"Rahidi-san," she said softly, "have you... have you anything to say?"
"Rahidi-san is dead," Super Sailor Mars said coldly before he could reply. "We told you that, Serenity." She turned her snapping violet eyes towards her queen and her expression softened slightly. "You know that I would know," she added more gently. "I can sense only one entity in that body."
Death Phantom instantly recognized his opportunity. "M-majesty... Help me... Help me, please. It wasn't me. Those horrible things... I didn't do them. You know I wouldn't..." His voice cut off as Super Sailor Uranus pushed her blade deeper into his throat, but his eyes continued his desperate plea.
"Rahidi-san," Neo-Queen Serenity said as hope filled her eyes.
"It's a trick, Majesty," Sailor Venus said coldly as she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You know it is a trick." A crafty look crossed her face as a thought occurred to her. "Offer to cleanse him," she continued as she turned a triumphant glance towards the prisoner. "If he truly is Rahidi-san..."
The white haired queen nodded, and then turned hopeful eyes towards the prisoner. 'Clever,' he thought poisonously. Out loud, he said, "A... A cleansing? But, that would kill me, wouldn't it? Even though that thing isn't here anymore, my body still feels so tainted... Is it to be death one way or the other, my Queen?"
Her hopeful expression fell and her shoulders sagged. Then, her expression tightened. "No. No it is not." She looked around at her tense senshi and her taut husband. She looked down at her innocent young daughter who did not understand the choice her mother was being forced to make or the potential consequences of the decision.
Suddenly, King Endymion moved. Everyone turned startled eyes towards him, and watched as he walked down the stairs. His cold, ocean blue eyes studied Death Phantom for a long moment, and then he turned to look up at his wife. He held out one gloved hand, and above it a golden sphere began to glow.
Moments later, he held Rahidi's crystal ball. The king studied it for a long moment, remembering the first time he had seen it in Hilel's hotel room. If he had only destroyed it all those centuries ago, none of this would have happened. This time, he would not make the same mistake. And if it changed time, so be it. He never wanted to watch his daughter go through that again anyway.
Death Phantom stared hungrily at his crystal, and reached for it with his mind. He was just about to make use of the power it held when he saw the white clad king lift it high into the air. His eyes widened in shock, horror, and disbelief when King Endymion threw it towards the ground. Before he could react, it shattered into a million pieces, and released all of its power.
Instantly, King Endymion formed a golden shield over the remains and forced them back down through the marbled stone and into the earth. The streams of power followed, and soon nothing was left. On the stone he had used to smash the crystal ball, the sigil for Earth appeared, glowing lavender and gold.
He lifted his head, ignoring the stunned man beside him, and looked towards his wife. "His power is no more, Serenity. Do with him what you will."
Neo-Queen Serenity's eyes brightened, and then she nodded towards him. Her compassionate gaze went to Death Phantom once more. Super Sailor Mercury spoke before she could.
"Remember the victims, Serenity-sama," she warned softly, mindful of the crowd. "If you set him free, he will not last long. I don't think there's any place that he would be safe except maybe inside the Crystal Palace. And, if you set him free, they will feel betrayed. They are trusting you to give them justice."
The queen closed her mouth, and then sighed. "True, Mercury. Thank you for reminding me," she murmured back.
"And remember what Rahidi-san was like before Death Phantom found him," Super Sailor Neptune added. "You may forgive him, but you can never trust him especially if he is still truly Death Phantom. No matter what you do, no matter how you wish otherwise, he will always be your enemy."
Reluctantly, Neo-Queen Serenity turned to the man who had destroyed her city and threatened her adopted world. She paused a long moment, and then began to speak again.
"There is a chance that you are still human," she said loudly enough for all who were gathered to hear. "I cannot... will not kill a human, no matter what the cause. Therefore, I banish you to life in prison. To pay for your crimes, you will be in solitary confinement, and to protect you, you will be sent with enough food, water, and other provisions to another planet in our system. A habitable dome will be built to shelter you. There, you will consider your crimes until you truly come to feel sorry for them." She paused, and then spoke again. "You will be eligible for review and removal from solitary confinement in five years."
She nodded her head to show that she was done, and turned to retreat back into her palace. As she moved, she quickly grabbed her daughter's hand and brought her along. The king followed a step behind her, still showing her his support. It wasn't until the doors closed with a loud chime that the silence was broken.
The large crowd of people began to mummer in shock, unable to believe that their queen had been so generous with so foul a criminal. Not looking too pleased themselves, the senshi quickly moved to return Death Phantom to his secured cell. He was still too deep in shock at the destruction of his crystal ball to resist or protest.
Two days later, burdened with a habitable dome and a year's worth of supplies, the senshi transported him to the newly discovered planet of Nemesis. Although he fought against them and tried to return with them, they managed to leave him on his cold, dark prison.
The following year when they visited the world to bring him new supplies, Super Sailor Uranus and Super Sailor Neptune were shocked to find that he had built a large, elaborate castle. Although they walked the halls for several hours, they could not find him. Deciding that he had made some hidey-holes and was watching them from somewhere, they put the supplies in a central location where he would be sure to find them, and then left.
Exactly a year later, they returned with more supplies. When they noticed that the previous year's supplies had been untouched, they returned to Earth and quietly informed the King that the prisoner appeared to be dead.
And so, he was forgotten. Until, three centuries later, a dark, cowled figure appeared to a group of young rebels and offered to help them in their fight against the rulers of the White Moon.