It had been several minutes since Setsuna - as Sailor Pluto - left after announcing that the only viable option to save the world was 'Purification.'
He didn't like the sound of that. The scant details she had given of the ritual involved sounded far too much like some kind of bonding ritual, rather than purification.
He also wasn't too sure about turning the population of the world into weres...
He intended to get more details from the elusive woman before he'd let this go on. Just as soon as she and Onoli returned from... whatever they were doing.
Actually, he had a pretty good guess what they were 'doing.' He was happy for Onoli, but was uncertain if they could fully trust this so-called guardian of time.
As it was, he was rather shocked to find Setsuna and Onoli returning after so short a time... and with three wererats he didn't know, thoroughly chained up.
Setsuna took a moment to hand the chain over to Onoli, before approaching the Doctor. "I have a feeling you wish to speak with me."
Theo raised his eyebrows. "Yes, I do. But what was that," he indicated the angry-looking wererats, "all about?"
Setsuna shrugged. "Another situation that needed immediate attention. Had they been allowed to complete their mission, a great tragedy would have begun."
"Really?" Theo asked, skeptically.
"Yes. They were tasked with bringing Akane Tendo to Gothwrain. In the process, they would have killed Nabiki and Kasumi Tendo, as well as Kodachi Kuno. Then Gothwrain would have, using all means at his disposal, turned the girl into a walking killing machine. When he would finally release her, the death toll would be... enormous."
"I... see." Theo replied, his doubt clearly indicated in his voice.
Setsuna sighed again. "And this brings us to the crux of our problem. You don't know if you can trust me."
"That does pretty much sum it up."
"Then come with me."
"Where to?"
"The Gates of Time. I wish to show them to you, so you can see for yourself. Believe me, if you can find something I've over looked, I would be very happy to implement that instead."
_-=^=-_
The Gates of Time turned out to be much less impressive that Theo expected. Sure, it was made of Marble (or some similar kind of stone) and was floating in a misty limbo... but still, he'd been expecting something more ornate.
Setsuna handed him the Key Staff. "Extend your aura to the gate, using the staff to guide you. Be careful not to be overwhelmed with inconsequential splits - things like what a person has for breakfast or if they start walking on their left foot or right foot usually don't have an impact in the long run. If they do, it's easier to track back to that event, rather that start there and go forward. Take as long as you need. Here, we exist outside space and time."
With those scant instructions, Dr. Diggers tentatively began to explore the Gate...
_-=^=-_
Subjectively hours later, he stopped. He suddenly had a great respect for Setsuna... to be able to handle the mental strain of using the gate implied a strength of character and willpower that he had not previously credited her with.
"Well," she asked.
Theo sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it... you're right. If nothing is done, panicking people will launch nuclear weapons in two days, and reduce the planet to a wasteland before the third day. Only the werecreatures will survive that... and then only to slowly starve to death in a radioactive world.
"And if we try containment, it will lead to a war with Claudius's forces that will last many generations, eventually mutating into a war between humanity and werecreatures. A war that only one race will survive."
Setsuna nodded grimly. "I actually was hoping you could find another option."
"I have another question... this Purification Ritual..."
"Has much in common with a ritual to bond one person in service to another? You are correct. That was its original intent... but we will be using an incomplete form of the ritual. Usagi will be focusing the Silver Crystal, instead of Sailor Saturn or Chibi-Usa, as it was originally intended. No one will be focusing the Chromatic Orb, and thus, no one will be able to influence the final product. In the way this was intended to be used, Usagi - or rather, Princess Serenity, would have used it to spread a message of trust and peace... and inadvertently bound everyone affected by the purification to serving her."
"Everyone affected? You mean it's not a sure thing?"
"No. Some people won't be affected. No non-humans/non-were will be, nor will any human altered sufficiently by either science or magic. Anyone with enough magic awareness and ability will be able to resist it if they so choose - yourself included. But, in general, more than 99% of the world will be subjected to the Purification, which will free them of any outside mind control... and incidentally turn them into were-creatures."
"What kind of person could have come up with this process to enslave a world?!"
"Would you believe, a kind, loving woman, with the best of intentions?"
Theo paused. "Somehow... I can. Who was it?"
"You may have heard us refer to a time called the Silver Millennium?"
"Yes, a time when humanity lived on all the planets - or at least the moons of the gas giants."
"Correct. It was ruled by Moon Kingdom, on Earth's own moon. And ultimately, by the Queen of the Moon Kingdom, Queen Serenity.
"When I found that the end of the Silver Millennium was fast approaching, I warned Queen Serenity to prepare herself for it. She wouldn't be capable of destroying the evil of Metallia, and if she wasn't ready to send her daughter and the Senshi forward, the future - our present - would be doomed.
"But Serenity's reaction was beyond what I thought it would be. She became obsessed with ensuring that her daughter would have a kingdom of her own. She placed a geas on me to ensure it, but not even that was enough. Eventually, she created the purification ritual. Fortunately, she never got to alter the geas to require I actually use the ritual... but we would eventually have faced an enemy that would push us to the point of use it, or lose the world. An enemy, by the way, that will not be able to get a foot hold on a world aware of magic and full of were-creatures.
"The real problem was that, while kind and just, Queen Serenity was an aristocrat, born and bred. The idea of equal rights for all people would have sounded like a silly idea to her. She could not have conceived of a society without a rigid caste system. Universal education would have baffled her. Thus, the Purification would have created what she thought of as the perfect kingdom. But when we all became were-creatures, things were changed so much that her version of the future was no longer viable."
"But you are still bound to make a kingdom for Usagi?"
"Yes, but not by the geas. There is a matter of a paradox that requires she have a kingdom to resolve."
Theo just stared at Setsuna a moment. "Time traveling enemy?"
She nodded.
"I'm sorry."
Setsuna shrugged. "So am I. Unfortunately, I have little control over those who find their own way to travel through the time stream... like the Black Moon Family. Or Dr. Peachbody." Then she shook her head. "We need to return. I have to go and handle a situation with Ami before she does something we all will regret."
"Very well..."
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(Posted Fri, 18 Apr 2003 21:31)
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