3: Tsukinousagi
-Themis! THEMIS!
It was a day in the summer, during the eclipse of Seldigo, that the Great Matter began for me. I was asleep, having stayed up the entire night grading papers for my class in the morning. Currently, or at least then, I lived in the town of Bsyey, a small place on the other side of the Ydhh home world. I had only gotten an hour or so of sleep, and had just begun to dream when the violent rapping came onto my door.
-THEMIS! I was startled awake. -Themis, wake UP!
My eyes were blurry, and my heart was racing as I tried to wake myself up. The sun was shining into my room, and I had to blink several times to get myself adjusted to the glare.
-I……. I yawned. -I’m coming….
I staggered from my chair and almost didn’t make it to the door. But I persevered, and made it; I opened the door. I knew it was Koogairu at the door, but I did not quite comprehend why Koogairu would be at my door so early in the morning. Then I realized it was not early at all; the sun was up too high as I opened the door.
-Koogairu?
-Themis! She suddenly grabbed my hand. -It’s incredible. You’re not going to believe what’s going on.
-What? I was immediately awake. -What happened?
-Come with me. Koogairu dragged me out of my room. -You’ll find out soon enough.
The next thing I knew, I was being brought into Bsyey Square, still in the clothing I had worn the previous day, and escorted into the church. I wondered why I was being brought into a church, as church was normally closed on non-worship days, and that day was not by any means a worship day.
-In here.
It was completely empty in the church, save for myself, Koogairu and several figures at the head of the church. At first, I did not recognize who was with us, for the figures in the front were cloaked; as we got closer, however, I recognized the vicar of Bsyey, and Sailor Dyka. The others seemed to be bodyguards.
-We’re here, Dyka.
-Good. Dyka turned to the vicars and the bodyguards. -You can leave. We must be alone.
The vicar nodded and led the guards out, allowing my confusion to grow. It was in the middle of the day, and Dyka, who lived quite a ways away from Ydhh, was in the town, in the church. It dawned on me, however, that something important must have been happening for this to be possible.
-Sailor Dyka. I bowed. -I…..This is unexpected.
-Themis. I looked up as Dyka spoke. -A great matter is at hand, and I need your help.
I remember my confusion as I looked up into her eyes; I could sense, even more, a great importance of whatever was to be given to me, though I still, even then, could not fathom.
-What is it that you ask of me, senator?
-….Tell me, Themis. She turned away from me. -What experience have you had in court?
-Huh?
I was taken aback by this line of questioning. I answered, though my voice cracked.
-Well, I….. My mind went through it all so I could answer truthfully. -Well….I tried several robberies….and I had a murder, but they dropped the charge.
-And….what of treason? Have you served for that?
-….What?!
Now I was suspicious of her questions. Of all the things to ask! But only one possibility came up as to why. But was it possible? My lip quivered at the possibility.
-Dyka…?
-Themis. She turned back to me. -I need your help.
I stared at here. No, I thought. It was impossible. I couldn’t be. Sailor Dyka….could she have done it?
-Dyka…. I quickly dropped down. -I will defend you if you ask, at any trials that may come before you, as your friend and as your follower-
-No, Themis….not me.
-......Oh. I gave a sigh of relief. -Then-
-Her.
My head swerved around. I stood before the pew that Dyka pointed at, my eyes scanning what was before me with surprise and some disdain.
-She's a Number One case.
-A.....
She wore a long black cape of the Bysey. A red hood covered her head, concealing her face. I knew full well it was a girl, and a sailor soldier, even though she was completely hidden under the cloak. Being a soldier for many years can allow you to see a sailor soldier, to sense a sailor soldier through any guise. However, I could not see what she looked like.
-You..... I caught my breath. -Th-this is a joke, right?
-No.
-Then.....
-See for yourself an accused traitor. Dyka turned to the cloaked figure. -Show her your face, girl.
There was a reluctant pause at this. Slowly, surely, a shaking, pale, thin appendage of an arm reached up for the hood.
Perhaps it is difficult for someone human to understand what I felt when I first saw that hand. Perhaps I should have mentioned that I am not....human.....nor am I human-looking. It would be hard to describe what exactly I look like to you humans, since I am not like a...human. In fact, I did not know the term 'human' until....well.....we called you jeukoochinegar in common, or if we were being kind, vikarna. But I digress.
-......Ah........
I stared, unbelieving, at the sight I beheld. Under this cloak was this.....thing? How could I describe it? I has never seen a creature so scrawny or naked in my life. Not naked in that it had no clothing, but naked as it was so plain and tiny. It was a pale whitish color, with dark golden hair, and large, bugged out eyes, staring right back at me. All over its face were scratches and red marks, and they stood out as its face became white upon looking around.
-You....I stammered. -B-but you're too young to be a.....a....you look.....weird....
I went to touch the creature in curiosity, on instinct, but instantly, it drew back from me, almost throwing itself onto the other side of the pew aisle. As this, I looked at Dyka reproachfully. I was almost certain it was a mistake, for she was young, whatever she or it was, a mere child in my mind. For that matter, she was a strange creature to begin with. What was worse, I figured out that she was somehow very scared of me.
-I thought you might want to see her before everything blew up. She was arrested two weeks ago and taken into custody, Dyka simply replied. -The Bysey managed to get her from her prison cell. She'll be going back soon, or maybe she'll go to another holding place. I don't know. She was acting like a baby when I brought her here; I had to smack her myself to stop her crying. I haven't a clue why. I can't find anything. The jailers claimed that she is a compulsive liar; those scars were self-inflicted.
-A child!
-She's being put on trial.
-But Dyka! I almost sounded condescending. Couldn't they wait?
-Themis. She looked me in the eye. -She broke a rule, no matter how young she is. From what I understand, the charge is much more grievous; the holders claimed she did something else, but they wouldn't go into what it was.
-Oh..... I bent my head down. -I apologize. That is true.
-That is all right. Dyka's eyes hardened. -But right now, the Number One charge is what we have. We'll know more at the hearing.
-Hearing? We?
My heart skipped a beat. For the moment, I forgot about the bruised girl next to me and thought of grander things. To be sure, if 'we' were going to the hearing, I knew in my heart what Dyka was asking.
-...Y..... I stammered. -I'd be honored.
-Hmm?
-You....but...I can't be on your team, can I? My heart suddenly sunk. -I'm not a part of the Seemarin....only representatives can be on a Number One trial....
-...No. Dyka's head turned towards the girl. -You are not. But you will be my partner on the case, nevertheless. It doesn't matter that you're not on the Seemarin. You seem to be dependable. Have a head on your shoulders. As much as I like Koogairu, you've never seen her lobby anything. She's a liability, doesn't have the stomach for this kind of case.
-Then-
-I petitioned the Seemarin. They approved. Dyka turned back to me. -You're on my team. Don't let me down.
-I.....
I looked at the creature. I looked back at Dyka. Then, I looked back at the creature. She was almost cowering on the other side of the aisle, frightened of our very presence. I almost felt offended by her actions, if I hadn't been repulsed by the simple appearance of her.
-Is....she from a.....Vika galaxy?
-She is. Dyka lowered her voice. Upon arrest, she identified herself not as a soldier, as per standard procedure, but "tsukinousagi". Her planet is the satellite of a planet called "earth" by its inhabitants from my basic notes, one called "moon".
-Satellite?
This made me sick even more. Not only a Vika, but not even from a real planet! Soldier of a mere sub-planet, a satellite! Satellite soldiers were not very strong at all, and sometimes planetary soldiers were exiled to satellites as punishment for improper conduct.
-This..... I almost turned green. -This must.....be a joke.
-Here. The next thing I knew, a giant black folder several feet thick was placed in my hands. -This is the file for our upcoming case. This is abruptly being put in our lap; its big. So I suggest you'd better read it; you have three days to get caught up and memorize it.
-But what do I tell-
-Your school has put you on leave to do this. But regardless, it is best not to mention anything to anyone else about it yet. Dyka turned away. -Remember, three days. You must be ready. Come, girl.
Slowly, with hesitation, the virtually hairless creature stood up. She looked around, and before she turned and followed Dyka out of the church with a scamper, she gave me a final, almost nervous glance.
-
It stayed with me for many days afterwards, that first meeting. Though it sometimes faded, the memory would always come back to me.
I had never seen such a file in my life. There was seven thousand pages of police reports; one half was dedicated to statistics, social profiles, prison dockets, and other papers regarding what was known about the criminal. Everyone wanted a piece of her, it almost seemed.
The other half of the file was the list of people whom she - whom was known in her soldier form as "Sailor Moon", for the satellite was called "Moon" - had resurrected in violation of the resurrection clause that was Number One. All of them were citizens of Earth, the star planet she supposedly resided on. There were approximately two billion names on the file I was presented. And this was the edited version.
There were about four billion others, but to conserve paper, the filers whom composed the report for me had to compromise. They wrote on the back of the last people list of this discrepancy, with the comment that I had no need to know the name of everyone resurrected. But I digress.
Tsukinousagi........Tsukinousagi.......
The look in the girl's eyes as she left was unlike anything I had ever seen before. There was something within them, something I could not quite identify. There was fear, yes, and sadness. There was a great deal of sadness in her tear-stained eyes. There were other things, things that I could not understand, that lay in them as well. It was as if there was some sort of strange depth, which I had not ever seen in any of my sisters before.
Hmm.......
The thought of ponderance vanished, however, when I delved deep enough into the file. I came to simply stare at each page that I read with incredulity. The charges seemed so ludicrous to me. I would turn a page, after reading an outrageous account of Tsukinousagi's crimes, only to find that the next page contained even more ludicrous charges. By the time I had gotten only halfway through the list of names, I could not read any more. I was too sick of what I'd absorbed to take any more.
For, according to what I was given, she had resurrected everyone on the star planet Earth - six billion creatures just like her. In this, she had violated Number One. But she had not violated it just once. No; she had not even violated it twice. She violated Number One five times in almost as many Earth years.
Thirty billion counts of violation? I could not believe my eyes. A small, pale, almost trembling girl, such as her, a skimp mutant. Thirty billion! And I am assured that they were probably rounding it down!
I rubbed my eyes in frustration. I could not think straight about who I was to defend in court to throw this in my lap like this, I almost cursed Dyka for choosing me. To defend such a person would never get me into the Seemarin. It was in reading the depressing material that I remembered that defenders who are chosen from the outside to help a criminal are ostracized forever after.
Yet the look in her eyes came back to me, and I cursed my luck. I cursed Tsukinousagi. I wished I had never met such a cowering contradiction.
