As Naru thought about what Mumeishi had said, that he hadn't been at the Institute before the purification ceremony, she realized that a number of her fellow 'guests' in the Independent Living unit didn't appear to be mentally ill or unable to look after themselves. They were only here, it seemed, because they had refused to be purified. Where had they come from, then? Who else had been brought to the Queen that day?

Who was Mumeishi before he came to the Institute? His abrupt ending of their conversation when she had asked him about that day, after he had asked her so many personal questions, made her wonder what he might be hiding.

When one of the more talkative female orderlies came in Naru's room to tidy up and change her sheets, Naru asked, "Was everyone here in this hospital before we went to meet Serenity-sama? I thought I overheard someone saying they didn't come here until after that."

"I can't tell you about any specific guests, because that would be a violation of privacy, of course," the orderly said, smiling. "But that same day, patients from other hospitals were brought to see her, and, I think, some prisoners too. Serenity-sama promised a full pardon to all prisoners who would allow themselves to be purified, even those who had committed the most terrible crimes. Who wouldn't want to have a chance to start over again like that? And they had also rounded up a few others who hadn't been brought in before for purification. Homeless people, others who were trying to avoid it. I really don't understand why any of you people here chose not to be purified."

"I feel like I owe it to my late husband to grieve for him at least a little longer. There isn't anything wrong with that, is there?" And her mother, and her unborn baby. And Nephrite--without her grief, she felt like she wouldn't have anything of him at all.

"Oh, no, not at all. But I'm sure he doesn't want you to be sad. He wants you to be happy. That's what all the dead want--for the people who loved them to go on with life and be happy."

"Maybe. I still don't feel like it's right to go on and pretend like nothing happened." Like I tried to after Nephrite died.

"Well, of course, the idea will take some time to get used to. But once you're purified, you will never regret it. I know I don't."

The orderly finished her tasks and left with a cheerful "Have a nice day!" Naru closed the door and sat down at the small table by the barred window. Which group had Mumeishi been with? Had he been a patient at another hospital, or a prisoner, or someone who had been avoiding being taken for purification? It was a little frightening to think that she was closed in here in the Independent Living Section with unrepentant prisoners. But no, it wouldn't happen that way in Neo-Queen Serenity's Crystal Tokyo. Surely the most dangerous people would be locked up back in prison, or in the Protective Custody section. If any of the people here had been prisoners, they must have been in prison for less-serious crimes, or were showing signs of being rehabilitated. Still, she would be careful to never let herself be alone with Mumeishi, at least not until she knew more about him.

* * * * * * * *

He joined her for supper that evening. "May I sit here, Unimo-san?"

"Certainly, Mumeishi-san." There was really no polite way to tell him no, and at least he was a source of interesting and intelligent conversation.

"Beef tonight. A treat for those of us accustomed to institutional food. Our gracious Queen certainly treats her guests well, I'll say that."

An orderly stopped at their table. "Do you two have everything you need?" This was another one of the unsmiling orderlies.

Mumeishi gave him a friendly smile. "We are quite well. Everything is perfect, thank you."

"Thank you, Mumeishi-san. It is a delight to have you as our guest." The orderly bowed slightly and walked away, stopping to ask another diner if she had everything she needed. Naru watched him go, relieved and a little surprised that he hadn't been more suspicious of Mumeishi and her. But now that she thought about it, the spying orderlies were paying less attention to Mumeishi lately. He always smiled at them, a charming smile as though he was greeting a long-lost friend, and engaged them in a bit of friendly conversation that was always flattering to the Institute.

"I was sorry but not surprised to learn of your widowed status," Mumeishi said, returning to his meal. "I thought I had sensed a deep hurt about you, and this explains a lot of it. But it seems there is something else..." He looked directly into Naru's eyes. Startled, she met his dark, intense gaze, then pulled her eyes away from his. "I believe you've suffered a betrayal," he went on. "Not by a lover, though. We expect our lovers to betray us, as they almost always do. When the betrayal comes, there is shock and hurt, but on some level we are prepared for it. No, this is something that cuts more deeply. You've been betrayed by someone you always trusted implicitly. You've been betrayed by a friend."

It was like a punch to her stomach. Naru closed her eyes at the blow. How could he possibly know? And why did it hurt so much to admit that she felt betrayed by Usagi? She wanted to excuse the things Usagi had done, both at her competency hearing and as Queen. She wanted to think Usagi had good, compelling reasons for doing what she had done, that she wouldn't have done them if there had been a choice. On the other hand, Usagi knew the truth, knew that Naru wasn't crazy or dangerous.

"It's...I'll get over it," she said. "I'm a little disappointed at how a friend has handled some things since the accident, but she has her reasons for doing what she did."

"Have you told her that you are disappointed?"

"Well, no, but I think she knows."

"Don't you think you should stand up for yourself?" He leaned a little closer to her, his voice growing more intense even as it dropped in volume. Naru glanced around nervously; none of the orderlies were paying any attention to them. "Don't you think you should tell her that what she has done to you is wrong, and demand that she make it right? Not only for your own sake, but for the sake of others she might have hurt?"

Naru didn't dare say anything. Did he know that the friend she was talking about was Neo-Queen Serenity? Anyone watching the exchange between her and the King and Queen at the purification ceremony might guess that she knew the Queen personally. Mumeishi had a lot of bitterness towards the Queen, that much was clear. At least for now, it seemed best if she didn't admit to him that she and Serenity had once been friends.

Mumeishi was waiting for her to answer him. "I don't want to hurt anyone," she finally said. "Even if they've hurt me, I don't want to hurt them back."

"That's a commendable way to feel," he said. "Others would say that a different viewpoint would be justifiable."

"I'm sure they would," Naru said. "And I can't say that I blame them. But I'm not like that."

"Of course you aren't."

* * * * * * * *

The next day, Naru sat on the chair by the table in her room, staring out the window. From this room, she had a view of the street that ran past the Institute and the hospital. Some of the damaged buildings were in varying stages of being re-built; others were still crumbling. The piles of rubble had been carted away, and the sidewalks, shaded by trees that were lushly green with summer foliage although by her figuring it should be autumn now, were pristine. The traffic in the street moved carefully and courteously, at a moderate speed.

What should she do? she wondered. Should she do as Mumeishi suggested and confront Serenity? But how could someone like her get to see the Queen? She had been judged insane and dangerous; there was no way they would let her see Serenity face-to-face. Maybe she could send a letter...

Two people came into view on the sidewalk on the far side of the street. A dark-haired woman wearing a blue suit, whom Naru would have sworn looked like Sailor Mercury, and a man in a dark blue military-style uniform, with flowing auburn hair...

The world shifted on its foundations. "Nephrite," she whispered. How could it be? He had been dead for years... But so many strange things had happened, the freeze and everything that had come after that. Could it be that Usagi--Serenity--had somehow been able to bring him back to life?

The man who had to be Nephrite said something to the woman walking with him, and the pair stopped. They looked across the street and up at the white concrete-block Institute. They almost seemed to be looking right at her window on the fifth floor. Naru fought the urge to shrink back away from the window. Nephrite pointed, and he and the woman spoke to each other. Was he looking for her? Naru suddenly wondered. Had Serenity told him where to find her? Her heart pounded so hard it hurt, and she couldn't breathe.

Then they started walking again. Nephrite paused once and looked back up towards her window. Then he moved on to catch up with his companion.

It was like watching him die again. "Nephrite, I'm here! Don't go away!" Naru pressed herself against the bars. "I'm here, don't go away! Don't leave me." He hadn't been looking for her. Serenity hadn't told him about her. Had he even asked? "Nephrite!" she sobbed.

Surely he would look for her. His uniform looked important; if he was working at the Palace, he might be too busy to see her right now. Although, why would he be working for Endymion and Serenity--Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon? Before, they had been deadly enemies, although it was true that Nephrite had changed right at the end. And who else could have possibly brought him back to life? Why else would he have been walking with one of the Senshi?

Maybe he would send her a letter before he came to see her, to spare her the shock of suddenly seeing him alive. How long had he been back? Surely, sooner or later, he would contact her.

* * * * * * * *

Sailor Mercury had been assigned to take Nephrite on a tour of parts of Crystal Tokyo that were of administrative importance. Nephrite suspected that Mercury had been given this task because Neo-Queen Serenity was hoping to match King Endymion's two eligible Guardians with two of her Senshi. The Senshi were nice enough women, pleasant, intelligent, and well-spoken, but none of them really grabbed his interest. There was no compelling reason for him to marry any time soon; he had no longer had a domain and, therefore, had no need of an heir. For now, he was content to serve his King, satisfy his need for female companionship with a series of brief, discreet affairs, and learn about this strange and marvelous new world he had awakened into.

The automobiles were one thing. It was fascinating to watch them move sedately through the streets, propelled by no visible means. Once he had the time, he would learn what it was that made them go. Surely the machines could move much faster than they did here on the streets of Crystal Tokyo--he could only imagine their potential.

The means by which information, images, and sound could be sent from one place to another astounded him. It seemed magical, though Endymion assured him it was technology, not magic, that made pictures move on a small box or music come from something that would fit in the palm of his hand. Being both a master of magic and science, he was determined to learn how all these things worked.

In the meantime, he needed to focus on his new duties. That was the main reason why he had been sent out on this sightseeing tour with Sailor Mercury. There were a number of educational institutions in this part of the city, along with a major center for the care of the ill and injured. Mercury pointed out the massive hospital, telling him about the medical specialties that were practiced there. Her own training to be a physician had been disrupted by events while he slept, but she was preparing to resume it.

"And what is that building next to the hospital?" he asked.

"That is the Institute for Wellness and Joy," Mercury said. "Those who suffer from illnesses of the mind and spirit are cared for there. Also, those who have refused purification are housed there, for their own safety and the peace and safety of the city."

"Purification?" This was the first he had heard of such a thing.

"Oh!" Mercury said. Nephrite got the definite impression that she had said something she shouldn't have. She recovered quickly, though. "I didn't realize you didn't know. Those with illnesses of the mind, or excessively negative emotions or memories that could cause them to become violent or disruptive, or engage in dangerous or criminal activities, were given the opportunity to be healed of those problems by Serenity-sama. Most accepted the offer, of course, but the few who didn't are housed at the Institute for Wellness and Joy for their own safety, and the well-being of the city."

He looked up at the rows of windows in the wall of the huge building. It seemed like a sensible solution to the problems of violence that had always plagued mankind. He wondered why he hadn't been told about purification before now. Probably because it had nothing to do with his particular area of authority. "It's good to know that even those who can't contribute to the life of the city are still cared for."

"Absolutely," Mercury said. "It is Serenity's desire to see that no one in Crystal Tokyo is unhappy or uncared-for."

They started walking again. As Nephrite headed away from the Institute, a strange feeling shivered up between his shoulderblades and the back of his neck, almost as though he was being watched. He stopped and looked back at the massive concrete-and-glass wall, five or six floors high. There was no movement, no indication that anyone was actually alive in there. He shivered again, then hurried forward to join Mercury.