After the odd interruption, Nephrite found it difficult to return to his work as Crystal Tokyo's Minister of Science and Research. When he had taken up his new position, he hadn't really expected to be stuck in an office all day. True, he was a scholar of science and magic, but he was also a warrior, one of Endymion's Guardians. The King and Queen had explained that, while there was a possibility that his services as a warrior and guardian could be needed, the new society of Crystal Tokyo was one of peace, harmony, and friendship, and they were taking steps to ensure that no fighting would ever be necessary. Nephrite couldn't help but be skeptical of their hopes, human nature being what it was, but so far, everything had been quiet.

His discovery of the Institute for Wellness and Joy had given him some food for thought. If the criminal elements of society, along with other undesirables, such as the mentally ill, could be "purified" of the thoughts and feelings that might dispose them to violence, that would go a long way to achieving the peaceful society that Serenity and Endymion dreamed of. And he couldn't criticize their hopes and dreams. Good rulers should want to protect their people from suffering. But how far did this purification go? How much had to be taken from a person before it was certain that he or she would never do anything that the rulers might consider undesirable?

And now, despite Serenity and Endymion's best efforts, this woman had brought rumors of a growing resistance to the purification. Peace and Security was Kunzite's department, not his. Not that Kunzite had any more real authority than he did. As soon as the woman had left, he had sent a message to Kunzite to alert him to the problem. He had done his duty, the matter was no longer his concern, but it stirred up questions about Endymion and Serenity's methods.

And, try as he might, he couldn't forget the look of devastation that had crossed the woman's face when he said he didn't know her. She had been convinced that he would recognize her, though he couldn't recall ever meeting her before, no matter how he searched his memory. The puzzle wouldn't let him concentrate on his work until he found some kind of explanation.

Late in the morning, his computer, an amazing device that seemed more magic than science, chimed to alert him to an incoming message. When he pushed a button, a general security notice appeared on the screen. There had been an escape from the Institute for Wellness and Joy. Accompanying the alert was a photo of a woman.

It was the woman who had just been to see him.

The name given on the alert was Umino Naru. In spite of the different family name, it was unmistakably the same person. She was an escapee from the Institute for Wellness and Joy, Crystal Tokyo's coyly-named mental asylum and detention center for those who had refused purification. Those who had refused to have difficult emotions and memories removed.

It was hard to judge her sanity; she had seemed perfectly rational, in spite of her bedraggled appearance, her odd message, and her expectation that he would know her. If she wasn't insane, that meant she was one of those who had refused to give up their negative feelings and memories.

She remembered him, but he didn't remember her.

The sensation he had felt the day he had seen the Institute, that someone had been watching him, crawled up his spine again. Nephrite hit another button to print out a copy of the alert. Another bit of magic disguised as technology; the paper emerged from a machine on the other side of the room. He grabbed it, opened the door to find the usual unneeded guard--Why did he need a guard? To keep others from disturbing him? Or to keep him in line? He shook himself; this whole matter was making him paranoid. "This is the woman who came to see me a while ago. Find her. Don't arrest her, or let the authorities know where she is. Just find her, and tell me where she is."

The guard listened to the orders with look of surprise, but he nodded. "Yes, Lord Nephrite."

"She might be in danger, and I want to talk to her some more, but I don't want her frightened off."

The guard nodded again. "Yes sir." He took out his communication device, small enough to fit in his jacket pocket. "Send someone up. I have orders from Lord Nephrite."

Nephrite returned to his office, printed out another copy of the alert, then left again. "Sir," the guard said as he passed through his doorway, "they should have no trouble finding her. Lord Kunzite ordered a tail put on her as soon as he got your message earlier. We should have her location shortly."

Nephrite nodded. "Tell them, don't hurt her, don't scare her. Just tell me where she is, and make sure she doesn't disappear." With that, he headed for the elevator that would take him to Endymion and Serenity's private residence in the highest central tower of the Palace. Of course, it was impossible for most people to get an audience with the King and Queen without an appointment and a series of preliminary interviews. However, the Guardians and the Senshi had immediate access, any hour of the day or night. Nephrite considered this matter urgent enough to justify disrupting just about anything else the King and Queen might be doing.

The guard stationed at the front door of the royal apartments recognized Nephrite immediately. Something in Nephrite's expression led him to open the door without question. "Your Majesties, it's Lord Nephrite," he said, moving out of the way as Nephrite strode past.

The King and Queen were sitting side by side in plush armchairs in their private reception chamber, looking over some documents. "Nephrite," Endymion said, standing up as Nephrite walked towards the royal couple. "What is it? We heard there were some odd things going on early this morning--"

Nephrite stopped in front of the King and Queen. He held out the printout of the alert, with the red-haired woman's picture on it. Queen Serenity drew in a sharp breath. "Naru-chan," she whispered.

"What is she to me?" Nephrite demanded.

"Nephrite..." Endymion started to say.

"What is she to me?" Nephrite shouted. "She came to see me this morning. She knew me. She expected me to know her. Who is she, and what am I to her?" He held out the paper, trembling...with what? Rage? Fear? By the Queen's reaction, he guessed there was a story here, and all of a sudden he wasn't sure he wanted to hear it.

Endymion looked down at the floor for a moment. Then, his voice very calm, he said, "Bring over one of those other chairs, Nephrite, and sit down."

"Endymion!" the Queen protested.

"I'm not going to lie to one of my Guardians, my love. I'm sure--I hope he'll understand."

"But there's too much at stake."

Nephrite took one of the chairs arranged around the perimeter of the reception room and placed it firmly in front of the royal couple, then sat down. "You purified me, didn't you? Without asking my permission. You took my memories of her, whoever she is, and everything else that happened during the time when I was supposedly sleeping."

Endymion's face was downcast, but the Queen looked determined. "Yes," Serenity said. "I purified you. It's for the best. Believe me, Nephrite, things happened during that time that you don't want to remember."

"It pained my wife more than you can imagine to have to take your memories of Naru," Endymion said, "but those memories were too inextricably linked to the other things to separate them."

"Why didn't you ask me first? I should have been the one to decide if I wanted my memories taken away."

"During that time," the Queen said, "you weren't yourself. Or rather, a side of you took over, which you would not wish to know you possessed. We could not afford to have you give in to the temptation to go over to that darker side again. We say that all is safe and peaceful here in Crystal Tokyo, but the truth is that danger lurks everywhere. Unless we can completely eliminate those dangers, disaster lies in the future. We cannot afford to have any of our Senshi or Guardians prove disloyal."

What was Serenity saying? That he, Nephrite, had been disloyal in the past? Impossible. Or it should be. He wasn't ready to know, not yet. "So tell me, what is this woman to me?"

Serenity took a deep breath and let it out. "She loved you. You grew to love her. You died protecting her."

The world seemed to drop away. "I...died?" It didn't make any sense. He looked at his hand, flexed it, felt his heart pounding in his chest. "But--"

"The ginzuishou called you back. You were still needed here," the Queen said. "I did the purification as soon as you revived."

"And the others?" Nephrite asked.

The King and Queen glanced at each other. "We would prefer not to tell you. It is a confidential matter between us and each of them individually," the Queen said.

They didn't have to tell him. Nephrite already knew that the other three Guardians, his brothers, had also been purified. All memories and feelings that could prove troublesome to the King and Queen had been removed. "She loved me, and I died for her," he said softly. Pain gripped his heart. No wonder she had looked so devastated when he had to ask who she was. "She refused the purification, then?"

"Yes." The Queen's face filled with sorrow. "She had been through so much tragedy, so many horrible experiences, she was so filled with grief and guilt and anger. I thought the purification would be a relief for her. And we can't take chances with people who prefer to dwell on pain and anger rather than move on. She refused, and so she had to be confined in the Institute."

"I see." Nephrite stood up. He was still shaking, and he felt sick. He was getting a headache. "Good day." He turned and left the room. Behind him he heard Endymion call out, "Nephrite--!" Ignoring the King, Nephrite left the royal apartments. As he made his way through the crystal-walled hallways, his headache grew worse. Memories of the woman's grief-stricken face, her name, her voice, raced through his mind in a continuous circle. The Queen's voice, She loved you, you died protecting her. Sudden pain struck his right shoulder and something burst in his head. "No!" he gasped, sinking to his knees in agony.

Memories flooded back in a chaos of images, voices, sensations. Another red-haired woman, this one with inhuman eyes; strange creatures made to do his bidding; Zoisite's mocking voice; the girl sobbing as she begged him not to leave her.

He had been disloyal. He had turned traitor against his Prince and all the rightful rulers of the Silver Millennium. He had served evil, committed terrible crimes against innocent people. He had hungered for power. "No..." He buried his head in his arms, trying to block out the memories.

"Lord Nephrite? Sir? Are you all right?"

The voice and a gentle shaking of his shoulder eventually brought him back to himself. He looked up to see the concerned face of a young guard. "Is something wrong?" the guard asked.

"I--No. Well, yes. A sudden bad headache. I think perhaps I need to return to my quarters and lie down."

"Maybe you better let Mercury-sensei have a look at you to make sure nothing's wrong."

"I will in a while. It's getting better now. I just need to rest for a bit."

"I'll escort you back to your quarters, sir. Just in case."

Though he wanted to be alone, Nephrite accepted the eager young guard's assistance. The guard saw him to his private quarters, and told the guard on duty there to check on Nephrite every once in a while. When he was alone, Nephrite sat down on his bed and rested his head on his hands. He realized he was still holding the printed-out alert with Naru's picture on it, crumpled in one hand. He set it on his knee and smoothed it out. "Naru-chan," he whispered.

A short time later, one of his aides knocked on his door. "They found her, sir," the aide said. "She's hiding in that old fenced-off warehouse block several kilometers north of here."

"I'll go alone," Nephrite said. He pushed past the hovering guard and headed for the underground garage where his new car was parked.