Trapped

Trapped

By: Tuxedo Rainbow

Era: Plutoian Epoch, 3024 AD

Even in an era of peace and prosperity, there are those who want out.

This is the protected Crystal Tokyo of the Royal Consort, Sailor Pluto. A place of peace, a place of prosperity. A place people want to come in to. But no one come sin, no one leaves.

Even I, Tuxedo Rainbow, and even my wife, Sailor Terra, we cannot leave. Even though we want to. Even though soon, we will spend a thousand years guarding the Time Space Door, we want out.

A shield of chronal energy surrounds the realm. Pluto will not tear it down, for it was the only thing that saved us from the war against Neo Tokyo 3 and their allies. People who want peace do not mind staying, it is those who want to see the world who care.

I hear that Haruka and Michiru are outside the dome, or beneath Crystal Tokyo, free. Most of the other senshi, with the exception of Sailor Moon are still here. They do not wish to leave.

But there are those humans amongst the chosen who want out.

“Freedom! Let us out!” Those are the cries of the people who want to see the world, but Setsuna will not let them. She believes that we need to build inside before we look outside. She thinks that the future is here, not there. I believe she is wrong. Terra knows she is wrong.

The senshi get all the perks. The ability to go wherever they please in the universe. The ability to see what has happened. But the normal people, those who were trodden underfoot by Neo Queen Serenity, what of them? Sure there is peace, sure there is prosperity. But at what price?

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Protests still continue. Ami is using the time to prefect new Mizunotech products. Minako is on Venus. Rei is meditating. Makoto is practicing her cooking. We know that Usagi is no longer here, and Haruka and Michiru are away. We hope the other Outers are also gone.

Tempestt tells us that even the humans on Mirinoi are revolting against her Regency. Sailor Mirinoi will do what she can to protect the new ruler. Mary doesn’t care.

“Where is our Earth, our Mirinoi, our KO-35?” the people protest. “One can only have so many Crystal Tokyo Burgers before one gets sick of them,” others complain.

This week was supposed to be Senshicon, a celebration of all things Sailor Moon. Neo Queen Serenity refused to speak, citing that she was “so over” the job. The convention was cancelled, much to the delight of the normal people.

We have not heard from Jedite since Neo-Queen Serenity was ousted. We wondered if he was on our side, their side, or his own side.

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People still demand an audience with the Crown Regent. She denies them exit from Crystal Tokyo. She cites the war atmosphere. But, where is that aura of war? Has it not been years since Tokyo-3 was stopped short?

We have begged Setsuna to let a few people free, but she refuses.

We know the future, but we cannot show it to her. She knows as much as we do.

“We demand an audience!” Cry out the crowd. “Why won’t Setsuna hear our pleas?”

We watch, knowing that the others will help her. We watch, but do not act.

“Can she not see that she is trapping them in her own Time Gate?” Terra asks.

“She has never been ruler, has never been destined to be as such. She is filling in until Lady Serenity, Chibi-Usa, is ready.” I comment. “This period of entrapment will end by the hands of the Spore.”

Days pass. Protests continue. Violence has risen between senshi and normal people.

Setsuna seems unphased by all this, looking for new planets to house new senshi. She wants her legacy to be etched by her deeds away and at home, but cannot see the Genie through the time warp, if you catch my drift. (And yes, I hate using lines like that, but it makes sense.)

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Punches have been thrown. The senshi will not use their powers on normal people. They are protectors, like us, not fighters. Setsuna only appears to ensure the crowd that she is doing the best she can, and yet, they boo her.

“We want freedom!” they cry. “We want to see the world!” they shout. We beg for a day, she gives no quarter. We plead for a few hours, she will have none of it.

“Only a guardian of a worthless gate would do such a thing,” a man responded. Chants rise up. Violence erupts again. The Senshi are beaten, blackened, bruised, but Terra stops the crowd with her hypnosis, calming them down, for the moment.

“You owe me,” she sneers at Setsuna.

Setsuna merely nods.

Rumors spread that a covert operation to find a way to break the barrier has begun. They can dig as long as they please, we know the shield covers many a mile in all directions. And, only the Crown Regent to stop this. However, she seems content with having Mamoru at her side, and expanding the number of planets that have senshi.

Mamoru, for his sake, has pleaded the case of the normal people. He has the consort’s ear, but she will not listen. Again, violence erupts. I fear it is a matter of time before something worse happens…

Terra can feel it too. You can only hold a kettle like this for so long before the heat boils over.

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The next day, tragedy. An attack on the Castle, caused by the normal people. They used Mizunotech explosives raided from a nearby lab.

Ami has vowed to triple security, but I fear that will not be enough.

Violence and attack continue all over the area. It is nearly like martial law, except there is neither martial people, nor law. The normal people have taken over the streets, the businesses, the shops; everything is at a standstill.

“They will not leave until they speak with you,” I respond, “they would rather destroy what is they say not theirs than to put up with this one second longer.”

“I plead with the Royal Consort to hear them out,” Mamoru responds.

“I will not give in,” the Royal Consort Setsuna replies, “They can all go to hell.”

“You realize that they will destroy this paradise if you do not give in,” Terra responded, “recall the attack on the school?”

That was nearly a disaster. Fortunately, Ami defused her own bomb. Lives were saved, but school was cancelled for that week. So far, no other classes have been scheduled. Yes, we know about the “home schooling rule” that caused the change in Chibi-Usa, but it was fortunate that Setsuna revoked that law first.

It was a minor victory for many, but not a total one. She thought be giving a little, they would at least like her. Now, she has to give a lot. She sees now what it is was like for Usagi. Maybe she will give in.

Yet, she does not give in, not one iota. I fear it is she who is trapped, not just these people. She, the guardian of the Gate, the Royal Consort, will see the error of her ways too late. It is only a matter of time…

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Days have passed since Setsuna has refused to give in. It is like looking at a sit-in of the 1960s, only on a much grander scale. It is a contest of wills, and the people are winning. They have cut off food, water, heat… everything to the castle, trying to show the Consort what it is like to be trapped. But we know her.

She has been trapped in the Time Gate for who knows how long. She may be able to survive, but the others… they will cave in, and most likely, join the people. I fear a revolt of epic proportions…

Setsuna has yet to cave in. Even though the senshi have given up, even though we have decided to cross the so-called picket line and join the people, even though Mamoru will most likely join us, she will not give in.

We have talked to the people. We have seen their side. We now know that we were right in jumping sides. All the senshi were right. It was Setsuna who was in the wrong.

Protests still continue. We still strike, and we still march. We protest now non-violently, showing that we can change. Setsuna is outnumbered, but not out powered. She is the ruler, she is trapping us. We are the subjects, we are trapping her. Sooner or later, one side will cave in. Judging by the experiences of the people, I know Setsuna will cave in first. Even though she has been trapped longer, she has never been trapped like this, surrounded by her former friends and her former subjects. She will cave in.

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“How long has it been?” Terra has asked me that. People have asked me that. I know that we cannot get to the Gate, and that is perhaps why she has not caved in. But we persevere. We surround the Castle. We surround the area, we march in. She is not there.

“Damn her,” I mutter. She is in the Gate, her home. We seal the door, trapping her. We have won, or have we?

I know that Queen Lady Serenity, Black Lady Serenity, Chibi-Usa will one day rise to power and free us, but will she free Setsuna as well? Have we trapped her, only to trap ourselves? We have her in a gate, but she has us in a gate. How ironic.

Days later, the word goes out. Freedom. We see no signs of Tokyo-3. People are free to travel again.

Perhaps we have won. Or perhaps this is just another trap, set forth by Setsuna, to lull us into a false sense of victory, so that Black Lady Serenity can rule unopposed.

I guess we will never know. I just feel that we have given up one trap for another. It seems like a vicious cycle, but it happens. Terra feels the same way, and that is what scares me.