You know, I finally had a chance to go over this, and while I like how
Chris writes, I still can't believe the scence in Selenity's chambers.

Priss didn't owe them anything, and yet she is there saying an oath of
fealty?

Priss, more than anyone else, would know what such an oath would mean even
as she was saying it.

Actually, I wrote something out after seeing that...

***

	Priss was slowly getting angrier at these people.
	Not that the emotion was unjustified given what they wanted her to
do and why they wanted her to do it.  Despite their good intentions, they
had decieved and lied to her, stolen from her, and now they expected her
to trust them.  Like Hell!!! "You want me to come to you, and swear to
serve in this city.  Just like that.  You're crazy!"
	Rei turned to her.  "Priss!  What are you saying?"
	Priss just snorted.  "What I'm saying is that I'm supposed to come
here and swear fealty to Selenity here and let everything be ok?  You're
crazy if you think that.  She lied to me, decieved me, made me _think_ I
had to pay them back for supposedly cloning me, STOLE my memories, of
which I can only remember ONE lousy hour of after the pin prick when you
were singing, and that memory shows that you stole my freedom to decide my
fate.  Now you want be to give into her to get back what was stolen?"
	Selenity was shocked at what Priss had said.  While there was no
way she could deny it, since it had been her plan, surely nothing could be
so bad.  "Priss..."
	"Can it, your Royal Decievership!"  Priss snarled angrily, turning
once more towards the throne.  "As far as I can tell, you put me into a
freezer without letting me decide.  My friend was dead, I didn't know
where the others were, and you made a decision for me and kept me asleep
for who knows how long.  Didn't any of you think I MIGHT HAVE WANTED TO
STAY IN THAT TIME!!!"
	She started pacing in front of the throne, clearly agitated, "No,
you made that choice without asking, deciding my fate and life for me.
And when you decide to wake me up, you tamper with my memories,
effectively stealing a large portion of my life with it.  You MADE me
think I was a clone, and that I was programed against killing myself.
While you never actually said the lie, the lie was there since it was
intended."
	Priss stopped, turned and pointed her hand at Selenity, "Then you
used me in your schemes, without informing me.  Now you want me to swear
allegiance to regain what you stole.  My answer is no.  As far as I am
concerned, you can't be trusted, until you give me a DAMN good reason
why."
	She lowered her hand as she noticed that Selenity's head dropped a
bit, and saw that Rei was now embarrassed.  "You want me to consider
trusting you?  Give me back my memories, my life that you stole.  Give me
back my freedom, and then give me the compensation I deserve.  Then I will
consider signing on, only if there are absolutely NO strings attached."
	Selenity's voice was quiet, "I can't do that."
	Priss steped in close, keeping a tighter reign on her anger than
she ever had before, "Why the hell not?"
	Selenity looked at the floor, "Part of your brain was dammaged
when we locked your memories away.  We're not sure if they can be
recovered or how.  As for swearing fealty, there is a string attached if
you ever go against Crystal Tokyo."
	"In other words, your Majesty," Priss snarled, making the way she
said it an insult, "You can't even repay the debt you owe me.  You've made
a mockery of your own supposedly great system.  Congradulations."
	Selenity looked up as she heard Priss head towards the door,
"Please, there must be something we can do."
	Priss stopped for a second, not even turning back.  "Give me back
my memories, my freedom, and my life.  Find someway for me to go back to
where I belong, and no fucking simulation either.  Find a way to send me
back to the twenty-first century."
	Selenity's voice became softer, "I can't do that."
	Priss walked towards the door again.  "Then I'll leave you this
much.  Don't interfere with me, and I won't interfere with you.  Leave me
the fuck alone for the rest of my life, except for enough funds for me to
start over.  I had quite a bit saved up, although thanks to you it's all
gone.  I won't say a word about what you did unless someone asks, and then
I will tell them everything you did to me.  The whole story, without being
cut or edited."
	She strode forward and the door opened for her.  "As far as I am
concerned, you are no better than Quincy was.  A dictator with no
feelings and illusions of grandeur."
	After she left the room and the door closed, Rei turned to
Selenity.  "Damn it!  What were you thinking?"
	Selenity looked up, "Of you Rei.  I couldn't let you die."
	Rei pulled herself up, "As of now, I'm on leave.  Take it anyway
you want, Selenity, but we owe her more than we can ever begin to repay,
and seeing it from her point of view, I have to admit that she is right in
some ways."
	Selenity watched as the person who had been her best friend for
centuries walked out the door.  It would be the last time she would see or
hear from her in almost five hundred years, and then only for one last
duty.  To accept Rei's permanent resignation from her service.
	In trying to save her friend, she had lost her, and destroyed the
life of a good person.
	The lesson was not lost of Selenity, and it was one she would
remember for as long as she lived.

***

Hitomi

Ichinohei Hitomi
Hitomi@terminal.autobahn.mb.ca
http://204.112.189.3/~hitomi
"The beginings of wisdom is the ability to always ask questions."