"Junnashojo," the female sage Senken acknowledged Mizuno Neko. "I see you return only slightly more enlightened than you left."
"Gomen nasai," Neko said, uneasily
"Not as sorry as you will be."
She looked at Neko's traveling companions. Tenoh Tenshi and Jasper were both staring at the ground guiltily. Mizuno Michiru, Neko's twin, was merely angry and concerned about her sister.
She looked back at Neko. "Would you like to explain what happened at the ritual?"
"Well, I was sucked into the lake or something. There were four lights, and two moons, and I was in a pink dress, and I said what I was supposed to say, but the lights disappeared and nothing happened. What did all that mean?"
Senken knew all that, she had been keeping watch over the mission from afar. That wasn't what she meant by the question, but she thought she should answer Neko's. "The moon that was full was Earth's moon, ruled by Neo-Queen Serenity. The other moon is the moon of Eryx as seen from your palace last night. It's not yet full there. The lights, as you know, were the stones. They represented the hearts of each of you on the mission. The ritual may have failed if one of those hearts wasn't in agreement with the others. If even one of you doesn't truly wish for the ritual to succeed," Senken couldn't miss the undeserved dirty look Mi-chan sent to Jasper, "the quest fails."
"Senken-sama, is there anything we can do? Another quest?" Mi-chan interrupted her desperately. "Please, we'll do anything!"
"There is no other quest," Senken informed her, tired of dancing around the issue. "And if the recipient refuses to accept the gift offered to her, there would be no purpose in attempting one."
"If she refuses�? You mean if she doesn't want her memories back?" Mi-chan clarified for herself. She turned on the priestess. "Of course, she wants her memories back!"
"Mi-chan," Tenshi said quickly, hoping to deter her from offending Senken. The recent victim of Mi-chan's outrage, her face was showing the beginning traces of a bruise from a punch Mi-chan had served her earlier that morning.
"Neko-chan," Mi-chan demanded of her sister, "tell her that you want your memories back! Tell her!"
"I- I want them back," Neko consented, quietly assuming the role her twin had put her in.
"Mizuno Neko, do not take me for a fool!" Senken admonished her, giving full weight to the aura of command in her voice. "The others around you have given everything to get your memories back. If you have completed the ritual and are standing here before me now without your memories, then you must have failed to accept what was offered to you."
"It wasn't her fault," Tenshi spoke up.
Senken could not miss the look Neko sent her. "Do not presume to speak for me!" she snapped. Then she glanced at Senken and returned her eyes to the floor.
"There is blame enough to share for the failure of the mission. I am sorry, but there is nothing I can do." She nodded to Neko. "Good luck with your new beginning, Junnashojo."
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