SailorStar9: (Sighs) This fic is so screaming for a rewrite. So, here goes the second revamped version of 'A Past Reawakened'.

Disclaimers: I own nothing expect the Safiastra and Ami's deck.

Prologue: The Trial

Chapter Summary: Mercury's failure in defeating Zouc Necrophyes had resulted in the Ice Senshi's forced reincarnation under Selenity's orders.

The Moon Kingdom.

Selenity sat on her throne, atop a raised dais. Deep in her noble heart, a war waged. Grief battled a cold righteous anger, both seeking to overthrow the other.

She would not break here.

This was a trial, and she needed to be cold and impartial, despite the Senshi that now stood before her. She couldn't let her oath towards the late rulers of the Ice Planet taint justice.

Pluto stood to her monarch's right, her demeanour cold and subdued, at least on the surface. The cold fire of hatred that swelled in her stomach at the sight of the Senshi made itself plain in her eyes. Senshi Mercury nauseated her; despite the immense power the Ice Senshi had been granted, she still failed in succeeding in her mission. Unfortunately, Pluto knew that retribution wasn't hers to mete out. She looked down at her Queen and the Princess.

It was the beginning of the end.

Just as she had foreseen. It was times like these that made guarding the Time Gate difficult. This one female had set in motion the destruction of all that she held dear. And there wasn't a damn thing that she could do about it. I hate this job. She sighed tiredly and turned her attention back to Selenity. The Matriarch of the Moon Kingdom could have been an ice sculpture for all the emotion that crossed her face.

"Well, Selenity?" A collective gasp rippled through the throne room. Senshi Uranus growled and began to step forward, only to have Neptune restrain her.

"Hold your tongue, traitor!" Fury laced Uranus' voice. The Senshi of Neptune could barely restrain the enraged woman as she threw herself at the Senshi of Ice.

"Or what, Uranus?" Mercury glared unflinchingly at the Outer Senshi.

"Remove her from the court!" Pluto called out, gesturing emphatically. The Senshi of Neptune and the Senshi of Venus and Jupiter complied quickly, carrying Uranus from the chamber hastily before everything escalated to the point of no return.

Silence descended slowly, as the enraged howls of Uranus echoed throughout the halls of the Crystal Palace. No aid was offered to the disgraced Senshi; not that she cared. These people were all hypocrites any way. "It seems that I have upset one of the watchdogs, your highness." Her scornful tone mocked all present. She looked up into the eyes of her Queen and saw that Selenity's gaze had hardened. Her eyes were cold and fierce, and her posture was strong and unrelenting. How could she be so blind before? Selenity was every bit the queen that she claimed to be, but that was no excuse for her crimes. The self-righteous dominance that she hung over the people, and the indifference to the lower classes was more than the Ice Senshi could bear. She may have been the Queen, but she was blind and deaf to the true needs of her people.

Silence languished throughout the hall as Selenity's gaze fell upon Mercury like Heaven's judgment.

"Before I sentence you," Selenity voiced. "I would ask you one question. Not only have you failed in completing your mission, you'd also allowed the Games of Darkness to flourish. I want to know why."

Mercury laughed. It was a cynical laugh that resounded in the hearts of those attending the trial.

"Dearest Selenity! Your pride is boundless! You think that this was about you? About your Kingdom?"

"If not that, then pray, tell me what. Enlighten us all," Selenity's arms swept wide to encompass those gathered in the hall. "As to your reasons for allowing the Darkness to roam free."

"You know very well why! The hypocrisy of the Moon Kingdom knows no bounds! You," her gaze swept the gathered nobles and dignitaries viciously, and she spat on the floor again. "Dance at your petty balls, and lavish yourselves with finery to the point of excess! You gorge yourselves while other nations starve! The Moon Kingdom is a coterie, made up of spoiled children, playing at a dream at the cost of others. And when a threat brews, you send servants, like me, to deal with it! How many mages had died needlessly, just because the gap in power between them and the enemy is too large?"

Queen Serenity bowed her head, not in shame, but in tired resignation. She had heard Mercury's appeals on a number of occasions, and had honestly tried to follow her council. But she knew that in her eyes she had never tried hard enough.

She would never understand that she wasn't willing to force her kingdom's aid on a nation or another kingdom that flat out refused it in the first place.

Mercury's heart had been closed ever since the planet Mercury had been overran by Metallia's evil. Selenity knew Senshi Mercury still placed the blame at her feet for her planet's demise. The sole mission to Ancient Egypt had opened the Ice Senshi's eyes; her heart unlocked by the two servants of Atemu's court who openly sought her affection and she had returned them whole-heartedly. That is, until Princess Serenity, overwhelmed with envy, poisoned them both in secret and she had just stepped aside and let her daughter get away, unscathed.

"Princess Anhara, daughter of wise Mercury. Your acts of treason against the throne of this kingdom are presented before you. How will you plead?" Her voice was measured and clear.

"Guilty and unrepentant!" Mercury's glare was unwavered.

"Then you leave us no choice, than to seal upon you your punishment. For your crimes against the White Moon and failure to defeat the demon, Zouc Necrophyes; we sentence you to rebirth, your memories will be erased and your powers restricted to first-stage. Think well on your folly for the rest of eternity."

Silver flames licked the Queen's body as she presented the Ginzuishou before her. Silver flames shot out from the crystal, engulfing Anhara in a silvery white light as the crystal forced the Ice Senshi into the cycle of reincarnation.

SailorStar9: Now that's done, read and review.