Shades of Untruth

Written by Sailor Berchest

"Hi Mom," Suri Rose exclaimed, holding her hand out to the hologram. "It's been a long time! How's the weather on Bakura? Nice and sunny?" She laughed, the sound rippling over the holonet.

"Suri, darling! It's been so long. And you know the weather here. It's raining! Like *always*!" The blue-tinted shadow of the woman showed excellent features- Suri's parentage was always obvious through her high cheekbones and proud nose- and full hair, cropped short. "Did you just get back from the health club?"

The purple haired girl smiled gently, fingering the long purple hair that she'd pulled into a high ponytail. Wisps of it had escaped, erratically framing her face. "Of course, Mother," she lied. "It gets so hot in there!" Suri's smile grew as she indicated the midriff barring halter top and shorts that exposed generous amounts of leg.

"I'm sure it does, dear." Her mother smiled. "I really called to ask why you moved to Coruscant. I mean, wasn't your job going *so* well on Berchest?"

Suri nodded immanently. "Oh yes. But you see, I was doing so well that they wanted me to move more towards the headquarters of the operation." She held up her hands to stop her mother's protest. "I know, I know. It's so far away from Bakura! And yes, I still work from my apartment and I don't have an office, but I make good money."

"Darling, you know you don't have to work at all!" her mother responded. "You could come back to Bakura with us and live here in the mansion. All of your needs would be taken care of..." Her mother's voice trailed off, sadly. "But, yes, I know. You love selling advertising. You want to be out on your own. You want to make your own money instead of relying on our *fortune*. Or our *name*."

"Mother!" Suri laughed. "Why do you bring that up every time we talk? Blah, blah, blah...*rich*..."

Her mother laughed. "I'm sorry, honey. I just miss you so much. And I wish you'd come home."

"Hey, at least I still call. It could be worse..."

"Did you *hear*?!" her mother gasped, suddenly reminded of something. "The eldest Fleert'kir daughter ran away from home again. This time..." Suri's mother shuddered, a sure sign of social scandal.

"What, Mom?" the girl asked. "Come on, you can tell me."

Her mother sighed in the overly theatrical manner that overly rich women tended to adopt. "This time she ran off to be a *barmaid* in a *bar*! Isn't that horrible?! I'm so glad you're just selling advertising and not doing anything just tacky like that!"

Suri looked down, blushing a bit. "Of course, Mom. I'd never do anything to embarrass the family."

"That's nice to know, darling." Her mother smiled again. She hadn't stopped smiling, except to tell the story of the disreputable daughter. "Why didn't you ever continue with that computer thing you wanted do?"

Shrugging a little, Suri answered. "After I got the degree from Berchest U...I found other stuff that interested me more. You know that, Mom," That wasn't much of a lie.

"Well, ok." Her mother sighed. "I have to go now. I love you, Suri Rose!"

"Aw, you only use my middle name when you're mad at me!' Suri's grin matched her mother's. "I love you too, Mom!"

After she signed off, Suri looked at Seiki. The transparent girl was giving her the most indignant look Suri could remember seeing. "What?"

'What?!' Seiki replied, her indigence flowing through her mind-voice. 'What?! You just lied to your mother!'

"Oh, that." Suri waved it off. "I've been lying to her since I was twelve. It's not a big deal."

'You told her you sold advertising.' Seiki's tone was grown more accusatory.

Forcing a smile, Suri replied, "I do. Sometimes."

'Suri, you take your clothes off for a living.'

"So I've never told her *what* I advertise! Get off my back, ok?" Suri stormed off indignantly to the bathroom. She started fiercely brushing her long purple hair.

Seiki waited a minute before following the girl. 'What's wrong?'

With a shrug, Suri lied again. "Nothing that a little zit remover couldn't fix."

'You don't have any pimples.'

"Sure I do," Suri said, frantically searching her near-perfect skin for something to back up her untruth. Finding nothing, she shrugged again. "Nothing's wrong."

Seiki started to look ticked at her pupil, then shook her head. 'Look, are you mad at me? I'm your guardian. You're supposed to talk to me. You are mad at me!'

"Yes!" Suri sighed. "I am, a little. It's hard to believe that I have any kind of guardian when I think about all the wretched things that happened to me."

'Wow, was that honesty?'

Suri favored her with a glare. "Yes."

There was a long pause. Suri filled it by touching up her makeup. She almost always had makeup on- favoring dark red lipsticks and dramatic eye makeup.

'Um, are you going to do it again?' Seiki questioned, looking hopeful. 'Be honest, I mean?'

"Not if I can help it, no," the other responded, playing with her mascara.

Seiki sighed. 'Suri, I've got to train you and teach you how to be a senshi. We've got to work together with a bunch of others - ok, a few - to save lots of people from really horrible deaths. Why are you mad at me?'

Not caring that it spilt on the counter, she threw the mascara down. "Because!" she said, pain mingled in her voice. Then quieter, she continued. "Because, when I was twelve, I was kidnapped from my parent's home and raped. Good job guarding, Seiki!" She spat the other woman's name out like a curse.

Seiki stared at her charge - she looked so young, suddenly - and was speechless for all of ten minutes. Then she opened her mouth to respond, but Suri was gone, leaving only the spilt mascara behind.

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