[Thread] - Lovely day for a walk, eh? (OPEN!)

[waterfell]

Characters: OU: Mizuno Ami [PGSM], OPEN
Where: the park, a swingset
When: after Mercury is shot down
Summary: Mercury is ordered to take a hike walk, and does so. She winds up in the park on a swingset.
Azula visits
Pharaun visits
Usagi (OU, PGSM) visits
Kunzite visits
Warnings: emo? dramaz? but moderation in all things.

Comments

[lady_azula]

Azula was not a fool, and things did not go unnoticed to her. She had heard the Avatar had returned, and for all that she knew, the water tribe girl could be back as well. That was fine. It really wasn't them that were on the forefront of Azula's mind right now anyway. Their meddling was something she was more than used to. No, what she was thinking about was the person she had heard mentioned that had arrived. She had done her best to be very quiet about the thing, to act as if there were nothing particularly wrong with this, but in reality, Azula was more than just a little concerned. It was Kunzite, the man that had trained Mercury, and that man, the one called "master," as well

[waterfell]

Her wrist ached. It wasn't bad, but there was a small bruise at her middle after all, where she'd expected it - fortunately hidden by clothing and not bad enough to affect her movement. She was exhausted, and that was possibly the one physical problem that did show, a little, right now. Azula couldn't mean that, then. The cursed seal?

Mercury would have doubled all of those if it would take away the feeling in her stomach. It seemed that didn't want to go away no matter how many times she told herself it should.

Aside from the fatigue, none of it showed. She had her pride. She was just a girl, albeit tired, who was having fun and swinging on a swing in a park. Such a normal teenage girl. A happy, carefree, normal teenage girl who had a life in front of her and plenty of things to be happy about.

Right. Did she ever stop fooling herself? Keep walking in the illusion Kunzite made for you. I'm going to have fun! Ta-ta! Except, he hadn't made an illusion. She had just indulged in foolishness

[lady_azula]

Azula watched her in earnest. There was something a bit carefree in the girl's actions, she knew that much. What she also saw, being no fool, was that Mercury had already met with Kunzite. She was not so much of a fool that she didn't believe that Mercury had not already gone to see him already. Azula heard enough from Mercury to know how dedicated the dark senshi was to the person that trained her

[waterfell]

Stronger again? She meant the cursed seal again.

"It's just a different source of power," Mercury said. She quirked an eyebrow at the rest. Humbled? Friends? Reports? Trouble?

"What do you mean?"

[lady_azula]

Azula nodded. Well, in any case, she would be able to take advantage of the strength she had. There wouldn't have to be any mishaps there.

"A different source," Azula repeated. "It took you awhile to recover from this source. I wonder what that means. What do you have to do to maintain it?"

Azula shrugged. "When you left, I wanted to know why. I found out that Skuld had been rather mouthy to you, and I made her remember it, that is all. She's very worried about you now, and wants to be your friend again."

[waterfell]

It was like hearing news from another world. All of that seemed to have happened years, decades, centuries ago. It was completely removed from everything in her mind now. Even the name Azula spoke seemed strange.

Mercury was not sure what she felt about this idea, this sudden foreignness. She decided she felt neutral. It was slightly uncomfortable, but not particularly so.

She shook her head. "There's nothing to maintain it. It's settled now. But it's something it seems you should use carefully, that's all."

Sasuke was free of the cursed seal now. Completely and utterly free. How ironic. Yes, there was Sasuke, somewhere, and even he seemed a strange and foreign thought. No, he was a foreign thought that suddenly made the faint idea of tears threaten the very back of her mind. It had been offered caring that had been returned - no, the point was she had offered him caring and it had been appreciated.

How very different from her true life.

[lady_azula]

Azula observed the look on her friend's face, and saw the very little change there was there. Azula had always wondered what that look was like on others, but it was one she'd worn many times, even here. It was a look of indifference at those that attempted to engage her, and who it was she actually cared about. There were precious few, it had always been that way, but Econtra had strange ways of working on people. Noe both Mai and Zuko were here, as was the Avatar, but those things would be dealt with. Of course she would have Mai at her side again, but it wasn't as if she could ever think of Mercury as Mai's replacement or vice versa. NO, Mercury had always mattered to much for her, no matter how she did not care to admit it, to anyone.

"Really?' Azula said. "I am curious. You did not have to be so careful when you used the goddesses power. There were the headaches, of course, but what makes this newfound power so different?"

[waterfell]

She would have liked to say thinking about that caring made the darkness recede, but in fact it was closer to the opposite, the dark recoiling swallowing up some of the precious feeling she'd once had, the feeling she could form friendships and connections for herself.

Mercury considered how to answer the fire princess' question.

"I don't know much about it myself," she admitted. She had always been a little rash that way, able to jump in as long as the benefits were high enough and the risks at least acceptable. The headaches were from Metalia, and not the other powers she'd gained, but for some reason she did not think to correct her companion.

[lady_azula]

Azula did not appear that way, but she was very concerned now. Mercury seemed somehow more distant, and it was strange to think that she would willingly accept powers she wasn't certain about. It wasn't exactly the smartest thing for her to do.

"I see," Azula said. "If that's the case, what will happen if you indulge this power too long? I think you might need to exercise caution then, as it seems we have something we're not very aware of. I would hate to think that you might accidentally trigger something that would make you lose what is precious to you."

And the thing was, Azula was sincere about that. Part of her, in fact, was wondering if there might come a time where mercury forgot HER. If that were to happen...well, Azula just plain didn't want to think about that. Not even a little.

[waterfell]

"I'm not sure of those effects either."

With the admission came faint surprise. It did seem strange she'd rushed so headfirst into it, even for her. But to be concerned now was a little late, and she was not overly worried.

She could vaguely acknowledge Azula's words as sensible; she had already known to use care and caution - and in fact to outright avoid using the seal as a rule.

[lady_azula]

Azula watched her companion closely, and realized that this was bothering her more and more. Mercury had always shown herself to be a capable commander, one that thoroughly thought out the decisions she made. She did not jump from one thing to another without gaging the consequences, yet clearly she had done just that: no, she had been driven to it. No wonder Nephrite was constantly worried about her. Azula was more than happy to allow Mercury to do her own thing: it was in the woman's more than capable nature to do just that. But if something happened, what could they do?

"In that case, I suppose we have no choice but to be cautious. If you believe that Sasuke was more than capable of handling the seal, perhaps it will be the same with you. There may be no need for concern. Still, perhaps it might be good to get a second opinion, or something of an insurance. Is this something the Space Time witch could help us with?"

[waterfell]

"It's fine," Mercury said. She had no particular desire to worry about one more thing for the time being.

It was not as wholly unlike her as might be thought, to rush in. It was only a slight momentary wearing away of the caution Econtra had forced on her. And of course there had been Orochimaru. You tell yourself he wants you, but you're just a means to an end.

Why was it she lost her head so easily when it came to that man? Why, of all things, had she let him see her heart? She had made so many promises to herself, over her time in the Dark Kingdom. Promises that she wouldn't lose herself completely - not completely. Promises that she would never truly be his no matter what he thought and what it seemed. Promises that she would even throw him off some day, maybe or maybe not betray him but definitely separate from him.

Had she really just thrown all that away by those foolish thoughts? When had she gone from that to wanting to see him whole, healthy, well

[lady_azula]

Azula shrugged. "In that case, this situation would rest on your shoulders, as I think you usually prefer. Just don't forget there are people here who would willingly relieve some of that if it is a burden."

Azula was trying to sound as if it were a simple thing to say, but she was saying much more than that. Not that Mercury had to know. For all the senshi knew, Azula was simply telling her to use those that felt obligated to her.

"Me," Azula said. "Well, that's a bit of a conundrum. In one instance, the Avatar is here, and I can finally fight him as I wished to. Of course, that would prove fruitless, being here and not from my world, don't you think? Besides, now I know that I cannot try to fight either the Avatar or the Earth bender even if I wanted to. My brother and my right hand are on opposing sides, and while I love a bit of turmoil as much as the next girl, I simply couldn't do that to Mai. She's really quite loyal to me!"

[waterfell]

I simply couldn't do that to Mai. She's really quite loyal to me!

Hn. And when had loyalty started to be rewarded? Had it been rewarded for the shitennou when Beryl used them as bait? For Nephrite when she'd killed him? For Zoisite who was hurt over and over? For any of them, who'd had their world destroyed?

For her?

Nonetheless, the faint smirk Mercury summoned was genuine amusement, or at least appreciation of the complex scenario. Fighting but not-fighting. Friends and family and allies, but enemies. Actually, it was similar to her own world's war. Perhaps war was always like that, forcing sides.

"How thoughtful!" she teased. Then, a bit mischievously, "Think she'll run off with him?"

[lady_azula]

Azula smiled. "I don't know. Where would they go, really? It isn't as if Econtra is full of hiding places! Besides, its finally about time I had someone at my corner, and no more sniveling little Avatar helpers to make barely intelligent conversation. I couldn't question Mai's loyalty! She did willingly join me, after all!"

And that WAS something that gave Azula security. Never mind that Mai had seemed hesitant at first, obviously not wanting to rock the boat for Zuko. They were, after all, in a very precarious position, being on opposing sides. When the time came, of course, Azula would make those that opposed her pay. For now, she could at least enjoy knowing she had loyalty on her side.

[waterfell]

"When they go back to their world, then." She was taking it lightly, letting herself enjoy this mixture of serious and playful discussion. Her feet were still dangling, and Mercury walked the swing a few steps.

She did willingly join me, after all! Hn. There were... a lot of definitions of that word, 'willingly'.

"Econtra is waiting. Everyone here is waiting," Mercury mused aloud then. Kunzite, waiting for his chance at the master. Mercury, waiting for her chance at the princess. Azula, waiting for her chance at her opponents.

"I want to do something while I wait." The thought pleased her, and she debated briefly what 'something' might turn out to be, but decided that could be something to consider for awhile, after she'd relaxed a little more.