(no subject)
I got the day off! Lovely, icy snow and contractor management: thank you. ^-^ Enjoy the fruits of my relaxation.
Title: Secret Protector
Author: Raya
Theme: Senshi-Shitennou / Secrets
Genre: General / Angst / Drama
Version: PGSM (Post R - Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~855
Disclaimer: Princess “ChibiUsa” Usagi and Nephrite belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely fashioned these uber cute onigiri, and used them as puppets in my Bento Box Theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Secret Protector
“All right, Princess, that is enough for today.” Princess Usagi looked at her tutor, then at the clock on the monitor, and then back at her tutor in confusion. The slim, dark haired woman smiled faintly at the eternally young child in return. “Your parents requested that I excuse you early today. Even though you have not managed to remember your Eight Times tables, I bow to their request. So, please go on. Enjoy the beautiful day.”
Takeda-sensei did not wait for a response from the young girl. She began to straighten up her books as she stood up, clearly ready to leave. The five year old stared at her a moment longer, and then slowly gathered up her things as well. Her tutor was gone long before she made her slow, tired way out of the classroom.
Princess Usagi wandered the halls of the palace wondering what she should do with herself until lunch time. Normally, she would spend any free moment she had with her best friend, Puu, but… Sailor Pluto no longer haunted the hallways of the secret tower. Ever since she had given her life to stop time and save the world three months before, the tower had vanished.
The little princess absently wiped at the tears that filled her small brown eyes as thoughts of her lost friend filled her mind. ‘It’s all my fault,’ she thought miserably as she came to a stop in front of the spot in the hall where the secret door used to stand. She reached out and laid her hand flat on the clouded crystal wall, pushing hard in an attempt to open the door that was no longer there. ‘If I hadn’t taken that lollipop… If I had only remembered her assurances that everything would be all right… If only I had trusted Usagi…’ Her fingers curled into a fist as the tears came faster.
“Oy, look! If it isn’t the little ‘princess’. What’s the matter, Crybaby? Get lost on your way to your tutor?” Princess Usagi wiped the tears from her face as her tormentor’s friends chuckled at his wit, and then turned around to look at them. “Tell ya what,” the older boy continued with a smirk, “we’ll help ya get back on track. Won’t we, guys?” His friends laughed again as they chorused their agreement.
The young princess looked at them for a moment longer, and then turned and walked away. “Hey, where ya goin’?” the boy called as they began to follow her. “That’s the wrong way,” he sing-songed. The little girl ignored them as they followed her through the halls heckling her.
Finally, her tormentor could not take her lack of response any longer. He reached out, grabbed her arm, and spun her around. “Look, Crybaby…” His voice trailed off as he stared down into her icy dark eyes. He had never seen such a strong, cold expression on her little face before. Behind him, his friends began to shuffle their feet uneasily.
Then, the eight year old tightened his grip and pushed her into the wall. “Little brat. Don’t look so high and mighty. Everyone knows you’re not really a princess. You’re just some little android doll Sailor Mercury made years ago. Yeah. You’re not really human at all.”
“Hsst! Kento-kun!” one of his friends whispered hoarsely as they began to back slowly down the hall. Their eyes were fixed firmly on the ghostly figure of Nephrite as he clenched his fists and glared threateningly at them.
“Just a minute,” Kento called, his eyes still fixed on the little girl in front of him. “What’cha think, Crybaby. Surprised I figured out your little secret? Wasn’t that hard.”
“Leave me alone,” Princess Usagi whispered, suddenly afraid of what her anger might make her do to him. The power of the Ginzuishou followed her heart and emotions, or so her mother had said. If she got angry or afraid and wished to be big again… She never wanted to be Black Lady. Never again. “Leave me alone!”
“Kento-kun!”
Kento’s smirk grew bigger as he tightened his grip on the princess even more. “Just a minute,” he said impatiently as he savored the tears that began to run down her face again. “I’m gonna tell everyone,” he told her as she closed her eyes to fight for control of her emotions. “I’m gonna tell everyone your secret. Unless…”
He looked up in surprise as his friends squeaked in fear and began to run away down the hall. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Nephrite standing angrily over him. He dropped the princess’ arm and backed away slowly. When Nephrite glided a menacing step closer, Kento spun around and raced away after his friends.
Beginning to sob, Princess Usagi clenched her arms around herself as she turned and began to run for the safety of the maze in the garden. She never saw the ghostly red figure that had defended her.
Nephrite looked after her retreating figure, and then glared once more down the hallway in the direction the group of boys had taken. Slowly, he faded out of sight.
Title: The Secret of the Crystal Palace
Author: Raya
Theme: Post Series / Optional: Hostage
Genre: General / Angst / Drama
Version: PGSM (Post R - Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~560
Disclaimer: Princess “ChibiUsa” Usagi and Neo-Queen Serenity belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely fashioned these uber cute onigiri, and used them as puppets in my Bento Box Theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
The Secret of the Crystal Palace
Still crying in fear and anger, Princess Usagi caught at the frame of the doorway leading into the gardens and paused as a recent memory suddenly surfaced.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Small Lady,” Neo-Queen Serenity said solemnly as she knelt before her daughter and looked deeply into her chocolate colored eyes. “You have the Ginzuishou in your heart now. That power can be used for good or evil. It all depends on you.” She gently ruffled the princess’ dark bangs. “The Ginzuishou will follow your heart. Your emotions will give it the strength and direction. Do you understand?” The little girl nodded nervously.
“You must learn to control your emotions,” the queen continued gently. “I do not mean that you must suppress them or become unemotional, but you will have to know when that control is necessary.” She smiled suddenly. “Shall I tell you a secret?”
When her daughter looked at her in surprise and nodded again, she leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I have a hard time controlling my emotions.” She sat back and smiled at the look of disbelief on the princess’ face. “I do not like to be too controlled.” Her face clouded over. “Suppressing my emotions did not help me that time. In fact, it may have made things worse. So, I let them free. In return, however, I hold myself hostage.”
“Hostage?” Princess Usagi asked, taken aback.
Neo-Queen Serenity nodded, her face solemn once more. “I built this palace out of Silver Crystal not because it was pretty or strong, but because it can contain my power if my emotions get the better of me. I stay inside the palace or very close to it all of the time so that I will not accidentally destroy the world.”
She touched her daughter’s cheek reassuringly when the little girl gasped. “Yes, the Ginzuishou has the power to do that if your emotions are strong enough. Do not worry. I do not think you are in any danger of harming our world again.” She smiled gently as Princess Usagi suddenly looked sad and guilty, and then drew her into a tight hug. “It really will be all right,” she murmured.
After a few moments, she released the little girl and sat back again. “You are truly my daughter,” she said as she lovingly caressed her daughter’s face. “You are also truly your father’s daughter. You have inherited a great deal of strength from him. I think that you will be able to control your emotions without suppressing them, much better than I. When you feel they are starting to overwhelm you, however, remember to stay inside. The palace will protect you the same way that it protects me. And if the power gets away from you, the Senshi will be able to deal quickly with any consequences.”
Princess Usagi shivered as she remembered the terrible things she had done with the Ginzuishou when she was Black Lady, and then nodded. “Mars will start to teach you meditation techniques,” her mother said as she squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “In the meantime, just remember to hide in the palace, not the maze, if you get upset.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the little girl replied.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Princess Usagi stared longingly out towards her favorite hiding spot, and then shook her head and turned back into the palace. It was time to find another place to hide.
Title: Counsel
Author: Raya
Theme: Senshi-Shitennou / Optional: Quote II - "Evil is impotent and has no power but that which we let it extort from us." - Ayn Rand
Genre: General / Angst / Drama
Version: PGSM (Post R - Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~1,560
Disclaimer: Princess “ChibiUsa” Usagi and Kunzite belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely fashioned these uber cute onigiri, and used them as puppets in my Bento Box Theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Counsel
Princess Usagi crouched down in her new hiding spot deep beneath the palace, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rubbed her wet face against her frilly white skirt. She had never seen this dim area before, which surprised her. She had thought that she had learned every crack and crevice of the building in the nine hundred years that she had been roaming it. For now, however, she was not going to worry about it. She had other, more important things to think about.
“Control,” she whispered to herself as she squeezed her arms tighter. “Have to keep control.” Her anger had receded somewhat as she had searched for this new hiding place, but the fear was still there. She could almost still feel the surge of cold fury that had run through her when Kento had dared to grab her arm a few minutes ago. It was so similar to the feel of the dark power that had surged through her system when she was Black Lady that she had panicked and run as soon as he had let her go.
“Control is good,” a hollow voice replied thoughtfully. “But if you hold too tight, you will lose it.”
The five year old’s dark pigtails bounced around her ears as she jerked her head up and looked around in surprise. Spying no one, she began to frown. “Who’s there?” she asked angrily.
“Like holding on to an icicle. If you wrap your hand firmly around it, you can use it as a weapon. But, if you squeeze it too much, it will slip right out of your grasp.”
“Where are you?” the princess demanded as she stood up and looked around again. There was something familiar about the voice, something that kept her from running away in fear. She put one hand on the rough crystal wall behind her and took a side step towards the entrance when a dim glow to her right caught her attention. She turned to look more closely at it, and then gasped.
Kunzite raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then smiled as he bowed. “So, you can see me now, Little Miss?” he asked.
“You… you are… Shin,” Princess Usagi said hesitantly. Her eyes wide with disbelief, she took a step towards him. “You’re all right!” Her steps sped up as he shook his head at her, and she raced to embrace him. “Shin!”
She went straight through him, and then cried out in pain as she ran into the crystal wall. “Sh-Shin?” When she turned around, she found him kneeling on one knee in front of her.
He shook his head again. “I am not truly here, Little Miss,” he said quietly. “Not yet.”
Her face fell and she began to cry once more. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Shin.”
He huffed at her and stood up with an offended look. “For what?”
“It was my fault,” the little princess choked out through her tears. “If I had run when you told me, too… If I had stayed with Usagi’s mother…” Her voice trailed off as she spied his stern expression.
“It was my honor to protect you,” he said stiffly. “Besides, those measly wounds did not kill me. They were nothing.”
The five year old sniffed in disbelief as she rubbed her hands over her face. “They were bad.”
“Hardly.”
“Then why were you in the hospital?” she demanded as she glared at him, her tears forgotten.
Kunzite smiled as she became the gutsy little girl he remembered. “Master has always been a bit overprotective.” His smile widened as she sniffed at him again.
Princess Usagi turned away from him and sat down once more. As long as he was not mad at her, it was okay. “You… you are dead now?” she asked sadly as she wrapped her arms around her legs again.
“Not really,” he replied as he leaned back against the wall beside her. “I just don’t have a physical body right now.” He watched her frown, and decided to change the subject. “What do you feel that you need to control?”
She stiffened, and then slowly let her head sink to her knees once more. “My emotions,” she whispered back. “I have the Ginzuishou now. I can’t let it do anything bad. Not again.” The last sentence was said in a whisper as she turned her face away, but the Shitennou heard it and looked at her curiously.
“Not again?”
Silence hung between them for several long minutes, but he waited patiently for her response. Finally, she began to tell him about what had happened after he had been injured in the twentieth century. How Wiseman had tricked her, using her fears and desire to be grown up to draw her into his dark web. How she had become Black Lady and had used the dark power of the Kurozuishou and the Ginzuishou to attack the earth and the senshi. How, as a result of her actions, her best friend had been forced to sacrifice herself. How the remorse and grief at her loss had awoken the senshi inside of her and had given her the power to use the Ginzuishou to cleanse herself of Wiseman’s dark power.
“I can’t become Black Lady again,” she said softly as she stared sightlessly down the corridor. “I won’t. So, I have to control my emotions, all the dark, negative power in me she used… I won’t use it again.”
Kunzite tilted his head forward was silent for several more moments. Finally, he spoke. “What is it that you fear the most?” he asked quietly. “Losing control? Your darker emotions? Or the way you enjoy the feel of power running through your veins?” Princess Usagi stiffened. “There is nothing wrong with power, it is all in how you choose to use it. Your body was designed to channel that power. Therefore, it will feel good or natural to you. To suppress it because you fear it is wrong is to falsely limit yourself.”
“Negative emotions, too, are a natural part of you,” he continued. “You are human. You will feel anger, hate, pain, jealousy, and fear. You can even use these emotions to make you stronger, to give you more power just as you can your positive emotions. All emotions can blind you or be used against you, positive as well as negative.” A trace of a frown shadowed his face. “Sometimes,” he said even more softly, “it is the positive ones that are more dangerous.”
He looked over to see that she had turned her head on her knees to face him once more. “What you fear is the evil that controlled you, right? The evil that turned your emotions into power and used them against you.” Princess Usagi nodded, and he nodded back. “Evil is impotent. It has no power that it does not first extort from us. Remember that.”
The little girl lifted her head with a puzzled expression. “What… What is ‘impotent’? And ‘extort’?”
Kunzite swallowed a chuckle and shook his head at himself. Her 906 years made her seem more intelligent than most five year olds. He often forgot she was so young. “What I meant is that evil has no power over you unless you give it. It will try to twist the situation so that you give it that power willingly. This Wiseman found out your weakness and used it against you at your most vulnerable moment. And because you were not on guard against it, you let him.”
When she frowned at him thoughtfully, he continued. “If a stranger were to come up to you and tell you that he knows why you cannot grow up, that he can help you be the young lady that you are inside, would you believe him?” The princess shook her head violently. “If he were to tell you that he knew a way to use the latent power inside you to bring us back, what would you do?”
“I…” She hesitated, obviously considering his question seriously.
“You had better not say you would let him do it,” Kunzite said sternly as he straightened up. “Not unless you knew that he could be trusted. Not unless you knew that the price was not too high to pay. Even then, you should be cautious.” He waited until she nodded slowly before he continued.
“You will not become Black Lady again,” he said as he turned to walk away. “Your negative emotions will not bring her back to life inside you. Be wary of your emotions, control them firmly and use them, but do not fear them or they will use you. Worse, they will be used against you.”
“Shin!” she called, scrambling to her feet. He paused and looked back at her. She bit her lower lip uncertainly, and then bowed to him. “Thank you. I hope I can see you again.”
He gave her a half smile, then turned and bowed to her. “Be sure of it, Little Miss. And if you forget the icicle, be sure also that I will remind you of it.” She nodded as he faded from her sight.
“I’ll remember,” she promised. “Tight, but not too tight. I’ll remember.” And then, feeling better and more sure of herself, she turned to return to the more familiar palace corridors above.
Hmmm... More Zoi than Kunz? But I really want it to be Kunz. *thoughtful frown*
Title: Secret Protector
Author: Raya
Theme: Senshi-Shitennou / Secrets
Genre: General / Angst / Drama
Version: PGSM (Post R - Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~855
Disclaimer: Princess “ChibiUsa” Usagi and Nephrite belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely fashioned these uber cute onigiri, and used them as puppets in my Bento Box Theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Secret Protector
“All right, Princess, that is enough for today.” Princess Usagi looked at her tutor, then at the clock on the monitor, and then back at her tutor in confusion. The slim, dark haired woman smiled faintly at the eternally young child in return. “Your parents requested that I excuse you early today. Even though you have not managed to remember your Eight Times tables, I bow to their request. So, please go on. Enjoy the beautiful day.”
Takeda-sensei did not wait for a response from the young girl. She began to straighten up her books as she stood up, clearly ready to leave. The five year old stared at her a moment longer, and then slowly gathered up her things as well. Her tutor was gone long before she made her slow, tired way out of the classroom.
Princess Usagi wandered the halls of the palace wondering what she should do with herself until lunch time. Normally, she would spend any free moment she had with her best friend, Puu, but… Sailor Pluto no longer haunted the hallways of the secret tower. Ever since she had given her life to stop time and save the world three months before, the tower had vanished.
The little princess absently wiped at the tears that filled her small brown eyes as thoughts of her lost friend filled her mind. ‘It’s all my fault,’ she thought miserably as she came to a stop in front of the spot in the hall where the secret door used to stand. She reached out and laid her hand flat on the clouded crystal wall, pushing hard in an attempt to open the door that was no longer there. ‘If I hadn’t taken that lollipop… If I had only remembered her assurances that everything would be all right… If only I had trusted Usagi…’ Her fingers curled into a fist as the tears came faster.
“Oy, look! If it isn’t the little ‘princess’. What’s the matter, Crybaby? Get lost on your way to your tutor?” Princess Usagi wiped the tears from her face as her tormentor’s friends chuckled at his wit, and then turned around to look at them. “Tell ya what,” the older boy continued with a smirk, “we’ll help ya get back on track. Won’t we, guys?” His friends laughed again as they chorused their agreement.
The young princess looked at them for a moment longer, and then turned and walked away. “Hey, where ya goin’?” the boy called as they began to follow her. “That’s the wrong way,” he sing-songed. The little girl ignored them as they followed her through the halls heckling her.
Finally, her tormentor could not take her lack of response any longer. He reached out, grabbed her arm, and spun her around. “Look, Crybaby…” His voice trailed off as he stared down into her icy dark eyes. He had never seen such a strong, cold expression on her little face before. Behind him, his friends began to shuffle their feet uneasily.
Then, the eight year old tightened his grip and pushed her into the wall. “Little brat. Don’t look so high and mighty. Everyone knows you’re not really a princess. You’re just some little android doll Sailor Mercury made years ago. Yeah. You’re not really human at all.”
“Hsst! Kento-kun!” one of his friends whispered hoarsely as they began to back slowly down the hall. Their eyes were fixed firmly on the ghostly figure of Nephrite as he clenched his fists and glared threateningly at them.
“Just a minute,” Kento called, his eyes still fixed on the little girl in front of him. “What’cha think, Crybaby. Surprised I figured out your little secret? Wasn’t that hard.”
“Leave me alone,” Princess Usagi whispered, suddenly afraid of what her anger might make her do to him. The power of the Ginzuishou followed her heart and emotions, or so her mother had said. If she got angry or afraid and wished to be big again… She never wanted to be Black Lady. Never again. “Leave me alone!”
“Kento-kun!”
Kento’s smirk grew bigger as he tightened his grip on the princess even more. “Just a minute,” he said impatiently as he savored the tears that began to run down her face again. “I’m gonna tell everyone,” he told her as she closed her eyes to fight for control of her emotions. “I’m gonna tell everyone your secret. Unless…”
He looked up in surprise as his friends squeaked in fear and began to run away down the hall. His eyes widened in shock as he saw Nephrite standing angrily over him. He dropped the princess’ arm and backed away slowly. When Nephrite glided a menacing step closer, Kento spun around and raced away after his friends.
Beginning to sob, Princess Usagi clenched her arms around herself as she turned and began to run for the safety of the maze in the garden. She never saw the ghostly red figure that had defended her.
Nephrite looked after her retreating figure, and then glared once more down the hallway in the direction the group of boys had taken. Slowly, he faded out of sight.
Title: The Secret of the Crystal Palace
Author: Raya
Theme: Post Series / Optional: Hostage
Genre: General / Angst / Drama
Version: PGSM (Post R - Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~560
Disclaimer: Princess “ChibiUsa” Usagi and Neo-Queen Serenity belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely fashioned these uber cute onigiri, and used them as puppets in my Bento Box Theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
The Secret of the Crystal Palace
Still crying in fear and anger, Princess Usagi caught at the frame of the doorway leading into the gardens and paused as a recent memory suddenly surfaced.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
“Small Lady,” Neo-Queen Serenity said solemnly as she knelt before her daughter and looked deeply into her chocolate colored eyes. “You have the Ginzuishou in your heart now. That power can be used for good or evil. It all depends on you.” She gently ruffled the princess’ dark bangs. “The Ginzuishou will follow your heart. Your emotions will give it the strength and direction. Do you understand?” The little girl nodded nervously.
“You must learn to control your emotions,” the queen continued gently. “I do not mean that you must suppress them or become unemotional, but you will have to know when that control is necessary.” She smiled suddenly. “Shall I tell you a secret?”
When her daughter looked at her in surprise and nodded again, she leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I have a hard time controlling my emotions.” She sat back and smiled at the look of disbelief on the princess’ face. “I do not like to be too controlled.” Her face clouded over. “Suppressing my emotions did not help me that time. In fact, it may have made things worse. So, I let them free. In return, however, I hold myself hostage.”
“Hostage?” Princess Usagi asked, taken aback.
Neo-Queen Serenity nodded, her face solemn once more. “I built this palace out of Silver Crystal not because it was pretty or strong, but because it can contain my power if my emotions get the better of me. I stay inside the palace or very close to it all of the time so that I will not accidentally destroy the world.”
She touched her daughter’s cheek reassuringly when the little girl gasped. “Yes, the Ginzuishou has the power to do that if your emotions are strong enough. Do not worry. I do not think you are in any danger of harming our world again.” She smiled gently as Princess Usagi suddenly looked sad and guilty, and then drew her into a tight hug. “It really will be all right,” she murmured.
After a few moments, she released the little girl and sat back again. “You are truly my daughter,” she said as she lovingly caressed her daughter’s face. “You are also truly your father’s daughter. You have inherited a great deal of strength from him. I think that you will be able to control your emotions without suppressing them, much better than I. When you feel they are starting to overwhelm you, however, remember to stay inside. The palace will protect you the same way that it protects me. And if the power gets away from you, the Senshi will be able to deal quickly with any consequences.”
Princess Usagi shivered as she remembered the terrible things she had done with the Ginzuishou when she was Black Lady, and then nodded. “Mars will start to teach you meditation techniques,” her mother said as she squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “In the meantime, just remember to hide in the palace, not the maze, if you get upset.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the little girl replied.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Princess Usagi stared longingly out towards her favorite hiding spot, and then shook her head and turned back into the palace. It was time to find another place to hide.
Title: Counsel
Author: Raya
Theme: Senshi-Shitennou / Optional: Quote II - "Evil is impotent and has no power but that which we let it extort from us." - Ayn Rand
Genre: General / Angst / Drama
Version: PGSM (Post R - Crystal Tokyo)
Rating: G
Word Count: ~1,560
Disclaimer: Princess “ChibiUsa” Usagi and Kunzite belong to Takeuchi Naoko. I have merely fashioned these uber cute onigiri, and used them as puppets in my Bento Box Theater.
Canon, spelling, grammar, and punctuation corrections are appreciated. So is constructive criticism and general comments. Please let me know if you see something that you like or that should be corrected. Thanks! - Raya
Counsel
Princess Usagi crouched down in her new hiding spot deep beneath the palace, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rubbed her wet face against her frilly white skirt. She had never seen this dim area before, which surprised her. She had thought that she had learned every crack and crevice of the building in the nine hundred years that she had been roaming it. For now, however, she was not going to worry about it. She had other, more important things to think about.
“Control,” she whispered to herself as she squeezed her arms tighter. “Have to keep control.” Her anger had receded somewhat as she had searched for this new hiding place, but the fear was still there. She could almost still feel the surge of cold fury that had run through her when Kento had dared to grab her arm a few minutes ago. It was so similar to the feel of the dark power that had surged through her system when she was Black Lady that she had panicked and run as soon as he had let her go.
“Control is good,” a hollow voice replied thoughtfully. “But if you hold too tight, you will lose it.”
The five year old’s dark pigtails bounced around her ears as she jerked her head up and looked around in surprise. Spying no one, she began to frown. “Who’s there?” she asked angrily.
“Like holding on to an icicle. If you wrap your hand firmly around it, you can use it as a weapon. But, if you squeeze it too much, it will slip right out of your grasp.”
“Where are you?” the princess demanded as she stood up and looked around again. There was something familiar about the voice, something that kept her from running away in fear. She put one hand on the rough crystal wall behind her and took a side step towards the entrance when a dim glow to her right caught her attention. She turned to look more closely at it, and then gasped.
Kunzite raised an eyebrow in surprise, and then smiled as he bowed. “So, you can see me now, Little Miss?” he asked.
“You… you are… Shin,” Princess Usagi said hesitantly. Her eyes wide with disbelief, she took a step towards him. “You’re all right!” Her steps sped up as he shook his head at her, and she raced to embrace him. “Shin!”
She went straight through him, and then cried out in pain as she ran into the crystal wall. “Sh-Shin?” When she turned around, she found him kneeling on one knee in front of her.
He shook his head again. “I am not truly here, Little Miss,” he said quietly. “Not yet.”
Her face fell and she began to cry once more. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Shin.”
He huffed at her and stood up with an offended look. “For what?”
“It was my fault,” the little princess choked out through her tears. “If I had run when you told me, too… If I had stayed with Usagi’s mother…” Her voice trailed off as she spied his stern expression.
“It was my honor to protect you,” he said stiffly. “Besides, those measly wounds did not kill me. They were nothing.”
The five year old sniffed in disbelief as she rubbed her hands over her face. “They were bad.”
“Hardly.”
“Then why were you in the hospital?” she demanded as she glared at him, her tears forgotten.
Kunzite smiled as she became the gutsy little girl he remembered. “Master has always been a bit overprotective.” His smile widened as she sniffed at him again.
Princess Usagi turned away from him and sat down once more. As long as he was not mad at her, it was okay. “You… you are dead now?” she asked sadly as she wrapped her arms around her legs again.
“Not really,” he replied as he leaned back against the wall beside her. “I just don’t have a physical body right now.” He watched her frown, and decided to change the subject. “What do you feel that you need to control?”
She stiffened, and then slowly let her head sink to her knees once more. “My emotions,” she whispered back. “I have the Ginzuishou now. I can’t let it do anything bad. Not again.” The last sentence was said in a whisper as she turned her face away, but the Shitennou heard it and looked at her curiously.
“Not again?”
Silence hung between them for several long minutes, but he waited patiently for her response. Finally, she began to tell him about what had happened after he had been injured in the twentieth century. How Wiseman had tricked her, using her fears and desire to be grown up to draw her into his dark web. How she had become Black Lady and had used the dark power of the Kurozuishou and the Ginzuishou to attack the earth and the senshi. How, as a result of her actions, her best friend had been forced to sacrifice herself. How the remorse and grief at her loss had awoken the senshi inside of her and had given her the power to use the Ginzuishou to cleanse herself of Wiseman’s dark power.
“I can’t become Black Lady again,” she said softly as she stared sightlessly down the corridor. “I won’t. So, I have to control my emotions, all the dark, negative power in me she used… I won’t use it again.”
Kunzite tilted his head forward was silent for several more moments. Finally, he spoke. “What is it that you fear the most?” he asked quietly. “Losing control? Your darker emotions? Or the way you enjoy the feel of power running through your veins?” Princess Usagi stiffened. “There is nothing wrong with power, it is all in how you choose to use it. Your body was designed to channel that power. Therefore, it will feel good or natural to you. To suppress it because you fear it is wrong is to falsely limit yourself.”
“Negative emotions, too, are a natural part of you,” he continued. “You are human. You will feel anger, hate, pain, jealousy, and fear. You can even use these emotions to make you stronger, to give you more power just as you can your positive emotions. All emotions can blind you or be used against you, positive as well as negative.” A trace of a frown shadowed his face. “Sometimes,” he said even more softly, “it is the positive ones that are more dangerous.”
He looked over to see that she had turned her head on her knees to face him once more. “What you fear is the evil that controlled you, right? The evil that turned your emotions into power and used them against you.” Princess Usagi nodded, and he nodded back. “Evil is impotent. It has no power that it does not first extort from us. Remember that.”
The little girl lifted her head with a puzzled expression. “What… What is ‘impotent’? And ‘extort’?”
Kunzite swallowed a chuckle and shook his head at himself. Her 906 years made her seem more intelligent than most five year olds. He often forgot she was so young. “What I meant is that evil has no power over you unless you give it. It will try to twist the situation so that you give it that power willingly. This Wiseman found out your weakness and used it against you at your most vulnerable moment. And because you were not on guard against it, you let him.”
When she frowned at him thoughtfully, he continued. “If a stranger were to come up to you and tell you that he knows why you cannot grow up, that he can help you be the young lady that you are inside, would you believe him?” The princess shook her head violently. “If he were to tell you that he knew a way to use the latent power inside you to bring us back, what would you do?”
“I…” She hesitated, obviously considering his question seriously.
“You had better not say you would let him do it,” Kunzite said sternly as he straightened up. “Not unless you knew that he could be trusted. Not unless you knew that the price was not too high to pay. Even then, you should be cautious.” He waited until she nodded slowly before he continued.
“You will not become Black Lady again,” he said as he turned to walk away. “Your negative emotions will not bring her back to life inside you. Be wary of your emotions, control them firmly and use them, but do not fear them or they will use you. Worse, they will be used against you.”
“Shin!” she called, scrambling to her feet. He paused and looked back at her. She bit her lower lip uncertainly, and then bowed to him. “Thank you. I hope I can see you again.”
He gave her a half smile, then turned and bowed to her. “Be sure of it, Little Miss. And if you forget the icicle, be sure also that I will remind you of it.” She nodded as he faded from her sight.
“I’ll remember,” she promised. “Tight, but not too tight. I’ll remember.” And then, feeling better and more sure of herself, she turned to return to the more familiar palace corridors above.
Hmmm... More Zoi than Kunz? But I really want it to be Kunz. *thoughtful frown*