Chapter 3 : Into the Dark Kingdom

Title : Onnagata
Author : darkkingdom
Email : kataki2001-at-yahoo.fr
Fandom : Sailor Moon (anime) Dark Kingdom
Pairing : Kunzite / Zoisite (they're only just meeting here...)
Rating : a bit of violence and hints of sex
Copyright : Zoisite, Kunzite, Sailor Moon and the rest are the property of Naoko Takeuchi.

Author's comment : narration by Shiro

Bupu awaits patiently by my side.

"All right. You can get me food?"

She beams and nods energetically.

"Human food I know. Master Kunzite gave orders."

We walk back to my quarters, and behind what I thought was just lianas, she shows me a kind of kitchen. Let's rather say : water commodities, a quite nice kitchen set, and a pile of dry fish, mushrooms, rice and other food. The whole thing looks like it's just been raided by someone who only had a vague idea of what it takes to cook, and brought back a whole kitchen content. Which I suspect is what happened.

But Bupu knows better. She tells me that she's usually in charge of prisoners, and as such knows how to keep them alive.

I'm not technically a prisoner, but I can't leave this place, Kunzite's castle. I could try, since Bupu isn't a guardian, but I'm advised that outside is the Dark Kingdom, and that humans are not supposed to hang out there. Humans are the enemies, and I'd get spotted and most probably killed right away.

Besides, no one should know that I'm here, except for the six youma I've already met. Lord Kunzite has enemies even among the other Tennou, apparently, who might kidnap me to find out about his plans - or just to annoy him by breaking his new toy.

What's more, as Saiyuki later points out to me, the less is known about a spy, the better his work is. It's even better if nobody even knows about my existence. So, I spend the next few weeks without ever seeing the light of the day.

I initially thought that the Dark Kingdom was just another territory of the shogunate, but it turns out it's not the case. Saiyuki tells me it's "some place else", and can only be reached from my world by teleportation. That is what Lord Kunzite does when he fades into air. Teleportation.

I'm even more puzzled by her calling it "my world", not just "my land". It's that kind of things that remind me that no matter how human Lord Kunzite looks - though in a too perfect way, and except for his platinum hair -, he really is not, at all.

I've never liked much the company of women. Actually, I never liked much the company of people, and their gender only differentiates why they're unpleasant to me. Men who don't make fun of my appearance have lustful plans for me. And women are of two kinds, too : the ones who see me as a cute thing, more like them than men, and who try to talk to me as to a girl friend. And the one who are just plain jealous.

I feel as alien among men as among women, and I'm not interested in bonding.

And somehow it makes me feel rather at ease with the Youma. They only pay attention to me in the limits of Kunzite's orders, and they seem to be pleased with my progress. Not that they care much about my skills, I figure, but they know that the Tennou would hold them partly responsible if I didn't learn properly.

At least, they don't expect me to socialize or comply to some unwritten rules I never learned. Big relief.

I'm given my own sword to practice, the Dark Kingdom apparently not following the rules of the other world. That makes me insanely happy. I'm feeling like going back to all the places I've lived in, and killing all the people who ever annoyed me or took advantage of me.

The sword alone wouldn't be enough for me to defeat a group of ronins, of course, but I've always been a fast learner. Even though the youma turn out to all be much stronger than I am, even Saiyuki - their demon blood I think -, I quickly get more confident in my skills, and I love that feeling to be able to take an immediate revenge on offenders.

It's no wonder samurais always look so self-important, when they not only get to wear lethal weapons all the time, but they also get to use them without really being as much as frowned upon.

I remember the fear in Murasaki's eyes when he saw me and felt the dagger piercing his flesh… That felt good. I felt complete. It's too bad the two other guys I killed there didn't have the time to realize, and I was too busy to watch them die.

At first, a few days pass before I see Lord Kunzite again. He comes a few times to watch the training sessions, providing advices to me or to my tutors.

There is no more "foreplay-not-turning-into-play" like that first day by the pool. I don't really understand it. I guess he was just trying to test my nerves and how far I could go to serve him.

Anyway, he has enough opportunities to have fun without me. There are only six youma I ever meet, but I hear he has a lot more at his service, most of them not hosted in his castle. Sometimes, my tutors talk together about their missions, the other youma, and also their, uh, private lives.

It's not like the girls talks I was used to. Back before my mother sold me to the theater, when I was a little boy, I was surrounded by women and grew used to their bickering. I'm familiar with how deceivingly friendly they can appear to each other, only to spread nasty rumors in their back or scheme for a man's attention.

There's nothing like that in the Dark Kingdom. It's not that the people - demons - here are nice to each other. They aren't. And from what I hear, Lord Kunzite's "clan" is the fairest of all, so that would say a lot about the others.

But here, ambushes and betrayals are more of a way of life. So, it's barely hidden, and there's no hard feelings about it, no grudge held.

Anyway, it's also more ferocious, so most conflicts end with the death of one of the parties. And it's so common that no one will take revenge for someone else.

Also, it looks to me like a lot of the womanly bickering is irrelevant here, for the mere reason that they are not jealous or possessive. They all want to be powerful, to get a higher rank in Lord Kunzite's army, to make him proud, but it's dissociated from their… other relationship with him, whatever its nature.

The first time I hear about it is when Bandana comes over for a training session along with Arika, and lets her do most of the work. It is unusual, and along the session Arika makes a few mocking comments about it.

Bandana grins - at least I think so, from what I see of her face above her mask.

"I told you I have sore limbs today."

Arika giggles, and it seems they forgot I was here, practicing sword moves against a wood manikin.

"Well, to each her turn, sister. He's being quite inspired lately, isn't he?"

Obviously they're not talking about me. And I doubt they're talking about fencing altogether.

"Saiyuki said so, too."

Arika's lianas twirl around her arms, something she does when she's puzzled or nervous.

"Her, too? I don't think he spent one of the last ten nights alone, then?"

I'm amazed by openly they talk about it. Like it doesn't really matter in one way or another.

From what I get, they do appreciate to be chosen, as much for the distinction it implies that for the… service itself, but they don't care much if they're not.

As more days pass, I realize feelings are the key. Or rather, the lack of. They certainly don't know love. They don't really lust all that much - maybe Lord Kunzite does, being different from them, but he doesn't show it. They have no hope or expectations. And afterwards, no regret or remorse. They don't care much.

I wish I could tell the same. Not knowing Lord Kunzite's plans about me aggravates me. Wondering which exactly of my "talents" he intends to use worries me.

And even though I hate to admit it, feeling ignored upsets me. I'm not used to it. Unrequited attention is a pain, but being the only one in the house who doesn't get any is humiliating.

I try not to take it personally. Obviously, Lord Kunzite is only attracted to youma. Or females. Anyway, he doesn't fancy me.

In a way, I'm flattered that he thought of me having a potential other than in bed. But it also means that I have to prove up to his expectations without any safety issues. No way I can get out of problems with a charming smile or a bat of eyelashes.

To be continued...