Crystal Tokyo was warm this time of year. The air was bright and
fresh and Emerald breathed deeply of light and sunshine, just as she had
done every time she'd come to Earth for Diamond. Funny, she hadn't been
surprised when that Sailor had told her Diamond had died too. She'd known
their plan was failing and even if it hadn't failed in their defeat, they
had taken the Earth to have the beauty and their war had destroyed all of
that. It was somewhat of a relief to be out of that wobbling house of
cards, pretending it was a castle. One problem out of a million solved.
Emerald gazed down the street full of happy passerbys, her feet taking her aimlessly. Where could she go? She shouldn't even be here. She didn't deserve to be. These people were happy and good and she was neither. Was this her punishment? To be alive when she would rather it was just all over? And now it was worse than before for at least before they all knew her for the fraud she was.
She looked up, for the air had become even richer, making her dizzy after the sterile, flat air of Nemesis. It was a park, giant oaks reaching up in freedom and glory. Emerald slid onto a park bench in the shade, for even after all of her ill-fated missions the sun was too bright for eyes used to twilight.
Two little boys chased each other through the trees while a younger girl struggled to catch up. She fell and whimpered, causing the two boys to come back. Together the three headed off toward the large pond and all the ducks. But it isn't like that, she thought, thick green hair falling in front of her eyes, sheltering her briefly from the world. You fall and they keep going because they never noticed you at all. Like Diamond. I wonder who he married. If I had been...what? Prettier? Smarter? Better at magic or more athletic? But she still would have been Emerald. And Emerald was cursed it appeared. Happiness? Happiness had been when Diamond deigned to notice her, or when she first visited Earth, or when Wiseman had given her what she thought was the means to make Diamond notice her.
Suddenly the park and the laughing children and the sunshine was too much and the tears began to blur her vision; she jumped to her feet intending to run away-anywhere away, and she collided with someone.
"Whoa there! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She said automatically, harshly as she ducked her head to bring her tears under control.
"Why don't I believe you?"
Startled, she looked up into middling brown eyes in an average but kind face.
"That's what I thought. Why don't you dry your eyes, I'll buy you a cup of coffee, and you can tell me about it."
Emerald wiped at her eyes futily. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Well then I'll talk. Come on."
"Now," the man said as he slid the coffee cup nearer to him, "My name's Matthew Portman. What's yours?"
"Emerald."
"Ah. Hence the hair."
"Oh?" Emerald dragged on green lock around so she could inspect it. "Actually I think my hair's more...lime green. Emerald is darker."
"Maybe so. It's still a pretty name. Unusual too."
"And Matthew isn't?"
"Hey, you even say it right. Most Japanese folks can't seem to wrap their tongues around it."
"I'm not Japanese," she replied, shying away. Then, "If your name isn't Japanese, how'd you come to be in Crystal Tokyo?"
Matthew shrugged, "I work for Chrysler. I'm actually from America. How about you?"
Emerald dropped her eyes to her coffee cup.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject. We can just pretend you're the lost princess of...Argabetia and this is part of your disguise."
"What, sitting in a coffee shop?" she asked curiously.
"Yes." He said as if stating irrefutable fact. Emerald laughed softly and it was not the braying, broken laugh of a broken girl, just a soft exhale of air. "That's better. So tell me about your kingdom, your highness. Do you have a castle or a palace?"
"Just a castle. But I have a royal garden and," she paused, thinking. "It's filled with daisies and marigolds."
"Lovely. I've always been partial to dandelions myself."
"Aren't they a weed?"
"I say they're a flower. Tell me more about your castle in...where was it again?"
"Argabeh something?"
"I don't know. It's your country."
"Angie then. The kingdom of Angie. And...our national pastime is chocolate."
"Making or eating?"
"Both." She smiled.
"And where do you fit in?"
Matthew stirred his coffee idly. "I am...well, which sounds better? Loyal family retainer or bodyguard?"
"You could be both. Loyal family bodyguard."
"Indeed. What about the prince? Is there a prince?"
Reality crashed down around Emerald's ears, discordant and painful. "No. I have to go. I mean, well, I have to go. I'm late. Thank you for the coffee. It was nice meeting you." She slid out of the booth and ran away.
Emerald gazed down the street full of happy passerbys, her feet taking her aimlessly. Where could she go? She shouldn't even be here. She didn't deserve to be. These people were happy and good and she was neither. Was this her punishment? To be alive when she would rather it was just all over? And now it was worse than before for at least before they all knew her for the fraud she was.
She looked up, for the air had become even richer, making her dizzy after the sterile, flat air of Nemesis. It was a park, giant oaks reaching up in freedom and glory. Emerald slid onto a park bench in the shade, for even after all of her ill-fated missions the sun was too bright for eyes used to twilight.
Two little boys chased each other through the trees while a younger girl struggled to catch up. She fell and whimpered, causing the two boys to come back. Together the three headed off toward the large pond and all the ducks. But it isn't like that, she thought, thick green hair falling in front of her eyes, sheltering her briefly from the world. You fall and they keep going because they never noticed you at all. Like Diamond. I wonder who he married. If I had been...what? Prettier? Smarter? Better at magic or more athletic? But she still would have been Emerald. And Emerald was cursed it appeared. Happiness? Happiness had been when Diamond deigned to notice her, or when she first visited Earth, or when Wiseman had given her what she thought was the means to make Diamond notice her.
Suddenly the park and the laughing children and the sunshine was too much and the tears began to blur her vision; she jumped to her feet intending to run away-anywhere away, and she collided with someone.
"Whoa there! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." She said automatically, harshly as she ducked her head to bring her tears under control.
"Why don't I believe you?"
Startled, she looked up into middling brown eyes in an average but kind face.
"That's what I thought. Why don't you dry your eyes, I'll buy you a cup of coffee, and you can tell me about it."
Emerald wiped at her eyes futily. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Well then I'll talk. Come on."
"Now," the man said as he slid the coffee cup nearer to him, "My name's Matthew Portman. What's yours?"
"Emerald."
"Ah. Hence the hair."
"Oh?" Emerald dragged on green lock around so she could inspect it. "Actually I think my hair's more...lime green. Emerald is darker."
"Maybe so. It's still a pretty name. Unusual too."
"And Matthew isn't?"
"Hey, you even say it right. Most Japanese folks can't seem to wrap their tongues around it."
"I'm not Japanese," she replied, shying away. Then, "If your name isn't Japanese, how'd you come to be in Crystal Tokyo?"
Matthew shrugged, "I work for Chrysler. I'm actually from America. How about you?"
Emerald dropped her eyes to her coffee cup.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject. We can just pretend you're the lost princess of...Argabetia and this is part of your disguise."
"What, sitting in a coffee shop?" she asked curiously.
"Yes." He said as if stating irrefutable fact. Emerald laughed softly and it was not the braying, broken laugh of a broken girl, just a soft exhale of air. "That's better. So tell me about your kingdom, your highness. Do you have a castle or a palace?"
"Just a castle. But I have a royal garden and," she paused, thinking. "It's filled with daisies and marigolds."
"Lovely. I've always been partial to dandelions myself."
"Aren't they a weed?"
"I say they're a flower. Tell me more about your castle in...where was it again?"
"Argabeh something?"
"I don't know. It's your country."
"Angie then. The kingdom of Angie. And...our national pastime is chocolate."
"Making or eating?"
"Both." She smiled.
"And where do you fit in?"
Matthew stirred his coffee idly. "I am...well, which sounds better? Loyal family retainer or bodyguard?"
"You could be both. Loyal family bodyguard."
"Indeed. What about the prince? Is there a prince?"
Reality crashed down around Emerald's ears, discordant and painful. "No. I have to go. I mean, well, I have to go. I'm late. Thank you for the coffee. It was nice meeting you." She slid out of the booth and ran away.