Crumble
A Non-Predetermined Number of Years Later. . . .
A line of smoke wafted through the police station and dispersed, lingering just enough to irritate more sensitive nostrils. The scent of strong coffee almost overpowered the smoke, making the air thick with its presence.
"Augh!" a woman gagged, spitting the black liquid back into its mug. "Who the hell made this coffee!"
"Kunzite," grinned a young man at a desk nearby, typing diligently on his report.
"You could kill rhinos with this stuff!"
The young man's grin widened and he came over, pouring a large mug of the strong brew and setting it aside before dumping two more cups of water into the Coffee-San. "That ought to help," he smiled at the lady, who was pouring her cup into a nearby sink. "You're new here, huh? I'm Jadeite." He shook her hand and nodded toward the percolating Coffee-San. "Most people know to stay clear of this area until Kunzite gets his morning cup."
The woman made a face. "Yeah, I'm Momoko. Now, who the hell is this Kunzite guy that thinks he rules the coffee-maker?"
The young man smiled again – he did have an infectious smile – and handed her the large mug he had poured. "Straight back and by the window. Can't miss him."
The woman looked at the warm item in her hands and shrugged, following the young man's directions.
"Will somebody please kill whoever is smoking!" a young man roared, slamming his pen down on top of some papers. Glaring around briefly with red, puffy eyes, he coughed and grabbed a Kleenex to blow his nose into. Despite the apparent cold he had, and a possible nasty temper, he was a healthy-looking fellow. Tall, even sitting down, with shoulder-length pale hair and sharp grey eyes, he was a broad, tanned, handsome man.
Momoko caught herself and blushed, hoping she hadn't been staring too long.
"Good luck, Kunzite," a young woman next to him replied, smiling sympathetically. "Kevin's going to die with a cigarette in his mouth." She laughed a little, "Probably because of the cigarette in his mouth. Cancer." She was a beautiful woman – long, pale blonde hair pulled back on both sides with small pink ribbons and blue eyes that sparkled with good humor.
"Of course he's going to die with a cigarette in his mouth," the man grated, "in five minutes, if he doesn't put it out."
"K-Kunzite-san?" Momoko asked.
"What?" he snapped without looking up.
She didn't know what to say – just held out the coffee cup.
"Look up, Kunzite," the blonde woman said, giving Momoko a sweet, understanding smile that both warmed Momoko and made fun of Kunzite.
"Wha-? Oh." He saw the coffee and took it with a nod of thanks that wasn't quite unfriendly. "Thank you."
The blonde woman looked up at Momoko and smiled in confidence. "He's always like this before he gets his coffee." She gestured for Momoko to sit and propped her head on her hand as Momoko complied. "You're new? Kunzite's actually pretty agreeable once he gets used to you. I know it's really hard to adjust to a new job the first few days. My name's Kate, what's yours?"
Momoko's head was spinning as she listened to the blonde woman change subjects like lightening. "I'm . . . uh . . . Momohara Momoko. I just joined the police force, and I'm kind of nervous."
"It's nice to meet you, Momo-kun." Kate smiled. "Don't worry about being new – it'll get better really soon. Why, when I was a rookie–"
"Yeah, nice," Kunzite murmured, looking across the office and setting his coffee down. "Excuse me," he stood and left.
Momoko followed him with her eyes, confused.
Kate grinned and stood up. "This happens every morning – come on." She pulled Momoko toward the ladies restroom and, hiding in a small nook where they could overhear Kunzite, the two women peered after the tall fair-haired man.
Kevin was half-reclining in his chair, reading a report with a cigarette hanging negligently between his lips. As Kunzite approached, Kevin lay the report on his desk and glanced up, a cocky grin glinting in his eyes.
"What?" he asked around the smoldering item.
"Put it out," Kunzite grated.
"Yes, sir," Kevin saluted, smiled, and went back to his report, doing nothing about the cigarette.
Kunzite sighed, eyes narrowing, and reached across the desk to nab the cigarette himself, but Kevin avoided him and laughed, blowing smoke at Kunzite, who coughed. "You little . . ."
"Excuse me?"
The voice was honeyed and sweet – bell-like. There was a husky throb in its depths that made both men still in their faux fight. Kevin looked past Kunzite, and Kunzite turned to glance behind himself.
She was tall enough to fit snugly under his chin, with a skirt short enough to make her long, shimmering legs look like they went on for miles and a shirt that showed off an amazing, full, firm chest. Long blonde hair was pulled up in a spiky flip and bright blue eyes supported lashes that seemed almost too long for her silver-blue lids to hold up.
One perfectly heeled foot stepped forward, and the young woman brushed past Kunzite, reaching for Kevin.
"Hey, baby," Kevin said, pulling the young woman close to his body.
"Hi," she replied, pulling his face down to her smiling mouth for a lingering moment. When she pulled back, she gave him a funny look. "Have you been smoking again?"
Kunzite hadn't even noticed Kevin putting out his cigarette.
"So Kunzite," Kevin perked up, "what do you think of my new girlfriend?"
Kunzite was speechless for a moment as the blonde girl trailed her hands over Kevin's shoulders and snuggled into him. Then he remembered his training, thought of a book in his bottom left drawer, and he straightened, becoming stern. With a humorless look, he replied, "Get her out of here. She's distracting the other officers."
It was true. Even the women were looking.
"It's okay, baby," the woman said as Kevin frowned, "I'll see you tonight."
"You'll wear that dress I like?"
"Maybe," she purred, separating from him and turning to go. As she passed the tall, broad, pale, red-nosed hunk of a man who had been about to throttle her new boyfriend when she arrived, she gave him a cheeky wink and strode out of the station, hips swinging in a distinctive lilt.
Outside the front doors, she tripped lightly down the stairs, rounded a corner, and flipped her hair down in one move. It spread around her shoulders, tumbling down her back in a long, full mass of gold. Running slim white fingers through her bangs, the woman slipped a full-length red coat on over her clothing and took off in the direction of the massive crystal formation which stood towering high above all of Crystal Tokyo. The sun was just getting firmly aloft, and it glittered through the faucets of the crystal palace, light dancing and flickering and enchanting as the young blonde woman approached it on the streets of Tokyo, her long red coat flapping slightly behind her, hands deep in its pockets.
People looked at her as she passed – some even stared – but once she was out of sight, she drifted from their minds like a phantom dream. Perhaps she was a phantom. Over a thousand years old, the woman could be anyone – and no one was quite sure who.
She reached the crystal palace and stood in front of two large, beefy, unmovable guards.
"Hi boys."
"State your password," one commanded.
"Your boss," the woman laughed and before the other man could react, she pushed past both of them and slammed open the front doors. One of them clapped the other on the shoulder in a sympathetic gesture. The senshi hadn't used passwords in years, but the men were still required to ask for them.
She strode into the next room and ripped off her red coat, slinging it onto a couch where a woman in a white sun-dress was reading a book. The blonde woman threw herself into the chair across from her.
"I'm too old for this. And I am so sick of this password thing!"
The woman reading put her book down, not fluttering a single dark eyelash at the blonde's outburst. The woman pushed a lock of long, smooth black hair behind one ear, assessing the situation. Warm concern entered her voice. "Minako, what's wrong?"
Minako wrinkled her nose and sighed. "I have to date that idiot cop just to get classified information, and he kisses like a fish! And smokes! Ugh! Why can't we just break into the police department files?"
"You know that Ami already has a hack into their system." Rei was the voice of reason. "But they don't keep computer records of this investigation. Even if they did, who would believe it? We're the only ones who deal with this kind of stuff – and deal effectively. And you know that the new police chief doesn't want us meddling – that he thinks we're old school and our methods don't work anymore." There was a pause and the two women looked at each other. Blue eyes lingered on dark violet. Rei blinked, finally taking in her friend's clothing. "You look like a whore. Go change." And threw the red coat back to Minako, who burst out laughing.
"I will admit," she said in a loud, happy voice as she left the room, "it's fun pretending to be eighteen again." She winked.
"You could be his grandmother -- five times over!" Rei called after her, but cut off as another figure appeared in the doorway.
"Who?" the girl asked, a curious smile in her dark blue eyes.
Rei blushed and chuckled. "Minako. She has a new boyfriend."
The girl nodded, sitting down and crossing her ankles daintily. "Didn't she just start dating that police officer?"
Rei smiled, her dark hair falling across one pale cheek. "Yes, the informant. She doesn't like him."
An indigo eyebrow quirked. "Why didn't she just find someone on the investigation that she could stand?"
Rei sighed but didn't reply because a maid came in to serve them lunch. When she left, the new girl noticed the book Rei was reading and they talked about it for the rest of the afternoon.
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"Minako," the young woman paused in the palace hallway and smiled at the man approaching her. She'd just changed into comfortable, normal clothes from her visit to Kevin and was going back to the Senshi's lounge. She began walking again when the man reached her and they dropped into a casual stride. "How are you?"
"Fine, thanks," she nodded, warmth in her voice and face. "And you?"
"Perfect," he took a great, contented breath. "The kingdom's doing well, my family and friends are in good health, and it's a beautiful day." He looked proudly out of a tall, twilit window.
"I'm glad," Minako laughed. "But where is the little princess? I thought she was going to spend the day with you?"
The king nodded, his expression not phased. "She's with her mother. I'm going to join them now for dinner - the ambassador from the Americas is absolutely ecstatic about our new plan." His eyes twinkled down at her and Minako couldn't help but twinkle back. "I appreciate all the time the Senshi spent on it with me. I should do something for you girls." He looked thoughtful.
"Fire the police chief," Minako laughed immediately, not expecting him to take her suggestion seriously.
He didn't, but he grimaced. "I'm really sorry about him. It almost makes me wish I could overrule the people, just in this case. But you know how that would turn out." His mouth was thin. Four hundred years ago, he'd tried to take a judge out of office that had been badmouthing the queen, but the public outcry was so strong against him that he'd had to let her stay. The people hadn't liked the judge much before that, either, but the show of imperial force had turned their favor to the judge for no other reason than a powerful reaction against monarchial strong-arming.
Minako put a hand on her king's arm and smiled sympathetically into his face. "We'll survive. It's not like we haven't been hated before."
"Not so publically," he looked down at her hand and blinked at the bracelet she wore. Taking her hand in his, he examined the jewelry. It was silver and crystal and connected to both ends of a thin, inch-long charm - a tiny, delicate, crystalized sword. "Ami never did explain how you two got this to work."
Minako was all bright smiles again. "Rei helped too." She stepped back and clenched her fist. When she released the harsh grip, there was a long, shimmering crystal sword in her hand. "It requires a little physical and mental exertion. That way it doesn't appear on its own. Kind of like Haruka's, but she keeps hers in subspace. Mine's always physically with me."
He smiled and started walking again. "That still doesn't explain it."
"Well ask Ami next time," she grumbled and half pouted. "You know I'm a ditz."
He laughed and ruffled her hair. "I will."
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"Will you close up, Kunzite?" Kate asked, putting on her coat. "I promised to show Momoko where the doughnut place is." The latter lady walked up behind Kate, her dark violet hair pulled severely up and cocooned in a white bun-bonnet.
"Sure, Kate." Kunzite nodded, pouring over his paperwork so intently that it made the women wonder if he'd even heard the request. Shrugging, they grabbed their purses and left the station.
Alone, all the lights in the station out except for the small lamp on his desk and the glowing monitor of his computer, Kunzite sighed and leaned back in his chair, arching his back and stretching his arms far over his head in a catlike move. "Ah," he sighed, relaxing again and mopping at his shiny nose with a fresh tissue. He glanced behind him, past Kate's desk, and out the tall window. A streetlight to the right of the window made a small puddle of light slant across the station floor. The shadows deepened and Kunzite shivered involuntarily. There was a slightly sinister flavor to being alone in a dark police station at night.
Frowning at himself and sighing, Kunzite reached down and drew open his bottom left drawer, lifting out a heavy leather-bound volume and placing it squarely on top of his paperwork. Finding his blue cloth bookmark, Kunzite flipped open the volume and scanned the marked page.
". . . and thus the Sailor Senshi defeated Sailor Galaxia and saved Earth. Thereafter, King Endymion was returned and renewed to power, then only Prince Endymion. Queen Serenity, at this time only Princess Serenity, and her loyal Sailor Senshi bid goodbye to the elusive Senshi, the Sailor Starlights, and their princess, Kakyuu, who then returned to their home world.
"The coronation of Queen Serenity was six years later, the year of the crystal. At this time, danger to the Earth halted and it was safe for the Queen and her Senshi to establish monarchy. In the royal coronation party were the exalted Queen Neo-Serenity and King Endymion, the Inner Senshi(1) and the Outer Senshi(2). The Inner Senshi remain in the palace today, protecting their king and queen even unto possible death. The Outer Senshi faded from public sight soon after the coronation and all attempts to locate them failed. Hypotheses were made, but the most popular among the people of Crystal Tokyo was that the Outer Senshi were released of duty and retired to live long, happy lives.
"The Inner Senshi consist of four women, each dedicated solely to her King and Queen. Each Senshi has a particular object and talent See: Chapter Four, for Senshi Profiles, and in peacetime help to run the palace. Recently, since the Neo-Princess Serenity's birth, the Senshi have . . ."
Footnote: (1) Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus. See Inner Senshi with Naru.
Footnote: (2) Sailor Uranus, Sailor Neptune, and Sailor Pluto. See Mysterious Ways of the Outer Senshi.
Kunzite stopped reading and flipped to Chapter Four. He ran his finger down the rough, brittle page, and stopped by a fancy gold-script title and a rather blurry image of a blonde woman high-kicking a grey, lumpy monster.
". . . Sailor Venus is the leader of the Inner Senshi, Princess Serenity's (Neo-Queen Serenity, see p.43) protectors. As the leader, Sailor Venus is entrusted with the legendary Silver Crystal Sword, an emblem of her authority and power.
"The Senshi of love and beauty, Sailor Venus is reportedly one of the most beautiful women in Tokyo, near or equal even to the beauty of the Queen herself. . . ."
He skipped down beneath all of the other profiles.
". . . Nothing is known of the Sailor Senshi as human beings and women. It is not even sure that the Sailor Senshi are women. Some have hypothesized that they are small, slender men. Others believe that they are aliens with magical properties that they have not yet shown (such as invisibility, telekinesis, telepathy, or shape-changing)(1). Still others believe that the Sailor Senshi are goddesses and should be worshiped as such.
"Some of these hypotheses are due to the fact that the Sailor Senshi are publicly elusive, and photographs taken of the Senshi tend to be excessively obscure (the image to the left is reportedly the best photograph ever made of any of the senshi). These mysterious women might be as enigmatic as beings come, but there is one thing that is agreed upon by all: Earth would not be what it is without them."
Footnote: (1) See Barron's Big Book of Senshi Legends.
Kunzite closed the book, sighed, and looked at the clock on his desk. His computer screen had long since fallen to a screen saver, washing through images of cats and purring kittens – Kate had changed it on him again.
Chuckling to himself, Kunzite shut his computer down and gathered his papers together, putting the book carefully back in his bottom left desk drawer. Shrugging on his coat, he picked up the file of the case he was working on and turned off his lamp.
Only the streetlight in the window behind him lighted the room as Kunzite crossed it and locked the station behind himself.
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Phil was just out for a walk. Really. A walk. He wasn't hurting anybody, he was just enjoying the nice, pleasant night air, the plump full moon, and the security of Tokyo's tall, tall buildings filled with night watchmen rising around him.
Not that the night watchmen really had anything to watch out for. Tokyo was the safest city on earth and there hadn't been any real crime in eighty years. A waste of money in Phil's mind. But then, it was late and the night air was going to his head, making him flippant, carefree.
So he started to skip. No harm in that. Skipping down the sidewalk. No muggers to worry about, after all. Especially not in this part of town, the better part of town. Skipping wasn't against the law. Although . . . he slowed down and looked around. People might fancy him some kind of sissy if he skipped. Better not skip. He took slow, deliberate steps. Phil knew those people. Those night watchmen. They watched him. They watched and laughed at his skipping -- at how sissy he was.
Phil stopped and looked up at a particularly tall building. He wasn't a sissy. He wasn't! And they couldn't laugh at him for it. . . . Could they? They could. They could laugh at him and poke him and throw fruit, just like those kids in school, those kids that were afraid of Phil, afraid of what he could tell them.
"One and one is two, buckle my shoe, or I'll tell Mary Sue what you dreamt of her last night," Phil chanted softly, lifting one foot and hopping a little, staring up at the building, the tall, tall building. . . . "One and two is three, stop thinking that of me, or I'll tell your dear old mommy the dirty dreams you have." He walked toward the front doors, still staring up, up at the tall building. "One and two is three, I know what you think of me." Phil's face was red and squished up in anger. He could see the kids, the taunting kids, the fearful kids, throwing fruit, fruit, fruit, and chanting. They were hanging out the windows of that building, hanging out the windows and taunting him, hanging out the windows and throwing fruit.
In the darkness, a symbol appeared on Phil's forehead -- a symbol that drank up the darkness, a twisted parody of the royal family's symbol. A dark symbol. And with that symbol, his hands grew and morphed, became as dark and twisted as the mark on his brow.
Phil touched the building almost reverently, looking up at the jeering faces hanging out of the windows. "Three and three is six, you're nothing more than sticks." The building gave a great groan and Phil giggled, turning and skipping down the sidewalk. The darkness around his hands and the mark on his brow began to fade, but he didn't turn or look as the building behind him began to fall.