But there is no life on Earth.

[waterfell]

Near the north pole of planet Mercury, there are signs of life, all enclosed in a thin, transparent dome that still allows a clear view of the heavens. Inside, the air is clean and breathable, and even stirs itself in artificial breezes.

The entire city is a mass of blue crystal, luminous with the glow of thousands of solar trees both within and without, their blue cels attached to silvery branches and trunks. It makes a striking contrast, and the structures provide the city's energy, veritable solar power farms, bustling and thriving like the city itself. . Everywhere, the roads lead inward towards a palace, attention drawn to it by its height, taller than any nearby building.

The lush sound of splashing water comes from a clear, ornamental pool in the entryway. Tropical fish swim contentedly there, glimmers of golden koi amid and around the stems of water lilies. There is greenery, too, and flowers provide a seasoning of color. Overhead, the ceiling is dizzyingly high, adding to the sense of open space.

Seated at the edge of the pool, dressed in an elegant gown and with the sigil of her planet showing proudly on her forehead, is the Princess Mercury, now queen of her reborn kingdom. She plays a simple, longing melody on the harp she holds in her lap.

Comments

[promotedpawn]

[A red cicada, sparkling and bright, flies by near the princess. It's the only warning she gets, a courtesy.

Clap, clap, clap, clap.

The sound of clapping, loud, clear and slow, fills the room as the cicada flies until it suddenly bursts into thousand of other red cicadas that shine and sparkle in a typhoon before they vanish. Primo stands where the cicada typhoon happened, looking at Mercury with a very amused smile on his lips, a mocking gleam in his eyes.]

Congratulations. All your hard work has paid off well to you, your wishes have been fulfilled thanks to that.

[He may very well be sincerely congratulating her for the resurface of the Mercury Kingdom. Or he may very well be mocking her because the resurface of this place is indebted to the destruction of that planet she worked so hard to keep safe. Mercury's own wishes resulted in a destroyed planet, just like the wishes of that princess she hates so much and vowed to kill once because she dared to be too busy to pay her attention. The tone is neutral and friendly enough and he looks both towards the planet's landscape and towards the space, directly at the point where Earth should have been shining as a distant dot. He looks at her again, giving no hint as to what he's doing, but knowing him the answer is probably that he's doing both things at once.]

[waterfell]

[It was not her wish for the natural disasters that devastated Earth to occur. It was not her wish for any harm to it. It was not her wish for so many people to be lost, dead in the chaos of those times. It was not her wish for Earth to be darkness and silence, like the Moon.

It was only her wish to have her kingdom again - and why shouldn't she? What's wrong with wanting what was hers by right, what was taken away from her? Kunzite has taught her to be grasping of what she considers her own.

Her fingers stop, and her hand silences the strings of the harp as the cicadas explode, an incongruous fireworks display. Her head turns quickly to locate the source, and Primo is there. Mercury rises gracefully.]

This is the Mercury Kingdom, as it should be.

[promotedpawn]

[What's the difference between wanting a kingdom again and wanting a person besides her again? The person that belonged to her side, the person that gave meaning and sense to her life. Is a kingdom more valuable than that? At the very least, neither are worth the destruction of a planet, but that's the price to pay for those wishes.]

The Mercury Kingdom?

[There's surprise in his voice and expression, but one can only wonder if it's sincere.]

I thought it was just a futuristic Earth, safe and sound, walking the path of brilliance and greatness under your care.

[He pauses, his words sound sincere. But with Primo one never knows, and Ami, Mercury, should know him enough to know that. He looks at her again an innocent smile on his lips.]

So you abandoned the Earth to move here to rebuild your kingdom? You put much more work on this than I thought at first, I apologize. I guess I should congratulate you again, this time taking into account your real efforts to make it worth.

[He smiles, happily, friendly, innocently and sincerely. It's a smile she probably knows well, it's the same fake smile she has put up for the princess she hates, a smile so happy, friendly, innocent and sincere that it just feels as the complete opposite of those things.]

[waterfell]

[The words are too far from the truth to hit home; they wash off her. However, she gives back what she's given - and when it's cruelty, she is equally dismissive and cold.]

There is no Earth to abandon. Were your eyes blind when you looked up to the stars?

[promotedpawn]

Is that so? I'm sorry, a sea of stars isn't what I'm used to look at and it has been a long time since I did anything like that. Never bothered to learn where the Earth was among all those shining dots either.

[He looks at the stars again, as if trying to spot the black spot where the Earth laid before.]

But... Even if the Earth is no more, it was there once, and you had to abandon it to come here, didn't you? Ah, maybe the word "abandon" is too much after all, you had to "leave" it, is that better?

[waterfell]

[He's wearing out his welcome quickly. Perhaps it's already worn. As such, she retreats and is sure to give nothing of herself, has nothing to say to him now. She will not let him despise her.]

What interest is it of yours? Look to your own concerns.

[promotedpawn]

[When has he not done that? When has he cared?]

I have no place to tell you what is in your interests and what isn't. Neither have you place to decide if something isn't my own concern. It's a good advice, though, the one you just gave, but I'm already following it so it wasn't necessary.

[He looks at the space and then at her once more.]

After all the things you have done, do you think I will believe that you would allow this outcome to happen? The Mercury Kingdom in exchange of the Earth Kingdom that you fought so hard to protect? The planet for which you fought and killed? I don't care what happened, it's not of my concern, but I had higher expectations in you, as someone who would be able to find a way to recover and raise from ashes and dust everything she wanted. Both this kingdom and the Earth.

[waterfell]

[A few years ago, her sword might have been her answer as he continues insulting her in every way, now saying even her efforts aren't enough when they've consumed her for many hundreds of years now. She is not someone who leaves off thinking about a thing.

Or perhaps what she resents is the very fact she hadn't been able to stop it - though some would say managing to save this many and bring them to safety was a feat in itself.

He is no one to her, though, and has no right to diminish her. It takes the patience she's learned in these years of solitude not to throw him from the palace as it is.]

I don't live to your expectations. I live for myself. [Her voice is sharp.] Remember it.