2711/King and Knights: Kunzoi Edition

King and Knights: Kunzoi Edition
Date of Scene:	29 July 2025
Location:	Crystal Tokyo
Synopsis:	The rescuers have come back to Crystal Tokyo, and King Endymion wants to check in on all of the RHA Shitennou after the fight.
Cast of Characters:	Mamoru Chiba, Kazuo Saitou, Zoisite
Tinyplot:	Black Moon Clan
Tinyplot2:	BMC: Wicked Ride

---

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The battle is over, and Mamoru went to go sit in the grass, utterly spent. The King, however, after having been reunited with his wife and daughter and being able to HUG THEM, has come out to make sure none of the mahoujin were injured too badly for Mamoru to handle after all the fighting.

A moment ago, Endymion asked Zoisite gently, with affectionate apology, if he could speak with Kazuo alone first, and heal him, and then Izou--?

Now, the man faces the tall white-haired boy with the cape that has an inside the color of Endymion's eyes, and the wind ruffles his black hair, and he's smiling and shaking his head. "Here, I do want the hug you looked like you wanted to give me, but I can't hug you like that, can I? May I heal you, Kunzite?"

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Kunzite - the younger Kunzite - inclines his head toward the King who is not his King. He's scorched and battered, burns traced in odd and unnerving patterns across his skin, but he's still moving. In theory, anyhow. Right now he's sitting in one place, and most significantly, did not climb to his feet at the King's approach.

"If it won't be too much of a strain for you," he says. "You've had a rough - few months? Forgive me, I haven't caught up on where we are in your timeline yet."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The King's smile widens, his eyes twinkling behind his mask as he takes a knee next to Kazuo, and he unceremoniously takes off a glove and offers his hand, and now it's a grin. His eyes are bright. His eyes are bright and he looks like he could actually be mistaken for his physical age, just for now.

When the hand's taken, the healing is--

It's the same but it's different. It's incredibly swift, certainly, and that's very clearly partly because he's honed his manipulation of his own energy to surgical precision, and not just because he has a lot more power at his disposal. It's also incredibly efficient, traveling with cooling soothing flickering grace along the paths the lightning took.

There's no empathic feedback, there's just the warmth and sense of connection Mamoru's healing brings-- ten, fifty, a hundred times more encompassing and vast, but it's so familiar.

"It's been a few months, yes. I decided to believe you'd all be back," he says, quiet but relaxed. "I'm fine now. There are things I'll need to process with the Queen, of course, but everything is fundamentally all right. Except that one ally of yours..."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
The hand is taken, trusting in the King's evaluation of his own condition. The ebb of pain and the connected warmth are enough to bring Kunzite's eyes to close - no hint of sleep, at least, but choosing to pay full attention to the moment, to exist in the context given him. To understand through that context how much of this world's life has returned, now that the poisoned dagger is gone from its heart, now that the lives that Nemesis stole have been returned.

The words 'process with the Queen' prompt a little nod, though, a shift of white hair; and then there's a quiet laugh at those trailed-off words.

"Would you believe it was like that when we got there?" he asks, and gray eyes open again, amused. "He found the ship faster than we did, and fighting him seemed senseless. I've done it before, when we were at odds, but not this time."

He sobers, then. "I worry about him. He has the strength and the heart to do so much better. And the self-delusion to become so much worse. All I can do for him, though, is trust our prince's judgment."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"Mmm. Fortunately for me, I don't have to trust his judgement, I just have to trust Serenity's," the King says, a laugh at the back of his voice, rueful. He squeezes Kazuo's hand, then, before letting go. "I wanted to say thank you. For so many things, I want to thank you all for so many things, but I want to thank you for not losing faith in him. And for putting up with the jealous streak. And for-- for figuring out a way to make that work, with one of me, somewhere. For trusting his judgement even when he doesn't deserve it--"

He laughs a little, and sits on his heels a moment, enjoying the sun on his face and the the breeze messing around with his fluffy royal hair. "Don't let him be without you. Don't die on him, or vanish," he finally says, serious but not somber. "I still need to find my Jadeite, but it should be easier now that I can do anything at all..."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
"Trusting our Moon's judgment is part of trusting our prince's," Kunzite agrees, and that laugh is echoed in his voice. The squeeze is returned, and Kunzite shifts, stretching, then glances ruefully at the rags of his sleeves before turning his attention back to the King.

"He earned that faith," he says seriously, "even before I remembered who he or I was. And the rest is all worthwhile." -- the seriousness vanishes, and his mouth turns up at the corners. "Except the not deserving it part. I don't think I remember that part happening yet."

When the King speaks again, Kunzite shifts his weight; brings up a hand, rests it (without asking! scandalous!) on the back of the King's shoulder, over the cape. "I don't plan to," he says quietly. "And I'm keeping an eye on the others. They're carrying more immediate guilt; sometimes they need someone to remind them what other people feel when they get hurt."

And then a mild blink, at the last, and a brief laugh. "That will probably be easier than you expect, yes. I'd bet on 'somewhere embarrassingly close in some fashion,' though possibly metaphorically."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
He's even relaxed in the shoulders underneath the cape and the jacket, and he smiles as he pulls his glove back on. "Yes. Don't forget what other people feel when you get hurt," he says pointedly, gesturing vaguely at the ragged uniform and Kazuo's whole self. Then he laughs, bright but quiet--

--the kind of quiet that grew up trying to stay unnoticed. Maybe he doesn't know how to be quiet and laugh another way. But it's all right, it's bright and real and gentle, so very gentle, and the old, old, old man gets to his feet and offers Kazuo a hand up. "Let's collect Zoisite, and then I'll want to borrow him instead of you for a moment."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
King Endymion's even relaxed in the shoulders underneath the cape and the jacket, and he smiles as he pulls his glove back on. "Yes. Don't forget what other people feel when you get hurt," he says pointedly, gesturing vaguely at the ragged uniform and Kazuo's whole self. Then he laughs, bright but quiet--

--the kind of quiet that grew up trying to stay unnoticed. Maybe he doesn't know how to be quiet and laugh another way. But it's all right, it's bright and real and gentle, so very gentle, and the old, old, old man gets to his feet and offers Kazuo a hand up. "Let's collect Zoisite, and then I'll want to borrow him instead of you for a moment."

A moment later, they're walking in the direction that Izou left in, and there are benches along the broad pedestrian avenues and at the edges of green spaces. The King's cape drifts behind him like an actual cape interacting with actual air.

Zoisite has posed:
Zoisite had parted ways from the main group a little after the King came and pulled Kunzite away from him. Perhaps he needed that moment to be alone, or perhaps he wanted the privacy to take a second look over this version of Earth that he had partially ignored, saw within it nothing but the death promised by the Black Moon Clan.

It was like that no more, with the air full of clean life and the scent of flora and ocean. The roads cleared of rotting bodies and droids, clear paths beneath his boots.

When the King and Kunzite were near to approaching, the younger Zoisite turned on his heal, one wrist gently leaning against the hilt of his rapier that was now sheathed. The other hand held the edge of his own cape. It did not shine or shimmered in nature's patterns like this timeline's Zoisite's cape did. But, it was a step closer to how the uniform used to look like in the past--the Knight of Purification and Healing in all his glory.

Zoisite bowed his head then. "Your Majesty."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Certainly more glorious than Kunzite's battered uniform, at this moment - but the burns beneath are gone, and he stands straight now, with a trace of a smile that firms as Zoisite turns toward them. He crosses the distance between them, and leans to brush a light kiss against Zoisite's cheek. "Thank you," he says. "The flower was a great help." And turns, then, to face the King more respectably.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The King gets a peculiar expression for a moment that's part startlement, part curiosity, and part wry amusement as he watches the tiny kiss. "Forgive me," he murmurs, the expression resolving into a smile, "but I can't imagine the scheduling nightmares you all must have."

He looks around -- no one is bothering them, even if people watch from afar; the residents are used to their sovereigns. He's so much less stiff in his movements, he's so alive now, with his black hair ruffling in the breeze and the color back in his face, no longer ghostly and translucent. And he's unquestionably an adult, shoulders a bit more broad, more filled out underneath the formalwear, no longer bearing the soft face of an adolescent.

"All of you together came here at the behest of my daughter, and you've saved us. You've saved humanity from extinction, you've saved this planet, this entire system. Because nothing would have stopped Death Phantom from hunting down even the little self-sufficient colonies. Thank you. Thank you for listening to her. Thank you for listening to him. And-- more-- thank you especially for being alive, and finding three out of four of mine, and-- it was. It was-- I wasn't alone. Thank you."

It's long, and it gets more stumbling toward the end, because the King's eyes are glittering behind his mask, his mask he won't take off here. He's smiling too hard, it probably hurts.

Zoisite has posed:
Eyes closed when Kunzite pressed lips to his cheek, gentle warmth blooming on his cheeks to know that the flower he provided to his lover was enough to provide needed aid. It was still such a new ability of his that the more he discovers--remembers--the better he could implement it in the future.

But for now, his attention was pulled back to the sovereign in front of them, seeing the momentary surprise on the man's face, then hearing the words that followed. The gratitude reached deep, as though it were from a dead man brought back to life. That got all that had been taken away, and brought back again as though it were a miracle.

And it was, wasn't it? It the life of the mundane, such stories were nothing but fiction. Yet, they all managed to contribute something in the end, to make Crystal Tokyo brim with life once more.

It was hard to see the King almost come to tears... The voice so similar to Mamoru's, it pulled at Zoisite's heart. It was unfortunate that he did not spend much time with this version of his sovereign, but it was there--the silent lingering care that shined in his eyes, the soft twists of brow and lips to show some worry and grateful relief.

"One more to go, your Majesty. One more." For the Shitennou would always be four. Never more, or less.

Zoisite took one step closer to the King then, only so he could look up better at the man that was the promised future of Mamoru. Unlike the King's green Tennou, Izou was a little sharper around the edges. Blunt, rougher. But the softness was very much present in that moment. "Breathe, your Majesty."

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Scheduling nightmares. There's not quite an actual smile from Kunzite at that, but something around his eyes does it anyhow. "We're learning," is all he says to that.

And after the reminder to breathe - "Thank you," Kunzite says quietly in turn, behind Zoisite. "For raising such a brave, steadfast daughter." His mouth tugs at the corner, and he adds, "And for your contribution to raising such a brave, steadfast kitten. It's been a pleasure to be able to be of help to her. And to you."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Hopefully not the promised future -- not with what it took for them to get here. Still, though, something like *a* future. The King breathes, he glances away, and his hand goes over his heart. He's silent, eyes closed, paused for just a moment, and then his shoulders relax again and he laughs, and it's slightly wobbly, but he's all right. He's more than all right.

"Diana is a treasure," he says, still smiling, but it's not an almost-cry smile anymore. "She's probably going to be very relieved that she can travel around atop Small Lady's head again, and get the height without having to be bipedal."

Then he lifts a hand and gestures to one side at the avenue ahead of them. "Walk with me a moment, Zoisite? Please excuse us, Kunzite."

Zoisite has posed:
Hand reaches back to Kunzite's for a moment, only to give it a small squeeze before letting go. "Of course, your Majesty." He nods and follows the King, side by side so they could be alone just as requested.

Kazuo Saitou has posed:
Small squeeze is returned, and when Zoisite lets go, Kunzite bows to the King. "Of course." It's almost a chorus. And then he turns to - find Mamoru? No. To seat himself on a bench and just look at the place.

There are so many, many miracles.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Truly, they walk slowly; it's not a stroll, a stroll would be faster. Once they're enough away from Kazuo that a conversational volume will come across as an indistinct murmur, the King pauses where they are. "Did you find what you needed, and are you all right?" he asks, his voice soft, almost caught in the breeze like his hair, like the hem of his cape, like the fluttering ties of his mask.

The sun's warm, dappling the grass and the stone path, shining on the King-- instead of the thin, weak and chilly light offered by the ruined city's ashen skies, which shone through him. The quiet sounds of happy people at a distance drift by, and the city hums with bright life, and so does her king.

Zoisite has posed:
Silence is carried by the wind, similar to how the question took Zoisite's focus away for a moment. He figured the King would have known of a few things, but... Not enough to be able to ask this of him. Grief was still very present.

"...I thought I did. What I found were ghosts of memories, and something else." That something being more brand new than what lived in the shadows of his mind. "And that something was not meant for me, or even this time."

What happened was correct, and needed. "I'll be fine. It'll heal with time."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I'm glad. I'm glad someone could do right by one of those children," Endymion says, perhaps extremely unexpectedly. His voice is low; his head bows briefly. "It was a shock when their ship vanished twenty five years ago. When no trace was found, the Crystal Millennium grieved. How little we knew..."

The King shakes his head, tugs his gloves on tighter, then lets his hands fall and looks up again. "When I realized what you were saying, what you were doing-- even after all they did to us, and to you-- that's the kind of courage and compassion that's to be expected of the Knight of Healing and Purification, and I'm proud of you, even if it's not my place."

Then his tone's softer. "I wanted to know if you might wish to speak with a grief counselor here, Izou-san. I recall there being quite the mental health stigma in twentieth century Tokyo, and with all the talk of the Veil where you are, there might not even be someone trained to deal with magic at all...?"

Zoisite has posed:
Lips parted, then closed. When Mamoru smiled at him, knowing what he had been attempting with Saphir, relief could hardly be the only descriptor of what he felt. Understood, seen, accepted for a foolish chase after someone he felt had a chance to be happy against the odds. Even if the motives were and had been selfish, they did evolve into something more mature with time--he hoped. And that was due to others noticing as well.

So when the King mentioned it more, elaborated on how it made them feel, Zoisite watched and softly offered a sad smile. "Thank you, your Majesty." To be called by such an old title once more was bittersweet.

"And thank you for the offer of your time's services. I'm sure that if I were to stay some time to recover, I would be better in no time. But..." And there's a pause as he turns to look back at his group. Of the mahou that, even if he felt only slightly disconnected with at times, were still cut of similar cloth as his own. To the senshi that lingered near their princess, and the knights that were still bumbling fools, yet held on strong enough in the end to make miracles happen. To his prince that pulled at those strings, always so precise even when clumsy.

"I would be very neglectful in leaving Mamoru's side." A nod. "It might not be much in comparison to your Tokyo, but it's mine. Ours. I'm not alone, either." Green gaze went from Kunzite, to Nephrite and Jadeite, Minako, Rashmi, Usagi and Mamoru. He really wasn't alone in this.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"In many ways, your Tokyo is more in comparison to ours," the King says seriously, voice very quiet indeed. "I'm glad it still exists somewhere, better than ever, despite its problems. We may have built something new and shining, but it was built from the ashes of the people and places, the planet, that we loved. So I'm glad to hear you're not tempted." That last, at least, comes out as a tease.

Then gentler still, "I told Kunzite, and I told you -- thank you for making sure he's not alone." A beat, and then in a more normal voice, with an easier smile and the same kind of affection as Mamoru, but older, wiser, so much more comfortable in his own skin, he says, "Do you have any questions for me? If not, I'll take my leave. You should ask one of my boys for a tour of the city. Or Diana! She loves being Tall and giving lectures."

Zoisite has posed:
Smile reached his eyes, taking the tease with some stride. "If she wants to be tall, I would recommend she give either Makoto or Nephrite a tour instead. They are the tallest two that I know of, and she could jump between them." Not that he would deny the little kitten company if she were to ask, but the idea of meeting the other versions of this world's Shitennou that wasn't himself was interesting.

"Neither of us would ever leave Mamoru's side. I can promise that I never will." Reaffirming the promise he's made to himself and his duty as a knight of earth, before finally looking up a bit curious to the King.

"...I do have a question for you. That folder I left in the library computer... Did you have a chance to look through it? It not, I think you should. Soon. I left you as much music from my time in it as I could. And pictures. I think you would enjoy them."