Kuroko, Senshi of the Kitchen
Alright, alright. You want a story? One full of magic and fighting and
great deeds done? Well, let’s see. I might just have the tale for you.
It takes place in Crystal Tokyo during the Christmas season, after the
Queen and all her Senshi had rebuilt the city after the Black Moon
invasion. It was a long time ago now, you see. Not in my time, or your
time or anybody else’s time, but in a time all its own. You see, the
Queen decided to have a party…
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The court was abuzz with anticipation. In an unprecedented event, all
of Crystal Tokyo’s notables had been invited to the Palace for a
Christmas party. While the Palace had always been open, (in the sense
that anyone could enter the public areas,) and those with news or
grievances were welcome to see the Queen, never before had there been
a celebration of this kind.
As if to complement the festive mood, a soft snow had blanketed the
city, the shards of ice and crystal reflecting each other in echoes of
sparkling light. The area around the Palace was filled with onlookers
as each new member of the court and invited guests disembarked from
their transport. Crowds cheered familiar faces, and pondered the
unfamiliar, all with a sense of being present at a historic event.
Inside the Palace, the buzz was completely different. While servitors
moved with a sense of purpose, there was an underlying sense of
pleasure that suffused even the hardest-pressed in the kitchen. Guards
and guests mingled with relaxed anticipation, even as the tension
began to build.
Neo-Queen Serenity was no hermit, of course, but rarely did she
venture away from the Palace demesne, nor was she often seen among
large crowds – and never had there been such a crowd at the Crystal
Palace. The rumor of her arrival was like an incoming tide that
pressed forward, then receded, each time growing in volume and
strength. In a climax of applause, at last, she appeared.
As she passed, many bowed, a few knelt and one or two brushed
hesitantly at the folds of her gown as she passed. But all commented
on the loveliness of their Queen, and some voices were shocked to note
how young she seemed. It almost seemed that she had blushed as she
strode to the head of the hall, but that couldn’t have been right.
In fact, the Queen *had* been blushing, and was doing a poor job of
hiding it. She had been Queen of Crystal Tokyo for well over a
thousand years now, and while the job itself was old hat, the
adulation of the crowds still, well, astonished her. The Queen waved
to her guests, as she seated herself, and hoped that she looked calmer
about this than she felt.
A squeeze on her shoulder caused the Queen to look up, where she found
the relaxed and adoring face of her husband, gazing at her
reassuringly. She gave Endymion a nod and smile, and looked about her
for the rest of her court. A swirling eddy of humanity surrounded each
of her Senshi and it was easy to spot them in turn. Sadly, the Queen
thought of her messages to the Outer Senshi that had returned
unanswered. Now that the crisis with the Black Moon had passed, they
would have been welcome here. But she had heard no word from any of
them in many centuries.
The evening’s festivities were many, and varied; dancing and singing
and gifts for the guests. Many of Crystal Tokyo’s finest were honored
and, at last, everyone was asked to attend dinner. As the Senshi were
settled at the high table, Neo-Queen Serenity rose in her place.
"A long time ago, in Our youth, We were told tales of a king named
Arthur. He would gather around him his knights," here the Queen turned
and smiled at her Senshi, "and his court," her smile now favored her
guests, "for the holidays. But before they ate, it was Arthur’s custom
to hear a remarkable tale or see a wonderful event. And so, We have
decided, shall we. Before those gathered here eat one morsel, we shall
see an event or hear a tale of magic and wonder." And the Queen sat,
sharing a glance with the King, for he had been the only one who had
known of her plan.
The noise in the hall grew deafening with the shock and surprise of
all the guests, and the Queen’s ears rang with the protests of the
Senshi, each of whom had several creative reasons for the folly of
this venture. The Queen remained adamant, however, and soon an
uncomfortable silence fell over the room.
Into this silence stepped a young woman. Immediately the whispers
began again, for the young woman was none other than the Princess of
the realm, Princess Small Lady Serenity. As a youth, she looked even
more like her mother than she had as a child, and many had commented
on her beauty.
The Princess stood before the high table and she made a deep curtsey
to her mother and father, then turned to face the guests in the hall.
"I have come here from my palace to report a terrible evil." The crowd
gasped, as the Princess’ voice rang out. "Some unspeakable horror has
wrested my lands from me and cast me out." The Queen was surprised, as
she had heard no word from her daughter on this. "Forgive me, Your
Majesty," the Princess said contritely, "I did not wish to worry you
during such a joyous time."
The Queen smiled reassuringly and bid the Princess continue her tale.
"As you know, my mother, the Queen, graciously gave me dominion over a
rebuilt kingdom on the Moon, in order to prepare me for my own role
one day as ruler of Crystal Tokyo. And since the Moon Kingdom’s
rebirth, it has been a place of light and happiness. But a sullen
darkness crept over my court and they lay now in a deep sleep, from
which I am unable to awaken them. Nightmares they suffer…as do I, for
sleep brings me no comfort, just renewed horror."
Again the crowd noise rose. The Queen raised her hand for silence.
Looking down at her only daughter, she asked, "What is the nature of
this foe? Have you seen the creature that banished you from your
home?"
The Princess shook her head sadly. "No, it attacks only at night, when
we sleep. It is formless, a black cloud that chokes off the very air,
but nothing can touch it, no weapon can fend it off, and when we
wake…if we wake, there is nothing to be seen. Even my own Senshi have
fallen to this evil night and are now in a restless and unwholesome
sleep. "
The Queen nodded solemnly. "This is a wonder, indeed." She looked out
into the crowd of guests and asked, "Is there no one who will journey
with the Princess and defeat this monster to free the infant Moon
Kingdom?"
Well, of course, the Queen’s Senshi immediately insisted that they be
the ones to travel to the Moon, but the Queen put out an arm and waved
them back into their chairs. Smiling gently, she told them that she
could not spare them from her side. Surely, she said, there was one
brave and noble citizen of Crystal Tokyo that would dare this
adventure.
The silence was pregnant with tension, but no one stood to help the
Princess. Again the Queen asked, was there not one among them that
would take up the challenge?
At last, a voice was heard from the back of the great hall. A small
figure was seen to move through the crowd. Thin and decrepit, it
seemed that of all the great ones at the feast, only one poor servant
from the kitchen would stand forth.
The Queen looked down at the girl quizzically. "What is your name,
child?"
But the girl stood, head bowed and said nothing.
There was a small noise from the head table and the Queen turned to
see Lady Mars looking more than a little uncomfortable. The Senshi
cleared her throat and spoke, rather embarrassed. "Your Majesty, she
won’t give her name. She came to the Palace some months ago, and asked
to see one of the Senshi. I was nearby at the time and consented to
see her. She gave no name, nor has she since then, but asked for a
place in the Palace. We, ahem, found her a job in the kitchen."
The Queen looked long and hard at Mars then turned back to the girl.
Her brow furrowed she said, "They must call you something in the
kitchen."
The young girl lifted her head and the Queen could see large, dark
eyes in a pale face. "Yes, your Majesty, they call me Kuroko."
"A fitting name." The Queen said as she noted the girl was dressed all
in black. "Then so it shall be! Kuroko, you shall be Our agent and
assist Our daughter to free the renewed Moon Kingdom." And The Queen
ordered Kuroko be given all that she desired in clothes and
accoutrements, then brought back to eat with them at the high table.
As for the Princess, she approached the Queen, sputtering with rage.
"Mother! How could you?" the Princess complained, while the noise in
the hall grew and food was served to all the guests.
The Queen waved the Princess to a chair. "You asked for help, you
shall have it."
"But…but…but…" The Princess was beside herself with fury. "My Senshi!
My court! You will allow a scullery maid to act as a Senshi?"
The Queen’s blue eyes were a little cold as she met her daughter’s
gaze. "I wasn’t born royalty, nor were my friends. We might have been
maids, or nurses, or teachers. Don’t assume that a title makes one
noble."
The Princess was hushed by that remark, but she seethed in silence
through the rest of the meal…and she would not even look at Kuroko
when she was led back to the table, clothed in a fine, black dress.
***
The two young women set off the next day, and the Queen herself bade
them farewell. They had a long journey ahead of them, and the Princess
had warned of challenges long before they would reach the new Moon
Palace.
The Queen looked hard at Kuroko and noted that she had taken little
with her, by way of either weapons or armor. This concerned the Queen,
because as you might imagine, it was her daughter that Kuroko was
meant to protect.
"Are you sure there is nothing that can be found for you?" The Queen
asked the girl. Kuroko assured the Queen that all she needed would be
found in time and the Queen wished her luck, though with some
trepidation. Then, taking her daughter aside, the Queen gave the
Princess advice on many things, both light and grave. Their
leave-taking was private, so what was said does not enter this story.
In a short time, the two had passed out of sight of the Queen, at
which the Princess called a halt to their progress. Her brows drawn
together and her face very stern, she looked down at the pale girl by
her side.
"I do not know who you are," the Princess began, "or why you feel that
you are worthy of this task, but you will fail. Only a Senshi might
have the power to defeat this foe. And I doubt that you are a Senshi."
The Princess was very harsh and continued in this vein for some time,
until Kuroko simply turned away and continued on their path.
Following along behind the dark girl, the Princess demanded to know
why Kuroko had turned her back on a Princess Royal.
"Say what you like about me, but I have undertaken a task for the
Queen. You may berate me as we travel - time will not wait for us."
Kuroko said no more, but proceeded to the gate between Earth and the
Moon. All the while the Princess followed her, speaking harshly to
Kuroko.
Some time passed and the two women found themselves before the gate
that led to the Moon. Without a backward glance, Kuroko passed the
doors, and the Princess hurried so that she would not be left behind.
Once on the Moon, the Princess addressed her "champion" with disdain.
"Well, soon enough this farce will be at an end. The first challenge
will dispatch you and release me to find a more suitable savior."
By now Kuroko had ceased to pay any attention at all to the Princess,
and so she said nothing. The Princess had been correct, however, and
from the ruins of the old Moon Kingdom, two figures approached.
Smiling with joy, the Princess broke her stride and ran towards them
shouting, "Vesta! Pallas! What has freed you from your sleep?"
But the two figures, who were indeed the Princess’ own Senshi, did not
respond. Slowly, as if sleepwalking, they each raised an arm and as
one, pointed towards their Princess.
The Princess, now realizing that there was something terribly wrong,
slowed her steps and stopped. She could see Pallas’ and Vesta’s mouths
moving but no sound came from them. Energy gathered at their
fingertips, which still pointed directly at her. Protests died on her
lips while beams of energy shot from their hands, and she tried to
avoid the strike.
But the attack never reached her, for in a moment Kuroko had sped to
the Princess’ side and carried her away. As the Princess was laid on
the ground, she could just make out the three figures in battle, but
her sight dimmed and went dark.
Kuroko, however, had returned to face the two attackers and with a
word or two spoken softly, had repelled their attacks and knocked the
possessed Senshi unconscious. The dark-haired girl spoke to them as
they awoke. Freed from their compulsion, the Senshi knelt before
Kuroko, who addressed them in low tones.
"Go back now to the Queen’s Court and tell her what has happened."
Kuroko commanded. The two Senshi stood, and bowing deeply towards
their conqueror, took their leave.
By the time the Princess awoke, the Senshi were long gone. Turning to
Kuroko, the Princess remonstrated with the girl. "What have you done
with my Senshi?" She demanded.
Kuroko, looking up from bandaging a scratch upon her arm, and said, "I
have sent them back to your mother, the Queen, to tell her what has
occurred."
The Princess snorted. "What? To tell my mother that you beat them by a
fluke?" And she detailed the many ways in which Kuroko could not
possibly have defeated her own Senshi. Kuroko nodded in agreement for,
of course, one never argues with a Princess.
Once again, the two made ready to travel to the Palace. Despite her
rescue, the Princess didn’t seem to be even a little appreciative and
spent much of their time ranting about Kuroko’s deficiencies, both
apparent and perceived.
At last they reached the Palace grounds and Kuroko turned to the
Princess and said, "I think, Your Highness, it would be best if you
hide, so that you won’t be attacked once again."
Despite her objections to being commanded by such a lowly girl, the
Princess could not argue with the logic of the idea, so she consented.
Kuroko added, "No matter what you see, please do not come out of
hiding." And the Princess sniffed, as if she would be so stupid.
Nonetheless, she was amazed to see Kuroko call out a challenge towards
the Palace gates and even more surprised to see them swing wide – and
her remaining Senshi exit. Juno and Ceres stood taller than Kuroko,
and they smiled at her. The Princess shuddered, for even from her
hiding place she could see that they were not nice smiles.
The two Senshi jumped and disappeared. Kuroko stood firm, but as the
Senshi reappeared immediately above her, she raised an arm. As the
combined attack reached her, Kuroko merely gestured and the energy was
hurled back at her attackers, causing them to fall from the sky and
lie on the ground, as if dead.
Forgetting the words of her champion, the Princess rushed from her
hiding place, shouting. "Juno! Ceres!" When she reached Kuroko, she
rounded on the girl, shrieking at her. "What have you done to them?"
Kuroko brushed the dust of the Moon from her clothes, then bade the
two Senshi to rise. At once they did so, then knelt before Kuroko and
thanked her gravely for releasing them from their possession.
"Follow your sisters back to Neo-Queen Serenity’s court," Kuroko said
to them, "and tell them there of what has happened." Bowing low to
her, then to their Princess, the two Senshi left, leaving a bewildered
Princess behind.
"What does this all mean?" The Princess asked Kuroko.
The dark girl looked towards the Palace and sighed. "You should not
have come out of hiding. If you awake and I am not here, do not
despair, for I will rescue you."
The Princess said nothing, but she was very confused and concerned.
And into her thoughts entered for the first time a question…who was
this girl who had so much power?
That night, Kuroko stood guard while the Princess slept. As the
darkness of the lunar night gave way to a glorious sunrise, Kuroko
stood by the gates alone…for the Princess had disappeared.
Now, the Princess awoke in a dark place and she was very scared. She
knew something was wrong, and she called out for Kuroko, but there was
no answer. The Princess was very frightened and began to cry.
A voice, dark and shivery, made her hunch together like a child.
"Welcome home, Princess. I hope you don’t mind accepting my
hospitality for a little while."
"Who…who are you?" The Princess asked.
"I am," the voice laughed, which made the Princess even more afraid,
"The King of the Moon Kingdom. Or," the voice paused, "I will be, when
I take you as my wife."
The Princess was now terrified, but at heart she was a Senshi herself
and she pulled herself upright and shouted into the darkness, "Never!
I’ll never wed you."
The laughter made her flinch. "We’ll see." Said the voice. "Some time
alone in my nightmare world will bring about a new decision, I’m
sure." And the darkness vanished to be replaced with a vision out of
an evil mind. "Please have fun with my pets." The voice said and
faded.
The Princess found herself, as she had not been since she was a small
child, alone and afraid in a world of hellish nightmares. And all at
once she thought of Kuroko, the girl she had abused and debased since
they had met.
As she walked through ruined towns full of ghouls and monsters, The
Princess remembered Kuroko saving her from an attack by her own
Senshi, and her grace when she had been sorely used. And the Princess
wondered if maybe, just maybe, the girl was strong enough to save her
after all.
As for Kuroko, well, she had known what would happen if the Princess
came out of hiding, so when she saw that the Princess was gone, she
wasn’t surprised. But it left her in a quandary. She wanted to save
the Princess, because she had loved her a very long time, but she had
promised the Queen that she would free the Moon Kingdom.
Kuroko entered the gates of the Moon Palace and was immediately
plunged into a horrible darkness. But darkness did not scare her and
she walked on. Unidentifiable noises would draw close, and she could
feel the presence of things in the air around her, but still she did
not stop. She walked for a very long time in the dark, until she found
herself in the palace itself, overgrown with weeds and stinking of
decay.
The stones at her feet were cracked, the throne broken on the dais,
and for the first time Kuroko became angry. Raising her soft voice,
she called upon the creature that had caused the Palace to decay to
appear before her. Her voice was lost in the ruined hall. Again she
spoke and again her voice disappeared amidst the wreckage.
Kuroko stood, took a deep breath and at last shouted, "Beast – I
command you to be present!" Her voice echoed in all the deep places,
and rolled through the nightmarish landscape, gaining resonance with
every pass…and the nightmare began to shatter.
Shards of ruined Palace walls fell about Kuroko as the horrible
illusion was destroyed. The Palace hall stood now, revealed in its
true form, its walls incandescent with an inner light. The throne was
restored, for it had never been destroyed. Much to Kuroko’s surprise -
and to her own - the Princess sat there now, watching as her champion
called forth her challenge.
A noise came, like a moan, or a whisper of dead voices, and the
Princess shuddered in her seat. A darkness gathered at the far end of
the hall, driving before it despair and horror, but Kuroko stood fast.
The shadows rolled past her and when they had passed, she found
herself facing a giant of a creature. It had armor, or maybe it was
scaly skin, and held within its grasp an object that made the Princess
gasp. A polearm of a sort, it had a crooked end and the nightmare
beast held it lightly. The Princess stood, her nails digging deeply
into the palms of her hands, for this one object above all others was
dear to her. This was the sole relic of the new Moon Kingdom. The
Princess knew full well that no one should have been able to handle
that weapon and live.
Nonetheless, the monster bowed deeply towards the dais, then made as
if to attack Kuroko. The young girl made no motion, but stood ready.
If this creature of nightmare was in truth wielding this weapon, she
had no hope of success, she knew. She had only two chances – it might
be that this weapon was an illusion, and if not, she had a single slim
hope. It was unlikely that she would survive this, but for the Queen
and the Princess, she would gladly die trying.
Once again the foul darkness drew close, The Princess could no longer
see the combatants, nor could she move from her seat. Sounds of battle
came to her ears and roars from the foul lord of nightmares, but that
was all. Straining at her invisible bonds, the Princess found herself
crying out Kuroko’s name and exhorting her to victory.
Inside the darkness, Kuroko heard these words and they moved her
deeply. She leapt from where she stood as the weapon came crashing
down. Lightly flipping in midair, she placed one hand on the long pole
of the weapon. Finding it warm to the touch, she smiled a grim smile.
For this was both very good and very bad.
Time passed but neither combatant could defeat the other. Time and
again they drew together and passed, as two knights engaging each
other, but neither could gain the advantage. At last, sensing fatigue
in the girl, the beast rushed her. Kuroko sprang from her spot and
with a twist, spun the weapon from the outlandish monster’s grip. With
no more than a nod, and single motion made in deathly silence, the
battle ended.
The Princess heard a terrible noise, one that had her cowering where
she sat. In a terrific din, the beast’s last cry rang through the
palace halls. The Princess found herself shrieking along with it but,
as her cries died, so did the death throes of the horrendous creature.
The gloom that had blinded her passed away, leaving only her tears to
blur her vision. And as they too passed away, the Princess could only
stare in amazement at the figure that stood before her. Kuroko stood,
leaning heavily on the polearm, but stand she did. Perceiving at last
her own foolishness, the Princess leapt from her seat and ran to catch
the girl as she fell to the ground.
A year had passed. Once again great crowds were filling the areas of
the Crystal Palace. Once again the city was welcomed into the bosom of
their Queen’s home and the celebration was full of light and music and
beauty. Once again, the Queen invited her guests into dinner…and once
again there was a pregnant hush as she rose to speak.
The Queen called before her the Asteroid Senshi to tell their tales of
defeat at the hand of a mere kitchen girl. Proudly they told of the
invasion of the cursed creature of illusion, their own nightmares and
their redemption by Kuroko. And the guests were amazed. Then at last
the Princess herself stood and told of how Kuroko had faced the beast
of nightmares itself, had stood strong and defeated it. At last, the
final word was spoken and the Queen sat for a long time in silence.
Calling Kuroko to stand judgment, the Queen looked solemnly at the
girl.
"Kuroko, you have performed a great feat, and have gained Our grateful
appreciation. Is there nothing more concrete that We can give you as a
reward?"
Kuroko looked towards the Princess, then back at the Queen. "I’ll only
ask for the one thing I have always wanted. I wish to be made champion
to Princess Small Lady Serenity." The buzz of the court was audible,
but no one would speak loudly against the audacity of the girl.
The Queen turned towards the Princess, her eyes glittering. "And what
do you have to say about this request?"
The Princess bowed her head and said, "She has earned her place."
The Queen turned her bright gaze on the darkly-clad girl once again.
"Well," she said, "I suppose I have no reason to refuse your
request…except one." Dark eyes lifted to meet sapphire ones. "Won’t
you now tell Us your true name?" The Queen smiled.
Kuroko smiled in return and turned to the court at large. "My name is
Tomoe Hotaru. I am Sailor Saturn, Senshi of the Planet of Silence."
And as if she had spoken a charm, the entire hall was stricken with a
profound silence.
The Queen looked at Kuroko, now revealed as Sailor Saturn, bearing the
weapon she had won back from the beast that was her own Glaive. She
turned to the court and asked, "What do the people of Crystal Tokyo
say? Should this girl be given her reward?" And the roar of the crowd
was deafening.
Thus was the new Moon Kingdom rescued, and Sailor Saturn came to
Crystal Tokyo for the first time. And the Princess was very glad to
have her friend returned to her after many centuries of separation.
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Notes:
Some of you might recognize the story I blatantly ripped off here, but
for those of you who don’t, or for those of you too young to have read
it, this is basely ripped from the story of Beaumains, the Knight of
the Kitchen, one of the tales of King Arthur and his Court. In it,
Beaumains is the somewhat nasty nickname given to a young boy who
comes to the court by Sir Kay. I won’t tell you who Beaumains is, or
what his adventure was, but do go out and read the story. It’s pretty
terrific. If you found anything in this story to enjoy, reward me by
reading the original, I’ll consider myself well paid.
Kuro means "black" and "ko" is a common ending for girl’s names.
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