A short one (um, shorter, that is... that ought to make you all happy... ^_-). I'm not sure what I think of it, but... basically... Kunzite realizes a little something....
He strode slowly down the dark street, dressed as any other mortal man; indeed, looking much like the vast array of mortal men wandering the streets at such an hour -- or perhaps more appropriately, looking like he was looking for what they were looking for.
And so he was. But not very successfully.
Oh, he'd had offers. Men and women both, some wondrously beautiful; but always, at the last moment, something changed his mind, and he would shake his head and walk on.
Something not right...
Now, he had no idea where he was, or indeed, what exactly he was doing. He had roamed in and out of the taverns, but wine had been Nephrite's fixation, not his own. He had given up talking, given up drinking, given up what he'd thought he had come for; because something about it simply didn't click.
What's wrong with me?
Long, long ago, in the shadow-shrouded centuries of his past, he had lost many of his lovers; to death, or to other men... and always, the remedy had been simple. Not now. Digging deep into his faintest recollections he tried to piece together just what had changed. Perhaps, he himself was now too ancient, too worldly-weary to appreciate such little, mortal frivolities.
Perhaps.
Or, just maybe, there was something...
Ridiculous. He would never --
He stopped suddenly, noticing a woman in his path. Tall and majestic, well-poised, seemingly ageless and undeniably beautiful.
"Not tonight." he mumbled, starting to veer around her. She held out a hand, stopping him, and he raised annoyed eyes to her face.
He was somehow reminded of himself; something of her expression, perhaps her eyes. But he pushed it away. "Let me go."
"And just where do you think you're going?" she asked.
He started to reply, and realized, annoyed, that he did not know. "What kind of a question is that?"
She shrugged.
He started to push past her, but somehow could not. Turning back to face her, he waved his hands helplessly, angrily, in a rare emotional outburst. "I don't know! Just let me by."
"You won't find it here."
He blinked, stared for a moment, then glared at her again. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Of course you do." she folded her arms and regarded him expressionlessly.
He stared for a longer moment, then spoke again, his tone bitter. "Well, if you know so much... what's wrong?"
"Wrong?" she gave him a long, long, long look; her expression too complex for him to decipher.
Then she turned and walked away.
He blinked.
"Wait!" he shouted, almost frantically, "You -- I thought you knew -- what's wrong this time? Why..." he gestured helplessly, "Why... why can't I... why doesn't it... what's wrong with me?"
She stopped walking, and spoke, her back still turned to him.
"Maybe something was right."
And she continued walking, until she was lost from his view.
He stood, he was not sure for how long.
Then, in a flash of light, he was gone.
- The End -