Sailor Mercury waited to be called, rather than reaching out to Princess Runealy herself. Perhaps it will give the wrong impression, but the truth is, she's been busy dealing with other matters and just didn't get around to it. To her credit, however, when Runealy finally did contact her, Mercury was quick to agree to meet, and eager to speak with the Princess.
"Let's meet at the end of the pier with four dolphins," Mercury had suggested, "two hours past sundown."
Mercury arrived early, spent a few minutes just appreciating the fountain tiself, before making her way to the end of the pier and leaning on the railing. Staring out over the ocean, Sailor Mercury seems at peace with the world. No books, no computers, no distractions to keep her from enjoying nature. Here, the one place in the world where Sailor Mercury lets go of the fast-paced day-to-day and just exists.
The person who made that call had the same voice as before, but sounded far different. No more intentional mystery, no more vagueness, no more foreshadowing; Rune sounded a lot more quiet this time around than she had when calling Mercury in to an ambush or helping fight off monsters.
Rune is a bit late, but not intentionally; it took her a little while to find the /precise/ part of the pier in question. She steps in to the area, walking beside the railing toward Mercury. The alien princess doesn't even /say/ anything upon arriving, having noticed Mercury is sea-gazing.
Instead, she just waits in Mercury's peripheral vision and stands quietly to wait for her host to be done with this.
Sailor Mercury senses the presence behind her more than notices it with her vision, but it doesn't take her long to turn her head and include Runealy in an honest, heartfelt smile.
"Good evening, Runealy-san," she says to the Princess with a warmth in her tone. "I'm so glad to see you again," and she sounds honest, too. "I hope you didn't mind coming out all this way, but this is one of my favourite places, and I thought you might like it, too."
"Ah, hi." Rune is a bit more shy about it than Mercury is, but looks aside to the water while it's being discussed. "We have harbors back home too, but not this big. Nowhere near this big. Twenty ships coming in would be an extremely busy day, and I mean wooden ones... not the huge metal ones with cell phones and electricity. Not at all on the scale you do here. Though..."
She sweeps an open hand in the water's direction, "I'm guessing it's the dolphins you like, not the cargo ships?"
Sailor Mercury's expression brightens all the more. "Not many people are so quick to pick up on that," she tells Runealy. "But yes, I do like dolphins. They're nearly as smart as we are, communicate on a similar level, and they're known to rescue sailors." She briefly motions to her outfit, as if that should explain it. "If they evolved that last little bit of intelligence, and figured out how to work without opposable thumbs, dolphins could be our equals."
Rune looks impressed, eyes wide. Mercury's outfit-gesture ends up giving her the wrong idea; instead of thinking mundane maritime workers, she goes with: "They do? That's pretty amazing, but... when did they start doing that? I haven't seen them show up to help you at all, whether it was against a Terribad or a Witch or... well... my friends and I. Is this a new thing the dolphins have picked up?"
Sailor Mercury laughs just a little at the mistake, then explains, "I meant real sailors. I have yet to meet a Magical Dolphin, but if I ever do I will definitely introduce her," because of course it would be a her, "to you."
"Oh!" Rune's gaze lowers, embarrassed by the mistake. "That's still pretty incredible. Haven't seen anything like that, but usually if someone falls into the water at our harbor someone else can go in after them or toss a rope or something."
She decides to try shifting the topic. "You wanted to see me? If it's answers you're looking for, I'm ready to tell you pretty much everything. The most important of them... is that this is over, we're not attacking any of you ever again."
For a moment, Sailor Mercury allows her gaze to be drawn back to the water. She lets herself be distracted by it only for a few breaths, then breaks away from the railing. She takes the few steps to join Runealy, then invites her to walk with a simple hand gesture, motioning back towards the dolphin fountain at the pier's entrance.
"I know," Mercury replies. "Guardian Hino explained that, and I suspected it already, anyways. We *should* talk, but I think it's important for you to knmow that although I cannot forget what happened, I can and do forgive it. We're, all of us, dealing with a lot of really complicated problems. Magical villains, lost kingdoms, magical powers ... it's easy to make the wrong decisions, and hurt people, thinking you're doing the right thing.
"I don't want you to feel like there's tension, between us," Sailor Mercury explains calmly. "So ... I forgive you for all of it. I wanted you to know."
Rune follows along. "So he told you about all that... I knew you two talked, just didn't know how far it went. Well... no. You shouldn't forget. That'd be pretty irresponsible. 'All of us', though... yeah. ...Yeah." She repeats that, taking a sharp breath between the words.
"Problems. Terribads, Witches, invading armies who think energy - and lives - are basically the tax they're due. People who fight to protect literal dreams, the things in your head when you sleep, from being taken. We tried to help with those, since we were making things harder."
A few slow headshakes follow. "'No tension.' I talked with Sailor Moon, she said about the same thing. A lot more casually, but the meaning was the same. So have a lot of others. It changed our plans entirely, hearing you and her and almost everyone else say that. Originally we were going to just go home and never show our faces in Tokyo again. Now, though?"
Her gaze finally returns to Mercury. "If we solve our problem, if we get through this, we're coming back. We're going to help you with those... 'really complicated problems'," she invokes Mercury's words for it.
Mercury turns her head to regard Runealy sidelong, blue hair barely getting in the way. She smiles, through it, and resists the temptation to give Runealy a hug. "I'm glad to hear that," she says instead. "No matter how well we might be able to solve a problem on our own, I don't think anyone should ever be too proud to accept help."
Subtle, she is not good at. "And I hope you know that this goes both ways. We *do* have our own problems to deal with, Runealy-san, but ... if you need help, you have my phone number. I'll come, if I can, and I'll bring my friends with me, if they can come, as well."
"Pride in this case would just end in me having to tell an entire world 'I'm sorry, it's over' in the worst possible way," Rune observes. "So, okay. 'Two-way' it is. Who knows, we might need it. Virtue is helping us research other solutions, and... there's a good chance everything will go smoothly from here. No guarantees, and if I mess up again that'll be the end of it, but..."
She lets out a sharp breath. "That's still a little while off. Until then, we'll be here helping. We can be 'potential friends' or 'actual friends', or just helping someone," she invokes Sailor Moon's words, though they're from a conversation Mercury wasn't present for. "Whatever works best for you."
Mercury stops entirely and turns to face Runealy, thoughtfully cvonsidering her next words. "Princess Runealy-san ... I am never going to forget what happened. I will always worry that it could happen again. But even if it does, this should not place you beyond forgiveness," she says quietly. "Sailor Moon is my best friend, but she is chronically late to our meetings, and sometimes doesn't pay enough attention. I don't stop forgiving her just because it happens again. Similarly, if you made another mistake, and people got hurt as a result, I would still forgive you as long as you realised the mistake and regretted it. What's important isn't that you are perfect; it's that you want to be perfect, and do your best to repair your mistakes. I do not believe in 'potential' friends. You are my friend, Runealy-san. If you mess up again, you will still be my friend, Runealy-san."
"You should worry," Rune is quick to agree with this. "Anyone watching out for Tokyo ought to, and..."
She cuts off, blinking several times as Mercury takes this in an interesting direction. "...I think we might end up disagreeing on a few of the finer points there, but there's nothing I can seriously say back to that other than..." A single slow nod. "...You're right, and thanks. That's definitely 'two-way' now."
With a smile, Sailor Mercury explains, "That really is two-way. I don't like thinking about it, but I cannot be sure every decision I make is the right one, either. I cannot imagine a world where I am viewed in a villainous light, but that doesn't mean it cannot happen."
Mercury extends her arms to the side, and almost seems to be offering Runealy a hug. Almost. "Helping my friends is the most important thing to me." Even over education? Maybe that's pushing it. "And you are my friend, Runeally-chan."
"Maybe it would be okay to be seen as a villain, so long as history would exist to see you. At least that's what I was telling myself while I was making the wrong choices for the right reasons. So..." Rune cuts off again.
This time it is because Mercury seems to be inviting something. It takes a second or two, then Rune leans into the embrace and changes topics. "Tell me what you like about Tokyo? About the dolphins and harbors and anything else?"
Mercury hugs Runealy gently, then turns to glance towards Tokyo at the question. "Everything," she says quietly. "I love the way it smells and sounds. I love the sidewalk vendors near the parks, and the fact that we have so many parks. The tall buildings, where technology is being researched and implenented. We are so innovative and creative," she explains quietly. "You can't walk more than twenty meters without finding some part of our culture, our food, or our future. We have mountains and hot springs and an ocean, too. Colleges and ... oh Runealy-chan, I could go on forever. Tokyo is a beautiful city. It is home."
Rune backs off after a few seconds, her head turning to follow Mercury's gaze and making a soft near-gasp noise as all these things are listed. "You must think about that a lot, huh? What everyone's doing, where the city's going... what the dolphins are up to, even. Sounds like you really keep up to date on the home you're trying to keep safe. Protected and happy."
"I try to," replies Sailor Mercury quietly, "but ... the truth is, I'm often too busy studying or reading to take notice of the things I should." She blushes a little at the admission, but says, "One of my friends, Sailor Jupiter, is very good at reminding me that I need to take time out of my books to notice things."
She takes a short pause, looking out over Tokyo a little longer, before turning to Princess Runealy and asking, "What about where you are from? Can you tell me about it?"
"Sailor Jupiter," Rune repeats that name. "I should find her soon, too. And the others. I've spoken to... half of you now, three," she may be including Tuxedo Mask in this count. "That just leaves the rest to meet with and offer restitution. Same to you, by the way. Books, huh... that's pretty good. Someone has to go through them. Someone wrote them so we could 'ask them' about all sorts of things even if they're not there in person to answer you, right?"
When prompted for info on her home, the first words that comes to mind are: "It's different. Way different. We measure our large cities in how many thousands of people, not millions. We don't have electricity, or all the kinds of cell phones... no cell phones at all, actually. Not the ones that make light from the wall, or the ones that let automobiles move without horses, or anything like that. But we have each other. Someone does the farming, someone patrols the roads, someone builds the house, someone forges the tools. We 'surround' each other like that; you have a bunch of people around you who keep you safe, and you're part of someone else's circle that does the same thing for them, and so on. We're quieter, simpler, but we like what we've got."
"Sounds like a place where a scientist would be highly valued," Ami replies thoughtfully. "And it sounds like it must be as beautiful to you as Tokyo is to me." She smiles again at Runealy, then suggests, "I'll let the other girls know you want to talk to them."
"Our science doesn't seem to be anywhere near yours," Rune comments. "And I'm worried about what would happen if we jumped ahead too fast, so we're going to be careful about what things we bring back from Tokyo. But even though that's how it is, you're right."
She makes a sharp nod back to Mercury, "It means enough that we crossed over into an unknown world on the hopes it would have what we need to survive. We walked into an 'impossible' place where little boxes can send your voice clear across Tokyo to one specific person, in an instant. Where if a building is too hot or cold, you push a button and it gets better in just a few minutes. We can barely begin to understand most of that, but we're here and it's worth seeing things that 'cannot exist.' So... thank you. It sounds like we're not too different on that point, at least."
This time, when Mercury offers a hug, it is without hesitance or reservation. She hugs Runealy gently, then backs away once more. "You and your friends are incredibly brave," she says quietly. "I don't know that I could leave Earth and go to an entirely different world and not freak out completely." She takes a deep breath, then steps back from the Princess. "I'll tell the other Senshi you want to talk. And I'll make sure they know you've apologised. I suspect they will forgive you, too."
"You might get the chance, if you want to." Rune backs off as Mercury does. "Originally, we intended to bring back artist's sketches of everyone. Notes, names... everything our historians would need to know a little about the people here. But maybe it would be better if those who want to, came with us for a few days to /see/ these people?"
She looks physically relieved, posture easing as Mercury offers to help set up talks with the others. "Appreciate it. So far all of you have said the same thing, and it feels a little better each time. Like maybe this will somehow work out after all, if we keep on a better course like this."
Mercury's eyes widen at the idea. "I think ... I might like that," she admits, "as long as there's a way back." She smiles at Runealy, then asks, "Whom else have you told? I'll ahve the others call you."
"There is. It's a little unstable, so we can't predict when exactly it opens and closes, but it works often enough that we came here, and we're going back through it too. We've checked, it really works!" Rune is very quick to defend this point. "The others... sure, give them my number. I've found you, Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Mask... need to see him again soon, come to think of it. Been a while. He was part of how we decided to stop doing all this."
"Then I'll ask him to talk to you, as well, when I see him," Sailor Mercury says. "And I'll look forward to the day I can visit your home. For now, though, I should probably get home. I've got homework to do."
"Thank you!" Rune looks and sounds a little more energetic now, coming around as this conversation has gone well. "Good luck with homework... I should probably start putting in some effort on it too, really. See you later?"
"Definitely," Sailor Mercury replies to Runealy with a grin. "Good luck with homework, yourself. If you need a tutor, you've got my number." She winks, then bounds off towards the buildings, rapidly reaching the rooftops to make her way home.