Chapter Two
Usagi entered Crown Karaoke Center, quickly held up her pass to a bewildered Motoki, and ran to the secret room. Mako, Rei, and Ami burst through the doors a mere second later.
"Ah, Mako-chan!" Motoki said. "Usagi-chan just came in."
"Good," Mako said, holding up her pass.
"Sorry if we're disturbing you," Ami apologized, gasping for breath as her friends rushed after Usagi. "Usagi-chan is...well...a little upset."
Motoki smiled sympathetically. "I hope she's okay."
"She'll be..." A crash broke off Ami's sentence. Nephrite, who had been mopping a few feet away, stood beside a tipped-over bucket, water spilling all over the floor. He gritted his teeth in frustration and clenched the mop.
"Nefukichi-kun!" Motoki cried. Nephrite stared at the mess in dismay, hiding his face.
Ami came over to him. "Don't worry," she said, taking a rag off the counter and began wiping up the water. Nephrite stared at her crouching figure in horror. She's right there! he thought, disheartened. This is so humiliating!
Ami finished wiping it up and stood to face him. "There." She smiled encouragingly. He looks so lonely. I want him to feel like he belongs.
Nephrite stared at her with hollow eyes. "Um," he mumbled. What do I say?
"I don't think we've ever been properly introduced," she said, breaking the silence. "I'm Ami." She offered her small hand.
He stared at her hand in confusion. What is she doing? he thought. She's being so...
Ami gently took his hand and shook it. "It's nice to meet you," she said.
Nephrite's hand tingled with electricity at her tender touch. His gaze caught Motoki's, who motioned fervently at him. What's that imbecile doing? Nephrite thought. Averting his eyes from Ami, he replied, "Um...you too."
"Well, I need to see if Usagi-chan is okay. Bye for now!"
Nephrite inhaled sharply once she had vanished. He glanced at his hand, which had touched her's a mere moment ago...
The next sunny afternoon, Ami skipped down the street. I feel so alive today. I have so much energy. I need to find Usagi-chan and the others! She quickened her pace and her feet felt as if they had springs attached to them. They're probably at Crown. Maybe I'll ask them to go to the amusement park with me!
"Nefurin!" Motoki begged. "Please?"
Nephrite sighed in despair. "All right, I'll watch the center until you get back. But DON'T call me that name!"
"Okay, okay," Motoki said, collecting his things into a bag. "I'll be back from the store in an hour, all right?"
He rushed out of the center, barreling into Ami. "I'm sorry!" he cried, bowing repeatedly. "Are you okay?" he asked, helping her stand.
She smiled. "I'm fine. I should have been looking where I was going. Are Mako-chan or the others here?"
Motoki scratched his head. "No, I haven't seen them all day." He cast a glance at his watch. "Ahh! Now I'm really late! Bye, Ami-chan!" He sped away.
"Bye, Motoki-kun!" Ami cheerily called after him. She approached the front counter where Nephrite was hunched over, staring blankly at Kamekichi."Hi!" she said in a sugar-sweet tone of voice. "How are you doing today?"
Nephrite blinked. "I'm...fine..." he said in surprise.
"That's great," Ami said, grinning. "Um...what was your name again? I heard Motoki-kun call you 'Nefurin,' and 'Nefukichi-kun,' but, I get the feeling neither of those are right. So, what should I call you?"
Nephrite heart began to speed up. This is my chance, he thought nervously, Maybe my only chance to let her know who I really am! His voice shaky, he mumbled under his breath, " My name is...Nephrite."
Ami leaned over to hear his muttered words. "Eh? I didn't quite catch that. Did you say N-Naito?" Her perky face lit up. "So...Naito-kun, then? Is that okay?"
Nephrite's face fell in disappointment. Curse it! I blew my chance! Too embarrassed to try again, he just shrugged his shoulders in response. "I guess." Besides, he thought with a half-smile, Naito is a much more acceptable name than any that idiot could come up with.
"You know, it's a really nice day. Do you want to talk?"
What's the matter with her? Nephrite thought in bewilderment. "What about?"
"I just feel like I don't know anything about you," Ami said. "I'd like to become..." She stopped mid-sentence, her eyelids drooping, and she swayed dangerously to the side. Nephrite's eyes widened in fear, and without a second thought, he hurried around the counter and caught her before she hit her head.
What's wrong with her? he thought in a panic, staring nervously at her limp form. Is she okay? Why has she been acting so strange? He nudged her. "Hey," he said, and realized that she was unconscious. What am I supposed to do with her? He quickly looked around. First off, I should get her out of here. Carefully, as if afraid she would break, he lifted the beautiful girl into his arms, and was surprised to discover how light she was. Shaking his head of all roaming thought, he carried her into the back room where he was staying and set her on his bed. Now what do I do? I can't just leave her...
He stood for a few moments, watching her still form, her ebony head tilted slightly to one side. He blushed. Why do I feel like this when I'm around her? He brushed a stray bang from her face. What if she doesn't wake up? Nephrite knelt beside her. "Ami?" he said softly. "Wake up!" He prodded her arm with his finger. "Ami!" He waved a hand in front of her eyes. "Mercury! Whatever!"
He jumped when Ami's dark lashes quivered. Her eyes popped open, and she shot upward. "Where am I?" she asked sharply, her voice several octaves lower than it usually was. She looked around, and her gaze landed on the young man kneeling beside her. Her eyebrow quirked. "Nephrite?" she asked, a smile spreading on her lips.
His eyes widened, and, surprised at his own excitement, he gasped, "Ami! You––you remember!"
She smirked. "Of course I remember. What do you take me for, a fool?"
Nephrite stared at her, his mind suddenly reeling with unanswered questions. What's gotten into her?
Ami gave him an appraising look. "So this is what happened to you."
He felt his face grow hot. "Queen Beryl cursed me to this wretched fate, after all my years of loyal service!"
"Well, she always was a strange one. Good riddance, I say!" Ami declared. "You're better off without her."
"What do you know?" Nephrite replied resentfully. "I've been reduced to being a mere mortal. I'm unsightly!"
"Oh, I don't know," Ami said, fluttering her eyelashes at a bewildered Nephrite. "You seem handsome enough to me."
Nephrite's eyes widened. "What? Are you mocking me?" Despite his mannerisms, however, he felt a strange sense of pleasure at her flattering words.
Ami rolled her eyes and stood up. "Of course not. Would I joke about that?" She paced about the room, never taking her eyes off Nephrite. "What Beryl did makes me angry."
Nephrite stepped forward a bit. "What?" he asked. Is she...is she pitying me once more? he thought, remembering her strange, yet kind, words in the Dark Kingdom months ago, when she had presented him with a new cape.
Ami strode up to him. "She cursed and publicly humiliated you. The wench." She appraised Nephrite once more. "You'll do," she mumbled.
"Huh?" Nephrite asked lamely. What did she say? What's coming over her? She's acting... His heart sped up a bit. Acting like she did...it's not possible...is it?
"Nephrite, I have a proposition for you," Ami was continuing. "I will help you get even with Queen Beryl. That's what you want, isn't it?"
Nephrite found himself only half-listening. She remembers me, everything about me...everything that happened, that she couldn't remember before. It couldn't be...that she's becoming evil again? Realizing that Ami was awaiting his response, he off-handedly replied, "And if I do?"
"I will help you," Ami repeated. "She's a nuisance to both you and I. I only ask one thing in return."
"What is it?"
"That you help me kill the Sailor Soldiers," she replied in a chilling tone.
"You want me to help you kill your comrades?"he repeated.
She stepped closer to him. "You're not afraid, are you?" she smirked.
Nephrite glared, but nevertheless he felt his palms begin to sweat at the thought of her being only a mere two inches away. "Of course I'm not afraid!" he weakly protested.
"Then help me. You helped me before."
Nephrite swallowed hard. She remembers, he thought in amazement. She remembers when I saved her from Kunzite...
Ami placed a hand on his cheek and caressed it. "I'll toy with them a little longer. Once we've succeeded, two problems will be eliminated."
Nephrite remained silent for a moment, his mind paralyzed by the contact with her. She wants to kill her friends, he thought. Ami...the sweet, sensitive, shy girl...wants me to help her kill her friends... He struggled for words. "I'll think about it," he mumbled at last.
"Good," she whispered, entwining her arms around his slim neck. Nephrite could feel her warm breath on his cheek as she stood up on tip-toe, and, before he could think, she pressed her lips firmly against his. He automatically wrapped his arms around her small frame, mesmerized by her kiss. He pressed his lips harder against hers, only thinking of how long he had ached to hold her like this. No matter how much you wish to deny it, this girl is not Ami, his mind warned him. She would never want to kill her friends. Nephrite quickly silenced the thoughts, driving the guilty feelings from his mind. I've wanted to hold her, to kiss her for so long, he thought in anguish. I can't let this slip away...
Ami tightened her arms around his neck, smiling through the kiss. Yes...perfect. We shall defeat Beryl together. Nothing can stop us now... After another long moment, she pulled away to catch her breath, and leaned her head on his shoulder.
Nephrite held her tightly in his arms, afraid to let her go and lose possibly his only chance of being with her. I've longed for her to remember...but this state of mind... He tried to shake the apprehensions from his mind. She did give me that cape. Maybe she really does care about me... He leaned over, passionately brushing his lips against hers again. I have to believe that she does.
Ami broke off the kiss. "Well, now that that's settled," she said, pulling out of his arms. "I'll slowly destroy my 'friends,' and I'll see..." She stopped mid-sentence, wincing and slapping her hand to her forehead.
"Ami!" Nephrite cried. "Are you okay?"
She started trembling, and Nephrite reached out to steady her. "What––what happened?" she asked, looking up and gasping as she noticed Nephrite's face just inches from her own. "What did I just do? What am I doing here?"
Nephrite's face fell. She's back to normal. She doesn't remember me anymore. He tried to smile reassuringly. "You were talking to me, but you had a dizzy spell."
"Really?" Ami asked. He gulped and slowly nodded. "Oh...well...I suppose I'd best get home...Bye!" She hurried out of the center, her black hair flying behind her.
Nephrite watched her go. What's going on here? he thought in confusion. What could have happened to her that's making her act like this?