Chapter Two: Part II: Poor, Poor Zoicite
Zoicite, Malachite, Jadeite, and Nephrite sat around a small room. Jadeite lounged across a chair. Malachite sat on a love seat with Zoicite's head in his lap, absently fingering her hair. Nephrite was sitting cross-legged on the floor. He was working on what seemed like a small rug. Zoicite was crying.
"I don't see why I have to fight her!" The brown haired woman sobbed.
"Do you want Bitchyl to find out about her?" Malachite's voice was strong, but it quivered a bit.
"I think it was just a stupid thing for both of you to do." Jadeite, although not surprised with Zoicite and Malachite's relationship, didn't approve of it. And he certainly thought that they shouldn't have let it go that far.
"I wish Nephrite hadn't told you." Malachite muttered at Jadeite.
"And you'd better be nice, or I'll tell!" Jadeite wasn't at all one to make empty threats.
"Jadeite, you're such a Bitch's pet," Nephrite said, looking up from his work.
"Quiet, knitting boy."
"It's crocheting!" Nephrite turned a deep shade of crimson and sort of shrank down, continuing to crochet.
"It's old lady's work anyway." Jadeite continued.
"Would you just shut up?" Zoicite shouted.
"Can you spell PMS?" Jadeite muttered to himself. Zoicite shot him a venomous glare and he was quiet. All of a sudden, there was a loud squeal and a harsh voice told the group to report to Queen Beryl.
"Here we go again," Nephrite sighed, as he gathered up his crocheting and stood. Zoicite had a look of utter terror on her down-turned face.
Whether Zoicite had always walked slowly or if it was just because this meeting probably concerned the murder of her daughter cannot be told, but in any case, she was awfully slow walking to the chamber. Malachite dropped back to talk to her.
"You've gotta quit moping. It's a dead give away."
"I know, but I don't want to have anything to do with fighting her.
"There's nothing you can do about it. You can't quit."
"I know that!" The short woman retorted, "If that was an option, wouldn't I have done it by now!"
"If only, if only the little bird cried." Malachite sighed.
"Must you get all poetic on me now?"
"If it will make you feel better."
"Perhaps it will."
The huge meeting chamber was ghastly silent. The four kneeled before a horribly ugly woman. Queen Beryl. It was a blessing that they had to bow; Zoicite's cheeks were bright red and tear streaked.
"Some of you haven't been working up to your usual standards." Beryl's voice, although not as ugly as her, was not at all pleasing to listen to. Malachite stood up.
"I would like to make an apology on behalf of this group for the-"
"Sit down!" Beryl bellowed. Malachite shrank back down and was silent. "Now, as I was saying. Some of your work has not been up to cut. Zoicite, stand up." Zoicite stood and faced Beryl. "Your cheeks are red, why?"
"I, uh, got in a fight." Zoicite trembled. She had never been a very good liar and all the things whirring through her head didn't make it any easier.
"A fight?" Beryl saw right through the façade. "With whom?"
"One of the Sailor Scouts." Zoicite said, softly.
"A Sailor Scout," Beryl turned the idea over in her mind. Even if the girl was lying, this might not be the time to expose it. The liar would be tangled in her web soon enough. "Zoicite, your performance has not been good recently. Your past two missions have been failures. You have hardly fought. And against the newest, weakest Sailor Scout too. Pitiful. Can you explain yourself?"
"Ma'am, I have been quite sick and I am weak. Although I know that is not an acceptable excuse, it is all I can say. I will improve my performance."
"Good. You are correct, that is not an excuse and if you work doesn't improve…" Beryl didn't need to finish, they all knew the consequences of poor work.
Zoicite knelt back down and Beryl motioned Malachite to stand. "Your performance, although slightly less embarrassing, is still quite poor. What have you to say for yourself?"
"Nothing ma'am. There is no excuse for my behavior. I shall accept any reprimand you choose for me."
"You are correct, but you have overlooked something I have not. It is a general's duty to look after his followers, if it not?"
"Yes, ma'am it is."
"And, if I am not sorely mistaken, you are the general, correct?"
"Yes, I am."
"Zoicite was sick and you looked after her."
"Yes." Malachite agreed, going along with Zoicite's lie.
"Then there is no mistake in your duties."
"Well, I s'pose not."
"Good, then sit down. Jedite?" Malachite knelt and Jedite took his place before Beryl. "You have been doing well. Although a bit sloppy. I've nothing more to say to you. Nephrite, stand." Jedite took his cue to kneel and shot a mocking smile at Zoicite. "Nephrite, Nephrite, Nephrite," Beryl shook her head sadly, "You've been the worst o all. Out of your three missions, you've completed one and that was a failure. I am very disappointed with you. You're liable to face the same fate as the one I am threatening upon Zoicite. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am," Nephrite replied, head bowed.
"Good then, I shall be expecting better reports next time," Beryl's face was stone, showing no emotion, "Dismissed." The four stood and filed out, in the same order as they had come in. Once outside of the chamber, Zoicite breathed a long sigh of relief.
"You didn't die, congratulations," Nephrite clapped Zoicite on the shoulder.
"Go away!" Zoicite's voice was icy cold and her eyes were threatening to overflow again. Nephrite ran to catch up with Malachite and Jedite, leaving Zoicite to her misery.
When they got to the common room, Zoicite claimed a headache and retired to her bed. "What's her problem?" Jedite exclaimed once she was out of earshot.
"I'm not quite sure," Malachite admitted, "Something to do with you-know-who." Jedite threw his hands into the air.
"Why couldn't you have stayed away from each other? Just kept your hormones under control?"
"Have you ever been in love Jedite?" Malachite asked.
"Someone…love…. Jedite?" Nephrite snickered.
"Quiet Nephrite. I'll have you know I've had plenty of crushes."
"No, I mean true, unconditional love," Malachite explained.
"Well…sort of, but…."
"But what?" Nephrite pried.
"She doesn't love me back," Jedite sighed dejectedly.
"Who?"
"You don't need to know that!"
"C'mon Jedite!"
"You know, I'm sorta tired, I think I'll just go to bed."
"Hold it Jedite, you're not getting away that easy!" Malachite stood as if to block the door.
"Not 'till you tell us who." Chimed Nephrite.
"I-I can't"
"Why?"
"You'll laugh at me."
"No we won't." Nephrite sounded like a second grader being left alone in a room of cookies and promising not to eat any.
"Yes you will."
"Is it someone we know?"
"Well, yeah."
"Someone we like?"
"Uh…prob'ly not."
"Zoicite?" Suggested Nephrite. Malachite hit him hard. "Yeowch! What was that for?"
"I happen to like Zoicite!" Malachite shouted.
"Hence our problem." Jedite interjected and immediately wished he hadn't.
"Back to you mister," Malachite turned to Jedite," About your crush," he thought for a moment," Beryl!" Jedite shrank down and nodded ever so slightly.
"Beryl! You like QUEEN BERYL!" Nephrite was amazed.
"Uhm, uh, yeah, sorta."
"Figures," muttered Nephrite.
"Now, if you don't mind," Jedite walked out the door and down the hall to his room, Malachite and Nephrite's laughter echoing behind him.
Zoicite, Malachite, Jadeite, and Nephrite sat around a small room. Jadeite lounged across a chair. Malachite sat on a love seat with Zoicite's head in his lap, absently fingering her hair. Nephrite was sitting cross-legged on the floor. He was working on what seemed like a small rug. Zoicite was crying.
"I don't see why I have to fight her!" The brown haired woman sobbed.
"Do you want Bitchyl to find out about her?" Malachite's voice was strong, but it quivered a bit.
"I think it was just a stupid thing for both of you to do." Jadeite, although not surprised with Zoicite and Malachite's relationship, didn't approve of it. And he certainly thought that they shouldn't have let it go that far.
"I wish Nephrite hadn't told you." Malachite muttered at Jadeite.
"And you'd better be nice, or I'll tell!" Jadeite wasn't at all one to make empty threats.
"Jadeite, you're such a Bitch's pet," Nephrite said, looking up from his work.
"Quiet, knitting boy."
"It's crocheting!" Nephrite turned a deep shade of crimson and sort of shrank down, continuing to crochet.
"It's old lady's work anyway." Jadeite continued.
"Would you just shut up?" Zoicite shouted.
"Can you spell PMS?" Jadeite muttered to himself. Zoicite shot him a venomous glare and he was quiet. All of a sudden, there was a loud squeal and a harsh voice told the group to report to Queen Beryl.
"Here we go again," Nephrite sighed, as he gathered up his crocheting and stood. Zoicite had a look of utter terror on her down-turned face.
Whether Zoicite had always walked slowly or if it was just because this meeting probably concerned the murder of her daughter cannot be told, but in any case, she was awfully slow walking to the chamber. Malachite dropped back to talk to her.
"You've gotta quit moping. It's a dead give away."
"I know, but I don't want to have anything to do with fighting her.
"There's nothing you can do about it. You can't quit."
"I know that!" The short woman retorted, "If that was an option, wouldn't I have done it by now!"
"If only, if only the little bird cried." Malachite sighed.
"Must you get all poetic on me now?"
"If it will make you feel better."
"Perhaps it will."
The huge meeting chamber was ghastly silent. The four kneeled before a horribly ugly woman. Queen Beryl. It was a blessing that they had to bow; Zoicite's cheeks were bright red and tear streaked.
"Some of you haven't been working up to your usual standards." Beryl's voice, although not as ugly as her, was not at all pleasing to listen to. Malachite stood up.
"I would like to make an apology on behalf of this group for the-"
"Sit down!" Beryl bellowed. Malachite shrank back down and was silent. "Now, as I was saying. Some of your work has not been up to cut. Zoicite, stand up." Zoicite stood and faced Beryl. "Your cheeks are red, why?"
"I, uh, got in a fight." Zoicite trembled. She had never been a very good liar and all the things whirring through her head didn't make it any easier.
"A fight?" Beryl saw right through the façade. "With whom?"
"One of the Sailor Scouts." Zoicite said, softly.
"A Sailor Scout," Beryl turned the idea over in her mind. Even if the girl was lying, this might not be the time to expose it. The liar would be tangled in her web soon enough. "Zoicite, your performance has not been good recently. Your past two missions have been failures. You have hardly fought. And against the newest, weakest Sailor Scout too. Pitiful. Can you explain yourself?"
"Ma'am, I have been quite sick and I am weak. Although I know that is not an acceptable excuse, it is all I can say. I will improve my performance."
"Good. You are correct, that is not an excuse and if you work doesn't improve…" Beryl didn't need to finish, they all knew the consequences of poor work.
Zoicite knelt back down and Beryl motioned Malachite to stand. "Your performance, although slightly less embarrassing, is still quite poor. What have you to say for yourself?"
"Nothing ma'am. There is no excuse for my behavior. I shall accept any reprimand you choose for me."
"You are correct, but you have overlooked something I have not. It is a general's duty to look after his followers, if it not?"
"Yes, ma'am it is."
"And, if I am not sorely mistaken, you are the general, correct?"
"Yes, I am."
"Zoicite was sick and you looked after her."
"Yes." Malachite agreed, going along with Zoicite's lie.
"Then there is no mistake in your duties."
"Well, I s'pose not."
"Good, then sit down. Jedite?" Malachite knelt and Jedite took his place before Beryl. "You have been doing well. Although a bit sloppy. I've nothing more to say to you. Nephrite, stand." Jedite took his cue to kneel and shot a mocking smile at Zoicite. "Nephrite, Nephrite, Nephrite," Beryl shook her head sadly, "You've been the worst o all. Out of your three missions, you've completed one and that was a failure. I am very disappointed with you. You're liable to face the same fate as the one I am threatening upon Zoicite. Do you understand?"
"Yes ma'am," Nephrite replied, head bowed.
"Good then, I shall be expecting better reports next time," Beryl's face was stone, showing no emotion, "Dismissed." The four stood and filed out, in the same order as they had come in. Once outside of the chamber, Zoicite breathed a long sigh of relief.
"You didn't die, congratulations," Nephrite clapped Zoicite on the shoulder.
"Go away!" Zoicite's voice was icy cold and her eyes were threatening to overflow again. Nephrite ran to catch up with Malachite and Jedite, leaving Zoicite to her misery.
When they got to the common room, Zoicite claimed a headache and retired to her bed. "What's her problem?" Jedite exclaimed once she was out of earshot.
"I'm not quite sure," Malachite admitted, "Something to do with you-know-who." Jedite threw his hands into the air.
"Why couldn't you have stayed away from each other? Just kept your hormones under control?"
"Have you ever been in love Jedite?" Malachite asked.
"Someone…love…. Jedite?" Nephrite snickered.
"Quiet Nephrite. I'll have you know I've had plenty of crushes."
"No, I mean true, unconditional love," Malachite explained.
"Well…sort of, but…."
"But what?" Nephrite pried.
"She doesn't love me back," Jedite sighed dejectedly.
"Who?"
"You don't need to know that!"
"C'mon Jedite!"
"You know, I'm sorta tired, I think I'll just go to bed."
"Hold it Jedite, you're not getting away that easy!" Malachite stood as if to block the door.
"Not 'till you tell us who." Chimed Nephrite.
"I-I can't"
"Why?"
"You'll laugh at me."
"No we won't." Nephrite sounded like a second grader being left alone in a room of cookies and promising not to eat any.
"Yes you will."
"Is it someone we know?"
"Well, yeah."
"Someone we like?"
"Uh…prob'ly not."
"Zoicite?" Suggested Nephrite. Malachite hit him hard. "Yeowch! What was that for?"
"I happen to like Zoicite!" Malachite shouted.
"Hence our problem." Jedite interjected and immediately wished he hadn't.
"Back to you mister," Malachite turned to Jedite," About your crush," he thought for a moment," Beryl!" Jedite shrank down and nodded ever so slightly.
"Beryl! You like QUEEN BERYL!" Nephrite was amazed.
"Uhm, uh, yeah, sorta."
"Figures," muttered Nephrite.
"Now, if you don't mind," Jedite walked out the door and down the hall to his room, Malachite and Nephrite's laughter echoing behind him.
