** Misunderstandings **, chapter 3: Revelation

by Lilian.

lilian413@yahoo.com

AN: chapter 3 now. I hope you review and tell me what you think. If anyone read the original version of this, maybe you could tell me if my writing has improved since then...



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She was crying.

His Ami was crying.

His heart reached out to her.

Softly, he sat up, and shook her shoulders gently.

"Ami. Ami-chan".

His voice woke her. Her eyelids fluttered open, and her eyes stared at him
through a haze of sleep. Soon, though, it evaporated.

"Zoi!. What's going on?. Oh my God, I fell asleep!. I'm sorry, it's just
that I was so tired. And---".

Her voice trembled, but drowsiness had nothing to do with it. To Zoisite's
experienced ears, it was fear. It was shock. His Ami was afraid!. Of what?.

"Ami, listen to me".

"What?".

"Here, look".

He took her hand, and drew it over her eyes. He then presented to her
the evidence. It was wet.

Her eyes widened, and a shadow of panic flew by. He did not relent.
Ami could not be unhappy. Not if he had something to do with it.

"Ami, there's something bothering you, and you haven't told me about it".

His tone was accusing, pressing her to tell. She did not fall for it.

"Hiding something you mean?. No, of course not. This is just---the sun.
An allergic reaction maybe. We should be leaving now---".

As she talked, she brushed the tears away, stood up, turned around and walked away.
She didn't even get to walk two steps, before a strong hand firmly grabbed her wrist.

As she turned her head, her body language screamed 'let me go'. Zoisite
ignored it. But she was protecting herself from him. Her back was turned to him,
shielding her... she had never turned him away. Not ever since their first encounter
at the fountain all those months ago. But now, now she was afraid even to talk to him!.

"Ami, what's wrong?".

"Nothing".

"Ami---".

His voice had a clear warning implied, but she held on.

"*Nothing* is wrong. Stop being so paranoid. Now let me
go".

She shook her arm, trying to get free. He just held her tighter.

"No, not until you tell me".

"I said, let me go!".

This time, her other hand came forth, trying to pry herself from his grasp.
It did not work.

"You know you are not going anywhere, so you'd better tell me".

She nodded. Even if it hurt, she knew when she was beat. She had managed to
stand her ground to almost anything Zoisite could throw at her... but not this. Never this.

"Okay, then. It's not like you're giving me a choice...".

"What in the world could be so bad that you don't want to tell me?".

"You don't know a thing about it...".

He forced her to sit down, and sat next to her. Ignoring the distressed look
in her eyes, he pressed her on. Something that had made her cry in her sleep,
was probably eating her alive. If he did not force her to tell him, she would probably keep
it to herself forever... until it was too late to do anything about it.

Ami remained quiet, her eyes fixated on his own. Serious, calm eyes...
the panic from before was gone. Or at least it looked so. She seemed to be weighing
him down, checking if she could actually trust him...

"Ami, tell me".

His voice was gentle, the previous demanding tone gone. The soft voice
did wonders. It pulled off what pressure had not.

"Well, it's that---I----since we---you---Oh God, I don't know how to say it!".

"Ami, whatever it is, you know you can trust me, don't you?".

She nodded. He moved closer, and placed a hand across her shoulders. Relishing
in the comfort he provided, Ami crossed her own arm across her chest, and covered his
hand with her own.

She sighed, and tried again.

Again, it did not work. She could not say it. Not to him. Not to anyone.

Nobody knew. Nobody would ever know... she had kept it to herself for
weeks now, since they had started... since the dreams had come. Zoisite had blamed
the joy of discovery, the thrill of experiment to her sleepless nights. She had
let him think so. She had even urged him on.

Anything to keep him off the truth.

Damn her unconscious!!. She had managed to pull it off for days now, and
she had been blown off by her stupid unconscious!.

She had stayed up for endless nights, trying to push away the need to sleep.
She had done it. But now... now she couldn't. And she wasn't going anywhere until she
spoke.

"Ami, do you want me to guess?".

{Sometimes I think he can bloody read my mind!}.

Absently, she nodded. Anything to delay the moment of confession.

Zoisite began recalling everything she had told him about her past. Memories, as if
they were his own flashed through his mind.

"Is it anything that happened before we met?".

She shook her head.

"Anything to do with our project?".

She shook her head again. He was running out of choices.

"Bad memory?".

Nope.

"Friend trouble?".

No again.

He fought the urge to scream in despair, when he realized there was
only one thing left.

"Is it---about us?".

Ami stiffened.

Bingo.

"yes".

No word had ever carried so much meaning. No word had ever sounded so cruel.
No word had ever shattered an entire world, and broke a heart in the process.

This one did. It did all of that, and much, much more.

Ami kept silent, trying to get her thoughts straight. Her mind
was spinning. She had finally said what had been troubling her all along, but
Zoisite hadn't said a thing.

She was even afraid to look at him. Hence, she never saw the hardening of his eyes,
nor the tightening of his lips. He was the Lord of Crystal, and he could have a heart
of ice.

She tried to explain.

"It's... well, Zoi, I--- it hurts... I can't--- I don't love you...".

Her throat tightened, and she could not continue. She turned her gaze up, and
looked at him, searching for understanding. What she saw, widened her eyes, and stopped
her heart.

Betrayal.

Sorrow.

Pain.

Shame.

All directed at her. All *because* of her. She opened her mouth, tried to speak,
tried to explain---

He would have none of it. Harshly, he shook his arm off her. She shrieked, as
he accidentally bumped her shoulders. He, unlike other times, did not kiss it and make
it all better.

Hell, he looked ready to beat her up!.

Without taking his eyes off her, freezing her on the spot, he stood up.

{You never loved me. All along, you were playing with me. I was just another
toy to you... heck, the Heart-breaker just had his own heart broken!}.

"I'm sorry then Lady Mercury, for wasting your time. You will no longer see me.
Good-bye Princess".

Ami was shocked beyond belief. What was he doing?. No, Zoi!. It's not what you think!.
She tried to speak again, but only managed a stuttering question.

"Zoi---what's wrong?".

He almost snarled his answer.

"Please, Lady Mercury, call me Lord Zoisite. Informality is not advisable
in situations like this. You of all people should know that".

He turned around, and commanded his clothing to appear. With a shimmer, he
was once again General Commander Zoisite, Lord of Crystal and Ambassador of Europe.

Behind him, Ami sat, shocked. Hell, blown off her mind!.

"One last thing, your Majesty. Please, never show yourself to me again".

Ami realized what he was about to do. She scrambled up, and ran to him.

"Zoi, don't!".

She stretched out her hand, trying to grab his shoulder---

"zoi...".

He was gone. She only grasped air.

Her balance lost, she fell down. As she slid through the sand, she never felt
the scratches. Nor the ripping of her swimsuit. All she could feel, was the slow,
painful, breaking of her heart. Piece by piece, it was falling apart.

To her, it was like someone had just spooned her organs with a lemon-juice coated
trenching knife. And was now tap-dancing on top of them. And worse.

"Zoi...".

{He---left. He left. He doesn't want to see me again...}.

"ZOI!!!".

Her cry of agony echoed on the beach... it was left unheard. There was no one
there to listen. No one. She was alone. Again.

She tried to stand up, but her knees were weak. All her energy had left her when
the only love of her life had broken her heart.

She crumbled to the floor, a weeping heap of sadness... her throat hoarse with her cries, her eyes wet with her tears... they were hot, but her heart was cold. It was dead.

It was suddenly too much for her. Her brain shut down, and brought her a welcomed
unconsciousness. At least in there, there was no pain...


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Nightmares plagued her dreams. Everything was dark, nothing but
blackness around her. She couldn't breathe... her breath was coming in short gasps,
and she uselessly tried to bring in some air. She was choking, the darkness trying to
swallow her. She could swear the tightness in her chest wasn't just fear... the dark
was trying to eat her!.

'Help me'.

She couldn't speak. Her lips moved, but not a sound came out. The dark was swallowing
her voice too... no one would ever hear her!. No one would ever come to help her. She
would dissappear, never to be remembered.

SLAM.

The shock wave of a huge explosion sent her flying. As she slammed against a wall
that wasn't there, and began sliding down it, a bright light appeared from nowhere.

Blinded, she closed her eyes, trying to shield them... it did not work. The light
was searing her pupils. As the pain became unbearable, she tried to scream.

Again, no sound left her lips.

Just as suddenly as it had came, it disappeared. For a second, she could see nothing,
her eyes still adjusting to the sudden changes of light.

When she could see again, her lips widened in a smile.

He was here.

Zoi.

She stood up, and ran to him. And she ran. And ran. And never
reached him. Why did it seem that every time she was inches away of touching him,
he moved away?.

He dangled just out of his reach, like a leaf in wind. Like a dream in her
subconscious.

"Zoi... thank God you are here!. Please, take me with you!".

She marveled at the sound of her own voice. The total silence was unnerving, and
to hear a familiar sound was pleasing to say the least. As she pleaded, the loving
look in his eyes began changing.

As if her voice brought back memories he did not want to remember.

But he did not speak. As a marble statue, he looked down at her,
towering above her.

"Zoi, save me from the darkness!".

Her plea was desperate this time, as the light was beginning to diminish.
As if a moth it was, it surrounded Zoisite, haloing him in a way that only
outlined his perfect features. But, the more Zoisite shone, the less it
touched Ami.

Her legs were now lost in the huge shadow that had begun creeping up her waist.
She no longer could feel them, as if they were no longer there.

She suddenly panicked. It was really going to eat her!.

"Please!".

Nothing. As if she was talking to a simple reflection in a mirror.
The only thing Zoisite did, was to stare at her. But oh Gods, his gaze!. Daggers,
daggers straight to her heart!. So cold, he looked so cold!.

"You rejected me. Now you are alone again".

Logic slammed into her like a ton of bricks. She had... she did reject him!.
Memories came back in a flood of tears, sobs and cries.

"You never loved me. And I never loved you. Now, face your challenges alone".

With a twirl of his cape, he disappeared. And she was left alone.

The minute he did, the darkness struck with a vengeance. It crept up
her legs, up her stomach, into her spine, to her chest, to her neck... cold,
unforgiving, treacherous.... oblivion.... as it clasped her throat in an iron claw,
she choked... the silent tears running down her cheeks did little to help.

With one last ounce of strength, before she was completely swallowed,
she managed to scream one last time.

"ZOI, WAIT!!. I LOVE YOU, I REALLY DO!"

Only her eyes... her eyes, to see what was happening... pain, pain...
she could see herself being eaten by the blackness... and her eyes reflected
years and years of pain. And they cried... two orbs of bitterness. Crystal... two
shards of crystal, shinning with pain. Her pain. Her own pain.

The shards shone one last time, before they disappeared.

"ZOI!".

She jumped on her bed, startling everyone. Still trembling,
she opened her eyes, and looked around.

She was on her bed, on the Moon Palace. The Inner Senshi and Princess Serenity
were there too. To say they were worried was an understatement.

You could tell by the scrunched brows, and the evident widow peaks on
their foreheads.

The second she was awake, two strong arms wrapped themselves around her, and
hugged the air out of her.

"Ami, thank God you are awake".

As she remembered, her eyes closed once again. Tightly, she drew her eyelids together, trying to force the memories back.

No such luck for her.

'I never loved you'.

'Never show yourself to me again'.

'I despise you'.

Softly, she began weeping in the warm, friendly arms of Serenity.
Soon, three more pair of arms joined the hugging. As Makoto, Rei and
Minako cried with her, she somehow felt an infinitesimal part of her sadness
lifting.

As they somehow calmed down a bit, and could actually talk again, Ami rested
her head on Serenity's shoulder, and let everything out.
Her friends waited patiently for her to calm down before asking her. They had sensed her
distress the minute it had began, and could sense that whatever it was, it was big.

The truth was, it was HUGE.

After the first twenty death-threats and murdering plans, all directed
to a certain recently renamed General (whom had gone from the 'cute guy with the
carrot hair', to 'just let me get my hands on him and I'll show him informality'),
Minako was able to make Makoto see the wrong of her ways.

"Killing him is not an option, Mako".

Rei sighed in relief. Good. An interplanetary incident was better left
between cool-minded parts. Although if they took him to a deserted island, it
would be months before anyone found him... and the wild animals could finish the job...

"Eternal torture, on the other hand...".

Minako's voice had taken a sultry tone. She could hurt when she wanted to. And boy
she wanted it right now.

When they finally managed to make Ami smile (or a ghost of a smile, really), they
calmed down. But the need to slaughter something was still fresh in their minds.

Ami took the practical way out.

Change of topic.

"What am I doing here?".

"Queen Serenity felt a disturbance in the Planetary Energies, and
began checking on all of us. You were the only one missing.
We tracked you down with your communicator, and found you on Earth. You
were on a beach, unconscious. We got you here, and that's it".

Ami looked down, and focused on the white sheets. Her little hands curled into
fists, so tight and strong, wrinkles were forming all over it. She could even feel her
own finger nails through the cloth, cutting into her skin.

She sighed once again. And tears welled up in her eyes again. She fought them
back, but the wound was still too fresh. Still too fresh... open, like the
gaping hole in her chest, where once, her heart used to be.


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TBc...

Okay, in the manga, each General represents a continent. Zoisite represents Europe. That's why he refered to himself as 'Ambassador of Europe'.

I think it was one *hell* of a misunderstanding, don't you think?. Strange, how petty little things like this can destroy the most powerful of relationships... trust me, I've seen it happen!.