Chapter Six: Nephlite Too? A Truth Revealed
"Nephlite knows."
Zoycite's eyes widened. "He knows? You told him? Why?"
"Don't get mad at your husband, Queen Zoycite of the Ice Kingdom," Nephlite taunted.
"Shut up! Before I rip your head off and hang it on that wall!" Zoycite threatened, pointing to the wall behind Nephlite.
"So that's why Malachite wanted you to live here instead of-"
"ECCHI!" Zoycite screeched, her hand connected with Nephlite's face as she slapped him with all the strength she had at two-thirty in the morning. It was quite a lot, considering that she didn't get any sleep since the night before and had been feeling quite drained.
Nephlite placed a hand on the side of his face, covering the red mark that was slowly taking shape. "Don't say anything wrong to her. You might end up dead."
Zoycite glared at the auburn haired man. "I won't hesitate to do it again."
"Zoycite," Malachite said warningly. "I told him for a reason. If you're going to decapitate him, at least wait until he's told you why."
Zoey crossed her arms. "Fine. Why?"
"I've had visions like yours. Well, maybe not exactly like yours, but they were visions of the Elemental Kingdoms. And I don't know about Jedite....Oh, that reminds me, Malachite we have the battle plans ready." He held one hand up and a scroll appeared, floating just above his hand. Malachite took it and opened it. "I've noticed our energy reserves seem to be low. I already informed the Queen of this problem."
"I've been waiting for this. Good job, Nephlite. I'll go over these, we'll make a final plan of action tomorrow." The scroll vanished from Malachite's hands. "The Obsidian Army will probably be returning soon."
"What exactly happened in your visions?"
"My visions weren't as clear as yours. I saw a battle. I saw deaths and the destruction of the Kingdoms. It was fuzzy, but I could tell what most of it was."
"If we're all having visions, Jedite must be having them too," Malachite said, mostly thinking to himself.
"This is all your fault," Nephlite accused, glaring at Zoycite. "You and your stupid crystal! Everything was fine until you came along! Now everything's screwed up!"
"Shut up! It's not my fault! I didn't tell the 'stupid' crystal to haunt us with visions of our past! I didn't even know we had a past life! So leave me alone, before I do rip your head off!"
"Stop it, both of you. No one is to blame for this," Malachite said, separating the two.
"Except maybe Beryl. Why don't we remember any of this? Why are we suddenly here instead of there? Why are the Kingdoms dark and ugly instead of beautiful and full of life like they should be?" Zoycite asked.
"For as long as I can remember, this is how it's always been. We can't blame anyone until we know for sure."
"How long is since you can remember? You don't remember life on Earth?"
"To tell you the truth, no I don't, Zoycite. None of us do. After three years in the Negaverse, memories like that start to fade."
"Well, I'm not gonna let that happen to me! I won't forget anything! I won't forget my parents, or my friend or anything about Earth!"
"It can't be helped, Zoycite. I said the same thing. But I don't remember a thing."
"You mean you actually had friends, Zoycite?" Nephlite teased.
Zoycite's eyes narrowed to a glare. "Shut up! I hate you and I wish I never met any of you! I wish none of this ever happened, and I don't care if I wake up and this was all a nightmare and I never see any of your ugly faces again!" She turned and ran back up the stairs, tears threatening to fall.
"Zoycite!" Malachite called after her. He turned to Nephlite. "Now look what you did. Why do you have to pick on her like that?"
"I didn't mean to make her cry. I was only teasing her," Nephlite said defensively.
"Get out of here." Malachite demanded.
"Better go comfort your little lover," Nephlite smirked.
"Get out now!"
"I'm going, I'm going." Nephlite teleported away.
Malachite went upstairs to Zoycite's room and knocked at the door. "Zoycite?"
"Go away! I hate you all!"
"Open this door, now Zoycite."
"No!"
"That was an order, Zoycite. Open this door."
"No! I'm not listening to you! I hate you!"
"I don't hate you." I love you, he added mentally. But he couldn't say it. He didn't want to admit it, he really didn't even want to admit it to himself. He really did love her, even if he hadn't told her so. He wished they could live in their past life, and they could be married and live together in peace without any problems. That wouldn't be coming true anytime soon, it probably wouldn't happen at all. She didn't want to marry him then, so why should she now?
After about five minutes of consideration, Zoycite opened the door just enough to be able to talk to him without shouting. Her face was tearstained and her voice wasn't steady, but she didn't care. "You don't?"
"No. Why would I hate you?"
"You don't wish you never met me?"
"No. What are you getting at?"
"Maybe if I never came here, you guys wouldn't be having any visions. Maybe it's because all of us have been reunited again."
"Maybe. But I don't hate you for it."
"Are you sure?" Zoycite opened the door the rest of the way.
"Of course I'm sure. Now stop crying. Nephlite can be a real jerk when he wants to be."
"I'm not going to forget them. I won't let that happen to me," she insisted.
"Zoycite? Would you want what happened in the past? Would you want to be married? To be Queen of the Ice Kingom?"
Zoycite just stared at him. "What do you mean?"
Malachite took a deep breath. "Zoycite, I...."
"You what?"
Malachite leaned closer to Zoycite, tilting her face upward to his. He kissed her gently, his lips barely touching hers. She pulled away from him and stared at him, her eyes wide with fright. "Go away! Leave me alone!"
"Zoycite, I-"
"I said leave me alone!" She slammed the door and stood with her back against it, closing her eyes tightly as if trying not to let the tears fall.
"I'm sorry, Zoycite." Malachite turned and went to his own room.
***************
The nexxt morning, Zoycite didn't come out of her room. Malachite knocked on her door.
"Zoycite, if you want to eat something before we go to the Throne Room, it would be wise to come out now."
There was no answer. He tried again. "Zoycite, please come out." When that failed to do much good, he tried to open the door. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked. But the room was empty. Zoycite was not there.
A million thoughts raced through his head. Obsidianite could have kidnapped her. She could have run away. What if she was in danger? He had no idea where she could possibly be. He searched the castle and the surrounding are for her energy signature, but she was nowehere to be found. Ten minutes later, a door slammed and Malachite heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Zoycite walked past him and into the room.
"Zoycite!" Malachite caught her arm and pulled her back, turning her to face him. "Where have you been?"
"I was angry with you. And I always talk to Sora when I'm angry."
"You went to the Earth Realm? I told you not to! You disobeyed me, Zoycite."
"So punish me, then."
Malachite shook his head. "When did you leave?"
"After you went to your room, I teleported there. I stayed the night at Sora's house."
"What were you angry with me for? Because I kissed you? Because I love you?"
Zoycite looked down at the floor. "I-I wasn't exactly angry."
"What were you then?" Malachite wanted to know.
Zoycite didn't look up at him. "I was scared, okay? I didn't want to like anything about this place. I was planning on leaving for good. And last night, I considered not coming back. I didn't think anyone here cared about me. And why should they? No one seems to care for anyone in this place. But when you...when you kissed me, I realized how much....how much I....I love you." She said the last three words so softly, Malachite almost didn't hear her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"And if we could live in the past, I wouldn't mind being the Queen of the Ice Kingdom," Zoycite said, looking up at him.
Nephlite chose that moment to teleport in. "Sorry, I appear to be interrupting something here, but we have a problem."
Malachite looked at Nephlite. "What sort of problem?"
"Some of our weapons are missing, and our energy reserves are low. The Queen is sendig me to Earth to collect energy and she wants you and your lover, here, to get the Youma Army ready for battle."
"Okay, now quit wasting time and get to your assignment."
Nephlite teleported away without a word.
"We better go, Zoycite."
Zoycite nodded in agreement. Malachite transported both of them to the Training Field where the Youma Army was waiting for instruction.
***************
"Are the Youma ready?" A raven haired young man sat on a throne in a dark palace, giving out commands. He smirked as his youma servants scurried around to do his bidding. This wouldn't be happening if he'd stayed in that pathetic Negverse! He'd made the right choice, hadn't he?
"Yes sir, they're ready," a Youma with long, dark blue hair replied, bowing to the King. "We can attack whenever you give the command.
"Good. But I don't plan to attack just yet." He held up a hand and a picture appeared. "This girl, Zoycite is to be found and brought here. You have two days to find her and bring her here."
"Yes sir ," the Youma bowed. "But, if I may ask, how should I get her here?"
"I could care less, as long as you don't kill her!" Obsidianite shouted at the Youma.
"Yes, sir." The Youma vanished.
"Zoycite will soon be mine," Obsidianite declared with an evil grin.
"Nephlite knows."
Zoycite's eyes widened. "He knows? You told him? Why?"
"Don't get mad at your husband, Queen Zoycite of the Ice Kingdom," Nephlite taunted.
"Shut up! Before I rip your head off and hang it on that wall!" Zoycite threatened, pointing to the wall behind Nephlite.
"So that's why Malachite wanted you to live here instead of-"
"ECCHI!" Zoycite screeched, her hand connected with Nephlite's face as she slapped him with all the strength she had at two-thirty in the morning. It was quite a lot, considering that she didn't get any sleep since the night before and had been feeling quite drained.
Nephlite placed a hand on the side of his face, covering the red mark that was slowly taking shape. "Don't say anything wrong to her. You might end up dead."
Zoycite glared at the auburn haired man. "I won't hesitate to do it again."
"Zoycite," Malachite said warningly. "I told him for a reason. If you're going to decapitate him, at least wait until he's told you why."
Zoey crossed her arms. "Fine. Why?"
"I've had visions like yours. Well, maybe not exactly like yours, but they were visions of the Elemental Kingdoms. And I don't know about Jedite....Oh, that reminds me, Malachite we have the battle plans ready." He held one hand up and a scroll appeared, floating just above his hand. Malachite took it and opened it. "I've noticed our energy reserves seem to be low. I already informed the Queen of this problem."
"I've been waiting for this. Good job, Nephlite. I'll go over these, we'll make a final plan of action tomorrow." The scroll vanished from Malachite's hands. "The Obsidian Army will probably be returning soon."
"What exactly happened in your visions?"
"My visions weren't as clear as yours. I saw a battle. I saw deaths and the destruction of the Kingdoms. It was fuzzy, but I could tell what most of it was."
"If we're all having visions, Jedite must be having them too," Malachite said, mostly thinking to himself.
"This is all your fault," Nephlite accused, glaring at Zoycite. "You and your stupid crystal! Everything was fine until you came along! Now everything's screwed up!"
"Shut up! It's not my fault! I didn't tell the 'stupid' crystal to haunt us with visions of our past! I didn't even know we had a past life! So leave me alone, before I do rip your head off!"
"Stop it, both of you. No one is to blame for this," Malachite said, separating the two.
"Except maybe Beryl. Why don't we remember any of this? Why are we suddenly here instead of there? Why are the Kingdoms dark and ugly instead of beautiful and full of life like they should be?" Zoycite asked.
"For as long as I can remember, this is how it's always been. We can't blame anyone until we know for sure."
"How long is since you can remember? You don't remember life on Earth?"
"To tell you the truth, no I don't, Zoycite. None of us do. After three years in the Negaverse, memories like that start to fade."
"Well, I'm not gonna let that happen to me! I won't forget anything! I won't forget my parents, or my friend or anything about Earth!"
"It can't be helped, Zoycite. I said the same thing. But I don't remember a thing."
"You mean you actually had friends, Zoycite?" Nephlite teased.
Zoycite's eyes narrowed to a glare. "Shut up! I hate you and I wish I never met any of you! I wish none of this ever happened, and I don't care if I wake up and this was all a nightmare and I never see any of your ugly faces again!" She turned and ran back up the stairs, tears threatening to fall.
"Zoycite!" Malachite called after her. He turned to Nephlite. "Now look what you did. Why do you have to pick on her like that?"
"I didn't mean to make her cry. I was only teasing her," Nephlite said defensively.
"Get out of here." Malachite demanded.
"Better go comfort your little lover," Nephlite smirked.
"Get out now!"
"I'm going, I'm going." Nephlite teleported away.
Malachite went upstairs to Zoycite's room and knocked at the door. "Zoycite?"
"Go away! I hate you all!"
"Open this door, now Zoycite."
"No!"
"That was an order, Zoycite. Open this door."
"No! I'm not listening to you! I hate you!"
"I don't hate you." I love you, he added mentally. But he couldn't say it. He didn't want to admit it, he really didn't even want to admit it to himself. He really did love her, even if he hadn't told her so. He wished they could live in their past life, and they could be married and live together in peace without any problems. That wouldn't be coming true anytime soon, it probably wouldn't happen at all. She didn't want to marry him then, so why should she now?
After about five minutes of consideration, Zoycite opened the door just enough to be able to talk to him without shouting. Her face was tearstained and her voice wasn't steady, but she didn't care. "You don't?"
"No. Why would I hate you?"
"You don't wish you never met me?"
"No. What are you getting at?"
"Maybe if I never came here, you guys wouldn't be having any visions. Maybe it's because all of us have been reunited again."
"Maybe. But I don't hate you for it."
"Are you sure?" Zoycite opened the door the rest of the way.
"Of course I'm sure. Now stop crying. Nephlite can be a real jerk when he wants to be."
"I'm not going to forget them. I won't let that happen to me," she insisted.
"Zoycite? Would you want what happened in the past? Would you want to be married? To be Queen of the Ice Kingom?"
Zoycite just stared at him. "What do you mean?"
Malachite took a deep breath. "Zoycite, I...."
"You what?"
Malachite leaned closer to Zoycite, tilting her face upward to his. He kissed her gently, his lips barely touching hers. She pulled away from him and stared at him, her eyes wide with fright. "Go away! Leave me alone!"
"Zoycite, I-"
"I said leave me alone!" She slammed the door and stood with her back against it, closing her eyes tightly as if trying not to let the tears fall.
"I'm sorry, Zoycite." Malachite turned and went to his own room.
***************
The nexxt morning, Zoycite didn't come out of her room. Malachite knocked on her door.
"Zoycite, if you want to eat something before we go to the Throne Room, it would be wise to come out now."
There was no answer. He tried again. "Zoycite, please come out." When that failed to do much good, he tried to open the door. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked. But the room was empty. Zoycite was not there.
A million thoughts raced through his head. Obsidianite could have kidnapped her. She could have run away. What if she was in danger? He had no idea where she could possibly be. He searched the castle and the surrounding are for her energy signature, but she was nowehere to be found. Ten minutes later, a door slammed and Malachite heard the sound of approaching footsteps. Zoycite walked past him and into the room.
"Zoycite!" Malachite caught her arm and pulled her back, turning her to face him. "Where have you been?"
"I was angry with you. And I always talk to Sora when I'm angry."
"You went to the Earth Realm? I told you not to! You disobeyed me, Zoycite."
"So punish me, then."
Malachite shook his head. "When did you leave?"
"After you went to your room, I teleported there. I stayed the night at Sora's house."
"What were you angry with me for? Because I kissed you? Because I love you?"
Zoycite looked down at the floor. "I-I wasn't exactly angry."
"What were you then?" Malachite wanted to know.
Zoycite didn't look up at him. "I was scared, okay? I didn't want to like anything about this place. I was planning on leaving for good. And last night, I considered not coming back. I didn't think anyone here cared about me. And why should they? No one seems to care for anyone in this place. But when you...when you kissed me, I realized how much....how much I....I love you." She said the last three words so softly, Malachite almost didn't hear her. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.
"And if we could live in the past, I wouldn't mind being the Queen of the Ice Kingdom," Zoycite said, looking up at him.
Nephlite chose that moment to teleport in. "Sorry, I appear to be interrupting something here, but we have a problem."
Malachite looked at Nephlite. "What sort of problem?"
"Some of our weapons are missing, and our energy reserves are low. The Queen is sendig me to Earth to collect energy and she wants you and your lover, here, to get the Youma Army ready for battle."
"Okay, now quit wasting time and get to your assignment."
Nephlite teleported away without a word.
"We better go, Zoycite."
Zoycite nodded in agreement. Malachite transported both of them to the Training Field where the Youma Army was waiting for instruction.
***************
"Are the Youma ready?" A raven haired young man sat on a throne in a dark palace, giving out commands. He smirked as his youma servants scurried around to do his bidding. This wouldn't be happening if he'd stayed in that pathetic Negverse! He'd made the right choice, hadn't he?
"Yes sir, they're ready," a Youma with long, dark blue hair replied, bowing to the King. "We can attack whenever you give the command.
"Good. But I don't plan to attack just yet." He held up a hand and a picture appeared. "This girl, Zoycite is to be found and brought here. You have two days to find her and bring her here."
"Yes sir ," the Youma bowed. "But, if I may ask, how should I get her here?"
"I could care less, as long as you don't kill her!" Obsidianite shouted at the Youma.
"Yes, sir." The Youma vanished.
"Zoycite will soon be mine," Obsidianite declared with an evil grin.