Disclaimer: noodles!

Thanks to:
Lmann: uh oh, I better hide Zaki then: P

Twister91: (puts Zaki and Otogi in a box) I have to save them from you rabid fans! lol

The One To Rule Them All: AAAAH! (is poked) Ow...

Beastfire: um... Bakura's still a baby

Astral Firefly: geez, first Ryou and now Otogi. Is there a secret group of rabid fangirls now?

The team raced out when they saw Malachite's ship approaching and Jet ran up and hugged Malachite tightly.
"Oh Malachite! My baby, you're safe!" she gushed, hugging him close. Malachite smiled,
"Aw Mum..." he said, slightly embarrassed, then a hand smacked him one upside the head, "OW!"
"You had us all worried sick!" she shrieked, glaring at him, "no note, no calls, no tracker so we could find you, and Zakuro missing too! Do you have any idea what we thought!" she ranted, gesturing madly. Malachite rubbed his new dent gingerly before answering,
"I know I should've told you, but Zaki was scared that you'd be mad at her if you found out Bakura was missing so..."
"What!" yelped Ichigo and Malachite covered his mouth,
"Oops" he said sheepishly. He sweat dropped when Ichigo and Jet towered over him,
"You've got some explaining to do!" they demanded.
A few hours later, Malachite was panting on the floor after explaining every crucial detail of what happened from when Bakura disappeared to now. The others looked at Otogi in amazement and Ryou stepped up to him. Otogi gulped at facing a mirror of himself, then blinked in surprise when Ryou smiled.
"Hey bro" he said, holding out his hand. Otogi took it, shaking slightly, and they stood like that for a moment.
"H-hey..." he replied at last and Ichigo ran forwards and hugged him tightly, Otogi felt the air get squeezed out of him but he smiled still. He hugged her back and smiled at both of them, "it's good to be back"
Soon the triplets were sat together explaining their lives and hobbies and various other things. Malachite smiled at them and felt a tap on his shoulder,
"Hey..." he said as he turned then jumped when he saw it was Zaki, who'd finally woken up, and he sweated a little. "Uh..."
Zakuro blinked sleepily,
"what happened?" she asked softly, her voice more soft and gentle than before her aging, and Malachite felt something inside him do fireworks and somersaults at hearing it.
"Uh..." he repeated, ogling at her before realising she asked a question, "oh uh um... w-well..." Zakuro waited patiently, cat-like eyes watching him, as he fumbled for what to say. "J-just look in the mirror!" he finally said, exasperated and Zakuro looked surprised but complied.
She gasped and stared at her reflection, her hands touching her face,
"I'm..." she looked at Malachite, he sighed and nodded. Her face kept its shocked expression for a moment before she composed herself and looked thoughtful.
Malachite waited, ready to be a shoulder to cry on if she needed it, he prepared for many possible reactions but not the one that happened.
"Do I look alright?" she said and Malachite nearly fell down in shock,
"Huh?" he said, standing up again with his eyes huge and a nosebleed running down his face. Zakuro got some tissues and gently wiped away the blood, making Malachite stutter and blush when she touched his face.
"Well?" she asked when it had stopped, "answer my question: do I look alright?" Malachite blushed worse when he realised how close their faces were, many thoughts ran through his head of what he could do with this precious information but he shook his head and tried to make his mouth work.
"Uh... uh..." he willed himself desperately to speak,
'anything!" he cried mentally, "just as long as it answers her question and sounds cool too!'
"You look old!" he squeaked and slapped a hand over his mouth, "w-w-wait! I meant you look old-er! Y-yeah, mature and old... wait older! Not old old as in ancient but y'know..." he rambled on, causing Zakuro's face to cloud with confusion.
"Huh?" she said, clearly not understanding his jumbled answer, and he slapped his face.
"Well uh... that is uh..." he looked at his feet and around, angrily berating himself on sounding like an idiot. He didn't notice Zakuro smile slightly and lean in; when he looked up, his head did somersaults as their lips touched. Zakuro deepened the kiss and put her arms around him and Malachite felt himself give in,
'This is nice...' he thought hazily, his senses filled with Zakuro's scent and the taste of her lips. Suddenly he realised who he was kissing and pulled back,
"Zaki! No, we can't!" he pushed her away. He wished he hadn't for his soul seemed to ache for her again and he felt like he was ripping out half his heart, but when he looked at Zakuro he saw that what he was feeling was nowhere near as painful as what Zakuro was.
"But... why not?" she whispered, pain filling her eyes. He shook his head and uttered the very words that ended Zakuro's world,
"I love Petalite" she sobbed and tears fell. Malachite reached out to comfort her but she turned and ran out the room. His arms fell to his sides and he tried to ignore the pain he felt in his soul, "Zaki..."
"Hey Malachite" someone said behind him and Malachite turned,
"Oh, hey Petalite" he said, mustering a small smile. Petalite smiled back and wrapped her arms around him,
"You ok?" she asked, gazing into his eyes. Malachite gazed back into their golden depths but his mind lingered on Zakuro's blue ones, the pain in them when he pushed her away, and he looked down.
"Yeah..." he replied, distantly, "just thinking" Petalite smiled and stroked his cheek,
"You're always thinking" she replied, giggling slightly and kissed him softly. Malachite kissed back but he couldn't help feeling something missing,
'this... isn't like Zaki's kiss, something... there's something missing from this...'
The kiss broke and Petalite sighed sadly,
"Malachite... there's something I need to say..." she looked down and away from Malachite's eyes. He looked concerned,
"What is it, Petalite? What's wrong?" he asked, gently lifting her face to look at him. She looked at him,
"Us" she replied simply, "it's... we're... I think... We should break up" she said and Malachite gazed.
"W-w-what?" he replied hoarsely, "b-but..."
"No buts" she cut in, sounding determined, "I don't want to be in a relationship that isn't working. I... I know how you feel for Zakuro, Malachite and... I've found someone I really feel something for as well"
Malachite nodded and felt slightly sad, but for some reason relieved too. He smiled slightly and hugged her,
"Thank you for being honest with me" he said and Petalite smiled too. "Now... I have to talk to Zakuro"
"Good luck" encouraged Petalite as she watched him walk out, determinedly.
Zakuro felt the pain fill her and start to gnaw, she cried loudly and ran out into the rainy park.
"It's too much... too much..." she sobbed as she raced into the city and curled up in an alley, she was utterly drenched and the rain continued to mingle with her tears. She wanted the warmth of Malachite's arms again, she wanted him to stutter and blush around her but... knowing that his heart belonged to another, made it seem hollow and worthless. She cried more and felt her body go numb from the cold, she coughed a little and ran along further into the alley.
"Hey gorgeous" purred a voice nearby, making Zakuro freeze. She turned, shaking madly, and saw a large man walking towards her with a knife. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close, leaning the blade against her throat, "now be a good girl and don't scream then maybe after I've had my fun I'll let you live!"
Zakuro sobbed,
"I don't care what you do!" she said mournfully, "I have no reason to live" the man tutted and grabbed her hips.
"Aww! Don't be like that, gorgeous!" he leaned in, "you're still good for something!"
Zakuro choked back a sob as the man's face neared hers and she closed her eyes, she braced herself but heard him scream in pain and drop her.
"What?" she whispered and look up to see the man hobbling away and Malachite leaning over her, he held out his hand and helped her up,
"Hey..." he said quietly.