Jaded Perspective

Part Two - Light Disputes

By Skylark3

Rated PG. I think.

----

"Could you tell me what's going on? I can't seem to remember anything." The brown-haired man sitting on the ground had fallen only minutes ago from some kind of mysterious dark hole onto Mina's front path.

Rei looked at him as if he were insane. "You can stop the act now, Nephrite. We're not stupid, you know."

The man groaned, and stood up shakily, almost towering over the two girls. "I'm sorry. I really don't remember anything. Is Nephrite my name, then?" His voice was deep and powerful.

"I told you so!" Mina hissed at Rei.

Ignoring her, Rei persisted. "Stop trying to fool us. We know who you are."

Cutting in, Mina intervened, taking the man's hand and leading him up the front steps to her house. "I believe you!" she cooed, "Why don't you come in and have something to eat? You must have hurt yourself from that fall!"

Her talking cat, Artemis, rushed to block her and meowed loudly.

"Oh, Nephrite - you don't mind me calling you that, do you? This is my cat, Artemis. Say hello, Artemis!"

The white cat looked at her as if she'd lost her marbles. She's going into that pathetic mood of hers again, he thought, and sighed. "Good morning." he said resignedly.

"Good morning, Artemis." Nephrite answered with perfect seriousness. "Nice to meet you."

Rei's mouth fell open, while Mina smiled triumphantly, and opened the door of her house to let the man in.

Rei, struggling to come to grips with the fact that someone could handle a talking cat so easily, finally managed to stammer, "You see? It proves my point - what normal person would talk to a cat?"

Mina took no notice, busily escorting the man into the living room. "So, would you like some cookies? Tea, perhaps? No - maybe you'd like to listen to some nice music! Ah, I know! I'll get everything! Just wait here!" She rushed off to prepare everything.

Nephrite looked at Rei, amused. "Is everyone here as strange as you two?" he asked.

"Just watch it!" she growled, still mistrustful.

"He obviously doesn't remember Serena, then." Artemis muttered to himself, but the man overheard.

"Serena? The name does ring a bell, actually. I can't begin to think of where from, though."

----

Three friends stood at the mall, deep in conversation.

"So, let me get this straight. Mina decided she wouldn't come shopping?" The blond shook her head in disbelief as she chewed her way through a cinnamon doughnut. "Do you think she's ill?"

The girl who replied had her hair pulled back into a high brown ponytail, tied with two green spheres. "I've already told you, Serena. She claimed to be getting bad vibes or something - you ought to know how accurate those feelings can be by now."

"But Lita, it's always Rei who goes in for all that psychic business!" Serena persisted. "Mina's not exactly the mystical type."

The third girl glanced at the other two, wincing slightly at the food stains around Serena's mouth. "True, but there could be a simple explanation. I'm sure from past experiences we've found that where there is a large concentration of energies, people are often affected in various ways."

Lita and Serena looked at each other, then at Ami, wondering where this was heading. "Yes?"

"Well," the blue-haired girl continued, "If there was a large deposit of concentrated energy more or less around Mina's vicinity, it's possible that this energy has been taking effect on her, therefore resulting in these vibes' she's been picking up."

Serena sighed. "You mean there's this big thing that's lurking around Mina's house?"

"Well, not exactly..."

"So come on!" she yelled, jumping and punching the air enthusiastically. "We can't miss this!" She paused only to pick up another three doughnuts from a nearby table, and raced off.

Lita looked apologetically at Ami, and set off after her, catching up in no time.

----

Rei eyed the man in distrust. He was exactly as she remembered, aside from minor details such as the clothes he was wearing. She sighed. Yes, he's certainly the cause of the disturbance that's been around all morning, she thought, unsure of what to believe. He seemed genuine enough - but Nephrite wasn't exactly the world's worst actor, either. Why was she placed under this great responsibility? For all she knew, this could be part of some immense conspiracy. If this ended in tragedy, it'd be because she hadn't done anything. Why me? Why can't I just be totally clueless like Mina? It all came down to honesty - but of course there was no way to tell if the man was genuinely speaking the truth. So she'd simply have to keep a close eye on him until she had a chance to find out just what was really going on...

At that moment, Mina returned to the living room, bearing a large tray heaped with biscuits and sweets. She set the tray down delicately on a wooden coffee table, as if it were a priceless vase. Then she leaped up and beamed at the man, ruining the effect. "Oh, sit down! Make yourself at home!" she cried jubilantly, before bounding across the room to put a cassette in her tape recorder, violently shoving Rei aside as she did.

It was all Rei could do to control herself. "And it was such a nice day, too!" she moaned quietly, clenching her fists.

The doorbell rang. Relieved for the distraction, Rei hurried to answer it, Artemis strutting along at her side. "Hello?" she asked, opening it wide. Three familiar faces grinned back at her.

----

Lita beamed as Rei opened the door. She began to apologise, but was abruptly cut short.

"Rei?" Serena cried, "What are you doing here? Where's that big invisible energy-sucker? I'm going to make sure it never sets foot here again!"

Rei stared at her, utterly bewildered, as well she might be. "What?"

Lita laughed nervously, embarrassed at her friend's behaviour. "Uh, she's just a little confused... Ami told us there might be some concentrated energy' at Mina's place, and I guess Serena thought it was another evil guy."

Ami, who had arrived later than the other two, was still panting from the long run. "I only meant that there could be collective energies here - not that it was evil - or good, for that matter."

"Besides," Lita added. "Queen Beryl's history!"

Rei's eyes widened. "Actually, Serena could be right for once."

"What do you mean, for once?" Serena sulked, offended.

"You're not the centre of the universe, you know!" Rei flared up, sick of the day's annoyances.

Sniffing, Serena pouted. "I come pretty close, though."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, really! Why else would I be Sailor M-"

Before the two could get into a full blown shouting match, Artemis interrupted. "It's true. Just a short while ago a man fell out of a portal in the air right about where you're standing right now."

"Really?" Ami inquired, interested. "That would explain my theory."

Lita nodded. "So what happened?"

"It was Nephrite!" Rei declared, rejoining the conversation.

"You're joking!" Serena exclaimed. "He died in Molly's arms, remember?"

Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Rei replied, "I know that, Meatball Head! But I'm almost certain it's him. Come in, and I'll show you what I mean."

"Nephrite was one of Beryl's generals, wasn't he?" Lita asked, not entirely certain if she remembered correctly. "By the way, where's Mina?"

"She's in the living room, having a nice friendly chat... with Nephrite. You'll understand, once you see the way she's acting." She let them into the house, and led everyone through to the living room, where they beheld quite a strange sight.

Mina was leaning forward, her elbows resting on her knees, and firing question after question at Nephrite, most of which didn't have much to do with him. A look of total admiration was plastered like glue over her face. "So! What do you think of my biscuits? Aren't they just yum?"

The man was politely trying to appear interested, and almost succeeded, but the boredom was evident in the manner in which he constantly shifted position every five seconds. Due to the position of the couches, only his back was visible to the girls that just entered. "I must admit, these are delicious! Did you make them yourself?"

Drooling, Mina smiled. "Why, um, yes! I always make cookies - but as I don't have a boyfriend, there's no one to eat them. Which reminds me -" Even from the back, the man's wince at the not-so-subtle hint was evident.

Catching sight of the plate of biscuits, Lita ran forward and cried out, protesting. "Mina, you didn't make those! Those are the cookies I brought over for you this morning!"

"Oh, ah... Aheehee, ur... well, I guess I could have been mistaken..." Mina stuttered, turning a bright pink. "If you'll just excuse me..." She glared at Lita, who looked after her as she walked out of the room.

Rei, Ami and Serena all crowded round the front of the couch to peer at the man, who seemed a little disconcerted to have so many people staring at him.

"That's him, all right!" Serena announced, after she'd shoved her face practically two inches away from his. "I never forget a face."

"Want to bet?" Rei challenged, raising an eyebrow. Serena shut up.

Ami nodded. "He certainly looks like Nephrite..." She reached into a pocket and pulled out a small object, which she flipped open, revealing a tiny computer. Punching in a few keys, she looked from the screen to Nephrite, and back to the screen again. Satisfied, she gave a small nod. "Well, it seems that the analytical data stored in this apparatus is equivalent to that of the logical symmetry -"

"Could we have that in English?" Serena complained, chewing her fingernails in anticipation.

"...in other words, this man is Nephrite." she finished simply, closing the computer and returning it quietly to her pocket.

There was an unbroken silence for a few seconds, as they realised the implications of this. But then it was broken by the wistful voice coming from behind them.

"He looks just like my old boyfriend..." Lita whispered, smiling in Nephrite's direction. Her body was frozen in space, and she had a dreamy expression in her eyes.

Rei smacked her forehead. "Not her as well!"

----

Nephrite cringed as the blond girl leaned up close to him once again. She wasn't exactly ugly or threatening, but he wasn't too happy about the crumbs of food around her mouth that threatened to drop off at any moment. Even as he watched, she drew back, took a rather squashed doughnut out of her pocket and started to eat.

It was no use. He just couldn't take it anymore. All the vexation of not knowing who he was or where he came from, or anything to do with his life at all... Not to mention constantly being under examination by a group of unusual schoolgirls... it all added up to utter stress. If only I could remember some little detail... he thought, depressed. But it was no use. His memories had vanished, like a dead flower that was once a beautiful blossom.

He leaped up off the couch, nearly accidentally knocking all three girls back. "I'm sorry." he apologised, bowing. "But I must go. I need to find some place where I can find out about my life."

"Whoa, not so fast!" The raven-haired girl held out a delicate hand to stop him.

"You're not going anywhere!" the blond added.

"At least, not until we can determine whether or not you're speaking the truth." the blue-haired girl explained.

He sighed. "Listen, I don't know who you lot are any more than I know who I am. I'm sorry, but I have to go." He pushed past the three girls, who stared after him.

The blond gaped. "You really don't remember me?" she cried. "I'm Serena - you know, Sailor M-"

She was cut off by the other two. "Ah, I'm Rei, she's Ami." the black-haired girl cut in hurriedly. "The one who interrogated you was Mina. And Lita's the one who's been rather quiet."

Nephrite nodded. "I'm pleased to meet you, then. But now I really must go." He turned to leave, despite the protests, and was abruptly brought up short, as another girl was standing right in his path.

She must be Lita, he realised. He recalled that she'd actually come in with Ami and Serena, but all the others had kept him too occupied to really notice her. Yet now that he did...

----

Mina had been listening to the whole thing behind the living-room door. Her cheeks were still burning red with embarrassment. How dare Lita make such a fool of me! she thought, still mortified. She'd felt she was really beginning to get somewhere with Nephrite. She'd seen the way he'd tried not to look bored, but in her love-clouded vision it was a sign that they were meant to be together. I don't care if he's evil! she decided. I know I love him. And if I could spend just a little more time with him... In her mind, it was only natural that someone who'd lost their entire memory wouldn't

realise when the girl of their dreams was standing before them, but she was determined to go on a date with Nephrite at the very least. She leaned against the door with an adoring sigh.

Just at that moment, she overheard' her dream man talking about leaving. No! She was horrorstruck. There was no way she was going to lose him to the vast streets of Tokyo. It took a few moments to sink in. Forgetting her embarrassment, she turned and flung the door wide.

"You can't leave!"

----

Lita gazed lovingly at the tall man who almost dwarfed even her, tall as she was. She'd never met or even seen him before, and yet she felt as if she knew him from somewhere. If someone had asked her, she wouldn't have been able to explain the familiarity. But all that was at the very back of her mind right now. She had eyes only for Nephrite. It wasn't only that he was extremely good-looking, but there was something else about him that deeply attracted her. Almost as if destiny had brought them to meet. She knew without a doubt that this was something more than just another crush. Nephrite appeared a little surprised upon noticing her, but it seemed to Lita that something fell suddenly in place. She looked into his piercing eyes, and saw her own face reflected in their depths. A brief silence reigned while the others looked on uncertainly.

His gaze not wavering, Nephrite took her hands and held them firm. "Lita?" he whispered softly. She smiled, and nodded.

But the enchantment was broken as a voice yelled out from the next room. "You can't leave!"

Mina, propelled by a sense of urgency, sped out from behind the door and barrelled into them, elbowing Lita to one side. "Nephrite, don't leave! You'll have nowhere to go, and you won't know your way around Tokyo! Stay here - I'm sure my family won't mind one bit!" It was obviously an exaggeration, but she was desperate to have him stay.

"Mina, it would be too much trouble for you. Why don't you stay at my apartment for a while, Nephrite?" Lita offered. "I live alone, so it wouldn't be a hassle at all."

Nephrite looked at the two girls. "Well..."

"No, Lita! I mean, I know you're making a kind offer, but it really would be best if he stays here with me." Mina argued.

Lita couldn't believe it. What had gotten into her friend to make her behave so strangely? "But Mina, it just doesn't make sense! Why go to all this trouble just to -"

"You don't deserve to have him stay with you!" Mina shouted furiously. "That's why! Don't think I didn't notice you going completely soppy over him! You're trying to steal him away from me, aren't you?" Tears were streaming from her eyes. All of a sudden, she put one hand up to her head and groaned. "Now you've given me a headache! Get out of my house, and don't come back!"

Shocked to say the least, Lita tried to help. "Is there anything I can do..."

"Get out!" Mina screamed, pointing to the front door, and shaking uncontrollably with anger.

Stunned, Lita walked to the door and looked back. "Are you sure about this?"

"Out!" she repeated. When Lita had left, she abruptly keeled over in a dead faint.

Ami, Rei and Serena at once crowded round her body to help. It was only Artemis, who had watched the entire thing, that noticed Nephrite slip out the door after Lita.

----

Right! That does it! Lita decided. She's gone way over the top this time. She was walking away from Mina's house, heading up the pathway. She had no idea where to go, as long as it was far away from Mina. The wind began to pick up, ruffling her hair slightly.

"What right does she have to scream at me like that?" she grumbled angrily. "Boy, I wish I knew why she's acting so strangely."

"Maybe I can answer that." Nephrite was jogging up the path behind her, and slowed to a walk beside her when he caught up.

She sighed, keeping her pace. "I don't see what good it will do. Once Mina gets something stuck in her head, it will take a lot to change her mind." She fought to keep her eyes down at the path. If she even once looked up at him, she knew she wouldn't be able to tear her eyes away.

Nephrite laughed. "I'd noticed. But listen, Lita. I don't really know you, but I feel I can trust you." He walked into her path, forcing her to stop, and placed a hand on her shoulder gently. "I lied when I told Rei and Mina I remembered nothing. There is actually something I do recall."

Lita grit her teeth. The temptation to look once more into those blue-violet eyes was amazing, but she resisted it determinedly. "What's that?"

"You." the tall man replied softly. "Your face. It seems that it was etched into my memory like nothing else." He sighed. "That's why I need your help. Perhaps you can help me remember everything that happened."

This time, she couldn't stop herself. She simply had to look up. "But I've never seen you before, until today of course!" she announced, confused. His face could melt a heart of stone, she thought wistfully, peering into his deep eyes as if they held some dark secret. Not that they were particularly dark at the current time, for his eyes were lit with a fierce determination.

"Are you sure?" he persisted, now equally bewildered. "Not only is my one memory of you, it's also extremely clear."

She nodded. "I'm certain."

Nephrite reluctantly let his hand drop to his side, the spark in his eyes dimming. He looked so forlorn, so lost, so utterly dejected, that for a fleeting moment Lita thought she could almost feel his sorrow as if it were her own.

"Look, if I bothered you, I'm sorry." Nephrite bowed, turned and jogged off down the path in the direction she'd been heading, then broke into a fast run.

"No, wait!" she called after him, but the heartless wind smothered her words, carrying the sound in the wrong direction. Unaware that tears were beginning to form in her eyes, she ran after him. She had no idea why she felt so guilty - especially towards someone she'd never met and who supposedly was once an evil general. But some instinct deep within her was screaming for him to come back. She hadn't run far by the time she realised he was too quick to catch up with. Coming to a gradual halt, she despairingly clenched her fists. Why do I feel so awful? she mused, the wind buffeting her relentlessly.

----

Back in Mina's house, Ami laid a cool, wet cloth on Mina's forehead. At the touch of moisture, the blond's eyes fluttered open.

"Oh... My head hurts!" she groaned, sitting up slowly. She felt like her head had been clobbered with a rubber mallet more than just once. The world seemed tipped sideways and more than a little blurry.

"Are you okay, Mina?" asked two Serenas. "What got into you?"

"Wow, you sure gave Lita a hard time!" Rei added suspiciously.

Blinking, her vision cleared somewhat, and the two Serenas merged into one rather worried person. "I... I really don't know what came over me, guys!" Mina admitted tearfully. "I can't believe I said those things!"

Ami took away the cloth, redipped it in ice-cold water, and replaced it on Mina's forehead. "You ought to get some rest, Mina." she remarked, concerned. "You don't look well."

"Perhaps I should." Mina agreed, taking her pounding head into consideration. "And then I'll ring Lita to apologise."

Supported by Ami, she shakily stood up and the two girls headed in the direction of Mina's bedroom.

"What happened?" Rei asked Ami when she returned.

The girl blushed. "I'm afraid I don't know." she answered. "It could have been the effects of the accumulated energy around here, or simple jealousy. Perhaps neither."

Serena looked down at the floor. "Poor Lita. It must have been horrible to have a friend treat her like dirt." She suddenly burst into tears. "What if Darien decides he doesn't like me? What if whatever Mina had was contagious? What if -"

"Serena!" Neither Rei or Ami were about to put up with her outbursts now.

"Mina needs some time to relax." Ami explained, trying to calm her down.

"But -"

Two girls groaned, while a third continued to bawl her eyes out.

----

That night, Lita found it impossible to sleep. Her thoughts were constantly filled with visions of Nephrite. Tossing and turning in her bed, she tried to rid herself of the torment. Eventually she could stand it no longer.

"What is it with me?" she cried aloud, despairingly. "Surely I can't be this worried about some guy who I hardly even know!" Yet it certainly seemed to be the case. After a few more minutes of trying in vain to catch some priceless sleep, she clambered off the bed, sighing. It was simply no use trying to deny to herself that she was absolutely infatuated with Nephrite. If this was going to happen every night from now on, her life would be a living torture. Realising that it would be a hopeless task to attempt once more to get some sleep, she decided to take a quick walk outside to steady her nerves.

She changed quickly from her pastel-pink nightgown into a dark green sweater and brown jeans, not bothering to tie her hair. Fiddling with the keys to the door of her apartment, she unlocked the door and stepped out onto a narrow corridor which became a flight of stairs several feet to the left.

It was the stairs she headed for. Bounding down the steps four at a time, she rapidly descended several flights to stand before the entrance to the main building.

Upon stepping outside, she changed her plans. Back in her apartment she'd been a little uneasy about walking around alone at this time of night, and had intended to stay out only for a short while. Now, she felt more confident. She headed off in the direction of the park, her head already feeling clearer, the moonlight illuminating the streets in silvery light.

A good half-hour later, she stepped onto the soft and prickly grass, triumphant. Nobody had leapt out of the shadows to molest her – though she could have beaten them easily - and she'd arrived safely. She was about to turn around to head back and complete her exercise, when a growing sense of urgency propelled her to traverse deeper into the park.

Lita interpreted the urgency as curiosity, and at the last moment changed her mind. Well, why shouldn't I go for a stroll in the park? I've come this far, it won't hurt.

The park looked totally different by night. Shadows not present in daylight stretched and elongated and became clearer with every step forward. The whole area was bathed in an opalescent silver glow, which should have seemed quite eerie. Lita, however, thought it incredibly beautiful.

As she strolled along, she suddenly perceived a figure standing apart from the trees, looking up at the night sky. All her suspicions and defences kicked into action. Who would be out at this time? she wondered, her eyes narrowing apprehensively.

Stepping backwards involuntarily, her foot came down hard on a brittle twig, fallen from one of the great trees. The sound of the snapping wood alerted the silhouetted, solitary figure, who immediately turned and looked at her.

With no time to run, and unable to hide, all she could do was watch as the figure took one step forward... and vanished.

For a moment she stood quite still, taking it in. But then a hand on her shoulder made her scream instinctively and elbow the attacker in the stomach, while whirling round to stare into the assulter's face.

The first thing she noticed was the set of unmistakable violet-sapphire eyes. Oddly enough, though the light of the moon and stars blanketed everything in shades of silver and grey, the colour was still faintly visible.

"N - Nephrite?" she exclaimed, astonished.

The man nodded, wincing as he rubbed the side of his stomach where she'd struck out in panic. "I wasn't expecting such a violent greeting!" he joked, but it fell a bit flat.

Lita instantly regretted having acted so hastily. "I'm sorry," she apologised. "What are you doing here at this time?"

At this, Nephrite grinned. "A number of reasons. Firstly, Mina was right when she said I wouldn't know where to go. I've been here since we last talked. And there's no way I would've been able to sleep anyway. I've been thinking about you all night."

Lita once again found it impossible to tear her gaze away. "Me too. I mean, I was thinking about you, not myself!"

Nephrite nodded. This has to be something other than a coincidence, he noted thoughtfully, staring back at her. "Lita, there's something I'd like to show you." He took her hands gently in his.

She smiled. "And what might that be?" She was intrigued at how secure she now felt, compared to the nervous wreck she'd just been.

So she wasn't prepared when the world contorted around her.

----

Far away from the park in a warm and cozy bed, a figure lay in peaceful slumber, her chest rising and falling with every relaxed breath. Now and then she unconsciously shifted position, only to fall once more into the regular pattern of sleep. All seemed normal, and she was the very picture of tranquillity.

Yet somewhere in the midst of her undisturbed rest, something began to take a hold of the girl's sleeping form. The once steady breathing turned into gasps for air, and she started to toss and turn violently, almost appearing as if taken by a fit. For all the apparent struggle she was in, she was yet asleep. The girl's body writhed and rolled, and her face held a look of agony as she thrashed in the sheets. It didn't last long, however, for soon the torment began to ease, and all became still and quiet once more.

As the chilling night breeze rustled the curtains through the open window, a radiant golden light began to emanate from where the girl lay.

Still fast asleep, Mina's unseeing eyes snapped wide open.

----

As the blackness of the night opened up to swallow her, Lita cried out in alarm. "No! Help!" Her cries seemed to be muffled by the vast expanse of nothing as it surrounded her, penetrating into her bones.

But as rapidly as it had come, the darkness faded away, leaving her standing once more under the silvery, vaporous light that shone down like a beacon from the night sky.

She turned to Nephrite, who had never let go of her hands. "What in the entire universe was that?" she gasped out, recovering from the shock.

He looked a bit confused. "What was what?"

She stared at him unbelievingly. "Don't tell me you didn't notice that sudden darkness? It just came out of nowhere!"

Understanding dawned in his eyes, and he burst out laughing. "Oh, Lita - why didn't you tell me you had a phobia of teleportation?"

"What?" Lita was stunned, only then realising they were in a different part of the park compared to where they'd previously been. "You can teleport?"

Nephrite nodded, his eyes narrowing curiously. "Of course! Why? You make it sound like some kind of crime..."

Lita suddenly understood. Zoicite and Malachite could teleport... it only makes sense that Nephrite could! She laughed. "Not only have you lost your memory, you also have no idea of our society!" she giggled. "I hope you didn't teleport in public view! You'd have scared people half to death!" Seeing that he was still looking mixed-up, she continued. "You have to know that nobody in Tokyo can teleport - except you, of course!"

At this truthful statement, Nephrite looked completely dazed. "I had no idea!" he exclaimed. "I thought everyone could..." he looked to the side, uncertainly. "Just who am I?" he demanded to no one in particular.

It was once again obvious to Lita that he was deeply frustrated, to say the least. Feeling guilty, she struggled for the right words to say. "So... what were you going to show me?" she asked finally, attempting to break the tense silence.

He sighed, looking depressed as ever, and waved a hand carelessly in the direction of the sky. "Only the stars."

With an effort, Lita tore her eyes away from his to stare up at where his hand had feebly indicated. The stars were indeed beautiful that night. Like it had been during the day, the sky was perfectly clear, and nothing obstructed the view, save a few trees. Yet they were standing in the centre of a large clearing, so even the leafy branches barely blocked the scene.

She gazed up at the tiny pinpricks of incandescence, each silver point appearing identical to the next, scattered randomly across the midnight backdrop. She'd seen the same stars many times before, but tonight they seemed different, somehow.

"I never realised how fascinating they are." She was honest - she felt that she could stare up at the spectacular view for hours and never tire of it, but for the crick in the neck it gave her.

Nodding, Nephrite seemed to nearly forget his troubles. "They're wonderful, aren't they?" he murmured quietly. "Almost as if they're trying to say something..." he laughed then, at his own words. "I must sound ridiculous!"

"No," Lita disagreed. "I can see what you mean - it's like they're trying to send a message to everyone. I can't believe I never noticed before!" Or, she reflected, Maybe it's just that Nephrite's here beside me and everything seems so much nicer than usual.

She looked down from the sky to Nephrite's face, only to discover he was already staring at her, oddly. For the tiniest fraction of a second their eyes met and something unseen passed between them, before Nephrite doubled over, clutching his head and letting out a yell loud enough to wake the entire city of Tokyo. He collapsed to his knees, tears of pain trickling down his cheeks.

"Ahhhh!" he roared, obviously in pure agony, tearing at the long strands of hair that fell around his face.

"Nephrite!" Lita cried, feeling helpless against this invisible threat. "What is it? Where does it hurt?" She knelt down and attempted to comfort him, but he shook his head and pushed her weakly away.

"Don't! It's... nothing." His words sounded forced and faint. "Something... this is... not good. Lita... don't help me... there's nothing you can do."

She couldn't stand to see anyone in pain. There has to be something I can do! she thought desperately, but how could she fight something without even knowing what it was?

Fortunately, whatever it was stopped after a minute, and Nephrite was left kneeling miserably on the soft grass, drenched in sweat.

"What happened?" Lita asked nervously, brushing hair off his face gently.

He shook his head, as if to clear the memory of what just happened. "I'm not entirely sure... it felt like something was attacking me on the inside." He sighed. "Whatever it was, it was evil, I'm sure of that."

Lita shuddered involuntarily. If Nephrite had once been evil, to what extent was this unknown force that affected him so badly? Like he'd said, whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.

"You'd better come back to my apartment with me. You need rest."