I never could've seen this far
I never could've seen this coming
Seems like my world's falling apart
Yeah
Why is everything so hard
I don't think I can deal with the things you said
It just won't go away
In a perfect world
This could never happen
In a perfect world
You'd still be here
And it makes no sense
I could just pick up the pieces
But to you
This means nothing
Nothing at all
I used to think that I was strong
Until the day it all went wrong
I think I need a miracle to make it through
Yeah
I wish that I could bring you back
I wish that I could turn back time
Cuz I can't let go
I just can't find my way
Yeah
Without you I just can't find my way
In a perfect world
This could never happen
In a perfect world
You'd still be here
And it makes no sense
I could just pick up the pieces
But to you
This means nothing
Nothing at all
I don't know what I should do now
I don't know where I should go
I'm still here waiting for you
I'm lost when you're not around
I need to hold on to you
I just can't let you go
Yeah
Yeah
In a perfect world
This could never happen
In a perfect world
You'd still be here
And it makes no sense
I could just pick up the pieces
But to you
This means nothing
Nothing at all
Nothing, nothing at all
Nothing at all
-Simple Plan- Perfect World-
Review Responses:
Nativewildmage- haha I can't help it that I am evil...lol... and now your friends probably think I am some nutcase too... oh well... haha May the Force Be with you! And thanks for reviewing as usuall
Jamie Lynn- I just love cliff hangers... haha... oh well... find out now... and thanks for reviewing
Ginastar- thanks... I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I am... lol...
Maraudess- You'll find out really soon... and thanks for the billion reviews... I appreciated it...
On Top of Cloud9- It's okay... I know you'll love this chapter... it's like an early birthday present from me... unless your birthday is today or something... so that makes it not very early... or if your birthday was yesterday because then it would be a belated birthday present... Whatever... Lol... it certainly does make up... haha... Thanks!
shamrockgirl07- haha don't worry you're not the only one who hates Rae... LoL... I do hope you enjoy this chapter... because most rae haters will... haha... yeah the lioness is old... ( oh well... thanks for R&R
Lydia Bennendion- you'll see... just read on... and thanks mucho for reviewing...
Elspeth25- oh jeez I should just appologize in advance... you'll see... just read... and thanks for the review
An angel on ice- sorry Gosha will die... it is sad... but I can't do anything about that... Thanks for reviewing though!!!
maliaphire- here's your update... hope you enjoy it! And thanks!
Misled Nymph- yeah don't worry jonathan and jzet are not getting together... they're just awkward friends... lol... I am sorry that I left you with such a big cliff hanger... lol... I am just soo evil... thanks for reviewing
Pesche- thanks for taking time to review I appreciate it... and I am sorry you have to work at 4 AM that sucks... my brain can't even function that early...lol... thanks for reviewing
Stephy- yeah I am glad jon's back too... he's an awesome character... thanks mucho for reviewing.. and I hope you enjoy this chapter
stagflower13- yess poor gosha indeed... oh well... thanks for reviewing
Lady Highschoolnerd- thank you very much! I hope you enjoy it!
And Congrats to my editor who became an aunt on saturday! to a girl named Juliana! YAY!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!!
Jzet's eyes immediately snapped open and she began to breathe heavily.
"Rae," She whispered.
The feeling of betrayal, disbelief, fear, and anger gripped her body and she began to suffocate. It was as if the walls around her were closing in. Thoughts raced through her mind and her head began to spin.
Could my dream be wrong? She thought. Her heart didn't want to believe this, but her mind knew the reality.
Her eyes were the only part of her body that could function. As her green orbs adjusted to the dark room, she examined the ring Rae had given her only a few hours earlier. Did it mean nothing? Jzet bit her lip in dismay until it began to bleed coppery tasting blood.
She bitterly removed the ring from her finger and using all the force she could muster, chucked it towards the ground. It rolled on the floor for a moment and then stopped, leaving the room silent.
The silence was unbearable for Jzet, who was now shaking with anger, and she rose from her bed and went towards her dressing room to change into more suitable clothing for the palace. She had an urge to leave the confinements of her room.
Lee, waking up from the ruckus, approached her sleepily.
"Why are you up at this god cursed hour?" She asked, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes wearily.
Jzet sighed deeply and heavily. She decided to ignore Lee. She didn't want to talk to the girl at the moment. She was too distraught.
Jzet began to walk into the dressing room, when Lee stepped between her and the entrance.
Lee looked at her with hard brown eyes, her face was stonier than a Yamani's. "Cut the bull shit and tell me now."
Jzet met Lee's eyes with her own pained and weary one's. She didn't even have the will to rebuke her sassy friend.
"Rae betrayed me." She held back her tears with all the strength she could find deep inside herself. "He killed Gosha." She added softly.
"Why couldn't you just say that in the first place?" Lee snapped.
"Can't you see how much pain I'm in?" Jzet questioned, forgetting her dignity. "A broken heart is worse than any broken bone."
"Broken heart?" Lee repeated and then snorted. "When did you become such a love sick fool?"
"I'm not anymore." Jzet said firmly. She looked away from Lee's gaze. She could not bear to look her maid in the eye.
Lee rolled her eyes. "Fine, mistress," She began to walk away. "I shall fetch you your weapons."
"Weapons?" Jzet repeated. "What do I need them for?"
Lee turned around and sighed. "To kill that bastard of course," Lee said, pointing out the obvious.
Jzet faltered. She had a tough time gripping the idea of killing the man who she thought she was to marry several hours ago.
Don't you realize it Jzet? Her mind told her. He's the agent. He's the bastard that works for Zulch. He doesn't even love you.
"Fine, get them," Jzet told her, with less reluctance.
Jzet continued dressing and as if she was in a blur, Jzet walked out of her dressing room. Lee was waiting right there, weapons in hand.
She handed Jzet her sword and two daggers.
"May I please come along, Mistress?" Lee pleaded. "It would upset me that you will be having so much fun killing that bastard while I have to stay here."
Jzet looked at her maid. She had no clue about how much pain she was in. Jzet could hardly bring herself to even think of killing Rae. But, Jzet knew she could not say no to the younger girl. "Yes, Lee, you can come."
Lee grinned. "I won't let you down." She then attached two daggers in their sheaths to her belt. She looked ready for a fight.
The two angry companions made there way to the opposite end of the palace, where the Shang resided.
Jzet banged on his door. "Rae you bastard!" She shouted furiously. "Open up!"
No one answered the door.
"Open up Rae!" Jzet screamed. Her fists pounded on his door harder and harder. "I know what you did!"
"I say we pry open the door magically." Lee suggested. "Maybe the bastard is hiding in there."
Jzet nodded slowly and shoved her gift into the lock, exploding it.
The door slowly creaked open and Lee barged into the room, draggers drawn. Jzet soon followed, wary. Her sword was drawn, ready for attack.
The place seemed deserted.
The two friends quickly searched Rae's quarters and found no sign of the Shang.
"Where could that bastard be?" Lee snarled.
Realization struck Jzet like being trampled by a wild beast. She turned whiter than a sheet.
"What's wrong with you?" Lee asked. concerned.
"R-Rae, he's going to Gosha's." Jzet managed to get out. "He's going to kill her."
It took a few seconds for Lee to process what Jzet just said.
"Well, what are we waiting for?" She took Jzet by the hand and dragged her out of Rae's room, not even bothering to close the door behind her.
Jzet and Lee made their way to the Lower City as fast as their legs could carry them. They ignored the stares the common folks, mostly drunks, who were up at the hour, gave them, as they sprinted down the road.
Jzet soon spotted Gosha's house and picked up the pace, pulling ahead of the less physically fit, Lee.
To Jzet's horror, the front window laid in shambles, broken glass was spread across the floor. She climbed through the broken window and ran upstairs with Lee now close behind her.
Jzet burst through the door and came face to face with Rae.
Just upon seeing his face she let out a scream of rage. Her hand slapped him across the face causing Rae to stagger backwards.
Jzet looked at the bed and saw it was too late. Gosha lay in it, dead.
She was too late.
"How could you betray me?" She screamed. "I thought you loved me."
Rae did not look up. "I never loved you." He told her frankly. My heart belongs to another."
"Who?" Jzet cried, her heart began to pound wildly in her chest.
"Aria," He admitted and then took a deep breath. "We married two years ago and moved to Carthak because the Shang Council would never accept our matrimony." He began to caress the spot where Jzet slapped him. "I was desperate and in need of steady work." He grinned almost maliciously. "And that is when I met Nammir." Jzet frowned at the name of Jacqueline's Uncle. "He offered me work and I took it because Aria became pregnant with my son, Kenji. I needed to put a roof over my wife's head and this was the only way I could do it." He wiped his eyes bitterly, as tears poured out of it. "I haven't even laid eyes upon my own son."
"And you never will bastard." Lee snapped. "You're sick in the head to work for a monster like him." Suddenly, she chucked a dagger at him. It skimmed his head, missing him by inches. The second dagger was soon thrown after the first. Rae ducked and it became buried in the wooden wall. Lee cursed at her misses.
When Rae was certain she had no more daggers to throw he growled, "I never liked you, stupid commoner bitch."
"I could say the same thing about you, asshole." She snapped defiantly. "I should have aimed lower for your balls, but then I remembered you didn't have any. So, I thought your big ego inflated head would be a better target."
Jzet could have hugged her friend right then and there.
Rae sneered, but ignored her and continued on, "I must finish my master's work and eliminate you both." He raised his sword. "Prepare to die Jzet." He snarled.
Jzet drew her sword and fury consumed her body. He was going to pay.
The two Shang circled each other. Hatred was evident in both of their eyes. Jzet knew Rae wasn't going to get away with the pain he caused her or killing Gosha. The Shang Tiger had to be brought to justice and she was the one who was going to do it.
Jzet made the first move charging at Rae with her sword. Rae side stepped her and tried to plunge his sword into her back. She brought her own sword up in time to intercept his blow. They parried for a bit longer, exchanging blows freely.
Jzet struck low for his legs. Rae jumped and did a back flip in the air with ease. Jzet cursed. Rae might not be such a great swordsman, but he was still a skilled Shang. She knew he could not underestimate him.
Rae was balanced again and he soon came charging back into action. Before she could react, his sword ripped through the flesh from her right shoulder down to her hip.
Jzet felt the blood drip down her leg slowly, making her squirm. Pain seemed to consume her body and a haze clouded her vision.
"And I thought you were going to be a challenge." Rae sneered. His face became ugly in hatred.
"You can do it Jzet!" Lee shouted. Her encouragement seemed to give Jzet strength. Pushing her pain aside, she charged towards him.
Jzet thrust her sword down upon his head. His own sword met her's with a deafening clang. While in the sword lock, she proceeded in kicking him in the stomach. He lost grip of his sword and it bounced slowly onto the floor. Jzet, without hesitation, kicked the weapon out of his reach and advanced on him. Rae grabbed the only thing that could possibly defend him, Gosha's walking stick. Jzet used the force from her sword to pin the Shang to the ground.
"So," He rasped. "This is what you've come to Jzet, using weapons to win a fight. What kind of Shang are you?"
"I am not a Shang anymore Rae." She told him grimly. Her cold green eyes met his yellow one's in pure hatred. "I am a knight." And with those words the sword splintered through the wooden walking stick and cut right through his chest. His blood spurted everywhere, covering Jzet's clothing.
Jzet rolled off his body, disgusted by the amount of blood.
Lee stood there, wide eyed. "I'm sorry Jzet."
It was too much for the nineteen year old. She burst out into tears. Her body began to rack with sobs.
"I thought you promised you never would cry over a man." Lee said quietly after a few minutes of crying.
Jzet choked back another sob. "I'm not crying over Rae." She whispered.
"What did you say?" Lee asked.
"I'm not crying over Rae!" She shouted, getting up and pounding her fists against the wall in anger. "I'm crying for Gosha. I'm crying out of my own stupidity." She punched the wall harder. "Stupid, stupid, stupid," She repeated many times. Her fist was about to hit the wall again, when a hand caught her arm.
"Please stop." Lee requested, fear gleamed in her eyes. "You're scaring me Jzet."
Jzet sighed deeply and hugged her friend.
"I'm so sorry you had to see me this way, Lee." She apologized, wiping her red eyes. "I'm just such a mess."
Lee squeezed her shoulder, comfortingly. "It's okay, but I think we should go see the Provost's Guard." She sighed. "They need to take care of them."
"But, I murdered him." Jzet cried. "They'll put me on trial for murder."
"No they won't." Lee promised. "You were defending your country from Carthaki dirt."
Jzet looked at Rae and nodded. "Carthaki dirt," She whispered under her breath.
"But before we go, we should patch that nasty cut of yours up." Lee told her. "Chuck told me all about the nasty infections you can get, when you don't clean the wound."
Jzet smirked at the mentioning of her half brother. She had almost forgotten her maid took lessons on her Gift from him.
Lee set to work, making a make shift bandage from a strip of cloth she tore off from one of Gosha's old shirts.
Jzet had to admit it wasn't one of the best bandages she ever, but it would do for now.
Then they slowly exited Gosha's house and headed towards the nearest Provost's Dog's Kennel.
The bitter wind whipped at their faces, but Jzet did not care. She was in a trance. She could not believe what just occurred at Gosha's house nor would she ever accept it. He had been lying to her this whole time and she was too caught up in being in love to recognize his deceit.
"Can I help you my ladies?" A young man in a Provost Guard's uniform stood before them.
"Yes," Lee said. "A terrible event happened at my friend's home down the road." Lee explained. "A Shang named Rae murdered an older woman." Lee pointed to Jzet. "Page Jzeliette of Queenscove killed the Shang."
The young man whistled. "Marty, Sam, come here."
A man and a woman, who appeared to be in their thirties, appeared in the doorway of the station.
"Yeah, Jerome?" Sam replied.
"There's been a murder and two bodies left in the home. One is the victim and the other body is the one of the killer."
"Who killed the murderer?" Marty asked.
"Page Jzeliette of Queenscove," He pointed to Jzet, who ignored the dog's stares.
"What street is the house on?" Marty asked.
"Jane Street," Lee told him.
"You know the house number, lass?" Marty asked.
"Nah, but the front window is shattered." Lee told him. "If that helps,"
"Thanks," Sam said. "We'll get down there Jerome."
"If ya need back up just return here and I'll call in Red and Quentin." Jerome advised them. He watched Sam and Marty head down the road before turning back to Jzet and Lee. "You two come with me. I got some questions for you."
He led the two girls inside and placed them inside a small room. There was a table and three chairs set up. Two chairs were on one side for Jzet and Lee, the other chair for Jerome.
The three sat down and Jerome pulled out a pad of paper.
"I only have a few questions for you and then you're free to go." Jerome told them. The two girls nodded. "First, tell me about the older woman's murder."
Lee answered. "She was dead on our arrival. We found her dead in her own bed. She had stab wounds to the chest."
Jerome seemed satisfied with the answer.
"Second, what were you two doing at this woman's house at three in the morning?" He asked. "And what relations do you have to her?"
Jzet decided to answer this time. "I was her student and Lee is a friend." She said. "I had a dream, sir, that Rae, the Shang, would murder Gosha in her sleep. So, I wanted to prevent the murder from happening. Lee just came along."
"Do you have dreams that come true often?" Jerome asked, peering at her curiously.
"Yes sir," Jzet replied, "I am a dream seerer."
"I see." The guard looked perplexed. "What relations do you have with the murderer?"
"He was my fiancé." She said bitterly.
The guard looked confused and Jzet couldn't blame him. She knew her story sounded ridiculous. "Why would he murder your friend?"
Jzet sighed, knowing she dug herself in a hole she probably couldn't get out of. She hated to give away so much information to a stranger, but she had no choice.
"He was an agent for Carthak." Jzet answered. "He told me before I killed him. He was only pretending to be in love with me, so he could keep a roof over his family."
"Do you know what his mission was?" Jerome inquired.
"To kill me," Was Jzet's bitter reply.
"Why kill you? Why not kill the king or an important noble?" Jerome pressed.
"Must I really tell you?" Jzet asked.
"Yes, I have to give as much information to my Lord Provost as possible." Jerome said.
Jzet took a deep breath and Lee smiled half heartedly at her. It gave her the strength she needed. "Well, you might think I am crazy, but the god of dreams, Ganiel, made a prophesy that I am destined to defeat the king of Carthak, an immortal called Zulch. Zulch wants me dead, before I have a chance to slay him."
Jerome looked skeptical, but Jzet knew he had the Sight. She could sense his magic. He was using it to see if she was telling the truth or not. He finally nodded.
"You're telling the truth." He admitted. Surprise was evident on his face.
"I know." Was her simple response.
He sighed deeply.
"You're both free to go." He told them. They both got up and made there way to the door. "And Page Jzeliette…"
Jzet turned around. "Yes?"
"Goddess bless you." He said sincerely.
"Thanks," She replied, forcing a blush under her Yamani mask.
Okay... now that that is over let me clear some stuff up...
1) I am going to appologize to all Jzet and Rae fans... I don't want to say it, but I hated that pairing beyond imagination... and I had a plan to eliminate Rae all along... And if you guys remember chapter 12... it explains how rae is with aria... most people did pick that up... So yes people Rae was the Agent! And I know you J/R fans might hate me now... but at least I gave you guys some romance between the two before I killed Rae... lol... I sound so terrible right now...
2) Jzet will not be with Jonathan... Sorry for you hopeful Jonathan and Jzet fans... that pairing isn't going to work for me either... my original plan was to actually have that J/J pairing till the end of the story... but Jonathan has his duty to his people and country... and I don't really like the whole marrying a prince thing anyway... it's too much like alanna...
3) I actually do have the final pairing for this story... but I am not telling you who it is... because I am evil... like I just demonstrated in the past chapter... and yes this person has been already introduced in the story...
And once again I am congratulating my editor who has became an aunt this past saturday to a baby girl...named Juliana... Congrats Juliette!
Have a nice Martin Luther King's Day,
Caiti and Juliette
P.S. here are some Chuck Norris jokes to cheer you up after reading such a miserable chapter:
Chuck Norris has two speeds. Walk and Kill
The Leading causes of death in the U.S. are: 1. Heart Disease, 2. Chuck Norris, 3. Cancer
Chuck Norris drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls.
Chuck Norris doesn't go hunting… Chuck Norris goes killing.
Chuck Norris ordered a Big Mac at Burger King, and got one.
Aliens DO indeed exist. They just know better than to visit a planet that Chuck Norris is on.
When Chuck Norris runs with scissors, other people get hurt.
There are no such things as tornados. Chuck Norris just hates trailer parks.
Chuck Norris make onions cry
Chuck Norris doesn't breathe, he holds air hostage.
Chuck Norris has a pet kitten - every night for a snack.
Chuck Norris once bet NASA he could survive re-entry without a spacesuit. On July 19th, 1999, a naked Chuck Norris re-entered the earth's atmosphere, streaking over 14 states and reaching a temperature of 3000 degrees. An embarrassed NASA publically claimed it was a meteor, and still owes him a beer.
Chuck Norris crossed the road. No one has ever dared question his motives.
If you spell Chuck Norris in Scrabble, you win. Forever.
Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open.
Chuck Norris has a deep and abiding respect for human life... unless it gets in his way.
Tada... Have a great day
And review