Sorry, Jade didn't want to be written.

Beginnings
By Neko-chan the Mewse
7/22/10

"I'm sorry, Peony," Jade adjusted his glasses as he shut the doors to Peony's chambers shut. As usual, there was no one in the hallway outside the emperor's room. That was good, Jade decided. He didn't want to traumatize some poor soul in his last moments. Jade let out a small breath of air and finally released the tight hold he had on his fonons. It felt…liberating.

Faintly, as if through water, he heard the door slam open behind him. "Jade!"

Jade knew that something was going on. Something had gone horribly wrong with the world. If it had been just Luke who had disappeared, he would not be so alarmed. But Tear, the ever responsible soldier, had gone missing as well. He had thought his troubles over. He had hoped to continue working and earn an early retirement where he could sit and laugh at his young friends as they scrambled to get things done. But no, they had to go stirring up trouble, didn't they?

He had contacted Noelle and convinced her to come get him. If he couldn't get to the bottom of this mess within the month, he'd eat his boot. So of course he managed to gather the answers within the week.

During that time he found that he began having difficulties gathering any but the third fonon, which he found strange. Naturally he had to look into it. It was this anomaly that led him to his discovery of the truth behind Luke and Tear's disappearance. And what a shocking revelation it was!

After all, he was showing every sign of being the next to vanish.

This…was not a good thing. He told Noelle to return him to Grand Chokmah and proceeded to try and hold himself together. It would not do to disappear before telling Peony what was going on. Well, he couldn't tell Peony everything. That wouldn't do at all because Peony would undoubtedly be unable to resist telling others what had happened and he couldn't let that happen. As frightened as they all were, they might panic and do something incredibly stupid. No, it was best that they were left in the dark.

Peony would be in his rooms at this time, Jade knew. He hadn't seen soldiers running around in a panic and it wasn't time for the day's council in the audience chamber yet. He let himself into the emperor's rooms without knocking, being the only one who could do so and not get punished.

"Jade, you're back," Peony grinned cheerfully at him. He was seated at his desk, writing reports for something or another. "I'm glad to see you didn't disappear on me."

"I wouldn't have disappeared with out telling you first, your Majesty," Jade smiled slightly, adjusting his glasses. "I'm a little more responsible than that."

"I didn't think you were responsible at all," Peony shot back.

Jade's smile took on a slightly sadistic tilt. "With all the young people I travel with, it's really no surprise I developed some sense of responsibility."

"So what did you find?" Peony asked in his emperor voice, all joking aside. Jade responded by switching over to his colonel façade.

"Luke and Tear's disappearances weren't an accident. They were connected. There'll be a string of disappearances. And before you ask, you can't really stop them." Jade cut in when Peony opened his mouth.

"Have you figured out who's slotted to disappear next?" Peony asked worriedly.

"Of course I have," Jade replied. "But what good would it do to tell you if they're just going to disappear anyway?"

"Have you ever heard of a thing called trying?" Peony sighed exasperatedly. "We can at least give it a shot."

"I suppose," Jade replied ambiguously. "Oh yes, before I forget, I'm promoting my Lieutenant Colonel. He's been doing so well lately." Jade dropped two forms on the table.

Peony was instantly on high alert. "What's wrong?" Jade actually liked his Lieutenant Colonel, so for Jade to promote him and therefore let him out of Jade's jurisdiction…

"Nothing's wrong, your Majesty," Jade smiled blithely. "He's more use to me as an equal now." Jade's eyes casually wandered to his gloved hands and he tucked them into his pocket in one swift, smooth movement.

Peony, looking for anything that might tell him what was wrong with his friend, immediately spotted the move. "What's wrong with your hands?"

"Your Majesty, you really do worry." Jade sighed and stepped forward.

Peony was frozen in shock and didn't react in time to hug Jade back before Jade was stepping back as if nothing had happened.

"I'll see you later, Peony," Jade smiled, actually smiled, and let himself out of the room. Peony's eyes wandered down to the forms. One was a form for promoting an officer and the other…

….the other was a letter of resignation.