A/N: I'm sooo sorry it took so long to update this! I got a little bit of writers block, but i finally figured out how to continue. If you like this, please leave feedback!

Without further ado, we begin Nephrite's story!

Part Two: Nephrite

Intelligence and Comfort

Eight years ago

The night was still and quiet. Not a sound could be heard except for crickets chirping in the distance. Inside a small house, a husband and wife were tucked safely in their bed. He was sleeping peacefully, but that was not the case for her. She sat up in the bed and sighed, wiping a tear off her cheek. The couple was expecting their first child, a son, and his due date was drawing closer. As she stared down at her belly and thought about what was to come, a voice cut through the silence, causing her to jump.

"Don't worry", the voice said. "Everything is going to be alright." The woman brushed a strand of auburn hair from her face and looked around the room, confused.

"W-Who's there?" she whispered. Trying not to wake her husband.

"I cannot reveal myself to you yet, Sophia." The woman's eyes widened, and her breath caught in her throat.

"How do you know my name?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"You don't have to be afraid" the voice said, its calmness putting Sophia at ease. "You already know who I am." Sophia thought for a moment and furrowed her brow in confusion.

"I don't understand…" she murmured.

"I will make myself known to you after your son is born. Try to get some rest, and i promise we will meet again soon." The mysterious voice faded away, leaving Sophia in the dark bedroom, her husband still sleeping beside her. She laid down and closed her eyes, trying to get some sleep before the sun rose.

After what seemed like mere minutes. Sophia was jostled awake by her husband.

"Sophia, wake up." His voice sounded urgent. She slowly opened her eyes and sat up, groaning.

"What is it, Noah?" she asked, muffling a yawn and brushing the matted, sweat laden hair from her face.

"We have a visitor" he replied, offering no further explanation before exiting the room. Sophia sighed and got out of the bed, changing into a flowy green dress and trying to fix her hair before stepping out of the bedroom. When she walked out into the next room, she was greeted by a man she had not seen before.

"Hello Sophia" the man said. His voice was familiar…Sophia stood in silence, looking at the man and cocking her head to the side.

"Sophia, say something" Noah urged, tapping her lightly on the arm.

"It's…it's you" she murmured. The man nodded and stepped forward, bowing his head slightly.

"You know him?" Noah asked, confused. Before Sophia could respond, the man interceded.

"I spoke to her last night. I could sense she was worried, so I assured her everything would be alright" the man said softly. Noah looked at him, then looked back at Sophia.

"What were you worried about?" he asked. Sophia said nothing, simply placing her hand on her belly. Noah knew exactly what she meant, and rose to his feet to stand beside her. She leaned into him and rested her head on his shoulder, finally finding the courage to speak.

"I don't know if I can be a mother" she admitted, the words escaping her lips in barely a whisper. Noah turned to face her, placing a hand under her chin and lifting her head gently.

"I'm just as scared as you" he said. "But, I promise, we'll get through this." Sophia nodded, and a wave of relief washed over her.

"You're right" she said, smiling. "I don't know how this is going to turn out, but I know that with you by my side, there isn't anything we can't do."

"That's right" Noah said, leaning down and kissing Sophia's forehead. They held one another for several moments, completely lost in their own world, when they suddenly realized their mysterious company was still there. They turned to him, and Noah spoke.

"You still haven't told us who you are, or why you're here," The man chuckled and stepped forward, bowing his head once mpre as he had done before.

"I'm sorry, how rude of me. My name is Helios."

"Helios?" Sophia repeated. Helios nodded in response.

"Yes. I am the guardian of the kingdom of Elysion."

"The guardian of…so, the stories are true, then?" Noah murmured, recalling hearing several myths about Helios as a child.

"Yes, I suppose they are" Helios said, grinning. The golden horn on his head sparkled in the sunlight.

"Why are you…" before Sophia could finish her question, Helios turned to her. He held out his hand, and resting on his palm was a glittering green gem. Noah examined the stone for a moment, then spoke.

"That's a Nephrite stone, isn't it?" he asked. Helios nodded. "If I remember correctly, they're similar to the jadeite stone, but lesser known…"

"Yes, that's correct" Helios said with a nod. "However, they still serve the same purpose. They're just as valuable, if not more so." Sophia and Noah both looked at Helios, slightly confused.

"Is there a reason you're giving this to us?" Noah asked, trying not to sound rude. Helios nodded and began to explain.

"Nephrite stones symbolize intelligence and comfort. Your son will grow up possessing these traits, among many others, but these two will shine the brightest." Sophia felt a small kick from her unborn son that caused her to jump slightly.

"It seems like somebody agrees with that" Sophia chuckled. Up until that moment, she and Noah hadn't settled on a name, but now she knew what it would be. She looked down at her belly and smiled, speaking softly. "Isn't that right, Nephrite?" Noah smiled and nodded upon hearing the name.

"It's perfect" he murmured, kissing Sophia's forehead. Helios nodded in agreement, then placed the stone in Sophia's hand, closing her fingers around it. She placed that hand on her heart and closed her eyes, sighing happily. She knew in that moment that no matter what happened, the three of them would be okay.

-Present Day-

"Sophia? Are you alright?" Sophia jumped at the sound of Noah's voice, turning and brushing her bangs out of her eyes. She nodded and sighed, refusing to look him in the eyes. Noah wrinkled his nose in distaste, sitting down next to Sophia. He echoed her sigh and watched the flickering flames in the fireplace. Finally, Sophia spoke.

"I feel like something is going to happen" she said sadly. The army of the Dark Kingdom had already begun to take over, and though Elysion had not erupted into complete chaos yet, it was rapidly getting there. Noah placed a hand on her knee and looked into her eyes, trying to find something to say that would comfort her. When the words would not come to him, he sighed in aggravation. A sudden noise behind him caused him to turn around, and he saw Nephrite standing in the entryway.

"What are you doing out of bed?" Noah asked. Nephrite walked into the room and sat between his parents, gazing at the floor.

"Is something wrong?" Sophia asked. Nephrite looked at her, then at Noah, then back at the floor.

"I don't know" he said with a shrug. He sighed and buried his face in his knees.

"How do you not know?" Noah wondered, tilting his head to the side in confusion. Nephrite finally lifted his head and looked at him, his eyes filled with an intensity that neither Sophia nor Noah had seen before.

"I feel like something bad is going to happen" Nephrite said quietly, turning his head to gaze out the window into the darkness. Thunder boomed softly in the distance, and the sky lit up with a flash of lightning. Sophia hugged him and sighed, wondering if there was anything she could do or say to alleviate his fear. Thunder rang out across the sky again, this time louder than before, and another lightning bolt struck, it's impact echoing into the silent night.

"Did I ever tell you the story of the Goddess of Thunder?" Sophia asked, changing the subject in an attempt to ease her worried son's mind. He looked up at her and shook his head.

"No…who is she?" he asked, his face laced with curiosity.

"Well, legend says that she lives in a palace on Jupiter's moon Io. She watches over us, and if anything at all threatens us in any way, she will fight to protect us." Nephrite's eyes lit up as he listened to Sophia's story, and a smile came onto his face.

"The thunder and lightning…is she doing that?" Nephrite asked excitedly. Sophia giggled and nodded, pulling him close.

"Yes, she is. You don't have to worry" Sophia assured him. "Do you think you can go to sleep now?" Nephrite nodded and stood up.

"Will you come tuck me in?" he asked before turning to walk out of the room. Sophia followed him and waited for him to climb into his bed. Once he was settled, she walked over and leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"Good night" she said, smiling at him. He smiled back, and a small yawn escaped him.

"Good night" he murmured. Sophia turned to walk out of the room, and after she left, Nephrite sat up and looked out the window at the stars.

"Thanks for keeping us safe, Jupiter" he murmured before settling back into his pillow and drifting off to sleep.