The Renewed Queen Part Two
Started By: Beryl 2/11/00
Players: Beryl, Guardian, Zoisite, Knight Nuclear, Kunzite, Nephrite
~Well, who else would send a youma out to kill me? I'm stuck here with that teacher Kitsune and one of the students! I can't do *anything* If I die, I hope Beryl-hime curses you with a worse student than me.~ was Zoisite snapped off reply as he ducked down. Peeking over the edge of the desk, he frowned faintly. He knew his shard of ice hadn't done it that quickly, which left Kitsune. Pulled out of that thought by Beryl-hime's voice screeching through his mind like an angry cat, a scowl painted over his lips. Stupid wench couldn't ever interrupt him when he wasn't doing something. Let it be something vaguely important and... Rising to his feet, Zoisite showed his usual lack of tact as he backed away from the two he thought were just ordinary mortals. "Stay here... I'll get some help and find out what that... thing was." Slipping out the door, he glanced about to make sure no one was looking. A whirlwind of pinkish white blossoms consumed his form, a few settling to the floor as he vanished. Reappearing before Beryl-hime, he levitated in midair, one leg folded across the other as the last of the cherry scented petals fell to the floor.
Kitsune jerked then cursed under his breath as his queen's summons filled his mind. Wipping the blade clean, he closed it and pocketed it while walking over to the dust pile and nudging it with his foot. "Anybody knows what that thing was?" he asked, looking at his two students. He grimaced at the mess his classroom was in and ran a hand through his hair. "Aw shit. Michiru, you want to get the janitor to clean up this mess? I'll talk to the principal about what happened, not he's about to believe me. Looks like you guys lucked out on detention today." Noticing Zachery back away then leaving muttering excuses about the youma, Kitsune had to bite back an annoyed comment and headed out the door. "Looks like Zach jumped ship. Seesh, you think a guy his age would have more of a backbone..." He kept up the mutterings until he was alone before teleporting to Beryl's presence. Immaculately groomed, without a hint of a wrinkle daring to mar his uniform, Kunzite folded his arms and stared at Beryl without a hint of emotion marring his features.
Michiru nodded and left the room. "That was odd, but the youma was destroyed far too easily. Like it was a wake up call for the senshi and didn't even get to us. Odd." she muttered as she wandered the halls.
Nephrite parked his car and teleported to Beryl's throne room. He crossed his arms and scrawled at Zoisite. "Just who do you think you are, blaming me for every little mistake you do!" he demanded towards Zoisite. "I'm not your baby-sitter and I don't send youma's after my own allies."
Zoisite arched golden crimson brow towards Nephrite as he went off on his little tirade. For a brief moment, he was stuck by the sudden wish that he and the other male didn't argue so much. Even when angry, Nephrite was handsome. Had to make one wonder what he'd be like in bed. Shaking that thought off, he sighed. Lowering himself slowly to his feet, Zoisite shifted his gaze up to the star king. "Mistake? I don't recall making a mistake, Neffy-baka! The only person I know of that would send a youma after me is you. Probably one of your silly tests. With that stupid teacher and aqua haired ditz there, I couldn't even defend myself without revealing who I was! Now how it have looked if I would have had to change, kill the youma, and then kill Kitsune and Michiru instead of having it spread around that Sanjouin Zachery was some sort of magickal freak? Would you like to stand before the school board and explain just how you ended up with a little brother that can somehow teleport, make ice crystals, and sakura blossoms?" A frown crossed his lips as he stopped, Nephrite's words finally sinking in. "If you didn't do it, then who did?"
Kunzite turned and frowned at the two men. "Don't even try to pin it on me. I've been too busy to even think of sending a youma to terrorize a detention class. And if I did, it wouldn't be one with only three victims in it."
Zoisite's gaze turned to Kunzite, shocked to near breathlessness again at how handsome the other man was. Shaken out of his admiring daze by the ice king's words, his nose wrinkled up in thought. A suspicious gaze was focused on Kunzite. "How did you know I was in detention? I just said in class, not detention..."
"Why else would you be in class after the final bell had rung on a typical school day young Zoisite," Beryl's voice cut down from her throne. "Now silence these senseless blame games, I was the one who sent the youma, and it merely proved to me that you're getting sloppy. You should have known it was there before it even came through that wall." She turned to Nephrite, knowing Kunzite would get the hidden meaning of her words, and would owe her for helping to maintain his cover, "And you are responsible for his training. If the next time I test him and he fails, you will be enjoying the afterlife."
Grumbleing under his breath, Nephrite bowed to Beryl. In a stinging tone he replied. "Yes, my Queen." He looked over at Zoisite and snarled. "We're going into double training now." he ordered. "Get into the sphere, and this time you have me to deal with." He then turned back to Beryl. "By your leave...My Queen." He truly resented the woman and all she stood for. Things would be so much easier if he could do it all his way, but she did have the power to blast him into oblivion and back so for now he would just have to keep up the act.
Real fear touched Zoisite's eyes. Nephrite was mad... really mad for once. This wasn't some practical joke gone wrong. Keeping his gaze off of Kunzite, Zoisite moved forward woodenly to Nephrite's side, nearly touching his back against the other man's chest as he turned to the woman. Fastening his gaze on Beryl-hime's vulpine features, a passive calmness took hold of his face. Uncaringness one might have guessed. He wasn't about to let that bitch have the pleasure of seeing him afraid. Lifting his hand in a loose fist to tap against his heart in a salute to their Queen, he waited for Nephrite, feeling the other man's breath against the back of his neck. With his back to the star king, Zoisite swallowed the lump in his throat. *Gods of Darkness, just let him leave me alive after this one.*
Kunzite stood where he was, watching the two other kings left, then turned his icy gaze to Queen Beryl. "It seems," he said, the words catching in his throat. "That I owe you. What do you want from me in return?"
Beryl sat calmly, "For now nothing. I will collect when I am ready."
Kunzite bowed stiffly and turned to go. "Then collect quickly," he said over his shoulder. "I don't know how much longer my human identity will remain secret from the others. They can be most intelligent when they want to."
Nephrite turned from Beryl and headed towards the sphere. It was going to be a long night. An enjoyable night, but a long one. He just hoped when dawn came he would be able to teach his morning classes without needing any vodka. "Ready?" he asked Zoisite as he readied his attacks.
Zoisite simply wanted to crawl under a rock and hide at present. Nephrite had nearly double the power, not to mention the stamina that he did. Come tomorrow, he'd probably look like someone that had an upclose and personal encounter with a truck. He considered seduction and discarded it. He and Nephrite lived in the same house and if the star king hadn't shown any interest by now... well, there was that time at the airport when he'd actually been kind, but Zoisite doubted that qualified. Raising his hands, fear tainting his gaze, a flurry of razor tipped cherry blossoms streaked toward Nephrite. "ZOI!"
Nephrite looked unimpressed with the attack. He simply threw up his hand and shielded himself from the attack with stars. "Haven't you got anything new YET?" he asked sending a dark blast at Zoisite. "Come on, reach inside yourself and find the TRUE meaning of power, not these stupid flower pedals you keep tossing around. What do you think you are..a Power Puff Girl?"
Zoisite yelped as he went head over tail against the wall. Stifling another cry of pain, he remained crouched for a moment. Powerwise, he wasn't a match for Nephrite. Kunzite perhaps, but not him. He did, however, have one alternative. Springing to his feet with a speed that was almost spooky in nature, he leapt towards Nephrite, in one place one second and feet away the next. With his ice katana in hand, the blade sang through the air as it headed for Nephrite's shoulder.
Nephrite grimaced in pain as he fell back. "HIT!" he called. He held his shoulder and looked up at the smaller General. "About time you learned to use your natural abilities for your personal benefit." he said. Green blood oozed out of his shoulder and down the front of his uniform.
Zoisite blinked, jaw dropping open in horrified surprise as he stopped before Nephrite. He had actually struck and wounded Nephrite... something that had been complete accident on one level. He'd meant to hurt him, yes, enough to save his own hide. This... to actually cut Nephrite... hadn't been in his thoughts at all. Taking a step back, his words came out in a rush, panic racing under them. "Neffy-okami, I didn't mean to! I thought you would move. I didn't expect you to just stand there!"
"Congratulations," Kunzite said, stepping into the room. His eyes flickered to Nephrite. "You should take care of that. I can take over if you wish."
Nephrite nodded. "Zoisite, you need not be surprised. I slowed down to show you your true abilities when angered. The Senshi are slower than I am so it should be no problem to defeat them, if you will just use what you have been given. Its just a scratch." he said and teleported away. In his room he took off his stained jacket and laid down. A dark glow formed around the wound and it slowly closed up over a matter of time.
Zoisite was more than relieved at Nephrite's words and then disappearance. He often gave Nephrite's name the title of 'okami'... the wolf... and Zoisite had little doubt that if the star king would destroy him if his own weakness started to become a weak link... much like an alpha wolf would destroy the weaker to preserve the strength of the pack. Glancing up at Kunzite, he half smiled, the other's words lingering in his mind. "I suppose I should lose my temper more often, Kunzite-sama?"
"Prehasp," Kunzite replied with the faintest of smiles. "Or maybe you should use your temper more often. You just need to practice more."