Title: Bittersweet Memories
Author: Gwyphyn
Mail: dathlonejade@hotmail.com
Fandom: SailorMoon
Pairing: Jadeite/Nephlite, Nephlite/Molly implied
Spoilers: A little for 'Molly's Folly"
Warnings: Angst
Rating: PG
Status: Finished
Archivig: If ou want, have. Just let me know so i can visit.
Feedback: Plz, plz, plz, plz... what you want me to beg?
Summary: Nephlite returns one last time to the Negaverse to say
goodbye.
"Bittersweet Memories."
by Gwyphyn.
Silently Nephlite walked into Beryl's deserted throne room, his eyes
automatically going to the huge crystal which stood, half hidden by shadows,
between the stone pillars which lined the far wall.
He had returned to the Dark Kingdom in search of Zoicite, to demand
that the third of Beryl's Kings release the human girl Naru. But the small man
had conveniently disappeared, along with his lover Kunzite, the strongest of the
four Kings, and to his surprise Nephlite had found himself in Beryl's throne
room. An odd, melancholy mood possessing him.
Crossing the huge cold stone room, Nephlite snarled in distaste as
his eyes briefly fell to the stained ground before his 'Queens' throne. How many
youma had met its distruction in gruesome, vicious pain to satisfy their Queens
bloodlust? He sighed. Up until several weeks ago the fate of the lowly youma had
never concerned him. They were Beryl's creations, let her do with them as she
wished. But that was before he had meet Naru.
Naru with her short red brown curls, and large brown eyes. Eyes
which shone with a youthful innocence and love of life, completely without guile,
a thing never heard of in the cold cruelty of the Dark Kingdom, in his world,
had awoken in him something that he thought long dead. Feelings of compassion
and sympathy hampered him, making him unable to complete his missions with the
usual ruthlessness for which he was known.
He had always known that he was different from his fellow Kings.
Often his dreams had been plagued with images of another life, a life where he
was free of Beryl and Metallica's harsh, cruel world. Where he and Zoicite were
friends and companions rather then the vengeful enemies they now were. A life
where he had been in love with a beautiful noble Lady of a now dead court. A
woman who's long red brown hair and brown eyes reminded him so much of Naru's
that they could have been sisters. He had always supposed that it was his link
to the divine power of the stars which had been the source of these memory like
dreams, but now he began to suspect that he had once actually lived the life his
dreams portrayed. It would certainly explain why he felt so strongly ~ dare he
use the word love? ~ for a girl half his age, and whom he had only just met.
Reaching the huge crystal he gazed sadly up at the frozen blond
haired form of the first of Beryl's Kings, all thought of the girl vanishing at
the sight. Albeit probably only briefly.
Jadeite stood forever entombed in the cold crystal of eternal sleep, as
punishment for the gross crime of failing to destroy the enemies of Queen Beryl,
Sailor Moon and her two Sailor brat friends. Nephlite forced himself to study
the image he had studiously avoided looking at, until now.
Dressed in the compulsory uniform Beryl had chosen for her Kings.
The grey, blue ribbed uniform stood out starkly against the white pallor of
Jadeite's skin, the white gloved fingers splayed as though he was struggling to
raise his hands to push something away. His blond head was thrown back slightly,
turquoise eyes wide and startled, pale lips parted in an unending silent cry.
Jadeite's whole body gave the impression of unimaginable terror, and Nephlite
felt his heart leap painfully in his chest at the sight of it. Almost tenderly
he pressed a white gloved hand to the smooth cold crystal. Nephlite had come to
say goodbye to the one person in the Dark Kingdom he had ever been able to call
friend. For by the next morning either he would be dead, or he would be free of
Beryl's power and unable to return.
He chuckled grimly as a memory of the handsome face, now frozen in a
mask of terror, flushed with an equally powerful and completely different
emotion, played briefly before his eyes. His bleak amusement faded though, as he
wondered briefly at what his small enemy would say if he knew that, when the
cold cruelty and loneliness of their life grew too much for them, Jadeite and he
would occasionally find warmth and solace in each other.
Nephlite smiled again suddenly, the flash of happiness at odds with
his previous anger. He had never 'loved' Jadeite as the word implied, but he had,
and still did, feel a fond friendship for him. Though perhaps things would have
been different had they been given more time. He laughed at the thought. Beryl
barely tolerated the union of two of her four Kings, there was no way she would
have allowed a similar union between her remaining two.
Nephlite groaned softly. He had missed Jadeite's company over the
last few months.
Jadeite had been a calm, intelligent companion who had always
somehow managed to dissuade him from his often homicidal intentions towards
Zoicite. Intentions which would have surely also involved the small Kings very
protective, and very powerful lover, Kunzite. Who'd have no doubt extracted a
painful and terminal revenge, even if Beryl had not punished him herself for
acting without her permission.
Nephlite's smile faded as his thoughts turned to the last hours
before Jadeite had left on his disastrous mission to destroy the Sailor brats.
The memory playing before his minds eye like a scene from a human horror movie.
He had watched silently, leaning against the doorway to prevent any
of Jadeite's many 'loyal' youma's from entering his personal quarters, as the
weakest of Beryl's four King's in magical ability, issued his challenge for
single combat to the three Sailor scouts, by projecting his image in the night
sky over Tokyo. Naming the time and place and finishing with a unveiled threat
of what would happen if they didn't turn up, Jadeite dispersed the spell with a
wave of his hand and lowered himself wearily into a chair.
Knuckling his eyes the blond man groaned softly.
"Is this choice of action wise?" Nephlite asked quietly. Moving
further into the room he lent back against the desk which matched the chair
Jadeite was sitting in, before continuing. "You are not the strongest among us
and are almost exhausted. To challenge all three of them at once..." He stopped.
Jadeite looked up at him, a humourless smile twisting his lips. "Not the wisest
course of action perhaps, but the necessary one. Our Queen has left me little
choice."
"Hm." Nephlite said thoughtfully one hand crossed over his chest, the other
fingering his chin.
"Do you want me to help you?" He offered hesitantly, not looking at the other
man but gazing up at the roof instead. "Between the two of us we should be able
to destroy the Sailor brats easily enough."
For a time Jadeite didn't answer, and Nephlite was just about to force himself
to look at him when his shoulder was gripped by a warm hand.
"Thank you for the offer, my friend. But only if I destroy them myself will I be
returned to Beryl's favour. Besides if we were to fail you would no doubt share
in my punishment."
Helpless sapphire eyes met resigned turquoise. Seeing the weariness in Jadeite's
eyes Nephlite realised that there was something he could do for him and gripping
the Kings shoulders tightly, he opened a link between their two auras.
Realising what he meant to do, Jadeite gasped and tried to squirm away from him,
but Nephlite prevented the smaller man easily. Concentrating on the link in
their auras he began to channel his own energy into Jadeite, depleting his
reserves as the other's were strengthened.
Finally managing to pull his shoulders out of Nephlite's weakened grasp, Jadeite
stepped away from him as the more powerful King sagged against the desk.
Nephlite smiled slightly as he studied the change his energy made in Jadeite.
The slumped shoulders were straightened and the weariness left Jadeite's eyes as
Nephlite's energy flowed through him, increasing his powers past what they could
ever have been otherwise. Watching in satisfaction through lowered lashes
Nephlite saw the turquoise eyes darken in gratitude and concern as Jadeite
stared at him, before stepping closer to Nephlite and lightly smoothing his
thick wine red bangs off his face, with one long fingered hand, frowning
puzzledly.
"Why?" Jadeite asked softly.
Not meeting Jadeite's eyes Nephlite shrugged. "Don't really know." He was
equally surprised over what he had done, though he wasn't sorry he'd done
it. "Seemed like the right thing to do, and besides, it'll give you a better
chance."
Jadeite studied him awhile longer before stepping closer and leaning forward to
press his lips to Nephlite's. The kiss was tentative and light at first as he
waited for Nephlite's response, but it quickly became more passionate, deepening
as Nephlite returned it eagerly, splitting Jadeite's lips with his tongue.
Jadeite sighed deep in his throat as Nephlite's arms encircled his waist,
pulling him closer so that Jadeite's muscular length was crushed against his.
Worming a hand between them, Jadeite's fingers moved to the buttons of
Nephlite's jacket. Sensing Jadeite's relief when he didn't try to stop him,
Nephlite smiled and pushed him away before grasping Jadeite's hand and guiding
him into the bedroom.
Hours later he had been forced to swallow his involuntary protest as he listened
to Jadeite cry out in pain and fear as Beryl carried out the forewarned
punishment.
Straightening he forced his anger away and smiled coldly as his
Queens cruel red eyes, sparkling with malicious enjoyment at Jadeite's
misfortune, turned to him. "Nephlite, you are now my warrior on earth. Do not
fail me the way Jadeite did." She warned.
Pushing away the memory of soft lips kissing his brow while he was
still half asleep and a whispered goodbye. Nephlite made himself laugh cruelly.
"Jadeite was a fool, my Queen..."
With a groan Nephlite yanked his thoughts back to the present and discovered
that he was kneeling in front of the crystal, his hand pressed to the smooth
surface hard enough to stop circulation.
Struggling to his feet, his disorientated mind almost sent him stumbling as
Naru's voice lanced into it once again.
**Nephlite, help me please.**
"Naru..." He whispered.
Looking once more at Jadeite, Nephlite pulled his hand away from the crystal.
"Goodbye my friend." He said stepping away. Opening a portal to Earth he
smoothly teleported away in a swirl of blue fire, never noticing the tall, broad
shouldered figure moving away from one of the pillars to the left of the huge
crystal.
The figure pulled his long cloak tighter around himself as he tossed his long
silver hair over his shoulders. Platinum eyes in a tanned handsome face turned
to gaze dispassionately up at the figure locked inside the crystal, as though he
was trying to sortthrough what he had just witnessed. Then the figure
disappeared as well, surrounded in a black and pink swirl of power. Leaving the
crystallised prisoner alone in the black throne room.
Fini
What did you think?
Gwyphyn
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