This fanfic is based on BSSM, which was created by Takeuchi Naoko. She, along with several companies including Bandai and Toei, own rights to BSSM. However, the storyline, ideas, and some characters from this story have been created and are owned by me. Thank you! ^_^ July, 2000 (last edited November, 2000). ------------------- The Palace Gardens Part Two Ken Hand, writing as Blair Morgan ken@zoicite.com ------------------- When we arrived at Nephrite's throne room, and the guards pushed me in the door before them, I gasped in shock at the changes he had made. The floors, originally a serene white marble, were now a chaotic jet black onyx. White furniture had been replaced with black or navy furnishings, and the walls and ceiling were painted navy. A fireplace nearby burned, and I noted his removal of Mother's throne. At first I was tempted to walk up to him, sitting so highly there on his throne, and slap him. Or yell, or cry, or throw a tantrum. But that was what I would have done a month ago; not now. I no longer had any nerve; shadows aren’t capable of hitting or throwing tantrums. Gracefully he arose from the throne and slowly approached the guards and I. Kunzite had been right; Nephrite had grown to a towering six foot five, almost a full foot above me. His facial features had changed since I last saw him, his nose and lips seemed larger, and his eyes were different, darker. Calmly, so calmly that I wanted again to strike him, Nephrite told the guards to away. The door clicked shut, and then we were alone. "Zoicite," he addressed me, "where has the light in your eyes gone to? Why have your colourful cheeks turned so pale? Why does your face show no emotion?" "I would like to know the same thing," I responded bitterly, though my voice lacked the volume of his. I stepped slightly forward. "Why did you lock us up, Nephrite? For thirty nights, Kunzite and I have suffered in the cold, dark, filthy dungeons. Tell me why!" He smiled at me then, and I knew he was laughing at me, laughing at me in his own way. I couldn't believe it! Was I going to get a reply from him at all? He finally turned. "Many changes have undertaken our kingdom since you've been away, Zoicite," he told me. "We've become so strong, so powerful. As powerful as the Moon, even." Now it was my turn to laugh. "The Moon? Nephrite, you yourself have changed and have become foolish! The Moon possesses the ginzuishou, which nobody can challenge. I hope to the stars you don't plan to attack it!" He whirled and strode towards me, and didn't bother to stop when he reached me, only drove me back into the locked door, pinning me there. "You know Kunzite would have made an attempt to stop our society from becoming so powerful, so strong. All our subjects are warriors now, Zoicite, just like those senshi on the Moon." "Why do you compare our kingdom to the Moon, Nephrite?" I spat, trying unsuccessfully to escape his pin. "Why can you not be content with what you have?" "Because, Zoicite," he said, pressing harder against me, "you know as well as I do that the Moon will soon attack if they discover what type of civilization we've become. We shall attack them first -- and we shall win." "You're insane!" I cried, and made one last attempt to break free, but he instead grabbed me by the shoulders, thrust me to the ground, and pinned me there! “Isn’t insanity a family trait?” he whispered, in a hiss that sounded so much like Beryl's. "Should have done your genetics homework, Zoicite." And then he kissed me! With anger I bit his lip, and he cried out, but didn't loosen his hold on my arms. "What are you doing?" I cried. "Nephrite, I am your brother!" He laughed at me! "Don't pretend to be shocked, and hurt, and innocent! The whole kingdom knows about you and Kunzite." Then, whispering in my ear, he said this: "Zoicite, I can love you more than him, I can give you power, riches, dreams, anything you want! Join me, help Jedeite, Beryl, and I rule this promising kingdom!" "No!" I shouted. "Kunzite is nothing more to me than a dear brother, who is perhaps more dear to me than you, because of the monster you’ve become! You shall never defeat the Moon -- even if Kunzite and I contributed our powers, it could never enough!" He laughed again, an insane shrill of glee. "But your powers are nonexistant now, Zoicite," he said. "Remember the palace gardens that you have not seen for thirty nights, and perhaps will never see again? They were your energy source." He sneered, proud of himself and his place of power on top of me. "I needed to remove them, for yet another place to train soldiers. No, Zoicite, I want you more than Kunzite could ever want you, or need you, or love you!" "You lie, Nephrite! I am weak, but there is magic left in me still! And for the last time, I am not in love with Kunzite! Not the kind of love you mean, anyway." Amused by my outburst, he kissed me again, but pulled back before I could bite him. He laughed at me, pulling his shirt off, and my hands were free. Before I could use them, though, he had them pinned again. "Struggle, my dear Zoicite, if that's what turns you on," he said, "but I can't be responsible for anything I might be forced to do." With that, he pulled my shirt off, and lowered himself so he could run his tongue along my exposed chest. "You unimaginable beast..." I murmured, but to no purpose, for he laughed again, and I was trapped; a trapped shadow, as trapped as Kunzite, locked unjustly in a dungeon, with rats and mice for friends. Once he had finished roaming my chest with his tongue, he kissed me again, and I tried to bring my knee up into his groin. He laughed at that too, the insane shrill that so frightened me. He brought his tongue into my mouth so that it contacted my own, but by now I felt too helpless to move, let alone to bring my teeth down on to some part of his face again. The kiss lasted for several seconds, and I was crying by the time it ended. When he saw the tears, he looked genuinely hurt, and kissed them away, but I turned my face around as best I could. "Don't pretend, Nephrite," I said, "just admit it. You want me as a toy, someone to play with while you try to conquer the Moon." He smiled down at me. "If that's how you feel, Zoicite, I shall have to show you what I can truly do for you." Leaving one arm to hold mine down, he frantically struggled with his belt with the other. My nails, which had grown considerably within a month, dug themselves into his wrist. He hissed in pain, and although his arm remained holding mine, it loosened enough for me to manage to get my right arm free. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to notice as I grabbed the fireplace poker, which was only inches away. He finally had his pants down, but I wouldn't let him take me, not ever. With all my strength, remembering the gardens and Kunzite and Mother and Father, I brought the poker down upon him. I was aiming for his head, but at the last second he saw it. He moved so that it only struck his shoulder, but still it struck hard; blood trickled to the floor. "That wasn't a very smart move, my dear Zoicite," he said. Then, snatching the poker from my hand, he raised it above my head. Suddenly everything was black. ________________________________________________________________________________________________