The Revival of Evil Nephrite

By KM Valentine

Part One: Zoicyte’s Plan

Jadeite and Zoicyte stood before Kunzite and Queen Beryl with vaguely smug expressions on their faces.

“My queen,” Jadeite addressed her, bowing, “General Zoicyte and I have stumbled upon a few scientific discoveries in our travel that we thought might interest you. I realize that our usual protocol involves going through General Kunzaito-sama first, but we have a limited amount of time to utilize these new powers and we were trying to make the best use of what we had.”

“Get to the point, Jadeite,” she snapped impatiently.

“Yes, Queen Beryl-sama.” He bowed nervously, then looked to Zoicyte.

“There is a crystal, an artificial power crystal of some great strength that was located on the South American continent many years ago. The crystal resembles an amber colored variant of the Imperium Crystal itself, and contains enough pure energy to run the city of Tokyo for fifty years.” Zoicyte explained rather hastily, fudging his estimates short by quite a bit to accommodate his plans. “Through my dealings with one of the Earth’s prominent sorceresses, I have arranged a trade for this crystal. All that Wildfyre-purinsesu-sama asks in return is a conference with Queen Metallia.” He smiled up at her. “She is prepared to offer us a bonus as well, my queen.”

“What is this bonus, Zoicyte? And stop looking so goddess damned smug, you’re annoying me.”

Zoicyte flinched quite visibly, but managed to hold in his temper. “She will give us back General Nephrite, fully tainted by the Negaforce and cleansed of all desire to rebel.”

“Will she now?” Beryl narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “I can’t imagine why you would consider that a good thing, Zoicyte. We all recall it was your childish rage and insecurity that killed Nephrite in the first place.”

Zoicyte bowed again, to block the burning hatred in his eyes from her sight. “This may be true, Queen Beryl-sama, but General Jadeite and General Kunzaito-sama both have lectured me sternly on the importance of keeping my temper and of Nephrite’s value to the mission. I shall not make another rash mistake.”

“You are quite right, Zoicyte. Because from now on, Brigadier General Amethyst will be watching your every move, as though he were my own eyes. He is quite promising and very bright; I assure you, you can be replaced, if necessary.” Now it was her turn to be smug, and Zoicyte’s stomach boiled.

“You have my permission to go on with this project. Dismissed.”

“Yes, your majesty,” he managed, through clenched teeth.

After a sideways glance to Jadeite, they bowed. In a silent crackle of lightning and a flutter of cherry blossoms, the two scientists disappeared, leaving Kunzite to wonder…

“I hate her.”

“I know.”

“She’s so goddess damned condescending and stupid. I hate her with all my soul.”

“I know, Zoisaito-chan.” Jadeite sighed; standing and turning his chair around so he could hang moodily over the back of it.

The two of them were, as usual for their off-duty excursions, settled in at the best table in The Silent Tavern, with the proprietor himself, Benri-san, serving them drinks. Tonight’s jukebox selections included Malice Mizer, Nine Inch Nails, and Everclear, the generals’ standard tastes, turned to a volume that was low enough for conversation but high enough for lulls in it.

Zoicyte looked at the clock on the wall as Benri-san refilled his ginger ale. “Almost time…” he murmured. “You ready to face our destiny, Jadeito-kun?”

“Must you be so dramatic?” his friend asked irritably. “We’re going to pull another double-cross and perhaps, if we’re lucky, they’ll just kill us rather than ripping out and destroying our souls.”

“Could you try to show me a little more enthusiasm?” Zoicyte snapped back. “I told you, I can swing this. I just have to figure out how to cut the crystal in half without damaging it and get Nephrite there as we make the exchange. No big deal.”

“You’re leaving so much to chance…” Jadeite moaned.

“Life is all about taking chances, Jade-kun.” Zoicyte chirped merrily. “Besides, I’ve got it all set up.” He patted the older general’s hand comfortingly. “At least we don’t have to worry about Amethyst just yet. He’s arranged to be busy with the senior youma.”

Jadeite smiled a bit. “Yes, that is an advantage, isn’t it?” He considered it hilarious irony… Kunzite had neglected to point out to Beryl that her new pet spy had been Zoicyte’s best friend and staunchest supporter for ages. Also, his former subordinate was in on their conspiracy to overthrow the queen, and had absolutely no motivation to reveal the treason he helped formulate.

Zoicyte stood slowly, waving his arm to create a swirl of petals. When they settled, his clothing had changed, from his green-trimmed gray uniform to his cream-colored cashmere suit and pale pink shirt, a soft pink flower on his breast. “Mmm… Now I’m all set. You were going to change, Jade-kun? Or are you going to wear that get up to our rendezvous with Wildfyre-sama?” He wrinkled his fine nose disapprovingly at Jadeite’s uniform.

“Fine, fine…” Jadeite grumbled. He wandered into the bathroom, and returned dressed in a dark blue suit and red shirt, similar to Zoicyte’s, a red silk handkerchief in the breast pocket. “Better?”

Zoicyte nodded, eyes twinkling with suppressed comments. “Shall I take both of us, or are you going to accuse me of plastering you with petals again?”

“I’ll do it this time. You always do it, and I want to be sure you’re in top form to manipulate that crystal.” Jadeite’s tone was all business; he was very uncomfortable with the way Zoicyte kept reassuring him. It seemed overly optimistic to his practical mind. He gestured broadly, and they were transported back to the isolated grove where he had found Zoicyte and the mysterious princess a few days before…

Princess Bloodrose looked at her husband, annoyance clear in her expression.

“I mean it, Rose. Those guys have a creepy feel about them, and they smell… demon-tainted.” Slade Caizer was adamantly upset that she was wandering off to go meet these suspicious characters again, and he’d be damned more than once if he wasn’t going to argue with her.

“That’s kinda the point, lover,” she informed him casually. “Beryl’s Shitennou are tainted, by Arch Demon Metallia. Which is exactly why I’m dealing with them in the first place.”

“Aren’t we supposed to be against Arch Demons?” Slade asked her, plainly annoyed at being condescended to.

“Usually, yes. But Metallia is not on anyone’s side, its independent. It wants the three crystals of Creation, and then it wants to consume Creation itself. Metallia is… well, kind of an old school Chaotean, Slade.” Rose struggled to comb out her wet, curly waist-length hair and talk at the same time. “One of the first children of Daimon, the Consumers. It’ll eat any kind of energy you put in front of it and still be hungry. That’s why most of them have been trapped… This one has been stuck in a dimension pocket since before Vincent was born… Good GOD! How does my hair get so friekin’ knotted over night?!” She flung down her comb in disgust. “I swear, I’m gonna cut it short again…”

“It’ll just grow back next month,” he reminded her affectionately, picking up a brush and patiently attacking the knot himself. “So, anyway, continue.”

Rose sighed, leaning back and relaxing into his touch. “So Beryl and the Shitennou are trying to cut Metallia out of its prison, feeding it energy so it will be able to bust out. They don’t have any clue what they’re dealing with, they think its gonna spare them or help them get vengeance on the Sailor Senshi-”

“Oh, cripes!” Slade moaned, rolling his eyes. “Those girls are nothing but trouble! I’m still not over Rei smacking me in the head with an ofuda and chasing me with a rake. That kid needs therapy.”

“She does that to everybody at first.” Rose giggled. “Aunt Maura loves them to death, though, and they’re a huge help in maintaining Tokyo. I can’t think of any city on the planet that’s seen so much demonic action since that stupid civil war between the Tremere in Vienna.”

“And I don’t see how Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino can afford to feed Usagi and still make house payments. My horse eats less than that child does…” Slade shook his head dubiously. “Still, she’s got some amazing toys… I’d trade my best sword to figure out how those scepters work…”

“You and me and Uncle Orward and every other inquiring mind on the planet,” she agreed. “Anyhoo, I’m giving them a slightly modified planet power crystal to chuck at Metallia and one of their old members back, just cause I happen to want Nephrite Heathcliff in a safer spot, like a body. Queen Serenity has been dead for three thousand years, she hasn’t any right to go messin’ around in my business.” She blinked up at him with false rage in her flaming eyes and he chuckled. “The crystal will feed the stupid critter, sure, but it’ll also mess it up somethin’ fierce with a kind of undetectable magical indigestion and make it coincidentally susceptible to Senshi attacks. Just cause I’m all nice and stuff.”

“I love it when you get sneaky, tenshi…” Slade murmured, kissing her forehead. “Those lovable little kids will never even dream they’ve been helped out, and you will have quietly rid the universe of another looming threat.”

“Just doin’ my job, lover.” Rose sighed happily and handed him a dark red hair ribbon.

“So… What’s his name, anyway?” Slade ventured, breaking the silence as she stood to dress.

“Which one?”

“The pretty one you were sidled up against, obviously. And why is he letting you help him?”

“His name is Zoicyte Enoara, formerly Prince of South America and currently second-lowest ranked of the Shitennou. And he’s falling into my hands because of his conspiracy to overthrow Beryl and replace her inept leadership with that of his unbelievably brilliant lover.” Rose smiled, eyes flickering, as she took in the tall, ceremonial flame-armor clad figure in the mirror. “And this guy, Lord Kunzite, could not easily be bent to my needs. He was the last, most impressive Shogun of Imperial Earth.”

“Whoa… Rose, permit me to say, once again, that you never, ever cease to amaze me.”

“One does one’s best.”

“Are you certain of this?” the ghost looked the sorceress up and down as though she were an alien.

“Absolutely, Lord Nephrite,” the sorceress, who had introduced herself as Princess Wildfyre, fixed him with a smile. “General Zoicyte and General Jadeite are back to plotting to overthrow the queen and they desperately need you to meet with them and discuss the final plans, the ones involving the Time Senshi and Princess Odango-Atama.” She blushed. “I’m pretty sure those aren’t the right names, but that’s what General Zoisaito-san instructed me to tell you.”

“All right…” Starspirit Nephrite nodded solemnly. “I shall follow you to this meeting place, Wildfyre-purinsesu-sama.”

As soon as Nephrite entered the clearing, he knew something was not right. Zoicyte looked entirely too pleased to see him, and Jadeite could not meet his eyes. He turned to face the sorceress, who had cast aside her black cloak to reveal a set of flame-colored ceremonial armor, a long, curly, brown ponytail, and huge, white, angelic wings. Her attendant’s cloak was similarly discarded, revealing a very tall man with spiky black hair in blue flame armor. He also bore a pair of wings, though his were black and reminded Nephrite instantly of a bat.

Zoicyte stepped forward. “Did you bring the Amber Crystal?” he asked Wildfyre urgently.

Rose smiled and produced it from her hip bag. “Of course.” She looked him and his companion over. In their blue and white suits, they looked quite stunning. “So, what type of spells were you looking to do with it, before handing it over to Metallia?”

Zoicyte blinked a few times, then grinned. “I was going to create a dream shield for Jadeite and myself, as well as returning Nephy to his former state…”

Nephrite would have paled, if he still had any blood. He attempted to dematerialize, and found that he couldn’t. “Zoicyte…” he managed. “You can’t intend to…”

Zoicyte looked him over coolly. “Relax, Nephy. I’m not going to kill you twice. You got the point the first time. I’m just going to bring you back to life and back to our side. No big deal.”

The astromancer then attempted to simply run, escape from the clearing and into the woods. He could not even move from his spot. It was as though there was an astral net thrown over his immaterial body. So he argued.

“Zoicyte, please! You have to see that you would solve nothing with this!” There was a hard edge of panic to his voice. “This is madness. If you give me back to Metallia, Beryl wins! No one else can tell you what you’re trying so hard to remember! I’m the only one who knows… Jadeite, tell him!” The cobalt eyes begged his old friend for assistance, but Jadeite still would not look at him.

“You’ll have to do the reviving spell yourself, Zoisaito-san, but I can handle the rest for you. Deal?” Rose’s hand extended.

Zoicyte looked at Nephrite, who was still staring at Jadeite pleadingly. Then he turned his eyes to Jadeite, who gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. He took the Shaitan’s hand and shook it.

“Deal.”

The crystal, now in Zoicyte’s hand, glowed faintly as Rose used the taint on the two generals to call forth an apparition, contacting Metallia as she had been promised. The creature had taken the shape of its caller’s most damning desire, so of course an image of Vincent Nightmayre, in all his glorious raven-haired beauty and the blood-colored Shaitanni armor he refused to wear, stood before them.

Slade lofted an eyebrow, but he wasn’t one for demonology, so he didn’t realize why he saw what he saw. He merely took note that the Arch-Demon had shown itself in his father’s body, and that he would ask his wife why later.

“Hail, Arch Demon Metallia.” Rose bowed at the waist. “I have come to offer you a few gifts, to ease any bad blood between us.”

“I bring back one of your own sheep to the fold…” With this, she gestured to the still-dumbstruck Nephrite… “And I offer, on behalf of myself and your own Generals Zoicyte and Jadeite, a source of great energy.” Zoicyte opened his palm, holding the crystal before the apparition, then snatching it away as Metallia tried to reach for it.

“Not much… We only ask one favor each, for Zoicyte, Jadeite and myself.”

“I ask that you cast a shield over the dreams of Zoicyte and Jadeite, that they be protected from the prying spies of your current slave.”

Zoicyte and Jadeite flinched. Beryl was this creature’s slave? What did that make them?

As the spell took, Zoicyte cleverly used its prescence to screw with everyone’s reading of his energy level, splitting the crystal in half.

“Stop playing politics.” Zoicyte answered simply.

“You cannot possibly care who is in charge in our realm, so long as we continue to feed you, correct?”

“Return Nephrite to life… as a Shitennou.”

“Jadeite! NO! Please…” Nephrite’s voice faded from a scream of terror to a soft moan, pleading for this not to be real.

Rose, Slade, and Jadeite looked away guiltily as Nephrite’s screams began. Zoicyte watched in fascinated horror, a sickened smirk twisting at his lips.

His body was slowly enfleshed, piece by piece; his soul was ripped violently from its cleansed state and plunged back into damnation. As he solidified, his uniform slowly darkened from snow white back to the deep gray of death. The star scepter he had carried burst into so much glittery waste. When the transformation was completed, he slumped to the grass in a dead faint.

Rose snatched the crystal… half of it, the other half had been slipped inside of Zoicyte’s glove while the spell on Nephrite took its final effects… and threw it at the demon, her disgust and barely-held rage flaring in her firey eyes. “Take it and be gone, hell spawn. Before I change my mind and destroy you.”