Music Box
by happyhappysunshine

Chapter 4

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Jadeite repositioned his body so that he was now sitting directly across from Naru and his voice lowered to something like a sibilant whisper. Naru could do nothing hold her breath in anticipation, caught between her fear and curiosity.

"Now, it's an old legend we all remember since it's a part of me, of us, the guardians that is. I don't remember all the little details, but I can tell you what's important." He reached into his shirt to reveal a chain which had on it small ruby crystal. Naru stared as it glistened just like her music box did. It held the same dream like majestic quality.

"Each guardian has always with him one of these. It's hard to explain what it is except that it reflects something like our soul, our essence, our very self. None knows why or how we have them, or at which time, but we were all certain it was from the time of which memories were erased, before Beryl who brought us to the Negaverse, because the legend is not of her nature… it's too pure.

"By putting all our flashes of memory together we were able to piece together that the legend of the gemstones originates from a time of war. We don't know when this war occurred but the inscriptions in the stone are set up in the symbols of a fable, where a warrior is reunited with what the fable calls his "heart's star" even after he dies."

When Naru heard this, her eyes went even wider. She took the music box and opened it. She turned it to Jaedite and asked wistfully, "Maybe you can tell me what it says?"

Jaedite looked at it and nodded. "It's hard to translate but it basically means:

True hearts will meet; love never dies, with the power of all stars and skies.

Music played only for true love's spirit, till the other wakes to hear it."

Naru's heart jumped. She understood now why he asked her to play it. Could that mean that she would see Nephrite again? Jadeite could see what she was thinking and nodded before she could ask.

"Yes, that means you should get to see him again but not exactly as you thought. When the music is played on the day you last saw each other, the day he died, he will return to you but only until dawn. You can see him, but only once an earthly annum."

Jadeite looked to the girl. She seemed expressionless and first and he wasn't sure whether she would be happy or not. This was not the epiphany he was hoping to see in her. She was not revealing the clues he was pressing for. But then, a brilliant beautiful smile spread across her face and she embraced Jadeite in her happiness.

"Oh, I'm so happy! I'll be able to see him again! Only…" her smile faded, "I don't remember exactly when it was… except for that it can't be too far away. You see, my memory was under a spell too I think, but I've been playing it everyday for a while now and he hasn't come. How does it work exactly?"

Jadeite unnervingly untangled her arms from around him and lapsed into deep thought. He looked deep in thought for several moments as if trying to recall it. "To be honest, I don't know. I wasn't even sure if the legend still held true after we were taken by Beryl. This is the only one I've ever seen and probably ever will see. This is the only one that can exist." At this, Jadeite looked down solemnly.

"Why is that?" Naru asked innocently curious.

"Don't you see?" Jadeite demanded a little too irritated. Did he have to explain everything? If the girl kept asking all these obvious questions he would never get to the point. "If anything, Zoicite and Kunzite's would have gone to each other, if you can even call it love. If they're both dead, which they likely are, then it doesn't exist. I don't have one because I neither truly died nor loved."

Each of them paused for a moment, and as their eyes met they both knew they were wondering the same thing. It was clear that Naru loved Nephrite, that Jadeite could see merely by the way her face lit up at the mention of his name. The question was, is it enough to be loved or, must he have loved her as well? Neither of them could have possibly known. They sat there for a moment, not saying anything.

It finally occurred to Naru that it was dark outside and well past her curfew. She knew mother would be out looking for her. But how could she leave with so much excitement, when there was so much uncertainty.

"Will you take me home?" she asked, breaking the silence. He stayed immobile, starring off as if he had not heard her. Without turning his head he responded.

"I can't miss Nephrite. It's too imperative that I speak to him. I can't chance missing him. You will stay here."

Naru had not wholly considered that she would be held captive. She gaped at him in terror once more. Who was this mysterious man who could be so cold and yet spoke to her with such gentleness?

"Please," she pleaded more urgently but softening her tone, "my mother will have people looking for me and they will notice how much school I'll be missing. It could be several weeks before the day."

Now, he turned to look at her yet his face still betrayed no emotion. He glanced at her pleading eyes briefly with indifference as if to convey to her that he could care less. After a while he sighed.

"I am uncertain as to when the apparition usually takes place, but I assume the only reasonable times would be at dawn or dusk. We are not done. You will see me at dawn before school each morning and be here after school everyday."

"I promise," Naru assured.

He said it more of a command than a proposition, but still, he was letting her go home.

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return to Index / go to Chapter 5

The Nephrite and Naru Treasury