Metalia-sama

It was happening today. Nephrite was bringing what few pieces of food he was able to save from breakfast down to the dungeons. Unlike the first time, Kunzite had told him what the plans were for the evening, and Nephrite was to relay the information to their King.

As he reached the entrance to the cells, he was actually stopped by the guards stationed there. This was the first time they had ever made a move against him.

“We're sorry, Sir, but Prince Endymion's orders are to check anyone entering the cell block to make sure they aren't bringing in anything that they shouldn't be.”

Nephrite stopped, and looked from one guard to the other. One of them was relatively unfamiliar to him, but the other he had had a hand in training a few years back. He looked this second guard in the eye before speaking. “And did you find anything on me?” he asked.

The guard paused, and then straightened his posture, if it was possible to straighten it any further. “No, Sir. You may proceed.”

The younger guard made some sound of protest, but admitted the Tennou regardless. “Thank you,” Nephrite replied as he passed. 'Don't worry, you won't need to worry about this much longer.'

Nephrite retrieved the pouch he brought with him as he approached the far cells. It was Zoisite he spotted first, his white uniform the brightest thing in the room, even though it was already grey from dust and dirt. The white haired man looked up a bit as he likely heard Nephrite's approach, and it pained him to see Zoisite chained to the wall like that.

Nephrite bowed to the King, and offered what little breakfast he had to their ruler first, but he just shook his head. “Give it to Zoisite. I don't need it.”

Nephrite turned then to face his friend, but then he began to protest. “There is no need to waste food on me, I'll be dead soon anyway. The weaker I am, the shorter it will last,” he said. “When is my execution scheduled for?”

The red haired Tennou's lip twitched a bit as he recalled the talk he had had with the Master last evening. When he had revealed his plans for the execution, though that was hardly the proper word for it. “Tomorrow morning, just after dawn,” he replied, “but... it won't be happening. Kunzite has a plan.”

Zoisite looked up, his eyes blazing with emotion that Nephrite was surprised he still had. “Don't be stupid,” he said, “this is hardly the time to try anything like that again, it will only result in more deaths.”

“Nephrite,” the King said, grabbing the Tennou's attention. “Kunzite had been given very strict orders. Are you telling me that he hasn't followed them?”

“If the new plan fails tonight, then Kunzite will...” Nephrite looked over his shoulder at Zoisite, who was paying close attention, “go through with those orders as a last resort. So one way or another, this will all be over later tonight.”

“With all due respect, You Majesty, what exactly were these orders?” Zoisite asked.

The King had no problems with answering this question, though Nephrite would have preferred that he didn't. “My orders, should the plan to remove Metalia from my son fail, were that Kunzite was to end his life.”

Until now, Nephrite hadn't know that Zoisite was capable of such an emotional display. The white haired Tennou immediately tried to stand, pulling roughing at his chains. “You can't be serious!” he said, his voice unreasonably loud. “Kunzite could not follow such an order, and I can't believe you would give it! You would have him kill your own son?”

“Zoisite...” Nephrite whispered, gesturing to the door down the hall.

“Silence.” The King ordered, and Nephrite pressed his lips tight together. “Do you honestly think that my son would want this to continue? To keep being used by this demon? To kill and torture his friends? I know he wouldn't want that, and in giving this order, I am acting in the best interest of Earth.” The King paused and let this sink in before continuing. “Kunzite can and will follow this order.”

Nephrite watched as Zoisite slumped down against the wall once more and closed his eyes. He knew how painful it was for him, as he had had a similar reaction when Kunzite had told him. But since then, Nephrite had come to the conclusion that, if he were in the Master's shoes, he would not want to be forced to continue doing what he was doing.

“You will see Jadeite again,” the King said after a long silence. “And you two will be free to pursue your relationship, you have my word.”

Nephrite was surprised the Zoisite had told him about that. He supposed the when faced with death, one's priorities must change considerably. He could see tears building in Zoisite's eyes and the white Tennou turned his head away from the other two men to hide this.

“Nephrite.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Please, do everything in your power to support Kunzite tonight.”

Nephrite bowed deeply. “Yes, my King.”

---

Jadeite stared at some point in space. He was sitting on the floor, still naked from the night before, leaning against the side of his Master's bed with his arms wrapped around himself. Last night had been too much.

The sex had been rough, especially when the Master made a point to touch, stroke, and then hit the burned emblem on his back. He was especially proud of that one.

But that hadn't been the worst of it. The worst came when the Master had laid back on the bed and had proceeded to describe Zoisite's upcoming execution, to the smallest detail. “I think I'll whip him first, at least until I break a few bones. Perhaps a brand to match yours? And then a few more. After that, I'll make him watch as I fuck you senseless. How should I finally put him out of his misery? Beheading? No, perhaps a slow hanging would be better...”

He couldn't take it any more. Jadeite reached for his jacket and pulled out the black vial Beryl had given him. His hand shook as he held it. Painful, but quick, she had said. It could be over in a matter of seconds, and he wouldn't have to worry about watching Zoisite suffer.

Do that, and he will suffer, a voice in the back of his mind told him. Tears filled his eyes, and his body trembled. He wanted to help him, he really did, but he wasn't as strong as Kunzite and Nephrite were. How would Zoisite feel if they saved him, only to find out that you were dead? The voice asked him again.

He couldn't do it. The idea that he might be able to save Zoisite from his fate was enough for him to put the vial away. If something went wrong tonight, he would be able to down it in an instant, before anyone could stop him. With this in mind, he finally stood and started looking around the room for the rest of his uniform.

As he dressed himself, he glimpsed out the window, and saw that night was approaching already. How had the day passed already without him noticing? Realizing that he didn't have much time to rearrange the room and clean himself up, Jadeite set out on that task. The Master could be arriving as early as an hour from now, and if things weren't perfect, there would be hell to pay.

One of Jadeite's tasks was to select a wine for the Master that evening. Jadeite prayed that he would be in a drinking mood, otherwise there would be no way to get the drug into his drink. What would happen then? It wasn't a scenario that had been planned for, since he had never mentioned that fact that there were sometimes nights when he didn't drink.

He tried to force himself to be calm as he retrieved a bottle and glass and brought them back to the room. He considered pouring the first drink right away to get the vial emptied before the Master entered the room, but remembered being reprimanded the first time he had done that. Master Endymion always wanted a fresh bottle, and it was to be opened in front of him. Jadeite suddenly understood why.

'How am I going to get the potion into the glass without him seeing?' Jadeite wondered while he waited. The Master always watched him so carefully. His heart was beating fast now, he was certain the Master would hear it if he entered the room.

It was then that the door opened. Jadeite snapped to attention, but he could feel himself shaking as the Master strode in casually and threw his cape over one of the armchairs. He kept his eyes focused on the floor between them while he waited for instruction. Where were Kunzite and Nephrite now? What about Beryl? Were they already in place outside the door?

“What's the matter?”

Jadeite's looked up quickly and found the Master's scrutinizing gaze on him. “It's nothing, Master,” he replied quickly. Perhaps too quickly.

The Master didn't reply. Instead he made his way to his favourite seat and practically fell into it. “Well, are you going to pour me my drink or not?” he asked impatiently.

Jadeite did his best not to breath a sigh of relief at the question, and instead went to uncork the bottle. The next part was the most difficult one. He could feel the Master's eyes on him as he worked. There was no way he could get the contents of the vial into the drink like this.

“I don't have all night, you know.”

“Sorry, Master,” came the reply. He poured the glass as requested and left the vial in his jacket. His first chance had come and gone, and he could only hope that he would get a second.

He crossed the room to where the Master sat and handed him the glass. Next, he took his usual place on the floor beside the chair and waited for his next instructions.

The wait was excruciatingly long. It felt as though hours had passed instead of minutes while the Master slowly sipped at his drink. The thought that he had failed Zoisite, that Zoisite would die because he had been too scared to fulfil his part of the plan, was at the forefront of his mind.

Jadeite did his best not to breath a sigh of relief when the empty wine glass was handed back to him, a silent sign that he was to refill it. He grabbed the glass with a shaking hand and stood, slowly making his way back to the table. This was his chance.

While his back was turned to the Master, he retrieved the vial and emptied the contents into the glass before he reached the table. It was a small amount of liquid, not enough to making the colour of the wine lighten. Hopefully, it was tasteless as well, it didn't seem to have an odour.

The vial found it's way back into Jadeite's jacket before he reached the larger bottle. He turned so that the Master could see what he was doing, hoping that he couldn't see the liquid already in the glass. He poured the wine without complaint from the the other side of the room and recorked the bottle. Holding the glass as steadily as he could, Jadeite returned and offered it his Master. He had done it, he had somehow managed to get the potion into the drink.

In a lightning fast move, the Master grabbed Jadeite's wrist instead of the glass. Jadeite's eyes grew wide. Had the Master figured him out after all? He couldn't breath as he felt the Master's eyes study him.

In a slow and calculated move, the Master grabbed the wine glass with his other hand and set it on the table beside him. Then he stood, and roughly pushed Jadeite to the floor. The blond landed on his back and looked up with wide, frightened eyes. The Master smirked in a way that Jadeite was more than familiar with.

“We're going to have a lot of fun tonight,” he said as he walked in a slow circle around Jadeite. “After all, tomorrow's a big day and I'm looking to celebrate a bit early.”

Jadeite couldn't keep his gaze from wandering over to the glass sitting on the table. How could he get the Master to drink it without drawing some kind of suspicion? Thankfully the Master had followed his line of sight.

“It does seem like a waste doesn't it?” he said, moving to retrieve the glass. “After all, this is supposed to be a celebration.”

Jadeite watched, unable to move even if he would have been permitted to. The Master swirled the red liquid around before bringing the glass to his lips and taking a sip. After doing so, he looked at the glass curiously, and Jadeite feared that he would be able to taste a difference. His fears subsided a moment later when the Master downed the rest of the glass.

Now came the next question, how long would the potion take to work? Beryl hadn't said anything about that, but Jadeite had assumed it would be quickly. The Master certainly had no difficulty with replacing the glass on the table and returning to stand over Jadeite.

“Stand up,” he ordered.

Quickly, Jadeite obeyed, doing his best to keep his eyes down and not look for signs that his Master was tiring.

“How's that shoulder of yours doing?” the Master asked, as he walked around behind Jadeite. “Still sore?” Deciding to test this instead of waiting for Jadeite's reply, the Master slapped the spot he had branded just the day before. The sudden pain made Jadeite cry out and fall down to his knees. He grabbed his shoulder instinctively, gasping as he heard the Master laugh behind him.

As the pain slowly began to subside once more, the Master grabbed a handful of blond hair and forced Jadeite's head back so that he was looking up at the Master's face.

“That's the look I love to see on your face. Pain, fear, and resignation.” Jadeite had heard this before, and he hated the look the Master currently had on his face. It meant that he was about to make him...

“Strip,” was the one word order given as he was released roughly. The Master stepped back and waited while Jadeite reached for the clip on his belt with a shaking hand. He closed his eyes and prayed silently that the potion would start working soon.

Next were the clasps of his jacket. He was moving slowly, partly from fear, partly from trying to delay this in anyway that he could. It was strange that the Master hadn't told him to hurry up yet, but Jadeite was too afraid to look up and check on the man. He tossed the jacket aside and was about to pull off his shirt when a sound made him stop.

The Master had moaned.

Cautiously, Jadeite raised his eyes and saw that the Master was leaning back against the wall with a hand pressed to his forehead. It was working. The potion was actually starting to take effect.

---

Nephrite was getting impatient. He would have been pacing if such actions would have been permitted by Kunzite.

How long had they been waiting? It felt like hours. Nephrite had stayed close to the Master until he had decided to retire for the evening, at which point he had gone to fetch Kunzite and Beryl. The three of them had since been waiting outside Endymion's door.

Nephrite was ready to break the door down and attempt using force again, but Kunzite ordered him to hold his position and wait.

A million thoughts went through his mind. Jadeite had been caught, or the Master hadn't drank anything that night, or Jadeite had messed up and dropped the potion at some point in the day. What then? How long were they expected to wait? Nephrite shot another look over at Kunzite expressing his impatience. Kunzite replied by holding up his hand, five more minutes.

Nephrite was about to protest in some silent manner when he noticed Kunzite's left hand. It was resting on the hilt of his sword, fingers absentmindedly tracing the pattern. Nephrite looked away, ashamed. He wasn't the one that was going to have to that in five minutes should Jadeite not open the door.

Five minutes came and went. Nephrite had counted every second. Hesitantly, he looked back over at Kunzite and saw that his one eye was closed. He took a deep breath and with a renewed determination reopened his eye and nodded at the door. “On three,” he whispered. “One... two...”

The door opened, actually startling Nephrite. Jadeite poked his head out and motioned for them to enter. Beryl and Kunzite moved quickly and Nephrite followed, suddenly feeling very relieved.

The Master lay on the floor on the far side of the room, which was where Kunzite and Beryl immediately went to assess the man. Nephrite moved over to Jadeite who had positioned himself at the farthest point in the room from the Master.

Nephrite noticed then that Jadeite was missing his black uniform jacket. A quick survey of the room found it not too far from where the Master lay. With the need to feel at least somewhat useful, Nephrite retrieved it and handed it back to the youngest of them. “Are you alright?” he asked with the realization of what had probably been going on while Jadeite had waited for the Master to pass out.

Jadeite nodded and he started to put the jacket back on, taking some care Nephrite noticed. His right shoulder was causing him some pain. He had been in rough shape the day before, perhaps it was something from then?

“He's out, but there's no saying how long it will last,” Kunzite said. His expression and voice became a bit softer when he spoke next, almost apologetic. “Jadeite, is there something we could use to restrain him?”

Jadeite didn't make eye contact with Kunzite, but nodded. “Just a second,” he said quietly, then left for the Master's bedroom.

Nephrite looked back over at Kunzite, who did look sincerely sorry for asking such a thing, but he did have a point. They needed to move quickly, and Jadeite would know better than anyone where such things would be kept.

He returned a few seconds later with a coil of rope and handed it to Kunzite before retreating back to his spot beside Nephrite.

Kunzite worked quickly, securing the Prince's hands behind his back and tying his ankles together. After this, he went a step farther and drew his sword, keeping it out just in case he needed to use it quickly. At this point, there was no doubt in Nephrite's mind that Kunzite would follow through with the King's orders.

The witch began the same incantations that she had used the first time, that same crystal and rosary in her hand. Nephrite felt a chill as the crystal began to glow, and couldn't help but feel distrustful of the woman. Didn't witches always want something in return for their 'good will'?

Nephrite's thoughts were disturbed by the sounds of the Master coming to. Beryl continued her chants, and Kunzite readied himself. Nephrite looked over at Jadeite to check on the boy, and saw that he was cowering back a bit. “It's OK,” Nephrite whispered, trying to offer some comfort by placing his hand gently on Jadeite's good shoulder.

Endymion groaned and tried to sit up, but found the act to be a bit difficult. Slowly he began to struggle against his bonds, and then he realized exactly what was going on. “Damn you...” he growled to no one in particular. His eyes flashed around the room, recognizing the situation quickly. “You,” he said, now directing his attention on Kunzite. “The loss of an eye taught you nothing I see. This will cost you much more than that. You'll be wishing you were dead when I finish with you.”

After that, Nephrite felt another chill as the Master's cold eyes focused on him. “Nephrite, so you are a traitor as well. A spy and a traitor. You will be strung up next to Zoisite tomorrow.”

Finally his gaze landed on Jadeite, who backed up even further at the threatening glare. “You're the one that did this, aren't you? You drugged me. Just you wait until I get my hands on you. I'll have you screaming, crying, and begging before I've even gotten started. I'll tie you down an-” The Master's threats were cut short when Kunzite's fist collided with his jaw.

“Shut up.”

The Prince appeared to want to say something in response to this, although even he appeared a bit shocked by this action, when he suddenly grew wide eyed and then gave a short cry of, what Nephrite thought was pain.

The Master's eyes then focused exclusively on Beryl. “You think you can take Metalia from me? You are mistaken. You...” he gave another cry, and doubled over in pain. When he looked up again, however, something had changed. Nephrite could sense it. His eyes were darker, and his voice was lower. “You are no match for me...”

The room darkened, and a wind started to blow through the room, even though there didn't appear to be any source to it. The Master's eyes seemed to glow in the darkness now. Nephrite didn't know what to do, other than try to keep Jadeite calm. By this point he was shaking uncontrollably, and the occasional whimper could be heard as well.

Nephrite almost missed it, but a vase that had been sitting on a table began to levitate. Just as Nephrite realized what was happening, the ceramic piece was flying towards Beryl, who was caught by surprise. The vase connected with her hand, and the glowing crystal crashed to the floor, shattering on impact.

Nephrite knew that that was probably not a good thing, and his suspicions where confirmed when Metalia started to laugh. Yes, it was most definitely Metalia, completely Metalia, and not the Master who was in control now.

“There's nothing you can do to me now!” Metalia declared. “You can't seal me inside that crystal.”

Beryl had been staring down at the shattered remains of the planned prison, but something that Metalia said seemed to give her a second idea. “No, I can't seal you there. However...”

She dropped the rosary and held both hand in front of her. Immediately Nephrite felt a shift in the energies of the room. Enough of a shift that it actually made him feel nauseated for a brief moment. To be able to shift the flow of power instantly like that, Nephrite knew that this woman was no ordinary witch. She had powers beyond anything that should be possible.

“What are you doing?” Kunzite asked, stepping forward, towards Beryl.

“Sealing Metalia,” she answered. “There's only been a small change in plans.”

After answering Kunzite, Beryl jumped right back into her incantations. The effect was almost immediate, as the Master appeared to have trouble breathing, and seemed to be in pain, although he was still putting up quite the fight.

“So that's what you're doing,” he said. His voice had lost the power it had held a second ago, and if Nephrite hadn't known better, it almost seemed as though Metalia was giving up. “In that case, I guarantee you, I'll be back.”

And with those final words, Endymion's eyes closed and his body relaxed.