D+N Ch 2 - Pity from a senshi

Chapter Two - Pity from a senshi</U>

Darkury paced her room in the Dark Kingdom. Nephrite hadn't come out of the cave complex he was hiding in, and she hadn't felt him teleporting out either. So he probably hadn't been eating... that meant he would get sick or worse.

For some odd reason, that idea made her rather unhappy.

She wandered off to the human world and went grocery shopping. It was pretty easy to convince the people at the store that she had money.

That achieved, she went back to the Dark Kingdom and hunted for Nephrite.

He was pathetically easy to find, it seemed he hadn't moved since the last time she saw him.

"Nephrite," she regarded him, "Sit up."

"I don't take orders from you," he grumbled.


She rolled her eyes, "Just sit up."

Nephrite sighed, but sat up.

Darkury deposited a bag of foods in his lap. "You need to eat."

Nephrite blinked in confusion.

"Eat it, don't just stare at it."

Nephrite looked up at him, "what's this for?"

"To eat. Baka," she responded impatiently.

"But what is it doing here?" he persisted.

Darkury gave a heavy sigh, "For you to eat."

He looked astonished, "Why?"

"What?" it was her turn to look confused.

"Why did you bring this?"

She blinked, "...because."

"I don't want it."

"Tough," she said, "You can't just sit there."

"I have been doing fine at that so far," he growled.

"Well that's going to change," she folded her arms.

"Are you saying that I can't even just sit here?" Nephrite looked cross.


She huffed, "I am saying that you are going to eat. Don't twist my words."

"I'm not hungry," he said again.

"You lie poorly."

He glared but she didn't back down.

"Now eat," she ordered.

"Will you leave if I do?"

"Yes."

He sighed, "Alright." He reached into the bag and took something out at random. He regarded it for a moment and then took a bite.

Darkury waited until he had finished eating before giving him a nod.


"Satisfied?" he asked with a sigh.

"For now," she said, "But I expect you to keep eating."

"Why?" he asked dully.

"Because otherwise you'll die," she said, "And that would be a waste."

"It won't be," he muttered, "It doesn't matter."

"Yes it does," she growled, "Shut up."

Nephrite growled softly at her.

"I expect you to have eaten what's in the bag," she snapped.

"Why do you care?"


"I don't have to answer that," she retorted.

He sighed. He supposed she didn't.

She motioned to the bag, "There're lots of different things in there, and they'd better be eaten."

He shrugged, "Maybe."

"No, not 'maybe,'" she growled.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

She grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him up to his feet, "You will eat it."

He struggled, but she was a lot stronger than she should have been.

She shook him, "Right?"


"Fine," he growled.

"Good," she released him.

He gave her a dark look, "Now will you leave?"

"For now."

Nephrite waited until she was out of sight before sinking to the ground. He wished that she would leave for good. It seemed that she had found a new game to play with him...

She pitied him...

He didn't want her pity. Why wouldn't she just leave him alone?  He pushed the food further away. He didn't want anything from her...

He went back to sitting, alone in the darkness.

A few days passed.

Once more footsteps echoed down the corridor. He sighed. Only Mercury's footsteps echoed like that, so he didn't bother to look up.

"Why didn't you eat?" she asked.

"I ate some."

"There was enough here for a few days," She said, "But you've barely touched it. Why?"

"I told you - I don't want it."

"And I told you - you'll eat it," she growled.

"No," he said, "There is no reason to waste food on me."

"It's wasted if you don't eat it, baka!"

"You eat it," he snapped.


"I got it for you," she half-growled.

"I didn't tell you to."

"I don't care."

"I do," he murmured softly.

"You're no good if you sit here and die."

"I'm no good if I sit here and live either," he growled.

She hauled him up again, and shook him hard, "Stop being stupid!"

He struggled against her, pushing her away, "Why do you care so much?"

"That's not important."


"Yes it is!"

"No it isn't!"

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Because I said so!"

"That's not a good reason," he huffed.

Darkury grabbed his jacket again, "You are going to eat the food I got you."

"And if I don't?"

She glared, "Then I won't be happy."

He snorted, "And that's supposed to bother me?" He pulled away.

Darkury grabbed at him again, "Do as I say!"

"I don't have to!" he snarled, "You're not Beryl-sama!"

"I don't care!"

"I only listen to her!"

"You're not in her presence, so that's obsolete!"

Nephrite stopped. He took a step back away from her and slumped back against the wall

Darkury blinked. She could almost see the fury drain out of him. That was a little alarming, to say the least.

She didn't know what to say - she hadn't hit him that hard to cause him to fall like that.

Nephrite sank to the ground, his head in his hands.

"... Nephrite?..."

"What?" he asked flatly.

"What... what's wrong?"

He looked up at her like she was insane, "You can't mean that," he muttered, "Everything is wrong!"

"Well fine," she snapped, "I was just trying to help!" she span on her heel and stamped off.

"Well stop!" he shouted after her, "I don't need your constant reminding of what a failure I am!"

"Well sor-ree for trying to be nice!" she stormed off.

"Ha!"

She yelled something else back, but the echo distorted the words.

Darkury retreated to her room and flung herself down on her bed. She didn't realize how much he was hurting... No wonder he was hiding like that. It also explained why he didn't want to eat.

Darkury sighed heavily. She didn't particularly want him dying, so she'd just have to try again.  She wanted to get him to eat at least.

The next morning found Darkury looking for Nephrite again. To her surprise, he hadn't moved away from where he was last time.

"Nephrite," she knelt down next to him, "I've brought breakfast."

He turned away with a sigh. He thought he had chased her away. All the same, he glanced over at it. Despite himself, he felt his stomach growl.

"I can't convince you, can I?" Darkury said with a sigh.

"No," he muttered, "Why won't you just leave me here alone?"

She nudged the plate closer to him, "Because I don't want to."

"Right," he muttered, "I'm your entertainment."


"Just eat," she sighed.

Nephrite sighed and started eating.

"Thank you," she said before she'd quite realized she had spoken.

That made him look up in surprise. She thought he was doing her a favor by eating? That was strange.

Darkury brushed her skirt down, "There... that wasn't so hard was it?..."

"No," he said softly.

"There's... plenty in the bag," she said quietly, making eye contact with the floor, "And if there's something you don't like..."

"If there's something I don't like I won't eat it," he tried to grumble.

She shook her head, "Then I'll remember not to get you that."


"Oh..." he said softly, looking away from her.

"Well..." she shifted awkwardly, "I'll..."

"What's been happening lately?" Nephrite asked.  

"Nothing much..." she shrugged.

"Oh," he said quietly, "I haven't heard anything."

"You're... a long way out..."

"Hai..." he said softly.

"It's cold," she said, changing the subject quickly.

"I guess..." he muttered.


"You'll catch something if you stay like this," she murmured.

Nephrite shrugged.

"I'll get blankets," she decided, getting to her feet.

"Mercury..." he started, "You don't have to..."

"You can't just catch your death down here," she said, hurrying off.

Nephrite sighed and curled up again. He knew that she would be back...

Soon he heard her footsteps again, and a few moments later a pile of blankets and pillows with feet walked into his cave.

He blinked, nonplussed.

Darkury dropped the pile unceremoniously, "There."

"Why are you doing all of this?" he asked finally, "The blankets... and the food..."

"Why?" she repeated, "Because..."

Nephrite tilted his head expectantly.  

"Because..." she tried again.

"Why?" he asked.

"Just because!"

Nephrite shook his head, "'Because' is not a reason."

"Yes it is!" she snapped a little defensively.

"Not a good reason," he said.


"There is nothing wrong with that reason," she half-pouted.

"Fine," he sighed, "Don't tell me."

"I just did!" she exclaimed, frustrated.

"I'm sure you have a real reason," he continued, "But you don't have to do anything I say..."

"It's not that," she mumbled, staring at the floor.

"What is it then?" he asked softly.

"It doesn't matter..."

"It does to me," he responded in the same soft tone, "No one will tell me anything... not anymore."

"... I'm sorry..." she whispered.


"I don't want your pity," he grumbled.

Darkury blinked, "Wha? I don't pity you, baka."

"No?" it was his turn to blink, "what is it then?"

Darkury was silent for a few minutes. "It doesn't matter..." she mumbled finally, heading for the corridor again.

"Fine," he muttered.

"Yeah fine!" she snapped, "Use the blankets!"  With that, Darkury stormed off.

Nephrite didn't even know what he had done that time to make her storm off. She had gone such a bright shade of red...

He sighed softly. If he had to be honest with himself, she wasn't such bad company, and it was better than being alone... and she was bringing him things to make him more comfortable.

He half hoped she would come back.