Jet and Jade | Black and White 1

Chapter 17: Jet

I could hear Jade's nerve-raking sobs from behind the black wall. My chest was heaving as I heard her.

Then I fell off my bed.

I winced in pain, holding in the squeak that threatened to come out.

I didn't get up again for a long time.

Jade's sobbing was driving me crazy.

I had made her cry. The truth weighed so heavily down on me.

I, the person who swore to protect Jade and never let her cry again, had made her cry.

I was a disgrace.

A failure.

I slowly crawled towards the wall, slumping against it. Jade's crying was louder here.

So close, yet so far.

A cold tear slid down my cheek, cooling my burning cheeks. I felt like I was burning up, and as the tears streamed silently down my face it was as if I was surrounded by light and fire.

There wasn't enough air for me to breathe and I gasped in pain.

I wasn't dying.

I knew that.

I was as certain as hell about that, for surely I would feel cold if I was.

Then I realized what was going on.

Jade.

Our souls were linked; we were twins, and I was feeling the opposite of what she was feeling.

I knew she must be feeling immense cold right now; which I would be able to take away. I was feeling immensely warm right now; which I would be able to use to fix her. She hated darkness and cold, like how I hated light and warmth.

If I was with her, and likewise her with me, we would be able to help each other.

And, I couldn't let her hurt like this!

Which was why I had to get to her.

We would both suffer like this. I would break and she would die-- seeing as only the Ice Shadows of Banvon and myself could kill me.

My eyes widened in pain.

I stood up shakily, but my knees gave in and I fell down. I heard a crack. I groaned, pulling myself upright by the wall. I felt my head. There was a large wound there and it was bleeding rather badly. I knew it would scar, yet I didn't particularly care.

It was just a mortal wound.

I stumbled out of my room, and fell again. I heard another crack. I shoved my arm forward to stop my fall.

I was so weak right now.

When I finally managed to stand again, I found my elbow out of place. I pushed it back in place, wincing in pain as it set. I ran, tripping over my own feet as I fell against the door to Jade's door.

It broke under my sudden attack, falling to the floor with a thud with me on top. Normally, I would be able to bear the pain.

But now the light was consuming me, and with the added pain of my not-so-painless accidents...

So this was how it felt like to be devoured by fire.

"J-Jade," I groaned as I saw her.

She didn't seem to hear me at all. She was slumped across the wall and floor, screaming and writhing like a dying mosquito. I winced at the ungodly sight of my struggling sister.

"Jade!" I mustered up all my strength and shouted, my voice cracking.

My twin sister tensed for a moment before continuing to roll on the ground. Her eyes were closed, but I knew she had heard me.

She was just too mad at me to reply. That had to be it!

It couldn't be because she hurt too much.

It just couldn't.

Jade was not that weak.

"Jade," I cried out, struggling to make my way towards her.

The light around me hated the darkness around her and the ice around her hated the fire around me. I grabbed her arm. Like two magnets, we both flew to different sides of the room.

Jade screamed in pain and I groaned. It hurt so bad.

But, no. I wouldn't die just like this. Nor would I let her.

I crashed into a wall, breaking through it and landing in the corridor again. I growled.

Why was I so weak?

I had never been like this before.

Never.

Not when we were thrown out of Earth, not when Banvon had placed that curse upon me, not even when I had seen that sculpture Jade made.

What was happening to me?

I gasped suddenly in realization.

Banvon.

It had to be him.

He was the only one with power to do this, the only being that rivaled me. No one else could get past the barrier, the protection I had placed around Jade. Yet, no matter how strong the barrier around Jade, she would still be weaker than my defenses. He was smart. I had to give him that. But, I had won before, when he tried to kill me.

I should have just destroyed him then. If I hadn't showed him mercy at the time, this wouldn't have happened.

Banvon, damn you! Damn, damn, damn you!

I took a deep breath.

I couldn't just regret what I had done before. The past was in the past. I had to focus on what was happening now; I could not let Jade suffer any longer. Nor could I let Banvon use my moment of weakness.

I sighed.

I still hadn't told Jade about him yet. She thought I was undefeated, making her afraid of me. But would telling her about him really help at all? Or would it just make things worse for her to know that I could actually be slain by someone?

No, I came to my decision. I would kill him, and there would be no regret or mercy.

But first, I had to take care of this annoying situation.