Reunion--chapter 1
by Lufia
Note: Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me (I wish it did, but oh well.) It belongs to a very gifted woman named Naoko Takeuchi. It also belongs to Kodansha, Toei, DiC, Mixx, Cloverway, and many other people I can't even begin to name. In other words, don't sue me, please. I'm a poor college student who likes to write, that's all.
Further Note: I'm using the DiC dub names in this fanfic because it's the series I know best. Being an American, I don't have access to all the pretty Japanese episodes, except through the internet realplayer files and friendly neighborhood fansubbers. I do, however, have access to Cartoon Network, and have seen the entire English run several times over. That being said, enjoy the fic!
Molly tossed fitfully in her sleep. Her blankets were twisted up and had been shoved off the side of the mattress by a flailing hand. Her eyes were squeezed tight and her brows furrowed. She clenched her hands into fists as she flipped over yet again. It was the same horrible nightmare.
In her dream, Molly was reliving a night from three weeks ago. She sat back against a tree, feeling the chill in the night air through the tears in her thin pajamas. Beside her sat an older man with long hair. He smiled and laughed. His right arm sported a scrap of Molly's pajamas, a makeshift bandage. Molly wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she laughed. Beside her, the man tensed, then turned, pushing her down. Molly's eyes widened as she fell. She hit the ground and cried out. The man was leaning against the tree, a large thorn protruding from his right shoulder. Molly screamed and tried to help him, but it was no use. She couldn't pull the thorn out.
Molly's dream skipped the battle with the Sailor Scouts, and the scene changed to the dying man. Molly held him up, tears streaming down her face. She cried audibly as the man, his body covered in green blood, apologized for not being able to share a chocolate parfait with her.
"I want you to know you're in my heart," the man coughed. His eyes fluttered shut and his head slumped into the cradle of Molly's arm. His body began to glow with a golden light, and slowly disappeared into stardust.
"No!" Molly cried, slumping over, her body wracked with sobs. Through her tears, she noticed the scrap of pajama, stained with the man's blood. She snatched it from the grass and clutched it tightly to her chest. "No!"
"Nephlyte," Molly murmured, clutching her pillow. "No!"
Molly sat bolt upright in bed, a cold sweat breaking across her forehead. Her eyes snapped open, and she stared wildly about her dark room. She fumbled for her blankets and clutched them to her chest tightly. "Every night," she thought. "Every night for three weeks. Will I ever get over this?"
Her head snapped around as she heard her doorknob rattle and turn. Light spilled in from the hallway, framing the form of her mother as she entered. "Molly, are you okay?" she asked, noting the frightened expression on her daughter's face.
Molly nodded her head and tried to compose herself. "Just a nightmare," she replied shakily.
Her mother looked at her worriedly. She pursed her lips and paused before answering. "You haven't been sleeping well for weeks. Is there anything happening at school, Molly? It's not Melvin, is it?"
Molly smiled faintly, shaking her head. "It has nothing to do with Melvin."
"Is it about Maxfield Stanton?
Molly stiffened involuntarily. She looked down at her tangled sheets. "I don't want to talk about it, Mama."
"Molly, I'm worried about you. I'm only trying to help."
"It's nothing, Mama, really," Molly said, her voice sounding harsher than she'd intended. She looked up at her mother, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "It's just a nightmare, Mama. It was a really vivid nightmare, and I don't want to talk about it."
"If you're sure that's all," Molly's mother sighed, looking at her daughter worriedly. "I'm just down the hall if you change your mind."
"Thanks, Mama." Molly gave her mother a little smile as she left the room, closing out the light. She listened to her mother's footsteps recede down the hall, and heard a door shut quietly. Only then did Molly allow her tears to finally fall. She clutched her pillow tightly, sobbing into it to muffle the sound.
"Please don't cry. I hate to see you sad."
Molly looked up, startled, blinking the tears from her eyes. A young man perched on the edge of her bed. His long, wavy brown hair fell over his shoulder as he turned to look at her. His blue eyes locked with her green ones. "Please don't cry," he repeated softly.
Molly stared at him, her eyes wide. She gasped, bringing her trembling hand to her mouth. She couldn't speak. When she finally found her voice some moments later, it came out in an astonished whisper. "Nephlyte? Is it really you?"
Nephlyte nodded. "In a way, yes. I'm here in spirit. I want to help you, Molly."
"Then stay with me! Stay for good!" Molly cried, reaching out for him. She gasped as her fingers passed right through his arm. She snapped her hand back, staring at him incredulously.
Nephlyte chucked lightly. "I said I was here in spirit," he chastised playfully.
Hearing Nephlyte's easy, light-hearted teasing set Molly at ease. Her tensed body relaxed visibly, and the
pained look on her face melted away to a smile. She giggled slightly.
Nephlyte smiled warmly. "That's better." His voice changed, straining as he spoke. "Oh, Molly, I'm so sorry. I wish I hadn't caused you so much pain." He reached out a hand and cupped it next to her cheek, wishing he could brush it soothingly. "I used you. I stole your energy. I lied to you. I put you in terrible danger so many times. And the worst part is I didn't even care that I was hurting you, not until the very end."
Molly smiled at him. "But you did care, and that's what counts. You rescued me from Zoycite's monsters twice, and you shielded me from that last attack. Nephlyte, you sacrificed your life for me. You wouldn't have done that if you didn't care about me."
"I still don't understand why I did."
Molly looked at him, puzzled.
"Every instinct, every rational thought was screaming at me to save myself. But my heart whispered, 'stay,' so I stayed. I don't understand."
"I do."
Nephlyte looked up, meeting her gaze.
She continued. "I risked my life for you too, remember? When Sailor Moon threw her tiara at you, you would have been killed."
"But you stood in the way," Nephlyte said, wonder filling his voice. "Why?"
"Because knowing you were safe was more important than my life." Molly blushed slightly and turned her head away for an instant. She looked back, staring into Nephlyte's blue eyes fixedly. "I love you, Nephlyte. I want you back with me more than anything, and I would do anything to make that possible, even die myself to be with you."
"No, Molly."
"Yes, I mean it."
Nephlyte sat in silence, considering her words. He remembered back to his last few days on Earth, dwelling on the last day in particular. His eyes widened as he finally allowed himself to realize the feelings he had for her.
"I love you, Molly."
Molly smiled, her eyes filling with tears as he said those words. She'd been waiting a long time to hear him say them. "I know. Only love would have let you act the way you did."
"Oh, Molly, don't cry. I hate to see you upset. Please." Without thinking, Nephlyte lifted his hand to wipe the tears from her cheek. His fingers brushed against her skin gently, catching the tiny droplets and sweeping them away.
Molly's head snapped up. Nephlyte froze, his fingers resting on the soft skin of her face. "What's wrong?"
Not taking her eyes from his, Molly lifted a small hand and tentatively laid her fingers atop his hand. She felt his warm skin under hers, and gasped. She seized his hand violently.
Nephlyte winced. "Too tight."
Molly ignored him. She clutched his hand in both of hers, squeezing it tighter. "You can feel this?"
Nephlyte nodded. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on. He reached out with his other arm and drew Molly to him.
Molly leant into the embrace, resting her head against his chest. She felt the cool, crisp fabric of his lavender shirt scratch her cheek, and, beneath it, the warmth of his body. She held her breath. In the silence, she could hear the steady, rhythmic beating of Nephlyte's heart. For the third time that evening, tears graced Molly's face.
"You're alive," she whispered. She let go of his hand and flung her arms around him tightly. She buried her face in his chest and cried.
Very awkwardly, Nephlyte wrapped his arms around her. He smiled as she squeezed him tighter in reply. He bent his head forward and rested it atop hers. He cast a sideways glance out the window, silently asking the stars for guidance. He had a second chance, a second chance to make things right. Molly's love for him and his self-sacrifice had earned him another chance at life. He swore a silent oath to the stars that he would not ruin it this time.
Molly broke the embrace and looked up at him, her green eyes glistening with tears. He returned her gaze, equally misty eyed, and smiled at her, a full smile. He understood finally what it meant to love and be loved. He felt genuinely happy for the first time in his life.
"I'm never going to leave you again, Molly. Never."
Molly shrugged. "I don't mind, as long as you always come back." Her expression turned serious. "I know this is going to be difficult. Everyone thinks Maxfield Stanton went missing. And if the Negaverse finds out that you're alive, you could be in a lot of trouble. If you have to lay low, I'll understand. We'll get through this together."
Nephlyte nodded. He gazed into her deep green eyes, and was overcome with emotion. He leant down; his eyes closed, and, very gently, kissed her. He could feel Molly smiling as she returned the kiss.
"That was to seal our promise," he told her when he finally pulled away. "We work through this, and everything else, together."
Molly smiled, embracing him tightly.
From her place in the heavens, the spirit of Queen Serenity gazed down on Nephlyte and Molly, a faint smile on her lips. Restoring Nephlyte had taken much of her energy, but she felt the end results would be well worth a day or two of weariness. Besides, Nephlyte had unfinished projects to work on. She hoped that he would remember, now that he was completely free of Beryl's influences.
"Find them, Guardian," she whispered. "The Princess will need all the help she can get when the time comes. Be happy, but do not forget your promise to me. Please, find them."
by Lufia
Note: Sailor Moon doesn't belong to me (I wish it did, but oh well.) It belongs to a very gifted woman named Naoko Takeuchi. It also belongs to Kodansha, Toei, DiC, Mixx, Cloverway, and many other people I can't even begin to name. In other words, don't sue me, please. I'm a poor college student who likes to write, that's all.
Further Note: I'm using the DiC dub names in this fanfic because it's the series I know best. Being an American, I don't have access to all the pretty Japanese episodes, except through the internet realplayer files and friendly neighborhood fansubbers. I do, however, have access to Cartoon Network, and have seen the entire English run several times over. That being said, enjoy the fic!
Molly tossed fitfully in her sleep. Her blankets were twisted up and had been shoved off the side of the mattress by a flailing hand. Her eyes were squeezed tight and her brows furrowed. She clenched her hands into fists as she flipped over yet again. It was the same horrible nightmare.
In her dream, Molly was reliving a night from three weeks ago. She sat back against a tree, feeling the chill in the night air through the tears in her thin pajamas. Beside her sat an older man with long hair. He smiled and laughed. His right arm sported a scrap of Molly's pajamas, a makeshift bandage. Molly wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she laughed. Beside her, the man tensed, then turned, pushing her down. Molly's eyes widened as she fell. She hit the ground and cried out. The man was leaning against the tree, a large thorn protruding from his right shoulder. Molly screamed and tried to help him, but it was no use. She couldn't pull the thorn out.
Molly's dream skipped the battle with the Sailor Scouts, and the scene changed to the dying man. Molly held him up, tears streaming down her face. She cried audibly as the man, his body covered in green blood, apologized for not being able to share a chocolate parfait with her.
"I want you to know you're in my heart," the man coughed. His eyes fluttered shut and his head slumped into the cradle of Molly's arm. His body began to glow with a golden light, and slowly disappeared into stardust.
"No!" Molly cried, slumping over, her body wracked with sobs. Through her tears, she noticed the scrap of pajama, stained with the man's blood. She snatched it from the grass and clutched it tightly to her chest. "No!"
"Nephlyte," Molly murmured, clutching her pillow. "No!"
Molly sat bolt upright in bed, a cold sweat breaking across her forehead. Her eyes snapped open, and she stared wildly about her dark room. She fumbled for her blankets and clutched them to her chest tightly. "Every night," she thought. "Every night for three weeks. Will I ever get over this?"
Her head snapped around as she heard her doorknob rattle and turn. Light spilled in from the hallway, framing the form of her mother as she entered. "Molly, are you okay?" she asked, noting the frightened expression on her daughter's face.
Molly nodded her head and tried to compose herself. "Just a nightmare," she replied shakily.
Her mother looked at her worriedly. She pursed her lips and paused before answering. "You haven't been sleeping well for weeks. Is there anything happening at school, Molly? It's not Melvin, is it?"
Molly smiled faintly, shaking her head. "It has nothing to do with Melvin."
"Is it about Maxfield Stanton?
Molly stiffened involuntarily. She looked down at her tangled sheets. "I don't want to talk about it, Mama."
"Molly, I'm worried about you. I'm only trying to help."
"It's nothing, Mama, really," Molly said, her voice sounding harsher than she'd intended. She looked up at her mother, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "It's just a nightmare, Mama. It was a really vivid nightmare, and I don't want to talk about it."
"If you're sure that's all," Molly's mother sighed, looking at her daughter worriedly. "I'm just down the hall if you change your mind."
"Thanks, Mama." Molly gave her mother a little smile as she left the room, closing out the light. She listened to her mother's footsteps recede down the hall, and heard a door shut quietly. Only then did Molly allow her tears to finally fall. She clutched her pillow tightly, sobbing into it to muffle the sound.
"Please don't cry. I hate to see you sad."
Molly looked up, startled, blinking the tears from her eyes. A young man perched on the edge of her bed. His long, wavy brown hair fell over his shoulder as he turned to look at her. His blue eyes locked with her green ones. "Please don't cry," he repeated softly.
Molly stared at him, her eyes wide. She gasped, bringing her trembling hand to her mouth. She couldn't speak. When she finally found her voice some moments later, it came out in an astonished whisper. "Nephlyte? Is it really you?"
Nephlyte nodded. "In a way, yes. I'm here in spirit. I want to help you, Molly."
"Then stay with me! Stay for good!" Molly cried, reaching out for him. She gasped as her fingers passed right through his arm. She snapped her hand back, staring at him incredulously.
Nephlyte chucked lightly. "I said I was here in spirit," he chastised playfully.
Hearing Nephlyte's easy, light-hearted teasing set Molly at ease. Her tensed body relaxed visibly, and the
pained look on her face melted away to a smile. She giggled slightly.
Nephlyte smiled warmly. "That's better." His voice changed, straining as he spoke. "Oh, Molly, I'm so sorry. I wish I hadn't caused you so much pain." He reached out a hand and cupped it next to her cheek, wishing he could brush it soothingly. "I used you. I stole your energy. I lied to you. I put you in terrible danger so many times. And the worst part is I didn't even care that I was hurting you, not until the very end."
Molly smiled at him. "But you did care, and that's what counts. You rescued me from Zoycite's monsters twice, and you shielded me from that last attack. Nephlyte, you sacrificed your life for me. You wouldn't have done that if you didn't care about me."
"I still don't understand why I did."
Molly looked at him, puzzled.
"Every instinct, every rational thought was screaming at me to save myself. But my heart whispered, 'stay,' so I stayed. I don't understand."
"I do."
Nephlyte looked up, meeting her gaze.
She continued. "I risked my life for you too, remember? When Sailor Moon threw her tiara at you, you would have been killed."
"But you stood in the way," Nephlyte said, wonder filling his voice. "Why?"
"Because knowing you were safe was more important than my life." Molly blushed slightly and turned her head away for an instant. She looked back, staring into Nephlyte's blue eyes fixedly. "I love you, Nephlyte. I want you back with me more than anything, and I would do anything to make that possible, even die myself to be with you."
"No, Molly."
"Yes, I mean it."
Nephlyte sat in silence, considering her words. He remembered back to his last few days on Earth, dwelling on the last day in particular. His eyes widened as he finally allowed himself to realize the feelings he had for her.
"I love you, Molly."
Molly smiled, her eyes filling with tears as he said those words. She'd been waiting a long time to hear him say them. "I know. Only love would have let you act the way you did."
"Oh, Molly, don't cry. I hate to see you upset. Please." Without thinking, Nephlyte lifted his hand to wipe the tears from her cheek. His fingers brushed against her skin gently, catching the tiny droplets and sweeping them away.
Molly's head snapped up. Nephlyte froze, his fingers resting on the soft skin of her face. "What's wrong?"
Not taking her eyes from his, Molly lifted a small hand and tentatively laid her fingers atop his hand. She felt his warm skin under hers, and gasped. She seized his hand violently.
Nephlyte winced. "Too tight."
Molly ignored him. She clutched his hand in both of hers, squeezing it tighter. "You can feel this?"
Nephlyte nodded. His eyes widened as he realized what was going on. He reached out with his other arm and drew Molly to him.
Molly leant into the embrace, resting her head against his chest. She felt the cool, crisp fabric of his lavender shirt scratch her cheek, and, beneath it, the warmth of his body. She held her breath. In the silence, she could hear the steady, rhythmic beating of Nephlyte's heart. For the third time that evening, tears graced Molly's face.
"You're alive," she whispered. She let go of his hand and flung her arms around him tightly. She buried her face in his chest and cried.
Very awkwardly, Nephlyte wrapped his arms around her. He smiled as she squeezed him tighter in reply. He bent his head forward and rested it atop hers. He cast a sideways glance out the window, silently asking the stars for guidance. He had a second chance, a second chance to make things right. Molly's love for him and his self-sacrifice had earned him another chance at life. He swore a silent oath to the stars that he would not ruin it this time.
Molly broke the embrace and looked up at him, her green eyes glistening with tears. He returned her gaze, equally misty eyed, and smiled at her, a full smile. He understood finally what it meant to love and be loved. He felt genuinely happy for the first time in his life.
"I'm never going to leave you again, Molly. Never."
Molly shrugged. "I don't mind, as long as you always come back." Her expression turned serious. "I know this is going to be difficult. Everyone thinks Maxfield Stanton went missing. And if the Negaverse finds out that you're alive, you could be in a lot of trouble. If you have to lay low, I'll understand. We'll get through this together."
Nephlyte nodded. He gazed into her deep green eyes, and was overcome with emotion. He leant down; his eyes closed, and, very gently, kissed her. He could feel Molly smiling as she returned the kiss.
"That was to seal our promise," he told her when he finally pulled away. "We work through this, and everything else, together."
Molly smiled, embracing him tightly.
From her place in the heavens, the spirit of Queen Serenity gazed down on Nephlyte and Molly, a faint smile on her lips. Restoring Nephlyte had taken much of her energy, but she felt the end results would be well worth a day or two of weariness. Besides, Nephlyte had unfinished projects to work on. She hoped that he would remember, now that he was completely free of Beryl's influences.
"Find them, Guardian," she whispered. "The Princess will need all the help she can get when the time comes. Be happy, but do not forget your promise to me. Please, find them."