Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the story. I will try to complete the
story as soon as possible.
**********************************
A cold blanket of dust settled over the battle-beaten earth as the sun began
to set. Cries of anguish erupted from bloody men who still lived to vocalize their
torment.
Despite the morbid conditions of the battlefield, women, wives and
daughters of the soldiers, rushed from tent to tent, carrying bandages, surgical
tools, and strong whiskey. Of those who had remained in the vicinity, the women
seemed to possess the most strength and wits about the situation. Without them,
many more would have died from the most recent attacks of the evil queen.
It was with a strong wave of nausea that a young general passed the
wounded and continued on to report to his prince. Men he had known since
childhood lay dying all around him. In his twenty-eight years, he had never
witnessed such destruction. Finally reaching the royal tent, he ducked inside,
only to find Prince Darien in deep discussion with the others that were gathered
there.
"We cannot fight her forces for long and continue to keep her from
advancing. She fights with stronger magic, and her followers are not divided."
Prince Darien gestured to a seat within the small circle and addressed the
newcomer. "How many men did you lose?"
Taking the empty seat, the general looked solemnly at the four people that
awaited his answer. "Over half of my men were fatally wounded, while most of
the remaining men will be permanently injured. Only a few thousand men will be
able to fight in any upcoming battles."
"The same news for my soldiers, Prince Darien." Kunzite stood before the
other men. "We must ask for aid from the Moon Kingdom. That is our only
chance!" he stated passionately, revealing a deep cut on his arm in his gesture.
Sitting down again, he modestly covered the wound.
Zoicite agreed instantly. "I could ask for the help of Planet Mercury."
"And I for the Planet Mars!" Jadeite proclaimed. "We must gather all that
is willing to protect Earth. As Queen Beryl will inevitably plot the destruction of
the remaining planets next, surely they will agree."
Darien considered this for a moment. "I have posed these solutions to my
people, but Queen Beryl has made them doubt the loyalty of the other planets."
He paused for a moment and said softly, "Especially the loyalty of the Moon. Her
powers are strong, but her cunning is stronger."
After a moment of thoughtful silence, the young general addressed the
prince. "Our numbers are diminishing rapidly. We must do something. My
connections with Planet Jupiter, Kunzite's connections with Planet Venus, and the
others' will surely help us to win this war. Surely, our fellow humans must
understand that!"
"Your point is well understood, Nephlyte." Darien looked at his generals
with sadness in his eyes. "You must know that I have considered these things
myself." When a murmur of agreement sounded throughout the tent, he
continued. "The people know of our love for women of those respective planets.
They will believe that we have been tainted by that love. Only when Queen Beryl
nearly destroys Earth will I go against the wishes of my people and ask for aid
from the other planets. I refuse to shake their trust when it took so long to gain it
after my grandfather's tyrannical rule."
Kunzite stood again. "If you let ten thousand more men die before you
ask for help, they will believe that you have betrayed them anyway!" He softened
his tone. "I cannot let our world be taken over by an evil, power hungry queen.
We must stop her now while we still have a chance. With the help of the other
planets - Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury – we can defeat her!" A
sparkle of light flashed in his eyes. "My love for Princess Venus should only
confirm a trust for that planet."
For a moment, Nephlyte said nothing. Only dire circumstances could
produce five men who spoke openly of romantic love. Although their interests
had not remained a secret, the men spoke of their intense feelings to no one. Until
now.
Nephlyte addressed the prince again. "Let us speak with the planetary
rulers. If we gain their support, then perhaps we can address the people. I, for
one, cannot bear the thoughts of another battle such as this."
"Along with the other planetary queens, the Queen and Princess of Mars
will be visiting the Moon Kingdom. They have heard of Queen Beryl's evil
intentions and have wasted no time to discuss the matter. Perhaps we could
attend the meeting?" Jadeite went over the finer details of the meeting.
The prince brushed a sweaty lock of black hair out of his eyes. In the
period of the war – two months time – he had lost his home and his mother. His
father would soon pass away, due to his grief over the queen in addition to a deep
wound in his midsection. Darien had lost hope, and it seemed as if even thoughts
of the magnificent Princess Serenity could not cure his present melancholy.
However, in the midst of a dying kingdom, his faithful generals remained
steadfast.
After a long pause, Darien agreed. "We must act quickly then. The quest
for my family's redemption in this land has tainted my better judgment. We must
act as soon as possible." As his generals filed out of his tent, Darien began to feel
the pressure of defeat. His truest friends had survived numerous earthly battles
only to fight more terrifying and bloody battles with Queen Beryl. He could only
pray for their continued safety. How would Earth survive her latest attacks if
Darien lost Kunzite's strength, Jadeite's devotion, Zoicite's intelligence, and
Nephlyte's passion? It was a scenario that he was unwilling to contemplate at
such a helpless point in this war.
Two hours later, the four generals, Jadeite, Nephlyte, Zoicite, and Kunzite
arrived at the teleportation unit. Clean, prepared for negotiation, and anxious to
see the Princesses of Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus, the four were more than
ready to set foot on the Moon.
Nephlyte waited for Kunzite, his superior, to step inside the unit before he
entered. As he began to step inside, a strong force savagely ripped his body away
from the structure.
"A prince without his most trusted advisors is most vulnerable, indeed," a
sultry feminine voice murmured somewhere to his left.
Nephlyte looked around for his friends, but he was unable to see past the
thickening red fog that surrounded him, choked him. His limbs became sluggish
and his thoughts became clouded as a beautiful redheaded woman became visible
and stared into his eyes. Surprise, fear, and dread filled his heart. He couldn't
believe that this exquisite woman had brought about the destruction mere hours
before.
"Ah, you will do nicely, just as your friends will," Queen Beryl whispered
softly, reaching forward slightly to plant a kiss firmly upon his lips.
With that icy kiss, Nephlyte started to lose his memories. As she pulled
away, the evil began to consume him. In the end, his only fleeting memory was
of the beautiful Princess Jupiter. And even then he doubted that it was a memory,
as he had never heard Lita scream his name in such a terrified way before.
Consciousness slipped from him, as did his memory, his love, and all of
the goodness that had once made him Nephlyte.
* * * *
Maxfield Stanton lifted his face to the sky as the rain began to pour to the ground.
Cool drops of soothing water washed his face within moments. Tension melted
from his body as those same drops fell from his upturned face.
Earth was having a strange effect on him.
Nephlyte, known to humans as Maxfield Stanton, should have been
reporting his progress to Queen Beryl. He was entirely devoted to the queen and
the cause that he served. As was required, he ruthlessly gathered energy from the
human race, caring not whom he hurt or killed. This task was allotted to the
Negaverse generals only – Jadeite, Zoicite, Kunzite, and himself. It was a
mission that should have consumed his every thought and action.
Instead, he foolishly played in the rain.
A few yards away, a young girl watched the man with a swelling feeling
in her heart. Concealed partly by a large oak and partly by the low visibility of
the rain that filled atmosphere, she gazed at him with unveiled love.
He was so beautiful. Pushing the long brown hair from his face, he visibly
sighed. Eyes of azure sparkled as he opened them slowly. Muscles in his arms
became evident as the suit he wore became wet and clingy.
Molly felt her breath snagging on her swelling emotions. A few months
ago, she would have scolded a young lady for following a man into a deserted
park and watching his every move. It seemed unhealthy, almost, standing – no! –
HIDING behind an oak tree to drink up every movement of a man that she loved,
but did not really know. Her chest hurt with the strong new emotions that came
with the pains of first love.
Since she could stand no more, Molly, clutching her hands to her heart,
turned to go. It was torture to want…and not have. She left the cover of the oak
tree reluctantly, unwilling to ponder on how unsatisfying the situation was. She
left the park unnoticed by the object of her adoration and sadly made her way
home.
With the stinging chill of wet clothing, Nephlyte felt his willpower return
to him. Cursing his momentary weakness, he left the park to return to his
mansion.
It was imperative that he stayed focused. He must find out whether the
girl, Molly, knew the identity of Sailor Moon. If he fell out of Queen Beryl's
favor because of the Sailor Scouts' interference, he would suffer Jadeite's fate –
eternal sleep. Zoicite didn't make things easier, either. As Zoicite whispered his
shortcomings into the queen's ears, he lost Beryl's support. Only the Imperium
Silver Crystal or the capture of Sailor Moon could save him now.
And that brought him back to the girl in question – Molly. Laughter
shook his body as he thought of her proclamations of LOVE. Love, should he ever
become acquainted with the emotion, had no place within the Negaverse. In fact,
he had never heard of such a notion until he had been assigned to gather energy
from Earth. The ridiculous humans had even set aside a full day to celebrate love.
He, Nephlyte and Maxfield Stanton, had laughed at the worthless
conception of love. So, in celebration of THAT, he would reward Molly for her trust
and use her as bait to gather either the Imperium Silver Crystal or Sailor Moon.
He had considered allowing Molly to live afterwards, but even that issue was still
in debate.
* * * *
Nephlyte had persuaded the girl to meet him alone. It was a feat that was
unchallenging, but it still left him satisfied. Quiet manipulation was certainly his
strong suit, he recognized, knowing that the other generals lacked the talent.
When Kunzite took the direct approach, Zoicite viewed the situation through
heavy analysis, and Jadeite cautiously sent someone in before him, Nephlyte
slipped in the back door and got the job done. Whether the skill would prove to
be valuable in the near future was still in question, but in any case, it had allowed
him to survive Queen Beryl's wrath for longer than Jadeite.
He was even more satisfied when he convinced Molly to retrieve the
Imperium Silver Crystal for him. As she sprinted towards the location of the
crystal, he pondered on how to reward this girl. To present her to Queen Beryl
would be pointless – the evil energy of the Negaverse would kill most humans
upon arrival. And Nephlyte knew that Molly was weak. Strangely, the thoughts
of killing her left a sour taste in his mouth.
As she cautiously approached, he erased the evil smile off of his lips and
replaced it with a look of sadness.
Molly sat down next to him and searched his eyes. Clear blue eyes stared
back into hers and she thought she would melt. As she felt herself falling into
those eyes, she vaguely recalled his request.
Holding out her hands, she dropped the stolen crystal into his hands.
Although it hurt to steal from her mother, Molly pushed the guilt aside as she
watched Maxfield. She would reimburse her mother one day. Besides, her
mother would make up for the loss of the crystal in sales from other jeweled items
in her store.
Seconds later, studying the round crystal with a dark crystal of his own,
Nephlyte nearly shouted in frustration. This wasn't the Imperium Silver Crystal.
He tried to keep his temper in check and found it difficult. After a few moments,
strangely, his crystal began to react to Molly…
He had to know why. And he knew how to find out.
As he'd often seen human males do, he focused his gaze into Molly's
eyes. When he knew that he had her complete attention, he lowered his lips to
hers.
The action became natural to him immediately. He drew back from her
momentarily to see her reaction, but he could only concentrate on kissing her
again. A vague sense of memory clouded his mind as if he had participated in
this same activity once upon a time. The more he kissed her, the closer he came
to touching the memory.
Molly could hardly breath. She tangled her fingers in his thick auburn hair
and tried to keep standing. For weeks, she had dreamed of being kissed this way
by this man - for years, she had dreamed of being kissed that way by ANYONE.
A strange feeling began to grow within Nephlyte's chest, and it spread
throughout his body. His heart swelled until he thought it would burst.
Clutching her to him, he could concentrate on nothing except the wonderful
feeling of being alive. Startled by the intensity, he abruptly broke the kiss and
stepped away from her.
"Please, Maxfield, don't turn away! I know that I'm younger than you,
but-"
A shadow fell upon them from a short distance.
"How dare you lure her here!" Sailor Moon shouted, just arriving at the
scene, directing her angry gaze towards Nephlyte. Along with Sailor Moon,
Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury had him surrounded.
"No, Sailor Moon, Maxfield isn't evil!" Molly pleaded, gently laying her
hand upon his. Her lips were still burning from his kisses.
Sailor Moon pointed an accusing finger in his direction. "Nephlyte, you
fiend. Show yourself!"
Smiling wickedly, he did as she asked. Sailor Moon would die by his
hand tonight, he vowed, cursing her for ruining his plans. Conjuring the powers
within himself, he blasted dark energy towards her. Mars and Mercury retaliated
with their own attacks, which he easily avoided. However, avoiding them sent
him directly in Sailor Moon's sights.
Her moon tiara was coming straight for his heart.
Screaming wildly, Molly stepped in between him and the tiara, protecting
him with her body.
He knew that he'd never known true fear until that moment. He also
thought it was the first time he'd ever felt love in his life. He was wrong.
* * * *
It was impossible to name his feelings at that moment. Molly lay in his
arms and her soft breathing indicated that she was asleep. She had saved his life,
and in return he had saved hers – twice. Hiding from Zoicite was no easy task,
but with Molly in tow, it was crucial to surviving
Her silly talk about chocolate parfaits and other such nonsense had
actually appealed to him. He marveled at the tingling feeling in his body and
wondered when he would die from such a weak and vulnerable state. Surly only
imminent death could weaken his mind so. Over the past couple of days he had
suffered a strange transformation. He had been painfully aware of his minor
injuries, a knowledge that he was once oblivious to. He also started to notice the
smell of flowers, the warmth of the sun, and the beauty of a moonlit night. Above
all, he felt powerful emotions surge through him when he held Molly in that
moment.
And that's just how Zoicite's minions had found them – huddled together
in a loving embrace that made them all nauseous.
The girl screamed when she saw them. Pushing her behind him, Nephlyte
tested their courage.
But they were too quick for them. Piercing him with an object that would
kill him momentarily, they watched with glee as the girl rushed forward to pull
the object from Nephlyte's body. He fell to the ground in a most satisfactory
way.
She would pull forever if she had to. The object burned her hands until
she could not help but to cry out, but the pain deterred her none. Nephlyte had to
live or she would surely die. She shouted her oath, tears streaming down her face,
and continued to pull the object. His eyes were closed and appeared to be dying,
but in her heart, she knew that he was not dead. She jerked at the object
frantically.
She heard loud voices around her, but she still pulled at the object that had
pierced Nephlyte's chest. The minions had disappeared, presumably satisfied in
the knowledge that he would certainly die. She would save him if it killed her in
the process.
It was when she could pull no more that a soft purple glow entered her
vision. Helplessly staring about her, she looked into the kind eyes of Sailor
Mercury. On the other side, she met the determined eyes of Sailor Mars. They
forced her away from the dying man.
"Mercury Power!"
"Mars Power!"
By means of their outstretched hands, water and fire met to dissolve the
impossible object. The scouts rushed to his side.
"Water to rinse and purify the wound," Mercury whispered, placing her
hand over Nephlyte's gaping wound. Blue light flowed through her hand to his
body. When she removed her hand, the blood had stopped flowing and all the
remnants of the object had dissolved.
Mars placed her hand upon his chest. "Fire to close and heal the wound."
Scarlet red flames surrounded his injury and slowly made their way inside his
body. Upon removal of her hand, Nephlyte's wound had been sealed.
Sailor Moon knelt beside of her friend.
"Molly!" She gently took Molly's burned hands into hers and whispered
something indistinguishable. When finished, Molly looked at them. Although
her palms were still red and swollen, the pain had vanished.
"W-will he live?" Molly gently brushed his beautiful hair out of his face
and stared wistfully at his closed eyes.
"We hope." Sailor Mercury looked at the man who had been her enemy
hours before. "It depends how much human is in him."
Molly didn't understand what she meant. Nephlyte, as he'd finally
revealed his name to her, was from an evil place called the Negaverse. She
assumed that it was a small country on Earth, but he implied that it was
somewhere away from the Earth.
Sailor Mars closed her eyes and placed her hands upon his forehead. After
a few moments, her eyelids flew upwards. With a surprised gasp, she turned to
Sailor Moon. "He's completely human. How can this be? All who are from the
Negaverse are mere shells of humans. Their negative energy is easy to detect.
Although there are those humans who side with her, even they lose their humanity
to Beryl's evil."
"I don't know. Your gift is beyond my capabilities, Mars." Sailor Moon
glanced at Molly, who remained oblivious to anyone but Nephlyte. "Perhaps
Luna can tell us something. For now, we must bring him back to his home."
Sailor Mercury looked at the other scouts and shook her head furiously.
"No, we cannot leave him anywhere alone. Zoicite may find him again."
"I'll stay with him tonight and tomorrow." Molly's eyes held a stubborn
gleam in them that the others were too tired to contest. They were certain that
Nephlyte would not harm Molly and that the Negaverse temporarily thought he
was dead.
"Very well." They helped Molly take an unconscious Nephlyte home and
lay him in his bed. Molly gently undressed him and cleaned the dried blood off of
his body. Her fingers skated across the section of his chest that the object had
penetrated. That Mercury and Mars had healed with their power. The skin there
was smooth and pinkish, like new skin.
Mars looked warily upon his sleeping face. She hadn't told the others the
entire truth – Nephlyte had a good heart and he was connected with their quest in
intimate ways. While the Sailor Scouts had an uncertain past in the Moon
Kingdom, his past was intertwined with Moon Kingdom as well. She recalled the
image that had flashed in her mind when she touched his forehead. *What if I lose
you, Nephlyte? Do not worry my love, I will come back to you.* He spoke to a
tall, slender woman who wore a small tiara. Her hair was dark brown, but the
features of her face were undistinguishable. The kiss that had followed was so
intense that Mars had shivered slightly. What could it mean? And why was it so
important that she had such intense visions of it?
The scouts left, and Sailor Mars transformed into Rei. It was time to
consult the Great Fire.
An hour later, Molly placed a cool rag on Nephlyte's forehead. He was
still unconscious, but thankfully he was breathing. She lowered her mouth to his
and gently kissed his mouth. His lips were warm.
Sighing softly, she kicked off her shoes and climbed into the large bed
with him. She flipped the rag over to its cooler side and laid her head into the
crook of Nephlyte's outstretched arm. He was hers now.
* * * *
A tall figure stood gazing towards the park. The wind blew her hair off of
her shoulders as she stood there, letting it carry away her worries. The air had
always called to her, and, carried upon this particular air, was the scent of an
upcoming storm. The night sky seemed to pulse with each passing second, as if it
were ready to bust but waiting for the right moment. A solid gray sky flashed in
the distance. The small gusts of wind compensated little for the mounting
humidity.
Lita had never felt more at home.
Gazing around her with appreciation, she sought a place to sit down and
watch the approaching storm. A white gazebo was placed strategically in the park
so its occupants could face the pond in front of it. Opting out of getting under
cover, she sat on the steps so that the raindrops could cool her face.
Minutes passed.
Sensing another's presence, her eyes roamed the park.
Another figure, obviously a man, was also watching the sky with
anticipation. He stood on the other side of the pond facing her. Strange, she
thought, that another could enjoy the very same things that made her so different
from others.
A few minutes later, the figure, unbeknownst to her, lifted his face as she
did to enjoy the rain. She was soaked instantly, and when the lightning began to
strike, she could feel the storm's energy flow through her. These strange powers
coincided with such storms and had since Lita could remember. THIS was what
separated her from other people.
The mysterious man seemed to finally notice her. A few uneventful
moments passed and then he changed. His posture seemed to transform as if
another soul had captured his body. As lightning flashed, she could see the
sparkle from his eyes – eyes that sparkled with strange light. With slow steps, he
began to enclose the space between them. She could only see him between the
lightning bolts every few seconds.
Dark wet hair hung around his shoulders, and his t-shirt was plastered to
his upper body. Lita took a shallow breath. She had seen better looking men, but
this one…APPEALED to her. She found it impossible to look away from him.
He walked with a resolute stride, and when he reached her, he stopped.
With a hypnotic expression, he lifted his hands and placed them on Lita's face.
The man lifted her wet hair from her shoulders and smiled.
This did not startle her. In fact, she almost EXPECTED it. Being with this
man was almost natural to her. The hypnotic spell began to invade her as well.
As he bent to kiss her, he murmured something into Lita's ear. The words
made no sense to her for a moment, as they were in a language that she was sure
had never touched her ears before. The words were soft, rhythmic, and almost
musical. After a moment, she found that she could understand them.
*Do not worry, my love, I have returned.*
Against the warmth of his lips and in the same strange language she
answered his declaration. *Nephlyte…*
She had never kissed or been kissed in such a passionate way. She
wrapped her arms around him and their lips melded slowly while the rain
continued to fall on them. An odd scent filled the air, whisking them away from
the present and into a world that only they could sense. They forgot where they
were, but, more importantly, they forgot who they were. Another time and place
called to their souls, and the more they touched, the closer they came to that
reality.
Lita began to kiss his neck, and his head fell back in ecstasy.
In that moment, lightning struck a nearby tree, causing them both to jump.
The extraordinary moment, strange scent upon the air, and their momentary
amnesia melted away with the shock, and they remembered that they were
strangers.
Recovering from the temporary jolt, Lita looked at the man and realized
that he was a complete stranger. She tried to remember the language that he
spoke to her earlier but could only remember the translation. The intimate
feelings that she had experienced during their kiss were gone, and she felt
ashamed.
They didn't know one another, and yet they had kissed like lovers.
He looked as distraught as she felt. He blinked a few times, as if to clear
his head, and tried to apologize but obviously could not find the words.
Lita understood – how can one rationalize something that was so
irrational? She felt no animosity towards the handsome man – he looked as
confused as she felt. There were no words that could explain how awkward she
felt as the heat of a blush reddened her cheeks.
Because the magic had ended, and she could no longer make sense of the
situation, Lita ran from the park.
* * * *
"My memories are little better than yours. I'm afraid that I can tell you
nothing more of Nephlyte's identity," Luna stated, settling gracefully in a chair in
Serena's room.
Across town, the storm's power had deteriorated significantly. With
random lighting flashes in the distance, warm socks, and a circle of friends, the
bedroom was quite comfortable. Serena took her normal position in the room –
the bed – while Rei sat cross-legged on the floor and Amy sat in a chair beside
Luna. The somber attitude of the room was unusual.
A worried look crossed Amy's face. "If Nephlyte is indeed human, he
should have been destroyed by Queen Beryl and the Negaverse. Since he was
not…there are a limited amount of explanations. It is possible that he possesses
strength beyond an average human male. This is not to imply that he is stronger
in the physical sense, although it is a possibility, but he has an incredible strength
of character."
Rei spoke up. "Nephlyte is connected with the Moon Kingdom. I don't
know how, but he played an important role in its prosperity and its demise."
"My guess is that he played a very important role in something. No doubt
he was powerful before he was recruited by Beryl."
"Who can possibly be that powerful, Amy? Beryl destroyed Jadeite with a
flick of her fingers. And he was obviously Negatrash. Surely she could eliminate
what was left of Nephlyte the human, despite his importance." Serena twirled the
ends of her hair around her index finger. Despite her lack of sixth-sense powers,
even she had sensed something good in Nephlyte.
Amy nervously rolled the Sailor Mercury transformation pen in her small
hands. A scientific explanation failed to solve many of the Negaverse mysteries,
and this was the biggest mystery yet. Her mathematical nature still clashed with
the idea of magic and power, but she was slowly getting used to it. "Perhaps she
merely locked him away inside of his own body."
"Why would Beryl spare him?" Rei quietly asked. She chose not to
disclose the remaining facts and information about the emotional vision. Her
visions had always been accurate, but when she didn't understand them, it was
best to keep the information secret until she made sense of them. In the
meantime, it was not difficult to hide her thoughts and feelings from others.
Especially Serena.
"Perhaps he had knowledge that she wasn't privy to. She probably had to
rely on his memories for…something. I'm not exactly sure. In any case,
Nephlyte is in grave danger if he is discovered by the Negaverse. Even if he
evades Queen Beryl's minions, he could still be in danger."
"How so?" Serena's thoughts drifted to Molly. She had never seen her
friend so ensnared by a man before. Especially one of Nephlyte's age. He had to
be close to thirty.
"As Nephlyte has no memory of his life beyond the Negaverse, he could
be from any planet and be of any age. If he is from an ancient time, his body may
deteriorate without her evil sustaining it." Amy chose to ignore Serena's cry of
disgust. She continued. "Regardless of Nephlyte's fate, Molly must keep her
distance. If Nephlyte is discovered, Molly could be killed this time. If he dies
from other causes, she will only be devastated by the ordeal."
"Molly has been through so much lately. Her mother has tried to
understand Molly's strange attitude and actions. Molly continues to wait until her
mother sleeps to go to Nephlyte, but he is resting most of the time."
"Serena, we've got to get her to stop!"
Luna agreed instantly. "Yes. In the meantime, we mustn't allow her to
visit him alone." When she was sure that she had everyone's attention, Luna
informed the scouts of her conversation with Central Control. "And that was the
minor details of our conversation. Our main topic was about the upcoming
addition to our team. A new scout will be joining us soon."
Cries of delight sounded through the room. Because of Zoicite's cunning
and Nephlyte's predicament, an extra scout would be essential in defeating Queen
Beryl. Only in dire circumstances would Tuxedo Mask arrive on the scene, and
he seemed to distract Serena so much that it was probably better that he didn't
feel compelled to rescue the girls.
"However," Luna continued, "I am not sure when she will appear or what
planet she represents. You must watch for her."
* * * *
Nephlyte paced his bedroom with the restlessness of the guilty. He rolled
the strange words on his tongue once more. *Do not worry, my love, I have
returned.* He could only speak the words because, somewhere in the hazy,
sluggish fog of that moment, he had mentally noted the sentence in its strange
words. Despite his painstaking efforts, he found that he could only remember the
translation and fumble over the intricate phonetics of the language. It was
frustrating.
The sunny skies had removed the remnants of the storm the next day.
Because of the ambiguity of the night, he nearly swore that it hadn't really
happened.
During the fury of the storm, when he had seen the girl clearly, he could
not stop his feet from coming to her. If only for her appearance, she was quite
normal. Her features were plain, and her figure was slightly gawky. It was her
SOUL that called to him. No, not to him, but to his soul. In those painfully short
moments of their passionate kisses, he knew that if not for the jolt of lightning,
anything could have happened. ANYTHING. He loved her and would've died for
her if necessary.
After their heads had cleared, they recognized each another as strangers.
And there was nothing left from that moment before. It was as devoid of emotion
as a purchase at a store or the passing of a stranger on a street.
Nephlyte cringed as he thought of Molly. He surely loved her, he told
himself. Her love had saved him and each passing day with her swept away the
evil clutches of the Negaverse. However hard he tried to convince himself of his
love for Molly, he knew that true romantic love felt differently. He had
experienced it with that young girl in the park.
He would never reveal that experience with Molly. He was determined to
eliminate it from his mind.
* * * *
Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Rei's consultations with the
Great Fire were always this way, but her visions were stronger when she felt the
extreme heat of the fire.
The vision suddenly came upon her.
She could feel his fear. She could only distinguish a red haze, but fear
was the prevailing factor in the vision. With extra effort, she could also feel the
chill of the moment, despite the scorching temperature of the room she occupied.
When she could focus no more, she let out a ragged breath and mopped
her forehead with the rag that she held in her tense hands. With a resolute sigh,
Rei began to concentrate again.
The black image of her mind slowly began to develop colors. Stars
sprinkled neatly in the dark backdrop and an enormous castle solidified to her far
left. There was a stormy atmosphere evident in her surroundings. Several moons
brightened her surroundings with a soft red and gold glow.
The dust of the land was rust colored, and she could now see that the
castle was made of emerald. An entire royal courtyard scene unfolded before her.
Only one person was in the courtyard, a beautiful woman who was dressed
in fine purple silk. The deep square neckline of the dress displayed a necklace of
large emerald and a chest that most women envy. A small golden tiara sat upon
her pinned curls. Some of her dark hair had escaped the fashionable hairstyle
only to tumble riotously down her back in large curls that reached past her
waistline.
The woman walked along the edge of the castle. She entered the gates of
a side garden. Clouds of red dust followed her as she walked with determined
strides. Rei was whisked to the beautiful rose gardens where the woman knelt
down before a stone structure.
*I will not live without you*, the woman whispered, caressing the structure
lovingly. Her voice had a rich quality to it, and although the language was
unidentifiable, Rei could understand.
As the woman took a beautiful dagger from the folds of her dress, Rei was
able to see what the stone structure represented. It was shaped like the symbol of
Jupiter, its surface smooth and graceful. An inscription was carved with a loving
hand, just as the intricate decorations that surrounded it had been. *Forever with
you* was written above two names – Princess Jupiter and Lord Nephlyte. An
educated guess told Rei that the stone structure had been created for a betrothal
ceremony.
Rei shivered slightly as she reread the names. When she realized what
was about to happen, her body shook violently. The woman, Princess Jupiter,
gently picked up the knife and turned its sharp point towards her chest.
Rei thrust the vision from her mind just before the princess drove the knife
into her heart.
*************************************************
Copyright 2003
story as soon as possible.
**********************************
A cold blanket of dust settled over the battle-beaten earth as the sun began
to set. Cries of anguish erupted from bloody men who still lived to vocalize their
torment.
Despite the morbid conditions of the battlefield, women, wives and
daughters of the soldiers, rushed from tent to tent, carrying bandages, surgical
tools, and strong whiskey. Of those who had remained in the vicinity, the women
seemed to possess the most strength and wits about the situation. Without them,
many more would have died from the most recent attacks of the evil queen.
It was with a strong wave of nausea that a young general passed the
wounded and continued on to report to his prince. Men he had known since
childhood lay dying all around him. In his twenty-eight years, he had never
witnessed such destruction. Finally reaching the royal tent, he ducked inside,
only to find Prince Darien in deep discussion with the others that were gathered
there.
"We cannot fight her forces for long and continue to keep her from
advancing. She fights with stronger magic, and her followers are not divided."
Prince Darien gestured to a seat within the small circle and addressed the
newcomer. "How many men did you lose?"
Taking the empty seat, the general looked solemnly at the four people that
awaited his answer. "Over half of my men were fatally wounded, while most of
the remaining men will be permanently injured. Only a few thousand men will be
able to fight in any upcoming battles."
"The same news for my soldiers, Prince Darien." Kunzite stood before the
other men. "We must ask for aid from the Moon Kingdom. That is our only
chance!" he stated passionately, revealing a deep cut on his arm in his gesture.
Sitting down again, he modestly covered the wound.
Zoicite agreed instantly. "I could ask for the help of Planet Mercury."
"And I for the Planet Mars!" Jadeite proclaimed. "We must gather all that
is willing to protect Earth. As Queen Beryl will inevitably plot the destruction of
the remaining planets next, surely they will agree."
Darien considered this for a moment. "I have posed these solutions to my
people, but Queen Beryl has made them doubt the loyalty of the other planets."
He paused for a moment and said softly, "Especially the loyalty of the Moon. Her
powers are strong, but her cunning is stronger."
After a moment of thoughtful silence, the young general addressed the
prince. "Our numbers are diminishing rapidly. We must do something. My
connections with Planet Jupiter, Kunzite's connections with Planet Venus, and the
others' will surely help us to win this war. Surely, our fellow humans must
understand that!"
"Your point is well understood, Nephlyte." Darien looked at his generals
with sadness in his eyes. "You must know that I have considered these things
myself." When a murmur of agreement sounded throughout the tent, he
continued. "The people know of our love for women of those respective planets.
They will believe that we have been tainted by that love. Only when Queen Beryl
nearly destroys Earth will I go against the wishes of my people and ask for aid
from the other planets. I refuse to shake their trust when it took so long to gain it
after my grandfather's tyrannical rule."
Kunzite stood again. "If you let ten thousand more men die before you
ask for help, they will believe that you have betrayed them anyway!" He softened
his tone. "I cannot let our world be taken over by an evil, power hungry queen.
We must stop her now while we still have a chance. With the help of the other
planets - Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Mars, and Mercury – we can defeat her!" A
sparkle of light flashed in his eyes. "My love for Princess Venus should only
confirm a trust for that planet."
For a moment, Nephlyte said nothing. Only dire circumstances could
produce five men who spoke openly of romantic love. Although their interests
had not remained a secret, the men spoke of their intense feelings to no one. Until
now.
Nephlyte addressed the prince again. "Let us speak with the planetary
rulers. If we gain their support, then perhaps we can address the people. I, for
one, cannot bear the thoughts of another battle such as this."
"Along with the other planetary queens, the Queen and Princess of Mars
will be visiting the Moon Kingdom. They have heard of Queen Beryl's evil
intentions and have wasted no time to discuss the matter. Perhaps we could
attend the meeting?" Jadeite went over the finer details of the meeting.
The prince brushed a sweaty lock of black hair out of his eyes. In the
period of the war – two months time – he had lost his home and his mother. His
father would soon pass away, due to his grief over the queen in addition to a deep
wound in his midsection. Darien had lost hope, and it seemed as if even thoughts
of the magnificent Princess Serenity could not cure his present melancholy.
However, in the midst of a dying kingdom, his faithful generals remained
steadfast.
After a long pause, Darien agreed. "We must act quickly then. The quest
for my family's redemption in this land has tainted my better judgment. We must
act as soon as possible." As his generals filed out of his tent, Darien began to feel
the pressure of defeat. His truest friends had survived numerous earthly battles
only to fight more terrifying and bloody battles with Queen Beryl. He could only
pray for their continued safety. How would Earth survive her latest attacks if
Darien lost Kunzite's strength, Jadeite's devotion, Zoicite's intelligence, and
Nephlyte's passion? It was a scenario that he was unwilling to contemplate at
such a helpless point in this war.
Two hours later, the four generals, Jadeite, Nephlyte, Zoicite, and Kunzite
arrived at the teleportation unit. Clean, prepared for negotiation, and anxious to
see the Princesses of Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus, the four were more than
ready to set foot on the Moon.
Nephlyte waited for Kunzite, his superior, to step inside the unit before he
entered. As he began to step inside, a strong force savagely ripped his body away
from the structure.
"A prince without his most trusted advisors is most vulnerable, indeed," a
sultry feminine voice murmured somewhere to his left.
Nephlyte looked around for his friends, but he was unable to see past the
thickening red fog that surrounded him, choked him. His limbs became sluggish
and his thoughts became clouded as a beautiful redheaded woman became visible
and stared into his eyes. Surprise, fear, and dread filled his heart. He couldn't
believe that this exquisite woman had brought about the destruction mere hours
before.
"Ah, you will do nicely, just as your friends will," Queen Beryl whispered
softly, reaching forward slightly to plant a kiss firmly upon his lips.
With that icy kiss, Nephlyte started to lose his memories. As she pulled
away, the evil began to consume him. In the end, his only fleeting memory was
of the beautiful Princess Jupiter. And even then he doubted that it was a memory,
as he had never heard Lita scream his name in such a terrified way before.
Consciousness slipped from him, as did his memory, his love, and all of
the goodness that had once made him Nephlyte.
* * * *
Maxfield Stanton lifted his face to the sky as the rain began to pour to the ground.
Cool drops of soothing water washed his face within moments. Tension melted
from his body as those same drops fell from his upturned face.
Earth was having a strange effect on him.
Nephlyte, known to humans as Maxfield Stanton, should have been
reporting his progress to Queen Beryl. He was entirely devoted to the queen and
the cause that he served. As was required, he ruthlessly gathered energy from the
human race, caring not whom he hurt or killed. This task was allotted to the
Negaverse generals only – Jadeite, Zoicite, Kunzite, and himself. It was a
mission that should have consumed his every thought and action.
Instead, he foolishly played in the rain.
A few yards away, a young girl watched the man with a swelling feeling
in her heart. Concealed partly by a large oak and partly by the low visibility of
the rain that filled atmosphere, she gazed at him with unveiled love.
He was so beautiful. Pushing the long brown hair from his face, he visibly
sighed. Eyes of azure sparkled as he opened them slowly. Muscles in his arms
became evident as the suit he wore became wet and clingy.
Molly felt her breath snagging on her swelling emotions. A few months
ago, she would have scolded a young lady for following a man into a deserted
park and watching his every move. It seemed unhealthy, almost, standing – no! –
HIDING behind an oak tree to drink up every movement of a man that she loved,
but did not really know. Her chest hurt with the strong new emotions that came
with the pains of first love.
Since she could stand no more, Molly, clutching her hands to her heart,
turned to go. It was torture to want…and not have. She left the cover of the oak
tree reluctantly, unwilling to ponder on how unsatisfying the situation was. She
left the park unnoticed by the object of her adoration and sadly made her way
home.
With the stinging chill of wet clothing, Nephlyte felt his willpower return
to him. Cursing his momentary weakness, he left the park to return to his
mansion.
It was imperative that he stayed focused. He must find out whether the
girl, Molly, knew the identity of Sailor Moon. If he fell out of Queen Beryl's
favor because of the Sailor Scouts' interference, he would suffer Jadeite's fate –
eternal sleep. Zoicite didn't make things easier, either. As Zoicite whispered his
shortcomings into the queen's ears, he lost Beryl's support. Only the Imperium
Silver Crystal or the capture of Sailor Moon could save him now.
And that brought him back to the girl in question – Molly. Laughter
shook his body as he thought of her proclamations of LOVE. Love, should he ever
become acquainted with the emotion, had no place within the Negaverse. In fact,
he had never heard of such a notion until he had been assigned to gather energy
from Earth. The ridiculous humans had even set aside a full day to celebrate love.
He, Nephlyte and Maxfield Stanton, had laughed at the worthless
conception of love. So, in celebration of THAT, he would reward Molly for her trust
and use her as bait to gather either the Imperium Silver Crystal or Sailor Moon.
He had considered allowing Molly to live afterwards, but even that issue was still
in debate.
* * * *
Nephlyte had persuaded the girl to meet him alone. It was a feat that was
unchallenging, but it still left him satisfied. Quiet manipulation was certainly his
strong suit, he recognized, knowing that the other generals lacked the talent.
When Kunzite took the direct approach, Zoicite viewed the situation through
heavy analysis, and Jadeite cautiously sent someone in before him, Nephlyte
slipped in the back door and got the job done. Whether the skill would prove to
be valuable in the near future was still in question, but in any case, it had allowed
him to survive Queen Beryl's wrath for longer than Jadeite.
He was even more satisfied when he convinced Molly to retrieve the
Imperium Silver Crystal for him. As she sprinted towards the location of the
crystal, he pondered on how to reward this girl. To present her to Queen Beryl
would be pointless – the evil energy of the Negaverse would kill most humans
upon arrival. And Nephlyte knew that Molly was weak. Strangely, the thoughts
of killing her left a sour taste in his mouth.
As she cautiously approached, he erased the evil smile off of his lips and
replaced it with a look of sadness.
Molly sat down next to him and searched his eyes. Clear blue eyes stared
back into hers and she thought she would melt. As she felt herself falling into
those eyes, she vaguely recalled his request.
Holding out her hands, she dropped the stolen crystal into his hands.
Although it hurt to steal from her mother, Molly pushed the guilt aside as she
watched Maxfield. She would reimburse her mother one day. Besides, her
mother would make up for the loss of the crystal in sales from other jeweled items
in her store.
Seconds later, studying the round crystal with a dark crystal of his own,
Nephlyte nearly shouted in frustration. This wasn't the Imperium Silver Crystal.
He tried to keep his temper in check and found it difficult. After a few moments,
strangely, his crystal began to react to Molly…
He had to know why. And he knew how to find out.
As he'd often seen human males do, he focused his gaze into Molly's
eyes. When he knew that he had her complete attention, he lowered his lips to
hers.
The action became natural to him immediately. He drew back from her
momentarily to see her reaction, but he could only concentrate on kissing her
again. A vague sense of memory clouded his mind as if he had participated in
this same activity once upon a time. The more he kissed her, the closer he came
to touching the memory.
Molly could hardly breath. She tangled her fingers in his thick auburn hair
and tried to keep standing. For weeks, she had dreamed of being kissed this way
by this man - for years, she had dreamed of being kissed that way by ANYONE.
A strange feeling began to grow within Nephlyte's chest, and it spread
throughout his body. His heart swelled until he thought it would burst.
Clutching her to him, he could concentrate on nothing except the wonderful
feeling of being alive. Startled by the intensity, he abruptly broke the kiss and
stepped away from her.
"Please, Maxfield, don't turn away! I know that I'm younger than you,
but-"
A shadow fell upon them from a short distance.
"How dare you lure her here!" Sailor Moon shouted, just arriving at the
scene, directing her angry gaze towards Nephlyte. Along with Sailor Moon,
Sailor Mars and Sailor Mercury had him surrounded.
"No, Sailor Moon, Maxfield isn't evil!" Molly pleaded, gently laying her
hand upon his. Her lips were still burning from his kisses.
Sailor Moon pointed an accusing finger in his direction. "Nephlyte, you
fiend. Show yourself!"
Smiling wickedly, he did as she asked. Sailor Moon would die by his
hand tonight, he vowed, cursing her for ruining his plans. Conjuring the powers
within himself, he blasted dark energy towards her. Mars and Mercury retaliated
with their own attacks, which he easily avoided. However, avoiding them sent
him directly in Sailor Moon's sights.
Her moon tiara was coming straight for his heart.
Screaming wildly, Molly stepped in between him and the tiara, protecting
him with her body.
He knew that he'd never known true fear until that moment. He also
thought it was the first time he'd ever felt love in his life. He was wrong.
* * * *
It was impossible to name his feelings at that moment. Molly lay in his
arms and her soft breathing indicated that she was asleep. She had saved his life,
and in return he had saved hers – twice. Hiding from Zoicite was no easy task,
but with Molly in tow, it was crucial to surviving
Her silly talk about chocolate parfaits and other such nonsense had
actually appealed to him. He marveled at the tingling feeling in his body and
wondered when he would die from such a weak and vulnerable state. Surly only
imminent death could weaken his mind so. Over the past couple of days he had
suffered a strange transformation. He had been painfully aware of his minor
injuries, a knowledge that he was once oblivious to. He also started to notice the
smell of flowers, the warmth of the sun, and the beauty of a moonlit night. Above
all, he felt powerful emotions surge through him when he held Molly in that
moment.
And that's just how Zoicite's minions had found them – huddled together
in a loving embrace that made them all nauseous.
The girl screamed when she saw them. Pushing her behind him, Nephlyte
tested their courage.
But they were too quick for them. Piercing him with an object that would
kill him momentarily, they watched with glee as the girl rushed forward to pull
the object from Nephlyte's body. He fell to the ground in a most satisfactory
way.
She would pull forever if she had to. The object burned her hands until
she could not help but to cry out, but the pain deterred her none. Nephlyte had to
live or she would surely die. She shouted her oath, tears streaming down her face,
and continued to pull the object. His eyes were closed and appeared to be dying,
but in her heart, she knew that he was not dead. She jerked at the object
frantically.
She heard loud voices around her, but she still pulled at the object that had
pierced Nephlyte's chest. The minions had disappeared, presumably satisfied in
the knowledge that he would certainly die. She would save him if it killed her in
the process.
It was when she could pull no more that a soft purple glow entered her
vision. Helplessly staring about her, she looked into the kind eyes of Sailor
Mercury. On the other side, she met the determined eyes of Sailor Mars. They
forced her away from the dying man.
"Mercury Power!"
"Mars Power!"
By means of their outstretched hands, water and fire met to dissolve the
impossible object. The scouts rushed to his side.
"Water to rinse and purify the wound," Mercury whispered, placing her
hand over Nephlyte's gaping wound. Blue light flowed through her hand to his
body. When she removed her hand, the blood had stopped flowing and all the
remnants of the object had dissolved.
Mars placed her hand upon his chest. "Fire to close and heal the wound."
Scarlet red flames surrounded his injury and slowly made their way inside his
body. Upon removal of her hand, Nephlyte's wound had been sealed.
Sailor Moon knelt beside of her friend.
"Molly!" She gently took Molly's burned hands into hers and whispered
something indistinguishable. When finished, Molly looked at them. Although
her palms were still red and swollen, the pain had vanished.
"W-will he live?" Molly gently brushed his beautiful hair out of his face
and stared wistfully at his closed eyes.
"We hope." Sailor Mercury looked at the man who had been her enemy
hours before. "It depends how much human is in him."
Molly didn't understand what she meant. Nephlyte, as he'd finally
revealed his name to her, was from an evil place called the Negaverse. She
assumed that it was a small country on Earth, but he implied that it was
somewhere away from the Earth.
Sailor Mars closed her eyes and placed her hands upon his forehead. After
a few moments, her eyelids flew upwards. With a surprised gasp, she turned to
Sailor Moon. "He's completely human. How can this be? All who are from the
Negaverse are mere shells of humans. Their negative energy is easy to detect.
Although there are those humans who side with her, even they lose their humanity
to Beryl's evil."
"I don't know. Your gift is beyond my capabilities, Mars." Sailor Moon
glanced at Molly, who remained oblivious to anyone but Nephlyte. "Perhaps
Luna can tell us something. For now, we must bring him back to his home."
Sailor Mercury looked at the other scouts and shook her head furiously.
"No, we cannot leave him anywhere alone. Zoicite may find him again."
"I'll stay with him tonight and tomorrow." Molly's eyes held a stubborn
gleam in them that the others were too tired to contest. They were certain that
Nephlyte would not harm Molly and that the Negaverse temporarily thought he
was dead.
"Very well." They helped Molly take an unconscious Nephlyte home and
lay him in his bed. Molly gently undressed him and cleaned the dried blood off of
his body. Her fingers skated across the section of his chest that the object had
penetrated. That Mercury and Mars had healed with their power. The skin there
was smooth and pinkish, like new skin.
Mars looked warily upon his sleeping face. She hadn't told the others the
entire truth – Nephlyte had a good heart and he was connected with their quest in
intimate ways. While the Sailor Scouts had an uncertain past in the Moon
Kingdom, his past was intertwined with Moon Kingdom as well. She recalled the
image that had flashed in her mind when she touched his forehead. *What if I lose
you, Nephlyte? Do not worry my love, I will come back to you.* He spoke to a
tall, slender woman who wore a small tiara. Her hair was dark brown, but the
features of her face were undistinguishable. The kiss that had followed was so
intense that Mars had shivered slightly. What could it mean? And why was it so
important that she had such intense visions of it?
The scouts left, and Sailor Mars transformed into Rei. It was time to
consult the Great Fire.
An hour later, Molly placed a cool rag on Nephlyte's forehead. He was
still unconscious, but thankfully he was breathing. She lowered her mouth to his
and gently kissed his mouth. His lips were warm.
Sighing softly, she kicked off her shoes and climbed into the large bed
with him. She flipped the rag over to its cooler side and laid her head into the
crook of Nephlyte's outstretched arm. He was hers now.
* * * *
A tall figure stood gazing towards the park. The wind blew her hair off of
her shoulders as she stood there, letting it carry away her worries. The air had
always called to her, and, carried upon this particular air, was the scent of an
upcoming storm. The night sky seemed to pulse with each passing second, as if it
were ready to bust but waiting for the right moment. A solid gray sky flashed in
the distance. The small gusts of wind compensated little for the mounting
humidity.
Lita had never felt more at home.
Gazing around her with appreciation, she sought a place to sit down and
watch the approaching storm. A white gazebo was placed strategically in the park
so its occupants could face the pond in front of it. Opting out of getting under
cover, she sat on the steps so that the raindrops could cool her face.
Minutes passed.
Sensing another's presence, her eyes roamed the park.
Another figure, obviously a man, was also watching the sky with
anticipation. He stood on the other side of the pond facing her. Strange, she
thought, that another could enjoy the very same things that made her so different
from others.
A few minutes later, the figure, unbeknownst to her, lifted his face as she
did to enjoy the rain. She was soaked instantly, and when the lightning began to
strike, she could feel the storm's energy flow through her. These strange powers
coincided with such storms and had since Lita could remember. THIS was what
separated her from other people.
The mysterious man seemed to finally notice her. A few uneventful
moments passed and then he changed. His posture seemed to transform as if
another soul had captured his body. As lightning flashed, she could see the
sparkle from his eyes – eyes that sparkled with strange light. With slow steps, he
began to enclose the space between them. She could only see him between the
lightning bolts every few seconds.
Dark wet hair hung around his shoulders, and his t-shirt was plastered to
his upper body. Lita took a shallow breath. She had seen better looking men, but
this one…APPEALED to her. She found it impossible to look away from him.
He walked with a resolute stride, and when he reached her, he stopped.
With a hypnotic expression, he lifted his hands and placed them on Lita's face.
The man lifted her wet hair from her shoulders and smiled.
This did not startle her. In fact, she almost EXPECTED it. Being with this
man was almost natural to her. The hypnotic spell began to invade her as well.
As he bent to kiss her, he murmured something into Lita's ear. The words
made no sense to her for a moment, as they were in a language that she was sure
had never touched her ears before. The words were soft, rhythmic, and almost
musical. After a moment, she found that she could understand them.
*Do not worry, my love, I have returned.*
Against the warmth of his lips and in the same strange language she
answered his declaration. *Nephlyte…*
She had never kissed or been kissed in such a passionate way. She
wrapped her arms around him and their lips melded slowly while the rain
continued to fall on them. An odd scent filled the air, whisking them away from
the present and into a world that only they could sense. They forgot where they
were, but, more importantly, they forgot who they were. Another time and place
called to their souls, and the more they touched, the closer they came to that
reality.
Lita began to kiss his neck, and his head fell back in ecstasy.
In that moment, lightning struck a nearby tree, causing them both to jump.
The extraordinary moment, strange scent upon the air, and their momentary
amnesia melted away with the shock, and they remembered that they were
strangers.
Recovering from the temporary jolt, Lita looked at the man and realized
that he was a complete stranger. She tried to remember the language that he
spoke to her earlier but could only remember the translation. The intimate
feelings that she had experienced during their kiss were gone, and she felt
ashamed.
They didn't know one another, and yet they had kissed like lovers.
He looked as distraught as she felt. He blinked a few times, as if to clear
his head, and tried to apologize but obviously could not find the words.
Lita understood – how can one rationalize something that was so
irrational? She felt no animosity towards the handsome man – he looked as
confused as she felt. There were no words that could explain how awkward she
felt as the heat of a blush reddened her cheeks.
Because the magic had ended, and she could no longer make sense of the
situation, Lita ran from the park.
* * * *
"My memories are little better than yours. I'm afraid that I can tell you
nothing more of Nephlyte's identity," Luna stated, settling gracefully in a chair in
Serena's room.
Across town, the storm's power had deteriorated significantly. With
random lighting flashes in the distance, warm socks, and a circle of friends, the
bedroom was quite comfortable. Serena took her normal position in the room –
the bed – while Rei sat cross-legged on the floor and Amy sat in a chair beside
Luna. The somber attitude of the room was unusual.
A worried look crossed Amy's face. "If Nephlyte is indeed human, he
should have been destroyed by Queen Beryl and the Negaverse. Since he was
not…there are a limited amount of explanations. It is possible that he possesses
strength beyond an average human male. This is not to imply that he is stronger
in the physical sense, although it is a possibility, but he has an incredible strength
of character."
Rei spoke up. "Nephlyte is connected with the Moon Kingdom. I don't
know how, but he played an important role in its prosperity and its demise."
"My guess is that he played a very important role in something. No doubt
he was powerful before he was recruited by Beryl."
"Who can possibly be that powerful, Amy? Beryl destroyed Jadeite with a
flick of her fingers. And he was obviously Negatrash. Surely she could eliminate
what was left of Nephlyte the human, despite his importance." Serena twirled the
ends of her hair around her index finger. Despite her lack of sixth-sense powers,
even she had sensed something good in Nephlyte.
Amy nervously rolled the Sailor Mercury transformation pen in her small
hands. A scientific explanation failed to solve many of the Negaverse mysteries,
and this was the biggest mystery yet. Her mathematical nature still clashed with
the idea of magic and power, but she was slowly getting used to it. "Perhaps she
merely locked him away inside of his own body."
"Why would Beryl spare him?" Rei quietly asked. She chose not to
disclose the remaining facts and information about the emotional vision. Her
visions had always been accurate, but when she didn't understand them, it was
best to keep the information secret until she made sense of them. In the
meantime, it was not difficult to hide her thoughts and feelings from others.
Especially Serena.
"Perhaps he had knowledge that she wasn't privy to. She probably had to
rely on his memories for…something. I'm not exactly sure. In any case,
Nephlyte is in grave danger if he is discovered by the Negaverse. Even if he
evades Queen Beryl's minions, he could still be in danger."
"How so?" Serena's thoughts drifted to Molly. She had never seen her
friend so ensnared by a man before. Especially one of Nephlyte's age. He had to
be close to thirty.
"As Nephlyte has no memory of his life beyond the Negaverse, he could
be from any planet and be of any age. If he is from an ancient time, his body may
deteriorate without her evil sustaining it." Amy chose to ignore Serena's cry of
disgust. She continued. "Regardless of Nephlyte's fate, Molly must keep her
distance. If Nephlyte is discovered, Molly could be killed this time. If he dies
from other causes, she will only be devastated by the ordeal."
"Molly has been through so much lately. Her mother has tried to
understand Molly's strange attitude and actions. Molly continues to wait until her
mother sleeps to go to Nephlyte, but he is resting most of the time."
"Serena, we've got to get her to stop!"
Luna agreed instantly. "Yes. In the meantime, we mustn't allow her to
visit him alone." When she was sure that she had everyone's attention, Luna
informed the scouts of her conversation with Central Control. "And that was the
minor details of our conversation. Our main topic was about the upcoming
addition to our team. A new scout will be joining us soon."
Cries of delight sounded through the room. Because of Zoicite's cunning
and Nephlyte's predicament, an extra scout would be essential in defeating Queen
Beryl. Only in dire circumstances would Tuxedo Mask arrive on the scene, and
he seemed to distract Serena so much that it was probably better that he didn't
feel compelled to rescue the girls.
"However," Luna continued, "I am not sure when she will appear or what
planet she represents. You must watch for her."
* * * *
Nephlyte paced his bedroom with the restlessness of the guilty. He rolled
the strange words on his tongue once more. *Do not worry, my love, I have
returned.* He could only speak the words because, somewhere in the hazy,
sluggish fog of that moment, he had mentally noted the sentence in its strange
words. Despite his painstaking efforts, he found that he could only remember the
translation and fumble over the intricate phonetics of the language. It was
frustrating.
The sunny skies had removed the remnants of the storm the next day.
Because of the ambiguity of the night, he nearly swore that it hadn't really
happened.
During the fury of the storm, when he had seen the girl clearly, he could
not stop his feet from coming to her. If only for her appearance, she was quite
normal. Her features were plain, and her figure was slightly gawky. It was her
SOUL that called to him. No, not to him, but to his soul. In those painfully short
moments of their passionate kisses, he knew that if not for the jolt of lightning,
anything could have happened. ANYTHING. He loved her and would've died for
her if necessary.
After their heads had cleared, they recognized each another as strangers.
And there was nothing left from that moment before. It was as devoid of emotion
as a purchase at a store or the passing of a stranger on a street.
Nephlyte cringed as he thought of Molly. He surely loved her, he told
himself. Her love had saved him and each passing day with her swept away the
evil clutches of the Negaverse. However hard he tried to convince himself of his
love for Molly, he knew that true romantic love felt differently. He had
experienced it with that young girl in the park.
He would never reveal that experience with Molly. He was determined to
eliminate it from his mind.
* * * *
Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. Rei's consultations with the
Great Fire were always this way, but her visions were stronger when she felt the
extreme heat of the fire.
The vision suddenly came upon her.
She could feel his fear. She could only distinguish a red haze, but fear
was the prevailing factor in the vision. With extra effort, she could also feel the
chill of the moment, despite the scorching temperature of the room she occupied.
When she could focus no more, she let out a ragged breath and mopped
her forehead with the rag that she held in her tense hands. With a resolute sigh,
Rei began to concentrate again.
The black image of her mind slowly began to develop colors. Stars
sprinkled neatly in the dark backdrop and an enormous castle solidified to her far
left. There was a stormy atmosphere evident in her surroundings. Several moons
brightened her surroundings with a soft red and gold glow.
The dust of the land was rust colored, and she could now see that the
castle was made of emerald. An entire royal courtyard scene unfolded before her.
Only one person was in the courtyard, a beautiful woman who was dressed
in fine purple silk. The deep square neckline of the dress displayed a necklace of
large emerald and a chest that most women envy. A small golden tiara sat upon
her pinned curls. Some of her dark hair had escaped the fashionable hairstyle
only to tumble riotously down her back in large curls that reached past her
waistline.
The woman walked along the edge of the castle. She entered the gates of
a side garden. Clouds of red dust followed her as she walked with determined
strides. Rei was whisked to the beautiful rose gardens where the woman knelt
down before a stone structure.
*I will not live without you*, the woman whispered, caressing the structure
lovingly. Her voice had a rich quality to it, and although the language was
unidentifiable, Rei could understand.
As the woman took a beautiful dagger from the folds of her dress, Rei was
able to see what the stone structure represented. It was shaped like the symbol of
Jupiter, its surface smooth and graceful. An inscription was carved with a loving
hand, just as the intricate decorations that surrounded it had been. *Forever with
you* was written above two names – Princess Jupiter and Lord Nephlyte. An
educated guess told Rei that the stone structure had been created for a betrothal
ceremony.
Rei shivered slightly as she reread the names. When she realized what
was about to happen, her body shook violently. The woman, Princess Jupiter,
gently picked up the knife and turned its sharp point towards her chest.
Rei thrust the vision from her mind just before the princess drove the knife
into her heart.
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Copyright 2003