Nephrite needed a quiet place to think, so he couldn't head back to his base. The little weasel Zoicite might be around simply to annoy him, and Jedite knew it's location. It could become quite a conflict.
Nephrite needed a moment to think because he was uncertain of where to go at this point, and what to do. The Black Crystal reacted to Molly, and no one else. Why did it do that? And why would Molly protect him like that. Attacking Jedite with his powers proved to Molly he was no ordinary person, and it didn't matter to her. She just wanted to be with him. She had asked if she could go with him. It didn't matter where, either.
He didn't understand it at all, why would she be like that, even now?
And if that wasn't confusing enough, there was still the matter of Jedite and his supposed betrayal. Seeing the way Jedite willingly fought against Nephrite was mind-boggling. He was always the careful one. While he could get angry, he was always very careful, and such a bold maneuver was hard to fathom from him. Jedite would never dedicate himself solely to revenge, he was mission-driven, first and foremost. Even his desire to crush the Sailor Scouts was superceded by his directive to collect energy.
It was true that Beryl had turned her back on him first, but for him to turn his back on her? Nephrite did not put stock in rumors, but he had heard them. The thoughts of way Jedite was so deferential to Beryl. That his loyalty was hers until death, that he would choose Beryl over Queen Metallia.
Everything seemed to be coming apart at the seems, nothing made sense anymore. Thanks to Beryl's betrayal of Jedite, Nephrite wondered if she was even worth working for. She might have him executed merely out of principle for failing so many times. That seemed to be the case with Jedite, Beryl didn't even wait for Jedite to fail.
But to assume they meant the same in the eyes of Beryl couldn't be possible. She ranked her Shitennou for a reason, and the position of second was not one anyone could fill. Despite Zoicite's bravado, he was not nearly powerful, cunning, or ruthless enough, and even Jedite surpassed him in power now. Beryl would not sell him out that easily.
But there was so much to think about, it was making Nephrite's head hurt.
He should go to Molly. Deal with one problem at a time. Finding the Silver Crystal precluded what to do with it.
Molly stayed up as long as she could for Maxfield. Her mind was so swimming with thoughts, fatigue didn't even register in her mind.
While the whole odd energy attack thing, and the confrontation with Sailor Moon had Molly confused, she still believed in Maxfield. He was a good person, she just knew it. It didn't matter to her that he had such strange powers. Sailor Moon had powers, she was just different.
She remembered the magical feeling at Princess Diamond's party, the night he dressed as Tuxedo Mask. He cared so deeply for her, Molly was certain.
The night began to drag on, and Molly could start feeling tired. She willed herself to stay awake, knowing that Maxfield would come. But she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, and drifted off to sleep.
She wasn't sure how long she slept, but a slight breeze rustled her awake. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sat up in her bed.
"Molly." She could hear Maxfield's voice, and that made her sit up quickly.
"Maxfield!" Molly looked for him, but saw nothing.
"Over here." The voice sounded from her window.
"Oh, Maxfield, I knew you'd come."
"My name...it's not Maxfield." Maxfield spoke sadly, as if he was weighted down by some terrible instance.
"It's not?"
"No. What Jed said...was the truth. My name is Nephrite, and I am not of this world." The man, Nephrite, delivered.
"O...okay. And...and the part about the evil queen..."
"That part...I'm not certain of anymore. I...I don't know who to follow anymore."
"Trust your heart." Molly smiled.
"That is...an unusual sentiment." Nephrite noted. "No one's ever told me that before. There is nothing but backstabbing, lies, and betrayals where I come from. Before I met you, I thought it was the same here. But now, it's different. You're a bright spot in the world, Molly." Molly blushed at Nephrite's praise of her.
"Molly, have you ever heard of the Imperium Silver Crystal?" Nephrite asked.
"No." Molly answered sorrowfully. Nephrite was silhouetted against her curtains, but she could see him raise up his right arm, which appeared to be holding something small, about the size of Molly's thumb. Suddenly, it seemed to glow with a beautiful blue light. Even through her curtains, it made her entire room shine with the color.
"Odd. I'm trying to find it, and every time, I come to you." Nephrite replied.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry Nephrite, I don't know." Molly lamented sadly.
"It is no matter." Nephrite replied. "Perhaps I am mistaken. Molly. I don't want you to get involved in this business. I don't want to see you get hurt."
"I'd brave any danger to help you. I don't know about it, but I wanna help you somehow! I don't care if it's some queen or Sailor Moon or that Jed guy."
"They are all very dangerous people, Molly."
"I found Jed, how dangerous could he be?"
"Exceedingly, Molly, he is...did you say you found where Jed is hiding?" Nephrite became intrigued.
"Yes, I did." Molly smiled, feeling useful. "I saw him just before I met you. He was in disguise, and he went to the Hikawa Shrine, that place we went to before."
"Really?"
"That shrine girl Raye was lying. Do you think she's one of the bad guys too?" Molly asked.
"Thank you, Molly. I must take a look at this."
"Maxfield?" Molly called. "Who is Jed, exactly? He had weird powers too." Molly recalled how Jed stopped the rock she threw in mid-flight, and used his weird powers to throw shards of broken glass at her beloved without using his hands.
"Molly, do not associate with him." Nephrite cautioned.
"Is he the bad guy?" Molly asked.
"I don't know. There is something I need to find out from him."
"What?"
"Something I need to know and he can answer."
"If Jed's not the bad guy, who is? I'll protect you, Maxfield, I mean, Nephrite. I'll protect you from anyone!"
"Molly, it's best you don't involve yourself. It's...unclear who the real enemy is and where the real danger lies."
"I don't care, Maxfield. I'd endure any of it as long as I could be with you." Molly lunged forward to open the curtains, desperate to see that wonderful man once again. But she felt a gust of wind as it opened, and there was no one outside. Was she dreaming? It felt so real.
She sighed and looked out the window.
"Nephrite..." She cried softly as she looked at the moon.
"What can I do to help you?" She pleaded meekly. She had never felt that way about any man before, and she wanted to do anything for him.
"More than you can imagine." She heard a man's voice from down on the ground.
"Huh, who said that?" Molly stood up and went to the window, looking down at the street. Standing there was a slender, short, effeminate man with blonde hair in a ponytail. Dressed in an outfit similar to Nephrite's.
"Who are you?"
"You're acquainted with Nephrite? I saw him outside your window." The man replied.
"Do you know Nephrite too?"
"I'm his...his partner." The man noted with a slight laugh. "And maybe you can help me."
Jedite was having trouble sleeping that night. The battle with Nephrite was weighing on his mind. The man was defending Molly, and Molly was defending him. Not in the sense of a human shield to dissuade Sailor Moon. Nephrite could have unleashed his full potential and did not.
What did Nephrite think of Molly? It was so odd Jedite couldn't help but wonder. Did he...actually care for her? Did he not want her to witness such violence? Worried about her getting injured if he attacked at full force? It didn't make much sense. Jedite would be considered an interloper, a meddler. No better than a Sailor Scout.
But that flew in the face of what Zoicite was told, or rather, not told. Nephrite kept the secret when it was in his best interest to reveal it. That was making it hard to sleep most of all.
And then Jedite shivered as he lie in bed, for he could feel a dark presence nearby. Stealthily, he got out of bed and willed his bedclothes into normal attire. There was no way he was walking into a battle shirtless and barefoot. He teleported outside in front of the temple.
"Where are you?" Jedite thought, scanning the area. In a flash, Nephrite appeared in front of him.
"What are you doing here?" Jedite drew into a battle stance.
"Calm down, Jedite. I'm not here to fight you." Nephrite did not get ready for a fight. Jedite did not relax. In one second, he was prepared to deflect any of Nephrite's projectiles.
"I want to ask you something." Nephrite continued.
"What's that?" Jedite asked.
"This world. You've lived in it, hidden yourself well. Beryl is completely clueless as to your survival."
"That is not a question."
"Despite the fact that you could have any life you want, you choose to fight us. Fight Beryl. Why is that?"
"What other choice is there?"
"You believe you have no alternatives?" Nephrite asked. And Jedite paused. Nephrite wasn't asking merely to mock him, he was genuinely interested.
"At first, I wasn't sure. Revenge, obligation, self-preservation. All seemed good reasons at first. But now, I think I know. I owe Sailor Moon."
"For saving your life?"
"In part." Jedite admitted. "But beyond that. The only life Beryl showed was a life she led for me. With it severed, I equated being spared to an act of cruelty. But through Sailor Moon, and those I met here, I found the ability to travel I path that I myself have set."
"I see." Nephrite turned his back to Jedite. Did he truly not see him as an enemy? What general showed his back to a foe?
"If I were to tell you that there was something in this world that was worth sparing from Beryl, what would you say?" Nephrite asked. Jedite paused. Something worth sparing from Beryl? Jedite had lived among this world, and there was plenty. His mind flashed to many things worth sparing: The friendship with Darien and Andrew; his job as the actor, Harvy Sigurd. But his mind flashed to Raye most of all. Beautiful, brave, intelligent. Raye was worth saving most of all. Metallia be damned.
"I would say that I knew what you meant." Jedite replied.
"Not an answer I expected from you. But I believe you're telling the truth." Nephrite replied, and teleported away.
