Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the story. I will try to complete the story as soon as possible.

© 2003

Classical music swirled through the room, circling through cool air and down to the ears of a young general as he contemplated his blurry past and uncertain future. Shirtless, he was stretched on one of his comfortable leather couches in a pair of faded blue jeans. Red light filtered through the windows, indicating the pending dusk. Nephlyte stared at the textured ceiling, not seeing it or anything else but the two women in his life. Sometimes he felt like two different people.
On one hand, he felt a deep affection for the girl who had saved him from hell, the girl who loved him dearly. He wanted to be the man she told him he could now be without the sustaining power of the Negaverse. He wanted to tell Molly how dearly he cherished her and fulfill all of her sweet human dreams. He tried so hard to be pure and good for her. On the other, he felt powerful, earthly, and so utterly free. He wanted to drink wine, drive fast cars, and play loud music. He wanted to sing and dance in the rain, feel damp sand beneath his feet, and swim in the ocean. He wanted to find the object of his obsession, kiss her again, and love her until he died. His heart reeled and his eyes nearly watered at the blissful thought. His mind ached at his betrayal. Guilt washed through him at his thoughts. While he had partially repaired the damage he had done to Molly days before, she remained reserved and vulnerable with him. She would only meet him in public areas, never questioning his despicable behavior. He didn't bother to bring the subject up either. Their cold goodbyes revealed the depth of Molly's pain. He didn't know what to say or how to fix it. In the meantime, the green eyes that had so savagely ripped his attention from the sweet Molly had continued to haunt his dreams.
A knock at his front door forced him from his disconcerting thoughts. He jumped up from the couch so fast that he became a bit dizzy. Throwing on a white button-up shirt that he had tossed across a nearby recliner, Nephlyte prayed it was Molly. His long legs crossed the parlor in no time, and, wishing he hadn't moments later, he opened the door widely.
"Hello, Nephlyte," Serena greeted coolly, sweeping arrogantly into his home. She threw him a narrowed glance after peering swiftly through the rest of the room, obviously trying to detect an enemy.
He nearly gritted his teeth in irritation and resisted the urge to simultaneously yank her ponytails in different directions. "Sailor Moon. I don't remember inviting you over."
"Why should you? You didn't invite me over. I'm on official Sailor Business." Her eyes lingered on the fraction of Nephlyte's bronze chest as he buttoned up his shirt, and for a moment, she was genuinely jealous of her friend.
He closed the door with a resolute click. "An intellectual affair, I'm sure."
"Of course it is, you chauvinist pig! In a few minutes, the rest of the gang will be coming to ask you some questions-"
"How thrilling."
"-and I wanted to ask you a few before everyone got here so you will be prepared." And so I will get in a few questions of my own before Rei takes over the conversation.
Nephlyte smirked, walking into the kitchen to help himself to a glass of red wine – he would ignore her presence as long as she would allow it. He started counting the seconds on his fingers. The impatient blonde simply could not hold her tongue.
As predicted, a vexed Serena followed him.
He kept his back to her. Jumping up to sit on his countertop, resting her hands on either side of her knees, she asked, "What do you know about Princess Jupiter? Who is she and how are you connected?"
The color drained from Nephlyte's face. As he abruptly spun around to meet Serena's eyes to see what she knew, his wineglass dropped to the kitchen floor, splattering fragments of glass and staining red liquid throughout the room. As Serena surveyed the damage, Nephlyte was transfixed upon the image in his mind.
Princess Jupiter.
In a flash, images of a woman flickered through his brain, the elegant column of her pale neck, the kissable hollow at the base of her throat, beautifully shaped lips that tempted him unmercifully...the vision began to fade.
He tried to focus more fully on the images, only causing them to retreat faster. They meant something, caused his heart to beat faster, but he could not evoke the significance of them. After another second, he could barely remember any details. He shook his head forcefully, trying to grasp the ancient memories, but it did not help.
"Why does my question disturb you so much?" Serena spoke softly into the silence, a rich, enchanting sound that surprised him for a moment. The girl almost sounded...mature.
Another knock at Nephlyte's door sounded throughout the parlor, reaching their ears in the kitchen.
He was truly thankful for the intrusion. While he thought her to be impatient, whiny, and truly irritating, the young girl was certainly perceptive.
Serena squealed, killing any notion in Nephlyte's mind about her maturity and revealing that her "Sailor Business" was of the singular kind, the singular NOT-SUPPOSED-TO-BE-THERE kind. Nephlyte smiled deviously, crossed the parlor with haste, and swung the door wide open. The two ladies staring into his face were surprised at the speedy welcome.
"Hello, Mars and Mercury. Serena has been here asking the most PECULIAR questions." A fleeting glare from Sailor Mars to Sailor Moon gave him a deep sense of satisfaction. He continued. "Perhaps you can shed some light on the situation."
Amy nodded. "Perhaps we can, Nephlyte. Meet Lita, Sailor Jupiter. NEWLY APPOINTED Sailor Jupiter." She tugged a young lady into view from somewhere on her right.
Had he another glass of wine, it would have crashed to the floor as well. The woman of his enthrallment unflinchingly met his gaze with her striking green eyes. Grateful for his underindulgence in spirits this particular night, he masterfully spared them both an awkward moment by steadily introducing himself.
He bowed slightly, then, "I am Lord Nephlyte, former enemy and Negaverse General. I am pleased to meet your acquaintance." His deep voice never wavered.
Lita could hardly believe her eyes OR her ears. She could barely hear his words over the heated rush of blood to her face and the adrenaline blast that left her body weak and shaken. She murmured her greeting, deliberately sidestepping his outstretched hand. His eyebrows rose sharply, but if she touched him, she knew she would fall apart.
He seemed unaffected by her presence, and if not for her memory and the unusual sparkle in his beautiful eyes, she would have questioned the incident altogether. Unlike him, she had ample time to prepare for this inevitable meeting. At the insistence of Rei, the connection between Nephlyte and Princess Jupiter would be examined. Her personal connection to Princess Jupiter would most certainly be inspected at a later date.
He led them to the study, his eyes flickering briefly at Lita as she passed by. She smelled of spiced apples, an unusual scent for woman to wear. Most women he had dealings with smelled of delicate flowers, not a bold scent that made his head reel. He wanted to pull her close to him and drown himself in her perfume. When it became uncomfortable to walk, he abruptly sat down in the nearest chair and directed the others to do so.
Her thick hair was pulled into an unruly ponytail that cascaded in dark curls down her back. He imagined that when it was down it surely reached a point well past her waist. His eyes trailed up from her feet, encased in small leather sandals, her long shapely legs, the hem of her light green dress, her slender waist...as his eyes traveled heavenward, his breath hitched. By the time he made it to her deep green eyes, he had to physically stop himself from crossing the room, plucking her out of the leather chair, and carrying her to a more private setting.
Observant Amy noticed Nephlyte's momentary discomfort. "Too much wine?"
He cleared his throat and easily met her inquisitive gaze. "Not enough apparently." Nephlyte knew he had to rid himself of the stupefying fascination. He feigned irritation, and, throwing an accusatory hand in Lita's direction, he snidely remarked, "And so another scout is born. Tell me...LITA...how it feels to be the most recent champion of justice."
For the life of her, she could not imagine why he presented such a hostile façade. Granted, their first meeting had been quite intimate, but he had no solid reason to be impolite to her. In any case, hearing him say her name in such a fashion pricked her temper and injured her pride. Whether they feigned ignorance or antagonism in the presence of each other, she would win this battle if it killed her. "Probably better than being the newest Negaverse reject...Nephlyte," she replied smoothly. Lita made a special effort to bat her long, dark eyelashes at him. TOUCHÉ.
Serena laughed noisily, breaking the strained moment between the handsome man and the other girls.
Without further delay, Rei hastily began to tell Nephlyte of the tape, her methods of analysis, and the deductions she had made. "...And when we saw a lady who you recognized as Princess Jupiter on the tape, she looked exactly like Lita-"
"Rei had to get out the smelling salts to revive her!"
"Shut UP, Serena. Anyway, if you have any memory of her, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the princess." Rei folded her hands in her lap and watched him expectedly.
He would tell them nothing about the girl who identified herself as Lita, nor about the brief glimpses of the stunning woman in his visions he'd had since Rei had opened up THAT can of worms. "I'm sure you could tell me more about her than I could tell you, Sailor Mars. As for tonight, I am tired and quite stressed, so I would ask you all to leave. After all, your mommies will need you home by bedtime."
As he strode from the room, he pointedly ignored the newly appointed Sailor Jupiter.

She knew that had she stayed in Nephlyte's home any longer, her face would have revealed everything she had tried so hard to hide from them all. Lita was almost grateful for his inexcusably rude ejection from his home the previous evening. The facts were startling. The kiss in the storm was merely a doorway to fiercer emotions and potential occurrences that were to come. It scared her to think that she had such little control over her feelings, and even scarier, her actions. An intense twinge twisted through her heart. At this point, she recognized its urgency as the desperate pangs of love for a man whose name she had not yet known for an entire day. His face, at a forefront since the night of the storm and even more so since yesterday evening, danced in her memory. She tensed, not wanting to give herself up to the handsome visage, but finding herself unable to resist the pull.
Lita toyed with her transformation pen, contemplating on whether to throw it into the glittering pond before her. She knew that her recent troubles were all connected to the stick and the intriguing symbol that it displayed. After all, Sailor Jupiter and Princess Jupiter had to be one and the same – even an idiot could make the connection. Unfortunately, only a genius could decode it. She twirled the object through her long fingers, feeling its magic, power, and responsibility. It was terrifying.
The sun was setting before her, casting unusual shadows through the park. She hugged her knees, failing to notice the damp ground that she sat on, the chill of the evening air, or quieting atmosphere.
Could she rid herself of Sailor Jupiter and grant the curse to someone else? Or was Sailor Jupiter part of her, so much a part of her that if she extinguished the identity, she would also succeed in slaying herself?
Making a defiant decision, she stood up and stretched back her arm, ready and willing to throw it all away. Her fist closed loosely around the pen, and she closed her eyes tightly, fearing yet anticipating the small thunk of the pond's acceptance of her offering and perhaps her life.
Two heartbeats later, slender fingers closed around her fist. Startled, Lita spun around and met the dark eyes of Rei.
"You know, I tried this once as well. Amy caught me just in time." Rei smiled, took the pen from Lita's hand and studied it for a moment. "It's just as beautiful as mine. You know, it is a big responsibility, but you should be having the time of your life with it at first. Serena probably hasn't got on your nerves even once." Her mouth tightened. "But, she will. She makes me want to choke something...especially her." Rei's fierce look softened, revealing to Lita that despite their differences, she loved Serena dearly.
Lita laughed, relieved that Rei had spared her a lecture. She pocketed her transformation pen, thankful for Rei's timely interruption of her attempted disposal of the beautiful stick. "I was truly going to throw it away, Rei. It would be so simple, you know, to toss that thing away and never think of it...or other things...again." She sat down again upon the ground, staring pensively into the rippling water near the edge of the pond.
Rei settled herself down next to Lita. "I don't quite understand the connection between you and Nephlyte..." She trailed off, fixing her dark eyes on Lita's green ones.
She knew that Rei expected an explanation but was too polite to ask outright. "It would probably benefit us both if you could draw on my...past...memories. As is the case with Nephlyte, there seems to be things I cannot consciously remember."
The girls faced the water for long minutes, contemplating their own personal investment in the matter. Rei worried about the exhausting readings of hypnosis while Lita worried what might be revealed. Both were reluctant to complete the task, but neither could deny the considerable benefits of such an undertaking.
Standing up abruptly, Rei brushed the grass off of the back of her skirt. "Make no plans for tomorrow night, Lita. I'll meet you both at the temple – tell Nephlyte for me, will you?"
With that, she left.

A stronger man would have gently led the ladies from his home with a smile on his face and steady gestures. A stronger man would cherish the girl who had saved him from the Negaverse, forsaking all others, including a curvy brunette that was linked to his past in some intimate way. A stronger man would have banished any thoughts of another woman to the far caverns of his mind, refusing to allow those thoughts to consume him.
He was weak.
Nephlyte's dreams tortured him through the night. He had visions of a beautiful emerald castle, a delicate gem in a sea of treacherous storms. He saw Princess Jupiter alongside of him in a formal ceremony, offering him her hand and a dazzling smile. There were dreams that woke him from his sleep in sweaty terror that centered around her as well. By her own hand, a shiny knife was thrust into her heart, leaving behind a trickle of dark red blood flowing from her wound. She cried and cried, calling out his name, and she fell to the ground in a broken heap.
He woke again. By that time, he fell to his knees and prayed to the god of creation for relief. Near morning, he dreamt of four ladies standing around the princess, gathering power for Jupiter's revival. The wound was healed, her tears dried, and her countenance changed. A hardened...warrior...had replaced the delicate princess. She looked as though she feared nothing. It was a favorable outcome to death, one that carried him over in peace until sunrise.
A rumpled Nephlyte left his menacing mansion around noon. He was to meet Molly for lunch, and, hopefully succeed in exiling his traitorous thoughts and feelings permanently. The sweet girl, who he certainly loved a great deal, would be put through no more heartache at his expense.
An hour later, his tired eyes were drinking in the sight of a very nervous Molly. He reached across the smooth table, now devoid of all the consumed food, and took her exceptionally small hands into his much larger ones. They were so pale, he noticed, as he gazed at her slender fingers undecorated by bands of gold or jewels.
"Molly, I've been trying to come up with a suitable explanation for my behavior for days now. And, the truth is, I can't." His lopsided smile masked the falsehood easily. "Sometimes new feelings I have in this world are so...SHOCKING that I forget they are so normal for everyone else." A pink blush lit her face as he said, "And that PARTICULAR feeling was rather startling."
He laughed with relief, thankful that he was on the right track. Did human males always have such difficulty with females?
"I, uh..." he cleared his throat nervously, "I would like to have you over again...for dinner one night. You have my deepest apologies, Molly, I hope that you can find my behavior forgivable."
A slow smile spread across her face until she was beaming. She got up, walked to his side of the booth, and threw her arms around him. "I love you, Nephlyte." She kissed both of his cheeks and buried her face into his chest.
Another attack of shame pierced his momentary happiness. He managed to squelch it as he hugged her back. "You're always in my heart, Molly."

"I knew I would find you here. Like a scent on the wind, it seems that I could follow you wherever you go, Nephlyte."
Nephlyte turned, disturbed from the peaceful sound of the ocean waves crashing on the deserted beach. He wasn't surprised to see Lita standing across from him, her hair blowing in the wind. "You could have tried my HOUSE."
His azure eyes were mere slits amidst his tan, mistrusting face. His bangs fell in his face carelessly. The white silk shirt he wore was open to the waist over khaki pants that were damp at the hems from the salty waves. In this disheveled state, he was far more handsome than she'd ever seen him...and more dangerous.
She took off her shoes and tested the ocean waters delicately with her toes. It was quite warm for a late September afternoon. "True, but I wouldn't have found you and then where would we be?" She offered him a forced smile as the tide swirled around her ankles. Her sandals were hanging from her index finger and were swinging slightly in the breeze.
"We'd have our sanity and control of our emotions," he replied softly, no longer pretending to forget the situation between them. He refused to look at her and chose to walk up the beach instead. It was her choice to follow or not.
Lita sighed, happy that he finally acknowledged her for who she was. Her long legs quickly ate up the distance between them as she caught up. She was careful to leave several feet of space between. "I know. We can no longer pretend it is not there. Our past still beckons us...and I, for one, am powerless to resist it." She was careful not to inch closer to him as she said, "I no longer want to. My heart, whether mine or Princess Jupiter's, wants you."
His eyebrows rose, but he said nothing. His pace increased.
Feet slapping against the wet sand, she practically had to jog to keep up with him. "I don't think it's anything to fear...but, it IS a bit...intense sometimes. We just have to sort it out in our heads."
His shirt billowed around him momentarily as a gust of wind swirled about them. "That's quite an understatement, Miss Jupiter."
The space between them got slimmer.
She denied it, refusing to adopt his pessimistic attitude of their strange situation. Lita was making good progress in accepting who and what she was – it felt so natural.
Nephlyte stopped suddenly, catching her waist between his large hands. He forcefully pulled her to him, thankful that her height allowed him to look into her eyes. "Not that intense, you say? What's to stop us from doing this-", his lips lightly brushed hers, "-or this-", he kissed her harder, "or even this?" He took full possession of her mouth, pressing her body against his. In minutes, they were breathless but could find no mercy in each other. This time, they weren't lost in murmurs of strange languages and foreign emotions – they were presently lost in each other.
With a grunt of supreme effort, he savagely tore his mouth from hers, instantly missing the warmth of her kisses. "This is madness!" he proclaimed, lifting his eyes to the heavens. He avoided her gaze as he asked, "What drove you to seek me out, Jupiter?! Do you not understand the danger you are in with me? Are you so young that you cannot possibly understand what my every instinct drives me to do?" Fire raged in his blue eyes even as he looked away.
She refused to cry, as she knew what he said to be true. It WAS madness. "I came to you to inform you that Rei would like to see us. Tonight. I thought it best to inform you myself-"
"Well, you thought wrong!" he roared, ignoring the startled expression on her face. He turned to her and pointed a finger in her direction. "You tell Rei that I will no longer be subjected to her readings. Between her readings and your...presence, my every moment on Earth has been plagued!" He turned and stalked up the beach to a red Ferrari. Forcefully jerking open the door, he got inside and sped off.
Lita's tears were lost in the turbulent winds and soft misting of an upcoming storm.

The following afternoon, he strolled through a church cemetery, anxious for a reprieve from his home, where memories of the recent and ancient past churned within the walls. His head pounded and his body ached from the unrelenting stress. Earth was so foreign to him. Nephlyte would never miss the Negaverse, but at least it was familiar. He knew the ways of life, although they were evil. It was something he felt comfortable with. The cemetery offered him solid footing in this time of uncertainty – one of death and pain, the driving forces of the Negaverse.
Nephlyte did not notice another person arriving and was startled when the approaching minister spoke to him. Still, an old urge to kill lurked in his blood, and he surveyed the priest warily. He fought the instinct to act first and ask questions later, and won, finding the man to be no real threat.
"Hello, friend. Are you visiting a loved one?" The man's kind eyes reassured Nephlyte. The man kept a cushion of distance between them, further putting Nephlyte at ease. He felt vibrations of kindness from the man, the similar sort of vibrations he felt from Molly.
"No...these grounds are strangely comforting to me." The man nodded, and Nephlyte continued. "I suppose I am experiencing some confusion at the moment. Is daily life on this planet always so...perplexing?"
The other man laughed softly, patting Nephlyte on the shoulder as he did so. "Most feel this way when they believe themselves to be in love." He chuckled heartily at Nephlyte's startled expression. "You will get used to the feeling, son. The woman you love will show you the way."
Nephlyte glanced away from the man's perceptive gaze. How would the devout man of cloth react to the truth? That there were TWO women who could possibly show him the way...
They were silent for a moment. Nephlyte decided he would reveal no more.
A shower of blossoms danced forcibly in the air, momentarily lifting Nephlyte's thick hair off of his shoulders. A sense of foreboding inched up his spine as he recognized its meaning – Zoisite, who materialized instantly in the air above them. The smaller general laughed as he faced Nephlyte. "Who gives you power now traitor? I have your dark crystal now, and HE"- Zoisite threw the crystal in the priest's direction and it began to spin-"is mine!"
A fierce light encircled the priest, and with anguished cries, a monster took over his body.
Nephlyte felt his blood thicken as his head pounded, and his adrenalin rushed as he felt ancient magic give him strength. Strong powers transformed his body into a magical warrior, and he was able to face Zoisite as an equal. He stared at his outstretched arms and his chest, garbed in armor that was strangely familiar.
Zoisite looked a bit taken back but quickly shook the surprise from his gaze and shouted, "And so, the crystal shall be mine as well!" He darted towards the disfigured priest. Zoisite's fist had just begun to close around the sparkling orange crystal when a golden tiara knocked his hand away.
Nephlyte nearly rolled his eyes when Sailor Moon's arrogant shout reverberated about the grounds. "Back off, Negatrash! That crystal belongs to us!" Silhouetted by the setting sun stood Sailor Moon and Sailor Mercury.
Zoisite merely laughed again, instructing the monster to attack them. He began to grab for the crystal again, this time thwarted by Tuxedo Mask's piercing rose. Pandemonium ensued as Nephlyte stood, trying not to laugh at Zoisite's predicament with the orange crystal that Tuxedo Mask had just snagged while simultaneously trying not to laugh at Sailor Moon's clumsy escapes from the strange looking monster. All of his enemies (though not so much Sailor Mercury, who he had come to faintly respect) fighting each other – he was the victor by default!
As Tuxedo Mask rushed to aid Sailor Moon, Zoisite focused his attentions to his most hated enemy – a traitor and lover of humans. How he had waited for this moment to kill Nephlyte since learning of his existence. He would not inform Queen Beryl and allow her the pleasure of brainwashing him – Zoisite would feel Nephlyte's blood on his hands if nothing else.
Nephlyte's deep rumbling laughter jerked Zoisite from his daydreams. "How do you intend on killing me with strength, weakling? Time and again I have proven my superior fighting skills." Nephlyte was a true fighter, and he could taste the satisfaction of an upcoming kill
The other merely smiled and snapped his fingers. Two youmas appeared on either side of him. "And time and again I have proven my superior intellect over yours. Capture him and bring him to me ALIVE. Your SUPERIOR fighting skills only depend upon fairness – and you will find the odds unfairly in my favor this evening." He disappeared in a flash, but Nephlyte did not miss the sneer on his face.
Nephlyte's speed could not be outdone by the two unsuspecting youmas, but their skills were impressive. His sword sliced through the air to meet their vulnerable flesh in painful cuts, but they were much too intelligent to fight him for long. While it was a well-known fact of the Negaverse that Lord Nephlyte was a formidable opponent, the two had done their homework and found his weak spot – a tiny captive with large brown eyes and soft brown hair. Molly was utterly unconscious and so very defenseless against their dangerous threats.
The ugliest youma laughed. "So, my dear Lord Nephlyte. I believe we are at an impasse. Come with me and I will not kill her. You've been in this situation before, and I shouldn't have to explain the rules to you."
Everyone was oblivious to Molly's predicament except for him. He was meant to die before...it shouldn't matter if he died now. After the thought, a white hot flash of unbearable pain sliced through his head. He was living for Princess Jupiter...only for HER would he so willingly sacrifice his life.
He shook his head, trying to rid it of those contradicting thoughts. Molly would die - he couldn't have that. Jupiter needed him; he had to live for her. Nephlyte shouted in pain, his hands on either side of his head, and fell to his knees.
Had Nephlyte heard Sailor Moon, he would have known that the Molly he saw was merely a hologram, a trick designed to toy with his mind. With the searing waves of pain throbbing in his head, he was oblivious to all else. His breath was coming in short pants and his pulse was racing at a dangerous pace, a sure sign of an uncontrollable panic attack in response to a true dilemma.
The youmas smiled as they reached Nephlyte and began to bind his helpless body. Zoisite would richly repay them. Ahead of them, the faux Molly faded into the humid air. Too bad they couldn't kill the traitor themselves.
Sailor Moon shouted frantically wanting to save Nephlyte, but still trying to heal the priest from his monstrous state. Tuxedo Mask aided her in this task as well, still clutching the orange crystal in his hand. If someone didn't aid him soon, Nephlyte would die at the hands of the enemy.
A deafening roar halted the activity in the cemetery. All heads, including Nephlyte's, who was brought back to reality with the powerful cry, turned to the tall brunette thundering upon the scene. Lita's rage could be felt by each of them. Her eyes gleamed unnaturally, and an amazing determination rippled about her.
"Jupiter Power!" Nephlyte watched in wonder as Lita's nude body was showered in cosmic emerald light. The sunny air shivered as strong electric currents encircled her until she had gloriously transformed into Sailor Jupiter. The warrior wasted no time surveying the situation.
Her whispers may have been booming shouts for all the power they emitted. "Dear, planet Jupiter...call down the thunder and raise a storm for I have need of you this night!" The darkening sky became even darker when clouds approached at her command. She whispered more commands in that strange language of hers, and threw up her hands to the skies. Her whispered summons became authoritative cries of "Guardian Jupiter! Grant this power to me and banish my foes into the dark recesses of OBLIVION!"
The furious storm blasted through the grounds when her hands gracefully fell, and everyone was instantly knocked to their feet. The youmas had been transformed into magnificent nothingness, not odd looking corpses or the fine dust Sailor Moon often reduced them to. Only faint burns in the grass indicated they'd ever been a part of the scene.
Sailor Moon watched Jupiter, stunned at the power she had wielded. She had never seen anything of this force before and was, for once, speechless.
Everyone remained that way, watching Jupiter's green skirt flutter in the winds of the receding storm, her hair blowing and fanning about her body in unruly tangles, her hair tie lying shredded on the ground beside of her. She looked young and ancient all at once, an unusual mixture of innocence and wisdom.
She crumpled to the ground. Sailor Moon, Mercury, and the just- arrived Mars rushed to her side. Sailor Jupiter faded, leaving a comatose Lita in her place.
From somewhere in the chaos, Sailor Mars had appeared, but not too late for her to witness the awesome power of her teenage friend. She clutched Lita's left hand as Sailor Moon clutched her right. Mercury conducted a quick analysis of her vital signs.
"Her heartbeat is dangerously weak. She used those...incredible powers with every ounce of her strength." Sailor Mercury's eyes brimmed with tears. "I'm afraid we could lose her."
Sailor Moon burst into tears, consuming the attention from Lita's pale form. And thus, they were all startled when Nephlyte shoved them all out of the way. "I have the ability to heal her." With no further adieu, he scooped Lita into his arms and carried her into the neighboring woods, far away from the chaos and inquisitive eyes.
As Sailor Mercury turned to run and stop him, Mars placed a firm hand in front of her. "He does not lie, Mercury. There is a strange connection between them...he CAN save her." She turned her eyes to Nephlyte's receding form, and watched with wonder as he held the tall girl in his arms as if she were naught but a small child.

Nephlyte carefully sat down in the soft grass with Lita in his arms. In truth, he was terrified, but deep in his heart, he knew that he could restore her to health.
He brushed a tangled curl from her cheek and pulled the unconscious brunette so close to him that he could almost feel her heart beat. Nephlyte smiled as a warm feeling flooded his body to the very ends of his toes – it was entirely natural to him. He touched her face, unblemished and smooth, free from the adolescent troubles of most human girls her age. He traced her lips with his fingers, moving to her cheeks, and then to her temples. He wished to see her lovely eyes again, but first...
He threw back his head and shook his dark mane of hair so that it would fall down his back and not into her face. Shifting slightly, he pulled her chest tightly against his, so her heart was directly against his and steadied her head with his right hand, trying to ignore the way her soft hair felt on his hands and body. Nephlyte began to use the strange earthly magic of his own kind, chanting phrases and physically radiating forceful emotional energy. Within moments, the two were covered in a silver glow, and when it burned the brightest, he brought his mouth to hers and kissed her softly.
Lita opened her eyes when she felt the warmth surrounding her. Her lips tingled slightly, and she was quite unsurprised to find Nephlyte holding her in his arms. She was comfortably settled in his lap and staring into his concerned eyes.
She smiled.
He swallowed hard, noting the strange scent in the air and accepting it as the ancient tie between them.
"Thank you for saving me," she whispered, reaching to touch the strong line of his jaw.
Nephlyte resisted the urge to kiss those gentle fingertips. Mentally steeling himself to participate in a verbal conversation instead of physical appreciation, he was able to momentarily shift his focus away from her fingers. In a faint voice, he asked, "Why did you exhaust your power so? Your powers, in moderate strength, would have been sufficient."
Still mesmerized by his beautiful countenance, she delicately stated, "I was swamped with such anger..." Her eyes became a darker shade of emerald. "At that moment, I decided that I would fight my emotions no longer. I would willingly die before letting them even hurt you, Nephlyte." Her face softened into a smile again, and he felt goose bumps rise all over his body. "Y-you would willingly die? Or would the part of you who is Princess Jupiter willingly die for me?" Once the words had escaped his mouth, he could not take them back. She sat up in his lap and took his face into her hands. She was so close that he could feel her breath on his skin. "All of me, Nephlyte." A tender brush of her kiss left him breathless and weak. "All of me is in love with all of you." She could no longer deny that Princess Jupiter was a part of Lita. Nor did she want to. This time, the overpowering souls of Lord Nephlyte and Princess Jupiter did not interfere with the two. Nephlyte kissed Lita because he wanted HER, not just the princess of his past. Between ardent kisses, he whispered her name, simply because he liked the sound of it on his lips. He urgently laid her down on the grass and stretched out alongside of her. His mouth came to hers immediately. They kissed for many more moments, simply enjoying the feel and taste of the other's kisses. Her long hair blended with his into a mesh of auburn and chocolate pools. The moment was wild and they felt reckless – his hands inched up from her waist to her- Heavy footsteps caused them both to jump. Rei had entered upon intense scene indeed. She blushed as she saw the two of them so tangled together, lying upon a very bruised patch of grass. Their glowing expressions confirmed any questions that she may have had. Lita leaped up immediately, adjusting her clothing and brushing the grass and dirt from her skirt. Her unbound hair covered most of her face, but what was uncovered was clearly blushing. She walked to Rei, avoiding her eyes for most of the way. "I would ask that you hold this in the utmost confidence, Rei. Nephlyte and I are connected by a very intimate past and are simply exploring what it means. I will fill you in on the details when I am ready – please keep our secret safe. This would be quite difficult to explain to the other girls." She took Rei's hand, and when Rei nodded weakly, Lita squeezed it in thanks. Lita left the clearing and the other two in an uncomfortable hush. Nephlyte finally broke the silence. He walked to the raven-haired girl and looked into her anxious eyes. "She doesn't know about Molly, Rei. Spare her heart and Molly's while I sort out my past." Without waiting for her assent, he followed Lita's footsteps out of the woods.