I know that the Naru/Nephrite pairing was only present in the 90's animé and not included in Crystal or the original manga…however, I myself and several others not only find it a beautiful if tragic arc, but even love the pairing.
This story contains both the original male Zoisite conceived by Takeuchi, and the translation-only female version from the 90's dub. While the Kunzite/Zoisite pairing on any level is not one I have preferred since finding they were initially intended as Mamoru's guardians and the Inner Senshi's own betrothed, Zoisite as a character, male and female versions, remain my favorite SM character overall.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sailor Moon or any of its characters; I'm merely a fan who hasn't had her fill of them. All rights belong to Naoko Takeuchi.
.:The Parfait Outing:.
It had been a long time…since she'd had that dream.
Not for the first time, memories that were not hers crept into her dreams: a strange, beautiful man in a soldier's uniform shielding her from a youma's attack…and subsequently dying in her arms.
(His auburn hair and auburn eyes…why did they seem so familiar to her?)
An equally beautiful young man with blond hair in a low ponytail cackling as his comrade was mortally wounded. For what could they be but comrades—at least in name—when they wore such similar uniforms?
(Her body grew so cold when she thought of him…cold and terrified. But why should a dream scare her so?)
Then a strange coincidence: Mamoru's new friends, freshly returned from abroad. The redhead…Sanjouin, was it? THE Masato Sanjouin…he looked exactly like the man from her dream.
…And Mizuno's new boyfriend looked like the same blond man who had killed him.
Then Usagi had revealed not one, not two, but several secrets which had explained, well, everything.
The first: Usagi was the "pretty guardian who fights for love and justice", Sailor Moon. Two, she was princess of and heiress to the Silver Millennium, an ancient kingdom that had existed long ago. The Greeks had called her mother 'Selene'—not her mother Ikuko Tsukino, but her mother from that previous life, the Queen Serenity.
The third: her darling, Mamoru Chiba, was none other than Tuxedo Mask. The fourth: Mizuno-san, Hino-san, Kino-san, and Aino-san were all her fellow guardians of justice—Sailor Mercury, Sailor Mars, Sailor Jupiter, and Sailor Venus, respectively.
The fifth: Mamoru's 'new' friends were in fact his own guardians, as the Senshi were to Usagi…the Planetary Knights, Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoisite, and Kunzite. The sixth: they were the Senshi's own 'Tuxedo Masks'.
Mostly. Basically.
The seventh: they had all lived previous lives. The eighth: that did include herself, Naru Osaka. She had not lived ancient lives as had the rest of them, but she had been 'reset', also. Ninth: there had not been only one reset Sailor Moon had performed, there had been three.
"The evil just kept coming back," Usagi said, frowning deeply. Tears filled her eyes as she shook her head. But slowly it gave way to a nod: "Until this last time. This last reset…I think we've finally won. We finally eradicated Metallia for good. And now…"—here she smiled—"now we're stronger than ever."
Naru…had had to sit down. The redhead from her dream, Nephrite, had been the one to hold the seat for her.
"Are you quite all right, milady?" he had asked.
…Was that…pain passing over the blond's—Zoisite's—face as he looked at them?
"I know this must be a lot to take in," Luna said.
(The tenth…Luna and Artemis could talk.)
Naru shook her head. The eleventh secret Usagi had revealed was that in two previous resets, she had had a thing for Nephrite, and Nephrite had—perhaps—had a thing for her.
"The dreams you keep having, Naru…they're not just dreams. They're memories. Memories of before. I'm so sorry I waited until now to tell you. I wanted to be sure…I wanted to be sure we'd really beaten them this time. I'm still not, but"—she smiled at her Senshi, and the generals beside them—"I feel like even if they rise again, we'll have the power to protect this world and those we love in it.
"I remember everything, Naru," Usagi said. "It took awhile for it to come back…and each reset had some big effects on us. It wasn't until this last one that I really got everything right again."
First she had reset them…and then Metalia had come back, and reset things again. Then Sailor Moon had defeated her, and reset them back. Mamoru had made it to college before she had returned…and Beryl had found a way back, once again. Usagi had reset it, once more. But how long would she be allowed to do so, before the Heavens refused her pleas?
But she could sense that this was not how it was to end!
"So please," she prayed. "Give us one more try at our happily ever after…for everyone."
Mamoru had made it to college again…and everything had been restored to before the all the resetting back-and-forth. The only exception was the Spectre Sisters, who had only grown with each one. Ail and An had been needed, too…not on Earth, but elsewhere.
In the end, Usagi had to believe that it was all in Heaven's plans: whatever reason the resets needed to happen, she was simply the medium by which they did.
"Naru…there's so much about this world that I've kept from you. I hope you can forgive me; I was only trying to keep you safe."
She had understood… and if there had been anything to forgive Usagi, she would have done so. The flashes of dreams—of memories, she corrected herself—she had of…that, and those memories of just prior—those of the kidnapping and threats on her life by the youma—the youma that Nephrite had ultimately lost his life saving her from—explained perfectly well why Usagi felt that silence on the matter would be the most effective way to keep Naru safe.
"Of course I'm not upset, Usagi."
Just confused. About so many things.
.:S:.:S:.:S:.
Morning came all too early for Naru's taste. At the very least, she had never had to struggle to find a job: after high school, she had entered into her family's business, willingly. She was not as glamorous as her mother, but she was learning, and brought a grounded personality to the shop that kept people coming back. She finished up her breakfast and tidied up the kitchen, dressed in her teal skirt and matching suit jacket, some black pumps, and went to work.
"Good morning, Mama," Naru greeted as she walked through the front doors.
"Hello, Naru!" Mayumi Osaka smiled and waved at her daughter, then went back to her customer. Naru looked around: the store was already quite busy for that time of day.
…In reflection, it made sense: Christmas was coming up, and people were eager to hit OSA-P for any sales. So Naru put her purse in the back room, then headed out to the floor.
And the day proved even busier than she thought! Men wanting jewelry for their wives or girlfriends, parents wanting darling accessories for their children, ladies wanting gifts for their mothers and sisters and friends. In Naru's mind, it was a blessing: it left her no time to think of the dream-memory she'd had that morning, nor time to ponder what that meant for her and Makoto and Mr Sanjouin—or Nephrite, as she now knew him to be. She and Makoto had had a long talk and she knew Makoto's feelings on the matter, but she still felt worried about driving a wedge between them…and potentially between Usagi and Mamoru and the Senshi.
They had proven their trust of her by letting her into their circle. The last thing she wanted to do was break that.
"Oh my gosh—is that Masato Sanjouin?!"
Naru froze.
"I'd heard he was back—"
"I heard he was dead…"
"He buys from this shop?!"
"Masato Sanjouin—!" A fourth woman added her swooning, fangirlish tones. Naru deliberately looked away as he approached her counter. As he approached her.
"Miss Osaka?" Naru started at the familiar voice. Slowly, she raised her eyes to look at him. A gentle smile graced his face, as it so often did these days.
A far cry from the terrifying general and dying man in her dream.
"Mr Sanjouin?" Naru couldn't help the heat rising in her cheeks. But she smiled at him. "What…brings you here?"
"You do, as a matter of fact," he said, voice kind. A pause, and Naru's cheeks further reddened: everyone in the shop was staring at them. "I had wondered…if that parfait shop you described to me some years ago survived everything? I believe I am long overdue in keeping my promise."
"Chocolate…parfait?" Naru repeated. The nightmare from that morning resurfaced: a memory of so long ago…her kidnap by the three youma, her rescue by the very man standing before her…and his death at the monsters' hands, trying to save her.
He'd succeeded. And for that, she was very grateful. Yet it was a trauma that would stay with her…even more so now that she knew it hadn't been a dream.
"…Yeah, the shop's still there," Naru replied, at last. "But…are you sure? Is…Makoto sure?"
"You know Makoto's thoughts on this situation as well as I do," he said gently, tilting his head.
"Running from this issue isn't going to solve it." Makoto's words echoed in her head. "I'm not looking to be enemies with anyone. Nephrite means a lot to both of us. Isn't it about what he really wants?"
"She was my first. And whatever happens here…she and I will always have that. But it would not be right of her to…make decisions in the present, based on circumstances of the past," he explained tactfully, owing to the busy shop, and all eyes still on him. "Ultimately it is about what she really wants. She will always have my sword…but whether that is as a lover or as a friend, that's something the future will have to decide.
"In the meantime"—he winked—"I recall making you a promise, didn't I?"
Naru's knitted eyebrows slowly relaxed, and her mouth upturned into a small, shy smile.
"Would you mind terribly…waiting for just a few more minutes?" she asked. "It's a big sale. My lunch break will be at one."
"Not at all," he replied. "I'll return then."
.:S:.:S:.:S:.
"…What made you think of chocolate parfait today, specifically?" Naru asked, walking next to Nephrite as they went along the street. The weather had been nice all week for this time of year: white clouds floating cheerfully in an equally cheerful blue sky, the temperature not so chilly that heavy coats were a necessity. Naru's suit jacket kept her quite warm enough.
"I'm not entirely sure," he said. He raised his eyes to the clouds. "Perhaps the weather?" Naru shuddered.
"I'd…rather not think about that night," she said. Knowing the nightmare wasn't just any nightmare had brought with it a certain calm and relief, but also complications. With the memories had indeed returned the emotions associated with them: the deep affection and attraction that had been strong enough to evoke a reaction from the Dark Crystal, the horrible depression she had gone through after Nephrite's not one but two separate deaths—three, counting the one that only the Senshi had witnessed, when Metalia had wiped them all out together—and the unnatural fear and disgust she felt when looking on Zoisite, who had orchestrated one of them.
She was doing her best to work through the bad feelings. Sailor Moon had explained the damage Beryl had done to them…how their true personalities had been cruelly flipped upside-down in direct contrast to the noble titles they carried under Endymion: Jadeite became cruel and misogynistic instead of the patient man who strove for harmony; Nephrite's wisdom and his instinct to comfort those he cared for had instead turned him into a calculating man who twisted people's passions into darkness. Kunzite's penchant for Virtue and Affection had turned him cruel and cold.
Zoisite, the youngest, had suffered the worst twists of all in that reset: highly intelligent, their Knight of Purity and Healing had become cruel, vicious, and vengeful, caring nothing for murdering his companions save he advanced his own ends.
Naru frowned as she walked beside Nephrite; since their resurrection, the youngest knight had only ever been gracious to her. He never blamed her for her feelings.
"He blames himself, too, Naru," Usagi said. Naru had come to her a short while after the Senshis' 'big reveal', seeking more specific answers without an audience. "He won't pretend it doesn't bother him, but that's not anything because of you. He just can't believe he helped murder someone he loves so much. They do all love each other, they just show it differently than you and I and the girls do."
"You…love me?"
"Well, of course!" Usagi said. "Not in the way I love Mamo-chan, but like the other Senshi. You're all sisters to me!"
"…Are you thinking of that night?" Nephrite asked, not unkindly. Usagi had conveyed her and Naru's conversation to him later…not to break Naru's confidences, she explained, but so Nephrite could understand where Naru was coming from.
"…It's hard not to," she said, looking away. "Now that I know they're memories…" He nodded.
"I understand that," he said. "I have similar feelings, I must admit. But I have many good memories of my companions to counter any bad; I must also remember that I was under the same spell. I have no right to hold their sins against any of them; I committed many of the same atrocities." Naru looked at him, appearing to give this some thought. That…was a very good point.
"My brothers do understand," Nephrite said then. It felt so strange, now, hearing such gentle tones from him…even when he had rescued her in the past, just before his first deaths, his voice had had a certain hardness to it. She supposed it was necessary in his line of work, even under Mamoru—the twelfth secret: Usagi and Mamoru would one day become Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion, respectively—but that did not make the hardness any less saddening (and intimidating given the right circumstances…at least nowadays, Nephrite reserved said intimidations for those who would do them harm instead of doing that harm himself). Naru preferred these tones, the warm ones.
"But," he said, "today is not about that time. Today is about you and I." Naru blushed, but nodded.
"…How is Makoto?"
"She's quite all right," Nephrite said. "She and Motoki are going out to dinner tomorrow evening."
That made Naru feel less guilty, less like she was stealing someone's beau.
"…And how does…Motoki feel about all this?" Naru asked.
"Conflicted, as I do," he said, voice calm. "We were very honest with each other, as you and Makoto were."
"You talked?"
"Of course," he said, looking her full in the face. "We shall always be friends. But then Motoki and I are becoming friends, too. It would be cruel to exclude him, especially given how he was able to help our prince when we literally could not. Moreover, he is a good man. He is good to have on our side." Nephrite smiled, so calm that Naru couldn't help but feel at ease, too.
"Whatever the future holds for us—all of us—we'll figure it out, Naru," he said. "In the meantime…let's you and I enjoy each other's company, and not make a flake out of me!" At this, Nephrite chuckled, and Naru found herself relaxing further, also.
"Okay," she agreed.
Another block, a left turn, a few more meters…and then they were at the desired destination.
"This is it," Naru said, looking up at the sign. "It's undergone a few changes since we first talked, but it's still here!"
The parfait shop had gone through a few evolutions since Naru had been in school: at first, it had resembled a standard 50's diner, reminiscent of the one shown in such movies as Back to the Future. In the early 2000's, it had undergone its first remodel to be more modern and contemporary. Then five years ago, it had been remodeled again, this time with traditional Japanese design in mind. Despite all the changes of the restaurant itself, however, the ice cream had remained absolutely delicious, and Naru felt grateful that it had survived the insanity of the past three years.
"It's a charming place," Nephrite said, holding the door as she went in ahead. Chivalry might be dead in some parts of the world, but Nephrite would continue to uphold such values as long as he existed. With a smile, Naru entered, not entering the line, but close enough to the counter that Nephrite could read the menu.
(Naru, of course, knew it all by heart!)
"There are quite a few delicious selections here," Nephrite said. "I believe Mamoru"—addressing Endymion by his first name felt so strange—"favors the Black Forest variety, but tell me what you would recommend?" Naru blushed and put a finger to her chin.
"Honestly, the Black Forest is one of my favorites, too," she said. "But there's also a Salted Caramel Brownie and a Banana Split. If you don't feel like chocolate-chocolate, they have a raspberry-white chocolate, and a strawberry shortcake, too. Those aren't all of them, but those are my favorites." She smiled. Nephrite's eyes widened in surprise…and he subsequently looked away with a puzzled expression.
"Is…something…" Naru began, but Nephrite turned his head back with a smile.
"I'll be honest, I'd forgotten that white chocolate existed," he said, chuckling a bit. Naru let out a giggle, then approached the counter.
"Could we get a Black Forest parfait, and one of the raspberry-white chocolate?" she asked. With a confirmation and a nod, the worker set about getting her order, and Naru and Nephrite moved to find a seat.
"So have you ever had white chocolate at all?" Naru asked.
"I would suppose so," Nephrite said. "But I do not remember exactly what it tastes like."
"It tastes kinda like vanilla, usually," Naru said. "But at the same time, it doesn't always taste exactly like vanilla."
"I see," he said. "I'll be curious to know what their variety is like, then."
"Have the rest of the Shitennou found out any more on their modern lives?" Naru asked. Nephrite smiled.
"We have, indeed," he said, nodding. "Kunzite's name was Shin, in this era. He was completing his graduate program at Keio University. And Zoisite has an aunt! It's from her that he assumed his 'Izono' identity some years ago."
A fuzzy image…but one she nevertheless recalled, even after all this time. An entreaty to find a shining Silver Crystal…one that, unbeknownst to him or anyone else, Sailor Moon had in her possession. "That…Professor Izono that appeared on TV, back when we were all in middle school?" Naru's eyes widened. "That was him?"
"That it was," Kunzite said. "Only, Professor Izono is in fact a real person and not just a facade—she is his real aunt, his father's twin sister. And she could not be more delighted to have him back. His father died before he was born in our original era, you see, and sadly did not last much longer in this one. So they are still a piece of each other, and a piece of the person they so deeply miss."
"That's terrible," Naru said. Even as she did not particularly care for him, she couldn't imagine life without her mother or younger sister. At least he did have someone left, then…which was more than she could say for Nephrite.
"One Black Forest and one white chocolate-raspberry," the server announced, pushing the parfaits across the counter with a smile. Nephrite gripped both of the glasses at their stems, and followed Naru to a small table for two.
"This is very good!" Nephrite exclaimed, after taking a bite. "And you are right…it is like vanilla, but not quite. I do seem to recall trying it before, but I don't believe it was quite as tasty as this."
"They have great ice cream!" Naru agreed, pleased that he found her suggestion delicious. They sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the desserts.
"Are you lonely?" Naru asked suddenly. "Without your parents, I mean? Or brothers or sisters? Zoisite at least has his cousin, too, doesn't he?" And Jadeite had his brother…though whether or not they would ever speak again after what Mr Kaidou did to Rei was another topic entirely. Naru had not been present when Jadeite's brother came to visit them—the gall to do so at the Hikawa Shrine, no less—but Usagi had told her that it had taken all three of the other generals plus Mamoru, and Haruka to hold Jadeite back. Naru was quite certain they'd saved Mr Kaidou's life that day. The animosity for Jadeite toward his elder brother was so great, in fact, that he had requested Grandpa Hino allow him the privilege of becoming a mukoyoshi, an adopted son-in-law who took his wife's family name. He had no wish to share the name 'Kaidou' with one who had lead his princess on and hurt her in such a cruel way.
"To a degree, yes," Nephrite said honestly, answering her former question. Then he let out a chuckle. "Though in the case of Zoycite, too, I'm not sure having no family around is such a bad thing…" Naru chuckled. Zoycite—Zoisite's female cousin who shared his name, both of them having been named after his father, Usagi had explained—was a one-of-a-kind buzzkill and royal pain-in-the-neck (pun quite intended, as she had been a musician in Endymion's court).
"She does have a heart, though," Naru said, surprising herself at her defense of the woman. She liked Zoycite even less than her cousin, who at least acted like a knight, despite Naru's memories of him being anything but. Nephrite chuckled.
"She does when she wants to, and sometimes when she doesn't want to," he agreed. "She proved that when she helped us fight those Duel Monsters last month." A pause. "I do miss my parents very much, now that I've remembered them. But it comforts me that they were good people who used their wealth to help. And I shall do my best to live up to that legacy."
"You're much stronger than I could ever be," Naru said. But he shook his head.
"Strength comes in all different forms," he said. "It takes a special type of person to see through a beast's pelt to the human inside." Naru blushed, but smiled and stared at the ground off to her side.
"Well, we've discussed my family, but we have not spoken of yours. How is your family's jewelry store? It looked like you had quite the crowd when I visited…"
"Yeah, OSA-P is running a big sale for Christmas," Naru said. "Lots of people buying gifts for their families and sweethearts." She blushed a little. It had been awhile since she'd had a sweetheart. Umino had been kind and gallant to her when she had had him, but…they had separated at the end of senior year, each wanting different things.
She wondered what he was up to now?
"Are you thinking of that young man you used to date?" Nephrite asked, not unkindly. "…Umino, wasn't it? Usagi told us something about it."
"He was always so kind," Naru said, smiling brightly. "And very gallant. We're still friends. We just wanted different things."
"Understandable," Nephrite said. "You have your family's business, no doubt. And he is in university, correct?"
"Yeah," Naru nodded. "We know we made the right decision. But…that still doesn't stop me from wondering about how he's doing, or what he's doing now."
"That's because you're still truly friends, and still care about each other," Nephrite said. "When genuine respect and care is involved, people can remain friends even after a different kind of relationship has ended. It's rare, but possible." Naru smiled.
"Is that why you and Makoto are able to…work this out?"
"And yourself and Motoki…and yes, yes it is. She will always have my sword. But whether that be as a friend or her prince, that is a decision not so easily made, and truly one that all four of us must make together." A pause. "But in the meantime, neither she nor Motoki wish you and I to put our lives on hold for them. As you must know for yourself." She nodded. Makoto had made that very clear, that the choice would be Naru's and Nephrite's as much as Makoto's.
"But back to the subject at hand…you mentioned your store is getting ready for Christmas, and I'm afraid I've been out of that game for quite some time…I am familiar with some traditions here, but not many. What ones are you and your family most fond of? I know my brothers are eager for these holidays, as well."
Naru brightened. "Well, it's different in other countries, but in Japan, we…"
.:S:.:S:.:S:.
The rest of the outing passed by all too soon, and before long, Naru's lunch hour was finishing, and they had to head back to OSA-P. At the door, Naru turned to him.
"I had…a great time," she said, giving a sincere smile. "I'm glad you liked the parfait, too." To her surprise, he leaned down and kissed her cheek.
"I enjoyed our time together, too," he said. "Whatever our future holds—all four of us, you, my princess Jupiter, Motoki-san, and myself—I am grateful to know you. Whatever our future holds, you and they shall forever have my deepest affections, second only to my prince."
Whatever happened in the coming days…weeks…years…they would work it out. They'd figure it out. If Usagi had worked this hard to keep everyone together…who was any one of them to tear another apart? Whatever happened, they'd work it out. Naru was certain.
"I'm glad to know you, too," she replied. "Whatever happens, I'm grateful to have all of you. Enjoy the rest of your day, Nephrite."
"You as well, milady."
To herself, Naru smiled. It had already been a wonderful day.
One could say the outing was parfait.
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Thank you, I hope you enjoyed, as well. I'm still seeing which pairings I like best, Makoto/Nephrite or Makoto/Motoki and Naru/Nephrite. Opinions are welcomed :)
•Zoisite, despite being the youngest Knight/General, seems to be Kunzite's second-in-command. You don't get to be second-in-command if you don't have a brain on you, and he's dating Ami on top of that :P He's clearly "the smart one" :P
Thank you all for reading!
~MoonlightTyger
