Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Matters of the Heart ❯ Matters of the Heart ( One-Shot )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: Dkelley

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<BODY><PRE>Matters of the Heart-A Sailor Moon fanfic. By Diane Kelley
Disclaimers: The Characters in this short fic are owned by
Naoko Takeuchi, and are used in America by license of DiC.
All except my self and Aurelia Stanton. I own those two.
"Hello, Serena," Aurelia Stanton smiled at her student in
greeting. "How are Rei, Amy, Lita, and Mina?"
Serena batted her big blue eyes nervously. Aurelia, after
all, was her tutor. Not to mention being older and wiser.
Which was how as Sailor Saturn she'd become the Sailor
Scouts' unofficial leader.
"They're fine." Aurelia's mind, however, was far from the
lighthearted conversation she shared with her friend.
Instead, her thoughts dwelled on the dark-haired,
mysterious man whose life she'd saved six months before.
She'd come to love him during that time he'd been in hiding
from both her people and his own, but knew it was not to
be.
For Nephlite's heart belonged to another. Her thoughts
soared back to the time she'd discovered that fact.
Nephlite had been in hiding for a bit short of two months
at the time. She'd gone to bring him his week's supply of
meals as she'd done since rescuing him. Most times he was
polite, greeting her with a smile that put a sparkle in his
sea-blue eyes.
This night, however, he did not answer the door as he had
every time before. From behind that locked door came a
sound she'd never expected to hear. The sound of hoarse,
heart-rending sobs.
"Nephlite?" her questing voice probed the darkened
apartment.
The shadowed form crouched in the corner of the bedroom
turned its head.
Aurelia turned on the light.
The illumination the fluorescent bulbs cast revealed a
sight, which tore at her heart. Nephlite knelt on the
bedroom's oak floor, flowing mahogany curls mussed, at his
knees the picture of a young girl. His breath came in
choked, gasping, sobbing gulps.
"Oh, Nephlite," she dropped to her knees in front of him,
wrapping her arms around him.
His tears dampened her flame-colored tresses as he wept,
his chin resting on the top of her head.
"G-gods, I f-feel l-like such a-an idiot," the statement
was squeezed out between the hiccups that followed the
storm of tears, "I c-can't believe I let m-myself g-get so
up-upset over a s-stupid g-girl. I'm e-even st-stuttering,
f-for Heaven s-sake. B-but I miss h-her."

Aurelia took his chin between her thumb and forefinger, her
other hand gently wiping away the last of Nephlite's tears.
"Don't beat yourself up so. Molly was the first girl you
trusted enough to truly love. And since you've never loved
anyone like that, it's natural you'd overreact a little to
missin' 'em."
"I need to ask a favor of you, Auri. Is there any way you
can make it possible for me to see her, just to let her
know I'm still alive? I hated seeing her the way she was
when she thought I was dying, that moment you teleported me
away. Please."
"And if she's found someone new? Then what? Are you sure
you're ready to face the devastation you're sure to feel if
she has?"
Those gem-like blue eyes narrowed at the corners in
determination. "Even then. I must do this, Aurelia. Please
understand."
Her green eyes slid closed. "I do. It's just. . ." she
trailed off, grunting in frustration, "I'm trying to
protect you, Neph. If anyone finds out you're still alive,
you would be in grave danger. I care about you, you big
lug, and I don't want you to get hurt."
He hugged Aurelia's slender form to him. "I know you do,
and there is no way I can show the full extent of my
gratitude for that. But I have to do this. If I don't,
there will be a page of my life left forever unturned. I
simply cannot live that way anymore."
"All right. I can't promise to bring her here or you there,
but I can take a taped message to her."
Hope turned Nephlite's eyes a deep sapphire. "You'd do
that? Let me get. .. ." his voice, deep and rumbling, broke
off as his head disappeared beneath the bed. "Where in
Heaven's name did I put that tape recorder?"
Aurelia burst into giggles at the sight of this one who'd
once been so evil crouched on his knees with his head stuck
under the bed like a boy searching for his favorite toy.
"Ah, here it is," he slid out with the palm-sized mini-
recorder clutched in his right hand.
Suddenly, he noticed his benefactor's laughter. "And just
what are you laughing at?"
She regained her composure with difficulty. Until she
caught sight of Nephlite's delicately flushed cheeks. That
set her laughing again.
Which drew at the smile that had been tugging at the
corners of the ex-General's mouth, bringing it into full
view. It was only a matter of moments and he was laughing
right along with her.
Aurelia came back to herself as she watched Serena walking
away, her two blond ponytails tugged aloft by the breeze.
She stared at the tape in her hand as if she didn't
remember removing it from her pocket.
"Molly?"
The fifteen-year-old girl clutched the phone to her ear.
"Hi, Aurelia, what's goin' on?"
"I have something important to tell you. Can you meet me at
the temple in half and hour?"
"Sure," Molly's New York accent, inherited from her
military father, became more pronounced as her excitement
grew, "I'll be there."
Aurelia nervously wrung her hands as she waited for Molly
to arrive.
"Hi, Auri!" Molly was shorter than her friend by about
three inches, with reddish-brown hair and round brown eyes.
"What didya hafta tell me that was so important?"
Aurelia pulled the tape from her pocket. "Promise you won't
get mad?"
"I promise. Now, what is it?"
Auri stuck the tape in the deck. "Just listen to this. It
will tell you what I have to say far better than I could."
Molly took the little deck and hit play.
Her eyes teared up as the deep, much-loved voice she hadn't
heard in six months flowed from the speakers.
"Hello, Molly, Love. To be honest, I'm not quite sure where
to start. Well, I guess it's obvious that the rumors of my
demise were greatly exaggerated." He paused a moment to
chuckle at his own witticism. "I know you have probably
gotten over me by now and gone on with your life with
someone new. I will deal with that if you have. But I had
to let you know I've been thinking about you all this time,
and I've missed you very much. I love you, Molly, and
always will."
"Where is he?" Molly grabbed the other woman's shoulders,
shaking her fiercely. "You gotta take me to him now!"
"If you'll give a while, I will show you something you
might want to see. I have to make a few calls first,
though. Can you meet me back here in an hour?"
Molly nodded in aquiesance. "All right."
A little over an hour later, Aurelia led a blindfolded
Molly to an outspreading oak tree in the temple courtyard.
"Okay, Moll, I'm taking off the blindfold."
Molly gasped. There were hearts carved on nearly every
reachable inch of that tree. In those hearts were carved
names in an easily recognizable, beautifully flowing
script. "How did you find our tree?"
Molly looked up to find a pair of sparkling blue eyes
peering back at her. "I wondered how long it would be
before you looked up and noticed me." There, sprawled
comfortably among the branches, was Nephlite. He leaped
down and embraced Molly.
It was she that broke the embrace, eyes full of tears. "I
have something to tell you, Nephlite," Molly's voice was
shaky as she spoke, "but I don't know how. Nephlite, I've
been seeing someone else."
Nephlite flinched as if he'd been struck. Despite his brave
words, the loss left him feeling as if his heart had been
wrenched free of his chest. He let forth a howling moan as
he fell to his knees.
Molly took him in her arms. "I'm so sorry. I thought you
were dead! I'm only fifteen. I can't just give myself away
to a memory. I had to go on with my life."
He tore himself away from her and flung himself into
Aurelia's waiting arms.
Molly stared in utter shock. "I didn't expect him to react
like this."
Aurelia shot the girl a cold stare over the head of the
weeping man in her arms. "Didn't expect him to *react*?"
she spat, her voice as icy as the glare she'd pinned the
girl with. "What the Hell else *did* you expect? You were
his *life*, for Christ's sake. Did you know, or even care,
when you dragged him all the way here, begged me to put his
life in danger just so you could break his heart in little
pieces? The only thing that kept him alive during those
first couple of days when it could have gone either way was
the hope that he might get back to you again. Well, you've
managed to dash that to pieces. Now he has to find another
reason to live."
"Aurelia, please don't do this," Nephlite's voice floated
up from between her breasts.
"I'm sorry, but these things must be said, and since you
won't do it, it's left up to me to do so,"
Aurelia's green eyes flashed angrily when she looked at
Molly again. "Nephlite loved you, likely still does. You
dumping him destroyed his whole world. Rebuilding won't be
easy."
Molly, unable to bear anymore, fled.
A knock sounded on Aurelia's door the next morning. "Auri,
it's Ami. Are you up?"
Aurelia yawned and drew her housecoat over her nightgown
before answering the door. "I am now. What was important
enough for you to wake me at 8:30 on a Saturday morning?"
Ami ran her fingers through her dark pixie-cut. "Serena
called me last night. She said Molly had called her and was
very upset. She asked me to talk to you. What happened?"
"Ami, Nephlite is alive."
Ami's mouth dropped.
"He's been in hiding all this time. You see, I have the
ability to teleport objects, and I used that ability to
save him. I didn't know the whole story of who he was at
the time, of course. The point is, I brought Molly to him
at her request. When Molly told him about her new
boyfriend, he just broke down. I said some things to Molly
in anger that upset her."
"What was it you said to her?"
"The truth, that Molly and the hope of getting her back was
the foundation upon which Nephlite had built his world, and
that she'd wounded his heart so badly that it would be a
long time before he recovered, if he ever fully does."
Ami nodded sympathetically. "That must have been a bitter
pill for her to swallow."
"The truth usually is."
Aurelia sighed and plopped down on her bed, chin in her
hands. "I love him, Ami. Where do I go from here?"
"Tell him," the slightly accented voice came from a small
black cat that stood in the doorway.
"Hi, Luna."
Luna chuckled warmly. "What is it about that man that makes
women want him so?"
Aurelia giggled. "He's drop-dead gorgeous, for one thing."
Ami smacked her playfully on the arm. "Auri!"
She sat up, a serious expression entering her green eyes.
"There's just something *about* Nephlite. Despite being
raised in a completely evil society, he's so very gentle.
He has a wonderfully ironic sense of humor. Also, he's
incredibly loyal, once you get through all his barriers.
What woman wouldn't want a man like that?"
"Hello," Serena's voice echoed in the foyer, "are you
decent?"
"I'm in the bedroom. Come on in."
"All right, where is he? He upset Molly. I have a piece of
my mind I want to give him."
"Better not be too big a piece." Auri shot back, "You need
to keep as much of it as you can."
"Very funny."
Aurelia stood up. "Don't be too hard on him, Serena. Molly
dumped *him*. It was *me* that got Molly all distraught."
"Girls, girls," that rich, husky voice was all too familiar
to those present, "cease this useless bickering. There is
more at stake here than that whimpering brat's feelings."
Serena and Rei assumed defensive stances, forgetting for a
moment that they were in their normal human forms.
Which, of course, meant that Serena inadvertently tripped
over one of her long ponytails and fell on her butt.
A deep chuckle sounded, followed by a rushing wind in which
a flurry of cherry-blossom petals floated. A female form
appeared among the petals. Her hair was long, caught up in
a ponytail, and looked as if it had been spun from honey.
Instead of the temperamental flame they were accustomed to
seeing, her slanted, cat-green eyes contained glinting
sparks of amusement. "I guess some things never change."
"Zoycite," Rei growled, "what are you doing here?"
"*I* live here."
"Rei, ratchet down," Aurelia told her, "it's okay.
Zoycite's here at my request. Let me explain."
Aurelia told the other Scouts how she'd found Zoycite and
Malachite shortly after becoming Sailor Saturn, huddled
behind a dumpster near the mall, the rain dripping from
their bedraggled hair. Using her telepathic abilities,
she'd learned of how Beryl, the Negaverse's Queen, had
tried to tear apart the relationship her two Generals
shared. For Malachite, already sick of Beryl's manipulative
ways, that was the last straw. He and Zoycite packed their
meager belongings and left, they hoped for good.
"So you see, they're on our side now."
Zoycite set a hand on Rei's shoulder. "Believe me, I have
no intention of doing anything that might benefit that
bitch. I love Malachite. Beryl wanted to break us up
because she was afraid we'd be more loyal to each other
than to her. She's probably right. But so what? She has to
be made to realize that sometimes love for another person
can make someone more loyal to his or her home. But not if
you try to shape that love to your own ends. Beryl tried
that, and now she's out two of her finest warriors. Three,
if you count that scum Nephlite." She floated gently to the
floor.
A well-built man with wise silver-gray eyes and a silky
silver-blond mane that flowed over his shoulders to rest
against the small of his back exited the bathroom just
then, wearing nothing but the towel around his waist.
Zoycite strode over and hugged him, nuzzling his neck
gently. "Mal, Darling," her voice held a teasing lilt, "as
much as I love looking at your wonderful body, I think it
would be a good idea if you put some clothes on. After all,
it would be a shame if I were forced to slaughter these
young ones because they saw a bit more of you than is
proper and began lusting after you as a result."
Malachite, to the shock of all present, blushed clean to
the roots of his hair. Even the skin of his neck was tinged
pink by it.
"I came to get Aurelia," Zoycite stated, "You must come
with me, quickly."
Aurelia sensed the anxiousness in the ex-General's tone.
"It's Nephlite, isn't it?"
"I don't have time to answer any questions now. Just come
on."
Aurelia accompanied Zoycite to the three-bedroom flat where
she'd hidden Nephlite. When she opened the door, she stood
stock-still in shock. The place was a shambles, papers and
clothes flung on the floor. A picture, in its frame,
smashed against a wall, leaving shards of glass in the wake
of its passage.
Nephlite stood in the center of that hurricane of flying
objects, eyes glowing, and his hair whipping about his face
in a wind that was magical in origin.
Zoycite teleported to the heart of that storm, grabbing her
rival by the shoulders and shaking him hard.
"You listen to me," she hissed, "listen well." The storm
died, Zoycite having startled him so that his concentration
snapped. "I've hated you for many years, and we both know I
have good reason. But Aurelia has never been anything but
kind to Malachite and I, so much so that we owe her a debt
we can never repay. Therefore, though I don't like you and
probably never will, I do this. For I would do anything to
keep her from hurting. Even saving someone as worthless as
you from himself."
Zoycite delivered a stinging slap to his right cheek, one
that raised a brilliant emerald mark and snapped him out of
his shock.
"Why?" was the only question that came to mind to ask. "Why
did she make me love her then hurt me like that?"
"Who knows?" Aurelia answered as she reached his side.
"Young ones often do odd, inexplicable things. What I do
know is that Molly loved you. But I also know that she
wasn't right for you, no matter what Rei has to say about
past lives or destiny. I see destiny as something you make
for yourself, not something you fall into simply because
you may have been with someone in another life. Take fate
by the horns, Neph. Make your own destiny."
Aurelia inclined her head in the direction of Zoycite and
Malachite, who were sitting on her couch, Zoey's head in
Mal's lap. "I know you want what they have, a bond strong
enough to weather any storm. You have to work to get it.
Are you ready?"
"Of course I'm. . ." he trailed off, and in moments the
other cheek was as green as the one that had been slapped.
He grinned sheepishly. "I've started lying to you now. No,
I'm not ready to work that hard. But I am ready to learn.
Before that, though, I have to learn to live among these
people, to move among them as if I'd been born into their
world."
"You're staying then?" Malachite asked, his voice as deep
as Nephlite's but finer, smoother.
"Where else am I to go? Not back to the Negaverse, surely.
Beryl would see me dead before I could blink. Here, at
least, I am accepted. I have a life and an identity, false
though they are. What about you and Zoey?"
Malachite smiled, revealing two rows of perfectly white,
even teeth. "Yes, we're staying, and I have a feeling
Jadeite will be joining us once Beryl wakes him, which you
can be sure she will, as he is all she has left of her
command staff. He was beginning to get just as sick of
Beryl's shit as the rest of us. Oh, and I have a favor to
ask of you, Neph, my friend. Could you set up identities
for Zoey and I here?"
"I'll do it because you ask me to. I think I ought to do
the same for Jade, as well, while I'm at it."
And so Zoycite became known to the world as Zoey Waters,
and Malachite as Malcolm Andrews.
Two weeks passed. It was on that summer Saturday that
Aurelia got a call from Diane, her American friend. "Hi,
Di," Aurelia greeted her friend cheerfully.
"Hey, Auri. Remember when you asked me a few weeks ago to
find someone for you. I think I found him."
"Where?" the excitement was evident in Aurelia's voice.
"In the county jail. Couple of guys beat him up in a bar,
and *he's* the one who gets arrested. Don't you just love
the American judicial system?"
Aurelia chuckled. "Why do you think I moved to Japan? Oh,
give him the phone. There are a few people here who'd like
to speak to him."
"Hello?" the voice on the phone was a firm yet musical
tenor.
Malachite took the phone Aurelia handed him.
"Hello, Jadeite."
"Lord Malachite? Where in the Hell are you?"
It didn't take Aurelia but a minute to see what Zoycite saw
in him as a genuine smile slowly spread across his face.
"About 5,000 miles worth of ocean away from you." Mal could
hear a slight rustling on the other end of the phone, then
Jadeite speaking to someone on his end of the phone.
"Sorry," the younger man said, "the woman I've been staying
with here has an eighteen-month-old daughter that seems to
have become a bit attached to me."
Malachite put Zoycite on, simply because he was laughing
hard enough to render him speechless.
"Dammit, Diane, would you please remove this little youma
from my leg?" Jadeite sounded to Zoycite's trained ears as
if he was very embarrassed. Her raucous, banshee-wail of a
laugh sounded in his ear. "Well, I can see some things
haven't changed. Hello, Lady Zoycite."
"Hello, Jade. Beryl sent you to bring the three of us back,
right?"
"Yes, I am sorry to say. Gods, I hate that woman."
Another rustle, and a child's voice came over the phone.
"Hi, my name is Lucia. Are you Jadeite's friends? I like
Jadeite. He makes Mommy laugh."
Zoey laughed again as she heard her compatriot yelling
desperately for Lucia to give him back the telephone.
"By the Negaverse! That child is more annoying than that
damndable Sailor Moon. Oh, do be quiet, Zoycite. It's just
like you to find someone else's misfortune funny. You just
wait until you and Malachite have to raise a family."
That silenced her immediately.
"Now, if we can get serious. I wanted to warn you. Beryl is
*pissed* with a capital P. If I don't bring you back,
she'll come herself with enough youma to obliterate the
entire Eastern Hemisphere. We are in trouble."
"Shit!" Zoycite swore. She'd accidentally turned on the
speakerphone when she took the receiver, which meant all
heard what he'd told her. They blanched.
Diane took the phone back.
"Now," she said, "you do realize that all of you will have
to put aside your differences if you wish to survive."
Zoycite sputtered angrily, then calmed as she realized the
girl was trying to help.
"I'm going to fly Jade here to Japan tomorrow," Di
continued, "I'm coming with him, so I'll need a place to
stay."
"Here, talk to Aurelia about that."
"Di, you don't have to come. In fact, I'd prefer you
didn't. This fight is a dangerous business."
"Listen to me, Auri. When have I not been able to handle
myself in a fight? Besides, I care about Jade. Any fight of
his is one of mine."
That was one line of reasoning none of them could argue
with.
The next day, Aurelia's two visitors arrived. She raced
over and hugged the older woman tightly. She then gave
Jadeite a once-over that brought a crimson blush to his
face.
All the Scouts were gathered in their Sailor fukus, ready
to fight for the displaced Generals, old enemies that had
somehow become friends.
Suddenly, a symbol flashed on Di's forehead and
disappeared.
"Serena," Luna spoke in a hushed whisper, "that's the
symbol for Lady Titan, Princess Saturn's maid-servant and
bodyguard."
"Me? Sailor Titan?" Diane breathed. "It can't be."
"It is," Luna told her. "Just as the Sailor scouts were the
royal guard for Princess Serena, and Queen Serenity before
her, so the satellite Senshi were to the Scouts. It is your
destiny, Diane."
"I can't be Sailor Titan. For one, I'm too old. Besides, I
have a young child. Since Mike died, I'm all she has. How
can I care for her and still perform my duties as a Sailor
Scout?"
"Age is no issue," Artemis, Mina's white feline advisor,
told her gently, "After all, Lady Titan herself was nearly
thirty when she became Princess Saturn's protector."
"But what of Lucia? If something happens to me, she will
have no one."
"She will have us," it was Zoycite that spoke. "Malachite
and I will raise her if necessary. Hell, Jadeite and
Nephlite would help, too, I'd bet." She took Diane's hands
in hers. "Please, Di, we need you."
Diane nodded resignedly. She took the transformation pen
from Luna, speaking the words "Titan power!". Her street
clothes vanished, a Sailor fuku that was white on top, with
a rust-trimmed burgundy skirt in their place. White trimmed
burgundy boots that matched the fuku encased her feet,
burgundy-trimmed white gloves on her hands. On her brow was
a tiara of beaten gold that had a burgundy cabochon in its
center. In her ears were little opal teardrops, the
matching pendant on a rope chain around her neck. "So," her
voice was warm with suppressed laughter," how do I look?"
Jadeite sucked in a quick breath "Beautiful. And
dangerous."
"I'll be back in a few minutes. I want to try out these new
powers."
Cries of "Titan Hurricane Strike" could be heard from the
backyard, followed by the sounds of rending metal.
Ten minutes later, she came back in, a bit sweaty, but
smiling. "Wow!"
"You're as bad as Jupiter," Luna sighed.
The sky outside Aurelia's window darkened.
"She's here," Malachite's voice was toneless.
Diane let loose a mirthless chuckle, "Her Youma and one of
her higher ranking Commanders, more likely."
"Let's go." As soon as they stepped outside, they were
completely surrounded by Beryl's foot soldiers.
"Titan Hurricane Strike." Diane's attack took out half a
dozen of the Dark Queen's youma. Jadeite's and Malachite's
energy-fire attacks eliminated several dozen more.
Nephlite was in his element, he and Zoycite fighting side-
by-side without so much as a nasty word spoken between
them. His star-fire joined with one of Zoey's ice-daggers
to nearly decapitate one particularly vicious attacker.
Unfortunately, they were but eleven defending against
hundreds. It was not long before they began to tire.
WHERE THE HELL IS DARIEN WHEN WE NEED HIM? Serena thought
fiercely.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Neph take a blow to
the shoulder that had been impaled six months before.
"Nephlite!" Aurelia screamed, "Prepare to die, Bitch.
Saturn Magma Destruction!" From Auri's hands were launched
steaming masses that were a combination of molten lava and
volcanic rock. The youma screamed in agony and shock as the
attack engulfed it.
Nephlite grunted when he rose to his feet, wincing at the
sharp pain the movement sent through the injured shoulder.
A rose struck the ground mere inches from the feet of one
of several youma surrounding Serena.
"About time you got here, Cape Boy," Zoycite's crotchety
voice rose above the bedlam.
Darien Shields, Aka Tuxedo Mask, gave her an aggrieved
look.
"I was at Andy's okay? In the middle of lunch. I had to
convince his mother to let me leave."
Another cry sounded on Serena's right. Jadeite was hemmed
in by youma on all sides.
A hurricane-force blast of wind knocked the youma away. The
last one standing instantly found Diane's hands wrapped
around her neck. "Listen here, Bitch, I love that man
you're trying to hurt. If so much as one strand of his hair
has been mussed, I will personally rip your head off with
my bare hands."
The frightened creature teleported away, signaling the
others to do the same.
Jadeite lay in the center of the circle of footprints the
youma had left. He appeared bloodied and battered, but most
of the blood belonged to the youma that had died all around
him. "I'm going to kick Beryl's *ass*," Diane knelt next to
him, blue eyes full of dark rage.
"Let's get him inside," Malachite took his legs, motioning
for the others to help.
A low groan awakened Diane, who had fallen asleep in the
chair next to Jadeite's bed, several hours later.
"That lying, back-stabbing, faithless *bitch*!" Jade's
words rang with loathing, "Gods, how could I have been so
fucking *stupid*?" Diane didn't ask him what had caused
this anger, just waited for him to continue. "I gave her my
*life*, dammit! She promised she'd never let Beryl force
her to hurt me, no matter what. And there she was, leading
the charge against me."
She instantly understood. The youma she'd nearly throttled
had been his girlfriend.
"I left Beryl's service out of desperation. I'm not the
loner everyone seems to think I am. I *need* female
companionship as much as any other man. Nephlite had Molly,
as much as his relationship was frowned on. Malachite and
Zoycite had each other. I had no one but a lowly youma to
see me through. She's betrayed me, and now there's no one
at all." His jaw worked convulsively as he tried to fight
back the hot tears that threatened. "You said you loved me
back there. How could I ever be worthy of that?"
Diane smiled gently and laid her hand on his cheek.
"Jadeite, I've cared very deeply for you since the day you
stepped out of that cell with that disgruntled look on that
otherwise innocent-looking face. It's like we were somehow
meant to *be*."
"But I've-"
"What you did, you did to survive, and doesn't matter now.
You want to change, and that's what matters."
He collapsed into her arms, the tears overcoming the
resistance at last. Harsh, wracking sobs of a life gone
terribly wrong through no fault at all of the owner of said
life.
They were also tears of relief. Relief that no matter what
wrong turns the path of his life had taken, he was loved.
Diane placed a gentle kiss on his lips. It was meant to
comfort, but that light brush ignited a flame in her soul.
It seemed Jadeite had felt it, too, from the way his breath
quickened at her touch.
"You are so beautiful," she whispered, running her fingers
through his silky hair, the light turning random strands
gold. How long had it been since someone called him
beautiful? Ten years? Twenty? He wasn't sure, but he knew
it had been too long. "Make love to me, Aino."
My love! The startlement of a full-human woman speaking
those words to him shook Jadeite to his very core. So much
so that he wept for the wonder of it.
"Are you all right, Love?" she asked.
"H-hai," he answered. Diane pulled him down to kiss him
once again. "Di, I . . ."
"Sh, Aino. No worries. Tomorrow will take care of itself.
For now, let my love sweep all the darkness from you." She
could hear his amazed gasp inside her mind when she touched
him intimately for the first time.
* * * Di, My chibi-Aino. * * *
Her lips moved to replace her hands, sending another
shudder coursing through the lean frame. Jadeite threw his
head back, muscles taut, as she impaled herself fully on
him.
*I love you! * *The thought rang in both their minds,
neither sure who'd sent it. He cried out as his climax
overtook him, flowing like liquid fire through his veins.
At that very moment, Nephlite was awakened by a knock at
his door.
"It's me, Aurelia. Can I come in for a minute?"
He nodded sleepily, rubbing his eyes in a boyish way that
was so incongruous with that manly face.
"I needed to talk to you. God, how do I say this? There's
so many things I wanted to tell you, but the words just get
all jumbled up inside."
Suddenly, their eyes met, and he could read everything she
felt. He lowered his mouth to hers, lips meeting in a soul-
searing kiss.
Serena and Darien took everyone to breakfast the next
morning.
"I think some changes have happened," Mina whispered to
Serena.
"Why do you say that?"
"I can see the ties that bind people, remember? Malachite
and Zoycite always had shades of purple and yellow in their
bond. Longing and love. Yesterday, Jadeite and Diane shared
a bond that was mostly blue and white for friendship and
loyalty. Today, there's a pale pink and creamy yellow,
tentative love and passion. It is same with Nephlite and
Aurelia. They're in love, I'm sure of it."
"Will it affect their performance in the battle to come?"
Lita asked her.
"I think it will make them stronger," Ami commented, "After
all, they now have something to fight for."
Mina looked up to see the three couples in question had
left their seats.
Diane and Jadeite stood in front of the jukebox, the other
couples looking on expectantly.
A sudden smile lit her face as she whispered something in
his ear and he nodded. Music filled the restaurant, and the
three men bent and took the hands of their respective
ladies.
Auri rested her head on Nephlite's shoulder. His breath
brushed a curl back from her ear as he sang along in a
surprisingly sweet voice. When she looked up, she could see
the moist sheen in the sapphire depths of those beautiful
eyes.
"I do love you, My Prince, more than you will ever know. I
know I may lose you in the upcoming battle, but I don't
care. My love will always hold you in my heart."
Malachite stood on Aurelia's balcony peering up at the
stars. The door slid open and Zoycite's arms went around
him.
"You look pensive tonight, Love." she whispered.
His eyes, silvered by the moonlight, took on a wistful
expression. "I was watching them all today, Nephlite and
Auri, Jadeite and Diane. They remind of when our love was
new."
He turned to the woman he loved more than life itself. "How
far have we really come, Zoey? I want more for us. I want
to see us permanently settled, perhaps even married with a
family of our own. What do *you* want for us?"
For the first time in his memory, Zoycite completely let
down her guard. "I want us to be together forever, but a
family. . ." and tears came to her leaf-green eyes as she
lowered her head. Though it had been five years, the pain
of losing Calcite and Azurite, their twins, shortly after
birth was still entirely too fresh for her. "I don't know
if I can bear losing another child."
"You won't, Love," Malachite embraced her fiercely, "I
promise." Their lips met in a kiss as fierce as the embrace
that preceded it. The door opened behind them. "Go away,
you idiotic Youma-spawn," Zoycite muttered irritably.
"I came out here to tell Mal some good news," Neph's face
positively glowed, "I've asked Auri to marry me, and she's
said yes."
Malachite clapped him on the back. "Congratulations!"
Zoycite growled, "I can't believe this! Is our darling
Sailor Saturn out of her mind?"
Mal gently set a hand on her shoulder, "Calm down, Zoey. I
know you don't like Nephlite, but you should be happy. The
'youma-spawn', as you call him, did something right for a
change."
"I sense a private moment coming here," Neph's blue eyes
teased, "I think I'll be going."
"He knows me too well," Malachite chuckled.
Meanwhile, Diane lay in her bed, enfolded in Jadeite's
arms. "You awake, Jae?"
"Mmm," he mumbled, "What is it, Di?"
"I heard Nephlite and Aurelia got engaged. It got me
thinking."
Jadeite rolled over and propped himself up on one elbow.
"About what?"
"'Bout, you know, us. Now, before you say anything, hear me
out. I know this is kinda sudden and it's too soon and all
that, but I love you. Lucia adores you, God only knows why.
I want us to have something good. You know, like Nephlite
and Auri. Or Malachite and Zoycite. Nephlite and Aurelia
are gonna get married, and I have a feeling Mal and Zoey
won't be far behind them. I just want us to be a family."
Those turquoise eyes peered into the deep blue ones of his
beloved. But he couldn't meet that intense gaze for long.
"I want that, too, Diane. But I'm a little scared. I don't
want to make that kind of commitment in a situation like
this. I mean, what if I do make that promise and something
bad happens? You and Lucia would be devastated. I don't
want to hurt you like that."
Diane took his face in her hands. "I don't care what
happens later. I have you, now. The future can't hurt me.
The only thing that can hurt me now is if you tell me you
don't love me."
"Gods, Di," Jade threw his hands up in frustration after
sitting up, "You know I'd never do that. You also know how
very much I love you and Luce. It's just, you know, not a
good time for this discussion. We're going to end up in a
war with Beryl pretty soon. I want to be sure we're both
going to come back from it intact before I make promises I
may not be able to keep."
Diane ducked her head. "I understand. But I know we'll make
it. We have to. God wouldn't separate us now when we've
just found each other. He doesn't work that way."
"I wish I had your faith."
She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. All
there is to faith, my sweet Jade, is knowing that love will
find a way."
Morning came all too quickly. Zoycite wiped her eyes clean
of sand and got out of bed, tenderly caressing her lover's
cheek.
"Good morning, Lady Zoycite," Aurelia greeted her.
"What's so great about it? I'm thousands of miles from the
only home I've ever known, one I am no longer welcome in,
I'm going into a near hopeless war with my former Queen,
and my best friend is getting married to my worst enemy.
All in all, I'd say it adds up to the worst day of my
life."
"Dammit, Zoey," Auri grunted in frustration, "this has got
to stop! How are we supposed to beat Beryl if we can't even
stop fighting amongst ourselves? In order to succeed, we
all have to work together! That includes you and Nephlite.
Please, for me? At least *try* to get along with him."
The golden-haired woman heaved a heavy sigh, "I'll try. But
I'm not going to promise to be friends with him."
The others soon followed Zoey out of bed.
"So," Serena asked, "what's the plan?"
Aurelia had just opened her mouth to answer when a knock
sounded at her door.
"Hello? Are you there, Auri? It's Molly. I need to talk to
Nephlite."
"Please, Moll," Aurelia opened the door a crack, "this is
not a good time."
The sky darkened just as it had before Beryl's first
attack.
"Shit," Auri swore, "Get inside! Now! Molly, you are not to
tell anyone about what you're about to see. Got it?"
The girl nodded, too shocked to speak.
"Moon Crystal Power!"
"Mars Power!"
"Mercury Power!"
"Jupiter Power!"
"Venus Power!"
"Saturn Power!"
"Titan Power!"
Her friends transformed all around her. "Serena, you're-"
Molly didn't finish her sentence, only stared in open-
mouthed shock.
"Yep. Gotta go, Moll. Explain later."
Nephlite graced her with a blank stare as he passed.
Aurelia's love for him had eased the pain of Molly dumping
him, but it hadn't erased the resulting anger.
"She's not worth it," Zoycite counseled, "Save your anger
for Beryl. You'll need it."
"I have to go kick Beryl's ass right now," his voice was
gruffer than it had ever been, even at his angriest, "I'll
deal with you when I return." He turned back for a moment.
"On second thought, here." He tossed her a quarter.
"What's this for?"
"In the words of a famous American Country-Western singer,
'Here's a quarter, call someone who cares'."
Diane fought hard, Nephlite on one side of her, Zoycite on
the other. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the
death's-head smiles they exchanged. A cry sounded several
hundred feet behind her, where Malachite, Jadeite, and
Darien had been fighting side-by-side.
"Malachite!" Zoycite was at her lover's side in a
heartbeat.
"Tuxedo Mask," Diane called, "get him back in the house.
Maybe Saturn can help him."
Darien nodded.
Aurelia paled as she reached Malachite's side. He'd taken
the youma's energy-blast in the chest, his uniform singed
where it had struck. Malachite's eyes showed fear for the
first time that any of them could remember.
"I'm here, Love," Zoey whispered.
"That little bitch packs quite a punch," he said shakily.
"I'll take care of him, Zo'," Auri told her gently, "go on
now, they need you out there."
"Now," Diane addressed her friends during a brief lull in
the melee, "I know we've lost our strongest fighter
temporarily. But if we all work together, I know we can win
this thing." A resounding battle cry rang out all around.
"Now, let's go kick Beryl's ass back to the Negaverse where
she belongs."
"I have a better idea," Zoey countered, "let's finish the
bitch, once and for all."
Serena drew herself to her full height, her motions for
once graceful and confident. "Beryl," she yelled, "face
us!"
The Queen turned, red hair aglow in the dancing flames of
the battle. "You? You and your simpering Scout friends
aren't even worth my time." A glowing green ball of
lightning formed between her hands.
"Cosmic Moon Power!" The golden beam from Serena's moon-
wand met Beryl's attack.
"Come on," Diane cried, "let's help her!"
Nine pairs if hands joined Serena's on the scepter.
"I have to go," Aurelia said quietly, "the others need me."
"I'll be all right," Malachite answered with a slight
smile, "Go help your friends."
"Nephlite, Zoycite, Jadeite," Beryl snarled, "what are you
doing?"
"What we should have done long ago," Zoycite snapped,
"ridding the universe of a menace it doesn't need."
"Shit," Lita swore, "we need more power."
Another set of hands embraced the scepter. Serena turned
with a start to see Malachite between her and Zoycite, eyes
glowing with a golden light. "It looked like you could use
some help here." Malachite joining them was all that was
needed to turn the tide.
"No!" Beryl screamed as the power tore into her. "It's not
possible!" Her body disintegrated in a brilliant flash of
light.
A groan echoed in the sudden silence. Malachite's knees
folded beneath him as he sank to the ground.
"Malachite, no!" Zoycite knelt next to him, green eyes
awash, and her hair falling from the broken thong in golden
waves around her face.
"I am sorry, Little Rat," he reached up to caress her face.
His hand dropped, an ominous rattle sounding in his throat
as he breathed his last.
"He can't be gone," Zoey whispered, "his body's still
here."
"I am sorry, Zoycite," Ami put a hand on her shoulder,
"Beryl is dead, her power broken. That's why his does not
fade. There is no one to subsume his body for its energy."
"No!" the mournful cry split the air. Suddenly, a brilliant
light sprang up around Zoycite and her fallen lover.
"What's happening?" Serena asked.
"I don't know," Ami answered, "I've never seen anything
like this before."
"She's trying to heal him," Nephlite whispered. Then, he
rose, striding over to where the lovers were.
He set his hands on her shoulders, adding his strength to
hers. Soon, all of them were gathered around, hand joined
in hand in a circle of love and support.
As the light faded, Malachite's silver eyes slowly opened.
Zoycite hugged him tightly to her. "I love you."
"So," Malachite said, "do you think we can plan that
wedding now?"
Zoycite shook her fist at him, than burst out laughing.
"Yes! Yes, you fool, yes."
A few hours later, Jadeite joined Diane on the balcony.
"Di, can I talk to you?"
"Of course."
"I'm sorry about the other day. I was just tense. Still,
that's no excuse for me to talk to you that way."
"It's all right."
"No, it's not. I guess what I'm trying to say is; Diane, I
want you to be my wife. I want a home and a family, things
I never got a chance to have where I was. Diane, will you
marry me?"
Diane flung her arms around him.
"I take it that's a yes?" Jade's eyes took on a merry
twinkle.
"You bet your sweet Negaversian ass it is."
She ran back in. "Auri, Zoey!"
"We're here."
"Guess what? I'm getting married!"
Two weeks went by in a whirlwind of planning.
"Gods, I'm nervous, Di." Zoycite stood before the big
mirror in the temple's dressing room, fussing with her
hair. She'd had it styled about fifty different ways in the
previous fifteen minutes.
"You'll do fine, Zo'. Here's your veil," Diane stretched to
position it on the taller woman's head, "You're beautiful,
Zoey. You're gonna take Mal's breath away."
"Look at you, Di. Jae's tongue is gonna fall out of his
head when he sees you."
"Face it, girls," Auri said, "We are the three most
beautiful brides on the face of this earth."
"It's time, girls," Rei said, "Your men await."
"We are gathered here today to celebrate new beginnings,"
the preacher was an older man, balding and possessing a
teddy-bearish aspect, "for even as marriage is the ending
of the life of singleness, is also the beginning of a new
life together. Brides, please step forward."
"I, Malcolm Edward Andrews, do take thee, Zoey Ellen
Waters, . . ."
Diane peered over at Zoycite. She was beautiful, her face
aglow.
Then, it was her turn. Jadeite's eyes misted over as he
said with quiet joy, "I, Jerrold Alan Matthews, do take
thee, Diane Lynn Kelley, to be my lawfully wedded wife. To
have and to hold, for better or for worse, in sickness and
in health, to love, honor and cherish you, 'til death does
us part."
Suddenly, the time had come for Nephlite to give his vows
to his bride. He could feel the butterflies fluttering
around in his stomach. It seemed Zoycite had sensed it,
too, for she reached over and gave his hand a reassuring
squeeze. He spoke his vows in a clear, strong voice, one
filled with an almost celestial happiness.
"Diane," Kathryn Preston, her mother, approached her in the
reception line, "where's Lucia?"
"Serena's her in the reception hall for a few minutes.
Mother, I'd like you to meet Jerrold Matthews, my new
husband."
Kathryn looked Jadeite over critically. "So you're the boy
my Diane was so crazy over. You treat her good, you hear?"
Jade smiled, "Oh, that I will, Mrs. Preston. I owe your
daughter my life and more."
They gathered in the hall for the reception.
"So," Serena tracked Zoycite down at the buffet table,
"what's the story with you and Nephlite? I sense a warming
trend here." A mere two months before, she'd never have
asked that question. But a lot had changed in that time.
Zoycite smoothed the white lace at the waist of her Gucci
wedding gown pensively before raising her eyes to meet
Serena's intense gaze. "Nephlite and I went through Hell
and death and back together during that battle with Beryl.
He stood by me at every step of it. When two people have
been through something like that, it's kind of hard to hold
on to the hate." With that, the golden-haired ex-General
turned and strode back to her new husband's side, leaving
Serena with a new outlook on this once-hated woman.
"Look," Lita said, "Rei and Darien are headed for the
stage."
Rei cradled the mike in a gentle grip. "Now. It's time for
the dancing to start. Darien Shields and I are going to do
a special song, one just for the brides and grooms."
A sigh went over the guests as many recognized the tune.
"It's your love,
it just does something to me,
sends a shock right through me,
I can't get enough.
And if you wonder
about the spell I'm under.
Oh, it's your love."
Luna, Diane, and Aurelia talked outside the main room. "Are
you sure you won't stay?" Luna asked Auri, "We will miss
you, you know."
"I have to leave the Scouts, Luna," Aurelia smiled at the
cat gently, "Nephlite and I want to start a new life, away
from all the fighting and the madness. We want to live
peacefully and raise a whole passel of kids."
"I'm not leaving, Luna," Diane assured her, "I'm just going
to be less active for awhile. If ever you need me, just
call me and I'll be there. You know that." And so began a
new life.
Epilogue
It was March 25, 2001. The day had dawned clear and crisp
in the small community outside Tokyo. At around 2:30 that
morning, Aurelia Stanton had gone into labor. Zoycite and
Diane went into labor about five minutes apart a half-hour
later.
Amazingly, all three women ended up in the same labor room.
"Hey, Zoey," Auri greeted her friend.
"What is this?" Zoycite asked. "Women are dropping their
whelps like crazy in this fucking town." "Storm coming in
from the west," Diane
said, "Low pressure. If there's a woman within a month of
their due-date in a
thirty mile radius, they're going to have their babies
now." "Which, of course,
means a shortage of doctors, a shortage of labor rooms, and
probably a shortage
of delivery rooms," Aurelia concluded. An attractive and
youthful-looking
Japanese woman entered the room. "Hello, I'm Doctor
Takeuchi. I'll be delivering
your babies. Now, let's see how things are going." Her
examination was quick and
efficient. "Wow, you ladies are quick! Time to get you to
Delivery." "Hi, hon,"
Diane called as she passed the waiting area. Nephlite and
Malachite received
similar greetings from their respective mates. A few hours
later, three sets of
boy-girl twins were born. The sight of the three fathers
with a babe in each arm
and tender looks on their faces was almost enough to give
Serena a fit of the
giggles. "I've already named mine," Zoey said, "Zoe Elaine
and Malcolm Ian. How
about you?"
"Mine, too," Auri told them, "Nathan Andrew and Angel
Marie. How
'bout you, Di?"
"Jared Thomas and Amy Kathryn," Diane sighed as the nurse
set
her twins in her arms, "You know, girls, I think things are
gonna work out just
fine."
The others nodded in agreement as they drifted off with a
baby at each
breast.
At long last, things were looking up. Life, in a nutshell,
was sweet The End
Well, folks, that's all. Tell me what you think.

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