Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Nephlite Returns ❯ Prologue

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Nephlite Returns
By: Cryptina

Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of its characters, nor do I claim to.

Anime series: Sailor Moon

Warnings: Alternate universe...Oh my...I think that's it!

Pairing: Nephlite/Molly

Molly Baker sighed softly. She had lost a lot of weight, and sleep.

When Nephlite, or Maxfield Stanton, as everyone else knew him, disappeared she took it very hard. But, it was really because she couldn't say 'oh, he's coming back.', because she KNEW what had happened to him. She knew the truth about him. Zoisite and some evil fairies, it seemed like to her, had killed him. She'd even held him as he died. She knew that he was supposed to be evil, but she saw the good in him. And, then they took him away...forever. She knew he wasn't human. He'd had green blood. And, when he did die, his body had turned to beautiful bubbles. But, they were a sad sight to those who knew. They floated away and Molly had been left with this helpless and loneliness.

She missed Nephlite. Very much.

"Serena, I really can't talk now. I'll call ya later." Molly said, before hanging up the phone.

"Oh, Nephlite...I miss you so much. Wherever you are, I hope you know that I love you..." Molly said, knowing she wouldn't get an answer from her dead boyfriend.

As Serena hung up her phone, she sighed. She was worried about Molly.

"Oh, man, Luna...I'm real worried about Molly. I mean, I know her boyfriend died, but...Its been a long time...She was thin before, but now she's literally boney." Serena said.

"Serena, be serious! We all know how long it's been since Nephlite was killed, but think about how you would feel right now if Tuxedo Mask had been the one to die." Luna reprimanded.

"Geeze, you're right, Luna. But, you didn't have to be so mean. You're ALWAYS so mean to me! I'm not stupid, ya know!" Serena said, an angry look on her face.

"Well, maybe if you'd take things more seriously, I wouldn't have to." Luna said, jumping up onto Serena's bed.

"Hmph!" Serena exclaimed, folding her arms and crossing her legs.

"Oh, stop being a baby. I suggest finding a good way to comfort Molly." Luna said.

"Luna! What do you think I've been doing?? But, she can't know I'm Sailor Moon. So, I have to be careful." Serena explained.

"Well, now that you're taking your social life a bit more seriously, you can start doing the same thing with Sailor Business." Luna said.

"Luna! Well, I'M going to the arcade to think." Serena said, getting up and leaving her room and walking down to the Crown Arcade.

"Hey, Serena, what brings you here? You already beat the latest Sailor V game." Andrew said, smiling.

"Oh, hey, Andrew. Actually, I just came here to think." Serena answered.

"Well, then, I'd better leave. Wouldn't wanna be here when you blow up. Might get spaghetti all over me, eh Meatball Head?" Darien asked, grinning from the doorway, behind Serena.

"Darien! Leave me alone! I didn't come here to see YOU. My friend has a really bad problem and I have to think of a way to comfort her without hurting her." Serena said, arms crossed over her chest and her nose turned up in the air.

"Come on, you two, can't you get along for a little while?" Andrew asked, trying to keep the peace in the Crown.

"I can, but HE can't." Serena said.

Andrew sighed. This was hopeless. Andrew began to think that those two would never get along.

"I think you should stop thinking. Smoke's coming out of your ears from thinking up that so called insult." Darien said.

"Ooh, Darien! You jerk!" Serena yelled. Had she not just told him that she had other, more IMPORTANT things to do??

"Calm down, Meatball Head." Darien said, letting his mirror shades fall down his nose a little and raising an eyebrow.

"Stop calling me that! My name is SERENA! Or is that just too hard for you to understand??" Serena yelled.

"I know your name." Darien said.

Serena maintained her best death glare.

"Meatball Head!" Darien confirmed, giving a wide smile.

"Ooooh! You're impossible, Darien! You're such a creep!" Serena yelled and left the arcade.

"Why can't you be a little nicer to her?" Andrew asked, as he sometimes would.

"I dunno. It's...just something about her." Darien answered.

Serena was almost to the park when she noticed something. It was getting dark. She was also aware that she was in the same area that Nephlite had died. It seemed that her thoughts had lead her to the scene of the disaster.

"Geeze, Molly's really taking this hard. I know she has the right to. I'm not the one going through this. I want to comfort her so much, but I really don't completely understand." Serena said, still going through methods of helping Molly.

"You could tell her I love her." A voice from the trees answered.

"W-what?? Who's there??" Serena asked, her right hand reflexively going to her broach, but she stopped herself before removing it and transforming. Whoever it was had a sick sense of humor. Not only that, but he could see Serena and Serena couldn't see him.

A masculine male figure literally jumped down, landing perfectly on his feet, wavy hair billowing in the wind that had been blowing all day. The moon was working in the guy's favor, because Serena could only see his outline. His front was shadowed.

"Who are you? Answer me." Serena said, seeing that this man seemed to act like the Negatrash they'd just finished defeating not too long ago.

The figure walked closer and Serena got ready to transform and call the other Scouts when she was sure this was another enemy. But, when she was able to see the man's face, she saw that it was Nephlite. She gasped.

"Nephlite??" Serena asked in astonishment. She remembered that before he'd died, Nephlite had found out that she was Sailor Moon.

"Yes. Hello, Serena." Nephlite said.

"But...you're dead! A-are you a g-ghost??" Serena asked, stepping back a little.

"Of course not. I know what you and Molly saw. But, the, uh...bubbles that you saw was merely me dematerializing. I rematerialized, later, and hid while I recovered. And, then, I waited until you destroyed Queen Beryl. If they'd known I was alive at all, they would have used Molly against me again. But, now, if it's alright with her, I'd like to continue to be with her. I know what happened, I know what she thinks and I'm sorry I had to let her think I was dead, but if I hadn't, SHE could be dead now. I couldn't let that happen." Nephlite explained.

"W-well...don't tell me, tell Molly!" Serena advised. Something about Nephlite, now told her that he was one of the good guys and probably would make a very valuable ally.

"That's part of the reason I followed you. I wanted to ask you if you would arrange for a meeting between us. I don't think you should tell her that it's me she's meeting. She may not come, because of disbelief." Nephlite said.

Serena sighed. If she were to do this favor for Nephlite, she would have to trick Molly. She bit her lip softly, weighing the facts.

"Well...I can't really promise anything. She'll hardly even talk on the phone. But, I'll try..." Serena said.

"Thank you, Serena. And, if you wish to know...Your secret is safe with me." Nephlite said, smiling in gratitude.

"You're welcome, Nephlite. Or would you like me to call you Maxfield?" Serena asked.

"Whichever you prefer. I'll use it as a middle name or perhaps a nickname. I'll think of something." Nephlite said.

"Um...okay...I'll talk to the Scouts. They should know you're alive." Serena said. She could just hear Luna yelling at her for telling Nephlite that.

Nephlite merely nodded and left.

A few days passed before Serena put her plan into action.

She didn't mention a thing to Molly, but worked it out with Nephlite, once she found him again. Or, rather, he found her.

"Oh, come on, Mol! It'll make you feel better, I'm sure of it!" Serena assured.

"Oh, alright, Serena. I don't feel like arguing with you." Molly said, reluctantly.

"Cool! Thanks, Mol!" Serena exclaimed.

Sometimes, Molly wondered if her best friend really cared about what was going on in Molly's life.

Molly and Serena ended up by the rose garden of their favorite park.

"Serena, why are we here?" Molly asked with a sigh.

"We're waiting for someone. He'll be here soon. But, if he's hiding, I'll kill 'im." Serena said.

"Him?? Oh, Serena, I'm not ready to be with a guy. I may not ever be, but this is way too fast." Molly said.

"I never said you had to date him. But, I DO think you'll want to meet him." Serena said, smiling.

"Oh, alright, Serena, but I doubt it." Molly said. If she cooperated, she would probably get home sooner.

"You mean, you'd rather not see me? I suppose that I could leave, but I was looking forward to seeing you again..."A familiar voice said from behind.

Molly turned around, eyes wide. Her hand shot up to cover her mouth as she gasped.

"How..."Molly started. She looked for Serena, but found that she had left.

"I never died. I just dematerialized and rematerialized later. I said nothing to you for so long, because if anyone knew I was alive it would have put you in terrible danger." Nephlite explain.

"Oh, Nephlite..." Molly said, smiling.

Nephlite smiled lovingly in return.

Molly, so happy to see Nephlite, ran to him. He saw that she wasn't going to stop short and he would have to catch her, which he would never be caught complaining about.

Molly jumped into Nephlite's arms and hugged him tightly, then moved just enough so that she could kiss him.

Neither would go further than kissing until Molly was of age to be with an adult in any sexual way. But, they wouldn't refrain from kissing and the kiss Molly and Nephlite were sharing was definitely a scorcher.

Serena smiled as she watched from the high branches of a tree.

'Now...how to quietly get down from here so I can jet without them noticing me...'Serena thought to herself, deciding to give Molly and Nephlite the privacy they both deserved.



The End