Hi-hi all! This is a Sailor Moon fanfic, and in case you haven’t noticed, I am not a) Naoko Takeuchi, b)Toei Animation, or c)Kodansha Comics...or even (shudder)…DiC. (Can everybody hear that evil music in the background, or is it just me?) Therefore, NONE of this belongs to me, more’s the pity. Thus, this is not for profit, just good clean fun…

Okay, this story is set between the last two episodes Nephrite ever appears in (sob, sob), and is based on an episode of another animated programme. But in case someone knows the ep, I won’t say anything until the end. In the meantime, read on…

It should have been like any other day in Tokyo. It should have been like any other business. It would have been, too…if Sanjouin Masato had not been the major shareholder and managing director.

Nephrite smiled lightly as he overlooked downtown Tokyo from his vantage point in his office above most of the other buildings. Though his mind was on something quite different from the upcoming end of the tax year period.

The kurozuishou glinted in his hand as he let the last rays of light dance over its surface. The sun was setting, the day was ending. He supposed he should return to the Dark Kingdom…after all, Beryl couldn’t be in a good mood.

To Hell with Beryl, he thought to himself, but he knew that was probably a thought he should only entertain when he was feeling particularly suicidal.

"Looking forward to getting shot tonight?" he muttered to himself. He knew the second he got back, Beryl would find some amusing way to show her displeasure – and a simple tongue-lashing probably wouldn’t be enough for her.

A knock at his door made him turn from the window, as a woman slipped in, bearing a tray containing a single crystalline glass, and a full, opened bottle of his favourite red wine. He nodded at her, motioning for her to place it on his desk. His eyes narrowed slightly as he regarded her – he didn’t remember hiring her.

"Excuse me," he asked smoothly, and the woman turned pretty cerulean eyes on him. "I don’t recall that we’ve ever been introduced, dear lady."

She smiled slightly. "No, Mr Sanjouin sir, we haven’t. I’m a temp worker, filling in for the young girl who helps out Ms. Tatsudaiyu. My name is Asahina Nana."

Nephrite nodded distractedly, already committing the name to obscurity. Sensing her presence was no longer required, she slipped from the room.

Nephrite took the glass, and then sipped the dark liquid thoughtfully. He wondered for a moment on the subject of that strange young girl, Osaka Naru…

Before he knew it, he had placed his head on his arms, and fallen asleep.

________________________________________________________________________

His head snapped up suddenly, as the door opened. Tatsudaiyu Chikako slipped inside, looking slightly embarrassed. "Mr Sanjouin, there’s a call for you on line four. By the sounds of it, it really is quite urgent…it is someone by the name of Osaka Naru."

Nephrite’s eyes widened. "I’ll take it in here," he replied curtly, and Chikako nodded, moving outside. She shut the door quietly behind her.

Nephrite turned his attention to the ebony phone on his desk, taking up the receiver and saying almost gruffly "Sanjouin Masato here."

"Uh, Mr Sanjouin?" asked an almost tentative voice on the other end. "This…this is Osaka Naru…I…"

Nephrite frowned slightly. What on earth could this foolish human girl want with him? "I know who you are, Ms. Osaka. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I just…I just wanted to say…"

"Yes?" he prompted. He didn’t understand why, but speaking with Naru just made him uneasy in a way he couldn’t pinpoint.

"If…if you ever need my help again, I’m quite happy to give it to you," she told him in a quiet voice. The king was temporarily at a loss for words. So silent was he, that Naru was once again the first to speak. "Mr Sanjouin?"

"I’m here," he replied softly, wondering at this – pleasure? Why would the dubious help of a teenage human female make him feel so…wanted? "Naru…"

"Yes?" she asked, sounding worried. From the sound of it, she was obviously worried that he was about to reject her in a major way.

He pondered for a second on what Naru had done for him during that nasty run-in with the Senshi the previous evening. She really was extraordinary…but this could only lead to disaster.

Still…he couldn’t bring himself to tell her to keep the hell out of his way, and his life. "Arigatoo gozaimasu," he murmured quietly, and replaced the phone in its cradle.

________________________________________________________________________

Across town, Naru stared at the dead receiver, and sighed. She put it down, then instinctively, picked it up again. Dialling quickly, she hung onto the phone as it signalled the other phone was ringing.

________________________________________________________________________

Usagi took the phone from her mother, and said into it "Hi-hi!"

"Usagi-chan?" asked the familiar voice. "Usagi-chan, I need to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"It’s…it’s about Sanjouin Masato. You know how I told you I had a crush on him? And how it’s become more than that?"

Usagi nodded faintly, before realising that this was a phone and Naru wouldn’t have seen that. "Yes…"

"Something happened last night – something incredible. I…I had a meeting with Masato-san, and things went a little strange...but Usagi-chan, I just spoke to him on the phone, and I honestly think…he was so NICE to me, I mean…d’you think…" Her young voice, filled with hope, trailed off.

"Naru-chan," she said quietly, sounding oddly mature – not like Usagi at all. "I think he’s just being nice to you so he doesn’t hurt your feelings, you know?"

There was a stunned silence at the end of the phone. Then a gasped "What?!"

Usagi shifted uncomfortably on the other end of the line. "Naru-chan, look. I don’t want to make you mad or anything, but really…Masato-san is so much OLDER than us, and you know…"

"What about Motoki?" snapped Naru, and Usagi winced.

"That’s different…"

"How?" she demanded. Then a thought struck her. "How do you know so much about Masato-san anyway?"

Usagi was dumbstruck. "I…I…"

"Forget it," she snarled suddenly, and slammed down the phone. She stood up, and stormed towards the door. "I’m going out!" she yelled to her bewildered mother, and walked out heavily. Osaka-san looked at the path her daughter had taken in confusion.

And from his invisible vantage point in the shadows of the Osaka hallway, Nephrite looked confused. She must be coming to see me, he thought slowly. Maybe I should go to the rectory…

________________________________________________________________________

He reappeared in the cathedral that was part of the former rectory, before his circular glass window. He was startled to find Zoisite lounging against a pillar, arms crossed. "Hello," he smirked, and Nephrite’s initial surprise immediately turned to annoyance.

"Get out of here, Zoisite. You’ve got no business being in here," he growled, and Zoisite’s smile only grew wider.

"You should really cut back on the alcohol," he said sweetly. "It can’t be good for you…you’re getting awfully touchy. Not to mention that too much alcohol dulls the brain. That must be why you’re so fascinated with that Japanese girl…what’s her name?"

Nephrite rolled his eyes. "Go annoy someone who enjoys your little games, Zoisite. What about Kunzite? Sick of you already?"

Zoisite’s emerald eyes instantly smouldered with a murderous glint. "Watch your mouth, Neffy-dear," he hissed in a venomous voice.

Nephrite tsked. "Temper, temper. You wouldn’t want to get a court martial for assaulting your superior officer, would you?"

He scowled. "You know, Beryl’s not too fond of you at present. Here’s an idea…Nephrite, why don’t you quit while you’re ahead? It’s MY job to find the ginzuishou…so just give me the stupid crystal, and I’ll stop annoying you. Come on, what do you say? What do you need it for, anyhow?"

Nephrite smiled with evil amusement. "To keep you out of a job."

Zoisite raised his head with narrowed eyes, barely keeping his fuse from burning out. "You know, it’s only because of Beryl that I haven’t struck you down. "

Nephrite smirked sarcastically. "It’s nice to know you’re not scared of anything, Zoisite."

Zoisite growled deep in his throat, but his vanished in his characteristic flurry of cherry blossoms. Nephrite sighed, and turned his attention to the grounds outside his mansion. From what he could sense, Naru was near.

What have I got to lose? he thought almost dejectedly, and moved with a thought to the garage, taking out his shiny Ferrari. He loved his car – the speed was more fun than just teleporting everywhere. And he had never been too fond of flying, unlike his ever co-operative fellow king, the ‘adorable’ Zoisite.

He slowed down as he came across Naru, who was idly kicking a stone as she wandered down a darkening Tokyo street. He flipped the passenger door open and called "Naru-chan?"

Her head snapped up. She looked surprised at the name he had called her by. "Mr Sanjouin?"

Nodding, he motioned her forward. "You shouldn’t be roaming the night streets alone. Look, can I give you a ride somewhere? Home, perhaps?"

Naru stepped into the car, pulling the door shut behind her. As she fastened her seatbelt, she said "Well, I don’t want to go home right now, but I don’t mind the ride."

He pulled out into the street, and wondered just what in the hell he was doing. "What are you doing out here on your own, anyway? Running away from home?"

"Oh, no," she laughed, sounding almost embarrassed. "I just…wanted to see you again."

Nephrite nodded. He couldn’t understand why this human girl was so attached to him. "It’s nice to see you again too, Naru."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "You didn’t seem too happy to hear from me."

"I know," he apologised, without realising he was doing it. "I was…preoccupied."

Naru smiled faintly. "I would really like it if we could have a conversation when you aren’t so preoccupied, Mr Sanjouin."

He gave her a strange smile, not quite large enough to be called a smile, but it was still something. "Tell you what, Naru. I’ll make it up to you right now. What do you want to do?"

Naru looked startled, but only for a second. "There’s a park up ahead…do you want to come for a walk with me? It’s a beautiful night, there are heaps of stars out…you like stars, don’t you, Masato-san?"

Nephrite pulled the car to a halt, and something struck him. How does Naru know I like stars?

He didn’t have a chance to dwell on it as they walked towards the park, however. Naru had caught a hold of one of his hands, and he was so surprised at the feelings it invoked in him, he nearly fell over. He was so preoccupied, it was almost three full minutes before he realised he was missing Naru’s incessant chatter.

"And then she told me you were too old, you were just being…Masato-san, are you listening to me?"

He jumped, and looked at her in shock. "Uh, yes, of course…Naru-chan. Of course I’m listening."

She regarded him sharply for a second – a little too sharply, in Nephrite’s opinion. There was something not quite right about Naru tonight. He never thought she would be so forward, or so open with him. It just didn’t sit right. Then she smiled. "You’re lying?"

He nodded. "Yes, I am," he replied honestly, and he was surprised at Naru’s laughter.

"And you know what?" she laughed. "I don’t care! Oh, Masato-san. What fun we could have, you and me…" She looked wistful for a second, then her eyes snapped back to reality. "So, what was it?"

"What was what?"

"What were you thinking about, dummy?" she asked, and Nephrite felt another twinge of unease. He brushed it aside.

"About an….acquaintance of mine…he’s recently decided that to make my life hell is in his job description," he said, and Naru raised an eyebrow.

"Why is that?"

"For some reason I don’t get…and he seems to want my favourite little ornamental crystal," he replied, and he showed the kurozuishou to Naru. Her eyes widened, and she said "Oh, it’s so pretty! Can I touch it?"

Nephrite shook his head, and replaced the crystal in his pocket. "Sorry…it’s really precious, it’s not a toy."

Naru pouted. "It’s only a crystal."

He laughed lightly. "Much more than a mere crystal."

"It is, isn’t it?" intoned an ominous voice from several metres away, and the pair turned in shock to see three youma staring at them.

"Ah, Nephrite," purred one of them, who had a peculiar arm that appeared to be composed of wood. "Are you willing to bargain now?"

He clutched the crystal in his fist, and said sideways to Naru "Get out of here. Now."

She looked at him, bewildered. "What?"

"Nephrite?" asked another one of the three sweetly. "Come on, we don’t want to get rough, do we? Just hand it over…it’s not worth it."

Naru appeared confused – and she was showing the first hints of panic. "What’s going on? Masato-san, who’s Nephrite?"

Nephrite sighed. "Naru-chan…I am Nephrite. It’s my real name…I’m from another dimension…I am an alien being, are you satisfied? Now, get the Hell out of here! You don’t want to get involved!"

Naru looked stunned. "W-what?"

Nephrite sighed. "Naru-chan, I mean it! This is no longer your concern…"

"Of course it’s my concern!" she said suddenly, and looked at the three women, who watched them both in mild amusement. "I take it you work for Masato’s…Nephrite’s acquaintance…well, you can tell him or her to get their own damn crystal!"

Nephrite’s widened. This was Osaka Naru? Maybe he had misjudged her, after all. He looked to the youma. "She’s right – get the hell out of here. This is my crystal, and you can’t have it."

"Oh yes we can," one muttered darkly, and before he saw it coming, the one with the disfigured arm shot out with a cluster of thorns, impaling his shoulder. They glowed for a second, before becoming two separate organisms. Her arm retracted, leaving a healthy dose of the nasty plant in Nephrite’s shoulder.

Nephrite gasped in pain, doubling over. He heard Naru’s scream, and the ugly laughter of the youma. "We are serious, you know," she giggled. "Now, let’s cut us a deal. Tell you what, you give us the crystal, and we’ll let your little friend toddle back home, mostly unharmed. Of course, it’s a bit late for you, what with those thorns. They’ll suck your energy dry…I guess you’ll have to die."

Nephrite shuddered, falling to the ground like a concertina as his knees gave way. He felt Naru’s arms about him, cradling him.

Naru’s tourmaline eyes creased in worry as she leant over Nephrite, her eyes filled with tears. "Nephrite, you can’t leave me! No, please, you can’t…"

Nephrite choked painfully, one hand still clutched to his impaled shoulder. "Naru-chan, you have to go, please…"

The three youma women continued to watch then from behind. "Ooh, it’s so tragic," snickered one, her face covered in a smarmy smile. "So touching…so pathetic!"

He tried to push Naru away, but she refused to leave him. "No, I’ll never leave you…"

The green blood continued to soak through his jacket, as he pushed her away. "Go! They won’t stop…just run! I won’t give them the crystal…but I won’t sacrifice you either! Get out of here!"

Naru suddenly leant closer, her eyes suddenly strangely excited. She lowered her voice so the youma would not hear, as they continued to watch them. They found the scenario highly interesting, but Nephrite had to wonder why they did not attack right away. Youma were not well-known for their patience or control.

"Nephrite," she murmured urgently, running a hand down the side of his face. "Quickly, give me the crystal! I’ll take it away…and I promise, they’ll never take it! I’ll hide it in my mother’s store…quickly, Nephrite! Before they notice…" She straightened, and changed her voice. "I will go…but, Nephrite…I loved you Nephrite." Spontaneously, she leant over to kiss him, whispering "Now! Before Zoisite gets here!"

Nephrite’s hand tightened around the crystal as something struck him. How the hell did Naru know who Zoisite was?! "Naru?"

She seemed to frown at the strangeness in his voice. "W-what is it, Nephrite?"

The youma seemed to be struck out of their stupor, and suddenly attacked. Nephrite winced, knowing what he had to do. But it would kill him for sure…his energy was already being drained, and calling on so much power from the stars…

"Naru…forgive me," he whispered, and thrust all the powers of the stars from his hands. The blast rocked the three back, shattering their simple bodies.

That worked well…too well… he thought uneasily. But his body was now so weak, he could feel the ominous numbness slipping over him.

He was going to die.

He turned his gaze to Naru, who had thrown her arms around him and was now weeping uncontrollably. "I’m sorry," he whispered, feeling his own tears pricking the backs of his eyes. He hadn’t cried in…what, years? Centuries? …A millennium? "Naru…take the crystal. I can’t let Zoisite have it…take it! He doesn’t know who you are! He’ll never know…I’ll never tell him. Take the crystal," he said again, and held out a trembling hand.

Her eyes…lit up? She smiled, before her grief overcame her. "I can’t, Nephrite! I’ll…get you to a doctor, and you…you can come and be Sanjouin Masato forever…I won’t leave you!"

"No," he said forcefully, and he held it out further, the pain still wracking his trembling body. "Take it and go!"

Naru bowed her head in resignation, and reached with a sure hand for the crystal.

Suddenly, a spasm of pain hit him, and he shuddered, the crystal clattering to the ground. He fell to the ground, on his back, and Naru…cursed?

Suddenly, all concern again, Naru leant over him, whispering sweet words as she placed a delicate kiss on his lips. "Take the crystal," he said in a hoarse voice. "Take it!"

Through half closed eyes, he saw Naru reach towards the crystal lying between them. To his confusion, she recoiled back, like it repulsed her. She turned bright, tear-filled eyes on Nephrite. "Give it to me."

Her inclined a painful nod in the direction of the kurozuishou. "Too…weak…" he said, slightly confused.

The hopeful eagerness in Naru’s beautiful eyes turned into…frustration? "No you’re not!" she cried, sounding so encouraging. Then her voice took on a note of hardness, like a command. "Put it in my hand."

He creased his eyebrows, and he was sitting up before he realised he no longer hurt – and he was wide awake. "If you want it, take it!"

Naru backed off slightly, her eyes seemingly worried. Then that hardness returned. She thrust her cupped hands in his face, panic touching his words. "Give it to me. Now."

He sat up properly, the thorns no longer hurting. He grabbed the crystal, and stood quickly, turning to face Naru as he did so. She cowered away slightly, as he spoke in a harsh voice. "No…you’re not Naru. Who are you?"

Naru spun on her heel, clutching her head between both hands. She fell to her knees, shaking her head. "No, no! Not now, not now…!"

Nephrite looked around, stunned, as the park melted into a portal that opened beneath Naru, leaving only blackness. As he watched, Naru seemed to lose whatever slender control she had over the environment, and she suddenly began to spin wildly…the whirlwind exploding in a burst of…

Cherry blossoms?

Zoisite sat up on his heels, moaning as he clutched his head in his hands. "I was so close…" he groaned in frustration. "So close, so close…"

"Zoisite?!" roared Nephrite in shock and anger, and the smaller man turned around to give him a snide look, before moving to sit in a cross-legged position, one hand cupping his chin. He sighed heavily. "Dammit, Nephrite, why did you have to be so difficult?"

"Difficult?" spluttered the auburn-haired king. "What the hell were you trying to do?"

Zoisite turned his head around and smiled sarcastically. He spun around so that he now stood, facing Nephrite. Calling upon his powers, he levitated several inches above the ground, levelling his eyes with Nephrite’s. "Surely that much was obvious."

He opened his hand, and looked at the kurozuishou. "The crystal. You needed to get it from me."

"Yeah," agreed Zoisite, looking annoyed. "You tried to steal my job, Nephrite. I just can’t stand the competition…so, I thought I’d ‘borrow’ your crystal…just to make life difficult for you."

Nephrite shook his head in astonishment. "It was you, all along? You just want the crystal?"

"Exactly," he snorted, tossing his blonde head. "Problem is, the rules say I can’t take it from you. I needed you to fork it over."

"And that’s why you created that horrible dream?!" he shouted. Zoisite cringed back slightly, before levitating into the air and crossing his legs decoratively.

"Ooh, was it a dream? Or a prophesy?"

His cerulean eyes narrowed. "Zoisite, stop playing games. Tell me!"

Zoisite laughed – not a pleasant sound. "Mmmhmm," he replied sarcastically. "Like I’d tell you. Wake up!"

________________________________________________________________________

Nephrite’s eyes snapped open, as he felt someone shaking his shoulder. "Mr Sanjouin? Mr Sanjouin?"

He turned abruptly to face one of his human assistants, a small blonde woman named Chikako. She backed off sharply at the look of pure rancour on his face, and Nephrite sighed, letting his anger fail. Chikako visibly relaxed, but her words were soft, almost timid. "Mr Sanjouin, there’s a phone call for you, sir. On line three…I wouldn’t have disturbed you, but it seemed to be important…"

Nephrite nodded faintly, and replied "Thank you, Chikako. I’ll take it in here…"

"As you would, Mr Sanjouin," she replied, and bowed to him before swiftly exiting. Sometimes she wondered why she worked here, as the secretary of Sanjouin Masato. He was gorgeous, intelligent, and wealthy, but still…all these virtues just couldn’t make up for the screw he had loose. He wasn’t crazy, just…unique, somehow.

In his office, Nephrite spun the kurozuishou on the desk, and meditated briefly on the dream. Had he simply made the whole thing up in his dreamscape, or had Zoisite really manipulated his mind?

And what of Naru? In this dream – prophesy? – he had been willing to die for her…but that was just plain stupid!

"Baka," he muttered to himself. "It was just Zoisite screwing with your mind – Naru’s just Naru…it’s the ginzuishou that matters now."

He sighed heavily as he reached for the phone. He hoped that he was right, and it was just a horrible nightmare.

But Naru…

Nephrite brutally shoved all thoughts of her aside as he intoned into the receiver, "Sanjouin." But during the whole conversation, he kept a firm hold on the crystal.

________________________________________________________________________

Zoisite gazed at his reflection, and pulled a horrible face at himself. He couldn’t believe this – he had almost had that stupid crystal!

He picked up the brush and began furiously brushing the tangled strands. He pouted, and then laughed at his comical appearance. It wasn’t fair though…why did Kunzite have to make that stupid rule anyway?

"I hear not all went well, Zoisite," came a husky drawl from the door. He smiled at himself, and slowly replaced the brush on the table. He turned languidly, a seductive smile playing at his lips. "Kunzaito-sama…"

Kunzite moved closer, and with one long finger, played with a strand of coppery hair. "Am I to believe my sources?"

Zoisite scowled. "I suppose so, Lord Kunzite…that lousy bastard saw through me! How could he?" His anger was obvious, and he looked stunned when Kunzite threw back his silvery head and began to laugh. "What’s so funny?" he asked, scowling deeper.

Kunzite surprised him by drawing him into his arms, planting a brief, possessive kiss on his younger lover’s lips. "You are. But don’t fret, little one. You’ll get another chance…in reality, this time."

His eyes lit up. "Really?"

"No rules," he chuckled. "Nephrite is in the Queen’s bad books…and this is your chance. You know I only made that rule so you wouldn’t hurt him, and incur the Queen’s wrath…but things have changed in the past few hours. Zoisite, this is your chance."

Zoisite nodded, and smiled dreamily. This would be fun…

One fireball of fun.

________________________________________________________________________

This particular story was based on an episode of the Buena Vista television series Gargoyles, by the title of ‘Future Tense.’ Therefore, the idea behind this was not entirely of my own creation! Thanks go to the writers of that wonderful episode, and I’ll chuck in the usual disclaimer – I’m not doing this for profit! I think any one who does THAT deserves to be totemized! (And that particular word belongs to Activision…)

Questions, queries, comments? Email me at luna_dreamscape@hotmail.com, my in-box is always hungry!