They walked through a cave. A big, cold and dark cave. Molly was walking beside Nephrite and watching the little black stones on the wet floor. The air smelled rotten.

"Always in control, Nephrite!" Zoycite's voice teased.

"Oh, shut up!" the man with the long auburn hair hissed.

They arrived at a metallic door. Malachite took a key out of his trousers pocket and opened the door. "Just go on in!" he said, playing friendly.

Molly shyly stepped through the door, but when Nephrite wanted to follow her, Malachite stopped him. "Not you!" he ordered.

Nephrite gave him an angry look and felt a knife tickling his back. "No wrong move." He could hear Zoycite's voice. Nephrite already had calculated with a commentary like this. The whole way to the prison, Zoycite had teased him. And now, that he was in the Negaverse again, it was as if the time in which he and Zoycite had been arguing was yesterday.

Malachite leisurely locked the prison door. "That's it," he said. "To the throne room."

The three generals walked back through the cave.

Nephrite smiled, sneering. "You have to feel very good now, Zoycite: You've killed the Sailor Scouts, discovered Tuxedo Mask's true identity, brought a traitor back and as special thing caught an innocent girl. Gosh, you must be so proud, Zoycite!"

"Just another word, and you have a knife in your back!" Zoycite scolded.

"Still that irritable," Nephrite said. "When will you ever learn to control your temper?"

"That's absolutely none of your business!" Zoycite shouted.

"Would you two please stop that," Malachite said, quietly.

A Youma stood on a corner. He sunk his head, when he saw the three generals walking by.

They came through other rooms. Youmas stood in a row and bowed as they passed.

At a big door, Malachite deeply breathed and knocked.

The door opened, revealing a big hall with a throne in the middle. On the left and right side, stood a crowd of Youma.

"Come here," a female voice said.

Malachite, Nephrite and Zoycite entered the hall. The Youma were watching the visitors, and Nephrite could feel their curious, angry or cynical looks on him.

Malachite bowed. "Queen Beryl. Sailor Moon and the other Sailor Scouts are dead, and it was possible for us to discover the true identity of Tuxedo Mask."

The woman on the throne stood up and looked down at the three generals. "Nephrite!" she said. "What a surprise to see you here again. Didn't you like the humans' world anymore?"

Beryl walked from her throne and stepped to Nephrite. She lay her stick under his chin. "Traitor!" she said. "Not even the Eternal Sleep is a suitable punishment for you." She swung her stick in the air and hit him with it. Nephrite sank to the floor, groaning.

"The girl he saved is in the prison now," Malachite said.

"Good." Beryl said and looked to Nephrite, who was laying on the floor. "Drain out his magical powers and then also put him into the prison. I'll see what I will do with them."

Malachite bowed again. "Yes, my Queen." Zoycite grabbed Nephrite and pulled him from the floor. Malachite turned around, to lead the other two generals out.

"Malachite?" Queen Beryl said.

Malachite looked back. "Yes, my Queen?"

"Would you please stay here for a while?" Zoycite stopped. "The others can go," Beryl said. Zoycite, frustrated, grabbed Nephrite on his upper arm and pushed him outside.

When the door was closed, Beryl asked: "What's happened to Tuxedo Mask?"

Malachite thought. "Nothing," he said finally, wondering. "I suppose he left the building right away, before it collapsed."

Beryl looked concerned, then she looked angrily at Malachite. "I hope so!" she hissed. "I want you to search for Tuxedo Mask and bring him to me."

Malachite was looking confused, but bowed his head. "Yes, my Queen."

* * * * * * * *

"How quiet you've been," Nephrite said, while Zoycite was leading him with a knife in his back through the rooms. "No words came through your lips. As if you would be the most obedient general in the Negaverse."

"Shut your mouth, Nephrite!" Zoycite retorted in a monotone.

Nephrite laughed. He could feel his back ache, while doing this. "Admit it, Zoycite, you're afraid of Beryl. You would never confess how you really think about her."

"I love my Queen." Zoycite said stubbornly.

"No," Nephrite contradicted. "The only one you really love is Malachite. Maybe it's even the only person you love at all." His words were broken by a knife under his chin, while Zoycite opened a door. "Love is illegal in Negaverse. Don't you know, Zoycite?" Nephrite asked, sneering. Zoycite looked into his eyes. "You're not a bit better than me."

Pain went through his cheek, when Zoycite's hand passed it. "For your impudence!" Zoycite said.

Nephrite breathed, trembling. "Doesn't matter to me, what you want to punish me for this time."

"Zoycite?" Zoycite heard Malachite's voice. She turned around.

Malachite walked to her. "Queen Beryl wants me to catch Tuxedo Mask. I won't be here for some time."

"What?" Zoycite said, surprised.

"I for sure will soon be back again." Malachite said, calming her. "Don't worry."

Zoycite sunk her head. "Okay."

"Bye!" Malachite said and walked away.

"You're concerned about him, aren't you?" Nephrite said.

Instead of answering, Zoycite pushed Nephrite through the opened door.

"You don't need to be ashamed about this," Nephrite said, stepping into the room. "I feel the same, every time Molly is in danger." Nephrite turned around and watched Zoycite stop.

"Nephrite." Zoycite whispered.

Nephrite came closer to Zoycite. "So you know what I am talking about? Zoycite, a person like you, who cares so much about another person, can't be completely evil."

Zoycite felt tears rolling out of her eyes.

Nephrite lay his hands on Zoycite's arms. "It's okay," he whispered.

"No!" Zoycite pushed him away. "Nothing is okay!" she shouted. "What do you know about my feelings? You don't have to tell me anything, bloody traitor!" The knife in Zoycite's hand grew to a sword, which she swung towards Nephrite.

Nephrite, as fast as he could, also created a sword in his hand, to save himself from the attacks. "The question is, who of us is a traitor, Zoycite." he said. "I know about you and Malachite."

"It's none of your business!" Zoycite shouted.

"Sure," Nephrite replied. "Don't you want to join Molly and me?"

Zoycite laughed. "Never!" she said.

Nephrite swung his sword and pushed Zoycite's out of her hands. She gingerly leaned against the wall of the corridor, while Nephrite placed the edge of his sword below her chin. "I am not keen about becoming a murderer," he said.

"Forturnately, I am not that way." Zoycite said, and Nephrite felt something sharp inside his shoulder. He could feel warm liquid run down his back. Gasping, he let his sword fall and propped stiffly against the wall. Zoycite used the chance to jump away from Nephrite.

He looked at the woman, who was sitting in the air. "I am still not finished with you!" Nephrite promised. He grapped one of Zoycite's feet and pulled her to him.

"Bastard! Let me go!" Zoycite shouted. She pushed with her other foot against Nephrite.

But Nephrite held Zoycite's foot even tighter and smiled as flashes of energy up his arm and Zoycite fell on the floor, gasping.

All inside Zoycite got more and more weak. She tensed up and started shivering. "Nephrite, stop it!" she whimpered.

"It's a great feeling, which our victims always have, when we suck out their energy," Nephrite said, "isn't it?"

"Let me free," Zoycite begged, almost crying.

"Will you promise not to fight Molly and me any more?" Nephrite asked.

Zoycite scolded: "I'll do anything. Just stop it!"

Nephrite let her foot go. Zoycite breathed freely and rested on the floor.

"Get up, Zoycite," Nephrite said, pulling Zoycite up by her arm. "We've got something to do."

"Yes, of course." Zoycite said, exhausted. She leaned herself against the wall.

Nephrite looked at her. "First of all, I want you to give me my Black Crystal back."

Zoycite raised her head. "Anything else?" she asked, tired.

"It's still my crystal," Nephrite said, "and besides you've just told me, you'd do anything."

Zoycite thrust her hand into her trousers pocket and pushed the Black Crystal into Nephrite's opened hand. "Pleased now?" she asked, sneering.

"Almost," Nephrite replied. "We have to free Molly, talk with Malachite, and the most important: We have to stop Beryl."

"Nothing more?" Zoycite asked, cynical. "You take care of Beryl, I'll take Molly and Malachite."

"No! No! No!" Nephrite said. "Molly I'll free myself, and we'll worry about Beryl together!"

Zoycite sighed. "All right. I'll search for Malachite now, while you free your Molly."

"We'll meet in my villa, 6:00 pm, earth time, in the planetarium." Nephrite said.

"Okay." Zoycite went away.

"Wait a minute!" Nephrite said.

Zoycite turned around. "Yes?"

In Nephrite's hand the Black Crystal was shining. It whirled like a snake and flew to Zoycite, winding around her hand joint. When the ring was closed, it grew stiff.

"What's that?" Zoycite irritated wanted to know.

"Just a precautionary measure," Nephrite said. "Every time you try to deceive me, you will feel pain."

"Bastard!" Zoycite said. "In your villa then." She teleported away, surrounded by cherry blossoms.

Nephrite closed his eyes, concentrated and then in a reddish flash dissolved.

In a dark little room he found himself again.

"Nephrite!" he heard a trusted voice. Molly was running to him and fell around his neck. "Nephrite," she said and buried her face in his shoulder.

"It's okay." Nephrite whispered. "Everything's okay now. We'll get away from here."

Molly lay her hands around his back and discovered a bloody place. "Nephrite, you're hurt." she said.

"Doesn't matter." Nephrite said. He took her legs, pulled her up to him and, reassured, concentrated. In a reddish flash Molly and Nephrite disappeared.