Mazz Destrukshun concerts were becoming even scarier than they had ever been. There were rumors, then confirmed reports, of mass hallucinations, illnesses, unconsciousness, and emotional and mental breakdowns among the fans. It got so that anyone attending a Mazz Destrukshun concert faced good odds of leaving in an ambulance and ending up in the emergency room or psychiatric ward. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for Jasper and the Dark Kingdom) this only increased Mazz Destrukshun's appeal among his target audience. He was performing every weekend, all over the world, though he always flew to Tokyo immediately after every concert and stayed there until time to fly to the next one. There was no more of the famed groupie-cruising in his limo, no more interviews, no more music videos. He became a mystery man, which, of course, increased his ticket sales.

Then the deaths started. First were twelve fans in Amsterdam, found lying on the floor of the hall when everyone else had cleared out after the concert. Not a mark on them, no more drugs in their systems than was average for Mazz Destrukshun concert attendees (statistics had actually been compiled on this). The best the coroner could do was that they had died of exhaustion. More deaths followed, in Berlin, London, New York, and Los Angeles, in increasingly greater numbers. Now, fans attending Mazz Destruction concerts stood a chance of ending up in the ER, the mental ward, or the morgue.

Despite appeals from the clergy, the governments, the educational institutions, the medical associations, the media, and the parents, Mazz Destrukshun ticket sales continued to increase. To Mazz's target audience, death was the ultimate thrill ride. There was talk of banning his performances in nearly every place where he scheduled a concert, but somehow such talk never got anywhere. No one thought it more than a coincidence that everyone who was in a position to ban a Mazz Destrukshun concert and tried to do so ended up either dead or living in South America on a vast amount of mysteriously-gotten cash.

* * * * * * * *

Jasper was absolutely awash in energy, but he was stingy about doling it out to his Lords. He had overheard them calling him stupid, that first day, and Metallia had warned him to not let them get too strong. His trusted servants, and he couldn't even trust them. How bogus was that?

He hated living in this weird place, with its weird language and weird food and no decent beaches. L.A. it was not. But at least he was able to make up for the lack of partying on the road. He always brought two or three groupies back with him, making sure they were chicks who didn't have anyone who would miss them. He would pump them full of drugs, use them for the week, drain their energy, then dump them somewhere, naked, alone and destitute in a foreign city. Stupid things could always whore for the money to get home again.

* * * * * * * *

Jadeite, Zoisite, and Kunzite found themselves increasingly repulsed by their new king. For one thing, the apartment that now served as Dark Kingdom headquarters was turning into a pigsty. They hated going there, hated seeing the abused, unconscious, teenage girls that usually adorned the sofas or bed, hated the smells of stale booze, vomit, and rotting food. The only thing stronger than their disgust at Jasper's filth was their longing to take revenge on the Sailor Senshi and finally conquer Earth for the Dark Kingdom.

They spent as little time at headquarters as possible, going there only when Jasper absolutely insisted on meeting with them. As Mazz Destrukshun's new "managers," they had taken an apartment of their own a few blocks away, and kept it scrupulously clean. Most of the time, they used what little energy Jasper would give them to follow the Sailor Senshi and friends, looking for weak points that could be exploited.

When the first Mazz Destrukshun concert deaths were reported, Zoisite, Kunzite, and Jadeite gathered for a meeting in their own living room. "I don't like this," Jadeite said, shaking his head. "I stole a lot of energy, working for Beryl, but I never killed anyone."

"Yeah," Kunzite said. "We were going to save the killing for when we destroyed the whole Earth. More humane that way."

"I just wish he'd give us some of that energy he's collected," Zoisite said. "I hate this skulking around. I'd rather just teleport, but he won't give us enough energy."

"I'm not sure I want that energy." Jadeite nearly shuddered. "Energy from killing people? And those girls in his apartment... I'm sorry, call me a wimp, but that's a bit much."

"Actually, I agree," Kunzite said. "But it's important to remember that Jasper brought us back to life. He holds our lives in his hands. We have to hold on and fight until we've won. Then we can figure out how to get rid of him. In the meantime, maybe we can try to get a little energy on our own without him finding out."

They reviewed what they had learned about the Senshi and their friends so far. Usagi was eagerly looking forward to when she and Mamoru would be married. Mamoru was hoping that the new play he was directing, for his graduation project, would be successful and would find a booking in a real theater. Ami was doing everything she could to eventually get into medical school. Her long-distance boyfriend, Ryo, wanted to settle down near her, in Tokyo or wherever she ended up going to school. Makoto yearned to open a restaurant, but, being an orphan, had extremely limited resources. Rei was concerned about her aging grandfather's health. Yuuichirou was looking for a new musical direction, but was torn between wanting to resume touring and remaining at Hikawa Shrine with Rei. Minako had already put in a full career as Sailor V before becoming Sailor Venus, and longed to live a normal, quiet life. Naru, Usagi's best friend and Nephrite's downfall, was nowhere to be found. This was especially maddening to Zoisite, who for some reason had fixated on the girl as the source of all his own problems.

* * * * * * * *

Ami and Makoto seemed the easiest targets to go after first. Jasper was a lot less stingy with his money than with the energy he collected, and the three Lords were able to plow a huge amount into their new Gems Foundation. Letters were sent, one offering Ami a full scholarship to whichever university and medical school in the world she chose to attend, with a guarantee of admission. The other was from a group of investors who wanted to go into partnership with Makoto in opening a restaurant in any international city of her choice. "I have to admit," Kunzite said, looking over the letters and accompanying documents, "that Nephrite was right about one thing. You can get more done in this world if you understand how money works."

Unfortunately for them, the Lords were unfamiliar with the axiom, "If something looks too good to be true, it probably is." Ami and Makoto, after all their experience in dealing with the plots of the Dark Kingdom and other assorted enemies, had learned to look gift horses very carefully in the mouth. Reluctantly, but certain they were doing the right thing, they politely refused the offers. At the following meeting of the Senshi, a note was made of the incident and the name of the foundation which had made the offers, then, in the absence of any other strange happenings, the whole thing was filed away.

* * * * * * * *

* * * * * * * *

Immediately after his return to life, Nephrite teleported to his mansion outside the city, where he was pleased to find everything exactly as he had left it. The Guards he had set over his property, which were keyed to become stronger if he did not return within a certain time to reset them, had kept everything in good condition.

The first day, he felt exhausted. He slept the whole day, then awoke in the evening and began to plan. He couldn't just show up at Naru's door and say, "Hi, honey, I'm back from the dead, so let's get married." The poor kid would probably keel over from shock. Besides, he was assuming that she hadn't forgotten about him or found someone else, and that he had a chance with her. Assumptions were dangerous.

He went into the Gothic-style private chapel attached to the nineteenth-century mansion. It was here where he had always come, before, to consult the stars. There was a heavy, cold atmosphere in the room that made him reluctant to stay there. Was this new, or had he just never noticed it before? He narrowed his eyes, concentrating on the traces of power left in the chapel.

Pure evil, left over from when he had belonged to the Dark Kingdom. He could no longer use this room. He spoke a few loud, harsh words and brought his right arm down in a sharp gesture, destroying the magical devices that had allowed him access to the stars through the chapel's stained glass windows.

He went back upstairs to bed. His bedroom was a loft overlooking the large main room on the lower floor. The big bed was positioned in the middle of the loft, beneath a large skylight he'd had installed. Contrary to the image he'd cultivated as "Sanjouin Masato," he had always slept alone here, his only companions the stars.

He lay on his back and watched the movements of the constellations for a long time. Don't look at us, they said. Use your common sense. Take some chances. Your life is waiting for you.

Nephrite chuckled. His temperamental old friends were up to their tricks again. Fine, then. Be that way, he replied, then rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next day, he drove to the offices of Sanjouin International, which was in fact a real business, importing luxury goods. The six youma who staffed the offices had done an excellent job during their boss's long absence, running the business profitably and keeping his personal finances current. Meaning that his credit cards and cell phone still worked, he was glad to find out. Nephrite did not begrudge them the modest annual raises they had given themselves, and, in fact, gave them each an eye-popping bonus. In return, the youma, who had also served as extremely presentable (not to mention complication-free) dates at the many social functions Sanjouin Masato was expected to attend, updated him on the outcome of Beryl's attempt to destroy Earth. They had survived Beryl's defeat because they were not living in the Dark Kingdom at the time. They were loyal to Nephrite and served him, not Beryl; he had made them and could unmake them if he wished. Besides, he paid better than Beryl had.

Strange, he thought, how of the four Dark Kingdom Lords, Kunzite was the only one who had actually been killed by the enemy. Jadeite and Zoisite had been executed (or whatever you called what happened to Jadeite) by Queen Beryl, and Nephrite himself had fallen victim to Zoisite's maneuverings. So much for honor among traitors. Well, he was done with that now; no more of the backstabbing, treachery, and lies that went along with working for evil.

He pondered his next move, now that he had made sure he had what he needed to function in this world. Duty required that he seek out Prince Endymion and the Senshi and announce his change of status to them, hopefully without getting hit with that Frisbee trick of Moon's. But what he really wanted to do first was find Naru. He longed to find out if his visions had a chance of coming true, and he couldn't concentrate on anything else until then. With this as his excuse, he decided that duty would have to wait another day or two.

The next morning, he watched the jewelry store to see if Naru emerged to go to school. He didn't see her, so he followed Usagi. Chances were she and Naru were attending the same high school. He didn't see Naru around Usagi's school, but that might have only been because she was attending a different school after all. He staked out the OSA*P jewelry store some more and saw Naru's mother, but still no sign of Naru. While Mrs. Osaka was busy in the store, Nephrite teleported into Naru's room. The bed was stripped of sheets; most of Naru's possessions seemed to be there, but appeared untouched. Was she away, at boarding school, perhaps, or on a foreign exchange? Or maybe even at university; she would be almost old enough by now. He sagged against the wall and tried to fight back his frustration and disappointment. Where was Naru?

More anxious now to talk to the Senshi, he concentrated on learning who the others were and where they met. He soon got the information he wanted, and, one week after his return to life, was ready to meet with them.

But how to approach them, without getting roasted, frozen, and Moon Tiara'd? He wasn't ready to die again yet. Hiding in shadows, he observed one of their almost-daily gatherings at the Hikawa Shrine. Once the Senshi business was disposed of (and there didn't seem to be much), the main focus seemed to be homework, comic books, gossip, and food. Chocolate and pizza seemed to be the foods of choice. Mamoru was there; he and Usagi spent a fair amount of time making out on a futon in the next room. The more things changed...

He followed Mamoru when the younger man left to meet some of his college friends at a bar. The Prince favored expensive imported beer from small European countries.

The next afternoon he got ready. He rejected his Sanjouin Masato clothes, as they probably had too many negative associations for the Senshi. Instead, he went with a lavender collarless shirt, jeans (he was pleased to note that he had neither lost nor gained weight while he was dead and the jeans fit perfectly), and leather hiking sandals. He drove downtown to a gourmet shop, and purchased three pounds of Godiva chocolates and a six-pack of Belgian beer that he had never heard of but that the clerk assured him was very good.

When he came out of the shop, a flash of long, straight, silvery hair caught his attention. It was a tall, lean man dressed in black turtleneck and jeans, walking away from Nephrite on the other side of the street. Kunzite. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be dead. Nephrite wondered if the Sailor Senshi knew he was around. If they didn't, this was one more peace offering he could bring.

Time to go. He got in the car, said a prayer to whatever deity might give a damn about him that the Senshi would ask questions first and transform later, and tore off towards the Hikawa Shrine.

* * * * * * * *

They were all there, the five girls, two cats, and Mamoru, along with another young man with long, shaggy brown hair, who didn't appear to get all worked up over how close his shaves were. Ami and Rei were doing math homework, while Mamoru read out loud from a collection of Russian plays and the unknown young man pounded out a rhythm with drumsticks on the table, which was piled high with empty plates and pizza boxes. Makoto was petting the cats, Minako was reading a Sailor V comic book and complaining about how the cartoon character's hair was drawn in one panel. The dreaded Sailor Moon, nemesis of the Dark Kingdom, lay on the floor, her feet and pigtails sticking out from under the low table, snoring. Nephrite sighed, thinking about casting his fate with these kids. Well, it wasn't as bad as it looked; he had learned the hard way not to underestimate them. Nephrite took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Hey, Usagi," Makoto said.

There was a crack, so loud it made Nephrite wince, as Usagi tried to sit up under the table. "Ow!" she yelped. "What?"

"Is someone else supposed to be coming?"

"No. Maybe it's Rei's grandpa."

"As if! Grandpa's never knocked on a door in his life." Rei's voice came closer, and then she opened the door. Her eyes bugged wide when she saw Nephrite, then she shrieked and slammed the door shut.

"Rei! Are you ok?" Usagi asked. "Who's at the door?"

"It's -- it's -- oh, see for yourself."

Usagi opened the door, and got nearly the exact same look on her face that Rei had had. Before she could slam the door, though, Nephrite held out the box of chocolates and the six-pack of beer. "I come in peace. Please don't kill me."

He entered the room, which had gone absolutely silent. Usagi and Makoto stared at the Godiva box, everyone else stared at him.

"But...but...you're already dead," Ami stammered. "We watched you die."

"My death, much to my surprise, has turned out to be only a temporary thing."

"Whoa, dude," said the young man with the drumsticks. "Cool."

"What's going on?" Minako asked. "Who is this?"

"Nephrite," Usagi said. "Back from the dead. This is so majorly weird."

"Nephrite?" Makoto asked. "Isn't he the one that --?"

"Mmm-hmm," said Rei, cutting her off. "So what are you doing here, you piece of Dark Kingdom scum?"

"That's ex-Dark Kingdom scum to you, Mars. I've brought peace offerings and a bit of information you Sailor Senshi might be interested in. In return, I need answers to some questions. Let's talk."

He took off his shoes, then sat on one of the mats at the table and deposited the beer and chocolates on one of the few uncluttered spaces. The others joined him. Usagi couldn't take her eyes off the enormous box of chocolates, so Nephrite took off the lid and let her and the other girls dive in. He, Mamoru, and the drummer boy each helped themselves to a bottle of the cold beer. "Can we talk in front of him?" He indicated the drummer.

"Sure," Usagi mumbled around a mouthful of expensive chocolate. "He knows who we are."

"Wait a minute," Rei said. "First, I want some proof that this isn't some kind of Dark Kingdom setup. You may claim to be ex-Dark Kingdom, but, strangely, I don't trust you."

Nephrite thought a moment. "Okay. Do you have a needle?"

"Sure." Rei disappeared into the other room, then came back with a darning needle. She grinned.

Nephrite eyed the Senshi of Fire and briefly wondered if this was such a good idea. Too late now. "You can do this, Rei, so you'll be convinced this isn't a trick. Stick me with the needle. Anywhere." He braced himself.

Rei sat still for a moment, then, before he could react, she grabbed his left hand and plunged the needle deep into the pad of his thumb. A trickle of red blood welled out.

"The last time you saw me bleed, what color was it?"

"Green..." Rei dropped the needle on the table, then grabbed a napkin for him to hold against the wound.

"Convinced? I'm human again. No more Dark Kingdom, no more Beryl, at least not for me. I didn't believe it myself until I cut myself shaving, the day after I came back."

"I'm convinced, I guess, " Rei said reluctantly. She looked at the others. "How about you guys?" The other girls and Mamoru nodded.

"Well, Nephrite, let's hear what you have to say," Usagi said. She was suddenly showing an impressive maturity.

"Due to certain... extenuating circumstances, I've been given the chance to come back, to live up to the oaths and promises I broke when I joined the Dark Kingdom, to live my life right this time. I'm on your side now. Whatever service or assistance I can give any of you is yours." He waited a moment, to see how his announcement would be taken.

Mamoru's eyes widened slightly. "I -- I remember you now. You were the last to desert me, and now you are the first to return. Your name was --"

"I would prefer to not use that name until I have earned the right," Nephrite said.

"All right, then." Everyone was staring at Mamoru. "He was one of the four Imperial Guardians of the Realm of Earth," Mamoru explained. "You can guess who the other three were. Nephrite was my teacher, my personal guardian, and my friend. I think we can trust him."

The little black cat who'd been sitting on Makoto's lap came over to Nephrite and sniffed his hand. "Lady Luna," he said, smiling. He began stroking her back. She bent her front legs, so that her chin touched the floor and her hindquarters stuck up in the air. Then she toppled over onto her side. Nephrite turned his attention to the silky fur of her belly. The violently-purring cat rolled onto her back, all four paws sticking up. "Really, Luna!" Usagi exclaimed.

Luna quickly sat up and began washing her face, trying to recover some dignity, while Artemis snickered. "The General always was a charming scoundrel," she said.

"Well," said Ami, "if Luna thinks he's okay, then that settles it. Don't you all agree?" Everyone nodded.

"Good," Nephrite said. "Now, I have some news for you. This afternoon, before I came over here, I saw Kunzite."

The Sailor Senshi all gasped and went pale. "No!" Usagi whispered in a harsh, scared voice. "I killed him. He's dead!"

"So was I." Nephrite's statement was met with silence; it was an irrefutable point.

"What about Jadeite and Zoisite? They both disappeared after a while and we never saw them again," Rei said. "We've been assuming they were dead, too."

"Jadeite wasn't exactly dead, but imprisoned in a crystal. Zoisite was executed by Queen Beryl for trying to kill Mamoru. I didn't see them, so I don't know if they're back too. Anyone have any ideas what Kunzite's reappearance might be about?"

"No." The Senshi and Mamoru looked at each other and shook their heads.

"So," Nephrite said. "What I propose we do is keep our eyes open, see if we can figure out if the others are back and what they're up to. It may be nothing, but somehow I doubt Kunzite is being given the same kind of second chance I am."

The Senshi and Mamoru nodded agreement. The shaggy young man said, "Dude, you tell me what these losers look like and I'll watch for them too. Oh, I'm Yuuichirou."

"He's our resident rock star, floor sweeper, and punching bag for Grandpa," Rei added. She tried to glare at Yuuichirou, but Nephrite couldn't miss the tenderness in the look they gave each other. It made an ache come into his throat. He swallowed it, as he noticed the glances being traded around the table.

"Is Naru-chan also part of why you've come back?" Usagi finally asked.

"She's the most important part," Nephrite answered. "I have to get things right with her this time, but I haven't been able to find her. Can you tell me where she is?"

"Naru went away for a while," Usagi said. She wouldn't meet his eyes.

"She's at a monastery up in the mountains -- Not to join, she just had to get away for a while," Ami added.

"Oh, for goodness sake," Makoto said. "If you won't tell him, I will." She looked at Nephrite. "Naru tried to kill herself about ten months ago. Sleeping pills and vodka, and she slashed her wrists. She really meant it. We only saved her because Rei had a vision of her dying and called Mrs. Osaka. It was in the middle of the night, and without Rei, Mrs. Osaka wouldn't have found Naru until the morning."

Nephrite held his hands in front of his face, palms pressed together. It was a focusing gesture, and right now he needed to keep himself from flying apart. "Why?"

"After she lost you," Usagi said quietly, "she tried really hard to live a normal life. She felt like that was what everyone expected her to do. She couldn't talk to anyone about what happened except me, and this priest she met one day. Later she found out who Rei and Ami are, and tried to talk to them."

"We all said the same stupid things," Ami said. "You'll find someone new, life goes on, he wouldn't want you to be sad, he isn't really gone if he's in your heart. I guess she started feeling like she wasn't supposed to be sad. So she tried to pretend everything was normal, but it all fell apart, a little bit at a time."

"She even got dumped by Umino," Usagi said. "That's about as low as anyone can go."

Umino -- he remembered now, a very strange little boy from Naru's school, thick glasses and an unnatural fascination with bugs. "Naru dated him?"

"We should have known that was a sign of trouble. She was even drinking vanilla-prune milkshakes with him. Thank goodness, he lost interest when this cute new insect freak started at our school. Naru dated a lot of other guys after that, but they all dumped her after a month or so. They all complained that she wasn't paying enough attention to them."

"Guys can be such pigs," Rei said.

"Hey, that's way harsh," Yuuichirou protested.

"I don't mean you, Yuui-kun. You're an absolute prince."

Nephrite let the banter wash around him. He was still holding himself tightly under control, listening to the story of Naru's struggle. Every word, every image, was a stab to his heart. This was one of the difficult things about love, which he had forgotten during his long years in the Dark Kingdom -- your beloved's pain always hurt far worse than your own.

Usagi continued speaking quietly. She had matured a great deal in the last three and a half years; there really did seem to be a princess inside her. "She finally gave up on guys and got seriously into school. Her grades were almost as good as Ami's. Then one day she just freaked. In cooking class. You'll never guess what we were making that day. I'll give you a hint -- it used to be her favorite dessert."

All the control in the world couldn't have stopped his tears now. One more promise broken, though he really hadn't meant to break this one.

"She ran away from school. No one knows where she went or what she was doing, but she came home late in the evening, waited till her mother was asleep, and then... did it." Usagi put her hand on Nephrite's shoulder. "She didn't die, Nephrite, but it was like there wasn't any Naru inside any more. She didn't do anything but breathe and sleep and stare out the window. It was Rei who had the idea for her to go away."

"She needed to be able to quit pretending that everything was all right," Rei said. "So Grandpa arranged for her to go visit this shrine in the mountains, and stay for as long as she wanted. She sends letters sometimes. She's changed a lot. But she's all right, and doesn't seem to think that death is the answer any more."

"Where is she, Rei?"

"I'm not sure I should tell you. She's been working hard to come to terms with what happened, and I don't want her to get upset again."

"Rei!" Usagi said. "You may have saved her life and found a way to help her, but I don't think that gives you the right to decide if she should see Nephrite."

"I only want what's best for her."

"Well, who made you the one who gets to decide?"

Nephrite lost patience. His fist crashed down onto the table. "Tell me where she is!" The bickering stopped and everyone stared at him. "I can find out, one way or another. I'd rather be upfront about it, since I'm trying to be one of the good guys now, but I'll do whatever I have to to find my Naru. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

A long silence, then Rei said quietly, "I'll draw you a map." She tore a piece of paper from her notebook and quickly sketched a map. Nephrite grabbed it from her. "This had better lead me to her, or you'll be very, very sorry."

The seven young people and two cats watched Nephrite storm out the door, and were silent until after they heard the Ferrari screech away into the dusk. "He really does love her," Usagi said quietly. "I always wondered...."

* * * * * * * *

The red Testarossa roared towards the OSA*P shop. Nephrite had business to conduct with Mrs. Osaka which would involve a lot of explaining. Then back to his place to pack a few things and grab something to eat -- he could leave the car parked and just teleport, it would be faster. After that, Naru. The map indicated that the monastery where she was was about two hours away; he could do it in less than an hour and a half. Closer to an hour, with some luck. I'm coming, Naru, he thought, wishing that she could somehow hear his thoughts. Why couldn't he have come back a year ago?