The next day, Nephrite drove Naru to his house on the hill that wasn't quite there. "This is a good place to practice. No one will see us, and it won't hurt anything if you burn up a few of the trees here," he said. He led her to a stand of pine trees well away from the house. "Now, the main problem I noticed the other day is that it takes you too long to fire off an attack. Tell me how you do it."

"How I make the fire, and make it shoot out from my hand?" Naru said. "I'm not sure. The fire itself, I can call into my hand just by thinking about it, I don't even have to concentrate very hard, but I'm not sure how I attack with it. The first time it happened, I was feeling scared and angry and frustrated about being so weak that other people had to protect me all the time. And... it just happened."

"What about the other day at the park?"

Naru struggled to recall. "I remembered that Sailor Moon's attacks wouldn't work against the monsters. I wanted to protect her in return for all the times she's helped me." Except that time, she tried to kill me. Naru fought back another stab of bewildered sorrow.

"Then that needs to be your state of mind all the time. You won't allow yourself to be attacked, and you'll protect everyone around you. That is who you are. You are strong, you can protect everyone instead of needing to be protected. You don't have to ask the fire for help; you command it. Wait here."

He walked a short distance off into the woods, then suddenly turned and shouted "Starlight Attack!" Spheres of bluish energy shot out from his hand towards Naru.

What...?! Naru didn't have time to think. She thrust out her hand. Flames streamed out towards the spheres of starlight; the two attacks merged into a brilliant explosion.

"That was good," Nephrite said, walking back towards her. "No hesitation that time."

"What did you do that for?" Naru shouted.

"Because I knew you could defend against it if I didn't give you time to think and doubt yourself."

"But what if I couldn't?"

He reached her side and put his arms around her. "Do you think I would have attacked if I wasn't sure you could defend yourself?"

"I... well, no, I guess not."

"I died to protect you. Do you think I'd let that go to waste in a stupid training accident?" His tone was gentle, almost humorous, but firm at the same time.

Naru laughed a little, and let herself sag into his arms, weak from delayed shock. "No, I guess not."

"Good." He hugged her, then let go. "Now, you should never assume that one attack is enough to defeat your enemy." He pointed to a tree about ten meters away from where they were standing. "Five attacks at that tree, as fast as you can."

Naru extended her right hand, then lowered it. "But the tree isn't attacking me. I can't -"

"You can. It isn't attacking you, but training by attacking the tree is just as important to who you are and what your purpose is. If you don't train and practice, you won't be able to protect anyone from real danger. You have to get stronger."

Naru raised her hand again. I have to get stronger, she repeated to herself. I am Naru the Flame and I want to protect people. I want to save Usagi.

The flame came to life in her hand. "One, two, three, four, five," she counted as arcs of fire flew towards the tree. But at the same time, Nephrite fired five bursts of starlight power at another tree by the time she got to "three." He never even said the name of the attack, unlike his usual practice.

"Not bad," he said. "But you'll have to be faster."

"Why didn't you say your attack?" Naru asked.

He shrugged. "It's really just a focusing device, not essential to performing the attack. If my mind is already focused, I don't have to say anything. Unlike the Senshi; I'm sure you've noticed that they have to say the name of the attack as well as performing some sort of gesture. That gives you an advantage over them. Make the most of it by being too fast for them. Try again."

Naru's next few sets of five attacks gradually became faster, until it only took her a few seconds longer than Nephrite to fire them all off. When she finished, another wave of weakness overtook her, and she had to sit down in the dirt. The air wasn't as cold here as it was in the outside world, but it was chilly enough that she found herself shivering. Nephrite let her rest for a while, then they resumed training. At noon they went and got sushi for lunch, then returned to Nephrite's property, where they trained the rest of the afternoon until Naru could launch five attacks as quickly as Nephrite could.

"I think that's enough for today," Nephrite finally said. "You'll need to build up your endurance and energy, but that won't happen in one day. The thing I hope you've learned today is that you can do this, you don't have to hesitate or think about it when you use your attacks. If you're trying to protect someone, you can't afford to stop and think it through."

Naru's legs had given way from exhaustion, and she was sitting cross-legged on the ground. She stared at her right hand. "The first time it happened, the only thing I could think about was, why couldn't I do this before? I could have saved you."

He was silent for a moment. "Well," he said, "I'm here now. And you can still save Usagi." He scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the house, then stopped in the huge, dark, empty main room. "I never realized before how bleak this place is," he said, looking around. "And there's nowhere to sit down."

Nowhere except the bed upstairs, Naru thought. "Maybe you should just take me home," she said. "We can call Mamoru from there."

"Good idea." Nephrite set her down. "When this is all over, I think I'll buy some furniture."

* * * * * * * *

The Osaka apartment was empty; Naru's mother was still working in the shop. Naru and Nephrite sat in the living room while Naru called Mamoru again.

"Chiba Mamoru here."

"Hey, Mamoru, it's Naru again. We need to talk to you some more."

"Um, okay... Just a minute, Usa-chan."

Naru glanced at Nephrite. "Usagi's there," she whispered.

“Sorry,” Mamoru said. “What was it you were saying?”

"Can you come to the Crystal Sky Gallery in the Takara Finance Tower tomorrow morning at ten?" Naru asked.

"Sure, I can do that... Nothing, just a business call, Usa-chan."

"It's really important, okay? We'll see you then," Naru said.

"Great, not a problem, appreciate it!" Mamoru said cheerfully as though he and a business associate had agreed to exchange favors, and hung up.

"I hope she isn't getting suspicious," Naru said, staring unhappily at her cell phone.

"We'd better assume that she's suspicious of everything and everyone," Nephrite said. "It would be a good idea to expect her to have him followed."

"It's just hard to imagine Usagi being like this," Naru said. "The way she used to be... It's like he said, she always saw the good in everything."

"This isn't her," Nephrite reminded her. "It's the tainted Crystal."

Naru's mother came in then, and stopped abruptly in the front room when she saw Naru's guest. Nephrite stood to greet her. "Osaka-san. It's very nice to finally meet you."

"You must be Sanjouin Masato," Midori said. She sounded slightly flustered, but quickly regained her composure. "My daughter was telling me about you, Sanjouin-san. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

"Thank you, that's very kind of you," Nephrite answered. "But first, I was wondering if you would do me a favor. Would you mind reopening your shop for a few minutes, just for me?" He gave Naru's mother his smooth, charming Sanjouin Masato smile.

"Why no, of course I wouldn't mind. It would be my pleasure." Midori gave Naru a quick, questioning glance.

The three of them went downstairs. Midori disabled the alarm and led them into the store by the back entrance, switching on the lights as they went in. Nephrite walked quickly through the store, glancing into the long glass cases until he found what he wanted. "I'll take this one, please. You can have it adjusted to the correct band size, I assume?"

"Of course," Midori said, following him. "We have a jewelry-maker on -

She looked at the piece that Nephrite was pointing at, and her mouth dropped open. Naru, trailing behind, peeked around Nephrite and felt her heart stop briefly. It was the biggest diamond solitaire engagement ring her mother carried. The price wasn't marked; if you had to ask, you couldn't afford it. He was certainly taking this commitment thing seriously, she thought. But it wasn't quite right...

"No, not that one," she said. They both looked at her, and she felt like an intruder in the process of choosing her own ring. Wait a minute, she thought. This is happening awfully fast.

But is there really any question that this is where we're going anyway? She wanted to be with Nephrite all the time. She wanted to share that big bed in that huge, ridiculously empty house with him. She wanted to be his, and she wanted him to be hers. Now that what she wanted was in her reach, she didn't want to play any games or waste any time.

She walked along the long glass, velvet-lined display case until she saw what she wanted, a wedding band with five respectable but not extravagant diamonds on it. "I'd like this one instead."

"But that's not an engagement ring, that's a wedding ring," Midori said.

"I know." She turned to Nephrite. "I told you, I'm not going to let myself get strung along with promises any more. I want the deal signed and sealed."

Nephrite and her mother stared at her speechlessly. "Well," Midori finally said. "Things have changed since you came home upset about Umino and that other girl."

Naru glanced down at her right hand, where the flame had danced across her palm the first time. "I'm not weak any more. And I know what I want."

"Are you sure?" Nephrite asked.

Naru nodded. "When you're ready to use that ring, you can buy it for me."

Nephrite paused only a second. Then he took his wallet out of his jacket pocket and flashed a shiny credit card at Midori. "I'll take it."

Without another word, Midori processed the transaction. Nephrite tucked the ring, in the OSA*P shop's signature emerald velvet box, into his jacket pocket, and the three of them went back upstairs. Midori quickly put on some rice, chicken, and vegetables to cook, and opened a package of noodle soup to help fill out the meal. While she cooked, Naru and Nephrite stayed in the living room. "So, when will this happen?" Nephrite asked. "Aren't there a lot things to plan?"

"I don't need a big wedding," Naru said. "At least not now. Maybe later, if my mom wants, we can have a reception or something. For now, we can just take in our papers and get the marriage registered. We could do it in a day or two."

"That's what you want?"

"Yes. And, admit it, it's what you want too, right? You weren't very happy when I told you to take me home instead of staying at your house, were you?"

"Well..." He smiled a little. "I want whatever you want, Naru-chan."

"Good." She smiled up at him. "We should get along just fine, then."

Over dinner, Midori and Nephrite discussed how they had each made a success of their respective businesses. Naru was a little surprised to learn that Nephrite's fabled "business" really existed. He specialized in importing unique arts and crafts items and luxury goods, such as jewelry, rugs, hand-embroidered fabrics, and housewares. Naru listened with interest, glad that Nephrite and her mother had something to talk about besides her, and eager to learn more about him. How well did she know him, really? She could count the days when they had spent time together, including the time eight years ago, on her fingers. But the length of time seemed meaningless; they had connected in ways that went beyond time. They had faced death together, they had been willing to give their lives for each other, they had learned things, good things, about themselves while in each other's company.

They belonged together, that was all there was to it, and ultimately, that was why she had brought him back. Why she had been able to bring him back.

After Nephrite left, Naru went back into the kitchen where Midori was washing up, and picked up a dish towel to help dry. "You won't be disappointed if we don't have a big wedding celebration, at least not right away, will you?"

"This is moving very fast, Naru-chan. Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. We connect on so many levels, and we're both better people from being around each other."

"Yes, I can see that. But why the hurry to get married? I mean, you can do what you want, I won't be too disappointed as long as you're happy, but why the rush? You aren't pregnant, are you?"

Naru smiled. "No, Mama, I'm not pregnant. We haven't done anything yet." Something she had only been half-consciously thinking about resolved itself. "Sit down for a minute, Mama."

Midori sat on one of the kitchen chairs. "What is it?"

"Do you remember anything about monster attacks in the city, several years ago, and Sailor Moon?"

"I think I remember. I always thought I was crazy, like I was remembering strange dreams I'd had. Sometimes I think I remember a robbery in the store, a monster, Sailor Moon and some other girls..."

"Mama, promise me you won't tell anyone else; I just found out the other day. Usagi is Sailor Moon."

Midori looked at her in shock. "What?"

"At the same time I found that out, I found out I can do this." She let a flame gradually grow in her hand, carefully, not too big, so she wouldn't scare her mother.

Midori opened and closed her mouth soundlessly, staring at the flame dancing on Naru's right palm.

"It's useful for fighting monsters, I discovered. The friends I met at the gallery and Masato - his real name is Nephrite - and some friends of his also have powers like this, and there's something we have to do. Usagi - Sailor Moon - is in danger, and we need to help her before some really bad stuff starts to happen. We don't have much time, and I'm going to be with Nephrite most of the time anyway, so I decided we might as well get married as soon as possible. When everything is taken care of, we can plan a big celebration, if you want."

"I... well, Naru-chan... I suppose I can't argue with you. Whatever it is you're doing, please just be careful."

"Don't worry, Mama, I'll be very careful."

* * * * * * * *

Systematically, resting at intervals, Kunzite and Zoisite explored just beyond the perimeter of the area they had already covered, using their compass points of trees as the center of their explorations, working their way from north to east to south. The lack of food and water was bothersome, but they drew on old, half-forgotten military discipline to deal with the discomfort and kept going.

Finally, when they were exploring beyond their "western" marker, Zoisite spotted something different from atop the low hill they had climbed. "Look at that," he said, pointing it out to Kunzite.

Kunzite looked, using his hand to shade his eyes from the veiled sickly glare of a sun that never seemed to move. There was a small lighter-colored patch among the dark trees in the hazy distance that might have been a building of some sort. "Come on," he said, starting down the hill towards the object they had spotted.

Distances were impossible to judge, but the building or whatever it was seemed to take longer to walk to than they had thought it would. But at last they drew close enough to see that it was indeed a building, open-air, with a dome-shaped roof supported by a circle of columns. The floor was elevated a few meters above the ground, and steps encircling the entire building led up to it.

Zoisite and Kunzite climbed the steps, noting that what had once been white marble was now stained with the same sickly yellowish-greenish color as the light, threaded through with veins of a darker bruised-looking purple color. As they approached the floor of the building, they could hear a snuffling noise, like an animal.

They reached the top of the steps. Across from them, huddled against one of the columns, was a creature the same dark color as the threading in the marble. It looked like a cross between a horse and wolf; it had a horse's body and face, but with a more pointed jaw and a mouth lined with long sharp fangs. A single needle-sharp purplish-black horn, glistening as though covered with slime, protruded from its forehead.

"Pegasus," Zoisite whispered. He took a step towards the creature.

"Be careful," Kunzite said. He was tempted to put himself between the tainted unicorn and his partner, but Zoisite, for all his impatience, had a temperament more suited to approaching a frightened animal. "I don't think he's feeling very friendly."

Zoisite nodded briefly, then continued his slow approach towards the trembling creature. "Pegasus, it's me, Zoisite. Do you remember me? And Kunzite? We were your students once, long ago."

The creature growled and snapped at them, droplets of saliva flying through the air, and ran off.

"Damn," Kunzite said, running after it, followed by Zoisite. They chased Pegasus into a stand of trees that might have been oak trees before they were poisoned by the Golden Crystal. The creature disappeared from view among the trees but they could still hear it snarling and panting. After a moment they came upon it again. It had collapsed against a tree, its sides heaving and foaming with sweat.

"He's in pain," Zoisite whispered to Kunzite.

Empathy, Kunzite thought, surprised at Zoisite's tone. Something that Beryl had managed to rid us of pretty thoroughly. Except for Nephrite. Maybe we are starting to revert to what we were before.

Zoisite crept closer to Pegasus. He pulled a handful of dark, wilted leaves from a vine near the ground and held them out, an offering of what was hopefully food for the creature. Pegasus stared, nostrils flaring, pupils wide open. Zoisite came almost close enough to touch him, then Pegasus snapped at the hand holding the leaves and ran away again.