Down in the depths of the Negaverse, Queen Beryl had her minions assembled before her. She had heard a rumor that Zoycite had Neflite killed and now she was about to find out the truth. She hated the idea that it was Zoycite who struck the blow but she was pleased that she didn't have to do it. If she had to, it would have taken a lot of energy. She had used a lot of energy when she placed Jedite in Eternal Sleep.

"I'm assuming that Neflite has been destroyed," Beryl said.

"Yes, my queen," Zoycite said. "He became a traitor. He went to the young girl, Molly, and told her that he wanted to help the Sailor Scouts defeat the Negaverse." Zoycite took a quick glance over to her left to see Malachite arrive.

"And you sent three of your youma to destroy him."

"Yes. And I confiscated his black crystal, which he tried to use to locate the Imperium Silver Crystal."

"Give it to me," Beryl demanded.

Zoycite held the crystal out in her hand. The next minute it was in front of Beryl's hand. This action didn't surprise her.

"Where are your youma, Zoycite?"

"The Sailor Scouts had showed up and destroyed them," Zoycite growled. "But not before Neflite was pretty much dead."

"Good. Now leave and be prepared for when I need you to find the silver crystal," Beryl said.

Zoycite and Malachite left. When no one else was in the throne room, Beryl teleported to the Negaforce's chambers. She looked up at a huge red bubble. Kneeling down, Beryl heard a voice. She looked up to see the Negaforce speak.

"Why are you here?"

"My master, Neflite has been destroyed. We now have his crystal that he used to try and locate the Imperium Silver Crystal."

"Good. We'll use his crystal to locate it ourselves. Now be gone and leave the crystal so I may study it."

"Yes, my master," Beryl said as she bowed. She placed the crystal on the ground and teleported back to the throne room.

* * * * * * * *

At her home, Molly was doing her homework but had lost interest. She had a ton of homework, since instead of going to school on Friday she had spent the day with Neflite. For the last fifteen minutes she had been thinking about the auburn haired man. Before she had known his true side, he was always kind and sweet, and now she knew why he was distant to her when they were near each other.

"What is wrong with me?" Molly asked herself. "Here I am going crazy over a man twice my age. He is cute. But a lot older than I am."

"Molly, are you done with your homework yet?" Molly's mother called from outside her door. She had been waiting for the past hour for Molly to finish her homework. They were going to go down the street for pizza.

"No, mother," she said. "Why don't you go without me?"

"Molly, I don't want to leave you alone."

"That's ok. I'll make sure all the doors and windows are locked."

"Ok. Then you better come out and lock the door behind me."

Molly came of her room and walked to the front door with her mother. When her mother was gone, Molly made sure the door was locked. She went back to her room to finish her homework. As she sat on the bed, the lights dimmed. She closed her eyes, suddenly knowing something or someone was in the room.

"Hello," she said.

"Hello." It was a familiar voice.

She opened her eyes to see Neflite standing beside her. "What brings you here?"

"To see you," he said. "So you're catching up on homework?"

"Yes. Since I skipped school Friday, I have a lot of homework." She stood up as Neflite wrapped his powerful arms around her for a hug.

"I'm going to talk to the Sailor Scouts, but I need your help, since your friend Serena knows Sailor Moon. I want you to tell Serena that I want to talk. I will meet the Sailor Scouts in the park tomorrow after school. Afterwards, I'll take you out to play tennis."

"Oh, Neflite, that would be good. What is it are you going to tell the Scouts?"

"That I'm going to help them defeat the Negaverse."

"But it may take them a while to trust you."

"I know but I have to do something, I don't want to see you hurt. One way not to see you hurt is by helping the Scouts defeat the Negaverse."

"Neflite, I have a question for you. You said last week at your weird mansion that you were incapable of love. Why did you say that?"

"Because, Molly, before I met you, I didn't know what love was. But after that evening, all I could think about was you."

He looked into her eyes and became mesmerized. Still looking at her, his hand came up to rest at the bottom of her chin. Slowly but gently, he raised her chin and leaned down until their lips met. The kiss was brief but sweet. When he moved away, her eyes stayed closed for a brief moment.

"I have to go before your mother gets back, and you have homework to work on."

"Before you go, where are you staying?"

"Right now, in a place where time doesn't exist. It's called a time flux and it's the only place the Negaverse can't find me."

"What stops the Negaverse from finding you when you're in the city?"

"I'm being careful to not use my powers," he said. "If I teleport or use the power of the stars in the city, they'll find me. If I'm teleporting back to the time flux, not even a small amount of energy surge would be detected."

"Neflite, please be careful," she said wrapping her arms around him.

"Molly, please," he said.

"I know," she said, reluctantly pulled away. "I just had to feel your arms around me again."

When Molly was at arm's length, Neflite started to walk over to the window. "Molly, before I go I just wanted you to know again that I love you."

He turned back to her, to see joyful tears run down her cheeks. He bent down and kissed her again. This time the kiss was long and passionate. When they parted, he said, "I love you now and always." With that he was gone.

"I love you too, Neflite."

* * * * * * * *

After school the next day, Neflite met up with Serena, Raye and Amy, in regular form, in the park like he said he would. It didn't take him long to realize that Raye and Amy were Mars and Mercury in regular form.

"Did Molly, by any chance, follow you?" Neflite asked when the girls met up with Neflite.

"No. She said she'd wait at the café for you. You didn't tell her, who I was, did you?" Serena asked.

"No. It will be up to you to tell her. It is your secret, not mine. But I would suggest you tell her. She's involved in this just as much as you are. Zoycite will try and use her to get to you scouts. She may even play on Molly's love and con her into revealing me as being alive."

"Who's Zoycite?" Amy asked.

"Zoycite is another general. She'll more than likely be my successor. She is very manipulative and vindictive. She does have a lover, surprisingly. So more than likely she and Malachite will work together a lot. Malachite is the strongest warrior of the Negaverse."

"Why did you ask for this meeting?" Raye asked impatient.

"I want to help you defeat the Negaverse. I know it will take a while to trust me but in order for me to protect Molly, the Negaverse has to be gone."

"How can you help us?" Amy asked. "If the Negaverse thinks you're dead..."

"I've been in a time flux. From there I can spy on the Negaverse. I can give you information about what they are doing, and you can be ready."

"Why should we trust you?" Raye snapped.

"I haven't harmed Molly or gone to the Negaverse to tell them who you are. Like I said, it will take a while to trust me but I'm willing if you are."

"If we agree to what you're suggesting, I want you to do something for me. Protect Molly," Serena said.

"You don't need to worry about her. I will protect her with my life."

"Serena, how do you know he's telling the truth?" Raye asked. "He's lied many times."

"Raye, you weren't at the school dance Friday night. I believe he's telling the truth. He wants to become our ally."

"What?" Raye gasped.

"Serena's right," Amy said. "I was at the dance and from what I've seen, Neflite is in love with Molly and he'll do anything for her. He even went up to Serena and acted like it was the first time he'd ever met her."

"Think about what I said. Right now I promised Molly that I would take her out to play tennis and I'm going to. See I have a limited time here on Earth. Until I know Zoycite is not a threat to me, I can't stay on Earth for more than eight hours."

"Well then, how come you spent a whole day with Molly on Friday and then took her out for the evening?" Serena asked.

"The power of the Stars protected me. They are the ones who brought us together and Friday night sealed our fate to be together. I must go before it gets too late."

"Bye, Neflite," Serena said.

As Neflite began to move away from the little group, Amy thought of another question. "Neflite, wait."

He turned at the sound of her voice.

"How will we be able to contact you to let you know of our decision?"

"Tell Molly. I will be seeing her at least once a day, everyday." With that said, he left before anyone else could say anything further.

"Luna won't like this," Raye said.

"There is only one way to find out," Serena said. She was looking in the direction where Neflite headed. "I can tell he wants to protect Molly. He won't harm her. He never harmed her physically, only mentally."

"What about the time he drained her energy, Serena?" Raye said.

"That was before. But remember I told you, even when he drained her energy, he caught her before she completely collapsed to the floor."

"Yeah but he also threw her to you," Raye argued.

"He knew I would catch her," Serena argued back.

"Enough, you two," Amy said. "Neflite knows what he has done and Molly forgives him for being evil. Don't forget she saw first hand that he was trying to destroy us."

"Amy's right," Serena said. "Molly watched Neflite try to destroy me before you guys showed up and she still wants to be with him."

"I still don't like it. Lets consult with Luna first before we do anything," Raye said.

* * * * * * * *

"What?" the black cat yelled.

When the girls left the park, Serena had stopped at home, with Amy, while Raye left for the temple. Serena and Amy had picked up Luna and then headed to the temple to discuss what Neflite had said.

"Yes, Neflite wants to help us defeat the Negaverse," Serena said.

"No," Luna argued.

"Luna, I totally agreed with you," Raye said. "It could be just another trap."

"But he seems sincere." Serena spoke up in Neflite's defense. "He's never really hurt Molly and she believes him. Even after everything he's done to her. She even knows about the day he drained her energy at the mall when he disguised himself as Tuxedo Mask."

"Serena, I don't like it," Luna said.

"Luna, he never went back to the Negaverse, he knows who I am. He can destroy me at any time without my knowledge."

"True," Luna said. She looked at the leader of the Sailor Scouts and then to Raye. Raye was in shock to see Luna side with Serena.

"Don't forget," Amy said, "he hasn't even told Molly who Serena is. In fact, he told Serena to tell Molly herself."

"I think we should give Neflite a chance," Serena said.

"With your meeting today, did you guys sense any disturbances about him?" Luna asked. She was actually directing the question at Raye.

"Actually, I didn't sense any bad vibes around Neflite," Raye said.

"Amy and Serena, how about you?" Luna asked.

"I didn't sense anything," Serena said.

"I didn't either. In fact, I had concentrated my powers to use the computer behind my back and the results were not disturbing. I even ran a lie detector, and it said he was telling the truth," Amy said.

"Then it's agreed we team up with Neflite?" Luna said.

"Yes," Serena said. "Neflite also said to contact Molly when we came up with the decision. Let's head over there and tell Molly as Sailor Moon, Mars and Mercury."

"That's a good idea, Serena," Luna agreed. "It's best to go as scouts since you say Molly knows Sailor Moon and Serena know each other.

The three girls transformed, and headed over to OSAP Jewelry store. When they arrived, Molly was sitting in her room alone.

She heard a light tap on her window and went over to it. She pulled her curtains away from the window to reveal the scouts. It made Molly gasp. When she was over the initial shock, she quietly opened the window.

"Sailor Moon," Molly said. "What are you doing here?"

"Molly, we're here so you can give Neflite a message for us," Sailor Moon said.

"We are going to join forces with Neflite," Sailor Mercury said.

Molly's eyes widened in happiness. "Oh, that is so great. He's going to be here soon. He took me to the tennis court for an hour and then he had to leave. But he said he'd be back later."

"Well, Molly, just be careful. We better leave before he gets here and your mother comes in," Sailor Moon said.

"Thanks, Sailor Moon," Molly said. Molly watched them leave as they jumped from building to building.

"Oh, Neflite you are going to be happy when you get here." Molly waited in her room for two hours before Neflite did show.

"Hello Molly," he said. The sound of his voice startled her.

"Neflite! You scared me," Molly said, getting up off her bed.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to come and apologize for leaving when I did." Neflite walked over to the bed and hugged Molly tightly. "I can't stay long, I met the keeper of the Time Flux."

"I understand. Well, I have some good news. Sailor Moon has decided to join forces with you," Molly said happily.

"That's great." He pulled Molly closer to him and kissed her. "I have to go now. But I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, Neflite." They kissed one more time and then he left. After he left, she got ready for bed. Just as she was about to get in to bed, she found a single red rose laid on the pillow. Molly touched the soft petals and smiled. Picking the flower up carefully, she whispered, "Thanks, Neflite." She put the rose with her first one and went to bed.