I don't own Sailor Moon. I read "Allegiance" shortly before writing this and was disappointed with how I wrote it and knew I could do better. I have only seen the NA dub and I am sticking with it, but I want to point out that there will be hints of the manga, some fanon, and ideas of my own added to the story. We now begin with what I perceived to be a pivotal point in the episode where Nephlite actually died.

Chapter One- The Offer

He sensed the attack coming and, rather than turn and freeze as other people would, he grabbed Molly and dove behind the tree they had been leaning against a second before a cluster of thorns struck the ground where Nephlite had been. A second slower and those thorns would have struck his shoulder.

I would have slowly died, my body reduced to Negadust.

"No!" screeched his attacker. "How could you have dodged that? It's not possible!"

Nephlite chanced a peek around the trunk. He saw the same three youmas he fought earlier, but Zoycite was with them now!

"Zoycite!" he called. "Are you letting those three do your dirty work? Are you too much of a coward to do it yourself?"

"You dare call me a coward? All right." She turned to her henchmen. "You three are dismissed. I will attend to the traitor myself." Zoycite then faced the tree again. "Come out and face me, Nephlite, if you dare."

Nephlite scowled at the mocking tone in Zoycite's voice. That woman was asking for it! "Molly, stay here. Please," he said as he stood up. Molly said nothing. She merely nodded.

Nephlite stepped around the trunk and saw Zoycite. She was alone and looking off to one side. "Well, it appears we have an audience," she said.

Nephlite, too, looked over and saw the Sailor Scouts! How in the Negaverse did they find out where he had taken Molly? Perhaps, Sailor Mercury found out. She was certainly clever enough.

Nephlite quickly snapped his attention back to Zoycite and barely dodged the ice spear she had thrown at him. He summoned his sword and held it vertically with the edge facing outward and it neatly bisected the second spear that came at him. He suddenly charged at Zoycite, his sword vanishing as he tackled his opponent.

The two of them went down in a tangle of legs and arms. Nephlite was on top of Zoycite, looking triumphant. His expression turned to shock when he found himself flying through the air, thanks to a leg thrust from Zoycite. Nephlite hit the ground and skidded a few feet before stopping.

"Nephlite, I'm declaring you a traitor to our cause. The penalty for treason is death and I'm only too happy to do the deed."

"Is that so?"

"Oh, yes. But, first." Zoycite held out a hand and a black crystal rose off the ground and into her hand. His Star Crystal! It must have fallen out of his pocket when he hit the ground!

"That's my crystal," Nephlite snarled.

"Not anymore. It's mine now. You won't need it where you're going."

"You intend to do it with those pathetic spears?"

"What did you say?"

"I said your spears are pathetic and so are you, Zoycite! A pathetic witch!" Nephlite watched with satisfaction as Zoycite's face turned red.

"I'll show you who's pathetic! I'll have this spear track your energy. It won't stop until it hits you. Farewell, Nephlite." Zoycite hurled the spear and waited until she was sure it couldn't miss and then teleported out.

She left about five seconds too soon. Nephlite dodged it as soon as she was gone. The spear course-corrected and aimed itself for Nephlite who dodged again. Once more it changed direction, determined to hit its target.

Shoot. Now, I'm in real trouble, he thought. The spear was attracted to his energy and would keep following him. Nephlite came to the realization that sooner or later, he would tire or make a mistake and then the spear would get him.

Suddenly, his foot tripped over a root and he hit the ground. He glanced back to see the spear aiming right for him! There was no way he would be able to avoid it this time! He looked away and closed his eyes. It was all over. Molly, I'm sorry, he thought.

"Moon Tiara Magic!"

Sailor Moon's attack! Great. Apparently, the scouts wanted to do him in rather than let Zoycite have the credit. He waited to feel the tiara's magic hit him and turn him to dust.

"Sailor Moon! Why did you save him? He's the enemy!" the voice of Sailor Mars exclaimed.

Save me? He opened his eyes and looked over in time to see and hear Sailor Moon say, "Hey, saving people is what we do, okay?"

"But, he's the enemy!" Mars protested.

"Perhaps not anymore," Mercury cut in.

"What makes you say that?" Mars demanded.

"Didn't you hear that woman? She called him a traitor. That means he's not our enemy anymore." Mercury started toward Nephlite who was getting to his feet. He calmly stood his ground as the scout approached. He wasn't afraid of them and besides, Mercury didn't look the least bit threatening.

"Nephlite, I want to make you an offer."

"What kind of offer?"

"How about fighting on our side?"

"You would trust me?" Nephlite was surprised. After everything he had done to them, Mercury was suggesting he align himself with them.

"No way!" Mars called out.

"Of course I do," Mercury countered.

Nephlite was silent for a moment. "I need to think it over. I'll give you my answer right here tomorrow afternoon. I need to take Molly home right now."

Mercury nodded. "Tomorrow afternoon it is then."

For those of you who have read the original story, you'll notice that I changed the part where Nephlite dodged the attack instead of getting hit. I believe that made the events that followed flow smoothly.