Good N/N Fanfiction
Mood:
lazy
Now Playing: Revolution Earth, B-52s (on my computer)
Topic: fanfiction
I spent a lot of time a month or so ago Googling all the various permutations of Nephrite/Nephlite etc. and Naru/Molly, mainly to see how my site comes up in the search results (first when you search "Nephrite Naru"), but also to see what else is out there. I was especially hoping to find some more goodies for my site. I struck gold with the Nephlite/Molly Club at deviantArt.com, and with the nifty picture by Lord Zox I found on his old AOL members site. But in the fanfiction department, other than the beautiful "Reflections: Osaka Naru" by R. TenEyck, there was nothing. Nothing good, that is. I came to the conclusion that there is no good Nephrite-Naru fanfiction that isn't already hosted or linked to on my site.
Now, some people who've been around in the fandom for a while might say, "But what about Wildflowers?" And indeed, what about Wildflowers? I've managed to read a large chunk of it, and even though I thought it was now gone from the Web, it resurfaced during my searches.
The key words here are "good" and "Nephrite-Naru," and I'm afraid Wildflowers is disqualified on both counts. While there are moments of breathtaking, virtuosic beauty in the writing, these are outweighed by the complete lack of such qualities as good characterizations, good plotting, and making the slightest bit of sense. Most of the time while I was trying to read this thing I didn't have the slightest idea what was going on, and when I did it made me want to chuck my computer through the window. Not a good sign.
In the N/N department, lip service is given to Nephrite and Naru, but the story is really about Nephrite's affair with Prince Endymion. Same thing with Usagi/Serenity and Mamoru/Endymion. Given a token role, but basically dismissed in favor of Endymion and Nephrite. Which just isn't right. You don't take THE central romance of Sailor Moon and split it up like that. I don't care what you do to the other characters, Usagi/Mamoru are untouchable. But in Wildflowers, Naru and Serenity basically are to be Nephrite and Endymion's respective consolation prizes when they're in Heaven and can't be together any more.
So it goes like this: Endymion is the Prince and Nephrite is his guardian angel/lover.
Still with me? Good. Endymion is the son of Naru, who has black hair at this point in the proceedings, and Zoisite. *urge to throw computer quickly suppressed* Zoisite is an abusive, wife-beating, wife-raping monster (the author really REALLY hates Zoisite; personally, I have my doubts about whether Zoisite has the, er, physical capability to rape a female). Naru eventually rebels and embarks on an affair with Nephrite, her son's guardian angel/lover. (Sleeping with the guy that your son is sleeping with seems kind of icky to me.) At this point her hair turns red to show that she has become a wanton and wicked woman. (We all know about those wicked redheads, don't we, heh heh heh [/sarcasm])
Naru and Nephrite have a son, who is a demon because of Nephrite's status as a Fallen Angel. A large part of the story involves looking for him, even into the present day, for reasons I never understood. Then it also turns out that Nephrite can turn into a woman at will (which really steams Usagi - she was okay with Mamoru sleeping with a guy, but not with another woman because there's no way she can compete with another woman). Anyway, Nephrite turns into a woman and gets pregnant by Endymion/Mamoru. Then when he turns back into a man he's still pregnant. (I don't care what else happens, Nephrite should never EVER be pregnant. 
)
This was when I finally realized I didn't know what the bleepity-bleep was going on and I didn't think I wanted to know. So the upshot of all this is that I don't qualify Wildflowers as "good Nephrite-Naru fanfiction."
I'm not saying that people shouldn't read Wildflowers, though. If you really want to, then by all means go Google it and read away. (But when you end up throwing your computer out the window, don't say I didn't warn you.) But if you really want to read something very long that involves the Shitennou, I would tell you to do yourself a favor and read The Crystal Weaver Saga. Excellent writing, excellent plotting, excellent and respectful characterizations - even of the characters that aren't necessarily the author's favorites. E. Liddell strikes me as a Kunzite-Zoisite fan, but her writing of Nephrite and Molly's relationship is filled with understanding, respect, and emotion.
At one point, before a battle, Nephrite is questioning the profoundly life-changing decision that Molly had made in order to be with him, and here is Molly's reply: "Nephrite, knowing you... I could never have gone back to being what I was. Having someone die in your arms... changes you. Even if I'd never remembered it outside of a dream, I still wouldn't have been that same carefree girl. I wanted you back in my life. You showed me... Oh, I can't explain. Something wonderful. Something terrible. Something... You lifted me out of the world I knew and showed me the inside of a dream. And if it was a bit like a nightmare from time to time, well, real life isn't always all that wonderful either. " (Crystal Weaver Saga, Wars of Light and Shadow II: All Darkness Met, Chapter 10)
I couldn't say it any better myself.
not sure
I was so proud of it a few days ago, and now all I can think about are the flaws and worry that people in the broader Sailormoon fandom aren't going to be into a twenty-something-plus chapter epic about Nephrite and Naru. I just have Book One over there right now, if people hate it I'll take it down and not post the rest. So we'll see what happens. 
hungry
