Chapter 17

Nephrite had heard a great deal of the conversation between Jadeite, Zoisite, and Kunzite. He knew this conversation was coming. He knew at some point they would have to talk about it. From what he could see Jadeite harbored a lot of anger over what had happened to them, and Kunzite was plagued with so much guilt, he worried the man would choke on it. Zoisite, being the logical one, seemed to not harbor much anger towards the rest of them. Nephrite wasn't sure how he felt exactly. He felt guilt for his actions, and anger over what was done to him, but towards these men, he wasn't sure.

These men had been his friends, his companions, his brothers for years before their fall to the Dark Kingdom. During their time in the Dark Kingdom they had been awful to each other. He was still trying to work out his feelings about Zoisite killing him. Now that he knew what was done to cause that action, he wasn't sure he could be angry about it.

Zoisite's intelligence was a strength, and a weakness to the man. A strength because the man could reason out any problem, strategize any solution, and help any person understand any number of topics. A weakness because many people did not see him as a soldier, a general really. They deemed him less than because his strength lay more in knowledge than physical. He had been picked on by children and teens, outside of their group for "always having his nose stuck in a book", instead of spending countless hours with a sword or physical fighting. Beryl and Metalia exploited the fact that Zoi's intelligence was a weakness. It angered Nephrite that anyone would use that against the man. Clearing his mind of that, he entered into the conversation fully.

"Metalia had never had any intentions of allowing Endy to live. She believed he was too strong to possess. She was willing to allow Beryl to attempt to bring him over to our side, but planned to kill him if he didn't bow to her orders back then. At that time he had almost complete use of his powers, and he was strong. She worried that if she couldn't control him, that one day he would over throw her. Granted Metalia didn't have a body at the time, but her plan was to inhabit Beryl once the Moon Kingdom fell because she knew that whoever the queen of the moon was, would be the strongest being of them all." Nephrite stated.

"How do you know this?" Jadeite asked.

"The stars." Nephrite answered simply.

"You and your stars." Jadeite huffed.

"If that's true, why was Metalia able to possess Endy this time?" Kunzite asked.

"Because he had very little access or control over his powers. He had such little knowledge of them. He was weak, magically. Making it easier for her." Nephrite answered.

"That does actually make a great deal of sense." Zoisite stated thoughtfully.

"It was my fault she got to him in the first place." Kunzite said with a great deal of guilt in his voice.

"Not completely, Kunz. Remember I uncovered his identity. I was also the one who injured him enough to be taken in the first place." Zoisite said sadly.

Nephrite hadn't known about any of this so he asked for an explanation. Kunzite, and Zoisite told him of the fight between Zoisite, and Endymion. About the princess awakening with the formation of the Silver Crystal. Ending with Kunzite taking Endy to Beryl, as ordered. Nephrite was shocked, but he also knew that the guilt both carried was not deserved. They were not in control of their actions, nor did they know it was their prince they turned over to evil.

"You two do realize you are both blameless in that, right?" Nephrite asked.

"We are not blameless. Because of us he was injured, and turned over to evil." Kunzite stated.

"Kunzite, did you remember who Endymion was? Did you remember the bond we all once shared with him? Did you recognize him even for a moment?" Nephrite asked.

"Well no." Kunzite answered.

"Zoisite, did you?" Nephrite asked the man.

"No." Zoisite answered quietly.

"Because Metalia, and Beryl made sure you didn't. They made sure that any memories or feelings you had toward him were buried so deep that not even a spark of something could be felt or remembered. Just as they did with the girls, and Serenity. Metalia, and Beryl made sure that any loyalty, recognition, bond, or love was buried so deep, none of us knew or remembered anything. They couldn't risk us binding together against them. With all 10 of us together, those two would never have stood a chance. They made sure that didn't happen." Nephrite stated.

"Yeah, but even Serenity awakening didn't remind us." Kunzite said.

"Of course not. Remember Serenity didn't have any memories of her own back then. She had as little clue as to who she truly was as the rest of us. All we knew at the time, what had been forced into us, was that the moon princess was the enemy, who would kill us all. Metalia, and Beryl made sure to instill that in us. You ALL need to remember that we were thoroughly possessed, and controlled. NONE of us is to blame for our actions during that time." Nephrite said.

"Minako blames me. She told me I was weak. That I failed her by not being strong enough to fight back. To resist possession, and falling. She is angry, and blames me." Kunzite said quietly.

"She does?" Zoisite asked.

Nephrite heart cracked for the man. He could feel the hurt, the anger, the blame, and self doubt. He knew he couldn't fix it, but he had to figure out a way to lessen the pain.

"Didn't you explain to her what happened?" Nephrite asked.

"She wouldn't let me. She told me she didn't want to hear it. That it didn't matter. That our positions as leaders require us to be stronger than any one else. We can't afford weakness, and she refused to have someone who is weak by her side." Kunzite stated quietly.

"Oh. Have you tried to talk to her since then?" Zoisite asked.

"No." Kunzite answered.

"Makoto hasn't let me explain yet either." Nephrite said.

"Neither has Ami." Zoisite added.

"I gave Rei the letter I wrote her before I fell, and a letter I wrote recently, telling her what happened. I don't know if she read them, as I haven't heard from her." Jadeite said.

"It's hopeless. She'll never give me the chance." Kunzite said quietly then went to his room.

"I found him the night he saw her, and tried to talk to her. I've never seen him the way he was that night." Jadeite said quietly.

"That bad?" Zoisite asked.

"Worse. He was crumpled up on the floor, in a ball, crying." Jadeite answered.

"Oh." Zoisite said.

"Yeah." Jadeite said.

"We can't let him give up though. That's not Kunz." Zoisite stated.

"You're right, but what can we do? We are each trying to work on our own relationships. Those have to be our focus right now." Jadeite said then left the room.

"What do the stars tell you Neph?" Zoisite asked.

"Nothing." Nephrite answered and turned back to the window.

"Oh." He heard Zoisite get up, and leave the room too.

Nephrite stood at that window for quite sometime, looking for answers, but none ever came. The situation with Kunzite, and Minako was not something he could do anything about. It sadden him that he couldn't help, but Jadeite was right. They all had their own relationship troubles to work on.